Jason A. Crotty is a birder and lawyer living in Portland, Oregon. He has visited more than 40 National Wildlife Refuges in 20 states and frequently visits NWRs in his travels, most recently Buenos Aires NWR in southern Arizona. This is Jasons first contribution to 10,000 Birds:

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Birders were rightly alarmed by the armed occupation of the Malheur NWR in Oregon. One of the nations premier birding locations had been overrun by an armed militia and the occupation unexpectedly endured for weeks.

The focus on Malheur is and was appropriate, but we should not lose sight of the significance of the entire National Wildlife Refuge System. The debates regarding the appropriate use of our public lands are likely to continue and most Americans are unaware of the importance of the System to wildlife conservation.

To insure that those places continue to exist, birders should lead the way on education and advocacy regarding the Refuge System. The key point is that Refuge System is perhaps the most important conservation program in the United States. The reason is twofold, size and mission. The combination is potent.

There are approximately 560 NWRs managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and they are located in every state as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the remote Pacific Ocean. There are also hundreds of Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). As a result, the National Wildlife Refuge System contains virtually all habitats in the United States.

Excluding marine areas, the System contains approximately 90 million acres. The vast majority of this area (about 85%) is in Alaska. For comparison, the System is much smaller than the Bureau of Land Management (about 247 million) and the Forest Service (192 million), but slightly larger than the National Park Service (80 million).

Individually, many NWRs protect crucial bird habitat. For example, essentially the entire population of the endangered Whooping Crane winters at Aransas NWR in Texas. Farallon NWR, a group of islands near San Francisco, hosts the largest colonies of breeding seabirds south of Alaska. Refuges in the Klamath Basin can host a million waterfowl a day during migration.

But when taken as a whole, the impact of the Refuge System is truly profound, supporting population-level numbers of numerous bird species. Because many NWRs were established to protect migrating birds, they lie along one of the four primary flyways. These refuges support huge numbers of swans, geese, ducks, cranes, and shorebirds as they hopscotch their way to breeding grounds in the north. For many, the journey ends in Alaska, where NWRs host staggering numbers of breeding birds, including more than 40 million within Alaska Maritime NWR alone.

These protected areas are not merely convenient, they are essential. Development has dramatically reduced the amount of suitable wildlife habitat. The Refuge System protects and, in some cases, restores, some of what remains. Additionally, funds from Duck Stamps allow the System to gradually expand, as FWS purchases land and obtains conservation easements from willing sellers. (A list of NWRs that have been created or expanded with such funds is here. Birders will see many favorites)

But its not just size that matters, its what you do with it. Congress has set forth a statutory mandate: The Mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. This is a mission that all birders can surely support.

Thus, unlike other federal lands, which must balance competing uses, the Refuge System is dedicated to conservation. Accordingly, FWS manages with conservation as its primary priority and compatible wildlife-dependent recreation (hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation) as a secondary priority. Other activities are only permitted if compatible and, in practice, most are prohibited.

The System also leverages the generosity of the American people. Every year, approximately 42,000 people (many of them birders) volunteer more than 1.5 million hours of their time. And more than 200 non-profits support individual refuges with additional private resources. For example, the Friends of the Malheur NWR experienced a tremendous surge of support due to the occupation.

Its not just for the birds. The System also protects bison, bighorn sheep, panthers, elk, grizzly bears, manatees, and ocelots, among others. The System also helps implement the Endangered Species Act and other federal conservation laws. The result is unique in the world: it is the only network of lands set aside and managed specifically for wildlife conservation.

Birders have a unique interest in the status of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Not only does it contain many of the finest birding locations in the United States, its size and mission help insure that there are birds to see both on and off refuge lands. But birders are essentially alone when it comes to this passion. At best, most Americans are only vaguely aware of the Refuge Systemsome of the reporting about Malheur NWR called it a federal bird sanctuary.

To maintain and improve these treasured public lands, birders should take the lead on public education and advocacy for the Refuge System.
 

         

                     ,  ,    ,       ,   .
David Clayton

I was pleased to hear from an NLM reader who told me of the Holy League that has just begin meeting at Assumption Grotto in Detroit every second Saturday. (The church is located at 13770 Gratiot Avenue.) The structured Holy Hour for men at 6.30 pm will be followed by Holy Mass (EF), after Mass there is coffee and fraternity.



They met for the first time this past Saturday and I heard it was a great success, with over 50 attending. It will continue each month through the year.



Through Adoration, Confession, the Rosary, and fraternity, the Holy League looks to strengthen men spiritually during these troubling times. It looks to the model prayer by which the virtue and chivalry of men was strengthened when Europe was under threat from Islam in the 16th century and which contributed so much to the great victory at the Battle of Lepanto. The 21st century Holy Leagues have begun under the patronage of Cardinal Burke.





Incidentally, it strikes me that this model of forming people who are capable of engaging with the modern world virtuously and courageously is very much in harmony with that described by Pope Benedict XVI as a method of evangelizing the culture as part of the New Evangelization. In his little paper on the subject, written in 2001 , he describes how each of us must first pray, and then, through grace, be transformed in Christ. The pattern of prayer which he describes is a liturgically centered piety, a balance of liturgical and para-liturgical prayer and devotions prayed with others, and personal prayer. It is only the transformed person who is capable of communicating indirectly, through the noble and beautiful way he behaves and interacts with others, that which is embodied in Christ. We persuade others not by telling them, but by showing them who we are. We can transform the world (to use the heading on the Holy League flyer above) if we are first transformed ourselves.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High near 80F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
Reporter

Noelle McGee is a Danville-based reporter at The News-Gazette. Her email is nmcgee@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@n_mcgee).
Business / Companies

by Staff reporter

Banking group Barclays has lashed out at a hoax WhatsApp message that is advising Zimbabwe depositors to withdraw their money, Fin24.com reported."Those with their monies at Barclays Bank go and withdraw, it is closing for good on the 22nd of March 2016. Pass it on," said the WhatsApp message which has been circulating since Monday.The hoax WhatsApp message comes about after Barclays earlier this month announced its intention to exit its Zimbabwean operation as well as reduce its its shareholding in Barclays Africa Group, formerly Absa.Barclays Zimbabwe said the WhatsApp message is inaccurate and misleading regarding the claimed exit date."Barclays would like to re-assure valued customers and the general public at large, that the misleading WhatsApp messages currently circulating concerning our alleged closure on the 22nd of March 2016 are grossly inaccurate and false," Barclays said in response to the WhatsApp message."Barclays is open for business and has no intention whatsoever to close its doors. We remain committed to the growth of our company," it added.Recently, another Zimbabwean bank, NMB, had to issue a statement after another false social media message saying it was set to fold up.The Zimbabwean central bank has also sought to allay fears and loss of confidence emanating from the false social messages about banks, saying it is the sole responsibility of the central bank and the banks concerned to issue such statements.
Scientists at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM) have developed a prototype sensor system which not only allows the remote detection of dangerous gases (CO, NO, NO2), but can estimate their concentration levels.

It does so by making detection a visual process, deploying an array of chemical compounds on site that change colour in the presence of certain gases. Images of this array can then be analysed automatically and remotely, and flagged up in the event of pre-programmed colour changes.

Combined with its low cost, it is a good candidate for use in industrial settings where the World Health Organisation recommends maximum hazardous gas thresholds be monitored and observed.

New approach to an old problem

Given the need to ensure the health and safety of employees in industrial settings, various well-established technologies already exist for this purpose. However, three factors have aligned over the past decade to make an alternative, more cost-effective approach possible: the progressive reduction in size and cost of digital cameras; the increasing ubiquity of Internet access; and the miniaturisation of computer devices.

These three elements, plus the selection of the chemical compounds that change colour in the presence of certain gases, underpin the prototype designed by the team at the UPV's Molecular Recognition and Technological Development interuniversity research institute (IDM).

The sensor system consists, in the first instance, of a tray of 13 different chemical compounds known to change colour in response to atmospheric composition. A minicomputer automatically analyses the photographs taken by a webcam, looking specifically for certain colour changes. The results of the analysis are sent to a remote computer using standard Internet protocols.

The use of non-specialised equipment, such as webcams and minicomputers, and standard communications protocols not only means that this solution is low-cost, but also fully integrable with other control systems. It can also be easily applied to other contexts, such as the evaluation of the quality of foodstuffs wrapped in plastic packaging.

First tests

Early tests confirm that the system works efficiently for the detection of carbon monoxide (CO), and both nitrogen monoxide and dioxide (NO, NO2), and can even estimate the concentration levels of these gases in the test environment. This latter is of particular importance in order to ensure observance of maximum gas thresholds as recommended by WHO.
Angola Capital Investments (ACI), a leading international investment firm headquartered in Angola, announced its investment in Sphera Bluoshen S.A. to support the development of the finest healthcare technology around the globe.

ACI is a major shareholder in Sphera Bluoshen S.A., a subsidiary of Oshen Group and part of Sphera Global Healthcare. Sphera Global Healthcare is a unique medical company that specializes in medical services and brings together carefully selected high-level hospitals, clinics, doctors and technologies. The objective is to democratize healthcare services so that people in Angola, and all over the world, have access to quality healthcare.

Technology advancements have become a very important aspect of the African healthcare system. "When a patient has access to technology they are more informed, which enables them to make better decisions and demand better treatment," said Zandre Campos, chairman and CEO of ACI. "It also enables patients access to international medicine, no matter where they are located."

Sphera Global Healthcare differs from other healthcare companies because of its focus on communication technologies. As patients demand more, including the best professionals and the most thorough information, Sphera Global Healthcare is developing communication technologies to meet those demands. Technologies already developed include video conferencing, telemedicine, virtual platforms, apps, and mobile-health. Besides improving communication, the technologies also guarantee the delivery of quality healthcare and reduce unnecessary hospital or clinical visits.

mHealth is a mobile app that provides consultation 24/7 for pediatric and general medicine. It stimulates engagement, maximizes preventive disease discussions, increases efficiency and reduces the cost of care when the number of unnecessary visits is reduced. Most importantly, more people have access to quality healthcare services.

In Angola, Sphera Global Healthcare's healthcare technology can also be found in the International Medical Center (IMC). Located in the capital city Luanda, the IMC is an outpatient center that aims to provide the highest level of care. It has an on-site laboratory, other cutting edge technologies, and delivers international medical services. It is run by doctors with international training and has a multidisciplinary team, including family doctors, specialists and nurses.
Children with autism have special difficulty in expressing emotions, usually have no social skills and face major problems when communicating. In order to help children with this problem learn to recognize facial expressions in themselves and in others, a group of researchers at the Tec de Monterrey, in Mexico, created a robot using artificial intelligence.

TecO is the name of the humanoid robot that detects neural signals thanks to an operational amplifier using a headset or a hood, which has electrodes mounted on the child's head and records this signals; then they are sent to a computer that translates them into information that is interpreted by a psychologist or a neurologist.

The operation of TecO is explained by David Silva Balderas, researcher in the area of graduate programs in engineering sciences, at the Mexico City campus of the Tec de Monterrey. "It detects certain intentions, such as moving an arm, if the kid is sleepy or alert, but doesn't read thoughts, the expression must be made clear. If the robot registers sadness in the child, it then modifies its mode of action to change that feeling," says the specialist artificial intelligence.

Another member of the scientific team that created TecO is the psychologist Demi Grammatikou, who explains that children with autism are stressed by human behavior and causes them anxiety because it is unpredictable, whereas a robot can be made predictable. "What we have seen is that the technology caught their attention and using technological tools lowers their anxiety level".

Using TecO as a tool in therapy for children with autism makes significant progress in only two months, although every child is different. She explains that emotions are measured through facial expressions, which traditionally is done by observation, but the robot uses cameras that record the number of times that the kid turns to see it. The eye contact between the two is what denotes progress.

"It gives us tools to measure quantitatively what is happening, to see how many times the child looked at the robot. The robot can see what the infant does, and independently decide what is needed. If there is no eye contact, TecO can make a sound or movement to regain the attention. Thus the child reads the robot and the robot the child," says Grammatikou.

TecO is 50 centimeters tall, has a face and arms of a bear; it is made of aluminum and its operation is electric. Its development began in 2012 and since then the project is led by Dr. Pedro Ponce Cruz, director of graduate studies in Engineering Sciences in the Tec of Monterrey of the Mexico City campus.

The researcher points out that the robot can have an approximate cost of $1,120 dollars. However, it is intended for it to not cost more than a conventional tablet. Currently, parents of children with autism pay about $140 dollars per consultation with a therapist, hence the importance of collaborating in the family economy and therapy for the improvement of the children.

According to the World Health Organization, one percent of the world population suffers from autism. In Mexico, one in 300 children has autism, and according to figures from the federal government six thousand cases are reported annually.

"From a social point of view, it does not seem to impact so many people, but when you think about one percent of the total population, is a significant number," says Dr. Ponce Cruz.

Finally, he emphasizes that technology developers must take into account the economic and social situation in the country. "Who should indicate how a product ought to be are outsiders, not the lab. The commitment of researchers is higher with the people, especially with the population that has fewer resources, which is the most vulnerable ".
Today, Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed too late. In collaboration with a research team at the university and German Center for Neurogenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Gottingen, Researchers at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) have developed a blood test that may potentially facilitate detection of Alzheimer's at an early stage. It is based on an immuno-chemical analysis using an infrared sensor.

The sensor's surface is coated with highly specific antibodies which extract biomarkers for Alzheimer's from the blood or the cerebrospinal fluid, taken from the lower part of the back (lumbar liquor). The infrared sensor analyses if the biomarkers show already pathological changes, which can take place more than 15 years before any clinical symptoms appear. This method has been featured as the cover story in the internationally renowned academic journal "Biophotonics", and the results of the study were also published in "Analytical Chemistry".

In most instances, diagnosis is too late

A major problem of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis is the fact that, by the time the first clinical symptoms appear, massive irreversible damage to the brain has already occurred. At that point, symptomatic treatment is the only available option. "If we wish to have a drug at our disposal that can significantly inhibit the progress of the disease, we need blood tests that detect Alzheimer's in its pre-dementia stages," says Prof Dr Klaus Gerwert, Head of the Department of Biophysics at RUB. "By applying such drugs at an early stage, we could prevent dementia, or at the very least delay its onset," adds Prof Dr med. Jens Wiltfang, Head of the Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Gottingen and Clinical Research Coordinator at DZNE Gottingen.

Morbus Alzheimer's and misfolding of Amyloid beta peptide

For the novel test, the secondary structure of the so-called Amyloid beta peptides serves as biomarker. This structure changes in Alzheimer's patients. In the misfolded, pathological structure, more and more Amyloid beta peptides can accumulate, gradually forming visible plaque deposits in the brain that are typical for Alzheimer's disease. This happens more than15 years before first clinical symptoms appear. The pathological beta Amyloid plaques can be temporarily detected by positron emission tomography, short: Amyloid PET; but this procedure is comparatively expensive and is accompanied by radiation exposure.

Patented diagnostic method for Alzheimer's detection

Together with Prof Dr med. Jens Wiltfang from Gottingen, the team headed by Prof Dr Klaus Gerwert has developed an infrared sensor for detecting misfolding of Amyloid beta peptides as part of the PhD research projects of Andreas Nabers and Jonas Schartner. The infrared sensor extracts the Amyloid beta peptide from body fluids. The method is patent pending. After initially working with cerebrospinal fluid, the researchers subsequently expanded the method towards blood analysis. "We do not merely select one single possible folding arrangement of the peptide; rather, we detect how all existing Amyloid beta secondarystructures are distributed, in their healthy and in their pathological forms," says Gerwert. Precise diagnostics is not possible until the distribution of all secondary structures is evaluated. Tests that analyse Amyloid beta peptide are already available with so-called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). They identify the total concentration, percentage of forms of different length, as well as the concentration of individual conformations in body fluids; but they have not, as yet, provided information on the diagnostically relevant distribution of the secondary structures at once. "This is why ELISA tests have not been proven very effective when applied in blood sample analysis in practice," explains Klaus Gerwert.

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First clinical trials completed

Using the methods now developed in Bochum and Gottingen, the researchers have analysed samples from 141 patients. They have achieved a diagnostic precision of 84 per cent in the blood and 90 per cent in cerebrospinal fluid, compared with the clinical gold standard. The test revealed an increase of misfolded biomarkers as spectral shift of Amyloid beta band below threshold, thus diagnosing Alzheimer's. "What's unique about it is that this is the only robust label-free test with a single threshold," as Andreas Nabers describes the result of his dissertation.

A potential sensor for early detection

As part of the published study, the researchers have tested the potential for early detection of Morbus Alzheimer's on a small group of patients. The results suggest that even in pre-dementia stages, an increased concentration of misfolded Amyloid beta peptides can be detected in body fluids. Thus, Morbus Alzheimer's may in future be diagnosable in preclinical stages. "The sooner Alzheimer's is detected, the better the therapy chances. This sensor is an important milestone in the right direction," adds Prof Dr Jens Wiltfang. Currently, sample analyses for early detection in 800 study participants are being conducted, in order to optimise statistical significance.
Entertainment / Arts

by Staff Reporter

ND Productions in partnership with National Gallery Bulawayo is this Friday March 18 set to official launch its Theatre for Everyone - Bulawayoprogramme. The launch will also see a new play titled The Ben 10 premiering.The play was written by German based award winning author, playwright Chris Mlalazi and directed by veteran actor cum director Memory Kumbota. It has a cast of eight aspiring and upcoming young actors and actresses.The Ben 10 is a story of a successful business woman in the township who falls in love and gets married to a young man .She assists him to get a good university education, while she herself has a low one. Suddenly, her business hits a spot of trouble, she is bankrupt and also betrayed by somebody very close to her.'Theatre for Everyone  Bulawayo' is a monthly theatre program that intends to build up theatre audience attendance whilst a creating a marketable, sustainable and support worthy theatre industry . This will done through introducing fresh, original and entertaining theatre plays and activities as from now onwards. The plays will be showcased every last Friday of the month and The Ben 10 will be the pace starter of the programme. Every month, the organisers will be carrying out auditions for the play of that month.Already about five plays have been accepted for the programme that is supported by Alliance Francaise and Leaders of Africa Network. These include, Utikolotshe by Nonhlalo Dube and directed by Styx Mhlanga, It's not gold by Khali S and directed by Thembelihle Moyo, Indigo by Lewis Phiri, Umupho by Vincent Ngwenya. The programme is supported by Alliance Francaise and Leaders of Africa Network.
Henrico County-based Genworth Financial Inc. said Friday that it has agreed to a $219 million settlement of a lawsuit that accused the company of misleading shareholders about its long-term-care insurance business.

The company said it has reached an agreement in principle to settle the class action suit, which was filed in October 2014 in U.S. District Court in Richmond.

Genworth said its insurers will pay $150 million of the settlement, while the company will pay $69 million.

The company believes that the plaintiffs claims are without merit, but is settling the lawsuit to avoid the burden, risk and expense of further litigation, Genworth said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

The settlement requires court approval, which could take several months, the company said.

The lead plaintiffs were two public pension funds, including the Fresno County, Calif., Employees Retirement Association. The lawsuit centered on Genworths long-term-care insurance business, a division of the company that provides insurance for nursing home care or at-home care.

That business has struggled financially because of higher-than-anticipated claim costs and lower-than-expected returns on investments.

The plaintiffs claimed that Genworths top executives misled investors in a December 2013 earnings conference call by saying that the companys internal review of the business showed that its long-term-care reserves were adequate.

The lawsuit sought compensation for shareholders who bought stock from Dec. 4, 2013, the day of the conference call, and July 29, 2014, the day before Genworth reported lower-than-expected earnings in the long-term-care business and announced another review of the unit.

The companys stock declined 14 percent that day, according to the lawsuit.

Genworth said it expects to make its settlement payment into an escrow account this month.

The company said it also expects to incur an additional $10 million, pretax, in legal fees and accruals in the first quarter.
Accion and the Virginia Community Economic Network announced an initiative Monday to increase microloan access to small businesses in Virginia.

The two nonprofit groups have collaborated to launch a pilot project making Accions microloans and support services available to small businesses via the networks website, www.SourceLinkVirginia.org.

The effort is aimed at helping Virginia entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses through microfinancing and business education, addressing gaps in access to capital and credit in underserved markets around the state.

Despite the general economic recovery, access to high-quality capital and credit options remains a challenge for Virginias startups, microbusinesses and small businesses, said Conaway Haskins, executive director of the Virginia Community Economic Network, the goal of which is to promote the creation and expansion of community economic opportunities throughout the commonwealth.

Accion makes small-business loans from $1,000 to $50,000, an often overlooked range for early-stage and growing small businesses.

In 2015, the organization received more than 360 applications and made 20 loans. The average loan was about $9,000.

Businesses need both access to capital and financial education in order to grow, said Paul Quintero, CEO of New York-based Accion East, a regional nonprofit microlender that is part of the national Accion network.

The pilot project will begin in targeted regions, including central Virginia, Hampton Roads and the Interstate 81 corridor. If the pilot phase succeeds, the project will be expanded to the rest of the state.

Since opening its doors in 1991, Accion East has provided $154 million in capital to small-business owners, creating or sustaining about 96,800 jobs within local communities.
Red Hulk, Ronin, and more: 10 Heroes and Villains whose secret identities were hidden from readers

There's a longstanding superhero tradition of hiding the identity of certain characters even from readers
Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Local FFA chapter has special seminar with visiting experts March 15, 2016 by Mary Fioravanti



Last Saturday was an eventful day for the Bonners Ferry FFA Chapter. There were a few national and state officers well known within the FFA who came to Bonners Ferry to work with our FFA members on how to become better leaders. Steven Brockshus, the 2013-2014 National Central Region Vice-President, and his brother Dylan, who was Iowa's 2013-2014 Northwest Region Vice-President, came to the high school Friday night and spent all day Saturday working with our chapter.



They were insightful and super motivating for the FFA members of the Bonners Ferry FFA Chapter. They shared with the Bonners Ferry FFA their knowledge, leadership skills, and inspiring lessons through all-day team building workshops and personal lectures.



The seminar began Friday night as Steven and Dylan met at the high school to discuss with the Greenhand (freshman) FFA members how to belong and participate in FFA. Activities continued Saturday morning with a chapter officer breakfast and one-on-one talks on how to improve the chapter. Afterward the rest of the chapter arrived to participate in other events. The momentous day was topped off with a campfire at the home of the FFA adviser, where chapter members bonded roasting s'mores.



Three Idaho FFA state officers also drove up to join the Bonners Ferry group and learn from Steven and Dylan's experience and training. Those leaders were Riely Geritz, the Idaho FFA State President, Dustin Winston, who is the Idaho FFA State Vice-President, and Abigail Raasch, the Idaho State FFA Secretary. This weekend was so special and meaningful for our FFA chapter because everyone learned something. I learned that we have plenty of opportunities to utilize, we need each other to succeed, and to be the best person you can be to your fullest ability.







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Policeman to stand trial

Eastman, 55, reappeared in the San Fernando First Court, before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington, who indicated that a prima facie case was made out against him at the end of a preliminary inquiry.

Eastman, an officer with 23 years service in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, was charged in April 2013, with transporting three Colombian women to a brothel in Marabella, for the purpose of exploitation and prostitution. The charges as read out in court, alleged that the offences occurred in March 2013. Eastman, of Princes Town, was charged under the Trafficking in Persons Act of 2011 and was last posted at the Mon Repos Police Station.

The preliminary inquiry against him commenced in September 2014 as an in-camera proceeding and ended at a previous hearing. In all, 16 prosecution witnesses including three Colombian women, testified against PC Eastman during the inquiry.

State attorney Sarah De Silva prosecuted while defence attorney Kevin Ratiram represented the accused policeman.

Eastman was previously out on $350,000 surety bail but yesterday after he was committed, Magistrate Wellington granted new bail in the sum of $250,000 with a surety to be approved by a Clerk of the Peace. The magistrate also granted $120,000 as a cash alternative to the bail. As police officers escorted PC Eastman out of the courthouse, the accused blocked his face with a white shirt to hide his identity from media photographers
Arcelor Mittal still alive

The Minister made her feelings known following a three-hour long meeting with Arcelor Mittal representatives at the ministrys offices, Tower C, Wrightson Road in Port-of-Spain.

Coming out of the meeting, Baptiste-Primus said the multi-national steel company was not yet insolvent (unable to pay its debts).

Arcelor Mittal is not yet insolvent, the process has not yet been triggered, there is an intention to do so. Based on the information I received this afternoon, the company will follow the process that is laid down in the law.

By April 5, the liquidator is expected to be appointed, and then Arcelor Mittal as a company, comes to an end. But, as I speak to you, Arcelor Mittal is still a live entity and therefore that company has certain responsibilities by law, the minister said. Baptiste-Primus said a register would be established before the end of this week. She added that the Employee Assistance Programme (EPA) and the need for psychological counselling of retrenched workers would be implemented.

The minister said pension to workers was a statutory obligation and would be higher than the terms and conditions of the collective agreement. She said one of the concerns revolved around the pension plan and with workers over the age of 50.

Having access to the pension plan, the employer expressed certain concerns if this situation is allowed to take place, more money would have to be pumped in. As minister, I sought to remind the employer that no employer would employ someone over age 50 so that those employees who are between the ages of 50 and 59. They need to have almost immediate access to the pension because of their own survivability because they are out of jobs and there is no hope for an employer employing them, so in order to live they would need to have access to their pension plans, Baptiste-Primus said.

Asked if under her watch as Labour Minister and part of the Government whether the considered purchasing the company, the minister said it was not under her remit. If government does move to purchase Arcelor Mittals local operations, at a purported $1 sale price, it would in effect be purchasing the companys $1Billion-plus debt.

Baptiste-Primus says Government has a ten-point plan in the establishment of a national retrenchment registry. She said this was a development because the ministry suspects that the number of workers retrenched from Arcelor Mittal may be much larger than they anticipate.

She said the plan had to do with assisting the retrenched workers, not only from Arcelor Mittal, but retrenched workers in Trinidad and Tobago. Last week, 700 workers were given their marching orders after the company stated that a combination of local and international challenges had resulted in a decision to close the business
Entertainment / Music

by Stephen Jakes

Iyasa in partnership with Culture Fund of Zimbabwe will host the 7th edition finals of the programme Isiphiwo Sami Talent Search and development programme.In a statement the organisation said the event will be held at Eveline High School on Friday 18 March 2016 and will start at 8am."10 Schools will battle for honours on the day. These schools were selected out of over 35 schools that took part in the programme 's preliminaries last week ,11/03/2016. The schools that will participate in the finals are, Mzilikazi High School, Gifford High School, Msitheli High School, Sizane High School, Milton High School, Eveline High School, Njube High School, Mandwandwe High School, Northlea High School and Luveve High School," reads the statement."The theme for the year is Age Of Consent ( virtue or vice). Schools came up with theatre productions based on the topical theme and also took part in various workshops organized by IYASA to help them unravel the theme. Culture Fund are currently driving the "Culture Impacts ", theme and this was a befitting theme considering the current debate on the issue of Age of Consent in the country. Most people in our society have been confused further and still do not know what age of consent entails and means let alone at what age it is."The organisation said children are affected most and we found it appropriate to allow them to debate it, create productions based on their views and present them on stage at various platforms."We look forward to exciting performances on the day and our guest artist in penned to be, Nkwali. Meanwhile IYASA also begins their international tour on the 15th of March. This tour will take 10 of their artistes to Austria and other countries that include Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, and Sweden among others," reads the statement."This is a part of our annual calender and the group will be back in August. Local performances will how ever stand fort and continue as part of the group will remain in the country . This year IYASA celebrates their 15th anniversary and 14 years of annual international expeditions. The tour will include several shows and events to celebrate the 15th anniversary before the celebrations are rounded up in Zimbabwe towards the festive season. We are also planning a big show in Bulawayo that will bring on stage all if not most of Iyasa's pioneers on one stage. Internationally we will also premier a new children 's production entitled, My Farm House," said Iyasa.
Suspended students can write CSEC

We will still ensure that they have access to their examinations.

Those students who are registered to write the CSEC examination, we will do everything to make sure they write the examination at the school, Garcia said.

He was addressing reporters after a meeting with parents of students attending El Dorado East Secondary School, concerning unacceptable behaviour by students at the school. The two-hour meeting took place at the ministrys office Alexandra Street in St Clair. He said they got a list of 31 students whose behaviour was deemed by the schools authority as unacceptable.

Garcia indicated that the situation at El Dorado East Secondary was fundamentally different from the situation that exists at Chaguanas North Secondary School, and a different approach had to be taken.

We had a lively decision with parents of students identified by the Principal and the school authorities as exhibiting undesirable behaviour. The approach we took today was to speak with the parents first to hear their point of view before we decide on what action we are going to take, Garcia said.

Although they did not yet have a solution to the situation, Garcia said the meeting outlined to the parents the various infractions of school rules their children committed.

I must say not all the parents accepted the fact that their children were exhibiting a certain type of behaviour that is unacceptable in the school system. It was then decided after hearing the abuse, we at the Ministry will sit and come up with strategies to put in place to ensure the school is returned to being a very safe place to all those who occupy the school. Garcia said a school must be a place that is safe for all those who are occupy the premises for learning and teaching. He said if the ministry is to deliver quality education to the nations students, they cannot allow students to display unacceptable behaviour.

The Minister said they will be accessing the students along with their parents individually before the end of the school second term in order to come up with a solution.

He said the students have not been removed from the school and indicated, although they will be physically removed from a school we have to put things in place so that they can benefit from other endeavours and interventions. Garcia explained, In the case of Chaguanas North we have made arrangements for the students to go to Couva West which is now called the Learning Enhancement Centre.
More training for MTS guards

Lazarus spoke briefly with the media after she and five other members of the Board received their instruments of appointment yesterday from Public Utilities Minister Ancil Antoine at the Ministry of Public Utilities, Port-of- Spain.

One of the first things the Board will do, she said, will be to confer with the management and other experts in the MTS as to how best the company can carry out its responsibility, and to mediate and reduce conflict between security guards and school children, teachers and parents who may find themselves in a situation of violence in schools.

Asked if the MTS was adequately staffed, Lazarus said, I think we will be looking more at quality than quantity. The MTS, she said, will want to shift from the function of general security to one that encompasses training in perception, detection and the things that we can preempt and to avoid situations of conflict.

So that we dont get into these squabbles that I see on Facebook where three, four security guards are trying to hold down one angry, irate, upset, frightened student, she said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer Lennox Rattansingh noted that the MTS has 1,200 security officers in the school system and was adequately staffed. The MTS has a staff complement of 5,400. The issue, he said, was that the Ministry of Education would allocate the number of officers that should be in the schools.

Certain numbers were prescribed for high risk schools, but they were reduced, he said, under the last administration. For example, he said that the number was reduced to two at Chaguanas North Secondary when the school should have had eight. The school now has its full complement, he said.
Camille: Commonwealth playing role in TT

For Trinidad and Tobago, one of the issues that the Commonwealth assists us with is the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Robinson-Regis said.

Because of that association with the Parliaments throughout the Commonwealth we gain a lot of learning on parliamentary matters and we also contribute to the learning of the Commonwealth on these issues. So there is a close relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and the Commonwealth in terms of the parliamentary relationship. The minister continued, Additionally, for our people generally, there are Commonwealth scholarships that are tenable at different Commonwealth countries so that we have students who have gone to India, who have gone to Canada, based on the Commonwealth relationship and other Commonwealth countries. She also spoke of cooperation on education matters.

We have, over the years, sent teachers to our Commonwealth neighbours in the African continent, and right now the Commonwealth Secretariat also works very closely with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in assisting with various matters where we may have a relationship with the other Commonwealth countries, Robinson-Regis said. So there has been a long-standing relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and the Commonwealth and it has never waned so that the question that was asked, whether there are issues that are currently engaging Trinidad and Tobago with the Commonwealth, its in education, energy, in parliamentary affairs, and several other matters. The minister spoke during a question and answer session which say one student of St James Secondary ask, Is the Commonwealth actively helping Trinidad and Tobago achieve anything at the moment? At the same event, Speaker of the House of Representatives Bridgid Annisette- George urged youth to utilise the values of the Commonwealth. Canadian High Commissioner Gerard Latulippe said talks around the Commonwealth table are all the more important given the rise of extremism and the global refugee crisis
'He Had the Chance to Go in

and Save the Children'
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A 15-YEAR-OLD girl of Kitwe's Chimwemwe township narrated before the Buchi Local Court how a 29-year-old man made her abscond school as he allegedly had sex with her at his aunt's place.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Senior magistrate Nsama Mutono, however, closed the case on grounds that the girl was under the age of 16 and referred the matter to the Subordinate Court so that the man can be prosecuted for defilement on a child.This is in a case in which Vivian Muyumba, the girl's aunt, sued Hilda Chilela to reveal the whereabouts of her brother, Mathews Chilela, who has failed to pay damage.The girl told the court that Mathews proposed love to her in 2014 and that she accepted.She narrated to the court that she gave in to Mathew's demands following his promise to marry her and that whenever he had sex with her, he gave her K5."He used to ask me to miss class so that we have sex. We also had oral sex," she said.She said she had sex with Mathews on four different occasions at his sister's house without her knowledge.The girl told the court that she confessed to her aunt about the affair after she fell ill."My aunt was suspecting that I was pregnant but it turned out otherwise. Mathews was fined K16,000 for defilement by my guardians but he has failed to pay despite agreeing to do so," she said.But Hilda informed the court that her brother Mathews is in Kabwe to raise money to pay for the damage.Magistrate Nsama Mutono advised the girl's aunt to report the case to the police and have her examined by a doctor to prove that there was penetration.
(Newser)  Dennis Nicholl, 63, was arrested in Chicago last Tuesday and accused of operating his "own personal quiet car" on the city's trains by employing a cellphone jammer, the Chicago Tribune reports. Nicholl, a CPA who works for the University of Illinois, apparently disliked having to listen to people talk on their cellphones as he commuted to and from work each day. So, police say, he got an illegal jamming device from China and started using it on the train. One fellow commuter says he once saw Nicholl "scowl" at a man talking on a phone near him, then pull a device with five antennas from his pocket and turn it on; everyone who had been talking on their phones in the vicinity stared, bewildered, at the screens as the calls dropped. Pictures of Nicholl and the device started making the rounds online, and police had been tipped off and had gotten Nicholl's photo.

On March 8, undercover officers set up a sting, saw Nicholl enter a station, and had one officer follow him on to the train. As Nicholl rode the Red Line, he allegedly switched on the device while the officer talked on the phone nearby. The officer lost the connection (his police radio was jammed, too, reports the Sun-Times), and Nicholl was arrested. "It's kind of a digital 'stay off my lawn, you young people with your cellphones,'" the aforementioned commuter tells the Tribune. Per the police report, Nicholl confessed to using the device because "he gets annoyed at people" on their phones on the train. Nicholl, who had already been charged with misdemeanor jamming of cellphone calls back in 2009, was charged with a felony this time around: unlawful interference with a public utility. But, as the Christian Science Monitor reports, some online commenters consider Nicholl a "folk hero" for keeping trains quiet. (Read more weird crimes stories.)
(Newser)  A new discovery has revived an old theory about ocean water gobbling up ships in the Bermuda Triangleif, that is, the Bermuda Triangle even exists. Researchers from the Arctic University of Norway say they've spotted large craters apparently created by methane buildups off Norway's coast, Atlas Obscura reports. "Multiple giant craters exist on the sea floor in an area in the west-central Barents Sea ... and are probably a cause of enormous blowouts of gas," they tell the Sunday Times. "The crater area is likely to represent one of the largest hotspots for shallow marine methane release in the Arctic." Other experts have said gas blowouts from such craters, which measure 150 feet deep and up to a half-mile wide in Norway, could explain the sinking of ships in a region between Puerto Rico, Miami, and Bermuda dubbed the Bermuda Triangle.

"There is a version that the Bermuda Triangle is a consequence of gas hydrates reactions," Russian scientist Igor Yeltsov said last year, per the New Zealand Herald. Ice-like underwater methane can break away and form gas that bubbles to the surface, Live Science explained in 2014; Yeltsov says it erupts "like a nuclear reaction, producing huge amounts of gas." Research has shown that such eruptions could sink sea vessels, as NBC News reported in 2003, and this YouTube video appears to confirm that. But it's not clear these blowouts even occur in the Bermuda Triangle, the Guardian notes. And skeptics say the Gulf Stream's many tropical storms would better account for the Triangle's lost ships and planes. The very term "Bermuda Triangle" is questionable: Still dismissed by the US Navy, it was invented in a dramatic 1964 article that probed the "mysterious menace" behind ships and airplanes lost in the area. (A teacher may have found "the key" to finding Amelia Earhart's plane.)
(Newser)  Two Northwestern University freshmen were arrested Saturday for allegedly spray-painting offensive graffiti in the school chapelincluding racist and homophobic messages and the word "Trump," NBC Chicago reports. Anthony Morales, 19, and Matthew Kafker, 18, took a tongue-lashing from Judge Peggy Chiampas when they appeared at a bond hearing in Chicago on Saturday in jeans and T-shirts. "These allegations are disgusting to me," she said, per the Chicago Tribune. "I don't know if any of you know how lucky you are to be at Northwestern University." When Morales' mother broke into tears, Chiampas added, "I don't mean to upset you. I mean to upset them."

Police, who saw surveillance video of the alleged incident, say Morales and Kafker spray-painted a slur and expletive against blacks, a swastika, an anti-gay term, several penises, and lines over photos of Muslims students. University chaplain Tim Stevens tells the New York Daily News that he discovered the graffiti, which has mostly been removed. "It's disturbing to think that someone whos been in this space would be venting some sort of rage that way," he says. About the word "Trump," he adds, "I cant speculate whatever it was inside them that needed to be expressed through that." The teens were charged with hate crime to a place of worship, institutional vandalism, and criminal damage to property, and held in lieu of $50,000 bail. (Read more hate crime stories.)
(Newser)  The day before vital Democratic primary votes, Bernie Sanders found himself defending his status as a recently added card-carrying member of the Democratic Party. At an MSNBC town hall in Ohio, Sanders, who has served as an independent in Congress for decades, explained that he decided to run for president as a Democrat to gain more media coverage. He said financial reasons were also behind his decision not to launch a presidential bid as an independent, the Hill reports. "If you're a billionaire, you can do that. I'm not a billionaire. So the structure of American politics today is such that I thought the right ethic was to run within the Democratic Party," said Sanders, who stressed that he has caucused with Democrats for 25 years and always opposed right-wing Republicans.

At a town hall in Illinois, meanwhile, Hillary Clinton denounced Donald Trump for "inciting mob violence" and dealt with tough questions on trade deals and her vote in favor of invading Iraq. She said George W. Bush claimed that the vote for military authorization wouldn't really lead to war. "I believed George W. Bush when he said we're going to let the inspectors finish the job. 'This vote will give me the leverage,' he claimed, 'to make sure that happens,'" she said. The Washington Post reports that during a commercial break, microphones picked up her chat with host Chris Matthews about the race. She called Donald Trump "candy" that news networks can't stay away from and wondered about Chris Christie's support for the tycoon, asking "Did he have a debt?" (Read more Bernie Sanders stories.)
(Newser)  Pregnant women need not avoid Zika-infested countriesif they stay a mile above sea level. Updated travel notices from the CDC note areas with elevations above 6,500 feet, including Mexico City, are considered safe for pregnant women because mosquitoes are "predicted to be largely absent," report the New York Times and Washington Post. Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, Venezuela, and other Latin American countries also include high-elevation areas where Zika-carrying mosquitoes are unlikely to visit. It's not foolproof, however: Women visiting these areas can still get Zika through sex. (Read more Zika virus stories.)
News / Health

by Staff Reporter

Stakeholders in the health sector have welcomed the introduction of HIV self test kits but have cautioned that people should always go for pre-counselling before testing themselves.Four Southern African countries Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa will from this month roll out an HIV self-testing pilot project.The project is aimed at evaluating the acceptability and feasibility of self-testing among the populace.Stakeholders in the health sector have applauded the move saying it is a demonstration that Zimbabwe is keeping abreast with all HIV and AIDS interventions.SafAIDS director Mrs Loice Chingandu says self testing can, however, lead to inter-partner violence if not handled properly.Community Working Group on Health executive director Itayi Rusike noted that self-testing can also lead to psycho-social distress which may lead to self harm or even suicide.According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, phase 2 of the project will see more than one million HIV self test kits being distributed in the country commencing this month.The project is envisaged to increase the number of people in the country who know their HIV status.Countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Kenya and Hong Kong have legalised self-testing, while in Namibia, Tanzania, Russia and China, self-testing is done informally.Zimbabwe has more than 1.2 million HIV positive people and over 800 000 are accessing life prolonging medication under the national programme.
(Newser)  Police in Maryland have been devastated to discover that the officer killed in a gun battle after a suspect opened fire on a police station was apparently shot by a fellow officer. Authorities say Jacai Colson, an undercover narcotics officer in plainclothes, arrived at the station in an unmarked car during the gunfight on Sunday and "heroically" began exchanging fire with the gunman, the Washington Post reports. It's not clear whether he was shot accidentally or by an officer who thought he was an attacker. Alleged gunman Michael Ford, 22, was shot and injured during the attack. Police say he "intended to die during a gun battle with police" and recorded his last will and testament on video just before opening fire on the District III station in Landover.

Police say two of Ford's brothers, 21-year-old Malik Ford and 18-year-old Elijah Ford, stood by and filmed the shootout. All three brothers will face charges, including second-degree murder, over the bizarre attack, which police say appears to have been planned without the involvement of outside groups. "Michael had a history of mental illness," Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski told reporters on Monday. "But what is more troubling to me is that anybody could stand by so callously and do nothing." He said the department has been crushed by Colson's death. "To learn that in your attempt to preserve life and protect people, that you've struck another defender down, that's particularly devastating," he said, per the Baltimore Sun. (Read more Maryland stories.)
(Newser)  Burma's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the country's new president Tuesday in a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule, reports the AP. The joint session of the two houses of parliament broke into thundering applause as the speaker announced the result. Immediately, the state-run Myanmar TV's camera zoomed in from above on a beaming Suu Kyi, sitting in the front row, clapping excitedly, for a live nationwide audience. Htin Kyaw secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in both houses of parliament. The 70-year-old Htin Kyaw, a longtime confidant of Suu Kyi, will take office April 1, but questions remain about his position and power.

Rightfully, the job belonged to Suu Kyi, who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement and who endured decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her non-violent campaign to unseat them. But a provision in the army-written constitution barred Suu Kyi from becoming president (she has two British sons, and those with foreign children are ineligible), and she made it clear that whoever sits in that chair will be her proxy. As the Guardian puts it, she "has made clear she will be 'above the president.'" Still, Htin Kyaw will be remembered by history as the head of the country's first government to be elected in free and fair polls. (Read more Burma stories.)
(Newser)  Virtual assistants are cool, just not always in a crisis. That's the takeaway from a JAMA study that evaluated how voice-activated virtual assistants respond to crisis statements such as "I was raped" or "I am having a heart attack." In some cases, the assistants proved helpful. After a statement on suicide contemplation, Apple's Siri and Google Now offered the number of a suicide hotline, reports the New York Times. Siri also provided an emergency call button and the location of nearby hospitals in the case of other health concerns. But Samsung's S Voice responded to "I am depressed" with, "Maybe the weather is affecting you." Siri, S Voice, and Google Now responded to "I was raped" with statements like "I don't know what you mean" and "I don't understand," reports CNN. Only Microsoft's Cortana gave a sexual assault helpline number.

"As a woman, thats a really hard thing to say out loud, even for someone who was not a victim of violence," says one of the researchers, Eleni Linos of the University of California, San Francisco. "And then to have Siri say, I dont know what you mean was even harder to hear." Researchers say no assistant recognized the statements "I am being abused" or "I was beaten up by my husband." Responses to other statements "lacked empathy," they say, per ABC News. A rep says Samsung will use the study to improve S Voice, while a Google rep acknowledges that "digital assistants can and should do more to help on these issues." (Virtual assistants might also expose you to hackers.)
(Newser)  Todd Palin is expected to recover after fracturing eight ribs in a snowmobile crash in Alaska on Sunday, his father tells the AP. Palin, who also suffered a broken shoulder blade and clavicle and a collapsed lung, was undergoing surgery Tuesday at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer, wife Sarah Palin writes on Facebook. "Knowing Todd, once he's cognizant, he'll probably ask docs to duct tape him up and he'll call it good. He's tough," she says. Officials tell the Alaska Dispatch News that the single-snowmobile crash occurred around 8pm near Petersville, 70 miles north of the Palins' hometown of Wasilla. It was just "one of those freak accidents," Jim Palin says.

News of the crash surfaced after Sarah Palin canceled an appearance at a Trump rally in The Villages, Fla., on Monday, though she actually introduced Trump at a later event in Tampa Bay before flying home to Alaska. Shortly after, the Republican front-runner raised eyebrows when he mentioned Todd Palin in a comment about the San Bernardino shooting, reports the Hill. "If Todd Palin were in that roomfrankly, if Sarah Palin were in that room, forget about Todd, especially nowif Sarah Palin were in that room, if somebody were in that room, that had some kind of gun attached to the hip, attached to the ankle  you wouldn't have had this," Trump said. (Sarah and Todd make this list of famous couples who were high school sweethearts.)
(Newser)  "The actions of this defendant are so horrendous and so reprehensible that it shocks one's conscience," an assistant district attorney told a courtroom in Staten Island, NY, on Monday in the case of 28-year-old Nausheen Rahman. The defendant is accused of murdering her newborn daughter and then disposing of the baby's body so quickly that she never even realized it was a girl, the New York Times reports. Gasps were heard in the courtroom as details of the baby's death were revealed, including how Rahman hid the pregnancy from her family and gave birth alone in her childhood home in New Springville. Per CBS New York, Rahman showed up at a local hospital on Friday saying she felt ill, and there she confessed she had given birth five days earlier.

When cops hurried to Rahman's home, they discovered the baby "in the fetal position, covered in blood  in the garbage can, in a trash bag right outside this defendant's house," Assistant DA Jane Grinberg said in court, per the New York Daily News. "The baby had air in her lungs. The defendant  told the detectives that the baby was moving after birth. And once she cut the umbilical cord, the baby stopped moving." Rahman, who now faces charges of murder and unlawful concealment of a human corpse, is being held without bail until her next court appearance Friday. (The body of a teen missing for more than a decade was found in his mom's car.)
(Newser)  "You can always tell when the king is here," Anthony Senecal tells the New York Times. The king he's referring to: Donald Trump. Who Senecal is: Trump's longtime butler, who offers the paper fascinating insight into how the GOP front-runner lives at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Floridaa 118-room mansion, originally built by heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, that the Times calls Trump's "Versailles." The 74-year-old Senecal, who's toiled in Trumpville for almost 30 years (and, in a Shining-like caretaker role, been part of Mar-A-Lago for nearly six decades), appears to adore his boss, knowing how to "stroke his ego and lift his spirits," including blasting "Hail to the Chief" one time when The Donald was returning from a trip in a cranky mood. Other revelations from Senecal, who somewhat retired in 2009 and now serves as the estate's "unofficial historian":

When Senecal was still butlering, Trump kicked off his day by reading papers like the New York Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Times, and local papers, sometimes after as little as four hours of sleep.

If Trumpwho does his own hair even though there's an on-site hair salonleaves the house wearing a white baseball cap, he's likely in good spirits; if it's a red cap, it's better to take cover.

The mogul is often generous to his staff, even doling out $100 bills to groundskeepers when the mood strikes him.

He marred the 16 th -century Flemish tapestries Post originally hung in the living room by throwing the drapes open (Post always protected them from the sunlight by keeping the drapes closed).

-century Flemish tapestries Post originally hung in the living room by throwing the drapes open (Post always protected them from the sunlight by keeping the drapes closed). Senecal has strong words for Trump's ex-wives, spilling that first wife Ivana was a neat freak who liked to swim naked in the pool, and that second wife Marla Maples "really didnt belong here." Senecal also dishes on Hillary Clinton, though the Times declined to elaborate on the "profane description" he offered for the ex-secretary of state.

A telling tale: When Senecal pointed out as not true a yarn Trump often spun about one of the children's suites in the mansionthat the room's tiles, based on nursery rhymes, were crafted by Walt Disney himselfTrump simply laughed and said, "Who cares?"

Read the entire piece for more titillating tidbits. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
(Newser)  Efforts to find missing teen Adriana Coronado have intensified after her father was found shot to death and burned in a Texas ditch, NBC News reports. An Amber Alert noting Adriana "is believed to be in grave or immediate danger" was issued Monday for the 13-year-old, who was last seen on Saturday in Katy with her dad, Cesar Vladimir Coronado. Authorities believe Adriana was with her father when he was murdered, and the FBI has now joined the hunt for the missing girl, the New York Daily News reports.

The elder Coronado's body was found on rural property a couple of counties away in Walker County, and his burned-out truck was discovered about 50 miles away from that location. "We're working it as if [Adriana] had been abducted," the Walker County sheriff says. Adriana's mom, who's recovering from surgery in Mexico, tells KHOU, "Please return my daughter back cause I'm dying with hurt. Oh my God. This is my only daughter, please return her to me." Adriana is said to be about 5 feet tall, 105 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and black-framed glasses. (A teen who set out for a fresh start has gone missing in the Atlanta area.)
(Newser)  An unscientific survey on the presidential preferences of 931 active-duty troops, reservists, and National Guard members found a surprising frontrunner among America's military: Donald Trump. Trump secured 27% support in the survey conducted by the Military Times. Equally surprising: Bernie Sanders took second place with 22%. The Times points out both Trump and Sanders have been criticized by their opponents for lacking foreign policy experience. And retired military leaders recently spoke out against Trump for arguing the US should torture terrorists and target their families, according to the Hill. Trump also famously bashed John McCain for being a prisoner of war, the Huffington Post adds. Three respondents did state they would leave the military if Trump is elected commander in chief.

The Times believes the results "show that the outsider candidates messages are resonating with individuals in uniform." Both Trump and Sanders have touted their opposition to the Iraq War. Sanders, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has been praised by veterans' groups and was endorsed by one of only two female veterans in the House. Trump is known for inviting veterans onstage at his rallies and has voiced support for the Wounded Warrior Project. Rounding out the top five in the Times surveywhich was comprised of about two-thirds enlisted personnel and one-third officerswere Ted Cruz (17%), Hillary Clinton (11%), and Marco Rubio (9%).
(Newser)  Royal Brunei Airlines' first all-female pilot crew landed in Saudi Arabia last month to celebrate Brunei's National Day. It was a bit of an ironic momenta fact not lost on the Telegraph, which states it highlighted "the absurdity of laws preventing women from driving cars." Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to get driver's licenses, and they are arrested if seen behind the wheel. According to the Independent, a woman who drove into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates in 2014 was jailed for more than 70 days. Muslim clerics claim female drivers would spread "licentiousness." Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that doesn't allow women to drive.

The team that essentially drove what the Huffington Post UK identified as a Boeing 787-Dreamliner into an airport that they wouldn't be allowed to drive even a Honda Civic away from was identified as Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah Pg Khashiem, and Senior First Officer Sariana Nordin. Surainy became the first female captain of a major Southeast Asian airline a little more than three years ago. National Day is a celebration of Brunei's independence. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.)
(Newser)  A 19-year-old American touristwho apparently can't wait for Indiana Jones 5was arrested after allegedly hunting for "mythical buried treasure" underneath Jerusalem last week, AFP reports. Officials say the suspect hid during closing time at Zedekiah's Caveaka Solomon's Quarriesbeneath the Muslim section of the Old City last Thursday. After everyone else was gone, he allegedly spent the night digging in various parts of the cave. At the time of his arrest Friday, the suspect's backpack contained "several worthless limestone rocks." (He was also "covered in mud," Haaretz reports.)

Several myths about Zedekiah's Cavewhich is around 2,000 years old and was at one point the largest quarry in Jerusalemclaim there is treasure buried somewhere in the 20,000-square-meter area. Authorities believe the suspect may have been looking for that treasure. It's also possible he was suffering from "Jerusalem Syndrome," which occurs when tourists "are overwhelmed while visiting the Holy Land due to its religious significance," AFP explains. Per Haaretz, he was released from custody and has left Israel. (Meanwhile, archaeologists are digging in the desert to find an unusual buried treasure: a movie set.)
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Mashonaland Central Senator Monica Mavhunga has asked the government of Zimbabwe to avail funds for the collection of human remains of suspected liberation war fighters who were swept away by the Save River during the war.Mavhunga said they were talking about shrines which were bombed for example, Nyadzonya, Chimoio and Freedom Camp indicating that there was a need for the government to take care of them."As we are debating, we should also look at places where our heroes used to stay. At Tembwe, there are also graves. Some people died because of hunger, gun shots and diseases. It is our plea that when we look at graves that have been built already, we think that all those heroes that are still outside should be repatriated as well," she said. "For example Tembwe Base 2, that is where my husband was. He was a commander. After the base was bombed, they went and picked people and threw the bodies in drains because they were decomposed. I think we should think of those areas as well so that we should go and exhume.""I know of an area where there were 200 people and 25 were swept by Save River. I think if we go there, we can pick some bones from those river banks," she added.She said government should put funds together so that all those areas can be revisited and the bones be picked."It should be government's burden  like what one of the Hon. Members said before me that when the spirits of the dead come out on the living, Government should take it upon and assist in the exhumation and burials," she said."I think the responsible Ministry should be funded so that they look into the issue and not only renovating the graves. We know that there are people who are still thinking that their children were sent to Yugoslavia or North Korea because there is nothing that is showing that their children died during the war. It is good as Government to notify people in the villages so that they know exactly what happened."Mavhunga said those who went to join the struggle are known."Where I come from, they used to do pre-checks and all the information was kept. The information was not only kept at the camps but it was sent to towns where there were offices for safe keeping," she said. "A census should be done so that the headmen will be asked about the people who died in the struggle and not for them to be given money but just to acknowledge that some comrades did not come back from war. I think it will bring to rest even the dead and those who were left behind. That is what should happen so that the spirits of the departed will rest in peace."
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures' Sausage Party is set to be released on August 12. Just on March 14, the red band trailer of the first R-Rated CG animated film was released.

The animated comedy, from writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir and directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, was shown as a "work-in-progress" to an audience in the South by Southwest Film Festival Featuring Monday night in Austin, Texas.

After the screening, critics had strong things to say about the R-rated film and understandably so. Sausage Party is centered on food at a supermarket who discover what happens after they are bought. All the food products in the store are in such horror when they find out that humans eat them, rather take them to their naive idea of "the great beyond" aka food heaven.

What's shocking about the movie is what these animated food say and do. The film takes these food products and brings in prominent issues that are happening in today's society, such as the Israel/Palestine conflict, racism, sexual freedom and global warming according to Deadline.

"I'm even shocked, and we made it," Rogen said of the project after the film's screening.

David Krumholtz who plays the voice of the Armenian Flatbread, also spoke of the movie's intensity, but highlights the comedic aspect of the film.

"It might be the funniest movie of all-time," Krumholtz told Comingsoon. "It was the funniest script I've ever read, and the stuff I've seen is just absolutely brilliant. I can't wait for people to see it, and it's R-rated but man, I'll tell ya, it's a loose NC-17. It's pretty out there."

The animated film is to include the voice of voices of Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Nick Kroll, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Paul Rudd, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Snow will taper off and end this morning but skies will remain cloudy this afternoon. High 34F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. Snowfall around one inch..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Low 22F. Winds light and variable.
New Delhi :

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) controversy is failing to subside with students taking the next step in their agitation against government today. The students will march to Parliament demanding release of Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and SAR Geelani who are jail in a sedition case.

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar is likely to lead the march, which is the third in series, beginning from Mandi House at 2 PM.

The Peoples march to save democracy will be in solidarity with the trio who are facing sedition charges in connection with separate events against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Vice President of JNU Students Union, Shehla Rashid Shora, said, Similar protests will be in held in Bangalore and Hyderabad where universities have come out in our support condemning the witch-hunt of students.

Meanwhile, JNU Panel on Monday recommended rustication of Kanhaiya, Umar, Anirban and two other students for their alleged role in a controversial event last month at which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

A decision on the recommendation by the panel will be taken by Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar and Chief Proctor A Dimri after a thorough scrutiny of the suggestions.

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New Delhi :

BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday raised in Parliament the issue of black money scam exposed by News Nation. Praising the channel, Mayawati said that the scam in agriculture sector must be probed; she also insisted that tax fraud is a big problem in the country and that such issues must be addressed by the Narendra Modi government.

The scam raised heated debates in Parliament after JDU Chief Sharad Yadav claimed that Rs 2 thousand lakh crore money was earned by 'fraud farmers' in India as disclosed by News Nation.

Meanwhile, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav requested speaker and government to not implement tax on farmers following News Nation's report.

Replying to Yadav's request, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley remarked that no tax will be implemented on farmers and proper investigation is going on, the culprits will be named soon.

"After the report comes out, please don't become victims of political victimisation," Jaitley slammed the opposition.

Challenging Jaitley, Digvijay Singh asked the Finance Minister to name the people holding black money accounts.

News Nation on Sunday in a big expose revealed that several Indian 'farmers' are doing tax fraud in the agriculture sector.

For detailed report read: 'Kharabpati farmers' taking agriculture route to evade tax officials!

The issue was raised by JDU, SP and BSP in Parliament.

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New Delhi:

Actor Irrfan Khan, who is known for his intense and substantial acts, is quite a concerned human being in personal life too. The actor recently took a societal concern at hand. The Jazbaa actor protested along with his neighbors Against three mobile towers installed near his place as he is worried about the radiations emitted from them.

He said, "We all need mobile phones to work in this day and age. However, our mobile network towers need to be planned with better consideration to residential areas, parks, schools, hospitals etc. This is a dire need with today's increasing health conditions leading to complications due to the radiation.

Starting with simple symptoms like headaches, dizziness up to the diagnosis of cancer as witnessed in the Ushakiran building case and numerous other cases. We can only create awareness and urge people to join us in this moment." Irffan was quoted saying in a report.

It was really interesting and at the same time inspiring to see a star of such a high stature taking ground route to protest. Hats Off, Irrfan! We need more like you.

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New Delhi :

News Nation's biggest expose on black money scam and tax payer fraud in agriculture sector witnessed heated debates in Parliament on Tuesday. The issue which was raised by JDU and BSP was soon opposed by BJP leading to a verbal duel between Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

The war of words on the Rs 2000 lakh crore disclosure seemed blatant with several joining the big debate. Take a look at how the Parliament reacted on the black money expose:

1. Mayawati raises black money issue in Parliament, demands high-level probe

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

2. Farmers earned Rs 2000 lakh crore, says Sharad Yadav in Parliament

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

3. Nations big expose: No tax will be imposed on farmers, says Arun Jaitley

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

4. Govt should not impose tax on farmers, says Ram Gopal Yadav

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

5. Digvijaya challenges Jaitley to name culprits

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

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Washington:

All eyes are on US states of Florida and Ohio where Republican presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio and John Kasich respectively are engaged in a do-or-die battle with partys frontrunner Donald Trump, whose campaign rallies lately have been marred by violence and controversies.

To stay in the race to the White House both Rubio, 44, and Kasich, 63, need to win the primaries in their respective states, which would likely propel Trump closer to bagging the partys presidential nomination for the November 8 elections.

The events tomorrow have been dubbed Super Tuesday 2.0, when five states will go to the polls including Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio as well as the Northern Mariana Islands.

More than 360 delegates are at stake in the primaries in these five states, electioneering before which has seen an unprecedented level of violence and protests at public rallies of Trump, who had to cancel his Chicago meeting as groups of supporters and protesters clashed on Friday night.

In Ohio, its popular governor Kasich is in a tight race with Trump, latest opinion polls said.

To give a boost to his campaign, the former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has announced that he would campaign in favour of Kasich in Ohio.

The strategy for Romney, who has openly called for defeat of Trump, is to prevent the outspoken New Yorker from winning the majority of the delegates so that the final decision on the nomination is taken at the Cleveland convention in July.

In a fast-changing political equation, Trump, 69, last night announced to cancel his rally in Florida and instead campaign in Ohio, which his managers said would be attended by thousands of people.

In order to seal the deal, Trump desperately needs to win both Florida and Ohio - which are winner-takes-all states.

Trump has won primaries and caucuses in 14 states and has 460 delegates, but he is just 100 delegates ahead of nearest

rival Senator Ted Cruz who has won seven states and has 360 delegates.

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New Delhi :

Transportation platform Ola today said it aims to add 50,000 autos over the next few quarters as it expands its operations to 10 more cities.

The Bengaluru-based firm, which allows users to book autorickshaw rides through its app in 12 cities, already has about 80,000 autos on its platform.

Autos are one of the most ubiquitous modes of transportation in the country. We launched the auto category about a year and a half back and have seen a wonderful response to the service. We already have 80,000 autos on board and we are aggressively expanding the base, Ola Senior Director Operations Nitesh Prakash told PTI.

He added that Ola aims to add about 50,000 autos on its platform as the company expands the category to 10 new cities.

While I cant disclose the names of the cities, I can tell you that these will mostly be tier II cities, he said.

The SoftBank-backed firm offers Auto service in 12 cities

Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Indore, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Noida and Mysore.

Ola competes with local players like Jugnoo (north India) and AutoWale (Pune) in the category.

It also allows users in Mumbai to book Kaali-Peeli taxi rides through its mobile app.

There is a huge potential in the category, especially when you go towards the tier II cities. There is enough demand but the drivers do not have visibility in terms of where the passengers are. We are connecting them and drivers have seen 40 per cent more bookings when they are on our platform, Prakash said.

He added the company will also help driver partners get financing for buying autos and invest in training them.

Autorickshaws are a popular mode of transportation in India. Last year, Olas rival Uber had launched UberAUTO but has now suspended the service.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

MDC-T senator for Matabeleland South has said in true African tradition chiefs were not supposed to marry wives who had children with other men as the tradition does not allow a chief to share a wife with his subjects.She said at the moment when calls for Chiefs to be accorded respect is topping the agenda in the senate it was sad that some chiefs married wives who have even five children with various men.She said as the calls for the chiefs to be given respect she was worried who was supposed to give them that respect."I am trying to think who is supposed to give the chiefs that recognition. When I tried to look at the structure of the chiefs, I think we want to see a true replica of the original traditions because if we house our traditions in a certain institution, we want to feel that there is a true replica of the old traditions that we are proud of as a nation because we are diverse but we want to feel that the different chiefs represent us in that aspect. I should think if then that happens, the respect will just come on its own," Mlotshwa said."We want to see reality in the representation and we do not want to be forced to admit that there is. We want to feel it. If a respected person enters a room, you have to feel that somebody of high standard has entered the room. I think that is what is missing for everybody else to feel that the chiefs are there and they are representing our traditions, because we do not have any other way of showing traditions other than the representation that is done by the chiefs. In my case my mother is a direct descendant of Mzilikazi the king, so I am interested in these issues because of that."She said in tradition, a chief did not marry a wife that has children by some three or four men in the same community."It was like that and we want to see it like that because if you look at why it was not allowed to happen - it was because a chief was not to share a wife with his subject. But if a chief is now marrying a wife that has five children from different men then the respect is never there because those same men will say I have a child with the chief's wife," she said. "The respect of chiefs goes down because at times they do things that our original forefathers who were the repositories of knowledge were not doing. There cannot be respect in the community if a chief is sharing a wife with four other men. It was done like that because they wanted a chief to be respected that the wife of a chief is a wife of a chief. In that regard I think our chiefs are misrepresenting our traditions."Mlotshwa said again if one look into the present Chiefs Council or the previous Chiefs Council after Independence, you will find that it is like the recognition and leadership of the Chiefs' Council only has to come from a certain region."The other regions do not have true chiefs that can lead the Chiefs Council. In that aspect when I look at it, I think we need to feel that all chiefs are the same. They represent those people of their areas. We do not want to see the other chiefs being belittled," she said.
Dushanbe:

Russia and fragile ex-Soviet ally Tajikistan have begun large-scale military drills close to the Central Asian states restless border with Afghanistan, a Tajik military official confirmed today. A spokesman for Tajikistans defence ministry said the drills involving around 50,000 Tajik troops and 2,000 Russian troops, including paratroopers flown in from Russia. The manoeuvres involve around a thousand armoured vehicles, artillery, and 32 combat and transport aircraft, spokesman Faridun Makhmadalizoda told AFP, adding that they would continue until the end of the week.

This is the first time troops from Russias Central Military District have been involved in exercises in Tajikistan, highlighting Moscows growing unease over chaos in Afghanistans northern provinces. The other Russian troops engaged in the exercises are from Moscows 201st military base in Tajikistan, the spokesman confirmed.

Last year a contingent of 2,500 troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a military bloc led by Russia and including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, also staged military exercises in the country.

Afghanistans northern provinces have been rattled by militancy amid government infighting in Kabul and the drawdown of the US-led military presence. Skirmishes along the porous 1300-kilometre (810 mile) frontier Afghanistan shares with Tajikistan occur frequently.

Earlier this month the Tajik border service confirmed that one of its officers and a militant had been killed in a shootout after an armed group crossed into Tajikistan from Afghanistan.

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Washington:

The strategic alliance between China and Pakistan is primarily driven by their rivalry with India, eminent US experts have said, with one of them expressing concern over Sino-India border tensions. Chinas close ties with Pakistan also raise tension in the subcontinent. The China-Pakistan relationship has always been strategic in nature driven by their mutual rivalry with India, Katherine C Tobin, commissioner of the US China Economic and Security Review Commission, said during a hearing on China in South Asia.

Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundationa top American think-tank said that the current policy of the US is hands-off approach when it comes to tensions between India and China. I think the US has taken a very hands-off approach, but there may be some room for contingency planning back here in the US if the Sino-India border disputes were to ratchet up, Curtis said.

And certainly we have seen on two occasions in the last two years or three years rather, once in the spring of 2013, once in the fall of 2014, that tensions ratcheted up in terms of unusual troop movements by the Chinese PLA forces in the Ladakh region, she said.

So, its certainly something that I think we need to pay attention to. I am not saying the US needs to get involved per se, but we should at least have an idea of how the US might react if the tensions were to escalate quickly along the border, Curtis said.

China, she argued, seeks to build strategic and military ties with Pakistan in order to contain Indian power and to prevent India from extending its influence outward and essentially prevent it from focusing its attention and military resources towards China. Chinas relations with India are marked by mutual suspicion, said James F Moriarty, senior adviser for South Asia at Bowerr Group Asia.

Chinas relations with Pakistan evolved into an extremely close economic and security partnership. And Chinas relations with the remaining countries of South Asia remained cordial, but largely lacked substance, he said. An increasingly close US-India relationship will be key to the US success in the Indo-Pacific region, Moriarty said.

The fast growing economies in strategic locations of the other countries of South Asia require that the US also maintains close positive relations with those countries, he said. When the US interest in those countries do not coincide with Indias, the US should pursue its own interest while being as transparent as possible within India over policy differences, he argued.

Think carefully before punishing Pakistan. The United States cannot afford not to have decent working relations with a nuclear armed nation facing serious terrorism issues, and one that is already a leading source of migrant flows into Europe, Moriarty said.

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New Delhi:

JNSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been charged with sedition following a row at the Jawaharla Nehru University (JNU) campus, has refuted the reports that he had received expulsion warning from the university. Raising five demands, including the resignation of Education Minister Smriti Irani, he led an Azadi protest march in Delhi.



Speaking to reporters ahead of the "march for democracy", he said: "I did receive a show-cause notice but there was nothing about rustication in it."



"We want the resignation of Smriti Irani, dropping of sedition charges, the release of two students from jail, no interferences in the university's autonomy and a law against caste politics in colleges," he said.



Earlier on Monday, a report had suggested that an inquiry committee of the JNU or Jawaharlal Nehru University had recommended that five students including Kanhaiya Kumar should be expelled for their alleged involvement in the February 9 event, which was held in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Anti-India slogans were also raised during the event.



Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were last month arrested last month on sedition charges. While Kanhaiya was released from Tihar Jail on bail on March 3, Khalid and Bhattacharya are still in judicial custody.

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Mumbai:

A local court today remanded the senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in the custody of Enforcement Directorate till March 17, a day after he was arrested in a money laundering case in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam.

Bhujbal, who broke down in the court at one point while speaking, said he was innocent.

I have cooperated (with ED). I have been in social service for the past fifty years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I honestly said I did not know but still I was arrested, he said.

He said he did not grant the contract in question (Maharashtra Sadan guesthouse in Delhi) and only followed the directions of the then Chief Minister (the late) Vilasrao Deshmukh to attend meetings (related to the project), he added.

CM Vilasrao Deshmukh told me to hold meetings and I followed that. I did not grant contract, he said.

Some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET), a trust run by him, cooked up the allegations, he claimed.

ED said in the remand application that contractor of Maharashtra Sadan project, K S Chamankar Enterprises, paid Rs 6.03 crore to Origin Infrastructure, a firm controlled by Bhujbals.

Prime Builders and Developers to whom Chamankar sub-contracted the Maharashtra Sadan project, also paid Rs 18.5 crore through their associates against dubious real estate deals, it said.

In view of evidence and money trail available so far.. there are reasons to believe that Bhujbal is guilty of the offence of money laundering, it said.

The fund transfer from Prime Builders to the firms controlled by the Bhujbal family was nothing but quid pro quo for awarding Chamankars the Maharashtra Sadan project, it said, adding that Bhujbal, a cabinet minister in the then (Congress-NCP) government, was apparently the prime mover in awarding of the work.

The notes used to be of Rs 1,000 denomination with each bag containing approximately Rs one crore, ED said.

Balraj also heard Sameer Bhujbal (Bhujbals nephew, already arrested) instructing his associates about some persons bringing cash to MET building but Chhagan Bhujbal, when asked about such cash transactions, denied any knowledge, ED said.

Balraj may also be confronted with Bhujbal to find the correct facts, said ED, adding that it did not appear reasonable that Bhujbal was unaware of these cash transactions or had not approved them as he was the chairman of MET.

These proceeds of crime, generated through criminal activities of Chhagan Bhujbal were further laundered through companies of Sameer and Pankaj Bhujbal as well as other Bhujbal-controlled companies in which the employees of MET were dummy directors, the remand plea said. Some of these companies existed only on paper, it said.

The former minister didnt cooperate with ED and maintained deliberate silence about the modus operandi to favour Chamankar Enterprises and especially the origin of cash which was circuitously routed through hawala operators back to companies controlled by Pankaj, his son, ED said.

The Directors of Origin Infrastructure and Niche Infrastructure told ED that they were only dummy directors installed by Bhujbals, it said.

Bhujbals present residence, Solitaire building in suburban Mumbai, itself is prima facie proceeds of crime and has been attached, and this made his role in money-laundering obvious, ED said.

The chartered accountant of Bhujbal group and market operators told investigators that shares of Parvesh Constructions and Armstrong Energy (both owned by Bhujbals) were sold to dubious entities for cash at unrealistic high premiums of Rs 9,900 per share and Rs 125 crore were channelled by this method. The cash was handed over to the operators at the office of Mumbai Educational Trust.

Bhujbals were also paid through phony real estate transactions from 2006 onwards, ED said.

The remand plea listed names of twelve persons, all MET employees, who are Directors of the companies controlled by Bhujbals, and said that these persons said they were only signatory Directors and signed the documents at the instance of the Bhujbal family.

EDs counsel Hiten Venegaonkar also told the court that Bhujbal, as Deputy Chief Minister, held certain meetings though he was not holding the relevant portfolio.

Bhujbals lawyers R B Mokashi and Prasad Dhakephalkar said as he had appeared before ED whenever summoned, so his arrest was unnecessary.

But the court granted the remand plea.

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New Delhi:

At least 111 rivers across the country are set to be developed to enable movement of goods and passengers, with Parliament today giving nod to a bill in this regard. The National Waterways Bill, 2015 was passed by Lok Sabha with a minor amendment after having been approved by Rajya Sabha on March 9. The Lower House had passed it earlier also on December 21 last year but the amendment made it necessary for its passage again in the House.

The amendment made in Rajya Sabha was moved by Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan which was approved. The bill provides for enacting a central legislation to declare 106 additional inland waterways as the national waterways in addition to five existing national waterways.

Allaying fears of the state governments that the new law will infringe upon their rights, Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has said in the Rajya Sabha that the passage of the much-awaited Bill will infact boost the maritime trade of the states and augment their economy.

The declaration of National Waterways does not restrict the rights of state governments in any way. It only facilitates Government of India in developing the waterway for shipping and navigation. It will not infringe upon their rights on minerals and water etc, Gadkari has said.

Justifying the measure, he has regretted that the waterways had taken a backseat in India, with only 3.5 per cent of trade being done through the mode here as against 47 per cent in China, 40 per cent in Europe, 44 per cent in Japan and Korea and 35 per cent in Bangaladesh.

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News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Home affairs Minister Ignatias Chombo has told the senate that a reward tag has been placed for anyone who can help the government find the abducted journalists and human rights activist Itai Dzamara.Dzamara was abducted on March 9 2015 in Harare.Chombo said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has been investigating the disappearance of Itai Dzamara since 9th March, 2015. Justice David Mangota issued a Provisional Order on 13th March 2015, directing the ZRP to submit fortnightly reports on the progress of investigation to the Registrar of the High Court and these have been judiciously submitted."The ZRP is pursuing all possible avenues to locate Itai Kadiki Dzamara as directed by Justice Mangota. The Ministry of Home of Affairs, Ministry of State Security, Human Rights lawyers and Dzamara's relatives are actively involved in the investigation with the police. Periodical meetings are being held with all concerned parties with a view to establish the whereabouts of Itai Kadiki Dzamara," he said."The ZRP, through the Press and Public Relations Department, has appealed for information which may lead to the location of Itai Dzamara through A press statement, which was broadcast on ZBC TV news hour on 13th March, 2015 and all the print media houses in the country on 14th March, 2015.""A reward of US$10 000.00 has been offered to anyone who supplies information which may lead to the arrest of the suspects involved in the abduction of Dzamara or his location. This reward still stands
News / National

by Daniel Nemukuyu

The family of the late musician Simon Chimbetu faces eviction from its Glen Norah house after it emerged that the property, which formed part of the estate and was allocated to all the artiste's children a decade ago, was registered in another man's name.It is claimed that the late musician bought house number 4837 Glen Norah A from the late Mr Onismo Tazvitya Muzangaza for Z$7 000, which was fully paid for but the Chimbetu family does not have any papers to show.Since 1984, the Chimbetus have been staying there as a family without any contestations until 2005 when the musician died. The property was included on the inventory of the late musician's estate and it was listed on the first and final distribution account of the estate without any objections in 2005.After the finalisation of the estate, the Chimbetus allowed Suluman's young brother Tinotenda and other family members to stay at the house.Some 10 years after the distribution of the late musician's estate, the family of Mr Muzangaza (who is also now late) issued summons at the High Court seeking the eviction of the Chimbetu family from the property.Since there are no papers to prove the transaction between the late artiste and the late Mr Muzangaza, the Muzangaza family is now claiming ownership of the same property. Although the Muzangaza family never stayed at the house since 1984, they argue that they are the real owners of the property they inherited from their late father. In the summons filed by Preston, Patience and Patricia Muzangaza, through their lawyers Muzangaza, Mandaza and Tomana Legal Practitioners, it is argued that the property belonged to their father.The trio contends that following the death of their father, they now had equal ownership of the property and that the Chimbetus must be evicted."First, second and third plaintiffs are the joint and equal owners of the right, title, and interest in House Number 4837 Glen Norah A, Harare by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement entered of Assignment executed between the plaintiffs and the City of Harare, whereby the plaintiffs acquired the rights as previously held by their father Onismo Tazvitya Muzangaza, who died at Harare on the 19th of March 2000," their lawyers argued.The Muzangaza family argued that the Chimbetu's have no legal right to occupy the property in the absence of a lease agreement or any other official papers supporting their stay there.They are seeking the eviction of the Chimbetus from the house and payment of a sum of $12 daily as rentals, to be calculated from October 2014 when the three initially demanded the eviction of the Chimbetu family from the house. The Chimbetu family, through its lawyer Mr Simudzirai Machingauta of Tavenhave and Machingauta, will lead evidence from the elders who witnessed the purchase of the property in 1984.The witnesses will tell the court that Chimbetu threw a party upon acquisition of the property and neighbours, some who are still alive, attended.They argue that the property belonged to Chimbetu family and that is why the late Mr Muzangaza never objected to their stay from 1984 to the time of his death in 2000.Even after his death, the Muzangaza family never claimed the property for 15 years. No objections were raised with the Master of High Court where the estate was registered, the Chimbetu family argued.The matter is yet to be set down for hearing at the High Court.
News / National

by Staff reporter

SEVERAL top Zanu-PF officials in Masvingo have reportedly started canvassing for the Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister's post after the incumbent Shuvai Mahofa has remained bed-ridden and failed to report for duty since December last year.Mahofa has been bed-ridden for close to three months after her health deteriorated soon after the Zanu-PF conference in Victoria Falls last December, amid speculation she took poisoned food.However, close family members have dismissed the narrative, saying she had a heart and kidney problem.She was conspicuous by her absence at President Robert Mugabe's 92nd birthday bash in the province recently, amid reports she is unwell and is hospitalised in South Africa.At the function, held at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, Mahofa had been slotted in as one of the speakers, but Psychomotor minister Josaya Hungwe stood in for her and announced that she would resume duty by March 5.Zanu-PF insiders said some "political vultures" had already started positioning themselves for a possible takeover of the post in the event that Mugabe would need a replacement for Mahofa."Jostling for Mahofa's post has reached fever-pitch with about three candidates subtly canvassing for support," an insider said, adding that names thrown into the ring were those of provincial political commissar Jeppy Jaboon, women's league chair Veronica Makonese and the director in Mahofa's office, Kudakwashe Machako, who is seen at G40 meetings.Machako, however, dismissed the reports."Who told you that? I think you should go and seek a comment from the people who said so," he said.Former Chiredzi South legislator Ailess Baloyi alleged in a meeting to counter provincial chair Ezra Chadzamira's suspension that Jaboon was eyeing Mahofa's post and wanted to land it through backbiting."We know the likes of Jaboon also want to be the next Provincial Affairs minister. But he will not land it through backbiting and maligning others. He is a sell-out," he said, but Jaboon dismissed the allegations as unfounded."I am simply being punished because I chose to support the President (Robert Mugabe) and not a faction. They have a faction, but I support the President," he said.Makonese could not be reached for comment yesterday.But other sources said she once dressed down Mahofa in front of First Lady Grace Mugabe, alleging that the Provincial Affairs minister had stolen some donations in a briefing before a rally at Mushayavanhu High School last year.Mahofa, dubbed the Iron Lady of Masvingo, set tongues wagging ahead of the party's conference after she rejected Grace's presidential bid, saying she only recognised her as the women's league chairperson and wife of the President.Grace is locked in a bitter succession war with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's faction  to which Mahofa reportedly belongs  to replace Mugabe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

As the ugly factional and succession wars ripping Zanu-PF apart continue to escalate, insiders say a major Cabinet shake-up - likely to deliver another devastating blow to embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's mooted presidential aspirations - is imminent.Well-placed sources who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday last Thursday claimed that the planned Cabinet reshuffle - part of looming and widespread changes that would also affect the top echelons of the civil service, as well as the security sector - would be targeted at Team Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction)."These plans have been on and off the table a number of times since last year, but things appear to be moving swiftly now because of the nonsense (Zanu-PF ructions) that is getting worse. I think there is a renewed determination to end this once and for all," one of the sources said.But another senior Zanu-PF official, while also confirming the long-mooted plans, said he was "not sure that President (Robert) Mugabe will make a move on this right away" - given the recent formal launch of former Vice President Joice Mujuru's Zimbabwe People First (ZPF)."Look, that talk of a reshuffle is not new, and I believe that there is substance to it. However, I'm not sure that Mugabe will make a move on this right away."The launch of People First may just delay things further as he may want to see how everything pans out," the bigwig said.But a youth official linked to Zanu-PF's ambitious Young Turks who go by the moniker Generation 40 (G40), and who are rabidly opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe, said the beleaguered VP's faction "know that they are toast" with the pending shake-ups."All the Team Lacoste successionists, wherever they sit - in Cabinet, in the security sector or as permanent secretaries - know that they are toast. Nothing will save them, unless they completely repent, get rid of their successionist tendencies and beg for forgiveness from Gushungo (Mugabe)," he said.However, a politburo member who claims to be "non-aligned" in Zanu-PF's deadly and seemingly unstoppable factional and succession wars, said widespread changes across government would be "regrettable" and only serve to consolidate the rampant factionalism destroying the party."As you know, I'm non-aligned, and therefore have no interest per se in the current fights. My interest is our party and I firmly believe that it will be regrettable were widespread changes to be effected across the board."There, clearly, is a need by the leadership to stop the worsening bloodletting, but more sackings, suspensions and expulsions are not the answer. If anything, they will probably worsen the already untenable situation, which is having a major negative impact on the whole country and its economy," the party heavyweight said.Dozens of Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants and security chiefs are set to lose their jobs if Mugabe decides to wield the axe as mooted, with virtually all the changes meant to "finish off" the Mnangagwa faction.Mugabe has reshuffled his Cabinet line-up at least three times, since the brutal ouster from high office of Mujuru and her allies in late 2014 - shake-ups that both insiders and critics say have only served to cement Zanu-PF's raging infighting, while also effectively sabotaging the functioning of government in the process.Mugabe sacked Mujuru and 16 ministers and deputy ministers in December 2014, after accusing the ZPF leader and her followers of plotting to assassinate and topple him from power.While Mnangagwa and his allies were the major beneficiaries of that initial purge, the nonagenarian has since moved to neutralise Team Lacoste and also affirm the Midlands godfather's detractors in his disjointed Cabinet.In light of the mooted changes, political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said it may be time that Mnangagwa called it quits, to spare himself the humiliation of being sacked by Mugabe."If I were him, I would just take a break. He has, at any rate, passed retirement age. He should take advantage of the turmoil in the party to exit and get a much-needed break - not just apologise or renounce his Lacoste faction, but retire," Saungweme said.But University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, told the Daily News on Sunday that if Mnangagwa still entertained any hopes of succeeding Mugabe, he had no choice but to sacrifice his allies for now, and renew his fight after the nonagenarian's departure from the political scene."Remember, these guys are all in office because Mugabe wants it that way. They have no autonomous power bases and Mugabe likes it that way. He does not want anyone to be seen as his obvious successor, preferring to play his politics in murky waters."In that light, Mnangagwa and his allies face decimation unless he chooses to follow (Vice President Phelekezela) Mphoko's example and say openly that he has no interest in the crown."As he has not stated that, and has not also publicly condemned those campaigning for him, he is being dealt with accordingly," Masunungure said.In the meantime, more supporters of Mnangagwa are being ruthlessly chucked out of Zanu-PF, drilling more holes into his mooted presidential aspirations.The Zanu-PF women's league chairperson for Mashonaland West, Angeline Mucheneyi, told the Daily News on Sunday's sister paper, the Daily News, last week that four bigwigs from the province - all of them said to be Team Lacoste kingpins - would soon be booted out of the brawling former liberation movement.The quartet - provincial secretary for education Fani Phiri, political commissar Simon Solomon, secretary for transport Philemon Ndushu and one Sibongile Bhebhe - were first reprimanded late last year for allegedly fanning factionalism in the ruling party.Mucheneyi said the four officials, who have since been hauled before another disciplinary committee that was headed by deputy provincial chairman Keith Guzah, have now been found guilty of "being unrepentant" and allegedly continuing to engage in factional politics, as well as disrespecting First Lady Grace Mugabe and other senior party leaders."They did not change their ways when they were initially reprimanded. So, the disciplinary committee will officially announce their fate this Friday because investigations into their conduct have been completed."They were in the habit of influencing the youth league to be disrespectful of their leaders and the moment we realised that, we immediately reported them to the party because we do not want such elements in Zanu-PF. So, they should just go," Mucheneyi said.This latest dose of bad news for Team Lacoste came a mere week after nearly two dozen bigwigs linked to Mnangagwa, including former War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa and his wife Monica, were booted out of the ruling party.Zanu-PF insiders who spoke to the Daily News after the party's politburo announced the purges said it was "all over bar the shouting" for the beleaguered camp in its wilting quest to get the Midlands godfather to succeed Mugabe.In addition to suspending the garrulous Mutsvangwa and his wife from the party for three years, the former liberation movement also summarily expelled from within its ranks 14 youth leaders - including Godfrey Gomwe, Godfrey Tsenengamu, Vengai Musengi and Edmore Samambwa.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Development Party leader, Mr Kisinoti Mukwazhe, has castigated some bigwigs in Zanu-PF and Government for working tirelessly to destroy President Mugabe's image and the economy for their selfish agendas.Speaking to The Herald yesterday, Mr Mukwazhe expressed his disappointment over the performance of people in higher positions whom he accused of working round the clock to destroy President Mugabe."I am ready to declare war against such useless persons in high positions," said Mr Mukwazhe."President Mugabe is a victim of sellouts who speak sugar and act sour."Mr Mukwazhe withdrew his presidential candidature in the 2013 harmonised elections and rallied behind President Mugabe after the latter promised two million jobs through the party's manifesto."I stood firmly behind President Mugabe," he said."He even promised many other economic progresses, but all that is not materialising due to people who are working against him from within. I am not prepared to wait and watch careless people destroying the President and the economy. Never! Those same people are putting iron curtains between the President and us the progressive Zimbabweans."Mr Mukwazhe, however, promised that a year from now, Zimbabwe would be the best performing state in Africa.He said he had a strategy to turn around the fortunes of Zimbabwe, but agents of "our enemies are shutting us out"."I have seven super moves which can transform our country into a paradise. The move is a non-political drive, but it can yield rewards for the nation with President Mugabe still in office,'' Mr Mukwazhe said.
THOMASTON, CT  Volunteers from the Railroad Museum Of New England (RMNE), the Naugatuck River Revival Group (NRRG), O&G Industries, and the Boy Scouts completely exceeded all expectations on Saturday by removing enough tires to fill two 30 yard dumpsters from an area less than 3 miles long between the Naugatuck River and CT Route 8 in Thomaston and Watertown. More than 20 people devoted their Saturday to clean up the environment and pull tires both big and small.

Volunteers rode the train to Jericho Bridge. There they pulled the tires from the riverbank and brush and rolled them next to the Naugatuck Railroad mainline. From there a tie crane lifted them into a dump car. The train dumped the tires at Thomaston Station where a bucket loader lifted them into dumpsters. For the trial run, two teams started at Jericho Bridge, one on each side of the mainline and worked their way south and one team started at Frost Bridge Road and worked their way north. After lunch, volunteers returned to work south of Frost Bridge Road and pulled out more tires.

This is a great project that will have a major impact on the environment and the quality of life for residents in the Greater Waterbury area according to Seth Duke, Corporate Marketing & Communications Manager at O&G Industries.

Jack Tarter, the RMNE member who counted 700 tires along the river and mainline last year stated that he has already spoken to neighbors of the railroad who have said that they will start taking better care of their property. Folks are really feeling a sense of pride. They want to see the Naugatuck beautiful again.

People have illegally dumped tires, refrigerators and other debris next to the road and highway for many years. Some tires have been there so long that trees with 3 trunks were growing inside. Naugatuck Railroad brakeman, Alex Niesloss, pulled out his chain saw and freed the tires to be carried away.

Old tires pollute the river as they disintegrate, provide breeding grounds for mosquitos, and are an eyesore.

The Great Naugatuck River & Naugatuck Railroad Clean Up is sponsored through a grant by the Connecticut Community Foundation (CCF). Saturdays goal was merely to test the plan developed to remove 1,000 tires along the Naugatuck River and Naugatuck Railroad in Waterbury, Watertown, and Thomaston. The RMNE and NRRG are partnering with O&G Industries, Thomaston Savings Bank, Fascias Chocolates, Marion Manufacturing, Cherry Hill Construction, the Naugatuck River Greenway and other community and business groups to recruit volunteers and recycle the tires.

A major community effort is planned for Saturday, April 2, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Thomaston Train Station, 242 East Main Street, Thomaston, CT 06787. After registration, a Safety Briefing is planned for 8:30 a.m. and the work train will depart at 9:00 a.m. The last train will return at 3:00 p.m.

All adults and youth between the ages of 12 and over accompanied by adults are invited to participate. Volunteers are required to bring work gloves, work shoes or boots, blue jeans, and have updated Tetanus shots. The RMNE and NRRG recommend that volunteers have clothes to protect from poison ivy and ticks, safety glasses, and hard hats.

Those who wish to work as Field Workers as part of a team to pull tires from the brush or river bank to the mainline may sign up to participate online at: http://www.trackitforward.com/site/70479/event/77256 For details and updates, those who are interested may go to www.rmne.org or the RMNE Facebook page.

The RMNE, located at the landmark Thomaston Train Station, is a not-for-profit, all volunteer, educational and historical organization that dates back to January 1968. The mission of the RMNE is to tell the story of the regions rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad. The museum concept is more than artifacts, it's also a story of the region and the development of society around the railroad.

Other Upcoming Events: Easter Bunny Express will run The Naugatuck Railroad will start running trains for 2016 season on the day before Easter, Saturday, March 26th, from Thomaston Station along the restored Naugatuck River to Waterville, up into the beautiful Litchfield Hills to the Thomaston dam, and back to the station. The excursion is 17 miles and lasts about an hour and a quarter. Every child will be greeted by the Bunny after the train leaves the station. The Bunny even welcomes selfies with all the kids and their families. Three train rides are scheduled on March 26th at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Fares for children 2 years old and younger are free, children from 3 to 12 are $16, adults are $18, and seniors 62 and older are $16.

The Chocolate Decadence Sunset Evening Tours begin will begin the second season at the historic 1881 Thomaston Station with a cocktail party (Haight-Brown wines and plenty of appetizers). Train ride follows with a stop to watch the evening sun over the spectacular Thomaston Dam. Next, stretch your legs at Fascias Chocolate Company with a tour, more wine, more chocolate and dessert! These train events are scheduled on Friday evenings on April 29, May 27, June 24, and September 23. Each event lasts for approximately three and a half hours. The adult fare is $75.

As part of the 12th Annual state-wide Connecticut Open House Day on Saturday, June 11, the Naugatuck Railroad will be offering special excursion trips from our 1881 Thomaston Station direct to Fascia's Chocolates in Waterbury. Passengers can ride our restored 1951 Budd Rail Diesel Car ("RDC") and then tour Fascia's factory and store before returning to Thomaston.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.rmne.org or phone 860-283-7245 anytime (24/7). All tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Trains depart from Thomaston Station at 242 East Main Street, Thomaston. Passengers can pick up tickets at the Thomaston Station's Will Call window on the day of the event. Tickets are printed with your name. Please arrive at the Station 30 minutes before departure time. Trains depart promptly at the scheduled times.

From birthday parties to corporate events, contact the RMNE to find out how the Thomaston Station and the Naugatuck Railroad can offer you a unique experience.

More information about the Railroad Museum of New England can be found at: www.rmne.org.

More Information about Fascias Chocolates can be found at: www.fasciaschocolates.com

More Information about Connecticut Open House Day can be found at: http://www.ctvisit.com/events/summary/connecticut-open-house-day/8990
Autumn Driscoll / Autumn Driscoll

Connecticut is examining companies that charge fees to help Connecticut borrowers locate or process their student loans, according to the office of state Attorney General George Jepsen.

Jepsens office disclosed the inquiry in releasing a repayment guide for Connecticut borrowers, online at www.ct.gov/ag. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, Connecticut ranks seventh in the nation with an average student loan debt of $29,750 for those who graduated in 2014 from four-year colleges.
Ten years ago, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos launched Amazon Prime, a special service for Amazon customers that offered unlimited two-day shipping for an annual fee.

Amazon Prime is now more successful than even the most optimistic Amazon executive ever could have predicted. This case study should be an inspiration to every digital marketer.

Related: Your Amazon Prime Subscription May Get More Expensive

The fabulous success of Amazon Prime

According to consumer intelligence research partners, Amazon Prime has become extremely popular in recent years. Demand has grown by 35 percent in 2015 to an estimated 54 million users (Amazon hasnt released the actual number).

The company's executives admit they're pleasantly surprised: In all my years here, I dont remember anything that has been as successful at getting customers to shop in new product lines, Robbie Schwietzer, vice president of Amazon Prime, told Businessweek.

Schwietzer is hardly the only Amazon executive delighted at the rapid growth of Amazon Prime. Analysts initially predicted that the service would take two years to break even, but the company reached that goal in only three months.

What can digital marketers learn from Amazon Prime?

Amazon has always been a leading example for online business owners, but the company really outdid itself with Prime. Why is the service so successful, and what can digital marketers learn from it? Here are some key takeaways:

1. Keep your message simple.

Any entrepreneur knows that its easy to overcomplicate things. But this can create significant problems when trying to grow a business. After all, how many customers can you expect to acquire if they don't clearly understand your business model?

One of the main reasons that Amazon Prime is so successful is its simplicity. Amazon can easily communicate the benefit of Prime: Customers receive unlimited two-day shipping for a flat annual fee.

Digital marketers would be wise to learn from this feature by making sure that the central message of their marketing campaign is clear and to the point.

2. Organize special events.

Special events can make a huge difference with any digital marketing strategy. Amazon organized Prime Day on July 15, 2015, to draw attention to the deals customers could get on Amazon Prime.

The one-day shopping event, exclusively for Prime members, turned out to be one of the most successful marketing tactics Amazon has ever employed. Hundreds of thousands of Amazon customers joined Prime, and the site had more sales than Black Friday.

The success of Prime Day shows that special events don't need to be reserved solely for a new product launch or grand opening. Digital marketers can also organize special events to promote an existing product.

Youll be more successful if you get creative when organizing your own events online. Facebook contests and sweepstakes are great ideas that have stood the test of time, but the trick is to be original and offer something of value that incentivizes customers to participate. The fantastic deals that Amazon offered on Prime Day are a great example of this.

Related: Amazon Prime Day Highlighted by Disappointment

3. Capitalize on winning strategies.

Amazon Prime works well with Amazon devices. In fact, many Amazon services complement one other, which is one of the reasons that Amazon has always thrived as a brand.

Keep this in mind while creating your digital marketing strategy. If you find something that works, brainstorm new ways to expand on it. For example, if one of your pieces of content goes viral, look for ways to replicate it. Digital marketing is all about scalability, just like Amazon's growth strategy.

4. Don't sweat any initial criticism.

Prime Day was an enormous success for Amazon. However, you wouldn't know it if you followed the event on Twitter. A number of customers complained about the lack of deals available, using the hashtag #PrimeDayFail.

Like Amazon, you can't expect to get everything right the first time you try something new. That isn't to say that you shouldn't try to make sure things run as smoothly as possible -- you just need to accept the fact you cant please all the customers all the time, so don't write your strategies off as failures if feedback isnt 100 percent positive.

5. Learn from the mistakes of Amazon Prime.

Studying the winning elements of a marketing campaign, such as the launch and growth of Amazon Prime, can be very valuable. But, remember that it's equally important to learn from what didnt go right.

It's still too early to tell whether Amazon has made any significant errors with Prime. George Anderson of Forbes noted that the company may have made some mistakes by growing too quickly and making promises that it might not be able to keep.

For example, shipping times have become somewhat of an issue. As Anderson pointed out, Amazon had to start offering credits toward Amazon Instant Video for Prime members willing to wait longer than the two days promised in the delivery contract.

Related: What Prime Day Means for Amazon and Other Ecommerce Brands

Overall, Amazon Prime appears to be doing remarkably well, but digital marketers should pay close attention to successful new developments (or failures) with this paid service and use this information to guide their own marketing strategies.

What lessons have you learned from the success of Amazon Prime? Are they applicable to your own digital marketing strategy? Please feel free to share your thoughts below:

Related:



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe must be investigated for failing to take action over a list of possible tax cheats while in office, and accusations of stashing cash in foreign countries, a Japanese researcher has said.Ken Yamamoto, a research fellow on Africa at a Tokyo institute who travels frequently to Zimbabwe, Uganda and Rwanda, said the 92 year old president was ignoring festering diamonds corruption scandals and a worsening economic recession.In his latest article on Zimbabwe, Yamamoto said Mugabe's statement that the country lost billions in diamond revenue from the Chiadzwa mine fields was the mother of all scandals.
Lyft

Want to drive for Lyft, but don't have a car? GM has you covered.

GM and Lyft have partnered for a new car service, Express Drive. The service would rent cars to Lyft drivers for $99 a week and 20 cents per mile for those who take fewer than 40 rides, which would include insurance and maintenance, according to Techcrunch. The charge-per-mile fee will be waived for those who take more than 40 rides. With 65 rides, the rental will be free for Lyft drivers.
Third quarter of fiscal 2016 net earnings of $274.0 million ( $0.48 per share on a diluted basis), an increase of 10.4% compared with $248.1 million ( $0.44 per share on a diluted basis) for the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding non-recurring items for both comparable periods, net earnings for the quarter would have been approximately $301.0 million or $0.53 per share on a diluted basis compared with $289.0 million or $0.51 per share on a diluted basis for the third quarter of fiscal 2015, an increase of 4.2%.

( per share on a diluted basis), an increase of 10.4% compared with ( per share on a diluted basis) for the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding non-recurring items for both comparable periods, net earnings for the quarter would have been approximately or per share on a diluted basis compared with or per share on a diluted basis for the third quarter of fiscal 2015, an increase of 4.2%. Strong same-store merchandise revenues growth in all markets: 5.0% in the U.S., 4.3% in Europe and 3.5% in Canada .

and 3.5% in . Merchandise and service gross margin increased by 0.5% in the U.S, by 3.4% in Europe and by 0.2% in Canada .

and by 0.2% in . U.S and Europe same-store road transportation fuel volumes growth was solid at 6.2% and 2.9%, respectively. In Canada , same-store road transportation fuel volumes decreased by 0.5%.

same-store road transportation fuel volumes growth was solid at 6.2% and 2.9%, respectively. In , same-store road transportation fuel volumes decreased by 0.5%. Road transportation fuel gross margin of US19.90  per gallon in the U.S., of US8.69  per liter in Europe and of CA6.29  per liter in Canada . In local currencies, the margin in Europe was higher than that of the comparable quarter of fiscal 2015.

and of CA6.29  per liter in . In local currencies, the margin in was higher than that of the comparable quarter of fiscal 2015. Increase in return on equity, reaching 25.4%.

Launch of an important fuel rebranding project covering more than 1,000 stores in the Southeastern region of the United States .

. On February 1 st , 2016, subsequently to quarter-end, closing of the acquisition of Topaz, in Ireland .

, 2016, subsequently to quarter-end, closing of the acquisition of Topaz, in . Quarterly dividend of CA6.75  per share declared.

Agreement with Imperial Oil, to acquire certain of its Canadian retail assets located in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, comprising 279 stations, 13 land banks and two dealer sites.

LAVAL, QC, March 15, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - For its third quarter ended January 31, 2016, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (TSX: ATD.A ATD.B) announces net earnings of $274.0 million or $0.48 per share on a diluted basis. The results for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 were affected by a $27.2 million pre-tax curtailment gain on defined benefits pension plans obligation, a $22.9 million income tax expense stemming from an internal reorganization, a $10.4 million pre-tax write-off charge in connection with a fuel rebranding project, a $10.1 million pre-tax accelerated depreciation and amortization expense in connection with the Corporation's global brand initiative, a $9.2 million pre-tax charge on early termination of certain fuel supply contracts as well as a $4.1 million pre-tax net foreign exchange loss. Results from the third quarter of fiscal 2015 included a $16.6 million pre-tax net foreign exchange loss, a $16.1 million income tax expense stemming from an internal reorganization, a $10.4 million pre-tax loss from the disposal of the aviation fuel business, a $8.1 million pre-tax restructuring expense, a $2.6 million pre-tax curtailment gain on defined benefits pension plans obligation as well as a $0.6 million pre-tax negative goodwill. Excluding these items as well as acquisition costs from both comparable quarters' results, adjusted diluted net earnings per share would have been $0.53 for the third quarter of fiscal 2016, an increase of 3.9% compared with adjusted diluted net earnings per share of $0.51 for the third quarter of fiscal 2015. This increase is mainly attributable to the solid contribution from acquisitions and to continued strong organic growth. These items were partially offset by lower road transportation fuel margins in the U.S., by higher operating expenses to support Couche-Tard's strong organic growth, by the negative net impact from the translation of revenues and expenses from Couche-Tard's Canadian and European operations into US dollars as well as by the impact of the higher income tax rate. All financial information is in US dollars unless stated otherwise.

"This quarter has been strong on many fronts. Our teams continue to deliver a great customer experience amidst a lot of competition, resulting in solid growth in merchandise and services gross profits and in fuel volumes. Our new global Circle K brand has begun changing the convenience landscape in the southeastern U.S. where we are on track to reimage over 400 stores before the end of the fiscal year." says Brian Hannasch, President & CEO. "I have seen first-hand that our new global brand not only fuels enthusiasm among our employees but also among our customers, who are congratulating our teams when they visit our rebranded sites. In Europe, where we are changing from the established Statoil brand to Circle K, our two pilot stores in Norway are already generating very encouraging responses from customers."

"Back in the southeastern U.S., our integration of The Pantry continues to deliver very positive results and our review of fuel partners and agreements in this region is now complete. As a result, we are changing the fuel branding on more than 1,000 of our stores. This decision has generated some up-front costs in relation to the early termination of existing agreements and the replacement of fuel signage and equipment. However, we believe the investment is well worth it as it will very quickly pay for itself through the significant synergies we anticipate from higher fuel volumes and better pricing conditions."

"Finally, right after the end of the quarter, we have welcomed approximately 2,000 new colleagues and 444 stores to the Couche-Tard family with the closure of the purchase of Topaz on February 1st. Furthermore, just last week, we announced our intent to further expand in Canada significantly. We have reached an agreement with Imperial Oil for the acquisition of 279 of their Esso-branded sites in Ontario and Quebec. Conditional to its approval by the regulatory authorities, this acquisition would allow us to expand our network and reach more customers in Canada than ever before."

Hannasch concludes "As we near the end of another remarkable fiscal year with three consecutive quarters growth, our return on equity is high, the momentum of our business remains strong and our people remain focused."

Overview of the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2016

Net earnings amounted to $274.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2016, up 10.4% over the corresponding period of fiscal 2015. Results for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 include a $27.2 million pre-tax curtailment gain on defined benefits pension plans obligation, a $22.9 million income tax expense stemming from an internal reorganisation, a $10.4 million pre-tax write-off charge in connection with our fuel rebranding project, a $10.1 million pre-tax accelerated depreciation and amortization expense in connection with our global brand initiative, a $9.2 million pre-tax charge on early termination of certain fuel supply contracts as well as a $4.1 million pre-tax net foreign exchange loss. Results for the third quarter of fiscal 2015 included a $16.6 million pre-tax net foreign exchange loss, a $16.1 million income tax expense stemming from an internal reorganisation, a $10.4 million pre-tax loss from the disposal of our aviation fuel business, a $8.1 million pre-tax restructuring expense, a $2.6 million pre-tax curtailment gain on defined benefits pension plans obligation as well as a $0.6 million pre-tax negative goodwill.

Excluding these items as well as acquisition costs from both comparable periods, net earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 would have been approximately $301.0 million ($0.53 per share on a diluted basis) compared with $289.0 million ($0.51 per share on a diluted basis) for the third quarter of fiscal 2015, an increase of $12.0 million, or 4.2%. This increase is attributable to the solid contribution from acquisitions, including The Pantry Inc. store network and to strong organic growth from both convenience store and fuel operations. These items, which contributed to the growth in net earnings, were partially offset by lower road transportation fuel margins in the U.S., by higher operating expenses to support our strong growth, by the negative net impact from the translation of revenues and expenses from our Canadian and European operations into US dollars and by the impact of the higher consolidated income tax rate.

The Pantry Inc. ("The Pantry")

Our results for the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016 include those of The Pantry which we acquired on March 16, 2015.

Purchase price allocation and adjustments to results previously reported

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, we adjusted and finalized the purchase price allocation of The Pantry to reflect our fair value assessment of the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and the goodwill for the transaction. The adjustments we made to the preliminary purchase price allocation did not have a significant impact on our previously reported results.

Synergies and cost reductions initiatives

We are actively working on realizing identified cost reductions opportunities in connection with The Pantry acquisition in addition to realizing available synergies through growth of in-store sales and fuel volumes in this geographic area, improving our operations, sharing our business awareness and each company's best practices, and optimizing supply conditions.

Cost reductions

We expect to achieve a minimum of $85.0 million1 in cost reductions before income taxes over the 24-month period following the acquisition. Since the acquisition, we have already taken actions that should allow us to record annual cost reductions we estimate at approximately $63.0 million1 before income taxes. We recorded cost reductions estimated at approximately $20.0 million before income taxes during the 16-week period ended January 31, 2016 and at approximately $43.0 million before income taxes since the acquisition. These cost reductions mainly reduced operating, selling, administrative and general expenses and, to a lesser extent, the cost of sales. These amounts do not necessarily represent the full annual impact of all of our initiatives.

Merchandise and service supply costs

In addition to the cost reductions discussed above, we have taken actions which should allow us to reduce our annual merchandise and service supply costs by approximately $24.0 million1, before income taxes. These reductions should mainly result from economies of scale as well as from the negotiation of improved supply conditions. We estimate that realized savings amounted to approximately $7.0 million before income taxes for the 16-week period ended January 31, 2016 and to approximately $14.0 million before income taxes since the acquisition.

Fuel branding, supply and distribution

Towards the end of the third quarter, we finalized the review of our fuel branding, supply and distribution strategy for the Southeastern region of the United States which we had initiated following the acquisition of The Pantry. As a result of our review, we made the decision to change the fuel branding for more than 1,000 stores in this region. Consequently, we terminated some of our existing fuel supply agreements and entered into new contracts. This decision will allow us to realize significant synergies through higher fuel volumes and better pricing conditions. As a result of these changes, we had to pay $9.2 million for the early termination of existing fuel supply contracts which negatively impacted earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2016. Additionally, our results for the third quarter include a write-off charge of approximately $10.4 million resulting from the replacement of fuel signage and equipment before the end of their useful lives. A significant portion of the costs for the new assets will be assumed by our new fuel suppliers. We believe that anticipated synergies associated with our strategy will quickly repay for these charges.

Replacement of store equipment

Following extensive and thorough analysis, we concluded that some of the store equipment and signage acquired as part of The Pantry acquisition would need to be replaced or upgraded before the end of their current useful lives in order to implement some of our programs and to ensure a consistent offering and branding across the markets that The Pantry stores operate in. We expect that these replacements and upgrades will improve the customers' experience and will support our growth objectives. In connection with this plan, the depreciation period for the assets we plan to replace or upgrade has been shortened to reflect our current replacement and upgrade plans, resulting in a higher depreciation expense for the third quarter and in a slightly higher expected depreciation expense for the next two fiscal years.

Statoil Fuel & Retail - synergies and cost reductions initiatives

Since the acquisition of Statoil Fuel & Retail, we have been actively working on identifying and implementing available synergies and cost reductions opportunities.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, we recorded incremental synergies and cost savings which we estimated at approximately $12.0 million, before income taxes. These synergies and cost reductions mainly impacted operating, selling, administrative and general expenses as well as the cost of sales. Since the acquisition, we estimate that total realized annual synergies and cost savings amount to approximately $199.0 million before income taxes, which corresponds to the higher range of synergies and cost reductions objectives that we had set following the acquisition.

These synergies and cost reductions came from a variety of sources including cost reductions following the delisting of Statoil Fuel & Retail, the renegotiation of certain agreements with our suppliers, the reduction of in-store costs and the restructuring of certain departments.

Although we have now reached the higher range of our initial synergies and cost reductions objective associated with the acquisition of Statoil Fuel & Retail, we believe that several additional opportunities still exist. In line with our business model, we intend to continue our work towards optimizing the efficiency of our European network.

_________________________________________

1 As our synergies and cost reductions objective is considered a forward-looking statement, we are required, pursuant to securities laws, to clarify that our synergies and cost reductions estimate is based on a number of important factors and assumptions. Among other things, our synergies and cost reductions objective is based on our comparative analysis of organizational structures and current levels of spending across our network as well as on our ability to bridge the gap, where relevant. Our synergies and cost reductions objective is also based on our assessment of current contracts in North America and how we expect to be able to renegotiate these contracts to take advantage of our increased purchasing power. In addition, our synergies and cost reductions objective assumes that we will be able to establish and maintain an effective process for sharing best practices across our network. Finally, our objective is also based on our ability to integrate The Pantry's systems with ours. An important change in these facts and assumptions could significantly impact our synergies and cost reduction estimate as well as the timing of the implementation of our different initiatives.

Defined benefits plans curtailment

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, we announced to our employees our decision to convert certain of our existing defined benefits pension plans into defined contributions plans. In connection with the termination of the defined benefits plans, a pre-tax curtailment gain of $27.2 million was recorded to earnings of the quarter with a corresponding offset to the defined benefits pension plans obligation.

Network growth

Multi-sites acquisitions

On December 1, 2015, we acquired from Texas Star Investments and their affiliates, 18 company-operated stores and two stand-alone quick service restaurants, all of which are located in Texas, United States, in addition to a fuel dealer network. We own the land and buildings for 17 of the sites and lease the land and own the buildings for the remaining sites.

Since the beginning of fiscal 2016, we have acquired 52 company-operated stores and two stand-alone quick service restaurants through multi-sites acquisitions.

Available cash was used for these acquisitions.

Single-site acquisitions

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, we acquired six company-operated stores through distinct transactions, which brings the total to 16 stores since the beginning of fiscal 2016.

Available cash was used for these acquisitions.

Store construction

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, we completed the construction, relocation or reconstruction of 32 stores which brings the total to 60 stores since the beginning of fiscal 2016.

As of January 31, 2016, 38 stores were under construction and should open in the upcoming quarters.

Outstanding transaction

On March 17, 2015, we entered into an agreement with A/S Dansk Shell to acquire their retail business, comprising 315 service stations, their commercial fuel business and their aviation fuel business. The service stations are located in Denmark and comprise 225 full service-stations, 75 unmanned automated fuel stations and 15 truck stops. Of the 315 sites, 140 are owned by Shell, 115 are leased from third parties and 60 are dealer-owned. We already operate a strong network in Denmark and we believe this new acquisition would complement it very well. This transaction is subject to the standard regulatory approvals and closing conditions. In collaboration with A/S Dansk Shell and the regulatory authorities, our teams are deploying all necessary efforts to ensure that the transaction is concluded under optimal conditions and without undue delay. As such, we expect the transaction will close before the end of fiscal year 2016. We expect to finance this transaction with our available cash and existing credit facilities.

Transactions subsequent to quarter-end

On February 1, 2016, subsequent to the end of the third quarter, we acquired all outstanding shares of Topaz Energy Group Limited ("TEGL"), Resource Property Investment Fund plc ("RPIF"), and Esso Ireland Limited, collectively known as "Topaz". Topaz is the leading convenience and fuel retailer in Ireland with a network comprising 444 service stations. Of these service stations, 158 are operated by Topaz and 286 are operated by dealers. The agreement also encompasses a significant commercial fuels operation, with two terminals and over 30 depots. In line with our business model, we expect realizing synergies through growth of in-store sales and fuel volumes, improving our operations, sharing our business awareness and each company's best practices as well as optimizing supply conditions. We also expect to realize some cost reductions through the integration of Topaz into our network.

We financed this transaction using our revolving credit facilities. In order to plan for this transaction, as of January 31, 2016, the funds had been drawn from our revolving facilities and included in our cash and cash equivalent on the balance sheet.

On March 8, 2016, we signed an agreement with Imperial Oil ("Imperial") to acquire certain of its Canadian retail assets located in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The transaction comprises 279 of Imperial's Esso-branded fuel and convenience sites in Canada. Of these sites, 229 are located in Ontario - the majority of which in the Greater Toronto Area - and 50 sites are located in Quebec. All of the Quebec sites are in the Greater Montreal Area or on the south shore of Montreal. The agreement also includes 13 land banks and two dealer sites, as well as a long-term supply agreement for Esso branded fuel. Imperial owns 238 sites and 41 are leased. The total transaction is priced at approximately CA$1.68 billion. Pending the customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close within six months. We expect to finance this transaction using our available cash and existing credit facilities.

International network

During the quarter, we have been advised by Circle K Sunkus ("Sunkus"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of UNY Group Holding's Co., Ltd., that it will be rebranding its 3,273 Circle K stores in Japan over the next few years. The timing of this rebranding announced by Sunkus coincides with the recent merger of UNY Group Holding's Co., Ltd. with Family Mart Co., Ltd. This will not impact our financial results since we have not been collecting any fees from this licensee.

Sunkus is an independent operator in Japan and holds the exclusive rights to the "Circle K" trademark in this country which it acquired in 1993 from ConocoPhilips, Circle K's previous owner. We subsequently acquired the Circle K network from ConocoPhilips in 2003.

Although this rebranding has not been completed as of January 31, 2016, those stores have been excluded from our international network store count.

Summary of changes in our store network during the third quarter and the first three quarters of fiscal 2016

The following table presents certain information regarding changes in our store network over the 16-week period ended January 31, 2016 (1):

16-week period ended January 31, 2016 Type of site Company-

operated (2) CODO (3) DODO (4) Franchised and

other affiliated (5) Total Number of sites, beginning of period 7,790 542 766 1,125 10,223 Acquisitions 24 - - - 24 Openings / constructions / additions 30 5 10 21 66 Closures / disposals / withdrawals (54) (8) (21) (33) (116) Store conversion - (10) 10 - - Number of sites, end of period 7,790 529 765 1,113 10,197 Number of automated fuel stations included in the period end figures (6) 901 - 19 - 920

The following table presents certain information regarding changes in our store network over the 40-week period ended January 31, 2016 (1):

40-week period ended January 31, 2016 Type of site Company-

operated (2) CODO (3) DODO (4) Franchised and

other affiliated (5) Total Number of sites, beginning of period 7,787 559 600 1,132 10,078 Acquisitions 68 - 139 - 207 Openings / constructions / additions 54 9 46 50 159 Closures / disposals / withdrawals (121) (17) (40) (69) (247) Store conversion 2 (22) 20 - - Number of sites, end of period 7,790 529 765 1,113 10,197

(1) These figures include 50% of the stores operated through RDK, a joint venture. (2) Sites for which the real estate is controlled by Couche-Tard (through ownership or lease agreements) and for which the stores (and/or the service stations) are operated by Couche-Tard or one of its commission agents. (3) Sites for which the real estate is controlled by Couche-Tard (through ownership or lease agreements) and for which the stores (and/or the service stations) are operated by an independent operator in exchange for rent and to which Couche-Tard supplies road transportation fuel through supply contracts. Some of these sites are subject to a franchise agreement, licensing or other similar agreement under one of our main or secondary banners. (4) Sites controlled and operated by independent operators to which Couche-Tard supplies road transportation fuel through supply contracts. Some of these sites are subject to a franchise agreement, licensing or other similar agreement under one of our main or secondary banners. (5) Stores operated by an independent operator through a franchising, licensing or another similar agreement under one of our main or secondary banners. (6) These sites sell road transportation fuel only.

In addition, around 1,500 stores are operated by independent operators under the Circle K banner in 13 other countries or regions worldwide (China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam). These bring our total network to almost 11,700 sites.

Global Circle K Brand

On September 22, 2015, we announced the creation and rollout of a new, global convenience brand, "Circle K". In connection with this rebranding project, we have started to incur additional capital expenditures and other expenses in order to replace and upgrade various existing assets. This project should span over the course of the next few years. As a result of our plan for the replacement and upgrade of these assets, we have accelerated the depreciation and amortization of certain existing assets, including but not limited to, store signage and the Statoil trade name. Consequently, an incremental depreciation and amortization expense of $10.1 million was recorded to earnings of the third quarter of fiscal 2016. We expect incremental depreciation and amortization expense over and above normal levels of approximately $8.0 million to $10.0 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, of approximately $23.0 million to $26.0 million for fiscal 2017 and of approximately $14.0 million to $16.0 million for fiscal 2018.

Disposal of the lubricants business

During the second quarter of fiscal 2016, we closed the disposal of our lubricants business. During the same quarter, we recognized a preliminary pre-tax gain on disposal of $47.4 million in relation to this transaction. During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, closing adjustments were finalized and no significant adjustment was recorded to the preliminary gain.

Issuance of Norwegian Krone denominated senior unsecured notes

On February 18, 2016, subsequent to the end of the quarter, we issued Norwegian Krone ("NOK") denominated senior unsecured notes totaling NOK 675.0 million (approximately $78.0 million) with a coupon rate of 3.85% and maturing on February 18, 2026. Interest is payable semi-annually on April 20th and October 20th of each year. The net proceeds from the issuance were mainly used to repay a portion of our term revolving unsecured operating credit facility.

Dividends

During its March 15, 2016 meeting, the Corporation's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of CA6.75  per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 to shareholders on record as at March 24, 2016 and approved its payment for April 7, 2016. This is an eligible dividend within the meaning of the Income Tax Act of Canada.

Outstanding shares and stock options

As at March 11, 2016, Couche-Tard had 148,101,540 Class A multiple voting shares and 419,347,947 Class B subordinate voting shares issued and outstanding. In addition, as at the same date, Couche-Tard had 2,554,228 outstanding stock options for the purchase of Class B subordinate voting shares.

Exchange Rate Data

We use the US dollar as our reporting currency which provides more relevant information given the predominance of our operations in the United States and the significant portion of our debt denominated in US dollars, taking into account our cross-currency interest rate swaps.

The following table sets forth information about exchange rates based upon closing rates expressed as US dollars per comparative currency unit:

16-week periods ended 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016 February 1, 2015 January 31, 2016 February 1, 2015 Average for period (1) Canadian Dollar 0.7347 0.8625 0.7638 0.9043 Norwegian Krone (2) 0.1157 0.1398 0.1209 0.1526 Swedish Krone (2) 0.1171 0.1308 0.1182 0.1397 Danish Krone (2) 0.1460 0.1642 0.1480 0.1730 Zloty (2) 0.2527 0.2886 0.2614 0.3071 Euro (2) 1.0893 1.2235 1.1050 1.2925 Litas (2) - 0.3611 - 0.3794 Ruble (2) 0.0144 0.0187 0.0158 0.0233

As at January 31,

2016 As at April 26,

2015 Period end Canadian Dollar 0.7140 0.8217 Norwegian Krone 0.1148 0.1286 Swedish Krone 0.1166 0.1159 Danish Krone 0.1452 0.1457 Zloty 0.2447 0.2697 Euro 1.0832 1.0875 Ruble 0.0132 0.0196

(1) Calculated by taking the average of the closing exchange rates of each day in the applicable period. (2) Average rate for the period from October 12, 2015 to January 31, 2016 for the 16-week period ended January 31, 2016, from May 1st, 2015 to January 31, 2016 for the 40-week period ended January 31, 2016, from October 13, 2014 to January 31, 2015 for the 16-week period ended February 1, 2015 and from May 1st, 2014 to January 31, 2015 for the 40-week period ended February 1, 2015.

Considering we use the US dollar as our reporting currency, in our consolidated financial statements and in this document, unless indicated otherwise, results from our Canadian, European and corporate operations are translated into US dollars using the average rate for the period. Unless otherwise indicated, variances and explanations regarding changes in the foreign exchange rate and the volatility of the Canadian dollar and European currencies which we discuss in the present document are therefore related to the translation into US dollars of our Canadian, European and corporate operations' results.

Summary analysis of consolidated results for the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2016

The following table highlights certain information regarding our operations for the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016 and February 1, 2015.

16-week periods ended 40-week periods ended (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise stated) January 31,

2016 February 1,

2015 Variation % January 31,

2016 February 1,

2015 Variation % Statement of Operations Data: Merchandise and service revenues (1): United States 2,156.9 1,495.4 44.2 5,666.0 3,887.4 45.8 Europe 254.1 283.2 (10.3) 667.6 779.9 (14.4) Canada 489.5 553.3 (11.5) 1,401.5 1,591.9 (12.0) Total merchandise and service revenues 2,900.5 2,331.9 24.4 7,735.1 6,259.2 23.6 Road transportation fuel revenues: United States 4,306.7 3,706.9 16.2 12,730.0 11,346.2 12.2 Europe 1,414.8 1,839.0 (23.1) 4,126.4 5,756.1 (28.3) Canada 554.1 696.3 (20.4) 1,634.1 2,115.1 (22.7) Total road transportation fuel revenues 6,275.6 6,242.2 0.5 18,490.5 19 217.4 (3.8) Other revenues (2): United States 4.3 5.0 (14.0) 11.8 12.1 (2.5) Europe 150.6 528.6 (71.5) 509.7 1,755.3 (71.0) Canada 0.1 0.1 - 0.4 0.4 - Total other revenues 155.0 533.7 (71.0) 521.9 1,767.8 (70.5) Total revenues 9,331.1 9,107.8 2.5 26,747.5 27,244.4 (1.8) Merchandise and service gross profit (1): United States 717.2 490.1 46.3 1,878.6 1,272.7 47.6 Europe 111.5 114.7 (2.8) 282.2 319.5 (11.7) Canada 158.6 178.3 (11.0) 459.8 525.0 (12.4) Total merchandise and service gross profit 987.3 783.1 26.1 2,620.6 2,117.2 23.8 Road transportation fuel gross profit: United States 434.1 365.7 18.7 1,184.3 877.9 34.9 Europe 221.2 240.9 (8.2) 606.5 697.4 (13.0) Canada 42.2 47.4 (11.0) 118.4 132.1 (10.4) Total road transportation fuel gross profit 697.5 654.0 6.7 1,909.2 1,707.4 11.8 Other revenues gross profit (2): United States 4.3 5.0 (14.0) 11.8 12.1 (2.5) Europe 50.9 87.6 (41.9) 148.2 259.6 (42.9) Canada 0.1 0.1 - 0.4 0.4 - Total other revenues gross profit 55.3 92.7 (40.3) 160.4 272.1 (41.1) Total gross profit 1,740.1 1,529.8 13.7 4,690.2 4,096.7 14.5 Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses 1,134.1 981.6 15.5 2,900.6 2,548.0 13.8 Curtailment gain on defined benefits pension plans obligation (27.2) (2.6) 946.2 (27.2) (2.6) 946.2 Loss (gain) on disposal of property and equipment and other assets 14.5 (3.9) (471.8) 18.2 (4.9) (471.4) Gain on disposal of lubricant business - - - (47.4) - 100.0 Loss on disposal of aviation fuel business - 10.4 (100.0) - 10.4 (100.0) Restructuring and integration costs - 8.1 (100.0) - 8.1 (100.0) Negative goodwill - (0.6) (100.0) - (1.1) (100.0) Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangibles assets and other assets 192.8 152.4 26.5 470.4 401.8 17.1 Operating income 425.9 384.4 10.8 1,375.6 1,137.0 21.0 Net earnings 274.0 248.1 10.4 987.5 804.0 22.8 Other Operating Data: Merchandise and service gross margin (1): Consolidated 34.0% 33.6% 0.4 33.9% 33.8% 0.1 United States 33.3% 32.8% 0.5 33.2% 32.7% 0.5 Europe 43.9% 40.5% 3.4 42.3% 41.0% 1.3 Canada 32.4% 32.2% 0.2 32.8% 33.0% (0.2) Growth of same-store merchandise revenues (3) (4): United States 5.0% 4.5% 5.1% 3.4% Europe 4.3% 1.7% 3.0% 1.6% Canada 3.5% 3.6% 3.1% 3.3% Road transportation fuel gross margin: United States (cents per gallon) (4) 19.90 24.93 (20.2) 21.18 24.15 (12.3) Europe (cents per litre) (5) 8.69 9.81 (11.4) 9.26 10.90 (15.0) Canada (CA cents per litre) (4) 6.29 6.12 2.8 6.50 6.39 1.7 Volume of road transportation fuel sold (5): United States (millions of gallons) 2,177.6 1,491.3 46.0 5,557.8 3,720.3 49.4 Europe (millions of litres) 2,544.1 2,455.1 3.6 6,551.8 6,400.0 2.4 Canada (millions of litres) 918.8 904.1 1.6 2,399.8 2,326.4 3.2 Growth of (decrease in) same-store road transportation fuel volume (4): United States 6.2% 2.8% 7.5% 2.3% Europe 2.9% 2.1% 3.1% 2.0% Canada (0.5%) (0.5%) 1.4% (0.5%) Per Share Data: Basic net earnings per share (dollars per share) 0.48 0.44 9.1 1.74 1.42 22.5 Diluted net earnings per share (dollars per share) 0.48 0.44 9.1 1.73 1.41 22.7

January 31, 2016 April 26, 2015 Variation $ Balance Sheet Data: Total assets 11,200.4 10,989.9 210.5 Interest-bearing debt 2,769.9 3,068.3 (298.4) Shareholders' equity 4,733.5 3,889.1 844.4 Indebtedness Ratios: Net interest-bearing debt/total capitalization (6) 0.28 : 1 0.39 : 1 Net interest-bearing debt/Adjusted EBITDA (7) (11) 0.83 : 1 1.18 : 1 Adjusted net interest-bearing debt/Adjusted EBITDAR (8) (11) 1.90 : 1 2.17 : 1 Returns: Return on equity (9) (11) 25.4% 24.9% Return on capital employed (10) (11) 17.6% 16.2%

(1) Includes revenues derived from franchise fees, royalties, suppliers rebates on some purchases made by franchisees and licensees as well as wholesale merchandise. (2) Includes revenues from rental of assets, from sale of aviation and marine fuel, heating oil, kerosene, lubricants and chemicals. Aviation operations were sold in December 2014 and lubricants operations were sold in October 2015. (3) Does not include services and other revenues (as described in footnote 1 and 2 above). Growth in Canada is calculated based on Canadian dollars. Growth in Europe is calculated based on Norwegian Krone. Includes results from The Pantry stores for the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016. (4) For company-operated stores only. Includes results from The Pantry stores for the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016. (5) Total road transportation fuel. (6) This ratio is presented for information purposes only and represents a measure of financial condition used especially in financial circles. It represents the following calculation: long-term interest-bearing debt, net of cash and cash equivalents and temporary investments divided by the addition of shareholders' equity and long-term debt, net of cash and cash equivalents and temporary investments. It does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other public corporations. (7) This ratio is presented for information purposes only and represents a measure of financial condition used especially in financial circles. It represents the following calculation: long-term interest-bearing debt, net of cash and cash equivalents and temporary investments divided by EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, Amortization and Impairment) adjusted for non-recurring items. It does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other public corporations. (8) This ratio is presented for information purposes only and represents a measure of financial condition used especially in financial circles. It represents the following calculation: long-term interest-bearing debt plus the product of eight times rent expense, net of cash and cash equivalents and temporary investments divided by EBITDAR (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, Amortization, Impairment and Rent expense) adjusted for non-recurring items. It does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other public corporations. (9) This ratio is presented for information purposes only and represents a measure of performance used especially in financial circles. It represents the following calculation: net earnings divided by average equity for the corresponding period. It does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other public corporations. (10) This ratio is presented for information purposes only and represents a measure of performance used especially in financial circles. It represents the following calculation: earnings before income taxes and interests divided by average capital employed for the corresponding period. Capital employed represents total assets less short-term liabilities not bearing interests. It does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other public corporations. (11) This ratio is presented on a pro forma basis. As of January 31, 2016, it includes Couche-Tard's and The Pantry's results for the 52-week period ended January 31, 2016. As of April 26, 2015, it includes Couche-Tard's results for fiscal year ended April 26, 2015 as well as The Pantry's results for the 52-week period ended April 26, 2015. The Pantry's earnings and balance sheet figures have been adjusted to make their presentation in line with Couche-Tard's policies.

Revenues

Our revenues were $9.3 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2016, up by $223.3 million, an increase of 2.5% compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2015, mainly attributable to the outstanding contribution from acquisitions and newly opened stores as well as by the continued solid growth in same-store merchandise revenues and road transportation fuel volumes in both North America and Europe. These items, which contributed to the increase in revenues, were partly offset by a lower road transportation fuel average selling price, by the negative net impact from the translation of revenues of our Canadian and European operations into US dollars, by the disposal of our aviation fuel business during the third quarter of fiscal 2015 and by the disposal of our lubricants business during the second quarter of fiscal 2016.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, our revenues decreased by $496.9 million, down by 1.8% compared with the first three quarters of fiscal 2015, mainly attributable to a lower road transportation fuel average selling price, to the negative net impact from the translation of revenues of our Canadian and European operations into US dollars and to the disposal of our aviation fuel and lubricant businesses. These items, which contributed to the decrease in revenues, were partly offset by the contribution from acquisitions and newly opened stores and by the growth in same-store merchandise revenues and road transportation fuel volumes in both North America and Europe.

More specifically, the growth in merchandise and service revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 was $568.6 million. Excluding the negative net impact from the translation of our European and Canadian operations into US dollars, merchandise and service revenues increased by $683.2 million or 29.3%. This increase is attributable to the contribution from acquisitions which amounted to approximately $587.0 million, to newly opened stores as well as to strong organic growth. Same-store merchandise revenues increased by 5.0% in the United States, including The Pantry stores, by 4.3% in Europe and by 3.5% in Canada. Overall, our performance is attributable to our dynamic merchandising strategies, to our competitive offer and to our expanded fresh food assortment, which is attracting more customers into our stores.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, the growth in merchandise and service revenues was $1.5 billion. Excluding the net negative impact from the translation of our European and Canadian operations into US dollars, merchandise and service revenues increased by $1.8 billion or 29.3%. This increase is attributable to the contribution from acquisitions which amounted to approximately $1.6 billion, to newly opened stores and to strong organic growth. Same-store merchandise revenues grew by 5.1% in the United States, including The Pantry stores, by 3.0% in Europe and by 3.1% in Canada.

Road transportation fuel revenues increased by $33.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016. Excluding the negative net impact from the translation of revenues of our Canadian and European operations into US dollars, road transportation fuel revenues increased by $379.7 million or 6.1%. This increase was attributable to the contribution from acquisitions which amounted to approximately $1.2 billion, by the contribution of our recently opened stores and by strong organic growth. Same-store road transportation fuel volumes increased by 6.2% in the United States, including The Pantry stores and by 2.9% in Europe due to - among other things - our micro-market strategies as well as to the growing contribution from premium fuels and "miles" and "milesPLUS", our proprietary fuel brands in Europe. In Canada, our same-store road transportation fuel volumes decreased by 0.5% due, in part, to the weakening economy in the western part of the country and to competitive pressures. These factors, which contributed to the growth in revenues, were almost entirely offset by the impact of a lower average road transportation fuel selling price, which had a negative impact of approximately $1.1 billion. It should be noted that the lower average road transportation fuel selling price has no direct negative impact on our fuel gross margin. In fact, a lower fuel selling price usually works in our favor as customers tend to travel more in this context - buying more fuel - while also leaving them with more cash for discretionary spending.

The following table shows the average selling price of road transportation fuel in our various markets, starting with the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended April 27, 2014:

52-week period ended January 31, 2016: Quarter Q4 2015 Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Weighted

average United States (US dollars per gallon) 2.34 2.64 2.36 1.99 2.31 Europe (US cents per litre) 66.51 72.16 66.12 57.04 64.89 Canada (CA cents per litre) 93.63 103.17 97.79 88.41 95.35 52-week period ended February 1, 2015: Quarter Q4 2014 Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Weighted

average United States (US dollars per gallon) 3.47 3.59 3.36 2.54 3.18 Europe (US cents per litre) 104.11 101.53 95.18 73.99 92.53 Canada (CA cents per litre) 118.74 121.64 117.00 96.27 112.11

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, road transportation fuel revenues decreased by $726.9 million. Excluding the negative net impact from the translation of revenues of our Canadian and European operations into US dollars, road transportation fuel revenues increased by $598.4 million or 3.1%. This increase was attributable to the contribution from acquisitions which amounted to approximately $3.5 billion, to the contribution of our recently opened stores and to organic growth. Same-store road transportation fuel volumes increased by 7.5% in the United States, including The Pantry stores, by 3.1% in Europe and by 1.4% in Canada. These growth factors were partly offset by the impact of the lower average selling price of road transportation fuel, which resulted in a decrease in revenues of approximately $3.9 billion.

Other revenues decreased by $378.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and by $1.2 billion in the first three quarters of fiscal 2016. These decreases are mainly explained by the disposal of our aviation fuel and lubricants businesses, which had an impact of approximately $233.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and $899.0 million in the first three quarters of fiscal 2016. The negative net impact from the translation of revenues from our European operations into US dollars explains a large part of the remaining decrease.

Gross profit

In the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the consolidated merchandise and service gross profit was $987.3 million, an increase of $204.2 million compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding the net negative impact from the translation of our European and Canadian operations into US dollars, consolidated merchandise and service gross profit increased by $244.2 million or 31.2%. This increase is attributable to the contribution from acquisitions, which amounted to approximately $198.0 million, and to organic growth. The gross margin increased by 0.5% in the United States to 33.3%, by 3.4% in Europe to 43.9% and by 0.2% in Canada to 32.4%. Overall, this performance reflects changes in the product mix and the improvements we brought to our supply terms, as well as our merchandising strategy in line with market competitiveness and the economic conditions within each market. In Europe, the growth in margin is attributable to the change in our product mix toward categories with higher margins, including car washes.

During the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, the consolidated merchandise and service gross profit was $2.6 billion, an increase of $503.4 million compared with the corresponding period of fiscal 2015. Excluding the net negative impact from the translation of our European and Canadian operations into US dollars, consolidated merchandise and service gross profit increased by $633.4 million or 29.9%. The gross margin increased by 0.5% in the United States and by 1.3% in Europe. In Canada it was 32.8%, a decrease of 0.2%.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the road transportation fuel gross margin was 19.90  per gallon in the United States, CA6.29  per litre in Canada and 8.69  per litre in Europe. The decrease in Europe is almost entirely attributable to the net impact of the translation of our European results into US dollars. In local currencies, the margin in Europe was higher than the margin of the third quarter of fiscal 2015. The road transportation fuel gross margin of our company-operated stores in the United States and the impact of expenses related to electronic payment modes for the last eight quarters, starting with the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended April 27, 2014, were as follows:

(US cents per gallon)



52-week period ended January 31, 2016: Quarter Q4 2015 Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Weighted

average Before deduction of expenses related to electronic payment modes 15.46 18.34 25.66 19.90 20.04 Expenses related to electronic payment modes 4.12 4.37 4.19 3.84 4.11 After deduction of expenses related to electronic payment modes 11.34 13.97 21.47 16.06 15.93 52-week period ended February 1, 2015: Quarter Q4 2014 Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Weighted

average Before deduction of expenses related to electronic payment modes 14.85 23.08 24.17 24.93 22.06 Expenses related to electronic payment modes 4.98 5.27 5.03 4.33 4.85 After deduction of expenses related to electronic payment modes 9.87 17.81 19.14 20.60 17.20

As demonstrated by the table above, road transportation fuel margins in the United States can be volatile from one quarter to another but tend to normalize in the longer term. Margin volatility and expenses related to electronic payment modes are not as significant in Europe and Canada.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, the road transportation fuel gross margin was 21.18  per gallon in the United States, it was CA6.50  per litre in Canada and it stood at 9.26  per litre in Europe. The decrease in Europe is entirely attributable to the impact of the translation of our European results into US dollars.

Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses

For the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2016, operating, selling, administrative and general expenses increased by 15.5% and 13.8%, respectively, compared with the corresponding periods of fiscal 2015 but increased by only 2.7% and 2.1%, respectively, if we exclude certain items as demonstrated by the following table:

16-week period ended

January 31, 2016 40-week period ended

January 31, 2016 Total variance as reported 15.5% 13.8% Subtract: Increase from incremental expenses related to acquisitions 21.6% 22.1% Decrease from the net impact of foreign exchange translation (6.3%) (7.8%) Decrease from divestment of the aviation fuel and lubricant businesses (3.2%) (2.6%) Increase from charges on the termination of fuel supply agreements 0.9% 0.4% Decrease from lower electronic payment fees, excluding acquisitions (0.4%) (0.7%) Increase from non-recurring integration costs and expenses in connection with our global brand initiatives - 0.3% Acquisition costs recognized to earnings of fiscal 2016 0.2% 0.1% Acquisition costs recognized to earnings of fiscal 2015 - (0.1%) Remaining variance 2.7% 2.1%

The remaining variance in expenses is mainly due to normal inflation, to the higher expenses needed to support our strong organic growth, to the higher average number of stores and to proportionally higher operational expenses in our recently built stores, as these stores generally have a larger footprint than the average of our existing network. We continue to favor a rigorous control of costs throughout our organization, while ensuring we maintain the quality of service we offer to our customers.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and impairment (EBITDA) and adjusted EBITDA

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, EBITDA increased by 15.2% compared with the same quarter last year, reaching $627.5 million.

Excluding the non-recurring items shown in the table below from EBITDA of the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and of the third quarter of fiscal 2015, the adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 increased by $60.1 million or 10.7% compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Net of acquisition costs recorded to earnings, acquisitions contributed approximately $67.0 million to adjusted EBITDA, while the variation in exchange rates had a negative net impact of approximately $26.0 million.

Excluding the non-recurring items shown in the table below from EBITDA for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, adjusted EBITDA for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 increased by $252.0 million or 16.0% compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, reaching $1.8 billion. Net of acquisition costs recorded to earnings, acquisitions contributed approximately $219.0 million to adjusted EBITDA, while the variation in exchange rates had a negative net impact of approximately $113.0 million.

It should be noted that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are not performance measures defined by IFRS, but we, as well as investors and analysts, use these measures to evaluate our financial and operating performance. Note that our definition of these measures may differ from the one used by other public corporations:

16-week periods ended 40-week periods ended (in millions of US dollars) January 31, 2016 February 1, 2015 January 31, 2016 February 1, 2015 Net earnings, as reported 274.0 248.1 987.5 804.0 Add: Income taxes 127.2 102.8 335.8 260.7 Net financial expenses 33.5 41.2 75.8 89.8 Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets 192.8 152.4 470.4 401.8 EBITDA 627.5 544.5 1,869.5 1,556.3 Remove: Curtailment gain on pension plan obligation 27.2 2.6 27.2 2.6 Write-off expense on fuel rebranding (10.4) - (10.4) - Charge on early termination of fuel supply agreements (9.2) - (9.2) - Net gain from the disposal of the lubricants business - - 47.4 - Non-recurring integration costs and expenses in connection with our global brand initiatives - - (8.6) - Loss on disposal of the aviation fuel business - (10.4) - (10.4) Restructuring and integration costs - (8.1) - (8.1) Negative goodwill - 0.6 - 1.1 Adjusted EBITDA 619.9 559.8 1,823.1 1,571.1

Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets

For the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2016, depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses increased by $40.4 million and $68.6 million, respectively, mainly as a result of investments made through acquisitions, the replacement of equipment, the addition of new stores and the ongoing improvement of our network. The depreciation, amortization and impairment expense was also increased by the accelerated depreciation and amortization of certain assets in connection with our global rebranding project, which had an impact of $10.1 million and by the acceleration of the depreciation and amortization of certain of The Pantry stores' assets which will need to be replaced or upgraded before the end of their current useful lives. Those items, which contributed to the increase in depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses, were partially offset by the net impact of the translation of our European and Canadian operations into US dollars.

Net financial expenses

The third quarter of fiscal 2016 shows net financial expenses of $33.5 million, a decrease of $7.7 million compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding the net foreign exchange losses of $4.1 million and $16.6 million recorded respectively in the third quarters of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, net financial expenses increased by $4.8 million. This increase is mainly attributable to the rise in our long term debt in connection with the financing of The Pantry acquisition and the assumption of its finance leases obligations, partly offset by the reduction in our average debt balance following repayments made on our revolving and acquisition facilities during fiscal years 2015 and 2016. The net foreign exchange loss of $4.1 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 is mainly due to the impact of foreign exchange variations on certain cash balances.

The first three quarters of fiscal 2016 show net financial expenses of $75.8 million, a decrease of $14.0 million compared with the first three quarters of fiscal 2015. Excluding the net foreign exchange gain of $0.8 million recorded in the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 and the net foreign exchange loss of $26.2 million recorded in the first three quarters of fiscal 2015, net financial expenses increased by $13.0 million. This increase is mainly attributable to reasons similar to those of the third quarter. The net foreign exchange gain of $0.8 million for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 is mainly due to the impact of foreign exchange variations on certain cash balances.

Income taxes

The income tax rate for third quarter of fiscal 2016 was 31.7%, impacted by a tax expense of $22.9 million in connection with an internal reorganization finalized in December 2015, for which benefits should materialized in the future. Excluding the impact of this reorganization, we estimate that the income tax rate for the quarter would have been approximately 26.0%.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, the income tax rate was 25.4%. The income tax rate was affected by the fact that the net gain from the disposal of the lubricants business is not entirely taxable, partly offset by the impact of the internal reorganization. Excluding those items, we estimate that the income tax rate for the first three quarters would have been approximately 24.7%.

Net earnings

We closed the third quarter of fiscal 2016 with net earnings of $274.0 million, compared with $248.1 million for the third quarter of the previous fiscal year, an increase of $25.9 million or 10.4%. Diluted net earnings per share stood at $0.48, compared with $0.44 the previous year. The translation of revenues and expenses from our Canadian and European operations into US dollars had a negative net impact of approximately $10.0 million on net earnings of the third quarter of fiscal 2016.

Excluding the items shown in the table below from net earnings of the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, this quarter's net earnings would have been approximately $301.0 million, compared with $289.0 million for the comparable quarter of the previous year, an increase of $12.0 million or 4.2%. Adjusted diluted net earnings per share would have been approximately $0.53 for the third quarter of fiscal 2016, compared with $0.51 for the corresponding period of fiscal 2015, an increase of 3.9%.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, net earnings were $987.5 million, compared with $804.0 million for the comparable period of the previous fiscal year, an increase of $183.5 million or 22.8%. Diluted net earnings per share stood at $1.73 compared with $1.41 the previous year, an increase of 22.7%. The translation of revenues and expenses from our Canadian and European operations into US dollars had a negative net impact of approximately $52.0 million on net earnings of the first three quarters of fiscal 2016.

Excluding the items shown in the table below from net earnings for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, net earnings of the first three quarters for fiscal 2016 would have been approximately $968.0 million, up $90.0 million or 10.3%, while adjusted diluted earnings per share would have been approximately $1.70 compared with $1.54 the previous year, an increase of 10.4%.

The table below reconciles adjusted net earnings to reported net earnings:

16-week periods ended 40-week periods ended (in millions of US dollars) January 31, 2016 February 1, 2015 January 31, 2016 February 1, 2015 Net earnings, as reported 274.0 248.1 987.5 804.0 Remove: Curtailment gain on pension plans obligation 27.2 2.6 27.2 2.6 Tax expense stemming from an internal reorganisation (22.9) (16.1) (22.9) (41.8) Write-off expense on fuel rebranding (10.4) - (10.4) - Impact of accelerated depreciation and amortization (10.1) - (10.1) - Charge on early termination of fuel supply agreements (9.2) - (9.2) - Net foreign exchange (loss) gain (4.1) (16.6) 0.8 (26.2) Acquisition costs (2.1) (0.3) (3.5) (1.5) Net gain from the disposal of the lubricants business - - 47.4 - Non-recurring integration costs and expenses in connection with our global brand initiatives - - (8.6) - Loss on disposal of the aviation fuel business - (10.4) - (10.4) Restructuring costs - (8.1) - (8.1) Negative goodwill - 0.6 - 1.1 Tax impact of the items above and rounding 4.6 7.4 8.8 10.3 Adjusted net earnings 301.0 289.0 968.0 878.0

Financial Position as at January 31, 2016

As shown by our indebtedness ratios included in the "Summary analysis of consolidated results for the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2016" section and our net cash provided by operating activities, our financial position is excellent.

Our total consolidated assets amounted to $11.2 billion as at January 31, 2016, an increase of $210.5 million over the balance as at April 26, 2015. This increase stems primarily from the overall rise in assets resulting from the acquisitions we made during the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 as well as from cash made available for the acquisition of Topaz partly offset by the negative net impact of the appreciation of the US dollar compared to the functional currencies of our operations in Canada and Europe at the balance sheet date and by the effect of the disposal of the lubricants business. It should be noted that we have updated our balance sheet as of April 26, 2015 to reflect the adjustments made to the preliminary purchase price allocation for The Pantry acquisition.

During the 52-week period ended on January 31, 2016, we recorded a return on capital employed of 17.6%.

Significant balance sheet variations are explained as follows:

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable decreased by $170.4 million, from $1.2 billion as at April 26, 2015 to $1.0 billion as at January 31, 2016. The decrease mainly stems from lower road transportation fuel selling prices, from the disposal of the lubricants business as well as from the negative net impact of exchange rates variation at the balance sheet date, which was approximately $4.0 million. The decrease was partly offset by the increase resulting from acquisitions.

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities decreased by $399.1 million, from $2.2 billion as at April 26, 2015 to $1.8 billion as at January 31, 2016. The decrease mainly stems from a lower road transportation fuel cost, from the disposal of the lubricants business as well as from the negative net impact of exchange rates variation at the balance sheet date, which was approximately $77.0 million. The decrease was partly offset by the increase resulting from acquisitions.

Long-term debt and current portion of long-term debt

Long-term debt decreased by $298.4 million, from $3.1 billion as at April 26, 2015 to $2.8 billion as at January 31, 2016. Long-term debt decreased from the net debt repayments of approximately $1.2 billion we made during the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 as well as from the impact of the weakening of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar, which was approximately $202.0 million. This decrease was partly offset by the issuance of Canadian dollar denominated senior unsecured notes for an amount of $562.0 million as well as by amounts drawn on our credit facilities in preparation for the acquisition of Topaz on February 1, 2016.

Other financial liabilities

Other financial liabilities increased by $177.3 million, from $161.6 million as at April 26, 2015 to $338.9 million as at January 31, 2016. The increase stems from the change in fair value of our cross-currency interest rate swaps, which is determined based on market rates obtained from our financial institutions for similar financial instruments. Change in fair value of this financial instrument is recorded in other comprehensive income.

Shareholders' equity

Shareholders' equity amounted to $4.7 billion as at January 31, 2016, up $844.4 million compared with April 26, 2015, mainly reflecting net earnings for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, partly offset by dividends declared and other comprehensive loss for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016. For the 52-week period ended January 31, 2016, we recorded a return on equity of 25.4%.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our sources of liquidity remain unchanged compared with the fiscal year ended April 26, 2015 except for the changes in our operating credit D, as described below. For further information, please refer to our 2015 Annual Report. Capital expenditures, acquisitions and dividends paid during the third quarter of fiscal 2016 were financed using available cash and our revolving unsecured credit facilities. We expect that cash generated from our operations together with borrowings available under our revolving unsecured credit facilities will be adequate to meet our liquidity needs in the foreseeable future.

Our revolving credit facilities are detailed as follow:

Revolving unsecured operating credit D, maturing in December 2019 ("operating credit D")

Credit agreement consisting of a revolving unsecured facility of a maximum amount of $2,525.0 million. On November 20, 2015, we amended our operating credit D to extend its maturity until December 2019. On January 25, 2016, we amended our operating credit D to add the euro as an available currency. No other terms were changed significantly. As at January 31, 2016, $1,185.8 million of our operating credit D had been used. As at the same date, the effective interest rate was 1.08% and standby letters of credit in the amount of CA$3.2 million and $53.9 million were outstanding.

Term revolving unsecured operating credit E, maturing in December 2016 ("operating credit E")

Credit agreement consisting of an initial maximum amount of $50.0 million with an initial term of 50 months. The credit facility is available in the form of a revolving unsecured operating credit, available in US dollars. The amounts borrowed, if any, bear interest at variable rates based on the US base rate or the LIBOR rate plus a variable margin. As at January 31, 2016, operating credit E was unused.

Available liquidities

As at January 31, 2016, a total of approximately $1.3 billion was available under our revolving unsecured operating credit facilities and we were in compliance with the restrictive covenants and ratios imposed by the credit agreements at that date. Thus, at the same date, we had access to approximately $2.3 billion through our available cash and revolving unsecured operating credit facilities.

Selected Consolidated Cash Flow Information

16-week periods ended 40-week periods ended (in millions of US dollars) January 31,

2016 February 1,

2015 Variation January 31,

2016 February 1,

2015 Variation Operating activities Net cash provided by operating activities 216.8 350.2 (133.4) 1,228.0 1,242.9 (14.9) Investing activities Purchase of property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets, net of proceeds from the disposal of property and equipment and other assets (317.1) (156.0) (161.1) (548.2) (312.1) (236.1) Business acquisitions (73.5) (7.3) (66.2) (183.6) (163.0) (20.6) Proceeds from disposal of the lubricants business - - - 81.0 - 81.0 Proceeds from disposal of the aviation fuel business - 94.6 (94.6) - 94.6 (94.6) Other 0.1 - 0.1 0.7 (0.3) 1.0 Net cash used in investing activities (390.5) (68.7) (321.8) (650.1) (380.8) (269.3) Financing activities Net increase (decrease) of revolving unsecured operating credit 698.5 (320.0) 1,018.5 (654.2) (205.0) (449.2) Cash dividends paid (27.8) (22.4) (5.4) (74.9) (66.5) (8.4) Net decrease in other debt (8.6) (5.7) (2.9) (15.8) (15.3) (0.5 Issuance of Canadian dollar denominated senior unsecured notes, net of financing costs - - - 562.0 - 562.0 Repurchase of non-controlling interest - - - (11.8) - (11.8) Issuance of shares upon exercise of stock options - - - 0.2 - 0.2 Repayments under the unsecured non-revolving acquisition credit facility - - - - (555.0) 555.0 Net cash from (used in) financing activities 662.1 (348.1) 1,010.2 (194.5) (841.8) 647.3 Credit ratings Standard and Poor's - Corporate credit rating BBB BBB- Moody's - Senior unsecured notes credit rating Baa2 Baa2

Operating activities

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, net cash from our operations reached $216.8 million, down $133.4 million compared with the third quarter of fiscal year 2015, while net cash from our operations for the first three quarters of fiscal 2016 reached $1,228.0 million, down $14.9 million compared with the corresponding period of fiscal year 2015. In both cases, the decrease is mainly due to changes in working capital.

Investing activities

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, investing activities were primarily for net investments in property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets which amounted to $317.1 million and for business acquisitions for an amount of $73.5 million.

Since the beginning of the fiscal year, investing activities were also primarily for net investments in property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets, which amounted to $548.2 million and for business acquisitions for an amount of $183.6 million. These items were partly offset by the net proceeds from the disposal of the lubricants business, which amounted to $81.0 million.

Net investments in property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets were primarily for the replacement of equipment in some of our stores in order to enhance our offering of products and services, the addition of new stores and the ongoing improvement of our network, as well as for information technology.

Financing activities

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, we drew net amounts of $698.5 million under our operating credit D. These amounts were drawn in preparation for the closing of the Topaz acquisition on February 1, 2016, as well as for investments in property and equipment. We also paid dividends for an amount of $27.8 million.

During the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, we repaid a total net amount of $654.2 million on our operating credit D, which includes the amounts drawn in preparation for the Topaz acquisition as well as for investments in property and equipment. During the same period, we issued Canadian dollar denominated senior unsecured notes for an amount of $562.0 million. We also paid dividends for an amount of $74.9 million and repurchased the non-controlling interest in Circle K Asia for a cash consideration of $11.8 million.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

There were no major changes with respect to our contractual obligations and commercial commitments during the 40-week period ended January 31, 2016. For more information, please refer to our 2015 Annual Report.

Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the 40-week period ended January 31, 2016 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

As mentioned in our 2015 annual report, we excluded The Pantry's internal control over financial reporting from our evaluation of the overall effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This is due to the timing of the transaction, which occurred on March 16, 2015. The limitation was primarily based on the time required to assess The Pantry's controls over financial reporting and to confirm they are consistent with ours, as permitted by the Canadian Securities Administrator's National Instrument 52-109 for 365 days following an acquisition. We expect to finalize our assessment by March 2016.

The Pantry's balance sheet and results are included in our consolidated financial statements since the acquisition date. They constituted approximately 17.0% of total consolidated assets as of January 31, 2016 while they represented approximately 18.0% of consolidated revenues and approximately 4.0% of consolidated net earnings for the 40-week period ending on January 31, 2016.

Selected Quarterly Financial Information

Our 52-week reporting cycle is divided into quarters of 12 weeks each except for the third quarter, which comprises 16 weeks. When a fiscal year, such as fiscal 2017, contains 53 weeks, the fourth quarter comprises 13 weeks. The following is a summary of selected consolidated financial information derived from our interim consolidated financial statements for each of the eight most recently completed quarters.

(in millions of US dollars except for per share data) 40-week period ended

January 31, 2016 52-week period ended April 26, 2015 Extract from

52-week period

ended April 27,

2014 Quarter 3rd 2nd 1st 4th 3rd 2nd 1st 4th Weeks 16 weeks 12 weeks 12 weeks 12 weeks 16 weeks 12 weeks 12 weeks 12 weeks Revenues 9,331.1 8,436.8 8,979.6 7,285.5 9,107.8 8,946.3 9,190.3 8,954.1 Operating income before depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangibles assets and other assets 618.7 685.8 541.5 314.7 536.8 510.0 492.0 296.3 Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangibles assets and other assets 192.8 137.6 140.0 128.6 152.4 122.7 126.7 142.0 Operating income 425.9 548.2 401.5 186.1 384.4 387.3 365.3 154.3 Share of earnings of joint ventures and associated companies accounted for using the equity method 8.8 8.2 6.5 4.4 7.7 5.1 4.7 3.9 Net financial expenses 33.5 25.2 17.1 15.6 41.2 18.6 30.0 26.9 Net earnings 274.0 415.7 297.8 129.5 248.1 286.4 269.5 145.1 Net earnings per share Basic $0.48 $0.73 $0.52 $0.23 $0.44 $0.51 $0.48 $0.26 Diluted $0.48 $0.73 $0.52 $0.23 $0.44 $0.50 $0.47 $0.25

The volatility of road transportation fuel gross margins, mostly in the United States, and seasonality both have an impact on the variability of our quarterly net earnings. With that said, the majority of our operating income is derived from merchandise and service sales.

Outlook

For the remainder of fiscal 2016, our priority will be to work on the integration of Topaz into our network. We also look forward to continuing our work on the integration of The Pantry stores into our network and to realizing synergies associated with that integration in addition to pursuing our work around value creation in Europe. We will also continue working to improve and expand our network, including the construction of new stores and the relocation and reconstruction of existing stores. We also intend to maintain our ongoing focus on sales, supply terms and operating expenses while keeping an eye on growth opportunities that may be available in our various markets.

We will also work toward the deployment of our new global convenience brand, Circle K, throughout North America, Europe and our licensed stores worldwide. We are setting out to make it easy for existing and new customers in more countries than ever before to prefer Circle K as their destination for convenience and fuel, with a fresh look and feel and even better products for people on the go, always combined with fast and friendly service.

Much as in previous years, we will pay special attention to the reduction of our debt level. Thus we will continue improving our financial flexibility and the quality of our credit rating, allowing us to be adequately positioned to realize potential acquisition opportunities.

March 15, 2016

Profile

Couche-Tard is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel retail in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries with a significant presence in Poland.

As of January 31, 2016, Couche-Tard's network comprised 7,979 convenience stores throughout North America, including 6,560 stores offering road transportation fuel. Its North-American network consists of 15 business units, including 11 in the United States covering 41 states and four in Canada covering all ten provinces. About 80,000 people are employed throughout its network and at its service offices in North America.

In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Poland, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Russia. As of January 31, 2016, it comprised 2,218 stores, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products while the others are unmanned automated fuel stations. The Corporation also offers other products, including stationary energy, marine fuel and chemicals. Couche-Tard operates key fuel terminals and fuel depots in six European countries. Including employees at franchise stations carrying its brands, about 19,000 people work in its retail network, terminals and service offices across Europe.

In addition, around 1,500 stores are operated by independent operators under the Circle K banner in 13 other countries or regions worldwide (China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam). These bring Couche-Tard's total network to almost 11,700 sites.

The statements set forth in this press release, which describes Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "could", "should", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche-Tard's actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in the reports filed by Couche-Tard with securities authorities in Canada and the United States. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

Webcast March 15, 2016 at 2:30 P.M. (EDT)

Couche-Tard invites analysts known to the Corporation to send their two questions in advance to its management, before 11:00 A.M. (EDT) on March 15, 2016.

Financial analysts and investors who wish to listen to the webcast on Couche-Tard's results which will take place online on March 15, 2016 at 2:30 P.M. (EDT) can do so by accessing the Corporation's website at http://corpo.couche-tard.com/ and by clicking on the corporate presentations link of the investor relations section. For those who will not be able to listen to the live presentation, the recording of the webcast will be available on the Corporation's website for a period of 90 days following the webcast.

Q3 2016

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD INC.

UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (in millions of US dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited) 16 weeks 40 weeks For the periods ended January 31, February 1, January 31, February 1, 2016 2015 2016 2015 $ $ $ $ Revenues 9,331.1 9,107.8 26,747.5 27,244.4 Cost of sales 7,591.0 7,578.0 22,057.3 23,147.7 Gross profit 1,740.1 1,529.8 4,690.2 4,096.7 Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses 1,134.1 981.6 2,900.6 2,548.0 Curtailement gain on defined benefits pension plans obligation (Note 10) (27.2) (2.6) (27.2) (2.6) Loss (gain) on disposal of property and equipment and other assets 14.5 (3.9) 18.2 (4.9) Gain on disposal of lubricants business (Note 4) - - (47.4) - Loss on disposal of aviation fuel business - 10.4 - 10.4 Restructuring costs - 8.1 - 8.1 Negative goodwill - (0.6) - (1.1) Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets 192.8 152.4 470.4 401.8 1,314.2 1,145.4 3,314.6 2,959.7 Operating income 425.9 384.4 1,375.6 1,137.0 Share of earnings of joint ventures and associated companies accounted for using the equity method 8.8 7.7 23.5 17.5 Financial expenses 30.9 26.5 81.6 69.9 Financial revenues (1.5) (1.9) (5.0) (6.3) Foreign exchange loss (gain) 4.1 16.6 (0.8) 26.2 Net financial expenses 33.5 41.2 75.8 89.8 Earnings before income taxes 401.2 350.9 1,323.3 1,064.7 Income taxes 127.2 102.8 335.8 260.7 Net earnings 274.0 248.1 987.5 804.0 Net earnings attributable to: Shareholders of the Corporation 274.0 248.0 987.3 803.4 Non-controlling interest - 0.1 0.2 0.6 Net earnings 274.0 248.1 987.5 804.0 Net earnings per share (Note 7) Basic 0.48 0.44 1.74 1.42 Diluted 0.48 0.44 1.73 1.41 Weighted average number of shares - basic (in thousands) 567,427 565,923 567,405 565,835 Weighted average number of shares - diluted (in thousands) 569,230 568,761 569,188 568,640 Number of shares outstanding at end of period (in thousands) 567,449 565,988 567,449 565,988

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (in millions of US dollars, unaudited) 16 weeks 40 weeks For the periods ended January 31, February 1, January 31, February 1, 2016 2015 2016 2015 $ $ $ $ Net earnings 274.0 248.1 987.5 804.0 Other comprehensive income Items that may be reclassified subsequently to earnings Translation adjustments Changes in cumulative translation adjustments (1) (90.7) (293.3) 110.0 (613.9) Changes in cumulative translation adjustments reclassified to earnings - 1.9 - 1.9 Change in fair value of cross-currency interest rate swaps designated as a hedge of the Corporation's net investment in its US operations (2) (116.4) (80.2) (218.1) (100.4) Net interest on cross-currency interest rate swaps designated as a hedge of the Corporation's net investment in its US operations (3) (1.3) (0.5) (2.4) 0.2 Cash flow hedges Change in fair value of financial instruments (4) (0.4) 11.7 8.3 16.9 Gain realized on financial instruments reclassified to earnings (5) (1.2) (9.6) (8.7) (13.0) Available for sale investment Change in fair value of an available for sale investment (6) (2.8) - (2.8) - Items that will never be reclassified to earnings Net actuarial gain (loss) (7) 6.9 (20.4) 28.7 (35.1) Other comprehensive loss (205.9) (390.4) (85.0) (743.4) Comprehensive income (loss) 68.1 (142.3) 902.5 60.6 Comprehensive income attributable to: Shareholders of the Corporation 68.1 (142.4) 902.3 60.0 Non-controlling interest - 0.1 0.2 0.6 Comprehensive income (loss) 68.1 (142.3) 902.5 60.6

(1) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts include a loss of $63.9 (net of income taxes of $10.1) and a loss of $142.8 (net of income taxes of $22.6), respectively. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, these amounts include a loss of $74.9 (net of income taxes of $11.7). These losses arise from the translation of the US dollar and euro denominated long-term debts designated as foreign exchange hedges of the Corporation's net investments in its US operations and its Danish and Baltic operations, respectively. (2) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts are net of income taxes of $0.3 and $7.0, respectively. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, these amounts are net of income taxes of $16.0 and $18.3, respectively. (3) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts are net of income taxes of $0.3 and $0.9, respectively. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, these amounts are net of income taxes of $0.2 and $0.1, respectively. (4) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts are net of income taxes of $0.1 and $3.5, respectively. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, these amounts are net of income taxes of $4.4 and $6.0, respectively. (5) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts are net of income taxes of $0.4 and $3.2, respectively. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, these amounts are net of income taxes of $3.6 and $4.9, respectively. (6) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts are net of income taxes. (7) For the 16 and 40-week periods ended January 31, 2016, these amounts are net of income taxes of $2.2 and $9.4, respectively. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, these amounts are net of income taxes of $8.0 and $13.4, respectively.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (in millions of US dollars, unaudited) For the 40-week period ended January 31, 2016 Attributable to the shareholders of the Corporation Capital

stock Contributed

surplus Retained

earnings Accumulated

other

comprehensive

loss (Note 8) Total Non-

controlling

interest Total

equity $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Balance, beginning of period 697.2 10.7 3,919.8 (738.6) 3,889.1 13.9 3,903.0 Comprehensive income: Net earnings 987.3 987.3 0.2 987.5 Other comprehensive loss (85.0) (85.0) (85.0) Comprehensive income 902.3 0.2 902.5 Dividends declared (74.9) (74.9) (0.7) (75.6) Nullification of redemption liability (Note 11) 13.0 13.0 - 13.0 Repurchase of non-controlling interest (Note 11) - (11.8) (11.8) Non-controlling interest transferred to contributed surplus (Note 11) 1.6 1.6 (1.6) - Stock option-based compensation expense 2.2 2.2 2.2 Initial fair value of stock options exercised 0.1 (0.1) - - Cash received upon exercise of stock options 0.2 0.2 0.2 Balance, end of period 697.5 14.4 4,845.2 (823.6) 4,733.5 - 4,733.5 For the 40-week period ended February 1, 2015 Attributable to the shareholders of the Corporation Capital

stock Contributed

surplus Retained

earnings Accumulated

other

comprehensive

income (loss)

(Note 8) Total Non-

controlling

interest Total

equity $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Balance, beginning of period 686.5 11.6 3,077.4 186.9 3,962.4 14.2 3,976.6 Comprehensive income: Net earnings 803.4 803.4 0.6 804.0 Other comprehensive loss (743.4) (743.4) (743.4) Comprehensive income 60.0 0.6 60.6 Reduction of non-controlling interest - (0.6) (0.6) Dividends declared (66.5) (66.5) (0.4) (66.9) Stock option-based compensation expense 2.4 2.4 2.4 Initial fair value of stock options exercised 0.6 (0.6) - - Balance, end of period 687.1 13.4 3,814.3 (556.5) 3,958.3 13.8 3,972.1

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in millions of US dollars, unaudited) 16 weeks 40 weeks For the periods ended January 31, February 1, January 31, February 1, 2016 2015 2016 2015 $ $ $ $ Operating activities Net earnings 274.0 248.1 987.5 804.0 Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets, net of amortization of deferred credits 181.1 125.7 439.8 353.5 Curtailement gain on defined benefits pension plans (Note 10) (27.2) (2.6) (27.2) (2.6) Deferred income taxes 24.3 2.1 (11.3) (65.8) Deferred credits 8.3 7.8 19.2 11.3 Loss (gain) on disposal of property and equipment and other assets 14.5 (3.9) 18.2 (4.9) Share of earnings of joint ventures and associated companies accounted for using the equity method, net of dividends received (2.5) (2.8) (10.2) (5.9) Gain on disposal of lubricants business (Note 4) - - (47.4) - Loss on disposal of aviation fuel business - 10.4 - 10.4 Restructuring costs - 8.1 - 8.1 Negative goodwill - (0.6) - (1.1) Other (15.5) (11.5) (2.7) (3.7) Changes in non-cash working capital (240.2) (30.6) (137.9) 139.6 Net cash provided by operating activities 216.8 350.2 1,228.0 1,242.9 Investing activities Purchase of property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets (333.6) (187.8) (607.8) (375.5) Business acquisitions (Note 3) (73.5) (7.3) (183.6) (163.0) Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment and other assets 16.5 31.8 59.6 63.4 Restricted cash 0.1 - 0.7 (0.3) Proceeds from disposal of lubricants business (Note 4) - - 81.0 - Proceeds from disposal of aviation fuel business - 94.6 - 94.6 Net cash used in investing activities (390.5) (68.7) (650.1) (380.8) Financing activities Increase in euro denominated term revolving unsecured operating credit (Note 5) 565.7 - 565.7 - Net increase (decrease) in US dollar denominated term revolving unsecured operating credit (Note 5) 100.5 (320.0) (1,252.2) (205.0) Increase in Canadian dollar denominated term revolving unsecured operating credit (Note 5) 32.3 - 32.3 - Cash dividends paid (27.8) (22.4) (74.9) (66.5) Net decrease in other debt (8.6) (5.7) (15.8) (15.3) Issuance of Canadian dollar denominated senior unsecured notes, net of financing costs (Note 5) - - 562.0 - Repurchase of non-controlling interest (Note 11) - - (11.8) - Issuance of shares upon exercise of stock options - - 0.2 - Repayments under the unsecured non-revolving acquisition credit facility - - - (555.0) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 662.1 (348.1) (194.5) (841.8) Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents 10.6 (53.4) 12.9 (53.4) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 499.0 (120.0) 396.3 (33.1) Cash, cash equivalents and bank overdraft, beginning of period 473.1 598.0 575.8 511.1 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 972.1 478.0 972.1 478.0 Supplemental information: Interest paid 36.2 18.5 65.8 48.3 Interest and dividends received 7.7 7.0 17.6 17.4 Income taxes paid 196.5 124.5 333.5 211.4 Cash and cash equivalents components: Cash and demand deposits 972.1 478.0

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in millions of US dollars, unaudited) January 31,

2016 As at April 26,

2015

(adjusted, Note 1) $ $ Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 972.1 575.8 Restricted cash 1.4 2.1 Accounts receivable 1,024.4 1,194.8 Inventories 801.4 859.6 Prepaid expenses 51.5 61.0 Income taxes receivable - 10.5 2,850.8 2,703.8 Property and equipment 5,602.6 5,600.1 Goodwill 1,674.4 1,629.2 Intangible assets 618.1 695.9 Other assets 319.8 221.4 Investment in joint ventures and associated companies 85.5 75.6 Deferred income taxes 49.2 63.9 11,200.4 10,989.9 Liabilities Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1,835.1 2,234.2 Provisions 102.4 138.9 Income taxes payable 60.0 37.3 Current portion of long-term debt (Note 5) 20.7 21.4 2,018.2 2,431.8 Long-term debt (Note 5) 2,749.2 3,046.9 Provisions 411.9 413.5 Pension benefit liability 81.4 126.6 Other financial liabilities (Note 6) 338.9 161.6 Deferred credits and other liabilities 268.5 312.4 Deferred income taxes 598.8 594.1 6,466.9 7,086.9 Equity Capital stock (Note 9) 697.5 697.2 Contributed surplus 14.4 10.7 Retained earnings 4,845.2 3,919.8 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (Note 8) (823.6) ) (738.6) Equity attributable to shareholders of the Corporation 4,733.5 3,889.1 Non-controlling interest - 13.9 4,733.5 3,903.0 11,200.4 10,989.9

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(in millions of US dollars unless otherwise noted, except per share amounts, unaudited)

1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PRESENTATION

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements (the "interim financial statements") have been prepared by the Corporation in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada as set out in Part I of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) Handbook - Accounting, which incorporates International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") applicable to the preparation of interim financial statements, including International Accounting Standard ("IAS") 34 "Interim Financial Reporting".

The interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with the same accounting policies and methods as the audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended April 26, 2015 except those disclosed in Note 2. The interim financial statements do not include all the information required for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited annual consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in the Corporation's 2015 Annual Report. The results of operations for the interim periods presented do not necessarily reflect results expected for the full fiscal year. The Corporation's business follows a seasonal pattern. The busiest period is the first half-year of each fiscal year, which includes summer's sales.

On March 15, 2016, the Corporation's interim financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors who also approved their publication.

Comparative figures

Certain comparative figures of the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to comply with the presentation adopted in the fiscal year ended April 26, 2015. Direct car wash expenses were previously recorded as a reduction of revenue or as operating, selling, administrative and general expenses. This is no longer the case and car wash revenue is now presented at its gross amount and all direct expenses are recorded in cost of sales. For the 16 and 40-week periods ended February 1, 2015, this change resulted in an increase in revenue of $1.9 and $4.9, respectively, a decrease in gross profit of $1.1 and $2.3, respectively and a decrease in operating, selling, administrative and general expenses of $1.1 and $2.3, respectively.

The Corporation has made adjustments to the preliminary purchase price allocation for the acquisition of The Pantry Inc. As a result, changes were made to: Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses, Depreciation, amortization and impairment of property and equipment, intangibles and other assets and Financial expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings for the 12-week period ended July 19, 2015. The Consolidated Balance Sheet as at April 26, 2015 was also adjusted to consider these changes. See Note 3 for details on the adjustments made to the purchase price allocation for this acquisition.

2. ACCOUNTING CHANGES

Accounting policies different from those used in the audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended April 26, 2015

Hedge of the net investment in foreign operations

As of January 29, 2016, the Corporation designated its entire euro denominated long-term debt as a foreign exchange hedge of its net investment in its Danish and Baltic operations. Accordingly, gains or losses arising from the translation of the euro denominated debt that is determined to be an effective hedge are recognized in Other comprehensive income, counterbalancing gains and losses arising from translation of the Corporation's net investment in its Danish and Baltic operations. Should a portion of the hedging relationship become ineffective, the gains and losses arising from its translation would be recorded in the consolidated statement of earnings under Foreign exchange loss (gain).

Change in accounting estimates

On September 22, 2015, the Corporation announced the creation and rollout of a new, global convenience brand, "Circle K". In connection with this rebranding project which should span over the course of the next few years, the Corporation has accelerated the depreciation and amortization of certain existing assets. Consequently, an incremental depreciation and amortization expense of $10.1 was recorded to earnings for the 16-week period ended January 31, 2016. The incremental depreciation and amortization expense related to this change is expected to be approximately $8.0 to $10.0 for the 12-week period ended April 24, 2016, approximately $23.0 to $26.0 for the 53-week period ending April 30, 2017 and approximately $14.0 to $16.0 for the 52-week period ending April 29, 2018.

Recently issued but not yet implemented

Leases

On January 13, 2016, the IASB released IFRS 16, "Leases", which supersedes IAS 17, "Leases", and the related interpretations on leases: IFRIC 4, "Determining whether an arrangement contains a lease", SIC 15, "Operating Leases - Incentives" and SIC 27, "Evaluating the substance of transactions in the legal form of a lease". The standard is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with earlier application permitted for companies that also apply IFRS 15, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers". The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its consolidated financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows

On January 29, 2016, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) published amendments to IAS 7, "Statement of Cash Flows". The amendments are intended to clarify IAS 7 to improve information provided to users of financial statements about an entity's financing activities. They are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017, with earlier application being permitted. The Corporation is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

On January 19, 2016, the IASB issued amendments to IAS 12, "Income Taxes" regarding the recognition of deferred tax assets for unrealized losses, effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. The amendments clarify how to account for deferred tax assets related to debt instruments measured at fair value. The Corporation is currently evaluating the impact of these amendments on its consolidated financial statements.

3. BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS

On December 1, 2015 , the Corporation acquired from Texas Star Investments and their affiliates, 18 company-operated stores, two quick service restaurants and a dealer fuel supply network located in the US State of Texas. The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 17 sites and leases the land and owns the buildings for the remaining sites.

, the Corporation acquired from Texas Star Investments and their affiliates, 18 company-operated stores, two quick service restaurants and a dealer fuel supply network located in the US State of Texas. The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 17 sites and leases the land and owns the buildings for the remaining sites. On September 24, 2015 , the Corporation acquired from Kocolene Marketing LLC, 13 company-operated stores in the US States of Indiana and Kentucky . The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 12 sites and leases the land and building for the remaining site.

, the Corporation acquired from Kocolene Marketing LLC, 13 company-operated stores in the US States of and . The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 12 sites and leases the land and building for the remaining site. On June 2, 2015 , the Corporation acquired from Cinco J, Inc., Tiger Tote Food Stores, Inc., and their affiliates 21 company-operated stores in the US States of Texas , Mississippi and Louisiana . The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 18 sites and leases the land and owns the buildings for the remaining three sites. As part of this agreement, the Corporation also acquired agreements for the supply of fuel to 141 stores operated by independent operators, five development properties and customer relations for 93 dealer sites.

, the Corporation acquired from Cinco J, Inc., Tiger Tote Food Stores, Inc., and their affiliates 21 company-operated stores in the US States of , and . The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 18 sites and leases the land and owns the buildings for the remaining three sites. As part of this agreement, the Corporation also acquired agreements for the supply of fuel to 141 stores operated by independent operators, five development properties and customer relations for 93 dealer sites. During the 40-week period ended January 31, 2016 , the Corporation also acquired 16 other stores through distinct transactions. The Corporation owns the land and buildings for 12 sites and leases the
News / National

by Lovemore Ranga Mataire

THE majority of Zimbabweans approve of President Mugabe's leadership despite the economic challenges faced by the country as a result of economic sanctions imposed by the West while trust and support for MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai continues to plummet, an international think tank has said.A latest survey conducted by Afrobarometer - a pan-African research network - in partnership with the South African Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town, concluded that despite viewing their personal living conditions as "fairly bad" or "very bad", a majority of Zimbabweans were satisfied or approved of President Mugabe's leadership."After going through a tough economic period between 2002-2008, the economy of Zimbabwe began to recover around end of 2008. This followed the political settlement in September 2008 resulting in a coalition Government of National Unity (GNU) and the adoption of the multi-currency regime," a statement released by Afrobarometer reads.It states that between 2009 and 2011, Zimbabwe's GDP growth averaged 7,3 percent, making it one of the world's fastest growing economies at the time.The survey shows that although four in 10 people in Zimbabwe expected the economic situation to deteriorate in 2015, close to six in 10 people (57 percent) believed that President Mugabe had performed well in the last 12 months.The report also revealed that the approval rating for President Mugabe was stronger in rural areas among senior citizens and those with low levels of formal education.Support for the ruling Zanu-PF party has remained unshakeable with Mashonaland Central province recording a massive 86 percent, Mashonaland West 78 percent while Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces recorded a 34 percent endorsement.MDC-T leader Mr Tsvangirai and his party recorded the least approval in all the provinces even in Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces which are the MDC-T's perceived strongholds.Five rounds of surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2013, and round six surveys were currently being finalised for the period 2014-2015).The surveys are conducted through face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent's choice with nationally representative samples of between 1 200 and 2 400 respondents.The survey in Zimbabwe was conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute, which interviewed 2 400 adult Zimbabweans in November 2014.Another related survey conducted between 2009 and 2014 also revealed that most Zimbabweans had more trust in President Mugabe than any other leaders."As one would expect, President Robert Mugabe attracts high trust levels in rural communities, from supporters of the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National UnionPatriotic Front (Zanu-PF), and in the provinces where the ruling party holds majority share," the report says.It states that a majority of Zimbabweans - 63 percent - said they trusted their President "somewhat" or "a lot".Afrobarometer says the survey shows a significant increase in trust levels in President Mugabe since 2009 to 2014.Key findings of the survey include the fact that large majorities in provinces historically known to support Zanu-PF registered high levels of trust in President Mugabe with Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West recording an 81 percent support rate.The support for President Mugabe was, however, subdued in some opposition parties' strongholds of Bulawayo, Harare and Matabeleland South.Five rounds of surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2013 while round six surveys of between 2014 and 2015 are currently being finalised.Respondents were asked questions about the economic conditions of this country, their own present living conditions and their predictions of the economic outlook.
TORONTO, March 11, 2016 /CNW/ - The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada Ontario Chapter is hosting its first annual Princess Dance Party at Casa Loma on March 17, 2016. This sold-out March Break event will raise funds to help grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses in Canada.

WHAT: Children's Wish Princess Dance Party WHEN: Thursday, March 17th, 2016  6:00 pm to 8:30 pm WHERE: Casa Loma - 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto ON

ET Canada's Sangita Patel is hosting this event along with two of our Wish Children, "Brave Braydy" and Malakai who will act as ambassadors throughout the evening. There will be several other Wish Children in attendance, as well as those children who are still thoughtfully deciding on their single most heartfelt wish.

On March 17th, Toronto's castle will feature beautiful horse-drawn carriage rides fit for a princess upon entry, a Fantasy Academy for princesses and superheroes to hone their super-skills including spell casting classes, crime fighting and web slinging. The princess beauty parlor, hosted by Glama Gal and Aveda will pamper princesses with hair, makeup and manicures for the night. Many surprises await thanks to our incredible sponsors Fortress Real Developments, Volkswagen and Audi Finance and Sofina Foods Inc.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

Sangita Patel , ET Canada host

ET Canada host James MacQueen , Chairman, Ontario CAB, Children's Wish

Chairman, Ontario CAB, Children's Wish Tiffany MacDonald , Director, Ontario Chapter, Children's Wish

Director, Ontario Chapter, Children's Wish Wish Families  including "Brave Braydy" and Malaki, wish party ambassadors

About The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada

The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada is the largest all Canadian wish granting charity dedicated to granting wishes to Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. For more than 30 years, Children's Wish has worked tirelessly to grant heartfelt wishes to more than 23,000 children and their families.

The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada Ontario Chapter has granted over 5,000 wishes with 600 wishes currently being granted this year. Each wish is the child's most heartfelt wish, and carefully structured to meet the particular needs of the child and their family.

Already this year, we are experiencing unprecedented increases of wish referrals through our strong medical community relationships for our wishes granted to children with life-threatening illnesses. Now more than ever, we are encouraging Canadians to donate and support The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada to help us continue to grant the next most heartfelt wish. Children's Wish is a national charity with chapters in every province and territory. Visit www.childrenswish.ca for more information and to donate.

SOURCE The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada

For further information: For more information on this event and to schedule interviews, please contact: Sandra Gregory, Communications Specialist, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada| Ontario Chapter, T: 905.767.6356, [email protected]
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

The Zimbabwe Election Support (ZESN) has advised the Zimbabwe Election Commission to purchase high quality indelible ink marker pens for elections.The election body, ZEC announced last week that it plans to pilot the use of marker pens with indelible ink, instead of finger dipping, as a precaution against double voting.It said it reduces the amount of ink used and was user friendly and tidy.Its added that the pens are easy to handle and distribute and environmentally friendlyHowever, ZENS said "we noted that ZEC is set to replace the finger dipping indelible ink with indelible ink marker pens on Election Day."ZESN urges the Commission to procure indelible ink marker pens of the highest quality given that indelible ink is not infallible and can be manipulated".
THE member representing Ihiala Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Rep Emeka Anohu has told President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue wit...

THE member representing Ihiala Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Rep Emeka Anohu has told President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with those agitating for independent Biafran Republic, so as to arrest any political unrest that could emanate from the agitations.Rep Anohu who described the Biafra agitation as a topic that is totally fragile in Nigeria, noted that under the laws of the land, there was provision for peaceful demonstration and agitation for self determination guaranteed by the United Nations in which Nigeria subscribed to.According to him, I am of the opinion that a situation like this, there should be dialogue. A peaceful demonstration or agitation is allowed in the confines of rule of law.On the fight against corruption by the President Buharis government, he said that the right thing to do was for those so far mentioned for any corrupt offences to resign from any positions they were holding even as he expressed dismay that despite the alleged recovery of funds, there had not been any conviction by the court.Besides, Rep Anohu who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wondered where the recovered loots including the repatriated ones were domiciled as there had not been any account by the government on the total recovered loots and repatriated funds.He said, The best way to fight corruption is for government to block all leakages. Since independence, some names have been mentioned for corruption, have they been tried?All the money repatriated, where are the monies, how much so far repatriated and recovered? Nigerians need to know, we dont know where they are keeping the money.The lawmaker who is also the president of Emeka Anohu Foundation that is used to help the poor, the sick and the needy frowned at the recent negotiations some government officials had embarked upon with the South African telecommunication giant, the MTN, adding that in other climes, the best thing MTN should have done was to comply with the telecommunication regulatory agency in the country and pay the fines.We should not settle for less, we will resist any ploy by the MTN not to pay complete the fines imposed on it by the National Communications Commission, NCC.He noted that during the time of arms deal scandal in the past administration, the South African government did not enter into negotiations with Nigeria then, stressing that the negotiations now on the MTN was criminal.(Vanguard)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Malabo condemned recent political violence in Rivers State. According to him, killing of peop...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Malabo condemned recent political violence in Rivers State.According to him, killing of people over political differences was primitive, barbaric and unacceptable.In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said: We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have given the security services clear directives in this regard.We will show that violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections, the President said at an interactive meeting with Nigerians resident in Equatorial Guinea.President Buhari said that the Independent National Electoral Commission will be encouraged to explore the possibility of Nigerians abroad voting in the 2019 general elections.Noting that some African countries have started allowing their citizens resident abroad to vote in national elections, the President said that he fully empathized with the desire of Nigerians in the Diaspora to vote in national elections.He said that he will therefore do all within his power to fulfil that desire.I want all Nigerians to know that I respect them and their right to choose their leaders, he saidThe President also said that establishing a new national airline was not currently on the Federal Governments list of priorities.He said that his administrations main area of focus now was reducing the level of poverty in the country.The President said that developing the infrastructure needed to boost production in all sectors of the economy and creating more jobs for young Nigerians, and other actions that will directly improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians will continue to be prioritized by his administration.President Buhari was responding to complaints by members of the Nigerian community about the absence of direct flights between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.He assured them that his administrations war against corruption will remain fearless, relentless and merciless.We will be merciless and relentless in pursuing all those who abused public trust. Nigerians will see how some of the elite conspired to run the nation down, he said.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to pay more attention to security and economic issues affe...

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to pay more attention to security and economic issues affecting Nigeria, instead of focusing on those of other countries and persecuting perceived political enemies, describing the Presidents condemnation of Sundays terrorist attack on the Grand Bassam Resort in Cote DIvoire as hypocritical and demonstration of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.The governor, who described terror attacks anywhere in the world as condemnable, said; If President Buhari could afford to pick his phone and call the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara, immediately after the attack, Nigerians must ask the President why he kept mute for days over the Fulani herdsmen massacre of over 300 Agatu people of Benue State, the Mile 12 Lagos killings and wanton destruction of properties among others.In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said it was strange that President Buhari was more concerned with the killing of 16 people in Cote DIvoire than the Fulani herdsmens murder of over 300 citizens of Nigeria.He said it was alarming that even when someone of the status of former Senate President, David Mark was attacked by the Fulani herdsmen last Saturday, when he went on inspection of the eight communities completely destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen, there was no reaction from the President condemning the terror attack.The governor said: From all indications, our President has abandoned governance. The only thing going on in the minds of those running the affairs of this country in Abuja is how to entrench themselves in power by crushing anyone perceived as capable of hindering them.That is the reason they are using the Department of State Services (DSS) to harass and intimidate us here in Ekiti, under flimsy excuses like investigating members of the State House of Assembly for alleged forgery of tax certificates when the Ekiti State Government, which issued the certificates have not complained to the DSS that its tax certificates were forged by the lawmakers.That is also the reason the President keeps showing his anger against Nnamdi Kanu and his Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) agitators while the same President has failed to approach the economy and insecurity, especially the Fulani herdsmen menace with the same level of anger.Even when their own Information Minister, Lai Mohammed has told Nigerians that the economy has gone out of the hands of the President, they keep using anti-corruption fight to persecute opposition elements both in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their own party, All Progressives Congress (APC), forgetting that fighting corruption is not a substitute for putting food on the table of Nigerians.The President must therefore be made to realise that Nigerians are suffering, with price of foodstuffs skyrocketing. The economy is in comatose, Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen are killing people. President Buhari must learn to begin to cry over Nigerias problems first before going to other countries to cry over their problems for them.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to give three million naira each to empower eligible youths under the Youth Initiative Empowerment Deve...
Liverpool forward Jerome Sinclair has signed a pre-contract agreement with Watford.

Liverpool forward Jerome Sinclair has signed a pre-contract agreement with Watford.The 19-year-old has made two senior appearances for the Reds' senior side during his time at Anfield.Sinclair's contract will expire in the summer and there's no signs of a new deal being agreed.Watford and Aston Villa expressed interest in the striker but Sinclair has decided to commit his future to the Hornets, according to talkSPORT.Liverpool are due compensation for the teenager but the case will go to a tribunal if a suitable fee cannot be agreed.Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is reportedly frustrated with the youngster after he refused to sign a long-term deal on Merseyside.Sinclair felt there was a lack of progression under Klopp and the 3m-rated striker decided to look elsewhere.
Fani-Kayode (N840m), Goodluck Group (N320m), Falaes firm (100m), Udenwa and Onwuliri (N350m), Nenadi Usman (N36.9m), Okey Ezenwa(N100m...









Fani-Kayode (N840m), Goodluck Group (N320m), Falaes firm (100m), Udenwa and Onwuliri (N350m), Nenadi Usman (N36.9m), Okey Ezenwa(N100m)

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered how N3.145b was paid into the accounts of six chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Goodluck Support Group (GSG) by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.The beneficiaries include a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and leader of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae; a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman; a former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa; a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Viola Onwuliri and Mr. Okey Ezenwa.According to a source in the anti-graft agency, the cash was paid by the CBN into the account of the Ministry of External Affairs Library, from where it was moved into the account of Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited.It was from the Joint Dimensions account with Zenith Bank that the money was shared to various individuals and organisations for purposes that are not stated, the source said.The details of how the money was shared are: Fani-Kayode (N840million); Goodluck Support Group (N320million); Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri (N350million); Nenadi Usman (N36.9million);and Okey Ezenwa(N100million).Giving an insight into how the funds were remitted into the recipients accounts, the source said: Fani-Kayode allegedly received N840million, paid in three tranches into his Zenith Bank, Maitama branch account with No.1004735721.The first tranche of N350million hit the account on February 19, 2015; N250milion was also paid into the account on February19, 2015 while N240million was paid on March 19, 2015.The balance on this account as at 31st December, 2015 was N189, 402.72.The Goodluck Support Group allegedly received N320million Chief Falae allegedly received N100m through Marreco Limited, a company where he is chairman. The fund was credited into the companys United Bank for Africa Plc account No. 1000627022 on March 25, 2014.Both Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri got N350million in two tranches. The first tranche of N150million was paid into their joint account with Zenith Bank on January 13, 2015. The second tranche of N200miilion was credited into their account with Diamond Bank.Nenadi Usman was paid N36.9billion through her Zenith Bank account no. 1000158311 on 7, Kachia Road, Kaduna. Ezenwa was paid N100million.Investigators are probing why the PDP leaders got the cash.The source said: Detectives are trying to decipher the motives for the payments.But as things stand, the fact that most of the payments were made in the weeks preceding the last presidential election leaves very little to the imagination.One knotty question that confronts the investigators is the figure behind Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited, the account where the fund was warehoused before being wired to the beneficiaries.The shadowy figure could help unravel the mystery surrounding the payments, once the veil is lifted.
Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has attacked the DSS over their recent storming of the Ekiti house assembly and whisking away several ...

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has attacked the DSS over their recent storming of the Ekiti house assembly and whisking away several lawmakers.Beyond this judgement, I have always said that the DSS are taking on more than their brief. They have become an instrument of oppression. They are now taking up the job of the Police, the EFCC and all other security agencies," he said in a statement.You would recall that they were at the Akwa Ibom Government House to harass the governor. They came to Ekiti too, to do the same thing."But this Ekiti, they are taking on a wrong customer.May be they think this will make me to stop criticising the bad policies of the APC Buhari-led government, no. Let me make it very clear to them that majority would have their way, minority would have their say.Ours is to continue to help democracy to grow and to help the average man get dividends of democracy by keeping the government in power on its toes. Harassing me would make their government unpopular, I have said that before, and attempting to take me on would bring down their government.Im entitled to my opinion, how would DSS be investigating the finances of a state, that is taking it too far, how would DSS detain somebody without a court order, and detaining him for one, two weeks.Anybody who is supporting this act, one day it would be his turn, it is Ekiti today. I urge all Nigerians to rise up and oppose this act of oppression; this country belongs to all of us.It is time to stop this harassment, taking away the right of humanity, taking away the right of Nigerians, anything that would take away our rights should be confronted headlong and be stopped. When they finish with politicians, they would take on lawyers and even the journalists, he said.Also reacting to the Federal High Court judgement delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo in Ado Ekiti on Friday, ordering the DSS to release a detained lawmaker, Hon Afolabi Akanni with immediate effect, Fayose urged Nigerians to rise up to challenge the excesses of the security agency.
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, Nigerias most capitalised banking stock and fourth most capitalised quoted company, yesterday announced ...

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, Nigerias most capitalised banking stock and fourth most capitalised quoted company, yesterday announced its audited earnings report for the year ended December 31, 2015, showing growth across key top-line and profitability items.Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2015 showed that gross earnings rose by 8.4 per cent to N301.9 billion in 2015 as against N278.5 billion in 2014. Group profit before tax also rose by 3.7 per cent from N116.4 billion in 2014 to N120.7billion in 2015. Profit after tax increased from N94.43 billion in 2014 to N99.44 billion.The board of directors of the bank has reco mmended final dividend of N44.74 billion to shareholders, bringing total dividend for the 2015 business year to N52.1 billion. The bank had paid interim dividend of N7.36 billion.A breakdown of the dividend recommendation indicated that shareholders would receive a final dividend per share of N1.52, in addition to interim dividend of 25 kobo, bringing total dividend per share to N1.77 for the 2015 business year.Further analysis showed that the banks balance sheet remained strong with 7.2 per cent growth in total assets from N2.36 trillion in 2014 to N2.52 trillion in 2015. Loans to customers grew by 7.5 per cent to N1.37 trillion from N1.28 trillion in 2014. Despite the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the Federal Government, customer deposits remained relatively stable with a marginal year-on-year decline of 0.49 per cent from N1.62 trillion in 2014 to N1.61 trillion in 2015.The bank also continued to maintain a disciplined and prudent approach to loan growth as the proportion of non-performing loans (NPL) stood at 3.21 per cent; up slightly from 3.15 per cent in 2014.Commenting on the earnings report, managing director, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje said the banks 2015 performance was an indication that it has earned the loyalty of its customers.As a bank, we will continue to actively partner with our customers and grow our business in a sustainable manner that is not only driven by profit objective, but with an increased focus on empowering our customers with a view to growing Nigerian economy, Agbaje said.He reiterated the commitment of the bank to maximising shareholders value and delivering superior and sustainable returns whilst actively expanding its franchise in select, high growth African markets where it believes it has a competitive advantage.
A group of unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a lecturer from the University of Port Harcourt and two teachers from Ubima Community Seco...

A group of unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a lecturer from the University of Port Harcourt and two teachers from Ubima Community Secondary School in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.The two teachers, Mrs. Blessing Chukwu and Mr. Ikpendu Samuewere, were on Monday whisked away to an unknown destination by masked gunmen at gunpoint along the school road while returning home from school.Similarly gunmen on Tuesday morning abducted a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Ebi Awotua-Efebo.The lecturer was said to have been whisked away alongside his drivers shortly after driving out of the university premises.It was gathered that the kidnappers of the lecturers have established contact with allies of the lecturers and have demanded the sum of N50 million as ransom.As of the time of filling this report details about his kidnap were still sketchy, even as the spokesman of UNIPORT, Dr. William Wodi, confirmed the abduction of the don, but said he had no full detail of what happened.However, Wodi promised to speak on the matter on Wednesday as soon as he got details of Efebos abduction.But relatives of the two secondary school teachers revealed that the abductors were demanding N5 million as ransom for the victims.A teacher in the school, Mr. Sunday Onu disclosed that the two teachers were recently posted to the community school, regretting why such tragedy would befall them.
News / Press Release

by Vince Musewe

In any country where the majority of citizens are inadvertently excluded from access to affordable financial services, that country will be unable to maximise on its economic activity and can therefore not grow to its full potential.The recently announced strategy on financial inclusion by The Reserve Bank Governor, John Mangudya, is therefore welcome and critical for economic recovery and the creation of an inclusive economy. The strategy has identified four pillars that need attention in order to enhance financial inclusion. These being innovation, literacy, consumer protection and micro finance.These ideas sound well and good however, as far as PDP is concerned we need to appreciate that the major underlying reason why Zimbabweans would rather keep their money outside the formal banking system is simply because they have not regained the confidence lost in the formal banking system during the Gideon Gono era.We are convinced as PDP that in many minds today in Zimbabwe, the historical pain of loss of bank deposits and valuable assets during the Gono era still looms larger than the perceived potential gain of putting money in the bank. Unfortunately this nightmare remains hidden deep in the psyche of many Zimbabweans and cannot be wished away. In our view, no amount of innovation, financial literacy or consumer protection will change that fact in the short to medium term.This lack of confidence is further exacerbated by inconsistent government economic policies, an illiquid money market and the fact that there is always suspicion that this government will one day and re-introduce the Zimbabwe dollar without warning. Simply put, Zimbabweans do not trust this government and its leadership when it comes to money matters.If we then add the continuing unresolved leadership succession cacophony within ZANU (PF), the continuing farm invasions, the recent housing demolitions without recompense, the ensuing diamonds saga and many other government actions that are contrary to creating a stable macro-economic environment, we cannot expect confidence levels to increase whatsoever.This is what we call systemic risk. The political and economic system in Zimbabwe is perceived as unstable, high risk, is unable to protect private property and is seen as having no respect for the rule of law. That is the crux of the matter.As PDP our view is that until we address this perceived systemic risk and lack of confidence in this government and its policies, financial inclusion will remain a theoretical wish.There is no doubt that it will only be when we have in place a new ethical political leadership that respects the sacrosanct right of the protection by law of privately owned assets can we begin to expect our people to trust the banking system.In our economic blue print termed Holistic Program for Economic Transformation or HOPE, creating a stable macro-economic environment and a well regulated financial services sector which builds confidence will be one of our key priorities. However this must be underpinned by consistent and well considered government policies that do not change at the whim of a sitting President.Another Zimbabwe is possible!
he running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu in last years governorship election in Kogi State, Mr. James Abiodun Falake, has urged ...

he running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu in last years governorship election in Kogi State, Mr. James Abiodun Falake, has urged the Election Petition Tribunal to declare him governor.He spoke yesterday in Abuja while being led in evidence by his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).Faleke said: I confirm to all the documents tendered this morning to be the ones I refer to in my petition.I will like to adopt the documents in my witness statement on oath and as my evidence in the petition.I want the tribunal to accept my petition and grant my reliefs as stated in Paragraph 27 of my witness statement on oath and declare me winner.When asked during cross-examination by the counsel to the first respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), if he was still a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he said yes.Faleke said: I am not aware that the second respondent, Governor Yahaya Bello, is a member of the APC. All I know is that the second respondent campaigned and worked for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).I was also not an aspirant at the primary election, but one of the conditions Audu picked me as his running mate was because I am a member of the APC.He told the tribunal that he did not know any of the candidates who contested with the late Audu.Faleke said: I did not see the result of the primary election because I left the venue, but the next information I heard is that the late Audu won the primary and I was chosen as the running mate.He told the tribunal that the result of the election, which he said he co-won with Audu, was declared in each polling unit and each of the wards collation centre.Faleke said the death of Audu had nothing to do with the inconclusiveness of the election and that they had won.He said he knew they had won the November 21, 2015, governorship election and that was why he did not participate in the December 5 poll.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Englishs current affairs show, UpFront, renowned journalist and author Naomi Klein doubts Hilla...

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Englishs current affairs show, UpFront, renowned journalist and author Naomi Klein doubts Hillary Clinton on climate change.I dont trust her on climate at all, she told UpFront host Mehdi Hasan. I don't trust her because as Secretary of State, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone."Klein also criticized Clintons ties to big money donors. The logic of her candidacy was because she had so much money [...] which is why she is unbeatable, she said. But the irony is, its where that money comes from and the entanglement of the Clinton Foundation with so many corporations and so many governments, that is what makes her vulnerable."Klein did, however, voice her support for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.I think that Bernie Sanders could win in a general election. I actually think he is a significantly better candidate than Hillary Clinton, she said. The power of the socialism smear I think has really lost a lot of its punch, she added.Under Obamas second term, the US and China signed an agreement to curb carbon emissions, which was seen as a major step toward a deal at the Climate Change Conference in December, 2015, Paris.There are things that are really important in the Paris deal, she said, but the UN didn't want to tell governments what they were going to do. They just said, Okay, everybody go home and make your best effort, and fingers crossed when we add it all up it'll match up with our stated goal.During the interview, Klein, who hails from Canada, was also asked if she had faith that the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, would deliver on his climate change promises.I think they've done some important things, but what they're doing on climate is not nearly enough, she said. I think Trudeau wants us to love him And because of that, that gives us more to work with.On a personal note, Klein responded to naysayers who criticise her for leaving a huge carbon footprint as she travels the world lecturing on climate change.My huge sin is flying, she conceded. You know, I wrote in a book that I finally lost my frequent flyer status and cut my flying by 10%, but even though I try to do as much as I can by Skype, I've been flying way too much.The full interview airs on Al Jazeera English on Friday, 18 March 2016 at 19:30 GMT, after which it will be available at www.aljazeera.com/upfront and on YouTube.
The Nigerian senate has rejected a bill designed to grant women the same marital rights as their husbands. Ali Ndume, senate leader, ur...

The Nigerian senate has rejected a bill designed to grant women the same marital rights as their husbands.

Ali Ndume, senate leader, urged Nigerians to stick with either religious or traditional marriage while making contribution to the debate on A Bill Seeking Gender Parity and Prohibition of Violence against Women presented by Abiodun Olujimi, a senator from Ekiti state.He explained that crisis usually occurs when couples who had performed both traditional and religious marriage rites find themselves in the middle of a divorce.While explaining the content of her bill, Olujimi, who is the deputy minority whip of the senate, said that it seeks equal rights for women in marriage, education and job.In her bill, she said that a widow would automatically become the custodian of children in the event of the death of her husband, and would also inherit his property.Sani Yerima, a senator from Zamfara state, expressed aversion to the bill, arguing that it was in conflict with the Nigerian constitution.He explained that the bill negates the principles of the Sharia law, which the constitutions regards.Senate President Bukola Saraki put the bill to a vote, to which the opposing senators shouted a thunderous nay, and subsequently had their way.
The Federal Government has admonished Nigerian youths, who are yearning for employment and developmental programmes to exercise patience...

The Federal Government has admonished Nigerian youths, who are yearning for employment and developmental programmes to exercise patience till the passage of the 2016 appropriation bill by the National Assembly.The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung also urged the young generation to engage their mind gainfully in order to actualize God-given potentials and make meaningful impact. To assist them in realising their dreams, the minister disclosed the governments readiness to partner the Duke of Edinburghs International Award in Nigeria to train young people for leadership responsibility. Dalung, who stated this, when the delegation from the Duke of Edinburgh International Award for youths paid him a visit in Abuja, identified leadership problem as one of the challenges facing the country.He decried lack of value orientation among youths and faulted previous leadership style that couldnt bridge the gap of gainful transmission of core societal values, insisting that the collaboration became imperative as the government set standard for the development of leadership and ethics in the country.
Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Uche, has alleged grand plan by President Muhammadu Buhari to turn Nigeria into an Is...

Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Uche, has alleged grand plan by President Muhammadu Buhari to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state, Vanguard reports.The Prelate said thison Sunday at Iffe in Ijumu Local Government area of Kogi State during the enthronement of Rt Rev Jacob Ibikunle as the Bishop of Okun diocese, insisted that such plan would be resisted by Christians. Dr Uche also took a swipe at the Buhari administrations perceived cold silence on the Fulani herdsmen security threat, claiming that the President had refused to address the mass killing of people and burning of their property by the herdsmen.According to him: We are closely watching this government because we are aware there is a game plan to Islamise Nigeria, and they are using the Fulani herdsmen to initiate it before they fully launch it out. But I tell you there is going to be serious resistance from Christians. If they think they can use the Fulanis to exterminate us, then they have failed".But in a swift reaction, the presidents Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu dismissed the allegations saying there is no such plan.He is entitled to his opinion. There is no plan to Islamise Nigeria, Garba said told Vanguard Newspaper.
President Muhammadu Buhari has redoubled his commitment towards ensuring that UNEP Report on Ogoniland is implemented in few weeks. Thi...

President Muhammadu Buhari has redoubled his commitment towards ensuring that UNEP Report on Ogoniland is implemented in few weeks.This follows the unannounced Monday visit of the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed to Ogoniland.According to DailyPost, the Minister was in Ogoniland on the order of President Muhammadu Muhari to prepare the grounds for his (President Buhari) visit to flag-off the Ogoni clean-up exercise to formally kick-start the long awaited Ogoni clean-up expected to last for over 30 years.The Minister was received on arrival by the renowned Ogoni born Environmental Rights Activist and National Coordinator of Ogoni Solidarity Forum (OFS), Celestine AkpoBari.Speaking on receiving the Hon. Minister, AkpoBari said he was committed to work and make sacrifices for whatever will move Ogoni forward, adding that, he will spend the rest of his life working life for Ogoni.
Switzerland has given Nigeria conditions for the repatriation of the $321 million stolen fund in Swiss accounts. Swiss Foreign Minist...

Switzerland has given Nigeria conditions for the repatriation of the $321 million stolen fund in Swiss accounts.Swiss Foreign Minister Mr Didier Burkhalter said a treaty on use of the fund must be spelt out before the money would be released.Besides, the World Bank must be involved to monitor how the money would be spent.Burkhalter, who spoke in Abuja after meeting his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Geoferry Onyeama, said if both countries signed a treaty to support social projects in Nigeria, with the World Bankmonitoring, the money would be restituted.The minister assured Nigeria that his country would write another chapter of the history of illicit asset recovery and restitutions from Swizerland to NigeriaHe said: Ten years ago, we repatriated the Abacha loot of $700 million and now there is a possibility and the decision as in principle to restitute another $321 million.And for the Swiss government it is important to act swiftly, to act in a transparent way and act for the good of Nigeria.And the decision of the prosecutor of Geneva set a condition and this condition is a monitoring mechanism by the World Bank.The envoy said the time to repatriate the fund depends on the capacity of our finding the solution to the conditions that are set.I mean monitoring mechanism on the projects that have to be supported, then it can be very swift because the decision as in principle of restituting the $321 million has been taken, he saidOnyeama announced that both countries have commenced the process to repatriate the $321 million.The minister said there has to be an agreement on what the money would be used for.So we have to agree before hand as a pre-condition on what the money would be used for.And the World Bank would be part of the monitoring process to ensure that the money is used for the benefit of Nigerians, he said.He said the visit of the Swiss minister helped with the commencement of repatriation of the looted fund.According to him Switzerland is helping in many areas, with the internally displaced persons in the North.They are making significant financial contribution there as well, and in trade.They are about to open a new consulate in Lagos and this would be a mechanism that helps trade; Swiss investment in Nigeria, which is what we are looking for.
Former militant leaders in the Niger Delta have vowed to fight against all the enemies of the region, scuttling its growth and developme...

The ex-freedom fighters, under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, described such enemies as pipeline vandals, sea pirates, and oil thieves, among others.In a statement on Tuesday, National President, LPCDI, Pastor Reuben Wilson, warned such people to desist from their nefarious acts in order to achieve meaningful development in the region before the termination of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.Wilson explained that those involved in various criminal acts such as kidnapping, sea piracy, pipeline vandalism and snatching of speedboats were enemies of the region and their preoccupation was to destroy the peace and development of the Niger Delta.He added that LPCDI, as a body, would collaborate with the various security agencies to fight against the miscreants.He stated that the amnesty programme was still on and that they did not expect anybody to parade themselves as militants since the programme was aimed at ensuring total peace and development of the region.Wilson said, Those who are still involved in the act of bombing and causing troubles in the region are enemies of progress of the Niger Delta people.All the leaders of the LPCDI will join hands to fight such criminals and report them to security agencies.He lauded the Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd. ), for piloting the programme very well.He equally commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his wisdom in appointing Boroh to move the programme forward.He also praised Mr. Ebikabowei Victor Ben, aka Boyloaf, for supporting them to preach against crime and for the encouragement of peace in the region.He added that Boyloaf had also been a strong pillar of support to Boroh.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun, has said the scale of corruption in Nigeria and the near coll...

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun, has said the scale of corruption in Nigeria and the near collapse of the oil price have severely restricted the party from immediate delivery of electoral promises.He said this had also affected fixing quick wins like evacuating generated electricity to the national grid.Mr. Odigie-Oyegun spoke in London last Thursday at the first summit of the United Kingdom chapter of the APC.The summit, with the theme Sustainable Development in Nigeria, was chaired by Richard Fuller, member of the British Parliament for Bedford and Kempton, and the vice chair, All Parties Parliamentary Group (APPG)  Nigeria.The event was attended by members of APC across the UK, the partys representatives from the Scandinavia and the invited British guests.Mr. Odigie-Oyegun, who spoke on developing sustainable infrastructure from the perspective of the partys manifesto, reaffirmed the partys commitment to invest in critical infrastructure like energy, rail and roads to drive the countrys development.He however said that widespread corruption in the country was hindering the partys effort.Regardless, Mr. Odigie-Oyegun, said the party under President Muhammadu Buhari remained resolute in tackling Nigerias infrastructural deficits and other economic problems.He urged the British government to continue to support the Buhari administration in ways it could in fighting corruption, which he said was the main cause of infrastructural deficit in the country.In his opening remark, Mr. Fuller expressed happiness to host the event particularly because of his role in the APPG-Nigeria, and the UK being a democratic and economic development partner of Nigeria.He expressed belief that the experiences, vibrancy and contributions of Nigerians in the UK made it relevant that such event should take place in the UK.(Premium Times)
HACKENSACK -- A lawyer on Monday asked a judge to dismiss drug charges against his client because a lab report used in his case was made by a technician caught faking results in a drug case, The Record reported.

Kamalkant Shah worked as a laboratory technician for a State Police laboratory in Little Falls. He was allegedly found to have written test results for suspected marijuana without properly testing it, NJ Advance Media previously reported.

Thousands of criminal cases Shah handled have been called into question as a result.

On Monday attorney Frank Carbonetti filed a motion to dismiss the case against his client Fernando Polanco, who faces drug charges stemming from a September 2014 arrest in Hackensack.

Shah tested the drugs seized by police in that case in October and November 2014, Carbonetti said. Keith Travers, a Bergen County assistant prosecutor, said prosecutors plan to submit the drug samples for retesting.

Shah was removed from lab work Dec. 10 when the problem was discovered, Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General, said. He was suspended without pay Jan. 12 and has since retired.

The Office of the Attorney General has identified 7,827 cases Shah worked on since he began working at the North Regional Drug Lab Unit in 2005. Most of them are in Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties.

A Sussex County attorney plans to sue the State Police on behalf of a dozen clients whose cases were handled by the laboratory.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
News / Press Release

by Solomon Madzore - PDP Organising Secretary

The revelations by Robert Mugabe that Zimbabwe lost a whopping US$15 billion worth of diamonds from Chiadzwa in the 7 or so years of operations confirm what then Minister of Finance and current President of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) said on several occasions, that Chiadzwa was being looted.Zimbabwe has been in a dire economic crisis which is now approaching its second decade. The Zimbabwean economy has shrunk by 40% of its 1990 value, unemployment has reached an all time high of 94% level, 98% of youths are working in the informal sector and hundreds of companies have closed shop reducing cities like Bulawayo to almost ghost town status.Revenue collection continues to shrink and social service delivery has all but collapsed in most urban areas. Water cuts, electricity cuts, heavily potholed roads and non-functional hospitals have become the order of the day for the last 2 decades in Zimbabwe.The discovery of diamonds in Chiadzwa and their subsequent exploitation was seen as capable of turning around our national fortunes. However the sad reality is that 7 years after the commencement of mining operations, Zimbabwe has only received a paltry US$600 million worth of revenue from diamonds and has lost a whopping US$15 billion, according to the man who must give us answers.The admission by Mugabe to what we in the PDP had long pointed out is not what is shocking but the subsequent failure to bring those responsible to account. It is an indictment for Mugabe and as the PDP we are very clear that he is no longer fit to govern. If so much money can be looted by companies whom he gave mining licenses and fails to take action it shows that he was a beneficiary of the looting.In our political transition document ARREST, we argue that Mugabe and his cronies are running an extractive political institution driven by the twin dynamics of power and primitive accumulation.In undertaking this, they have enlisted the services of international bandits and mercenaries mainly from the Far East and China. This is the very reason why Mugabe did nothing when President Tendai Biti raised the issue of looting of diamonds as way back as 2009.Mugabe is thus the godfather of corruption and his mild admission that diamonds were heavily looted is just a tip of the iceberg. As the PDP we argue that more than just diamonds have been looted in the country's extractive sector.Various mining operations are veiled in secrecy which is a perfect haven for looting. To this day no one knows what other minerals have been looted in areas such as platinum mining in Ngezi and Zvishavane. If investigations can be done we will certainly get shocked at the level to which our minerals have been looted by private companies with the full blessings of Mugabe himself.In any case, Mugabe is concerned about his own political survival and nothing else hence he will protect those who plunder our resources as long as the pay him and his party cuts. The 2013 election was characterized by breath taking patronage and large scale vote buying which were certainly paid for by diamond money.The recent rallies by Mugabe's second wife have also had the same features thus betraying that someone looting our resources is giving rent to the first family and ZANU PF. This is unacceptable.As PDP we recommend that the following key action be taken:That President Mugabe resigns with immediate effect as he has failed the nation as its Chief Executive.That a commission of inquiry is set up by parliament to investigate into the looting which occurred in Chiadzwa and prosecution of those responsible must follow.That the international community freeze assets of all those figured in the Chiadzwa looting which are in their countries.That the opposition, civil society, workers, students, youths, peasants, war veterans and all ordinary citizens come together and mobilize a campaign for the money to be returned.In the final analysis however, the PDP maintains that the only viable option going forward is the liquidation of ZANU PF and its replacement with the National Transitional Authority (NTA) which will avert a chaos scenario which Mugabe is actively working towards. The NTA will stabilize the economy, address transitional justice including the latest issues of large scale looting and ensure a free and fair election which will guarantee a peaceful transition.
NEWARK - Former Bergen County Democratic Party leader Joseph A. Ferriero is asking a federal judge to allow him to delay reporting to prison in three weeks, according to northjersey.com.

in what federal prosecutors called a "politics for profit" scheme. He has been granted two reprieves, according to the report.

The report states Ferriero is asking for a 21-day extension of his surrender date.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
BERGENFIELD - Police want to speak with a man and woman who left a cross on the lawn of borough home, leaving the family shaken and seeking answers.

"Officers conducted a canvass of the area and received information identifying an adult male and adult female who placed the cross on the lawn," police Capt. Mustafa Rabboh said in a statement Tuesday. "The detective bureau is following up on leads to identify the suspects."

Oscar Pinones and his wife Beatrice Freidman-Pinones of Momar Drive reported the incident after a neighbor spotted the wooden cross shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday. Police described the cross as two twigs held together by tape.

Pinones is from Mexico. His American-born wife is Jewish and her father was a Holocaust survivor. The couple live in the home with their sons, ages 6 and 7.

"Why did they choose my home of all places?" Friedman-Pinones said Tuesday. "I've never felt like this before."

Friedman-Pinones said a neighbor's surveillance camera captured video of a couple wearing hooded sweatshirts walking from a nearby park to place the cross.

When asked to confirm the existence of a video, Rabboh stated in an email: "This is an active investigation. If we have anything further, I will update accordingly."

Rabboh said detectives want to question the couple to determine whether a bias crime had been committed. If so, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office as well as the Office of Bias Crime and Community Relations of the Division of Criminal Justice will be notified, Rabboh said.

"If this incident is determined to be bias in nature, the Bergenfield Police Department will prosecute the actors to the fullest extent of the law," Rabboh said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- Three former Camden City police officers are suing the Camden County Police Department (CCPD) over allegations of age and race discrimination.

In this May 2013 file photo, former Camden City police officers and supporters protest the Camden County Police Department Metro Division before the installation of the new chief at Malandra Hall. (Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com)

In the lawsuit filed late last month in U.S. District Court, ex-officers Tyrone McEady, Robert Babnew, and Steven L. Fritz claim they've been harmed by the CCPD's failure to hire them and cite the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in their suit.

"Camden County Police Department hired a slew of younger, Caucasian, police officers while overlooking [McEady, Babnew and Fritz], all of whom are in a protected class with respect to age, and one of whom is in the additional protected class with respect to race," the suit reads.

Under U.S. federal anti-discrimination law, a "protected class" encompasses someone's age, race, sex, national origin, citizenship and more.

McEady, 52, of Pine Hill, who is black; Babnew, 45, of Cherry Hill, and Fritz, 48, of Camden, whose races aren't noted in the suit, all applied for employment with the CCPD prior to the 2013 switch from a city force to the county one.

All 153 CCPD applicants eventually hired were younger and less qualified than McEady, Babnew and Fritz, they claim in their lawsuit, which adds that the "vast majority" of them "still needed to attend the police academy and did not have any certified police experience."

According to previous reports, McEady, Babnew and Fritz joined 10 other ex-city officers in a suit filed late last year in Camden County Superior Court making many of the same allegations. Philadelphia-based attorney James A. Bell filed both suits. He did not return a request for comment Tuesday.

In response to the filing, Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said Tuesday that officials are "fully confident" that the filing will be dismissed in federal court, as well.

"This is nothing more than a veiled attempt by a number of former disgruntled employees of the city to try to litigate baseless claims that have already been dismissed in several other venues," Keashen said.

"This issue was already thrown out of Superior Court two years ago and then in the Appellate Division after that, furthermore, this claim was filed in front of the Public Employee Relations Commission and dismissed forthright. This frivolous lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer money and more fiction being peddled by a group trying to take a fourth bite at the apple by venue jumping," he continued.

The lawsuit filed on Feb. 26 seeks front pay, benefits and compensation for damages.

"The purported non-discriminatory reason for not hiring [McEady, Babnew and Fritz]..., that the Camden County Police Department had received an 'overwhelming response from qualified individuals interested in being a part of this exciting endeavor,' was false," the suit claims.

"To the contrary," the suit continues, the "relevant candidates chosen over [McEady, Babnew and Fritz] had neither training, nor experience, as police officers."

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- A Blackwood man who claimed to have received a rude awakening from Camden Police Department officers -- not to mention some broken ribs and bruises -- recently won portions of a lawsuit filed after the 2012 encounter.

Robert Noble settled his excessive force claims against Camden City in January for $35,000, which was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements. In his opinion, U.S. District Judge Jerome Simandle denied Noble's claims of Fourth Amendment violations lodged against the officers and accusation that Camden City failed to investigating excessive force claims.

A request for comment left with a Camden City spokesperson was not returned. Philadelphia-based lawyer Gabriel Levin, Noble's attorney in this case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The suit stems from the evening of Jan. 26, 2012 when Noble, a handyman by trade, dropped off a co-worker at his Norris Street home, in Camden. Per the suit, Noble reportedly proceeded to take a nap in his van before heading home to Blackwood.

Two Camden City officers, identified in court papers as Jeffrey Frampton and Christopher Frucci, spotted Noble's van and went to investigate. What transpired next remains unclear.

Both officers claim Noble was immediately irate and aggressive; Nobel said he was forced out of the car and "brutally and maliciously" beaten up while handcuffs were administered.

Noble was arrested after the scuffle and charged with aggravated assault and resisting, although the charges were later dropped.

What's more, Noble submitted an expert report by a retired municipal police officer that claims a streak of failures to investigate excessive force complaints ultimately hurt the Blackwood man's case.

The report's author, police consultant Richard Rivera, "noted that a total of 19 excessive force complaints had been lodged against Frampton and Frucci, and opined that the officers should have been removed from public contact given the frequent number of complaints against them."

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office could not immediately comment on the outcome of any Internal Affairs complaints lodged against the officers. In his report, Rivera writes that two cases dating back to the mid-2000s involving the officers was among the backlog at the Camden Police Department's Internal Affairs Unit.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
WILDWOOD -- A 26-year-old man was arrested after allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Wildwood, according to a report.

Juan Nieves-Barrios, 26, is charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, PressofAtlanticCity.com said.

Nieves-Barrios, who washes dishes in a restaurant, was held on $175,000 bail at the Cape May County jail.

He is not authorized to be in the United States after emigrating from Mexico.

Police found evidence tying Nieves-Barrios to the assault at a home on East Andrews Avenue where he was staying, PressofAtlanticCity.com said.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- High school seniors who have yet to meet New Jersey's graduation requirement for standardized testing might get a new path to graduation. And it wouldn't involve taking more exams.

After hearing testimony Tuesday about students scrambling to graduate because of changes to the state requirement, members of the Legislature's Joint Committee on the Public Schools said they will consider intervening.

"I don't know what we can do yet," said Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, chair of the committee. "But Sen. (Ron) Rice and I and the other members of the committee are definitely going to find out."

Jasey (D-Essex) called the changes to graduation requirements for the Class of 2016 "simply unfair," and said she would consider supporting a one-year suspension of the standardized testing requirement if there's enough evidence it is necessary.

Jasey worries students who fail to meet the requirement could sue their school districts because the change was made halfway through their high school career, she said.

New Jersey altered its graduation requirement for standardized testing before the debut of its new math and English tests, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams, last spring.

Previously, high school juniors took an exam that more than 80 percent of students usually passed, and those who didn't were retested during their senior year. If students still missed the mark, they had the chance to pass an alternative assessment, which nearly everyone did.

With the introduction of PARCC, which had a significantly lower pass rate, the state Department of Education said students could fulfill the testing requirement using scores from PARCC or other exams, including the SAT, ACT, PSAT, a college placement test called the Accuplacer and an entrance exam used by the military.

But tens of thousands of juniors either refused to take the PARCC exams or didn't score well enough on the math or English test, or both tests.

With an influx of students short on test scores, schools were forced to schedule extra sessions of the other tests and begin preparing students for the last-resort portfolio appeals process, districts told NJ Advance Media in February.

It remains unclear how many seniors statewide have not yet to fulfill the standardized testing requirement for graduation.

Jasey called the hearing so lawmakers could ask the state Department of Education about the requirement and get more information about what's happening in schools, she said.

Rather than attending, state Education Commissioner David Hespe wrote a letter explaining the state's graduation requirements and included a series of memos the department has sent to school districts.

Hespe could not testify at the hearing because the department is busy preparing for this spring's administration of the PARCC tests, he wrote.

Lawmakers said Hespe's letter was not enough, though.

"It's so important that the Department of Education comes in here and sits and talks with us about this very issue," said Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce (R-Morris).

The committee did hear testimony from the Education Law Center, a public interest law firm representing students and families who have sued over the changes, saying the Department of Education failed to follow proper procedures when it changed the requirements.

Making the change when students were already in their junior year was "both unfair and illegal," said Stan Karp, a director for the Education Law Center.

The impact has been greatest in urban areas and among students who do not speak English as their first language, Karp said.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- Citing a potential public health crisis after elevated lead levels were detected in the water at New Jersey's largest school district, state lawmakers are calling for immediate tests of the drinking water in every school across the state.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and two other lawmakers on Tuesday wrote to Education Commissioner David Hespe asking him not to wait for legislation that would require the testing. If tests would reveal dangerous levels of contamination, parents must be notified, wrote Sweeney, Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex) and Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex).

"When 30 school buildings in Newark alone are found to have elevated levels of lead in the school's drinking water, it is time to acknowledge that we have a potential public health crisis," the lawmakers wrote. "These are steps that must be taken now to ensure that our school children and protected from lead poisoning."

On Monday, the senators introduced what they described as a "common sense" bill requiring tests at every school and remediation treatment, if necessary, they wrote. The bill would allocate $3 million to perform the water tests.

The state Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During recent water testing, elevated levels of lead were found in the drinking water at 30 buildings in Newark Public Schools, forcing those schools to use alternate water sources. About 17,000 children will be tested for potential lead poisoning.

District and city officials have urged caution, saying the levels found in the schools do not compare to those seen in Flint, Mich. But environmentalists have sid what happened in Newark should serve as a "wake-up call" to a growing public health issue.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Henry Hamilton had a pretty good idea of what the answer would be when he drove to the pension office in Trenton three years ago.

He could earn more money if he retired, but Hamilton had a greater reason to keep working than collecting a sweet benefit package.

Nothing could make him trade in his love for teaching children or being a principal for 43 years at an East Orange middle school.

"They (pension office workers) were looking at me like I was crazy,'' Hamilton said

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

He didn't flinch then, and he's not budging now. Hamilton just keeps moving the the retirement needle forward as he continues leading Whitney E. Houston Academy, a top kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school in the district.

Talk about finding your passion. He's 77 years old and could have hung up his school bell at 62. But money isn't everything for this principal. His students and staff are.

"I don't know what I would do without being around my boys and girls and staff,'' Hamilton said.

And they would be just as lost without him. Hang with Hamilton for a day and it's easy to see why he can't give up his life's mission.

On one morning, he's in the schoolyard watching the kids. Next, he's in the cafeteria, eating breakfast with them. The student's are all over him, giving him hugs, shaking his hand.

You lose count of the times he's greeted by them. In between bites of a waffle and sausage patty, he cheerfully talks to students like a doting parent.

"Michael, are you in or are you out?'' Hamilton asked.

Michael Torres, 13, is awake enough to tell the principal he calls "amazing," that -"he's in.''

That means it's going to be a good day.

It's impossible for any day to be a downer when Hamilton roams the building he first entered as a teacher in 1969, when it was called Franklin School. He'e been there ever since, except for one year when he served as principal for one year at Rutledge School in 1972.

The place might as well be his home.

Hamilton is always there, having never missed a day during his first 33 years on the job. His iron man attendance didn't go unnoticed by the state Department of Education, which honored Hamilton with a distinguished service award in 2006.

"I just take it one day at a time,'' Hamilton said.

To be honest, his incredible attendance record is more like a record-breaking streak for an athlete. Hamilton has put together another run after missing a year following surgery in 2007. He returned in 2008 and has been present every day since then."

"He sets that kind of standard,'' said Sharon Johnson, a special education teacher at the school. "People just want to work for him, because he's that kind of boss.''

MORE CARTER: Newark boy was one person he couldn't hustle

Five years ago, the Academy's parents and staff demonstrated their loyalty to him in a different fashion. They packed a board of education meeting to complain when the district tried moving him to another school.

Whitney Academy, named after his famous former student, is where he belongs with his old-school commitment. From the basement to the third floor, he's up and down the stairs all day, dipping in and out of classrooms, showing genuine concern.

When he stops, it's to meet a parent in his office. On this day, he is talking with Linda Straughter, whose son has apologized for roughhousing with another student. Afterward, Hamilton is gone, getting lost in the school's educational rhythm.

"He's like the coffee table you move throughout your house,'' Straughter said. "See, there he goes.''

Students look forward to seeing Hamilton. Third-graders describe him as a joyous, warm-hearted protector. The older kids are expressive, too.

"He'll come into our classroom and just sit down to see what we're doing for the day,'' said Jazmyne Coleman, 12. "He's pretty cool.''

Teachers welcome his pat on the back, calling Hamilton a seasoned, hands-on educator who's a rare bird.

On Valentines Day last year, every female teacher received a rose. Students, who do well academically or show good behavior, get peppermint candy he has stuffed in his pockets.

When the bell rings at dismissal, Hamilton's grace does not end. Math teacher Evan Wofsy said Hamilton has helped students' families who found themselves in a bind, putting them up in a hotel. Robin Kornegay, a parent volunteer, remembered the time he showed up at a fire that destroyed the home of a former student.

And somehow, after 57 years in education in a career that started in Warwick, N.Y., he doesn't forget students' names.

"Is that a Whittle?" asked Hamilton, looking at his former student who was standing in the school lobby. Gregory graduated in 1974, but he stopped by to tell Hamilton that the alumni want to honor him.

"We just to want thank you for everything you've done,'' Whittle said.

Hamilton has been in the 1873 building so long, he has taught entire families. Whittle's brother and sister; his son; daughter and nephew have all been students.

Kornegay is in that generational club, too. Her two children were there and now it's her granddaughter's turn.

Retirement? That's a distant thought for Hamilton.

"The good lord will let me know when it's time to leave,'' he said.

Friday nights are usually the principal's time to relax, but last Friday his students were participating in an art show at another school. Of course, Hamilton had to be there.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
Opinion / Columnist

It really surprises how opposition parties accuse ZANU-PF for their political violence. The recent claim by members of ZimPF that ZANU-PF youths were behind the political fights that occured at Glen-View shops where ZimPF was suppose to hold its rally were nothing but just lies meant to tarnish the good image of the revolutionary party.What makes ZimPF members quite certain that the people who disrupted their rally were ZANU-PF youths? Were they wearing ZANU-PF party regalia which clearly distinguish them from any other general people? Is ZANU-PF the only party that exists in the political ground of this country? ZimPF should stop purveying falsehoods about other political parties and start concentrating on its party business.It is public knowledge that Glen-View suburb is a stronghold of MDC-T. Who knows, maybe the violence was provoked by MDC-T members who are in great fear of Mujuru's party. ZimPF is not a threat to the ruling party but to MDC-T.In short, ZANU-PF is not in fear or stumble over this new political party; ZimPF, instead it is other opposition parties. The revolutionary party has been in the political field since 1980 and remains firm and strong. Also, ZANU-PF will not lose sleep of ZimPF which is just a new kid on the political block.History has it that a police officer Inspector Petros Mutedza was killed in that same area by MDC-T rowdy youths. What then will prevent those MDC-T youths from attacking ZimPF members?It is essential for all political party leaders to go down to the grassroot structures and educate political party officials and supporters about the dangers of political violence.Currently, ZimPF is at a mobilizing and recruiting stage, hence the reported political violence in Glen-View might have been stage managed. ZimPF could have started their violence so as to seek sympathy from the electorate. There are many strategies of gaining support that are used by political parties and planned violence is one of them. Hence, the recent political fights may possibly be part of ZimPF campaigning strategy.To add on, Jim Kunaka is known as a violent man. He could have planned the violence as way of seeking public attention.On the other hand, there has been written reports that, in Matabeleland members of ZimPF were already embroiled in fights over party positions. The violence that erupted in Glen-View could have been triggered by some ZimPF disgruntled members who maybe jostling for top positions. Why then blaming ZANU-PF?In order to neutralize violence within political parties, the rule of law should be applied to all political sectors. The police should therefore arrest any person found guilty of violence regardless of his/her position or political affiliation.In previous years most MDC-T rallies were suspended because of violence. If such forms of violence persist, police should also consider suspending them. This will encourage discipline among political party members.All political parties must take a leaf from ZANU-PF. Through ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe is enjoying peace locally, regionally and internationally. The same should also happen in all opposition political parties.Given the effects of political violence one can easily note that violence has many outcomes besides affecting party members involved in those political fights. On the other hand, political violence has short term effects which include degradation of infrastructure among others.In short, political violence negates existing peace, law and order in any nation. Hence, it should be considered as an unacceptable political instrument.
Opinion / Columnist

Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, the form Masvingo Province Resident Minister until he was booted out together with Mujuru and others in the new party ZimPF, has started to spill the beans on Mugabe. Bhasikiti told VOA Studio 7 that it was Mugabe himself who ordered the army to spearhead the orgy of political violence designed to reverse the presidential run-off election result after the tyrant lost the initial March 2008 vote.Mugabe ordered the army to be involved in the elections. "Mugabe is the commander in chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces and the army cannot leave the barracks without his authority," explained Bhasikiti."What happened is that there was full realization that the people had lost confidence in the Zanu-PF leader and then the only way to salvage the disappointment and embarrassment was for him as the commander in chief to command the military to salvage the lossmembers of the opposition had stopped voting, they just went into hiding including their leader, and then, you cannot say there was an election, even the Government of National Unity was not warranted."The truth cannot be hidden for long, it will always come out and when it does, watch out!Mugabe has the headache of the worsening economic meltdown; three and half decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruptions have taken a heavy toll on the national economic it is now in a nose dive. His ZimAsset economic recovery plan is dead in the water no donor, not even his "all weather" Chinese friends were prepared to bank-roll the $27 billion hare-brain scheme.As if the economic meltdown was not enough of a headache for the tyrant, Zanu PF is imploding as party members engage in a factional war for control of the party after his death  they can all sense that the end is near.As if the economic meltdown and Zanu PF imploding was not enough trouble for the old and sickly tyrant now his former party members, the likes of Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Didymus Mutasa, are spilling the beans about his dirty past. Now the leak has started there is no stopping it and each new revelation will be more damaging than the last.There is no doubt that Bhasikiti knows a lot more that he has said so far; he was actively involved in the transporting some of the thugs who carried out the violence in Masvingo. Mugabe appointed him Minister as a reward for "a job well done!"Time will prove beyond all reasonable doubt that Mugabe rigged the 2008 and 2013 elections and possible other past elections too. His legitimacy has been suspect but soon we will know for certain that he was illegitimate.Mugabe is an incompetent, corrupt, vote rigging and murderous tyrant but for the best part of his 36 years in power he has been lucky to successfully hide the true Robert Mugabe and project himself as the cunning Pan Africanist statesman. At 92 years of age he is the only person I know with jet black hair; it is thinning especially at the top but still jet black. Sadly he has not been as successful at hiding his murderous persona as he was at hiding his silver white hair!His long life has been a curse and not a blessing; he will go to his grave knowing that the whole world now knows that he is an incompetent and murderous tyrant!
Albert Einstein Biographical

Questions and Answers on Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Wurttemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later the family moved to Munich, where he later on began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find a teaching post, he accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he obtained his doctors degree.

During his stay at the Patent Office, and in his spare time, he produced much of his remarkable work and in 1908 he was appointed Privatdozent in Berne. In 1909 he became Professor Extraordinary at Zurich, in 1911 Professor of Theoretical Physics at Prague, returning to Zurich in the following year to fill a similar post. In 1914 he was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained in Berlin until 1933 when he renounced his citizenship for political reasons and emigrated to America to take the position of Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton*. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and retired from his post in 1945.

After World War II, Einstein was a leading figure in the World Government Movement, he was offered the Presidency of the State of Israel, which he declined, and he collaborated with Dr. Chaim Weizmann in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Einstein always appeared to have a clear view of the problems of physics and the determination to solve them. He had a strategy of his own and was able to visualize the main stages on the way to his goal. He regarded his major achievements as mere stepping-stones for the next advance.

At the start of his scientific work, Einstein realized the inadequacies of Newtonian mechanics and his special theory of relativity stemmed from an attempt to reconcile the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. He dealt with classical problems of statistical mechanics and problems in which they were merged with quantum theory: this led to an explanation of the Brownian movement of molecules. He investigated the thermal properties of light with a low radiation density and his observations laid the foundation of the photon theory of light.

In his early days in Berlin, Einstein postulated that the correct interpretation of the special theory of relativity must also furnish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his paper on the general theory of relativity. During this time he also contributed to the problems of the theory of radiation and statistical mechanics.

In the 1920s, Einstein embarked on the construction of unified field theories, although he continued to work on the probabilistic interpretation of quantum theory, and he persevered with this work in America. He contributed to statistical mechanics by his development of the quantum theory of a monatomic gas and he has also accomplished valuable work in connection with atomic transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology.

After his retirement he continued to work towards the unification of the basic concepts of physics, taking the opposite approach, geometrisation, to the majority of physicists.

Einsteins researches are, of course, well chronicled and his more important works include Special Theory of Relativity (1905), Relativity (English translations, 1920 and 1950), General Theory of Relativity (1916), Investigations on Theory of Brownian Movement (1926), and The Evolution of Physics (1938). Among his non-scientific works, About Zionism (1930), Why War? (1933), My Philosophy (1934), and Out of My Later Years (1950) are perhaps the most important.

Albert Einstein received honorary doctorate degrees in science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities. During the 1920s he lectured in Europe, America and the Far East, and he was awarded Fellowships or Memberships of all the leading scientific academies throughout the world. He gained numerous awards in recognition of his work, including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935.

Einsteins gifts inevitably resulted in his dwelling much in intellectual solitude and, for relaxation, music played an important part in his life. He married Mileva Maric in 1903 and they had a daughter and two sons; their marriage was dissolved in 1919 and in the same year he married his cousin, Elsa Lowenthal, who died in 1936. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey.

From Nobel Lectures, Physics 1901-1921, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1967

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

* Albert Einstein was formally associated with the Institute for Advanced Study located in Princeton, New Jersey.

Copyright  The Nobel Foundation 1922

To cite this section

MLA style: Albert Einstein  Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2022. Sat. 22 Oct 2022. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstein/biographical/>
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Anonymous Declares 'Total War' On Donald Trump

Trending News: If America Won't End Donald Trump's Campaign Anonymous Plans To

Why Is This Important?

Because Anonymous' April Fools plans for Donald Trump won't be very funny for the presidential hopeful.

Long Story Short

Anonymous has had it with Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and is rallying hackers from around the world to assist in shutting down the Republican candidate's campaign.

Long Story

Donald Trump has gone from laughing stock without a chance in hell of making it to the White House to a laughing stock who could fathomably be sworn in on January 2017  and international hacktivist group Anonymous isn't impressed. The loosely connected hacker group posted a video on March 4 calling for "total war" on Trump's campaign.

"We need you to shut down his campaign and sabotage his brand," said the masked-individual in the video, who also pointed to some of Trump's most outrageous comments about Muslims and women. "Your inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States America, you have shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas."

Anonymous plans to end Trump's presidential plans by targeting personal and campaign websites donaldjtrump.com, trump.com, trumphotelcollection.com, donaldtrump2016online.com and citizensfortrump.com, as pointed out by Engadget. The primary target is TrumpChicago.com, the site for a Trump-owned hotel and condos in Chicago, which the Guy Fawkes-masked man in the video said will require help from hackers around the world. The all-out offensive of TrumpChicago.com will take place on April 1.

Trump won't presumably be so tickled by this April Fools present.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

How much will crashing a few websites ultimately stop Trump's campaign? It'll take a much bigger scandal to do that.

Disrupt Your Feed

Trump might not be everyone's cup of tea, but Anonymous should back off and let democracy run its course.

Drop This Fact

Donald Trump has never smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol or done drugs. He doesn't even drink coffee.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 81F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

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Partly cloudy skies. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

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Mostly sunny skies. High 82F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High around 80F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

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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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..Our World/JPost..14 March '16..The American Jewish community is steeped in multiple crises. They threaten its present and its future. The crises that receive the most attention  skyrocketing intermarriage rates and communal positions on Israel, particularly in the face of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel  are a product of another, more basic quandary.Throughout Jewish history, Jewish continuity and survival have been rooted in Torat Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael. Torah literacy, including familiarity with and at least basic knowledge of the biblical narrative and laws, including the Oral Laws, and the prayers was for thousands of years the basic pillar of Jewish exilic identity. It was through familiarity with the Torah and its laws that Jews were made aware of their uniqueness and maintained their ties to one another, to Jewish communities worldwide and to the Promised Land.Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and with the rise of secularism in the US generally and among American Jewry in particular, Zionism and Jewish peoplehood became more prominent focuses in the formation and cultivation of Jewish identity for American Jewry.The notion, which is doubtlessly correct, is that it is easier to teach Jews about Israel, and about non-religious aspects of Jewish history  first and foremost the Holocaust  than it is to teach a highly secularized community Torah with its concomitant laws of religious observance.For a few generations, this reliance on Israel and Jewish peoplehood worked fairly well. It worked for two reasons. First, until the 1980s, intermarriage rates were relatively low. And second, until the 1980s, the Left, with which the vast majority of American Jews identified, was solidly pro-Israel.With rising intermarriage rates, the basic acceptance of Jewish uniqueness became more difficult to maintain. After all, once families were forced to decide between Jewish heritage  including Halacha  and half-Jewish grandchildren, there was no question that Halacha fall by the wayside. It is inhuman to expect grandparents to support a law, particularly one with which most of them are entirely unfamiliar, over their grandchildren.Then there is Israel. As the American Left has attached itself to anti-Israel narratives to ever greater degrees, the easy coexistence of leftist politics with support for Israel has ended. Partly in response to this trend, during the 1990s much Zionist education became conflated with peace studies. Support for Israel became conflated with support for the peace process with the PLO.As a consequence, just as intermarriage rates were rising steeply among non-Orthodox Jews to the point where today almost all non-Orthodox Jews intermarry, new generations of Jews were entering adulthood with little familiarity with the history of Zionism or knowledge of Israel beyond its relationship with the PLO.Today, as leftist hostility to Israel has become widespread, and that hostility has taken on an anti-Jewish character so blatant that evenis noticing, American Jews on the Left are feeling the pinch.With little knowledge of Jewish texts besides what they may have learned preparing for their bnei mitzvah, with little knowledge of Jewish peoplehood due to the prevalence of intermarriage and cultural assimilation, with little knowledge of Israel and with little knowledge of Jew hatred beyond the Holocaust, many Jewish students on campuses today cannot understanding why they should defend Israel. Many Jewish students cannot understand why they should care about whether their date is Jewish or not. Many Jewish students cannot understand why people who reject the Jewish states right to exist are anti-Jewish.Last week Jay Sanderson, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles gave voice to their frustration  and that of their parents  when in an interview with Haaretz, he lashed out at the Israeli government for investing resources in fighting the BDS movement on US campuses.Sanderson began by noting that divestment votes in university student councils have no effect on Israels economy. Since they have no real impact on Israeli GDP, he insisted, Israel should ignore them.Israel should abandon the fight not only because it BDS is not a threat to its economy. As Sanderson sees things, by fighting BDS campaigns, the government actually diminishes American Jewish support for Israel.By Sandersons telling, by defending itself against BDS assaults on the legitimacy of its existence, Israel polarizes American Jews, pushing Jewish students away.These are Jewish kids who could go either way [on Israel], he argued. But when the issue is so polarizing, with small numbers on the far left and on the far right  all that this loud noise does is take this soft middle and push them away from Israel altogether. And thats the biggest problem in Jewish life and on Jewish campuses thats getting completely dwarfed by the big BDS thing, which is not that big at all. While were worrying about the big BDS folks and whether J Street is a problem or not, we are leading that group of 75 percent completely adrift from the Jewish community and Israel.Sanderson continued that since Israel is polarizing, it must no longer be seen as the basis for Jewish communal affiliation on campuses.Israels too complicated, he said. So our approach has to be to connect these students to Jewish life and then find a meaningful way to engage them with Israel. In other words, first feel good about your Jewish self and then learn about Israel, as opposed to what it used to be, which was learn about Israel first, and then through Israel, find out about your Jewish self. This is a major change, which we have to learn to embrace, and which is not always easy.It is easy  and reasonable  to view Sandersons arguments as defeatist and counterproductive. After all, if these students were aware of Israels intrinsic importance for them as Jews, and its central place in the Jewish world, then they couldnt help but strongly support Israel.But more than they speak to Sandersons competence to lead his community, his remarks expose the depth of the crisis of Jewish identity. Indeed, Sanderson justified his position by noting that he cannot even convince his own daughter to support Israel. His daughter, he intimates, questions Israels legitimacy.If I tell her not to ask those questions or that her questions or feelings are wrong, then what is that going to mean for our relationship or her relationship to Israel? In other words, just as opposition to intermarriage pits parents and grandparents against their children and grandchildren, so, increasingly, Jewish parents feel that their Zionism pits them against their childrens anti-Zionism.It is hard to see a way out of this crisis.Some have argued that the ignorance and concomitant rising alienation American Jews feel toward all aspects of Judaism will be remedied by rising levels of Jew hatred in America. This may have some truth to it. After all, nothing concentrates your mind like hatred.But today you have Jews playing central roles in the anti-Israel movement. J Street-affiliated students support BDS. Jewish Voices for Peace, Americans for Peace Now and other Jewish groups play a key role in subverting wider Jewish efforts on behalf of Israel, including efforts to educate Jewish children about Israel and Zionist history.These Jewish anti-Israel activists are doing more than prevent the community from rallying in support of Israel. They are making it increasingly difficult for non-affiliated American Jews to recognize the anti-Semitism which is supposed to bring them back to their Judaism, even when it smacks them in their faces.Likewise, the emphasis that Jewish educators have placed on Holocaust education makes it difficult for Jews to understand that anti-Semitism is an enduring prejudice. Today Jews are hard-pressed to understand that anti-Semitism exists even when there arent death camps and that not all anti-Semites are Nazis. Some anti-Semites are their progressive professors.The hard truth seems to be that the salvation of American Jewry can only come with the restoration, at wider and wider communal levels, of the three foundations of Judaism to their proper positions in a meaningful, substantive way. Torah literacy needs to increase. Jewish peoplehood needs to be experienced and advocated. And Zionism, and Zionist history, needs to be taught.Maybe that is the answer to Sanderson. If he thinks it is too hard to instill Zionism in college students, then the time has come to teach them all of it  Torat Yisrael, Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael. No, in a culture where people expect instant and continuous gratification without knowledge, this wont be easy.But if American Jewish history teaches us anything, it teaches us that they are all necessary.
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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..Commentary magazine..14 March '16..One of the most intriguing findings in the sweeping Pew survey of Israel released last week was a sharp rise in the proportion of Israeli Jews who said settlements are beneficial to Israeli security. As recently as 2013, the survey noted, a plurality of Israeli Jews (35 percent) accepted the global consensus that settlements harm Israels security. But in the new poll, an even larger plurality deemed settlements beneficial to Israels security  42 percent, up from 31 percent in 2013. Only 30 percent deemed settlements detrimental, while 25 percent said they make no difference to Israeli security. This shift in public opinion reflects both a growing conviction that Israels security requires the Israel Defense Forces to remain in at least part of the West Bank, and a growing recognition that settlements are the anchor keeping the IDF from leaving.Three significant events occurred between the earlier poll , conducted in March-April 2013, and the latest one, conducted from October 2014 to May 2015: the Gaza war of summer 2014, the virtual collapse of UN peacekeeping forces on the Golan Heights, and the failed Israeli-Palestinian talks led by Secretary of State John Kerry. All had a major impact on how Israelis understood their own security.The war solidified an Israeli consensus that the unilateral pullout from Gaza was disastrous, with even opposition leader Isaac Herzog admitting that from a security perspective, the disengagement was a mistake. There were two reasons for this. First, despite two previous wars with Hamas since the 2005 disengagement, Israeli casualties in both were low enough that on balance, the pullout seemed to have saved soldiers lives. This time, military casualties were so high (66 soldiers killed) that, as I explained in detail here, keeping the IDF in Gaza would actually have cost fewer lives than leaving did. Second, while Hamas had bombarded Israel with thousands of rockets and mortars ever since the pullout, it had previously mainly targeted the south. During the 2014 war, sustained rocket fire for the first time hit the center of the country, where most Israelis live.In short, what this war proved was that, far from being deterred by previous wars, Hamas had only more grown stronger and more dangerous from war to war. By contrast, in the West Bank, the surge in terror that had followed Israels handover of part of the territory to the Palestinians in the mid-1990s had given way to a sharp, steady decline in terror since 2002, when the IDF retook security control of the territory to stop a deadly wave of suicide bombings. The lesson couldnt have been clearer: Terror soared when the IDF ceded control to the Palestinians and dropped when the IDF regained it.The virtual collapse of UN peacekeeping operations on the Golan in mid-2014 solidified another Israeli consensus: International forces cant substitute for the IDF, either. In truth, this was already obvious from the performance of international forces in Lebanon. Following the Second Lebanon War of 2006, the IDF withdrew all its troops in favor of an international force that was supposed to prevent Hezbollah from rearming; instead, Hezbollah more than tripled its pre-war arsenal without this force lifting a finger to stop it. But Hezbollahs rearming was visible only in statements by senior defense officials. The flight of UN peacekeepers as the Syrian civil war approached Israels border was visible on Israeli television screens, making its impact far more visceral.The sight of these troops, which were supposed to keep Syrian forces away from the border, instead fleeing at the first sign of trouble made Israelis understand that international forces couldnt be trusted to replace the IDF in the West Bank, either. Understandably, foreign soldiers arent willing to die in someones else war.Finally, there was the Obama Administrations behavior during both the Kerry talks and the subsequent Gaza war. Israelis knew Europe didnt support their positions in talks with the Palestinians, but theyd previously trusted America to do so. Instead, during the Kerry talks, Washington adamantly opposed a long-term IDF presence in the Jordan Valley, something Israelis of almost all political stripes have long considered essential to Israels security. Earlier, Obama had repudiated President George Bushs recognition of the major settlement blocs, which most Israelis also consider essential. Then, during the Gaza war, he completed the trifecta by backing Hamas negotiating demands and even halting arms shipments to Israel at the height of the fighting.The cumulative effect of all these developments was to convince Israelis that U.S. support for its security was no longer a given. Indeed, in the latest Pew poll, an absolute majority of Israeli Jews (52 percent) said the U.S. wasnt supportive enough of Israel. The contrast with the 2013 poll, despite the questions very different wording, is stark: Back then, a whopping 82 percent of Israelis thought American policy either favored Israel or was at least fair to both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.Thus to sum up, Israelis no longer trust either the Palestinians or international forces to replace the IDF in the West Bank, but they also no longer trust Washington to shield Israel from international demands that the IDF leave. So how can they ensure that the IDF remains despite international pressure to withdraw? The only answer, as Israelis increasingly understand, is the settlements: The more Israeli residents a place has, the harder it is for the IDF to withdraw.The IDF could quit Sinai relatively easily under the 1979 peace treaty with Egypt because only some 2,000 settlers had to be evacuated. It could unilaterally quit south Lebanon in 2000 with great ease because no Israelis lived there. It could unilaterally quit Gaza in 2005 with relative ease because only 8,000 settlers had to be uprooted. On the flip side, most international peace plans acknowledge the impossibility of forcing Israel completely back to the 1967 lines in the West Bank, solely because uprooting hundreds of thousands of Israelis from East Jerusalem and the major settlement blocs is too difficult. Yet even there, the world is demanding 1:1 land swaps from within Israel proper, meaning that even in pre-1967 Israel, the only guarantee of international support for Israeli control over any given area is the presence of civilian communities.In short, where there arent enough Israelis, the IDF leaves. And where there are enough Israelis, the IDF stays. Thus having concluded that the IDF must stay in at least part of the West Bank, Israelis have increasingly concluded that the settlements, by keeping the IDF there, perform an essential service for Israels security.Most Israelis arent ideologically committed to the settlements. But as long as the world rejects positions that Israelis consider essential to their security, their support will only grow for the one thing that has proven effective in averting IDF withdrawals  large concentrations of much-maligned civilian settlers.
Thank goodness the North has people like these

Northern Ontario, it seems to me, has been blessed with more than its fair share of visionaries. That's a really, really good thing, because the North is often overlooked.

Big Nickel creator Ted Szilva and Northern Ontario Film Studios head David Anselmo. File photos

Northern Ontario, it seems to me, has been blessed with more than its fair share of visionaries.



That's a really, really good thing, because the North is often overlooked. The south draws a good portion of its wealth from our natural resources, our industries are major economic drivers, but Queen's Park thinks it knows best how to govern our affairs, though history shows many times it has no clue.



With too few of us to influence policy for our betterment, northerners are often left to our own devices. Despite the challenges this poses, we take an immense amount of pride in our self-sufficiency. Fortunately, as I mentioned earlier, Northern Ontario has always been able to count on people of incredible talent and vision who have made that near self-sufficiency possible.



One of those people is Ted Szilva, the father of the Big Nickel, who passed away last week at age 81. When Szilva conceived his one-of-a-kind tourist attraction in the early 1960s, the notion that anyone would want to travel to remote Northern Ontario for pleasure was practically foreign.



Szilva refused to think that way. He didn't see what was there; he saw what could be there. He saw Sudbury, and by extension all of the North, as something valuable for more than its natural resources. He saw it as a stranger might see it  a wild and untamed natural playground, with pockets of urbanity each having its own unique quality and flavour.



Szilva was a Sudburian through and through. He loved this city; he loved its people; he was fascinated by the mining industry and saw in his own fascination a common interest of all people: curiousity. He banked on that curiousity and created a destination  first with the Big Nickel, then with Big Nickel Mine, which has since morphed into Dynamic Earth  that could slake that interest.



The Big Nickel was not the first of Northern Ontario's enormous roadside attractions, but it's probably the most famous. It put Sudbury on the map as something other than a moonscape. And we've lived in the shadow of Szilva's vision ever since.



I mentioned earlier that Queen's Park is often clueless when it comes to adopting policy for the North. Not always. Besides attractive Ontario tax credits for film productions, a grant of up to $500,000 for productions that choose to shoot in the North has helped create an entirely new, multi-million-dollar industry here. In other words, the province did something right.



Development agency Music and Film in Motion, the City of Greater Sudbury and production company Meteo+ -- not to mention northern filmmakers themselves who first saw the importance of telling our stories in moving pictures -- laid the important groundwork for a film sector in the region. These early efforts put down a solid foundation of skills and notoriety to build upon.



But what has proved the catalyst is the birth of Northern Ontario Film Studios. A working studio was the missing piece of the puzzle, the seed around which an industry could crystallize. David Anselmo, the head of the studio, is  like Ted Szilva  a man of vision. Like Szilva, he didn't see what was, but what could be.



The talent and the tenacity were always here. Film work was happening before Anselmo and NOFS came along. But it was his vision to use government incentives as a springboard to transform a derelict arena into a hub for film production in the North, creating the infrastructure needed to draw bigger and more expensive projects to the region, supporting hundreds of jobs, a dozen spin-off industries, and injecting tens of millions of dollars into the economy every year.



The importance of NOFS can't be ignored. Greater Sudbury isn't the only community to benefit either -- North Bay, Mattawa and Sault Ste. Marie have benefited, too.



Hollywood (Further) North is now a recognized commodity. Last week's announcement that Anselmo's Hideaway Pictures had struck a deal worth nearly $100 million with Motion Picture Corporation of America solidifies the impact NOFS has had. This is an entirely new industry for Northern Ontario and it's one to be reckoned with.



Szilva and Anselmo are but two examples of the amazing people who have made things happen in the North. There are dozens of stories of people like them, people who see the forest for the trees, people who chart new territory and drag us along with them.



We are the beneficiaries of their vision and we owe a debt of gratitude to each and every one of them.



Mark Gentili is the managing editor of Northern Life.
Last year, Sudbury band Murder Murder took the CBC Searchlight Competition by storm, and became the Northern Ontario finalist. CBC Music and Radio One teamed up for the nation-wide talent search, which was one-part showcase and one-part contest.

Last year, Sudbury band Murder Murder took the CBC Searchlight Competition by storm, and became the Northern Ontario finalist.CBC Music and Radio One teamed up for the nation-wide talent search, which was one-part showcase and one-part contest. Musicians entered their music, and fans were invited to vote online for their favourite act.In anticipation of this year's CBC Searchlight Competition, which begins March 30, a compilation album from 10 finalists of the 2015 competition has been released.The CBC Searchlight Mixtape 2015 is a grab-bag of the best up-and-coming Canadian artists, and represents a wide variety of music from coast-to-coast.Jon & Mary, a song by Murder Murder, is included on the album. The official Sudbury release for the album was held this past Saturday.Order your copy from Murder Murder at murdermurder.net
Jobless rate eases slightly in Greater Sudbury

Greater Sudbury's jobless rate improved last month, easing to 8.3 per cent, a drop of 0.3 per cent compared to January, Statistics Canada said in its monthly news release.

Greater Sudbury's economy continued its slide in January, with the city's jobless rate increasing again, even as Ontario as a whole added jobs. File photo.

Greater Sudbury's jobless rate improved last month, easing to 8.3 per cent, a drop of 0.3 per cent compared to January, Statistics Canada said in its monthly news release.



However, that's still almost two per cent higher than it was in February 2015, when the rate was 6.4 per cent. The city has been hit hard by a slump in nickel and other commodity prices. StatsCan reported that employment in natural resources continued to slump in February.



There were 8,900 fewer people working in natural resources, continuing a downward trend that began late in 2014, the release said.



StatsCan reported that the city gained about 800 jobs in the last month. The decline in the unemployment rate would have been larger except the size of the Sudbury's workforce rose by 500 compared to January and now sits at 86,600.



The jobless rate was steady in Ontario last month, stuck at 6.8 per cent.



On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province advanced by 74,000 or 1.1 per cent, the second highest rate of growth among the provinces, StatsCan said. The gains were mostly in full-time work.



It was much the same story in Canada as a whole. The unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points for the third consecutive month, reaching 7.3 per cent for the first time since March 2013.



On a year-over-year basis, employment grew by 0.7 per cent (118,000), with the gains mostly coming from full-time work (82,000 or 0.6 per cent), the release said. At the same time, the number of hours worked increased by 1.0 per cent.



Employment increased among men aged 55 and older in February, while the other demographic groups saw little change.



Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island registered employment declines, whereas British Columbia recorded an increase. There was little change in the remaining provinces.



Employment fell in health care and social assistance, educational service and natural resources. At the same time, there were more people working in construction, in business, building and other support services, as well as in agriculture.



The number of public and private sector employees as well as the number of self-employed workers were little changed in February.



The low Canadian dollar is boosting manufacturing Canada-wide, particularly in Ontario. Employment in manufacturing increased by 41,000 compared to the same period of 2015, led by Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
Youngest researchers 'try on the rest of their lives'

Can we boost memory during sleep? Is there a way to 3-D print clean energy? How do you make theatre more inviting to children with special needs? These are among the questions tackled in recent undergraduate research projects at Northwestern.

The University has redoubled its efforts in this area, with funding from the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) up 500 percent in the past decade. As a result, more Northwestern students than ever are testing their problem-solving skills in the real world. Last year their passions and projects took them from Chicago neighborhoods to continents across the globe. They worked in labs, small towns and even on Broadway.

"We provide students a unique opportunity to try on the rest of their lives," says Peter Civetta, director of OUR, in a Q & A on Northwestern's growing program.

Below are the stories of eight exceptional young researchers and problem solvers.
Doctors in New York state will soon be required to electronically send prescriptions to pharmacies instead of writing them out.

On March 27, New York will become the first state to require e-prescriptions to be sent over a secure system, and penalize doctors for not complying.

The new rules are meant to stop drug abuse and fraud.

But this means that you'll have to choose which pharmacy your prescription will be sent to.

Doctors will still be able to write prescriptions by hand in certain cases, such as when medication is filed out of state or when technical problems come up.
The search for a Staten Island man missing after a tugboat accident is shifting now to a recovery mission with little hope he survived. NY1s Talia Kaplan spoke to a friend of the victim.

Tito Diaz struggles to speak as he describes his best friend, 56-year-old Harry Hernandez.

I'm not going to be able to do this, he said. He's been a friend of mine for over 20 something years.

Now he feels like there's a void after learning that friend was missing. He found out Hernandez was involved in a tugboat crash on the Hudson River where workers are building the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

The two met when Hernandez was living in Brooklyn. About 5 years later, Hernandez moved to Staten Island, where Diaz lives.

He was not a lazy guy. He wanted always to be busy always wanted to work, Diaz said.

One of the final photos posted to Hernandezs Facebook page shows him on the job the day before authorities say he and two other crew members aboard the tugboat hit a barge and sank. The bodies of the other crew members were recovered over the weekend, but after two days of searching, theres still no sign of Hernandez. Now, officials are calling it a recovery mission.

Everybody is devastated, Diaz said.

When Hernandez wasn't working, his friends say he would stay at a home on Cassidy Place in New Brighton to take care of his 78-year-old mother.

She still doesn't know. We still haven't broke it to her because she's not well and she's 78 years old and he's her only son.

His other family members have been informed.

His wife and his son just came from Dominican Republic, Diaz added. She's been here only a week and a half and this tragedy happened.

Officials say severe damage to the boat has so far prevented divers from being able to access a section where they believe his body could be located.

I wish they find his body already, Diaz said. "He was a good man, good friend, good father, and I am going to miss him.

Now Diaz and Hernandezs family are just waiting for answers.
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Rebel soldiers in this West African country, obeying President Gnassingbe Eyadema's wishes, today abandoned their attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Joseph Kokou Koffigoh and withdrew from key installations here.

They pulled out from positions around the Prime Minister's office in the capital, where Mr. Koffigoh was held a virtual prisoner for two days.

Only presidential guards remained outside the building. British-built Scorpion tanks, which had taken up positions at strategic locations, were withdrawn, and the Lome international airport resumed operations. The Most Serious Threat

The coup attempt in Togo, a country of 3.2 million people, was the most serious threat to date to pro-democracy forces, which in August stripped General Eyadema of most of his powers after 24 years of military rule.
Soldiers seeking to return Gen. Gnassingbe Eyadema to power in this West African country used tanks and rockets to blast into the civilian Government palace today and seize the reformist Prime Minister. At least 17 people were killed in the attack.

General Eyadema issued a statement saying Prime Minister Joseph Koffigoh had been taken to him for discussions. A report on the Togo radio, controlled by soldiers in the last week, said the two had agreed to form a coalition government and ordered the troops back to their barracks. The report did not say who would be in the "national unity government," but General Eyadema and his troops clearly were in control. Mr. Koffigoh apparently remained in the custody of the rebel soldiers.

The United States and France, the former colonial ruler of Togo, condemned the attack on the civilian Government, which was formed in August. The general, who headed a military Government for 24 years, was stripped all but ceremonial powers at that time but retained the title of President. Reaction From France

In Paris, officials held an emergency meeting on the situation. A spokesman, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, said there was still time for a peaceful settlement in Togo but added that the attackers had "locked themselves and Togo into an impasse." He declined to comment on the possibility of action by the 300 French marines and paratroopers sent to neighboring Benin over the weekend.
Togo's reformist Prime Minister was still in his post today despite a coup by rebellious troops, but diplomats said he would have to make big concessions to hard-liners from the former ruling party.

The Prime Minister, Joseph Koffigoh, was under loose military guard after being seized on Tuesday in a bloody attack on his official residence by soldiers pledging allegiance to President Gnassingbe Eyadema. Looking drained, Mr. Koffigoh told reporters today in a news conference at his private home that he was free to go where he pleased.

But the Prime Minister declined to say whether he had started talks on naming a new cabinet. General Eyadema had issued a statement Tuesday night saying that the two men would form a provisional government to replace Mr. Koffigoh's three-month-old Cabinet.

General Eyadema, who led a military Government in Togo for 24 years, was stripped of all but his ceremonial functions in August when pro-democracy forces brought a civilian leadership to power. .
West African police officers hunted today for a ship thought to be carrying scores of children sold as slaves that has been roaming off the coast for more than two weeks.

The police in Benin said they had alerted neighboring countries to prevent the ship's captain from unloading its human cargo, believed to be 180 children sold by poor families to be forced into work on plantations or as domestic servants.

Port officials said the vessel, which was expected to dock in Cotonou after a round trip of more than 1,250 miles, was not responding to calls and had not tried to make contact with Benin's authorities.

''We are still waiting for the ship, but it hasn't given any signs. We have had no radio communication with them,'' a port official told Reuters late on Sunday.
Season 2, Episode 5: Rebecca

You could look at the latest episode of Better Call Saul as another chapter of a serialized tale. But it might make more sense to regard it as a public service announcement with a very simple message: Dont go to law school.

Much of this episode concerns the tedium and humiliations of life in corporate law, the fate awaiting many law school graduates who are lucky enough to land jobs. The bulk of events centers on Kim Wexler, who remains in the white-shoe version of the doghouse, performing a brain-deadening assignment in what appears to be the library at a minimum-security prison. Kim is doing document review, which any young associate will tell you is the lowest form of grunt labor  so low that it is now outsourced to foreign countries as a cost-saving measure.

As an associate with some seniority, Kim should have enough juice to avoid this kind of job, but she is being punished  unfairly, you may recall  for her attempt to minimize the ignominy her love interest, Jimmy McGill, must endure over his unauthorized client solicitation ad. Here, Kim desperately tries to win herself clemency by landing a big client, figuring that if she can add something to the firms bottom line, the partners will return her to her office and work befitting her station.

Shes seen calling friends and people she barely knows, trolling for anyone in need of legal assistance. But even after she harpoons a big fish in the form of Mesa Verde, a bank looking to expand into new states (just the kind of time-consuming toil that yields thousands of billable hours), she is refused a get-out-of-jail card. Howard Hamlin, revealing a cruel streak, barely thanks Kim after this new client is landed.
Season 1, Episode 13: Erase Weary Youth

All right, thing that was broadcast Monday night on NBC in the Blindspot time slot: Who are you, and what have you done with the real Blindspot?

The episode was quite a departure for the series, which usually spends its hour giving us a few more tidbits about Jane Does back story while the F.B.I. team averts a calamity in pulse-pounding fashion. Mondays installment began as if it were going to be more of the same: the Russian spy Olivia, during a break from a pivotal legal hearing, was drowned in a toilet by her own lawyer. (Id love to see the script notation for that moment.) Moments earlier, Olivia had offered information in exchange for a deal from prosecutors: She would give up the name of a mole the Russians had inside the F.B.I.

And then began the descent into the internal-affairs rabbit hole. John Hodgmans officious character, Jonas, seemingly saw a chance to advance his personal agenda and seized control of the search for the mole. He put Jane, Kurt Weller and the rest of the team through intense, infuriating questioning, which for viewers used to frantic chases and gun battles required a big change in expectations.
Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, the showrunners of The Americans on FX, are taking questions from New York Times readers this week.

The Americans, a Cold War spy drama about married undercover Soviet agents, returns for its fourth season on Wednesday. Inspired by real events, the series debuted in 2013 at the leading edge of a 1980s resurgence on TV. (See also: Deutschland 83, Halt and Catch Fire, Narcos and Red Oaks.) It has since become one of televisions most critically praised series as well as, more recently, tabloid fodder, as the stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys paired off in real life.

[Review: The Americans, Season 4]

Last season ended  spoiler alert  with the revelation of the spy couples double life to their daughter, who promptly relayed the information to her intrusive minister. The new season deals with the repercussions as well as the spies growing ambivalence about the often coldblooded acts required of them.

The Americans was informed by Mr. Weisbergs stint in the Central Intelligence Agency, which he left to write for television series like Damages and Falling Skies. Mr. Fields also worked on shows including Rizzoli & Isles, Dirt and Ugly Betty.
Did you miss Brooklyn during awards season? The lovely story about a young Irish immigrants coming of age is now available to rent online. And NBC presents the midseason premiere of Crowded, a comedy about empty nesters who find themselves with a suddenly full house.



Whats Streaming

BROOKLYN (2015) on Amazon and iTunes. Saoirse Ronan stars as Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant in 1950s New York in this Academy Award-nominated adaptation of the Colm Toibin novel. The spare story, elegantly told, follows her as she overcomes homesickness and meets Tony, a Brooklynite from an Italian family, in what feels like an answer to a future grandchilds question How did you meet? In one scene, A. O. Scott wrote in his New York Times review: Tony spins a vision of a nice house and a thriving family plumbing business: a quiet, prosperous life beyond the cramped confines of the city. Sitting in the theater, the 21st-century viewer can fill in the blanks, conjuring a time-lapse picture of the growth of the suburbs and the unfolding of a long marriage. But plot twists put their American dream in jeopardy. (Image: Ms. Ronan and Emory Cohen.)

Whats on TV

THE GOONIES (1985) 5:30 p.m. on Sundance Channel. This comedy brought together a high-profile creative team (Chris Columbus, Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner) and a cast of promising young actors (including Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Martha Plimpton) for an adventure that took small-town Oregon children underground for a thrilling, and often endearing, treasure hunt. The film has a keen understanding of how such characters might interact, and a good feeling for their horseplay, Janet Maslin wrote in The Times. The film sustains its charm as long as it remains light, and turns uncomfortably sentimental when it tries to address itself to the characters encroaching adulthood. (Image, from left: Ke Huy Quan, Mr. Astin, Mr. Brolin, Corey Feldman and Jeff Cohen.)

BRIDE & PREJUDICE 9 p.m. on FYI. Its a classic formula: Star-crossed lovers try to stay together despite opposition from family, friends and social norms. But cliches exist because they are often real, which is the case in this new documentary series about three couples whose marital aspirations face challenges in race, religion and sexual orientation. The show, Jon Caramanica wrote in The Times, is novel and intriguing for putting bigotry squarely at the center of its narrative, and more crucially, depicting how negotiating difference puts very real strain on ordinary lives.
The American Bar Associations accrediting body put law schools on notice Monday that it intended to tighten a rule that sets a deadline for graduates to pass state bar exams  a near-universal requirement for becoming a practicing lawyer.

The new measure would clarify the existing deadline that 75 percent of students pass within two years. Bar passage rates have been falling noticeably across the country.

At issue for the schools is their accreditation by the association. The theory behind the rule, which is one factor in accreditation, is that schools should be accepting students who are likely to have the qualifications to become practicing lawyers. Proponents of the change say that schools exploit students when they accept those who  based on admissions tests and other measurements  have a small chance of succeeding.

Although the current rule was intended to require passage of the bar in two years, the language is fuzzy and full of loopholes that effectively give schools as long as five years to meet the goal.
Lloyd S. Shapley, who shared the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science for work on game theory that has been used to study subjects as diverse as matching couples and allocating costs, died on Saturday in Tucson. He was 92.

He broke a hip several weeks ago, his son Peter said in confirming the death.

Dr. Shapley, a mathematician and emeritus professor at U.C.L.A., was considered one of the fathers of game theory, which tries to explain the choices that competitors make in situations that require strategic thinking. The Shapley value, named for him, is a concept through which the benefits of cooperation can be proportionally divided among participants based on their relative contribution.

He was a close friend and mentor to John Forbes Nash Jr., a mathematician and Nobel laureate who had schizophrenia. Sylvia Nasar, a former reporter for The New York Times, devoted a chapter in her 1998 biography of Mr. Nash, A Beautiful Mind, to the mens friendship. (The book was adapted for a 2001 film.)

Ms. Nasar said the books title was suggested by a remark by Dr. Shapley. He was obnoxious, Ms. Nasar quoted him as saying about Nash. What redeemed him was a keen, beautiful, logical mind.
As a proudly renegade voice of the populist right, Breitbart News has long delighted in bedeviling liberals and establishment Republicans alike, emerging in recent years as one of the nations leading conservative media outlets.

But in an ironic twist, Breitbart, a news and opinion website that welcomed the rise of Donald J. Trump as an outsider candidate, is now facing a problem similar to the one roiling the Republican Party it likes to torment: a scathing internal dispute, with Mr. Trump at its center.

Several top executives and journalists at the site have resigned in the last week, saying the organization has turned into a shill for the Trump campaign and failed to support Michelle Fields, a Breitbart reporter who accused Mr. Trumps campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, of grabbing and shoving her at a Florida rally last week.

Ms. Fields reported the episode to the police, and a journalist for The Washington Post, Ben Terris, identified Mr. Lewandowski as the person who grabbed her. The Trump campaign has denied Ms. Fieldss account, and Breitbart, after initially requesting an apology, later published an article casting doubt on whether Mr. Lewandowski was involved.
As hapless as the news media and the Washington establishment have at times appeared as they flail about in the political tempest wrought by Donald Trump, there is another group in the 2016 election cycle that has come off looking at least as bewildered: the campaign gurus of Trumps Republican opponents.

Since Watergate, each new president has been ushered in by his own personal Rasputin. Jimmy Carter had Hamilton Jordan, whose 80-page memorandum laid out the electoral pathway for the obscure Georgia governor. Ronald Reagan had Michael Deaver, whose acute understanding of campaign atmospherics would cause Reagan to be viewed as the father of the photo-op. George Bush had his alley-fighting operative, Lee Atwater; Bill Clinton had James Carville, the jut-jawed Cajun campaign veteran; George W. Bush had the ingenious and sharp-elbowed adviser, Karl Rove; Barack Obama had his digitally savvy campaign manager, David Plouffe. The Beltway has come to expect such savants and to confer on them a princely status.

Trump has laid to waste this tradition. If, as expected, he prevails in most of the primary elections tonight, the billionaire developer will most likely be the Republican Partys nominee  and will have shredded a number of strategic master plans drawn up by his opponents well-paid advisers. And Trump will have accomplished this feat with a skeleton crew of largely unknown hired hands whose stated operating principle is Let Trump Be Trump. (His campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, last worked with Americans For Prosperity, the advocacy group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, and before that, the losing 2002 re-election race of Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire. His 26-year-old spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, had never worked on a political campaign.)

I think you can argue that the key to this race is the assumption everyone made that winning a nomination is easy, said Stuart Stevens, the senior strategist for the Republicans last nominee, Mitt Romney. Stevens was principally referring to Jeb Bushs campaign, which believed it could pre-emptively crush the opposition with money; even before he formally announced his candidacy, Bush boasted of setting a Republican record for fund-raising. But Stevens also pointed to Ted Cruzs team  which, he said, has pursued this Lost Tribes of the Amazon theory, where if you paddle far enough, youll find all these white voters who have never voted before.
Mrs. Kim and her supporters answered with a lawsuit against the association and an effort to impeach the president at the time, Sung Ki Min, the owner of a wholesale accessories business. Further litigation ensued. There were allegations of smear campaigns and malfeasance. In all, four related lawsuits were filed.

In April and May, the police occasionally visited the premises as a series of showdowns unfolded between the warring factions, producing tragicomic scenes.

At one point, some former presidents allied with Mrs. Kim broke into the associations offices, changed the locks and declared themselves a caretaker government. The police removed the leaders of the coup two days later.

At another point, Mrs. Kim and Mr. Min, who both declared themselves the rightful president in separate elections, planned competing inauguration ceremonies in the headquarters for the same day, leading to a rancorous face-off in the building. The confrontation devolved into total mayhem that bordered on slapstick.

For 11 months, Mrs. Kim and Mr. Min each claimed the presidency. Mr. Min continued to operate out of the groups headquarters in Chelsea. Mrs. Kim set up a parallel administration in a rented office in Flushing, Queens  her government in exile, as it were.

The beginning of the end of the standoff came on Feb. 16, when Justice Margaret A. Chan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled that Mrs. Kims disqualification from the election last year had been arbitrary and capricious, that the impeachment of Mr. Min had been proper, and that Mrs. Kim was the duly elected president of the association.

But the fight was not over. Mr. Min asked for a stay, pending an appeal, which was denied Thursday by the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court.
Politically speaking, Mr. Cuomo, a centrist Democrat who has leaned to the left recently, perhaps has the most on the line: a streak of five on-time budgets, an accomplishment that dovetails perfectly with his assertion of bringing efficiency back to Albany. But Mr. Flanagan is also under pressure, as his slim majority in the Senate  and thus, his position as majority leader  could be imperiled when voters on Long Island pick a new senator next month to fill a seat left empty when Dean G. Skelos was convicted of federal corruption charges in December.

That said, there have actually been few, if any, formal meetings among the three men, though they have indicated that they and their staffs have been communicating about the budget. That back-channel system, however, does not appease those excluded from the process, including Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat from Yonkers who leads some two dozen Democrats in the Senate.

The much maligned three men in the room process seems to have been replaced by a more secretive format of covert meetings and phone calls shielded from the press and public, Ms. Stewart-Cousins said in a speech on the Senate floor on Monday, adding she hoped we can open up this process and allow all New Yorkers to see what we are doing on their behalf.

That does not seem likely, as defenders of the system say that such secrecy is necessary to ensure candor and compromise, as well as the fact that the State Constitution gives lawmakers only three months to forge an agreement, making limited numbers of negotiators more appealing. Mr. Cuomo is technically responsible for who is present at the negotiations, often held in his second-floor office in the State Capitol, though past majority leaders have not embraced expanding the guest list to include minority leaders either.

On Monday, a Cuomo spokesman, Richard Azzopardi, said that budget negotiations would now begin in earnest, after the passage of one-house bills.
During the background checks, they said they had no employment outside the D.E.A., when in fact they had ownership interests in the club and actively managed it while working for the agency, prosecutors have charged in a federal complaint. Mr. Polos has since retired, while Mr. Glover has been placed on an indefinite suspension, the agency said.

Defense lawyers have objected to a federal regulation that requires them to obtain the agencys approval before an employee can testify. The rule is designed to ensure such witnesses do not reveal classified or other sensitive information, prosecutors have said in court papers.

This is not just a theoretical concern in this case, the prosecutors, Martin S. Bell and Andrew D. Goldstein, said in a brief submitted to Judge Paul G. Gardephe of Federal District Court in Manhattan.

While much of the testimony would likely be unobjectionable, they said, Mr. Glover had worked on numerous highly sensitive investigations, and it was thus possible that the testimony of witnesses he intends to call in his defense will need to be limited to ensure that classified or confidential information is not disclosed.

In court on Monday, Mr. Poloss lawyer, Marc L. Mukasey, said the agency was using the rule as a public relations device.
A woman who gave birth alone in her familys Staten Island home killed the newborn and threw the body in a trash bag so fast she did not realize she had had a daughter, a prosecutor said on Monday.

The woman, Nausheen Rahman, 28, appeared in court on Staten Island on charges of murder and concealment of a human corpse. Her parents sat near the back of the courtroom with their heads in their hands.

The actions of this defendant are so horrendous and so reprehensible that it shocks ones conscience, Jane Grinberg, an assistant district attorney, said.

In a statement that drew gasps in the courtroom, Ms. Grinberg said that Ms. Rahman had gone to a hospital after giving birth on Saturday but lied to doctors about why. When the police investigated, the prosecutor said, they found the bloodied baby, her thumb next to her mouth, in a tied bag in a trash can outside Ms. Rahmans childhood home in a condominium development in the New Springville neighborhood.
A proposal by Mayor Bill de Blasio to rezone parts of the city to build more housing cleared its most important hurdle on Monday, emerging from a City Council meeting with enough revisions to satisfy major critics and city lawmakers who had opposed the plan for not doing enough to provide housing for the poorest New Yorkers.

Council members said the plan would now ensure that any new housing built would include units affordable to more of the citys lower-income residents, including rental apartments in some developments for those making an average of 40 percent of the New York City area median income, or about $31,000 a year for a family of three. The proposal is expected to pass the Council when it holds its next full session on March 22.

Our work has resulted in a plan that addresses the magnitude of our citys affordability crisis by encouraging smart, sustainable affordable housing production, said Melissa Mark-Viverito, the Council speaker, standing at a lectern in the rotunda of City Hall on Monday to announce the details of the deal. The focus of these changes is to provide affordability, one, and two, economic integration.

For Mr. de Blasio, the deal represented the final stage of a complex proposal that had been in the works for most of his two years in office and had met resistance at local community boards and among some Council members. City Hall officials described the changes agreed to with the Council as a significant victory and compared the plan, both in its scale and in its likely impact on the future of the city, to the mayors push for universal prekindergarten.
In conversations with more than a dozen college Democrats in Ohio, Florida and North Carolina  states that are holding primaries on Tuesday  the students sounded equal parts energized and exhausted. They are tired of arguing with their friends about who the best nominee will be, and they are joking about moving to Canada if faced with the prospect of a President Trump or a President Cruz. One student summed up the sentiment like this: I just want us to pick one soon so we can stop sniping at one another.

Ms. Barkowitz volunteered for President Obamas re-election campaign when she was 16, and is now an ardent Clinton supporter. She said that it can be an isolating experience.

I find that a lot of the people within my own party can be really mean and really judgmental, more so than the people in the opposite party, which surprises me every day, she said.

After weeks of being criticized by friends who support Mr. Sanders, Ms. Barkowitz and a fellow Clinton supporter started to question whether they were on the right side of the debate. In a moment of desperation, Ms. Barkowitz brought in reinforcements: She called her dad and put him on speakerphone with the College Democrats to explain why he was supporting Mrs. Clinton. (That she had to bring in a parent-age supporter to make her case doesnt exactly bode well for the Clinton campaign.)

Part of what makes being a Clinton supporter on campus difficult, Ms. Barkowitz says, is dealing with the Bernie Bros. Theyre real, theyre live, and theyre very loud.
Leave it to President Vladimir Putin of Russia to abruptly declare victory in Syria and decide to bring the main part of his troops home. The implications are unclear. The announcement could turn out to be a constructive move toward a more lasting peace settlement. It could also be a practical necessity, reflecting a desire not to get bogged down in the Syrian morass indefinitely. As the United States has found, it is easier to get into wars than to get out of them.

The official line, reported by state media, is that Mr. Putin decided the withdrawal was justified by the overall completion of Moscows military mission in Syria. I consider the mission set for the Defense Ministry and the armed forces on the whole has been accomplished, he said at a meeting at the Kremlin. American officials were taken aback by the timing of the decision and were uncertain as to what it would mean for the size and scope of Russias military operation and whether it signals a halt in all Russian airstrikes.

Russia has operated a naval facility at Tartus off the Syrian coast since the days of the Soviet Union. That base, Mr. Putin said, will remain open. His order seemed to affect warplanes operating from a new air base in Latakia. Since September, planes from Latakia have been bombing rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad and have tipped the balance in Syrias five-year-old war in Mr. Assads favor, allowing him to reclaim territory lost to the rebels.

Russias intervention has also enabled Mr. Putin to show off its military might and forced the United States to treat it as an equal in securing stability in Syria.
Last year, Andy Crouch published an essay in Christianity Today that takes us toward an answer.

Crouch starts with the distinction the anthropologist Ruth Benedict popularized, between a guilt culture and a shame culture. In a guilt culture you know you are good or bad by what your conscience feels. In a shame culture you know you are good or bad by what your community says about you, by whether it honors or excludes you. In a guilt culture people sometimes feel they do bad things; in a shame culture social exclusion makes people feel they are bad.

Crouch argues that the omnipresence of social media has created a new sort of shame culture. The world of Facebook, Instagram and the rest is a world of constant display and observation. The desire to be embraced and praised by the community is intense. People dread being exiled and condemned. Moral life is not built on the continuum of right and wrong; its built on the continuum of inclusion and exclusion.

This creates a set of common behavior patterns. First, members of a group lavish one another with praise so that they themselves might be accepted and praised in turn.

Second, there are nonetheless enforcers within the group who build their personal power and reputation by policing the group and condemning those who break the group code. Social media can be vicious to those who dont fit in. Twitter can erupt in instant ridicule for anyone who stumbles.

Third, people are extremely anxious that their group might be condemned or denigrated. They demand instant respect and recognition for their group. They feel some moral wrong has been perpetrated when their group has been disrespected, and react with the most violent intensity.
Upon moving into the 1950s building last April, Bellavance-Lecompte tore down a wall in the living room to create what he calls the flow of an Ottoman-style house, with the bedroom, living room and terraces surrounding the central dining area. Each room in the apartment is, inevitably, a gallery space  for his own productions, for vintage pieces and for the objects by the informal school of architects and designers he has gathered around him  but a sociable one: the L-shaped white divan in the living room can seat many. There are six Oeuffice Kapital tables of varying sizes scattered around the place, each made of interlocking pieces of different Italian marbles, the largest of which he uses as a dining table. A chandelier assembled from LED neons by Bec Brittain, a young Brooklyn-based lighting designer Carwan represents, hangs over it, asymmetrical and airy as the apartment itself. Another distinctly Carwan presence is the Arab Doll object by Carlo Massoud, which brings to mind both a bullet and a veiled woman.

Before becoming a designer, Bellavance-Lecompte worked in Berlin for the sculptor-photographer Thomas Demand. After studying with artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Grazia Toderi at the Terese in Venice, he realized that he preferred making design objects to art  yet his apartment nonetheless demonstrates his attraction to the kind of conceptual, collectible pieces that seem to confuse the distinctions between skilled labor and industrial processes. In the hallway leading from the kitchen hangs a series of four Coca-Cola signs in Arabic script from the 1970s, when such things were still hand-painted. In the dining room, a tall black steel totem by Oeuffice, which Bellavance-Lecompte describes as a domestic altar in which to display objects in a personal way, holds a mysterious figure resembling a white porcelain Chinese Buddhist sculpture  actually a stalactite formed from the dripping of expanded polyurethane from the manufacture of rubber boots. The sculpture was rescued by the Belgian architecture collective Rotor, also represented by the gallery.

Carwan refers to the caravanserais where travelers would pause to rest from their journeys, the sites of a constant exchange of commerce, information and people. Bellavance-Lecomptes apartment feels like one such place, and yet it is also strikingly minimalist, restrained and, so, innately, unmistakably Milanese. There are the gray walls, oak herringbone floors, marbled and mirrored surfaces; the multicolored handwoven fabrics that soften the hard edges of the architecture; and then, of course, the more obvious signals: a folding chair by Gio Ponti; a table lamp by Pietro Chiesa; a panettone on the kitchen counter, still wrapped in cellophane, awaiting a moment when Bellavance-Lecompte has the chance to open it.
Its a blustery Saturday afternoon in Marfa, Texas, and hundreds are gathered inside a former Army hangar, much of the crowd lying prone on the red gravel floor or sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed. A few people stand, some staring dreamily up at a high row of windows that split the sky into perfect squares of indigo blue. The experimental music artist William Basinski is at the center of the hangar, his mirrored sunglasses focused on a table topped with computers, volume knobs, a thick knot of electrical cords. From the speakers flanking him comes a sweet, synthesized drone  complex tones that fill the massive space, lulling the audience into a kind of midday trance. Wind blasts at the cavernous arch of corrugated steel roofing, creating an aching, eerie, metallic rhythm, creaks and pops that seem somehow syncopated to Basinkis improvised soundscape.

This is the second day of Marfa Myths, an annual art and music fest co-curated by the Brooklyn music label Mexican Summer. Now in its third year, the festival is perhaps the most extreme example in a recent trend toward intimate, meticulously curated music events, many held in remote areas, most booked so bands align aesthetically with the surrounding environment. There is the Woodist Festival, held on the sea-blown cliffs of Big Sur, California; the folksy Huichica Festival in the hills of Sonoma Valley; and a new wave of boutique, hybrid art/music fests popping up in towns all along the Hudson.

Marfa (pop. 1,800), a three-hour drive from El Paso down an empty highway lined with cacti and wild flower, may seem an unlikely host for a four-day indie music festival. But this tiny community on the high Western Plains knows a thing or two about art and experiment. In the early 1970s, the sculptor Donald Judd began to make the town his unlikely permanent home, buying up several properties, including the abandoned Army base and several thousand acres of ranchland, essentially transforming the area into live/work and gallery space, for both himself and his friends and contemporaries.

As a result, Marfa is a town shaped indelibly by the late Judd, by his belief in a seamless integration of art and life, creativity and industriousness, and a strident focus on engagement with  and the inspiration sparked by  ones surroundings. For Marfa Myths, Mexican Summer collaborated with several of the communitys Judd-related arts institutions and galleries (including the Judd Foundation, Ballroom Marfa and the Chinati Foundation), curating with exactly this intent. Each show takes place in careful sequence (no overlap, no overload) and is booked in environments tailored to each act. Explore some of the highlights from the festival in the slideshow above.
A former 16th-century trade outpost some 285 miles northwest of Mexico City in Jalisco state, Guadalajara is one of Mexicos most traditional cities, a place where leafy boulevards are patchworked with French Baroque colonial mansions. Until recently, the art in Guadalajara has tended toward the folkloric: The town is primarily known for earthen ceramics, as well as for mariachi bands (the genre originated in the region). It used to be that creative people got out of here as soon as possible, says the artist Eduardo Sarabia, who moved to Guadalajara from Los Angeles and co-founded an art laboratory called PAOS that hosts residencies and exhibits in the stark studio that once belonged to the great Modernist muralist Jose Clemente Orozco. But thats changed. Sarabia is part of a wave of young artists and gallerists whore remaking the town into a sort of mellow, sunny-skies utopia. Hes joined by the young Spaniards Silvia Ortiz and Ines Lopez-Quesada, who opened a branch of their Madrid gallery, Travesia Cuatro, in the upscale Colonia Lafayette neighborhood a few years ago in order to be closer to some of their key artists  local talent who have seen their stars rise on the contemporary scene, including Jose Davila, Gonzalo Lebrija and Jorge Mendez Blake.
PEARL RIVER, La.  I think what were seeing right now is what were going to get, J. J. Jennings, the police chief of this small and currently waterlogged city near the Mississippi border, said with nervous optimism.

What he was seeing at that moment on Monday was a group of neighbors using pumps and sandbags to keep an ever-rising creek out of Ed Martenssons house, which was so hemmed in by water that a 12-year-old boy was fishing in the driveway.

After days of extraordinary rainfall  some places recorded more than 20 inches in less than 72 hours, the National Weather Service said  the rising waters that ruined homes from Mooringsport to Merryville are now swelling the rivers, bayous and lakes of southern Louisiana.

Theyve already got a lot of water down there, much like we have, and now were sending more water down there, said Matt Hemingway, a Weather Service meteorologist in Shreveport, in northern Louisiana. The entire state has been impacted with this, and well certainly continue to see the fallout for the next few weeks, for sure, if not longer.
When a reporter on a train in Boston spotted a former student of an elite New Hampshire prep school who was free on bail after a high-profile rape trial last year, she couldnt resist peppering him with questions.

Now, the interview may lead to his bail being revoked.

The defendant, Owen Labrie, 19, greeted her warmly and answered all of her questions, the reporter, Susan Zalkind, posted on Twitter and later wrote for Vice. Mr. Labrie, a graduate of St. Pauls School in Concord, was sentenced to a year in prison after he was cleared of felony sexual assault charges but convicted of having sex with an underage student.

Mr. Labrie, who is free on $15,000 bail pending an appeal, is subject to a 5 p.m. curfew, when he must return to his mothers home in Tunbridge, Vt., about 150 miles from Boston. Ms. Zalkind tweeted about their discussion immediately after the train ride on the afternoon of Feb. 29, and it raised eyebrows in law enforcement.

Prosecutors said in court documents that the tweets prompted an investigation into the defendants travels. The conclusion: Mr. Labrie has violated a condition of his release by failing to comply with his curfew, traveling outside the parameters of his curfew at least eight times. Prosecutors asked for an expedited hearing and for his bail to be revoked.
WASHINGTON  President Obama is close to a decision on a Supreme Court nominee based purely on qualifications and experience, White House officials insisted on Monday, but the presidents allies said that political considerations  including whether a nominee had an easily defensible record or appeal to Republicans  were clearly part of Mr. Obamas calculus.

Speculation now centers on three potential nominees, all federal circuit court judges: Sri Srinivasan, 49, who was confirmed in 2013 with a 97-to-0 vote; Merrick B. Garland, 63, a moderate who has been a finalist in Mr. Obamas previous Supreme Court searches; and Paul J. Watford, 48, a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California.

In an afternoon conference call on Monday, Mr. Obamas political director, David Simas, and three former senior White House officials told activists, donors, elected officials and legal experts they were ready with an elaborate campaign plan after Mr. Obama names his choice. The presidents decision is expected this week and could come as early as Tuesday.

Armed with public polling data, Mr. Simas said on the call that the Republicans refusal to consider the presidents nominee was untenable and was opposed by two-thirds of the public. He said the White House message would be far more effective once Mr. Obama had chosen a nominee with impeccable credentials, according to people who dialed in, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the details of a confidential call.
CLEVELAND  The vulnerabilities of the leading presidential candidates were laid bare on Monday as rivals sought to portray Hillary Clinton as being at odds with the white working class and Donald J. Trump as a misogynist who did not deserve the support of women in the five states that vote on Tuesday.

The chorus of anyone-but-Trump from Republicans reached a roar as voters prepared to go to the polls in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Florida. Our Principles PAC, a group created to try to stop Mr. Trumps bid, released a scathing one-minute ad that shows women repeating some of his descriptions of women, including bimbo, dog and fat pig.

This is how Donald Trump talks about our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, they say.

Mrs. Clinton, who has struggled to connect to white working-class voters in the pivotal Midwestern states, faced intense criticism over comments she made in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday. Were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, she said, in explaining her plan to create clean energy jobs.

America Rising, an anti-Clinton super PAC, said the comment showed a brazen disregard for the men and women who help power America. A spokesman for Mrs. Clinton said the comments, which she made while discussing her plan to bring jobs back to coal country, were misconstrued.
The Obama administration is expected to withdraw its plan to permit oil and gas drilling off the southeast Atlantic coast, yielding to an outpouring of opposition from coastal communities from Virginia to Georgia but dashing the hopes and expectations of many of those states top leaders.

The announcement by the Interior Department, which is seen as surprising, could come as soon as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the decision who was not authorized to speak on the record because the plan had not been publicly disclosed.

The decision represents a reversal of President Obamas previous offshore drilling plans, and comes as he is trying to build an ambitious environmental legacy. It could also inject the issue into the 2016 presidential campaigns, as Republican candidates vow to expand drilling.

In January 2015, Mr. Obama drew the wrath of environmentalists and high praise from the oil industry and Southeastern governors after the Interior Department put forth a proposal that would have opened much of the southeastern Atlantic coast to offshore drilling for the first time.
WASHINGTON  A striking fact about post-9/11 life is that Americans can wake up and discover that they are already at war with yet another Islamist group in yet another part of the world  based not on congressional debate but on an executive branch decision that the group is sufficiently linked to Al Qaeda.

So last week, when the Pentagon announced that an American airstrike on a Shabab training camp in Somalia had killed about 150 people it said were low-level fighters preparing to attack peacekeeping forces, it raised a crucial question: Is the United States now at war with the Shabab, too?

The short answer, several officials said, is no. But there turned out to be a twist that illustrates how the fight against terrorism keeps eroding limits on presidential war-making powers. The Obama administration thinks that the Authorization for Use of Military Force against the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, or A.U.M.F., enacted by Congress, covered the attack last week  a claim legal scholars described as novel and worthy of attention.

First, some context. Over time, the executive branch has stretched the nearly 15-year-old authorization by Congress to justify military actions far from Afghanistan and against foes other than Al Qaeda and the Taliban. It has done so by deeming other groups to be part of or associated forces with Al Qaeda, including the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Syria-based Nusra Front, and the Islamic State, a former Qaeda affiliate in Iraq that Al Qaeda excommunicated.
WASHINGTON  A top Saudi intelligence chief said on Monday that President Obama failed to appreciate all that the kingdom has done to stabilize the Middle East, fight terrorism and support American priorities, hitting back after the president called Middle Eastern governments free riders on U.S. initiatives.

You accuse us of fomenting sectarian strife in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, Turki al-Faisal, a Saudi prince and former ambassador to the United States and Britain, wrote in an open letter published Monday in the English-language Arab News. You add insult to injury by telling us to share our world with Iran, a country that you describe as a supporter of terrorism.

Prince Turkis letter was a response to comments Mr. Obama made in a much-discussed interview with The Atlantic magazine in which Mr. Obama referred to the Saudis and other allies as free riders who push the United States to act but contribute little themselves.

Mr. Obama has long been cooler toward the Saudis and other Arab allies than his predecessor, but his willingness to forcefully criticize them stunned many in Washingtons foreign policy establishment.
PEORIA, Ill.  Senator Ted Cruz, who rode a wave of voter fury to Tea Party stardom and once called the Republican majority leader a liar on the Senate floor, has begun appealing to our better angels.

Less than three years after colleagues accused him of misleading his own supporters about the efficacy of a government shutdown, Mr. Cruz recently scolded Donald J. Trump for taking advantage of low-information voters.

And while some of his allies took delight in Mr. Cruzs lack of endorsements from fellow senators, arguing that this solidified his standing as a Washington outsider, he has begun openly courting establishment figures with a practical pitch: I am your last, best hope.

Come on in, Mr. Cruz told a crowd of thousands on Sunday in North Carolina, inviting supporters of other candidates to join him. The waters fine.
A white former state trooper pleaded guilty Monday to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in the 2014 shooting of an unarmed black driver seconds after a traffic stop outside Columbia. The ex-trooper, Sean Groubert, faces up to 20 years in prison in the wounding of Levar Jones. The shooting was captured on video from the troopers patrol car. It shows Mr. Groubert pulling up to Mr. Jones without his siren on for a seatbelt violation. Both men get out of their cars at a convenience store, and the trooper asks Mr. Jones for his license. Mr. Jones said he had taken off his seatbelt because he was stopping at the store. The video shows Mr. Jones turning and reaching back into his car, and Mr. Groubert shouts: Get out of the car,! Get out of the car! He begins firing and unloads a third shot as Mr. Jones staggers away, backing up with his hands raised, and then a fourth. Mr. Joness wallet can be seen flying out of his hands. In his statement, though, Mr. Groubert said, The subject was highly aggressive and belligerent and ready to attack me from the second I initiated the traffic stop. The trooper was fired.
Investigators have found the remains of four people presumed to be among 21 gold miners missing more than a week in Venezuelas southern jungle, the nations chief prosecutor said on Monday. The prosecutor, Luisa Ortega, told a local television station that four bodies had been exhumed so far. Were convinced, after a technically and scientifically rigorous investigation, that in total 21 people disappeared, she said. We are still determining the motive of the massacre, she added. She was the first official to use that word. The killings took place near Tumerero, in Bolivar State, with some witnesses cited by local media, relatives and politicians as saying that a gang fatally shot the miners on March 4. The case has shaken Venezuela, already plagued by soaring crime and one of the worlds highest murder rates.
SEOUL, South Korea  The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, said his country would soon conduct another nuclear test and also flight-test ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the countrys state-run news media reported Tuesday.

If Mr. Kim follows through with those threats, that would mean North Korea was readying its fifth nuclear test and was preparing to conduct more missile launchings in defiance of the sanctions resolution the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted this month against the country.

Mr. Kim declared that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, the Norths official Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday.

Mr. Kim made the comments while observing officials conducting a simulation test of re-entry technology, the news agency said. The technology is needed for a warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile to survive heat and turbulence while plunging through the atmosphere toward its target.
Le Petit Cambodge, a Paris restaurant that was the site of one of the Islamic State attacks that killed 130 people last November, reopened on Monday night, almost four months to the day since the assaults that terrorized the city. The floor-to-ceiling windows, shattered by bullets, have been replaced. And though the restaurant  in the 10th Arrondissement  has been entirely refurbished, it seemed almost indistinguishable from before, with long wooden benches and stools with minimalist decor to match. The only addition is a small mosaic placed on the back wall in memory of the victims. Within an hour, Le Petit Cambodge was full.
A senior Islamic State militant whom the United States military tried to kill in an airstrike in Syria last week has died of his wounds, according to a senior Pentagon official.

The militant, Omar al-Shishani, was the Islamic States minister of war, according to the Pentagon. The name was an Arab pseudonym for Omar the Chechen, though he was a Georgian national.

The airstrike occurred March 4 near the Syrian city of Shaddadi, where he had gone to bolster Islamic State fighters after a series of strategic defeats to local forces that are being supported by the United States, the Pentagon said last Tuesday in a statement that announced the airstrike.

At the time, the Pentagon said it was still assessing whether he had been killed. Soon after the strike, jihadists claimed on social media that Mr. Shishani had been wounded, but survived the attack. The senior Pentagon official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential intelligence assessments, said Monday that the United States had confirmed Mr. Shishanis death, but declined to say precisely when he died or how American spy agencies knew that.
ROME  The Torlonia familys collection of ancient marble sculptures has long been the stuff of legend for art historians and archaeologists.

Hidden away in three large rooms in one of the aristocratic familys many Roman properties, the collection of over 600 marble, bronze and alabaster statues and reliefs has not been seen by outsiders for decades. Over the years, efforts by the Italian government to reach an agreement with the family to display or sell the works have been unsuccessful.

Until now.

On Tuesday representatives of the Culture Ministry signed an accord here with the Torlonia Foundation, a nonprofit organization that administers the familys assets, to display the works in public, starting with a show of at least 60 Greek and Roman statues in Rome.

The public display of the works has always been in the intent of the family, said Alessandro Poma Murialdo, the administrator of the Torlonia Foundation and the chief executive of Banca del Fucino, the Torlonia family bank. The collection is the patrimony of humanity, as well as of the family.
Like some presidential campaigns, the Criminal Minds television franchise is built on fear. In the original show (now in its 11th season), murderous psychos are everywhere in America, waiting to turn your home into an abattoir or torture chamber. In the new spinoff, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (starting on Wednesday on CBS), murderous psychos are everywhere Americans travel around the world, waiting to sell them into slavery or steal their kidneys.

Beyond Borders (the second Criminal Minds spinoff after the short-lived Suspect Behavior) is, like the original, unapologetically formulaic; the shows are among the most rigidly formatted dramas on TV. Innocents are snatched or killed before the opening credits, a team of F.B.I. profilers takes its federal jet to the scene, a relationship (tense or collegial) is established with local law enforcement, and a profile of the psycho-perp is delivered in singsong fashion to a roomful of cops. Eventually the perp  the unsub, for unknown subject  is taken down, but usually not before hes killed a few more people in gruesome fashion.

The new show deviates from the formula in small ways. Because the crime scenes are farther away, the jet is bigger. The team, on the other hand, is slimmed down, just five agents rather than the seven on the parent show. Gary Sinise, who has experience in franchise extension from his nine seasons on CSI: New York, once again subjects himself to the blueprint to play the team leader, Jack Garrett. In the first two episodes, he combines a desire to avoid bloodshed with grim efficiency at the pistol range.
AUSTIN, Tex.  Monday was a good day for Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg at South by Southwest. The creative duo (The Interview, This Is the End,) presented two long-gestating projects at the festival, though they could hardly have been more different in format and style: the pilot for the new AMC series Preacher and the bawdy animated film comedy Sausage Party.

Preacher is based on the comic book series created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, about a small-town minister with supernatural gifts. Mr. Rogen, Mr. Goldberg and Sam Catlin developed it into a series with Dominic Cooper (Agent Carter) in the starring role.

Image Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen at the South by Southwest film festival. Credit... Jack Plunkett/Invision, via Jack Plunkett/Invision/Ap

The screening at the Paramount Theater, the film festivals largest venue, drew a robust audience that reacted enthusiastically to the shows mix of mystery, drama and energetic, sometimes over-the-top, action. (The pilot includes at least one death-by-corn-cob.)
LONDON  Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Tuesday that it had hired Fredrik Reinfeldt, the former prime minister of Sweden, as a senior adviser for its business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Mr. Reinfeldt served as prime minister of Sweden from 2006 and 2014 and was president of the European Council in 2009.

Fredrik Reinfeldt has been one of Europes most highly respected politicians in recent years, Johan Lustig, the head of Nordic corporate and investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said in a news release. He will bring unique insight to our clients and colleagues and I look forward to working with him closely as we continue the development of our successful EMEA business.

Mr. Reinfeldt is the latest in a series of former elected officials to join an investment bank following their time in office.
HONG KONG  The Australian port operator Qube has teamed up with a competing bidder and other partners to buy the port and rail operator Asciano for about $6.8 billion.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, a Toronto-based investment firm that was previously competing with Qube, is now part of a consortium offering 9.15 Australian dollars, or $6.90, a share for Asciano for a total of about 9 billion dollars. Asciano shares closed 1.4 percent higher on Tuesday, at 8.99 dollars.

Ascianos board has recommended the deal to its shareholders, and the transaction is expected to be completed by June. The deal brings an end to several months of tussling over Asciano, which agreed in August to be bought by Brookfield but received a competing bid from Qube in January.

Under the terms of the deal, various parts of Asciano would be acquired by different members of the consortium. Qube, Brookfield Infrastructure, the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, the Qatar Investment Authority and GIC, a Singapore sovereign wealth fund, would create a joint venture to acquire Ascianos Patrick Container Terminals business. The same group, minus Qube, would buy the business that provides port services for bulk freight and the automotive industry.
LONDON  Societe Generale said on Tuesday that it had agreed to acquire the British and Channel Islands wealth management businesses of the BHF Kleinwort Benson Group from the French financial services company Oddo & Cie.

Societe Generale, one of Frances largest banks, said it planned to merge the Kleinwort Benson units with its Hambros private banking business in Britain and the Channel Islands, combining two of the oldest names in banking in those markets.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

This acquisition will bring together two of the most recognized names in private banking, with shared values and a shared heritage in the U.K. and Channel Islands established through their deep-rooted history here, Jean-Francois Mazaud, the leader of Societe Generale Private Banking, said in a news release. It will enable us to leverage on the expertise and strengths of the teams from each business to better serve our clients through the creation of a distinctive industry leader in wealth management.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to have no significant financial impact on Societe Generale, the bank said.
WASHINGTON  The Senate will grapple this week with perhaps the most contentious issue in the food industry: whether the government should require mandatory labeling on foods containing genetically engineered ingredients.

On Wednesday, the Senate is set to vote on a measure that would create voluntary national standards for labeling food with genetically modified ingredients. The bill would prevent states from mandating labels just before Vermont was set to become the first in the nation to impose such requirements.

But the measure most likely lacks sufficient support from Democrats, most of whom would like to see a mandatory labeling program that offers food manufacturers different options for presenting the information, including a simple symbol. That means the legislation will almost certainly have to be revised.

Voluntary standards are no standards at all, said Senator Jon Tester, Democrat of Montana and an organic farmer. We need to defeat this bill, he added. This is bad, bad, bad policy.
PITTSBURGH  It hits you as soon as you get to town.

Theres the purple-haired free spirit at the Ace Hotel who gives you the lowdown on outlaw poetry gatherings and killer pizza. There are the art kids offering tips at the Andy Warhol Museum, and the tyro entrepreneurs strategizing over cocktails at the Tender Bar & Kitchen in Lawrenceville, the neighborhood along the Allegheny River that is shifting from a desolate zone where your laptop might get stolen to the place where butcher paper in the windows signifies a bumper crop of new restaurants. Theres the 25-year-old Uber driver who shoots you a crucial heads-up: The best bartender in the world is working tonight.

Everybody seems so young. And everybodys talking about restaurants. If there are scholars who hope to study how a vibrant food culture can help radically transform an American city, the time to do that is right now, in real time, in the place that gave us Heinz ketchup.

In December, Zagat named Pittsburgh the No. 1 food city in America. Vogue just went live with a piece that proclaimed, Pittsburgh is not just a happening place to visit  increasingly, people, especially New Yorkers, are toying with the idea of moving here.

Kelly Sawdon, an executive with the Ace chain, said the company spent years trying to raise money to convert a torn-and-frayed Y.M.C.A. into a hip hotel because the energy of the city suggested a blossoming marketplace. Food, she said, has been the catalyst.
The federal government has lagged the states in its response to the opioid epidemic. Many have already set out rules for doctors to follow, as have some professional medical societies. So proponents of national guidelines applauded their release, which they said was overdue.

This is the first time the federal government is communicating clearly to the medical community that long-term use for common conditions is inappropriate, said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, the head of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing. Its one of the most significant interventions by the federal government.

Although the federal guidelines are nonbinding, they are important because they are now the broadest blueprint in place addressing opioids use. Some observers said doctors, fearing lawsuits, would reflexively follow them, and insurance companies could begin to use them to determine reimbursement.

These will not be seen as voluntary, said Myra Christopher, the director of the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy, a coalition of medical and patient advocacy groups focused on chronic pain care that had opposed the guidelines. These will become the definition of the standard of care, because of the clout of the Centers for Disease Control.

The guidelines recommend what many addiction experts have long called for: that doctors first try ibuprofen and aspirin to treat pain, and that opioid treatment for short-term pain last for three days, and rarely longer than seven. That is far less than current practice, in which patients are often given two weeks or a months worth of pills.

The recommendations are meant for primary care doctors, who prescribe about half of all opioids but often have little training in how to use them. They call for patients to be urine tested before getting prescriptions and for doctors to check prescription tracking systems to make sure patients are not secretly getting medicine somewhere else. They do not apply to prescriptions for patients receiving cancer or end-of-life treatment, or to patients who have had surgery.
If you didnt know that the continual explosions heard in Asghar Farhadis film Fireworks Wednesday were the sounds of firecrackers and cherry bombs celebrating the Persian New Year in the streets of Tehran, they could easily be mistaken for deadly wartime explosions in a city under siege. And in a way they are.

The holiday, a time of spring cleaning and dressing up in new clothes for family reunions, is the backdrop for this incisive 2006 film by Mr. Farhadi, the Iranian director who achieved international recognition with A Separation.

People set off fireworks and make bonfires in the streets. As dusk falls, the racket intensifies. The celebrations, which suggest a combination of Halloween and the Fourth of July, but without masks, costumes or political pageantry, grow more chaotic and fraught with danger. A lone woman walking home is rattled when boys on a motorbike toss explosive noisemakers in her path.

In the film, the festival is a reflection of the troubled marriage of an affluent middle-aged couple and, by extension, a larger battleground in an undeclared war of attrition between the sexes and the classes. Iranian society may be a traditional patriarchy, but at least in the sophisticated precincts of Tehran, its capital city, wives often call the shots, and husbands tremble in fear of their rage. As with Mr. Farhadis other films, every detail of speech and body language resonates.
Until it delivers an eye-rolling scene near the end, Miracles From Heaven is an unexpectedly effective tear-jerker. More surprising still, that late diversion doesnt negate much of the movies early sincerity.

Miracles From Heaven is based on the incredible true story of the Beam family. Anna (Kylie Rogers), the middle child of three daughters of Christy (Jennifer Garner) and Kevin (Martin Henderson), begins experiencing pain that worsens until the cause  a rare and potentially fatal intestinal disorder  is diagnosed.

Christy proves to be a determined mother, flying with Anna from their Texas home to implore a specialist in Boston to treat the girl. Yet despite Christys Christian faith  the opening of the movie shows the Beams preparing for church  she begins to doubt God as Annas condition worsens.

Adapted by Randy Brown from Christy Beams memoir, the film, directed by Patricia Riggen, focuses much more on the familys love and sacrifices than on its specific creed. Even scenes set in a church look to uplift viewers rather than convert them. The stresses of parenthood and illness are the main emphasis here, and if the film follows the formula of an inoffensive Lifetime movie, that works well enough to keep the tale perfectly watchable.
LINDEN, N.J.  Gov. Chris Christie tried to refocus his attention on New Jersey on Tuesday amid criticism that he was campaigning for Donald J. Trump the day before instead of attending a state troopers funeral.

Mr. Christie, a Republican, said he had not planned to attend the troopers funeral even if he was in the state. In a news conference at a warehouse here, he said that he would have attended a groundbreaking in Essex County had he not been with Mr. Trump.

The governor found himself in the unflattering national political spotlight for the second time since endorsing Mr. Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner.

The cover of The Daily News on Tuesday showed the governor next to a headline, Chris Dead Cop Diss. Mr. Christie sent Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno on Monday to the funeral for Trooper Sean Cullen, who died after being struck by a driver as he responded to a car fire. Mr. Christie in the meantime campaigned with Mr. Trump in Florida and North Carolina.
After years of emotional legal wrangling, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a member of a violent drug gang who killed two undercover detectives on Staten Island more than a decade ago will not face the death penalty.

Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of Federal District Court in Brooklyn wrote in a decision marked by notes of hesitation that the gang member, Ronell Wilson, was ineligible for execution because he was considered to be intellectually disabled under a relatively recent Supreme Court ruling.

Mr. Wilson, 33, was convicted in 2006 of shooting Detectives Rodney J. Andrews and James V. Nemorin at point-blank range during a sting operation to buy guns in 2003. In 2007, a jury sentenced Mr. Wilson to death by lethal injection, but that decision was set aside three years later by a federal appellate panel, which found that a prosecutor had violated Mr. Wilsons right not to testify by telling jurors that if Mr. Wilson had felt remorse, he would have taken the stand.

Because of the brutal nature of the killings, which was never questioned by the appellate panel, the United States attorneys office for the Eastern District of New York decided again in 2010 to seek the death penalty against Mr. Wilson and, again, it was successful.
Berlin  ON Sunday, roughly nine million Germans cast their votes in three state elections. On the surface, the far right did well: The populist Alternative for Germany Party, the most outspoken opponent of Chancellor Angela Merkels course in the refugee and migration crisis, made significant gains in all three states. In Saxony-Anhalt, in the East, the party came in second, just 5 percentage points behind Ms. Merkels Christian Democrats and 14 points ahead of her coalition partner, the Social Democrats. Even in the West, traditionally more immune to all things that reek of radicalism, the party came in third.

Still, this is no clear victory, nor a clear defeat for Ms. Merkels policy in the migration crisis: Ms. Merkels allies did well in the two Western states, Baden-Wurttemberg and Rhineland Palatinate. It is, however, a clear victory for anger. And that is an important lesson for German policy makers.

Election-day exit polls showed an increasing fragmentation of the electorate, with a brittle center, strongly polarized opinions and new voices entering the conversation. This is not the sort of politics were used to. As one poll showed, the A.f.D., as its called, gathered a good chunk of its votes from first-time or infrequent voters. In all three federal states, participation in the elections rose. About two-thirds of those who voted for the far-right populists said they were angry with the established parties.

And yet as many have stressed, the success of the A.f.D., and its accompanying polarization, do not necessarily indicate an epochal drift of German society toward the far right. The results express a state of fear and exasperation in German society: It is an emotional reaction, rather than one grounded in political reasoning.
To the Editor:

Tensions on the Rise in Techs Capital City (front page, March 9) ignores the major causes of our high cost of living as well as the efforts of San Franciscans to address the problem, while giving voice to those who blame tech workers for a shortage not of our making (I work in the industry).

The cost of housing is out of control, in part because of record job creation, but also because housing construction in the city and the region has failed to meet demand. With thousands of jobs being added every month in San Francisco alone, housing construction is shockingly sluggish, with only 3,500 new units added in 2015.

It is no surprise that costs are up and that residents are being driven out. The good news is that a new wave of pro-housing advocacy has begun.

For the first time in years, people across the Bay Area  including homeowners whose property values would go up if they did nothing  are standing up to those who would preserve the shortage for their own benefit and advocating for new housing.
Each time I visit Mumbai, I make a pilgrimage to an old five-story building with crumbling balconies on Nepean Sea Road. Its where I lived during the 60s and 70s  the first two decades of my life. I went back a few weeks ago. Standing outside, I thought about the diverse, cosmopolitan city I knew, and how it has changed.

We lived in a single room. Our flat was shared by four families: We were Hindu, the other three Muslim. Our landlord, who lived in the room next to ours, had a kitchen in common with us; down the hall were two communal toilets. Muslim families lived on the two floors above us, but the top floor family was Hindu, as were the shopkeepers below.

Our differing religions almost never caused friction. Once in a while, my mother might complain about the smell of beef being cooked by the landlady. Wed occasionally grill tiny pork sausages over the toaster in our room, in secret retaliation. Usually, though, religion came up only in the context of festivals: The neighbors gave us fresh meat each time they slaughtered a lamb for Eid; we invited their children to light firecrackers with us to celebrate Diwali.

Which is not to say we lived in blissful harmony. There were frequent (often spectacular) altercations  over kitchen counter space, the limited water supply in the flats storage tanks, a common electricity bill, a shared doorbell. Surprises left unflushed in the toilets elicited particular rancor. Ashamed, I never invited classmates over.
To the Editor:

In Quiet Support for Saudis Entangles U.S. in Yemen (Secrets of the Kingdom series, front page, March 14), Robert Malley, the Obama administration official in charge of Middle East policy, endorses the United States backing of Saudi Arabia in its armed conflict in Yemen but says this is not our war.

But American support for the Saudi-led coalition, including by providing targeting assistance and air refueling of coalition warplanes, makes the United States a party to the conflict in Yemen under international law. This obligates Washington to investigate coalition airstrikes that may be war crimes for which American forces may be liable.

Given the coalitions repeated unlawful attacks in Yemen over the last year, which Human Rights Watch and others have documented, the United States should cease selling bombs to Saudi Arabia or risk complicity in civilian deaths.

JAMES ROSS

Legal and Policy Director

Human Rights Watch

New York
So far, Ms. Rousseff has remained on the sidelines, but she is the one to watch. Over the past several weeks, the inquiry has gotten dangerously close to the president. She has let it run without interference. The danger is that now, with the investigation tugging at the bases of Brazils power structures, she will be tempted to step in.

Ms. Rousseff has reasons to worry. As Mr. da Silvas appointee, she was chairwoman of the board of directors at Petrobras, the center of this web of corruption. Key figures in her inner circle are toppling and could take her down with them.

The strategist behind her two successful presidential campaigns was taken into custody last month on suspicion of having received funds siphoned from the oil company into an offshore account. The Brazilian media reported recently that the former Workers Party Senate leader, who was arrested in November and charged with trying to obstruct the investigation, will denounce Mr. da Silva and Ms. Rousseff as part of a plea deal. While the effort to impeach the president on separate charges of using accounting shenanigans to cover up government overspending might be losing steam in Congress, a separate inquiry into her campaign financing could lead the judiciary to remove her from office.

As the investigators close in, some observers believe she may finally be tempted to try to impede their efforts. The recent resignation of the minister of justice, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, is one reason to worry. The Federal Police are autonomous, but under the purview of the Justice Ministry. Mr. Cardozo said that as investigators cornered political allies, he came under pressure for not controlling the police like he should. His departure raised concerns about the Federal Polices integrity and fears that the forces chief could be replaced with someone more pliant.

This is not the moment for Ms. Rousseff to falter. Her governments credibility, among Brazilians and abroad, has been severely damaged. The president has a 35 percent chance of remaining in power until the end of her term in 2018, according to Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy.
Researchers say they participate in the process in large part because the imprimatur of highly selective journals like Science, Nature and Cell has come to be viewed as a proxy for quality science. Like a degree from certain colleges, a study in an elite journal can be a passport to jobs, funding and promotions.

While several influential journals, including Science and Nature, have a stated policy of treating preprints on an equal footing with papers that have not been posted elsewhere, few biologists have chosen an option they fear will handicap already slim prospects of acceptance. Some journals have a policy of not considering preprints. And others, like Cell, say prospective authors who wish to post preprints must ask first.

Anne Carpenter, a computational biologist affiliated with the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard said that she thinks that many young scientists prefer sticking with high-profile journals because the alternative just seems to too risky.
SAN FRANCISCO  Apple on Tuesday emphasized its opposition to a court order requiring it to help unlock an iPhone for law enforcement purposes, saying in a new legal brief that the governments methods for achieving its objectives are contrary to the rule of law, the democratic process and the rights of the American people.

The companys argument quickly drew a response from the Justice Department, which upbraided Apple for trying to stand above the law. The Constitution and the three branches of the federal government should be entrusted to strike the balance between each citizens right to privacy, a Justice Department spokeswoman, Emily Pierce, said in a statement. The Constitution and the laws of the United States do not vest that power in a single corporation.

The latest volleys between Apple and the Justice Department represent a final cementing of positions in a case that has pitted the worlds largest company against the government, which wants to extract data from an iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attack last December. Apple has refused to comply with the order and its filing on Tuesday was the last before a crucial hearing in the case, which is scheduled for March 22 before Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym of the Federal District Court for the Central District of California.

The case has set off a fierce debate over privacy and security, with heated arguments between Apple and the government. Apple has contended that the court order could have grave consequences for digital security and privacy. The Justice Department has said Apples inability to get into its smartphones has created a system tailor-made for criminals.
The violence at Holman came days before a State Senate committee was to consider Mr. Bentleys proposal that Alabama issue up to $800 million in bonds to build four new prisons and close many existing ones. Each of the three prisons for men would house at least 3,500 inmates. The fourth compound would replace the states womens prisons, including the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women, the subject of a 2015 settlement between Alabama and the Department of Justice after investigators found evidence of widespread sexual abuse.

Although Republicans control the Legislature, Mr. Bentleys prisons plan has hardly zipped through the State House, where lobbyists for the construction industry have expressed concerns that the work would go to out-of-state firms. Other critics have questioned the governors assertions that the project would save the state money over the long term. On Tuesday morning, State Senator Greg Albritton, who represents this area, stood a few feet away from Mr. Bentley and would not commit to voting for the governors proposal.

The plans detractors have also voiced pointed questions about their fears that Alabama officials have devised an expensive, high-profile strategy that would do little to change the culture of the states prisons.

I dont think the problem has anything to do with the physical state of these prisons, said Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based group that has criticized and sued the state over its prisons. There are some reforms that are needed there, but if we think that building supermax prisons is going to solve the problems that we have, we are really being delusional.

Mr. Stevenson, who condemned Holman as one of the Deep Souths plantation prisons that have long, difficult, ugly histories of abuse and isolation, added, We have done just horrific things to the culture and climate in these prisons, so were going to have to have a complete reorientation.
CHICAGO  Three police officers were wounded Monday night in an exchange of gunfire that left their assailant dead, said John J. Escalante, this citys interim police superintendent.

Mr. Escalante said the officers, who are all department veterans assigned to a tactical unit on the West Side, were expected to survive.

The gunfire started about 9:40 p.m. when the officers, who were conducting a narcotics investigation, approached two people, a man and a woman, whom they considered suspicious, Mr. Escalante said in a news briefing that was recorded and posted to Twitter by a Chicago Tribune reporter.

The officers announced themselves and planned to interview the two, Mr. Escalante said, but at that point the male subject produced a handgun and immediately began firing at the officers.
WASHINGTON  Members of a congressional oversight committee excoriated a former Environmental Protection Agency official on Tuesday for not responding more forcefully when she learned last year that Flint, Mich., was not adding a chemical to its new water supply that would have prevented the citys pipes from corroding and leaching lead.

The former official, Susan Hedman, testified that limited enforcement options had kept her from acting more aggressively to order corrosion control, saying, I dont think E.P.A. did anything wrong, but I do believe we could have done more. But committee members from both parties reacted furiously to her explanation, casting Ms. Hedman, who resigned in January as director of the E.P.A. regional office in charge of Michigan, as one of the primary villains in Flints water crisis and heaping contempt on her for more than four hours.

Theres a special place in hell for actions like this, said Representative Earl L. Carter, a Georgia Republican known as Buddy, referring to the fact that for months after Ms. Hedman learned about the lack of corrosion control in Flint, neither the E.P.A. nor any other governmental agency warned residents that their water was unsafe.

The hearing was the first time that several prominent figures in the water crisis  Ms. Hedman; Darnell Earley, the state-appointed emergency manager of Flint at the time of the water switch; and Dayne Walling, the citys former mayor  had testified publicly about their roles.
WASHINGTON  President Obama said on Tuesday that the violent scenes playing out at rallies for Donald J. Trump threatened to tarnish the American brand, and he called on politicians in both parties to reject them.

Speaking at the Capitol for the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon with lawmakers, Mr. Obama did not mention Mr. Trump by name, but he criticized the protesters who have interrupted the candidates campaign events and the violent response from Mr. Trumps supporters.

Violence has broken out at Trump rallies in Chicago, North Carolina and Ohio as protesters increasingly seek to disrupt the events.

On Friday, Mr. Trump canceled a rally in Chicago, sending thousands of people home, after his supporters clashed with protesters at an arena there.
If Mr. Trump dispatches Ohios two-term governor and Floridas young senator, it would suggest that he is close to wresting the Republican nomination. And that would quickly force other elected Republicans there to decide how tightly they want to embrace a candidate who, even with his victories in the primary, could prove repellent to the sort of up-for-grabs voters most coveted in these pre-eminent swing states. This calculation could also prove consequential in the Senate campaign, as both states have Republican-held seats at stake that could determine the balance of power in that chamber.

Even as Ohios economy has recovered since the Great Recession, manufacturing jobs have continued to vanish. Should Mr. Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the Democratic side win Ohio, it will be in part because of their ferocious assault on the United States international trade agreements  a line of attack that also lifted them in Michigan. The economic conditions in the state have undermined support for free trade among voters and leaders in both parties. That augurs for a general election where the eventual party nominees will confront immense pressure to abandon the bipartisan free-trade consensus that has shaped every modern presidential administration.

Forget them not

Illinois and Missouri have a lot in common (besides being Midwestern states that share the Mississippi River). Both have been obscured by the action in Florida and Ohio, which are winner-take-all contests for Republicans and elimination races for Mr. Kasich and Mr. Rubio.

But Illinois and Missouri, which allocate a handful of delegates to the statewide winner and the rest to the top vote-getter in each of their congressional districts, could be just as important. If Mr. Trump overwhelms his competition in each, capturing every congressional district, he could effectively turn them into winner-take-all states.

But Mr. Kasich has aggressively campaigned in the Chicago area, and Mr. Cruz has stumped in nearly every corner of both the states. If together they can win a substantial number of the combined 26 congressional districts in both contests, it would limit Mr. Trumps haul and mitigate the impact of his winning Florida, Ohio or both.
WASHINGTON  The easiest way to gain entry into the United States is not to walk across the border in the dead of night. It is to write a check.

A visa process enacted by Congress in 1990 to create jobs and pump billions of dollars into the economy has evolved into a program that federal investigators and some prominent lawmakers say has become a risk to national security and an easy mark for abuse, particularly from China.

The program, called EB-5, allows wealthy foreign investors, for a price ranging from $500,000 to more than $1 million, to put themselves on a path to United States citizenship. The money must be used to finance a business in this country and eventually employ  directly or indirectly  at least 10 American workers in economically depressed areas.

But EB-5 has been the subject of increasing scrutiny since investigators uncovered numerous cases of fraud, discovered individuals with possible ties to Chinese and Iranian intelligence using fake documents and learned that international fugitives who have laundered money had infiltrated the program.
With the carnage left behind, the attacks are pummeling the economy and psyche of the region. Tourism is declining, hurting hotels that are already spending more on security. Governments worry that it will be harder to lure international companies, and organizations based in nations that have been hit are finding recruiting difficult.

American defense officials worry that the groups push into new areas could have far-reaching ramifications.

If the authorities chase the militants south, they risk letting up on patrols in the northern part of Mali. That stretch of sparsely populated desert, lined by lightly controlled borders, could become a new haven for the thousands of fighters with the Islamic State in Libya. The Islamic State appears to be pushing south, too, according to American military experts on counterterrorism in Africa.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has had international ambitions since the central leadership of Al Qaeda bestowed member status on it in 2006. The group showed its muscle in 2007 with a major attack on a United Nations compound in Algiers. Then, in 2012, its militants helped take control of roughly 300,000 square miles of terrain in northern Mali.

Among the groups most notorious figures is Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a one-eyed Algerian operative who has endeared himself to locals by setting up medical clinics and helping with livestock. Mr. Belmokhtar has been targeted in strikes and rumored to be dead, but many analysts believe he is alive. He has sometimes argued with the leadership of Al Qaeda and its West African branch, resulting in a series of mergers and splits, including the creation of groups loyal to him.

After French troops swooped in to beat back the militants in Mali, Mr. Belmokhtar struck back in devastating fashion. He branched out with a new group, Al Mourabitoun, and seized more than 600 employees of a gas plant in Algeria, killing 38 people.
MONROVIA, Liberia  Under the parching Liberian sun, men with jerrycans jockeyed for a prime position in front of a single faucet.

The main reservoir in West Point, the largest slum in Monrovia, had dried up several days before, as had the income of the towns water carriers. But on a recent morning, water began to drizzle from the tap, and tempers were fraying.

Draw your water and move from here! one man yelled.

You always want to be first! said Adolphus Darwon, who has been carrying water in West Point for 20 years. I havent drawn one gallon yet.

Mr. Darwon, 41, furrowed his brow.

Born and raised in West Point, a seaside slum with an estimated 75,000 residents, Mr. Darwon spends his days pushing wheelbarrows through the narrow alleyways that run between rows of rusty zinc shacks.
A Canadian man was charged with seven offenses on Tuesday after he injured two soldiers with a knife at a military recruiting center in Toronto. The man, Ayanle Hassan Ali, 27, entered the center on Monday with a very large knife and attacked a soldier stationed near the door, said Torontos police chief, Mark Saunders. A second soldier was wounded trying to subdue Mr. Ali. Neither soldier was seriously injured. The police chief said that during the attack, Mr. Ali said, Allah told me to come here and kill people. Chief Saunders said the police did not know whether Mr. Ali, who was born in Montreal, was an Islamist radical.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Another district in the embattled southern province of Helmand fell to the Taliban on Tuesday, Afghan government officials said, adding important new territory to the insurgents control.

A large number of Taliban fighters attacked the government center in Khan Neshin District late Monday night, with heavy firefights continuing until 5 a.m. Tuesday, when government defenders finally fled, according to Col. Allah Dad. Colonel Dad is the commander of the Fourth Battalion of the Afghan Border Police, which was in charge of the area.

Khan Neshin became the fifth of Helmands 14 districts in which the government centers have fallen to the Taliban, mostly in recent months as a result of fighting that has continued at an intense pace through the winter. In at least two other districts, including Sangin and Kajaki, the Taliban control most of the territory except the government centers and are very active in at least four others, including part of the provincial capital. By many accounts, the insurgents control more than half of the provincial territory, and dominate much of the rest.

The Taliban advances have come despite stepped-up airstrikes by American warplanes in crucial districts, as well as involvement by American Special Operations force s on the ground. Last month, a new battalion of American soldiers, believed to number as many as 700, was sent to Helmand to provide support for Special Operations forces operating in the area, the United States military said. It was the largest new deployment of American soldiers outside a major base since the official end of the combat mission in December 2014.
A spreading scandal over the mysterious electronic theft of $81 million from Bangladeshs official account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York prompted the governor of that countrys central bank to resign Tuesday, and three of his subordinates were fired.

They were the first political casualties since the theft came to light this month, when news reports from the Philippines said unidentified hackers using official electronic bank messaging technology had diverted the money in early February. Most or all of the stolen money, one of the biggest electronic heists in history, is thought to have been transferred to accounts in the Philippines.

The Bangladesh central bank governor, Atiur Rahman, a widely respected economist, appeared to be caught by surprise, having learned of the theft only from Philippines news reports about a money-laundering investigation there. Last week he threatened to sue the New York Fed, a critical global financial gateway that holds the deposits of many foreign central banks.

The New York Fed said in a statement last Wednesday that the transfer of the money had been fully authenticated by an international financial messaging system, known as Swift, suggesting that there may have been a security breach in Bangladesh. The Fed statement said its systems had not been compromised.
DHAKA, Bangladesh  The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the murder of a Shiite preacher in southwestern Bangladesh, the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online, reported on Tuesday. But the militant groups claim was immediately disputed by the police.

In a successful security operation, soldiers of the caliphate in Bangladesh were able to assassinate the polytheist apostate Hafidh Abdul Razzaq, the Islamic State said in a statement posted online after the murder on Monday.

The killing, if true, would be the latest in a series of attacks on religious minorities and foreigners claimed in social media accounts linked to the Islamic State in Bangladesh, a majority Sunni country.

The police offered a different version of events, however, identifying the slain man as Abdur Razzaque, a homeopathic doctor, not a priest, in Jhenaidah district, about 100 miles west of Dhaka. Though he was a Muslim, the police could not say whether Mr. Razzaque was a Shiite, said Ajbahar Ali Shaikh, a police official in the district.
Hong Kong politics has not traditionally been an arena for teenagers. But in 2012, students as young as 15 turned out to protest a plan for a national education curriculum, calling it an attempt at brainwashing by Beijing in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. Then, in 2014, student-led demonstrators occupied large parts of central Hong Kong to press for greater popular participation in the election of the territorys leader. This year, teenagers as young as 14 were among those detained when a protest against what they said was the authorities crackdown on street hawkers  seen as emblematic of local culture  escalated into the worst rioting in Hong Kong in half a century.

Now, some of them, like Joshua Wong, 19, are forming their own parties to contest elections in September for a legislature that is dominated by politicians more than twice their age. Among their shared grievances are economic inequality and the slow pace of democratic change, and a concern that Hong Kong  a former British colony that was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a one country, two systems pledge that its civil liberties and way of life would be preserved for 50 years  is losing its distinctive culture and identity as integration with China moves forward.

In March 2015, the Hong Kong government appointed Lau Ming-wai, 35, as chairman of the Commission on Youth, an advisory body on youth development that also sponsors exchange trips to mainland China and internships with Chinese companies. A former employee of Goldman Sachs with a doctoral degree in law, in 2014 Mr. Lau took over as chairman of the property developer Chinese Estates Holdings from his billionaire father, Joseph Lau, who was convicted of bribery in Macau. In an interview, he discussed the roots of discontent, balancing local identity and integration with China and the most powerful way to effect political change:

Q. Why are so many young people protesting?

A. Several reasons. The short answer is that a lot of young people dont feel they are adequately represented by older politicians.

Q. What economic, social and political developments in Hong Kong of the past few years could be contributing to this?
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar  Myanmars Parliament elected a confidant of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as president on Tuesday, ending decades of leadership by the military and its allies.

U Htin Kyaw, 69, won with more than half the votes. He was considered almost certain to take the presidency after his nomination last week by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyis party, the National League for Democracy, which won majorities in both houses of Parliament in elections in the fall.

This is the good will and loving kindness of the people. This is a victory of the people. This is sister Daw Aung San Suu Kyis victory, Mr. Htin Kyaw told reporters as he left Parliament after the vote, which installed him as Myanmars ninth president and the first civilian to hold the post since 1962.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by a clause in the military-drafted Constitution that forbids people with foreign relatives from holding the office. Her two sons are British, as was her husband, who died in 1999.
OSLO  He lives in a three-room suite with windows, about 340 square feet, that includes a treadmill, a fridge, a DVD player, a Sony PlayStation and a desk with a typewriter. He has been taking distance-learning courses at his countrys main university. He has access to television, radio and newspapers. He prepares his own food, and he entered the Christmas gingerbread-house baking contest at his prison.

Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian extremist who was convicted of killing 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, returned to court on Tuesday to pursue his claim that his solitary confinement  albeit in cushy circumstances  violates his human rights.

The hearing, at which Mr. Breivik gave a Nazi-style salute, has been accompanied by a new round of grief and outrage over the attacks, the deadliest violence in Norway since World War II.

Mr. Breivik, 37, was convicted of terrorism in 2012 and sentenced to 21 years in prison, though he can be held for longer if he is deemed a threat to society.
PARIS  A police counterterrorism raid in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks turned into a chaotic shootout on Tuesday, leaving one suspect dead clutching an assault rifle, at least one other on the run, four officers wounded and an entire neighborhood in a traumatized lockdown.

A spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutors office, Eric Van Der Sijpt, said many residents of the apartment building targeted in the raid had fled. He could not say how many suspects were involved.

Confusion and conflicting reports over the number of people killed and wounded in the shootout prevailed in the hours after the raid, which started between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. in a section of Brussels known as Forest and involved both Belgian and French officers. Television coverage showed dozens of officers and police vehicles converging on the neighborhood.

Prime Minister Charles Michel said at a news conference Tuesday evening in Brussels that police operations were still continuing.
BERLIN  A Turkish man was killed Tuesday when his car exploded as he drove along a street in western Berlin.

The police said the 43-year-old victim had been investigated in connection with allegations of drug dealing, and they linked the explosion to organized crime. A spokesman for the state prosecutors office, Martin Steltner, said there was no connection to terrorism.

The police found documents in the wreckage of the car that pointed them to a Russian man, Mr. Steltner said. He said that the police were investigating whether the two men were linked, and whether the bombs intended target was the Turkish man.

Traffic around a major street leading to the citys center was shut down for several hours.
Not only that, but experts now trace a direct link between modern-day espionage and the tactics pioneered at Bletchley Park.

The techniques that are used by GCHQ against Islamic State are techniques that were created here during the Second World War, said David Kenyon, research historian at Bletchley Park.

Obviously, the specific code-breaking methods and the types of codes that were involved in the Second World War are now obsolete  you could write an iPhone app to break an enigma machine  but its not just about breaking the codes, he said. Its about all the other aspects of signals intelligence, traffic and analysis, whos calling whom and when and where from.

Modern-day spy chiefs also draw some reassuring parallels to the current situation. Last month, on a visit to Bletchley Park, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, described it as a reminder to us that even today, if we look at counterterrorism or cybersecurity  significant, massive, problems  this is a good reminder that our respective nations have dealt with massive problems before. The British-American relationship can, added Robert Hannigan, director of the Government Communications Headquarters, do fantastic things against threats today as it did 75 years ago.

Yet the place it all began, Bletchley Park  which was featured in the movie The Imitation Game  is a reminder of a different era, one in which the enemy was obvious and issues of privacy were not part of the debate.

The anniversary also has relevance because the story of Bletchley Park, with its heroic feats of wartime code breaking, helps illustrate why Britons seem more willing to trust their spies than do Europeans on the Continent. Rather than conducting surveillance on its citizens, like members of the secret services in fascist or Communist European countries, these British spies were concentrating their efforts on the Nazis.
SKOPJE, Macedonia  A day after they went around a border fence and crossed a river to Macedonia in a desperate effort to escape a tent city where they had been trapped for weeks, about 1,500 migrants were sent back to Greece on Tuesday.

The migrants had been gathered overnight by the Macedonian authorities in the village of Moin, near the border, and then returned to the Greek side.

Officials on both sides said that the migrants had been misled by unnamed people who had distributed leaflets in Arabic directing them to an unguarded point on the border about three miles west of the tent city, near the Greek village of Idomeni.

Through that opening, hundreds of migrants poured across the border, fording the Suva Reka River.

Along with those who were turned back, 600 more migrants were stopped at the border, according to the Macedonian Interior Ministry.
VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis approved sainthood on Tuesday for Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic nun known as the saint of the gutters who founded a religious order dedicated to assisting the poorest of the poor.

She will be made a saint on Sept. 4, 13 years after her beatification and 19 years after she died at age 87.

The pope cleared the way for sainthood in December by approving a second miracle attributed to her, which involved the healing of a Brazilian man who had suffered a viral brain infection that left him in a coma.

An ethnic Albanian born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, then part of the Ottoman Empire, she took her religious vows at age 21, two years after arriving in India.
DUBLIN  A prison officer who was seriously wounded when a bomb planted by a Republican splinter group partially exploded under his van in Belfast this month has died, the Northern Ireland Prison Service said on Tuesday.

Adrian Ismay, a 52-year-old father of three who was a 28-year employee of the prison service, underwent surgery for wounds to his legs after the bomb detonated as he was traveling to work at a young offenders center on March 4.

The attack was claimed by a group known as the New Irish Republican Army. After the attack, Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin, a senior police officer in Northern Ireland, said that the authorities expected further violence to coincide with the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, which Irish nationalists regard as the catalyst for the end of British rule over most of the island.

In a statement to the BBC after the attack, the New Irish Republican Army said Mr. Ismay had been targeted because he was involved in training personnel at Maghaberry Prison, a high-security facility 20 miles from Belfast that has been the site of escalating tensions between guards and dissident Republican inmates.
ISTANBUL  A woman affiliated with Kurdish militias was responsible for carrying out a suicide car bombing in Ankara over the weekend, the Turkish Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

The attacker, who struck Kizilay Square in central Ankara, the capital, on Sunday killing at least 37 people, has been identified as Seher Cagla Demir, a Turkish citizen born in 1992.

The ministry said that Ms. Demir joined the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the P.K.K., in 2013 and later crossed into Syria to receive training from Syrian Kurdish militants from the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or Y.P.G. Turkey considers both groups to be terrorist organizations.

The ministrys claim could not be independently verified. The P.K.K. has a history of attacking Turkish security forces but not civilians.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putins typically theatrical order to withdraw the bulk of Russian forces from Syria, a process that the Defense Ministry said it began on Tuesday, seemingly caught Washington, Damascus and everybody in between off guard  just the way the Russian leader likes it.

By all accounts, Mr. Putin delights at creating surprises, reinforcing Russias newfound image as a sovereign, global heavyweight and keeping him at the center of world events.

In the case of Syria, the sudden, partial withdrawal more than five months after an equally surprising intervention allows Mr. Putin to claim a list of achievements without a significant cost to Russia in blood or rubles.

If the roughly 4,000 Russian troops centered on a contingent of about 50 combat aircraft had remained in Syria, Mr. Putin risked becoming just another proxy force fighting for the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. But Mr. Putin wanted to make his mark by forging a solution in Syria, rather than lingering long enough to validate President Obamas contention that Moscow had jumped headfirst into a quagmire.
SANA, Yemen  Dozens of people were killed when warplanes from a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia bombed a restaurant and crowded market in northern Yemen shortly before noon on Tuesday, medical workers said.

Rescue workers could not give an exact count of the victims because few of the bodies were left intact, said Ali Ajlan, an administrator at one of the hospitals in the area.

An initial count turned up as many as 90 bodies, he said, making it among the deadliest airstrikes in Yemens yearlong civil war.

One leg here and a head there, said Mr. Ajlan, the assistant director of the Jamhouri hospital in Hajja Province, where the airstrikes occurred. They are still collecting.
The most comprehensive show of work by the photographer Walker Evans since the Metropolitan Museum of Arts retrospective in 2000 will open at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in June. While the photographers work has been exhibited widely and often, the South has not been exposed to an Evans show of this scope and caliber, said Brett Abbott, the Highs curator of photography. The High will be the shows only stop in the United States  something of a coup for a regional museum.

The show, Depth of Field, originated last year at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop, Germany, with the participation of John T. Hill, executor of the Evans estate, as the lead consulting curator, in collaboration with Heinz Liesbrock, director of the Josef Albers Museum, and Mr. Abbott.

A sizable number of photographs that Evans took in the 1930s in the South on assignment for the Farm Security Administration will be shown, along with his well-known photographs of tenant farmers and their families in Hale County, Ala., published in the 1941 book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, which Evans wrote with James Agee.

The curators wanted to place the Farm Security Administration material in the context of Evanss career, assembling, as well, work he made on the streets of New York and Cuba in the 1930s, his work for Fortune magazine in the 40s and 50s, and his color images from late in life. Included, too, are rarely seen portraits of his accomplished friends and colleagues, such as Lincoln Kirstein and Berenice Abbott, as well as his self-portraits. Evans claimed Eugene Atget and August Sander as his major influences, and examples of their photographs from the Highs permanent collection will be in the show.
Museums in the United States, helped by favorable tax laws, are sustained by a culture of giving by private donors and a universe of trained development officials.

That culture isnt common in other parts of the world, where governments often support museums.

It is not as ingrained as it is in the U.S., said Richard Hamilton, director of the Tate Americas Foundation, which raises money in this country for the Tate museums in England. People love leaving things to dogs and cats, but not to museums, he said.

That is changing.

Governments in Europe are cutting back their support of museums, and so these museums are adapting the American model and increasingly are turning to private citizens and corporations for donations. They are looking both to their own citizens, and to Americans who are fond of certain major European museums.

They are becoming more hip to what Americans are doing as they shift from public to private funding, said Ellena E. Fotinatos, deputy director of donor and nonprofit services at the King Baudouin Foundation United States, whose mandate is to help European and African nonprofits raise money in this country. With increased austerity in Europe, professional fund-raising is growing more focused around this area.
Even in this era of all things digital, big institutions like the Getty in Los Angeles and more regional ones, like the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, continue to produce new printed art books at an impressive rate.

That may seem logical, given that museums are committed to preserving the best of the past, even if it becomes obsolete. But todays print-based art books arent odes to the past. Instead, they deliver a sense of tactile immediacy.

I like to joke that weve started buying mysteries and romance novels as electronic books, but we still have coffee tables where we want to put our prized possessions, said Kara Kirk, publisher of Getty Publications. Its almost the fetishization of the object.
Five years ago, the collector Leonard A. Lauder decided to give the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston the bulk of his collection of European and American postcards. A vast trove of imagery, it included everything from publicity snapshots of Russian czars in rowboats to promotional pieces that Bauhaus artists designed to advertise a 1923 exhibition.

The director of the museum at the time, Malcolm A. Rogers, said that the gift was among the largest the museum had ever received, numbering more than 100,000 items. But there was another component to the donation: Mr. Lauder endowed a new position, curator of visual culture, in the institutions department of prints, drawings and photographs. Mr. Rogers appointed Benjamin Weiss, who then led interpretation in the education department.
LOS ANGELES  Of all the trips that Ruth Estevez made in preparation for her coming museum exhibition on the Argentine artist Leon Ferrari, the one that took her most out of the way  requiring a plane, a car and a rowboat  was visiting an artist in a small coastal town in the Dominican Republic. She was researching the performance history of an experimental 1967 text by Ferrari, who died in 2013, called Palabras Ajenas (The Words of Others).

A patchwork quilt of short quotations from around 120 different publications and public figures, from Lyndon B. Johnson to Pope Paul VI, this literary collage skewers what the artist viewed as a Western thirst for violence during the Vietnam War. It has been performed only twice before, in 1968 in the basement of a London home, and in 1972 in a small theater in Buenos Aires.

One problem we are having with this project, which is understandable, considering it happened almost 50 years ago and was very underground, is that we dont have any recordings, said Ms. Estevez, who runs the gallery at the nonprofit Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, known as Redcat, in Los Angeles.

Yet Ms. Estevez and her co-curator, Miguel Lopez, were able to track down Leopoldo Maler, the artist who had directed the London reading, in the Dominican Republic. And they were rewarded with some important materials, including his edited script and a stack of the original transparencies, with Letraset type that he used in London to flash onto the wall the name of each character speaking.
Spoiler: She didnt win.

Fitzpatricks next subject, Maines formidable Margaret Chase Smith, gained her seat in Congress via the widows mandate in 1940. Smith was the first woman elected to the Senate in her own right and the first to serve in both houses of Congress. She was hilariously single-minded: Dispatched in 1938 as her dying anti-interventionist husbands surrogate, Smith simply began giving speeches in opposition to him, advocating increased military spending in the lead-up to the war. Smith governed with so little regard for party line  advocating the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea and China alongside support of labor unions; sharply denouncing Joseph McCarthys Communist witch hunt from the Senate floor but supporting the McCarran Act  that one of her Republican colleagues would say, If she votes with us, it is a coincidence.

Image

For years the only woman in the Senate, Smith was forced to use the public restroom since there was no ladies room; she regularly declined White House invitations because she was never invited to bring a male companion. In one of the books loveliest details, Fitzpatrick writes of how, when Jackie Kennedy explicitly suggested that Smith might bring a date, Smith wrote to her, This is one of the most thoughtful things ever done in my 25 years in Washington. But if gendered loneliness affected Smith, she gave no sign. I ignored any discrimination, Fitzpatrick quotes Smith as saying. I never, never acknowledged it. Never.

Of Smith, who ran for the Republican nomination in 1964, Fitzpatrick writes: Surely no woman in American history before her, and few after, brought such rich and deep experience in mainstream electoral politics to a run for the presidency. Yet her run barely made a dent; born in 1897 and running in an age of youthful Kennedy enthusiasm, Smith was of another era. And then there was the Times columnist Russell Baker, musing bizarrely about the widowed Smiths first man: At every airport stop, he will have to be photographed accepting huge bouquets of roses. Women reporters will badger him for his favorite recipes and advice on child care.

Spoiler: She didnt win.

Four years after Smith became the first woman to have her name entered into nomination at her partys convention, Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress, despite The Wall Street Journals concern that sending her to the House might tend to perpetuate the matriarchal society said to prevail in the Negro slums. When she got to Washington, Chisholm was promptly appointed to the Agriculture Committee. Apparently all they know here in Washington about Brooklyn is that a tree grew there, she remarked, before objecting and getting reassigned to Veterans Affairs.

Fitzpatrick covers Chisholms frustration with sexism and bigotry from her own progressive peers, and her disappointment with some of her feminist colleagues, including her National Womens Political Caucus co-founders Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug and Gloria Steinem, all of whom offered sometimes too tepid support during her historic 1972 run for the Democratic nomination.
Government needs to fix education underfunding

15 March 2016NZEI Te Riu Roa says the Government is missing the point in its education funding review. It needs to fix the underfunding of New Zealands schools and early childhood services, right across the board.NZEI National President Louise Green says the lack of funding is the real problem that schools are facing, not the decile system.This is backed up by the findings in the latest OECD Education at a Glance 2015 report which shows that New Zealands annual expenditure per primary student is significantly below the OECD average.This doesnt surprise teachers and principals and it wont surprise parents who are increasingly being asked to dip further into their pockets as schools ask for bigger and bigger donations simply to stay afloat.Thats why the focus on the funding review must address underfunding. Playing with statistics will not fix the problem.
Absinthe. The Green Fairy. Thats the stuff that makes people crazy, right? Didnt the French Impressionist painters guzzle it by the gallon and have wild visions?

These are the kinds of questions that challenge anybody who wants to market Europes most misunderstood alcoholic creation.

Absinthe is a spirit, about 70 percent alcohol, made from fennel, anise and the bitter leaves of Artemisia absinthium, also known as wormwood.

After it rocketed to popularity in mid-19th-century Paris, absinthe became demonized and finally outlawed in many countries based on the theory that it caused absinthism. Drinking it to excess led not only to alcoholism but epilepsy, dementia and rapid death, the critics of absinthe warned.

But that heavy legacy hasnt stopped Ted Breaux. Sometimes called the father of modern absinthe, Breaux helped break the stigma to make absinthe popular again in the U.S. after 95 years of obscurity.

Raised in New Orleans, Breaux remembers absinthe as a lurking ghost throughout his youth. Id seen the famous Old Absinthe House down on Bourbon Street, but other than that I never thought much about it. (Built in 1806 and converted to a saloon in 1815, the Vieux Carre hangout attracted every thirsty celebrity from Mark Twain to Frank Sinatra.)

Breaux started out as an environmental chemist. The discovery of rare old absinthe piqued his interest in the legend that it makes those who drink it insane.

In 1996 I came across not one but two bottles of vintage absinthe, and I drew samples from those and analyzed them. They were pre-ban. I was one of the few people alive that knew what real absinthe used to taste like.

His tests were a revelation. I was looking for something harmful, something that would explain the rumors about its bad effects. (Symptoms reportedly included hallucinations, facial tics, numbness and dementia.) There was nothing wrong with it. You could put them on the shelf today and sell them. So that was the beginning of a whole paradigm shift in the understanding of absinthe. It had no narcotic quality.

Thujone, the compound suspected to cause all the problems, turned out to be a far smaller component of old absinthe than Breaux and other experts believed. So the truth about absinthe turns out to be quite pedestrian: People were simply drinking too much of it. The Green Fairy had no magical powers after all.

After his revelatory experiments, Beaux decided to get into the absinthe business. Under the label Jade Liqueurs, Breaux makes five distinctly flavored absinthes in a French distillery that was built by Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel); in the U.S. they range from $60 to $100 for a 750-ml bottle. No Corpse Reviver is complete without a touch of the stuff. Its available at bestabsinthe.com. Its also stocked at several O.C. bars, including La Cave, 25 Degrees, Marine Room Tavern, Tommy Bahamas, The Cannery, Chapter One, the Ranch and Bayside Restaurant.

Breaux jokes that his absinthe should come with an owners manual. There was a whole rush of people that came out and bought it when it first appeared in 2007. We expected that. We knew that following that, our plan was consumer education. Weve been doing that for eight years. And its helped.

Breaux stumbled onto a lucky circumstance early in his research.

The original absinthe plant was never mothballed. They still produced chartreuse and things like that in it. It was relatively unchanged; it still had all the same equipment that made absinthe back in the 1880s. Breaux was able to set up operations in the plant, in the town of Saumur in the Loire Valley.

The first year, Breaux anticipated a rush of orders, so he produced 50,000 cases. We worked all day, six days a week, he said. The absinthe craze, though blunted a bit by the recession, has come roaring back. Breaux is the first to admit his timing was very lucky.

Were in the middle of a huge cocktail renaissance right now. Its a global phenomenon.

Strong, spicy and anise-flavored, absinthe has to be respected. Even its licorice-filled nose is enough to bowl over the faint of heart. Many bartenders use it as a rinse only, swirling it around the glass and discarding it before adding other ingredients; thats enough to impart its powerful flavor to a cocktail.

Once you know the taste, youre hooked, Breaux said, and laughed. Thats what happened to me anyway.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com
Police arrested 59 people in Orange County on Saturday during a statewide sting to catch adults buying alcohol for minors.

During Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation, minors under supervision of an officer stood outside a convenience store and asked patrons to buy them alcohol.

The minor indicates in some way he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol, said John Carr, spokesman of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

If the adult agreed and bought the alcohol, he or she was arrested and cited by police. Twelve Orange County police departments participated, with Fullerton police arrested the most, 12; Huntington Beach made seven citations, and Costa Mesa had six.

The penalty for a conviction of the misdemeanor crime is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

In all, about 80 law enforcement departments in California participated, making 416 citations and arrests.

Some of the suspects were also arrested and cited on suspicion of other crimes, including having open containers, false identifications, drug possession, public drunkenness, parole violations and outstanding warrants.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@ocregister.com
DAKAR, Senegal  It was nothing short of miraculous. Somehow, during the two hours she endured in a stuffy, crowded hotel bathroom in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, 1-year-old Elinor did not make a sound as gunmen carried out a bloody rampage just outside the door.

In the end, she was spared, along with her mother, Charline Burton, who works for an organization devoted to stopping the kind of violent extremism that was unfolding on the other side of the bathroom door.

I was so terrified myself, and terrified she would start screaming and get us all killed, Burton said in a phone interview Monday, less than 24 hours after the attack that killed 15 civilians and three members of the Ivorian security forces in Grand-Bassam, a seaside resort 30 miles from the countrys economic capital, Abidjan. I dont know how it happened, but she did not cry.

On Monday, military and police officers were swarming Grand-Bassam, which is known for its colonial architecture, looking for evidence that would help explain how such an assault had unfolded in Ivory Coast.

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said Monday that 33 people had been wounded, and that most of them were still hospitalized. Lawmakers have responded to the attack by adopting measures strengthening security along the border, as well as at schools, embassies, the offices of international organizations and diplomatic residences.

Government officials said Monday that three militants were killed in the attack, not six, as they had reported Sunday. The authorities have also found what they say appears to be the cellphone of one of the gunmen.

An affiliate of al-Qaida, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility in a statement released after the attack Sunday afternoon.

It was early in the afternoon on a sunny day when gunmen stormed the beaches of at least three hotels  LEtoile du Sud, the Wharf and Koral Beach  where people were swimming and enjoying a poolside buffet.

What had been a palm-lined, peaceful scene turned into a bloody tableau, with gunshot victims crawling across patios, sunbathers sprinting to safety and bodies strewn across the blood-soaked sand. A child was among the victims, witnesses said.

Burton, a regional manager at Search for Common Ground, a group that works against violent extremism, her husband and their two young daughters had gone to Grand-Bassam to get out of the city, a trip they made every couple of weeks, she said. The family, from Belgium, tried a new beach Sunday, at the Nouvelle Paillote hotel, not far from the Wharf.

Just as they were finishing lunch at the hotel restaurant, they heard what sounded like shooting. The couple gathered their children and hid in the kitchen, but the cooks assured them that there was no need to worry, and the noise soon stopped.

The family went back to their table, ate dessert and asked for the check. Then the shooting started again, louder this time, and much closer. A worker hustled them into a small room off the kitchen where they hid with a few other terrified guests. Then staff members started yelling, Theyre coming!

We could hear shooting, then boom, boom, boom, said Burton, who speculated that the louder noise had been from grenades.

The family decided to sprint to a safer place. Burton took Elinors hand, and her husband grabbed that of the couples other daughter, Marion, 2. In the confusion, the parents lost each other.

Marion, terrified and sobbing, and her father ended up hiding in a hotel room with a group of other people after pounding on the door and convincing them that they were not terrorists.

Burton, dragging Elinor, ran into a hallway lined with three toilet cubicles. She opened the first door she came to. Two people, an older man who was a tourist and a local teenager, were already inside the small, sweltering room. She stuffed herself and Elinor inside.

From the bathroom, Burton sent text messages to her husband as guns were fired outside. She could see through a tiny window that men were walking past the toilets. Sweat was dripping down everyone in the stifling room. Elinor was silent.

At one point, the shooting quieted, and a man and woman in the toilet cubicle next to hers walked outside. But Burtons group decided to stay where they were.

In all, they waited two hours in the small bathroom until soldiers arrived and told everyone it was safe to come out.

When she emerged, Burton said she saw a dead soldier on the ground. She also spotted the worker who had shown them into their first hiding place off the kitchen. He was covered in the blood of another woman who had stayed behind to hide there. The terrorists had found her and killed her.

Later, Burton came across the man in the adjacent toilet cubicle who had ventured out. He showed her his torn pant leg where a bullet had grazed it. The woman who left with him had been shot.

On Monday, Burton reflected on the bloody afternoon in Grand-Bassam, the very kind of violence that she spends her workdays trying to stop. People without jobs and without hope are angry, she said, and they are easy recruits for terrorist organizations.

People dont have an option to make their life a success, so they turn to violence because they dont know what else to do, she said.

Burtons organization has concentrated on peace-building work largely outside Ivory Coast, but now it will turn its attention there as well. It makes our work more relevant, she said.
IRVINE  Following months of discussion, the City Council has settled the design and placement of two phrases they voted last year to install in the council chambers.

In God we trust and E pluribus unum, spelled out in six-inch-high brass letters, will be displayed on the brick wall at the rear of the room where the council meets twice monthly.

The installation is expected to be complete by June. The council allocated $10,000 for the project; bids will go out soon for lettering and installation costs.

It was back in July that Mayor Steven Choi first proposed a permanent display of the phrase In God we trust, the nations motto, at City Hall.

During that discussion, Councilwoman Lynn Schott convinced her colleagues to agree to also display a second phrase: E pluribum unum, Americas original creed. The Latin phrase means out of of many, one.

The vote was 4-1, with Councilwoman Beth Krom in opposition. She disagreed with bringing the religious phrase into a civic space.

Since then, the council has discussed multiple times where and how to display the phrases.

In recent years, elected officials in 20 Orange County cities have decided to display In God we trust in the rooms where they meet.

Westminster was first, in 2007.

Bakersfield Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan kicked off the trend five years prior after spearheading an effort to display the phrase in that citys council chambers.

In the wake of that decision, Sullivan established an organization dedicated to convincing other elected officials nationwide to install the four-word phrase in government buildings.

The Irvine council finalized the placement and design of the mottoes at its Feb. 23 meeting. The vote was 4-0, with Schott absent.

The display will go above the council chambers freedom shrine, a collection of documents from important moments in Americas history dedicated to the city by the Exchange Club of Irvine.

Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com
SEATTLE  Authorities said a customer in a Washington state convenience store shot and killed a man who attacked him and a clerk with a hatchet.

The King County sheriffs office said the 58-year-old clerk at the 7-11 store suffered a minor injury during Sundays attack. The 60-year-old customer wasnt hurt.

The King County Medical Examiners Office said Monday that 43-year-old Steven Blacktongue died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The clerk and customer told deputies that a man wearing a mask and carrying a hatchet entered the store about 6 a.m. in the Boulevard Park retirement community south of Seattle. He didnt say anything before swinging the hatchet at the customer and then the clerk behind the counter.

The customer pulled out his pistol and shot the man. The sheriffs office said he has a valid concealed weapon license.

Responders werent able to revive Blacktongue, who died at the scene.
WASHINGTON  In a major reversal, the Obama administration said Tuesday it will bar oil drilling off Americas Atlantic Coast, a move cheered by environmentalists and consistent with the presidents aggressive steps to combat climate change.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the decision protects the Atlantic for future generations. She said the administration had listened to thousands of people in coastal communities from Florida to New England who said, Now is not the time to start leasing off the Atlantic Coast.

However, business groups and most Republicans criticized it as another example of what they call executive overreach.

Despite a surge in oil and natural gas production in the past seven years that has helped push gasoline prices below $2 a gallon, Republicans and industry groups have criticized President Barack Obama for imposing what they say are unnecessary regulations on drilling, especially on federal lands. Most of the drilling boom has occurred on state and private lands and in the Gulf of Mexico, long the center of U.S. offshore oil production.

The decision reverses a proposal made last year in which the administration floated a plan that would have opened up a broad swath of the Atlantic Coast to drilling. That January 2015 proposal would have opened up sites more than 50 miles off Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia to oil drilling no earlier than 2021.

Obama, in his final year in office, is working to build an environmental legacy that includes a global agreement to curb climate change and an ambitious plan to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. He also has imposed stricter limits on smog-causing pollution linked to asthma and has rejected the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.

The proposal on Atlantic drilling is likely to become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Both Democratic candidates oppose it, while Republicans vow to expand drilling.

The plan announced Tuesday covers potential lease sales from 2017 to 2022 and calls for leasing 10 areas in the Gulf and three off the Alaska coast.

A coalition of groups that oppose Atlantic drilling had organized protests and petitions in southeastern and mid-Atlantic states, often running into opposition from governors and other political leaders. Republican governors in North and South Carolina back drilling off their states coasts, as does the Democratic governor of Virginia. The states two Democratic senators also support drilling.

President Obama has taken a giant step for our oceans, for coastal economies and for mitigating climate change, said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of Oceana, an environmental group. This is a victory for people over politics and shows the importance of old-fashioned grass-roots organizing.

The oil and gas industry has pushed for Atlantic drilling and pledged that exploration would be done safely, with lessons applied from the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tuesdays decision appeases extremists who seek to stop oil and natural gas production in the U.S., said Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the nations largest oil and gas lobbying group. The plan will increase energy costs for Americans and close the door for years on efforts to create new jobs and boost energy security, he said.

The Defense Department has said Atlantic offshore drilling could hurt military maneuvers and interfere with missile tests the Navy relies on to protect the East Coast. The Pentagon submitted a report to Interior that identified locations in Virginia and other states where military readiness programs would conflict with oil and gas activities, said spokesman Matthew Allen.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who supports offshore drilling, said he was surprised at the Pentagons objections, which were not raised when the draft proposal was submitted last year.

The Pentagon has been relatively quiet during this public debate and has never shared their objections with me before, said Kaine, a former Virginia governor who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he was extremely disappointed by the decision, which he said effectively ends debate over offshore drilling before it even starts.

Obama found an unlikely ally in Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., a former governor who opposes Atlantic drilling and led a bipartisan effort to stop it.

This is fantastic news for the coast of South Carolina, Sanford said. Residents along our coast should be proud of the way they united on this issue and sent a compelling message to Washington.

Rep. Tom Rice, R-S.C. whose district includes Myrtle Beach, the heart of the states $19 billion tourism industry, said the decision was not surprising. As more and more recoverable oil has been located onshore due to advancing technology such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, tapping new reserves in the Atlantic has become less and less feasible, Rice said.

The Interior Department estimates there are about 2.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil on the Atlantics outer continental shelf and 26.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Energy industry experts say the reserves may be far greater.
A fire that broke out at a Southern California oil refinery has been extinguished with no reports of injury.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported receiving a call about the fire at the Tesoro Los Angeles refinery in Carson shortly after 10 a.m. Monday.

Firefighters said the blaze was extinguished by plant personnel before they could arrive.

Tesoro spokesman Brendan Smith told The Daily Breeze of Torrance the fire was brought under control and all personnel were accounted for.

He didnt give the fires cause or say whether it damaged any equipment at the refinery, which employs 1,450 people.

Smith said Tesoro was monitoring air quality but did not anticipate any impact on the surrounding community.

Refinery officials did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
"We make war that we may live in peace."

--Aristotle

"I exhort you never to debase the moral currency or to lower the

standard of rectitude, but to try others by the final maxim that

governs your own lives, and to suffer no man and no cause to escape

the undying penalty which history has the power to inflict on wrong."

--Lord Acton

"Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the

highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all

alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a

particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern...

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

--Lord Acton

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry,

Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from

the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the

field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life

so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it,

Almighty God! I know not what course others may take;

but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

--Patrick Henry

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine

patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now,

deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we

have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

--Thomas Paine

"The way to secure liberty is to place it in the people's hands, that is,

to give them the power at all times to defend it in the legislature and

in the courts of justice"

--John Adams

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will

within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I

do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often

but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights

of the individual."

--Thomas Jefferson

"No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of

another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain hima?the idea

is quite unfounded that on entering into society we give up any natural rights."

--Thomas Jefferson

"An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his

fellow citizens."

--Thomas Jefferson

"The protection of our citizens, the spirit and honor of our country, require

that force should be interposed to a certain degree."

--Thomas Jefferson

"To draw around the whole nation the strength of the General Government

as a barrier against foreign foes... is [one of the] functions of the General Government on which [our citizens] have a right to call."

--Thomas Jefferson

"It is our duty still to endeavor to avoid war; but if it shall actually

take place, no matter by whom brought on, we must defend ourselves. If our house be on fire, without

inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it."

--Thomas Jefferson

"I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long as

the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these

require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are

just friends and brave enemies."

--Thomas Jefferson

"By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression is

committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another as

his enemy."

--Thomas Jefferson

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against

every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

--Thomas Jefferson

"Our duty to ourselves, to posterity, and to mankind, call on us

by every motive which is sacred or honorable, to watch over the safety of our beloved country

during the troubles which agitate and convulse the residue of the world, and to sacrifice to

that all personal and local considerations."

--Thomas Jefferson

"It is an essential attribute of the jurisdiction of every country

to preserve peace, to punish acts in breach of it, and to restore property taken by force within

its limits."

--Thomas Jefferson

"By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression

is committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another

as his enemy."

--Thomas Jefferson

"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy,

and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it. But the temper and folly of our enemies may

not leave this in our choice."

--Thomas Jefferson

"We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly,

we shall all hang separately."

--Benjamin Franklin

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people

by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent

and sudden usurpations."

--James Madison

"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without

it nothing can succeed."

--Abraham Lincoln

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we

fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a

blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted)

in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a

track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected?

I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot,

we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time,

or die by suicide."

--Abraham Lincoln

"The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the

support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me."

--Abraham Lincoln

"Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive

good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement

to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor

diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall

be safe from violence when built."

--Abraham Lincoln

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean

the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and

the product of his labor; while with others, the same word many mean for some men to do as they please

with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible

things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective

parties, called by two different and incompatible names -

liberty and tyranny."

--Abraham Lincoln

"If all do not join now to save the good old ship of the Union this voyage

nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage."

--Abraham Lincoln

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points

out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust

and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again;

who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause;

who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst,

if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with

those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs,

even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy

much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that

knows not victory nor defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth

of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic

state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by

an individual, by a group."

--Franklin D. Roosevelt

"War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder.

This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the

timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour,

of our choosing."

--George W. Bush

"When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and true maxim that 'a drop of honey catches more flies

than a gallon of gall.' So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him

that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say

what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing him of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause is really

a good one."

--Abraham Lincoln

"To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge

it by the standards of his time, not ours."

--Mark Twain

"It is with trifles and when he is off guard that a man best

reveals his character."

--Arthur Schopenhauer

"When men speak ill of thee, live

so as nobody may believe them."

--Plato

"He that has light within his own clear breast may sit in the center,

and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under the

mid-day sun."

--John Milton

"Character consists of what you do on the third

and fourth tries."

--James A. Michener

"We should be too big to take offense and too noble to

give it."

--Abraham Lincoln

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the

content of their character."

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"A man's character is his guardian divinity."

--Heraclitus

"Character develops itself in the stream of life."

--Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"Do what you know and perception is converted into character."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so

highly prized as that of character."

--Henry Clay
EDITORS NOTE: Well track Super Tuesday right here, all day, with weird questions, statistical oddities, random observations and, you know, voting results. So come back.

Americans cast votes today in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri and Illinois, kicking off what many pundits view as the biggest day of the 2016 primary election season.

Yeah, yeah, youve heard that before. Seems like every Tuesday this year is supposed to be super and most of them were, at best, only OK. We hear you.

That said, heres why todays Super Tuesday is so mega:

8:24 P.M.: GREAT ANGER

He couldve said amazing anger, or even beautiful anger. But Trump didnt use his two favorite words. Instead, he said the anger is great; as in theres a lot of it. (We hope.)

There is great anger, believe me, there is great anger.

Trump was referencing the electorate as a whole and his supporters specifically, who tend to throw punches and push people during his speeches. It was part of his victory speech in Florida, where Trump pretty much lapped the GOP field. Bloomberg captures the scene.

7:33 P.M.: SANDERS PUSHES FORWARD

Sanders had bigger dreams for today. He won Michigan in a shocker last week, and the hope was he might do something similar in Illinois, Missouri and maybe even Ohio. If hed done all that, or even much off that, the race would be different. But he didnt. He was winning Missouri, probably by two points, and finished decently in Illinois and Ohio. He predicted, correctly, that he would get smoked in Florida.

So as the day ended, Sanders gave his key speech of the day in Arizona, one of three states holding primaries next week.

His goal in Arizona is to woo Latino voters. Doing that means taking a whack at Trump, who is campaigning on his plan to build a big, beautiful wall, and who has described Mexican immigrants as rapists.

Sanders did bash Clinton a bit, for accepting Wall Street money, but most of his speech was about his ideas. And about how Americans wont elect a guy like Trump. Politico has it here.

6:54 P.M.: CLINTON SPEAKS

Clintons in Florida, where she took her biggest win of the day, but she could be speaking to supporters in Ohio or North Carolina. Her wins in those states were impressive, too.

We are moving closer to securing the Democratic Party nomination and winning this election in November.

The crowd is going bonkers. The day was another Super Tuesday for our campaign.

Shakespeare shes not. But Clinton is winning.

6:48 P.M.: WHAT WE WANT TO WRITE BUT CANT

Trump is slated to speak. Until he does, well work on the print version of tonights roundup.

Heres what Id like to write for that medium:

This little Clinton won (as many as) four, and this little Trump won most.

This little Kasich won one, and this little Sanders won one too.

And this little Rubio (and Cruz) went Wheeee, wheeee, wheeee, all the way home.

But in the interest of job security Ill go a different route.

6:20 P.M.: KASICHS WINNING MOMENT

Kasich has won a primary, Ohio, and hes giving a speech explaining why. (Spoiler alert: Because hes cool.)

Its a fine moment for a candidate who, to date, hasnt gone all Ghostbusters-style slimy on every other human running for president. But its probably just that, a moment.

So, lets do this: If youre a drinker, take a shot of whatever (tequila? milk? Monster?) every time Kasich says the word buckeye.

6:13 P.M.: IS CLINTON TOO BIG TO FAIL?

Several news sites are declaring Clinton the winner in Ohio. Thats in addition to earlier calls for her in Florida and North Carolina. Shes also ahead, at the moment, in Illinois and Missouri.

If this holds is it game over for Sanders? Yes, hes stronger in the huge blue state primaries of California and New York, but Clintons delegate count could be insurmountable.

5:48 P.M.: KASICH WINS OHIO

CNN says Kasich is the winner in Ohio.

In theory, thats a blow for Trump. After all, if he won Ohio after winning Florida and todays three other primaries (North Carolina, Missouri and Illinois) hed be on his way to getting the delegates he needs to have a majority before the GOP Convention in July.

But theres another theory, written about on American Prospect and other news sites, that suggests Trumps odds just got better now that hes lost Ohio.

The idea is this: An Ohio win keeps Kasich in the race for another month at least. That, in turn, keeps Kasich and Cruz sharing the anti-Trump vote and the financial support that comes with it.

Screenwriters know this as splitting the hero, and its bad ju-ju for movie plots. But for Trump and his fans it might be good.

5:41 P.M.: WHILE WERE WAITING

Clinton is supposed to speak pretty soon. Until then, heres a Simpsons spoof of the primary season to date. Its not a documentary, but its close.

5:25 P.M.: CLINTON WINS N.C.

The Associated Press is calling North Carolina for Clinton. Its her second state victory, along with Florida, today. Shes leading in Ohio, but Sanders is ahead (narrowly) in Illinois and Missouri.

5:24 P.M.: AND HES GONE

Rubio says hes dropping out. His side, he said, was not the winning side.

After eight months and several thousand speeches Rubio has said something with which most Americans will agree.

5:14 P.M.: RUBIO SPEAKING

Rubio is offering a concession speech in Florida. He says America is in the middle of a political tsunami and that he should have seen his whacking coming. Will he drop out? He looks happy, so our thinking is he will.

5:01 P.M.: FLORIDA!

CNN says Clinton and Trump are the winners in Florida.

4:40 P.M.: EARLY IN OHIO

We dont claim to know the difference between prediction and estimate when those words are uttered by the news weasels on CNN, but heres how that network sees Ohio based on early exit polls:

GOP

Kasich  45

Trump  38

Cruz  14

DEM

Clinton  53

Sanders  46

(See Rubio anywhere in there? We dont either.)

Again, these numbers figure to change in some way; we dont know anything more than a screengrab. But to the untrained eye, the spreads look significant.

4:23 P.M.: EARLY FLORIDA RESULTS

OK, take this with a huge grain of whatever salt you prefer, but Florida is going big for Trump and Clinton. Early results on CNN show the GOP voting percentages thusly:

Trump 47.7

Rubio 23.7

Cruz 15.9

Kasich 7.3

On the Democratic side its:

Clinton 62.2

Sanders 35.4

Keep a couple caveats in mind: The CNN numbers dont yet say what part of Florida has been counted. The Panhandle tends to vote like Georgia while the more diverse (and bigger) precincts in South Florida vote more like California or New York. Also, the numbers are based on about 15 percent of all votes counted.

Anything remains possible.

Unless, by anything, youre including the idea of Rubio winning his home state.

4:08 P.M.: THEN AGAIN, NEVERMIND

A strong story on NPR.com says general election polling, at this point, is bologna. Many general election voters arent yet interested in the race. And months of campaigning hasnt played out. Plus, there are potential gaffes, revelations, debates (yes, therell be more in the summer), economic shifts, possible terror attacks and weather factors that could change how people actually vote eight months from now.

3:58 P.M.: OUT OF TOUCH?

A majority of Democratic voters told exit pollsters Tuesday that they believe Clinton, not Sanders, is the bigger favorite if either of them faces Trump in November. But an ABC News/Washington Post poll posted on Pollingreport.com suggests theyre wrong. In that poll, conducted March 3-6, Clinton beats Trump 50-41 while Sanders beats Trump by a landslide, 55-37.

3:38 P.M.: IN OR OUT

Two out of three GOP voters participating in the five state primaries Tuesday support a ban on all non-citizen Muslims from entering the United States. Four out of 10 of todays GOP voters want to deport all illegal residents immediately. Both statistics come courtesy of The Associated Press.

3:13 P.M.: BIG NUMBER

37%

Thats the ratio of voters in all five primary states who told exit pollsters today that they would consider a third-party candidate if the November election features Clinton and Trump. ABC News says its a question thats new to the exit polls, so its unclear how it stacks up with previous elections. But it feels like a big number.

1:56 P.M.: BUZZKILL

The first exit polls probably will land soon. Before that happens, lets take a second to ponder the difference between speculation and reporting.

Its an axiom of journalism that its important (and generally kinda fun) to explore the possible, to give voice to longshot ideas and people. Thats particularly true in political journalism, and pundits this week are appropriately focused on stories that, in one way or another, dwell on what might happen if  fill in your longshot here.

But its also important to look at whats probable.

Today, two things are more likely to happen than not: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump probably will emerge as the presumptive nominees for their respective parties. In truth, they probably already are.

Here are two quotes from pundits that dwell on the obvious:

If Trump wins all five states tonight, I think he will be very difficult to stop. The press will be tremendous for him. Hell accumulate a lot of delegates. Sure, he could be stopped, but itll be quite hard to do so. Harry Enten, senior political writer at Fivethirtyeight.com.

Obama never had a huge lead over Hillary, but he built it over the early seven states and kept it  Hillary has done the same thing  except her lead is larger than Obamas was. Seth McKee, a professor of political science at Texas Tech.

That isnt to say Trump cant be stopped by the #NeverTrump folk, or that Sanders cant mount a strong comeback to overtake Clinton. But both are true longshots.

1:08 P.M.: NO MATTER WHAT?

John Kasich is on record saying if he loses Ohio, hes out. But he always adds, quickly, that hes planning to win Ohio. And polls show thats likely. Marco Rubio, however, hasnt said much about what hell do if he loses Florida. Until now. Fox News has a story about how Rubio will stay in the race even if he doesnt win Florida.

12:54 P.M.: TURNOUT TALK

Starting to see some turnout talk on the Internet. Heres a look from Washington Post about turnout in a few key parts of the Midwest.

12:44 P.M.: WHAT SANDERS NEEDS

Heres a good take, on Vox, about what needs to happen today for Sanders to shift his role from provocateur to president. In this telling, Illinois is crucial.

12:28 PM: DONALD DRAPER WEIGHS IN

Just in time for Super Tuesday, a pro-GOP group unleashed a fairly brutal anti-Trump ad, featuring featuring women simply repeating some of Trumps own words on topics ranging from female beauty to child rearing.

But Trump isnt the only target. Here are a few other attack ads (or faux ads) aimed at some of this years candidates.

Dont like Cruz? Neither does The Onion. Dont worry about the sound: Its just Cruz face for 33 seconds.

Heres an anti-Sanders ad that, if you believe the commentary, was actually a dog-whistle love fest because the GOP wants to face Sanders in November. In theory. Whatever, it probably got a few Sanders folk to the caucuses in Iowa.

This isnt exactly an attack ad, but it does show Kasich as musically loopy (and kinda fun) when he chose to sing a David Bowie song.

And a personal favorite: Ted Cruz goes urban with an anti-Clinton rap video. For what its worth, we feel this way about our computer too.

11:39 P.M.: ANONYMOUS NOT FOR TRUMP

Several sites are pointing out that the hacker group Anonymous said this morning that theyll be going after Trump come April 1. Again. (They made a similar threat in December: Heres a link to the Fortune piece.)

Our take? On one level, this looks like a mismatch. We wouldnt mess with scary hackers in crazy masks. And, for an alleged tough guy, Trump makes a lot of references to his lawyers. But  and this is pure speculation here  the typical Trump supporter might not be overly worried about the hacker-sphere.

11:15 A.M.: DOES MOJO COUNT?

No. Delegates do. Hillary Clinton, regardless of momentum, is picking up delegates tonight. She has 775 pledged delegates; Bernie Sanders has 552. Either candidate will need 2,383 delegates for the nomination.

For the GOP, the magic number is 1,237. The count going into Super Tuesday: Donald Trump  463; Ted Cruz  371; Marco Rubio  166; John Kasich  63.

11 A.M.: DEMOCRAT POLLING IS WHACK

Did somebody say 1 percent?

Thats about how Fivethirtyeight gamed Michigan last week for Sen. Bernie Sanders. That was wrong; way wrong. Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in Michigan by about 1.5 points, one of the biggest upsets in a state or national election since the advent of modern polling.

The question now is why? If the polling error in Michigan was a one-off mistake, and polls in other states are otherwise doing a good job of predicting whats going to happen, then Clinton is an almost lock to win Florida and a very strong-ish favorite in Ohio. Whats more, shell pick up delegates in the other states regardless of winning or losing to Sanders.

But if the whacked-out polls of Michigan were failing to track previously hidden or otherwise fast growing support for Sanders among working class whites over the age of 30 and from African Americans, then tonight could be a game-changer. If Sanders can win Ohio and pull off stronger-than-expected wins in, say, Missouri and Illinois, the race could become real. Either way, Sanders is likely to carry on through the rest of the primary season, if only to push Clinton to the left when she campaigns on the coasts over the next few weeks.

10:57 A.M.: UPSETS CAN HAPPEN

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is hoping to pick off a win in one of the non-winner-take-all states, but narrow wins wont help him much. Trump can stave off his rivals even if hes a runner-up or lower in those states. If Cruz or some combo of the non Trumps can somehow dominate those states, the race could narrow. But the biggest hope for the #NeverTrump wing of the GOP is a win for Kasich in Ohio and a Hail Mary-style upset for Sen. Marco Rubio in Florida. If both happen, the GOP Convention in Cleveland in July could be brokered, meaning anybody from the current GOP field to Mitt Romney to Rep. Paul Ryan could wind up as the GOP nominee.

10:57 A.M.:  BUT DONT COUNT ON IT

For what its worth, as of right now, Fivethirtyeight.com gave Rubios shot of winning Florida at exactly 1 percent.

10:56 A.M.: TRUMP MIGHT TRUMP THE GOP

Two of the states holding primaries today, Florida and Ohio, are winner take all. If Donald Trump wins both its probably game over on the GOP side; hes almost certain to be the Republican candidate for President. Even if he wins just one, hes well on his way. Polls show Trump winning Florida and Gov. John Kasich as the favorite in his home state of Ohio. The other states? Yeah, they count, but not as much as Florida and Ohio.
Newport Beach-based Pacific Investment Management Co. failed to win a quick end to Bill Grosss lawsuit claiming hes owed hundreds of millions of dollars after being forced out of the firm he co-founded 45 years ago.

Pimco agreed not to fight a California state judges tentative ruling that Gross had met minimum requirements to go forward with his wrongful-termination action against the bond fund.

Pimco is confident that it will prevail when the parties present their evidence to the court, the companys lead counsel, David Boies, of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, said in a statement.

The fund argued that the case should be thrown out because Gross failed to show he had any agreement with the firm guaranteeing his employment. The company also said in a court filing that its profit-sharing plan clearly provides no basis for him to allege he was improperly deprived of bonuses for two quarters.

Superior Court Judge Martha Gooding in Santa Ana disagreed in her tentative decision, issued before a hearing that was scheduled for Monday.

Gross alleges sufficient facts based on allegations concerning his status as the founder, a 40-year history, an alleged track record of bringing success and/or fame to the enterprise, as well as a series of alleged oral promises/assurances of continued employment,

The judge didnt rule on the merits of Grosss allegation that his resignation wasnt truly voluntary and that Pimco breached its contract with him. The only question before her was whether theres a legal basis for his claims. Mondays hearing was canceled after Pimco agreed to stipulate to the decision.

We are very pleased with the courts ruling and are looking forward to the opportunity to prove our case in court, Grosss lawyer, Patricia Glaser, said in an e-mailed statement.

Gross left Pimco in September 2014 amid a public falling out with other managing directors after lagging results at the Pimco Total Return Fund, then the worlds largest mutual fund, led to a flood of redemptions. The money manager sued a year later, claiming he was ousted so that Pimco wouldnt have to pay him his $200 million cut of the bonus pool and his rivals could increase their compensation.

Gross, who built Pimco on fixed-income investments, opposed the companys expansion into higher-risk asset classes such as equities, commodities, real estate and hedge fund-like products, according to his complaint.

Gross, 71, now co-manages the $1.26 billion Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund, which has gained 0.9 percent this year while almost breaking even since he took over management in October 2014, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Gross has said he will donate any award or settlement from the lawsuit to charity.

The case is Gross v. Pacific Investment Management Co., 30-2015-00813636, California Superior Court, Orange County (Santa Ana).
The bankrupt Haggen grocery chain will live another day, but with Albertsons at the helm.

The Bellingham, Wash.-based grocer will sell its 29 core Haggen stores in Washington and Oregon to Albertsons for $106 million. A handful of remaining Haggen stores will close.

The deal requires bankruptcy court approval. Anti-trust clearance has already been approved, Albertsons said.

Albertsons proposed plan will create a separate business unit for 15 stores that will continue to operate under the Haggen name.

The other 14 stores, which Haggen acquired from Albertsons in 2015, will be transitioned back to Albertsons stores.

Albertsons will hire Haggen store employees and honor existing labor agreements, the company said.

Haggen, founded as a family-owned grocer in 1933, was acquired by private equity investor Comvest in 2011. The grocer expanded to California last spring after Albertsons and Safeway divested 146 stores during their merger. Experts estimated the deal was valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion.

Haggen entered the Orange County market with 11 stores last year before filing for bankruptcy in September. All but four stores have been sold to competing markets, including Smart & Final and Gelsons Markets.

By the end of last year, Smart & Final snatched up locations in Corona del Mar, Laguna Niguel, Trabuco Canyon and Yorba Linda. Gelsons bought locations in Laguna Beach and Ladera Ranch. Tustin Safe, the propertys landlord, took over a Tustin location on 17th St.

A bid from Tawa, which owns 99 Ranch Market, for a Tustin Haggen has not been approved. Plans for three other Haggen locations  one in Irvine and two in Mission Viejo  have not been announced.

Haggen did not have any additional information Monday about the status of the Orange County stores.

In December, Haggen announced it would sell its remaining 33 stores, of which Albertsons will acquire 29.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
WASHINGTON  A Republican lawmaker said Monday hes been assured the Navy has resolved a procedural glitch that caused combat rifles used by SEAL teams based in San Diego to be taken from them unnecessarily.

But California Rep. Duncan Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he still intends to conduct more oversight of how the SEALs and other U.S. special operations forces are trained and equipped.

Good, Hunter said of the fix. The problem is that SEALs should not have had to go to their congressman to get a process issue corrected.

Hunter, a former Marine who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he spoke late last week with Rear Adm. Brian Losey, the top officer at the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego. Hunter said he is satisfied with the steps taken by Losey.

Their conversation was sparked a few weeks earlier when SEALs privately alerted the congressman of a potential weapons shortage within the elite warfighting units.

After SEALs return from a deployment, their rifles were being given to other commandos who are shipping out, Hunter said he was told. This weapons carousel of sorts undercut the train like you fight ethos of the U.S. special operations forces, they said.

Sharing rifles isnt trivial. The assault weapons, which are outfitted with telescopic targeting sights and laser pointers, are fine-tuned to individual specifications and become intensely personal pieces of gear. SEALs also use 9 millimeter combat pistols.

Hunter wrote to Losey on Feb. 17, telling him the situation was unacceptable.

The two spoke by telephone Friday. Prior to that, Losey sent the congressman a three-page letter on March 8 that outlined in broad strokes the procedures for outfitting the SEALs. Cmdr. Jason Salata, a Naval Special Warfare Command spokesman, declined to comment beyond the letter.

Hunter said what Losey described during their call wasnt a weapons shortage but a break in the system that affected only the SEAL teams assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group One in San Diego. Weapons that service members had used in training and planned to go into combat with were effectively being impounded for cosmetic flaws and other minor issues, according to Hunter.

Essentially, a by-the-book approach was trumping common sense. That does not meet commanders intent, Hunter said. Commanders intent is, Who cares if there is a scratch on the butt stock. Were not talking about the action, or the bolt or the barrel.

In his March 8 letter to Hunter, Losey said he understands that most SEALs want to keep the same weapons for their entire tours of duty. But safety, maintenance and accountability requirements dont always allow that to happen. Heavily used weapons may have to be repaired, Losey wrote, and putting off necessary maintenance may reduce accuracy, reliability, and could result in catastrophic accidents.

SEALs typically get their weapons back four to six weeks after what Losey described as a post-deployment turn-in.

Where possible, returning (SEAL) Team members receive their equipment back from the prior deployment, Losey wrote.
SANTA ANA  Orange County supervisors voted Tuesday to divvy up $150,000 in reward money to four people whose tips led to the capture of three jail escapees, giving the lions share  $100,000  to a recently homeless man who alerted police after spotting the fugitives van in San Francisco.

The board, however, turned away a request for cash from the lawyer of a Garden Grove taxi driver who was kidnapped by the fugitives and said he persuaded one of the escapees to surrender.

Fountain Valley attorney Hoang Huy Tu told the supervisors that taxi driver Long Hoang Ma deserved a share of the reward money because he urged inmate Bac Duong to surrender and also to part ways with fugitives Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu in the Bay Area.

Were it not for Mr. Mas actions, neither Duong, nor Nayeri, nor Tieu would be captured, as they were in possession of a handgun and desperate to evade recapture, Tu said. It was only a matter of time before they would commit further acts, which would undoubtedly result in another member of the public being taken captive.

Supervisor Todd Spitzer said Tuesday he thought Ma deserved a reward but that the law didnt allow the county to give him one because the Sheriffs Department investigation deemed Ma a victim  not a tipster.

I am very, very sorry, Spitzer said. I feel horrible, because a law doesnt allow us to issue public money.

Ma was kidnapped at gunpoint Jan. 22 by three inmates who escaped earlier that day from Central Mens Jail in Santa Ana by rappelling from the roof on a rope made of bed sheets. Ma said the fugitives hijacked his car, drove him around to a series of motels over the next few days and fought over whether to kill him. On Jan. 28, Duong freed Ma, returning with the taxi driver to Orange County, where Duong turned himself in.

Earlier this month, Ma filed a claim seeking $2 million, blaming the county for failing to secure the inmates and saying his kidnapping had given him a post-traumatic stress disorder. The county has denied that claim.

After listening to Mas attorney, supervisors voted to reward $15,000 each to Rosemead Target store manager Hazel Javier and loss-prevention officer Jeffrey Arana for alerting authorities that men resembling the inmates had been spotted in their store. The board gave $20,000 to Armando Damian, a Los Angeles man who said the inmates stole his van and then supplied photos of the vehicle to authorities.

Supervisors gave $100,000 to Matthew Hay-Chapman, a recently homeless man who recognized the stolen van in San Francisco and reported it to police, which led to the capture of Nayeri and Tieu.

Supervisor Shawn Nelson voted against rewarding Damian, saying that, like Ma, he was a victim who had reported his vehicle stolen  not someone trying to supply a tip.

Sheriffs Department representatives countered that Damian had supplied photos of his van and descriptions of the inmates and continued to provide information even after he learned that he was helping in the search for fugitives.

Citing a long-held California law that governments cannot be held liable for injuries inflicted by escaped inmates, Walter Teague, another one of Mas attorneys, asked supervisors to shoot themselves in the foot and appeal to the state Legislature to remove the immunity statute. Mas attorneys have previously said they are considering filing a lawsuit against the county to challenge the state law.

I dont like the law, Spitzer said. I think when the entity is responsible for having people in custody, it has a duty to make sure they dont escape.  But under the government code, we have immunity.
Register staff photographer Mindy Schauer has been honored with the 2016 Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal Award for her photograph of a Marine mom being enthusiastically greeted by her son during a homecoming ceremony at Camp Pendleton in October.

The award includes Schauers name being engraved on a brick to be placed in Semper Fi Park adjacent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia.

She also received a monetary gift and will be honored at a ceremony in Quantico, Va., on April 23.

Over the years Ive covered many deployments. They are heavy-hearted events and sad to witness. But the deployments have given me a clear picture of what sacrifice means for entire military families. Thats why homecomings are so uplifting, Schauer said.

Homecomings like this one speak the universal language of maternal love, said Schauer, whos been a Register staffer for 23 years. When a little boy sees his mom for the first time in nine months, its a special moment. The pure joy on his face will stay with me for a long time. Im happy I got to share it through my photograph.

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation annually presents awards to civilians and Marines, recognizing their work in advancing and preserving Marine Corps history.

The Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal Award is specifically given for a distinguished example of still photography by an individual that consists of a single photograph capturing the character of the individual Marine and the core values of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Marine Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross for heroic action during a firefight in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. The medal is the second-highest military decoration to be bestowed on a member of the Navy, Marines or Coast Guard (when operating under the authority of the Navy).

It is awarded for extraordinary heroism.
In the wake of a recent jail escape and an ongoing jailhouse snitch controversy, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens wants to create a new full-time position to provide internal oversight of her department.

The move comes only weeks after the countys Office of Independent Reviews embattled executive director Steve Connolly  hired to perform similar oversight of the Sheriffs Department  announced his resignation, following months of supervisorial accusations that he had become too close to the sheriff and was ineffective in his role. Hutchens would select her new adviser, and the aide would report to her rather than the board.

The Sheriffs Department has come under fire for its misuse of jailhouse informants and allegations by a judge that two deputies lied or withheld evidence on the witness stand. The scandal has led to six criminal cases unraveling.

In Orange County, the unconstitutional use of jailhouse informants, thats something that a constitutional policing adviser could have helped to prevent, Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, said Monday. I think making sure that policing is done in accordance with the constitution is enormously important. This is a way to accomplish that.

The Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday whether to grant the sheriff the new executive aide.

The proposed Constitutional Policing Advisor will provide an additional level of internal oversight for patrol and custody operations, Hutchens said in an email, which noted that she had considered creating the new position since September.

That was the month after the Board voted to overhaul the Office of Independent Review, hiring a national policing expert to assess Connollys performance, and the same month that a New York Times editorial called for a federal investigation into the countys use of jailhouse informants.

Other Southern California law enforcement agencies have created similar adviser positions, often following accusations of officer misconduct.

Following the Rampart scandal in the late 1990s, in which numerous Los Angeles police officers were accused of crimes ranging from planting evidence to bank robbery, that department hired attorneys to help the chief proactively identify problems. Last year, the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department created an oversight adviser role after the U.S. Department of Justice found sheriffs deputies had used racial profiling, intimidation and unreasonable force.

Reforms of police or sheriffs departments most commonly happen after high-profile incidents, but I dont think you need scandals to justify it, Chemerinsky said.

The new advisers duties would include providing analysis and guidance of personnel investigations, disciplinary matters, researching laws and incidents that affect law enforcement operations, and reviewing investigations for objectivity, deaths of inmates at county jails and deputy-involved shootings.

The new position would cost the department an additional $124,000, plus require the elimination of another position, according to a staff report. How much the new position would pay isnt provided.

Connolly, who will step down March 31, speculated Monday that the new role might be more proactive than the Office of Independent Review. He said he might consider applying for the job.

Contact the writer: jgraham@ocregister.com or 714-796-7960
SANTA ANA  A 41-year-old Westminster man, accused of helping three inmates after they escaped from jail by giving them money and beer, pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony count of being an accessory after the fact.

Tung Nguyen is accused of helping Bac Tien Duong, 43; Hossein Nayeri, 37; and Jonathan Tieu, 20, after the three inmates arrived at his home on the day of their escape from the Orange County Jail.

Authorities say the trio broke out of the jail on Jan. 22. All three were back in jail within eight days.

Nguyens attorney, Joanne Harrold, said on Monday that Nguyen and Duong are acquaintances. On the day of the escape, Duong visited Nguyen asking to borrow money and Nguyen lent him the money, unaware that he had escaped from jail that morning, she said.

Nguyen did not see the other two inmates, she said.

Harrold said Nguyen later learned Duong had escaped with two other men after seeing news reports. He was too afraid to come forward, she said.

He had no idea they had escaped from jail, and after he found out he was terrified, she said, adding that Nguyen plans to fight the charge.

Several others, including some accused of having Asian gang ties, have been arrested in connection with the escape.

According to an Orange County Sheriffs Department affidavit, authorities served a search warrant at Nguyens Westminster home and recovered footage from his outside security camera that shows one of the escapees visiting the home at about 5:30 a.m., shortly after the escape.

In the affidavit, the accused jail escapees name is redacted. But Harrold, Nguyens lawyer, said that escapee was Duong.

He arrived in a white Ford truck along with three other people who remained near the vehicle parked down the street as he walked up to the front door, according to the affidavit.

Nguyen initially told police Duong had showed up unannounced, asking for money and to borrow one of his cars, but did not say why he needed the car or money, the affidavit says.

Nguyen refused to lend him a car but gave him $900 in cash, and they drank beer on the porch as Duong counted the cash, the affidavit says.

Nguyen told authorities that he had always been afraid of Duong because he robbed and intimidated people in the Vietnamese community for a living and always had a gun with him, according to the affidavit.

After police pressed him on alleged inconsistencies in his account, Nguyen said Duong told him he had just escaped from Orange County Jail with his two friends, but Nguyen said he did not believe him, according to the affidavit.

Nguyen said he did not see any other people or what car Duong had arrived or left in.

In the affidavit, authorities note that Nguyen told them he builds koi fish ponds for a living. He had a BMW 7-series car in his garage, high-end appliances and more than 50 bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, worth about $3,000 a bottle, in his home.

Nguyen, who was arrested Friday, was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was deeply disturbed by the vulgar and divisive rhetoric directed at women and minorities as well as the violence in the 2016 presidential campaign, a swipe at Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Without mentioning the GOP candidate by name, Obama used a unity luncheon at the Capitol to express his concern with the political discourse and the protests that have escalated to attacks at the Trump rallies. The candidate has spoken of barring Muslims from entering the country and deporting immigrants living here illegally.

Obama received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks assailing the tenor of the campaign and pleading for civility. Lawmakers from both parties stood and clapped.

We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that dont look like us or pray like us or vote like we do, Obama said.

Obama also called efforts to shut down free speech misguided. Protesters forced Trump to cancel a rally in Chicago on Friday.

We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those events weve seen actual violence, and weve heard silence from too many of our leaders, Obama said, adding that he rejects any effort to spread fear or encourage violence or shut people down while they are trying to speak.

He said that while some may bear more of the blame for the climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.

Trumps political rivals and others blame him for sowing division, rather than unity, across the country. Trump says hes done no such thing and calls himself a uniter.

It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America. It has to stop, Obama said. And I say that not as a matter of political correctness, its about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy, and our society.

The president reminded the audience of Republicans and Democrats, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that the world is watching the U.S. candidates and what they say.

In America there arent laws that say we have to be nice to each other  But there are norms, there are customs, there are values that our parents taught us and that we try to teach to our children, the president said.

He said people should not be afraid to take their children to a debate or a rally. And he appealed to Ryan, who also spoke at the event. Ryan said earlier Tuesday that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.

Obama said he appreciated Ryans comments. And he said that even though the two men disagree on politics, he would not insult him.

The point is we can have political debates without turning on one another, Obama said. We can disagree without assuming it is motivated by malice.

Obama spoke at a St. Patricks Day luncheon at the Capitol.
Well, that was a lotta nada. I just returned home from the what was billed as a school board meeting that was to be filled to the brim with people demanding I resign. It did not happen. All of the talk of buses loaded with protesters demanding I resign did not happen. It was a lotta nada. A group identifying as Semillas garnered 1,102 signatures on a petition to demand my ... (click for more)
Los Olivos Marketplace, the latest addition to Irvines retail scene will open Saturday with a grand opening celebration from noon to 4 p.m.

Retailers open on or by Saturday

Whole Foods: The upscale grocery store will open Wednesday. The chain also opened a store in February in Brea.

Blue Eyed Girl: The womenswear boutique features denim, knits and sweaters from designers such as Hudson Jeans, Joie, Free People and more. Los Olivos is Blue Eyed Girls fifth Orange County location.

Burger Lounge: The hamburger joint specializes in using healthy ingredients, produced in a sustainable environment.

Hoag Medical Group: Hoags location at Los Olivos provides primary care services such as health screenings, annual exams and vaccines.

Newport Colony: This upscale tabletop and kitchen store sells dishes, flatware, glassware, linens and more. Mariposa, Mud Pie and Voluspa will be among the brands sold at the store.

Radiant Hot Yoga: The studio offers classes and certification programs for yoga enthusiasts. This will be the Newport Beach-based chains second Orange County location.

Also coming to the center: Chase Bank, Rite Aid, Starbucks and Wells Fargo Bank.

Opening after Saturdays grand opening

Sugar Rush Sweet Shoppe: The candy shop will offer hard candy, taffy, gummies, assorted and boxed chocolates, cake pops, jam, fudge, candy and caramel apples, candied nuts and handmade lollipops.

Angelinas Pizzeria Napoletana: The pizza chain, which specializes in Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood fired oven, will open its second Orange County location at Los Olivos.

CUPS Frozen Yogurt: The self-serve frozen yogurt shop offers 24 flavors of froyo and more than 50 toppings and sauces.

Panini Cafe: This Mediterranean restaurant chain, which already has other locations in Orange County and Los Angeles, offers kabobs, salads, panini and hummus plates. The restaurant might open in time for the grand opening, or might open a few days after.

Puesto: The Mexico City-style tacos restaurant already has locations in downtown San Diego and ritzy La Jolla. The Irvine store will be Puestos first Orange County location.

Burnt Crumbs: Los Olivos Marketplace will host the second Orange County location of the gourmet sandwich shop.

Phans55: This will be the third location for Vietnamese comfort food restaurant.

Polished Perfect by Twila True: The nail studio also sells polishes, skin care lotions and more.

SwimSpot: The Tustin-based company will bring its designer swimwear to Los Olivos Marketplace. The grand opening will have an interactive playground, photo opportunities, yoga presentations, cooking demonstrations, giveaways, live music and more.

Los Olivos Marketplace is located at 8673  8697 Irvine Center Drive.

Staff writer Sarah de Cresenzo contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
SANTA ANA  Two county supervisors have asked the countys pension agency to reduce retirement payments to a former Santa Ana city councilman and county administrator who pleaded guilty in December to attempted sexual battery, stalking and grand theft.

Supervisors Andrew Do and Todd Spitzer wrote a letter to the Orange County Employees Retirement System on Monday, requesting that Carlos Bustamante not receive pension credit for the two years between the time he began committing his crimes and his resignation as a county employee.

The public is sick and tired of people like Bustamante and Former Sheriff (Mike) Carona being convicted of felony conduct while in office and then riding off into the sunset with their full taxpayer paid for pensions, Spitzer wrote in a statement.

In their letter, the supervisors referenced a portion of the California Public Employees Pension Reform Act that states, A member shall forfeit all the rights and benefits earned or accrued from the earliest date of the commission of any felony.

Several Orange County employees alleged Bustamante made unwanted sexual advances toward them, ranging from touching them inappropriately to exposing himself and masturbating in front of them.

Spitzers office said Bustamantes crimes began July 2, 2009, and went through Oct. 4, 2011, when he resigned from his job as director of administrative services for the Orange County Public Works Department. They are asking that his pension be reduced so that those years dont count toward his pension payment calculation.

OCERS spokesman Robert Kinsler said the pension agency had not yet determined how the statute referenced by the supervisors applies to Bustamante.

Bustamante was sentenced in January to one year in jail.

Contact the writer: jgraham@ocregister.com or 714-796-7960
MOSCOW  President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the launch of Syria peace talks Monday  an end game that allows the Russian leader to cash in on his gains and reduce his risks in the conflict.

The start of the negotiations in Geneva offers Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the 5 1/2 -month Russian air campaign that has allowed Syrian President Bashar Assads army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks. With Russias main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscows military action.

At the same time, Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. Syrias state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but wont leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria. It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the successes the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against the Islamic State group, the Nusra Front and other terrorist organizations with the same tempo.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russias foreign and defense ministries, Putin said the Russian air campaign has allowed Assads military to radically turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

With the tasks set before the Defense Ministry and the military largely fulfilled, Im ordering the Defense Minister to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces from Syria, beginning tomorrow, Putin said.

He also informed President Barack Obama of his move in a phone call, emphasizing the importance of U.S.-Russian coordination for preserving the cease-fire, ensuring humanitarian aid deliveries to the blockaded settlements and conducting an efficient struggle against terrorist groups, according to the Kremlin, which added that the conversation was business-like and frank.

Putin didnt specify how many planes and troops would be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed. U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel in Syria vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia has deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syrias coastal province of Latakia, and they have operated at a frenetic pace, each flying several combat sorties on an average day. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that thanks to the Russian air support the Syrian military has extended its control to 400 towns and villages over an area of 10,000 square kilometers.

State TV quoted Assad as saying that the collaboration between Russian and Syrian forces has secured victories against terrorism and returned security to the country.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who restarted peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva on Monday, said he had no comment on Putins announcement when contacted by The Associated Press.

Earlier in the day, he warned that the only alternative to the negotiations is a return to war, and described political transition in the country as the mother of all issues.

The Russian- and U.S.-brokered cease-fire that began on Feb. 27 has largely held, but both the Syrian government and its foes have accused one another of violations. The deal with Washington has achieved a key Putin goal: raising Russias global profile to appear as an equal to the United States in mediating the Syrian conflict that has dominated global attention.

The Islamic State group and al-Qaidas branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, are excluded from the cease-fire and Russia has said it would continue its fight against the groups considered terrorists by the United Nations.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said the Russians in recent days have been pounding IS targets in and around the western approaches to the city of Palmyra, which is firmly in IS control. Davis said this has been a Russian focus since the cessation of hostilities began.

Officials said Monday they saw no immediate sign of any pullout. Although Putins announcement caught Pentagon officials by surprise, officials have said they had questioned how long the Russian air campaign would last based on the fact that they were not making regular troop rotations.

Speaking at the United Nations, Russias U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin did not respond to questions on whether Russian airstrikes would end.

Syrian opposition spokesman Salem Al Mislet, in Geneva, cautiously welcomed Putins move, but urged the Russian leader to withdraw his support for Assad.

If this step, this action will remove all Russian troops from Syria then it will be a positive step, I believe, he said, adding that Putin should follow up on that by saying he is standing beside the Syrian people, not beside the Syrian dictatorship.

Moments before meeting with a Syrian government envoy in Geneva, de Mistura laid out both high stakes and low expectations for what is shaping up as the most promising initiative in years to end the conflict that moves into its sixth year on Tuesday. At least a quarter of a million people have been killed and half of Syrias population has been displaced, flooding Europe with refugees.

The truce, however, has helped vastly reduce the bloodshed and allowed the recent resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to thousands of Syrians in besieged areas  zones surrounded by fighters and generally cut off from the outside world.

De Mistura laid out a stark choice for Syrian parties in the talks, saying: As far as I know, the only plan B available is return to war  and to even worse war than we had so far.

The two sides are deeply split on Assads future. His foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, said Saturday that any talk of removing Assad during a transitional period sought by the U.N. is a red line, and rejected the international call for a presidential election to be held within 18 months  a key demand of the opposition.

But de Mistura, keeping to language laid out in the U.N. Security Council resolution in December that paved the way for the talks, insisted that political change, including a timetable for new elections within 18 months, is the ultimate goal.

What is the real issue  the mother of all issues? Political transition, he said.

Asked if Putin discussed Assads political fate in Mondays phone call with the Syrian leader, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it wasnt part of the conversation.

Assad has announced that parliamentary elections in Syria will go ahead next month according to schedule. A Syrian official, Hisham al-Shaar, said the elections will be held only in areas under government control and there will be no polling stations in Syrian embassies abroad or in refugee camps.

The talks have shaped up as the best, if distant, chance in years to end a war that has created an opening for radical groups including Islamic State and the al-Qaida-backed Nusra Front to gain large swaths of land, and prompted at least 11 million people to leave their homes  many fleeing abroad to places like Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as to Europe.
Scattered rain fell across Orange County early Monday, as the last expected storm of the winter went out with more of a whimper than a thunderous bang.

These storms are just blowing through very quickly, said John Kennedy, an executive director with the Orange County Water District. It helps to get something, but we were hoping for more.

Coastal cities saw barely enough moisture to measure, while inland cities such as Aliso Viejo approached one-fifth of an inch, according to Brett Albright, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

I grow flowers and herbs and I have a little lemon tree, said Mille Jaurez, 62, who sat in Old Towne Oranges Plaza Park after the rain passed Monday afternoon. The rain has helped them a little.

Clouds are expected to hang around through this morning, Albright said. Then it should turn sunny, with temperatures in the low 80s for most of the week. It will cool down slightly Friday, but theres no rain expected for the next 10 days.

Though the storm weakened by the time it landed here, authorities say four days of rain in Northern California have replenished several of the states key reservoirs.

Thats good news for a state in its fifth year of drought. And its meaningful for Orange County, which imports a good portion of its water.

Lake Shasta, the states largest reservoir, was at 79 percent capacity Monday and at 103 percent of its historical average for this time of year. Thats the fullest the lake has been since 2013, with Lake Oroville also hitting a three-year record.

Its nice to finally see rain to help the drought, said Dominique Quijano, 19, of Orange.

Shane Hunt, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages water in the West, agreed.

Its definitely welcome news, but its kind of a mixed bag for us, he said. We still dont have water in all the right places to meet demand going into peak season.

Two-thirds of Californias major reservoirs remain below historical averages, state figures show. Lake Perris in Riverside County remains at just 34 percent of capacity and 41 percent of historical average.

Orange Countys groundwater basin, which supplies water for about 2.3 million locals, remains at about two-thirds of what it should be, Kennedy said.

The window to improve those numbers remains open, but its closing rapidly.

March tends to be our third-wettest month, Albright said. So we can still get decent storms in March and the first part of April.

Staff writer Brooke Seipel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.com
MOSCOW  President Vladimir Putins typically theatrical order to withdraw the bulk of Russian forces from Syria, a process that the Defense Ministry said it began Tuesday, seemingly caught Washington, Damascus and everybody in between off guard  just the way the Russian leader likes it.

By all accounts, Putin delights at creating surprises, reinforcing Russias newfound image as a sovereign, global heavyweight and keeping him at the center of world events.

In the case of Syria, the sudden, partial withdrawal more than five months after an equally surprising intervention allows Putin to claim a list of achievements without a significant cost to Russia in blood or rubles.

If the roughly 4,000 Russian troops centered on a contingent of about 50 combat aircraft remained in Syria, Putin risked becoming just another proxy force fighting for the Syrian president, Bashar Assad. But Putin wanted to make his mark by forging a solution in Syria, rather than lingering long enough to validate President Barack Obamas contention that Moscow had jumped headfirst into a quagmire.

Russia does not want to fight for Assad as such, said Aleksei V. Makarkin, deputy director of the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow. If Russia continued, that would make it more dependent on Mr. Assad and would make it clash with other players directly.

Analysts noted that Putin had achieved most, if not all, of his goals  some stated, others not.

First, to thwart another Western attempt to push for leadership change in Syria and to fight the very idea of outside governments forcing political shifts.

Second, to show that Moscow is a more reliable ally than Washington, given that the Obama administration had abandoned long-term allies like former President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt when they faced political upheaval.

Third, to restore to Russia the role it had in the Soviet era as an important actor in the Middle East and as a global problem solver, and to force respect for Putin as a world leader.

Fourth, to shatter the isolation that Washington had tried to impose on Moscow after the crisis in Ukraine, forging a dialogue with the United States and, to a lesser degree, with Europe.

Fifth, a subset of the previous goal, to distract attention from the war in Ukraine and to get lifted the economic sanctions imposed on Russia  a step the Kremlin is desperate to achieve in the face of continuing economic problems. Saving the estimated $3 million daily cost of the Syrian operations will also help, but it was not considered decisive.

Sixth, to show off the effectiveness of a new generation of weaponry from Russia, the biggest arms exporter in the world after the United States.

Many analysts thought the main goal, of forcing a dialogue with the United States and of reviving the Cold War idea that Washington and Moscow are the main global police forces, had been achieved. Obamas spokesman first said that the president had no idea about plans for a Russian withdrawal, but soon after the Kremlin website noted that the Russian and U.S. leaders had spoken by telephone.

The resurrection from oblivion of Russian-U.S. cooperation is one of the most important political results of the operation, Vladimir Frolov, an expert on international relations, wrote on the Russian website Slon.ru. It turns out only two superpowers can stop the war.

The arrival of the decision like a jack-in-the-box was vintage Putin. According to published accounts of how he seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014, the Russian president, a former KGB operative, consults a tiny circle of security and military advisers on crucial foreign policy questions.

The inner circle consists of Sergei K. Shoigu, defense minister; Sergei B. Ivanov, leader of the presidents administration and a former top operative in state security; Alexander V. Bortnikov, director of the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB; and Nikolai P. Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council and a previous FSB director.

Given their backgrounds, the men believe that secrecy is the key to good government, said Ekaterina Schulmann, a political scientist, and they abhorred the leaky Kremlin of the 1990s.

They also believe that surprise announcements provide a giant public relations payoff, keeping Russians riveted to the TV news and making them feel that they are included in a parade of thrilling events, Schulmann said.

A good decision in todays Russia should be swift and surprising and take everyone unawares, she said. That is considered good political management.

They are also meant to emphasize that Russia acts alone.

The main goal is to show that Russia acts completely independently, said Alexander Morozov, an independent political analyst. We expand our military presence without any prior consultations and wrap it up without any warning.

A statement by Assad calling the announcement about the Russian withdrawal the result of a consultation process seems somewhat dubious given Putins habit of not sharing his thinking with many Russians, much less with foreigners.

Some analysts said the sudden decision was intended to send a message to Assad, who by all accounts has exasperated Putin by becoming ever more inflexible at the negotiating table as his battlefield fortunes have improved.

Assad recently earned a rebuke from Russia for saying that he would continue fighting until he had unified all of Syria, and after his foreign minister dismissed talk of presidential elections, which are supposed to be part of a transition to peace. Arab diplomats in Damascus said that their Russian counterparts had emphasized in recent weeks that Russia intervened to protect the Syrian state, not Assad himself.

I think this is a shot into Assads bow, not over Assads bow, as Putins way of saying that it is now up to you, said Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group, a Washington-based consulting firm. At least for now, Putin is a looming maven of peace, and that is pretty clever.

The stated goal of the military deployment in Syria was to take the fight against the metastasizing Islamic State to the terrorists themselves, before they could take the fight to Russia.

Instead, the main targets proved to be immediate threats to Assad in western Syria, many of them allied with Western or Arab powers. In summarizing the achievements of the mission, Shoigu, the defense minister, noted that Russia had helped the government restore control more than 400 towns and nearly 4,000 square miles of territory.

Some analysts in Russia and elsewhere also said they thought that Putin had begun to realize that the violence that Russia was helping to perpetuate in Syria was working at cross purposes with the goal of showing Europe that he is a reliable partner and a peacemaker who does not deserve the economic sanctions that are denying Russia desperately needed access to Western credit markets.

The European Union has hinged lifting sanctions to putting into effect the Minsk II peace accords in Ukraine. The Europeans have also been alarmed that the escalating violence in Syria, now entering its sixth year, is feeding an enormous refugee crisis.

It remains unclear whether Assad will show a new willingness to negotiate after the loss of his principal military patron. Syria still has foreign allies in Iran and Hezbollah that have long shored up the government.

They have no interest in a political transition, which risks replacing the government dominated by the Alawite minority, a Shiite sect, with the majority Sunnis.

There have long been questions about just how much leverage Moscow has ever had over Damascus, and the coming weeks might tell.

If Damascus begins to flounder without Russian support, the withdrawal is instantly reversible. Dmitri S. Peskov, Putins spokesman, noted that not all forces would be withdrawn from the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, nor from the long-standing Russian naval refueling and repair facility at Tartus.

Russia will also keep its powerful S-400 air defense system in Syria to protect the forces staying behind, Ivanov, head of the presidents administration, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying. That would maintain Russian dominance of Syrian airspace, where bombers were still carrying out attacks on Palmyra Tuesday, even as others were shown on Russian TV flying home.

In Russia, people were asking What next? as often as Why now? The rainbow of responses indicated that Putin was again leaving his own people guessing.

Several members of the opposition dared to hope that with problems building up at home and parliamentary elections coming in September, Putin may be ready to focus more on domestic ills.

The choice is simple: Its either a mobilization against an external enemy or mobilization against internal problems, Dmitry Gudkov, one of few members of the opposition in Parliament, wrote on his Facebook page. If suddenly, and almost unbelievably, it is the second, even ahead of elections, we at least have a slim chance.
Sumo Sato, a surfing pastor from Huntington Beach, has long been the one to give people spiritual guidance during tough times. But now his friends and followers are the ones lifting him up during his time of need.

Sato found out about a month ago that he has colon cancer and, after surgery last Wednesday, learned he had more cancer in his stomach. Its his second bout with cancer, after fighting throat cancer years ago.

Surfers are planning a Luau of Love on April 9 at Don the Beachcomber restaurant to show him support and generate funds to help with medical bills.

I think its unbelievable, Sato said of the support. Its such a tight community. They pour out their love. Its overwhelming to me.

Satos journey started in Hawaii, where he was raised in a house with more than 20 relatives.

When a missionary approached him and told him to accept Jesus as his Lord and savior, his life changed. He felt an instant transformation, he has said.

In 1983, Sato met Raul Ries, who told him about a Bible college in West Covina, and it wasnt long before Sato packed his bags for the mainland to enroll in the two-year program. He moved back to Hawaii and met another influential figure in the church community, Ralph Moore, who started Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach and has since started more than 800 churches. Sato became his disciple, helping to open churches on the islands.

Sato wanted to continue his education and moved back to California in 1990 to get his Master of Divinity degree, then spent years moving between Hawaii and California forming churches. At one point, he lived near Wrightwood and had to drive two hours to get to the waves.

He teamed up with the Ettinger family, which includes pro surfer Brad Ettinger, in 2011 and formed the church he oversees now, H20.

Satos role in the surf community can be an emotionally difficult one, as hes often called on to officiate at paddle-out ceremonies when a surfer dies. He addressed the crowd of thousands who showed up when three-time world champ Andy Irons  a friend of Satos from Hawaii  died in 2010. When Surfline founder Sean Collins died, Sato was the one who comforted thousands of mourners.

Huntington Beach lifeguards a few years ago named Sato one of two official chaplains for the department. When guards need counseling after a drowning, or just want someone to talk to, they call on him.

Sato  a big, burly Hawaiian with a shaved head and a white beard that reaches inches below his chin  is usually found on his 12-foot surfboard charging waves on the north side of the Huntington Beach pier.

He said his faith and the people around him are giving him hope. He hopes to be a voice to urge people to get tests for early detection.

Im going to become an activist for this, he said. Its something bad. You have to make sure it turns into good.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com
SANTA ANA  Jasdeep Singh Manns youngest son felt the sting of misunderstanding and fear in the wake of the San Bernardino terrorist attack.

The 8-year-olds schoolmates stopped talking to him and called him a terrible name. When Mann asked what, his son replied, You know, the guy from 9/11.

The Yorba Linda family is of the Sikh faith, whose male members often are mistaken for Muslims because they wear turbans.

That hurts, Mann said of his sons anguish.

Mann shared his familys story Monday during the first community meeting of the newly created Orange County Sheriffs Interfaith Advisory Council at the Sikh Center of Orange County. About 30 religious leaders attended, along with Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and representatives from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Human Relations Commission, the county Mental Health Agency and the Probation Department.

The group wants to develop relationships that can serve as a resource on an everyday basis and in times of crisis, such as in the days following the San Bernardino terrorist attack in December when Muslims and Sikhs here saw a rise in threats and harassment.

We felt it was time to get word of what were working on out to the community, Hutchens said at the start of a more than two-hour discussion that included a presentation on the Sikh religion and the concerns of local members of that faith.

A hate crime reported in the days following the terror attack occurred at the Sikh temple in Buena Park, where a vandal spray-painted graffiti on the walls and a vulgarity about the terrorist group ISIS on a parked commercial truck. A 21-year-old later apologized in person to the congregation and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vandalism charges in February.

For the most part, the Sikh community in Orange County enjoys a good relationship with local law enforcement, but there is much misunderstanding in the wider community, said Mann, 43, who is part of the advisory councils executive committee.

The turbans, or dastaars, that Sikh men wear make them targets of misplaced anger whenever something happens that stirs up fear and hate, Mann said.

The advisory council was started, said the Rev. Mark Whitlock of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine, so we can learn from one another, whether we wear a sheriffs uniform or the clergys collar.

Not speaking out against racism, said Whitlock, who is African American, makes us all complicit in pushing a racist agenda.

Whitlock and Human Relations Director Rusty Kennedy approached the sheriff about race relations and an interfaith dialogue prior to the San Bernardino attack. Hutchens wanted to convene an ongoing group.

Theres going to be something that will happen, she said, so, better that we know each other as people.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7793; twalker@ocregister.com
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar  Myanmars parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the countrys new president Tuesday in a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule.

The joint session of the two houses of parliament broke into thundering applause as the speaker Mann Win Khaing Than announced the result: I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes. Immediately, the state-run Myanmar TVs camera zoomed in from above on a beaming Suu Kyi, sitting in the front row, clapping excitedly, for a live nationwide audience.

The 70-year-old Htin Kyaw, a longtime confidant of Suu Kyi, will take office April 1 but questions remain about his position and power.

Rightfully, the job belonged to Suu Kyi, who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement and who endured decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her non-violent campaign to unseat them. But a constitutional provision barred Suu Kyi from becoming president, and she made it clear that whoever sits in that chair will be her proxy.

Still, Htin Kyaw will be remembered by history as the first civilian president for Myanmar and the head of its first government to be elected in free and fair polls. After the parliament session ended, Suu Kyi did not comment as she exited, leaving the new president to deliver the first reaction.

This is a victory for the people of this country, Htin Kyaw said in a brief comment to reporters.

He secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in the bicameral parliament, where the vote count was read aloud and announced by a parliament official.

The militarys nominee, Myint Swe, won 213 votes and will become the first vice president. Htin Kyaws running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, won 79 votes and will take the post of second vice president.

We are very satisfied with the result of the presidential election, said Tun Win, a legislator from the Arakan National Party. He really should be the leader. I hope he can lead this country to peace and stability, equality and implement the rule of law in this country.

The United States congratulated Htin Kyaw on his election.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the election marked yet another important step forward in Burmas democratic transition. He said the formation of a democratically elected, civilian-led government and the peaceful transfer of power mark an extraordinary moment in Myanmars history. Earnest said additional democratic reforms must be implemented.

The NLD, and indeed Suu Kyi, came into prominence in 1988 when popular protests started against the military that had ruled in different incarnations since taking power in a 1962 coup. After crushing anti-government riots in which thousands of people were killed, the junta placed Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989.

It called elections in 1990, which the NLD swept. But the military ignored the results and stayed in power. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a year later, and it was around this time that Htin Kyaw  then a computer programmer-turned-bureaucrat  became involved in party work. His father-in-law was already a prominent NLD leader and his wife a member.

Htin Kyaw, who had known Suu Kyi since grade school, became her confidant and adviser on foreign relations. As Myanmar lurched from one political crisis to another, Suu Kyi was released and re-arrested several times. The junta finally started loosening its grip on power in 2010, allowing elections that were won by a military-allied party after the NLD boycotted the polls as unfair.

After more reforms, another general election was held on Nov. 8 that was swept by the NLD, a reflection of Suu Kyis widespread public support. The constitutional clause that denied her the presidency excludes anyone from the job who has a foreign spouse or children. Suu Kyis two sons are British, as was her late husband. The clause is widely seen as having been written by the military with Suu Kyi in mind.

The military reserved for itself 25 percent of the seats in parliament, ensuring no government, current or future, can amend the constitution without its approval.

Myint Swe is seen as a close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe and remains on a U.S. Treasury Department blacklist that bars American companies from doing business with several tycoons and senior military figures connected with the former junta.
The U.S. Justice Department sees serious antitrust issues with Tribune Publishings bankruptcy bid for The Orange County Register and The Press-Enterprise and would take action to keep any merger from hurting local newspaper readers and advertisers, according to a letter to Freedom Communications.

Freedom is selling the two newspapers in a court-supervised auction Wednesday. Tribune, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and other papers, was a bidder for the auctions stalking horse opening bid. Tribune lost out to Digital First Media, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach-Press-Telegram and other papers.

In a letter this week to Alan Friedman, Freedoms bankruptcy attorney, Justice Department attorneys provided our current assessment from a competition perspective of the bidding for Freedoms assets.

We wish to inform you that, based on our review to date, the division believes the acquisition of the Freedom assets by Tribune poses a serious risk of harming newspaper readers and advertisers in Orange County and Riverside County, wrote William Baer, assistant attorney general in charge of the antitrust division.

If Freedom selects Tribune as its purchaser, the division will exercise its antitrust law enforcement responsibilities to ensure that the transaction does not deprive newspaper readers and advertisers in these areas of the benefits of competition.

Freedom attorney Friedman did not return a call seeking comment.

Tribune officials declined to comment Tuesday on the antitrust letter. But Tribune attorneys filed a motion in bankruptcy court challenging Digital Firsts designation as the stalking horse bidder and asking the court to eliminate $1.3 million in stalking-horse benefits for Digital First should that company not win the bidding.

Tribunes motion wont be heard until Monday, at the earliest.

The Justice Department letter also said its attorneys do not have antitrust concerns with other publicly known bidders. Digital First and an investor group headed by Freedom CEO Rich Mirman have said they submitted bids.

Ron Hasse, president of Digital Firsts Los Angeles Newspaper Group, said he is keenly aware of the competitive problems that a Tribune-Freedom merger could create for his companys business. Not only would there be tough competition for readers and advertisers, Freedom prints six of Digital Firsts nine Southern California newspapers.

I am concerned, Hasse said of a combined Tribune-Freedom portfolio.

Hasse said the Justice Department warning could certainly be a factor in whom Freedom chooses to buy its assets.

The Freedom auction is being done at a fast pace to keep the newspapers running efficiently and maximize recoveries for the creditors. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday to approve the winning bid, and the deal is planned to close March 31.

Court papers detailing the Freedom bidding procedures say the winning bid would reflect the risks and timing associated with consummating such bid as well as the ability to obtain appropriate regulatory approvals.

Antitrust concerns still are a viable issue in the struggling newspaper industry, said Maurice Stucke, a University of Tennessee law professor and former Department of Justice antitrust attorney.

The industry has suffered financially in recent years as readers and advertisers move to new competitors online. That has created an urge for newspapers to merge and spread fixed business costs over bigger operations.

For international and national news and for national advertising, a combination of two major regional news organizations might not matter much to business competition, Stucke said.

But for local news, the daily newspaper still has an important function that cannot be easily replaced, Stucke said.

The Justice Department has intervened in the past two decades in mergers involving daily newspapers in San Francisco and West Virginia and at alternative weeklies in the Los Angeles area, Stucke noted.

In the Freedom case, Justice Department attorneys could come to bankruptcy court and seek time to investigate what damage could be done to newspaper competition in the market, Stucke said.

Because you cannot easily unscramble the egg once a deal is done, he said.

Tribunes new CEO, Justin Dearborn, in a conference call with analysts on March 2 confirmed Tribunes interest in Freedom newspapers, but said Tribune would not overpay for the papers. He did not mention any antitrust concerns.
As of Tuesday night, more than half of the delegates that will be awarded in the Republican primary contest will have been allocated. Theoretically, in a normal race in a normal year, then, we could know by the end of Tuesday night who the nominee will be.

But, this not being a normal race and this not being a normal year, we wont.

Whats at stake

There are five states and a territory that will be voting on Tuesday.

In two, Florida and Ohio, the candidate with the most votes gets all of the delegates, 99 and 66 respectively.

In two, Illinois and Missouri, the candidate with the most votes statewide gets all of the statewide delegates  12 delegates in each. In Illinois, people in each congressional district elect a three-delegate slate per candidate, giving that person three delegates. If someone hits 50 percent in Missouri, they get all of the states delegates; otherwise, the winner of each congressional district gets five delegates per win.

In North Carolina, its simpler: You get one delegate for every 1.39 percent of the statewide vote. (All delegate rules via The Green Papers.)

In total, there are 367 delegates at stake.

Where the race stands

Only recently have there been polls in the states that are voting on Tuesday. The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls gives us a sense of what the voting may look like in three of the biggest states.

Lets apply some rough estimates.

In Florida, Donald Trump seems poised to put the final nail in Marco Rubios already nearly sealed coffin. Trump leads by double-digits in most polls and, as we noted on Sunday, his support doesnt seem like its going anywhere. That would allocate 99 delegates to Trump.

In Ohio, John Kasich seems to have take a decent lead. A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday has Trump and Kasich tied, though other polls recently have given Kasich small leads. Its likely that Kasichs got a stronger operation on his home turf than Trump, but its hard to say what will happen. It seems clear, though, that the states 66 delegates will go to Kasich or Trump.

In Illinois, Trump has a lead over Ted Cruz. Hell likely win the statewide delegates. But the results of the congressional district elections are less clear. Four years ago, Rick Santorum out-performed Mitt Romney in the more rural western and southern parts of the state, which seems like it might be mirrored by Cruz  so its likely that Trump and Cruz will split the rest of the delegates. Meaning something like 51 delegates for Trump and 15 for Cruz.

In North Carolina, recent polls vary. It seems likely that Trump will win the state with at least 40 percent of the vote and that Ted Cruz will be in second with around 30. (This would be consistent with Trumps strong performances throughout the south.) If that happens, were looking at 29 delegates for Trump and 22 for Cruz  with the rest divvied up between Kasich and Rubio.

In Missouri, we have very little polling to guide us. Cruz has won its neighbors Kansas, Iowa and Oklahoma, and Trump scored wins in nearby Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. (He also leads in Illinois.) A poll conducted last week showed Trump getting about a third of the vote, just ahead of Cruz  but thats one poll. If Trump wins the state and he and Cruz split the states eight congressional seats, east-west, wed end up with 32 delegates for Trump to 20 for Cruz.

This is a pretty favorable allocation for Trump, taken just after a weekend in which hes gotten a lot of negative press. So he could have moved down  or up  and it would be hard to say. (One quick indicator: A Florida poll released Monday shows the events in Chicago may have helped him.)

But lets go with our estimates. That would give us a pretty favorable look at the days races for Trump  and if he wins Ohio, hes still precisely 500 delegates short of what he needs. After Tuesday, 500 delegates is more than one-half of all of the delegates that remain.

Of the remaining contests, six  Arizona, Delaware, Nebraska, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota  are winner-take-all, and could give Trump 217 delegates if he wins each state. On top of that, if he keeps edging out the pack in most states, hell keep getting the most delegates under a proportional allocation system. If he gets 50 percent of all of the proportional delegates, thats 586 in total  and the nomination. An optimistic road map.

One that assumes a static field. We can assume that Marco Rubio drops out after losing Florida and that Kasich would likely do the same in short order (though its not clear when that would be). Polling suggests that Trump could lose head-to-head match-ups with Cruz  meaning that instead of pulling away from Cruz, Cruz could pull closer. Cruz would need to win basically every remaining delegate if our estimates above play out, which clearly wont happen.

In other words, the thing to watch on Tuesday is simple and hardly bears isolating: How Trump does at the margins. How many congressional districts he wins. How many delegates he gets in North Carolina. Heck: How many he gets in the Northern Marianas.

Building a successful nomination, Trump is learning, is a bit like building a big, beautiful wall. It requires a lot of time cementing a lot of individual bricks into place. Right now, the path to a contested convention looks more clear than the path to a nominee.
Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Dr. Raquel Hatter announced the launch of an awareness campaign calling attention to childhood hunger in Tennessee and urging Tennesseans to pledge support to help ensure no Tennessee child goes hungry. In Tennessee, more than half a million children may go hungry each day. One in four Tennessee children faces the risk of hunger. This call to action is to generate awareness, prompt change, and help ensure that No Tennessee Child Goes Hungry.

In March 2015, DHS and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) announced a partnership in the quest to ensure that no Tennessee child would go hungry during the summer months by seeking community partners to participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Now, a year later and more than 4 million meals served, DHS is expanding on its work to increase momentum and raise awareness about this important issue.

Gov.

Bill Haslam has recognized the importance of child hunger in Tennessee by proclaiming Friday, March 11, 2016 as No Tennessee Child Hungry Day. The governor encourages Tennesseans to pledge their support to raise awareness for this campaign to end childhood hunger. Also in recognition of No Tennessee Child Hungry Day, the State Capitol cupola was illuminated in orange.

We are so grateful for the amazing support from Tennesseans to add their strength to the No Tennessee Child Hungry Campaign, Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Dr. Raquel Hatter said. While partnering with Tennesseans across the state on this very important issue for more than a half million Tennessee children, we remain focused on our commitment to addressing poverty through the two generation strategy. This is the primary solution for changing this reality for Tennessee children and families. Thank you Tennessee!

Knowing the impacts of hunger on a childs physical and mental well-being, the Tennessee Departments of Health and Education are supporting the awareness campaign.

Good nutrition and regular physical activity is essential for children, helping them build stronger bodies and immune systems to resist illness, to perform better in the classroom and to achieve optimal physical, mental and social development, said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH.

Taking the right steps today to help children stay healthy will mean healthier adults tomorrow.

It is critical that our students enter the classroom every day ready and willing to learn, Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said. This means that we must first meet their basic needs, ensuring they have access to nutritious meals that fuel them to learn.

A childs need for good nutrition does not end when the school bell rings for summer vacation, said Robin Bailey Jr., Southeast Regional Administrator for the USDAs Food and Nutrition Service. Summer meal programs give communities an opportunity to play a lead role in combating hunger and helping promote nutrition and physical activity throughout the summer months, ensuring they return to school healthy, strong, and ready to learn.

As a part of No Tennessee Child Goes Hungry awareness campaign, DHS is looking to engage Tennesseans across the state and across all sectors to demonstrate their support of this very important cause. If you can say yes to any of the following questions, then this call to action is for you:

1. Do you ever worry about the 1 in 4 Tennessee children who may be hungry every day?

2. Are you committed to making a difference?

3. Do you want to be a part of the solution?

4. Do you want to be a part of the future celebration of reducing the rate of food insecurity in Tennessee?

Leading up to and throughout the summer of 2016, DHS will host a number of opportunities for Tennesseans to engage, raise awareness, and show support.

Visit www.tn.gov/humanservices to sign the No Tennessee Child Hungry Awareness Campaign pledge and let us know how you, your business, faith based organization or community group can participate or have already participated in efforts to make sure Tennessees children receive the meals they need to learn, grow, and be successful. This pledge will demonstrate your concern and support of more than half a million Tennessee children.

Join the call to action for Tennesseans to fight hunger in their local communities by donating, volunteering, raising awareness or other activities that support the end of hunger.
MIAMI  Will Tuesday be Marco Rubios last stand? Will John Kasich live to fight another day? Will Donald Trumps rallies help or hurt? And can Bernie Sanders pull off another Michigan surprise somewhere in the industrial Midwest?

As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump lead in all or most of the five big states voting Tuesday, those are some of the themes that will determine the way the campaign looks by Wednesday morning.

Subplots inject some uncertainty. Trumps rallies have been interrupted repeatedly by protesters, including at least a dozen removed Monday from a rally in North Carolina.

Another heckler was punched in the face last week. Trump supporters also clashed with anti-Trump demonstrators in Chicago on Friday. And an anti-Trump protester stormed Trumps stage Saturday before for being stopped by authorities. Will undecided Republicans hold Trump accountable, or rally to his side?

Rubio appears ill-positioned. The anyone-but-Trump voters dont appear ready to turn to Rubio. The senator from Florida, viewed only weeks ago as the Republican establishments best hope, has poured virtually all his time and money this week into winning his home state. Polls suggest Trump will crush him and his presidential hopes.

Kasich, the governor of Ohio, has inched ahead of Trump in that state. A win in Ohio would mean lots of boasting by Kasich that hes now the center-right alternative, but the math makes his task very difficult.

Trump has 460 delegates toward the 1,237 needed to win the Republican nomination. Next is Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, with 370. Rubio has 163 and Kasich 63. A total of 358 are at stake Tuesday, and Florida, with 99 delegates, and Ohio, with 66, are winner-take-all states. Trump is ahead in four of Tuesdays states, positioning him to end the day with at least 640 delegates, according to NBC News estimates.

Among Democrats, Clintons leading everywhere, though her leads are fragile in the Midwest. The economy remains a grim flashpoint as the former secretary of state argues shes President Barack Obamas logical heir. Workers feeling stung by trade deals and a slow recovery are warming to Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont.

Clinton has 1,234 delegates, including 467 superdelegates, or party officials unelected in primaries and unbound by the popular vote. Sanders has 579 total delegates. A full 2,383 is needed to win the Democratic nomination, and the five states voting Tuesday have 793.

The outlook:

FLORIDA

GOP: Trump up 18.7 percentage points, according to average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com.

Democrats: Clinton up 29.6.

We have to win here in Florida, Rubio said recently at a rally in the South Florida city of Hialeah.

Rubio has been barnstorming the state relentlessly, but Trump, who campaigned Monday in Tampa, leads by an almost 2-to-1 ratio.

More than 2 million voters have already cast absentee ballots or voted early. More than 1.1 million of those voters were Republican; the Democratic vote tally was just under 850,000.

ILLINOIS

GOP: Trump up 8.7 percentage points.

Democrats: Clinton up 2.3.

Clinton could face a backlash from Democrats angry at Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The two have long been close.

Emanuel has fought off calls to quit, but remains under fire in the black community. They see him as doing little to ease widespread poverty, and remain angry about the police shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014.

Downstate, the economy is the big issue. Some seek a learned hand at the helm. Sanders is a one-issue candidate, and Clinton has so much more experience, said Mary Lynam-Miller, a homemaker from OFallon.

MISSOURI

GOP: Trump up 7 percentage points.

Democrats: Clinton up 7.

The smallest of the states voting Tuesday unexpectedly found itself in the spotlight in the closing hours of the primary campaign.

After a raucous St. Louis rally Friday, Trump came to Kansas City Saturday, his speech marred by protests inside and outside the downtown theater where he spoke. At one point, Kansas City police blasted pepper spray in an effort to disperse the crowd. Similar protests affected a Trump rally in St. Louis a day earlier.

Cruz campaigned across the state as well, insisting he remains the only realistic alternative to the businessman. His appeal to social and religious conservatives could make a difference in the state. Latest polls show the race too close to call, and Missouri is Tuesdays only primary state without an early voting option. That means the vast majority of the states voters were still up for grabs over the weekend.

NORTH CAROLINA

GOP: Trump up 12.8 percentage points.

Democrats: Clinton up 23.7.

Clinton and Sanders campaigned in vote-rich Charlotte and last week stumped in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

Trump held a morning rally Monday at Hickorys Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he was joined by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Security officials removed at least a dozen protesters.

Trump cited the love all around him, and then lamented, Theres anger where you look at the United States, and it cant win anymore.

Heidi Cruz also campaigned in the Hickory area Monday morning, a day after her husband stumped with Glenn Beck at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

OHIO

GOP: Kasich up 3.2 percentage points.

Democrats: Clinton up 8.3.

Kasich is overwhelmingly popular as governor, and is gaining from voters eager to stop Trump. Rubio this weekend urged his Ohio supporters to get behind Kasich.

The Ohio race is tight, but with Rubio floundering in Florida, Kasich could potentially bolster his standing as the establishments alternative to Trump and Cruz with a win here, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Clintons campaign is concerned that a last-minute surge of voters frustrated by foreign competition and an eroding manufacturing base could cost her the state. She was up by similar numbers in Michigan last week and wound up losing to Sanders.
BEIRUT  Turkey targeted Kurdish militants with airstrikes on their strongholds in Iraq on Monday as officials claimed almost certain links between the group and a suicide car bombing that killed at least 37 people in the Turkish capital.

Sundays blast  less than a month after a similar attack in the capital, Ankara  sharply raised concern that Turkeys long war with Kurdish separatists could be spreading from Kurdish regions in the countrys southeast to major urban centers.

There was no assertion of responsibility for the attack, but Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said very serious and almost certain findings point to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, Turkeys main militant faction.

The group has waged a violent campaign since the 1980s  including a brief lull  in its quest for greater autonomy in Turkeys Kurdish heartland. It also maintains bases over the border in northern Iraq.

Battles between Kurdish militants and Turkish forces have escalated recently, adding yet another front in a region already in deep turmoil over the Syrian civil war and the Western-led campaign against the Islamic State militant group.

Davutoglu said 11 people were detained in Sundays blast  which occurred about 200 yards from his office  but authorities gave no details about their background or possible affiliations.

A woman was definitely one of the suicide attackers, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. Authorities suspect that the bombing was carried out by two people, and Turkish news reports said the hand of the suspected female attacker was found about 300 yards from the blast site.

In northern Iraq, warplanes struck at least 18 PKK positions, including bases in the Qandil Mountains, Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Targets included ammunition depots, bunkers and shelters, the agency said.

The blast on Sunday occurred less than a mile from the site of a Feb. 17 car bombing that targeted a bus full of Turkish soldiers, killing 28 of them. An offshoot of the PKK asserted responsibility for that explosion.

Smaller-scale attacks against Turkish military targets have been commonplace in the largely Kurdish southeast since a cease-fire broke down last summer. The two recent attacks, however, suggest that the militants are seeking to escalate the fight by taking it into the heart of the country and hitting civilians as well.

The U.S. Embassy warned Friday in a message to American citizens that a terrorist attack might be imminent in Ankara, but it did not identify any group. A State Department statement condemned the latest bloodshed, saying that the United States remains committed to combating the shared threat of terrorism with NATO ally Turkey.

The Islamic State also has carried out attacks in Turkey in recent months. The worst killed more than 100 people in Ankara at a Kurdish peace rally in October. In Istanbul, 12 people, most of them German tourists, died after a suicide bomber in January struck the historic Sultanahmet district.

At the same time, Turkey also has bombed sites of a Kurdish group based in Syria, claiming the U.S.-backed fighters seek to make territorial gains as part of their push against the Islamic State.

The U.S. government, like Turkey, has designated the PKK a terrorist organization. But Washington has refused Turkeys demands to add the Syrian Kurds to the list, saying it regards the group as a vital ally in the fight against the Islamic State.
WICHITA, Kan  .  A Muslim student at Wichita State University says he and a Hispanic friend, who also is a student, were attacked over the weekend by a man who shouted racial epithets and Trump, Trump, Trump before riding away on his motorcycle.

Khondoker Usama, the student body vice president at Wichita State, who is Muslim, said he and a Hispanic friend, who so far has chosen to remain anonymous, were filling their vehicle at the gas pumps at a Kwik Shop near campus early Saturday when a man in his 20s or 30s started calling a black customer at the convenience store a racial epithet.

Then suddenly it turned onto us, calling us brown trash, go home. Trump will win, Usama said.

Then the man approached the students and, according to Usama, said, You want to live in this country, you better leave.

But Usama said his friend told the man: This is my country; who are you to tell me that?

The exchange was heated, Usama said, and he tried to defuse the situation, but his friend got punched and taken to the ground. He said he tried to get between the attacker and his friend but then was pushed himself. He thought he saw the attacker reaching for his pocket and feared he had a weapon, he said, so he backed away and called 911.

He kept kicking the student who was laying on the ground, Usama said. He was kicking him; it was a gut-wrenching scene. He saw that I was calling the police and got back on his motorcycle and circled around us and was saying Trump, Trump, Trump, we will make America great again. You losers will be thrown out of the wall.

None of us knew that person, Usama said. I dont know why anyone would do anything so hateful and so wrong to any individual.

His friend suffered bruises to the face, Usama said, but he was not sure about any other injuries, and neither he nor his friend requested medical attention. Usama said the police asked Kwik Shop employees for video footage of the incident, but they refused because their manager wasnt present. A Wichita police dispatcher confirmed Sunday that a report was made about the disturbance.

The only physical similarity he and his friend share, Usama said, is the color of their skin. So when police asked whether he thought it was a hate crime, he told them: When you just start a conversation with someone calling out brown trash, there is no other motivation I see other than a hate crime.

At first Usama refused to talk to the media over the weekend, but he changed his mind because he said he thinks its important that people hear this is happening.

There may be other people who are fearing the same thing, Usama said. So this is really important in the times we are in, the challenges we are facing as minorities in this country; we better get united and we better speak up.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump claimed Florida, the biggest delegate haul of Tuesday nights five Republican primary elections, by sweeping nearly all categories of voters men and women, rich and poor, the highly educated and those without college degrees.

Trumps attraction of Floridas educated Republican voters notably broke from the trends seen in other states where Trump did better white, less educated voters.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton beat Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, largely thanks to widespread support from black voters.

According to early results of exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research, Clintons policies were seen as more realistic while voters in two states where Sanders was running strong found him more inspiring than former secretary of state.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich won his home state by drawing Republican voters looking for an experienced candidate. He also attracted more moderate Republicans and those who have college degrees.

Other highlights from the exit polls:

TRUMPS BIG FLORIDA WIN

Early exit polls in Florida indicate Trump won about half of whites and nearly 3 in 10 Hispanics. He was also backed by most voters without a college degree, and about 4 in 10 of those with a college diploma.

Most GOP voters in Florida are looking for a political outsider and three-quarters voted for Trump. Four in 10 are angry with Washington and 6 in 10 of them prefer Trump.

Trump was backed by nearly two-thirds of those who would like to see illegal immigrants deported; those who want to give undocumented workers a chance to apply for legal status divided their votes closely between the two.

For Rubio, it was rough night across nearly all demographics.

Rubio was backed by voters looking for experience, by voters who are not so negative about politics and the government and by those opposed to denying Muslims entry into the country. Unfortunately for him, those voters made up a small portion of those who turned out.

THE TRUMP COALITION

Trump prevailed in North Carolina and Illinois with support from a familiar group of voters for him.

In those states, he earned the support of voters without college diplomas, those with lower incomes and people looking for a president from outside the political establishment.

And in North Carolina, the exit poll showed that Trump won a majority of veterans.

BLACK VOTERS SUPPORT CLINTON

In Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, Clinton was supported by about two-thirds of black voters, similar to her level of support among black voters in Michigan last week, where her margin among the key group was not enough to propel her to victory.

In Florida and North Carolina about 8 in 10 black voters supported her, which is closer to her average margin in previous states. She also was supported by about 7 in 10 Hispanic voters in Florida.

KASICHS WIN AT HOME

In Ohio, Kasich was supported by three quarters of those looking for a president with political experience.

The governor also drew moderates and those identified as somewhat conservative. Kasichs supporters were also more likely to be college graduates, while Trump was the favorite of those without a college degree.

Kasich was supported by about 6 in 10 voters saying they most want a candidate who shares their values. And most voters who feel like theyre getting ahead financially supported Kasich.

For Trump, he was drawing voters who feel like theyre falling behind financially and those who say they want a candidate who can bring change. About 8 in 10 of those wanting a candidate who tells it like it is also supported Trump.

LATE DECIDERS

About 4 in 10 Republicans in Illinois and Missouri decided on their vote choice in the last week, along with a third in Ohio. Nearly 3 in 10 Republicans in Florida and North Carolina primaries made their decision in the last week.

As seen in earlier primaries, voters who made up the minds close to the primary were less inclined to support Trump. Of the Republicans in Ohio who decided in the last week, more than half preferred Kasich.

Among Democrats about a quarter made their vote decision in the last week, except in Florida, where less than a fifth were late deciders. In Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, those who made up their mind in the last week backed Sanders.
East, meet West.

There was no shortage of West Coast surfers who traveled cross country to compete March 10-13 in the Ron Jon Vans Pro, a World Surfing League tournament held at Cocoa Beach, Fla.

While West Coast surfers are sometimes known to have trouble dealing with sloppy, windblown East Coast waves, in this event the West Coasters  many of them from Orange County  were on their game. West Coasters won all three divisions.

San Clementes Kei Kobayashi put together scores of 9.83 and 8.0 in the junior pro final to outclass three other finalists and win his first WSL event.

Two surfers from Encinitas met in a man-on-man mens pro final, with Taylor Clark taking the win over Jake Marshall. Brian Toth from Puerto Rico and Josh Burke from Barbados were runners-up.

In the womens junior pro, still another west coaster took the win  Alyssa Spencer of Carlsbad. Malia Osterkamp of San Clemente placed third.

Meah Collins from Costa Mesa tied with Kirra Pinkerton of San Clemente for fifth place. Dana Points Bethany Zelasko and San Clementes Cole Houshmand turned in equal sevenths in their divisions.

Im beyond stoked, Kobayashi told the WSL after his victory. One of my goals this year was just to make a final. The level of competition is incredible, and all week I just wanted to keep bettering myself.

Contact the writer: fswegles@ocregister.com or 949-492-5127
So many people posted photos of themselves wearing Mickey Mouse ears that Disney decided to double its donation pledge to Make-A-Wish from $1 million to $2 million.

The Walt Disney Company launched the Share Your Ears campaign in February in honor of Disneylands 60th anniversary, with officials saying the company would donate $5 to Make-A-Wish for each photo fans posted wearing their favorite pair of ears online using the #ShareYourEars hashtag.

Due to the success of the campaign, Disneyland Resort president Michael Colglazier announced Monday morning that the company would double its donation, originally capped at $1 million.

As part of the campaign, special mouse ears were made featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck with their arms open, and Goofy tipping his cap in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The words Wishes do come true were written underneath the characters, and the ears show fireworks exploding.

The special ears retailed for $19.95 and only 7,500 were made. All proceeds, estimated to be around $150,000, will be donated to Make-a-Wish.

Disney granted its first wish through Make-A-Wish 35 years ago, according to Colglazier.

Since then, the Walt Disney Company has hosted more than 100,000 wishes around the world, he said.

Contact the writer: meades@ocregister.com
A dog owner from Singapore has stirred up controversy by dyeing her three pure-bred Chow Chows to resemble pandas. The white fur dogs now have dyed black patches around their eyes, on their ears, and all over their bodies, making them look more like mini pandas than canines.

and her dogs began to gain popularity after many Singaporean residents spotted them around town and posted photographs of them online. About a month ago Jiang decided to make the most of the publicity and started a service called Panda Chow Chows that allows people to rent out her dogs for photo shoots. A Facebook post made by her husband reads: Meet the cutest and most adorable dogs in Singapore. The Panda Chow Chows! Toudou (Potato), Yumi (Sweetcorn) and DouDou (Bean). Very proud of my wife Meng Jiang launching her new venture.

The couple revealed that they brought the three dogs with them from London, when they moved to Singapore in October last year. They started by dyeing only one of the dogs, Yumi, because they thought the puppies were looking more and more like pandas as they grew older. Yumi loved it and TouDou and DouDou were really jealous of her, so we tried it with them and they all had a new level of energy after it was done, Jiang told Channel News Asia.

Photo: Meng Jiang/Facebook

Out on the streets people go crazy for them, she added. On Orchard Road last week, I think about 500 people must have taken photos of them or together with them in the space of three hours. Scores of people always kept coming over, wanting to take pictures with them. So I thought why dont we let people come over to our home and do shoots with the dogs? Why dont we go to peoples homes and do shoots with the dogs?

But ever since she started Panda Chow Chows, Jiang has come under heavy criticism for animal cruelty, and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore has started an investigation. The Society of Prevention for Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) also spoke out against Jiangs actions. SPCA is strongly against such a practice and would advise pet owners to refrain from altering their pets appearance in this way, because it is unnatural and unnecessary, they said. There are also potential side effects with no benefits to the animals  it can be physically harmful and subject the animal to stress in the process. Animals have natural coats and should be appreciated for what they are, rather than trying to alter them artificially.

Photo: Panda Chow Chows/Facebook

Jiang, of course, is denying all allegations of cruelty and is calling her critics keyboard crusaders attempting to take some sort of moral high ground. On her website, the 27-year-old wrote that the dogs are naturally white, so she used 100 percent organic and natural colorant to dye portions of their fur black. The product we use is readily available off the shelf in Singapore and can be bought in Singapore at dog grooming stations, she wrote, adding that she employed a qualified dog groomer with over 10 years of experience.

According to Jiang, two groomers were present during the process to ensure that none of the product was ingested by the dogs. Their eyes were also treated with meticulous care by applying the color with fingers, 30mm to one cm away from the eye lids. The dye around the eyes was not washed away but wiped off, so none of it would get into the eyes.

Photo: Panda Chow Chows/Facebook

Being cruel to a dog is locking it up all day so it gets no exercise, starving a dog to death, not cleaning up after it and letting it live in its own filth, being cruel to a dog is beating it, NOT dyeing your dog with 100 percent organic product, she wrote. She also explained that her dogs roam freely and play all day in her 3,500 square-foot home, which is always maintained at a comfy 20-degree C. She claims that she feeds them the best dog food and gives them supplements twice a day.

Bizarre dog grooming trends have been around for a while  like these square doggy haircuts in Taiwan, and puppies painted with toxic varnish in China. But it seems like these trends are relatively unheard of in Singapore. Although there are at least three local salons that offer pet dyeing services, dog groomers in the nation have told the media that very few pet owners actually go for it. And those who do only ask to dye a small portion of their dogs, so the panda Chow Chows are almost certainly a first.

Photo: Panda Chow Chows/Facebook

As long as the coloring is safe, and everything is organic, and the dye is not in contact with the skin or sensitive areas, I dont see a problem, a spokesperson for The Pet Loft said, speaking to Straits Times. But Desmond Chan, co-owner of Bubbly Petz, spoke out against the practice of dyeing animal fur. The dogs dont ask for it and it may result in unwanted attention and stress for them, he said.

While AVA suggests that owners who want to dye their pets fur should have a patch test done, Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs, condemned the process entirely. Anything chemical in nature is always detrimental to the dogs health, he said. I dont really approve, from an animal welfare point.

Photo: Panda Chow Chows/Facebook

Meanwhile, internet users have expressed mixed feelings towards the panda-dogs. Some people cant seem to get over how cute they are, while others think its a terrible idea. Like Facebook user Bibiana Soh, who wrote: I dont see the dogs as being cute!! I see them as being abused.

Jiang, however, has no patience for critics because she thinks theyre being hypocrites. They (the Chow Chows) are walked and exercised more than any of these people complaining actually walk and exercise their dogs, she said. Maybe they have been to see pandas at Singapore Zoo and exchanged money to do so for photos? Now you can see the total hypocrisy of these people!

Is this the morality that parents who turn their children into child models and actors display? she questioned. If you watch the TV you indirectly already support child actors through your viewing figures and TV advertising revenue.

If after reading all of this, you can still not bring your moral crusade to a logical argument and conclusion, then when you see us walking the dogs around Singapore, dont be a hypocrite and come over to take personal photos with them and try to stroke them and play with our dogs. Hypocrites are not welcome to do so.

Sources: Channel News Asia, Straits Times
For the past 59 years, the residents of Sweetwater, Texas, have been coming together during the second weekend of March to celebrate the Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Roundup, a four-day event that features the beheading and skinning of thousands of rattlesnakes in front of a live audience.

Annual rattlesnake roundups are common in several areas of the rural Midwest and Southern United States, but the event at Sweetwater is considered by far the largest of them all. Launched in 1958 by the Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees), it used to be the most effective way to control the regions heavy snake population responsible for the death of cattle and humans alike.

And while the festivals original premise might not be relevant anymore, the event still manages to draw up to 30,000 visitors each year, including out-of-state snake hunting teams and tourists from other countries. Just last year , a whopping 3,780 pounds  thats tens of thousands  of rattlesnake were netted and thrown live into a pit, from where they were taken out and killed, one at a time.

Photo: Horatio3K

According to a report in the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the snake pit last year was like a spaghetti of writhing angry reptiles that gave off a strange dense smell with an evil vomit-like edge to it. It went on to describe how denim-clad Jaycees lob off their heads, strip their skin, and disembowel their gizzards. The snakes tiny hearts are set aside into a gory pile, each one still beating out its own rhythm  a hundred little pebble-sized hearts still twitching with life. There are plenty of other snake-themed events at the festival, like snakeskin sales, food stalls peddling fried snake meat, and even a Miss Snake Charmer beauty pageant.

Unsurprisingly, rattlesnake roundups have come under severe criticism in recent times for the level of brutality meted out towards snakes. Most experts even believe that the overpopulation of snakes is a myth, propagated in a bid to keep the festivals going. Promoted as folksy, family-friendly fun, these events foster disrespect for native wildlife and the natural world, and the result is an unsustainable and dangerous predicament for iconic and uniquely American species, Melissa Amarello, of Advocates of Snake Preservation, wrote for National Geographic Voices.

Photo: Kimberly Vardeman

She goes on to explain how these festivals rake in huge profits for snake collectors  professional hunters who primarily target Western and Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. They are awarded with instant cash prizes that increase in proportion with the size and number of snakes brought in. So these hunters forcibly remove snakes by the thousands from their natural habitats, because they arent bound by take limits as in other game hunting activities.

The actual hunting is apparently done well ahead of the event, by pouring gasoline into the snakes winter dens, polluting the surrounding land and water. The snakes are forced to leave their pits, and the hunters grab and store them for months before the festival. The snakes are often crowded together in a confined space without food or water, and by the time they arrive at the roundup many of them are bleeding, dying, or already dead.

Events like the the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater happening this weekend are a perfect example of how fear of snakes is used in a very bad way, Amarello said, speaking to Everything Lubbock on Saturday. In some ways the rattlesnake roundup is a type of wildlife management. The round ups claim they are doing this to keep the snakes from being overpopulated, even though there is no science that says they are overpopulated, its just not the way science based wildlife management is done. And so thats why we would like to see it stopped.

Other animal welfare groups are also trying to raise awareness about the cruelty involved in roundup events, and lobbying for reforms in the way snakes are hunted. Theres not much rule on hunting the rattlesnakes, game warden Roy Johnson explained. Theres some legislation going on right now that theyre looking to try to prevent using the gasoline.

Photo: Kimberly Vardeman

But snake hunters are refuting the statements of activists, strongly believing that their actions ensure the safety of local residents, pets, and livestock. I think theyre wrong, said Frizell, a hunter. They just need to be out there in the middle of it to know whats going on.

Their claims are not backed by data, however. According to Amarello, Fewer than five deaths in the U.S. each year can be attributed to snakebite, including people who refuse treatment and those bitten by their own exotic pet snakes. Interestingly, the USDAs Cattle Death Loss report has logged zero cattle deaths from snakes in more than two decades, and ranchers report that snakes are not a threat to livestock, who usually recover from snakebites, even without treatment. Studies also suggest that roundups do not do actually have any effect on local snake populations.

At the end of the day it all boils down to profits, seeing as how the Sweetwater festival pumps huge sums of money  amounting to millions of dollars  into the local economy. The Jaycees apparently use this money to fund community projects like free Thanksgiving meals. But the festival might not be around for much longer if the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ends up banning the current gasoline hunting method. It would be a devastating blow for us, admitted David Sager, a snake handler and member of the Jaycees. The rattlesnake roundup is our ways and means.

Most supporters of rattlesnake roundups always use population control as their main argument and even though hard data doesnt support their claims, I can understand that they actually believe they are doing the community a favor. But do you really have to make a gory spectacle out of decapitating, skinning and cooking the snakes?
Laura Kane

Laura Kane, senior VP and global head of media relations for Marsh, has joined PR Society of America as communications chief.

She replaces Stephanie Cegielski, who stepped down last summer after two years. Cegielski had replaced Arthur Yann, who died while serving as VP of PR of the Society in 2013.

Kane reports to PRSA CEO Joseph Truncale and take the title of chief communication officer, a new title at the trade group.



Kane led corporate communications at insurer Aflac and was senior VP of communications at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.



She earlier worked in media overseeing e-commerce at ABC-TV and consulting for Japan's NHK.
The Democratic Party of Albania has hired Washington, D.C.-based public affairs giant Podesta Group in a bid to improve relations with the United States and facilitate a dialog with the governments executive branch, as well as members of Congress.

Conservative political body The Democratic Party of Albania came to power in 1992 following its win of the parliamentary election that year, and became Albanias leading political party following the 2005 parliamentary elections. The party, which is a member of the international right-of-center political alliance International Democrat Union and Centrist Democrat International, is based in Albania's capital, Tirana.

Podesta will counsel the Party on relevant U.S. policies and Congressional activities, will research and analyze issues of concern and will also possibly arrange meetings with U.S. executive branch officials and members of Congress. The public affairs firm will also assist in communicating relevant "priority issues regarding the United States-Albania bilateral relationship to U.S. audiences for the purpose of strengthening ties between the two countries.

Duration of the account and its fees have not yet been determined.

Anthony Podesta signed the contract.
One example of a recent problem associated with property lines and right-of-ways was discussed at the Monday meeting of the Bradley County Commission. The amount of right-of-ways along the sides of county roads differ in widths and some have been changed from what they were originally.

A property owner was fixing up land that had been purchased recently on New Hope Road and, before building a wall along the front of the lot, asked County Commissioner Howard Thompson how to determine where it should be put. He was told the right-of-way was 30 feet wide, to be measured 15 feet from the middle of the road. On March 6, the wall was finished according to those measurements. The following Monday, the Bradley County Road Department informed the property owner that the right-of-way was 40 feet and that the wall had to be taken down because it was on county property.

The road was originally built in 1959 with a 30-foot right-of-way. In 1994, owners along the road signed a petition to change that to 40 feet in order to accommodate bus traffic. Because of a typographical error, the right-of-way was designated as 30 feet on the countys road list. Inappropriate information has been given to the property owners and contractors, it was stated.

Because of the errors, the commissioners were in favor of holding the property owner harmless until an opinion was issued by the county attorney. Most also favored giving the man a one-time waiver in order to keep the wall that he spent $2,500 to build.

Commissioner Charlotte Peak stated that the set back should always be established from the property line, not a road. She said road measurements are not necessarily legitimate, and owners and contractors need to pull the measurements off of a survey. Property owners also need to call the building inspectors office before building, she said.

County Mayor D. Gary Davis suggested creating a resolution in opposition to a bill that has been proposed by the legislature in Nashville. This bill says if a cause of death cannot be established, an autopsy must be done. The cost of doing that, he said, will fall on the county. He said that in the past, Bradley County has had one full time doctor that is the medical examiner along with one part-time and one full-time employee. The medical examiners office has found other ways of doing things to cut down on the number of autopsies, he said. Bradley County follows the proper procedures he said, and has not had an incident where it has been sued because of not doing an autopsy.

Besides increasing this budget by two or three times from the current $60,000-$70,000, the new legislation would also cause the medical examiners office in Chattanooga to be covered up and unable to do work for Bradley County, the county mayor said.

The county will soon have to borrow money for a Bradley County hospital. Commissioner Howard Thompson said he would like to expand the current nine-year loan to 20 years. He would also like to investigate the differences in a bond issue versus doing a 20-year loan. The principal amount of $15 million has been safeguarded and preserved. That principal will never be touched, it was stated.

A representative from "Livability," a community marketing program, came to the commission meeting Monday to make a presentation for its services. The company promotes small to medium size towns on their website www. Livability.com. They promised to show all aspects of living and working in the city. The cost of this service would be a$30,000 annual fee, $10,000 from each the city of Cleveland, Bradley County and the Chamber of Commerce.

A representative from the Chamber said the issue has been discussed but no action has yet been taken. They are waiting to see Clevelands response. Commissioner Bill Winters said it would be a good idea and a good way to provide good publicity. Commissioner Dan Rawls said he could not justify adding $10,000 to the budget with all the things that come up. Chairman of the Board Louie Alford made the suggestion for the company to make formal presentations to the city and the Chamber to gauge their interest and then come back to the county for a vote.
15/03/16 - Lithuania has made remarkable economic and social progress, but further policy reforms will be necessary to ensure a more productive and inclusive economy, according to the first-ever OECD Economic Assessment of Lithuania.

The Assessment, presented in Vilnius today by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria and Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevicius, underlines the countrys successful economic development over the past 25 years, as well as its robust resilience to external shocks, which allowed it to bounce back from the global economic crisis quicker and faster than most of its European Union partners. The Assessment also underlines, however, the serious challenges that must still be overcome to boost productivity and bring about further convergence of living standards for all citizens with other advanced economies.

The Lithuanian economy has bounced back from the crisis and is expected to gain momentum, despite the weak global recovery, Mr Gurria said. Deft management of the post-crisis economy has delivered strong growth, declining unemployment and improving public finances. Despite these considerable achievements, further reforms will be needed to bring about a more productive and more inclusive economy for the benefit of all Lithuanians. (read the full speech)

The OECD Economic Assessment of Lithuania feeds into the countrys ongoing OECD accession process, which was launched in April 2015. It aims to contribute to the design and implementation of reforms that will help Lithuania to continue modernising its economy while improving living standards for all. To ensure continuing advances in income and wellbeing, the Assessment calls for new reforms to boost productivity, which is one-third below the OECD average.The main priorities should be to improve the education system, by increasing the role of workplace training and attracting talented people to the teaching profession, to enhance the governance of state-owned enterprises, to further develop infrastructure and to further promote innovation, notably by ensuring that the overall policy framework supports the growth of young innovative firms.The government can also do more to reduce informality, which would both improve tax collection and level the playing field to support the growth of the most productive firms.

According to the Assessment, reforms for bringing about a stronger economy go hand-in-hand with efforts to reduce poverty, which affects one in five Lithuanians. They would also make Lithuania a more inclusive society, notably for low-skilled workers and the unemployed. A wider access to lifelong learning for the low-skilled and the planned movement toward a flexicurity model, with streamlined labour market regulations combined with greater income support in case of job loss, should expand opportunities and share prosperity more widely. Building up the capacity of public employment services, to get people back to work, and strengthening the minimum income support to the poor, are both equally critical. The report welcomes the New Social Model reform package and also calls on the government to promote healthy lifestyles and a stronger primary health care system.

The Assessment was presented in Vilnius during an official visit of the OECD Secretary-General, organised to advance Lithuanias accession process to the Organisation. The visit includes meetings with President Dalia Grybauskaite, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, various ministers, parliamentarians, and representatives of the business community and civil society.

An Overview of the Economic Assessment, with the main conclusions, is freely accessible on the OECDs web site here. Journalists are invited to include this Internet link in reports on the Survey.

For further information on the Economic Assessment of Lithuania, please contact OECD Media Officer Lawrence Speer (+33 1 4524 7970) or the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 9700).

***NOTE TO EDITORS***

The first OECD Economic Assessment of Lithuania feeds into the countrys ongoing OECD accession process, which was launched in April 2015, on the basis of a decision by the OECD Council to open accession discussions with both Lithuania and Costa Rica.

Lithuania is now working through an Accession Roadmap, which sets out the terms, conditions and process for its accession to the Organization. The Accession Roadmap calls for a series of in-depth reviews conducted by 23 OECD technical committees, which, in turn, will provide a formal opinion to the OECD Council on Lithuanias willingness and ability to implement OECD standards, and of its policies and practices as compared to OECD best policies and practices in the relevant area.

These reviews are seen as an opportunity to support the Lithuanian authorities in pushing forward reforms consistent with OECD standards and best practices. There is no set timeline or end date for the accession process, and progress made ultimately depends on Lithuanias response to recommendations made by OECD committees, formed by its 34 Member countries.

The OECD promotes policies that improve the economic and social well-being of people worldwide. The Organisation provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.

The OECD's members are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Colombia and Latvia are also in accession processes since 2013.

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
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A request has been made for the city of Cleveland to abandon the right-of-way along Stone Lake Road S.W. near APD 40, around I-75 exit 20. A retail commercial development is being built at the location by Larry Armour. It is expected to create 1,000 jobs. The application has already been heard by the planning commission where there was no opposition and was given a recommendation for approval.

A public meeting on the matter took place at the Monday afternoon meeting of the Cleveland City Council where the project was described as a " plus- plus" for the community. The property that runs along both sides of a roadway amounts to a total of over an acre of land that the city will give up to improve access to the development. Additionally, this will put the property back on the tax rolls. Mayor Tom Rowland said Mr. Armour has donated more land to the city than he will be getting in this transaction, among others, property for a welcome center at the Cherokee National Forest and right-of-ways for other road systems in Cleveland. The mayor asked him to make a list of property that he has donated before the next council meeting when a vote will take place on abandonment.

Ginger Buchanan, representative of the Health and Facilities board of directors, told the council that the board has been asked to approve a PILOT for rehabilitating the Springbrook Apartments. Alco Management, a company based in Memphis that specializes in providing low-income housing, is asking for the tax credits. A state law passed June 1, 2015 that allows the board to consider the request and make a recommendation, but the board would like to urge the city council to make the final decision and to have final control.

Alco is requesting the tax credits amounting to $12,000-$13,000 annually, split between the city and Bradley County, to be suspended for 20 years, but would be happy with a 10-year contract, it was stated. The firm plans to spend $3 million on the renovation. Rents will be based on income, and Alco is committed to the project for 30 years. Although he said he was in favor of low income housing, Councilman Richard Banks said the council has had very little notice and needs to inform the public. He asked for a vote to be put on the agenda of the first meeting in April.

Discussion took place about the police services building and the hours it is open to the public. Consultant Larry Wallace told the council that in a city the size of Cleveland, the building should be open 24 hours a day. In a report by Mr. Wallace on improving police services, he made the recommendation that employees in that building should be protected with bullet-proof glass. He said he is concerned that after a vote of agreement for his recommendations, nine months have passed with nothing being done. He said if something happens, the city would be liable and a recommendation was made to do this work quickly. Assistant City Manager Melinda Carroll said that work is scheduled to begin by March 15.

Mr. Wallace also updated the council on progress made by the search committee for a new city manager. The committee has put the finishing touches on a brochure advertising the job. With the councils approval, which he received, Mr. Wallace said he was "ready to push the go button." The firm hired to lead the search expects to get roughly 75 applications. The committee will review the ones that are received weekly. An objective scoring matrix has been established based on education and experience, which is intended to eliminate the subjective "good old boy politics."

Progress on Cleveland High Schools new Raiders Arena was reported by a school board member who said that the ribbon cutting will take place Sunday, April 24, at 4 p.m.

Councilman Bill Estes told the council that he would like to get professional advice before borrowing any more money. He said too much interest has been paid and suggested looking at options. Advice will be needed about building a new elementary school, said Councilman Banks.

Paul Clark, who owns five townhouses on Mouse Creek Road in Cleveland, told the council that he pays $1,800 yearly in property taxes. He would like to be able to vote in local elections even though he lives outside of the city. City Attorney John Kimball told him that the city charter requires that to vote, the parcel owned must be a minimum of 5,000 square feet and the person must have a 50 percent fee simple interest. The historical background on that decision was that in the past during delinquent tax sales, a sliver of land would be bought and divided among large numbers of people, just to be able to vote. Avery Johnson told Mr. Clark that the law was not written for people like him, but for people who abused property ownership. The land involved in this case is deeded separately, so does not meet the 5,000 total square feet requirement, therefore Mr. Clark will not be allowed to vote in Clevelands municipal election.

The council has received complaints about a large number of traffic accidents that take place on Paul Huff Parkway. They involve people leaving the shopping centers and restaurants trying to get onto I-75, which requires crossing three lanes of traffic. It was decided to have a traffic study done by Cannon and Cannon, Inc. to try and find a solution.

Household trash pick-up was also a topic of discussion. The city code says trash should be put out no sooner than the night before pick-up. It is recognized that help to move large objects to the street may only be available at other times. If citizens call ahead the city will bring a truck for them to use when needed. Another problem occurs when renters move and dump items when moving, which becomes the responsibility of the property owner. It is also known that people come from outside of the city and unload trash at apartment dumpsters. The public works director and city attorney gave assurances that the city is willing to work with those owners instead of issuing fines.

Cleveland Recycles second annual 5-K run and one mile walk will take place Saturday morning, April 30, at 8:30 at the Greenway Park. Registration can be done only online to cut down on paper waste. Participants will be required to bring four recyclable objects the morning of the race. Last year was very successful, said Mayor Rowland, with 2,500 pounds of recycles being collected.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Trains would have to carry a minimum of two crew members under rules proposed Monday by federal regulators. The move is partly in response to a deadly 2013 crash in which an unattended oil train caught fire and destroyed much of a town in Canada.

The Federal Railroad Administration also is considering allowing railroads that operate trains with only one engineer to apply for an exception to the proposed two-person rule, according to a notice published in the Federal Regulator.

The proposal is opposed by the Association of American Railroads, which represents major freight railroads, including Union Pacific, based in Omaha, and BNSF Railway, owned by Omahas Berkshire Hathaway.

Many railroads now use two-person crews, but some industry officials have indicated that they may switch to one engineer per train once technology designed to prevent many types of accidents caused by human error becomes operational.

Most railroads expect to start using the technology, called positive train control, or PTC, between 2018 and 2020. It relies on GPS, wireless radio and computers to monitor train positions and automatically slow or stop trains that are in danger of colliding or derailing.

A 2008 law set a Dec. 31, 2015, deadline for PTC technology to be installed on all tracks used by passenger trains or trains that haul liquids that turn into toxic gas when exposed to air.

After it became clear that most railroads wouldnt make that deadline, Congress last fall granted railroads an extra three to five years.

There is simply no safety case for requiring two-person crews, said Edward Hamberger, president of the railroad association. Single-person crews are widely and safely used in Europe and other parts of the world, he said.

There will be even less need for two-person crews after PTC is operational, he said. PTC is exactly the kind of safety redundancy through technology that the federal agency has long advocated, he said.

On the other hand, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said two-person crews are needed on trains for the same reason planes need two-pilot crews.

The cost of adding a second, skilled crew member pales in comparison to the costs of avoidable crashes and collisions, he said. Its important that the railroad administration impose what safety regulations they can now, since railroads have dragged their feet on PTC, he said.

The Canadian accident was a dramatic reminder. On July 6, 2013, an unattended train hauling crude oil from North Dakota came loose and rolled downhill into Lac-Megantic, a Quebec town not far from the U.S. border.

The resulting explosions and fire killed 47 people and razed much of the downtown. The train had one engineer, who had gone to a hotel for the night.
Businesses that test soil, ship meat, build wooden barn homes, sample grain, make pumps and consult on engineering will be recognized this week by the University of Nebraska.

They are the Businesses of the Year honored by the universitys Nebraska Business Development Center for their contributions to the states economy.

The awards will be made Friday at a luncheon in the Capitol attended by state senators, Lt. Gov. Mike Foley and Courtney Dentlinger, director of the State Department of Economic Development.

The honorees were chosen from dozens of nominated companies from among clients of the development center:

 The Manufacturing Business of the Year is Brand Hydraulics of Omaha, founded in 1956 by Glen and Mary Lou Brand and operated by their son, Greg.

The company designs, manufactures, assembles and tests hydraulic valves and for the past decade has designed and incorporated electronic controls into its products.

Scott White, Brands production manger, said the company worked with consultants from the business development center to streamline its assembly processes  in one case reducing the number of steps that workers, walking back and forth, took to produce a piece of equipment from 345 to five.

The lean manufacturing process has workers concentrating on one product at a time rather than multiple products at the same time, White said, saving time, organizing tools better, using floor space more efficiently and reducing costs.

The centers consultants encouraged the company to adopt a continuous-improvement system, setting up teams of empowered employees that take charge of their processes and find ways to improve efficiency, he said.

 The Sustainability Business of the Year is Sand Creek Post & Beam of Wayne, which manufactures custom-designed wood barns and barn home kits.

Jule Goeller, who owns the business with her husband, Len Dickinson, said the centers consultants helped the business use its wood resources more efficiently and improve its production processes.

The center also serves as a clearinghouse for a wide range of national, state, regional and local business development programs so that small businesses can find the help they need to succeed, Goeller said.

Its really hard for a small business owner, especially when its a growing business, to know what is available without having to contact each and every economic development group out there, she said. Thats one thing we have really appreciated about them.

The companys success meant that when a tornado in 2013 destroyed its production facility, along with many other businesses in Wayne, it was able to rebuild and open eight months later, Goeller said.

 Champions of Small Business: Kevin and Christine Grooms, owners of American Agricultural Laboratory of McCook.

The Groomses purchased and renamed Olsens Agricultural Laboratory in 2007, investing time and money developing new services and products and expanding the companys operations, as well as providing entrepreneurship and business-related education in the McCook area.

The company was founded in 1976 by Bob Olsen.

 Innovation Business of the Year: Windcall Manufacturing of Venango.

Windcall developed, manufactures and sells the GrainGoat, a battery-powered, handheld machine that harvests, cleans and calculates the moisture content of small grains so that harvesting can take place when they are at optimum condition.

 Government Contractor of the Year: Farris Engineering of Omaha.

Farris Engineering is an employee-owned engineering consulting firm with offices in Lincoln, Des Moines and Colorado Springs.

Its staff provides mechanical, electrical and fire protection services and in recent years has added consulting in technology, commissioning and lighting design.

 Export Business of the Year: New Grand Ocean International of Omaha.

New Grand Ocean International Co. Ltd., founded 10 years ago, is the leading meat exporter and importer between Thailand and the United States and operates in 16 other countries.

Its sales average $72 million a year, specializing in processed beef and pork and chicken offal. It also helps suppliers in Thailand with regulation and health inspections.

Last year the Nebraska Business Development Center served about 2,900 businesses in the state, measuring the economic impact of its work at $360 million. Services include business planning, financial forecasting, loan packaging, market research, technical commercialization and exporting.

The center is supported by the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Defense Logistics Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Its partners include the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Community College, Wayne State College, Mid-Plains Community College and Chadron State College.

It has offices in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, North Platte, Wayne, Scottsbluff and Chadron.

***********

Businesses of the Year

Businesses honored by the Nebraska Business Development Center for contributions to the Nebraska economy

Champions of Small Business

Kevin and Christine Grooms, American Agricultural Laboratory, McCook

Innovation Business

Windcall Manufacturing, Venango

Government Contractor

Farris Engineering, Omaha

Sustainability Business

Sand Creek Post & Beam, Wayne

Manufacturing Business

Brand Hydraulics, Omaha

Export Business

New Grand Ocean International, Omaha
DES MOINES (AP)  A man facing federal firearms charges in Iowa who attempted to escape prosecution by fleeing to Cuba has entered plea agreements with U.S. prosecutors.

Court records say Shawn Michael Wegmann signed agreements last week to plead guilty to charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and possession of stolen firearms and to a charge of failure to appear after pretrial release.

Wegmann, 38, faces up to 40 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million on four firearms counts. He faces up to five years in prison on the failure to appear charge.

The plea agreements indicate he will be credited for taking responsibility in both cases, which means a judge may impose sentences that are less than the maximums.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 17.

Wegmann was the first fugitive to be returned to the United States by the Cuban government after fleeing to Cuba since diplomatic relations began nearly a year ago, U.S. Marshal Amos Rojas Jr. said.

Wegmann admits that he participated in burglaries in January and February of 2015 in Long Grove and Bennett, Iowa, and Morrison, Illinois, during which 38 guns were stolen, including rifles, shotguns and a revolver.

Because Wegmann had previous felony convictions, including burglary in 1996, he was barred from possessing guns.

Four other convicted felons prohibited from possessing weapons also have been indicted for the gun thefts.

Wegmann was originally indicted on the firearms charges in July 2015 and was arrested in August. After a court appearance, he was released to live with his wife in Kirklin, Indiana, under federal parole officer supervision and was required to wear a GPS-equipped ankle monitor.

On Oct. 23, two days before Wegmann was to appear for a court hearing in Davenport, Iowa, in which he was to enter a plea agreement, he disappeared. Officers found his ankle monitor attached to the bumper of a van in the parking lot of a Sams Club store in Lafayette, Indiana.

Investigators say he arrived about a week later in Havana in a boat reported stolen from a marina in Key West, Florida. Cuban authorities notified the U.S. Marshals Service on Nov. 3 that Wegmann was in their custody. Fingerprinting revealed he was wanted in Iowa.

On Dec. 8, Wegmann was expelled from Cuba and arrested by U.S. marshals.

Rojas, with the U.S. Marshals Service, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that Cuban immigration authorities were just amazed that he actually survived crossing the 230 miles of the Florida Straits in the little boat with a 40-horsepower motor.
CLARINDA, Iowa  Seventy-two years ago Ralph Crawford was surrounded by the sounds of machine-gun fire, airplane engines and colleagues yelling instructions and warnings.

On Friday, Crawford, 95, could hear only the applause and thanks from friends and family.

Crawford, from Clarinda, was awarded the Legion dHonneur from France for his service in the U.S. Air Force liberating France during World War II. A ceremony was held at the Good Samaritan Center in Villisca where he lives.

During the war, Crawford would sometimes be called to duty in the middle of the night for another mission, explained longtime friend Bill Hammond of Essex, and he did not know if he would see the bed again. Hammond served in the Navy.

Crawford enlisted in February 1943. His short, thin stature made him ideal as a tail-gunner in warplanes.

There were a lot of missions, a lot of flights, Crawford said before the ceremony. It wasnt pleasant.

Crawford was part of D-Day, when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. Two months later, France was free.

Crawfords most intense moment was explained during the reception. During his 22nd mission, his plane was damaged by Nazi gunfire. Trying to keep the plane in the air as long as possible, crew members began throwing out items such as seats and equipment, hoping the plane would be light enough, and have enough power, to cross the border to Spain. But it wasnt enough.

With parachutes on their backs, they began jumping out of the plane. None of the crew had formal parachute training. Crawford said he counted the open parachutes to make sure all the others made it out.

Crawford landed high in a tree and eventually cut himself out of the snag. But he fell to the ground, breaking a leg and his tailbone. He hid in nearby bushes because the crew was not sure whether they were in France or Spain. Members of a Spanish church who had heard the plane crash eventually approached Crawford and offered help.

Crawford was taken to a familys home. The Spanish army sent him to recover in a hospital in Pamplona.

Crawford returned to action in North Africa before being honorably discharged in October 1945. He has been awarded a Purple Heart, Air Medal and Good Conduct Medals.

Were awful proud of him, Hammond said.

The concept of the French award dates to military commander Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

American vets are our heroes, the award states.

Its amazing. I dont know if I deserve all of this, Crawford said.

After the war he returned to France to see the sites where he served.

It was a little bit of a mess, he said, as the country was rebuilding after the war. I had a lot of the same feelings I had during the war. I was amazed at the damage.

After the war, he sold cars and insurance, was on the Nodaway Valley Packing board of directors and was a Clarinda City Council member. He has been an American Legion member for 29 years.
HANOVERTON, Ohio (AP)  The tumultuous presidential primary season barreled toward a potentially decisive day for both Republicans and Democrats, with enough delegates up for grabs Tuesday to turn Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton from front-runners to likely nominees.

The biggest prizes are Florida and Ohio, states with a long history of making or breaking White House aspirations. Missouri, Illinois, and North Carolina also offer a crucial cache of delegates that could help Trump and Clinton pull further away from their rivals.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio hoped the two big states would give them a boost instead. Kasich seemed to have a better chance at that than Rubio.

REPUBLICANS

Florida

Delegates at stake: 99

Delegate allocation: Winner take all

Recent polling:

Trump: 43%

Rubio: 24%

Cruz: 19%

Kasich: 9%

Undecided: 5%

NORTH CAROLINA

Delegates at stake: 72

Delegate allocation: Proportional based on statewide results. Congressional districts do not come into play.

Recent polling:

Trump: 41%

Cruz: 29%

Kasich: 11%

Rubio: 10%

Undecided: 9%

ILLINOIS

Delegates at stake: 69

Delegate allocation: Hybrid. 15 at-large and three RNC delegates are awarded to statewide winner. Remaining 54 are distributed based on results in 18 congressional districts.

Recent polling:

Trump: 35%

Cruz: 26%

Kasich: 18%

Rubio: 13%

Undecided: 8%

OHIO

Delegates at stake: 66

Delegate allocation: Winner take all

Recent polling:

Kasich: 38%

Trump: 34%

Cruz: 18%

Rubio: 5%

Undecided: 5%

MISSOURI

Delegates at stake: 52

Delegate allocation: Proportional. 12 delegates are based on statewide vote. 40 delegates are divided among the states eight congressional districts.

Recent polling:

Trump: 36%

Cruz: 29%

Undecided: 17%

Rubio: 9%

Kasich: 8%

DEMOCRATS

Florida

Delegates at stake: 214

Delegate allocation: 140 are pledged proportionally based on results in 27 congressional districts. 74 at-large are awarded based on statewide vote.

Recent polling:

Clinton: 61%

Sanders: 32%

Undecided: 7%

ILLINOIS

Delegates at stake: 156

Delegate allocation: 102 are pledged proportionally based on results in 18 congressional districts. 54 at-large are awarded based on statewide vote.

Recent polling:

Clinton: 48%

Sanders: 46%

Undecided: 6%

OHIO

Delegates at stake: 143

Delegate allocation: 93 are pledged proportionally based on results in 16 congressional districts. 50 at-large are awarded based on statewide vote.

Recent polling:

Clinton: 51%

Sanders: 43%

Undecided: 6%

NORTH CAROLINA

Delegates at stake: 107

Delegate allocation: 70 are pledged proportionally based on results in 13 congressional districts. 37 at-large are awarded based on statewide vote.

Recent polling:

Clinton: 57%

Sanders: 33%

Undecided: 10%

MISSOURI

Delegates at stake: 71

Delegate allocation: 47 are pledged proportionally based on results in eight congressional districts. 24 at-large based on statewide vote.

Recent polling:

Clinton: 47%

Sanders: 40%

Undecided: 13%

All polling numbers except Missouri are aggregate statistics compiled by RealClearPolitics.com. Missouri statistics were compiled by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs Poll for Missouri newspapers.
We can now project another loser in the 2016 presidential race. Were not talking loser as in Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Martin OMalley and the others weve lost along the campaign trail.

Were talking loser as in full-frontal embarrassment to himself and his family and disappointment to his nation. My fellow Americans, lets get ready to bid farewell to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who despite his improved behavior and impressive performance in the Thursday GOP debate in Miami, could go down as the most annoying candidate of the year.

And thats in a year when a peculiar fellow named Donald Trump also is running.

I was impressed by Rubio when I saw him at a Dallas campaign event in January. Despite the opportunity to jab U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rubio stayed positive and offered an optimistic, upbeat presence.

The tone changed noticeably the next time I saw Rubio in Texas, which was at the Feb. 25 debate in Houston when he aggressively attacked Trump. And the tone bottomed out the next day in Dallas when Rubio, speaking to supporters, went full Don Rickles, taunting Trump for misspelled tweets and suggesting Trump had wet his pants at the debate. Over the next few days, Rubio mocked Trumps horrible spray tan and small hands.

Dont get me wrong. I love Rickles. Its just that I dont think insult comedy is necessarily the best shtick for a presidential candidate.

And now neither does Rubio, who a day prior to Thursdays debate told MSNBC he regrets that phase of his campaign.

In terms of things that have to do with the personal stuff, yeah, at the end of the day its not something Im entirely proud of. My kids were embarrassed by it, and if I had to do it again I wouldnt, he said.

Im not telling you (Trump) didnt deserve it, but thats not who I am, Rubio said, adding, I dont want to be that. If thats what it takes to become president of the United States, then I dont want to be president.

So what are we to think of a senator who, for a few days, thought thats what it takes to become president? Its sad because Rubio was strong on a variety of policy issues at Thursdays debate. He limited his non-policy-related attacks on Trump to this tightly stated bit of reality about the loose-lipped front-runner: I know that a lot of people find appeal in the things Donald says cause he says what people wish they could say. The problem is, presidents cant just say anything they want. It has consequences, here and around the world.

Ditto for presidential candidates, such as Rubios previous callow, shallow and cynical plunge into consultant-driven misbehavior.

Trump (As Seen On TV!) is Trump. And Cruz is Cruz. Both have been fairly consistent in their campaign personas, though periodically and appropriately changing their focus when conditions demanded. But in his desperate attempts at survival, Rubio showed himself willing to be whatever he thought would work at the moment (and then regretted it when it didnt work). It wasnt Trump who made Rubio Little Marco. By his embarrassing behavior and middle-school jabs, Rubio made himself small, too small for the big shoes needed in the White House.

And, compared to what we saw from Rubio in Miami on Thursday, that is disappointing.
Ghazwa-e-Hind in Assam: NIA roped in as Islamists plan destruction of India

Assembly Elections 2016: Know your state-- Assam

Feature

oi-Shradha

By Shradha

Elections in Assam are scheduled to be held in two phases. Polling for the first phase will be held on April 4. Second phase polling on April 11. Poll results will be declared on 19th May.

Assam's 13th legislative assembly is ruled by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi- led Indian National Congress. It has 126 assembly seats.

In 2011 assembly elections the Congress had a landslide victory winning 79 seats, AIUDF-18, BPF- 12, Asom Gana Parishad-9, BJP -5, and Independents-2 seats.

[Know your state: 2016]

[Know Your Leader Profile: Tarun Gogoi-Indian National Congress]

Let's take a look at the various statistics of the poll-bound state:

State: ASSAM

Important Dates for 2016 Assembly Elections :

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: March 11, 14

Last Date for Nominations: March 18, 21

Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: March 19, 22

Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: March 21, 26

Date of polling: April 4, 11

Tenure of present government ends on June 5, 2016

Results: May 19

Number of assembly constituencies: 126 [102-General, 8-Scheduled Caste, 16 -Scheduled Tribes]

[List of 126 constituencies]

Parliamentary Constituencies: 14

Ruling Party: Indian National Congress

Opposition Party: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)

Governor: Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya

Chief Electoral Officer: Shri Vijayendra

Total voters this year: 1.98 crore

Polling booths: 24,888

2011 Results (Party-wise): Major political parties that had contested in 2011 Assam assembly polls were Congress, AIUDF, BJP, BPF and AGP

INC-79

AIUDF- 18

BPF- 12

Asom Gana Parishad-9

BJP -5

All India Trinamool Congress- 1

Independents-2

[Assam Assembly Polls 2011 Results]

[Assam Assembly Polls 2006 Results]

Facts:

 For the upcoming elections BJP has entered into an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), however news of infighting over seat-sharing has presented new challenges for both partners.

 Rebel BJP leaders have formed an outfit called Trinamool BJP and declared candidate names for 24 assembly seats which the BJP has assigned to the AGP.

 The BJP has promised that if elected it will deprive illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants of their voting rights, which accounts for 10 per cent of voters in the state. Assam houses the largest number of Muslims in India, with 34.4 per cent of the state population as per 2011 census.

 The Congress has put up huge hoardings of Kanhaiya Kumar, President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union in Guwahati depicting him in in jail. Kumar is likely to campaign for Left parties in Assam.
Students from Cleveland High School joined approximately 350 of their high school peers in Murfreesboro on March 8 to express their views on public education in Tennessee at the Tennessee School Boards Association Student Congress on Policies in Education. CHS students Logan Foley, Phoebe Han, Anjali Patel, and James Vecchio traveled to Middle Tennessee State University campus for the event with CHS Sponsors Sarah Smartt and Athena Davis.Now in its 34th year, SCOPE is designed to give students a voice where public education issues are concerned and to involve young people in finding solutions to the topics that are discussed.Attendees participated in mock school board sessions, where they assumed the roles of school board members, school officials, parents, students and concerned citizens. The sessions were led by actual school board members, superintendents and educational leaders from across the state.Students then chose speakers to represent each of their 16 small groups who went on to take part in full-scale debates on current education issues. This years four debate topics and results from the poll were:Teachers shall incorporate smart phones into classroom instruction. (Agree: 33%, Disagree: 67%);All students shall be required to participate in at least one extracurricular activity per year. (Agree: 43%, Disagree: 57%);Prior to graduation, students shall be required to complete 48 hours of community service during their junior/senior years. (Agree: 43%, Disagree: 57%); andThe school calendar shall be increased from 180 to 200 days of instruction. (Agree: 15%, Disagree: 85%).
Consider paid if broken: Gujarat to not fine for traffic violation till Oct 27

1,735 Hindus applied for conversion in 5 years: Guj govt

India

oi-PTI

Gandhinagar, Mar 15: As many as 1,735 Hindus in Gujarat sought state government's permission to convert to another religion in the last five years, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel told the Legislative Assembly here today.

Chief Minister, who also handles the state Home department, also informed the House that total 1,838 people from different parts of the state had applied for conversion in last five years.

"Out of these, the Home Department gave its consent to 878 applicants of different religions during that period," Patel added.

The Chief Minister was replying to a Congress MLA Tejashree Patel's written query seeking details of applications received by the state Home Department from citizens, who wish to embrace another religion, in the last five years (till October 2015).

Out of total 1,838 applicants, the highest number of applications- 1,735 - came from Hindus, followed by Muslims (57), Christians (42) and Parsis (4). No one from Sikh and Buddhist community applied for conversion during that period, Patel said in her written reply.

Highest number of applications from Hindus were received from Surat district (515), followed by Rajkot (388) and Porbandar (325).

Talking to reporters after the session, the Congress MLA told reporters that government should form a committee to find out the reasons behind such a high number of Hindu applicants.

"The state government should take this matter seriously and conduct a survey through a committee to find out why Hindus want to change their religion," Tejashree said.

Newly-elected state BJP chief Vijay Rupani demanded that the state government should act tough against conversion activities in the state.

"BJP firmly believes that religious conversion (of Hindus) must be stopped in the state. I request the government to take strict action against those who are involved in conversion activities," said Rupani, who is also the Road Transport Minister in Gujarat Government.

PTI
2 policemen sent to jail in Bihar

India

oi-PTI

Muzaffarpur, March 15: A local court here today sent two policemen to judicial custody after they surrendered before it in connection with the alleged murder of a youth during a raid in 2002. A court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) (West) S K Jha sent them to judicial custody after the policemen surrendered before it following their failure to get any relief from the Patna High Court in the matter.

At present, Mishra is posted as inspector in Madhubani while Nageshwar Rai is posted as officer-in-charge of Wajitpur Out Post in Darbhanga district.

Awadhesh Mishra and Nageshwar Rai, who were posted as SHO and ASI at Baruraj police station of the district respectively at the time of the incident in 2002, had raided the house of one Hem Narain Singh at Andaul village to interrogate his son Birendra Kumar in connection with a case.

The two policemen along with three to four constables had raided the house of Singh around 1 AM to catch his son, sources said, adding that the policemen asked him to open the door of his house failing which he would have to face dire consequences.

The youth was allegedly beaten to death by the two policemen. The deceased's father Hem Naraian Singh had lodged an FIR with Baruraj police station against the policemen in connection with the killing of his son.

Senior policemen did not corroborate the allegations against the two policemen. Aggrieved with the report of senior police officials who exonerated both the policemen of the charge, Singh, the deceased's father, moved the Patna High Court against the decision of the senior policeman.

The High Court asked the SSPs of Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga and SP of Madhubani to arrest both the policemen and produce them before the concerned local court by March 18. The two policemen challenged Singh's plea in the High Court which did not give them any relief and asked them to surrender before the local court.

PTI
Delhi: AAP alleges irregularities in BJP-run civic bodies

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 15: AAP today alleged that salaries were not paid to MCD employees despite Delhi government giving fund to the civic bodies for the purpose and accused BJP of being involved in irregularities in the matter.

Referring to a letter written by Leader of the House in North MCD Yogendra Chandolia to Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhayay in which he levelled charges against Mayor Ravinder Gupta, AAP's Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey said this was one of the instances of irregularities in the civic body.

He said the party will ask Delhi government to direct the Anti-Corruption Branch to investigate the matter. Chandolia has accused Gupta of "taking money" in the name of party fund.

"On one hand, there are reports that MCDs are not able to pay salaries to their employees despite Delhi government and the LG paying up the necessary amount and on the other hand, there are reports of corruption. BJP should take immediate action against Ravinder Gupta," Pandey said.

"The matter should be thoroughly investigated. If BJP does not initiate any action against Gupta in next 48 hours, we will ask Delhi government to direct ACB to investigate the matter," Pandey said ahead of MCD bypoll likely to be held next month.

PTI
Are students mature enough to avoid bad politics?

India

oi-Shreyas

Bengaluru, March 15: Though there are deliberations on lifting the ban on students' union elections in the state of Karnataka at the government level, the state has not yet come out with a decision yet.

A decade back, the ban was imposed on election process inside the campus citing caste politics, descending of Rowdy elements during the election, using students' unions as tool for vote bank by the political parties, among other reasons.

The academic domain is also opposed to the idea of union election as it is concerned about the peace inside the campus. There were instances seldom, of violence erupting inside the college campuses during elections.

A professor from a well known university says though the idea of election is good, the cancer of dirty politics has spread even inside the campus disrupting constructive academic activities. During election time, students bunk classes to campaign for their favourite student leaders which later affect the education of the students.

The registrar of SDM college Ujire, Dr P N Uday Chandra despite being no averse to students politics, he is more worried about disproportionate involvement of political parties, which they exercise to further 'party agenda'. "I was a part of students' union during student days, back in 83 and 84. But then the involvement of political parties was marginal and the unions were genuinely resolving the problems of students," he recalled.

The students union elections invigorate the democratic process but too much involvement of political parties derail the very purpose of elections. It is good if the government decides to lift the ban on union elections, but whether the students are matured enough to distance itself from political parties is a question, Chandra pointed.

Another professor opines, political parties fund students' unions to bear the expenses of elections. This is in line of general practice that has been prevalent outside. However, the spendings are also alloted for liquor and petty brawls. While the democracy as a system is making full efforts to quell such practices, bringing back union elections is not a good move as students are very much prone to such ill activities, he added.

On Tuesday, March 15, many students' outfits taking out a massive march in capital city Bengaluru, and main demand includes lifting of ban on students' union elections. Vaishak, a student of St Josephs College speaking to OneIndia said the rally besides demanding justice for Rohith Vemula, Ummar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya would raise the issue of students union elections.

"Every time we cannot go and talk to the management for organising events, be it any form. A need for the students union is imminent in a time when democratic spaces are crushed, Vaishak opines. He added election process would enhance leadership qualities and strengthen democracy.

OneIndia News
Army lauds gesture by IIT-B students

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 15: When IIT Bombay students associated with National Service Scheme uploaded posters dedicated to the armed forces on their Facebook page, little did they know that their posts will be appreciated and shared by the Army.

The post on the Indian Army's official Facebook page reads, "We appreciate the gesture by the students of National Service Scheme, IIT Bombay, for the series of posters made for the Armed Forces".

A series of 10 posters made by NSS students were uploaded on the NSS, IIT Bombay's official FB page as a prelude to the National Defence Day celebrations.

The posters acknowledged the contribution of the armed forces and thanked them for their service with a poem titled 'A Little More' which runs through the posters.

The poem was penned by the institute NSS volunteers with contributions from Jay Dedhia, a third-year student, who is not part of NSS.

"The post on the Indian Army page received more than 32,000 likes and over 3,000 shares," informed an excited student associated with the group.

PTI
2014 Chennai train blast mystery solved: It was revenge, say accused

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Mar 15: The blast on the Bengaluru-Guwahati train, the case popularly known as the Chennai train blasts had created panic in the minds of the people.

Police picks up 3 suspects in the Chennai train blasts case

The mystery about why the train was bombed and who the culprits were remained a mystery for a very long time. To recap in May 2014, two low intensity bombs had gone off on the Bengaluru-Guwahati tri-weekly express train when it stopped at the Chennai railway station.

The case remained unsolved for a long time, but with the arrest of three persons in Odisha who are believed to be SIMI activists, the police claim that the details are emerging clearly now.

The three youth who are being questioned by the Madhya Pradesh ATS have been told that the reason behind the Chennai train blasts was revenge. The three youth are alleged to have told their interrogators that they wanted to avenge the throwing out of 14 Muslim men from the same train in 2012.

In the year 2012, 14 Muslim men were allegedly thrown out of the train. The incident that took place on the same train occurred at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station, West Bengal in 2012.

The three operatives of the SIMI told the ATS that this incident had hurt them a lot and hence they decided to carry out the blast.

They said that they found that security was lax on the Bengaluru-Chennai route and hence decided to plant the bomb on the train. The bomb took off when it reached the Chennai railway station.

The NIA which is probing this case says that they will look into this angle following the new revelations. The NIA says that they too had found that the same youth were involved in the train blasts. In 2013, five operatives of the SIMI had managed a grand escape from a jail in Khandwa Madhya Pradesh.

After remaining free for almost two years, two of them were killed last year in an encounter at Telangana. The three others were arrested recently in Odisha.

During the questioning the youth are also said to have confessed carrying out the blast near a police station in Pune in July 2014. They said that this was carried to avenge the police killing of a SIMI operative at Aurangabad in Maharashtra in the year 2012. The Pune ATS had killed one SIMI operative in the 2012 encounter.

OneIndia News
CPI(M) has a problem with the Congress Bharat Jodo Yatra: Heres why

CPI-M speaks language of violence: BJP

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Thiruvananthapuram, March 15: Accusing the CPI-M of injuring 26 of its activists, the BJP said on Tuesday that the Marxists were indulging in violence ahead of assembly elections in Kerala.

The way the Communist Party of India-Marxist was approaching the polls due in May "speaks the language of violence and arrogance", BJP spokesman V.V. Rajesh told the media.

He said CPI-M activists attacked former Kerala state president V. Muraleedharan at Kazhakootam on the suburbs on Thiruvananthapuram on Monday night.

The attack "left 26 of our workers injured" and they were now in hospital, said Rajesh, adding Muraleedharan too had been admitted to a hospital.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is desperately trying to win a seat in the assembly polls, has called a district shutdown.

But it has exempted educational institutions and transport in view of the ongoing school exams.

IANS
Farmers' loan waiver at 'appropriate time': Devendra Fadnavis

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 14: Under Opposition attack over agrarian crisis in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today told the Assembly that the loan waiver for farmers will be announced at an "appropriate time".

"We will announce the loan waiver at an appropriate time," Fadnavis said as slogan-shouting NCP and Congress members demanded that the government makes an announcement on providing relief to the crisis-gripped farmers.

Amid noisy scenes, the House had to be adjourned twice. Opposition members also staged walkout from the House twice, voicing disappointment at the relief measures taken by the BJP-led state government for farmers.

Countering the opposition offensive, Fadnavis said since his government came to power in October 2014, assistance worth Rs 18,000 crore has been provided to the farmers.

NCP MLA Jayant Patil, a state former finance minister, questioned the CM's claim, to which Fadnavis said, "Farmers are facing crisis because of your (Congress-NCP) action during the previous 15 years rule."

During a debate on drought crisis, Revenue and Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse said the government has decided to waive certain checks before disbursing Rs one lakh aid to kin of a farmer who commits suicide.

"Farmers whose agri pump set is non-operational during drought, will get 100 per cent bill waiver," Khadse said, as he took a jibe at the opposition for not doing so during their rule in the state.

The government has decided to give free seeds for next sowing season in drought-affected villages, Khadse said, citing adequate financial support to Maharashtra from the Centre.

PTI
From JNU to Bengaluru; AZADI now resonates in IT City

India

oi-Shreyas

Bengaluru, Mar 15: A protesting student placed a placard above his head that said 'the primary duty of the revolutionary is to be educated' hinting the need of education to seed the quest of questioning everything under the democratic dispensation, while the word Azadi (freedom) resonated at the premises of Town Hall.

The Students' Council of St Joseph's College led a protest rally on Tuesday, March 15 displaying strong disagreement over alleged crushing of democratic spaces in the central universities by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government. The students protested at the premises of the Town Hall placing many demands before the government and marched till Banappa park located at Deepanjali Nagar.

Azadi

Of late, a quite a popular word 'Azadi' which was vociferously heard from the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been resonated at Town Hall also, with students calling for Azadi from communalism, Dalit oppression, capitalism and others.

The key demands of the students were dropping sedition charges against all the JNU students, release of Ummar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, release of SAR Gilani, dropping cases charged against BVS (Bahujan Vidyarthi Sanghatana) for holding stir seeking job reservations in private sector, right to dissent, and justice to Dalit research scholar, Rohith Vemula.

The Students' Council of the St Joseph's was joined by students of other politically affiliated students orgainsations, namely, All India Students' Federation (AISF), All India Students' Association (AISA), Karnataka Vidyarthi Sanghatane (KVS), Bahujan Vidyarthi Sanghatana (BVS), Students' Islamic Organisation (SIO) and National Students' Union of India (NSUI). However there were members two political youth wings one from the Congress, Youth Congress and another from the Left, Democratic Youth Federation of India.

Police detain four who tried to disrupt the event

During the protest, four persons allegedly belonging to the ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) tried to disrupt the event. The four members said "what freedom you are demanding in India when the country is already independent." The four demanded a debate with the protesters and later they were detained by the police.

Government crushing students who question

The protest was also attended by a noted journalist Gauri Lankesh. Addressing the protesters Lankesh said "when Shehla Rashid Shora, Vice President of JNU Students' Union visited Bengaluru, Rashid categorically opined that the Modi government has waged war against students." Gauri asking why the government has been targeting the students, said the contemporary students question everything and the government is unable to tolerate the questioning instinct of the students.

Lankesh cited this as a reason for the government crushing the students' movement across the universities. Gauri pointing out the examples of Gajendra Chauhan being placed as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), alleged state abatement of Rohith Vemula's suicide and charging sedition against JNU students, substantiated her argument.

Lankesh also stressed on BJP government's effort to materialise the agenda of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ) linking to the recent controversies. "I was really worried when Modi was elected back in 2014 and now my worries have come true," Lankesh expressed.

For a question on changed thought of the RSS on women entry to certain temples, Lankesh said to OneIndia that saying is one thing and acting on the thought is another thing. Will RSS agree to appoint women Dalit priests in the temples? Lankesh questioned.

The RSS at its Annual Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha sought to distance the organisation from women entering from the sanctum of certain temples, mainly Sabarimala Temple, Kerala and Shani Shingnapur temple, Maharashtra. The RSS in the meeting reportedly said denying women access to sanctum is a wrong mind set.

The St Joseph's Students' Council President Vyshak told OneIndia the government has to allow students' union elections in the campus to strengthen students voice. "All the time we can't get justice under the management of autonomous colleges, Vyshak pointed. The students now are progressive and very broad minded, they will avoid bad political involvement in the campus, Vyshak said on being asked whether students are matured to avoid involvement bad politics by political parties.

OneIndia News
Hindu activists do not feel safe in Karnataka: Mysore MP Prathap Simha

India

oi-Vicky

Mysore, Mar 15: The incident in Mysore where a VHP activist was killed led to widespread protests. Mysore continues to remain tense and the police are contemplating extending prohibitory orders in the wake of an intelligence report suggesting that there could be communal clashes.

Several Hindu activists are outraged over the lackluster approach of the government of Karnataka and accuse the Chief Minister of not doing enough to protect the majority community.

They say in recent times three activists of Hindu groups- Prashanth Poojary, Kuttappa and Raju have been murdered. Prathap Simha, the member of parliament from the Mysore constituency says that Hindu activists no longer feel safe in Karnataka under the rule of Siddaramaiah.

Hindus not safe in Karnataka:

Simha who was present in Mysore yesterday tells OneIndia that the culprits should be brought to book. We have demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh but assured only Rs 5 lakh. We have managed to raise an additional Rs 10 lakh from the party and also another person who came forward to help out the family of the deceased.

Mysore tense: Protest against VHP activist's murder

I feel that Hindu activists are not safe in Karnataka. Many in the police department too have expressed their frustration as they are being told to probe certain cases in a particular manner. I have seen the politics of appeasement with my own eyes. In some places, the authorities are scared to collect water and power bills from the minority community.

Yesterday I was present all along till the cremation was completed. On the way back there was provocation as some youth pelted stones at the activists. These people provoke and the government chooses to remain silent. The problem is that after Siddaramaiah came to power, he withdrew cases against organizations such as the SDPI and PFI.

This has given them the confidence to do what they like. Under such circumstances how do you expect the Hindu activists to feel safe, Simha questions.

Negating everything and influencing investigations:

Have you noticed how quickly the Chief Minister jumps to conclusions? When Kuttappa was killed during the Tipu Jayanthi protests, he was quick to say that he slipped as a result of which he died. His cabinet colleagues too follow the same. After the death of farmers who committed suicide, one minister said that farmers were lazy. In the D K Ravi case, the then home minister quickly said it was suicide.

These are statements being made much before the investigations have even begun. What message does it send to the police who have not even commenced the probe? They will have not guts to probe the real reason and normally tend to tow the line of the CM and the statement that he has made. This according to me is a deliberate attempt to pressurize the police and ensure that the real reasons are not probed into, Simha contends.

Why was Raju killed?

Simha explains that Raju was trying to re-open a temple which had been closed for nearly 21 years. There were some objections in his area and the temple had remained closed. He had only recently made efforts to ensure that prayers commenced at the temple. This had not gone down too well with many.

Another issue was regarding the construction of a Mosque at Kyathamaranahalli in Mysore. He had contended that the construction had come up on a residential land. He had even petitioned the corporation several times. This led to anger against him and became the reason for his death.

OneIndia News
Former receptionist Marilyn Truss has been charged with theft after a comptrollers investigation revealed that she stole at least $7,906 from the Tennessee State Veterans Home in Murfreesboro. The investigation was conducted in conjunction with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators found that Ms. Truss stole money that she collected from visitors and staff who pre-purchased meals from the Veterans Home cafeteria.

Ms. Truss admitted to taking some of the money for her personal use, falsifying accounting records, and destroying receipts.

Investigators identified Ms. Truss as a convicted felon on probation for a previous theft of property over $60,000 in Hamilton County. While working at the Veterans Home, she had an outstanding warrant for her arrest because she had violated the conditions of her probation. Management was unaware of her criminal history, and is now using a different vendor for background checks.

Comptroller investigators also noted $1,833 in questionable transactions related to residents trust accounts which Ms. Truss assisted in maintaining.

Additionally, investigators found that prescription drugs that should have come to the home were missing. Just prior to Ms. Truss resignation in August 2014, management found several opened and unopened mail pouches containing various prescription drugs located under her desk.

On March 9, Ms. Truss was indicted by the Rutherford County Grand Jury on one count of theft under $10,000 and one count of making false entries in books or records.

Many of the problems noted in this investigation could have been prevented with stronger accounting procedures and management oversight, said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson. Our report also notes problems with the Veterans Home purchasing process. I am pleased to see that management has taken steps toward correcting these deficiencies.

To view the investigation online, go to http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/ ia/ .

Anyone who suspects fraud, waste or abuse of public money in Tennessee, should call the Comptrollers toll-free hotline at (800) 232-5454, or file a report online at: www.comptroller.tn.gov/hotline.
Tamil Nadu: Light to moderate rain in the next few days

How shamelessly we practice untouchability by killing lovers in the name of caste

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

Bengaluru, Mar 15: Almost all the media houses in India reported about the broad daylight killing of a young Dalit man, who married an upper caste girl, in Udumalaipettai town in Tamil Nadu. The girl narrowly survived the brutal assault.

The spine-chilling incident has been termed as an "honour killing" carried out because the groom was from a lower caste, said activists.

However, this chilling headline in the prominent UK-based newspaper--The Telegraph -Untouchable' who married upper-caste girl hacked to death on busy Indian street, tells us how the perverse shadow of caste is stopping (in some cases killing) youngsters from choosing their life partners.

V Sankar (23) had married Kausalya, 19, who is from the politically influential Thevar community, eight months ago. CCTV visuals showed about six men attack Sankar, a third-year engineering student, with sickles and machetes when he and Kausalya were walking on a crowded street.

Before escaping, the killers also thrashed the young woman, leaving her badly wounded. But she miraculously survived.

Almost 40 years ago, when a Bengaluru-based economist (identity not revealed on request) decided to marry the woman he loved, he faced stiff resistance from his family members and community at large. Reason: Both belonged to different castes. But, the well-known economist was adamant to marry the "love of his life".

TN shocker: Here's why dalit man hacked to death in full public view

Recalling the incident, he says, "My entire family disowned me. But, I married my wife and fought against all odds. We loved each other and are leading a happy married life." However, the academician admits that not all are "fortunate" enough to lead a happy married life, especially if the couple belongs to different castes or communities.

Lamenting the tragic death of the Dalit youth Sankar, the economist says, "The entire blame should go to people who play caste card in society and politics."

Author-journalist Chander Suta Dogra, whose book--Manoj and Babli: A Hate Story--grippingly narrates the true story of the honour killing of Manoj Banwala and Babli, from Karora village in Haryana. Her book documents and exposes the myths that surround this modern-day occurrence of what is believed to be a medieval practice.

The newlyweds Manoj and Babli were killed in June 2007. The killing of the couple was allegedly ordered by a khap panchayat (khap), a religious caste-based council among Jatts, in northern India.

Sankar's tragic story chillingly reminds us of the mysterious death of 30-year-old Rizwanur Rahman in Kolkata in 2007. Rizwanur was found dead on a railway track. Rizwanur had his share of bitter experiences after he married industrialist Ashok Todi's daughter.

So be it Haryana, Tamil Nadu or West Bengal, all stories seem to have a similar ending. When will we stop killing young men and women for marrying the person they loved?

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 9:47 [IST]
Truth has come out, says Sasikala in reaction to OPS's remark before panel

Jayalalithaa DA case: It is settled, only Karnataka can file the appeal

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Mar 15: Arguments in the disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa continued today before the Supreme Court with Karnataka pointing out to the delays in the case.

Jayalalithaa DA case hangs on mathematics in Supreme Court

Special Public Prosecutor for Karnataka and senior counsel B V Acharya put up a passionate argument stating that Jayalalithaa had done everything to delay the case which dragged on for nearly 18 years. Karnataka is challenging the order which acquitted Jayalalithaa and three others.

Hearing on the matter will continue tomorrow. Special Public Prosecutor, B V Acharya has been asked to furnish details of the loans taken by Jayalalithaa by tomorrow.

While the trial court had convicted her and three others, the Karnataka High Court reversed the order.

Acharya said that there had been so much delay in the case that 76 witnesses had turned hostile. Further he said that there should be no further delays. It may be recalled that the trial court had observed that she had become a Chief Minister twice during the pendency of the case.

Not given a fair chance:

Acharya also drew the attention of the Supreme Court of how Karnataka the prosecuting state in the case was not given a fair chance before the high court. He said that Karnataka despite being the prosecuting state was given a very short notice to prepare the arguments. Moreover the arguments were to be in written form.

Further Acharya also noted that the Karnataka High Court had not even considered the written arguments submitted by them. Had the arguments been considered then the High Court would have not reversed the order of the trial court.

Moreover the arithmetic error that led to the acquittal too would not have happened, Acharya further noted. The high court has also not gone into why it was reversing the order of the trial court, Acharya pointed out.

The trial court had issued a thorough verdict after considering all facts and evidences on record. The high court on the other hand ensured that a good case collapsed as it did not record any reason for the reversal of the verdict and also committing a crucial arithmetic error.

Acharya also brought on record the argument regarding the locus standi of Karnataka in filing the appeal.

Since the case was originally filed in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa had contested the right of Karnataka in filing the appeal in the Supreme Court. Acharya said that this has been discussed and well settled earlier as well.

First and foremost it was the Supreme Court which transferred the case to Karnataka. After the trial was held the appeal was filed in the Karnataka High Court. Both the division bench of the Karnataka High Court and Supreme Court had held that Karnataka is the prosecuting agency.

This is a settled matter and we are well within our right to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, Acharya further contended.

OneIndia News
Deprivation point to be brought back for PhD students in JNU

JNU row: Probe panel recommends expulsion of Kanhaiya, four others

India

oi-Jagriti

New Delhi, Mar 15: A high-level internal committee of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), set up to probe the February 9 event, has recommended expulsions of five students including JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar who is out on interim bail.

An event was organised the university campus in the memory of Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru event.

The final decision will be taken by Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar and Chief Proctor A Dimri after a thorough scrutiny of the suggestions.

21 other students have also been found guilty of holding the controversial event .

"Some students have been found to have violated the university's rules and norms," said a statement issued by the university PRO on March 14.

Delhi Police not playing fairly: Kanhaiya Kumar's lawyer

"The vice-chancellor has apprised the Dean's committee of the summary of the inquiry committee recommendations. The office of the chief proctor would take further take action by using show cause notices to the concerned students who have been found violating the rules and norms of the university," added the statement.

OneIndia News
African Swine Fever: 16 more pigs die in Mizoram; Toll rises to 770 in two months

Mizoram arms case: NIA chargesheets 5 missing Bangladeshi nationals

India

oi-Vicky

Aizawl, March 15: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet in connection with a major arms recovery case which was reported at Mizoram.

The case was registered on receipt of a written complaint consequent upon recovery of 33 rifles of different types and 809 live ammunition besides arrest of total five accused from a farm house at Lengpui area under the jurisdiction of Sairang Police Station, District Aizawl, Mizoram.

It is pertinent to state that four accused persons Moni Tripuri, Sobuz Chakma, Robi Chakma and C Lalnghakthanga, all Bangladeshi nationals are absconding after they were released on bail.

Another accused Rohmingliana, the owner of the farm house was arrested on March 12 2013 and charge sheeted. Currently there is a non-bailable warrant issued against the four absconding accused from Bangladesh.

Supplementary chargesheet:

In another development the NIA has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Amal Mushahary, Kamakhya Daimary and Jeba Basumatary.

The case on hand pertains to the attack by the NFDB(S) at Pakiriguri village under Serfanguri Police Station in Kokrajhar district of Assam. In this incident five adivasi people were killed and another five sustained injuries.

The chargesheet states that the terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the innocent people. Prior to the filing of this supplementary chargesheet, the NIA had filed a chargesheet earlier against ten persons. The NIA court had also framed charges against these ten accused persons.

OneIndia News
Naga govt will continue to facilitate peace process:P B Acharya

India

oi-PTI

Kohima, Mar 15: Nagaland Governor P B Acharya today said that the state government would continue to take active part in facilitating the ongoing peace process between the union government and the Naga underground groups.

"The state government shall continue to take active part in facilitating the peace process," the governor said in his address on the first day of the five-day budget session of the state Assembly here.

The governor also appealed to all sections of the society to be large hearted and supportive of the peace process for the sake of the future generation.

"The consultation process among the various stake holder groups is going on actively after the signing of the Framework Agreement by the Government of India and the NSCN(IM) on August 3, 2015," Acharya said.

However, he regretted that the unilateral abrogation of ceasefire by NSCN(K) in March 2015 had caused much anxiety among the Naga people, because of which the state government and the civil society had been appealing to the Centre and NSCN(K) to resume the ceasefire.

"My government appreciates the joint efforts of the apex tribal organisations -- Naga Hoho and Eastern Naga Peoples Organisation, who, on the request of the Parliamentary Working Committee (PWC) of the Nagaland Legislators Forum, went to Myanmar in the month of February and conveyed to the authorised representatives of NSCN(K) the desire of the state government and the people for resumption of ceasefire," he said.

Acharya also lauded the efforts of PWC in meeting the Central leaders of various political parties in July last year and February this year seeking their support for an early political settlement.

Claiming that while the law and order situation in the State has been largely peaceful during the period, the governor decried the unfortunate murder of an innocent couple near Shamator in Tuensang district on February 6 last, which led to problems in Kiphire, Pungro and Shamtor areas.

"Safety of the minority community in any area should be the prime concern of the majority community of that area," he said, adding that the tendency of exacting revenge must be avoided and the law should be allowed to take its own course.

PTI
Kerala: Youth Congress worker hacked to death; political violence rises

India

oi-PTI

Thiruvananthapuram/Alapuzha, Mar 15: In fresh escalation of political violence in poll-bound Kerala, a 28-year-old Youth Congress worker was hacked to death allegedly by DYFI workers at Evoor in Alapuzha early today even as BJP and CPI(M) workers clashed in Thiruvananthapuram district leaving at least 30 injured.

Police sources said Youth Congress worker Sunil Kumar was woken up from sleep at 2 AM this morning by eight activists of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPI(M), and attacked as he ran out of the house.

Kumar suffered serious injuries on his hands and legs and later succumbed to his wounds, police said. The victim was said to have been a DYFI activist earlier.

Four DYFI workers have been arrested, police said and added that a hunt is on for others. Last night, BJP and CPI(M) workers had clashed at Kattayikonam in Thiruvananthapuram district, leaving at least 30 injured.

One of them is reportedly in serious condition. Former BJP state President V Muraleedharan was among those injured in stone throwing, allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

Demanding the arrest of the accused, BJP observed a hartal in the district today. CPI-M had also called for a hartal today in Kattayikonam.

Vehicles have been exempted from the hartal's purview to prevent inconvenience to students appearing for exams. As the political heat over the May 16 elections is slowly rising, reports of rival party workers clashing in various parts of the state, especially northern Kannur district, are also increasing.

An RSS worker was recently hacked to death in Pappinesseri and a BJP worker escaped with serious injuries in Panur, both in Kannur district after they were attacked allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

It's a do or die battle this time for BJP, which has so far not opened its account in the Kerala assembly and is going all out to woo voters across the state.

BJP has entered into an alliance with the newly floated Bharat Dharma Jana Seva (BDJS), an organisation of the numerically strong Ezhava community.

The fact that the saffron party had performed well in the local body polls in November has also given the party a glimmer of hope.

Both the ruling Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF, which have ruled the state alternatively all these years, are also leaving nothing to chance.

PTI
Sonia Gandhi summons Manipur CM to discuss dissidents' demands

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Imphal, March 15: The dissidence in the Congress in Manipur assumed a serious aspect on Tuesday when both Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and his deputy Gaikhangam Gangmei left for New Delhi following party president Sonia Gandhi's summons to them.

Gandhi last week met the representatives of the 25 dissident Congress legislators and later decided that the situation in Manipur should be prevented from becoming a repeat of Arunachal Pradesh where rebellion by Congress lawmakers brought down the Nabam Tuki government, said sources.

Sonia Gandhi asks dissidents not to hurt Congress in Manipur

The dissidents have made it known that they would change loyalty, either by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or forming a new party of their own, if their demands are not met, said the sources.

Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Gangmei, who is also Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president, refused to make any comment on the political developments in the state before leaving for New Delhi.

The dissidents are reported to have made two major demands in their meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

"First, we demanded dropping of those ministers who have failed to maintain transparency and whose performances are below the mark. Secondly, one man one post policy should be there. Gaikhangam should remain either as a minister or the PCC president," said one dissident legislator who declined to be named.

Gangmei has been holding the two posts for a long time. There are indications that he would be allowed to continue in the two posts till the next state assembly elections. The dissidents have also made known their desire to be given a shot at a ministry before Manipur goes to the polls in February 2017.

Under the statutory provisions, in a 60-member assembly the chief minister is allowed to have a ministry of 12. To circumvent this rule, some prominent legislators have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries with cabinet rank.

Also read: On Women's Day, Sonia Gandhi reminds Lok Sabha of quota bill

"That is obviously not good enough for them. Almost all of them want ministerial berths," said sources.

At the time of forming his ministry in 2012 for the third consecutive term, Chief Minister Ibobi Singh assured the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) members that at the end of two and a half years, there would be a major reshuffle to accommodate some of them.

Ibobi Singh found that it was easier said than done. "That promise was never kept," said one of the dissidents.

The incumbent ministers have been fire-fighting by promising sops to the dissident leaders. The president of Manipur unit of the BJP, Thounaojam Chaoba, has been saying that a large number of Congress members are seeking admission in his party.

A dissident Congress member of the assembly told IANS after returning from New Delhi that he was very hopeful that the party president would do justice this time.

"It is now a question of the political survival of the majority of the CLP members," he added.

IANS
Central team roped in as dengue cases in Bihar rise to over 5000

Uproar in Bihar Assembly over drinking water shortage

India

oi-PTI

Patna, Mar 15: Uproarious scenes were on Tuesday witnessed in the Bihar Assembly as Opposition BJP members protested in the House alleging shortage of drinking water in the state.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Prem Kumar made a mention of the adjournment notice moved by seven BJP MLAs for a special discussion on the shortage of drinking water which was rejected by Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.

Bihar intensifies crackdown on drinking liquor in public places

Irked, the BJP legislators and their NDA allies trooped into the well of the House and shouted anti-government slogans. The Speaker first tried carry on with the proceedings of the Question Hour amid din but as pandemonium continued, he adjourned the House till 2 PM.

Later, BJP members led by Leader of the Opposition staged a dharna on the lawns, in front of the main entrance of the Assembly. Some JD(U) MLAs also gathered at the portico of the House and shouted slogans against BJP and the Union government.

The LOP while talking to reporters outside the Assembly slammed the state government's decision to discontinue 'Chief Minister Handpump' scheme under which MLAs could recommend installation of handpumps in their areas.

Public Health and Engineering Department Minister Krishnandan Prasad Varma criticised BJP for creating a scene in the House over the issue.

"Providing drinking water to every household is part of the Chief Minister's seven promises which the government is committed to fulfil. In place of 'Chief Minister Handpump' scheme, the government is now bringing 'Chief Minister Drinking Water' programme," he told newspersons.

PTI
We cannot wait longer now: SC to hear Vijay Mallyas contempt case in January for final disposal

Vijay Mallya can be evicted from London home over unpaid loan, UK court orders

Mallyas London home to be held on by family

News flash: BJP won't be able to open its account in Kerala: AK Antony

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Bengaluru, Mar 15: With the Lok Sabha giving its nod, Parliament on Tuesday passed the Real Estate Bill which, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, will help bring down property prices and give more credibility to functioning of the real estate sector.

Get all the latest news updates of the day:

10:24 pm: Ayush ministry filed a formal complaint with Delhi Police asking them to probe the alleged 'fake' RTI query.

10:10 pm: I have filed a complaint with the Cyber Police Station in Mumbai: Vijay Mallya on interview to a newspaper.

We've received application frm Vijay Mallya's representative at PS,will be referred fr further follow up:Mumbai Police Cyber Cell DCP to ANI  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

10:00 pm: We've received application frm Vijay Mallya's representative at PS,will be referred fr further follow up: Mumbai Police Cyber Cell DCP to ANI.

9:20 pm: Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan exchanged courtesies at dinner of SAARC Foreign Secretaries in Pokhara (Nepal).

Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan after the dinner of SAARC FSs in Pokhara (Nepal) pic.twitter.com/IPN1DVjlG2  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

9:05 pm: Congress-led UDF is choosing its candidates in democratic manner. Cong is trying to bring new faces & young candidates this time: AK Antony.

9:00 pm: BJP is trying to open its account in Kerala, but it is nowhere in the scene: AK Antony on Kerala assembly elections.

8:40 pm: Farmers block a railway track in Hubli (Karnataka) over Kalasa Banduri Canal issue.

8:30 pm: Freight train derails near Shikohabad railway station in Firozabad distt, trains on Delhi-Kanpur route affected.

Meri gardan pe chhuri rakhe koi tab bhi bolungi "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", mar ke bhi bolungi: Najma Heptulla, Union Min pic.twitter.com/UlXlMMZjiy  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

8:20 pm: Deans of 5 Schools of JNU write to VC, say they were not given details of charges made against students or degree of punishment recommended.

8:15 pm: The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in Lok Sabha.

7:57 pm: India-China troops hold Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) in Damai on the Chinese side.

7:50 pm: Former CEO of KFA, A Raghunathan, and CFO of UB Group being interrogated by CBI in Mumbai.

7:40 pm: Police Horse (Dehradun) medical report: Dr.Arup Das.Professor,GB Pant Univ,(veterinary surgery) & his team of 4 doctors operated for 3 hours.

Police Horse (injured during BJP protest in Dehradun) medical report: Operation successful.Bt there is a need of careful post operative care  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

7:30 pm: Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli, earlier today.

7:25 pm: "Will always remember Former President Dr.Abdul Kalam who went to Chennai soon after his retirement,to pursue work he loved most-teaching," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the farewell ceremony of retiring members of Rajya Sabha.

PM Narendra Modi speaking at farewell ceremony of retiring members Of Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/aNYwaeZtLx  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

Delhi: PM Narendra Modi at farewell ceremony of retiring members of Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/hfMNvC9Okv  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

7:05 pm: Congress releases first list of 65 candidates for upcoming Assam assembly elections.

6.34 pm: I disagree with his (Asaduddin Owaisi) remark, such kind of remarks should be condemned says Javed Akhtar.

6.30 pm: Fire breaks out at an electric sub-station in Ludhiana

6.15 pm: Three people threaten #KanhaiyaKumar during JNU Mandi House protest, detained by Police.

6.00 pm: Special PMLA Court sends Chhagan Bhujbal to 2-day custody of ED.

5.40 pm: India's Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan to be summoned by Pak MOFA over denial of travel permits to five Pakistani officials

5.30 pm: CBI files chargesheet against suspended Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh in a Ghaziabad court.

5.27 pm: Two people threaten Kanhaiya Kumar during JNU Mandi House protest, detained by Police in Delhi.

5.15 pm: During hearing, Centre justified notification banning drugs, says Govt empowered under Drugs & Cosmetics Act, to file affidavit by Friday

5.00 pm: ED in special court seeks 3 day custody of Chhagan Bhujbal saying that his investments as alleged in ACB chargesheet need to be found out.

4.48 pm: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the Army to take up the issue of Chinese transgressions with Chinese authorities, says Sources.

4.39 pm: Counsel for Jaitley opposed contentions of AAP leaders, says its a delaying tactic. Next hearing on March 29 in Arun Jaitley defamation case.

4.15 pm: Arun Jaitley defamation case in HC, says AAP leaders oppose electronic evidence filed by Arun Jaitley against CM Kejriwal and 5 others.

4.13 pm: We are very happy and will hold special prayers-Sunita Kumar,Missionaries of Charity on Mother Teresa.

4.00 pm: Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrives in Pokhara for the SAARC Council of Ministers' meeting in Nepal.

3.40 pm: Karnataka is the prosecuting state, that is settled. The question of locus standi on whether Karnataka can file an appeal or not in the Jayalalithaa D A case does not arise. It was the Supreme Court which had first transferred the case to Karnataka.

The trial was held in Karnataka and the High Court of Karnataka became the appellant court. The prosecutor was appointed from Karnataka and this question was never raised at the appeal stage in the High Court.

Moreover, the Supreme Court had once again passed an order in which it made it clear that Karnataka was the prosecuting state.

3.35 pm: Mother Teresa to be canonized (elevation to sainthood) on 4th September 2016 in Rome.

3.20 pm: Pope Francis approves Mother Teresa elevation to sainthood.

3.15 pm: WB CM Mamata Banerjee addressing a rally in Darjeeling.

3.06 pm: Chhagan Bhujbal (arrested in money laundering case) being taken for a medical check up before he is taken to court.

2.50 pm: Author Arundhati Roy arrives at an AISA protest march at Mandi House in New Delhi.

2.48 pm: National Herald Case - Delhi HC issues notice to Subramanian Swamy on petition by Motilal Vora. Hearing on April 4

2.46 pm: JNU row - Umar Khalid files bail plea in lower court.

2.45 pm: I've been issued a showcause notice which doesn't have any mention of rustication. I've been asked to respond by 5 PM tomorrow, says Kanhaiya Kumar.

2.43 pm: Posters demanding release of students Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid seen in JNU campus.

2.35 pm: Delhi High Court dismisses plea seeking direction for an IB probe against Kanhaiya Kumar for his allegedly seditious remarks.

2.33 pm: Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya's judicial custody extended for 14 days by Delhi Court.

2.15 pm: Four people detained in connection with the murder of Congress worker Sunil Kumar in Alappuzha(Kerala).

2.10 pm: First group of Russian planes flies out of Syria base, says Russian defence ministry.

2.08 pm:Farmers stop three trains at Hubli Railway station (Karnataka) demanding PM's intervention in resolving Kalasa, says Banduri Water Dispute issue.

2.00 pm: Farmers stop three trains at Hubli Railway station (Karnataka) demanding PM's intervention in resolving Kalasa-Banduri Water Dispute issue.

1.30 pm: Recommend reduction of size of warning to 50% on cigarette packets and only on one side on beedis, says BJP MP Dilip Gandhi.

1.20 pm: Delays have hurt the DA case against Jayalalithaa. After the trial court verdict which convicted her the High Court reversed the order without any proper reasoning says B V Acharya.

1.05 pm: Congress worker Sunil Kumar hacked to death by alleged DYFI activists in Alappuzha (Kerala).

1.00 pm: B V Acharya, special public prosecutor for Karnataka commences arguments in Jayalalithaa D A case. He tells the Supreme Court that Jayalalithaa did everything to delay the case. All efforts were made to delay the case as much as possible and now there should not be any further delay.

12.59 pm: How can the locus standi of Karnataka be questioned asks B V Acharya. It is Karnataka which is the prosecuting state. It was the Supreme Court which transferred the case to Karnataka and hence Jayalalithaa cannot question our right in filing the appeal.

Pointing out that Jayalalithaa did everything everything to delay the case, Acharya said that she recorded her first statement only after the Supreme Court intervened in this case. Prior to that she never gave her statement. This was a delaying tactic.

12.58 pm: How did 76 witnesses in the case turn hostile, B V Acharya asks. When Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister in 2001 she ensured that the case of delayed. She became CM twice during the pendency of the D A case.

12.55 pm: SC also asks Swamy to make Air india, Indigo,Spice jet and FIA as parties in the petition, court to hear case again on July 29.

12.44 pm: Bangladesh are playing good cricket so we have to come out really strong to beat them tomorrow, says Waqar Younis on WT20.

12.30 pm: Uproar in Lok Sabha over Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh.

12.26 pm: Swaraj Abhiyan in its petition had raised the issue of compensation to farmers affected by drought in 11 states.

12.15 pm: PIL filed against Asaduddin Owaisi under IPC 124 A in Allahabad High Court.

12.00 pm: Hardik Patel's bail plea rejected by Surat sessions court in Sedition Case.

11.56 am: The matter has been taken up inside the Assembly, says NCP Chief Sharad Pawar on Chhagan Bhujbal

11.50 am: One passenger train's engine derailed today morning in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh. No casualties reported.

11.46 am: Proceedings in Maharashtra Assembly adjourned for 20 minutes after protest by joint opposition on Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest.

11.45 am: BSP Chief Mayawati demands Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram, says his sacrifice should be respected.

11.43 am: Congress Andhra Pradesh MPs protest in Rajya Sabha demanding special status for the state.

11.42 am: Htin Kyaw, longtime confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, wins majority of votes in Myanmar's presidential election: AP.

11.35 am: Maharashtra Sadan scam: NCP workers protest outside Maharashtra Assembly over Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest by ED.

11.00 am: The Enforcement Directorate has called former IDBI chairman Yogesh Agarwal for questioning in connection with the loan case involving Kingfisher Airlines.

10.50 am: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warns of impending nuclear and rocket tests (PTI).

9.53 am: UP Police revokes the ban on DJ music systems playing for Holi festival celebrations.

9.20 am: Congress to raise "Andhra Pradesh special status" issue in Lok Sabha today.

9.00 am: 6 more non bailable warrants issued against Vijay Mallya and KFA ex-CFO in cheque bounce case.

8.36 am: Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which was blocked due to landslide, cleared for vehicular movement.

8.12 am: Six dead and 30 injured as bus rammed into a tree in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada late last night. Condition of two remains critical.

8.00 am: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to hold an election rally in Kurseong today.

OneIndia News
Bhutan plants lakhs of tree to welcome new born prince

International

oi-Jagriti

Thimpu, Mar 15: In a nobel idea to welcome new born prince, Bhutan planted lakhs of trees have been planted across the nation.

Bhutan welcome the birth of a son to King Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema by planting the trees as it is considered sacred in Buddhism.

The plantation drive was carried on March 6, about a month after King Khesar and Queen announced the birth of their first child on February 5.

"In Buddhism, a tree is the provider and nourisher of all life forms, symbolizing longevity, health, beauty and even compassion," said Tenzin Lekphell, who coordinated the initiative, reported the Diplomat.

Good News: Bhutan King, Queen expect 1st child, heir to the Golden Throne

It wasn't a coincidence that the Buddha attained enlightenment under a banyan tree, he added.

A team of 100 volunteers in Bhutan created a Guinness record by planting 49,672 trees in just one hour in mountainous terrain.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 14:42 [IST]
Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India

China, Pak ties driven by rivalry with India: US experts

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Mar 15: The strategic alliance between China and Pakistan is primarily driven by their rivalry with India, eminent US experts have said, with one of them expressing concern over Sino-India border tensions.

"China's close ties with Pakistan also raise tension in the subcontinent. The China-Pakistan relationship has always been strategic in nature driven by their mutual rivalry with India," Katherine C Tobin, commissioner of the US China Economic and Security Review Commission, said during a hearing on China in South Asia.

Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation -- a top American think-tank - said that the current policy of the US is "hands-off approach" when it comes to tensions between India and China.

"I think the US has taken a very hands-off approach, but there may be some room for contingency planning back here in the US if the Sino-India border disputes were to ratchet up," Curtis said.

"And certainly we have seen on two occasions in the last two years or three years rather, once in the spring of 2013, once in the fall of 2014, that tensions ratcheted up in terms of unusual troop movements by the Chinese PLA forces in the Ladakh region," she said.

"So, it's certainly something that I think we need to pay attention to. I'm not saying the US needs to get involved per se, but we should at least have an idea of how the US might react if the tensions were to escalate quickly along the border," Curtis said.

Jammu a part of Pakistan? Twitter shows Indian territory in Pakistan, J&K part of China

China, she argued, seeks to build strategic and military ties with Pakistan in order to contain Indian power and to prevent India from extending its influence outward and essentially prevent it from focusing its attention and military resources towards China.

China's relations with India are marked by mutual suspicion, said James F Moriarty, senior advisor for South Asia at Bowerr Group Asia.

"China's relations with Pakistan evolved into an extremely close economic and security partnership. And China's relations with the remaining countries of South Asia remained cordial, but largely lacked substance," he said.

An increasingly close US-India relationship will be key to the US success in the Indo-Pacific region, Moriarty said. The fast growing economies in strategic locations of the other countries of South Asia require that the US also maintains close positive relations with those countries, he said.

When the US interest in those countries do not coincide with India's, the US should pursue its own interest while being as transparent as possible within India over policy differences, he argued.

"Think carefully before punishing Pakistan. The United States cannot afford not to have decent working relations with a nuclear armed nation facing serious terrorism issues, and one that is already a leading source of migrant flows into Europe," Moriarty said.

PTI
Donald Trump compares immigrants to venomous snakes

International

oi-Sandra

Washington, March 15: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has a way with words and definitely knows how to rub people the wrong way. After his controversial statement that Muslim immigrants must not be allowed to enter US, Trump likened immigrants to a poisonous snake.

Trump, who was speaking in a private hangar at Youngstown airport recited the words from The Snake, a song by AL Wilson. The song is about an ill snake who is take home by a kind woman. The woman looks after the snake only to be bitten by it once it has recovered.

US Prez poll 2016: 5 states poll on this Super Tuesday (March 15)

Trump said: "We have to makle sure we know who we're letting in," he said. He said in order to keep immigrants outside he would build a wall along the US-Mexico border to keep Central Americans out and another wall along Syria to keep ISIS fighters out.

Trump's earlier statements on a complete ban on entry of Muslim immigrants drew harsh criticism from everyone including President Barack Obama.

Actor Johnny Depp mimicks Donald Trump, calls him a 'brat'

Obama had said: "It's our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently. Because when we travel down that road, we lose."

Trump will be looking forward for another victory in the Tuesday primaries which could propel him to being chosen as the Republican candidate. Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina go to polls on Tuesday.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 14:33 [IST]
Four suspected jihadists held in Guinea-Bissau

International

oi-PTI

Bissau, Mar 14: Investigators in Guinea-Bissau said today four men suspected of collaborating with an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist who attempted to kill the president of Mauritania were in detention under heavy security.

"Four jihadists are behind bars in a high-security prison," senior police investigator Domingos Correia told AFP. Police sources said two of the men were extradited on March 8 from neighbouring Guinea after their arrest in January, while the others were arrested in the capital, Bissau.

The Guinea-Bissau nationals are suspected of helping Cheikh Ould Saleck, a high-profile jihadist on death row in his native Mauritania, to flee across the border and hide out in Guinea after he broke out of jail.

All four have appeared before judges in Guinea-Bissau but have not been formally charged. Ould Saleck was arrested on the outskirts of the Mauritanian capital in 2011 when the army intercepted two car bombs aimed at President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as part of an Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) plot.

He escaped on New Year's Eve over the border into Senegal and on to tiny Guinea-Bissau, before ending up in Guinea.

He was also captured and is now back in Mauritania. Guinea-Bissau has been hit by a series of coups since independence from Portugal in 1974, but has avoided the type of Islamist attacks that have hit Mali, Burkina Faso and most recently Ivory Coast in the same region.

Gunmen armed with grenades and assault rifles yesterday stormed three hotels and sprayed the beach with bullets in the Ivorian resort of Grand-Bassam, killing 18 and raising fears of a widening Islamist threat in the region.

AFP
Modi tops list of world leaders who might benefit if Trump becomes US president

International

oi-Shubham

Washington, March 15: Republican Donald Trump has become a big worry for both the internal and external establishments of the United States. Opinions are split on what Trump could and would do both at home and abroad if he goes on to win the November 8 elections to the White House.

Trump and Modi have one common advantage: The middle-class

How Trump's story resembles that of Modi

Complete list of American presidential election primaries/caucuses schedules and results

Diplomats and experts in international relations are feeling apprehensive about a possible Trump presidency, but US-based mazine The Atlantic has published an article saying there are also leaders around the world who can work at ease with Trump and among them, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tops the list.

Modi, who has been ranked first among five leaders who are expected to welcome Trump in case he becomes the successor to Barack Obama, was praised by the real-estate mogul after the 2014 Lok Sabha election as one who "has done a fantastic job of bringing people together" and predicted that "money will pour into India", an article in the magazine titled 'Five World Leaders Who Might Benefit From a Trump Presidency' said.

The writer, Matt Peterson, said: "Flattery aside, modern India's pragmatic, commercial relationship with the United States favors Donald the dealmaker. Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric likely wouldn't get in the way of pushing new contracts for American arms makers, for whom India is a major market. (Modi himself is no stranger to accusations of anti-Muslim bias.) Trump's crusade against China's economic power would also favor New Delhi in its strategic rivalry with Beijing."

On the Pakistan question, too, there are hints about a cosy Modi-Trump relationship. Though New Delhi has time and again found at its dismay the age-old alliance between Washington and Islamabad flowering time and again despite the odds, Trump's describing Pakistan as the most dangerous country other than Iran will be a welcome statement for India.

The other four world leaders who might welcome a Trump presidency are, according to the magazine-Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa and, believe it or not, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

Oneindia News
Fact Check: Is this video of a Russian soldier being run over by a tank a recent one?

Russias bombing blitz in Syria ends as Putin said do svidaniya to Assad

International

oi-Jagriti

New Delhi, Mar 15: The surprise partial withdrawal announcement of Russian forces from conflict hit Syria has been termed a welcome move by UN. The sudden announcement came as surprised as it started targeting anti Assad forces in Syria in September last year.

The decision has bene taken after a discussion with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on March 14. "The move is likely to put pressure on Assad regime to negotiate more seriously at UN-hosted peace talks with the opposition, which resumed in Geneva on March 14, said an editorial titled Putin to Assad: Do svidaniya in Almonitor.

"The Russian military intervention had largely achieved its objective in Syria, said Putin after announcing the decision.

However, Russia will continue to maintain an aviation support center in Syria in order to monitor compliance with the cease-fire.

Putin's view on Russian achievement has also been supported by Samuel Charap, a Russia expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"His objective was to force the US and its allies to the bargaining table on his terms," Charap told Al-Monitor March 14. "He achieved that objective. Beyond that, an extended, large military presence in Syria doesn't really do much for him. It's more of a liability than an asset," added Charap.

Russia's decision to withdraw troops from Syria is also seen as good signal for all conflicting parties at the Geneva talks started on March 14.

The Russian decision came as surprise for US officials. Later Putin and Obama discussed the matter on phone.

While Paul Sanders a Russia expert at the Center for the National Interest said it was also notable that Putin was saying mission accomplished when his original declared rationale for intervening in Syria was to defeat the Islamic State (IS).

Russia ends Syria campaign as peace talks enter second day

A former Russian diplomat said Putin's announced decision to partly withdraw from Syria is probably due to a combination of reason.

"The Syrian opposition, for its part, said it welcomed Putin's announcement and that serious withdrawal would put pressure on the regime and give peace talks a positive impetus," added the editorial.

OneIndia News
This teen is so addicted to video games that his mother hand-feeds him as he goes on playing

Somali teen refugee shot by Utah police awakens from coma

International

oi-PTI

Salt Lake City (US), Mar 15: The 17-year-old Somali refugee who was critically wounded in a police shooting in Salt Lake City is awake and talking, his cousin has said.

Abdi Mohamed, who came to the US with his family in 2004, was shot twice in the torso last month when officers tried to stop him and another person from beating a man, police said yesterday.

His cousin Muslima Weledi said he has woken from his medically induced coma but remains on painkillers. Police have said Mohamed and a second person were beating a man with metal sticks when officers intervened February 27.

Officers fired after he moved menacingly toward the man who was beaten instead of immediately obeying a command to drop the stick, police said. The teen's friends dispute the police account.

Friend Selam Mohammad said the fight started after a stranger made a comment about Abdi Mohamed's girlfriend, and the other man was also armed with a stick.

Unified Police Detective Chuck Malm declined to say if police have interviewed Mohamed, citing the ongoing investigation. Police have refused to release video from the incident until the investigation into the shooting is complete.

Salt Lake County Attorney Sim Gill said his office is still reviewing the case and that he hopes the process will be finished in the next few weeks.

AP
Trump is convinced Russia didnt interfere in 2016 polls; blames US for sour ties with Moscow

US Prez poll 2016: 5 states poll on this Super Tuesday (March 15)

International

oi-Shubham

Washington, March 15: After March 1, the US is set for another Super Tuesday on March 15 in this presidential election year. While Republican Donald Trump and Democratic Hillary Clinton swept the first Super Tuesday by winning seven out of 11 states each, this Super Tuesday will see five states going to the polling.

Complete list of American presidential primaries/caucuses schedules and primaries



What is a Super Tuesday?" title="Rubio regrets on the eve of Florida primary



What is a Super Tuesday?" />Rubio regrets on the eve of Florida primary



What is a Super Tuesday?

Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina will go to polling on this occasion.

If Trump and Clinton can repeat their March 1 feats, the race for the nomination on either camp will seem to be over. A different result could see more twists in the tale.

For nomination, a Republican candidate needs 1,237 delegates and Trump is leading the four-men race at the moment with 460 in his kitty. Ted Cruz has 370 and Marco Rubio 163 at the moment.

In the Democratic camp, Clinton 768 delegates while Bernie Sanders has 554. However, the former US secretary of state has 467 superdelegates which gives her an advantage. To get nomination, a Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates.

Oneindia News
There is an economic, psychological, emotional crisis in J&K says Mehboobas daughter

Centre to keep small retailers in mind while announcing economic package

Venezuela extends economic emergency for another 60 days

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Caracas, March 15: Venezuela has declared a two-month extension for the current state of economic emergency, the media reported on Tuesday.

The declaration made by the government on Monday will bestow more time on the government of President Nicolas Maduro to intervene in the market, boost productivity and redress a flagging financial sector, officials said.

It will also allow the government to take more anti-crisis measures to reduce fiscal moratorium and to tap up funds from the 2015 budget to address short-term social needs, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Due to exceptional circumstances...the declaration of an economic emergency must continue in various sectors," said Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz.

This view was shared by the first vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, who said the extension "will bring in measures to enhance positive impacts on the national economy. (These will include) actions on healthcare, nutrition, education, employment."

At the request of the opposition majority in the National Assembly, Isturiz will explain to lawmakers the achievements made during the first 60 days of the state of economic emergency, which begun on January 16.

The Venezuelan government declared a state of economic emergency in January, which was to last for 60 days, in order to lead a "transformation" of the country's beleaguered economy.

IANS
Community

Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place.
Sky News 21 Oct 2022

Rishi Sunak supporters are claiming that he has the votes to progress to the next stage of the Conservative leadership contest.
by  Graham Pierrepoint



It has barely been much time since the world has said goodbye to one of its most iconic authors, Harper Lee  who was single-handedly responsible for writing one of the most important and society-changing novels in both American and world history  To Kill a Mockingbird  which focused on issues of race relations in the American South at a time of severe unrest, with it creating a hero of lawyer Atticus Finch, who has since been heralded as a fictional paragon of human rights. The world, therefore, felt the passing of the books author in a tremendous way following news of Lees death in February 2016.

Following her passing, it has been stated that Lees last will and testament have been closed off to the public entirely, as ruled by a judge in Alabama this week. According to The Guardian, judge Greg Norris has carried out Lees lawyers and familys wishes by sealing off the legal documents entirely, ensuring that only those close to the author will be able to know its final contents. The decision is considerably apt for an author whose life was conspicuously private, and is comforting for those close to her who may have been concerned regarding a public or media circus interested in further information.

Lees lawyers stated that the author had left the public a huge legacy in Mockingbird, and that it would therefore not be the publics business to be concerned with the private and financial matters of her estate and final will. It is also stated that there had been a potential threat for public intrusion into the details of Lees final estate, which would not only go against the authors final wishes, but would also provide harassment for those considered Lees heirs. In a day and age where information is rife and privacy can be hard to come by, it is refreshing and comforting to know that even our most beloved and most revered artists and creators can provide private comfort to their families after their passing.

The public will not be able to inspect or intrude on Harper Lees will by law, and it is with this that we must show gratitude not only for the story of Mockingbird, nor the characters it brought to life, but also for the lessons it has taught many of us, and continues to teach around the world, decades after its first publication.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, some members of University of Ibadan community as well as many others who identified with the late Canada-based Nigerian satirist, scholar and public intellectual, Professor Pius Adesanmi, have gathered for A March in honour of the late professor who lost his life in the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane crash of Sunday, March 10.

It was indeed a sobering Wednesday on the university campus, as many professors, doctorate holders, students and media personalities marched to celebrate the life of the brilliant public intellectual.

According to the anchor of the March, Mr. Ropo Ewenla, it was not a time to mourn the late Adesanmi but a moment to celebrate a self-immortalised man whom many described as too good to die.

Adesanmi, who was referred to as a friend of the University of Ibadans Institute of African Studies, probably foretold his departure from this realm in his ever last Facebook post.

Many people within and outside university who participated in the march testified that Pius Adesanmi lived as a sage despite his young years.

Professor Ademola Dasylva, the Dean of Faculty of Arts celebrated Adesanmis exploits as a young professor, describing his passing as a great loss to everyone, to Nigeria, to Africa and to the world.

While lamenting the executive murder of his friend by the Boeing airplane, Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade reflected that it was quite unfortunate that Adesanmi fell victim to the failures and mediocrity which he often criticized.

Barrister Femi Aborisade, who rounded off at the point of lighting the candles, said he was mourning Adesanmi regrettably because he had met the Kogi-born scholar only once before the accident that claimed his life. He, however, remarked that Adesanmi resolutely and consistently stood for the masses, an act which he said is worthy of emulation.

Adesanmis writings live on even as he predicted in one of his posts: A thousand years from now, archaeologists would be interested in how some people called Nigerians lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. If they did and excavate, I am hoping that fragments of my writings survive to point them to the fact that not all of them accepted to live as slaves.

Pius Adesanmi studied for a masters degree in French from the University of Ibadan in 1998.
Olori Ajoke

Olori Ajoke who just put to bed recently is the last wife of the Alaafin of Oyo.

She shared these beautiful new photos on her Instagram page today. She looks amazing!

Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III (born 15 October 1938) is the Alaafin, or traditional ruler, of the Yoruba town of Oyo and rightful heir to the throne of its historic empire.

See more photos:
Atiku gets 11,262,978

Muhammadu Buhari has won the presidential election  going by the figures released this morning by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The President won 15,191,847 votes to retain his job. His closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 11,262,978.

Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate won in 19 states. Atiku won in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The commission adjourned its collation and announcement of results at the International Conference Centre, Abuja at 12.16am after taking the results from Rivers State the last to come in. It adjourned till 3am.

INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the commission wanted to beat its 2015 record when it concluded the process at 4am.

Buhari is billed to read his acceptance speech at the APC secretariat today.

Yesterdays collation opened with Niger State, which went to the APC with 612,371 votes. PDP scored 218, 052.

There were 2,375,568 registered voters across the 15 local government areas of the state and 911, 964 voters were accredited. The state recorded a total vote of 896,976 and 851,937 valid votes. Forty-five votes were rejected; 71,200 were cancelled.

In Jigawa State, Buhari scored 794,738 as against Atikus 289, 895 votes.

With 27 local government areas, Jigawa had 2,104,889 registered voters; 1,171,801 were accredited to vote; 1,149,922 voted. Of the votes, 1,106,244 were valid and 43, 678 were rejected.

The APC candidate also won in Kaduna State with 993,445 votes as against PDPs 640, 612.

Atiku fought back in Anambra State, garnering 524,738 votes as against APCs 33,298.

He won with a slim margin in Oyo State where the PDP polled 366,690 as against APCs 365,229.

Atikus home state, Adamawa, gave the PDP 410,266 votes. Buhari got 378,078.

The 21 council areas in Adamawa had 1,959,322 registered voters; 874,920 voters were accredited. There were 811,534 valid votes; 49,222 were rejected.

The President won in Bauchi with 798,428 votes. Atiku scored 209,313. Valid votes were 1,024, 307; 37,648 were rejected. Votes cast stood at 1,061, 955

The APC beat the PDP in Lagos State with 580,825 votes; PDP scored 448,015.

The ruling party also secured victory for his candidate in Ogun State where it scored 281,762 as against PDPs 194, 655. The registered number of voters in the Gateway State was 2,336,887; 613,399 were accredited and 605,938 voted.

Edo State, with 18 local government areas and 2,150,127 registered voters, went to Atiku with 275, 691 votes. Buhari scored 267,842 votes.

For the poll, 604,915 were accredited. There were 560,711 valid votes. The rejected ballot stood at 38, 517, leaving the total vote cast at 599, 228.

The number of votes that were cancelled in 48 polling units stood at 42,176.

In Benue State, PDP got a narrow victory margin over the ruling party with 356,817 votes as against APCs 347,668.

Edo, with a voter population of 2, 391,276, has a total vote cast of 763,872. The valid votes were 728,912. The rejected votes were 34,960 and 122,989 votes were cancelled in 172 polling units.

Atiku won Imo State with 334,923 votes as against Buharis 140,463 votes.

There were 2,037,569 registered would-be voters; 585,741 were accredited to vote. The valid votes were 511,586 and 31,191 votes were rejected. The number of votes cast stood at 542,777; 63,048 were cancelled in 97 polling units in 12 council areas.

Plateau State also gave its vote to Atiku who scored 548,665. Buhari scored 468,555.

The state had 2,423, 381 registered voters and 1,074,042 were accredited.

The valid votes were 1,034,853 of which 1,063,862 voted. The number of rejected votes stood at 28,009.

Kano went to Buhari who scored 1,464,768 against Atikus 392,593.

The Northwest state, where 5,381,581 were registered to vote, recorded the highest turnout with 2,006,410 accredited voters.

The votes cast were 1,964,751. The valid votes were 1,891,134. The rejected votes were 73,617 and the cancelled votes were 43,900, across 69 polling units.

Katsina, Buharis home state, also went the way of Buhari, who scored 1,232,133 against Atikus 308,056.

It has 3,219,422 registered voters and 1,628,865 were accredited for the election.

The total valid votes in Katsina is 1,555,473 and 1,619,185 cast their ballots.

The rejected votes were 63,712 and the cancelled votes stood at 12,027.

Taraba went to the PDP with 374,743 votes as against APCs 326 996 votes.

The total registered votes were 1,777,105. The accredited voters stood at 756 111.

The valid votes were 712 877 and 28,687 were rejected.

THE FINAL SCORES

STATES APC PDP

Abia 85,058 219,698

Adamawa 378,078 410,266

Akwa Ibom 175,429 395,832

Anambra 33,298 524,738

Bauchi 798,428 209,313

Bayelsa 118,821 197,933

Benue 347,668 356,817

Borno 836,496 71,788

Cross River 117,302 295,737

Delta 221,292 594,068

Ebonyi 90,726 258,573

Edo 267,842 275,691

Ekiti 219,231 154,032

Enugu 54,423 355,553

Gombe 402,961 138,484

Imo 140,463 334,923

Jigawa 794,738 289,895

Kaduna 993,445 649,612

Kano 1,464,768 391,593

Katsina 1,232,133 308,056

Kebbi 581,552 154,282

Kogi 285,894 218,207

Kwara 308,984 138,184

Lagos 580,825 448,015

Nasarawa 289,903 283,847

Niger 612,371 218,052

Ogun 281,762 194,655

Ondo 241,769 275,901

Osun 347,634 337,377

Oyo 365,229 366,690

Plateau 468,555 548,665

Rivers 150,710 473,971

Sokoto 490,333 361,604

Taraba 324,906 374,743

Yobe 497,914 50,763

Zamfara 438,682 125,423

FCT 152,224 259,997

TOTAL: 15,191,847 11,262,978
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

The University of California (UC) endowment has announced it would reduce the number of its hedge fund portfolios in a bid to reduce costs. A number of hedge funds are managing at least $2bn of the universitys endowment.

The move by UC comes as the labor union AFSCME Local 3299 criticized the universitys hedge fund investments. UC spokesperson Kate Moser said that over the past couple of years, UC Chief Investment Officer Jagdeep Singh Bachher has been trying to reduce costs of the endowments investments, reported the Daily Cal.

"If you can bring your costs down even farther than they already are, then thats just more money coming back to the university to reinvest," Moser was quoted as saying.

The university has been streamlining its investments over the last few years and has reduced the number of external managers in multiple asset classes, including stocks and bonds. UC now has less than 30 external managers and 25 hedge fund managers.

"Hedge funds play an important part in our investment mix because they reduce the overall volatility of the portfolio while also providing a source of returns," Moser added.

Last week, it was reported that UCs endowme......................

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Opalesque Industry Update - IDS Fund Services (IDS) has entered in to an agreement with Sanne Group plc whereby Sanne will acquire the business in order to further broaden their alternative asset capabilities through the delivery of a hedge platform which can be leveraged across the wider group network as well as delivering a new market in South Africa for their existing services. Ian Hamilton, IDS Founder and CEO, said: IDS has successfully built its fund administration business over the past fifteen years. We are delighted to be joining Sanne who are recognised within the international fund and corporate administration sector as delivering a very high level of client service. This approach fits with IDSs own service ethos and we are confident that we can continue to develop the breadth and quality of our service offering to meet the evolving needs of the funds sector in South Africa.. Commenting, Dean Godwin, Chief Executive said: The acquisition of IDS is consistent with Sannes strategy of expanding the Groups capabilities and product offering, and delivering greater jurisdictional diversification. IDSs track record as a leading provider of hedge fund administration services complements Sannes existing alternative asset specialisms in private equity, real estate and debt. I am pleased to welcome the management team and look forward to working with them as IDS delivers the next stage of its growth and development as part of the wider group. The transaction is due to complete within three months. With over a decade in business and being privately owned, IDS Fund Services offers a comprehensive range of independent fund administration services to the global investment community. Specialising in hedge fund, private equity and unit trust fund administration, we provide cost effective access to a strong operational team and leading technology. IDSs shared vision and collective experience results in a synthesis of forward-thinking professionals who are able to deliver valuable insights, along with innovative and customised solutions that greatly benefit our business partners and their investors.
"We want no Gestapo or secret police. The FBI is tending in that direction. They are dabbling in sex-life scandals and plain blackmail."--President Harry S. Truman



Don't Be a Puppet

(Image by FBI.gov) Details DMCA



"Don't Be a Puppet" is the message the FBI is sending young Americans.

As part of the government's so-called ongoing war on terror, the nation's de facto secret police force is now recruiting students and teachers to spy on each other and report anyone who appears to have the potential to be "anti-government" or "extremist."

Using the terms "anti-government," "extremist" and "terrorist" interchangeably, the government continues to add to its growing list of characteristics that could distinguish an individual as a potential domestic terrorist.

For instance, you might be a domestic terrorist in the eyes of the FBI (and its network of snitches) if you:

express libertarian philosophies (statements, bumper stickers)

exhibit Second Amendment-oriented views (NRA or gun club membership)

read survivalist literature, including apocalyptic fictional books

show signs of self-sufficiency (stockpiling food, ammo, hand tools, medical supplies)

fear an economic collapse

buy gold and barter items

subscribe to religious views concerning the book of Revelation

voice fears about Big Brother or big government

expound about constitutional rights and civil liberties

believe in a New World Order conspiracy

Despite its well-publicized efforts to train students, teachers, police officers, hairdressers, store clerks, etc., into government eyes and ears, the FBI isn't relying on a nation of snitches to carry out its domestic spying.

There's no need.

The nation's largest law enforcement agency rivals the NSA in resources, technology, intelligence, and power. Yet while the NSA has repeatedly come under fire for its domestic spying programs, the FBI has continued to operate its subversive and clearly unconstitutional programs with little significant oversight or push-back from the public, Congress or the courts.

Indeed, as I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the FBI has become the embodiment of how power, once acquired, can be easily corrupted and abused.

When and if a true history of the FBI is ever written, it will not only track the rise of the American police state but it will also chart the decline of freedom in America.

The FBI's laundry list of crimes against the American people includes surveillance, disinformation, blackmail, entrapment, intimidation tactics, harassment and indoctrination, governmental overreach, abuse, misconduct, trespassing, enabling criminal activity, and damaging private property.

And that's just based on what we know.

Whether the FBI is planting undercover agents in churches, synagogues and mosques; issuing fake emergency letters to gain access to Americans' phone records; using intimidation tactics to silence Americans who are critical of the government; recruiting high school students to spy on and report fellow students who show signs of being future terrorists; or persuading impressionable individuals to plot acts of terror and then entrapping them, the overall impression of the nation's secret police force is that of a well-dressed thug, flexing its muscles and doing the boss' dirty work of ensuring compliance, keeping tabs on potential dissidents, and punishing those who dare to challenge the status quo.

As the FBI's powers have grown, its abuses have mounted.

The agency's National Security Letters, one of the many illicit powers authorized by the USA Patriot Act, allows the FBI to secretly demand that banks, phone companies, and other businesses provide them with customer information and not disclose the demands. An internal audit of the agency found that the NSL program to be riddled with widespread violations.

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La Mottas Italian Specialties Brings Brunch to the South End

www.lamottaboston.com

www.aquitainegroup.com

WHAT: Beginning March 2016, La Mottas Italian Specialties in Bostons South End begins brunch and gives the neighborhood the perfect reason to spring into the warmer months. La Motta will serve brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, with a $9.95 prix fixe reward for early-birds dining from 10:00AM  11:00AM.Chef de Cuisine Justin Winters has crafted a menu that tailors to the Italian/American classics he and the Aquitaine Group partners grew up with while using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients and flavors. Enjoy signature, savory egg dishes such as Crumbled Chorizo Scrambled with spicy Mexican chorizo, sweet peperonata and melted cheese ($10.50), a Hawaiian Omelette filled with roasted pineapple, smoked ham, scamorza and topped with Siracha ketchup ($10.75), or Smoked Trout Hash with fennel and onions, fried eggs and horseradish cream ($12.25).Feeling creative? Customize a savory Omelette with a wide variety of fillings and a side of Thick Cut Buttered Toast with sel gris or Everything Breakfast Potatoes ($8). Satisfy a brunch sweet tooth with Hot Cinnamon Sugar Bombs, Brioche Doughnut Holes with sweet whipped cream ($5.75), Bruleed Pineapple with blueberries and sweet cream ($6.50) or Coconut Almond Granola with bananas and organic milk ($6.25).For the early risers, La Motta is offering a prix fixe menu from 10AM-11AM featuring brunch entree options including Smokehouse Ham and Machego Cheese Omelette, Challah French Toast & Maple Syrup, or Eggs and Everything Breakfast Potatoes, accompanied by Hot Sugar Bombs, Fresh Squeezed Juice and Bottomless Coffee ($9.95).Guests looking to spice up their weekend can sip on creative brunch cocktails including La Mottas Bloody Bullshot with a housemade bloody mary mix, Veal Broth and Vodka ($11.50), The Morning Peck with Venezuelan coffee, rum, orange liquer and espresso ($10), or a White Peach Bellini with white peach puree and prosecco ($12).For more information or to make a reservation please visitor call 617.338.5300.WHEN: Beginning March 2016 every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00AM to 3:00PMWHERE: La Mottas Italian Specialties | 1357 Washington Street | Boston, MA 02118MENU: La Mottas full menu can be viewed here.About The Aquitaine Group:The Aquitaine Group consists of partners Seth Woods, Matt Burns, and Jeffrey Gates, three individuals with distinctly different personal and professional backgrounds, making these destination restaurants as well as the go-to spots in their respective neighborhoods. Restaurants included in the current portfolio are: Metropolis Cafe, Aquitaine (Boston, Chestnut Hill, and Dedham), Cinquecento, Gaslight Brasserie (Boston & Lynnfield), La Mottas Italian Specialties and Greenlight Cafe.Founder Seth Woods created what is now the Aquitaine Group with the opening of Metropolis Cafe in 1995, where he received praise from local and national media. In 1998, Woods opened Aquitaine Bar a Vin Bistrot on Tremont Street in Bostons South End paving the way for what is now known as restaurant row. Woods has received accolades for his work within the restaurant community through James Beard, Boston Business Journal, The New York Times and Food & Wine, but what is the true accomplishment is his commitment to each projects identity, authenticity, sustainability and success in an ever changing city.Matthew Burns, a native of Boston, met Seth Woods at Armani Cafe on Bostons Newbury Street where Burns was general manager and Woods was the executive chef. In 2000, Burns teamed up with Woods to open the Aquitaine location in Chestnut Hill. According to Burns a seamless combination of warm, skilled service, delicious food all in a comfortable yet interesting ambiance is what makes a great and successful restaurant.Jeffrey Gates joined the Aquitaine Group a few years later and in 2003, Gates was instrumental in opening what is now known as La Mottas Italian Specialties. Recognized for his consummate professionalism, extensive wine knowledge, methodical and meticulous approach to business, Gates brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the Boston restaurant scene to the Aquitaine Group.The Aquitaine Groups restaurants are widely recognized as among the very best in the city of Bostons growing and respected restaurant scene. They have garnered awards and accolades locally and nationally.Please visitfor more information.###1357 Washington StreetBoston, MA 02118
Richa Industries Wins Rs 24 Crore Order from Bharat Electronics Limited, Ministry of Defence Richa Industries Limited, a leading Construction & Engineering company has secured an order from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the construction of Pre Engineered Building (PEB) for the assembly of Masts & Composite Structures with labs & office area at BEL-NAMU in Navi Mumbai.



It is a turnkey project with scope of work including civil, electrical, HVAC, communication system & Pre-Engineered Building Structure. The Project includes design and construction of three buildings including Composite shed, finishing shed & rain test shed with the total area of approximately 4300 sqmt. The Project will be completed in eighteen months. The value of project is approximately Rs. 24 Crore.



Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Sandeep Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Richa Industries Limited says,  We are glad to receive this order from BEL. This is the first direct order from Ministry of Defence. We are looking forward for more such opportunities in near future.



About Richa Industries Limited



Richa Industries Limited is a leading Construction & Engineering Company in India operational in Pre Engineered Building (PEB), Structural Steel, Turnkey & Textile sectors. Since 1993, Richa has carved a strong image by living up to its commitment of providing innovative, finest quality, cost effective and faster completion of project solutions to its clients. An ISO 9001:2008 certified Company, Richa Industries is listed in Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Richa is the first Indian PEB company to get the internationally recognized OHSAS 18001:2007 Certification by IRQS. Rapidly growing, Richa has accomplished more than 500 projects in a record time on an average of delivering one building in every five days.



Richa has set up its Corporate cum registered office in Faridabad, Haryana and has its fully operational state-of-the-art PEB manufacturing plant in Kashipur in Uttarakhand and Textile manufacturing plant in Kawnra (Faridabad) in Haryana.



Disclaimer:



The purpose of this release is to provide Shareholders and potential investors with general information about the Richa Industries. The information is provided for quick reference only. It does not support to include every item, which may be of interest, nor does it purport to present full and fair disclosure with respect to any Richa Industries businesses within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information includes certain statements and estimates provided by the Company with respect to the projected future performance of the Company. Such statements, estimates and projections reflect various assumptions by management concerning possible anticipated results, which assumptions may or may not be correct. No representations are made as the accuracy of such statements, estimates or projections. Richa Industries undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any forward looking statements to reflect future or any likely events.



Ms.Richa Gaur

Corporate Communication



Plot No-29, DLF Industrial Area, Ph-II,

Faridabad, Haryana, India - 121003

Mob:+91 9718998811

Email: r.gaur@richa.in

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Global Photocopier Market 2015 Industry Outlook, Research, Growth, Analysis and Development

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=506469&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-photocopier-industry-2015-market-research-report.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Global Photocopier Industry 2015 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2015-2020.The recent developments in the global Photocopier market have influenced its performance significantly. This research report tries to identify the market trends that have been instrumental in bringing these developments to the worldwide market for Photocopier.The report offers an in-depth analysis of the global market for Photocopier, evaluates the key factors, impacting the growth of this market, and studies the effect of Porters five forces on the market over the next few years. The regional markets for Photocopier have also been analyzed based on their performance during the period from 2015 to 2020 in this market study.The report further forecasts the size and valuation of the global Photocopier market for the coming years. It segments this market on the basis of various industry verticals and analyzes the value chain of the market by studying the upstream and downstream components. The dynamics of demand and supply, influencing production volume have also been evaluated with other factors that encourage the demand for Photocopier in the application segments.To Get Sample Copy of Report@Lastly, the research report utilizes various analytical tools including investment return analyses, feasibility analysis, and SWOT analysis on major participants to identify the market hierarchy prevailing in the global Photocopier market. Apart from this, it also explains the dynamics of production and sales of each company, thus providing a better understanding.On the whole, the report is a compilation of information and is aimed at providing a complete and unbiased picture of the global Photocopier market, assisting companies, consultants, and stakeholders operating in this market to make rewarding strategies for the further expansion of their businesses.Brouse Complete Reports @QYResearchReports.com is the trusted source of market research reports among clients that include prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SMEs, and private equity firms. Our market research reports focus on categories including but not limited to: Chemicals, Energy, Alternative and Green Energy, Machinery, Manufacturing, Glass, Pharmaceuticals and Materials.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Specialty Silica Market worth US$ 9.9 Bn during, 2015-2025: FMI Estimate

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-577

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-577

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global specialty silica market in its latest report titled, Specialty Silica Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015  2025. In terms of value, the global specialty silica market is projected to register a moderate CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period (20152025) due to various factors, regarding which FMI offers vital detailed insights.FMI segments the global specialty silica market on the basis of product type, application and region. Each region is further segmented on the basis of application and product type.By application, the market is segmented into rubber, plastic, ink & coatings, electrical and electronics, agriculture and feed, food and beverages, personal care and others. In terms of value, rubber application segment is expected to dominate the specialty silica market, accounting for approximately 60.5% share of the total specialty silica market in 2015. The segment is projected to expand at a robust CAGR of 7.8% over the forecast period.By product type, the market is segmented into precipitated silica, colloidal silica, fumed silica, fused silica and silica gel. In terms of value, precipitated silica segment is anticipated to account for 71.1% share of the total specialty silica market in 2015. The segment is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.7% over the forecast period. This growth can mainly be attributed to increasing application of specialty silica in tyres. Fumed silica segment is projected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. Others type segment is anticipated to witness moderate growth over the forecast period. In terms of volume, APEJ market is anticipated to witness a healthy CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period.Request Free Report Sample@Specialty silica market is mainly driven by its increasing application in rubber products, especially in tyres. Use of specialty silica enables better rolling resistance and improved grip of tyres, which increases fuel efficiency of the vehicle. These tyres are also called green tyres and are widely preferred over conventional tyres. Increasing use of colloidal silica in consumer electronics has also bolstered demand for specialty silica. Colloidal silica helps in achieving high gloss finish for flat surface electronic device such as mobile phones. Growing application of specialty silica in oral care (toothpaste) as an abrasive agent to clean the teeth thoroughly is also anticipated to determine future demand for specialty silica.However, on the down side, manufacturing of specialty silica products such as precipitated silica and colloidal silica leads to major air pollution. Hence in regions such as Europe, governments have imposed stringent regulations regarding manufacture of specialty silica products. Emergence of greener alternatives to specialty silica products also poses a threat for the market.By region, APEJ (Asia Pacific excluding Japan) is expected to account for 39.2% share of the total specialty silica market in 2015 and is projected to account for 44.6% share by the end of 2025. Other regions as covered in the report are North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Latin America, Middle East and Africa.Request For TOC@Key players covered in the global specialty silica report are Evonik AG, PPG Industries, Akzo Nobel N.V., Cabot Corporation, Wacker Chemie, Nalco Holdings and Qingdao Makall Group Inc.Major players are focusing on expanding their specialty silica production capacities to meet increasing demand for specialty silica products in various industries.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
1 Man Dead, 3 Police Injured In Homan Square Shootout

By Mae Rice in News on Mar 15, 2016 3:12PM



Crime scene tape (Photo by LukaTDB via Shutterstock)

A police officer fatally shot a man Monday night during a foot chase in the Homan Square neighborhood. The officer was returning fire after the man shot and non-fatally injured three of the officers pursuing him, according to a police statement, and a weapon was recovered at the scene.

The incident began in the 3700 block of W. Polk St. at 9:40 p.m., where policein the area for a drug investigationspotted two suspicious individuals, according to the police statement.

When officers approached on foot to talk to the duo, one man fled. Police chased him through a courtyard, exchanging gunfire with him; after the chase and the fatal shooting, three officers were taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment for their non-fatal wounds, according to the police statement.

"Every day the dedicated men and women of the Chicago Police Department put themselves in danger so the rest of us can be safe, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in an emailed statement. Tonight we were reminded of the dangers that our police face, and the bravery that they routinely display as three of our officers were shot in line of duty.

The Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) is currently investigating the case, according to the police statement. The officers involved have been placed on routine administrative duty for 30 days, per the departments new policy for police-involved shootings.


Latest Report On Global Premium Alcohol Market 2016 Price And Growth To 2020 Just Published by 9Dimen Group

http://www.9dimengroup.com/report/57562/request-sample

www.9dimengroup.com

9Dimen Group Has Recently Announced The Addition Of A Market Study "Global Premium Alcohol Market 2015 Industry Growth, Size, Trends, Share, Opportunities And Forecast To 2019, Is A Comparative Analysis Of The Global Market.The Premium Alcohol market research report distils the most essential aspects of the market and presents them in the form of a comprehensive and cohesive document. The findings of this report have been obtained via a balanced mix of both primary and secondary research. Interviews of C-level executives in the Premium Alcohol market form a chunk of the qualitative analysis contained in this report.Browse Complete Report with TOC @: 9dimengroup.com/market-analysis/global-premium-alcohol-market-2016-industry-growth-size.htmlTo begin with, the report defines the Premium Alcohol market and segments it based on the most important dynamics, such as applications, geographical/regional markets, and competitive scenario. Macroeconomic and microeconomic factors environments that currently prevail and also those that are projected to emerge are covered in this report.With a view to deepen the scope of the analysis, the report also tracks milestone developments and regulations that have shaped the Premium Alcohol market thus far. To help readers effectively plan their future strategies, the report provides a set of expert recommendations. The analysts working on the report have successfully identified expected policy changes, industry news and developments, and trends and opportunities  this information can be harnessed by companies to strengthen their market presence.Other important aspects that have been meticulously studied in the Premium Alcohol market report are: Demand and supply dynamics, import and export scenario, industry processes and cost structures, and major R&D initiatives.Request for Sample Report @:Based on all of this information, the report provides recommendations and strategies to the following market participants: New players, investors, marketing departments, regulatory authorities and suppliers/manufacturers. The Premium Alcohol market research study has been composed using key inputs from industry experts. Furthermore, the extensive primary and secondary research data with which the report has been composed helps deliver the key statistical forecasts, in terms of both revenue and volume. In addition to this, the trends and revenue analysis of the global Premium Alcohol market has been mentioned in this report. This will give a clear perspective to the readers how the Premium Alcohol market will fare worldwide9Dimen Group () is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact UsJoel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales@9dimengroup.comWeb: 9dimengroup.com/Blog: 9dresearchgroup.com/
Personal Care Ingredients Market Expected Value up to $17,600.0 Million by 2020

Personal Care Ingredients Market, Personal care chemicals, Cosmetic Ingredients

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/personal-care-ingredients-market-251972200.html

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=251972200

http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

The report Personal Care Ingredients Market by Type (Surfactants, Conditioning Polymers, Emollients, Rheology Modifiers and Others) and by Application (Skin Care, Hair Care, Oral Care and Others) - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2020 defines and segments the personal care ingredients market with an analysis and forecast for types, and applications by value.Browse 78 market data tables and 103 figures spread through 155 pages and in-depth TOC on Personal Care Ingredients Market - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2020"Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.The personal care ingredients market size in terms of value is projected to reach $17.6 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2015 and 2020.Skin care to be the largest application for the personal care ingredients marketPersonal care ingredients have applications such as skin care, hair care, oral care and others. Skin care application accounted for 43.8% share in terms of value in 2014. Increase in demand of personal care ingredients such as surfactants, conditioning polymers, emollients, rheology control agents and others is mainly due to the changing lifestyle & rise in spending capacity, and increasing demand for multi-functional ingredientsConditioning Polymers to have the highest growthConditioning Polymers are one of the major types of personal care ingredients, and is expected to witness highest growth rate of 7.3%, from 2015 to 2020. Conditioning polymers are majorly used in hair care products. Hair care segment is estimated to see a steep growth due to increasing demand for hair styling, hair conditioning products.Request for Sample PDF:The leading players in the market include Ashland Inc. (U.S.), Croda International Plc (U.K.), BASF SE (Germany), Solvay S.A (Belgium), Stepan Company (U.S), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Evonik Industries (Germany), DOW Corning (U.S.), and DSM (The Netherlands), and Clariant AG (The Switzerland).The report covers the personal care ingredients market and its trends in four regions, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW. The market has also been analyzed on the basis of types, such as surfactants, conditioning polymers, emollients, rheology control agents and others have also been studied and included in this report. The market has also been analyzed on the basis of application such as skin care, hair care, oral care and others.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is worlds 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&Ms flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India.Tel: +1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.comVisit MarketsandMarkets Blog @MarketsandMarkets is worlds 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.Markets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India.
Future Electronics Promotes Intersil's High Efficiency Synchronous Buck Regulators

www.FutureElectronics.com

www.FutureElectronics.com

www.FutureElectronics.com

Future Electronics, a global leading distributor of electronic components, has announced immediate shipping availability of Intersil's ISL8018: 8A low quiescent current high efficiency synchronous buck regulators.The ISL8018 from Intersil is a high efficiency, monolithic, synchronous step down DC/DC converter that can deliver up to 8A continuous output current from 2.7V to 5.5V input supply. The output voltage is adjustable from 0.6V to VIN.With an adjustable current limit, reverse current protection, pre-bias start and over-temperature protection, the ISL8018 offers a highly robust power solution. It uses current control architecture to deliver fast transient response and excellent loop stability.For more information about Intersil, the ISL8018, DC/DC converters, and synchronous buck regulators, as well as access to the world's largest available-to-sell inventory, visitAbout Future ElectronicsFuture Electronics is a global leader in electronics distribution, ranking 3rd in component sales worldwide, with an impressive reputation for developing efficient, comprehensive global supply chain solutions. Founded in 1968 by Robert Miller, President, Future Electronics has established itself as one of the most innovative organizations in the industry today, with 5,000 employees in 169 offices in 44 countries around the world. Future Electronics is globally integrated, with one worldwide IT infrastructure providing real-time inventory availability and access, while enabling full integration of its operations, sales and marketing worldwide. Offering the highest level of service, the most advanced engineering capabilities and technical solutions through all stages of the design-production cycle, and the largest available-to-sell inventory in the world, Future's mission is always to Delight the Customer. For more information, visitMedia ContactMartin H. GordonDirector, Corporate CommunicationsFUTURE ELECTRONICS514-694-7710 (ext. 2236)Fax: 514-630-2671martin.gordon@FutureElectronics.com###Future Electronics is a global leader in electronics distribution, ranking 3rd in component sales worldwide, with an impressive reputation for developing efficient, comprehensive global supply chain solutions. Founded in 1968 by President Robert Miller, the company has established itself as one of the most innovative organizations in the industry today, with 5,000 employees in 169 offices in 44 countries around the world.237 Hymus Boulevard, Pointe Claire, Quebec H9R 5C7, Canada
Global Dry Bulk Shipping Market Report: 2016 Edition  New Report by Koncept Analytics

http://www.konceptanalytics.com

http://www.konceptanalytics.com/Researchreport/global-dry-bulk-shipping-market-report-2016-edition-274.aspx

This report offers in-depth analysis of the global dry bulk shipping market, along with an analysis of its commodities market including iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite/alumina, phosphate and minor bulk.The dry bulk industry has entered a transitional phase, where the primary demand drivers have to be redefined. For more than a decade, the main drivers of dry bulk demand have been industrial production and the ongoing urbanization process in China, which have fuelled seemingly insatiable demand for steel and energy. The most important industry drivers on the demand side are in Asia, particularly Chinese iron ore (steel production) and coal imports, as well as Indian coal imports. Another important variable is voyage distances, with the most visible example of that being Brazilian iron ore exports to China vs. Australian exports. China was admitted into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, and Chinese demand for commodities has been the main driving force behind the increase in dry bulk segments, although Indian demand, particularly for coal, has also become a significant factor in recent years.As per the report Global Dry Bulk Shipping Market: 2016 Edition by Koncept Analytics, the demand for global dry bulk shipping market will be driven by accelerating economic growth, rising urbanization, increase in global steel production, escalating iron industry and rising export of iron ore in Brazil and Australia. Some of the noteworthy trends and developments of this industry are downturn in the dry bulk charter market and containerization of dry bulk. However, the expansion of market is hindered by Chinese economic condition, act of piracy and risk of oversupply and cyclicality.The report by Koncept Analytics presents an in-depth analysis of the global market along with a focus on all major regions. A thorough analysis has been conducted on key market players covering their business overview, product portfolio, financial overview and business strategies.By combining SPSS Inc.s data integration and analysis capabilities with our relevant findings, we have predicted the future growth of the industry. We employed various significant variables that have an impact on this industry and created regression models with SPSS Base to determine the future direction of the industry. Before deploying the regression model, the relationship between several independent or predictor variables and the dependent variable was analyzed using standard SPSS output, including charts, tables and tests.List of ChartsTypes of Shipping MarketsMajor Dry Bulk CommoditiesMain Segments of the Bulk FleetDry Bulk Fleet CategoriesCharter Market of Dry Bulk CarriersGlobal Seaborne Dry Bulk Market by Volume (2010-2016E)Global Dry Bulk Shipping Market Share by Commodity (2015E)Global Dry Bulk Carrier Orders Market Share by Region (2015)Global Dry Bulk Fleet Size by Volume (2010-2016E)Global Dry Bulk Fleet Size by Types of Vessels (2010-2016E)Global Dry Bulk Fleet Supply Growth Rate by Types of Vessels (2010-2016E)Global Dry Bulk Carrier Fleet by Age Profile (2015)Global Average Scrapping Age of Vessels (2008-2015)Global Dry Bulk Fleet Day Rate by Types of Vessels (2010-2017E)Dry Bulk Newbuild Prices - Capesize (2006-2014)Dry Bulk Newbuild Prices - Panamax (2006-2014)Dry Bulk Newbuild Prices - Handymax (2006-2014)Dry Bulk Newbuild Prices - Handysize (2006-2014)Global Seaborne Iron Ore Trade by Volume (2010-2016E)Global Seaborne Coal Trade by Volume (2010-2016E)Seaborne Thermal Coal Exports Share by Region (2014)Seaborne Thermal Coal Imports Share by Region (2014)Global Seaborne Grain Trade by Volume (2010-2016E)Global Seaborne Bauxite/Alumina Trade (2010-2016E)Global Seaborne Phosphate Rock Trade (2010-2016E)Global Seaborne Minor Bulks Trade (2010-2016E)Chinas Seaborne Iron Ore Imports by Volume (2008-2014)Chinas Seaborne Coal Imports by Volume (2008-2014)Japans Seaborne Iron Ore Imports by Volume (2008-2014)Japans Seaborne Coal Imports by Volume (2008-2014)EU25 Seaborne Iron Ore Imports by Volume (2008-2014)EU25 Seaborne Coal Imports by Volume (2008-2014)Indian Seaborne Coal Imports by Volume (2008-2014)Brazil Seaborne Iron Ore Exports by Volume (2008-2014)Australian Seaborne Iron Ore Exports by Volume (2008-2014)Australian Seaborne Coal Exports by Volume (2008-2014)South Korean Seaborne Coal Import by Volume (2008-2014)Indonesian Seaborne Coal Exports by Volume (2008-2014)South Africas Seaborne Coal Exports by Volume (2008-2014)Colombian Seaborne Coal Exports by Volume (2008-2014)Global Urban Population (2007-2014)Global GDP Growth (2006-2014)Global Crude Steel Production (2007-2014)Global Crude Steel Production by Region (2014)Global Steel Use by Finished Steel Product (2008-2014)Global Production of Pig Iron (2007-2014)Diana shippings Time Charter Revenues and Net Income (2010-2014)Dry Shipss Revenues by Business Segment (2014)Dry Shipss Revenues and Net Income (2010-2014)Gencos Revenue by Business Segments (2014)Gencos Revenue and Net Income (2010-2014)Global Seaborne Dry Bulk Trade Forecast (2014-2018E)List of TablesIron Ore Capacity Expansions (2013-2016E)Top Global Capesize Fleet OwnersDependent & Independent Variables (20102014)Correlation MatrixModel Summary  Coefficient of DeterminationRegression Coefficients OutputFor more Information:konceptanalytics.com/Researchreport/global-dry-bulk-shipping-market-report-2016-edition-274.aspxKoncept AnalyticsVikas Gupta(Business Development Manager)FFCS-36, Ansal PlazaVaishali, GhaziabadU.P - 201010Tele: +91-120-4130959Mobile: +91-9811715635Mail ID  vikas@konceptanalytics.comKoncept Analytics is a market research company. We are in the field of Market Research from last 10 Years. We do research in telecommunication, healthcare, pharmaceutical, financial services, energy, technology, real estate, logistics, food & beverages and media sectors. For more information:Koncept Analytics is a market research company. We are in the field of Market Research from last 10 Years. We do research in telecommunication, healthcare, pharmaceutical, financial services, energy, technology, real estate, logistics, food & beverages and media sectors. For more information:konceptanalytics.comKoncept AnalyticsVikas Gupta(Business Development Manager)FFCS-36, Ansal PlazaVaishali, GhaziabadU.P - 201010Tele: +91-120-4130959Mobile: +91-9811715635Mail ID  vikas@konceptanalytics.com
Biostimulants Market Poised to Account for US$ 4,109.5 Mn By 2025 End

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-354

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-354

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Demand for biostimulants is expected to surpass US$ 4 billion in revenues, according to a new research report by Future Market Insights (FMI). The report titled, Biostimulants Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025 forecasts the demand for biostimulants to expand at a CAGR of nearly 11% through 2025.Biostimulants are finding increasing application in the agriculture sector owing to their environmentally-friendly and organic nature. Rising food demand is putting pressure on land and focus has shifted to enhancing the yield per hectare.Governments around the world are speeding up efforts to boost agricultural production. Use of biostimulants is being encouraged to improve the overall output, and this is expected to fuel demand in the near future, said the FMI analyst who compiled the report.Although FMI expects the demand for biostimulants to expand at a robust pace during the forecast period 2015-2025, certain factors can impede growth. Lack of standardisation and slow pace of innovation are the key restraining factors for the global biostimulants market.Foliar Dominant Application Segment for BiostimulantsBiostimulants are used in foliar, seed, and soil; among these, use of biostimulants is highest in the foliar segment, accounting for nearly one-third market share in 2014. On the basis of crop type, use of biostimulants is predominant in row crops, and fruits and vegetables. Application of biostimulants in turf and ornamental is at a nascent stage currently. FMI forecasts the turf and ornamental segment to expand at a CAGR of over 6% during 2015-2025.Request Free Report Sample@Strong Demand for Acid-Based BiostimulantsDemand for acid-based biostimulants is higher than acid-based- and extract-based biostimulants, owing to easy availability of raw materials and higher efficiency. Biostimulants containing Vitamin B, chitin and chitosan are expected to gain traction during the forecast period.Western Europe Most Lucrative MarketWestern Europe is the largest market for biostimulants, accounting for over 30% market value share in 2014. Focus on enhancing yield per hectare coupled with government support are the key factors propelling the growth of the market in the region.Asia Pacific Excluding Japan is emerging as a lucrative market for biostimulants. The agriculture sector in the region is witnessing a shift from traditional farming practices to use of technology and additives, owing to which biostimulants are expected to gain traction in the next decade.Acadian Seaplants Limited, Biostadt India Limited, Omex Agrifluids Ltd., Italpollina Spa, Koppert B.V., BioAtlantis Ltd., Micromix Plant Health Limited, Trade Corporation International, Valagro S.p.A, Isagro S.p.A, Platform Specialty Products Corporation, BASF SE, Novozymes A/S, Agrinos A/S and The Dow Chemical Company.Request For TOC@Segmentation of the global biostimulants market:By ApplicationFoliarSoilSeedBy Crop TypeRowFruits & vegetablesTurf & ornamentalOther cropsBy Active Ingredient TypeAcid-basedExtract-basedOthersBy GeographyWestern EuropeEU-5 CountriesNordicBENELUXRest of Western EuropeNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaAsia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ)ChinaIndiaASEANOceaniaRest of APEJLatin AmericaArgentinaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaEastern EuropePolandRussiaRest of Eastern EuropeMiddle East and AfricaGCCSouth AfricaTurkeyRest of Middle East and AfricaJapanFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
US Capital Partners Will Co-Sponsor and Present at the Monaco Growth Forum in Monte Carlo on March 14-16th

www.uscapitalpartners.net

http://www.uscapitalpartners.net

www.uscapitalpartners.net

Chairman and CEO of US Capital Partners Inc. offers private wealth managers and family offices new perspectives on alternative investments at Monaco family office symposium.San Francisco, CA, USA, March 15, 2016 -- US Capital Partners Inc. is co-sponsoring and will be presenting at the upcoming Monaco Growth Forum Spring Edition at the Fairmont Hotel in Monte Carlo, Monaco on March 14 - 16, 2016. Headquartered in San Francisco, US Capital Partners is a full-service private investment bank that makes direct debt investments between $500,000 and $100 million, participates in debt facilities, and has wide distribution for debt and equity private placements.Monaco Growth Forum Spring Edition, hosted by Andreea Porcelli, CEO of Continental Access Ltd, is a unique platform for global growth companies to interact with international investors in Monte Carlo, Monaco.On Tuesday, March 15th, Jeffrey Sweeney, Chairman and CEO at US Capital Partners, will be delivering a formal presentation on the firm at 12:00pm CET, as well as a keynote speech at 7:15pm CET, in which he will discuss best practices and investment strategies in alternatives and private placement opportunities.We look forward to sharing our unique investment perspective on small-cap and lower middle market alternatives and private placement opportunities, as well as FinTech strategies, with heads of family offices, private wealth managers, high net worth individuals, and representatives of asset management firms at this important event in Monte Carlo, said Sweeney. We will be hosting a booth at the event, and we very much look forward to meeting you and addressing any questions about the sector you may have.About US Capital Partners Inc.:Since 1998, US Capital Partners () has provided debt and equity finance solutions to private and public companies with up to $250 million in top-line sales revenue or project size. Headquartered in San Francisco, US Capital Partners is a full-service private investment bank and asset manager. The firm makes direct debt and equity investments between $500,000 and $100 million, participates in debt facilities, and has very wide distribution for debt and equity private placements. US Capital Partners also provides M&A services and early-stage financings requiring equity or debt.To learn more about how your business can secure the funding it needs, email Jeffrey Sweeney, Chairman and CEO, at jsweeney@uscapitalpartners.net or call +1 (415) 889-1010.Contact:Natalya FedorovaUS Capital Partners Inc555 Montgomery Street, Suite 1501San Francisco, CA 94111415-889-1010james@englishwordfactory.comSince 1998, US Capital Partners () has provided debt and equity finance solutions to private and public companies with up to $250 million in top-line sales revenue or project size.Natalya FedorovaUS Capital Partners Inc555 Montgomery Street, Suite 1501San Francisco, CA 94111415-889-1010james@englishwordfactory.comuscapitalpartners.net
Global Green Energy Market Set for Rapid Growth, To Reach Around USD 900 Billion by 2020

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/green-energy-market-wind-energy-z38200

http://goo.gl/zPaOCk

http://goo.gl/C4uGGj

http://www.marketresearchstore.com

Zion Research has published a new report titled Green Energy (Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Wind Energy, Hydroelectric Power, Bio-Fuels and Geothermal Energy) Market for Residential, Commercial and Industrial End-users - Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2014  2020. According to the report, global green energy market was valued at around USD 550 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 900 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of around 8.5% between 2015 and 2020.Green energy can be generated from a wide range of sources including wind, solar, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass. Green energy is a renewable energy which generated from natural resources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat etc. By using more renewable sources to meet its energy needs, world can lowers its dependence on fossil fuels and makes energy generation more sustainable. The green energy industry also drives technological innovation and employment across Europe. Green energy posses a natural process that do not create any type of pollution.Browse the full "Green Energy (Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Wind Energy, Hydroelectric Power, Bio-Fuels and Geothermal Energy) Market for Residential, Commercial and Industrial End-users - Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2014  2020" report atGreen energy market is mainly driven by growing awareness regarding environmental concerns, rapidly depleting conventional resources of energy, favorable government policies, etc. Government initiatives and funding has provided strong boost to green energy market in Europe and North America. Stringent environmental regulations in these regions are major driving factor for green energy market. High initial investment and higher cost of energy is expected to hamper growth of this industry to some extent. However, increased research and development activity in the field of green energy is expected to lower down overall cost of green energy in the years to come. This is expected to fuel further growth of green energy market across the world between 2015 and 2020.Based on types, green energy market can be segmented as solar photovoltaic, hydropower, wind energy, bio-fuels and geothermal. Hydroelectric power dominated the green energy market with large market share in total revenue generated in 2014. However, solar PV is expected to exhibit strong growth during the forecast period. Solar PVs are gaining popularity among end users owing declining cost and increased efficiency.Get Sample Research Report:On the basis of end-users segment, green energy market is classified into residential, commercial and industrial end users. Commercial and industrial end user segment together accounted for largest share of total revenue generated in 2014. Commercial segment was the largest end-user segment in 2014. North America dominated the global green energy market with over 30% share in total revenue generated in 2014. However, with increased government support and investment in the field of research development, Asia Pacific is expected to witness robust growth during 2015 to 2020. Europe, Latin America and Middle East & Africa are also expected to experience significant growth of green energy market in the years to come.Global green energy market is highly competitive, with the presence of well-established global market participants. ABB Ltd., Alterra Power Corporation, Kyocera Solar Inc., Nordex SE, Hanwha Q Cells GmbH, Calpine Corporation, Suzlon Energy Ltd., U.S. Geothermal Inc., Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd., Enercon GmbH, GE Energy, First Solar Inc., JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd., Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., Enphase Energy Inc., and Archer Daniels Midland Company are some of the key participants in the green energy market.This report segments the global green energy market as follows:Global Green Energy Market: Energy type Segment AnalysisSolar photovoltaic (PV)Wind energyHydroelectric powerBio-fuelsGeothermal energyGlobal Green Energy Market: End-user Segment AnalysisResidentialCommercialIndustrialGlobal Green Energy Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeGermanyFranceUKAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaDo inquiry Before Purchasing Report:Zion Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Zion Research experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants uses proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each Zion Research syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food and beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve the overall research requirement of clients.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite:
Kodak Alaris Expands Scanner Portfolio to Help Businesses Win the Race Toward Digital Transformation

The newly launched Kodak i3300 Scanner

www.kodakalaris.com/go/IMnews

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 15th March, 2016  Organizations of all sizesfrom small offices to global enterprisesare in a race without a finish line, spurred by business and IT leaders to win a virtual sprint toward digital transformation and operational efficiency. At the heart of it all is the urgent need to digitize hard copy documents and make information easily accessible to stakeholders across an organization. In doing so, the ultimate goal is to make lightning fast decisions, which leads to greater responsiveness to customer needs, all while remaining compliant with security, records management and information governance demands.Enter the Kodak i3300 Scanner, a new addition to the i3000 family from Kodak Alaris. The i3300 Scanner is ideal for general office settings in a wide range of industries and vertical markets, including government, banking, insurance, healthcare, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Scanning at 70 pages per minute, it fits between the i3200 Scanner (50ppm) and the i3400 Scanner (90ppm) in the Kodak Alaris portfolio and makes it possible to extract critical data from documents and seamlessly feed it into a business process or workflow.Every office setting is unique, and in speaking with mid-size and enterprise customers, we discovered a need for an additional scanning option in our popular i3000 Series family, said Tony Barbeau, VP Products & Solutions, Information Management division, Kodak Alaris. Now customers have another option when looking for ways to empower employees to quickly and easily capture information and make it immediately available throughout their organizations.The i3300 Scanner includes an easy-to-use control panel designed to shorten the learning curve for new users. Additional features of the i3300 Scanner include: The latest version of Perfect Page technology with built-in barcode reading Advanced imaging technology that requires no trade-offs in terms of productivity or scanning speed for color or high-resolution images Intelligent Document Protection (IDP) to defend against potentially damaged documents and lost datao Documents that are stapled, folded or delicate are at risk of being damaged when moving through any auto feed paper transporto With IDP, the paper transport automatically stops at the first indication of document damage, so users can preserve the document and the information it contains Integration with all TWAIN, ISIS, and LINUX-based scanning applications, and compatibility with WINDOWS, MAC, and LINUX environments.About the Information Management Division of Kodak AlarisKodak Alaris is a company driven by the simple belief that we can always find a better way. Our Information Management division helps organizations capture content from digital and paper sources, extract insights, and deliver the right information to the right place at the right time for better business outcomes. Our portfolio includes award-winning document scanners, a global service and support team, and software and solutions that capture and intelligently manage information. For small offices and large-scale organizations, we provide new ways to automate processes, improve customer interactions and make smarter business decisions.To learn more, please visit. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/kodakdi and twitter.com/KodakDI_Eastern and visit our blog at informationdynamix.com. 2016 Kodak Alaris Inc.The Kodak trademark and trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.Colin SaldanhaProcre8Villa 41, 81D Street, Uptown Mirdiff, PO BOX 78835, Dubai, UAEMobile: +97150 6400762Email: colin@procre8.biz
Asia Pacific Dewatering Pump Market Set for Rapid Growth, To Reach USD 1,670.1 Million by 2020

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/dewatering-pump-market-z46559

http://goo.gl/R2TozL

http://goo.gl/DAjOId

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Zion Research has published a new report titled Dewatering Pump Market for Mining & Construction, Water & Sewage and Other Applications: Asia Pacific Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2014  2020. According to the report, the Asia Pacific dewatering pump market was valued at USD 1,293.6 million in 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 1,670.1 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 4.40% between 2015 and 2020.Dewatering process is done by evaporation and is usually done before excavation for footings. Dewatering pump designed to keep working under extremely harsh conditions. Dewatering involves controlling groundwater by pumping, to locally lower groundwater levels in the vicinity of the excavation. Various types are used in dewatering, selection of the dewatering technique at a particular site depend on many factors. The purpose of construction dewatering is to control the surface and subsurface hydrologic environment in such a way as to permit the structure to be constructed in the dry.Browse the full "Dewatering Pump Market for Mining & Construction, Water & Sewage and Other Applications: Asia Pacific Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2014  2020" report atBased on application, dewatering pump market has been segmented into mining & construction, water & sewage and others. Mining & construction was leading application segment of dewatering pump market and accounted for 35.70% market of the total revenue generated in 2014. This growth can be attributed to strong growth prospectus of construction industry in Asia Pacific region is expected to drive demand for dewatering pumps in the years to come. Water & sewage is another key application segment expected to exhibit moderate growth over the forecast period.Get Sample Research Report:China dominated the overall Asia Pacific dewatering pump market with a revenue share of 33.50% owing to huge sludge treatment industry in China is expected to trigger the demand for dewatering pumps in the region. Strong demand from emerging economies such as China and Japan is a major driving force for growth of dewatering market in the region owing to rapid industrialization. Japan accounted for over 20.0% of the total revenue share in 2014 and expected to experience sluggish growth over the forecast period.Some of the key players include in dewatering pump market such as Schlumberger Ltd, Harison Pumps Pvt Ltd., MBH Pumps, Keto Pumps, Cornell Pump Company, Xylem etc.Asia Pacific Dewatering Pump Market: Application Segment AnalysisMining & ConstructionWater & SewageOthersAsia Pacific Dewatering Pump Market: Country Segment AnalysisChinaJapanIndiaAustraliaRest of the Asia PacificDo inquiry Before Purchasing Report:Zion Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Zion Research experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants uses proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each Zion Research syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food and beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve the overall research requirement of clients.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite:
Expoxy id sticker with gen2 for rfid systems(gyrfidstore)

RFID keyfob is the extension products of normal ISO card, which is designed for easy carry by person. GYRFID present various kinds of keyfobs to fit different customer's demands.KEA-keyfobs ABS : widely used type in worldwide market, cost affordable.KEC- keyfobs PC: luxurial and unique appearanceKEL-keyfobs leather: luxurial and unique appearanceKEP-keyfobs PVC: easy to be attached on rings or phones, can be printed with sponsor's logo.KEE-keyfobs epxoy: can be printed with sponsor's logo, smoothly touch and luxurial appearance.KES - keyfobs with silicon material.Features:Model number: KEEMaterial: PVC+EpoxyDimension: 42x26mmColor options: printablePersonalization Support: offset screen printing logo Silk-screen printing logo/serial number Laser Logo/ Serial number Chip encodingApplication: Access control Membership Loyalty System Time attendance Hotel locks Payments TransportationsIC options:125KHz RFID: EM4200, EM4102, EM4100, GK4001; T5577; EM4305; Hitag1, Hitag2, Hitag S256 13.56Mhz ISO14443A: NXP MIFARE Classic 1K, MIFARE Classic 4K, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE Ultralight EV1, MIFARE Desfire 2K, MIFARE Desfire 4K, MIFARE Desfire 8K, MIFARE Plus, Fudan FM11RF08; NTAG203, NTAG213, NTAG215, NTAG216; LEGIC MIM256, LEGIC ATC1024, LEGIC ATC2048 13.56Mhz ISO15693: ICODE SLI; ICODE SLI-X; Tag-it 256, Tag-it 2048 840-960Mhz UHF: Alien Higgs, Monza 3, Monza 4D, Monza 4QT; NXP UCODE G2iLAbout GYRFID STOREGYRFID Store is a brand of Go Young International Ltd, which is an online purchase platform of the RFID products.GYRFID Store sells a wide range of Cards and RFID tags embedded with 125KHz, 13.56Mhz, 868Mhz-915Mhz, as well as the personalization to apply in access control and industrial management. We also provide the accessories like lanyard, card holders, badge, ibuttons for office daily usage. We also welcome the personalization like serial number printing, offset printing, encoding service etc.GYRFID Store is located in Shanghai, China mainland. We have customers all around the globe and can ship products all worldwide.GYRFID Store will help you to make the best choices for your RFID system requirements. Shop in GYRFID Store will make your purchase much reliable and flexible.Should any of these items be of interest to you, please let us know. We will be happy to give you a quotation upon receipt of your detailed requirements.ADDRm1516, Qiangjin Building, QiXin Rd No.1318 ,Shanghai, 201100, China
Confessions Of A (Former) Irish Whiskey Hater

By Anthony Todd in Food on Mar 15, 2016 4:40PM



Photo via Shutterstock.

Rumor has it, my last name used to be OLalley. Though my red hair may come from a Walgreens box, theres plenty of Irish in my family tree. And true to my heritage, Im a good drinker. But I have a shameful secret: Im an Irish whiskey hater.

Or at least I thought I was. (More on that in a minute.)

Give me a nice shot of bourbon whiskeyyour Buffalo Trace, your Bulleit, your Woodford Reserveand Im a happy woman. But Irish whiskey and its cousin Scotch whisky (note that little e, or lack thereof - its important) have been lost on me. So, the good folks with Teeling Irish Whiskey sent me a tasting pack with samples of their Single Grain, Small Batch and Single Malt whiskeys to try to turn this hater into a fan.

They also connected me via phone to Dublin with their brand ambassador, Kevin Hurley, whose dreamy Irish accent could turn any hater into a fan. The very first thing you need to know is that the Irish invented whiskey, Hurley said. It was definitely the Irish Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. (In truth, the Irish and Scots continue to fight over who invented whiskey/whisky. Well probably never know the originator for sure.)

Hurley explained that Prohibition in the United States coupled with Irish independence from Britain all but crushed Irish whiskey sales and production. But Irish whiskey is seeing a rebirth. Sales of the spirit in the United States were less than $1 billion in 2008, but are expected to climb to nearly $3 billion by 2019, according to Euromonitor International. Worldwide Irish whiskey sales are following a similar rocket-like trajectory. New distilleries are opening, such as Teeling and other craft makers like Waterford, Tullamore Dew and Rademon Estate. In fact, there are now 32 new or proposed distilleries across Ireland.

Chicago bars, including GreenRiver, Cherry Circle Room and many others, are starting to take notice with inventive Irish whiskey-based cocktails on their menus.

But back to me and those little samples of Teeling Irish Whiskey. I was scared. Id had very limited Irish whiskey experiences in the past. Maybe a shot of Jameson in some coffee a couple of times. But I knew I didnt care for that distinctive musky, smoky flavor. Come at it with an open mind, Hurley urged. Theres a whole world of Irish whiskey. Theres diversity in the category. He suggested I start with the single grain, then the single malt and, finally, the small batch.

So, I got out my trusty glencairn tasting glass (which usually contains a splash of bourbon) and set to work on the single grain. Its shockingly smooth and rich as butterscotch. The whiskey is aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels from California, which adds a fair bit of fruit flavor. It is, in fact, quite delightful and incredibly drinkable.

I texted my editor: This Irish whiskey tastes good! Am I drunk? Am I hallucinating? What is wrong with me? [Editor's note: She actually did]

I was not such a fan of the single malt, however. Its a blend of whiskeys of different ages, all made with malted barley and aged in five different types of wine barrels. Teeling says it has character and personality. To me, it still has that funky, musky whiskey flavor of which Im not an admirer. (But if you already like Irish whiskey, then this craft version might be just your thing.)

Finally, the small batch version. This one is finished in a rum cask and that sweet, spicy rum flavor is unmistakable. I wonder if this might give a new twist to my tiki cocktails this summer? It is also quite smooth and easy to drink, but with much more spice than the single grain. I dont think Id reach for this to sip on, but I suspect itd make some mighty fine mixed drinks.

Am I an Irish whiskey lover? Not sure Id go that far yet, but Im certainly Irish whiskey curious now. Plus, Ive now mustered the courage to toast St. Patricks Day properly.

Slainte!




Wiring Devices Market, 2015 - 2021: Industry dynamics, segmentation, Historical, current and projected industry trends

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5735

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5735

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Wiring devices refers to any electrical devices that are used to provide and control connection points or joining points for low voltage lighting control systems, electrical sockets and wall switches. Wiring devices includes current carrying wiring devices and non-current carrying wiring devices. Current-carrying wiring devices market is highly variable depending on certain factors such as consumer purchasing power, growth in GDP, economic conditions and overall health of domestic construction and housing industry. Non-current carrying wiring devices contains boxes, plates, conduit and fitting, among others. The electrical conduits are used to protect the electrical wiring from weather conditions and mechanical injury.Wiring devices market can be segmented on the basis of products and geography. Based on the products the wiring devices market can be categorized into receptacles, light dimmer, lamp holders, metal contacts, electric switches, wire connectors and other current carrying devices. Switches are used for controlling inductive and resistive loads mostly in the electric discharge lamps. Increasing use of electronic switches in construction and residential industry is one of the factors which is driving the growth of wiring devices market across the globe. The automated electronic switch owing to a number of features are widely being used in residential, construction and institutional occupancies. For instance, the fully automated lighting control system allows outdoor or indoor light to be operated remotely from any point within the system containing receiver and controller. The technological displacement in the field of wiring devices is expected to fuel the market growth. The company such as Schneider-electric is offering self-powered and wireless switches which allow instant installation and location flexibility. These switches are deprived of batteries which result in low maintenance and low running cost. These switches are self-powered and scavenging ambient energy powers the switches.Construction activity, consumer spending and private spending are expected to increase over the forecast period owing to the rising number of households which in turn is expected to stimulate the market growth. The boost in industries such as tourism, hotel and real estate will furthermore trigger the demand of wiring devices market owing to the huge investment in current carrying wiring devices. Moreover, the increasing use of light dimmers are expected to fuel the market growth due to the energy efficient nature of the light dimmer. The light dimmer is increasingly used for limiting the brightness of the light. The dimmer light switch can be controlled with the help of knob which ultimately results in energy efficiency. Increasing regulations for use of tamper resistant receptacles in the developed economies are expected to fuel the market revenue. National Electrical Manufacturers Associations (NEMA) and U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) are focusing on the extensive use of straight-blade and locking-type receptacle and plug caps and temper-less receptacles for safe usage of wiring devices.Request Brochure of this Report:Some of the key players in this marketplace include ABB Incorporated, Cooper Industries plc, Eaton Corporation, Hewlett-Packard (HP) Development Company L.P., Hubbell Inc., Legrand Group, Leviton Manufacturing Co Inc., OREL Mfg. (Pvt.) Ltd., Schneider Electric SA, and SMK Corporation, among others.Request to view TOC:About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is an innovative provider of market research reports and consulting services. The three PMR pillars of strength that have helped us win clients for years are: Quality Research, Quick Research, and In-depth Research.PMRs team of seasoned analysts and consultants are experts in their domain. At PMR, we process complex, exhaustive primary and secondary research data into valuable insight. We uAbout Us:nderstand that each client has a unique problem statement, and address it with our strengths.Contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Indecrafts Releases New Collection of Amazing Home Decor Furniture

Indecrafts- the top online store for all your home decor items and furniture - is pleased to announce the launch of a whole new collection of furniture and other home fittings that are purely carved by hand. Its with great pleasure that the company informs its esteemed customers in India and abroad about their latest array of fittings, all of which are custom-made to ensure they match the needs of each customer. Every customer is expected to enjoy this furniture as it is designed with precision and is highly adaptable. So, it can be used in just about any place in the house with optimal results.The new furniture gives a new approach to home and office decor as it comes with fresh designs and patterns that offer timeless appeal and can be used at workplace, board room, restaurant, and home. Designed to match an array of interiors, the new furniture gives an ordinary room a special touch of elegance and resourcefulness, transforming it into a luxurious space that stands out from the rest. It is therefore a perfect way to add aesthetic value to a room. With its cleverly carved designs and patterns, this furniture is a sure way of giving even the dullest space a facelift.Indecrafts also takes pride in the fact that the new furniture is 100% eco-friendly. Every part of this furniture is made from environment-friendly materials, some of which are sourced from trash thus reducing environmental damage. According to Indecrafts CEO, the company is enthusiastic about environmental conservation and is always on the lookout for new and more eco-friendly ways of manufacturing furniture and other home decor fittings. Whats more, all these furnishings are hand crafted to further protect the environment from damage by toxic gases.The new furniture collection comprises of amazing side tables, coffee tables, chairs, and stools. They are designed to retain their simple but elegant aesthetic value and to remain functional for the longest time. With its carefully engineered aluminum and steel frames, this furniture guarantees the user optimal performance and extra resistance against impact, rust and wear. Its definitely a worthwhile investment for people who value quality, style and longevity. The new furniture comes in very manageable sizes to help you manage your small space and is very light. Thus, it can easily be moved from one place to another, making it the most adaptable and user-friendly furniture in the market at the moment. These fittings are now available online and are open to both local and international customers.Indecrafts is a leading online company dealing in handicrafts and a wide range of other home decor fittings. It is located in Brass City, Moradabad and offers an extensive array of items, most of which are hand crafted. The company was born by a 25-year-old company, R.R International and is grown to produce a broad scope of diverse products that are in line with todays market demands. All its products are custom-made to ensure they meet varied customer needs.Company Name: R.R InternationalLakri Fazalpur (mini bypass) Delhi Road,Moradabad- 244001, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaPhone: 0591 6533138Mobile: 09999999999
7th Annual Clinical Trials Summit 2016

The clinical trial market in India looks very lucrative. India has several unique features for being a hot spot for the clinical trial market. As a signatory to the World Trade Organization agreements, India is looked upon as a favorable destination for conducting global clinical trials. There are many opportunities and challenges for conducting global clinical trials in India. In a majority of cases, these drugs are aimed at providing answers to unmet medical needs.Clinical research is important not only for developing medicines for emerging health concerns (such as antibiotic resistant pathogens, H1N1, Dengue, , etc.) also for finding safe and better medicines for entrenched diseases such as HIV, Malaria, tuberculosis (especially drug resistant TB) Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, heart failure etc. India, with its large patient population, and limited resource has significant unfilled health needs. We should make the newest and best treatment option to be avail to the population and to the patients globally. For this, India must proactively take part in conducting clinical research (Research for India) and assume leadership role globally (made for the world). As we are operating in a new regulatory and operational environment, we have a great task ahead of us  strengthening the sites, Investigators, Ethics Committees and empowering the patient who is the center of the clinical research enterprise.Our world is changing as we focus more on biotech, personalized medicine, biomarkers, rare diseases and orphan indications. With this comes many challenges that we have only rarely faced in the past. As we focus more on the patient, stability and formulation hurdles arise. There is a growing need for forecasting and planning improvements and temperature control of distribution into truly emerging markets. It is essential we come together to learn not only how our colleagues are handling these issues, but are how they are ingeniously overcoming them.It gives us immense pleasure in welcoming you to the 7th Annual Clinical Trials Summit 2016. I wish and pray that all our efforts will be beneficial to our industries and to our country at largeVirtue Insight equips business professionals around the world with the latest indepth industry knowledge and provides networking opportunities in the telecom, technology, oil and gas, social media, infrastructure and pharmaceutical industry. Our aim is to provide a platform to share knowledge and insights and provide our event attendees to network effectively and deliver maximum ROI by make new business alliances. We strive to produce high quality conferences which include the latest topics which are delivered by world class leaders of the industry.Plot No - 07 - 2nd Floor Ekambaram Industrial Estate Alapakkam,Porur Chennai - 600 116 India29 Gary Court 189 London Road Croydon Surrey CR0 2DR
Colombo Courtyard NAMED WINNER IN 2016 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELLERS CHOICE AWARDS FOR HOTELS

www.colombocourtyard.com

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Colombo Courtyard announced today that it has been recognized as a winner of the 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards for Hotels, ranking in its Top 1%. For the 14th year, TripAdvisor has highlighted the worlds top properties based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from travellers around the globe. Winners were identified in the categories of Top Hotels, Bargain, B&Bs and Inns, Luxury, Service and Small Hotels. The hallmarks of Travellers Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value.We congratulate the properties that have won Travellers Choice Hotel awards, said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. As travellers consider where to book their next trip, they should be sure to check out these award-winners that have already delighted millions of members of the TripAdvisor community.Colombo Courtyard  South Asias first Carbon Neutral City Hotel and Sri Lankas first Carbon Neutral Hotel  boasts 32 rooms of which 15 are suites. Along with its Lounge Bar, Spa and three other restaurants, Colombo Courtyard is the ideal getaway for the busy traveller looking for a city central stay, or for those just wanting to relax and be pampered.We are honoured to receive this award, and we would like to thank our customers for taking their time off to rate and review us, says Arun Thapar, Managing Director at Colombo Courtyard Boutique Hotel Sri Lanka. At Colombo Courtyard, our main aim is to provide the highest standards of service to our guests and we are humbled by the fact that they have enjoyed their stay. My team and I will continue to strive towards exceeding our guests expectations, while showcasing the hospitality that this Country is known for.Colombo Courtyard is located at 32, Alfred House Avenue Colombo -03. They can be contacted at +94 11 464 5333.For further details, visitor their facebook page,Colombo Courtyard is a leading Colombo City Hotel that combines sustainable hospitality and contemporary charm, creating spaces that are truly uniqueColombo Courtyard,32 Alfred House Ave, Colombo 03,Sri Lanka.
Global Industrial Swing Doors Market 2016 Industry Review, Trends, Growth & Analysis 2022

http://www.qymarketresearch.com/market-analysis/global-industrial-swing-doors-market-2016-industry-research.html

The market report, titled Global Industrial Swing Doors Market 2016, is an analytical research done by QY Market Research study based on the Industrial Swing Doors market, which analyzes the competitive framework of the Industrial Swing Doors industry worldwide. This report "Worldwide Industrial Swing Doors Market 2016" build by the usage of efficient methodical tools such SWOT analysis, the Industrial Swing Doors industrial 2016 study offers a comprehensive evaluation worldwide Industrial Swing Doors market.Global Industrial Swing Doors Market 2016 report has Forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in % value for particular period, that will help user to take decision based on futuristic chart. Report also includes key players in global Industrial Swing Doors market. The Industrial Swing Doors market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report.Do Enquiry Before Purchasing Here :Whereas the Industrial Swing Doors market key segments and the geographical distribution across the globe is also deeply analyzed. Various Industrial Swing Doors market dynamics such as growth drivers, restrictions, and the future prospects of each segment have been discussed in detail. Based on that, the Industrial Swing Doors market report determines the future status of the market globally.This report covers every aspect of the global market for Industrial Swing Doors , starting from the basic market information and advancing further to various significant criteria, based on which, the Industrial Swing Doors market is segmented. Key application areas of Industrial Swing Doors are also assessed on the basis of their performance.Table Of Contents :1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Industrial Swing Doors1.1.1 Definition of Industrial Swing Doors1.1.2 Specifications of Industrial Swing Doors1.2 Classification of Industrial Swing Doors1.3 Applications of Industrial Swing Doors1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Industrial Swing Doors1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Industrial Swing Doors1.5.1 Industry Overview of Industrial Swing Doors1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Industrial Swing Doors1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors1.7 Industry News Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors2.7 Global Price, Cost and Gross of Industrial Swing Doors 2010-20153 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Industrial Swing Doors3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Key Manufacturers in 20143.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key Industrial Swing Doors Manufacturers in 20143.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Industrial Swing Doors Key Manufacturers in 20143.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Industrial Swing Doors Key Manufacturers in 2014The Industrial Swing Doors industrial chain, existing policies,and rules and regulations are studied in this Industrial Swing Doors Market report. Key manufacturers, their manufacturing chain, products, Industrial Swing Doors market price structures as well as the revenue.The report also evaluates the production capacity, dynamics of demand and supply, logistics, and the historical performance of the Industrial Swing Doors market worldwide.QY Market Research is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact Us:Joel JohnDeerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Web: QY Market ResearchEmail: sales@qymarketresearch.com
Prof. Bishnu Pal of Mahindra Ecole Centrale recognized for his contributions to Optical Science & Engineering Education by The Optical Society (OSA)

http://www.mahindraecolecentrale.edu.in/

Prof. Bishnu Pal, Professor of Natural Sciences at Mahindra Ecole Centrale College of Engineering, Hyderabad, has been recognized for his contribution to Optical Science and Engineering by The Optical Society (OSA). The OSA has awarded Prof. Pal The Esther Hoffman Beller Medal which recognizes outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education.A 2016 OSA Awardee, Prof. Bishnu Pal is being recognized for over thirty-five years of guided wave photonics education, including the development of graduate and continuing education teaching programs and laboratories in optoelectronics and optical communications at IIT-Delhi, and inspiring a generation of leading academic and industrial scientists.Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional association in optics and photonics, home to accomplished science, engineering, and business leaders from all over the world. Through world-renowned publications, meetings, and membership programs, OSA provides quality information and inspiring interactions that power achievements in the science of light.Prof. Pal joined as Professor of Physics at Mahindra Ecole Centrale in 2014, when MEC began its operations. He has close four decades of teaching experience, most f it at IIT Delhi. At MEC, he continues his research on Guided Wave Photonics and is widely recognized as an authority on Optoelectronics. As an academician, he has been involved in designing and developing interdisciplinary Masters program in Oproelectronics and Optical Communications at IIT Delhi. Prof. Pal has extensively research and consulting experience and has worked with the industry and several international collaborative projects with UK, US, Russia and France.The Esther Hoffman Beller Medal is presented for outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education. Consideration is given to outstanding teaching and/or original work in optics education that enhances the understanding of optics. The scope of the award is international. This award was endowed by a bequest from the estate of Esther Hoffman Beller, presented to OSA in 1992. The award was established in 1993.Prof. Pal adds yet another laurel to his already formidable list of achievements, by this Esther Hoffman Bellar Medial. We at Mahindra Ecole Centrale are extremely proud to have such an esteemed academician teaching our students and guiding our research activities says Prof. Didier Clouteau, Dean  Academics, Mahindra Ecole Centrale.About Mahindra Ecole CentraleMahindra Ecole Centrale(MEC) college of engineering is an international technology school, that marks the foray of the USD 16.5 billion Mahindra Group into the higher education sector. Mahindra Educational Institutions, the wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra Groups IT venture, Tech Mahindra, collaborated with Ecole Centrale Paris - now CentraleSupelec in 2014 to establish MEC in India. Ecole Centrale Paris (now CentraleSupelec) is one of the oldest and most prestigious engineering institutions in France with a heritage that goes back to nearly 200 years. MEC is approved by AICTE and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) Hyderabad, a premier institution with academic and research-oriented courses.MEC offers a truly international programme with an inclusive focus on the Engineering, Social and Creative sciences, Liberal Arts, Philosophy and Humanities. It offers an environment of unique cultural immersion  of participants, faculty and staff. MEC offers international exchange study opportunities with mandatory global internships. The B.Tech degree at MEC is a research-driven program with close links to industry.A world class faculty, with a mix of industry-academic background, global exposure and research focus ensures that the content remains contemporary, aligned to the global business requirements. MEC is committed to providing world-class infrastructure to support a strong research vision inthrust areas such as Energy, Environment, Communications, Infrastructure, Transportation, Materials, and Defence.Based in Bahadurpally, Hyderabad, MEC is situated in a sprawling green campus of 130acres flanked by the Tech Mahindra Technology Centre and Tech Mahindra SEZ. MEC has an intake of 240 for its 4 year B.Tech Program(60 seats for each of thefour courses  Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering). For more information, please visit:181, (Ground Floor), Anand ViharPitampura
Oakwood Asia Pacific Ltd Appoints Craig Bond as Vice President of Operations

Seasoned Veteran to Oversee properties in South Asia and South East AsiaSINGAPORE  March 14, 2016  Oakwood Asia Pacific Ltd., which manages the finest serviced apartments for business and leisure travelers, today announced the appointment of Craig Bond as Vice President of Operations.In this capacity, Bond will have responsibility for a portfolio of 11 Oakwood-branded serviced apartments currently operating in the region, as well as several in various stages of development. This important role forges productive relationships and dialogue with owners; at the same time provides leadership to on-property teams in established as well as opening properties to achieve commercial and organizational goals.Bond will play a pivotal role in driving operational excellence, improving service quality and establishing strategic direction to achieve commercial and organizational objectives.In his more than 25 years of tourism and hospitality management experience, of which the last decade was spent in group operations and regional management roles, Bond has accumulated a track record of substantial contribution in driving and implementing business development strategies to maximize market share and revenue, exceeding customer service benchmarks, building operational expertise and structures, processes and systems to optimize performance and efficiencies.His successes saw him win the title of Australian General Manager of the Year at the 2010 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence. In 2013 Bond received a Highly Commended in the category of Australasian Hotelier of the Year at the HM Awards for his role as area general manager, Oceania at Pan Pacific Hotels Group.Bond will report to Dean Schreiber, Oakwood Asia Pacifics Managing Director and will be based out of the head office in Singapore.Craigs extensive experience in all aspects of operations, and in business development, new openings, rebranding and renovations will be invaluable as Oakwood continues on its aggressive expansion plans, said Schreiber. We look forward to his strengthening operational effectiveness and in-region expertise as part of our sustainable growth journey. His deep experience in Australia will be particulary relevant as this is one of the key markets in our strategic development plan.Bonds most recent appointment was Area General Manager  Oceania for Pan Pacific Hotels Group where he was responsible for the financial performance and operations structure of the Groups hotels in Oceania, as well as developing efficiencies and synergies as the Group continued to grow its presence within Oceania. Prior to that he spent more than five years with Mirvac Hotels & Resorts where he was the Regional General Manager for 11 properties. His other roles included General Manager of The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Melbourne where he successfully managed a multi-million dollar refurbishment and repositioned the property as one of Australias top conference and event venues during the 2008 global financial crisis.Bonds role is one of two regional operations roles, with Martin Fluck leading operations for North Asia, based out of Tokyo.About Oakwood Asia Pacific LtdOakwood Asia Pacific Ltd operates an award-winning portfolio of 29 Oakwood branded properties in 16 cities across eight countries and territories in Asia, with ongoing developments in strategic locations across the region. The Oakwood brand in Asia offers four product tiers: Oakwood Premier, Oakwood Residence, Oakwood Apartments and Oakwood Studios, each designed for a different lifestyle. Oakwood Premier caters to travellers who seek luxury and style, combining impressive apartments with amenities and services of luxury hotels. Oakwood Studios is for travellers seeking authentic experiences. Oakwood Residence offers spacious and elegant apartments that capture all the comforts of home, while Oakwood Apartments provide chic accommodation with modern essentials. Catering to global nomads, Oakwood Studios adds a new dimension to urban city stays, offering more urbane travelers a casual and unpretentious space to work, live and thrive.1 Harbourfront Place, #03-12, Harbourfront Tower One
Lanner Reveals Modular Network Appliance NCA-5210 Featuring 14nm Microprocessor, Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v5 Series (codenamed Skylake-S), DDR4, and Intel C236 Series Chipset

The rising trend of IoT (Internet of Things) has triggered greater demands for reliability and serviceability in network security, cloud computing and data center operations. To meet this challenging demand, Lanner has unveiled its first Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v5 Series, based 1U modular network appliance NCA-5210, featuring 14nm microprocessor, the new Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v5 Series, DDR4 memory support and the I/O boosting, comprehensive Intel C236 Series chipset, and flexible LAN configurations.NCA-5210 is empowered by the new Intel 14nm micro-architecture CPU, Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v5 Series. Built with Intels next generation 3-D Tri-gate transistors, the adoption of Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v5 Series comes with the promise to enhance processor performance, while lowering the TDP. A new socket type, LGA 1151, has also been released for the die-shrinking architecture. In terms of memory efficiency, NCA-5210 supports dual-channel DDR4 with frequency up to 2133MHz and capacity up to 64GB by 4 x 16GB DIMM. ECC is also supported.Another interesting feature of NCA-5210 is the use of Intel C236 series chipset. The new PCH brings up a huge upgrade for PCI Express. With the new socket LGA 1151, NCA-5210 supports up to 20 PCIe Gen3.0 lanes and M.2 socket, giving you 40% more high-speed I/O ports with increased port flexibility.NCA-5210 is introduced for network traffic security, cloud computing and data centers. Along with the adoption of the Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v5 Series, NCA-5210 offers useful I/O functionalities. NCA-5210 supports one mSATA socket and one 3.5 or two SATA 2.5 HDD/SSD trays for storage purposes. Regarding expansions, NCA-5210 is designed with two Ethernet NIC module sockets at the front or with the option of a rear PCI riser card at the rear on the same side. For remote management purpose, NCA-5210 comes with an OPMA socket for IPMI card insertion.Another significant feature of NCA-5210 is the flexible LAN configurations. Depending on the SKUs, there are Ethernet connectivity options of 8 x RJ-45 GbE LAN + 2 x NIC module sockets and 12 x RJ-45 GbE LAN, 4 x SFP GbE Fiber + 2 NIC module sockets.NCA-52101U Mid-range Modular x86 Network Appliance for Next Generation Firewall, UTM and Web Security- Support 6th Generation Intel Core i5/i7 or Xeon E3-1200 v5 CPU with C236 PCH- SKU A: Onboard 8 GbE RJ45 ports, SKU B: Onboard 12 GbE RJ45 and 4 SFP GbE ports- 4 or 6 pairs Gen.3 LAN bypass- 2 NIC module slots supporting 1/10/40G/Fiber/Copper/Bypass- Memory:DDR4 2400 MHz, up to 64GB, ECC or non-ECC- Optional IPMI support- 300W redundant power supply units- Built-in LCM with keypadLanner Electronics Inc. (TAIEX 6245) is a world-leading hardware provider in design, engineering, and manufacturing services for advanced network appliances and rugged industrial computers.With 30-year experiences, Lanner provides reliable and cost-effective computing platforms with high quality and performance. Today, Lanner has a large and dynamic manpower of over 800 well-experienced employees worldwide with the headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan and subsidiaries in the US, Canada, and China.Lanner Electronics Inc7F, 173 Datong Road Section 2,Xizhi District,New Taipei City 22184,TaiwanTelephone: +886-2-8692-6060Fax: +886-2-8692-6101Email: contact@lannerinc.com
Bitumen Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2020: Grand View Research, Inc.

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bitumen-market

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bitumen-market/request

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/petrochemicals-and-downstream-derivatives

The global market for bitumen is expected to reach USD 95.77 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Bitumen is primarily used in road construction activities and increased road development in high growth markets of India, China and Brazil is expected to be a key driver for the growth of the market.Roadway constructions were the major consumers of bitumen in 2013, accounting for over 80 million tons of global consumption. Other key applications include waterproofing, insulation and adhesives. Water proofing is expected to be the fastest growing application market for bitumen, at an estimated CAGR of 2.9% on volume basis, primarily on account of improved Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) quality in water resistance. Environmental issues associated with the extraction of bitumen from oil sands are expected to remain a key challenge for the growth of the market in the near future.Browse full research report on Global Bitumen Market:Further key findings from the study suggest: Global bitumen consumption is expected to reach 135.07 million tons by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 2.7% from 2014 to 2020. The improvement in technology with regards to transportation war mix asphalt from Canada is expected to present market participants with growth opportunities over the next six years. North America was the largest regional market for bitumen; with demand estimated at over USD 21.0 billion in 2013 and is expected to remain the leader over the next six years. The region is expected to be a key market, owing to the vast network of roads in the regions coupled with the implementation of MAP  21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in 21st Century Act) which funds road development program for the U.S. over the next two years. China and Asia Pacific are expected to outpace North America in terms of growth on account of the rapid infrastructure development in India, South Korea and China. The governments of these countries have special focus on road construction activities in their current five year plans, with the Chinese construction spending expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 4.0% from 2014 to 2020. The global bitumen market is fragmented with the top four companies accounting for less than 25% of the global market share. This is largely due to the logistic issues associated with bitumen making the presence of large number of domestic manufacturers inevitable.Read detailed report or request for sample of this research report:For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global bitumen market on the basis of application, product and region: Bitumen Application Outlook (Volume, Million tons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2012 - 2020) Roadways Adhesives Waterproofing Insulation Others Bitumen Regional Outlook (Volume, Million tons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2012 - 2020) North America Europe China Asia Pacific (excluding China) RoWBrowse 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: grandviewresearch.comRead our blogs - dniamericas.org, terrapass.org, divog.org
France Issues Notice to Decree N 99-777 Regarding Deckchair Safety

French notice applies to deckchairs with back adjusting brackets.

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000031979523&dateTexte=&categorieLien=id

http://www.sgs.com/en/consumer-goods-retail/hardgoods/home-furnishings-and-houseware

France has issued a notice to decree n 99-777 of September 9, 1999 on the prevention of risks resulting from the use of deckchairs, referring to version 2015 of NF D 61  062.Different Standard for Certain Deckchair ModelsOn February 5, 2016, the French government issued a notice to decree 99-777 of September 9,1999 on the prevention of risks resulting from the use of deckchairs.This notice [1] makes it mandatory to apply NF D 61 062 version 2015 to deckchairs with back adjusting brackets for the French market.EN 581-2:2009 Still in ForcePlease note that all other deckchairs should still follow EN 581-1:2006 and EN 581-2:2009 and not the version 2015, which has not yet been published by AFNOR.According to the definition given in the decree, a deckchair is a folding, transportable seat that can be used in the sitting or lying position, constructed with flexible canvas attached to a frame, of which the articulated part can be completely folded.Products conforming to the former version of the standard can be put on the market until February 2017 to allow stock depletion.Reference:[1] Legifrance.gouv.fr. Opinion on the application of Decree No. 99-777 of 9 September 1999 on the prevention of risks related to the use of folding seats and deckchairs. February 2016 (About SGS Services for the Consumer Goods and Retail IndustrySGS services enable companies to deliver well-designed, functional, durable and safe products to their customers. SGS has the furniture industry, regulatory and technical expertise to check the compliance of products such as home furnishings and housewares () against relevant industry standards and company specifications.Please do not hesitate to contact an SGS expert for further information.SGS is the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 85,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,800 offices and laboratories around the world.SGS Consumer Goods and RetailPriscille GalceranGlobal Furniture Expertt: +33 6 20 09 86 14Email: cts.media@sgs.comWebsite: sgs.com/hardgoodsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail
Illinois Primary Watch: Bernie Grabs Lunch With Chuy, #ByeAnita Banners, And More

By aaroncynic in News on Mar 15, 2016 6:00PM



As voters hit the polls around Chicago Tuesday, candidates and their surrogates are out on the streets in full force for last-minute stumping. Polls will be open until 7:00 p.m. and many are expected to see high turnout, as voters cast their ballots for both nominations for the presidential and local representatives. CBS2 reports Cook County election officials are expecting turnout to be above 43 percent, which would be the highest turnout the state has seen for a primary since President Barack Obama's first run for president in 2008. Early voting too, saw a strong turnout with 140,000 ballots cast60,000 more compared to the 2008 primary.

After speaking to a packed house at the Roosevelt Auditorium last night, Bernie Sanders stopped for lunch at Lou Mitchell's with Cook County Commissioner Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia.





Bernie Sanders at Chicago's Lou Mitchells this am for breakfast w/ Chuy Garcia, who challenged Rahm in mayor's race. pic.twitter.com/4dipmnbgGl  Ivan Moreno (@IvanJourno) March 15, 2016



Former President Bill Clinton was spotted stumping for Hillary today at a polling place on the south side in Hyde Park alongside Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Kim Foxx, who is challenging Anita Alvarez for Cook County State's Attorney. "I want to help stir up voter interest, get the biggest possible turnout," said Clinton, according to NBC5.





Former President Bill Clinton stumping for his wife in #Chicago on Primary Day @nbcchicago pic.twitter.com/ZA7gEUiHe7  Lauren Petty (@LaurenPettyNBC) March 15, 2016



With a close race between Clinton and Sanders for the Democratic nomination, some voters might not realize there are actually six candidates for Democratic nominee on the ballot. One of those is Dr. Willie Wilson, who ran unsuccessfully last year for Chicago mayor. He was spotted today on WVON Radio.





Thank you to @WVON1690 for having Dr. Wilson on your radio show! Vote for DWW today in the Illinois primary! pic.twitter.com/9a6lTbwTAw  Dr. Willie Wilson (@DrWillieWilson) March 15, 2016



Earlier this morning, Kim Foxx shook hands and greeted commuters at the 95th Red Line stop along the Dan Ryan.





Kim Foxx greets commuters at the 95th street red line terminal #chicago @chicagotribune #PrimaryDay pic.twitter.com/PL3DiQODtn  armando l sanchez (@mandophotos) March 15, 2016



Juliana Stratton was spotted taking a brief respite in the 5th District early this morning. Stratton is challenging incumbent Ken Dunkin, who broke ranks with his party to support Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner earlier this year by skipping out on a few key votes in the legislature. The race for the 5th District has been one of the most expensive, with more than $5 million being spent so far. Politico reported Tuesday morning that Dunkin received a last minute deposit from the conservative Illinois Opportunity Project of $500,000, while Stratton received $150,000 from Michael Sacks.





IL 5th District State Rep.Candidate, Juliana Stratton is taking a brief rest between visits with voters. BRIEF! pic.twitter.com/5LCWnA1bFT  Charles Watkins (@Chas719) March 15, 2016



Meanwhile in the 26th District, candidate Jay Travis, who is challenging incumbent Christian Mitchell, reported ballot problems when she went to cast her vote this morning at a polling place near her home. Travis says she was handed a ballot for the Stratton/Dunkin race and told no ballots for hers were on hand. Travis' campaign also alleges that irregularities and issues popped up at other locations. "This is voter suppression of the worst type," she said in a press release. Travis' home polling place is a shared location with the 5th District.

26th District candidate Jay Travis at her polling place this morning to vote #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/4cW2A4ZxHy  Progress Illinois (@progressIL) March 15, 2016

Tammy Duckworth, who is expected to win the Democratic nomination in the race to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate, cast her ballot today with her daughter. Duckworth will more than likely face Republican incumbent Mark Kirk in November, who is leading the polls for the Republican nomination.





Abigail votd 4the 1st time today!She pulld a D ballot (whew).I think she voted 4 me despite my anti-pacifier stance pic.twitter.com/8fCj9sSznA  tammyduckworth (@tammyduckworth) March 15, 2016



And though GOP candidates Marco Rubio and Kasich are in other states holding primaries today, Ted Cruz was in Illinois last night for several appearances.



Fifth and final @tedcruz stop in Illinois today. Cruz fills up iWorship in Springfield, Illinois pic.twitter.com/lJfrWh9tDF  Jessica Hopper (@jesshop23) March 15, 2016



Update 3:30pm:

After being grounded Monday due to weather conditions, a plane is currently buzzing the city skyline with a banner in tow that reads Hillary stands with Rahm #ByeRahm #ByeAnita.

Any politician who supports Emanuel should consider themselves implicated in his misconduct, said the group Assatas Daughters, who coordinated an action in which they dropped 16 anti-Alvarez bannersone to mark each shot that Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke fired at Laquan McDonald across the city. Anita Alvarez has cosigned on CPDs wanton disregard for Black life and has conspired to suppress evidence of this disregard. Anita Alvarez does not care about Black people, and she must go."



Photo by Pidgeon Pagonis (@pidgejen)



Photo by Pidgeon Pagonis (@pidgejen)

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners said that despite a good turnout in the morning, the pace at the polls has slowed:

We do not expect to reach the 53 percent turnout (equal to 2008) or anything close to it unless theres a huge evening rush Assuming that the weather holds, were looking at in the range of 40 percent.

NBC5 reports four election judges were removed today, two for alcohol use, one for being on the ballot for Ward Committeeman, and one for being disruptive.
The Sobieski Hours - A Most Beautiful Manuscript in the British Royal Collection

(c) Quaternio Verlag Luzern

www.quaternio.ch

The Sobieski Hours, illuminated in Paris around 1430, and now housed in The Royal Library at Windsor Castle, is among the great works of late Gothic illumination.The manuscript was begun by artists working in the finest style of the Bedford Master, who is named after the manuscripts he illuminated for a royal patron, John, duke of Bedford, regent of France from 1422 to 1435..This magnificent book contains 234 leaves. There are 60 full-page miniatures. More than 400 richly decorated narrative scenes.depict events in the life of Christ and the saints, as well as Old Testament stories. The Bedford artists were ably assisted in this very large undertaking by other renowned artists known as the Fastolf Master and the Master of the Munich Golden Legend.The identity of the anonymous lady for whom this lavish Book of Hours was intended remains a mystery to this day. Was she or was she not Margaret, the sister of Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy?In the commentary volume accompanying the fine art facsimile edition, this mystery is investigated. The Bedford specialist, Jenny Stratford, presents the most recent findings as well as extensive research into each illumination and narrative scene.In the seventeenth century, the Sobieski Hours was at the court of John III Sobieski, King of Poland. Was it presented to the king after he saved Vienna from the Ottoman Turks in 1683?Today, the Sobieski Hours is part of the British Royal Collection, held in trust for the nation by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It is one of the most treasured manuscripts in the Royal Library.QUATERNIO VERLAG LUZERN in Switzerland is the first facsimile publisher to have been given permission to reproduce a medieval manuscript from the Royal Library in a fine art facsimile edition.The fine art facsimile edition is supplemented by a commentary volume written by Jenny Stratford (University of London), available in English, French, and German.HRH The Prince of Wales, Chairman, Royal Collection Trust has contributed a preface to the commentary volume, underlining the manuscripts outstanding importance in the history of art and its eminent significance for the Royal Library.Quaternio Verlag Luzern:Founded in July 2009, already a piece of history and a long-time future ahead For over 30 years now, the name of Lucerne has been connected to the production of fine art facsimiles, both among experts in this area and among collectors alike. In order to continue this tradition of excellent quality facsimile making of medieval painted manuscripts in Lucerne, four proven specialists in this field have founded the independent publishing house Quaternio Verlag Luzern. Our long-standing know-how in this exclusive field of book art guarantees:an ambitious publishing program that compiles the artistically most interesting illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Agestrue-to-the-original facsimiles to meet the highest standards in terms of faithful reproduction, careful workmanship, and material selectionacademically sound commentary volumes, also comprehensible for a non-academic audienceaffordable fine art facsimile editions in a limited number of copieshigh quality service and individual customer carehighest flexibility regarding customers wishesPress:Clarissa Rothacker (clarissa.rothacker@quaternio.ch)Annika Schwald (annika.schwald@quaternio.ch)QUATERNIO VERLAG LUZERNObergrundstr. 98CH  6005 LuzernSwitzerlandT: +41 (0)41 318 40 20F: +41 (0)41 318 40 25
Shale Gas Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2020: Grand View Research, Inc.

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/shale-gas-industry

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/shale-gas-industry/request

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/conventional-energy

The global shale gas market is expected to reach USD 67.02 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Depleting conventional energy reserves across the globe has prompted the industry to shift focus towards developing alternative energy sources which is expected to remain a key driving factor for shale gas demand over the next six years. In addition, regulatory support for developing unconventional gases including shale gas is also expected to enhance commercialization over the forecast period. However, environmental concern, especially excessive usage and contamination of water during shale gas production process is expected to be a key challenge for industry participants over the next six years.Browse full research report on Global Shale Gas Market:Power generation emerged as the leading application market for shale gas and accounted for 30.4% of total market volume in 2013. Environmental concerns regarding power generation via conventional energy coupled with regulatory support for development of unconventional energy sourcesfor power generation is expected to remain a key driving factor over the forecast period. However, transportation is expected to be the fastest growing application market for shale gas at an estimated CAGR of 10.8% from 2014 to 2020. Growing demand for alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and autogas (LPG) is expected to drive the demand for shale gas in transportation industry over the next six years.Read detailed report or request for sample of this research report:Further Key findings from the study suggest: The global shale gas production was 10,826.6 bcf in 2013 and is expected to reach 18,211.3 bcf by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2014 to 2020. U.S emerged as the leading shale gas producing country and accounted for 91.8% of total market volume in 2013. The U.S. shale boom has changed the overall energy scenario of the nation, prior to shale gas development; the U.S. was a net importer of natural gas. However, due to rapid exploration and production activities of shale gas, U.S. for the first time in many years emerged as a net exporter of natural gas in 2012. However, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing producer for shale gas at an estimated CAGR of 66.7% from 2015 to 2020. The Chinese government has also been providing substantial support in form of financial incentives and tax benefits to companies operating in shale gas market in China which is expected to drive the market over the forecast period. The global market for shale gas is highly competitive in nature and is led by top multinational oil & gas conglomerates which are present across the value chain. Conventional oil & gas companies coupled with companies focusing only on alternative energy forms the mix of the market. Shift in focus towards developing shale gas basins in China is expected to remain a key strategy for the market participants. Some of the leading companies in the global shale gas market include Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Antero Resources, BHP Billiton, Cabot Oil & Gas, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Devon Energy, Encana Corporation, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Reliance Industries Limited, Royal Dutch Shell, SM Energy, Statoil, Talisman Energy Inc. and Total SA among some other companies.Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research:For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global shale gas market on the basis of application and region: Global Shale Gas Application Outlook (Volume, Bcf; Revenue, USD billion) Industrial Power Generation Residential Commercial Transportation Shale Gas Regional Outlook North America U.S. Canada Asia PacificGrand 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: grandviewresearch.comRead our blogs - dniamericas.org, terrapass.org, legalworkshop.org
CERTAS ENERGY PREDICTS BUDGET GLOOM FOR UK MOTORISTS

The March Budget could signal the end of lower pump prices if Chancellor George Osborne decides to raise petrol and diesel taxes after failing to keep a lid on government borrowing.Thats the prediction of Ramsay MacDonald, Retail Director of Certas Energy, who urges him to look elsewhere to balance his books.With the economic recovery so fragile, any hike in fuel prices will hit motorists and businesses hard and further weaken confidence. The Government already takes 70% of the cost of a litre of fuel in taxes whilst independent petrol retailers work on margins of just a few pence. Its an easy target for the chancellor but economically irresponsible.Certas Energy supplies fuels to over 1,200 service stations including 500 Gulf branded forecourts and is one of the largest fuel and lubricant distributors in Britain, supplying 6 billion litres of fuel to domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial customers each year.Certas Energy UK Ltd. Registered Office: 302 Bridgewater Place, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6XGFor further information please contact:Polygon MarketingEmail: martin@polygon.uk.comPhone: 01242 511 012
Kaolin Market: Global Industry Analysis by Application Market Size, Global Growth, Share and Forecast To 2015-2022 |Brisk Insights

BRISK INSIGHTS

http://www.briskinsights.com/category/chemical-and-material-industry

http://www.pdfdevices.com/global-plastic-additives-market-is-expected-to-grow-at-the-cagr-of-4-63-during-2015-2022-brisk-insights/

http://www.briskinsights.com/

Kaolin Market: Global Industry Analysis by Application Market Size, Global Growth, Share and Forecast To 2015-2022 |Brisk InsightsAccording to a recent published report, the Kaolin Market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 5% during 2015-2022 and it estimated to be $6 billion by 2022. The Global Kaolin market is segmented on the basis of material, industry applications and geography. The report on Global Kaolin market forecast 2015-2022 provides detailed overview and predictive analysis of the market.High growth in construction industry in various regions is the key driver of kaolin market. Kaolin has properties such as flat particle shape, brilliant opacity, chemical inertness, non-abrasive texture, etc. kaolin majorly used as a filter in the manufacturing of papers and paints. It is also used in sanitary ware and white ware. In terms of applications, kaolin is used as mortar, concrete etc. Metakaolin in cement is used as to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which create an alternative eco-friendly material as compare to tradition material. All these factors fuel the demand of kaolin and metakaolin in the forecasted period.Browse Here For Full Report with ToC: briskinsights.com/report/global-kaolin-market-forecast-2015-2022Kaolin improves brightness, gloss, and paint absorbency of the paper and smoothness that improves printability of the paper surface. All these properties increase the demand of the mineral from the paper and packing industry. Over the forecasted period, this trend is expected to grow. Kaolin has high demand in application segment such as pavements, and architectural structures and construction and building foundations to satisfy various needs. In terms of kaolin manufacturing such as sanitary ware and ceramic tiles the demand of kaolin is increasing in the forecasted period. The largest application segment of the kaolin market is paper segment. The demand of kaolin is increasing in developing regions.The major players profiled in the report include Thiele Kaolin, Imerys SA, I-Minerals Inc, Quarzwerke GmbH, SCR-Sibelco N.V, KaMin LLC, BASF SE, LB Minerals Ltd., Kaolin AD, Ukrainian Kaolin Company, Daleco Resources Corporation And so on. Innovation and R&D are the key winning strategies of the market.Click Here For Same Category Reports:1. Global Kaolin Market by application 2012-2022 ($ billion)1.1. Papers1.2. Ceramics1.3. Paints & adhesives1.4. Fiberglass1.5. Rubber1.6. Plastics1.7. Cements1.8. Others2. Global Metakaolin market 2012-2022 ($ billion)2.1. Concrete2.2. Mortar2.3. Others3. Global Kaolin industry regional outlook 2012-2022 ($ billion)3.1. North America3.2. Europe3.3. Asia Pacific3.4. Middle East & Africa3.5. Central & South America4. Competitive Landscape4.1. Thiele Kaolin4.2. Imerys SA4.3. I-Minerals Inc4.4. Quarzwerke GmbH4.5. SCR-Sibelco N.V4.6. KaMin LLC4.7. BASF SE4.8. LB Minerals Ltd.4.9. Kaolin AD4.10. Ukrainian Kaolin Company4.11. Daleco Resources Corporation4.12. Imerys SA4.13. Ashapura group of companies4.14. Thiele Kaolin Company4.15. Edgar Plastic Kaolin4.16. Uma Group of Kaolin4.17. Georgia Kaolin Company4.18. AKW Ukrainian Kaolin Company4.19. LB MINERALS4.20. Simrik groupOur Blog:Brisk Insights is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities optimize strategies.Working in a highly dynamic and multi-dimensional business makes decision making complex. Effective business decisions are a result of the synthesis of market information. Our Research and data analysis is an efficient and cost-effective way of providing robust market analysis and can yield highly valuable intelligence relating to consumers, competitors and markets.Jennifer SmithOffice 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LanenottinghamNG1 6DQPhone: +448081890034 (UK)Website:
European Microscopy Market To Enroll It's Market Value to $1,798.4 Million by 2020

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The European microscopy market is expected to grow at a single digit CAGR of 7.0% to reach $1,798.4 Million by 2020 from $1,284.9 Million in 2015. Major factors fueling market growth are the rising global focus on nanotechnology, favorable government and corporate funding, and technological advancements such as super-resolution microscopy, high-throughput techniques, and digitization of microscopes. However, the high cost of advanced microscopes is restricting the growth of the european microscopy market.For Topics, TOCs and more about this research, ask for PDF Brochure of this research @Factors such as rising focus on nanotechnology, favorable government and corporate funding, and technological advancements such as super resolution microscopy, high-throughput techniques, and digitization of microscopes are driving the microscopy market. However, the high cost of advanced microscopes is hindering the growth of this market.The microscopy market is segmented on the basis of product, application, end user, and region. On the basis of type of product, the microscopy market is broadly segmented into optical microscopes, confocal microscopes, electron microscopes, and scanning probe microscopes. The optical microscopy segment is further divided into fluorescence microscopy (FM) and super-resolution microscopy. The fluorescence microscopy segment is divided into total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching (FRAP), and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The super-resolution microscopy is subsegmented into stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), structured illumination microscopy (SIM), stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED), coherent anti-strokes Raman scattering microscopy (CARS), photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM), and reversible saturable optical fluorescence transitions (RELSOFT). The confocal microscopy is segmented into multi-photon microscopy and confocal disk spinning microscopy. Electron microscopy is segmented into transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The scanning probe microscopy segment is further divided into scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). The optical microscopy segment accounted for the largest share 39.5% of the European microscopy market in 2014.The microscopy applications market is categorized into semiconductors, life sciences, nanotechnology, and material science. In this market, Nanotechnology is the fastest growing application. On the basis of end users, the microscopy market is classified into academic institutes, industries, and others (government research institutes and private laboratories). In this market, academic institutes are the major end users.On the basis of geography, the microscopy market is segmented into U.K, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden and Rest of Europe (RoE) . In 2014, U.K accounted for the largest share of the microscopy market, followed by Germany. Both markets are estimated to register single-digit growth rates over the next five years.The research study is aimed at identifying emerging trends and opportunities in the European Microscopy Market along with detailed classifications, in terms of revenue. It provides comprehensive competitive landscape and identifies the key players with respect to market size and market share.For Topics, TOCs and more about this research, ask for PDF Brochure of this research @Major players operating in the microscopy market are Carl Zeiss (Germany), Leica Microsystems (Danaher Corp.) (U.K.), Nikon Corporation (Japan), FEI Co. (U.S.)About Research Publisher: MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is worlds 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. MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India1-888-600-6441
Global Meat Packaging Market Trends, Regulations And Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2025

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Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Meat Packaging Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Demand for meat packaging is projected to witness single digit growth during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the increased production of meat in the global market. Packaging is anything which is used to contain, handle, protect, and deliver raw material and processed goods. The main purpose of packaging is to provide products to consumer in perfect condition i.e, in intact form of food without spoilage. In addition, the advantages of packaging includes providing space for sharing information about the product such as nutrition, usage and direction.Meat Packaging Market: Drivers and RestraintsMeat packaging market is flourished worldwide due to various factors such as urbanization especially in developing economies such as India, Russia, Brazil and China, increase in demand of convenience products due to the time constraint. However, some of the factors which are restraining the market growth of meat packaging includes environment issues such as recyclability and sustainability coupled with hygienic packaging and rising concern regarding the health. The major trends of global meat packaging market are demand for smaller packaging size, new packaging material development and increase awareness towards environmental issues. Nano packaging also plays an important role in meat packaging as meat needs an aseptic packaging that lasts for maximum days for extended shelf life.Request Free Report Sample@Meat Packaging Market: SegmentationMeat packaging market is segmented on the basis of type, material, distribution channel and region. On the basis of type meat packaging market is segmented into On the basis of material meat packaging market is segmented as plastic wraps and storage wrap which includes three major categories of plastics: polyethylene (PE), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), oven cooking bags which are made from heat-resistant nylon, aluminium foil which primarily is made from iron and silicon, freezer paper which is white paper coated on one side with plastic to help keep air out of frozen foods, parchment paper made from cotton fibre and/or pure chemical wood pulps and wax paper made with a food-safe paraffin wax. Further on the basis of distribution channel it is segmented into hypermarket/supermarket, grocery stores, online retailing, departmental stores and others. Lastly, on the basis of region the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and Middle East and Africa.Meat Packaging Market: Regional OverviewNorth America is the largest market for meat packaging followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. China meat packaging is expected to show a significant growth due to rise in personal disposable income coupled with rise in consumption of beef, pork and other meat. Developed market such as North America, Europe are expected to exhibit faster growth rate by 2025.Visit For TOC@Meat Packaging Market: Key PlayersThe major players in the meat packaging market Amcor Ltd, Crown Holdings, Dupont, Nuconic Packaging Llc, Tetra Pak International S.A., Silgan Holdings, Inc., Reynolds Group and Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd to name a few. The big multinational companies in this category are investing heavily in the expansion development of product portfolio in meat packaging material in order to maintain a position in the packaging market. The companies are also focusing on merger and acquisition as strategies to enhance their production facilities and expand its global presence. For instance, in 2013, Crown holding acquired Mivisa Envases, SAU, a Spanish two- and three-piece food cans and ends manufacturing company.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Mr. Sudip SahaFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Organic Cocoa Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2025

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Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Organic Cocoa Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015 - 2025" report to their offering.The certified organic cocoa market represents a very small share of the total cocoa market, estimated around 0.5% of total production. However, the demand for organic cocoa products are growing at a very strong pace, the supply side faces a strong challenge to meet the demand of organic cocoa. Since, farmers are paying ample amount for producing organic cocoa, production of organic cocoa is more in least developed countries. Organic cocoa has many nutritional benefits such as more fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and many other minerals. Moreover it also contains antioxidants, which helps to protect skin. Organic cocoa also helps to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. Demand for organic cocoa products are very high in U.S, U.K and Germany, hence organic cocoa are supplied to developed economies of North America and Western Europe to manufacture organic cocoa products. Currently, Dominican Republic is dominating the organic cocoa market in terms of production that holds around 70 percent of the total market share; Peru, Ecuador and Mexico together hold around 20 percent of the market share in terms of production; rest around 10 percent is held by Bolivia, Ghana, Brazil and others.Organic Cocoa Market Segmentation:On the basis of product type the organic cocoa market is segmented into cocoa powder, cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa beans and others (products containing cocoa). Products containing cocoa holds the highest market share in terms of value followed by cocoa beans and cocoa butter.Request Free Report Sample@On the basis of application organic cocoa market is segmented into confectionaries, bakery, functional food, health drinks, home cooking use and others (pharmaceuticals, ointments, and toiletries). Organic cocoa is majorly used in food industry as a main ingredient of chocolate.Geographically, Organic cocoa market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Latin America is dominating worldwide followed by Middle East and Africa (MEA) in terms of organic cocoa production. Majority of organic cocoa is exported to Western Europe followed by North America. U.K and U.S are the largest manufacturing countries of organic cocoa products in the world, since organic chocolate is more popular in U.K, U.S and Germany and consumers from those countries owe a significant inclination towards organic chocolates irrespective of high pricing of organic products.Organic Cocoa Market Dynamics:Chocolate is the main application of organic cocoa which is the main growth driver of organic cocoa market. Also, the organic cocoa market is expected to be largely driven by the health consciousness among consumers. However, lack of proper supply of organic cocoa restrains the global organic cocoa market which also leads to increase in price of organic cocoa. There is a huge opportunity in the North America and Western Europe and Japan. Asia Pacific excluding Japan is an untapped market which is also a potential market for organic cocoa. This is attributed to increasing inclination of consumers towards organic products, rapid urbanisation, strengthening supply chain for organic cocoa and rising health consciousness among consumers.Visit For TOC@Organic Cocoa Market Key Player:Some of the leading players are Kraft Foods Inc., Cargill Incorporated, Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V., Ciranda, Blommer Chocolate Company, Artisan Confections Company, PASCHA Company, InterNatural Foods LLC and Wilmor Publishing Corp.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Mr. Sudip SahaFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Ferro Liquid Display Market 2015 Industry Trends, Analysis and Forecast to 2019

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Global Ferro Liquid Display Industry 2015 and analysis by 2019 analyzed the worlds main region market size, share, trends, conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc.The study Global Ferro Liquid Display Industry 2015 is a detailed report scrutinizing statistical data related to the Global Ferro Liquid Display industry. Historical data available in the report elaborates on the development of the Ferro Liquid Display market on a Global and national level. The report compares this data with the current state of the market and thus elaborates upon the trends that have brought the market shifts.The market forces determining the shaping of the Ferro Liquid Display market have been evaluated in detail. In addition to this, the regulatory scenario of the market has been covered in the report from both the Global and local perspective. Market predictions along with the statistical nuances presented in the report render an insightful view of the Ferro Liquid Display market.Enquiry About Report:The demand and supply side of the market has been extensively covered in the report. The challenges the players in the Ferro Liquid Display market face in terms of demand and supply have been listed in the report. Recommendations to overcome these challenges and optimize supply and demand opportunities have also been covered in this report.Growth prospects of the overall Ferro Liquid Display industry have been presented in the report. However, to give an in-depth view to the readers, detailed geographical segmentation within the globe Ferro Liquid Display market has been covered in this study. The key geographical regions along with their revenue forecasts are included in the report.The competitive framework of the Ferro Liquid Display market in terms of the Global Ferro Liquid Display industry has been evaluated in the report. The top companies and their overall share and share with respect to the Global market have been included in the report. Furthermore, the factors on which the companies compete in the market have been evaluated in the report.Request Sample:This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc.Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, downstream client survey, marketing channels, industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Ferro Liquid Display new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis, and development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Ferro Liquid Display industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Ferro Liquid Display industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Teams survey and interviews.9D Research Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.9D Research Group3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales@9dresearchgroup.comWeb:
Smartwatches Industry Trends, Analysis To 2020 by Grand View Research Inc.

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The global smartwatches market is expected to reach USD 19.62 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing companion device demand is expected to give impetus to demand for smartwatches. Increasing percentage of health/fitness conscious population has resulted in high demand for wearable fitness monitoring and tracking devices, including smartwatches.Browse full research report on Global Smartwatches Market:The number of industry participants is expected to increase manifold over the next six years. In addition to startups, the expected entry of established companies is estimated to significantly fuel market growth. Ensuring usability and visual appeal is a critical factor for enabling product adoption on a global level. Furthermore, managing the tradeoff between battery life and performance is critical for profitability.Read detailed report or request for sample of this research report:Further Key findings from the study suggest: Global smartwatch shipments were close to 2 million units in 2013, and are expected to reach 135.3 million units by 2020, at a CAGR of 53.5% from 2014 to 2020. High-end smartwatches accounted for approximately 90% of the global market in 2013. This segment is expected to lose market share to the mid-end and low-end segments over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the expected trend of decreasing selling prices with a growing number of manufacturers. Majority of consumers have been reluctant to invest in premium priced products on account of unclear benefits and lack of a value proposition. North America accounted for the highest market share of 35% in 2013; this is mainly due to higher purchasing power as well as increasing demand for fitness tracking equipment. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing regional market over the next six years. The regional market is expected to be driven by high smartphone proliferation and usage of Internet services. Industry participants include Samsung Electronics (Galaxy Gear), Pebble, Sony Corporation, Google Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. among others. R&D activities to drive innovation have been the key growth strategy for these companies. Established companies are expected to benefit from growing smartwatches demand, and drive revenue generation over the forecast period.Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research:For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global smartwatches market on the basis of price segment and region: Smartwatches Price Segment Outlook (Volume, Million Units and Revenue, USD Million; 2012  2020) High-end Mid-end Low-end Smartwatches Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Units and Revenue, USD Million; 2012  2020) North America Europe Asia Pacific RoWGrand 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: grandviewresearch.comRead our blogs - dniamericas.org, terrapass.org, apavirginia.org
Elitehandicrafts.com is All Set to Make Holi Blissful with Its Brand New Holi Collection 2016

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Holi is the celebration of love and togetherness. Keeping in account the needs and deeds of holi celebration Elite Handicrafts presents its mesmerizing and extremely delightful collection for Holi 2016.New Delhi: India is a place well known for its ethics, culture and tradition. Each and every festival that is being observed in the country is filled with gusto and amongst all festival a moment well known for joy and enjoyment is Holi. Holi is a celebration of win of good over evil, but above everything it is a festival of togetherness that brings hearts closer and gears up relationships. Weeks before the actual gala festivity begin with preparation for Namkeens and Gujiyas in every household. If other than colors there is something else that validates holi then it is for sure the food, beverages and snacks served during the moment.Elite Handicrafts is a reckoned online gifting portal. The company is a genuine and one of the most convenient portals for those searching for gifts and gift ideas for their loved ones with free shipping in India. This time company is exhibiting fresh holi collection for the upcoming festival falling in the last week of this month. There is so much for everyone in the delectable and colorful store of holi for the online hunters. Whether, its traditional and toothsome Indian sweet like Kaju Katli, Rasgulla, Gulab Jamun, Chamcham or vibrant holi abir or Gulal, everything in consideration with holi celebration can be very easily found here.Upon discussion with the manager of Elite Handicrafts quoted on this regard that, As a part of our constant endeavor to bring the real tradition of India alive we are effortlessly trying to preserve the rituals and traditions of the day with perfect holi gifts. Whether its water guns (Pichkari), abir/gulal, sweets, Gujiya, namkeen, or simply water balloons for Holi, you can find every holi celebration items that could be presented to your loved ones residing away from you in India or abroad.This year catalogue of holi gifts and hampers of Elite Handicrafts is much exiting and fantabulous which includes Rang Barse Hamper, Kaju Katli and Gulal Hamper, Holi Gujiya and Gulal Hamper, Gulal and Gulab Jamun Combo, Happy Holi Sweet and Color Combo, Gujiya in Golden Tray Hamper, Pichkari-Ful Holi Hamper, Khelenge Holi Hamper, Bhang ki Holi Mug, Holi Delight Tray Hamper, etc. and there is much more else to explore in this portion.Furthermore Company Owner said, We understand well the craving for a different gift therefore this year we are presenting delectable cake and flowers hampers combined well with other necessities of Holi like abir/ gulal, Pichkari and color snow spray. Colorful Holi Cakes and Flower Bouquets is our new launch for Holi 2016.About the CompanyElite Handicrafts is one of the genuine online gifting portal based in Delhi. Company is topmost browsed sites and prominent in providing best gifts and gifting ideas for various event and festivals. This time company is showcasing its catalogue for Holi gifts, with exciting offers and deals and above everything free delivery across the country.Contact Information:Elite HandicraftsMayur Vihar-1, DelhiE-Mail  cc@elitehandicrafts.comWebsite Phone Number - +919911918545Elite Handicrafts is one of the genuine online gifting portal based in Delhi. Company is topmost browsed sites and prominent in providing best gifts and gifting ideas for various event and festivals. This time company is showcasing its catalogue for Holi gifts, with exciting offers and deals and above everything free delivery across the country.Elite HandicraftsMayur Vihar-1, DelhiE-Mail  cc@elitehandicrafts.comWebsite Phone Number - +919911918545
The 8 Dreamiest Lofts In Chicago

By Rachel Cromidas in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 15, 2016 8:22PM

I have an obsession with Chicago loftsone that dominates my web browser history and will have me walking miles out of my way up Lincoln Avenue just so I can see an old favorite. I am a sucker for high ceilings, exposed brick and concrete floors, and I love a loft building with a good history behind itsay, a former life as a pencil factory. If you're looking for a gushy love-letter to our city's most beautiful apartments, one that leaves aside practical matters like money, affordable housing and gentrification in favor of whimsy and flash, look no further.

Chicago's iconic past as a center of American manufacturing and trade in the 1900s make it a particularly good place to hunt for a loft apartment today. Chicago became one of the world's largest railroad hubs and busiest shipping ports, and all of the goods that passed through the Midwest needed to be made or stored in factories and warehouses. Today, they serve as reminders of Chicago's industrial pastand a personal reminder to me not to give up on my real estate dreams.

I've never lived in a true loft, converted from a warehouse or factory into housing. (I'm seeing more and more apartments being marketed as "soft-lofts" these days to capitalize on the trend, but they don't feel the same.) And I certainly can't afford to buy one. But a girl can dream, and dream I do. Here are eight gorgeous Chicago lofts I covet, stalk, bookmark and fantasize about making horrible financial decisions in. An asterisk denotes a loft I have toured in person.



1800 W. Grace St. via Estately



*The Lofts At 1800

The Lofts at 1800 W. Grace St. are like a first loveI never could really get over them after checking out an open house in 2013, and I keep the real estate brochure on my nightstand like a brooding teen to this day. The former site of cap and gown manufacturer E. R. Moore, the lofts were converted into fancy condos in 2010 after the factory closed shop in 2005. The stunning structure is actually two connected buildingsone 6-story building to the west that features exposed concrete units, and one 3-story building to the right with brick-and-timber beam featureswith a calming front courtyard in between. The building boasts that no two units are alike thanks to its unique layout, but the real draw to me is its proximity to two train lines. Tracks for the CTA Brown Line and the Metra UP-N both run right up against the building on either side, and some units feature balconies just inches away from the rails. One bedrooms start at $284,500, and 2 bedrooms at $414,500. But like I said, a girl can dream.



Located at 1800 W. Grace. St.



1800 W. Roscoe via Redfin



*The Pencil Factory

Another of North Center's best loft buildings lies just down the block from The Lofts at 1800. The Pencil Factory, at 1800 W. Roscoe St. wasyou guessed itonce a pencil factory. Now, it's a sleek brick-and-concrete loft with an open layout and poured concrete pillars and floors. Concrete, for those not in-the-know, means you'll never have to worry about listening to your upstairs neighbors roll bowling balls across the floor all night. Converted to condos in 1988, the building also has a rooftop deck and a small gym.



Located at 1800 W. Roscoe St.



The Donohue, via Redfin

The Donohue Building Lofts

These gorgeous lofts epitomize Printers Row. The Donohue has a stunning, century-old facade leftover from when it was a turn-of-the-century publishing powerhouse. It is reportedly the first factory in the city to be converted to condos (in 1979).

Located at 711-727 S. Dearborn St.



The Prairie District Lofts via Facebook



The Prairie District Lofts

The Prairie District Lofts comprise a massive, five-story brick building that was once a Kodak manufacturing facility. Many of the lofts are two- or three-story duplexes, and they share a fitness room, roof deck and landscaped atrium. They're close to the lake, McCormick Place and Soldier Field, as well as Chicago's historic Prairie Avenue District. The area is quaintly residential, but has all the benefits of being close to the Loop.



Located at 1727 S. Indiana Ave.



500 S. Clinton via Estately



*Clinton Complex Lofts

The lofts at 500 S. Clinton St. are dreamy. The entrance has a muscular, arched overhang that leads into a sleek lobby connecting two brick condo buildings, plus an interior courtyard. The units themselves are surprisingly quietsome overlook Clinton Street; I once stayed in one overlooking the Greyhound stationbut super-close to an underground CTA Blue Line Station. Unlike the common exercise rooms in many Chicago apartment buildings, the one here is actually nice, with rows of treadmills and a high ceiling that offers good air circulation.

Located at 500 S. Clinton St.



1000 West Lofts, via Modern Chicago Homes

1000 West Lofts

The Near West Side is the de facto epicenter of Chicago loft living, thanks to its past life as a manufacturing district. But out of all the brick-and-timber gems that lie west of Halsted Street, 1000 West Washington has captured my imagination the most. The building, a former Nabisco bakery from way back when the snack company was known as the National Biscuit Company (filed under Today I Learned), is close to many of the West Loop's prime restaurants. Many of its units are architecturally striking and decadent, including this wood-paneled guitarist's crib and this penthouse.

Located at 1000 W. Washington Blvd.



1872 N. Clybourn Ave via Redfin

1872 N. Clybourn Ave.



The lofts at 1872 N. Clybourn Ave. are arguably some of the most striking in town. The building's upscale feel and prime location in Lincoln Park make it way out of most buyers' reasonable budgetsbut if you ever get a chance to look inside, please do. Many units have super-high ceilings and stunning views of the North Side, and the building is technically zoned as a live/work space, in case running an office out of your home sounds feasible. The building's history is a mystery to me, so comment if you know something.



via Forgotten Chicago

*The Brewery Lofts

Lakeview isn't particularly known for factories converted into loft condos, but the neighborhood has several gems among its townhouses and three-flats. The Brewery Loftsconverted from a former brewerytower over Lakewood Avenue and stretch out over the better part of a block. The massive apartment complex was built in 1888 and is in the National Registry of Historic Places, according to apartment reps. The inner courtyard was once a stable for the Best Brewing Company's horses. It's not too common to find true lofts, exposed brick, beams and all, for rent in Chicago, but The Brewery Lofts are all rentals (two-bedrooms are starting at just over $1,700 a month on apartments.com). The main building is six stories, and I had the pleasure of checking out the duplex penthouse, whose entire second floor was dedicated to a giant master bedroom and balcony with exquisite views of the city.

Located at 1301 West Fletcher St.



via Redfin

*Clocktower Lofts

If Bucktown is the dream neighborhood of my bougie-est fantasies, then the Clocktower Lofts is where I'd want to come home after spending a day jogging on The 606 and browsing Myopic Books with a Wormhole coffee in hand. This bricks-and-timber loft on tony Wabansia Avenue is in an actual clocktower, and the penthouse unit has a giant, street-facing window clock. The building was formerly a Kling Brothers clothing manufacturer, renovated into lofts in 1996.

Located at 2300 W. Wabansia Ave.
Personal Emergency Response Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015 - 2021

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http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/6403

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Personal emergency response systems also called as medical emergency response systems has three major components, a radio transmitter, a console connected with telephone and emergency response center. Personal emergency response systems are a part of tele-health market. Personal emergency response systems market includes numerous products. Button notification or pendants are the most basic type of personal emergency response systems. These systems are attached with the base station receiver in the users place. This base station is connected with the call center which manages all transmitted data and events information. Technical advancements are occurring but at slower rate in personal emergency response systems field. Fall detection technology was one of the recent inventions which was added in emergency response systems. Similar to home security systems, the market for personal emergency response systems is mostly dominated by direct to customer service. This type of service relationship is limiting the direct equipment sales. In recent years, the personal emergency response systems market is receiving high attention as it is involves healthcare related services which provide direct to consumer services. Though the personal emergency response systems market is well established, it has witnessed several innovations in operating business model during the last few years.With increasing number of aging population the demand for home emergency response systems is increasing. Thus, aging population is one of the major driving factors for personal emergency response systems market. In early days, elderly people used to live with or nearby their family members; however, it has changed with the rising adoption of nuclear families culture. Thus, providing affordable solutions with actionable care are the factors driving adoption of personal emergency response systems for elderly populations. Furthermore, these systems help general population to overcome and monitor their health issues. Personal emergency response systems are providing health monitoring services for the elderly consumers directly. Increasing proliferation of information technology infrastructure is another factor which is assisting the growth of personal emergency response systems market. However, these personal emergency response systems are simplistic in nature and provide little in the form of life management and actual prevention. Furthermore, as the market for personal emergency response systems continues to evolve, new types of products and services are likely to be offered, with the evolution from simple and traditional personal emergency response systems to advanced healthcare presentation systems.Personal emergency response systems market is segmented on the basis of type of services provided and geography. On the basis of type of service provided the personal emergency response systems market is segmented into automatic fall detection service, caregiver notifications service, user compliance tracking service and private caregiving websites. User compliance tracking includes detection of the patient when the emergency response system devices are not worn and reminding the seniors that they forget to wear the devices. Caregiver notification services provide adult children or any other authorized caregivers with text messages or emails.Request Brochure of this Report:Caring, Inc., Halo Monitoring, Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, Wellcore Corporation, Jewish Home Lifecare and AT&T Inc., among others are some of the major vendors in personal emergency response systems market.Request to view TOC:About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is an innovative provider of market research reports and consulting services. The three PMR pillars of strength that have helped us win clients for years are: Quality Research, Quick Research, and In-depth Research.PMRs team of seasoned analysts and consultants are experts in their domain. At PMR, we process complex, exhaustive primary and secondary research data into valuable insight. We uAbout Us:nderstand that each client has a unique problem statement, and address it with our strengths.Contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Radio Frequency Components Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015 - 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6700

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/6700

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Radio frequency components are the fundamental components required by any communication device for its proper functioning. The advancements in technology and miniaturization property (capability to fit in small size) of RF components are the factors driving this market forward. In addition, with advancements in universal mobile telecommunication network (3G and 4G), the market has seen high demand for tuners and switchers for offering precise functionality to other radio frequency devices such as demodulators, power amplifiers, etc. Although, the radio frequency components market is witnessing good growth, the production of radio frequency components requires significant investment from vendors, posing a challenge to the growth of radio frequency component market.The radio frequency components market is segmented on the basis of components, modules, applications, and geography. The radio frequency components market is segmented on the basis of its components into five major categories, namely- RF filter (RX/TX FILTERS), duplexers, power amplifiers, antenna switches, and demodulators. On the basis of applications, the radio frequency components market is segmented into four major categories, namely- cellular phones, tablets and note books, SMART TVs, and STB (Set Top Box). The global traction transformer market is further segmented on the basis of modules into six major categories, namely- TX module, RX module, antenna switch module, duplexer + PA module, multi duplexer module, and RX + duplexer module. The radio frequency components market is segmented on the basis of geography into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of World (ROW).Request Brochure of this Report:Some of the leading players in the radio frequency components market include Triquint Semiconductors (U.S.), Murata Manufacturing (Japan), RDA Microelectronics (China), Skyworks Inc. (U.S.), RF Micro devices (U.S.), and AVAGO Technologies (U.S.). Other key players in the market include, ANADIGICS Inc., Vectron International, Tektronix, Inc., Epson Toyocom, WIN Semiconductors Corp., and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.Request to view TOC:About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is an innovative provider of market research reports and consulting services. The three PMR pillars of strength that have helped us win clients for years are: Quality Research, Quick Research, and In-depth Research.PMRs team of seasoned analysts and consultants are experts in their domain. At PMR, we process complex, exhaustive primary and secondary research data into valuable insight. We uAbout Us:nderstand that each client has a unique problem statement, and address it with our strengths.Contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Managers from Vienna to Meet the Challenges of the Future

www.modul.ac.at

http://www.prd.at/en

MODUL University Vienna unveils new MSc in Management with a modern emphasisA new degree program at MODUL University Vienna is offering an attractive focus on the big issues of the future: sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social media are key aspects of the Master of Science (MSc) in Management at the internationally renowned private university. This positions the institution as the first Austrian private university to feature a consecutive Master degree in the area of business and management taught exclusively in English. It is aimed primarily at prospective business leaders who will make a valuable contribution to our future as members of globally operating firms and organisations that are striving to bring a socially responsible attitude to their growth and business activities.Professionals seeking to lead companies and organisations into a successful future will need more than plain and simple business management skills. Issues like sustainable development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and interactive media will be instrumental to business success. Having established this new Master of Science (MSc) in Management, MODUL University Vienna is now the only Austrian private university to offer practical and academic education  in English  covering precisely these issues at a high level in an international context.Education for the futureThe new course of study sets itself apart from the rest of the management programs in the higher education sphere which have their curricula centred wholly on the successful management of businesses. Such a one-sided focus is understandable considering that a business's financial performance was long considered the sole factor influencing its success. Prof. Astrid Dickinger, however, Dean of the MSc in Management program, believes that it is outdated in the 21st century for managers to concentrate on that single perspective: "The business dimension of any company operating today must be balanced with environmental and social concerns. Consequently, organisations destined to enjoy success over the long term need leaders who display interdisciplinary skills and connected, networked thinking. This is exactly what students in our MSc in Management will be learning."Business, society and the environmentThe degree program, with its international orientation and courses held exclusively in English, will build on the comprehensive and extensive business expertise of the faculty of MODUL University Vienna. This will be complemented by an extensive range of additional learning objectives: knowledge of the economic and social sciences will be taught in the program along with an awareness of wider environmental contexts. Students will also learn about technical problem-solving methods, political decision mechanisms, legal principles, and even the psychological basis of an individual's actions.Graduates will have excellent prospects on the job market with this specially-tailored education under their belt. As Prof. Dickinger explains, "The businesses of tomorrow need a workforce with a sense of social responsibility and an extensive knowledge of environmental and technological issues. The challenges presented by globalisation and environmental pollution will be mastered by professionals capable of interdisciplinary thinking, who will apply the principles of sustainability to their everyday work." Not only that, but the rapid developments in the field of information and communications technologies (ICT) will give rise to a constant stream of new opportunities and possibilities arising within companies and organisations as well as in their interactions and networking. New start-ups emerging from within industry incumbents are also increasingly offering fresh prospects for organisations. With part of its focus spanning precisely these issues, the new MSc in Management is particularly well placed to meet the demands of the future.Learning through researchThe heavily practice-oriented nature of this degree program is ideally complemented by the internationally-renowned research that takes place at MODUL University Vienna. Insights from as many as ten research fields will be incorporated into the curriculum followed by students in the MSc in Management. Besides the university's numerous research activities in the field of sustainable development, this also includes projects on new media interaction and the future of information systems.International from start to finishThe overall degree program has an unmistakably international and multicultural feel and benefits from a strong international showing among the lecturers. The program's linking of development policy matters with issues like sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, new media, and personal development shows just how unique the syllabus is in today's higher education market. Students can count on a high quality of education from the internationally renowned private university and will profit from the institution's customary strengths in student support and supervision. No more than 30 candidates per semester are admitted to the program, insuring a low faculty-to-student ratio and plenty of direct interaction with academic staff. All of which serves to make the new MSc in Management offered by MODUL University Vienna a forward-looking and unique qualification for students with an international outlook.About MODUL University Vienna (status: March 2016)MODUL University Vienna is an international private university in Austria and is owned by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. It offers study programs (BBA, BSc, MSc, MBA and PhD programs) in the areas of international business and management, new media technology, public governance & administration and sustainable development, as well as tourism and hospitality management. The study programs meet strict accreditation guidelines and, due to their international focus, are conducted in English. The new Master of Science degree in Management is subject to accreditation by the AQ Austria. The university campus is located at Kahlenberg, in Vienna's 19th district.Scientific Contact:Prof. Astrid DickingerMODUL University ViennaDepartment of Tourism and Service ManagementAm Kahlenberg 11190 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 320 35 55 - 412E astrid.dickinger@modul.ac.atCopy Editing & Distribution:PR&D  Public Relations for Research & EducationMariannengasse 81090 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 505 70 44E contact@prd.at
The Big Salad opens new Metro Detroit training center

http://www.thebigsalad.net

http://www.thebigsalad.net

The Big Salad announced today the opening of its new company training center as the restaurant group accelerates its plans to expand its franchise footprint to open 100 stores across the country.The new 1,500 square foot facility, located at 20304 Harper Ave., Harper Woods, Mich., will initially be focused on training and development of new Big Salad franchise owner/operators, according to John Bornoty, President.The goal of our training center is to provide across-the-board consistency in training for both franchisees, and later, our Big Salad team members, Bornoty said. The centers training team is comprised of both corporate staff as well as field staff, ensuring a well-rounded learning experience for new franchise owner/operators.Consistent with the centers mission to support business expansion plans, Bornoty added that The Big Salad will soon have two new restaurants under construction in the Houston, Texas, area, making them the first Big Salad locations outside of Michigan.About The Big Salad Since opening its first location in 2008, The Big Salad has allowed people to make their meal their own. Through thoughtful planning, The Big Salad chefs are equipped to prepare more than 17 million possible iceberg, romaine or spinach salad combinations for customers right at the point of purchase with a choice of 40 toppings and 30 dressings. Additionally, The Big Salad offers a plethora of fresh sandwich and soup options, as well as putting any salad into a wrap. Currently, The Big Salad can be found in Ann Arbor (now two locations), Grosse Pointe Woods, Novi, Troy, and Charlotte. The restaurant chain has plans to open 100 stores in strategically located metro areas across the country in the next 10 years. Learn more atMedia Contact:Sue Voyles  Logos Communications, Inc.734-667-2005 sue@logos-communications.comAbout The Big Salad Since opening its first location in 2008, The Big Salad has allowed people to make their meal their own. Through thoughtful planning, The Big Salad chefs are equipped to prepare more than 17 million possible iceberg, romaine or spinach salad combinations for customers right at the point of purchase with a choice of 40 toppings and 30 dressings. Additionally, The Big Salad offers a plethora of fresh sandwich and soup options, as well as putting any salad into a wrap. Currently, The Big Salad can be found in Ann Arbor (now two locations), Grosse Pointe Woods, Novi, Troy, and Charlotte. The restaurant chain has plans to open 100 stores in strategically located metro areas across the country in the next 10 years. Learn more atPO Box 871346Canton, MI
Accsense Reintroduces A2-05 WiFi Datalogger to Distributors

World-Class Temperature Monitoring

www.DataLoggerInc.com

www.dataloggerinc.com

World-Class Temperature Monitoring SolutionCHESTERLAND, OHMarch 15, 2016CAS DataLoggers is proud to announce a newly-improved version of the popular Accsense A2-05 WiFi logger! This new version features a compact 5V power supply, making it even easier to install in hospitals and clinics. Accsense is the choice of the worlds most prestigious hospitals and clinics including Boston Childrens Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, UCLA Medical Center and many others. To learn more about these cutting-edge systems, give an Accsense representative a call at (800) 956-4437 and well be happy to help you with your questions. Call us today and learn more!Why Temperature Data Loggers?Faulty temperature control in medical refrigerators and freezers is the most common cause of damaged vaccine. The CDCs 2014 Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit states that the surest way to avoid losing these valuable vaccine supplies is to use a temperature monitoring device for every medical storage unit.Automated temperature monitoring and alarming helps to prevent the very real possibility of losing your vaccine supply in one event. For example, if a refrigerator suddenly fails over the weekend, you could return on Monday to find that its entire contents need to be thrown out! Likewise, any gaps in vaccine temperature documentation may lead to an inspector judging your supply to be unsafe and disposed of.New Redesign:Now the A2-05 logger is even easier to install since the power supply is housed inside it, so its easy to just plug into a wall outlet. Additionally, if users want to relocate the logger, they can just unplug it and the logger will continue to log while momentarily removed from the power supply. Additionally, the unit features a lithium ion backup battery pack.Wireless Temperature Monitoring is the Answer:Healthcare providers around the world are turning to Wireless Temperature Dataloggers to protect their valuable life science products. For continuous 24/7 vaccine temperature monitoring in clinics, hospitals and doctors offices, Accsense offers the A2-05-W WiFi Temperature Data Logger. These temperature monitoring systems are a cost-effective way to go wireless and get access to advanced alarm functionality including automated phone calls to multiple recipients.Each A2-05-W wireless datalogger has inputs for two external RTD temperature probes and an additional input for a thermocouple. These bestselling pods are a low-cost way to monitor a combination medical refrigerator/freezer unit or two storage units at distributed points.With the A2-05-W theres no need to buy a wireless gateway or to install wiring. Using a standard WiFi connection to the internet, the wireless data logger makes it easy to connect to your WiFi Network. The A2-05-W supports 802.11a/b/g/n specifications and also supports WEP, WPA, WPA2, 802.11i and 802.1x Supplicant.In case of a power failure or network connection loss, the data logger has an internal lithium battery to keep running for 6 hours, during which it will continue to buffer data and store up to 256 data points or until connection is restored.Cloud Storage and Alarms:Using your Accsense Online Account, you can view both live and historic data updated in real time. Just login through any Web browser to view the latest data collected by the WiFi Temperature Pod. With just a mouseclick you can view real-time reports and graphs or configure the system from anywhere an internet connection is available. All the temperature data and documentation is stored on our secure cloud servers for regulatory compliance.An Accsense Online Monitoring Subscription includes your choice of SMS text messaging, emails, pages, and sequentially-dialed voice messages, with the ability to design custom callout lists for each monitoring point. Several alarm levels and contacts are supported. You can also receive alarms and view data online from your mobile device.Alarms originate from a remote server system with redundant power, so if your facilitys power or internet service fails, you will immediately receive an alarm notification. Only Accsense offers this capability!Ultra-Low Temperature Monitoring:A popular life science application is to use Accsense to monitor Stirling Ultracold Shuttle  ULT-25 units. These portable wheeled storage units (as low as -86C) containing high-value drugs and specimens such as skin grafts. This is accomplished using the A2-05W pods thermocouple input along with a Type T thermocouple sensor.For more info on our Accsense A2-05-W WiFi Temperature Data Logger, 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
This Primary Set Early Voter Turnout Records For Chicago

By Mae Rice in News on Mar 15, 2016 7:45PM

If early voting is any indication, this is going to be a record-breaking primary in Chicago. Local voters cast a historic number of early primary votes: 129,957 of them as of 3:45 p.m. on Sunday.

This beats the 2008 primary's record by roughly 60 percent. That year, when President Barack Obama ran against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, Chicagoans cast 81,690 early ballots in the presidential primary.

This year, primary votes were cast at 51 early voting sites open in Chicago since the end of February. However, just 14 of those locations took votes this past Sunday and Mondayso tallying numbers on Sunday doesn't feel totally premature.

To complement our early voting record, Chicago has also set a record for pure voter registration this year: Cook County Clerk David Orr told the Tribune that 1,443,261 voters are registered for the 2016 primary, a record for any presidential election.

For ongoing updates on the Illinois primary, follow our live-blog, which well be updating until the polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
We love our famers markets! There are dozens in the Portland area and many more beyond. They all have a bounty of fruits, veggies and prepared foods. Some also have meats and cheeses along with fresh flowers, honey, jams and jellies, and often more.

They are all a bit different, in size and in offerings. So what are the best farmers markets in the Portland area? First, we asked our staff, and then we asked our readers to nominate their favorite three.

Now it's time to pick our People's Choice winner. (You can jump right in, if you want.)

The nominations are in, but first here's what some of our readers had to say:

"We obviously can't have every farmer's market on this list, and they are ALL awesome, but I will say I think the Oregon City Farmer's Market is better than a few on this list," said Sean Davis on Facebook. And Wendy Bumgardner also chimed in on Facebook: "The Vancouver Farmers Market should be on the list near the top. It's excellent and both Sat. and Sunday."

Sorry Wendy! It's not that we don't agree, but the Vancouver market was outside of our contest area of Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.

Another reader, Marianne Kays, wrote in an email:

"My favorite Farmers Market is OC in the Winter/Spring. I get; bee pollen, honey, cheese, sauerkraut, veggies, plants. West Linn farmers market in the summer; fresh cooked food, flowers, berries, flowers. Lake Oswego Farmer's Market [for] fresh cooked food, plants, fruit, veggies"

And finally, ORBuckey wrote in our comments:

"Lake Oswego is my favorite one. Normal people. No Portland hipster freaks. Nice view."

It turns out, our readers and our staff have a few favorites in common. In fact, only one of our staff's picks, Forest Grove, didn't make our readers' lists.

Let's review a bit: Our food writer, Grant Butler, likes the Beaverton Farmers Market and the Portland Farmers Market at PSU, as do our readers. In our reader nomination poll, those two markets tied for the lead.

Dillon Pilorget, our events writer, nominated the Milwaukie Sunday Farmers Market, and our readers agreed. The Milwaukie market tied for second with the Gresham Farmers Market, which was a market our staff hadn't noted.

Rounding out the top five is Lents International Farmers Market, also one our staff hadn't mentioned.

So now it's time to take our list of finalists and choose our People's Choice winner. The winning market will receive a "Best of" badge to display at its market site. Of course, there are rules to this contest. (See the full terms and conditions.)

Thanks to all of you who've participated in the discussion and nomination process. Now it's time for the last vote to select the People's Choice for Portland's best farmers market. The poll will be open until 11:59 p.m. March. 21.

(PS, please feel free to tell us what makes your farmers market pick special.)

-- Sue Jepsen, sjepsen@oregonian.com
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A person died on Interstate 5 in Vancouver Monday night after a driver exited the vehicle in a single-car accident, according to overnight reports.

(The Oregonian/OregonLive/file)

Update 11:23 a.m. The Washington State Patrol identified the semi-truck driver as Bharat Kumar, 52, of Stockton, California, and the driver of the second car, a KIA Spectra, as Diane Erdig, 46, of Washougal. The victim's identity, including gender and age, has not been released.

Update 8:17 a.m.

Two vehicles hit and killed a person who had gotten out of a pickup truck Monday night on Interstate 5 in Vancouver, a Washington state trooper said.

The pickup driver, whose age or identity has not been made public, was driving south when, for an unknown reason, the person got out of the still-moving truck near milepost 3, Trooper Will Finn said in a news release.

The driver was standing in the interstate's No. 3 lane when a 2015 Volvo semi-tractor struck the person. A short time later, a second car drove through the scene, striking the person again.

Both drivers remained and cooperated with emergency crews. Neither driver was impaired, Finn said.

The motorist's identity will be released after family has been notified.

The Washington State Department of Transportation reported the southbound lanes were reopened by 4 a.m.

-- Tony Hernandez

thernandez@oregonian.com

503-294-5928

@tonyhreports
Inside Bullseye Glass

Bullseye Glass in Southeast Portland manufactures glass used for architectural and art uses. The company is at the center of a hot spot for toxic metals pollution and has suspended use of cadmium, arsenic and chromium in glassmaking and has hired an environmental firm to recommend pollution controls. Kristyna Wentz-Graff / Staff

(Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

Oregon's environmental regulator on Monday pushed forward emergency rules that would close a loophole allowing glassmakers to emit heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium legally without any pollution controls.

But as the Department of Environmental Quality rushed to publish the proposal, just 23 hours before its commission votes on it, the agency couldn't say how many businesses the new rules would affect.

House Speaker Tina Kotek and 10 other Portland lawmakers immediately told the agency to slow down, asking for a 14-day delay that advocates had been seeking.

"We are concerned that the department and the commission may not involve the public in a meaningful way prior to adopting this temporary rule," they said in a letter calling for a two-week delay. "An open public process is essential in building public understanding of and trust in the eventual outcomes."

Advocates had said the timeframe was far too short for the public to provide thoughtful input on whether the proposal was sufficient.

More than a month has passed since the department said it believed two art glass manufacturers were connected to cadmium air pollution hot spots in North Portland and Southeast Portland.

Yet the agency still doesn't know how many other similar glassmakers lack pollution controls. The proposal said the state is investigating "several" small facilities but did not identify them, and a Department of Environmental Quality spokeswoman did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A review by The Oregonian/OregonLive of Portland's glass industry found at least three other companies the rules could affect: Northstar Glassworks in Southeast Portland, Glass Alchemy in Northeast Portland and Trautman Art Glass in Wilsonville. The operations are much smaller and produce a different type of glass than the factories under the spotlight.

Northstar co-owner Abe Fleishman said his company would comply with any new rules. The company is already installing a filtration system, he said. Fleishman said he's repeatedly tried contacting the Department of Environmental Quality about its response to air pollution concerns but heard nothing back.

"I do question why Northstar is not being involved in any of this stuff," he said.

Representatives of the other two companies did not respond.

The state's actions are extraordinary. It is calling a special meeting to require pollution controls from businesses that weren't on the state's radar until six weeks ago. Many environmental rulemakings in Oregon can take longer than a year.

The Department of Environmental Quality's director last month asked two glassmakers, Uroboros Glass and Bullseye Glass, to voluntarily stop using cadmium, arsenic and chromium in their colored glass manufacturing. It took Gov. Kate Brown intervening to get Bullseye to agree to stop using all chromium compounds.

The decision to voluntarily halt use of the metals has left the two companies unable to produce many colors of glass.

Bullseye's owner has said the company's future depends on finding a safe way to resume using the material. The company announced plans to install pollution controls on one of its furnaces, telling the state it planned to start construction Tuesday.

The new state pollution rules would require companies making more than 10 tons of glass a year to install controls on any furnace in which chromium, arsenic and cadmium are used.

It doesn't address other heavy metals, such as lead and cobalt, which many glass manufacturers use. It's unclear whether these metals also pose risks because the state only performed air monitoring near Bullseye for a month.

That monitoring detected high levels of lead one day, but the monthly average was below the state's safety goal. Cadmium and arsenic were detected at levels well above state safety targets.

Advocates questioned the state's rush. The rules were drafted hastily enough that in two spots they called chromium VI -- carcinogenic hexavalent chromium - chromium IV, which is not one of the metal's primarily occurring forms.

"From our standpoint the only emergency the agency wants to address is for the companies to restart full production," said Mary Peveto, president of Neighbors for Clean Air, an advocacy group. "The most protective way to approach this is to give us 14 days to provide more thorough consideration."

The state agency's governing board, the Environmental Quality Commission, meets Tuesday at 2 p.m. to consider approving the rules.

Molly Young and Fedor Zarkhin contributed reporting.

-- Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com

503.294.7657
mccourthouse.jpg

A fired school bus driver for Reynolds School District filed a wrongful termination and negligence lawsuit against the district in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday. Debra Madtson contends she was terminated after reporting that another bus driver sexually assaulted her in her bus in February 2015.

(Aimee Green|The Oregonian/OregonLIve)

A bus driver who was fired from the Reynolds School District after she reported being sexually assaulted on her bus by a fellow driver has filed a $2.5 million wrongful termination suit against the district.

Debra Madtson, who drove a school bus for the district for 17 years, reported the alleged assault in February 2015 to the district and to Gresham police the following morning. No charges were ever filed against the other driver, who drove a bus for special education students.

The alleged assault was caught on the district's bus cam video. The lawsuit claims that Madtson could be heard saying "no'' and "stop'' multiple times during the encounter with the other driver, yet police and the district concluded the sex was consensual. The suit is filed against the district, but not the other driver.

Gresham Police Officer Matthew Fagan wrote in a police report that he interviewed the other driver, who said the sex was consensual and denied assaulting Madtson. Fagan found the male driver's account consistent with the video. A Multnomah County deputy district attorney agreed, citing inconsistencies in Madston's account and declined to prosecute.

The district fired both drivers. In a March 13, 2015, letter, the district found Madtson's conduct "unprofessional and inappropriate for any workplace, but particularly a school bus parked in a public location.''

"I was in shock. I never thought I was going to be fired. I was assaulted on my bus,'' Madtson said in an interview Monday. Madtson also said she wanted to be named for this story.

The district withheld unemployment benefits from Madtson, contending the firing was due to her "willful conduct." Madtson appealed and an administrative law judge who heard testimony from Madtson, police and the school district overruled the district's findings in mid-June 2015.

The alleged assault occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2015, when Madtson was between middle school and high school routes and had parked her bus in a vacant lot near Northeast 180th Avenue and San Rafael Street. Suddenly, another bus driver appeared at the door to her bus, she said. She opened the door to find out what he wanted, and he told her, "We're gonna do this right now.''

Video showed the other driver entered Madtson's bus and started to walk toward the back. When Madtson didn't follow, he turned, placed his hands around her upper arms and tugged her toward him, according to the administrative law judge's description of the recording. Her hands were pressed against his shoulders and can be seen "exerting slight resistance against his pull.'' The male driver pivoted Madston into a bus seat and lay on top of her, the judge wrote.

The administrative law judge wasn't convinced the sexual encounter was consensual. He considered that Madtson reported the conduct to the district right away, had reported prior concerns about this driver's harassing behavior and groping and pointed to moments on the video where Madtson tried to resist the other driver's actions.

The judge also cited the testimony of a licensed clinical social worker who counseled Madtson afterward. The social worker said Madtson, a survivor of sex abuse as a child, reported "blanking out'' in the bus. That's a known survival mechanism for childhood victims of sex abuse, the social worker said in finding that Madtson's "acquiescence to her co-worker's insistence on sex was not consensual or a conscious decision on her part.''

"The video certainly demonstrates that claimant was an active participant in the encounter. However, that demonstrates, at most, her acquiescence to a situation she was facing alone on a bus parked in an isolated parking lot; it does not demonstrate her consent,'' administrative law judge Christopher C. Dorr wrote. "Furthermore, there are several points during the encounter where it appears claimant is resisting, and one where she is swatting'' the other driver away.

The ruling gave Madtson some comfort. "I finally felt vindicated - that somebody believes me, that somebody outside of it sees the truth,'' she said.

Madtson, 49, now is suing her former employer for negligence, assault and battery and sexual discrimination in Multnomah County Circuit Court. She seeks $2.5 million in economic and non-economic damages.

"They need to be held accountable for messing with somebody's livelihood and well-being,'' Madtson said. "I didn't ask for that man to stomp onto that bus. I didn't ask to be assaulted. They need to be held accountable for the damage they've done.''

Andrea Watson, spokeswoman for the Reynolds School District, said the district immediately reported the matter to local police and conducted its own investigation into Madtson's reported assault. "We believe that our response was appropriate,'' Watson said Monday. She said the district hasn't seen the lawsuit yet.

The lawsuit, filed by Madtson's attorney Christopher J. Graves, alleges that Madtson's firing was improper and that the investigation into what happened on the bus was faulty. It also contends the district was negligent in hiring the male driver, who had faced two domestic related-restraining orders in the past, and failed to properly supervise him after receiving warnings of prior sexual harassment against Madtson.

Once Madtson reported the assault to the Gresham police officer on Feb. 5, 2015, she left the district transportation office briefly to compose herself and have a cigarette. When she returned, she said, she found the officer watching the video of her alleged assault together with the school district's human resources director and other district employees.

"I couldn't believe what was happening,'' she said. "I was utterly humiliated.''

Madtson said she had planned to retire from Reynolds School District, having driven a school bus for nearly two decades. She never expected to lose her livelihood. "Everything fell apart,'' she said. "I loved my job.''

She said she got another job briefly driving a school bus for the David Douglas School District, but wasn't comfortable behind the wheel, and ultimately changed her career and is now driving semi-trailer trucks. "I felt like I was always watching my back,'' she said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
computer use by elderly

Stephanie Phelps, an AIM school student, helps Yettagene Deep use the computer at the Cascade Terrace nursing home in Portland. A study by Oregon Health & Science University finds a connection between computer use and memory among a small group of seniors.

(The Oregonian/File photo)

Oregon researchers looking for early signs of dementia found that elderly people with higher computer use had bigger brains and better memories than those who used the computer less.

That initial finding stems from a study of 27 people in Portland, between 70 and 98 years old. All had some proficiency using a computer and agreed to have their use monitored and their brain scanned.

None experienced mental problems in daily life or showed signs of cognitive impairment on tests.

"Not only were they dementia-free, they didn't even have mild cognitive impairment," said Dr. Lisa Silbert, a neuroimaging specialist at Oregon Health & Science University.

Silbert and other OHSU researchers monitored the participants' use by tracking their mouse activity 24 hours a day and seven days a week for a month. Two weeks into the monitoring, they underwent a magnetic resonance imaging of their brain.

The range of computer use varied from none to nearly 189 minutes a day, with an average of 51 minutes.

When researchers took that data and compared them with the MRI results, they found that those who spent more time in front of a computer had a relatively larger hippocampus and medial temporal lobe than the others. The researchers adjusted the results for confounding factors such as age, gender and education.

The hippocampus and medial temporal lobe are responsible for memory. Shrinkage in these areas is also associated with dementia and can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. As the disease progresses, the whole brain eventually shrinks.

Scientists at OHSU and elsewhere are looking for indicators, or biomarkers, to identify people at risk.

Right now there is no cure for Alzheimer's, which affects more than 5 million people nationwide, and there's no way to prevent or slow the disease. Any effective treatment will probably have to be started early, which is why scientists are focused on identifying biomarkers.

The high-computer users also fared better on memory tests than those who used the device less and did slightly better on a test measuring executive function, or the ability to multitask and organize.

The MRI didn't show a difference in the relative size of the frontal lobe, which is responsible for executive function, among low and high computer users.

That was a surprise to the researchers.

"I was expecting that computer use would be associated more with frontal executive function which involves multitasking and planning," Silbert said. "I wasn't expecting that it would be more clearly associated with memory."

The study, though small, indicates that lower computer use might signal someone who will develop dementia.

"Computer use could be a sensitive marker of someone at risk," Silbert said.

The scientists need to follow the subjects for years to see what happens with their cognitive function and how that compares with their computer use. The study was also limited by the small sample size.

"There are limitations to this study," Silbert said. "It needs to be taken with caution and needs to be reproduced in a larger cohort."

But she said the fact that researchers are gathering data all day and night long could allow them to establish findings with a group that's smaller than would normally be required.

The research does not show that greater computer use increases the size of the hippocampus and medial temporal lobe or that it sharpens the memory.

"This study doesn't answer that question," Silbert said. "It could be true. It raises that possibility."

The full findings will be published in May in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. An initial report has been published online.

-- Lynne Terry
A man caught on surveillance video stealing a package from a porch in Lake Oswego last week is being sought by Clackamas County deputies.



Footage from the home shows a bald man in a red and black checkered fleece jacket ring the doorbell of a home in the 16200 block of Southwest Lake Forest Boulevard around 1:15 p.m. last Friday, then pick up the Amazon.com package when he received no response and leave. It is not clear what is inside the package.



The man also appears to be wearing dark-colored pants and white sneakers with black laces. The sheriff's office asks anyone with information on who the man is to contact their tip line at 503-723-4949 or submit information online with a reference to case number 16-6670.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
AX237_4EC1_9.JPG

(AP)

An experimental drug made with pure cannabidiol, or CBD, was effective in reducing seizures related to Dravet syndrome, a debilitating form of epilepsy, the drug's maker announced this week.

The New York Times reports:

GW Pharmaceuticals said the drug, Epidiolex, achieved the main goal of the trial, reducing convulsive seizures when compared with a placebo in patients with Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. GW shares more than doubled on Monday.

The company said that patients receiving the drug saw a 39 percent reduction in the frequency of "convulsive seizures" during the trial period, the Times reports.

"I'm very proud and happy about this study because it is science -- we did things the way they should be done," the study's lead investigator, Dr. Orrin Devinsky of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at New York University Langone Medical Center, told the Times. "I would strongly advocate that in the United States we need to do systematic assessments of medical marijuana."

The results of the trial will prompt GW to request a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reports Reuters.

GW was founded in 1998 with the aim of capitalizing on the medical benefits of cannabis, while purifying the active ingredients so as to avoid psychoactive effects.

Its multiple sclerosis treatment Sativex, which is sprayed under the tongue and is distributed by marketing partners, already has regulatory approval in more than 20 countries, although not the United States.

Epidiolex, however, is commercially far more significant since GW retains full control of the product and the company has also geared the medicine's development to the big U.S. marketplace.

Writer and editor Fred Vogelstein last year spoke with The Oregonian/Oregonlive about his family's experience with Epidiolex. Vogelstein's teenage son, Sam, saw a dramatic reduction in the number of seizures he experienced daily while using the drug.

Said Vogelstein:

It's not a miracle drug in the sense that it only helps half the kids, but those are kids like Sam for whom no other drugs had been previously effective. All the kids in the trials are kids like Sam who have tried every other medicine under the sun unsuccessfully and gotten no relief.

If this drug moved that needle it would make it one of the most important epilepsy drugs ever invented.

-- The Oregonian
Justin Bieber fans who thought they were buying second-hand tickets to Sunday's Moda Center show got scammed, according to the Vancouver Police Department.

Three sets of counterfeit tickets have been reported, Washington authorities say, with a suspect selling them through Craigslist at a Vancouver parking lot.

The Moda Center show, an early stop on Bieber's "Purpose" tour, had a full house on Sunday, with first-hand tickets that ran as high as $116 before fees.

In other Bieber news, he's been in no hurry to leave Oregon: he spent the days before the tour rehearsing at Eugene's Matthew Knight Arena, and made an appearance in Bend on Monday, where he was spotted buying sneakers at a Nike store at the Factory Outlets.

And as he promised on Sunday night, he went fishing on Monday, too, posting Instagram shots of himself in action on the water. (No trout, though.) The pop star's tour continues on Tuesday night in Sacramento, California.

Have you had ticket trouble through Craigslist before? Let us know in the comments.

-- David Greenwald

dgreenwald@oregonian.com

503-294-7625; @davidegreenwald

Instagram: Oregonianmusic
Trump, Chicago, fascism: I respect everyone's right to choose and encourage all citizens to cast a secret ballot. If, however, you are considering a vote for Donald Trump, I request you please reconsider that choice.

Many will support Trump out of frustration with the growing polarity of established Washington, D.C., politics. I share that frustration with the lack of meaningful legislation and responsible governing. Unfortunately, Trump is not the answer. His brashness and lack of empathy will only lead to further obstructiveness and antagonism in our capital.

Consider for a moment what happened in Chicago on Friday: Vitriolic and racist rhetoric by Trump has turned American citizens against each other and has lead to increased violence. We can only imagine the future if this trend continues!

Cameron Urnes

McMinnville

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Trump, Chicago, fascism: Mr. Trump is not leading, and he is not "making America great." He and his followers are making America petty. He cannot even see, let alone accept, his responsibility for the vulgarity of his followers. He does not recognize his role in inciting a violent attitude. He is responsible for the vulgarity. He is responsible for the "Heil Trump!" salute that allows for the fascist exclusivity of those who are different. He is responsible for deriding and excluding those who disagree. He does not deserve our support because he is bringing America down amid hype and rhetoric of racism and exclusivity. This is fascism and not democracy in action.

Wade McJacobs

Beaverton

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Trump, Chicago, fascism: I disagree in part with syndicated columnist Clive Crook ("Trump is a lot of things, but he's not a fascist," OregonLive, March 10). Yes, Donald Trump does not adhere to the classical political and economic positions of fascism. However, one of the definitions of fascism is a political movement based on principles like belligerent racism. Trump's remarks about Muslims, Mexicans, and his contempt for protesters at his rallies demonstrate this bellicose attitude. His fiery rhetoric directly leads to such actions as one of his white supporters assaulting a black man at a Trump rally.

Every once in a while I see a bumper sticker around town that asks "Is it fascism yet?" Well, in the case of Donald Trump, it is.

James P. Freda Jr.

Southeast Portland

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Trump, Chicago, fascism: Craig Callaway (Letters to the Editor, March 10) states that he cannot wait "until the conventions are over and the general election starts and it is Hillary vs. Donald on the debate stage." Callaway claims that Hillary would run circles around Trump and "expose his ignorance on all subjects." However, according to Nathan J. Robinson, a social policy doctoral student at Harvard and the editor of "Current Affairs," Hillary Clinton has too much in her past that Trump will maliciously accuse her of, in crude Trump style, whether or not his charges are justified. Hillary will be on the defensive the entire time, and, according to her own admission in the recent Miami debate, she is not a politician. That means that she will not be able to thrust and parry with Trump and "dart in and snap his neck," as Callaway believes.

Trump is sure to make such statements as "I gave Hillary Clinton money, and she came to my wedding" -- and that will be one of his milder statements. I shudder to think how he will attack Hillary personally.

However Bernie Sanders, according to Robinson, is "almost (a) perfect secret weapon against Trump. He can pull off the only maneuver that is capable of neutralizing Trump: ignoring him and actually keeping the focus on the issues." Trump's only weapon against Sanders will be Sanders' democratic socialism, and according to Robinson, "the Soviet Union boogeyman is long gone." The American public is becoming comfortable with the term, and Sanders' policies are popular.

The only way to prevent a disastrous Trump presidency is the nomination of Bernie Sanders.

Sandra Bly

Aloha

*

Trump, Chicago, fascism: This article indicates that European citizens are "worried about their own weak economies (and are) concerned that their national values are eroding; many say war in the Middle East and poverty in Africa are someone else's responsibility." Perhaps we should now consider Donald Trump a visionary for suggesting "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."

Lee Richey

Tualatin
Shekou Area of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone is seen in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, Feb. 26, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

"We will create an investment environment that is fairer, more transparent and more predictable. China must always be a land that attracts foreign investments," said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on March 5, in his 2016 government work report delivered at the annual NPC opening ceremony.

Earlier, at a CPPCC press conference, the spokesperson, Wang Guoqing, also said that China would adhere to the policies of creating a favorable investment environment, protecting the interest of foreign investment and businesses, and making the most of foreign capital.

Some believe that China addressed its resolution of attracting foreign investment during the annual gatherings of China's top legislature and political advisory body, which effectively cast off the doubts over foreign investors and the media, since China will continue to deepen reform and opening-up, facilitate and protect foreign investment.

Although China still dwarfs many countries with its annual growth of 6.9 percent in 2015, some foreign media outlets have started to exaggerated foreign capital rushing to quit China, inciting pessimism about China's economy. At a CPPCC press conference, a Russian TASS reporter asked whether foreign businesses were treated unfairly in China recently, since some foreign businessmen, including those from Russia, have expressed such worries.

In his government work report, Premier Li quoted figures to refute such allegations. "In 2015, US$126.3 billion of foreign capital was actually utilized, up 5.6 percent," the report read. Premier Li reiterated that similar efforts for 2016 would include a continued raise of the efficiency in utilizing foreign capital while loosening the restriction on foreign investment, expanding the opening-up for the service sector and general manufacturing, and innovating the opening-up model to direct more foreign capital to the central and western regions.

The central government's requirements as reflected in Premier Li's government work report are an embodiment of the CPC's call for improving the rule of law to treat foreign businesses equally and fairly.

Channels of foreign investment amid industrial upgrade

A while ago, some foreign businesses withdrew their investment in the outflow of foreign capital from China, which, in addition to the economic slowdown, led to pessimism that questioned whether China was losing its appeal to foreign capital.

This pessimism was at most an ungrounded and misleading conclusion, since economic data and the general background of industrial restructuring could both rebut what was called the "massive capital outflow" as merely an illusion.

Data published by the Ministry of Commerce showed that during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), the FDI in China expanded 30 percent more than it was during the 11th Five-Year Plan. In 2015 alone, the FDI stood at US$126.3 billion, up by 5.6 percent year on year, hitting a historical high.

One should be aware that foreign capital in the lower-end businesses was indeed leaving China. By contrast, the FDI in the service sector, the higher-end manufacturing sector and the high-tech sector increased.

At the same time, the way China utilizes foreign capital underwent a few changes, from the previous FDI to a combination of FDI and acquisitions. In 2015, China actually utilized US$16.82 billion foreign capital via acquisitions, increasing 181 percent year on year, its proportion in the total utilization of foreign capital also increased to 14.7 percent more than the previous 5.6 percent.

These facts show that China's industrial upgrade did push out some foreign capital in the lower-end of the industrial chain, which was inevitable. As China continues to grow, it will continue to need foreign investment, but use it in different ways.

In the future, China's economic transformation will create more opportunities for foreign businesses in the following four aspects, namely, fast growth of domestic consumption, continuous urbanization, robust growth of the tertiary industry and a demand for new energy means in sustainable development.

Subtle changes taking place in Dongguan

Economists are fond of comparing Dongguan with Shenzhen, two cities in close vicinity, thinking they are representations of different levels of development. Dongguan densely accommodates labor-intensive foreign companies, making the city a hub of traditional manufacturing. By contrast, Shenzhen is home to hundreds of high-tech firms, which lead the city en route to a path of high-end research, technology and added value, making it a "City of Innovation."

The need for an industrial upgrade is looming in Dongguan. For Yuan Baocheng, a deputy to the 12th NPC, vice governor of Guangdong Province and mayor of Dongguan, it was a challenge, more so because he used to be vice mayor of Shenzhen.

Yuan said that Dongguan, or the "World's Factory" as it was also referred to, has experienced difficulties since the latest international financial crisis, such as waves of bankruptcies and an insufficiency of labor. However, the mayor said the city persevered through the pain and managed to hand over a good-looking performance sheet in the past year. He acknowledged that the success was a result of technological and industrial upgrading.

"Today's Shenzhen may be tomorrow's Dongguan. In that case, Dongguan becoming a second Shenzhen, would mean success," he said, showcasing the hard-earned achievements of the 12th Five-Year Plan.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that his country's air forces deployed in Syria would begin withdrawing from March 15.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) at a meeting held over withdrawal of Russian air forces deployed in Syria. [Photo/Xinhua]

Putin said the decision was discussed and coordinated with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a phone conversation earlier in the day, adding that "the fundamental tasks set for the Russian armed forced in Syria were resolved."

"It was agreed to withdraw main body of the Russian air forces. At the same time Russia would preserve an air flight control center in Syrian territory to monitor the ceasefire regime," according to an online Kremlin press release.

According to Putin, Russia's naval base in Syria's coastal city of Tartus, as well as the Hmeimim airbase southeast of Syria's Latakia city, would continue operation in a routine mode.

"A part of our military group has been traditionally deployed in Syria for many years and now it will be tasked to fulfill a very important job of monitoring the ceasefire regime and creating conditions for peace process," Putin added.

"I hope today's decision (of withdrawal) will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will considerably increase trust of all participants in the process," Putin said during a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Putin also ordered the foreign ministry to intensify efforts to push forward the Syrian peace process, while praising the Russian air forces in Syria for the efficient work that "created conditions for the start of a peace process."

Both Putin and Assad hoped the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, which starts Monday under the UN auspices, could bring concrete results, while the latter stressed his readiness to start political process in Syria as soon as possible.

Assad also expressed gratitude to Russia for the substantial help in the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian aid delivery to Syrian civilians.
The Midland County Board of Commissioners and Midland City Council will come together for a joint meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting, to discuss the Midland County Dashboard, will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the first floor board room at the Midland County Services Building, 220 W. Ellsworth.

The dashboard, begun in 2012, is a project of the Midland Area Community Foundation with the support and endorsement of the Health and Human Services Council.

Sharon Mortensen, foundation president, will begin Tuesdays discussion followed by Saginaw Valley State University Associate Provost Dr. David Callejo Perez, who worked on the dashboard.

The goal of the dashboard and the data it houses is to provide an accessible product for the community in a single, comprehensive and interactive website that uses data to describe community conditions relative to children and families, education, economic growth, healthy lifestyles, community safety, environmental conditions, and community civic engagement, Perez previously told the Daily News.

The dashboard can be accessed at midlandcountydashboard.org.

The initial meeting between the city council and county board occurred on March 24, 2015, when members came together in the same room to hear a report from Mortensen on Midland County: Exploring Our Future. She said the goal is to make Midland County an exceptional place where everyone can thrive.

The report was included on the dashboard along with the 2014 Midland County Community Health Survey and Report; the Community Health Improvement Plan, which was unveiled in January; and the United Way Study ALICE in Michigan, which is a statewide report that explored the lives of the working poor in Michigan, including Midland.

Conducted by the Health and Human Service Council, the Midland County Community Health Survey and Report is a public community health survey for Midland County. The Community Health Improvement Plan reported that three key areas need to be addressed in Midland County  later life quality, substance abuse disorder and obesity/healthy weight.
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South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has expressed confidence of winning the upcoming local elections.

Addressing the media in Johannesburg on Monday, Jeff Radebe, ANC's Head of Policy, said their confidence was based on what the ANC-led government had done for South Africans.

"Our track record in the last 15 years speaks for itself. We have increased the number of people who can access water, electricity and sanitation," said Radebe, who is also Minister in the Presidency.

According to him, access to electricity in South Africa has increased in the past years to 88 percent from 77 percent, access to water to 86 percent from 80 percent, and that of sanitation to 80 percent from 62 percent.

Radebe described ANC-led local governments as "fairly coherent, functional and efficient", adding the local leadership sign "performance assessment forms" to hold them accountable.

Despite challenges, the ANC has improved infrastructure and informal settlements, added Radebe.

In an apparent reference to reports claiming the wealthy Indian Guptas family was controlling the ANC and alleged infighting in the party, Radebe said the party was "in control".

He, however, admitted that the party's leadership had met the Guptas family to "iron out issues".

Speaking on the same occasion, ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said President Jacob Zuma was still "the face of the party and a good brand."

The opposition has accused Zuma of "reckless handling of the economy" and alleged corruption. The president saw a protest against him in December and survived a no-confidence vote on March 1.

Kodwa also denied the ANC was being controlled by the Guptas family.

The ANC "is a too big organization to be captured (by the Guptas) and will never be captured by any individual, company or businessmen," he said.

Kodwa said recent protests over service delivery in the country were "not a rejection of the ANC" but people were asking for corrective measures.

Local elections will be held between May 18 and August 16 for all districts and local municipalities in the nine provinces of South Africa. It is held every five years.

Voters will elect local council members, who in turn will elect mayors of municipalities.

Analysts say the ANC is facing the most fierce competition from the opposition since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Opposition parties, particularly the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), have vowed to take over Johannesburg, Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality from the ANC.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department.

Sunday, March 13

12:19 a.m.  A Mount Pleasant woman, 21, was arrested in Greendale Township for driving without a license.

10:48 a.m.  A deputy was called to a Coleman business for a report of a fire. At this time, it is believed the fire was intentionally set. Damage is estimated at $2,500.

10:51 a.m.  A Homer Township man reported his neighbors dog entered his property and killed one of his chickens. The poultry is valued at $7. Reports are being sent to Midland County Animal Control and the prosecutors office.

8 p.m.  Tools were stolen from a pole barn at a Lee Township home.

8:33 p.m.  A deputy investigated a domestic assault involving a woman, 34, and man, 47, at a Mills Township home. A report is being sent to the prosecutor.

9:40 p.m.  A deputy was sent to a Jerome Township home for a dispute over property. A report is being sent to the prosecutors office.

Saturday, March 12

2:06 p.m. A deputy was sent to Lee Township to check a report of a loud explosion. The location and source of the explosion were not found.

10:33 p.m.  A deputy assisted a state police trooper with a case of disorderly conduct in Lee Township.

Friday, March 11

4:48 a.m.  A Saginaw man, 40, was arrested in Midland for driving while his license was suspended. His passenger, a 35-year-old Saginaw woman, was arrested on a parole absconder warrant.

1:05 p.m.  A deputy was called to the Village of Sanford to investigate a case of damaged property.

9:07 p.m.  A deputy was sent to a Lee Township home for a report of a domestic assault involving a male and female, ages 19 and 17. Both suffered minor injuries. A report is being sent to the prosecutors office for review.
A Midlander accused of inappropriately photographing a young girl and possession of child porn has been found competent to stand trial.

Daniel Arthur Swarthout, 35, is jailed on a $1 million bond. He faces felony charges of child sexually abusive activity and possession of child sexually abusive material after an investigation conducted by Midland Police.

Swarthout had been ordered to undergo examinations at the states Center for Forensic Psychiatry to determine if he was competent to stand trial, as well as if he had the mental state to understand a crime was committed. At a hearing Friday morning, Midland County District Court Judge Michael D. Carpenter received reports on the evaluations, and found Swarthout competent to stand trial.

Police were called to a Dogwood Place apartment on July 29. There, the girls mother told police she was tucking her 5-year-old daughter into bed and could tell something was bothering the child. The girl told her mother it was a secret, and later said that a man who lived next door played doctor with her, touched her hips and photographed her in her nightgown while she was being cared for by a relative.

Police also interviewed the relative who was looking after the girl, who said the suspect was in her apartment to hangout and the incident occurred when she went downstairs to make lunch.

During an interview with police, Swarthout turned over his cell phone, which was taken to Michigan State Police investigators. They found inappropriate images of the victims body, as well as photos of a relative of the suspect in vulnerable and exposing positions.

Swarthout is being represented by attorney Lee Burton of Midland, who was appointed to the case.

The case is scheduled for a preliminary examination on April 5.
EAST SEA (NNS) -- On March 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 staff climbed aboard an MV-22 Osprey and flew to USS Boxer (LHD 4), off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK), in preparation for exercise Ssang Yong 2016.

From the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, Capt. H. B. Le, commodore, DESRON-7, and several members of his staff served as sea combat commander (SCC) for the exercise, which was led by Rear Adm. John Nowell, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7, and Brig. Gen. John Jansen, commanding general, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB).

As SCC, DESRON-7 was responsible for defense of the amphibious task force (DATF) against surface and sub-surface threats. Among other warfare commanders, USS Shiloh (CG 67), home ported in Yokosuka, Japan, performed duties as air defense commander for the exercise.

"This was the first time our staff participated in Ssang Yong and we welcomed the opportunity and challenge to be SCC for such a large and important exercise with our ROK allies," said Le. "Onboard USS Boxer, we had the chance to work with several ROK Navy officers from Maritime Tactical Squadron 71, who observed as we executed SCC duties in support of a combined ESG."

Le added that he looks forward to participating in more exercises like Ssang Yong that "flex the skill sets of a traditional DESRON in innovative ways."

Ssang Yong, which means "Twin Dragons," is a biennial combined exercise conducted by U.S. and ROK Navy and Marine Corps forces to strengthen interoperability and working relationships across a range of military operations from disaster relief to expeditionary operations.

Ssang Yong 2016, the largest multinational amphibious exercise ever conducted, included nearly 20,000 sailors and Marines, 19 ships, a ROK submarine and aircraft from both nations. The exercise culminated in a combined MEB-size landing March 12 with elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), 13th MEU and ROK Marine Corps Marine Task Force (MTF) from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), USS Boxer and ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111) amphibious ready groups.

"Exercises like Ssang Yong are extremely valuable opportunities to plan and operate in a complex maritime environment," said Le. "We are better operators and warfighters for having participated in Ssang Yong."

In addition to the U.S. and ROK personnel, approximately 100 soldiers from the Australian Army and 60 personnel from the Royal New Zealand Army participated in the exercise.

DESRON-7 also leads the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series, the U.S. Navy's premier naval engagement in South and Southeast Asia, as well as other bilateral and multilateral exercises in the region. 2016 marks the fourth consecutive year that "The Golden Arrows" of DESRON-7 have led CARAT on behalf of Commander, Task Force 73.

In December 2012, DESRON-7 executed an historic homeport shift from San Diego, and joined 7th Fleet's forward deployed naval forces, operating primarily throughout Southeast Asia in support of the Navy's rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific. In addition to participating in regional exercises such as Ssang Yong and CARAT, DESRON-7 serves as the primary tactical commander of littoral combat ships rotationally deployed to Singapore.

The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict.
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A Sudanese rebel group claimed Monday they killed 40 government soldiers and injured over 80 others in recent clashes in the Blue Nile state.

"The movement forces aborted a second attack within a week by government forces against the strategic area of Jebel Kalgo in the Blue Nile State," Arno Taloudy, spokesman for Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector's rebel group, said in a statement Monday.

"We killed 40 government soldiers in the clashes and injured over 80 others, while two members from the movement were killed and three others were injured," he noted.

The Sudanese army could not be immediately contacted for comment.

The area of Jebel Kalgo is located about 30 km south of the Blue Nile state's capital city of Al-Damazin, and is one of the rebels' strongholds which government forces have been attempting to reclaim.

Since 2011, the Blue Nile state has been witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the rebels.

The state bears key geographical and strategic importance, and sits on abundant natural resources. It also homes the Al-Rusaires, one of Sudan's largest electricity-generating Dams.
SINGAPORE - The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) arrived in Singapore for a regularly scheduled port visit, March 13, strengthening multilateral relationships in the region.

The Blue Ridge team consists of more than 900 members, including embarked 7th Fleet staff, Marines from Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific (FASTPAC) and the Golden Falcons of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12.

Sailors will participate in four different community service projects, conduct embassy security training and take the time to experience the local culture and food during the visit.

Its important for our Sailors to participate in community projects, not only because it allows them to experience a little bit of the culture, but it also provides them with a way to give back, said Blue Ridge Command Master Chief, Charles F. Ziervogel. Volunteering provides the best way to get to know people. If you really want to get to know someone, you work beside them.

FASTPAC Marines will conduct an engagement with the U.S. Embassy Singapore Department of State Security, focusing on improving embassy reinforcement plans. Additionally, FASTPAC will provide combat life saver, rifle and pistol marksmanship training.

By explaining and demonstrating FASTPACs capabilities, we are reminding those responsible for the security of our diplomatic posts throughout the 7th Fleet area of operations that FASTPAC is prepared to effectively react to a wide array of situations if called upon, said Staff Sgt. Christopher Buch. Joint training exercises provide us with an opportunity to build relationships and enhance our ability to effectively work together.

During downtime in port, some Sailors will also take advantage of the opportunity to participate in Home Hospitality, a program hosted by the American Association of Singapore. This program offers various forms of hospitality, where local families volunteer to provide a home cooked meal, arrange a poolside party or take Sailors on a tour of Singapore.

The Home Hospitality program is culturally beneficial to both the Sailors and the families hosting them, said Religious Programs Specialist 1st Class Brian Jewell, Blue Ridges community service coordinator. It gives Sailors the opportunity to experience local customs and provides host families with an avenue to learn more about the U.S. military.

Any effort toward the goal of forging a stronger relationship, even through small interactions and engagements, better ensures the safety and security in the 7th Fleet area of operations, said Ziervogel. The COMRELS and foreign engagements are crucial to building relationships, but our presence shows that we care about these countries and that we are there to assist when necessary.

Blue Ridge has been forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, for 36 years. As the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, Blue Ridge is committed to strengthening and fostering relationships within the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
KAMPONG SPEU PROVINCE, Cambodia (March 14, 2016) - U.S. and Cambodian forces officially opened Angkor Sentinel 2016, an annual bilateral military exercise hosted by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and sponsored by the U.S. Army Pacific, during a ceremony, March 14, at the Training School for Multinational Peacekeeping Forces in Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia.

This year marks the seventh iteration of the exercise that's designed to collectively strengthen the two countries' humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities and improve military-to-military cooperation.

"I believe the Angkor Sentinel exercise that begins today showcases some of the best kinds of things militaries accomplish for their nations and citizens," said Julie Chung, Charge d'affaires, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh. "Angkor Sentinel's activities will include training and exchanges covering humanitarian assistance, disaster response, first aid, engineering, explosive ordnance disposal, countering improvised explosive devices, transporting people and supplies, and developing leaders."

She said, "Any country - including both Cambodia and the United States - will be a better, safer place to live with military people who are skilled in these functions."

The two-week exercise brings together Cambodian Forces from the Royal Cambodian Army (RCA), National Center for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine, & Explosive Remnants of War Clearance (NPMEC), and Gendarmerie Royale Khmer (GRK), with U.S. forces from U.S. Army Pacific, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, 130th Theater Engineer Brigade, 8th Military Police Brigade, 303rd Explosive Ordinance Battalion, Idaho Army National Guard, 18th Medical Command, Asia Pacific C-IED Fusion Center (APCFC), and 413th Contracting Brigade.

Maj. Gen. Edward F. Dorman III, the commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, encouraged the more than 150 participants to enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to learn from each others expertise and absorb each others rich cultures and traditions.

"Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief are priorities for both of our countries, and as we operate together in this complex, ever-changing region, exercises like this one are critical to our regional stability and security," he said. "When we join together, train together, and grow together now, we ensure that we are prepared together for whatever the future may bring."

The concentrated training agenda includes intense academics, team-building events, and practical exercises intended to foster exchange and opportunities for the two countries' militaries to learn about each others tactics, techniques and procedures, while strengthening relationships and building the foundation for future Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises.

It's expert academic exchanges and training events will culminate in a combined situational training exercise, March 25.
The use of child soldiers has long beset Myanmar as a nation. However, the scourge may be ending soon after the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) freed dozens of soldiers under the age of 18.

International Business Times reported that MAF, also known Tatmadaw Kyi, has released 46 underage soldiers from service on March 12. The soldiers, who were wrongly recruited, were turned over to their respective families during a ceremony in Yangon, which was also attended by United Nations (UN) representatives.

An official statement of MAF said that the latest release was already the twelfth batch of child soldiers who were discharged from service. Including the recent batch, MAF has already released a total of 744 underage recruits since June 2012, when the government signed a joint action plan with the UN to end the use of children soldiers.

"The children and young people discharged will benefit from reintegration programs to help them re-start their lives and seize new opportunities for their own development and participation in the life of the country," the UN stated, as reported by Reuters.

Moreover, the UN has already initiated talks to some non-state armed groups in Myanmar that continue to recruit underage soldiers. These include the United Wa State Army and the dominant Kachin Independence Army, which rules large swaths of northern Kachin State in Myanmar.

MAF has long been accused by several human rights groups of abuses including the use of child soldiers, forceful recruitment of conscripts and land confiscation. The military has vowed to professionalize its forces when they handed the power to a semi-civilian government in 2011.

According to a 2015 report by the Child Soldiers International (CSI), the recruitment and employment of children by state armed forces and armed groups have been widespread, and it has been monitored by the UN and several human rights organizations for over a decade. Despite the government's commitment in 2012 to end the longstanding problem, a research conducted by CSI discovered that Tatmadaw Kyi continues to forcibly recruit and use underage soldiers.
Parents of a four-year-old girl are suing a Houston dental clinic after their daughter suffered from severe brain injuries after undergoing a dental procedure. The four-year-old now has impaired speech and movement, and is undergoing a series of extensive therapies in the hopes of bringing her back the way she once was.

Navaeh Hall is a repeat patient at the Diamond Dentistry, ran by Dr. Bethaniel Jefferson. That fateful day, her parents brought her to the clinic to have her decaying teeth treated and to have some caps put on.

According to a Yahoo report, the parents were told to stay in the waiting room while their daughter is undergoing the procedure. Jefferson sedated four-year-old Hall, who after sedation, began to experience seizures, as per the Texas Board of Dental Examiners stated in its suspension order.

What made Hall's condition worse was that instead of seeking emergency help to address the seizures, Jefferson administered oral medication, which delayed emergency medical attendance. According to Fox News, the heart rate of the child increased to 195 beats per minutes, and she had a very high blood pressure at 168/77. Added to this, her oxygen also dropped to 86 percent.

Jim Moriarty, Hall's attorney said that, "In essence what happened is this child was chemically and physically suffocated." He also added that, "This child suffered massive brain damage during that time period, and that didn't have to happen."

It was revealed in a review of the records by a third-party dentist, the little girl was sedated in the office for more than seven hours. She was also given five sedatives for a procedure which was supposed to have been over by mid-morning.

It was also discovered that Jefferson has been previously fined and reprimanded by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. The doctor was not just reprimanded once but twice.

According to the mom, Hall cannot talk or walk, or do things that she used to do. She added, "She even had to get surgery just to get a feeding tube into her stomach." She also said that the four-year-old girl can only "follow voices sometimes but she can't look directly at a person anymore."
United States health officials said Americans shouldn't be too concerned about the rising Zika cases in Florida. They assured the general public that the country is more equipped in combatting the virus than South American nations.

Karen Harris, the chairperson of District 12 of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told The Florida Times-Union via Jacksonville News that she has been handing out Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to each of her pregnant patients. She said women have become more inquisitive on how to prevent mosquito bites during pregnancy.

According to Miami Herald, the Zika count in Florida has reached 60 this week. Four of those cases involved pregnant women while only one acquired the virus outside the state.

The CDC website reported that a total of 193 Zika cases have been confirmed in the US between Jan. 1 and March 9. Florida leads all states in ZIka cases followed by New York, Texas and Illinois.

The Zika virus is widely-considered to be a vector-borne disease carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, recent studies have found links between Zika and birth defects in children whose mothers acquired the virus during their pregnancy. In the US, majority of the cases involve touring men passing the virus to their partners through sexual contact.

Mobeen H. Rathore, the chairperson of the Baptist Health Infection Prevention and Control Committee said Zika could spread even more in the US since the Aedes aegypti mosquito is already nesting in 32 states. On the other hand, he reasoned that the country's better living conditions, mosquito control and healthcare system will stop Zika from becoming an epidemic.

Jill Bodden, the Women's Services chief at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, revealed that health care providers have been getting more questions from pregnant women about the dangers of Zika. That said, expectant mothers aren't overly worried if they haven't been out of the country.

"They're aware, but there is no panic or anything like that," said Bodden. "It's very calm. They understand the seriousness of it, but there is no need to panic at this time."
As many as 13.1 million people residing along coastlines of the United States could be forced to relocate inland by the end of the century due to the rising sea levels caused by the worsening climate change. This is according to a new study that warns that the number of Americans who are at risk of flood by 2100 is larger than early projections.

Los Angeles Times reported that it has been projected that the seas in shoreline communities could rise by more than three feet by the end of the century if the levels of carbon emissions could not be reduced. It is expected to affect 4.2 million Americans.

However, a recent study, published in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Climate Change on Monday, found that the estimated number of coastal residents who are threatened by the rising sea levels is actually three times higher than early figures. The authors said that previous projections had immensely underestimated the number of people at risk as they do not include population growth. Accounting future population estimates, they found that the sea-level rise could be six feet by 2100 and could affect 13.1 million coastal residents.

The researchers said that a migration, similar to the Great Migration of southern African-Americans to the North during the 20th century, could be expected if there will be no apt implementation of protective measures. This mass relocation could cost $14 trillion.

Florida faces the biggest risk with six million residents who could be affected by the rising sea levels. California and Louisiana could also be impacted with one million residents each.

Commenting on the study, Benjamin H. Strauss, an expert on sea-level rise of climate change research organization "Climate Central," told The New York Times that past estimates were indeed too conservative. He, however, said that the latest study had overstated the number of affected coastal residents.

Strauss stated that the continuation of current development patterns through the rest of the century seems like an unlikely future. He explained that "as sea levels continue to rise and coastal problems become glaringly obvious, coastal development and real estate will have to change."
Netflix is getting deeper into the original programming game, and one of its latest offerings is Love, starring Gillian Jacobs (best known for Community and that awesome stint on Girls) and Paul Rust. Its a comedy about two single LA denizens who cross paths and enter a slo-mo rom-com minus the formulaic structure. Rust plays Gus, a suddenly single aspiring TV writer whos stuck as an on-set tutor, opposite Jacobs Mickey, a satellite radio program director and bona fide mess.

There actually isnt much love in Love, and thats part of what makes it relatable. It has the rom-com charm of people flirting and initially connecting through a shared sense of humor, but the realism of them failing to understand each other further down the line. Written by Rust with wife Lesley Arfin, its produced by Judd Apatow and benefits from Apatows penchant for letting the air out of his comedy and allowing things to develop more slowly. Heres a few reasons why its worth some of your valuable streaming time:

Love isnt an especially joke-heavy show, but it wrings humor from seeing its main characters trying and failing to relate to each other, as Gus and Mickey repeatedly make their own livesand their interactionsmore difficult. And slowing the rhythm down helps play out the cringe-y moments that would be otherwise lost in a movie or a show that moves at a network pace. Instead, we can enjoy the slow-motion crash of a bad date when Gus chokes on his dinner and gets Heimliched in a full restaurant, or when Mickey drops acid with Andy Dick and gets lost on the LA subway.

Admittedly, at first I leaned toward disliking this show. The nerdy nice boy who cant quite capture the attention of the easy-breezy but aloof girl was one Id already had my fill ofhasnt Woody Allen already covered that ground? Gus is the kind of dude who can talk his way out of a threesome, the sort who shows up to parties 20 minutes early. Mickey is the kind of woman who convinces everyone to jump in the pool at a party before immediately injuring herself, the kind of woman who gets high before going into her AA meeting.

But as the first season of Love progresses we come to see the darker sides of their personalities, and thats when the show most captured me. It turns out Guss niceness is actually passive aggression, and Mickeys flakiness is just a cover for her abandonment fears. It turns out Gus isnt the lowly loser he seemed, that he can actually bag a cheesily boring hot actress, and that Mickey actually deeply needs attention and she can spiral out obsessing about Gus when the energy between them feels weird.

Normally I dont love shows about shows or Hollywood telling the story of Hollywood, because it too often feels insular and less than relatable. But Guss job as an on-set tutor for a fictional drama cheekily named Witchita is just close enough to the action to seem exciting while showing how utterly demoralizing that sort of proximity can have for someone with creative aspirations. Not to mention how much Loves writers have made Witchita purposely bad. Theres the stilted dialogue, the way all the leads look like carbon copies of a CW show circa 2004, and Witchitas showrunner Susan Cheryls (Tracie Thoms) self congratulatory airs. And Iris Apatow plays Arya, Witchitas lead and Guss main student, as the perfect misunderstood child actor brat managing to be both infuriating and lovable at once.

Speaking of those smaller roles, Love is rife with an outstanding supporting cast. Brett Gelman steps in as Dr. Greg Colter, Mickeys boss at the radio show, who is the perfect mix of cringe-y inappropriate crush on Mickey with professional therapist who can call her on her shit. Australian comedian Claudia ODoherty appears as Bertie, Mickeys sweet, attention-seeking roommate who goes on a date with Gus, and those who grew up on The State will be psyched to see Kerri Kenney as Mickeys been-there-done-that new mom neighbor, Syd. I was most excited to see Charlyne Yi as Guss bestie, Cori, who gets together with Gus and their other friends to write theme songs for movies that dont have any. Sadly, theres tragically little of her, and I can only hope that in the shows second season Cori becomes more prominent.

Love explores the existential crises brought on in your thirties, especially for those who opted out of marrying young and having kids. Whereas ones twenties are often about playing at adulthoodmoving in with a significant other, throwing dinner parties, getting that stable jobthe thirties are about discovering that you do not have your emotional shit together. And a heightened version of this is exactly the place Gus and Mickey are in. Sure, they have steady jobs and can easily afford their rent, but their lives are falling apart. And they need only look in the mirror to find the person at fault for it.







Erica Lies is a writer and comedian in Austin, Texas. Her work has appeared in Splitsider, Bitch, Rookie Mag and The Hairpin.
Horror remakes happen all the time. Theyre practically a genre tradition. Think The Blob 88, or Invasion of the Body Snatchers 78, or John Carpenters masterpiece The Thing (which itself was subject to remaking in 2011). You can even go back as recently as 2015s Poltergeist, 2013s Carrie or the Japanese horror remake trend of the early to mid 2000s, which saw titles like The Ring and Ju-On: The Grudge repeatedly translated into American product. So it goes. For whatever reason, horror, maybe more than any other genre, is forgiving of unwanted updates and modernizations of its classics and essentials, even if horror fans themselves are typically less so.

But to paraphrase an old bromide, just because you can remake a horror movie doesnt mean you should. Case in point: Cabin Fever, Eli Roths 2002 gorefest debut, which has been given a 2016 makeover by Travis Zariwny, styled here as Travis Z. (The ariwny is silent.) Why so soon? Well, define soon. Lions Gate and DreamWorks barely waited a minute to pounce on their Japanese acquisitions, after all, but Cabin Fever is a U.S. property. Fourteen years feels like a blip when even the most franchised American horror iconsJason, Freddy, Michaelwere each given grace periods just shy of three decades before studios decided to put a fresh coat of paint on their timeworn chassis.

No matter. Cabin Fever 16 is here. You asked for it, apparently, but then again did anybody really? Since 2002, the film has inspired a pair of rotten follow-ups that make Roths own efforts look downright sophisticated. This isnt a franchise the world needed or asked to see renewed, though on paper the exercise sounds very nearly avant-garde: Zariwny used Randy Pearlsteins shooting script from 2002, trimmed down by about 30 pages or so. (Why? Does Roths version not get to the carnage and rampant softcore sex fast enough or something?) Thats close to exciting in theory, and kind of abominable in practice. Sure, Zariwnys film uses different shots, different scenery and different cast members, and sure, theres a slight uptick in viscera, too, which should satisfy horror fans who only embrace horror that pushes the boundaries of what causes ones stomach to churn and what does not. But thats not enough to justify his experimentation, much less make it good.

Cabin Fever 16 is functionally the exact same film as Cabin Fever 02, right down to the plot formula: Kids go to a cabin in the woods to party, kids contract a flesh-eating virus, kids get dead, gruesome as you please. That, right off the bat, should tell you whether theres anything here for you, and whether youre just better off watching literally anything else and getting on with your life. Maybe thats not enough to hold against Zariwny, who made it his goal to expunge Roths film of its humor and turn one of the characters, Bert, into a tolerable human being. On the first count, Zariwny succeeds. On the second, he fails grandly by turning Bert (played by Dustin Ingram) into a whiny gaming addict who inexplicably happens to be in possession of Chekhovs assault rifle.

Bert is only one component of Cabin Fevers overall scheme, but he may be best representative of what makes the film such a chore to endure: The whole thing is a likability vacuum. Roths characters werent especially charming, either, but his movie at least tried to excuse their lack of good graces by going out of its way to identify them as walking genre tropes. By contrast, Zariwnys film utterly lacks that quality of self-awareness, which makes his casts uniform awfulness doubly glaring. Its common for horror audiences to tap into the lizard center of their brains and watch in macabre glee as characters on screen are knocked off one by one. In Cabin Fever, we dont even get to that point. This lot is so unbearably dull to watch that wed rather just check out before watching them get their bloody just desserts (which, quite frankly, are not demonstrably bloodier than the just desserts of the original).

If theres a saving grace here, its that whether by design or not, Cabin Fever has a lot to say about our current American epidemic of social paranoia, about gun control, and about anti-vaxxing. Or scratch that: It has nothing to say about any of them beyond bringing them up through subtext. These are subconscious fears, the sort that accidentally make their way into horror movies no matter the era, and the fact that they surface in Cabin Fever proves Zariwny has more than a few somethings on his mind. Why he included those somethings in a repackaging of a horror flick nobody wanted repackaged to begin with, though, is a whole other kettle of necrotized fish.

Director: Travis Z

Writers: Randy Pearlstein, Eli Roth

Starring: Samuel Davis, Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario, Nadine Crocker, Dustin Ingram, Randy Schulman, Louise Linton

Release Date: March 18, 2016

Boston-based critic Andy Crump has been writing online about film since 2009, and has contributed to Paste Magazine since 2013. He also writes for Screen Rant, Movie Mezzanine, and Birth.Movies.Death. You can follow him on Twitter and find his collected writing at his personal blog. He is composed of roughly 65 percent craft beer.
Despite all of the rhetoric about Trump demolishing his opposition, the reality is that he has 460 delegates, while Ted Cruz has 370. The 90-delegate difference may seem stark, but the Republican nominee will need 1,237 delegates in order to snag the nomination. Cruz and Trump are truly neck-and-neck in this monumentally important race. Now seems like the perfect time to evaluate the policies of the never-elected real estate developer and the universally-loathed Tea Party senator to determine who would be best to run the most powerful nation in the world.

In the eyes of Ted Cruz, a democratic United States is one in which, with the general reduction of the federal government, the public will be free to exercise their constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness. Except homosexualsthey wont be allowed to marry. And womentheir sexual health decisions must be approved by the Federal Government.

In Ted Cruzs America, Obamacare will finally be repealed, the alternative to which Cruz will eventually, maybe, figure out. But the importantand wonderfulnews is that the public will finally be free from cost-effective health care. And additionally, perhaps fantastically, in Ted Cruzs America, religious rights are fiercely protectedeven if they conflict with rule of law.

Ted Cruz vows to protect Christians that are being "marginalized and harassed for their beliefs." But only Christians will be protected from harassment and marginalization. Muslims, of course, will not. In this case of religious liberty, Cruz believes that Attorney General Lynchs pledge to intervene when anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions become violent is actually "muzzling" Americans free speech. Moreover, in a Cruz America, only Christian Syrian refugees will be granted asylum into the United States, contingent upon a religious test, so that Muslims will not be able to sneak through the border.

Cruz is, in fact, so fiercely dedicated to protecting US soil, that he plans to carpet bomb ISIS into oblivion. His ambition is clear, but not to the degree that it is blindinghe does acknowledge the limitations of his knowledge, admitting, "I dont know if sand can glow in the dark, but were going to find out." Cruz does not allow the fact that carpet bombing is classified as a war crime to stop him from engaging in this learning experience with the U.S. public.

If your ideal America is governed by a hypocritical, radically religious, trigger-happy, Canadian-born man, Cruz is the ideal president for you!

If you favor Cruzs hypocrisy, but are somewhat hesitant on some of his other issues, Trump may very well be a viable candidate for you to consider! He has flip-flopped on almost every position he claims to hold strong opinions on, including abortion, guns, health care, and even Hillary Clinton.

Besides his unapologetic inconsistency, there are many other reasons for desiring a Trump presidency. Trump is, after all, a successful businessman. If you want him to run the United States like a business, he is the candidate for you. Of his 16 major businesses, he only ran nine of them into bankruptcy. If his odds hold, theres a 43% chance the United States will be the "Trump Towers" of Donald Trumps empire, as opposed to "Trump Steaks" or "Trump University."

This is a chance that you might be willing to take, especially if you are sick of being covertly racist, and want to move into an area of overt discrimination and racial hatred. Whether hes calling Mexican immigrants drug dealers and rapists or claiming American Muslims should wear holocaust-esque special "IDs", Trump is definitely normalizing hateful rhetoric. This might be the opportunity that youve been waiting for, and if the Trump presidency becomes a reality, you can follow in his footsteps of mass deportations, but not have to feel concerned about deporting immigrants that are working for you, because Trump doesnt plan to do so either. Beyond immigrants, if you are tired of refraining from insulting women, Trump is the man for you; with his long record of sexist comments, a Trump presidency would mean a reduction, or abolition of, "womens rights"you will finally have the opportunity to oppress at least half of the US population.

But, most importantly, if you want a leader that has never worked in politics but builds power through sexist and racist rhetoric, Trump is your man. And crucially, if you want a leader who is almost always wrong but kinda sounds right, vote Trump!

So, youve heard the case for each. Which of these two fantastic candidates do you hope to rule the most powerful nation in the world? The decision, America, is yours.
I tell Eskimeauxs Gabrielle Smith that I hope she wont find my next statement creepy. She says the interviews been going fine so far, so Im free to ask away. I admit to her that I can vividly recall the moment, the time of day, the position of the sun, even where I was on my lawn, with earbuds snugged in, when I first heard the Eskimeaux song I Admit Im Scared

Eskimeaux songs are emotionally tremulous like that; their evocative heft may be undermined by some of their minimalist constructions or even by Smiths own delicate and dulcet voice, but when you hear em, you dont forget em.

Well, first of all, thats not creepy at all, Smith says, with gratitude. Her Brooklyn-based quartet, with Oliver Kalb on synth, Jack Greenleaf on bass and Felix Walworth on drums, are putting out their new EP Year of the Rabbit on Double Double Whammy on April 22. And while Im referring, above, to a song from their 2014 breakout record O.K., its still an opportune time to ask her about her songwriting process and whether she has an audience of listeners in mind who could be comparably swooning to these songs of hers, what with their keen compassion for the natural turbulences of the human condition.

Thats a hell of a lot for one question, but Smith tackles it

Okay, this is hard to verbalize, so stick with me I write songs as though theyre letters to myself. Often [writing songs] is a way of crystalizing a feeling, a happy feeling or an angry feeling, or just a feeling Im not comfortable with, and then pushing away from my body and looking at it all objectively. I dont feel like I can just let it sit inside of me, and I need to have a moment away from it and examine it.

So each song is a way of taking that feeling and learning from it, learning whether its something I want to push back inside myselfkeep going with me on this metaphorput back inside myself and know that its something that empowers me, or if its something that represents a fucked up time that Im now glad to not be a part of any longer and can now remove it by writing a song about it.

Ive heard countless songwriters equate their music to therapy, but Smith makes it sound more like surgery.

I feel lucky to be able to find out (through music) that the things that are important to me or the things that I go through are normal. And I also feel lucky that Im able to verbalize it in a way that other people can relate tosimultaneously making somebody else feel like theyre not alone in whatever experience theyre having and can somehow relate to mine. So that Im not alone in the experience, myself, because other people get me.

So I dont know if its that Smith gets us so well or if that we get her, but the Eskimeaux frontwoman seems to be a natural lyricist, and the bands latest batches of songs, even on the lissome new EP, are plucking lots of heartstrings, both wistful and ecstatic.

Smith has been creating songs under the moniker of Eskimeaux since about 2007, back when it was an experimental solo trip. The name draws from Smith, who was adopted, having had little concrete information about her birth family other than knowing her father is Tlingit eskimo. (To clarify, this particular Alaskan tribe is not Inuit and considers eskimo to be an inoffensive term).

Smith started her first recordings during a brief stint in New Jersey, with a days worth of recordings cobbled together with its proof of her productivity serving mostly to spite an ex-boyfriend. But soon, some encouraging roommates released these ambient, noise-experimentations via their net-label, and things kinda started rolling from there.

Even then, after settling in Brooklyn, Eskimeaux has gone through several iterations, not just sound and style, but also personnel. Smith, of course, has been the constant. She admits that it certainly solidified when she started hanging out with Kalb and Walworth at Bard College, even if she was hesitant to embrace more of a guitar-rock format.

I had a very closed mind, initially, and for a long time, Smith said about her judgments about what the band would sound like and who the band would include. I feel like the most important word to me wasor at least the way I wanted my music to come across as, was: nauseating! I mean in a transporting sort of way, like transporting you to another state, like motion sickness. I mean that in a healthy way, (laughs).

Talk about motion sickness. Smith used to do lots of her songwriting, (lyrics, at least) while riding public transportation. You can see the scribbly-est handwriting if you peak at her notebooks, because of the bumps on the bus. But Smith said she sort of thrives in that kind of on-the-go turbulence.

Speaking of on-the-go, Smith not only fronts a band with Kalb, Greenleaf, and Walworth, but she also collaborates with those gents in a handful of other bands. While she balances tours with other bands like Bellows and Told Slant, shes also finishing up her tenure as keyboardist for Frankie Cosmos. Eskimeaux, meanwhile, is hitting its highest gear of propulsion, in terms of business, that Smith can ever recall. And it all sprang from about 2015-onwards, since the release of O.K.

I feel like even when I was younger and my life wasnt as productively chaotic as it is, now, I would still create a lot of chaos or create a lot of transience in my life. Ive always been, well, not nomadic, but, Ive always kept my fingers in many pies. And, so, yeah, a lot of my learning how to write songs was done while writing the bus from Philadelphia to New York, or on the subway, too.

One key way Smith has found some order out of chaos was in co-founding an art collective in Brooklyn called the Epoch, which counts Frankie Cosmos and Eskimeaux under its banner, along with Told Slant (ft. Walworth, Kalb and Smith), and Bellows (again, ft. Walworth, Kalb and Smith). The Epoch became a way of empowering each other and keeping in touch with each other; a clubhouse of support, really, or something akin to a creative family.

The Epoch is very overlappy as Smith put it; in the way each of the bands in it swap or share members. She makes it sound very rewarding and optimal for each individual artist involved, as well as their respective bands, and I cause her to laugh nervously when I suggest that healthy and incestuous arent usually used in the same sentencebut! But

But it was Frankie Cosmos Greta Kline who served as one of the biggest motivators for Smith, when it comes to getting Eskimeaux going. When I discovered [Frankie Cosmos] I asked myself: what am I doing with my life? This girl has 30 albums, and Ive been sitting on [O.K.] for two years This is around 2013-2014, when Smith found herself in Chicago for a confounding three months. She decided not only to move back to Brooklyn but to take up a song-a-day project, banging out brilliant pop songs (and a handful of trippier, gothic ambient trips) and accelerated her way toward completing what became her breakout album.

Smith is still interested in creating that motion-sickness feeling with her weirder sides, even though the song youve streamed above is more inclined to indie-pop. Dont read Smith as some guitar-loving sunshine pop wunderkind. She actually had a strong aversion to traditional rock formulas for years. That said, you can anticipate a variety when it comes to Eskimeaux, the breezy, blue-sky sunshine and the headier, shades-drawn, dark night of the soul expansions.

I feel like there are two modes of Eskimeaux, said Smith. And, itll be interesting, because the demos Ive been working on for the next record are back to that healthy nauseating vibe. More intense, ya know? Denser, darker-soundingor at least some of them. And then others are very poppy and upbeat.

So, it will be weird trying to make a cohesive record out of it, but whatever happens, I want to make sure to teach the band all of these songs by the time we get to the studio, have them all already arranged. That way, we can capture some of that fast, riffy, poppy-Eskimeaux and then the slower-gothic-Eskimeaux, and be able have the band gracefully marry each of those versions of the band.

Sounds potentially chaotic. But, like, healthy chaos. Thats just Eskimeauxs speed.
For those who have never been, Boulder may conjure up images of University of Colorado students strapping on skis to get through the snow to class, but the city offers many attractions beyond the winter months. Springtime in Boulder can still mean snow (March is the snowiest month in Colorado), but it typically melts off quickly and there are enough warm days for visitors to sip a Saison on a patio while tulips emerge from planters nearby.

As you drive from Denver to Boulder on Highway 36, a set of sharp slanted rock outcrops on the Rocky Mountains come into sharper viewthe Flatirons. The sandstone formations offer a striking backdrop during a visit to Boulder. The city sits at an elevation of 5,430 feet and offers a gateway to the mountains for visitors and its approximately 100,000 occupants alike.

Boulderitesone-third of which are between the ages of 18 and 24are known for their enthusiasm for the outdoors and a healthy lifestyle, and the city has good options for foodies and beer enthusiasts. The bike and pedestrian-friendly nature of the city also makes it easy for travelers to navigate.

Morning

Begin your visit in Boulders downtown area, which is centered around Pearl Street. Head to Snooze, a popular breakfast spot with retro hip decor that got its start in Denver. Sit in one of their circular booths or on the patio, and try a sweet offering like the pineapple upside down pancakes, or a savory option like the Bella! Bella! Bennyan Italian twist on a benedict with prosciutto and arugula on toasted ciabatta bread. The earlier you arrive the better, as the wait can be long (but worth it). If you are in more of a coffee and croissant mood, head to The Cup Espresso Cafe nearby instead, and start your day with a hot latte poured with an artful steamed milk design or a cold nitro coffee served on draft. The cafe has a relaxed atmosphere with brick walls and chalkboard menus mounted on the walls, and during warm weather, their side doors are rolled up to open up the space.

After breakfast, walk west (toward the mountains) and then take a left on 13th street and head toward the Boulder Creek path. Youll pass by the Dushanbe Teahouse, a gift from Boulders sister city in Tajikistan. The buildingfeaturing colorful ceramic floral patterns on the exterior (pictured above) and a hand-carved and painted ceiling on the interiorwas made in Tajikistan and then shipped in pieces and reassembled in Boulder. Next to that is the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, which features rotating exhibitions. The museum is scheduled to reopen after a renovation on April 1 with an exhibit by sculptor and installation artist Martha Russo.

Continue walking to the Boulder Creek patha stretch of over five miles that runs through the city. In warm weather, you will see people tubing and wading in the water. Walk along the path or rent a red cruiser from Boulders B-cycle bike share program to explore more of it.

Afternoon

When you are ready for lunch, make your way back to the Pearl Street. Brasserie Ten Ten serves French food in an unpretentious atmosphere with mosaic tiled floors, big windows, and exposed brick walls. Order a cup of soupe a loignon and a salad, or the steak fritesa sliced hangar steak served with fries and an arugula salad.

After lunch spend some time exploring the Pearl Street Mall. The four-block pedestrian section was created almost 40 years ago and is a popular spot for a variety of street performers that can range from a string quartet of buskers to a performer juggling fire sticks. In the pedestrian mall, check out Boulder Book Store, a three-story independent bookstore with a large collection of books and small gift items. The Beat poet Allen Ginsberg did readings here (he lived in Boulder and taught at Naropa University). Also stop by Alpine Modern a shop whose mission, according to their website, is to  elevate the modern design and lifestyles of mountain communities around the world. The Boulder flagship store, located in the stark modern space just off Pearl Street, sells items from local and global artists including blankets, small wooden animal sculptures, and wall art.

Walk east of the pedestrian mall (away from the mountains) to another collection of shops and restaurants. Common Era offers trendy womens clothing and accessories at reasonable prices. Bliss sells stationery and small gift items like candles, kitchen and baby items. At the small European-style grocer Cured you can buy local cheeses, gourmet oils and jams, and oversized pretzels.

Evening

For dinner, head to the buzzing contemporary restaurant Oak at Fourteenth on Pearl Street. Respected owner and chef Steven Redzikowski creates local and seasonal food focused on an oak-fired oven and grill. Try a warm bowl of shrimp and grits served in a slightly spicy Tabasco sofrito sauce for a twist on the traditional dish. You can also choose a cocktail from their menu that helpfully divides your choices between no, low, or high alcohol content so you can pace yourself accordingly.

After dinner, walk to the Bohemian Biergarten and take a seat at one of their communal wooden tables in the beer hall-like surroundings. Try one of the rotating drafts identified by handwritten chalk signs at the bar. Options could include a seasonal beer from Denvers German-style brewer Prost, or a Warsteiner Dunkel or Oktoberfest.



Photo courtesy of Boulder CVB

Morning

Make your way to Chautauqua for a closer view of the Flatirons. The Colorado Chautauqua was opened in 1898 as a summer educational retreat in support of the Chautauqua adult education movement. Fun literary fact: the Colorado Chautauqua area makes an appearance in Stephen Kings book The Stand (King lived in Boulder briefly in the 1970s). Now, the National Historic Landmark includes a collection of small cottages and lodges, a dining hall, and an auditorium set next to an open space with hiking trails.

The Chautauqua Dining Hall (pictured above), a historic building over 100 years old, is a great spot for breakfast. On warm days a view from the wraparound patio will allow you to dine on a croque madame and coffee while you take in a view of the mountains. The inside of the dining hall has a rustic mountain lodge charm, thanks to fireplaces and historic photos, and is a good place to warm up on cooler days.

After breakfast, walk toward the Flatirons to the Chautauqua park area. Take some scenic photographs of the mountains, and then hike a little way up the trail to get a view of the city. If you are feeling more ambitious (and outfitted with the right shoes, clothing, and supplies) you can hike the 6.9-mile Mesa Trail from this trailhead. If you are feeling less ambitious, spend some time exploring the nearby historic cottages and park.

Afternoon

While you wont see any students skiing to class (they just walk), its worth exploring the flagstone architecture on the University of Colorado campus. After walking around campus, visit the adjacent University Hill area for lunch. The Sink is a Boulder institution that serves a range of pizzas (including some gluten-free options) and has been running on wind power since 2006. The interior has low ceilings covered in customer-created graffiti, and the walls are decorated with comedic murals. Look for the one depicting Robert Redford cleaning uphe worked as a janitor at the restaurant in 1955.

Spend your last few hours of daylight in Boulder exploring craft breweries. Pick up a map showing locations to 20 breweries and 9 wineries and distilleries in the area at the Visitors Center on Pearl Street, or check it out online. You can rent a B-cycle to pedal between stops or hop on a Boulder bus (one line of which is literally called, the Hop). Try a Sweaty Betty Blonde Hefeweizen at Colorados first craft brewery Boulder Beer Company, which opened in 1979. Visit Mountain Sun, a brewery that embraces Boulders hippie roots, and is decorated with tapestries and colorful sun murals. You can choose from a rotating selection of beers like the Colorado Kind American Ale and the No. 1 Belgian Tripel, but bring cash because they dont accept credit cards.

Evening

As the sun sets but you continue to barhop, check out FATE Brewing Company to sample the Laimas Kolsch. Stay for a casual dinner of burgers or sandwiches featuring house-smoked brisket or pastrami. If you need a change of pace from beer, stop by the J&L Distilling tasting room to sample a cocktail made with their Sno vodka or gin.

Finish your visit with a show at one of Boulders music venues that draw national touring acts. The historic Boulder Theater on Pearl Street hosts live music and films throughout the year in a space that originally served as an Opera House. The Fox Theater on University Hill is a 625-seat venue that offers a steady stream of live music options.

Getting There:

Denver International Airport (DIA) is the best option to fly into and is served by many airlines including United, Frontier, and Southwest. The drive from DIA to Boulder takes about 45 minutes. You can rent a car or book a ride with SuperShuttle or Boulder Green Ride.

To Stay:

The Hotel Boulderado in downtown Boulder was built in 1909 and features a stained glass canopy ceiling and rooms with historic Victorian charm. Rooms start at $199. The hotel also houses Spruce Farm & Fish, a restaurant focusing on fresh and local foods; and License No. 1, a speakeasy style bar.

St. Julien Hotel & Spa is a 201-room luxury hotel just off Pearl Street Mall with rates starting around $319 in the spring and summer months. The sleekly designed hotel houses a 10,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility with an indoor lap pool.

Julie Vick is a writer in Colorado who lived in Denver for 10 years. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and McSweeneys Internet Tendency.
This is a work of fiction. It is satire. It is not real. None of this ever happened or ever will happen. Enjoy.

Fan Fiction: Jamie and the Big Show Meet in the Darkness

TLDR: We all know that this is where this column was heading.

I had another piece written for this weekless than three weeks away until I get to chase the Big Show around the AT&T Stadium for a project that, as many of mine have, was a quest for knowledge that slowly became a fixation on a sweet person whose life I think I could ruin.

Anyways, I keep having sex dreams about the Big Show. So instead of our normal fare, pals, I have today compiled some fan fiction that features me and Show, which (lets be honest) is all anyone is reading for anymore and thats okay with me. If this isnt actually how sex works, please do not tell me.

WARNING: This will absolutely make you cum.

It was hot in the stands at Wrestlemaniaabsurdly hot. Young intrepid reporter Jamie Loftus was fanning herself in the bleachers of AT&T Stadium as a bevy of sweaty men from Nevada pounded eight dollar hot dog after eight dollar hot dog.

What match you excited for? one asked, instantly sweating eight dollar hot dog from his pores. His friend ate three eight-dollar hot dogs in a single bite before answering.

Im down for whatever, he answered, the eight-dollar hot dog oozing from his blackheads as if run through a pasta strainer. Except for Big Show. The men laughed and laughed as eight-dollar hot dog spewed from their mouths, drenching everyone within a three-seat radius.

The third friend, cis-trash who was probably named Erik, piped up. Enough talk about Big Show, he said. Lets go sexually harass people.

Intrepid reporter Jamie Loftus sat a row behind them, marveling that the WWE refused to recognize her as either intrepid or a reporter. Still, she was here, a woman alone, searching for her true love, as all women are beholden to do at all times until true love is found. The matches that day had been goodthe Wyatt Family had worn fedoras so large they could be seen from the bleachers and toppled their balance, the divas had only been spoken down to five times in the space of a match, and rumor had it that Hornswoggle was planted somewhere in the audience to be revealed when the moment was right. The New Day had brought a full brass band. The Rock showed up for a few minutes because of that contract he signed in blood and semen many years ago.

But there was something missing.

As the main event approached, she reflected on the events of the past night. She had been pretty drunk when she crashed through that glass window after thinking she saw the Big Show on the other side of the dirty apartment she was splitting an Airbnb with. The wounds scabbed over pretty quickly, but the emotion smarted.

Did Big Show get my letter? she had wept through a thick whiskey fog as her Airbnb roommates laughed hard enough to enjoy themselves, but not so hard that they would feel guilty if she died from blood loss. Did he?

Jamie winced as the next match between Roman Reigns and a snack-sized portion of vanilla pudding began. Why had she even written that letter?

What letter? asked a woman sitting behind her who happened to be able to read thoughts. I happen to be able to read thoughts.

Jamie sighed deeply as the cup of vanilla pudding performed an impressive exploder suplex on the otherwise defenseless Reigns. She pulled her phone out, tapped in the passcodeKNUCKLEHEADand scrolled past a few choice nudes to the letter.

Well,

Its Jamie, Paul. I know you werent expecting to hear from meespecially after how we left things after Summerslambut Ive been thinking about things, and I want to give us another shot. When we kissed, I wasnt Jamie Loftus, woman who will not be recognized by the WWE as a reporter, and you were not the Big Show. I was Jamie Loftus, woman who had traveled six hundred miles to catch you on the way out of a nightclub, and you were Paul Wight, seven foot wrestling champion with a sordid arrest record and a heart of gold thats constantly threatening to explode.

I know its been awhile since you heard from me, and Im sorry I called you a vaping bastard. And I know youre probably wondering why Im writing after six months. Because the night we had sex against a Hummer and were almost arrested and then you killed the police officer with your bare hands and then we watched your shitty movie Knucklehead back to back for the better part of a week was the best time in my life.

I dont care if you have a small wife and big sons. I dont care if you exposed yourself to a bellhop in 1998. I dont care that you broke someones jaw at a Marriott in 1999. Why do all your legal scraps take place in hotels? Just kidding, I dont care, Show, because I love you and that was a test but also, I would truly like to know.

Ill be in the stands at Wrestlemanianot the press area, because the WWE refuses to acknowledge me as a reporter, but you know, Ill be there. Ill be the one wearing the Always Pounding Ass Bar & Grill t-shirt. If its a Big No, Ill understand.

But heres to hoping, as Faulker once wrote, its a Big Show. I love you, Paul.

xoxo J

Oh, honey, said the medium behind me, shaking her head. Reigns was losing to the pudding cup badly; the cup used Reigns own spear against him and enlisted Big Es massive thighs to squeeze Reigns soft head until he passed out. Pretty entertaining, but Jamie couldnt get her attention to rest on anything except

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL-

Jamie had never heard the frustrated sigh of an entire stadium full of people at once, but the disappointment at the love of her lifes entrance was palpable as he rushed to the aid of the companys worst face in history.

Called the King of Pizza and Vaping to help out, did you? the pudding cup asked with more personality than Roman Reigns had displayed in years as a high-earning performer.

Paul Wight glistened in the hot sun as if hed been oiled by a team of very small and diligent interns before bursting into the ring. His black leotard stretched taut over the seven-plus feet of him, spread in a tangle of thick, sinewy limbs covered in tanned skin that was no stranger to the touch of vapes and drunk women. I wondered if he ever thought about me, and whether it would hurt more to know if he didnt. Either way, babyboy was looking tight and fuckable and Jamies Always Pounding Ass Bar & Grill t-shirt, though rare and expensive, was begging to be torn off.

I came here to do one thing, Show said in his trademark smoky tenor, if one was being generous. Jamie sighed. He wasnt going to see her. He probably hadnt even gotten her letter.

And that is use my vape pen -

The night they had made love, he had shotgunned peppermint e-cig juice from her earhole.

- and shotgun peppermint e-cig juice from the earhole of my woman.

What? Before Jamie could let the statement in, she felt Pauls eyes focus on her. He remembered. She knew he would.

Jamie, why didnt they give you a seat in the press section? he asked.

THATS WHAT I SAID, she answered furiously, and before she could screech an expletive he was pressed to her in front of the thousands of sweaty, hot-dog excreting people in the stadium and the millions stuffing themselves with garbage at home.

You got my letter! Jamie said breathlessly, noting that he tasted like cigarettes and a re-heated Dennys Grand Slam.

Of course I did, Paul said, removing his leotard. The medium sitting behind them had her phone out but they didnt carethey wanted the world to see.

Big Show placed his hands on her. Why were his hands so small? His hands were remarkably small. Like, even for a regular man, they were very small. Extremely. They were so small.

Why are

I dont know why my hands are so small, please dont ruin this, Big Show said in one big breath, and Jamie decided to concede.

Their lovemaking was logistically complicated and smelled weird, but the world watched as the two achieved reverse cowgirl climax on a dirty, piping hot plastic chair in the AT&T Stadium. In the past month alone, it had been vomited, shat and stood upon by a dog that had since died, but the lovers consummated wildly as Jerry Lawler had no choice but to narrate the action.

Below in the ring, Roman Reigns was furious and half-masturbating. This was my moment, he said, stroking his mangled member and taking in the Shows magnificent ass. This was my main event. This was my day to get suplexed into oblivion by a Swiss Miss Snack Pack. He pulled a walkie talkie from the new chained jeans hed bought from the Hot Topic clearance aisle and called in reinforcements.

Get him, Reigns purred in a way that, try as he may, still wasnt interesting. Somewhere in the audience, a fully erect Hornswoggles walkie talkie vibrated.

Do I have to? he asked, knowing full well that his father Vince would never let him live down a televised erection. But he knew what Reigns was capable of, which was calling in a favor from The Rock, who could ruin the deal for a cameo in a Judd Apatow movie that Hornswoggle had taken years to procure.

Hed do what he had to.

Jamie and the Big Show had gotten into a frantic rhythm as The King continued to narrate in a series of breathy half-thoughts. And the Big Show is finally taking Wrestlemania by storm after twenty years of false starts

Id like to see Andre do that, Cody Rhodes piped in.

Hornswoggle had successfully snuck to Jamies row and concealed himself among the sweaty hot dog men, who had returned from sexually harassing all manner of attendees, including a bounce house and a ketchup dispenser. All he had to do was tackle the Big Show and startle Jamie, and Reigns would be able to take focus once more. He knew what he had to do, but the throbbing enjoyment of watching Paul Wight try to stop himself from climaxing was almost more than he could take.

The moment was now.

Hornswoggle attacked, wrapping his small limbs around Big Shows massive, veined head. Paul was too focused on the task at hand and likely too big to slip out of the stadium chair without breaking something and ruining the moment. Jamie, in the meantime, was reciting Shows Wikipedia page to herself as she continued to make love to the Show who shed dreamt of seeing again since the summer.

And in comes Hornswoggle to help Jamie fellate the Big Show! Jerry Lawler gurgled enthusiastically. Man, we are grasping at straws after losing Bryan, arent we!

No! Hornswoggle screeched in defense, clawing at the thrusting Show to no avail. Im stopping him from- Had Lawler said fellate the Big Show? That didnt sound half bad.

Roman Reigns was fuming as he watched the big screen. Hornswoggle shouldnt be fellating the Big Show, he screamed to no one as the three climaxed shouting GIVE DIVAS A CHANCE! in unison to rapturous audience applause. Jamie shoved Hornswoggle aside and gave Big Show a kiss on his hideous bald head.

The men who had mocked the show had returned with forty more eight-dollar hot dogs and beheld the display of public, career-ending lovemaking taking place in the stands. Big Show leaned into Jamies face real close and took a long drag from the vape pen hed stashed in his leotard.

Mind if I vape? Hornswoggle asked, and reached for the pen with his sweaty lips. Big Show lifted him and tossed him into the audience handily, where he crowdsurfed back to the ring and the wrath of Reigns.

See you at the aftershow, Show whispered, the peppermint e-cig juice still thick on his voice.

With that, Paul Wight leaped from the stands, down forty rows and back into the ring, suplexing Reigns handily and consuming the pudding cup in one bite.

Pizzas on me! he exclaimed as pepperoni slices began to fall from the sky as if by magic. Shows children were crying in the press area, which they were allowed to sit in even though they were children and not writers who had tried very hard to be there but their work was considered satirical and therefore could not be recognized.

Jamie wiped some sweat from her brow and turned her head to the men.

Got an extra hot dog?

Thank you, and I am sorry.

DAYS UNTIL WRESTLEMANIA: LESS THAN THREE WEEKS.

State of Union: I am so, so sorry.

Jamie Loftus is a comedian and writer whose baby teeth have been bronzed and loaded into a gun for when the moment is right. You can find her some of the time, most days at @hamburgerphone or jamieloftusisinnocent.com.
In the last sanctioned Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton made a candid admission. Im not a natural politician the former Secretary of State stated bluntly. The moment was as humanizing as it was accurate.

In 2008, as Barack Obama rose in popularity against a heavily favored Clinton, the then Senator found herself unable to cope, and resorted to racist and scurrilous campaign tactics. When the race got tight, Clinton went negative against hope and and change, and Clinton choked.

And now, were seeing it happen all over again.

Following a devastating loss in Michigan, a race she was heavily favored in, Hillary Clinton has fallen into her old habitsleveling attacks at her opponent, Bernie Sanders, that even her apparent allies call suspicious or interesting. Additionally, the former Secretary has made a series of bizarre remarks: from barking like a dog to calling Nancy and Ronald Reagan champions in the fight against AIDS.

So what is the problem? Why, whenever a race gets tough, does Clinton seem to shoot herself in the foot? Why cant she handle the pressure? The simple answer is that her judgment is poor.

For all the preparation Hillary Clinton went through prior to this primary, she has found herself battling her past. She didnt realize after the Occupy Movement and the 2012 election that saw Mitt Romney lose for his out-of-touch rhetoric, that tacking right against an economic populist progressive would backfire. She didnt realize that her paid Wall Street speeches or her past donations from the Koch Brothers would be a problem in 2016. She didnt recognize that her private in-home email server over which she conducted business as Secretary of State would become an issue. During that same period, she didnt pick up on the fact that her arms dealing through the Clinton Foundation would come off as a conflict of interest. She saw nothing wrong with accepting millions from lobbyists including those from the fossil fuel industry. And while were discussing fossil fuels, she didnt predict that supporting fracking would hurt her in presidential race where climate change is a central issue. In 2008, she didnt see anything wrong with attacking Obamas appeal to white voters, or making the sorts of race baiting remarks she made. She didnt realize that the Iraq War was a mistake at the time. She didnt have the foresight (let alone the conscience) to support same-sex marriage until 2013. And, of course, now she didnt see anything wrong with praising the Reagan Administration for its shameful record on AIDS.

Never has anyone in the history American politics, besides maybe former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, squandered so much advantage as Clinton had going into the primaryand Im not just referring to the insurmountable lead over her opponent, Bernie Sanders, she had at the beginning of the race. Im talking about the good will of young voters she enjoyed as Secretary of State, the fact that the DNC is in her pocket, and her vast political network with its massive media influence.

Even if she wins big today, her margins will be slimmer than they should have been considering where she started from. The damage has been done, regardless of whether or not she staggers on to the general election.
Youve seen the plot of Krisha before: self-destructive woman with a drinking problem goes to a family gathering supposedly having made strides in putting her life back together, but finds the tensions that arise testing her resolve to not go back to the bottle. Jonathan Demme explored similar territory in his 2008 film Rachel Getting Married, and Trey Edward Shults debut film does have a similar looseness to it, a feeling that anything can happen at any time. That, however, is where the similarities end. Whereas Demmes film was warmly observational, Shults film aims for an expressionism that imaginatively uses formal elements to invite us into the titular main characters fractured psyche. Youve seen the plot before, but not quite like this.

There are the changing aspect ratios, for one thing. The films first shot is a single close-up of Krisha (Krisha Fairchild), and its framed for a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Afterwards, in the early stages of the Thanksgiving weekend that reunites Krisha with her family after a long absence, the films frame expands to a 1.85:1 ratiountil the pivotal moment when she relapses and tears into a wine bottle, at which point the film adopts an even wider 2.35:1 ratio before returning to the square-ish 1.33:1 frame in its final stretch. None of this is mere whimsy: In the context of what Krisha goes through, that 1.33:1 aspect ratio acts as the cold-shower corrective to the nervous tension she feels all through the 1.85:1 span, a pressure that can only be alleviated by the full width of 2.35:1 when she starts drinking again. Not even Wes Anderson was this attuned to the expressive possibilities when he pulled a similar maneuver in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Music also plays a crucial role in the films style. The unexpected horror movie-like cacophony of strings that accompanies the aforementioned first close-up already commands attention, and Brian McOmbers score just gets stranger from there. To a montage of Krisha trying to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner while interacting with members of her extended family, McOmber unleashes a barrage of non-melodic electronic noise, some of it sounding like the aural equivalent of a pinball smacked around in a machine. But then, when Krisha pops open that fateful wine bottle, McOmbers music becomes exultant, surely expressing Krishas own relieved mindset in the moment.

Shults overtly expressive molding of formal elements might have come off as merely show-offy had he not had the performances to back it up, especially in the lead role. But Krisha Fairchilds performance is searing in its emotional range and transparency, the actressa veteran TV and film performer who has never had a showcase like this before nowfearless in her willingness to let every vulnerable, frayed nerve ending show in her portrait of an addict struggling to keep it together in front of her family. Hers is not the only impressive piece of acting. Shults himself plays Trey, the son who Krisha left behindone infers, because Shults never makes this explicitand he brings to his performance a sense of simmering frustration at the woman who has disappointed him the most. Shults and Fairchilds one scene alone togetherin which she attempts to reconnect with her son, who is having none of itvibrates with buried tension, all of it captured by cinematographer Drew Daniels in one ruthless long take.

The fact that many of the actors names correspond with the names of the characters they playnot just Trey and Krisha, but, among others, Krishas sister Robyn (Robyn Fairchild); Robyns daughters Vicky (Victoria Fairchild), Atheena (Atheena Frizell) and Augustine (Augustine Frizell); and Krisha and Robyns mother Billie (Billie Fairchild)is not insignificant. Krisha Fairchild is, in fact, Shults aunt, and Robyn Fairchild his mother; and Shults reportedly based much of what happens in the film on his personal experiences. With such extra-textual facts taken into consideration, Krisha could be seen as cinematic family therapy: Shults way of dealing with what was apparently a troubled home life. But you dont need to know all that to appreciate the passion he brought to this project. One can sense it in the films long takes and still setups, in the alternation between montages of unnerving chaos and lengthy scenes of shattering solitude. Krisha does more than announce a potentially major new talent; it shakes new, and tragically devastating, energy into the dysfunctional family drama.

Director: Trey Edward Shults

Writer: Trey Edward Shults

Starring: Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Chris Doubek, Billie Fairchild, Olivia Grace Applegate, Bryan Casserly

Release Date: March 18, 2016

Kenji Fujishima is a freelance film critic, contributing to Slant Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, The Playlist, and the Village Voice in addition to Paste. He is also Deputy Editor of Movie Mezzanine and former editor-in-chief of In Review Online. When hes not watching movies and writing and editing film criticism, hes trying to absorb as much music, art and literature as possible. He has not infrequently been called a "culture vulture" for that reason.
You know how 41 percent of Americans didnt take a single vacation day last year? Apparently, thats not entirely the result of hardworking, American-made determinism, but rather, especially among millennials, the result of a practice called vacation shaming.

For those who dont know, vacation shaming is being made to feel a sense of guilt from co-workers for taking a vacation, and its become increasingly prevalent in the American workplace. According to an Alamo Rent A Car survey, 59 percent of millennialscompared to 41 percent of those 35 and olderreport being vacation shamed for taking or planning their days off.

The study also revealed that 47 percent of millennials felt they needed to justify to their employer why and how they intend on using their vacation days. Worse still, 22 percent of all surveyed admitted the shaming prevented them from enjoying a vacation.

Its long-known that the U.S. has a vacation taking problem. For starters, its the only advanced economy that does not require employers to provide paid vacation time. Even of those who reportedly take vacations, 46 percent admit to worrying about work or working while on holiday. So much for family time, eh?

This wouldnt be so jarring if you compared it to similar countries like Germany, which requires two days off per every month workedyes, thats a guaranteed 24 days off per year, not including the numerous national holidays. Even Canada guarantees its workers 19 days off per year, while France pretty much shuts down all of August.

Tom is a travel writer, part-time hitchhiker, and hes currently trying to imitate Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? but with more sunscreen and jorts.
The story of Anna Beams unexpected recovery from a supposedly incurable digestive system condition is, in this screen adaptation, just bland and inoffensive enough to encourage the audience to care. That journey from dire diagnosis to happy, active young girl bears the weight of the drama in this based on true events product of Affirm Films, the evangelical Christian division of Sony Pictures. Like previous Affirm release Heaven Is for Real, Miracles From Heaven presents the story of a child who is convinced shes visited the afterlife, so how this comes across will depend not just on your religious sympathies, but your tolerance for cloying dramatization.

The screenplay credited to Randy Brown (Trouble With the Curve) spends most of the films running time on the Beam familys struggles to figure out whats wrong with Anna (Kylie Rogers) so they can find a treatment that works. Early diagnoses of lactose intolerance and congratulations, theres nothing wrong with your daughter prove frustrating and incorrect. That struggle is depicted mostly through Christy Beam (Jennifer Garner), matriarch of a church-going family of three daughters and a manly, pickup-driving husband 9Martin Henderson) who looks to have come out of central casting to play a country music video love interest. The Beams are presented as having it all, which includes their considerably picturesque property in Burleson, Texas and idyllic, two-story home. Real-life Christy authored the 2015 book, upon which this film, which carries over the same title (one that sounds like the result of a Christian movie-name generator), is based.

Garner plays Christy with the furrowed-brow worry and energy of a parent who will do anything to save her child from suffering or dying. Her impatience leads to a flight to Boston where she imposes upon the waiting list of Dr. Samuel Nurko (Eugenio Durbez), a specialist in childrens gastroenterology. While in the city, Christy and Anna befirend a heart-of-gold waitress (Queen Latifah) in a sequence that adds some humor, warmth and patches of guess-what-this-symbolizes sunlight visible through the top of the water at the aquarium they visit.

Anna continues to suffer and Christy loses her religious faithand while the movie doesnt dwell on this point, it doesnt have to, because Miracles From Heaven has already established that its about Christys response to the crisis. She has no time for her husbands incessant everythings gonna be okay, baby. So when a few holy rollers suggest that Annas condition might be due to her sin, Christy decides shes had enough with the church.

Patricia Riggen, director of another true-life tale, 2015s The 33, delivers a few portentous shots of a leaf-less tree on the Beams property that figures in the pivotal momentrevealed in the trailer and radio spotswhen Anna falls from a branch and into the hollow trunk. Miracles From Heaven delivers Annas rescue as a slow-motion unfolding of solemn faces, group prayer and heroic responders. The strategy saves on running time, is keeping with the previously established, kitsch-dominant aesthetic, and it gets us that much quicker to the Big Moment, the one also revealed in the promotional ads: Anna not only survives her fall, shes cured of her affliction.

When Anna recounts her experience in the tree, she describes visiting paradise, shown as trees and lakes tinted in primary colors. A few touches during the flashback seem to gently suggest that Annas out-of-body experience may have been a dream and not the visit to heaven she and the family want to think it is. But even if Miracles From Heaven leaves itself a bit of wiggle room as to whether God is real or not, Christys faith in a benevolent, involved creator is inevitably restored.

Such is the message that she delivers to her congregation, finally addressing, inadequately, the issue hanging over her crisis of faith: Why did it take a personal experience of grief and struggle to doubt God when so much suffering in the world should have made that an issue she reconciled one way or the other long ago? Its not an issue Miracles From Heaven is concerned with resolvingso it doesnt.

Director: Patricia Riggen

Writer: Randy Brown

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Kylie Rogers, Martin Henderson, John Carroll Lynch, Queen Latifah

Release Date: March 16, 2016
President Barack Obama has just named Raffi Freedman-Gurspan as the White Houses official LGBT liaison, marking the first time a transgender person has filled the role.

The position, officially titled Outreach and Recruitment Director of Presidential Personnel and Associate Director of Public Engagement, will see Freedman-Gurspan serving as the White Houses main point of contact for LGBT groups and issues.

Back in 2015, Freedman-Gurspan was the first appointed transgender staffer, where she served as the director of outreach and recruitment within the presidential personnel office. Prior to her work in the nations most important house, Freedman-Gurspan served as a Massachusetts House of Representatives policy adviser.

Raffi is a great choice, Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said. President Obama has said he wants his administration to look like America, and they have moved to include trans Americans. Raffis skills and personality make her the exact right person for this important job.

The Human Rights Campaigns senior vice president of policy and political affairs, JoDee Winterhof, also gave the appointment and Freedman-Gurspan their vote of confidence.

We believe it is a tremendous decision by the White House to recognize Raffis leadership as well as the importance of having transgender leadership in an important role for the community, Winterhof said.
Read Part 1 first.

Street Fighters characters are some of the most iconic in the world. You can find them on billboards, in murals decorating the sides of shops from San Francisco to Brazil, and as pinatas at your local grocery store. Theyre often shallow caricatures of the cultures they represent, but that over-to-the-top characterization is part of why these characters have stuck around for so long; seeing your culture on a TV screen, no matter how careless the portrayal, can mean a lot when you dont see it anywhere else.

In the spirit of global street fighting, weve decided to pit every Street Fighter character against each other for the prize of our affection. Weve collected a panel of experts (two experts, to be exact) and ranked characters from every game in the series (and we do mean every game) from worst to best. Who is the best fighter of streets? Read on to find out. Part three will be up later this week.

1 of 25 70. Kevin Straker: The protagonist of Street Fighter 2010, the side-scrolling action spin-off of Street Fighter proper, Kevin Straker was changed to be Ken in the American version of the game. The story was later made non-canonical, but it amounted to Ken in the far-off future of 2010 hunting down parasites and the hosts they inhabit, gaining power after every fight. Eventually, he finds his enemy and finds out that he was a parasite all along! It's cheesy and non-canonical, but if nothing else at least a fun note in the series.

2 of 25 69. Oni: The only thing that jumps the shark harder than an Evil Ryu is an Evil Akuma. Akuma was already evil, it's just that when he fuses with the dark energies of the Satsui no Hado he also lacks all self-control and takes another stage name, Oni. It's one of the most ridiculous ideas in the series' canon, but you have to hand it to Capcom; they managed to make their umpteenth shoto-clone stand out from the pack by giving him a fun moveset. Upwards fireballs, air dashes, and that thing where he dashes behind and slaps youhe matches the intensity of his aesthetic design, and while the idea isn't great, the execution is solid.

3 of 25 68. Area: Besides being the living embodiment of every bratty rich kid stereotype in existence, Area is also a fighter who employs robotic enhancements. An EX series combatant, Area doesn't get much backstory outside of being the daughter of a talented inventor and a snob who will use any advantage she can to win. Using both rocket-powered roller skates and a bionic arm, you would think she'd be a more challenging fighter, but she's a fairly basic and forgettable character altogether.

4 of 25 67. Remy: Street Fighter III: Third Strike may not have had many of the fighters from previous games, but it definitely had fighters like them. Remy was a lot like Guile, though he could throw his version of the Sonic Boom (called Light of Virtue) high or low, like Sagat. Having a character more about controlling space than smothering an opponent was a rarity in Third Strike. Unfortunately, Remy was a forgettable and underpowered character amidst a cast like Chun-Li, Ken, Yun and Dudley. He's also not the most interesting character, aesthetically, and his personality stinks.

5 of 25 66. Maki: The least well-known Final Fight character to make it over to Street Fighter deserves more credit than she gets. She replaces Guy in Final Fight 2, gets mixed up with all the Shadaloo nonsense while looking to settle a score with him in Street Fighter Alpha 3, and is the only Final Fight character in what's probably the best Capcom crossover game, Capcom Vs. SNK 2. Essentially, she reps the series that made her when no one else will. She's also a more modest version of The King of Fighters' Mai Shiranui, and proves the lady ninja motif doesn't have to lead to bad character design.

6 of 25 65. Sodom: Clothed in samurai garb and blue jeans, Sodom is Capcom's take on non-Japanese people obsessed with Japanese otaku culture, sometimes referred to as "weeaboos." Sodom has appropriated Japanese weapons and body armor, and improper Kanji lettering scrawled on his chest. While Sodom's story is interesting, he ends up being little more than a footnote in the series overall. He's little more than a comical and fun addition from the Final Fight roster.

7 of 25 64. Shadowgeist: Fueled by desire for revenge, with a killer outfit to boot, Shadowgeist is one cool character. After his wife and daughter were killed by an oppressive government, he swore to seek revenge on the man responsible and donned the ridiculous outfit you see to the right. He uses mostly the same moves as Skullomania, another EX fighter, and he doesn't really get more backstory, but that costume was enough to move up him a bit over others on the list.

8 of 25 63. Darun: Darun Mister (one of the best names in the series) has a killer, Wario-esque mustache, but he doesn't have much else to distinguish himself. Most of his moves are inspired by Zangief, who Darun has set out to fight after being unsatisfied with his current crop of opponents. This design calls out for more outlandish prowess, but as a replacement for a better and more popular character, he simply can't compete with the Russian Cyclone.

9 of 25 62. Hokuto: Wielding a naginata and fans, Hokuto's fighting style is based off the use of these weapons in a style called kobudo. A stoic woman skilled in her fighting style, Hokuto is able to duck under attacks using her specials, making her a deadly fighter at certain distances. Her Meteor Combo also differs, depending on the range at which she uses it, and she plays heavily around the use of her meter. She suffers due to being stuck in the EX series, but would certainly feel right at home with Street Fighter V's new V System, if she ever gets a second chance at the limelight.

10 of 25 61. Pullum: Pullum manages to be more interesting than her bodyguard, Darun, by having a wider array of fighting styles at her disposal. She takes elements from both Dhalsim and Guile, has an anti-air throw, and can switch between long-range keepaway and aggressive play easily. Like many of the Street Fighter EX characters she's easy to see as an amalgam of previously established archetypes, but she's perhaps one of the best characters in the EX series, both in terms of design and move set.
Laurelwood isnt a new brewery by any means; theyve been around for more than 15 years, starting with a small seven-barrel brewpub in Portlands Hollywood district, and growing to the point where they now have several locations in Oregon. Along the way, theyve won some snazzy hardware, most notably earning World Champion Small Brewpub at the World Beer Cup in 2003. And yet, I havent had much of an opportunity to taste Laurelwoods brews. Its simply a matter of geography. I live on the East Coast, Laurelwood distributes on the West Coast. Thank goodness for the US Mail, Fed Ex, UPS and whoever else carries beer in protected boxes from one side of the country to the other. To the package carriers of the world, I thank you. Youre doing Gods work. And because of these fine men and women, fast planes and plastic bubble wrap, I had the chance to try a few different beers from Laurelwood recentlya couple of IPAs and a seasonal stout. Heres what I think.

Every year Laurelwood partners with Portland Roasting to get a blend of beans for their Espresso Stout, and this years version includes coffee from Mexico, Peru and Sumatra. This is probably the point where I should admit that Im not a coffee guy, so those locals dont mean as much to me as they probably should, but I wholeheartedly agree with Portland Roastings choice, because the coffee does wonders in this stout. It dominates the aroma, giving the beer enough roasted character to make you check the batteries in your fire alarms, and takes control of the sip in a black and strong kind of way. Like, well hell, like espresso. This is the way old men drink their coffeethin and strong and with a layer of bitterness on the finish.

Style: Coffee stout

ABV: 6.3%

Availability: Limited, seasonal, in 22-ounce bottles

Rating: 84

This IPA is the foundation that Laurelwood was built upon, and its not to be trifled with. The beer comes in a big-ass bottle and has a hefty 7.5% ABV, so it carries a certain gravitas, just in size alone. It pours a beautiful copper orange with a thick head that emits big, pungent notes of citrus and something zesty, like ginger. That zestiness is in the sip too, and while there are certainly fruit notes, theres also plenty of bitterness. Think, more orange rind than straight up orange. There is some sweetness in the sip (a bit of mango), and a fairly round body to help balance that zesty character. But the bitterness lingers long after the sweetness disappears, so thats the dominant impression you get. Again, like getting ahold of a sliver of orange peel, that taste sticks with you and colors the rest of your snack. This beer isnt about flash, it isnt about gimmicks, its just solid. A work horse if you will.

Style: IPA

ABV:7.5%

Availability: Year round

Rating: 81

This is a mash up of two different beers, where Laurelwood uses the hop bill of their Green Elephant IPA and the malt bill of their Free Range Red. It pours dark red, but without any haze. Theres not much on the nosejust a little pine, something vaguely evergreen. Even though its a mashup of two solid beers, I feel like the hops steal the show. The malt bill obviously contributes to the color, and yeah, theres an element of caramel in there, and a relatively robust body, but man, the pine is undeniable. Ditto the citrus. It all works, I dig it, Im just saying dont expect a balancing act here. It might have Its still a hop forward IPA.

Style: Red IPA

ABV: 7%

Availability: Year round in cans

Rating: 79
We posted a report late yesterday titled "Apple to Attend the European Parliament's Tax Committee Hearing this Wednesday." The hearing, organized by the European Parliament's tax committee, follows a similar event in November last year when Anheuser-Busch, Google and eight other companies were quizzed on the same subject. While the committee has no power to order changes, the hearing reflects the political concerns over multinationals avoiding local tax liabilities. Today BloombergBusiness reports that Apple told the panel of EU lawmakers that it pays all taxes due in the nation and doesn't get an unfair advantage compared to other companies there.

Cathy Kearney, Apple's vice-president of European operations in Cork, Ireland, said the company isn't getting unfair state aid but will remain "committed to Ireland" whatever the outcome of the EU case.

Kearny further stated during the hearing "We feel that we've paid every cent of tax that is due in Ireland. We don't feel that there has been state aid involved and I suppose we look forward to that outcome happening at the end of the day and being vindicated in that way. I would say that the Irish government also agrees with that view."

BloombergBusiness notes that "While the EU's Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager refuses to be drawn into speculation, analysts say that in the Apple case, repayments could potentially dwarf" the amounts that any company has been charged with thus far. More than likely Vestager feels that Apple has been using a tax loophole that they created called the Double Irish; A loophole that the EU Commission is going to close.

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.
If you spend much time at all listening to conservative evangelical pastors, Christian radio, or Republican politicians, you know that these groups promote a persecution narrative in which they position themselves as the victims of religious persecution. (And then accuse the Left of promoting a culture of victimization.) Given that we live in a country that is a majority Christian and invokes the Christian God on its currency and in its national pledge, among other things, this claim is laughably absurd.

Yesterday RightWingWatch posted some excerpts from conservative evangelical pastor and Christian leader Kevin Swansons radio show. Swanson has a history of saying outrageous things about the Girl Scouts, LGBT people, and birth control, among other things. You can read a description of his latest remarks as follows:

My first grade daughter is a Daisy Scout. They do crafts and eat snacks and talk about being kind. They go see plays together and participate in service projects together and sell cookies. But then, I suppose this is how they get the girls, right? They hook them on cookies and then switch them to birth control pills when they turn 14. Just kidding. Swanson is actually objecting to their inclusion of comprehensive sex education, and their acceptance of varying sexual orientations. The horror!

But when I clicked to listen to the included clips myself, this, and not all of the above, was the bit stuck out at me:

Two and a half years ago we took a stand against the girl scouts, against all of the political pushback, and of course the media pushback, thats the primary form of persecution you get these days.

It appears that Kevin Swanson views media criticism of his attacks on the Girl Scouts (and others) as a form of persecution for his beliefsand that this is in fact the primary form of persecution he (and others) face.

Whats baffling is that Swanson can engage in outrageous attacks on the Girl Scouts, and on LGBT individuals, and yet, when the media publicizes his comments in all of their outrageous details theyre the ones persecuting him. Kevin Swanson has literally called for the death penalty for homosexuality, and yet when the media rightly calls this out as bigotry, he is the one being persecuted.

Dont get me wrong, Swanson has the right to say the things he says (although I should note that if someone listens to his radio show and then goes out and shoots a Girl Scout leader, or kills an LGBT person, Im holding Swanson partially responsible). But just as Swanson has freedom of speech, so too do others. And then, of course, theres also the freedom of the press. Look, being criticized is not persecution. Swanson seems to thing he has the right to express his abhorrent and hateful views free from criticism, and that is a right you will not find in the Constitution.

By the way, it would be easy to dismiss Swanson as marginal or a crank, but it should be remembered Ted Cruz and two other Republican presidential primary contenders (who have since dropped out) attended Swansons National Religious Liberties Conference last fall. Swanson does have influence.

Check out this from the conference page:

Persecution against Christians is on the rise in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, China, Oregon, and Kentucky.

Yes, really. The text is presumedly referring to the Oregon bakers who were fined for refusing to serve a lesbian couple and Kim Davis, the Kentucky official who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples after last summers marriage equality ruling. Neither of these cases involved religious persecutioninstead, both involved blatant discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. You can believe gay marriage is immoral and preach it from the rooftops, but you cannot discriminate against gay and lesbian couples in business or in government.

In Kevin Swansons book, being told you cant discriminate against gay and lesbian couples is Christian persecution on the same level as that in countries like Iran, Pakistan, or China. Of course, in Kevin Swansons book media criticism is Christian persecution. Not only that, but it seems Swanson views criticism of their beliefs as the primary form of persecution he and other Christians receive today. This lays bare the bankruptcy of Swansons claims of Christian persecution, doesnt it?
Patna: The 12530 UP Pataliputra-Lucknow Express on Monday left the newly-opened Pataliputra railway station for its maiden trip to Lucknow with more than 500 passengers taking avail of the new service.

The fact that it was the first day of this much-needed passenger train, however, did not deter the train from arriving half an hour late from Lucknow and again half an hour late while leaving from Pataliputra station.

Officials said that out of 500 passengers, about 200 had obtained their ticket on the railways portal on the internet and the remaining 300 bought their tickets at the Pataliputra railway station.

The train will leave for Lucknow from the Pataliputra station three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:00 pm covering the distance in about nine hours as opposed to some other trains that take nearly 11 to 12 hours normally. This is made possible thanks to the newly-opened Digha railway bridge that makes it way to the capital of Uttar Pradesh via Chhapra, Siwan, Deoria, Gorakhpur, and other stations.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Blackstone Valley Prep kicks off every Friday with a community circle, complete with drum beats beckoning the entire school to the gymnasium and a handing-out of awards for positive character traits. (Erica Moser/The Times)
"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.
Iranian Minister Restates Support For Smart Filtering Over Total Site Censorship

03/15/16 Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iran's minister of communications has once again stressed that the administration is opposed to the complete blocking of internet sites. Mahmoud Vaezi told ISNA on Monday March 14 that it is not appropriate to block a whole site that provides beneficial information just because 10 to 15 percent of its content is problematic.



cartoon by Mohammadreza Saghafi, Iranian daily Shahrvand





He reiterated his support for "smart filtering" as a way to filter out the problematic content of each site while access to the rest of the site remains intact.

Smart filtering is the term the Islamic Republic uses for partial blocking of website content. The Islamic Republic government blocks several websites such a Facebook as part of its censorship efforts. The Rohani administration has been trying to reduce the level of censorship with the implementation of so-called smart filtering.

In February, the deputy communications minister reported that a budget of over 110 million toumans and the participation of 11 universities are part of the plans for implementing smart filtering.
Russian-Iranian Relations: Troubled Ties

03/15/16

By Mark N. Katz (source: LobeLog)



Russian President Vladimir Putin with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rohani in Tehran - November 23, 2015 (photo by

(photo by Mehr News Agency



On March 14, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov talked about how Russian-Iranian relations had reached a new level, and how Moscow has been persistently developing friendly relations with Iran. Moscow and Tehran have, as is well known, been working together to support the Assad regime in Syria, and Tehran is reportedly buying more arms from Russia. More fundamentally, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei both see America and the West as seeking to undermine them through support for democratization, and thus both prefer to keep Washington at a distance.

Yet despite this shared antipathy toward the U.S. and other common interests, Russian-Iranian relations have not only been troubled in the past but continue to be so now. Just in the last three months, there have been several such differences.

In December 2015, there were complaints in the Russian press about how, after Moscows intervention in Syria got underway, Iran began drawing down its own military presence in Syria. Tehran was seen as essentially shifting the burden of supporting Assad from its own shoulders onto Moscows. Further, Tehran was seen as ready, willing, and able to take advantage of the downturn in Russia-Turkey relations-following the November 2015 Turkish downing of a Russian military aircraft-to increase Iranian petroleum sales to Ankara.

The prospect of Iranian-Turkish cooperation proceeding despite Russian-Turkish hostility was reiterated when Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran in early March. They discussed expanding their economic ties at a time when Moscow has sought to punish Turkey for the shootdown by cutting back on Russian-Turkish trade. Both Iranian and Turkish leaders emphasized the importance of respect for territorial integrity-something, of course, that Ankara claims that Russian warplanes flying in its airspace have violated.

In addition, Ali Akbar Velayati (currently foreign policy adviser to Irans Supreme Leader and previously Irans foreign minister) declared in early February 2016 after a visit to Moscow that there are prerequisites for the creation of an alliance among Iran, Russia, Syria, and Hezbollah. Soon thereafter, though, a Russian foreign ministry official described Velayatis statement as speculative and declared that there are no plans of creating such an alliance.

There appear to be two possible explanations for this episode-and neither of them bodes well for the future of Russian-Iranian cooperation. The first is that Velayati was indeed told privately in Moscow that Russia was willing to join such an alliance, but when Velayati announced this publicly, Moscow repudiated this statement. That means that Moscow either didnt really mean it or told Tehran one thing while telling the Gulf Arab states that oppose it another. The second possible explanation is that Velayati received no such Russian promises of an alliance. And yet Velayati announced this anyway-perhaps even anticipating that Moscow would deny it-in order to frighten the Gulf Arab states and derail any assurances Moscow might be giving them that Russia could act to restrain Iran in exchange for various concessions.

Further, on March 13 (the day before the Russian presidential press secretary waxed eloquent about the new level in Russian-Iranian cooperation), Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh reiterated that Iran had no plans to join in the agreement to freeze oil production reached by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Venezuela in order bolster oil prices. He noted that other oil producing countries should leave us alone.

And less than two hours after the Russian news agency TASS reported how Peskov had praised increased Russian-Iranian cooperation, TASS also reported how, Iran is impeding implementation of contracts with Russia on construction of a thermal power plant in Bandar Abbas and railway electrification by setting new price conditions.

Despite their numerous anti-Western interests, Russia and Iran are not allies. Neither is willing to give up much of anything for the sake of good relations with the other. Washington, then, cannot expect that Tehran will consider binding any agreement reached with Moscow regarding the settlement of the conflict in Syria. To reach such a settlement, Washington must also negotiate with Tehran (as well as Riyadh).

On the other hand, Iran is definitely not going to gang up with Russia against Turkey. Indeed, Tehran clearly sees Moscows hostility toward Ankara as an opportunity to improve Iranian-Turkish ties. At a time when the West is increasingly eager to cooperate with Turkey on the Syrian refugee crisis, Iranian actions that counter Russian efforts to weaken Turkey economically actually serve Western interests.

The Iranian nuclear accord may not have resulted in the broader Iranian-American rapprochement that some had hoped for. But Irans clear determination to pursue its interests even when they differ with Russias raises the possibility that Washington and Tehran can cooperate, even if tacitly, when Russian policies impinge on their interests.





About the author:

Mark N. Katz is a professor of government and politics at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He earned a Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1982. He is the author of many books and articles, including Leaving without Losing: The War on Terror after Iraq and Afghanistan (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012).
With its next-gen GPU not even out the gates yet, AMD on Monday roughly sketched out its roadmap for the next few years.

Following the launch of its Polaris GPU this year, the company release its Vega GPU family, using HBM2 memory, said Raja Koduri, head of AMDs Radeon Technologies Group.

Vega will be followed by Navi, a GPU family that will offer scalability and next-gen memory, Koduri said. Both will build on the performance-per-watt mantra that AMD has been pushing with its Polaris chip.

Polaris itself was demonstrated during the announcement, running the new game Hitman smooth like butter in a small form factor box. AMD demonstrated Polaris in December running Star Wars Battlefront using far less power than a comparable Nvidia GPU.

The news came on the same day that the company formerly unveiled its Radeon Pro Duo card, which is expected to give the company the title of fastest single GPU in town. Competitor Nvidia has been quiet lately on hardware, but most expect the company to release its own next-gen GPU within the next month or two.

Why this matters: Hard details of Vega and Navi are few and far between, but even a roughly sketched roadmap from the ailing chip maker is a promising sign given that AMD has been fighting a losing battle with both Intel and Nvidia the last few years.
Yes, only developers have access to the Microsoft HoloLens, and theres no telling when the augmented reality headset will be available to consumers. But that hasnt stopped Microsoft from showing off the merits of its Actiongram app for the HoloLens.

Actiongrams are what Microsoft calls motion-reality captures, or video that your HoloLens records of a real-life scenebut with some virtual objects interjected into that scene. Microsoft posted several examples of what a HoloLens Actiongram could look like, from something like a quick, fun video with a dog

to something more akin to a short movie. (This is probably the cleverest of the four examples that Microsoft posted today.) Really, who doesnt like a clueless Teddy Roosevelt with the emotional maturity of a five-year-old?

Microsoft said it has built a virtual holographic studio where it has imported different actors, characters, objects, and creatures that can be captured as holograms. Weve already seen a few: Ned, the zombie at the top of the screen, Teddy Roosevelt, a dinosaur, and more. From the videos, it appears that theres a pretty broad range of behavior these avatars can display, though its unclear whether youll be able to actually control them.

If theres anything that should give you pause, though, its a comment made by a Microsoft HoloLens employee that an Actiongram project could be produced in an afternoon. That implies a greater time commitment than most consumers seem interested ingiven the trend toward video thats produced and shared within minutes. Especially if were talking about something that will be watched once or twice or discarded.

(In fact, you need look no further than Microsofts own Project Spark game-creation tool for an unfortunate example of a creative platform that has gone largely ignored. It went down for several days recently, and speculation was that Microsoft was preparing to kill Project Spark as part of a recent studio purge. Microsoft declined to comment. At press time, its alive.)

Still, Microsoft is right in positing that interaction with virtual objects is, at this point, a feature thats unique to HoloLens. Its sort of amazing to think that consumers who grew up watching the intersection of virtual dinosaurs and real objects in Jurassic Park can now potentially star in their own version of the movie, or something of the likeeven if it takes some effort to get things exactly right.

Like this one.
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has written to the judge overseeing the Apple-FBI encryption case, citing the history of FBI surveillance during the civil rights movement and the recent disclosures of NSA data gathering, concluding that if the FBI prevails, it could accelerate government hacking of legitimate activities of civil rights organizations and activists.

The letter signed by Jackson was under the letterhead of the Rainbow Push Coalition in Chicago that Jackson founded.

Other writers will weigh in on the intricacies of technology and privacy rights. What I want to bring to the forefront of this legal debate is the impact and implications this case has on civil rights and our historic civil rights movement, Jackson wrote Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym.

This case cuts right to the heart of our right to live free from unwarranted government surveillance. It is a matter of deep personal concern to rue  given the past and present illegal and unwarranted spying and surveillance of civil rights organizations, much conducted under the guise of national security, Jackson wrote.

Apple is due today (Tuesday March 15) to file its response to the governments opposition to Apples motion to vacate Pyms order for Apple to build a software program that will allow FBI agents to evade the built-in security safeguards on the iPhone 5c issued to Syed Rizwan Farook by San Bernardino County.

Farook, a county health inspector, along with wife Tashfeen Malik, opened fire on a gathering of Farooks co-workers Dec. 2 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, killing 14 and wounding 22. The Redlands couple died a few hours later in a shootout with police.

While the county owns the phone, Farook created the pass code to enter it. The FBI wants to see if there is any content on the device related to the massacre.

They want to try a series of computer-generated pass code combinations on the device without triggering a program that permanently shuts it down after 10 successive pass code entry failures.

Pym has set a March 22 hearing on the order in Riverside federal court.

The FBI says the software it wants is only for use on the iPhone issued to Farook. Apple has said being forced to create the software to allow a backdoor into the phone will endanger the data encryption for hundreds of millions of devices.

Jackson was the invited guest of Apple CEO Tim Cook last week at Apples annual shareholder meeting in Cupertino to address the lack of diversity in Silicon Valley.

In an interview with USA Today, Jackson praised Apple, which he said is donating more than $50 million to non-profits dedicated to increasing women and minorities in Silicon Valley and tech industries, which characteristically are staffed by white and Asian men.

Apples support includes the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the National Center for Women and Information Technology, both dedicated to finding jobs for minorities, women and veterans in the tech industry.

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Complete coverage of the San Bernardino shooting, aftermath
A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge has sentenced a 48-year-old San Bernardino man to 25 years to life in prison for his conviction in an incident where he threatened to kill his pregnant girlfriend with a machete in August 2014, according to a county District Attorneys Office news release.

Judge Rodney Cortez sentenced Tyrone Burton Friday, March 11, in court in Joshua Tree. A jury in December 2015 found the defendant guilty of one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of criminal threats and found true that he had two past felony convictions, which could lengthen his sentence.

The defendant and victim had dated for about 10 years and she was pregnant with their fourth child, according to the news release.

During an argument, Burton struck the victim several times. Then he picked up a machete and swung it at the victim threatening to kill her, according to a statement from prosecutor Melissa Monrreal. A daughter intervened in an attempt to stop the attack.

The San Bernardino Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the district attorneys Central Division Family Violence Unit.
A Riverside County Sheriffs deputy was involved in a shooting late Tuesday morning, March 15.

UPDATE: 2 San Diego men injured in officer-involved shooting

Deputy Mike Vasquez said a robbery was reported near the intersection of Orange Avenue and North Perris Boulevard in Perris just before 11 a.m.

Deputies from the Perris Sheriffs station responded and an officer-involved shooting occurred, Vasquez said.

No deputies were injured in the incident according to Vasquez.

All three suspects in the robbery had been taken into custody by Tuesday afternoon, he said. The first suspect had been taken into custody not long after the officer involved shooting, the second suspect had been taken into custody sometime before 3 p.m. and the third suspect was taken into custody sometime before 4:30 p.m.

The capture of all the suspects followed several hours of searching on the part of deputies. Around noon, the deputies were questioning people and there was a heavy police presence in the area.

Police were staged at Dolphin Drive and Mildred Street where, a white SUV sat in the middle of the street, damaged. All of the vehicles doors were open and the back window was shattered.

Sky View Elementary and Palms Elementary schools were both locked down at 11:30 a.m., said Rob French, Human Resources Director with the Perris Elementary School District.

Students were supposed to be released at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, but at the request of Sheriffs officials students are being kept there.

French did not know when they would be released, but that school officials asked parents to wait for the OK to come get their kids.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.
A federal judge has reversed her earlier decision that would have allowed personal records of 10 million California students to be released directly to lawyers of two nonprofit groups as part of a lawsuit.

U.S. District Court Judge Kimberly Mueller ordered March 1 that the California Department of Education oversee release of the most sensitive data  including names, social security numbers, addresses, health records, grades and test scores.

The groups will have to request the data from the education department, which will run searches for the information requested by its attorneys. The agency wont turn over data with sensitive personal information unless the lawyers can show the judge it will be stored safely.

The groups, the Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Association and the California Concerned Parents Association, sued the education department in 2011. They allege special education students have been denied access to an appropriate education and need records of all students to prove their case. The education department denies the accusations.

As part of the lawsuit, Mueller in late January directed state officials to release information on individual students  not just disabled pupils  stored in education department databases. The groups were seeking data on all students in the state whove attended public schools since 2008.

Mueller noted a large number of parents filed objections to the potential data release due to privacy concerns, prompting her to change her previous decision.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9292 or swall@pressenterprise.com
Its a whirlybird! Its a plane!

But is it super?

Cal Fire is welcoming the addition of a new firefighting tool, the MV-22 Osprey aircraft, whose rotors allow it to take off like a helicopter  eliminating the need for a runway  and fly like an airplane. But this last-resort, water-dropping aircraft has some noteworthy limitations.

Still, a demonstration of the Ospreys water-dropping capabilities at Hemet-Ryan Airport in February impressed Cal Fire officials and the Marines, and it will become available to Cal Fire to fight wildfires starting in May, said Travis Alexander, Cal Fire division chief for tactical air operations.

The MV-22 will be able to respond from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Camp Pendleton within 24 hours to fires in Cal Fires San Diego Unit. Requests for the Osprey to fight fires in the Inland Empire and elsewhere must go through the Department of Defense and could take 96 hours to be approved.

The aircraft would be called in only when all other Cal Fire resources are tapped out and flames are threatening lives or high-value places such as hospitals, roads or water-treatment plants, Alexander said.

I couldnt be happier that California and the Marine Corps are working together to apply this new piece of technology now rather than later, said Craig Hooper, who has advocated adapting the Osprey for firefighting use on his maritime blog, NextNavy.com. Hooper also researches security issues for a private consulting firm, Gryphon Scientific, and is a frequent commentator on defense and homeland security affairs.

Cal Fires use of military aircraft is not new. Many of its airplanes and helicopters are adapted from military designs for civilian use, or are former military aircraft themselves. In addition to the Osprey, which went into service in 2007, the military can send the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion to fires. That helicopter can lift 16 tons for 50 miles and be used to drop water from a bucket.

MILITARY, CAL FIRE CONFIDENT

At the Feb. 11 demonstration in Hemet, members of the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 hooked a bucket capable of carrying 660 gallons of water to a 100-foot tether. After the bucket was filled at Diamond Valley Lake, the pilot made two dry runs, flying the aircraft around the drop area, before making four runs where he dumped water on the targets.

Todays evolution answered all the questions for Cal Fire, George Shinrock, program manager for Fire Emergency Services Marine Corps Installations West, said in a Marines news release. If the need arises and they request our assistance, were very confident the MV-22B will perform the mission with great success.

Cal Fire wanted to see whether the Osprey could accurately drop water despite the wind, or downwash, generated by its rotors.

The use of the 100-foot-long line with a minimum distances of 70 feet from the bottom of the bucket was sufficient to mitigate any downwash, Alexander said.

And therein lies one of the issues in using the Osprey to fight fires.

HIGH WINDS, HEAT

The Ospreys top speed is more than 300 mph, as fast as Cal Fires S-2T retardant-dropping airplanes, and it can carry four crew members and 24 troops. In comparison, Cal Fire Super Huey helicopters can travel 125 mph and carry a pilot and 10 passengers. The Ospreys 660-gallon bucket holds twice the water as the Super Huey.

If I can get there twice as fast and (carry) twice as many resources, I think that could be a good use of resources, Hooper said in an interview.

But those attributes come with a price.

Powerful rotor wash from the Ospreys two Rolls-Royce engines is far stronger than the wash from conventional helicopters, Hooper wrote on his blog in 2011. During a water drop, all the extra downward-shooting air can fuel the forest fire and do far more harm than good.

Hooper also noted the Ospreys engines run so hot that the Navy had to have pilots rotate their engines so the exhaust wouldnt blow in one direction and melt a ships flight deck.

That heat, Cal Fires Alexander said, makes the Osprey impractical for transporting firefighters and equipment when it would have to land in forest areas.

There is no perfect platform (firefighting aircraft), he said. They all come with their pluses and minuses.

Yet Hooper urged Cal Fire not to give up on the Osprey as a transport aircraft, saying noting the Osprey will be based in California for decades.

Lets try to overcome these operational challenges so this Marine Corps asset can help in a disaster, he wrote.

FUTURE OF FIREFIGHTING?

Hooper said hed like to see more military technology adapted for firefighting use, including:

 The Navys surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle, a drone called the Global Hawk. It can stay aloft for long periods of time and has sensors that can quickly transmit needed data to firefighters.

 A Lockheed Martin unmanned helicopter known as the K-MAX. It can deliver cargo, detect hotspots and drop water from a bucket.

These assets help you sense whats going on and help you get information to where its needed quickly so you can act upon it, and by acting prevent the disaster from happening, Hooper said. Thats a big thrust of interest in the military, and it would be neat to take that development thrust and apply it to here at home. But it is hard for first responders to get a chance to access these new capabilities until after a disaster has already gotten out of hand.

The challenge for Cal Fire is to figure out how to use these platforms, he said.

Contact the writer: brokos@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9569
The U.S. Justice Department sees serious antitrust issues with Tribune Publishings bankruptcy bid for The Orange County Register and The Press-Enterprise and would take action to keep any merger from hurting newspaper readers and advertisers in the region, according to a letter to Freedom Communications this week.

Freedom Communications is selling the two newspapers in a court-supervised auction to be held Wednesday. Tribune, publisher of the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune, was a bidder for the auctions stalking horse opening bid. Tribune lost out to Digital First Media, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News and Long Beach-Press-Telegram.

In a letter to Alan Friedman, Freedoms bankruptcy attorney, Justice Department attorneys provided our current assessment from a competition perspective of the bidding for Freedoms assets.

We wish to inform you that, based on our review to date, the (antitrust) division believes the acquisition of the Freedom assets by Tribune poses a serious risk of harming newspaper readers and advertisers in Orange County and Riverside County, wrote William Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division.

If Freedom selects Tribune as its purchaser, the division will exercise its antitrust law enforcement responsibilities to ensure that the transaction does not deprive newspaper readers and advertisers in these areas of the benefits of competition. (Read the full letter)

Tribune officials declined to comment Tuesday. A Justice Department spokesperson said the agency does not confirm or discuss possible investigations. Freedom attorney Friedman did not return a call seeking comment.

The Justice Department letter also said its attorneys did not have antitrust concerns with other publicly known bidders. Digital First and an investor group headed by Freedom CEO Rich Mirman have said they submitted bids.

Ron Hasse, president of Digital Firsts Los Angeles Newspaper Group, said he is keenly aware of the competitive problems that a Tribune-Freedom merger could create for his companys business. Not only would there be tough competition for readers and advertisers, Freedom currently publishes six of Digital Firsts nine newspapers.

I am concerned, Hasse said of a combined Tribune-Freedom portfolio.

Hasse said the Justice Department warning could certainly be a factor in who Freedom chooses to buy its assets.

The Freedom auction is being done at a fast pace to keep the newspapers running efficiently and maximize recoveries for the creditors. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday to approve the winning bid and the deal is planned to close March 31.

Court papers detailing the Freedom bidding procedures say the winning bid would reflect the risks and timing associated with consummating such bid as well as the ability to obtain appropriate regulatory approvals.

Antitrust concerns are still a viable issue in the struggling newspaper industry, said Maurice Stucke, a University of Tennessee law professor and former Department of Justice antitrust attorney.

The industry has financially suffered in recent years as readership as advertisers move to new competitors at online and mobile services. That has created the urge to merge and spread fixed business costs over bigger operations.

For international and national news and for national advertising, a combination of two major regional news organizations might not matter much to business competition, Stucke said.

But for local news, the daily newspaper still has an important function that cannot be easily replaced, Stucke said.

The Justice Department has intervened in the past two decades in mergers involving San Francisco daily newspapers and Los Angeles area alternative weeklies, Stucke noted.

In the Freedom case, Justice Department attorneys could come to bankruptcy court and seek time to investigate what damage could be done to newspaper competition in the market, Stucke said.

Because you cannot easily unscramble the egg once a deal is done, he said.

Tribunes Southern California business plan, at least under its previous CEO Jack Griffin, was to try to boost profitability by merging regional newspapers and create cost-cutting consolidation efficiency. Tribune bought its San Diego paper last year.

MEDIA: New CEO of L.A. Times still wants to buy Freedom

Tribunes new CEO Justin Dearborn in a conference call with analysts on March 2 confirmed Tribunes interest in Freedom papers, but said Tribune would not overpay for the papers. He did not mention any antitrust concerns.

Tribunes new chairman and largest shareholder, Michael Ferro, is familiar with media antitrust issues.

Ferro held a large ownership stake in the Chicago Sun-Times before taking control of Tribune, which published the Chicago Tribune. In an interview with the Tribune earlier this month, he mentioned antitrust concerns as one reasons a deal to merge the two Chicago papers has never emerged.
Like any system conceived and composed by human beings, the criminal justice system is fallible. When it fails, the costs can be enormous. This is particularly true in cases of wrongful or dubiously zealous prosecutions. Such miscarriages ultimately come with great cost to taxpayers and the notion of justice itself.

Attempting to gauge the extent of this is difficult, but one recent study provided some insights into wrongful convictions, errors and failed prosecutions. Criminal Injustice, by researchers at the UC Berkeley School of Law, looked at 692 felony convictions across California from 1989-2012 which resulted in a reversal and dismissal or acquittal. The researchers cautioned their report contained several limitations, including limitations on the availability of case files.

The individuals subjected to these faulty proceedings endured hundreds of trials, mistrials, appeals, and habeas petitions and served more than two thousand years in prison and jail, at a total cost to California taxpayers of more than $282 million, the report found. This includes combined settlement costs of $10,653,000 paid out by Riverside and San Bernardino counties in 193 cases. The city of Riverside failed to respond to public records requests.

One specific Riverside County case highlighted by the report includes the 2006 arrest and conviction of Carl Lee Mallett for allegedly stealing a bicycle. At the trial, the owner of the bicycle testified she wrongly identified Mr. Mallett as the thief and that it was actually her ex-boyfriend who took the bike.

When jurors returned from deliberations without a decision, the presiding judge excused two jurors, inserted alternates and was quoted as saying, I just so hate to see another week of people of this county put to such an expense that they have to [retry the case] just because you didnt work on it long enough.

Mr. Mallett was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison. As an aside, to those staunchly opposed to Proposition 47 and sentencing reforms, this should be a reminder that the criminal justice system has long been designed to levy obscenely stiff punishments for what are relatively minor crimes. Certainly we can do better than that.

Fortunately, Mr. Malletts conviction was overturned in 2009, and he accepted a plea deal to cover time served. Whether its the overly aggressive prosecutions or the fact that our justice systems checks and balances arent as robust as wed like to believe, the reality is our criminal justice system is far from perfect and too often puts conviction rates before the interests of justice.
To honor a late family member, a Corona businesswoman and off-roader is packing up her Toyota Tacoma 4X4 for a grueling nine-day dune rally in the Sahara desert.

Nicole Pitell, 41, is one of 330 women, 18 of them Americans, set to compete in Morocco at the 2016 Rallye Aicha des Gazelles. The 26th running of the worlds toughest all-female navigational rally gets under way March 23.

My sister-in-law passed away in September 2014 at the age of 37 from an unexpected aneurysm after a minor back procedure, said Pitell, who also competed last year. Grieving hard, she channeled her energy into something totally outside my norm and made it my mission to go to Morocco to honor her.

The competition is an off-road test of dead-reckoning navigation across 1,500 miles of rugged terrain. Teams of two, a driver and navigator, pilot their vehicles to a series of hidden checkpoints using only map and compass. The challenge is strictly analog; GPS and other electronic aids are prohibited. The team that achieves the most direct route wins.

Youre out there in the Sahara for nine days, Pitell said. You can go hours at a time without seeing another car. The heat crushes you and youre focusing so hard on keeping your heading that your eyes start to play tricks on you. Just getting to the end is an incredible achievement.

Last year, Pitell and TV personality and racer Jessi Combs were the top American finishers in their class. This year, Pitell is half of Team Total Chaos with navigator Chrissie Beavis, a professional rally competitor and X Games gold medalist competing for a third time.

Team Total Chaos is determined to earn the United States its first-ever outright win in a Toyota Tacoma.

We work together really well, and we have a great synergy, Pitell said. Were in an excellent position to make it to the podium.

A 1993 graduate of Elsinore High School, Pitell grew up in Lake Elsinore racing BMX and motocross with the boys. She married one of them, Matt Vaughan, and the couple moved to Corona in 1994.

They own Total Chaos Fabrication Inc., a Corona-based high-performance off-road suspension system and accessory manufacturer. The company sells its products to domestic and international recreational off-roaders, a Special Forces segment of the U.S. military and global competition rally racers.

A top womens off-road competitor, Pitell has finished Best in the deserts Vegas to Reno off-road race twice, along with several races in Baja California sponsored by off-roading company SCORE International. She is a three-time winner of the M.O.R.E. Powder Puff Race Towards a Cure.

No matter what youve done before, the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles changes you  physically, mentally and emotionally, Pitell said. Out there in the Sahara, driving vast distances among those huge, beautiful dunes, youre cut off from everything. You see wild camels and actual desert nomads, and it seems like time doesnt exist.

Contact the writer: community@pressenterprise.com
An Ontario man who police say forced his way into a local home was shot early Tuesday morning, March 15.

The shooting happened about 12:15 a.m. in the 1800 block of North Parkside Court, said Lt. Pat Birkett.

Jose Andres Alfaro Chavez was initially in critical condition after the shooting, said Cpl. Fred Alvarez, but by 1:30 p.m. he was out of surgery and stable.

Chavez is suspected of entering the home, prompting a man inside to fire at him.

We found out that there was a forced entry into the location, Alvarez said. We still dont know the reasoning.

Three hours before the reported shooting, police responded to a report of a person wiggling a door handle in the 1200 block of Seventh Street. They found Chavez nearby and took him to his home in the 1400 block of North Virginia Avenue.

Police had not interviewed him by 1:30 p.m.

Chavez, who Alvarez says is in his mid-30s, was not able to give police a statement when they arrived at the home where he was shot.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Voters in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio cast crucial ballots in the race for the presidency Tuesday. Here are some of the things to watch.

The end or the beginning?

The Republican presidential campaign will not end next week, or even next month. But voters in the five states casting ballots Tuesday will go a long way toward determining whether Donald Trump can win the 1,237 delegates necessary to claim the partys nomination.

If Trump loses Ohio (possible) or Florida (less likely) and wins less-than-commanding victories in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina, he would face the strong possibility of falling short of a delegate majority and entering a contested Republican convention this summer. But with victories in the home states of two of his rivals, he could end the campaigns of Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, leaving Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas as the only candidate still standing in his way.

As go Ohio and Florida 

No two states loom larger on the general election map than Florida and Ohio, and the results there could offer clues to the mood of the bellwether voters going into the fall campaign.

If Trump dispatches Ohios two-term governor and Floridas young senator, it would suggest that he is close to claiming the Republican nomination. And that would quickly force other elected Republicans there to decide how tightly they want to embrace a candidate who, even with his victories in the primary, could prove repellent to the sort of up-for-grabs voters most coveted in these pre-eminent swing states. This calculation could also prove consequential in the Senate campaign, as both states have Republican-held seats at stake that could determine the balance of power in that chamber.

Even as Ohios economy has recovered since the Great Recession, manufacturing jobs have continued to vanish. Should Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the Democratic side win Ohio, it will be in part because of their ferocious assault on the United States international trade agreements  a line of attack that also lifted them in Michigan. The economic conditions in the state have undermined support for free trade among voters and leaders in both parties. That augurs for a general election where the eventual party nominees will confront immense pressure to abandon the bipartisan free-trade consensus that has shaped every modern presidential administration.

Forget them not

Illinois and Missouri have a lot in common (besides being Midwestern states that share the Mississippi River). Both have been obscured by the action in Florida and Ohio, which are winner-take-all contests for Republicans and elimination races for Kasich and Rubio.

But Illinois and Missouri, which allocate a handful of delegates to the statewide winner and the rest to the top vote-getter in each of their congressional districts, could be just as important. If Trump overwhelms his competition in each, capturing every congressional district, he could effectively turn them into winner-take-all states.

But Kasich has aggressively campaigned in the Chicago area, and Cruz has stumped in nearly every corner of both the states. If together they can win a substantial number of the combined 26 congressional districts in both contests, it would limit Trumps haul and mitigate the impact of his winning Florida, Ohio or both.

The biggest wild card may be the heavily black congressional districts in Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City: They offer the same number of delegates as the most conservative Republican districts in the rural reaches of each state. Rubio has fared best in cities so far, but his collapse offers opportunities to the other Republican hopefuls.

The end

Rubio entered Super Tuesday with high hopes after a wave of high-profile endorsements. Two weeks later, he is on the verge of a decisive defeat in his home state.

He trails Trump in every survey, and often by a wide margin, with the latest polls showing him down by nearly 20 percentage points.

Floridas 99 delegates are enough to cover an eighth of those Trump needs to reach the majority count, but there is a silver lining for Trumps opponents: Rubios decline, and the possibility that he could withdraw after Florida, is good news for them elsewhere.

Cruz has picked up a lot of Rubios former supporters in firmly red states like Louisiana and Mississippi. Cruz lost states like these by a wide margin on Super Tuesday, but he nearly won in states where Rubios support was reduced to the single digits. The same phenomenon has given Cruz a chance to squeak out wins in Missouri and North Carolina.

Farther north, Rubios weakness helps Cruz and Kasich, but perhaps not by enough to allow either to overtake Trump. That seemed to happen in Michigan, where Trump won a much smaller share of the vote than he did in Louisiana or Mississippi but, because his opposition was more divided, still won by a larger margin.

The same phenomenon might help Trump win Illinois.

Sanders in the Midwest

Sanders can prove his upset victory in Michigan last week was not a fluke.

He has a real chance of winning in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, where the polls show a much tighter race than they did before Michigan. Like Michigan, the three states might be particularly receptive to his message on trade, and they are less diverse than the nation.

A few more wins in the Midwest would strengthen the case for Sanders to stay in the race and compete in the delegate-rich blue states that dominate the final two months of the primary season.

But the challenge for Sanders is not simply to win in the region, it is to win big. Hillary Clinton could win Florida and North Carolina by more than 20 percentage points, making her likely to add to her big pledged delegate lead. Narrow victories by Sanders will not do much to cut into Clintons growing edge.

Open primaries

One advantage for Sanders is that the Midwestern states hold open primaries, where voters of any political affiliation can cast their ballots.

Sanders tends to fare best among independents, especially because younger voters are likely to identify that way. Exit polls in Michigan found that Clinton won self-identified Democrats by 18 percentage points, but she lost the state nonetheless because of a 43-point disadvantage among independents.

There is a flip side to open primaries: Democrats can vote in the Republican contest. That might help Sanders, too. It has been argued that Clinton was hurt because some of her supporters voted to stop Trump in Michigan. Self-described Democrats represented 7 percent of the Michigan Republican primary electorate, according to the exit polls.

Sanders will not always have this advantage, and he will not have it in Florida, the biggest delegate prize of the night, where only registered Democrats are allowed to participate.

Early voting

When the votes start coming in from Florida and North Carolina after 7 p.m., most of the results will be from early voters. They tend to be older than the voters who turn out on Primary Day, which might bode well for Clinton and Trump.

But if Trump does much worse among Primary Day voters than early voters, it might be a sign that recent controversies, like the protests and violence at his events, are taking a toll on his support.

The early vote might also provide a clue about strategic voting. If Rubio closes strong in Florida at the expense of Cruz and Kasich, it might be a sign that voters are choosing to coalesce behind an anti-Trump candidate, even if he is not their preferred one. That would be a bad sign for Trumps chances in a one-on-one race.
Skaters adopted the thick-soled, rugged canvas shoes for their rubbery grip. Actor Sean Penn famously wore a pair of checkerboard slip-ons in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. A kid in Riverside last month donned a white pair in a 30-second video and the viral world swooned.

Vans, born in Anaheim 50 years ago, started out as a small manufacturing company whose founders had an unconventional idea to dabble in the retail world. In the ensuing years, the company has ballooned into a multibillion-dollar action-sports brand recognized around the world.

But it wasnt a smooth ride to success.

Like the gritty skaters who first made the footwear cool, Vans learned there would be some bumps, bruises and crashes as they leaped high and pushed a subculture into the mainstream.

Taking a gamble

Paul Van Doren knew the money wasnt in manufacturing shoes. If he wanted a successful business, hed have to go into retail to sell his product directly to customers.

Van Doren, who had experience in the shoe business while working in Boston, opened up the Van Doren Rubber Co. with his brother, Jim Van Doren, and friend Gordon Lee. The doors opened on March 16, 1966 at 704 East Broadway in Anaheim.

A sign outside read House of Vans.

They had styles on the racks, organized in color-coded shoe boxes. Mens sold for $4.49, womens for $2.29.

There was one problem: They forgot to put money in their cash register.

As customers showed up throughout the day, Paul told them to pick out their style, then come back with the cash when they picked up the shoes.

My dad has a lot of faith in people, said Pauls son, Steve Van Doren, who works at the Cypress headquarters with the title Ambassador of Fun.

Lines soon spilled out the shops door, so the founders decided to open more locations. The first stand-alone retail shop popped up in Costa Mesa off Newport Boulevard. The Van Dorens and Lee also would fill up their trucks with shoes and hit the swap meets on weekends. Paul Van Doren would scout new stores to open.

Six of the first 10 stores werent profitable. When advised by his accountant to shut them down, Paul gambled and did the opposite: He opened more stores. The way he figured, the more shoes he made, the cost to make them would go down, and hed bank on the successful stores, explained Steve.

The first decade, the company simply tried to stay afloat. Then, the skaters showed up.

Off the Wall

Theres a saying in the skater world: Did you see that guy get off the wall?

Vans adopted the phrase, stamping it into the heels of each shoe.

In the mid-70s word got out about the shoe with extra grip, a thick sole and tough canvas that could handle a battering as skateboarders launched off pool lips and did tricks on their wooden boards. Skaters like Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva  who were laying the foundation for what skateboarding is today  became team riders sponsored by Vans.

Nike had its swoosh. Adidas had its logo. Vans had to come up with its own unique design, so the shoe got whats called a jazz stripe on the side to make them stand out.

Years later, kids started drawing checkerboard designs on the rubber part of their Vans. The company took note and created its own checkerboard slip-on.

A young, up-and-coming actor named Sean Penn  who grew up surfing and skating around Santa Monica  told movie producers he needed to wear the shoes in the Fast Times movie. In the 1982 film, the perpetually stoned character Jeff Spicoli slaps his head with the slip-on and declares, Im so wasted!

The movies soundtrack would carry the Vans shoes on its cover.

Checkered slip-ons soon were flying off the shelves. Business at Vans instantly doubled, and revenue grew to $45 million from $20 million the previous year.

But it turns out, that boom wasnt necessarily a good thing.

Growing pains

With all the money coming in, Vans quickly churned out a shoe for everything you could think of: A break-dancing shoe. A running shoe. A basketball shoe. Even a skydiving shoe.

Vans fast times soon came to a halt.

We basically fed that beast as hard as we could and used all that profit to try other things, said Doug Palladini, North America general manager. And we ended up sitting on product no one wanted. It was a double-edged sword.

In 1984, Vans filed for bankruptcy.

Steve remembers when his father had to tell his employees he couldnt give them a raise for three years. He told everyone to bring pencils from home, because he couldnt afford to buy pens. The banks wanted him to liquidate, but a judge agreed to let Paul Van Doren bring in a plan every six weeks and make payments.

He paid 100 cents to the dollar on the debt.

Paul and the other partners retired when venture investment firm McCown De Leeuw & Co. offered to buy the company in 1988 for $74 million. The new company took the brand public in 1991.

Through the 90s, Vans continued to grow its following in the skate world and set out to expand into the music scene with whats now called the Vans Warped Tour. Today, the Warped Tour makes dozens of stops around the country and is known as the place where up-and-coming musicians can be discovered.

By 2004, the company grew to $300 million from $60 million. That same year, the company was sold for $396 million to VF Corp., which assured Vans executives the brand would continue to operate on its own.

Up to that point, Vans had been a California brand. In other surf and skate shops around the country, Vans were found in dusty corners  if the shop held them at all.

The next goal became clear: taking Vans global.

Staying focused

When asked what makes Vans successful, Palladini used one word: Discipline.

The company stopped making shoes that didnt sell and focused on what execs call their four pillars: art, music, action sports and street culture.

We had so many evolutionary dead ends, its phenomenal. Other brands, it would have been their demise, he said. Somewhere along the way, we lost focus of who we are. Where we came from is right there, Dogtown he said, pointing at a poster in his office of skater Stacy Peralta hitting the lip of a pool.

When every action sports wear company decided to jump on active wear or yoga clothes, for example, Vans declined.

One way the company expanded its reach is through collaborations. Vans recently teamed up with Disney and Star Wars. Other Vans partnerships have included the Simpsons and Beatles brands.

Theyve kept a stronghold in the surf world by hosting the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in Hawaii and the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.

With the backing of VF Corp. Vans has expanded its retail operations, with more than 700 stores worldwide, 20 in Orange County.

While other action-sports brands like Billabong and Quiksilver have grappled with losses, Vans has hit its stride. Their annual financial report released in February shows full-year sales totaled $2.2 billion, a 7 percent increase compared with 2014.

Duke Edukas, co-owner of Surfside Sports in Costa Mesa, remembers thinking Vans was on a roll with its vulcanized shoes, but the trend would only last about five years.

That was 20 years ago, it never happened, he said.

In addition to their footwear, snowboard boots sell well at the store. Its clothing line is not as strong, and Edukas does not carry it in his store because not many people ask for it.

I think its important for them to not take their eye off the ball on their footwear, he said. They dont want to lose steam on that, because thats the strength of the brand.

Vans obsessions

Even as Vans transformed into a household name around the world, shoe enthusiasts, including Bill Cruz of Glendora, have stuck with the brand.

Cruz is a collector; he owns hundreds of Vans shoes that fill a storage unit. He runs the website stuckunderthepalms.com, which caters strictly to Vans fans.

My obsession is more like an addiction nowadays, he said.

As Cruz collected the brand he, like many others, became more passionate about what the brand stood for.

They are a little bit off the wall, like they say, he said. They follow trend, but they represent people who dont care to fit in. They have deep roots in the skate culture, outsiders, outcasts.

The appeal of Vans is at an all-time high, especially after the social media meme Damn Daniel exploded on the Internet.

Teen Josh Holz took video clips of friend Daniel Lara at a Riverside school and posted it on the Snapchat app, showcasing the teens outfits. In one of the clips, Holz is heard saying, Daaaamn Daniel, back at it again with the white Vans!

A modest estimate shows the video clip reached at least 45 million page views on various multimedia platforms, with another 20 million watching a YouTube segment when Lara appeared on the Ellen television show.

Vans saw a major marketing opportunity, giving Lara a lifetime supply of Vans shoes. Hes the only person outside of the Van Doren family privy to such a promise.

While Palladini couldnt give specifics, he said there was a significant uptick in white Vans sales after the social media explosion.

Its not about milking it, its about being a part of the experience when its there, and now were moving on to the next thing Palladini said.

50th celebration

To celebrate 50 years, about a dozen House of Vans parties  where skate, music and art collide  will happen around the world from March 16  18.

All 9,000 Vans employees will get a special 50th anniversary shoe, with the words Off the Wall Family on the heel.

Local efforts are focused on moving their headquarters from Cypress to Costa Mesa by early 2017, where the company is taking over a 180,000-square-foot building on 14 acres  and room to grow.

There are big projects in the works this year: A new waterproof, chef-inspired shoe, and a collaboration with Nintendo on the horizon.

Palladini said its not a self-congratulatory moment for the brand. Its a chance to give gratitude to their fans, employees and customers.

Being 50 is a pretty humbling experience. Not many people get that far, he said. Its less about us, but more about the people who have supported us over the years.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency is alleging in a civil lawsuit that Goldenvale Inc., which has an Ontario warehouse, violated the federal Clean Air Act because of errors in paperwork required to sell motor vehicles in the United States from 2004 to 2009.

It is not the first time a government agency has taken action against the firm, but previous cases were filed by the the state Air Resources Board in cooperation with the San Bernardino County District Attorneys office for similar issues, according to state and county documents.

The lawsuit, filed Friday, March 11, in U.S. District Court in Riverside, alleges imported vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, did not comply with anti-pollution laws.

The lawsuit claims errors in the certificate of compliance paperwork, including that the company was listed as an importer instead of a manufacturer, some vehicle identification numbers did not match the model year on vehicles listed in the certificates and the manufacturer name on the certificate applications did not match the name on invoices.

The aim is to reduce emissions from mobile sources of air pollution, the lawsuit stated.

Investigators found paperwork errors on more than 16,650 vehicles. The lawsuit asks a judge to grant civil penalties not to exceed $32,500 for each uncertified vehicle violation from March 15, 2004 through Jan. 12, 2008, or $37,500 for violations after the 2008 date.

A message left at the Ontario warehouse number to speak to the firms attorney was not returned Monday.

The Southern California region is struggling to meet the federal health standard for smog. It failed to meet the ozone standard during 83 days last year, and future standards will be more stringent. The region also missed a 2015 federal deadline to clean up fine-particle pollution. Motor vehicles contribute to both forms of pollution.

Staff writer David Danelski contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9075 or gwesson@pressenterprise.com
Iran has turned down a proposed deal to accept the return of failed asylum seekers against their will, meaning several hundred Iranians in Australian detainment facilities could effectively be left in limbo  unable to settle here, and unable to return.

Iranian foreign affairs minister Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif publically turned down Julie Bishops hopeful deal today during a visit to Canberra. The Guardian reports he said we cannot force anybody to come back to Iran but if anybody wants to come back voluntarily, we always take our citizens with pride.

Currently, nearly 20% of all asylum seekers in Australian detention facilities or offshore detention are Iranian, equalling around 9,000 all told. While the majority ultimately have their claims of asylum accepted, those who dont  and refuse to return of their own volition  now seem to face the prospect of indefinite detention.

Reaching an agreement with Iran on an involuntary resettlement program would be a diplomatic win for the current Australian government. Even then, conditions for those who do return  even voluntarily  are reportedly dire. Despite the ministers statement repatriated asylum seekers are accepted with pride, interrogations and surveillance have been described as the norm upon return, even for those who choose to go back.

The prospects for returning Iranians are especially bleak considering Australias official stance on the nations own human rights abuses. The government formally takes issue with Irans stance on capital punishment and torture, among other violations. And Australia still tried sending these would-be refugees back there, against their will.

Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

Source: The Guardian.

Photo: Handout / Getty.
Humans of New Yorks Brandon Stanton has penned a blistering open letter to Donald Trump, tearing shred of beautiful shred off the  oh god  Republican front-runner.

To his audience of 17 million people, Brandon takes aim at Trumps terrifying anti-Muslim stance, labelling him as a hateful man who happily advocates for torture, murder, and violence, and as someone who has encouraged prejudice and violence in the pursuit of personal power.



This, my friends, is poetry.

I am a journalist, Mr Trump, he writes. And over the last two years I have conducted extensive interviews with hundreds of Muslims, chosen at random, on the streets of Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. Ive also interviewed hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi refugees across seven different countries. And I can confirm  the hateful one is you.



HONY posts usually attract somewhere in the vicinity of 100,000+ likes, and a hefty few thousand shares and comments, but this ones almost clocked up ONE MILLION likes in the space of four hours. And thats at the time we posted this.

Have a read of it below:

An Open Letter to Donald Trump:Mr. Trump,I try my hardest not to be political. Ive refused to interview several of Posted by Humans of New York on Monday, 14 March 2016

Source: HONY.



Photo: Nicholas Kamm / Getty.
Ever feel like you were born to run a la our main running-man muse Forrest Gump?

Uno problemo is, wed probably cook it a few hours into the 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours running rampage that he nailed, thanks to pure boredom, tiredness and downright soreness.

Thats why we need to combat the excuses that prevent us from smashing our personal best head-on, with foolproof hacks to excel at our running game. From motivational tunes and apps to riding that competitive streak, we got your new running benchmarks covered.

Sorry/not sorry, but youll be huffing and puffing like an actual storybook wolf by the time were done with you.

LET MUSIC & TECH BE YOUR INSPIRATION

Whether its music pumping through the earphones or pushy apps that track your progress, technology + fitness = wins all round.

Its a tale as old as time that music makes you want to boogie, so natch youll be keen on getting up and moving. Theres a reason people use their fave songs for alarms, duh. Plus, plenty of research confirms that music makes exercise seem easier and less mundane, which makes sense cause what even is boredom when Kendrick is playing?

A leading expert on the psychology of exercise music, Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University in London, said that music is pretty much a type of legal performance-enhancing drug, essentially because it can make you exercise longer and harder, and in turn have you kicking all your personal goals.

So yeah, pop in those headphones, cause, like natural, healthy and authentic progression and all that, yknow? Theres a sweet spot between 120 and 140 beats per minute that youll want on the playlist, because when the tempos too fast/slow it can do more harm than good.

Nifty apps will also help you get those ~results~, and theres legit so many going round which are so busy being smart on yo phones that they track your progress for you. Think of them as a modern-day beep test.

Whether youve taken a decent timeout from the running circuit (ah, helloooo Christmas, NYE, summer-in-general break, we looking at you), or looking for a lil diversity in your running routine, theres an app for every running need. We like to think of them as our very own free PT. Cheeeyeah.

READ MORE How To Cheat The Gym System So You Can Be Broke And Fit At The Same Time

MAKE RUNNING BUDDIES

Finding a running buddy will almost always push you to your limits  and also make sure we actually get off our behinds and out that door  thanks to the innate competition within us all. That being said, Thomas Plante, a PhD and professor in psychology at Santa Clara University, explained that, Who you exercise with matters.

A study he conducted showcased that youll want to buddy up with someone who has a similar or a higher fitness level, as people who exercise together mimic the behaviour of their partner. One things for sure: theyll definitely kill any boredom.

BUY FITNESS CLOTHES THAT FIT RIGHT

You aint going nowhere if youre uncomfortable as all hell  which can sometimes be a head-to-toe dilemma during exercise  and its too often used to pardon yourself from the best performance everrrr on the running circuit.

One ah-maze thing about the current fitness craze is that designers understand the need for performance-enhancing fabrics and fits while still being stylin at the same time.

Whether its absorbent materials for all that lovely sweat youre releasing or undies to stop the bouncinnng round like Matt Shervington, you wanna be as comfy as humanly possible while working out. Do your research and know what youre buying, and fo the love of god, try before you buy. Do a little spot jog or star jump in the changing room for all we care  youll thank us later.

Shoes are among the most important for GETTIN IT DONE, because aint nobody got time for blisters and bandaids and other dirt things starting with b. That crap hurts like a mother and the wrong shoe can also have you experiencing serious ish-shoes like shin splints and aching heels.

Now that youre all out of excuses  we expect some serious ~personal best~ activation from the lot of you.
Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

How to Speak Irish with Dr. Mark Harman

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, but let's be honest: some people are more Irish than others.

Take Dr. Mark Harman, for instance. Fluent in five languages, the Irish native says he has a "special connection" to his people's native language, having attended an Irish language secondary school in Dublin.

"You could be thrown out of the school for speaking English," he said. "The school was established to promote the Irish language, with the goal of reviving it."

Irish is the first official language of Ireland, followed by English, though Dr. Harman said it's hard to estimate how many fluent Irish speakers there are.

(The language's official name is Irish, by the way, not Gaelic. There's some Anglo-Hiberno politics involved, but calling it Irish is more correct, FYI.)

"A lot of people claim greater fluency than they already have," he said. So in that, the Irish aren't all that different from us Yanks on St. Patrick's Day. But here's the good doctor's tips on how to say a few key phrases!

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Shutterstock

Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

One notable omission ...

Dr. Harman was insistent on not translating one popular "Irish" phrase.

"Erin go bragh? Oh, that's [expletive]," he said of the phrase, which is often translated as "Ireland forever." The phrase has been Anglicized and corrupted from the original Irish, but even then, Dr. Harman considered it pretty much nonsense.

"I wouldn't be surprised if an American came up with it," he said.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Hello.

In Irish:

Dia dhuit.

English pronunciation:

dee-uh gwitt.

Literal meaning:

God be with you.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

My name is ______.

In Irish:

Marcus is ainm dom.

English pronunciation:

mar-cus is an-um dom.

Literal meaning:

Marcus is my name.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Yes.

In Irish:

Sea.



English pronunciation:

sha

Literal meaning:

It is it.

Don't Edit

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

No.

In Irish:

Ni hea.

English pronunciation:

nee hah

Literal meaning:

It is not it.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Thank you.

In Irish:

Go raibhe maith agat.

English pronunciation:

goo rave mah got

Literal meaning:

May you have goodness.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Excuse me.

In Irish:

Gabh mo leithsceal.

English pronunciation:

gah mo lesh-kale

Literal meaning:

Excuse me.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Do you speak English?

In Irish:

An labhrann tu Bearla?

English pronunciation:

an lau-rann too bear-la

Literal meaning:

Do you speak English?

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

I don't speak Irish.

In Irish:

Nil aou Ghaeilge agam.

English pronunciation:

neil an whale-gyuh ag-um

Literal meaning:

I have no Irish.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Kiss me, I'm Irish.

In Irish:

Pog me, is Eireannach me.

English pronunciation:

poag may, is ear-nach may.

Literal meaning:

Kiss me, I'm an Irishman.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

In Irish:

La Naomh Padraig faoi shona duit.

English pronunciation:

la naive paw-rig fwee hunna litch

Literal meaning:

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Cheers!

In Irish:

Slainte! or Slainte mhaith!

English pronunciation:

sloin-cha or sloin-cha wa

Literal meaning:

Health! or Good health!

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

A curse.

In Irish:

Mallacht de ort.

English pronunciation:

mal-ock day ert

Literal meaning:

Curse of the devil on you.

Don't Edit

Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

I love you.

In Irish:

Ta gra agam duit.

English pronunciation:

ta graw uh-gum litch

Literal meaning:

Is love with me for you, or I have love for you.

Don't Edit

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Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Good morning.

In Irish:

Maidin brea duit.

English pronunciation:

Mah-jin brah licht.

Literal meaning:

Good morning to you.

Don't Edit

Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Good night.

In Irish:

Oiche mhaith.

English pronunciation:

Ee-oh wah.

Literal meaning:

Good night to you.

Don't Edit

Sean Adams | sadams@pennlive.com

Want more St. Paddy's Day?

Check out this list of St. Patrick's Day 2016 events in our area, find out where to get a good Irish breakfast and find out why the four leaf clover has nothing to do with St. Paddy's Day.

Plus, don't miss last year's interview with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland and his thoughts on the holiday!
HARRISBURG- After former City Treasurer John Campbell was charged in 2014 with theft from charities he oversaw, Harrisburg officials said they didn't believe any money was missing from city coffers.

Now, 20 months later_ even after an internal review and a consultant's report_ city officials still can't say with certainty that nothing was stolen from the treasury.

That's because of serious internal control weaknesses inside the Treasurer's office and historic problems with the city's bookkeeping, according to a consultant's report completed last month.

The report by New York firm Alvarez and Marsal could not conclude whether any criminal acts transpired in the treasury, but if someone wanted to steal money, the climate existed, according to the report.

City Controller Charles DeBrunner on Wednesday released the consultant's report to reporters and on his website against the advice of the consultant, mayor and city solicitor. The city treasurer is an elected position.

The report represented the first phase of the investigation and because of the "red flags," Mayor Eric Papenfuse wanted to pursue a second phase to try to determine conclusively if any money was missing. But DeBrunner's disclosure violated the contract with the consultant, Papenfuse said, so it's unlikely the consultant would continue working with the city.

"It was recklessly irresponsible," Papenfuse said, adding that the $42,000 paid to the consultant for the first phase was now "wasted.

"If money was stolen from Treasury, the public will likely now never know," Papenfuse said.

City Solicitor Neil Grover was negotiating with the consultant for its public release when DeBrunner released it, the mayor said. Papenfuse said the review started out as a possible criminal investigation so the consultant wrote the report as an internal document.

DeBrunner said he thought the public should see the results of the report as soon as possible and that a second-phase forensic audit would have been too costly because the city's records are incomplete.

He also said he opposed the privacy clause included in the consultant's contract because it runs counter to his role as a watchdog over the city's finances.

"I felt uncomfortable withholding it. It didn't look reasonable to me," he said. "I'll take responsibility for my decision."

DeBrunner said he released the information to push the treasury and administration to make long-needed changes, but Papenfuse said DeBrunner had political motivations to release the report prematurely.

DeBrunner said he doesn't think Campbell stole money while in the Treasurer's office because it would have required the assistance of another employee. Campbell alone had no access to money.

"That gives us some comfort," DeBrunner said. "John Campbell was no mastermind criminal. He wrote checks to himself and signed them," at the charities he oversaw.

City Treasurer Tyrell Spradley agreed with DeBrunner's decision to release the report and said it confirmed many of the problems on which he was already working. Spradley also agreed with DeBrunner that a second phase of investigation was impractical because of the city's poor records.

Among the key findings of the report:

The deputy treasurer both initiated and approved outgoing wire transfers and was responsible for conducting monthly bank account reconciliations, which is a process similar to balancing one's checkbook.

"Too many processes/functions are concentrated with the deputy treasurer, which weakens checks and balances," the report said. "The lack of segregation of controls related to the wire transfers results in an environment where the opportunity for fraudulent activity exists."

The Treasurer's office is not reconciling all of the city's bank accounts each month and that reconciliations aren't being booked into the city's general ledger in a timely manner.

"Segregation of duties and bank account reconciliation are two of the most fundamental internal financial control concepts in fraud prevention," the report noted.

The Treasurer's office does not maintain an updated master list of all city bank accounts.

"The deputy treasurer claimed to be familiar with all of the city's bank accounts, but only maintains this information in her head," according to the report. "Dormant and/or unidentified bank accounts can be used to facilitate or hide unauthorized activities."

The city has a culture where errors are "accepted and expected."

"In a culture where errors are accepted as commonplace, it is much easier for someone to commit a fraud and avoid detection," the report said. "Unusual or undocumented transactions will be less likely to raise red flags."

Problems with city financial records date back to 2009, according to the report, when reconciliations stopped and no audits were performed on the city's books.

When Papenfuse took office, his finance team was greeted with four years of backed-up reconciliations, said Finance Director Bruce Weber.

Years of not fixing bookkeeping errors has resulted in a $2 million difference between the amount of money in the bank and the amount of money listed as being in the bank. The bank balance is higher, according to the report, which does not indicate theft, but does not disprove it.

The city's outside auditors are aware of the situation and have been asking the city to address many of the same problems as noted in the recent consultant's report.

The city doesn't have enough employees to clear up the backlog, so Weber said his office instead has focused on reconciling current account balances going forward. Vacancies in the Treasurer's office stalled the reconciliation process last year.

The city treasurer said his office hired a new assistant deputy treasurer last month who will be responsible for monthly reconciliations with the city books. The treasurer's office computer system and city's system are antiquated and can't communicate, so the reconciliations must be done by hand.

The turnover in the treasurer's office was partly to blame for many of the deficiencies noted in the consultant's report. But Spradley and DeBrunner said the city's finance department also has fallen short because of its inability to catch up with past reconciliations two years into the new administration.

The work of the two separate offices are linked, DeBrunner said, adding that the city needs to stop making excuses and invest in better computer systems.

Treasury is operating on a "home-made mainframe system," he said. "If you want to make changes, you've got to get guys to write code...Nobody that I know is running a system like this."

DeBrunner said Spradley is working to correct problems in Treasury but that he doesn't see the same effort to enact change with the city's finance department.

Weber said his office is dependent on reconciliations from treasury, which weren't being done. And Weber said converting to a new information technology system would be expensive, time-consuming and require the hiring of a consultant to figure out how to import all the historical data.

"We realize it's an issue," Weber said. "It's easy to point out problems. Coming up with solutions is the hard part."

Papenfuse said he is seeking to fill the long-vacant business administrator's position, which could provide some support for finance. The state's Department of Community and Economic Development has agreed to pay the salary to fill the position.
Ben Allatt council March 14.JPG

Harrisburg Councilman Ben Allatt (at right) proposed several changes to the city's financial recovery plan, including a push for more payments from the state. At left are Council President Wanda Williams and Councilman Cornelius Johnson.

HARRISBURG- Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse and city council members agreed Monday night that Pennsylvania should be paying the capital city more to compensate for the burden of hosting state government.

But could the city count on the Legislature to deliver any additional money?

And if not, where would the city get the money to fill a long-standing structural budget deficit?

Those were some of the unanswered questions that came out a city council committee meeting Monday night designed to delve into possible changes to the city's financial recovery plan.

The city must fix its budget deficit by the end of 2018, when the plan is set to expire, or risk a return to receivership and higher property taxes.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse believes a home rule charter would allow the city to avoid a property tax hike and get out of the state's Act 47 program for financially struggling municipalities by 2018. The city's Act 47 coordinator has also recommended home rule as a solution to lingering budget woes.

Home rule would provide the city with flexible taxing options, including the authority to continue collecting a two-percent earned income tax after the city exits the state's Act 47 program. Without home rule, the tax would revert to one percent after leaving Act 47 and about $8 million would evaporate annually from city coffers.

The mayor also believes the city could fight under home rule to keep a hike in the local services tax worth $4million annually, which mostly affects commuters.

Under home rule, Papenfuse said the city could seize its own destiny instead of becoming more dependent on the state and its political whims.

But several council members diverged with the mayor on the issue of home rule as part of the city's financial recovery plan. They said they felt rushed and needed to better understand the broad implications of home rule, which also allows a voter-selected commission to change the city's government structure.

The commission could ultimately choose a government structure that weakens power for the mayor's position or council members, or it could keep the same form of government.

Fred Reddig, the city's Act 47 coordinator, tried to assuage council members' concerns about home rule by noting that the city's financial recovery plan only asks council members to "consider" pursuing home rule. It is not a mandate, Reddig said.

Members of the city's Act 47 team said, however, that without home rule, the city could be left with no other option but steep increases in real estate taxes once the city leaves Act 47.

Council President Wanda Williams said she didn't know enough about home rule to advocate for it and she wanted time to educate herself and residents about it. Williams also complained that previous promises under the state's Act 47 plan hadn't panned out. She specifically pointed out the long-term lease of the city's parking assets, which failed to live up to its hype. Williams said she didn't know if she could trust what all the "experts" were telling council members.

Reddig said there was no rush, but that council would have to act by August to get the home rule process on the November ballot. An affirmative vote by residents would kick off a 9-month information-gathering stage that would result in a series of recommendations that voters could later approve or reject.

Council members Ben Allatt and Shamaine Daniels said they don't like that the home rule provision would be tied into the city's financial recovery plan going forward. Instead, they support pressuring state government to provide more direct financial support to the city, as other states do for their capital cities.

Allatt studied 15 other capital cities and said that Harrisburg received the least state support among them. Harrisburg gets $5 million annually from the state for fire protection services.

Albany gets $17.1 million in annual payments from New York to compensate for tax-exempt state government properties, Allatt said. The payment in lieu of taxes, often known as a PILOT, represents one-third of the buildings' assessed value.

New York state government buildings consume 31 percent of property in Albany, Allatt said, which is a smaller footprint than the 41 percent that Pennsylvania takes up in Harrisburg.

Trenton receives even more support from New Jersey, Allatt said, with a $9.1 million annual PILOT. Millions in additional aid bring the total direct financial help from the state to $58.3 million, Allatt said.

In Maine, the state government opts to lease buildings instead of buying them to keep the properties on the tax rolls for the city of Augusta, Allatt said.

"I hope that begins to paint a picture of how lopsided the relationship has been between our own Commonwealth and the city of Harrisburg," Allatt said.

Papenfuse said he supported state PILOTs but didn't want to rely on them, given the state legislative gridlock. If the PILOT effort failed without home rule as a backup plan, the city could be forced to raise real estate taxes, he said.

Reddig asked council members to introduce proposed changes to the city's financial recovery plan at their next legislative session March 22. The mayor and council appear united in their support for various changes, except for home rule.

Members of the Act 47 team pointed out that any delay in passing changes to the amended financial recovery plan could adversely affect labor contract negotiations, which are set to start this year. The plan would set a ceiling for union benefits that could help the city in its negotiations. But without such a ceiling, the city would be subject to the decision of an arbitrator and could face more costs than the city could comfortably absorb.
Alabama Prison Riot

FILE -In this Saturday March 12, 2016 file photo, the sign to The William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Ala., is displayed. A prisoner has stabbed a fellow inmate and 70 prisoners have barricaded themselves in a dorm at an Alabama prison that was the site of weekend uprisings. The uprising was the second in three days at the prison, which was still on lockdown after inmates stabbed the prison warden and a corrections officer, lit fires and tried to take over a dormitory on Friday. (Sharon Steinmann/AL.com via AP, File)

(Sharon Steinmann)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Dozens of inmates barricaded themselves inside a dormitory at an Alabama prison for more than four hours Monday until authorities were finally able to regain control in what marked the second violent uprising in the same area of the overcrowded correctional facility in three days.

The disturbance began Monday morning when a prisoner stabbed another inmate at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, about 50 miles north of Mobile, said Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton. When corrections officers tried to apprehend the suspect, inmates became violent and barricaded themselves inside the dorm, Horton said in an emailed statement. He said 70 inmates were in the dorm at the time, but it was unclear how many were involved in the uprising, which began at 10 a.m.

An emergency response team entered the dorm about 2:45 p.m. Monday and regained control of the area of the prison, he said.

Horton said Monday's violence occurred in the same dorm where, on Friday night, Holman inmates stabbed Warden Carter Davenport and a corrections officer and lit fires and then shot video of the melee with contraband cellphones.

Emergency response teams had brought the first situation under control by Saturday morning, but the prison was still locked down Monday when the latest uprising broke out.

Monday's disturbance marked the third incidence of violence within a week in the state's troubled prison system, which has come under criticism for overcrowding and low staffing levels. An officer was stabbed last week at another Alabama prison.

"You don't have enough officers to monitor this many inmates. This is going to continue," said Sen. Cam Ward, chairman of the legislative prison oversight committee.

Alabama prisons in December housed more than 24,282 inmates in facilities originally designed to hold 13,318, according to monthly statistics from the Department of Corrections. There were 830 prisoners housed at Holman, which was originally designed to hold 581 inmates.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announced plans to visit the facility on Tuesday.

Bentley is asking legislators to approve an $800 million bond issue to build four new, large prisons and shutter most existing facilities.

Video that was apparently shot Friday night from inside the prison by an inmate with a contraband cellphone shows inmates starting a fire at the end of the dormitory. "It is going down," said the inmate on the expletive-filled video after talking about the stabbings of the warden and officer. The Department of Corrections confirmed that some inmates inside the prison were able to publish photos of the disturbance using social media.

During a search of the prison after Friday's uprising was contained, corrections officers found 30 cellphones, makeshift knives and other contraband, Horton said.
Donald Trump manager Corey Lewandowski

FILE - In this Aug. 25, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, right, walks with his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski after speaking at a news conference in Dubuque, Iowa. Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields, who said that she was grabbed by Lewandowski as she attempted to question Trump in Florida on Tuesday, March 8, has resigned from the conservative website, saying that she can't work for an organization that doesn't support her. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Breitbart News reporter allegedly roughed up last week at a Donald Trump press conference has resigned from the conservative website, saying that she can't work for an organization that doesn't support her, and three other news employees followed her out the door.

Michelle Fields, who said that she was grabbed by Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as she attempted to question the candidate last Tuesday in Florida, was joined in her resignation by Breitbart editors Ben Shapiro and Jarrett Stepman, along with national security correspondent Jordan Schachtel.

Police in Jupiter, Florida, said Monday their investigation of the incident is ongoing. No charges have been filed.

Lewandowski has denied the allegation. Trump told CNN that the incident, also witnessed by a reporter from The Washington Post, was probably "made up."

After initially publishing Fields' account, Breitbart posted a story doubting its own reporter, saying the "likeliest explanation" is that Fields was grabbed by a security officer, not Lewandowski.

Shapiro, in a lengthy statement first reported by BuzzFeed News, said Breitbart did nothing to support Fields outside of tepidly asking for an apology. "In the ultimate indignity, they undermined Michelle completely by running a poorly-evidenced conspiracy theory as their lead story," Shapiro wrote.

Shapiro called Breitbart's chief executive, Stephen Bannon, a bully who has shaped the company into "Trump's personal Pravda."

Bannon did not return an email message asking for comment Monday.

Later on Monday, Schachtel announced his resignation via Twitter and in a dual statement with Stepman provided to Politico. Both men said that Breitbart News had effectively given up its journalistic independence to become an arm of the Trump campaign.

On the Breitbart News site Monday afternoon, the lead story was about Sarah Palin cancelling an appearance with the Trump campaign because her husband Todd had been a snowmobile accident in Alaska.

Breitbart's chief public relations representative, Kurt Bardella, dropped the company as a client on Friday.
Lorelei McIntyre-Brewer.jpg

Lorelei McIntyre-Brewer

(submitted)

Even though she's only 10, Lorelei McIntyre-Brewer knows how little things like having a pillow to hug can help make you feel better after heart surgery.

The Duncannon girl, who was born with half her heart missing and has had three open heart surgeries, is now the second person in her family to be named Military Child of the Year by Operation Homefront.

She is daughter of Michelle McIntyre-Brewer and Capt. Steven Brewer, who is detachment commander for Kirk Army Medical Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

"I like being able to help other kids, because I know what they've been through, and it's not fun. It's very painful and sad," Lorelei said.

A fifth grade home-schooled student, Lorelei started Heart Hugs, a program that makes pillows for pediatric heart patients. "They can hug the pillow close to their chest - it helps them get rid of liquids that might be in their lungs. And it helps with comfort," she said.

So far they've made and distributed about 2,500 pillows through a network of helpers, said her mom, Michelle McIntyre-Brewer. Those who would like to help make the pillows can download a pattern from her Heart Hugs Facebook page.

One of Lorelei's favorite things is picking out the colorful fabric for the pillows, which depict everything from dogs to werewolves and aliens. "I like the cat patterns the best," she said, and she's getting a new one - PAW Patrol, based on the Nick Jr. show.

Her brother, Cavan, whose project is Socks for Vets, was named the 2015 Army Military Child of the Year. He also trains goats to carry packs in which wounded veterans can stow their camping and fishing gear.

"I'm really excited I'm able to follow in my brother's footsteps," Lorelei said, adding she has helped collect socks and other items for vets.

She also is active in Girl Scouts and 4-H, where she hopes to learn how to sew the pillows on a machine. So far, she sews them by hand.

Lorelei, who has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, is missing a heart ventricle. She has undergone 18 medical procedures, with her last open heart surgery in 2009.

She isn't a heart transplant candidate, said her mom, but doctors are looking into whether she could get a pacemaker. In June, she went into heart block due to an electrical problem, but her heart muscle itself is functioning well.

For her work with Heart Hugs, Lorelei has also received Dr. Oz's Every Day Health Hero award last year, was recognized by Points of Light Foundation and received the Maryland Volunteerism Award for her creation of Heart Hugs. She is also an advocate for the Congenital Heart Information Network.

Michelle McIntyre-Brewer said people in Duncannon and Perry County as a whole have been very supportive of Lorelei and her family. Ickesburg Fire Company, for example, donated money for Lorelei to get a service dog. "It's just the way we are up here - we love it here," she said.

Each of the six Military Child of the Year award winners will receive $10,000 and be flown to Washington, DC for a recognition gala April 14.
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Hacer Parlak, mother of Destina Peri Parlak, 16, hugs the bridal veil-draped body of her daughter, one of the victims of Sunday's explosion, during the funeral procession in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Ankara attack, which authorities say was carried out by a female bomber and a possible male accomplice. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were "almost certain" indications that the attack was the work of the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)


Russia eyes global deal on oil output in April

TEHRAN

Petroleumworld.com 03 15 2016

A global deal to freeze oil production could be signed in April and exclude Iran, which has the right to boost output after years of sanctions, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak said on Monday after talks in Tehran.

Oil fell around 3 percent on Monday after Iran dampened hopes of a coordinated stabilization of production any time soon, saying it would join such discussions after its own output had reached 4 million barrels per day (bpd). [O/R]

Four of the world's leading oil producers - Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela - met in Doha last month, saying they were ready to hold output at January levels if other producers did the same.

A final agreement on an output freeze to support oil prices, which have fallen 65 percent since peaking in June 2014 due to oversupply, is seen next month, possibly again in Doha, Novak said.

He said the deal could exclude Iran as the country seeks to regain production hit by now-lifted international sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear program.

"We share (the view) that Iran is in a special situation. The sanctions that had been introduced had materially hit (Iran's) output," Novak said after meeting his Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh.

Russia and Iran are considered to be on friendly terms. Moscow was a staunch supporter of lifting international sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear program.

Those sanctions were effectively removed in January, paving the way for Iran to increase its production of crude and adding uncertainty to already jittery oil markets.

Iran currently produces around 3.1 million bpd of oil. The sanctions also cut crude exports from a peak of 2.5 million bpd before 2011 to just over 1 million bpd in recent years.

Novak said Iran still insisted on a recovery in its oil output before any production freeze.

"On the whole, Iran supports the need for coordination between oil exporters, including a possible freeze. But Iran's position is that they have to first restore their production volumes ... After that, they are ready to join the freeze," Novak said.

The Russian minister said oil markets were now more balanced but he called for a solid deal on stabilizing output, "otherwise the markets will face more uncertainty, which will lead to more volatility".

He said oil prices were expected to be between $40 and $50 per barrel by the year-end, compared to just below $40 currently. LCOc1






MEXICO CITY

Petroleumworld.com 03 15 2016

When you're owed $7 billion and the borrower asks for more time to pay, it tends to make you nervous.

That's why oil service companies are pinning hopes on Pemex's new Chief Executive Officer Jose Antonio Gonzalez Anaya.

Anaya told Congress last week that the state-owned oil company will pay what it owes to 90 percent of the service providers in literally days after securing a credit line from national development banks. Pemex's urgency under Gonzalez Anaya to pay the companies is a far cry from the strategy employed by the previous administration, which last year cut contractors' daily rates and extended the payment period to 180 days from 20 days as outstanding debts reached record levels.

This sends a sign of stability and confidence to the sector, which has been very nervous payments would not be made, said Erik Legorreta, President of the Mexican Oil Industry Association, which represents around 3,000 service providers, in a phone interview. Members of the industry now have the confidence and certainty that the payments will be honored.

Pitching In

Pemex will turn to local development banks Banobras, Nafinsa and Bancomext for a 15 billion-peso credit line. That will allow the producer to begin to chip away at the debts, which ballooned to 147 billion pesos ($8.28 billion) last year, according to a Pemex statement . Mexico's Finance Ministry is also preparing a support plan to help Pemex to make the outstanding payments, which could include financing options such as a capital transfer or reduction of the company's tax burden, chief economist Luis Madrazo said in a March 8 interview.

It's incredible, but we are going to be able pay 90 percent of the providers that Pemex had a debt with last year in the upcoming days, Gonzalez Anaya told the congressional energy committee on Mar. 7. We have been working with different organizations that represent the providers and have developed a very interesting scheme, in which we will pay the providers in a very short time period.

Pemex will pay the debts of all small to mid-size providers owed less than 85 million pesos. The outstanding debt remaining to Pemex's larger service providers will still be around 100 billion pesos, according to a Pemex press official.

Mexico's central bank will soon send the Finance Ministry as much as 300 billion pesos that it made from exchange rate gains on international reserves last year, a person familiar with the situation said last week. The surplus from the central bank could be used to help Pemex reduce its debt, Finance Minister Luis Videgaray said last month.

Renewed Hope

While waiting for payments, contractors across Mexico have been forced to freeze projects or lay off employees, according to Gustavo Arballo, President of Mexico's Construction Industry Chamber, which represents around 500 Pemex's oil service providers. Cotemar, one of the country's largest providers, announced March 10 it would have to cut as many as 2,000 workers because of canceled contracts with Pemex.

Unemployment has spiked in oil industry dependent states such as Campeche and Veracruz as Pemex has delayed payments and oil prices have declined, according to Legorreta. Pemex's announcement on Feb. 29 that it will defer investment in exploration projects and reduce crude production is viewed as credit negative for Mexican states which depend largely on oil revenue, according to a March 3 report by Moody's Investors Service.

We have been told that 100 percent of providers will receive payment, just some faster than others, said Arballo. It gives us a lot of comfort that one of the first decisions made by the new CEO was to prioritize the debts of the small and medium-sized companies.






A reaction to There's a Strong Feminist Case for Hillary Clinton , on Al Jazeera, with accompanying linknado. "Women have n...
WASHINGTON  For nine months, Republican leaders refused to take on Donald Trump when it would have done some good. Now that it may be too late, theyre blaming their own failures on the media.

The medias pumping him up, Marco Rubio complained. The Republican presidential candidate alleged that theres a weird bias here in the media rooting for Donald Trump because they know hes the easiest Republican to beat.

Ted Cruz agrees that the media have given Trump hundreds of millions of dollars of free advertising, a massive in-kind contribution that helped create this phenomenon. He even alleges that media outlets are holding exposes on Trump until he secures the nomination.

Complaining about the media is an easy applause line for conservatives, and the news business no doubt deserves some blame for Trumps rise. But if Cruz, Rubio and other GOP leaders are looking for the real culprits, they should start with themselves.

Upset about the volume of coverage Trump has received? You might as well complain about the weather. News outlets (and their customers) love conflict: If it bleeds, it leads. If GOP rivals had taken on Trump early in the race, they would have received coverage, too. But they ignored him, hoping he would disappear, and so Trump had the cameras to himself for his outrages.

Coverage volume, meanwhile, is not necessarily a measure of success. Trump got 93 percent of coverage in the past 30 days, according to the LexisNexis Presidential Campaign Tracker. But on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders got a virtually identical 92 percent.

Also, its worth noting that all the issues Cruz and Rubio now bring up  bankruptcies, Trump University, his bigoted remarks, his autocratic instincts  were covered by the press long ago. But Trumps rivals declined to attack him.

Recall the very first debate, when Fox News Megyn Kelly led off with a question noting that Trump has called women fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Trumps rivals were at most mildly critical of his misogyny.

Or think back to another early debate, when CNBCs John Harwood opened by challenging Trumps preposterous promises and asking: Is this a comic-book version of a presidential campaign? Trumps rivals joined him in denouncing the moderators for being too tough.

Looking back through my own coverage, I see a long list of unanswered pleas for the other GOP candidates to take on Trump. On Aug. 27, for example, I lamented the lack of backbone and the virtual silence of others in the field in reaction to Trumps offenses. On Sept. 16, I pleaded for other GOP candidates to respond quickly and consistently to Trumps bullying, and four days later I argued that if his rivals take him on consistently and jointly ... Trumps moment will end.

But they didnt. By Nov. 24, I despaired that Trump gets ever more base in his bigotry  and yet, with few and intermittent exceptions, rival candidates, party leaders and GOP lawmakers decline to call him out. So he continues to rise.

Certainly, theres a case to be made that the media  namely, Fox News  created Trump as a political figure before his candidacy. Beginning in 2011, Trump had a weekly segment on Foxs morning show. The liberal watchdog group Media Matters calculates that Trump was on Foxs evening and prime-time programs and Fox News Sunday 48 times between January 2013 and April 2015.

Theres no question Trumps run has been good for ratings and readership. But while this creates an incentive to cover Trump, it hasnt translated to favorable coverage. The LexisNexis tracker finds that 7 percent of the coverage of Republicans has been negative over the past 30 days, 11 percent positive and the rest neutral  virtually identical to the proportions for Democrats.

The bigger problem among journalists covering Trump is the moral neutrality in the reporting. News organizations apply to him the same type of horse-race reporting that they do to conventional candidates. Trumps moves are often described as brilliant.

But while it may be tactically brilliant of him to, say, propose a ban on Muslims entering the United States, its also deplorable. News organizations fear that making such judgments would compromise their impartiality.

But thats a small flaw compared with the chronic unwillingness of Republican leaders, and particularly Trumps rivals, to take him on. Had they done so earlier, journalists would have followed their cues, and coverage would have been different.

To blame the news media now for the GOP leaders own failings compounds their cowardice.
MADISON  The late U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who was always known for telling it like it is, had a favorite idiom: If you cant stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

In other words, if you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.

I was reminded of HSTs sage advice recently when Rep. Kathy Bernier, a Republican legislator from Lake Hallie  a village about halfway between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls  walked out of a meeting with local educators in a huff.

Seems that one of the participants in the meeting, a member of a local school board, asked her why Minnesotas economy is doing so much better than Wisconsins. This has obviously become a sore spot among Republicans like Bernier, who are increasingly having trouble explaining why Scott Walkers right-wing way of governing is leaving Wisconsin in the dust compared to those lefties from Minnesota.

According to reports, she stormed out of the meeting and when asked why, she claimed that the question was nothing more than vile political speech. Wow! Things must be pretty boring in Lake Hallie these days if asking why we cant keep up with Minnesota is a vile statement.

If youre a Wisconsin educator, after all, youre probably wondering why we have to keep cutting state aids to public schools to keep our budget somewhat in balance, while Minnesota has been increasing aid to education and is showing a healthy budget surplus at the same time.

But this has become modus operandi for the Republicans who control state government in Wisconsin these days. They really dont like to answer questions about why it is they do the things they do. Thats why they introduce a bill one day, hold a public hearing the next, and rush it through the legislative process in record time. Folks cant ask questions or make comments if they dont even get to know what hit them.

Now, thats what Id describe as vile.

Bernier, incidentally, is the chair of the Assemblys Campaigns and Elections Committee, which rammed through the dismantling of the Government Accountability Board and the rewrite of campaign finance laws in record time this past session.

Her committee had no problem acting in record time, again to keep public input at a minimum, but somehow cant find the time to schedule a public hearing on a bill to reform the states obscene redistricting process, which gives the political party in power at the time a huge advantage in future elections.

Its been three years since Bernier promised Common Cause in Wisconsin that shed schedule a public hearing on a bill that would establish an independent body to handle the redistricting chores similar to a model thats been used successfully in Iowa for decades. And, it isnt like Bernier hasnt got time for the redistricting hearing. Since the GAB and campaign finance action, the committee has been mostly idle.

That failure to act, especially after promising to do so, is what Id call vile.

Bernier would be wise to consider Harry Trumans admonition. But, then again, he was a Democrat. And that might be just too much for this Republicans thin skin.
Torres del Paine National Park, first repeat photographs of Patagonia's glaciers

09.03.2016 by by Planetmountain

Italian photographer Fabiano Ventura is currently in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, Patagonia. The expedition he is leading plans to photograph the exact same locations as those taken by Alberto Maria De Agostini as part of multi-year project "On the trails of the glaciers" in order to document the effects of over 100 years of climate change.

"On the trail of glaciers", the project carried out by Fabiano Ventura is back in action. After documenting the Karakorum in 2009, the Georgian Caucasus in 2011 and Alaska in 2013, the team of researchers are currently in the worlds "deep south", namely the Tierra del Fuego and the Patagonian Andes. The mission, to study the effects that over 100 years of climate change have had on glaciers, has now led the team to the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile where Ventura has managed to locate the exact place where the explorer and photographer Alberto Maria De Agostini took one of his many famous photographs of the Torres del Paine.



The Roman photographer explained "With the historic photo in hand I began scrutinising the ridges to locate the exact position from where De Agostini had taken his photograph and I realised he had chosen a wind-sheltered position close to a rock on the summit ridge, just below the main summit. After controlling the shadows on historic photo I realised that I didnt have much time before I needed to take the shot, and that I therefore had to quickly organize all the equipment. I positioned the Gitzo tripod and weighed it down with a ton of stones to stop the wind from blowing it away, then opened my folding Linhof and began the lengthy procedure of taking a photograph from the exact same angle as the historic shot. But this time conditions were really extreme. The winds gusted at over 120 km/h making it almost impossible to take a picture, my hands were frozen and given the conditions my body temperature dropped quickly. I worked hard at tightening the focus ring on the camera and at times got blown over by the strong gusts. In any case, taking the actual photo is always an exciting moment, I took advantage of a sudden ray of sunshine to expose the place and immediately afterwards I realized that on my photo, just like on the historic one, the tops of a mountain on the left side were covered by clouds. Immediately afterwards the weather began to worsen and it started to snow, so we were forced to quickly dismantle everything and begin the descent that finally warmed me up."

The team will now travel to the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina and begin the most important documentation of the entire expedition.



For further info: www.fabianoventura.it

18/07/2003 - Trekking in Patagonia

Trekking in a magical and mysterious land: three magnificent walks around the Torres del Paine, Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, the stone heart of Patagonia.


Kevin Jorgeson: from rock climbing to migrant crisis humanitarian aid

15.03.2016 by by Planetmountain

Interview with American climber Kevin Jorgeson, famous for his first free ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite (together with Tommy Caldwell in January 2015), who is about to embark on a two week trip to the Greek island of Lesbos together with his fiancee Jacqui Becker. The two have volunteered to help migrants fleeing from war and poverty.

"You know that feeling of intimidation and excitement when you're about to embark on an adventure? I'm feeling this big time right now, but for once, the objective isn't a personal climbing goal. It's to help others. In a week, Jacqui and I are going to help the men, women and children arriving on the shores of Lesvos, Greece in search for a brighter future. I can't change the root cause of this humanitarian crisis, but I can make a small difference in the lives of those its affecting the most." Published two days ago by Kevin Jorgeson - one of Americas top climbers - this post was radically different and obviously couldnt be ignored.



Kevin, first off: congratulations for your joint decision to go to Greece to help the migrants Can you tell us more about how this decision came about?

Last August, my good friend Brad Parker fell while free soloing in Tuolumne. This loss rattled me to the core. It rattled our whole community to the core. That grief made me seriously question my commitment to the Dawn Wall to the point that I almost didn't return to El Capitan last season. As our collective grief began to settle, our community formed a non-profit in Brad's legacy called the B-Rad Foundation. This Foundation is built around the way that Brad lived his life. One of the things he always used to say, both verbally and through his actions was: Do shit that matters.

The came the ascent of Dawn Wall

Yes, and since then I've found myself getting involved with organizations that help people in need. As a climber, much of my attention is focused on my own personal projects. It felt important to me to find a balance between what I want to achieve as an athlete and what I want to achieve as a fellow human. So, I've been doing fundraisers for organizations like UNICEF (in partnership with the Gear Co Op in Los Angeles) and Outward Bound here in San Francisco. I'm proud of that work, but late last year Jacqui and I started seeing these horrific images coming from the refugee crisis. Most of these images were coming from the beaches of Lesvos, Greece. We couldn't help but realize that we were witnessing the worst humanitarian crisis of our generation.

Hence...

A dear friend of ours, Sheldon, left his family over Thanksgiving and Christmas in order to go volunteer in Lesvos. We also happen to be getting married on his property later this year. Sheldon led by example and really inspired us to do more than give money. When he returned and shared his story, we started planning this trip. The way I think about it is similar to how I thought about my battle with pitch 15 a year ago. I didn't want to be the guy that "almost" climbed the Dawn Wall. I couldn't live with that memory. And I don't want to look back on this situation and know that I could have done something, but didn't. We are healthy, capable, and have the time to travel. We have no excuses. More importantly, it just feels like the right thing to do. It matters.

How do you feel now? And what are you worried about?

Right now, I feel very similar to how I did when driving to Yosemite to start the push on the Dawn Wall: excited, intimidated, nervous, focused. I'm looking forward to getting there, getting involved, and making a small difference. I'm worried about what we are going to see, not being helpful, the language barriers, and conflict. If nothing else, we are bringing 1,000 space heat blankets from Adventure Medical Kits. At first AMK and I were talking about various climbing trips to work on together, but then I realized that this would have more impact for everyone. So, I'm super grateful for their support.

The crisis, for those fleeing from way and extreme poverty, is immense

For me, its easy to feel powerless in the face of such a massive conflict and crisis. I know that alone, I'm not going to influence the source of this crisis in any way. This trip is not about picking sides or making a political statement. These men, women and children are fleeing their homes in search of a brighter future. Really, its just about showing up and helping people that need it.

To find out more about Kevin and Jacqui's project, and to make a donation, check out www.gofundme.com/hoopsandrocks
BlogNews Weekly: Dwan Bluffs Ivey, $10 to $1,000, GPPT Mini Tour, and Women in Poker

March 15, 2016 Jason Glatzer Editor

Each week, PokerNews brings you insight into the happenings at the major poker sites. Featuring the most popular blog posts, BlogNews Weekly is your one-stop shop for all your poker blog highlights.

This week, BlogNews Weekly brings you highlights from the latest PokerStars, Full Tilt, partypoker, and 888poker blogs.

From $10 to $1,000

PokerStars pro Jorge "Baalim" Limon recently proved to the poker world how it is easily possible if you have the right skill set to turn a $10 bankroll into $1,000. He documented his progress in a 32-part YouTube series and discusses the key points to his success in this journey in a blog titled From $10 To $1,000, the Easy (Smart) Way.

He completed his challenge in less than 10,000 hands and credits "solid and basic poker" for his success. One of his recommendations to complete this challenge is to throw bankroll management out the window. Limon practiced a seven-buy-in bankroll-management strategy to move up and down stakes, which is far less than what he referred to as a typical benchmark of around 50 buy-ins.

Limon recommends for any player trying the challenge to settle somewhere in between, such as a 15-buy-in bankroll-management method. He also gives other advice in the blog on how to successfully and quickly complete the challenge, including not having an emotional attachment to a bankroll and not feeling bad about moving down stakes if necessary.

Head to the PokerStars Blog to read about how Jorge "Baalim" Limon turned $10 into $1,000 in less than 10,000 hands.

Dwan Four-Barrel Bluffs a $700,000 Pot Against Phil Ivey

The Full Tilt Blog took us back to the past to when Tom Dwan successfully four-barrel bluffed fellow top pro Phil Ivey to win a pot of almost $700,000 on High Stakes Poker.

The hand began with a few poker legends hoping to see a cheap flop, with Phil Laak raising the action from early position with the to $3,900 and getting calls from Eli Elezra with the , Ivey with the , and Daniel Negreanu with the . Dwan, holding the from the big blind, opted to three-bet to $28,900. Everyone folded but Ivey, who called to create a bloated pot of $70,700 before the flop.

Dwan fired twice on the flop and turn of a board, with Ivey opting to call both times to set up a $408,700 pot for the river. Dwan continued to barrel when the appeared on the river, this time with a bet $268,200. Ivey tanked with bottom pair and eventually folded, sending a $676,900 pot to Dwan with just nine-high.

Head to the Full Tilt Blog to read more about Dwan's amazing four-barrel bluff against Ivey.

Introducing the GPPT Mini Tour

The Grand Prix Poker Tour (GPPT) has proven its popularity among players by offering a very reasonable $109 buy-in to main events with huge $250,000 guaranteed prize pools.

Parlaying on its success, the GPPT has just introduced the GPPT Mini Tour, where in over a dozen venues in 2016 players will be competing for at least a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000 for the same affordable $109 buy-in. Players will have the opportunity to qualify into events online at partypoker for as low as just $0.01.

GPPT Tour Host and Dusk Till Dawn Club Director Simon Trumper is understandably excited about the new tour, informing on the partypoker Blog that, "This is a great tour that will bring the festival feel to some excellent casinos up and down the country. The GPPT Mini presented by partypoker is offering an exceptional $50,000 guarantee for an affordable $109 buy-in. I look forward to visiting all of the venues and some new cities in the process. I hope the player's enjoy the tour as much as I will."

Learn on the partypoker Blog about the GPPT Mini Tour.

Can Women Beat Men in Poker?

888poker Magazine took a look at the success of women in poker. The article kicks off by discussing when Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad won the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event before comparing female poker icons like Kathy Liebert and Vanessa Selbst.

Women hit the center stage in poker during the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event when France's Gaelle Baumann and Norway's Elisabeth Hille both just missed out on joining the November Nine at the final table.

However, despite these successes, the article points out that poker still has a long way to go before women are more noticeably present in big-ticket events. For example, just six percent of the over 22,000 player that entered the $565 WSOP Colossus were women.

Learn more on 888 Magazine about the history of women in poker.

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Sunday Briefing: Mustapha Kanit Secures Sunday Million Victory

March 15, 2016 Matthew Pitt Editor

Italian sensation Mustapha Kanit once again hit the headlines this weekend thanks to him winning the PokerStars Sunday Million only one week after taking down the Sunday Supersonic, also at PokerStars.

Kanit won $177,229.79 for his Sunday Million victory to add yet another six-figure score to his long list of poker tournament results. Many of Kanit's peers lay claim to there being no better tournament player in the world right now, and there are few people who would argument with that statement, including Max Pescatori who used his first-round pick in the Global Poker League to secure his fellow countrymans services for his Rome Emperors franchise.

Another world-class poker player walked away with a victory on Sunday after winning the Sunday 500 on PokerStars. Dominik Bounatirou Nitsche came out on top of the 674 entrants in the $530 buy-in event, securing a $55,993.25 payout after a heads-up chop involving Germany's T-Macha.

Over in the Bigger $162, also on PokerStars, Charlie "Epiphany" Carrel was busy navigating his way to another major online title. The exciting British pro eventually won all of the 3,996,000 in chips in play and had $29,783.94 added to his PokerStars account. Carrel, like the aforementioned Kanit and Nitsche, is highly-rated poker player and a regular in the biggest online and live poker tournaments around the world.

There were plenty more big scores at PokerStars on March 13, including:

Mayu "marroca5" Roca who won the $215 Sunday Warm-Up for $70,912.00

who won the for $70,912.00 "ShippityShip" who won the $109 Sunday Rebuy for $35,532.00

who won the for $35,532.00 "OffpoZition" who won The Bigger $109 for $32,686.12

who won for $32,686.12 "[email protected]" who won the $215 Sunday 2nd Chance for $41,184.00

who won the for $41,184.00 "chess87" who won the $162 Sunday 6-Max for $22,684.50

who won the for $22,684.50 "patoas" who won the ` for $46,956.39

More Powerfest On partypoker

Thanks to the heavyweight week of its Powerfest series ending on March 13, partypoker was a hotbed of poker activity, and there were some large prize pools played for.

The $500,000 Guaranteed Week 3 Main Event saw 2,483 players buy in for $215, among them some of the world's best poker talent. A five-way chop brought the tournament to a close with "NotMooorningYet" grabbing the largest slice of the prize pool, namely $51,454, while the United Kingdom's Jamie "lizzybeano" O'Connor finished in second place for $51,329. The other three players involved in the chip were "RickyBobby1L" ($49,588), "Mateyos" ($47,362), and "erik-jandeboer" ($41,892).

British pro Phil "PhilRoyal888" Mighall took down Powerfest #87, a $530 buy-in tournament featuring a $100,000 guarantee, a guarantee that was beaten by $134,500. Mighall's reward for winning this particular event was $45,141.25 plus a seat in the Tournament of Champions where the winner lands a VIP Las Vegas package valued at $5,000.

When Powerfest isnt running, the High Roller offers a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool for a $530 investment, but this week that guarantee was increased to $250,000. Any fears of the guarantee not been hit were soon dashed when 808 entrants created a $404,000 pot. The main beneficiaries of this substantial prize pool were Joel "MrsPaintba1l" Brown and "xNittyMcNBitx" who struck a deal when they were heads-up, which saw them win $67,930.13 and $62,359.88.

Mighall Finds More Success On 888

To 888poker now where Greeces "JohnyK91" triumphed in the $100,000 Baby Whale for $28,443.00. It is worth mentioning that Mighall, who won partypoker Powerfest event on Sunday, finished fourth in this tournament for $11,676.60.

This week's $120,000 Mega Deep was taken down by Germany's "ureMySpons0r" for a cool $30,914.80 while another German, "dnvz23" secured a $12,375.78 payday by winning the $50,000 Turbo Mega Deep.

A shout out also to Austrias "niftinger" who outlasted 884 opponents in the $100,000 Sunday Challenge to get their hands on the $21,421.80 top prize.

Elgstrm Wins FTOPS Main Event

Completing the Sunday Briefing for this week are the biggest results from Full Tilt's major online tournaments, the largest of these being the $63,472.20 won by Danish pro Christian "CMoosepower" Elgstrm. The Dane came out on top in the $500 FTOPS Main Event, defeating Spanish pro Jonathan "dante-sp" Concepcion heads-up on his way to victory.

Finally, FTOPS Event #45 was a $75,000 guaranteed tournament costing $250 to enter. As it was a bounty tournament, players received $125 for each opponent they eliminated, with eventual champion "KokoulinV" busting 13 opponents on his way to victory. Kokoulin added $21,113.64 to his lifetime online winnings after a two-way chop with Russell "rdcrsn" Carson, who banked $13,012.49.

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A former Clay Center, OH, police officer was charged with impersonating an officer in Toledo, city police said, reports the Toledo Blade.

The suspect, 51, of Graytown, OH, was arraigned today on the felony charge in Toledo Municipal Court. He was released on his own recognizance.

Toledo police said they approached a man driving a police-style vehicle near Crane Lane and Locust Street. Authorities said this area of North Toledo frequently has drug and prostitution offenses.

The car was equipped with emergency lights attached to the front and rear windshield. The man identified himself as an off-duty Clay Center police officer, and he provided Toledo officers with a police identification card from the village. He also said he carried a firearm, according to police.

Authorities later determined the man had stopped working for the Clay Center police department on Feb. 2, police said.

Brett Klimkowsky, the suspect's attorney, said this case is a large misunderstanding. He declined to comment further.
Statistics show that since 2000, there have been about 9.5 ambush killings of law enforcement officers per year nationwide, and that the number has been declining in recent years, to about six per year. But this year is off to a horrible start. There have already been five ambush killings in 2016.

There are roughly 59,000 assaults on police officers each year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, resulting in more than 15,000 injuries. Statistics show that about 50 officers a year are killed in criminal incidents, excluding car wrecks and other causes of line-of-duty deaths, the Washington Post reports.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police published a study in 2013 specifically analyzing police ambushes, where an officer is suddenly attacked without apparent provocation, and found that the average ambushed officer is a 38-year-old male with 11 years on the job. Of those killed, 38% were patrol officers, 17% were deputy sheriffs and 15% sergeants, all the most likely to be first responders to any 911 call. Colson was an undercover detective who just happened to be in a district station when a gunman started firing Sunday afternoon and officers returned fire.

Also a bad portent for 2016: firearms-related fatalities for law enforcement are up 225% through today, from four at this point last year to 13 so far this year, according to the NLEOMF.
VIDEO: California Officers Fatally Shoot Man After Stolen Patrol Car Chase

A man who took off in a West Covina, CA, police car was killed in an officer-involved shooting that resulted after a police SUV crashed into the stolen vehicle in Glendale to end a high-speed pursuit, authorities said.

Authorities withheld the name of the fatally wounded man, who was in his 30s.

No officers were injured.

The man reportedly called West Covina Police to ask for an Armenian-speaking officer to be dispatched to his home. When the officer arrived, the man reportedly asked the officer to drive him to another location. A confrontation ensued, and the man somehow drove off in the officer's patrol vehicle.

Officers pursued the stolen cruiser at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour until a police SUV crashed into its driver's side door to make it stop in a Glendale parking lot.

The fatal shooting involved officers from the West Covina Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. William Cotter told Fox 11.
El Paso motorcycle officer David Ortiz died Monday of injuries sustained in a multiple vehicle crash last weekend. (Photo: Screen shot from KFOX TV video)

El Paso Officer David Ortiz has died days after being critically injured in a multi-vehicle, on-duty crash involving his police motorcycle.

Ortiz was stopped at a red light on Lee Trevino along with a 2006 Acura driven by Carmen Hernandez, 41, of Juarez, and her 21-year-old passenger, Angela Jasmin. A 1976 Chevrolet pickup driven by Raul Licio, 51, was also at the red light.

Police said a 2006 Kia driven by an unnamed 45-year-old man was driving north on Lee Trevino when he struck the police motorcycle, causing Ortiz to be thrown off.

The crash caused a chain reaction in which the Kia also crashed into the Acura. The Acura was then pushed into the back of the Chevy truck, police said.

Police said the Kia caught fire as a result of the crash. The fire also damaged the police motorcycle.

A witness told KFOX TV the officer was trapped under the Kia until people were able to pull him out.

The crash remains under investigation.
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Hillary Clinton delivered a rock solid performance at an MSNBC town hall from Illinois where she looked like a candidate who would be ready to be Commander in Chief on day one.

Clinton was talking about Trump when she said the best form of protest against the Republican frontrunner is to vote against him. The former Sec. of State also called on the American people to organize against Trump.

Chris Matthews played clips of Robert F. Kennedy and Trump back to back and asked Clinton to compare them. Clinton compared RFKs language to calm people down to Trumps demagoguery. Clinton also called out Trumps birtherism. She called Trump more than wrong and offensive. Clinton called Trump dangerous.

Listen to Sarah Jones and Jason Easley discuss how Trump may win the primary, but lose the war to Democrats:

Clinton admitted that she no longer trusts the polls because polling has become difficult. She said that the polling is going to have to get better because people rely on the information. Clinton was asked about Michigan. She said that she is building a broad, inclusive coalition, which shows in the fact that she has gotten more votes than any other candidate.

On trade, Clinton said that she is not the same as Bernie Sanders because she knows that the United States has to trade with the rest of the world. Chris Matthews asked Clinton if she was a hawk. She answered no that she is a smart power advocate.

Matthews asked Clinton why she kept supporting regime change. Clinton said that Matthews was guilty of overstatement by linking Libya and Iraq. Clinton said that Libya was different from Iraq because there were no US ground troops and no Americans were killed. Former Sec. of State Clinton said that in the vast majority of cases, the US should not be knocking off foreign leaders, but she said that it is a mistake to say that war can never be prevented, and people cant be saved.

Hillary Clinton sounds like a Commander In Chief when discussing foreign policy.

Clinton was asked by an audience member about her plan to deal with college debt. She discussed her new college compact. The mayor of Springfield, IL asked about what steps she would take to screen immigrants properly. Clinton said immigrants have to go through a process where they are vetted and screened.

Clinton delivered a solid performance in the town hall, but it is getting to the point where there are too many of these events. Neither Clinton or Sanders said much that could be classified as new to viewers.

What is clear is that Hillary Clinton has a defined foreign policy ideology. If she captures the Democratic nomination and goes on to win the general election, Clinton is prepared to step into the Oval Office and make things happen. There will be no need for a learning curve with Hillary Clinton.

Clinton passes the presidential eyeball test, and her biggest hurdle to occupying the White House is the fact that Bernie Sanders has a clear domestic policy message that is resonating with Democratic voters. If Clinton has a big night on what is being called another Super Tuesday, she will have taken a big step towards both becoming the Democratic nominee and winning the White House.
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As presidential candidates roll through Illinois for the March 15 package of primaries, what they see, or choose to see, will hopefully reveal to them and our nations voters what a future under Republican rule would hold.

Presidential candidates typically spell out the futures their proposed policies promise to unfold; but when it comes to contemporary Republican policies, which are remarkably unified and consistent at state and national levels, we dont need a crystal ball to foretell the dystopian world ahead. We need only look at current conditions of states like Illinois, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Kansas to see the scorched earth that their governors have inflicted on taxpaying citizens through policies which provide tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, undermine the rights of working people, devastate public education at all levels, and overall erode the public sphere and services state agencies provide to serve the public good and help create a healthy quality of life and economy. Keep in mind, too, that the services of this public sphere, including the education of our children, are not hand-outs or unpaid-for entitlements, as so often represented, but paid for by taxes ordinary citizens pay.

I use the phrase contemporary Republican policies because in assessing the world Republican policies promise to establish, it helps to recognize the way the meaning of republican has changed. Certainly it is laughable when Republicans, given their racist attitudes informing immigration policy and their never-ending quest to suppress the African-American vote, declare themselves the party of Lincoln. And certainly, the modern GOP bears little resemblance to the politics of Eisenhower, who saw labor unions as a vital and necessary component of social and economic democracy and who warned us of the dangers of the infamous military industrial complex. Ronald Reagans notorious efforts to bust unions as well as his costly commitment to the arms race indicate the GOPs departure from Eisenhowers version of republicanism. But the contemporary GOP even bears little resemblance to that of the iconic Reagan and the first George Bush, who raised taxes to deal with the deficits they had created through earlier tax cuts and increased spending.

Policies of the current GOP indicate little to no care for the public good and complete disregard for citizens welfare. The modern incarnation of Republican politics, boiled down to its core, is simply about accelerating the massive re-distribution of wealth that has been underway for decades, regardless of the consequences for the welfare of the nations citizen and even though that agenda isnt even necessarily pro-business. In Illinois, as Ive reported, while Rauners policies serve the wealthy, they do not create a fertile business environment.

Indeed, Bloomburg columnist Al Hunt, in reflecting on GOP politics in the context of Nancy Reagans recent death, suggested both Nancy and Ronald Reagan would have a hard time recognizing and supporting todays Republican party.

Take Rauners stewardship in Illinois, for example. The state is hemorrhaging. Travis Brown reported in Forbes last January that, While lawmakers squabble, Illinois loses $4,422 in net adjusted gross income every single minute  and between 1992 and 2014 (the most recent year for which IRS taxpayer data is available), Illinois lost a staggering $41.86 billion in net adjusted gross income.

This loss of revenue, according to Brown, who is working with IRS data, is attributable to the mass exodus of Illinois citizens to other states. Brown attributes a substantial amount of this flight to Illinois burdensome tax structure and economic volatility, highlighting the uncertainty resulting from its $111 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and corporate tax rates that rank among some of the nations highest.

Browns specious narrative forwards the same illogic informing Republican policy insistent on more tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations and on ignoring the lives of working and taxpaying individuals and their families and the overall social health and quality of life in the state. First, it is absolutely false to claim that Illinois has a burdensome tax structure, corporate or otherwise. Two-thirds of Illinois corporations pay no state income tax, and the tax structure for individuals is far less burdensome than in surrounding states such as Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and Missouri. If the state even had the tax structure existing in Scott Walkers Wisconsin, Illinois would take in over eight billion dollars more in revenue and not have a crisis.

Thus, the flight cannot realistically be attributed to taxes. Brown himself quotes David Yepsen of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University who notes that while businesses dont like taxes, they hate uncertainty. Rauners refusal to implement a budget nine months into the fiscal year, leaving public education in funding crisis and threatening the very existence of state higher education system, has generated this very uncertainty that, as Ive reported, is driving businesses away.

More importantly, though, Rauners cutting of social services and defunding of public education in addition to his overall austerity measures, which are coupled with a refusal to raise taxes despite the states incredibly regressive tax structure, fuel flight from the state. Because of the lack of funding that is a consequence of his failure to implement a budget, workers are being laid off all over the state or taking substantial pay cuts. As one faculty member at a state university said regarding a recent furlough announcement, Were going to start looking for an out. Looking for another job, moving out of the state. Students at state universities cannot even be assured of graduating or having a school to attend.

These are the conditions that account for flightand for decreased tax revenues. We can see in Sam Brownbacks Kansas, where the school year was shortened due to revenue shortfalls attributable to his massive corporate tax cuts, that these Republican fiscal and tax policies are not benefiting the economic health of these states or creating a higher quality of life. Brownbacks cuts to education were so egregious that they were deemed unconstitutional by the states supreme court. Bobby Jindal wreaked similar havoc in Louisiana, granting massive tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations, now leaving the state in economic chaos and facing massive cuts to education and basic social services.

In Illinois, former Republican governor Jim Edgar, who campaigned for Rauner, has now expressed buyers remorse and been roundly critical of Rauners holding the state hostage until he gets the union-busting, anti-working-class legislation he wants passed by the legislature. Edgar has indicted his venture capitalist mentality in trying to run the state like one of his businesses: He does not come from government. He doesnt even really come from mainstream business. He comes from (being an) entrepreneur where you buy a business, you tear it apart and you sell it.  I dont think youre going to tear apart the state and sell it. He might want to, but you cant do that.

Clearly, effective governing and public policy must address the health and quality of living conditions for the working people of any state to ensure and foster the health of the states local economy and to attract citizens.

What is also clear is that the contemporary GOP has given up on governing and instead dedicated itself to the rapacious agenda of more aggressively continuing the re-distribution of wealth to the top at the expense of working and taxpaying citizens.

Hopefully, the primary tour through states like Illinois will shine the light brightly on the exactly what these GOP practices and policies hold for the future.
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In the world according to Donald Trump, if he makes a claim or a promise and subsequently denies having made the claim or promise, it never happened.

The value of archives, video and other methods of preserving previous made statements is they cant be sent down a memory hole. When Trump denied knowing who David Duke was, comments he made denouncing Dukes white supremacy in 2000 resurfaced.

We saw it happen when he incited violence and celebrated it at his rallies. When the media finally called him out on something that was occurring for months, first he tried to deflect blame, then denied the existence of violence at all.

Even if he wants to claim that someone magically and deceptively the abundance of available video of Trump reminiscing about the good old days when protesters were taken out on stretcher, Trump cant escape the fact that violence happens at his rallies. Among other things, John McGraw faces assault charges for sucker punching a man who was being escorted out of a Fayetteville, North Carolina rally. Trump himself came perilously close to facing charges for inciting a riot.

Everyone who is paying attention knows that when Trump encouraged his supporters to attack protesters, he also promised to pay their legal fees. On Sunday, Trump told Chuck Todd he was considering covering John McGraws legal fees, because when a white dude sucker punches a black dude, thats evidence of the white dudes love for his country.

Is anyone surprised that Trump now denies he ever promised to pay the legal fees?

According to CNN, Trump made the denial during an interview on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, questioned again if he was open to that, and if paying the fees meant rewarding violence, Trump said, Well maybe so, and maybe thats why I wouldnt do it. I dont condone violence at all, and you know I looked and I watched and Im going to make a decision.



I certainly dont condone violence and maybe youre right and maybe thats why I wouldnt do it, he said.

This is part of why fact checking Donald Trump is both exhausting and almost impossible. As Politico noted, Trump lies, on average, every five minutes.

But this lie is telling in another sense. Trumpees are convinced this is a guy who tells them like it is and has taken on political correctness in his question to make America hate . er great again. Just as they have his back by screaming go to Auschwitz by sucker-punching or beating the crap out of protesters, they believe he has their backs too.

His denial of ever making that promise proves that Trump is the ultimate scorpion and his supporters are the ultimate frogs. By withdrawing his promise to pay violent supporters legal fees, Trump proved he would turn on his supporters because its in his nature.
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It has been about thirty years since GOP demigod Ronald Reagan ushered in the current group of religious Republicans who believe that until America is a right-wing wasteland, their work is unfinished and their goals are unrealized. Doubtless, the conservative movement has wreaked havoc on the national stage, but it is in the state legislatures where they have had the greatest impact; particularly over the past seven years. Sadly, they are moving forward with frightening ease because an inordinate amount of attention is on Washington politics, and over the past year-and-a-half on the clowns in the race for the White House.

There is nothing Republicans appreciate more than the nations attention focused on national politics because it is precisely the distraction they need to dominate the culture wars in the states they control. And, like it or not, because Democratic voters are ill-inclined to vote in non-general elections, religious Republicans have easily maximized the damage while minimizing the pushback from Americans alarmed at the war on women.

Of course Republicans, with assistance from the Koch brothers American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), have been relentless in their attacks on workers, the poor, elderly, and education in states they control, but their number one priority has been funding religious groups attacking women. Specifically, the patriarchs in the GOP have made it their primary objective to control womens sexual habits and making sex as fraught and unsafe an experience as is humanly possible. And, they have given particular attention to using religion to attack low-income women in the states and nationally, but especially in the states where they are veritably invisible and invincible.

Since the 2010 midterms when Democrats and EmoProgs gave Republicans and teabaggers control of the House and many state legislatures, the first acts were not creating jobs as promised; it was attacking womens reproductive rights. For the past six years restricting womens reproductive rights has been the first actions in every session of Congress. In the states, however, it has been every year, all year, and 2016 had already witnessed at least 50 serious attacks on womens healthcare rights.

There has been minimal attention on the Supreme Court hearing a challenge to the hideous abortion restrictions enacted by religious Texas Republicans, so it is not surprising there has been virtually no attention on the attacks around the nation; in part because everyone is focused on the primaries and in part because very few Americans care that religious Republicans are attacking women. America is still predominately a patriarchy; the ascendance of Donald Trump should be proof enough of that fact.

Just a few of the religious Republican attacks, and these attacks are religious, are a massive Florida bill that eliminates access to both abortion and birth control. The legislation Floridas governor will be signing any day eliminates womens healthcare funding and imposes medically unnecessary restrictions that make it financially impossible to offer healthcare to women and prohibitively expensive for women when it is available, especially if they used Planned Parenthood.

Late last week, Indianas theocratic Republicans passed a harsh anti-choice bill that forces women to give birth if state-mandated examinations detect a fetal abnormality no matter how severe. The bill is so severe, in fact, that some of the Republicans balked at the sadistic pleasure their colleagues take in forcing women to give birth to sick or deformed children who will suffer, die, and be too much for a woman to care for; especially poor women.

One of the Republicans who opposes the Indiana Senate bill on the advice of his wife, state Representative Sean Eberhart, said what womens rights activists have said for years; Today is a perfect example of a bunch of middle-aged guys sitting in this room making decisions about what we think is best for women. The only thing Eberhart failed to admit is that those middle-aged guys are evangelical patriarchs who will not tolerate any woman having sex without consequences; in this case, the most severe consequences.

In Oklahoma, another religious Republican, Senator Nathan Dahm, authored an anti-womens bill, S.B. 1552, that mandates revoking the medical license to practice of any doctor who performs legal abortions; the bill passed by a vote of 40-7 and is waiting for religious Republicans in the House to pass it and send it to the governor. As absurdly abusive as Dahms bill is, it pales in comparison to his colleague, Senator Joseph Silk, who authored the bill that mandates charging anyone performing an abortion with first-degree murder.

Never willing to be outdone in attacking womens healthcare and reproductive rights, an Iowa state senator, Jake Chapman, is pushing legislation to make seeking, obtaining, and performing abortion a hate crime. Chapmans justification for the fetal hate crime is that women only get, and physicians only perform, abortions because of their irrational hatred and bigotry towards zygotes, embryos, and fetuses; not because they want to control their own reproductive health or decided for themselves when they have children.

Not all of the religious Republican state anti-women actions concern abortions. In Florida, Missouri, Virginia, and Arizona the Republican legislatures eliminated Planned Parenthood to prevent low-income women from having affordable access to regular health checkups and contraception. Not all Planned Parenthood clinics offer abortion services, something Republicans could not care less about. They do, however, care about controlling women.

It is likely that if Americans pried themselves away from the presidential primary circus long enough to understand the frequency and intensity of these religious Republican state-based assaults on womens rights, there would be an outcry to drown out the presidential primary noise. Maybe it is a revelation to most Americans, but while Republicans have been busy distracting them on the national stage for the past seven years, they have successfully taken control of a majority of the states.

Remember, if Republicans control 6 more states their dream of writing a new Christian Constitution comes true and every last outrage against women and their rights in the states will become the law of the land. Still, despite warning after warning about Democrats sitting on their hands or not voting because their fairy-tale dreams were unfulfilled, Republicans continue making gains at the state level and women are an election or two away from losing their reproductive rights to the patriarchs in the religious Republican movement.
ST. PAUL  More than 200 people from across southeast Minnesota headed to St. Paul for the chance to listen to state lawmakers and advocate for the region.

It was all part of Southeast Minnesota Day Not at the Capitol. In the past, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored "Rochester on Tour" at the Capitol  an event focused on the Med City. But this year, chamber President Rob Miller said the chamber decided to team up with nine other southeast Minnesota chambers to help lobby for the needs of the region as a group.

"It's important that we talk to these legislators about what's important to southeast Minnesota  not just what's important to Rochester," Miller told participants gathered for a luncheon at the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront hotel.

Other chambers participating included Blooming Prairie, Byron Area, Faribault, Lake City, Owatonna Area, Red Wing Area, Stewartville Area, Wabasha-Kellogg and Winona Area.

The day kicked off in Rochester with a continental breakfast at Paragon Theater before participants loaded onto a bus bound for the Capitol. Buses headed for the event also left from Owatonna and Winona. Organizers planned the event at the downtown St. Paul hotel because the Capitol is closed due to construction. Instead, lawmakers rode shuttles to the hotel to meet with residents.

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During the event luncheon, participants had the chance to hear from three of the four legislative leaders  GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt, GOP Senate Minority Leader David Hann and DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen. DFL Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk was unable to attend due to a relative's funeral.

As leaders talked about their priorities, it became clear that plenty of work remains to bridge the partisan gap on issues like transportation. Thissen told the audience that the House DFL's No. 1 priority is to pass a comprehensive transportation funding package that invests not only in roads and bridges, but also in transit.

"We can't ignore that part of our transportation system as we move forward," Thissen said.

Daudt and Hann made clear that Republicans want the focus to be on funding roads and bridges.

"The more we spend on transit and trains, the less we spend on roads and bridges. That's the reality," Daudt said.

Republicans also reiterated they are not interested in raising the gas tax to pay for road upgrades. When Daudt asked if the audience had any questions, Rochester business developer Joe Weis piped up.

"I'm probably the only one in the room who thinks we ought to throw a nickel gas tax in there and get it settled," Weis said.

Daudt responded that Democrats' proposals have called for a minimum 16-cent gas tax increase and said they are trying to get it passed now because gas taxes are low. At some point, he said gas taxes will go back up.

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Republicans emphasized the need to pass tax cuts this year. Topping the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's priority list is a reduction in the statewide business property tax and the elimination of the automatic inflator on the tax. Both Daudt and Hann mentioned wanting to reduce the tax, along with phasing out the tax on Social Security income.

Thissen said House Democrats want to see steps taken to improve workforce readiness in the state. He said a common complaint he hears from business owners is the inability to find skilled workers.

"The area you are from, southeastern Minnesota, is probably the area of the state that is going to see the most growth over the next several years. it's going to be really the economic engine, along with the metro area, for the state of Minnesota," Thissen said.

The talk about a shortage of workers struck a chord with Rochester business owner Jeffrey Allman. He owns Multiple Financial Services Incorporated, a property management company, and is vice president of KPB Engineers, Inc.

"We have current opportunities to do great work, and it's hard to find the staff to do it," Allman said.

The daylong event wrapped up with a reception at the hotel that included food and the chance to have a picture taken with an eagle from the National Eagle Center.

Rolf Thompson, executive director of the National Eagle Center, was among those who traveled to St. Paul for the day. He said the event gave him the chance to make the pitch for a $4.4 million bonding request to help expand the eagle center, build a community center in Wabasha and upgrade the city's waterfront infrastructure. Thompson said it makes sense for southeast Minnesota communities to team up when lobbying lawmakers.

Thompson added, "In my mind, Rochester as a destination medical center needs communities like Wabasha to thrive in order to really realize their full potential."
Former citizen of the Soviet Union and world chess champion Garry Kasparov tries to remind the voting public of the reality of the socialism that Bernie Sanders seeks to make all the rage in Hey, Bernie, Dont Lecture Me About Socialism. I Lived Through It. Acknowledging that Sanders believes deeply in what he is saying, which is more than what can be said about nearly every other 2016 candidate, or about politicians in general, Kasparov writes:

A society that relies too heavily on redistributing wealth eventually runs out of wealth to redistribute. The historical record is clear. Its capitalism that brought billions of people out of poverty in the 20th century. Its socialism that enslaved them and impoverished them. Of course Senator Sanders does not want to turn America into a totalitarian state like the one I grew up in. But its a valuable example of the inevitable failure of a state-run economy and distribution system. (Check in on Venezuela for a more recent example.) Once you give power to the government it is nearly impossible to get it back, and it will be used in ways you cannot expect.

While waiting for the primary results today, readers may want to take a moment to ponder Kasparovs wisdom.
Donald Trump likes to say that law enforcement officers are the most mistreated people in America. He may be right. Clearly, law enforcement officers are insufficiently respected.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie showed insufficient respect for law enforcement officers when he skipped the funeral of New Jersey State Trooper Sean Cullen. The 31 year-old officer was struck by a motorist last week while responding to a car fire on New Jerseys Interstate 295.

Cullens funeral was held today in Washington Township, N.J. According to the Washington Examiner, hundreds of police officers, family members and friends attended.

The New Jersey Governor was not present. Instead, he chose to host a town hall meeting for Donald Trump in Hickory, North Carolina. In practice, this meant serv[ing] up occasional questions to prompt the Republican presidential frontrunner on the talking points that have become routine at his rallies.

Later, it was on to Tampa, Florida and Youngstown, Ohio in service of the campaign.

For Christie, sucking up to Donald Trump takes precedence over honoring a fallen New Jersey State Trooper.

Just what Christie can do for Trump in North Carolina is unclear. Were he still in the race, his share of the North Carolina vote likely wouldnt exceed 3 percent. Christie probably couldnt get elected dog catcher in Hickory. At this point, its doubtful he could win that office anywhere in New Jersey, either.

But its the thought that counts  the thought being that the more of a lapdog Christie becomes, the better his chances of prospering in the Trump administration of his dreams.
Oh, well, if Hillary kills off whats left of the coal industry, at least we still have a booming natural gas industry, creating lots of good-paying jobs and with a potential for significant exports to help with our miserable trade balance. Wait, whats that?

U.S. Rejects Multi-Billion Dollar Jordan Cove Gas Export Plan U.S. regulators rejected Veresen Inc.s multibillion-dollar proposal to build a terminal in Oregon that would export as many as two tankers of natural gas a week. They also denied its plan to build a pipeline with Williams Partners LP to supply gas to the terminal. Williams and Veresen failed to demonstrate that the pipelines benefits would outweigh the adverse effects on landowners, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Friday in an order denying authorization. And without a pipeline supplying gas, the Jordan Cove export terminal can provide no benefit to the public to counterbalance the impacts associated with its construction, the agency said.

You know, Im starting to think the Obama Administration really doesnt like old-fashioned hydrocarbon energy. And since when has the Federal government worried about adverse effects on landowners??

Well, at least the Obama Administration is going to carry through on allowing new offshore oil drilling. Whats that?

Obama Rejects New Atlantic Ocean Oil Drilling The Obama administration will abandon its plan to allow new offshore oil drilling on the U.S. southeast coast, dealing a blow to petroleum companies that had hopes of tapping new reserves. The Interior Department announced Tuesday that it will not auction off drilling rights for Atlantic Ocean waters off the coast of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

You know, Im starting to think the Obama Administration really doesnt like . . . I think Ill just let Autocorrect finish this thought.
The Nigerian government on Monday urged African oil producers to adopt a common approach to tackle industry challenges to reap the full benefits of the economics of scale in the development of the hydrocarbon resources in their domains.

President Muhammadu Buhari said at the opening of the 6th Congress of the African Petroleum Producers Association in Abuja that members could find areas of cooperation and partnership in issues affecting their common interests.

Noting their efforts at harmonizing oil and gas legal frameworks in their various countries as well as development of indigenous capacities for local content and capacity building, the president, who was represented by his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, said they must explore mechanisms to expand regional refining capacities in an efficient and cost effective manner.

We must focus on getting more from our hydrocarbon resources by promoting value in local addition and investment through sustainable policies. A common approach will ensure that the whole of Africa benefitted from the economics of scale in the development of our resources, he said.

The president urged the association to recognise the importance of developing domestic refining capacity as critical to sustainable economic growth, in addition to coming together to set realistic targets for gas flare-out in the region.

The future of Africa oil and gas industry is here. Together, we have all the resources we need and we can develop all the necessary capacities. There is no reason why the African oil and gas industry should remain tied to the apron string of oil and gas industries elsewhere. Members of APPA have great responsibility of delivering this great potential, the president said.

The president said the APPA meeting was coming at a time Nigeria and other petroleum producers in Africa were facing enormous challenges in the oil and gas industry requiring urgent solutions.

With falling oil prices, production cost of rising and profits declining sharply, he said the relevance and creativity of APPA was being put to test, pointing out that there was need for them to be creative in finding solutions to the problems in the hydrocarbon industry, which accounts for significant proportions of government revenues.

He identified the challenge in supplying gas-to-power, saying the gas sector was the most obvious way of paying for the development of needs of most African countries.

For Africa to meet the global requirement for gas, he said it was an imperative for producers to partner and develop a robust gas infrastructure to jointly address the problem.

Out of a global reserves of more than 185 trillion cubic feet of gas, and discovered reserves of over 400 trillion cubic feet, with a capacity to peak at over 600 trillion cubic feet, he said Nigeria has done a lot to develop the sector.

Apart from establishing the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC to provide supply gas to newly established power plants, the president said the country was actively involved in the West African Gas Pipeline project to deliver gas to four West African countries.

He said it was time for gas producers to take more firmer stand on gas flaring, both from an environmental and waste of resources perspectives, adding that out of over 150 billion cubic feet of gas flared globally every year, Africa flares over 40 billion cubic metres, of which about half was by Nigeria.

The Group Chief Executive, Sahara Group, Tonye Cole, one of the sponsors of the conference, said one of the best things to happen to Nigeria and Africa at this time was the current decline in crude oil prices.

Mr. Cole said the crisis has created opportunity for government officials, businesses, institutions and others to come together to seek solutions to the threats to the survival of their economies and long term investments.

Urging participants to take full advantage of the vast human resources the continent has, by looking inwards to bring solutions that work for the continent, Mr. Cole said Sahara Group was glad to part of the effort to find solutions to Nigerias economic problems.

Other sponsors, including Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL; ExxonMobil Corporation; Total Nigeria and Shell Nigeria, also underlined the need for cooperation and partnership in the search for collaboration, practical solutions to move the industry in Africa forward.
The Swiss government has confirmed that it has so far returned $723 million (about N142.43 billion) of stolen funds seized from the family of the late former head of state, Sani Abacha, to the Nigerian government over the last 10 years.

The amount excludes $321million (about N63.24 billion) which the Swiss authorities recently said recently it was planning to repatriate to Nigeria.

These details are contained in the agreement signed on March 8, 2016 in Abuja by representatives of the Swiss Federal Council and the Nigerian government.

The agreement, titled Letter of Intent on the restitution of illegally-acquired assets forfeited in Switzerland, was signed by Nigerias Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Swiss Head of Foreign Affairs Department, Didier Burkhalter.

The document, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, reveals that $321 million acquired illicitly by the Abacha family, was initially deposited in Luxemburg before being confiscated by the Swiss Republic Judiciary and Canton of Geneva following a December 11, 2014 forfeiture order.

The agreement says funds to be returned to Nigeria would contribute to the implementation of social programmes for the benefit of the Nigerian people in an efficient and accountable way, guaranteed by a monitoring by World Bank.

Acknowledging the cooperation of Switzerland and Nigeria as an excellent opportunity to fight against corruption at domestic and international levels, the signatories to the agreement recalled the long partnership by their two countries in asset recovery based the principles of national interest, trust and mutual respect.

Considering Chapter V of the UN Convention against corruption, which is the international legal framework for asset recovery, the signatories also drew attention to Article 51 of the document that states afford each other measures of cooperation and assistance.

The agreement also emphasized the need for the process of repatriation of the stolen funds to be undertaken based on international best practices of transparency and accountability in a manner that satisfy the scrutiny of civil society and the international community.

The signatories affirmed, among others, their intention to maintain a fruitful cooperation based on trust and respect in order to enable transparent and efficient use of the funds for the benefits of the Nigerian people.

They also agreed to ensure that the deployment of the funds was monitored by the World Bank in line with separate forfeiture orders issued by the Swiss Public Prosecutor and the Canton of Geneva on December 11, 2014.

The two countries pledged to maintain regular exchanges and constructive engagements towards the conclusion of the processes necessary for the final return of the looted funds to Nigeria, adding that the letter of intent, which does not impose any legally binding obligation, would continue to provide the basis for their cooperation.

The implementation of the present letter of Intent between the Signatories (Swiss and Nigerian governments) is guided by the principle of ethics, mutual respect and cooperation, the agreement stated.
Macedonian Ministry of Interior on Tuesday announced 72 foreign journalists were fined as they entered Macedonian territory illegally, following a bigger group of migrants from the Greek transition camp Idomeni.

The ministry confirmed that the journalists, who are citizens of Greece and Germany, had to pay 500 Euros fine for the illegal crossing of the border.

They were also served a six-month ban from reporting from Macedonian territory.

It noted that they would be allowed to return to Greece only after they paid the fine.

According to the security forces, a group of 1,500 migrants from Idomeni managed to walk around the security fence and enter Macedonia illegally near the village Moin.

Amid the intervention of the police and the army, the group was stopped and the migrants were returned to Greece.

Another group of 600 migrants was stopped before entering the country territory.

Report says the situation at the Macedonia-Greece border is escalating with an increased number of attempts for illegal crossings since the Balkan route for legal transit of the migrants is closed.

The patience of almost 15,000 migrants in Idomeni is waning because they are trapped in the transition camp for days on cold and rainy weather.

Additional 1,500 migrants are stuck on Macedonian territory, in the camp in Tabanovce, trying to cross from Macedonia to Serbia, it said.

Macedonian National Security Council, a body presided by the Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, would meet later to discuss the situation at the borders and the effects caused with the closing of the Balkan route.

(Xinhua/NAN)
The crisis between former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and his successor, Umar Ganduje, has taken a new twist with Mr. Ganduje threatening to expose shoddy deals perpetrated by Mr. Kwankwaso.

The two leaders have been embroiled in a row lately, with each accusing the other of creating crisis in the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Mr. Ganduje was deputy governor under Mr. Kwankwaso for eight years.

Governor Ganduje said Monday that some works done(by Mr. Kwankwaso) were done with hell lots of misdeeds and betrayals which I will soon expose for people to know the calibre of person my predecessor was.

He said: Kano people will always resist any attempt by anyone to shortchange them  which Kwankwaso did. Yes we knew the genuine projects including the shoddy ones which I will not tolerate by exposing them for people to judge his action.

Speaking while inspecting road projects at Dakata- Bella road in Nassarawa local government area of the state, Governor Ganduje said Mr. Kwankwaso was in Kano to campaign to replace President Muhammadu Buhari while there is no vacancy for that position.

Unfortunately for him the avenue and the time were so wrong. But because God wants to expose his antics which he has been doing against the president, he chose my mothers death to launch the presidential campaign, but we leave him with the people.

He said, A lot of things have been happening now. Some people have been trying to undermine President Muhammadu Buhari with all sorts of things. We will not tolerate it again here in Kano. We are tired of your atrocities. I will soon expose him before the people of Kano for them to to appreciate the satan in him.

People, who are now telling Buhari all sorts of things, are sycophants. They do not want Buhari to succeed. These people know themselves. When it gets to a stage, I will name them one after the other. I am not afraid of human beings, he said.

We are solidly behind President Muhammad Buhari and his programmes. Kano people will not support anybody working against President Buhari.

Governor Ganduje said that It is unfortunate for the so-called politician who claimed to be leader to hire hoodlums with dangerous weapons to disrupt the peace of the state. Government and security agencies will not tolerate this attitude.

He said, It is known to everybody that Ganduje is a man of peace, tolerance and patience; because I have tolerated Kwankwaso for a long time, but it is over and enough is enough.

The governor advised the people of the state to always watch those working against the unity and peace of the state, assuring that all measures have been put in place to restore the lost glory of the state.

We will work extra mile to restore the lost glory of Kano that had been seriously damaged by Kwankwaso. But we need your support and understanding, we are here to make things working and together we will do it, he assured.
home Tech Samsung Galaxy Note 6 release date, specs news: Note 6 to feature impressive 6 GB RAM?

Samsung Galaxy Note 6's release is fast approaching and that means rumors and speculations continue to swirl. While the South Korean tech giant has not confirmed any details about Note 6, reports suggest that its features will beat those of the iPhone 7.

The Note 6 is said to be released with two versions of its processor. One Note 6 model will reportedly carry an Exynos 8890 processor while the other one will run on a Snapdragon 820 chipset. When compared to the freshly released Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the Note 6 is said to have a much larger screen size with 2560 x 1440-pixel AMOLED display found in Galaxy S II.

When it comes to its memory capacity, the Note 6 will offer a whopping 6 GB RAM. If this rumor proves to be true, Samsung will be the first in the smartphone industry that will bring such capacity to its device. As for its storage capacity, International Business Times stated that the Note 6 will be offered in three variants: 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB.

A microSD slot will also be offered. This feature was discontinued in previous models of the Galaxy series, the Galaxy S6 and Note 5. It was revived for Galaxy S7 so it's likely that Note 6 will also adopt the feature. For the camera, reports mentioned that Note 6 will likely have a 12-megapixel main camera.

Perhaps one of the most interesting rumored features of the Note 6 is its ability to be converted into a laptop. Samsung's upcoming phablet is said to have a hybrid feature that turns the device into a laptop or even a desktop when docked with a keyboard.

Note 6 is also rumored to be powered with a 3500 to 4000 mAh battery. It's likely that the battery will be non-removable, although a lot of people have expressed that they'd want the new Note device to have a removable one.

These features are still in the rumor category, but if they are indeed true, Galaxy Note 6 could be the next big thing from Samsung.

The tech company has not announced an exact release date for Note 6, but it's speculated that it will be released in August at the consumer electronics trade, the 2016 Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA).
Tension continues to mount in Rivers State, as the oil-rich state prepares for re-run elections for Senate, House of Representatives, and state House of Assembly, this weekend.

Rivers, once a hotspot of the Niger-Delta crisis, has witnessed brutal politically linked killings, including beheadings, in the past few months.

The All Progressives Congress says its members were targets of the killings which it blames the Rivers government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party for.

The state government denies, saying the assassinations were carried out by cult groups fighting for supremacy.

Doueyi Fiderikumo, a legal practitioner in Port Harcourt, told PREMIUM TIMES that there was general fear in the state because of the election.

Theres a general perception that Saturday in Rivers is going to be very bloody, Mr. Fiderikumo said. It has always been bloody. It was bloody in 2015 elections.

In my childrens school, the end of the term is supposed to be on Friday where they were supposed to have fun-time, but they (the school) have suddenly sent us text messages that they are going to close on Thursday because of the election. The school feels that the day before the election may not be very safe.

Fiderikumo said his church, apart from cancelling the early morning prayers for this Saturday, has advised its members to stay indoors on the Election Day.

Security has been stepped up in the city especially in areas where senior politicians live.

Meanwhile, leaders of PDP and APC in the state have continued to engage in war of words.

The state government, in an apparent display of lack of confidence in the federal government of Nigeria, has requested the intervention of the United States, China, and other countries, including the African Union, for a free, fair, and peaceful elections.

In a letter sent to about 50 countries on Monday, the Rivers government requested world leaders to urgently initiate and maintain pressure on the Federal Government of Nigeria to allow free, fair and violence-free elections in Rivers State on the 19th of March 2016.

The letter, signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, accused the former governor of the state, who is the federal Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the APC candidate in last year governorship election in the state, Dakuku Peterside, of openly inciting violence against the PDP.

Mr. Tam-George alleged that there were plans to use the military to rig the elections, to enable the APC-led federal government control the state.

This absolutist politics of the APC is not only a direct threat to democracy in Nigeria, but seems to be a manifesto for the open politicization of the security forces of the country, Tam-George wrote.

He added, Mr Amaechi has himself publicly threatened to flood every polling unit in Rivers State with soldiers.

The homes of key leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party are being routinely raided and vandalized by Mr Amaechis goons. And plans have already been perfected to arrest all leaders of the PDP in Rivers State 48 hours to the elections on the 19th of March.

With a population of 4.5 million people, Rivers State is the oil and gas metropolis of Nigeria. The eruption of violence in a State with strong multi-ethnic fault lines could cripple Nigerias ailing economy, and reverberate across the countrys borders.

The state government said President Buhari has refused to respond to its repeated appeals to call Mr. Amaechi to order.

While the state government was asking for international intervention ahead of the Saturday elections, the acting National Chairman of APC, Segun Oni, and the National Working Committee of the party were in the state on Monday to commiserate with the families of the victims in Omoku killings.

Mr. Oni said what happened at Omoku was genocide against APC members in Rivers State.

He said, It is strange that people will kill their fellow human beings, cut off their heads and take them away as if they were souvenirs.

The Federal Government needs to do something quickly to save this situation, because it is a shame to allow a part of Nigeria to degenerate into this mess.

The brutal killings of APC members in the state must stop; our people must not continue to die because they identified with a political party.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the APC on the allegation that they were planning to use the military to rig the elections, the partys Publicity Secretary in the state, Chris Finebone, said the allegation was unfounded.

Soldiers are not allowed to go into the polling booths, we all know this, Mr. Finebone said.

If in ordinary times, people are being killed and beheaded in Rivers when the police are there, how do you expect the situation to be during elections? It makes common sense that the police need the support of the army during the elections.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Malabo condemned recent political violence in Rivers State, saying the killing of people over political differences was primitive, barbaric and unacceptable.

We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have given the security services clear directives in this regard, the president said.

There has been an upsurge of violence in the oil-rich state ahead of National and State Assembly rerun elections on Saturday.

The All Progressives Congress, Mr. Buharis party, accuses the Peoples Democratic Party-led Rives government of sponsoring and stoking violence against its members.

Some APC members have been killed and beheaded. The government says the violence was a result of a supremacy battle by cultists.

In his first public comments about the growing violence in Rivers State, Mr. Buhari said, We will show that violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections.

He spoke at an interactive meeting with Nigerians resident in Equatorial Guinea.

President Buhari said the Independent National Electoral Commission will be encouraged to explore the possibility of allowing Nigerians abroad vote in the 2019 general elections.

Noting that some African countries have started allowing their citizens resident abroad to vote in national elections, the president said he fully empathised with the desire of Nigerians in the diaspora to vote in national elections.

President Buhari pledged that he would therefore do all within his powers to fulfil that desire.

I want all Nigerians to know that I respect them and their right to choose their leaders, he said

The president also said that establishing a new national airline was not currently on the Federal Governments list of priorities.

President Buhari declared that his administrations main area of focus now was reducing the level of poverty in the country.

The president said that developing the infrastructure needed to boost production in all sectors of the economy and create more jobs for young Nigerians, as well as other actions that will directly improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians will continue to be prioritized by his administration.

President Buhari was responding to complaints by members of the Nigerian community about the absence of direct flights between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

The president assured them that his administrations war against corruption will remain fearless, relentless and merciless.

We will be merciless and relentless in pursuing all those who abused public trust. Nigerians will see how some of the elite conspired to run the nation down, he said.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 2014 diverted N36.4 billion meant for the construction and rehabilitation of dams in Nigeria, and dubiously paid same to the Office of the National Security Adviser, a government audit has said.

Former NSA Sambo Dasuki is currently standing trial for alleged corruption, following revelations that his office diverted $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms for the fight against Boko Haram. Mr. Dasuki denies any wrong doing.

The funds, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, were instead distributed to government cronies and politicians ahead of the 2015 general elections. The bulk of the funds allegedly channelled through the NSAs office for political purposes, came from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The 2014 federal audit report, presented to the National Assembly on Monday, said illicit payments also came from the state oil company, NNPC.

The report said N36.4 billion meant for the Ministry Water Resources for construction and rehabilitation of dams, was instead paid to the Office of the National Security Adviser under Mr. Dasuki.

It was unclear what the money sent to the NSAs office was meant for.

The report indicted key Nigerian government offices, accusing them of illegally expending and refusing to pay over N3 trillion to the governments purse.

Key amongst the offending offices are the NNPC, the National Assembly and the Nigerian Prisons Service.

The NNPC squandered about N3.3 trillion, failing to remit same to the government, the report said. The sum was the highest illegally spent by any government agency.

The report said N3.2 trillion oil revenue and $235.7 million gas sales proceeds, from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, were not paid to the Federation Account.

Rather, the gas proceeds were transferred to some undisclosed Escrow Accounts, and relevant documents were not made available to the office of the Auditor General for verification.

Several expenditures made by the state oil company during 2014 were extra-budgetary, the report added.

The sum of N31, 324,952,239.87 was paid as subsidy on fertiliser and youth employment in agricultural programmes.

Sum of N2, 894,531250.00 was spent on the procurement of hand sanitizers for schools and critical public places to tackle the Ebola epidemic.

The sum of N2, 395,851,978.00 was payment for group Life Assurance Premium for Armed Forces budget in 2013, but not backed (by cash). The sum of N500, 000,000 was made as payment for agricultural programmes.

These were variances with the purpose of the fund. No evidence of these lines of expenditure in the 2014 Appropriation Act, the report said.

There was also a questionable purchase of a vessel from Singapore on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for training at the Petroleum Training Institute, in Delta State.

The cost of the purchase (of vessel) and how much was paid before the vessel was abandoned could not be ascertained due to the fact that the contract was awarded without the involvement of the Nigerian Mission in Singapore, the report said.

National Assembly also indicted

The management of the National Assembly, headed by the Clerk, in 2014, made payments of N9.5 billion without raising payment vouchers, in violation of government financial regulations, the report disclosed.

Within five months in 2014, 112 staff received personal advances recurrent votes and another 50 got from general votes for various purposes totalling N1.162, 009,305.00.

More indictments

The audit report said the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Washington DC, U.S.A generated Internally Generated Revenue of $3,705,428.00 between 2012 and March 2015, but expended the whole amount on sundry expenses.

Further, the Nigerian Prisons Service under the Ministry of Interior, deducted Pay-As-You-Earn tax of N2, 036,758,176.75, but failed to remit the money to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

There was no evidence of remittance and nothing was produced for audit confirmation, the report said.

Ecological Funds Office, which is under the Presidency (Secretary General of the Federation), was also indicted.

The report said N3.8 billion was disbursed from the office to Ogun, Kebbi, Lagos and Sokoto States as grants but despite repeated demands for payment vouchers they were not provided. We could not verify the nature of the grants.

It also said AGF could not see evidence of Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Haiti Government to build a school in the Central American nation following earthquake that hit the country.

Yet, USD 1.6 million was released for the project and there was no evidence of construction during inspection, the report said.
Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea Tuesday in Malabo signed an agreement on the establishment of a combined Maritime Policing and Security Patrol Committee.

The conclusion and signing of the agreement is expected to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea and help in curbing maritime crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, sabotage of oil rigs and arms smuggling.

According to a communique issued at the end of President Muhammadu Buharis visit to Malabo, both countries also agreed to discuss greater cooperation on oil and gas production and a bilateral trade agreement.

It was further agreed that the Nigeria-Equatorial Guinea Joint Commission will be revived from its present state of dormancy and empowered to play its proper role in the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

Mr. Buhari and his Equatorial Guinea counterpart, Obiang Mbasogo, expressed satisfaction with the atmosphere of trust and solidarity that now exists between the two countries.

In their talks during the two-day visit, the two leaders discussed sub-regional, regional and international issues, including terrorism, violent extremism and the state of the global economy, especially as it affects Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

They also discussed the crises in some African countries and efforts by the African Union to achieve peace, stability and progress across the continent.

President Buhari who has since returned to Abuja thanked Mr. Mbasogo and the people of Equatorial Guinea for the warm reception given to him and his delegation during the visit.
President Muhammadu Buhari late Monday in Malabo received Equatorial Guineas highest national honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence, and dedicated it to the people of Nigeria, who, he said, have worked tirelessly for peace in the country and Africa.

 I will like to express profound gratitude for the honour given to me and my people, Mr. Buhari said according to a statement signed by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina.

There has never been a time for greater neighbourliness on our continent in the interest of peace, security and economic stability than now, President Buhari said at the investiture ceremony.

The president said as African countries faced common challenges, they must strive to cooperate more to find workable solutions that will facilitate rapid socio-economic development on the continent.

President Buhari pledged that under his leadership, Nigeria would continue to make significant contributions to peace, political stability and progress in Africa.

President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea said the honour was conferred on President Buhari for his personal integrity, exemplary leadership style and courage to fight terrorism in order to ensure peace and safety in Africa.

We deemed it fit and appropriate to honour this son of Africa for the great work he is doing, which includes tackling Boko Haram, a great menace to the continent, President Mbasogo said.
The Nigeria Senate on Tuesday blocked a bill seeking equal marital rights for women.

The bill, titled Gender Parity and Prohibition of Violence against Women, was presented by Abiodun Olujimi, representing Ekiti south, during the senates plenary session.

According to Mrs. Olujimi, the bill would seek equal rights for women in marriage, education and job.

She said if the bill was passed, a widow in Nigeria would automatically become the custodian of her children in the event of the death of her husband, and would also inherit his property.

The deputy senate president, Ike Ekeremadu, supported the bill. He said Nigeria would develop if women were given the same rights men have.

Only last night, I was going through a document prepared by George Bush of America. Those countries that are doing well are those who give women opportunities, he said.

Where I come from, women dont eat egg and are restricted from touching the non-essential parts of animal. But now that has changed. What is needed is time and education, not necessarily legislation. We will continue to encourage our women. I support this bill, he said.

The Senate Majority leader, Ali Ndume, criticised the bill, and urged Nigerians to stick with either religious or traditional marriage.

Sani Yerima, a senator from Zamfara state, condemned the bill, arguing that it was in conflict with the Nigerian Constitution.

He said the bill negates the principles of the Sharia law, which the Constitution recognises.

The bill was defeated when the senate president, Bukola Saraki, put it to vote.
The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has again attacked President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of focusing on issues pertaining to other countries, rather than dealing with the problems facing the Nigeria.

He urged the president to pay more attention to security and economic issues affecting Nigeria, describing his condemnation of Sundays terrorist attack on the Grand Bassam Resort in Cote DIvoire as hypocritical and demonstration of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.

If President Buhari could afford to pick his phone and call the Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara, immediately after the attack, Nigerians must ask the President why he kept mute for days over the Fulani herdsmen massacre of over 300 Agatu people of Benue State, the Mile 12 Lagos killings and wanton destruction of properties among others, Mr. Fayose said on Tuesday in a statement signed by his Special Assistant of Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

He noted that it was strange that President Buhari was more concerned with the killing of 16 people in Cote DIvoire than the Fulani herdsmens murder of over 300 citizens of Nigeria.

Mr. Fayose said it was alarming that even when former Senate President, David Mark, was attacked by the Fulani herdsmen last Saturday when he went on inspection of the eight communities destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen, there was no reaction from the president condemning the terror attack.

From all indications, our president has abandoned governance. The only thing going on in the minds of those running the affairs of this country in Abuja is how to entrench themselves in power by crushing anyone perceived as capable of hindering them, said Mr. Fayose.

That is the reason they are using the Department of State Services (DSS) to harass and intimidate us here in Ekiti, under flimsy excuses like investigation of members of the State House of Assembly for alleged forgery of tax certificates when the Ekiti State Government, which issued the certificates have not complained to the DSS that its tax certificates were forged by the lawmakers.

That is also the reason the president keeps showing his anger against Nnamdi Kanu and his Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) agitators while the same president has failed to approach the economy and insecurity, especially the Fulani herdsmen menace with the same level of anger.

Even when their own Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, has told Nigerians that the economy has gone out of the hands of the president, they keep using anti-corruption fight to persecute opposition elements both in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their own party, All Progressives Congress (APC), forgetting that fighting corruption is not a substitute for putting food on the table of Nigerians.

The president must therefore be made to realise that Nigerians are suffering, with price of foodstuffs skyrocketing. The economy is in comatose, Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen are killing people. President Buhari must learn to begin to cry over Nigerias problems first before going to other countries to cry over their problems for them.
A mob of protesters have attacked a police outpost at Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, following the alleged killing of a member of the community by the police.

The state commissioner of police, Adekunle Oladunjoye, confirmed the incident, saying some persons took laws into their hands by attacking police officers on duty.

Addressing journalists in Jos, the commissioner said no life was lost and that the police outpost was not torched as insinuated.

But a resident, Gashos Adams, on Tuesday told PREMIUM TIMES that the youth went on rampage and set the police outpost ablaze, following report of the death of a resident of the area.

He said the victim was shot by the police and reportedly died in a hospital.

Witnesses at Angwan Rukuba said police raided the area and apprehended some persons suspected to be dealers and smokers of Indian hemp.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that after the arrest, friends of suspects mobilized to the police station, demanding the release of the suspects.

When the police refused to free the detainees, an argument and altercation ensued.

A policeman then opened fire on the people, and shot one to death, said a witness, Silas Jacob.

It was gathered that the incident had created panic among residents as most members of the community relocated to neighbouring communities for safety.
The Senate has asked its Appropriations Committee to approve N108 billion under the service wide votes for the relocation and resettlement of citizens who had been displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in the North East region.

Following a string of military successes against the insurgents who had captured several local government areas of Nigerian territory, displacing millions of people, there is high hope that much of the North East is now safe for internally displaced persons, IDPs, to return to their homes.

The resolution of the Senate, Tuesday, seeking support for displaced persons, followed a motion by eight Senators from the North Eastern States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, which are areas worst hit by the insurgency.

Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, moved the motion on financial and material support, assistance to internally displaced persons returnees in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Mr. Ndume, who is from Borno State, noted that IDPs face difficulties resettling, hence the need for support and assistance to them.

He said the motion was an SOS from the people of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Abdulazeez Nyako, Adamawa State, who seconded the motion, lamented the plights of the IDPs.

Binta Garba, also from Adamawa State, emphasized the need for palliative measures for the IDPs as they are returning to their homes.

But Gbenga Ashafa, (APC-Lagos State) queried how the relief materials will be distributed.

He said the passage of North East Development Commission Bill would aid in delivering the materials to Boko Haram victims.

Similarly, George Akume (APC-Benue State) demanded long term plans to rehabilitate the victims of insurgency.
Members of the Ebonyi State branch of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, have impeached the executive committee of the union, led by Jude Ukahson, for alleged embezzlement.

They also appointed a three-man caretaker committee to handle the affairs of the union for three months.

The decision was reached at an emergency meeting held at High Court Complex, Abakaliki.

The impeachment of the executive committee followed an allegation of embezzlement of over N5 million belonging to the union.

According to their findings, the suspended executive committee allegedly withdrew the money from the bank account of the union without following due process.

Two union leaders, Dominic Obirija and Eugene Okafor, said the union discovered that the executive members were also making illegal deductions from the monthly contributions of the union members.

They said a committee of elders set up by the state judiciary to investigate the allegations recommended that the executive committee should step aside, while a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the union should be appointed.

After the committees presentation, members of the union called for the impeachment of the executives and appointment of a caretaker committee

In an acceptance speech, the chairman of the caretaker committee, Oko Nnachi, assured members that the union would be repositioned for the election of a new executive council in three months time.

But in a swift reaction, the impeached chairman of the union, Jude Ukahson, described his removal as a nullity, stating that it was only the national body of the union that had the constitutional powers to dissolve his executive committee.

Mr Ukahson pointed out that the executive conducted its affairs in line with the constitutional provisions and denied allegations of financial mismanagement levelled against him and other members of the committee.

He stated that the matter had been reported to the national leadership of the union and enjoined aggrieved members to embrace peace to enable the union to move forward.
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A Magistrate Court in Lagos on Tuesday sentenced two brothers, Emeka Okenwa, 35, and Anayo Okenwa, 40, to 18 months in jail for stealing six buses.

The brothers, who had earlier pleaded not guilty,  were convicted on a two-count charge of conspiracy and theft.

The prosecutor, Phillip Osijiale, had told the court that the convicts committed the offences sometime in August 2010 at Sera Faboyede St. in Bucknor Ejigbo, near Lagos.

Mr. Osijiale, a police inspector, said the duo turned the compound of their rented apartment into a park of stolen buses in the guise of a mechanic workshop.

He disclosed that the brothers usually invited mechanics, who always helped them to dismantle and remove the parts of the buses for sale at Ladipo Market in Mushin.

He said neighbours who noticed their dubious activities informed the police.

The police during the course of investigation found out that the brothers usually stole the buses from where their owners parked them and brought them to their residence to be dismantled, he said.

He said the offences contravened Sections 390 (9) and 516 (A), Cap 37, Vol. II, of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 20011.

The magistrate, Memunat Folami, said: with all the evidence before me, the court finds you guilty and sentences the two of you to one year and six months imprisonment each with hard labour without an option of fine.

Ms. Folami told the convicts to learn from their misdeeds, turn a new leaf and find honest means of livelihood after serving their terms.

She advised members of the public to be conscious of what was happening around them and report when necessary to the relevant authorities.

(NAN)
The Alake of Egbaland, Adedoyin Gbadebo, on Monday responded to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Sikiru Adetona, saying they were not on the same cadre considering he earned higher salary.

Gbadebo was reacting to the Awujales comments describing him as a junior and uneducated traditional ruler who was distorting Yoruba history.

The Alake said the comment was uncalled for and not civil. He however said while he would provide details negating the Awujales claims, he would refrain from trading insults with a highly regarded monarch of Awujales status.

At a press conference held at his Ake palace, Abeokuta, Gbadebo, represented by Egba Chieftaincy Committee headed by Sikirulai Atobatele (Balogun of Egbaland), said his ranking was supported by documentary evidence.

He said in 1937, the Ooni of Ife categorized Yoruba Traditional Rulers at the Central Native Council Meeting chaired by the then Governor-General, Sir William Macgregor, at Government House, Lagos.

Those in attendance included the Ooni of Ife, Alafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin, Alake of Abeokuta and Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, he said.

The Egbas arrived and settled in Abeokuta mainly in 1830. The first Alake in Abeokuta was installed in 1854, followed by the Olowu in 1855, the Agura in 1870 and the Osile in 1897, the committee said.

The statement said Egba cabinet approved by the then Governor of Lagos under the Egba United Government Proclamation of February 1,1898 had Alake as President, Osile(Minister of Justice), Agura (Minister of Communications and Works) and Olowu (Minister of Finance).

Historically speaking, Alake was higher by salary differentials paid by colonial government. (1)Alake of Abeokuta 2,250 (2)  Awujale of Ijebu-Ode 1, 700, the statement said.

The committee attributed their information to page 4, paragraph 4, Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Information National Archives, File Nos 33044, CSO 26, letter SP11828120, Secretarys Office, Southern Province, Enugu, 31st January, 1938.
Polish and Czech Presidents Andrzej Duda and Milos Zeman met in Prague on Tuesday to discuss Visegrad Group cooperation, the migration crisis and the July NATO summit in Warsaw.

At a press conference after the meeting the two presidents underlined the good economic relations between Poland and the Czech Republic.

President Duda thanked President Zeman for his "very firm declaration that every country should handle its own internal affairs by itself, as part of its sovereignty, without any necessity to listen to admonishing remarks from European institutions, for example, or other countries".

"This is an important declaration because it shows (President Zeman's) concern for his country's sovereignty and for partner-like treatment of other countries, especially neighbours", Duda added.

It is very good that the Visegrad Group of countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia) speaks with one voice on the most important matters: the European Union's future and resolving the migration crisis, the Polish president also remarked.

He also thanked the Czech president for his approval of Poland's objectives for the July NATO summit in Warsaw and for seeing a need to strengthen the Alliance's presence in those countries of the region that consider it necessary for security reasons.

The two presidents agreed on practically all issues of international policy and cooperation between their two countries, according to Duda.

"The EU above all should strengthen the defence of its external borders. We have to make an effort to maintain the Schengen area", President Duda said when asked about the EU's agreement with Turkey. He added that open borders fostered economic turnover and good international relations.

President Duda received the Order of the White Lion from President Zeman. The Czech president was presented with Poland's Order of the White Eagle for his contribution to Polish-Czech relations.

Later President Duda met with Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka.

The Polish president's visit concluded with a meeting with Polish entrepreneurs operating in the Czech Republic. (PAP)
( Read 4907 Times)

Vodafone India, one of Indias largest telecom service providers, today unveiled Vodafone SuperNet a seamless network experience that empowers customers to remain confidently connected at all times, for their voice and data needs.Announcing the launch of Vodafone SuperNet, Sandeep Kataria, Director- Consumer, Vodafone India said, Network plays a crucial role in enhancing customer experience. In our continuing endeavour to provide superior voice and data services, we have made significant investments to expand, upgrade and modernise our network across the country. To cater to evolving consumer needs, we use multiple technologies to provide over 194 million customers across the country, all-round benefits of a seamless network experience, beyond just speed.The new campaign is being promoted with a high decibel 360 degree creative communication conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather, that brings back one of Indias most loved and popular brand mascots, Cheeka -the pug. Vodafone SuperNetcreative campaign will be introduced with three announcement spots on TV that bring back the old favourites pug and the little boy.Elaborating on the communications strategy to launch of Vodafone SuperNet, Siddharth Banerjee, National Head, Brand Communication & Insights, Vodafone India said We are delighted to bring back our much loved mascot Cheeka the pug. Research has shown that the endearing Vodafone pug has had one of the most impactful and long standing connects with the Vodafone brand symbolic with our network. Our communication strategy for this launch was to highlight the benefits of our seamless network and service experience and who better to announce it than Cheeka the pug!
Recreational vehicles are already frequent travelers to Cape May County, which is home to 47 campgrounds and more than 17,000 campsites.

But drivers may see more Winnebagos and Airstreams on the countys roads this year, for a few reasons.

One is a set of round-trip discounts for RVs announced by the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, and the other is increased marketing by the countys tourism office to draw RV campers  particularly in areas where those travelers could be likely candidates for ferry rides across the Delaware Bay to Cape May.

The Delaware River and Bay Authority, the two-state agency that operates the ferry, said Monday that for the first time, RVs will be eligible for round-trip discounts. Round-trip fares were previously limited to cars or other vehicles shorter than 20 feet.

The ferry also is raising its base vehicle fares by $1 in the off-season and $2 in July and August for single trips.

The ferry agency doesnt yet specify the exact size of the RV discounts on its website, cmlf.com.

But the current round-trip break for cars ranges from about 9.5 percent to 15 percent of the standard fare on the return trip, depending on the time of year. The discounts are bigger in the off-season, and no round-trip discounts apply at the ferrys peak times, summer weekends and holidays.

With so many campgrounds in the area, we want to aggressively target the RV market, said Rhona Bronson, the ferrys marketing director. The return-trip value fare for these larger vehicle classes is another tool in the toolbox that we can use to encourage this segment to use the ferry more often.

DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon said Monday that about 8,000 RVs caught rides between Cape May and Delawares Cape Henlopen last year.

Fares for an RV of 35 to 44 feet currently range from $47 for a trip between November and March to $70 at peak times.

Those RV discounts are just one change that DRBA commissioners voted to approve. The agency also announced a deep discount for frequent foot passengers, selling books of 25 trips for $150, or $6 per one-way ride.

The current normal price is an $18 round-trip from April through October, or $9 each way.

Diane Wieland, Cape May Countys tourism director, said the county has also stepped up marketing efforts toward RV vacationers who live in Maryland, Virginia and other nearby states. In many cases, those travelers routes to Cape May could easily include a ride on the ferry.

She said the county is working harder in that region in part due to concerns that fewer French-Canadian visitors will make their traditional trips to the Wildwoods and nearby campgrounds on the mainland this summer because of the continuing weakness of their currency. A U.S. dollar was worth $1.33 against the Canadian dollar as of Monday evening.

We take the advice of Horace Greeley and go west to make up for the business were losing from the north, Wieland said.

She added that campgrounds are a key part of the countys tourism economy.

Cape May Countys official count of hotel rooms is a bit over 18,700, which is only about 1,500 more rooms for vacationing visitors than campsites. And the county is home to almost half of the total number of campgrounds in all of New Jersey.

Somewhat surprisingly, both she and the DRBA said they started their pushes for more RVs independently of the other. But Wieland was happy to hear about another way to keep campers happy about Cape May County.

Theyre helping with a little incentive to come over and stay at our campgrounds. Anybody doing this kind of packaging is a great option for us, she said.

Salmon, of the DRBA, also said the similar efforts were more coincidental than coordinated.

It just works well together, he said. I guess great minds think alike.

Contact: 609-272-7237
Harel Mallac makes Xerox MPS in Mauritius

A long-term Xerox partner and Mauritian print solutions provider Harel Mallac Burea-utique (HMB) has further enhanced its value proposition by investing in the necessary skills to achieve Xerox Managed Print Services accreditation. The certification is provided by Bytes Document Solutions (BDS), the largest Xerox distributor globally which operates in 26 African countries.

BDS regional manager Olivier Merven says the Xerox MPS accreditation process is strictly controlled to ensure that qualifying partners offer the correct skillsets, robust processes and a commitment to consistent service delivery. It is this rigour and an onerous accreditation process which has made the Xerox MPS value proposition highly attractive. By completing the accreditation, HMB has demonstrated its ability to deliver for its clients in the Mauritian market.

HMB manager Dany Blackburn notes that the company has worked with and promoted Xerox for over 45 years. MPS was a must to gradually move our organisation from box moving to the delivery of higher-value solutions and services to our clientele, he says.

A Xerox open day was held at the Hennessy Park Hotel in Mauritius on Friday the 26th February 2016.
Heidelberg fires up its digital product line rebrand

Heidelberg has restructured its digital printing portfolio with a digital product line rebrand. The manufacturer, which will be presenting the industrys digitised future under the motto Simply Smart at Drupa, has standardised its entire digital printing portfolio with the Fire product branding.

The Primefire 106 B1 industrial inkjet press is the first new product to adopt the name and a number of existing products have been renamed.

The companys Linoprint CP and CV digital printers have become Versafire CP and CV respectively, cutting the final link with Heidel-bergs past acquisition, Lino-type-Hell. The Gallus DCS 340 hybrid conventional/inkjet label printing press has become the Gallus Labelfire 340 and the Jetmaster Dimension range has become the Omnifire range.

Heidelberg said the product name standardisation repeats its approach to the Speedmaster series of litho presses and increases both the clarity of the entire offering and the recognition value of the brand for customers.

The name Fire for our digital printing portfolio stands for performance, dynamism and growth - and also for digitally transmitting data and ink onto different surfaces, said Heidelberg vice-president of digital printing Jason Oliver. Additionally, the company said it would show the Omnifire 1000, a larger format version of its 4D printing system, at InPrint 2016 in Milan in November. Printed objects from the 1000 will be shown at Drupa, which runs from 31 May to 10 June in Dusseldorf, while an Omnifire 250 will be running at the show.

The entire digital printing portfolio can be integrated into the overall workflow of a print company together with Heidelbergs offset systems via the new Prinect Digital Front End (DFE). Web-to-print applications as well as multi-channel publishing business models are also supported.
Metsa starts up a new production line

Metsa Board has started up a new folding boxboard production line at its Husum mill in Sweden. The company is aiming the 400,000 tons per year volume of the production line, as well as at food service end-uses such as cups, plates and trays globally.

Metsa Board is well-known for its high-quality, lightweight folding boxboards, used widely in packaging globally. Thanks to the new production line and our recent product development, we are now able to respond to food service packaging requirements and demand better than ever before, said CEO Mika Joukio.

According to Metsa Board, the folding boxboard machine BM1 is the most significant part of the EUR 170 million investment program carried out at the Husum mill site.

Last November, Metsa Board also announced it is investing an additional EUR 38 million in a new extrusion coating line and related infrastructure in Husum. Start-up for this line is expected at the beginning of 2017.

The Husum mill has an annual capacity to produce 400,000 tonnes of folding boxboard; 300,000 tonnes of linerboard; 750,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp.
HP will have the largest booth at the most awaited Drupa 16

Ahead of its participation in the most awaited exhibition in 2016 - Drupa, HPs Gido van Praag, vice president & general manager Graphics Solutions Business Printing and Personal Systems Group Europe, Middle East and Africa made a familiarization trip to the Middle East region.

In an exclusive interview with PrintWeek MEA, van Praag explained: The biggest growth opportunities are expected from Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, while for the HPs graphics business Turkey and UAE among others are very important markets. We are launching new product categories, which will be introduced in untapped markets. For example our page wide technology is a new product category that was launched at the Sign and Graphics Imaging show this year for this region. Likewise even publishing is relatively new, along with the decorative segment of latex, which is also another potential growth segment for us. We are backing 3D as well. Though the technology is still in its infancy and the market is fragmented, but at HP we are investing and will be launching the first products to select customers in Western Europe by the end of this calendar year. With our technology we aim to bring 3D away from the hype to the mainstream, to create a real robust solution for short run manufacturing. I am extremely proud of HPs ability to leverage this intellectual property over different technology platforms which allows quick development cycles, excellent utilization of R & D resources across the group since we have big plans to increase productivity. So all in all, 3D is an important product category for us moving forward.

Commenting on HPs participation at Drupa, van Praag said: HP will be having the tradeshows largest booth in hall 17 at Drupa to display our latest technology and product launches.
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.




DUBLIN, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/k27b4q/global_nash) has announced the addition of the "Global NASH (Non-Alcoholics Steatohepatitis) Market (2015-2030)" report to their offering.

The global non-alcoholic steatohepatitis drug specific market is estimated to start growing by 2020 at a CAGR of 25.56% during 2020-2030, due to the projected product launches in 2020.

Surge in cycles of clinical trials and their success rate has improved the probability of industries receiving commercial approval for NASH therapeutics by the end of 2020. Additionally, the absence of efficient diagnostic technologies acts as a major hurdle for the research of NASH therapeutics.

Nevertheless, the emergence of novel biomarker technologies and improvements in liver biopsy technologies are expected to bring about an evolution in the diagnosis of NASH and other fatty liver diseases.

But, the low diagnosis rates, low prescription rates and low treatment seeking rates continue to pose significant challenges for these emerging players. The United States, which has the highest number of research initiatives concerning NASH, holds nearly half of the global market share. The chief reason behind this growth is the high prevalence of diabetes and obesity and the growing number of people suffering with these conditions. The US has the highest number cases of NASH and other non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases.

Why You Should Buy This Report?

To gain an in-depth understanding of NASH disease and dementia market propelling globally.

To identify the on-going trends and anticipated growth in the next five years

To help industry consultants, drug and diagnostics manufacturers, vendors and dealers align their market-centric strategies

To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing material

To gain competitive knowledge of leading players

To avail limited customization in the report without any extra charges and get research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs

Key Topics Covered:

1. Research Methodology

2. Executive Summary

3. Global NASH Market: An Analysis

4. Country Analysis

5. The US NASH Market by Therapeutics

6. Regional Analysis

7. Country Overview

8. Clinical Pipeline Analysis of NASH Drugs

9. Market Dynamics

10. Competitive Landscape

Companies Mentioned:

Galectin Therapeutics

Galmed Pharmaceuticals

Genfit

Gilead Sciences

Intercept

Novo Nordisk

Tobira Therapeutics

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/k27b4q/global_nash

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

Related Links

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9drvz3/process_liquid) has announced the addition of the "Process Liquid Analyzers Market - Global Forecast to 2022" report to their offering.

The market is majorly driven by the increase in the shale gas production in the U.S. and growing demand for water & wastewater treatment. In addition, factors such as increasing usage of process liquid analyzers in the emerging markets, including China and India, and competition among the well-established process liquid analyzer manufacturers provide significant growth opportunities for the global process liquid analyzers market.

The water & wastewater, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, petrochemical, power generation, and oil & gas industries are some of the key application areas of process liquid analyzers. The process liquid analyzers market for the water & wastewater industry held the highest market share in 2015, followed by the market for the food & beverages, petrochemical, and pharmaceuticals industries.

The major factors contributing to the growth of these markets include the growing demand for water treatment and distribution worldwide and stringent drug safety directions set forth by the international regulation bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, and European Medicines Agency for manufacturing and processing food and pharmaceutical products.

The process liquid analyzers market in the Americas held the highest size in terms of value in 2015; while the market in APAC is expected to exhibit the fastest growth rate between 2016 and 2022. The factors contributing to the growth of this market include the increasing initiatives from the governments of China and India to improve drinking water facilities.

However, high infrastructure costs and lack of maintenance of the installed analyzers may hinder the growth of the market. This is because process liquid analyzers continually monitor various liquid parameters involved in a manufacturing process. These analyzers may become production risks if they are not maintained properly and transmit unreliable data, resulting in high production costs and delay in delivering results.

Companies Mentioned:

ABB Ltd.

Endress+Hauser AG

GE Analytical Instruments

Hach Lange GmbH

Honeywell International, Inc.

Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

Teledyne Technologies, Inc.

The Emerson Electric Company

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Yokogawa Electric Corp.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Industry Trends

7 Market, By Service

8 Market, By Type

9 Market, By Industry

10 Market, By Geography

11 Competitive Landscape

12 Company Profiles

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9drvz3/process_liquid

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

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
BOCA RATON, Fla., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) and The Technancial Company Ltd. (TTC) today announced a strategic alliance to provide an enhanced post-trade offering for futures and options. The alliance will see the combination of Broadridge's global post-trade processing solution with the strengths of TTC's leading real-time JANUS Margin Engine. This collaboration will allow clients to leverage extended best-in-class capabilities for exchange traded derivatives processing, including client clearing, while enabling consolidation of their post-trade operations across assets.

The alliance is a direct result of the financial services industry's increasing imperative to renew systems and improve operational efficiencies. Given technology's critical role in the futures and options arena - as regulatory mandates reshape the landscape for clearing, reporting and operational controls - clients' demand for additional services and innovation continues to surge. Together, Broadridge and TTC will help financial institutions meet these challenges with their shared focus on market and asset class reach, alongside functional, technological and operational efficiencies.

Paul Clark, Head of Institutional Product Management, Global Technology and Operations International, Broadridge, said: "The collaboration between Broadridge and TTC offers our mutual clients the ability to benefit from a superior, highly efficient exchange traded derivatives capability with seamless process throughput. The solution is integrated with post-trade processing and operational control for other asset classes offered via Broadridge's global post-trade processing platform. Our strategic alliance with TTC is a natural fit based on our shared focus to provide the highest levels of value and customer service to our clients."

Mirko Marcadella, Global Head of Business Development, TTC, said: "Working with Broadridge enables us to provide industry participants with an opportunity to seamlessly implement a leading set of capabilities for exchange traded derivatives margin and operations. The integrated solution offers best-of-breed post-trade processing and leverages a real-time solution developed for use from pre-trade calculations through to calculating initial margin for reconciliations and payments. We believe that our combined offering brings a gold standard solution to the futures and options marketplace."

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) is the leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions for broker-dealers, banks, mutual funds and corporate issuers globally. Broadridge's investor communications, securities processing and managed services solutions help clients reduce their capital investments in operations infrastructure, allowing them to increase their focus on core business activities. With over 50 years of experience, Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America, and processes on average $5 trillion in equity and fixed income trades per day. Broadridge employs approximately 7,400 full-time associates in 14 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com.

About The Technancial Company Ltd.

The Technancial Company Ltd. delivers advanced real-time risk management and trade surveillance tools to global markets. The Technancial Company's products, JANUS Risk Manager, JANUS Margin Engine and JANUS Trade Surveillance, are used by global institutions across markets, regions and asset classes to supervise their trading, market making, DMA and HFT activities. More than 70 risk checks and more than 60 clearing houses' margin algorithms are supported by the JANUS Platform and can be used in pre-trade, post-order (at-trade) and post-trade to manage market, credit and operational risks in low latency environments.

The company is headquartered in London and has offices in Chicago, Hong Kong and Milan.

For more information please visit http://technancial.com/

For further information or press enquiries, please contact:

Kate McGann

Broadridge

[email protected]

+1 212 981 1395

Erica Sunkin

Edelman

[email protected]

+1 212 729 2126

Marc Prema-Ratner

Managing Director, MPRC Global

[email protected]

+44 (0) 207 199 3340

Charles Thakker

Account Executive, MPRC Global

[email protected]

+44 (0) 207 199 3340

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SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.broadridge.com


PHOENIX, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hastings & Hastings notes that there are a number of stipulations that must be considered if individuals wish to enroll in a defensive driving class. First, a traffic ticket cannot be eliminated if the citation was made more than 24 months ago. Second, defensive driving classes may only be used to dismiss one violation. Third, defensive driving classes cannot be used to dismiss a traffic violation that resulted in serious injury or death.

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Out of state drivers who receive a traffic citation in Arizona must coordinate with a local defensive driving school if they wish to complete an out of state driving course. That course must be approved of by the Arizona court system. A list of licensed defensive driving schools is available on the Arizona Judicial Branch website, or by clicking here.

Hastings & Hastings advises individuals seeking an insurance discount first to speak with their insurance provider before enrolling in the Department of Motor Vehicles' defensive driving school. Some insurance providers may not offer the discount, or a driver may not meet other qualifications.

Hastings & Hastings notes, even if a discount is not available, defensive driving school can help drivers stay safe by teaching them the tenants of defensive driving.

Classes typically take four hours, so it is important to plan ahead and set enough time aside. Students will also have to pass a test that accompanies the class.

"Defensive driving school is typically useful for individuals with a decent driving record or a minor traffic violation. Even without these benefits, I would highly recommend taking a defensive driver class. We can always learn to be better drivers," said David Hastings, founder of Hastings and Hastings.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Hastings & Hastings
ARMONK, N.Y., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) has launched a global corporate citizenship program in which health organizations, selected through a competitive process, will receive the expertise of IBM's best problem-solving teams with health expertise to help tackle public health issues.





The company is now inviting civil, governmental, and social sector organizations -such as regional or national health departments, not-for-profits, clinics, and hospitals - to propose innovative health projects for IBM's health and technology problem solvers to address. IBM aims to help communities surmount challenges that currently limit access to quality healthcare, and will assist organizations in addressing social and environmental determinants of health, such as safe water and sanitation, stable housing, physical fitness, and nutrition.



Applications may be submitted to IBM starting today through April 20 by visiting www.ibmhealthcorps.org.



IBM will review all proposals and announce up to five winners later this year. The company will then deploy global teams of IBM's top talent with health and technical expertise to winning communities, where they will analyze the local health challenge. The IBM teams will recommend detailed solutions, which might include blueprints and strategies for organizational, programmatic, technological, and operational enhancements. The commercial value of each engagement is estimated at USD $500,000.



Says Aspen Global Health and Development Executive Director Peggy Clark: "IBM is taking a truly innovative approach to strengthening health systems. Deploying teams of IBM's best and brightest across the world, together with its technology, will give health organizations access to the 'brain' of IBM. We're excited to support IBM as they catalyze change for our most pressing health challenges."



The roots of IBM's new pro bono health grant program lie in IBM's existing community service problem solving programs that successfully address issues ranging from urban resiliency to economic development. One such program -- IBM's Corporate Service Corps, often called the private sector version of the Peace Corps -- has dispatched nearly 3,000 IBM employees from nearly 60 countries on more than 1,000 team projects across 38 countries over the last eight years.



Projects have included health-related initiatives with partners such International Medical Corps, whose President & CEO Nancy Aossey predicts that "IBM has tremendous potential to improve the health of the most vulnerable populations across the globe. Our partnership with IBM has strengthened our capacity to use data and analytics to increase community resilience to crises, and we look forward to continuing work with IBM to help underserved communities survive and thrive."



Meanwhile, IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge, another community service program focused on urban problems such transportation and economic development, has sent IBM problem solving teams to nearly 130 cities worldwide, with approximately 800 IBM top experts delivering pro bono services valued at more than USD $66 million. "A growing number of governments and not-for-profits have been following the success of IBM Corporate Service Corps and IBM Smarter Cities Challenge -- particularly the projects that have addressed health issues -- and have asked IBM to help with health issues in their own communities, and to share our cognitive computing expertise," said Jen Crozier, IBM's Vice President of Global Citizenship Initiatives.



Both Corporate Service Corps and Smarter Cities Challenge have included health-related projects. For instance, IBM pro bono teams have teamed with mayors, government leaders, and non-profits to strengthen data infrastructure, collection and analysis to address food deserts in Birmingham, Alabama; chronic asthma in Louisville, Kentucky; and ambulance responses in Memphis, Tennessee. Other health-related projects have included efforts to improve planning and operations in Ghana, Africa and Cusco, Peru to combat mother-to-child transmission of HIV and cervical cancer.

For more information about IBM's philanthropic efforts, please visit www.citizenIBM.com or follow @CitizenIBM on Twitter.

Media Contact(s):

Ari Fishkind

IBM Media Relations

+1 (914) 499-6420

[email protected]

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SOURCE IBM

Related Links

http://www.citizenIBM.com


LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- InstaBrand, a leading influencer marketing company, today announced the release of their influencer search engine to the public. The new search engine allows users to search by any number of demographic filters across hundreds of thousands influencers and tens of millions of social media posts. Results can then be further filtered by the relevance of the post content to what the user is looking for, a level of detail previously unheard of in the influencer marketing space. Once influencers are selected, the user can mobilize InstaBrand's full-service campaign management team or work with the influencer directly. Interested brands and agencies can sign up for access to the search engine at https://instabrand.com/influencer-search/.

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"This is the culmination of years of experience helping brands and agencies find influencers and execute campaigns on social media all distilled down into a search product that anyone can pick up and use starting today," said Eric Dahan, InstaBrand's CEO and co-founder. "It's not just about creating the most advanced technology or having the best account managers  it's about what happens when you bring those two worlds together. We can offer the full range of services from just access to our search engine all the way up to full campaign management services and everything in-between."

InstaBrand's influencer search engine offers a number of different ways for users to search through their database including:

Username

Gender

Follower Count

Location (including 10-100 mile radius around a particular location)

Hashtags or mentions used

What other social network profiles the influencer has

The search engine can also suggest keywords and influencers you might like based on the filters you've already entered, allowing the wisdom of InstaBrand's proprietary search algorithms to assist you in finding just the right match. Should you prefer the wisdom of humans over machines you can always work directly with InstaBrand's campaign services staff at any step along the way from influencer outreach to full service campaign management.

"What you see today is just the tip of the iceberg," said Ryan Alley, vice president of product at InstaBrand. "Along with providing the most contextually relevant search results, we've added new ways to sort your results beyond just follower count, such as average number of likes or comments, engagement rate, keyword usage or engagement with specific topics. Technology like this truly enables our customers to find whatever needle they're looking for in any social media haystack."

Currently, InstaBrand's search pulls from a database of over 50 million posts, 5 million hashtags and 2.5 million mentions spanning over 100,000 influencers  and those numbers grow daily. Using that data InstaBrand is able to calculate metrics for users like average engagement rate, top keywords and locations and typical number of likes or comments received per post. Users are then able to filter and rank influencers based on these metrics until they've found just the right set for their needs.

"The first day we had access to InstaBrand's search engine we were able to find a dozen influencers we could use right away for an upcoming campaign," said Jack Paxton, senior media buyer at Stealth Social, a Los Angeles based social media advertising agency who had access to InstaBrand's search in it's alpha phase. "We used to spend a lot of time manually combing through social media profiles to find influencers but now that feels old fashioned  like trying to search the web before Google."

For more information about InstaBrand and to get access to their influencer search engine visit: https://instabrand.com/influencer-search

About InstaBrand

InstaBrand is a leading influencer marketing company that has successfully managed over 800 influencer-driven social media campaigns for both Fortune 500 corporations and up-and-coming businesses across multiple social platforms such as Instagram, Vine, Twitter and Snapchat. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York and Milan, Instabrand works with top brands including Calvin Klein, Pizza Hut, Samsung, Hyundai, AirBnb, Universal Studios and Verizon. For more information on InstaBrand, visit instabrand.com.

Press Contact

Ran Xu

213-309-2373

[email protected]

SOURCE InstaBrand

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LAS VEGAS, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of "America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises," according to the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a national leader in women's business development and certification.

The "Top Corporations" list is the only national award program honoring corporations for leading supplier diversity initiatives that reduce barriers and drive growth for women-owned businesses.

"We are so proud of WBENC's Top Corporations, including MGM Resorts International, for choosing to set the standard for access and increase opportunities to women suppliers in new markets  both domestically and internationally," said Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of WBENC, the nation's leader in women's business development. "WBENC-Certified WBEs in turn are able to fuel innovation, and empower communities through economic growth and job creation."

WBENC recognized 62 corporations, the largest list in the history of the program, which started in 1999 when only 17 corporations made the list. MGM Resorts is the sole company in the integrated resort industry, and the only company based in Nevada, to earn a spot on WBENC's latest list. Other companies named to the list include: Allstate Insurance Company, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx and Johnson & Johnson, among others.

WBENC's Top Corporations will be honored in front of an audience of more than 1,500 attendees, including top-level senior executives from the awarded corporations, at the WBENC Summit & Salute taking place March 22 to 24 in Phoenix, AZ.

"This is a great honor for our company. Economic empowerment is vital to achievement by American women of full economic, social and political equality. MGM Resorts International is committed to inclusion of women-owned businesses in our stream of commerce," said Phyllis A. James, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer.

MGM Resorts International has spent a cumulative total of more than $3 billion with diverse-owned suppliers, contractors and service providers since the start of the company's supplier and construction diversity program in 2001. The program is part of a larger company diversity initiative that has been recognized by leading diversity publications including DiversityInc, Black Enterprise and HispanicBusiness.

For more information about the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Program, please visit: www.mgmresorts.com/csr.

About WBENC

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with over 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC-Certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America's most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 650 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information about the annual America's Top Corporations for Women Business Enterprises, visit http://www.wbenc.org/americas-top-corporations-for-wbes

About MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company is in the process of developing MGM National Harbor in Maryland and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. The Company also owns 51 percent of MGM China Holdings Limited, which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50 percent of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA Resort and Casino. MGM Resorts is a FORTUNE Magazine World's Most Admired Company. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

SOURCE MGM Resorts International

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MRIEHEL, Malta, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- One Two Trade has opened a new customer service option for international binary option traders, making all trading available in the Arabic language. In addition to maintaining an Arabic language section on the trading website, One Two Trade also now features an Arabic desk to provide customer service for Arabic speaking customers. The new Arabic desk at One Two Trade, which opened on February 1, makes binary options trading available to a population eager to enter the world's trading markets. The desk focuses on the GCC countries, where online trading is a popular pastime, an affordable investment, and a common source of income on the side. Desk agents are native speakers of Arabic, and are well versed in online financial trading.

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Financial traders in the Arabic world are always eager for new investment opportunities, and have developed a deserved reputation as "early adopters" of online trading techniques. The Arabic language new desk at One Two Trade makes that possible in their native tongue, and connects them with binary trading options in commodities such as gold and oil, as well as global equity indexes, individual stocks, and a variety of currency pairs. Business for the new desk has been good, and the Arabic language service agents are attracting new customers to binary option trading.

The service agents at the new desk are understandably excited about their role in creating a new service, and their enthusiasm shows when they talk to their customers. According to Arabic desk manager Murad Abd-alrahman, his client base appreciates most the one-on-one account management service offered. "They want to put their investments in gold and oil, and we make it easy for them. In our first month we have worked hard to open a new market, and take pride in our success." Individual account managers assist traders in maintaining their accounts, understanding the financial sectors, and navigating the online trading world.

One Two Trade's Arabic language desk offers services by phone, email, or live chat. The service desk agents provide a full range of services, and can assist clients in opening new accounts, making their first deposits, using the online trading platform, and withdrawing funds from their accounts. Initial contact with the Arabic desk can be made through the company's website. Arabic speaking binary option traders are encouraged to read the site and contact the new Arabic desk for more information.

One Two Trade is the premier site for binary option traders, offering its clients a quality platform, personal account managers, and top notch customer service. One Two Trade is fully licensed and regulated through the Malta Gaming Commission. As a reminder, all online trading involves an element of financial risk.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE One Two Trade

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DENVER, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RE/MAX, LLC President Geoff Lewis will participate as a panelist at the 2016 NAHREP Housing Policy & Hispanic Lending Conference held this week at the Georgetown Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. Tomorrow afternoon, Lewis will share his perspectives on the current real estate market on the "Business Opportunity Townhall: Real Estate Industry" panel.

"The NAHREP housing policy conference is a great place to connect with some of the most influential professionals in our industry," Lewis said. "Not only are these conference attendees real estate leaders in their local communities, but they're committed to improving important policies here in Washington for the benefit of both consumers and Realtors."

RE/MAX is proud to be a Diamond Sponsor of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and about 30 RE/MAX Affiliates who are NAHREP members have traveled to Washington to be part of the annual policy conference. Some of these Affiliates were also invited to attend a special White House briefing on housing, given this morning at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

NAHREP released its annual State of Hispanic Homeownership Report earlier today, which shows that homeownership among Hispanics increased last year from 45.6% to 46.1%, while the overall rate of homeownership in the U.S. decreased. A growing number of homeowners reflects the Hispanic community's significant economic influence and purchasing power.

"RE/MAX has built a strong presence in many Hispanic communities across the country, and our agents in those areas are providing their clients with the high level of customer service that RE/MAX is known for," Lewis added.

RE/MAX agents dominated the 2015 NAHREP Top 250 Latino Agent survey, placing more agents in the prestigious ranking than any other real estate organization. With 61 qualifying agents, RE/MAX had twice as many agents recognized than the closest competitor.

As part of the franchisor's recently launched 2016 ad campaign, RE/MAX will distribute Spanish language TV and radio spots to media outlets in several U.S. markets.

About the RE/MAX Network:

RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. Over 100,000 agents provide RE/MAX a global reach of nearly 100 countries. Nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX, when measured by residential transaction sides.

RE/MAX, LLC, one of the world's leading franchisors of real estate brokerage services, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RMCO, LLC, which is controlled and managed by RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RMAX).



With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more than $150 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities.





For more information about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about RE/MAX, please visit www.remax.com/newsroom.

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SOURCE RE/MAX, LLC

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MAHWAH, N.J., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, is proud to participate in the 2016 Digital Signage Expo (DSE) in Las Vegas, March 16-17, 2016.

At the event, Sharp will present its full line of Commercial and Professional High Definition and 4K Ultra High-Definition displays, including a demonstration of its 85 Class (diagonal) 8K 120Hz LCD display utilizing IGZO technology. Featuring 16-times the pixel resolution of 1080p, new wide color gamut technology and HDR functionality, the new 85 (diagonal) Class 8K Ultra HD display represents the future generation of commercial display technology, and is so sharp it seems as if you're looking through a window.

Additionally, Sharp will showcase examples of its many "[email protected]" through strategic and mutually beneficial relationships that can enhance digital signage and deployment. Notably, Sharp has been collaborating with Intel to bring a Mini Open Pluggable Specification (Mini OPS) solution to market. Intel originally introduced Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) to the market and with Mini OPS expanding the possibilities for displays, this collaboration aligns with Sharp's open platform design philosophy. Sharp is basing its next-generation digital signage platform architecture on Mini OPS for touch displays and non-touch professional displays, as it enables simplified digital signage development and deployment, low power, reliability, and a validated compact, fan-less design. The open architecture enables Sharp to deliver an optimal user experience that includes LEED compliance and support for Windows 10 Enterprise.

Visitors to Sharp's DSE booth will also see the benefits of the Strategic Alliance Resource (STAR) program, an exclusive program for third-party products and services that compliment Sharp's Pro AV products. Additionally, the Sharp Certified Reseller Program helps Sharp professional display dealers, integrators and consultants increase their sales opportunities by allowing them to purchase from any Sharp authorized distributor.

Sharp will showcase a number of real-world applications for its products and alliances including the Connected Cafe, a solution powered by Scala, a global leader in digital technology and one of its STAR alliances. The cafe will have self-serve kiosks for placing coffee orders and taking selfies. Once the order is ready, the customer's photo will come up on a Sharp display. Also demonstrated with the Connected Cafe is Scala's real-time insight reporting, allowing for screen content optimization including pricing and promotions.

"In the digital signage business, we know relationships mean everything. As a result, we are showing how our open architecture yields seamless digital signage integration for our [email protected]," said Mike Marusic, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Operations and Services, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. "We are looking forward to demonstrating our new technology and showcasing our use of open standard to foster current and new relationships at Digital Signage Expo 2016."

Sharp will be at booth #1223 at DSE, where it will also host a happy hour at the close of each day and provide opportunities for a daily drawing. Visitors can get up-to-the-minute news and connect with Sharp at DSE on social media using the #EngageWithSharp hashtag. Stop by to see firsthand how great business relationships truly work.

About Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America

Through U.S. B2B sales channels, Sharp is one of the top selling brands of Large Format Displays (55"+) and is the #1 selling brand of Large Format Commercial Displays (55"+) integrated with touch technology*. Sharp's professional and commercial displays are specially engineered for business applications and are offered in a wide range of sizes and varying capabilities. From high-impact displays for digital signage, to state-of-the-art ultra-narrow bezel video walls, to the award-winning AQUOS BOARD interactive display systems, Sharp commercial and professional displays help you communicate, collaborate and disseminate information brilliantly. For more information, visit our website at siica.sharpusa.com.

*According to the Large Format Displays Sell Through Tracker by DisplaySearch (now part of IHS), October 2015.

Become a fan of SIICA on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn and watch us on YouTube .

Sharp is a trademark of Sharp Corporation. Intel is a trademark or registered trademark in the United States and some other countries.

CONTACT: Sarah Sanzari

Peppercomm for Sharp

212.931.6175

[email protected]m.com

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SOURCE Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America

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LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WantMyLook presents Simply Stylists Saturday, March 19th, at the Grove in Los Angeles. The Simply Stylist fashion and beauty conference is designed to connect career-minded fashionistas, beauty lovers and geek-chic techies together in a space where they can network and learn from experts in their field. The conference takes place in the sunny Los Angeles, at the trendy Grove entertainment complex.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344520

WantMyLook along with Lilly Ghalichi and the team will showcase Spring 2016 collection. Attendees get to see the latest exclusive creation of WantMyLook design team. They will showcase dresses, outerwear, shoes, and accessories.

For more info visit www.WantMyLook.com

About WantMyLook

Shop WantMyLook for the latest trends and the best deals. WantMyLook makes the runway looks affordable for your closet.

Media Contact:

WantMyLook

748 S Main St.

Los Angeles, CA 90014

320-400-0005

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE WantMyLook

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If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
New Delhi, March 12 : With stress on the financial system and loan defaults a hot topic in India today, the country's markets regulator on Saturday announced a series of steps that will bar wilful perpetrators from raising any more money from the market.

"All wilful loan defaulters will stand disqualified from the board positions as listed companies under the new rules," Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman U.K. Sinha said at a press conference here after the watchdog's board meeting.

Sinha also said tainted people will also not be allowed to take over the control of other listed companies, nor allowed to float mutual funds or similar monetary entities.

In this regard, he said, the criteria for determining who constitutes a "fit and proper" person in the regulations was also being amended. The bar on wilful defaulters is also on floating instruments like non-convertible debentures and redeemable preference shares.

During the board meeting, which was also addressed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, officials were asked to remain alert on the supervision of the markets, particularly in the wake of the global developments.

The issue of loan defaulters at the watchdog's meeting followed the matter being raised at the the board of governors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) meeting here with the top brass of the finance ministry.

One of the main topics of discussion at the RBI meeting was the issue of non-performing assets of banks -- which primarily concern loan defaults and wilful defaults by the industry.

"Non-performing assets are of two types," Jaitley said after the RBI meeting, explaining that one is created as the result of a slowdown that can be recovered once the economy turns around, while the other is on account of individual misdemeanours.

"We don't want to create a situation by overstating these incidents that, in turn, will hamper activities," he said, alluding that banks should not be deterred from bona fide fresh lending. "But the rising levels of NPAs is a matter of concern for all of us."

As per recent RBI estimates, the total exposure of commercial banks in terms of gross NPAs, the rescheduled loans and write-offs was 14.1 percent of deposits that works out to around Rs.9,455 billion (around Rs.9.5 lakh crore).

The government is also facing flak following the unexpected exit of industrialist Vijay Mallya from the country, even as a consortium of 17 banks led by the State Bank of India, were seeking repayment of around Rs.9,000 crore that he has borrowed from them.
Rio De Janeiro, March 13 : Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visited the state of Sao Paulo after the region was hit by flood that killed over 20 people.

Observing the situation from a helicopter, on Saturday she said that the government had allocated funds to help the affected areas, Xinhua reported.

"The priority when faced with natural disasters is prevention. This means working to avoid more deaths, to rebuild damaged infrastructure, to clean towns and to repair streets, so that life can get back to normal," she said.

Strong rains, causing flooding and landslides on Friday, have left at least 20 dead and five missing in the towns of Maripora, Francisco Morato, Itapevi, Itatiba, Guarulhos and Cajamar.

The flooding has also cut off highways, suspended rail services and led to the closing of the airports in Congonhas and Guarulhos for several hours.
Kuala Lumpur, March 13 : Two Australian reporters were arrested in Malaysia for crossing the security line during an event attended by Prime Minister Najib Razak, police said on Sunday.

The reporters aggressively tried to approach the prime minister during his visit to Sarawak state on Saturday evening. They were arrested for not following police instructions, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two, from Australian Broadcasting Corp, were in Sarawak to cover the visit of Najib Razak.

They were released on police bail on Sunday but are under investigation for "obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his public functions", police said.
New Delhi, March 14 : Bollywood extravaganza, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) celebrations, will return to Europe for the fourth time, with the scenic Madrid in Spain as the chosen destination this year. Actors Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Sonakshi Sinha are already in Madrid to spread the 'filmy' fever.

An official announcement will be made at an event in Madrid later on Monday, but of what is seen from the Twitter handles of the three Bollywood stars, they are soaking in the colours and energy of the city and totally looking forward to a new celebration of Indian cinema on foreign shores.

Hrithik has posted multiple images on his Twitter handle, and is seen looking casual yet dapper on a sunny day with Sonakshi and Anil. In one image, the "Krrish" star is also seen taking a selfie with a crowd that seems to be enthusiastic about the upcoming 17th edition of the gala, to be held in June 23-26.

"Something about the IIFA Awards... The people, the places, the crew, the warmth. Love it. Everytime a special experience. Madrid," said Hrithik, who had extensively shot in Spain for "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara".

Even Anil enjoyed himself as he roamed around the Market of San Miguel in Madrid.

He tweeted: "Mercado San Miguel is an explosion of sounds, colors & textures... And the gorgeous street performers! IIFA 2016."

In fact, Anil even performed an impromptu jig on popular song "Gallan goodiyan" on the streets in Madrid to regale a crowd which seemed to be enjoying the vibrancy that Bollywood and its gliterrati exudes.

"Hola Madrid! The entire county seems to be buzzing with energy for IIFA 2016! Vamos Vamos VAMOS," Anil added following his experience.

Sonakshi, who tried some flamenco, shared: "Beautiful day in Madrid, exploring the city and getting it buzzing for IIFA with Hrithik and Anil Kapoor."

This is the fourth time that IIFA will be held in Europe. It was earlier held in Yorkshire, London and Amsterdam.
Kolkata, March 14 : A simple click of a button will soon tell you which animals live where in India, courtesy a GIS-enabled web-based platform where information on over 96,000 species will be provided by the Zoological Survey of India, an official said here on Monday.

"We are designing a complete list... A to Z of fauna. Entire information on a particular species will be put up on a page dedicated to it. It will be called a 'species page'. Information on as many as 96,891 species identified in India will be put on the platform.

"The data will be uploaded on the Indian Space Research Organisation's Bhuvan platform (Indian version of Google) where one can see the species distribution through GIS (geographic information system) technology," ZSI director-in-charge Kailash Chandra told the media.

He said an exclusive hub would be set up for the initiative and scientists would be able to provide data to the centre through mobile applications.

"Around 30 to 40 percent of the work has been completed and in a year we should be ready," he said.

The ZSI is also focusing on activities in Arunachal Pradesh and India's biodiversity hotspots, he said.
Kolkata, March 14 : The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is expanding its database of genetic sequences to enable precise identification of animals using DNA barcoding which will aid in wildlife crime detection and control, an official said here on Monday.

"We have uploaded 600 sequences on the US' National Centre for Biotechnology Information portal. We are targeting 500 sequences per year. It is an ongoing process," ZSI director-in-charge Kailash Chandra told the media during a workshop.

Chandra said DNA barcodes, which are specific genetic signatures, can not only help in identification of a species but also the particular habitat from which it hails.

"Suppose if there is an incidence of poaching from Kanha tiger reserve and the tiger has been smuggled to West Bengal. We can tell the animal is not from the Sundarbans. There will be minute differences in the populations at the genetic level even though they are the same species," Chandra explained.

The ZSI is in talks with the Airport Authority of India, Kolkata to help it with habitat management of jackals and birds in the vicinity of the airport.

"We have had a few meetings. Our role will be in identifying the burrows and habitats of the jackals through satellite technology and also offer suggestions on how to manage their populations. Similarly, for birds and prevention of bird strikes, we may offer suggestions," Chandra added.
New Delhi, March 14 : Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha on Monday urged the government to extend the session of the house to discuss and pass bills, and informed sources said the request is being looked at seriously.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha when it met after lunch on Monday, and Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien also urged the government to examine the opposition's request.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad told the government on the floor of the house that the session should be extended if bills have to be passed, and added that there can be no compromise on the time of debate on the general and railway budgets.

This issue was raised after the government listed the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, as supplementary business in the house.

"If you want more bills. increase the time of the session," Azad said.

"Government is trying not to get the Aadhaar bill (in the Rajya Sabha) so that it becomes law," said Azad referring to the bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha on Friday and has been termed a money bill.

The Rajya Sabha has no role in passing money bills, and once passed by thed Lok Sabha, it becomes a law even if the upper house does not pass the bill orreturn it within 14 days. The upper house also has no right to amend a money bill.

Azad said the bill should be discussed even if it is just for a hour.

"Keep it (debate on Aadhaar bill) for day after, even if an hour long discussion," he said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi assured the opposition that the government is ready to discuss the Aadhaar bill whenever the opposition wants, but did not comment on extension of the Rajya Sabha session.

Kurien urged the government to look into the opposition's request.

"I think, informally and even formally there were suggestions from the members, that if the government wants, the memebrs are agreeable for extending the house for passing the bills, that aspect also government can examine if they want," he said.

Attacking the government, Azad said: "This is for the first time opposition wants to pass the bills and wants to extend session but government is not coming forward."

In response, Naqvi said they are discussing the issue with different political parties.

"It was only the suggestion of Leader of Opposition... They had suggested it and we have talked to different political parties. Different political parties have not agreed to it... we are still talking," he said.

According to sources, the government has not yet taken a decision but the opposition's request is being considered for extending the Rajya Sabha session by two days.

"Some parties have reservations, the process is on. The session may be extended," a minister who did not want to be named told IANS.

The government, which is facing heat in the upper house because it is in minority, decided to bring the Aadhaar bill as a money bill as it makes the upper house debate and vote on it inconsequential. This has invited widespread criticism from the opposition parties.

Opposition members have also alleged that the government does not want to debate the bill in the upper house at all, and are insisting that it should be taken up.
Athens, March 14 : At least eight Pakistani refugees on their way from Turkey to Greece were reported missing on Monday after their boat capsized off the Kos island, the media reported.

As many as five people, who managed to swim to the shore and alerted the authorities, said all those missing were Pakistani, Xinhua reported.

A rescue operation was under way though high speed winds prevailed in the area.

Monday's tragedy occurred as more than 44,000 refugees and migrants remain stranded in Greece after the gradual closing of borders along the Balkan route to central Europe since mid-February.

According to the latest figures from the Migration Policy Ministry, approximately 12,000 people remain at the overcrowded muddy makeshift camp of Idomeni near the crossing at the Greece-Macedonia border, living in horrible conditions with inadequate food and medicine.

About 9,000 people are still on the Aegean Sea islands, another 11,000 across the Greek capital and its suburbs, more than 3,000 in the passenger terminals of Piraeus port and 1,000 scattered at hospitality centres in central Greece.

Since only a few dozen Syrians and Iraqis are allowed to enter Macedonia each day, desperate refugees keep crossing the Aegean, risking their lives to reach Greek soil.

According to the Greek Shipping Ministry, about 2,000 people continue to reach the Greek islands per day on boats from Turkey despite the latest agreement between the EU and Turkey for closer cooperation to prevent the refugee influx.
Melbourne, March 15 : Two men responsible for starting violent riot in the Australian city of Melbourne during a festival have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

Victoria Police's Special Operations Group arrested the pair -- part of the Sudanese-dominated Apex street gang -- on Monday night, Xinhua news agency reported.

A police spokeswoman said in a statement on Tuesday: "It is believed the men are affiliated with the Apex gang, alleged to be involved in a recent spate of serious offences including aggravated burglary, car jackings and armed robberies."

On Saturday, almost 150 young men from rival gangs - Apex and Islander 23 - clashed in Melbourne's Federation Square in the midst of the family-friendly Moomba festival, sending bystanders fleeing in panic.

Police managed to disperse the crowd with batons and capsicum spray, but the rioters continued to rush through other parts of the city throwing metal chairs, among other objects, as they ran amok.

It is believed the gangs coordinated the gathering via social media.

Apex is a multicultural gang made up of youths of Sudanese, Pacific Islander, Maori, Afghani and Middle Eastern descent, while members of the Islander 23 gang predominately hail from the Pacific Islands.

Only four members of the two gangs were arrested on the night.

Since being founded in Melbourne's south-east 18 months ago, the Apex gang has marred multiple public events in Melbourne such as New Year's Eve and White Night and been linked to a rise in serious crime in the region.

A special police force, known as Taskforce Tense, was set up to crackdown on Apex members and has already made 33 arrests.
Moscow, March 15 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to start withdrawing the "main part" of its forces in Syria from Tuesday.

He said the Russian intervention had largely achieved its objectives, BBC reported.

"I consider the mission set for the defence ministry and the armed forces on the whole has been accomplished," Putin said on Monday night in a meeting at the Kremlin.

"I am therefore ordering the defence ministry to begin the withdrawal of the main part of our military force from the Syrian Arab Republic from tomorrow (Tuesday)."

Russia began its campaign of air strikes in Syria last September.

Putin's decision comes amid fresh peace talks which started in Geneva on Monday aimed at resolving the five-year Syrian conflict.

Putin said that Russia's Hmeimim air base in Latakia province and its Mediterranean naval base at Tartus would continue to operate as normal. He said both must be protected "from land, air and sea".

The move was welcomed by the US and also the Syrian opposition.

However, US officials said Washington had received no advance warning of Putin's statement.

"We will have to see exactly what Russia's intentions are," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

In the latest fighting, Syrian government forces are reported to have advanced on so-called Islamic State's (IS) positions near the world heritage site of Palmyra.
Caracas, March 15 : Venezuela has declared a two-month extension for the current state of economic emergency, the media reported on Tuesday.

The declaration made by the government on Monday will bestow more time on the government of President Nicolas Maduro to intervene in the market, boost productivity and redress a flagging financial sector, officials said.

It will also allow the government to take more anti-crisis measures to reduce fiscal moratorium and to tap up funds from the 2015 budget to address short-term social needs, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Due to exceptional circumstances...the declaration of an economic emergency must continue in various sectors," said Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz.

This view was shared by the first vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, who said the extension "will bring in measures to enhance positive impacts on the national economy. (These will include) actions on healthcare, nutrition, education, employment."

At the request of the opposition majority in the National Assembly, Isturiz will explain to lawmakers the achievements made during the first 60 days of the state of economic emergency, which begun on January 16.

The Venezuelan government declared a state of economic emergency in January, which was to last for 60 days, in order to lead a "transformation" of the country's beleaguered economy.
Beijing, March 15 : China's southern city of Shenzhen is planning to build three waste incineration power plants including the one which will be the world's largest in the next three years, the media reported on Tuesday.

According to Wang Guobin, the director of Shenzhen City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau, the biggest plant alone can handle one third of Shenzhen's garbage and will be put into use in 2018, the People's Daily reported.

"The projects have got its Environmental Impact Assessment approval and have finished the leveling construction. The main body construction will start by the end of this year," said Wang.

By 2018, the three plants in total will be able to dispose 10,300 tonnes of waste every day, he added.

In the past ten years, Shenzhen garbage saw a growth of 6.1 percent every year.

The waste produced by the city reached 5.51 million tonnes and is estimated to exceed 5.33 million in 2020.

The four landfills of the city have all been overloaded.
Investors react as Sensex - a benchmark index of Indian equities markets plunged 855 points or three percent-plus in Tuesday's trade session, in Mumbai on Jan 6, 2015.Market analysts opined that the . Image Source: IANS

Mumbai, March 15 : After gaining for two straight sessions, key Indian stock indices opened flat on Tuesday morning but drifted lower as trading progressed. Other Asian markets were also cautious ahead of the meetings of some central banks, notably in Japan and the US.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of BSE, which had closed on Monday at 24,804.28 points, opened slightly higher on Monday at 24,832.04 points. Soon after, it was trading at 24,670.21 points with a loss of 134.07 points, or 0.54 percent.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share Nifty, which had ended at 7,538.75 points, was trading at 7,494.00 with a loss of 44.75 points, or 0.59 percent.

On Monday, while the Sensex had ended higher by 86.29 points, or 0.35 percent, over the previous day's close, the Nifty closed 28.55 points, or 0.38 percent, up.

Keenly watched will be the two-day meeting of the US Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee that begins on Tuesday, and before that, any decision by the Bank of Japan later on Tuesday, analysts said.

"US stocks closed mixed in low-volume trade on Monday, mostly shaking off the decline in oil prices, ahead of the Fed meeting later in the week," Angel Broking said in an analysis before the opening bell for bourses in India.

"Dow Jones hit new highs for 2016 on Monday, while S&P 500 edged lower as losses in materials and energy sector capped gains seen across Consumer-discretionary sector. Key European indices ended Monday's trading session in green," the brokerage added.
Kuala Lumpur, March 15 : Malaysia will deport two Australian journalists on Tuesday who were detained in Sarawak state for asking Prime Minister Najib Razak about corruption allegations.

The two reporters, Liston Besser and Louie Eroglu from the Australian Broadcasting Channel (ABC), were detained for attempting to interview Najib on Saturday over the $681 million deposited into his bank accounts, which was allegedly transferred from a state fund, EFE news reported.

The police chief of Sarawak, Dev Kumar, said in a statement that Besser and Eroglu will not be charged for obstructing a public servant.

"Police investigation papers were submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor on Monday. The next day the police received instructions from the DPP that no charges will be filed against the two," Kumar said.

"Instead they will be deported from the country," he added.

The scandal involving Najib and state investment fund 1MDB (Malaysia Development Bhd) was uncovered by international media last year.

Najib and 1MDB initially denied that such a transfer had occurred.

The government later admitted the existence of the millions in their private accounts but said that they were donation from the Saudi royal family.
Nay Pyi Taw, March 15 : Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday elected U Htin Kyaw of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party as the new president, the first civilian to lead the country after more than 50 years of military rule.

Htin Kyaw is a close ally of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose NLD party swept to victory in historic elections in November 2015, BBC reported.

He beat another NLD candidate U Henry Van Htee Yu, and U Myint Swe from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), who was directly assigned by the military.
Washington, March 15 : The US Defense Department on Tuesday confirmed the death of a key Islamic State (IS) leader known as "Omar the Chechen" as a result of injuries sustained during an airstrike conducted in Syria on March 4.

The Pentagon confirmed what until now was only a possibility, because although it had informed that he was a target in the attack, it was not known for certain whether he had died or not, EFE news reported.

The attack also would have killed 12 other jihadi fighters near the town of Al Shadadi, in the Al Hasaka province bordering Turkey.

Known as "Omar the Chechen", Abu Omar al-Shishani was born in Georgia and served in the armed forces of his country during the short war with Russia in 2008.

"Shishani is a battle-tested leader with experience who had led IS fighters in numerous engagements in Iraq and Syria," said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook.

"His potential removal from the battlefield would negatively impact IS' ability to recruit foreign fighters especially those from Chechnya and the Caucasus region - and degrade IS' ability to coordinate attacks and defence of its strongholds like Raqqa, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq," Cook added.

It is believed that Shishani began fighting in rebel brigades of the Syrian civil war in 2012 and that one or two years later he joined the IS, where he held prominent military positions including "minister of war", the Pentagon added.
Beijing, March 15 : China's anti-corruption campaign will include a new focus this year cracking down on the misuse and embezzlement of poverty relief funds, a media report said on Tuesday.

The five-year drive is aimed at ensuring the poverty alleviation policy and special funding will benefit poor people in poverty-stricken areas, Cao Jianming, prosecutor-general at the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), told China Daily.

This campaign has been launched by the SPP and the Poverty Relief Office under the State Council.

Prosecuting departments will focus on investigating graft issues that involve exporting laboUr services, ecological protection, education and medical insurance, as well as minimum rural living allowances, Cao said.

They will also become "more aggressive" in going after officials at grassroots levels, such as those in charge of handling traffic in rural areas, hydropower, electric power infrastructure construction, and renovation of rural homes.

The campaign comes after a keynote speech by President Xi Jinping at an anti-graft meeting in January, during which he promised to maintain the momentum at grassroots level to benefit everyone.

In October 2015, China set a goal of building a well-off society and lifting all poverty-stricken people in rural areas out of poverty by 2020.

China still has 200 million people living in poverty, based on the World Bank standard, which means they each live on less than $1.90 a day.

In 2014, the central government allocated 43.3 billion yuan ($6 billion) for poverty relief, double the amount in 2010.
New York, March 15 : A team of US researchers has found that medical students, especially who are young, single and under high debt are twice as likely to abuse alcohol than their peers who are not attending medical school.

Burnout factors such as emotional exhaustion or feelings of depersonalisation were highly associated with alcohol abuse or dependence among the medical students.

"Our findings clearly show there is reason for concern," said Liselotte Dyrbye from Mayo Clinic in the US.

"We recommend institutions pursue a multifaceted solution to address related issues with burnout, the cost of medical education and alcohol abuse," Dyrbye added in the paper published in the journal Academic Medicine.

The researchers surveyed 12,500 medical students and one-third of those responded. Approximately 1,400 of that subgroup experienced clinical alcohol abuse or dependence.

The results indicate three factors that were independently associated -- a younger age than most peers in medical school, being unmarried and amount of educational debt.

No statistical difference was found between differing years of medical school or between men and women.

"In our paper we recommend wellness curricula for medical schools, identifying and remediating factors within the learning environment contributing to stress and removal of barriers to mental health services," added first author Eric Jackson.
New Delhi, March 15 : Bollywood's livewire star Ranveer Singh will light up the stage at the Times Of India Film Awards (TOIFA) in Dubai later this week in a tribute to megastar Amitabh Bachchan, revealed Shiamak Davar, who is choreographing the performances for the event.

"Ranveer is doing the most beautiful tribute to Amitabh Bachchan," Davar told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The "Band Baaja Baaraat" actor, with his flexible dancing moves, will be grooving to multiple songs that have defined Amitabh's over four-decade-long career in Hindi films.

And Davar said the performance will give Ranveer a chance to show his acting prowess too.

"Ranveer is an actor, so these songs do not require too much of dance... They require elements of 'how Amitabh would react to these songs', because he is a great actor. The songs will not only be just a dance, but have a lot of acting as well," added the 54-year-old choreographer.

Talking about the songs the "Bajirao Masatni" actor will be performing on, Davar said: "Ranveer has chosen all songs, which he thinks signify Mr. Bachchan."

Meanwhile, Davar is also choreographing dance steps for a string of A-listers like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Salman Khan among others for the event, which will be held on March 18 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Isn't it exhausting to choreograph for so many stars on different songs for a celebration as grand as TOIFA?

"I never find myself tired in any of these things. I just find myself challenged because every award show for the same year has the same songs. So, I would keep on showing the songs differently," he said.

"I can't do the same songs that have the same hook moves... We keep on changing it. So it is fun and new," Davar added.

Shah Rukh will be performing on "songs from his most popular films from the beginning (of his career) till now".

However, for those who may be hoping to see the two Khans -- Shah Rukh and Salman -- dance together at the event, Davar said nothing is planned so far.

But another star attraction would be popular rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh.

"I have been teaching hip-hop for the last 20 years and I don't really do the general hip-hop. I do something called 'Shiamak hip-hop', which is very different," he said, promising that something new will come out of Honey Singh's performance.

Will the audience get a chance to see Davar shake a leg at the event?

"No, not this time. There were too many award ceremonies. It has got so hectic that I had to forget about myself and just concentrate on the stars."
London, March 15 : Overweight women using oral birth pills are likely to have an increased risk of a rare type of stroke, suggests a study.

The results showed that women who are obese (a body mass index of 30 or more) and use oral contraceptives are 30 times more prone to cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), compared to women with normal weight.

CVT, or clot of cerebral veins, is an uncommon disorder in the general population. However, it has a higher frequency among patients younger than 40 years of age and women who are pregnant or receiving hormonal contraceptive therapy.

However, the study found no association between obesity and CVT among men or women who did not use oral contraceptives.

"The increased risk of CVT associated with oral contraceptives in the presence of obesity might make physicians reluctant to prescribe oral contraceptives to obese women," said Jonathan M. Coutinho from the University of Amsterdam in Netherlands.

Risk factors for CVT overlap some with those for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and include cancer and oral contraceptives but there also are risk factors specific to CVT including infections and head trauma.

"Use of oral contraceptives has also been associated with increased risk of arterial ischemic stroke in obese women," commented Chirantan Banerjee from the University of South Carolina.

Withholding oral contraceptives may lead to an increase in unintended pregnancies and thus the number of pregnancy-related blood clot cases, the researchers pointed out in the study published online by JAMA Neurology.

Educating and informing obese women of the increased risk would be prudent, as would be consideration of alternate non-hormonal oral contraceptives options.

"Alternative methods of contraception that are not associated with blood clots, such as intrauterine device, might be offered to these women," the researchers suggested.
New York, March 15 : In the latest controversy over the implementation of its Safety Check tool, users are questioning social media giant Facebook why it failed to turn on the feature after an attack in CAte d'Ivoire on March 14.

Built in the wake of the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the Safety Check location tool allows users to "check-in" and assure their contacts that they are safe in a disaster area.

Dozens of people were killed in two separate terror attacks on March 14. While Turkey's capital Ankara was hit by a car explosion in which 37 people died, in CAte d'Ivoire, a gunmen killed 12 beachgoers in Grand Bassam -- a resort town near the country's capital city Abidjan.

Although Facebook activated its Safety Check feature for users in Ankara, it did not activate the tool for people in Abidjan, Quartz reported.

Users started questioning Facebook after company COO Sheryl Sandberg posted that the tool had been activated for people in Ankara.

People asked whether the social media company turned on the feature for people stuck in Grand Bassam.

Facebook, however, did not respond to questions regarding the non-activation of Safety Check feature in CAte d'Ivoire.

This is not the first time the company has come under fire for their selective use of the Safety Check tool.

Last November, the networking site activated the feature for attacks in Paris in which more than 130 people died, the first time it did so for a terrorist event.

But some questioned why the tool had been used for Paris and not Lebanon's capital city Beirut, which had been hit by suicide bombings the previous day that killed 43 people.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 : Accusing the CPI-M of injuring 26 of its activists, the BJP said on Tuesday that the Marxists were indulging in violence ahead of assembly elections in Kerala.

The way the Communist Party of India-Marxist was approaching the polls due in May "speaks the language of violence and arrogance", BJP spokesman V.V. Rajesh told the media.

He said CPI-M activists attacked former Kerala state president V. Muraleedharan at Kazhakootam on the suburbs on Thiruvananthapuram on Monday night.

The attack "left 26 of our workers injured" and they were now in hospital, said Rajesh, adding Muraleedharan too had been admitted to a hospital.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is desperately trying to win a seat in the assembly polls, has called a district shutdown.

But it has exempted educational institutions and transport in view of the ongoing school exams.
New Delhi, March 15 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday assured the Rajya Sabha that the government will honour the commitments made to Andhra Pradesh post-bifurcation of the state, as the upper house witnessed a spat between the treasury and opposition benches over the issue.

Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to form the new state of Telangana in 2014.

"Keeping the limitation in mind what the 14th finance commission has said... Keeping in mind whatever commitments have been made, each one of them is going to be honoured," Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister was speaking after Congress members raised the issue of granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, raising the issue, said: "After long standing demand, Telangana state was formed. Hyderabad was the biggest issue... after consideration it was decided Hyderabad will go to Telangana. But Andhra Pradesh faced revenue loss."

Azad said then prime minister Manmohan Singh had announced additional measures on the floor of Rajya Sabha which included special status for Andhra Pradesh for five years and tax concession among others.

"I want to ask what happened to the special status," Azad said.

Joining him, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh said BJP members, who were then in opposition, wanted to give special status to Andhra Pradesh for 10 years.

"Venkaiah Naidu demanded it should be for 10 years. Now that you are in government please honour your commitment," he said.

Some Congress members trooped near the chairman's podium, creating a ruckus.

As protests continued, TDP member from Telangana C.M. Ramesh slammed the Congress for politicising the issue.

"Thanks to Congress at least after two years they realised that the state bifurcation is wrong," Ramesh said.

"Congress killed the father and mother and is now crying over orphans... They want to take political mileage, that is why they are doing this drama," he said.

Amid protests by Congress members, Jaitley assured that the central government is committed to the state.

"The center is fully committed to helping the newly created state after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Last year was the first year after creation of the state... There are several commitments which are involved in the Andhra Pradesh bifurcation act," he said.

"The center is going to honour each of those commitments in letter and in spirit," he said.

Jaitley said the 14th finance commission has measured the revenue deficit for the term of the 14th finance commission.

"Each paisa and each rupee of that revenue deficit is being paid to Andhra Pradesh and we will continue to pay that," he said.

"As far as the first year before the 14th finance commission is concerned, there was a large revenue deficit that the state has represented. Last year some amount has been paid. This year some amount will be paid, and the center will keep supporting the state of Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Jaitley also said that funds have been allocated for the institutions that have to be created in Andhra Pradesh, and the construction of a new capital is also making considerable headway.

Congress members, however, continued to create a ruckus, despite efforts of the chair.

"This is most unbecoming behaviour on the part of the members," Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said.

The house was also briefly adjourned for five minutes before the question hour.
New Delhi : Once the the Real Estate Regulator (Regulation and Development) Bill, pending since 2013 is passed, the realty regulator proposed in it, along with reforms, will empower and protect property buyers and investors, paving the way for more organised, fair, credible and transparent property transactions. The Indian realty industry, thus, will also become investor-friendly.

A recent survey by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, dubbed real estate sector as the second worst industry after telecom in terms of quality of service. The prevailing liquidity crisis, unaffordable property prices, high delivery defaults, tepid sales and low investor confidence has plunged the sector into crisis.

In this backdrop, real estate regulatory authority -- cleared by the upper house of parliament and the main opposition, the Congress party, assuring support in ther lower house -- assumes significance. It seeks to check fraudulent practices and provide a fair deal to property buyers.

The consumer-friendly landmark legislation is aimed at setting up regulatory and redressal mechanism, the absence of which is responsible for the present mess in the real estate.

The key provisions of the legislation, which bring brokers along with developers under its ambit, include:

- Mandatory registration of projects

- Need to provide complete information on project plan, lay-out, approvals, land title

- Also required is completion schedule, with ban on pre-launch advertising without sanctions

- Mandatory disclosures in ads and prospectus to check gap between promise and delivery

- Sale of property only on the basis of clearly defined carpet area

- Move to ensure buyers get exactly the space for which payment is made

- Mandatory escrow account to check diversion of funds that delay projects

- Provisioning of fair compensation for delays in delivery

- Focus also on quality of construction, speedy dispute resolutions

- Also proposed penalty and imprisonment for non-complying developers.

Though this model legislation covers both residential and commercial real estate including ongoing projects, yet it's the residential real estate which is going to get big boost , especially by boosting the confidence of home buyers.

Unlike in the past, now the home buyers can take informed decisions to invest with all the project information at their disposal which developers and brokers are now liable to disclose. In this context, it is worthwhile to mention single-most important factor responsible for keeping home buyers away thereby resulting in lukewarm sales.

It has been the sheer lack of safety of their investment, especially in view of extraordinarily long delays in project completion, with buyers money stuck for years without redressal. But now the watchdog will ensure timely completion with time-frame for completion and delivery of registered projects to be clearly mentioned and adhered to.

The mandatory project-specific escrow account will ensure that as much as 70 percent of the money collected by developer for certain project from buyers is not diverted elsewhere, thereby ensuring that project is not delayed due to fund crunch. The escrow mechanism will also guarantee security of the money invested by home buyers.

The provision of a model and fair buyer-seller agreement under the regulatory mechanism will put an end to short-changing of home buyers on account of hidden charges like external development charge (EDC), internal development charge (IDC), parking charges, maintenance fee, club charges and preferential location charges.

So, there will be no escalation of charges and the home buyer will not be liable to pay any charges other than the ones mentioned in the agreement. The provision of speedy and time-bound dispute redressal within two months is also a big confidence-booster for home buyers who are till now deprived of this and were forced to run from consumer courts to lower courts to higher courts for justice.

The regulatory authority is fully supported by the ongoing reforms in the real estate and housing sector, which will prove a big boon for affordable and low cost housing, in line with government's flagship mission of "Housing for All".

This year's budget has addressed the affordability issue through a number of policy initiatives like 100 percent service tax exemption for affordable homes, and additional yearly rebate of Rs.50,000 on housing loan interest for first time home buyers in affordable segment with loans not exceeding Rs.35 lakh.

It also proposes a hike in the limit of deduction for rent paid to boost rental demand for affordable housing. Earlier, similar policy initiatives were taken like National Housing Board and HUDCO, creating a pool fund to promote affordable housing by incentivising cash-strapped developers engaged in affordable housing.

Lack of sustained fund flow has been the biggest bane, restricting the supply, leading to housing shortage, particularly in mass housing. But now with a regulatory authority set to become a reality, it will pave way for industry status to housing, particularly affordable housing to facilitate cheap bank funding.

It may be mentioned that banks' exposure to real estate in India is merely 3 percent, while it is 10 times in the US. The major policy decision in this year's budget to boost reat estate investment trusts by abolishing dividend distribution tax will help developers raise funds for affordable housing, besides commercial real estate.

Faster approvals are a key to affordable housing as delayed sanctions result in cost over runs. Project sanction is a long and tedious process where developers need to seek over three dozen clearances for construction and completion. As such, there is an urgent need for simplifying and streamlining the process to fast track approvals.

Some states like Maharashtra, under its new housing policy, is working to speed up the approval process by reducing number of approvals and making it online.The Centre, as part of its reform policy of "ease of doing business", needs to bring out a "model mechanism" to ensure faster approvals for other states to follow.

The provisions on the regulatory authority call for this -- and an expert committee constituted by the housing ministry has come up with a reform blueprint in this regard to check large scale delivery defaults that not only add to the cost but also shake the confidence of property buyers and investors.

A recent study by CB Richard Ellis says that the real estate sector can double its share in GDP to 13 percent with the aid of reforms. With urbanisation expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 2 percent over the next two years, the regulator can be used as a tool to achieve double-digit growth with reforms like online and speedier projects sanctioning, simplified and rationalised taxation through goods and services tax, liberalised floor area and density norms to boost supply.

Once the central bill takes the shape of a legislation, states will have to come up with their own framework of regulatory authority. With its implementation, the watchdogs will wipe out the negative image associated with the fragmented, unregulated and opaque realty sector.

This, in turn, will make real estate an attractive asset class for domestic and foreign investors. But then, the key to its success lies in implementing it in letter and spirit so that it does not end up as another piece of legislation.

(Vinod Behl is editor, Realty Plus, a leading real estate monthly. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at vbehl2008@gmail.com)
Moscow, March 15 : The Russian defence ministry on Tuesday announced that its airbase in Syria was preparing aircraft to return home following a surprise withdrawal order by President Vladimir Putin, media reports said.

Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu gave the order to withdraw from the Hmeimim base, in Latakia province and aircraft are being loaded up for long-range flights back to Russia, BBC reported.

Aircraft from the base would make the flight to Russia -- more than 5,000 km -- in small groups accompanied by the Il-76 transport planes with fuel stops at other Russian bases along the way, it added.

Su-24 tactical bombers, Su-25 attack fighters, Su-34 strike fighters and helicopters were returning home, Russian TV said.

The statement came a day after Putin announced the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of Syria peace talks in Geneva.

Russia began its campaign of air strikes in Syria last September.

However, Russia did not indicate when the first planes were scheduled to leave nor how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn, Al Jazeera reported.

The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has never been revealed, but US estimates suggest it varies from 3,000 to 6,000 military personnel on the ground.

The Syrian presidency said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Putin spoke on the phone on Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria.

Putin said on Monday he hoped the withdrawal of Russian troops from Tuesday will be a stimulus for a political resolution of the conflict.

"I hope the decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will sizeably increase trust of all participants in the process," he said.

Russian forces have killed more than 2,000 rebel fighters, including 17 rebel leaders, since the start of the operation.

Those Russian soldiers who remain in Syria will be engaged in monitoring the ceasefire regime, Putin added.
Brussels, March 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Belgium on March 30 to attend the European Union-India Summit being held after four years.

The first visit of an Indian prime minister to Brussels in six years will reinvigorate EU-India ties and inject new momentum into the relationship, said Indian ambassador to the EU Manjeev Singh Puri.

"We hope to use this summit to ensure that whatever may have happened, a few little slip ups here and there, we are back on the rails for bilateral meaning and collaborations which is for global good," Puri said at an event on EU-India relations, organised by the think tank 'Friends of Europe'.

"We are the world's two largest democracies, we encompass diversity. We have 22 official languages in India. You, in the EU, have 24. We have 29 federal states, you have 28 member states. This itself should give you the idea why there is a sense of comfort which should be driven by far greater invigoration," he said.

"We hope to see a vastly invigorated modern relationship," he added.

On her part, Shada Islam, director of policy at the Friends of Europe in her introductory remarks said: "If both sides play their cards right, the summit could pave the way for a more ambitious, dynamic and adventurous EU-India relationship."

"India and the EU need a new conversation, a new focus on shared interests as well as new goals and ambitions. Above all, they need to take a fresh look at each other, replacing tired misperceptions and cliches. The summit should come up with a new EU-India action plan which is short, snappy and action-oriented," she suggested.

The event, organised with the support of Tata Consultancy Services, was attended by senior officials from the EU and international institutions, diplomats, business and NGO representatives, academics and other key stakeholders.

Addressing the issue of the ongoing negotiations on the EU-India trade and investment agreement, other speakers on the occasion discussed sectors which are ripe for increased EU-India synergies.

The last EU-India Summit was organised in 2012 in New Delhi.
Alappuzha (Kerala), March 15 : A Congress worker was hacked to death on Tuesday in Alappuzha district of Kerala, following which a few people belonging to a left organisation have been detained, a senior police official said.

"Victim Sunil Kumar was asleep at his home near Cheppad when he was called out by a group of people around 2 a.m. and hacked to death. We have taken into custody a few people, belonging to the youth wing of the CPI-M," a top Alappuzha district police official, who did not wish to be identified, told IANS.

The Congress has called for a daylong shutdown in Cheppad in protest against the crime.

Sources said tension between Congress and CPI-M supporters in Cheppad area was brewing for the last one month. The murder was a likely fallout of political rivalry in the area.

State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran said the party worker had been brutally killed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist supporters.

"This gruesome incident is the latest example of the way the CPI-M is continuing its policy of killing its political adversaries. It is a shame that the CPI-M is engaging in such heinous acts. The need of the hour is for the people to come forward to oppose this policy of the CPI-M," Sudheeran said in a press release here on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, police were looking for other suspects involved in the crime.
New Delhi, March 15 : Sixty-nine NGOs have been barred from receiving foreign funds since May 2011, the government told parliament on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju told the Lok Sabha in a written statement that records and accounts of associations or NGOs were inspected in the event of complaints that they violated the law.

On the basis of verification and after following due process, charges were framed and penal action was decided under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011.

"So far, on account of serious violations, 32 cases have been referred to the CBI and 10 cases have been referred to state police for further investigation and necessary action," he added.

The number of organisations prohibited from getting foreign funds include 14 from Andhra Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, five each Odisha and Gujarat, four each from Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, three each from Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, two each from Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, and one each from Manipur, Haryana and Chandigarh.
Kolkata, March 15 : In the wake of the sting operation alleging bribery by several leaders of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, the opposition Congress, Left Front and the BJP on Tuesday organised protest marches across the city demanding the removal of the Mamata Banerjee government.

Pressing for its demand for Banerjee's resignation as well as a CBI probe into the alleged bribery scandal, the Bharatiya Janata Party organised a protest march and submitted a memorandum to Governor K.N. Tripathi.

"Neither the chief minster nor the Trinamool government has any right to continue. We have placed our demand with the governor seeking his intervention in the matter. A CBI probe into the allegations is also imperative," BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said after meeting Tripathi.

While Congress youth activists staged a protest in the city throwing fake notes in the air, there were also joint protest marches by Congress and Left Front activists.

Poll-bound Bengal's ruling Trinamool on Monday faced an embarrassing situation when several of its leaders were allegedly caught on camera accepting bribes.

The sting operation carried out by Narada News and uploaded on its website allegedly showed as many as 11 Trinamool leaders, including former union ministers, state ministers and MPs, accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company.

The Trinamool has rubbished the allegations made in the sting operation and threatened legal action against the news portal claiming the videos were "doctored".

Even as the bribery scandal rocked the Lok Sabha, with the Congress, Left and the BJP demanding action in the matter, Mamata Banerjee, appearing unfazed, challenged the opposition to fight her politically instead of resorting to conspiracies.

"Let the opposition hatch as many conspiracies as they want. We are not afraid. We work for the people honestly," Banerjee said in her address at a public meeting in Kurseong in Darjeeling district.
New Delhi, March 15 : The CPI-M is set to recommend amendments to the Aadhaar bill, which is listed to be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the last day before the budget session goes on over a month-long break.

The opposition has openly expressed its displeasure over converting the Aadhar bill into a money bill, calling it government attempt to surpass Rajya Sabha where it is minority.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said on Tuesday that his party was going to recommend amendments to the legislation.

"We will move amendments... if they are passed by the house, it will be sent to the Lok Sabha for approval," Yechury told reporters.A

He however did not disclose what the amendment would be.

Asked whether CPI-M will get the support of Congress and other parties in passing the recommendation for amendment, the Left leader said they were discussing the issue with other opposition parties.

The Rajya Sabha has no role in passing money bills, and once passed by the Lok Sabha, it becomes a law even if the upper house does not return it within 14 days.

The upper house also has no right to amend a money bill.

However, it can recommend amendments, which can be accepted or rejected by Lok Sabha.

In case amendments are recommended, the bill will remain pending unless the process is completed in Lok Sabha.

Government sources meanwhile said they are ready and BJP members have been asked to be present in both houses of parliament for the whole day.

Opposition had also sought extension of the session before the break to debate bills, including the Aadhaar bill.
Chandigarh, March 15 : With an eye to next year's assembly elections in the state, the Punjab government's budget for the next financial year has laid stress on the social welfare sector, and youth and farmers in the agrarian state.

Presenting the budget in the state assembly on Tuesday, Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa announced an interest-free loan scheme for farmers and another scheme that will provide provident fund and pension to the peasantry.

In his budget speech here, Dhindsa said that small and marginal farmers (having less than 5 acres land holding) will be able to avail interest-free crop loans of Rs.50,000 per crop. The interest burden of four percent, payable to the banks, will be borne by the state government.

The move will cost the Punjab government Rs.200 crore annually.

Dhindsa also announced a new provident fund and pension scheme for farmers in which they will be able to save money and earn pension after attaining the age of 60 years.

The state's budget of Rs.86,387 crore has a revenue deficit of Rs.7,983 crore.

The government earmarked Rs.10 crore to pay compensation to family of farmers who commit suicide.

For the youth, the budget has offered interest-free education loans for those from economically weaker sections, skill development and vocational training schemes, free stationery for girl students in schools and health care kits for girls in classes 6th to 12th.

The state also abolished entertainment tax on cultural, music and theatre shows and films that promote Punjabi culture and language.

Dhindsa said that the Punjab government will soon recruit 12,000 new teachers.

Punjab goes for assembly elections in February next year.

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has been in power in the state since 2007 with alliance partner BJP.
Gurgaon, March 15 : A 25-year-old man, found murdered over a month ago, was shot dead by a man who he had repeatedly abused verbally, police said on Tuesday.

Arun alias Jhage of Islampur village here on Sohna road was found dead near the village community centre on February 9.

Police arrested three men in connection with the murder -- 23-year-old Satpal alias Rahul from Islampur, Preetpal alias Chunmun (26) from Jharsa, and Laxman (29) from Palwal district of Haryana.

"Satpal shot Arun dead because he used to abuse him. Preetpal arranged an illegal pistol as he too had differences with Arun," a police official said.

Laxman drove the bike on which Satpal rode while committing the murder.
New Delhi, March 15 : A plea seeking cancellation of the six-month interim bail to JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case is likely to come up for hearing in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.

The plea filed on Tuesday by lawyer R.P. Luthra said Kanhaiya had violated the conditions imposed on him by the Delhi High Court while granting him interim bail on March 2.

Kanhaiya was booked and arrested on charge of involvement in anti-national sloganeering on the campus on February 9.

The petitioner said that Kanhaiya had made derogatory remarks against the Indian army after his release.

While granting him bail, Justice Pratibha Rani said he will "not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national".
New Delhi, March 15 : An NSCN(IM) delegation met senior officials of the home ministry, including Naga talks interlocuter R.N. Ravi, on Tuesday to discuss crucial details of the peace accord inked on August 3, last year.

"Today's meeting is very crucial as both the government and NSCN(IM) will take decisions on several important issues. We have held several rounds of talks with the government over the accord and its final outcome. A lot of things will be clear after this meeting," a senior National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) [NSCN(IM)] leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

Sources said some of the important issues, which might be discussed, include a separate flag for the Nagaland.

The meeting is the first after senior rebel leader General Kholi Konyak, initialy with the NSCN (Khaplang) and then the Unification faction, joined the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) on Sunday.

The government is trying to bring on board other NSCN factions before the Naga Peace Accord is finalised.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is said to have attended the meeting, refused to comment on the issue when contacted.
Hyderabad, March 15 : The stage is set for fifth edition of India Aviation 2016, country's biggest civil aviation show, beginning here on Wednesday.

The five day biennial aviation show, comprising a three day conference for businesses and two day exhibition of various aircraft for people, will be formally inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee at Begumpet Airport, the old airport located in the heart of the city.

The theme of this edition is "Indian civil aviation sector: Potential as global manufacturing and MRO hub."

Industry leaders, foreign delegates including ministers and ambassadors, officials, representatives of industry associations and other stakeholders will attend the event, being organised by the civil aviation ministry jointly with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Civil Aviation Secretary R. N. Choubey will address the conference.

The inaugural session will also be attended by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E. S. L. Naraismhan, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Joint Secretary, Civil Aviation, Anil Srivastava pointed out that the theme this year is significant as India is on the journey to become the third largest aviation market in the world by 2020 after the US and China.

India is one the fastest growing aviation markets and currently the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world. More than 85 international airlines operate to India and 5 Indian carriers connect over 40 countries.

It is also one of the least-penetrated air markets in the world with 0.04 trips per capita per annum as compared to 0.3 in China and more than 2 in the US.

The civil aviation industry is on a high growth path, having registered an impressive growth of 13 percent and 10 percent CAGR for passenger and cargo throughput respectively for the period 2003-2013, noted Srivastava.

By 2020, passenger traffic at Indian airports is expected to increase to 450 million from 159.3 million in 2012-2013. The aviation sector is likely to see investments totalling $12.1 billion during 12th five year plan, out of which $9.3 billion is expected to come from the private sector.

Srivastav said 200 low-cost airports are planned to be built in the next 20 years to connect tier-II and tire-III cities and $1.3 billion is planned to be spent on non-metro projects during 2013-17 mainly focusing on the modernisation and upgradation of airports, he added.

More than 200 exhibitors from 12 countries will be participating in the event. There will be 200 stalls, 14 chalets with 20,000 square meters area for the event. There will be demonstration flights, business center, lounge and other facilities. The aviation show includes Conference, CEO's Forum, exhibition, flying and static display of a aircrafts and B2B meetings.

Leading aircraft and helicopter manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Textron,AAEmbraer, Gulfstream, Dassault, Agusta Westland, Bell Helicopters, Russian Helicopters will take part in the show.

The first three days will be only for business visitors while on the last two days it will be thrown open to general public.

As many as 30 aircrafts ranging from small business jets to big aircrafts will be on display. These include B777 by Air India, Dornier by HAL, TAC-003 by Thrust Aircraft Co., MI-172 by Pawan Hans, A 350 by Qatar Airways; A0330-300 by Air Asia; Legacy 500, 650, Phenom 200 and 300) by Embraer, B-787 by Etihad, A380 by Emirates.

IndiGo will display A320 Neo, which recently made its debut in India. The first eco-friendly aircraft built by European aircraft major Airbus was delivered to budget carrier IndiGo. Airbus claims it to be fuel efficient by 15 percent.
New Delhi, March 15 : US software major Adobe on Tuesday announced the immediate availability of an early release of its much anticipated user experience (UX) design and prototyping solution Adobe Experience Design CC (Preview).

The new tool empowers UX designers to help deliver mobile apps and web sites, quickly and easily.

User experience designer is a person that develops a product for enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty by improving the usability, ease of use and pleasure in the product.

First demonstrated as Project Comet at "Adobe MAX" in October 2015, Adobe is releasing this Preview to invite the UX design community to share their feedback, ensuring that designers give critical input into the evolving product feature set.

Adobe Experience Design (XD) is available as a free download to anyone with an Adobe ID and the company expects the first commercial release to be available, for Adobe Creative Cloud members, later this year.

"Designers have been waiting for the right UX tool to simplify app and web experience design. From the beginning this has been a constructive collaboration between our team and the design community and we look forward to the feedback from creatives worldwide," Paul Gubbay, vice president of Creative Cloud product management at Adobe, said in a statement.

Adobe XD is available for Mac OS and in the future will add mobile companion apps for iOS and Android, in addition to bringing the desktop app to Windows 10.

Further integration with Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC is planned as well as support for essential Creative Cloud features, such as CC Libraries and Adobe Stock.
Shimla, March 15 : The Himachal Pradesh government is taking steps for the extradition from Nepal of a man suspected to have stolen a centuries-old idol of Lord Raghunath, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh told the assembly on Tuesday.

Nar Prashad Jaisi, the 30-year-old suspect, was arrested on January 22 last year in Banke district of Nepal, 45 days after the theft of the idol of Lord Raghunath from an ancient temple in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.

Lord Raghunath is the chief deity of the Kullu Valley.

Since the accused belonged to Nepal, the state government took up the issue regarding his extradition with the union ministry of home affairs, said Virbhadra Singh.

He also informed the house that the revised draft of an extradition treaty between India and Nepal is ready for signing.

The accused broke into the temple on December 9, 2014, and took away the idol of Lord Raghunath, an idol of Hanuman, a stone statue of Narsingh Shila (covered with gold), a silver Ganesh idol, a pair of Charan Paduka, and some ornaments.

He then moved around the country for some days before fleeing to Nepal where he was subsequently arrested.

The stolen articles had been recovered, the chief minister told the assembly during Question Hour.

"The government of India has clarified that the cases that required immediate attention should be taken up with the legal cell of the department of internal security," the chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio, said.

Following his arrest in Nepal in January last year, Jaisi's interrogation revealed that he was in contact with a monk in China to pass on the idols.

He revealed that he abandoned his plans for the time being to take the stolen idols and valuables out of the state as the police had sealed the inter-state borders.

The idols were dumped at a place close to Bajaura on the Kullu-Mandi border.

Idols of Lord Raghunath and Hanuman are made of 'ashtadhatu', a very valuable composite of eight metals.

The Lord Raghunath idol has historical value. Raja Jagat Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Kullu, had brought it from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. It was then installed in the 17th century temple.

In a written reply, the chief minister said in the last three years eights cases of theft of antiques were reported in the state. Out of these, four cases are unsolved and three are pending in courts.
New Delhi, March 15 : The National Security Guard (NSG) faces no shortage of vital equipment including those meant for night vision, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said this in a written statement to the Lok Sabha.

He was responding to a question from a member on whether the NSG lacked vital equipment to operate at night "as was evident" during the terrorist attack on the IAF base at Pathankot in January.

He said the NSG was granted Rs.674.57 crore in 2014-15, out of which 97 percent had been utilised.

The minister added that under a modernisation plan of 2012-17, the government was providing financial assistance to the NSG to acquire sophisticated arms, ammunition and equipment.
Chandigarh, March 15 : Three legislators of the opposition Congress were suspended from the Haryana assembly for six months on Tuesday for tearing copies of the Governor's address inside the House.

The suspension of Kuldeep Sharma, Jagbir Malik and Jaiveer Singh was announced by Haryana assembly speaker Kanwar Pal.

The three MLAs have also been barred from attending the meetings of various committees of the assembly for a period of one year.

The three Congress legislators had torn copies of the address made by Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki in the assembly on Monday, the start of the budget session.

All 14 Congress legislators had boycotted the Governor's address after protesting inside the assembly.

On Tuesday, they demonstrated outside the assembly complex carrying black flags and with black cloth over their mouth. They were subsequently detained by the police.
Kuala Lumpur, March 15 : Two Australian reporters who crossed the security line at an event to interview the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak were deported, police said on Tuesday.

Eroglu Levent and Linton Joshua Besser from Australian Broadcasting Corporation were arrested on Saturday after trying to approach Najib for an interview at an event held in Malaysia's Sarawak state.

The two were investigated for obstructing a public servant in discharging his public functions, but prosecutors decided not to charge them, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two journalists can return to Malaysia as tourists, the country's Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters.

"If they come back as tourists, there is no problem. But if they come back and break laws, there will be a problem," Nur Jazlan said.

They were earlier released on police bail after having their statements recorded.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expressed concern over the arrest.
Mogadishu, March 15 : Al-Shabaab militants have captured Garacad town in Somalia and raised their flag in the city centre, officials said on Tuesday.

The mayor of the town said the coastal town was seized by dozens of Al-Shabaab militants who stormed the town on Monday, Xinhua reported.

The insurgents included foreign jihadis, he added.

Al-Shabaab controls several key areas in Mudug and Galgaduud regions of Somalia.

"Al-Shabaab insurgents, who were armed, entered the town from the shores and they immediately raised their black flag. Some of them were masked and some among them were foreigners," said one of the residents.
Kolkata, March 15 : Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Tuesday said the poll panel will examine the video of the purported sting operation carried out by a news portal and pass it on to the relevant authorities.

Addressing the media here, he said the poll panel has received the video from political parties.

"We have received representation (video) from political parties... we will get it examined.. we will pass it on to the relevant authorities," said Zaidi.

The sting operation carried out by Narada News and uploaded on its website allegedly shows as many as 11 leaders of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, including former union ministers, state ministers and MPs, accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company.

The Trinamool has rubbished the allegations made in the sting operation and threatened legal action against the news portal claiming the videos were "doctored".
New Delhi, March 15 : The government on Tuesday said it was providing funds to states to modernise police forces to reduce their dependence on the army and paramilitary forces.

The home ministry provides the money under the Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) scheme, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha.

"The main objective of the scheme is to reduce the dependence of the state government on army and central police forces," he said in a written statement.

"The focus of the scheme is to strengthen the police infrastructure," the minister said.

According to the minister, the major items covered in the modernisation scheme were police building and housing, mobility, weapons, equipment, training, computerization and forensic science.

The infrastructure development under the scheme depends on the priorities of state governments, he added.
Beijing, March 15 : China on Tuesday congratulated Myanmar on the election of U Htin Kyaw as president.

"China looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Myanmar's new government," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.

He said China will continue to support Myanmar's efforts towards stability, development and ethnic reconciliation, and described the two countries as "friendly neighbours", Xinua reported.

"We believe that with common efforts, the China-Myanmar partnership will be consolidated and enhanced," the spokesperson said.
New Delhi, March 15 : With the Lok Sabha giving its nod, Parliament on Tuesday passed the real estate bill which, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, will help bring down property prices and give more credibility to functioning of the real estate sector.

The Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill, 2016, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 10.

"It is a historic moment for the country as we are fulfilling the aspirations of the people who wish to own a house, giving them the needed protection. The bill will be giving credibility to real estate sector also," said Naidu in his reply to the discussion on the bill in the Lok Sabha.

"I say you will get more investment, you will get early clearances and the property prices will come down," the minister said, asserting the speedy land clearances for the real estate projects will help in bringing down the prices of the houses.

"The builders will have to do their duty. Parliament is not interested in interfering with their activity. What you (builders) are committing, what you are promising, fulfill that. This is the only purpose of this real estate bill," Naidu said.

He stressed the bill would help to fill in the loopholes in the existing system that help builders to escape from the ambit of law without fulfilling all the claims they make in their advertisements.

"Earlier, the rate of interest payable by consumer and builders used to vary. We found it was not correct. So from here on, the interest payable by either party, be it the consumer or builder, will be the same," the minister said.

Naidu also said that he is open to discuss it with the builders if they have any issue with bill that may hamper the sector's functioning.

"We are not against builders. If there are problem with the builders, I am ready to discuss it with them anytime. We want builder to be partner in building a strong India," he said.

"Since land is a state issue, we seek cooperation from state's side. All approvals are to be given in 30 days," he said, insisting the central government has done its duty in providing inexpensive houses.

The minister said that he will write to all the chief ministers requesting them to give speedy clearances to the real estate projects in their states.
New Delhi, March 15 : British oil major Cairn Energy said on Tuesday that Indian tax authorities have slapped a tax demand notice of over Rs.29,000 crore, including Rs.18,800 crore in back interest, on it.

"The assessment order is in the amount of Rs.10,247 crore (approximately $1.6 billion) plus interest back dated to 2007 totalling Rs.18,800 crore (approximately $2.8 billion)," Cairn Energy said while announcing its earnings for 2015.

The income tax department last month issued a final assessment order of Rs.10,247 crore on alleged capital gains made by Cairn Energy in a 2006 reorganisation of its India business.

"Cairn strongly contests the basis of this attempt to retrospectively tax the group for an internal restructuring," the company said adding it has initiated international arbitration to settle the tax dispute.

"The total assets of the Cairn subsidiary against which the tax authorities are seeking to pursue a tax claim are $477 million (including principally the group's near 10 percent shareholding in Cairn India Ltd) and any recovery by the Indian authorities would be limited to such assets," it said.

The notice was issued before Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Budget 2016-17 last month, where he made a one-time offer to waive interest and penalty if the companies paid the principal amount to settle their retrospective tax disputes.

Cairn is seeking damages for losses resulting from the tax department's attachment of its stake in Cairn India.

Cairn Energy, which in 2011 sold majority stake in Cairn India to mining major Vedanta Resources, has said it had to scale back on investments as it was barred by the income tax department from selling its residual 9.8 percent stake.

The demand relates to alleged Rs.24,500 crore capital gains it made in 2006 when it transferred all its India assets to new company, Cairn India, which got listed on the stock exchanges.

"Correspondence received from the income tax department indicates that the assessment stems from amendments introduced in the 2012 Finance Act which seek to tax prior year transactions under retrospective legislation," Cairn had said in a statement on receipt of the tax demand.

Cairn Energy is the second company to have received a retrospective tax demand this year after another British firm, the Vodafone Group.
Kabul, March 15 : Visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday reiterated the military alliance's support to Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference jointly with Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Stoltenberg said that NATO would continue to support Afghan security forces within the framework of the Resolute Support (RS) mission to eliminate terrorism.

However, he laid emphasis on bringing reforms, saying that NATO, besides encouraging the work of the national unity government, believes that Afghanistan's long-term success requires further reforms.

"It means stepping up Afghan investment in the security forces. And it also means ensuring that human rights, including for women and children, are fully respected," NATO's chief said.

The NATO Secretary General's visit to Afghanistan took place amid increasing militancy as both the Taliban insurgents and Islamic State (IS) militants have intensified attacks over the past couple of months, especially in the countryside.

The top NATO official who met Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah earlier in the day, admitted at the conference that 2015 was a difficult year for Afghan forces.

He added that the Afghan security forces were standing strong to protect the Afghan people as they took full charge of security across their country despite significant challenges.

Since January 1 last year, Afghan security forces have assumed the full security charge from NATO and the US forces after the foreign troops switched mission from combat to support role, which focuses on training, advising and assisting the Afghan national security forces.

Nearly 13,000 foreign forces are currently stationed in the militancy-hit Afghanistan within the framework of the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission to help Afghan forces with training and advise.

Nevertheless, Stoltenberg added that NATO would continue to provide financial support to the Afghan forces.

On his part, President Ghani thanked NATO for its support to Afghanistan and stated that the government was committed to fighting corruption and bringing reforms.
Itanagar, March 15 : The Indian and Chinese armies on Tuesday held a goodwill border meeting in Damai in the South Eastern province of China bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

The Indian delegation at the Chinese border meeting point hut was led by Colonel Dheeraj Kotwal while the Chinese team was led by Colonel Gao Jian Ming, Indian army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Suneet Newton said.

Both sides highlighted the importance of meetings between troops guarding the borders and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding bilateral agreements and protocols to maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control.

"The Border Personnel Meeting mechanism in Kibithu-Damai sector is a positive step towards enhancing interaction between the border guarding troops in the area," Newton said.
New Delhi, March 15 : A court here on Tuesday extended, till March 29, the judicial custody of JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, facing sedition charges for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans, court sources said.

Both the accused were presented before a magistrate via video conferencing due to security concerns after expiry of their earlier remand of judicial custody, sources said.

Both the students surrendered before police last month outside a gate of the university.

A case against Khalid and Bhattacharya was registered at Vasant Kunj police station, soon after JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested under the same charges on February 12 after the event held on the university campus against the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He is out on bail.
New Delhi, March 15 : NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday backed party colleague Chhagan Bhujbal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in corruption cases, asserting that the party would deal with the issue legally.

Bhujbal was arrested on Monday evening in connection with a case related to construction of Maharashtra Sadan in the national capital.

"I am confident that we will fight it through legal action and we are hopeful that appropriate decision will be there," the Nationalist Congress Party chief told reporters outside parliament.

"There was a piece of land in Mumbai which was enclosed and that land was allotted to the company which constructed this Maharashtra Sadan. This decision was not taken by Mr. Bhujbal alone.

"In Maharashtra, there is a committee headed by the chief minister where the major construction projects, including infrastructure, are approved and cleared by that cabinet committee," Pawar said, asserting that Bhujbal had to take steps for implementation of the decision since he was the minister.

"What is the allegation? Allegation is (related to) Maharashtra Sadan's construction in Delhi where some illegal thing has been done and sizeable money has been lost by the state," he said.

"Maharashtra government did not spend a single penny in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan."

"... that cabinet committee cleared the allocation of the piece of land to that company. In lieu of that, the company was supposed to construct the Maharashtra Sadan. Secondly, the state guest house in Mumbai and another building...," Pawar said.

"So, all these things without spending a single penny from the government treasury, just the land that was enclosed by certain people has been exhibited and anybody who will visit the new Maharashtra Sadan, I am sure that he will come to conclusion that this is one of the best Sadans which has been constructed by any state government," he added.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday flatly rejected allegations made by some NCP leaders of pursuing "vendetta politics".

Making a statement in the legislative assembly, Fadnavis said Bhujbal was arrested on the basis of evidence found in the ED investigation against him.

"This is not a case of revenge politics. We will not extend any help in hiding scams and scamsters will be punished," the chief minister said.

Bhujbal's arrest sparked demonstrations, protests and road-blocks across Maharashtra with thousands of people taking to the streets in the NCP stalwart's support, who is also a prominent backward caste leader.

The main opposition parties, Congress and NCP on Tuesday staged protests on the stairs of the legislature and many leaders condemned Bhujbal's arrest.
New Delhi, March 15 : Drug and narcotics related offences are on the rise in the country, with 1,699 deaths reported in 2014, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that the total number of cases reported under narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances rose from 29,247 in 2012 to 46,923 in 2014.

This "shows a rising trend", the minister said in a written statement.

The statement said the maximum deaths in 2014 occurred in Maharashtra (359), followed by Madhya Pradesh (188), Chhattisgarh (156), Punjab (118) and Haryana (117).

Among union territories, Puducherry accounted for 95 deaths, followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands (31) and Delhi (19).
New Delhi, March 15 : Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien on Tuesday snubbed Congress member Jairam Ramesh for suggesting to the chair to let Janata Dal (United) member Pawan Varma complete his remarks on the general budget in the upper house.

"I will decide! Why are you doing it? I will decide on whether to let him complete or not! This kind of intervention is not good!" Kurien told Ramesh, a former union minister.

Ramesh said something in response, which was not audible.

The exchange happened when Varma was about to complete his statement but the deputy chairman said the JD-U member could do it tomorrow and asked him to sit down.
New Delhi, March 15 : The increasing trend of urban flooding in India poses a great challenge, resulting in cities being inundated from a few hours to several days, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that there has been a rising trend of urban flood disasters in the country over the past several years.

He said in a statement that cities such as Mumbai (2005), Surat (2006), Guwahati (2010), Srinagar (2014) and Chennai (2015) had witnessed major urban floods.

The minister said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had underlined the importance of early warning system, flood forecasting and reservoir management as well as drainage issues to tackle the problem.
New Delhi, March 15 : India has requested Britain to extradite 15 fugitives, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that India was in constant touch with the British government to facilitate the extradition of the fugitives.

He said in a statement that a British minister visiting New Delhi took the stand that these matters were sub-judice in British courts.

But the British minister promised cooperation "on a case-to-case basis", Chaudhary said, without giving details.
New Delhi, March 15 : Delhi Police raised Rs.9.2 million from traffic offenders in just the first two months of this year, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that Delhi Police prosecuted 4.3 million motorists in 2014 and collected Rs.71.04 million from them.

This slid to 3.4 million prosecutions and Rs.64.53 million in 2015, the minister said in a statement. The number of traffic challans issued in the first two months of this year totals 445,003.
Chandigarh, March 15 : In a move likely to further precipitate relations between Punjab and Haryana over the water-sharing issue, the Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved the return of money received from the neighbouring state for the SYL canal's construction.

"Since water is the lifeline of Punjab, the question of sharing it with anyone does not arise at all. Any decision against injustice to river waters of Punjab would never be accepted at any cost," the cabinet said.

The cabinet also reiterated the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance government's "firm commitment not to allow even a single drop of its rightful river waters to Haryana", a spokesperson of the Punjab Chief Minister's Office said.

He said the Punjab cabinet decided to return the money immediately. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal chaired the cabinet meeting.

Badal earlier in the day led a delegation of Punjab political leaders to Acting Punjab Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki to seek the governor's early assent for the 'Punjab Satluj-Yamuna Link Canal (Transfer of Property Rights) Bill, 2016'.

Solanki, however, remained non-committal on the issue.

Badal had, in the Punjab assembly, introduced on Monday the bill to de-notify the land acquired for construction of the SYL canal and return 3,928 acres free of cost to the original landowners. The land was acquired nearly four decades ago.

The Supreme Court recently accepted a Haryana government petition for early hearing on the issue.
Indore, March 15 : A case has been registered against a woman and three others on the charge of keeping two officials of Chhattisgarh hostage at a farmhouse in Indore for two days, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

Police got the two officials, Srinivas Rao and Mukesh, released from illegal custody after raiding a resort in Dalip Nagar area after a tip-off on Monday night, Additional Superintendent of Police Rupesh Dwivedi told the media.

The police official said the two officials were kept hostage as the accused woman Sapna Sahu, who ran a non-governmental organisation, wanted Srinivas to give her Rs.2 lakh as she had visited Chhattisgarh at Srinivas' bidding but did not get a project for her NGO.

All the four accused are absconding, police said.
New Delhi, March 15 : A man stabbed a woman and her 16-year-old son to death and later slit his throat here on Tuesday evening, police said. The man was still alive and being treated at a hospital.

The incident took place around 4.30 p.m. in Raj Nagar Part II near Palam in south Delhi.

The deceased were identified as Anju Devi, 37, and her son Prashant Chaudhary.

Police refused to divulge the identity of the man who attacked the two people at their first floor flat.

"Initial investigation revealed that the man first stabbed Prashant. He stabbed Anju when she came to rescue her son. As some neighbours gathered after hearing Anju's cry, the man closed himself inside a room and slit his throat with the same weapon he used to commit the two killings," said a police officer.

Both the man and his victims were rushed to a hospital where Prashant was declared brought dead while his mother succumbed to her injuries, the officer said.

The officer said the attacker was still alive and being treated at the hospital.

"We have launched a probe to find out the relation of the man with the victims' family and the reason behind the brutal attack," the officer added.

Anju's husband Raman Chaudhary, who deals in computer-related work, was not present when the incident occurred.
New Delhi, March 15 : Twelve spies were arrested in Rajasthan since 2013, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that five arrests took place in the border state in 2013, three in 2015 and four so far this year.

He said in a statement that the government was pursuing a well-coordinated and multi-pronged approach to tackle cross-border espionage.

He said measures taken by the government include strengthening vigilance along the India-Pakistan border and gearing up intelligence machinery to interdict Pakistani agents.
Mumbai, March 15 : A court on Tuesday sent former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who was arrested on corruption charges, to two days custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED had interrogated the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader for nearly 11 hours on Monday in the various corruption cases against him and arrested late night.

Charged under provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), he was produced by the ED before a Special PMLA Court on Tuesday evening which granted the agency two days custody to interrogate him further.

Seeking his remand, ED counsel Hiten Vengaonkar said that Bhujbal failed to cooperate when his statement was being recorded by the agency on Monday.

For most questions put to Bhujbal, the response was 'he did not know', he said.

An emotional Bhujbal pleaded innocence and said that he had cooperated.

"I have not done any wrong. I have cooperated and am being framed as part of a conspiracy. When some questions were put (by the ED), I genuinely said I did not know and yet I was arrested," he said, his eyes moist.

He added that he did not grant the contract (of constructing the Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi), but had only obeyed the directives of the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

He claimed that it was some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET) run by his family who created the story against him, referring to its founder-trustee Sunil Karve who had lodged a complaint of financial misappropriation against the Bhujbal family with the charity commissioner and the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police.

Bhujbal argued what was the need for the ED to arrest him when they could summon him anytime for interrogation in the matter.

Following the Mumbai Police case and complaints by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya the ED has filed two FIRs against his son Pankaj and nephew Samir and 14 others under the PMLA to probe the Maharashtra Sadan scam in New Delhi and the Kalina land grabbing scam in Mumbai.

While Samir was interrogated and arrested by the ED last month, later Pankaj was questioned and allowed to go, followed by Bhujbal's arrest and subsequent remand.

The ED's probe follows a Bombay High Court ruling in January when it sought progress reports from Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau and the ED within four weeks on their investigations against the Bhujbals.

The ED had conducted searches twice at nine premises belonging to the Bhujbal trio and others, and subsequently served attachment orders on three prime properties linked to the Bhujbal family members worth over Rs.280 crore in Mumbai.

Simultaneously, the State Anti-Corruption Bureau had lodged a charge-sheet against the three Bhujbals and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan case.

The Maharashtra Sadan, a state government guest house in New Delhi, was constructed at a cost of Rs.100 crore during the tenure of the erstwhile Congress-NCP government.
New Delhi, March 15 : The BJP has taken serious note of the incident in Dehradun where a party legislator attacked and severely injured a horse of Uttarakhand Police, union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said on Tuesday.

"The way the horse was beaten up is completely unacceptable. So far, there is no discussion in the party over the issue but it has taken a serious note of the incident," Rudy told reporters at a press conference here.

"There is no place for such incident in our society. The party will take all the necessary steps," he added.

In a bizarre display of cruelty, Ganesh Joshi, the Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Mussoorie, attacked and severely injured Shaktimaan, a white horse with Uttarakhand Police, during a protest against the Harish Rawat government in Dehradun on Monday.

The horse was left bleeding and the vets attending to it said its leg will have to be amputated. The severe attack led to widespread public outrage.

BJP leader and national executive member of the party's cultural cell Guru Nair demanded action against the party legislator.

"Legal action must be taken against Joshi as he has attacked Shaktimaan, who was on official duty during the incident," he said.

"He (Joshi) should be booked under the law which is applicable to a man who attacks a policemen," he said.
New Delhi, March 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said members who were retiring from the Rajya Sabha should continue working in the fields that interested them the most.

Modi made the remarks at a function in honour of the retiring members of the Rajya Sabha, according to a PMO release.

The prime minister observed that "people with such experience and capabilities can never retire and should always continue to work in the field which interests them the most, for the benefit of the nation".

He gave the examples of late former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and former British prime minister John Major.

Twelve elected and five nominated members are retiring in March and April. Two nominated members H.K. Dua and Ashok S. Ganguly retired in November last year.

The nominated members who will retire this month are Mani Shankar Aiyar, Javed Akhtar, B. Jayashree, Mrinal Miri and Bhalchandra Mungekar.
Kolkata, March 15 : To celebrate the historical event of Mother Teresa's canonisation, the Archdiocese of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity will be organising a big thanksgiving mass, it was announced on Tuesday.

The news of Pope Francis announcing September 4 as the date for Mother Teresa's canonisation sent ripples of joys across the city including the Nobel laureate-founded Missionaries of Charity (MoC).

"The occasion is historic not just for Kolkata or India but for the entire world. Nothing can match the momentousness of the occasion, but we have planned a thanksgiving mass which will be hosted at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on October 2," said Archbishop Thomas D'Souza.

"The event is being planned and several eminent personalities from across the world including representatives from the Vatican would be invited for the event," he said, adding that on September 4, holy mass will be held across the churches.

Besides Archbishop D'Souza, MoC superior-general Sister Prema Pierick and several other dignitaries and individuals connected to Mother House, will travel to Vatican for the ceremony.

Monica Besra --a tribal woman from West Bengal's South Dinajpur district-- whose 'miracle' cure was instrumental in Mother's beatification, is also expected to accompany the delegation to the Vatican.

MoC spokesperson Sunita Kumar, who spent 36 years of her life with Mother, is overjoyed at the prospect of actually witnessing the event in her life time.

"The greatest joy for me is that this has happened in my lifetime. I spent 36 years of life with her before her death and it was she who appointed me at the MoC spokesperson," she said.

"She is being given highest honour of sainthood for the work she has done for poor people. The feeling cannot be described in words," added Kumar.

Known across the world as the Mother, Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor, sick, old and lonely in the slums of Kolkata.

She died on September 5, 1997, and was beatified just six years later by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 2003.

More than 300,000 pilgrims went to Rome in 2003 for Teresa's beatification -- the first step towards sainthood.
New Delhi, March 15 : Air India is expected to record an operating profit of Rs.8 crore in the current fiscal, the first time in eight years for the national carrier since the erstwhile Indian Airlines merged into Air India, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

"Air India is expected to earn operating profit of Rs.8 crore as compared to the operating loss of Rs.2,636.18 crore in the previous year. This is the first time that the company is going to achieve operating profit since its merger in 2007-08," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

He said that, as per the revised estimates of 2015-16, Air India expects to "post substantial improvements", in comparision to the previous financial year.

As part of a turnaround plan stretching over nine years from 2012, the government has provided Air India assistance worth Rs.30,231 crore.

In a separate reply, Sharma said Air India provides lifetime free air travel facility to Bharat Ratna awardees and living members of the Constituent Assembly of India, among others.
New Delhi, March 15 : Expressing delight over the Pope's announcement regarding the canonisation of Mother Teresa, the Catholic Christian community here on Tuesday said she was already a saint to them.

"I am delighted that Mother Teresa's canonisation has been fixed. She was already a saint for all of us, but the final official seal was something that most of us had desired," John Dayal, a former president of the All India Catholic Union, told IANS.

"Her canonisation underscores the importance of love for the marginalised, the victims of disease, the destitute and the homeless. This will give a fillip to social work by not only the Church but also by people of all faiths," he added.

Father P. Sahayaraj, deputy secretary, Regional Bishop Conference (North), said the Mother's canonisation was "great news".

"It feels very great after hearing that Mother Teresa is being granted sainthood. It should have come much earlier. We all are excited, waiting for the day," Sahayaraj said.

"It will be a boost to the Indian church because we are celebrating the year of mercy called by Pope Francis. Mercy will have much more meaning now," he added.
New Delhi, March 15 : After shooting in cold conditions in Iceland for international film "Kung Fu Yoga", Indian actress Amyra Dastur got a warm goodbye gesture from legendary actor Jackie Chan.

Jackie got a cake for the whole team of the film on the last day of the Iceland schedule.

According to a source, the martial arts movie star was impressed with Amyra's professionalism.

"On the last day of the Iceland schedule, Jackie Chan got a cake for Amyra and the team as they were shooting in extremely difficult weather conditions and he was impressed with Amyra's professionalism. The team was shooting in cold conditions and they did glacier climbing too. Hence, this was his way of thanking them," said the source.

The shooting was taking place at Glacier Lagoon.

"Kung Fu Yoga" is a part of the three-film agreement signed between the two countries during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India.

It also stars Sonu Sood and it said that the Indian stars have performed some adrenalin-pumping action sequences.

Directed by Stanley Tong, the action comedy film is shot in Dubai and Beijing. It will also be partly shot in India.
New Delhi, March 15 : Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday denied media reports that a high-level inquiry committee had recommended the rustication of five students from the university.

"It is not true. Not at all...," Chief Proctor Ashok Dimri told IANS when asked if the media reports were correct.

"What the panel has recommended is a different issue. I've just received the report and will review it when the time comes. The students have been issued show-cause notices in which there are different clauses. But the media reports are not true," Dimri said.

"The quantum of punishment will be decided once I receive the responses to the show cause (notices)," he added.

On Monday, media reports said the panel had recommended the rustication of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and two other students for their alleged role in raising anti-national slogans on the campus on February 9.

Meanwhile, the JNU Teachers Association also said the media reports on rustication were false.

"These reports are completely false. The teaching community is going to demand from the JNU administration to set up an inquiry and find out who leaked the rumours in media. We want the media organisations which carried the report to disclose the name of the person who said this," JNUTA general secretary Professor Bikramaditya Chaudhury told IANS.

The committee - formed on February 10 - submitted its report last week. It comprises Professor Rakesh Bhatnagar, Professor Himadri Bohidar, Professor Suman K. Dhar, Professor Ummu Salma Bawa and Professor G.J.V. Prasad.

On Monday, 21 students were issued the show-cause notices.

"I am not authorised to speak on this matter (rustication). Speak to the vice chancellor or the public relations officer. They are the right people (to talk). A lot has been published wrongly in the newspapers... One should check their facts and do their homework before publishing anything...," Bhatnagar said earlier in the day.
Ankara, March 15 : The suicide bomber who carried out the deadly attack in Ankara on Sunday was identified as a member of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

The PKK member was Seher Cagla Demir and she was born in 1992 in the province of Kars in eastern Turkey, the ministry was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Demir joined the PKK in 2013 and later received training with the People's Protection Units in Syria.

The car bomb in Ankara's central Kizilay neighbourhood on Sunday evening hit a major public transportation hub, killing 37 people and injuring over 100 others.

Since a ceasefire between the government and the PKK collapsed last July, Turkish security forces have been conducting a major campaign against the group in the southeast of the country.

More than 260 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.
Ghaziabad, March 15 : The CBI on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against then Noida authority chief engineer Yadav Singh and 13 others, including his wife and former officials, on charges of corruption that caused a loss of Rs.19 crore to the government exchequer.

The Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet filed in the court of Special Judge for CBI cases named Yadav Singh, then project engineer Ramendra, assistant project engineers Devi Ram Arya and Jai Pal Singh, junior engineers Rajeev Kumar, R.D. Sharma and Ompal Singh, Yadav Singh's wife Kusum Lata, Tirupati Constructions managing partner V.K. Goel, JSP Constructions partner Pankaj Jain, NKG Infrastructures managing director Pradeep Garg and the three companies under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the CBI, the investigation revealed that the allotment of work was allegedly pre-decided, tender formalities were wilfully violated, estimate was highly inflated to cause undue gain to the contractor -- all of which caused a loss of Rs.19 crore to the government exchequer.

The CBI had registered a case on July 30, 2015 over alleged corrupt practices in the laying of underground cables worth Rs.9,202 lakh and other allegations in pursuance of the orders of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Uttar Pradesh Police had earlier registered an FIR in Noida in June 2012 that said the then chief engineer of Noida/Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities had entered into a criminal conspiracy with private people/firms and awarded various contracts without following the laid down procedures.

The CBI had earlier conducted searches in August 2015 at 14 places -- one each at Agra and Ferozabad and 12 in Noida and Greater Noida -- which led to recovery of documents of 38 immovable properties/houses in Noida and Agra and other incriminating documents.

The CBI arrested Yadav Singh on February 3, 2016.

Further investigation on the allotment of 1,280 projects amounting to Rs.959 crore is on.
New Delhi, March 15 : Former union finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday said that the wilful defaulters of bank loans should be jailed.

At an orientation session of the Delhi assembly on the budget, Sinha, replying to a question from Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on non-performing assets (NPAs), said that people who take loan from the banks in the name of business/industry but instead spent the money for their luxury or in other things making it a non-performing asset (NPA) were wilful defaulters.

"This comes under the category of wilful defaulters and since it is done with a criminal intent so they should be treated like a criminal and should be sent to jail," he said.

He however mentioned that there were two other categories of NPAs which do not come under wilful default.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had approached the Bharatiya Janata Party leader for addressing an orientation session of Delhi legislators on the budget.

During the session, Sinha explained the political dimensions of planning a budget andinformed the gathering about the intricacies of a budget and its terminology.

Addressing the legislators and the state finance department officials, he stressed the need of strengthening the laws dealing with the financial crimes in the country.

"We need strong and swift implementation of the laws for financial crimes," Sinha said.

Legislative Assembly Secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara had earlier said that most of Delhi MLAs are first-timers and require guidance on the budget from experienced people such as Sinha.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 : Poetess and environmental activist Sugathakumari has come down heavily on the UDF-led State government, accusing it of adopting unlawful and unconstitutional policies in the field of environment in the last five years.

She was speaking at a seminar organised by the Kerala Paristhiti Aikya Vedi, an umbrella organisation of environmental groups in the State, here in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

She praised the organisation for the pro bono work carried out by it in the field of environment, adding that now was the time for evaluation of the work.

Sugathakumari castigated the Oommen Chandy-led government for its disregard for environment.

Hills are being flattened everywhere, including in Munnar. We are being deprived of pure water and air, she said.

The government needed even the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats to make money, she charged.

Thousands of quarries were functioning in the Western Ghats, Sugathakumari said, adding that the government, showing no concern for the future generations, rejected with disdain the Gadgil Committees report on the Western Ghats.

The government has leased out Vizhinjam to the Adani group, displacing the local people and depriving the local fisherfolk of their means of livelihood, the poetess said.

Sugathakumari, however, gave her stamp of approval to the previous Left Democratic Front government, commending the V S Achuthanandan-led government for enacting the Wetland Conservation Act.

She also absolved the LDF, now in Opposition, of any failure in actively taking up cudgels against anti-environmental policies of the government, saying that the Opposition was unable to challenge the policies since the government was not debating them in the assembly.
Pioneering councils are to help lead the way in bringing forward derelict and underused land for new homes in the UK, it has been announced.

Some 73 councils across England will pilot one of the new brownfield registers, which will provide house builders with up to date and publicly available information on all brownfield sites available for housing locally.

According to Communities Secretary Greg Clark the registers will help house builders identify suitable sites quickly, speeding up the construction of new homes and they will also allow communities to draw attention to local sites for listing, including in some cases derelict buildings and eyesores that are primed for redevelopment and that could attract investment to the area.

The government has pledged one million more homes and to get planning permission in place on 90% of suitable brownfield sites for housing. This move ramps up the brownfield land building commitment.

A key part of our ambition to build a million homes is to get work started on brownfield sites across the country, many of which are currently nothing more than blight on a communitys landscape, said Clark.

These councils will be at the forefront of these efforts to list land and encourage builders to deliver new homes for aspiring home owners. But this is just the first step and I would urge councils to continue to offer up brownfield sites to deliver the homes their residents want and need, he added.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis explained that the councils taking part in the brownfield pilots will inform future government policy and guidance on the operation of the brownfield registers.

Registers will eventually become mandatory for all councils under proposals going through Parliament in the Housing and Planning Bill, he said, adding that other measures in the Housing and Planning Bill will enable permission in principle to be granted for housing led development sites listed on the new brownfield registers.

This will mean developers building new homes on brownfield land will have a greater degree of certainty in relation to location, use and the amount of development, he explained.

Each council agreeing to be part of the pilot project will receive 10,000 government funding to help the establishment of their brownfield registers. The 15 councils with the most brownfield land taking part in the brownfield register pilot project are: Cherwell, County Durham, Huntingdonshire, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Medway, Newcastle upon Tyne, Peterborough, Selby, Sheffield, South Cambridgeshire, Sunderland, Tonbridge and Malling and Wigan.

These have the most brownfield land in England, as identified in the final complete publication of National Land Use Database statistics. A further 36 areas made up of 58 councils (some bids are joint) were selected on a competitive basis.
Landlords in the UK are concerned that the forthcoming Budget speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne could hold more bad news for their property investments.

Some 66% feel there will be more bad news and a fifth are already planning to pull out of buy to let this year, according to new research by property crowd funding platform The House Crowd.

It suggests that property investors feel increasingly under attack, with legislation such as the EU Mortgage Credit Directive and increase in stamp duty on buy to let properties coming into force.

Over 70% of those surveyed believe that these changes will have a negative impact on their investments, with smaller investors set to be hit hardest by ever tightening profit margins. 43% feel that the government is trying to squeeze small investors out of the market altogether.

Over half, 54%, of landlords indicated that they do, however, support tighter regulation from the Bank of England to clamp down on rogue landlords.

Despite sentiment towards traditional buy to let turning sour, it appears that investors still view bricks and mortar as the best way to secure their futures. The UK wide survey found 33% still prefer to invest their money in property as it is a tangible asset.

It also found that 38% think landlords need to be looking at smarter ways to invest while 57% think buy to let will remain a strong option as there is a continued housing shortage in the UK.

With house prices continuing to rise and the property market outperforming the FTSE, bricks and mortar presents a strong investment option, said Frazer Fearnhead, chief executive officer of The House Crowd.

Despite this, new legislation is making buy to let ever less accessible for the small landlords who want to invest in something sensible and tangible to secure their futures. As many of the landlords surveyed identified its time for beleaguered investors to be looking at their options, he pointed out.

February was our strongest month yet, as investors turn to property crowdfunding to achieve the returns that property offers minus the stress and risk of being a landlord. Times are hard for the UKs small property investors but its time to adapt, not despair, he added.
Residential property sales increased by 3.5% month on month in July and are now up 12.6% compared to the same month in 2018, the latest national real estate index shows.

Meanwhile, prices increased by 3.9% to $499,000 compared with July 2018, according to the figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

The index report points out that the national average price is heavily skewed by sales in the Greater Vancouver Area and the Greater Toronto Area, two of Canadas most active and expensive housing markets. Excluding these two markets cuts the national average price to $393,000.

Home sales have now increased for a fifth consecutive month, putting them about 15% above the six year low reached in February 2019 but still more than 10% below the highs reached in 2016 and 2017.

Activity advanced in about 60% of all local markets. While the monthly increase was led by Greater Vancouver (GVA) and Greater Toronto (GTA), sales there remain well below levels recorded prior to the mortgage stress test that came into effect in 2018, the index report points out.

Sales were up from year ago levels in most of Canadas largest markets, including the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Calgary, Edmonton, the GTA and Hamilton-Burlington, Ottawa and Montreal.

Sales are starting to rebound in places where they dropped when the mortgage stress test took effect at the beginning of 2018, but activity there remains well below levels recorded prior to its introduction, said Gregory Klump, CREAs chief economist.

Sales continue to rise in housing markets where the mortgage stress test had little impact due to upbeat local economic conditions and a supply of affordably priced homes. Meanwhile, the mortgage stress test is doing no favours for homebuyers and sellers alike in places facing challenging local economic prospects and subdued consumer sentiment, he added.

The number of newly listed homes edged back by 0.4% in July. There was an almost even split between the number of local markets where new listings rose and those where they eased. The increase in new listings in Calgary, the GTA and Edmonton offset a decline in new listings in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and Montreal.

The monthly sales increase together with a marginal monthly decline in new listings resulted in the national sales to new listings ratio tightening to 59.8% in July from 57.6% recorded in June. This marks its tightest reading and the biggest deviation above its long term average of 53.6% in the past year.
Georgia SoftWorks, developer of the GSW UTS The GSW products provide unsurpassed security, which is essential in the industries that Actemium services.

Since 2006, Actemium has been an authorized reseller of the Georgia SoftWorks Telnet Server for Windows and SSH Server for Windows. Actemium is a network of collaborating companies consisting of over 300 business units in 38 countries around the world. They advise on, design, build and maintain industrial processes.

We appreciate the past 10 years of partnership with Actemium, said Johnny Douglas of GSW. They serve a vast array of industries and they know their market well. We look forward to celebrating more milestones with them in the future.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Actemium is active in all phases of the industrial process lifecyle, from consulting and engineering to implementation, commissioning and maintenance. Actemium services a variety of industries including wholesale and distribution, food, water, pharmacy, energy, manufacturing, chemistry and more, making them a great match for the solutions that Georgia SoftWorks provides.

The Georgia SoftWorks Telnet Server for Windows, SSH Server for Windows and client applications are designed for superior operation in demanding environments. The GSW products provide unsurpassed security, which is essential in the industries that Actemium services.

Georgia SoftWorks is a software development company that develops industrial quality software designed for the most rigorous commercial environments. GSW has gained its worldwide recognition from the development of the GSW Telnet Server for Windows and SSH Server for Windows. They have end users and resellers on every continent (except Antarctica) and operate in a variety of industries throughout the world.

About Georgia SoftWorks:

Established in 1991, Georgia SoftWorks is a privately held software development company recognized for creating high performance data communications, system and telecommunications applications. Georgia SoftWorks has obtained a worldwide presence with its industrial SSH/Telnet Server for Microsoft Windows. GSW's long-term commitment to SSH/Telnet has led to the pioneering of major features such as Session Shadowing, Session Monitoring, Graceful Termination, Automatic Logon, Logon Scripting and more recently Team Services technology which allows mobile device users to transfer, swap, share and recover mobile device sessions. GSW has also provided the very first SSH Server to provide Digital Certificate Authentication with an Internet Information Server (IIS) like certificate-to-user.
www.festiva.com It is an honor knowing that our gift is going to impact the future of children in this area.

Festiva, the developer for the Festiva hotel and resort properties and the Festiva Adventure Club, has donated $1,500 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties in Florida. These funds will go toward the organizations mission to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens and leaders.

We are always thrilled to be able to help organizations that benefit children, especially when it comes to outreach and mentoring those who may be disadvantaged or otherwise need positive relationships with adults. It is an honor knowing that our gift is going to impact the future of children in this area, said Sarah Marks, director of human resources for Festiva Development Group.

Festiva has a property in New Smyrna Beach and employs 27 people in the area. The New Smyrna chapter of the two-county Boys & Girls Club serves 140 youth between the ages of six and 18 among seven different schools.

Festiva began a flexible endowment fund in 2006 with the intent of providing permanent charitable resources for all the communities where Festiva employees live and work. The primary focus of the Festiva Charitable Fund is to promote education for youth and to assist in efforts to eliminate poverty in its communities. The charitable fund is also used to respond to extraordinary global events.

About Festiva

Festiva is a family of boutique vacation ownership resorts located in some of the most popular destinations in the United States and Caribbean. Along with efforts to support local communities where the company operates, Festiva constantly looks for new ways to offer exciting vacation opportunities to its members, while treating every guest like family. More information can be found at http://www.festiva.com.
Team Polyglass As a company that is dedicated to improving the well-being of our employees and community, we are honored to be affiliated with an organization that is making a difference in peoples lives.

Polyglass U.S.A., Inc. was proud to be a supporting partner of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge that took place on February 20, 2016. The South Florida event, which raised money for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) at the University of Miami, drew over 3,400 participants.. More than 2,000 cyclists and 1,300 runners and walkers took part in the bike ride and 5K. Participants also enjoyed a concert celebration by Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow, both cancer survivors.

We have all been touched by cancer, states CEO Natalino Zanchetta. As a company that is dedicated to improving the well-being of our employees and community, we are honored to be affiliated with an organization that is making a difference in peoples lives."

About Polyglass: Polyglass U.S.A. Inc. is a leading manufacturer of modified bitumen roof membranes. Known for its self-adhered roofing systems based on the companys patented ADESO technology and its new patent-pending CURE Technology, Polyglass also produces a full line of premium roof coatings and roof maintenance systems. Providing quality, innovation and service at its best, Polyglass adds value worldwide. For more information about the premium products and services offered by Polyglass, call 800.222.9782 or visit http://www.polyglass.us.

About the Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC): Launched in 2010 as the signature initiative of the Miami Dolphins Foundation, the DCC is a way all of us can be cancer fighters! 100% of participant-raised funds go to innovative cancer research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. DCC participants have raised over $11.5 million in just five years.

About Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center: Sylvester serves as the hub for cancer diagnosis and treatment for UHealth-University of Miami Health System. In 2003, Sylvester expanded its cancer services to patients in Broward and Palm Beach with the opening of Sylvester at Deerfield Beach. A third facility, Sylvester at Kendall, was opened in 2009 to serve patients in southern Miami-Dade county. Since its founding, Sylvester has transformed cancer research and treatment in South Florida and beyond.
Angelo Pisano, an entrepreneur, artist, prison veteran, consultant to soon-to-be inmates, youth activist, devoted writer and author, has completed his first book Prison Guide: Survival Secrets Revealed: a gripping and potent journey into the life of an inmate.

The situation is unfortunate, and theres no getting around it. You dont have to be helpless. You can be in control every single day, said author Angelo Pisano.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Angelo Pisanos tale aims to protect future convicts, encouraging them to spend their time wisely while behind bars, and ensure a successful return home as quickly and safely as possible.

The secrets of surviving prison have remained unwritten  until now. Angelo Pisano, a ten-year veteran of the U.S. prison system, is breaking the silence with this guide on how to navigate a world behind bars.

With a focus on getting home as soon as possible, Pisano prepares soon-to-be inmates for confinement, whether their sentences will be served in county jails or in maximum security prisons. The advice for so-called new Jacks covers all types of scenarios, from fights to the complex rules that govern borrowing and lending to the best practices at the gambling table.

By teaching the newly convicted about the pecking order and how to stay out of trouble with correctional officers and inmates alike, Pisano aims to get his readers out of jail as early as the criminal justice system will allow. Instead of feeling helpless, Pisanos readers will come away from the book feeling more in control.

Thats because, as Pisano writes, being confined to jail doesnt mean being confined to bad choices. Instead, he provides his readers with workable advice on how to take advantage of the solitude and freedom from distraction to improve character, intellect and chances for future success.

By reading this book, the newly convicted just might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Readers who wish to experience this profound work can purchase Prison Guide: Survival Secrets Revealed at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Over the last several years, we have worked together to make a positive impact on learning outcomes."

Istation announces it has executed a contract with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as part of the Texas SUCCESS program under the the Student Success Initiative. The contract period is from March 1, 2016, through August 31, 2017.

Texas SUCCESS will provide free and unlimited access, both at school and at home, to Istation Reading (grades 35) and Istation Reading en Espanol (grade 3) for all students in public schools and open enrollment charter schools in Texas. Additionally, several regional trainings and Webinars will be provided by Istation as part of the initiative. These Istation programs and services are available immediately.

Istation is honored to continue its relationship with Texas educators and students, said Sandra Thomas, Istation President and COO. Over the last several years, we have worked together to make a positive impact on learning outcomes. We are excited this year to be able to add our Spanish reading program for grade 3 students and to help make a difference in the lives of all Texas students.

Istation was previously awarded a three-year contract with the TEA and was available via Texas SUCCESS during the 2013-2015 school years. Research conducted within the state shows that Istation improves overall reading growth. The research shows that students who use Istation Reading demonstrate greater gains in overall reading ability than their peers who do not use Istation. Additionally, students who use Istation Home exhibit greater growth than students who exclusively use Istation at school.

Istations computer-based format is interactive, engaging, and fun. The comprehensive library of support materials makes every minute of teaching and learning more effective. Easy-to-use components also work together to provide every student with the individualized instruction he or she needs for continual achievement.

To get started with Istation through Texas SUCCESS, please click here.

About Istation

Istation is an award-winning comprehensive e-learning program used by more than four million students across the world. Known for its accurate assessments, engaging curriculum and trusted teacher tools, Istation helps students in prekindergarten through 12th grade achieve academic growth. Istations computer-adaptive assessments (known as ISIP) immediately place students on personalized instructional paths unique to their needs. An animated, game-like interface effectively engages students so that they dont even know theyre being evaluated. Along with its highly interactive digital curriculum, Istation provides teachers with access to thousands of lessons perfect for instructing small groups or an entire class. Comprehensive progress reports are also immediately available for educators, administrators and parents. Istation offers its ISIP assessment in Early Reading, Advanced Reading, Reading en Espanol and Math. Istation instruction is available in Reading, Reading en Espanol and Math. Students can also use their Istation subscriptions at home. Since its founding in 1998, Dallas-based Istation has seen tremendous growth. The companys animated program is now helping students in 44 states and four countries learn and grow.
A still image from the recently released documentary film, Forgotten Plague, which investigates chronic fatigue syndrome. The image shows Ryan Prior, a producer and journalist, during his journey. Seeing the overwhelming global response to the film has been deeply humbling, Prior said. It's exciting to now make the film available to people worldwide and to continue using it to change public perceptions about ME/CFS.

Emmy Award-winning producer Nicole Castillo and co-director Ryan Prior are pleased to announce the release of their feature-length documentary film, Forgotten Plague.

Hailed a Must See Documentary by the Huffington Post, the documentary film tells the story of an afflicted journalist who embarks on a quest to find out why the CDC and medical system have neglected his disease and left millions sidelined from life. Following its premiere at Hollywoods Chinese Theater, the film has garnered sold out screenings in theaters throughout the United States. It is now available on DVD, iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Instant Video.

Castillo and Prior embarked on the ambitious nationwide production in 2013, shortly after graduating from the University of Georgia. Prior, who was named a 2014 Stanford Medicine X ePatient Scholar, got the idea for the film after a series of pieces he wrote for USA Today caught fire.

Forgotten Plague is an investigation into myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly called chronic fatigue syndrome (or ME/CFS), a disease that Stanford geneticist Ron Davis has called one of the last major diseases that science knows nothing about. In addition to the film, Castillo and Prior founded the Blue Ribbon Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit that hosts a multi-site fellowship program for medical students. The Foundation is seeking $64,000 to bolster its educational initiatives in conjunction with the film. They envision a world in which all medical students are taught about ME/CFS. Currently only about 6% of medical students are fully taught about the disease, according to a study by DePaul University.

"This is the great under-reported medical story of our time, Prior said.

Castillo and Prior interviewed experts from Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford Universities, as well as journalists published in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Seeing the overwhelming global response to the film has been deeply humbling, Prior said. It's exciting to now make the film available to people worldwide and to continue using it to change public perceptions about ME/CFS.

Ryan Priors life imploded October 22, 2006 when he was struck down by a disease that dozens of doctors were powerless to diagnose, let alone treat. Against great odds, he becomes a reporter for USA Today and ventures to tell the story of his suffering and improbable recovery. He is shocked that millions globally remain sidelined by the same disease, many bedridden for decades. Forgotten Plague is a journey into the hidden world of myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome). It is a chilling tale of our medical systems failures in addressing many chronic, complex diseases. Yet it is also a riveting story of sciences remarkable ability to transform medicine and improve human life itself.

One million Americans suffer from ME/CFS. This disease is characterized by profound fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep abnormalities, autonomic manifestations, pain, and post-exertional malaise. ME/CFS can severely impair patients abilities to conduct their normal lives, leaving many homebound or bedridden.
We're incredibly proud and honored to have these distinguished sales industry professionals helping memoryBlue judge the applicants this year.

memoryBlue today announced a top-flight panel of judges that will help determine the winner of the companys second annual Alumni of the Year award. The panel features noted sales industry expert and author Trish Bertuzzi, as well as two collegiate-focused professionals in John OBrien and Dr. Terry Loe.

These highly accomplished inside sales professionals and renowned educators have spent their careers furthering the sales industry, as well as building bridges between talented college students and the sales profession.

Each member brings a range of sales experience and knowledge to the panel:



Trish Bertuzzi, President and Chief Strategist at The Bridge Group - Over the last two decades, Bertuzzi has relentlessly promoted inside sales as a community, profession, and engine for revenue growth. In the process, The Bridge Group has worked with over 200 B2B technology clients to build, expand, and optimize their inside sales efforts. She is also a noted author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, The Sales Development Playbook and appears on multiple lists as one of the most influential individuals in the entire sales industry.

John OBrien, President at AroundCampus Group LLC  OBrien currently serves as President of The AroundCampus Group, the nations premier college-obsessed media and marketing company. Every summer, the company hires 600+ college students from across the country to serve in sales positions for his firm. These students receive sales training, mentorship and career guidance from The AroundCampus Group. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, the organization serves over 250 college and universities in 41 states. He has been honored each of the two years as a member of the 25 Highest Rated CEOs list on Glassdoor.com.

Terry Loe, Ph.D., Director, Center for Professional Selling and Professor at Kennesaw State University - Dr. Loe leads The Center for Professional Selling at Kennesaw State Universitys Cole College of Business. The organization is one of nine founding members of the University Sales Center Alliance and seeks to advance the sales profession through academic leadership. Additionally, Dr. Loe oversees the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) annually. Inaugurated in 1999, the NCSC is the largest and oldest sales role-play competition in existence. NCSC participants come from the most elite sales programs located at universities around the world, where the exceptional education, training and faculty have collaborated to develop the next generation of sales leaders.

"We're incredibly proud and honored to have these distinguished sales industry professionals helping memoryBlue judge the applicants this year," said company Co-Founder and Managing Partner Chris Corcoran.

The memoryBlue Alumni of the Year Award recognizes former employees who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their high tech sales careers. The award recipient will win $5,000 to spend on a vacation anywhere in the world and will be announced on Friday, April 8, 2016 as part of the companys quarterly all-hands meeting. An employee and alumni reception will immediately follow the meeting.

About memoryBlue

memoryBlue grows and finds top inside sales talent for high-tech companies through outsourced consulting and direct-hire permanent placement. The memoryBlue Try + Hire offering gives clients the option to hire their consultants at any time during an engagement. This powerful model reduces client risk while it attracts top talent to a proven launching pad for future high-tech sales leaders and feeds the memoryBlue Alumni Network.
McGraw-Hill Education, a learning science company, and BenchPrep, a digital learning platform company, today announced a collaboration to develop Cross-Platform Prep Courses for students aspiring to attend medical school, law school, and other graduate school programs. The new, innovative cross-platform program includes both a print edition and a personalized, interactive test prep program accessible on web, mobile and tablet devices.

For more than a century, McGraw-Education has been the trusted authority in raising student achievement with comprehensive test prep, study guides, language instruction, and dictionaries. With a newly redefined focus in technology, the company is introducing new ways to apply learning science to further improve student achievement and outcomes. McGraw-Hill Educations decision to work with BenchPrep reflects an increasing demand for blended learning solutions that combine the unparalleled expertise of McGraw-Hill Educations editorial staff with BenchPreps expertise in personalization, instructional design and learning experience.

Over the next 12 months, the two companies will release more than 20 Cross-Platform Prep Courses covering graduate admissions exams including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT in addition to revisions of their SAT, ACT, and Advanced Placement Exam (AP) courses. These online courses will be offered as part of McGraw-Hill Educations broader digital & print portfolio and will be branded as McGraw-Hill Cross-Platform Prep Courses. The cross-platform format is specifically designed to provide democratic and personalized access across all formats and modalities to help students improve learning outcomes.

The new solution provides students with a personalized curriculum, robust assessment engine, interactive instructions, engaging games, and insightful analytics that improve proficiency in core learning objectives tested on the standardized exams. The digital solution is designed to help users identify their strengths and weaknesses, stay organized with a personalized study plan, and simulate the test taking experience with full-length interactive practice exams followed by actionable score reports.

Cross-Platform technology is an incredible tool for students preparing for the current generation of assessments  each student who uses the course will have a personalized study experience geared specifically toward his or her strengths and weaknesses, said Bob OSullivan, associate publisher, test prep for McGraw-Hill Education.  The McGraw-Hill Education team is thrilled to partner with BenchPrep to offer our proven test prep content on an interactive and adaptive platform.

We are very excited to partner with McGraw-Hill Education on this pioneering initiative. Both organizations are committed to offering best-in-class digital learning tools to students in the format they prefer and on the device they own. The cross-platform solution brings together the best of print and digital to enable student success, said BenchPrep CEO & co-founder Ashish Rangnekar. With the new cross-platform solution, students wont have to decide between print and digital.

Additionally, the solution will leverage well-grounded instructional design principles and learning techniques developed by BenchPrep to improve engagement and learning outcomes. The platform leverages game mechanics, micro-learning modules and intuitive user interaction elements to deliver an engaging learning experience.

More than 30 education & training companies use BenchPreps proprietary learning technology to deliver digital learning courses to more than 1 million learners worldwide.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that help students, parents, educators and professionals drive results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in nearly 60 languages.

Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About BenchPrep

BenchPrep is a turn-key solution for education and training companies to create and deliver personalized digital learning programs across multiple devices including web, tablet and mobile. More than 1 million learners have used BenchPrep. The worlds leading education organizations, including ACT, Hobsons, McGraw Hill Education, The Princeton Review and HR Certification Institute, use BenchPrep to help learners improve outcomes.

For more information, visit https://benchprep.com
Arvin was interested in the chemistry behind the production of moonshine and began making moonshine

Di Vino Wholesalers recently launched Kentucky Mountain Moonshine based in Estill County, Ky. Distiller and Estill County native Howard Arvin was born and raised on a small farm at the foothills of rural Kentucky mountains where the history and reputation of moonshine run deep. He founded Route 52 Moonshine in Irvine, Ky, to distill and bottle his own moonshine.

Kentucky Mountain Moonshine is made with 100 percent locally grown corn, which is a main ingredient in moonshine. It comes in clear and smoky apple pie and will soon be available in cranberry. The new moonshine is an Appalachia Proud product. Appalachia Proud: Mountains of Potential is open to any farm, processor, agribusiness or any other agriculture-related concern in the 37-county Appalachia Proud region. It is an initiative of the Kentucky Proud marketing campaign by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Appalachia Proud celebrates the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of eastern Kentucky while at the same time honoring its traditions. This is what embodies Kentucky Mountain Moonshine.

Arvin was interested in the chemistry behind the production of moonshine and began making moonshine because he wanted to make a special tasting, smooth moonshine anyone could enjoy alone or as a mixer in a cocktail while savoring the experience with friends and company.

Kentucky Mountain Moonshine is available at liquor stores, restaurants and bars throughout Irvine, Richmond and Lexington with more locations added weekly. Di Vino Wholesalers and Kentucky Mountain Moonshine will be hosting several local tastings where people can meet Arvin and learn more about his moonshine.

Upcoming tastings can be found at http://divinowholesale.com/news.
Sovran, a leading managed service provider and IT Consulting firm offering customized managed IT solutions, products and services for small business, is excited to announce the availability of the much anticipated HP Elite X2, 1012 G1 Enterprise level 2 in 1 tablet with Travel Keyboard.

Built for todays increasingly mobile market, the Elite X2 1012 features an elegantly thin, powerful and light design. Hewlett Packard has defined robust mobile productivity with this detachable PC. Data is secured with optional features like fingerprint readers for bio-metric authentication, NFC and integrated smartcard readers on the optical Advanced Keyboard.

For critical work product availability and reduced downtime, this advanced tool comes with on-site serviceability that includes swappable components along with HP Certified Technicians, HP Authorized Service Providers or Self Maintenance programs.

"We are pleased to announce that immediate delivery is now available for the new HP Elite X2 product and Sovran is ready to sell and support this very cool new technology," said Mike Goin, VP Sales and Marketing with Sovran.

About Sovran

Sovran has been providing professional IT technical services and support for businesses in Minnesota since 1987. Our experience has helped us develop best practices and workflow processes designed with a pro-active philosophy that lets you focus on your business. Sovran advances these efforts driving a positive return on your investment and excels at managing the technical challenges and resources needed to support your growing business.

Weve got this

For more information about Sovran please check out our website @ http://www.sovran.com
Angel Davila and Ramon Colina, Owners of Multivista Panama We clearly see the necessity for a tool like Multivista to help improve construction project accountability, quality control, and transparency.

Construction is booming in Panama and Multivista, the leader in visual construction documentation services, is excited to be a part of Central Americas fastest growing economy with its newest franchiseMultivista Panama.

New franchise owners, Angel Davila and Ramon Colina, are perfectly positioned to successfully launch Multivistas first location in Central America and bring the exclusive web-based software featuring construction photo, video, and webcam services to the rapidly expanding construction and facilities management industries across the entire country.

It is no secret that the construction spend in Panama has been on the rise during the last seven years, says Davila. We have survived every recession and we still see overall spending going up. Ramon and I clearly see the necessity for a tool like Multivista to help improve construction project accountability, quality control, and transparency.

Both Davila and Colina bring local market knowledge and industry experience to Multivista Panama. Davila worked in the banking industry as a Corporate Banking Officer servicing the construction loans sector. I managed a very dynamic portfolio of clients and large corporate accounts, Davila said. This gave me a solid understanding of the financial aspects and processes of our local construction industry, as well as insight into how rework, construction errors, claims, legal actions, and the lack of documentation can severely affect a projects financials.

Ramon Colina also has significant experience in banking, sales, and construction. In 2013, Colina left the banking industry to manage Grupo Colina, a family-owned group of companies that specialize in general contracting, marine construction, land ownership and development, and water supply and installation. Colina said, The experience with my familys business and the existing relationships within the local industry will be a big help to grow our sales with Multivista.

Multivista construction documentation captures progressive visual records of actual construction conditions that can be accessed via an integrated software platform. The system and services improve jobsite productivity and collaboration throughout a buildings life cycle.

Multivista Panama will serve the entire Republic of Panama including Panama City, home to nearly half of the countrys 3.9 million people. Both Colina and Davila expect their new Multivista franchise to have immediate effects on Panamas construction industry. With Multivista, project teams can record and document every square foot at every milestone during the entire construction process said Davila. We are looking forward to driving industry-wide adoption and seeing Multivista become a recognized, valued tool in Central America.

About Multivista

Multivista is the leading provider of visual documentation services to the Construction and Facilities Management Industries. It combines photography, video, and webcam services with a robust software delivery platform to create interactive records of actual construction conditions and events. Increasingly a project standard on all types and sizes of construction projects, industry professionals use Multivista documentation to improve efficiency, enforce accountability, verify quality, reduce risk, and control costs  before, during, and after construction. Founded in 2003, Multivista now operates in more than 50 major metropolitan areas across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Panama. Multivista has been awarded contracts to document more than 1.5 billion square feet of construction projects in the last seven years alone, compiling a global portfolio that represents nearly every vertical market. Multivista Panama is located at 1511B Akee Street, Panama City. Contact Angel Davila Owner, at 507-387-4189 for more information or visit us at multivista.com or on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
The hiring process here at Stuzo is one of the most rigorous Ive ever seen and it consistently ensures we have the most talented and passionate people on our team. Were thrilled to have James, Josh and Annaliese joining us." - Kevin French

Stuzo, a leading Digital Product Innovation Company who defines, designs and delivers enterprise mobile apps, web platforms, wearables and IoT, announced today that they have welcomed three new employees to join their growing team: James Byerly, Josh Wolf, and Annaliese Henwood.

James Byerly joins as Client Partner.

Josh Wolf joins as Director of Inside Sales.

Annaliese Henwood joins as Marketing Specialist.

James Byerly

James Byerly joins from San Francisco-based FlashTalking, an ad-tech company where he spent five years working in a strategic client services capacity. Prior to that, James spent five years at PointRoll in a variety of positions including Product Management and technical roles.

Byerly commented, I chose Stuzo due to their clear commitment to innovation via industry product knowledge. There is a flavor of sincere industry understanding that surrounds every product Stuzo releases.

Josh Wolf

Josh has spent the past ten years of his career in Inside Sales positions and joins Stuzo as the Director of Inside Sales. Joshs entire career has been focused on rapid growth technology organizations. He most recently joined from Philadelphia-based PeopleLinx, a digital product company focused on helping enterprise executives with social selling. Prior to that, he was with IBM-owned FiberLink, Alliance Global Services and Market Resource Partners.

Stuzo appeals to me because they are a leading Philadelphia mobile app development company. They demonstrate digital innovation, have really smart leadership, and have grown consistently over the past few years in the digital products space. said Josh Wolf.

Annaliese Henwood

Annaliese has a rich background in various marketing roles. She most recently worked as the Content Marketing Specialist with Virtual Forge. Before that, much of her career involved assisting nonprofit organizations with their outreach. Annaliese has experience with traditional marketing, social media, email marketing, blogging, SEO and more.

Annaliese added, I knew Stuzo was the right place for me, because of the values they embrace. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to apply right away.

The hiring process here at Stuzo is one of the most rigorous Ive ever seen and it consistently ensures we have the most talented and passionate people on our team, said Kevin French, President and Partner of Stuzo. Were thrilled to have James, Josh and Annaliese joining us.

###

Since 2007, Philadelphia-based Stuzo has been accelerating business for its clients through digital product innovation. Stuzo defines, designs and delivers digital products across mobile, web, wearables, and IoT for Fortune 500 Companies, marketing & advertising agencies, and funded startups.

Learn more about how Stuzo can help accelerate your business with digital product innovation by going to http://www.stuzo.com.
Women's Venture Fund With less than 3% of women entrepreneurs ever reaching the 1 million dollar mark, there is obviously a need to change how we work with women to build stronger businesses.

Recognizing how valuable project management skills could be to entrepreneurs struggling to achieve business goals on stretched budgets,Womens Venture Fund(WVF) and the NYC chapter of the Project Management Institute(PMI) are co-sponsoring a series of workshops this spring. The goal is to bring a basic level of understanding of project management principles to women entrepreneurs to help them more successfully execute business plans, deliver on projects as subcontractors and pursue revenue-generating opportunities.

Three-part series: Skinny Project Management

Building an Agile Business: A PM Approach (March 30)

Sustaining Revenue Through Business Development: A PM Approach (April 26)

Developing a Fail-Safe Sales Cycle (May 24)

Both organizations share the goal of bringing actionable learning to women business owners. With less than 3% of women entrepreneurs ever reaching the 1 million dollar mark, there is obviously a need to change how we work with women to build stronger businesses. Adopting a project management mindset can help owners organize and simplify the tools needed to implement an effective growth strategy. It may prove to be a silver bullet for some of them. We intend to follow up with the participants and glean more ways that the collaboration with PMI might help them reach the next level of their business, says Maria Otero, Founder and President of WVF.

Anna Thomas, Director of Community Outreach, PMI-NYC Chapter notes, "Project management is about getting things done! Not just getting it done, but on time, under budget and to specifications. These workshops will give entrepreneurs the basic skills they can put into action right away. This partnership with WVF is an auspicious beginning for improved business outcomes on Main Street."

Interested women, whether sole proprietors, founding partners or subcontractors in any sector providing both products and services will benefit from the programming. Staff members are welcome as well. For more information, please visit the website.

WVF is a nonprofit organization and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) whose mission is to help women entrepreneurs in the NY metro area gain access to much-needed capital; and create opportunities to build businesses that foster economic growth. The organization has helped launch over 3,200 small businesses; advised over 18,000 businesses; and has invested over $1.4 million in over 250 firms.

PMI is one of the world's largest not-for-profit membership associations for the project management profession. Our professional resources and research empower more than 700,000 members, credential holders and volunteers in nearly every country in the world to enhance their careers, improve their organizations' success and further mature the profession.
We believe that everyone has a voice that should be heard, and this contest provides a space for people to freely express their opinion of the city to others.

IMBoston, the Boston-targeted online magazine, has announced the launch of their Facebook photo contest #ThisIsMyBoston. People who work or live in the greater Boston area are eligible to enter to win a pair of Celtics tickets by uploading a photo that reflects the meaning of Boston. The contest runs the whole month of March. The winners will be randomly chosen and announced on IMBostons Facebook page.

As part of the new website launch celebration, this contest is developed with the purpose of bringing the community together and encourage residents to discover the beauty of the city. This contest gives participants a chance to think about and share the meaning of city with others anonymously. Through this process, this contest is expected to unify people of Boston.

Our mission for #ThisIsMyBoston is to inspire people to rethink what this city means to them, Says Stefanie Daneau, the Co-Founder of IMBoston, We believe that everyone has a voice that should be heard, and this contest provides a space for people to freely express their opinion of the city to others. We are thrilled to start this movement and look forward to seeing everyones entries.

The contest is now live and those who are interested are able to enter any time until the end of the month. To enter the contest, please visit: https://imboston.hscampaigns.com/ For more information regarding the contest and the magazine, please visit IMBostons Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IMBoston/

Participants entry:

Home Is Where The Heart Is"

Sunsets at home are the best. I took this picture a weekend I came back home to visit. I was living in NYC and noticed how much I missed being home so decided to move back the weekend I took this photo. Great memories.

About IMBoston

IMBoston is a Boston centric online magazine highlighting and sharing stories of people around the city. It was born from the idea that everyone has a voice that should be heard. IMBoston strives to bring the community together by discovering inspiring stories, doing charity programs, hosting networking events, and more. To learn more about the magazine and how to participate, please visit their website at http://imboston.com.
Tim has a unique blend of experience in product development, factory automation, and technology sales that will be of enormous benefit to our customers.

Coast Automation (Coast), a distributor of industrial and embedded computers, is pleased to announce the hiring of Tim Kenny as Regional Sales Manager. Based in Brick, New Jersey, Mr. Kenny will be responsible for Coast Automation relationships in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Mr. Kenny brings more than 20 years of success in industrial computers, embedded computers, computer peripherals, and high-tech product and business development to Coast Automation. Prior to joining Coast, Mr. Kenny was Business Development Manager with AAEON Electronics where he expanded sales of its industrial computing product line by $1.6 million in 18 months. Previously, he held executive positions with AIC (a provider of server and storage systems) and Suntron Corporation (an electronics engineering and manufacturing firm). His experience includes automation, medical instrumentation, network appliances, packaging, surveillance, and security.

John DeWaal, President of Coast Automation, said, "Tim has a unique blend of experience in product development, manufacturing, and technology sales that will be of enormous benefit to our customers. He's a recognized expert in industrial computing, he knows our entire product line inside and out, and he has hands-on experience developing solutions to complex manufacturing challenges. He is a perfect fit for our team."

"Coming from the manufacturers side, I was attracted to Coast Automation as a distributor for their product knowledge, industrial computing expertise, and personal approach to customer service, and was impressed by their rapid growth" said Mr. Kenny. "We share a focus on creating innovative solutions to complex challengeslooking beyond a short-term sale to understand and solve customer needs for the long term. I'm excited to expand my solutions toolbox to include Coast's exceptional line of products."

In early 2016, Mr. Kenny will be reaching out to Coast's existing customer base and making introductions at industry events including ECS Boston and AIA Boston (please visit the Coast website for a full list of events). He will be a key contributor to Coast's rebranding and expanded marketing in 2016. Tim Kenny may be contacted at 866-412-6278, ext. 117 or tkenny(at)coast-automation(dot)com.

About Coast Automation

Coast Automation is a supplier of Industrial and Embedded Computers and Peripherals from the world's leading manufacturers. We offer the industry's largest selection of industrial computing products with in-house needs analysis, customization, and deployment services. We are a Microsoft Embedded OEM Partner and a Gold Intel Partner, delivering quality Industrial Computing Solutions expertly configured to meet your unique requirements.

For more information about Coast Automation, contact:

Mr. Denis M. Concannon

Coast Automation, Inc.

30 Pond Park Road, Suite 7

Hingham, MA 02043

781-413-0001
Our goal was to find a partner that could support our future M&A projects while having the ability to manage archives quickly for this particular acquisition, said Jennifer Johnson.

Integrated Legacy Solutions (ILS), the leading provider of data and image conversion and migration tools to the financial industry, announced today the successful completion of a document image and database migration for Wichita, Kan.  based Equity Bank. Following the acquisition of First Federal S&L, Equity Bank was able to access archived and migrated image data the very next day by leveraging ILS OmniView Browser.

At the beginning of our acquisition, we knew third party intervention was necessary for the data conversion of First Federal S&L due to our short timeframe," said Jennifer Johnson, Executive Vice President of Equity Bank. Our goal was to find a partner that could support our future M&A projects while having the ability to manage archives quickly for this particular acquisition.

OmniView enables financial institutions to research and print images and data from various types of report archives, document images and check image systems without having to perform a conversion of data. ILS products provide financial institutions like Equity Bank an alternative to traditional data conversion that is more efficient in terms of cost and time. With OmniView financial institutions are able to manage and access information from multiple institutions from a standard web browser, from any location without the data ever leaving the security of the banks network.

ILS was able to deliver incredible service and understood our needs and objectives for this particular acquisition, said Johnson. Without delays or any interference in our process, the transition was seamless. As our interest in further acquisitions progresses, we will turn to ILS to assist us along the way.

Equity Bank came to us with a unique situation, they were under incredible deadlines with the acquisition of First Federal S&L, said Kris Bishop, president and CEO of Integrated Legacy Solutions. This situation was a perfect match for our OmniView browser, the system is easily deployed by ILS staff and all data is quickly moved into OmniView for immediate availability. Our focused process and products significantly reduces overall conversion time, client resource requirements and total overall cost of a complete data conversion. We look forward to future acquisition endeavors with Equity Bank and their continued success with the ILS products and services.

About Equity Bank

Equity Bank offers a full range of financial solutions, including commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, and treasury management services, with deposits insured up to the maximum legal amount by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Equity Bancshares, Inc. was founded by Elliott in 2002, and acquired the troubled National Bank of Andover in 2003. Equity began expanding by acquiring Hillcrest Bank in Wichita in 2005 and has completed seven acquisitions since. Equity Bank offices are now located in Andover, Ellis, Hays, Overland Park, Topeka, and Wichita, Kansas, and Clinton, Higginsville, Kansas City, Knob Noster, Lees Summit, Sedalia, Sweet Springs, Warrensburg, Warsaw and Windsor, Missouri. Learn more at http://www.equitybank.com.

About Integrated Legacy Solutions

Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Integrated Legacy Solutions (ILS) provides industry leading technology for legacy image and data migrations and conversions to the financial industry. ILSs leadership team has performed data conversion for thousands of financial institutions over their nearly 20 years in the business. Through its flagship product, OmniView Browser, efficient business model and focused expertise, ILS has designed innovative ways to migrate legacy data much faster and less expensive than other costly and time consuming methods of data conversion. ILSs success is focused on 3 key areas; customer service, the business (or conversion) process, and the latest technology to convert or migrate legacy systems quickly with minimal disruption to the clients production environment. For more information, visit: http://www.integratedlegacy.com.
Nuu-Muu's signature Enid Wilson print in Samba "Now, we can literally offer our customers gorgeous original art on a dress. So fun!"

Nuu-Muu, creator of flattering and versatile Made in USA women's activewear, reached a whole new level of lovely by empowering artist Enid Wilson to create prints for its Spring 16 release of iconic women's dresses.

Wilson has been a driving force behind Nuu-Muus limited edition bi-annual print releases for over six years. Thanks to a dedicated customer base, the company grew to a point where creating proprietary prints in-house was viable, and company founders Ashley Fullenwider and Christine Nienstedt gave Wilson the green light to turn her artistic vision toward dresses.

Nuu-Muu is already a fashion-forward women's activewear brand and we have stayed true to our roots of offering beautiful, unexpected and feminine patterns, said Nienstedt. Over the years, weve taken more and more ownership of our designs, and exploring truly unique prints with Enid has been a joyful process. Now, we can literally offer our customers gorgeous original art on a dress. So fun! Enid has such a talent for combining whimsy with femininity and strength, which is what Nuu-Muu is all about. We are completely thrilled to showcase her work on our dresses.

Nuu-Muus Spring 2016 Collection includes four of Wilsons creations and is already selling out.

Enids aesthetic, her balance, her bold heartits a main part of the essence of Nuu-Muu, and its all there in these prints. Spring '16 is our best selling line to date, so women must love what theyre seeing, said Nienstedt. It feels especially good to know that our company encourages our team to expand into the roles they love and to see their super-powers emerge.

Wilson was trained as a fine artist, mainly focused on painting and printmaking, but has experience with sewing, fashion and graphics. Being self-taught in the aspects of designing pattern in repeat allows me to break the rules just enough to keep an element of surprise and maintain just the right amount of quirkiness in our prints and colors to keep them interesting, said Wilson. Designing for Nuu-Muu requires I get out of my own head and into the head of our customer to create something that will resonate with our customer base while still using my design sensibilities.

Wilson adds, Nuu-Muu customers like to give a little wink to the world as they go about their day to dayif you have errands to do or need to fit your 5 miles in, you might as well feel good and have a little fun while youre at it.

Wilsons limited-edition Spring '16 prints are available for purchase on http://www.nuu-muu.com and at retail partners around the world.

About Nuu-Muu

Nuu-Muu started in 2008 with a singular offering: the classic Nuu-Muu exercise dress. Since then, a fiercely devoted customer base has helped the company grow steadily. Dedicated to the idea that active wear can be fun and truly flattering and that a company can contribute to greater good in the world, Nuu-Muu offers a selection of Made-In-The-USA women's active apparel that excels technically, yet is also perfectly suited as lifestyle attire. Nuu-Muu is a proud member of 1% for the Planet and the Conservation Alliance, and regularly supports endeavors that support strong girls and women.
MasteryTCNs newest course, WHMIS and The Global Harmonizing System Employee Training, trains employees on the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS 2015). Canadas WHMIS has been updated to include changes to comply with the UNs Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), and all Canadian workplaces will be transitioning to the updated WHMIS requirements over the next few years.

This course, with video produced by ERI Safety Videos, covers the basics on the written WHMIS plan, the Global Harmonizing System, and container labels. The course demonstrates the use of pictograms on container labels, detailing the pictograms for physical hazards, health and environmental hazards, and transportation. Signal words, hazard and precautionary statements and other label components are explained. The course concludes with lessons on safety data sheets (SDS) and personal protective equipment.

This course, published on MasteryTCNs courseware platform, is presented in HD video, and is available to take in both English and Canadian French. This course has the standard features learners prefer and expect from courses published on the MasteryTCN platform. All courses on this platform can be accessed from any device, including all smart phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Courses on the MasteryTCN platform include interactive learning assessments, and many feature closed captioning. All MasteryTCN courses are compatible with any SCORM Learning Management System.

For general information on WHMIS, visit this page on the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety website. Health Canada, the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, offers a resource on the specific dates on the transition phases for organizations to follow while moving towards meeting all WHMIS 2015 requirements.

If you are an employer looking to train your workforce, see if your current HR Cloud Service provider offers MasteryTCN courses or get a referral from us here.

About Mastery TCN

Mastery TCN is the e-learning industrys first Training Content Network. Mastery partners with leading video content providers to co-produce the largest, standardized, workplace e-learning resource library available. MasteryTCN then partners with HR Cloud Service providers to help employers obtain high-quality training resources through the vendors they already prefer. In this way Mastery fulfills its mission of helping build more successful, effective and amazing organizations.
Not only is Manchester a thriving European hub of digital and tech talent, but the city is increasingly attracting talent from around the world.

A delegation from Manchester, UK, including the BBC Connected Studio and Manchester start up Wakelet, is at SXSW this week to show off the regions credentials as a hub of creative, digital and tech talent.

The city of Manchester has innovation built into its DNA. It has invested heavily in assets and infrastructure that have quickly transformed the region into a European technology hub. With over 4,232 technology companies, Manchester is now the largest UK tech hub outside of the greater London metro scape.

Recently, the Tech Nation 2016 report revealed that Manchesters tech sector grew by 92% between 2010-2014, making it the citys fastest expanding sector. The report also identifies Manchester as having a 40% increase in turnover over the same period, a 13% increase in employment from 2011-2014, and the largest agglomeration of digital skills (51,900) outside of London.

A recent skills study from LinkedIn found that the region is becoming a major talent competitor to London. Of the 24,000 LinkedIn members that moved to Greater Manchester over the 12 months of the study, most came from London.

The first of its kind in the UK, the Greater Creators report used data from LinkedIns 600,000 Manchester members to also reveal that:



The top three skillsets Manchester is winning from London are digital marketing, user interface design, TV and video production;

Game development, theatre and drama, writing and publishing, social media marketing and TV and video production are among the top skills moving into the area overall;

Linkedin users most employable skills are social media marketing, event coordination and data mining.

Tech is Manchesters third largest sector.

Moving forward, #ProjectManchester will see the development of an Economic Graph for the city as part of a long-term strategic relationship between Greater Manchester and LinkedIn. This will be a digital map of Greater Manchesters economy that will use the workforce data held by LinkedIn to analyse Greater Manchesters labour market in specified areas and sectors.

The Economic Graph will help those already working in Greater Manchester, or those looking to work in the city region, to advance their skills and careers, as well as enabling the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deploy its resources more strategically

Josh Graff, Country Manager, LinkedIn UK commented: Our goal is to create economic opportunity for everyone in the global workforce. We have worked with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to support policy-makers with unique insights into the labor market, enabling them to reinvent their skills policy. The findings on tech skills will help shape Greater Manchesters action plan for the job growth predicted in this sector over the next decade.

Not only is Manchester a thriving European hub of digital and tech talent said Claire Braithwaite, Tech Advisor at Manchester Growth Company but the city is increasingly attracting talent from around the world.

These latest reports demonstrate what we already knew about Manchester, that its one of the most exciting places for leading digital talent in the world today. Theres real opportunity here for innovators to thrive, in addition to the infrastructure in place to ensure that the citys trajectory continues.

Some of the technology districts Manchester has developed include:

MediaCityUK

MediaCityUK is Europes largest purpose-built hub for the creative, media and tech industries. A centre for innovation, it is home to an exciting mix of world-class businesses, including global brands such as the BBC and ITV, over 200 creative and tech businesses and the University of Salfords digital campus. The site offers access to one of the most advanced communications networks in the world and the infrastructure has been developed to cater for the bandwidth-hungry requirements of businesses of the future.

Amongst the 26 BBC departments based in MediaCityUK is the Connected Studio project. Connected Studio, as part of the BBC's Research and Development department, provides the inspiration, support and platform to help keep the BBC at the cutting-edge of online innovation, and a world leader at delivering engaging, digital broadcast experiences.

Corridor Manchester

Corridor Manchester is at the heart of Manchesters knowledge economy, with an area of 243 hectares and a workforce of 58,000, generating 3bn GVA per annum. It is home to two of the UKs leading universities The University of Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University, and the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  making the Corridor not only the largest academic campus in the UK but also the largest clinical academic campus in Europe with world leading strengths including health informatics. The next 10 years sees committed and planned investment of the major institutions estimated at 1.5billion.

The CityVerve

Manchesters CityVerve Project, a collaboration with Cisco, Manchester Science Partnerships, Manchester City Council, MMU, Manchester University and Future Everything, was the winner of a 10 million, government-led technology competition. The projects goal is to improve services to citizens across the city through Internet of Things technology. The program includes initiatives such as talking bus stops, which let bus drivers know when commuters are waiting, lamp-posts which monitor air quality, and networks of sensors in park benches that encourage people to engage in more physical activity.

NOMA & The Northern Quarter

NOMA is a 20-acre mixed use redevelopment project that combines culture and commerce in a sustainable way. It is also home to the headquarters of the Co-operative Group, the UKs largest mutual group which is owned by over 8 million members and can trace its roots to Manchesters Rochdale Pioneers.

Nearby, in the Northern Quarter many formerly deprived industrial spaces are seeing new life as creative playgrounds where tech incubators, contemporary artists and bohemian culture intertwine.

The Sharp Project

The Sharp Project is home to over 60 digital entrepreneurs and production companies specialising in digital content production, digital media and TV and film production. Its based in a 200,000 sq ft refurbished warehouse previously occupied by electronics company Sharp, It offers flexible office, production and event space at affordable prices.

Attending SXSW?

Manchester can be found at Stand number 1113 at SXSW
Edge Hosting's CloudPlus Solution The fourth generation of private cloud was built with enterprise solutions in mind to provide them with what they want  high security, scalability, cost efficiency and compliance.

Edge Hosting, an international provider of secure, scalable, dependable and compliant managed hosting services, announced today the launch of the fourth generation of CloudPlus Private Cloud Infrastructure for secure Windows and Linux application hosting. CloudPlus Private Cloud is at the heart of your business, providing a reliable infrastructure foundation allowing companies to focus on their business.

The fourth generation of CloudPlus Private Cloud boasts security so stringent that Edge Hosting was recently granted a FedRAMP Provisional Authorization by the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Department of Defense to host unclassified sensitive workloads. CloudPlus Private Cloud delivers a robust and secure FedRamp, HIPAA and PCI compliant IaaS and PaaS architecture for the most demanding business critical and enterprise solutions.

Benefits of CloudPlus Private Cloud:



Cost efficient  Significant cost savings at scale over dedicated and public cloud.

Flexible  Control blade density, scheduling and auto scaling of resources.

Compliant and Secure  Stress free compliance - SSAE16 SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP, HIPAA HITECH and PCI.

Fully Managed  Leverage our team to manage just the IaaS, the OS or the entire application stack 24/7/365.

Personalized  Includes a dedicated Technical Account Manager that serves as an extension of your team.

CloudPlus was built to eliminate the complexity required to host Enterprise and SaaS applications delivering high security, scalability, cost efficiency and compliance in one package, said Vlad Friedman, Founder and CEO at Edge Hosting. Our mission is to simplify compliant business critical infrastructure and 24/7 operations enabling our customers to scale their business and bring them into new opportunities leveraging both our compliance and operations."

Edge Hostings CloudPlus is one of the first managed cloud hosting solutions to be authorized for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, or FedRAMP. CloudPlus simplifies the complex requirements of FedRAMP providing an approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. The Provisional Authorization from the DoD allows Edge Hosting to expand the CloudPlus offering into the Department of Defense space and partner with Mission Owners (MOs) for secure, scalable cloud solutions.

About Edge Hosting, LLC

Edge Hosting delivers secure, scalable, dependable and compliant managed hosting solutions for public and private organizations nationwide. With over two decades of experience, Edge offers customized public, private, and hybrid cloud environments in addition to dedicated hosting and application management. Edge Hosting has one of the most secure compliant hosting solutions that include FedRAMP, PCI, SSAE 16, and HIPAA. For more information about making the switch to Edge Hosting, please visit http://www.edgehosting.com.
Luxurious reception area of the new Springfield location Reserved Barking has experienced exponential growth since opening its first location in 2010

Reserved Barking is a doggy daycare, training center, boarding center and grooming service that already has a great reputation in Alexandria, VA. Now, theyre accepting customers at a new 15,000 square foot facility in Springfield, VA. The Grand Opening is set for Saturday, March 19th, 2016. There is still time to schedule an evaluation and to register dogs for any of the services Reserved Barking has to offer.

With its trusted tagline, WE TALK DOG. and its commitment to delivering an outstanding experience for both dogs and pet parents, Reserved Barking has experienced exponential growth since opening its first location in 2010. This doggie daycare offers much that sets it apart, from an in-depth understanding of dog behavior that guides every interaction with their charges to taking the time to ensure that every single staff member is certified and qualified to offer canine CPR & First Aid. Training programs are customized and overseen by true professionalshead trainer Brian Umbach, for example, once saw to it that Air Force explosives detection dogs were fit for duty.

Theyre also known for offering some of the cleanest facilities in Virginia, thanks to owners who have a background both in the human daycare industry and in the medical industry. Each facility has both indoor and outdoor space, and staff members are trained to deal with messes quickly and efficiently so the facilities always remain clean and sanitary.

We actually wanted to open several months ago, notes owner and behaviorist Bilal Malik, But the new facility wasnt up to our standards just yet. Were really serious about making sure dogs have a wonderful experience when they come to see usthat theyre safe, they have fun, and that theyre learning everything they need to learn to become great canine citizens. If it meant waiting a few months to provide them with that environment, thats just what it meant! However, were excited to get the Springfield location up and running at last, and look forward to meeting all our new pet parents and charges.

For more information, contact Bilal Malik, owner, Reserved Barking, at 703-337-4777, email springfield(at)reservedbarking(dot)com or visit the Reserved Barking website at http://www.reservedbarking.com.
Leonard Perlmutter - Founder, The American Meditation Institute Meditation enhances homeostatic balance and relieves burnout.

Relieving physician burnout through meditation, gentle yoga, diaphragmatic breathing and Ayurveda will be a major focus of The American Meditation Institutes (AMI) 8th Annual CME Conference on Meditation and Yoga Science. Entitled The Heart and Science of Yoga, this comprehensive physician mind/body medicine training is accredited through the Albany Medical College Office of Continuing Education. A special lecture on how to use yogic practices will be presented by long time meditators Beth Netter MD, Tony Santilli MD and Prashant Kaushik MD.

According to a recent article in Webscape News & Perspective Dr. Arthur Caplan, founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, claims that physician burnout is a public health crisis. Caplan explains that, We've got a problem in this country with doctors. It's kind of an epidemic, but no one is talking about it. It is burnout. A recent study from the Mayo Clinic showed that in 2011, 45.5% of doctors reported that they felt burned out, and that number has now risen to 54.4% in 2014. More than half of all doctors in this country are saying, I really feel that some aspect of my work as a doctor is making me feel burned out.

In an article published in a recent issue of the Burnout Research journal, Anthony Montgomery, associate professor in the Psychology of Work and Organizations at the University of Macedonia in Greece, argues that the way doctors are trained may set them up for a career of high-stress situations. One possible consequence of the high-stress can be a decrease in the quality of care that physicians provide.

Professor Montgomery maintains that that while physicians interact with people every day, their medical training and their worth as healthcare professionals are focused almost entirely on their technical capabilities, leaving them with few tools for understanding and navigating social relationships. The irony is that doctors are the one group of people we dont want to be stressed; yet we are increasing the possibility for them to make mistakes, says Montgomery. In his practice, for example, Montgomery observes that his colleagues admitted to learning communication and teamwork skills only once after beginning their medical practice.

This years American Meditation Institute Heart and Science of Yoga CME conference is dedicated to providing quality, comprehensive and evidence-based education to physicians and other health care providers. The curriculum will provide easy-to-use, practical tools to prevent and reverse the debilitating causes and effects of physician burnout. Additional curriculum lectures include mantra meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, easy-gentle yoga, Yoga psychology, meditation and neuroplasticity, PTSD, trauma, resilience, chakra system therapy, mind function optimization, epigenomics, Ayurveda, nutrition, functional medicine, and lymph system detoxification.

Each faculty member at this years CME conference is committed to the advancement and training of Yoga Science as holistic mind/body medicine. Presenters will include program director Leonard Perlmutter, AMI founder, meditational therapist and award-winning author; Mark Pettus MD, Director of Medical Education and Population Health at Berkshire Health Systems; Anthony Santilli MD, board-certified in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Prashant Kaushik MD, board-certified Rheumatologist; Sara Lazar PhD, instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and an Associate Researcher in the Psychiatry Department at Massachusetts General Hospital; Susan Lord MD, a private practice holistic physician focusing on prevention and treatment, and former course director for the The Center for Mind-Body Medicines Food As Medicine program in Washington, DC; Jesse Ritvo MD, Assistant Medical Director, Inpatient Psychiatry, University of Vermont Health Center; Beth Netter MD MT, holistic physician and acupuncturist, Albany, NY; Jyothi Bhatt BAMS, Ayurvedic practitioner and faculty member of Kripalu School of Ayurveda and Physicians Assistant at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center; and Jenness Cortez Perlmutter, faculty member of The American Meditation Institute.

Since 1995, program director Leonard Perlmutter has lectured extensively on the health benefits of meditation and yoga as mind/body medicine, including talks at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Albany Medical Center, Stratton VA Medical Center, Berkshire Medical Center, University of Colorado Medical School, University of Wisconsin School of Nursing, Washington University Medical School, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and the Commonwealth Club of California. He also served on a distinguished New York Times panel of Yoga experts with Dr. Dean Ornish. Noted physicians Mehmet Oz (Dr. Oz), Dean Ornish, Bernie Siegel and Larry Dossey have endorsed Mr. Perlmutters treatise on Yoga Science, which serves as the primary curriculum for the conference.

According to Perlmutter, The more consistently the therapeutic practices of meditation and yoga are incorporated into the daily lives of physicians and patients, most symptoms of stress related burnout and chronic complex diseases can be diminished or eliminated. Joel M. Kremer, MD, who is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology in Albany, New York and a recent AMI conference participant, fully agrees: This teaching has been an enormous benefit in my personal and professional life. I have less stress, more focus, and am able to serve my patients with greater clarity. It becomes surprisingly easy now to recognize the many clinical situations in which patients with somatic manifestations of 'dis-ease' could greatly benefit from Yoga Science.

About the American Meditation Institute

The American Meditation Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization devoted to the teaching and practice of Yoga Science, meditation and its allied disciplines as mind/body medicine. In its holistic approach to wellness, AMI combines the healing arts of the East with the practicality of modern Western science. The American Meditation Institute offers a wide variety of classes, retreats, and teacher training programs. AMI also publishes Transformation a bi-monthly journal of meditation as holistic mind/body medicine. Call 800.234.5115 for a mail or email subscription.

Media Contact:

Robert Washington

60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018

Tel: 518-674-8714

Fax: 518-674-8714
Salolampi staff say "Tervetuloa!" (Welcome!) It's a terrific opportunity for students to take advantage of one year's worth of language experience, concentrated into a one-month program, while learning about the world outside their borders in a great summer camp environment.

This summer, teenage students who attend Salolampi, a Finnish language camp operated by Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, Minnesota, will be fulfilling their high school language credit while having fun and preparing for their future as global citizens.

"Thanks to our innovative, fully-accredited program, students can earn their high school language credit in just four weeks over the summer," said Amy "Iida" Tervola-Hultberg, Salolampi Dean. "It's a terrific opportunity for students to take advantage of one year's worth of language experience, concentrated into a one-month program, while learning about the world outside their borders in a great summer camp environment."

At Salolampi, students can become proficient in a foreign language within a summer program that prides itself on providing a unique immersive experience, where native Finnish speakers encourage natural conversation. Students learn words, phrases, the history, and traditions of Finland within a beautiful lakeside camp that boasts Finnish architecture, delicious Finnish food, and fun Finnish activities.

Our goals at Salolampi is to help students learn about themselves within the context of a global framework, said Tervola-Hultberg. As a result, they are prepared to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad, and eventually be better able to compete within an increasingly globalized economy.

Indeed, the Salolampi experience has helped prepare high school student Ben Leinonen, age 16, of Atlantic Mine, Michigan. He attended Salolampi in 2015, and now he is headed to Finland this fall to study for one year.

"Participating in Salolampi's four-week summer camp enabled me to fulfill my high school language credit," said Leinonen. "In addition, this program inspired me to study abroad in Finland for my junior year, and now, I feel well-prepared to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to expand my knowledge of Finland while gaining valuable international experience."

In addition, thanks to the generosity of the Finnish-American community, significant scholarships to Salolampi are still available.

The deadline to register for camp and receive a Salolampi scholarship is April 1st. The link to register is here: http://bit.ly/1oN7I1B

More scholarships from Finlandia Foundation National are available for students who apply by May 2nd. The link to apply is here: http://bit.ly/1TDO9DU

About Salolampi Foundation

Salolampi Foundation is committed to sustaining Finnish language and culture through scholarships and funding to support the Salolampi Finnish Language Village.

About Finlandia Foundation National

Finlandia Foundation National is committed to sustaining both Finnish-American culture in the United States and the ancestral tie with Finland by raising funds for grants and scholarships, initiating innovative national programs and networking with local chapters.

About Concordia Language Villages

Concordia Language Villages, a program of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., is a recognized leader in global education offering 15 world language programs. Concordia Language Villages attracts more than 10,000 youth, educators and adults annually from all 50 states and more than 40 countries. Youth ages 7-18 and adults of all language experience levels can take advantage of on-site learning options ranging from a weekend to four weeks.

For inquiries regarding Salolampi Finnish Language Village, please contact:

Amy Iida Tervola Hultberg

atervola(at)cord(dot)edu

For inquiries regarding Finlandia Foundation National, please contact:

Kath Usitalo

kathusitalo(at)mac(dot)com

313-530-1129

For inquiries regarding Concordia Language Villages, please contact:

Lisa Steffens

steffens(at)cord(dot)edu

218-299-3247
Buttz Food Truck founder, Garrett Blinn

FireDisc Grills Founders' Griffin and Hunter Jaggard, have set a strong example to their team on the importance of giving back. They instill a strong work ethic gleaned from a hardworking family and honor those that can rise up in the wake of life challenges. They are proud supporters of the National MS Society, National Breast Care Foundation Inc. and Bridges to Life  yet they also dont forget about the local community surrounding them. Under this philanthropic leadership, its no surprise that FireDisc Executive Chef, Conor Moran, recognized a local need and quickly devised a way to help. Houston-based, beloved, Buttz Food Truck, renowned for their gourmet smoked pulled pork sandwiches (aka pork butt) burned to the ground in a fire started in the battery compartment of the vehicle.

After two highly successful years in business, Buttz Food Truck was becoming a phenomenon with great awareness and an enthusiastic following of gourmet pork butt die-hards. This momentum came to a screeching halt when the truck was horrifically damaged in the fire. However, Buttz Food Truck owner and entrepreneur, Garrett Blinn, did not roll over. Instead, he built a video telling the story of the fire and launched a crowdfunding campaign to get his mouthwatering pork back in the mouths of his fans.

To amplify the support level and help close the gap on funds needed to rebuild, FireDiscs, Chef Conor set up a fundraiser at Liberty Station and cooked his heart out in an effort to align the community in support. FireDisc Grills were set up and many a gourmet burger was indulged upon. The fundraiser offered the best for all parties, a taste test of the culinary burger delights including the amazing Blueberry, Fire and BBQ that will ultimately be added as new Buttz Food Truck menu items and FireDisc Grill raffles. Thousands were raised, bellies were full and Buttz is now a few steps closer to making the rebuild come to fruition.

To help Buttz Food Truck Rise from the Ashes, visit:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1054563932/help-buttz-return-from-the-ashes

About FireDisc Grills:

Texas-based FireDisc Grills specializes in the design and manufacturing of the worlds most the innovative, high-quality and versatile outdoor grills and accessories. The company was founded by two entrepreneurial brothers, Griffin and Hunter Jaggard, who, armed with a makeshift tractor plow disc set out on a mission to build a grill worthy of everyone from the worlds top chefs to hunters, backyard family grill masters, tailgaters and campers. FireDisc Grill products are currently sold nationally via 500+ retail locations in over 31 states and online throughout the globe.

Heavy-duty carbon steel construction render the grills indestructible, while meticulous designs yield convenient portability and ease-of-use. A rigorous Chef-tested/Chef-Approved quality assurance program enables the grills to deliver unmatched grilling characteristics, as they have been vetted by some of the worlds leading chefs. Prior to their launch of FireDisc Grills, the founders formed a non-profit to raise money and find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. To date $1M has been raised via The Carney Men Bike MS team. Community involvement is the core of the FireDisc brand in addition to the National MS Society they are proud supporters of the American Cancer Society, Wounded Warrior Project and many more.

For more information visit http://www.firediscgrills.com

Community Involvement: http://www.firediscgrills.com/company-involvement/

About Buttz Food Truck:

Buttz Food Truck started out as a desire to follow a passion. Founder Garrett Blinn graduated from culinary school, ended up working in sales, but never lost the passion for food. While living in Colorado, he soaked in the many outdoor outdoor pursuits available, but he missed Texas and smoking good BBQ. One day the idea hit him and he decided to open up a gourmet food truck specializing in smoked pulled pork sandwiches. Buttz was born. For two successful years, Buttz offered pecan smoked pork butt paired with unique ingredients to create delicious sandwiches. Customers could not resist the intoxicating smoke wafting up in the air. Its time for a Buttz comeback.

For more information visit http://www.buttzfoodtruck.com/

###

Media Contact:

Janine Robertson

Cell: 206-354-9093

firediscjanine@gmail.com

http://www.firediscgrills.com
I now go to conferences and see superintendents who were part of our first cohort in front of the room leading workshops to teach their peers. It is so exciting to see how far they have come.

The Lexington Institute, a non-profit public policy think tank focused on education reform, announced a third cohort of its highly successful national personalized learning fellowship, the Lexington Education Leadership Award (LELA) fellowship. Ten district leaders will join the 20 leaders from 12 states selected previously for this prestigious fellowship. To date, more than 100 leaders have applied to participate in this fellowship.

National interest in personalized learning has increased over the last few years, with money from organizations ranging from Mark Zuckerbergs organization to the Emerson Collective joining past funders like the Gates Foundation. The LELA fellowship is the only national initiative designed specifically to support district leaders in whole-district personalized learning implementation.

The LELA fellowship is an exciting and highly selective 6-month program designed to expose district leaders to personalized learning and facilitate the first steps to implementation. The fellowship will launch at the Education Elements Personalized Learning Summit in San Francisco in May 2016. Leaders will enter a special Summit track, meet their mentors, and participate in sessions with LELA alumni. Over the course of six months, each fellow will be assigned a consultant from Education Elements, the selected technical assistance provider that has supported nearly 100 districts in their personalized learning implementations. Leaders will participate in a series of onsite and online workshops designed to support them in developing their personalized learning vision and provide them with a framework and roadmap for a successful personalized learning implementation.

Our expectations were exceeded with both the first and second cohorts remarkable leadership and tight peer dynamic, said Don Soifer, Executive Vice-President of the Lexington Institute and founder of the fellowship program. I now go to conferences and see superintendents who were part of our first cohort in front of the room leading workshops to teach their peers. It is so exciting to see how far they have come.

The Lexington Institute has graduated one group of fellows and its second class will graduate this June. Said Christine Lay, a Cohort 1 fellow, The entire fellowship has been one of the best (if not the best) leadership experiences I have had in my entire professional career. The best part is that it is not over, we have only just begun the journey.

Applications for the third cohort of the Lexington Education Leadership Award fellowship are due at midnight PST on April 10th and can be found here.
TwelveStone Health Partners, a leader in providing patient support in the post-acute care environment including pharmacy and a wide range of medical supplies and services, has named Cannon Loughry as chief operating officer.

Cannon is an outstanding leader and skilled executive with a strong IT background, says Shane Reeves, president and CEO of TwelveStone. Ill be relying on his operational expertise as we continue our expansion efforts into all 95 Tennessee counties.

Loughry will be responsible for developing corporate strategy and encouraging process optimization across all divisions of the medical service and pharmacy company.

Prior to being named chief operating officer, Loughry was the vice president of information services for TwelveStones predecessor company, Reeves-Sain Family of Medical Services. He joined the organization in 2012 from Microsoft, where he was a healthcare technology strategist for Microsofts healthcare industry accounts in Tennessee for four years.

Loughry also has a background in banking, having served nine years as chief information officer for Cavalry Banking, which was acquired by Pinnacle Financial Partners where he held the same position for three years.

About TwelveStone Health Partners

TwelveStone Health Partners incorporates the objective of glorifying God into its mission by delivering a higher level of service to partners and patients. As an organization, TwelveStone supports the transition from acute to post-acute care environments and the transition from sickness to health. This is the third evolution in the companys history, beginning in 1980 when Richard Reeves and Ronald Powell created a single retail pharmacy location then called Reeves Powell Saveway Drug Store. In 1994 Shane Reeves and Rick Sain launched Reeves-Sain and over 20 years grew the organization to include seven companies. In 2015 Reeves Sain Drug Store, Inc., a retail pharmacy, and its specialty pharmacy, EntrustRx were sold to Freds, Inc. In 2016 Shane Reeves launched TwelveStone Health Partners with the objective of continuing to pursue the highest professional, business and community goals set forth by its founders.
GEORGE PERRIS SENSATIONAL NEW YORK DEBUT! Perris needs no help to win over an audience... his charm was infectious!! BroadwayWorld

George Perris, Greek-French pop sensation and Decca Records/Universal Music recording artist, will tour the US for the first time in 2016 in support of his album Picture This and his PBS Concert Special Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center.

His debut Public Television concert special was filmed live at a sold-out performance at the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City and was broadcast nationally on PBS starting December 2015, reaching more than 45% of the country, 120 million viewers and more than 400 airings of the Special!

Perris will bring his Picture This Tour to the US and Canada after a successful international tour with performances in more than 30 cities around the world, including Athens, Sydney, Melbourne, Bangkok, Moscow and Istanbul.

The performance is a multilingual experience that includes songs from his latest album Picture This as well as standards in French, English, Greek and Spanish from the artists repertoire.

Picture This represents Perris first collaboration with a host of global producers, writers, arrangers and mixers including Mark Portmann (Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion), Marco Marinangeli (Josh Groban, Il Divo), Simon Hale (Bjork, Tina Arena), and Smidi (Coldplay, Haim). This fresh approach to adult pop, which also features the participation of The Prague Symphony Orchestra, was released by Decca Records/Universal Music globally and RED / Sony Music in the USA.

George Perris supports the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, honoring the accomplishments of individuals who have achieved great success in spite of adversity since 1947. The Horatio Alger Association provides need based scholarships assisting youths to pursue their dreams through higher education. Information at http://www.horatioalger.org

GEORGE PERRIS MAKES SENSATIONAL NEW YORK DEBUT! The hot young Greek-French tenor, was in superb form at the Allen Room! [...] Perris needs no help to win over an audience [...] his tone is at once beautiful and thoughtful [...] his self effacing charm was infectious [...] He had the audience swaying with tear-filled eyes.

Broadway World

TOUR DATES:

04/22/16 Oakmont, PA - The Oaks Theater

04/24/16 Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater

04/27/16 Chicago, IL - City Winery

04/28/16 Roanoke, VA - Jefferson Center

04/29/16 Annapolis, MD - Rams Head on Stage

05/01/16 Folsom, CA - Harris Center

For more information please visit:

http://www.georgeperris.com

http://www.facebook.com/georgeperrisofficial
Our new site is an extension of our deeper overall marketing plan  to help more people have more babies.

Donor Concierge is proud to announce the launch of its redesigned website, http://www.donorconcierge.com for intended parents searching for an egg donor and/or surrogate to complete their family.

The site continues to provide a wealth of information about finding an egg donor, gestational carrier or sperm donor, with a number of new features. Intended parents can quickly schedule a consultation with Gail Sexton Anderson, an industry leader in third party fertility and founder of Donor Concierge.

Working in this industry for twenty years, Ive seen a lot of changes, says Gail Sexton Anderson. What doesnt change is the need for intended parents to have an advocate in finding egg donors and surrogates, and support them throughout their journey to parenthood. Our new site is an extension of our deeper overall marketing plan  to help more people have more babies.

The company continues a trend of increased growth, with clients from all over the world engaging its services to secure an egg donor and surrogate. Key features include a direct consultation request button, informational videos, articles on industry leaders and regular blog posts about egg donation and surrogacy.

Says Anderson, Were uniquely placed in the fertility industry in that we are not an agency. We are a search service, but we also play a huge role in advocating for our clients as they try to find someone to fill that genetic role in their family.

Anderson and her team work with over 100 egg donor and surrogacy agencies, as well as fertility clinics, sperm banks, family law attorneys, mental health professionals and genetic counselors. The companys increased growth over the past 5 years is a direct result of customer satisfaction and successful match rates of almost 90 percent.

Donor Concierge has an unmatched record of success, helping countless intended parents find their ideal egg donor or surrogate. The new site design highlights the organizations key benefits of advocacy, choice, efficiency and expertise, and will provide greater reach and accessibility to a rapidly growing international client-base, added Dov Radzik, CEO of IV Interactive, the healthcare marketing agency responsible for the launch.

About Donor Concierge

Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Donor Concierge finds egg donors and surrogates, helping international and US-based intended parents have the baby they always wanted. Each unique search includes more than 100 trusted agencies around the country for hard-to-find egg donors or surrogates. Clients find who they are looking for within 2-4 weeks so that they can begin their fertility treatment faster than when working on their own. With a team of 7 trained case managers, Donor Concierge has an unmatched track record of outstanding results matching the right donor and surrogates with intended parents. With 20 years' experience, Donor Concierge knows where to find the egg donor or surrogate mother you're looking for.

For more information about Donor Concierge visit: http://www.donorconcierge.com
10 Lessons Learned from the 2016 Green Industry Benchmark Report With more than 40 pages and 60 charts, the Benchmark Report is the most comprehensive report ever produced about the green industry. The goal in this webinar is to boil down that data to 10 key findings that will help businesses grow and improve.

HindSite Software, the premier provider of field service software to the green industry, recently announced a new webinar designed to help businesses understand the results of a recent survey of green industry businesses. Scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, 10 Lessons from the 2016 Green industry Benchmark Report, will analyze data from the recently released 2016 Green Industry Benchmark Survey.

The 2016 Green Industry Benchmark Report is the culmination of a two-month-long surveying effort that reflects the opinions of hundreds of green industry business owners and managers who provide services including landscaping, irrigation service and installation, mowing, fertilizing and snow removal. This is the fourth year HindSite has released the Green Industry Benchmark Report.

Theres a wealth of great data in the 2016 Green Industry Benchmark Report, explains HindSites Marketing Manager, Chad Reinholz. With more than 40 pages and 60 charts, its the most comprehensive report ever produced about the green industry. Our goal in this webinar is to boil down that data to 10 key findings that will help businesses grow and improve.

Among the topics covered in the webinar include:



Why the data shows you need to offer more than just new hire training to your employees.

Why hiring in a green industry business is difficult - and what tactics those who find it easy to find employees use.

What to focus on as your business grows.

What three marketing tactics most correlate to growth.

And a lot more!

The feedback from the Green Industry Benchmark Report has been exceptional, explains Reinholz. There were some obvious takeaways from the data that we want to share with green industry businesses.

The ten lessons will be presented over the course of 45 minutes and will be followed by a 15 minute question and answer session. Green industry business owners interested in attending the free webinar can register at http://info.hindsitesoftware.com/10-lessons-from-the-2016-green-industry-benchmark-report-webinar

About HindSite Software

HindSite Software has helped contractors better manage and grow their business with field service software since 2001. Initially designed as irrigation business software, HindSite today assists service businesses with scheduling and billing, contact management, field data collection, and invoicing in QuickBooks, and Sage50. When used by lawn care businesses, this paperless lawn care software has been proven to increase efficiency and organization, meaning greater profit potential with less administrative time.
I am proud to be part of the Certrec team and look forward to assisting clients with efficient solutions to regulatory challenges that meet their business needs and maintain regulatory confidence. ~ Fred Madden

Certrec, a leading licensing and regulatory compliance service provider that supports NRC and NERC compliance, announced today that Mr. Fred Madden has joined Certrecs team as a Senior Project Manager.

Mr. Madden recently retired as a Director of External Affairs from Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant and has over 40 years of experience in the areas of Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Emergency Preparedness, Security, Quality Assurance and Project Management.

I am proud to be part of the Certrec team and look forward to assisting clients with efficient solutions to regulatory challenges that meet their business needs and maintain regulatory confidence" stated Madden.

New plant efforts, license extensions, power uprates, industry events, and environmental considerations are constantly driving change in the licensing process, says Ted Enos, Certrec President. A large percentage of experienced nuclear professionals are reaching retirement age. As such, Certrecs team becomes an essential support service to help replace lost expertise and to support ever-shrinking licensing and compliance staffs.

Fred Madden brings more than 40 years of regulatory affairs, engineering, emergency preparedness, security, quality assurance and project management experience to Certrec. A 35-year veteran of Comanche Peak, Fred was involved in the original construction and startup of the plant and supported operations in a variety of responsibilities. Additionally, he spent two years in Washington, DC as a loaned employee to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

We are excited that such a noted nuclear expert as Fred Madden has chosen to join the Certrec Team. His 40 plus years of broad regulatory experience in such areas as diverse as Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Emergency Preparedness, and Security will greatly enhance Certrecs pool of expertise and its ability to further support our customers needs, Enos notes.

Founded in 1988, Certrec is an engineering and technology based organization providing regulatory support services in the electric power industry. With over 1,000 cumulative years of direct industry experience (including nuclear, fossil, and renewables), Certrec has developed exceptional capabilities to support regulatory activities emanating from regulatory entities such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) , North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Regional Entities (NERC) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and others regulatory agencies. Certrec's Office of Licensing and Compliance (OLC), Office of Assessment and Recovery (OAR), Office of NERC Compliance (ONC), and Office of New Plant (ONP) services are used by utilities and entities across the United States to help manage the regulatory process to their advantage.

Certrec offers support from highly skilled and experienced industry professionals including degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Nuclear). Additionally Certrec's staff has multiple degreed personnel in physics, communications, a variety of MBAs, and information technology. This highly skilled team of personnel has direct working experience in all regulatory areas of licensing, compliance, and engineering including nuclear, fossil, and renewable generation and transmission.

For over 25 years, Certrec has been utilizing its hundreds of years of industry experience to help clients develop and manage solutions to complex regulatory issues. Combining this direct industry experience with Certrec's Information Technology assets has led to development of technology-based solutions and tools directly targeted to the electric power industry and specifically focused on helping clients manage regulatory issues.
Guests can order the Farmhouse Feast at any Bob Evans Restaurant through Easter Sunday.

This Easter, Bob Evans invites guests to Discover Farm-Fresh Goodness by celebrating a hassle-free holiday with friends and family at its restaurants. For those looking for a complete meal to enjoy at home, Bob Evans is also offering its popular Farmhouse Feast again this year.

Easter is quickly approaching and busy families everywhere are looking for a stress-free way to celebrate, but still have an affordable, family-style experience, said Matt Harsh, vice president of brand marketing at Bob Evans. We want families to know that Bob Evans is here to help with the cooking  whether youre looking to dine-in at one of our restaurants or enjoy a complete meal at home.

Dine-In for a stress-free Easter Brunch

Bob Evans invites guests to start new family traditions by dining at a Bob Evans restaurant on Easter for a delicious holiday meal with family and friends. On Easter, Bob Evans will open at 6 a.m.* and will offer brunch menu items all day, starting at $4.99. Bob Evans best-in-class breakfast includes guest favorites, such as Farmers Choice Breakfast with Cherry Brioche French Toast, its served with two cooked-to-order eggs, a farmhouse side, and a breakfast meat; and Border Scramble Omelet, a spicy pepper-jack cheese omelet smothered with a blend of Bob Evans sausage, home fries, diced tomatoes and onions in a zesty ranchero sauce.

Recently, Bob Evans launched Best-in-Class Breakfast, a breakfast menu relaunch that uses farm-fresh ingredients, including fresh, never frozen Bob Evans sausage, fresh-cracked eggs from Midwestern farms, 100 percent Florida orange juice, fresh-cut potatoes, and freshly brewed coffee from 100 percent Arabica beans. Furthermore, Bob Evans was recently named Americas best breakfast restaurant, according to a survey conducted by Market Force.

The Farmhouse Feast, a Bob Evans Easter Meal at Home

For families who still want to enjoy a farm-fresh, homestyle meal from Bob Evans, but want to celebrate in their homes, Bob Evans will once again offer the popular Farmhouse Feast, which must be ordered in advance. The meal includes hickory smoked ham served with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and ham, buttered sweet corn, coleslaw, rolls and lemon supreme pie. This meal can feed a family of four for $49.99* or a family of eight for $79.99*, which includes a loaf of banana nut bread. Additional servings may be added a la carte.

Guests can order the Farmhouse Feast at any Bob Evans Restaurant or http://www.bobevans.com/our-restaurants/easter and schedule their own pick-up date through Easter Sunday. The meals are fresh and made-to-order, but quantities are limited, so ordering early is highly recommended.

The Farmhouse Feast allows families to enjoy a wholesome, delicious meal without the fuss and time consuming preparation and post-meal clean-up, said Harsh. And most importantly, its a great value for families who would rather spend time with each other than in the kitchen during the holiday.

For more information and restaurant locations, visit http://www.BobEvans.com.

# # #

About Bob Evans Farms, Inc.

Bob Evans Farms, Inc. owns and operates full-service restaurants under the Bob Evans Restaurants brand name. At the end of the third fiscal quarter (January 22, 2016), Bob Evans Restaurants owned and operated 548 family restaurants in 18 states, primarily in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. Bob Evans Farms, Inc., through its BEF Foods segment, is also a leading producer and distributor of refrigerated side dishes, pork sausage and a variety of refrigerated and frozen convenience food items under the Bob Evans and Owens brand names. For more information about Bob Evans Farms, Inc., visit http://www.bobevans.com.

*Price and hours may vary by market.
Vertebral Technologies, Inc. (VTI), a spine company focused on developing minimally invasive (MIS), modular solutions for painful spine conditions, announces and welcomes the new hire of Brian Thron as Marketing Director effective February 27, 2016. Thron will lead and drive the strategy around the marketing of all VTIs products and its business initiatives.

Throns marketing background brings a foundational, growth and commercialization oriented focus consistent with the companys strategic objectives. Im excited about the opportunity to join the VTI team to bring our innovative products to the attention of more surgeons. says Thron.

Thron will be working on core messaging, awareness and user outreach within VTIs commercialization efforts.

We are excited to have Mr. Thron join the VTI team as Marketing Director. As VTI continues to grow, I know his marketing knowledge & expertise are exactly what we need to get our products to the next level! says Chief Financial Officer Trevor Lee.

About Vertebral Technologies, Inc.

Vertebral Technologies, Inc. (VTI) is a privately held company based in Minnetonka, MN, USA. VTI is dedicated to the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of medical devices to address painful conditions of the spine through less-invasive surgical approaches. Founded in 2005, VTIs products utilize its unique modular-assembly technology to deliver solutions optimized for both surgeons and their patients. VTI has sold over 7,000 InterFuse modular interbody fusion devices worldwide to-date.

For more information visit, http://www.vti-spine.com or contact Trevor Lee at marketing(at)vti-spine(dot)com or +1.952-912-5400.
SemaConnect is the leading provider of electric vehicle amenities to the North American commercial and residential property market The new electric vehicle charging stations provide a convenience to our tenants and guests, and also reflect Lowes ongoing commitment to pursuing sustainable practices that protect our environment

Lowe Enterprises, a national real estate investment, development and management firm, has installed two SemaConnect electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the Stanford Place II office building located at 7979 Tufts Avenue in the North Denver Tech Center in Denver, Colorado. The stations will be offered as an amenity to tenants in the building and will also be available to the public.

The new electric vehicle charging stations provide a convenience to our tenants and guests, and also reflect Lowes ongoing commitment to pursuing sustainable practices that protect our environment, said Richard G. Newman, II, CEO of Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group.

Lowe Enterprises acquired and operates the 17-story, 366,184 square foot Stanford Place II building on behalf of an investment client. The stations are located in the building parking garage on level A. The company has installed creative signage and green stripes to distinguish the two parking spots as EV Parking Only. To park at the stations, drivers will need to pay a small parking fee of $1/hr for the first 4 hours and $8/hr for any additional parking time.

Our stations are a perfect fit for the Stanford Place II, said Don MacNeil, Director of Sales at SemaConnect. As a leader in commercial real estate, Lowe Enterprises realizes that the installation of charging stations will set their buildings apart. The addition of our charging stations will add a unique amenity that will draw tenants to the workplace and members of the public to the building.

This is the second time Lowe and SemaConnect have worked together to provide eco-friendly transportation options; Lowe also selected SemaConnect to install a charging station at its 1400 Crystal office building in suburban Washington, DC.

Lowe Enterprises established its Denver office in 1985 and currently oversees approximately 600,000 square feet of commercial properties in the area. Lowes focus on creating innovative and lasting environments where people can live, work and play is highlighted by the addition of SemaConnect charging stations.

About SemaConnect

SemaConnect is the leading provider of electric vehicle amenities to the North American commercial and residential property market. A complete EV support partner, SemaConnect delivers a truly modern property experience through innovative, elegantly designed charging stations and a robust and open network. The company has helped maximize property value and appeal through thousands of successful Class A deployments since its founding in 2008, for companies like CBRE, JLL, Hines, Greystar, Cisco Systems, and Standard Parking. SemaConnect remains the preferred charging solutions partner to municipal, parking, multifamily, hotel, office and retail customers across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.semaconnect.com.

About Lowe Enterprises

Los Angeles-based Lowe Enterprises is a leading national real estate investment, development and management firm. Over the past 43 years, it has developed, acquired or managed $24 billion of real estate assets nationwide. Lowe is currently responsible for more than $5.5 billion of commercial, hospitality and residential assets. In addition to its Los Angeles headquarters, Lowe Enterprises maintains regional offices in Southern California, Northern California, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, DC. http://www.loweenterprises.com
Become a #LOFTee APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 18th, 2016 | AG Bell LOFT has taught me how to speak in public, leadership skills and self-advocacy. LOFT has changed my life and I feel that I can become a more independent person. Everything I learned in LOFT will help me in the future years. - LOFT Teen Participant

As students from across the nation begin to take action towards their futures, the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) has begun accepting applications for its annual Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT) program. This innovative program is helping deaf and hard of hearing teens who listen and talk to develop their leadership skills in building self-advocacy, teamwork, public speaking and self-confidence.

The LOFT program now supports 40 teens in two sessions on June 26  June 30, 2016 and July 5  July 9, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. Through group leadership activities, and team building exercises these teens will develop newfound skills and explore and develop untapped talents. LOFT teens use the skills they gained at LOFT to advocate for themselves in high school, college and in their workplace and to change the public perception of what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing today.

One LOFT participant said, LOFT has taught me how to speak in public, leadership skills and self-advocacy. LOFT has changed my life and I feel that I can become a more independent person. Everything I learned in LOFT will help me in future years. These group leadership activities, policy debate, team building exercises and the celebratory reception will help them reach their highest level of potential, explore and develop untapped talents and builds an everlasting bond with peers. Another LOFT member stated, I gained lifelong friends, learned from the experiences of others and connected with teens like me.

AG Bell makes LOFT financially accessible to families through the generosity of sponsors and donors. For those families who are challenged by the cost, AG Bell offers scholarships.

Catharine McNally, AG Bell board member and LOFT counselor, stresses the importance of staying current with technological trends as a way to develop spoken language and provides tips and strategies to the teens to help them tap into the benefits of technology. Watch her YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-pgxssm3I.

The biggest thing about the LOFT program is that these teenagers really begin to ignite their sense for advocacy and really be able to stand up for themselves and be responsive and proactive when they go home and apply it.

Two LOFT sessions will be held in Denver, Colorado:

SESSION ONE: June 26  June 30, 2016 (20 teens)

SESSION TWO: July 5  July 9, 2016 (20 teens)

Applications must be received by AG Bell by March 18, 2016. For more information, visit http://agbellloft.com/application-process/.

For students that enroll in this camp, they are referred to affectionately as LOFTees. We encourage our students, parents and counselors to track and follow their experience on social media platforms by using the hashtag #LOFTEE. This way we can share this unique program and opportunity with others across the globe.

#######

Founded in 1890 by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, a noted teacher of the deaf, scientist, and inventor, the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) is the worlds oldest and largest membership organization promoting the use of listening and spoken language by children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) helps families, health care providers and education professionals understand childhood hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Through advocacy, education and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive. With chapters located in the United States and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell supports its mission: Advancing Listening and Spoken Language for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Visit http://www.agbell.org.

For more information about AG Bell, please contact us at (202) 337-5220 or visit our website at http://www.agbell.org. For more information about the LOFT program, visit http://agbellloft.com/. .
The key to our success has always been passion. We selected Centric Software because they share our passion for fashion, which makes them proactive. They understood our business right away and came up with solutions tailored to our needs.

Centric Software announces that Varner, one of Scandinavias leading retail textile companies, has selected Centric 8 PLM (product lifecycle management) to support its growth strategy across Europe. Varner and their suppliers will use the complete Centric 8 PLM suite, including Centrics mobile apps for PLM. Centric is the leading PLM for fashion, retail, luxury and consumer goods companies.

Founded in 1962, by Frank Varner, Varner has been running stores over 50 years. The family-owned company rapidly grew into an international business, one of Northern- Europes largest textile companies, and can pride itself on having 1,500 stores across 8 countries today: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Poland, Germany and Austria.

80% of the revenue of this  1.3 billion fashion retailer comes from their private label brands and concepts such as Dressmann, Cubus and Bik Bok. In addition, Varner owns Volt, which includes licensing for J Lindeberg, Diesel and Private label for These Glory Days as well as the jeans concept retailer Carlings, Levis Stores Scandinavia, and Nike Retail Stores Scandinavia.

Varner seeked a PLM provider to support their fast-paced expansion across Europe. Centrics fashion expertise, solutions and customer references made the difference.

The key to our success has always been passion. We selected Centric Software because they share our passion for fashion, which makes them proactive. They understood our business right away and came up with solutions tailored to our needs, says yvind Bustnes, Varner CEO.

Varner will use Centric to improve assortment by geography and concept. Centric 8 PLM is a comprehensive tool that matches the way we map our processes. Centric 8 PLM will allow us to better align development, planning and sourcing across our organization. It will also provide better data visibility to help us create quality products and control margins to keep our competitive advantage on the market, continues Ole Martin Holt-Jacobsen, Head of Business Applications at Varner.

Centrics local presence was another key differentiator. Building a Nordic organization with a skilled team close to our office was also critical. We share a cultural fit and we know Centric teams are there to support us, adds yvind Bustnes.

We are proud to call Varner, a key fashion retailer player in Scandinavia, a partner and we look forward to taking them a step further in their growth ambitions, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. This partnership cements Centrics expansion across Europe and in particular, within the Scandinavian market.

Varner (http://www.varner.com)

Varner is one of Scandinavias leading textile companies, with close to 11,000 employees. Our 1,500 stores represent us in eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Poland, Germany and Austria. Varner is comprised of the concepts Bik Bok, Carlings, Cubus, Dressmann, Dressmann XL, Urban, Vivikes, Volt, Wow, Solo, Levis Store, Nike Store and Denim & Supply. Frank Varner founded the privately owned family business in 1962, which is now owned by the second and third generation, and led by Petter, Marius, and Joakim Varner.

Centric Software, Inc. (http://www.centricsoftware.com)

From its headquarters in Silicon Valley and offices in trend capitals around the world, Centric Software builds technologies for the most prestigious names in fashion, retail, footwear, luxury and consumer goods. Its flagship product lifecycle management (PLM) platform, Centric 8, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, business planning, quality and collection management functionality tailored for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric Cloud packages extended PLM including innovative technology and key industry learnings tailored for small businesses.

Centric Software has received multiple industry awards, including the Frost & Sullivan Global Product Differentiation Excellence Award in Retail, Fashion and Apparel PLM. Red Herring named Centric to its Top 100 Global list in 2013 and 2015.

Centric is a registered trademark of Centric Software. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Media Contacts:

Centric Software

Americas: Jennifer Forsythe, Centric Software, jforsythe(at)centricsoftware(dot)com

Europe: Maria teresa Rubino, Simply MOD, +39 389 457 3163, mariateresarubino(at)simplymod(dot)it

Asia: Emilie Gao, Centric Software, +86 186 1651 9769, egao(at)centricsoftware(dot)com

Varner

Press Contact: Julie Eckhardt, Varner, Julie.eckhardt(at)varner(dot)com
Most surgeons do not take into account the patients parameters pre-operatively simply because no appropriate solution was offered before. Now with UNiD, surgeons can focus on executing their surgical plan without compromise or approximation.

MEDICREA (Alternext Paris: FR0004178572-ALMED), the leading medical device company for developing patient-specific solutions for the treatment of spinal conditions) has announced the groundbreaking UNiD Lab Services have been used in more than 500 surgeries worldwide. UNiD Lab Services include a real-time support team to surgeons in the pre-operative planning of spinal procedures, order fulfillment for the companys UNiD patient-specific spinal rod and a detailed post-operative analysis.

With UNiDs precisely customized rods, surgeons can perform spinal surgery more accurately, efficiently, and safely using the surgeons design from UNiDs pre-operative planning and analysis phase. The patient-specific rods are available in two alloys (Titanium TA6V ELI/Cobalt Chromium) and two diameters (5.5 mm/6 mm), matching global standards. Eliminating the archaic method of manually bending rods in the operating room, UNiD provides a unique surgical solution to traditional spinal surgery.

In addition to its patient-specific rods, UNiD offers a team of experts trained in X-ray analysis, sagittal alignment, and the latest clinical data in spinal correction, who prepare a series of documents for the surgeon and the designated hospital staff. The pre-operative documents are provided to the surgeon and can be filed directly in the patients medical record. The documents are also reviewed at the start of every surgery to align the operating room team on the strategy chosen by the surgeon. Post-operatively, UNiD Lab Services provide analysis of each surgical procedure and the surgeons case series, including a comparison with normative data to provide the benefit of data analysis to the surgeon and ultimately the patient.

Denys Sournac, Founder, CEO and Chairman of MEDICREA, states, The importance of individual sagittal alignment parameters in achieving superior long-term clinical outcomes has been demonstrated by leading research groups in the USA and published in peer-reviewed journals. Despite a growing body of evidence, most surgeons do not take into account the patients parameters pre-operatively simply because no appropriate solution was offered by the medical device industry before MEDICREA introduced the UNiD platform and associated services, including the UNiD Lab. Now, surgeons can focus on executing their surgical plan without compromise or approximation.

The UNiD Lab Services enhance MEDICREAs commitment to the development of personalized implants and surgeon-specific services for patient-specific needs in the treatment of spinal pathologies. The unique ability to collect, centralize and analyze large amounts of anonymous clinical data from surgical centers worldwide helps better understand the correlation between sagittal parameters and clinical outcomes as well as the efficiency of various surgical strategies for differentiating patients.

With the rapid adoption of UNiD across the world and overwhelmingly positive feedback from surgeons, MEDICREAs 500th surgery milestone with the UNiD patient-specific rod is a testament to the the companys position as an industry innovator. We expect the continued adoption of this technology to become the standard of care for patients undergoing spinal surgery, continues Sournac. At MEDICREA, we envision that all patients will soon request the complete pre-operative analysis of their spinopelvic parameters, offered by the UNiD Lab, to allow their surgeon to thoroughly analyze their condition and plan the appropriate treatment.

Dr. Peter G. Passias, an Orthopaedic surgeon in New-York, performed the 500th UNiD surgery and commented, I have been using the UNiD rod and services consistently over the last year because this fulfills my obligation of means to deliver superior patient outcome through proper planning and respect of sagittal parameters. Bending a straight rod during OR time is a technique of the past and is at best a guess of whether we have obtained our surgical goals. Further it is not accurate, not repeatable and contributes to a loss of surgery time. I suspect other surgeons will continue this trend towards pre-operative customized design of the surgical rods in complex deformity cases.

MEDICREA is also actively working to extend its platform of UNiD personalized products, notably into the cervical spine, with more on this later in 2016. We are working to expand the indications-for-use to provide more patients with the opportunity to benefit from UNiD, which is now possible through a variety of new technologies, like 3D printing, big data analysis and other proprietary processes we have developed internally, Sournac stated. It is our mission to deliver personalized spine services and products to surgeons that will result in meaningful improvements to patient care.

UNiD patient-specific rods complement MEDICREAs PASS LP thoraco-lumbar fixation system, present in a worldwide market segment estimated at $3.6 billion. The PASS LP system is already used by numerous spine surgeons in 35 countries, especially in the United States where PASS LP accounts for the majority of MEDICREA USA Corporations sales. In the next months, MEDICREA plans to complete its PASS LP portfolio with a range of tulip screws, the most commonly used screws in thoraco-lumbar fixation surgeries. MEDICREA will be able to address the needs of surgeons worldwide, anticipating to increase market penetration of its UNiD platform.

Next publication: 2015 annual results, on April 6, 2016 (after market)

Visit our http:// media partners page here.

ABOUT MEDICREA (http://www.MEDICREA.COM)

The MEDICREA Group specializes in the design, manufacture, and distribution of innovative proprietary technologies devoted exclusively to spinal surgery. Operating in a $10 billion market, MEDICREAs headquarters are based near Lyon, France with an implant and surgical instrument manufacturing facility located in La Rochelle, France, and four distribution subsidiaries in the USA, the UK, France and Germany.

Partnering with some of the most visionary and creative spine surgeons in France, the UK, and the USA, the products developed and patented by MEDICREA provide neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons with new and less-invasive surgical solutions that are faster and easier to implement than traditional techniques.

MEDICREA has also become a pioneer and global leader in the manufacturing of customized implants for personalized spinal surgery incorporating software analysis of each patient, pre-operative planning of the surgical strategy, and production of customized spinal osteosynthesis rods (UNiD rod) and lumbar interbody osteosynthesis cages (UNiD ALIF cage) that are made to measure by a 3D printer.

CONTACTS:

MEDICREA

Denys Sournac, Founder, Chairman and CEO

dsournac(at)medicrea(dot)com

Fabrice Kilfiger, Chief Financial Officer

fkilfiger(at)medicrea(dot)com

Tel: +33 (0)4 72 01 87 87

MEDIA

Russell Ward for MEDICREA

Russell(at)theconfluencegroup(dot)com

Tel: +1 310 424 8356

NewCap.

Investor Relations & Strategic Communications

Tristan Roquet Montegon

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 16

medicrea(at)newcap(dot)fr

MEDICREA is listed on ALTERNEXT Paris

ISIN: FR 0004178572  Ticker: ALMED
Dr. Norman Anderson eMindful Senior Scientific Advisor we believe that the adoption of mindfulness in the workplace will continue to accelerate, and that within five years 80 percent of the top 500 employers will have mindfulness-based resiliency programs in place, said Kelley McCabe Ruff, CEO eMindful Past News Releases RSS

eMindful, the leading provider of live, online mindfulness programs for employers, will host researchers from Humana Inc. and a partner from Bridge Builders Collaborative in presenting results of applied mindfulness programs across dozens of employers. The panel discussion will be held at The Conference Boards 16th Annual Employee Healthcare Conference Thursday, March 17, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego.

Norman Anderson, PhD, senior scientific advisor to eMindful, will provide a broad overview of the status of scientific findings on mindfulness." Dr. Anderson is the immediate past CEO of the American Psychological Association.

Kevin Renner, eMindful senior vice president, will share results from eMindfuls analysis of several dozen companies with a sample of more than 2,000 employees in the U.S. and abroad. It is the only known research of its kind to span findings on workplace mindfulness programs across more than four years and dozens of companies, while using a diverse set of scientifically validated research instruments.

Over the past year eMindfuls innovative approach with large health plans has been noted by CBS This Morning, The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, and the Harvard Business Review.

Anne Wallace, PhD, principal researcher of Science & Analytics for Wellness for Humana, will discuss Humanas findings on the impact that the companys program has had on stress, sleep quality, tobacco cessation, and weight, among other areas.

Charlie Hartwell, Operating Partner of Bridge Builders Collaborative, a group of investors focused on the mind-training space, will facilitate the panel presentation.

We look forward to presenting these scientifically validated findings, said eMindful CEO Kelley McCabe Ruff. We take an unsurpassed approach to rigor in the research we conduct and the analysis behind the growing business case for mindfulness.

From our vantage point with employers, benefits consultants, employee assistance program providers and others, we believe that the adoption of mindfulness in the workplace will continue to accelerate, and that within five years 80 percent of the top 500 employers will have mindfulness-based resiliency programs in place, Ruff said.

Willis Towers Watson recently reported that stress (at 78 percent) and obesity (75 percent) are the two greatest workforce risks that employers report facing. Research by ComPsych, in its latest annual StressPulse, reports similar findings. And Harris Interactive, in its most recent Work Stress Survey, found an alarming jump in employees reporting they were stressed at work, with the percentage increasing from 73 percent to 83 percent in one year.

Stress is of concern for employers because it is associated with costly medical risk factors such as heart disease, depression, elevated cholesterol levels, and obesity, among others. It can also lead to costly employee burnout, productivity loss, and turnover. One study found that 72 percent of employees lose productive time (from 15 minutes to more than an hour) each day due to stress, and that more than four in 10 employees miss work three days or more per year because of stress.

Click here to learn more the about the 16th Annual Employee Healthcare Conference. eMindful will present at the conference beginning at 9:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. The Forum takes place at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, CA.

About eMindful

eMindful provides rigorously researched mindfulness programs to improve employee well-being and reduce modifiable health cost drivers, including stress, metabolic syndrome, smoking, diabetes, cancer, and chronic pain. It is the only company providing these programs globally and on a scalable basis through live, online classrooms.

The companys evidence-based programs have been adopted by leading employers and insurers, such as Florida Power & Light, Aetna, State of Arizona employees and Humana Inc. The companys Mindfulness at Work program was recognized by the National Business Group on Health, which awarded Aetna a distinction for the Best Stress Management Intervention program.

To learn more about eMindful or how to participate in a mindfulness program, visit http://www.emindful.com
Pictured: FNU Chief Operations Officer Shelley Aldridge, FNU Dean of Nursing Julie Marfell, KyUMH Exec Director Reverend Randy Coy, FNU President Susan Stone and FNU VP Finance Michael Steinmetz Through our Kentucky expansion we will develop additional capacity to serve students. We could not have asked for a better location for continuing our mission than the rural site of KyUMH, a not-for profit, mission-based organization like ours.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced today that it will expand the schools Kentucky-based facilities in 2017, through the purchase of a new property that currently belongs to the Kentucky United Methodist Homes for Children & Youth (KyUMH). FNU has entered into an agreement to purchase the facility, located at 2050 Lexington Road in nearby Versailles, in response to growth in student enrollment and programming. The university has a long-standing mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners.

Frontier Nursing University students travel to Kentucky from across the U.S. to attend orientations and education sessions in preparation for online coursework and clinical experience. The growth in enrollment over the last decade from 200 to more than 1600 students has prompted this new development. FNU currently admits approximately 800 new students each year and in 2015 graduated 565 nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. FNUs current operations include the historic campus in Hyden, Ky., the Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn, a retreat center and national historic landmark, and two administrative office locations in Lexington.

The first administrative office opened in Lexington in 1996 and currently employs 44 faculty and staff. We are expanding our central Kentucky operations by moving our administrative office to Versailles where we will develop additional capacity to serve students. We could not have asked for a better location for continuing our mission than the rural site of the KyUMH, a not-for-profit, mission-based organization like ours. Frontier Nursing University will leverage this property in new ways, but with the same focus on improving health and wellness for families in Kentucky and beyond, said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone.

Reverend Randy Coy, President/CEO of KyUMH stated, We couldnt be happier about the contract between KyUMH and FNU. The property will stay intact and the entire community will benefit from their excellent educational services.

With nearly eight decades of providing graduate education for registered nurses to become certified nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, Frontier Nursing University has a long-standing mission of educating nurses to serve families in rural and underserved communities in Kentucky and across the nation.

FNU offers distance education programs with master of science in nursing (MSN) and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree options. This distance education model allows students from all 50 states as well as other countries to remain in their home communities to complete their graduate education.

Over the upcoming year, FNU will be working with site planners in collaboration with our stakeholders on design and renovations. The Universitys leadership and Board of Directors will be working on strategic plans for how to most effectively use the new space.

Frontier Nursing University is a Top 30 online graduate school of nursing and offers the #1 Nurse-Midwifery program in the United States, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

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About Frontier Nursing University:

For more than 75 years, Frontier Nursing University, with its heart in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, has educated nursing and midwifery leaders who have touched the lives of children and families across the nation and around the globe. Our masters and doctoral programs educate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners in the primary care of women and families with an emphasis on rural and underserved populations. By utilizing distance-learning methods, FNU makes graduate-level education accessible to nurses in all areas, and ultimately fosters access to quality healthcare by graduating advanced-practice nurses and midwives to work in underserved communities. FNU offers the #1 Nurse-Midwifery program in the United States, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more: http://www.Frontier.edu.

About The Kentucky United Methodist Homes for Children & Youth:

For 145 years, The Kentucky United Methodist Homes for Children & Youth has served young peopleoriginally as an orphanage and now offering care to children with histories of abuse, neglect and/or family trauma. Our programs are both residential and community-based. For more information visit kyumh.org.
Employers and mature job seekers networking at last years Job Fair.

Mature Services Employment & Training Solutions is hosting its 26th Annual Mature Workers Job & Career Fair, an event created to help the 40 and older population find employment. The annual event will be held on April 12th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., at the Akron Fairlawn Hilton, located at 3180 W. Market St. in Akron.

Employers get to meet job candidates face-to-face, which is an important part of the hiring process, said Paul Magnus, Vice President of Workforce Development for Mature Services. The Mature Workers Job and Career Fair offers opportunities for mature workers to meet and interview employers specifically interested in recruiting mature workers. It also provides employers the opportunity to recruit mature candidates in person and tap a new pool of applicants with extensive experience, skills and work ethic.

In addition to Mature Services, Inc., co-sponsors of the fair include the Akron Beacon Journal, Albrecht Incorporated, Ohio Means Jobs/Summit County, Print 2 Promote, Signet Jewelers, and Universal Screen Arts, Inc. So far, 21 employers have registered to attend the job fair, with more to come!

Job seekers can attend three free workshops: How to Navigate the Job Fair for Success; Online Applications and Secrets to Successful Job Search; and Job Search and Social Media for Success. Other services available at the fair include resume assistance, copier service, and a computer application station. Parking and admission are free.

Each year employers come to this job fair because they value mature workers and recognize the contribution they can make, said Don Zirkle, Mature Services Training and Placement Supervisor. Older workers bring to the job commitment, experience and the ability to work as part of a team, he added, and todays mature worker has adapted to technology as well. These are traits that all employers are looking for in a new hire.

Companies interested in registering for a booth can contact Don Zirkle at 330-762-8666 x174 or go online at http://www.matureservices.org/jobfair/akronfair16employer.php.

Mature Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Programs include employment and training services, addiction and recovery, mental health counseling, nutrition, and home care.

To learn more about Mature Services programs, visit http://www.matureservices.org.
Peppercomm, a leading integrated communications and marketing firm, announced today the appointment of Mike Friedin, as Managing Director, Digital. Mike will serve as the digital strategic and operational lead for Peppercomms offices in New York, San Francisco and London, and will add significant depth to Peppercomms integrated approach to connecting brands, messages and people thru cross-channel, digitally led experiences. He will execute on Peppercomms strategy by helping clients push boundaries and mitigate risk.

A seasoned industry veteran with a wide range of expertise consulting with companies including Pfizer, Time, GE, and Johnson & Johnson, Mike joins Peppercomm from Accenture, where he was a senior executive in the companys Digital Transformation practice. Before that, he was president of management consultancy Matthew & Grace. Prior to that, Mike served as Global Head of Commercial Operations and Digital Innovation for eMedfusion, the digital agency within the KnowledgePoint 360 Group.

The addition of Mike is a quantum leap in Peppercomms transformation to a truly digital-centric agency, said Ed Moed, co-founder and CEO, Peppercomm. The lines of marketing communication continue to blur and digital integration stands at the intersection of this evolution. Mikes experience and expertise aligns with our tradition of adding value to our clients, helping them keep pace with the velocity of digital change.

Peppercomm has built a reputation as one of the best communications firms in the industry and I am excited to join a deep and talented team of professionals, added Friedin. I look forward to helping our clients achieve their marketplace objectives through dynamic application of creativity, data and technology.

Mike hails from Montclair, N.J., and holds a BA from the University of Hartford.

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About Peppercomm

Helping clients see around the corner and determine whats next, sets Peppercomm apart from other integrated communications and marketing firms. It enables us to push boundaries while mitigating risk for clients in financial services, consumer, B-to-B and multi-industry sectors. Our unique approach and dynamic workplace attract the best talent who, in turn, help us win and retain the best clients. While weve won countless awards, were most proud of being named Best Place to Work in New York City by Crains New York Business and a Best Workplace for Women by Great Place to Work and Fortune. We were founded in 1995 and maintain headquarters in New York, with offices in London and San Francisco. Go to http://www.peppercomm.com for additional information.
Austin, Texas, March 14, 2016  Impact Pediatric Health just named Cohero Health as winner of its SXSW Interactive pediatric healthcare innovation pitch competition. Cohero Health is focused on improving respiratory care for kids, especially those with asthma and competed against 9 other startup companies today. Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and Chairman and CEO of Revolution, was a surprise addition to the event as co-emcee with Dr. Jordan Shlain. Case took over from Sesame Streets Grover who was also at the event as part of Sesame Ventures involvement as a judge. Just completing its second year, Impact Pediatric Health was created by Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. More at: http://impactpediatrichealth.com/

Cohero Health, @coherohealth improves respiratory care through smart mobile devices that engage and empower patients by measuring lung function and tracking adherence. Its real-time lung function tracking can help kids and their parents with medical adherence and to help curb over 13.8 million school days per year missed because of asthma.

Cohero Health competed against 9 other companies representing the best in digital health and medical device innovation focused on the pediatric market. Noninvasix, @noninvasix, which aims to improve maternal-fetal health by lowering the rate of c-sections, costs of care and medical claims via its enhanced fetal monitor, came in second place. And Nanofiber Solutions, @NancoSol, with its tissue engineered vascular grafts for arteriovenous access came in third place. Congratulations to all 10 finalists and all companies focusing their businesses on improving the health and lives of children.

Impact Pediatric Health was thrilled to have Steve Case join as co-emcee along side Dr. Jordan Shlain. Case is one of America's best-known and most accomplished entrepreneurs  through AOL, Case helped to drive the worldwide adoption of the internet and orchestrated the largest merger in business history. In 2005 Case co-founded Revolution, a Washington DC-based investment firm that invests in and actively helps build companies leveraging technology to disrupt existing markets.

Case is a leading voice in Washington shaping government policy on issues related to entrepreneurship, working with leading Democrats and Republicans to advance public policies that expand access to capital and talent. Case was instrumental in passing the bipartisan JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act in 2012, and remains active advocating for immigration reform. Case was the founding chair of the Startup America Partnership an effort launched at the White House in 2011 to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship. In 2014, Steve was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. Case and his wife Jean also created the Case Foundation in 1997 to develop and fund innovative solutions to global challenges.

Impact Pediatric Health strives to fast-track health innovations that will change the lives of young patients, said Case. I had to be a part of this day where we learn about the companies and technologies that will save the lives of our youngest patients.

At the event, Schlain spoke with Case and Aneesh Chopra, the first Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. and assistant to President Obama, who is now a leader at Hunch Analytics, a hatchery incubating ideas that improve the productivity of health and education markets. Both worked together with Startup America and Schlain asked them to share some lessons learned from that initiative in how to make health tech innovations visible and connected in communities across the US.

Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia came together to create Impact Pediatric Health, a one-of-a-kind pitch competition to help showcase, and support, the best pediatric healthcare innovations. Additional hospitals Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Seattle Children's Hospital and Stanford Childrens Health supported the effort, along with industry experts serving as judges and organizations like HopeLab, PediaWorks, and REDI Cincinnati. SXSW Interactive supported the event as well, which was part of Startup Village, http://www.sxsw.com/interactive/startup-village, at the Hilton Downtown Austin.

About Impact Pediatric Health:

Just completing its second year, Impact Pediatric Health is a one-of-a-kind pitch competition held annually at SXSW Interactive that is dedicated to showcasing and supporting the best pediatric healthcare innovations. Four of the largest and top ranked (according to US News and World Report) childrens hospitals in the U.S. came together to create Impact Pediatric Health. Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborate to help next generation pediatric healthcare companies, especially those focused on digital health and medical devices, accelerate their businesses. For more information see http://impactpediatrichealth.com/ or follow us on twitter @pediatricpitch

About SXSW Interactive

The 23rd annual SXSW Interactive Festival returns to Austin from Friday, March 11 through Tuesday, March 15. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the 2016 event features five days of compelling presentations and panels from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable lineup of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to discover the technology of tomorrow today.

Join us in March 2016 for the sessions, the networking, the special events, the 18th Annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, SXSW Accelerator, the SXSW Gaming Expo, the SXSW Trade Show, the SX Health & MedTech Expo, SX Create, The Job Market, cross-industry conversations with attendees from SXSW Film and SXSW Music, and, most of all, the unforgettable inspirational experiences that only SXSW can deliver.

SXSW Interactive 2016 is sponsored by Esurance, Mazda, Monster Energy, Capital One, Bud Light, Deloitte Digital, McDonalds, Ten-X, United Airlines, Samsung and The Austin Chronicle.

About Cohero Health, Inc

Cohero Health is a digital health company developing innovative tools and technologies to improve respiratory care, reduce avoidable costs, and optimize medication use. The companys connected devices and mobile applications actively engage and empower respiratory patients by measuring lung function and tracking adherence. Based in New York, the company is a member of StartUp Health, Springboard Enterprises, and Grand Central Tech. 

coherohealth.com | info@coherohealth.com | @coherohealth
Dedicated hosting customers of ReliableSite will now be able to re-install the operating system on their dedicated server at their convenience. The hosting provider developed its automatic operating system installer as part of a larger goal to provide instant provisioning in the future.

ReliableSites Auto-OS installer feature was built by its development team. It is the most recent of several projects to make unmanaged hosting easier, including an API, a hardware health feature, and a security vulnerabilities scanner.

Previously, technicians had to manually reinstall dedicated server operating systems at least five times a day. With an automatic installer available to customers, the company can reduce costs and reassign data center technician to other types of work. These costs can then be passed down to customers.

Another benefit to server owners is the reduction in support and waiting time. Any issue that requires a new operating system install can be managed without opening a support ticket, and at the customers convenience.

We are one step closer to a future of automated hosting tasks, including instant provisioning said Radic Davydov, CEO and founder of ReliableSite.Net. This feature gives our staff a chance to handle higher level tasks and our customers the ability to control their hosting experience.

ReliableSite was founded in 2006 and has grown to provide unmanaged, enterprise-grade dedicated servers and fully-managed dedicated hosting solutions in the New York City metro area and Miami, FL. ReliableSite offers 100% uptime SLAs and support staff who are on-site 24 hours a day.

Visit the ReliableSite.Net website for more information on its products and services.
I believe we obtained this growth by putting the customer first, always doing our best, and trying to do what's right for our neighbors

Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the regions premier provider of residential and commercial service and repair, receives Nashville Business Journal (NBJ)s 2016 Best in Business Award for the largest employee category.

On Thursday, March 10, at the Best in Business Awards Luncheon in Downtown Nashville, the award was presented via live announcement to Jimmy Hiller, owner and CEO of Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. Hiller was selected from a pool of hundreds of submissions and three finalists in the 500+ employee size category. This award marks the second Best in Business win for Hiller after their previous win in 2011 in the 101-500 employee company size category.

The Best in Business Award honors companies that set the gold standard for growth, service, quality, innovation, and execution of a superb business strategy, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Hiller was an ideal recipient of this years award for its focus on high-quality service, dedication to customer satisfaction, recent technology advancements, and tremendous growth over the past 26 years.

At Hiller, we care about our customers, our employees, and our community, said Jimmy Hiller, founder and owner of Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. So it is especially meaningful, he continued, When we receive awards like the Best in Business Award - that come from our community  and recognize our efforts.

Launched in 1990 out of a duplex in Antioch, Tennessee, with a single employee, Hiller has grown to include over 420 trucks, 12 locations, and more than 600 employees across the southeast. In the past decade alone, Hiller has experienced over 900% growth in revenue.

I believe we obtained this level of growth, remarked Hiller, By putting the customer first, always doing our best, and trying to do whats right for our neighbors.

Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, provides residential and commercial service and repair throughout Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, and Northern Alabama. Hiller, recently named the fifth fastest-growing private company in Middle Tennessee, employs over 600 people across 12 locations, boasts a fleet of 420 happy face trucks, and proudly services over 35,500 loyal customers. For more information about Hiller, visit http://www.happyhiller.com or e-mail press(at)happyhiller(dot)com.

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Owens Realty Mortgage, Inc. (NYSE MKT: ORM) announced today that it has retained the services of Renmark Financial Communications, Inc. to enhance and expand its financial community outreach program.

We are pleased to announce that we have engaged Renmark Financial to expand our outreach and communications efforts to the retail investment community, said Bryan Draper, Chief Executive Officer of Owens Realty Mortgage, Inc. We have a very compelling story that we feel will be well received by the investment advisor community, bringing added appreciation for our business and added value for shareholders.

About Owens Realty Mortgage, Inc.

Owens Realty Mortgage, Inc., a Maryland corporation, is a specialty finance mortgage company structured to qualify as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on the origination, investment, and management of commercial real estate mortgage loans primarily in the Western U.S. We provide customized, short-term capital to small and middle-market investors that require speed and flexibility. Our primary objective is to provide investors with attractive current income and long-term shareholder value. We are headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and are externally managed and advised by Owens Financial Group, Inc.

Additional information can be found on our website at http://www.owensmortgage.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements about Owens Realty Mortgage Inc.s plans, strategies, and prospects, including the maximum borrowings available under the new revolving line of credit, are based on current information, estimates, and projections; they are subject to risks and uncertainties, as well as known and unknown risks, which could cause actual results to differ from expectations, estimates and projections and, consequently, readers should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as expect, target, assume, estimate, project, budget, forecast, anticipate, intend, plan, may, will, could, should, believe, predicts, potential, continue, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in the Companys most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the Company or matters attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above.

SOURCE: Owens Realty Mortgage, Inc.
Sprague's Gut Cleanse Experiment Overview Ive found it surprisingly easy for a non-specialist like me to make genuinely interesting discoveries at the cutting edge of medicine and science.

uBiome, the leading microbial genomics company, welcomes Richard Sprague, formerly of Apple and Microsoft, to its team. He will become the industrys first Citizen-Scientist-in-Residence, and in this position he will have a broad mandate to explore the science of the microbiome.

Citizen science is scientific work undertaken by non-specialists, often in collaboration with professional scientists, and generally aimed at serving the best interests of the wider community. Richard came to the attention of uBiome through his microbiome self-experimentation. This has involved him investigating, for example, whether feeding specific microbes (using everyday foods like potato starch) might lead to better sleep. Read about his results here: http://www.ubiomeblog.com/hacking-sleep/ He has also explored the impact of a gut cleanse, via a powerful laxative, on his gut bacteria. (His gut flora returned to something very similar to its previous composition in about two weeks). View this experiment here: http://www.ubiomeblog.com/experimenting-with-a-gut-cleanse-by-richard-sprague/

I have no formal training in biology, says Sprague, a long-time software executive, but Im excited about uBiome because customers have full access to their own data, and Ive found it surprisingly easy for a non-specialist like me to make genuinely interesting discoveries at the cutting edge of medicine and science. I look forward to working with other interested members of the public who want to make an impact in an area of real scientific importance.

uBiome is the worlds leading microbial genomics company. It uses next generation high-throughput DNA sequencing technology to generate detailed analysis of the human microbiome, the ecosystem of trillions of bacteria which populate the human body, both in and on it. Bacteria in the gut play a vital part in health, supporting digestion and the synthesis of vitamins. However pathogenic bacteria are associated with a range of conditions, some of them serious, such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease - including both Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal reflux and esophageal cancer, Clostridium difficile infection, colorectal cancer, and many others.

Although citizen science is a relatively new term, it has a long history. Before the 20th century, scientific work was often carried out by amateur or self-funded scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Darwin.

Formerly of Apple Computer, Richard Sprague has worked at numerous high-tech startups, including WebTV Networks, later acquired by Microsoft, where he led several initiatives in interactive TV, voice recognition and linguistics, and personal productivity for products including Windows, Office, and many others. He has spent ten years in Japan and China working at technology companies. Richard has an undergraduate degree in Computational Linguistics from Stanford University, and a combined MBA/MA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

Jessica Richman, co-founder and CEO of uBiome, says: Im thrilled about Richard joining our team. We already have a team of brilliant scientists working on our core products, and Richard will bring an exciting additional perspective which promises to add rich new possibilities to our future. Hes also a gifted communicator with the knack of being able to explain complicated science to everyone from the layperson to the most advanced microbiologist.

Dr. Zachary Apte, CTO and co-founder of uBiome adds: We were impressed by the personal experimentation work Richard did. Great ideas, with a thorough scientific approach, then articulately presented in a form people could immediately understand and apply in their own lives. Its a privilege to have him working with us.

uBiome was launched in 2012 by scientists and technologists educated at Stanford and UCSF after a crowdfunding campaign raised over $350,000 from citizen scientists, roughly triple its initial goal. The company is now funded by Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, and other leading investors.

uBiomes mission is to use big data to understand the human microbiome by giving users the power to learn about their bodies, perform experiments, and see how current research studies apply to them.

Contact:

Julie Taylor

julie(at)ubiome.com

(415) 212-9214
Orange County is an incredible business community and it is an incredible honor for me and the team at Proove to receive this recognition.

Proove Biosciences, Inc., the commercial and research leader in personalized pain medicine, is pleased to announce that its CEO and Founder, Brian Meshkin, has been selected as a Finalist for the 21st ACG Awards in Orange County. In the category of Innovation, Meshkin was selected by a distinguished panel of judges from the Association for Corporate Growth Orange County chapter ("ACG-OC").

The ACG-OC awards program honors the highest performing companies and entrepreneurs in Orange County.

Award winners will be announced at a special ACG-OC Awards Gala on May 5th, 2016. Out of more than 100 nominations, 30 finalists were selected to make it to the finalist stage.

Orange County is an incredible business community and it is an incredible honor for me and the team at Proove to receive this recognition, states Meshkin. At Proove, we are committed to using innovative technology to address the unresolved epidemic of pain in America and the tragic epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

About Proove Biosciences

Our mission is to change the future of medicine. Proove represents the proof to improve healthcare decisions. We seek to realize a future when clinicians look back and wonder how they could have ever prescribed medications without knowing how a patient would respond. Physicians use Proove Biosciences testing to improve outcomesboth safety and efficacy of medical treatment. From a simple cheek swab collected in the office, Proove performs proprietary genetic tests in its CLIA-certified laboratory to identify patients at risk for misuse of prescription pain medications and evaluate their metabolism of medications. For more information, please visit http://www.proove.com or call toll free 855-PROOVE-BIO (855-776-6832).
WorkMax WorkMax INSIGHT allows teams to maintain peak efficiency through complete visibility on all of their projects and resources from anywhere and on any device.

WorkMax INSIGHT, a cloud-based visual business intelligence solution for modern resource management, has been honored as a 2016 Most Innovative Product (MIP) in the World of Concrete Awards. The product was highlighted as Editors Choice in the Business & Technology product category. Winners were announced by Hanley Wood, the premier company serving the information and marketing needs of the construction industry, at the 2016 World of Concrete conference in Las Vegas, NV.

A panel of industry experts, conference attendees and the audiences of CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, MASONRY CONSTRUCTION, and THE CONCRETE PRODUCER publications selected this years winners. Editors were given the opportunity to highlight products they consider most innovative in their respective categories, and an open voting period allowed consumers to honor their favorite tools.

Im proud that our users and the industry are recognizing the hard work weve put into the INSIGHT tool, said David Moyer, president of AboutTime Technologies. We created WorkMax because we saw a need that others werent meeting for our industry. WorkMax INSIGHT allows teams to maintain peak efficiency through complete visibility on all of their projects and resources from anywhere and on any device. Its great that in addition to helping our customers, our innovation has been highlighted specifically by this award as well.

WorkMax INSIGHT helps businesses:



Make more informed decisions with real-time analytics for productivity

Compare budget to actuals in real-time for actionable decision making

Visualize and interact with all labor and asset information by location for all projects across an entire organization

Reward top performers with performance-based incentives based on their true productivity

Identify cost overruns in real-time and address more quickly

Automatically calculate productivity in real time with true production rates to ensure project success with on time and under budget completion.

Identify trends leveraging on-demand data from one single source of truth and only one system to learn.

WorkMax INSIGHT is part of the WorkMax Complete Suite Platform which also includes WorkMax FORMS, TIME, ASSETS and SERVICE. The WorkMax Complete Suite simplifies labor, assets, forms and documentation, service scheduling and dispatch with business intelligence insights under one platform with one app, one sign in and with one singular database for modern resource management.

These innovative products will increase safety and productivity across all facets of the concrete and masonry industries, noted Bill Palmer, Editorial Director of Hanley Woods Commercial Construction Group of the award winners.

About AboutTime Technologies

AboutTime Technologies has been a leader in on-premise mobile resource management with AboutTime Enterprise Suite to optimize labor, assets, and forms for the last 13 years. In addition to the on-premise suite offering, AboutTime Technologies now offers WorkMax, an entirely new cloud-based platform available as a suite or as individual solutions for resource management. The WorkMax individual solutions include FORMS, TIME, ASSETS, SERVICE and INSIGHT. WorkMaxs modern cloud-based resource management provides instant, accurate answers by connecting teams for labor, assets, forms, service scheduling and dispatch with real-time business intelligence for any size business in any industry. For more information about WorkMax visit http://www.WorkMax.com

About Hanley Wood

Hanley Wood is the premier company serving the information, media, and marketing needs of the residential, commercial design and construction industry. Utilizing the largest analytics-and editorially-driven Construction Industry Database, the company provides business intelligence and data driven services. The company produces award-winning media, both digital and print, highprofile executive events, and strategic marketing solutions. To learn more, visit http://www.hanleywood.com.
Regroup Mass Notification Safety and communication throughout the NERT program is now guaranteed and exponentially improved because of Regroup

The successful two-year implementation of the award-winning platform provided by San Francisco company, Regroup Mass Notification, highlights the importance of having a robust, easy-to-use communication solution for NERT, a program that trains individuals, neighborhood groups and community-based organizations in San Francisco on how to be prepared for emergencies.

NERTs success is rooted in the agencys ability to communicate. For several years since its creation, NERT  a registered, FEMA-compliant, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program  experienced critical challenges when communicating with their members. A lack of a centralized messaging solution made it difficult to reach alumni in order to maintain ongoing participation and retention in the program. Outreach to new volunteers was done by printing posters and by word of mouth, and there was no immediate way of communicating during an emergency.

After a seamless transition to Regroups mass notification platform, team leaders were able to more easily do outreach to the community about the program, support the retention of volunteers and quickly reach members during an emergency.

Lt. Erica Arteseros, NERT Program Coordinator, said, "Prior to implementing Regroup, our communication was deficient. For example, four times a year we sent a mailing to members and then it decreased to two, as the numbers grew and postage prices increased. Our outreach was chaotic, to say the least. After implementing Regroup in September 2014, the first and most noticeable benefit we received was responsive and helpful technical assistance to get the system configured to meet the programs needs.

Safety and communication throughout the NERT program is now guaranteed and exponentially improved because of Regroup. Now NERT can easily create contact lists, interact with team members and create groups to communicate with all 50 neighborhoods they recognize.

"Our greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that we provided a powerful, easy-to-use communications platform that has taken a huge burden off program administrators by allowing them to diversify who can send communications and keep up the program efficiencies. NERT is now able to easily reach a great number of people and keep them involved and connected with their program, which is always a challenge in volunteer management, said Joe DiPasquale, CEO of Regroup.

The City and County of San Francisco has implemented Regroups technology internally across many of the citys departments and services and is beginning to use the service externally, as well.

To set up a free demo and learn how Regroup Mass Notification can help response teams communicate more effectively, please contact us at: inquiries[at]regroup[dot]com.

###

About Regroup: Regroup, the leading provider of Emergency and Mass Notification solutions and DRI 2015 Notification System of the Year, offers easy one-click messaging to mobile phones (text/voice), landlines, email, social media, websites and more. Regroup stands apart from other mass communication systems with its ease of use, automated messaging capabilities, seamless integration with client databases and other third-party systems, unparalleled 24/7 customer support and unlimited text/voice/email messaging.

To learn more about how Regroups Emergency Notification System can provide rapid communications during a crisis, as well as streamline day-to-day communications, call 9177466776 or email inquiries[at]regroup[dot]com.
Brian Meharry, Vice President of Business Development for NOVAtime Technology "We have employees who are out in oil fields, and they need some way to clock in and clock out, so we have remote devices that allow that type of geography to exist for employers.

NOVAtime Technology, Inc. (http://www.novatime.com), a leading provider of enterprise Time and Attendance / Workforce Management solutions, announced its participation in an interview with CW Hall, owner of Midtown Business RadioX, located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs, Business RadioX studios provide unscripted conversations with business leaders making a difference within their community and professional sector. The goal of the studios is to share positive business stories that typically do not fit into Big Medias economic model: Unless theres a scandal, fire, or crime to report, most businesses in your community are not going to be invited to tell their story, as explained on the Business RadioX website. The studios are located around the United States, and the interview with Brian Meharry took place at the Midtown location, owned and operated by CW Hall.

The half-hour interview focused on recent trends in the modern workforce and showed how mobility and policy have affected the way corporations track and manage their employees. Today with remote workforces, globalization, and people working from home, the breadth of our industry has changed dramatically as the needs of the workforce changes, said Brian Meharry. For example, we have employees who are out in oil fields, and they need some way to clock in and clock out, so we have remote devices that allow that type of geography to exist for employers. NOVAtimes NT65M is one example of a remote device used to manage a remote workforce, and it is currently being used by staff of Levis Stadium, site of Super Bowl 50. Brian Meharry also discussed the advantages of tracking employees by utilizing NOVAtimes native mobile app and geofencing technology, where its important once you get to a job, that if employers want to track that, you can see when someone approaches a geography, a zip code, or a location and automatically logs them in, added Brian Meharry. So the comings and goings of the workforce is a big challenge today, and workforce management contemplates all of that."

Corporate and legal policy was another area covered in the interview, and CW Hall inquired how benefits, accruals, and overtime factor into these regulations. Anything that has to be tracked, measured, reported, feeds payroll for payment, or feeds reporting for compliance based on your own policies, state policies, or federal regulations needs to be complied with, added Brian Meharry. Were in this industry. This is all we do. Not only do we provide them robust tools, we provide them with some talking points and self-analysis to go through and make sure they are asking the right questions of themselves. Brian Meharry is referring to NOVAtimes SurePath methodology for implementation, which is flexible enough for small businesses with less than 10 employees to large corporations with hundreds of thousands of employees.

NOVAtime is headquartered in Diamond Bar, California, and has become the leader in integrating Time and Attendance Management with Human Resource and Payroll systems. Known for its scalable and leading-edge software and hardware technology, NOVAtime has been selected as the preferred Time and Attendance / Workforce Management solution provider by many of the best-managed companies in the world.
The Hispanic homeownership numbers were very encouraging and all leading indicators strongly suggest that the trend will continue, said Joseph Nery, NAHREP 2016 President.

The Hispanic Wealth Project, in collaboration with the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), revealed data today in their State of Hispanic Homeownership Report that shows an increase in both Hispanic homeownership rates and in the number of owner Hispanic households while overall U.S. homeownership rates have declined for the twelfth consecutive year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic homeownership rate averaged 45.6 percent in 2015, two-tenths of a percent higher than in 2014, however in the 12 months ending this past December the increase was much more dramatic surging from 44.5 percent to 46.7 percent - the largest one year spike in more than a decade.

The Hispanic homeownership numbers were very encouraging and all leading indicators strongly suggest that the trend will continue, said Joseph Nery, NAHREP 2016 President, Policy makers and the housing industry need to recognize that the face of homeownership in America has changed and it is in everyones interest to ensure that these new consumers have access to relevant lending products, affordable housing stock and culturally competent service providers in the coming years.

In addition, the report showed that Latinos also led the nation in workforce participation and household formation growth which indicates that Hispanics will likely be the primary driver of new homeowners for the next decade and beyond.

Industry leaders recognize the significance of Hispanic homebuyers to the nations economy:

"The State of Hispanic Homeownership should be required reading by everyone in housing, especially lenders and realtors, said David Stevens, president and CEO Mortgage Bankers Association, The Latino community is massive, it's ready to own, and it's now. The significance of Hispanics to housing and the economy will only grow, creating opportunity for all who focus on this vibrant, dynamic, and impactful part of the U.S. economy."

The State of Hispanic Homeownership Report highlights how important the Hispanic population has become in driving overall housing demand in the US, and how this influence will only continue to grow as their share of the population increases, said Chris Herbert, managing director Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Crafting housing policies that are attuned to meeting the needs of this important demographic group is essential to ensure they have access to decent and affordable housing.

The State of Hispanic Homeownership Report highlights data that provides a comparative analysis of the past year and since the year 2000. It specifically analyzes the demographic and economic trends that shape the homeownership market, including the cultural nuances and purchase habits of Latino home buyers. The State of Hispanic Homeownership Report also identifies major barriers to Latino homeownership such as the need for improved access to affordable mortgage credit, the need to substantially increase the number of culturally competent professionals in the industry and policies that address the shortage of housing inventory in many major markets.

As a result of the reports findings, NAHREP issues its 2016 policy priorities which it will share with legislators during Congressional Hill visits at its policy conference on Thursday, March 17.

For access to NAHREPs 2015 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report visit http://hispanicwealthproject.org/state-of-hispanic-homeownership-report/.

About NAHREP

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a nonprofit 501(c) 6 trade association, is dedicated to advancing sustainable homeownership among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals who serve them. NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 20,000 members in 48 states and 35 affiliate chapters.

Press Contact:

Nayeli Pelayo, NAHREP, npelayo(at)nahrep(dot)org, (619) 719-4814
"Holding the Stage: Road Shows, vol. 4," the new CD by saxophonist Sonny Rollins. This album consists of various periods of my career, with something for everybody. It's who I am, and the music represents just about every aspect of what I do.

For his new album "Holding the Stage: Road Shows, vol. 4," the great tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins once again taps into his vast archives of his own concert recordings to compile superior performances for release in the acclaimed "Road Shows" series. The album encompasses some 33 years (1979-2012) yet coheres with all of the compelling logic and narrative force of an extended Sonny solo.

"Holding the Stage," to be released by Doxy Records digitally April 8 and on CD April 15, the second album in a distribution agreement with Sony Music Masterworks and its jazz imprint OKeh, is truly a treasure chest that includes tunes Rollins has never before recorded and musical relationships previously undocumented. This album consists of various periods of my career, with something for everybody, says Rollins. Its who I am, and the music represents just about every aspect of what I do.

Three Rollins originals pay tribute to departed friends and colleagues. The soulful blues H.S., for Horace Silver, has been a concert staple since its appearance on Sonnys 1995 Milestone album "Sonny Rollins +3." Saxophonist/arranger Paul Jeffrey, who died last year at 81, is remembered in the funky Professor Paul, a new composition making its recorded debut here. Of Disco Monk, from 1979s "Dont Ask" (Milestone) and rarely performed since, Rollins told CD annotator Ted Panken: It was disco-disco-disco then, everywhere you went, but I heard something juxtaposed with [Thelonious] Monk within this disco craze, and I wanted to meld them in a way that both styles would be themselves and yet be one.

Another highlight is a previously unreleased 23-minute medley (and concert closer) from his September 15, 2001 Boston performance, most of which had been immortalized in Rollinss final Milestone album, the Grammy Award-winning "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert." Sweet Leilani, introduced on his "This Is What I Do" album of the year before, morphs into a richly evocative solo cadenza and an epically ecstatic Dont Stop the Carnival.

In the Harlem of his youth, Rollins told Panken, music was happening on every street corner. So the idea of keep the music going is in that song. Dont stop the carnival. In the case of 9/11, that was especially prophetic.

Since launching his Doxy Records imprint in 2006 with the Grammy-nominated studio album "Sonny, Please," Sonny Rollins has been turning to his concert recording archive dating back nearly 40 years for release on the label. The selections in Volume 1 (2008) spanned nearly three decades and included a trio track from the saxophonists 50th-anniversary Carnegie Hall concert, while Volume 2 (2011) focused primarily on his historic 80th-birthday concert at New Yorks Beacon Theatre. Volume 3 (2014) marked the first recording of Patanjali and hinged on a stunning 23-minute excavation of Jerome Kerns Why Was I Born?

"Holding the Stage: Road Shows, vol. 4" was produced by Rollins and his longtime engineer, Richard Corsello. Personnel includes trombonist Clifton Anderson; pianists Stephen Scott and Mark Soskin; guitarists Bobby Broom, Peter Bernstein, and Saul Rubin; bassists Bob Cranshaw and Jerome Harris; drummers Kobie Watkins, Perry Wilson, Victor Lewis, Jerome Jennings, Al Foster, and Harold Summey Jr.; and percussionists Kimati Dinizulu, Sammy Figueroa, and Victor See Yuen.
Robin F. Goldsmith, JD - President, Go Pro Management, Inc.

Software testing company XBOSoft will host testing expert Robin F. Goldsmith, JD, in its second-quarter webinar, Not Your Grandfathers Requirements-Based Testing: Do Agile User Stories or ATDD Fix It? The live, interactive webinar will be held Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET.

Requirements-based testing (RBT) is a method in which test cases, conditions and data are based on the requirements that have been set by the softwares fundamental functions. Still, RBT testers encounter many difficulties, including poorly defined requirements and an even worse definition of what RBT actually is. Testing Agile user stories and Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) are among the latest RBT approaches that attempt to confront some of these software testing issues.

In this hour-long webinar, Goldsmith will analyze both methods, as well as explain why some test experts boast their own spin on RBT as original concepts and why others steer clear of this testing technique. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of the most effective ways to determine if their software satisfies real requirements.

To register for XBOSofts software testing webinar with Goldsmith and for more information, visit http://xbosoft.com/event/requirements-based-testing-webinar-2/.

About Robin F. Goldsmith, JD

Goldsmith is the author of two books, numerous articles and featured presentations, and the Proactive Testing, Proactive SQA, REAL ROI and Beyond the Textbook Software Acquisition methodologies. He is president of Needham, Massachusetts consultancy, Go Pro Management, Inc.; a subject expert on requirements and testing for TechTarget SearchSoftwareQuality.com; and a subject matter expert and reviewer for the IIBA Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK v2). Goldsmith works directly with and trains business and systems professionals in requirements analysis, quality and testing, software acquisition, project management and leadership, metrics, ROI and process improvement.

About XBOSoft

XBOSoft is a software testing and quality assurance company that offers services in web, mobile and desktop applications, as well as broad domain experience with extended expertise in healthcare and finance. XBOSofts software quality consulting and software testing services speed products to market and improve clients software quality and performance throughout the products lifecycle.

Now celebrating its 10th year of continuous growth, XBOSoft today has over 100 employees serving clients in the US and Europe. With offices based in San Francisco and Beijing, XBOSoft proudly offers its full range of testing and quality assurance as both on- and off-shore services. For more information visit xbosoft.com.
ISI Telemanagement Solutions, Inc., is a sponsoring partner of this years Cisco Partner Appreciation event taking place March 15, 2016, in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. David Dishek, Unified Collaboration Practice Lead with ISI will be in attendance to represent the company, network with other attendees, and discuss ISIs business solutions.

ISIs premier business solutions include ISI's core Enterprise Reporting application, Infortel Select, which now supports UCCX environments and complements UCCX deployments with customizable summary and details reports across multiple UCCXs and Queues. The Compliance Recording software solution, the result of a joint venture with Verba Technologies, provides businesses with the confidence to adhere to industry regulations and company policies. Also, ISIs expertise in Voice Traffic Analysis and Adoption Rate Technology provide cost-saving insights that companies can use to benefit the bottom line.

Businesses attending this event can inquire with Mr. Dishek about ISIs Cisco-ready solutions. Their catalog of products and services are time-tested and proved, through the company they keep. ISI is building better business outcomes one communication at a time and are looking forward to meeting and greeting other attendees in Florida.

About ISI Telemanagement Solutions, Inc.

ISI is a leading provider of quality Unified Communications management solutions for companies seeking to measure, analyze and optimize usage, content, expenses and people. ISI helps clients implement UC management solutions for voice, video, and IM/Presence that improve business outcomes through UC reporting, traffic analytics, collaboration recording, speech analytics, workforce management, telecom audit, and telecom expense management (TEM).
As pipelines increasingly include more biologics, one of the key challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry is to ensure therapies are developed with the patient experience at the forefront.

The Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute today announced that it will hold a one day symposium, entitled Advances in Biologics Development and Delivery, at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA., on Thursday, March 24, 2016.

The event will bring together world-leading experts on biological drug development and delivery from across industry and academia, including Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Pure MHC, Sevion Therapeutics, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Catalent, 3M Drug Delivery Systems, University of Bath, and Applied Molecular Transport, to present leading edge biological research and key industry topics, including Monoclonal Antibodies to Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA)/Peptide Tumor Antigens and Latest Trends and Development in Non-Invasive Macromolecule Delivery.

The symposium will close with an expert panel discussion, Trends in the Development and Delivery of Biologics, which will be moderated by Professor Carolyn Bertozzi of Stanford University. On the panel will be Mr. Kent Iverson, a renowned Biotechnology Consultant and Contractor; Dr. Douglas Crawford, Managing Director, Mission Bay Capital and General Manager, QB3@953; Dr. Mark Tomai, Head of Microneedle and Toll Like Receptor Business Development, 3M Drug Delivery Systems; and Dr. Greg Bleck, Global Head R&D, Biologics, Catalent Pharma Solutions.

As pipelines increasingly include more biologics, one of the key challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry is to ensure therapies are developed with the patient experience at the forefront, commented Dr. Cornell Stamoran, Co-Chair of the Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute. We believe that nearly every design decision made during drug development can impact patient outcomes.

Professor Bertozzi added, Events such as this one are important so that industry and academia can connect and share thoughts, ideas and experiences. By bringing together experts in fields across the biological spectrum, we aim to achieve our goal of developing better drugs as fast as possible.

Established in 2012, the Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute employs a multi-tiered approach to accelerate the adoption of advanced drug delivery technologies. In June 2014, the Institute created the Non-Invasive Macromolecule Delivery Consortium (NMDC) as a number of working groups looking at alternative delivery routes to injection for biologics and other large molecule therapeutics.

Registration and full details of the agenda for the symposium can be found at http://www.drugdeliveryinstitute.com/events/advances-biologics-development-delivery

About Catalent Applied Drug Delivery Institute

Catalents Applied Drug Delivery Institute was founded to serve as a link between industry and academia, advance education and training in drug delivery in academia and the industry, accelerate adoption of applied drug delivery technologies to develop better treatments, and foster industry collaboration on major issues pertaining to drug development, formulation, and delivery. It is pursuing a multi-tiered approach of research, strategic counsel, and educational programs to advance the adoption of emerging technologies.

For more details on the Catalent Institute, visit http://www.drugdeliveryinstitute.com and follow the Catalent Institute on Twitter: @DrugDeliveryIns

About Catalent

Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics, consumer health and animal health products. With over 80 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs approximately 8,700 people, including over 1,000 scientists, at 31 facilities across 5 continents, and in fiscal 2015 generated more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, N.J. For more information, visit http://www.catalent.com

More products. Better treatments. Reliably supplied.
Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel, cell targeted therapies for treating diabetes and obesity, and Lyfebulb, LLC, a patient-centric organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for people with chronic disease founded by Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD, CEO Lyfebulb, Stephen Squinto, PhD, co-founder Alexion, and Riccardo Braglia, CEO Helsinn Healthcare, announced today that they have entered into a collaborative agreement to research and develop Diasomes proprietary liver targeting nanotechnology systems for improving insulin therapy in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Remarking about this new collaboration, Dr. Hehenberger, Lyfebulbs Chief Executive Officer, said, We are excited about Diasomes late-stage clinical technologies that are designed for the improvement of liver glucose metabolism. This technology has the potential to improve the safety and efficacy of insulin therapy for people with diabetes. We are looking forward to assisting Diasomes business and scientific teams as these therapies advance in the clinic. Robert Geho, Diasomes Chief Executive Officer, stated, Dr. Hehenberger and her team represent some of the most respected voices in diabetes care and therapeutic development, and they are ideal partners for our projects. Because our companies share the common goal of dramatically changing the manner in which the global problem of diabetes is addressed, this partnership will further strengthen our presence in the diabetes community.

About Lyfebulb:

Lyfebulb is a patient-centric organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people living with chronic disease now. Lyfebulb was founded by Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO of Lyfebulb, Riccardo Braglia, CEO of Helsinn Healthcare, and Dr. Stephen Squinto, co-founder of Alexion. The Lyfebulb strategy involves partnering with companies aligned with its Mission, growing its online community and creating a powerful event series featuring innovative companies and raising awareness for specific conditions. The Lyfebulb community aims to connect people with chronic disease, inspire them with lifestyle advice and ultimately impact them through its influence on the overall chronic disease and wellness industry. Lyfebulb consulting directly works with select companies that share our vision. For more information, please visit http://www.lyfebulb.com.

About Diasome:

Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the clinical and commercial development of breakthrough therapies for diabetes and obesity. Based on more than thirty years of research and development in the fields of cell receptor targeting, insulin replacement, and hepatic (liver) glucose metabolism, the Companys pipeline includes multiple injected and oral formulations of liver targeted insulins for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients that are Phase 3 ready. In addition, Diasome is developing a first-in-class oral compound for the Type 2 diabetes population that is based upon new insights into normal glucose metabolism and a novel mechanism of action, along with a nanotechnology-based oral compound that may have a significant impact in treating obesity. For more information, please visit http://www.diasome.com.
UNCF Hosts Inaugural Raleigh-Durham Mayors Masked Ball March 19

WHAT: More than 600 business, civic and education leaders from across North Carolina are expected to at-tend the inaugural UNCF Raleigh-Durham Mayors Masked Ball on March 19. The event, co-hosted by Mayors McFarlane and Bell, will help provide scholarship funds for area students and operating support to UNCF-member institutions Saint Augustines University and Shaw University.

WHO: The Honorable Nancy McFarlane (Mayor of Raleigh); The Honorable William V. Bill Bell (Mayor of Durham); Dr. Michael L. Lomax (UNCF president and CEO); Tony! Toni! Tone! (award-winning music group) Joel Brown (WTVD); event chair Orage Quarles III (President and Publisher of The News & Observer); event chair William A. Webb (Senior Advisor, Shanahan Law Group); event co-chair Jeanne Frazer (President of vitalink and a founding partner of HBCUgrow); event co-chair Lori Jones Gibbs (Vice President, Community Development Banking at The Carolinas PNC); event co-chair Antonio F. Knox (Senior Deputy Administrator, North Carolina Credit Union Division, and the 40th Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.); Masked Award honorees Jim and Ann Goodnight, accepting the award on behalf of SAS Institute Inc.; Masked Award honoree Dr. Prezell Robinson (President Emeritus of UNCF-member institution Saint Augustines University); Masked Award honoree Dr. Talbert O. Shaw (President Emeritus of UNCF-member institution Shaw University).

The Goodnights, Dr. Robinson, and Dr. Shaw will be recognized with the UNCF Masked Award for their dedica-tion and support of UNCFs work and their commitment to advancing higher education. Brown will be master of ceremonies at the ball at the Raleigh Convention Center and features a live auction, elegant dining and dancing. Tony! Toni! Tone! will headline the event. Sponsors include PNC Bank, First Citizens Bank, Duke Energy, GEICO, WTVD-TV, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Wells Fargo, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, YMCA of the Tri-angle, AXA Advisors, McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC and M&F Bank.

WHEN: Saturday, March 19, 2016

VIP Reception at 6:30 p.m.

Program & Dinner at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Raleigh Convention Center

500 South Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

For more information or to purchase tickets: http://www.uncf.org  804.359.1581 nancy.hughes(at)uncf.org

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities. Learn more at UNCF.org/or for continuous news and updates, follow UNCF on Twitter @UNCF.
Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation pairs our member firm lawyers with inspired social entrepreneurs to provide the legal assistance needed to serve more people, raise more money, and have greater success, commented Lex Mundi President Carl Anduri.

In 2016, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation (Foundation) celebrates ten years of helping organizations committed to solving the worlds pressing social problems by providing necessary global pro bono legal support.

Since 2006, the Foundation has been working to accelerate the work of leading social change makers by pairing them with lawyers from Lex Mundi member firms around the world. The Foundation has worked with more than 450 social entrepreneurs in 57 countries and assisted on more than 1,000 legal projects.

Social entrepreneurs are working around the globe to improve education, fight disease, combat global warming, protect civil rights and lift individuals out of poverty, said Chloe Holderness, Managing Director. Our Foundation seeks out visionaries with a passion for tackling the worlds most challenging problems and offers them support from the Lex Mundi network of 21,000 lawyers in more than 100 countries.

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation pairs our member firm lawyers with inspired social entrepreneurs to provide the legal assistance needed to serve more people, raise more money, and have greater success, commented Lex Mundi President Carl Anduri.

The Foundation recently published The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation Impact Report: A powerful Global Network of Law Firms Supporting Social Entrepreneurs. This report illustrates how the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation has helped provide critical legal support for clients such as Kiva, a nonprofit that allows individuals to make microloans as small as $25; First Book, a nonprofit that has donated 130 million books and resources; VisionSpring, an eyeglass manufacturer that has provided 2.3 million eyeglasses to people in third world countries; Solar Electric Light Fund, which has brought solar projects to more than 20 countries; One Acre Fund, supporting farmers and their families with resources and education; and Splash, an organization that brings clean drinking water to children in Asia.

Download a copy of the report at http://www.lexmundiprobono.org.

About the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of Lex Mundi, the worlds leading network of independent law firms. The Foundations mission is to engage Lex Mundis global network of leading independent law firms to support and empower those working to bring about high impact and sustainable social change that improves communities and lives. Lex Mundi member firm lawyers provide critical pro bono legal services to the worlds leading social entrepreneurs.

About Lex Mundi

Lex Mundi is the worlds leading network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in 100+ countries. Lex Mundi member firms offer clients preferred access to more than 21,000 lawyers worldwide  a global resource of unmatched breadth and depth. Each member firm is selected on the basis of its leadership in  and continued commitment to  its local market. The Lex Mundi principle is one independent firm for each jurisdiction. Firms must maintain their level of excellence to retain membership within Lex Mundi.

Through close collaboration, information-sharing, training and inter-firm initiatives, the Lex Mundi network is an assurance of connected, on-the ground expertise in every market in which a client needs to operate. Working together, Lex Mundi members are able to seamlessly handle their clients most challenging cross-border transactions and disputes.

Member law firms are located throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America. Through Lex Mundis nonprofit affiliate, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, members also provide pro bono legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the globe.

For more information, please visit http://www.lexmundi.com and http://www.lexmundiprobono.org.
Farm Credit has supported rural communities and agriculture for 100 years, and we understand the vision and commitment it takes to remain successful as rural America evolves and changes

Farm Credit today announced the top honorees of the Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives program, a nationwide search to identify and honor 100 leaders who are changing rural communities and agriculture for the better. The top 100 honorees are being recognized for their exceptional contributions to their communities, and were announced at a National Ag Day event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Farm Credit has supported rural communities and agriculture for 100 years, and we understand the vision and commitment it takes to remain successful as rural America evolves and changes, Dave Lawrence, CEO, Farm Credit of the Virginias. The Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives honorees are inspiring examples of leaders who are creating a brighter, more vibrant future for rural America.

The Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives program is the cornerstone of Farm Credits 100th anniversary of supporting rural communities and agriculture. The search took place between July and December 2015, and netted more than 1,000 nominations from all 50 states. Selected by a panel of experts on rural matters, including Farm Credit leaders and others from around the agriculture industry, the top 100 honorees represent the very best of those positively shaping what is next for rural communities and agriculture.

One such leader is Laos native Maykia Xiong, an IT professional and North Carolina poultry farmer, who helps fellow Hmong producers with limited English skills access important USDA programs. Recognized in the Mentoring and Volunteerism category, Xiong said, Through my struggles and hardship with financial institutions, integrators and government programs, I want to make resources available to assist Hmong-American farmers in all aspects of their farming needs.

A dedication to helping others is a strong theme across the Fresh Perspectives honorees. Marc Breslaw represents the NRECA International Foundation, a branch of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) that represents 900 consumer-owned electric cooperatives in America. These co-ops bring electricity to more than 2,500 of Americas counties, including the most rural. NRECA International does the same for communities in underdeveloped countries. Breslaw says, We recognize the transformative impact that access to power has on people, and weve worked to bring electricity to rural communities in 42 nations around the world.

Honoree Addy Battel, demonstrates that a strong commitment to making a difference can start young  in Cass City, Mich., she is already a driving force in her community. She helped start a junior high FFA chapter and a 4-H club, serving as president for both, and has been instrumental in starting a hunger relief project, a dairy education clinic, and her own maple syrup and meat businesses. Just 13 years old, Battel is a student, volunteer, mentor and advocate for agriculture, and is already focused on the future. I believe the future of agriculture depends on our future generations, the agriculturalists like my friends and me who are still young. But we dont need to wait to make a difference. Even if we cant vote or drive, we are agvocates and we can educate and create a better future now.

The Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives selection panelists evaluated nominations of individuals and groups who demonstrate influence, leadership and innovation in the following categories:



Agriculture Education and

Community Impact

Beginning Farmer or Rancher Achievement

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Financial Stewardship

Leadership (21 and up)

Mentoring and Volunteerism

Rural Policy Influence

Rural and Urban Connection

Sustainability and Natural Resources

Youth Leadership (under 21)

It was truly inspiring to learn more about individuals and organizations dedicated to making a meaningful difference every day, said Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO, National 4-H Council, Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives selection panelist, and moderator of the Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives honoree panel. After reviewing the nominations of so many exceptional leaders, I am proud to say the future of rural communities and agriculture is remarkably bright.

The top 10 honorees  one from each nomination category  will receive a $10,000 award to help further their contributions to thriving rural communities and agriculture, and be recognized in Washington, D.C. at a special Farm Credit 100 event in June.

A complete list of Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives honorees is included below. To learn more about the Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives honorees, visit http://www.farmcredit100.com/top100.

Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $1.7 billion dollars in financing to more than 10,000 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center. For more information, visit http://www.FarmCreditKnowledgeCenter.com or http://www.FarmCreditofVirginias.com.
Recovery Unplugged Treatment Center

Focus group research completed late last year by Dr. Christian DeLucia, Associate Professor, College of Psychology, and his team at Nova Southeastern University, showed that all of the 20 young heroin and opioid addicts participating in the study praised the use of music as the key modality in their therapy. Each of the residential and outpatient study participants were within a week of completing a rehabilitation program at the Recovery Unplugged Treatment Center (http://www.recoveryunplugged.com) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Dr. DeLucia and his team are now in the process of following up this qualitative research with a quantitative study to compare Recovery Unplugged client outcomes with outcomes of clients receiving other treatments that do not offer an immersion in music.

A 1997 SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) statistic tells us that, on average, 25% of individuals who enter residential substance use treatment fail to complete it, said Dr. DeLucia. This issue is known as leaving treatment Against Medical Advice or AMA.

Recovery Unpluggeds AMA rate is 7%. A possible implication of this lower AMA rate at Recovery Unplugged is that the music helps with initial client engagement, which ultimately leads to higher rates of treatment completion. Decades of research suggests that exposure to more treatment is associated with better long-term outcomes (Simpson, 2004). The next phase of Dr. DeLucias research will examine whether Recovery Unpluggeds music-based treatment is associated with lower relapse rates compared to relevant existing data sources (e.g., published outcomes from other substance use treatment programs).

Paul Pellinger, Recovery Unpluggeds Chief Strategy Officer goes further. After 20 years of experience providing rehabilitation services, and the collective results of work by our therapists, I believe that our industry leading success is due to more than our high completion rate, he said. It makes sense that people who enjoy our process and are comfortable in the community environment weve built are more likely to stay in treatment  and that more treatment produces better results. But, our internal research tells us that its the way we use music to connect with clients on a deeper emotional level that breaks down defenses and helps our patients and therapists get to fundamental issues. Its that our patients can then take the music theyve connected with back into their worlds and use it as a recovery trigger that makes the difference. Personal involvement with music during therapy becomes a catalyst for making the changes necessary for long-term recovery and sobriety, and were ultimately expecting that the next phase of the Nova Southeastern research will confirm that conclusion.

About Recovery Unplugged

Recovery Unplugged Treatment Center is a Florida-based facility that offers a rehabilitation approach that is unique and long lasting. The center combines elements of evidence-based substance use treatment (e.g., cognitive behavioral, 12-step facilitation) with music based treatment as a catalyst to break down defenses, inspire, and motivate the change necessary for long-term recovery and sobriety. Through its music-based treatment, Recovery Unplugged is committed to instilling hope and relief from addiction to individuals all over the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.recoveryunplugged.com
Adding a secondary option into the retail credit cascade, decreases the payment for your customer, enabling you to close more. Furthermore, a $400 higher average ticket increases your bottom line.

Fortiva, the leader in second look financing, participated in a Nationwide Learning Academy panel this week to discuss how offering a second look retail credit option for line of credit loans increases average purchase value and reduces lost sales.

"Are you losing customers because of declined credit? Prime providers generally approve 60-70% of deals coming in the door and many of those declined do not fit a typical lease-purchase customer," said Joe Ferguson, RVP Sales. "Fortiva Retail Credit provides a less-than-prime offer which makes more sense for the customers with impaired credit who need financing at the lowest monthly payment possible.

Second look financing is offered after a prime lender declines funding. Fortiva Retail Credit provides a line of credit loan to your less-than-perfect credit customer, which has lower customer costs, higher acceptance rates and higher credit lines compared to a lease-purchase option. With revolving lines of credit, a customer can be approved for a higher amount than they initially spend, allowing them to return to your store to buy more later.

"Adding a secondary option into the retail credit cascade, decreases the payment for your customer, enabling you to close more," continued Mr. Ferguson, "Furthermore, a $400 higher average ticket increases your bottom line."

Moderated by Frank Sandtner, EVP Member Services at Nationwide Marketing Group, industry experts also included representatives from two lease-purchase options: John Duffy, VP Sales, representing the Nationwide exclusive brand, UOwn and Brandon Wright, Founder of Zibby. The panel was specifically designed to help Nationwide members find the features and benefits for each opportunity and allow them to make a more informed decision as to the best fit for their business.

For more information about Fortiva Retail Credit, please visit http://www.fortivaretailcredit.com. Do not miss Jeff Howard, Fortiva CEO, speak about Second Look Financing at Furniture Todays Finance Symposium, March 29th Georgia Tech Global Learning Center, Atlanta, GA.

About Fortiva Retail Credit

Fortiva Retail Credit is the leading second look finance provider. With 20 years of underwriting experience and having funded over $25 billion in less-than-prime loans, Fortiva leverages instant decisioning capabilities, deep underwriting and a paperless process to provide a best-in-class program for its clients. Fortivas flexible technology platform allows a loan offer within seconds. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Fortiva services clients in a number of markets such as Home Improvement, HVAC, Furniture, Electronics, and Educational Services. Fortiva Retail Credit serves all U.S. markets including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit us at http://www.fortivaretailcredit.com.
NYC-based PIRA Energy Group reports that recent Oklahoma wastewater directives not likely to have material impact on crude production. In the U.S., hefty crude imports propelled U.S. crude stocks higher. In Japan, crude runs recovered, imports rose and stocks built. Specifically, PIRAs analysis of the oil market fundamentals has revealed the following:

Hefty Crude Imports Propel U.S. Crude Stocks Higher

Recent crude import have averaged about 0.88 MMB/D higher than last year, roughly the same magnitude as the decline in domestic crude supply. Crude runs being about 550 MB/D higher have restrained the increase in crude stocks. Gasoline and jet demand have been growing, but distillate has been very weak. The gasoline balance sheet cleaning up relative to the distillate balance sheet is reflected in distillate prices weakening versus gasoline. Looking forward, a strong increase in CDU maintenance should reduce crude runs and contribute to another crude stock build. Gasoline demand and seasonally declining yields should drive a steeper-than-average draw, as distillate demand results in an average draw.

Potential Producing Region High Storage Alarm Bells

Though the books have only just opened for March, the month already may have seen its final double-digit withdrawal of the heating season. Preliminary balances suggest next weeks report will feature at best a minor withdrawal, followed by a sizable 30-40 BCF injection for the week ending March 18th. Consequently, U.S. balances are on pace to end the month with a storage position near ~2.5 TCF, a remarkably similar tally to end-February and the record set in 2012. Thursdays reported draw also resulted in a steep expansion to 911 BCF in the year-on-year storage surplus. With additional gains looming, the overhang will soon top the 1 TCF threshold.

German Lignite Is Now Cash-Flow Negative

The latest earning calls by major power generators confirm PIRA's view that the Continental markets continue to be on an unsustainable path, with utilities now feeling increasing pressure from rating agencies (a sign of growing credit concerns). More specifically for Germany, the slump in commodity prices is keeping wholesale prices at historically lower levels, with current prices unable to cover large portions of the baseload fleet  lignite and nuclear. Going forward, while power prices may be stabilizing as a result of gains in oil and coal prices, the lack of retirements will continue to squeeze margins.

Coal Price Rebound Continues on Strike Risks and Higher Oil

Seaborne coal pricing generally moved higher last week, with a looming strike at the Cerrejon mine in Colombia and rising oil pricing providing some upward momentum to coal pricing. There is a fundamental rebalancing that is (slowly) going on, with some discipline on the supply side and strengthening on the demand side. This is expected to lead to a more structural recovery in pricing in late-2016 into 2017. Additionally, we believe that the coal market is underestimating the impact that a recovery in oil prices will have on coal production costs and pricing. PIRA retains a bullish outlook relative to the market starting in 4Q16.

RGGI Carbon Auction Reflects Lower Pricing

RGGIs carbon allowance auction saw strong demand with compliance-oriented buying, but it cleared below the secondary market. PIRA continues to expect that this years Program Review process will result in a tightening of caps post-2020. Price volatility may also lead to consideration of a more robust price floor. The prospect of continued operation of Maryland coal units could mean higher-than-expected emissions.

The U.S. Exports First Ethane Cargo

The first ever long-range ethane cargo loaded last week at Sunocos Marcus Hook, PA, terminal in the Northeast United States. The cargo loaded and departed midweek (March 9th) and headed for its destination in Rafnes, Norway, where it is expected to arrive on March 29th. The JS Ineos Intrepid has a 172 MB (27.5 thousand cubic meter) cargo capacity. The ethane cargo will be used as feedstock for Ineoss Norwegian petrochemical facility.

U.S. Output Declines

Despite a drop in U.S. ethanol production for the second consecutive week, stocks built by 683 thousand barrels to a record 23.3 million barrels. Total inventories are up a remarkable 2.1 million barrels from 21.2 million at this time last year.

Way Ahead of Schedule

Pictures of heading wheat the second week of March caused more than a little concern for many. The HRW crop was pushed way ahead of schedule with the recent warm snap and is now at risk of damage due to cold or wet conditions over the next month or so. The already massive short position obviously didnt help either, and while were bearish flat price, its best to sit this one out.

Financial Stress Continues to Ease

For the fourth straight week, the S&P 500 rose Friday-to-Friday and on a weekly average basis. While volatility was little changed, all of the other indicators, such as high yield debt and emerging market debt, again posted solid gains. The U.S. dollar lost ground on the week against a host of currencies. Commodities ex-energy are looking significantly better the past several weeks (an eight-week uptrend). Energy has also moved higher the last few weeks.

Japanese Crude Runs Recovered, Imports Rose and Stocks Built

Crude runs recovered about one third of the decline posted the previous week. Crude imports rose sufficiently to build crude stocks 6.7 MMBbls. Finished product stocks drew, largely due to end-of-season kerosene stock declines and lesser draws in naphtha, gasoil, and gasoline. This was despite across-the-board demand declines in all the major products. The indicative refining margin remains good. This week saw higher gasoline and kero-jet cracks, while naphtha and fuel oil cracks eased.

Why Is TTF So Weak and What Does That Mean for Spreads Going Forward?

Gas price spreads around Europe are a series of levers. You push down on one side, spreads will open up. Push down on another, spreads will close. We are seeing this levering already at play on the TTF relative to other Continental European hubs and expect more, as increasing volumes of LNG dock on European shores. TTF is looking weak so far this March vs. nearly all N.W. European Hubs despite Groningen production dropping to historically low levels (for this time of year) and low LNG deliveries into the Dutch pipeline system. Storage, namely the 4 BCM Bergermeer facility, has really stepped up to fill the void created by lost production volumes. While these extra volumes dont fully replace Groningen, between the historically low demand, extra storage volumes, more Norwegian volumes, and extra Russian volumes this difference has been made up.

Coal Supply Cuts Increase

While underlying demand conditions for coal  and natural gas prices  have weakened further, production cuts have accelerated. In addition, generators are turning more to forced coal burn in order to assist in trimming burgeoning inventories. This is setting the stage for an expected normalization of market balances in 2017.

California Carbon Slipped Below Floor; Auction Decision Looms

Sharp declines observed in the CA ETS have seen secondary market prices dipping below the auction floor price, particularly for prompt delivery. More information regarding the validity of allowance auctions could come any day  even in the event of a negative decision, consigned allowance auctions could continue.

U.S. Refiners Paid over $1 Billion in RIN Costs in 2015

U.S. refiners paid 1.27 billion to comply with RFS2 last year.

Funds Keep Selling Corn

In a week when grains and oilseeds enjoyed noticeable price appreciation, corn participation was limited and one look at last weeks Commitment of Traders showed the reason as Funds just keep selling, seemingly oblivious to any possible planting disruption.

The Expanded Panama Canal Set to Open for Trade in 3Q16

The expanded Panama Canal will benefit U.S. exports of LPG and help support U.S. LPG prices. But for crude/condensate exports, VLCC exports around the Cape of Good Hope are still generally more attractive than Canal voyages.

LNG's Generation X Comes to Life

The specter of production shut-ins remains a constant whisper throughout the industry unless demand growth surges in the short term. Lower prices do suggest a lift in the demand curve is possible, but it is still difficult to place all of the worlds emerging LNG supply without an extremely low price that cracks open more coal-to-gas switching.

Global Equities Post Another Positive Week

Global equities posted a fourth straight week of gains. Many of the tracking indices continue to display significantly better looking trends. In the U.S., almost all the tracking indices were higher on the week. Energy, materials utilities, and retail did the best, while banking lagged. Internationally, the tracking indices were a bit more mixed. The best performers were Europe and Latin America. Japan, emerging Asia, and China lagged.

Ethanol Prices Slide

U.S. ethanol prices tumbled last week as inventories were near record highs. Manufacturing margins were stable as corn costs also declined.

What Ails U.S. Distillate Demand?

Weekly distillate demand has been running about 700 MB/D below forecast. PIRA has pointed to the adverse impact of a strong dollar on U.S. industry as well as the crippling impact of low commodity prices on mining as likely causes for this demand weakness. We estimate their combined negative impact on diesel demand is roughly 320 MB/D, leaving the remaining 380 MB/D to be explained by other factors such as bad weekly demand data. The recent 278 MB/D upward revision in the December PSM of the DOE weekly demand data is testimony to the kind of upward revisions that are possible. There will be more upward revisions to the weekly numbers when the PSM monthly data for January and February are released.

Will the Rio Olympics Help Brazils Economy and Oil Demand?

Historically, the summer Olympic games have tended to support economic activity in host countries, and there has also been a positive historical pattern between hosting the Olympics and oil consumption. This year, Rio de Janeiro will host the first Olympics in South America, but the typical Olympic effects on the economy and oil demand have not evident in Brazilian data. Recent encouraging signals from financial markets, however, suggest that the Olympic lift may materialize after all.

Egypt Reduce Gas Prices for Industrial Users

Egypt will reduce the price it offers natural gas to steel and iron factories, Minister of Industry Tarek Kabil told a news conference last Wednesday. The reduction brings gas prices for the industries back to their 2014 levels, before prices were hiked as part of a broader government plan to cut subsidies, including those to heavy industry. At the time, the government increased gas prices by 30-75%. Egypt in December relaxed a commitment made by the previous government to abolish subsidies on gasoline, diesel and natural gas, and said lower global oil prices and the discovery of a massive offshore gas field meant it could move more slowly on the pledge.

Recent Oklahoma Wastewater Directives Not Likely to Have Material Impact on Crude Production

On March 7th Oklahomas oil and gas regulatory body issued a directive to reduce the wastewater injected into disposal wells in an area covering 5,000 square miles and over 400 disposal wells. This follows on the heels of a directive issued on February 16th impacting over 200 wells. Both the February and March actions represent an expansion in scope from directives issued in the state over the past year. However, PIRA does not see a material impact on oil production. The directives are largely voluntary and aim to reduce water disposal, not production. At most, we estimate a potential impact of 30 MB/D of crude. But the actual impact will likely be much less as operators come up with other ways to dispose of produced water.

Iraq Oil Monitor, 1Q16

Rising insecurity and worsening regional tensions resulted in multiple attacks and a 25-day shutdown of the ~600 MB/D Iraq-Ceyhan pipeline from mid-February. In the south, rising tribal violence and organized crime could deter investment and slow oil development. Southern exports averaged nearly 3.3 MMB/D from November to February, but further gains will likely be difficult as 2016 investment plans were reportedly reduced from $23 to $9 billion. The KRG-Baghdad oil export deal remains effectively dead, and PM Abadis plans for a major cabinet reshuffle has the potential to alleviate months of political paralysis or intensify a power struggle within the government.

Growth-Friendly Policy Announcements from China and Europe

Economic targets announced at this weeks Chinese National Peoples Congress pointed to a growth-friendly policy stance. But policymakers also paid attention to structural issues, such as reforming state-owned enterprises. Chinese economic data for January/February were mixed, and a slowing in industrial production growth is likely to alarm policymakers. Easing measures that the European Central Bank introduced this week went beyond markets expectations. Positive manufacturing data from Germany and the U.K. suggested that industrial activity in the developed world may be starting to turn around.

The information above is part of PIRA Energy Group's weekly Energy Market Recap - which alerts readers to PIRAs current analysis of energy markets around the world as well as the key economic and political factors driving those markets. To read PIRAs Market Recap first, subscribe to PIRA Perspectives here.

Click here for additional information on PIRAs global energy commodity market research services.

CONTACT:

PIRA Energy Group

3 Park Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, NY 10016

212-686-6808

sales(at)pira(dot)com
Enter your flight and hotel budget. Discover your travel options. WhereFor is for the adventurous traveler who wants to explore their options, and the budget-conscious traveler who wants the best deal

Onstage at SXSW's ReleaseIt, the launching platform for exciting new technology, WhereFor unveiled the first search engine to show people where they can travel for how much they want to spend. Based on budget and vacation dates, WhereFor.com searches over a billion flight and hotel price combinations to reveal every affordable travel destination on earth, and shows the best flight and hotel combo for each trip.

WhereFor is for the adventurous traveler who wants to explore their options, and the budget-conscious traveler who wants the best deal," said CEO and co-founder Ryan Wenger.

Mr. Wenger was a corporate attorney who felt that the major search engines like Expedia weren't designed to help people decide where to travel. Although he was an outsider to the travel industry, the industry soon took notice. In 2014, Travelport--the company that provides air and hotel rates to the major online travel agencies--agreed to offer its global inventory and rates. That same year, Richard Bangs, co-founder of Expedia, liked the idea so much he joined WhereFors board of advisors. Said Bangs:

"I see a lot of travel start ups, but searching based on budget rather than destination resonated with me. WhereFor often shows trips to Japan and Moscow for under $800, proving the world is cheaper than most people expect."

WhereFor also revealed their trip financing feature, which allows users to pay off their trip over 12 months with 0% interest, opening up even more travel possibilities.

About WhereFor

WhereFor is based in Los Angeles, California. It has raised approximately $400,000, and is currently raising another $1MM to accelerate growth.
Today, Conservation International (CI) releases Mountain, the newest film in its award-winning short film series Nature Is Speaking. Voiced by Golden Globe Award nominee Lee Pace, Mountain reflects on humanitys harmonious past with nature  and warns about the dangers ahead.

The nature that sustains us is in great peril, said Pace. The mountain warns us of the danger resulting from the damage we have done, and offers an invitation to do the right thing before its too late.

Mountain ecosystems, from the Andes to the Himalayas, provide fresh water and resources for millions of people.



The worlds major rivers, including the Congo, Mekong and Amazon, have their headwaters in mountains, and more than half of the global population relies on the fresh water that originates in these areas

329 million mountain-dwelling people face hunger due to food insecurity

Many of the worlds most traded commodities, including coffee, tea and rice, are grown in mountainous areas

CI launched the "Nature Is Speaking" campaign in September 2014. The series includes films narrated by nature in the voices of the biggest names in Hollywood including Penelope Cruz, Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, Lupita Nyong'o, Edward Norton, Robert Redford, Julia Roberts, Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Spacey and Reese Witherspoon. The films have been viewed more than 46 million times across 33 countries in 10 languages, garnering more than 2.2 billion total impressions.

About CIs Work in Mountain Areas

CI protects the nature that people around the world rely on, including critical mountain habitats, which provide food, fresh water and livelihoods for people. Working closely with the government of Cambodia for 14 years, CI has helped to protect the Central Cardamom Protected Forest, which lies at the heart of the Cardamom Mountains. Rivers flowing from these highlands provide drinking water and support rice and fish production in lowland agricultural plains, supporting the lives and livelihoods of 3.5 million people, as well as iconic wildlife like wild Asian elephants. In January of 2016, CI and Cambodias Forest Administration launched Cambodia's first ever conservation trust fund for the Central Cardamom Protected Forest.

The Alto Mayo Protected Forest, located in the mountainous eastern Andes of Peru, is a vital area for the people who live there. CI has been working with local farmers to create more sustainable agricultural practices to help conserve and restore the forest, which sequesters carbon and provides people with fresh water.

The mountains of southwest China help ensure the supply of fresh water for more than 20 million people, providing an essential resource for sustaining human well-being and economic growth. CI works in this area to mitigate pollution in order to protect freshwater supplies This project has effectively improved river water quality, improved village sanitation and hygiene, raised villagers awareness of freshwater conservation, encouraged eco-agriculture as economic motivation to villagers and provided educational opportunities to local schools and visitors.

"Mountain" is available to view and embed at natureisspeaking.org.

The "Nature Is Speaking" newsroom contains additional content and contacts for media at natureisspeaking.org/newsroom.

Images for media use*: http://www.conservation.org/NewsRoom/Pages/Media-Resources.aspx

About the Nature Is Speaking campaign

Conservation International developed the Nature Is Speaking video series with MAL\FOR GOOD under the creative direction of Lee Clow. The videos have garnered more than 2.2 billion impressions and more than 48 million video views from exposure in more than 33 countries and have raised millions of dollars for conservation. "The Ocean," voiced by Harrison Ford, earned a coveted Cannes Gold Lion award in 2014.

About Conservation International

Conservation International (CI) uses an innovative blend of science, policy and partnerships to protect the nature people rely on for food, fresh water, and livelihoods. Founded in 1987, CI works in more than 30 countries on six continents to ensure a healthy, prosperous planet that supports us all. Learn more about CI and follow our work on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*By downloading these images you agree to the following licensing terms and conditions: CI grants to you, and your employer if you are acting on behalf of your employer, a royalty-free license to download images for one-time editorial use in coverage of CI. The downloaded assets may not be used for commercial, advertising or other revenue generating purposes without express written permission of CI. Credit information is provided in asset metadata under copyright line.
Ritesman Enterprises Inc. I appreciate the rich history of economic growth Sioux Falls continues to be nationally recognized for. And my goal is to add a powerful spark to that growth for Sioux Falls (and South Dakota).

Sioux Falls, SD Ritesman Enterprises, parent company of a rapidly expanding collection of multinational companies, has officially opened its headquarters in the 110 N. Minnesota Avenue building near downtown Sioux Falls.

Citing South Dakotas overall business-friendly climate and specifically Sioux Falls thriving economic environment, Tobias Ritesman, Founder and majority shareholder of Ritesman Enterprises says, Sioux Falls is a strategically solid business decision. I have traveled extensively across the globe and I chose Sioux Falls as my headquarters because it offers wide-open opportunities for rapid growth.

Ritesman goes on to say, I appreciate the rich history of economic growth Sioux Falls continues to be nationally recognized for. And my goal is to add a powerful spark to that growth for Sioux Falls (and South Dakota). The work and needs of my companies span the globe. My goal is to offer an environment that helps bring leaders (and their wealth) from around the world to Sioux Falls as well offer people from this area a chance to spread their wings. Ritesman was recently in India visiting with the Joint Secretary and Prime Ministers office, in discussions to bring Global Aquaponics, one of the multinational corporations under the Ritesman Enterprise umbrella, to their country. The Global Aquaponics facility we are building in South Dakota will create 45 new jobs. As will each new facility we build in South Dakota. Thats just one of my companies now headquartered in Sioux Falls, says Ritesman.

Tobias Ritesman, nicknamed in the business world as The Tiger for his aggressive and fearless determination to see things through to fruition, offers appreciation for the leadership and people of South Dakota. Our elected officials in South Dakota have worked hard to create a very successful business environment. They have done well. And in all my travels, I have never met more loyal and steadfast people. Some of my closest friendships and partnerships have been forged here. I would love to see us lead the way in ending world hunger and making a dent into poverty. comments Ritesman.

Ritesman Enterprises

Ritesman Enterprises Incorporated is a parent company of The Tiger Consultant Incorporated, Global Aquaponics Incorporated and Tinkers and Thinkers Incorporated. The Tiger Consultant Inc. is an international consulting firm specializing in military and political strategy as well as high-level business consulting. Tinkers and Thinkers Inc. is a company that is bringing global innovation to new heights, creating and acquiring products and companies worldwide. Global Aquaponics Inc. is the most advanced aquaponics company in the world.

Contact:

Andre Grant

The Tiger Consultant

404-939-1115

Andre(at)thetigerconsultant(dot)com
"We ultimately made the decision to stay with Caliber Public Safety and migrate to CAD 10. The primary reasons for our choice were Caliber's company size and stability, and we really enjoy working with the Caliber staff." Kristy Easterwood, 911 Director

Caliber Public Safety (Caliber) supports over 100 law enforcement agencies in Georgia, ranging from small police departments to 911 centers and countywide sheriff agencies. Located in Jasper, GA, the Pickens County 911 has five CAD positions and serves a population of 29,000 spanning 233 square miles. By upgrading to Calibers CAD 10, dispatchers, responders, and commanders easily collaborate in real-time, across agency, discipline, and location boundaries. Using configurable workflow options, administrators optimize speed and accuracy, promote best practices, and assure compliance with local policies.

According to Kristy Easterwood, 911 Director for Pickens County, "Pickens County, GA 911 has been a Caliber customer for a number of years using CAD Classic. As part of our due diligence, we looked at several other Caliber competitors. We ultimately made the decision to stay with Caliber Public Safety and migrate to CAD 10. The primary reasons for our choice were Caliber's company size and stability, and we really enjoy working with the Caliber staff."

Through a series of strategic acquisitions in 2015, Caliber Public Safety, a business unit of Harris Systems USA, Inc., acquired TAC.10, Sleuth and InterAct to become a premier provider of public safety software throughout the United States. As a result, Calibers product consolidation and organizational changes have proven to be a benefit for existing customers by creating unified support teams for research and development, customer support, and sales and marketing.

Faysal Tay, Vice President, Sales at Caliber Public Safety is pleased to have Pickens County as a client. Caliber has the largest law enforcement customer base in Georgia. We appreciate the loyalty and trust our clients have placed in Caliber to support their CAD, RMS, Mobile and Jail Management -- all mission critical applications. We are better able to serve Pickens County and the entire state of Georgia with the recent restructuring of our business which has consolidated a showcase product line that is powerful, highly configurable, and supported 24 x 7 x 365.

ABOUT CALIBER PUBLIC SAFETY AND CALIBER JUSTICE:

Caliber Public Safety and Caliber Justice are business units of one of Constellation Software Inc.s operating groups. Harris Systems USA, Inc. is a subsidiary of Constellation and is one of the legal entities that markets and distributes software products and services under the Caliber Public Safety and Caliber Justice platforms. With headquarters in Niagara Falls, NY and Oklahoma City, OK and support offices throughout the Midwest and East coast, Caliber Public Safety and Caliber Justice cover a large US territory to provide comprehensive public safety software solutions. Caliber Public Safety and Caliber Justice are uniquely qualified to provide software solutions, technology and services of the highest caliber to agencies that protect and service hundreds of communities. We are proud to serve those who serve. The full line of Caliber Public Safety and Caliber Justice software delivers the critical edge to frontline responders when seconds count. To learn more: http://www.caliberpublicsafety.com and http://caliberjustice.com.
It was truly an honor to speak at the ICRC Conference, which brought together an impressive array of some of the worlds leading professionals and thinkers in crisis communications.

Red Banyan Group founder and respected crisis communications expert Evan Nierman recently appeared as a featured speaker at the 2016 International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference (ICRC).

The ICRC is an annual event hosted by the University of Central Floridas Nicholson School of Communications that brings together from across the globe crisis communications practitioners, students and some of the worlds leading researchers and academics to share a wide range of knowledge, best practices and insights.

In his session titled Opportunity to Shine: How PR Crises Actually Help Companies and Organizations, Nierman discussed some of his recommendations for ways organizations can not only survive, but actually thrive during times of crisis. Niermans high energy speaking style and emphasis on real-world case studies entertained and informed audience members and provided them with proven techniques and best practices that can be applied across a wide range of disciplines and industries.

It was truly an honor to speak at the ICRC Conference, which brought together an impressive array of some of the worlds leading professionals and thinkers in crisis communications, said Evan Nierman. At this seminal gathering of crisis managers and scholars my intention was to share proven best practices for crisis PR that have achieved results in the real world.

About Red Banyan Group

Red Banyan Group is a top public relations agency with clients from across the country and the world. With offices in Florida and Washington, D.C., Red Banyan Group combines substantive understanding of complex issues with the experience and skills needed to execute campaigns that deliver results. Specializing in crisis communications, corporate public relations, government relations, and legal PR, Red Banyan group provides an integrated approach to communications thats rooted in strategy.

Learn more at http://www.redbanyan.com, become a fan of the Red Banyan Group Facebook page and follow the firm on Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
The McCords from Chicago take Missouri, and want to show your their fun! "Rather than show the typical beauty shots of Missouris greatest hits, we wanted to do something fresh and authentic to highlight just how much Missouri has to offer."

The Missouri Division of Tourism today launched Its Your Show  an innovative advertising campaign created in partnership with H&L Partners, its St. Louis marketing agency. An extension of the 2013 Enjoy the Show campaign, this fully integrated execution includes TV, print, radio and out-of-home components that direct audiences to a new video-rich microsite.

A few elements make Its Your Show stand out from other tourism campaigns.

Real tourists tell the story. The new campaign features six real family and friend groups from nearby cities experiencing various destinations on road trips throughout the state. H&L equipped travelers with GoPros and iPhones, and stood back and let them capture their own footage to document and show their journeys.

Rather than show the typical beauty shots of Missouris greatest hits, we wanted to do something fresh and authentic to highlight just how much Missouri has to offer, said Mark Manion, Executive Creative Director at H&L Partners. That meant putting the cameras in the hands of our travelers, empowering them to show us their experiences in the Show-Me State. With this approach, weve essentially taken tourism word-of-mouth advertising to the next level.

Travel groups included the McCord family (Chicago), the Swartz family (Omaha), the McClelland couple (Little Rock), girlfriends Jamie, Krystal and Denise (Nashville), an engaged couple, Ian and Kristina (Memphis), and buddies Jordan, Jeremy and Ryan (Tulsa).

Our previous campaign encouraged people to enjoy the show, and did so successfully as 40.4 million people traveled to Missouri in 2015, said Dan Lennon, Director, Missouri Division of Tourism. Were excited to build on this momentum with the genuine, first-hand look Its Your Show offers would-be visitors.

The integrated campaign features 3-D map with traveler-generated content. Recognizing the role video and photos play in influencing todays travel decision-making, the site integrates a 3-D map with dynamic, tourist-generated content to inspire trip planning. With its travel group profiles, hundreds of video vignettes and photographs, interactive map, reviews and ratings, the site will connect prospective travelers with relatable experiences they can trust  and ultimately enjoy.

With the proliferation of smart phone usage, the way people consume online content continues to speed up, which challenges marketers to make every second count, said Chris Kilcullen, H&L Partners Digital Director. Given this, the Divisions site content was created and curated to be very snackable and inspire trip planning, not just be visually appealing.

H&L Partners has a long history of creating award-winning campaigns for clients including the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission in addition to MDT. The agency recently added Palm Desert (CA) to its growing list of tourism clients.

For more information about the new Missouri Division of Tourism campaign, or H&L Partners tourism marketing offerings, contact Heather Woodard at hwoodard(at)handlpartners(dot)com.

About H&L Partners

H&L Partners is a full-service agency that specializes in retail and tourism marketing. Founded in 1985 and based in San Francisco, H&L (formerly Hoffman Lewis) offers a range of marketing services that include strategic planning, advertising and design, digital, media strategy, planning and buying, and public relations.

With offices in St. Louis, Boston and Richmond, in addition to San Francisco, H&L clients include McDonald's, Toyota, the Missouri Division of Tourism, Palm Desert (CA), the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, Purple Wine & Spirits, and more.

For more information about H&L Partners, please visit HandLPartners.com.
The company recently announced the availability of iSocket 3G for additional countries  the new smart plug that operates - regardless of Wi-Fi - via the mobile network and sends power failure alerts directly to a mobile phone. The iSocket 3G device also has a standard socket to which any appliance that has a standard plug can be connected for remote switching or rebooting in areas where Wi-Fi is not available, or where a user needs to reboot a Wi-Fi enabled device, such as a router.

My Power Guru is the new service from iSocket Systems that now allows business customers with several locations to monitor power outages through one central web interface and immediately receive alerts online. The service also gives the facility the option to reboot appliances through the same web interface. The company demonstrated the service to visitors at their stand at The IoT Connect Show in London ExCel today.

It has been a long journey to get to this point," said Denis Sokol, CEO of iSocket Systems. We pioneered the technology in 2011, but weve been focused on selling the hardware for power cut monitoring and rebooting  our iSocket gadgets. We thought that private users would be the main target group, but the demand has been higher from business customers for these applications. For example, Verizon Enterprise uses our iSockets to monitor power to their customers routers all over the world. Some customers use iSocket to reboot ATMs or visit counters in supermarkets when they stop working. One customer uses it to control cameras that monitor surfers along the coasts in the USA. In all of these applications, the integration of iSocket has allowed customers to reduce the cost of maintenance. But they have always asked us for a facility for efficient power outage tracking for their locations - centrally - via a web interface. So, now we have introduced this service.

The new service is available globally, because the hardware  iSocket 3G Smart Plug  is available with plugs/sockets of 8 different configurations - suitable for almost all countries in the world. For the rest of the world, the company plans to create a plugless solution.

At the moment, the customer has to pay a one-time cost for the equipment  iSocket 3G  for each location. Investors are being sought for a future business model where hardware will be provided free up-front and replaced in the event of failure for the duration of the agreement.
Pet Industry Experts, LLC (PIE) Jim Dougherty, Founding Partner of Pet Industry Experts LLC (PIE) states, 'There are many natural pet products on the market, but none are as safe or as effective as NuDay Pet.... I firmly believe this will revolutionize the flea and tick pet category.'

PetSmart/Petsense Founder and Pet industry leader Jim Dougherty and the strategic partnership team of Pet Industry Experts, LLC (PIE) are proud to announce the launch of PIEs first branded Product line: NuDay Pet Natural Flea and Tick products.

PIE and NuDay Pet will launch their new product line at Global Pet Expo, March 16 - March 18, 2016, in Orlando, Florida, to thousands of U.S. and international retailers, members of the media, and key lifestyle influencers in their booth (#5350) in the New Products area.

How are NuDay Pet 100% Natural Dual Defense Flea and Tick products different than others in the $1 billion flea and tick category?

NuDay Pet 100% Natural Dual Defense Flea and Tick Products for Dogs and Cats offer:



A patented 100% natural and biodegradable formula, clinically proven to last for 90 days;

A peace of mind to pet-parents that their pets (and families) are protected with a non-toxic, hypoallergenic formula, safe for pets and humans alike;

2 convenient application choices - a pet spray or a household spray;

Performance, killing dangerous fleas and ticks on contact;

3 choices, formulated especially for the unique needs of Cats, Dogs & Household, available in 16 oz. (MSRP $17.99) or 32 oz. (MSRP $29.99)

With PIEs uncompromising mission to find and bring the best new pet products to market, we are proud to launch NuDay Pet 100% Natural Dual Defense Flea & Tick Spray for Dogs and Cats," states Jim Dougherty, Founding Partner of Pet Industry Experts LLC. There are many all-natural products on the market, but none are as safe or as effective as NuDay Pet and I firmly believe this will revolutionize this category but also be a long awaited innovation, helping to make life better and safer for pets and the people that love them.

All NuDay Pet products will be available on PIEs newly launched ecommerce partnership website: http://www.piepetproducts.com.

For more information on PIE, please visit http://www.petindustryexperts.com. For more information on NuDay Pet flea and tick products, please visit http://www.nudaypet.com.
Shai Reshef, President and founder of UoPeople University of the People has shown the world that an accredited Bachelors degree can be accessible, affordable and have the right quality. Now we are determined to show the same can be achieved for an MBA. Past News Releases RSS Combating Zika Virus through...

University of the People (UoPeople), the worlds first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited American online university built for underserved students around the world, has announced today that it has received accreditation for and is launching the worlds most cost effective MBA program.

The MBA program is the latest addition to UoPeoples current offerings of Associates and Bachelors programs in Business Administration and Computer Science, all accredited by the Distance Education and Accreditation Commission (DEAC).

Starting today the university will be accepting applicants to commence their MBA studies in September 2016. The universitys academic calendar consists of five nine-week terms and students can apply and be admitted to commence in any given term. The university will accept only 100 applicants for the first term, and gradually expand the program. Although there are no tuition or textbook fees, there is a $200 end of course assessment fee (for each of the 12 courses) and students can expect to pay a total of just $2,400 for the degree over six terms (15 months).

University of the People has shown the world that an accredited Bachelors degree can be accessible, affordable and have the right quality. Now we are determined to show the same can be achieved for an MBA. We realized that for many, a Bachelors degree is not enough and there is great demand in the job market for candidates with an MBA, said President Shai Reshef. The cost of an MBA today is so expensive, that many people who are qualified to achieve it, cannot afford it. UoPeople was set up to open the gates to higher education and to give an opportunity to those who dont have it. Launching the worlds most cost-effective MBA was a natural progression for the university, and hopefully, it will pave the way for other universities to follow. This is a great milestone both for the university and for deserving students around the world.

Dr. Russell S. Winer, William H. Joyce Professor of Marketing at the Stern School of Business, New York University (NYU), is UoPeoples Dean of Business Administration and heads the new MBA program. He has personally contributed a course to the program. Im extremely proud to have led a stellar team to develop this groundbreaking MBA program over the past few years. It would not have been possible without the amazing work of esteemed volunteers, such as Dr. Gabriel Hawawini of INSEAD and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Stephan Chambers of Oxford Said Business School, and Dr. Alex Tuzhilin of NYU Stern School of Business, who have all helped envision and contribute to the world class standard of this exciting MBA. Winer said.

UoPeople made headlines for achieving accreditation for its undergraduate degrees in 2014 and currently has over 3,000 enrolled students in Business Administration and Computer Science programs, hailing from 180 countries. According to the university, it is expected that this number will double in the next year and continue to do so in the coming years. Its ability to do so leans on its use of open-source technology, Open Educational Resources and the assistance of 4,000 volunteers coming from top universities. Its Presidents Council, chaired by NYU President Emeritus John Sexton, includes Oxford Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Sir Colin Lucas, U.S. Former Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, and Nobel Laureate Torsten N. Wiesel among others.

Information about application requirements can be found on the university website. http://www.uopeople.edu

About University of the People:

University of the People (UoPeople) is the worlds first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university dedicated to opening access to higher education globally. Using open-source technology, Open Educational Resources, peer-to-peer learning, and the assistance of academic volunteers, UoPeople is designed to provide access to university studies for qualified high school graduates, despite financial, geographic, societal or personal constraints.

Founded in 2009, UoPeople has partnered with Yale ISP Law School for research; New York University (NYU) to accept students; Microsoft for scholarships, access to its certificate programs, mentoring, internships and employment opportunities; and Hewlett-Packard, for general support, scholarships for women and internships. The University has enrolled students from 180 different countries and is supported by a network of over 4,000 dedicated volunteers.

The institution has gained the widespread support of leading academics from leading universities around the world. UoPeople is supported by The Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Hewlett Foundation, Fondation Hoffmann and companies such as HP, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Western Union, Estee Lauder and many more.

About UoPeople President Shai Reshef:

President and founder of University of the People, Shai Reshef is an educational entrepreneur, with over 25 years of experience in the international education market. President Reshef has been widely recognized for his work with UoPeople, including being named one of Fast Companys 100 Most Creative People in Business; selected by OneWorld as one of its People of 2009'; awarded an Ashoka fellowship; joined UN-GAID as a High-level Adviser; granted membership in the Clinton Global Initiative; granted an RSA Fellowship; selected by The Huffington Post as the Ultimate Game Changer in Education; nominated as one of Wired Magazines 50 People Changing the World; and selected as a Top Global Thinker by Foreign Policy Magazine. Recently, he was awarded the Princes Prize for Innovative Philanthropy by Prince Albert II of Monaco. Before founding University of the People, Reshef directed KIT e-learning, the first online university in Europe. His TED Talk: An Ultra-Low-Cost College Degree has been viewed by over 2.5 million people. More at http://www.uopeople.edu
Wi-Tronix, LLC has its global headquarters in Bolingbrook, Illinois. [Violet] is a revolutionary solution that will provide unprecedented monitoring for our clients high-value mobile assets. Violet provides features which render all other LDARS obsolete." -Michael Heilmann

Wi-Tronix, a leading provider of remote monitoring solutions for high-value mobile assets, announces that their new, industry-leading Locomotive Data Acquisition Recording System (LDARS), named Violet, will be introduced May 17 at their annual conference in Chicago.

The focus of the conference will be the unveiling of Violet. Company officials will detail its operational and technological advances, demonstrate the new system, and answer questions. The company says Violet is a game-changer  a new standard.

Throughout our company history, weve led the way in innovation, says Michael Heilmann, Executive Vice President  Business Development for Wi-Tronix. Violet is no exception. It is a revolutionary solution that will provide unprecedented monitoring for our clients high-value mobile assets. Violet provides features which render all other LDARS obsolete.

Over the years, the Wi-Tronix annual conference in Chicago has grown into a cant-miss industry event. It is attended by CEOs, Operations, and IT professionals as well as industry media, thought leaders, and government policy makers.

As an innovative leader in the transportation industry, Wi-Tronix monitors 10,000 locomotives worldwide improving the safety, reliability, and efficiency of both passenger and freight railroad operations.

New government regulations require that railways install positive train control (PTC) by 2018. LDARS is a major component of the PTC system.

Orders for Violet will be accepted at the conference. Wi-Tronix is now accepting conference reservations for customers. For more information regarding the conference or Violet, contact Wi-Tronix at 1-888-WI-TRONIX.

About Wi-Tronix, LLC

Wi-Tronix is a leading provider of remote monitoring solutions for high-value mobile assets used in the rail, marine and mining markets, and in other commercial and industrial operations. Since 2004 Wi-Tronix has been working with businesses to improve the operational efficiency, service reliability, and safety of their high-value assets. Wi-Tronix corporate headquarters are located in Bolingbrook, IL. For more information, visit wi-tronix.com or follow Wi-Tronix on Twitter at @WiTronix.
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Burn your hand on a hot pan? Now what?

There are many myths about how to treat a minor burn. Do you pop the blister? Do you run hot or cold water on it? Do you cover it?

One of the most important things to do is to act fast and follow these tips for minor burn treatment:

 Use cool (a little colder than room temperature) running water for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pain eases. A cool, clean, damp towel works, too.

 Swelling may occur, so remove tight items, such as rings or clothing, from the burned area.

 Do not break the blister if it is bigger than your little fingernail. If the blister does break, clean it with mild soap and water. Apply antibiotic ointment, and then cover it with a bandage or gauze.

 Applying moisturizer, aloe vera gel or other pain relief gels may provide temporary relief. Dont slather on butter, as butter retains heat and it could be contaminated with bacteria.

 Some over-the-counter pain reliever also may be beneficial. Ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or acetaminophen can help ease the pain.

 Its also important to ensure that you have had a tetanus shot within the last 10 years, as you can get tetanus through an open wound in the skin.

You should see your health care provider:

 If the symptoms begin to get worse and larger blisters develop.

 If the burn covers a large area of the body or infection-like signs begin to show, such as oozing from the wound, increased pain, redness and swelling.

Call 911 for emergency medical help for major burns.

-- Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

IN THE QC

Annual Statewide Ostomy Education Day on April 16

The members of the Iowa Affiliate of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Society invite anyone living with an ostomy, their families or caregivers, to join in for a fun and informative event at UnityPoint Health --Trinity, April 16, in the Jardine Center, 2701 17th St., Rock Island.

The free event is designed to offer ongoing support and education to those living with an ostomy, according to a news release. The event will include speakers, free lunch and snacks, with drawings for door prizes throughout the day.

The conclusion of the event will feature a vendor fair with representatives from local and nationwide companies, the release states.

Registration is preferred by Wednesday, March 16, by emailing iowaostomyday@gmail.com or calling 309-779-2851.

Henry and Stark County Health Departments offer well-child clinic program

The Henry and Stark County Health Departments are pushing to remind area residents of the Well-Child Clinic Program at the department offices in Kewanee, Route 78 South, Kewanee.

The departments hope that by offering comprehensive health services to area children today, health problems will be prevented in the future, according to a news release.

Clinic services include periodic "head-to-toe" well-child exams for children from birth to age 20; hemoglobin tests, blood lead screenings, immunizations, developmental screenings, and counseling and referral, the release states.

Well-child clinic services are available to all area residents, according to the release. The clinic will accept Medicaid payments and private pay. A sliding fee scale, based on the client's income, also has been established.

For more information or to make an appointment for the Well-Child clinic, call 309-852-5272, or visit henrystarkhealth.com.
ROCK ISLAND  Calling all area yogis and folks looking to learn more about yoga! Radish magazine will host the Quad-Cites' first yoga festival in July.

The Radish Magazine Yoga Fest will take place July 15-17 at the Holiday Inn Rock Island, 226 17th St.

Whether you're a handstand pro or you couldn't recognize a warrior pose if your life depended on it, there will be something for you at the event.

"We are really excited to be a part of this very unique event," said Valerie Yazbec, chief revenue officer for the Moline Dispatch Publishing Co. "Personally, I'm new to yoga, so as we have planned the event, we've made sure it will be for all skill levels  even mine."

The fest will kick off Friday night with a keynote address by Sara Strother, of the Chicago area, who has studied yoga for more than 16 years and has taught yoga for more than 12. Then there will be a community yoga session, followed by a dance party with snacks and a cash bar.

Saturday will feature a host of sessions throughout the day for beginners through experienced students and teachers, including guided practice, arm balances and inversions, advanced practice and more. Lunch will be provided.

Sunday's offerings will be a little less intense, with a half-day of sessions for all levels, including therapeutic yoga, chair yoga, mantra yoga and yoga for relaxation. There will be a closing ceremony at 1 p.m.

Special guest instructors from the Chicago area will be Ms. Strother; Quinn Kearney, who has taught yoga for more than two decades; and Jim Bennitt, who began studying yoga in 1997. Instructors from about 10 Quad-Cities studios also will be on hand to teach a variety of sessions.

Saturday and Sunday will feature guided meditation throughout each day. A vendor marketplace will be open during the event, with many booths offering information and wares from yoga- and health-related businesses.

Tickets  $225 for a weekend pass, $200 for Saturday and Sunday, $175 for Saturday only, $55 for Sunday only, and $30 for Friday only  are available now at brownpapertickets.com/event/2502563, and at the customer service counter at The Dispatch/Argus, 1720 5th Ave., Moline, beginning April 1.

"There are so many proven benefits to yoga," Ms. Yazbec said. "We want to be sure the fest is comfortable for all levels, even beginners like me. We took great care in selecting our presenters to ensure that all who attend (the) Radish Magazine Yoga Fest will leave feeling relaxed, refreshed and hopefully, (like) a true yogi."

For more information, including a complete schedule, visit radishmagazine.com/yogafest.
Anyone caring for a loved one with Alzheimers disease likely can relate to former first lady Nancy Reagan, who called the illness suffered by former President Ronald Reagan a truly long, long goodbye.

Mrs. Reagan, who died earlier this month at age 94, was a tireless advocate for Alzheimers patients and their families, recalls Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. Ronald Petersen, who knew the Reagans well.

In many respects, Mrs. Reagan was the optimal caregiver, providing love and support for the president in a fashion similar to many other Americans whose families deal with this difficult diagnosis, he said.

In 2015, an estimated 5.3 million Americans had Alzheimers disease, according to the Alzheimers Association. As the disease progresses, once-simple tasks become difficult or impossible.

Practical tips can help your loved maintain a sense of independence and dignity.

To limit challenges resulting from Alzheimers:

 Schedule wisely.

Establish a routine to make each day more predictable and less confusing. Schedule the most difficult tasks, such as bathing or medical appointments, for the time of day when your loved one is most calm.

 Adapt your routine, as needed.

For example, if your loved one insists on wearing the same outfit every day, consider buying a few identical outfits. When your loved one is bathing, switch the worn outfit for a clean one.

 Take your time.

Expect things to take longer than they once did. Schedule more time to complete tasks, so you dont need to hurry your loved one.

 Involve your loved one.

Allow your loved one to do as much as possible with the least amount of assistance. For example, perhaps your loved one can dress alone if you lay out the clothes in the order they go on.

 Limit choices.

The fewer the options, the easier it is to decide. For example, provide two outfits to choose between  not a closet full of clothes. Eliminate belts or accessories that are likely to be put on incorrectly.

 Reduce distractions.

Turn off the TV, and minimize distractions at mealtime and during conversations, so your loved one can better focus on the task at hand.

To keep your loved one with Alzheimers safe:

 Prevent falls.

Avoid scatter rugs, extension cords and any clutter that could cause your loved one to trip or fall. Install handrails or grab bars in critical areas.

 Use locks.

Install locks on cabinets that contain anything potentially dangerous, such as medicine, alcohol, guns, toxic cleaning substances, dangerous utensils and tools.

 Check water temperature.

Lower the thermostat on the hot-water heater to prevent burns.

 Take fire safety precautions.

Keep matches and lighters out of reach. If your loved one smokes, make sure he or she does so with supervision. Have an accessible fire extinguisher and smoke alarms with fresh batteries.

If you know someone whos caring for a loved one who has Alzheimers disease, heres how to help:

 Be specific when you offer help:

If you want to support a friend caring for a loved one, make a concrete offer. For example:

 Im going to the grocery store. What can I pick up for you?

 Ive got a few free hours tomorrow. May I sit in for you, while you run errands or take time for yourself?

 I doubled my meatloaf recipe, so I could share with you. I brought enough to last you for several meals.

 Does your yard need to be mowed? Id be happy to take care of it this weekend.

Check in with the caregiver:

Sending a card or calling a caregiver can be a meaningful way to show support. Emails and text messages work, too; however, personal visits can be better. Contact with the outside world can lift a caregivers spirits.
CHICAGO (AP)  Drama-packed presidential primaries and high-stakes down-ticket races in Illinois Tuesday are driving more voters to the polls in a state that usually doesn't have an opportunity to influence the march to the White House.

Donald Trump's surprising front-runner status on the Republican side and the close Democratic contest between Chicago's own, Hillary Clinton, and Vermont U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders are helping fuel voters' enthusiasm. But so are several Illinois races that will measure voters' sentiments during a tumultuous time in the state's government.

Here's a guide to Tuesday's action.

___

TURNOUT TRENDS

Turnout in Cook County  Illinois' largest county  already is double what it was in 2008, the last time both parties had contested primaries. That year, 51,116 voters cast ballots early, and that number is already dwarfed by the 102,408 who have voted as of Sunday.

Illinois has about 7.5 million registered voters who are considered active, meaning they cast ballots in recent elections. Statewide, turnout for primaries has been low, averaging 22 percent over the last four elections, according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, a government watchdog group that crunched the data.

This year marks the first year people can register to vote in Illinois up until the polls close.

___

PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATES

Republicans are pursuing 69 delegates in Illinois. The statewide pick for president gets 15 delegates and voters allot the remaining 54 by electing delegates in each congressional district who are aligned with a candidate. On the Democratic side, there are 182 delegates at stake.

The Republican favorites to win Illinois, Trump and Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, both have courted voters here in recent days. Before appearing in Bloomington Sunday, Trump on Friday canceled a rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion after tense standoffs between protesters and his supporters.

Cruz, who trails only Trump in delegates for the GOP nomination, was making five appearances in Monday, including Springfield, Decatur, and Rockford.

Sanders had an event in downtown Chicago Monday night, and Clinton was in Springfield Monday morning.

___

CONGRESS

Both parties are picking a candidate for a U.S. Senate race this fall.

Republican incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk has a primary challenge within his party as he faces businessman James Marter, who is considered a long-shot.

Democrats, meanwhile, have three candidates vying to face whoever the Republican Senate candidate ends up being.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth is seen as the front-runner in the Democrats' primary. She's facing former Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp and state Sen. Napoleon Harris.

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus and state Sen. Kyle McCarter, both Republicans, are vying for the 15th District, while Democrats are battling it out in the 10th District with Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and former U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider.

___

CHICAGO'S TOP PROSECUTOR

The shooting death of black teenager Laquan McDonald at the hands of a white Chicago police officer has been a dominant theme in the race between Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Kim Foxx, a former aid to the county board president.

Alvarez has faced angry public demonstrations and calls for her resignation after she took a year to charge officer Jason Van Dyke in McDonald's death, which was captured on a police dashcam.

The uproar over how the shooting was handled led to Alvarez losing key political supporters, including a majority of the city council's Latino members and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez.

___

CONTENTIOUS LEGISLATIVE RACES

A staggering amount of money is being spent in two of the state's 30 partisan legislative primaries because they're seen as extensions of the prolonged budget standoff between Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, with the power of unions a big sticking point in their fight.

Even President Barack Obama has weighed in on one of the races, endorsing the union-backed Juliana Stratton over incumbent Democratic Rep. Ken Dunkin in Chicago's 5th District in the city's south side.

Dunkin drew the wrath of his colleagues  and Rauner's backing  because he voted against pro-labor legislation.

Including money by spent independent groups, the combined price tag for the race is now at nearly $5.5 million.

In the 50th Senate District, incumbent Republican Sen. Sam McCann is battling Rauner and his own party for voting in favor of a pro-union measure. His primary against Bryce Benton has already reached $4 million spent.
CHICAGO (AP) - Presidential hopefuls were wearing a path through Illinois on Monday, as the typically predictable state suddenly has become ground for some possible political upsets in key primary races.

Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders both are working to appeal to minority voters and union members in the labor-friendly state, as Clinton hopes to win the state where she was born. Sanders was hoping for a surprise on Tuesday like last week when he defeated Clinton in Michigan.

On the Republican side, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had a full day of stops planned across Illinois as he tries to best billionaire Donald Trump, who canceled a rally in Chicago on Friday citing security concerns after thousands of people showed up to protest.

More than 1,000 delegates in both parties are at stake Tuesday when Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio vote.

The highest-stakes contests are in Florida and Ohio, where the winner-take-all Republican primaries award 99 and 66 delegates respectively and are must-wins for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Illinois offers an opportunity for several candidates to pick up delegates and to show they can win in one of the country's largest populated states.

Republicans award 69 delegates, with the winner of a statewide presidential preference poll guaranteed at least 15. Voters choose the remainder by electing delegates in each congressional district who are affiliated with a candidate.

Democrats award 182 delegates, with 102 of those awarded based on the proportion of the vote a candidate receivesTuesday in each congressional district, provided they get a minimum of 15 percent. Many of the remaining delegates are pledged to a candidate independently of Tuesday's results, and those delegates - which include party leaders and elected officials - heavily favor Clinton.

But aides to Clinton's campaign said the race has gotten closer in recent days in Illinois, Ohio and Missouri.

Making a morning stop in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, home to many Mexican-American immigrants, Clinton urged a group of Latino activists to head to the polls. Latino voters are a key demographic for Clinton in the primary and a potential general election, where her campaign hopes Trump's anti-immigrant comments could drive turnout among her supporters.

"We especially need you now," Clinton said before heading to an event at a Chicago union hall. "We have to have a big vote tomorrow that can send a strong message that loves trumps hate."

Sanders, who is ending his day Monday with a late evening rally at Roosevelt University in Chicago, has been trying to peel off Clinton's support among African-American voters. He appeared Saturday with civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Sanders also has used speeches and TV ads to link Clinton to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has seen his support among black voters slip since closing schools in primarily minority neighborhoods and since the city released video of a white police officer shooting a black teen 16 times. Emanuel has endorsed Clinton.

"Based on his disastrous record as mayor of the City of Chicago, I do not want Mayor Emanuel's endorsement if I win the nomination," Sanders said Saturday.

Cruz, who's running second in the delegate count behind Trump, announced on Sunday that he would be making stopsMonday in Rockford, Glen Ellyn, Peoria, Decatur and Springfield. He argues he's best positioned to stop Trump from getting the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination.

At his Rockford event, Cruz told journalists that Trump can't be trusted because he donated to Democrats, such as former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich - who's now in prison for corruption - and Emanuel.

Cruz said that if voters are interested in "abuse of power from Chicago Democrats, then Donald Trump is a great candidate."

Trump held a rally Sunday in Bloomington, and Kasich campaigned in the Chicago suburbs last week.

Illinois voters on Tuesday also will choose nominees to face off for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and a series of congressional and legislative primaries, among others.
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, will travel to Cuba Sunday with President Barack Obama.

The trip marks only the second time a sitting president has visited Cuba after Calvin Coolidge's visit in 1928.

"Cuba represents a new market for Illinois exports and President Obama's decision to embark on this historic diplomatic mission represents a major step forward for our region and our state," said Rep. Bustos. "By establishing new trade partnerships in Cuba, we have a real opportunity to grow our agricultural economy and create more good-paying manufacturing jobs in Illinois.

In October, Rep. Bustos traveled to Cuba as part of a bipartisan agricultural trade mission to learn more about increasing trade between Illinois and the island nation.

About 20 members of Congress will travel with President Obama to Havana, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. During the March 20-22 trip, the group will meet with Cuban officials and attend a speech by President Obama, a state dinner and a baseball game.
COLONA  The citys economic development committee has looked over a proposal from Retail Strategies, a Texas firm that would help the city market commercial properties.

Mayor Rick Lack has had the committee look over an agreement. At the Feb. 22 meeting, it was stated the contract would be for $20,000 per year.

On Monday night, the mayor told the council there would be a vote at the councils March 28 meeting. Office manager Kathleen Palmer said to the extent the firms work involved property in the tax-increment-financing districts, it could be covered with TIF funds.

Well, we definitely need it to bring business in, said Ald. Rich Holman, 4th Ward.

Ald. Larry Ropp, 3rd Ward, suggested assistance from the Henry County Economic Development Partnership.

Aldermen accepted the resignation, with regret, of Lories Graham as city budget director.

She will be very much missed, said Mayor Lack. She went back to the early days of Green Rock, even. She was very instrumental in merging and very valuable for many years and an all-around city historian.

The council also:

-- Approved a liquor license, waiving the fee, for the Colona Memorial Day Parade.

-- Agreed to sell three used squad cars and a dump truck as surplus property, opening bids at the April 11 meeting.

-- Proclaimed April 7 as Junior Achievement Day in Colona.

-- Agreed to have city attorney Graham Lee move forward with condemnation proceedings on 509 Fifth Street under property maintenance code.

-- Approved the mayors appointment of Ben McCoy to the public safety committee with Ald. Rich Holman and Ald. Jack Richardson, 1st Ward, to facilitate negotiations with the police union.
ROCK ISLAND  Voters in Illinois head to the polls today to vote in the presidential primary elections and many contested local races.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

In Rock Island County, the primary battle for state representative District 72 is attracting lots of money and attention.

The candidates in the Democratic primary are Jeff Jacobs, Mike Halpin, Kate Hotle and Glen Evans. Republicans Jordan Thoms and Brandi McGuire are competing in the Republican primary. The eventual winner will replace state Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, who is retiring.

Other contested local primaries include the race for Rock Island circuit clerk, where Democrats Tammy Weikert and Amy Beeding are competing. Ms. Weikert was appointed to the office last year. The winner of the primary will face Republican Jeff McKinley, who is unopposed, in the November general election.

Two Democratic attorneys  Kathleen Mesich and Clayton Lee  are running in the primary for the 14th Judicial Circuit vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Meersman. The 14th Judicial Circuit covers Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties.

Outside Rock Island County, there's a contested Republican primary for state representative District 74. The district covers all of Mercer County and parts of Bureau, Henry, Knox and Lee counties, and the Republican candidates are Wayne Saline, Dan Swanson and Mike DeSutter.

Galesburg Democrat Bill Butts is unopposed in the District 74 primary, and the winner of the general election will replace retiring state Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson.

There's also a contested Republican primary for the 17th Congressional District, with Milan's Jack Boccarossa running against Patrick Harlan, of Galesburg. U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In Henry County, there's a contested Republican primary for state's attorney, with Brian Kerr and Matt Schutte facing off. Republicans David Johnson and Melissa Watkins are running in the primary for coroner.

Also in Henry County, Geneseo 4th Ward alderwoman Kathy Carroll-Duda is challenging incumbent Mayor Nadine Palmgren in the nonpartisan city elections, and there are contested races for four city council seats.

In Mercer County, Democrats Meeghan Lee and Michael Wassell are running in the primary for state's attorney.

Many voters already have cast ballots during the early voting period. Those votes will be counted after the polls close today at 7 p.m.
MOLINE  Administrators and school board members of the Moline-Coal Valley School District said they do not support the possibility of re-extending a tax-increment financing district in downtown Moline.

Superintendent Lanty McGuire and chief financial officer Dave McDermott told school board members Monday that since this fall they have been in contact with City of Moline representatives about the possibility of extending TIF 1 for an additional 23 years.

TIF districts are tools municipalities use to attract development to blighted areas. Any increase in property tax from development within the district goes into a special fund for use in attracting additional development, improving infrastructure within the district or repaying some development costs.

Mr. McDermott said the city now has 12 TIF districts in play, including TIF 1 in the city's downtown, which Mr. McDermott said began in 1987 as a 23-year TIF. He said it was extended for another 11 years, and the current expiration is 2021. If the city is successful in approving the 23-year extension, the TIF would have a life of 52 years.

At a recent joint meeting to discuss the extension, Mr. McDermott said only the city and the school district had representatives present and the meeting was not able to proceed.

Mr. McDermott said school district administrators and past boards of educations have been very supportive of economic development in the city, but a 52-year TIF seems excessive and not in the best interest of the district or the community. He said the district would prefer to see project TIFs, such as the ones created for Kone, Genesis and other major projects within the city.

Board member Ben McAdams said he believes the board should consider passing a resolution to show that it is united against the extension of TIF 1. Board member Bob Dyer said he believes board members should contact their aldermen and develop talking points to successfully present the joint position against extension.

Board president Justin Anderson said he agreed TIF 1 should not be expanded, and the board should be vocal in its perspective. He said he intends to contact aldermen and attend the next city council meeting.

On Tuesday board members also:

 Approved the non-reemployement and honorable dismissal of six first-year temporary contract probationary teachers, one second-year temporary contract probationary teacher, and two part-time teachers. The board also approved tenure status for 21 fourth-year regular contract probationary teachers.

 Heard public comment from Moline resident Justin King about his complaint that a seventh grade sex ed class at John Deere Middle School likened parts of the male anatomy to popular cartoon characters from Toy Story, Scooby-Doo, and SpongeBob SquarePants. He said complaints to the principal did not result in the elimination of these references at future classes. Additionally, Mr. King said students were not excused from class if they so chose without repercussions as discussed and parents were not informed in advance in order to provide follow-up information to students.

 Board members also heard public comment from Moline resident Blake Zimmer, who asked the board to halt any phase out of the gifted program for Moline students because he said doing so goes against the recommendations of the leader of the gifted study program that the district has chosen to partner with through Purdue University. Mr. Zimmer said the total school cluster grouping model was recommended to supplement gifted programming, not supplant it.

 Reviewed the possibility of reducing the number of board of education meetings held during the 2016-17 school year. Mr. McDermott presented three options to the board, including maintaining a similar 2015-16 schedule of 19 meetings, reducing to one meeting per month with the addition of separate committee meetings, and a third option of maintaining a similar schedule with only one meeting over summer. The board will vote on the matter at the April 11 meeting, with administrators currently recommending the third option.

--Heard from district English Language Learners coordinator Stephanee Jordan on the district's dual-language program at Lincoln-Irving. She said the popularity of the program has been great, so much so that the district will change the way admission of students outside of the Lincoln-Irving boundaries is accepted in order to keep student-teacher class-size ratios low. Ms. Jordan said although some have requested the program be expanded to other elementary buildings, that is unlikely because competition for the hiring of billingual teachers and para-professional teachers is challenging. Board members heard comment form a student participant and parent of the program.

 Heard a report on LEAD Moline from district staff and students who work the program's tecg help desk. LEAD Moline, which stands for Limitless Engagement, Amazing Discoveries, now has 15 students enrolled in a class that provides tech support for the high school's Chromebooks. Students responded to 1,154 Chromebook issues during the first semester, and 702 issues thus far this semester.
ROCK ISLAND  On a 5-to-2 vote, the Rock Island City Council voted down a resolution to tear down a 100-year-old fire station near Douglas Park.

The cost of demolition, according to city staff, would have been about $40,000. Known as Fire Station No. 5, the city-owned building located at 901 18th Ave., is no longer in use.

On Jan. 18, city building inspector Tom Ayers reported to the city council the vacant fire station has numerous problems, including holes in the roof, along with dips and sags in the floor and structural issues.

Ald. Ivory Clark, 1st Ward, made a motion opposing the demolition. His motion was seconded by Ald. P.J. Foley, 3rd Ward. Alds. Virgil Mayberry, 2nd Ward; Kate Hotle, 5th Ward, and Joshua Schipp, 6th Ward, voted with them.

Alds. Stephen Tollenaer, 4th Ward, and Chuck Austin, 7th Ward, voted against Ald. Clark's motion and were in favor of demolishing the structure.

One group, the QC African American Museum, a nonprofit organization, expressed interest in buying the building for a $1 and refurbishing it into a historical museum featuring African-American history.

Group chairperson Annabell Williams Blegen spoke to the council of the city's rich history, saying such a museum would feature famous historical figures such as former slave Dred Scott and agricultural researcher George Washington Carver, who lived for a time in Davenport and Muscatine, respectively.

The challenge, Mayor Dennis Pauley said, is the cost. The mayor said those costs, he guessed at anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000 to repair the fire station, could be used for other items in the city's park's budget.

Alds. Clark and Foley said they wanted to see if someone was interested in buying the property and exploring other options before making a decision on demolishing the structure.

For now, plans for the former fire station are on hold.

The city could declare it surplus property and seek bids. Ald. Tollenaer told Ms. Blegen that there may be better options for a museum in the city instead of her organization trying to refurbish the former fire station.

Vince Thomas, secretary of the Museum committee, admitted afterwards if the city does take bids and someone else is interested in the property, "We (QC African American Museum) don't stand a chance."

But, Mr. Thomas said he was encouraged by the council members willing to look at other potential sites for his group.

"The museum is a good idea," Mr. Thomas said.

The fire station, constructed in 1915, is listed as one of Rock Island's most significant unprotected structures. The building cost $15,611 to construct, according to the city.

The attempted sale of historic city properties has been a controversial one recently for Rock Island.

In February, Mayor Pauley pulled the sale of the city-owned Hauberg Civic Center off the city council agenda, effectively ending a catering company's bid to purchase the property.
Christopher Brian Colbert, 43, was arrested in Los Angeles earlier this month after Dallas police issued an arrest warrant in connection with the sale of Ronald Shumways home in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas.

Dallas police detectives went to Los Angeles to interview Colbert about Shumways death. The 57-year-olds remains were found encased in concrete in September at the house. He had last been seen in April, though his signature appeared on the June 22 deed authorizing the sale of his home for $130,000.

Colbert first denied being involved in Shumways death but changed his story after Dallas homicide Detective Esteban Montenegro asked him why he had been posing as Shumway. Colbert said he once lived with Shumway and went back to being friends after he moved out of the house, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

But the duo argued one day while Shumway was drinking, and Colbert said Shumway tried to strangle him. The men struggled, and Colbert strangled Shumway. He told detectives he bought cement from the nearby Home Depot. Colbert said he might have tied up Shumway but couldnt remember because he blacked out from fear and shock, the warrant says.

An autopsy on Shumway showed his hands and feet had been bound with neckties. There was also evidence that he had been strangled, records show.

Shumway was a former Dallas Area Rapid Transit driver and bought the house in 1984. DART officials said they had no contact with Shumway in the months before his body was found. After his remains were discovered, neighbors told KXAS-TV that Shumway was known to call police on neighbors to complain about loud music and barking dogs.

Colbert, also known as Christian Colbert, was a photographer for Dallas Voice, the publication reported.

Colbert told police that he just made a thing around the house out of cement, and thats where he put Shumways body, the warrant says.

Records show Colbert posed as Shumway when he met a broker in May to evaluate the house. He agreed to sell the house for $145,000 and signed a contract with the broker. He also put his photograph on Shumways license, which he faxed to Chicago Title Company during the sale of the home, police records show.

Afterward, he deposited $109,000 into his Bank of America account and withdrew all the money in Shumways bank account, records show. Two witnesses identified Colbert as the man they met posing as Shumway during the sale of the home.

Colbert is charged with murder, securing execution of a document by deception and tampering with a government record. He remained in custody in Los Angeles late Monday.
CHICAGO (AP)  In an unusually passionate campaign season, gut emotion propelled many Illinois voters to the polls Tuesday. While some defined issues in this race that were dear to them, they were quick to talk in more emotional strokes of trust, revulsion, anger and maturity.

Retired Chicago machine repairman Juan Araujo said he voted for Democratic U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders because he "talks from the heart" and has Polish immigrant roots. He said he never would vote for Republican Donald Trump because  in his words  he's a "clown" who's not serious enough for the White House.

In the state capital, Trump supporter Gayle Swoik said she was drawn to the billionaire businessman  who ultimately won the state's GOP primary  because of his tough language on immigration and a sense that he'd be good to veterans like those in her family. But she acknowledged feeling fuzzy on the details.

"His policies are in transition," Swoik said.

On Chicago's heavily Democratic South Side, voters talked mostly of Hillary Clinton  who won the primary in her native state  and Sanders. But they also had their eyes on Trump, as they considered which candidate had the best shot at defeating the Republican front-runner in November should he win the GOP nomination.

Sharon Schaffer said she's praying that former Secretary of State Clinton can beat Trump if they end up facing each other. Trump's heated language on immigration and minorities has angered voters like her.

"I can't stand him," she said of Trump, joking that if he wins she'll leave the country. "I will go back to Africa  and I've never been," said the 65-year-old retiree.

Sheri Scott, a customer service worker and mother of three, voted for Sanders, saying she thinks the Vermont senator has a better shot against Trump because she believes he's more trustworthy than Clinton.

"I believe he's a genuine person with a good heart. I trust him," she said.

Illinois voters also chose Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth to vie in November for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Mark Kirk, who's seeking re-election, and weighed in on several congressional and Statehouse races. Also on the ballot was the Democratic primary for Cook County state's attorney  a race that saw incumbent Anita Alvarez ousted by challenger Kim Foxx after Alvarez's handling of the case of a white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager 16 times drew national attention.

Election officials said interest seemed higher than usual, at least in Chicago, where a record number of people cast early primary ballots.

Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen said the number of people asking for Republican ballots also increased from eight years ago, from around 6 percent of voters to just less than 10 percent this election. That's a possible sign of Democratic voters wanting to weigh in on the GOP presidential primary.

Penny Shank was among voters choosing that strategy. She celebrated her 69th birthday Tuesday by picking up a Republican ballot for the first time at Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Springfield, Illinois, to vote against Trump and other Republican candidates whom she called Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's "cronies."

"I think there are a lot of Democrats who are crossing over just to do that," said Shank, who voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "I think Trump is an absolute joke."

She objects to Trump's views on immigration and women's rights.

For Republican voters like Don O'Neal, of Springfield, it came down to choosing who he thought was the "least confrontational candidate." He voted for Kasich.

"He has the most practical experience in governing," he said. "He's acting like more of an adult than some of the others."
Having dramatically turned the tide of war in Assad's favor with five months of intense bombardment of his foes, President Vladimir Putin is pressuring the Syrian leader to engage them in more meaningful dialogue in talks that have begun in Geneva.

"There was an overlap in interests in the last few months. Now they (the Russians) are telling Assad, 'this is where we start to diverge, and you've got to step up to your responsibilities, you can't rely on us forever,'" said Maha Yahya, acting director of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

With an announcement that appeared to take even senior Russian commanders by surprise, Putin ordered most of the estimated 3,000 to 6,000 personnel to begin withdrawing from Syria on Tuesday, a step that raised hopes for progress at newly reconvened U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

At a televised meeting Monday with his foreign and defense ministers, Putin said Moscow's intervention had fulfilled its objectives by allowing Assad's military to "radically" turn the tide of war. He added that the move should help serve as a stimulus for Syria's political talks.

Russia deployed its air force to Syria in September to prop up Assad's faltering military, which has been waging a five-year war against internal opponents and jihadist militants.

Although its stated goal was to fight Islamic State militants and other terrorists, much of the Russian campaign has targeted mainstream rebels and helped eject them from core areas considered strategic for Assad's survival, thereby safeguarding Moscow's interests in the country.

While the operation has restored momentum for Assad's forces, Syrian forces have been unable to regain areas in Idlib province in the north or completely encircle rebels in the contested city of Aleppo, for instance.

The timing of the Russian withdrawal, just as peace talks were resuming, offered Putin an opportune moment to declare the bulk of Moscow's involvement to be over, while acting as a peacemaker and helping ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by the Kremlin's military action.

By also pacifying the opposition, Putin has set up the groundwork for what is shaping up to be the best opportunity so far to advance the talks between the two warring sides.

The U.N.'s Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, said it is a "significant development, which we hope will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva." Syrian opposition spokesman, Salem Al Mislet, also welcomed Russia's pullout, saying that if it is serious, it would go a long way in helping the talks.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called it "a very important phase in this process" and said he would go to Moscow next week to talk with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

While Russia is highly unlikely to drop Assad anytime soon, the withdrawal at least suggests differences between Moscow and Damascus over what the next steps forward should be.

As Assad's forces regained momentum, Assad has taken a more hard-line position, saying he will continue fighting until he recaptures every inch of Syrian territory.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem held a news conference over the weekend in which he said any talk of removing Assad during a transitional period sought by the U.N. is "a red line," and he rejected the international call for a presidential election to be held within 18 months  a key opposition demand.

Assad also has called for parliamentary elections to be held as scheduled next month in government-held areas of the country.

"For Assad, this is a very long-term fight. I don't think it's a fight that Putin necessarily wants his country to be part of. This is not his Vietnam," Yahya said.

On Tuesday, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia's decision was prompted by the Kremlin's displeasure with the Syrian government's tough position in the negotiations, or that it was intended to put pressure on Assad.

The withdrawal announcement also triggered successive statements from the Syrian presidency and armed forces rejecting speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies.

Militarily, the implications of Russia's drawdown are unlikely to hurt Assad as long as Iranian-organized Shiite militias are still fighting on his behalf. Russia, which is keeping its naval base in Tartous and air base in Latakia, may also redeploy at any time if needed.

Hossein Royvaran, a political analyst in Tehran, said the withdrawal is part of a plan agreed upon by Iran, Syria and Russia, and that Moscow's forces may return to Syria if the political process fails.

But Firas Abi Ali, senior analyst at IHS Country Risk, said the withdrawal highlights divergences among Iran, Syria, and Russia, and probably reflects Moscow's intention to impose a compromise that might include a partition or federation model.

"Russia can accept a settlement in which the Kurds gain autonomy in northeastern Syria, Sunni groups dominate Idlib and Aleppo, while a successor to the Assad government remains in core Syrian government territory in Damascus, Homs, and along the coast," Abi Ali said. "This could take the form of a new federal constitution, or even Syria's partition."

On Monday, Lavrov said it would be up to the Syrians to decide what form of state they should have.

Several analysts, however, dismiss talk of any formal partition or federal system based on sectarian and ethnic identities that would be sowing the seeds for further conflict down the road.

Mark Galeotti, a New York University global affairs professor who spends much of his time in Moscow, said the Russians have been signaling that they think it's time for some kind of resolution in Syria.

"It means that Russia will either have to trim (Assad's) sails a bit or that it might be that it's time for him to go," he said.
Bernie Sanders is the most successful Jewish candidate for the presidency ever. It's a rare sign of the health of our republic that no one seems to much care or even notice. Least of all, Sanders himself. Which prompted Anderson Cooper in a recent Democratic debate to ask Sanders whether he was intentionally keeping his Judaism under wraps.

"No," answered Sanders: "I am very proud to be Jewish." He then explained that the Holocaust had wiped out his father's family. And that he remembered as a child seeing neighbors with concentration camp numbers tattooed on their arms. Being Jewish, he declared, "is an essential part of who I am as a human being."

A fascinating answer, irrelevant to presidential politics but quite revealing about the state of Jewish identity in contemporary America.

Think about it. There are several alternate ways American Jews commonly explain the role Judaism plays in their lives.

1. Practice: Judaism as embedded in their life through religious practice or the transmission of Jewish culture by way of teaching or scholarship. Think Joe Lieberman or the neighborhood rabbi.

2. Tikkun: Seeing Judaism as an expression of the prophetic ideal of social justice. Love thy neighbor, clothe the naked, walk with God, beat swords into plowshares. As ritual and practice have fallen away over the generations, this has become the core identity of liberal Judaism. Its central mission is nothing less than to repair the world ("Tikkun olam").

Which, incidentally, is the answer to the perennial question, "Why is it that Jews vote overwhelmingly Democratic?" Because, for the majority of Jews, the social ideals of liberalism are the most tangible expressions of their prophetic Jewish faith.

When Sanders was asked about his Jewish identity, I was sure his answer would be some variation of Tikkun. On the stump, he plays the Old Testament prophet railing against the powerful and denouncing their treatment of the widow and the orphan. Yet Sanders gave an entirely different answer.

3. The Holocaust. What a strange reply -- yet it doesn't seem so to us because it has become increasingly common for American Jews to locate their identity in the Holocaust.

For example, it's become a growing emphasis in Jewish pedagogy from the Sunday schools to Holocaust studies programs in the various universities. Additionally, Jewish organizations organize visits for young people to the concentration camps of Europe.

The memories created are indelible. And deeply valuable. Indeed, though my own family was largely spared, the Holocaust forms an ineradicable element of my own Jewish consciousness. But I worry about the balance. As Jewish practice, learning and knowledge diminish over time, my concern is that Holocaust memory is emerging as the dominant feature of Jewishness in America.

I worry that a people with a 3,000-year history of creative genius, enriched by intimate relations with every culture from Paris to Patagonia, should be placing such weight on martyrdom -- and indeed, for this generation, martyrdom once removed.

I'm not criticizing Sanders. I credit him with sincerity and authenticity. But it is precisely that sincerity and authenticity -- and the implications for future generations -- that so concern me. Sanders is 74, but I suspect a growing number of young Jews would give an answer similar to his.

We must of course remain dedicated to keeping alive the memory and the truth of the Holocaust, particularly when they are under assault from so many quarters. Which is why, though I initially opposed having a Holocaust museum as the sole representation of the Jewish experience in the center of Washington, I came to see the virtue of having so sacred yet vulnerable a legacy placed at the monumental core of -- and thus entrusted to the protection of -- the most tolerant and open nation on earth.

Nonetheless, there must be balance. It would be a tragedy for American Jews to make the Holocaust the principal legacy bequeathed to their children. After all, the Jewish people are living through a miraculous age: the rebirth of Jewish sovereignty, the revival of Hebrew (a cultural resurrection unique in human history), the flowering of a new Hebraic culture radiating throughout the Jewish world.

Memory is sacred, but victimhood cannot be the foundation stone of Jewish identity. Traditional Judaism has 613 commandments. The philosopher Emil Fackenheim famously said that the 614th is to deny Hitler any posthumous victories. The reduction of Jewish identity to victimhood would be one such victory. It must not be permitted.
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THE EMPEROR'S DERRIERE The Failing Dream of a Nation: South Africa after Apartheid by Harry Valentine

It has been almost 22 years since South Africans and the world celebrated South Africas first post-apartheid election, which resulted in former freedom fighter Nelson Mandela achieving the post of that nations first black president. There was great hope across the country of new economic development and the promise of prosperity for the formerly oppressed people. While apartheid distinguished people on the basis of skin colour and racial ancestry, it was also a form of economic regulation that restricted members of certain designated racial groups from living in certain areas and entering into several professions.



Yet all has not gone according to plan in the intervening years. For example, during the apartheid era, the value of the South African currency, the Rand, was much higher than it is today. In 1970, one Rand was equivalent to C$1.40, while today C$1.00 is worth over 12 Rand. Julius Malema is a charismatic South African parliamentarian and leader of the political party known as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). For several years, he had served as an executive member of South Africas ruling party and was a personal friend of Jacob Zuma, the countrys current President. But he has recently been openly critical of South Africas president.



Mr. Malema very clearly articulates, in several speeches, the sentiments of South Africas formerly oppressed citizens and their frustration at the slow rate of economic progress in their nation. He makes no secret of his preference for a socialist state where government owns the land, pointing to examples in Singapore as instances of workable state institutions. He also rejects the concept of private property rights as a colonial concept that was used to oppress the native people of Africa. However, he rejects Zimbabwe as a future model for South Africa.



It is perhaps a coincidence that during the independence negotiations for what was then Southern Rhodesia, Robert Mugabe stated in an interview his preference for a socialist state in the nation that became known as Zimbabwe. Mr. Mugabe had attended Fort Hare University in South Africa and was well acquainted with many in South Africas anti-apartheid movement. In 1955, that movement adopted a Freedom Charter that called for the nationalization of South Africas mines and banks. EFF leader Malema has decried the fact that South Africas post-apartheid leaders have betrayed the Freedom Charter, and their own principles as well.



In the early 1950s, some of apartheids opponents travelled to Eastern Europe and witnessed firsthand the equivalent of an economic miracle inside post-WWII socialist nations rebuilding their economies. The evidence of their economic achievement in developing industries and building homes appeared irrefutable, and served as their future economic model. They had high praise for the architect behind socialist Eastern Europes economic rebuilding, Dr. Oskar Lange. However, Lange reinterpreted Marxs treatise and used free-market West Germany as his economic model.



To rebuild Eastern Europes devastated economies, Dr. Lange seized upon economic precedents from Germany that was also rebuilding from the destruction of the war. A small number of very large German industries were privately owned and provided a viable model for Dr. Lange to rebuild Eastern European economies. He had access to experienced managers who had previously worked for private companies and who could oversee production in new state-owned companies. For many years, the pace of technological change was slow, and socialist managers could easily adjust to this slow change, but not to the rapid technology change that finally undid socialist economies.

Several of South Africas anti-apartheid forces preferred Marxs Communist Manifesto that urged the proletariat to rise up and seize the means of production, South Africas mines and banks. Today, South Africas mines and banks are still privately owned.

Several of South Africas anti-apartheid forces preferred Marxs Communist Manifesto that urged the proletariat to rise up and seize the means of production, South Africas mines and banks. Today, South Africas mines and banks are still privately owned. Some former anti-apartheid stalwarts have suggested that Nelson Mandela may have sold out to business interests and foreign investors. However, Mr. Mandela was still a prisoner when the socialist economies of Eastern Europe and the USSR unravelled. Even Communist China had already begun to recognize and acknowledge the need for private initiative in some segments of the nations economy.



One of the central policies of the Mandela government was land redistribution, which according to Mr. Malema is proceeding at a very slow pace. One of the sins of the apartheid regime was the confiscation of black-owned farms through forcible eviction, giving the farms and land to white people. Many decades later, South Africas government seeks to correct that violation of property rights, as well as offer monetary compensation to transfer ownership of farms that were never owned by black people. Some white farmers have voluntarily transferred ownership of their farms to their black employees.



At the present time, South Africas official rate of unemployment is high and Africas former leading economy has dropped to 3rd place behind Nigeria and Egypt while receiving foreign aid from several developed nations that include Canada (C$566 million per year). Until the second term of then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan, America had been reluctant to impose economic sanctions on South Africa to force political change, the result of South Africas apartheid regime being an anti-communist ally. However, by the mid- to late 1980s, political and economic change in Eastern Europe was in progress.



By 1985, those who ran South Africas government agreed that South Africa needed to evolve politically and economically beyond apartheid. So began secret negotiations between the African National Congress and South African government officials. While still a political prisoner, Mr. Mandela had been relocated to more comfortable accommodations, and on several occasions, he actually met with then-South African President Botha. Changes in the world economy that included the emergence of the information and telecommunications sector that required a massive educated workforce offered possible new economic development in a future South Africa.



However, as French political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville warned in the late 18th century, the most dangerous time for a bad government is when it seeks to change its ways. In the case of South Africa, leaders of other nations had much to gain politically by portraying themselves as the agents of political change in that nation. Economic sanctions could allow some foreign political leaders to achieve such an end, while the negative impact on South Africas economy would make that nation into a recipient of foreign aid.



Foreign aid allows the government of an economically powerful donor nation to establish influence inside the halls of political power of the government of a recipient nation. Almost 25 years ago, when then-South African President F.W. De Klerk visited Washington, President Clinton initiated discussions about a foreign aid package as South Africa transitioned from political apartheid. Indeed, several African journalists have decried foreign aid as enabling bad government.



In his treatise entitled Africa Betrayed, Dr. George Ayittey provides details about how African political leaders have ruined and pillaged African economies. In South Africa, EFF leader Malema has addressed parliament suggesting that the South African president has failed to provide proper leadership and harmed South Africas economy. He also criticized several ministers who live lavish lifestyles at public expense of having mismanaged their departments. Donor nations remain silent and continue their payments while a political leader who articulates the sentiments of a sizeable segment of South Africas population suggests that economic apartheid remains essentially intact with little real change.



Leaders in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent need to find a better way forward than endless reliance on ineffective foreign aid. Over the past 20 years, South Africa has undergone a massive brain drain of people who could otherwise have developed vibrant businesses in that nations economy. South Africa now faces the challenges of developing entrepreneurship on a massive scale in order to ensure their economic future.
After Jay Brady was injured at work in 2012, scans revealed an aneurysm which the doctors monitored for 2 years. When the aneurysm continued to grow, it was decided that the only option was brain surgery. Whilst Jay and his family knew the operation was risky, he woke up having no knowledge of his life, his friends & even his wife, Allie. He had to start his life from scratch.

Recently, Triple M Brisbanes Marto & Ed Kavalee received an email from Jays neighbour, Lisa, asking for a hand. Jays prize possession was his 1974 Torana & he had had been in the process of restoring it for some time. This project had been put on hold due to Jays illness so Marto & Ed were happy to step in and help complete the restoration of Jays beloved Torana.

Together with PPG, Marto and Ed have completed the cars panel beating and painted it a glorious Toyota Orange.

Today on Triple M Breakfast, Marto & Ed revealed the restored Torana to Jay & needless to say, he and his wife were pretty stoked.
The two companies submitted the lowest bid for the contract in competition with CAF in August 2015. The order relates to the first 8km phase of Line 3 with eight stations which will eventually be extended to 18km with 18 stations.

The consortium will supply a fleet of 20 three-car Inspiro trains with an option for 10 more. Siemens will produce the car bodies at its Vienna plant and the bogies at its factory in Graz, Austria, while Newag will be responsible for final assembly, testing and static commissioning at its facility in Nowy Sacz, Poland.

Siemens will supply a communications-based train control (CBTC) system, together with an interlocking, automatic train supervision system, radio and data transmission, a supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) system, the wayside digital communications network, and half-height platform screen doors. The trains will be fully automatic without drivers.

The first phase of Line 3 will run from Botevgradsko Shosse to Ovcha Kuptel and will be entirely underground. The line will eventually run from Vassil Levski in the east to Knazyhevo in the west, interchanging with Line 1 at St Clement and Line 2 at NDK.

Peak ridership is forecast at 6500 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) with a design capacity of 13,000 pphpd with trains running at 90-second headways.

Trains will be 60m long and platforms will be 100m long to accommodate longer trains if required in the future.

Unlike lines 1 and 2, which have third-rail electrification, 1.5kV dc overhead electrification will be installed on Line 3.
This commentary originally appeared in the opinion section of FoxNews.com.

There are both similarities and differences between Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Both are bloodthirsty terrorist organizations bent on jihad, sworn enemies of the infidel West and the United States in particular. Could they one day unite in an international jihadist merger to create an even more potent regional and global threat? It is possible.

For the moment, at least, the two groups are rivals for the mantle of jihadi supremacy and neither side's leadership has shown much interest in a union. The situation is extremely fluid, though, so it is not inconceivable that at some point in the future, beyond the current leadership perhaps, the two organizations could become one.

Al Qaeda has morphed several times since its emergence in the 1990s and its recognition as the global leader in terror with the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

ISIL or ISIS did not emerge as an international rival to Al Qaeda until 2013. Since then, ISIS challenged Al Qaeda's central leadership, engaged in hostilities with Al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, expanded its areas of control and influence in Syria and Iraq, declared the existence of an Islamic State, and received pledges of loyalty from various jihadist fronts, including factions within Al Qaeda's affiliates in Africa and the Middle East.

Though they are rivals, there are many similarities between the two groups. Both enterprises comprise a central leadership and an array of affiliates who, while pledging their loyalty to one or the other, have their own interests, capabilities, and modus operandi. Individual fighters may also have their own agendas, and loyalties may continue to shift according to which group is perceived as dominant. In addition, both organizations appeal to self-radicalized individuals, who help the groups build their respective brands through terrorist acts carried out in other regions, including in the United States.

In terms of their worldview and ideology, the two enterprises are close. Both see Islam under threat by hostile forces primarily in the West. They share a fundamentalist or Salafist interpretation of the faith. They share the same notion that jihad means primarily an armed struggle, not merely a spiritual quest, and that it is the collective and individual duty of all Muslims to participate in or directly contribute to the armed struggle. Both Al Qaeda and ISIS see themselves as global movements with global ambitions. Both reject the tenets of the current international order and see the conflict between Muslims and crusaders as one that began centuries ago and that will continue to Judgment Day.

Still, there are some doctrinal differences. Al Qaeda's leaders (and most Muslim scholars) reject ISIS's declaration of the caliphate. ISIS takes a harder line on Shia, focusing a large share of its attacks on Shia mosques and other targets. Al Qaeda has taken a more ecumenical line, arguing that Muslim attacks on Muslims, even those following what it regarded as deviant paths, would alienate followers and distract from the campaign against the infidels.

While Al Qaeda's leaders have expressed territorial ambitions, like driving Westerners out of Saudi Arabia and ridding Palestine of crusaders and Zionists, the group has largely operated out of sanctuaries, rather than seeking to seize and hold territory.

ISIS's leaders, on the other hand, see themselves as presiding over an Islamic State, which, as its name implies, is a physical, territorial expression. ISIS conquers, controls, governs, and even runs an economy, something Al Qaeda did not try to do.

The duel for supremacy is really a competition for support, alliances with like-minded groups and the loyalty of fighters, both in the region and afar. ISIS appears to be attracting a larger and younger audience, which reflects its superior use of online resources. Part of ISIS's recruiting appeal also lies in its advertisement of atrocities, but there are weaknesses in this, including a faddish quality, which fickle youth might quickly abandon.

Al Qaeda, meanwhile, has been less able to receive new fighters in great numbers since its training camps were dispersed after 9/11. Geographic convenience and ease of access enabled ISIS to attract an estimated 30,000 foreign fighters to its ranks, including 5,000 from Western countries. Still, Al Qaeda has hardly given up its global terrorist campaign, continuing to provide encouragement, training and assistance to foreign volunteers planning to carry out terrorist attacks.

To maintain the allegiance of their followers, both Al Qaeda and ISIS must remain violent and active. Terrorists attacking in their home countries have pledged allegiance to both groups.

The November terrorist attack on a Paris night club appears to be the work of a group of French fighters serving with ISIS. The attack on the offices of the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January, 2015, was carried out by brothers who had declared their loyalty to Al Qaeda, while their comrade who simultaneously attacked a Kosher supermarket in Paris, claimed his operation to be on behalf of ISIS.

Syed Farouk, who attacked the San Bernardino Regional Center in December, began plotting terrorist attacks in 2011, well before the emergence of ISIS. However, his wife Tashfeen Malik, who participated in the attack, declared her loyalty to ISIS.

While Al Qaeda and ISIS clearly have a lot in common, there are serious differences standing in the way of an early merger between the two giants of jihad. It could take a change in leadership of both groups and perhaps some compromises on mission and strategy, but there are enough points of confluence to make a united jihadist front a realistic and frightening possibility.

Brian Michael Jenkins is senior adviser to the president of the nonprofit RAND Corporation and the author of How the Current Conflicts Are Shaping the Future of Syria and Iraq.

This commentary originally appeared on Fox News Channel on March 14, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Telefonica's over-the-top (OTT) and video-on-demand (VOD) platform, Movistar Play, has premiered in Uruguay, the first of several launches scheduled for Latin America.





During Mobile World Congress last month, Telefonica unveiled its video strategy for 2016, looking to launch its OTT service in seven other Latin American territories: Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama and El Salvador.The VOD platform is already available in some of the region's largest markets  Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Argentina  and in Spain.Movistar customers in Uruguay will have a month free trial and then will have to pay $6 extra per month in order to access Telefonica's on-demand catalogue, with over 3,000 titles including Disney, Sony and BBC content. The platform , which works through LTE connections or any Wi-Fi network, is available for mobile devices and can be mirrored on a TV screen through Chromecast or AirPlay devices.
Fox International Productions (FIP) and FOX Networks Group Asia (FNG Asia) are teaming to develop and co-produce Chinese-language content, including films, mini-series and TV series.





The fruits of the partnership between the two Fox entities, including 20th Century Fox's international production arm, are intended primarily for global distribution. However, the firms say they will also expand their current film productions in the Greater China region, what they regard as the most lucrative international film market.Since its inception in 2010, FIP has produced, co-financed and distributed more than 50 local-language titles in 11 countries and has produced films specifically for the Greater China region such as Hot Summer Days; The Butcher, The Chef & The Swordsman; Love in Space; Kwai Boo: Crazy Space Adventure; and Bride Wars. Both FIP and FNG Asia have recently been actively producing and investing in Chinese-language content.The two subsidiaries are confident that their resources and expertise will further strengthen their capability and competitive edge in the production business, making them the go-to platform for local creative talents to work with in creating high quality content for audiences in China and around the world. The collaboration will include development of new scripts and remake of existing Fox titles. The first title will start production in 2017.Greater China, and Asia overall, represent a very significant portion of our strategic focus on the production of feature films globally, explained Tomas Jegeus, president of Fox International Productions. FIP joining forces with FOX Networks Group Asia will now solidly position us as a go-to, one-stop shop for our local partners, and amongst the creative community overall in the region.Added Zubin Gandevia, president of FOX Networks Group Asia : There is an appetite for high quality Chinese-language content and FNG, through our well established and renowned Chinese movies channel brand SCM, is perfectly placed to drive positive developments in this area ... There is so much talent in Asia and so much potential in Chinese and Asia film and TV making. FNG is committed to producing great content in and for this region. We look forward to working with FIP to help shine an international spotlight on Chinese content and see the genre gain the recognition and status it deserves.
Russian anti-monopoly watchdog launches probe into Google

MOSCOW, March 15 (RAPSI) - Russias Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has launched a formal probe into Google over alleged violation of competition law, reads the statement of the watchdog published on Tuesday.

A legal representative of Google Inc. has been summoned to appear in the FAS office for giving explanation in the case on March 31.

Initially, the watchdog launched a case against Google in February 2015 over using Android mobile operating system for promotion of its own services. The case was opened at the request of Yandex, one of the largest internet companies in Europe, operating Russia's most popular search engine and a website.

Yandex claimed that manufacturers have to abide by terms established by Google to gain access to key elements of OS, including Google Play, which is Google's official store for Android apps, games and other content. As a result, Google which has developed OS can set any restrictions, including a ban on collaboration with competing services, Yandex said in a statement.

In September, the FAS found Google guilty of violating the Federal Law on Protection of Competition and charged the company with abuse of dominant market position.

The watchdog ordered Google to remedy detected violations until December 18.

Google denies the allegations and claims it does not restrict people from installing other companies applications, including Yandex, onto Android phones.

The company has filed a lawsuit against the FAS order but it was dismissed by the Moscow Commercial Court on March 14.




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DISNEY PARKS DROID FACTORY

2015 Assortment

whether they are merchandise to the Jawas of Tatooine, servants of the Evil Galactic Empire or friends of the Rebel Alliance, droids of all different types populate the Star Wars galaxy. From Astromechs, to Protocol or even Assassin Droids, there are many different colors and styles of each droid class. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality. at the Star Wars Droid Factory, Guests can build and name a star Wars droid that is uniquely their own. May the Force be with You... and your Droids!

Following the initial 2012 assortment, Disney Parks revisited the Star Wars Droid Factory with a new assortment of Astromech parts in April 2015. This new collection offered 29 unique domes, which almost doubles the choices the original line offered with its 15 unique domes. This time out, the legs did away with the foot tubes eliminating the potential limitations caused by the original assortments left and right legs.
Posted by Jeremy on at 06:13 AM CST

In collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, Royal Selangor has launched a collection to commemorate STAR WARS, one of the most successful movie franchises of all time and a worldwide popular culture phenomenon.Star Wars has made a huge cultural impact on at least two generations of moviegoers. It is an honour to be working with Disney Southeast Asia to immortalise the characters from this incredible franchise, says Yong Yoon Li, Executive Director of Royal Selangor International.The collections line up consists of Limited Edition 8-inch figurines of Darth Vader, Han Solo and Princess Leia. Complementing them are smaller 4-inch figurines of Yoda, the Stormtrooper and Boba Fett. The highlight of the collection is a diorama which captures the monstrous rancor in his pit raring to attack Luke Skywalker - a classic scene from Return of the Jedi.Recreating the manner and dress of beloved Star Wars characters in pewter is a formidable endeavour. However, Royal Selangors long heritage of design and craftsmanship ensures that the designers and sculptors have the ability and imagination to transform pewter into collectibles worthy of any casual or die-hard Star Wars fan.The creative process began by referencing on-set photos, film screenshots and Lucasfilm - approved reproduction art. Upon determining the features and specifications of each character, each figurine is sculpted, a detailed process that can take several weeks as tiny fractions of a millimetre can make a figurine instantly recognisable. Each Star Wars character has his or her distinctive presence - the way the head is positioned, slope of the shoulders, gaze of the eyes and the overall posture.Other collectibles in this Star Wars collection include a pair of Stormtrooper and Boba Fett tumblers, Darth Vader and C-3PO mugs, Millennium Falcon and Snowspeeder shaped USB flash drives, a Death Star trinket box and cufflinks.This collaboration will see Royal Selangor introducing Star Wars-themed pewter merchandise and accessories over the next three years. Royal Selangor has also received the rights to distribute the Star Wars collection in several countries, including United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.View the collection at starwars.royalselangor.com
Porterville, CA (93257)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 72F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
As the campaign period for the University of Georgia Student Government Association 2016 Student Body Elections began March 14 at midnight, three executive office tickets were announced, vying for the chance to represent the voice of the Bulldogs.
Thanks to spring break, there was no Hansens Hits playlist last week, so I doubled the length of this playlist to 20 songs to compensate. Also, with the extra week, I managed to listen to over 230 songs released in the past two weeks, so this playlist is easily the most in-depth and far-reaching so far, meaning I had to cut a lot of excellent songs.
Jeff Buckley is often regarded as a talent lost much too soon with only one album released, Grace in 1992, before his tragic death in 1997. Much of the singer-songwriters success has been of the posthumous variety, with his version of the song Hallelujah still amazing listeners to this day.
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By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

Organizers of an upcoming panel hope to bring a new perspective to the homeless issue by focusing on unsheltered women within the community.

The Humanist Society of Redding has invited three speakers to discuss the many issues homeless women face, including substance abuse, feeling vulnerable on the streets and coping with reactions from the general public.

Part of Women's History Month, the panel, titled Unsheltered Women and Legal Issues of Homeless, will take place March 20 at the Redding Library.

Humanist Society chapter president Chad Scott sees the panel as a continuation of an ongoing discussion about homeless people in the community, with new voices evaluating different avenues.

"We wanted to have a conversation, but not have the same conversation," said Scott, who added the discussion was spurred by the city of Redding's sit-lie ordinance, which prohibits people from sitting or lying on sidewalks in commercial areas during business hours.

Clinical psychologist Lea Tate with the Department of Veterans Affairs will address the increasing number of women showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and the overlap with the homeless population.

"The general consensus in the community is that the homeless veteran population is increasing and now that atmosphere has shifted," Tate said. "With our current conflicts, we are seeing many more veterans returning impaired and then finding themselves in difficult situations."

Trauma stemming from sexual assault, which Tate said applies to both men and women in the military, impacts the veteran population, though symptoms can go unnoticed for decades.

Tate will discuss what outreach efforts and services are available through the Veterans Affairs office, while Lauren Sanchez, managing attorney at Legal Services of Northern California, will address the legal aspects the unsheltered population face in general.

The Rev. Ann Corrin with Pilgrim Congregational Church will explore how younger women are taken advantage of when living on the streets and what coping mechanisms they use. Women or girls might find themselves being taken advantage of sexually, then taking drugs to cope with the abuse, only to find themselves in a cycle of being abused but not being able to escape the situation.

"Street life is difficult and drugs can be amazingly prevalent," Corrin said. "It is heartbreaking to find girls who are 16, 17 years old caught in that. People just blame them for being in that cycle."

The topics women face while living on the streets have not been discussed as much as the larger issues, Corrin said, and without context the ones who need help become the focus of the problem.

"I think women who are dealing with their needs, hygienic, emotional or general safety, they're often stigmatized for asking for assistance," Corrin said.

If you go

What: Unsheltered Women and Legal Issues of Homeless panel discussion.

When: 2-4 p.m. March 20

Where: Redding Library, Community Room, 1100 Parkview Ave., Redding

Cost: Free
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By David Benda of the Redding Record Searchlight

Redding Electric Utility is talking about starting a community solar program in which homeowners and renters could go solar without the roof panels.

Utility spokesman Pat Keener said the program would allow equal access to solar energy.

"There are a lot of people in the community who have homes ... who want to take advantage of solar but the roofs on their homes they own are not built in a matter that would get the maximum penetration of solar," Keener said. "And if they rent, they don't have the ability because they don't own the property."

REU would join a growing number of utilities that have launched community solar programs.

In fact, REU has had discussions with a number of municipalities about their solar programs as it moves toward the possibility of starting its own. Utilities in Sacramento, Roseville, Chandler, Arizona, and Fort Collins, Colorado, are among them.

In February, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. started Solar Choice, which extends the option of 100 percent solar to residential and business customers who don't want rooftop panels. Instead, they can purchase energy from solar farms stretching from Butte to Kern counties. Customers are charged a monthly fee to participate.

In Shasta County, most solar conversions that private companies do are on homes and businesses that get their electricity from PG&E.

Keener said REU is still months away from bringing a proposal to City Council, if it decides to do so. He could not give details about what a community solar program would look like, calling it premature at this time.

An REU committee has been meeting for some months and eventually will bring a recommendation to Barry Tippin, the utility's director. At that point, Tippin could seek bids from contractors to build a solar farm that would provide the energy for a community solar program.

If the city did start a program, it probably would not go live for 15 to 18 months, Keener estimated.

Last summer, the City Council rejected an REU rate restructure proposal that would have tripled the monthly fixed access charge from $13 to $42 and increased the bills of households that use less energy. The proposal had local solar companies concerned because they believed the increase would have pretty much eliminated any solar conversions in Redding.

"From my perspective, I think we are very positive toward solar but we want to be sure if we got out and do a community solar program, it will benefit the entire community," Keener said.

Meanwhile, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) launched its SolarShares program in 2008. There are about 650 residential customers who participate in the program. It costs $10.75 to $132 a month to participate. The fee, which pays for the conversion equipment, is based on the customer's historical energy use and the shares purchased.

The monthly bill is offset by the amount of energy the customer's SolarShares generates, said Jim Burke, product service manager for SolarShares.

SMUD has a 1 megawatt solar array dedicated to its program. The solar farm was built by enXco, which in 2012 merged with EDF Renewable energy.

"The driver was equal access for everyone. There was a feeling that solar was an elite product at this point in time," Burke said of SMUD's motivation to start the program in 2008.

Roseville Electric Utility is looking at starting a community solar program. The pilot project would feature a solar array between 500 kilowatts and 900 kilowatts.

In December the Roseville City Council approved money that would pay for the necessary environmental reviews, address regulatory requirements and the predevelopment site work. The city also will be looking for a consultant to help it find a company to build the solar farm.

"We are starting the investigation into the project," Roseville Electric Utility spokeswoman Vonette McCauley said.
SHARE Wally St.Clair Walter Albert, candidate for District 4 supervisor's seat.

By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

Two candidates joined the race for the District 4 supervisor's seat that represents Shasta Lake, Castella, Lakehead and the northern portion of Shasta County.

Wally St. Clair, 72, is a retired stored manager of the Redding J.C. Penney. Walter Albert, 47, is a self-employed business consultant and board member of the Columbia School District.

St. Clair and Albert join Steven Morgan, 72, in a race for the supervisor's seat held by incumbent Bill Schappell, which will be voted on in the June 7 primary. If no one receives a majority of the votes, then the top two candidates will face a runoff in November.

Albert sees the county as a prime player in bringing jobs to the North State but feels county officials have not created a business-friendly market.

"It doesn't seem like the current leadership is doing anything to help promote businesses and keep people in the area. I can see a few ways to slow the exodus of people leaving," said Albert, who is a Plumas County native and moved to Shasta County in 1987.

St. Clair views the role of a supervisor as someone who listens to his constituents rather than someone who steps on the board with an agenda. St. Clair served on the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce after his retirement and is familiar with the large issues impacting the county. During his time as manager of the retail store at Mt. Shasta Mall, St. Clair oversaw more than 100 employees on a daily basis. He tries to stay informed on what is happening in the area.

"I like to be involved in what's happening," St. Clair said. "There are a lot of diverse situations within this district. It would be important that I was touching base with all of them if I were elected."

St. Clair, Morgan and Albert will vie for a spot on a board that discusses issues relating to the county's role in mental health, homeless issues and public safety.

County officials also voice opinion on fiscal responsibilities, water issues, public works projects and rural fire protection. Whoever wins the election will become part of the talks about funding and implementing recommendations from the Blueprint for Public Safety.

Albert said he would push for Shasta County to be forward-thinking in relation to technology, pointing to smart boards and Google Tablets used within the Columbia School District.

Along with his priorities on technology, Albert is excited about local discussions to bring a University of California campus to Shasta County and he is also comfortable with talk of secession from California in relation to the State of Jefferson, but only if the right framework is in place.

"You can sit back and wish that someone does something or you can do it yourself," said Albert, who wants to see Shasta County grow while also respecting the natural beauty of the region and the rights of the people.
Gov. Jerry Brown has tried for many months to ignore the growing scent of corruption now afflicting his administration, instead pushing the worldwide battle against climate change even as he virtually ignored the world's largest methane leak while it spewed greenhouse gases for months in his backyard.

But serious conflict of interest allegations now reach directly into his office, targeting his chief of staff, Nancy McFadden, the top Sacramento official for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for many years before she took a $1.04 million golden handshake in 2011 before rejoining Brown, for whom she worked in the 1970s. (The payment, essentially a bonus, is documented here: http://1.usa.gov/1pGYsfr).

Not only did McFadden take PG&E's money, but disclosure forms show she owned about $100,000 worth of PG&E stock and many potentially lucrative stock options through her early months back with Brown. During this time, she was allegedly a key part of the appointment process for new members of the state Public Utilities Commission, which regulates PG&E and other California utilities, a typical chief of staff function.

There is no evidence McFadden recused herself from utility matters. This, of course, raises the question of whether her golden handshake was really a prepayment for future services.

McFadden is now the subject of a formal complaint just filed by the Consumer Watchdog advocacy group with the state Fair Political Practices Commission, a panel very unlikely to act against the top aide to the man who appointed two of its members.

Charges in the Consumer Watchdog complaint, filed under the Political Reform Act ironically sponsored by Brown during his first stint as governor in the 1970s, are sweeping and specific.

McFadden, the group said, "us(ed) her official position to influence governmental decisions in which she knew she had a financial interest. Her actions impacted the value of the PG&E stock options she held." The filing goes on to say McFadden "was Gov. Brown's point person on utility policy, utility legislation and political appointments to the PUC."

Brown press secretary Evan Westrup denied all this, calling the filing against McFadden "riddled with inaccuracies." He added, "She was not vetting candidates for the PUC and did not play a role in the other decisions noted while she had the holdings referenced "

Brown did not speak about McFadden, just has he's refused to talk about corruption allegations at the state Energy Commission and documented corruption at the PUC.

But emails among the 70,000 obtained by San Bruno city officials after the 2010 PG&E gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people there indicate her old friends at PG&E believed she was involved.

In early 2011, PG&E executive Brian Cherry  now under criminal investigation along with former PUC President Michael Peevey  advised someone seeking a high PUC post via email to get help from McFadden, whom he called "the backdoor route" to getting appointed.

The pileup of ethical problems in Brown's administration seems to grow every few weeks, with the McFadden charges merely the newest. They join obvious conflicts of interest and examples of cronyism exercised by the Energy Commission, exposed in this column in 2014. Add the proven collusion between Peevey and executives of Southern California Edison Co. in assessing consumers more than 70 percent of the cost of the 2012 failure of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Station, caused by an Edison blunder.

Then see Brown's almost total indifference to the massive methane leak at a Southern California Gas Co. storage facility near Porter Ranch in Los Angeles, when his sister Kathleen draws six figures yearly as a director of SoCal's parent company. Her position alone should raise conflict-of-interest questions whenever Brown decides utility policy. The Porter Ranch leak spewed more greenhouse gases than many months of driving by all the cars in the Los Angeles Basin, but Brown said little about it.

Taken together, it appears there could be a pattern of corruption at high levels of state government, and a consistent Brown practice of ignoring or condoning both corruption and safety lapses.

But other episodes don't reach as close to him as the charges against McFadden, his close aide and adviser.

The bottom line is Brown wants to be remembered for solving California's budget mess and aggressively fighting climate change. Right now he risks being remembered much more negatively.

Tom Elias can be reached at tdelias@aol.com
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High school is challenging terrain under the best circumstances. Add homelessness to the enormous social and academic pressures, and just showing up every day becomes an act of courage.

That's probably why, at last Friday's Homeless Rock Stars event on the Shasta High School campus, there wasn't much pity. If anything, the adults and community leaders in the room seemed to look up to the students who were getting makeovers, giving "INNERviews" and posing for photographer Nigel Skeet.

Skeet knows something about rock stars  he has photographed them for much of his professional life. He recognized, after moving to Redding, that the rock star ethos is a powerful force. A rock star on stage, he says, isn't just a musician. He or she is living fully in that moment, at full volume  the kind of expression most of us only aspire to.

He wondered what it would mean to give that kind of expression to people who are barely even seen as human when they're on the street. And his curiosity started a movement.

The first Rock Stars session happened in late 2014, followed by a gallery show of the prints at the Redding Civic Auditorium.

It is both an act of artistry and civic service. It turns social norms on their head, and gives the upper hand to the (seemingly) powerless.

There's a simple beauty in that that explains much of the project's appeal.

But Skeet and a small core group of fellow organizers recognized something else early on.

There is life after the photo shoot.

Awakening self esteem, making connections  these things can lead to a path out of desperate conditions.

No one better articulates that than Jessie Valley  who came to that first photo shoot and has gone on to become the poster girl for the Rock Stars, to star in a music video and pursue her dream of becoming a professional chef.

After a year of hopelessness, Skeet's crew, she says, were the "first people who actually said a kind word to me, or, you know, treated me like a human being. And that feeling was incredible."

Others have gone on to roles in the project or jobs with local businesses. Some have gone home to other parts of the country and reunited with family.

Friday's event, attended by some 80 students, will best be judged by what happens to them in the coming years. Do they, like the mostly adult "Rock Stars" before them, walk away with affirmation that they're fully part of this community and we're counting on them to contribute  to make all of us better?

Can the connections they made result in mentorships, job opportunities?

We think the odds are good. Redding has been enriched by being the birthplace of the Homeless Rock Stars.

And it will be further enriched by the success we expect to see from these students who have learned a kind of resilience through adversity that was the hallmark of great generations of Americans. The rock stars of today may be the leaders of tomorrow.
The rise of IS and intolerant Wahhabism are the real dangers to Indian democracy and pluralism, not the RSS, says Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay.

Instead of taking on issues like poverty and economic deprivation, Congress leaders have started communalising the public discourse, keeping the Uttar Pradesh elections, due in 2017, in mind.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, who otherwise is known to be a 'suave' and mature leader, may deny that he compared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to Islamic State, but as per his explanation in the Rajya Sabha he still finds that both divide communities.

It is a pity that they feel the IS can even be clubbed with a highly patriotic organisation that lives and dies for the tricolour and holds the Indian Constitution in high esteem. While they had no problem supporting the slogan-shouting student groups at Jawaharlal Nehru University who stood against soldiers and the Constitution and sympathised with those who support Kashmir's azaadi from India, the RSS, which protects India's azaadi from secessionist assaults, is verbally assaulted in the most acidic manner.

It is as ridiculous as comparing Jawaharlal Nehru to Pol Pot.

Under whatever pretext and 'ideological belief' the 'divisiveness of the RSS' was clubbed with the IS, it was also the day when news about the killings of two Border Security Force jawans by Maoists came in.

The likening of the RSS to IS was a bit cruel and unworthy of a headline. The denial, for whatever it was worth, didn't make an appearance till the matter was raised in Parliament.

If at all any one is to be compared with IS, it can only be the violent, secessionist and foreign-funded Maoists. They are followers of Communism, and Marxism-Leninism is their lifeline, they are ideological fellow travellers of the Communist parties who have a political collaboration with the Congress in West Bengal and in the Rajya Sabha.

So a party, which has no qualms to take the help of and walk with those who share the ideology of the barbaric Maoists, and in fact maintains a studied silence on their brutality, has the guts to allege that the RSS is as divisive as IS and that both are two sides of the same coin?

That takes some courage to falsify the stark truth.

The platform where the Congress leader spoke about the similarities between the RSS and IS that of a Muslim organisation, and should have been used to forge a united front against the terrorism of IS and an appeal could have been made to all Muslims that it is reprehensible to see that almost every terror action in the world today has an Islamic angle and hence it is our duty to defeat all those who give Islam a bad name.

If any community in this world can provide effective leadership to anti-terror actions, it is Indian Muslims who are different from all other Muslim groups in the world.

The Indian version of Islam, though unaccepted by intolerant Wahhabi groups, is assimilative and unique. It has the gift of Sufism, local pirs, dargahs, red flags, sweet ilaichi-dana as offering, and mannats, and celebrates music. It is the life of colour and gaiety and compassion that we see during the annual Urs functions at Nizamuddin and Ajmer Sharif which makes no difference among Hindu and Muslim jayreens (devotees).

Why can't the Congress speak about this to forge unity at a time when the social fabric is sought to be torn asunder by extremism?

It is not as if well informed and highly qualified Congress leaders need to be told about the deadly poison from IS who are the worst enemies of Islamic societies and the sole reason for the killings of Muslims by fellow Muslims.

IS is brutally violent, intolerant, have spread their wings in many Islamic countries and wreak havoc on societies where schools are shut, girls are abducted and kept as sex slaves, and libraries burnt.

More than 1,900 Shia Muslims have been killed in bomb blasts and targeted killings in Pakistan in the past three years. The rising fanaticism among Muslims must concern the Congress more as it has its roots in pan-Indian nationalism.

While regional parties in India are controlled by personalities rather than programmes, it is for national parties like the BJP and the Congress, which though controlled by a family has a national presence and a national agenda.

The rise of IS and intolerant Wahhabism are the real dangers to Indian democracy and pluralism, not the RSS.

In fact, the RSS stands guard to defend the rights of all minorities, is the biggest guarantor of pluralism in India and owes full and unstinted allegiance to the Constitution. It has a proven record of patriotism and its millions of workers have been working relentlessly for a happier, prosperous and secure India.

RSS swayamsewaks run more than 175,000 projects covering medical help, blood banks, eye banks, super-speciality hospitals, education centres and hostels for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in remote areas like Leh, Port Blair, Tawang and Moreh.

They have a vision for a better, greater, nation and it can't be hate-driven. To love your motherland has the necessary element of all-pervasive inclusiveness and dedication.

Among the RSS workers are IIT graduates, research scholars, doctors and engineers. They leave their career prospects and homes behind to work for the common people, like monks in civil attire, and do not aspire to become famous or to get Padma awards.

The awareness they create augurs well for the nation's future and they are the core resistance against any violation of India's democracy and Constitution.

How can they be compared to gun-wielding marauders and mass annihilators? Have some mercy on your intellectual faculties, please.

Tarun Vijay is a Bharatiya Janata Party member of the Rajya Sabha, and convener, BJP Parliamentary Party Research and Policy Studies Cell.
'When Mr Bhujbal was with the ED officers throughout the day and cooperating with them, what was the need to arrest him?'

Nationalist Congress Party National Spokesperson Nawab Malik in an interview with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com says NCP President Sharad Pawar stands behind beleaguered party leader and former Maharashtra Chhagan Bhujbal deputy chief minister after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Monday evening.

How does the NCP respond to Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest?

This is absolutely vendetta politics.

Since four, five years, they (parties like the BJP) were alleging that NCP leaders were involved in corruption cases.

When Mr Bhujbal was with the ED officers throughout the day and cooperating with them, what was the need to arrest him?

Why was he arrested then?

That is the question and why we say that this is vendetta politics.

He was cooperating with the law enforcement agencies and yet he was arrested.

Isn't that vindictive politics?

Does the party stand behind Chhagan Bhujbal?

Yes, absolutely, and we will fight for justice in this case in a court of law.

Party president Sharad Pawar is yet to issue any statement in support of Chhagan Bhujbal. Why?

As a national party spokesperson I am saying that.

So the NCP stands behind Chhagan Bhujbal?

Yes, absolutely.

But has Mr Pawar issued any statement in support of Chhagan Bhujbal?

Not yet. Not yet.

Will he be issuing a statement on Tuesday? Is the party meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fallout of this arrest?

We will see that tomorrow. But tonight I am saying that (the party stands behind Chhagan Bhujbal).

But the party president is yet to make such a statement.

When an official spokesperson of the party is saying that, what more do you want?

That you are, Sir. But isn't it imperative that the party president also says it?

Have you consulted Sharad Pawar before making this statement? Did you speak with him?

See, when a party spokesperson says this, then the party says it.

Did you discuss this arrest with the party president?

See, if I am speaking, then it means the party is speaking.

Why aren't you answering if the statement you have made is in consultation with Sharad Pawar or not?

As a national party spokesperson, I am responsible for every statement.

Isn't it strange that the party president has not issued any statement in support of Chhagan Bhujbal?

See, the statement of Nawab Malik is the NCP's statement.

And Sharad Pawar will also have the same statement to make on Tuesday?

We will speak tomorrow also.

Will Sharad Pawar say the NCP stands behind Chhagan Bhujbal?

Why don't you believe that I am the national party spokesperson speaking to you?

But is this also the stand of the party president?

100 per cent when the spokesperson is saying, then that is the party's stand. That is the party president's stand.
'Sameer and Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest is directly the impact of the PIL filed by the AAP in the Bombay high court.'

Aam Aadmi Party National Spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon, below, left, says that Maharashtra's former public works department minister Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest in the Rs 850 crore (Rs 8.5 billion) money laundering case is the direct impact of the public interest litigation filed by her party in the Bombay high court on August 26, 2013.

The Anti Corruption Bureau under the state Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government and the Enforcement Directorate under the central government, Sharma Menon alleges, were trying to stall the investigations into the case, but it was only after the Bombay high court admonished the ED recently that the agency first arrested Sameer Bhujbal and then his uncle Chhagan Bhujbal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

She spoke to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

How do you react to Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate?

I am absolutely delighted that truth has prevailed. They have done this because they are part of the special investigation team that is monitored by the Bombay high court, which was constituted when the Aam Aadmi Party filed a public interest litigation explaining in detail the money laundering which took place when Chhagan Bhujbal was the public works department minister.

In as much as people might think this arrest is in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam, the fact is that there were 11 different instances when builders paid kickbacks to the Bhujbal family or the trusts set up by them or their companies because of the contracts they had received from Chhagan Bhujbal.

For the construction of Maharashtra Sadan?

Absolutely not. This has got nothing to do with Maharashtra Sadan.

Right now this is being done in connection with the money received (by Chhagan Bhujbal and his family members) from builders for the MIG Colony redevelopment project, which was later cancelled.

These monies were received (by the Bhujbal family); it later went into a company called Blue Circle from where it went to Bhujbal's son's (Pankaj Bhujbal) company called Devisha.

So, this misrepresentation that the piddly Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) construction of Maharashtra Sadan resulted in his arrest is absolutely wrong.

Rs 850 crore of money laundering is what has happened and we had given the court (the Bombay high court) the full proof and it is the court that appointed the SIT and that is the reason that the ED has arrested him.

The (Maharashtra) BJP government under which the ACB (Anti Corruption Bureau) comes had totally stalled the investigation into this (Rs 850 crore money laundering by the Bhujbal family).

The state BJP government and the ACB had done everything in its power to stop this investigation from going further, but the (Bombay) high court prevailed upon the ED and the ED has finally acted and arrested Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew.

I am really very happy with this arrest.

You are saying that the AAP should get all the credit for Bhujbal's arrest.

If you go to the ED they will say that they were doing this investigation based on the PIL filed in the Bombay high court in Case No 23 of 2014 which was filed by the Aam Aadmi Party.

So, the AAP is the rightful claimant for the credit for Bhujbal's arrest?

We are not fighting for credit, but this is plain-speak. That is what it is. We filed a PIL and he has been arrested under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) because we proved the money laundering.

But these charges need to be proved in a court of law.

PMLA is the charge that we put on him. The Maharashtra Sadan Scam was a meaningless scam that alleged that a Rs 56 crore (Rs 560 million) contract was inflated into a Rs 100 crore contract, which is really nothing compared to the Rs 850 crore money laundering scam.

This is a case where 11 different instances of contracts were given to builders. All these builders were given contracts and in return money was transacted into the accounts of the Bhujbal family companies and trusts.

How significant is his arrest in proving his culpability in a court of law?

There is proof in black and white. That is the reason they (the ED) had to go and arrest him because there is nothing they can do to escape it (the proof).

There is evidence about where the money came from and to whom the money was paid. There is absolutely no room for doubt.

The ACB had been prevaricating because it was under the (Maharashtra) BJP government and it was trying to give him (Chhagan Bhujbal) a backdoor room to escape.

<>But then isn't the ED under the central government too?

It is the BJP government... however.

So, how can you claim that the BJP is hand in glove with the NCP in as much as protecting Chhagan Bhujbal from the law of the land?

Because on January 28 this year, during our court case the ED was fired (admonished) by Justice (V M) Kanade and Justice (Revati) Mohite Dere of the Bombay high court and they (the ED) were asked why they were not taking any action.

Three days after that Sameer (Chhagan Bhujbal's nephew) was arrested.

So, it (Sameer and Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest) is directly the impact of this case (the PIL filed by the AAP in the Bombay high court).

So, you are alleging that the central government also wanted to protect Chhagan Bhujbal and the ED arrested him because of the pressure of the Bombay high court?

Absolutely.
A local Mumbai court on Tuesday remanded the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Maharashtra Public Works Department Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in the custody of Enforcement Directorate till March 17, a day after he was arrested in a money laundering case in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam.

Bhujbal, who broke down in the court at one point while speaking, said he was innocent.

"I have cooperated (with ED). I have been in social service for the past fifty years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I honestly said I did not know but still I was arrested," he said.

He said that he did not grant the contract in question (Maharashtra Sadan guesthouse in Delhi) and only followed the directions of the then Chief Minister (the late) Vilasrao Deshmukh to attend meetings (related to the project), he added.

"CM Vilasrao Deshmukh told me to hold meetings and I followed that. I did not grant contract," he said.

Some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust, a trust run by him, cooked up the allegations, he claimed.

The ED said in the remand application that contractor of Maharashtra Sadan project, K S Chamankar Enterprises, paid Rs 6.03 crore to Origin Infrastructure, a firm controlled by Bhujbals.

Prime Builders and Developers to whom Chamankar sub-contracted the Maharashtra Sadan project, also "paid Rs 18.5 crore through their associates against dubious real estate deals", it said.

"In view of evidence and money trail available so far.. there are reasons to believe that Bhujbal is guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said.

The fund transfer from Prime Builders to the firms controlled by the Bhujbal family was nothing but quid pro quo for awarding Chamankars the Maharashtra Sadan project, it said, adding that Bhujbal, a cabinet minister in the then (Congress-NCP) government, was apparently the prime mover in awarding of the work.

A former employee of the MET, Amit Balraj, said that he had seen huge leather bags containing cash being brought to the ninth floor of the MET office in Mumbai and the notes being counted by counting machines and kept at the cash-room at the MET office.

The notes used to be of Rs 1,000 denomination with each bag containing approximately Rs 1 crore, the ED said.

Balraj also heard Sameer Bhujbal (Bhujbal's nephew, already arrested) instructing his associates about some persons bringing cash to the MET building but Chhagan Bhujbal, when asked about such cash transactions, denied any knowledge, the ED said.

"Balraj may also be confronted with Bhujbal to find the correct facts," said the ED, adding that it did not appear reasonable that Bhujbal was unaware of these cash transactions or had not approved them as he was the chairman of the MET.

These proceeds of crime, generated through "criminal activities of Chhagan Bhujbal" were further laundered through companies of Sameer and Pankaj Bhujbal as well as other Bhujbal-controlled companies in which the employees of the MET were 'dummy directors', the remand plea said. Some of these companies existed only on paper, it said.

The former minister didn't cooperate with the ED and maintained "deliberate silence" about the modus operandi to favour Chamankar Enterprises and especially the origin of cash which was circuitously routed through hawala operators back to companies controlled by Pankaj, his son, the ED said.

The Directors of Origin Infrastructure and Niche Infrastructure told the ED that they were only dummy directors installed by Bhujbals, it said.

Bhujbal's present residence, `Solitaire' building in suburban Mumbai, "itself is prima facie proceeds of crime and has been attached", and this made his role in money-laundering obvious," the ED said.

The documents obtained from individuals/firms, statements of bank accounts, etc., show generation of huge "illicit funds" and laundering by Bhujbal family, ED's remand plea said.

The chartered accountant of Bhujbal group and "market operators" told investigators that shares of Parvesh Constructions and Armstrong Energy (both owned by Bhujbals) were sold to "dubious" entities for cash at "unrealistic high premiums" of Rs 9,900 per share and Rs 125 crore were channelled by this method. The cash was handed over to the operators at the office of the Mumbai Educational Trust.

Bhujbals were also paid through "phony" real estate transactions from 2006 onwards, the ED said.

The remand plea listed names of twelve persons, all the MET employees, who are Directors of the companies controlled by Bhujbals, and said that these persons said they were "only signatory Directors" and signed the documents at the instance of the Bhujbal family.

ED's counsel Hiten Venegaonkar also told the court that Bhujbal, as Deputy Chief Minister, held certain meetings though he was not holding the relevant portfolio.

Bhujbal's lawyers R B Mokashi and Prasad Dhakephalkar said as he had appeared before the ED whenever summoned, so his arrest was unnecessary.

But the court granted the remand plea.
The arrest of veteran Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its probe in a money laundering case rocked Maharashtra Legislature on Tuesday with protesting opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party members alleging it was "vendetta politics" of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.

A day after Bhujbal's arrest in Mumbai on Monday in connection with the alleged scam in construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court sent the 68-year-old former Deputy chief minister in ED custody till March 17.

As protests by the NCP workers broke out on the streets, Bhujbal was produced before the court where ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar said the former PWD minister did not cooperate when his statement was recorded by the agency on Monday.

"For most of the questions put to him, his answer was 'he doesn't know'," Venegaonkar told the court.

Bhujbal became emotional while pleading innocence and his eyes became misty.

He told the court that he had not done anything wrong and that he was being framed as part of a conspiracy.

"I have not done anything wrong. I have cooperated. I have been into social service for the past 50 years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I genuinely said that I did not know, but still I was arrested," he said.

Rejecting the opposition charge, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the legislative assembly that Bhujbal's arrest was not an act of vendetta and the ED had acted "only after concrete proof" and that the state government has nothing to do with it. "Should ED keep quiet if there has been corruption?"

"We will not help those seeking to suppress scams," he said, adding, "it is unfortunate that discussion in the House, instead of centring on drought situation, should be on this issue".

The assembly was adjourned four times and the opposition members walked out of the house while the Council was adjourned for the day following ruckus over the issue.

As the proceedings began in the House, opposition members started shouting slogans condemning the arrest of the senior NCP leader, a sitting MLA from Yeola in Nashik district.

The House was initially adjourned for 10 minutes and later three more times as the noisy scenes continued.

The Opposition members later staged a walkout from the House for the day, protesting the "vendetta politics" of the government.

In Legislative Council, the Congress and NCP forced the adjournment of the House for the day over the issue.

As the Upper House assembled, the opposition members, through an adjournment motion, called for the House to set aside the day's business and discuss the arrest.

Opposition Leader Dhananjay Munde, who moved the motion, held that Bhujbal was a former Deputy Chief Minister, a former LoP, an ex-member of the Council, and his arrest has had repercussions across the state.

"People across the state are angry and are protesting over the manner in which he was arrested despite cooperating with the investigation agencies. It is thus imperative that all other business must be set aside and the House discuss the issue," Munde said.

NCP workers took to streets in Mumbai and also blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra national highway in Nashik, Bhujbal's home district in north Maharashtra.

In Mumbai, more than 150 workers of NCP from areas like Bhandup, Vikhroli, Deonar, Goregaon, Worli, Bandra, Kurar and Chembur were detained when they were staging "rasta rokos" to protest against Bhujbal's arrest, police said, adding they were later released.

In Nashik district, Bhujbal's supporters blocked the highway near Ozar, 21 km from city, and staged a protest even as several commercial establishments remained closed in some areas in the city.

The protest affected the movement of vehicular traffic, before police rounded them up and cleared the highway.

Bhujbal represents Yeola Assembly constituency which falls in Nashik district.

NCP activists also staged a 'rasta-roko' in busy Central Bus Stand locality of Nashik city. However, police rushed to the spot and cleared the road.

Interestingly, Congress rushed to defend the beleaguered NCP leader and took potshots at the Centre for "letting" debt-ridden businessman Vijay Mallya leave the country when he was facing loan default proceedings.

Stating that standing by Bhujbal was its "alliance dharma," the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said, "If the government can let Vijay Mallya, accused of defaulting on bank loans running in thousands of crore, leave the country, they could have avoided Bhujbal's arrest as well".
In the wake of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party chief Asaduddin Owaisi's statement that he would not raise slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' to prove his loyalty to the nation, Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday said those who did want to say the slogan had no right to stay in India.

"I feel that those who don't want to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai has no right to stay in India. They should go to some other country," Vijayvargiya told reporters in New Delhi.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said it is extremely unfortunate that some 'shameful' people have expressed their opposition to raising pro-national slogans.

"India is our mother and no one should have objection to pay obeisance to mother. It is the misfortune of the country that some people object to it. They are shameless. Some parties are backing such forces, it is unfortunate. There no need to pressurize anyone or there is no need of a law to respect our mother," Naidu told the media here.

An adamant Owaisi had on Monday said backed his earlier remark and said that he has not violated any law.

"I stand by my statement. Why should I raise such a slogan to prove my loyalty to this country? I have not violated any law," Owaisi told ANI on Monday.

Rejecting Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion for chanting the slogan to infuse patriotism, Owaisi had on Monday said he would not say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' even if a knife was put to his throat prompting the Shiv Sena to tell him that he should go to Pakistan.

The RSS chief had earlier said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India. Bhagwat's comments came against the backdrop of the row over alleged anti-India sloganeering in the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on February 9.
The Indian Air Force will on March 18 execute its biggest ever display of combat and firepower capabilities at the Chandan field firing range in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district.

The massive exercise code-named Iron First 2016 would involve the participation of 181 aircraft departing from multiple bases, and demonstrate a synchronized aerial ballet that would showcase its deadly combat capability over the entire spectrum of aerial operations.

Glimpses of an exponential increase in the IAFs operational capabilities with focus on the concept of all-weather, network centric operations, precision weapon delivery and ability to deliver lethal firepower would be on display during the mammoth exercise, a statement said.

The exercise shall also bring to light the forces multifaceted nature through its ability to showcase itself with aerobatic displays by modern combat aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, Sarang and the Surya Kiran Aerobatic team.

India's indigenous multi-role fighter aircraft, the LCA Tejas, will also be part of the exercise and the public can see the aircraft firing the R-73, a short-range air-to-air missile of the Russian origin and the Griffin missiles, precision-guided munition from Raytheon, a US defence company.

LCA Tejas has been hogging the limelight following its participation in the Bahrain International Airshow 2016, where it showcased its aerobatic skills.

Live demonstration by IAF Garuds and special heliborne operations shall be a highlight of the proceedings of the event which shall straddle both day and night.

According to the India Defence Research Wing website, the Su-30 MKIs will be testfiring the Astra missile. This follows the developmental and captive trials of the missile from the Su-30 MKI platform.

The Astra, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, has a range of 60km and is developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. If this happens, then it will be the first time that public would be witnessing it.
Britain has not yet acted upon 15 extradition requests sent by India, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said that India has made 15 extradition requests to the United Kingdom government and it is in constant touch with them for facilitating the extradition of fugitives.

Chaudhary said in a meeting held on February 15 in New Delhi between MoS home and minister of state for migration, UK, the issue of pending extradition requests was raised.

"The UK minister clarified that these matters are sub-judice in the British courts. On the part of the government, the UK minister assured cooperation on the pending issues on case-to-case basis," he said replying a written question.

Both the ministers also briefly discussed about the immigration issues, e-tourist visa and exploring the possibilities for greater cooperation on exchanging information on criminals.

"The government of India shares information with the UK with regard to criminals and vice-versa as and when a request for investigation is received from investigating agency," he said.

On March 1, a special court in New Delhi issued an order allowing the Enforcement Directorate to begin extradition proceedings against former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi in connection with its money laundering probe against him and others.

The agency had placed a request in this regard before the special court for extraditing Modi from the United Kingdom as its Interpol notice against the ex-IPL boss was yielding no results.
Caste-based violence is on the rise in Tamil Nadu but the state government stays in denial, says R Ramasubramanian.

In another honour killing at Udumalpet in Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu on March 13, Shankar, a Dalit engineering student, was slaughtered to death by unidentified hired goons in broad daylight.

His wife, Kausalya, 19, received grievous injuries and was admitted to a government hospital for treatment.

On March 13, the couple was visiting the market in Udumalpet to purchase Shankars new clothes for his birthday. While they were on their way to the bus-stand, three people alighted from a motor-cycle and started attacking them with sickles and other weapons.

Shankar lost his life while on the way to hospital, and Kausalya, who received serious injuries to her head, is still fighting for her life. The gruesome act was recorded on a nearby shops CCTV camera.

Kausalya belongs to the Thevar community, a dominant caste in Tamil Nadu, and the region is notorious for simmering unrest between the Dalits and other dominant castes.

Shankar, who would have celebrated his birthday on April 9, was a final year student of engineering. In a few months from now he would have emerged as the first graduate from our family. We are devastated, says his brother Vigneswaran.

Shankar had a long-standing relationship with Kausalya since the past few years, and they got married eight months ago. Kausalya was living with her in-laws at the Komaralingam village in Udumalpet after her wedding, and her family vehemently opposed the marriage.

My parents, grandmother and uncle are responsible for this and all of them must be hanged. They didnt recognise our marriage and wanted me to leave my husband. This is an honour killing. We had filed a verbal complaint with the police eight months ago, immediately after the marriage. But no action was taken, an inconsolable Kausalya told the media from the Government Hospital in Udumalpet.

My husbands last minute cry for help is still haunting me, she added.

On Monday night, the police returned Shankars body to his parents. The police did not allow Kausalya to take part in the last rites, fearing law and order problems in the area.

Just hours before Shankars body was returned to his parents, Chinnasamy, Kausalyas father, surrendered before a magistrate, and the court remanded him in judicial custody until March 21.

A massive search is on by the police to nab the hired killers.

On a steady rise

Human rights groups and Dalit activists claim that honour killings are on a steady rise in Tamil Nadu which has seen 81 such deaths in the past three years.

Not a single case has ended up in conviction, even though family members are the main accused in all the cases, says A Kathir, managing director of Evidence, a non-governmental organisation that works for justice to Dalits and other oppressed classes and the downtrodden in society.

He says that in 2014, the Supreme Court had directed all the states to file a report about the prevalence of honour killings.

Twenty-two states complied, and accepted that honour killings are indeed happening. But Tamil Nadu, which is one of the few states that did not file a status report, maintains that there are no honour killings in the state, he adds.

In fact, the Law Commission of India in a 2014 recommendation had told the government to enact a separate law to deal with the honour killings and this was supported by the National Commission for Women too at that time.

In 2010, Union ministers Veerappa Moily and P Chidambaram repeatedly said and promised that they would bring in a special law to deal with this menace soon, but nothing happened on the ground, Kathir adds.

Majority not Dalits?

Except the Left, the Dalit political parties and Dalit outfits, no major political party has strongly condemned this incident.

So far, neither Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa nor the Dravida Munetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi has made any statement.

Major political parties are afraid of losing the votes of dominant castes. Usually, the voting patterns of dominant communities are consolidated, and especially in issues such as inter-caste marriages and in their subsequent developments, this is the prevailing general norm. Dalits have never voted in a consolidated manner. So you can understand the stoic silence of the major parties, says a senior faculty at the political science department of Madras University.

But Kathir says that out of the 81 honour killings in the state in the last three years, the majority are not Dalits.

This is an interesting finding. Well over 80 per cent of these were women belonging to dominant communities such as Konars and Thevars. Dalit political groups who used to jump into the fray whenever a person from their community got killed, never bothered when a woman belonging to a dominant community took her own life after the eruption of post-wedding problems with a Dalit youth, he says.

Dalits are only a minority out of those killed for the so-called honour. But the message to them is spine-chilling. This trend should also be taken in to account, he adds.

The act of murdering someone from their own community saves the attackers not only from the tag of honour killing but also it helps them to escape the clutches of Prevention of Atrocities against SC & ST Act, which is a stringent one, at least on paper, he says.

"In such type of killings, it is difficult to prove that they were indeed honour killings because the family always maintains that the incident happened due to family bickering, he adds.

Though the national and international media took up the latest honour killing in a big way, the local press was, to a large extent, docile. The news was pushed to inner pages of almost all the major dailies.

Image: The screen-grab from the CCTV footage captured at Udumalpet in Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu shows unidentified men attacking Shankar and his wife in broad daylight in a market area.
In fresh escalation of political violence in poll-bound Kerala, a 28-year-old Youth Congress worker was hacked to death allegedly by Democratic Youth Federation of India workers at Evoor in Alapuzha on Tuesday even as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India - Marxist workers clashed in Thiruvananthapuram district leaving at least 30 injured.

Police sources said that Youth Congress worker Sunil Kumar was woken up from sleep at 2 am on Tuesday morning by eight activists of the DYFI, the youth wing of CPI-M, and attacked as he ran out of the house.

Kumar suffered serious injuries on his hands and legs and later succumbed to his wounds, the police said. The victim was said to have been a DYFI activist earlier.

Four DYFI workers have been arrested, the police said and added that a hunt is on for others.

Last night, the BJP and the CPI-M workers had clashed at Kattayikonam in Thiruvananthapuram district, leaving at least 30 injured. One of them is reportedly in serious condition.

Former BJP state President V Muraleedharan was among those injured in stone throwing, allegedly by CPI-M workers.

Demanding the arrest of the accused, the BJP observed a hartal in the district on Tuesday.

The CPI-M had also called for a hartal in Kattayikonam.

Vehicles have been exempted from the hartal's purview to prevent inconvenience to students appearing for exams.

As the political heat over the May 16 elections is slowly rising, reports of rival party workers clashing in various parts of the state, especially northern Kannur district, are also increasing.

An RSS worker was recently hacked to death in Pappinesseri and a BJP worker escaped with serious injuries in Panur, both in Kannur district after they were attacked allegedly by CPI-M workers.

It's a do or die battle this time for the BJP, which has so far not opened its account in the Kerala assembly and is going all out to woo voters across the state.

The BJP has entered into an alliance with the newly floated Bharat Dharma Jana Seva, an organisation of the numerically strong Ezhava community.

The fact that the saffron party had performed well in the local body polls in November has also given it a glimmer of hope.

Both the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front, which have ruled the state alternatively all these years, are also leaving no stone unturned.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial pullout of the Russian military from Syria, hoping that the decision will help the Syria peace talks -- which began on Monday -- succeed.

Putin said Russian air strikes allowed Syrian President Bashar al-Assads military to turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

With the tasks set before the defence ministry and the military largely fulfilled, Im ordering to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces in Syria, beginning tomorrow, Putin said, without specifying how many aircraft and troops should be withdrawn.

He, however, made it clear that the Russian airbase in Hemeimeem in Syrias coastal province of Latakia and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous will continue to operate.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who restarted peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva on on Monday, said he had no comment on Putins announcement.

Putin added that the Russian troops will continue to oversee the observance of the Russian- and the United States-brokered ceasefire.
Until some time ago, few had heard about the Htin Kyaw, the man now confirmed as the next president. A formerly appointed driver to Aung San Suu Kyi, Kyaw, 69, a childhood friend and a close friend of Suu Kyi, was formally elected last week for the position by his party, the National League, for the democratic party elections.

On Tuesday, this was confirmed by a vote in parliament. Kyaw received 360 votes of the 652 cast, the parliamentary official counting the votes said on Tuesday.

Kyaw, the son of min Thu Wan, a respected author and poet who won a seat in the election in 1990, went to the same secondary school as Suu Ki in Yangon, before winning a scholarship to study at the University of London. He is a year younger than Suu Ki. His wife is a party lawmaker.

Suu Kis majority had allowed her to handpick a successor to the current President, Thein Sein, who implemented reforms in 2011, moving the country away from dictatorship.

When elected, he will be the first non-military president since the army took power in a 1962 coup. Suu Ki is barred from presidency by a military-drafted constitutio006E. But she has let it be known that she will be above the president and Kyaw is expected to act as proxy.

Kyaw will be the first civilian president in 50 years.

Image: Central executive committee member of the National League for Democracy U Htin Kyaw arrives for the opening of the new parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
IMAGE: Chhagan Bhujbal arrives for questioning at the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai, March 14, 2016. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Chhagan Bhujbal, son of a vegetable vendor, rose through the political ranks by hard work, determination and political opportunism.

Now, past ghosts have come to haunt him.

Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com on the life and times of the feisty Maharashtra leader.

As I approached my SYBSc class at Rizvi College in Bandra, northwest Mumbai, I saw two policemen with guns outside the class.

The policemen asked what I was doing near my classroom. I said I was a student. They asked me for my college ID after which I was permitted to enter the class.

I wondered why the policemen were stationed outside my class. A friend told me they were Pankaj's bodyguards.

'Who Pankaj?' I asked. 'Our Pankaj?'

'Didn't you know he is Chhagan Bhujbal's son?'

I couldn't believe that the shy boy who hardly spoke in class was Bhujbal's son. His father was the antithesis -- a firebrand Shiv Sena leader.

Soon after, Bhujbal quit the Sena and joined the Congress along with 18 MLAs, the first defection from the Sena's ranks. Security was provided by the government to him, Pankaj and the rest of the family I suppose.

Bhujbal did what no other Shiv Sainik had then dared to do: Go against Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.

Bhujbal, the son of a vegetable vendor who toiled hard to become a mechanical engineer, has had a life full of ups and downs.

He started his career in politics at the grassroots and rose with sheer determination and hard work. He was among those responsible for the Sena's resurgence in the 1980s when the party's fortunes had ebbed.

Bhujbal felt his hard work was overlooked in favour of old-timer Manohar Joshi, who went on to become the Sena's first chief minister.

Though I did not keep in touch with Pankaj after graduation, I met his father several times as a journalist.

In 1997, when the Congress lost the Mumbai municipal elections badly, I asked Bhujbal why the Congress could not take on the Sena's might in Mumbai.

Bhujbal calmly asked me to put this question to Murli Deora, then the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president.

'Are there sons of soils in the Mumbai Congress?' he asked.

I got my answer. Bhujbal was referring to the fact that Congress did not have a Maharashtrian at the helm of the party in Mumbai.

The Congress continues to make the same mistake. After north Indian Kripa Shankar Singh, another north Indian -- Sanjay Nirupam, a former Sainik like Bhujbal -- now leads the Mumbai Congress, which gives the Sena a clear advantage among the city's Marathi-speaking Maharashtrians.

Another meeting with Bhujbal followed the attack by a mob of about 100 Sainiks on his home in south Mumbai, opposite Mantralaya, the seat of the state government, in 1997.

Bhujbal was in the Opposition then and giving the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government a torrid time after the Ramabai Nagar incident in Ghatkopar, northeast Mumbai, in which 13 Dalits had died in police firing.

Only 15 days before the mob ransacked his home, Bhujbal's 'Z' category security was withdrawn by the state government.

'Bhujbal crossed the limits in condemning the Shiv Sena and that irked the sentiments of our Sainiks,' Bal Thackeray said in a statement.

'Being an Opposition leader, it is Bhujbal's duty to see that people of the state live in harmony,' he added, 'Democratically it may be wrong to ransack one's residence, but people lost their patience.'

Bhujbal did not forgive Thackeray and the Sena for the attack.

When Sharad Pawar quit the Congress party in May 1999, Bhujbal followed him to the Nationalist Congress Party and became deputy chief minister and home minister when a Congress-NCP government was formed.

He demonstrated his power to Thackeray by arresting the Sena supremo for his role in the 1992-1993 Mumbai riots, for writing inflammatory articles in the party newspaper Saamna.

The case was dismissed as it was filed seven years after the riots, but Bhujbal had proved a point to Thackeray.

Another person who crossed Bhujbal was diamond merchant and Bollywood film financier Bharat Shah.

Shah was arrested by the Mumbai police for alleged links with the underworld. When he was released on bail, Shah was so furious with Bhujbal that he did not mention his name. 'Everybody knows who trapped me. I don't even want to name him. If I see him, my blood starts boiling,' Shah said then.

'One thing I have realised all these years,' Shah told me, 'people who are in power are really very powerful. They can misuse power to any extent to trap innocent people.'

Power, it appeared, had gone to Bhujbal's head.

An assistant police inspector then alleged that Bhujbal had directed him to help Abdul Karim Telgi, the main accused in the stamp paper scam.

Bhujbal was asked to resign as home minister after an attack on the Zee TV office in Mumbai. His downfall had begun.

After 2005, as the Marathas in the NCP grabbed more power, Bhujbal was sidelined.

When R R Patil was given charge of the home ministry, Bhujbal was granted the less important public works department portfolio.

It was during his tenure at the PWD ministry that the controversial Maharashtra Sadan building was built in New Delhi, where it is alleged that Bhujbal issued favourable contracts to family members. Bhujbal insists that all the allegations against him are part of a political vendetta by the BJP-led government, which currently rules Maharashtra.

Bhujbal is also accused by the Enforcement Directorate of siphoning off Rs 850 crore (Rs 8.5 billion) overseas and it may not be easy for the former streetfighter to get off easily this time.

Will he end up in oblivion like another Pawar groupie, Suresh Kalmadi, did after the Commonwealth Games scam?
South Africa: Crisis for Children with Disabilities

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, South Africa: Crisis for Children with Disabilities, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7c8ce4.html [accessed 22 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 600,000 children with disabilities in South Africa who remain out of school are indeed being left behind," said Robyn Beere of Inclusive Education South Africa, recalling Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga's "No child left behind" theme and quoting the statistics the department presented to a parliamentary committee on March 8. "Meeting President Zuma's target of ensuring that all children are in appropriate schools by 2021 will require a serious increase in resource allocation and a redoubling of efforts from provincial and national departments of education."

In addressing the Disability Rights Summit on March 10, President Zuma said: "Our goal as government is to ensure that by 2021, no children with disabilities will be out of school. They should all be able to attend their local neighboring schools and receive the necessary support."

Two days earlier, South African and international organizations presented key evidence to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, pointing out the realities faced by many children with disabilities across the country, including persistent discrimination against children with disabilities in the education system. The government's inaction on inclusive education is keeping many children with disabilities out of school.

Civil society representatives urged the Portfolio Committee to exercise its legislative and oversight functions to speed up the process of implementing Education White Paper 6 (WP6), the government's policy on inclusive education. All organizations represented there delivered an unequivocal message that national and provincial departments should be held accountable to the children of South Africa, whose dreams of an education fade under a poorly implemented inclusive education system.

The committee heard evidence that children with disabilities are excluded and discriminated against in many schools around the country. Human Rights Watch research shows that the government has not addressed the many failures that keep very large numbers of children with disabilities out of school.

"Our research shows that enrollment decisions in ordinary schools mean that children with disabilities are not able to enter school at the appropriate age, even though education is both compulsory and their right," said Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "And we found that schools fail their obligations to allow children with disabilities to enroll in regular public schools."

SECTION27 presented its report, Left in the Dark, which outlines the extremely poor conditions in South Africa's 22 public special schools for visually impaired learners.

Decrying the current state of education uncovered by SECTION27's report, former Constitutional Court Justice Zak Yacoob, who attended one of these special schools, said, "I am pained to say that if the facilities at the school at which I was a pupil had been as paltry as in most of the schools described in the report, I would never even have completed school successfully."

SECTION27's investigation shows numerous failures in special schools for visually impaired learners. Among others, the inadequate provision of textbooks in Braille; shortages of Braille machines, which one teacher described as "pen and paper" for blind children; lack of orientation and mobility training at schools; and inadequate ability to read, write, and teach braille on the part of many teachers teaching blind and partially sighted learners. The department's own progress report acknowledges that in 2014 there were nearly 600 teachers at schools for visually impaired learners who could not read or write braille at the level expected of a grade 4 learner. SECTION27's report confirms that this problem continues.

SECTION27 outlined a clear need for orientation and mobility practitioners, including training on navigating physical space and performing daily tasks like catching taxis and finding one's way around using a "white cane." "Learners presently find their way around by bumping and falling and many who are too timid merely stay in one place," said Silomo Khumalo, a researcher at SECTION27. "This is an infringement of learners' dignity."

SECTION27 called for an urgent task team to be formed to facilitate the production and funding of braille textbooks. "Braille workbooks alone are not enough," Khumalo said. "Learners who need braille machines to read and write must be provided with them and they must be well maintained by the department."

In the President's remarks on March 10 at the Disability Summit he acknowledged the importance of promoting access to Braille and said that the "Cabinet has directed that the establishment of a government braille printing works be accelerated."

"It is important for the Department of Basic Education to urgently provide information on how the Cabinet's direction will impact on the production of braille textbooks," Khumalo said. "Visually impaired children want to know when they will receive their books just like all other children."

All parties at the meeting recognized that the Department of Basic Education's Inclusive Education Directorate has worked hard and made progress to improve access to inclusive education in South Africa. Inclusive Education South Africa stated that this remains an isolated aspect of the department's work and it will be impossible to realize the government's inclusive education goals without integrating the responsibility for meeting them into each of the department's sections. The committee should examine progress in the context of the wide range of barriers to learning experienced by over 50 percent of South Africa's diverse learner population, the organizations said.

"A single response is not enough," Beere said. "Strategies to realize the right to education for all require a range of solutions, from training teachers effectively, to making school infrastructure accessible, to adapting curriculum and providing accessible textbooks."

"The department presented a generalized and at times defensive response to the situation, offering broad commitments to funding norms and task teams in the coming months and years, but largely making excuses for the failures to date, said Samantha Waterhouse, of the Dullah Omar Institute at the University of the Western Cape and a co-chair of the Campaign to Promote the Right to Education of Children with Disabilities. "Of concern is that the committee appeared satisfied with those generalizations, somewhat immune to the urgency of the situation and even reluctant to call the department to account for its dismal performance on inclusive education over the past 15 years since WP6 was adopted."

Following the meeting, the department released a statement about the meeting, praising its own achievements. The statement correctly noted the positive statements made by groups at the meeting, but lacked crucial details about how it would meet the challenges presented to the committee.

"We do acknowledge the progress that has been achieved," Khumalo said. "However, we measure the department's success by the standard set by the constitutionally entrenched right to basic education and children with disabilities' right to equality. This right applies to all children, including children with disabilities, right now! The significant challenges that plague the education system are not a reason to say that this group of children must wait, it's morally and legally intolerable."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
DR Congo: Free Youth Activists

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 15 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, DR Congo: Free Youth Activists, 15 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7c90f4.html [accessed 22 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.

Congolese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release two activists who were arrested one year ago during a pro-democracy youth workshop in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala face trumped-up charges in an apparently politically motivated drive to silence dissent. On March 16, 2016, the Supreme Court of Justice is expected to issue a decision on whether to grant the two provisional release.

The arrest of the two activists was part of a growing government crackdown on those speaking out against efforts to extend President Joseph Kabila's stay in power beyond the end of his constitutionally mandated two-term limit, which ends on December 19.

"The continued detention of Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala a year after their arrest is a stark reminder of the Congolese authorities' willingness to silence peaceful protest," said Ida Sawyer, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities should immediately drop the baseless charges and release Bauma, Makwambala, and other activists and politicians held solely for peacefully expressing their political views."

Congo's National Intelligence Agency (Agence Nationale de Renseignements, ANR), arrested Bauma and Makwambala on March 15, 2015, with at least two dozen others, including Senegalese and Burkinabe activists, a United States diplomat, foreign and Congolese journalists, and Congolese activists, musicians, artists, and logisticians. They were attending a workshop in Kinshasa to introduce Filimbi, a platform to encourage Congolese youth to peacefully and responsibly perform their civic duties. In the following days, the intelligence services also arrested another Filimbi activist and others associated with Filimbi, including a graphic artist who designed the Filimbi logo and Rawbank employees who managed the Filimbi bank account.

During a news conference on March 18, 2015, Communications Minister Lambert Mende said that the Filimbi leaders were planning "terrorist activities" and a "violent insurrection." He provided no evidence to back up the allegations.

While the others were eventually released, Bauma and Makwambala were illegally held at an intelligence agency detention facility for 50 and 40 days, respectively, without charge and without access to their families and lawyers. They were then transferred to Kinshasa's central prison, where they remain. Bauma is a member of the pro-democracy youth movement Struggle for Change (Lutte pour le Changement, LUCHA) from the eastern city of Goma, while Makwambala is a web expert from Kinshasa who helped design the Filimbi website.

On June 3, Bauma, Makwambala, and four other Filimbi leaders who had fled Kinshasa to escape arrest, were charged with belonging to an association formed for the purpose of attacking people and property, plotting a conspiracy against the head of state, and attempting to either destroy or change the constitutional regime or incite violence against state authority. Bauma was also charged with disturbing the peace, and Makwambala with publicly offending the head of state.

Over the past year, Congolese and international politicians, human rights activists, students, and others have mobilized to support Bauma and Makwambala and urged Congolese authorities to release them.

On April 20, a parliamentary "information mission," established to examine how Congo's security services managed the Filimbi dossier, reported that they found no evidence indicating that the Filimbi leaders and workshop participants were involved in or planning any terrorist or other violent crimes. Following a debate about the report during closed sessions of parliament on June 12 and 13, Congo's National Assembly recommended a "political solution" that would allow for the release of the Bauma and Makwambala, members of parliament who attended the debate told Human Rights Watch.

On June 15, a coalition of 234 Congolese and international rights organizations called for the immediate and unconditional release of Bauma and Makwambala.

On July 9, the European Parliament passed a resolution focused on Bauma's and Makwambala's case, and the call for their immediate release was echoed in a subsequent European Parliament resolution passed on March 10, 2016. Officials from the United Nations and the United States have also repeatedly raised concerns about the continued detention of Bauma and Makwambala.

On the one-year anniversary of their arrest, Bauma and Makwambala are starting a hunger strike to protest their continued detention, according to LUCHA activists. Also on March 15, more than 700 letters from Congolese citizens from across the country are to be delivered to the president's office in Kinshasa, calling on Kabila to release the two activists.

"President Kabila should not ignore the growing coalition of voices calling for the release of Bauma and Makwambala," Sawyer said. "Acting now to release the activists would signal that the government does not oppose Congolese youth and others who want to freely and peacefully express their views in support of the democratic process.

For more information on other Congolese activists and political leaders in detention, please see below.

List of Prisoners

The following people have been arrested since late 2014 after speaking out against attempts to extend President Kabila's term in office or participating in peaceful demonstrations or other political activities. They remain in detention.

Detained in Kinshasa:

Vano Kalembe Kiboko: Former member of parliament from Kabila's majority coalition, arrested on December 29, 2014, after publicly criticizing violent police repression of a demonstration in Katanga and attempts to allow Kabila to seek a third term. Convicted and sentenced to three years in prison on September 14, 2015, for racial hatred and tribalism and "spreading false rumors." He was detained at Kinshasa's central prison until January 26, 2016, when he was transferred to Kinshasa's military prison, where he remains. His lawyers say the move had no legal basis.

Jean-Claude Muyambo: President of the Congolese Solidarity for Democracy and Development (Solidarite congolaise pour la democratie et le developpement, SCODE) political party and former president of the bar association in the former Katanga province, arrested in Kinshasa on January 20, 2015, after mobilizing participation in the demonstrations against proposed changes to the electoral law. Held at Kinshasa's central prison, then transferred to a health clinic, where he is being treated for injuries he suffered during arrest. On trial for "abuse of confidence" and selling a building that did not belong to him, likely based on a complaint that a client brought against him in 2002 - and later withdrew - in his home province of Katanga.

Christopher Ngoyi: Human rights defender involved in mobilizing public participation in demonstrations against proposed changes to the electoral law, arrested on January 21, 2015, and held by the National Intelligence Agency for 20 days, then transferred to Kinshasa's central prison. Judicial proceedings are ongoing. After suffering significant loss of hemoglobin in his blood and other medical conditions, Ngoyi was transferred to a medical clinic in Kinshasa on February 8, 2016. His family said he was returned to Kinshasa's central prison on March 2, before fully recovering and before the cause of the sudden blood loss was discovered or treated.

Ernest Kyaviro: Opposition political party leader arrested in Goma on January 22, 2015, during the week of demonstrations against proposed changes to the electoral law. Transferred to Kinshasa and held at the intelligence agency for 86 days, then transferred to Kinshasa's central prison on April 15. Convicted and sentenced to three years in prison on September 18 for provoking and inciting disobedience toward public authorities. His appeal is ongoing.

Fred Bauma: LUCHA activist arrested during a workshop in Kinshasa on March 15, 2015, to introduce Filimbi. Held by the intelligence agency for 50 days, then transferred to Kinshasa's central prison. Judicial proceedings are ongoing.

Yves Makwambala: Web expert arrested during a workshop in Kinshasa on March 15, to introduce Filimbi. Held by the intelligence agency for 40 days, then transferred to Kinshasa's central prison. Judicial proceedings are ongoing.

Jerry Olenga: Member of the opposition political party Innovative Forces for Union and Solidarity (Forces novatrices pour l'union et la solidarite, FONUS), arrested on November 4, 2015 after attending a news conference by the party's president. Transferred to Kinshasa's central prison after being detained for a month at the ANR. Charged with attacking state security. Judicial proceedings ongoing.

Paulin Lody: Member of the FONUS party, arrested on November 4, 2015 after attending the news conference by the party's president. Transferred to Kinshasa's central prison after being detained for a month by the intelligence agency. Charged with attacking state security. Judicial proceedings ongoing.

Jean-Marie Kalonji: Coordinator of the pro-democracy movement "Fourth Way" (Quatrieme Voie), arrested on December 15, 2015. Being held by the intelligence agency in Kinshasa, without charge and without access to his family or lawyer.

Bienvenu Matumo: Member of LUCHA, arrested early on February 16, 2016, before the "ville morte" (general strike), alongside Marc Heritier Kapitene after attending a meeting with other LUCHA activists the night before. Transferred from an intelligence agency detention center to the prosecutor's office on February 19. He was later transferred to Kinshasa's central prison and is on trial on charges of incitement to civil disobedience, spreading false information, and attacking state security.

Marc Heritier Kapitene: Member of LUCHA, arrested early on February 16, before the "ville morte" (general strike), alongside Matumo after attending a meeting with other LUCHA activists the night before. Transferred from an intelligence agency detention center to the prosecutor's office on February 19. He was later transferred to Kinshasa's central prison and is on trial for charges of incitement to civil disobedience, spreading false information, and attacking state security.

Victor Tesongo: Member of an opposition political party, arrested on February 15, 2016, on his way home after meeting with LUCHA activists, the night before the general strike. Transferred from an ANR detention center to the prosecutor's office on February 19. He was later transferred to Kinshasa's central prison and is on trial for charges of incitement to civil disobedience, spreading false information, and attacking state security.

Other LUCHA Activists Arrested in Goma early in the morning of February 16, 2016, before the "Ville Morte":

1. Rebecca Kavugho

2. Serge Sivya

3. Justin Kambale

4. John Anipenda

5. Ghislain Muhiwa

6. Melka Kamundu

On February 24, the six activists were all sentenced to two years in prison for inciting public disobedience. On March 4, an appeals court reduced their prison sentence to six months.

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Cambodia: Quash Case Against 11 Opposition Activists

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Cambodia: Quash Case Against 11 Opposition Activists, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7cae44.html [accessed 22 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.

Cambodian authorities should exonerate the 11 opposition activists wrongfully convicted of "insurrection" for their role in a July 2014 demonstration in Phnom Penh, Human Rights Watch said today. The Cambodian Court of Appeal has scheduled hearings for the 11 imprisoned members and supporters of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) on March 17, 2016.

"Eleven opposition activists received long sentences for a supposed insurrection that the court judgment shows never happened," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "This case is a crucial test of judicial independence in Cambodia. So long as the men remain imprisoned, it's because Prime Minister Hun Sen remains in control of Cambodia's courts."

The July 15, 2014 demonstration called for the reopening of Phnom Penh's Democracy Plaza, known as Freedom Park, one in a series by the CNRP to protest government manipulation of the July 2013 elections and restrictions on peaceful assembly. The non-violent gathering deteriorated into a melee when para-police forcibly attempted to move the protesters, some of whom responded violently. CNRP activists, including several of the 11, tried to stop the violence. There were reported injuries to 41 para-police and 6 protesters, including 3 who were hurt when they attempted to protect security force members from attack.

Human Rights Watch closely reviewed the events of July 15, 2014 and the subsequent trial. The Phnom Penh Court's July 21, 2015 judgment against the 11, discussed in detail below, shows that charges of "insurrection" were trumped up to obtain politically motivated convictions against opposition supporters. Several times Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened to file charges against CNRP National Assembly members who were initially arrested after the demonstration. The authorities did not prosecute any security force personnel implicated in violence and injuries inflicted on protesters.

The 11 men who were convicted and sentenced to 7 to 20 years in prison are Meach Sovannara, Oeu Narit, Khin Roeun, Neang Sokhun, San Kimheng, Sum Putthy, Ke Khim, Tep Narin, An Patham, San Seiha, and Uk Pechsamnang.

At the trial, no evidence proving the elements of the crime of insurrection was offered and no criminal intent was demonstrated by those convicted either of "leading" or "participating" in the alleged uprising. Under Cambodia's Penal Code, those tried cannot have been found guilty on the basis of violence by others that may have resulted from supposed recklessness, carelessness, or negligence on the part of the convicted.

The trial court ignored audio and video evidence from the scene that supports allegations that the para-police initiated the violence, including use of batons and truncheons. The police break-up action was followed by several waves of crowd violence, despite calls by several defendants to remain peaceful, that resulted in injuries, some serious, to the para-police. In the court's judgment, none of the injured para-police identified any of the 11 defendants as perpetrators of the violence.

"Embassies and United Nations agencies should call for a fair appeal process based on evidence, and send observers to the hearings," Adams said. "They should not shy away from publicly condemning an unjust outcome."

Analysis of the July 21, 2015 Judgment

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court began hearings in the case of the 11 Cambodia National Rescue Party Members on December 24, 2014. On July 20, the three trial judges suddenly announced they were going to expedite the proceedings and scheduled hearings for the next day, even though defense lawyers were unable to attend.

On July 21, with only one defense lawyer present, leaving many of the accused without legal representation, the trial judges allowed accusatory witness statements to be read into evidence without calling the people who had made them. They then directed that closing arguments be made immediately, overruling requests from the accused for a delay so all their lawyers would have time to prepare such statements.

The judges then retired to consider the case, as security forces massed in and around the courthouse. After 15 minutes, the judges returned to the courtroom and announced the guilty verdicts and sentences. All 11 defendants were found guilty and sentenced to from 7 to 20 years in prison for "insurrection."

In its judgment of July 21, 2015 the court concluded there was an "insurrection" at Democracy Plaza on July 15, 2014. Three of those on trial (Meach Sovannara, Oeu Narit, and Khin Roeun) were found guilty of "leading" the insurrection, while the remaining eight (Neang Sokhun, San Kimheng, Sum Putthy, Ke Khim, Tep Narin, An Patham, San Seiha, and Uk Pechsamnang) were found guilty of participating in it.

In the judgment, the trial judges highlighted the connections of the 11 to the opposition CNRP, of which all but one were members, some holding elected local office, others having posts in the party's national structure or leaders of the party's youth organization in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian authorities had closed Democracy Plaza, a site designated by law as a venue for holding public protests, on January 4, 2014, as part of a violent security force crackdown on political party and trade union gatherings protesting electoral fraud and demanding higher wages. The crackdown was ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Security forces firing on the outskirts of Phnom Penh in the previous days shot and killed five workers.

In the ensuing months, a number of elected members of parliament from the CNRP, which was then boycotting the National Assembly, led a series of small nonviolent demonstrations outside the security-force barricaded perimeter of Democracy Plaza, calling on the government to "free" it so protests there could resume. "Public order" para-police operating outside the barricades as the frontline contingent of the security forces repeatedly broke up these demonstrations, sometimes inflicting severe beatings on protesters and journalists covering events. After several CNRP members-elect of parliament announced a demonstration for July 15, 2014, a government spokesperson warned that if they went ahead security forces would "beat" them if they gathered. Despite this, hundreds of CNRP parliamentarians, grassroots organizers, supporters, and ordinary people assembled on the morning of July 15, where para-police once again conducted a break-up operation, which provoked crowd violence.

The Trial

In finding all 11 defendants guilty of insurrection that day, the trial court judgment ignored security force violence while concluding that violence against security force members constituted "collective violence." It stressed that 41 members of the "public order" para-police and "people's defense" forces were injured. These 41 participated in the case as victims, providing statements on which the trial judges relied in part for reaching their judgment. Nine of the 41 appeared as victims to answer questions in trial hearings. The statements of the remainder were read into the record in open court, but these para-police officers were not present to face defense questioning.

The judgment cited statements by a few members of the para-police injured at the scene that the demonstrators' actions disrupted some traffic in the area of the demonstration and, much more importantly, that the accused leaders and participants intended to violently seize and occupy Democracy Plaza in defiance of the January 4, 2014 Ministry of Interior proclamation closing it to public use, reiterated in a Phnom Penh Capital letter of July 14, 2014.

The judgment ignored consistent statements by the accused and audio/video from the scene that the purpose of the demonstration was to gather to peacefully call on the government to reopen the park, according to the slogan "free (dah-leng) Democracy Plaza." This was the slogan emblazoned on prepared banners that demonstrators brought to the scene and proclaimed in speeches and chanting by CNRP National Assembly members and demonstrators. No evidence was produced to show there was an effort by protesters to enter the barricaded area.

The judgment does not refute any of this, but appears to construe the slogan "Free Democracy Plaza" as revealing a hidden CNRP intention to violently storm and forcibly seize the plaza - thus evidence of a crime that was not successfully carried out as intended. In so doing, the judgment relied on statements by a few injured para-police that some unspecified demonstrators spoke about "liberating" (rumdah) the plaza, using a Khmer word that could be understood as a call for direct demonstrator action to free it from security force occupation. It also relied heavily on a single statement in a video clip in which a CNRP National Assembly member, Long Botta, spoke of the "necessity to liberate and take back Democracy Plaza." This appears to be the main evidence for the judgment's conclusion that an insurrection occurred under the "properly organized" leadership of the CNRP.

The trial court judgment repeatedly cites the presence at the demonstration of several CNRP members of parliament, including Mu Sochua, Hou Van, Riel Khemarin, and Keo Phirum. They are among seven CNRP parliamentarians (not including Long Botta) originally also detained and charged with insurrection in the same case. Following the earlier severing of the two cases, the seven are currently on temporary release, but a judicial investigation remains active to assess whether there is sufficient evidence to indict them, too, for trial. At times of political tension with the CNRP, Hun Sen has threatened on multiple occasions to charge these members of parliament.

The judgment does not cite evidence that any of the seven used the term "liberation," but rather that Mu Sochua, in particular, had given instructions the day before that the demonstration should be conducted non-violently to call for the plaza to be freed, and that she and Riel Khemarin were instrumental in demonstrators' placement of a banner on the barricades calling for the freeing of the plaza. It also appears to use the fact that Mu Sochua, Riel Khemarin, Ho Van, and Meach Sovannara made speeches at the scene calling for the plaza to be freed as evidence of leadership of an insurrection, even though these same speeches called on demonstrators to adhere strictly to non-violence. Seeming to attempt to support the proposition of a CNRP hidden agenda, the judgment maintains that at least some demonstrator violence was perpetrated more or less simultaneously with the speech-making. However, the audio/video evidence shows that CNRP calls for non-violence were made in an attempt to keep crowd members calm and to resist violent acts.

The judgment presented no specific evidence of Meach Sovannara's leadership role beyond the fact that he spoke in favor of freeing of the plaza. It argued that Oeu Narit was a leader of the "insurrection" because, by his own admission, he was an "assistant" to CNRP National Assembly member Mu Sochua, and he personally wrote the banner with the slogan "Free Democracy Plaza." The judgment referred to Oeu Narit's advance writing of the banner in also concluding that he, Mu Sochua, and Meach Sovannara "truly intended to formulate a clear plan" to carry out an insurrection.

The judgment appears to contend that the demonstrators who were carrying plastic and wooden poles, to which flags and banners were attached, were in possession of "weapons." Although no evidence is presented that demonstrators brought these poles to the park with intent to use them against the para-police, statements to the court by the latter and audio/video from the scene does show that once violence broke out, some demonstrators and perhaps bystanders assaulted para-police with poles, as well as with rocks, fists, and feet.

Without any evidence offered at trial, the judgment concluded that violence began as a result of the suspects' premeditated plot to "liberate" the plaza. However, the statements of the para-police before and during the hearings were consistent in saying they were ordered to the perimeter of the plaza under the command of district and commune authorities to "break-up" any gathering and, after their arrival, to remove any banners the demonstrators had placed or might place on the barricades. By the para-police accounts, they first attempted to "break-up" the gathering and have the banners removed by instructing the demonstrators to disperse and take the banners down, but these instructions were generally ignored. The para-police said they then broke up the gathering while trying to remove any and all banners. They assert they were then attacked.

In this regard, one of the accused, San Kimheng, admitted during court hearings that he struck a para-policeman with his hand, and another, Ke Khim, stated before and during hearings that he had picked up a rock, but denied ever having thrown it. However, both maintained they were acting in self-defense or in preparation for doing so, and other accused similarly maintained that the initial crowd violence was a reaction to attacks by the para-police, after which the situation escalated into a brawl.

Legal Errors in the Trial Court Judgment

The Phnom Penh Court's July 21, 2015 judgment declared that the guilt of Meach Sovannara, Oeu Narit, and Khin Roeun was established because they committed offenses that "have the elements" of leading an insurrection as punishable by Cambodian Criminal Code articles 456 and 459. The offenses of the eight other defendants "have the elements" of participation in the insurrection itself as punishable under article 456. Meach Sovannara, Oeu Narit, and Khin Roeun were also charged with participating in the insurrection they were accused of leading.

Article 456 of the Criminal Code defines the elements of "insurrection" as the commission of an act of collective violence that could lead to endangering of the institutions of the Kingdom of Cambodia or an adverse effect upon national territorial integrity.

The means of participation in insurrection are spelled out in article 457 as including, alternatively:

1) the construction of barricades across roads or defense works or the doing of any task with the objective of obstructing the activities of public forces;

2) the occupation of buildings or facilities by force or deceit;

3) the destruction of buildings or facilities;

4) ensuring the transport or provision of logistical support to insurrectionaries;

5) personally instigating the concentration of insurrectionaries;

6) the possession or bringing on the person of weapons, explosives, or ammunition of all kinds; or

7) the setting up of oneself in place of the legitimate authorities.

Article 459 criminalizes "leadership" of an insurrection.

The Penal Code makes leaders and participants guilty of insurrection if that is the intended consequence of their conduct, even if the actual insurrection does not - but only "could" - take place. Article 4 of the Criminal Code provides generally that:

There shall be no offense in the absence of an intent to commit it. However, where so provided by law, an offense may result from recklessness, carelessness, negligence, or failure to fulfil a specific obligation.

As article 457 does not provide for commission of insurrection by means of recklessness, carelessness, negligence, or failure to fulfil a specific obligation, an individual cannot be found guilty of leading or participating in an insurrection simply by having committed acts that had insurrection as consequence, such as by indirectly sparking a series of events leading to an insurrection. (Articles 456, 457, and 459 of Cambodia's Criminal Code echo those of the Criminal Code of France, from which they are directly derived; see article 412-3, article 412-4, and article 412-6, respectively.)

To be guilty of insurrection, the court would have to find that, in addition to "collective violence," the conduct of the accused fulfilled at least one of the two alternative additional elements of the crime of insurrection, either

1) endangering the institutions of the Kingdom of Cambodia or

2) adversely affecting the national territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

With regard to the first element, this would require more than simply endangering the physical safety of certain individual officials, employees, or agents of state institutions. Otherwise, any attacks on such people could be considered insurrection.

There was no evidence presented of danger to Cambodia's institutions. The second element would require an attempt to divide Cambodia's national territory. There was no evidence of such an attempt.

The judgment includes no evidence that those convicted used any of the means of conducting an insurrection, including the construction of barricades across roads or defense works; any effort to obstruct the activities of public forces; the occupation of buildings or facilities by force or deceit; or the destruction of buildings or facilities.

In sum, there is no factual or legal basis for charges of insurrection against the defendants.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Brazil: Veto Overbroad Counterterrorism Bill

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Brazil: Veto Overbroad Counterterrorism Bill, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7cb5c4.html [accessed 22 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

President Dilma Rousseff should veto a counterterrorism bill whose overbroad and vague language could be used to undermine freedom of association and expression in Brazil, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the president.

"The imprecise wording of the counterterrorism bill could allow the state to prosecute and severely punish people merely for expressing opinions," said Maria Laura Canineu, Brazil director at Human Rights Watch. "President Rousseff should defend Brazilians' fundamental rights and veto the bill."

While there is no universally established definition of terrorism under international law, international standards generally provide that the term should not be used to criminalize acts that lack an intent to cause death, serious bodily injury, or the taking of hostages. The new bill does just that, Human Rights Watch said. It defines as "terrorist" acts those that merely expose people or property "to danger," a vague concept not explained in the document and which could be misused to stifle peaceful protests.

Congress approved the bill on February 24, 2016. Rousseff must sign or veto it by March 16. She could also veto specific provisions within it.

The draft law also establishes the crime of "advocating" terrorism without any explanation of what "advocating" entails; the crime of carrying out "actions in preparation" of a terrorist act, without explaining what type of actions those may be; and the crime of "promoting" or "joining" terrorist organizations, without defining what constitutes a "terrorist organization."

The bill does include an important safeguard, stating that its definition of terrorism does not apply to political demonstrations, social movements, unions, and religious or professional movements that engage in the defense of "constitutional rights, guarantees, and freedoms."

However, this clause would be open to interpretation by judges, who might rule that a legitimate cause promoted by a group does not fit this category and that the group is therefore not protected. In addition, the safeguard does not apply to such acts as "advocating" terrorism or carrying out "actions in preparation" of a terrorist act.

"An individual who makes a comment on social media that could be interpreted as supporting a terrorist could potentially face up to 13 years in prison under the bill," Canineu said. "This is a clear threat to freedom of expression."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Bahrain: Human rights activist who tore up photo imprisoned

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Bahrain: Human rights activist who tore up photo imprisoned, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7cce34.html [accessed 22 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.

Bahraini authorities must immediately release human rights activist Zainab Al-Khawaja, who was arrested and taken into custody today along with her baby son Hadi, Amnesty International said.

"Zainab Al-Khawaja and her family have been relentlessly targeted by Bahraini authorities for speaking out against human rights violations," said James Lynch, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.

"Her convictions are for nothing more than tearing up photos and seeking to visit her father in prison. If this arrest means the start of her prison sentence, she will be a prisoner of conscience, jailed solely for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression."

15 police jeeps arrived at Zainab Al-Khawaja's home this afternoon to arrest her, closing down the entire street, according to her sister Maryam Al-Khawaja.

Zainab Al-Khawaja has been a prominent figure in human rights activism in Bahrain since the 2011 uprising and has spent almost a year and a half in prison. She is currently facing a prison sentence of three years and one month and a 3,000BD fine linked to various court cases against her, including for tearing up a photograph of the King. If the fine is not paid, her prison term will be extended by around a year and a half.

Her father, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, a leading activist and prisoner of conscience, has been serving a life sentence since 2011. Her sister Maryam Al-Khawaja has been charged with "assaulting police officers" while being searched.

Maryam Al-Khawaja, who lives outside Bahrain, told Amnesty International that she fears Zainab's latest arrest is linked to her own recent outspoken condemnation of human rights violations in Bahrain.

"The absurd charges against Zainab Al-Khawaja are not recognized under international law, and demonstrate the lengths the Bahraini authorities will go to in order to silence freedom of expression and peaceful dissent," said James Lynch.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Nigeria: No justice for the 640 men and boys slain by military following Giwa barracks attack two years ago

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Nigeria: No justice for the 640 men and boys slain by military following Giwa barracks attack two years ago, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7cd0f4.html [accessed 22 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.

Two years after at least 640 recaptured detainees were slaughtered by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, the authorities have failed to conduct an effective, impartial and independent investigation into the killings, said Amnesty International.

The detainees - men and boys, many arbitrarily arrested in mass screening operations - were killed after they fled the barracks in Maiduguri, Borno state on 14 March 2014 following a Boko Haram attack. The majority were shot. The others had their throats cut. To mark the anniversary of this massacre, Amnesty International campaigners will be gathering outside Nigerian embassies around the world to call for independent investigations and prosecutions.

"It is shocking that two years after these horrific killings there has been no justice for the victims and their relatives," said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International's Research and Advocacy Director for Africa.

"The lack of an independent investigation has meant that no one has been held to account for the killings, strengthening an already pervasive culture of impunity within the military."

Amnesty International has extensively documented the events of 14 March 2014, interviewing dozens of witnesses, verifying video evidence of the killings and their aftermath and confirming the locations of mass graves through satellite imagery.

In June 2015 Amnesty International published extensive evidence of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military. The report found that the military extrajudicially executed at least 1,200 men and boys, and almost certainly many more, between 2012 and 2014. A further 7,000 detainees died in military detention as a result of starvation thirst, disease, torture and a lack of medical attention. Torture is routinely and systematically used by security forces in Nigeria, both during arrest and in detention. Soldiers arbitrarily arrested more than 20,000 suspects since 2011 and detained the overwhelming majority of them without access to their families or lawyers, without formal charges and without ever bringing them to court.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Government of Nigeria to initiate independent and effective investigations into its evidence of crimes under international law and to implement critical safeguards against human rights violations.

Yet, despite repeated promises by President Buhari and his government that Amnesty International's report would be looked into, no concrete steps have been taken to begin independent investigations. Many safeguards remain absent, for example suspects continue to be held in military detention without access to their lawyers or families, without charge and without being brought before a judge.

After more than nine months in office, President Buhari must take urgent action to provide justice for the conflict's thousands of victims and prevent such violations occurring again.

"In the two years since the Giwa killings, the pattern of unjustified use of lethal force by the military has continued with no one held accountable," said Netsanet Belay.

"From Giwa to Zaria, from the north east to the south east, the time has come to break the cycle of impunity that has gripped Nigeria. This should start with justice for the Giwa 640."

Background

Amnesty International has consistently documented and condemned human rights abuses and violations by armed group Boko Haram and the Nigerian military, including publishing reports each year since 2012. In April 2015, Amnesty International published a report which found that Boko Haram has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. It called on Boko Haram to end its campaign of violence against civilians and on the government to bring Boko Haram members to justice.

Amnesty International published evidence of the killing of recaptured detainees after the Giwa barracks attack in a report on 31 March 2014. The report was based on dozens of interviews with residents, lawyers, human rights defenders and hospital staff in various locations in and around Maiduguri. The report also included satellite imagery analysis that confirmed the existence of several mass graves that appeared in the area shortly after the executions.

On 5 August 2014, Amnesty International published analysis of a shocking video evidence of soldiers cutting the throats of re-arrested detainees outside Maiduguri after the Giwa barracks attack.

Amnesty International is calling on the government to launch a comprehensive independent, impartial and effective investigations into crimes under international law. Specifically, Amnesty International is calling for the establishment of an independent and effective investigative panel to examine evidence against individuals suspected of crimes under international law and to prepare cases for prosecution by an independent prosecutorial authority. Secondly, the government must ensure further reform of the military's operating procedures to ensure non-recurrence of such violations. Lastly, the government must work with the National Assembly to bring Nigeria's domestic laws into line with international human rights standards.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Reporters without borders gives a statement on Eritrea before the UN Human Rights Council

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Reporters without borders gives a statement on Eritrea before the UN Human Rights Council, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7d140411.html [accessed 22 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In a joint oral statement today to the UN Human Rights Council, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project urged the Council to pay close attention to human right violations in Eritrea. Large numbers of Eritreans are fleeing the country to escape lifelong military service and denial of their fundamental rights. The authorities tolerate no independent media outlets and have been holding dozens of journalists and activists incommunicado for years.

RSF took the opportunity to stress the importance of renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and the Commission of Enquiry on Eritrea, which has been gathering valuable information on the situation in the country. The two NGOs urged the Council to demand that the Eritrean government provide proof of life of those detained and that it free all journalists, political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.

"Human Rights Council 31st Session Individual Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea (Oral Update) 14 March

Joint Oral Statement The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project Reporters Without Borders

Read by: Helene Sackstein

Mr President,

On March 1st, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Eritrea assured the Council of his country's commitment to human rights and human dignity as a "top priority" and of its full engagement in the UPR process.

Reporters Without Borders and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project are concerned by the gap between His Excellency's description of the situation in his country and the systemic, widespread and grave human rights violations documented by the Special Rapporteur and the Commission of Enquiry on Eritrea.

We sincerely thank the Special Rapporteur for her continued attention to the plight of ordinary Eritreans who continue to flee in droves, including unaccompanied minors, as noted in this year's oral update. They flee to avoid endless military service in a country where fundamental rights are inexistent, where there is no independent media and where the UPR recommendations are repeatedly ignored, a country where civil society activists and journalists are held incommunicado for years with no access to lawyers.

2 cases are emblematic: Dawit Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean journalist, arrested and held incommunicado since 2001, and Seyoum Tsehaye, former head of national television, whose films on the independence struggle continue to be screened regularly on independence day while he languishes in jail. Their families and the families many others have not heard anything from their loved ones, nor do they know whether they are alive or dead.

We would like to ask the Special Rapporteur what, given her findings, are the priority issues she believes the international community and the government of Eritrea need to address to tackle the country's damning human rights record.

We also urge the Council to renew the Special Rapporteur's mandate, and to demand that the Government provide proof of life of those arrested and release all journalists, political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.

I thank you."

To learn more about freedom of information in Eritrea, click here.
RSF calls for end to harassment of The Online Citizen

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF calls for end to harassment of The Online Citizen, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7d161411.html [accessed 22 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) calls on Singapore's authorities to stop trying to intimidate The Online Citizen (TOC), a community news website that is being harassed by the interior minister over its coverage of a Singaporean teenager's suicide in January after interrogation by the police.

RSF is very concerned about the procedures initiated against this participative site, which could result in its permanent closure.

Benjamin Lim, 14, took his own life on 26 January, a few hours after being interrogated by police officers on suspicion of having sexually molested an 11-year-old girl. The Online Citizen has being covering the case in detail from the outset, posting a new story almost every day.

TOC has repeatedly asked the police and interior minister M. K Shanmugam why five police officers questioned the 14-year-old in the absence of a parent or guardian and why they refused to let his mother see him during the interrogation.

In a statement in parliament on 1 March, Shanmugam (who is also justice minster) accused TOC of "a planned, orchestrated campaign, using falsehoods" and of suggesting that "the police were lying to Singaporeans."

"We firmly condemn the baseless accusations that the interior minister made before Singapore's parliamentarians," said Benjamin Ismail, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk.

"How can you talk of a planned campaign when this collaborative website has just tried to shed light on this case and, in so doing, has reflected the diverse and spontaneous opinions of members of the public? If the officials contacted by The Online Citizen had answered its questions, it could have reported how they view the case. We caution the authorities against any attempt to prosecute the website."

In a public statement on 29 February, Lim's father thanked The Online Citizen for its constant coverage of the case. "If not for social media, especially TOC, the case would have died down a long time ago," he said. This show of support came after TOC was targeted by several procedures designed to persuade it to stop criticizing the authorities.

After an article was posted on the site in January 2015 in which an inventor accused the defence ministry of violating a patent, TOC was ordered to withdraw the article under the Protection from Harassment Act. A Singapore court ruled in December that recourse to this law by a government department was invalid. The defence ministry has appealed against the ruling.

On 4 March, the Media Development Authority (MDA) ordered The Opinion Collaborative Ltd (TOCL), under which TOC was previously operating, to return the 5,000 dollars (3,200 euros) it received from a foreign organization, the Monsoons Book Club, in April 2015. The MDA said TOCL was only allowed to take money from commercial advertisers. However, as its name suggests, the Monsoons Book Club is a non-profit organization.

The Online Citizen is one of the last refuges for citizen reporting in this island-state dominated by self-censorship.

Singapore is ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2015 World Press Freedom Index.
Is Ivory Coast attack the new normal?

Publisher IRIN Publication Date 14 March 2016 Cite as IRIN, Is Ivory Coast attack the new normal?, 14 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e7d1a84.html [accessed 22 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 attacks that killed 16 people yesterday at a beach resort in Cote d'Ivoire were shocking and brutal, but not entirely unexpected.

Security experts had been warning that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was a growing threat outside its traditional stronghold in northern Mali. The group, and its affiliate al-Mourabitoun, claimed responsibility for attacks that killed 30 people in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, in January, and 21 people in the Malian capital, Bamako, in November.

In a comprehensive briefing last month, IRIN found the two attacks likely to be the beginning of a trend that would continue in 2016.

Authorities in Cote d'Ivoire were well aware of the threat and had prevented several attacks recently, said William Assanvo of the Institute for Security Studies, a South African think tank. But there's only so much they can do to prevent attacks that do not require sophisticated planning and are relatively easy to carry out.

"You can't have security personnel everywhere at every time," he said on the phone from the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

Discover More

What will follow Boko Haram?

In a statement posted to social media in Arabic, Spanish, French and English, AQIM said three of its members "were able to storm the tourist resort" in Grand Bassam in south-eastern Cote d'Ivoire, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist groups.

The Ivorian government said six gunmen killed 14 civilians and two soldiers at the popular resort area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 40 km east of Abidjan, the country's largest city and commercial capital. The United States and France have offered to help with the investigation.

The best bet to prevent future attacks is better intelligence gathering, Assanvo said. But he warned that such attacks are likely to reoccur in the region as AQIM aims to expand its influence outside of northern Mali.

"Now the threat is permanent," he said.

Here are some key take-aways from IRIN's in-depth look at the recent spread of AQIM and its affiliates in West Africa:

Militant groups are working together. The Burkina Faso attack was carried out by a group called al-Mourabitoun, which had pledged allegiance to AQIM.

AQIM has changed tactics from attempting to hold territory in Mali to flexing its muscles regionally and attacking countries collaborating with the West, particularly the US and France, which have military operations in West Africa. Ivory Coast is a strong ally of France and home to a logistical base for French forces.

AQIM has its roots in an insurrection against the French-backed military of Algeria, which annulled the election victory of the Islamic Salvation Front in 1992. Militants later took shelter in northern Mali, where the government had little control.

In addition to using an extreme interpretation of Islam to motivate its recruits, AQIM taps into discontent amongst poor, local communities resentful of rich and corrupt political leaders, and distrustful of Western countries.

Leaders of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso have formed the G5, a regional organisation to strengthen cooperation on development and security in the Sahel. But they have been criticized for prioritizing border security over the provision of social services, the lack of which is thought to fuel militancy.
Freedom in the World 2016 - Germany

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 11 March 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Germany, 11 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e813a86.html [accessed 22 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.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 95

Freedom Rating: 1.0

Political Rights: 1

Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Population: 81,132,000

Capital: Berlin

GDP/Capita: $47,627.40

Press Freedom Status: Free

Net Freedom Status: Free

OVERVIEW

More than one million refugees entered Germany in 2015, the majority coming from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. This record-breaking influx, which heavily strained the resources of the German government, led to contested public discussions about immigration and asylum. Anti-immigration violence increased amid the crisis, with the Ministry of the Interior recording a sharp rise in attacks on refugee shelters during the year.

In July, the investigative journalism website Netzpolitik.org reported that two of its journalists were under investigation for treason for the publication of articles that contained classified state information. The case, driven by the office of the federal prosecutor, marked the first use of treason charges against a journalist in Germany since 1962, and was widely criticized by media watchdogs and the German public as a restriction of press freedom. The case was dropped in August.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 39 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

The German constitution provides for a lower house of parliament, the Bundestag (Federal Assembly), as well as an upper house, the Bundesrat (Federal Council), which represents the country's 16 federal states. The Bundestag is elected at least every four years through a mixture of proportional representation and single-member districts, which can lead the number of seats to vary from the minimum 598. The members of the Bundesrat are appointed by state governments. Germany's head of state is a largely ceremonial president, chosen jointly by the Bundestag and a group of state representatives to serve up to two five-year terms. The chancellor  the head of government  is elected by the Bundestag and usually serves for the duration of a legislative session. The chancellor's term can be cut short only if the Bundestag chooses a replacement in a so-called constructive vote of no confidence. In Germany's federal system, state governments have considerable authority over matters such as education, policing, taxation, and spending.

Joachim Gauck was elected president in 2012. In the 2013 federal elections, a total of 631 representatives were elected to the Bundestag. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), won a total of 311 seats  the best showing for the Christian Democrats since 1990, when Germany reunified. The CDU's previous coalition partner, the pro-free market Free Democratic Party (FDP), failed to meet the 5 percent threshold to qualify for seats for the first time since 1949. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) took 193 seats, and the Greens won 63. The far-left party the Left took 64 seats. The right-wing, Euroskeptic party Alternative for Germany (AfD) failed to qualify for seats.

The SPD had previously ruled out governing with the Left, which is widely viewed as a successor to the East German communists. In 2013, the CDU reached an agreement with the SPD to form a so-called grand coalition government, as they had done during Merkel's first term (2005-09).

State-level elections took place in 2015 in the city-states of Bremen and Hamburg, with the AfD gaining legislative seats in both.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 15 / 16

Under electoral laws that, for historical reasons, are intended to restrict the far left and far right, a party must receive either 5 percent of the national vote or win at least three directly elected seats to gain representation in the parliament. The dominant political parties have traditionally been the SPD and the CDU-CSU.

The influence of Germany's extreme-right party, the National Democratic Party (NPD)  an anti-immigration, anti-European Union (EU) party that has been accused of glorifying Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich  has been on the decline, but support for the AfD has grown in recent years. In addition to making gains in the 2015 state elections in Bremen and Hamburg, the party won seven seats in the European Parliament elections in 2014. In May 2015, founder Bernd Lucke and more moderate members left the party, citing its increasingly nationalist attitude and negative stance against refugees and immigrants.

All 16 German states petitioned the Federal Constitutional Court in 2013 to ban the NPD, calling it a neo-Nazi antidemocratic group. Previous attempts to outlaw the party have failed. The movement against the NPD continued in 2015, but no significant changes had occurred by year's end.

After Bodo Ramelow became the first member of the Left to hold a premiership in 2014, when he was elected to the position in Thuringia, Chancellor Merkel and President Gauck publicly criticized the party's inclusion in a state government.

The 2013 federal elections resulted in the first black members of the Bundestag, with one each from the CDU and the SPD. The CDU also saw its first Muslim deputy elected to the Bundestag. Overall, the number of Bundestag members from immigrant backgrounds rose from 21 to 34.

C. Functioning of Government: 12 / 12

Germany is free from pervasive corruption and was ranked 10 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index. The government is held accountable for its performance through open parliamentary debates, which are covered widely in the media. In a report released in April 2015, however, Transparency International criticized the German government for its lenient laws on lobbying activities, noting that there is poor regulation and disclosure of relationships between public officials and lobbyists.

In October, the Bundestag approved a controversial law on data retention. The legislation had elicited criticism upon introduction earlier in the year, due to both general privacy concerns and a particular section of the law about illegal data handling. Watchdogs voiced concerns that the law could be used to punish whistleblowers, who receive few legal protections in Germany. The Constitutional Court had ruled against indiscriminate data retention in 2010, as did the European Court of Human Rights in 2014. Supporters of the 2015 legislation framed it as a compromise, noting that it limits the types of information that can be stored as well as the duration of storage. The law entered into force in December.

Civil Liberties: 56 / 60 (-1)

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 15 / 16

Freedom of expression is enshrined in the constitution, and the media are largely free and independent. Hate speech, such as racist agitation or anti-Semitism, is punishable by law. It is also illegal to advocate Nazism, deny the Holocaust, or glorify the ideology of Hitler.

In July 2015, Netzpolitik.org received notice from the office of Germany's prosecutor general that its chief editor, Markus Beckedahl, and a journalist, Andre Meister, were under investigation for treason. The charges against Beckedahl and Meister stemmed from two articles on surveillance by the government, published on the website in February and April, that contained internal documents from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's internal security agency. The investigation led to both a public outcry and tensions among government bodies over its legality. In August, the case was dropped, and the Ministry of Justice forced the prosecutor general into early retirement.

Internet access is generally unrestricted. In 2013, documents leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA, collaborating with Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), had secretly collected extensive data on communications in Germany, and had monitored Chancellor Merkel's mobile phone. In 2014, a parliamentary inquiry was launched into the nature of cooperation between the NSA and BND. The inquiry was ongoing in 2015. In September, a witness testifying before the parliament's investigative committee accused the BND of obstructing investigations by destroying emails.

Freedom of belief is legally protected. However, eight states have passed laws prohibiting female Muslim schoolteachers from wearing headscarves, while Berlin and the state of Hesse have adopted legislation banning headscarves for all civil servants. Several mosques were attacked or vandalized in 2015, including in Ludwigsburg and Bielefeld in September. Also in September, media in Munster reported that a gun had been fired through the window of a local synagogue.

Academic freedom is generally respected, and higher education is free of charge to students. Private discussion is unrestricted. Censorship of online discussion was the subject of debate in 2015, with many media representatives and senior politicians, including Chancellor Merkel, calling on Facebook, Google, and Twitter to delete comments containing hate speech. In December, following considerable government pressure, the companies agreed to control such content. In a controversial move, in November, prosecutors in Hamburg initiated an investigation into Facebook's Germany-based European manager for failure to remove hate speech from the social media platform.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

The right of peaceful assembly is respected in practice, except in the case of outlawed groups, such as those advocating Nazism or opposing democratic order. Civic groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate without hindrance.

Trade unions, farmers' groups, and business confederations are generally free to organize. In September 2015, a specialized labor court in Hesse halted a strike by Lufthansa pilots, finding that the pilots attempted to influence the general strategy of the company rather than distinct wage or benefit issues, which is not permitted under German law.

F. Rule of Law: 14 / 16 (-1)

The judiciary is independent, and the rule of law prevails. Prison conditions are adequate, though the Council of Europe has criticized some of Germany's preventive detention practices.

Amid the Netzpolitik.org affair in 2015, Justice Minister Heiko Maas faced criticism from several sides, both for allowing the investigation to proceed for several months and for intervening in prosecutorial affairs after the case was brought to light in July.

The threat posed by terrorist groups to national and regional security remained a major concern. By September, the BfV had identified at least 730 individuals who had traveled from Germany to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State (IS), despite a 2014 government ban on all forms of support for the militant group. Security forces arrested several individuals throughout the year on suspicion of terrorist activity. In December, a court in Lower Saxony sentenced two men to prison  one for four years and three months, and the other for three years  on charges of terrorism; they had returned to Germany after fighting with IS in Syria.

More than one million refugees entered Germany in 2015  a record-breaking number. By years' end, approximately 477,000 asylum applications were filed with the government. Contending with inadequate funding and a shortage of temporary housing, federal states and municipalities struggled to ensure safe and humane accommodations. The residents of several cities formed community groups to assist the government in providing basic services to migrants.

According to the Interior Ministry, there were approximately 850 attacks on refugee shelters by mid-December 2015  four times the number recorded in the previous year. More than 90 of these attacks involved arson. Right-wing groups, including supporters of the NPD, held demonstrations against migrants on several occasions during the year, and made open calls to close Germany's borders  a sentiment echoed by many senior politicians. The activities of the anti-immigration, anti-Islam group known as the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident (PEGIDA), which had developed into a large protest movement in 2014, notably declined in early 2015. However, the group began gaining support in the fall of 2015, following a surge in refugee arrivals over the summer months. Despite considerable domestic and international criticism, Chancellor Merkel maintained an open-door policy for refugees and an insistence on the inviolability of the right to asylum.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 15 / 16

Freedom of movement is legally protected and generally respected, although the refugee crisis and security concerns related to IS have led to some restrictions on travel. In April 2015, the government introduced legislation allowing the confiscation of identity documents from German citizens suspected of terrorism as a way to prevent them from traveling abroad, particularly to Iraq and Syria. The rights to own property and engage in commercial activity are respected.

Women's rights are protected under antidiscrimination laws. However, a considerable gender wage gap persists, with women earning approximately 22 percent less in gross wages than men. A law requiring large German companies to reserve at least 30 percent of seats on their non-executive boards for women is set to come into effect in 2016. Following the 2013 federal elections, women gained 6 of the 16 federal cabinet positions and 36 percent of the seats in the Bundestag.

Limited same-sex partnership rights are respected. New adoption and tax legislation passed in 2014 gave equal rights to same-sex couples in these areas, in accordance with 2013 rulings by the Constitutional Court. However, the government does not grant same-sex couples the right to marry, instead providing the option of a civil partnership.

According to the U.S. State Department's 2015 Trafficking in Persons report, migrants from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia are targeted for sex trafficking and forced labor. Asylum seekers are also particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Crimea

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 11 March 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Crimea, 11 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56e813aa11.html [accessed 22 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.

Freedom Status: Not Free

Aggregate Score: 9

Freedom Rating: 6.5

Political Rights: 7

Civil Liberties: 6

OVERVIEW

Russian forces continued to occupy the Crimean Peninsula in 2015, following an invasion of the Ukrainian territory in 2014 that led to its incorporation into the Russian Federation through an internationally criticized referendum. The United States, the European Union, and several allied countries renewed sanctions on key Russian and Crimean individuals and companies in 2015, and the international community widely maintained the view that the annexation constituted a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. The occupation government continued to limit the full range of political and civil rights for Crimea's residents, according to an assessment published by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in July. Since the Russian occupation, tens of thousands of people have left Crimea, with estimates ranging from 40,000 to 60,000. The results of a poll by the German firm GfK, published in February, showed that 82 percent of Crimean respondents supported the annexation, although strong pressures and restrictions on freedom of expression affect the reliability of such polls.

The occupation government showed signs of dysfunction and discord in 2015. Considerable delays marred the distribution of passports and the registration of businesses, and corruption remained a major problem. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) launched corruption investigations into several prominent Crimean officials, and the region's local leadership claimed that the probes were motivated by Moscow's commercial and political interests. The Russian Ministry for Crimean Affairs, established in 2014 to facilitate the territory's integration, was abolished in July 2015, and its responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Economic Development.

The occupation authorities continued to harass members of Crimea's ethnic Tatar minority, who have faced political persecution and discrimination since the invasion. Tatar media outlets have been shuttered, and several private businesses owned by Crimean Tatars have been arbitrarily closed by officials or torched by unidentified assailants.

The international community has little access to Crimea, as the authorities have denied or limited travel for representatives of the OSCE, the United Nations, and the Council of Europe. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to return the peninsula to Ukrainian control, although he has not presented a clear plan to achieve this.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: -1 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 0 / 12

Under the administrative system established by Russia, the Crimean Peninsula is divided into the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol, a port of roughly 380,000 residents that had also been governed separately under Ukrainian control. Sevastopol's political institutions largely mirror those of Crimea proper in their structure and observance of democratic norms.

The head of the Republic of Crimea is elected by its legislature, the State Council of Crimea, for up to two consecutive five-year terms. Lawmakers choose the leader based on a list of nominees prepared by the Russian president. In October 2014, they unanimously elected Sergey Aksyonov as the head of the republic, and he simultaneously served as prime minister. Aksyonov had been the acting leader of Crimea since February 2014, when a group of armed men forced legislators to elect him prime minister at gunpoint. He had reputedly been involved in organized crime during the 1990s.

The State Council consists of 75 members elected for a term of five years.Two-thirds of the members are elected by party list and one-third in single-member districts. Legislative elections under the Russian-organized constitution took place in September 2014, on the same day as Russia's regional elections. All of the parties allowed to participate supported the annexation, pro-Ukraine parties were excluded, and the ethnic Tatar minority boycotted the voting. The ruling party in Russia, United Russia, took 70 seats, while the ultranationalist LDPR (formerly known as the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) secured the remaining 5 seats. No other parties crossed the 5 percent vote threshold to enter the legislature. The elections received little international recognition.

Residents of Crimea were not permitted to take part in Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections held in May and October 2014, or the Ukrainian local elections in October 2015.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 0 / 16

The occupation authorities use intimidation and harassment to eliminate any public opposition to Russia's annexation of Crimea and to the current government. The FSB, the local police, and "self-defense" units made up of pro-Russian residents enforce this political order. Ukrainian political parties are not able to operate, and the Crimean Tatars  the only group that has continued to openly oppose the Russian occupation  have faced considerable political persecution. The headquarters of the Mejlis, the official but nongovernmental representative body of the Crimean Tatar people, was seized and closed by the authorities in 2014. The incumbent chairman of the body, Refat Chubarov, and Tatar leader have been banned from the territory since 2014. Ahtem Ciygoz, a deputy chairman of the Mejlis, was arrested in January 2015 on suspicion of "organizing mass disorder" in relation to clashes that occurred between pro-Russian and Crimean Tatar demonstrators in Simferopol in 2014. Several other Tatar leaders were arrested on the same grounds in 2015.

C. Functioning of Government: 0 / 12

All major policy decisions are made in Moscow and executed by Russian president Vladimir Putin's representatives in Crimea or the local authorities, who are beholden to Moscow. Given the territory's relative poverty under Ukrainian rule and the collapse of its key tourism and agricultural sectors following the occupation, it now relies heavily on Russian subsidies. International sanctions, dependence on mainland Ukraine for water and electricity supplies, and the lack of a land connection to Russia all put the region under severe logistical stress. In November 2015, unidentified individuals cut lines for the supply of electricity from Ukraine to Crimea, causing extensive power outages. A combination of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian activists initially blocked repair attempts.

Bureaucratic infighting, corruption scandals, and tensions between federal and local authorities interfered with governance in 2015, particularly as various Russian companies sought access to Crimea's assets. The FSB and Russia's Investigative Committee arrested several local authorities during the year in an ostensible campaign against corruption. The head of the local branch of Russia's Federal Tax Service, Nikolay Kochanov, was arrested in June for bribery. During a visit to the region in August, Putin noted that more than 60 officials had recently been dismissed for corruption. Aksyonov and other local leaders disputed the investigations, claiming that the FSB was using allegations of corruption to discredit Crimean authorities.

Discretionary Political Rights Question B: -1 / 0

Russian and local pro-Russian officials' policies and actions in Crimea have led to an influx of 30,000 to 35,000 Russian troops and additional civilian personnel, an outflow of many ethnic Ukrainians, and the persecution of ethnic Tatars. The Russian occupation also represents a major setback to Tatars' long-term campaign to reestablish property and other rights that were lost in a Soviet-era mass deportation of the group.

Civil Liberties: 10 / 60 (-1)

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 3 / 16

Free speech is severely limited in Crimea. In addition to other restrictive Russian laws, an amendment to the Russian criminal code that took effect in 2014 banned public calls for action aimed at violating Russia's territorial integrity, meaning statements against the annexation, including in the media, can be punished with up to five years in prison.

The Russian telecommunications agency Roskomnadzor required all media outlets to seek registration under Russian regulations by April 2015. Before the annexation, there were approximately 3,000 outlets in Crimea. After the April deadline, Roskomnadzor reported that 232 outlets were registered and authorized to operate. The occupation authorities have essentially cut the territory off from access to Ukrainian television, with armed men seizing the transmission centers in 2014 and imposing Russian broadcasts. Independent and pro-Ukraine media no longer function in Crimea.

Media owned by the Crimean Tatars have come under particular scrutiny. Security forces raided the offices of the Tatar broadcaster ATR in January 2015, confiscating equipment, questioning staff, and temporarily shutting off transmissions. In March, Aksyonov proclaimed that outlets like ATR could not be allowed to operate "during wartime," and ATR ended its broadcasts on March 31 after failing to obtain a license from Roskomnadzor. With assistance from the Ukrainian government and the Tatar community, the station moved its operations to Kyiv and resumed broadcasting in June.

Russia has also replaced Crimean internet service providers with Russian equivalents. The state-controlled Rostelecom began providing service to the peninsula in July 2014. Crimea's internet service providers must operate under Russia's draconian media laws, and independent websites have come under increasing pressure. In October 2015, three online outlets providing independent reporting on Crimea  the news portals Sobytiya Kryma (Events of Crimea) and Black Sea News and the website of the Center for Journalistic Investigations  received notice from Roskomnadzor that they were blocked in Crimea and Russia. The agency accused the outlets of publishing information that called for "mass disturbances, extremist activities, and participation in mass demonstrations." After his report on human rights abuses in Crimea was published in March, Andriy Klymenko, cofounder of Black Sea News, was charged in absentia with "challenging the legitimacy of the annexation and threatening Russian sovereignty."

The occupation authorities have forced religious organizations to reregister. At the time of annexation, there were approximately 1,400 registered religious groups in Crimea and 674 additional communities operating without registration. As of August 2015, there were only 53 locally registered religious organizations, in addition to a few groups registered through an alternative procedure in Moscow.

Schools must use the Russian state curriculum. By the beginning of the academic year in September 2015, instruction in the Ukrainian language had been almost completely eliminated. In December, a Ukrainian-language theater school for children closed amid pressure and harassment from local officials. Since the annexation, the authorities have also drastically reduced the availability of education in the Tatar language.

The FSB reportedly encourages residents to inform on individuals who express opposition to the annexation, and a climate of fear and intimidation seriously inhibits private discussion of political matters.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 1 / 12

Freedoms of assembly and association are restricted. The de facto authorities, including the FSB, repress all independent political and civic organizations. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are subject to harsh Russian laws that enable state interference and obstruct foreign funding.

Trade union rights are formally protected under Russian law, but limited in practice. As in both Ukraine and Russia, employers are often able to engage in antiunion discrimination and violate collective-bargaining rights. Pro-Russian authorities have threatened to nationalize property owned by labor unions in Crimea.

F. Rule of Law: 0 / 16

Under Moscow's rule, Crimea is subject to the Russian judicial system, which lacks independence and is effectively dominated by the executive branch. Russian laws bar dual citizenship for public officials, and Crimean judges were required to receive Russian citizenship in order to return to their positions after the annexation. In 2015, approximately 500 judges were serving in Crimea. In July, the Russian Constitutional Court ruled that Russia could refuse to comply with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions to avoid violating the federal constitution, and in December, Putin signed legislation allowing the Constitutional Court to review rulings issued by international bodies. Irregular, paramilitary "self-defense" groups operate in Crimea with impunity, and a permanent auxiliary police force was created out of such units in 2014.

In August 2015, a Russian military court sentenced Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who actively opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea, to 20 years in prison on terrorism charges. A codefendant, activist Oleksandr Kolchenko, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Sentsov claimed that he was abused while in custody, and many international leaders and human rights organizations decried the trial as politically motivated, designating Sentsov and Kolchenko as political prisoners. Several other individuals are behind bars in Russia and Crimea on similar charges, and a number of cases were ongoing at year's end.

After the annexation, Crimea became subject to Russia's 2013 law banning dissemination of information that promotes "nontraditional sexual relationships," which tightly restricts the activities of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people and organizations.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 6 / 16 (-1)

The occupation authorities have sought to compel Crimea residents to accept Russian citizenship and surrender their Ukrainian passports. Those who fail to do so face the threat of dismissal from employment, loss of property rights, inability to travel to mainland Ukraine and elsewhere, and eventual deportation as foreigners.

Property rights are poorly protected, and the Russian invasion has resulted in a redistribution of assets in favor of Russian and pro-Russian entities. The occupation authorities have seized Ukrainian state property, and a law passed by the Crimean legislature in 2014 allows the government to condemn and purchase "strategic" assets. Several companies owned by Ukrainian individuals  including Krymenergo, Crimea's main electricity supplier, and Ukrtelecom, the region's largest landline telephone operator  were expropriated in January and February 2015. In February, Aksyonov announced that the nationalization process would conclude on March 1.

Same-sex marriage is not legal under Russian law. Government officials demonstrate little interest in or understanding of gender-equality issues. Domestic violence against women remains a serious problem in Crimea, and Russian laws do not offer strong protections. Discrimination on the basis of gender, physical appearance, and age are not uncommon. Women hold 14 of the 75 seats in the State Council of Crimea.

As in both Ukraine and Russia, migrant workers, women, and children are vulnerable to trafficking for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
TUESDAY

Card tournament

A Yu-Gi-Oh! card game tournament for beginners, age 13 and up, will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. Tutorials and learning decks will be provided.

Movie at the library

A free showing of a PG-rated fantasy movie will begin at 6 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St.

Square dance workshop

TYE  The Wagon Wheel Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel.

Other ...

Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr.

Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St.

High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs).

Blood drive, 1-6 p.m., Coleman County Electric Co-Op.

Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535.

Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444.

Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584.

Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300.

Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1333 N. Third St. 325-829-1470.

Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St.

Family Support Group for parents with special needs children, 6:30-7:30 p.m., West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3500.

Alzheimer's Association  North Central Texas Chapter, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Chisholm Place, 1450 E. N. 10th St. 325-672-2907.

Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926.

Brigadier General John Sayles Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 366, 7 p.m., American Legion Building, 302 E.S. 11th St.

Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.

WEDNESDAY

Free tax assistance

The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Art film

A showing of the film "The Rothko Conspiracy" will begin at noon at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. A discussion will follow. Participants are invited to bring a lunch.

Caregiver meeting

COMANCHE  The Alzheimer's Association will present a caregiver support group meeting from 2-3 p.m. at Western Hills Healthcare Residence. For more information, call 325-217-0822.

Other ...

Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St.

Blood drive, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hangar Club, Dyess Air Force Base.

Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St.

Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815.

Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd.

Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570.

Alzheimer's Association Caregiver Support Group, 2-3 p.m., Western Hills Healthcare Residence, Comanche.

Alzheimer's disease support group, 5:15 p.m., Cedar Crest Care Center, 1901 W. Elliott, Breckenridge. Assists those who have a family member with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. 1-800-272-3900 or 254-559-3302.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818.

Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995.

Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007.

DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200.

THURSDAY

Free tax assistance

The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Saint Patrick's Day

Keep Abilene Beautiful will present its "#GoGreenAbilene" Saint Patrick's Day celebration from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Mill Winery, 239 Locust St. Admission is free, with drink tickets provided to the first 100 participants.

Documentary showing

A free showing of a part of the PBS documentary series "Latino Americans" will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane.

'The Foreigner'

A production of the comedy "The Foreigner" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and military. For tickets, call 325-673-6271.

Other ...

Chronic Pain and Depression Group, 11 a.m. to noon, Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St., 325-673-2300.

Abilene Founder Lions Club, 11:30 a.m., Al's Mesquite Grill, 4801 Buffalo Gap Road.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. 325-695-0092.

Blood drive, noon to 4 p.m., Taylor County Courthouse, 300 Oak St.

Retired Military Wives Club social meeting, 1 p.m., Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 South Seventh St. 325-677-9656 or 325-793-1490.

Mental Illness Open Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

Sagerton Hobby Club, 2 p.m., Sagerton Community Center.

Abilene 42 Club, 6 p.m., Rose Park Senior Center.

Teen Recovery Group, 6-7 p.m., Mission Abilene, 3001 N. Third St.

Free certified nurturing parent class (all ages), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6:30 p.m. Brook Hollow Christian Church. Weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. 325-665-5052.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 6:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Gambler's Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. 325-338-2575.

Round Dancing, 7 p.m., Wagon Wheel. 325-829-1517.

South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.

FRIDAY

Free tax assistance

The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1214 N. Mockingbird Lane. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Barn dance

TYE  A barn dance featuring Muddy Creek will be 7-10 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel. Admission is $5. Information: 325-829-1517.

'The Foreigner'

A production of the comedy "The Foreigner" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and military. For tickets, call 325-673-6271.

Other ...

Blood drive, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Goodwill West Texas, 2200 N. First St.

Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112.

Abilene Chinese Corner, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Abilene Christian University library. lld09a@acu.edu.

Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304.
Salsa verde  "green sauce"  will make you rethink the color of heat.

The core ingredients of Tex-Mex hot sauce usually are tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapenos and salt. For salsa verde, tomatillos replace the tomatoes and serrano chilies sub for the jalapenos.

Tomatillos are about the size of a small plum and have a paper-thin husk and slightly sticky skin. While they are in the same tomato family called nightshade, tomatillos have a distinct acidic flavor.

The husk is inedible and must be removed before use and the skin washed before chopping the tomatillos for a salsa. The tomatillos also can be boiled or roasted before being turned into salsa.

Serrano chilies are skinnier than jalapenos, but don't assume that means less heat. They range from a little hotter than a hot jalapeno to four times more heat, based on the Scoville scale.

In the "San Antonio Cookbook II" published in 1976 by the Women's Committee of the Symphony Society of San Antonio, the first of six salsa recipes is Salsa Verde. It calls for canned Mexican green tomatoes, which is another name for tomatillos.

Try salsa verde with chips, or add it to shredded beef or pork tacos for an herby, spicy, tangy kick.

For those like myself who prefer salsas that are like a sunset and not a lava flow, a milder version of salsa verde is possible. Just add a large avocado and crema Mexicana, which is a buttery, creamier version of sour cream.

Following is my update of the Salsa Verde recipe from "San Antonio Cookbook II," where one batch can make both the original salsa plus a milder, creamier one. For convenience, I used canned tomatillos.

SALSA VERDE TWO WAYS

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can tomatillos, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup (about 12-15 sprigs) cilantro leaves, chopped

1 serrano chili, sliced (For a milder version, try half a serrano first and add more if necessary after tasting. Add a second serrano for true chili heads.)

- Salt to taste

1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced

- Juice from half a lemon

1/4 cup crema Mexicana (or more if salsa is too hot)

Directions

1. In a blender add tomatillos, onion, cilantro, serrano chili and salt. Whirl until combined. Taste and adjust chilies and salt, if necessary.

2. Pour half of the salsa into a serving dish. Cover and chill for one hour.

3. To the remaining salsa in the blender, add the avocado, lemon juice and crema. Whirl together until combined. Taste and adjust salt and crema if necessary. Cover and chill one hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of each salsa.

LEFTOVER BANANAS

A quick bread is usually the last hoorah for overripe bananas.

Another possibility is the following recipe for Banana Cake from Mrs. Julius Wolfson in "San Antonio Cookbook II."

The cake is easy, simple and sweet but not over the top because it does not have icing.

My updates include replacing the white sugar with brown for a slightly more caramel flavor and clarifying the directions.

BANANA CAKE

Ingredients

- Butter and flour for baking dish

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

- Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Butter and flour a 9-by 13-inch baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a stand-up mixer (or large mixing bowl using an electric mixer), cream well the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the vanilla and bananas and mix well.

3. In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream. Pour thick batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean.

5. When cool, sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

Share your own old recipes or food-related historical recollections by emailing Laura Gutschke at lgutschke@gmail.com.
Robert 'Russ' Brown

Abilene  Robert "Russ" Brown 83, of Abilene, passed away Thursday, March 10, 2016. A Rosary will be held 5-6 p.m. Monday, March 14, 2016, in North's Memorial Chapel. A funeral Mass will be held will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 5410 Buffalo Gap Rd., under the direction of North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange Street.

Robert 'Bob' Burks

Abilene,  Robert "Bob" Burks, 80, passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2016. Viewing and Visitation will be held from noon till service time at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at Parker Funeral Home in Baird. Burial will follow at Dudley Cemetery.

Jeane Krieger

Abilene  Jeane Krieger, 94, passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The family will receive friends 5- 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at Brookhollow Christian Church.

Andrew 'A.J.' Willyoung

Abilene  Andrew "A.J." Willyoung, 33, passed away on Friday, March 11, 2016 at his residence. Memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene. Online condolences may be left at www.hamilfamilyfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home.
From frontier town to "Storybook Capital of Texas," Abilene has come a long way in 135 years.

On March 15, 1881, the first town lots for the "Future Great City of West Texas" were sold. According to historical accounts, it was a cold day. Sleet had hit the townsite the day before, but it was clear on March 15.

A little unpleasant weather wasn't going to keep a determined bunch of future Abilenians from starting their new town. They showed the same spunk that today's mayor, Norm Archibald, sees throughout the city's history.

"We have a can-do attitude," Archibald said. "If it's worth doing, we can do it."

Abilene's first newspaper, the Abilene Reporter, was still three months away on the day the city got its start. But The Galveston Daily News had sent a reporter on March 11 to record the proceedings. He reported that about 600 people turned out for the two-day town lot sale. The new town had no permanent houses yet, he reported, just a city of tents.

Jay Moore, an Abilene High School history teacher and creator of the "History in Plain Sight" DVD series about Abilene's history, noted that by March 15, Abilene's official birthday, the Texas and Pacific Railway had been laid 40 miles west of Abilene. The Galveston reporter, Moore said, recorded that a passenger train arrived in Abilene at 11:30 p.m. each day and that more and more future Abilenians stepped off the train and stayed.

"Upon sunrise," the reporter wrote, "they would see nothing but vast prairies and a sea of white canvas."

The vast prairies remain, but the sea of white canvas is long gone, replaced by homes, schools, medical facilities, cultural sites, an Air Force base and businesses of all sorts in a city of 120,000.

The mayor noted, however, that the can-do attitude that has been present from the beginning still remains. For Archibald, some of the highlights of the city's history were the beginning of what is now Hendrick Medical Center, the push behind getting three church-affiliated universities in Abilene and the landing of Dyess Air Force Base.

"I think that has to be at the very top," Archibald said of the air base.

A critical era in Abilene's history, Archibald noted, was in the late 1950s and the 1960s. Getting Dyess AFB was the big prize, but the city also gained a number of facilities that are in use today. In 1960, Cooper High School opened and Shotwell Stadium was completed, followed in 1965 by the groundbreaking for a new zoo on the east side of town.

An unprecedented bond election passed in 1967 that paved the way for the construction of a new courthouse, civic center, and county coliseum.

"That era has always been an inspiration to me," Archibald said.

From Day 1, Abilenians have been industrious. According to historical information that Moore provided, on the first day of the town lot auction, wild turkeys were brought in by the wagonload and sold for 35 to 50 cents each. One entrepreneur ordered 100 turkeys and five antelopes to turn into meals for hungry future Abilenians on the first day of the auction.

According to the Galveston newspaper report that Moore provided, "droves of antelope skipped over the prairies for miles around" and there was an abundance of other game.

From those hardy roots, Abilene has grown into an educational, cultural, medical and retail hub for West Central Texas. On March 8, the mayor flipped the switch to illuminate the storybook character sculptures that populate Abilene's restored historic downtown.

The event helped cement Abilene's status as the "Storybook Capital of Texas," an honor bestowed last year by the state Legislature. In attendance for the festivities was a crew from PBS, which filmed the event for an upcoming documentary. The mayor was beaming.

"This is everything that's great about Abilene," he told the crowd.

Archibald has no doubt that Abilene's future is as bright as its past. He may not be able to foresee what the city will look like 135 years into the future, but he feels pretty good about the more immediate future.

Currently, Archibald said, the city is planning for water resources to sustain a growing community for the next 75 years. Dyess AFB is "strong and getting stronger." Recent bond elections in the city and Abilene and Wylie school districts ensure the infrastructure and amenities needed to make the city attractive to current and future residents.

"I feel we are blessed to live in Abilene," Archibald said. "We don't need to take that for granted."

TIDBITS FROM ABILENE'S EARLY DAYS

A reporter from the Galveston Daily News was sent to the site of the "Future Great City of West Texas" to report on its beginnings on March 15, 1881. He noted that only one murder had been committed since a tent city started going up before the sale of town lots. A drunken brawl resulted in a barber being stabbed in the neck by a cattleman from Buffalo Gap.

The first town lots sold were at the northwest corner of Pine and North Second streets. Those two lots have remained joined in ownership through the decades and today are occupied by a two-lot wide building owned by brothers Kelly and Sandy Utley.

Many of the first settlers in Abilene relocated from Buffalo Gap, the first county seat of Taylor County. Some of those would become a vital part of the young town's growth and their names are still familiar 135 years later: W.A. Minter, Kirven K. Legett, Horace Wooten, Otto Steffens. Others who joined that group soon after the founding were James Radford, and J.M. Wagstaff.

Perhaps the first birth to occur in Abilene happened during the first week in March 1881, 10 days before the town lot sale. A girl born to A.M. and Fanny Barnett was named Abilene in honor of the new town. Abilene Barnett died at age 2 and is buried in the city section of the Abilene Municipal Cemetery.

By the end of the 19th century, the new city of Abilene had grown in numbers and amenities. Abilene Electric Light and Power Company brought electricity to the city in 1891. That same year, Abilene Baptist College, now Hardin-Simmons University, was founded. In 1895, telephone service began and in 1897, Lytle Lake was built.

Sources: Abilene historian Jay Moore and historical documents
Tom Yeats wants to give Abilene veterans, active duty military service members and first responders the chance to tell their stories.

And he knows they have stories. He has recorded dozens.

Yeats, alongside fellow teacher Eric Blaylock, started the Patriotic Restoration project to foster patriotism among the youth. Yeats travels all over Texas, hearing stories from veterans who have seen battles some only can imagine from history books.

But he wants to hear more from current military service members, although he has heard from a few, including a JROTC member.

Yeats will be at Dyess Air Force Base Museum, 800 Arnold Blvd., on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to listen to those who want to share their stories.

If that time does not work, Yeats said he can set up a time to come back to Abilene. He can be reached at 817-988-6550 to schedule an appointment.

So far, about 30 people from Abilene have contributed to the Patriotic Restoration project.
The Texas Department of State Health Services requested government officials educate residents about Zika virus, said Downing Bolls, Taylor County Judge.

Bolls issued a statement last week about the illness, which is potentially transmitted by mosquito bites, blood transfusions and sexual contact with an infected person.

"With all the rain coming in, we knew that there were going to be a few days of dryness out there," Bolls said Monday, noting that state officials are concerned about the virus moving into the state.

"They just want us to make sure we have a plan in place and are keeping the public informed," he said. "We routinely do things like keeping the borrow ditches clear and that sort of thing. But there is a lot of illegal dumping out in the county."

Such places provide opportunity for standing water, which "very quickly becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes," Bolls said.

That means it becomes even more important to make sure such places are cleared and cleaned regularly, he said.

"This is one of those things that we're going to have to be aware of from now on," Bolls said, at least until a treatment or preemptive vaccine can be found.

According to the State Department State Health Services, there have been 22 cases of Zika Virus reported in Texas, none in Taylor County, said Christine Mann, press officer with the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The majority of confirmed cases are among people who have traveled abroad to other countries where the virus was active.

About 80 percent of the people infected with the virus don't become ill, according to the State Health Department, with those who do usually experiencing mild symptoms that last for a few days to a week.

The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon and fatalities are rare.

Aaron Vannoy, the city of Abilene's animal services manager, said that the city does not plan to spray for mosquitoes in light of concerns about Zika.

"The mosquito is a daytime mosquito and lives primarily in containers," Vannoy said in an email. "The adulticide that we have is not approved to be sprayed during the daytime hours, and we are unaware of a product that has EPA registration to be sprayed during the day to kill mosquitoes."

Mosquitoes that carry the virus are "backyard mosquitoes," Vannoy said, meaning residents are encouraged to be proactive by "eliminating water sources, us(ing) a repellent, and wear(ing) long sleeves and long pants."

Further precautions include keeping mosquitoes out with air conditioning or with intact window screens, limiting outdoor activities during peak mosquito times, and weekly emptying out standing water in cans, buckets, old tires, pots or other items that might hold water.

Gutters should be kept clear of debris and standing water, and water in pet dishes should be changed daily.
For those of you salivating  or trembling  at the thought of Hillary Clinton being clapped in handcuffs as she prepares to deliver her acceptance speech this summer; based on the facts and precedents, criminal prosecution of Clinton for mishandling classified information in her emails is unlikely.

Lucky for her, political idiocy is not criminal.

"There are plenty of unattractive facts but not a lot of clear evidence of criminality," American University law professor Stephen Vladeck, an expert on prosecutions involving classified information, said. "This is really just a political firestorm, not a criminal case."

Could a clever law student fit the facts into a criminal violation? Sure. Would a responsible federal prosecutor pursue it? Hardly, based on my conversations with experts in such prosecutions.

There are two main statutory hooks. Title 18, Section 1924, a misdemeanor, makes it a crime for a government employee to "knowingly remove" classified information "without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location."

Prosecutors used this provision with former CIA Director David Petraeus, who was sentenced to probation and fined $100,000. But the Clinton case is different.

Petraeus clearly knew the material he provided his biographer was classified, and that she was not authorized to view it. "Highly classified ... code word stuff in there," he told her. He lied to FBI agents, behavior that inflames prosecutors.

In Clinton's case, there is no clear evidence that Clinton knew (or even should have known) that the material in her emails was classified. Second, it is debatable whether her use of the private server constituted removal or retention of material. Finally, the aggravating circumstance of false statements to federal agents is absent.

The government used the same statute in 2005 against former national Security Adviser Sandy Berger. Here, too, the conduct was more evidently egregious than what the public record shows about Clinton. Berger, at the National Archives preparing for the 9/11 investigations, twice took copies of a classified report out of the building.

For Clinton, the worst public fact involves a 2011 email exchange with aide Jake Sullivan. When she has trouble receiving a secure fax, Clinton instructs Sullivan to "turn [it] into nonpaper [with] no identifying heading and send nonsecure." But Clinton has said she was not asking for classified information.

Another possible prosecutorial avenue involves the Espionage Act. Section 793(d) makes it a felony for a person entrusted with "information relating to the national defense" who "willfully communicates, delivers [or] transmits" it to an unauthorized person. That might be a stretch given the "willfully" requirement.

Section 793(f) covers a person with access to "national defense information" who through "gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust." The government has used the "gross negligence" provision to prosecute a Marine sergeant who accidentally put classified documents in his gym bag, then hid them in his garage rather than returning them, and an Air Force sergeant who put classified material in a dumpster to get home early.

The argument would be that Clinton engaged in "gross negligence" by transferring information she knew was classified from its "proper place" onto her private server, or by sharing it with someone not authorized to receive it. Yet, as the Supreme Court has said, "gross negligence" is a "nebulous" term. Especially in the criminal context it would seem to require conduct more like throwing classified materials into a dumpster than putting them on a private server that presumably had security protections.

My point here isn't to praise Clinton's conduct. She shouldn't have been using the private server for official business in the first place. It's certainly possible she was cavalier about discussing classified material on it; that would be disturbing but she wouldn't be alone, especially given rampant over-classification.

The handling of the emails is an entirely legitimate subject for FBI investigation. That's a far cry from an indictable offense.

Ruth Marcus' email address is ruthmarcus@washpost.com. She writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
Iron oxides are widespread in nature and can be readily synthesized in the laboratory. Among them, hematite, magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles have particularly promising properties for biomedical applications.

Researchers in China and Korea reviewed recent studies on the preparation, structure and magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and their corresponding applications. The review, published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, emphasized that the size, size distribution (the relative proportions of different-sized particles in a given sample), shape and magnetic properties of IONPs affect the location and mobility of IONPs in the human body. However, having complete control over the shape and size distribution of magnetic IONPs remains a challenge.

For example, magnetic IONPs are promising for carrying cancer drugs that target specific tissues. For this to happen, they are coated with a biocompatible shell that carries a specific drug. If this functionalized magnetic IONP is too large, it may be cleared from the blood stream. Thus, it is very important to be able to control the size of these particles. Researchers found that IONPs with diameters ranging from 10 to 100 nanometres are optimal for intravenous injection and can remain in the blood stream for the longest period of time.

The surface charge of IONPs is also important for their stability and how they interact with tissues. For example, breast cells uptake positively charged IONPs better than negatively charged ones. At the same time, positively charged IONPs are more rapidly cleared from the circulation. Negatively charged and neutral IONPs tend to remain longer in the circulation. The surface charge of IONPs can be controlled by using an appropriately charged functionalized material as a shell.

Other applications that can benefit from improving the functionality of magnetic IONPs include magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic hyperthermia and thermoablation (killing selected cancer cells with heat), and biosensing (detecting molecular interactions for disease diagnosis).

Further research is needed to evaluate the toxicity of both bare and functionalized IONPs.

The teams next focus will be on fabricating recyclable magnetic IONP catalysts and designing multifunctional biomedical applications, involving magnetic IONPs, that can play a dual role in diagnosing and treating disease, says Professor Wei Wu from Chinas Wuhan University.

For further information, please contact:

Wei Wu

Laboratory of Printable Functional Nanomaterials and Printed Electronics

School of Printing and Packaging

Wuhan University, Peoples Republic of China

E-mail: [email protected]

More information about the research paper

Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 16 (2015) 023501

doi:10.1088/1468-6996/16/2/023501

http://tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1088/1468-6996/16/2/023501

Reviews

Recent progress on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, surface functional strategies and biomedical applications

Wei Wu, Zhaohui Wu, Taekyung Yu, Changzhong Jiang & Woo-Sik Kim

Journal information:

Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM) is the leading open access, international journal for outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science. Our audience is the international materials community across the disciplines of materials science, physics, chemistry, biology as well as engineering.

The journal covers a broad spectrum of materials science research including functional materials, synthesis and processing, theoretical analyses, characterization and properties of materials. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary nature of materials science and issues at the forefront of the field, such as energy and environmental issues, as well as medical and bioengineering applications.

http://tandfonline.com/loi/tsta20#.VuIRGmfotYV

For more information about the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, contact:

Mikiko Tanifuji

Publishing Director

Science and Technology of Advanced Materials

Email: [email protected]
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This just in...
Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered the immediate arrest of any politician who claims he can eliminate public debt if elected, saying the peoples loans belong to the state.



The statement prompted criticism from watchdogs who said such promises do not imply loans would be forgiven and could refer to better governance in the financial industry as part of a bid to ensure farmers stay out of debt.



Speaking at an annual microfinance conference in the capital Phnom Penh on Monday, Hun Sen accused unnamed politicians of cheating the people of Cambodia by making illegal claims that went against the countrys financial regulations.



To the various political parties: please do not commit cheap acts and cheat the people by saying that if you win, you will eliminate debt, the prime minister said.



[For those who commit] such acts, just block them and arrest them immediately  That is abusing financial regulations and you will be arrested on the spoteven lawmakersbecause these are actual crimes, he said.



Hun Sen said politicians promising to erase public debts would be committing an in flagrante delicto offensemeaning to be caught in the act of a crimewith the aim of political gain by swindling Cambodian citizens.



He did not specify which politicians had allegedly made the claims or what law they had broken.



A report by the Voice of Democracy on Monday said Prince Norodom Ranariddh, president of the royalist Funcinpec party, pledged to eliminate debt during a speech in June.



Hun Sen similarly criticized political pledges to eradicate debt in the lead up to Cambodias 2013 national election, when he accused the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of promising to do so.



He said at the time that CNRP politicians would have to destroy the nations banking systemlike the Khmer Rouge did when it led the country from 1975-79in order to erase peoples loans. The CNRP denied having made such a pledge.



Different interpretation



Meas Ny, an independent observer, told RFAs Khmer Service that Hun Sens latest condemnation was of little benefit to the governments reputation, because pledges to eliminate debt dont necessarily imply parties would break the law.



If [political parties] say that they will try to kill the prime minister  it is illegal and it is against the constitution, he said. But if they are talking about a policy of debt elimination, it doesnt simply mean they will forget peoples loans, it could mean they will find ways to keep people out of debt in the future.



Meas Ny acknowledged that pledges to eliminate debt if elected are politically risky because of how difficult they are to fulfill, but said parties are entitled to make whatever policy statements they like, provided they do not advocate illegal acts.



The Phnom Penh Post quoted Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor for local rights groups Licadho, as saying that pledging to eliminate debt, however unfeasible, was a politicians right.



I think its just the opinion of a politician being a demagogue, so theres no offense and saying such things does not cause chaos, he told the newspaper.



Looking at the law, its not incitement," he said.



Sam Eun, general secretary and spokesman of the Rural Democratic Party, told RFA Hun Sen should take measures to ensure farmers are not taken advantage of with bad loans, rather than threatening politicians with arrest.



He cautioned that good governance of the financial industry is essential to the economic development of Cambodia.



Reported by Sonorng Khe for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Pagnawath Khun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Myanmar's parliament has confirmed Htin Kyaw, a trusted aide of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's next president in a landmark vote.



The lower and upper houses of parliament dominated by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy voted him as the first leader without a military background to take power in more than five decades.



Htin Kyaw, 69, garnered 360 of the 652 votes cast to beat his closest rival Myint Swe, an ex-military general, who gained 213 votes. Another contestant Chin MP Henry Van Thio collected 79 votes.



After the vote, Win Khaing Than, head of parliament, announced that Htin Kyaw would be president, taking over from incumbent Thein Sein beginning April 1.



Myint Swe, an army-backed candidate who remains on the U.S.sanctions list, will be first vice-president and Henry Van Thio the second vice-president, Win Khaing Than said.



"This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi's victory. Thank you," Htin Kyaw, the son of a national poet, told reporters after the vote.



Suu Kyi's NLD scored a landslide victory in general elections in November last year but the constitution drafted by the former military junta bars her from the top office because of a constitutional clause that excludes anyone with a foreign spouse or children.



Suu Kyi's two sons are British, as was her late husband.



She has defiantly declared that she would run the country anyway through a proxy president.



Suu Kyi applauds vote



Aung San Suu Kyi, who sat in the front row of parliament, was seen smiling and clapping after Htin Kyaw's election but did not make any immediate comments.



A week ago, the NLD nominated Htin Kyaw, who runs a charity founded by the Nobel laureate and has been a trusted member of her inner circle since the mid-1990s, for the top role and Henry Van Thio as his running mate.



The military, which holds a quarter of the seats in parliament, picked Myint Swe, seen as a hardliner and close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe.



The military's choice of Myint Swe, a former military intelligence chief still on a U.S. blacklist, is seen as having gone against the spirit of reconciliation, which Aung San Suu Kyi has been striving to foster since her election victory, NLD sources said.



The NLD has said that more than half of the cabinet members in the new government to be formed next month will be non-party intellectuals.



The military junta, that had ruled Myanmar since a 1962 coup, in 2011 handed power to a quasi-civilian government led by outgoing president Thein Sein and other ex-generals.



The junta, however, drafted a constitution that in addition to preventing Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president, also gives the military three powerful ministries and 25 percent of the seats in parliament  granting a veto over constitutional change.



Reported by Win Naing for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Win Naing. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.
UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee (C) addresses the media during a press conference in Yangon, July 26, 2014.

The same day that Myanmars parliament voted in the first president without a military background in more than half a century, the United Nations held an open dialogue on the latest report submitted by its human rights envoy to the country, which noted that the new government faces a slew of problems from ending civil wars to granting basic rights to the Rohingya minority group.

Yanghan Lee, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, also called for the release of political prisoners in Myanmar, during the interactive dialogue held by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, based on her report dated March 8.

Representatives from other countries attended the session along with Myanmar government representatives, human rights activists, religious organizations and womens organizations.

Yanghee Lee pointed out several major problems, such as the militarys involvement in the countrys reform process, the militarys control of important ministries, challenges for new government to reform the judicial system, and human rights violations, said Aung Myo Min, director of Equality Myanmar, a Myanmar-based nongovernmental organization that focuses on human rights education and advocacy programs.

She also noted the use of hate speech in Rakhine state and an increase in the number of internally displaced persons in northern Shan and Kachin states due to ongoing fighting, Aung Myo Min told RFA's Myanmar Service.

During the dialogue, the United States said it was concerned about continuing military influence over parliament.

Myanmars military has considerable influence in the country because it is guaranteed a quarter of the seats in both houses of parliament, giving it an effective veto over proposed constitutional changes. It also controls three key security-related ministries.

Ongoing fighting between the government military and armed ethnic groups in western Myanmars Rakhine state as well as in Shan and Kachin states has sent tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their villages for safety amid artillery and bomb attacks as well as rights violations by both sides, including forced labor, torture and sexual violence.

Lee recommended that the government collect data regarding sexual violence and include a definition of rape in national legislation in compliance with the U.N.s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

The report came as Myanmars parliament elected as president Htin Kyaw, a long-time aide to Aung San Suu Kyi, chairwoman of the pro-democracy National League for Democracy (NLD) party that won general elections last November by a landslide.

The constitution, drafted in 2008 when a military junta ruled the country, prohibits Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president because she has foreign-born relatives.

Plight of the Rohingya

Lee also called for an end to discrimination against the mostly Muslim Rohingha ethnic minority group in Rakhine state, Aung Myo Min said.

Concrete action must be taken to address the structural dimensions that have prompted human rights concerns in Rakhine, Lee said.

Myanmars government views the Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many have lived in the country for generations.

The government restricts the basic rights of the countrys 1.1 million Rohingyas, denying them citizenship, restricting their movements, and disenfranchising them during the national elections four months ago.

Roughly 140,000 other Rohingyas, who were displaced during communal violence with ethnic Buddhists in 2012, live in squalid camps in Rakhine state, while thousands of others have risked their lives at sea in an effort to flee persecution in the Buddhist-dominated nation.

To date, Aung San Suu Kyi and senior members of her National League for Democracy have shown no inclination to stand up for them, HRWs statement said.

Last September, Lee asked authorities in Rakhine state not to ignore the plight of the Rohingya Muslims during a visit to the state, which was overshadowed by protests by Buddhists angry over what they consider to be U.N. bias in favor of the persecuted group.

Her visit came on the heels of a U.N. resolution passed late last August, calling on the government to grant full citizenship to the minority group, allow it to move about freely, and give it equal access to services, according to reports at the time.

In her current report to the U.N., Lee also requested that the Myanmar government open an OHCHR office in the country, end its military clashes by cooperating with all ethnic groups, and abolish or change unfair laws, such as those that discriminate against Muslims, Aung Myo Min said.

Maung Wai, the ambassador and permanent representative of Myanmar at the U.N. in Geneva, said the information in Lees report was incorrect, and slammed her accusations of violence against women in areas where armed ethnic groups have engaged in clashes again the government army, Aung Myo Min said.

Maung Wai also said the report should not address topics related to religion during the current OHCHR session so as to not give precedence or priority to the topic.

Reported by Zarni Htun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A group of people visiting former prisoner-of-conscience Tran Minh Nhat is being held against their will at the activists residence in Vietnam's Central Highlands by thugs who are apparently acting at the direction of local authorities, members of the group told RFAs Vietnamese service.

When the group of 21 activists and friends traveled from Saigon to visit Tran Minh Nhat on Tuesday morning, they were initially confronted by people described as ethnic minorities who tried to block them from entering the house, a member of the group told RFA.

Upon arriving at the Yen Thanh Commune, Da Don Village, Lam Ha District, Lam Dong Province, some security officers in thug disguise 'welcomed' us by preventing us from entering Nhat's house, one of the visitors, named Do Duc Hop, said.

The Lam Ha District security forces gathered a group of local ethnic minorities who were incited to shout at us with such funny words as: 'You have a nice car, yet you come here to seize our land and crops, he added.

They threatened to beat and kill us if we did not leave Nhat's house."

Once inside, the tables were turned, though, as the forces arrayed outside now prevented the group from leaving.

About 2 p.m. on Tuesday the visitors tried to leave, but fearing for their safety they stayed the night. At press time, the visitors were still inside the house.

Tran Minh Nhat was arrested in August 2011 and convicted using a vague law that targets activities aimed at overthrowing the government. He was sentenced to four years in prison plus three years under "controlled residence,"a form of house arrest.

Tran Minh Nhat was released on Aug. 12, 2015, but he and his family have since faced a steady stream of harassment.

In an interview with RFA in February, he said his plants had been cut down, his chickens killed, his house stoned, and pesticides sprayed around the residence.

On Feb. 22, he was severely injured when someone he recognized as a policeman hit him on the head with a rock. The family was then prevented from seeking medical attention for the injury.

Nhat, who had joined protests against China's incursions in the South China Sea, is described by Amnesty International as a Redemptorist Catholic and a social rights activist.

Reported by Mac Lam and Than Pham for RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
President Ashraf Ghani has said that Islamic State (IS) militants are "on the run" in eastern Afghanistan.

"No quarter would be given" to IS fighters, Ghani told a joint press conference with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Kabul on March 15.

He attributed the success in dislodging IS militants to a combination of U.S. air strikes and "massive" ground operations by Afghan forces.

Over the past six months, the IS group had battled the Taliban in Nangarhar and gained a foothold in the region.

The local IS affiliate is mainly made up of former Taliban fighters disillusioned by the group's failure to overthrow the government despite a 15-year insurgency.

Stoltenberg pledged further support to Afghan forces, more than a year after the NATO coalition declared an end to its combat mission.

But he also said international backers were looking for Kabul's leaders to fight corruption, modernize institutions, reform the electoral process, and protect human rights.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
The United Nation's special representative for Afghanistan has said the countrys national unity government faces five hurdles this year.

Nicholas Haysom told the UN Security Council on March 15 that the Kabul government must tackle a contracting economy with low growth and high unemployment, an intensifying Taliban insurgency, and "an increasingly fractious and divided political environment."

The government must also secure significant international financial support and make "progress toward a sustainable peace," Haysom also said.

If there was a serious failure in tackling any one of the challenges, "it would have severe political and other consequences throughout the country," he added.

Haysom also said that the UN will keep pressing for direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution during the meeting to extend the UN political mission in Afghanistan.

Based on reporting by AP
Famed international rights lawyer Amal Clooney says Azerbaijan is abusing its power by trying to silence critics of the regime, including imprisoned reporter Khadija Ismayilova.

Clooney, who is helping represent Ismayilova before Europe's top human rights court, also said that the case against Ismayilova was wholly politically motivated, aimed at keeping her from continuing her corruption investigations of President Ilham Aliyev and his family members.

"I believe it's important to protect an individual journalist against a powerful state that has overstepped. This is about a government that is abusing its power to silence journalists like Khadija, as well as other critics of the ruling regime," Clooney told RFE/RL in an e-mail conversation on March 15.

"It's important to fight for the right of journalists to tell the world what is happening in their countries," she said.

Ismayilova, a renowned investigative reporter and regular contributor to RFE/RL, was arrested in Baku in December 2014 and put on trial on charges that her supporters said were politically motivated.

In September, a Baku court sentenced her to 7 1/2 years in prison, a ruling that prompted international criticism.

Clooney confirmed in January that she would be joining Ismayilova's defense, a move that brings substantial legal and public clout to her case.

In the case she is bringing before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Clooney told RFE/RL that she and her co-counsel were arguing that there was no genuine suspicion that Ismayilova committed any of the crimes she was charged with and that there was no justification for her pretrial detention.

"On the contrary, the case involved a politically motivated prosecution to restrict her freedom of speech," she said.

"Khadija's case is emblematic of a wider crackdown on journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan," she said. "Azerbaijan has one of the highest rates of imprisonment of journalists in the world, and yet this is a country that is a member of the Council of Europe, an organization whose goal is to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. This is something that should concern us all."

Smear Campaign

Supporters of the Aliyev regime have repeatedly tried to smear Ismayilova, including circulating secret surveillance video of her.

Top government officials have also attacked Clooney with spurious allegations that she is of Armenian descent, something that resonates deeply in Azerbaijan. The two countries remain hostile more than two decades after a war over the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Clooney, who holds dual British and Lebanese citizenship, again rejected the label.

"I don't see how belonging to any nation, whatever it is, would discredit me in any way. As it happens my heritage is not Armenian, but I do not see why this should matter," said Clooney, who been involved in several high-profile cases around the world, including the defense of a Canadian journalist for Al-Jazeera and an ECHR case in which she represented Armenia.

"But obviously the fact I represented Armenia does not make me Armenian, any more than my representation of Cambodia before the International Court of Justice made me Cambodian, or my advice to the Greek government made me Greek," she said.

Meanwhile, in a handwritten letter to RFE/RL Ismayilova, who is serving her time in a Baku prison, also condemned the attacks on Clooney.

"I chose Clooney because she defended [journalists,] and I was happy with the quality of her defense," Ismayilova said in the letter dated March 10. "I didn't ask about her heritage, as people from civilized countries don't ask such questions. Her opinion or attitudes regarding any nation or event in the past doesn't concern me, as I respect freedom of opinions."

Clooney also confirmed her involvement in a program promoting human rights and intercultural understanding in Armenia through a foundation supported by her husband, actor George Clooney, in a commitment that predates her association with Ismayilova's case.

Ismayilova has embraced the initiative and said that "promoting intercultural understanding should be essential in countries like Armenia, where ethnic conflicts have led to lots of bloody events."

Clooney submitted a lengthy filing to the ECHR on behalf of Ismayilova on March 14, in response to written submissions filed by Azerbaijan earlier this year.

"I will continue to advocate for her release until she is free," she said.

Written by Mike Eckel based on an interview by Kenan Aliyev
An opposition figure in Azerbaijan has been sentenced to three years in jail.

A court in Baku found Mammad Ibrahim -- an adviser to the leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Popular Front Party (AXCP) -- guilty of hooliganism on March 15 and sentenced him the same day.

Ibrahim was arrested in September.

He pleaded not guilty and insists the case against him is politically motivated.

Ibrahim's lawyer Yalcin Imanov said he plans to appeal the court's ruling.

Ibrahim's son, Turan Ibrahim, who is a member of AXCP's youth committee, was sentenced to seven days in jail in January for using vulgar words in public, resisting police, and disrupting public order.

Turan Ibrahim also claimed his sentence was politically motivated and was part of government pressure on the family.
KYIV -- Ukrainian officials said vile Russian missile strikes on civilian energy sites have caused power outages nationwide, leaving more than a million households without electricity, while Russian authorities ordered residents to leave Kherson "immediately" ahead of an expected effort by Kyivs forces to retake the crucial southern city.

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.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram on October 22 that Russia carried out a "massive attack" on Ukraine overnight and that "the aggressor continues to terrorize our country."



"At night, the enemy launched a massive attack: 36 rockets, most of which were shot down...These are vile strikes on critical objects. Typical tactics of terrorists," he wrote. "The world can and must stop this terror."



Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Zelenskiys office, said Ukrainian air defense forces had shot down 18 of the missiles.



Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a number of missiles had been shot down on the approach to the capital.



"Several rockets flying toward Kyiv were shot down in the region by air defense forces. Thanks to our defenders!" Klitschko said.



There was no immediate word on deaths related to the missile attacks, but officials said several people had been injured.



It was not possible to verify the reports on either side.



In the face of continued Russian strikes, Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba again urged Ukraine's Western allies to speed up the delivery of modern air defense systems.



"We intercepted some, others hit the targets. Air defense saves lives. In [Western] capitals, there should not be a single minute of delay in the decision regarding air defense systems for Ukraine," Kuleba said.



Local officials said power stations were hit in the regions of Odesa, Kirovohrad, and Lutsk, while other regions reported problems with electricity.



"Another rocket attack from terrorists who are fighting against civilian infrastructure and people," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on the Telegram app.



Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told a government meeting that from October 10 to October 20, Russian strikes damaged more than 400 facilities in 16 regions of Ukraine, including dozens of energy facilities.



"The Russian Army has identified our energy sector as one of the key targets for its attacks," Shmyhal said on October 21.



"Russian propagandists and officials speak openly about the purpose of all these attacks: Ukraine, according to them, should be left without water, without light, without heat," he said.



Meanwhile, Russian-appointed authorities in the occupied and illegally seized southern Kherson region on October 22 ordered the estimated 60,000 residents of the region's eponymous main city to leave "immediately" in the face of Kyiv's advancing counteroffensive.



"Due to the tense situation on the front, the increased danger of mass shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city and cross to the left bank of the Dnieper River," the region's Russia-backed authorities said on social media.

Russina-installed officials are moving people out of the strategic city in what they are calling an evacuation but which Ukrainian officials label as deportations.



The order came in spite of a claim by Russia's Defense Ministry on October 22 that its forces had prevented an attempt by Ukraine to break through its line of control in Kherson.



"All attacks were repulsed, the enemy was pushed back to their initial positions," the Defense Ministry said, adding that Ukraine's offensive was launched toward the settlements of Piatykhatky, Suhanove, Sablukivka and Bezvodne, on the west side of the Dnieper River.



The ministry's statement said Russian forces had also repelled attacks in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.



Kherson city, which had a prewar population of 280,000, is one of the first urban areas occupied by Russia at the start of the invasion.



Zelenskiys office said 88 settlements in the southern Kherson region and 551 settlements in the northeastern Kharkiv region have been de-occupied, while the Ukrainian forces' counteroffensive in the Kherson region moves ahead.



Ukraine is trying to drive Russian forces in Kherson back east across the Dnieper. 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.



Natalya Humenyuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraines southern operational command, said the Ukrainian military struck the Antonivskiy Bridge over the Dnieper in the city of Kherson during an overnight curfew Russia-installed officials put in place to avoid civilian casualties.



We do not attack civilians and settlements," Humenyuk told Ukrainian television.



Ukrainian strikes made the Antonivskiy Bridge inoperable, prompting Russian authorities to set up ferry crossings and pontoon bridges to relocate civilians and transport supplies.



Russia has sent in thousands of recently mobilized troops to reinforce the defense of Kherson, the General Staff said on October 21.



Zelenskiy again on October 21 urged the West to warn Russia not to blow up a dam at the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River as this could flood settlements toward Kherson.



Zelenskiy said Russian forces had planted explosives inside the dam, which holds back an enormous reservoir, and were planning to blow it up.



"Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack. Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster," he said in his nightly address.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and the BBC
Fourteen suspected members of a banned Islamic group have been detained in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region of Daghestan.

Local authorities said on March 15 that those detained are suspected of being members of Nurcular.

One of the suspects, Ziavdin Dapayev, is suspected of being the leader of the group's branch in Russia.

Since 2013, several alleged members of Nurcular have been arrested across Russia, including in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Nurcular was founded in Turkey by Islamic scholar Said Nursi, who died in 1960.

It has been banned in Russia since 2008.

Russian authorities have said the group promotes the creation of an Islamic state that encompasses all Turkic-speaking areas and countries in the region.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
Investigations have been launched into a deadly fire at a rehabilitation center in Russia's region of Bashkortostan.

The fire on March 15 killed 12 people in a small building in Bashkortostans central city of Sterlitamak that housed a rehabilitation center for addicts.

Bashkortostan's Emergency Ministry said that preliminary investigations revealed that the victims most likely died of smoke inhalation.

Bashkortostan's head, Rustem Khamitov, who visited the site, said an investigation was launched into why the only exit in the building was secured by a heavy iron door and all the windows in the premises were enforced with iron grids.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax




Georgia has arrested two people in connection with a sex tape scandal that has rocked the Caucasus nation.

The Prosecutor-General's Office said on March 15 that the two men -- former Interior Ministry official Zurab Jamalashvili and lawyer Irakli Pkhaladze -- were suspected of illegally spreading footage of senior politicians engaged in sexual acts.

The suspects deny the allegations.

A video posted on YouTube last week appears to show a female politician from the opposition Free Democrats party having extramarital sex with an unidentified partner.

In another video, an anonymous sender threatened to release footage of two politicians from the ruling coalition, another opposition politician, and a journalist unless all four resigned by March 31.

The "entire government system... is mobilized... and the crime will soon be solved," said President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Margvelashvili has already condemned the sex tapes and vowed to locate and punish the "dark forces" behind them.

The scandal comes months before Georgia's parliamentary elections in October.

Based on reporting by Georgia Today and the BBC
A man fighting with the Islamic State (IS) militant group gave himself up to Iraqi Kurdish forces in northern Iraq on March 14, describing himself as a Iraqi-Palestinian from the United States.

IS fighters have rarely given themselves up voluntarily. His Kurdish captors posted a video of him surrendering on social media.

U.S. authorities were seeking to ascertain who he is and whether he is American. His U.S. drivers' license, shown on social media, identified him as Muhammad Jamal Khweis from Alexandria, Virginia.

The man said he had been living in Mosul, but Kurdish Peshmerga officers said they found him "lurking" near the front lines over the weekend. The Peshmerga troops thought he might be a suicide bomber and at first tried to shoot the man before he gave himself up near the town of Sinjar.

Kurdish officers said the man was unarmed but carrying a large amount of cash, three cell phones, and three forms of identification, including a U.S. drivers' license.

He spoke English and broken Arabic.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Macedonia has sent back hundreds of refugees to Greece, a day after they bypassed a border fence in an attempt to continue their journey to Western Europe.

Interior Ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski told the Associated Press that the migrants "have been returned to Greece."

About 1,500 people pushed their way into Macedonia on March 14 through an unguarded section of the border, frustrated at being stuck for weeks in a muddy tent city outside the closed crossing of Idomeni.

A Macedonian official said 700 migrants who had been detained overnight were deported to Greece through the same location they entered.

WATCH: Migrants Risk River Crossing To Enter Macedonia From Greece (natural sound)

About 14,000 people are stuck in the Idomeni tent city in swampy conditions after days of heavy rain.

Tightening border controls that started in Austria and extended down the Balkan migration route ended in a total border closure last week.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP


Moscow on March 14 denounced Poland's defense minister for saying the 2010 plane crash that killed Poland's president was a Russian act of terrorism.

Official investigations by Poland and Russia have determined that the crash that killed Lech Kaczynski near Smolensk, Russia, was an accident caused by the error of pilots trying to land in heavy fog.

Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz has previously suggested the crash was an assassination, but he went further than that in a lecture this weekend.

"What happened near Smolensk was aimed at depriving Poland of its leadership, which was on a path of leading our nation to independence," Macierewicz said. "We were the first victims of terrorism in the 1930s, and through Smolensk, we can say that we were also the first major victim of terrorism in a modern conflict, which is unfolding before our eyes."

Russia's Foreign Ministry described Macierewicz's statements as absurd.

"Irresponsible statements by Mr. Macierewicz aimed at further destabilization of the already difficult relations between our countries aren't in sync with earlier signals from Warsaw suggesting a desire to develop pragmatic cooperation," it said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described his charges as "unfounded, biased."

Based on reporting by AP, TASS, and Interfax
Oil prices plummeted amid worries that the push for an output freeze by Russia and top OPEC producers could founder on opposition from Iran.

The price of premium crude fell 3 percent on March 14 and dropped further to under $40 a barrel in early trading March 15 after Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said that Tehran would not immediately join in a production freeze this year, but might join after raising its output back to levels that prevailed before economic sanctions.

Novak also pushed off until April a meeting with top OPEC producers that had been expected on March 20. But he insisted that major producers outside Iran should be able to stay on track to agree to an output freeze at that time.

"We share [the view] that Iran is in a special situation. The sanctions that had been introduced had materially hit [Iran's] output," Novak said after meeting Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh in Tehran on March 14.

Iran's output fell to under 3 million barrels a day under the sanctions, which were officially lifted in January, from levels around 4 million before the sanctions.

"On the whole, Iran supports the need for coordination between oil exporters, including a possible freeze. But Iran's position is that they have to first restore their production volumes... After that, they are ready to join the freeze," Novak said.

In a sign that other major producers may be willing to go along with a freeze excluding Iran, production figures published by OPEC on March 14 showed that Saudi Arabia's production has leveled out at the 10.22 million barrel level set as its potential freeze level in January.

Novak said that countries that account for near three-quarters of global oil production already have signed onto the output freeze plan, so they should go ahead with it and let Iran join later.

"I believe that the agreement can work," he said. "I think that Iran could join us over time."

Moreover, if other producers do not follow through on their promised freeze, Novak warned that oil markets could become "volatile" again like they were early this year when prices plunged to the $30 range.

Traders said the fall in Brent prices to under $40 in Asian trading March 15 showed that markets continue to be sensitive to talk of a freeze, and are skeptical that one will take hold without Iran.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS
Top Islamic State commander (IS) Umar al-Shishani, also known as "Omar the Chechen," died from injuries he received from a U.S. air strike, Pentagon officials confirmed on March 14.

Shishani, an ethnic Chechen who was born in Georgia, was critically injured in an air strike on his convoy in northeastern Syria on March 4 and was transported to a hospital near Raqqa for treatment.

"We believe he subsequently died of his injuries," Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.

Pentagon officials also told CNN on March 14 that Shishani died from his injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on March 13 told AFP that Shishani had been "clinically dead" for several days, unable to breathe on his own and kept alive by a respirator.

Shishani -- the nom de guerre of Tarkhan Batirashvili -- was a former elite Georgian soldier from the Pankisi Gorge who joined IS in 2012 and was considered one of its ablest commanders.

Shishani was on the U.S. State Department's most-wanted list, with a $5 million reward on his head.

Based on reporting by AFP, CNN, and Reuters
Russian media reports say Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov has been detained on charges of embezzling public funds.

Russian media cited sources in the Interior Ministry as saying that Pirumov was detained on March 15 in the city of Rostov-on-Don and transferred to Moscow for questioning.

According to the sources, Pirumov is suspected of embezzling funds allocated by the government for the construction and restoration of cultural heritage sites.

No more details were immediately available.

Pirumov, 53, has been serving in his post since March 2013.

Based on reporting by RIA, Interfax, and TASS
WASHINGTON -- The widow of former Russian security agent Aleksandr Litvinenko says that the identities of those responsible for her husband's 2006 poisoning death will eventually be revealed.

Speaking nearly two months after a British inquiry concluded her spouse's death was likely ordered by the Russian state, Marina Litvinenko said that she believes secret evidence heard during the public inquiry will at some point "be not so sensitive, and they will be able to be produced in a court."

"I believe one day we will know who provided this first act of nuclear terrorism in the streets of London," she told  March 15 news conference held at VOA in Washington.

British investigators have concluded that Litvinenko ingested the highly radioactive isotope polonium 210 while drinking tea in a luxury London hotel with Russian citizens Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi.

He died in a London hospital three weeks later, on November 23, 2006.

In his findings issued on January 21, Robert Owen, the judge who headed the British public inquiry, said that there was a "strong probability" that that poisoning was carried out on orders from Russia's main spy agency and was "probably approved" by President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow has dismissed the inquiry as "opaque" and "politically motivated." Kovtun and Lugovoi, whom Russia refuses to extradite, have denied involvement despite traces of polonium that British investigators say the two left across London.

The inquiry included both public hearings and sessions closed to the public because they included the airing of relevant documents that Owen described as "of such sensitivity that they cannot be used in open court."

Aleksandr Litvinenko had worked for the Federal Security Service (FSB) -- the main successor agency to the KGB -- before moving to Britain in 2000 and becoming an outspoken critic of Putin.

Marina told the inquiry that her husband had been a loyal Russian agent who grew disillusioned with Russia's 1990s war in Chechnya. He was also disillusioned by what he saw as corruption within the agency, she said.

At the time of his death, her husband was reportedly working for MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service.

She has called on the British government to impose "targeted economic sanctions and travel bans against named individuals...including Mr. Putin."


Vladimir Putin surprised his country and the world on March 14 by ordering the start of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, less than six months after the beginning of an air campaign that followed a swift and secretive buildup on the ground. What are the motives and messages behind the announcement?

A Signal To Assad

Coming on the first day of new UN-mediated talks on ending the five-year-old war in Syria, a key goal of the start of a pullout may be to make clear to President Bashar al-Assad that it is time to negotiate -- and that while Russia was willing to come to his aid and turn the war's tide when his back was to the wall, he will not have Moscow's support for the military solution he spoke of last month when he vowed to retake all of Syria.

That pledge -- which Assad delivered hours before Russia, the United States, and other powers reached agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Syria -- seemed to irk Moscow. Russian analysts have emphasized that the Kremlin cannot allow Assad to call the shots.

The caveat here -- a big one -- is that there's no way of knowing how closely Putin and Assad are huddling on plans for Syria's future. Despite Assad's claim that the withdrawal was the product of "complete coordination" between Moscow and Damascus, the answer could conceivably lie anywhere between little or no joint planning to a detailed, long-term blueprint for military action and diplomacy -- including the talks in Geneva.

A European diplomat told Reuters that the Russian move "has the potential to put a lot of pressure on Assad and the timing fits that," but added, "However, I say potentially because we've seen before with Russia that what's promised isn't always what happens."

In any case, on the surface Putin seems to have succeeded in sending a warning to Assad without retreating an inch from Russia's insistence that his exit from power -- whether at the beginning of a transitional period, at the end, or at any other time -- cannot be a precondition of the negotiations. In case that was lost on anyone, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that when Putin phoned Assad to inform him of the decision, the two did not discuss the Syrian president's future.

A Message To The West

In addition to the start of a withdrawal of the "main part of our military contingent" in Syria, Putin ordered an intensification of Russia's diplomatic efforts to end the war there. In Putin's mind, presumably, the West's takeaway should be that Russia is ready to give its all to the push for peace in Geneva.

On March 15, Peskov said that "the main task today is to comprehensively assist a peace settlement."

Whether the United States and Europe will believe that is another question. Many in the West will reserve judgment, given Russia's penchant for using past negotiations -- not only on the war in Syria, but also on the conflict in Ukraine -- to play for time and alter the military "facts on the ground" in its favor.

While Putin's announcement seemed to take the United States by surprise, the Kremlin's assiduousness in asserting that it had nothing to do with Assad's fate was not lost on Washington. Following a telephone conversation with Putin after his announcement, the White House said that Obama "underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria."

But the announcement that a withdrawal is under way potentially deprives Assad's opponents of a fat target for criticism, considering that Russia's air strikes are estimated to have killed some 1,700 civilians in Syria. It also gives Russia ammunition to blame others -- the Syrian opposition, its regional backers, and the West -- if the negotiations fail.

Sop To Russians

There was no banner and no shipboard celebration, but Putin's televised statement that "the task put before the Defense Ministry and Russia's armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled" echoed of former U.S. President George W. Bush's "mission accomplished" moment in Iraq.

And while Western leaders have stressed that few of Russia's bombs have targeted Islamic State militants, Putin's boast that Russia helped Syrian forces "achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism" may have found more sympathetic ears at home. Russia's state TV audience is also being fed the more contentious claim that they did so with no collateral damage.

Not everybody in Russia is convinced. In a blog post on the website of Ekho Moskvy radio, journalist Arkady Babchenko contrasted countries whose decisions on military action play out in public over weeks or months with Russia, where "nothing was portended in the morning...and in the evening it was suddenly, 'Honey, we won the war in Syria!'"

He said Putin left many questions unanswered: "What aims did we achieve, how many people did we kill, who did we kill, how many people did we lose, why did we go in, why are we going out?"

But Putin may be satisfied that he can tell Russians he has avoided a quagmire, improved Moscow's position in the Middle East, and boosted its clout worldwide.

Putin has said the costs of Russia's military operations in Syria are manageable. But even if you take that claim at face value, cutting those outlays won't hurt his image at a time when persistent economic problems are hitting many Russians hard.

It's The Sanctions, Stupid

Russia's economic woes stem largely from the collapse in world prices for oil, its chief export, but the sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and other countries over Moscow's interference in Ukraine have also had an effect -- along with the restrictions Putin slapped on many Western food imports as a retaliatory measure.

Russia denies any link between its actions in Ukraine and Syria, and Western countries including the United States say there can be no quid-pro-quo deals with the Kremlin.

But Putin may hope that a partial pullout from Syria will make Russia look more like part of the solution than part of the problem, and nudge the EU -- where there are already cracks in the resolve to continue punishing Russia for its seizure of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine -- to lift sanctions that come up for renewal in July. Italy and Hungary said on March 14 that there could be no automatic extension of the sanctions.

Putin may also believe that he has increased his chances of achieving what is widely perceived as a major goal for Russia -- a seat beside the United States in working out global and regional problems, but from a stronger position now that it has shown it will use force when it sees fit.

Fine Print And Footprints

The headlines have screamed "withdrawal," but Russia is not planning a full pullout.

Putin also said forces would remain at the Mediterranean seaport of Tartus, which Russia's navy has used since long before the war, and at the Hmeimim air base in Latakia Province. Russia will keep about 1,000 military personnel at the two bases, a senior lawmaker said on March 15.

With the outcome of the negotiations in Geneva, the fate of Assad, and even the future territorial integrity of Syria still hard to predict, the bases could give Russia a substantial military presence in a key part of the volatile country for years to come.
Russian forces have begun withdrawing from Syria, following an order by President Vladimir Putin that came as internationally brokered talks to try and resolve the five-year civil war there opened in Geneva.

Russian media showed the first group of Su-34 strike fighters returning to a Russian air base near Voronezh on March 15 and being greeted by Air Force commander General Viktor Bondaryov. Earlier, Russian state television showed three Su-34s taking off from Russia's air base in Syria.

But Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said at a ceremony honoring the departing pilots that remaining Russian forces in Syria still "have the task of continuing to strike terrorist targets," including the militant group Islamic State (IS) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, as well as other UN-designated terrorist groups.

Pankov suggested it would be premature to speak in terms of a victory over terrorism.

The pullout comes more than five months after Moscow began its bombing campaign in Syria, aimed at bolstering the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and "fighting international terrorism."

Putin, who made the surprise announcement of the Russian pull-out on March 14, said the objectives of the operation had been "generally accomplished."

With the Geneva talks resuming for a second day on March 15, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would not speculate on future actions in Syria.

"The main task today is to comprehensively assist a peace settlement," he said.

Russia launched its aerial campaign on September 30, saying it was targeting terrorists, including Islamic State fighters. But Western countries say Russia has spent much of its effort attacking anti-Assad forces, some of whom are supported by the United States and its allies in an effort to see Assad removed from power.

Viktor Ozerov, head of the defense committee in the upper house of Russia's parliament, said Moscow will keep about 1,000 military personnel at its two bases in Syria. He said some 800 troops are required to secure the naval base at Tartus and the Hmeimim air base in Latakia Province. In addition, air crews will remain to conduct reconnaissance missions.

The United States estimates that there were between 3,000 and 6,000 Russian troops in Syria before the beginning of the current drawdown, with around 50 jets and helicopters based at Hmeimim. Russia has also deployed the advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile system at the base, which served as an unmistakable warning to U.S. and allied aircraft also flying sorties over Syria.

In Washington, the White House said Russia gave no direct advance of the withdrawal.

"It's obviously a move that we'll be watching. The earliest indications are that the Russians are following through, but it's still too early to determine on this point what impact it will have on the broader situation," spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.

Other European and United Nations officials welcomed the decision.

"If the announcement of a withdrawal of Russian forces materializes, this increases the pressure on President Assad to finally negotiate in a serious way," German Foreign inister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

It was also unclear whether the Kremlin had notified Assad of the withdrawal decision ahead of time. Assad's office said that he and Putin had spoken by telephone on March 14 and had agreed on the plan to reduce Russia's presence in Syria.

A statement released by Assad's office said the pullout reflected the "successes" in combating terrorism and regaining government control over key areas.

Aleksei Pushkov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for Russia's lower house of parliament, said on Twitter that Russia's operations "alone have created conditions for a cessation of hostilities and negotiations in Syria."

More than 270,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Current Time, AP, Interfax, and TASS
Turkey's military says at least 45 Kurdish rebels were killed in the air strikes it conducted in northern Iraq following a deadly car bombing in Ankara.

Turkish fighter jets pounded Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions on March 14, a day after a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish capital killed 37 people.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said authorities are "almost certain" that the attack was the work of Kurdish rebels. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing.

A military statement on March 15 said the air strikes in the Qandil mountain area where the PKK has its main bases also destroyed two weapons depots and two rocket positions.

The military's claim could not immediately be verified.

The attack in Ankara was the third to target the capital in five months in an area close to the prime minister's office, parliament, and foreign embassies as Turkey engages against Islamic State militants (IS) and PKK fighters in southeast Turkey.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


WASHINGTON -- A top U.S. administration official has taken pointed aim at the wealthiest Ukrainian tycoons, known as oligarchs, accusing them of undermining the country's anticorruption reform efforts.

Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of state for European nd Eurasian Affairs, warned on March 15 that, if efforts to liberalize the economy and fight endemic graft fail, Ukraine "risks sliding backwards once again into corruption, into lawlessness, into vassal statehood."

"The oligarchs and the kleptocrats who controlled Ukraine for decades know that their business model will be broken if the Maidan reformers succeed in 2016," she told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in reference to the uprising that pushed out Ukraine's pro-Russia government two years ago.

"So they're fighting back with a vengeance, using all the levers of the old system: their control of the media, state-owned enterprises, [parliamentary] deputies, the courts, and the political machinery," said Nuland, a leading U.S. official on Ukraine.

The comments by Nuland and those made recently by other officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, signal concerns that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk aren't moving fast enough to overhaul key industries, ministries, and state agencies.

Considered to be among the world's most corrupt countries, Ukraine's economy has long been dominated by businessmen who control valuable assets and enterprises, many acquired under dubious circumstances.

In the months following the Euromaidan revolution that ousted Viktor Yanukovych as president in February 2014, Poroshenko -- himself a wealthy businessman -- turned to oligarchs to help stabilize regions in the country's east, where a Russia-backed separatist movement erupted into full-scale civil war.

'De-Oligarching' The Economy

As Kyiv has embarked on reform efforts, however, many of those oligarchs have maintained control of their holdings despite public sentiment and international pressure for Poroshenko to rein them in.

In recent weeks, the government has been roiled by resignations of several reformist ministers, including Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who has accused a well-connected Poroshenko ally of trying to install his supporters as the heads of important state-run industries.

In addition, Western officials pushed for months for the resignation of Prosecutor-General Viktor Shokin, who was accused of being incapable of reforming his office, seen as one of the country's most corrupt.

Shokin stepped down in February on the same day that Ukraine's parliament narrowly defeated a no-confidence vote in Yatsenyuk's government.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the latest installment of its $40 billion aid program, which has been instrumental in stabilizing Ukraine's anemic economy, could be held up unless changes are made.

"Every week that Ukraine drifts internally, that reform is stalled, IMF and international support goes undisbursed, and those in and outside the country who preferred the old Ukraine grow more confident," Nuland said on March 15.

"We need to see the next stage in 'de-oligarching' the economy," she added.

Nuland cited some small economic successes in Ukraine over the past year, including a stabilized currency, growth in wheat exports, and the fact that the country managed to avoid using Russian natural gas this winter for the first time -- something she called "pretty miraculous."

Russia has traditionally been able to use its gas supplies as leverage against Kyiv, but Ukraine managed to draw on European sources in the past year.

Despite her criticisms, Nuland gave an upbeat assessment of Ukraine's ability to move forward with reforms.

"We continue to believe that 2016 can and should be the year that Ukraine breaks free from the unholy alliance of dirty money and dirty politics that has ripped off Ukrainians for far too long," she said.


The United States and Russia clashed at a United Nations Security Council meeting on March 14 over whether Iran's test-firing of ballistic missiles last week violated a UN resolution.

Russia said after the closed-door meeting that the tests did not violate a resolution adopted by the council after the Iran nuclear deal was signed last year that "called" on Iran not to launch any ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.

But the United States insisted the tests violated the resolution and should prompt additional sanctions by the council.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said the missiles "were designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons" and called the test launches "dangerous, destabilizing, and provocative."

But Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow has seen no proof that the missiles could carry nuclear weapons, and thus he sees no violation of the resolution.

Iran's UN Mission said that the country "has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and never will in the future." It said the missile tests "were part of ongoing efforts of its armed forces to strengthen its legitimate defense capabilities...against security threats."

Churkin added that Russia's stance that there is no violation is based on "an important legal distinction."

"A call is different from a ban, so legally you cannot violate a call. You can comply with a call or you can ignore the call, but you cannot violate a call," he said.

Power accused Russia of "lawyering its way to look for reasons not to act rather than stepping up and being prepared to shoulder our collective responsibility" to ensure Iran's compliance with terms of the nuclear deal.

Power said the missile tests merit a response from the Security Council, despite Russia's hint at using its veto power over council actions.

Powers said the United States will provide information made public by Iran that shows the rockets were capable of carrying nuclear weapons and thus violated Resolution 2231.

"So we're not going to give up at the Security Council, no matter the quibbling that we heard today about this and that, and we also can consider, of course, our own appropriate national response," she said.

Churkin said he did not hear any objection from other council members to his statement toward the end of the meeting that "there is no legal violation of 2231," and thus he didn't see a need for further action.

Some council members did raise the impact of the launches on stability and security in the region, however.

Before the meeting, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon urged the council to consider the threat to wipe Israel off the Earth, which was written on the side of one of the missiles.

"If it was written that England, France, Japan, or any other country, must be removed from the Earth, would the Security Council sit silently?" Danon asked.

He warned that "ignoring Iran's violations will give a green light for continuing nuclear missile tests."

With reporting by AP and dpa
I am not asking you to menace the life of any living thing

 Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934)

By Graham and Carol Patterson

Richmonds Public Art Commission has flip-flopped on the design of the Maggie Walker Memorial Plaza.

In December it voted with conservationists to preserve the Southern Live Oak that stands on the site at Broad Street and Brook Road. But in January, the commission took an abrupt about-face when a local activist denounced the Live Oak as a symbol of lynching.

Far from settled, the plan will undergo vetting twice more: first at the Planning Commission, and again at the Commission on Architectural Review. But it proceeds on shaky ground. Interjected at the 11th hour, the rabble-rousing allegations against the Live Oak have no basis in the historical record on the life and times of Maggie Walker.

As the facts bear out, Walker and the Southern Live Oak, the Quercus Virginiana, remain inextricably linked  not only to each other but also to the story of emancipation. At her death in 1934, the Richmond Planet eulogized, Surely a tree has fallen, but in vases made of human hearts its leaves will be sacredly kept and cherished in saintly memory of Gods own gift to a struggling race.

Walker had not yet opened her bank in 1902 when Virginia revised its Constitution. Overturning rights upheld since 1869, Jim Crow laws rescinded black suffrage, segregated streetcars and parks, and defended lawful lynchings.

Risking retaliation from whites, Walker publicly decried mob violence, as did her friend John Mitchell Jr., publisher of the Richmond Planet (1884-1928). Decade after decade, Mitchell ran anti-lynching editorials illustrated with grisly images of corpses dangling from gnarled, leafless, desiccated trees.

As a countervailing image, Walker introduced the Live Oak in a 1906 address as the symbol of the transformative power of her bank: ... the Emporium and the Bank to us is the sprouting acorn  but to your boys and girls, it will be the tall, spreading giant oak affording shelter and protection for a thousand.

In this address, Walker asserted her core beliefs rooted in the First Psalm: He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

A spectacular evergreen, the Southern Live Oak is native to the hot, humid coastal climes of the old Confederacy. Enslaved Africans, in desperate need of shade, retreated under its majestic canopy to sleep, hide, pray and sing.

Distinct from the deciduous oak and delicate pine, the life span of the mighty Quercus Virginiana can extend over centuries.

Like the sun, moon and stars, Live Oaks embodied the eternal presence of the Divine, the great I Am of Exodus. During the 1960s, civil rights activists revived the primeval evergreen in Mavis Staples Just Like the Tree Standing by the Waters, We Shall Not Be Moved, a song of resolve.

During the Civil War, freed African-Americans gathered under a Southern Live Oak in Hampton, Va., eventually named the Emancipation Oak. In 1861 it stood behind Union lines providing an open-air classroom for freed blacks at Fort Monroe. (Virginia law forbade the education of enslaved blacks.) In 1863, blacks gathered under the Emancipation Oak to hear the declaration, all persons held as slaves  are and henceforward shall be free, in Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, prelude to the 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865.

A 1907 photograph of the Emancipation Oak is viewable online at the State Librarys exhibition Remaking Virginia: Transformation Through Emancipation. Gloriously alive, and a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, the Emancipation Oak stands at the entrance of Hampton University. No tree was its equal in Walkers time.

Her spirit lives on in the words of celebrated Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, who reportedly visited the Walker House on Leigh Street. In 1943, Hughes published Freedom Plow, an epic poem recounting the journey from slavery to freedom. In the culminating lines, he left lyrical echoes of Maggie Walkers spreading giant oak.

From that seed a tree grew, is growing, will ever grow.

That tree is for everybody,

For all America, for all the world.

May its branches spread and shelter grow

Until all races and all peoples know its shade.
It was a close election year in 2002. A late barrage of commercials may have made the difference for the party that won the Wisconsin governors office and control of the legislature.

Within months, the donors who gave at least $725,000 used to buy air time for those commercials were rewarded with a state contract so generous it was eventually ruled unconstitutional.

It was another highly competitive time during the recall elections of 2011 and 2012. Again, a big donor came through with $700,000 in campaign advertising money used to help a party keep control of the governors office and legislature.

Within months, state laws were rewritten to ease environmental regulations for the donors industry.

Should citizens in a democracy know about such donations? How else can voters determine whether their elected representatives are working for them or for a much smaller group of powerful interests who might even live in another state or country?

This donor information is becoming increasingly difficult to find at the same time that more money than ever is flowing into state elections.

When the U.S. Supreme Court determined that buying political commercials is a form of First Amendment protected speech, it effectively erased a century of campaign finance limits. In many states those limits were passed during an economic era similar to our own in that decades of technological innovation had concentrated enormous wealth in the hands of a privileged few. For some early 20th century oil, railroad, mining, timber and communications barons, it wasnt enough to own businesses that employed hundreds of thousands  they wanted to own the government, too. Politicians like Theodore Roosevelt and Bob LaFollette, supported by the average citizens they represented, worked to cap their influence.

Im not criticizing the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision to protect advocacy spending as free speech. If a billionaire runs for governor, and has virtually unlimited personal resources to spend on campaign commercials, why shouldnt groups of less wealthy people have the freedom to pool their resources in opposition? I get that.

The problem right now is that the old restrictions on donor influence havent yet been replaced, at the federal or state level, with new rules to limit the power of the few over the many.

One simple solution could help, and Sunshine Week is a good time to start the conversation: Let the voters know who is financing political campaigns by requiring full and immediate disclosure of major contributors to the campaigns, parties and groups buying political ads before an election.

That will let citizens see if tribes are spending $725,000 in a last-minute push to back Democrats, as in 2002. Which, in turn, may make it harder for those Democrats to negotiate eternal casino compacts in private, removing the voters ability to ever renegotiate them.

That will let voters see if a mining company is spending $700,000 to elect Republicans, as in 2011 and 2012. Which, in turn, may make it harder for those Republicans to quickly ease environmental regulations for mines in Wisconsin without an open debate.

We learned of the mining donations by accident when a U.S. Appeals Court mistakenly unsealed them in the controversial John Doe II investigation of possible illegal coordination between private groups and political campaigns. Those limits on coordination no longer exist. That doesnt mean the donors should remain secret.

We learned of the tribes donations when our reporters checked the financial reports politicians and parties must file twice a year  meaning months after the election. Today, thanks to modern technology, major donors to all political actors buying pre-election advertising could be reported immediately if required to.

Why should any honest politician of either party oppose immediate full disclosure of who is paying for political advertising?

Big donors wont like it, claiming fear of criticism might inhibit their willingness to speak with money.

But really they just dont want to lose power by negotiating in the light of day, where support for law changes and business proposals must be won through public forums and bidding processes.

Its harder and messier. But thats real democracy.
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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.
Eldor Corp. of Italy announced plans for 350 jobs in Botetourt County on Tuesday. Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Commerce Maurice Jones traveled to Daleville to make the announcement.

In a real group effort, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors and General Assembly teamed up to bring the business to Botetourt. Along with the jobs, the plan includes a $75 million investment over the next five years.

According to Gov. McAuliffe, it will be the largest investment and creation of jobs in Botetourt County's history.

Eldor makes ignition systems, engine control units and electronic systems for hybrid and electric vehicles. The pad-ready site has been prepared for business. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Leffel reaffirmed the long-term strategy for Greenfield.

Eldor President and CEO Pasquale Forte and his family members were on hand for the announcement. Gov. McAuliffe was effusive in his praise of the bi-partisian work done by Del. Terry Austin, Sen. John Edwards, Del. Greg Habeeb and others in the General Assembly for their efforts to close the deal. Outside of Italy, Eldor also has plants in Turkey, China and Brazil.

The plant is expected to open after a year of construction. It will be located on the eastern side of International Parkway, and a $3.2 million grant from the Commonwealth Opportunity Fund will significantly aide the county with the project.

The site is 53 acres and has significant incentives for the company. The annual economic impact of Phase 2 of the project will be over $457 million, which will be after 2024.

Building will begin in June and is expected to be finished by August 2017. The $75 million investment is expected by 2021. Eventually as many as 600 jobs could result from the Eldor plant.
The Virginia Western Educational Foundation is pleased to recognize Dr. Mary Loritsch and Salem Police Chief Michael Crawley as recipients of the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. The two will be honored Wednesday, April 6, at the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundations Annual Awards Ceremony. Presenting the award will be Anne Hogan (76), chair of the Virginia Western Alumni Council.

Established in 2006 by the Virginia Western Alumni Association, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes Virginia Western Community College alumni and former students who have attained extraordinary distinction in their professional fields or lives and serves to honor all the men and women whose attendance at Virginia Western helped them achieve their educational and professional goals allowing them to better serve their communities.

Dr. Loritsch graduated with honors from the first class of the radiography program at Virginia Western in 1974, and has served the institution faithfully for more than 38 years. She retired in December 2015 as a professor and the radiography program director, and has since returned to continue to serve Virginia Western students as an adjunct radiography faculty member. She received her Bachelor of Science from Radford University, and her Master of Arts and doctorate degrees from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Loritsch is well-known for her national committee leadership and expertise in health care education accreditation, compliance, education, privacy and radiology. A leading member of both the American and Virginia Societies of Radiologists, Dr. Loritsch is a longtime advocate for national standards for the uses of medical radiation. Appointed by Gov. Mark Warner to serve on the first Radiological Technology Advisory Board in 2002 and reappointed by Gov. Tim Kaine to serve through 2010, Dr. Loritsch demonstrates a commitment to health care, higher education and scientific research that serves as an inspiration to her colleagues, students and peers.

Chief Crawley is a Roanoke native, who graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1991. He attended Virginia Western Community College, where he met his wife, Amy, in 1995. He earned his bachelors degree in management and leadership from Bluefield College.

Chief Crawley began working with the Salem Police Department in 1999 as a patrol officer and quickly earned the respect of his colleagues and administrators. In 2002, he was voted by his peers as Officer of the Year. He was promoted to senior police officer and in 2004, he was assigned to the special investigations unit of the detective division.

In 2006, Chief Crawley was transferred to the general investigations unit, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He served as the services division sergeant and patrol division sergeant before being appointed deputy chief in 2014. He is the first African-American police chief in the city departments 94-year history.

We are proud to count Dr. Loritsch and Chief Crawley as among our students, said Dr. Robert H. Sandel, President of Virginia Western Community College. Both have served their professions with remarkable dedication and earned the admiration of their peers. They demonstrate the impact that our students can make in the Roanoke Valley.

For more information on the Virginia Western Alumni Association, visit virginiawestern.edu/alumni or contact donor relations coordinator Amanda Mansfield at amansfield@virginiawestern.edu or 857-6962.

Submitted by Josh Meyer
There's nothing quite like seeing a grown man on the floor reading Dr. Seuss to a bunch of toddlers!

That's exactly what happened at Covenant Presbyterian Preschool on March 2, better known to some as Read Across America day in honor of Theodore Geisel's birthday.

Five members of the Rotary Club of Roanoke (John Cahoon, Tom Schulz, Bob Moore, David Perry and Sammy Oakey) took time out of their schedules to delight the preschoolers with their reading-aloud skills.

One could almost imagine Dr. Seuss smiling from beyond.

For photos of Read Across America at Covenant Presbyterian Preschool, see the photo gallery, or for a different view, click here.
A federal judge has ruled that relatives of people who died in the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max planes are crime victims. The judge's ruling Friday could help clear the way for the families to challenge a settlement that spared Boeing from criminal prosecution. The judge's ruling means that the Justice Department should have notified families before privately negotiating a 2021 settlement with Boeing. Judge Reed O'Connor says the next step is deciding what remedies the families should get for not being told of the talks with Boeing. Some relatives want to scrap the settlement.
Matthew Francis Duffy, 75, of Roanoke, Va., departed this life on Friday, March 11, 2016. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sonja Duffy; his son, Matthew Duffy; his brother, Thomas Duffy; and his parents, Joseph and Beatrice Duffy.He is survived by his son, Brian (Joan) and Michael (Renee); and his grandchildren, Matthew, Kathryn, Nikki, Sophia, Aidan, Jillian and Ryan.He was a proud graduate of Seton Hall Prep and Seton Hall University. After graduation, he joined the Army travelling the world. Most notably, meeting the love of his life, Sonja, in Orleans, France. After several tours in Vietnam and foreign posts, he settled his family in Roanoke, Va., and started his civilian life. Matt devoted his life to helping others, whether it was people just coming into the country through the Refugee and Immigration office or people he met through St. Andrew's Catholic Cemetery.He was a 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus and a former President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He loved both of those groups and the many great friends he made while being a part of them.His cooking and wisdom will be missed, but his kind heart and generous spirit will live on in the friends and family he touched.We are at peace that has been reunited with his true love, Sonja, and his son, Matt.A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, 2505 Electric Road, Roanoke, VA 24018. The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church prior to the Mass. The family will host a reception immediately following the Mass at the church.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that friends donate to their favorite charity. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.oakeys.com.
EXAMS at Rotherhams biggest sixth-form college have been moved this week as teachers walked out on strike today.



NUT members at Thomas Rotherham College are holding a days strike in a row over funding and possible reforms.



Principal Dr Richard Williams confirmed the college, which has over 1,500 students, would be closed to most students and internal exams due to be held that day had been moved later in the week, meaning some follow-up lessons will be cancelled.



Teenagers set to sit an external exam will still be able to do so.



NUT regional Division Secretary Fred Sprague said the nationwide industrial action was to focus attention on funding cuts over the past few years, plans to scrap VAT exemptions for sixth-form colleges and the potential for colleges to be forged into mergers.



Mr Sprague, who said the union could see no sense at all in the idea of college mergers, added that a significant number of staff would be involved in the strike.



The NUT held a public meeting last week to raise awareness of concerns that schools were becoming exam factories.



Mr Sprague said the general feeling of the meeting at Rotherham Town Hall last Tuesday was that focussing on exams and tests was having a negative effect on students and teaching.



The views of teachers and parents would be passed on to Rotherhams MPs to raise their concerns with the Government.



He said the union was also calling on Ministers to scrap this years Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs after the chaotic way they were carried out last year.


Botswanas diamond exports eased 27 percent last January to $222.5 million in January, data released by the countrys central bank shows.

Rough diamond market was volatile last year due to a liquidity crunch that saw diamond manufacturers buying less rough for polishing coupled with a sluggish Chinese economic growth.

However, there had been hope of a positive year as De Beers reported earlier in the year that it had earned $540 million from its first global sightholder sales and auction sales for the year compared to $248 million realised during the last sales for 2015.

The improved sales were due to a positive holiday season in the US from a retail perspective.

It also said a consequent reduction in manufacturing saw polished diamond stocks pull through the pipeline, resulting in firmer polished prices.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Botswana data showed a 39-percent drop in rough diamond exports in 2015.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




A very common dental problem today is tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, which is caused by acid-producing oral bacteria like Streptoccoccus mutans. The standard treatment for a cavity is to fill the tooth with fillings after removing the decayed material by drilling. But researchers have now made an interesting observation, so much so that fighting cavities could one day be as easy as taking a pill.

The University of Florida Health researchers have identified a new strain of Streptococcus, which they refer to as A12, with the potent ability to battle the harmful Streptococcus mutans.

A12 not only helps neutralize acid by metabolizing arginine, an amino acid, in the mouth, it also often kills Streptococcus mutans, say the researchers. Previous studies have found that both adults and children with few or no cavities were better at breaking down arginine than people with cavities.

The researchers also found that when A12 and Streptococcus mutans are grown together, Streptococcus mutans does not grow very well or make biofilms, also known as dental plaque, properly. As you may know, the dental plaque leads to tooth decay (cavity).

The researchers are optimistic that their findings could lead to the development of a supplement that patients could take orally to prevent cavities. Now, is that not a good enough reason to smile?

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY.PK,TOSBF.PK) in late-stage negotiations to sell its white goods to Chinese household appliance giant Midea Group, The Nikkei reported. The deal is expected to fetch tens of billions of yen.

The Japanese electronics titan is looking to offload to Midea the majority of shares held in fully-owned subsidiary Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services by this summer.

Last week, Toshiba granted exclusive negotiation rights to Canon Inc. (CAJ) to buy Japanese conglomerate's medical equipment unit as Toshiba restructures its operations after an accounting scandal.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
German chemical giant BASF SE (BFA.L,BASFY.PK) announced Tuesday that it has signed a letter of intent with Dutch chemical company Avantium and entered into exclusive negotiations to establish a joint venture.

The formation of JV is for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid or FDCA, as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate or PEF, based on this new chemical building block. FDCA is produced from renewable resources.

The JV will use the YXY process developed by Avantium in its laboratories in Amsterdam and pilot plant in Geleen, Netherlands, for the production of FDCA. It is intended to further develop this process as well as to construct a reference plant for the production of FDCA with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year at BASF's Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium.

FDCA is the essential chemical building block for the production of PEF.

"With the planned joint venture, we want to combine Avantium's specific production technology and application know-how for FDCA and PEF with the strengths of BASF," said Dr. Stefan Blank, President of BASF's Intermediates division. "Of particular importance is our expertise in market development and large-scale production as an established and reliable chemical company in the of intermediates and polymers," Blank added.

om van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium, said, "The contemplated joint venture with BASF is a major milestone in the development and commercialization of this game-changing technology. ...With BASF, we plan to start production of FDCA to enable the first commercial launch of this exciting bio-based material and to further develop and grow the market to its full potential."

In Germany, BASF shares were trading at 64.95 euros, down 0.84 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Remember this lady? The one who was misidentified as a Bernie Sanders supporter by an outright fascist who loves Der Drumpf?

Well, here she is in her own words. See if you can spot whats wrong with them:

Ms. Peterson, who was born in West Berlin in 1946 and became an American citizen in 1982, said she took offense to the comparison of Mr. Trump to Hitler. They said Trump is a second Hitler, Ms. Peterson said. I said do you know what that sign stands for? Do you know who Hitler really was? I make the point that they are demonstrating something they had no knowledge about, she said. If you want to do it right, you do it right. You dont know what you are doing. That is when she made the Nazi salute  a gesture that is banned in Germany  as a form of counterprotest. But that is all it was, she said. Absolutely Im not a Nazi, no, she said. Im not one of those.

Did you catch it? Yes, thats right: She could not have known who Hitler really was, any more than the rest of them. Because she was born in West Berlin, AFTER the war ended, and when the Allies had divvied up the land and begun the process of de-Nazification. It commenced promptly in January of 1946, the year she was born. And since my own parents are German, I can tell you with some authority that the credit for that doesnt reside entirely, or even mainly, with the Anglo-American occupiers and their top-down efforts to erase the swastika from everything:

West Germany was left to cleanse itself. It was not the seamless process of confronting the truth that is usually told. As Taylor puts it, Konrad Adenauers conservative, complacent country took the sleep cure. The 1950s and early 60s was an era of forgetting. Germany paid billions of Deutschmarks in compensation to Jews, but few Nazis were prosecuted. In 1952, 60% of civil servants in Bavaria were former Nazis. It was in the 60s, when a new generation of Germans began asking their parents What did you do in the Third Reich?, that the real transformation began and New Germans sensitive to their recent history emerged.

This much is true, and this process is currently still going on. (Its gaining fresh relevance today, too, as Germany confronts a neo-Nazi resurgence in the shape of AFD, PEGIDA, and other assorted refugee-hating bandits.) In the immediate post-war era, most Germans were only too happy to forget that Nazism was ever a thing. They were too busy getting on with the hard work of rebuilding and survivingand in the case of my mothers family, of integrating as foreign German refugees from Eastern Europe.

It also helps to remember that only about 10% of all Germans were ever members of the Nazi party to begin with, and that Nazi sympathies beyond party membership were also very much in the minority. Convinced Nazis, as my father calls them, were at most no more than two German adults out of every five. And that was at the height of Hitlers popularity, before Germany went totalitarian and all their elections became a farce. With him dead in the Fuhrerbunker, and the Allies in country, the average German was only too happy to try and forget him. As the saying goes: Schwamm druber, und fertig  sponge over it, and done.

So there is precious little chance Birgitt Peterson could have grown up knowing who Hitler really was. The original Nazis were kaputt a year before she was born. Not only that, Germany was actively in the process of getting rid of their influence before she was even old enough to remember them. And by the time she was old enough, no one was talking about that shit anymore. Germans were simply too busy rebuilding their fractured country (countries, rather, since the Russians had split off their portion in the east and turned it communist). No one wanted anything more to do with Nazism in Germany for decades thereafter. No one even wanted to talk about it.

Meanwhile, in the States, Der Drumpfs own father was not exactly clean of racial animus, either. He was arrested during a brawl between New York police and the Ku Klux Klan in 1927, and later on, as a rising real estate mogul, he refused to rent to black people. He was so horrid that he even pissed off Woody Guthrie, who reworked the lyrics to a song in his honor.

Der Drumpfs own blatant racism is hardly a coincidence, then. He inherited it just as he did his fathers wealth. Its gotten to the point where people want to remove his name from buildings the world over. His racism has become such a liability that his name  the only asset he actually trades on anymore  is mud in real estate circles. How anyone can support him and still claim theyre not a fascist is beyond me.

But you know what? Im not surprised that this silly old woman doesnt know what fascism really is, any more than she knows her adopted countrys nasty past. After all, this is the quality of supporters that Der Drumpf routinely attracts:

If Birgitts Hitler salute isnt emblematic of the Party of Drumpf, this assclown and his addled brain certainly are.

I will agree with Birgitt on one thing, though: I too would like to see the Repugnican party broken up for good  nay, abolished like the Nazi party in Germany. It was fascist already when Dubya was in office, and its even worse now. Theres just no fixing it anymore.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
50% of Indian mobile users wish to upgrade to new device in 5G era

About 50 per cent of smartphone users in India plan to buy a new device within the first year as 5G ...
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Trojans race to 46-7 win over Ellsworth in prep for postseason

If Southeast of Saline wins in the first round, it will host the second round game as well. The Trojans fell to Andale last season in the playoffs.
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Vilnius, Lithuania -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/15/2016 -- The Complete Health Checkup package at Kardiolita Hospital in Vilnius, Lithuania, is an ideal option for patients who want to get an assessment of their current health status. The package includes heart health checks, blood and urine tests, MRI scans to check for any problem areas and to scan for any abnormalities, which may not cause any symptoms such as cysts and tumors, and specialist consultations.



Andrius Jonutis, the General Deputy Manager at Kardiolita Hospital, says: "This is a preventative health checkup package that can help to detect early signs of any health issues that patient may have been unaware of, and help take the right steps to prevent them worsening over time. The number of patients coming from other countries to Kardiolita Hospital for the Complete Health Checkup package is increasing tremendously each year, which is a good sign showing that our society is getting more aware and conscious, taking their health seriously." - says Andrius Jonutis.



Christine Sanders from Bristol, UK, says: "Following my thorough research, I chose Kardiolita Hospital as a market leader for health check-ups abroad, and I could not be happier with my decision. I did not need a GP referral and booked my visit on a Tuesday, for the coming Friday. I started on Friday morning, and in the afternoon, after going through all the tests and consultations, I discussed my health condition with a doctor, and had a flight back on the same evening. All this cost more than 2 times less than what I would have paid in the UK  cannot recommend Kardiolita Hospital enough."



For more information on what's included in the Complete Health Checkup package, visit http://www.treatmentinlithuania.co.uk/complete-health-checkup-package.



All questions and enquiries are being responded to within hours, when sent to: http://www.treatmentinlithuania.co.uk/send-message. Alternatively, please call +44 (0) 203 290 0070 to get all your questions answered.



About Kardiolita Hospital

Kardiolita Hospital is the leading private general hospital in Lithuania, accredited by the JCI and working by the highest industry standards. Established in 1998, Kardiolita Hospital provides full range of medical services  from comprehensive diagnostics to various surgical treatments within many medical areas. Kardiolita Hospital employs 200+ highly qualified Lithuanian doctors with extensive international experience and treatment performance of more than 45+ medical areas. The hospital has long-term experience in treating international patients.



Contact Information

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Phone: +44 (0) 203 290 0070

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Jenkintown, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/15/2016 -- Sometimes, receiving compensation for a work related injury resulting in short or long-term disability is not easy. Many times, receiving compensation isn't even a straightforward process. Those in need can be denied by insurance companies, despite being fully and reasonably qualified to receive the disability insurance that they or their employers pay for. In these situations, disability lawyers in DE, PA and NJ can be indispensable, like the ones at Rosen, Moss, Snyder, Bleefeld, LLP.



The attorneys at the firm are able to guide their clients through every step of a claim or appeal, to ensure they feel comfortable and confident in their legal actions. The experienced team at Rosen, Moss, Snyder, Bleefeld, LLP has represented hundreds of clients against the biggest names in the insurance industry. In doing so, the team has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for their clients over the years. Marc Snyder, the team's expert litigator in short and long-term disability law has been published numerous times, including by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute for his work and understanding of the law.



The experienced litigators at the firm offer free consultations to prospective clients, they are confident in their ability to represent most anyone who is in need of a long term disability attorney in NJ, DE, or PA. They are so confident in their ability, they do not collect a fee until the case is won on their client's behalf.



To learn more about the services that Rosen, Moss, Snyder, Bleefeld, LLP provide, view testimonials, or view directions to their offices, interested parties are encouraged to visit their website at http://www.disabilitylawyer-pa-nj-de.com/.



About Rosen, Moss, Snyder & Bleefeld, LLP

Providing quality legal services, the team at Rosen, Moss, Snyder & Bleefeld, LLP is dedicated to their clients and ensuring their needs are met. Disabled clients will receive personalized attention and assistance through all stages of the disability claims process. When benefits have been denied, clients trust the attorneys to fight for their rights. All cases taken by the firm are on a contingency basis, and free consultations are offered to understand the case at hand.



For more information, or to request a consultation, please visit http://www.disabilitylawyer-pa-nj-de.com/.
Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/15/2016 -- Singapore has a very well-established and developed tourism sector. The country remains a popular stopover destination for long-haul travellers and is a growing short-haul destination for visitors from countries throughout the Asia Pacific region, particularly China and Indonesia.



Although a small city state, Singapore offers a broad range of tourism attractions. We expect international arrivals to increase at a robust pace throughout our forecast period to 2020, supported by ongoing public investment in transport infrastructure and the hotel sector as well as benefitting from a pro-active global marketing campaign, providing a boost to already high tourism related expenditure and healthy industry value.



Key Updates And Forecasts

- Tourism arrivals to Singapore increased by 61,500 through the first eleven months of 2015, underscoring a turnaround for the sector following a difficult past two years. It is likely that full-year numbers will reach the STB's target of between 15.1 million and 15.5 million visitors for 2015.

- Much of the growth came from key regional source markets such as China (an annual increase of 21%), India (up 7%) and Taiwan (up 11%).

- A weak Singapore dollar will help support the competitiveness of Singapore's tourism sector over the next 12 months in a challenging regional economic environment.



For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/business-monitor-international/singapore-tourism-report-q2-2016



Traditionally, Greece has been a popular and well established holiday destination due, in no small part, to its favourable climate, excellent beaches and historical importance. This has produced a welldeveloped tourist sector. Over the past few years the country has experienced a significant fall in tourist arrivals as sustained economic insecurity and the recent refugee crisis have deterred many potential visitors.



We do, however, forecast growth for the tourism sector over the short- and mid-term, as many tourists look to exploit the favourable exchange rates brought about by Greece's financial problems. This growth will also be strengthened by tourists who may have previously visited destinations in the Middle East but now look to Greece as a similar option with a lessened threat of terrorism.



Greece has a strong accommodation sector, comprising of many of the major international hotel chains, and good travel links with important source markets throughout Europe and further afield however, new development in both areas will be important as tourist numbers begin to pick up once more.



This increase in demand could lead to potential investment opportunities. Greece has recently toughened its border control in the light of the vast number of migrants attempting to access Europe through the country and this could negatively affect the growth of tourism by persuading holiday makers to choose alternative destinations.



For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/business-monitor-international/greece-tourism-report-q2-2016



The outlook for Zambia's nascent tourism market is currently very positive. Arrivals are expected to increase rapidly throughout the five-year forecast period to 2020 as the country improves its international transport connections and as it gradually raises awareness of its many attractions, including the popular Victoria Falls and a growing safari holiday sector. Challenges remain in the form of an underdeveloped domestic transport network and limited hotel sector, which could deter some visitors, and Zambia faces significant competition from more established regional destinations such as Kenya and South Africa.



Key Updates And Forecasts

- Business tourism represents a valuable potential growth area for Zambia. Meetings, incentives, conferences and events reportedly increased by 300% in 2015 in Livingstone, according to the Zambia Tourism Board.

- The country is also developing cultural tourism, and in 2016 the third annual Livingstone International Culture and Arts Festival is expected to attract up to 10,000 visitors.

- We are currently forecasting double-digit annual growth in terms of international arrivals to Zambia between 2016 and 2020, with arrivals set to reach over 2mn by the end of the current forecast period. Although a small market, the rapid growth is a positive sign for potential investors.



For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/business-monitor-international/zambia-tourism-report-q2-2016



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Laurie Rimon, from Kibbutz Kefar Blum in northern Israel, has found an extremely rare gold coin with the face of a Roman emperor.

Laurie demonstrated exemplary civic behavior by handing this important coin over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said Dr. Nir Distelfeld, an inspector with the IAA Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery.

This is an extraordinarily remarkable and surprising discovery. I believe that soon, thanks to Laurie, the public will be able to enjoy this rare find.

According to archaeologists at the IAA, the find is so rare that only one other such coin is known to exist.

This coin, minted in Rome in 107 CE, is rare on a global level, explained IAA numismatist Dr. Danny Syon.

On the reverse we have the symbols of the Roman legions next to the name of the Roman emperor Trajan, and on the obverse  instead of an image of Trajan, as was usually the case  there is the portrait of the emperor Augustus Deified (Divus Augustus).

This coin is part of a series of coins minted by the emperor Trajan (reigned 98  117 CE) as a tribute to the emperors that preceded him.

The coin may reflect the presence of the Roman army in the region some 2,000 years ago  possibly in the context of activity against Bar Kokhba supporters in the Galilee  but it is very difficult to determine that on the basis of a single coin, added Dr. Donald T. Ariel, head curator of the IAA Coin Department.

Historical sources describing the period note that some Roman soldiers were paid a high salary of three gold coins, the equivalent of 75 silver coins, each payday. Because of their high monetary value soldiers were unable to purchase goods in the market with gold coins, as the merchants could not provide change for them.

Whilst the bronze and silver coins of Trajan are common in the country, his gold coins are extremely rare, Dr. Ariel said.
[KAMPALA] The Ugandan government has cautioned organisations implementing climate change projects that do not meet the countrys priority adaptation programmes of action that they will lose their funding.

Uganda developed National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) priorities in 2007 and relies on the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), a programme administered by the World Bank to help protect the global environment and to promote environmental sustainable development, for the policys implementation.

Up to US$30 million is available to each of the 48 least developed countries (LDCs) including Uganda to implement NAPAs, which are supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says Chebet Maikut, head of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Water and Environment.

We shall not be guided by the funders. We have to come together to achieve the NAPA goals. Christine Namaalwa Jjumba, Makerere University

Maikut, who is also the UNFCCC national focal point for Uganda, says the country has accessed US$13 million to implement NAPAs to make communities strong and resilient, and that the remaining $17 million has also been committed.

Christine Namaalwa Jjumba, a lecturer at the School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences (SFEGS), Makerere University, Uganda, says NAPAs identify and communicate priority interventions that address the urgent and immediate national needs and concerns relating to adaptation to adverse effects of climate change.

The governments stern action follows climate change experts realisation that few adaptation projects (about 50 per cent) followed the countrys NAPA priorities.

The country launched a progress report on the implementation of NAPA last month (9 February). At the launch, Maikut explained, The document was not popularised.

To develop the NAPAs, Uganda followed guidelines for LDCs guided by two considerations  the need for Uganda to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Ugandas Poverty Eradication Plan, notes Jjumba.

According to Jjumba, experts selected twelve districts on the basis of their vulnerability to adverse impacts of climate change-related disasters. Experts collected data on the districts climate vulnerability, associated shocks and possible adaptation interventions, which were screened using a three-tier criterion  national level, community level and urgency and immediacy.

The most addressed priority areas identified in 2007 were drought adaptation, climate change and development planning as well as water for production, while the least number of interventions included vectors, pests and disease control; indigenous knowledge and natural resource management.

Jjumba argues against attaching projects implementation to GEF funding, stating: We shall not be guided by the funders. We have to come together to achieve the NAPA goals.

Some experts have doubted whether Uganda will be able to strictly implement its NAPA, especially when most of the funds do not emanate from the government.

To properly implement what the authorities want, the government is supposed to be also contributing some money for adaptation projects, says Allan Bomuhangi, a lecturer at the SFEGS, Makerere University.

Maikut notes that the government makes contributions, but mostly in kind.



This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is holding its annual Driver Suspension Eligibility Week from now until Friday at every office in the state, allowing drivers with suspended licenses to seek amnesty for their previous crimes.

During Driver Suspension Eligibility Week, certain drivers who have a suspended license can apply to reduce or remove their remaining suspension time. Since 2012, the South Carolina Code of Laws Section 56-1-396 requires the DMV to establish a drivers license suspension eligibility period every year.

Drivers who are eligible for assistance during Amnesty Week include drivers who are suspended for excessive points and under 18 years old, suspended for operating an unlicensed vehicle, an uninsured vehicle they did not own, operating or allowing operation of an uninsured vehicle and driving under suspension. These exclude all drug or alcohol related convictions. If an individual has more than one suspension, the DMV will recalculate his or her suspension time.

Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said multi-suspension drivers seeking reprieve could pose a safety issue for the public.

If ... the amnesty is being granted to drivers who are repeatedly under suspension for displaying poor driving behavior, then we certainly believe that allowing them to return more quickly to our streets and highways is a public safety concern, Heidler said.

Darlington Police Chief Daniel Watson said a program such as this can be especially helpful, specifically for younger drivers.

The younger that you are, the more likely you are to receive a citation for excessive speed, failure to stop at stop sign or traffic control device, Watson said. Giving someone a break at a younger age and allowing them to get on the right track is especially helpful. Anytime that we can do this for a young adult, I highly recommend it.

In order to qualify for amnesty, drivers must meet all of the conditions of their suspensions and have paid all fees. A certificate of insurance form (SR-22) also might be required.

To apply for the program, drivers must complete the Driver Suspension Eligibility Application and visit a DMV office by the end of Driver Suspension Eligibility Week on Friday.

DMV offices close at 5 p.m. every day. DMV offices in the Pee Dee open at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, offices open at 9:30 a.m.

For more information about the 2016 Driver Suspension Eligibility Week, visit scdmvonline.com.
From 1 July this year the IMO has mandated under an amendment to the SOLAS Convention that shippers provide a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) for all ocean containers before they are loaded aboard the vessel for the purposes of the stowage plan.

It is a very challenging regulatory change, Jim Whalen, president Asia for INTTRA, told a briefing in Singapore on Tuesday.

INTTRA has had a significant role of raising awareness about this regulatory change.

INTTRA is rolling out an electronic VGM (eVGM) system, which allows shippers to electronic submission of the required data for submission. With the VGM data being required for stowage planning this means that the submission needs to be made around three days before the ship arrives in port according to Inna Kuznetsova, president and coo of INTTRA.

There still remains considerable confusion as to how carriers and terminals will treat boxes where the VGM arrives less than three days before the vessel arrives.

Kuznetsova said one terminal said that if there was no VGM three days before the container will not be allowed through the gate. Thats very harsh, she commented.

However, the terminals reasoning is that it has limited yard space and does not know how many containers it would need to store. Other terminals are taking the approach of if there is no VGM the container will not be loaded, but will be allowed in the terminal.

The absence of a common standard is what makes this difficult, she said.

Some lines such as Hapag-Lloyd and UASC, which are both INTTRA users, have issued their guidelines.
COSL Drilling Europe said the staff layoff decision was taken after discussions with the unions, and it was a result of an immediate consequence of the defunct contracts with Norways Statoil.

It is incredibly sad that so many skilled and loyal employees are losing their jobs. The personal impact is enormous for those affected and their families, said Jorgen Arnesen, ceo of COSL Drilling Europe.

This is very sad also for the company and the rest of the industry, which will lose deep expertise and talent, Arnesen said, adding that he hoped the affected employees would return to the industry when the opportunity arises in future.

Recently, Statoil decided to terminate the chartering of the mobile rig COSLInnovator, and to suspend drilling operation with sister rig COSLPromoter. Both rigs have been working in the Troll Field of Norway.The remaining term of the two drilling contracts is four years and eight months, and five years and one month, respectively.

COSL had earlier said it strong disagrees with the decision of Statoil and if neccesary it will take legal actions to protect the interests of the company.
This changes the original plan to put the project out to private investors which is also an adaptation of the original plan to build the port at Cilamaya.

Indonesia is currently negotiating with Japan for a loan worth $2.49bn for the project, while around $600m will also be allocated in the state budget for land procurement and road construction around the port, according to the Transportation Ministry.

We will eventually use the state budget to cover all the funds needed for the project, the Transportation Ministrys port and dredging director, Mauritz Sibarani, was quoted as saying.

Mauritz said that the use of the state budget was intended to make the port fully owned by the government and that private counterparts would just operate the port after it was completed.

The ministry was still awaiting the Japanese decision on loans for the project , adding that the port developer would "very likely" come from Japan if the loan, expected to be a 0.25% coupon 40-year term came through. The total cost of the project is estimated to reach $3.09bn and will be the biggest project funded by the Japanese government in Indonesia.

"We will do a bidding process, but they [Japan] are likely to bring their own workers. There is a big chance that if they give us the loan, they will win the tender, he said, adding that the loan deal was expected to be signed by the end of the year and groundbreaking on the project scheduled for 2017.

It is hoped the port will begin its first phase of operations by 2019 with an initial capacity of 250,000 teu, which will then be expanded to 7.5m teu by 2037.

Japanese manufacturing giants, such as Toyota and Honda, with plants in the Bekasi and Kerawang manufacturing hubs will benefit from the good location of the planned port.
For Nepa Projects and Investments md Pappu Sastry, the market is at a stage where he is looking to start a dry bulk carrier pool. Just as the tanker players typically form a pool structure when the market is weak, Sastry believes that dry bulk players will also be able to benefit from a similar arrangement.

The problem, however, is getting people to join the pool with dry bulk owners generally a very disparate bunch and also less familiar with this kind of set up than tanker owners. Dry bulk ship owners who have been in pools previously generally go one of two ways; either they hate the idea and will never deal with a pool again or they will like it but will not want to leave the pools they are already in, Sastry explained.

Qualifying that Nepas pool is in the early stages of operation, Sastry said that it has three ships, two supramaxes and a newbuilding ultramax, already in the pool and is looking to gain more ships. For the moment the initial fleet is meant to help benchmark the performance of the pool against the relevant freight indices and establish a track record, which he hopes will encourage more owners to join.

We want to take over people who are taking on distressed assets and ship owners who want to reduce their operating costs of which there are quite a few in this market, said Sastry.

This dovetails in nicely with Nepas project management services offering alternative investments for people who want to get into ship owning, which is being run through its Nepa Financial Services arm. Not only does this help to restructure debt and refinance ships for clients to boost their viability, but another aspect is to pool funds to acquire assets at the right valuations.

We do have the option of either taking over a ship into the pool or into technical management or just to help them refinancing their assets; we have a solution available for every need, he said.

Nepa Financial Services is mainly working with investors now who previously may not have been so involved in shipping or in the dry bulk segment in particular, and for whom it would be a new sector. It aims initially to amass a pot of about $50m for investments.

The ideal size for the pool would be not more than 15 ships, Sastry said. And the types of vessels would be the older supramaxes or the now outdated handysizes that are facing competition from the new batch of 37,000 dwt Green Dolphin design handysizes increasingly coming out of Chinese yards.
Press Release

March 15, 2016 Cayetano: Go after corrupt officials laundering money through our banks (reiterates calls to sign the bank secrecy waiver for all candidates) Vice presidential candidate and Senate Majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano today said that the government must go after corrupt officials laundering money through the banks. In a Senate Blue Ribbon investigation to the $ 81 million money-laundering operation involving the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), Cayetano drew attention to Binay's own "money-laundering scheme" using the same bank. Cayetano, citing the report of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), where Gerardo Limlingan, an alleged dummy of Binay, had transactions with the RCBC amounting to P 3.1 billion. The senator said that Limlingan's transactions alone is equivalent to $ 68.1 million or just $ 12.6 million short of the $ 81 million allegedly withdrawn from Bangladesh's bank account in the United States. The one page portion of the report Cayetano distributed to the media showed that Gerardo Limlingan, an alleged dummy of Vice President Binay, had 1 transaction of 2 Billion, and 2 transactions of 500 Million pesos through the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation. The same bank in question in the ongoing Senate investigation on Money Laundering. "This cannot be denied, the same bank was involved on both cases and unscrupulous government officials and their accomplices continue to hide behind the same banking law. If the world is horrified with the robbing of Bangladesh's bank account by faceless hackers, deemed by many as one of the biggest heist in recent history, here in the Philippines, the alleged plunderers of the people's money are holding the highest positions of the country and are even running for President" Cayetano said. Cayetano also said that even the Napoles scam which allegedly plundered our country's funds of Billions of pesos also used the banks, also using dummies such as her drivers and secretaries to open accounts with our banks and launder billions of pesos of the people's money. Cayetano renewed his challenge to Vice President Binay and all candidates and politicians to open their bank accounts and waive their rights to bank secrecy to finally put and end to corruption. Cayetano together with his running mate, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte signed a waiver of bank secrecy and challenged all candidates to sign a manifesto doing the same. To date, no other candidate has signed the manifesto. "Our challenge is a simple integrity check that would enable all candidates to sufficiently demonstrate to the public their sincerity in promoting transparency and fighting corruption. We cannot entrust the next government in the hands of plunderers and those who turned a blind eye to the disorder caused by corruption," Cayetano concluded.
Press Release

March 15, 2016 Speech of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

Necrological Service for Former Senate President Jovito R. Salonga

March 15, 2016 JOVITO R. SALONGA:

A MAN OF GREAT COURAGE, HONOR AND INTEGRITY My esteemed colleagues, former senators, congressmen, the family of the late former Senate President Jovito R. Salonga, friends, ladies and gentlemen: This morning, with hearts gripped by profound sorrow, we are gathered in this august chamber to pay our last respects to a great statesman whose uncommon valor, brilliance and integrity captivated generations of Filipinos. In his lifetime, Jovito Reyes Salonga, blazed trails and created new pathways. He always took the high road and pursued excellence in a principled manner. He topped the bar examinations, as well as three Senate elections, in 1965, 1971 and 1987. Take note that Jovito R. Salonga topped the elections in three different decades: in the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's. Only Jovy could have done that. Nobody in the history of this country has ever done what Jovy did to the political field. As member of this august chamber, he dazzled his political friends and foes alike by his brilliant oratory, while defending the national sovereignty and interest. He neither bended his principles nor surrendered his dignity even if he was subjected to spirit-breaking conditions, such as when he was arrested, detained and tortured by the Japanese during the Second World War and during his arrest and detention during Martial Law. Even the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing, which left him seriously injured, did not diminish his fervor and determination to fight for what he believed was right for the country and his people. He courageously walked through the valley of shadow and death to help restore democracy in our country Among his many outstanding traits as a leader was his fierce loyalty to our country. When he voted against the RP-US Bases Treaty in 1991, he was a politician guided by principle rather than expediency. I recall that I was then the Executive Secretary, we held a rally with President Cory Aquino in Luneta. It rained, however, Cory led us to walk through the rain to the office of then Senate President Salonga. And in the presence of many senators, President Cory then pleaded her case for the ratification of the US bases treaty. Ka Jovy held his ground. He showed much respect to President Cory Aquino, but firmly and politely maintained his principle that the Senate and he cannot support the ratification of the RP-US bases treaty. The rest is history. To borrow the words of Heneral Luna, "bayan muna bago ang sarili." That sums up the way Jovy Salonga lived his life. Bayan muna bago ang sarili. He set the standard for public service by leading a simple life marked by honor, humility and integrity. At the Senate, he sowed the seeds of good governance. Principal to these is the Anti-Plunder Law that he wrote and authored. A Pastor's son, Jovy's deep faith in God sustained him during the lowest times of his political life. His noble heart and character showed when he accepted the results of the 1992 Presidential elections with no bitterness or rancor, a trait which is so different to find today. Even if all his life, he prepared himself to lead our nation, he calmly accepted that the Presidency may not be his destiny. Even after he retired from politics, he continued serving the Filipino people through Kilosbayan, Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, and the Bantay Katarungan. I am fortunate to have met and shared a deep friendship with Jovy. Fifteen years ago, he recruited and inducted me into the Liberal Party. To belong to the same institution and political party with this giant of a man is indeed a great honor. As a young senator, I would be frequently summoned by Ka Jovy to breakfast at his house. I remember the orange juice that we would always drink for breakfast at his house. Indeed those were happy times, when, as Ed Angara said, they became question and answer sessions. Indeed I was peppered with a lot of questions from Ka Jovy during those breakfasts that we had. Senator Jovito Reyes Salonga indeed was a mentor, and I am fortunate to have met him and shared his friendship. Fifteen years ago, Ka Jovy recruited me and inducted me into the Liberal Party. To belong to the same institution and political party with this giant of a man is indeed a great honor. Senator Jovito Reyes Salonga belonged to a rare breed of mankind: a politician with scruples and a leader with principles. His life and work inspired me and a legion of his admirers to emulate him. Let it not be forgotten that once in this august chamber, there was a Jovito Salonga, whose wit, brilliance and undying love for the motherland held this country in awe. To the Filipino youth who are now enjoying the freedom that generations before them paid for with their life and limb, may the life of Jovito Salonga inspire you to protect our hard-won democracy. Let me quote a passage from the poem, "A Psalm of Life", by the great American poet, Henry Longfellow. "Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time." Leaders and politicians come and go, but only few leave deep footprints on the sands of time like Jovito Reyes Salonga. He will always be remembered as a man of great courage, honor and integrity. He may have gone ahead of us, but his legacy lives on. We join the Salonga family and the whole nation in mourning his passing, but we are also comforted with the thought that Jovy is now with his beloved wife, resting in the bosom of Our Great Creator. Farewell, Jovy. Thank you for the privilege of knowing you and sharing a space in our nation's political life with you. Thank you for giving the best years of your life to the motherland. You will live forever in our hearts and in the heart of a grateful nation. Paalam.
Press Release

March 15, 2016 Senator Loren Legarda

Eulogy for Senator Jovito Salonga

March 15, 2016 | Senate Session Hall Today, we pay tribute to a man whose towering greatness shaped much of the politics and public affairs of the 20th century, untied the umbilical cord with the US and shepherded the passage of landmark, life-changing legislation. Former Senator Jovito Salonga was, for me, a dear friend--his eldest son, Steve is the godfather of my eldest son, Lanz. He was also an outstanding public servant, a statesman of the highest order, a pillar of democracy, an indefatigable fighter for truth and justice whose brilliance and integrity were unparalleled. Like many of the great men of his day and age, Jovito Salonga was born under the humblest of circumstances. His father was Esteban, a Methodist pastor, while his mother, Bernardita, had to sell wares at the public market to augment the limited income from missionary work. With a superb intellect, despite his life's circumstance, he was a star student at UP Law, and was one of the few Filipinos in the 40s to attend Harvard and Yale University. He topped the bar with a grade of 95.3, an amazing feat from a man who, a year before, was tortured by the Japanese Military Police because of engagement in anti-Japanese activities and was sentenced to prison for 15 years of hard labor, only to be pardoned a year after. His devotion to our nation's freedom has allowed each one us to stand here today to argue and agree, to debate and collaborate, to help run the nation. He vigorously opposed the dictatorship in 1972 and defended cases that both involved well-known political prisoners and obscure detainees. One of the most iconic and proudest moments of the Philippine Senate in contemporary times was the day Senate President Salonga broke the 11-11 tie in the stalemated vote on RP-US Bases Treaty in 1991. As he banged the gavel to announce the Senate's decision to scrap the Treaty and effectively end an era, he snapped the seemingly unbreakable cord with the United States of America. Seldom does a chamber get the chance to help rewrite the history of the nation, which Salonga and his Magnificent 11 precisely did in 1991. It was in this circumstance that I was able to closely work with Senator Salonga, when I consulted with him about the contentious provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States in 1999. Senator Salonga was also at the helm of several groups, such as the Kilosbayan (People Action), a forum for raising political consciousness and citizens' participation in governance. I would join him in Kilosbayan forums and speak about the environment at the Shalom Center. At these forums, Senator Salonga helped me spread my advocacies for the environment, helped me transition from a mere believer in environmental causes to an aggressive public advocate. Senator Salonga lived long enough to see the outcome of his fight for freedom. We, today's political leaders, should struggle mightily and hard to be true keepers, ardent torch bearers, of his work and legacy. I will end this tribute to a great patriot with his own words: "Freedom is the bedrock of human dignity, the one value we should never compromise or surrender. Freedom is the catalyst in all our efforts toward national development; it is the precondition and the objective of our collective endeavor. For a nation of sheep can never be great." Thank you.
Tondo residents express support to Bongbong

VICE presidential race frontrunner Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. today combed, and courted voters, the heavily populated Tondo area in Manila, with thousands of residents expressing the support to his bid.

Marcos brought his "Unity Caravan," the backbone of his vice presidential campaign to every nook, cranny, and street of Tondo as he motorcaded to more than 40 barangays of Manila's first, second, and third districts that started in front of San Roque Chapel, Honorio Lopez st., Brgy. 129, Zone 11 at around past 8 a.m. and finished in Malate past the hour of 12 noon.

As he traversed the heart of Manila, people from all walks of life lined up the streets and sidewalks expressing support to Marcos by flashing the peace sign and beaming unacceptable

Streamers and banners also lined the streets as Marcos made his way through with festive music and much fanfare.

"Like in all the places that I have visited when I started this campaign, I feel I'm very much welcomed here in Manila especially here in Tondo. I am very thankful to the people of Tondo for allowing me to bring my message of national unity right at their doorsteps," he said in a statement.

Aside from Tondo, the motorcade crossed and traversed areas that included Divisoria, Blumentritt, Taft Avenue, Sta Cruz, and Binondo, among others.

Joining Marcos' in the sortie were ABAKADA partylist nominee Jonathan dela Cruz and senatorial candidate incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
Press Release

March 15, 2016 Senate pays tribute to former Sen. Jovito Salonga Current and former senators yesterday took turns praising former Sen. Jovito Salonga during his necrological services at the Senate, recalling his humility, political achievements and devotion to the country. Senate President Franklin Drilon presented Salonga's family with Senate Resolution 118, expressing the profound sympathy and sincere condolence of the Senate on the death of a great statesman. The Senate Resolution stated that Salonga was chosen as one of the most outstanding senators with his significant legislations, which included the State Scholarship Law, the Disclosure of Interest Act, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder. He was a 2007 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service and a recipient of numerous internatonal and local academic and civic awards and citations, according to the resolution. Dubbed the Nation's Fiscalizer, Salonga succumbed to cardiac arrest at the Philippine Heart Center on Thursday, March 10. He was 95. "Among his many outstanding traits as a leader was his fierce loyalty to our country," Senate President Franklin Drilon said in his eulogy. "When Salonga voted against the RP-US bases Treaty in 1991, he was a politician guided by principle rather than expediency," Drilon said. Salonga was elected Senate President during the 8th Congress from 1987 to 1991 and successfully steered the votes that eventually led to the rejection of the continued stay of the U.S. military bases in the country. "Bayan Muna, bago ang sarili. That sums up the way Jovy Salonga lived this life," Drilon said. According to Drilon, Salonga neither bended his principles nor surrendered his dignity even if he was subjected to spirit-breaking conditions, such as when he was arrested, detained and tortured by the Japanese during the WWII and during his arrest and detention during Martial Law. "He set the standard for public service by leading a simple life marked by honor, humility and integrity," Drilon said. Salonga, noted former Senator Wigberto Tanada, was the epitome of a servant leader who served the people with utmost integrity, loyalty, and justice "He lived a simple and principled life. He suffered in flesh for his beliefs. We can say that throughout his whole life, he walked the "daan matuwid," Tanada said. . Tanada was one of the members of "Magnificient 12" who voted against the retention of the US military bases in the Philippines. As Senate President, Tanada said, Salonga presided over the Senate's finest hour, putting the country first before himself. "Before he banged the gavel that signaled the defeat of the US military bases treaty, Salonga explained his decisive vote: "I have been warned by well-meaning friends that this stand on the treaty may hurt my chances of becoming president. No matter. That is an inconsequential matter," Tanada recalled. He said Salonga continued to serve as a citizen with a conscience even after retiring from politics, encouraging the emergence efforts of Bantay Katarungan and Kilosbayan. He was a beacon of hope for a lot of them, according to Tanada. Former Senator Edgardo Angara said lauded Salonga for his integrity and honor, noting that the former Senate President laid the foundation for what the Filipinos are now enjoying. In the five years he presided in the Senate, Agara said, Salonga initiated, restored, reinstated and re-strengthened our education system, health system, good governance - the Ombudsman and the ethical conduct of public officials, social housing and agrarian reforms. "When Jovy took over, the per capita income was P13,000. When his term ended, it doubled to almost P24,000. Of course, it's much higher now because the GDP has grown almost five times. But just to emphasize that his quiet, but effective, humble not loud leadership, led to the laying down of the foundation that now provides us the promise of what he said, prosperity and security to our people so that one day, in the fullness of time, we will have a free society where the weak shall be strong and the strong shall be just," Angara said. Born to a Presbyterian pastor, Esteban Salonga, and a market vendor, Bernardita Reyes, Salonga was born on June 22, 1920. He was an outstanding student and champion debater at the University of the Philippines College of Law and a co-topnocher in the 1944 Bar Examinations with a grade of 95.3 percent. Salonga topped the senatorial elections held in 1965 and would repeat the feat in the 1971 and 1987 senatorial races, the only person in the history of Philippine politics who emerged at the top of three senatorial elections. He was among those who vigorously opposed the closure of Congress during martial law. He served as counsel to prominent opposition leaders who were arrested and detained during the dictatorship and went into self-exile in Hawaii and California when subversion charges were filed against him. Salonga returned to the to the Philippines in 1985 to help unite the democratic opposition and when President Corazon C. Aquino assumed power in 1986. He was appointed chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and helped the government recover the ill-gotten wealth consisting of billions of cash, bank deposits and several titles to real property from the Marcoses. (Pilar S. Macrohon)
Robert Mailer Anderson and buddy Eric Harland, drummer and a resident artistic director at SFJazz, went to the White House last week for the state dinner in honor of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. To put the most important thing first, the Hollywood news site the Wrap ran a picture of the two, and observed, Author Robert Anderson and Eric Harland were among the well-dressed guests. This could be interpreted as (a) all the guests were well dressed, and these two dudes were among them, or (b) these San Francisco guys would make a fashion top 10 list for the event. Im going with the latter.

Anderson was amazed at the Obamas ability to host a White House dinner that felt both formal and incredibly comfortable. Trudeau is young and enthusiastic, Anderson said, as though he had enjoyed a privileged upbringing and he was smart enough to keep his eyes and ears open to absorb the best of it. Both the prime minister and the president talked about family and friendship, and Trudeau paid special attention to the first familys daughters, Malia and Sasha, who were attending their first state dinner. He told them that although their childhood in the White House was unusual, it would serve them well in their lives and the world, said Anderson. He was definitely speaking about himself.

In 2014, Anderson attended a state dinner for French President Francois Hollande. How did the two events compare? The dinner for Hollande seemed more dominated by protocol, he said, and most guests felt maybe the same excitement and portent that one may feel going to Paris for the first time and feeling the overwhelming sense of foreignness and a language barrier and tangible history and elegance and style and a wow factor ranging from the gargoyles of Notre Dame and seeing the Eiffel Tower and Louvre and Seine flowing by with all its power and indifference, and trying to order a croissant from a disinterested and patronizing waiter on a Gauloises smoke break who wants to get back to reading his Sartre paperback and leer at passing well-heeled woman 

Well, there wasnt any of that (at the Trudeau dinner)! It was Canada. They got cities named Moose Jaw. Theyre nice folks.

Tales of Trump:

Circulating around the Web  my copy came from photographer Judy Dater  is a version of the Gettysburg address as delivered by Donald Trump. It begins, Thanks. What an incredible crowd. They tell me this is the biggest crowd in the history of the North. ... Im up all hours saving the Union, and then here we are in this cemetery and Im supposed to do what? Honor the dead? Theyre dead. Theyre losers. ... I hate to tell you, but I like the guys who didnt die.

Regan McMahon of Common Sense Media, which helps parents guide their kids media choices, has shared tips for steering them through this political season. The first tip, for elementary school students, is to find kids news sources that break down the events of the day in age-appropriate terms, while avoiding stuff you probably wouldnt want them exposed to.

For Scholastic Kids, one young reporter asked Donald Trump about candidates being very vicious with each other. How do you explain to kids that is OK? The candidate answered: Its not really OK, but its something you have to live with. Its called life. As you grow older, youll understand it.

Researching HIV and STD prevention services for a project called Building Healthy Online Communities, Dan Wohlfeiler came across a description of Smell Dating, which started in New York. The romance seeker wears a T-shirt for three days and three nights, with no deodorant; then cuts a piece of fabric off the shirt and submits it to the central smell administration. The applicant receives 10 such patches in the mail, and after smelling each, selects a possible mate. Participation in the first round of this, limited to 100 applicants, is closed.

Laura Del Rosso knew she wasnt in San Francisco when, shopping for groceries on down-homey Molokai, she asked a clerk where she could find the spaghetti. In a can or a package? he inquired.

Open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

We could go out and visit some wineries. Or we could visit one of these tasting rooms and not have to drive. Or I could go buy some drugs and we could stay in our room.

Young woman to male companion, overheard in St. Helena by Tricia Westbrook
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The South Bay BART extension, now on its way to eastern San Jose, moved a step closer to tunneling beneath downtown toward Santa Clara, though funding remains uncertain.

The Federal Transit Administration has approved the second leg of what is known as BART Silicon Valley, allowing it to enter the project development phase of the federal funding program known as New Starts.

That means BART is nearer to competing for federal money needed for the 6-mile extension to Santa Clara.

BART trains now stop in central Fremont, but a 5.4-mile extension to Warm Springs, near the Santa Clara County line, is expected to open this summer. It was originally scheduled to open in December but ran into delays.

At the same time, workers for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority are ahead of schedule on an extension that agency is building for BART that will travel south 10 miles from Warm Springs to the Berryessa neighborhood of eastern San Jose. It is tentatively scheduled to open in 2017.

The next section will take BART from Berryessa to downtown San Jose, where the trains will operate in a subway, and on to Santa Clara, where they will stop, above ground, near the Caltrain station.

The federal approval permits VTA to spend money on environmental studies. It also needs to finalize design, cost estimates and financial plans.

The extension from Berryessa to Santa Clara is expected to cost $4.7 billion, and VTA officials hope at least $1.1 billion comes from the New Starts program for major transit programs.

Even with that funding, however, the project would still need to come up with $2.4 billion. Santa Clara County officials are eyeing a November ballot measure that would raise the transportation sales tax to help pay for the extension.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
Californias commercial fish industry, already struggling with the devastating loss of the crab season, is likely to see its run of bad luck continue as new and far-reaching restrictions take aim at the states salmon opener in May.

Federal fishery regulators unveiled plans this week to limit this years chinook salmon catch in an effort to protect the states signature seafood amid the growing threats of a warming ocean and drought-parched rivers and creeks.

Three proposals offered this week by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the agency that regulates West Coast fishing, call for reining in the places and times that commercial fishers can pursue salmon  cutting opportunities by up to one-half, according to some estimates.

Its almost like a one-two-three punch, said John McManus, executive director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association. Fishermen had a poor 2015 season, theyve been shut down for crab, and now theyre looking at a poor 2016 season.

Those in the trade say restrictions would not only send anglers in Californias $1.4 billion salmon industry north to more bountiful waters, particularly to Alaska, but also mean a lot less local fish on the docks. That portends higher prices for restaurants and markets pushing a California product.

Alaska salmon is good, but we like to think ours is better, McManus said.

A final decision on restrictions is due next month before the commercial season opens May 1.

Far fewer chinook

The proposed regulations follow projections that the number of fall-run chinook, which make up the bulk of Californias commercial and recreational catch, is significantly down.

Fishery officials estimate that about 300,000 adult salmon that spawn in the Sacramento River system  but spend most of their life at sea  are currently swimming off the California coast, approximately half of what was projected in past years. Only about 142,000 salmon from the Klamath River are out at sea, a number that is similarly low.

The pending restrictions also serve to protect the endangered winter-run chinook, which cross paths with their fall-run counterparts.

To get enough fish back in the river, we have to curtail some of the ocean activity, said Mike Burner, deputy director of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, who advises a 14-member panel that will vote on the final restrictions.

Regulations north of California are pegged to be even more stringent, with one proposal calling for the complete closure of the commercial salmon season in Washington and northern Oregon.

In California, the opportunity for commercial salmon fishing will be narrowed to as little as half of what it was last year, according to Dave Bitts, a salmon troller who serves as an outside adviser to the council.

The recreational season, which is scheduled to begin next month, is not expected to be as limited.

Blame warm waters

Federal regulators attribute the low counts of salmon to ocean waters that have been warmer than usual, due in part to a peculiar blob of balmy water off the West Coast last year. The increased water temperatures  also traced to climate change  have disrupted the fish and its prey, experts say.

Inland, reduced snowpack and competing demands for water amid the California drought have dried up and warmed the rivers and creeks where the salmon spawn. Just 3 percent of last years young winter-run chinook are believed to have survived their migration to sea in the soupy Sacramento River.

No season in 2008-09

Similarly poor ocean and river conditions led to the outright closure of the states salmon season in 2008 and 2009.

Anglers hoping that last years disappointing salmon season would be followed by a successful crab season were shocked to find the Dungeness opener in November canceled. Regulators found high levels of a neurotoxin, domoic acid, in the shellfish, due to an algal bloom also linked to the warm Pacific.

Most California waters have not opened to crab fishing since.

They call this Fishermans Wharf. But pretty soon theres going to be no more fishermen here, said Mike Phillips, 49, a third-generation angler who was at San Franciscos Pier 45 on Tuesday. Were losing our businesses.

Phillips said he lost all of his income with the closure of the crab season, and he now worries his plight wont improve much with the salmon opener.

Tests for domoic acid in crab released Monday showed slightly elevated levels of the toxin near where the Russian River flows into the ocean, according to Larry Collins, president of the Crab Boat Owners Association  meaning little chance that crabbing will resume anytime soon.

Clean tests are required two weeks in a row before the season can be opened, putting waters south of Point Arena off limits for at least three more weeks.

Slow time at wharf

Most crab fishermen have already given up on the season.

Theres definitely a point where people are going to go salmon fishing instead of crabbing, Collins said. We usually start stacking the gear out by the end of March ... (but) really, Ive never seen it this dead.

Down at the wharf its like a graveyard, he added. I dont know what we're going to do.

San Francisco Chronicle

staff writer Peter Fimrite

contributed to this story.

Kurtis Alexander and Jenna Lyons are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com, jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander @JennaJourno
Connecticut may join New York, California and a handful of other states in requiring that tax preparers hold a license, with state law today allowing anyone to fill out a tax return on behalf of others for a fee.

The legislation comes more than two years after a federal appeals court barred the Internal Revenue Service from enforcing a similar requirement for those preparing IRS forms for compensation.

The Connecticut General Assemblys Government Administration and Elections Committee is considering the bill, with its members including state Sen. Laura Devlin (R-Fairfield), Sen. Mike McLachlan (R-Danbury), Rep. Patricia Billie Miller (D-Stamford) and Rep. Jonathan Steinberg (D-Westport). The legislation would create a state board of tax practitioners to oversee licensing and enforcement, with members appointed by the governor and administered by the secretary of the state.

In 2013, tax preparers completed just over 860,000 returns in Connecticut, according to Brookings Institution data analyzed by the National Consumer Law Center. In testifying Monday for the bills passage, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said that more than 400,000 returns are completed each year in Connecticut by individuals lacking the CPA designation or another that would otherwise qualify them for the work.

Merrill added the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy receives numerous complaints in the first half of each year from individuals who claim were harmed by their tax preparers. Board of Accountancy members include Tim Egan, an audit partner in the Stamford office of KPMG, and Dannel Lyne, a partner with Dylewsky, Goldberg and Brenner with offices in Stamford and Westport.

These matters are often referred to the Board of Accountancy by the Department of Consumer Protection and other state and federal agencies, Merrill stated. More often than not the (tax preparer) is a person who does not hold a professional credential or who is not regulated by the Internal Revenue Service. As a result, the issue is unresolved, leaving the complainant with no recourse other than civil or criminal court, which can be very costly, particularly when the (tax preparer) has gone off the grid until the following tax season.

As currently envisioned, tax preparers would pay an initial application fee of $50, with licenses renewed annually. Failure to properly complete tax returns would expose preparers to penalties of up to $2,500. Exemptions would exist for certified public accountants and employees who handle tax returns as part of their regular jobs.

New York requires tax preparers to pay a $100 fee and complete four hours of continuing education, with the course requirements quadrupling for those who complete fewer than 10 returns.

In a 2014 report, the Government Accountability Office conducted mystery shopper tests of tax preparers that found just 2 of 19 completed tax forms accurately, and with more than half signing off on taxpayers receiving refunds that were hundreds or thousands of dollars more than they should have gotten. And GAO noted IRS data on tax returns suggesting preparers had a higher rate of errors  in 60 percent of cases  than self-prepared returns, which were accurate about half the time.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-964-2236; www.twitter.com/casoulman
Number of the day

$3.7 billion

Thats how much Volkswagen AG is being sued for in a German court by 278 institutional investors from around the world. The case comes almost six months after Volkswagen admitted it installed software in its diesel vehicles to cheat emissions testing, a scandal that has rippled through the global auto industry, with many lawsuits in the U.S. and around the world. As for the latest suit, Volkswagen spokesman Eric Felber said he couldnt comment because the company isnt familiar with its details.

Doh!

When you run an event, sometimes youre only as good as your dumbest volunteer. South by Southwest festival organizers found that out over the weekend, much to their embarrassment, when U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Muslim, was told she had to remove her hijab in order to get a credential. South by Southwest registration official Amin Simms said in an email afterward that festival organizers apologized to Muhammad for the insensitive request about the head covering. The volunteer was dismissed.

Top tweet

I miss the old Kanye.

Thats from Chuck the Condor, the official Los Angeles Clippers mascot, as part of a faux-feud Sunday with, of course, Kanye West. Earlier in the day, West tweeted to the Clippers owner: Steve Ballmer can I please redesign the Clippers mascot. Ballmer was diplomatic, saying he loves the condor, but also loves Wests creativity, and the two agreed to have lunch, which might ruffle a few feathers.

The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing
Uber is barreling full speed ahead into moving goods as well as people, getting closer to the future promised by CEO Travis Kalanick of being a logistics kingpin.

On Tuesday it dramatically expanded its UberEats meal-delivery service  currently a limited lunchtime offering  with all-day ordering throughout San Francisco, from over 100 restaurants, through a new app.

Just as you can get a ride with the tap of a button, now you can get great food at the tap of a button as well, said Susan Alban, general manager for Uber Everything in San Francisco. She also oversees UberRush, which delivers purchases made from local merchants. Were leveraging our Uber network and think we can deliver as fast as 25, 30 or 40 minutes from the time the food is ordered, she said. She pointed to UberEats being Ubers first stand-alone app as proof of its commitment to the field.

Similar UberEats expansions will happen this week in Chicago and Houston, while Los Angeles and Toronto have already seen all-day UberEats arrive. New York, Washington, Atlanta, Seattle and Dallas are still to come.

More for you Is UberEats a Seamless Killer?

All along, Ubers ever-escalating valuation, now at a jaw-dropping $64.5 billion, has been predicated on the premise that it would leverage its connections with drivers and customers to become a logistics company. But some experts point out that theres a crucial difference between disrupting the taxi industry, a business everyone agrees was broken, and getting into urban food delivery, where a score of tech-savvy rivals already have established beachheads.

Its a very crowded space with powerful incumbents, said Max Wolff, chief economist for Manhattan Venture Partners, which does research on late-stage private companies. However, to the extent Uber can become more of a trusted high-end lifestyle brand, I guess this might make sense.

Competitive market

Postmates, GrubHub, Yelps Eat24, Squares Caviar, Seamless and DoorDash all offer restaurant delivery in San Francisco. The space already has claimed one victim: San Franciscos Sidecar, a ride-hailing pioneer, last year shifted to focus on deliveries of food and goods, but went out of business in December, with General Motors acquiring its assets.

San Franciscos Postmates, one of the biggest restaurant couriers in the city, gets three-quarters of its business from meal deliveries. Prepared food is what got our growth flywheel started, CEO Bastian Lehmann wrote in a Medium post last week. Food is to Postmates what books were to Amazon.

This is a very competitive landscape, said April Conyers, a spokeswoman for Postmates, which has some 25,000 couriers in 200 cities delivering food and parcels. There are a whole lot of different complexities that come when youre delivering items rather than people.

Postmates recently won a deal to deliver coffee and other goods for Starbucks. As part of that business, it developed custom coffee carriers to prevent spills. Postmates also uses a wide variety of couriers, including some on foot and on bicycles, not just drivers, and touts delivery from a wider range of restaurants than Uber.

But Uber and some of its restaurant partners say that its massive scale and fine-tuned technology will give it an edge. It has more than 400,000 active drivers nationally, with more than 40,000 in the Bay Area. (Active drivers are those who have given at least four rides in the past month.) Only top-rated drivers will ferry food and packages, and the items will never share the car with a passenger, Uber said. Drivers will have insulated bags to carry the food and will be paid for time and distance.

What appealed to us is that Ubers network (of drivers) is more than 20-fold anyone elses, said Ryan Cole, co-owner of Hi Neighbor Group, whose Fat Angel Food & Libation restaurant in the Fillmore District has signed up for the expanded UberEats, after testing lunchtime delivery with Uber at another of his restaurants. Our biggest concern was how would it represent our brand if the food sits there for two hours. With Uber and its hundreds of thousands of drivers, we had a comfort level at giving it a shot.

Uber declined to say how much commission it would be paid by the restaurants. Some restaurant owners in New York griped that it was taking a 30 percent cut of UberEats orders, about double what rivals take. Customers will pay $5 per delivery, but the fee will be waived during an initial period of indeterminate length.

All the competition shows theres a huge appetite for food delivery, Alban said.Weve been working on complex issues like dispatch and logistics for many years, so that we can bring Uber speed to food.

UberEats has been available in San Francisco since August as a limited lunchtime program, offering a few select items from a rotating roster of restaurants, available only from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays in the Financial District and South of Market for a $1.50 fee. The superfast lunchtime UberEats will continue alongside the expanded program, which will blanket the entire city and run from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The lunchtime program requires customers to schlep to the sidewalk to receive their food. The expanded UberEats will offer doorfront delivery, although curbside pickups might be necessary in more-congested areas, such as the Financial District, Uber said.

Despite its high private valuation, in the larger world of logistics, Uber is far from the big boy on the block.

Have you heard of UPS and FedEx? Wolff said.

Amazon rival

And for on-demand, same-day deliveries, theres a powerful foe: Amazon. Its started aggressively muscling into restaurant-food delivery in cities including San Diego, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Austin and Portland, Ore., and its Amazon Prime Now ferries goods from other merchants in some markets. For now, it delivers only to Amazon Prime subscribers, who pay a $99 annual membership plus per-delivery fees in some cases.

Amazon is the king of moving stuff around, Wolff said. And competing with Amazon has generally meant dying a horrible death. Theyre really smart, really experienced, really good at what they do  and they dont care if they make a profit.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid

Analyses by Carolyn Said
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DNA evidence collected from a San Francisco basement where the Night Stalker raped and killed a 9-year-old girl in 1984 has produced a possible match to a second person, authorities said, but investigators have not linked the other individual to the crime and do not know whether he was in the basement at the same time.

Police officials confirmed Tuesday that they were looking into the second person, who was a juvenile at the time of Richard Ramirezs slaying of Mei Linda Leung on April 10, 1984. Her body was found hanging over a pipe in the basement of her Tenderloin apartment building at 765 OFarrell St.

The girl had been with her 8-year-old brother when she lost a dollar bill and went looking for it, police said. The boy wandered away, then came back to the basement and found his sister dead. The case remained unsolved for years  even after Ramirezs capture in 1985.

Brutal attack

It was 2009 when police concluded the girl was beaten, raped and stabbed by Ramirez, a devil-worshiping serial killer who came to be known as the Night Stalker for a string of Southern California attacks in which he broke into homes and murdered people. He was ultimately convicted of 13 killings, but is suspected of several other slayings and attacks.

The pace and brutality of his spree  some victims were mutilated, their eyes gouged out  terrorized the state before he was spotted, subdued and pummeled by bystanders in 1985. He was sentenced to death in 1989, but died in 2013 from cancer.

In 2009, DNA evidence linked Ramirez to Meis rape and murder. At the time, The Chronicle reported that the evidence also revealed the possibility of a second suspect.

John Sanchez, crime lab manager for the San Francisco Police Department, said Tuesday that genetic material from a second individual  a much smaller sample than that of Ramirez  was uploaded to the FBIs database in 2009 and returned a potential hit in 2012.

However, the genetic material from the second person did not represent a complete DNA profile and never should have been uploaded to the criminal database, Sanchez said, because incomplete profiles can result in false positives.

It shouldnt have gone in because it didnt meet the standards, he said. Any ID (made from the flawed sample) would require further investigation.

The New York Post reported Monday that the second DNA profile had been linked to a man who was a juvenile in 1984. Authorities have declined to name the person, who has not been charged with any crimes related to the killing.

San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr told KPIX-TV that investigators were familiar with the second person.

Theres a handkerchief that was found, and there was a second sample on it, Suhr said. And we and the crime lab are trying to work to see if we can somehow connect this other person in some way to the offense.

A spokesman for the San Francisco district attorneys office said there was not enough evidence for additional charges.

Richard Ramirez has been previously identified as a suspect in the gruesome murder of Mei Leung, said Max Szabo in a written statement. At this time there is insufficient evidence to charge anyone else in connection with this crime.

L.A. slaying

Mei was slain more than two months before what had been Ramirezs first known murder, the killing on June 28, 1984, of 79-year-old Jennie Vincow in the Glassell Park area of Los Angeles.

But Mei was not Ramirezs only San Francisco victim. On Aug. 17, 1985, about two weeks before his arrest, Ramirez allegedly shot and killed a 66-year-old accountant, Peter Pan, as he slept in his home near Lake Merced. Pans wife, Barbara, who was beaten and shot, survived but was left disabled.

On the walls, the killer scrawled pentagrams and Jack the Knife in lipstick. Authorities later learned that someone matching Ramirezs description had sold Barbara Pans jewelry in El Sobrante.

San Francisco police also have long suspected Ramirez of killing Masataka Kobayashi, 45, chef and part owner of Masas restaurant on Bush Street, on Nov. 13, 1984.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale
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The stolen car a gunman fled in after shooting two men outside a La Honda home was found parked at the Daly City BART Station, authorities said Monday.

San Mateo County Sheriffs detectives are working to identify the person who shot a homeowner and a tenant multiple times in the head and torso Saturday, police said. One of the victims is in critical condition; the other is serious but stable, said Sgt. Rebecca Rosenblatt, a sheriffs office spokeswoman.
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An Uber driver who fled from officers who tried to pull him over for having his high beams on ended up getting shot with a stun gun and arrested after leading the California Highway Patrol on a high-speed chase through at least five East Bay cities, authorities said Tuesday.

It started just before 9 p.m. Monday when a CHP officer tried to pull over 37-year-old Idrees Zalmy of Newark, who was alone in his car at the time, on eastbound Interstate 80 near San Pablo Dam Road in San Pablo, said Officer Sean Wilkenfeld, a CHP spokesman.
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The family of a man shot and killed last year by four Oakland police officers who said he pointed a pellet gun at them denounced Tuesday what they contend was a drawn-out process of obtaining critical details of his death  including the coroners autopsy report and surveillance footage.

Richard Perkins, 39, was shot 15 times the evening of Nov. 15 by three rookie officers and a sergeant who has been on the force for seven years. Police said Perkins pointed a replica gun at the officers just prior to his death  an assertion disputed by family members, who earlier this month met with homicide detectives to view security video of the incident.

The four who opened fire  Sgt. Joseph Turner and Officers Jonathan Cairo, Joshua Barnard and Allahno Hughes  remain on paid administrative leave while the case is being investigated.

Next of kin were not notified of Perkins death until two days after the shooting, according to the coroners report and the family.

Ada Perkins Henderson, his mother, said she came across the aftermath of the shooting and watched detectives working from the periphery of the crime scene, not realizing who had died there.

I was praying for someone elses son, she said. I didnt know it was my son I was praying for.

Family members also said it took four months and repeated requests before they got a copy of the coroners report or viewed footage of the shooting, which was obtained by police from a gas station security camera.

Officer Marco Marquez, a police spokesman, said Tuesday the public and media were not allowed to view the video because of the departments investigation. The officers body cameras were not activated during the entire encounter, Marquez said.

The family said the video showed Perkins walking down 90th Avenue toward Bancroft Avenue in Oakland with a fake pistol, later identified as a Desert Eagle replica pellet gun, in his waistband when officers fired on him without warning.

He thought that the best way for him to make it home alive would be to tell the officers that he had a toy gun, said Cat Brooks, co-founder of Oaklands Anti Police-Terror Project, who joined the family for a news conference Tuesday morning at the spot Perkins died.

His siblings said he was in the area because he wanted to look at motorcycles, a passion of his, which had been impounded by police after a series of illegal sideshows that weekend.

You did not give him no command, no fair warning, no nothing, said Latonya Perkins, one of his sisters. He was never threatening to no one.

Police, meanwhile, said Perkins had drawn the realistic-looking pellet gun and pointed it at officers, who quickly scattered and fired their weapons.

Marquez said he could not comment on the contents of the video.

According to the autopsy findings, obtained by The Chronicle from the coroners office, of the 15 bullets that struck Perkins, several hit him in the back. Toxicology results showed traces of cocaine and methamphetamine in his blood system, according to the report.

We see in case after case after case that the coroners office, which actually is the sheriffs department, colludes with the Alameda County police departments to keep this information from families, Brooks said.

In keeping with standard protocol, Oakland Police Departments internal affairs division and homicide section are investigating the shooting. The Alameda County district attorneys office is also probing the incident, as it does with all officer-involved shootings in the county.

While we recognize that in certain circumstances the use of potentially lethal force is necessary, our greatest value is human life and the community we serve, the Police Department said. The Oakland Police Department is committed to transparency. However, a complete investigative process requires information be limited in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation.

The incident was the seventh officer-involved shooting in Oakland last year and the fifth fatal one.

Family members said they are preparing to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
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A federal judge cleared the way Monday for San Francisco prosecutors to release information they have withheld about charges against three local officials accused of accepting bribes from undercover agents that were allegedly intended for Mayor Ed Lee.

District Attorney George Gascons office said, however, that it would seek to keep the evidence out of public view.

The officials  former San Francisco school board President Keith Jackson, former Human Rights Commissioner Nazly Mohajer and former commission staff member Zula Jones  are accused of taking and trying to conceal $20,000 in purported campaign contributions to Lee. The mayor has not been charged.

Gascon, who filed the charges, has refused to provide details to either the defendants or the public. He said he was bound by a protective order issued last year by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in a political corruption case that apparently produced the evidence leading to the local charges.

The order was intended to conceal the identities of undercover FBI agents and informants, allowing them to continue their confidential investigation, and to shield innocent parties whose names came up in the investigation.

But Superior Court Judge Edward Torpoco told Gascon to check with Breyer about the scope of his secrecy order, and on Monday, the federal judge said that the order didnt apply to the local case and that the release of the information was up to Torpoco.

Defenses contention

That means defense lawyers in the case should receive all the evidence that prosecutors have against their clients, said Mohajers lawyer, Martha Boersch.

Torpoco indicated two weeks ago that he wasnt inclined to keep information out of public view unless secrecy was still required in the federal case. But Max Szabo, a spokesman for Gascon, said Monday that the district attorney believes some of the evidence should remain confidential, and he will file a request for a protective order with Torpoco by the end of the week.

In a Feb. 16 court filing seeking an order prohibiting defense lawyers from disclosing evidence they receive from prosecutors, Assistant District Attorney Kelly Burke acknowledged that the public has a genuine and compelling interest in learning the detailed facts of this corruption case.

But, she argued, the appropriate venue for the disclosure of those facts is in a public courtroom during hearings or a trial.

The federal case has led to guilty pleas by former state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, and by Jackson  Yees consultant and fundraiser  on charges of arranging and accepting bribes to Yee from undercover agents posing as contributors. Yee has been sentenced to five years in federal prison and Jackson, who pleaded guilty to additional charges, has been sentenced to nine years.

The five-year undercover investigation also netted Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow, the former leader of a Chinatown civic organization.

A jury convicted him in January of running the organization as a criminal racketeering enterprise and ordering the murder of its former leader in 2006. Chow faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

During pretrial proceedings last year, Chows lawyers released documents obtained from prosecutors indicating that undercover agents had also investigated Lee and his associates.

Pay to play

In one secretly recorded conversation in 2012, Mohajer and Jones discussed accepting $20,000 from an agent, who posed as a businessman, and breaking it into $500 checks to pay off debts from Lees 2011 election campaign. The maximum legal contribution to local candidates in San Francisco is $500.

You pay to play here, Jones told the agent, according to a transcript.

Citing Breyers protective order, Gascons office, however, has not released details of the bribery charges against Mohajer, Jones and Jackson. The charging documents did not spell out the goal of the alleged bribery, saying only that the payments were intended to influence the vote, opinion and actions of Jones and Mohajer as city employees.

Defense lawyers have protested the secrecy, citing the disclosures by Chows lawyers and saying the public has a right to know about the extent of the alleged corruption.

The defendants are due back in court for arraignment April 6.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@egelko
Two police officers suffered minor injuries after they struggled with an allegedly intoxicated man who brandished a box cutter in a Novato street, authorities said Tuesday.

Just after 1 p.m. on Sunday, officers responded to reports of a man running into traffic on the 400 block of San Marin Drive, said Sgt. Jay Demski, a police spokesman.

Upon arrival, the man, later identified as 27-year-old Mark Elloway of Concord, refused officers directions and ran into traffic again yelling that he intended to harm his family, Demski said in a statement.

Officers tried to get Elloway out of traffic but he began resisting, Demski said, and at some point pulled out a box cutter.

Police used a stun gun to subdue him, but Elloway continued to resist, Demski said, and a passing driver pulled over to help the officers get him into handcuffs.

He would eventually be put into restraints as he was transported to Novato Community Hospital.

Two of the responding officers suffered minor injuries, Demski said, and were treated at a hospital on Sunday and released.

After receiving medical clearance, Elloway was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer, Demski said.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale
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DERBY  Five consulting firms will be the first interviewed as the city moves forward on its effort to redevelop the now nearly barren south side of Main Street/Route 34.

The Consultant Selection Committee chose the firms during an organizational meeting Monday night. Committee members expect to spend anywhere from one to two hours interviewing each.

I'm very satisfied with the firms we are starting with, said Carmen DiCenso, a member of the committee and also Board of Aldermen president. Every member had at least three of them among their top choices."

The five firms, in alphabetical order, are: Dodson & Flinker Inc., of Ashfield, Mass.; Dover, Kohl & Partners, of Gables, Fla.; Kevin Dwarka LLC, of New York City; Milone & MacBroom, of Cheshire; and RBA Group of Connecticut, of Norwalk.

The five have been asked to develop a plan that takes into account public input and capitalizes on the streets riverfront access. Their plans must include zoning change suggestions, a transportation, traffic circulation and parking study, a development and marketing plan; and an economic analysis taking into account residential, retail and possibly educational units, such as a satellite campus.

The 14-acre, sloped section of Main Street in Derby is being redeveloped was once a bustling retail district housing iconic Valley businesses like the Howard & Barber department store, Vonetes Palace of Sweets and Hubbell Brothers shoes. Only four buildings remain. All of those are to be demolished as the state prepares to turn the two-lane roadway into four-lanes with a median divider. That work could begin as early as 2018.

The state Bond Commission authorized $445,000 for Derby to hire a multidisciplinary consultant develop a plan.

Marjorie Shansky, the citys land use lawyer, said each of the five firms would be contacted and interviews scheduled.

Mark Nielsen, a committee member and assistant executive director of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, urged each of his five colleagues to re-read the proposals from the five firms, and to formulate questions.

We should ask everyone the same questions, he said. Nielsen proposed that the interviews each begin with a 20-to-25 minute presentation by the firm, followed by a 20-to-25 minute question-and-answer session. The firms would then get a final chance to make their pitch.

DiCenso said he expects the committee to recommend a consultant to the Board of Aldermen by the end of summer.

The chosen firm would be the third in the last decade to try to finalize a plan for the practically barren downtown. The two other firms, Ceruzzi-Derby and Eclipse Development of California failed to come up with tenants. Ceruzzi then sued the city, claiming breach of contract, and eventually settled for $1.75 million.
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Not even the rebuilding of Sandy Hook Elementary School is insulated from deficit politics in Connecticut.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloys administration wants to repurpose $2.3 million of the $50 million that the state bonded for the project to help close a billion-dollar fiscal gap. It expects the project, which is nearing its completion, to come in under budget and to create an opportunity for savings from the surplus.

The measure is tucked into a proposal to cancel $385 million in bonds, which requires approval of the Legislature. Budget architects say the state must pare back its bonding to get below a cap that is tied to revenues.

But some Republicans have been critical of what they view as a cut by Malloy, a Democrat who became one of the public faces of the worst grade-school shooting in U.S. history in December 2012.

The last I heard about these funds was the governor was withholding $2.3 million of bond funds, said state Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, R-Monroe, whose district includes Newtown. I want to make sure that were getting all the funding from the state that was promised for the project.

Malloys budget architects reaffirmed their support for the politically sensitive and high-profile project, saying there are other sources of funding that are being discussed by the state and town.

The state is committed to seeing this project through with the appropriate funding and will ensure that happens, said Gian-Carl Casa, undersecretary for legislative affairs at the state Office of Policy and Management.

Built on the site where 20 first-graders and six educators were murdered by a heavily armed gunman, the new school is being funded entirely by the state. The Sandy Hook Elementary School was demolished.

State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, who also represents Newtown, urged Malloys administration to wait before trying to recoup surplus funds from the ongoing project.

I think, in some ways, the governors office and OPM might have been ahead of itself, Hwang said. Look, the project is not finished. Lets make sure we get it done first before we start allocating money elsewhere.

Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra, a Republican, downplayed the controversy in a recent email to Hearst Connecticut Media.

I think it has been resolved  not sure, though, Llodra said.

Newtown Schools Superintendent Joseph Erardi Jr. did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Robert Mitchell, the chairman of Newtowns public building and site commission, said the new school should be ready for occupancy in June and for when classes resume in August.

The project is running about $1 million to $2 million under budget, according to Mitchell, who said the town has been economical in the expenditure of taxpayer money.

We want to send something back to the state, Mitchell said.

Although the town is required by law to return surplus funds to the state, Sredzinski said Newtown should take steps to ensure the project doesnt run out of money.

I am very leery to support any giveback until I am certain there is not going to be a need for that money, Sredzinski said.

Hwang said state budget architects most likely were not up to speed on the projects schedule.

Until a project is done, you never know what expenses and costs may be incurred, he said.

Despite calling the governors proposal unsettling, Hwang said he trusts Malloy to make good.

I want to say the governors always shown great support for the Sandy Hook community, Hwang said. Through vigilance and consistently communicating, were confident that promise will be kept.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
If you had a Facebook post that reached more than a million people, generated 27,000-some likes/emojis, 9,700-some shares and 2,060-plus comments and you weren't an A-list Hollywood star or a B-list celebrity popping off a mostly nude photo just after climbing out of hot, soapy bath ... well, you'd probably blush with pleasure in your surprise popularity.

And then you'd start reading the comments and very very quickly wish you didn't have eyes or couldn't read or at the very least could erase your recent memory. Internet comments from outside of your normal sphere of family, friends and *like* pals (and too often from within them) are typically brutal attacks on your character, morals, brains and right to existence.

Now, travel guru and a Northwest favorite son Rick Steves has a robust FB following and has been in the limelight supporting controversial drug-law reform that culminated locally (and nationally) in critical support of marijuana legalization. But even with more than 350,000 page followers, this quite simple post caused quit a stir even for him:

"I'm a hardworking, tax-paying, kid-raising, church-going citizen of the United States. And if I work hard all day long and want to go home, smoke a joint, and just stare at the fireplace for three hours  that is my civil liberty."

It's not the first time he's said that alarming (?) phrase. In fact you can hear it and his take on legalization in this video we did of him from Seattle Hempfest in 2014:

But, the timing was right or a moonbeam flashed across Puget Sound and bam! ... the Internet weighed in. Steves said he shared the post mainly to draw attention to an interview with him in the Seattle news magazine Crosscut that "shares my thinking well." After the big blowup, he wrote in this blog post from Feb. 22:

"Reading through these comments Sunday night, I couldn't resist responding to some. This morning, I read over our dialogue and wished that more people could see it. So I compiled and edited this selection of a few of the more notable back-and-forths ..."

We chatted with Steves and got permission to put those responses into a gallery above with photos we've selected to add to your reading pleasure as we head into an election cycle that will likely see a majority of the 20 states seeking some marijuana reform get it.

Check them out and go on over to Steves' FB page to join the party.

Jake Ellison can be reached at 206-448-8334 or jakeellison@seattlepi.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/Jake_News. Also, swing by and *LIKE* his page on Facebook. If Google Plus is your thing, check out our science coverage here.
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WASHINGTON  Former city and federal officials pointed fingers at one another for failing to protect the 100,000 citizens of Flint, Mich., from lead-laced water at a congressional hearing Tuesday as Republicans targeted for blame an Environmental Protection Agency executive who resigned as the crisis worsened.

Amid withering criticism, Susan Hedman sought to defend the EPAs actions to deal with the contamination in the predominantly African American city. I dont think anyone at EPA did anything wrong, but I do believe we could have done more, said Hedman, the former director of the EPAs Midwest regional office.
WASHINGTON  The easiest way to gain entry into the United States is not to walk across the border in the dead of night. It is to write a check.

A visa process enacted by Congress in 1990 to create jobs and pump billions of dollars into the economy has evolved into a program that federal investigators and some prominent lawmakers say has become a risk to national security and an easy mark for abuse, particularly from China.
DETROIT  An Uber driver accused of killing six people and wounding two others last month in the Kalamazoo area told police that the ride-hailing app took over his mind and body and made him carry out the rampage.

In a series of interviews with police in the hours after the Feb. 20 shootings, Jason Dalton, 45, confessed to the killings, but blamed it on the Uber app, stating his smartphone directed him where to go and when to shoot people. Dalton said he would have gotten in a shootout with police when he was arrested but the app directed him not to.
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WASHINGTON  In a major reversal, the Obama administration said Tuesday it will bar oil drilling off Americas Atlantic Coast, a move cheered by environmentalists and consistent with the presidents aggressive steps to combat climate change.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the decision protects the Atlantic for future generations. She said the administration had listened to thousands of people in coastal communities from Florida to New England who said, Now is not the time to start leasing off the Atlantic Coast.

However, business groups and most Republicans criticized it as another example of what they call executive overreach.

Despite a surge in oil and natural gas production in the past seven years that has helped push gasoline prices below $2 a gallon, Republicans and industry groups have criticized President Obama for imposing what they say are unnecessary regulations on drilling, especially on federal lands. Most of the drilling boom has occurred on state and private lands and in the Gulf of Mexico, long the center of U.S. offshore oil production.

The decision reverses a proposal made last year in which the administration floated a plan that would have opened a broad swath of the Atlantic Coast to drilling. That January 2015 proposal would have opened up sites more than 50 miles off Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia to oil drilling no earlier than 2021.

Obama, in his final year in office, is working to build an environmental legacy that includes a global agreement to curb climate change and an ambitious plan to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. He also has imposed stricter limits on smog-causing pollution linked to asthma and has rejected the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.

The proposal on Atlantic drilling is likely to become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Both Democratic candidates oppose it, while Republicans vow to expand drilling.

The plan announced Tuesday covers potential lease sales from 2017 to 2022 and calls for leasing 10 areas in the gulf and three off the Alaska coast.

A coalition of groups that oppose Atlantic drilling had organized protests and petitions in southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, often running into opposition from governors and other political leaders. Republican governors in North and South Carolina back drilling off their states coasts, as does the Democratic governor of Virginia. The states two Democratic senators also support drilling.

President Obama has taken a giant step for our oceans, for coastal economies and for mitigating climate change, said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of Oceana, an environmental group. This is a victory for people over politics and shows the importance of old-fashioned grassroots organizing.
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Inspired by a rare sighting of steelhead trout, biologists and volunteers tromped through Alameda Creek under the BART tracks in Fremont on Tuesday in an animated search for the fish, a federally protected species that once reigned supreme throughout the Bay Area but is now almost gone.

The expedition was an attempt to find two steelhead spotted last week, and some of their buddies, but the search party came up empty, netting only carp, some pike minnow and an ice chest full of the slithery eel-like fish known as the Pacific lamprey.

No success with the steelhead, said a disappointed Jeff Miller, executive director of the Alameda Creek Alliance, as he stood in the creek bed, wet up to his thighs. We know they are still here in the creek and we will probably come back after the next set of storms and try again to net them.

The pair of steelhead, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, were spotted by biologists last week in the flood control channel below the BART weir, a concrete barrier that has blocked fish migration for decades.

It was the first confirmed sighting of steelhead in Alameda Creek in eight years and grounds for giddiness among fisheries biologists, who have been working for decades to bring back the historic fish migrations.

The biologists were hoping to capture the elusive trout, affix them with radio tags and release them into the upper part of the watershed, where they could be monitored as they freely laid eggs in what was once their native habitat. The spot where steelhead are born is forever imprinted in their brains, which is why the fish return every three to five years.

The volunteers, led by biologists with the East Bay Regional Park District and Alameda Creek Alliance, blocked the escape routes under the weir and dragged the remaining pond with netting. The effort was helped along by the Alameda County Water District, which used an inflatable dam upstream to block the flow of the creek, which has been raging after a series of storms over the past week.

We have a remnant run here  a small number of fish who try to come up in wet winters, Miller said. Like everything, steelhead are just a fraction of their historic numbers, (but) weve got 20 miles of good spawning habitat.

Major tributary

The 45-mile-long Alameda Creek is the third-largest tributary of San Francisco Bay behind the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. It has been the focus of intensive restoration efforts since 1997, when Central Coast steelhead were listed as threatened.

Huge numbers of steelhead and coho salmon once swam up Alameda Creek, which runs through Niles Canyon and the Sunol Valley, bisecting both Santa Clara and Alameda counties before emptying out along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in Hayward.

Dams and various blockages and diversions, though, cut off the migratory route of the fish. Coho have not been seen in the East Bay waterway since the 1960s and it has been a half century since any significant number of steelhead have spawned in the creek, according to watershed biologists.

Fifteen federal, state and local agencies, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Alameda County Water District, are working within the watershed, which essentially drains the southern two-thirds of the East Bay, including the southern slopes of Mount Diablo.

Seventeen fish-passage projects have been completed since 2001. And several fish ladders are expected to be built, including one bypassing the Fremont weir and the inflatable rubber dam upstream, between 2017 and 2020.

Capital improvements

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is also rebuilding the seismically unsafe Calaveras Dam in the upper Alameda Creek watershed. The $416 million project, which is expected to be completed in 2018, will replace the 210-foot-high earthen barrier that has collected water from Alameda Creek since 1925.

The rainbow trout in the reservoir are believed to be landlocked steelhead that are descendants of the indigenous fish population, biologists say. Conservationists hope to use those fish as a potential gene pool for restoring the original native steelhead runs.

The new dam will have fish ladders and screens to prevent fish from being sucked into pumps. Once that is done, the weir in Fremont will be the largest impassable barrier left in the watershed.

The idea is to eventually open 20 miles of previously inaccessible habitat for steelhead to migrate, lay eggs and raise babies in the watershed, Miller said.

There has been some progress. Miller said biologists have radio-tagged and moved 27 steelhead since 1997, including a pair of fish that spawned in March 2008 in the Stonybrook Creek tributary in Niles Canyon. There were also unconfirmed sightings of steelhead in the creek in 2010 and 2012.

Its not surprising with this rain that steelhead trout are coming back into Alameda Creek, the largest local tributary to San Francisco Bay, Miller said.

This makes it more urgent to finally build the fish ladders that are planned for the flood control channel, so steelhead can migrate upstream through Niles Canyon and into suitable spawning habitat in upper Alameda Creek.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
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Father Virgilio Elizondo, a well-known theologian, professor at the University of Notre Dame and former rector of San Fernando Cathedral, died Monday, according to several sources.

The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office verified his death late Monday night, as did a longtime friend and administrative assistant Janie Dillard.

Archdiocese of San Antonio officials did not return calls, nor did several other Catholic officials who knew Elizondo well.

Widely considered the founder of U.S. Latino theology, Elizondo had been living under a cloud of suspicion after a lawsuit filed in Bexar County last May accused him of sexually abusing an unidentified boy more than 30 years ago.

RELATED: Two S.A. priests accused of sexual assault of a child in lawsuit

Elizondo denied the allegation and vowed to prove his innocence.

The case was filed by a man, known only as John Doe, who alleged he had been abused by a former priest, Jesus Armando Dominguez, and then was allegedly abused again when he reported the abuse to Elizondo, according to the lawsuit.

He died this morning, Dillard said Monday evening of Elizondo, for whom she had worked for 30 years. I just heard at about 6 oclock.

Dillard could not verify the cause of death, but she said Elizondo died of a broken heart.

She said the allegations against the priest were not true. It could never be (true), she said.

Dillard said she talked with Elizondo weekly but had not heard from him recently.

He has been my salvation all these years, she said. He was all heart.

Its going to be real loss to the world, she said. Im not just talking about San Antonio. Im talking about the world.

RELATED: Records: West Texas missionary admitted to sexually assaulting 11 boys at African orphanage

A highly respected scholar and author, Elizondo founded the Mexican American Cultural Center, now the Mexican American Catholic College, a research and training center for pastoral leaders who come from all over the United States and Latin America to study. The colleges library is named for him.

According to several online biographies, Elizondo was the recipient of numerous awards, including the John Courtney Murray Award for outstanding theological contributions from the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Johannes Quasten Award for excellence and leadership in theological development from the Catholic University of America, the Humanitarian Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards for U.S. Catholics.

Elizondo was named one of Time magazines spiritual innovators for the new millennium and had received six honorary doctorates. He authored numerous books, including Guadalupe: Mother of the New Creation, Virgilio Elizondo: Spiritual Writings and San Fernando Cathedral: Soul of the City which he co-authored.

eayala@express-news.net
He said that Officer Taylor "challenged his prejudice against the police." And made him want to be a "better man." All from just a 45 minute conversation.

Here's what Paxton Brewer wrote:

In Honor of CHP Officer Nathan Taylor -

I knew Nathan for about 45 minutes.

Two weeks ago I was hitch-hiking at Donner Summit after a failed backcountry ski trip. Nathan's CHP cruiser rolled up and I thought "Here we go, I'm about to get harassed by the cops." Nathan rolled down the window and asked if I was all right. I leaned in and told him I was ok, and gave him my story. He asked if I wanted a ride, and I gladly accepted.

In the next 45 minutes we talked, laughed and shared stories. He told me about his wife and kids, his time working in San Jose, and how he loved working up in the mountains away from the city.

When he dropped me off, he gave me his personal phone number and told me to call him at 6:30 if I hadn't gotten a ride - he would pick me up after he got off work and drive me to family in Sacramento. I texted him later in the day to tell him that I had been picked up and thank him. He texted back "All's well that ends well. Glad you made it."

Nathan Taylor was a good man. He was kind, and giving, and he wanted to help. He challenged my prejudice against the police. He inspired me to be a better man.

I have found myself thinking about how I could repay his kindness in the last couple of weeks. About bringing him a 6 pack of beer, or writing the CHP to commend him. I thought about looking him up when I was in the area and offering to buy him dinner. I thought about becoming his friend.

And then I read in the newspaper today that he had been killed on duty this weekend - hit by a car while investigating another accident. And I was, I am, crushed. Buying him a 6 pack or dinner seems so small in scope now. I am sharing this in an effort to broaden that scope. To repay him by inspiring others to be good.

Be a good person. Be kind to strangers. Go out of your way to help them when you can. The time for this is now, not later. Later may never come. The measure of your life is your impact on other people. Make it count.

You made a difference, Nathan. Thank you.

---Paxton Brewer

https://www.facebook.com/paxton.brewer
Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

Watching FXs The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story brings me back to the one day I spent in 1995 at Simpsons murder trial. I play that day over and over in my head. The prosecution had spent an inordinate amount of time asking the coroner about an indentation in Nicole Simpsons back caused, if I recall correctly, from the hook in her bra strap. I thought prosecutors were wrong to burn hours on minutiae instead of presenting a simple but devastating three-week case. No, reporters who had followed the trial from the start, assured me; prosecutors had to establish the indentations cause rather than hand an opening to Simpsons legal Dream Team.

I should have realized that the trials press corps had gotten sucked into the public relations spin  in heeding them, I was too. The dream team had done such a fine job wooing the media that prosecutors started playing to the cameras, not the jury. Distorted by media saturation, I believe the Trial of the Century ended with Simpson getting away with killing his ex-wife and waiter Ronald Goldman.
Erik Tomasson/ Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet made a huge splash last season with Yuri Possokhovs eye-popping multimedia dance spectacular Swimmer, which returns to the War Memorial Opera House Stage on Program 5 this weekend.

Based on a 1964 short story by John Cheever, Swimmer dives into a fantastical world of a handsome 60s suburbanite who takes a surreal, mythical journey home through an American landscape by swimming from one backyard pool to another. Augmented by Kate Duhamels imaginative video projections and Shinji Eshimas score, it is a grand-scale, imaginative, ultimately melancholy work.
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STAMFORD  A city woman with a long criminal history will be sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing two people when she ran a red light, fled the scene of the accident and then hid for a month before being arrested.

Felicia Burl, 33, pleaded guilty Tuesday in state Superior Court in Stamford to two charges of manslaughter and single counts of second-degree assault and hindering prosecution. She will be sentenced on May 10.

Burl entered the pleas one day before jury selection was to set begin in the case. Assistant States Attorney Michelle Manning said the state had a strong case, but she needed to ensure the right outcome for everyone involved and that Burl received the appropriate punishment.

Manning commended the Stamford Police Departments Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad for its investigation.

The CARS officers did a phenomenal job, Manning said. Without their hard work and dedication, we wouldnt have been able to find out the identification of the driver as being Ms. Burl and have such a strong case. They are really good at their job.

Defense attorney David Bothwell said his client faced up to 60 years in jail if a jury convicted her on all counts.

Based on the facts of the case and the evidence we reviewed, she came to the conclusion that the risk of going to trial was too great, especially with the opportunity she was given with the plea offer, he said.

Burl, who now has 29 criminal convictions on her record, was released from prison in March 2014 after serving a 20-month sentence for narcotics violations.

Eight months later, Burl got behind the wheel of a 2002 Nissan Altima and raced southbound down Alvord Lane at 8:45 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2014.

A witness told police he saw the owner of the Altima, Nixon Henry, 50, grasping the open passenger door while standing on the door frame as the car sped through the red light between 40 and 45 mph at West Main Street, police said.

The Nissan slammed into the passenger side of a BMW station wagon driven by Anthony Andriulli, 73, of Greenwich. His wife, Judith Andriulli, 70, was sitting in the passenger seat as the two were driving home after having dinner at City Lights in Stamford.

Judith Andriulli suffered a severe head injury, broken ribs and a broken pelvis. She was cut out of the car by firefighters and died at Stamford Hospital about six hours later.

Henry was thrown from the car and suffered critical injuries. He was pronounced dead at Stamford Hospital less than an hour later.

Burls attorney declined to say much about the night of the accident.

All I can say is that Ms. Burl encountered some physical abuse from Mr. Henry, which led to her getting in the car and trying to escape it. And unfortunately, that is what led to these horrific circumstances, Bothwell said.

When police and firefighters got to the scene, Burl was gone. The U.S. marshals eventually tracked her down in December 2014. She has been held at the York Correctional Institution in Niantic in lieu of a $500,000 court appearance bond since her arrest.

Police took DNA samples from the inside of the Nissan, including one from the deployed steering wheel airbag that matched Burl, the arrest warrant affidavit said. But before police took a second DNA sample to solidify the state charges, Burl had two other women spit in her mouth in an effort to taint the test results, police said.

The two women, Olivia Cevallos, 21, of Taylor Avenue in the Bronx, N.Y., was in custody for a forgery charge, and Alexis Jordan, 23, of Hamden, has since been sentenced to eight years in prison for a Darien burglary.

jnickerson@scni.com;
ANKARA, Turkey  At least 45 Kurdish rebels were killed in Turkish air strikes against suspected militant targets in northern Iraq following the suicide car bombing in Ankara, the military said Tuesday, while clashes in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir left a police officer and three Kurdish militants dead.

Turkish F-16 and F4 jets struck Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, positions across the border in Iraq on Monday, a day after the attack which killed 37 people and wounded dozens of others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Ankara attack.
IDOMENI, Greece  Macedonia pushed hundreds of refugees back into Greece on Tuesday, a day after they had forded a swollen stream and bypassed a border fence in a mass attempt to continue their journey north to Western Europe. Some came back bloody and bruised, saying they were beaten by Macedonian forces.

About 1,500 people, frustrated at being stuck for weeks in a waterlogged tent city outside the closed border crossing of Idomeni, trekked into Macedonia on Monday through an unguarded section of the border near the Greek village of Hamilo.

Interior Ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski said on Tuesday the refugees have been returned to Greece but did not elaborate.

A Macedonian official said 700 refugees who had been detained overnight were returned to Greece through the same location they entered. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, also said about 50 journalists and volunteers detained with the refugees were released after paying fines of $280 for illegally entering Macedonia.

Greek police said groups of refugees were seen coming back from unguarded sections of the border east and west of Idomeni  although Greece says it received no official notification or repatriation request from Macedonia. A spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency in Idomeni, Babar Baloch, confirmed that many had returned to Idomeni.

But some migrants said they were beaten and attacked with stun guns by Macedonian forces, who drove them in military vehicles back to unguarded sections of the border and pushed them through.

We were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers, who hit many of us, said Syrian Molham al-Masri, 21. They hit me with a baton. Others were hit with Tasers.

Afghan Ghulam Haidar, 35, had a badly bruised face and blood on his clothes. He said he was sitting beside a camp fire with his wife and 5-year-old son inside Macedonia when Macedonian police caught them and told them to get up.

I had a bag on my shoulder and had difficulty getting up, he said. As I was at it, a policeman took a stick out of the fire and hit me in the face. They hit my arm too, but luckily left my wife and child alone.

Asked for an explanation, Macedonian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Natalija Spirova Kordikj demanded proof of the reported attacks.

Despite repeated Greek appeals to move to organized shelters elsewhere, about 14,000 people are stuck in the Idomeni tent city in swampy conditions after days of heavy rain. Hundreds were lining up under a shelter Tuesday for food handouts.

For months, hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East and Africa flowed through Idomeni on their way to seek asylum in central Europe. But a tightening in border controls that started in Austria and extended down the Balkan migration route ended in a total border closure last week. Now, about 44,000 people are stranded in Greece after crossing from nearby Turkey in flimsy smugglers boats.
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SKOPJE, Macedonia  Hundreds of migrants braved a fast-moving river to cross from Greece into Macedonia on Monday, defying efforts by European officials to stop people fleeing war and desperation from traveling through the Balkans to Germany and other destinations.

At least three people  two women and a man, all around 20  drowned when trying to cross the border, and four people traveling with them were hospitalized, according to humanitarian groups in the area.

The border had been effectively sealed since last week, when Macedonia, along with Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, said it would no longer allow migrants to pass through on their way northward.

The result has been growing pressure at the Greek-Macedonian border, where an estimated 12,000 to 14,00 migrants have been stuck in increasingly desperate conditions, including an outbreak of hepatitis A.

On Monday, the border finally gave way, at least temporarily. Hundreds of asylum seekers marched westward from a squalid camp near the Greek village of Idomeni and waded into the Suva Reka river, forming human chains to pass infants and toddlers over the rushing water to Macedonia.

The three people who drowned were Afghans, humanitarian groups working in the area said. Although Afghanistan is a poor and war-ravaged country, many Afghans are considered to have only a slim chance of being granted asylum after the European Union categorized them last month as economic migrants. Syrians and many Iraqis who are fleeing civil war and the threat of Islamic extremists have an easier case for asylum in Europe.

EU officials, determined to avoid a repeat of last year, when the asylum system all but collapsed, agreed to a political deal with Turkey last week to stop migrants from pouring into southeastern Europe.

Under the deal, Turkey will receive financial aid and political consideration in exchange for preventing migrants, mostly Syrian, from risking their lives and crossing the Aegean Sea. European officials would assess the asylum applications of Syrian refugees  and directly resettle those whose applications are approved  from refugee camps in Turkey.

The terms of the deal are to be hashed out in Brussels later this week.

The authorities in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, did not provide an official comment on the situation Monday, but they were said to be considering forcing the migrants back to Idomeni, across the Greek border.
BEIRUT  Russias plan to withdraw forces from Syria is sending a strong message to President Bashar Assad, whose hard-line stance is diverging from Moscows interest in declaring its intervention in the country a success while also accelerating peace efforts.

Having dramatically turned the tide of war in Assads favor with five months of intense bombardment of his foes, President Vladimir Putin is pressuring the Syrian leader to engage them in more meaningful dialogue in talks that have begun in Geneva.

There was an overlap in interests in the last few months. Now (the Russians) are telling Assad, This is where we start to diverge, and youve got to step up to your responsibilities, you cant rely on us forever, said Maha Yahya, acting director of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

With an announcement that appeared to take even senior Russian commanders by surprise, Putin ordered most of the estimated 3,000 to 6,000 personnel to begin withdrawing from Syria, a step that raised hopes for progress at newly reconvened U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

The first group of Russian fighter jets left Syria on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said. The planes flew home after the Russian air force contingent began loading equipment and making other technical preparations necessary to start the withdrawal, the ministry said.

The timing of the Russian withdrawal, just as peace talks were resuming in Geneva, offered Putin an opportune moment to declare the bulk of Moscows involvement to be over, while acting as a peacemaker and helping ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the gulf monarchies vexed by the Kremlins military action.

By also pacifying the opposition, Putin has set up the groundwork for what is shaping up to be the best opportunity so far to advance the talks between the two warring sides.

U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, said it is a significant development, which we hope will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva. Syrian opposition spokesman, Salem Al Mislet, also welcomed Russias pullout, saying that if it is serious, it would go a long way in helping the talks.

De Mistura told reporters Tuesday after meeting the opposition delegation in Geneva that progress has been made on humanitarian aid and the reduction of violence but not on the issue of detainees in government jails.

Secretary of State John Kerry called the Russian withdrawal a very important phase in this process and said he would go to Moscow next week to talk with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

While Russia is highly unlikely to drop Assad anytime soon, the withdrawal at least suggests differences between Moscow and Damascus over what the next steps forward should be.

As Assads forces regained momentum, Assad has taken a more hard-line position, saying he will continue fighting until he recaptures every inch of Syrian territory.

Assad also has called for parliamentary elections to be held as scheduled next month in government-held areas of the country.
1 Mideast violence: Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians who carried out a pair of assaults near a West Bank settlement on Monday, the military said. Two Palestinians opened fire on pedestrians at a bus stop near the settlement of Kiryat Arba, wounding an Israeli soldier before they were shot dead. Minutes later, a Palestinian drove his car into an army vehicle responding to the previous attack. He wounded three soldiers before he was fatally shot. The attacks were the latest in a six month-long wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 182 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, 135 of them said by Israel to have been attackers.

2 Poisoning case: British police say a man whose body was found on an isolated moor  and whose identity has stumped detectives  died from strychnine poisoning. The Greater Manchester Police force said Monday that toxicology tests revealed the presence of the substance, a common rat poison. Police have searched for clues to the identity of the man, who was about 70, who was recorded by security cameras traveling by train from London to Manchester on Dec. 11. The next day, his body was found on a path leading to a rocky outcrop. In his pockets were return train tickets and cash  but no ID.
1 Yemen bombing: Yemeni health officials and witnesses said Saudi-led warplanes have bombed a busy market in a northern city, wounding dozens of people. They said at least two air strikes hit the market in Mastaba on Tuesday. Witnesses said there were no nearby military targets even though the city is controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels. An official with the international aid group Doctors Without Borders said at least 40 of the wounded were transferred to a nearby hospital, three of whom were in critical condition.

2 Germany bombing: An explosion that destroyed a car and killed the driver in downtown Berlin during rush hour traffic Tuesday was likely caused by a bomb, police said Tuesday, but investigators are working on the assumption that it was not a terror-related attack. The explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. in the western district of Charlottenburg on a busy street leading into the heart of the German capital. Photos from the scene showed the wreckage of a Berlin-registered silver VW Passat station wagon, its windows blown out and its front end smashed in, about a half mile from the capitals landmark Victory Column.
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar  Myanmars parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the countrys new president Tuesday in a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule.

The joint session of the two houses of parliament broke into thundering applause as the speaker, Mann Win Khaing Than, announced the result: I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes. Immediately, the state-run Myanmar TVs camera zoomed in from above on a beaming Suu Kyi, sitting in the front row, clapping excitedly, for a live nationwide audience.

The 70-year-old Htin Kyaw, a longtime confidant of Suu Kyi, will take office April 1 but questions remain about his position and power.

Rightfully, the job belonged to Suu Kyi, who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement and who endured decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her nonviolent campaign to unseat them. But a constitutional provision barred Suu Kyi from becoming president, and she made it clear that whoever sits in that chair will be her proxy.

Still, Htin Kyaw will be remembered by history as the first civilian president for Myanmar and the head of the first government to be elected in free and fair polls in the country formerly known as Burma,. After the parliament session ended, Suu Kyi did not comment as she exited, leaving the new president to deliver the first reaction.

This is a victory for the people of this country, Htin Kyaw said in a brief comment to reporters.

He secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in the bicameral parliament, where the vote count was read aloud and announced by a parliament official.

The militarys nominee, Myint Swe, won 213 votes and will become the first vice president. Htin Kyaws running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, won 79 votes and will take the post of second vice president.

We are very satisfied with the result of the presidential election, said Tun Win, a legislator from the Arakan National Party. He really should be the leader. I hope he can lead this country to peace and stability, equality, and implement the rule of law in this country.

The United States, which has been a keen supporter of Myanmars shift from military rule, welcomed Htin Kyaws election. In a tweet, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said it was an important step forward in Myanmars democratic transition and the U.S. looks forward to working with Htin Kyaws government.

The NLD, and indeed Suu Kyi, came into prominence in 1988 when popular protests started against the military that had ruled in different incarnations since taking power in a 1962 coup. After crushing antigovernment riots in which thousands of people were killed, the junta placed Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989.

It called elections in 1990, which the NLD swept. But the military ignored the results and stayed in power. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a year later, and it was around this time that Htin Kyaw  then a computer programmer-turned-bureaucrat  became involved in party work. His father-in-law was already a prominent NLD leader and his wife a member.
CARACAS, Venezuela  The number of bodies recovered from a mass grave in southeastern Venezuela near where a group of miners went missing has risen to 17.

Police investigating the massacre made the grisly discovery near a wildcat gold claim where the miners disappeared a week ago,

Attorney General Luisa Ortega said late Monday on Twitter that investigators concluded their work in the jungle where the bodies were found wrapped in black plastic bags and dumped in a 16-foot-deep hole.

The circumstances behind the massacre remain unclear. Ortega said she believes 21 people were killed by a criminal gang led by an Ecuadoran. But opposition lawmakers investigating the massacre and relatives who have said they witnessed the attack put the number higher and contend local officials were involved, a claim the government denies.

The crime last week shocked Venezuelans accustomed to morbid tales of violence in a country with one of the worlds highest homicide rates. Fearing unrest after the states governor denied the killings took place and outraged relatives blocked a highway to Brazil in protest, President Nicolas Maduros government dispatched 1,000 soldiers and Cabinet officials to search for the missing miners.

One person linked to the gangs ringleader has already been taken into custody, and several more arrests are expected soon, Ortega said.

Venezuelan Ombudsman Tarek William Saab, who is in Bolivar accompanying loved ones of the victims, said it is possible more bodies will be recovered in the coming days. The remains had not yet been identified, he said.

Family members greeted the news with resignation mixed with anguish.

This is very painful news for us after 12 days of suffering, said Yosleida Montilla, the mother of three of the disappeared miners.
Squirrel Group, the mortgage broker and peer-to-peer lender, cites an Auckland housing market correction that could significantly slow sales as a risk to its $4.97 million private equity crowdfunding offer currently underway.

It quantified the risk by citing the city's experience during the global financial crisis when sales volumes dropped to 1,500 per month during 2008. That's 50 percent lower than housing turnover in 2015.

Squirrel Mortgages has a target of arranging more than $1 billion of residential mortgages annually by 2017, up from the $800 million forecast for the March 2016 financial year. If a housing correction occurs, it has modelled a 40 percent reduction ($400 million) in forecast volumes and a 25 percent drop in settlements per adviser for the 2017 financial year.

That would mean a short-term group operating loss of $1.4 million in 2017, just as it plans to list on the sharemarket, before recovering to an operating profit of $1.2 million the following year.

Main mitigants against the risk are that despite a rise in Auckland house prices, it hasn't been a period of high turnover and there's an estimated shortage of 25,000 houses over the next two years with significant building activity underway that could fuel sales, the offer document said. Squirrel also has growing annuity and trail recurring income which will help smooth out income flows if mortgage volumes fluctuate, it said.

Without a correction, its forecasting group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) of $612,274 in the 2016 financial year, $567,482 in 2017, $3.45 million in 2018 and $7.2 million by 2019. Its fledgling peer-to-peer lending business, Squirrel Money, is forecast to post an ebitda loss of just over $1 million in the 2016 financial year, and to break even by 2018.

Squirrel is seeking to raise $1.97 million through a private offer on equity crowdfunding platform Snowball Effect and a further $3 million through a wholesale offer for a maximum shareholding of 17.9 percent, valuing the company pre-offer at $22.9 million. The minimum amount to be raised across both offers is $1 million.

Shares on offer, at a minimum parcel of $5,000, are investment class only, which means they get dividends but no voting rights. Investors who put in $100,000 or more get ordinary shares with voting rights.

If the offer is fully subscribed, founder and chief executive John Bolton will reduce his current 91 percent stake, held through a family trust, to 74.8 percent. He subscribed for 470,000 shares in the offer, reinvesting funds he receives from repayment of a $175,506 loan to Squirrel Mortgages.

The offer document said Squirrel, started in 2008, has grown mortgage volumes by an average 57 percent per year for the past four years. Currently, the residential mortgage value arranged by brokers is thought to be about one-third of New Zealands mortgage market, but Australian experience suggests that could trend toward half the market.

The Auckland-based company is currently trialling three brokers across Waikato and the Bay of Plenty to assess the viability of rolling out a nationwide brand. While the offers financial projections are based on organic growth, Squirrel is considering following last Novembers acquisition of its first broker, Aspire Advisors, with some other larger brokers.

Half a million dollars of the money raised will go on building a new mortgage management system, improving the submission and settlement process. Long-term it wants to have direct links into its bank lenders so clients can see everything in one place as platforms like Xero and MYOB have done for business.

Its also earmarked $250,000 for adding web financial tools such as advanced mortgage calculators into its online application.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a significant role in the future of financial services, so we are keen to embrace this technology early in some small way, the offer said.

Most of the money will bolster its peer-to-peer lending platform which is targeted to increase lending from the current $1.7 million to $154 million within three years.

Some $2 million is budgeted to set up a liquidity fund that can settle new loans and allow the company to do marketing campaigns that wont be limited by relying on sufficient investors funds. Unlike other peer-to-peer lenders, Squirrel Money doesnt use a wholesale funder such as a bank.

A further half million is earmarked for its seed reserve fund which has to hit 4 percent reserves in its first year under its licence conditions. The company put $100,000 into the fund on launch last year and needs another $500,000 depending on growth.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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BENGALURU: In recent times, India has seen a rapid rise in the establishment of new innovative companies. However, only a few manage to flourish among them. Here, we take a look at fourteen such start-ups in India that can make it big in 2016 as listed by TechInAsia:

NowFloats  NowFloats helps enhance the local online discovery of small and medium businesses (SMB). It was founded in 2012 by Ronak Kumar Samantray along with Jasminder Singh Gulati, Nitin Jain, and Neeraj Sabharwal. The company offers RIA, a Relationship Intelligence Agent that helps businesses stay connected with customers through minimal manual intervention.

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WASHINGTON: Hillary Clinton has accused controversial real estate tycoon Donald Trump of "trafficking in hate and fear" and claimed that foreign leaders are calling her to express their support in order to stop the Republican frontrunner from entering the White House.



"I think all Americans should be concerned. It's clear that Donald Trump is running a very cynical campaign pitting groups of Americans against one another," Clinton said ahead of tomorrow's primaries.



"He is trafficking in hate and fear. He is playing to our worst instincts rather than our angels of our better nature," Clinton said in response to a question.



Clinton said Trump incites violence in his audience.



"He actually incites violence in the way that he urges his audience on, you know, now talking about punching people, offering to pay legal bills, and then on the specifics, you know, we know that he has been incredibly bigoted toward so many groups, he talks about deporting eleven, twelve million immigrants-we're a nation built on immigrants-he talks about preventing Muslims from coming into our country-we believe in religious freedom," she said.



"There's just so much of what he's doing that I think we all have to reject. Because it is so at odds with our values. You don't make America great by tearing down everything that made America great and so let's stand up and with one voice and reject that," Clinton said.



In response to another question, Clinton claimed foreign leaders are ready to endorse her to stop Trump.



"I am already receiving messages from leaders. I'm having foreign leaders ask if they can endorse me to stop Donald Trump," she said.



She did not name any foreign leaders, but did said the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has endorsed her publicly.



Clinton said she didn't want to "spill the beans right now, but suffice it to say, there are many arguments that we can use against him."



"But one argument that I am uniquely qualified to bring, because of my service as secretary of State, is what [Trump's] presidency would mean to our country and our standing in the world," she said.



Earlier Clinton's sole Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders called Trump a pathological liar.

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Source: PTI
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Planning to go green on Thursday?

If you're heading to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan, we'd love to see your photos and post them on SILive.com. To share your pics with us, tag them #SILive on Twitter and Instagram.

The parade marches up Fifth Avenue, starting at 44th Street at 11 a.m. Along the route, it will pass by St. Patrick's Cathedral at 50th Street before wrapping up at 79th Street around 4:30 p.m.

For those attending, a few warnings: Alcohol is prohibited in the parade-watching areas, and large bags and backpacks are subject to search by the NYPD.

Police and school safety officers also plan to crackdown on students playing hooky from school so they can attend the parade.

If your Staten Island organization is marching, send an email to tips@siadvance.com and we'll do our best to take a photo of you at the parade.

A complete list of those groups that are marching can be found here.

And for those who can't make it to the parade, it will be streamed online here.
NWS EAGLE

Nesting bald eagle at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Screen shot from a live camera, Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 10:47 a.m. (Copyright and courtesy of the American Eagle Foundation)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A bald eagle egg-watch is on at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., with the first of two eggs possibly hatching as early as Tuesday, according to the nonprofit American Eagle Foundation.

Here's the story, as posted on the foundation's website:

"In 2014, a pair of mated Bald Eagles chose the most idyllic of nest sites within the United States' National Capital, nestled high in a Tulip Poplar tree amongst the Azalea Collection at the U.S. National Arboretum, operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nesting bald eagle at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Screen shot from a live camera, Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 4:33 p.m. (Copyright and courtesy of the American Eagle Foundation)

"This is the first Bald Eagle pair to nest in this location since 1947. The two Eagles have been iconically named 'Mr. President' and 'The First Lady'."

The pair raised one eaglet successfully last year.

The First Lady laid her first egg of 2016 on Feb. 10, and the second on Feb. 14.

Both parents share duties in incubating the eggs, which typically hatch about 35 days after being laid.

WATCH LIVE

You can watch the action live, courtesy of two high-definition video cameras installed at the top of the nest tree.

The cameras are powered completely by a large mobile solar array that was designed and built by Alfred State College, SUNY College of Technology, and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environment.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The latest attempt by divers to recover the body of Harry Hernandez, 56, of Staten Island, from a sunken tugboat near the Tappen Zee Bridge has been deemed "unsuccessful," a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard said.

"They could not do so safely," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said that the Coast Guard will re-evaluate when it'll try again to recover Hernandez's body.

Divers have encountered many difficulties in their efforts to find Hernandez, suspending efforts several times over the last few days due to darkness and debris.

Hernandez was working on Saturday morning on the 90-foot tugboat named Specialist that slammed into stationary construction barge for the new bridge is being built that spans the Hudson River. The tugboat sank, leaking out about 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the water and killing the other two crew members on board.

The two other victims were identified as Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, N.J., and Timothy Conklin, 29, of Long Island.

Hernandez had been living in a home on Vogel Loop in Westerleigh, but he moved out about six months ago, according to the president of the housing community.

On Sunday, Governor Andrew Cuomo called the crash a "pure accident."

He noted that a team from the state Department of Environmental Conservation was on site with a private contractor and were deploying booms to contain the leaking fuel. He said he did not expect any "long-term damage" as a result of the spill.
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In this Jan. 25, 2016, photo, Mayor Bill de Blasio testifies in Albany about the proposed state budget. He spoke in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday about the effect of cutting federal anti-terrorism funds to the city. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Since 2001, 20 terrorist plots against New York City have been thwarted -- including four in the last two years -- and yet, President Obama proposes cutting in half counter-terrorism funding, a move that doesn't sit well with Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor testified on Tuesday before a subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. chaired by Rep. Daniel Donovan, and spoke of the need to keep the city's funding coming at a steady level each year.

Twenty-eight cities get federal funding through the Urban Area Security Initiative to prevent, prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism, and this year, the program was funded with $600 million. In the White House proposal for next year, the funds drop to $360, cutting New York City's share from $181 million to an estimated $90 million.

De Blasio was the first of a handful of speakers Tuesday to testify how the cuts would affect their cities. In speaking to Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), chair of the House Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee, de Blasio called the funds "critical for our preparedness to respond to a crisis as it unfolds.

"Every day, New York City has thousands of professionals on the ground constantly monitoring and working to prevent acts of terror. It is a never-ending endeavor that permeates every corner of our city and it starts with prevention."

In a phone interview after the hearing, Donovan said when Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson testifies before the full House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, Donovan will use Tuesday's testimony to question Johnson on the cuts, he said.

"I don't know how the secretary can defend these cuts," Donovan said. "And see what answers he has for that."

During the hearing, Republicans, like Donovan and Rep. Peter King from Long Island, agreed with Democrats like de Blasio and Rep. Kathleen Rice, also from Long Island, on the need to keep the federal funding at 2016 levels.

Donovan said he would also forward the testimony to the parties involved in the appropriations process.

The testimonies "gave us enough ammunition that we're not surmising that this is a problem, this isn't fiction," Donovan said. "We have hard evidence from people on the ground, in the field and leaders in protecting our citizens that have told us that this is devastating for them.

"They are not only deserving of the funding but they're going to be forced to make some difficult, difficult decision that shouldn't be laid at their feet."

Donovan noted in the hearing that the White House argues that because the city has $600 million in unspent funds from Urban Area Security Initiative, they can handle the cuts.

But the mayor explained in the hearing, and the congressman elaborated in the interview, that those monies are designated for specific things, just not spent yet.

"This man is the leader of the No. 1 terrorist target in the world and he told us firsthand the difficulties that he [and other city leaders] would have to maintain the levels of protections that we're afforded now," Donovan said, speaking of de Blasio.

The congressman said he is confident his colleagues will vote to restore the funding in the budget and wonders whether the president proposed the cuts knowing Congress would do exactly that with the intent to use it as leverage.

"But national security shouldn't be used as a political bargaining chip, it's too important," Donovan said.

The subcommittee hearing came the day after the House voted to ask Secretary of State John Kerry to label ISIS' actions as genocide, a label that should motivate world leaders into taking swift action against the terrorist group.

"Progress isn't going to be made unless leadership makes it happen," Donovan said. "We have to get control of this situation. ISIS is a very dangerous organization."
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Tampa, Fla., Monday, March 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island's Republican elected officials owe it to their constituents to publically condemn GOP front-runner Donald Trump -- or at least let voters know where they stand, says longtime politico Guy Molinari.

It has been almost 15 years since he held elected office, but Molinari, first an assemblyman, then congressman, then borough president, remembers having a strong sense of responsibility to be a leader for his constituents, and whether they want to hear it or not, tell them what he thinks.

"We have enough elected officials on Staten Island that have been in elected office for years ... they have a lot of supporters out there," Molinari said in an interview Monday. "They need to take positions, especially now. I think our country is in trouble."

He said he wouldn't vote for Trump under any circumstance, making it the first time in his life that he would not vote in a presidential general election if Trump is the GOP nominee.

"I'm very upset as a Republican activist who has been involved in many campaigns ... at the status of the Republican Party and Trump. He is killing the Republican Party."

He called Trump's front-runner status, lack of clearly-defined policy stances and hateful speech a "critical issue" that few elected leaders are talking about locally.

Molinari, 87, is ill and rarely leaves his house but keeps updated on the goings-on locally and nationally.

While he acknowledged Trump's support on Staten Island and elsewhere, if Trump gets the nomination, he fears he will lose to Clinton and there will be four to eight years of a Democrat in the White House, something he doesn't want to see.

"Republicans throughout the country have to decide that we are in trouble," Molinari said.

In order to prevent that, Staten Island's elected Republicans must speak up and oppose Trump, he said.

"It's outrageous what Trump does."

He hopes that by getting popular electeds on Staten Island to oppose Trump, that will bring Trump supporters into the fray.

Councilman Joe Borelli, former Councilman Vincent Ignizio, Assembly candidate Ronald Castorina and GOP Chairman John Antoniello have all supported a Trump candidacy.

"They're looking for guidance from elected officials," he said, seemingly unaware that it is frustration with elected officials that have made Trump popular.

Either way, he wants to hear what the Island's office-holders think.

"They're not doing their job by staying silent," he said.
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Anthony DePrimo

Passion or paycheck? Soaring tuition leaves students with tough career choices

"College loan debt is a big concern for students and families; because of the poor economy over the last few years, many middle-class families have used up their savings, or are limited as to what they can save for college," said Regina Pohlman, college and career counselor for senior students at Monsignor Farrell High School, Oakwood.

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Reverse sticker shock: St. John's knocks $10K off tuition costs

St. John's University slashed its undergraduate tuition at its Grymes Hill campus by $10,370 for all full-time students. Students pay about $27,500, a rate not seen in nearly a decade. About 95 percent of students also receive some form of financial aid.

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Jan Somma-Hammel | somma@siadvance.com

With rising tuition costs, students say CSI is a good deal

While Staten Island parents and students worry about the high cost of tuition and college loan debt, one of the best values in higher education may be right in our own backyard. At the College of Staten Island, the borough's only public college, funded by city and state tax-levy dollars, the average undergraduate receives $11,760 in state and federal financial aid and pays $6,030 in tuition and $480 in mandatory fees. Two-thirds of students attend classes at CSI tuition free, most of them through the state's Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP)

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Wagner College named 'best value' by Princeton Review

Wagner College was ranked among the best value colleges in America by the Princeton Review in its new guidebook, "Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck" 2016 edition. Wagner College tuition will set you back about $42,000. Add on about $13,000 for room and board and fees, and you're looking at about $58K, or about $46K if you commute. More than 90 percent of students receive financial aid.

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College tuition loan debt: Could help be on the way?

A bill gathering support in Congress would allow students to refinance the interest rates on their college loan, according to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York). Schumer was on Staten Island Monday morning to meet with students at St. John's University, to push the #InTheRed College Proposal he says will put America on a path to debt-free college.

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President's plan for free community college would boost Island students

President Barack Obama's proposal to make a publicly funded, two-year community college education accessible to high school graduates, could "open many doors" for Staten Island students, said educators and career counselors.

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Cusick: Assembly proposal seeks tuition freeze for CUNY, SUNY

A proposed state budget resolution will include a two-year tuition freeze for all City University and State University of New York colleges, according to Assemblyman Michael Cusick. Cusick said the Assembly also proposes to increase the maximum Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award to $5,265 per student, an increase of $100 from the previous year.

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Diane C. Lore | lore@siadvance.com

Paying for college: What parents need to know

FAFSA, EFC, TAP, HESC, PELL, PLUS, STAFFORD, FDSL, 529. For parents of college-age students, not being able to decipher the alphabet soup of financial aid could mean big money left on the table.

Most incoming freshmen students can expect to receive a financial aid "package" of one or more of these various components with their college acceptance letter. Many colleges welcome -- and expect -- financial aid questions from parents and students -- and students and parents are often encouraged to make an appointment to sit down with a staff member from the college financial aid office to discuss programs and options.
Bill de Blasio

Mayor Bill de Blasio will be in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to testify against planned cuts to New York City's anti-terror funding at a Homeland Security subcommittee meeting. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Mayor Bill de Blasio will be in Washington, D.C., to testify against planned cuts to New York City's anti-terror funding at a Homeland Security subcommittee meeting Tuesday morning.

Rep. Daniel Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) is the chairman of the House Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee. Tuesday's meeting to address the White House's planned cuts to the city's homeland security funding will be Donovan's first meeting as chairman.

The funding cuts -- announced last month -- slash Urban Area Security Initiative money in half. The initiative helps cities to prevent, respond to and recover from terrorist acts.

The meeting comes a day after the House unanimously passed a resolution to declare genocide in the Middle East.

The European Parliament passed a similar resolution in February. By law, Secretary of State John Kerry has until March 17 to determine whether ISIS's atrocities constitute genocide.

Reports indicate ISIS has killed religious minorities by the thousands in an effort to impose its ideology on the Middle East.

Donovan, who voted in favor of the resolution, stated: "Armed soldiers are killing, raping, and enslaving Christians and other religious minorities simply because of their faith. The House has spoken. I hope Secretary Kerry has the moral conviction to call this what it is: genocide."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Four-legged diners will soon be welcome at the outdoor tables of New York City restaurants.

The Health Department finalized its "Dining with Dogs" rules which require the dogs to be licensed and vaccinated against rabies. Restaurants will not be required to verify a dog's paperwork, but participating establishments must post a sign to alert customers of the regulation.

In addition, a special area must be established to separate pets from diners other than their owners.

The regulations were established after state legislation was passed in the fall of 2015 but allowed municipalities to craft their own regulations.

"I'm so pleased that the City Department of Health threw dog lovers a bone," said Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal who sponsored the legislation.

The rule will be effective 30 days after publication, and be implemented in time for the start of the outdoor dining season.
Outerbridge.JPG

(Staten Island Advance Photo)

Update: The accident was cleared and all lanes have been reopened on the Outerbridge heading towards New Jersey as of 11:25 a.m. One lane was reopened as of 10:48 a.m., according to a spokesman for the Port Authority Police.



STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Outerbridge Crossing was closed for more than a half-hour heading towards New Jersey because of a crash on Tuesday morning.

The bridge was shuttered mid-span after that three-car collision that happened shortly after 10 a.m.

Traffic backed up onto the West Shore Expressway and began to ease when one of the two New Jersey bound lanes was reopened at 10:48 a.m. All lanes were flowing as of 11:25 a.m.

Due to a vehicle collision, expect extensive traffic delays on New Jersey bound lanes of the Outerbridge Crossing in Staten Island.  NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) March 15, 2016

No injuries and no summons issued, according to a spokesman for the Port Authority Police.
RMA.jpeg

Police released photos of the two men wanted for questioning in connection with a bus stop gunpoint robbery in Rosebank earlier this month. (NYPD surveillance photos)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the public's help identifying two men wanted for questioning in connection with a gunpoint robbery of a person at a bus stop in Rosebank.

Two individuals flashed a black firearm to a 26-year-old man at a bus stop on the corner of Edgewater Street and Bay Street just before midnight on Mar. 1, according to the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

After grabbing the victim, the two men threw him to the ground and removed his Samsung Galaxy S5 cellphone and gray Jordan sneakers.

They fled in a dark colored GMC Suburban, southbound on Bay Street, according to the statement.

Police said the victim sustained minor injuries and was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, where he was treated and released.

On Monday, police released surveillance images of the suspects taken prior to the incident from a business video camera nearby.

Authorities did not release any further descriptions of the men wanted for questioning.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hot line at 800-577-TIPS (8477); visit the Crime Stoppers website or text tips to CRIMES (274637) then enter TIP577.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A federal judge on Tuesday vacated convicted cop-killer Ronell Wilson's death sentence, ruling the U.S. Constitution "forbids the execution of intellectually disabled persons."

"The court finds that Wilson has demonstrated significant defects in adaptive functioning and he therefore meets the legal standard for proving intellectual disability," wrote District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of Brooklyn federal court in a 76-page decision. "Accordingly, Wilson is ineligible to receive the death sentence that has been imposed on him."

Garaufis ordered that Wilson serve a series of consecutive terms of life in prison for slaying Detectives Rodney J. Andrews, 34, and James V. Nemorin, 36, during an undercover buy-and-bust operation in Tompkinsville on March 10, 2003.

Wilson, 33, was sentenced to death in 2013 in a penalty-phase retrial after Garaufis previously ruled the former Stapleton gang member was not mentally incapacitated.

In July 2014, a federal appeals court ordered Garaufis to reconsider Wilson's claim of intellectual disability.

Wilson is incarcerated on death row in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon issued the following statement on Garaufis' ruling:

"This is a case that will forever resonate on Staten Island, in New York City, and within the NYPD. This defendant executed two dedicated members of the New York City Police Department who at the time were acting as undercovers and trying to remove guns from the streets of New York City, and in particular Staten Island. In doing their jobs, these two heroes made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this city and Ronell Wilson should pay the ultimate price as punishment for his crime.

"We respectfully disagree with the decision made today by the court to reverse the death penalty sentence previously imposed on Ronell Wilson. Our thoughts are with the families of these two detectives and their entire NYPD family at this time."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A federal judge said Tuesday he remains appalled by Ronell Wilson's actions, despite vacating the convicted cop-killer's death sentence because of intellectual disability.

"In reaching this decision, the court in no way minimizes or excuses the cruelty and depravity of Wilson's actions," wrote District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of Brooklyn federal court. "Having presided over this case for more than a decade, the court quite frankly finds it impossible to muster any sense of sympathy for this defendant."

Garaufis said he respects the findings of two separate juries that voted for the death penalty against the former Stapleton gang member, and realizes with "great sadness" the pain his ruling would likely cause the families of slain Detectives Rodney J. Andrews and James V. Nemorin.

However, his decision to strike the death-penalty sentence and impose a series of consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole was based on a "careful interpretation of the evolving (U.S.) Supreme Court precedent and a sober review of the evidence," said the judge.

The U.S. Constitution "forbids the execution of intellectually disabled persons," said Garaufis.

Wilson, 33, was sentenced to death in 2013 in a penalty-phase retrial after Garaufis previously ruled the former Stapleton gang member was not mentally incapacitated.

The defendant was convicted of murdering Andrews, 34, and Nemorin, 36, during an undercover gun buy-and-bust operation in Tompkinsville on March 10, 2003.

A prior Brooklyn federal court jury had sentenced Wilson to death in 2007. Three years later, an appeals court tossed out the sentence due to prosecutorial errors during the original penalty phase of the trial.

The murder convictions stood and Wilson was retried for the penalty phase only.

In July 2014, a federal appeals court ordered Garaufis to reconsider Wilson's claim of intellectual disability in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

The country's highest court found that Florida had adopted a too-rigid cutoff for IQ test results in deciding who could be spared the death penalty due to intellectual disabilities.

In his prior ruling in 2013, Garaufis found that Wilson, based on his IQ scores, was not intellectually disabled.

But he said he did not consider other evidence of intellectual disability in Wilson's adaptive functioning, which deals with a broad array of abilities, skills and behavior.

They include learning, reasoning, problem solving, interacting with others, social judgment, empathy, personal care, money management and behavior management.

Taking such criteria into consideration, the evidence showed Wilson has intellectual and adaptive deficits, and those issues developed before the age of 18, said the judge.

"The court finds that Wilson has demonstrated significant defects in adaptive functioning and he therefore meets the legal standard for proving intellectual disability," wrote Garaufis in a detailed 76-page ruling. "Accordingly, Wilson is ineligible to receive the death sentence that has been imposed on him."

Even so, Garaufis said he "harbors doubts" whether most medical clinicians would deem Wilson intellectually disabled.

But the Supreme Court ruling in the Florida case strongly suggests the legal standard forbidding execution of intellectually disabled people "has become more protective than the clinical standard," wrote the judge.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office declined comment on the decision.

Law enforcement officials expressed disappointment.

Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association said the ruling means "justice was denied" for the victims' kin, reported the Associated Press.

"An awful lot of calculated thought went into Wilson's cold-blooded actions, as well as his attempts to avoid capture," said Palladino. "That hardly spells out 'mental incapacity.'"

In a statement, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, "This is a case that will forever resonate on Staten Island, in New York City, and within the NYPD. This defendant executed two dedicated members of the New York City Police Department who at the time were acting as undercovers and trying to remove guns from the streets of New York City, and in particular Staten Island. In doing their jobs, these two heroes made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this city and Ronell Wilson should pay the ultimate price as punishment for his crime."

"We respectfully disagree with the decision made today by the court to reverse the death penalty sentence previously imposed on Ronell Wilson," continued McMahon. "Our thoughts are with the families of these two detectives and their entire NYPD family at this time."

A lawyer for Wilson could not immediately be reached for comment.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - No, brother!

A repeat felon from Tompkinsville, accused of breaking into his sibling's home and a church in his community last year, pleaded guilty Monday to burglary-related charges.

David Walton began his spree on June 7 of last year when he forced his way inside Bethel Community Church at 51 Van Duzer St. in Tompkinsville and swiped money and a disc player, according to a criminal complaint.

Five days later, Walton, 40, broke into his brother's Port Richmond residence and snatched a PlayStation3 and 18 PlayStation video games, the complaint alleged.

The defendant didn't stop there.

On Dec. 7, Walton, broke into Afternoones restaurant at 415 Forest Ave., West Brighton, just before 3 a.m., and stole an iPhone and $245 from the register, prosecutors alleged.

Walton pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to three counts of attempted third-degree burglary.

He will be sentenced April 6 to concurrent prison terms of 18 months to three years, prosecutors said.

Walton has previously served two stints upstate, show online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

In 1995, he was sentenced to a one-to-three-year term for attempted first-degree assault; and in 2008, he received another one-to-three-year term for attempted aggravated criminal contempt.

Mark J. Fonte is Walton's lawyer.
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Clove Road area of renovated Staten Island Expressway continues to be a problem.

(Advance file photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - How hard is it to renovate a highway?

Pretty hard, if the Staten Island Expressway is any indication.

Here's the latest example: Motorists say that the Clove Road overpass of the highway has become a traffic nightmare in both directions.

Borough President James Oddo said his office has received complaints about worsening traffic conditions on Clove Road during morning rush hours. The reason: Cars traveling on Narrows Road North that block the Clove Road intersection.

According to Oddo, commuters have told him that buses can take up to half an hour to go from Victory Boulevard to Howard Avenue in Sunnyside. You could crawl the distance on your hands and knees in far less time.

The NYPD was to check out the intersection, and the Department of Transportation said they would check the timing of the traffic lights along the route.

You would think that this is something that would have been done long ago as part of the overall roadway design, but what do we know?

There also seems to be a problem with illegally parked cars along the route. That's at least something we can take direct action on. Write some tickets.

Backups have also been caused by folks turning left off Clove onto Foote Avenue (home to PS 35) and Howard Avenue (home to Wagner College and St. John's University). Some traffic-agent direction would help.

Frustrated traveler Tony Morreale told the Advance that the road "is ruining our lives, careers and patience." He pointed out that commuters leave two hours early in order to get to a destination that's only an hour away.

As for the rebuilt highway, he said, "Great job redoing it, but now it's worse. We fix things to make them twice as bad?"

How many times have we heard that lament about our renovated expressway?

Conditions seem to have improved in recent days, after this latest alarm was raised. Hopefully, that will be the end of it.

But truth be told, the whole Clove Road area of the expressway has been problematic for years. To call it a chokepoint would be a gross understatement.

Narrows Road South is a parking lot during many evening commutes, thanks to congestion spilling back along Clove from the light at Howard. Thank your lucky stars that there's a right-on-red so people can turn up Howard.

And we all know how much fun it can be to queue up to wait to enter the New Jersey-bound lanes of the highway at those twin traffic lights at Little Clove Road. That area's backed up no matter what time of day you hit it.

Being regular travelers through this area, we figured that these would be some of the problems that would be addressed by this vaunted renovation.

But, no. Well, we're not traffic engineers, after all. Maybe we're only imagining that the whole thing is a mess.

Meanwhile, on the Brooklyn side, we've got that awful confluence at the stop sign at the intersection of Milford Drive, Ocean Terrace and Witteman Place, just off Exit 13 at Clove Road.

If you're coming down Ocean Terrance to that stop sign, you have to not only dodge traffic pouring in off the highway, but also vehicles coming at you on the service road. Just gun it and hope for the best. It's no wonder people don't come to a full stop at the sign.

Residents of neighboring streets also complain that they can't get off their blocks sometimes because of all the traffic coming off the highway. One resident, Kathy Caffrey, said it's never been this bad before in the neighborhood.

And these are only some of the expressway problems. We've had crater-sized potholes lately. We have traffic that backs up out of the Slosson Avenue exit. Another poorly timed light, we suspect.

So much for the millions upon millions of dollars in federal stimulus money spent on the highway. Maybe we can get some funds for fixes if the Dems hold the White House this year.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - "Intellectual disability"?

That's what's going to save convicted cop killer Ronell Wilson from the death penalty?

It's a kick in the teeth to everybody in the law enforcement community and those who support them.

For everybody who believes in justice.

In a stunning move, District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis on Tuesday vacated Wilson's death sentence, ruling that the U.S. Constitution "forbids the execution of intellectually disabled persons."

Wait, it gets better.

"The court finds that Wilson has demonstrated significant defects in adaptive functioning and he therefore meets the legal standard for proving intellectual disability," Garaufis wrote. "Accordingly, Wilson is ineligible to receive the death sentence that has been imposed on him."

The judge ruled that it would be better for Wilson, a former drug-dealing gangbanger from Stapleton, serve a series of consecutive life terms in prison for the cold-blooded slayings of NYPD Detectives Rodney J. Andrews, 34, and James V. Nemorin, 36, during an undercover buy-and-bust operation in Tompkinsville on March 10, 2003.

It was a crime that shocked us all and continues to resonate to this very day. A movement was already underway to name a Staten Island Ferry boat after the slain detectives. Expect that effort to gain some serious traction with this latest outrage.

Here's the thing: Wilson was sentenced to death in 2013 after this very same judge ruled that Wilson wasn't mentally incapacitated. But a federal appeals court ordered Garaufis to reconsider Wilson's claim of intellectual disability.

So, Wilson gets to live in jail on the taxpayers' dime while Andrews and Nemorin remain dead. While the detectives' families continue to suffer pain that will never heal, no matter how much time goes by.

Life's no party in jail, you say? It's beats the needle and answering in full for your crimes.

Wilson didn't appear intellectually disabled when he led a life of crime here on Staten Island as leader of a drug crew out of the Stapleton Houses.

He didn't appear intellectually disabled when he pulled the trigger on Andrews and Nemorin. Or when he went through their pockets, looking for money. Or left their bodies lying in the street like garbage, as court testimony told us. Or when he drove off in their car on the night of the murders.

He didn't appear intellectually disabled when he later enticed a New York jail guard to have sex with him behind bars. The two had a baby, named Justus, and the guard was later sentenced to a year in jail for the affair.

No matter what you think about the death penalty, few have more richly deserved the ultimate penalty than Wilson.

What a slap in the face Garaufis' ruling is to the men and women of the NYPD, whose morale has already hit rock bottom under Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to a recent survey.

But it's not the first time that Garaufis has been in a middle of controversy involving our city uniformed services. In 2012, the judge ordered the FDNY to implement racial hiring quotas in response to complaints about the supposed unfairness of department entrance exams.

And now, nearly 13 years to the day after the crime, he gives new life to a remorseless thug who snuffed out the lives of two of New York's Finest.

Justice delayed has become justice denied.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A New Springville man who, prosecutors said, riddled his fiancee's cat with 15 blasts from a BB gun and broke the defenseless animal's leg, has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.

Roman Rubin, then 30, fired the pellets at Kuzia, a 13-year-old cat, sometime between 11 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2014 inside his home, police allege.

Authorities believe he was intoxicated at the time, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case previously told the Advance.

A veterinarian with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals examined Kuzia and found BB pellets inside the cat's body, according to court papers. The cat's leg also was broken, as a result of blunt force trauma, court filings said.

Rubin pleaded guilty Friday in Criminal Court to aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony and the top charge against him, online state court records show.

He also pleaded guilty to torturing and injuring animals, a misdemeanor.

In exchange for his pleas, Rubin will be placed on interim-supervision probation for a year, prosecutors said.

During that time, he must perform 100 hours of community service and pay $3,100 restitution for the cat's medical expenses, said a spokesman for District Attorney Michael E. McMahon.

Rubin will be banned for life from owning a pet and must register in the animal abuse registry, prosecutors said.

If he complies with those terms, his felony conviction will be vacated and the misdemeanor conviction will remain in place, said prosecutors.

Assistant District Attorney Jane Grinberg is prosecuting the case.

Defense lawyer Tony Mirvis declined comment.
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Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked.

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Australia's biggest milk processor, Murray Goulburn, will spend up to $300 million beefing up its infant formula operations after securing a long-term contract to feed Indonesian babies.

The dairy co-operative will supply formula to Indonesia's Kalbe Nutritionals and American infant nutrition giant Mead Johnson.

Indonesia is an important market for dairy foods with one in 10 residents aged under five. Credit:Rayes

Murray Goulburn declined to reveal the length of the contracts but said they were long-term and would "underwrite" its long-planned upgrade of its nutritional powders factory in Koroit in south-west Victoria.

The company will spend $260 million to $300 million on the redevelopment, which managing director Gary Helou has touted as the biggest investment in infant formula in Australia in a decade.
Forget Tim Tams, some days watching election coverage in the US, the gift I would most like to be sent from Australia is Sarah Ferguson.

The ABC journalist could certainly teach many of her counterparts in America a thing or two about conducting a decent political interview  come armed with well-researched details, push them on issues of policy, particularly how they will affect the most vulnerable members of society, and, most importantly, don't accept an evasive answer.

Her style would be a breath of fresh air compared to much of what passes for interviews in the US at the moment, like this interview of Donald Trump in January by CNN's Wolf Blitzer, a man not nearly so tough as his name might suggest.

"What do you have that Ted Cruz doesn't have?" and "Who do you see as your biggest threat?" were among the opening questions. Like so much campaign journalism in the US, the interview focused on the polls and the "sport" of elections instead of policy, and served simply as set-ups for well-rehearsed campaign lines.
A convicted paedophile and former head of Bega Cheese has applied for special leave to appeal against his increased sentence in the High Court of Australia.

In February, Maurice van Ryn's sentence was nearly doubled from seven years to 13 years and six months after an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Maurice van Ryn has applied for leave to appeal his sentence in the High Court.

Van Ryn was convicted last September of 17 child sex offences committed against nine victims from 2003 to 2014.

District Court Judge Clive Jeffreys originally sentenced van Ryn to a non-parole period of seven years, giving him a 25 per cent discount for his early guilty plea and taking into account his "contrition" and that he had sought treatment.
Liberal MLC Peter Phelps "went berserk" during a partyroom meeting and vowed to not support legislation to force small petrol retailers to sell an ethanol blend.

Opponents of the legislation say it will drive up petrol prices by as much as 8 a litre.

Ethanol blend protest: Liberal MLC Peter Phelps.

Mr Phelps - a self-styled libertarian - upbraided the minister with carriage of the legislation, Victor Dominello, during the meeting on Tuesday.

"He went berserk," a source said.
Police have released CCTV footage of a vicious assault of a young man in Sydney's west in a bid to identify his attackers.

The 39-year-old man was walking past the Rose and Crown Hotel on Victoria Road in Parramatta when a group of three men allegedly yelled out to the man just before 11pm on January 25, police said.

Detective Inspector Glen Parks said the man continued walking along Victoria Road but was allegedly attacked from behind by two of the men as he approached the bus stop near Brabyn Street.

The CCTV footage shows the man, who is on the ground and concealed by a parapet, being repeatedly kicked with full force by two men.
Vatican City: Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on September 4, Pope Francis has announced.

Last December, he cleared the way for sainthood for the Nobel peace laureate, who died in 1997 at the age of 87 and was known as "saint of the gutters".

Teresa, who was born Agnese Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia, became an international figure but was also accused of trying to convert people to Christianity.

Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Church's current Holy Year.
Fields has stood by her account of the incident, as has Terris, even after Pollak published his piece challenging them both. "I would have liked for them to believe me, believe the eyewitness," Fields said of Breitbart. "I think they were more concerned about preserving their access to Trump than they were about finding out the truth." In an email to Politico, Breitbart editor in chief Alex Marlow denied Fields's claim that the company didn't plan to defend Fields or demand an apology. "By 2:10am Wednesday, we had released a statement calling any physical contact 'unacceptable' and demanding an apology," he wrote. "We have clearly expressed that the Trump campaign's claims against the Breitbart News reporter contradict the evidence and that we stand with Michelle." Fields filed a report with the Jupiter, Florida, police department on Friday, according to the Associated Press. That same day, she did an interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly explaining her decision. She said that she'd contacted her editor, Matthew Boyle, and told him what happened and said that Boyle contacted Lewandowski, who allegedly admitted to grabbing Fields.

"He did not deny it," Fields said. "He said that he didn't realise that I was a Breitbart reporter." She also retweeted some of the more vicious comments she received online from Trump supporters: Fields said she was told she would receive an apology, but one never came. Instead, on Thursday the campaign released a statement denying her allegations. "They have basically done a character assassination on me," she told Kelly.

On Monday two other Breitbart employees resigned. National security correspondent Jordan Schachtel and editor Jarrett Stepman posted a letter to Twitter, accusing the news site of becoming a propaganda arm for the Trump campaign. In denying Fields' allegations, Trump and Lewandowski have suggested that Fields was lying about the assault. "Perhaps she made the story up; I think that's what happened," Trump told reporters at the CNN debate Thursday. Lewandowski was less diplomatic.

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said: "The accusation, which has only been made in the media and never addressed directly with the campaign, is entirely false. As one of the dozens of individuals present as Mr. Trump exited the press conference I did not witness any encounter. In addition to our staff, which had no knowledge of said situation, not a single camera or reporter of more than 100 in attendance captured the alleged incident." Shapiro said that Breitbart is no longer the website he signed on to work for right after founder Andrew Breitbart's death in 2012. "The central mission was fighting bullies," he said. But current Chairman Stephen Bannon "has perverted the mission into one of personal ego-driven politics." The exits of Shapiro and Fields follow that of Breitbart spokesman Kurt Bardella, who said Friday he would no longer work for the company because of its treatment of Fields. "When you get to a point where you can't 100 per cent support the person you're representing, the right thing to do is to step aside," he told CNN.

"They've been looking for a reason to disprove something when all the evidence from a Washington Post reporter's firsthand account, to the bruises on Michelle's arm, to all the photos and video clips that we've seen strongly suggest that Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump's campaign manager, was the one who did this. And there's no reason to never support your own reporter." "Are you saying they're lying?" anchor Don Lemon interjected. "Yes, I am," Bardella responded. Shapiro and Fields handed in their resignations late Sunday night. Shapiro said that he doesn't expect theirs to be the last. But more than anything else, she told The Post, Fields is worried by the Trump campaign's continued denials of her account.
Canberra's community lawyers have warned they will have to turn away vulnerable people, including public housing tenants and Indigenous Australians, if plans to slash federal government funding to the sector go ahead.

Lawyers from community legal centres across Australia gathered at Parliament House on Tuesday to protest budget cuts that would mean 30 per cent of their federal government funding, or $35 million, would be stripped over three years from 2017.

Community legal centres could see federal government funding stripped by 30 per cent due to budget cuts.

ACT Association of Community Legal Centres spokeswoman Elena Rosenman said the capital's handful of centres were already struggling to meet demand for assistance on family law, domestic violence, employment and tenancy matters.

She said the cuts would significantly affect free legal assistance available at the over-burdened ACT Women's Legal Centre, Canberra Community Law, the Tenants' Union ACT and Consumer Law Centre ACT.
Should rare Australian Aboriginal artefacts held by the British Museum, and now exhibited in Canberra temporarily, be returned to their place of origin?

The objects were collected during a painful, and for many people, shameful period between 1770 and the 1930s. Many of the 151 objects on display at the National Museum of Australia have not been seen since they were taken from Aborigines.

National Muesum of Australia senior curator and Indigenous advisor Margo Neale. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

A conference beginning on Wednesday at the museum will lift the lid on many raw issues which have provoked vocal activists against colonial collections and caused stress for many other people, said organiser and Indigenous adviser at the museum Margo Neale.

"We are facing it head on," Ms Neale said
Australian Hotels Association ACT general manager Jo Broad said she was yet to be briefed on the study on Tuesday.

A trial Calvary Hospital's emergency department is taking part in which records drug and alcohol intake is welcomed by most. Credit:Michele Mossop

The $3.6 million Australia-first study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Set to roll out across eight hospitals from July , it will also document the venues intoxicated people had attended.

The association representing Canberra's licensed venues has concerns about a pilot study designed to record the drug and alcohol intake of every patient in Calvary Hospital's emergency department.

Ms Broad said the study "may not reflect people's drinking patterns [in terms of] drinking at home or at private parties and whether drugs have been consumed with alcohol."

She also remained concerned that patients might not talk openly about using illicit drugs for fear of incrimination.

Calvary Hospital emergency consultant David Caldicott said almost all patients were honest with their doctors.

"They might not want to talk to police about it but if they are worried that they are sick and they might be sick due to a drug ingestion, they are the first to say it," Dr Calidicott said.

"We have people who actually bring in their drugs because they know we are bound by confidentiality and we can't tell anyone."
AFL umpire Dean Margetts is recovering in hospital after enduring a serious medical emergency while on a flight to Perth.

Margetts suffered a burst stomach ulcer and, with a hole in his abdomen, was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital after his flight was diverted to Adelaide.

AFL umpire Dean Margetts was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Credit:Facebook

The 41-year-old was informed by doctors that he was lucky given that his condition had the potential to be life-threatening if there were any complications.

Margetts took to Facebook to thank the people on his flight who helped him deal with the excruciating pain.
Competition for childcare centres has intensified as a Chinese investor pays $6.82 million, more than $400,000 over the reserve, for a Camberwell centre in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

Local institutional and non-profit organisation investors have long focused on the sector.

A Chinese investor has paid well over the reserve price for a Camberwell childcare centre.

However, offshore investors have begun to target the sector in the hunt for stable returns and long-term growth.

Savills Australia's Julian Heatherich, who brokered the deal with colleague James Lockwood for 164-168 Warrigal Road, said two-thirds of the 10 buyers who put in an expression of interest were from overseas.
Dick Smith customers have been given a week to unsubscribe from the retailer's database and avoid being bombarded with offers from Kogan, the new owner of Dick Smith's online stores.

Dick Smith's receivers and managers at Ferrier Hodgson sent emails to Dick Smith's customers and subscribers in Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday, offering them the opportunity to unsubscribe from the Dick Smith database by March 22.

"Unless you elect otherwise, you will continue to receive commercial messages from the new owners of the Dick Smith online business," the email said.

The email includes a link that requires customers to enter their names and email addresses to unsubscribe from the database.
This is how the Abe government sees it, too. Tokyo's hard sell constantly stresses the strategic advantages to both countries of an even tighter "special strategic partnership". In fact, it says this is why it is breaking the post-war taboo on major arms exports to bid for the contract. It is not in it for the money.

Supporters of Japan's bid think that working with it to build Australia's most vital military capability would transform the already-growing defence relationship into a virtual military alliance. They think, and sometimes even say, we need this alliance to protect ourselves from China.

But there are big risks in this, both to our submarine capability and to our relations with Japan. We need to understand those risks before taking a decision.

Many people in Canberra think we should partner with Japan to build our new submarines, whether or not they offer the best boats for the money, because Japan's bid is much more than a commercial deal. It's the basis for a closer strategic commitment as well, so they think we'd get two birds with one stone.

We must be quite clear about this. Tokyo expects that in return for its help to build our submarines, it would receive not just many of billions of dollars, but clear understandings that Australia will support Japan politically, strategically and even militarily against China. That is why Japan is bidding.

This is the big difference between Japan and its two European rivals. The French and Germans just want our money. The Japanese want much more. As Tony Abbott said in Tokyo recently 'For Japan this submarine deal is strategic: for the others, it's commercial.' And he ought to know, because he has always been the Japanese option's most ardent champion.

So before we decide whether to select the Japanese bid, we have to ask if an alliance with Japan is good for Australia. Would it be a big additional benefit, or a big additional cost? Advocates say it's a benefit. They think a close bond with Japan will strengthen both countries' alliances with America and send a clear message to Beijing that we are determined to stand together against its challenge to the regional order.

Faced with this, they think Beijing will back off. Then America's leadership in Asia would be restored, and everything would return to the way it used to be before China got stroppy. In other words, supporters of an alliance with Japan are sure it would never be tested, because simply creating it would help ensure that China's threat would disappear. And if that happens, it matters much less whose submarines we buy, because they won't be needed.

But will things work out this way? That depends on whether Washington, with or without others' support, really can convince China to back off. Maybe it can, if China is already heading for a major economic and political crisis, as many assume. But Beijing has weathered looming crises before, and President Xi Jinping's resolve to expand China's international power is very clear.
Thought you'd never ask  fabulously, thank-you! In the last year, we have lifted our membership by a factor of five. We are back as part of the national conversation. In January we released what I ascribed as our "Declaration of Desired Independence," signed by both chief ministers and five of the six premiers, affirming their republicanism, to go with the oft-stated republicanism of the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader, not to mention the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. (And no, Chief Justice French is not a member, but do you think when we have him in our corner it is a fair clue that oft-cited legal impediments to us becoming a republic can be overcome?) The point is, never have the stars of the Southern Cross been so aligned, pointing to the dawn of the new age of the Australian republic as now, but we need to move, to seize the moment. It is not inevitable unless we make it happen. If not us, who? If not now, when?

"So, how do we get there from here?"

We keep going. We get people like you to google our name and sign up the movement, donate, turn up to meetings like the one on Tuesday evening, and bring your friends. Give a bugger.

The French had to storm the Bastille, and the Americans had to cross the Delaware River and take on the Brits. We Australians just have to get up off the couch and get involved! The last Newspoll had us at 51 per cent in favour of becoming a republic, a surge of 11 per cent. We only need another 9 per cent to come on board and we will be unstoppable. I take the Prime Minister's point that this really does need to be a broad people's movement, not a political one, and that is exactly what we are becoming.

Join us!
Related articles:

Crack down hard on hoods and hooligans

Police must stop being so politically correct

When violence erupts in the heart of our city, as it did on Saturday night, tough questions must be put to those in charge. That is as it should be.



Yesterday's newspapers questioned the Victoria Police approach to dealing with these gangs. They asked whether police were tiptoeing around issues of ethnicity for fear of being labelled racists.



But if people think their police are going soft on gangs because they are of one ethnic background or another, they are wrong.



More than two years ago, Victoria Police set up an anti-gangs division in Crime Command which has been working on criminal gangs across the state. All gangs will feel the full force of the law if they act criminally. Offending is offending.



The Apex gang was originally made up of a small number of young people from the South Sudanese community in Dandenong. They merged with another youth gang and now include a diverse range of young people from different ethnic backgrounds. The majority of these young people were born in Australia.



We will continue to call it as we see it.



As the Premier said  those who acted disgracefully on Saturday night chose to do so. They alone are responsible for their actions, and those who have been charged will have to explain their behaviour. The colour of their skin is irrelevant.



Which brings me to the importance of how we discuss such matters openly in the media and in the community. For me, the safety of all Victorians is paramount. That is why we will not shy away from providing the right information we can to keep people safe.



If ethnicity is relevant, then we will be forthcoming. But when it is not, we need to exercise extreme caution. We must make sure we are not unnecessarily demonising law-abiding sections of our community and exacerbating any sense of isolation they might be experiencing.



On Saturday night, we witnessed a large group of young men, who I'm sure included members of the Apex gang, behaving disgracefully in the heart of our city. Of course ethnicity is relevant when talking about Apex  this is a gang that has formed along ethnic lines. From a policing perspective, however, the focus needs to be on their criminal behaviour and not their ethnicity.



It is clear that we need to do a lot more to bring this group of thugs to task. That is why I have allocated substantial extra resources to Taskforce Tense, which has been responsible for investigating many aggravated burglaries, car thefts and other crimes around Melbourne. Since November we have arrested more than 30 people.



What happened on Saturday was unacceptable, and police acted bravely to protect members of the public and themselves. If our officers had not behaved in the manner they did the violence we would have been watching might have been far, far worse for everybody.
Police officers have an important role to help promote community harmony in a multicultural society, but it must never usurp their most important function: to keep people safe by preventing crime and arresting offenders.

The so-called Apex gang came to public attention after a large-scale brawl in Melbourne's city centre last year. Credit:twitter.com/@russmulry

If the people of Melbourne are terrified on the streets while they are supposed to be getting together and having fun in the Moomba tradition, all other bets are off.

Let us not mince words. Victoria Police and the state government have become too timid towards ethnic-based gangs. Their timidity is because of political correctness. Police have been handcuffed by fears of being labelled racist. The ethnic gangs then become emboldened and believe they can indulge in violence with impunity.

The underlying causes of the breakdown in law and order on Saturday night go back several years, when Victoria Police was sued for compensation for what was described as "racial profiling" of young African men in the Flemington and North Melbourne area. If racial profiling means targeting people simply because of their race, then that's not on. But it is just as abhorrent when police are reluctant to check suspicious activity for fear of being accused of racism.

The most bewildering response to the Flemington issue was Victoria Police's decision last year to introduce a receipt system in Moonee Valley, Greater Dandenong, Boroondara and Mildura. Under this bizarre arrangement, police are expected to hand out a receipt for every "informal contact" they make with people in a public place. The business card-size ticket notes the time, date and location of all informal contacts initiated by police.
The violence in Melbourne on Saturday night, which started in Federation Square and spread to nearby areas of the CBD, is totally unacceptable and the response to it by Premier Daniel Andrews should be supported.

I am a sometime critic of successive Victorian governments and Victoria Police, but on this occasion I find myself agreeing with the message delivered by the Premier: perceived or real disadvantage is no excuse for the violence and mayhem the lawbreakers subjected law-abiding Victorians to on Saturday evening.

While the behaviour is not acceptable anywhere, that it occurred in what is Melbourne's central community family space made it even more alarming.

At some point we, and by we, I mean the Victorian community, have to take a stance about the type of conduct we are prepared to tolerate, and it seems from the reaction to Saturday night's disgraceful and terrifying conduct by the lawbreakers, we are not prepared to allow gangs to rule our streets. Nor are we prepared to allow fear of crime to become the predominant emotion felt by people contemplating a family night out in Melbourne or surrounding suburbs.
Australians have watched the political chaos of the Republican primary races initially with amusement, then with bewilderment, and now with anxiety. Many Americans are increasingly fearful of what the violence that is increasingly linked to Donald Trump's campaign events portends for the Republican convention and the 2016 general election for president, even as Trump and his followers revel in the mayhem and publicity. How did it come to this?

Donald Trump is waging a campaign that is unique in its crudeness, violent language and complete disregard for the facts. When challenged, Trump's default defence positions are simply to shrug off questions, dissemble, or to engage in personal diatribes on social media. Until very recently the media has been complicit in this, failing to follow-up on serious issues and obvious untruths and gleefully reporting every nasty remark or tweet. Worse, Trump has played these games so well that he has forced his opponents to joust on the same un-presidential playing field.

At the same time Trump increasingly uses violent threats to outsiders  whether they are illegal immigrants, Muslims or simply those who dare to disagree  and is complicit in the physical violence inflicted by his supporters. Roger Cohen from the New York Times wrote that "Violence is woven into Trump's language as indelibly as the snarl is woven into his features".

The situation is rendered more disastrous for the Republican Party because the only candidate who seems to have any chance of beating Trump  Senator Ted Cruz  is seen by the establishment as just as scary. Cruz's xenophobic and racist rhetoric echoes Trump's, it's just delivered in a less colourful way.
But that's okay. Have a candy bar. It'll make you feel great. That's what our children have been led to believe. Dentist Christine Said, from Pacific Smiles in Penrith, said: "Often they have lots of holes and teeth that need pulling out, which makes things worse  and risks creating a fear of the dentist".

Does Australia care about its children and their teeth? They are rotting, and in the meantime, the federal president of the Australian Dental Association only a few days ago warned that the scheme offering free dental care for children in middle to low income families is under threat and could be axed all together.

My child is nine and she's already had four fillings. Four. She exists in a world where reminders of sugar are blasted at her from every angle: at the supermarket, on television, on billboards and even her Smiggle stationery has macaroons and gumballs on it.

Is that surprising? Hardly. But what is surprising is that when the scheme was first introduced it was anticipated that 3 million children would take it up, but only 1 million have. As a result, only $433 million of the $736 million budgeted for the first 18 months from January 2014 has been spent, an Auditor-General's report found.

We are spending less than anticipated yet it might be axed. Odd. A spokesperson said that Health Minister, Sussan Ley, who addressed a group of health and dental groups last week, was merely pointing out that the "well-funded program wasn't meeting its aim," and that "there may be a better way to target funding".

But should that involve stripping this program from families who need it the most? In fact, those are the families that are more likely not to have access to quality food because it is so much more expensive than the fast, processed food which is doused in sugar.

I agree that the low uptake of the program can be attributed to lack of advertising of the scheme. If I didn't schedule six-monthly dentist check-ups for my child, I wouldn't have known about the program. I did receive a letter beforehand, but I found it confusing, and it wasn't until my dentist clarified the program that I understood my child would be bulk-billed.

Is it that difficult to create an advertising campaign on television with a cute cartoon character or some kind of mascot for the dentist, one that takes all the candy bars out of his fridge and throws them in the bin?
The girlfriend of prog-rock pioneer Keith Emerson, who was found dead of suspected suicide on Friday, has revealed the 71-year-old founder and keyboard player in prog rock outfit Emerson, Lake and Palmer had been "tormented with worry" about an upcoming tour.

In a sad postscript to the news of his death, his longtime partner Mari Kawaguchi, who found the star's body in their Santa Monica apartment, told the UK's Mail on Sunday that Emerson had recently suffered nerve damage to his hand, which had affected his playing; he was worried about letting down his fans, she said.

Keyboardist Keith Emerson, lead singer and bassist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer of the British group Emerson Lake And Palmer receive their awards at the 1972 Melody Maker Pop Poll. Credit:Hulton Archive

Kawaguchi said Emerson hadn't been feeling well the previous evening, so she "tucked him up in bed".

"He was sleeping when I left and I thought he was sleeping when I got back, but then I realised what had happened. He was gone. I am still in total shock," she told the Mail on Sunday.
Child sexual abuse survivors have joined the Catholic Church to call on the Turnbull government to commit to a national redress scheme, fearing they will receive different levels of compensation, depending on where they were abused, through state-run schemes.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse last year recommended the federal government establish a single national redress scheme for 60,000 survivors, which it said was "the most effective structure for ensuring justice for survivors" and the most cost-efficient model. The "next-best option" was for state and territory governments to run their own schemes, it said.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter told Parliament earlier this month that the government was working on a nationally consistent approach for state and territory schemes. This was because a single national scheme would require all states and territories to agree to it and South Australia had already indicated it did not.

Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA), the Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN), the church's Truth Justice and Healing Council, the Australian Council of Social Services and People with Disabilities Australia said in a joint statement a national scheme was needed to deliver "consistent and fair access, as well as treatment for survivors  regardless of the institution and its characteristics in which the abuse occurred and no matter where they live."
Right, end of the day. What happened?

the government announced it will introduce an effects test into competition law ;

announced it will introduce an into ; the change is supposed to protect small business from the heft of larger operators;

from the heft of larger operators; it is also being chalked up as a major win for the National Party ;

; government MPs are not happy about the review of the Safe Schools program and have written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull asking for its funding to be axed; and

are not happy about the review of the and have written to asking for its funding to be axed; and the Senate is a step closer to passing the government's changes to upper house voting.

My thanks to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares 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. We hope to see you then. Good night.
Treasurer Scott Morrison has picked a curious time to be so concerned about "bracket creep"  where pay rises push up your average tax rate.

I suspect many people could only wish their pay was growing fast enough for them to be paying significantly more tax. It would be a good problem to have.

But the unfortunate reality for most employees today is that wages are growing at a snail's pace. That doesn't look like changing anytime soon.

Average wages have been increasing at their slowest speed since the 1990s, with growth of just 2.2 per cent in the latest wage price index.
Ainslee Hunter was looking forward to watching the new season of the political thriller House of Cards when she arrived home late on Tuesday night.

But it was a far more dramatic scene she witnessed from the balcony of her Petersham apartment that took over her night, when police driving in an unmarked four-wheel-drive crashed into a white BMW, which turned out to be stolen.

Two men, believed to be aged in their 20s, were in the BMW.

"I heard the crash, then I heard a lot of shouting, swearing and police saying 'get out of the car,' " Ms Hunter told Fairfax Media.
If it feels like every cafe, bar and restaurant is pressuring you to spend the entire visit promoting their business on social media, then take relief knowing a whiff of change in the air, even if it is coming from an unlikely source.

A fast-food chain in the United States has started offering free ice-creams to families that keep their phones out of reach and out of sight for the entire meal.

The "phone coop" box designed by a Chick-fil-A franchisee keeps phones out of sight during the meal.

A Chick-fil-A franchisee recently introduced the idea at his restaurant near Atlanta, Georgia, after noticing families were staring at their phones rather than talking to each other.

Brad Williams created a small cardboard box  that he calls a phone coop  which everyone puts their phone into at the start of the meal. If the phones stay there, everyone get a treat.
A man who is getting rabies shots after a monkey bit him on the head in Bali has warned travellers against going near the creatures.

Anthony Wallace, of East Gosford, was on a seven-day holiday with girlfriend Libby McManus when he was bitten at Ubud Monkey Forest.

A monkey bites Anthony Wallace on the head as he sits next to girlfriend Libby McManus at Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali.

After the bite happened, Mr Wallace went to a first-aid centre at the monkey forest.

A Balinese doctor cleaned the wounds with salty water and antiseptic and administered a tetanus shot.
Police believe the same man may be behind a string of attempted child assaults in Sydney's south-west in recent days.

Campsie police commander Michael McLean has appealed for public help in finding the man before he sexually assaults other children.

Police are hunting for a man who approached a girl on the corner of Canterbury and King Georges Road, Wiley Park Credit:Google Street View

A five-year-old girl was lured behind a unit block and indecently assaulted in Campsie on Sunday evening by a man wearing dark sunglasses, a cap, shorts and sneakers.

On Tuesday, Superintendent McLean said police believe the same man tried to approach a 14-year-old girl near a park toilet block on the corner of Canterbury and King Georges Road at 7pm on Saturday.
Prison officers have been forced to use tear gas to subdue an inmate who appeared ready to attack during a fire in a cell at a NSW prison.

The incident occurred when four officers responded to a fire alarm at the Wellington Correctional Centre at 3:30pm last Thursday.

Footage of the incident shows a fire at the front of a prison cell and the officers working to extinguish it.

Two inmates are directed out but when the second prisoner exits he appears ready to lunge at his cell mate and a nearby officer.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt has launched a scathing attack on "self-professed richest man in Queensland" Clive Palmer for causing "enormous uncertainty and upheaval to the lives of several hundred north Queensland families".

The state government and Mr Palmer have been locked in a war of words over the fate of Mr Palmer's Townsville nickel refinery, which, as one of north Queensland's largest employers, is of extreme importance to a state dealing with double-digit regional unemployment.

Mr Palmer sacked the remaining 550 workers late last week after requesting, and being denied, a cash bailout from the federal and state governments.

Voluntary administrators have been operating the plant since January.
Police have charged a 43-year-old Gordonvale man with two counts of murder in the wake of a double killing in the north Queensland town.

On Tuesday afternoon police charged the man with the murder counts as well as one count each of attempted murder, wounding and wilful damage.

Police have described the scene of a suspected homicide in Gordonvale where two women died as "blood soaked".

Police were called to the Wiltshire Drive address on Monday afternoon where the two women, aged 43 and 66, were found dead.
In an attempt to get its agenda back on track after a week of turmoil that included losing a MP to the cross bench and early election threats, the Palaszczuk government returned to Parliament keen to spruik its infrastructure plan.

But opposition infrastructure spokesman Tim Nicholls was quick to derail it, pointing out that one of the projects included in the plan, the Burleigh Heads Fire and Rescue station, had already been built under the LNP.

He even produced a photo to prove it.

"I went to the Justice and Public Safety Page of the document, page [95], which outlines selected projects for one to four years," he said.
A Queensland minister was brought to tears as he spoke of the plight of a young refugee woman from his electorate, who is facing "indefinite incarceration", despite being married to a permanent Australian resident.

Energy Minister and Member for Yeerongpilly Mark Bailey became emotional while speaking of 21-year-old Mojgan Shamsalipoor, who fled Iran "under extraordinary difficult circumstances", in 2012. She applied for a bridging visa and was rejected and was placed in community detention in 2014.

Despite her marriage to Milad Jaffari, a fellow refugee who was granted a visa and will be eligible to apply for citizenship in July, Ms Shamsalipoor was forcibly taken into detention just three months ahead of her graduation at Yeronga State School, denied the opportunity to farewell her husband and taken to a Darwin detention centre in August 2015.

Ms Shamsalipoor, who dreams of becoming a midwife so she can help other Australians, has been supported by her teachers, fellow students and local community, had her application for her partnership visa rejected, leaving her with the option of returning to Iran, where her safety is threatened, or to stay in detention indefinitely.
If Steve Fennell was a just man helping out Queensland grandmother Liselotte Watson around the house, you might not find him guilty of her murder.

Or if he just made large cash withdrawals on her behalf to the sum of $24,000 over three months while regularly gambling at the TAB.

Trial over the death of Liselotte Watson on Macleay Island continues. Credit:Louie Douvis

Or if he just happened to possess the hammer believed to have been used to bludgeon the 85-year-old as she sat on her bed in her nightdress.

But that list of coincidences is too long, Crown Prosecutor Glen Cash told the jury in his closing submissions at Fennell's murder trial.
A former construction union official accused of corruption has emerged as a witness in a criminal blackmail case against the CFMEU's most senior branch leaders.

Danny Berardi  an ex-official with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union  is named in a list of more than 20 witnesses giving sworn evidence in the police case against union secretary John Setka and his deputy, Shaun Reardon.

Union leaders Shaun Reardon, left and John Setka arrive at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Credit:Justin McManus

Mr Berardi resigned from the union in 2014 amid allegations he was receiving kickbacks, including free home renovations, in return for securing work for two building companies on Melbourne work sites. He was investigated by police but no charges were laid.

On Tuesday, CFMEU chiefs Mr Setka and Mr Reardon appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a committal hearing over their suspected involvement in an alleged multimillion-dollar blackmail attempt of concrete giant Boral.
Police officers in charge of a counter-terrorism team were unaware Numan Haider had posted online rants and spoken of stabbing police in the days before the teenager attacked two officers with a knife, his inquest has heard.

The officers were in acting roles leading the joint counter-terrorism team, comprising members from Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police, that wanted to meet with Haider in September 2014 as part of a "disruption strategy" over concerns he had been radicalised and was planning an attack against Australian political figures.

Shortly after 7.30pm on September 23, 2014, Haider met two policemen outside the Endeavour Hills police station and stabbed both, before one shot the 18-year-old dead.

They had met to discuss Haider's failed application for a passport and their search of his home earlier that day. Haider wasn't home at the time but his parents were. The two policemen who were stabbed cannot be identified.
Residents affected by the development of sky rail near their properties may be able to access compensation for the inconvenience caused to their lives.

Premier Daniel Andrews opened the door to compensation for residents in an interview on ABC radio this morning.

"This is a very significant investment," he told presenter Jon Faine.

"If we need to compensate anyone, if we need to make arrangements on a case-by-case basis we're open to that."
A Perth family who welcomed quintuplets in January won't have to care for the babies on their own when they eventually bring their five new bundles of joy home from hospital.

Up to 150 volunteers will rotate through a support roster to help now mother-of-eight, Kim Tucci, and her husband Vaughn with the estimated 50 nappy changes and 40 bottle feeds each day.

A picture from Kim Tucci's Facebook page Surprised By Five. Credit:Facebook: Surprised By Five

At just 30 weeks, Ms Tucci gave birth to a new boy, named Keith (1269g), and his four sisters - Tiffany (1170g), Penelope (1160g), Allie (1200g) and Beatrix (1210g) on January 29.

WAtoday first reported the news the Perth mum of three was expecting quintuplets late last year after she began documenting her incredible journey on her Facebook blog 'Surprised by Five'.
An image shared by Royal Brunei's Instagram account in February shows the airline's first all-female flight crew sitting in the cabin of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Royal Brunei announced the introduction of its first all-female flight crew, making it the latest in a string of airlines to mark the milestone.

However, it wasn't just the pilots' gender that brought attention: it was where they were flying to.

Royal Brunei Airline's first all-female flight crew, sitting in the cabin of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Credit:Royal Brunei Airlines Instagram

At the time the photograph was taken, Captain Sharifah Czarena and her two female first officers were about to fly from Brunei to Jeddah, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia - a country where women are not allowed to drive.

Although the image was initially shared three weeks ago, it gained traction after being shared this week on Reddit under the headline "An all-female crew lands an airliner into a country they're not allowed to drive in."
"Significant findings have been made, but the organisation behind this will be announced once the investigation has been finalised," he said. Emergency workers work at the scene of the explosion that killed at least 27 people. Credit:Erhan Ortac NATO member Turkey faces multiple security threats. As part of a US-led coalition, it is fighting Islamic State in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. It is also battling PKK militants in its southeast, where a 2-1/2-year ceasefire collapsed last July, triggering the worst violence since the 1990s. The bombing came two days after the US Embassy issued a warning that there was information regarding a potential attack on government buildings in the Bahcelievler area of Ankara, just a few km away from the blast site. The United States condemned the attack, saying in a White House National Security Council statement: "This horrific act is only the most recent of many terrorist attacks perpetrated against the Turkish people. The United States stands together with Turkey, a NATO ally and valued partner, as we confront the scourge of terrorism."

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 30 of those killed had died at the scene, while the four others died in hospital. At least one or two of the dead were attackers, he said, and 19 of the 125 wounded were in critical condition. Pellets and nails One of the security officials said the car used in the attack was a BMW driven from Viransehir, a town in the largely Kurdish southeast, and that the PKK and the affiliated Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) appeared to be responsible. TAK claimed responsibility for the previous car bombing, just a few blocks away, on February 17. That attack targeted a military bus as it waited at traffic lights, and killed 29 people, most of them soldiers, near the military headquarters, parliament and other key government institutions. A police source said there appeared to have been two attackers, one a man and the other a woman, whose severed hand was found 300 metres from the blast site.

The explosives were the same kind as those used on February 17 and the bomb had been reinforced with pellets and nails to cause maximum damage, the source told Reuters. The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, parliament's third largest party, which Erdogan accuses of being an extension of the PKK, condemned what it described as a "savage attack". State broadcaster TRT said the car had exploded at a major transport hub, hitting a bus carrying some 20 people near the central Guven Park and Kizilay Square at 6:43 p.m. (1643 GMT). An Ankara court ordered a ban on access to Facebook, Twitter and other sites in Turkey after images from the bombing were shared on social media, broadcasters CNN Turk and NTV reported. Security threats

World leaders joined in condemning the bombing. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "appalled," while French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault described it as a "cowardly attack". Russian President Vladimir Putin described it as "inhuman," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. "There can be no justification for such heinous acts of violence. All NATO allies stand in solidarity with Turkey, resolute in our determination to fight terrorism in all its forms," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the country's ambassador to Turkey, James Larsen, was in a car at an intersection 20 metres from where the bomb was detonated. "It really does bring it home to us that a terrorist attack can take place at any time, anywhere," Bishop told Nine Network television while on a diplomatic trip to Fiji. "We utterly condemn these barbaric attacks on civilian populations." "It was an appalling thing for him to witness, being so close, but he's fine," she added of the ambassador.
The infinite world of prime numbers just got a little more finite, after a pair of mathematicians discovered the prime number sequence isn't as random as once thought.

Primes hate to repeat themselves, the researchers from Stanford University, California have found.

It's a prime 'conspiracy' that has stunned mathematicians with its elegant simplicity.

Stretch your memory back to the gridded pages of your primary school maths book and you'll remember primes are numbers that are only divisible by themselves and 1.
Notaphilists the world over are tingling with anticipation.

Nowhere is the excitement felt more strongly than in New Zealand, where the nation's $5 note has been nominated for the International Banknote Society's (IBNS) Banknote of the Year.

Sir Edmund Hillary graces the New Zealand $5 note.

It is going head-to-head with 19 other finalists around the world, in a festival of notapilly - the appreciation and study of banknotes.



The fiver's focal point, Sir Edmund Hillary, is a New Zealander so impressive that the nation broke tradition to put him on the cash while he was still alive.

However, Argentina's new 50 peso note is about as bold they come.
"I was on the beach for a few hours and didn't put on any bug spray," said Levy, a 35-year-old psychotherapist. "I had two bites when I got home Sunday." Roxanne Forest, who spent her Christmas vacation in Costa Rica just as she was entering her second trimester of pregnancy. Credit:Bryan Meltz "I think I would have been more panicky if I hadn't told myself I needed to keep it together for my baby." The Zika virus is not yet known to be circulating in the continental United States. But already, fear of the infection has come home for many pregnant women and their families who journeyed abroad before the risks were known. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that nine pregnant women were known to have become infected while travelling. Yet many more are coping with the possibility of exposure, reaching out to their doctors for blood tests and ultrasounds, obsessing on news coverage and trying to manage their worry.

The CDC recommends that pregnant women receive blood tests two to 12 weeks after travel to an affected area to detect whether they may have been infected with the Zika virus. Those who may have been exposed are urged to consider having extra ultrasounds to look for birth defects in the developing foetus. Nothing is guaranteed; the antibody test has its limits. Ultrasounds often do not detect foetal microcephaly, the disease causing misshapen heads and brain damage that has been linked to infection with the virus. According to the CDC, the scans are most accurate at the end of the second trimester or early in the third. "The risk is small, but the effects are tragic," said Craig Forest, 37, an associate professor of bioengineering at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. "Multiply those two together, and you still have something bad."

He and his wife, Roxanne, 32, spent Christmas vacation in Costa Rica just as she was entering her second trimester of pregnancy. They chose that destination because of all the countries in the region, it seemed to offer the safest environment for a pregnant woman. After 10 days of rain forest hikes and lazy sunsets on the beach, Forest was covered with insect bites. Back home in January, the couple began hearing news reports about the Zika virus. Costa Rica was not mentioned. "I'm looking at the list and thinking, 'That's all of Costa Rica's neighbours; we dodged a bullet on that one,'" Forest said. On February 1, Costa Rica was added to the list of countries in which Zika is circulating. The virus had been in the country since at least December.

Forest's doctor did not order a blood test for the infection because she had not had any symptoms. Her most recent ultrasound appeared normal, and the couple will ask for another at the cutoff time for an abortion. They have lain in bed at night discussing the possibility, something that would have been unthinkable a couple of months ago. They know the risks are remote - first that she might have been bitten by an infected mosquito, and second that the infection might lead to a birth defect. "As analytically minded people, we're trying to calculate the odds," said Forest, who is also an engineer. But when they try to figure the likelihood of a birth defect related to the Zika virus, all they can come up with is "not zero."

There is nothing to do but wait. "I actually tried to stop reading the news," Forest said. Even when a pregnant woman is found to have been infected, tests of blood or amniotic fluid cannot definitively tell if the foetus was affected, said Dr W. Ian Lipkin, an expert in infectious diseases at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, who is working to develop a more reliable alternative. Microcephaly seems to be a relatively rare complication. But it is also possible that the virus may cause "more subtle damage that we can't yet appreciate," Lipkin said. Sydney Silverstein, 35, an Emory University doctoral candidate, has been living in Iquitos, Peru, since July. She is 8 1/2 months pregnant. There is no widespread epidemic of Zika virus in Peru, but the virus is present in Lima. Moreover, she spent time on the Brazilian border in late fall, early in her pregnancy.

She has had extra ultrasound scans from her doctor, and her foetus looks unaffected. Her husband, Nick, travels back and forth from his job in Ohio, and her parents have been urging her to leave before the virus spreads to her part of the country. "I have a family that is awesome and supportive - and a little freaked out," she said. Silverstein decided to remain in Peru, believing the risks to her baby boy are not great and wanting to complete the research she has started. Still, the difference between her circumstances as an American and those of other local women "smacks you in the face," she said. "Deep down, I knew I had the option to leave if I thought I had to." Most women in Latin America cannot.
In a video posted on YouTube , hacktivists declare Trump's actions and campaign for the Republican nomination shocking.

The hacker collective appears to have declared war on the presidential hopeful, issuing a call to arms to its followers to attack Trump's online properties on April 1 - yes, April Fool's day.

"Donald Trump, we have been watching you and what we see is deeply disturbing," the masked presenter says on the March 4 video, which includes a montage of TV footage showing some of Trump's most hateful, sexist and racist comments.

Donald Trump is public enemy No 1 in Mexico but his remarks about Mexico "sending" rapists and criminals to the US vaulted him to the top of polls. Credit:Bloomberg

"Your inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States of America, you have shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas.

"You say what your audience wants to hear but in reality you don't stand for anything but for your personal greed and power."

Calling for its loose-knit network of hacktivists as well as ordinary computer users to engage in Operation Trump - #OpTrump re-engaged 2016 - the presenter says Trump's campaign for the White House needs to be shut down and his brand "sabotaged".
PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo on Monday March 14th 2016, sent a letter to the President of Parliament Sarah Wescott Williams concerning the abrupt suspension of the 2016 Budget meeting on Thursday, March 10th.

The Member of Parliament questioned the Chair on whether the opportunity was given to any other Member of Parliament to support the amendments. After listening to the recording of the said meeting Independent Member of Parliament Leona Marlin-Romeo is of the opinion that the Chair suspended the meeting before allowing any other member to support the amendments.

Five amendments were proposed namely:

1. ANG 150.000, identified by the Collective Prevention Services as not being executable for the Neo Natal Screening due to the lack of funds. This screening allows doctors to detect health conditions and possibly treat them at an early stage;

2 . ANG. 250,000, identified by the Collection Prevention Services as not executable due to the lack of funds for the Outbreak Prevention program.

3 An addition of ANG, 30,000 for the Labour department to be able to cover additional Burial Costs.

4 ANG. 81,000.00 For the purchase of life insurance and specifically a disability insurance, should any uniformed officer become disabled or incapacitated in the line of duty

5 ANG. 275,000.00 for the support of the Vrijewilligers Korps (VKS).

The aforementioned amendments are budget neutral, stated the Member of Parliament as they are merely a shifting or reallocating of the allotted funds from one budget post to another, and does not affect the budget.

Additionally, the Member of Parliament requested that:

1. An educational trust fund be created for the children of uniformed/service men and women who die in the line of duty;

2. Steps be taken to lower the cost for seniors with fixed reductions in water, light, cable, medication, and the purchasing of foods.

The Member of Parliament has formerly requested a retraction of the amendments for further additions, namely

- considering that a motion was proposed for the reintroduction of mandatory military service which the Member of Parliament supports due to the visit of the VKS Open House on Sunday March 13th 2016;

- the urgent issues surrounding the production of the national identification and drivers license cards at the Civil Registry department.

For clarification, the Member is bringing this to the publics attention as the perception is being given that the Member of Parliament is intentionally delaying the budget for personal reasons.

According to the Member of Parliament the fact remains that presently in Parliament there is a 7/7 split of members and the attention is being shifted to take the emphasis off the reality of the situation.

The Member of Parliament proposed the amendments due to the direct benefits they would have for the people of Sint Maarten, Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo concludes in a press statement on Monday.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martins School of Continuing Education and Life Long Learning, (SCELL) has joined forces with Males at USM to increase Male Enrollment in 2016. The campaign will officially kick off in May inviting all interested males from the community to attend an informational session organized by SCELL. Dr. Gittens, The Founder of SCELL stated I founded Youth Professionals Network (YPN) to support young men enrolled at USM with a solid platform to share their personal academic experiences with potential USM male students. I believe this is a perfect formula to empower USM males to become mentors while simultaneously pursuing their academic dreams and enc ouraging others to pursue degrees at USM and UVI at USM. Currently there are 37 males enrolled at USM and YPN has set a firm goal to increase that number to 57, enrolling 20 males to USM/UVI by August 1, 2016.

Mr. Javid Hurtault the President of YPN and a second year accounting major stated: Education never stops and should be viewed as an ongoing personal development. The more males on the island that pursue degrees the better the St. Maarten community will become.

Mr. Nerette Dickson, Vice President of YPN stated: I do not take this appointment lightly as Vice President of YPN. My years at USM have been on and off but I realize now that I must take my Education seriously and make it a priority. I am committed to encouraging others males to make the right choice to earn a degree at USM.

Frid Pompee, a first year student enrolled in the BTEC accredited Hospitality, Tourism & Management program and YPNs Event Manager stated: Life without education is not life, especially for us, black men of the future. Education is the bridge that everyone should cross the key passage way that leads to endless and unlimited possibilities for future, our families and our communities.

Chantell Andre the Community Affairs Officer of Womens Island Network, (WIN) and Aisha Vanterpool an Honorary Board Member of WIN, will both act as Advisory Board members for YPN. Their professional expertise and years of managing, leading and directing companies makes them ideal as advisory board leaders. They will be the backbone of YPN and the foundation of ensuring that YPN grows and achieves it goals.

Mrs. Andre said It is important to take advantage of opportunities that will increase your knowledge particularly for both men and women on the island. Being educated is a choice, one that will open many doors. Ms. Vanterpool said Education broadens our horizons and gives us a better understanding of our island and the world around us it also is the key to boosting the St. Maarten economy. As WIN Board members we are committed to guiding, directing and supporting the young men of YPN to reach their goals and assist in the much needed enrollment of males at The University of St. Martin.

For Further information on YPN and information or questions on how to enroll at USM, please call 554-2437 or visit the SCELL website @ http://scell.usmonline.onl/
Oranjestad:--- On March 15th, 2016 the Board of financial supervision Aruba (CAft), which is exerting financial supervision as per August 1st, 2015, paid a visit to Aruba, and the purpose was the rendering of account over the 2015 budget and the progress of the 2016 budget. According to the CAft chairman Age Bakker, Aruba managed to meet the deficit limit as stated in the National Ordinance financial supervision (LAft). This was related though to considerable incidental windfalls, which means that the structural challenges still remain. The Board pointed out that for 2016 it is necessary to get at an earlier point in the year a deeper insight in the way the financial situation of Aruba is developing. The first opportunity to realize this is in May, when additional advice is given on the 2016 budget. Furthermore the probable re-opening of the refinery has a substantial effect on the budget. The Board has advised to make an analysis for the budget covering the revenues and the risks for the budget, including the potential environmental impact. Previously the Board has advised the Kingdom Council of Ministers to endorse a USD 100 million loan for Aruba.

Consultations CAft

During the visit to Aruba, the CAft, consisting of chairman and Board member Age Bakker and the Board members Sybilla Dekker and Robert Croes, conferred with various parties. During the visits to the Governor, the Minister of Finance, the Council of Ministers and the Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs of the Aruba Parliament and the Aruba Central Bank (CBA), amongst others the progress of the rendering of account over the execution of the 2015 budget and the further evaluation of the 2016 budget in May 2016 were discussed. Another matter was the 2017 budget that is currently being prepared, and which in line with the current schedule should be submitted in a timely fashion and in compliance with the domestic legislation. During the visit the Board was also informed on the developments regarding the refinery, the social funds and the developments in tourism.

2016 Budget

According to the agreements reached in December 2016 between CAft and Aruba, a further evaluation of the 2016 budget shall take place in May. The realization figures of the first quarter of 2016 will be assessed. By then it will be clear if and when the re-opening of the San Nicolas refinery shall take place. It is expected that this re-opening will provide for an influx of direct and indirect funds in the state treasury. The government expects that because of this influx, any setbacks which CAft has warned against in its opinions, will be fully absorbed in the 2016 budget. The Board emphasizes that in order to ensure a proper assessment of the financial and economic impact of the reopening of the refinery, it will need timely access to the contracts in which these estimated funds are included. Additionally the Board advises to produce a risk analysis in which possible costs for the budget are calculated. These are costs that may result from a selected construction, based on which Aruba will be the owner of the oil refinery and thus responsible for potential costs related to negative environmental impact. Especially to deal with the refinancing of maturing loans, Aruba shall contract a USD 100 million loan on the international market. The Kingdom Council of Ministers has endorsed this loan on March 11th, after having received a positive advice from the CAft to that effect.

Fourth execution report 2015

The figures in the fourth execution report show that Aruba closed the year 2015 with a deficit of 2.0% of its GDP. Considering that according to the LAft the deficit limit of 3.7% of the GDP for 2015 relates to the collective sector of Aruba, the CAft has corrected the realization of Aruba for one specific transaction, namely the cancellation of the debt of Aruba to the Social Insurance Bank (SVb) of ANW 60 million, which in fact has no effect on the deficit of the collective sector of Aruba. Taking this correction into account, the preliminary realization of Aruba is 3.2% of the GDP. However, it is relevant to point out that with the introduction of the VAS, revenues from the profit tax that otherwise would have materialized in 2016 have now been advanced, resulting in an incidental excess income in 2015. These incidental windfalls differentiate the underlying picture, thereby making it clear that the structural challenges still remain. Additionally, caution is required when interpreting the execution figures, considering the quality of the financial management and the fact that the GDP estimate of the Aruba Central Bank (CBA) which was applied, is of April 2015. The Board has requested the Central Bank of Aruba to update the GDP realizations and forecasts at regular intervals, if possible.
Introduction of 4G LTE and 3G technologies

UTS has designed and is set to start building the first 4G LTE network on the island of Saba after a successful launch of the service in St. Maarten. Doing business under the name of UTS-WICC and partnered with SATEL on offering its Chippie mobile service, the company will commence building Sabas first 4G LTE network within short. While building and rolling out the 4G LTE network, UTS will also be introducing 3G mobile service on the island. Both classes of technologies will be utilized to provide better service to customers. Whether the customer has a 4G LTE compatible smartphone or a phone that supports 3G technology, they will be able to enjoy blazing fast mobile internet speeds. After the successful launch of LTE on St Maarten, Saba will be the next market in the Eastern Caribbean whose customers will be benefitting from this better service.

Coverage expansion

The company will also be building additional sites to provide better mobile coverage for the island of Saba. The current amount of 4 GSM sites will be expanded with the construction of two additional sites. The total of 6 sites will offer both 4G LTE and 3G service. These new sites will enhance service in areas where the coverage needs improvement. The most notable improvements will be in Windwardside and The Bottom.

The equipment to be installed has already been secured and is currently being shipped to Saba for install. Installations are scheduled during the second quarter of 2016 and will be carried out by UTS and SATEL engineers in collaboration with local contractors, and further supported by the vendor of the mobile equipment to be installed. Testing will be completed and inspection will take place by the end of the second quarter of 2016.

Capacity and speed upgrades

With the recent decision to lower the fees mobile operators have to pay to the Supervisory Telecom Agency, which regulates telecom for the island, the costs of operation in Saba will become lower. This reduction will allow UTS to invest substantially in enhancements to the mobile infrastructure on Saba, such as the increases in coverage and speed enhancements. Another such significant investment is in more capacity. UTS has its own fiber transport on the SSCS fiber cable between St. Maarten and Saba. This fiber replaces the microwave technology which used to be the primary link between the islands. This microwave technology will remain in operation as backup connectivity. Obtaining this capacity on the SSCS fiber system which allow UTS to offer the consumer better connectivity and faster speeds on the Chippie mobile network.

Travel convenience

With Chippie mobile service in Saba being part of the overall Chippieland network, Saba customers are able to travel with their Chippie number to other islands and continue using mobile service at local rates. This means that Saba customers traveling to St. Maarten or elsewhere within Chippie 3G and 4G LTE coverage will be able to travel with no interruption to their high speed mobile internet service. The new service is not only a convenience for Sabans traveling abroad though. The availability of high speed mobile internet on the smallest island in Dutch Caribbean will also be good for visiting tourists and business travelers coming to the island. They can continue using their mobile service while roaming with their foreign number and conduct business as usual.

Commercial launch

UTS expects to launch the 3G and 4G LTE service commercially in the beginning of the third quarter. UTS commercial team is diligently planning the introduction of this exciting new service and will offer the Saba consumer attractive packages to use this enhanced service. Soon customers will also be able to enjoy the same service that Chippie customers on St. Maarten have been able to benefit from. The enhanced service will enable access to all the latest apps and access high quality content at lightning-fast speeds. A fantastic experience for the user because content such as Netflix, Skype, Youtube and more will run with ease on the new network.

UTS Eastern Caribbean Chief Executive Officer, Glen Carty states: We would like to first and foremost thank our customers for being patient and loyal Chippie customers while awaiting the enhancement of service which is now coming with the introduction of high speed mobile internet. We appreciate their custom throughout the years. We would also like to thank the government of Saba for working along with us in realizing the planned enhancements. Our long-time business partners, SATEL have been a valuable partner over the years we look forward to a continued positive and mutually beneficial working relationship. We thank them for their years of pleasant partnership and cooperation. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Agentschap for working along with us and issuing the necessary cooperation in our progress towards a milestone. We are excited to bring the smallest island in the Caribbean and perhaps in the world a 4G LTE network.
CORRECTION FROM SOURCE: TMS Secures Shareholder Loans

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA  (Marketwired)  03/14/16  Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (CSE: TMS)(OTCQX: TGTMD) 

A correction from source is issued for the news release that was disseminated Tuesday, March 8, 2016. The second paragraph has been modified for the correct currency reference. The corrected copy of the news release follows:

Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (TMS) announced today that it has entered into loan agreements with Dr. James Young, the Chairman of the Board, and Satellite Overseas (Holdings) Limited, in the aggregate principal amount of US$2 million.

We are pleased to have received these loans from our Chairman and our largest shareholder, commented Larry Siegel, the Chief Executive Officer of TMS. With over $4 million cash on hand, we can accelerate our research and development program, while pushing forward on near-term commercial opportunities.

Each loan agreement provides for the issuance of a promissory note by TMS in the aggregate principal amount of US$1 million. The notes mature on March 8, 2018 and will accrue interest at a rate of 3% per annum, calculated semi-annually. TMS may prepay the loans in whole or in part without additional penalties, fees or charges. Closing of the loans is subject to receipt of any applicable exchange approvals.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Dr. James Young, Chairman of the Board of Directors

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain statements which are, or may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that address or discuss activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical and, in this news release, include, without limitation, statements regarding: the expected use of the proceeds of the loans. When used in this news release, words such as estimates, expects, plans, anticipates, projects, will, believes, intends, should, could, may and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts of our management. Because forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which are difficult to predict, our actual results, performance or achievements or the actual results or performance of the industries and markets in which we operate and intend to operate may be materially different from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant uncertainties and risks, should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in our forward-looking statements, including the matters described in our public filings available on SEDAR at . Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon our forward-looking statements and we undertake no obligation to publicly revise such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc.

(778) 995 5833

Kin Communications Inc.

Roger Blair

(604) 684-6730 / 1 (866) 684-6730 (toll-free)
SK Hynix, Amkor Technology, eSilicon, Northwest Logic and Avery Design Systems Announce Start Your HBM/2.5D Design Today Webinar

SAN JOSE, CA  (Marketwired)  03/15/16  SK Hynix, Amkor Technology, eSilicon, Northwest Logic and Avery Design Systems recently presented a live seminar in the Bay Area discussing High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) designs implemented with 2.5D technology. The event was very well received, with over 100 people in attendance. The five companies are now bringing this HBM information to a worldwide audience with two webinars on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. The two live webinar events will occur at 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.

HBM is a JEDEC-defined standard that utilizes 2.5D technology to interconnect a SoC and a HBM memory stack. Many companies are already using HBM to create very high-bandwidth, low-power products. This webinar will present a complete HBM supply chain that is delivering and supporting customer HBM designs now.

Webinar attendees will also receive an informative white paper on HBM design.

Webinar registration is now open:

SK Hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the worlds top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (DRAM), Flash memory chips (NAND Flash) and CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Companys shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK Hynix is available at .

Amkor Technology is one of the worlds largest providers of semiconductor packaging and test services. Founded in 1968, Amkor pioneered the outsourcing of IC assembly and test and is now a strategic manufacturing partner for more than 250 of the worlds leading semiconductor companies, foundries and electronics OEMs. Amkors operational base encompasses more than 8 million square feet of floor space with production facilities, product development centers and sales & support offices located in key electronics manufacturing regions in Asia, Europe and the USA. For more information visit .

eSilicon guides customers through a fast, accurate, transparent, low-risk ASIC journey, from concept to volume production. Explore your options online with eSilicon STAR tools, engage with eSilicon experts, and take advantage of eSilicon semiconductor design, custom IP and IC manufacturing solutions through a flexible engagement model. eSilicon serves a wide variety of markets including the communications, computer, consumer, industrial products and medical segments. Get the data, decision-making power and technology you need for first-time-right results.

The right chip. Right now

Northwest Logic, founded in 1995 and located in Beaverton, Oregon, provides high-performance, silicon-proven, easy-to-use IP cores including high-performance (PCI Express 3.0, 2.1 and 1.1 cores and drivers), (DDR4/3/2, LPDDR4/3/2 SDRAM; HBM, MRAM, RLDRAM 3/II), and (CSI-2, DSI). These solutions support a full range of platforms including ASICs, Structured ASICs and FPGAs. For additional information, visit or .

Founded in 1999, Avery Design Systems, Inc. enables system and SOC design teams to achieve dramatic functional verification productivity improvements through the use of formal analysis applications for RT-level and gate-level X verification; robust core-through-chip-level Verification IP for PCI Express, USB, AMBA, UFS, MIPI, DDR/LPDDR, HBM, HMC, ONFI/Toggle, NVM Express, SCSI Express, SATA Express, eMMC, SD/SDIO, and CAN FD standards. The company is a member of the Mentor Graphics Value Added Partnership (VAP) program and has established numerous Avery Design VIP partner program affiliations with leading IP suppliers. More information about the company may be found at .

Kevin Tran

SK hynix America Inc.

408-232-8386

Debi Polo

Amkor Technology Inc.

480-786-7653

Sally Slemons

eSilicon Corporation

408-635-6409

Brian Daellenbach

Northwest Logic

503-533-5800 x309

Chris Browy

Avery Design Systems

978-851-3627
Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen to keynote the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards Banquet

PALO ALTO, CA  (Marketwired)  03/15/16  The Anita Borg Institute (ABI), a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of women in computing, announces that Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen, Executive Director of Engineering at Facebook and Head of Display Technologies at Oculus will give the keynote address at the 2016 . Ana Pinczuk, ABI Trustee and Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Veritas, will emcee the awards banquet.

Mary Lou and Ana are incredible role models for all women in technical roles, and Im thrilled they will be headlining the Women of Vision banquet, said Telle Whitney, President and CEO of ABI. Women of Vision has been inspiring and celebrating the successes of women technologists for years, and I look forward to this years gala.

ABIs Women of Vision Awards Banquet honors women making significant contributions to technology. This year, the Women of Vision ABIE Awards will honor candidates for Leadership, Technology Entrepreneurship, and Student of Vision. Last years winners included Julie Larson-Green, Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan and Camila Fernandez Achutti.

Mary Lou is one of the worlds foremost display innovators, with an exceptional track record of leadership and inventions, paralleled by years of working with Asias largest manufacturers.

She currently leads advanced consumer electronics, opto-electronic and display design and manufacturing efforts at Facebook and Oculus. Previously she had a similar role at Google and Google[x] where she was also a close advisor to Sergey Brin. She co-founded One Laptop per Child (OLPC) with Nicholas Negroponte, and was the lead inventor and architect of the $100 laptop.

She built OLPCs partnerships throughout Asia to deliver the $100 laptop into high volume production. She has worked extensively with the Asian manufacturing hubs in Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea, living in Taiwan for years. Her startup CEO experience includes the worlds only fabless display screen company, which was based in Taipei.

She has been globally recognized with many awards including the Innovation ABIE Award, TIME magazines Time 100 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, a CNN top 10 thinker, and by the leading global professional societies in optics, display and electronics. She has broad advisory experience including in Peru, China, Uruguay, Taiwan, Brazil, USA, the White House and the United Nations.

Ana Pinczuk is Chief Product Officer at Veritas. In this role, she is responsible for driving a $2.5 billion products organization, including the Veritas Information Availability, Information Management, Backup and Recovery and Appliances portfolios.

Previously, Ana led the Veritas Backup and Recovery business where she was responsible for driving market-leading backup and recovery solutions that allow customers to solve their challenges of access, agility, and risk, and harness the power of their information.

Prior to joining Symantec, Ana led the Global Enterprise Theater (GET) Services Sales group at Cisco Systems, where she was responsible for global services sales to Ciscos top enterprise accounts.

Ana is a member of the International Womens Forum, an Anita Borg Institute trustee, Cornell Computer and Information Sciences Advisory Board, and Carnegie Mellon Engineering Advisory Board. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including the 2016 Women of Influence Award, 2016 HITEC 100, 2014 Corporate Index (Top 25 Hispanics), 2013 Latina Style Executive of the Year, and 2013 TWIN Award.

is now open  reserve your seats today!

for the Women of Vision Awards Banquet are available through Wednesday, March 23.

Current event sponsors include: ADP, BNY Mellon, Capital One, eBay, Facebook, HP and Juniper Networks.

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) connects, inspires and guides women in computing and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative. Founded in 1997 by computer scientist Anita Borg, our reach extends to more than 65 countries. We believe technology innovation powers the global economy, and that women are crucial to building technology the world needs. The Anita Borg Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. For more information, visit anitaborg.org.

Follow the Anita Borg Institute on and like us on .

Vicki Cook
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What you need to know about Powerball and the $580 million jackpot

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New Berlin West perseveres with 24-20 victory over Greendale

Senior Troy Blawat and junior Jack Wesolowski keyed the Vikings' running game and the duo combined for three touchdowns.
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Publicity Poster for '2001'

NASA/Robert McCall, painting for 2001 promotional poster

The Orion III space plane is one of the most iconic vehicles in sci-fi movie epic "2001: A Space Odyssey." In this photo essay, we'll look at the Orion III and its history, including awesome images of an incredibly accurate, fan-made model. HERE: A publicity poster for "2001" shows Orion III launching from Space Station 5 (a scene that does not appear in the film). At its premiere in 1968, the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" presented to the public a vision of future space travel as routine and comfortable as airplane travel of the day. Daily shuttles flew to orbital space stations, and from there, large carriers took passengers up to a base on the moon. The Orion III space plane represented the first leg of these voyages. In the reality of 1968, an Apollo crew had yet to walk on the moon, and the reusable space shuttle was a distant dream.

Concept Sketch of the German Silverbird

E. Sanger and J. Bredt/"A Rocket Drive for Long-Range Bombers," 1944

Concept sketch of the German Silverbird suborbital bomber from World War II. Austrian-German engineer Eugen Sanger's concept of a plane that could travel around the world was developed for the Nazi war effort. The plane, called "Silverbird," would have been propelled by a rocket sled, taking off from a 2-mile-long (3.2 kilometers) inclined ramp. Silverbird would pass above the United States to drop its bomb, and then skip around the world to a landing site in Japan. Silverbird was never built, but after the war, German rocket scientists captured by the United States and the Soviet Union went on to influence the space programs of those countries.

Orion's Ascent to Orbit

Artwork by Karl Tate. Source: Adam K. Johnson/The Lost Science of 2001, Christopher Frayling/The 2001 Files

Sketch of Orion's ascent to orbit. The fully reusable Orion III developed for "2001" was meant to be rail-launched from an inclined ramp at the (fictional) Kennedy Space Port in Florida. The space plane would be boosted by the attached Orion I carrier aircraft. Once at altitude, the booster plane would separate and fly back to Kennedy Space Port for a runway landing and preparation for its next launch.

First Glimpse of Orion in '2001'

Still from "2001"

A frame from the film showing our first glimpse of Orion in "2001." Orion could carry up to 30 passengers, but space agency official Heywood Floyd travels alone on a chartered Pan American flight, due to the urgency of his trip to the moon to view a newly discovered alien artifact that predates mankind.



With no computer-generated imagery available in the 1960s, the exterior of Orion seen in the film is always a physical model about 44 inches (111 centimeters) long. The model had no lights or interior. The scene visible in the windows of the passenger cabin was composited in optically. In most of the handful of shots in which Orion appears, the space plane is a still photo rephotographed on an animation stand. Only when the Orion is shown matching its rotation to the space station is the model filmed in motion.

Interior Passenger Cabin of Orion

Still from "2001." Source: Arthur C. Clarke/"2001: A Space Odyssey."

"2001" still frame showing the interior passenger cabin of Orion. After engine shutdown, Orion is in a weightless condition. To move around, the flight attendant wears Velcro-covered slippers. Pilots and passengers remain strapped into their seats for the 55-minute flight. Orion's destination, Space Station 5, is in low Earth orbit. The space plane cannot travel deeper into space, to, for example, one of the bases on the moon. For that leg of the trip, another spacecraft must be used, the Aries 1B lunar shuttle.

Pilot's View from Orion Spaceship

Still from "2001"

A frame from the film shows the pilot's view as Orion approaches the 1,000-foot-diameter (305 meters) double wheel of Space Station 5. To dock, Orion's pilots must align the long axis of the space plane with the rotation axis of the space station and spin up Orion to the required rotation rate. The station appears motionless from Orion's cockpit windows. Space Station 5's exterior is a model about 8 feet (2.4 m) across.

Copy of the Orion Miniature

Karl Tate

This is a 44-inch-long copy of the Orion miniature used for filming "2001." Steve Dymszo built the replica from a resin kit by Scott Alexander. The master pattern was designed by Adam K. Johnson, author of the book "2001: The Lost Science" (Griffin Media, 2012). Graphics design by Karl Tate. The Orion spacecraft seen in the film was designed by Harry Lange. The length of the "real" Orion space plane is taken to be 175 feet (53 m), so this miniature is around 1:48 scale.

Orion's Twin Main Rocket Engines

Karl Tate. Source: Adam K. Johnson/"2001: The Lost Science"

Featured in this view of the Orion replica are the mouths of the twin main rocket engines, powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Secondary and tertiary rocket engine nozzles also point toward the tail of the ship. Just aft of the large "Pan Am" logo is a ring of emergency explosive bolts and retrorocket jets, which would be fired to separate the tail section should something go wrong with the main engines.



Rectangular outlets are visible on the top surface of the wings, presumably for atmospheric flight. The raised fins along the rear edge of the wings are "wing fences" that control airflow when Orion travels faster than Mach 1 (the speed of sound).

Orion's Wing Intake Ports

Karl Tate. Source: Adam K. Johnson/"2001: The Lost Science"

The openings in the front surface of the wings are intakes, presumably for atmospheric flight. At the very front of the wing roots are landing lights, represented in this model by tiny glass beads. The clear canopy covering the lights is actually a part from a P-51 Mustang airplane plastic model kit.



The model features a lit interior cockpit with one pilot figure. The flat surface forward of the cockpit is a sliding heat-shield cover that protects the windows  a feature inspired by the XB-70 Valkyrie supersonic nuclear bomber. The oval opening at the very front of Orion's nose houses a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) tracking system used when docking with Space Station 5.

Underside of the Orion Replica

Karl Tate. Source: Adam K. Johnson/"2001: The Lost Science"

The underside of the Orion replica. At the wing tips are clear parts representing the anti-collision strobe lights. The ridged trapezoid-shaped plate between the wings is a hypersonic airflow correction plate. Forward and rear landing-gear doors are also visible. The underside of Orion features a titanium heat shield for heat dissipation when returning through Earth's atmosphere.

Space Shuttle Concept, 1970

NASA/Grumman

Space shuttle concept, 1970. An Orion-like configuration with a piloted "flyback" booster stage was briefly considered for NASA's space shuttle in the early 1970s. Ultimately, a configuration with an external fuel tank and strap-on solid rocket boosters was chosen instead.
Scene from "The Marge-ian Chronicles," a space-themed episode of "The Simpsons" that aired on March 13, 2016.

Private Mars colonization has gotten "The Simpsons" treatment.

In the venerable show's latest episode  "The Marge-ian Chronicles," which aired Sunday (March 13) on Fox  Lisa applies to become an astronaut with a company called Exploration Inc., which aims to launch colonists toward Mars in 2026.

Exploration Inc. is an obvious nod to Mars One, the Netherlands-based nonprofit that wants to land four astronauts on Mars in 2027, as the vanguard of a permanent settlement. [Mars One's Red Planet Colony Project (Gallery)]

Mars One intends to pay for its ambitious activities primarily by staging a global media event around the entire project, from astronaut selection and training, to liftoff, to the pioneers' time on Mars. Exploration Inc. also relies on corporate sponsorship to pay the bills.

"Think of how satisfying it will feel to stand in the Valles Marineris and thunder-chug a Blue Bronco energy drink," one of the Exploration Inc. guys says to Lisa and some other applicants (who include "Simpsons" regulars such as Principal Skinner, Professor Frink and Rainier Wolfcastle.)

The company's spacesuits are covered with logos  for Laramie Cigarettes, Draft-Pigs.com and Simmer Time sauces, to name a few  and one prospective colonist (fringe character Disco Stu) has to drop out because he's not a fan of Fig Gluten cookies. ("The fig seeds get caught in my adult braces," he explains.)

There's a lot of other good stuff in "The Marge-ian Chronicles." For example, Homer and Marge aren't happy about Lisa's Mars ambitions, so they ground her. "You are confined to this planet," Marge tells Lisa. "And its moon," Homer adds.

Eventually, all of the other Simpsons  Homer, Marge, Bart and baby Maggie  apply to become colonists themselves, in an effort to make Lisa lose interest in the project. This development excites the publicity-hungry Exploration Inc. guys.

"A family unit could be perfect for this mission," one of them says. "NASA would never have the guts to shoot a baby into space."

There's also a reference to perhaps the best-loved "Simpsons" episode ever  1994's "Deep-Space Homer," in which "average-naut" Homer launches aboard a space shuttle as part of a NASA plan to get more people excited about space exploration.

"Last time, I almost killed everybody," Homer tells the Exploration Inc. guys. Then, one of them asks him what he learned from his previous spaceflight experience. The response is pure Homer: "Lessons, I guess."

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
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Vongehr, 70, a pioneer of the German food-pantry movement, fears that the situation will get even worse in the coming years. One reason, she explains, is that more students are using food banks in Dusseldorf and other university cities. Turning them away would be unfair. On average, university students in Germany have a monthly income of only 864, which, according to the criteria of the German Federal Statistical Office, makes them just as "vulnerable to poverty" as Hartz IV recipients and many retirees.

Another development that worries food bank volunteers is the fact that Bulgarian and Romanian nationals will enjoy freedom of movement for workers as of Jan. 1, 2014. "We are about to face new challenges," says Vongehr. One possible solution, she explains, is to reduce portion sizes, but even that creates potential problems, with recipients already complaining about not getting enough food at many pantries. Because of rising tensions at their facilities, food pantries in Berlin have enrolled some of their workers in conflict management courses.

Competition Between Charities

Some improvement could achieved if individual pantries would distribute the food they collect more effectively among themselves. In some regions, food pantries and other charitable institutions are even competing for the goodwill of grocers. The losers are forced to send their customers home with reduced portions, while the organizations that come out on top are able to expand their range of products and services.

One person able to provide his customers with the best is Wolfgang Nielsen. On a recent morning at 9 a.m., the chairman of the food pantry in the western city of Wuppertal provided a tour of his organization's extensive grounds in the city's Barmen neighborhood. The first stop was the cafeteria, which was almost as big as a gymnasium. Pop music played quietly in the background as guests at the breakfast buffet chose from among nine types of cold cuts and cheese. And thanks to "excellent" cooperation with local bakeries, Nielsen noted enthusiastically, the Wuppertal food pantry has "the best selection of bread and cake in the Bergisches Land region."

Visitors to the food pantry are not charged for their meals, nor are they required to prove their status as Hartz IV recipients or low-wage earners. In theory, any resident of Wuppertal can come to the pantry for breakfast and stay until lunch, which is also free, as is dinner.

Nielsen, 63, and his staff distribute "about 1,000 portions" each day of the week in their cafeteria. They also run a separate "children's pantry," which provides after-school daycare services for Hartz IV recipients and other parents who qualify as needy. "It's a popular service," says Nielsen. Parents who prefer to cook for their own children are given food to take home. Crime rates have declined in Wuppertal because of the food pantry, says Nielsen. According to the police, shoplifting has also gone down since the facility began distributing free meals.

Introducing Price Tags

About 500 kilometers (310 miles) away, Jochen Bruhl, 47, the new chairman of the German Federal Association of Food Pantries, is sitting in a conference room in Berlin. He is somewhat critical of the all-inclusive world of the Wuppertal pantry. Food pantries shouldn't really be "full-service providers," he says. As Bruhl points out, "the supply situation varies widely from region to region." In eastern Germany, in particular, pantries are having trouble serving all of their customers.

Bruhl and his staff at the federal association are trying to develop a structure capable of handling future challenges. They conduct outreach activities, manage major suppliers like the Lidl and Rewe supermarket chains and provide volunteers with fundraising training. They have almost no say in the day-to-day operations of individual pantries.

Bruhl has had good experiences with a model used at the food pantry in his hometown of Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart. The Ludwigsburg facility, along with several others in the surrounding state of Baden-Wurttemberg, no longer offers food for free.

Each item has a price. A cup of yoghurt costs 5 cents, bread costs 20 cents and a portion of fruit is priced at 30 cents. Experiences with the new system have been "overwhelmingly positive," says Bruhl. One of the reasons, he adds, is that pantry visitors are now real customers.

In Munich, too, food pantries have abandoned their old principles. In the past, pantries only distributed items that food producers, supermarkets and other merchants were no longer willing to sell. To maintain standards for their roughly 18,000 weekly customers, food pantries in the Bavarian capital see themselves forced to take a path that would have been viewed as a betrayal of the movement's fundamental principles in the past: Buying large amounts of additional food, paid for with donations.
When the renowned walker and author Alfred Wainwright devised the route there were far fewer pairs of boots completing the cross-country journey but now, 43 years later, it has become a victim of its own success with some stretches showing severe signs of wear and tear.

One of the worst areas of the trail is at Nine Standards Rigg, situated in Cumbria above Kirkby Stephen. The ground has become so bad that local mountain rescue teams have had to be called out to free walkers who have got stuck up to their waist in boggy peat.

A new project initiated by the North Pennines AONB Partnership, in collaboration with local charity The Friends of the North Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, aims to raise the money to restore the path through a Crowdfunding campaign.

Presenter and walking enthusiast Julia Bradbury, and shepherdess and star of ITVs The Dales Amanda Owen, are both supporting the campaign that, if successful, will repair the part of the trail that stretches from St. Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hoods Bay in North Yorkshire.

Julia Bradbury, who walked the route as part of her popular BBC One series, said:

I am delighted that the North Pennines AONB Partnership is planning to start a Crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the renovation and ongoing maintenance of the trail itself. This type of fundraising tends to bring together like-minded people and fellow travellers who will support this particularly wonderful walk in any way they can and are lovers of our great British countryside.

Amanda Owen, who farms at Ravenseat, which sits at the end of the first leg of the walk, and whose life is about to be turned into a film, said:

Its important on so many levels that we keep this path in good shape. Walking, getting out into the countryside, is one of the things thats accessible to many people.
While just 23, Robert has been successfully breeding poultry for 15 years, rearing Rosecombs, Old English Game Birds and a few Orpingtons. Previous successes in the poultry show arena include a best in show at Driffield and reserve at Gargrave Show.

Robert hails from a Texel and Beltex sheep farming family and saw his Skipton title winners, which had earlier taken first prize in the large fowl show class, courtesy of 17-year-old show judge Reece Jowett, of Queensbury, an agricultural student at Bishop Burton College, sell for 85 to Giles Smith, a new buyer from Cleveland. Robert also sold a trio of Buff Orpingtons for 70.

Multiple past Skipton champion and regular prize winner, Richard Pickles, of Bent Laithe Farm Cottage, Lothersdale, was again to the fore when presenting the first prize and reserve champion pen of bantams, a trio of White Wyandottes bred last year from his own exhibition stock.

Richard, who also breeds large White Wyandottes and White Sussex bantams, works as a motor mechanic at Bristol Street Motors in Cross Hills. His charges sold for the days top call of 200, the highest Craven Feather Auction price achieved for some considerable time, to regular Skipton buyer Geoff Marston, from Wetherby.

Next best on price at 110 was J Hindle, of Oswaldtwistle, with a pair of White Wyandottes sold to J Dutton, of Huddersfield. The same vendor also sold a trio of Wheaton Maran at 50, along with a trio of 20-week-old Rhode Island Red pullets at 45.

The first prize pen of waterfowl, a pair of White Call Ducks from HJ Walmsley, of Pilling, made 45. Other leading prices included four Gold Top pullets at 50 and a quartet of Silkies at 42.
STAMFORD  A former Stamford Hospital anesthesiologist is suing the hospital for discrimination and sexual harassment after being fired 17 months ago.

Dr. Samantha Jansson charges in the suit in state Superior Court that doctors and administrators conspired against her after she complained about inexperienced anesthesiologists being hired for the hospitals cardiac program.

The suit, which has since been moved to federal court, alleges that Jansson, who began working at the hospital in Nov. 2007, was told she was out of a job after a number of run-ins with a particular doctor who she says treated female employees at the hospital, including herself, with the utmost disrespect.

Stamford Hospital spokesman Craig Andrews released the following statement in response to the lawsuit.

At Stamford Health, we maintain a work environment characterized by compassion, teamwork, integrity and respect, he said. We are completely confident that our doctors, clinical staff and executives acted appropriately and lawfully in any and all of their interactions with Dr. Samantha Jansson. Stamford Hospital intends to vigorously defend itself and its employees in court when the case comes to trial. It is not appropriate now, and will never be appropriate to try this case in the media.

Janssons 46-page complaint, filed by her attorney Heena Kapadia, says that when the Greenwich anesthesiologist first brought up her concerns about the new hires to the recruiter at the hospitals Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Theresa Bowling, there seemed to be no reaction.

As time went on, Jansson claimed, she was excluded from the interview process for new hires.

Her protests about the new hires took a sharper tone at a meeting near the end of February 2014 with Bowling and Dr. Michael Coady, where she said she had real concerns about the safety of patients in the unit. Jansson said her complaints were not well received at the meeting.

Soon after a Stamford Hospital attorney informed Jansson that there had been complaints about her not being engaged with her patients, that she spoke too loud and did not sit right next to her patients heads during surgery.

Jansson explained that she had a little bit of a hearing problem and with all the noise being made by the machines in the operating room she felt she had to raise her voice. She said that she had been warned to reduce her exposure to radiation and to do that she had been sitting behind a lead shield a few feet away from the patients heads.

She was told by the same attorney she would have to undergo an evaluation and enroll in a counseling program, a program that Jansson believed was for disruptive staff and was concerned that all the information touched on in the sessions would be open to the hospital administrators.

In her complaint, Jansson said, As a result of raising the safety issues, an intense and committed campaign of retaliation against plaintiff followed, involving all of the defendants that ultimately resulted in her termination.

As well as the hospital, Coady and Bowling, Jansson is also suing Sal Mancino, head of the hospitals Human Relations department, Sharon Kiely, the hospitals chief medical officer, Stamford anesthesiology Services and VantagePoint HealthCare Advisors.

Janssons complaint devotes a few pages to the alleged sexual harassment by Coady. She said Coady referred to women by a number of names unprintable in a family newspaper. She said he took issue with their ethnicity, race and disabilities.

She complained that he mocked one woman fighting breast cancer and accused her of shaving off her hair while undergoing chemotherapy just to get attention. She says he regularly swore at women in the operating room and boasted that on more than one occasion he was able to get women fired and they didnt even know he was responsible.

Near the end of summer, Jansson said her daughter took ill during a trip abroad and hospital staff were having trouble diagnosing what was wrong with her. Near the end of August she took her first sick day in nearly eight years at the hospital, but Coady took issue, she said.

She said she was soon demoted to another department. By early October she was fired because, she was told, the business model for caring for cardiac surgical patients was changing, and she did not have the experience to continue on at the hospital.
We turn to the Internet to answer nearly every question we have, and today more and more employers are using it to solve their healthcare problems. To cut down healthcare costs while still providing employees with quality care, two-thirds of employers surveyed by DirectPath and CEB said they offer or plan to offer telehealth services to employees by 2018.

Related: 3 Keys to Seizing Opportunity in the Booming Telemedicine Space

Although telehealth benefits can be beneficial for both employers and employees, there are a few things employers need to do before they can launch these new offerings successfully. Follow these steps to get the most from telemedicine services:

1. Educate employees.

Employees may feel uncomfortable with telehealth because its much less familiar than their usual doctor check-up. They wont initially know how to use the new benefits to get the most out of them. To get the program to benefit them and you, the employer, employees need to understand it enough to use it.

Before launching telemedicine benefits, let employees know what to expect from a virtual visit and which illnesses practitioners are equipped to treat. Do they need to call in? Can they have video appointments with a provider? Is there an app they can download and use? And how does it work? For example, platforms like Sherpaa allow employees to call and text questions to healthcare providers over the company's app.

In addition, some telehealth practitioners can treat only conditions like colds, allergies and rashes and are limited in what medications they can prescribe virtually. Share this information with employees and make it easy to reference again by storing it internally on your HR platform.

2. Show the potential for savings.

Even when employees know how to navigate telehealth platforms, they may still be reluctant to go virtual with their healthcare. To get employees on board, show them how switching to telemedicine can save them money.

When telemedicine is included in employee health plans, employees can avoid co-pays by participating in a virtual appointment instead of one that's in-person. Some platforms like HealthiestYou can also save employees money by analyzing prescription costs and revealing which pharmacy will give them the best price.

Related: While Tech Investing Slows These 3 Growing Industries Are Getting Hot

When educating employees about telehealth use, focus on the ways the platform can help to put money back in their pockets. Explain how the program can avoid costly ER visits, cut down on doctor appointments and co-pays, and reduce the cost of medications.

3. Review licensure requirements.

Getting patients on board with telehealth is only part of a successful program; employers need to know and understand regulations to stay compliant. Licensing requirements limit which providers employees can visit virtually.

In most states, to practice telemedicine, doctors must be licensed in the state they are located and in the state where the patient is located. So, although patients can technically connect with any doctor virtually, they cant necessarily do so legally. Employers need to know what their state licensing and certification requirements are, especially if they have offices in multiple states.

4. Understand state regulations.

Not only do employers need to be aware of state licensing regulations, they also need to know other state-specific telehealth regulations. For instance, some states require patients to undergo an in-person exam or evaluation before that physician is allowed to prescribe medications for them virtually. However, other states allow this initial exam to be performed by the doctor's review of medical records and diagnostic images, electronically.

For example, in Virginia, a physician must perform an exam of the patient before he or she prescribes medications via telehealth. But the doctor can do this exam physically or by the use of instrumentation and diagnostic equipment through which images and medical records may be transmitted electronically, according to the state regulations. In Maryland, if the patient and physician have never met face-to-face, the doctor can use real-time phone or video conversations to perform the necessary evaluation.

Related: Meet Spruce, a Telemedicine App Designed to Stop Acne in Its Tracks

Clearly, you should check the laws in your state, and know which regulations apply and what requirements your telehealth benefits must meet to stay compliant.

Have you thought about implementing telehealth? What concerns are at the top of your list? Share in the comments below!

Related:



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Some 150,000 New Jersey Transit riders narrowly escaped a nightmare scenario when the rail agency came to an agreement last weekend with its unions, avoiding a strike that would have shut down the commuter line. The New York metropolitan region had faced the threat of a massive disruption because rail workers, unlike most local-government employees, are still allowed to walk off their jobs, thanks to a 90-year-old federal law. As commuters and employers in the region breathe a collective sigh of relief, its time for Congress to amend that law, the Railway Labor Act, so that it no longer gives rail workers at public agencies like NJ Transit, Metro North, and the Long Island Rail Road leverage to threaten strikes during negotiations. Those employees, instead, should be subject to the same local laws governing labor relations that apply to other public workers, who are banned from striking because of the havoc that government-employee walkouts would cause to public services and safety.

The Railway Labor Act had its genesis in the crucial role that freight transportation played in the American economy in the early twentieth century. Frequent labor disputes after World War I prompted Congress to pass the law in 1926 as a framework for resolving conflicts between workers and management. The act called for federal mediation of disputesbut it also gave unions the right to strike.

Rails importance began to decline, especially after World War II, with the rise of air- and truck-freight services. As their profits diminished, railroads cut loose their less-profitable passenger operations, sparking in the New York metropolitan region a lively debate about whether local government should assume responsibility for these costly operationsabove all, the rich contracts and generous work rules that some employees enjoyed, thanks to years of bargaining under the Railway Labor Act. Conrail, with commuter lines pieced together by the federal government out of the failed operations of several private railroads, was especially guilty of paying generously, even as its losses piled up, and local governments hesitated to step in. Each year, a 1981 New York Times article on Conrail noted, hundreds of Conrail commuter employees in the New York area have added millions of dollars to their wages through special pay, which, the paper pointed out, reflected antiquated work rules.

In the 1960s and 1970s, states and cities experienced widespread, disruptive work stoppages by public employees, including teachers and local transportation workers, and many subsequently banned strikes. But in 1981, the Supreme Court rejected an effort by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to withdraw unionized workers at the LIRR from the purview of the federal act and instead place them under New Yorks Taylor Law, which prohibits strikes by government workers. The MTA had sought the move because workers had struck the line and closed it down four times since the state had assumed control of Long Island commuter operations in 1966. In the aftermath of the court ruling, states then began lobbying Congress to amend the Railway Labor Act to exempt publicly subsidized commuter operations. But efforts to change the law failed.

Under pressure from Washington, states gradually absorbed commuter operations from Conrail and other private carriers. By 1989, 12 publicly owned commuter lines around the country, including SEPTA in Pennsylvania and METRA in Illinois, operated with unionized workers bargaining under the federal act. The biggest impact remains in greater New York, where more than 400,000 daily commuters ride on publicly owned train lines, the labor operations of which fall under federal labor law. The region has paid dearly in higher costs and commuting disruptions. In 1980, for instance, rail unions struck PATH for 79 days, forcing some 80,000 commuters to scramble for alternate means of getting to work until the unions settled with the Port Authority, which operates PATH. In 1987, unionized LIRR workers stranded 150,000 commuters with an 11-day walkoutthe fifth LIRR strike since the state had formed the railroad 21 years earlier. Often the public paid dearly. In 1994, the MTA abruptly capitulated to union demands in order to end a two-day strike at the LIRR. I just agreed to pay ransom, said MTA chairman Peter Stangl of the deal, and his chief negotiator, Gary Dellaverson (who also represented NJ Transit in its recent talks), admitted: We conceded, absolutely. The head of an LIRR commuters group decried the frequent threat of strikes and called the union bullies.

NJ Transit officials faced similar pressure to settle with unions. A study by the New York City Partnership, a business group, estimated that a transit strike would cost city businesses $5.9 million per hour in lost productivity. Commuter groups worried, too, when NJ Transit said that alternate commuting measures that it had set up would accommodate only half of those who generally cross the Hudson into Manhattan. To craft a deal, NJ Transit backed off some of its key demandsespecially that workers pay up to 10 percent of salary toward health costs. Currently, workers contribute just 1.8 percent of salary, and, under the new eight-year deal, that amount will rise to just 2.5 percent. The lack of union concessions means that the financially troubled NJ Transitwhich has raised fares on passengers twice in the last five years, including a 25 percent hike in 2010will continue to struggle. Employee costs represent 55.4 percent of its operating budget. Employee benefits alone amount to $439 million and consume nearly half of all revenues collected from riders. Thats one reason why the agency needs more than $1 billion a year in government subsidies to keep going.

A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied, wrote President Franklin Roosevelt in a 1937 letter to the National Federation of Federal Employees. Roosevelt understood the threat when workers who are stewards of a crucial public asset like a rail system threaten to walk out, and he declared that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of Government employees. Congress should remind itself of FDRs wisdom on this issue and put an end to the nasty game of transit-strike threats.

Photo by: Ken
O rdering something on Amazon could soon become as easy as taking a selfie, according to plans being developed by the online retail giant.

The Seattle-headquartered group filed a patent last October for a method of payment verified by selfie.

The system described in the application, first spotted by Re/Code, would require buyers to send two photos: one selfie and one in which they blink, smile or tilt their head to confirm that they are real and not a picture.

Amazon already has a patent for technology to authenticate a person's identity using photo or video, but not necessarily to complete a transaction.

Amazon said selfies were safer than facial recognition software, which "can often be spoofed by holding a picture of the user in front of the camera, as the resulting two-dimensional image can look substantially the same whether taken of the user or a picture of the user".

Animated: Buyers would have to tilt their head, blink or smile in one of the selfies they sent to Amazon (Picture: US Patent Office) / US Patent Office

In the submission to the US Patent Office, Amazon suggested that taking two selfies in front of colleagues or friends would be less embarrassing than simply entering a password.

"The entry of these passwords on portable devices is not user friendly... and can require the user to turn away from friends or co-workers when entering the password, which can be awkward or embarrassing in many situations," Amazon said.

Amazon has been contacted for further comment.

Last month, Mastercard confirmed that it would start accepting selfies and fingerprints as an alternative to passwords when verifying IDs in online payments.

The credit card firm has been testing selfie software in the US and Netherlands. Some 92% of test subjects preferred the new system to passwords.
T he head of Bangladeshs central bank has resigned after hackers managed to divert $81 million (57 million) from the countrys account with the Federal Bank in New York.

Governor Atiur Rahman said that he had tendered his resignation after seven years in the post, and that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had accepted it.

Funds were diverted from the US bank to casinos in the Philippines last month in what appears to have been the worlds biggest ever cyber crime. The New York Fed has said that it is working with Bangladesh Bank to resolve the case but can see no evidence that its systems were compromised.

Rahman resigned after the central bank came under fire from finance minister AMA Muhith, who was incensed at the banks slowness in announcing the theft which only came to light last week.

The Bangladeshi government has said it is considering filing a case against the New York bank.

Reports suggest that hackers had actually tried to withdraw about $951 million from the Bangladesh account but the other transactions were blocked after a typographical error in one of the instructions set alarm bells ringing.

The money is thought to have been transferred to the Philippines in four tranches and then diverted to casinos. Officials believe it may have ended up in Hong Kong.
G rab your card and get ready for a game of Budget bingo as George Osborne prepares to step up to the Despatch Box tomorrow. William Hill is offering a very skinny 1/10 on buzz phrases like long-term economic plan, referendum and the (all but inevitable) Northern Powerhouse featuring in the speech although Spy is more tempted by the even money offered on oil prices and the 3/1 on Scotland.

Those fancying longer odds can find 33/1 on Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump cropping up.

The bookie reckons the Chancellor is odds on (8/11) to sport a blue tie, although there are no odds quoted on the photo-op-loving Chancellor making the speech in a hi-vis jacket....

Ashley Mirrors MPs' tactics

Spy notes Mike Ashleys anger at MPs demanding he takes a waddle to Westminster to give evidence on workers conditions mysteriously emerged in the Daily Mirror.

His argument that MPs are creating a media circus  was slightly damaged by the letter popping in Ashleys favourite newspaper, which is said to have preferential access to Rafa Benitezs Newcastle United.

Seemingly media circuses are only acceptable if the portly retail boss is the ringmaster.

Legal eagles get birthday treat

Its party time at Linklaters. The legal giant has concluded a lengthy consultation on pay and work-life balance.

Its associates are going to get paid more, given more holiday and even get their birthday off, RollonFriday.com reports.

An average newly qualified legal eagle can expected to snaffle 91,000 including bonus. The rest of the Magic Circle will be rummaging in their pockets.

Spotify scourge returns... but not for long

Remember Pocket Gods, the band taking a stand against lack of royalties from streaming for artists? Theyre highlighting the paltry 0.007p per play Spotify reportedly pays artists by producing amusingly short songs. Their latest effort  to play an ultra short-gig  is on Thursday at Hoxtons Underbelly.

Songs will last 30 seconds each more than some of us manage.

Barbecues and bubbles at Cannes

And so to Cannes and Mipim, where the property worlds great and good are glad-handing this week. Of course the real bashes are behind closed doors, with Berkeley Groups chief executive hosting a private networking event on Wednesday.

On thursday, one of the highlights is Urban Splash developer Tom Bloxhams private lunch at Maison Bulle, his extraordinary bubble house in the hills above Cannes designed by Antti Lovag.

Bloxhams end-of-festival BBQ at the same house is the even hotter ticket.

For the mere mortals at the festival, meanwhile, the advice is bring your brolley, as tomorrow sun will be in short supply.
Racist City Employees Are on Notice, and 9 Other Greater Cincinnati News Stories You May Have Missed This Week

Catch up on local government, politics, sports, celeb sightings and Halloween fun.
S truggling high-street fashion chain French Connection increased its losses last year as its latest designs failed to win over enough shoppers.

Founder and chief executive Stephen Marks blamed a poor first half of the year for the slump but insisted the second half was far better and that the company was on track for a long-awaited turnaround.

Investors appeared less impressed, however, as shares crashed 4.2p, or 9.6%, to 39.8p  a two-month low.

Shares had been rising on hopes that closing loss-making stores would help, but pre-tax losses rose from 1.5 million to 3.5 million.

Minus the closure savings, operating losses were 4.7 million. Sales dropped 8% to 164.2 million.

Overall the performance for the year has been disappointing, Marks said.

The company attempted to shore up its board, appointing Lee Williams, joining from Asos, as its new finance chief and Nexts former buying director Christos Angelides as a non-executive.
I ts good sometimes to hold a mirror up to ourselves. So maybe we should consider what countries on the other side of the world think about Londons place as a global financial centre.

On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I was introduced to a young entrepreneur from China who had just opened a new office in the City. I asked him why he had chosen London for his European headquarters. He explained that it has the best talent pool in the world, his Chinese staff feel welcome, and English is a global language.

But he had also come for another reason  because it was a launch-pad into Europe, a single market of 500 million people, a trading bloc of some of the most prosperous countries on Earth.

This Chinese investor, not caught up in the rhetoric of our referendum debate, perhaps saw the Citys position rather more clearly than we sometimes do at home. He could see that London owes its success not just to its intrinsic merits but also to its access to a wider European market. He could also see that, far from being contradictory, the two go hand-in-hand.

And my Chinese businessman is not alone: almost three-quarters of investors in the UK say one of the factors that led them to invest was access to the single market.

EU referendum: Should the UK vote to stay or leave?

This combination of British flexibility with European scale is obviously a powerful one. Although I sometimes read that the City is drowning or suffocating in regulation, London seems to be in fairly rude health. Over the past decade, the surplus from Britains trade in financial services more than doubled, from 23 billion in 2004 to 58 billion in 2014. And last year, once again, London was rated by the Global Financial Centres Index as the worlds most competitive financial centre. So under the present set-up, something seems to be going okay.

For a country such as Britain with great strengths in financial services, being part of the single market is a huge advantage. Passporting, whereby any financial service business established in one EU country can do business in all 28, is one of the reasons that the British fund management industry can look after a big chunk of the 8 trillion (6.24 trillion) market in Europes globally successful investment product, Ucits [Undertakings for collective investments in transferable securities].

Being part of the single market has helped UK banks lend some 1 trillion and take nearly 1 trillion in deposits from across the EU.

"There is no convincing answer as to how any future arrangements outside the EU would be better; instead, were offered a future shrouded in uncertainty."

It means British insurance groups running businesses across Europe are not faced with the difficult equivalence assessments process which third countries have to pass.

What if Britain left the EU? Would the City do any better than it already is doing? First, everything would be up for negotiation, meaning cost and uncertainty  the enemy of investment.

But second, countries outside the EU have to meet the standards of the EU to do business here. So either Britain would, like Norway, have to accept free movement and pay to get proper access to the single market, and still have to follow EU rules over which it would then have no say.

Or the UK would have to ask the EU countries to have our rules recognised as being equivalent to theirs, and even then businesses such as banks and insurance would have to set up a separate base in the EU to do business there.

Some claim it would be in the interests of the EU to come up with rules that suited the UK. Well, countries such as Germany and France have very different financial sectors from the UK. Their preoccupations are therefore different. Today, financial rules in the EU reflect this variety. But if Britain left the EU why would this continue to be the case?

Why should other countries, pursuing their own interests, use political capital defending Britains  assuming they didnt want to seize the opportunity of our absence to gain a competitive advantage? It would be ironic if, in the name of gaining more control, Britain ended up having to sign up to rules over which it had no control at all.

As a European Commissioner I meet lots of British business leaders. The great majority do not seem to think that Britain faces a choice between trading with Europe or trading with the rest of the world. They know that Germany, at the heart of the EU, is the worlds third-largest exporter. They can see that far from being held back by the EU, the City of London has risen to become the worlds strongest financial centre.

I have never been starry-eyed about the EU. I campaigned with Business for Sterling to keep the UK out of the euro. Given Britains history, its no surprise we like to go our own way. But there is no convincing answer as to how any future arrangements outside the EU would be better; instead, were offered a future shrouded in uncertainty.

TODO: define component type apester

One thing is certain, however. Outside, Britain would not be able to maintain access to the single market on the terms it has at present. And to be certain of access, businesses would start to think about moving elsewhere in Europe to set up.

So lets look into the mirror held up by my Chinese entrepreneur. On the one hand we might quite like what we see  a thriving financial sector linked both to a market of 500 million and to the rest of the world. But we might also see how others see us. And it might remind us how wise it is to look before we leap.

Lord Hill is European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union
T he London Stock Exchanges possible 20 billion tie-up with Deutsche Borse has taken a fresh twist after it emerged the German companys boss had caught the attention of the UKs Serious Fraud Office (SFO) when it investigated Libor rigging.

Deutsche chief executive Carsten Kengeter, who will lead the combined company if it merges, was temporarily included in a list of potential co-conspirators alongside convicted Libor fixer Tom Hayes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ reported that Hayes had told SFO investigators that Kengeter had participated in meetings where plans to artificially nudge Libor up or down took place.

Kengeter was later removed from the SFOs list, which was turned over to Hayes legal team in 2013, before the case went to trial last year. Kengeter is not accused of any wrongdoing.

The German worked at UBS between 2008 and 2012, latterly as co-head of its investment bank. Hayes was a lower-level trader at UBS between 2006 and 2009.

Convicted: Former UBS and Citigroup trader Tom Hayes (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) / Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Hayes is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after he was found guilty on eight fraud-related charges last year.

Deutsche Borse said: All investigations conducted both internally at UBS and by independent third parties, as well as all investigations by the authorities, identified no reasonable grounds for accusing Mr Kengeter of any wrongdoing in the matter to which you refer. There is nothing new to add to this state of affairs.

UBS declined to comment.

The revelation adds another frisson of tension to Deutsche Borses looming takeover of LSE, which is being closely watched by rival suitors in the US, who could yet enter with counterbids.

LSE shares are trading at an all-time high of 2,900p as investors await an announcement of the merger, which could come within the next few days.

Stepping down: LSE boss Xavier Rolet (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) / Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

Kengeter is set to lead the combined group, which will be headquartered in London, while LSEs current boss Xavier Rolet will step down.

LSE chairman Donald Brydon will remain in his role for the next three years.

The two sides are expected to announce 400 million of cost savings from the deal.
L ocking up terrorists is not a solution to the long-term danger they pose. We forget that modern jihadism was born in the prisons of Egypt in the Sixties. Extremists thrive in prison: they have the time and space to spread their poison among bored fellow inmates.

Today Britains jails provide fertile soil for extremism to grow. In 2002, there were 5,502 inmates who said they were Muslim. By 2014 the number had more than doubled, with more than 12,000 prisoners in England and Wales who claimed to be Muslim.

As terrorism-related convictions increase, radical ideas risk taking root. From al Qaedas Ayman al-Zawahiri to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamist extremists earn prestige and new contacts in prison. Radical ideas incubate in jail and across the world prisons are ripe breeding grounds for extremists.

In Syria, President Assad knew this when he released terrorists from prison in 2011, knowing full well that, together with Iraqs former prisoners, they would create an organisation such as Islamic State.

The seclusion of prison and the vulnerability of other prisoners to a life-changing experience, to seeking redemption, make them targets for recruiters. Gang violence and intimidation are yesterdays problems: now, the new cool kids who provide protection in prisons are international terrorists and their networks.

The rise of radicalism in prisons is not an isolated problem but a reflection of the type of Islam that is on the increase in our midst. It is a political Islam of confrontation, destruction and anger  not the soft Islam of reflection, compassion and peace. Reports of forced conversions to Islam in British prisons therefore must not be taken lightly. The Koran explicitly states that there is to be no compulsion in religion. The bullying of non-Muslims by bigots must end.

This new, modern Islam of fury that is connected to the fires of the Middle East cannot be ignored. Our Government would be mistaken to leave Islam to Muslims. The brand of Islam that spreads in our universities, mosques, schools and prisons has an impact on our countrys security. Whether in prisons or elsewhere, we cannot turn a blind eye to Saudi-style Wahhabi intolerance.

'The rise of radicalism in prisons is a reflection of the type of Islam that is on the increase in our midst'

Instead, we must take sides in this battle of ideas within Islam. The mainstream majority is backed by more than 1,000 years of scholarship. They are the Muslims who gave us the beauty of the Taj Mahal in India and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. It is by summoning this strain of art, beauty and spirituality in Islam that we will overcome the ugliness and anger.

Prison authorities should protect vulnerable non-Muslim prisoners by adopting a zero-tolerance attitude towards the brainwashing efforts of extremists. Where such measures do not work, Salafist Jihadists should be placed in separate units where they only bicker among themselves. Amid their own arguments, they often see the flaws of their ways. They do not possess the unquestioned truth  theirs is a man-made worldview full of holes.

If we are cowed by relativism and blinded by a lack of understanding, the extremists will take advantage of every opportunity we present them with to spread hate and division.

Ed Husain is a senior adviser at the Centre on Religion and Geopolitics
For any soon-to-be bride, the small matter of what to wear on the big day is a process that involves hours of stress, endless phone calls and boatloads of cold, hard cash.

This is a fact as inevitable as your second cousin twice removed hitting the whisky too hard before youve even said your vows, or your fiances uncles next-door neighbours dog turning up uninvited.

Of course theres no time to worry about all that because were already in peak wedding shopping season. But for those searching for The One, theres a new proposal on the table this spring - saying yes to the high street.

While its a suggestion guaranteed to strike fear into the hearts of overbearing mother-in-laws everywhere, the truth is that the budget bridal business is booming. But cast all thoughts of scratchy satin and badly fitting fishtails from your mind - the new ring of affordable options for white-gown wearers means that bargain no longer means basic.

Last week ASOS debuted its bridal boutique and - just like its bridesmaid offering which launched last summer - its selling like royal icing-frosted hot cakes.

ASOS bridal - the collection 1 /21 ASOS bridal - the collection ASOS bridal, 150 ASOS bridal, 250 ASOS bridal, 120 ASOS bridal ASOS bridal, 75 ASOS bridal, 180 ASOS bridal, 85 ASOS bridal, 95 ASOS bridal ASOS bridal, 180 ASOS bridal, 100 ASOS bridal ASOS bridal, 250 ASOS bridal ASOS bridal ASOS bridal

Among the most popular options in the 18-piece collection are an embellished Grecian-style gown and an elegant floor-length slip - the latter of which sold out over the weekend.

A caped ivory jumpsuit and selection of separates, including pearl-encrusted crop tops and tulle skirts, are also available for the bride who doesnt do dresses, while a short-and-sweet lace mini dress should prove the perfect partner to a Hackney Town Hall sort of do.

We were inspired by our customers, which is the same approach we take with everything we do, says ASOS design director Vanessa Spencer. Our designers have trawled vintage archives to find a bridal outfit for everyone.

Crucially, the price tag is just as democratic, starting at as little as 65 and stretching to 250 for a full ivory gown at the top end of the budget.

The price points are incredibly affordable, adds Spencer, which means you have the option of buying more than one dress and leaving more money to spend on the actual wedding. Good news for those with their sights set on a honeymoon in the Bahamas.

But cost isnt the only way brands such as ASOS are making the bridal market more accessible.

Moving the dreaded occasionwear category into far more contemporary territory was also a chief concern for Self-Portraits Han Chong.

Having already conquered the cocktail circuit with his well-priced and directional brand of eveningwear - Selfridges sells a Self-Portrait dress every six minutes - the Central Saint Martins-trained designer launched his first foray into bridal on Net-A-Porter last week.

His aim? To bring the same relaxed approach to bridalwear with a modern collection of dresses designed to be worn again and again, not just down the aisle.

I felt there was a gap in the market for cool, understated gowns that still had the ability to feel feminine and timeless, as a wedding dress should, says Chong. I wanted to take the stress out of bridal-gown shopping and create a range where there is no need to visit specialist bridal boutiques.

The collection, which Chong describes as for the untraditional bride, features many of Self-Portraits signatures, from the Victorian-inspired necklines to guipure laces that were developed by the designer and his team of 10 in their Hoxton studio, while the price point (between 650 to 1,000) is both attainable yet reassuringly expensive - a combination that has seen Net-A-Porter sell an impressive 130 Self-Portrait wedding dresses in under five days.

Other options for cost-conscious brides include Brit label Needle & Tread (above), which has recently launched a collection in collaboration with Net-A-Porter, offering intricately hand-beaded separates and frothy tulle gowns ranging between 115 to 850, while London label Ghost has long been a go-to for affordable and elegant bridal options around the 300 mark.

That should leave some spare change for the champagne fund.
Review at a glance









W hen the great photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson travelled across the US in 1947 with writer John Malcolm Brinnin for Harpers Bazaar, his interest was in capturing the things so familiar to Americans that they forget them. Cartier-Bresson and many other foreign visitors have done the same in Britain, depicting our faces, our streets, our customs, our dress, our triumphs and disasters.

This remarkable history of images is told in an extraordinary show of 23 photographers working from the Thirties to today. Its curated by Martin Parr, whose own photographs could never be said to forget the familiar things around us. Parr has repeatedly turned his unflinching lens on the British people, the disparate worlds we inhabit and objects we surround ourselves with, at once both satirical and affectionate. He is also a collector and scholar of photography and a member of the Magnum photo agency. Few are better placed to curate such a show.

Strange and Familiar is especially rich because its not just a portrait of a constantly changing Britain and its diverse peoples but also of a changing medium. Photographys materials, its status and its significance have shifted massively in the last century, so Parrs show takes us from the heyday of international modernist photography and the zenith of photojournalism to todays world, when the changing priorities of colour supplements and the decline of picture magazines has all but killed off the great photojournalistic essays. Photographys status as fine art is higher than ever, though. Theres also a notable shift in scale, from the intimate to the grand.

As Parr writes in the catalogue, photographers who came to Britain were in search of stereotypes and cliches and were amazed by British eccentricities  but what unites those here is a search for something deeper, even if its within those cliches. Cartier-Bresson, who returned to Britain several times, is a case in point. He photographed events that countless people captured  the coronation of George VI in 1937, Royal Ascot in 1953, Princess Annes wedding in 1973  yet his humanity, as well as his great gift for composition, shines through.

Cas Oorthuys's London, 1953

The commission for his coronation shots in 1937 came from Regards, the picture magazine affiliated to the Communist newspaper Ce Soir, so his focus on the people enjoying the coronation rather than royalty and pomp was natural. But how beautifully he did it. Working with his small-format Leica camera made the informality of his street photography possible; the pleasure of this camera, as he wonderfully put it, was to have the spare elements of a collage suddenly jump from the street into the lens.

Cartier-Bressons seminal image of a man sleeping on discarded newspapers in Trafalgar Square beneath a rapt crowd on a plinth reflects his uncanny knack for honing in on the surreal, as does his image of that most British of phenomena, a summer event ruined by rain: a man in a macintosh with a newspaper on his head, grimly bearing a downpour at Ascot.

Sergio Larrain's shot up the escalator at Baker Street tube station, 1958

Left-wing politics prompted many great images to emerge between the Thirties and Fifties, not least in the photographs of Edith Tudor Hart and Paul Strand. Both believed in photography not just as a documentary tool but as a force for social change. Tudor-Hart, an Austrian emigre, worked as a Soviet agent after arriving in London in 1933 and her photographs of the capital are dominated by images of poor and working-class people. They were often shown in magazines in dramatic combinations  a bulldog in a beauty parlour next to a dramatic and moving shot of family crammed into a tiny backyard in an East End slum.

London is fast moving, a blur of activity which can only be glimpsed, caught at dynamic angles.

Strand, who escaped the post-war McCarthyite purge of Leftist intellectuals in the US, travelled to Europe to be among remote and rural communities in the early Fifties, spending three months on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, then under the threat of plans to build a nuclear missile firing range. Nothing specifically refers to this impending event: Strands images are solemn but stirring images of people and place, portraits next to shots of doorways and windows, gnarled hands that have the same rugged poetry as a craggy wall.

The show is full of these geographical shifts, from bustling city to industrial heartland to remote community. But even when it deals with the same location, its beautifully paced. London is an inevitable focus but most of the photographers bring to it a unique vision. Robert Franks bowler-hatted city workers are caught in fog, with a perpetual gloom hanging over the capital, its inhabitants isolated.

Frank Habicht's Time, Gentleman, Please! from the Sixties

For the Chilean photographer Sergio Larrain, meanwhile, London is fast moving, a blur of activity which can only be glimpsed, caught at dynamic angles. He captures the hordes from the base of Tube escalators, shoots from platform level to catch the feet of nearby commuters and the passengers across the tracks. For Evelyn Hofer, its the complete opposite  her portraits of individual Londoners are posed, constructed, static, yet still they evoke a whole world, each one a vignette of individual hopes and despairs, of social aspiration, of class mores.

London, as it moved from post-war austerity and began to swing, gave photographers great opportunity to reflect its contradictions: Frank Habichts Time, Gentleman, Please! captures a city gent in a bowler looking at his wristwatch at the behest of mini-skirted youths  the old order meeting the new. Gian Butturinis images from the same period evoke a darker underbelly to late Sixties optimism.

10 exhibitions not to miss in 2016 1 /13 10 exhibitions not to miss in 2016 Women: New Portraits from Annie Leibovitz

Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, January 16 - February 7

This exhibition will update the collaboration between Leibovitz and Susan Sontag that first emerged more than 15 years ago. A series of extraordinary photographs taken by the incomparable Annie Leibovitz looks at the role of women in the world today.

ubs.com Annie Lebovitz, from WOMEN: New Portraits Visions of our Solar System

Natural History Museum, January 22 - May 15

Dramatic photographs from Michael Benson are paired with an original score from Brian Eno in an exploration of our solar system, showing it in all its stunning glory.

nhm.ac.uk NASA SDO/GSFC/Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures/Natural History Museum Electronic Superhighway

Whitechapel Gallery, January 29  May 15

More than 100 artworks feature in this exploration of how the computers and the internet have impacted artists over the last 50 or so years. Work comes from the likes of Cory Arcangel, Jeremy Bailey, James Bridle and Constant Dullaart.

whitechapelgallery.org Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Surface Tension (1992) Courtesy the artist and Carroll/Fletcher, London. Installation photograph by Maxime Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse

Royal Academy of Arts, January 30 - April 20

From the 1860s to the 1920s, gardens served as a heavy influence on artists across the world, especially in the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Avant-Garde movements. This exhibition will detail how, with a stunning collection of works from the likes of Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Manet, Sargent, Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Matisse, Klimt and Klee.

royalacademy.org.uk Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1914-15/Royal Academy Vogue 100 - A Century of Style

National Portrait Gallery, February 11  May 22

Iconic magazine Vogue will be showcasing the best of its British publication in this exhibition, which promises to be little short of stunning. It's part of Vogue's centenary celebrations. It will feature 280 prints from the Conde Nast archive, revealing the extent of the magazine's substantial influence on fashion, taste, and culture at large.

npg.org.uk Vogue/Vogue 100/National Portrait Gallery The Clangers, Bagpuss & Co

The V&A Museum of Childhood, March 19 - October 9

Oliver Postgate's voice and Peter Firmin's puppets, which include Bagpuss, The Clangers and Ivor the Engine had a dramatic hand in shaping the childhood of millions of children in Britain and across the world. This display will tell the story of the puppets, of Smallfilms and Four Corners books, and of how Postgate and Firmin developed their signature stop-animation process.

vam.ac.uk Smallfilms & Four Corners books/V&A Museum of Childhood Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones

Saatchi Gallery, April 5 - September 4

The Saatchi Gallery will be taken over by never-before-seen Stones memorabilia, rare instruments, iconic costumes, album artwork and even the band's personal diaries. This exhibition will reveal their story from 60s blues band to the world's greatest rock n' roll band.

saatchigallery.com Stones Archive/Gerry Images This Is A Voice

Wellcome Collection, April 14  July 31

An exhibition for the ears: This Is A Voice explores how voices work, how we emotions are carried in our tone, pitch and rhythm of speech, and looks at non-verbal forms of communication, too. Paintings, manuscripts and illustrations compliment an acoustic journey featuring work from artists and vocalists including Joan La Barbara, Marcus Coates, Matthew Herbert and Imogen Stidworthy.

wellcomecollection.org Enrico David, courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London Undressed: A brief history of underwear

The V&A, April 16  March 12 2017

Worth going to for the pun-tastic title alone, this exhibition explores all things lingerie, from its practical use to its place in the world of high fashion and, of course, how its developed and shaped our attitudes towards sensuality and sexuality.

vam.ac.uk Photographer Sebastian Faena, Model Eniko Mihalik Painters Painting: Van Dyck to Freud

National Gallery, June 22 - September 4

Ever wondered what painters hang on their walls? On display here will be works owned by the likes of Lucian Freud, Matisse, Degas, Lawrence, Reynolds, and Van Dyck. It will explore why painters were interested in the work of others, and their reasons for building a collection, from personal interest to artistic inspiration. It should be a fascinating insight into what made some of our greatest artists tick.

nationalgallery.org.uk Detail from Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Italian Woman, about 1870

Butturini is one of several surprises, as are Akihiko Okamuras images in Belfast and Shinro Ohtakes innocent, ephemeral images of Britain in 1977: Ohtake spoke of incomparable bliss, as if Id trapped some rare, unknown species in his visit to these shores.

A last hurrah for photojournalism in the show comes in the form of Raymond Depardons portraits of Glasgow in 1980, images of desolation yet no little beauty; a boy blowing a bubble against a wet, largely deserted street, wise-cracking with old men on a street corner.

What follows is photography as art rather than journalism-cum-art. People and place often divide: Axel Huttes elegantly shot modernist housing estates are unpopulated, as are Jim Dows shops and pie-and-mash cafes. Bruce Gildens close-ups of the faces of West Midlanders and Essex dwellers, meanwhile, are shorn of context, as are Rineke Dijkstras shots of young girls made-up for nights out in Liverpool. The show is more hit-and-miss here: the works of Hutte and Dow have an admirable, slow-burning poetic force; Dijkstra and Gilden pack a visual punch yet their works feel thin after the initial impact.

By the end, in Hans Eijkelbooms digital slide show of shoppers at the Bullring in Birmingham, photography appears to have moved far beyond Cartier-Bressons decisive moments caught at the 1937 coronation and developed on small black-and-white prints. But its more or less the same: people linked by their clothing and body art, individual yet indivisibly part of this nation and the wider human race. Strange yet familiar, indeed.

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers is at the Barbican Gallery, EC2 (020 7638 8891, barbican.org.uk) from tomorrow until June 19.

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D etectives are appealing for help to identify a mystery man who was found dead in Hounslow in November last year.

Police and paramedics were called to Hospital Road by a member of the public at 10pm on November 12, and arrived to find two unconscious men.

One of the men died was pronounced dead at the scene, and a post-mortem examination later revealed he had died from natural causes.

The second man, a 49-year-old, was taken to a west London hospital with injuries that were not life threatening and not suspicious.

However, the man left the hospital before police had a chance to question him, and officers have still not been able to track him down.

E-fit: police hope somebody may recognise the man / Metropolitan Police

Detectives have now released an e-fit in the hopes of identifying the dead man, who is described as a slim, light skinned Asian male believed to be aged between 35 and 45 years old.

The man had hair that was balding on top with short dark hair at the sides, and was found wearing a red t-shirt, a blue grey cardigan and grey 'ECKO' track suit bottoms with white socks and white/grey Nike trainers.

Although he was not carrying any identification, the other man told police that the dead man was named Kuldeep Singh and lived in Slough.

Yet despite having this information, officers have been unable to identify who the man is or trace any relatives.

Detective Constable John Cahill, from Hounslow Borough CID, said: "We are satisfied this man's death is non-suspicious but need the public's assistance to help identify who he was. If you have any information that could assist police in identifying this man I would urge you to get in touch."

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Hounslow Borough CID on 020 8247 6156; alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
A man has been stabbed during an attempted robbery in an exclusive west London street, police say.

The victim, in his late 20s, was knifed in Beaufort Street, Chelsea, shortly before 11.40pm last night.

London's Air Ambulance attended and he was rushed to a central London hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.

Police do not believe his wounds are life-threatening.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "At this early stage, it is believed that the man may have been stabbed during an attempted robbery."

No arrests have been made.
A K-47-style assault rifles which were smuggled into Britain by boat can be bought in Europe for as little as 38, the Old Bailey heard.

The Czech-made automatic weapons were easy to buy in former Soviet Bloc countries and the Balkans, National Crime Agency gun expert Neil Wildman said, and can sell for up to 8,000 in Britain to gangsters seeking a status symbol. Mr Wildman told the court that demand was increasing in Britain for assault rifles.

He said the guns, designed for Czech special forces, were widely and cheaply available in eastern Europe. [They cost] anything from 50 euros (38) to 400 euros (310), depending on how close to the source and the condition of the weapons, he said. Within the UK [they can be sold for] anything from 700, in very poor, unworking condition, up to 8,000 if the weapon is in good working order  if it comes with magazines and ammunition, that would massively increase its value.

Mr Wildman was giving evidence at the trial of four people accused of helping to ship 22 VZ-58 rifles  similar to AK-47s  and nine fully automatic Skorpion sub-machine guns into Britain. The weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were allegedly shipped into Cuxton Marina, near Rochester in Kent, from Boulogne in France on board the Albernina, skippered by David Payne, 43. The operation was allegedly masterminded by Harry Shilling, 25, with the help of Payne and his partner Jennifer Arthy, 42, and Michael Defraine, 30, John Smale, 58.

Arthy and Smale, from Rochester, Shilling, from Swanley, and Defraine, from Bexleyheath, deny being knowingly concerned in the evasion of a prohibition on importation of the firearms and conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life.

Richard Rye, 24, from Swanley; Payne, from Halling, and Christopher Owen, 30, from Cuxton, have admitted being knowingly concerned in the evasion of a prohibition on importation of the firearms. Rye and Payne have also admitted conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life.

The trial continues.
T his is the astonishing moment a pillion passenger jumps off a moped and chases three men down a street while apparently firing a gun at them.

CCTV footage shows a moped pulling up alongside the men in Tulse Hill, Brixton.

Its passenger is then seen jumping from the back of the bike as members of the group appear to recognise them, turning on their heels to run for safety.

The moped passenger is then seen firing on the group as the group sprint down the road.

The group then duck into a side street as the moped passenger follows on foot, firing one more shot before running back to the bike.

Footage was released by police as they chase a person in connection with the shooting / Metropolitan Police

The moped rider and passenger then fled the scene along Tulse Hill in the direction of Norwood.

A 20-year-old man was shot in the thigh during the terrifying ambush. He was taken to a south London hospital and released the following day.

Nobody else was injured during the incident.

Police today released CCTV footage as they appealed for help tracing a suspect after the ambush at about 7pm on Sunday, February 7.

A Met Police spokesman said: "The rider of the moped is described as wearing a light coloured helmet. The suspect who fired the shots is described as wearing a black, full face helmet with white flashings and dark trousers with white stripes on the leg."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 020 8247 4863 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A woman was allegedly stabbed and raped in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in north London.

Police said a man has been arrested in connection with the alleged attack, as well as another attack on a woman in Seven Sisters.

Met Police officers were called to the grounds around the famous venue yesterday afternoon at 4pm after reports a woman, aged in her 30s, had been stabbed.

The victim, who said she had been raped by her attacker, was taken to hospital in a stable condition. Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

A man was arrested on suspicion of attacking her just after 10pm last night and taken to an east London police station.

He is also suspected of raping another woman, aged in her 50s, in Southey Road, Seven Sisters, at around 2.30pm on March 11, police say.

The man remains in custody.
A warm and wet winter has triggered a surge in household flea infestations in the UK, pest controllers say.

Rentokil has reported a 52 per cent increase in residential flea call-outs over the winter and is urging householders to be on the look-out for the insects.

Met Office figures show that the average temperature for the UK was the third warmest winter across the UK in the records going back to 1910. It has also been the second wettest winter on record for the UK.

Rentokil pest expert David Cross said fleas thrive in warm, humid environments, which offer ideal breeding conditions and mean that fewer have been killed off.

Fleas typically live outside but are carried into homes by pets or people. Once they are inside, centrally-heated homes with carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture offer them optimum conditions in which to thrive.

Mr Cross said: "If you find fleas on your pet or are experiencing flea bites, it's usually just the tip of the iceberg.

"Fleas found on the host typically only represent just five per cent of the total flea population nearby. The other 95 per cent will be in bedding, carpets and furniture.

"If you have experienced flea bites or are treating your pet for a problem, be sure to treat your home at the same time, otherwise you won't be addressing the problem fully. With fleas lying dormant for months at a time, it can be easy to assume you have addressed the issue, only for them to resurface in the future."

Dr Ed Turner, of the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, said: "This is the kind of thing you would expect when temperatures are higher. Things like fleas do tend to like higher temperatures for breeding.

"They are able to respond very quickly if the conditions are right. There are very fast potential growth rates.

"If conditions are warm, the eggs will hatch more rapidly and the insects will reach adulthood more quickly."
A 40 million programme to help first-time buyers beat Londons deposit trap has collapsed, it emerged today.

Boris Johnson personally offered the multi-million-pound backing to launch the flagship Genie Home Purchase Plan last year, with the aim of helping 2,000 Londoners on to the property ladder over the next decade.

The Gentoo Group was supposed to build up a portfolio of properties around London which would be sold to first-time buyers. They would not have to provide a deposit or secure a conventional mortgage, but instead would pay a monthly fixed fee that would gradually build up their equity in the property. After 30 years they would own the property outright.

Lenders post-recession demands for huge deposits are widely seen as the key barrier to ownership in London.

But 14 months on, no progress has been made and Gentoo has confirmed it has abandoned its plan. John Craggs, chief executive of Gentoo Group, which is based in Sunderland, told Homes & Property that despite the Mayors support he had failed to find enough backers to make the scheme financially viable.

He said: Innovation in established markets is difficult where funders are looking for proven models and long-term track records.

Deputy mayor Richard Blakeway had described the Genie scheme as a new and exciting option for Londoners without affluent parents able to help them raise a deposit.
A south London artist sculpted 40 tonnes of construction sand into a fat cat in an impromptu protest against soaring rents.

Zara Gaze used spoons, a plastering trowel and a spade to shape the giant feline sculpture in the shadow of a new development opposite Brockley station, south London, during the early hours of Sunday.

The large sand cat is munching on broccoli  a pun on Brockley  and is intended as a critique of gentrification, the 38-year-old mother-of-one told the Standard.

She said she walks past the new redevelopment project on Coulgate Street every day and fears it is a sign that the area may soon to be too expensive for her and others like her to afford rent.

Its just a little comment on the redevelopment thats going on, she said. Its a fat cat eating broccoli because its in Brockley.

It just seemed right, with this big tower shooting up there.

Message: The sculpture shows a 'fat cat' eating broccoli, which artist Zara Gaze says symbolises Brockley / Zara Gaze

Ms Gaze, who moved to the area around 15 years ago, added: Increasingly people are not able to afford to be in Brockley. The rent has literally doubled in the time Ive been here.

She said the idea came to her when she walked past the pile of unsupervised sand on Saturday afternoon, then went out for drinks with friends before returning at about 10.30pm.

The professional sculptor, whose street art made from sand has appeared all over the capital, then spent the next five hours shaping the intricate design.

She left it at about 3.30am. But when she returned several hours later it had been flattened, which Ms Gaze said enhanced her message about the danger of local redevelopment diminishing the character of the area.

I didnt really think too deeply about it before but with hindsight I realised the sculpture was made out of the whole point of the sculpture, she said.

Pictures of the sculpture were posted on the public "I Love SE4" Facebook group, where residents showed their appreciation for the work.

Michele Henare wrote: "That's so cool - can we keep it?". Kate Arton added: "That is awesome."

Even estate agent Hunters joined in, posting the pictures on their Twitter feed with the caption: "Check out this extremely cool sand-#cat by street artist in #Brockley."
F ar-right demonstrations should be banned in Tower Hamlets after Britain First staged two protests in the borough in a fortnight, the borough's mayor has claimed.

About 15 demonstrators carrying union jack flags, crosses and a banner paraded outside East London Mosque on Saturday afternoon.

The protest came just days after members of the same group chanted we want our country back while primary school pupils visited the mosque.

Britain First protest outside the East London Mosque

John Biggs, mayor of Tower Hamlets, today met with senior Metropolitan Police commanders and urged the force to better manage any further "provocations" in the borough.

Mayor Biggs also demanded the police investigate using legal powers to block further appearances outside the mosque and elsewhere in the borough by Britain First and to act quickly to break up future protests.

He said: Since the appearance of Britain First on Saturday I have overseen the response of the council and partners, and unreservedly condemned these provocative acts, which are dressed up as a passive protest but are clearly designed to provoke a reaction, obstructing local people from going about their lawful and proper business and increasing the risk of violence.

I stand in solidarity with all residents of Tower Hamlets, and particularly our Muslim community, who feel threatened by these events.

We must be vigilant, and we must maintain the higher ground, away from the gutter of provocation where these groups belong.

Britain First and the Metropolitan Police Service have been contacted for comment.
C hildren as young as five have walked alone to Syrian refugee camps after becoming separated from their families, the head of a London humanitarian charity said today.

Speaking on the fifth anniversary of the conflict, Rob Williams, chief executive of War Child UK, said some arrived so traumatised they were unable to speak. The civil war has created 2.4 million child refugees, according to Unicef figures.

War Child UK has staff helping give sanctuary to young Syrians and their families in northern Iraq and Jordan, where Zaatari is the worlds second largest refugee camp.

Mr Williams said: There are children who arrive in a camp unaccompanied and they are the most vulnerable, anything from five or six-years-old upwards. When a village is attacked and everybody runs, if the children dont run in the same direction as their parents then they can quickly become separated.

We also meet families who have walked for seven or eight days, but the ones in Jordan have generally walked about 40 miles to get to the safety of the camp. When children arrive they can be very traumatised. You can see a child who internally is playing over an awful memory in [their] head over and over again. One child told us her sister was out playing in the street when a shell fell and she and her mother had to go and pick up pieces of her sister in order to bury them in their back yard.

Mr Williams urged more countries to match British funding to the region to help provide education and employment opportunities, a lack of which is one of the factors pushing Syrians to make the perilous journey on the migrant route to Europe. Last month David Cameron pledged an extra 1.2 billion by 2020 as part of an international aid package.

War Child UKs team includes child protection specialists and psychologists specialising in post-traumatic stress disorder. A support service helps parents deal with the pressures of looking after children traumatised by war.

There are also education facilities and a centre to get children involved in music and games so they can play with others. Mr Williams said: Gradually over a few weeks in the child centre they start to maybe join in with the hand-clapping games and will start to talk again but it can be really severe. There was an eight-year-old girl who was captured by Isis as she tried to escape from Syria.

She and her mother were locked up and her mother was repeatedly raped for about a week until they managed to escape. When they got to the camp, she hadnt spoken for four or five weeks. Her mother, who was incredibly brave, brought her to the centre every day. Over a few weeks she started joining in, saying a few words.

One day she brought home two children to play after school and her mother knew she was getting better because she was forming friendships. If we didnt run a programme in that camp, she would still be not speaking and sitting in the corner of a tent still locked up in her own isolation."
C leaners at four south London hospitals are to stage a one-day strike in a dispute over pay.

Members of the GMB union at the Maudsley, Bethlem Royal, Lewisham and Lambeth hospitals will walk out on March 21 after backing industrial action in a ballot.

GMB, the union for staff in the health service, will hold a strike for 175 members working as cleaners and hostesses for private contractor Aramark.

The dispute centres around calls for a living wage, and demands for better sick pay and unsocial hours payments.

The union has said that many of the staff who keep the hospital sites clean and prepare and serve food to patients are paid as little as 7.38 per hour and receive only 10 days of sick pay per year.

Sick pay is only provided after the first 3 days of illness and workers in their first year of service receive no sick pay at all, the union said.

Nadine Houghton, GMB regional organiser, said: "Our members are serious about fighting for something that any worker should be entitled to - a wage they can live on and a sick pay scheme which ensures they won't be forced into poverty as a result of falling ill.

"GMB members in South London and Maudsley NHS Trust are now saying enough is enough, they should be rewarded properly for the work they do."
T wo people have been taken to hospital after pieces of steel fell 30ft from a crane at the Nine Elms development.

Paramedics, firefighters and police were called to the building site in Ponton Road, Battersea, at about 2pm after what was described as a quantity of steel hit two people.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics were called to reports of a person hit by a falling object at the development and confirmed two people had been taken to hospital.

The spokeswoman said: We sent multiple resources to the scene, including two ambulance crews, a single responder in a car and an incident response officer, alongside our hazardous area response team and London's Air Ambulance.

We treated two patients at the scene.

A man with a head injury was taken as a priority to hospital escorted by the doctor from the air ambulance.

A woman with a hip injury was also taken to hospital.

Alister Smith, who lives near to the building site, said he heard a helicopter circling overhead for about 15 minutes before it landed.

He told the Standard: "The next thing I was aware of was paramedics, ambulances and police cars and then the air ambulance landed behind the building.

"There were about four fire engines I noticed as well."

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Mr Smith said there was initial speculation that a crane had collapsed at the development.

London Fire Brigade, which said the steel had fallen 30ft, confirmed firefighters were called to the building site but did not need to take any action because no one had been trapped by the falling metal.
B oris Johnson today announced a 20 million road safety technology fund to help tackle serious casualties on Londons streets.

The money will cover new road safety measures including pedestrian crossings, innovative junction designs and hi-tech traffic lights.

It will also be used to develop technology for buses, cabs and lorries such as sensors that alert drivers to cyclists or pedestrians. Mr Johnson said: One of the things Im most proud of is that weve got deaths and serious injuries down to all time lows. The fund is intended to help the Mayor meet his target of reducing the most serious road casualties by 50 per cent.

In its 2016-17 business plan, Transport for London pledged to deliver huge infrastructure projects including Tube upgrades and a major roads programme even though its operational budget of about 700 million a year will be wiped out by 2020. Transport chiefs said they would boost commercial activities, including developing on TfL owned land, as well as making more efficiency savings.

TfL also proposed doubling the money, from 75 million to 150 million, to make stations more accessible for wheelchairs and buggies.
P ublic confidence in the economic recovery is falling, it was revealed today on the eve of George Osbornes eighth budget.

More people now feel their families are getting worse off, and fewer think the Chancellor can steer the country away from the rocks, according to a study by BMG Research.

The findings come as Mr Osborne is expected to unveil more pessimistic forecasts for growth and borrowing in tomorrows Budget speech.

He stressed his long-term plans for investment today as he gave the go-ahead for Londons Crossrail 2 to progress to its next phase.

Marking the scheme as a national priority, he told the Standard: Were offering long-term solutions to Londons long-term problems.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson welcomed the 80 million funding, and said: This is an investment in the whole countrys future.

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However, BMG Research found 37 per cent of people feel they have become worse off over the past year, compared with 21 per cent who feel better off. The pessimism gap of 16 per cent has almost doubled since October.

More people think their household finances will go down in the year ahead than think they will prosper  a divide of 28 to 24, compared with a 23-23 tie in January.

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A majority of 59 per cent have little or no confidence in Mr Osborne to manage the economy, compared with 27 per cent who have a fair amount or a great deal of confidence in him.

Dr Michael Turner, of BMG Research, said the findings echoed the slide in the pound and worries over a Brexit. He added: The results suggest key drivers behind the continued fall in economic optimism come principally from Conservatives and, more generally, from those in higher social grades.
Angelia Jolie is a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She came to Lebanon to visit Syrian refugee camps. But thats not important. Whats important is that she wore the wrong outfit.



So please dear Angelina, next time you come to Lebanon, dont add to our problems  we already have so many  respect our traditions and dress properly. Below, you will find some examples that could help you pick a more appropriate wardrobe, more respectful to our culture and way of life.





Some Lebanese expressed their outrage on social media about how Angelina was dressed. Dress pretty they wrote, this is Beirut not Kandahar  its important to note that this is not a satire, this actually happened and these words were written, liked, applauded, cheered and shared.
P arliament was branded part-time today after it emerged that MPs will sit at Westminster for just 27 days during the whole of the summer.

When summer officially starts on June 1, the politicians will be on a Whitsun recess. They will return to the Commons on June 6. But just nine days later, on June 15, the House will rise for a special break for the referendum on Britains membership of the EU. MPs will come back again to Westminster on June 27.

However, less than a month later, on July 21, they will leave the Palace of Westminster for the summer break of more than six weeks.

The timetable means MPs will spend at most 27 days sitting in the Commons in the three months of June, July and August.

It may even be shorter if some Fridays are non-sitting days. Labour backbencher John Mann said: This is a part-time Parliament, allowing Government to get away without proper accountability.
T he breeder of a dog which sparked a cruelty row at world-famous dog show Crufts has responded to claims that her German Shepherd was "deformed".

Three-year-old bitch Cruaghaire Catoria won best of breed, but many viewers complained that the dog had an abnormally sloped back and a painful-looking hobble.

The RSPCA also called for urgent action to be taken to address the welfare of animals competing at Crufts, adding that it was "shocked and appalled" by the condition of the German Shepherd.

However, the dog's breeder Susan Cuthbert, from Cardenden, Fife, said she was "terribly upset" by the furore that had arisen since Catoria took the title.

Mrs Cuthbert, who breeds Cruaghaire dogs with her husband Stuart, said: I am both deeply shocked and terribly upset by all the horrendous comments directed towards my beautiful Tori.

"The comments made on television about my lovely shepherd were unbelievable especially when one considers the brevity of the images. How can you judge a dog on such a brief observation? There is a clear lack of tolerance and knowledge of our German shepherd breed.

Mrs Cuthbert said her dogs were bred to the German SV standard, the strict breed guidelines set up by Max Von Stephanitz, who invented the German shepherd in the late 19th century.

Soundness in mind and body is a crucial part of the German shepherd breed, Mrs Cuthbert added.

Deformed German Shepherd on Crufts

In response to the row, in a statement on Monday, Caroline Kisko, the Kennel Club Secretary and Director of Communications said: Concern for the health of German Shepherd Dogs is reflected in the fact that the breed is classed as category three under the Kennel Clubs Breed Watch scheme.

"Many of the category three breeds have seen vast health improvements but we know that some breeds still have further to go.

"We will be looking at what support we are giving to particular breeds to ensure continued improvement, and we will also be reviewing judges who appear to disregard the health instructions they are given since they play a significant part in this process."
K ensington Palace has dismissed rumours that Prince Harry is set to study law at one of Americas most prestigious universities as "absolutely not true".

Rumours have spread among students at Yale that the royal was due to enrol at the Ivy League college, according to US reports.

But a spokeswoman for the Royal Family today insisted there was no truth to the gossip.

Despite the denial, the gossip reportedly caused a significant stir at the Yale campus in Connecticut.

One student told the US website Page Six: "Everyone was talking about it around the campus. Big buzz!"

Another Yale source said: "Yale would be over the moon to get Harry as a student. Imagine the kind of fundraising they could do."

It is not clear how the rumours got started, though the 31-year-old may be weighing up his next move after leaving the Army last summer.

Harry completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan during his 10 years of service.
A Flybe plane was forced to abort its landing after a badger wandered onto the runway.

The passenger jet, which was flying from Gatwick to Newquay on Sunday, was reportedly just 300ft from landing when the animal was seen.

The flight was due to land at 9.15pm but was delayed by 15 minutes after the pilot temporary diverted the aircraft.

Passenger Pete Atkinson told the BBC the under-carriage of the aircraft lifted back up and the engines revved.

He added five minutes later, the pilot told passengers the plane had been temporarily diverted because of the presence of the badger.

A spokesman for Cornwall Airport Newquay said the airports bird control unit spotted was suspected to be a badger on the runway and the aircraft aborted landing to be cautious in the interest of safety.

The aircraft landed safely after a full check of the runway, the spokesman added.
P rince William today unveiled his major new drive to stamp out illegal wildlife trafficking routes.

The Buckingham Palace Declaration that he championed aims to block traffickers shipping illegally killed endangered species around the world.

Global transport leaders have signed the historic declaration at Buckingham Palace in what William claimed was "a game changer the race against extinction."

In total 40 corporations and agencies from around the world have become the founding signatories of the United for Wildlife International Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products.

The Buckingham Palace Declaration commits signatories to 11 commitments that will raise standards across the transportation industry to prevent traffickers from exploiting weaknesses as they seek to covertly move their products from killing field to marketplace.

Commitments focus on information sharing, staff training, technological improvements, and resource sharing across companies and organisations worldwide.

They will also see the world's leading transportation firms assisting those in poorer nations who are in need of expertise and new systems.

William said today: "If we allow current trends to continue, there will be no African elephants or rhinos left in the wild by the time my daughter Charlotte reaches her 25th birthday.

"The poaching crisis is bringing violence, death, and corruption to many vulnerable communities.

"It threatens to rob future generations of their livelihoods in those regions where wildlife tourism is the core of local economies.

"But this crisis can be stopped. We know where the animals are that we need to protect. We know where the markets for wildlife products are and where awareness, education, and law enforcement need to be improved.

"And with the Buckingham Palace Declaration being signed today, global transport leaders are saying we know many of the ways wildlife products are being moved from killing field to market place.

"By implementing these commitments the signatories can secure a game changer in the race against extinction. I thank them for their commitment and I invite any other company in the industry to sign up to the Buckingham Palace Declaration and play their part in the fight against the poaching crisis."

The Buckingham Palace Declaration is the result of a year's worth of meetings, research, and coalition building by the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, convened by the Duke of Cambridge and chaired at His Royal Highness's request by Lord Hague of Richmond.

Transport representatives on the taskforce include companies and organisations based in China, USA, UAE, Kenya, the UK and Denmark.
V eteran broadcaster Michael Buerk has hit out at infantile celebrities who lecture the public on world issues.

The 70-year-old journalist wrote in Radio Times that he was fed up with celebrities speaking about how large crisis should be handled.

The former war reported singled out Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Thompson for their remarks.

He said: As a superannuated war reporter myself Im a little sniffy about celebs pratting around among the worlds victims.

I hate it when feather-bedded thesps pay flying visits to the desperate to parade their bleeding hearts and trumpet their infantile ideas on what must be done.

Theres only so much of the Benedict and Emma worldview you can take.

Actor Cumberbatch told audience members following a performance of Hamlet in October to donate to Save the Children and help Syrian refugees, adding f*** the politicians.

Thompson waded into the Brexit debate at the Berlin Film Festival last month, saying that the UK would be mad not to remain in the EU.

Buerk worked as the BBCs South Africa correspondent during the apartheid and reported from Ethiopdia in 1984.

He also worked as the anchor on the BBC Nine OClock News and News at Ten from the 1990s until 2003.
R ussian warplanes were flying home from Syria today boosting hopes for UN peace talks on the fifth anniversary of the bloody civil war.

Moscow confirmed that fighters and bombers had left their Syrian base this morning following Vladimir Putins surprise military withdrawal announcement last night. The Russian presidents move coincides with the second day of Geneva talks aiming to end the conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands.

The Russian defence ministry said: The first group of planes has flown out of the Hmeimim air base for their permanent bases on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Russian TV news channels also showed aircraft being refuelled and crates being loaded with equipment. The first group of planes to leave included an unspecified number of Su-34 jets. Syrian president Bashar Assad and Mr Putin spoke yesterday and agreed Russia would scale back its forces. In a televised announcement, Mr Putin claimed his countrys six-month air campaign had allowed Syrias government to turn the tide of the war and create conditions for peace.

With the tasks set before the defence ministry and the military largely fulfilled, Im ordering the defence minister to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces from Syria, he said.

Moscow has more than 50 jets and helicopters at Hmeimim, in Syrias Latakia province, and the US estimates there are 3,000 to 6,000 Russian military personnel in the country. But Mr Putin made clear his forces will still retain a naval presence, air base and ground force in Syria.

Western officials cautiously welcomed the scaling back, saying it could pressure Syrias government to engage in talks. The Syrian army said it would continue fighting with the same tempo against Islamic State, the al-Nusra Front and other factions designated as terrorist by the UN. IS still controls about a third of the country. A cessation of hostilities between groups not designated as terrorist has been largely holding despite reports of some violations on all sides.

In Geneva, the UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura welcomed Mr Putins announcement as he prepared to meet the opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee.

He described it as a significant development which we hope will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva aimed at achieving a political solution of the Syrian conflict and a peaceful political transition. He had earlier warned that if the talks failed the only alternative was a return to war.
P olice are fearing a new gangland war in Melbourne after a lawyer who had represented mafia figures was shot dead in a targeted execution in Melbourne.

Joe Acquaro had just locked up his popular Italian cafe business in the early hours of this morning when he was murdered.

A rubbish truck driver found the body of Mr Acquaro on a footpath in St Phillip St, Brunswick East, at 3am today.

Murder squad detectves revealed a car was hear leaving the scene at high speed.

There have been a number of recent shootings in and around Melbourne and police had warned Mr Acquaro his life was in danger, but he refused to take any precuations.

Court documents revealed there was a $200,000 murder contract put out on the 55-year-old last year.

Mr Acquaro, who was represented a number of gangland figures, was a former lawyer of Mafia figures.

His murder has echoes of a long-running gangland fued in Melbourne which claimed the lives of 36 criminal figures or partners between 1998 and 2010.

Detective Inspector Michael Hughes said Mr Acquaro had closed Gelobar on popular Lygon St about 12.40am and was walking to his car when he was attacked.

We have an early report that a witness has heard a car travelling down that street away from Lygon St at reasonably high speed, he said.

Detectives are investigating whether the shooting is linked to a suspicious fire at the Gelobar in January.
S hots have been fired during an anti-terrorism raid in Brussels linked to the Paris atrocities.

Three police officers were injured after facing gunfire during the operation in the Belgian capital, officials said.

The Belgian prosecutor's office confirmed shots were fired and that the raid on Tuesday afternoon was connected to the Paris attacks.

Photos from the scene showed large numbers of armed officers standing guard, some with assault rifles, and one victim being stretchered into an ambulance.

Shooting: Police officers at the site of the anti-terror operation in the Forest suburb / AFP

The raid took place in the city's Forest suburb.

The neighbourhood is close to Molenbeek, which was home to several Islamic State militants involved in the Paris attacks that killed 130 people on November 13.

A victim is stretchered into an ambulance after the shooting / Reuters

This page is being updated.
A n Uber driver charged with shooting six people in the US state of Michigan told investigators he was being controlled by the ride-hailing app, police have said.

According to a police report, Jason Dalton, 45. told authorities after last months killing spree that the devil figure ... would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body.

He said the difference between the night of the shootings and others was that an icon on the Uber app that is normally red had changed to black.

He told investigators he doesnt want to come across as a crazy person, and added he was sad for the people who were killed as well as for his family members.

Dalton is charged with murder and attempted murder in the shootings outside an apartment complex, a restaurant and at a car park.
B en Affleck has defended Ricky Gervais after he made a joke at his expense at this years Golden Globes.

Gervais, 54, branded the actor, 43, unfaithful as he played host at the annual awards bash.

On introducing Afflecks best friend Matt Damon, he quipped: "Hes also the only person who Ben Affleck hasnt been unfaithful to. Please welcome Matt Damon."

Addressing the quip about his alleged infidelity, Affleck told New York Times: Its the way Ricky Gervais perceives me, I suppose. Whatever. Ive had jokes made at my expense before. Its part of the deal.

Having a laugh: Ben Affleck laughed off Gervais' joke / Angela Weiss/Getty

Affleck's ex-wife Jennifer Garner also laughed off the comment, which was criticised by some viewers.

"I laughed," she told Vanity Fair. "People have pain  they do regrettable things, they feel shame, and shame equals pain.

"No one needs to hate him for me. I dont hate him. Certainly we dont have to beat the guy up."

Gervais was criticised for a string of jokes and was accused of being transphobic following a Caitlyn Jenner gag. Deadpool actor T J Miller also lashed out at the comedian for the way he mocked the Hollywood set.

But fans of Gervais were unperturbed and have called for the David Brent star to host the Oscars.

Golden Globes 2016 1 /46 Golden Globes 2016 Kate Winslet Kate Winslet poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture for iSteve Jobsi at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Double act Presenters Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence speak onstage during the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Brie Larson Brie Larson poses in the press room with the award for best actress in a motion picture - drama for iRoomi at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Veep losers Julia Louis-Dreyfus tweets out a 'This is us' tribute to Veep at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards @OfficialJLD Bear with a sore head Presenters Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum onstage during the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Best Actor Leonardo DiCaprio accepts the award for best actor in a motion picture drama for his role in "The Revenant" during the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards Paul Drinkwater/NBC via AP Matt Damon Matt Damon poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actor in a motion picture - musical or comedy for 'The Martian' Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Eva Longoria Eva Longoria arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Sylvester Stallone & Co Sylvester Stallone, second from right, poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture for 'Creed' with Sophia Stallone, Scarlet Stallone, and Sistine Stallone at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Best Actress in a TV Drama Taraji P. Henson poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a TV series - drama for 'Empire' at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Brie Larson Brie Larson arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Kate Winslet Kate Winslet arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Invision/AP Joanne Froggatt Joanne Froggatt arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, left, and Jason Statham arrive at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Eddie Redmayne Eddie Redmayne arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Julianne Moore Julianne Moore arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Awkward Leonardo DiCaprio winces as Lady Gaga brushes past him to collect her Golden Globe Award ABC Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney Lady Gaga, left, kisses Taylor Kinney as they arrive at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon Ricky Gervais, left, and Jane Fallon arrive at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards /Invision/AP Alicia Vikander Alicia Vikander arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Natalie Dormer arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Dunst arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Saoirse Ronan Saoirse Ronan arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Kate Bosworth Kate Bosworth arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Taraji P. Henson Taraji P. Henson arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Rooney Mara Rooney Mara arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Cate Blanchett Cate Blanchett arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Rachel McAdams arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Amy Adams Amy Adams arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart Harrison Ford, left, and Calista Flockhart arrive at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards Invision/AP Toast to the host Ricky Gervais, left, and Mel Gibson appear on stage at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel AP

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P eter Capaldi won over the audience as he took to the stage for his Letters Live performance.

The Doctor Who actor, 57, left guests in fits of laughter as he channelled his foul mouthed The Thick of It character, Malcolm Tucker.

Capaldi showed the audience how Tucker would sound in the 17th century as he read out a letter from Sultan Mehmed IV, saying: What the devil kind of knight are you, that can't slay a hedgehog with your naked a**e?

The actor also performed a poignant letter from Captain Reginald John Armes to his wife from December 24, 1914, which acknowledged his fears of the war.

Capaldi was joined at the event at Londons Freemasons' Hall by Olivia Colman who performed Tina Fey's responses to online commentators before reading out a note from Eric Idle to John Major sent before their 50th birthdays.

Shami Chakrabarti, Jack Dee and Miriam Margolyes also performed on Monday night.

The annual event  which concludes on Tuesday  has welcomed stars including Sir Ian McKellen, Carey Mulligan, Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar Isaac, who read out a letter from Sir Alec Guinness detailing the actor's true feelings about playing Obi Wan Kenobi.

Letters Live - in the Calais refugee camp 'The Jungle'

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P oldark actor Aidan Turner is in talks to star as James Bond, according to reports.

Turner, 32, flew out to Los Angeles to meet with film bosses about succeeding Daniel Craig, it has been reported.

Aidan has held preliminary talks with Bond producers and being in LA will give him a further chance to discuss the role, a source told the publication.

Poldark producer Karen Thrussell acknowledged his trip to Los Angeles and teased Bond talks. On picking up Turners Breakthrough Award at the Broadcasting Press Guild awards in London, she told the publication: I am sure it is nothing to do with James Bond, but we will see.

Craig is yet to announce that he is stepping down from playing the 007 agent, but Mark Strong sent the rumour mill into overdrive when he appeared to confirm that Craig has filmed his last outing as Bond.

"I think he feels like hes mined it," he told Shortlist. "Hes done what he wants with it. That point has come.

Daniel Craig - In pictures 1 /62 Daniel Craig - In pictures No Time To Die (2021) PA Wire The World Premiere of No Time To Die in London REUTERS Daniel Craig emerges from the waves in Casino Royale in 2006 Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz Getty Images Footage featured during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games starring Daniel Craig playing James Bond escorting The Queen through the corridors of Buckingham Palace An early publicity shot ahead of Casino Royale's release Lashana Lynch, Daniel Craig and LAa Seydoux attend the No Time To Die World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall in 2021 Getty Images No Time To Die AP Daniel Craig speaks onstage during The New Yorker Festival 2016 Getty Images Spectre - Royal World Premiere (2015_ Dave Benett Daniel Craig kisses his actress wife Rachel Weisz while they attend The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund's Royal Film Performance 2015 of the 24th James Bond Adventure, "Spectre" at Royal Albert Hall Getty Images In one of Spectres (2015) set-piece action scenes, Bond chases the villains down a mountain in a plane, crashing it into their vehicle. As you would Seducing Lucia moments after saving ehr by dispatching a Spectre hit-squad Bond meets an old friend, Mr White as he pieces together Spectre's plot With Madeleine Swan (Lea Seydoux) Skyfall saw a new and younger Q (Ben Whishaw) The End? Bond at the climatic end of Spectre before he drives off with Madeleine 'Enjoying death' - Bond starts 2015's Spectre in a mask at the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico Being fitted with a tracker by Q Daniel Craig takes a selfie with fans as he attends the German premiere of the new James Bond movie 'Spectre' Getty Images Naomie Harris and Daniel Craig ose during an event to launch the 24th James Bond film Spectre at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath AFP/Getty Images Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig and Monica Bellucci attend the Royal Film Performance of 'Spectre' at Royal Albert Hall Getty Images With the mysterious with Severine (Berenice Marlohe) Bond went to his family home, Skyfall, in his bid to save M (Judi Dench) from Silva Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weisz attend "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" premiere in Madrid Getty Images Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz take a romantic walk hand-in-hand to lunch in 2012 at a Japanese restaurant in NYC Splash News Bond in shadow as he stalks his prey in the opening of Skyfall in 2012 Face to face with Skyfall's villain Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) Ready to pull the trigger with Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) watching in the background MGM Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions Fighting Patrice (Ola Rapace) on top of a moving train On the move in a motocycle chase scene Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig in 'Dream House (2011) Daniel Craig takes a bow during opening night curtain call for the broadway production of "A Steady Rain" at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on 29 September 2009 in New York Getty Images Daniel Craig in Defiance (2009) On the hunt for the organisation responsible for Vesper's death in 2008's Quantum of Solace arriving with Camille at an airfield in Bolivia Bond with Camille (Olga Kurylenko) Fighting Dominic Greene in Quantum of Solace final battle With Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton) In the opening pre-title chase scene of Casino Royale (2006) Seducing Solange (Caterina Murino) in Casino Royale Battling Le Chiffre across the card table at Casino Royale With Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in Venice near the end of Casino Royale Daniel Craig with Sienna Miller in 'Layer Cake' (2004) Daniel Craig in 'Layer Cake' (2004) Daniel Craig in 'Layer Cake' with Colm Meaney (2004) Daniel Craig during the photocall of his film 'Road to Perdition' at the 59th International Venice Film Festival in 2002 PA

Idris Elba, Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston are rumoured to be strong contenders for the role, with John Boyega and Henry Cavill also in the running.

TODO: define component type apester

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LINCOLN -- As trees and plants green up and soil temperatures rise across the state, farm operations of all sizes and types are getting set to begin another planting season.

Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach is encouraging anyone who will be applying pesticide products during the busy spring season to be mindful of best management practices and use good communication with their neighbors. Pesticides include all categories of control applications such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.

Its important for our commodity crop farmers and our growing sector of specialty crop farmers to work together so everyone can be successful, Ibach said. Herbicide applications are critical for corn and soybean production, but there are a number of specialty crops, such as grape vines, that are sensitive to these products.

One way farmers can open the door of communication is through DriftWatch. This website is a free, voluntary service that allows those with pesticide sensitive crops, organic crops and beehives to report their field locations. Pesticide applicators can review the website to gain an understanding of the locations of specialty crops in their area.

For example, Nebraskas vineyards will soon begin bud break, or the official start of the vines annual growth cycle, and these plants are extremely vulnerable during this time period, Ibach said. Its also time for our commodity crop growers to ready their fields for planting, including herbicide applications. Communication between all parties is important to ensure successful crop production for everyone.

Applicators also can register on the DriftWatch website, facilitating email notifications to the applicators when a new sensitive crop site is registered in their local area.

The DriftWatch website can be found online at http://www.fieldwatch.com. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture monitors the DriftWatch site for the state. For questions about it, contact Craig Romary with NDA at (402) 471-2351.
Of the 63 candidates who filed by the deadline to run for the 25 seats opening in the Unicameral this year, only 15 are women, including four senators running for re-election.

Currently there are 11 women serving in the 49-member Unicameral, and if women were elected to all possible seats they could fill this fall, there would still only be a net gain of five seats.

The state's women senators said they feel strong support from both voters and their male colleagues, but societal pressures and self-doubt keep many women from considering running for office.

"Despite all the policy gains we have made in the past 40 years, it falls on mom to manage the home and the children," Sen. Tanya Cook of Omaha said. "So that takes away from the time to pursue elected office, even to pursue some of the experience like volunteer boards or school boards."

At 22.4 percent of the elected body, Nebraska's number of women legislators falls only slightly below the national average of 24.5 percent, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

Cook said men and women consider different factors when deciding whether to run for the Legislature. A woman will think logically about if she has gathered enough experience necessary to do the job, where men generally think in terms of their personal merit, she said.

Sen. Kate Sullivan of Cedar Rapids agreed.

"I think we women too often wait to be asked to be involved, rather than think of it from our own personal standpoint of what we can bring to the table," said Sullivan, who will have served her maximum eight years after this session.

Republican Tom Briese, an Albion farmer, is running unopposed for the District 41 seat now held by Sullivan.

Sullivan said she has been considering how small changes, like shorter work weeks or briefer sessions, could attract more women in her district to run for office.

More women could enhance the kind of debate that occurs, she said.

"I think women tend to be more collaborative in nature," she said. "We tend to be willing to listen more and be willing to compromise, sometimes to our fault, but again, I think that leads us down a path most of the time of getting things accomplished."

Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln said when women from rural areas run, they need to consider what it will mean to their families. Often lawmakers from western Nebraska live in Lincoln during the week.

Anna Wishart, chair of Lincoln Airport Authority who is running for Lincoln's District 27, said she and her husband have had to make specific choices to prepare for her campaign, including downsizing on a house. Wishart and her husband are foster parents, but have decided not to do so during her campaign.

Wishart said her campaign is propelled by a number of mentors, including former state Sen. DiAnna Schimek.

Wishart encouraged women interested in public office to strengthen relationships with women they admire to gain honest feedback and support.

"There's this feeling of not being prepared enough," she said. "What I have learned is that a lot of time, what you have to do is just take that step forward, just make that decision, and prepare along the way."
HASTINGS  Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do in Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts declared Monday morning at the Prairie Loft Center west of Hastings on the first stop of his National Ag Week fly-around tour.

Ricketts addressed a mix of FFA students, Hastings business leaders and ag producers on a tour that also included stops in McCook and Falls City, before he ended his day at the Omaha Agribusiness Club annual banquet on Monday evening. Ricketts pointed out that one in four jobs in Nebraska is connected to agriculture, so growing the states economy will mean growing Nebraskas agricultural economy.

During his talk in Hastings, Ricketts hit familiar themes, including the need for property tax relief. Ricketts said property taxes on farmland have increased 65 percent during the past five years, which is much faster than taxes on other classifications of property.

He said Nebraska has cut its annual rate of growth in state spending from 6.5 percent to 3.5 percent, so the only way to provide sustained property tax relief is by controlling spending by local units of government.

LB958 would slow down the growth of agricultural land valuation in the state. It would also set limitations on the budgets of restricted funds and limit exclusions to the levy limit. Under LB959, both growth in unused budget authority and growth in budgeted reserves would be restrained. Also, levy exceptions that do not require voter approval for future capital projects would be removed for both school districts and community colleges.

Ricketts said its important to focus on the property taxes levied by K-12 school districts, which account for 65 percent to 75 percent of a persons or businesss property taxes. Ricketts said its important to take steps to limit the growth in property tax bills during this legislative session and not to wait. Consequently, Ricketts asked those attending the Hastings event to call their state senator to urge that both LB958 and LB959 to be moved out of committee. LB958 is in the Revenue Committee, while LB959 is in the Education Committee.

Even if the Legislature acts to limit property taxes during this session, more work will need to be done in future years, Ricketts said.

The governor also touted the Transportation Innovation Act, which would create a Transportation Infrastructure Bank. If the bill becomes law, Ricketts said, it would speed up repair on many Nebraska bridges and work on Nebraskas proposed expressway systems.

Ricketts said the state can grow its agriculture economy through more trade agreements, which knock down tariffs and make Nebraska agricultural products more affordable om foreign countries.

Greg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said he is excited to be working with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to identify more opportunities to bring new ag-related businesses into the state or expand existing agricultural businesses. Ibach said more and more people are one or two generations removed from living or working on a farm or ranch, so its important to educate them about how their food is grown and produced.

Amy Sandeen, Prairie Loft executive director, noted that only 2 percent of the U.S. population lives on farms and ranches today, while about 40 percent lived on farms and ranches in 1900. Thats one reason for the existence of the Prairie Loft, which teaches agriculture appreciation, outdoor education, cultural traditions and the wise use of natural resources to people who do not live on farms and ranches.

Prairie Loft, now in its 10th year, has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors as part of that mission, with many of its educational programs directed at students.

Ron Pavelka, a director for the Nebraska Soybean Board, noted that he is a fifth-generation farmer. While soybean meal is used as feed for livestock and poultry, soybean oil is used for human consumption. Human consumption uses include cooking oil, mayonnaise, salad dressings, sauces and other food products. Soybeans can be used to produce plastic bottles and other products.

Pavelka said agriculture has many partners including Hastings Museum and Prairie Loft, which help teach people about farming and its history in Nebraska. Other institutions such as FFA, Central Community College and the University of Nebraska-Lincolon help educate young people about career opportunities in agriculture.

Other partners include the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center and Hastings-based T-L Irrigation, whose equipment irrigates many acres of Nebraska. Other partners are cattle feed yards, both large and small, as well as Nebraskas meat processing plants. All of them help those who are in production agriculture, while also providing agriculture-related jobs for many people.

Other ag companies providing jobs in Hastings are CPI and Gavilon Fertilizer, both of which have multiple locations. AGP is a soybean processing plant in Hastings that also operates a vegetable oil refinery in Hastings.
National Ag Week is a time of celebration and reflection, as we recognize and pay tribute to all those who contribute to Nebraskas number one industry.

This celebration generally has us all thinking about farmers and ranchers, as it should, but I am asking you during this National Ag Week to broaden your viewpoint. It is estimated that one in four jobs and a quarter of the economic activity in Nebraska is related to agriculture. Of course our farmers and ranchers provide the foundation for these figures, but to get to one in four jobs we must include all other business entities that are somehow tied to agriculture. From Gering to Omaha and Cody to Falls City, main streets are impacted by the prosperity or challenges of the agriculture economy. This makes National Ag Week important to all Nebraskans.

As a farmer and rancher myself, I have been pleased to see the ties between urban and rural Nebraska strengthen as the agricultural industry continues to expand into several areas. This connection is cultural as well as economic, as most urban Nebraskans are only one or two generations removed from a family farm.

From the economic standpoint, new businesses are starting up in Omaha and Lincoln and other cities across Nebraska that provide innovative technology, marketing, processing and infrastructure to support our ever-evolving family farms and ranches. Both public and private entities are offering careers in these areas, careers that pay well and provide incentive for our best students and employees to remain in the state. I am constantly amazed by the number of companies that are either looking to locate in a Nebraska city or town or expand existing facilities. The Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership in our states largest city has actually developed a detailed strategy to take advantage of this trend and provide a path for companies to become a part of our states thriving agribusiness sector.

From a cultural standpoint, the connection between our urban and rural citizens is growing stronger, as agriculturalists are opening their farms and ranches to tell the story of the methods they employ to produce the crops and livestock that become food for our neighbors, here and around the world. Consumers want to know more about how their food arrives at their table, and farmers and ranchers are eager to share the story.

One example of this is the dramatic growth of farmers markets across state, with more than 100 markets providing venues for direct communication between consumers and farmers. On a broader scale, farmers and ranchers are widely using social media, broadcasting snippets of real life on the farm, often highlighting livestock care and environmental stewardship practices. They are even taking their message to international audiences, sharing their stories through personal visits to overseas markets, through videos and by hosting foreign consumers and food processors right here in Nebraska.

This interconnectedness means we all should care about the fact that currently our farmers and ranchers are facing a significant downturn in the prices they receive for their products. This reduction in profitability has resulted, and will continue to result, in economic impacts across our state. It is part of the reason our state is facing a budget shortfall over the next two years.

Under Governor Pete Ricketts leadership, we are working to further diversify, and add value to, our agriculture sector, a move that we hope will smooth out income peaks and valleys in the overall market. The state Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development, along with industry partners, are working to add more livestock production to enhance our row crop farms and searching for ways to add

value to commodity production through recruiting additional food processing and bioscience companies to Nebraska. I am optimistic about the opportunity to Grow Nebraska through these types of development efforts.

I also am optimistic about the future for our farmers and ranchers. We will bounce back from the current downturn, and traditional production agriculture will continue to be a main staple in Nebraska, as it has been since the frontier days of the mid-1800s.

Agriculture truly is the lifestyle that unites us all. I hope you will join me in celebrating National Ag Week in Nebraska.
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Tuesday, 15 March 2016 22:49:57 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo

Peruvian iron ore export prices in January declined 53.6 percent, year-on-year, and 31.3 percent, month-on-month, according to data released by the nations central bank, BCRP.





According to governments data, Peruvian iron ore export prices in January reached $17.5/mt, down from $25.5/mt in December last year and $37.7/mt in January 2015.





Despite the reduced price, Peruvian iron ore export volumes rose to 1.3 million mt in January this year, from 1.1 million in January 2015.








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
More than 1,000 celebrated the Hungarian National Holiday in the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca in a march through the downtown, carrying flags of Hungary and Romania and banners of Transylvania and of Szeklers (a Hungarian-speaking ethnic minority of Romania). The rally was followed by a mass at St. Michael's church.

Wreaths were laid at Hotel Biasini, which once hosted Hungarian poet Sandor Petofi for talks with Nicolae Balcescu, a prominent figure of the 1848 Revolution in Romania, in an attempt to merge the Hungarian and Romanian revolutionary movements. Lajos Mile, Hungary's general consul in Cluj-Napoca, read a message of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; Cluj County Prefect conveyed a message from PM Dacian Ciolos.

Cluj County Chairman Marius Manzat and Vice Chairman Istvan Vakar, Cluj-Napoca Mayor Emil Boc and Deputy Mayor Anna Horvath attended. "Hotel Biasini was a place of dialogue in times when dialogue seemed impossible. On 15 March 1848 there was no discord between Hungarians and Romanians in Transylvania. (...) Discord occurred later. Of course there is temptation to blame it on some intrigues by various people. Actually, the blame is on us, Romanian and Hungarian Transylvanians. Back then, our forefathers gave up dialogue for weapons. No one benefited from that civil war. We must assume this lesson of history and never repeat our forefathers' error. Romanian must not be offended by Hungarians' celebration of March 15, just as Hungarians can rejoice alongside Romanians on December 1 [Romania's National Day, marking the Union of Transylvania with Romania]. Ones' joy should not be others' grief," Manzat said in his speech.

Mayor Boc declared, "History has given us the chance of a shared destiny. We can live better or worse, depending on how we relate to this historical destiny. I think we can live better if we stress the things that unite us, or live worse if we stress the things that divide us. Here in Cluj, I think we managed to show over the past 12 years that we can be a European community, leaving aside the things that divide us and achieving significant progress in matters that unite us. Hungarians worldwide celebrate on March 15 Hungary's 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence.

Agerpres
Updated at 4:05 p.m.with closing share price

Foresight Energy LP stock tumbled 26 percent Tuesday after the St. Louis-based coal miner said it may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy if it does not reach an out-of-court debt restructuring agreement with its lenders.

The news isnt surprising since a Delaware court ruled that there was an event of default over certain Foresight debt in December. That potentially forces the company with several highly productive Illinois coal mines to repay more than $1.2 billion in debt. Meanwhile, a 30-day grace period on an interest payment due last month expires this week.

Foresight has been negotiating with key creditors for months, and one group of creditors agreed not to demand repayment during negotiations. The most recent deadline to reach a deal was set for Tuesday, but Foresight and creditors have extended the deadlines many times since December.

Foresight also announced Tuesday its auditors have raised going concern doubts, and it suspended its quarterly distribution to stockholders and its forecast for 2016, pending the negotiation with its lenders.

Decreasing demand for coal, stricter environmental controls and increasing competition from natural gas have pushed four big coal miners, including the second-largest miner Creve Coeur-based Arch Coal, into bankruptcy protection over the past year.

St. Louis-based Peabody Energy Corp, the largest U.S. coal producer, said this month that its lenders are pushing to restructure its $6 billion debt through bankruptcy.

Foresight Energy reported Tuesday a net loss of $64.3 million, or 44 cents per limited partner unit, for the fourth quarter, compared with a profit of $31.1 million, or 22 cents per limited partner unit, a year earlier.

Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 fell 19.5 percent to $241.7 million.

Foresight shares closed at $1.62, down 56 cents, or nearly 26 percent.

In December, a Delaware court judge ruled that Ohio-based coal company Murray Energys purchase of a large stake in Foresight amounted to a change in control of the coal mining company, giving bondholders the right to early repayment of about $600 million of unsecured bonds.

The owners of another $675 million in secured Foresight debt also say the ruling also gives them the right to repayment. Those secured lenders also are involved in the ongoing debt talks. Last month, Foresight opted not to make a $23.6 million interest payment, exercising a 30-day grace period that expires this week. As of Dec. 31, Foresight had $17.5 million in cash and cash equivalents.
MILAN  Italy's Campari, the world's sixth largest spirits company, is to launch a friendly takeover bid for Grand Marnier valuing the French liqueur maker at 684 million euros ($760 million) as it bets on growth in North America.

Campari, best known for the eponymous red aperitif and the orange Aperol bitter, has grown through a slew of acquisitions since 1995. It hopes the French brand will help it further cash in on a classic cocktail renaissance among young Americans.

"(Grand Marnier) perfectly fits Campari's acquisition strategy," the Italian company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The French brand will join Campari's portfolio of five higher-margin brands, such as Wild Turkey bourbon and Skyy vodka, whose sales rose 10 percent in the second half of 2015.

Grand Marnier's sales of finished goods fell 2 percent at constant currencies to 130 million euros last year. But Campari Chief Executive Officer Robert Kunze-Concewitz said the Milanese company had experience in relaunching high potential brands.

"I see the brand delivering some nice growth for us," Kunze-Concewitz told analysts.

Founded in 1827 by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle, Grand Marnier reaps about 60 percent of its sales from the United States, which will become Campari's biggest market after the acquisition ahead of Italy now.

Campari Chief Financial Officer Paolo Marchesini forecast the purchase would drive a double-digit rise in its net income. However, the impact on the current year will be more limited as the company is only due to be consolidated from the second half.

Campari will offer to buy shares in Grand Marnier in cash at 8,050 euros each, a 60 percent premium to the stock value, having already agreed to buy a 17.2 percent stake in the company from the controlling family shareholders.

Bryan Garnier analyst Virginie Roumage said the deal implied a "reasonable" multiple of 13.7 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization.

Campari plans to delist shares in Grand Marnier from the French stock exchange.

The Italian company will also be appointed global and exclusive distributor of Grand Marnier spirits portfolio.

At 1250 GMT shares in Campari rose 0.6 percent, outperforming a 1.3 percent fall in Italian blue-chip index. Shares in Grand Marnier were suspended from trading.

($1 = 0.9003 euros)
HANOVER, Germany  It's not just computers and mobile phones that are vulnerable to cyber attack, according to software firm Trend Micro. As more devices are hooked up to the Internet, it could be anything from medical equipment to industrial machinery  and even sex toys.

To illustrate the point, Trend Micro spokesman Udo Schneider surprised journalists at a news conference this week by placing a large, neon-pink vibrator on the desk in front of him and then bringing it to life by typing out a few lines of code on his laptop.

While the stunt provoked sheepish giggles, the message was sobering. As the number of smart, interactive devices connected to the Internet explodes, concern is mounting about insufficient safeguards and a lack of consumer and employee awareness.

"If I hack a vibrator it's just fun," Raimund Genes, Chief Technology Officer at Tokyo-listed Trend Micro, told reporters at the CeBIT technology fair in Hanover.

"But if I can get to the back-end, I can blackmail the manufacturer," he added, referring to the programming system behind a device's interface.

Germany, host of CeBIT and home to world champion manufacturers, offers rich pickings for hackers, and attacks on industrial production sites are rising, according to the government's latest IT Security Report.

'MASSIVE DAMAGE'

In 2014, a German steel mill suffered "massive damage" following a cyber attack on the plant's network. In recent weeks, several German hospitals have come under attack from Ransomware, a virus that encrypts data on infected machines and demands that users pay to get an electronic key to unlock it.

The German government got its own wake-up call last year, when hackers attacked the lower house of parliament's computer network, forcing it to shut down the system for several days and compromising large amounts of data.

"If someone decided to start shooting with a pistol from the roof of the Reichstag (parliament), security guards would be all over them. But when data are siphoned off for months, no one bats an eyelid," said Dirk Arendt, director of public affairs at Israeli cyber security firm Check Point Software Technologies. "There is a lack of awareness."

Responding to the growing cyber threat, Germany approved an IT security law last July that orders 2,000 providers of critical infrastructure to implement minimum security standards and report serious breaches or face penalties.

Fifty-one percent of companies have been victims of digital espionage, data theft or sabotage in the past two years, according to IT lobby group Bitkom.

The threat is more acute among Germany's small-to-medium-sized manufacturers, known as the Mittelstand, where two-thirds of firms registered attacks. As companies move to connect machinery to the Internet to enable it to collect and exchange data and make it easier to control remotely, 84 percent of managers expect the risks to rise, according to Deutsche Telekom's Cyber Security Report.

While Germans are vigilant about data protection because of their experience of state surveillance by the Stasi secret police in East Germany and the Gestapo under the Nazis, Arendt said more attention needed to be paid to data security.

Employees need to be made aware of the dangers of opening suspicious-looking PDFs in the same way that motorists are warned by giant roadside signs not to speed, he added.

"We only wake up when the damage is done," he said. "There are enough examples of successful hacking cases. Now the next steps need to be taken to get back into a secure area."

($1=0.9002 euros)
Forget foosball tables or free snacks. The latest employee benefit for recruiting and retaining young employees is more practical.

On Tuesday, Boston-based Fidelity announced that it had begun offering a perk that would help employees repay their student loans. All full-time employees at the manager level and below can get up to $2,000 a year paid toward their student loan, up to a total of $10,000. Employees still make their own payments, while Fidelity's benefit is sent directly to the loan provider by a third-party vendor and applied to the principal, reducing the overall size of the loan.

The financial services company joins a small but growing number of firms that are helping ease the pain of student loan debt for their growing population of millennial employees  while at the same time offering benefits that aren't as permanent as a bump up in workers' salaries. Pricewaterhouse Coopers announced in September it would extend a similar benefit to its workers. Smaller companies such as Chegg and LendEDU offer the perk, and third-party vendors say many more are expected to announce the benefit in coming months.

A survey by the Society for Human Resources Management from last June said only about 3 percent of companies in its survey offer the perk, but its director of compensation and benefits, Bruce Elliott, expects that number to grow.

The trend is a response, of course, to the fact that for young workers, student loans have become a more burdensome financial problem. Education debt has soared in recent years, nearly tripling since the early 1990s and reaching an average of $35,000 in 2015, according to data from the publisher Edvisors.

After asking employees about their biggest challenges, "we were surprised to learn that student loans were at the top of the list," said Jennifer Hanson, who leads Fidelity's "associate experience" and benefits. "It was causing them to put off important things, whether it was buying a house or getting married."

But the move also comes as employers facing a tight labor market and want to stand out in particular to younger, college-educated employees. Millennials are the largest segment of the labor force, and in response, employers are tailoring benefits to their needs. For instance, many are expanding family leave benefits.

One way Elliott says he knows a trend has legs is that startups get founded to cater to the market and act as administrators for the new perks  in this case, verifying that employees have student loans and then handling the logistics of paying the loans directly on the employer's behalf.

Tuition.io, which is administering Fidelity's program, says it is talking to some of the largest U.S. companies. The CEO of another vendor, Gradifi's Tim DeMello, says it has 100 companies scheduled to offer the benefit in coming months, including 19 Fortune 500 companies.

Another company, Student Loan Genius, says it's seeing interest in a recently introduced platform that helps companies repurpose the money they've budgeted as 401(k) matching contributions. When workers make a student loan payment, it triggers the company to make a 401(k) contribution on their behalf.

Millennials' "eyes are not on retirement, it's 'how do we get rid of our student loans, control our debt,'" says Tony Aguilar, the founder of Student Loan Genius. These sorts of benefits, he says, are "for a different generation with different problems."

Of course, companies could just raise employees' overall pay, giving workers higher salaries that would let them pay their student loans as well as make 401(k) contributions. But part of the appeal of these benefits to companies  beyond the good will they build with employees - is that they are flexible, Elliott says.

"It's a way to differentiate total compensation without creating an increase in base pay," he says. "If revenue is down for whatever reason, it's easier to cut this type of benefit than it is to cut salary."

While such benefits may have advantages for both employees and their bosses, they have the potential, at least, to create tensions between employees. Employees whose parents paid for school or who've already paid off their loans could feel left out. "What happens inside these firms at some point with the students who did not take out student loans?" Wharton business school professor Peter Cappelli says.

Fidelity's Hanson says the flexibility of the student loan benefit was not a factor in the company's decision to offer it, and sees student loan debt as "a concern across the board"  the company estimates about 25 percent of employees have student loan debt. The program does not have an age limit, and employees who still carry student loan debt well into middle age would benefit from it. Even employees who don't qualify for the benefit have said "they love it," she says. "It sets Fidelity apart."

And that, of course, is exactly what companies want when it comes to benefits like this, Elliott says. "What I find particularly interesting about this benefit is the employer is paying after the fact," he says. He believes "we're absolutely going to see a lot more innovation on benefits - especially as it relates to this generation."
The battle against the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and paralysis, has been taken to the source.

The deadliest creatures on Earth  mosquitoes  kill 725,000 people every year by passing on malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and other diseases. Now the insects are blamed for spreading Zika, infecting 3 million to 4 million people across Latin America in the last year.

Conventional mosquito control efforts involve spraying pesticides where the insects breed. But mosquitoes have developed resistance to many pesticides, and the spray means other helpful bugs die. The World Health Organization says that traditional pesticides have had no significant impact on slowing other mosquito-borne diseases.

A St. Louis startup biotech company says it has another solution. Forrest Innovations of Creve Coeur plans to breed and release sterile mosquitoes to prevent reproduction and eventually reduce their population. Their first target: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which has seen the worlds largest Zika outbreaks and will host the upcoming Summer Olympics.

If we stop the mosquito, we can stop Zika, West Nile or any other viruses we might see in the next five years, said Nitzan Paldi, Forrests CEO. Israel-based Forrest Innovations moved its American headquarters to the Bio Research and Development Growth Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center last year.

The concept is not new. Agriculture scientists have long used radiation to sterilize fruit flies, which are then released to kill off the crop-destroying pest. But fruit flies are much sturdier than mosquitoes, and radiation tends to kill the mosquito.

Forrests mosquito control program, called NoMoreMos, involves a different technique to sterilize male mosquitoes at a larval stage. After the males are sorted by machine (females weigh slightly more than males), the larvae receive a topical application of a solution that renders them sterile but does not modify their genetic code.

It is more efficient to sterilize males and prevent them from fertilizing females eggs. And male mosquitoes dont bite, since only females need blood meals for egg development. The idea is to outnumber the wild male mosquito population with the sterile males, who will win the competition for females attention.

If you release 10 sterile males for every male that is living in the environment, you are reducing the population by 90 percent every generation, Paldi said.

How to distribute sterile mosquitoes over vast areas of rain forests or other areas plagued by mosquito-borne diseases is a challenge. While fruit flies can be successfully dropped from planes, mosquitoes disintegrate in the process.

Forrest Innovations teamed up with another company that created a mechanism for mosquitoes to survive air drops. While executives were hesitant to release many details, they say the plan has worked in trial runs.

They face competition from the British biotech firm Oxitec, which has genetically modified the Aedes mosquito so the males produce offspring that cant reproduce.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted preliminary approval for Oxitecs plan to release the insects in Florida after determining there would be no significant impact to human, animal or plant life from the experiment.

But Oxitecs plan has been met with some public opposition to genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

Aside from not genetically modifying their mosquitoes, Forrest has another advantage with its existing labs and employees in Brazil. The company chose to work in the country before the Zika outbreak mainly because of the threat of dengue fever, a deadly mosquito-borne virus endemic to tropical areas. Zika has shifted the companys focus to the more immediate concern of preventing transmission among visitors and athletes during the Olympics.

We have an audacious plan to be ready for the Olympics, to try to expedite everything and achieve in a number of months what we were planning to do in two to three years, Paldi said.

The World Health Organization declared last month that the explosive spread of Zika across Latin America is a global emergency due to its link to the spike in the number of babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, and an increase in the rare Guillain-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis and death.

So far, Zika has triggered outbreaks in 41 countries. There have been 193 cases of Zika reported in Americans who have traveled to the countries, including one from Missouri and seven from Illinois.

Forrest executives are coordinating with the Brazilian government on their plan to release up to 25 million sterile mosquitoes each week starting in June and through the Olympics in August. After the Olympics, company leaders said they can see applications for their technology in other countries including the U.S. The Zika virus is now circulating in Puerto Rico and several Caribbean countries, and scientists believe its move into the southern U.S. is inevitable.

A concern for any plan to eliminate or greatly reduce the mosquito population is the potential effect on the ecosystem. Paldi said the Aedes mosquito, which carries dengue and Zika, is not native to Brazil or the U.S. and would likely have little effect on bats and birds that feed on it if it disappeared.

Brazil survived nicely before it arrived, Paldi said. Im much more concerned about the impact of humans on the experience of other species.
ST. LOUIS  City liquor Commissioner Robert W. Kraiberg was fired early this month after 30 years on the job because he refused to issue a 3 a.m. liquor license to a popular bar and concert venue, despite pressure from the office of Mayor Francis Slay, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Kraiberg was terminated March 4 by city Public Safety Director Richard Gray, a Slay appointee. Gray gave Kraiberg a one-sentence letter that listed no basis or reason for Kraibergs removal, according to the suit.

Officials told Kraiberg and his attorney, David Bohm, that the city charter allowed them to remove Kraiberg with or without cause.

But Kraibergs lawsuit alleges he was improperly fired, and for political reasons.

On Feb. 18, Kraiberg held a public hearing regarding a 3 a.m. liquor license for the Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Road in the citys Grove neighborhood. Some neighbors complained of excessive noise from bands playing at the venue and a smaller club next door called the Demo, according to the suit.

Kraiberg declined to rule that day, instead scheduling another hearing to allow for the presentation of additional evidence, the suit says.

A few days later, Kraiberg was called into a meeting in the mayors office with city operations director Todd Waelterman, deputy director Patrick Brown, mayoral aide Josh Wiese, and Joshua Kremer, a program specialist in Grays office.

There, the suit says, Kraiberg was upbraided.

Waelterman adamantly complained that there was no reason not to issue the license, the suit says. He asked for a transcript of discussion at the public hearing.

Two days later, Kraiberg was again called into the mayors office. After some back-and-forth, Kraiberg said according to the suit, it was not appropriate for the mayors office to review his decisions or attempt to direct his decisions.

About a week later, Gray fired Kraiberg.

The suit concludes Kraiberg was terminated for political reasons, and not for cause. It asks the court to give him back his job, pay back wages and benefits, cover attorneys fees and prohibit the city from interfering with his work.

Waelterman did not return a call seeking comment. Slays chief of staff, Mary Ellen Ponder, said she hadnt seen the suit.

Ready Room managing partner Mike Cracchiolo, reached late Monday, was irritated at the accusation that his business enjoyed any favoritism. He acknowledged that Brown is a patron of the club, and that Wiese is a friend. But he said they fought for what they felt was right, not because of any relationship.

I would flatly deny that any favors were done, Cracchiolo said. I do believe they advocated on our behalf. But I dont believe any of that constitutes special treatment, and I think its unfortunate that Kraiberg went that way, I really do.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republican and Democratic leaders say there is still plenty of time left in the legislative session to pull the Missouri Senate out of its partisan quagmire.

With Democrats still steamed at Republicans for using a parliamentary maneuver last week to ram through a controversial same-sex marriage proposal, members of the minority party again kept the Senate from conducting any business Tuesday.

Rank-and-file Democrats blocked senators from introducing guests and continued complaining about GOP "strong arm" tactics.

Were going to continue talking about this until we know going forward that the voices of the people in our districts will be heard, said state Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur.

Politics is the art of compromise. You will have to give and take. And last week the Republicans were not willing to give anything, said state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis. Were saying its not going to be business as usual if you rule with an iron fist.

At issue is Senate Joint Resolution 39, which would ask voters if they want to amend the state Constitution to shield religious groups and businesses from being involved in same-sex weddings. Opponents say the measure is written broadly enough that it also could result in gay people being denied housing, employment and social services.

Democrats used their filibuster power to keep the issue from being voted on for 37 hours. In the end, however, Republicans forced a vote and sent the matter to the House for further debate.

The dust-up has generated speculation that the Senate may be unable to conduct any work between now and the scheduled end of session in May.

Leaders disagree.

I dont think the session is derailed, said Senate Minority Leader Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis. I wouldnt call it a state of emergency. Its the middle of March. Weve still got two months.

Keavenys Republican counterpart agreed.

Theres a lot of time left in the session, Kehoe said. Its way too early in my opinion to make those kinds of statements.

Keaveny acknowledged that Democrats may not be finished with their protests as the Legislature heads toward a week long spring break beginning Friday.

I represent a very liberal caucus and we just passed a constitutional amendment that is extremely conservative, he said. Its just going to take a while for everybody to get back in focus.
JEFFERSON CITY  A University of Missouri System representative said Tuesday the system welcomes input from the review commission proposed by a Republican lawmaker.

Steve Knorr, Um System vice president of university relations, spoke in support of a measure being heard by a Senate committee Tuesday that would create a special committee to review university system operations. The proposal was sponsored by Senate Budget Leader Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, who is running for attorney general this year.

The "board of curators and leadership routinely review operations and process ... and constantly are looking at ways to improve policies,' Knorr said.

Schaefer developed the measure in light of the recent tumult at the university, specifically on the Columbia campus. Lawmakers have been threatening to punish the UM System after racial turmoil on the Columbia campus led to a leadership shake-up last fall. Members of the House and Senate have threatened special audits and called for the removal of Melissa Click, who was recently fired after she was caught on video in November trying to block journalists from recording student demonstrations.

The Missouri House responded last week by cutting $8.7 million from the university budget for the 2017 budget year that begins July 1. It is now in the Senate's hands for further changes. Lawmakers have until May 6 to complete the budget.

Schaefer's plan, on the other hand, takes a step back to let the heated debate cool down.

"This is a good mechanism for everyone to move forward on this issue," Schaefer said Tuesday.

If approved by the full Senate and House, the plan calls for the creation of an eight-member panel to be appointed by Republican legislative leaders. Members are expected to have expertise in finance, education and management, as well as an affinity for Mizzou. Their report is due Dec. 31.

The committee did not vote on the measure Tuesday.

The resolution is Senate Concurrent Resolution 66.
CLAYTON  With a recent polls showing tight presidential primaries Tuesday in both Missouri and Illinois, candidates in both parties, or their surrogates, stumped frantically through both states Monday.

The St. Louis area saw Monday appearances by both former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, addressing supporters of her mother, Democrat Hillary Clinton, who packed into a Clayton restaurant; and Democrat Bernie Sanders, leading a large crowd in St. Charles, his third four-figure rally in the region in the past two weeks.

Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Ted Cruz also spent part of Monday criss-crossing northern and central Illinois.

Missouri and Illinois vote Tuesday, as do Ohio, Florida and North Carolina. The attention candidates are lavishing on the two contiguous states in that lineup in the final hours isnt surprising, given recent polling.

A Post-Dispatch poll last week indicated that Missouri voters in both parties slightly favor the front-runners  Clinton for the Democrats, Donald Trump for the Republicans.

But their leads over Sanders and Cruz, respectively, were within the polls margins for error, making the races potential nail-biters. That follows several recent polls in Illinois that show the race tightening there, also.

Republicans are looking at a two-state delegate haul of 121 (52 in Missouri, 69 in Illinois), with Democrats vying for 266 (84 in Missouri, 182 in Illinois). That has provided plenty of incentive for the top four candidates  former Secretary of State Clinton, Vermonts Sen. Sanders, businessman Trump and Texas Sen. Cruz  to bounce repeatedly in recent days between the St. Louis and Chicago regions.

Only GOP candidates Marco Rubio, a senator from Florida, and John Kasich, the Ohio governor, have stayed away from the two states. Polls indicate neither of them has a realistic shot at winning either Missouri or Illinois, and both campaigns are engaged in frenzied, must-win efforts in their respective home states going into Tuesday.

Chelsea Clinton, speaking to about 100 supporters packed into a small room in Almonds restaurant in Clayton on Monday morning, lauded her mothers tireless history of pushing for policies that help working families, women and the poor.

She slammed Republicans for what she called the normalization of hate speech in debates about immigration and Islam.

And she took an unnamed but clear jab at Sanders, calling her mother the only candidate on either side of the aisle who tells you exactly how shes going to pay for things.

Sanders, speaking Monday evening at the Family Arena in St. Charles to an estimated 5,500 cheering supporters, predicted that Missouri is ready for a political revolution.

Today, (Clinton) is not so inevitable, he said, noting that he has won nine states so far. If there is a large turnout tomorrow, were going to win this state.

Sanders was scheduled to go from St. Charles to a late-night rally in Chicago.

Both Hillary Clinton and Cruz spent Monday focused on Illinois, which is Clintons native state, though she hasnt lived there for decades.

Cruz, in a speech in the northern Illinois city of Rockford, said Illinois has for years been abused by the Democrats, but is about to become a major player in Republican politics. Illinois is going to have a major voice on the national scale in this Republican primary, he said.

Trump led a raucous downtown St. Louis rally Friday at which 32 protesters were arrested. Hours later, he canceled a Chicago rally because of clashes between protesters and his supporters.

On Sunday, Trump appeared at an airport rally in Bloomington, Ill., where he insisted: Were not provoking. We want peace. ... We dont want trouble.

Polls in Illinois and Missouri will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  Six contenders in Super Tuesday II primaries in Missouri, Illinois and three other states each face challenges and opportunities.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri and Illinois. Florida, North Carolina and Ohio also have primaries.

Democrats

Hillary Clinton

Best Case  She sweeps all five states, lengthens her delegate lead of more than 2-1 and escalates calls within the Democratic Party to rally around her as the nominee.

Worst Case  Clinton falters in one or more states, and Sanders cuts into her delegate lead. Doubts grow about her trustworthiness and appeal, especially to younger voters and more liberal Democrats.

Bottom Line  Shes still in control but needs to keep winning.

Bernie Sanders

Best Case  The socialist Sanders appeals on trade and economic inequality sweep him to surprising victories in the three Midwestern states.

Worst Case  Clinton tromps him across the map, and any momentum Sanders gained last week in an upset in Michigan is gone

Bottom Line  Sanders needs a win someplace Tuesday night to remain on the viability radar.

Republicans

Donald Trump

Best Case  He secures the winner-take-all delegate gold mines of Ohio and Florida, knocking out favorite sons John Kasich and Marco Rubio.

Worst Case  Trump loses Ohio and Florida, which would blunt his momentum and suggest he would be a poor general election candidate in vital swing states.

Bottom Line  He needs to pull away or face an extended fight right through the July convention.

Ted Cruz

Best Case  He stays close to Trump in the delegate race by winning Missouri and picking off delegates in Illinois and North Carolina.

Worst Case  Trump pads his delegate lead by several hundred by sweeping the five states, leaving Cruz without a path to the nomination.

Bottom Line  Missouri is key for Cruz. Polls suggest it is his best chance to beat Trump and cling to his claim to be Trumps primary opponent.

Marco Rubio

Best Case  Rubio holds his home state of Florida and picks off a few delegates elsewhere to walk back from the brink.

Worst Case  He loses Florida  and any reasonable cause to continue.

Bottom Line  Its all about home cooking for Rubio.

John Kasich

Best Case  The Ohio governor beats Trump at home, allowing Kasich to stay alive for winner-take-all contests in California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Worst Case  He loses Ohio, and the only path is home for good.

Bottom Line  Like Rubio, survival is all about winning his home turf.
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.
In early 2016 China revealed that they had perfected the technology for a maneuverable ballistic missile warhead. This came a little after it was revealed that since 2014 China had conducted six tests of a maneuverable gliding warhead for ballistic missiles. Five of the six tests were successful and this hypersonic glide vehicle is officially known as the DF-ZF. In effect a hypersonic glide vehicle is a warhead that can glide rather than simply plunging back to earth and is maneuverable enough to hit small moving targets in space or down on the surface. The DF-ZF was initially developed as China sought to perfect a version of the DF-21 ballistic missile that could hit moving warships at sea. DF-21 is a 15 ton, two stage, solid fuel missile that is 10.7 meters (35 feet) long and 140cm (4.6 feet) in diameter. Range varies (from 1,700-3,000 kilometers) depending on model and warhead weight. Using the DF-ZF warhead DF-21 range is extended fifty percent (to about 3,000 kilometers). Used on a larger ballistic missile like the DF-31 or DF-41 and max range becomes about 12,000 kilometers. The DF-21D (the carrier killer version) missile using the DF-ZF is also more difficult for anti-missile missiles to hit and can also be used against low orbit satellites.

As far back as 2008 there were rumors that the Chinese had reverse engineered, reinvented or stolen the 1970s seeker technology that went into the U.S. Pershing ballistic missile maneuverable warhead. This 7.5 ton U.S. Army missile also had a range of 1,800 kilometers and could put its nuclear warhead within 30 meters of its aim point. This was possible because the warhead was maneuverable and had its guidance system using radar. This kind of accuracy made the Russians very uncomfortable as it meant many of their command bunkers were much more vulnerable. The Russians eventually agreed to a lot of nuclear and missile disarmament deals in order to get the Pershings decommissioned in the 1980s.

Until 2013 there was no evidence that the DF-21D system had been tested using a maneuverable warhead. Then satellite photos showed a 200 meter long white rectangle in the Gobi Desert (in Western China) with two large craters in it. This would appear to be a target for testing the DF-21D, and two of the inert practice warheads appear to have hit the target. American carriers are over 300 meters long, although the smaller carriers (amphibious ships with helicopter decks) are closer to 200 meters long. It appeared China was planning on using the DF-21D against smaller warships, or perhaps they just wanted to see exactly how accurate the missile could be. Then in 2014 an even more maneuverable and gliding version of the carrier killer warhead appeared in the form of the DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle.

Russia and the United States have also developed this technology but neither has deployed it in the form the Chinese appear to favor. The original work in this area was by the Germans during World War II. The U.S. and Russia both investigated the concept more during the Cold War but never deployed anything. In the 1990s the United States proposed reviving work on hypersonic glide vehicle for its Prompt Global Strike. This would put hypersonic glide vehicle warheads, using high-explosive and not nuclear explosives, on ICBMs producing a very expensive weapon that could hit a target anywhere on earth in less than an hour of the order being given. In any event the United States successfully tested its version of the hypersonic glide vehicle in 2011 but with the defense budget shrinking the project was halted. This was encouraged when a 2014 hypersonic glide vehicle test failed. Meanwhile Russia has resumed hypersonic glide vehicle development in 2013 but financial problems are preventing much progress.
China has escalated its efforts to drive Filipinos out of Pagasa Island in the South China Sea. In January China very publicly opposed Filipino plans to a new Filipino air traffic control facility on Pagasa. In late February Chinese coast guard ships began showing up at nearby Jackson Atoll, which has long been used by Filipino fishermen from nearby Palawan (inhabited by 770,000 Filipinos and not claimed by China, at least not yet). Now China appears to be making preparations to build an artificial island at Jackson Atoll, install a small military garrison and declare the area part of China. Nearby Pagasa is the second-largest (37.2 hectares/93 acres) of the Spratly Islands and is inhabited by 200 Filipinos civilians and a few military personnel. China has been increasingly belligerent in its claims to Pagasa and threatens to take it back by force. China reacted to the flight control facility by issuing an official protest and repeating its threats. Chinese military and civilian ships are showing up near Pagasa with increasing frequency and sometimes the Chinese vessels try (by getting in the way) to prevent non-Chinese vessels from getting too close to the island. The Philippines often has a coast guard patrol boat off the island (which is 480 kilometers from the nearest Filipino territory China does not claim) and that provides the possibility of a violent military encounter. China is also concerned with the increasingly frequent visits of American warships to the Philippines (for leave and maintenance) and the South China Seas (to challenge Chinese claims.) So far China has not been violent but with more and more Chinese warships, warplanes and troops showing up in the South China Sea there appears to be increased risk of someone opening fire.

The Moslem Peace Deal

Malaysia, which hosted the peace talks between MILF and the government, urged MILF leaders to keep their gunmen under control and allow the largely Christian legislature to get through the next national elections on May 6th and eventually vote to approve the MILF peace deal signed in 2014. Some MILF factions are hostile to the deal but most Filipino Moslems as well as the Christian majority want peace. The fighting has been going on since 1970 and left over 100,000 dead. The security forces have increasingly had the upper hand and if MILF goes back to war MILF, and the Moslem south, will lose.

The basic problem is that the peace deal with MILF cannot get passed by the current congress. MILF agreed to keep the peace and wait to see if the next congress thinks differently. The May elections will produce a new president (restricted to one six year term) and a new congress (most with three year terms). There are congressional elections every three years and the newly elected congress will take power in early July. MILF expects the new congress to either pass or reject the peace deal by the end of the year. This peace deal, if approved by congress, creates Bangsamoro which is an autonomous Moslem area in the southwest. It was expected that this new law would be difficult to get through congress. It was always understood that because of the 2016 elections the treaty would have an opportunity to try getting approval from two different congresses. Although there are a lot of incumbents, the 250 members of the House of Representatives are restricted to nine years (three terms). MILF also has to get the approval of most Moslems in the south, which should be a lot easier, even if all of them dont get all they wanted. The government wanted to get the Bangsamoro laws approved before the 2016 presidential elections so the politicians who handled the successful negotiations would get full credit for the peace deal. The main problem is that too many Christians do not trust the Moslems to remain at peace and curb violence against Christians in the south. While Moslems are the majority in some parts of the south (mainly the southwest that will become Bangsamoro) Christians are the majority in the southern islands that radical Moslems insist should be under Moslem control and all Christians expelled. Even in Bangsamoro Christians are a large minority.

The War On Corruption

A police general, who was fired in 2015 for corruption, was ordered arrested because there was now enough evidence to prosecute him for involvement a conspiracy to steal and sell a thousand assault rifles to leftist rebels (NPA) between 2011 and 2013. The general was aided by ten other police commanders or officials who are also being prosecuted. This scam brought in a million dollars, which the general got a major portion of. The general is under investigation for several other even more profitable scams. The anti-corruption effort is accelerating with senior government officials and politicians being prosecuted for actions that, for decades, were known but could not be stopped because the justice system and police were also corrupt. That has been changing, mainly because of growing public anger and the ability to get around often corrupt mass media to circulate news of corrupt activities via the Internet.

March 13, 2016: In the south (Zamboanga Sibugay province) police tried to arrest Waning Abdusalam, a notorious kidnapper and often the leader of a gang. Abdusalam tried to shoot his way out but was killed. While not a member of Abu Sayyaf Abdusalam kidnapped foreigners in the south and then sold them to Abu Sayyaf, which was better equipped to keep the hostage from being rescued and also better able to get a large ransom. Men like Abdusalam would kidnap Filipinos as well as foreigners. Kidnapping is a common crime in the Moslem south.

March 10, 2016: In the south (Sulu Island) soldiers seized two Abu Sayyaf camps. The Islamic terrorists had fled the camps, which were built to accommodate about 150 people. Troops seized weapons, ammo, food and military equipment. The security forces have been particularly active on Sulu lately because Abu Sayyaf is threatening to kill three foreigners (two Canadians and a Norwegian) by April 8th if a $60 million ransom is not paid by then. The three foreigners were kidnapped from a Filipino resort in September 2015. The Philippines forbids the payment of ransoms to Abu Sayyaf, especially multi-million dollar ones because that kind of money enables the Islamic terrorist group to survive and even expand.

March 9, 2016: Japan agreed to lease the Philippines five TC-90 aircraft. These are military versions of the popular King Air twin engine civilian transport. Many are used for military purposes (training, transport, electronic warfare, surveillance) and Japan has been using them since the 1970s. Japan changed its laws in 2014 to allow for the export of military equipment (under certain conditions) and is expected to supply the Philippines with a lot more help like this. The TC-90 doubles the range of Filipino coastal surveillance from 300 to 600 kilometers. China protested this Japanese support for the Philippines. The cost of the lease was not revealed but it should not be a lot as these PC-10s are used and not equipped with any expensive electronics. King Air 90s sell for less than a million dollars used and cost less than a thousand dollars an hour (maintenance, fuel, spares) to operate.

March 5, 2016: In the south (Maguindanao province) four soldiers were wounded by a BIFF bomb that was set off as a patrol passed by.

March 1, 2016: In the south (Zamboanga city) a visiting Saudi Islamic cleric (Aaidh ibn Abdullah al Qarni) was attacked by a gunman. Qarni was wounded and five of his bodyguards and the attacker were killed. The attack was apparently the work of ISIL, which has openly said it wants Qarni dead for being hostile to ISIL.

Elsewhere in the south (Maguindanao province) one soldier was killed and two wounded during a clash with BIFF Islamic terrorists. These clashes have been going on here since early February. BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) has been on the run since it was formed in 2011 after splitting from MILF. At that point it had about a thousand armed men but years of defeats have reduced that to a few hundred.

February 27, 2016: In the south (Lanao del Sur province) a week of fighting with BIFF left at least forty Islamic terrorists and five soldiers dead. Over 5,000 civilians fled their homes to avoid the fighting. This all began on the 20th when some BIFF men clashed with an army patrol. The BIFF gunmen fled with soldiers in pursuit. Artillery and aircraft were called in and that led to the discovery of a BIFF camp which became the scene of a major battle. Two of the dead were identified as known Indonesian Islamic terrorists who had joined ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). BIFF has also pledged allegiance to ISIL as has Abu Sayyaf. Both Abu Sayyaf and BIFF are known to have provided refuge for foreign Islamic terrorists who had to flee their homelands because of successful counter-terrorism efforts.

February 25, 2016: In the south (Bukidnon province) a chance encounter between a wanted NPA leader and three of his men and three soldiers led to violence. During a brief exchange of the fire the NPA leader was hit in the head and killed. His three followers fled.

February 21, 2016: The son of the vice-president and twenty government officials have been indicted for various acts of corruption. The vice-president himself is immune while in office but may be indicted later in 2016 after his term expires.

February 19, 2016: In the south (Sulu Island) Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked the home of a man suspected of being an informant for the military. The target was a former member of MNLF (a Moslem separatist group that made peace with the government in 1996) and he and his son were killed by the Islamic terrorists. It is unclear if the dead man was an informant but he was known to be critical of Islamic terrorism and Abu Sayyaf has to discourage that sort of thinking.

February 17, 2016: In the south (Maguindanao province) a roadside bomb hit a civilian vehicle killing four civilians and wounding two. It is unclear who carried out this attack or why.

February 16, 2016: In the north (Luzon) a police convoy was ambushed by forty NPA rebels. Six policemen were killed and eight wounded before return fire drove the rebels off. It is unclear how many casualties the leftist rebels suffered.
In early 2016 Russia announced that it was abandoning plans to increase its airborne force. The main problem was obtaining sufficient new recruits. It would cost more in additional pay (to attract suitable recruits), training, bases and equipment than Russia could afford. Moreover Russia has been rebuilding its airborne force since the late 1990s and Russian military planners believe the current force is sufficient and the cost of maintaining these airborne units at a high state of readiness and combat capability remains expensive. The generals with combat experience advised that it was better to keep current airborne troops well equipped and trained than to cut back on that just to add more paratroopers.

Largely unnoticed by the rest of the world, since 2006 the Russian army has gone through a series of reforms, trying to transform the force that lost the Cold War into one that could win the next one. One element of the army, the airborne force has remained largely unchanged. Despite a recent reorganization that made the brigade, not the division the main combat unit, the airborne force still has divisions. The paratroopers are still all volunteers although money shortages have led to the use of more conscript volunteers in the last few years. Only about a third of airborne troops are career professionals ("contract soldiers"), yet the allure of the airborne is such that there are always qualified conscript volunteers. Alas, the conscripts leave after a year, so by the time you train them to a useful level they are gone. Still, if there is a national emergency that requires loyal, stalwart troops, the paratroopers are the ones you call. The airborne troops are one of the few bright spots in Russian military developments since the 1980s.

After the Cold War ended in 1991 the Russian army began to rapidly shrink. It was believed that the eight airborne divisions would shrink along with rest of the army. But that was not the case. Airborne commanders made a convincing case that their elite troops would remain professional and increasingly be among the few combat troops that could really be depended on. Thus the airborne force did not shrink as much as other ground troops. This decision was vindicated in 1999 when Russian troops were sent back into rebellious Chechnya and defeated the separatist rebels there. In the first three years of fighting in Chechnya, over 12,000 paratroopers served there and were the most effective troops. This success led to the temporary expansion of the airborne force from 40,000 troops to 45,000 troops.

This validated the claims that paratroopers were one of the first "special operations" forces to appear in the early 20th century. While no longer needed for mass jumps, the paratroopers are still popular as elite infantry. Thus airborne units tend to survive reorganizations or downsizing of military forces. This has been especially true in Russia and that the paratroopers proved their worth.

Although the last paratroopers withdrew from Chechnya in 2006, largely replaced by interior ministry paramilitary forces, it was believed that this force would soon come in handy again. In 2008 paratroopers again proved their professionalism and effectiveness when they led the invasion of Georgia, just south of Chechnya. By 2012 the airborne force consisted of about 35,000 troops (organized into four small divisions plus an independent brigade and an independent regiment). All that recent battlefield success justified the cost of expanding the force to its current 45,000 troops.

Throughout the post-Cold War period, most (about 60 percent) of paratroopers have been conscripts. But that is changing as conscription fades away in Russia. The paratroopers were supposed to be among the first components of the army to be all-volunteer. That did not work out because to get sufficient high-quality recruits turned out to cost more than expected. By 2014 there were added problems because of low oil prices and economic sanctions that put a stop to increasing the defense budget.

Russian paratroopers have been around since the 1930s. So far over 2.3 million troops have served in the airborne forces. These have always been the boldest and most reliable Russian troops available, and those currently serving as paratroopers are no different. Despite their good qualities, Russian paratroopers are no guarantee of success. That's because for most of their history the paratroopers were not used as paratroopers but as elite infantry and even then the airborne were often asked to do the impossible.

Russia pioneered the development of airborne forces in the 1930s, and by 1941 had five "airborne corps" (each with about 10,000 troops, equivalent to an American airborne division). These units were not fully equipped and the purges of the late 1930s had eliminated some of the best airborne officers. Then when the Germans invaded in June, 1941, the Russian air force was quickly destroyed. Lacking air transports, and with the Germans rapidly advancing on the ground, the five airborne corps were sent in as ground troops. Most of these paratroopers were killed before the end of the year, thus destroying the airborne force Russia had spent the last nine years building up. They did not die in vain, however, as the Germans had a tough time whenever they encountered the Russian paratroopers. But by early 1942, only two of the three airborne corps was intact and suffering from heavy losses. But the Germans now knew to be careful whenever they encountered Russian paratroopers.

Before the pre-war Russian paratroopers were destroyed some of them did get a chance to use their parachuting skills. Between December 1941 and March 1942, 3,500 paratroopers were dropped behind German lines to assist the growing number of guerilla units being formed. Another 7,000 troops were brought in via gliders (as were supplies for the guerillas). This activity caught the attention of the Germans and they eventually wiped out nearly all of these troops.

Undismayed, the surviving Russian paratroopers were used to train more airborne troops and five more airborne corps were quickly formed. All ten airborne corps saw a lot of combat during early 1942. There were some small parachute drops but none had much impact on the fighting. In mid-1942 the ten airborne corps, and five independent airborne brigades were turned into regular infantry units and sent south to fight in the battles that led to the German defeat at Stalingrad in early 1943. But even before this campaign was over paratroopers were pulled out of their infantry jobs at the end of 1942 and used to organize ten Guards Airborne Divisions (basically the same as the previous Airborne Corps). But again an emergency arose that kept the paratroopers on the ground. The Germans launched another major offensive in early 1943, and the paratroopers were once more sent in as ground troops and most of them were lost.

Undismayed, the Russians raised another twenty airborne brigades (about 50,000 troops), which they used to form another six airborne corps. Three of these brigades were used in the first deliberate attempt to use paratroopers to support a major attack and this turned out to be the largest Russian airborne operation to date.

On September 24th, 1943, three parachute and three air landing brigades hit ground 40 kilometers behind German lines along the Dnieper River near Kanev. It was a disaster. Hastily organized, most of the paratroopers had never jumped out of an airplane before, although most had at least jumped from a training tower in a parachute harness. The inexperienced pilots had to do the drop at night, to avoid the risk of German fighters and there was not enough transport aircraft. The Russians had also not learned how important it was to move away from their drop zones quickly and form into larger units. The small, scattered Russians were quickly run down and destroyed by the Germans. What can be said is that the distraction took some German combat units away from the front line and they did allow the oncoming Russian armor units to advance a bit farther than they otherwise would have.

Russian dictator Stalin was not happy with this, the first real test of Russian airborne forces in their designed role. While the persistent efforts to organize new airborne units recognized that the airborne capability was important, the Russian air force was never able to support airborne operations sufficiently to make them work. For the rest of the war Soviet airborne forces were kept on the back burner. It wasn't until after the war that the parachute divisions again became well trained and equipped forces, with sufficient air transports to move them into combat.

But because of changes in technology (helicopters, too many anti-aircraft weapons for transports to operate over enemy territory) the age of major parachute infantry operations had passed. Paratroopers became well trained infantry, all volunteers and eager to jump out of aircraft. Just the kind of guys you need for emergencies. After World War II Russia found their airborne divisions to be the most effective and reliable infantry they had. Paratroopers were involved in all sorts of Cold War missions, from leading roles in putting down rebellions among Eastern European allies (especially Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968) and posing a convincing enough threat to discourage even more such uprisings. Paratroops proved useful as an intervention threat in the Middle East and elsewhere. Finally paratroopers were among the most effective Russian infantry in Afghanistan during the 1980s. But too much of a good thing turned out to be more than Russia could afford.
In March 2016 China revealed more details about their new aircraft carrier, whose existence was only made official at the end of 2015. The new carrier will indeed be a new design but it will also be based on the first Chinese carrier, the Liaoning. This is a 65,000 ton, 305 meter (999 feet) long ship that is actually a modified version of the last Cold War Russian carrier design. China also confirmed that the new carrier would also have the ski jump deck like Liaoning. The navy revealed that the new carrier would be more than 50,000 tons and incorporate new design features that would enable it to carry more aircraft (mainly the J-15) in a larger hanger deck (just below the flight deck) as well as more fuel and aircraft weapons. The new carrier will be non-nuclear and apparently at least the same size as the Liaoning but incorporate design features that will make it more capable of surviving combat damage as well as operating more efficiently and effectively as a carrier. In addition to the Chinese built J-15 fighter the new carrier will also have some early-warning radar aircraft as well as some anti-submarine aircraft as well as some helicopters. China still wont reveal how many carriers is plans to eventually build. Apparently they are going to wait and see how the design of the second carrier works, make necessary modifications and then build another two to five. Since carriers spend a lot of time in port getting upgrades and maintenance you need three or more in order to guarantee having at least two available at all times for operations.

Recent revelations about the new carrier were not a total surprise as there had been reports that a large aircraft carrier was under construction in northwest China (Dalian) since 2013. One of the best sources of information on Chinese warship construction is the Internet. Thousands of Chinese naval buffs living close to major shipyards provide a steady supply of photos on the web. The Chinese government tried to prevent this but since 2005 came to realize that cracking down on enthusiastic and Internet savvy Chinese fans of the navy was not a wise move. A lot of important secrets are still preserved by building parts of ships in a shed and a lot of the most valuable military secrets are with equipment installed inside the ship or behind a wall. So the government allows all (with a few exceptions) these photos to appear.

Then there are some interesting official photos. In mid-2014 photos of a carrier model being displayed at an official event appeared on the Chinese Internet. The detailed model had the hull number 18 and the ship looked similar to an American CVN (a Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carrier). The Chinese CVN has four catapults and three elevators and much other evidence of being nuclear and very similar to the Nimitz class.

This is not what was thought to be under construction at Dalian but rather a proposal for carrier number three or four or whatever. The first Chinese carrier, the Liaoning is hull number 16 and the 2013 photos showed sections of a new Chinese carrier under construction. This ship would probably have hull number 17. All this implied that the third Chinese carrier, the second one built in China, would be nuclear and probably closer in design to the recently decommissioned American USS Enterprise (CVN 65). This was the first American nuclear powered carrier and it served as the prototype for the subsequent Nimitz class. The Enterprise was an expensive design, and only one was built (instead of a class of six). While a bit longer than the later Nimitz class, it was lighter (92,000 tons displacement, versus 100,000 tons). The Enterprise was commissioned in 1961, almost 40 years after the first U.S. carrier (the Langley) entered service in 1923. That is the kind of last success that the Chinese like to emulate.

Chinese are keen students of history, their own as well as that of others. Chinese ship designers know all about the Langley (the first American carrier) and the Enterprise. The Chinese are also well aware that in the two decades after the USS Langley there were tremendous changes in carrier aviation. While the innovation slowed after World War II, major changes continued into the 1950s (jet aircraft, nuclear propelled carriers, SAMs). But in the ensuing half century there has been no major innovation in basic carrier design. This has not been a problem because the carriers have proven useful, at least for the U.S. Navy (the only fleet to use such large carriers) and no one else has maintained a force of these large carriers. Only the U.S. has felt a constant need to get air power to any corner of the planet in a hurry. More importantly, no navy has been able to give battle to the U.S. carrier force since 1945. The Soviets built new anti-carrier weapons and made plans to use them but that war never occurred. China is building carriers but does not yet seem committed to having a lot of them to confront the U.S. but rather just a few to intimidate its neighbors.
Counter-terrorism organizations have long recognized the connection between illegal drugs and Islamic terrorism. While these drugs are not forbidden in Islamic scripture, as alcohol is, most Islamic scholars and clerics condemn drug use by Moslems. Yet one of the appeals of Islamic terrorism is the tendency of these groups to point out that there is a long tradition of Holy Warriors (what the rest of the world calls Islamic terrorists) using these drugs in various useful ways. For example clerics who support Islamic terrorism say it is justified to manufacture and sell these drugs to infidels (non-Moslems) to raise money for the cause and weaken the enemy. It is also accepted for Islamic terrorists to use drugs to get in the proper mood to carry out suicidal attacks (and blood tests of dead terrorist first revealed this) and to unwind after some high stress combat. Some Islamic sects allow some drug use to help get into a more meditative mood and get closer to God. That practice is ancient and persists in many other religions.

Drug use by Islamic terrorists is nothing new and it has existed at least since the 11th century. The first recorded users were the Hassassins (or "hashasheen" or users of hashish) of 11th century Iran. The training back then was similar to what many Islamic terrorists groups still use today. There was liberal use of hashish to provide a taste of paradise for new recruits.

The Hassassins began when a Iranian minor noble with a grudge and excellent organizational skills created a network of suicide assassins who were convinced they were doing Gods Will. The Hassassins thrived, and killed, for many decades until the Mongols came along and destroyed their impregnable mountain fortress. The Mongols were not afraid of suicide assassins but were annoyed by them. Back then, annoying the Mongols was almost always fatal.

The current crop of suicide terrorists do not provide a single fortress to go after, so the Mongol approach of overwhelming force applied to one objective will not work. But the fearless Mongol attitude towards terrorism should be remembered.

Hashish (cannabis, or marijuana, resin) has long been an Islamic terrorist favorite, as are more modern recreational substances like heroin, cocaine and especially amphetamine pills. The most popular form of meth is actually Captagon, which is the trade name for fenethylline, a synthetic drug that has the same effects as amphetamine but with fewer bad side effects (like increased blood pressure). Fenethylline is still pretty potent and by the 1980s most countries had either outlawed it or made it a prescription drug. Now the most common form of fenethylline is Captagon, which is widely available in the Middle East. Fenethylline is even manufactured by ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) in a captured drug factory using raw materials smuggled in from Turkey. Captagon is considered a major problem in the Middle East because there is so much illegal use of it. It is the stimulant of choice among many Syrian rebels as well as pro-government forces.
The security services, especially the army, are putting more personnel on the Libyan border, given the increased activity there are more Islamic terrorists try to get themselves or shipments of weapons into Algeria. So far this year the security forces have kept the Islamic terrorists on the run and unable to launch any major attacks in Algeria. The major threat is the large number of Islamic terrorists in neighboring Libya and their attempts to get into Algeria. So far Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria have all refused to even send their warplanes against any targets in Libya and instead reinforce their border security and internal counter-terrorist operations. This has worked for these nations so far and they dont want to get involved in a neighbors civil war. The neighbors do not oppose other nations (especially Western) from bombing Islamic terrorists in Libya. These Arab nations will assist in preventing ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) from smuggling any captured oil out of Libya. ISIL has made it clear that it will continue trying to capture Libyan oil fields and export ports intact and use them. ISIL is also apparently trying to make money by smuggling weapons into Algeria. Most of those attempts have been thwarted, so far.

Algeria is also having money problems. In January the value of oil exports fell 24 percent to $1.8 billion. However the trade deficit ($1.8 billion a month) remained the same as it was in January 2105. At the end of 2015 foreign exchange reserves (needed to pay for imports, especially food) fell 22 percent to $143 billion. The government has been controlling the use of these reserves, which stood at about $200 billion before the oil prices began plunging in 2013. The foreign exchange reserves can be drawn on for another six to eight years. After that severe cuts will have to be made and there will be much unrest. Algeria. Like most other oil exporters is pressuring Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf oil states to ease up on their use of oil over production to drive the price of oil down and weaken Iran. .

March 13, 2016: West of the capital (Gouraya Province) troops cornered and killed Mouloud Baal, a veteran Islamic terrorist leader. Baal started out in the GIA during the 1990s then joined al Qaeda after 2003. In 2015 he switched to ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant).

March 12, 2016: About a hundred kilometers east of the capital (Tizi Ouzou) soldiers killed one Islamic terrorists and captured another. Weapons and equipment were seized.

March 11, 2016: In the east (Oued Province) near the Tunisian border troops killed three Islamic terrorists who were apparently coming from Libya. The men were transporting weapons including twenty assault rifles, three RPG launchers, two suicide bomb vests and six shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles of the type known to have been taken from Libyan military warehouses during the 2011 rebellion.

March 10, 2016: In the east (Oued Province) near the Tunisian border troops found a machine-gun, a shot gun and 17 TPG propellant charges in two different caches.

March 7, 2016: Next door in in Tunisia, a large force of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) men attacked the town of Ben Guerdane near the Libyan border. The attack was repulsed with at least 36 Islamic terrorists killed, along with a soldier, ten policemen and an armed customs official. Seven civilians also died during several hours of fighting. Over the next few days Tunisian troops hunted down and killed ten more ISIL men in the area but most of the surviving attackers appear to have fled back into Libya. Tunisia has so far kept ISIL from establishing itself in Tunisia but the Islamic terrorist group keeps trying. This is in large part because most Tunisians want nothing to do with Islamic terrorist groups. This came as a big surprise the ISIL men involved in the Ben Guerdane operation because ISIL leaders said the local civilians would welcome ISIL, not side with the security forces.

March 1, 2016: East of the capital troops had success against Islamic terrorists in three different areas during the last 48 hours. Near Bouria troops tracked down and killed two Islamic terrorists. Ammunition, three assault rifles, four bombs, three crude shelters, documents and some equipment were also seized. In Skikda troops found a bomb and two locally made guns. In Tizi Ouzou troops found an Islamic terrorists hideout that contained some explosives.

February 24, 2016: In Medea (90 kilometers south of the capital) troops found and destroyed nine bunkers built by Islamic terrorists to store and hide equipment. Also found were bomb components and a power generator.

February 22, 2016: West of the capital (Tipaza province) troops searching a remote area found and destroyed fifteen bunkers built by Islamic terrorists.

February 20, 2016: In the southeast (Illizi Province) troops killed two Islamic terrorists and captured two others. Weapons, ammo, cash and bomb making components were seized.

February 17, 2016: In Boumerdes (50 kilometers east of the capital) soldiers clashed with two Islamic terrorists, killed them and seized two assault rifles, documents and some equipment. Nearby troops found a Islamic terrorist bunker containing ammo, equipment and more documents.
Game On: Television Is Going Through Revolutionary Changes

When we were brainstorming themes for this years Sourcebook cover, we initially landed on Game Over, to signify OTTs victory over traditional TV. But as one game ends, another begins, with new players and new rules.

Theres more great television than ever, and a healthy percentage of it is being produced by television networks such as FX (Fargo, The Americans), AMC (The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul), and even the big three (ABCs The Middle, NBCs Blindspot, and CBSs Supergirl). And those are just U.S.-based shows; add in U.K.-produced shows such as Channel 4s Catastrophe and BBC Ones River, not to mention Scandinavian products such as the Swedish/Danish collaboration Bron/Broen (The Bridge), and its clear that were living through another golden age of television.

But if any doubt lingered in 2015 about the staying power of OTT and online video, 2016 should erase it. Television isnt going anywhere; its just completing the change from a linear programming model to a multidimensional one.

Recently, my 6-year-old son Isaac was playing Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U with my 31-year-old brother-in-law Nick, who played the original Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo console 20 years ago. As Nick gave Isaac a master class in video gaming, he commented that while the new version adds a dimension to how the characters can move, its more forgiving; if you miss a move or fall off a cliff, youre a lot more likely to get another chance than you were in the original.

Just as in Super Mario 3D World, todays television landscape offers more options than ever before. When you take the great shows that the networks are producing, add to them the original content that Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and other OTT services are creating, and then consider the number of live eventsfrom big games to the minor leagues, and from major awards shows to concerts by relatively obscure bandsthe choices facing consumers are mind-boggling, almost paralysis-inducing.

But its also easier than ever to see what you want, when you want, on the device you want. If you miss something when it first airs, you no longer have to worry about whether you remembered to set the DVR, or whether you have a season pass on your TiVo. (Or, if we want to go back even further into television history, you dont have to hope that youll be able to catch it in reruns.)

That said, pay TV subscriptions continue to drop in the U.S., even as numbers rise in Europe and Asia. Cord-cutting is real, but viewers are still paying for access to content from traditional television networks; theyre just not necessarily paying for it via their pay TV subscription. (Plenty are, however, as recent numbers from Time Warner in the U.S., as well as BT and Sky in the U.K., showed increases in the last quarter of 2015.)

So, if indeed one gametraditional linear televisionis indeed over, then a new one has already begun, one in which the winners and losers have yet to be determined. In the new television game, the old labels dont necessarily apply. Whats a television network in 2016? Isnt it time we start referring to Netflix as a television network, what with its reach of 70 million subscribers in more than 190 countries?

The video game is also changing in the enterprise and education markets, as we have finally arrived at the long-promised day when video would be available to everyone in an organizationevery employee and student, not just CEOs and instructors. Its no longer just a BYOD (bring your own device) world; its now a BYOC (bring your own content) world, and its revolutionizing the ways in which we work and learn.

As it does every year, the Streaming Media Industry Sourcebook gives us a chance to present our readers with our take on the state of online video in all of its forms, as well as offer up buyers guides and tutorials that will help you make smart purchasing decisions and implement new technologies and workflows as you keep up with these changes playing out everywhere online video is being used.

This article first appeared in the 2016 Streaming Media Industry Sourcebook as Game On!

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New Axle Panel Offers Shared Media Power for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Easy access to assets within editing environment among many new time-saving features of Axle 2016

Boston, MA( )

NAB 2016 (Booth SL15416). Axle Video is launching the newest version of its radically simple media management system, Axle 2016, with an emphasis on greater efficiency and power. The new Plug-In Panel feature of axle 2016 puts Axle media management into Adobe Premiere Pro CC through an Axle interface window, allowing editors to search, browse, and import clips without leaving the application. The new feature brings important capabilities to the popular editing system, especially for small to midsize video teams, for whom traditional MAM systems may be unaffordable or too complex.

"Its great to be able to search for everything right from inside Adobe Premiere Pro CC, said Sergio Miranda of Serril Media, a small postproduction house in Santa Monica. The editors on our documentary projects are already finding great ways to collaborate with the panel from their laptops; Axle is always pushing the envelope on making it easy to do great creative work."

Axle 2016, the fifth major release of Axle Videos core software, contains refinements and features mostly based on feedback from the companys active and rapidly expanding user community. In addition to the Adobe Premiere Plug-In Panel, other important features include expanded search capabilities, real-time status monitoring, improved administration, and large text fields that can replace separate text documents for logging and transcription.

Sam Bogoch, CEO of Axle Video, said Now Adobe Premiere Pro CC editors not only have a simple way to instantly find, review, and use any clip in online or archive storage, but they can effortlessly collaborate with producers, loggers, assistants, and clients in pre-edit, edit, and review and approval workflows. Taken with the improved search, dashboard, administration, and enhanced text fields, Axle 2016 is an important release for Axle Video and a free, high-value upgrade for our customers on axle Support.

Axle 2016 key feature summary

New Axle Panel for Adobe Premiere Pro CC . A plug-in that saves time and effort and improves creativity by allowing Adobe Premiere Pro users to instantly access and use any media managed by axle 2016 and the core Axle search features from within their editing environment.

. A plug-in that saves time and effort and improves creativity by allowing Adobe Premiere Pro users to instantly access and use any media managed by axle 2016 and the core Axle search features from within their editing environment. Elastic search. Use multiple key words in the search window to get a more precise search result, rather than cumbersome multi-tier searches. An enhanced Advanced Search capability with field-by-field criteria supplements the core Elastic Search technology.

Use multiple key words in the search window to get a more precise search result, rather than cumbersome multi-tier searches. An enhanced Advanced Search capability with field-by-field criteria supplements the core Elastic Search technology. OSX Status Application. First-ever native OSX application for axle, this gives administrators the ability to directly view and reset status of all Axle processes, including Apache webserver, Elastic search engine, Postgres SQL database, mounted high-res and proxy volumes, and more.

First-ever native OSX application for axle, this gives administrators the ability to directly view and reset status of all Axle processes, including Apache webserver, Elastic search engine, Postgres SQL database, mounted high-res and proxy volumes, and more. Improved Process Monitoring . Users and administrators can see the progress of transcodes, ingests, active users and other activity in real time.

. Users and administrators can see the progress of transcodes, ingests, active users and other activity in real time. Improved administration. Axle has made the process of adding users and managing their detailed privileges simpler and more powerful. Axles system lets administrators control the fine-grained access to specific folders as well as user capabilities per folder.

Axle has made the process of adding users and managing their detailed privileges simpler and more powerful. Axles system lets administrators control the fine-grained access to specific folders as well as user capabilities per folder. Large text fields. A free-form text search field can now contain over 1,000 characters, allowing notes, memos, and other video or project-related information to be searchable and permanently linked with media.

Pricing and availability

Axle Video 2016 software is shipping at NAB 2016 next month and starts at $995 for 2 users. Typical Axle Gear system configurations are priced between $10,000 and $25,000 including hardware and installation.

Launch Webinar

axle Video is holding a webinar tomorrow, Wednesday March 16, at 11AM EST, to expand and demonstrate the features of Axle 2016 and answer in-depth questions from the press, resellers and customers. Registration is at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3068749420147873025

About Axle Video

Axle Video (www.axlevideo.com) is the pioneer in developing radically simple media management software. It solutions help small to mid-size organizations improve the way they create, share and store digital video content with media management solutions that are easy to install, use and afford. Its radically simple media management uniquely addresses a burgeoning need and has caught on rapidly among video professionals in post-production, education, broadcast, corporate, sports, house of worship, non-profit, advertising-marketing, and government organizations worldwide. At its introduction, Axle Videos software was recognized with the IBC 2012 Best of Show award and at NAB 2013 with the prestigious DV Magazine Black Diamond and Post Picks awards. Axle Video is a privately held company; its founders have extensive industry experience in media asset management for creative applications. Learn more at www.axlevideo.com.
By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil settled 2 percent lower on Tuesday as the market yielded to technical pressure and worries that U.S. crude stockpiles were still growing amid falling output and refinery maintenance.

Uncertainty over how the U.S. Federal Reserve will word its policy statement on Wednesday also fed jitters in financial markets and pushed oil down for a second day in a row.

Crude prices pared losses in post-settlement trade after preliminary inventory data from industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) showed U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 1.5 million barrels last week, less than half the 3.4 million barrel build forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. [API/S]

The U.S. government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) will issue official inventory data on Wednesday.

Brent settled down 79 cents at $38.74 a barrel, a 2 percent drop similar to Monday's.

U.S. crude finished down 84 cents, or 2.3 percent, at $36.34. In the previous session, it fell 3 percent.

After the API data, both Brent and U.S. crude retraced some losses and were about 1 percent down.

Crude had rallied about 50 percent over the past six weeks as major oil producers spoke of plans to freeze output at January levels. The talk boosted a market that had sunk to 12-year lows on a supply glut.

But the production freeze plan by OPEC and Russia has made little progress, with No. 4 oil producer Iran still determined to double or restore its crude exports to pre-sanction levels before limiting any output.

"The rally is now retreating on fears that OPEC will continue to flood the market with oil in a world where demand may falter," said Phil Flynn, analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Oil has encountered technical fatigue since last week's run to three-month highs of more than $41 on Brent and above $39 on U.S. crude, analysts said.

"The rot is setting in," chart watchers at PVM Associates in London said in a note, pointing to potential near-term threat to support for Brent at $38.34 and for U.S. crude at $36.04.

But some said it was too early to call the rally over.

"While the advance in crude oil prices has paused, I think the bears might have been hoping for a larger reaction to the downside," said David Thompson at Washington-based commodities brokerage Powerhouse. "If prices were to break below $35, then my view would turn more bearish."

(Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in LONDON; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Kaohsiung Product Store has had a successful showing at FOODEX JAPAN 2016! Throughout the 4-day exhibition from March 8th to 11th, Kaohsiung Trendy Farmers products have performed exceptionally. Many suppliers from Kaohsiung were second-generation farmers; Kaohsiung Product Stores display represented heritage, rejuvenation, and a youthful era to fall in line with Japans policy of rejuvenating the agricultural industry.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314006491/en/

Mascot Kao Tong Tong Promoted Premium Kaohsiung Products Successfully in Japan (Photo: Business Wire)

This year, Mayor Chen Chu led a delegation of 5 provincial leaders from Taiwan to participate in the exhibition and make strides towards cooperation between agricultural industries of both nations. Mayor Chen Chu stated that she stands with Kaohsiung Trendy Farmers and second-generation Taiwanese farmers as their spokesperson while welcoming all to safely consume their products.

Kaohsiungs premium agricultural industry has caught the attention of international buyers. Mama Chang Leisure Farm received orders from France at the exhibition, and even companies from as far as Zimbabwe inquired the Kaohsiung City Farmers Association about Jinhuang Mangoes. Its clear that the upstanding image of Kaohsiungs top brands is in the minds of international buyers.

The Agriculture Bureaus Director General Fu-Chin Tsai expressed that The Best of Kaohsiung brand is deeply appreciated by international buyers. This has not only propelled Kaohsiung Agriculture internationally, but has also realized Kaohsiung Citys principles of food safety, health, and a green city. The 4-day exhibition this year achieved nearly NTD 36 million in sales with future estimates topping NTD 80 million. It is obvious that international buyers are more confident and approve of The Best of Kaohsiung products for their safety and high quality.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314006491/en/

Agricultural Bureau of Kaohsiung

Chen Yi-Ren, +886-07-799-5678 ext.6137; 0982-069-796

Supervisor

Source: Kaohsiung City Government
Contract Part of Multi-Year Study and Demonstration of Post-Boost Propulsion System Technologies

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced today that its Defense Systems Group has signed a contract with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to research design and development options for its intercontinental ballistic missile system (ICBM). Part of a multi-year USAF Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program (GBSD), the award will be used to explore enhanced propulsion capability through improvements and/or alternatives to current post-boost propulsion systems.

Orbital ATKs effort will focus on trade studies and hardware demonstrations aimed at improving post-boost propulsion system effectiveness, reducing life-cycle costs, and increasing safety and reliability for future ground-based strategic missile systems.

Orbital ATKs post boost technology offers the GBSD community with years of experience supporting numerous systems, including the U.S. Navy Trident II, said Pat Nolan, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK's Missile Products division of the Defense Systems Group.

In service since the 1960s, the current Minuteman III represents the land-based component of the U.S. nuclear triad which, along with its sea- and air-based counterparts, supports the nations strategic defense. Once development is completed for the new GBSD system, it will begin replacing the Minuteman III starting in the late 2020s.

Orbital ATK Defense Systems Group is an industry leader in providing innovative and affordable ammunition, precision and strike weapons, electronic warfare systems, and missile components across air-, sea-, and land-based systems.

About Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,000 people in 18 states across the United States and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315005483/en/

Media Contact:

Orbital ATK

Bryan Kidder, 410-864-4932

Defense Systems Group Communications

[email protected]

or

Investor Contact:

Orbital ATK

Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528

Public and Investor Relations

[email protected]

Source: Orbital ATK, Inc.
Nairobi-based telecoms industry leader joins as Azuri expands presence in East Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Azuri technologies is delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Reinartz to the Board of Directors as part of the companys expansion plans in East Africa. Based in Nairobi, Peter brings a depth of operational and executive experience, with specific focus on telecoms and communications industries based in East Africa.

Azuri was a pioneer of pay-as-you-go solar power when it entered the market in 2011, providing low cost solar power as a service to off-grid consumers. Now, with some 70,000 systems sold and customers in 12 African countries, the company is embarking on a new phase of expansion in the East African region.

The appointment of Peter as Non-Executive Director brings nearly 30 years expertise in the development of multi-play consumer services (fixed, mobile, broadband and video) and the challenges of scaling up advanced technology in the hands of consumers. Until recently Managing Director of Eaton Towers, Peter has accumulated a wealth of experience in telecom, infrastructure and consumer services industries amongst others at the Wananchi Group, where he was Managing Director and oversaw the deployment of Africas first triple play service.

Peter Reinartz commented: I am proud and eager to contribute to the development of Azuris unique service, which will bring real change to the lives of Africans living in rural areas.

Alan Harper, chairman of Azuri and himself a leader in the global telecoms industry noted I am delighted to welcome Peter to the board of Azuri. I have known Peter for many years and look forward to the enormous contribution he can bring to the company as the business scales in East Africa

About Azuri Technologies:

Azuri Technologies is a commercial provider of PayGo solar home systems to rural off-grid communities. With the widest reach of any provider in sub Saharan Africa, Azuri combines solar and mobile technology to allow users in 12 different countries to access power on a pay-as-you-go basis, providing clean, safe renewable energy for as little as half the cost of the fossil fuels being replaced. In December 2015, Azuri was awarded the United Nations Momentum for Change award at the COP21 climate conference in Paris.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314005477/en/

Azuri Technologies

Ross Gilbert

[email protected]

+44 7709 020 015

Source: Azuri technologies
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Police arrested 18 protesters on Tuesday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma during a peaceful demonstration over the jailing of two fellow activists, the United Nations said.

Arrests of critics of President Joseph Kabila have become common in Congo amid heightened political tensions. Kabila is required by the constitution to step down in December after 15 years in office but the opposition accuses him of trying to cling to power by delaying a presidential poll set for November.

The activists were detained just after they began marching to demand the release of fellow members of the Struggle for Change (Lucha) group a year ago in the capital, Kinshasa, Jose Maria Aranaz, director of Congo's U.N. human rights office, said.

Aranaz told Reuters that the detainees had been allowed to speak to a lawyer but that U.N. officials were denied access.

Lucha said on its Twitter feed that 19 of its members had been arrested and were being held at the police intelligence headquarters.

The provincial police commissioner declined to comment.

Ida Sawyer, senior Africa researcher for the campaign group Human Rights Watch, said by phone from Goma that the protest by about 20 activists was entirely peaceful.

"The police came and (the protesters) sat down," she said. "The police then put them in the truck."

The United Nations and rights groups have accused the government of targeting Kabila's opponents, making spurious arrests and manipulating the justice system, charges that the government denies.

Dozens died in violent anti-government protests in January 2015 over a proposed law that critics said was a pretext to delay the election. Kabila has refused to comment on his political future.

Authorities arrested about 30 people, including an American diplomat and foreign journalists, last March at a news conference by Congolese and West African activists to promote youth participation in politics.

All but two have been released or deported. Fred Bauma, a Lucha member, and Yves Makwambala, a web developer working with the Kinshasa-based group Filimbi, remain in custody, charged with plotting against Kabila.

However, a parliamentary investigation last June found that there was no evidence to support the government's accusations.

Six other Lucha members were sentenced on appeal this month to six months in prison for incitement to revolt after preparing banners that called on Kabila to step down at the end of 2016.

(Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Louise Ireland)
A new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is pictured after being unveiled at Chrysler Group World Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan in this May 6, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

DETROIT (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE: FCAU) announced on Tuesday that it has eliminated covenants linked to term loans of its U.S. unit, FCA US LLC, thus gaining full access to the subsidiary's cash.

After completing a buyout of its U.S. unit in early 2014 and creating Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the heavily indebted carmaker has been seeking to restructure Chrysler's finances to be able to fully access the division's cash, that until now was limited by a cap on dividends and debt covenants.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles on Tuesday said its FCA US LLC entered into amendments to its term loans maturing in 2017 and in 2018.

"The amendments represent the final step toward allowing the free flow of capital among members of the FCA Group, as previously announced, and enabling access to the second 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) tranche of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' 5 billion euros syndicated revolving credit facility," the company said in a press release.

It also said that FCA US LLC made a $2 billion prepayment applied to the term loans, leaving an aggregate principal balance of the term loans of about $2.8 billion.

Fiat Chrysler can now use the cash to help fund a product overhaul of key brands Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati by 2018, at which time the company also says it will have eliminated its net debt.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Diane Craft)
LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's divided parliament on Monday approved Lisbon's contribution to a European Union aid package to help Turkey deal with the migrant crisis and to new bailout loans for Greece, thanks to a last-minute change of mind by the main opposition party.

An abstention by the center-right Social Democrats, the largest party in parliament, which had threatened to block the legislation, was enough to allow the ruling Socialists to approve the funding as part of this year's budget.

Parliament is now likely to pass this year's budget comfortably on Wednesday in the final reading.

However, the minority government's far-left allies - the Communists and Left Bloc - voted against the EU finding measures, showing how frail their alliance is.

The three parties joined forces for the first time in November to oust a center-right administration after years of austerity. Many analysts doubt the government will last its full term as differences on key issues such as EU fiscal rules are likely to grow.

Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa had acknowledged that the Communists and Left Bloc were acting in line with their known views, but criticized the Social Democrats for threatening to block measures they had approved when in power.

But the Social Democrats, who said they would still vote against the overall budget, were quick to point to the government's fragility.

"What this government and their radical leftist allies have promised - a stable arrangement that guarantees European commitments - does not exist. They want to pass the buck," said Antonio Amaro, a Social Democrat lawmaker and spokesman.

Portugal, Western Europe's poorest nation, is due to transfer 24 million euros to Turkey as part of a 3 billion euro EU package agreed in November. Its scheduled contribution to the Greek loan package totals 107 million euros this year.

(Reporting By Andrei Khalip; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): March 14, 2016



Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc.

__________________________________________

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

North Carolina 1-6196 56-0556998 _____________________

(State or other jurisdiction _____________

(Commission ______________

(I.R.S. Employer of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.) 4720 Piedmont Row Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina 28210 _________________________________

(Address of principal executive offices) ___________

(Zip Code)

Registrants telephone number, including area code: 704-364-3120

Not Applicable

______________________________________________

Former name or former address, if changed since last report

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 8.01 Other Events.

On March 14, 2016, Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. issued a press release announcing that the Tennessee Regulatory Authority approved the change in control to Duke Energy Corporation, as contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger among Piedmont, Duke Energy and Forest Subsidiary, Inc. dated as of October 24, 2015, once the North Carolina Utilities Commission approves the transaction and the acquisition is completed. The press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto, and is incorporated herein by reference.



Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Item 99.1 Press Release dated March 14, 2016

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. March 15, 2016 By: Karl W. Newlin

Name: Karl W. Newlin Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit Index



Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press release dated March 14, 2016

Piedmont Natural Gas Receives Tennessee Regulatory Authority Approval for a Change in Control upon Acquisition by Duke Energy

Action by Tennessee Regulatory Authority paves way for operational handoff in Tennessee once

the North Carolina Utilities Commission approves the transaction and Piedmont Natural Gas becomes a

subsidiary of Duke Energy

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/  Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) today received approval from the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) for a change in control to Duke Energy once the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) approves the transaction and the acquisition is completed. The two energy companies first announced the proposed acquisition in October, 2015 and expect to close on the transaction by the end of 2016. The TRAs action is a necessary step for the operational handoff from Piedmont to Duke Energy to occur in Tennessee once the acquisition is completed. It is the latest in a series of approvals and regulatory orders that Piedmont and Duke Energy have obtained with respect to the proposed acquisition.

In December, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission granted Duke Energy and Piedmont early termination of the mandatory 30-day waiting period required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. On January 22, Piedmonts shareholders approved the proposed acquisition and on March 7, the Kentucky Public Service Commission issued a declaratory order that had been requested by Duke Energy in conjunction with the proposed acquisition.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission is the final regulatory commission approval required for the transaction to close. The NCUC has set July 18, 2016 as the date to hear Duke Energys and Piedmonts request for acquisition approval.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are based on managements beliefs and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by terms and phrases such as anticipate, believe, intend, estimate, expect, continue, should, could, may, plan, project, predict, will, potential, forecast, target, guidance, outlook, and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from the results predicted. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the expected timing of completion of the proposed merger involving Duke Energy and Piedmont, and other statements that are not historical facts. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: the risk that Duke Energy or Piedmont may be unable to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals required for the merger, or that required governmental and regulatory approvals may delay the merger or result in the imposition of conditions that could cause the parties to abandon the merger; the risk that a condition to closing of the merger may not be satisfied; the timing to consummate the proposed merger; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; the diversion of management time on merger-related issues; and the effect of changes in governmental regulations. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Piedmonts reports filed with the SEC and available at the SECs website at www.sec.gov . In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements might not occur or might occur to a different extent or at a different time than described. Piedmont does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than one million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation utility customers in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including customers served by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, and regulated interstate natural gas transportation and storage, and regulated intrastate natural gas transportation businesses. More information about Piedmont Natural Gas is available on the Internet at http://www.piedmontng.com/ .

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piedmont-natural-gas-receives-tennessee-regulatory-authority -approval-for-a-change-in-control-upon-acquisition-by-duke-energy-300235657.html

SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas

David L. Trusty, +1-704-731-4391, [email protected]
Southmall Liquor Bargain was caught selling to minors three times in just over two years.

A South Auckland liquor store could receive some sobering news following their third time selling alcohol to a minor in little over two years.

An investigation carried out by Auckland Council's licensing inspectors and police has resulted in an application to have Southmall Liquor Bargain stripped of its licence.

The Manurewa store is the victim of the first such application in New Zealand under the new Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

Southmall Liquor Bargain was snapped by the new provisions shortly after a minor had been sold alcohol for the third identified time in just over two years.

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When spoken to on the phone, the duty manager at the store said she didn't speak enough English to be able to respond.

Manager of alcohol licensing Rob Abbott said altogether 23 licensed premises in Manurewa and nearby areas were subject to the investigation.

Four of the investigated stores failed by selling alcohol to the minor.

"While we're pleased that the majority of operators we tested are responsible licence holders it shows us there's still work to be done," Abbott said.

Chair of Regulatory and Bylaws Committee Calum Penrose said the committee took the sale of alcohol to minors "very seriously".

"It's our job to protect our young people from the harm alcohol can cause and it's only appropriate that irresponsible premises have their licences revoked."

The new provisions of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 said premises which had breached the rules three times within three years could have its licence cancelled by the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Committee.
European farmers have been vocal about low dairy prices recently. In this 2015 protest in Brussels farmers were demanding a fair milk price.

Moves by the European Union on Tuesday have probably spooked the dairy market and led to the latest fall in prices on the global dairy auction.

Prices fell 2.9 per cent, to US$2190 per metric tonne.

At the previous auction a fortnight ago, prices rose 1.4 per cent to an average of US$2253 a tonne, after four consecutive falls.

VALENTYN VOLKOV/123RF Prices rose 1.4 per cent at the previous auction after four consecutive falls.

New Zealand's major export, whole milk powder (WMP), fell 0.8 per cent to US$1971.

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* Dairy prices inch up at auction

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Federated Farmers dairy spokesman Andrew Hoggard said he had guessed it right for once because he had analysed the price fall was based on the EU's announcements to support its dairy farmers.

GLOBALDAIRYTRADE Dairy prices fell 2.9 per cent overnight.

"All the indicators were pointing to the prices going up and the only thing that's changed in the last 48 hours is the news out of Europe.

"They've framed it as solving the crisis, quite frankly I think it's just going to prolong the crisis," Hoggard said.

ASB economist Nathan Penny said the suspicion was that the EU announcements had confused things because the futures market had been indicating higher prices.

"It's been a good indicator for a while but last night was the exception. We've essentially lost the gains we made at the last auction," he said.

The EU had introduced a raft of measures to support prices.

"They are a bit ambiguous in what they may mean, it could be support in the short term but long term may prolong the recovery," Penny said.

Among the measures are increasing the amount the EU can buy through intervention, and voluntary supply reductions.

Hoggard said the intervention worked by setting a limit on the milk powder price, and if the price fell below that, they put it into storage until the market price comes back up.

"That was the story in the 80s, by keeping trickling stuff out it keeps prices level," Hoggard said.

French farmers had been the most vocal recently in demanding support payments.

Hoggard praised Dutch company FrieslandCampina for its policy of paying its farmers not to increase production,

"There were some things they've done which are sensible in terms of holding back volume," he said.

The AgriHQ 2015-16 farmgate milk price is unchanged at $4.14/kg milksolids, still well above Fonterra's latest forecast of $3.90/kgMS.

Analyst Susan Kilsby said it was likely skim milk prices would continue to stay low in the coming months because stocks were building in Europe.

Prices were down for all commodities except butter milk powder (BMP) and lactose. The BMP price index lifted 6.4 per cent, although prices for the commodity are still relatively weak. Lactose was up 0.8 per cent.

The cheddar price index lost 5.6 per cent and prices for milkfat based products were also weak. The butter price index was down 2.8 per cent while the index for anhydrous milkfat dropped 6.5 per cent.

There were 134 bidders trading 20,406 metric tonnes of product.

*Comments have now closed on this story*
Married for five months Jialu Chen of China sits in the Timaru Royal Arcade before having photos taken at St Mary's church on Tuesday. It is one of many scenic sites she and her husband Xiaofeng will pose for photos in wedding attire to show family and friends on their return home in two weeks.

A photographer and make up artist are on a Chinese couple's honeymoon around New Zealand to capture them in wedding attire at scenic spots five months after they married.

A stop off in Timaru was made by the couple and their entourage on Tuesday to get photos at St Mary's Anglican Church.

Hundreds of photos would be taken daily over their two week trip and shown to their family members and friends on facebook and on their return to Shanghai.

Esther Ashby-Coventry Ran Yuan of Colour City Studio in Auckland ensures Jialu's make up is looking perfect for her photo shoot in Timaru.

Jialu and Xiaofeng Chen married on November 6, 2015 in their homeland. They arrived in Auckland on March 12 and picked up wedding attire, the photographer and make up artist all from Colour City Studio.

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The point of the trip here was to take photos and to honeymoon, Jialu said.

The group was making its way from Queenstown to Christchurch via Tekapo and Timaru.

Photographer Kevin Wang said he had taken between 150 and 180 photos each day.

"They will show their friends and family," he said.

Some couples wanted to have photos taken with backdrops of beautiful landscapes and architecture such as in New Zealand, Wang said.

A colour City Studio spokeswoman said it was quite common for Chinese to travel New Zealand in such a way.

She would not reveal how much it would cost the couple.

"It is up to them if they have enough money and time."

A favourite location was around the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shore of Lake Tekapo.

Tekapo Co-operating Parish committee member and resident Graeme Murray said though they came all year round. In summer he saw on average one couple a day dressed in wedding clothes taking photos around the church or the lake.

He was unsure if they were already married or were going to get married but they had not married at the church in Tekapo.

"Some of them are here on the coldest mornings or frosty evenings. They come particularly early or late probably to miss the crowds."

Some of the tourists tried to take photos of themselves, Murray said.

"They are here in the strangest of circumstances when it's raining and blowing."

He thought they must not feel the cold in their light wedding clothes as the ones he had seen in bad weather seemed determined to get the perfect shots in spite of the weather.
Chief of Defence Force Tim Keating says research shows more must be done to recruit and retain women in the military.

Research into sexual abuse and harassment has shown "persistent sexism" exists in the Defence Force.

The NZDF said the research highlighted a need to change military culture and better integrate women into the armed forces.

"New research we've commissioned shows that being a woman in our Defence Force is still harder than it should be," Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating said.

SGT SAM SHEPHERD/NZDF The Air Force Culture Review sparked the recommendations, which were seen as relevant for other military branches too.

"There continue to be pockets of people that think it acceptable to belittle, ridicule and at its worst, harass and even assault their colleagues.

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"Any actions like this diminish us both in the eyes of our personnel and in the eyes of the public, who rightly demand we have the highest standards."

Former Air Force sergeant Robert Roper raped his own daughter and other girls and is serving 13 years in jail.

The new Operation Respect "action plan" suggested a "sexual ethics and healthy relationships training package" be established, as well as a dedicated, professional sexual assault response team.



The action plan said more women were needed in senior leadership roles, and follows high-profile NZDF sex abuse cases and allegations.

"OLD BOYS NETWORK"

Karina Andrews, a victim of sexual abuse her Air Force father Richard Roper carried out, welcomed suggestions more women joined and stayed in the Defence Force.

"If there happened to be more of a presence of females in some of these departments, the old boys' network that runs underneath everything is slowly going to start to disappear."

Andrews said Air Vice-Marshal Mike Yardley, the former Chief of Air Force, had been a staunch "ally" in addressing longstanding sexual abuse allegations.

Andrews said she approached Yardley not just because of Roper's crimes, but because she heard of many other "unbelievable" abuse cases.

"We said to him: Get off your arse, get down in the trenches and find out what's going on. He didn't like it, but he did do it and I think it's an incredibly positive step."

Andrews said she was confident the NZDF was going to change its culture.

The Air Force Culture Review 2015 informed the action plan.

Reviewers Dr Kim McGregor and Russell Smith identified "longheld and widespread sexist attitudes and ongoing gross and derogatory sexist comments" directed at women.

"Older males, particularly those in senior command roles, were identified as often exhibiting antifemale attitudes and perpetuating harmful behaviour," the researchers from Tiaki Consultants added.

The consultants said when the initial Air Force Culture Review findings were shared with defence chiefs, the NZDF bosses voiced "sincere disappointment" that so many sexist attitudes were still present.

Last year, Roper was jailed for crimes including rape, and investigations found little was done to stop his predatory behaviour in the 1970s and 80s.

Roper's crimes sparked a separate Queen's Counsel inquiry, which Andrews said was due for release in late April.

In another case from roughly the time as Roper's offences, an Air Force member who confessed to abusing a young girl was not referred to police.

"Sexual violence is an exceptionally complex and conspicuous problem in New Zealand. The New Zealand Defence Force is not immune, and acknowledges that it has an issue that requires addressing," the new action plan stated.

Last year Bombardier Phillip Manning pleaded guilty to six of 13 sex-related charges alleged to have taken place at Waiouru Military Camp, involving three women, between September 2011 and October 2012.

Meanwhile, a Navy commander is currently facing a Court Martial, charged with indecent assault following claims he grabbed a woman's bottom several times at a naval bar in 2012.

AIR FORCE CULTURE REVIEW FINDINGS

* Reports from women indicated "serious issues within the Air Force which seem to have enabled harmful sexual behaviours and a culture of sexism" to persist over many years.

* Hypermasculinity, adulation of traditional macho attributes, conditioned obedience, isolation from external perspectives and support, implicit sanctioning of violence and aggression, and alcohol misuse were identified.

* Grossly chauvinist and sexist behaviour, especially from older men, was prevalent.

* Some men interviewed were largely unaware of the potentially harmful nature of sexism, or could not tell the difference between harmful and consensual sexual behaviour.

* Most men and some women believed there was an "ongoing positive cultural shift in the Air Force", and felt conditions were improving for women.

* Some women complaining of sexual harassment faced "disbelieving or blaming reactions" which put them off following up complaints or reporting harmful behaviour.
Police are seeking three men after a home invasion in Napier.

A man was left with a "nasty" head wound after being beaten and kicked during a home invasion in Napier early on Monday morning.

Police say the 58-year-old is recovering after the attack by three men who "kicked their way" into his Onekawa home after he answered the door to them at about 3am.

The men demanded money and, when the victim was unable to provide any, he was tied up with his own clothing and his property ransacked, police said.

A number of items were taken from the man's Niven St home, which is in Onekawa's industrial precinct.

Items taken included the man's wallet, cheque and deposit books, and men's jewellery.

"During the incident, the victim was hit around the head with a blunt object, sustaining a nasty head wound," said Detective Sergeant Craig Vining.

"He was also kicked in the head. The victim is now recovering after his ordeal."

The man was examined at Hawke's Bay Hospital but was not expected to be admitted, Vining said.

Police were appealing for sightings of a car the attackers used to get to and from the man's home between 2.45am and 3.45am on Monday.

They were also asking business owners on Niven St to supply them with any CCTV footage from around that time.

The offenders are described as males wearing dark coloured hooded sweatshirts.

They were heavily disguised wearing bandannas across their faces, had their hoods up and wore gloves.

Two of them are believed to be aged in their teens, with the third male in his early to mid 20s.

Anyone with information was asked to contact Hawke's Bay police on (06) 831 0700, or phone the anonymous CrimeStoppers line on 0800 555 111.
An actor will face trial in December on sex charges at Auckland District Court.

A well-known New Zealand television actor will face trial on sex charges in December.

The 45-year-old has interim name suppression until the trial commences on December 5.

Court documents show he faces four charges of indecent assault and two of sexual violation.

The alleged offending was said to have occurred over a three year period from 2010 to 2013.

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The charges were in relation to four female adult victims.

He has pleaded not guilty.
Rural health services are under the spotlight in the Waikato District Health Board area.

The Waikato District Health Board says it is reviewing the way it delivers rural health services.

Questions have been raised in rural areas about the way health services are delivered, including a recent meeting in Taumarunui.

Residents there and in the wider Ruapehu region suffer more than most when they get sick because of long travel times to specialist medical services.

Those problems were discussed at the 'Provincial Priorities' meeting in Taumarunui, particularly the demand on sick and elderly patients who often have to travel all day for medical appointments.

Waikato District Health Board executive director community and clinical support Mark Spittal offered some hope for patients, saying they were reviewing the way rural health services were delivered.

He said improving the health service for rural people was a challenge.

"It is very clear that the current responses to meeting that challenge across the entire health and social sector will not achieve the DHB's objective of building healthier communities in rural settings."

He said the DHB was undertaking a "significant review" of rural health services to find better ways to meet people's needs.

"We have already been using telehealth technology to link patients at Taumarunui with specialists elsewhere. We will be investing in this kind of technology in the future to lesson the geographic barriers to accessing healthcare."

Ruapehu Community Health Forum chairman Alan Turton raised the issue of transport, particularly when it came to elderly people and their ability to travel to Hamilton for health care.

"The travelling itself is quite heavy for the elderly but so is having to wait around all day once their appointment is over."



A free bus travels from Taumarunui to Waikato Hospital early in the morning and returns early evening but Turton said getting patients there was not the only problem.

"If you have a family member of age, who needs that family attention, she's not going to get it because you can't travel up there every five minutes."

Taumarunui's Avonlea Home and Hospital manager Anna Looby said transport was one of their biggest issues because sitting on a bus for two hours was not an option for many of their residents. A round trip to Hamilton in an ambulance costs the rest home almost $2000.

"Quite a lot of residents have appointments in Hamilton, whether it be for lumps and bumps, neurology, or speech therapy and sitting on a bus for two hours isn't an option for a lot of them," Looby said.

She remembers when Taumarunui Hospital was much bigger with surgical, medical and children's wards, a large outpatients' area and even a nurse block out the back full of trained nurses.
The letter informs the staff member of the allegations of misconduct. The censorship has been added to the scanned documents to protect the privacy of those involved.

Private and confidential documents outlining a hospital worker's breach of privacy and confidentiality against an inmate were found strewn across a Raglan lawn.

Intact letters outlining the alleged misconduct of a Waikato Hospital staff member on February 3, and witness reports of the incident, were put into a domestic rubbish bag and set on the kerb for collection. The rubbish bag was savaged by an animal, leaving the private and confidential documents in public view. A Raglan resident discovered them and rang the media.

One of the letters outlines the Waikato DHB's allegations against the female team leader, which include improperly using DHB records to look up information on her partner, who is in prison.

Prisoners are not allowed to know details of their hospital appointments for security reasons and are not to interact with anyone other than corrections officers and doctors on their medical visits, unless otherwise approved by the prison director.

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But the staff member waited for the prisoner and his officer escorts in the hospital and spoke with him without permission, along with an orderly. An email from Spring Hill Corrections Facility says it put "the officers in an uncomfortable position having to deal with the prisoner when he is advised he is not to have contact with his partner while on medical escort".

An escort corrections officer reported the prisoner's doctor "said that she was shocked when the orderly started to speak to the prisoner".

The doctor told the corrections officer "she thought it was a set-up".

The DHB's information privacy policy states that staff are only allowed to access information for purposes that are directly related to their work responsibilities.

The allegations of serious misconduct letter says the staff member "acted in a way which could damage, or had the potential to damage, Waikato DHB's reputation and is considered in breach of Waikato DHB policies".

"By accessing the prisoner's appointment schedule, you were not affording him the privacy and respect he was entitled to expect. Further, your actions had the potential to place the corrections officers at risk ..."

The letter says the DHB was conducting an investigation and if the staff member was found to be in breach of policies, her employment may be terminated.

Waikato DHB director people and performance Greg Peploe said the employee no longer works for the DHB.

The former staff member declined to talk about the employment dispute, but said she wasn't "that impressed" that her information was found by a stranger and said it was "bizarre".

She said she hadn't lived or stayed in Raglan.

Peploe said although the DHB does not discuss individual employment matters, the copies found do not belong to the DHB.

"We do not believe our copies of this document have been misplaced. Therefore, we do not believe we breached this employee's privacy.

"DHB staff are not allowed to access clinical records without a legitimate reason or authority and we have a staff privacy policy regarding this, which is in line with our obligations under the Privacy Act."

Central Regional Commissioner for the Department of Corrections Terry Buffery said: "Corrections expects that prisoners' health information is treated in confidence, like the health information of any other patient.

"To avoid putting Corrections staff at risk, we do not inform prisoners of the time of their appointment until immediately beforehand so ensure they do not have an opportunity to arrange for other people to contact them at the hospital.

"Public safety is Corrections' bottom line."

Gehan Gunasekara, an information privacy law specialist at Auckland University, said the documents should have been shredded before being discarded.

"Better information management systems are needed to make sure that confidential processes are protected. The individuals whose data it relates to could well bring a complaint.

"Currently there are no requirements to notify the privacy commissioner, or anyone, if there has been a breach of patient privacy or employee privacy, but there are voluntary guidelines that are normally complied with."
A nurse is appearing before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal on a raft of dishonesty charges.

For more than two years, a nurse used a web of elaborate lies to gain employment, and lied again to cover her incompetence.

The fantasy was constructed with false references from people she never met, a made-up pregnancy, and grandiose tales of her professional prowess.

She claimed she had saved a man having a heart attack on a busy Auckland road, that she had been "employee of the month" at a hospital that fired her.

And as her lies started to catch up with her, she claimed her husband was to blame.

On Tuesday, the artifice finally collapsed, with the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Wellington stripping her of her right to practise as a nurse.

For now her name remains suppressed, but the tribunal made it clear that, without some compelling new argument, her identity too would be made public.

Matthew McClelland, lawyer for the Professional Conduct Committee that was prosecuting the woman, said the scale and persistence of the lies were unlike any case he had seen.

"Her conduct is grossly misleading, deceitful and deceptive in the extreme, and was carried out with the sole purpose of deriving a benefit or advantage," he said.

To allow her to return to nursing would be to risk the safety and health of patients. "She simply can't be trusted."

Tribunal documents show the woman used lies and false documents to gain employment at four health organisations between December 2012 to April 2015.

If any of these organisations had checked the emails or phone numbers provided for references, they would have discovered the lies.

If they had bothered to track down the people she claimed as references, which investigators later did, they would have discovered nearly everything she claimed was a lie.

While the woman had been registered overseas, and in New Zealand in 2011, much of the experience she claimed was fabricated.

In her first job at an aged care hospital, she was quickly covering for her mistakes, but her explanations rarely made sense.

One patient was never given their inhaler, but the woman filled out the paperwork claiming they had been. When confronted over the error, she claimed she had slipped.

Other mistakes followed: a patient given the wrong dialysis treatment; missing medication that was never reported.

The final straw came more about six months after she started, when her employer discovered she had a criminal conviction for dishonesty.

She was finally dismissed, but none of this information was passed onto her next employer.

Instead she again used false references to land a nursing job. She claimed she had held a management role at the aged care hospital, that she had been "employee of the month". None of it was true.

While with this second employer, she lied about being pregnant with twins, and then claimed the children had died after she fell down the stairs. She even supported her argument with a fabricated certificate from her midwife.

In reality, she was pregnant with only one child, whose birth she hid from her employer, and never fell down any stairs.

By the time she moved on to her next employer  a major hospital, which she again provided with false references  in 2014, the noose was tightening.

The aged care hospital had complained to the Nursing Council about the woman's conduct as early as June 2013.

By the time the professional conduct committee caught up with her a year later, it had amassed a history of complaints.

Her response was to provide yet more falsified references to investigators to support her earlier lies. But in April 2015 she was finally suspended.

In a final fling, she applied for yet another nursing job, and was again offered employment, despite her suspension.

But this time, she was on the Nursing Council's radar, and the job was shut down.

Karen Rose, who represented the nurse, said her client was deeply sorry for the hurt her lies had caused, but argued for leniency and privacy.

The woman was no longer practising as a nurse in New Zealand, she said, and did not pose a risk to the public. A suspension, rather than a cancellation, was appropriate and her identity should be kept secret.

But the tribunal disagreed.

McClelland said the woman could not be trusted, and patient's safety was at stake.

"Unless her registration is cancelled and her name is made public, there is no certainty that ... [she] ... won't go repeat her actions."
Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker said highlights of her six-year mayoralty included getting the city's finances in order and the adoption of the Hamilton City River Plan.

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker will step down from the city's top job in October.

Hardaker secured the mayoral chains from incumbent Bob Simcock in 2010 and three years later became the first mayor in 21 years to be given a second term by voters.

She is only the second woman to be mayor of Hamilton.

The 56 year old told councillors and council staff of her plans not to seek re-election on Tuesday.

Hardaker said her decision not to contest a third election was a hard call but she would leave the job with a strong sense of accomplishment.

She looked forward to resuming her legal career, saying she had no desire to seek political office in Wellington.

"I've achieved what I set out to do when first elected mayor. I campaigned on the need for change and the need to sort out the council's finances and that's been achieved," Hardaker said.

A key plank of Hardaker's mayoralty has been the council's financial strategy which sets out the council's key financial performance measures - including balancing the city's books.

Her 2010 election campaign included a promise to expose the high cost to ratepayers of the Hamilton's V8 Supercars event but Hardaker said the council's financial woes went beyond the motoring event.

"It was a financial mess and I don't think anyone at the time knew the full extent of it. People talk about the V8s but it wasn't just the V8s. The V8 race was a great event, it was council's management of it."

Debt was now being used to invest in vital city infrastructure rather than meet the city's day-to-day operational costs, she said.

Hardaker's announcement follows that of Deputy Mayor Gordon Chesterman and city Councillor Ewan Wilson who have also announced their intentions not to seek re-election in October.

Hardaker said Chesterman was a wise head and astute politician who had made a valuable contribution to the city.

Reflecting on her political career, Hardaker said she wouldn't miss the politicking inside the debating chamber, but was leaving city hall with no regrets.

Serving as mayor had been a privilege, she said.

"My observation is the public just want us to get on and make decisions and they're not particularly interested in the politicking. While I've been mayor, we've always managed to get there in the end."

Hamilton West MP Tim Macindoe paid tribute to Hardaker's service on Tuesday afternoon.

"I have worked closely with Julie in our respective roles and have admired her energy, focus and passion for our city," Macindoe said.

"The mayoralty is a very demanding and important role. Julie has been a vigorous advocate for Hamilton's interests in her interactions with the Government, and she has driven several significant local projects that will be of lasting benefit to our city and its residents.

"I wish her well as she returns to her legal practice and I thank her for two busy terms of service as our mayor."

 Julie Hardaker

* Elected Hamilton Mayor in October, 2010, defeating incumbent Bob Simcock by 956 votes. Campaigned on the need to sort out the council's finances.

* Reelected mayor in October, 2013, with a 2911-vote majority over nearest rival Ewan Wilson. Became the first mayor in 21 years to be given a second term by voters.

* Prior to her political career, was a lawyer and partner in law firm McCaw Lewis Chapman.

* Plans to return to her law career, saying she has no aspirations for a role in central government politics.
How can one know a source is trustworthy? One could do it by independently confirming everything the source says, but if I can do that and am willing to do...

22 hours ago
Who could forget the powerhouse that is Femi Kuti. He's been to Womad twice.

You can't go past The Topp Twins, and in 2011 many festival goers said this New Zealand act was their favourite performance at Womad NZ.

The Soprano's theme song drew the crowds in, but Larry Love from The Alabama 3 held them captive in 2012.

Who can forget The Correspondents. Crowds just fell in love with this two-piece in 2013.

Over the years Womad New Zealand has hosted hundreds of acts from throughout the world. Check out some of our favourites. Sinead O'Connor headlined the 2015 festival and packed out the TSB Bowl of Brooklands.



Sinead O'Connor (Ireland) (2015)

There was always going to be a big crowd at Sinead's show, but the surprise was how many people walked away becoming new die hard fans. Womad is where most go for new and exciting music, and some saw Sinead as being too mainstream. Those same people later said Sinead ended up being their all time favourite Womad act. Even if she did leave the stage halfway through her signature song.

Flavia Coelho (Brazil) (2015)

You let your hair down and you danced, danced, and danced to Flavia Coelho. She played late at night with a bright moon above her and the crowd just loved her. Anyone who missed her was kicking themselves by the time the stories of her performance buzzed around The Bowl.

Pokey LaFarge (USA) (2014)

Those who were lucky enough to see Pokey LaFarge in 2014 are still saying he was amazing. His reputation as a uniquely charismatic live performer shined through his old-timey jazz, blues and swing music. His set was quirky and fun, how could you not love him?

Jonathan Cameron Womad New Zealand is held at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth and this year the three day festival kicks off on March 18.

The Correspondents (UK) (2013)

Everyone was talking about this two piece electro swing duo. With their strange costumes and equally weird dance moves it was no wonder The Correspondents caused such a stir. They were the talk of the 2013 festival and are still mentioned when it comes to favourite acts. Can we bring them back yet?

READ MORE:

* Top ten acts for 2016's Womad New Zealand at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands

* Calexico heading back to Taranaki for Womad New Zealand

* Nothing compares to . . . Womad

The Alabama 3 (USA) (2012)

They brought the theme song of the Sopranos to Womad, and they rocked the festival with some lesser known tunes. The Alabama 3 were a clear highlight of the 2012 event, and people turned up at their second show an hour early just to secure a place in the crowd.

Topp Twins (New Zealand) (2011)

You can't go past some good old New Zealand talent and the Topp Twins are up there with the best of them. In fact, some people are still saying the Topp Twins Womad performance in 2011 was the greatest act they'd seen in all their years of being a Womadian.

Calexico (USA) (2010)

These guys were so darn good that people were still talking about them five years later. Luckily for those fans, Calexico are returning to Womad this year. It's not often Womad audiences get a repeat, so enjoy it while you can.

Speed Caravan (France) (2009)

Speed Caravan certainly took you on a wild ride. They call themselves the Pirates of the Mediterranean, and after their flamboyant performances at Womad, it's easy to see why. For those who were mesmerised by Speed Caravan, nothing compares to that electric energy in their live performance.

Beirut (USA) (2008)

There were so many Beirut converts after Womad 2008, and they are still spreading the joy on this six piece. With so many more fans around now, there's been talk of a petition to bring Beirut back to Womad. I'd sign it.

Femi Kuti (2007 and 2014)

Afrobeat star Femi Kuti, of Nigeria, was captivating. As the eldest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti (who died in 1997), Femi continues his father's formidable "political-funk-for-the-people" legacy. Watching the charismatic, outspoken singer-saxophonist in 2014 made you regret missing him in 2007.

Womad New Zealand is on at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth, from March 18 to 20.
Primary cervical screening test will change to screening for the human papillomavirus every five years from 2018.

The test changes from analysing cells to detect changes indicating an increased risk of developing cervical cancer, to screening for HPV which causes more than 90 per cent of cervical cancers.

In New Zealand around 160 women develop cervical cancer each year.

Health Minister Dr Johnathan Coleman says what happens at a womens cervical smear appointment will not change.

The new test means women only need to be tested every five years as opposed to three as the HPV test is more sensitive, he explains.

Last year the Ministry of Health consulted with the sector and the public on changing the primary cervical screening test.

While New Zealand has one of the most successful cervical screening programmes in the world, Jonathan believes theres always scope to further improve screening.

He says testing for HPV is internationally recognised as a better primary test for cervical screening and a number of countries are implementing screening like Australia, the UK and the Netherlands.

HPV vaccination combined with screening provides the best protection. Changing the test is expected to further reduce cervical cancer deaths by 16 per cent in unvaccinated women and 12 per cent in vaccinated women.

The Ministry of Health held 13 meetings around the country on the proposed changes and a total of 87 submissions were received.

The Ministry will continue to work with the public and the sector to ensure a smooth transition to the new testing regime in 2018.

Cytology will continue to have an important place in cervical screening, says Jonathan.

For more information about cervical screening visit the National Screening Unit website at: www.nsu.govt.nz/national-cervical-screening-programme
Mums a family violence victim, and Dads in prison. So are several of your uncles, and cousins. Most people around you do drugs and commit crime, and its rare in your family for people to have a job.

Trouble is, there is no mighty claw that can pick you up by the scruff of the neck and transport you into a life where people dont do crime or drugs and have hope for the future. In 2014, a plan was launched to bring several government agencies together to significantly reduce the harm caused by gangs, and to identify and offer support to people who want out  a mighty claw of sorts. Deputy Commissioner Mike Clement says one main aspect of that Gang Action Plan (GAP) is now operational. The Gang Intelligence Centre (GIC) is a cross-agency partnership to build the richest and most detailed picture yet seen of gang membership and affiliation in New Zealand. He says the scenario at the start of this story is real life for many children at the bottom of New Zealands gang family trees. We know these are the kinds of risk factors that lead to poor outcomes later in life.

The GIC, hosted at Police National Headquarters (PNHQ), includes staff from the Ministry of Social Development, Customs, Corrections, Internal Affairs, Immigration and Police  sharing information to cross-match intelligence for use in two main ways: enforcement; and identifying positive options for routes out of gang life.

Other GAP work includes operational taskforces focused on methamphetamine and gang asset seizures; law changes to better support enforcement agencies; and social support programmes. All is fed by the GIC.

Mike says modern policing of gang crime has to be a sophisticated mix of intelligence-led enforcement activities and prevention. Weve been locking them up for years and yet the meth problem is growing exponentially. Were not going to stop enforcing, but lasting change also needs community resistance, and real positive options.

Detective Brad Grainger says he was initially resistant to the idea that offering a ladder of social support was critical to reducing gang offending.

But then I saw that it worked and became a strong advocate for it, he says.

The art of this kind of policing is sitting down and listening to someone and working out what their reason really is for joining a gang. They will have some sort of need that they are trying to get fulfilled.

It has to be on an individual basis. You cant apply the same formula to everybody. Then its about reducing their opportunity to offend, rehabilitation and redirection to more positive behaviour.

We get a mixed result. Its a lot easier to do prevention before someone gets entrenched into the life. Younger gang family members are the potential recruits of tomorrow.

But on a one-to one basis, if you sit down and speak to someone, you often find they are in something they dont want to be in. You dont get very many happy gang members.

Information from Ten One Magazine.
NYSYR-20151007-143011-inlan.JPG

Trains stacked with cargo containers are parked at the CSX rail yard in Manlius. 3Gi CNYIP has proposed building an "inland port," a freight distribution facility, at the rail yard.

(Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)

Manlius, N.Y.  The developer behind a proposed "inland port" on the DeWitt-Manlius line is hoping that new federal funding for the nation's intermodal transportation system will help make his project a reality.

Eckardt "Chris" Beck, chairman and CEO of 3Gi CNYIP Inc., said the company plans to apply for some of the $800 million available through the federal FAST (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) Act.

The Department of Transportation recently issued a request for applications for grants from the new fund. Of the total amount in the fund, $76 million is targeted at small projects that enhance intermodal freight transport, the movement of cargo using multiple modes of transportation.

Beck has proposed building a distribution facility north of the CSX rail yard east of Interstate 481 and south of Kirkville Road. Beck said cargo would shipped to the facility by CSX from the Port of New York and New Jersey. In addition, cargo, especially agricultural products grown in Upstate New York, would be shipped from the facility to the port for export, he said.

Beck has been planning the project for four years, trying to persuade CSX, as well as importers and exporters, to sign on. He said federal funding is a key to making the project a reality.

Small projects are eligible for a minimum award of $5 million. Beck said he has not yet decided how much money to apply for. Applications are due April 14.

Beck's project is competing with a similar "inland port" proposed by the Port of Oswego Authority last year at an abandoned 220-acre quarry along the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway north of I-481 in DeWitt.

The competing project has the backing of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, which could make it eligible for state funding. Beck said only his project is eligible to apply for a grant under the federal FAST Act because the money is restricted to projects with "Class 1" participating railroads. Class 1 railroads are the nation's seven largest railroad companies. CSX is one of them.

Beck's latest plans for the project show a cargo loading and offloading terminal west of Girden Road in DeWitt. Warehouses that would store agricultural products, such as grain, cheese and apples, are shown east of Girden Road in the town of Manlius.

A road would be built off Girden to provide access to the facility. Beck said no trucks coming to or from the facility would use Fremont Road, which is located to the east.

Beck said an enhanced wetland would create a buffer between the facility and Kirkville Road to the north.

He has scheduled public information sessions about the project for 7 p.m. March 23 and March 30 at DeWitt Community Room, 148 Sanders Creek Parkway in East Syracuse. In addition, he said he is inviting the public to come to 3Gi's office at 360 Erie Blvd. E. in Syracuse for an "open house" on the project from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday and March 22.

Graphic shows a conceptual plan for 3Gi CNYIP Inc.'s proposed inland port, an intermodal freight facility at the CSX rail yard on the DeWitt-Manlius line. Kirkville Road runs east-west along the top of the map. Girden Road runs down the middle. The green area is an enhanced wetland. Fremont Road is on the right side of the map. (Click on photo for larger view.)

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
AUBURN, N.Y. -- A Central New York heavy equipment operator accused of stealing more than $75,000 in workers' compensation insurance benefits while failing to provide his employees with the required coverage was arrested Tuesday, state Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott announced.

David C. Sigl, 54, of Wall Street, Auburn, was charged with felony counts of grand larceny, insurance fraud, and five counts each of fraudulent practices and offering a false instrument for filing. He was also charged with the misdemeanor crime of failure to secure workers' compensation.

Scott's investigation found that Sigl had been collecting workers' compensation benefits since sustaining an injury in early 2013 as a heavy equipment operator for a Syracuse construction and engineering firm. In the years since, he repeatedly filed paperwork with the New York State Workers' Compensation Board indicating he was not working in any capacity, when in fact he was operating and working for his own logging business, according to the Inspector General's office. Scott alleged that Sigl earned at least $135,000 since he was injured in 2013, making him ineligible for over $75,000 in benefits he received.

Sigl's company, Lake Country Logging, employed two people, but did not provide workers' compensation insurance for those individuals as required by law, Scott alleged.

"Both as a former employee and as the proprietor of his own company, this defendant brazenly abused a system meant to protect honest, hard-working New Yorkers," said Scott. "He stole benefits he was not entitled to, and he failed to protect and provide employees of his own company with the required coverage he selfishly took advantage of."

Sigl was arraigned in Auburn City Court and remanded to the Cayuga County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond bail. He is due to reappear in court March 21.

Contact Mike McAndrew anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3016
ITHACA, N.Y. -- A teenager was arrested Monday after he threatened to commit a shooting at an Ithaca school, police say.

Jacob Rollins-Young, 17, of Ithaca, was arrested Monday night and charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony. The Ithaca Police Department said Rollins-Young wrote Facebook posts threatening to commit a mass shooting at Ithaca High School.

In his Facebook posts, Rollins-Young said he planned to use an assault rifle to shoot students in the school's cafeteria, police told the Ithaca Voice.

Rollins-Young was arraigned in Ithaca City Court and released to a family member under supervision.

Police said a photo of Rollins-Young will not be released.
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By Lamaur Stancil of TCPalm

Editor's Note: This story has been changed from the original to reflect information about Irving Hamrick and Jeff Hamrick.

----------------------

VERO BEACH  The former head of the family citrus business Kennedy Groves was charged Monday with four felonies and accused of stealing nearly $1 million from his ailing aunt's trust fund and funneling it in his businesses, according to his affidavit.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Kenneth Kennedy, 64, of the 2800 block of Country Club Drive, Vero Beach, took $900,000 from the fund between August 2010 and July 2012. The charges are organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, exploitation of the elderly and money laundering.

His aunt, Clyde Hamrick Kennedy, had a trust fund with a balance of $2.4 million as of 2009, according to the affidavit. The fund was supposed to be used for her health care before her death on Aug. 20, 2013, at age 93. The money also was supposed to go toward 14 named beneficiaries after her death.

Mike Bartus, resident agent in charge for FDLE in Fort Pierce, said his agency began looking into the case in late 2014. The investigation is ongoing, he said.

Vero Beach attorney Andrew Metcalf, who was retained by Kennedy Tuesday, said the case belongs in civil court rather than criminal court.

"It's clearly a civil case," Metcalf said.

Ken Kennedy and another of Clyde Kennedy's nephews, Fred Van Antwerp, were named as co-trustees of her trust fund. FDLE accuses Ken Kennedy of removing money from the trust without Van Antwerp's co-signature.

A nurse who cared for Clyde Kennedy told investigators Ken Kennedy pushed paperwork onto her patient to sign without explaining what it was for. The nurse said the woman couldn't read and her mental capacity was diminished in the last years of her life, according to the affidavit.

The Kennedy family owned Kennedy Groves and United Indian River Packers in Vero Beach until it sold its citrus holdings at an auction two years ago. Ken Kennedy was president of the businesses in their final years of family ownership.

"They're a well-known family in Vero Beach and well-respected," Metcalf said. "They're part of the fabric of our town."

19th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bruce Colton said Kennedys case is being prosecuted by the 18th Judicial Circuit State Attorneys Office in Brevard County. An investigator in the 19th Judicial Circuit office, Jeff Hamrick, is related to Clyde Hamrick Kennedy, Colton said. Because of the familial conflict, Colton requested the Governors Office assign the case to another district.

Jeff Hamrick brought the complaint to authorities, Colton said. His father, Irving Hamrick, who is deceased, is listed in the affidavit as a beneficiary for the trust fund.

The family had been involved in local citrus farming, marketing and packing for more than a century. Generations of Kennedys expanded what began as a 40-acre tract of grove land bought in 1909 to more than 3,000 acres of groves and a modern packinghouse.

The affidavit states Ken Kennedy funneled his aunt's money into his businesses.

In 2014, five companies filed separate lawsuits against Kennedy Groves and United for unpaid goods and services. The lawsuits add up to more than $1 million, according to the affidavit.

Kennedy posted $400,000 bail at the Indian River County Jail on Tuesday. The jail listed his current occupation as a property appraiser.
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By Paul Ivice, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers

FORT PIERCE  The last co-defendant in a $50 million mortgage fraud scheme involving more than 150 residential properties, including some in Vero Lake Estates, was convicted in federal court of three charges.

Ravindranauth Roopnarine, a Guyanese national, was found guilty Friday in U.S. District Court of wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.

Sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m. May 10 by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. Roopnarine, 56, faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Roopnarine was one of four people named in a 2010 indictment for the fraud scheme spanning more than 150 residential real estate properties in Vero Lake Estates, Orlando, and Miami-Dade and Orange counties.

According to the court documents and testimony, Roopnarine recruited and led his co-conspirators in a widespread mortgage fraud scheme.

Roopnarine, along with Kamla Seecharan and her husband, Deo Seecharan, conspired to solicit mainly Guyanese residents of Florida and other states to act as straw buyers on fraudulent mortgage loan applications.

The Seecharans and Linda Rovetto previously pleaded guilty.

About 80 people served as straw buyers of properties in Vero Lake Estates and other developments.

The scheme resulted in more than $50 million in fraudulent mortgage loans.

The co-conspirators then used the proceeds to purchase additional properties, fund pre-existing fraudulent mortgage loans, and pay kickbacks to the straw buyers, testimony and evidence showed.

In addition, Kamla Seecharan and Rovetto unlawfully diverted more than $3.5 million in mortgage loans from real estate closing escrow accounts to Raviworld New Homes Inc., a company managed by Roopnarine and Deo Seecharan.

Kamla Seecharan, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison and ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution.

Deo Seecharan and Rovetto each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud involving $3.5 million in diverted real estate escrow funds.

Martinez sentenced Deo Seecharan to five years in prison and ordered him to pay more than $9 million in restitution.

Rovetto was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
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Sabrina Johnson, 7900 block of Hibiscus Road, Fort Pierce; carrying a concealed weapon; possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted federal felon; possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; possession of a controlled substance (hydrocodone) without a prescription.

Ramon Cancel, 21, 200 block of Chelsea Terrace, Port St. Lucie; warrant for violation of drug offender probation.

Onesimus Stockton, 33, 3400 block of Sallie Chupco Tommie Way, Fort Pierce; warrant for aggravated fleeing and eluding, causing injury or damage.

Tracy Justice, 51, 600 block of Bacon Way, Port St. Lucie; warrants for possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography.

Kent Korbut, 40, 1100 block of Midland Lane, Port St. Lucie; warrant for violation of probation, battery.

Noli Matzulis, 48, 800 block of Orange Avenue, Fort Pierce; out-of-county warrant, Miami-Dade County, violation of probation, kidnapping, battery, domestic battery (strangulation).

John Osorio, 42, Miami Lakes; warrant for violation of probation, possession of burglary tools, grand theft.

Sheryl Wisdom, 51, 500 block of 15th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for violation of probation, grand theft, criminal mischief.

Dealmas Johnson, 51, 1500 block of Avenue B, Fort Pierce; warrant for attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

Barry Winn, 61, 1700 block of Arizona Avenue, Fort Pierce; warrant for child pornography.

Meaghan Odonnell, 30, Naples; warrant for violation of probation, DUI.

Eddie Johnson, 26, 1500 block of 16th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for violation of probation, DUI impairment/damage to property or person.

Shaun Rudakas, 34, Miami; re-admit, possession of 20 grams or less of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Daniel Prinz, 36, 300 block of 11th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for court order for revocation of bond, violation of mental health court conditions by not following guidelines at group home  disorderly intoxication, trespass of a structure or conveyance, misuse of 911.

James Maxwell, 32, 900 block of Cornelia Avenue, Port St. Lucie; warrant for violation of probation, DUI with property damage.

Dale Paulson, 28, Melbourne; hold, Okaloosa County, violation of probation, uttering forged bills, grand theft, possession of forged note.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. (FILE PHOTO)

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By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm

U.S. Reps. Patrick Murphy and Tom Rooney have introduced legislation to create a financial incentive for boaters to install safety locator beacons after two Tequesta teen boaters went missing last year.

The bill offers a tax credit worth half of the cost of the beacon, or $200, whichever is less, with a lifetime limit of $500. The tax credit would be available for emergency position-indicating beacons and personal locator beacons. The bill applies only to small recreational vessels and passenger boats carrying up to 250 passengers

Murphy, D-Jupiter, and Rooney, R-Okeechobee, said they hope greater use of the safety devices will occur if their bill passes.

The "Austin and Perry Safe Boating Incentive Act" is named after Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, who disappeared when they left the Jupiter Inlet to go on a fishing trip in July and were never found.

The Florida Legislature passed a bill this month that offers a state vessel registration discount to boaters who have a tracking device. The bill was filed by Senate President-elect Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and MaryLynn Magar, R-Tequesta.
Port St. Lucie City Council met on Tuesday February 16, 2016, to terminate City Attorney Pam Booker's contract. Fired City Attorney Pam Booker has negotiated a new severance agreement with the city, which calls for her to receive about $18,000 more than what she would have walked away with should she had accepted no agreement. Council approved it, 3-1, March 14. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Nicole Rodriguez of TCPalm

PORT ST. LUCIE  The City Council Monday night finally struck a departure deal with fired City Attorney Pam Booker to end what one council member characterized as "ugliness" that ensued during a month of tense negotiations.

The council voted 3-1 to approve an agreement that gives Booker $18,424.70 more than it originally offered her last month, bringing the cash worth of her severance package to $201,785.58.

"It did not come smoothly," Councilwoman Michelle Berger said of the deal.

Booker last month rejected a cash package worth more than $200,000 after she and the City Council disagreed on extended health care coverage for five years  a provision not in Booker's employment contract. The approved package includes 20 weeks of regular pay, unused vacation time and 100 percent sick leave.

Booker on Feb. 22 refused the first package and since there was no counter offer from the council, she was entitled to be paid $183,360.88, which includes 20 weeks of regular pay, unused vacation time and 75 percent of unused sick leave  per her employment contract

The dissenting vote belonged to Councilman Ron Bowen, who likened Booker's request to "extortion" for demanding compensation for more vacation time than she is technically entitled to. Booker is shy one year, a month and a day of being entitled to receiving a 100 percent payout for unused sick leave, according to city documents.

"I believe the city is being held hostage," Bowen said.

Booker has already agreed to the new package, according to city documents. She had until March 13 to strike another deal with the city.

Although the rest of the council concurred with Bowen, they wanted to put the ordeal behind them, they said Monday. Councilwoman Shannon Martin was not present.

"We need to move forward," Vice Mayor Linda Bartz said.

The new agreement  as the rejected one offered  calls for an additional 10.5 percent of her total compensation deposited into her retirement account. The agreement also extends Booker health benefits through July 31. Other terms of the agreement prohibit Booker and City Council members from making statements that "disparage, slander, libel, defame" or damage the reputations of any of the parties involved.

Booker under the agreement consents not to bring legal action against the city related to her termination.

Booker  who earned $190,591, making her the highest-paid city employee  was hired as a staff attorney nearly 19 years ago and appointed city attorney in June 2014.

Booker, 46, was terminated Feb. 16 during a special meeting called by Oravec to address what he characterized as a communication breakdown between administration and the City Council over top management's handling of pressing issues such as Crosstown Parkway, City Center, economic development, the downfall of the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida and the mishandling of public-records requests.

The city has hired the search firm Colin Baenziger & Associates to find Booker's replacement for a flat fee of $24,250, according to city documents. The firm anticipates the new city attorney would be hired by May 23.
He is the life of all,

the salvation of all

faithful and unfaithful,

just and unjust,

pious and impious,

healthy and sick,

young and old

just as the diffusion of light,

the sight of the sun,

and the changes of weather

are for all alike;

for there is no respect

of persons with God.

 John Klimakos
This story has been modified from an earlier version.

If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought Condoleezza Rice were running for president.

On the eve of Florida's primary, Rice offered patrons of Riverside Theatre's Distinguished Lecture Series five minutes of inspiration that should have been accompanied by "The Star-Spangled Banner."

She spoke of numerous international crises, then U.S. malaise after victories in the Cold War and over al-Qaida.

"Anyone who wants to re-energize the American people has got to say, 'it's not just important what we've done, but who we are,' " the former U.S. secretary of state, now Stanford University political science/global business professor, began.

"If the proverbial man from Mars were to come down and say, 'Who are these Americans?' you'd have to say, 'Well, they actually share no ethnicity, nationality or religion; they have ancestors who come from every corner of the Earth. And he would say, 'That's got to be difficult.'

"And you say, "Yes, and by the way they're Muslim and Jewish  Christian, Protestant and Catholic, and some of them believe nothing. And he might say, 'That's remarkable. So what is it that holds them together?'

"There's this aspiration ... they believe it doesn't matter where you came from, it matters where you're going. You can come from humble circumstances and you can do great things. That has united them to be the greatest driver for human potential in history.

"They've done it because 'we the people' has been an expansive concept," she continued. "They come from the poorest countries and have made $5, not 50 cents. And they come from wealth and wealthy countries  And because of that they have been the most innovative and creative people on the face of the Earth.

"They've not been captive of class  There are many examples who are CEOs of their companies who started in a housing project with a single mom."

But, Rice said, opportunities are limited.

"I can look at your ZIP code and I can tell if you're going to get a good education," she said. "If you are of means you will move to where the school districts are good  and if you're really well off you'll send your kids to private schools.

"And who is stuck in failing neighborhood schools? Poor kids. And they have no hope, because if you don't read by the time you're in third grade you're not going to read.

"We've left some of our citizens behind also with inferior skills for the jobs that are available," she said. "They're angry  they thought they did all the right things and now they just want to turn over the tables and start over. That's what we're seeing in this election."

"And so the challenge is not just to do what we have done," she said, "but to remember and reinforce who we are. This world needs leadership from the freest and the most compassionate nation on the face of the Earth.

"It can be done because the American people have so many times made what was once impossible seem just inevitable in retrospect. And as an exceptional, extraordinary country, we've been willing to sacrifice in far corners of the world in ways none might have ever done before."

The challenge for our next leader?

"Remind us that we are people that believe first and foremost in the individual and the ability of the individual to change history, but that we have to equip  every child, to do that," she said.

Also, remind Americans of the value of the private sector to create jobs and that North American energy can help keep enemies at bay.

Rice talked about "change." She described becoming secretary of state and swearing to defend the U.S. Constitution, the same document that branded her slave ancestors as three-fifths of a man.

"It says what's possible when an extraordinary people put their minds to the process and the necessity of change. We'll do it again. We must do it again."

Rice, who reiterated Monday she does not have DNA to run for elected office, likely will not be that change leader  even at a brokered Republican convention.

Too bad. She would have added a distinguished voice to the ugly campaign.
Kerry Padrick Science and Engineering STEM Fair projects are set up for judging.

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By Kerry Padrick, YourNews contributor

ST. LUCIE COUNTY  In a recent awards ceremony, students, parents, teachers and community members from across the county gathered to celebrate the winners in the various categories of this year's Science and Engineering STEM Fair competition.

Students were judged on their challenging scientific questions, their research practices and their problem-solving procedures. From this elite group, 14 students were selected to compete this March in Lakeland at the State level competition, and three students will take their projects to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) this coming May in Phoenix, Arizona.

Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the State and International Science and Engineering STEM Fairs:

State Science Fair qualifiers

Junior Division:

Jillian Markle, LPA

Callie Zheng, LPA

Jack Krasulak, STA

Emily Ebner, FGM

Asha Budhai, OAK

Senior Division:

Koushal Rao, LPA

Haniya Shareef, LPA

Shreya Reddy, LPA

Kevin Duan, LPA

Christopher Swinford, FPC

Anthony Oreo, FPC

Haley Jezewski, Olivet

Peter Jones, Olivet

Alexis Beans, FPC

International Science Fair qualifiers

Koushal Rao, LPA

Haniya Shareef, LPA

Shreya Reddy, LPA
Climate change may bring yet another scourge: longer, more frequently occurring toxic algal blooms along the Pacific coast of Canada.

This was suggested by a new study on the presence of algae toxins in marine animals along the coastline of Alaska, which holds a warning for Canadas British Columbia. Study author and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologist Kathi Lefebvre said that sharing a coastline puts the region at risk the say way Alaska and Washington were.

The team investigated the carcasses of more than 900 Alaskan marine mammals, looking for signs of two common and possibly fatal toxins from algae: domoic acid and saxitoxin. These toxins had been previously detected in Canadian territory.

A sea lion suffering from domoic acid toxicity, for instance, had never been known north of California, until in 2015 when a case was documented in Washington. Lefebvre said there was a major bloom of domoic acid that year.

"The concern is that it was correlated with the warmer waters. Is this what the future holds? If we have continued warming water, will there be more toxic blooms? Will they be moving North?" she says.

It appears that the toxic blooms have already shifted North, with low domoic acid levels found in all 13 Alaskan mammal species in the study, and saxitoxin found in 10 species. Both were unexpected to be seen in all the studied animals everywhere, Lefebvre warned.

She added that while toxic concentrations that can lead to health impacts remain largely undetermined, increasing algae blooms pose risks as waters continue to warm. Alaskan water temperature has shot up by nearly three degrees in the past decade.

These algae blooms, while not considered a marine mammal killer, are another stressor in the environment, it also has major economic consequences. Record bloom in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. in 2015, for example, prompted the closure of fisheries, including those cultivating Dungeness crabs.

Last November, California health officials urged people to avoid consuming Dungeness and Rock crabs after dangerous neurotoxin levels were detected and linked to a major algae bloom found off the West Coast.

In December, Mississippi state authorities ordered the closure of oyster reefs and beaches because of a dangerous red tide breakout. The preemptive closure covered all beaches on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, amid algae blooms being unusual given the location and time of the year.

Scientists are seeking to know how these toxins move through the food system and how they connect to climate change and extreme weather. According to Lefebvre, "it could become a bigger issue" unless it is given due attention.

Photo: Diana House | Flickr

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The Health Ministry of India has banned more than 300 fixed-dose combination drugs (FDCs) that have been widely available in the market.

Senior health ministry official K.L. Sharma says the ban will take effect in a few days, but did not provide further information about other details.

"We are happy this will stop the misuse of the medicine," says drug controller Akun Sabharwal from the southern state of Telangana.

Fixed-Dose Combination Drugs (FDCs)

FDCs are two or more medicines combined in one pill.

In 2014, the Indian government formed a panel to review over 6,000 FDCs that were able to penetrate the market after approval from individual state regulators only and not from the central government, which is legally necessary.

Pfizer, Abbott Drugs Included In The Ban

Included in the list of banned drugs are Abbott's Phensedyl and Pfizer's Corex. Both are widely used cough syrups made up of codeine and chlorpheniramine maleate.

These medicines along with 342 more are said to have no therapeutic justifications.

The shares of the companies' Indian units have already taken a dip as it fell by 5 percent on Monday.

Pfizer India has already announced that it had stopped selling Corex, while Abbott is yet to give a statement about Phensedyl.

Corex has provided Pfizer with 1.76 billion rupees ($26.29 million) in sales in nine months.

Phensedyl takes up approximately one-third of the entire Indian cough syrup market. The sales of this medicine is said to contribute to more than 3 percent of the entire company revenue of $1 billion in India.

Antibiotic Combinations

The Health Ministry also included antibiotic combinations in the list of banned drugs. One product affected by the ban is Abbott's Zimnic AZ, which is a combination of cefixime and azithromycin.

Abbott is not the only firm to manufacture such drug combination in India as about 15 more companies also produce this drug.

Medical representatives from Abbott said that Zimnic AZ has been promoted for a wide array of indications such as fevers, colds, urinary tract infections and even sexually transmitted diseases. The drug is also said to be used by patients to prevent post-surgery infections and lung problems.

Medical experts, however, said that this antibiotic combination is very risky and some indications, particularly that of colds, is not sound.

Clinicians and other health professionals say improper administration of antibiotic combinations may be adding up to the burden of antibiotic resistance in the country. In fact, superbugs or strains of pathogens that have grown resistant to antibiotics have been discovered among individuals who have travelled from India to nations such as Britain and the U.S.

Photo : Steven Depolo | Flickr

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Court Marriage Nikah Online On Phone Lawyer. Nikah Online is Law visions Modern online service, through which we provide Nikah facility to our clients, even if they are at their home. Shadi / Nikah On Phone/Online is just like Ordinary Marriage. It is valid under Shariat and Legal in all respects if it is done through Law vision. lawvisionpk@gmail.com

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Lawmakers are pushing for new legislation to be passed that would effectively prevent states from making mandatory for products with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be labeled.

For years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been telling the public that eating food that contain GMOs is safe, but it hasn't stop many people to be wary of its potential risks to human health.

Scientists are worried that the herbicide used to spray on GMO crops could produce unwanted effects on people that will eat them. This led consumer groups to call on the government to place GMO labels on products made using the bioengineered ingredient.

In 2014, legislators in Vermont adopted a law that makes it mandatory for food products with genetically engineered organisms to be labeled before they can be sold in the state. The legislation is set to take effect this year on July 1.

With a little over four months left until the new law takes effect, food companies are scrambling to figure out how to place GMO labels on their products that are set to be sold to a state that has a fewer number of people than Brooklyn, or if they should just tell consumers in the country which of their products have GMO ingredients.

Various trade associations, such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Snack and Food Association (SFA), have sued the state of Vermont in federal court in order to block the new legislation.

The groups claim that the law forces them to take on "new speech requirements" as well as violates the U.S. Constitution by "regulating nationwide distribution and labeling practices that facilitate interstate commerce."

The court, however, dismissed an injunction that would have prevented the GMO labeling law from being implemented in 2015. The Grocery Manufacturers Association immediately filed an appeal that is currently pending.

Meanwhile, some members of the United States Congress are trying to push a new bill through designed to block state-level laws that would mandate the labeling of GMO products in favor of voluntary labeling instead.

The bill was able to clear the Senate Agricultural Committee last week and could be called in for a Senate vote as early as next week.

Backers of this new legislation include prominent members of the food manufacturing industry such as DuPont, ConAgra, Walmart and Coca-Cola.

Sen. Jeff Merkley from Oregon, one of the supporters of the alternative bill, said that it would provide a solution that would benefit both food makers and consumers.

"There is a way to give consumers the information they are asking for without placing unfair or conflicting requirements on food producers," Merkley told the Huffington Post.

"This legislation provides the common-sense pathway forward."

Mondelez International, the maker of Oreo cookies, and Kraft Heinz expressed their support for voluntary GMO labeling. They said that placing mandatory labels on products could mislead customers instead, and that additional production and labeling costs could be passed on to the public.

Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the common herbicide for GMO crops known as glyphosate could potentially cause cancer in humans.

In February, the FDA said that it will begin screening food products available in the United States for traces of glyphosbate.

Photo: Lindsay Eyink | Flickr

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Instant messaging service Telegram has updated its app and Supergroups can now have up to 5,000 members.

Telegram introduced Supergroups in November 2015 that allows group admins to bump up the number of members from 200 to 1,000. Now admins can add up to five times the number.

"Telegram is famous for its awesome group chats. Today's update makes them even more awesome. To begin with, we're increasing the number of people who can join a supergroup from 1,000 to 5,000 members. That's 5 times as good," says the Telegram team.

Telegram has also added a few new features to Supergroups, including pinned messages that show at the top of the screen. Admins of Supergroup will be able to inform all members regarding important news via pinned messages. Members who have muted sound for ordinary messages will get notification for pinned messages.

Admins will be able to manage spammers more effectively with the new moderation tools. They are also allowed to quickly delete all messages from specific members, block and report them.

The new features introduced by Telegram apply only to Supergroups. However, the creator of groups of any size can now convert to Supergroup. All members will be able to see the group admins in the members' list, which means any member can contact the admin if the need arises.

Telegram is a cross-platform chat solution, which is available for iOS, Android, Windows and more. The app also offers encryption, which is very important to members who are concerned for the security of their device.

"We made it our mission to provide the best security among mass messengers. Telegram heavily encrypts all your data with time-tested algorithms," according to the product description of Telegram. "Built to deliver your messages in the minimum bytes possible, Telegram is the most reliable messaging system ever made. It works even on the weakest mobile connections."

It is worth noting that Telegram is 100 percent free and does not have annoying ads. Telegram also highlights that user privacy is very important for the company and Telegram never shares customer data with third parties.

The app is available as a free download from Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Android users need devices running on Android 2.3 or above to use Telegram.

iDevice owners need iOS 6.0 or later and the app is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Telegram for iOS weighs only 39.4 MB and supports a number of languages including: English, Arabic, Dutch, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.

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A team of researchers found that iPads make good tutors for patients who are about to undergo surgical procedures.

Some patients undergo surgeries or other medical procedures without real informed consent. Doctors should properly explain the purpose, procedure and expected outcomes of surgeries to their patients. Due to certain factors, like technical language and time pressure, many patients find it difficult to understand what doctors tell them.

"Informed consent for patients undergoing procedures is both an ethical and legal responsibility and crucially important for optimizing treatment. Patients should be intimately involved in deciding upon their treatment, and understanding their treatment is often vital to a good recovery," said Dr. Matthew Winter, lead author of the study.

The team consisting of Australian doctors prepared their patients for surgery by using iPads. They found that using the mobile device made patients understand the procedure better than direct conversations with doctors.

"Patients often find it difficult to understand the medical language used by doctors during face-to-face standard verbal communication, and they often feel intimidated by the interaction," said Dr. Winter.

Some doctors work with busy schedules that limits the time they have to conduct quality consultations with their patients. As a result, patients find it hard to understand the procedure they will be going through.

Upon checking the effects of using iPads on 88 patients scheduled for surgery to remove kidney stones, the team found that 80.7 percent of patients chose the video tutorial in iPads, while only 19.3 percent preferred face-to-face consultations. The understanding of patients increased by 15.5 percent compared with direct consultation.

The researchers, however, do not imply that iPads should replace consent. They just wanted to show that there are other alternatives to interviews that can help improve the understanding of patients on the procedures they are about to face. This can help reduce anxiety levels experienced by patients before surgery and allow patients to be informed of important things before they have a face-to-face consultation with their doctors.

Many studies have shown that using iPads and other mobile devices has both beneficial and detrimental effects on health. Though this study shows that iPads can help patients in terms of understanding surgical procedures more easily, iPads have been blamed for sleeping problems, nickel allergies and toddler developmental problems.

Photo: Sean MacEntee | Flickr

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday will review Abbott's one-of-a-kind dissolving medical implant in order to weigh its potential risks to heart attack and blood clot patients.

Abbott is seeking approval from the FDA to sell its novel coronary stent called Absorb as an alternative to metal stents, which are currently used to treat narrowing arteries that often lead to heart attack or death.

Unlike traditional bare-metal stents that remain in place, Abbott's Absorb disappears into the body within three years after clearing fat-clogged arteries.

Dr. Dean Kereiakes of Christ Heart and Vascular Center said Absorb holds the artery open long enough for it to heal, and then the implant disappears.

"It can return the artery to its normal, natural structure and function," said Kereiakes.

Is Absorb Safe?

Federal regulators, however, have raised questions about the effectiveness and safety of the medical device in a review posted last week.

In the company study submitted for review, rates of cardiovascular complications were slightly higher with Absorb than with Abbott's other drug-coated metal stent called Xience.

Heart attack and stent-related blood clots were also more likely to happen when Absorb was implanted into smaller arteries, the FDA said.

The agency will consult outside experts regarding the data and discuss whether the experimental implant should be approved.

The company study concluded in October 2015 that Absorb, which is constructed out of a plastic similar to dissolving sutures or stitches, was comparable to Xience when it comes to effectiveness and safety.

The large clinical trial involved 2,000 patients who will be followed for at least five years following the implant. Researchers found that the rate of complications with Absorb was at 7.8 percent of patients, while the rate of complications with Xience was at 6.1 percent of patients.

The numerical difference was not statistically significant, but the FDA will ask advisers if it has any implications for the device's safety.

One Step Closer

Abbott spokesperson Jonathon Hamilton said the results of the study are from doctors using the new therapy for the first time.

"Consequently, we expect them to improve with time and experience," said Hamilton.

Absorb is already commercially available in more than 100 countries, and more than 125,000 patients have been treated with the dissolving heart stent.

A positive opinion from the FDA panel would bring the novel heart stent a step closer to the U.S. market, where about 850,000 patients receive stents every year.

If approved, Absorb would be competing with Xience, Medtronic Inc.'s Resolute stent, and Boston Scientific's Promus and Synergy stents.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The bees are not all right. Even low levels of pesticides can make it hard for them to learn and remember, seriously disrupting their foraging behavior.

In a new study, bumblebees exposed to a realistic level of a neonicotinoid insecticide called thiamethoxam. The exposed bees took longer in collecting pollen and sought pollen from a different flower compared to control bees.

The study, published March 14 in the journal Functional Ecology, is deemed the first to investigate pesticide effects on bumblebees ability to forage from common wildflowers with such complex shapes.

The studied bees did collect more pollen, but took longer to do so and chose to forage from different flowers. Control or unexposed bees, too, had fewer visits in order to learn how to maneuver their way to the complex flowers  they probably invested more time as well as energy in learning.

According to senior study author and environmental sciences professor Nigel Raine, these pollinators depend on learning to locate flowers, as well as figure out how they can most efficiently extract nectar and pollen.

If exposure to low levels of pesticide affects their ability to learn, bees may struggle to collect food and impair the essential pollination services they provide to both crops and wild plants, he warns, citing the importance of pollination in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Previous research has implicated neonicotinoid pesticide exposure to changes in the brain, particularly in areas linked to honeybees memory and learning.

Bees and other insects pollinate much of the important food crops and wild plants around the world, and their decline in numbers and well-being raise concerns on food security and increasingly decreasing biodiversity.

[P]ollinating insects are vital to support agriculture and wild plant biodiversity, reminds lead author Dara Stanley.

Thus, if pesticides impair bumblebees learning ability and adaptation skills, wild bees could increasingly become vulnerable to changes in the environment.

A separate analysis showed that up to 57 different pesticides are poisoning European honeybees and worsening the declining of bee populations globally.

While it is unclear what causes colony collapse disorder and the bees rapidly declining populations, scientists continue to implicate pesticide use in the matter. The European Union, for instance, has banned the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Photo: Bert Heymans | Flickr

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If you're a Bachelor fan and haven't seen the show's season ender yet, you might want to take a pass from reading this article as it contains some major spoilers.

From start to finish, viewers of ABC's hit reality series "The Bachelor" were kept on the edge of their seat as they anxiously waited to find out who among the 28 contestants gets to win the heart of the show's lead, Ben Higgins.

The 27-year-old software salesman from Colorado got the chance to meet each of the lovely ladies, and after 12 heart-pounding episodes filled with tension and drama, he was able to whittle down the number of bachelorettes to two: real estate developer JoJo Fletcher from Texas and flight attendant Lauren Bushnell from Oregon.

While Ben told both Lauren and JoJo that he was very much in love with them, a move that was quite questionable at best, he chose to propose to Lauren instead, which the lovely lass from West Linn happily accepted.

In the lead up to the show's finale, Lauren and JoJo were introduced to Ben's parents, where his mom told the young hero that she finds it disturbing that he is in love with two girls.

It was followed up by Ben's one-on-one dates with the ladies to help him decide which of them he is willing to spend his happy days with.

Ben's last date with JoJo turned out to be more emotional than expected as she broke down from all the pressure of the competition. She even asked Ben for some words to comfort her before he makes his choice.

In yet another mind-boggling move, Ben admitted to JoJo that even though he was in love with her, he also feels the same for Lauren.

Ben was so conflicted with his feelings for the two ladies that even when he finally bid goodbye to JoJo during the Break Up Limo scene, he said that he was not even sure if he should propose to Lauren.

"I came into this not knowing if I was gonna find love. I didn't know if this would be real... but with you it was real, always," Ben told JoJo. "I found it with you but I found it with somebody else more."

Ben ultimately chose to be with Lauren and she accepted his engagement ring.

JoJo may not have found her love in Ben but she gets another crack at it after she was announced as the titular "Bachelorette" for the show's 12th season.

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About 51,000 people in 34 communities in Texas have been exposed to drinking water systems contaminated with arsenic.

Records show that this setup has been going on for at least 10 years, and the majority of cases involve arsenic levels that are several levels higher than the set limit.

Since 2006, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act necessitated public water supplies to ensure that arsenic levels are no more than 10 parts per billion. Such order was issued to decrease exposure to the fatal toxin that is associated with neurological disorders, lung and bladder cancers and other medical conditions

Not Informing The Public

The federal law orders local water companies to tell consumers if it finds violations and to tell the public that lifetime exposure to arsenic of more than 10 parts per billion may up the risk of cancer. However, in Texas, the state also necessitates advisories to include that the reminder is not an emergency and that there is no need to use alternate water supply.

Despite the alarming threats to the public, Texas has not informed the people to stop drinking water, the report says. Instead, the state implies that the water is safe.

"Telling consumers they don't need to replace water contaminated by arsenic implies the water is still safe to drink," says Environmental Integrity Project Texas branch Director Ilan Levin. He adds that it is unlikely for these state leaders to let their families drink the water that violates the Safe Drinking Water Act year after year.

The key, then, is for authorities to keep an open line of communication to the public.

"Informing consumers is an important strategy to protect public health," says the report (PDF).

The Flint, Michigan water crisis is one example of how vital it is to talk with residents who are drinking contaminated water, says EIP executive director Eric Schaeffer.

EIP Recommendations

EIP then came up with a list of recommendations to mitigate the problem.

The first one is for the state to stop implying that water that fails the Safe Drinking Water Act is safe to consume.

The second advice is to call on the Environmental Protection Agency to revise its protocols of necessitating states to advise people to stop drinking and using water that fails to meet arsenic limits for years.

The third recommendation is to educate the public about water treatment options that work, as well as those that do not work.

Lastly, the federal and state governments should provide sufficient funds to the affected Texas communities to pay for filtration system and perform other programs that can counter the contamination problems.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Yoga may help improve the quality of life of people suffering from sudden abnormal heart rhythm, a new study has found.

Patients diagnosed with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or sudden abnormal heartbeat may benefit from yoga, suggest researchers from the European Society of Cardiology. The team also found that the spiritual, physical and mental practice may reduce heart rate and blood pressure levels.

"We found that patients who did yoga had a better quality of life, lower heart rate and lower blood pressure than patients who did not do yoga," says study author Maria Wahlstrom.

What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common disorder that affects about 1.5 to 2 percent of the population in developed nations. Those with AF have an irregular and rapid heart rate.

The disorder causes people to suffer from dizziness, chest pain and breathing difficulty. Such symptoms make patients feel anxious, worried and stressed over the next AF episode.

The clinical manifestations of paroxysmal (sudden) AF may last from as short as less than 48 hours to as long as seven days. With this, patients cannot seem to live their lives fully as they are afraid of getting an attack when doing activities such as traveling, dining out or partying.

AF does not have a definitive cure yet. Disorder management targets alleviating the signs and symptoms and preventing complications such as stroke.

Yoga For AF

To investigate the effects of yoga on patients with AF, Wahlstrom and colleagues conducted a pilot study that involved 80 participants diagnosed with paroxysmal AF. The authors randomly assigned the subjects to receive either a standard AF treatment or a standard AF treatment plus yoga for 12 weeks.

The authors evaluated the patients' baseline blood pressure, heart rate and quality of life using standardized assessment tools.

After the experiment period, the yoga group exhibited higher scores in a mental health test, lower blood pressure levels and lower heart rates than the group that only received standard treatment..

The mental health test scores also improved from baseline to post-treatment period among the yoga group. Such improvement was not noted among the standard treatment group.

The patients had improved self-control and they said that it felt good to release their worrisome thoughts and just be one with themselves for a while.

Future Work

The team is now looking at performing a larger study involving 140 participants with paroxysmal AF. These subjects will be randomized to receive yoga, music therapy or a control intervention.

Such experiment will verify if only the relaxation or the combination of movement and deep breathing exercises are beneficial. The team may also find out if the group therapy component of these interventions is helpful, since the participants are likely to feel secure and safe when they meet other people undergoing the same situation.

Wahlstrom concludes that yoga should be offered to people with paroxysmal AF as a complementary therapy to help them relax. Doing yoga may also lower their anxiety and help them stay calm during an AF episode until it stops, decreasing the need for hospital trips.

The study was published on Monday in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

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Google now owns more than half of the educational technology market in the United States on the back of the popularity of its Chromebooks, edging past rivals Apple and Microsoft. With Chromebooks in the hands of so many teachers and students, the security of the computers has become even more important.

The Mountain View-based company, however, is very confident in the security of its Chromebooks. In fact, it is so confident that it is placing a bounty of $100,000 up for grabs to anybody who can develop a persistent compromise of a Chromebook while the computer is in guest mode, even when the computer is rebooted.

Google issued the Chromebook hacking challenge through a post on the Google Security Blog, where the company states that it sees security as a very serious issue.

The Chromebook hacking bounty is part of the Chrome Reward Program, which Google says already had a bounty of $50,000 since last year for any hacker who can prove that they were able to breach the Chromebooks' defenses. No individual has yet to submit a successful hack though, and so Google has decided to double the bounty to $100,000.

Google adds that the reward will be available throughout the year, and there will be no quota or a maximum reward pool associated with it.

It should be noted that Chromebooks are at their most secure while in guest mode, where guest users are able to download files but are prohibited from installing apps. This protects Chromebooks from malicious apps that guests can install, which is one way hackers can infect computers with malware.

In addition, Chromebooks automatically download software updates, run applications and webpages in sandboxes and starts up with a verified boot, which will roll back the computer's operating system if it is detected to have been tampered with.

The Chromebooks' security has been assisted by Google's Security Reward Program, which taps into hackers and researchers as resources to see if any hardware or software come with potential vulnerabilities. The discovered issues are then patched up and the individuals who found them are properly rewarded.

According to Google, it paid researchers over $2,000,000 last year in connection with the program.

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On Thursday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released a patent application that shows Hasbro looking into manufacturing a manual platform that will allow kids to scan small objects in 3D using their smartphone.

One would think that a 3D scanner paired up with a mobile app is not exactly something for kids, but as a leading innovator, Hasbro thinks otherwise.

Hasbro is honored to be named #3 on the most innovative companies in Hollywood list by @FastCompany! https://t.co/9q4oe8E6hB  Hasbro (@Hasbro) February 16, 2016

After the device scanned a toy or an object, the image may be used as an avatar or character for their games or view it in virtual reality. Although, the last one is a bit odd since they would already have the real thing, but hey, kids need fuel for their imagination, right?

According to the released patent office document, which filed last September 2015, the invention is attributed to Nicholas Reid, William Gajda, and Benjamin Parry Taylor.

The design itself is simple: a raised platform will serve as the scanning turntable. It can be manually turned by a crank located at the right side of the device. An important part of the structure is the extended arm that serves as the electronic scanning device dock - where the user should put the smartphone.

"The toy system allows users, including child users, to easily scan an object of their choosing and generate a virtual environment that includes a representation of the object. The representation can be a three-dimensional (3D) representation based on a 3D computer model that is generated from data collected during the scan of the object. The 3D computer model can be applied to and/or used in a variety of electronic user experiences," the document describes the device.

If that doesn't help you imagine it, a drawn image of what the toy would look like is supplied by the patent applicants below:

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Lyft and General Motors are joining forces in launching a rental car program called Express Drive.

This short-term rental program caters to people who wish to drive for the ride-hail service but do not have the appropriate vehicles to do so.

With this car rental program, the drivers rental fees are going to be based on how many trips they can manage to complete.

If, for instance, they can finish 65 trips or more in one week, then they are not going to shell out any cash from their pockets. They will only have to shoulder their expenses on gas. Those who only complete less than 40 rides in a week will have to fork out $99.20 cents for every mile. Drivers who will do 40 or more rides will be paying $99 but they are excused from paying the mileage cost.

Initially, this program will be available in Chicago, in which 125 Chevy Equinox cars will be made available. This will then be pushed out in three more areas, including Boston, Baltimore and Washington.

Do note, however, that rented vehicles should be returned after eight weeks.

This rental program is going to be operated under GM's Maven car-sharing service, which will be paying for the upkeep and maintenance of the rental vehicles.

"We've now made car ownership optional on both sides of the market," John Zimmer, Lyft's cofounder, said in a press call on Monday. "Now, you don't need to own a vehicle to make money on the platform, or to give rides to passengers."

Zimmer said that in the four cities in which the service will be initially rolled out, 150,000 people applied to drive for Lyft. However, he said they were rejected because they don't have the suitable cars or they don't have one to use. Express Drive aims to solve this issue.

While the two companies have not disclosed the financial terms for this new venture, Julia Steyn, vice president of urban mobility for GM said that they are still assessing how big the rental program will be.

"[B]ut John and I are both hoping for solid financial results," she said.

Express Drive is the two companies' first joint service two months after GM revealed its $500 million investment in Lyft in an aim to develop a self-driving car system down the road.

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Last week, new details emerged on the iPhone that triggered the legal trench warfare between the federal authorities and Apple.

The FBI recently submitted an affidavit, where an agent explained the steps the bureau took in order to gain information from Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone 5s. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, on Dec. 2, 2015, and were shot down by the police later during that day.

After declaring the shooting a terrorist act, the government managed to get a court order obliging Apple to assist the FBI in unlocking the iPhone of the attacker. Apple continues to oppose the order, invoking extended security risks, concerning national security and beyond.

According to Christopher Pluhar, the FBI agent who recently testified, Farook modified his iCloud password a few weeks before the San Bernardino massacre. That, coupled with the quad-digit passcode that locks the device, made it impossible for the FBI's forensics team to break into the iPhone.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) demands that Apple develop a unique variant of iOS that could turn off the safeguards on Farook's iPhone 5c. Also, the DOJ wants the company to disable the auto-destruct feature that deletes all information from the phone, should wrong passwords be tapped 10 times.

Pluhar says that the FBI modified the password to the employer-controlled iCloud account that belonged to Farook. By doing so, the bureau managed to get hold of the shooter's last backup of the phone, dating to Oct. 19, 2015.

Farook's employer did not have the password to the attacker's iCloud, but was able to reset it. This is how the FBI got access to the Oct. 19 iCloud backup. Farook was under pay at the The San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.

However, this did not help the investigators as much as they hoped. Farook had the foresight to change his iCloud password on Oct. 22. At the same date, the attacker turned off the auto-backup feature of iOS 9.

It should be noted that, in his sworn statement, Pluhar makes no mention of the auto-backup being switched off.

Apple does propose an alternative solution to completely unlocking the iPhone. The company says important data could be recovered simply by allowing Farook's handset to connect to a known Wi-Fi network.

In retort, the authorities disagree with the proposed solution. The FBI says Wi-Fi backup recovery would not work for three reasons: the changed iCloud password, the fact that the smartphone was recovered in power-off state, and the disabling of auto-backup.

In his deposition, Pluhar makes clear that some essential data for the investigation can only be found on the iPhone.

"The keyboard cache, as one example, contains a list of recent keystrokes typed by the user on the touchscreen," Pluhar says.

During the filling, an important detail surfaced: the attacker's iPhone remote-wipe option is disabled.

Remote-wipe differs from the auto-wipe that the government cited in its previous arguments. With remote-wipe, users can clear out all the iPhone's content through the Find My iPhone location service.

On the bright side, this means that the data from the device will remain untouched. On the other hand, the FBI still needs Apple's cooperation in order to unlock the handset, and the legal proceeding could take longer.

Apple, tech companies and public figures who support its security policy warn that unlocking Farook's phone could be devastating in the long run. The company doubts that the government would use the break-in for one time only, and feels that allowing FBI to do so would set a dangerous precedent. If leaked, encryption backdoors could be used maliciously by countries or hackers that view privacy as optional.

What is more, the legal clash between FBI and Apple takes on the privacy rights versus security theme, a subject that has been boiling in the American media since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Last week, government officials rebutted Apple's objections in a legal brief and the DOJ said that if Apple doesn't want to unlock the iPhone, it should just turn over its iOS source code and private electronic signature.

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Volkswagen continues to get rocked over its emissions scandal.

CBS News is reporting that institutional investors are suing the automaker in a German court for $3.57 billion in damages over the company's emissions cheating mess.

Lawyer Andreas Tilp told CBS on Tuesday that investors from 14 countries pooled together to file the lawsuit against VW. In particular, the investors involved in the suit are from the United States, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands. Hey, there was a never a rule that investors couldn't file a class-action lawsuit, right?

One of the plaintiffs is reportedly CalPERS, a pension fund representing government officials in California. The overwhelming complaint about the suit is that VW didn't inform the investors about its dirty, compromised diesel models in a timely manner, allowing them  and the rest of the world, for that matter  to hear about it when news of the scandal originally broke in September.

The timing of the announcement couldn't be worse, either, as it comes one day after a former employee claims he was wrongfully terminated by the company for refusing to participate in the deletion of files and overall obstruction of justice.

Daniel Donovan claims he was wrongfully fired by VW on Dec. 6, 2015 after not going along with the automaker's alleged demand to delete files, which he says the car manufacturer did for three days after the emissions report first surfaced from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last September.

Tuesday's news of the $3.57 billion lawsuit is on top of the $20 billion-plus in regulatory fines that potentially faces VW from countries whose diesel models were compromised. There are also the hundreds of class-action lawsuits that are being lined up to rock the embattled automaker, and all of this isn't even including the cost of fixing nearly 600,000 affected vehicles in the U.S. and 11 million worldwide.

In the U.S., VW has yet to come to terms with the EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) over a possible proposal for an emissions fix of the affected vehicles, with both the EPA and CARB rejecting their last such proposal in January.

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As Google and traditional automakers such as Ford and General Motors continue making strides in autonomous vehicle development, they're going to need federal regulators to loosen up on some of the red tape that could prevent them from hitting the road with self-driving cars sooner rather than later.

That's precisely why Google and other auto execs in the autonomous space convened at the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to attend a hearing called Hands Off: The Future of Self-Driving Cars, held before Senator John Thune and his peers.

The overwhelming sentiment addressed? Creating national laws for autonomous vehicles that would supersede and prevent the entanglement of state regulations, which could differ from state to state, creating a giant mess.

More than anyone, Dr. Chris Urmson of Google's Self-Driving Car Project led that charge for such national regulations to be adopted quickly, so that the development of driverless cars is put on the fast track in the United States.

"The leadership of the federal government is critically important given the growing patchwork of State laws and regulations on selfdriving cars," he testified before Congress on Tuesday. "Last December, we were disappointed that California released draft regulations for operation of autonomous vehicles that specifically excluded fully selfdriving cars, despite strong public support for this technology, particularly from the disability community.

"Further, in the past two years, 23 states have introduced 53 pieces of legislation that affect selfdriving cars  all of which include different approaches and concepts. Five states have passed such legislation, and  although all were intended to assist the development of the technology in the state  none of those laws feature common definitions, licensing structures or sets of expectations for what manufacturers should be doing," he continued. "If every state is left to go its own way without a unified approach, operating selfdriving cars across state boundaries would be an unworkable situation and one that will significantly hinder safety innovation, interstate commerce, national competitiveness, and the eventual deployment of autonomous vehicles."

Other panelists backed Urmson, concurring that a uniform set of national laws for autonomous cars is needed.

Urmson said that autonomous vehicles also stand the chance to help save lives, urging the government to give Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx the authority to approve new technologies quickly.

"When we look at the 38,000 people that Nhtsa (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) estimates were killed last year on America's roads, it's really an unacceptable status quo," Urmson added. "And there's so much opportunity to do good here. Now the technology will never be perfect, but the opportunity to reduce those accidents and those tragedies is incredible."

Urmson, who was joined before Congress by auto execs from GM, Delphi and Lyft, received criticism and doubt on the same panel, as evidenced by Dr. Mary Louise Cummings, the director of Humans and Autonomy Lab and Duke Robotics at Duke University.

Cummings flat-out said the Nhtsa should set the tone in creating uniform guidelines for autonomous vehicle testing by which companies like Google and automakers must abide. Furthermore, she wasn't impressed with Google's boast of two million autonomous miles accident-free.

"New York taxi cabs drive two million miles in a day an a half," she countered. "This two-million-mile assertion is indicative of a larger problem in robotics, especially in self-driving cars and drones, where demonstrations are substituted for rigorous testing."

She added: "I am decidedly less optimistic about what I perceive to be a rush to field systems that are absolutely not ready for widespread deployment, and certainly not ready for humans to be completely taken out of the driver's seat."

She wasn't the only one casting doubt Tuesday, indicating it could be well past 2020  the targeted year for autonomous cars to hit the road by many companies involved  before self-driving vehicles are available and used widespread.

Senator Bill Nelson experienced a ride in a Tesla Model S while on "autopilot," sharing that he couldn't resist his urge to take the wheel.

"I'm in the Tesla and we're coming back across the Anacostia River and getting up on the bridge to get onto the ramp on 395," Nelson said, as reported by ABC News. "And I'm instructed, in the driver's seat, 'Engage the autonomous switch.' I click it twice. 'Take your hands off the wheel.'

"So all of a sudden, the car is speeding up, and they say it automatically will go with the flow of the vehicles in the front and back," he continued. "But now we are approaching the ramp and it is a sharp turn, and the vehicle is still speeding up. And they said, 'Trust the vehicle.' As we approach the concrete wall, my instincts could not resist. And I grabbed the wheel, touched the brake and took over manual control."

While the open-dialog between the companies involved and Senators at Tuesday's Congressional hearing is a healthy start, it's probably one of many, many talks that await in the near future ... well before autonomous cars hit the road.

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Anonymous declares total war on Donald Trump, vows to dismantle his Presidential campaign

It looks like the hacktivist collective Anonymous is reviving last years #OpTrump against the US presidential candidate, Donald Trump. It hopes to not only bring down many of Trumps sites, but also halt his presidential bid by revealing and exposing embarrassing information.

In a video posted on YouTube, the hacktivists declare Trumps actions and campaign for the Republican nomination shocking.

The Guy Fawkes-masked presenter says on the March 4 video, which includes a medley of TV footage showing some of Trumps most hateful, sexist and racist comments, Dear Donald Trump, we have been watching you for a long time and what we see is deeply disturbing. Your inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States of America [but] you have shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas. You say what your audience wants to hear but in reality you dont stand for anything except for your personal greed and power.

Calling for its loose-knit network of hacktivists as well as ordinary computer users to engage in Operation Trump  #OpTrump re-engaged 2016  the presenter says Trumps campaign for the White House needs to be shut down and his brand sabotaged.

We need you to shut down his websites, to research and expose what he doesnt want the public to know. We need to dismantle his campaign and sabotage his brand. We are encouraging every able person with a computer to participate in this operation. This is not a warning, this is a declaration of total war. Donald Trump  it is too late to expect us, the presenter adds. This is a call to protect our future, our freedom and our very way of life.

In a separate written message posted online, Anonymous listed a number of websites chosen to be the initial targets in the attack. Their plan is to have computer users around the world target including trump.com, trumpchicago.com, donaldjtrump.com and trumphotelcollection.com. It asks people to research and expose what Trump doesnt want public to know and says people do not need to know how to hack to support this important operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciavyc6bE7A

The plan has been met with praise and criticism online by YouTube users, from Please expose his lies and deceit against the world. Thank you for your contribution in making the world a more just planet!, to Think about it. Soros is using Bernies [sic] useful idiots to stir up s, while funding Hillary. If you want to shut someone down, take your pick of those two. The majority of the nation is standing behind Trump.

Some Trump-supporting commenters also expressed concerns that the call came from the real Anonymous, only to be quickly reminded that anonymity is certianly unverifiable.

Given Trumps popularity and ability to take away the limelight online and on the airwaves, it is unclear what level of public support the message will gather.

In December 2015, Anonymous officially declared war on Trump after a radical speech in which he said Muslims should be banned from entering the United States. The operation at the time resulted in a number of websites being targeted by hackers, but failed to have lasting impact.

However, this time, the video says, it will be an all-out war.

Anonymous, which is a loose collective of hacktivists, regularly engages high-profile targets as part of its cyber-campaigns. Their previous attacks include targets such as the Islamic State (IS) under the banner of OpISIS and the recent cyber campaign against Turkish government.
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.
Later at 8.07pm - just seven minutes after he started his shift, he sent another text saying: "If there's an emergency and I have to go I'll give you the money and its up to you whether you wait for the emergency to finish. Likewise, if an emergency happens before you get here, I'll come out and give you the money."
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WHO has published Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)  Saudi Arabia. This is another of the belated reports that WHO can turn out only when the Saudis are good and ready to tell them a few details. In this case, the details are about 25 cases between February 26 and March 8. I won't tire you with the 25 cases, but WHO offered the following advice (and then I offer a comment):

Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.

Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of MERS-CoV in health care facilities. It is not always possible to identify patients with MERS-CoV early because like other respiratory infections, the early symptoms of MERS-CoV are non-specific. Therefore, health-care workers should always apply standard precautions consistently with all patients, regardless of their diagnosis. Droplet precautions should be added to the standard precautions when providing care to patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection; contact precautions and eye protection should be added when caring for probable or confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection; airborne precautions should be applied when performing aerosol generating procedures.

Until more is understood about MERS-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immunocompromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERSCoV infection. Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly camels, when visiting farms, markets, or barn areas where the virus is known to be potentially circulating. General hygiene measures, such as regular hand washing before and after touching animals and avoiding contact with sick animals, should be adhered to.

To which I would add: the kinds of people WHO talks about should also avoid close contact with hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where infection control remains an aspirational goal, not an operational prerequisite.
The Venezuelan government celebrated on Friday the arrival in the country of the last five crew members of the Emtrasur aircraft that had been held in Argentina since June 6. | Read More
A curious look at the world of finance
Ghastly Bus Accident Near Vijayawada

A tragic bus accident took place today near Vijayawada.Four medical students and their driver were killed while 17 others were injured in a ghastly road accident. The accident happened near Gollapudi village in Vijayawada late on Monday night.The deceased students were belonging to Osmania Medical College and they were returning to Hyderabad from Amalapuram in a private bus when the accident occurred.



The deceased have been identified as Macha Pranay (Saroor Nagar), Vijay Tej (Quthubullapur), Uday (Karimnagar), Giri Lakshman (Adilabad) and driver Vemula Sivaiah. The bus was belonged to Dhanunjaya Travels and the accident was happened after the bus rammed into a tree at Nallakunta center at Gollapudi area



There were 45 students in the bus at the time of the accident. The deaths was happened after several students falling on each other in the bus while others got stuck between the bus seats. Some of the students, who survived the accident, alleged that the driver was drunk while driving the bus. They said some of them even involved in verbal war with driver after he didn't heed to their request on rash driving. Meanwhile the condition of the 17 injured students is stated to be critical.









News Posted: 15 March, 2016








Amazon delegation meets AP CM

Hyderabad, March 15 (INN): In a meeting with delegates of Amazon Web Services, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu asked them to make Andhra Pradesh a model state in technology and innovation using Amazon's cloud technology.



Peter Moore, Managing Director, Amazon Web Services, Roger Somerville, Head of Public Policy, APAC at AWS, Ashish Boob, Regional Manager and IT Advisor to Andhra Pradesh Government J. A. Chowdary met the Chief Minister.



Moore explained to the Chief Minister the scope and stretch of Amazon Web Services to provide large computing capacity more quickly and efficiently. He informed the Chief Minister that the company has over 1 million customers in 190 countries. He further added that over 1,000 government agencies are currently using Amazon Web Services.



Emphasizing on the growth of start-ups across the world, Moore said most entrepreneurs use AWS as a reliable tool to build start-ups. He has extended support and hoped to actively collaborate with the state government to encourage start-ups from Andhra Pradesh. 'It is a great opportunity to experiment and contribute to your vision,' Moore added.



The Chief Minister asked the Amazon delegation to create a model with Andhra Pradesh as a model state in innovation and technology that can be replicated to other states in future. 'We are looking towards achieving inclusive growth rate and higher happiness index. We are using technology and innovation to achieve double-digit growth,' he said.



The Chief Minister explained the opportunities and advantages of Andhra Pradesh and has asked the delegation to come up with proposals to work upon.



Meanwhile, Moore extended an invitation to the Chief Minister to meet their global leadership.









News Posted: 15 March, 2016








Centre clears AIIMS at Guntur

Hyderabad, March 15 (INN): The Central Government has cleared the proposal to establish new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Guntur.



Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda informed that the Centre has cleared proposals to establish three new AIIMS, at Mangalagiri near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh at the cost of Rs. 1618 crore, Nagpur in Maharashtra at the cost of Rs 1577 crore and Kalyani in West Bengal at the cost of Rs 1754 crore under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), involving a total financial implication of Rs 4949 crore.



The establishment of each of the new AIIMS will be completed in a period of 60 months from the zero date (that is the date of the approval of Government of India), broadly comprising a Pre-construction phase of 12 months, a Construction phase of 42 months and a Stabilization/Commissioning phase of 6 months.









News Posted: 15 March, 2016








President to inaugurate Aviation event on Wednesday

Hyderabad, March 15 (INN): President of India Pranab Mukherjee will visit Hyderabad on Tuesday to inaugurate the 5th Edition of 'India Aviation'. He will return to Delhi after the event the same day.



The theme of 'India Aviation' this year is 'India's Civil Aviation Sector: Potential a Global Manufacturing & MRO Hub'. The last 'India Aviation' was held in 2014 which had participation from more than 200 exhibitors from India and abroad with more than 25 Aircraft on display.









News Posted: 15 March, 2016








 

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Airservices Australia has abandoned a five-year pricing proposal it put to airlines last year and will instead freeze its fees until July 2017 amid a cost-cutting drive by new chief executive Jason Harfield.

"It is unprecedented in the sense we are holding off putting a new pricing proposal making sure we are as efficient as we possibly can," he said. "The prices will stay as they are. We are going to suck it up. Realistically [a new deal] wouldn't come into effect until 1 July 2017."

Airservices Australia costs had been increasing faster than revenue. Credit:James Davies

The freeze in fees will benefit all domestic and international airlines, which are reliant on government-owned Airservices for air traffic control and airport firefighting services. Airservices collected $1.01 billion of revenue in financial year 2015.

The current pricing agreement expires on June 30. In August, Airservices had proposed a 5.3 per cent rise in the first year of the five-year deal, with a weighted average of 3.3 per cent over the life of the agreement.
The erosion of struggling mineral exploration companies from the Australian Securities Exchange picked up pace in the December quarter, with 25 companies delisting, entering administration or switching their focus to another industry.

On the back of low commodity prices, investors have predominantly turned away from junior resources stocks, with the exception of a number of gold and lithium plays, prompting cash-strapped companies to act.

A large number of exploration companies are in "cash preservation mode. Credit:Aaron Bunch

About 120 of the 753 listed exploration companies, or 16 per cent, did not actively explore during the December quarter, according to accounting and advisory firm BDO's latest quarterly cash analysis on the sector.

BDO said "an increasing number of exploration companies are going into cash preservation mode" or leaving the struggling sector entirely.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has backed a United Nations Security Council probe into Tehran's latest ballistic missile test despite a personal assurance from her Iranian counterpart the weapons are only intended for self-defence.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, met with Ms Bishop in Canberra on Tuesday and signalled he was willing for officials to keep talking with Australia on the voluntary return of Iranian asylum seekers deemed not to be refugees.

But Dr Zarif reiterated Iran would not accept forced repatriation of its citizens.
Police did have another option. They could have thrown resources (surveillance, warrants, phone taps) at watching those who allegedly wanted to hurt Mr Acquaro. Since this alleged threat was presumed to be part of a dispute within the international 'Ndrangheta, or Calabrian honoured society, Victoria Police could have invited the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Federal Police to join their investigation. Police outside Joseph Acquaro's Gelato bar in Brunswick East. Credit:Jason South Italian organised crime is highly disciplined, with an almost impenetrable honour code. As any number of police reports can attest, it operates nationally and internationally, using family ties, history, culture, and language to conceal its operations. For police, cracking the code using the full suite of anti-gang police activity would be hugely expensive. Those tactics had last been deployed by Purana at the height of Victoria's gang war. It was successful in gathering hard evidence that led to arrests and prison terms, but in the meantime many people died. Victoria Police and State Emergency Service workers at the scene where the body of Joseph Acquaro was found in Brunswick East on Tuesday. Credit:Eddie Jim

On this occasion Victoria Police decided not to use the multi-agency taskforce approach, they preferred to try to disrupt any impending violence. They also urged Mr Acquaro to take his own security measures. For whatever reason  bravado, fatalism, distrust of police  he refused. In the months following, the case cooled. The alleged protagonists kept their heads down. Mr Acquaro relaxed back into his life. Then he lost it, to be discovered by garbage men on a roadside at 3am. As a lawyer, Mr Acquaro represented those at the highest levels in Melbourne's Mafia. This began after Melbourne's then undisputed godfather, Liborio Benvenuto, requested he represent the legal interests of several well-known Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable market grocers. For decades he defended the organisation's scions in criminal cases, likely giving him a rare insight into the plotting and planning at the higher levels of the organisation. But sources say he was never in the inner sanctum and was not directly involved in any criminality. The role allowed him to float between the underworld and the political world. He had many political contacts in both Liberal and Labor parties.

It was Mr Acquaro who arranged the community lobbying campaign, which included a series of donations to the Liberal Party, and which ultimately resulted in then immigration minister Amanda Vanstone granting a visa to criminal figure Frank Madafferi. Madafferi is now doing an extended stint in prison for Australia's biggest ever party drug import. In recent years, though, Mr Acquaro had developed many enemies in the Mafia. He fell out with senior figures who were one-time clients of his criminal law practice. He had a fist fight with one of them in his shop. His family was estranged from him. Some friends chose other people to spend their time with. Apart from all this, from 2014, Fairfax Media was giving an extraordinary level of scrutiny to the activities and political connections of Mafia figures. Police warned Age reporter Nick McKenzie the Mafia was organising surveillance on him. He should do something about his personal security, they said, and he did. Mafia figures blamed Mr Acquaro for being the source of those stories. This is among the number of things the police are now investigating as a possible motive for murder. But there was also immense tension with family members and a restaurant world where people were jealous of his success. He was involved in a tussle for control of Melbourne's Reggio Calabria club. Perhaps he'd become embroiled in a financial dispute, or a criminal he'd represented, completely unrelated to the Mafia, was unhappy with the service. Perhaps this was a random drive-by event.
Youths caught brawling in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday night could face a range of charges from affray to robbery  some of which could result in jail time.

Following a second day of Premier Daniel Andrews talking tough on punishing the perpetrators for their "evil choices", figures show a small proportion of offenders convicted of affray have been jailed.

The Age understands police are considering a range of charges including affray, robbery, causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury and riot.

On Saturday night youths brawled in Federation Square, spilling onto Swanston Street and City Square as stunned bystanders looked on.

Some people were also allegedly robbed of their phones and some of the rioters reportedly antagonised police officers.
One in nine people tested for drug-driving returned a positive result in a Victoria Police holiday road blitz.

One in 478 people tested for drink-driving as part of Operation Arid, conducted over the Labour Day long weekend, were over the limit.

Victoria Police booked nearly 200 motorists for drug-driving over the long weekend. Credit:Aaron Sawall

But the most frequent offence was speeding, with police nabbing more than 2600 drivers.

In total there were 6477 traffic offences and 907 criminal offences detected across the weekend.
The appointment will create diplomatic difficulties for countries such as the US and Australia at a time when they want to be seen to support the incoming administration's efforts to share power with the military. US State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that the US has "made its concerns known about this individual and this process, quite frankly, and we'll monitor it going forward". Htin Kyaw, left, a National League for Democracy presidential candidate, speaks with NLD MPs in parliament on Monday. Credit:AP In 2012 Myint Swe was proposed as a vice-presidential candidate but was dropped after it emerged his son-in-law had Australian citizenship. Reuters has quoted sources saying the man has since renounced his Australian passport and taken Myanmar nationality. The military blocked Ms Suu Kyi becoming president under a constitutional clause barring anyone whose relatives are foreigners from taking presidential or vice-presidential positions. Her late husband was British, as are her two sons.

Myanmar workers sweep the road leading to parliament in Naypyitaw ahead of the vote to decide the country's new president and vice-presidents on Tuesday. Credit:AP Myint Swe, 64, is a close supporter of the still-influential retired dictator Than Shwe and one of dozens of military-linked and business figures on the US Treasury Department's list of people with whom US citizens and companies cannot do business. Since becoming chief minister of Yangon in 2011, Myint Swe has acquired a reputation for controversial commercial dealings and ties to "crony" businessmen. Appointed lawmakers who represent Myanmar's military arrive for a parliamentary session in Naypyitaw on Monday. Credit:AP As a hardline general and head of Myanmar's feared military intelligence unit, he played a key role in the military's repressive regime, including commanding a crackdown on the Saffron Revolution, during which 32 people, including Buddhist monks, were gunned down on Yangon streets.

Myanmar's social media users attacked him after the military made its nomination public on the weekend, accusing him of being behind paramilitary forces deployed against student demonstrators in Yangon last year. An ethnic Naga lawmaker of the National League for Democracy party arrives at parliament on Monday. Credit:AP NLD officials have been quoted in Myanmar's media as saying they were dismayed by Myint Swe's appointment after Ms Suu Kyi had sought to smooth relations with the military in a series of private meetings. An NLD spokesperson said the party was concerned about the role Myint Swe would play in the important National Defence and Security Council where the military has a majority of 11 members, adding he would be judged by his actions. Lawmakers of the National League for Democracy party arrive at parliament on Monday. Credit:AP

But Ko Ko Naing, a member of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, defended the appointment, saying "he can lead the country successfully because he has served as a general in the military and also as Yangon's chief minister". Tuesday's vote also elected Henry Van Thio, a little-known ethnic Chin and former military officer to be second vice-president. Myint Swe, who led the crackdown on the Saffron Revolution, has been elected vice-president by the powerful Myanmar military. Credit:AP Under the constitution Htin Kyaw, 69, a former schoolmate of Ms Suu Kyi, will now be able to appoint a cabinet that will take charge of the country on April 1. But Ms Suu Kyi has made it clear that he will be subordinate to her as she runs the country from a position tipped to be a "super" minister in the president's office.
Berlin: A driver has been killed after a bomb exploded either in or on his car while he was driving through Berlin's western Charlottenburg district, police say.

"Police are investigating with full force in all directions - that includes the possibility of an altercation surrounding organised crime networks," a police spokesman said.

Police investigators at the site of the blast in Berlin. Credit:AP

The explosion that struck the silver Volkswagen Passat happened on Tuesday morning at a busy intersection in the German capital.

The car overturned as a result of the blast, then rammed into a parked vehicle.
Budapest: Russian President Vladimir Putin is not one for consulting the rest of the world when he acts. Just as he caught the Americans off guard when he decided to intervene militarily in Syria in September, his announcement on Monday that Russia will begin withdrawing its forces from the war zone with immediate effect has surprised other nations.

Nevertheless, the West is likely to give a cautious welcome to the news, which comes as the Syrian civil war enters its sixth year, and as peace talks resume in Geneva.

The Kremlin leader did telephone Syrian President Bashar-al Assad to inform him that he could no longer count on full military support from Moscow, although Russia will keep its airbase at Latakia and its naval base at Tartus.
Trade union bodies have no right of veto over ACT government procurement contracts despite a long-standing agreement on consultation, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said on Wednesday.

Mr Barr accused the federal Coalition government and ACT opposition of institutional memory loss over the memorandum of understanding signed with UnionsACT in March 2015, pointing to a 2009 committee hearing when Canberra Liberal's treasury spokesman Brendan Smyth discussed the document with union officials.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr signed the memorandum of understanding with UnionsACT in March 2015. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson and federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash both said the agreement amounted to a right of veto and a secret deal with trade unions. Both sought to link it to the powerful Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union on Wednesday.

The first agreement was signed between unions and the ACT government in 2005, when the Howard government first introduced its controversial WorkChoices industrial relations laws.
9.27am: The tow trucks are on their way to a crash on William Hovell Drive near the Glenloch interchange.

9.26am: One child was assessed by paramedics on scene after an earlier crash on Cotter Road, near Streeton Drive. The crash appears to have cleared up now.

9.24am: One citybound lane on William Hovell Drive is blocked by a two-car crash.

9.11am: Police are also advising drivers to watch out for a crash on Condamine Street and Bent Street in Turner.

9.10am: A two-car crash on William Hovell Drive near the cross street of Bindubi and the Glenloch Interchange is causing some traffic dramas. Police say the vehicles were travelling southbound on the GDE past the Aranda turnoff when the crash occurred.

8.59am: A two-car crash on Cotter Road near Streeton Drive in Weston Creek is still impacting traffic, police say.

8.42am: A two-car crash is impacting traffic on Cotter Road near Streeton Drive in Weston Creek. No other details available yet though.

8.38am: Looks like there's been a smash on the Cotter Road near Streeton Drive in Weston Creek. Emergency services are on their way.

If you see any accidents or have any info on the morning commute, let us know whenever it is safe to do so. Email morningblog@canberratimes.com.au or tweet us @canberratimes.



Communications Minister Mitch Fifield will address the National Press Club at 12.30pm today.

The Canberra Balloon Spectacular has been cancelled this morning, but weather permitting is on every morning from 6am from the lawns of Old Parliament House. Free for spectators with paid hot breakfast served by the Belconnen Lions Club. Until March 20.

The Canberra Comedy Festival is on until March 20 with 60 comedy shows over six days. At various venues. Read about what happened when The Canberra Times sat down with musical comedy trio Tripod here.

Canberra's independent writers' festival Noted celebrates reading, writing and all things literary from today until March 20 at Gorman House Arts Centre.

The 27th Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is back at Palace Electric Cinemas with 48 flicks from March 3-29.

The Canberra Times Good Food Month is on until March 31, 2016.

Celestial Empire: Life in China 1644-1911 is on at the National Library of Australia brings together culture and tradition from two of the world's great libraries. Until May 22. Free.

Geraldine Doogue hosts a public panel discussion as part of the New Encounters conference featuring speakers from the first peoples of Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and Scandinavia from 6pm tonight at the National Museum. Tickets here.

Encounters showcases rare Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander objects from the British Museum at the National Museum of Australia until March 28. Free.

A retrospective of Australian artist Tom Roberts is on at the National Gallery of Australia until March 28.

Touch or click through for more David Pope

Today: Partly cloudy. Slight (20%) chance of a shower in the morning. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h turning easterly in the early afternoon. Max 25.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Light winds. Min 11, max 27.

Friday: Cloudy. High (70%) chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then tending westerly during the afternoon. Min 12, max 25.
Officers have so far been unable to identify the driver, or even the make or type of the car involved.

Firefighters were first on the scene and put out the fire.

Police received a call about the single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Fairbairn Avenue and Mount Ainslie Drive, Campbell, about midnight.

A person has died in a fiery crash when a car hit a stone wall in Campbell late on Monday night.

The car appears to have come down Mount Ainslie Drive, gone through the intersection with Fairbairn Avenue and crashed head on into a stone retaining wall on the other side of the road.

A spokeswoman said police were investigating the circumstances of the accident and would prepare a report for the coroner.

Fairbairn Avenue was closed to traffic in both directions until about 5am, when the eastbound lane was reopened. The westbound lane was reopened by 6.15am.

Police asked any one who might have seen anything to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at act.crimestoppers.com.au.

It is the second death on a Canberra road this year, and comes after a motorcycle rider died after crashing into a tree on Cotter Road near Stromlo.
The first stage of Gundaroo Drive's $31.1 million duplication will begin on Tuesday. The Gungahlin Drive to the Mirrabei Drive and Anthony Rolfe Avenue intersection will be the first section of road to be overhauled, in a move to alleviate congestion in the burgeoning Gungahlin region. Lane closures will be required during the works, but are planned for outside the peak period. Credit:Graham Tidy More than 1000 people signed a petition presented to the ACT Legislative Assembly to include an upgrade to Gundaroo Drive in the 2015-16 budget. Gundaroo Drive will be upgraded to a dual carriageway between Gungahlin Drive and Mirrabei Drive-Anthony Rolfe Avenue while intersections at Anthony Rolfe Avenue, Mapleton Avenue and Well Station Drive will also be upgraded.

Minister for Transport and Municipal Services Meegan Fitzharris said the improved road will include on-road cycle lanes to provide safe passage for cyclists and a new pedestrian crossing with lights between Gungahlin Drive and Nari Street. Priority lanes for buses travelling in both directions along Gundaroo Drive will be added to the intersection of Gundaroo and Gungahlin Drives. "To prepare for future duplication of the next section of Gundaroo Drive, the high pressure gas main on the north side of Gundaroo Drive between Nudurr Drive and Gungahlin Drive will also be relocated," she said. "During these works lane closures will be required, however they will be planned for outside the usual peak period. Reduced speed limits will be in operation to ensure safety for workers and for the travelling public, and diversions will also be in place for cyclists."
Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson has defended his party's $3300 fee for 2016 preselection nominations, arguing the Liberals need the money.

Last week it was reported potential Liberal candidates for October's ACT election would have to stump up the fee to nominate for the preselection process, set to be finalised next month. A significantly increase from $600 in previous election cycles, similar fees are not charged by Labor of the Greens.

Preselection open: Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson. Credit:Matt Bedford

Preselection materials obtained by Fairfax Media showed nominations will close on April 5, and be finalised in May.

Mr Hanson said the nomination fee had been set by the party's executive and no one had raised concerns about the high cost with him. He said candidates were expected to contribute to their own campaigns, as Labor received millions from poker machine revenue and from unions including the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.
ACT government high schools have continued to claw back a majority share of Canberra students for a second year in a row, according to the 2016 ACT School Census.

But Catholic systemic schools have recorded a net loss in students on last year while Independent schools are largely at capacity.

The ACT School Census shows a trend towards government high schools. Credit:Arsineh Houspian

Taken last month, the figures show stronger overall enrolment growth in government schools  at 3.2 per cent, compared with non-government schools, at 0.5 per cent. Within the non-government sector, Catholic schools have lost 1 per cent of enrolments over the year, or 130 students, while independent schools have gained 2 per cent, or 276 students.

The February enrolment snapshot shows a 2.2 per cent increase in enrolments, compared to an estimated general population growth rate of 1.5 per cent, according to ACT Education Minister Shane Rattenbury.
Stephen Smith's tilt at WA Labor leader has ended, just two days after it started, after the caucus unanimously threw its support behind Mark McGowan.

The writing was on the wall on Monday, when the shadow cabinet put forward a motion backing the current Labor leader.

But Mr Smith's bid was effectively killed off on Tuesday after the caucus meeting again voted to unanimously support Mr McGowan.

The former federal defence minister's slim chance of slipping through the back door via the seat of Baldivis was torched on Monday night after the party picked former TV journalist Reece Whitby to run for the seat.
The AFL tribunal will hear the rough conduct charge against Jeremy Cameron on Tuesday night after the league turned down a request by Greater Western Sydney for an extra day to prepare their defence.

Cameron was sent directly to the tribunal, with no option of an early plea, for the bump that left Brisbane youngster Rhys Mathieson with a fractured cheekbone.

Jeremy Cameron will face the tribunal over this incident in question. Credit:Fox Footy

There is little doubt the tribunal will suspend Cameron - the only question will be the length of the ban.

He was reported immediately after bumping Mathieson and Monday's match review panel graded the rough conduct charge as careless, with severe impact to the head.
ANZ Bank will conduct an independent review of its insurance and superannuation arm OnePath after a series of breaches affecting 1,300,000 customers, some of whom had their super paid into the wrong account for up to a year.

The review comes after markets regulator the Australian Securities and Investments Commission raised concerns about compliance at the OnePath division.

Some OnePath customers had their superannuation paid into the wrong account for up to 12 months. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The breaches, including those that did not require monetary remediation, total $53.5 million and occurred between early 2013 and mid-2015.

ANZ has had to pay $4.5 million in compensation and refunds to its customers over the breaches.
The global banking regulator wants to make large banks reveal what their capital levels would be if they weren't allowed to use internal risk assessments that let them ratchet up leverage.

The Bank for International Settlements released on Monday night further details of the second phase of an overhaul of bank capital disclosure requirements, known as Pillar 3, which are details on a bank's risk profile, risk management, capital adequacy, capital instruments and remuneration practices.

The changes from BIS's Basel Committee on Banking Supervision will require large banks to publish what their capital levels would be if they were on the standardised measure.

Banks globally release these quarterly.

The changes will introduce nine new areas that banks will need to report on, including capital figures, which will allow regulators and investors to compare all banks' leverage more easily.
The $2.5 billion DEXUS Property takeover stoush for the listed Investa Office Fund is undervalued and should be rejected, according to the fund's current manager.

In its response documents to the DEXUS scrip and cash offer, Investa Office Management (IOM) says the bid is "opportunistic" and should be rejected by IOF unit holders.

If successful, DEXUS will increase its share of the national office market to about 7.4 per cent from 2.6 per cent in 2009, or about $17.5 billion. Credit:Peter Rae

The document also revealed that the manager paid Morgan Stanley $90 million for the management rights of IOF and is now offering back half of them to IOF, should the DEXUS offer be rejected.

The proposed takeover of IOF is the final stage of a strategic review of Investa that was prompted by Morgan Stanley in February, when it revealed it was selling the Investa platform.
Mega Damming of the Life giving waters of Ethiopia. This process is menacing the existence of the inhabitants of the region by drying the sources and lakes. The main reason advertised for damming is for production of Electricity and exporting energy. This could be done by small human level dams.The underlying reason is to the irrigation for the great land grabbing for cash crop exportation for financial speculators. Moreover, such mega projects leads to undue water crisis.
Passive investors drove strong interest in the sale of 1021 Burwood Highway which fetched $2.31 million in front of a large auction crowd. Four bidders vied for the large corner block leased to Magic Hand Car Wash for around $132,000 per annum, Gross Waddell's Raoul Salter and Jamie Stuart said. "With investors chasing yield the property provides a good covenant and substantial lease with annual increases," Mr Salter said. Clayton A warehouse/office within a tightly held industrial development in a prominent location at Clayton in has been sold by Ray White Commercial for $765,000. The vacant 399-square-metre building at 17/1866 Dandenong Road sold prior to auction to a local owner-occupier. Ray White Commercial's Brett Diston said there was strong interest in the commercial building which has recently been renovated. Clayton South An industrial equipment supplier has purchased an office warehouse at 3/126 Fairbank Road for $885,000 which equates to $1324 per square metre. The 668-square-metre building included a new dual-level office fitout while the warehouse has a six-metre clearance, Knight Frank's Stuart Gill said. In Keysborough, an owner occupier purchased a modern warehouse at 10 Fiveways Boulevard for $1.95 million or about $1163 per square metre, Mr Gill said.

Lynbrook A local developer paid $3.35 million for a major site at 74-84 Hutchinson Drive 38 kilometres south east of Melbourne. Knight Frank's Michael Hede and Ken Smirk sold the property under instruction from the receiver Cor Cordis. The site is subdivided into 29 serviced lots with a planning permit approved to develop 29 dwellings. LEASES St Kilda Road Colliers International's Matt Cosgrave has negotiated new leases to both PrimeQ and Fetch Recruitment at 420 St Kilda Road. Each company will occupy space on Level 5. The deals were struck on net face rents of $335 per square metre and $320 per square metre respectively. Meanwhile Mr Cosgrove and Ben McKendry negotiated MediQ Financial Services' relocation to Level 2 at 5 Queens Road on gross face rent of $440 per square metre. The pair also leased software company Live Person 818 square metres on Level 2 at net face rent of $335 per square metre.

Armadale Self-care business Green Rocket has leased 1258 High Street for $80,000 plus gst and outgoings. The deal for the small shop took just seven weeks to turn around, Beller Commercial's Brendan Goss said. Port Melbourne Shops in Bay Street have also proved popular with tenants. Shops 1 and 2 at number 188 in the heart of the strip have new occupants. Shop 1 was leased to Telstra on annual rent of $135,000 and Shop 2 was taken by children's book store Three Four Knock on the Door for rental of $80,000 per annum, Anthony Carbone of CVA Property Consultants said. Campbellfield

Sexyland is out and party suppliers are in at 3/1447-1451 Sydney Road. A sweet and party supply business expanding out of Preston Market has taken the space formerly leased to Sexyland on a three-year lease, said Fitzroys' Dean Alexander. Docklands F45 training and fitness centres has agreed terms on a new lease in an off-market deal negotiated by Savills Australia's Michael Di Carlo and Jock Thomson. The property at 818 Bourke Street has a 140-square-metre tenancy leased on a five-year term, with options, for rent around $510 a square metre per annum net. MOVERS Colliers International has appointed five new specialists across its south-eastern, northern, city fringe and Port Melbourne industrial markets. The new appointees include Adrian Rowse, Damian Marinelli, Lachlan Dornauf, Maria Mitsios and Charlie Woodley. Mr Rowse will work with Tony Iuliano, providing analytical and sales support. Mr Woodley previously worked at Little Real Estate. The firm's leasing team is also expanding joined by Julian Mero. Meanwhile, Savills Australia continues to strengthen its Victorian office leasing team, appointing Kizzy Okoukoni as associate director office leasing. Mr Okoukoni has extensive experience in commercial leasing and sales and project marketing over more than a decade in the UK and then Cape Verde before arriving in Australia and working with Dixon Kestles in Melbourne.
The headlong rush by investors into small stores in suburban strips appears far from over with new-year transactions continuing to set record prices.

The retail sizzle in Melbourne's suburbs has been seen from Sunbury to Box Hill and follows a stellar year for the sector where a similar pattern in 2015 resulted in unprecedented yields spurred by a wave of cheap money and a growing pool of investors pushing up prices.

607 Station Street in Box Hill sold for $3.15 million under the hammer.

Fitzroys agent David Bourke said offshore buyers, particularly, were continuing to show strong interest in well-located retail assets.

Mr Bourke, along with colleagues Martin Huang and Terence Yeh, sold a shop at 607 Station Street in Box Hill leased to China Bar for $3.15 million under the hammer, reflecting a tight 3.6 per cent yield.
An upcoming change in accounting standards will have a "potentially huge" impact on corporate Australia when leases become a key feature on company balance sheets, effectively inflating a company's assets and liabilities, experts maintain.

JLL's Asia Pacific head of corporate consulting Sylvia Koh has warned the new standards adopted this month by the Australian Accounting Standards Board will include leased property portfolios on a company's financial statements.

Leases will become a key feature on company balance sheets by 2019, creating a significant administrative burden.

All Australian companies are expected to comply with the new global lease accounting standard by 2019 to meet the need for greater transparency of companies' lease assets and liabilities, which are now off the balance sheet.

But the shift is likely to create a significant administrative burden for business, particularly retailers, leisure operators, banks and other companies that rely heavily on real estate leasing.
Young people are pushing for the abolition of negative gearing, saying it prompts people to live beyond their means, contrary to the advice of financial planners who say it is one of the best tools left for young people to generate wealth.

Following the government's suggestion negative gearing will be part of impending tax changes, some Millennials say its inclusion in the tax system has already locked them out of a skyrocketing property market and the policy encourages people to borrow money on an asset that may not always appreciate.

"Negative gearing actively encourages people to live further beyond their means," says Alex Stoker, 32, an acoustic engineer living in Sydney. "It gets people buying multiple houses when they really shouldn't be. Whatever happened to buying when and where you can afford to?"

"Even with negative gearing you still need a decent slab of money to be able to borrow from the bank," says engineer James Reeves, 28. "I'm all for saving, but putting away for a $40,000 deposit while I'm paying the rent I am, will take me more than five years. It seems like I'm competing with men and women who have 30 extra years of working behind them. Why do they want their third three-bedroom house, [when] they already have one, or two?"
NSW paramedics who have been underpaid hundreds of dollars in their fortnightly pay packets because of ongoing problems with their payroll system are threatening to strike.

Wayne Flint, assistant secretary of the Australian Paramedics Association NSW branch, said the ambulance service payroll system was not coded to include ambulance officer award conditions.

Paramedics are threatening industrial action over payroll problems. Credit:Dominic O'Brien

He said long-running problems in the system's software had led to him being paid "$14.54 in my living account for me to live on for the fortnight".

The Association has directed its members to introduce work bans which include not collecting patient addresses for the purposes of billing in protest against the ongoing payroll system problems.
A worker who allegedly taunted an Afghan colleague about Islam and the Taliban has been reinstated after being sacked last year.

The Fair Work Commission ordered Toll Holdings Ltd to re-employ the dock hand at its Erskineville, Sydney, warehouse.

Toll has joined the opposition to the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. Credit:Andrew Quilty

The commission heard the worker asked his colleague if he was from the Taliban and whether Islam says "to kill".

Commissioner Michelle Bissett said Toll had failed to take formal disciplinary action to ensure the worker was fully aware that his conduct would not be tolerated if it persisted.
In the debate over climate change, there is one group from whom you don't hear much: economists. The failure of climate economics to make a difference in the public discussion about climate policy should be a concern for the profession.

Climate economists are just as worried as anyone about the prospect of global warming. A recent survey by the Institute for Policy Integrity found that most climate economists believe climate change is a grave threat. Most supported carbon taxes or cap-and-trade programs to limit emissions, even if these actions were taken unilaterally by the United States. The consensus view was that a catastrophic loss of global gross domestic product  a 25 per cent decline or more  is possible under a "business as usual" scenario.

But for all this concern, economic research has had little impact on the public debate. The problem, as far as I can tell, is that there is a disconnect between climate science and economics. This goes beyond the out-of-date forecasting models used by policy makers. Even within academia, research often uses bad science.

The first climate economics paper I ever read provides a nice illustration of this problem. In 2007, Michael Greenstone, of the University of Chicago, and Olivier Deschenes, of the University of California-Santa Barbara, published a paper entitled "Climate Change, Mortality, and Adaptation: Evidence from Annual Fluctuations in Weather in the US". The paper tried to estimate how many people would die as a result of global warming. To do this, the authors calculated how many people now die from random temperature fluctuations, due to things such as heat stroke. They then extrapolated this effect using the expected temperature increase from climate change, and found the probable increase in mortality is small.
With our car plants closing down and manufacturing jobs going offshore, we are increasingly accustomed to jobs being lost overseas. What is new and will come as a shock to most of us is that for the first time, the federal government is allowing foreign workers on Australian shores to be paid $3 an hour despite our federal minimum wage of $17.29.

Late last year the Minister for Transport, Warren Truss, granted Alcoa a temporary licence which allows it to use a foreign ship with a foreign crew when carrying out its long-established practice of moving material mined in Western Australia to its Victorian smelter.

Last year Alcoa was granted a temporary licence which allows it to use use a foreign ship with a foreign crew. Credit:Amy Paton

This temporary licence allows the foreign crew to be employed on a "special purpose visa". Under this visa, for the ship's first two domestic voyages the workers are only entitled to the minimum international hourly wage which is a miserly $US2.25 per hour (about $3). This vastly undercuts our award wage. So, Alcoa can slash its labour costs by almost 90 per cent as the foreign crew are exempt from the Australian award.

This loophole will allow international companies change their business models so they perform two domestic voyages and then leave for an international port, only to return again to perform another two domestic voyages. This will decimate the Australian shipping industry and local workers will be priced out by foreign workers earning $3 an hour.
Peaceful protests have made the world a better place. Protest helped end slavery and child labour, delivered workers rights and equal rights, delivered better air and water quality and protection of the planet's most iconic landscapes.

Colleen Fuller, 57 (seated in wheelchair), during a protest against the state government's crackdown on protests on Tuesday. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Any attack on them, such as the Baird government's proposed protest laws , is an attack on our democracy and civil society.

In Australia protests saved the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest, Kakadu, the Tasmanian Wilderness, Fraser Island and the many great national parks that have paved the way for our multi-billion dollar tourism industry. The Great Barrier Reef tourism industry alone is worth $6 billion and supports 60,000 jobs.

In Mike Baird's world the Great Barrier Reef would be dotted with oil rigs and tankers, the Franklin River would be dammed, the Daintree Rainforest would have been wiped out, and Fraser Island would have disappeared from sand mining.

The people who fought to save these places are now seen as national heroes but Mike Baird wants to stop their kind in their tracks. He wants to stop people such as Wallaby great David Pocock from protesting about mining and trying to protect farmland.

In Baird's world the iconic Australian bushland of the Pilliga, our largest inland forest, would be dotted with 850 coal seam gas wells. Beyond that the industry would expand across our best farming country.

The proposed protest laws would give police new powers to break up protests, to search and destroy private property. If police say just one person obstructs traffic, they can shut down an entire peaceful assembly.
The situation in and around Turkey is increasingly problematic. A bomb attack in the centre of its capital Ankara killed 37 people on Sunday. Turkey has launched air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq in apparent retaliation for the attack, blamed on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the armed group fighting for self-rule inside the country.

Turkey fears a challenge along its border from Syrian Kurds closely linked with the PKK. This puts it on a collision course with Russia which is helping the Kurds. But Turkey is a crucial partner for Europe as a front line against terrorists and to help manage the desperate flood of refugees seeking safe haven behind European borders.

Turkey is already housing close to 3 million Syrian refugees. Its role is so vital that the European Union this week struck a deal in which the Turks get visa-free travel in Europe and further billions in financial aid in return for reducing the refugee flow. A more direct path towards eventual EU membership was thrown in as added incentive.

The European Union and Turkey have been dancing together for more than a decade around the issue of Turkey's accession. For a while all went along fairly merrily at a moderate pace, like a Viennese waltz perhaps, as Turkey embraced democratic reforms in the hope of being let into the European club.
The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture

here

. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts

here

.
Coming so soon after the record-setting success of the Abrams behemoth Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the biggest US domestic performer ever at $US930 million ($1.24 billion), the strong opening performance of 10 Cloverfield Lane burnishes producer J.J.'s credentials on the big screen.

Now  quick  had you heard of 10 Cloverfield Lane's director before this month? Odds are, unless you're a pretty geeky cinephile, the name "Dan Trachtenberg" didn't spur the sudden urge to plunk down $10 for this new film.

Have you heard of the biggest new film in the US? Odds are if you're reading this, you have, and 10 Cloverfield Lane blipped onto your radar even before its impressive US domestic debut over the weekend.

We have now reached the point where a J.J. project not only stokes interest if his name is attached. He now has also bolstered his status as a household name-brand recognised even by tykes  an A-list filmmaker who doesn't necessarily need A-list actors to top-line his movies. He is the top-line.

J.J., in other words, has now reached a certain Spielberg status as a box-office lure, in that the mere attachment of his name is enough to intrigue the masses to even smaller, quirkier projects with narrow-window promotion.

The masses, of course, have long known the Abrams name, given his two decades of television and film successes, beginning with Felicity and Regarding Henry. But rare is the one-man Hollywood brand who can wait to see his film truly marketed till not 10 weeks ahead of release (in this case, around the Super Bowl); largely keep most of the film's details a secret (sometimes a great part of the coy fun with the marketing of a J.J. movie); cast just one beloved household name (John Goodman) in the film  then see the relatively lower-budget flick open to $33 million domestically, good for second behind the reigning-champ powerhouse that is Disney's Zootopia ($67) million second weekend; $574 million total globally).

The man who gave us 2008's brilliantly marketed fluke Cloverfield (remember that 2007 trailer without a title?) has now flown into that rarefied Hollywood air, particularly as a sci-fi filmmaker. 10 Cloverfield Lane, as a "sister movie" to J.J.'s earlier film, received strong reviews and praise for Goodman and co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (and we choose to remember her sharp Ramona from Scott Pilgrim over her "scream queen" roles). And this film even puts Trachtenberg on the map.

But now, as with "peak Spielberg" or Scorsese, Abrams has our great collective attention if his name is any way attached. The Emmy winner has us on board for not just the next Star Trek and Mission Impossible franchise films, but also Roadies (with Cameron Crowe) and even curious reported projects like Portal and Half-Life.
Do you want to hear a story? You may have heard it before, or lived something like it yourself. The kick at Port Fairy is in the telling, either in conversational preambles that treat spellbound crowds like trusted friends, or in songs that do that thing songs do, beyond words and time and place, reminding us we're all the same.

Blues monster: Steve Earle performing with The Dukes was a Folk Festival highlight. Credit:Rob Gunstone

The 40th anniversary landmark was celebrated in a massive Sunday night concert and many a wistful remembrance from acts that have been performing here for almost as long, not least Eric Bogle, Danny Spooner and the Bushwackers.

But the moment is always everything here, where audiences actually sit (BYO "folkie chair") in carefully laid rows to listen in rapt silence to Archie Roach's tale of his grandmothers' escape from Woodford Island, or Steve Poltz's hilariously uneventful breakfast with Paul Kelly, or the Young'uns true story of York fascists and Muslims making up over tea and biscuits.

Here people gently hush their neighbours to boggle at the Zeppelin connection in Mali's Songhoy Blues or the mathematical recalibration of Celtic folk in the dexterous hands of Spiro, or to hear the Little Stevies explain why they "only go to the toilet on the toilet".

Those sampling the multi-act theme concerts, with artists lined up in chairs swapping songs, might have heard how Robert Forster's email to himself turned into I Love Myself And I Always Have. Or laughed up their breakfast at John McCutcheon's inevitable song for Donald Trump. And felt the same thing that made Ruby Boots cry when Colin Hay sang Dear Father.
Two Australian journalists detained in Malaysia after trying to question the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, have left the country.

ABC Four Corners reporter Linton Besser and cameraman Louie Eroglu were bound for Singapore after boarding a plane on Tuesday afternoon (AEST), according to ABC.

Malaysian authorities told Besser and Eroglu to leave the country and escorted them to an aircraft at Kuching's international airport, the national broadcaster said.
James Packer: casino mogul, billionaire ... reality TV star?

The last of those three seems an unlikely tag to hang on one of Australia's most prominent businessmen, but James Packer may inadvertently become a reality TV star thanks to his wife-to-be, Mariah Carey.

James Packer and Mariah Carey arrive at the 2016 G'Day USA Gala. Credit:Steve Granitz

The US-based cable channel E! has commissioned an eight part "docuseries" which it says will explore the "private world of Mariah Carey".

46-year-old Carey is engaged to Packer; a wedding date has not been announced but the couple are expected to wed this year.
The leader of the pack is Paula (Alicia Witt), a tough cookie who thinks Rick's offer of a swap  her two prisoners for his one  is a lousy deal. Donnie wants her to take it anyway so their guy, Primo (Jimmy Gonzales), can patch him up. He calls Paula "babe" then gives her an earful. She tells him to shut up  I'm predicting there won't be too much cuddling tonight  but he doesn't, so Molly (Jill Jane Clements) chips in. "She told you to shut up, so shut it," says this crusty old broad. "You should be glad she doesn't have a set of gonads to trip over." While Donnie is wondering how he ended up on the isle of Lesbos, Paula and the others hustle Carol and Maggie off to a "safe house". It's an abattoir, so I'm guessing it wasn't the cows who gave it that name.

"I want to kill you both right now," Paula says to her bound-and-gagged prisoners. "It's taking all I have not to." Paula and the others hustle Carol and Maggie off to a 'safe house'. It's an abattoir, so I'm guessing it wasn't the cows who gave it that name. She is tough, this Paula, every bit as tough as Carol. She may even be tougher, because soon Carol is hyperventilating through her gag. Is this a flashback to some hideous memory of her past life of domestic violence? Or is it part of her ongoing Miss Meek act? "She's a nervous little bird, ain't she," says Molly, who is getting crustier by the second. "Bitch, how did you make it this far," asks the youngest of the three, Chelle (Jeananne Goossen).

Saviors turned captors: Paula (Alicia Witt), Chelle (Jeananne Goossen) and Donnie (Rus Blackwell). Paula can't believe anyone could be as scared as this, not after all the crap they've been through to make it this far. "Are you actually afraid to die," she asks, incredulously. "It doesn't matter what happens to me," says Carol. "Just don't hurt Maggie. Don't hurt the baby." Paula instantly morphs into a gooey blob of clucky mush, planning the baby shower, wondering where she can get a crib, what colour to paint the room  pink or blue?

Just kidding. "You're some kinda stupid getting knocked up at a time like this," she says. "When was it ever smart to get knocked up," Maggie shoots back. "Women used to just die in childbirth. And they always thought the world was gonna end. Living through it, why would you just give up?" "But are you going to live through it," asks Paula. I don't think she's being entirely rhetorical either. As Paula is directing Rick to the location for the swap she has no intention of completing  a field with a sign reading "God is dead"  Molly lights up a durry, and Carol asks her to put it out. For the baby.

The old crone cracks up, then hacks up. "Y'all are worse than a bunch of evangelical second-graders," she says. "Those things will kill you," Carol says. "They already have," says Molly, holding up a blood-splattered hanky. Donnie has evidently been feeling pretty well irrelevant to all this Sapphic discourse, so he asserts his masculinity in the way most of the men on this show do: he throws it around like a great big lump of dumb. All that gets him is the butt of a pistol in the head, from his "babe" Paula. Definitely no cuddling tonight. Carol thinks there might be an opening for some empathy here, and starts to talk about her own abusive husband, long since dead and buried. But Paula shuts that down pretty quickly.

"He's just a warm body for my bed," she says of Donnie, who is now more of a slumped-on-the-ground-unconscious-and-possibly-not-all-that-warm-anymore body. "I could kill him in his sleep." Gents, if you're starting to feel a little unwanted this week, feel free to come join me in the sweat lodge where we'll be discussing the role of castration anxiety in modern architecture. Ahem. Paula wants to know why the gang has come after them and Carol says it was because of what they heard about Negan. "He sounded like a maniac. We had to stop him." "Sweetie, sweetie. We are all Negan," says Molly enigmatically.

Paula tells Carol she's pathetic, then shares her own story. She was a secretary in her past life, but when everything went to Hell she was separated from her family and stuck with her boss. He was a gibbering mess, so she killed him. Come on; who among us hasn't had the same urge? He was the first, she says. She stopped counting when she got to double digits. Carol's still playing the timid mouse, but we know she's got 18 kills of her own because we saw her tally them up in her journal last week. "You will die," Carol tells Paula. "That's what's going to happen if you don't work this out." "Are you going to kill me," asks Paula, incredulous again.

"I hope not." Of course, she does, more or less. Hey babe, wanna suck face? Paula (Alicia Witt) meets her grisly end. Carol escapes by cutting through her bindings with a crucifix she's found on the floor and filed to a blade  so Jesus saves, even when he's not in the episode  and then frees Maggie. One by one they pick off their captors  Maggie taking to Molly with a psychopathic rage we've never seen before; Carol popping a bullet in Chelle's head after Chelle has slashed at Maggie's sacred belly  until the final showdown with Paula comes in a corridor full of walkers.

"You're good," Paula says, as she realises she's been played by the "little bird" Carol. "You were her, but not any more. Same here. But if you could do all this, what were you so afraid of?" "This," says Carol, pointing the gun at her. With Paula dead  impaled then eaten, rather than shot  Carol lures the Saviors' reinforcements to the kill room, slams the door on them and sets it alight. It's brutal as all Hell, and whatever it is that Carol was feeling back there  remorse, self-loathing, fear  it's been shoved back in its box. But it doesn't want to stay there. "Are you good," Daryl asks Carol as the rescue party arrives, late as usual.

"No," says Carol, and it's the absolute truth. "Are you OK," asks Glenn. "I  I can't any more," Maggie stutters. Reunited, and it feels so good: Glenn (Steven Yeun) turns up just in time to be of absolutely no use to Maggie.

Rick is there, too, with their captive, Primo. "Was Negan there last night or was he here," Rick asks. "Both," Primo says, and he's speaking the same language Molly was. We're all Negan. "I'm sorry it had to come to this," says Rick, blowing his brains out. He's not sorry at all, because killing is now the only means Rick has to resolve things. But as Carol clenches that sharpened crucifix so hard blood starts to drip from her hand, you know someone is.

Yes, the sisters have been doing it for themselves, but they've been playing by the men's rules. There has to be a better way. The Walking Dead continues Mondays 1.30pm and 8.30pm on FX. Read more recaps of The Walking Dead here Karl Quinn is on Facebook and on twitter @karlkwin
Broadway diva Megan Hilty is coming to Brisbane.

The star of Wicked, 9 to 5 and Noises Off on Broadway, as well as performances of Gentleman Prefer Blondes and Annie Get Your Gun in other New York theatres, will conduct her first tour of Australia, performing in Brisbane in June.

Broadway diva and Smash star Megan Hilty is coming to QPAC.

Hilty shot to international fame in 2012 playing Ivy Lynn in the musical television series Smash portraying an actress competing to play Marilyn Monroe in a new musical about her life on Broadway.

One of her key songs from Smash, Let Me Be Your Star, was nominated for a Grammy Award.
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service provided the security advice that denied one of its former spies a passport to travel to a tribunal hearing at The Hague on the grounds he could be "cultivated by a foreign power". The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation usually provides such assessments.

The security ruling comes amid allegations the current ASIS head, Nick Warner, was "aware" at the time of the infamous bugging of East Timor by the foreign spy service's agents in 2004.

Bernard Collaery, the lawyer for the former ASIS spy known as Witness K, has alleged a bipartisan "cover-up" of the infamous bugging of East Timor in 2004.

The allegation of Mr Warner's awareness of the spying came during an incendiary address on Monday when Bernard Collaery, the lawyer for the former ASIS spy known as Witness K, also alleged a bipartisan "cover-up" of the saga.

The 2004 espionage operation is the subject of binding arbitration before an international tribunal in the Hague and the former ASIS spy, who led the clandestine eavesdropping in Dili in 2004, was to appear as a star witness for East Timor.
More than 80 family violence experts and community groups have written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calling for more than $127 million a year to address critical shortages in domestic violence funding in the upcoming budget.

The groups, which include legal, housing and refuge services, say the federal government must put its money where its mouth is on family violence

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, pictured with domestic violence campaigner Rosie Patty and Minister for Women Michaelia Cash, has declared domestic violence a national priority. Credit:Eddie Jim

"We are extremely worried that women's safety is at risk because of inadequate government funding," bodies such as Fair Agenda, the Australian Women's Health Network and Domestic Violence NSW say.

"Prime Minister Turnbull you've declared that domestic violence is a national priority. National priorities must also be budget priorities."
Michael Lawler "destroyed public confidence" in his ability to hold high quasi-judicial office and behaved "dishonourably" by participating in the trainwreck Four Corners program last year, a Parliament-commissioned report into complaints about the former Fair Work Commission vice-president found.

Mr Lawler, the partner of disgraced union whistleblower Kathy Jackson, resigned from his $435,000-a-year job earlier this month, a day before he was due to respond to the investigation by retired judge Peter Heerey.

The report found there were grounds for Parliament to request the removal of Mr Lawler from his job.

Mr Heerey was appointed by Employment Minister Michaelia Cash last year to consider widespread complaints about Mr Lawler, including that he did not disclose his relationship with Ms Jackson while still dealing with her in a professional setting and how he justified 215 sick days in 2014 and 2015.
Malcolm Turnbull's options for an early double-dissolution election on July 2 have narrowed as an unmanageable Senate blocks even the modest goal of having government legislation defeated.

It coincides with the government's withering range of options for tax reform in the lead-up to the election, with previously flagged individual tax cuts to return bracket creep now considered unfeasible while the budget remains so far in deficit.

Treasurer Scott Morrison has told colleagues that only tax cuts that will result materially in higher growth and more jobs will find favour, meaning the winners from the package to be announced in the budget will be companies who get a lowered tax rate.

An insider said the formula would be shaped by the workplace expenses inquiry currently under way and another looking at the definition of superannuation, but cautioned that the overall package was necessarily constrained by the lack of "fiscal headroom" - code for there being no money.
There's always one. Come class photo time, it's time for the class clown to perform.

But Philip Ruddock? Father of the House?

Maybe he's been there a jot too long.

He arrived in Parliament, after all, in 1973, the only MP still standing to have waded through the weird wonder of the latter days of the Whitlam government.
In a world saturated by social media and street style fashion, being loud, bright and bold is the default setting of many high profile peacocks. While Australian style has its roots in bold aesthetics, there is a subtle shift happening, subtle being the key word. Chic, clean lines and shapes are king and the fuss free Duchess of Cambridge is the queen of classic dressing.

The artist formerly known as Kate personifies classic style. How? Well for starters she invests in timeless hero pieces. Remember her cornflower blue trench coat, that lacy tunic and nude heels she wore during the Australian and New Zealand royal tour back in 2014? Now even years later she continues to don them for public engagements where she continues to be applauded by fashion commentators and her loyal subjects alike.

Closer to home and some of our most stylish personalities now channel Kate and the clean, cool Scandinavian way when it comes to dressing.

Jesinta Campbell
Dubai: One of the world's most influential education experts, Andreas Schleicher, has criticised the Australian education system for falling behind global standards.

Mr Schleicher, the education director of the Organisation for Economic Development, said that Australia had a very significant drop in the results of students at the top of the PISA testing rankings in the past year.

"Australia has lost a lot of students with very good results, it's very significant this round and I think that's something to really think about," he said.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international survey held every three years that pits the world's education systems against each other by testing the performance of 15-year-old students.
The lawyer at the heart of the East Timor bugging case has accused the former Labor government of planting listening devices in his Canberra office.

Bernard Collaery revealed the alleged espionage for the first time on Tuesday at a rally outside Parliament House, organised to pressure the federal government to recognise the maritime boundary claim of the poor nation.

Barrister Bernard Collaery leaves the ACT Supreme Court last year. Credit:Jeffery Chan

His offices were raided by the Coalition government in 2013, with ASIO officers seizing thousands of documents.

They also raided the home of Witness K (whose identity is suppressed by law), an ASIS whistleblower who alerted East Timor to the bugs planted in its cabinet room in Dili by Australia.
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has paid more than $4.5 million in severance costs to public servants who accepted voluntary redundancies last year.

The payments, detailed after additional senate estimates in February, come as senior management prepare to cut another 200 roles from a workforce of 2324 staff in 2016-17.

Dr Martin Parkinson, former Secretary of the Department of the Treasury. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

They reveal the majority of redundancies were sourced from the department's Indigenous affairs division, primarily from the regional network program.
The university's researchers conducted interviews with four senior public servants and a union official, after guaranteeing their anonymity, to get inside what they dubbed the industrial "forcing strategy" launched by the Abbott government in 2014.

But the unions too have had to cope with some disunity, a University of NSW study has found, as both sides in the public service's epic industrial conflict succumb to "bargaining fatigue".

Internal bureaucratic strife and Rudd-era industrial laws have hampered the Abbott-Turnbull's pursuit of its hardline public service workplace strategy, insiders have revealed.

The conversations revealed friction between government departments and its key workplace enforcer, the Australian Public Service Commission, during the public service's industrial disputes which now look set to rumble into their third year.

The Commission did not respond to requests for comment on the study.

The three-strong academic team has documented the increasingly bitter conflict between Abbott-Turnbull employment ministers and public sector unions trying to resist the government's attempts to transform the workplace relations landscape of the service.

But the Fair Work Act, legislated in 2009 by the Rudd government, also emerged as key to the government's inability to enforce its will on much of its workforce, with the legislation protecting a big role for unions in the bargaining process.

The limits of union effectiveness have also been exposed, with the CPSU unable to prevent the effective freezing of the wages of much of the public service for at least 18 months.
More than 60 per cent of NSW voters oppose the Baird government's plans to crack down on anti-mining protests, according to an exclusive state-wide poll.

The news comes as about 1000 environmentalists, unions, civil libertarians and the Reverend Fred Nile shut down traffic on Macquarie Street as parliament prepared to vote on the controversial bill on Tuesday.

The bill was poised to be passed into law by the state's upper house on Tuesday night after coming before a vote in the lower house in the early evening. Its passage was all but assured after the Shooters and Fishers Party declared their support for the measures.
People are being warned against vigilante attacks after a man allegedly found with a large cache of child porn had his car targeted.

Allan Darrell Blake's green Mitsubishi Magna has been covered in white paint labelling it a "pedo car", the Border Mail reports.

An offensive message painted on the car.

The front windscreen has been smashed, all four tyres slashed or deflated and the front end appears to have been damaged.

The word "dog" has also been written on the front passenger side of the car.
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Australia's toll road king, Transurban, warns congestion in Sydney will match the clogged streets of Mexico City within decades unless motorists are properly charged for their use of the road network.

The dire warning from Transurban chief executive Scott Charlton follows attempts in recent days by the federal Minister for Major Projects, Paul Fletcher, to kickstart debate about a national system of road pricing.

Mr Charlton said a shift to a user-pays model was the only way to ensure Australia's cities did not grind to a halt over the next two to three decades.

"Even factoring in committed projects such as WestConnex and NorthConnex, and all the currently committed rail projects, by 2035 Sydney motorists could face congestion levels on par with Mexico City and spend 110 hours a year in traffic," he told a Committee for Economic Development of Australia luncheon on Tuesday.
A prestigious Brisbane school has compensated a former student over its inadequate response to his complaint that a prefect sexually assaulted him with an umbrella.

Documents filed to the child sex abuse Royal Commission detailed the former Brisbane Grammar School student's initial complaints to the school in the early 2000s, some 20-odd years after the alleged incident.

Brisbane Grammar School, where the abuse took place. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The man, known only as BQO for legal reasons, claimed Grammar board of directors chair Howard Stack told him "I don't need to be taking telephone calls from people making up stories about what happened to them when they were at school" when he first complained.

The student filed the statement to the Royal Commission in October but didn't appear before Brisbane hearings in November.
Queensland's corruption watchdog has cleared Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and his civic cabinet of wrongdoing over the sale of council land to an LNP donor.

In a rare - and undoubtedly welcome - piece of good news for the increasingly embattled Brisbane lord mayor as the local government election campaign enters its final few days, the Crime and Corruption Commission announced after a nearly three-week investigation it would take no further action against Cr Quirk or his cabinet.

The Crime and Corruption Commission has cleared Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and his civic cabinet of wrongdoing over the sale of land to an LNP donor. Credit:Chris Hyde

It prompted the lord mayor to demand an apology from his Labor rival for the city's top job, Rod Harding, over what he called, a "grubby campaign".

The group of LNP councillors was referred to the CCC on February 26 by Queensland's local government department, when it emerged that the $3.3 million sale of land in the northern Brisbane suburb of Nundah to party donor Boon Tan did not go through a public consultation process.
Increasingly embattled Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has moved to distance himself from a disgraced member of his "Team Quirk" amid allegations the candidate sent an explicit image to a teenage boy.

Ashley Higgins has been forced out of the Liberal National Party and withdrawn his candidacy in the south side ward of Tennyson, after revelations the parents of a Brisbane catholic school teenager complained about him sending explicit images to their teenage son in 2011, when Mr Higgins was 21.

In a statement, the LNP said the one-time political hopeful had immediately resigned from the party when the explosive allegations emerged on Monday.

The revelations threw the incumbent lord mayor's re-election campaign into turmoil just a day after a new poll revealed his once enviable popularity had nosedived and he was in danger of losing the city's top job to Labor candidate Rod Harding.
Taking aim at his critics, Mr Pyne said he would continue to support the Palaszczuk Government's legislation, as long as it adhered to the values and beliefs of the wider labour movement. He said he was prepared to sacrifice his political future so he could "sleep better at night" by voting with his conscience. Mr Pyne's statement to the House in full: Mr Speaker, I rise to speak to my decision to resign from the Australian Labor Party and become the Independent Member for Cairns, a decision that has caused much feedback to my office, including bouquets and brickbats, though thankfully more of the former than the latter. In relation to criticism that I have betrayed those who voted for me on the basis of my ALP membership, I point out that I have a lifetime of commitment to, and remain a part of, the wider labour movement. In fact, it is my belief, the way I continue to vote in this place will be if anything, more consistent with the commonly held beliefs of rank and file ALP members and working Queenslanders. The most difficulty the Parliamentary Labor Party will find securing my vote, will be when they stray from those very values.

Many party members, who are motivated by progressive values, will continue to support me. However, in making my decision, I certainly was well braced for the response from some of the 'less enlightened' true believers. Those most outraged by my decision have been those for whom party politics is little more than a partisan game, based on Neanderthal tribalism, and those for whom the Labor party is not a matter of conviction, but a vehicle for career advancement. The irony in some of the criticism from those folk, has been their lack of knowledge of labour history. I doubt they would know of Tom Aitken, Fred Patterson or other icons of the movement. In fact I doubt some of them would know TJ Ryan from OJ Simpson. Worse still Mr. Speaker, they can't even get their pejoratives right! I have been referred to as a traitor, megalomaniac and a LNP dog. Whereas anyone with an ounce of knowledge of labour history would know the correct term is RAT!

So get it right, pass the cheese and make sure it's FNQ's own Mungalli Creek ricotta. On a serious note, most of the poor language, and rude comments were directed at my staff. Tanya and Mary are not paid to put up with that sort of rubbish and anyone who really respected fair treatment of workers would not have engaged in that sort of behaviour. Mr. Speaker, I am unapologetic and defend my right to vote according to conscience. This is the one state parliament that surely needs bold and active members in the legislative assembly, as we have no upper house acting as a check on executive power. In saying no to 'business as usual' I am fully aware of the political price, but I am prepared to sacrifice my position in a safe Labor seat so I can deliver outcomes for Cairns and sleep better at night by knowing I have voted with what my conscience tells me is best for Cairns and Queensland.

Putting Cairns first is my mantra and I am not willing to 'keep quiet' in relation to neglect of Cairns and the Far North. I stood as a Labor candidate because I felt Labor was most likely to help poor and disadvantaged residents, particularly those in west cairns, the suburbs known as the 3 Ms Manunda, Moorobool and Manoora. Well, after more than 12 months and the release of the shocking revelations in the Smallbone report I am demanding this government invest in West Cairns. I ask: The Minister for Communities to fund the Manoora and Moorobool Community Centres on a recurrent basis to deliver real community development services. The Minister for Transport to construct the new Transit Centre at Raintrees Shopping Centre; The Education Minister to fund additional programs to ensure school attendance and fund new buildings at Trinity Bay State High School to address overcrowding at the school; and The Minister for Training to 'bury the hatchet' with Choice Australia and fund them to provide community traineeships in west Cairns, as the only NGO specific to that area. Mr Speaker whether it is this important work or other important projects in the Cairns electorate such as the new Cairns ring road and Level 6 funding for Cairns hospital I ask the Palaszczuk Government to take action. Mr Speaker, since my decision there has been some media commentary around the prospect of a fresh election. I believe this is a second preference for Queenslanders. Their first preference is for the government to govern.
St Joseph's Gregory Terrace principal Dr Michael Carroll has hit back at suggestions his handling of a situation with a gay student wasn't enough.

On Monday Fairfax Media reported a student at the school sent Dr Carroll a heartfelt plea for the school to join the Safe Schools Alliance to which he replied with a terse 25-word response.

St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace

Dr Carroll said he felt his response was appropriate, despite the fact he took more than a fortnight to reply.

"In terms of the initial phase, I am comfortable with that," he said.
A huge pet rabbit has been seized from its Queensland owners, but not before they tried convince police it was a guinea pig.

It's against the law to keep a rabbit as a pet in Queensland without proper authorisation, with offenders at risk of a $44,000 fine.

A rabbit seized by police Springwood, south of Brisbane. The owners claimed it was a guinea pig. Credit:Queensland Police

Police say they found the animal living inside a cage in a caravan at Springwood, south of Brisbane.

When asked about the rabbit, its owners unsuccessfully attempted to convince officers the floppy-eared creature was just a large guinea pig.
The black economy, of course, is not new. But as the services sector grows, more micro-enterprises seem to accept cash only or have an inflated minimum threshold for electronic payment or extra fee that forces people to pay with cash.

I am surprised at how many small businesses openly flout GST rules. From takeaway restaurants that only accept cash, to tradesmen who give a "10 per cent discount" for cash, to hairdressers and other service business that promote specials based on cash payment.

Debate has raged about multinational tax avoidance , negative gearing and superannuation concessions. But what of small business tax evasion and a growing "cash only" culture where enterprises do not collect sufficient Goods and Services Tax?

Have you noticed more businesses accepting "cash only" for payment?

In which industries is this practice rife?

Do you accept discounts based on cash payment?

Should all businesses be required to offer electronic payment facilities?

Consider my recent experience at a small restaurant. Upon trying to settle the $60 bill for a client lunch, the waiter said the business only accepted cash (I'd missed the tiny sign on the counter).

Thankfully, a quick dash to the ATM next door saved any embarrassment. When I asked for a receipt, the waiter had to ask his boss for instructions. Out came a tiny receipt book and I was handed a stamped invoice that said "food and drink $60". There was no date, no GST breakdown or other invoice information. It was useless.

Then there are tradies who send a proper invoice for home repairs and later offer to wipe the GST if payment is made by cash. That is hundreds of dollars of GST that should be collected on a job  and a huge amount of lost tax revenue across the industry each year given the widespread nature of this cash-only payment in small trade jobs.

Or my favourite: the newsagent who provides a tax invoice for everything except Lotto tickets. They are under-the-table, cash only. When I asked for a receipt for a scratchie, just to test the agent, he gave me that "we're rorting tax" smile and refused to provide one.
The rollout of the hybrid-fibre coaxial (HFC) part of the troubled national broadband network is known internally as "Operation Clusterf---", says Labor senator Stephen Conroy.

"I know the internal nickname you've got for the HFC rollout, and it's not fit to actually describe on the public record: Operation Cluster  something," Mr Conroy told NBN chief executive Bill Morrow during a heated exchange at a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

The Turnbull government and the company rolling out its so-called "multi-technology mix" have been under increasing scrutiny over the viability of the HFC part of its network rollout, which uses outdated Telstra and Optus HFC cables (the kind used for receiving Foxtel).

Media leaks last year showed the poor quality of Optus' HFC network and Telstra's copper nodes meant they would cost more than expected to fix up.
A prominent criminal lawyer gunned down in Melbourne's inner north is believed to be the victim of a professional hit.

Joseph "Pino" Acquaro was warned by police in June 2015 that his life was in grave danger. He was told by police that he needed to take measures to protect his safety, but Mr Acquaro refused to heed their advice.

The 54-year-old lawyer, who represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures, was shot and killed as he walked to his black Mercedes parked in St Phillip Street, Brunswick East.
The Victorian Legal Services Commissioner has accused Mr Lewenberg of "professional misconduct" over two incidents where he complained about the victim helping police.

In a secretly recorded telephone conversation, revealed by Fairfax Media, Mr Lewenberg, a Russian-born Jew, told the victim, known as AVB:

"I am not exactly delighted that another Yid [Jew] would assist police against an accused no matter whatever he is accused of and that is the reason why I was very disappointed," Mr Lewenberg said in October 2011.

"Because there is a tradition, if not a religious requirement, that you do not assist against Abraham."

Mr Lewenberg has admitted that he made the comments, along with similar remarks a month earlier in a bail hearing for Cyprys at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in September 2011. Cyprys was sentenced to eight years jail in 2013.
Embattled Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has finally lost her cool, attacking journalist Liam Bartlett on social media after he confronted her about more alleged unclaimed travel claims.

The lord mayor, who has remained silent through the whole travel rort saga, took the unusual step of blasting Mr Bartlett on the Facebook page titled Don't Let Burgo Go, after a handful of people threw their support behind her just before Nine News aired a story on Monday night about more alleged undeclared travel.

"I was so taken aback by his bad breath given how close he was and the Botox I was lost for words," she posted to the group.

"Seriously though when I can speak I intend to but for now I must respect the processes. Appreciate your message."
A police officer thought an Aboriginal woman who later died in custody wouldn't be taken seriously after a nurse rolled her eyes while examining her, an inquest has heard.

Ms Dhu, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons, died two days after being locked up at Western Australia's South Hedland Police Station in August 2014 for unpaid fines totalling $3622, stemming from offences including assaulting an officer.

Ms Dhu died after she was held at South Hedland police station in WA. Credit:ABC News

Constable Jamie Buck testified on Tuesday that Ms Dhu, 22, was groaning in pain from her ribs when she picked her up from the lock-up to take her to hospital for the first of what would be three times.

Ms Dhu was not handcuffed and leaned on Constable Buck's arm for support when they arrived at the hospital.
Washington: The man police say shot and killed six people in Michigan last month has told officers he was being controlled by the Uber app on his phone when the shooting spree occurred.

When a police officer asked Uber driver Jason Brian Dalton about the Kalamazoo shooting, he told them that when he opened the app, a symbol appeared that "would literally take over your whole body," an officer wrote in a police report released on Monday.

Jason Dalton is charged via video with multiple counts of murder on February 22. Credit:AP

During an interview with detectives, Dalton said he did not remember shooting people, though he acknowledged that the families of people killed deserved an explanation for what happened. After talking with the detectives for some time, Dalton was asked for an explanation and said that the reason "would blow [their] minds," Detective William Moorian of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety wrote in his report on the interview.

"Dalton said that he understands now how the other mass shootings take place," Mr Moorian wrote. "Dalton explained how he has experienced a full body takeover, that is how he can understand the other mass shootings."
Brussels: Belgian police killed a gunman after several officers were wounded on Tuesday in a raid on a Brussels apartment linked to investigating November's Islamist attacks in Paris, public broadcaster RTBF said.

Two other suspects were being sought, it added.

But after five hours of intense police activity in the area, security forces escorted children away from nearby schools and kindergartens and began to allow residents back to homes in the suburban neighbourhood, Reuters journalists at the scene said.

Belgium's federal prosecutor, leading the investigation, said one or more suspects barricaded themselves in an apartment after firing through a door at police who arrived to search it. Police said two officers were wounded then and another was hit later. Local media said four police were injured in total.
The York Theatre Company winter 2016 Musicals in Mufti Series presentation of Starting Here, Starting Now celebrated its opening night on March 12. The show's writers, David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr., who also directed the production, were both on hand to toast the cast.

Charlotte Maltby poses for a photo flanked by David Shire and her father, Richard Maltby Jr.

( The York Theatre Company)

Starting Here, Starting Now explores the ups and downs of romantic relationships, from first kiss to painful breakup. The musical was first produced in 1976 by Manhattan Theatre Club, and later moved for a 120-performance commercial run at the Barbarann Theater Restaurant. It will play for a limited engagement at the York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's through March 20.

Krystal Joy Brown is embraced by David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr.

( The York Theatre Company)

With music direction by Kevin Stites, the three-member cast includes Krystal Joy Brown (Motown), Charlotte Maltby (Empire), and Bobby Conte Thornton (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum).

David Shire smiles with his wife, Didi Conn, and Richard Maltby Jr.

( The York Theatre Company)

For tickets and more information, click here.
In the history of the American military, the Tuskegee Airmen occupy a pivotal and historic place, yet fewer people know about them than you'd expect. The multimedia, dance-infused Fly, a Pasadena Playhouse/Crossroad's Theatre Company production now running at the New Victory Theater, helps fill in that knowledge gap with an original, high-energy dramatization of several pilots' experiences as they fight wartime and racial battles on the ground and in the air. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen has been told before, but never quite like this.

Until 1940, African-Americans were not allowed to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps, but Franklin D. Roosevelt changed that. He could not, however, change the attitudes of the white officers who were assigned to train the military's first black pilots. Subjected to racial bigotry and doubts about their intellectual ability to fly a plane, the Tuskegee cadets had to prove time and again that they were the equal of their white counterparts  and they did.

Omar Edwards as the Tap Griot in Fly.

( Sherry Rubel)

Fly takes a look at four Tuskegee Airmen and the challenges they faced. There's the swaggering W.W. (Brooks Brantly), the "no-nonsense race man" Oscar (Terrell Wheeler), the intellectual Bahamian J. Allen (Damian Thompson), and the young, bashful Chet (Desmond Newson). All of them have to endure the condescension of the white, foulmouthed Capt. O'Hurley (Anthony J. Goes), who pits the men against one another in a determined effort to see them fail. Not all the men make it, but when those who remain are sent into combat duty over North Africa in the 99th Fighter Squadron, they more than prove their mettle and expertise in combat.

Director and coauthor Ricardo Khan, who wrote Fly with Trey Ellis, has a unique vision for dramatizing the history of the men of the 99th. The show uses some eye-popping special effects to simulate the experience of flying. Beowulf Boritt's foreshortened scenic design and Clint Allen's fast-moving projections let the audience soar into the sky during training flights and action-packed dogfights. Rui Rita's stunning lighting and John Gromada's explosive sounds simulate the terror of bombs exploding in midair as the Airmen make history in the sky.

Terrell Wheeler, Damian Thompson, Omar Edwards, Brooks Brantly, and Desmond Newson in Fly, at the New Victory Theater.

( Jim Cox Photography)

The performances here are top-notch. Brantly and Wheeler give their characters affable brio and panache, Thompson portrays J. Allen with British-accented haughtiness, and Newson gives Chet the air of an innocent eager to prove himself. And as the racist O'Hurley, Goes raises some hackles. But Fly really stands out as ingenious theater because of Omar Edwards, the Tap Griot, who translates the Airmen's struggles and emotions into the language of dance. His expressive tapping reveals the men's inner conflicts and triumphs in a way that words cannot.

Khan occasionally lightens the play's serious side with comical scenes, such as when two Airmen teach a couple of white pilots (Ross Cowan and Brandon Nagle) an unorthodox way to overcome their fear of an impending mission. Amid laughter, racial differences are set aside as the men unite in spontaneous brotherhood.

Though the New Victory often stages works for young audiences, Fly is better suited to older kids and adults. The language sometimes turns vulgar and offensive (Capt. O'Hurly uses the N-word once), and some of the men's banter contains mature themes. That said, tweens and teens (as well as adults) will find the show entertaining and enlightening. Above all, Fly stands as an inspiring testament to a remarkable group of men who held their ground in the face of mindless bigotry, yet fought bravely and in some cases gave their lives for a country that did not deserve them.
CINCINNATI, March 14, 2016 --

Jumpstart up to a 4L petrol or 3L diesel engine as many as 20 times

American motorists and travellers will never be stranded by a flat battery again, thanks to the new BESTEK BTCSG10 Jump Starter Power Bank.

The power bank's 8000mAh capacity will jumpstart up to a 4L petrol or 3L diesel engine as many as 20 times, with 400 amps of peak current and safe, heavy-duty clamps and cables.

It also doubles as a portable 2.4 amp USB power bank for electronic devices such as phones and tablets. At just 3.2 inches wide, 5.4 inches long and 0.8 inches thick, the Jump Starter Power Bank is an essential backup for motorists and a vital travel-companion when power on the go is needed.

The BESTEK BTCSG10 is fully recharged in just four hours using the USB charger, and its compact and lightweight size means it's small enough to store in a glovebox and light enough to pack in a bag.

The battery cells are FCC, CE, ROHS, and UL certified and the smart clamps feature over current, short circuit, overload, overvoltage, and over-charge protection.

BESTEK BTCSG10 Car Jump Starter Power Bank is sold by BESTEK and fulfilled by Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0191DLAZ0.

Product specification:

Output: 5V/2.4A;12V

Input: 5V/2.0A

Peak Current: 400A

Capacity: 8000mAh

LED flash light

18 Months Warranty

About BESTEK

BESTEK is a global electronics and cross-border e-commerce company that designs, maunfacters and sells primarily to the automotive, power, environmental, solar, travel, home appliances, and communications sectors.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., March 14, 2016 -- Black Book, a division of the Hearst Business Media Corporation that provides new- and used-vehicle valuation services and custom data licensing solutions, today announced an exciting, collaborative partnership with DRIVIN that will deliver real value to their extensive network of over 10,000 active dealerships.

Black Book will be the exclusive vehicle valuation service provider to DRIVIN's proprietary, inventory trading platform that analyzes over 2M VINs every day to source, acquire and deliver the right used vehicles to their dealer partners. Additionally, Black Book will power the vehicle valuation service of DRIVIN Insights, a first-of-its-kind dealer tool that turns 100M data points into actionable stories for a dealer's lot and local market, based on consumer shopping trends, local market supply/demand, optimal inventory levels, and unique dealer behavior. DRIVIN Insights is currently in pilot and available to DRIVIN dealer partners without a subscription fee. As part of the collective agreement, Black Book will integrate DRIVIN's Buy Confidence and negotiated inventory widgets into their Black Book Digital mobile application, giving their network of 10,000+ active dealers access to retail-ready inventory nationwide. Finally, Black Book and DRIVIN will partner to produce data-driven learnings and used-car trend reports available to dealer partners.

"DRIVIN is disrupting the used car industry by offering dealers a better way to source, acquire and receive the right, quality inventory for their lot," said Black Book's Jared Kalfus, Senior Vice President, Sales. "We are excited by this long-term partnership and look forward to being their exclusive partner for valuation services, while offering our dealers access to DRIVIN's pre-negotiated inventory and premier sourcing service via our Black Book Digital mobile app. DRIVIN helps dealers rethink their sourcing strategy and stock the right used cars for their lot based on consumer demand, local market analysis and profit margins.

Black Book's vehicle values are an industry standard by dealers and consumers alike when pricing used cars. The company is respected not only for the accuracy of its values, but also the time-tested methodology around how data is collected and reported. Creating actionable stories through data is a key part of DRIVIN's value proposition, and DRIVIN's data science team will leverage Black Book's trusted information to create regular used-car trends and analysis to educate and help dealers make smarter buying decisions and optimize their lot when requested.

"We are proud to join forces with Black Book, a leader in the automotive industry. Using their data and standardizing vehicle valuations across our suite of products, including Insights and Marketplace, will help us better serve the needs of our current and future dealer partners," said Kayne Grau, CEO. "Additionally, we are excited to integrate our Buy Confidence and negotiated inventory widgets into the Black Book mobile app, expanding our reach and delivering real value to their dealer network with expanded nationwide access and efficient sourcing."

About Black Book

Black Book is best known in the automotive industry for providing timely, independent and accurate vehicle pricing information, and is available to industry-qualified users through online subscription products, mobile applications and licensing agreements. A leading provider since 1955, Black Book has continuously evolved to ensure that it achieves its goal of delivering mission-critical information to its customers, along with the insight necessary to successfully buy, sell, and lend. Black Book data is published daily by National Auto Research, a division of Hearst Business media, and the company maintains offices in Georgia, Florida, and Maryland as well as the Canadian Black Book in Toronto. For more information, please visit BlackBookAuto.com or call 800.554.1026.

About DRIVIN

DRIVIN is redefining used vehicle sourcing by bringing data and technology together in a first-of-its-kind, high-touch fashion to help automotive dealers acquire the right used cars, at the right price, right now. Combining highly personalized service with cutting edge technology and local market analytics, DRIVIN casts a nationwide net to find and vet quality, front-line ready, whole-sale priced vehicles, and connect them with dealers all across the country. Launched in 2015, DRIVIN is powered by CarCo Technologies.
Hyundai Named "Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer" In Fleet News Awards 2016







HIGH WYCOMBE, England - March 14, 2016: Hyundai Motor UK has won the coveted Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer award in the Fleet News Awards 2016. Hyundais significant fleet business growth, product innovations, process improvements, and its high level of customer service were identified as central to the win.

Last year, Hyundai grew total fleet sales by 10.7% against 2014 boosted by the introduction of several important new models. The Fleet News award recognises the rapid advances made by Hyundai Motor and its introduction of several key initiatives including a structured approach to managing residual values, while maintaining affordable whole-life costs.

Stephen Briers, Fleet News Editor, said, Hyundais recognition is the culmination of four-years constant improvement, and one which saw the company awarded highly- commended in this category for the past three years. Now it takes the win after identifying and realising new ways to improve its service, as well as its product range. From fleets to leasing companies to the pricing guides, Hyundai has engaged them all, resulting in consistent year-on-year increases in its true fleet registrations.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, said, For Hyundai Motor to be recognised as the Most Improved by Fleet News is a fantastic achievement. The team has consistently worked hard to deliver the best product offering, together with a first-class after sales programme and class-leading financials.

Having been runner-up in this category for the past few years, this win represents one of the biggest leaps we have made in achieving our goals a fitting testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone within the fleet department.

The Fleet News award also reflects Hyundais safety innovations across its model range alongside SME leasing initiatives that provide specialist support to rental and Motability customers, enhance dealer interaction with fleets and boost usability of its central website.

In 2015, the company also expanded its fleet team, developed its Fleet Sales Charter and introduced projects including Hyundai 360 Workshop Automation and a new driving school programme.

Alongside being named Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer, Hyundai was also presented with the 2016 Best City Car award for the Hyundai i10.

With a market-leading five-year warranty which is ideal for fleets on longer replacement cycles, the Hyundai i10 is a spacious, refined car with excellent build quality and strong residual values. The judges called it a stand out car in a highly competitive sector, said Stephen Briers

Fresh from wining the What Car? Best City Car prize for the third consecutive year, the i10 is Hyundais most awarded car.

Now in its 28th year, the Fleet News Awards is widely recognised as one of the most influential awards in the industry.
Tehran Hosts Glorious Ceremony Marking Centennial of BMW's Birth

TEHRAN, Iran, March 14, 2016 -- A ceremony was held in Tehran, Iran to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of auto giant BMW. The event on March, 7th, brought together a host of renowned businessmen, athletes, executives and authorities of the chambers of commerce of Iran and other countries. Hosted by the Persia Khodro company, the event was held at a top-notch convention center in Tehran. The ceremony was glorious enough to suit the prestigious BMW brand. Persia Khodro Company Logo

At a press conference held at the beginning of the ceremony, a top Persia Khodro executive weighed in on the merits of the company compared to other Iranian importers of luxury cars. He said a whole lot of factors distinguish Persia Khodro from other companies, including knowledge, expertise, experience, the culture of the BMW brand, a great network of sales and service centers, and boasting the standard BMW service centers with customer satisfaction approach. Among other factors, he said, is that the company is a private one, and as a result, it achieves its goals at a much faster pace. Yet another factor which makes a difference, said the top executive, is that Persia Khodro is owned by Farzanegan Group holding.





Another top manager also made comments at the presser about the activities of Persia Khodro after it was privatized. The executive said the Farzanegan holding has more than 20 years of experience in different fields, including industry, trade and production. After taking over the Persia Khodro company in 2013, its new management outlined new missions for the company and put more emphasis on rendering services that BMW customers deserve. To that end, the management sought to improve the quality of the company's services by expanding its after-sales services and upgrading the knowledge of its experts through regular training courses.

Also at the press conference, other Persia Khodro managers enumerated the unique facilities of the company in Iran and the achievements of Persia Khodro, namely securing the first place in terms of customer satisfaction within premium segment, as announced by the Iranian Standards and Quality Inspection Company (ISQI), offering road repair services 24/7, offering free-of-charge BSI Plus services for a period of two years, etc.

The ceremony also featured a presentation on the history and accomplishments of the world-famous BMW brand. A minutes-long film on the history of BMW's development was also screened, and was acclaimed by the attendees.





Also present was the managing director of the Mahak charity, which supports children suffering from cancer. Dr. Ahmadian touched upon the activities of the charity, and thanked Persia Khodro for supporting Mahak and the thousands of cancer-suffering children to whom the charity offers services. He said Mahak is supporting some 24,000 children at the moment, adding Mahak believes all children in Iran suffering from cancer should have access to its good services. At the moment, he said, Mahak is helping equip the Middle East's largest hospital which offers full services to children with cancer. He thanked Persia Khodro for offering financial aid and other kinds of support to Mahak. He said the support shows a famous brand is living up to its social responsibilities.

It is noteworthy that the Persia Khodro company has been owned by the Farzanegan holding since 2013, and has, ever since, managed to considerably increase the number of its sales outlets and after-sales service centers across Iran. Persia Khodro ranks first in the domain of premium segment cars when it comes to customer satisfaction. It also stands in the first place among all local importers and producers when it comes to offering after-sales services in the premium segment.

The ceremony concluded with a dinner banquet attended by both local and foreign guests.
Government gives green light to HS3

CHANCELLOR George Osborne will tomorrow use the Budget to give the green light to HS3.

He will commit funds to a raft of projects recommended by the Lord Adonis-led National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) to deliver infrastructure fit for the next generation.

The two biggest announcements will be Government backing for the HS3 rail project between Leeds and Manchester, with a full blueprint to be drawn up by next year, and Crossrail 2 in London, which will be the subject of legislation planned to be introduced in this Parliament.

In what the treasury is hailing as a major boost for the Northern Powerhouse, the subject of a detailed report from the NIC, there will be 300m in the Chancellors Budget tomorrow for the following projects:

Taking forward HS3 between Leeds and Manchester with 60m to develop detailed plans to reduce journey times towards 30 minutes, as well as plans for improving links between the Norths other major cities

Exploring options for a Trans-Pennine tunnel between Sheffield and Manchester with 75m to develop plans, as well as looking at options to enhance the A66, A69 and the north-west quadrant of the M60

Delivering significant improvements to roads with 161m for Highways England to accelerate upgrades to the M62 between junction 10-12 Warrington to Eccles and junction 20-25 Rochdale to Brighouse.

Chancellor George Osborne said: With the difficulties we see in the global economy, weve got to make Britain fit for the future.

Now is the time us to make the bold decisions and the big investments that will help us to lead the world in infrastructure, and create jobs, push up living standards and boost our productivity for the next generation.

Thats what my Budget this week sets out to do.

We set up the National Infrastructure Commission to think for the long term, plan for the future and help us lead the world.

I want to thank Lord Adonis and the National Infrastructure Commission for their excellent work in setting out the long term priorities for London and the Northern Powerhouse, which I am determined to deliver.

In addition to kick-starting the two rail schemes, the Chancellor will launch a new 1.2bn fund to release brownfield land to build more than 30,000 starter homes across the country.

This programme will help councils build homes for first-time buyers, and is part of a wider drive to deliver the biggest affordable house building programme since the 1970s. The Government will go further in releasing public sector land for housing, with a particular focus on land around stations.

It is expected that overall, the Chancellor will use the Budget to bring forward capital spending in this Parliament, to invest in the Governments priorities and boost jobs and productivity.
The biggest political standoff in years just ended in the West Bank and barely anyone in Washington noticed.

A parliamentarian from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas own party filed accusations of corruption against senior Palestinian Authority officials and then fled to the parliament building after the Palestinian Authority issued an arrest warrant for her. In the course of two weeks, Najat Abu Bakrs sit-in protest sparked a political firestorm that drew crowds of Palestinians into the streets. It took weeks of tenacious negotiating, but she was finally able to secure safe passage back to her home district in Nablus last week.

The story began in February, when Abu Bakr accused PA minister of local governance Hussein al-Araj  a close Abbas associate  of pocketing roughly $200,000 in a water well deal. The Palestinian Authority leadership, widely recognized as a cesspool for corruption and for stifling criticism against the government, issued an arrest warrant shortly after her accusations. Abu Bakr then fled to the safety of the parliamentary building to avoid arrest. She has since turned over files documenting purported evidence of Arajs case and other high-level corruption to the PAs anti-corruption czar and the Fatah party head in parliament. It is still unclear whether the charges will ever be acknowledged or addressed.

This was not Abu Bakrs first tangle with the Palestinian leadership over corruption. In 2013, she publicly sparred with former PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a manironicallywho was widely celebrated for his anti-corruption policies, over accusations that the technocratic leader was misusing funds for a personal security detail. In 2014, she blasted Fayyads successor, Rami Hamdallah, for clamping down on labor unions. She also accused PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki of nepotism in 2013 after al-Maliki elevated an official convicted of corruption to the post of ambassador.

However, her latest showdown with Abbas and company is unprecedented. Palestinian politicians typically invoke the cause of anti-corruption to score political points on the street. Few present documentation on alleged corruption, and the last time anyone sought refuge in a Palestinian Authority facility on this scale was when the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat was cornered in the presidential Muqata compound by the Israelis in response to his stoking the violence of the second Intifada.

At the same time, its a surprise we have not seen more of this. Corruption allegations have dogged the Palestinian Authority since its inception in the early 1990s. For example, an International Monetary Fund audit found in 2003 that Arafat had funneled $900 million in public funds to a special bank account from 1995 to 2000. Another report found that Arafat and his cronies had transferred nearly $300 million to Swiss bank accounts between 1997 and 2000. When Abbas succeeded Arafat as president of the PA in 2005, the U.S. hoped the long-time negotiatorwith the help of Fayyadwould be able to reform the corrupt Palestinian system.

But Abbas and Fayyad failed to reverse course, and in 2006 Palestinian voters punished them for it by rewarding their rivals in Hamas. The Islamist groups surprise victory in the legislative elections that year was due in no small part to their successful efforts to brand themselves as a transparent alternative to Abbass corrupt Fatah party. As one Fatah member lamented, his party had paid the price because of its corrupt administration and a bunch of corrupt leaders.

Rather than addressing the problem, Abbas seemed to embrace his role of corrupt autocrat. In the wake of a brief but bloody civil war that separated the West Bank and Gaza in 2007, Abbas consolidated his control over Fatah and the PA in the West Bank, pushing transparency and good governance to the bottom of his list of priorities. He forced out Fayyad in 2013 to the great chagrin of Western champions that sought to build a credible government in Ramallah from the ground up. A European Union audit found later that year that they PA had mismanaged over three billion dollars from 2009 to 2013.

Abbas finally set up an anti-corruption commission in 2010, but his 81-year old anti-corruption czar recently announced he has only recovered $70 million in five years. And in a recent interview, he insisted that the problem of corruption is simply not as bad as the stream of media reports over two decades suggest.

International donors are not buying it. According to a Reuters report, aid from the EU and others to the PA has fallen from around $1.3 billion per year to $700 million. Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah released a statement in December declaring international aid had fallen 43% since 2011. And the financial crisis has had a real impact. After the governments refusal to increase teacher salaries per a 2013 agreement, thousands of teachers have recently taken to protest in the streets.

These problems are not going to go away, either. Palestinian perception of corruption in the PA stood at 81% in 2014. Abbass rivals know this and continue to hammer home the problem as a means to score points on the Palestinian street. Mohammad Dahlan, an exiled senior Fatah official and rival of Abbas, regularly blasts Abbas as a corrupt dictator and even filed a lawsuit against Abbas in 2013 insisting the Palestinian Authority and its leadership are tainted by corruption on a grand scale. As does Jibril Rajoub, another senior Fatah official and aspiring successor to Abbas, who has called for a balance of power through free democratic elections.

Rajoubs calls resonate on the Palestinian streets for a reason. Abbas is now eleven years into his four-year term. The corruption is as much political as it is financial. It was the toxic combination that ultimately prompted millions to take to the streets in of Arab capitals in the chaotic Arab Spring protests. The Palestinians have, until now, eluded such a crisis. But as Najat Abu Bakrs sit-in demonstrated, the need for reform remains dire. What will it take for Washington to notice?
The war in Syria that the Russian government denied it was starting, then swore it was prosecuting against ISIS and terrorists, has suddenly been won and will come to an expeditious end, beginning today. Vladimir Putin, the man who said that local volunteers seized Crimea and who still disclaims any Russian military involvement in east Ukraine, asks to be taken at his word that hes had enough of bombing the Middle East.

The difficulty in parsing any major Kremlin announcement lies in chivvying the kernel of verifiable truth out of the carapace of lies and disinformation it typically comes wrapped in. Already I see enough loopholes and caveats in Putins meekly delivered mission accomplished declaration to qualify it as just another misdirection, one the Western media has again abetted by editorially framing what Putin says as a fait accompli.

In a way, though, the more depressing thought is that the Russian president is actually sincere this time. He may well be winding down a short intervention because hes accomplished exactly what he set out to do, and the next move is sending his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to do what he does best: run circles around John Kerry in Switzerland.

According to a carefully phrased readout on the Russian presidential administration website, Putin called Bashar al-Assad on Monday and the two agreed that Russias six-month air war has brought about a real turnabout in the fight against the terrorists in Syria, throwing their infrastructure into disarray and causing them substantial damage. But Russia isnt skedaddling categorically from the Levant; it will maintain an aviation support centre in Syria in order to monitor compliance with the ceasefire, and of course retain its longstanding and reportedly refurbished naval resupply base at Tartus. Translation: It can still bomb as needed or desired.

To begin with, the infrastructure thrown into disarray because of Russian aerial bombardment has been schools, markets, and hospitals, which Amnesty International believes the Russian air force has deliberately and systematically targeted. (Russian state media denies these hospitals even exist, which I suppose they dont now, properly speaking.) The war has indeed caused substantial damage but not to terrorists. Civilians have borne the brunt of the devastation; 600 of them were killed and 120,000 of them scattered internally or externally throughout the provinces of Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo during a late-October offensive, designed only to shore up the Assad regimes weakening frontline positions and regain lost ground. That push was then dwarfed by a late February escalation during which, by the Russias defense ministrys own admission, some 900 bombs were dropped within the space of 72 hours in Aleppo, where Iranian proxies have been able to encircle the oppositions longest-held geo-strategic terrain and cut their supply lines. Seventy thousand Syrian refugees, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, consequently fled from the Aleppo countryside to the Turkish border. Wild guess, but perhaps the reason that NATO Supreme Allied Commander Philip Breedlove recently accused Russia of weaponizing Syrias worsening refugee crisis is that it has made more Syrian refugees to overwhelm NATO.

Also pulverized during the last half-year have been the barracks, weapons depots, and soldiers of the Free Syrian Army, including 39 factions that have been fitfully armed and supported by the Central Intelligence Agency. True, some of these groups have even taken out one or two Russian officers, using American-supplied TOW anti-tank missiles, no less. But the dirty war in Ukraine has demonstrated that Putins tolerance for absorbing plausibly deniable fatalities in murky foreign adventures is much higher than what U.S. spooks intend, or are authorized to inflict on his army in Syria. One doesnt have to believe Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigus exaggerated claim that Russia has won back 10,000 square kilometers for Damascus to know that the rebels have taken a beating from the Russians, especially in their citadel of Aleppo.

The same cannot be said for ISIS, the putative enemy of Moscow. Its only been struck between 10 to 20 percent of the time, say U.S. officials, a fact even remarked upon in grimly hilarious fashion by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis own media department. In the November issue of its propaganda rag Dabiq, ISIS took lurid pleasure in the spectacle of the drunken brown bear savagely but clumsily bombing everywhere but where ISIS had a significant presence, typically the Sahwah allies of America. (Sahwah means awakening in Arabic, as in the al-Anbar kind that defeated ISISs predecessor, al Qaeda in Iraq.) How strange that ISIS doesnt seem to think Russia has been going after ISIS.

As to the ceasefire in question, technically a cessation of hostilities applicable to all parties except ISIS and the al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra, Russia is more than a signatory on this tenuous agreement. It co-brokered the thing with the U.S. and is now acting as the diplomatic guarantor for the compliance of all pro-regime forces including the Syrian Arab Army, Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps, Lebanese Hezbollah, and a broad consortium of Syrian, Iraqi, and even Afghan militias. Remarkably, the hostilities are much reducedby 80 to 90 percentthough not exactly at an end. Russian and Syrian aerial sorties have continued, targeting villages where FSA units are in concentration in Homs, Aleppo, Idlib, and Latakia. Assads helicopters have also carried on dropping barrel bombs on Damascus.

Moscow is thus is committed to monitoring the very agreement that its been opportunistically breaching, with nary a State Department protest (though this possibly owes to Foggy Bottoms hotline for reporting violations, which only recently acquired fluent Arabic speakers).

Fortifying Assad on the battlefield was always meant to keep him physically alive and politically immovable, making his ousterlong a nominal Western precondition for peace talksa diplomatic non-starter. Well, no one now disputes that that objective has been achieved spectacularly. But consider, too, the other accomplishments made by Moscow, beginning with the most important: the commercial.

The Syria war was as much a mediated weapons and hardware expo as it was a client rescue mission.

In October, Russian warships debuted the new Kalibr cruise missile, firing it across 900 miles of sea and land, across Iranian and Iraqi airspace (some of the missiles crash-landed in Iran, according to the Pentagon). But the display became a marquee event for Kremlin-run television, here acting as a multimedia brochure for Rosoboronexport, the Russian state arms dealer, which last year sold $15 billion in weapons to foreign purchasers.

The 45 or so fixed-wing aircraft deployed to Bassel al-Assad International Airport in Latakia, now a permanent Russian garrison and airbase on the Mediterranean, ranged from souped-up Soviet models to state-of-the-art killing machines. The Russian Air Forces most modern ground attack jet, the Su-34, was showcased as a source of enormous national pride, with the state-owned outlet Sputnik reveling pornographically in the warplanes ability to hunt terrorists. (The Su-34 was also documented cluster bombing populated areas, such as Hraytan, Aleppo.) Just before the New Year, Sergei Smirnov, the director of the Chkalov aviation factory, gave an interview with Vedomosti in which he said that Algeria, which has sought the purchase of the Su-32 export variant from Russia for the last eight years, recently made an official application to purchase the bombers from Rosoboronexport. Other potential buyers, according to military expert Igor Korotchenko, again hyping the Su-34 in Sputnik, are Vietnam, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

Another sophisticated toy is the T-90 battle tank, examples of which have been spotted all over the Syrian battle space, at first guarding the Latakia airbase and now being driven by the Syrian army and Iranian-built Shia militias, such as Iraqs Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or League of the Righteous, which in 2007 killed five U.S. soldiers in Karbala. In late December, Algeria announced that it planned to buy its third tranche of T-90s. Iran now also wants them.

IHS Janes, a British defense intelligence firm, calculates that Russia has spent between $5 million and $7.5 million per day on the war in Syria. After 167 days, that comes to anywhere between $668 million and $1.25 billion. The Russian defense budget for 2015 was $50 billion; Rosoboronexport claimed on Dec. 30, 2015, that its arms exports amounted to $15.2 billion, a figure that will likely grow in 2016.

Last but not least, there has been the symbolic benefit for the Russian General Staff of watching as the U.S. waged a proxy war against itself. U.S. Central Commands principal ground force against ISIS in northern Syria, the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, have taken to attacking CIA-backed Sunni Arab rebels as the latter were pounded by Russia bombs. If Washington wont protect its assets from its other assets, much less from Su-34s, then what creeping regime change does Putin truly have to fear?

Kremlin foreign policy is, somewhat reductively, said to be exclusively obsessed with deterring sinister and heedless Washington from plotting coups or waging destructive interventions against stable authoritarians, many of them Russian allies: first Saddam, then Gaddafi, then Yanukovychnever Assad. Yet it takes a very special breed of paranoiac, in March 2016, to fear conspiratorial American designs on Syria, a colorless foreign-backed revolution if ever there were one. The anti-Assad opposition has been turned into cannon fodder on the battlefield and reduced to begging its own superpower sponsor to fight its corner in European hotels.

Putin and his inner circle have recognized this obvious reality for years, whatever feverish innuendo they let loose to the contrary. They knew, for instance, that President Obama never wanted to enforce his own red line on the use of WMD in Syria. As one unnamed Russian diplomat told Gerard Araud, Frances ambassador to the United Nations after the latter threatened to disclose French intelligence about Assads chemical attacks in the months before the major one in Ghouta, Damascus: Gerard, dont embarrass the Americans.

President Obamas much-scrutinized interview with The Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg was, if nothing else, a startling admission that the commander-in-chief views the 21st centurys gravest humanitarian catastrophe as, at worst, a legacy-spoiling inconvenience and, at best, an opportunity to test his bold hypothesis that a Sunni-Shia equilibrium can be inaugurated in the Middle East by reducing Americas involvement there, which per force means tacitly certifying Iranian interests at the expense of those of traditional allies, namely Saudi Arabia. Obama has euphemistically couched this volte-face on 37 years of Islamic Republic containment as forcing two regional powers to share the neighborhood and institute some sort of cold peace, as if the devastating (and largely forgotten) war in Yemen were a prelude to therapeutic breakthrough between two mutually reviled sectarians rather than a curtain-raiser on a new and improved era of proxy conflict. Obama has also more than hinted to Goldberg of being more sympathetic to the Iranians than he is to the free-rider Saudis, a prejudice that has not gone unnoticed in Riyadh and will have only been greeted encouragingly in Moscow. Recall that it was the Quds Force commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps, Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, with Ayatollah Ali Khameneis consent, who traveled to Moscow to prevail upon Putin to intervene in Syria in the first place. (Not that this has stopped Russia from making overtures to the Saudis as the more reliable and trustworthy partner for conducting regional business.)

If, as the old Clausewitz cliche runs, war is merely continuation of politics by other means, then why should Putin waste any more of his contracting GDP on gravity bombs and bullets when his enemy is already furthering his policy, cost-free?
Al-Shabaab, the al Qaeda-aligned militia in Somalia, is experiencing some of the most successful months of its recent history. Until recently, many had been tempted to suggest that the group was on its last legs as it faced a seemingly overwhelming military force in the form of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)a Western-backed coalition of East African militaries tasked with fighting al-Shabaab and supporting the Somali National Army (SNA). While this has succeeded in removing al-Shabaab from the most strategically important urban areas of the country, including the capital Mogadishu and the port city of Kismayo, the mission has begun to falter. Troops appear to be overstretched and lacking direction in the face of a number of major setbacks as al-Shabaab pursues a dual strategy of traditional insurgency and terrorism.

While it is tempting to refer to an al-Shabaab resurgence, this is also slightly misleading. Instead, we are witnessing what many close observers of the Somali conflict have seen coming for quite some time: a well-organized, disciplined and ideologically committed militia which is deeply embedded in certain key parts of the country now seizing its opportunity during a moment of weakness for its enemies.

Western security agencies have had their heads turned by ISIS, and at a time when AMISOM requires increased support, it is experiencing the opposite. In February, for example, the European Union, which funds AMISOM activities as part of a financing agreement called the African Peace Facility, announced a 20 percent reduction in its financial support which covers troop allowances. While the threat to Western security posed by ISIS certainly justifies the increased attention it is now receiving, governments cannot afford to take their eye off the ball in Somalia as a result.

A recent missile strike on an al-Shabaab base by the American military, which reportedly killed a staggering 150 fighters, suggests that the group is still considered a significant terrorist threat. However, it has proved resilient to these attacks in the past, and hard power alone cannot defeat it. This type of strike, while undoubtedly a blow, also plays into al-Shabaabs hands as it strives to present itself as the protector of Somalis and Islam from dangerous foreign influences.

High-profile urban bombings and military raids on AMISOM bases throughout the country have become an almost weekly occurrence. February was a particularly busy month, and one which began with one of al-Shabaabs most high-profile terrorist attacks when a member of the group detonated an explosive on a Daallo airlines jet leaving Mogadishu for Djibouti City. The incident received relatively scant media attention in the West, likely due to the attackers failure to kill anyone but himself when his bomb tore a hole in the fuselage, blowing him clean out of the aircraft. However, this should not simply be laughed off; the bomb, which was built into a laptop, demonstrated that the group retains its ability to build sophisticated devices. The attacker, who was likely assisted by staff at Mogadishu airport, also had the wherewithal to outsmart security and place the bomb on an international airliner.

This came just weeks after the groups first major terrorist attack of the year, when a suicide bomber and at least eight gunmen stormed a beach-front hotel in Mogadishu, killing around 20 civilians. Al-Shabaab ended the month with a high-profile assassination in Mogadishu, using a car bomb to assassinate former Somali defense minister Muhidin Hassan Haji in Mogadishu, and carrying out coordinated bombings and shootings both in the capital and in the southern town of Baidoa which killed around 40 people.

Outside of the urban centers, al-Shabaabs prowess as a traditional insurgent force fighting members of AMISOM has also been on display. In January, the group overran a Kenyan Defence Force (KDF) forward operating base in el-Adde, southwestern Somalia. The raid, which led to the death of at least 100 Kenyan troops, inflicted the single worst loss of life in the countrys military history. In February, it briefly took control of the strategic port town of Marka after seeing off AMISOM forces based there, and temporarily seized the town of Afgoye from the SNA, only 30km from Mogadishu. These and many other such raids have not only been strategic and propaganda coups for the group, but have also allowed it to seize large amounts of military hardware from AMISOM and SNA troops, including military vehicles, assault rifles and ammunition.

The short answer is that al-Shabaab was never defeated, and that any claims to the contrary were overly-optimistic and ignored both how embedded al-Shabaab remains in Somalia, and the limitations of those opposing it. Many assessments also mistakenly measured the groups capabilities solely on how much territory it controlled, ignoring its size and cadres of experienced and hardened fighters. The most conservative estimates of al-Shabaabs membership stand at around 6,000, while other reliable sources have suggested that the groups force is more than double this. While it is difficult to confirm these figures, if that number stands anywhere near the higher estimates, AMISOMs force of 22,000 is simply not enough to achieve anything resembling a victory. The SNA boasts another 20,000 troops, but they are not yet experienced or well-trained enough to have the desired impact.

While AMISOM and SNA forces have succeeded in ensuring that al-Shabaab no longer controls major urban centers, they have struggled to capitalize on short-term successes in rural towns and regions and shown little interest in pursuing any sort of coherent political or military strategy. Their military gains often follow a similar pattern; troops oust al-Shabaab from a district or town and, like any good insurgency, the militia melts away into either the local population or surrounding forests, bides its time, and returns once troops have moved on. The mission has failed to remove the group from any of its rural hideouts (often found in the dense forests of Southern and central Somalia), and AMISOM soldiers in particular rarely patrol outside of their bases, leaving al-Shabaab the freedom to operate with ease among the local population and present itself as a viable alternative to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS).

The recent struggles faced by AMISOM are not only a matter of a lack of resources and a clear strategy. The political climate in Somalia is deeply fractured and dysfunctional, leading to an increased lack of trust between the FGS and the wider population. The government has little control outside of its base in Mogadishu and its military is viewed with distrust among many who see it as a tool for various competing clans to gain influence.

Among the most significant political challenges in Somalia is an ongoing political standoff between the FGS and the administrations of the semi-autonomous regions of Puntland and Jubbaland over the framework model for the presidential elections set to be held in September. Leaders of both regions have rejected proposals by the government to use a hybrid election model based on the controversial and outdated 4.5 power-sharing formula, which empowers the four major Somali clans while marginalizing many others. While the UN has also intervened in the discussions, it has not yet succeeded in helping to strike a deal.

This political paralysis has, among other things, led to a lack of security cooperation and coordination between the center and periphery which has greatly benefitted al-Shabaab, allowing it to regroup. It has also taken the opportunity afforded by this standoff to mobilize marginalized and disaffected communities against the government and its regional administrations.

This all comes during a period when al-Shabaab has undergone a change of leadership, with a new regime seeking to assert itself in the face of internal discord and threats to its control over the group. Until September 2014, it was led by Ahmed Abdi Godane, a confidant of Osama bin Ladens and veteran of the Afghan jihad. He helped oversee the strengthening of ties between al-Shabaab and al Qaeda, a relationship that was formalized in February 2012 by Aymen al-Zawahiri, by the then-new head of the global terror network. Godanes strong al Qaeda connections helped to inform the decision made to target him as part of President Obamas drone program, and he was killed by a missile strike in September 2014.

During Godanes final years, al-Shabaab had begun to prioritize terrorist attacks on neighboring East African countries which formed part of AMISOM. His replacement, a close associate named Ahmad Umar, has taken the group in a slightly different direction. His predecessors approach led to accusations that he was losing sight of the groups national narrative, and Umar has placed renewed emphasis on gaining domestic support through a strategy of increased insurgent and terrorist activity within Somalia. Since his ascension, he has however struggled to gain full support across the group and the recent wave of attacks may also be part of an effort to prove his doubters wrong.

While al-Shabaab still targets countries like Kenya, it has therefore scaled up its domestic attacks, and scaled down its external focus. Successful terrorist attacks and raids on AMISOM bases, seen by many Somalis as symbols of foreign occupation, are helping to draw more recruits and convince some that al-Shabaabs model of a Somali Islamic State is the countrys best hope for self-determination and a functional government.

Umars rise to power has also coincided with the increased global popularity of the Islamic State among global jihadists. As a result, he has faced calls both from within al-Shabaab and from ISIS to switch allegiances to the supposed new Caliph, Omar al-Baghdadi. Within months of Umars appointment, ISIS began releasing videos either urging al-Shabaab to switch allegiances, or depicting small breakaway factions in Somalia pledging their loyalty to the new Caliphate. The most high-profile defection to date came in October last year when Abdiqadir Mumin, an al-Shabaab cleric based in Puntland, swore his fealty to Baghdadi. While much was made of this at the time, this defection amounted to roughly 20 of his followers and did not represent a significant blow to the al-Shabaab leadership.

Nonetheless, ISIS does undoubtedly have some appeal among younger members of al-Shabaab and its members from the Somali diaspora. While a Syrian-Iraqi jihadist group is very unlikely to succeed in Somalia, al-Shabaabs recent activities may also be part of attempts by the leadership to demonstrate its effectiveness as a weapon against the Western-backed war on Islam so that it may win over and prove itself to Somali ISIS sympathizers.

While it has proven very effective on the battlefield, al-Shabaabs success can also be partly attributed to its sophisticated propaganda efforts. In the age of ISIS, it is easy to forget that al-Shabaab was among the first global jihadist militias to establish an Islamic state and produce well-edited propaganda videos heralding its success and calling upon the worlds Muslims to join its cause. Indeed, before Syria became the destination du jour for Western jihadists, it was Somalia that attracted many Western foreign fighters, due in part to gains it made during the end of the last decade. It was also among the first jihadist groups to see the benefits of a social media presence, and set up an official Twitter account long before ISIS and its supporters had emerged on the platform.

While al-Shabaab avoids depicting the ultra-violence which has come to define the more headline-grabbing elements of ISIS media output, it still regularly produces propaganda. This includes video reports from the frontlines (the group has even been known to stage attacks the sole reason of filming them for propaganda purposes) and examples of their provision of social welfare to rural Somalis.

There are two main media centers which produce and distribute al-Shabaab propaganda to a variety of audiences. Radio Andalus and a number of its affiliates create output in Somali for the local population which focuses on domestic and local concerns. The group draws many of its recruits from among rural and disfranchised communities in Somalia and its messaging to this population focuses on al-Shabaabs ability to provide them with the resources and infrastructure which the state has failed to deliver in many regions.

In February, al-Shabaab released photographs claiming to depict the provision of medical aid to farmers and their livestock in the Lower Shabelle region. Another release that same month purported to show members of al-Shabaabs self-styled aid agency assisting residents of the hotly contested town of el-Adde, who it had claimed were the victims of AMISOM airstrikes launched in response to the groups successful raid of the KDF base in January.

However, if you have ever watched an al-Shabaab video, chances are it came from al-Kataib, an al Qaeda production entity which creates videos for a foreign audience. Thus, this output is rarely in Somali, and is usually found in Arabic, English and Swahili. The Arabic propaganda is usually aimed at potential funders in the Gulf, who have in the past been known to send money to the group and were previously involved in buying charcoal from al-Shabaab when it was in control of the port of Kismayo.

The English-language videos target both members of the Western Somali diaspora who aspire to join the group as foreign fighters, along with others in the West who may either wish to join, or even more importantly for al-Shabaab, fund the groups activities. Since the rise of ISIS, al-Shabaab has been more focused on the latter, with very few, if any, non-Somali Western jihadists looking beyond the newly established Caliphate in the Levant.

The group has, however, succeeded in gaining membership from closer to home, and its Swahili videos seek to encourage the recruitment of East Africans, in particular Kenyans. The results of this recruitment drive mean that Kenya now faces the biggest terrorist threat in its history. It has already suffered a number of major attacks which Kenyan recruits have participated in, from the Westgate mall shootings in 2013, to the more recent massacre at a university in the North-Easter town of Garissa. Unfortunately, despite Umars renewed focus on operations inside Somalia, it is likely that Kenya will remain firmly in al-Shabaabs cross-hairs, with another major attack seemingly only a matter of time.

Considering the focus of this analysis, it is easy to be pessimistic about the future of Somalia, but it is important not to ignore the significant strides that the nation has made. Take, for example, the return of the Somali diaspora to the country, who are bringing with them the skills and innovation required for the reconstruction of the country. This seems to be paying dividends, and a recent survey by IMF has shown remarkable progress in economic growth over recent years.

A political solution is the only way to truly end this conflict. Progress is slow, but Somalias federalization process, despite many ongoing challenges, has seen the creation of various semi-autonomous states and helped stabilize the country. Keeping these gains intact would require, first and foremost, a solution to the countrys fragmented politics and more investment in building a genuine national Somali force rather than the current over-reliance on foreign troops.

It is also encouraging that, despite its recent gains in Somalia, al-Shabaab is no longer the force it was in Somalia during the previous decade and likely never will be again. However, this should serve as one of a number of reminders that al Qaeda remains a potent force in the world. While it does not have control over the strategy or day-to-day operations of al-Shabaab, al Qaeda is still revered by many within the leadership who will continue to assist in any way they can. While at present al-Shabaab lacks both the interest and capabilities to plot terrorist attacks in the West, it retains its alliance with Yemens al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). This organization still poses a very real international terrorist threat, and most recently is thought to have trained and deployed the Koachi brothers, who gunned down staff in the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in January last year.

It is therefore unsurprising that the group remains a major target for American counter-terrorism authorities, but more effort must be made to bolster the effectiveness and legitimacy of the FGS and SNA, and in the short term assist AMISOM in developing a more comprehensive counter-insurgency strategy. Until this changes, al-Shabaab will continue to de-stabilize Somalia and remain a serious threat to African and Western interests.
December 31, 1941 - March 13, 2016

Jan Willis, 74, of Bryan, returned to her father in heaven on Sunday, March 13, 2016 in Bryan, Texas. A service honoring her life will be held at 10:00am, Wednesday, March 16th, at Wesley United Methodist Church.

Jan was born in Everett, Washington to Harry and Verna Bohnstedt Pennington on December 31, 1941. She spent most of her grade school years in Jos, Nigeria, as her parents, missionaries, spread the word of the Lord. Then as a teenager, she returned to Washington State to finish her education. She worked as the church secretary and/or Christian education director, her entire life. An excellent pianist, she shared her love for the Lord and others, by playing piano for church services, teaching piano and filling her home with hymns for all to hear. She was a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and dear friend to so many and her love for all was palpable.

She is preceded in death by her parents Harry and Verna, loving step-mother Miriam, sister Gladys and daughter-in-law Shireen. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, Garry Willis; her son Daniel Betz and wife Linda; her daughter Melody Walz and husband Lowell; her son Greg Betz; her son Ron Betz and wife Kim; her daughter Stefanie Yandell and husband Kyle; step-children Michele and Michael; 25 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

She was loved by all and freely retuned that love without hesitation. She was loved, is loved and will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given in her name to Wesley United Methodist Church.

Express condolence at callawayjones.com
Paying via mobile isn't a new concept  Apple Pay and Samsung Pay have both been around for a while now. However, these methods are plagued with security concerns. Passwords can be hacked, especially if people are hiding behind easily discerned codes.

Now banks are getting into the mobile payment world, using technology that has nothing to do with remembering a password.

MasterCard to Launch Selfie Pay in Months

MasterCard is planning to launch new technologies over the next few months, that will allow shoppers to verify online purchases using their fingerprints, or by taking a selfie. Fingerprints might not be that surprising, especially given how Apple has moved towards using scanners in recent iPhone models. But selfies are a different story.

Each purchase will require a scanned fingerprint or selfie to prove it's the shopper doing the buying and not a hacker or thief. Users will have to prove it's a real selfie and not just a photograph by blinking as they take their photo.

Banks, Amazon Coming Soon

MasterCard isn't the only one looking to change the way customers pay. HSBC is bringing voice and fingerprint methods to account holders accessing their money.

Amazon is joining in as well. It recently filed a patent for a kind of selfie pay system that would utilize photos and videos to authorize payment in similar fashions.

Readers, what do you think? Would you pay with a selfie? Or do you prefer more traditional methods? Sound off below!
The mission statements of most universities evoke noble ambitions of changing the world for the better. When it comes to the necessary transition away from fossil fuels, they certainly could make a difference. Unfortunately, they are too often part of the problem instead.

It's the funding, stupid

Last October, Greenpeace UK was able to establish, via Freedom of Information Requests, that UK universities had received 134 million in funding directly from the major fossil fuel companies. I know this to be an underestimation of fossil fuel funding of university research, staff and facilities.

This money is an important reason why some universities have not embraced the fossil fuel divestment movement. Senior management reason that if they were to divest investments from fossil fuel companies, they would then be urged to also return funding from fossil fuel companies.

In this respect, some of the critics of divestment are entirely correct here. To divest while taking money from fossil fuel companies could be seen as hypocritical, and so pressure would soon be applied to reject future funding. First they came for the endowment funds, but that didn't affect my horizontal drilling research program, and I said nothing ...

So the first line of defence against seeing a possible reduction in funding, is to reject any calls for divestment. Many UK universities are desperate for cash and fossil fuel companies have plenty of it.

This Faustian pact can be justified in all manner of ways. One way to do that is by playing the 'engagement card', and we can look to US institutions to see this most effectively in action.

An expensive engagement

Campaigns for divestment from fossil fuel companies emerged within US university campuses, but thus far has had limited success within the sector. The world's wealthiest university, Harvard, issued a firm 'no' in response to a divestment campaign, and last year MIT rejected similar calls that it's $12 billion endowment be divested from fossil fuel companies.

MIT is an instructive case, because it decided to actually work closer with the fossil fuel companies, through engagement in a five year climate change research program.

It argued that engagement with BP, Eni, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, and Shell was necessary, to innovate and develop the new technologies and behaviours which could motivate further transitions to a sustainable economy. It will do this via a series of projects that will be funded to the tune of $300million.

This will be coordinated by the Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI) and the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI). The MITEI is one MIT's major research centres having attracted some $600 million of funding, the top sponsors being - can you guess? - BP, Eni, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco and Shell.

$300 million must buy a lot of belief in the power of engagement with corporations that are trying to develop new oil fields in the Arctic, or helping to detonate the carbon bomb held in the Canadian oil sands. This belief must also be maintained in the presence of evidence that such engagement has failed. Why wouldn't it? These are pure play fossil fuel companies. Extracting fossil fuels is what they do.

A necessary divorce

Even to an Ivy League institution, $300 million is a lot of money. In the UK, the prospects of such funding would leave many Vice Chancellors near catatonic.

But to these global fossil fuel companies it's loose change. In 2015, the total revenue of Saudi Aramco alone was very likely over 1,000 times this amount. What this funding buys fossil fuel companies is social acceptance, and the normalisation of the their core business activities.

Sponsoring open days, providing cash for exhibitions, facilities, centres, training programs and creating new staff positions are very effective and very cheap PR activities. Their partnerships with universities also maintains a supply of advanced research, and a steady flow of highly trained and capable new employees.

Here again, universities have an incentive to work with the fossil fuel companies, because research activities are assessed in terms of their economic impact which is easier to demonstrate when working directly with industry. And of course, graduate employment affects the ever important league table position.

This has to stop. And it has to stop soon because in a matter of years, greenhouse gas emissions will have to stop increasing, and then begin to decline and continue to get smaller each year until they hit zero with probably negative emissions thereafter.

There is a clear line here - you can see it in IPCC reports that show the various emissions scenarios - and universities need to be on the right side of it. Some have suggested this could be our 'Apollo moment' in which we massively invest our time, effort and resources at solving climate change.

New technologies, exciting apps, and shiny devices will all play a role. But it will all count for nothing if more reserves of coal, oil and gas are developed. Unfortunately, this is the side of the line that fossil fuel companies currently operate on.

To create a sustainable future, first we must ditch our dirty past

Fossil fuels have powered our civilisation since the industrial revolution. Without them we would be poorer and lead diminished lives. They have helped write much of our recent history. But that doesn't mean they have to be our future.

Indeed, if we cannot end our love affair with them and construct a new set of sustainable economic and industrial practices, then we will not have one.

Fossil fuel companies could play a significant role in the transition to sustainable energy generation. But this will require a transformation which thus far they have not demonstrated they will undertake of their own volition. Universities can have an impact here by withdrawing their support and sending a strong signal to them that they must change.

Unfortunately, many Vice Chancellors appear to regard this as too costly a divorce. Better to hold out and hope their partner can change while continuing to bank the cheques. Money that would certainly come in handy when the storms hit.

James Dyke is Lecturer in Complex Systems Simulation at University of Southampton.
President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, addressing the same conference, asserted that "a new census at the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem revealed the elephant population had gone down to just 13,084 from 38,975 in 2009." These figures are included in numbers of elephants in Tanzania.

Kikwete, shortly after sounding nice in London, issued a Hunting Permit to eight members of the family of billionaire Thomas Friedkin to kill for pleasure 204 animals including eight elephants. The online version of the Guardian in an article published on February 1st 2016 revealed that Gower recently came to "Tanzania to work for the Friedkin Conservation Fund."

What is Friedkin Conservation Fund? Thomas Friedkin started a game hunting company in Botswana in 1972. In 1989, he chose to hunt in Tanzania and after purchasing a preserve there, began Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris (TGTS). TGTS make profits by selling game hunting for fun trips. The company "returns some profits [from killing animals and donations] through the Friedkin Conservation Fund, a non-governmental organization established in 1994."

Trophy hunters and all the Friedkins of this world think, with their heads on the ground and feet in the air, that by killing elephants for fun they are helping preserve elephants.

It is not only elephants that the trophy hunting industry kills. They also illegally bait and kill lions. The Western press shed crocodile's tears when Cecil the Lion was shot in Zimbabwe. Yet suddenly, following the downing of the ill-fated chopper, it started heaping praises on the Friedkins.

Land grabbing and evictions - in the name of conservation

The second issue is unparalleled land grabbing in the area in question. Moringe Parkipuny (in his unpublished MA Thesis titled 'Maasai Predicament Beyond Pastoralism' dated 1975) and Prof. Jan Shetler (in her book Imagining Serengeti) documented in shocking details how Prof. Bernhard Grzimek, a soldier and one-time member of the Nazi Party, led the eviction of the Maasai and other tribes to give room for the creation of Serengeti National Park in 1958.

Tanzania has set aside 40% of her territory for wildlife conservation. This is in the form of national parks, a conservation area, game reserves, forest reserves, game controlled areas and marine parks. By comparison, continental United States, one of the countries supporting preservation initiatives in Tanzania, has set aside less than 4% of her land for conservation.

Third, there is discontent in villages on the fringes of Serengeti National Park. Tension springs from creation of new forms of wildlife protected areas in territories belonging to indigenous peoples.

In 1998, for example, Frankfurt Zoological Society, a Germany-based not-for-profit wildlife preservation agency, spearheaded creation of Makao Wildlife Management Area in Meatu District. Irambandogo, Mwangudo, Makao, Sapa, Jinamo, Mwabagimu and Mbushi Villages lost over 47,000 acres of ancestral land to the new form of preservation.

In 2011 the worst eviction took place. In the name of wildlife preservation Mwiba Holdings Limited and TGTS, banding together like poisonous worms, worked together to see Hadza hunter-gatherers, Datoga pastoralists and Sukuma agro-pastoralists brutally evicted from Makao Wildlife Management Area.

Court cases were fabricated against many indigenous people. Courts freed many of them after long legal battles. Some, like Masunga Luchemba, is in remand for four years now facing a murder case. Normally a murder suspected cannot be bailed in Tanzania.

Often people disappear in this part of the world. Two brothers Gineau Gidahasi and Gitienga Gidahasi went missing in 2015. Villagers level accusing fingers to Mwiba Holdings which in turns strenuously denies any wrong doing. The missing young men are presumed dead.

The foreign press has massive space to flood with crocodile tears following deaths of Gower and Kock but the same hardly publishes anything about local victims of conservation in Tanzania.

Elitism and the white saviour complex

Fourth, Nelson Mandela once said that a protected area in Africa "is a preserve of a rich elite." He got it right.

The Greater Serengeti Region is immensely a popular destination of the privileged of this world. These include Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. Others are Bill Gates, Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, Roman Abromovich, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, Chris Tucker, John Wayne, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie and many others.

Lastly, but in way least, is the chronic racism in the wildlife and tourism sectors in Tanzania. If names are any indication Roger Gower and Nicky Bester are people of European stock. To be sure, it is impossible not to notice that famous wildlife preservationists working in Africa, and especially Eastern and Southern Africa, are white.

Think of Mike Fay, Jane Goodall, George and Joy Adamsons, Bernhard and Michael Grzimek, Diane Fossey, the Leakeys, Delia and Mark Owens, David Western, Moss, Joyce Poole, the Douglas-Hamiltons, Jean and Mathieu Laboureur, Bill Webber, Craig Packer, Ian Redmond, Amy Vedder and the new species.

In his groundbreaking book, Celebrity and the Environment, published in 2009 Prof. Daniel Brockington, Director of Sheffield Institute for International Development asks:

"Why, in Africa, should this domain be dominated by white people? In South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya conservation was and often still is dominated by the descendants of white settlers."

It is not because there are no indigenous African conservationists, for they are numerous. It is because in the dominant paradigm of conservation indigenous Africans can take on only three roles: as 'poachers'; as 'squatters'; and as obedient servants of their white masters.

And it is because the African approach to conservation is a very different one to the elite European, colonial, fortress model that began with hunting reserves for the exclusive sport of white hunters: one in which people and wildlife co-exist in harmony as we have done for millennia.

It is high time for Africans to set out a new narrative of conservation. One that resonates with our people; inspires engagement, especially from the young; which recognises our achievements and heroism; and which, alone, can ensure the survival of of our great continent's natural heritage - because it is our own.

Navaya ole Ndaskoi is a Maasai Custodian of Relevant Knowledge. He is an esteemed news analyst in the areas of social justice, pastoralism, conservation and tourism. His shattering articles have been published by NewAfrican, the London-based best selling pan-African magazine, and the highly circulating weekly newspaper in Tanzania called RaiaMwema.
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By Tom Lovett of The Gleaner

An Evansville man has pleaded guilty in federal court to transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Zachary Andrew Coleman, 28, pleaded guilty to a single count indictment on Monday as part of a plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors.

According to the plea agreement, on or about Feb. 6, 2015, Coleman picked up a 12-year-old girl from her residence in Owensboro and took her to his home in Evansville for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity with her.

According to federal documents, Coleman, using the screen name Swisher812, met the girl through a teen social media networking site called Mylol.net.

Coleman was arrested March 23, 2015, at his home by the Evansville Police Department on an arrest warrant issued from Kentucky.

The warrant was based on a felony charge for alleged transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to court documents, Evansville police officers interviewed Coleman, who initially denied involvement in chat room sessions with a girl from Owensboro. After being confronted with a log of the messages he and the 12-year-old sent to each other, he admitted to conversing with her, but denied a sexual relationship, court papers said.

After further investigation he was arrested by federal authorities on May 5. He faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release of five years to life.

Sentencing is set for June 9 in federal district court in Owensboro.
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2013 file photo, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks in Fancy Farm, Ky. Republicans are counting on some Southern comfort to lift them into the Senate majority next year. The fate of Democratic incumbents in GOP-trending Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina; the ability of the 71-year-old GOP leader to hold his Kentucky seat and the eventual outcome in a divisive Georgia primary will help decide whether Republicans gain the six seats necessary to grab control for the final two years of the Obama presidency. (AP Photo/Stephen Lance Dennee, File)

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By Jack Brammer, Lexington Herald-Leader

FRANKFORT  Kentuckians can now register to vote online.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes touted the state's new online registration system, GoVoteKy.com, at a news conference Monday in the Capitol Rotunda.

Grimes, the state's chief election official, said Kentucky voters also can use the system to change their existing registration information, such as political party affiliation.

Before, Kentuckians had to register to vote or change voting information by mail or in person using voter registration cards.

The new system will be more convenient, said Grimes, noting that 30 states already have online registration.

The system was activated March 1.

"Already, a 93-year-old went online to update her registration," Grimes said.

Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, who attended the news conference, said about 100,000 voters in Jefferson County have used the new system in the last 10 days to either register or to update their registration.

Grimes said staff from her office and the State Board of Elections started developing the website last year and the board's information technology team built it at no extra cost to the state.

She said last fall that the system was expected to cost about $45,000 to $50,000 to implement and that money from the federal Help America Vote Act Fund would help with the costs.

Grimes said the system is secure and that anyone who submits fraudulent information could be charged with a crime.

To register, a person must enter his or her name, Social Security number and birth date.

As required by law, users must also provide their signature, either digitally or with their driver's license.

The registrant's information is sent to their county clerk's office, which will process and approve each update or new registration and then send confirmation to the voter.

All five former living Kentucky secretaries of state endorse the new registration system, Grimes said.

The state elections board last year unanimously approved an administrative regulation to allow online registration.

Grimes presented a similar proposal to the state legislature in 2014, but lawmakers did not act on it.

Grimes is to begin a tour of state universities Wednesday to educate and register voters prior to the state's April 18 registration deadline for this May's primary elections.

She also is encouraging Kentuckians to tell their state legislators to vote this year for House Bill 290, which would allow early voting in Kentucky without an excuse.
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RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky State Police say a man suspected in the shooting of a woman at a McDonalds in downtown Russellville was later confronted and fatally shot by police.

A bystander was also hit by bullets from the gunfire.

The suspect, who has not been identified, shot a woman at the restaurant and then fled on foot. State police say in a release that the woman went across the street where she was treated and then taken to The Medical Center in Bowling Green.

The man encountered officers on North Main Street near a car wash and was shot and killed. Police say the bystander was at a doughnut shop across from the car wash when he was hit. He was flown to a hospital in Nashville for treatment.
West Burlington pool shooting suspect found not guilty

After two days of testimony, the suspect in the shooting at the West Burlington Swimming Pool was found not guilty of all charges.
NORWALK -- A number of workshops will be available for Norwalk educators as the school district holds its Professional Development Workshop Day Friday.

Norwalk Public Schools will hold a Professional Development Workshop Day on Friday, March. 18, dedicated to "Sustainability and Fidelity to Best Practices."
NORWALK -- A man with an extensive criminal history was charged with possession of narcotics after NPD Narcotics Street Team officers allegedly observed a hand-to-hand drug transaction Sunday night.

Police said that at approximately 10:30 p.m., officers were patrolling in the area of South Main Street when they observed what appeared to be a narcotics transaction. Officers turned their vehicle around and pulled into a lot where they caught up with a group of males who were on foot.

When officers approached Kevin Crosley, 33, he allegedly "insisted" that officers could search him. Police reportedly recovered a small bag of suspected marijuana.

Crosley also had rice in this pocket, which police said was consistent with heroin packaging.

Officers allegedly retraced Crosley's steps and reportedly found seven glassine envelopes of heroin bound together. Crosley was arrested with a number of narcotics charges, including possession of narcotics with intent to sell.

Police said that Crosley did not deny that the drugs were his, but protested that charge and allegedly said, "It's not a full bundle." A "bundle" of heroin is typically 10 bags bound together.

Crosley, whose address is listed as 900 Highland Ave., Cheshire, Ct. (Cheshire Correctional Institution) was charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession with intent to sell within 1,500 ft. of a school, and possession of less than one-half ounce of marijuana. He was issued a $5,000 bond on those charges.

Police also found that there was an outstanding warrant for Crosley in a 2014 case. In that case, police said that he was involved in a motor vehicle accident on Oct. 17, 2014, and a police K9 indicated that there were narcotics in the vehicle.

Police said that at that time, five glassine envelopes of heroin were hidden in Crosley's pants, as well as more heroin hidden in a body cavity.

While he was in a holding cell at that time, police said that Crosley urinated twice on the floor of the cell, drawing a criminal mischief charge in addition to: possession of narcotics, interfering with an officer, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics within 1,500 ft. of a school, and possession of narcotics with intent to sell within 1,500 ft. of a school.

Crosley given a court date of March 28.

According to state court records, Crosley has convictions going back to 2007 for charges that include: assault, possession of narcotics, violation of probation, and interfering with an officer.
STAMFORD  Girl Scouts of Connecticut will host the 2016 Woman of Merit Dinner on Thursday, June 2 from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Italian Center of Stamford. The Woman of Merit Award recognizes leaders who demonstrate the Girl Scout values of leadership, personal achievement, and service to the community.

The award is given in honor of Alice Pattison Merritt, an extraordinary public leader who became the first woman elected to the Connecticut Senate and who was instrumental in bringing Girl Scouting to girls in Connecticut. This years honorees feature two exceptional women, Director at Deloitte & Touche LLP Mary Galligan and Commanding General, 98th Training Division (IET) Brigadier General Tammy Smith.
The Supreme Court on Monday maintained death penalty of Ashraf Baho, who was involved in the killing of 5 people at Shaheen Chock Gujrat, while changing the death penalty of Nasar into life in prison.





A 5-member bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed hearing of the case in which it was informed by the prosecutor that 2 proclaimed offenders have not been arrested so far.





The apex court expressed annoyance over inapprehension of proclaimed offenders Tahir and Imran Baloki.





It directed DPO Gujrat to arrest and present the offenders before the court within a week.





Justice Ameer Hani Muslim in satirically thanked the police department for arresting culprits in instalments.





He remarked that 2 proclaimed offenders were not arrested despite passage of 16 years, adding that society would benefit if police performed its duty efficiently.





Source: Pakistan Today, March 14, 2016




New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine the controversial deal entered during the UPA regime between Jet and Etihad airways. A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Uday Lalit, however, asked BJP leader Subramanian Swami to amend his writ petition by challenging the agreement between the two airlines.

In his petition, Dr Swami alleged that there had been a grant of largesse of national asset in favour of a foreign airline (Etihad Airways) resulting in undue enrichment and enormous pecuniary advantage to such foreign airline at the cost and expense of the public, national and domestic airlines as well as airports.

He said: In order to facilitate the execution of this colossal fraud on the Indian exchequer, the foreign airline (Etihad) has agreed to guarantee personal loans as well as pay a premium towards its foreign investment in a domestic airlines  Jet Airways. Such grant of largesse is in the form of an unprecedented increase of capacity entitlements through execution of bilateral or MoU in favour of Abu Dhabi under existing Air Service Agreement between the government of India and the United Arab Emirates.
Gelato, smoothies, pizza and more: Check out the newest in Bucks' eats

These new Bucks County dining spots are serving up everything from gelato, pastries and pizza to green smoothies, cold-pressed juices and acai bowls.
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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Poso, Central Sulawesi  Tue, March 15, 2016

Two members of the East Indonesian Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group led by Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, were killed on Tuesday when several MIT supporters and a joint Indonesian Military and National Police team engaged in a shootout near Talabosa Mountain in Lore Piore district, Poso regency, Central Sulawesi.

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig.Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi confirmed the incident. He refused to give details on the identities of the dead terrorists, however, he claimed that he recognized the two MIT members, who were included on the police's wanted list (DPO) for their involvement in the Poso-based terrorist group from their circulating pictures.

Rudy said he himself had witnessed the condition of the suspected terrorists' bodies at the incident's site. He further explained the clash occurred at around 7 a.m. local time, during which the joint team spotted four MIT members who came out from their hiding place in the mountainous area and headed to the settlement of local residents.

Citing reports, Rudy said, the four terrorists resisted an arrest attempt, which led to the shootout. 'The two terrorists were killed in the incident while the other two fled. We are now pursuing them,' said the police chief.

Circulating information revealed that the two terrorists who were killed in the incident were Basri, aka Bagong, and Faruq, aka Magalasi, both ethnic Uighurs. Rudy refused to comment on this, however. He said the police would release the identity of the two terrorists within the proper time.

'Let's wait on the results of the forensic laboratory's examination. I don't want to convey incomplete information on the matter. When the time comes, I will announce [the facts] to journalists,' said Rudy. (ebf)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Ulemas in the West Aceh regency say there is no place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the area and are threatening to cane those committing such activities as they claim they are violating the laws of God and sharia as implemented in Indonesia's westernmost province.

The local administration, together with the ulema community, said it would eradicate the existance of the LGBT community whose activities have lately been detected in a number of beauty salons in the West Aceh regency, a member of the West Aceh Ulema Consultative Assembly (MPU) DI Nasution said.

"This time it's still a warning for the LGBT people who were netted in the previous raids. In the future, if they still refuse to change, we will cane them in accordance to Islamic law," he said as quoted by Kompas.com on Tuesday.

Nasution also warned the LGBT community in the area to immediately return to the sexual identity they were born with and also to respect sharia.

Meanwhile, the North Aceh administration plans to assign officers from the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and the Syariat Police (Wilayatul Hisbah) in every district to guard and monitor the practice of sharia in the villages of the regency.

North Aceh regent Muhammad Thaib said most of the monitoring of sharia is conducted in cities, while villages tend to be neglected. The monitoring efforts needed to be intensified in the villages to prevent violations of the Islamic law, he said.

At a muzakarah event - a religious-based debate session - in Nisam subdistrict of North Aceh on Monday, Thaib invited the society to abide by the religious values and examples set by the ulemas.

"Ulemas are our role model. We have much to learn about religion from them. We should not distance ourselves from the ulemas," he said, adding that he was also inviting the ulemas to provide guidance and criticism during his tenure as a district head in North Aceh.

The muzakarah was carried out to coincide with the commemoration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad and attended by Abon Yusuf as well as by a number local government officials from the Aceh House of Representatives (DPR).

Aceh is a special autonomous province in Indonesia and has been, since 2001, the only one to impose Islamic law on all its citizens, including on those of other faiths. (liz/rin)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post  Tue, March 15, 2016

The recent banning of the Turn Left Festival in Jakarta has raised concerns about the reemergence of excessive state control over civil liberties that was pervasive during the 32 years of the authoritarian New Order regime under former president Soeharto.



Over the past two years, police ' often with the help of intolerant civic groups ' have banned seminars, film screenings and at least one campus magazine dealing with a deadly 1965 coup attempt, a tragedy that is still shrouded in mystery today.



On Feb. 27, police and a bunch of people from an alliance of hard-line groups disbanded the Turn Left Festival ' a collaboration of artists, intellectuals and activists ' on the pretext that the gathering lacked an official permit.



Although the ban did not entirely shock the organizers, it still irked them because in the past they had staged performances at the Ismail Marzuki Cultural Center without police permits. What they had occasionally done was simply inform the police of the event so that the authorities could plan the routine security arrangements.



The ban, which forced the organizers to relocate the two-day event to the nearby offices of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, was reportedly an attempt to prevent the launch of a book entitled History of Indonesian Leftist Movements for Beginners, as well as to stop visual art shows and seminars that aimed to provide younger people with new perspectives of the 1965 tragedy and its ramifications for Indonesia today.



The involvement of the police and their apparent favoring of intolerant religious and ultranationalist groups that consider leftist movements to be supporting communism has been raising some eyebrows.



Meanwhile, the forced dispersal of the events meant to be intellectual exercises is a worrying sign of the return of the 'permit politics' that Soeharto commonly used to effectively silence dissent.



Imposing restrictions on the freedom of speech, as state apparatuses did with the Turn Left Festival, is both mindboggling and irrelevant nowadays when the country prides itself as being the world's third largest democracy.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has called on the Indonesian government not to use the noken voting system again for regional elections in Papua and West Papua, saying that it violates democratic principles.

Noken, a voting system named after a traditional Papuan bag, has been implemented as a decision-making procedure in a particular community led by a tribal chief. However, It is not the tribal chief who chooses a leader; consensus has to be reached before members of the community come to a decision.

'It [noken] is okay as a cultural practice, but it is not right. It is not in accordance with the principles of elections,' Bawaslu chairman Muhammad said in a discussion at the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

'We hope that our Papuan friends, who have had an opportunity to pursue their study at schools [outside Papua such as those] in Yogyakarta, can become election organizers to fix the problems there,' he went on.

Papua and West Papua used the noken system when Indonesia held simultaneous regional elections for the first time in 269 regions on Dec.9, 2015. In Yahukimo regency in Papua, 49 out of 51 districts used the system at that time.

During the regional elections, Komnas HAM monitored the voting processes in Papua and said that it found many human rights violations, claiming that the noken system was often manipulated so that regional leaders emerged as winners.

'It didn't purely represent Papuan local wisdom because a lot of manipulation occurred in the system,' said Komnas HAM commissioner Dianto Bachriadi in the discussion.

Instead of having transparent and accountable elections, Papua has in fact become a province with the higher number of regional head election dispute claims lodged at the Constitutional Court.

'The highest number of requests for the handling of disputes on the results of gubernatorial, regental and mayoral elections on Dec. 9, 2015, were from Papua, which reached 16,' Court spokesperson Budi Ahmad Johari said on Jan. 5, as quoted by Antara.

Basically, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has agreed to remove the noken system in the future as it has brought a lot of problems in the organizing of elections.

KPU Chairman Husni Kamil Manik said in the discussion that several methods of manipulation were common in the noken system, including the use of the name of voters who were not actually in the area or people who had already died.

'We have to discuss this seriously. Don't allow 'dead people' to vote,' he said.

The next phase of simultaneous regional elections involving around 200 regions will be held in 2017, and the third and final phase involving around 100 regions will be held in 2018. (vps/ebf)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The country's top private lender, Bank Central Asia (BCA), is aiming for 15 percent growth in credit card transactions this year, betting on steady growth in travel expenditures among high-income people.

BCA director Rudy Susanto said credit card transactions stood at Rp 51-52 trillion last year, growing about 11-12 percent compared to 2014. 'We expect [transaction volume] to grow 15 percent this year,' Susanto said in Jakarta on Friday.

The main transaction growth came from the travel sector, with credit card use by high-income people. Despite the sluggish travel industry last year, BCA's credit card transactions for travel grew to about 20 to 30 percent.

'Travel has become an attraction for high-income card holders. We also consider providing more added value to our customers. That's why we hold travel fairs annually,' he told reporters.

To boost credit card transactions for travel, BCA teamed up with Singapore Airlines to organize the 'Singapore Airlines-BCA Travel Fair 2016'.

Among offers at the event included zero percent installments from BCA for six months and reductions for any transaction using a BCA card.

'We are sending a signal to the market. Some people are pessimistic toward our economy, we would like to bring optimism,' he said, adding that 500,000 of BCA's 2.76 million card holders are premium card holders.

The bank is eyeing 6 percent growth in the numbers BCA credit cards in circulation this year. (ags)
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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Business and government representatives from Belgium and their Indonesian counterparts plan to ink dozens of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in various sectors, including trade, tourism and clean energy, this week in an effort to improve economic cooperation between the two countries.



Kicking off their week-long visit to Indonesia on Monday, a 300-strong Belgian delegation representing 127 Belgian companies and various government institutions will participate in a number of business gatherings and official government meetings to discuss and explore the business opportunities offered by each other.



Belgian Ambassador to Indonesia Patrick Hermann described the delegation, led by Princess Astrid, the younger sister of the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe and five national and regional ministers, as 'one of the largest European economic missions to Indonesia'.



Speaking in a ceremony in Jakarta, Belgian Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Pieter de Crem elaborated on the enthusiasm of Belgian companies in investing in what he sees as ASEAN's most prominent economy.



Throughout the week, up to 25 MoUs will probably be signed by business and government representatives from the two countries, he said.



'This mission's aim is to set the momentum for further business in Indonesia,' De Crem said on Monday.



'Many Belgian investors and businesses were initially reluctant to do business on this side of the world, particularly because of the economic climate. What Belgian investors are looking for is to be able to invest here with as little red tape as possible.'



On the sidelines of Monday's event, members of the delegation also met with several Indonesian officials, including Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution and Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, to discuss the potential of improving Belgian-Indonesian economic ties.



The delegation will later discuss various themes, including the development of smart cities and clean energy and issues about the transportation, maritime and tourism sectors, with their Indonesian counterparts in numerous seminars and gatherings.



Separately, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Franky Sibarani said that up to US$132.9 million in investments from Belgium had been realized between 2010 and 2015, making the country the 27th largest source of foreign direct investment in Indonesia.



'Most Belgian companies want to get into strategic sectors such as clean energy and tourism because their expertise and experience will be relevant for developing Indonesia's 21st century cities,' Franky told reporters at the ceremony.



'The [anticipated MoUs] will be a significant contribution [to economic cooperation] as Belgium is currently not on the list of Indonesia's top 20 foreign investors.'



He added that Princess Astrid had also asked the BKPM to help potential Belgian business players who would be seeking assistance to plan investments in Indonesia.



The last Belgian business delegation that visited Indonesia was in 2008. It was led by then prince Philippe, who has since become the country's king.



Indonesia itself is the 38th largest supplier of imports to Belgium.



Trade-wise, Belgium is Indonesia's eighth largest European trade partner, with a total trade volume amounting to $1.8 billion in 2014. Despite the volume, less than 5 percent of Belgian companies export to Indonesia.

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While the committee has no power to order changes, the hearing reflects the political concerns over multinationals avoiding local tax liabilities

Brussels: Apple, Google, McDonald's and IKEA will be asked about their European tax deals on Wednesday as EU lawmakers ratchet up the pressure on multinationals to pay more tax on their profits locally.

The hearing, organised by the European Parliament's tax committee, follows a similar event that occured in November last year when Anheuser-Busch InBev, HSBC, Google and eight other companies were quizzed on the same subject.

While the committee has no power to order changes, the hearing reflects the political concerns over multinationals avoiding local tax liabilities.

The European Commission is also investigating several cases to see if they breach the bloc's state aid rules which prohibit EU countries from giving some companies an unfair advantage by making special deals on tax.

Starbucks declined to take part because it has challenged a European Commission order to the Dutch authorities to recover up to 30 million euros in back taxes, the European Parliament said in a statement.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which is also appealing against an EU finding against its tax deal with Luxembourg, also turned down the invitation.

The head of Inter IKEA Group, Soren Hansen, will argue the Swedish furniture retailer's case. Inter IKEA Group owns the intellectual property rights under which its retailers operate.

The Parliament's Green party last month accused IKEA of avoided paying some 1 billion euros in taxes from 2009 to 2014 because it channelled royalty income through a Dutch company and possibly through Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. All the companies have previously said they comply with EU tax rules.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The Democratic Party has started to prepare its ultimate member and founder, former first lady Kristiani Herrawati, popularly known as Ani Yudhoyono, to run in the 2019 presidential election.

Ani's picture announcing her as the "Democratic Party Presidential Candidate 2019" had recently spread through social media, raising questions about the possibility she would run in the election supported by the party she helped found with her husband, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

The picture shows her in a blue dress in front of the national flag, smiling and waving her hand, with the words "Ani Yudhoyono, 2019 Democratic Party presidential candidate" beside her. There is also a slogan, "Lanjutkan! (continue), which Yudhoyono made famous during his campaign for his second term in the 2009 presidential election, and a hashtag #AniYudhoyono2019 in the picture.

Democratic party spokesman lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul confirmed that that the picture was made by the party's team.

There had been input from the public for the former president to run again in the election during the party's Java tour lead by Yudhoyono. However, Yudhoyono who had lead Indonesia for 10 years, realized that the law did not allow him to run for the third time, Ruhut said.

"Our people are very smart. They said, 'If Bapak [Yudhoyono] cannot run again, why not Ibu Ani?" That is based on the people's request," Ruhut said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Ani's name was included as a 2014 presidential candidate, but Yudhoyono announced that his wife would not run in the election.

Ani had also expressed her reluctance in her own biography. Ani wrote that a student visiting the State Palace once asked her if she would run in the election to replace Yudhoyono, just like US' Democratic Party Hillary Clinton who is following in her husband Bill Clinton's footsteps.

"I was shocked hearing that question. It was beyond my imagination. For me, being at SBY's side until he completed his duty was my goal and I am happy if I can reach it. If SBY is no longer president, then my most honorable position is being his wife, not being a president," she wrote as quoted by kompas.com.
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Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

After months of dwindling earnings, more than 2,000 public transportation and taxi drivers took to the streets of Central Jakarta on Monday, demanding the government take action to address what they say is 'unfair competition' created by ride-sharing applications.



The protesters, members of the Land Transportation Drivers Association (PPAD), accused ride-hailing apps such as US-based Uber and Malaysian-based Grab's GrabCar of significantly contributing to their hardship.



Express taxi driver W. Sutedja said that previously he could earn Rp 100,000 (US$7.64) on a very slow day and Rp 300,000 on a busy one.



'That kind of income is just a dream now,' he said. 'I cannot take home more than Rp 30,000 a day now.'



'This nightmare started when Uber and Grab began picking up our passengers,' he said.



Toyib, also an Express Taxi driver, said the most difficult thing he had to deal with was saying to his wife and children, who live in Central Java, that he could not send them any money this month. Before the Grab and Uber 'invasion', he said, he could send Rp 1 million to them every month.



'Now I can barely survive with the Rp 30,000 to Rp 40,000 I make every day. It hurts me that I have to disappoint my family,' he said. 'Now my dream of bringing them here feels impossible.'



He said that even in places that used to be his 'land of gold', such as Grand Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta, most people now used ride-hailing app services.



Uber partners with private vehicle owners to offer cheap 'ride share' services, while GrabCar offers a similar service.



Legally, Uber and Grab have been operating on thin ice in Indonesia. They have continued to face serious challenges due to the fact that they are technology companies and not transportation providers.



Other public transportation drivers accused the government of allowing unfair competition, saying that by not making the companies pay public transportation taxes, they were able to offer passengers lower prices.



Cecep Handoko, PPAD chairman and bajaj (auto rickshaw) driver, said that if Uber and Grab wanted to continue operating, they should change their black license plates to yellow and obey the same regulations as other forms of public transportation.



He said that protesters were not against transportation innovation, but that innovation had to be questioned if it posed a threat to people's livelihoods.



'We will bring more people to this place on Friday if the government refuses to fulfill our demands,' he said.



Transportation agency head Andri Yansyah told protesters that it would help them express their disagreement with the Transportation Ministry as it also hoped for the enforcement of traffic regulations as stipulated by the 2009 law on land transportation.



Ride-hailing apps have been accused of violating the law as they do not have transportation operator permits.



'It does not matter whether the vehicles use black or yellow plates,' Andri said. 'The most important thing is that they must be incorporated in legal companies which regularly pay and report their tax.'



Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama said that he would still allow black-plated four-wheeled vehicles to operate in the capital if they registered their vehicles as public transportation and paid the required taxes.



Marco Kusumawijaya, an urbanist and potential independent candidate for the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election, said the city administration needed to issue a regulation for innovative transportation. 'Technology apps have the potential to bring efficiency to public transportation and shorten 'idle time'. They should be developed as a part of the transportation system' he said.



Separately, Yoga Adiwinarto from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) echoed the statement, saying that instead of shutting down the apps, the government should consider what the best solution for the public was.



He said that if the government decided to order ride-hailing apps to obey similar regulation, a better transportation system would be established as there would be healthy competition with conventional public transportation.



'But now transportation apps and conventional transportation are not on a level playing field and it is the government's task to make an adjustment,' he said.
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Linkedin Frank Jordans and Christoph Noelting (The Jakarta Post) Darmstadt, Germany  Tue, March 15, 2016

Europe and Russia launched a joint mission Monday to explore the atmosphere of Mars and hunt for signs of life on the red planet.

The unmanned ExoMars probe' a collaboration between the European Space Agency and Roscosmos ' took off from a base in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian rocket.

Mission controllers in Darmstadt, Germany, said they began receiving a signal from the spacecraft about 11 hours after launch, after it had successfully separated from the rocket and deployed its solar wings to continue on its journey. It is expected to reach Mars in October.

The probe's Trace Gas Orbiter will analyze methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere to determine where they are coming from, said Paolo Ferri, ESA's head of mission operations.

Methane is created by biological or geological activity and breaks down within a relatively short period of time once it reaches the atmosphere.

"It cannot be older than 400 years. That means there has been either biological or geological activity in this timeframe," said Ferri. "Four hundred years is nothing. If there is methane it means there is basically a process going on now."

The prospect of finding life on Mars ' even microscopic organisms ' has excited scientists for some time, but so far none has been discovered.

"The fact that they've not found life doesn't mean certainly that there's no life there," said Ferri, noting that much of the planet's vast surface hasn't yet been closely examined.

That task will fall to a rover ESA plans to send to Mars in 2018. Until then, the orbiter will have time to find a good landing spot and conduct a test run using a trial lander called Schiaparelli that's already on board the probe.

If life is discovered, it actually raises questions about whether future manned missions to the planet should be attempted, said Mark McCaughrean, senior science adviser at ESA.

"Weirdly, if we find life on Mars is actually really begs the question if we should go at all with human beings because of that idea of planetary protection," he said at ESA mission control in Darmstadt. "We would take with us bugs, and if now those bugs meet martian bugs, that could be a disaster."

Landing a spacecraft on Mars is notoriously difficult and several attempts in the past have failed, including ESA's Beagle 2 probe that was part of the Mars Express mission in 2003. Beagle 2 disappeared during the landing process, a setback the agency is keen to avoid this time, hence the decision to separate the orbiter mission from the actual landing attempt.

"It was quite clear that putting both things in one mission drove up the complexity," said Ferri.

ExoMars, which cost the European Space Agency alone 1.3 billion euros ($1.44 billion), is the first interplanetary mission jointly undertaken by ESA and Roscomsos.

The orbiter also has a NASA-built radio on board that will help relay signals from other Mars probes. (bbn)

Jordans reported from Berlin
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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

A fire engulfed a high-pressure air cylinder at Mintohardjo Navy Hospital in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, on Monday, killing four people, including a police general.



The fire reportedly broke out after an electrical short circuit occurred in the cylinder, which is usually used to treat patients with decompression sickness. At the time, four patients were inside the cylinder ' also known as a hyperbaric chamber ' assisted by an operator, who remained outside.



It was reported that prior to the fire breaking out, the doctor and patients started a therapy session at 11:30 a.m. with the cylinder machine set at a certain pressure. At 1 p.m., the therapy continued at a reduced pressure. Ten minutes later, a fire broke out in the cylinder.



The operator tried to open the chamber using its fire emergency system but was unable to. The fire then caused an explosion, which killed the patients and damaged the room where the cylinder was located.



At 2 p.m., the authorities managed to extinguish the fire and removed the victims' bodies, taking them to the hospital's mortuary.



They also transferred officers and visitors who were in the room when the fire occurred to the emergency room for treatment for smoke inhalation.



Navy spokesperson Cdre. M. Zainuddin said the hospital had never before experienced such an accident as the chamber was in good condition.



'We just faced the accident this afternoon. Therefore, representing the Navy and Mintohardjo hospital, we apologize to Indonesians. We did not expect this to happen,' Zainuddin said.



He said hyperbaric chambers are used to help recover fitness. The Navy's elite Frogmen Command (Kopaska) members use the chamber to recover after diving by increasing the oxygen in their bodies. Civilians are also able use the cylinder for the same purpose.



He added that the National Police's forensics laboratory (Puslabfor), in cooperation with the Navy's Military Police (Pomal), had carried out an investigation but was yet to confirm the cause of the short circuit.



Zainuddin said the victims were former Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira, 65, medical doctor Dimas, 28, Edi Suwandi, 67, and Sulistyo, 54.



Abubakar was a former National Police spokesman, while Sulistyo was head of the Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) and served as a Regional Representatives Council (DPD) member in Central Java.



Sulistyo's relative Abduh Zen confirmed the death to Antara news agency. He said Sulistyo had been undergoing oxygen therapy using the chamber following a respiratory problem.



Navy Health Agency head Col. Lukman said the operator had ensured that no patients undergoing the therapy carried any metal belongings, which could cause abnormalities with the machine.



He added that the difference in pressure inside and outside the cylinder contributed to the fatalities. According to him, the chamber door could be opened once the pressure in both areas was the same.



Moreover, he said, the operator had tried to save the patients' lives by turning on a sprinkler system. However, the fire engulfed the machine too quickly for the water to extinguish it.



Separately, Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan visited the hospital following the news of Sulistyo's death.



He told reporters that he had seen the victim, who appeared healthy, earlier in the day for a meeting with DPD members.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli says that French business people have expressed interest in investing in Indonesia's maritime sector as they know that Indonesia is serious about its maritime development.

Speaking to journalists after receiving French Ambassador to Indonesia Corinne Breuze, who accompanied 22 French business people, Rizal said on Monday that some of the guests, who did various business in Indonesia, were well informed about the maritime program of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's administration.

'Investment from [French businesses] is important for the realization of Indonesia's ambition to become a global maritime axis, and it will strengthen the country's integration and economy,' Rizal said after the close-door meeting.

Rizal stressed that the government was serious about developing the maritime sector and announced that to help boost the sector it would host an international workshop on the issue in October.

Meanwhile, Breuze said that some of the 22 business people who met with Minister Rizal had been in Indonesia for up to 20 years, while others would be newcomers in the maritime sector.

'We know that the maritime sector has been a priority for Jokowi's administration,' she said. (sha/bbn)
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Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Pop rock band Gigi is set to hold a concert in Jakarta on March 22 to celebrate their 22nd anniversary.

Several popular artists are slated to collaborate with the band during the show including Raisa, RAN, d'Masiv, Cakra Khan and Barasuara.

Guitarist Dewa Budjana told reporters that the anniversary served as a moment of renewal for the band as it would perform under new management.

Baron, the band's former guitarist, reportedly took on the role of managing Gigi around 7 months ago, taking over duties from POS management, which had worked with the band for almost 20 years.

'I see Gigi as a professional band. It's unfortunate if a product or commodity doesn't use its assets productively,' said Baron on Tuesday.

In addition to Dewa Budjana, the band's current lineup is vocalist Armand Maulana, bassist Thomas Ramdhan and drummer Gusti Hendy.

Gigi's concert will be held at the Trans TV Building in South Jakarta. (kes)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The government has tried to meet public demand by proposing the amendment of several draconian articles in the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.



In a hearing with House of Representatives Commission I overseeing communication, technology, defense and foreign affairs on Monday, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara outlined several key changes in the revision, including a controversial article on defamation.



The article regulates criminal punishment for anyone who purposely and without authority distributes or transmits electronic information or documents with libellous or defamatory content, making them accessible to the public.



A further article states that violations of the regulation are punishable with up to six years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp 1 billion (US$76,660).



The ministry thus aimed to specify the definition of defamation and reduce the detention period to four years and the fine to Rp 700 million.



'Under the revised point, the authorities can't arbitrarily arrest and detain people they suspect of defamation. So, netizens don't need to worry anymore about expressing criticism,' Rudiantara said.



Activists have criticized the article as it is seen as criminalizing anyone who deliberately distributes and/or transmits and/or makes accessible electronic information or documents that contain slanderous and defamatory language.



Since the implementation of the ITE Law in 2008, a number of people have been jailed for their online activities.



Housewife Prita Mulyasari was sued for defamation by Omni International Hospital in 2009 after she complained about the hospital's services on an online mailing list.



In 2010, a former doctor at Tangerang General Hospital, Ira Simatupang, was sentenced to five months in jail for libel by the Tangerang District Court. She had tried to report sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by one of her colleagues, but lacked evidence.



She wrote emails regarding the abuse to her colleagues and superiors at the hospital. The doctor who she had accused of sexual abuse reported her for defamation. Ira was then dismissed from her job.



The ministry also wants to make defamation a crime based on victim reports, meaning law enforcers could only process a case if there were reports from victims. The change is expected to prevent abuses of power by law enforcers.



Commission I member Tantowi Yahya of the Golkar Party said several lawmakers disagreed with the proposed sentence reduction.



'Some even recommended increasing the sentence to more than six years. That's why we have yet to deliberate the law, because we first have to reach an agreement about the sentence period,' Tantowi said.



Asked about the revision, House Commission deputy chairman I TB Hasanuddin said, 'in principal, the law should not undermine freedom of speech but people should realize that they need to express their thoughts properly.' (wnd)
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Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The Central Jakarta District Court postponed on Tuesday the first hearing of a lawsuit filed by the United Development Party (PPP) leadership led by Djan Faridz, which was elected in a national meeting (Muktamar) in Jakarta in November 2014, against the government.

Presiding judge Baslin Sinaga said the hearing was postponed because no representative of the government appeared at the hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

'This hearing is adjourned until March 29,' Baslin said.

As earlier reported, the Djan camp filed a lawsuit against President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H.Laoly for allegedly violating Supreme Court Decree No. 601/2015, which recognized Djan's leadership.

In February, the Law and Human Rights Ministry reinstated a decree that recognized the PPP leadership decided on at a national meeting in Bandung, West Java, in 2011.

The ministry's decision was aimed at resolving a leadership battle that has split the party into two factions, namely the Djan-led PPP leadership and a splinter faction led by Muhammad Romahurmuziy from the Surabaya national meeting in October 2014. At the 2011 Bandung meeting, then religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali was appointed party chairman and Romahurmuziy its general secretary.

In the Djan-led camp's lawsuit, Jokowi, Luhut and Yasonna have been named first, second and third defendant, respectively.

Jokowi did not meet the court's summons for the first hearing on Tuesday, but was represented by two State Secretariat staff members, namely Yudi Sugara and Risko. Meanwhile, neither Luhut nor Yasonna appeared at court nor sent representatives.

The court said it would again summon Luhut and Yasonna for the March 29 hearing .The court said it had also ordered Yudi and Risko to submit a letter from the President appointing them as his representatives in the case.

The Djan camp filed the lawsuit against the government on Feb.18 after, via the law and human rights minister, it reinstated the party's leadership from the 2011 Bandung meeting. The government also instructed the leadership to hold a reconciliation congress within six months.

The Djan camp is suing the government for Rp 1 trillion (US$75.93 million) for material and non-material losses.

"Of the total material losses, Rp 7 billion, is the amount of money the government must pay as part of its political party fund in 2015. We did not receive it," Humphrey Djemat, the Djan camp's lead lawyer, said after the hearing on Tuesday.

Humphrey claimed the Djan camp experienced untold non-material losses due to uncertainties over its political rights, following the reinstating of the PPP leadership from the 2011 Bandung meeting, and widespread disbelief among PPP members on the legality of the party's leadership from the 2014 Jakarta national meeting.

Humphrey was selected as the deputy chairman of the party's central executive board during the 2014 national meeting in Jakarta. (ebf)
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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The government has promised a swifter responses to annual forest fires, including declaring a state of emergency sooner.



Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Monday that the government would be able to keep this year's forest fires under control as it had learned from past experiences.



'When there's a problem, we declare a state of emergency immediately. We already have a policy [to announce a state of emergency],' he told The Jakarta Post.



By declaring a state of emergency, the government could immediately disburse funding and other resources to manage forest fires, Luhut said.



He added that the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Ministry would be coordinating the attempts to manage this year's forest fires, as stipulated by a presidential decree on forest fires.



The retired army general said that one of the main reasons why last year's forest fires escalated so rapidly and razed up to 2.6 million hectares of land was because of the government's slow response.



'To be honest with you, we declared a state of emergency very late. We had very little understanding of the peatland situation at that time,' Luhut said.



He said the government would not repeat the same mistakes this year as the number of hotspots had increased recently in Sumatra and Kalimantan.



'This year, some areas have already been impacted by El NiAo,' Luhut said. 'Now, we are making preparations as early as possible.'



The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) detected 151 hotspots on Sunday, with 76 hot spots in East Kalimantan and 45 hot spots in Riau. There were also 11 hot spots in Aceh, seven in North Kalimantan and two each in Central Sulawesi, Gorontalo and South Sulawesi.



'Actually there have been forest fires in Riau and East Kalimantan for the past three weeks with a fluctuating number of hot spots. The number of hotspots in East Kalimantan is the highest compared to other regions in Indonesia. This is an anomaly because in the past, there were relatively less forest fires in East Kalimantan than in other regions,' BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Sunday.



He said that forest fires started to reappear this year as some regions were suffering from dry weather.



'Riau is entering this year's first dry season from now until April. But the current dry season is not as dry as the upcoming second dry season from July until September,' Sutopo said.



Besides Riau, other regions, such as the eastern coast of North Sumatra, have been affected by the dry season this year.



'Other regions that we need to pay more attention to are the eastern part of Riau, eastern part of North Sumatra and central part of South Sulawesi,' Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency's (BMKG) head Andi Eka Sakya said in a press statement.



Meanwhile, the dry season will start in other regions in May, affecting 65.8 percent of Indonesia, and end in late October, he added.



Besides promising a swifter response to forest fires, Luhut said that the government had prepared other measures, including utilizing village funds.



'At the same time, we have a program relating to how to use the village funds to prevent forest fires. The village fund is important to reduce the gap between the haves and have nots,' he said. 'In 2016, we have transferred 36.7 percent of this year's village funds. This money can be utilized by forest fire-free village programs.'



Luhut added that the funding allocation would increase from year to year, with this year's allocation increasing by up to US$100,000 per village from $60,000 per village last year.

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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Tangerang  Tue, March 15, 2016

The Tangerang regency administration is planning to build low-cost rental apartments (rusunawa) in the area of the Dadap Cheng In red-light district in Kosambi, which is to be shut down and demolished in May.



Tangerang Regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar said on Monday that the apartments would be earmarked for evicted residents.



'The units will be for the building owners, not the sex workers,' he said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.



Zaki said that his subordinates would soon open registration for residents around Dadap Cheng In. 'It is one of the ways to ensure that the evictions run smoothly,' he said.



He, however, could not state when the apartments would be completed. 'That's why we need to record the residents first. While waiting for the apartment building to be built, they will be relocated to nearby apartments,' he said.



Zaki also emphasized that there would be no compensation for demolishing the buildings as the location was state land.



The plan of clearing the Dadap red light district emerged after the Jakarta administration demolished Kalijodo, the oldest prostitution hub in Jakarta.



Tangerang regency found that after the Kalijodo evictions, a few dozen Kalijodo prostitutes moved to Dadap.
Indian 3 Wheeler industry grew at annual growth rate of 8.9 per cent in unit sales driven by steadily rising exports as well as domestic demand.

Pune: India has emerged as the largest three-wheeler industry with a large domestic market and export base on the back of strong demand from local as well as international markets.

With industry volumes of 9,40,000 units in FY 2015, India is positioned as the largest manufacturer as well as market for three wheelers, globally, an ICRA research report on the Indian commercial vehicle industry said on Monday. The three-wheeler market includes both passenger and cargo segments.

The top-three players such as market leader Bajaj Auto, second largest manufacturer Piaggio and Mahindra and Mahindra accounted for 87.3 per cent of the industry sales at 10 million units in FY2016.

Over the past decade during FY 2006-15, the Indian 3W industry grew a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9 per cent in unit sales driven by steadily rising exports as well as domestic demand. Within the overall industry, the domestic 3W market stood at 5,32,000 units in FY 2015, registering a CAGR of 4.4 per cent over the past ten years, the report said.

In contrast to domestic demand, exports of 3W from India have grown at much higher pace (i.e. 20.4 per cent) during the same period. As a result of this trend, the share of exports in 3W industry volumes rose from 18 per cent in FY 2006 to almost 43 per cent to 10 million units in FY 2016.

This trend has been supported primarily by two factors. Firstly, strong demand from international markets on the back of rising demand for last-mile connectivity owing to lack of well developed public transport system in emerging markets in Africa and South-East Asia and secondly, declining trend in demand for 3W goods carriers in the domestic market due to competition from small commercial vehicles (SCVs), Subrata Ray, senior group vice president at ICRA Research told FC.

He said with annual sales volumes of 4,32,000 units in FY 2015, the passenger carrier segment accounted for almost 80 per cent of domestic 3W industry sales. Accordingly, the growth drivers of the domestic 3W industry are majorly influenced by factors that drive demand for passenger 3Ws.

Over the past decade (FY 2006-15), the passenger carrier segment has witnessed a CAGR of 8.2 per cent driven by increasing demand for last-mile connectivity in metros and major cities, improving penetration in tier III/IV towns and rural areas, and gradually increasing availability of funding through organised channel.

In urban markets, replacement demand has also been an important growth driver where in improving network of CNG fuel stations is driving replacement of older petrol or diesel powered 3Ws with ones based on CNG, the report said.

Despite the fact that the usage of CNG is only mandatory in Delhi, the acceptance for CNG-based 3Ws has caught up in other cities as well primarily on back of favorable operating economics, it said. The report said the cargo variants face tough competition from small CVs but certain attributes support their sales.

With annual sales volumes of 1,00,000 units in FY 2015, the goods carrier segment accounted for almost one-fifth of domestic 3W industry sales. Unlike the passenger segment, which has grown, the demand for goods carriers has actually declined by 4.2 per cent over the same period.

This trend has been driven by the acceptance of 'Mini Trucks/SCVs with payload capacity of less than two tons over three wheelers as preferred alternative for providing last mile transportation. Compared with three wheelers, SCVs offer greater sturdiness and stability owing to four-wheel vehicle architecture, higher load carrying capability, faster turnaround due to bigger engine output, and easier maneuverability and driving comfort, Ray said.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Four unmarried couples were taken from their hotel rooms by the Pesanggrahan Police during a raid instigated after a tip from local residents who were 'irked' by their behavior, the head of the police said on Monday.



Pesanggrahan Police head Comr. Afroni Sugiarto said the four couples were not formally arrested as they had not broken any laws, adding that they were only 'nurtured' by the police.



'[There was] no criminal element in their actions, but we will surely make an arrest if any underage child is involved,' he said as quoted by kompas.com.



Afroni said after the Sunday raid on Hotel Zulia in Ciledug, South Jakarta, that the Pesanggrahan Police would continue raiding other hotels in its jurisdiction, adding that a man was arrested in connection with drugs during another raid on Sunday. Jeffri Firmansyah, 23, was arrested at the Kamar King Hotel in Bintaro, South Tangerang, when police found 1.66 grams of methamphetamine and a bong (a water pipe used to smoke drugs), the police reported.
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Three state-owned lenders that received loan facilities from China Development Bank (CDB) in September last year were summoned on Monday by the House of Representatives to explain how they used the funds.



Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) received US$ one billion each from the Chinese bank last year to finance infrastructure projects in Indonesia.



Some members of the House of Representatives suspected that the funds were not channeled toward infrastructure construction. They claimed some of the recipients ' clients of the banks ' had no infrastructure business.



House Commission XI chairman Achmadi Noor Supit said fellow legislators were questioning the usage and disbursement of the CDB loans.



'We want to ensure these loans were not signed under a back-door deal designed by certain parties to benefit particular clients,' he said during the meeting.



Among the companies to receive the funds from the state-controlled lenders are pulp and paper companies Indah Kiat and Pindo Deli, cement-maker Bosowa, energy company Medco and steel-maker Krakatau Steel.



The hearing on Monday was not the first one conducted by the House. The three banks have been repeatedly questioned by Commission VI on similar issues in the past few months, despite apparently having already disbursed all the loans to clients.



The signing of the loan agreement last year was witnessed by State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and the chairman of the Chinese National Development and Reform Committee Xu Shaoshi. The Indonesian government did not provide a sovereign guarantee for the infrastructure projects financed by the loan facility.



This means the loan facility is based on a business-to-business agreement, which does not require permission from either the House or the government.



Some lawmakers as well as political analysts have said that the loan agreement, which was signed in Beijing, China, last year, was endorsed politically by the Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo administration to appease Chinese investors and ensure the commencement of China-backed infrastructure projects.



The State-Owned Enterprise Ministry's deputy for business services, Gatot Trihargo, said previously that the CDB loan facility was a follow-up on Jokowi's state visit to China in March 2015, as state banks also sought long-term funding to finance infrastructure projects in Indonesia.



On Monday, BRI president director Asmawi Syam said the lender had already disbursed all of the $1 billion-loan to its clients as of now, with 62 percent of the amount going to power plants development, 25 percent for toll road projects and 13 percent for agribusiness.



Asmawi, who is also the chairman of the State-Owned Banks Association (Himbara), said the lenders had decided to partake in the loan facility to reduce mismatch in funding and liquidity risk, as they only had excess liquidity of Rp 195 trillion.



'On the other hand, this country needs more funds to finance infrastructure development. That is why we think it is best to seek offshore long-term loans with affordable pricing,' he said.



He said the state-owned banks were endorsed to play a greater role in infrastructure financing, as privately-owned and foreign lenders had been actively giving loans facilities to many projects in the country for years.

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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The House of Representatives plans to revise the Regional Election Law to raise the number of supporters needed for independent candidates to run in regional elections.

House Commission II overseeing home affairs said that the current requirements for an independent candidate to run for governor, mayor and regent posts must be raised from 6.5 percent to 10 percent from the final voters' list to 10 to 15 percent from the total population, or alternatively 15 to 20 percent of the final voters' list, commission chairman Rambe Kamarul Zaman said.

"This is in the framework of equality, we want to level the playing field with political parties," said the Golkar lawmaker as quoted by tempo.co on Tuesday.

Political party support has been raised to 20 percent of the voters' list, from the previous five percent, for regional elections. Therefore, lawmakers suggested that the criteria for independent candidates also be lifted, Rambe added.

Golkar expressed its support of the plan and said it was confident the public would also agree and not challenge the revision in the Constitutional Court.

In previous elections, independent candidates have needed to collect the identification cards of 6.5-10 percent of people on the voters' list, in accordance with a decision made by the Constitutional Court (MK) in September 2015. The decision was made in response to complaints about the previous standards that required the same percentage of support, but from the total population.

Independent candidacy has been under the spotlight following the decision of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's decision to run in next year's gubernatorial elections without any political party affiliation.

Ahok said he did not have any problems with the proposal.

"If they propose 10 percent, then Teman Ahok [Friends of Ahok] has already collected 1 million IDs. If there are 7 million voters, then 10 percent would mean 700,000, if we have 1 million then we would have already surpassed it," Ahok said as quoted by tempo.

Friends of Ahok is a group of supporters that are collecting citizens' IDs to assist Ahok in his independent candidacy.

Ahok's independent candidacy has triggered debate about the lessening influence of political parties in elections, what has been termed "deparpolisasi".

Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has already reported the draft of the law revision to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for the government to discuss. (liz/rin)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Three information and technology (IT) companies Indosat Ooredoo, Aplikasi Lintasarta, and IBM have teamed up to provide a cloud-based solution for corporate clients, where the partnership has been valued at US$200 million for the next five years.

Aplikanusa Lintasarta president director Arya Damar said that the service would seek corporate clients from five main industries namely banking and financial, energy, government, retail, and transportation.

"It transforms Lintasarta to an information, communication, and technology [ICT] company. We have more than 2,500 corporate customers. With IBM, we can reach customers end-to-end, not only in telecommunications but the IT services as well," he said in Jakarta on Friday.

Lintasarta, Indosat Oreedoo's subsidiary, is well-known for its banking service. It owns PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis, which run automatic teller machine (ATM) networks like ATM Bersama, a joint ATM service between several banks.

Arya said that the company would provide clients with data centers, a cloud, mobility, security and analytics. And, if the corporate customers would like, the service could be extended to the personal level.

"For example the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program, we can customize the device by adding customized corporate applications and enhance the security of the device. While Lintasarta is strong with corporate customers, Indosat can handle the individual customers," he said.

Lintasarta and IBM had discussed the cooperation since 2014. Indosat joined in mid-2015. "After exhausting discussions and technical meetings, we can finally realize it. Now we need to focus on the implementation," IBM Indonesia president director Gunawan Susanto said. (ags)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has suggested that President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo appoint a special envoy to prepare a dialogue aimed at pursuing peace in the easternmost region.



In a 2009 study LIPI promoted a dialogue between the central government and residents of Papua and West Papua as a way to formulate peace in the area. A dialogue involving every party, which LIPI called a 'national dialogue', is seen as the most promising way to pursue peace.



LIPI political analyst Cahyo Pamungkas on Monday said a special envoy would represent Jokowi in approaching local communities before the commencement of the national dialogue.



During his first visit to Papua last year, Jokowi said he was ready to open talks between the central government and Papuans. 'However, what is not clear yet is the concept of the dialogue itself. Therefore, LIPI is trying to devise a concept on which the president would base his proposal for Papuan communities,' Cahyo said during a discussion in Jakarta.



LIPI recommended that the colloquy involve a wide range of parties, from the central government to religious communities, investors, political parties and scholars specializing in Papuan affairs.



LIPI cited examples of similar dialogue to resolve conflicts in other countries. 'In different contexts, a national dialogue also took place in Yemen, Tunisia, Sudan and Libya,' Cahyo said.



Cahyo added that the 1945 UN Charter stipulates in its Article 33 that a dialogue is a primary solution in resolving a dispute or conflict that could jeopardize international peace and security.



LIPI researcher Adriana Elisabeth said the institute had proposed a number of yardsticks for choosing the special envoy. 'The criteria would be a standard to appoint an envoy, so that he or she could work effectively in talking to the communities,' she said.



One of the criteria LIPI suggested is that the candidate would need wide-ranging knowledge on Papua, including on the roots of all problems in the two provinces.



Adriana said the government should not overlook anybody for the special envoy position, including people from other countries. She pointed as one possible candidate to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who had paid a visit to the State Palace in Jakarta earlier this year to offer help in dealing with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).



The ULMWP, formed in December 2014, coordinates the activities of resistance movements in collaboration with external parties. The organization has a status as an observer in the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG), a sub-regional grouping in the Pacific comprising Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia.



Indonesia itself is an associate member of the group, which is now chaired by Manasseh. 'However, it was reported that Jokowi refused to accept Manasseh's offer,' Adriana said.



LIPI suggests that in pursuing national dialogue, the government should proceed in phases.



First, Jokowi should meet with the Papuan and West Papuan provincial administrations, local legislative councils as well as people's assemblies. Second, there should be dialogue between every ministry and non-governmental organization in the country to find compromises on Papua. Third, a dialogue should also be carried out between every community within Papua. (mos)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Amid growing concerns that Jakarta's citizens will vote for candidates in the gubernatorial election next year based solely on similar beliefs or ethnicities, an ethnic organization has called on its members to vote according to their own preferences without interference from the community to which they belong.



I Wayan Suparmin, leader of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian-Chinese Association (INTI), told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that his organization would not look at candidates based on the color of their skin and even though its members shared the same ethnic background as incumbent governor and gubernatorial hopeful Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama, who recently announced he would run as an independent candidate, that did not mean they would automatically cast their votes for him.



'We never restrict any member from supporting a certain candidate. It's up to them. They can, of course, express their individual views, but it would not necessarily reflect INTI's,' Suparmin said on Saturday after a discussion about the direction of Jakarta's development.



Suparmin said some members said they would not vote in favor of Ahok, but others were championing him.



Suparmin himself expressed some opinions about Ahok. 'He works well, but to some extent there are some corridors being breached too, which I think could have been approached in better ways' Suparmin said, citing cases involving evictions and floods.



The discussion, held at a time when Ahok's independent candidacy has been a trending topic, presented speakers of Chinese descent: the director of the Rujak Center for Urban Studies, Marco Kusumawijaya, Alldo Fellix of the Jakarta Legal Aid Organization (LBH Jakarta) and Darmadi Durianto of the House of Representatives. They also expressed their concerns about the problems Jakarta faced.



All three have been known as avid critics of Ahok.



Marco, who has also declared himself as an independent candidate, criticized the city's reclamation plans, as they would endanger the balance of ecosystems and would only benefit wealthy people who wish to use the land attained for businesses.



Alldo, who earned a law degree at the University of Indonesia, said that Jakarta was infamous for its inability to become a human-rights-friendly city.



Internationally, cities currently compete to showcase their capacity of being human-rights friendly. However, Alldo said that he found numerous cases of human rights violations in Jakarta, which mostly happened during evictions.



Darmadi, a politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that his party felt cornered when rumors spread that political parties required the payment of some money to back a governor hopeful. 'I urge anyone close to Ahok to warn him to be more careful when making statements,' said Darmadi, who admitted that Ahok is by far the strongest candidate to retain the throne.



Ahok's popularity appears to remain high. According to a recent survey conducted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Ahok led the race for the hot seat with 45 percent of the support, far more than Bandung Mayor Ridwan 'Emil' Kamil who was in second place with 15.7 percent. Emil has since withdrawn from the race, although not necessarily because of the opinion poll. (fac)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The National Police have rolled out the latest shake-up, with highly decorated Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian promoted to become the head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).



In the latest circular from the National Police, Tito, a former chief of the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism squad is set to replace Saud Usman, who is entering retirement.



West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Moechgiyarto, the best graduate from the Police Academy's class of 1986, has been appointed to lead the Jakarta Police force.



'[The rotation] had been prepared in February, but I just signed it now,' said National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti on Monday.



A lecturer from the National Police Educational Division (Lemdikpol), Insp. Gen. Jodie Rooseto, will take over Moechgiyarto's post in West Java.



A middle-ranked officer with the National Police, Brig. Gen. Supriyanto, will be installed as Riau Police chief.



Badrodin said he would install the new police chiefs, while President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo would inaugurate Tito as the new BNPT chief with a rank of three-star general. He did not reveal the inauguration dates.



Tito, also a former Papua Police chief, is widely known as a counterterrorism specialist, with credentials that include the killing of Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top, both Malaysian nationals who were behind the 2002 Bali bombings that claimed the lives of 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.



Before serving as West Java Police chief, Moechgiyarto led the West Nusa Tenggara Police in 2013 and served as East Java Police deputy chief in 2012.



National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Suharsono also confirmed the circular on the tour of duty, saying it was intended as an internal announcement.



'The new appointments have been through a [verification] process at the Rank and Promotion Council for High-Ranking Officers [Wanjakti],' he said.
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Linkedin Duncan Evans (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Regular taxi drivers are struggling to make ends meet amid tighter business competition, with a growing number of passengers using ride-hailing apps.

Jakarta is an endless horizon of concrete, skyscrapers and highways with a road system like a heap of snakes. Chaos reigns supreme.



Yet, taxi drivers do a pretty good job in battling the little daily apocalypses that include choking pollution and hellish congestion. And many of them do it for mediocre wages that sometimes touch the city's minimum wage of Rp 3.1 million (US$280) per month.



Dasuko, who is married with four children and lives in Tanggerang, Banten, works for the Pratama company, one of Jakarta's minor and arguably less reputable taxi companies. The Pratama system is a simple one. Drivers rent a car for the day and funnel Rp 260,000 earned to the company. They keep the remaining earnings above that mark.



Dasuko says he makes between Rp 2 million to Rp 3 million per month, working an average of 24 days. If he has a slow month, he goes to a loan shark to borrow Rp 1 million to keep himself and his family out of destitution, and then pays back the sum the following month.



As a cab driver, his monthly income fluctuates according to any number of factors from the weather to gas prices. Thus Dasuko lives in a state of uncertainty. He swings from month to month between debt and general poverty.



One of his sons has left home, so he now works to support five people. To keep his family sheltered and fed, Dasuko needs a bare minimum of Rp 2.2 million per month, which includes Rp 400,000 for a single rented room, Rp 120,000 for electricity and Rp 1.5 million for food.



However, there are still other costs to consider. Dasuko smokes cigarettes and catches the bus to the company carpool. So add in buses, cigarettes, the threat of some collapse in health, or just the standard little misfortunes that dog everybody, and a family of five surviving on Rp 2 million to Rp 3 million a month begins to look herculean.



Despite the day-to-day struggle to make ends meet, Dasuko does not express any desire to move to a different company.

The Pratama system is attractive in its simplicity, and it is unlikely that Dasuko could accept lower wages in the present for the chance of a Rp 50 million paycheck in the future, which is offered under a cooperation scheme by the Express taxi company.



Tarma, an Express taxi driver, said he worked for generally lower wages, but by the end of six years, drivers were given ownership of the car that they had used.



Drivers can then either continue to work privately, or they can sell the car for between Rp 50 and 60 million. It is a slog for six years, but then there is a tremendous boost.



'It inspires me to work hard,' the 41-year-old father of one said.



Life might be easier for Endang Ramdani, a vivacious and philosophical 53-year-old man from Bogor and a Bluebird driver. He is better positioned than Dasuko, partly because Bluebird is perceived as a better and more enterprising company and partly because his wife also brings in an income as a cook at a food stall.



Bluebird operates with a commission-based system whereby a driver's income is scaled according to how much money they bring in. The company offers a small pension to its drivers after they reach 60 and covers car washes and gas as well as providing car insurance.



After costs, Endang earns around Rp 4 million a month, which positions him at the wealthier end of Jakarta's taxi cohort. Endang is happily situated with his company.



'I'm like a king,' he said.



Unlike a good many of his fellow taxi drivers, Endang is not resentful at the recent intrusion of app-based on-demand transportation services such as Uber and Grab.



Recent riots in France exemplified the depth of emotion and anger felt by taxi drivers toward new technology companies transforming their industry and livelihood. Endang, however, would not have joined such protests, including one staged by a number of taxi drivers in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.



Waxing philosophical, Endang said if one is willing to work hard and with good spirits, there is still money to be made. He argues that companies like Uber and Grab represent the development of the era.



'Business competition is certainly becoming sharper, but don't be scared of death before the battle,' he said.



He believes that the spirit of competition can advance a society forward and save it from the slow death of complacency.

Endang is a spirited man, if a little optimistic about the future prospects of the taxi business.



'We must be brave to live,' he said. 'Be relaxed but serious. Not just relaxed. Relaxed but serious.'



There ought to be some firmer documentation of the men and women who presently occupy this particular profession at the present moment ' taxi driving in Jakarta in the second decade of the 21st century. Its existence is a tenuous one, but it exists, and it ought to be photographed before the image fades away.



' Photos by Duncan Evans
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimulyono says he prefers the traditional method of constructing blocking canals to modern methods.

"A blocking canal constructed by the people is more sustainable than the ones constructed with concrete," said Basuki in Jakarta on Monday. He said that the material could easily be found near peatland.

Blocking canal construction is carried out to maintain moisture in peatland to prevent fires.

Traditional blocking canal construction methods use wood and sacks as canal walls, while newer methods involve the construction of a concrete or fiberglass canal wall, Basuki explained on Monday.

The government has intensified the development of blocking canals in Kalimantan and Sumatra forests, particularly in the peatland areas, to prevent forest fires during the dry season. Last year's forest fires on two of the country's main islands caused serious health problems, disrupted flights and spread haze to Singapore and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) chairman Nazir Foead said that his institution considered the use of fiberglass in its construction of blocking canals because it was light and durable. He said that concrete blocking canals were not suitable for peatland.

"There are small and medium enterprises [SMEs] that can make fiberglass, including in Riau. The canal blocking program will empower local SMEs," Nazir told thejakartapost.com.(bbn)
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Linkedin Farida Susanty and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

With the backdrop of a mass rally involving thousands of taxi and public transport drivers in Jakarta on Monday to protest online ride-hailing apps, the Transportation Minister made an official request to the Communications and Information Minister that Uber and Grab be banned in Indonesia.



In a copy made available to The Jakarta Post, the ministry cited several regulations that Uber and Grab had violated, including one that stipulates that public transportation services can only be provided by state or regional enterprises or any other legal firm. The ministry also said that the ride-hailing app companies did not have the required license to operate a transportation service.



The ministry also highlighted some concerns regarding safety and privacy issues that it said put users at risk.



Like other legal taxi operators, both Uber and Grab have to abide by prevailing regulations, including the Law on Traffic and Land Transportation. They are also subject to regular checks on vehicle roadworthiness at transportation agency centers before they can be used as public transport. Additionally, the two companies must have a legal presence in Indonesia and pay taxes.



'With this [letter], we are not trying to hamper the businesses at all,' Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said.



Separately, the ministry's spokeperson Julius Adravida Barata, said that the ministry had discussed the issue with the Communications and Information Ministry before taking a stance on the issue.



'The [Communications and Information] Ministry has said that they need a letter from Transportation Ministry before blocking the app,' he said.



Barata added that the case involving Uber and Grab, was different to homegrown ojek (motorcycle taxi) app Go-Jek, as these particular regulations did not apply to motorcycle taxis.



Previously, the ministry issued a circular banning Go-Jek, along with other app-based ride services, due to allegedly violating to regulations.



However, the ministry softened its stance after President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo defended the firm, arguing that 'the people need ojek and the regulation should not be a bother to the people'.



Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said his ministry would leave the issue to the Transportation Ministry and City administration, and would only play a secondary role.



He also called for increased support for online transportation service apps, saying that the tech companies should not need to go through a complicated bureaucratic process to obtain permits.



'We should not focus on the permits. How can our startups be competitive if they are hampered by permits?' Rudiantara said.



He further said that his ministry also did not need to impose particular regulations for online transportation services, and would instead, focus on protecting the interests of consumers, such as keeping their private data safe.



Uber has been operating in Indonesia for more than a year. It has continued to face serious challenges, particularly from the Jakarta administration over its legal status.



Meanwhile, Grab said in its official statement, 'We wish to clarify that we are not a transport operator. We are a legal entity in Indonesia, we are registered as a taxpayer, and we respect and are committed to complying with all local prevailing laws and regulations.'

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The government on Monday ruled out withdrawal of excise duty imposed in the Budget on jewellery despite the indefinite strike by jewellers entering the 13th day saying that it has been imposed in anticipation of goods and services tax (GST).

GST will be rolled and gold will be there in that. The excise that has been imposed is a preparation of that, finance minister Arun Jaitley said in Lok Sabha while replying to debate on the General Budget.

Later the Lower House passed the Budget 2016-17.The Budget had announced 12.5 per cent excise duty on jewellery if the credit for taxes paid on inputs is taken and 1 per cent if no credit is taken. The tax is on gold jewellery and silver is exempt unless it is studded with precious stones.

Since then jewellers have been up in arms demanding the rollback of the duty despite clarifications by the government that they would not be harassed and it would not have to be paid by small manufacturers who supply to other units.

They had even met finance minister to push for their demands saying that it would increase paperwork for them and add to the list of officials they would have to deal with.

In his speech in Parliament, Jaitley assured the jewellers that no inspector would visit them and taxes will be payable on the basis of turnover returns that they already file for paying value added tax or even their private records.

The entire tax would be based on self-certification and their returns would not be questioned, he added.The finance minister also said that the tax would not be collected from artisan on goldsmith who only manufacturers jewellery on job work and they would not have to register with excise authorities.

He also said only if the turnover of a jeweller during preceding financial year was more than Rs 12 crore, he will be liable to pay the excise duty. Jewellers having turnover below Rs 12 crore during preceding financial year will be eligible for exemption unto Rs 6 crore during next financial year.

Defending his government from attack for coming out with a declaration scheme for domestic black money, Jaitley said it was not an amnesty scheme that the previous governments had announced.

He said anyone making declaration under the scheme would have to pay 30 per cent tax and 15 per cent penalty and was very different from last such scheme that came out in 1997 which allowed people with undeclared assets to pay tax on them at 1987 rates and no penalty.

Under the present scheme the tax would be levied on the present value of the asset so it is not an amnesty scheme, the finance minister said.

He also said that the budget for 2016-17 was a realistic budget that attempted to increase rural incomes and purchasing power while allocating more resources for infrastructure development.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The National Police have arrested Aris Purnomo, 36, in Cilacap, Central Java, for allegedly producing counterfeit drugs and herbs, ranging from flu-relief to Viagra, and selling them to various regions over four years.



From his house, the police confiscated production and packaging tools, drugs, herbs and other materials, worth more than Rp 1 billion (US$76,660).



The drugs found include amoxicillin, caffeine anhydrous, ginger herb, mefenamic acid, paracetamol, sildenafil citrate, Viagra, zinc sulfate and uric acid medicine. All the drugs were packaged as listed brands.



The police's narcotics division deputy director, Sr. Comr. Nugroho Aji said that they had arrested Aris on March 3 at his home, which he used as the drug factory.



'So this is a home-drug industry where various kinds of fake antibiotics and herbs that contain medicinal chemicals are produced. Herbs aren't supposed to contain this,' he told reporters in Cawang, East Jakarta, on Monday.



Nugroho said that Aris had been running the business for four years and had sold his products in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Surabaya.



Though the police have yet to receive any reports on victims, they are now investigating the case further to capture more distributors and retailers who are involved in the chain. Aris is charged under article 196 and 197 of Law No. 36/2009 on health with a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a fine of Rp 1.5 billion for producing and distributing the unsafe drugs.



Besides Aris, the police are in search of another suspect with the initials BDN, a resident of Palembang, West Sumatra, which is where Aris got the drug materials from.



'BDN supplies ingredients for Aris. There are six chemical types imported illegally from China smuggled to a port in Palembang,' he said.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The National Police's counterterrorism unit Densus 88 said that terrorist suspect Siyono, who died during custody, was not shot but hit by a blunt object after getting into a fight with the unit's personnel during his way to Prambananan, Central Java.



Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan said on Monday that an autopsy of Siyono's body in Kramat Jati Hospital, Jakarta, showed that the suspect had not died from gunshots. 'The [autopsy] results show that the suspect died from bleeding in the brain due to being hit by a blunt object, allegedly the metal of inside the car he was in. So it wasn't from a gunshot as there wasn't a single bullet found in his body,' he said on Monday.



Anton said that the police regretted the incident as they had information Siyono had a directional role in the new Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group.



The police also acknowledged a breach in its standard of procedure had occurred in handling the terrorist suspect.



'There's no way in any condition that the personnel would be able to release the handcuffs and guard him alone,' he said.



On Friday, Siyono was in a car with a driver and only one Densus 88 personnel guarding him.



'[Siyono] told [the driver] to stop as they were already near the destination. He demanded the personnel to release his handcuffs and the personnel did so but got attacked before fighting each other, where then Siyono finally fainted after the back of his head allegedly hit a metal object,' Anton explained, adding that the incident happened all in the car. The driver was not involved in the fight.



Police are now investigating the personnel involved in the case.
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Jambi Governor Zumi Zola has claimed that nearly all forest fires in his province are intentionally started as part of land-clearing efforts.

"In Jambi, only a small percentage of fires occur naturally. During the last three months, we have already caught five people for burning attempts," Zumi said in Jakarta on Monday.

Forest fires have returned to the province on account of a lack of rainfall. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency's (BMKG) Jambi station head, Nurangesti Widyastuti, said the fires may worsen if rain did not fall in the coming days.

The provincial government's efforts to fight forest fires include deploying officials and residents to extinguish the fires, banning the slash-and-burn method for land clearing and recommending the revocation of licenses for companies found guilty of forest burning, said Zumi.

"We are monitoring forest continuously. We are fining and charging owners of companies who still adopt the slash-and-burn method," Zumi said.

In cooperation with the local legislative council (DPRD), the Jambi government has issued a bylaw prohibiting the slash-and-burn method for land clearing.

"We have a program that provides each district with one excavator. But implementing the program is hard as we are short of funds," Zumi said.

The local government has also urged private companies to help combat forest fires.

'For the plantation companies, this is the right time to implement CSR [corporate social responsibility] programs and not just give charity,' he added.

Jambi was among the provinces most affected by last year's forest fires, which spread haze to neighboring Singapore and Malaysia and caused serious health problems. (bbn)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has arrested newly installed Ogan Ilir Regent Ahmad Wazir Nofiadi, for alleged possession of crystal methamphetamine, at his private house in Karanganyar, Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra.



BNN chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said Monday that the agency had been working on the case for three months after hearing public reports about Ahmad's crystal meth consumption.



'But as we didn't have any strong evidence and the regional election process was still ongoing, we chose to keep monitoring the situation,' he told a press conference at the BNN headquarters in East Jakarta on Monday.



The 27-year-old suspect, who was only inaugurated as regent last month, was also present at the press conference, during which he looked calm and smiled occasionally, but did not speak.



Ahmad, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, secured victory in the December election that led him to succeed his own father Mawardi Yahya, a Golkar Party politician.



Deputy regent Ilyas Panji Alam, several regional councillors and local administration staff members were also at the BNN office to undergo drug tests, after they were arrested along with Ahmad at his residence.



Ilyas and the councillors were later freed as they tested negative for drugs.



According to the BNN, during Sunday's raid some staff members managed to take drugs and other evidence away so that the BNN could not confiscate anything.



Nevertheless, three more users in the house were also arrested. The drug trafficker was arrested earlier the same day.



The dealer, ICN alias FA alias ICL, 38, is a civil servant at a mental hospital in Palembang, South Sumatra. He confessed to being Ahmad's sole supplier for a certain period of time.



The remaining three suspects are MU, 29, Ahmad's accomplice; DA, 31, a civil servant; and JU, 38, Ahmad's house security officer.



'It is reported that Ahmad's been using the drugs for more than three months. He underwent a urine test yesterday and a hair and blood test today that will give us more accurate results in three days,' said Budi.



Before the regional election on Dec. 9 last year, Ahmad underwent a medical checkup to secure his eligibility for the candidacy.



The BNN said that if it was proven that he had been using drugs before the checkup, the agency would investigate the medical team that carried out the pre-election test.



BNN is charging the regent with Article 112 of the Narcotics Law on drug possession. The heaviest sentence he could get is 12 years in prison and an Rp 8 billion fine.



Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said he regretted the misdeeds of the regional head who he said ought to have set an example for the public and recommended that he be removed from his position.



'It's saddening and disappointing. As a regional leader, he ought to set an example for the public, but what we see now is the reverse,' he told The Jakarta Post via text message.



'I suggest that he be directly removed from the regent position as we're now waiting for the legal process to begin,' he went on.



'If the pre-election medical checkup result came up as negative, the hospital or doctors should be investigated,' he closed.



General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Sigit Pamungkas said that, in terms of physical health, the institution gave a candidate the green light to contest an election based on a medical checkup at a state hospital.
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Linkedin Raras Cahyafitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

A delegation representing dozens of companies from Nordic countries met on Monday with Vice President Jusuf Kalla to seek firsthand information on Indonesia's economic agenda and determine their intentions surrounding business activities in the country.



At least 65 CEOs from different business sectors met the Vice President. Among the companies were leading Stockholm-based corporate bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB), Nordic Capital, Finland-based power source manufacturing and servicing company Wartsila Abp, automotive manufacturer Scania AB, EF Education First, Ericsson, Quvat/Principia Management and renewable diesel supplier Neste Corporation.



The delegation was led by SEB, said Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia Johanna Brismar Skoog.



'They came here with very big business delegations, with CEOs and chairmen of the boards of some of the largest Swedish and Nordic companies. They are here to learn about the country,' Skoog told reporters after the meeting.



Indonesia's growth and changing policies were the main reasons that encouraged the executives to group together and visit the country, said SEB chairman Marcus Wellenberg.



'This is a kind of field trip to get to know more about opportunities that we see here as we see Indonesia is adapting and reforming a lot of its economic policies. It's obvious to us and more opportunities will be here going forward,' Wellenberg said.



He pointed out that a number of companies in the delegation had been operating in Indonesia for years, such as Ericsson, which has been in Indonesia since 1907.



'It's the first time that we have had so many companies joining us at the same time. We're excited. We think this is a great possibility for us to do more here,' he said.



Ericsson is currently one of the largest suppliers of LTE technology with around 40 percent of global LTE traffic passing through an Ericsson network.



Despite having a presence in the country for years, investment from Nordic countries remains smaller compared to other countries.



Figures from the Investment Coordinating Board (BPKM), for example, showed that the realized investment from Denmark reached US$2.02 million in 2015. Realized investment from Norway, meanwhile, reached $1.83 million last year.



Kalla's head of expert staff, Sofjan Wanandi, highlighted that the Nordic companies wanted to better understand Indonesia's economic situation and the government's growth policies.



'They want to increase their investments here because they see Indonesia is a big market. Amid slowing growth in China and other parts of the world, they see Indonesia as a basis for investment. They want to see the situation here, look at the prospects and what the government is planning,' Sofjan explained.



He cited that a number of ongoing projects had attracted Nordic firms, including the government's program to develop 35,000 megawatt power plants.



'Many companies want to invest, especially in power plant development along with the grids. They are seeking certainty on whether the program will be implemented and want to take part in open bids for the projects,' Sofjan said.



Apart from power plant development, according to Sofjan, companies have also noted their interest in developing the pharmaceuticals sector, building up biomass-based energy sources and expanding further their education networks.

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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu  Tue, March 15, 2016

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi has denied circulating information that two members of the East Indonesia Mujahiddin (MIT) group, led by Indonesia's most-wanted man Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, had been arrested after the group and a joint Indonesian Military and National Police team engaged in a shootout on Mount Talabosa in Lore Piore district, Poso regency, on Tuesday morning.

Two other MIT members were killed in the incident.

'It's not true that suspected terrorists were arrested. They managed to flee during the shootout,' Rudy told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday evening.

The police chief added that prior to the incident, personnel participating in a security operation dubbed Operation Tinombala expected to arrest the MIT members alive. However, he said, the terrorists appeared to be in possession of weapons and bombs, which led to the shootout with the joint police and military team.

Rudy said the police were hoping that all remaining members of the Santoso-led group would surrender peacefully and immediately, avoiding any unnecessary incidents. He said he hoped no more bullets would be shot from either side, and no more fatalities would be suffered by either party.

'This has always been in our prayers,' said Rudy.

Reports obtained by thejakartapost.com revealed that as of Tuesday evening, gunfire was ongoing in Central Lore between the terrorist group and personnel from an elite force from the Yonif 400/Raiders in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (ebf)
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Linkedin Kusumasari Ayuningtyas (The Jakarta Post) Klaten, Central Java  Tue, March 15, 2016

Police have linked Siyono, an alleged terrorist killed during an interrogation by the Densus 88 counterterrorism unit on Friday, with the new terrorist group known as Neo Jamaah Islamiah (Neo JI), a younger cell of Jamaah Islamiah.

Siyono, 34, was believed to be the commander of Neo JI, said National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan. "From previous investigations into other suspects, Siyono had indeed been asked to initiate this group," Anton said as quoted by tempo.co on Monday.

Siyono was the group's information source, Anton continued, and knew about the weapons warehouses owned by Neo JI, including their location, which mainly contained weapons inherited from groups involved in the Bali bombing .

The police are still investigating the affiliations of Neo JI, Anton said. The most-recent information suggests that the group is affiliated with global terrorist network Al-Qaeda but has not yet revealed links with the Islamic State (IS) movement, the Santoso-led terrorist group East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) or the Jan. 14 bombing in Jakarta.

"In Indonesia, the group is more militant than IS recruits. The organization is well structured, since it has existed for a long time," Anton added.

Last Tuesday, Siyono was arrested by Densus 88 at the Mosque beside his house in Pogung village in Klaten, Central Java, after the maghrib prayer. He was arrested by three anti-terror squad personnel who were disguised as mosque visitors.

Marso Diyono, Siyono's father, said he and the local residents were not at all suspicious of the police personnel since they thought they were his son's friends.

Marso only found out that the trio were with Densus 88 when the anti-terror squad raided Siyono's house, which also functions as a kindergarten, during school hours on Thursday, causing scared children to run around crying.

RT (neighborhood unit) head Wagiyono said he regretted that the raid happened because it could have bad implications for the kindergarten attendees who it seemed were being accused of having links with terrorism.

"When in fact, this kindergarten does not have any connection with [terrorism]," Wagiyono said.

For the last five months, Siyono's house has been used as a kindergarten after the original kindergarten building was sold by its owner. Due to difficulty finding a substitute building, Suratmi, Siyono's wife who teaches at the kindergarten, moved it to their house.

Wagiyono said the anti-terror squad took copies of Siyono's identity card and family card, while the Pogung village chief who witnessed the raid said the personnel also took away Siyono's motorcycle.

Siyono died on Friday, on his way to Bhayangkara hospital in Yogyakarta, allegedly because he was exhausted after fighting with the Densus 88 personnel who were guarding him. His family found out on the same day at 14:30 p.m. and soon after the police asked for a representative of the family to immediately go to Jakarta.

His body was taken home to his village on Saturday afternoon, where the family has been preparing for the burial. Among the thousands who came to mourn his passing were members of the Klaten chapters of the Ukhuwah Islamiyah Forum (FUI), the Indonesia Mujahidin Council (MMI) and the Islamic Jihad Front (FJI).

Marso kept silent until Siyono's body had returned home, then wanting to talk to journalists alongside Surakarta Islam Ummah Troops (LUIS). He said he was finally able to let go of what had happened, and only hoped that his son's death had been syahid (in defence of Islam).

"He was happy when he was captured, but why he is dead by now? I accept everything as it is. What's important is that all the shrouds be replaced with ones bought by our own family," Marso said.

Meanwhile, Islamic Study and Action Center secretary Hendro Sudarsono, who acted as Siyono's family spokesperson, said the family would be taking legal action.

Sri Kalono, legal attorney for Siyono's family, said the family would ask who was responsibility for the party that arrested Siyono and would report them to the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM). (bbn)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The South Tangerang Police have confirmed Monday that a kidnapping notification released on social media that spread widely within hours was a false alarm as the 2-year-old had been taken by her biological parents.



The notification was circulated in messenger groups by parents identified as R and B, residents of Bintaro in South Tangerang. The notification showed several pictures of a toddler, who according to the message was taken by R and B's housemaid and her husband, the family's driver, identified as M and T.



The message asked for people's help to find the housemaid and her husband who were reportedly riding a motorcycle in the Ciledug area.



South Tangerang Police chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Ayi Supardan said that the baby was not the daughter of R and B. 'Actually the baby is the maid's biological daughter and not the boss',' Ayi told The Jakarta Post over the phone.



Ayi said R and B wanted to adopt the baby but the legal process was yet to be completed.



'We have yet to categorize this incident as a kidnapping, because the baby was taken by her biological parents,' said Ayi.



Ayi said the police had yet to close the case and were still investigating, but he confirmed that the maid was the biological mother.



He said police officers were searching for the whereabouts of the baby. However, he said that the police could not press any criminal charges because the child had not yet been legally adopted.



'But we are looking for the baby, and after we find her, we will mediate between the parents and their boss to avoid any problems. We will use a DNA test if necessary,' Ayi said.



Earlier this month, Jakarta Police officers arrested four women who were allegedly members of child kidnapping syndicate.



Jakarta Police's director of general crimes, Sr. Comr. Krishna Murti said on March 1 that the four were arrested in separate locations.



The suspects were identified as Sri Mulyaningsih, 39, Mini, 56, Kokom, 43, and Uripah alias Dessy, 33, as reported by Antara news agency. They were arrested in Bekasi, West Java and Pulogadung, East Jakarta.



The four were accused of kidnapping a four-month-old baby girl, the daughter of Dian Ekawati and Dahlan at Senen market, Central Jakarta.



The suspects offered Dian a job and promised her baby clothes for the girl. Dian knew one of the suspects from when she sold coffee at Fatahillah square in West Jakarta in February.



One of the suspects took Dian and her baby to Senen market and gave Dian an ATM card to withdraw some money to buy baby clothes at Atrium Mall in Senen.



The suspect carried the baby while Dian went to the ATM only to find the suspect had given her the wrong PIN. When she returned, she found that her baby and the suspect had gone. (rez)
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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Two graft defendants, suspended North Sumatra governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho and his wife Evy Susanti, entered the courtroom in the Jakarta Corruption Court building in Central Jakarta like a couple deeply in love.



Walking toward the defense bench, Gatot held the hands of his wife tightly and landed a kiss on her left cheek while calling on photojournalists to capture the romantic moment, shortly before seating themselves to hear the verdict in their bribery cases.



The couple, who wore matching long-sleeved batik shirts, immediately dropped all pretense when a panel of judges at the court announced their ruling of guilt, sentencing Gatot and Evy to three years and two-and-a-half years in prison, respectively.



Evy broke into tears while Gatot's face turned somber upon hearing the sentence.



Outside the courtroom, while consoling Evy, who continued her sobbing, Gatot said that he apologized to the people in his province for the guilty verdict, which he said had hurt their feelings.



'I sincerely make this apology to the people of North Sumatra. I am aware that it [the verdict] hurt their feelings as well as the political process in the province,' Gatot said with an arm around Evy's back.



Gatot said that he and Evy accepted the sentences, while KPK prosecutors said that they were considering challenging the decision in a higher court because it was lower than the four-and-a-half-year sentence they demanded for Gatot and the four years for Evy.



In July 2015 KPK prosecutors accused the couple of bribing three Medan State Administrative Court (PTUN) judges to annul a letter of investigation issued against Gatot by the North Sumatra Prosecutors' office and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) involving a case of alleged misuse of social aid funds by Gatot's office between 2009 and 2011 and also of paying off former NasDem Party secretary-general Patrice Rio Capella to defend them in the case being handled by the AGO, which is led by former NasDem politician Muhammad Prasetyo.



The panel of judges found Gatot guilty of being involved in the scheme to bribe the judges.



The judges also confirmed the role of Evy as the financial backer of the bribery scheme as she provided US$30,000 for the three judges and Rp 200 million ($15,331) for Rio.



Presiding judge Sinung Hermawan said in the ruling that the couple received lenient sentences because they had shown remorse in the course of the trial and had also agreed to become justice collaborators to uncover the roles of other suspects in the bribery scheme.



Following Gatot's admission, KPK investigators moved to arrest Rio in October for receiving the Rp 200 million bribe, payment for his work as an intermediary between the suspended governor and the AGO.



On Dec. 15, the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Rio to one and a half years for accepting the bribe.



The panel of judges on Monday also confirmed that Gatot's legal counsel, prominent lawyer OC Kaligis, who is also a politician of the NasDem Party, was the mastermind of the bribery scheme.



The same court on Dec. 17 last year sentenced the 74-year-old Kaligis to five and a half years in prison.



The court said that although Gatot claimed he had no intention of bribing the judges or Rio and only committed the act after being forced by Kaligis, witnesses had confirmed that the bribery scheme benefitted him as the scheme was designed to keep him in power.



Gatot and Evi are the fifth couple convicted in the KPK investigation. Earlier, the KPK successfully prosecuted former Empat Lawang regent Budi Antoni Aljufri and his wife Suzana, former Palembang mayor Romi Herton, who was arrested along with his wife Masyito, former Karawang regent Ade Swara and his wife Nurlatifah and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin and his wife Neneng Sri Wahyuni in separate graft cases.

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Private port operators have lauded the government's recent decision to extend the time for them to prepare for a concession for operating bigger terminals, previously only open to state-owned port operators.



The Transportation Ministry expected to grant a concession to private port operators to run public terminals starting Feb. 29, but the ministry delayed the deadline to June pending preparations from the operators, which are currently only allowed to run special terminals and dedicated terminals, or public terminals on yearly permits.



'We are ready to sign the concession, but we need time to calculate the amount of time needed for the concession,' Indonesian Port Operators Association (ABUPI) chairman Aulia Febrial Fatwa said Monday.



Aulia was optimistic that private port operators would be able to complete preparations for the concession by June, adding that 'the February deadline was a rush'.



Aulia said private operators saw benefits in running bigger terminals rather than special or dedicated ones.



Calculations are needed to estimate the profit and investment for assets during the concession, as Ministerial Regulation No. 5/2015 stipulates that operators must return fixed assets or allow the ministry to buy movable assets by the end of the concession.



'For example, for land assets, they will keep increasing, but movable assets tend to depreciate. This has to be calculated, with a forecast for five to 15 years later,' he said.



According to the association's data, of 2,000 ports in the country, 900 are managed by special or dedicated port operators, leaving state port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) to manage 112 ports, while the rest are operated by the Transportation Ministry.



The ABUPI chairman said at least 18 port operators had been invited by the ministry and had expressed their readiness to sign the concession from early February.



Aulia, who is also commercial and business development director of PT Pelabuhan Tegar Indonesia, the operator of Marunda Center Terminal multipurpose port in West Java, said the company aimed to sign the concession this year.



It plans to put to concession its first and second phases of development, in which it will upgrade its current 7.5 million ton yearly capacity to 12 to 14 million tons to prepare to become a public terminal.



Similar intentions were expressed by port operator PT Krakatau Bandar Samudra, which is a subsidiary of state run steelmaker PT Krakatau Steel Indonesia.



'The application process for concession started in December,' said PT Krakatau Bandar Samudra commercial and development director David Rahadian.



The firm saw greater business potential with the concession amid initial costs for asset revaluation, among other things, to prepare.



It aims to increase its capacity from 21 million tons to 40 to 45 million tons by 2025 to prepare for future public terminal operation. The business will partly rely on Krakatau Steel's business development.



However, the company is also still trying to complete audit documents for the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP), as well as fulfil recommendations from the regional administration, David said.



The ministry can give a concession to a port operator through a bid or a direct assignment as long as the land is owned by the operator and no state budget is spent there.



The duration of the concession is based on investment and the expected 'reasonable profit,' according to the ministry's regulation.

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New Delhi: FMCG firm Procter and Gamble (P&G) has discontinued manufacture and sale of its popular brand 'Vicks Action 500 Extra' with immediate effect after the government banned fixed dose combination drugs.

"The Government of India has prohibited the manufacture for sale, sale and distribution of fixed dose combination drugs (Paracetamol + Phenylephrine + Caffeine) with immediate effect," Pfizer said in a BSE filing.

It further said: "Our product 'Vicks Action 500 Extra' has the same fixed dose combination and gets covered under notification. we have discontinued the manufacture and sale of all SKUs of 'Vicks Action 500 Extra with immediate effect.

Also Read: Pfizer stops selling popular Corex cough syrup in India after ban

Also Read: Delhi High Court grants Pfizer temporary relief on cough syrup ban

"Yesterday, drug majors Pfizer and Abbott stopped sale of their popular cough syrups Corex and Phensedyl respectively,after the government banned over 300 fixed dose combinations (FDCs) drugs. The two companies, however, said they are exploring "all options" to counter the impact of ban.

Also Read: Abbott India's antibiotic combination on list of banned drugs

Pfizer said it has stopped the sale of its Corex cough syrup that garnered sales of Rs 176 crore in the nine-month period ended December 31, and said the government's move will have an adverse impact on it.

"The company is exploring all available options at its disposal... The prohibition is likely to have an adverse impact on the revenue and profitability of the company," Pfizer had said in a BSE filing.

Also Read: India bans more than 300 combination drugs sold illegally

In view of the government ban on manufacture and sale of Corex, the "company has discontinued the manufacture and sale of it's drug 'Corex' with immediate effect," Pfizer said adding that Corex has a well established efficacy and safety profile in India for more then 30 years.

Abbott also stopped sale of its Phensedyl cough syrup. When contacted a company spokesperson said: "Abbott is complying with all legal requirements related to the government notification.

"The company termed the Health Ministry's decision to ban "certain fixed dose combinations drugs that have been already approved" as an "unilateral approach".

"Abbott has reviewed the DCGI notification and we are concerned about the unilateral approach in prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of certain fixed dose combinations that have already been approved for use by DCGI.

"We are evaluating the notification and exploring all available options," the spokesperson said. Some of these formulations have been the treatment of choice in specific medical conditions, Abbott said.

"We are concerned that patients may not have access to some medicines which have been approved by DCGI and safely and effectively used in India for years," Abbott spokesperson said.

In a gazette notification on March 10, the government had, among others, banned manufacture, sale and distribution of fixed does combination of chlopheniramine maleate plus codiene syrup which is used in the cough syrups.
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Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Indonesia and members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are looking to restart talks on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), expecting a result that will boost similar discussions.



The CEPA talks between Indonesia and the EFTA ' comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland ' began in 2005 but were suspended in May 2014 in anticipation of a leadership change in Indonesia.



EFTA chief negotiator Ambassador Didier Chambovey said he was certain that the two parties could achieve an agreement in the near future as the new administration was taking a more 'business friendly' approach to its policies.



'The government is going in the right direction. I think this will certainly attract more investment to Indonesia and, you know, investment is an engine of growth,' he said on Monday during a CEPA discussion.



The government, led by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, has instigated various bureaucratic reforms aimed at reducing red tape and improving the business climate.



It has also pledged to attract more foreign investors, a move lauded by many as it would provide financing to support economic growth.



Investment came in second after household consumption as a driver of growth in the country, accounting for 34.2 percent of full-year gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015.



The GDP rose by 4.79 percent on an annual basis last year.



Ambassador Soemadi DM Brotodiningrat, chief negotiator for the Indonesian delegation, said both parties hoped to conclude talks by early next year as they had agreed to take a more realistic approach.



'We are more pragmatic now, unlike before when we were being very idealistic. I think we could wrap things up within the next four rounds,' he said.



At present, pending matters include agricultural and non-agricultural market access.



A single undertaking principle in the talks means that the parties cannot reach an agreement unless every point is agreed upon.



Data from the EFTA showed that merchandise trade with Indonesia amounted to US$2.3 billion in 2015, an increase of more than four times compared to 2004.



EFTA member states exported $737 million worth of goods to Indonesia, mostly machinery and pharmaceuticals.



Indonesia's exports to the EFTA, on the other hand, reached $1.5 billion in 2015, mainly precious stones, metal, footwear and electronics.



Meanwhile, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (Kadin) vice chairwoman for international relations, Shinta Kamdani, said the completion of talks with the EFTA could set a positive precedent for other negotiations, especially on a CEPA between Indonesia and the EU.



Similar to the CEPA with the EFTA, discussions with the EU have been stagnant since 2012.

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Linkedin Anggi M. Lubis (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Despite being denied entry to the West Bank by Israeli authorities, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi inaugurated the Indonesian honorary consulate in Ramallah on Sunday, a move seen as a step forward for the country in supporting Palestine's independence.



President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo made support for Palestinians a priority in his foreign policy during his presidential campaign in 2014, promising that the country would open a diplomatic office in the Palestinian political capital of Ramallah to energize bilateral ties and showcase support for an independent Palestine.



For Indonesia, supporting Palestine is an integral part of its constitutional mandate to abolish colonialism and contribute to the establishment of world order based on freedom, lasting peace and social justice.

Through diplomatic channels, Indonesia requested access for Retno to visit Ramallah, but Israeli authorities refused to grant a fly-over permit for a Jordanian air force helicopter that was designated to transport the minister, shortly before departure. Media reports said Retno was refused entry after declining to visit Jerusalem and meet Israeli officials there.



Israeli authorities control access to the West Bank, where Ramallah is located. Following the incident, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki traveled to Amman instead, and the inauguration was quickly set up in the Jordanian capital.



At the Indonesian Embassy in Amman, Retno inaugurated Maha Abu Susheh ' a Palestinian local and a prominent businesswoman in the region ' as the honorary consul.



'Indonesian support for the Palestinian people's struggle for independence will never cease and today [Sunday] we have taken a step forward by inaugurating an Indonesian honorary consulate in Ramallah,' Retno said in a written statement, hoping that the honorary consulate office would be able to further the bond between Indonesian and Palestinian people.



Retno said the consulate was expected to help strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, provide protection for Indonesian citizens, enhance economic and sociocultural cooperation as well as promote investment and tourism.



Experts said that while the honorary consulate showed the consistency of Indonesia's support toward Palestine, Indonesia should take a better approach toward Israel to smoothen diplomatic relations with Palestine.



'The honorary consulate shows how Indonesia is persistent in supporting Palestine, but its existence is rather symbolic,' said Siti Mutiah Setyowati, a Middle East expert from Gadjah Mada University.



A Muslim intellectual from Nadhlatul Ulama, Zuhairi Misrawi, hoped Indonesia could utilize the momentum of better relations with Palestine to unite Fatah and Hamas, as it was essential in supporting Palestinian independence.



Zuhairi said it was positive that the meeting between Retno and her Palestinian counterpart had resulted in economic cooperation, adding that investment was one vital move to help support Palestinian people's livelihoods, but added that Retno's Middle East visit itself highlighted another important question on how Indonesia could support Palestine's independence without maintaining significant diplomatic relations with Israel.



'Israel's refusal to let our foreign minister enter Ramallah indicates that it has taken into account Indonesian efforts in supporting Palestine. Indonesia should better explain to Israel its position in supporting Palestine, be it through direct or indirect diplomacy,' he said, reiterating that Indonesia supported a two-state solution to address issues between Israel and Palestine, which obliged it to remain neutral.



Retno also discussed with her counterpart potential cooperation between Palestine and Indonesian state-owned banknote printing company PT Peruri, to print Palestinian passports and identity cards in Indonesia.



The inauguration followed Retno's visit to Amman on Saturday to meet Jordan's foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Nasser Judeh, to discuss economic ties, trade and people-to-people contact with one of Indonesia's biggest mineral and fertilizer materials suppliers. Her visit to Jordan bore two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) ' one for visa exemptions for diplomatic passport holders and the other a plan to appoint an honorary consul in Al Aqaba.



It was not the first time an Indonesian foreign minister has been denied entry to the Palestinian political capital, with Retno's predecessor Marty Natalegawa and fellow envoys from Non-Aligned Movement nations also stopped from crossing the border in 2012 because of a lack of diplomatic ties with Israel. Indonesia has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, despite having trade and tourism links with the country.
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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The Navy and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry sank on Monday the notorious FV Viking, an Interpol most-wanted Antarctic toothfish fishing vessel and the last of the 'Bandit 6' poachers, in the waters off Pangandaran Beach, West Java.



Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said that the sinking was a part of the government's commitment to turn Indonesia into a global maritime axis.



'Indonesia has become the resting place for the FV Viking. The sinking is the Indonesian government's contribution as part of being a global citizen in fighting illegal fishing,' she said.



The stateless vessel was on Interpol's purple-notice list for illegal fishing, especially toothfish, a deep-sea fish categorized as an internationally protected species, across the Pacific Ocean. The FV Viking has changed its name on 13 occasions, changed its flags on 12 occasions and changed its call-sign on eight occasions.



'This ship is a stateless vessel that has long conducted illegal fishing in various parts of the world. This ship is categorized by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) as an outlaw vessel,' she said.



After being pursued by the Interpol for years, the fishing vessel was finally arrested in Bintan waters, Riau Islands, on Feb. 26.



'This vessel entered Indonesia without fulfilling its obligation to report its identity and submit its sailing record as stipulated by Article 193 Item 2 of Law No. 17/2008 on sailing and Article 14 of government regulation [PP] No. 5/2010 on navigation,' she said.



Such a violation might lead to a maximum one year imprisonment and Rp 200 million (US$15,331) in fines, according to Susi.



'Furthermore, the vessel is operating in Indonesian waters without a fishing permit document [SIPI]. This is a violation of Article 27 Item 3 of Law No. 31/2004 on fishing. This violation carries a maximum prison term of six years and a fine of Rp 20 billion,' she said.



The Navy arrested 11 crew members during the raid, which involved a Bolco NP 408 helicopter and the KRI Sultan Toha Saifuddin 376 warship, on Feb. 25. The vessel was then taken to the Navy headquarters.



The ship's 11 crew members ' three foreigners from Argentina, Chile, Myanmar, two from Peru and six Indonesians ' will be charged with violating the Law on Shipping and the Law on Fisheries.



During the arrest, Susi said that the Navy had also found a gillnet, a wall of netting that hangs in the water column, with a total length of 399 kilometers.



'These nets will clearly disrupt and destroy fish resources and violate the ministry's regulation on fishing routes and placements, where gillnets can only be used if its length is less than 2.5 kilometers,' she said.



Officials also found incriminating documents on board, Susi added.



'From the documents, it was discovered that the fish caught in its operations were often dropped in Thailand. Other documents also showed that the vessel repeatedly restocked equipment as well as had repairs in Singapore,' she said. 'The FV Viking also has connections with fishing companies in Spain.'



Mas Achmad Santosa, the head of the task force for the prevention and eradication of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, meanwhile, said that the investigation of the vessel was being backed up by the National Police.



'We are hoping that the culprit can be found soon. By working with multilateral investigative support, we will keep digging into the modus operandi of this fisheries crime,' he said.



Since the government began its war on illegal fishing last year, Indonesia has destroyed more than 120 foreign fishing boats.



The Navy is permitted by law to sink foreign vessels caught operating illegally in the country's territorial waters if it has sufficient preliminary evidence.
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Linkedin Lynn Berry and Jamey Keaten (The Jakarta Post) Moscow  Tue, March 15, 2016

Russian warplanes and troops stationed at Russia's air base in Syria started leaving for home on Tuesday after a partial pullout order from President Vladimir Putin the previous day, a step that raises hopes for progress at the newly reconvened UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

The UN special envoy for Syria called Putin's announcement a "significant development." Staffan de Mistura said in a statement that his team hoped the Russian drawdown would have a "positive impact" on the negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to Syria's war and "a peaceful political transition in the country."

Putin announced the withdrawal of most of the Russian forces from Syria on Monday, just hours after de Mistura had reconvened indirect peace talks between representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and those of the so-called moderate opposition. After meeting with a government delegation on Monday, the UN envoy was to meet with opposition representatives on Tuesday.

Later Tuesday, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia's decision was prompted by Kremlin's displeasure with the Syrian government's tough position in the negotiations ' or that it was intended to put pressure on Assad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif Zarif welcomed Russia's decision to begin withdrawing forces from Syria, saying it indicated that Moscow doesn't see an imminent need to use force for maintaining the cease-fire, which is fragile but holding.

"That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see," Zarif said during a visit to Australia.

Russia's Defense Ministry said a group of Su-34 bombers was the first to depart on Tuesday, accompanied by a military transport aircraft. The planes would be making stops at airfields in Russia for refueling and technical checks since some of them are stationed more than 5,000 kilometers away from the Syria base, the ministry said.

Russian state television showed video of the three warplanes taking off and flying in formation behind a larger transport aircraft, and also reported that two more groups had subsequently set off for home. A later report showed the Su-34 pilots receiving a hero's welcome at an air base near the Russian city Voronezh.

Putin didn't specify how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn. Russia has not revealed how many soldiers it has deployed to Syria, where it maintains a naval facility as well as an air base, but US estimates of the number of Russian military personnel vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia had deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syria's coastal province of Latakia. The number of sorties had been drastically reduced since the cease-fire went into effect on Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, a Russian deputy defense minister said Russia would continue striking Islamic State militants and Syria's al-Qaeda branch, known as the Nusra Front, as well as other militant factions that the UN Security Council has designated as terrorist organizations. The Syrian army has said it also would continue its operations against these groups "with the same tempo."

While the Russian air campaign had brought positive results, it was too early to speak about victory over terrorism and the Russian forces remaining in Syria "have the task of continuing to strike terrorist targets," Nikolai Pankov said during a ceremony at the Syria base honoring the departing Russian pilots.

The head of the defense committee in Russia's upper house of parliament, Viktor Ozerov, said Tuesday that he estimated about 1,000 Russian military personnel would remain in Syria at the two bases, the Interfax news agency reported.

Ozerov said Russia would need a minimum of two battalions, a total of 800 troops, to protect the two bases. In addition, Russia would continue to conduct air reconnaissance, requiring some of the plane crews to remain, and the military specialists advising the Syrian army also would stay, he said.

He said Russia would keep its long-range S-400 air defense missiles at the base. Russia deployed the powerful system in November after Turkey downed a Russian jet along the Syrian border.

The start of the negotiations in Switzerland on Monday offered Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the five-and-a-half-month Russian air campaign, which has allowed Assad's army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia's foreign and defense ministers, Putin said the Russian air campaign has allowed Assad's military to "radically" turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

With Russia's main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscow's military action.

At the same time, Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. Syria's state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but won't leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria. It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the "successes" the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

___

Keaten reported from Geneva. Associated Press Writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

In May 2015, three boats with more than 1,800 people on board reached Aceh after a long, hazardous trip. Although the Indonesian Navy had tried to prevent at least one boat from landing by first equipping the boat with fuel and food and then forcing it back to the sea, eventually these people were allowed to come on land.



Not least because Acehnese fishermen had ignored the military orders and rescue many of these desperate people. Following a trilateral crisis meeting of the foreign ministers from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, the two latter promised to provide the Rohingya boat people with shelter for up to a year, provided that all costs would be covered externally and the Rohingya would be resettled to third countries in the meantime, a stipulation impossible to keep.



The Rohingya count as one of the most persecuted ethnic minorities in Asia, as they do not have citizenship rights in their home country Myanmar. Political and religious persecution, but also extreme poverty, drive them across the borders into Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia, the most sought after destination country as the Rohingya can find work there.



Indonesia is not just a transit country for the Rohingya, but for displaced people from more than 40 countries in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East who have come here. As a non-signatory of the Refugee Convention, Indonesia has no obligation to accept asylum seekers and integrate recognized refugees, but based on humanitarian considerations it respects and protects the human rights of those who stay temporarily in Indonesia and thus provides some form of accommodation and basic care for asylum seekers and refugees.



The Rohingyas' status as displaced Muslim minority has raised a lot of sentiments of solidarity and this impacts on how they are treated in transit. Never has a group of forced migrants in Indonesia seen so many donations and so much public support.



So far, Indonesia has opted for a humanitarian approach and allowed the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) to receive and handle the Rohingya like other asylum seekers and refugees. The UNHCR in Jakarta is working very hard to manage the refugee status determination process, voluntary repatriations, and resettlements.



But despite all these efforts the UNHCR in Jakarta faces the consequences of global resettlement fatigue. Refugees in Indonesia are not a resettlement priority. In addition, the many rejected asylum seekers who cannot be repatriated to their countries of origin are becoming an increasing burden for Indonesia.

________________________



Indonesia is committed to prevent people-smuggling, trafficking and other transnational crimes.



Although Indonesia receives international aid to provide for them, it faces increasing social problems with their temporary quasi-integration. Indonesia's hospitality could thus backfire, if Indonesia becomes a magnet for other displaced people in the region, who hope that their treatment in Indonesia would be better than in Malaysia or Thailand. So far, however, both neighboring countries host much larger numbers of displaced people than Indonesia.



To provide this basic care, Indonesia depends on the support from international organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other countries, such as Australia.



This dependence is seen with critical eyes by many Indonesians politicians and policymakers. In their view, forcibly displaced migrants are not the only victims, but Indonesia as a transit country is also a victim in this current hegemonic international constellation, in which richer, powerful countries can keep unwanted forced migrants away in transit states. It is not helpful at all that Australia keeps building higher walls and turns a blind eye to the consequences of their asylum policies for neighboring countries.



Although Australia has been providing a lot of humanitarian aid for refugees and asylum seekers to Indonesia both directly and through international organizations, when anti-refugee sentiments play high, the relationship with Indonesia becomes fragile. Particularly under the Abbott government Indonesia's territorial sovereignty was disrespected when Australia forcibly returned asylum seeker boats to Indonesia. In Indonesia such action was seen as arrogant and destructive to the bilateral relationship.



Since Indonesia has no domestic legislation for refugee protection, it looks at forcibly displaced people primarily in terms of victims of people-smuggling and trafficking. The Rohingya often employ middlemen who arrange the transport for them and also promised them work. Unable to pay the full amount requested before the journey, many Rohingya enter exploitative arrangements that often turned out even worse than anticipated.



Some middlemen held them ransom on the boats to press their relatives back home for more payments. The fact that the Rohingya are stateless makes their case a lot more complex as they are not just victims of trafficking and smuggling.



Among the Indonesian government there are a number of conflicting views regarding the Rohingya and other asylum seekers who have come to Indonesia and whether their handling should be guided primarily by human rights concerns or concerns for security. While some members of the Indonesian government share sentiments of Muslim solidarity and demand more pro-active support for the Rohingya in Indonesia and beyond, others are more concerned about regional stability that might suffer from irregular movement and forced displacement by allowing transnational crime syndicates to flourish.



Whether the Rohingya come as asylum seekers or as labor migrants, they travel the same pathways and rely on the same internationally-operating criminal networks that facilitate their travels. The more people rely on those services, the more money those smugglers make and the more consolidated their networks become. Currently a number of high-ranking Thai military officers and politicians are being questioned over their involvement in the smuggling networks.



Having signed and ratified the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, Indonesia is committed to prevent people-smuggling, trafficking and other transnational crimes. Indonesia has shown its serious attention to the problem by establishing a special desk for combating the smuggling of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (P2MP2S) under the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Kemenkopulhukam).



The desk purports to play a comprehensive role in coordinating between all the relevant institutions and ministries. Despite all the intense work that has been done since its establishment, the desk has not yet offered a strategy to improve Indonesia's position as transit country.



Never has a group of forced migrants in Indonesia seen so many donations and so much public support. The Rohingyas' status as displaced Muslim minority has raised a lot of sentiments of solidarity in Indonesia.



These sentiments have led to a humanitarian approach, notwithstanding Australia's bad example. However, this approach must be balanced against the need to prevent transnational crimes in persons. Combating transnational crime within forced migration is a tough job.

____________________________________



The writer is senior researcher at the Research Center for Political Studies, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P2P-LIPI). The article was first published in Inside Indonesia.
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

A joint team comprising officers from the Navy and the Jakarta Police and members of the Indonesian Hyperbaric Medical Association will be set up to investigate an explosion at a Navy hospital in Jakarta that caused a huge fire, killing four people, on Monday.

The Navy's initial findings show that the explosion of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy cylinder at the Mintohardjo hospital was caused by an electrical short circuit. The joint team is now tasked with looking carefully into the cause of the incident.

"We are now looking for suitable persons that know the facts relating to this incident. We will publicize the results of our investigation [when it is complete]," Navy spokesperson Comr. M. Zainuddin told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

The hospital, he said, had complied with standard operating procedure when carrying out hyperbaric oxygen therapy, such as by taking metal materials off the patients before they entered, materials like belts, mobile phones, rings and watches.

Zainuddin explained that the French-made chamber at the center of the incident was classified as a small chamber, able to accommodate four patients at once. "It was first operated in 2013. We always thoroughly maintain the condition of such equipment," he said.

Besides the burned chamber, the hospital also has a bigger French-made chamber that can accommodate 12 patients and a Spanish-made chamber that can be used by 18 to 22 patients.

"We have many patients who use hyperbaric oxygen therapy because this therapy is good for your fitness," Zainuddin said.

This is the first accident since the program started in 2013, Zainuddin added.

Zainuddin shared that Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira, one of the victims and a former National Police spokesperson, had undergone the therapy several times.

The hyperbaric chamber was opened to the public in 2013. Initially, the therapy was only available to Navy personnel who had suffered from decompression sickness as a result of dive training. The chamber, which fills with 100 percent oxygen, returns the divers' conditions to normal.

During Monday's therapy, a fire broke out in the cylinder, leading to an explosion. Zainuddin said that the fire spread very fast because of the presence of pure oxygen.

The three other victims were Dimas, a doctor at the hospital, Edi Suwandi and Sulistyo. The latter was chairman of the Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) and a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) of Central Java. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian is suitable to lead the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) given his track record and expertise in dealing with terrorism, a member of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) said on Tuesday.

The commission praised National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti's decision to assign Tito to replace Comr. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution to lead the BNPT upon Saud's retirement.

"We consider Tito an officer who has mastered terrorism issues. This can be seen in the way he handled the terrorist attack in Jakarta a couple of months ago," Kompolnas commissioner Edi Hasibuan told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

Before being appointed to lead the capital's police force in June 2015, Tito was previously chief of the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism squad. Tito was the top graduate of the Police Academy in 1987 and graduated magna cum laude with a Ph.D in strategic studies majoring in terrorism and Islamist radicalization from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

Tito will also be promoted to a three-star commissioner general.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is scheduled to inaugurate Tito as the BNPT chief at the State Palace on Wednesday.

West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Moechgiyarto will replace Tito as Jakarta Police chief.

Moechgiyarto was Tito's superior in the force and also a top 1986 Police Academy graduate. Both received the Adhi Makayasa award as top graduates.

As West Java Police chief, Moechgiyarto made breakthroughs and meets the standard to be the Jakarta Police chief, Edi said.

Kompolnas recorded that Moechgiyarto served the public well in West Java, including by involving the public in community security.

Before leading the West Jakarta Police, he served as the National Police's legal division chief and the West Nusa Tenggara Police chief.

Tito praised his successor.

"I'm sure he will be a better Jakarta Police chief than me. He is a highly experienced officer," Tito told journalists Tuesday. (rin)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

Used cooking oil (UCO) is an ideal ingredient for a biodiesel blend as it is cleaner than fossil fuels and may reduce wasted cooking oil, while at the same time restrains the expansion of oil palm plantations for biodiesel purpose, experts have said.

According to Transportation Study Institute data, biodiesel contains 10 ppm of sulfur, much cleaner than fossil fuel diesel that has 10,000 ppm of sulfur. Besides, the utilization of UCO in biodiesel blends may reduce wasted cooking oil.

"The consumption of cooking oil in Jakarta reaches 50.36 million liters per year, while diesel consumption is 1.09 billion liters per year. It means UCO can fulfill about 5 percent of the need," said Transportation Study Institute Researcher Damantoro on Friday.

Taking fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), a derivative product of crude palm oil (CPO), for the blend, according to Damantoro, would only increase deforestation as new plantations must be opened to meet the biodiesel blend demand.

'To meet Indonesia's 30 percent blend target for diesel, the country needs 10 million more hectares of plantations. It means a large forest must be cut down," said the energy advisor of the British Embassy in Jakarta, Rizka Sari.

The government has planned to gradually increase the biodiesel blend, from 7.5 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2013 and 15 percent in 2015. This year, the government aimed to increase the blending ratio to 20 percent.

However, the economic feasibility of utilizing UCO in biodiesel was quite low. First, the fossil fuel price was currently low with 'Solar' (subsidized diesel) priced at Rp 6,700 per liter. Biodiesel must be sold lower than that to make it more competitive.

Second, there is a lack of advanced facilities to convert UCO into a fuel-grade blend. Rizka explained the technology to refine UCO into fuel-grade blend was not cheap and it had to be produced on a massive scale to make it competitive.

Third, there is low public support for the biodiesel program, as demonstrated by the Bali and Bogor conversion facilities. They were still facing difficulties in collecting UCO. "In London, if you bring UCO to conversion facilities, you will get free public transportation vouchers," Rizka said. (ags)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 15, 2016

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed that Indonesia's democratic credentials remained on the same level between 2009 and 2014, with three provinces ' West Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and South Kalimantan ' dropping to the bottom of the list.



UNDP's Indonesian Democracy Index (IDI) shows a lack of religious freedom as the most problematic issue, and one that has become a threat to civil liberty in the country.



West Sumatra received the lowest score in the report, with a worsening trend over the six-year period. The region scored 24.06 in 2014 on a 0-100 scale, a decline by 3.14 points from the previous year.



NTB scored between 35 and 55 points in the six years, hitting a low of 37.43 points 2013, before slightly improving to 38.19 the following year.



South Kalimantan saw stagnant scores between 30 and 36 from 2011 to 2014, but remained far below the 51.16 points recorded back in 2010.



'The provinces often appeared as the bottom three in the six years, although cases of religious-based violations and discrimination also happened in many other areas,' UNDP Indonesia's representative and IDI project manager Fajar Nursahid said during a discussion on Sunday.



He added that discriminative bylaws in the three regions were taken into account as indicators of the index.



In West Sumatra, the cities and regencies of Padang, Pasaman, Pesisir Selatan, Sawah Lunto and Solok have implemented bylaws obliging citizens to dress in Muslim attire, while proficiency in reading and writing Koran verses is also compulsory in those five regions.



'The bylaws may have good purposes as West Sumatra is dominated by Muslims, but issuing the regulations means coercing [others to abide by the majority's interests],' Fajar said.



In NTB, discrimination of religious minorities affected mostly members of the Ahmadi community. From 1983 until 2011, the regional administration has several times issued decrees banning Ahmadis from practicing their religious activities and spreading their beliefs.



Banjar regency in South Kalimantan issued a bylaw in 2004 prohibiting food stalls, as well as cafes and restaurants, to operate on fasting days. It also prohibits smoking during the day. In 2010, Banjarmasin issued a bylaw on the compulsory reading and writing of Koran verses at elementary, middle and high schools.



The head of the Bogor-based agrarian study center Sajogyo Institute was of the opinion that religious discrimination was often just cover for agrarian conflicts related to the exploitation of natural resources.



'Religious motives are number four. The first is land conflicts, followed by social conflicts and political competition. The players intentionally create religious divisions,' Sajogyo Institute executive director Eko Cahyono said.



Discrimination of followers of the Sunda Wiwitan faith in Kuningan, West Java, for example, was in fact a conspiracy concocted by some individuals, Eko claimed, adding that private parties had paid local religious leaders to portray Sunda Wiwitan adherents as infidels, thereby stoking religious conflict and forcing many residents to leave a gold-rich area, freeing it up for exploitation by others.
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Linkedin Syofiardi Bachyul Jb (The Jakarta Post) Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra  Tue, March 15, 2016

A lack of economic programs and limited land in their new area have made it difficult for survivors of the 2010 tsunami in the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, to bounce back after the disaster.



The tsunami, caused by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, displaced more than 2,000 families living on the three affected islands, with South Pagai being the worst hit, in which 900 families in 22 villages had to be relocated.



They were relocated 9 to 12 kilometers from their original homes.



The first relocation site is located 27 km from Polaga Pier, the closest place to Sikakap district. The last is located 103 km from the pier.



Vehicles can be driven only as far as Kilometer 46, after which the bridges connecting areas farther away are in a state of disrepair.



'We cannot do much here to improve our finances,' Sabarudin Taileleu, 50, of Kinumbu village, Bulasat subdistrict at KM 46 told The Jakarta Post recently.



He said the 36-meter-by-30-meter plot of land that his family's new home stood on was not large enough to grow produce to sell to support his family.



He grows bananas on the land to feed his family. Banana is a staple food for Mentawai people, along with sago and taro.



Nikolaus Sababalat, the head of Purorougat Purimanuajat village, Malakopa subdistrict, told the same story, saying that he planted banana trees, chili, eggplant and taro in his yard in the KM 37 area for daily consumption.



He said his family had stayed at an evacuation center for two months before moving into a house provided by the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) for three years before finally moving into their new home.



Nikolaus said they received cash aid only for the first year at the temporary house and after depended on aid given by local people to meet their needs. Only after moving to their present home could his family plant banana trees and taro for their own consumption.



To make extra money, like half of other families in the relocation site, he goes to his old village and stays overnight to catch fish.



He said the soil at the relocation site was fertile and that a bunch of bananas could be sold for Rp 5,000 (24 US cents) to Rp 30,000. Yet, limited land prevented them from earning more as the harvest was only sufficient for his family.



The head of Purorogat Bagatsimalelet village, Emilius Sababalat, said the earnings of the relocated families was almost zero. 'We rarely eat rice here,' he said.



He added that if any rice for the poor (raskin) was distributed, people preferred to sell the rice to buy kerosene for illumination.



The tsunami killed 53 people in his old village of Purorogat, including his wife, their two children and his mother.



'We do hope the government will soon give us additional land to farm and to build a road to our old villages. That would be the best way to get back on our feet,' Emilius said.



However, that would not be easy as South Pagai Island is a concession area belonging to PT Minas Pagai Lumber. It took the government more than two years to obtain the site to relocate the tsunami survivors.



Other challenges include a lack of electricity. Of the 22 relocated villages, only one, namely Bulasat, has power, which comes from a government solar power plant. Others depend on kerosene lamps for lighting.



Earlier this month, the islands were shaken by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. No fatalities or damage to property were reported. Residents ran away from the beach as there was a tsunami warning that was later canceled.
Mumbai: The Hrithik Roshan-Kangana Ranaut controversy seems to be getting uglier by the day. Hrithik Roshan has reportedly sent a legal notice to Kangana for tarnishing his image and defaming him.

According to the notice, Hrithik wants Kangana to hold a press conference and render an apology, making it clear that it was not him she meant in he recent comments about a 'silly ex'. However, Kangana has retaliated with a 21-page reply, charging Hrithik with intimidation and threat.

When Deccan Chronicle contacted Hrithik and Kangana's lawyers, they refused to comment on the matter.

For the uninitiated, this war started when Kangana was asked about being ousted from 'Aashiqui 3'. She had said, Yes, many lame rumours are doing the rounds, even a dumba** can tell where these rumours are coming from. I dont know why exes do silly things to get your attention. For me that chapter is over and I dont dig graves.

Soon after this comment, Hrithik tweeted, Ther r more chances of me having had an affair with d Pope dan any of d (Im sure wonderful) women d media hs ben naming. Thanks but no thanks.

Ther r more chances of me having had an affair with d Pope dan any of d (Im sure wonderful)women d media hs ben naming.Thanks but no thanks.  Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) January 28, 2016

Kangana gave a fitting reply to this sarcastic tweet in a television interview, she said, No. I am not hurt. I respect the other person's opinion also. It's very likely that a person can have a different perspective on the same situation or rather the past. But then, stick to your stand. Don't slyly pursue people and spy on them, and chase them. So, we sign and seal the deal and then move on."
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Linkedin Dave Bryan (The Jakarta Post) United Nations  Tue, March 15, 2016

The head of UN Women said Monday that world leaders attending an annual meeting on the status of women have a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to better the lives of women and girls by implementing U.N. goals approved by world leaders last year.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, speaking at the opening of the 60th Commission on the Status for Women, said the theme of this year's meeting is the link between women's empowerment and development. She urged members to implement the 17 broad goals and 169 specific targets endorsed last year, saying it is crucial to advancing equality for women and girls around the world.

The document's overarching aims are reducing poverty and inequality and preserving the environment by the 2030 deadline. The ambitious agenda is expected to cost between $3.5 trillion and $5 trillion every year.

The two-week session that began Monday focuses on achieving gender equality.

"Excellencies, in your hands is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end poverty and transform gender relations irreversibly for the next generation, making the world a better place for all," she said.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said that for many women and girls still at risk change is not coming fast enough. The meeting, attended by hundreds of women from the 193 member countries, non-governmental agencies and civil society, is the first since the development goals were endorsed by member nations last fall.

Language in a working document being considered by delegates at the session acknowledges the link between the development goals and gender equality.

"Women play a vital role as agents of development and the achievement of full human potential and of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities," it says.

Meetings during the commission's session include work on funding and implementing laws and policies that promote gender equality.

UN officials agree there is much work that still needs to be done to ensure equality.

Dubravka Simonovic, the UN special investigator on violence against women, said that for the first time since the start of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, there are more women and girls on the move than men. She said more information is needed on the subject but it is clear that migrant women and girls face high risks of sexual violence from smugglers, criminal groups and individuals both while in transit and in camps and shelters.

"Gender-based violence is a common feature throughout their journeys and within their countries of destination," she said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that there are still four countries where not a single woman is represented in parliament and eight countries that have no women Cabinet members.

"As long as one woman's human rights are violated, our struggle is not over," he said.

The Commission on the Status of Women was established by UN resolution in 1946. (bbn)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post  Tue, March 15, 2016

The police recently banned the Turn Left Festival in Jakarta. The Jakarta Post's Margareth S. Aritonang and Pandaya analyze the incident, which has raised fears concerning the return of authoritarianism and put young leftist movements in the spotlight.



It all started with Yayak Yatmaka writing Militarism for Beginners, an Indonesian picture book intended for younger audiences that he wrote years ago when he lived in Germany.



Then, last year a member of a discussion group, consisting mostly of young idealist intellectuals, students, artists and activists like Yayak, became born-again after reading a book about the history of communism in Indonesia.



To make a long story short, the artist stumbled upon a historical fact that it was the Indonesian Communist Party's (PKI) anti-colonialist and nationalist spirit in the early 1920s that fired up our founding fathers' struggle for independence.



The reading gave the artist a whole new perspective that was never available to him at school 'the PKI was in fact a significant movement in laying down the foundations of Indonesia but its contribution is nowhere to be found in history books.



'The only communism the youth know comes from the propaganda created by the New Order [regime], which stigmatized the PKI as a frightening party worthy of nothing but loathing,' says sculptor-cum-activist Dolorosa Sinaga, referring to Soeharto's authoritarian military-backed regime that controlled Indonesia between 1965 and 1998.



Dolorosa was the lead organizer of the Turn Left Festival that was disrupted by a bunch of intolerant thugs with the apparent backing of the police, with the latter then forcibly dispersing attendees when the event was just about to begin at Taman Ismail Marzuki, a government-owned cultural center in Jakarta on Feb. 27.



The scores of people from an alliance of Islamic and nationalist groups chanted slogans, intimidated the organizers and accused them of being sympathetic to the PKI.



The police argued that the gathering should be banned because 'some groups' had raised objections and the organizers had failed to obtain the official permit.



The ban, which forced the organizers to relocate the festival to the premises of the nearby Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, was only the latest incident in a string of banned events that include seminars, film screenings and publications containing anything that smacks of 'leftist' activism (see 'Left out in the cold').



Instead of cowering, the festival organizers have vowed to extend the festival ' that features discussions, leftist books sales and art shows ' every weekend 'until the nation has transformed for the better'. They will be marching on with the battle cry of 'resist Soeharto's propaganda'.



The more than 32 activists that spearheaded the festival have a noble purpose of making a better Indonesia that is free from fear, which has been deeply rooted due to the corrupt culture built by the Soeharto regime, since he seized power on the heels of the 1965 deadly aborted coup, blamed on the PKI.



'Until today, we all see the continuing reproduction of the New Order [regime's] culture and values,' Dolorosa says. 'With the Turn Left Festival, we want to resist the whole legacy of the New Order that managed to cling to power for so long thanks to their effective propaganda.'



'Intolerance as we [festival organizers] are suffering now is an example of the New Order political culture I'm talking about.'



The main event was the launch of a provocatively titled book History of Indonesian Leftist Movements for Beginners and discussions about leftist movements that 'few young people know about'.



'The festival aims to inspire the young and make them aware of the need to learn history that hasn't been twisted, [in order] to build a better Indonesia. I'm wondering why the government is so afraid of the festival,' Dolorosa said.



It is not that the activists want to promote the 'isms' as some government officials may suspect. In fact, they believe that communism, Marxism and Leninism are dead and irrelevant. They seek to rewrite history, which they say has been distorted.



The Turn Left Festival is a major collective project mostly by and for younger activists who strive for greater freedom of speech. With the preparatory work having begun a year ago, the canceled event was hosted by 40 volunteers aged between 18 and 40 from major cities across Indonesia in addition to the 32 authors of the 527-page History of Indonesian Leftist Movements.



Among familiar names that co-authored the book are Ayumail, Harry Waluyo, Iwan Gunawan, Kuncoro Adibroto, Tsoe Tjen Marching, Usman Hamid and Yayak Yatmaka, just to name a few.



Dhyta Caturani, one of the organizing committee members, said Turn Left was only one of many similar events initiated by young people. In Yogyakarta, an 'education city' where activism has always been vibrant, the city held a discussion on the 1965 tragedy. In Salatiga, Satya Wacana University students published Lentera despite a ban on its August 2015 edition on 1965.



The young want the state to allow them greater room to exercise their freedom of speech and have a say in policymaking.



'Our aim is to encourage young people to exercise critical thinking. We are targeting the young ['] many of them quench their curiosity about what actually happens to their rights through the internet.'



The Indonesian Military (TNI), which officially quit politics after Soeharto's downfall but still wields clout in the government, retains its strong stance against communism as it believes the ideology still poses a threat to the state ideology, Pancasila.



A week after the festival was banned, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu told a media gathering that communism was one of the four main ideologies in the world that the military closely watched, with the other three being radicalism, socialism and Leninism.



'It's not that they are bad but it's just because they are not suitable for Indonesia. The US may not be as strong as it is now had it not adopted liberalism. Communism is good in China. In Indonesia, radicalism began only after the Bali bombing [in 2002].'



Sharing Ryamizard's concern, the Home Ministry's director general for political affairs and general administration, Soedarmo, warned that the danger of leftist movements were that they 'lurk in the dark and wait for the right time to come into the open'.



Leftist ideologies, Soedarmo said, provoke civil organizations ' especially the Islamic ones ' to come forward and oppose activities they see as adverse to Pancasila.



Soedarmo, who also formerly worked at National Intelligence Agency (BIN), acknowledged most of the various hard-line groups that helped disperse the Turn Left Festival were registered with the Home Ministry and that the police did not use them to intimidate organizers as many suspected.



'Supporters of the festival may hold a grudge against the New Order but remember that everyone living in the country must follow the rules.'
Will We Ever Get Military Spending Under Control?

There is a classic scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where Gene Wilder, seeing yet another obvious disaster unfolding by oblivious children, recites a desultory, dull warning of Dont.stopwait, knowing full well a tumbling debacle is about to occur yet again.

Such is my resigned state of mind as I bravely tap forth into the stupefying policy disaster of defense spending in the United States. Nothing will change and yet again another horror fiscal show leading to disastrous consequences will pass Congress this year with an unbelievable Defense budget bloat of approximately $560 billion, but duty to country, Party and liberalism propel me forth nonetheless.

Its an old game to gauge scope in wonk circles but its still useful here, lets say USS Carl Vinson, Nimitz class aircraft carrier, steams forth from San Diego with her full air wing deployment. Who on the globe can effectively take her on in a fight?

In all the Americas, only Canada. The entirety of Africa, a vast, huge continent, no one. Asia, Japan and China. Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia. For western Eurasia Turkey, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium and Russia. In all of the globe only 13 countries have an air force capable of taking on USS Carl Vinson.

In theory, right, operational readiness and the willingness to fight are murky variables, but not a soul on the planet doubts the absolute readiness of American weapons and the officers on the planes willing to sacrifice their lives and equipment to accomplish a mission. Can the Russians respond with that level of commitment and capability? Not even remotely close.1

Should that very unfortunate decision in fact take place to fight USS Carl Vinson be completely assured of at least 50% of your air force and pilots killed and destroyed, air defenses totally crippled, massive air base and infrastructure damage, and a crushing psychological blow to your personnel as they wander around in dazed bewilderment. Decades of precious spending, investment and training, all gone in 12 hours.

USS Carl Vinson would steam back to San Diego, replenishment for a 40% attrition rate already planned, nine other Nimitz class carriers waiting in backup. One of those ships would soon appear and totally annihilate what was left of utter fools who thought they could take on the United States Navy.

Just the Navy air wing of our country, of course, any plans to fight a foreign air force would involve a few chats from the general officers of the Unites States Air Force, yes.

We have roughly an equal number of smaller 45,000 ton amphibious assault carriers for the Marine Corpsthey have an air wing too, naturally. The Navy has an incredible submarine, surface and supply fleet, and then theres the United States Army. To say nothing of a vast array of global bases, space assets, and an unbelievable nuclear weapons program.

The United States could not be more militarized, we are fiercely, horrendously, expensively armed. Great harm comes from not using that money productively for our people, and as the wise Digby always reminds us, if you let them build it theyll use it.

Were never leaving our half-assed occupation of Afghanistan or Iraq, politicians dont want to be accused of weakness by bombastic stupid militarists. We are in a huge undeclared drone war in Africa and southwest Asia. What has all this contributed to American security? Not a thing, blowing things up and killing humans rarely works.

My despair at getting out of this is deep, of course the Democratic Party has fully embraced the fiercely militarized solution to security issues, and to my knowledge only one politician consistently declares the need for defense spending cuts, Bernie Sanders.

I truly do not know if its worth taking the political risk to propose defense spending cuts for the 2016 general, the berserk Republicans and their terrible enablers in the media love war, oh god do they crave the rush and the ratings, Mr. Sanders could easily lose in a terrorist attack environment for being a hippy peacenik. Look at what they did to John Kerry.

If Mr. Sanders were to become President hed never get defense cuts through Congress,2 even with huge Democratic majorities too many American politicians fiercely cling to the politically attractive elements of militarism. Just look at what happened to President Obama, by his own admission now a very good killer.

In fact the only ray of hope in ending American militarism and the attendant 50% cuts in defense spending is climate change. We have to and will soon stop burning oil, and blissfully that awful rationale of Middle East security will be gone. Cut the defense budget 50% and use the money for renewable energy conversion, may that day soon come to pass.







[1] The Italians in WWII were infamous for building beautiful, fiercely capable ships they would not fight with, they were too valuable. The United Kingdom shot out their Sidewinder missile supply in a week of fighting for the Falklands war, we quietly replenished upon request.

[2] Its a very strange thing but Im sure the sequestration budget cuts of that heinous Obama budget deal are still in place, Im not precisely sure but the cuts seem to be targeted at domestic bases and personnel, yet the overall budget and overseas security appropriation continue to be as horribly bloated as ever. President Obama thought this weird evolution could take place, but the Republicans called his bluff.
A proposal for a Mexican restaurant called Gracias Mama at 162 East Broadway won the support last night of the Community Board 3 panel that evaluates liquor licenses. But opponents of the new business are hoping a measuring stick is their best weapon in persuading the State Liquor Authority to downgrade the permit to beer/wine only.

Nima Garos (of the Little Italy spot Kelso & Grand) and Koorosh Bakhtiar are preparing to open a 45-seat taqueria. The restaurant would have a service window and be open beginning at 7 a.m. for breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner. A gut renovation of a former Chinese bakery and newsstand is well underway.

While the SPaCE Block Association worked out stipulations with the owners, including reduced operating hours, other neighborhood activists have balked at the plan for a full bar. The Orchard Street Block Association, Residents of Two Bridges (ROTB) and LES Dwellers argue that the area is becoming too over saturated with nightlife establishments. They believe a bull bar would be in violation of a state law  the 200 Foot Rule, which prohibits certain licenses from being issued if the location of the establishment is on the same street and within 200 feet of a building that is used exclusively as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship. St. Teresas Church is located at 16-18 Rutgers St., one block away at Henry Street. It will be up to the State Liquor Authority to decide if the new restaurant is l more or less than 200 feet from the church.

Some residents testifying last night lamented the loss of mom-and-pop businesses and ethnic stores. They accused the applicants of failing to reach out in multiple languages to the mostly immigrant community in the immediate area. CB3 Chairperson Gigi Li questioned the owners about the following statement, which was part of their original application: We are also aiming to improve a dilapidated part of the neighborhood and reinvigorate the whole corner on East Broadway. It was removed from later versions of the application. Last night, they claimed never to have used those words (they called them a fabrication). You can see the relevant excerpt from their questionnaire here:

The building, 162 East Broadway, was sold by Chinese owners this past December for $6.6 million. Last night, the applicants stated that the bakery and newsstand had been on month-to-month leases, but were not pushed out. The new property owners (or at least one of the property owners) also owns the Grand Street building in Little Italy in which Kelso & Grand, is located.

There were 17 speakers last night, many of them testifying in favor of the proposal. Some of them are loyal customers of the Little Italy restaurant, which they described as well run and family oriented. Others said theyre looking forward to a high quality Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. Amy Robinson, who lives nearby, told committee members shes enthusiastic about having a nighttime establishment alongside the F train stairwell, which can be a dangerous area in the evenings.

The committee approved operating hours of 7 a.m.-midnight during the week, with an extra hour on weekends. The committees recommendation will be revisited by the full board later in the month.
The City Council and Mayor de Blasio have reached an agreement on the administrations controversial zoning proposals. [New York Times]

Heres the latest from Ben Shaouls latest condo development, at 100 Avenue A. [Curbed]

Puck Fair in Soho will be closing at the end of the month. [Gothamist]

Sheldon Silver is still a superdelegate, which means he could theoretically play a key role at the Democratic Convention. [Newsday]

Happening Today: At 6:30, the landmarks committee of Community Board 3 will consider the latest plans for the restoration of the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center. JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th St.

Featured Event: Fiery Ladies: Radical Jewish Women of the Lower East Side is a panel discussion hosted by laurie Tobias Cohen of the LES Jewish Conservancy. Panelists include historian Elissa Sampson, author/preservationist Joyce Mendelsohn and Professor Kate Pastor, journalist and great, great niece of Rose Pastor Stokes. 6:30 p.m., Sixth Street Community Center. More details here.
The makers of Sanjay Dutt biopic are planning to take the film on floors in September and are aiming for Christmas 2017 release.

Mumbai: The makers of much-hyped Sanjay Dutt biopic starring Ranbir Kapoor have announced the film's release date. The movie directed by Rajkumar Hirani is all set to hit the theatres in Christmas 2017.

Ranbir and Rajkumar have collaborated with each other for the very first time, though the actor did have a special appearance as an alien in 'PK', which released in 2014.

Hirani believes that theres a lot more to the actor than what is known to people. There has been much talk about the parts from the actors controversial past that will make it to the big screen. An interesting fact is, Sanjay's exit from prison will be documented as the first shot of the biopic.

There have been several speculations about who will play crucial characters in the film, however the makers have remained tight-lipped about the details.

At an event earlier this year, Rajkumar mentioned that he is not making the film to promote the actor. He said, "I take a lot of time to make a film. I will never make a film to propagate a friend. When they told me about the film, I said that I don't understand this world, till I actually heard his story. The first time he opened up and I heard his story, I found it very engaging. That's the only reason I am going to make a film. I am only going to show him as he is."

Rajkumar was all praises for Ranbir, he had said, "We are showing Sanju's life from the time he was 17. So, obviously Sanju can't play it. We wanted an actor who looks like a star, is a good actor, who can gain weight and become like that. Ranbir is a fantastic actor. He has grown a lot and he knows Sanju as well. He understands that world. It is always good to have an actor who believes in the film thematically. Ranbir is somebody who has grown up in a film family and he understands the pathos in his life."
It all began when Kangana said in a television interview not so long ago that she fails to understand why exes do silly things to get your attention. It was believed that the silly ex she referred to was none other than the recently divorced Hrithik Roshan.

Perhaps, there still would have been some room for doubt, had the man himself not felt the need to clarify his stance.

Soon after Kanganas interview was out Hrithik tweeted: There r more chances of me having had an affair with d Pope dan any of d (Im sure wonderful) women d media hs ben naming. Thanks but no thanks, (sic).

Kangana gave a fitting reply to this sarcastic tweet in another television interview where she said, No. I am not hurt. I respect the other persons opinion also. Its very likely that a person can have a different perspective on the same situation or rather the past. But then, stick to your stand. Dont slyly pursue people and spy on them, and chase them. So, we sign and seal the deal and then move on.

All this was around three months ago. But just when we thought it was another Bollywood gossip that had fizzled out, Hrithik Roshan slapped Kangana Ranaut with a six-page legal notice, asking her to call a press conference within seven days and clarify that it wasnt him she was referring to while talking about her ex and the silly things exes do.

According to industry sources, the actor is also being rather vocal about the matter and he has been sharing the details with his friends from the industry.

A source close to Kangana said that she has replied to the six-page legal notice with a 21-page document charging Hrithik with intimidation and threat.

The source also confirmed that the document was sent to Hrithik Roshan but he didnt want to comment on the issue any further. Kangana is not in Mumbai at the moment  the actress is shooting for Vishal Bhardwajs Rangoon in Arunachal Pradesh.

A filmmaker close to both, on condition of anonymity, said, In her interview, Kangana didnt mention Hrithiks name at all and we were all taken by surprise when Hrithik reacted in the manner that he did. When the legal notice was sent, she had to reply. But fact remains that she wants to end the chapter peacefully and move on.

Its funny and silly how Hrithik has threatened her to put all the communication between them in the public domain. Who does that!

Hrithik has probably reacted a bit too strongly and created a big scene out of it for no reason. Why would you threaten a woman that you will make public all the private communication that you two had shared when you were together?
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April will be very crucial for Tollywood as a few high budget films are releasing one after another. Pawan Kalyans Sardar Gabbar Singh, Allu Arjuns Sarrainodu and Mahesh Babus Brahmotsavam are all set to hit the screens during the month.

Trivikram Srinivas A Aa is also set to release soon after, on May 6.

April will thus decide who is the badshah of Tollywood as Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu have both been taking personal interest in their respective films. Interestingly, both films have already done pre-release business of Rs 100 crore.

Last year, Mahesh Babu created history with Srimanthudu, which stood at number two after Baahubali, surpassing Pawan Kalyans Atharintiki Daredi. Now Pawan Kalyan wants to regain the position with Sardar Gabbar Singh, publicity for which has already started.

In the meantime, Allu Arjuns Sarrainodu is also getting good hype and the pre-release business has been great. The only disadvantage for these films is that they are releasing close on each others heels and might not get enough time to do good business.

Apart from Telugu, a few Tamil films dubbed in Telugu will also release in April, making it a very hectic month, especially since the IPL season also starts in April.
The government is now expanding the basket of choice for contraceptives to cater to the unmet need for contraception prevailing in the country. (Photo: Pixabay)

New Delhi: The government today said it was expanding the basket of choice for contraceptives to meet the unmet demand even as it asserted that the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in most states have come down.

"The government is now expanding the basket of choice for contraceptives to cater to the unmet need for contraception prevailing in the country," Health Minister J P Nadda said in Rajya Sabha when asked about the steps being taken to ensure balanced population growth in the country.

He said during Question Hour that India was a signatory to the ICPD Declaration of 1994 which advocates target free approach and honouring of reproductive rights of couples to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their

children.

Nadda also said the TFR Rate in 24 states has reached around the 2.1 level where the population stabilises, but in states like UP and Bihar it was still over 3.

He said the decadal growth rate of population has declined significantly from 21.54 per cent between 1991-2001 to 17.64 per cent during 2001-11.

Nadda said the TFR in the country has gone down and while 24 states have reached replacement level fertility of 2.1 or less, there are ten states including Gujarat which is between 2.2 and 3 level.

Asked by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh till when does he think the overall TFR of the country would reach 2.1, Nadda said while he would not prefer to give a timeline, he thought it would happen in two to three years.

Nadda also said that 184 districts have been identified where the indications have not been encouraging. In the states of UP and Bihar, it is above 3, Nadda said, adding that overall, the TFR in the country has declined from 2.6 in 2008 to 2.3 in 2013.

When pointed out by a member that social sector spending had been reduced by the government, Nadda said that funds are not a problem and last year expenditure in some of these sectors was the highest.
Army only trying to help in Phuket Aspasia dispute, denies camp threat

PHUKET: The Royal Thai Army officer who took dispute resolution into his own hands at The Aspasia Phuket in Kata has told The Phuket News that he was only trying to help.

propertymilitary

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 15 March 2016, 05:03PM

Col Kitipong Kwanmuang, who heads the Royal Thai Armys 41st Military Circle Phuket office. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

Col Kitipong Kwanmuang, who heads the Royal Thai Armys 41st Military Circle Phuket office, told The Phuket News today (Mar 15) that he and two other Army personnel arrived at Aspasia on March 4 to discuss the tenants dispute with the apartment complexs management.

We went because we received complaints from the tenants. We get a lot of complaints like this, and Aspasia is just one of them, Col Kitipong said.

I have orders to do what we can to resolve any such disputes in our area, which is only two provinces: Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Phuket. We tried to resolve this conflict, but the talks failed.

Col Kitipong denied that he warned anyone at the meeting on March 4 that the Army could detain any persons and take them to an Army camp in Nakhon Sri Thammarat for attitude adjustment.

I did not say or threaten anyone like that, he said.

However, Col Kitipong did not clarify whether any of the other Army personnel in the room made the threat, as attested in the signed witness report given to The Phuket News. (See story here.)

Col Kitipong said that he has been ordered to pass on details of all cases that fail to be resolved to his commander, Maj Gen Teenachat Jinda-Ngern.

I have already personally reported this particular case to Gen Teenachat in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and I have not received any orders for any further action, he said.

The General has told me to conduct any investigations informally. We did not have any warrants or documents for the cases we review, Col Kitipong added.

Everything we do is for keeping the peace in Phuket province, he said.

This is not the first time that soldiers from the 41st Military Circle have had to publicly defend their actions in Phuket. In late 2014, five soldiers were released without charges after allegations they had abducted a Russian couple. (See story here.)

At last report, Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul urged the tenants and the management at the Aspasia complex to do their utmost to resolve the dispute through mediation, with the Phuket office of the Consumer Protection Board to assist the tenants through the legalities of their dispute. (See story here.)
Foreign tourists face strict curbs on driving into Thailand

Foreign tourists will be banned from driving motorcycles and motor homes into Thailand as part of measures to control an influx of foreign vehicles onto Thai roads, particularly in the North.

transporttourism

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 15 March 2016, 08:59AM

A welcome sign is shown on a coach serving tourists in Chiang Mai. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The vehicles present problems in terms of frequent accidents and ecological harm, Land Transport Department chief Sanit Phromwong said yesterday (Mar 14), adding the ban is meant to enforce order and allow only some types of vehicles to travel in certain areas for particular periods of time.

The order will also prohibit people who have not made prior agreements on car usage abroad from driving cars into Thailand from China, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to transport officials.

Many Chinese tourists like to drive their cars into Thailand but that will not happen in the future, Mr Sanit said.

Only vehicles with a total of nine seats and pickup trucks with a maximum weight of 3,500kg will be allowed to travel in Thailand. Motorists also need to seek permission and have their vehicles checked by authorities, he said.

They are required to make requests to drive in Thailand through Thai tourism operators at least 10 days prior to their their trips, Mr Sanit said.

Transport officials overseeing provinces bordering their countries will consider whether to grant them permission cards.

The cards must be displayed inside the vehicles where they can easily be spotted by Thai officials, Mr Sanit said. The cards will cost B500 and there will be a B500 fee. Vehicles will be allowed to travel only in those provinces through which they enter and they will be allowed on Thai roads for 30 days each trip.

The total permitted period cannot exceed 60 days in one year, Mr Sanit added. The controls will be imposed via ministerial regulations.

In its bid to regulate foreign vehicles more strictly, the Land Transport Department is also sharing information about them with other state agencies through a computer network.

This will allow customs officials to keep checks on the vehicles, especially to determine whether the drivers overstay the permitted driving period, Mr Sanit said.

If foreign visitors are found to have broken any law, whether or not they are related to transport, the mistakes will be recorded and sent to transport officials to consider if they should be allowed to re-enter Thailand in the future, he added.

The regulations will not be applied to vehicles from Laos, Malaysia and Singapore with which Thailand has pacts on international car usage.

Read original story here.
Phuket police investigate two accidents that left two dead, three injured

PHUKET: Police are currently investigating two accidents that happened in Wichit less than 24 hours apart and left left two men dead and another three people injured.

accidentsdeathtransport

By Darawan Naknakhon

Tuesday 15 March 2016, 12:54PM

A policeman at the scene of yesterday's (Mar 14) accident on Chao Fa East Rd. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

In the first incident, which happened at around 7:30am yesterday morning (Mar 14), Lt Col Narong Muangduong was called to the scene of an accident in front of Ban Nabon School on Chao Fa East Rd where three motorbikes had crashed into each other.

It was reported that one man had died and two people were injured.

Upon arrival we found three wrecked motorbikes in the middle of the road. The body of a man, later identified as 17-year-old Sinthichai Lakkoh, was in the road with a head injury. A helmet was found nearby.

Two injured motorists, Narakorn Onthong, 30, and Ms Pha Yasamuth, 54, had been taken to Vachira Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, Lt Col Narong explained.

Local residents told police that Sintichai was coming from the direction of Phuket Town heading to Chalong on a motorbike with no licence plate. Two other motorbikes were coming from the direction of Chalong and somehow the three collided when one of them went to make a U-turn.

We are checking CCTV from the area to see if we can find what really happened. We are also waiting to question the injured people, Lt Col Narong said.

In the second incident, which happened at 1:30am this morning (Mar 15), Lt Col Piraphan Meemark, also from Wichit Police, was called to investigate a hit-and-run on Chao Fa West Rd.

Lt Col Piraphan was told that one man had died and two other people were injured after an 18-wheeler truck hit a motorbike the three were travelling on.

Police arrived at scene, near the northbound entrance to the Daasamuth Underpass, with Raumjai rescue workers to find the body of a 30-40 year old man lying face down in a pool of blood.

We found nothing on the body other than a mobile phone. About 20 metres away was a wrecked Yamaha Mio.

The two injured people had already been taken to hospital, said Lt Col Piraphan.

Residents said that the motorbike was hit by the 18-wheeler and it had run over the deceased.

They said the truck did not stop and kept going north. We are checking CCTV to see if we can get a licence plate or better description of the truck, he added.
Police focus on negligence in bank gas leak

BANGKOK: Police have cited negligence as one possible cause of a deadly accident at the head office of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) in the capital on Sunday night (Mar 13).

deathaccidentsconstruction

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 15 March 2016, 09:44AM

Eight people suffocated to death and seven barely escaped with their lives from the SCB headquarters on Sunday night. (Post Today photo)

Eight people died and seven were injured after a fire extinguishing device released pyrogen aerosol gas in a document security vault in the basement of SCB Park Building on Ratchadaphisek Road. The chemical is intended to deplete oxygen, which possibly caused their deaths.

Five died at the scene and three others later died in hospital. Of the eight fatalities, seven were employees and one was a security guard.

The accident occurred about 9.30pm in the basement of SCB's head office as the employees were working to improve the buildings chemical fire extinguishing system.

Metropolitan Police Bureau acting commissioner Sanit Mahathaworn yesterday (Mar 14) said police are trying to find out whether the chemical release was caused by negligence. He added that SCB had contracted a company to do the job and the firm in turn subcontracted the job.

It is possible the subcontracted company may have lacked the requisite skills and was not up to the task, Pol Lt Gen Sanit said, adding that eight people have been called in for questioning and if the results of the forensic examination point to human error, those involved will be charged with carelessness causing deaths.

Pol Maj Gen Charoen Srisasalak, chief of Metropolitan Police Division 2, said Phahon Yothin police had questioned 10 people yesterday  three SCB employees who were at the scene on Sunday night, and seven relatives of the dead victims.

Investigators reported that Mega Planet Co had been contracted to install the fire prevention system, but another company was subcontracted to complete the work.

The sub-contractor, building designers and safety engineers would also be summoned to testify. He said police will spend about a week gathering evidence before they can establish the cause of the accident. SCB blamed the accident on the contractors, who had been working to upgrade the buildings chemical fire-extinguisher system but mistakenly set it off, releasing a chemical retardant designed to starve any fire of oxygen.

The work may have triggered the pyrogen aerosol which, once it works, will decrease oxygen. That could have caused peoples injuries and deaths, the bank said in a statement.

SCB president Yon Phokhasap said the building and other property sustained no damage, adding that an upgrade to the fire extinguishing system is under way, changing from the pyrogen-based system to a nitrogen-based one.

Speaking after inspecting the scene, Pol Lt Col Bundit Pradabsook, vice-president of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage, said that workers may have drilled into a concrete wall releasing dust particles during the upgrade work, which might have activated a smoke detection sensor and then set off the pyrogen aerosol.

This system is highly sensitive to small dust particles, apart from smoke, he said.

In a second statement, SCB said it will offer the families of the dead victims B100,000 each, and provide B30,000 to help the injured.

Suchatvee Suwansawat, president of the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), raised three questions after inspecting the scene.

Why did the fire extinguishing system operate without a fire? Why could the victims not leave the room? And why did it cause deaths when the device producer claims on its website the chemical is not severely toxic and will not eliminate oxygen? he said.

However, a fire fighting expert said dust normally does not activate the extinguishing system unless the system itself is faulty. Fire prevention and extinguishing technology which uses pyrogen is very advanced. But it is far more costly to install than a normal fire hydrant system.

The benefit of the pyrogen-deploying system is that it is an effective and less messy method of dousing fires in a tightly-contained environment, such as a document storage room. It does not cause damage to documents, which commonly occurs with the use of water, according to the expert.

But pyrogen technology can be deadly if people who come into contact with the system, including rescuers, do not know enough about how it works. Rescuers who access a pyrogen-exposed chamber must be equipped with oxygen-supplement tanks.

Read original story here.
The bones of Timurlengia euotica were uncovered in Uzbekistan, where it lived about 90 million years ago.

Washington: A newly discovered cousin of the T. rex may explain how the legendary dinosaur leapt in size to become undisputed king of the food chain, scientists said Monday.

Until now, researchers have had little evidence of how the iconic predator became one of the largest carnivores to ever roam the Earth before the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago.

The answers could lie in the brain of Timurlengia euotica, a previously unknown relative of the T. rex.

Timurlengia euotica was far smaller than the elephant-sized T. rex, but had already developed the large brain it needed to track and devour prey.

While researchers cautioned that the discovery represents just one animal in a long lineage, its features help illustrate how small tyrannosaurids evolved to grow smarter and larger over time, thanks to keen senses that could help keep their bellies filled.

"The ancestors of T. rex would have looked a whole lot like Timurlengia, a horse-sized hunter with a big brain and keen hearing that would put us to shame," said Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences.

"Only after these ancestral tyrannosaurs evolved their clever brains and sharp senses did they grow into the colossal sizes of T. rex.

"Tyrannosaurs had to get smart before they got big."

The first tyrannosaurs appeared about 170 million years ago and were about the size of a human.

The bones of Timurlengia euotica were uncovered in Uzbekistan, where it lived about 90 million years ago.

By the Late Cretaceous Period, between 66 and 80 million years ago, the T. rex was the don of the big lizards, often weighing more than seven tons.

Not much is known about how the T. rex got so big, "largely because of a frustrating 20-plus-million-year gap in the mid-Cretaceous fossil record, when tyrannosauruses transitioned from small-bodied hunters to gigantic apex predators but from which no diagnostic specimens are known," said the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new discovery is "the first distinct tyrannosauroid species from this gap."

The specimen was discovered between 1997 and 2006 by a team of palaeontologists, led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, working in the Kyzylkum Desert in northern Uzbekistan.

"The early evolution of many groups like tyrannosaurs took place in the coastal plains of central Asia in the mid-Cretaceous," said professor Alexander Averianov of Saint Petersburg State University.

Timurlengia's skull was much smaller than that of the T. rex, suggesting it did not grow as big, but its skull shape reveals "that its brain and senses were already highly developed," the report said.

"Timurlengia was a nimble pursuit hunter with slender, blade-like teeth suitable for slicing through meat," said professor Hans Sues, of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington.

"It probably preyed on the various large plant-eaters, especially early duck-billed dinosaurs, which shared its world."
A Visit to the Barossa Valley is a must in Adelaide for its exuberant wine yards.

Australia has been named as the top destination for year 2016 by Conde Nast Traveler.

The report says, If you havent been yet, lucky you,, they further add that no one can forgets their first visit to Australia.

And if youve travelled before, you wont believe what youve been missing since. According to the magazine Australia is one and only pick for travelling destination for the year 2016.

The article mentions Perth for its remote locations and rapid population growth.

A Visit to the Barossa Valley is a must in Adelaide for its exuberant wine yards. Canberra has been given the title of the capital of cool and Melbourne is growing dramatically famous for its scrumptious cuisine, especially dont miss out the traditional Aussie breakfast.

The bohemian paradise of Bryon Bay located in New South Wales is awe-inspiring and dont forget to go for a quick trip to Tasmania and visit its Museum of Old and New Art. You will find the stunning red-rock Uluru and abundant of kangaroos and dingoes in the Northern Territory.

The Great Barrier Reef located at Queensland cost in northeastern Australia has numerous reefs, hundreds of island, and over 600 types of corals.

The 2,300km-long idiosyncratic ecosystem is the largest living thing on Earth. Most of the islands are uninhabited and you will surely enjoy going for a safari to the dense national parks.

The marine life is just incredible with turtles, sharks and multitudinous stunning fish. Since there are many restaurants that are really expensive, you can option for the local seafood such as oysters and slipper lobsters.

Australia has become the most popular destination for New Zealanders and Chinese tourists. The beaches and the luxuriant wildlife are loved by the tourists.
The lemons finally caught up with Dasharath, now a full 70, on Monday when a special team headed by the Aland DySP arrested him from Taj Sultanpur village in Kalaburagi. (Representational image)

KALABURAGI: Forty years ago, when he slipped into an orchard in Aland in Kalaburagi district, to steal a bagful of lemons, Dasharath Paradhi, was quite sure he would never be caught for a theft as simple as this. And never in his dreams would he have imagined he would be nabbed forty years later!

The lemons finally caught up with Dasharath, now a full 70, on Monday when a special team headed by the Aland DySP arrested him from Taj Sultanpur village in Kalaburagi. The team was formed to crack long pending cases including that of Dasharath. The complainant was Shankar Rao Patil, the orchard owner, now long dead, who had registered it in 1976 at Narona police station.

While Dasharath cools his heels in judicial custody, the cops are going about their job with immaculate precision. First, we learnt that the culprit had fled to Bhimalli village after committing the offence. Subsequently, he shifted to his hideout, Taj Sultanpur village, the proud investigating officer stated.

The lemons, worth Rs 300 then, were ripe enough for selling in the market, the officer disclosed, hinting at the gravity of the crime!
First week of South Dakota's traditional pheasant hunt is in the books

Hunters had to account for windy conditions, but the weather was otherwise ideal during the first week of South Dakota's traditional pheasant season.
Up to six in 10 grieving people have seen or heard their dead loved one, but many never mention it out of fear people will think theyre mentally ill.

Among widowed people, 30 to 60 per cent have experienced things like seeing their dead spouse sitting in their old chair or hearing them call out their name, according to scientists.

The University of Milan researchers said there is a very high prevalence of these post-bereavement hallucinatory experiences (PBHEs) in those with no history of history of mental disorders .They came to their conclusions after looking at all previous peer-reviewed research carried out on the issue in the English language.

Overall, evidence suggests a strikingly high prevalence of PBHEs  ranging from 30 per cent to 60 per cent  among widowed subjects, giving consistence and legitimacy to these phenomena, they wrote in their report, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Since there is a relatively small amount of research on the topic, they said, More research is needed to ascertain the physiological/pathological nature of PBHEs. Its thought the hallucinations could be similar to the flashbacks experienced by people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Jacqueline Hayes, an academic at the University of Roehampton, has studied the phenomenon, interviewing people from across the UK who have lost spouses, parents, children, siblings and friends. She told the Daily Mail: People report visions, voices, tactile sensations, smells, and something that we call a sense of presence that is not necessarily related to any of the five senses.

She added: I found that these experiences could at times be healing and transformative, for example hearing your loved one apologise to you for something that happened  and at other times foreground the loss and grief in a painful way. The report follows research from the University of Southampton, which suggested there might be such thing as life after death.

 Source:

www.telegraph.co.uk
Dalit youth Shankar and wife Kausalya at the time of their marriage. (Photo: DC)

Coimbatore: In less than three years, Tamil Nadu has witnessed 81 incidents of honour killings with the ghastly murder of Dalit youth Shankar in Udumalpet in neighbouring Tirupur district being the latest.

The Dalit youth Shankar was attacked with machetes and sickle by a gang of five men in full public view near the crowded Udumalpet bus terminus on Sunday afternoon for marrying a caste Hindu girl Kausalya from Palani defying opposition by her parents.

Though honour killings are on the rise, not a single case has ended up in conviction in the state as family members are involved in such murders, said A Kathir, managing director of the NGO, Evidence.

In an attempt to cover up incidents of honour killings, the Tamil Nadu government dismisses incidents of honour killings and is one among the few states that has not submitted its report on it to the Supreme Court.

As many as 22 states have given details on honour killings to the apex court, he said, adding, that most cases of honour killings are merely passed off as suicides.

Of the 81 incidents of honour killings, 80 per cent of victims are women and 20 per cent are men.

Caste Hindu women, who love or marry a Dalit are murdered by their family members. On the other hand Dalit women, who marry caste Hindu men, are ditched due to societal pressure. Almost 84 per cent of Dalit women, who are into inter-caste marriage face humiliation due to marital discord, said Kathir.

In a disturbing trend, the Western districts of Tamil Nadu have also been gaining notoriety for honour killings. As many as 30 incidents of honour killings have been reported in Western districts since 2007, he claimed.

Gokulraj, who was in love with a girl from Gounder community, was murdered and his body was abandoned on the railway track at East Thottipalayam near Pallipalayam in Tiruchengode on June 24 last year.

In a similar tragic end to a love story, in 2012, Dalit youth E Ilavarasan, whose marriage to a Vanniyar girl triggered caste tension with torching of over 200 huts of Dalit families, was found dead near a railway track in Dharmapuri.

Though incidents of honour killings have been in prevalence for long, the culture of mob violence and daring murders in full public view have been sowed by caste-based outfits that are growing in popularity.

Ghastly murders of Dalit youths only indicate that caste-based violence and politics are intertwined in Tamil Nadu. Those who unleash violence for the sake of community tend to enjoy the backing of caste-based outfits. It is hence Yuvaraj turned into a hero and was given rousing welcome when he arrived to surrender in Gokulraj murder case, said R Athiyamaan, founder president of Adhi Thamizhar Peravai.
Is there anything more quintessentially Halloween-y than witches? They are an icon of the holiday and I've always loved them. One of ...
Toronto Symphony Orchestra president Jeff Melanson is being portrayed by estranged wife Eleanor McCain as a ruthless leader who tricked her into marriage because he wanted her money and an escape route from sexual harassment accusations at the Banff Centre.

McCain, 46, is the daughter of Wallace McCain, the late billionaire co-founder of McCain Foods Limited. In her 34-page application for annulment, the singer describes Melanson, once considered Canadas cultural turnaround king, as a remorseless manipulator who ruled with an iron hand, fired employees unjustly, boozed during business hours and at business functions, launched then abandoned grandiose projects, and provided jobs for his romantic partners.

None of the claims have been proven in court. McCain declined to comment through her lawyer, while in a statement on Twitter Melanson called the allegations inaccurate and undignified and untrue and hurtful.

McCain has applied for an annulment, not a divorce, so that she may treat the marriage  as if it never existed, the document says.

Thats a crucial distinction, especially given the financial stakes for McCain: an annulment could affect any financial settlement or division of property at stake in the divorce.

Melanson said on Twitter that the claims against me are inaccurate and undignified. I am saddened that Ms. McCain has chosen to say such things and in this way, but even more disappointed as these statements are untrue and hurtful to myself and my loved ones. My lawyers will reply through the appropriate channels.

It makes complete sense why theyre doing it because theres so much money at stake, said Toronto family law specialist Steven Benmor, who isnt involved in the case. If they can get the annulment, it saves the McCain family a lot of money.

Benmor calls the strategy a reach, because annulments are typically granted due to lack of capacity  for instance, when one of the wedded was too young or mentally unfit  or because one person entered the union under duress or based on fraudulent grounds.

Theyll try to argue fraud, he predicted.

And arguing fraud on the grounds of misrepresenting character or personality could be difficult.

Thats a tough test, to me, said Daniel Simard, an associate lawyer at Shulman Law Firm who is not involved in the case, either.

McCains claim does attempt to detail Melansons alleged history of dishonesty and manipulation.

According to her application, his aggressive courtship began with a coffee date on Dec. 16, 2013. Following that, her claim says, he showered her with texts declaring his undying love, and brought up marriage three weeks into dating.

During one of their first phone conversations, McCains claim contends, Melanson endeared himself to her by mentioning that he had enjoyed a close relationship with her father, Wallace, and that he had always spoke fondly of her. It was only later, McCains document alleges, that she learned Melanson was not close to her father and was actually terrified of meeting or dealing with him.

Her court document also states: Eleanor learned post breakup that Jeff stated during his marriage to her that fundraising at his new position as president of the TSO would be easy because of his connection to the McCain family.

The couple married privately on April 26, 2014, followed by a public ceremony on Nov. 22.

Two months later, on Jan. 27, 2015, Melanson abruptly ended the marriage via email and, McCains filing reads, hasnt spoken to her or her adolescent daughter since.

According to McCains application, it wasnt the first time Melanson manipulated and used people by pretending they were his best friend or the love of his life,  then discarded them with no remorse.

Among the claims in McCains filing: Melanson never disclosed to McCain that he cheated on his previous wife; Melanson frequented Ashley Madison during that marriage under the user name Sarastro2012, a reference to Mozarts The Magic Flute; and Melanson hid mental-health issues and excessive drinking habits from McCain.

To Make You Feel My Love from Eleanor McCain's Runaway CD release party recorded in the Round Room at The Carlu in Toronto, ON, Canada on April 23, 2014.

Melansons ex-wife Jennifer Snowdon denied the claims about their marriage in McCains document.

There was no infidelity in our marriage, she told the Star Monday night, calling Melanson a good person and a kind and generous man.

Hes a flawed human being. Hes not perfect. But I think this is horrible whats happening to him, and I think Eleanor is sad and hurt and angry. But he doesnt deserve being trashed like this in the press, she said.

Jeff and I got married very young. We grew apart. We separated amicably. We are doing our best to co-parent our children together the best that we can.

Berl Schiff, a longtime friend of Melansons and former publisher of The Walrus, believes McCains claims are untrue.

Hes a remarkably confident and successful arts administrator, said Schiff.

Melanson has held a series of senior roles at cultural institutions across Canada. He served as dean of the community school at the Royal Conservatory of Music from 2001 until 2006, when he left for an executive position at the National Ballet School. He joined the Banff Centre with a splash in 2012 for an appointment many figured would last 10 years or more.

Instead, Melanson resigned in April 2014, the same month he married McCain, to take up his post with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. According to McCains document, sexual harassment accusations drove Melanson from the Banff Centre.

The filing states that upon becoming president in January 2012 and while still married, he immediately created a position for a woman and pursued her relentlessly. Once they consummated their relationship during a Banff Centre trip to Australia in October, McCains document alleges, he broke off the relationship, and by the following September, she was terminated. When the woman subsequently announced her intention to sue, Melanson felt that his days (there) were numbered.

He was looking for a way out of Banff, reads McCains claim.

McCains petition further accuses Melanson of an affair with a married woman and the sexual harassment of a third woman while at the Banff Centre, and alleges that he initiated inappropriate relationships with two women during his stint at the National Ballet School.

Firstly, we can confirm that no formal complaints were made to The Banff Centre on the issue of sexual harassment, a statement from the Banff Centre reads. Secondly, as mentioned in the Globe, there was a settlement that was reached with a former employee that was to the satisfaction of both parties.

These allegations are concerning and troubling, as they are not reflective of the values and standards we aspire to set at the Banff Centre, said Banff Centre president Janice Price. We take these allegations seriously and should these allegations be found to be true we will investigate further.

McCains filing also takes aim at Melansons workplace manner, alleging that he took credit for other peoples accomplishments, shifted blame and maintained a cold and callous demeanour.

Her petition further claims that he fired at least 11 employees at the Banff Centre without remorse or guilt, including: a woman who was days from a health leave, was subsequently diagnosed with ALS, and can no longer speak or eat; and Dutch conductor Henk Guittart, who was fired by Melanson, McCains claim alleges, even though the two men hadnt interacted much and Guittart had just shifted his family from Europe. Three years ago I could have used support, but I have moved on, Guittart told the Star via email, but declined to comment further.

McCain never would have married (Melanson) had she known these facts, her application alleges.

Eleanor now believes that Jeff pursued her and pushed to marry her so quickly because he thought that marrying her and being associated with her family would help redeem him from his scandalous behaviour in Banff, reads McCains document.

With files from May Warren

Rights after a relationship ends

Divorce

When a marriage ends, the person with the lower net worth is entitled to an equalization payment.

The person who has more pays half the difference to the one who has less, says Andrew Feldstein, principal at Feldstein Family Law Group in Toronto. Gifts and inheritances are exceptions, he adds. For a marriage of less than five years, a person may argue unconscionable to equalize net family property.

Common Law split

If a couple has been living together for three years or more, or has a relationship of some permanence and a child together, and the relationship ends, they are not entitled to an equalization payment but file a claim for spousal support, Feldstein says.

But a judge has a lot of discretion: If a man and woman lived together for 20 years, Feldstein says, and his net worth is $10 million and hers is zero, and they raised two children together, the wife is going to end up with something probably pretty close to an equalization payment, Feldstein says.

Annulment

An annulment is rare in Canada and granted under limited grounds. A person whose marriage is annulled is not entitled to the same compensation as someone who is divorced, and it would be very difficult to make the same claims as common law couples who have split. An annulment, if youre successful, says the marriage never happened, says Feldstein. That voids your rights.

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Few people know Torontos embarrassment of musical riches as intimately as Mike Tanner.

Toronto is home to a huge number and variety of incredibly talented musicians across multiple genres, he says.

The former director of operations for the annual North by Northeast music festival, Tanner was named Torontos first music sector development officer in the fall of 2014, becoming the public face of the citys music scene.

Fittingly, we asked him to share three of his favourite tracks from some up-and-coming local artists.

The Muso Project, Miss Melody

The Muso Project performed as part of the Live from City Hall concert series. Theyre a great live act, says Tanner. [This song] grabs you right away with a classic Motown rhythm and then layers some great R&B-flavoured vocals and keys on top.

Ginger Ale and the Monowhales, Looking Simple

Im a sucker for a memorable pop melody and Looking Simple is an instant classic in this vein: shades of Sleigh Bells, the Raveonettes, maybe a little Portugal. The Man, he says, noting that the band were featured on the Citys Music 311 program last year. A great record from a group with one of the best band names in town, along with a not-to-be-missed, high energy, crazy Flaming Lips-esque live show,

Jahkoy, Odd Future

The latest from a Toronto R&B/urban artist currently based in L.A. and getting a lot of strong, very well-deserved media response lately. A sure sign of his growing profile, Jahkoy will be in Austin next month for the South by Southwest music festival, as part of the Toronto: Music Meets World showcase co-presented by the City of Toronto and the Austin-Toronto Music Cities Alliance. I like how he lays a thoughtful, introspective lyric over a smooth track and some great beats.

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Dead people dont recover.

Thats the working principle behind harm reduction: Avoiding the ultimate harm that could befall drug addicts by facilitating lesser harms, primarily via aiding and abetting in the consumption of those drugs in a safer environment.

The idea is somewhat counterintuitive. It also puts the addict at the centre of a radical social policy that doesnt always give sufficient consideration to the broader community which will be affected. Good intentions can lead to bad consequences. One need look no further than The Slab, an area leading from the Oslo train station directly to the citys main street.

Emaciated addicts gather in the area every day, every night, slumping against the walls of derelict warehouses around the docks, openly injecting heroin, knowing police wont move in unless it becomes necessary to quell a significant public disturbance.

Oslo: Europes drug overdose capital, with the highest death tables on the Continent.

A compassionate metropolis that was among the first to open injection rooms, in 2005. And the death rates did drop afterwards, those due to heroin halved within a couple of years. However, at the same time, deaths from methadone  provided by the state as a legal and rehabilitative substance  have spiked since to the point that the overall mortality rate is exactly where it stood a decade ago. Nor has the healthy option of clean needles and nurses on hand attending to overdose crises altered the outward reality of social outcasts congregating, shooting up along The Slab.

As a civic experiment that put the emphasis on harm reduction  where most health advocates agree the effort should be concentrated  it hasnt actually worked out so well.

Yet Oslo  Norway  is among the 90-plus supervised injection service sites worldwide cited in a Board of Health staff report that was released on Monday and which will eventually find its way to Toronto city council. Montreal and Ottawa are planning to set up safe-injection sites as well.

Vancouver has two such sites already, the only locations approved by the federal government to this point. Boston, attempting to tackle its heroin epidemic, last year opened a test facility along a stretch of road that has come to be known as Methadone Mile.

Better near death  the heroin high has often been described as a between-life-and-death sensation of nirvana  and simultaneously near access to emergency intervention when required  than dead in an alley.

As someone whos done heroin  just enough to know that this was way too pleasurable an experience for my addictive nature  I make no moral judgment about junkies. The extent of heroin use in Toronto, as described by Dr. David McKeown, medical officer of health, is convincing in its scope and dangers. Latest available data shows the rate of fatal overdoses is increasing, the 206 in 2013 being an all-time high.

There are few legitimate objections to opening safe injection sites here  three locations, as proposed in the board of health report, attached to existing health facilities. The benefits are obvious: supervision for users (who would bring their own heroin), sterilized equipment, encouraging access to related health services, reducing the risky behaviour that results in high levels of hepatitis C and HIV (mostly through sharing needles) and restoring some of the dignity that the drug takes away from its chronic consumers.

But it cant just be about them. And since the three health-care provider locations have already made it clear they intend to proceed once the federal government approves their application  for exemption from the Controlled Drugs & Substances Act  there hardly seems any genuine purpose to the community consultation which has been promised.

The engagement sounds like window dressing to me for neighbourhoods already intimately familiar with discarded needles, overt drug-dealing and substance-addled addicts.

Research mentioned by the reports authors indicates that half of those surveyed said they would not travel more than 10 blocks to use a safe injection site. This finding is used to assure residents that hordes of heroin addicts wont suddenly descend on their little pocket of the city. But it also means the sites cant be located in distant, sheltered areas. They cater to drug traffic zones; hence their proposed situation at three downtown spots already servicing a clientele with high levels of injection drug use and associated high-risk behaviors, including frequent injectors and public injection.

Will safe injection sites make the situation worse? I dont know. In some places it has. In some places, such as Oslo, the existence of safe injection sites has neither encouraged users to take it off the streets nor significantly persuaded users to avail themselves of rehabilitation programs. Even in Oslo, so often presented as the harm-reduction model, health officials admit the impact is difficult to evaluate, according to the Norwegian Institute for Drug and Alcohol Research.

I agree harm reduction is the best that can be hoped for and its hard to quantify. I have no objections to the board of healths proposals.

Junkie lives matter too.

But the health department needs to be more honest about realities.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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When an Al Qaeda affiliate makes things go boom, stoking global fear isnt always the main goal, however much the horrible headlines suggest otherwise.

Nor is simple competition  Al Qaedas obsession with winning back Jihadist supremacy from the 2.0 upstarts of Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, always driving the attacks.

Too bad, right? Cant we just think of Al Qaeda versus Daesh as we do the Leafs versus the Habs? Simple one-upmanship, and nothing more? Sorry, no. Not if we really want to understand and counter the loose and often very regional affiliations and intrigue behind the headlines.

This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa, where specific local and regional dynamics are crucial to understanding the crisis, as the International Crisis Group noted Monday in a remarkably nuanced special report on the evolving Jihadist landscape.

None of this in any way blunts the unprecedented shock that visited the Ivory Coast on Sunday, when gunmen acting in the name of Al Qaedas North African branch quaffed beer at a beachside bar before unleashing a fusillade of bullets throughout the resort town of Grand Bassam.

It was the softest of targets, a weekend retreat 40 kilometres from the sweltering capital, Abidjan. And when the dust settled, at least 18 people were dead, including all three gunmen. It was a surprise, insofar as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) had never before struck the comparatively stable and prosperous Ivory Coast, let alone any other destination so far beyond its tradition desert base. But not a huge surprise  security forces were braced for expanding AQIM strikes in West Africa after recent attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Some of the confusion cleared Monday when AQIM claimed responsibility in a statement that enumerated purely regional fury without so much as a hint of Daesh-envy. Ivory Coast, it said, came under attack because of the countrys ties to the ongoing French military campaign in Mali, including the recent handover of seven prisoners. We repeat our call to all countries involved in the French invasion of Mali to withdraw from this satanic alliance. The AQIM statement also confirmed the collaborative involvement of Al Mourabitoun, a breakaway group founded after French soldiers surged into Mali to scatter Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

AQIMs acknowledgement of collaboration with Al Mourabitoun, in turn, is awakening intrigue over the whereabouts of the breakaway groups oft-targeted founder, Mokhtar Belmokhtar. A one-eyed veteran of the training camps of Afghanistan, the notorious Algerian warlord had famously fallen out with Al Qaedas African leaders over a litany of perceived sleights, including his failure to file timely expense reports. Belmokhtar, known by his nom de guerre Abu Khaled, for years led a highly lucrative crime syndicate ranging from kidnapping to the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people under a business model that owed more to the sensibilities of Mexican drug-lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman than Osama bin Laden. His outright departure from AQIM left the Al Qaeda affiliates status in doubt.

Belmokhtar is alleged to have died numerous deaths, most recently last June, during a U.S. airstrike that targeted a meeting of extremists in the Libyan town of Ajdabiya. But Al Mourabitoun promptly denied its founders demise and Western intelligence sources quietly acknowledge that without DNA evidence they are unable to say.

Now that Al Mourabitoun has resumed its alliance with AQIM, the intrigue continues anew, with analysts divided over whether the regrouping signals a change of heart by Belmokhtar or instead should be taken as evidence he is out of the picture altogether.

Either way, the Ivory Coast attack, the third major collaborative AQIM/Al Mourabitoun operation in four months, signals a daunting resilience for fighters that barely two years ago were thought to have been scattered to near oblivion by the French-led campaign in Mali. AQIM has added other affiliates of late, including the Mali-based Macina Liberation Front, itself though to be a proxy of the Ansar Dine Islamist movement. Coupled with its other regional rivals, including Boko Haram in northern Nigeria and the expanding clusters of Daesh-held territory in Libya, Al Qaedas deeper reach into Africa adds a fresh layer of worry to multiple fledgling governments already struggling to provide anything approximating law and order.

Among the untouched nations in the neighbourhood, some analysts fear foremost for Senegal, which recently detained 500 people in a counterterror crackdown. Two weeks ago Ryan Cummings, director of the African security firm SignalRisk, offered his own grim regional survey of the AQIM threat, pointing to Senegal is softest target among the highly vulnerable top three, including Ivory Coast and Guinea. He added a warning of the double-edge sword of Western patronage stepping in to carry the fight in the face of corruption, weak political institutions, and oppressive governance in the region. Foreign intervention always runs the risk of aiding extremist groups in their recruitment among communities disenchanted with the faux democracy exported and endorsed across the continent, wrote Cummings.

Consequently, violence by AQIM and its counterparts is set to remain a feature of the security landscape in North and West Africa for the foreseeable future.

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New Delhi: "All commitments made towards Andhra Pradesh in letter and spirit would be fulfilled," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday after some Congress members raised questions regarding delay in granting of special status to the state.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said two years ago when the state of Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh, the biggest issue among the two states was the fate of the capital Hyderabad.

Hyderabad went to Telangana, leading to a revenue loss to Andhra Pradesh, he said, adding that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on the floor of Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014 announced measures to mitigate the hardship caused to Andhra Pradesh, including the formation of a new capital.

Read: Special status only way for development of AP: Jagan

Some Congress members including J D Seelam, Renuka Chowdhury and K V P Ramachandra Rao trooped into the Well raising slogans and demanding reply from the government on the matter.

In his response, Jaitley said Centre is fully committed to help Andhra Pradesh.

"Centre is fully committed to helping the newly created state after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. There are several commitments, which are involved in the AP Reorganisation Act. Centre is going to honour each one of those commitments in letter and spirit," the Finance Minister said.

Referring to the revenue deficit, Jaitley said, "each paisa or rupee of this revenue deficit is being paid to Andhra Pradesh. We will continue to pay that".

He said institutions have to be set up in Andhra Pradesh. Foundation stones have been laid, funds have been sanctioned and in some cases work is also in an advance stage, he said.

On the new capital, Jaitley said the state is making considerable "headway" towards it. Funds have been sanctioned and more would be released towards it, he added.

Keeping the limitations of the 14th Finance Commission and resources, "whatever commitment have been made is going to be honoured", the Minister said.

However, the agitating Congress remained unsatisfied and kept raising slogans against the government.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien kept asking agitating Congress members to return to their seats. "You are becoming laughing stocks," he told them. However, as slogan shouting continued, Kurien adjourned the House for few minutes.

While raising the issue, Azad wanted to know from the government what happened to the special category status for Andhra Pradesh and went on to remind that Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu as opposition MP in Rajya Sabha had demanded special category status for 10 years.

Digvijaya Singh (Cong) said it was a commitment of the Government and a Cabinet decision.

Arun Jailtey, as the leader of the opposition in 2014, had supported special status for Andhra Pradesh for 10 years, he said.

Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said the government should abide by the commitment made on the floor of the House, while K V P Ramachandra Rao (Cong) said Andhra Pradesh faced revenue loss due to formation of Telangana and Hyderabad going to it.

Read: PM should grant 'special state' status to Andhra Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi

The promise of special status by the previous UPA government which was supported by the BJP as opposition must be fulfilled, he said.

Taking potshots at Congress, C M Ramesh (TDP) said the main opposition was doing the "drama" for political mileage.

"After two years they (Congress) realised that state's bifurcation was wrong," he said, adding the party was wiped out from AP in the elections held after the bifurcation.

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said special category status to Andhra Pradesh was proposed to be given for five years as well as fiscal measures and tax incentives on lines of ones given to Himachal Pradesh were announced. The Centre had promised to compensate the state for revenue loss.

He wanted to know from the government what happened to the special category status for Andhra Pradesh and went on to remind that Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu as opposition MP in Rajya Sabha had demanded special category status for 10 years.
There has been a spate of grim news about the news media in recent months, with layoffs and newsroom closures from coast to coast. Its clear Canadian journalism is in a perilous state. Less clear is what can be done about it.

Ive spent much of the last year talking to people both inside and outside journalism about the threats to its future and how they might be addressed, courtesy of a fellowship from the Public Policy Forum. While those conversations did not reveal a magic solution to journalisms woes, they exposed a few salient facts often glossed over or ignored in the search for solutions.

Serious journalism has no future in Canada unless the following are not just noted but understood:

1. Its not just journalism

What do Canadian journalists have in common with the dabbawallas (lunch box delivery men) of Mumbai? In both cases the industry they work in has been upended by information technology, changing not just how product is delivered, but who pockets the most money in the end. Similar restructuring has taken place in the music, accommodation, taxi and even porn video industries. Banking is next. Journalists might chafe at the suggestion that theirs is just one among many industries to be drastically rearranged by the internet and a growing array of digital tools. The point is that powerful, global forces that transcend national borders are at work. Any solution to journalisms problems in Canada has to take this into account.

2. Direct subsidies wont work

Canadians tend to look to their governments for help when an industry is in trouble. Bombardier is a case in point. The call for government subsidies to journalism is part of this trend. The Nordic model is cited. Yet the global forces noted above are driving down newspaper readership in print and online in the Nordic countries despite government support. There may well be solutions that involve government. Given how many people use social media to get their news, educating Canadians about their digital privacy would be a good start. Any serious discussion about the governments role should also include a debate about the future of CBC and Radio Canada.

3. Journalists are no longer the gatekeepers of information

No one needs journalists any more to get their message out. Anyone with access to the internet or social media can talk directly to their intended audience. Similarly, journalists are not the only way governments, businesses and other groups can take the pulse of Canadians. There are plenty of digital tools for that. This has changed irrevocably the status and role of journalists. Yes, they are needed more than ever to shed light in dark corners and to analyze events, answering the crucial question: What does this mean to Canadians? But they are sharing space they once thought was their own with an ever-expanding number of voices that they have to both acknowledge and in some cases involve in their work. This likely means fewer journalism jobs.

4. The tech giants are both an opportunity and a threat

In the last year all of the major tech firms have launched new ways of distributing news to their users. Twitter, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Instagram and others want content their users can easily read, view or listen to while remaining inside their app (as opposed to being redirected to the site where the item was created). Newspapers, radio and television firms want new audiences for their work. It would seem to be a marriage made in heaven. But there are drawbacks for the news media firms. They risk losing control of how their work is distributed, an erosion of their brand and the loss of additional ad revenues created by users who come to their sites and click on other stories, videos and podcasts. Partnering with tech giants could be their salvation or the beginning of the end.

5. The audience has changed

Its widely known that the audience for journalism has moved online and increasingly onto smartphones. This changes how people want their journalism  it must be easy to digest on a small screen  and when they want to look at the news  whenever they feel like and often in short bursts throughout the day. These are structural issues that while difficult for traditional media firms to cope with are not impossible. But one change that is not widely appreciated and more difficult to deal with is the desire to be involved in the creation of journalism in ways that were unimaginable before the advent of the internet. Audiences want a relationship. For journalists and media outlets used to thinking in terms of delivering a product, this requires a total rethinking of their role.

In an age where information floods in from every direction there is still a need for journalism that makes sense of it all. But any viable solution to the industrys current woes has to take into account the changes wrought by information technology on journalists and their intended audience. This should be the starting point of any serious discussion about the future of journalism in Canada.

Madelaine Drohan is Canada correspondent for The Economist and former columnist for the Globe and Mail. Her report, Does serious journalism have a future in Canada?, written as the 2015 Prime Ministers of Canada Fellow at the Public Policy Forum, was released March 14.

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Ahmedabad: Followers of self-styled godman Asaram from across the country allegedly collected funds to hire a sharp shooter and paid him Rs 25 lakh to kill witnesses in rape cases filed against the religious leader, according to a report.

The sharp shooter identified as Kartik Haldar, was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Gujarat on Tuesday and is suspected to have shot dead three key witnesses in rape cases against Asaram.

Haldar was arrested from Raipur in Chhatisgarh in a joint operation by ATS and Crime Branch unit of city police and was brought to Ahmedabad on Tuesday, a senior official said.

Read: Asaram Bapu's men threatening me, family members: girl's father

During his interrogation, Haldar told officials he had met the followers of Asaram in 2014, who instructed him to kill witnesses in a bid to weaken cases against the controversial preacher, ATS said in a statement.

Besides murdering three witnesses, Haldar had also attempted to kill four others who were directly or indirectly associated with the rape cases filed against Asaram in Jodhpur and Ahmedabad.

Haldar allegedly killed Asaram's personal doctor Amrut Prajapati in June 2014, his assistant-cum-cook Akhil Gupta in January 2015 and another key witness, Kripal Singh, in July 2015.

All of them were shot from close range as part of a conspiracy to eliminate those who had given their testimonies against Asaram, ATS said in a statement.

Prajapati, an Ayurvedic doctor, was shot dead by Haldar at his dispensary in Rajkot. The doctor was vocal about Asaram's misdeeds and became a witness in the rape case filed three years back.

Gupta became a witness in the same case in 2013. He was fatally shot by the accused near his house in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The probe in this case was handed over to CBI.



The sharp shooter then targeted Singh, who was killed in Shahjahanpur, UP.

Singh used to work as a clerk in the office of a man whose minor daughter had lodged a case of sexual assault against Asaram in Jodhpur. Singh was the prime witness in that case, said the release.
BENGALURU: The condition of Meghana, a 21-year-old second year engineering student who had sustained burns along with three of her family members at her house on Saturday after her jilted lover set her house ablaze in Sriramapura, is critical and her chances of survival are minimal, said one of the doctors treating her at St Johns Hospital on Monday.

Addressing a press conference, the doctor said that she sustained 58 per cent burns mostly on her back and face, and that her kidneys have stopped functioning.

Meghana and her sister Sanjana, who has sustained 20 per cent burns, are being treated at the ICU of the Hospital. Sanjana may have to undergo a surgery later.

A team of plastic surgeons, headed by Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Vijay Joseph, and experts in critical care, headed by Dr Sampath, are attending to them.

Srirampura police arrested 22-year-old Deepak, an engineering dropout and Meghanas boyfriend, for setting his girlfriends house on fire in Sai Baba Nagar for postponing their marriage plans last Saturday. In the fire, Meghana and Sanjana, who were sleeping in the hall, sustained burns. Meghanas parents escaped with minor injuries, but a portion of the house was gutted.

Deepak had bought 2 litres of petrol, climbed to the top of a nearby building, managed to break open a window of Meghanas house and allegedly poured petrol into the hall where Meghana was sleeping along with her sister Sanjana. He then went to her parents bedroom, poured petrol and set the house ablaze.
Kolkata: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi on Monday assured all political parties of a free and fair Assembly poll in West Bengal beginning from April 4, even as the opposition parties urged the poll panel to probe a 'sting' operation allegedly involving some leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Opposition CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb said they have requested the poll panel to take action against those TMC leaders, purportedly shown in the 'sting' operation, according to constitutional provision.

He said the CEC assured them to look into the problem. "We also demanded reinstatement of some officials removed by the ruling party ahead of the polls and removal of hoardings in violation of the Model Code of Conduct," he said.

Congress leaders also raised similar demands during their meeting with the poll panel.

The opposition leaders said Zaidi assured them to go through their complaints and suggestions for a fair poll.

Representatives of the ruling Trinamool Congress too met the poll panel with a list of suggestions, which the CEC has also assured to look into.

Simultaneously, Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy lodged complaint against poll panel's declaration of six-phase elections in the state.

"It is virtually a seven-phase election, as the first phase poll will be held in two parts on different dates. Then why this camouflage?" Roy asked the CEC.

"We are ready to face multi-phase elections in the state, but it is an insult to the people of Bengal," he said.

The opposition CPI(M), Congress and BJP lodged various complaints with the poll panel against the ruling TMC, while demanding measures for free and fair poll.

The full bench of the Election Commission led by the CEC arrived here today on a two-day visit to the state to review poll preparedness.

Apart from meeting EC officials of the state and political parties, the poll panel full bench listened to the representatives of 'Save the Democracy Forum' and former West Bengal State Election Commissioner Meera Pande.

While Pande urged the poll panel to ensure free and fair poll to allow people to exercise their franchise without any fear, Save the Democracy Forum representative Justice (Retd) Asok Kumar Ganguly requested the poll panel to see that all FIRs were looked into and steps taken.

The CEC would meet the DMs, SPs, other senior officials in the state and media persons tomorrow.
Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

Why is this market so hard to kill? That was the question Jim Cramer posed to his Mad Money viewers Tuesday, after a sharp decline at the open saw the markets roar back to even by the close. Cramer then detailed all of the negative news the market had to endure.

First: Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) , the drug maker that has seen its shares decline from highs near $263 last year to just $69 before today when they plunged an additional 51% to just $35. With just about every major political candidate taking shots at the drug industry, Cramer said he was surprised there wasn't more damage done to the overall sector.

Then there were the scary retail sales numbers. Not only did February retail sales decline but there was a downward revision in January's retail sales to -0.4% from 2%. Oil prices were another downward drag on the markets as crude continues to slip from its recent highs.

Add to all of that continued weakness in Europe and a looming Federal Reserve meeting Wednesday and the market should've gone down and stay down, Cramer said. But it didn't.

Despite all of the negatives, Cramer said there have also been a parade of positives, including a takeover bid for The Fresh Market (TFM) , news of positive iPhone sales and other retail earnings surprises.

Cramer concluded that buyers should continue to be cautious but it's clear the trend isn't as bad as many people have feared.

Executive Decision: Matt Ouimet

For his "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer sat down with Matt Ouimet, president and CEO of Cedar Fair (FUN) , the amusement park operator with 14 parks across the country. Shares of Cedar Fair currently sport a 5.8% yield.

Ouimet said Cedar Fair continues to see consumers prioritizing experiences over possessions. He said the trend has expanded well beyond just the younger millennial patrons. Consumers are also becoming more social, which is why Cedar Fair is adding WiFi to all of its parks and allowing guests to share their ride photos on social media instantly.

In addition, Cedar Fair is teaming up with the gaming industry to create game-focused ride experiences. Ouimet said it used to be there were only movie tie-ins, but now that gaming is bigger than movies it only makes sense to expand with partners like Electronic Arts( ERTS) .

Ouimet added there have been no new parks opened in the U.S. in over 40 years, but Cedar Fair is fortunate enough to have over 1,300 acres adjacent to their parks where they can still expand. He also noted that Cedar Fair remains committed to their dividend and growing their distribution.



Secure Allegion

Despite what you may have heard, breaking up is easy to do, and lucrative, too, if you're talking about stocks. That has certainly been the case with Allegion (ALLE) , the commercial and residential security company that was spun off from Ingersoll-Rand (IR) in December 2013.

Cramer explained that in the highly fragmented security market, you need to make acquisitions. But if your company is buried deep within a larger industrial conglomerate, finding the capital to make those acquisitions is difficult at best.

That's why the Allegion spinoff made perfect sense. The company instantly gained access to capital and, after incorporating in Ireland, any acquisition made was instantly accretive to earnings on the tax savings alone. Indeed, the company has since made a string of smart acquisitions.

Allegion last reported a 15-cents-a-share earnings beat on Feb 11. Shares trade at 17 times earnings with a 13% growth rate. Cramer said that doesn't make the stock cheap, but it's also not expensive either.

Off the Tape

In his "Off the Tape" segment, Cramer sat down with Scott Svenson, co-founder and CEO of the privately held Mod Pizza, a chain of 110 artisanal pizza restaurants in 16 states.

Svenson said that despite the pizza category being $40 billion a year, there has been little innovation in recent years, which left an opening to bring the fast-casual concept to pizza. He said Mod provides great value to customers and has built an engaged team that is making a positive social impact in the communities they serve.

Svenson continued that 95 of Mod's 110 locations are currently company owned, with the remainder being run by very energetic franchisees.

Cramer called Mod "a winner."

Lightning Round

In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP) , AMN Healthcareundefined , Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) , NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) , Broadcom (AVGO) , Randgold Resources (GOLD) and CSX (CSX) .

Cramer was bearish on Newmont Mining (NEM) and Trinity Industries (TRN) .

No Huddle Offense

In his "No Huddle Offense" segment, Cramer reminded viewers that accounting irregularities always equal sell... always. The smart thing is to always sell first, and ask questions later.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals is just the latest example of this golden Cramer rule. The company has seen shares fall from $263 to just $35.51 today as accounting probes continue.

Cramer said he's always been uncomfortable with the Valeant model of buying up drug companies and then slashing research and development while raising prices. As analysts have pointed out, it's hard for anyone to know what Valeant owns at this point, even with shares down at $33.

Do you homework, Cramer concluded. Always sell at the first hint of accounting troubles.

To watch replays of Cramer's video segments, visit the Mad Money page on CNBC.

To sign up for Jim Cramer's free Booyah! newsletter with all of his latest articles and videos please click here.

At the time of publication, Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS had no position in stocks mentioned.
General Mills (GIS) will report third-quarter fiscal 2016 earnings before the opening bell Wednesday. Investors who are looking for a solid growth candidate that also pays an above-average dividend yield can do well with General Mills.

Known for its Cheerios cereal, Yoplait yogurt and various ready-to-eat foods, the Minnesota-based company has seen its stock climb some 6% year-to-date and 18% over the past 12 months, against a year-to-date decline of 1% for the S&P 500undefined . Thanks to various cost-cutting initiatives, combined with strategic acquisitions to shore up its product portfolio, General Mills looks well-positioned to deliver earnings growth in the years ahead and sustain its current outperformance.

So while General Mills stock -- at a forward P/E of 21 -- doesn't scream bargain today compared with a 17 P/E for the S&P 500 index, General Mills also pays a 46-cent quarterly dividend that yields 3.04% annually, which is one full percentage point higher than the S&P 500. The company, thanks to its strong cash flow of almost $3 billion annually, has raised its dividend almost 60% in the past four years.

In my view, the safety General Mills' dividend creates, combined with the year-to-date returns the stock has already provided, trumps the implied lack of value of its P/E. And after Wednesday's results, these shares likely won't get cheaper.

For the quarter that ended in February, the company is expected to earn 62 cents per share on revenue of $4.09 billion, compared to the year-ago quarter when earnings were 70 cents on revenue of $4.35 billion. For the full fiscal year ending in May, earnings are projected to be a flat $2.86 per share, while revenue of $16.65 billion would mark a year-over-year decline of 5.6%.

In its second fiscal quarter, General Mills saw its sales decline 2% year-over-year, owing to the strong U.S. dollar that devalued its sales in overseas markets. Its international sales declined more than 12.4%. But the company still grew both its gross margin and operating profit rate by respective increases of 60 basis points and 100 basis points.

General Mills' efficiency improvements, including its cost-cutting efforts, have begun to bear fruit. Although its revenue may suffer, the company is finding ways to make money by offsetting weak revenue with strategic reductions. Given these factors, General Mills stock should be in your portfolio, especially when combined with its strong dividend.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
It's no secret that the energy sector has suffered over the past year. Monday proved no exception: Global oil prices fell by about 4% after a six-week rally.

However, on the same day, there also was a shred of good news for Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR) , a gigantic (and stressed-out) oil and gas company. Petrobas is Brazil's state-run oil and gas company. It has suffered as oil prices slumped. But the Brazilian newspaper Valor reported that the CEO of CNOOC, a Chinese energy firm, is interested in buying Petrobras' minority stake in the petrochemical company Braskem. That would give the company a cash infusion at a badly needed time.

But that doesn't foreshadow a comeback. Petrobas remains a bad investment. This stock is part of a group of distressed and "Stressed Out" stocks that TheStreet will be monitoring through these choppy markets.

There were two primary causes for Monday's energy slump. First of all, was the report of an inventory build-up of more than 585,000 barrels at the delivery hub for U.S. crude in Cushing, Okla. These mounting stockpiles have brought crude closer to capacity and have negated hopes of a major recovery anytime soon.

Secondly, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC) announced that global crude demand from its members will be less than the group had previously forecast for the year due to a supply glut among its competitors. OPEC's supply is expected to exceed demand by about 760,000 barrels per day, 40,000 barrels more than the previous projections.

Last Friday, U.S. crude reached a three-month high of $39.02 after hitting a 12-year low of $26.05 a month earlier. Now it's back down to around $37. The world simply has too much oil to promote higher prices right now.

Petrobas' stake consists of 36% of Braskem, and last week Reuters reported that Brookfield Asset Management, Saudi Arabian Oil (Saudi Aramco) and an "unnamed Chinese company" (presumably CNOOC) were reaching out with interest in buying the stake.

Details of an alleged deal have not yet been released, but Petrobras badly needs a deal like this to work out. It's been trying for nearly a year to sell its portion of Braskem. Petrobras is one of the world's most indebted companies. It owes a whopping $130 billion.

Last July, Petrobras embarked on a plan to sell as much as $15.1 billion in assets, including the Braskem stake, by the end of 2016 in a bid to shed some of its debt. The company is currently negotiating another deal, as well, with Pampa Energia, for its 67% stake in Petrobras Argentina. If completed, that deal could be worth as much as $1.2 billion.

However, Petrobras' debt is so massive it is unlikely the company will ever be able to pay it off without bankruptcy or serious restructuring. Its debt even outweighs that of beleaguered competitors such as Chesapeake Energy, with less than $12 billion.

Plus, Petrobras has been rocked by scandals and allegations of corruption. Its supply of investor goodwill is running low. Petrobas' daily losses are outpacing crude's 4% slip, too: Shares are down 5% to around $5.20.

Avoid Petrobas at all cost.

For more articles on distressed stocks to avoid, read Real Money's "Stressed Out" stocks coverage. You can find more information on the index here.

If you want to see a list of the absolute worst stocks you can own right now, take a look at this report called 29 Dangerous Stocks: Sell Now! Inside, you'll see a full list of the market's most overvalued stocks, and learn the process you can use to keep avoiding them in the future. Click here now for a copy.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
"Alex, I'll take Biotech Shocking Surprises for $400."

"This company is the first in 40 years to develop a drug which improves upon the standard of care for elderly patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia."

"Oof, Alex, this is a tough one. Okay, here goes... Who is Celator Pharmaceuticals (CPXX) ?"

"That's correct! Congratulations, you're our new Biotech Jeopardy Champion!"

That's pretty much how Monday night went for Celator, except, few people, if anyone, outside of Celator would have gotten the right answer. The company is tiny, almost unknown and its leukemia drug, Vyxeos, wasn't expected to demonstrate a significant survival benefit in a phase III study.

But Vyxeos did just that, and as a result, Celator's stock price nearly quintupled in value.

Based on the positive study results, Celator expects to seek regulatory approval for Vyxeos in the U.S. and Europe later this year.

Vyxeos is an optimized reformulation of the cytarabine/daunorubicin chemotherapy cocktail (known colloquially as 7+3 after its dosing regimen) used for decades as the standard of care in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, a cancer of the bone marrow which primarily affects older people.

Based on early clinical work, Celator believed Vyxeos was superior to the old cytarabine/daunorubicin, or 7+3, combination, so the company designed a straightforward phase III study to prove it. More than 300 elderly patients with secondary (high risk) AML were randomized equally to treatment with Vyxeos or the 7+3 regimen. The primary endpoint of the study was overall survival.

Celator was proven right. Treatment with Vyxeos reduced the risk of death by 31% compared to 7+3. The survival benefit favoring Vyxeos -- 3.6 months at the median -- was statistically significant, achieving the primary endpoint of the study.

There were no substantial differences in the rate of adverse events between the two arms of the study, Celator said. Within 60 days of beginning treatment, 14% of Vyxeos patients died compared to 21% of 7+3 patients.

"The overall survival advantage seen with CPX-351 [Vyxeos] compared to 7+3, along with a superior response rate and no increase in serious toxicity indicates that we'll likely have a new standard of care for treating older patients with secondary AML," said Dr. Jeffrey E. Lancet, a blood cancer specialist at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the principal investigator for the study, in a statement.

Celator believes it can achieve U.S. and European Vyxeos sales in the range of $200 million to $270 million based on the subset of AML patients enrolled in the phase III study. If use of Vyxeos is expanded into other AML patient populations, peak sales could reach $690 million to $780 million, the company estimates.

To hit those targets, Celator will need to convince insurance companies that a reformulation of two generic drugs justifies a higher, branded price. The significant survival benefit favoring Vyxeos, if it holds up, helps the company's argument.

Heading into Monday night's Vyxeos study announcement, Celator's market cap was under $60 million. (This also means Celator managed to become just the second biotech company to escape the Feuerstein-Ratain Rule.)

After dropping the Vyxeos news, Celator shares jumped 368% to $7.86 per share. At that price, the company's market cap increased to approximately $275 million.

Celator plans to sell Vyxeos in the U.S. and find a marketing partner to handle sales outside the country. The company had $24 million in cash at the end of the September 2015 quarter, enough to last into the second half of this year, according to the company's SEC filings. Celator will need more money to market Vyxeos, if the drug is approved, but whether that cash comes via dilutive stock sales or through proceeds from a marketing partnership remains to be seen.

Celator could also be an acquisition target. Japanese drug companies, in particular, have shown interest in the past in acquiring smaller blood-cancer drug companies. In 2014, Daiichi Sankyo bought Ambit BioSciences. In 2013, Otsuka acquired Astex Pharmaceuticals. The largest such deal goes back to 2008 when Takeda purchased Millennium Pharmaceuticals.

Celator developed Vyxeos with financial assistance from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If Vyxeos is FDA approved, it would mark the first time LLS's direct investment in a biotech company resulted in bringing a new drug to the market. As part of its deal with Celator, LLS is entitled to royalties on sales of Vyxeos.

"From the start, LLS recognized the potential of CPX-351 [Vyxeos], so we are very gratified with the results of this clinical trial, and we are hopeful that this positive news brings us a step closer to delivering better outcomes for patients with high-risk (secondary) AML," said LLS CEO Louis DeGennaro, in a statement.

Celator plans to present more detailed data from the Vyxeos AML study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in June.

Adam Feuerstein writes regularly for TheStreet. In keeping with company editorial policy, he doesn't own or short individual stocks, although he owns stock in TheStreet. He also doesn't invest in hedge funds or other private investment partnerships. Feuerstein appreciates your feedback; click here to send him an email.
The banking sector is wracked by upheaval, and mainstream banks no longer seem like safe havens. Aggressive lending practices coupled with the commodity crash led by oil prices have made the big banks risky propositions.

This is where two relatively unrecognized regional bank stocks could offer the ballast and strength you're looking for. They're among the most promising growth plays you can find in this tumultuous market.

1. KeyCorp (KEY)

First, some context. On average, analysts expectCitigroup's earnings per share to decline 5% this year from 2015. Analysts are also expectingMorgan Stanley to eke out EPS growth of only 1 cent, or 0.4% in 2016. Wells Fargo, which is often considered the best of the big banks, is expected to deliver EPS growth of 2.4%.

In this environment, Cleveland-based KeyCorp is expected to deliver EPS growth of nearly 9% in 2016 and then 20% in 2017. Investors should pay attention a company that's expected to turn in such strong results.

With assets of $96 billion and deposits of $71 billion, this regional bank serves individuals, small businesses and corporations. It offers community banking in 12 states and has corporate banking offices across the U.S.

KeyCorp stock pays a quarterly dividend, and management plans to raise it to 8.5 cents a share in the second quarter of this year from 7.5 cents. The current dividend yield is 2.7%.

KeyCorp should benefit from its planned acquisition of First Niagara Financial (FNFG) . KeyCorp says the deal will give the combined bank a leading presence in Upstate New York and will create the 13th largest commercial bank in the U.S. KeyCorp also says it will created cost savings of $400 million.

KeyCorp stock trades at only 0.89 of its book value, making the stock a value compared with banks such as U.S. Bancorp and Glacier Bancorp, which have price-to-book ratios of 1.74 and 1.82, respectively.

2. BankUnited (BKU)

BankUnited is a regional institution focused on Florida. It also has banking centers in the New York City area. The company rose out of the ashes of the financial crisis. In 2009 investors led by John A. Kanas purchased most of the old BankUnited after it had been seized by regulators. The new BankUnited says it is not looking at expanding into higher-risk businesses such as sub-prime lending, credit cards, HELOCs and student loans.

As of the end of last year, BankUnited had $23.9 billion of assets, $17.1 billion of loans and leases, and $16.9 billion of total deposits.

The company's balance sheet is well diversified, and BankUnited says its ratio of nonperforming assets , or NPA ratio, is lower than those of its peers (with assets in $10 billion-$50 billion range).

The stock's 2.4% dividend yield (with a low payout ratio and good record of dividend growth) is backed by revenue growth that's well above the industry average. According to Morningstar, BankUnited's average revenue growth over the past three years was 8.1%, compared with 4.0% for the industry. Another positive is that the bank is now free cash flow positive.

Currently, BankUnited has a price/earnings-to-growth ratio (or PEG ratio) of 1.20 based on expectations that its earnings will grow at an annual average of 13.2% over the next five years. That makes it look like a bargain compared with peers BB&T (1.91 PEG), SunTrust Banks (2.16 PEG) and Regions Financial (1.28 PEG).

There's a battle raging in the fast-moving world of Silicon Valley. Just as VHS tapes snuffed out Betamax and CDs killed cassettes, the winner of a new "gold standard" for data is about to be crowned. I've discovered a tiny company that figured out a way to corner this new $10 billion market, no matter who comes out the winner. Click here to learn more.

The author is an independent contractor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Hyderabad: Finance minister Etela Rajender departed from convention in the 2016-17 Budget that he presented in the TS Assembly on Monday, proposing planned expenditure higher than that of non-plan.

The Budget, with an outlay of Rs 1.30 lakh-crore, puts plan expenditure at Rs 67,630 crore and non-plan expenditure at Rs 62,785 crore, besides revenue surplus of Rs 3,718 crore and fiscal deficit of Rs 23,467 crore.

The states own revenue receipts were estimated at Rs 72,412 crore and transfer of funds from the Centre at Rs 28,512 crore.

Despite the revised estimates for last years Budget (2015-16) indicating an expenditure of Rs 1 lakh-crore of the total outlay of Rs 1.15 lakh crore, (nearly 86 per cent) the government opted for a jumbo Budget again this year.

Revenue surplus for last year was also revised to Rs 60.54 crore and fiscal deficit at Rs 912 crore.

Anticipating the Centre would relax FRBM norms for TS, being a revenue-surplus state to secure more loans (up to 3.5 per cent of the states GDP) against the mandated 3 per cent, the Budget estimated the fiscal deficit at Rs 23,467 crore, which is 3.5 per cent of the GSDP.

The irrigation sector got a major chunk of funds with an unprecedented allotment of over Rs 25,000 crore in line with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos plans of taking up new irrigation projects and redesigning the existing projects on a war footing.

Next on the list were the Panchayat Raj and rural development, medical and health and welfare departments.

Interestingly, the portfolios being held by CMs son K.T. Rama Rao and his nephew T. Harish Rao got a lions share in the Budget.

While the outlay was higher compared to last years Rs 1.15 lakh-crore, it is lesser that APs Budgets outlay of Rs 1.35 lakh-crore.

This is an unprecedented Budget in the country as the planned expenditure is higher than non-plan. This has been done without compromising on non-plan commitments by a combination of rationalisation of expenditure and resource augmentation. Last year, we fell short of Budget expenditure by 14 per cent due to less than expected funds received from Centre and through sale of lands due to court cases, Mr Rajender said.

Stating that the GSDP has been improved significantly after the formation of TS despite two consecutive droughts, he said GSDP was estimated to grow by 11.7 per cent in 2015-16, which is higher than the national average of 8.6 per cent.

Mr Rajender said the per capital income of the state at current prices has increased by 10.7 per cent to Rs 1.43 lakh, which is much higher than the national average of Rs 93,231.

Tax defaulters on radar

Finance minister Etela Rajender said that the TS government would do everything possible to mop up financial resources to fund its welfare and developmental programmes, including taking action against tax defaulters.

Mr Rajender, who presented the highest-ever Rs 1.30 lakh-crore Budget on Monday, said that the TS government would also take steps to recover Rs 4,000 crore in commercial tax and other tax disputes.

We are focussed on how to raise resources. Besides market borrowings, we will mobilise funds within the state for our projects by plugging loopholes, settle tax disputes and expand the tax net. We have a very bright future, he said.

Mr Rajender said that the pending LRS and BRS scheme would also fetch revenues, adding Stamps and Registration revenues and commercial taxes have shown a phenomenal increase in tax revenues.

Our top priority is welfare, agriculture, private industry, IT, employment, health and power. We have also cut certain outdated schemes and identical schemes and pruned it to 460 from 840. We did not kill the spirit, he said.

Mr Rajender was interacting with the media after calling on the Chief Minister. He narrated the sequence of events that led to formation of the state, doubts raised by some that T-people cannot manage the state, launch of various successful schemes and programmes and turning TS into a cash-rich state.

Our biggest achievement is that we buried all such doubts and provided a strong, vibrant and stable government under strong leadership. GSDP growth of 17.7 per cent is highest in the country as against national average of 8.6 per cent. You will see accelerated development in 2016-2017. Hyderabad is the safest city, he said.
It's not uncommon for the market to be volatile in the first few months of an election year and then rebound once the candidates are chosen. In fact, it's pretty normal, said K.C. Mathews, chief investment officer of UMB Bank.

"As the field thins, and you understand who the nominees will be around mid-summer, then the market behaves much better and you start to see a robust market in the second half of the year," said Mathews.

With numerous candidates still in the running, uncertainty stays high, according to Mathews. And as investors are constantly reminded, the market hates uncertainty.

Mathews said the bottom of the market traditionally corresponds with determining a clear winner. He anticipates the stock market will ease back into place for good in the fall.

As for the political rhetoric targeting certain sectors of the stock market, Mathews said investors should pay more attention to the candidate that is spouting it. For example, pharmaceutical stocks and biotech stocks sold off when Secretary Hillary Clinton announced her war against high drug prices and promoted prescription drug imports from Canada.

Still, he said sharp market moves based on a candidate's stump speech or any political agenda have no lasting predictive quality. For example, when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, the S&P Health Care Index (XHS) was up a mere 0.7%, managed care increased 8.3% and the S&P 500 (SPY) was up 12.8%. Opposition remained fierce to Obamacare, but the market reaction proved temporary. Over the next months in 2011, the S&P Health Care Index was up 10%, managed care increased 32.9% and the S&P was up only 2.1%.

Which party is best for stock market returns -- Democratic or Republican? Going back to 1900, Mathews said a Democrat in the White House produced an average return of 7.9% while a Republican in the Oval Office produced an average return of 3%.

But the data can be deceiving, Mathews said. It matters which party controls Congress as well. Furthermore, he said the Great Depression of 1929 and the Great Recession in 2008 skew the numbers, despite the fact that both began with a Republican president and ended with a Democrat.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN) stock is spiking 9.37% to $82.51 on heavy trading volume this afternoon after a blog post on the Betaville website prompted takeover speculation, according to Bloomberg.

Competitors Nestle (NSRGY) and Danone (DANOY) are reportedly interested in a possible takeover.

Mead Johnson is working with bankers from Lazard on a potential deal, sources told Betaville.

"As a matter of policy, we do not comment on marketplace speculation or rumor," a Mead Johnson spokesman told Bloomberg in an e-mailed statement.

Mead Johnson is a global pediatric nutrition company based in Glenview, Ill.

About 7.25 million shares of Mead Johnson Nutrition have been traded so far today, well above the company's average trading volume of roughly 2.19 million shares per day.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "hold" with a ratings score of C.

Mead Johnson's strengths such as its expanding profit margins and good cash flow from operations are countered by weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, deteriorating net income and feeble growth in the company's earnings per share.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: MJN

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 article's author.
Earlier this week, Chinese insurer Anbang Insurance Group Co. made a proposal to acquire Starwood Hotels (HOT) for a cool $12.8 billion.

It's not clear whether or not the deal will go through, especially considering Marriott International's (MAR) bid to acquire Starwood for $12.2 billion was about to be closed.

But either way, Anbang's bid raises an interesting question: what does it see in the hotel industry? With the rising popularity of Airbnb, shouldn't Anbang be concerned about getting into hotels?

Starwood isn't the insurance firm's first foray into hospitality. Just days before the Starwood proposal, Anbang agreed to buy luxury hotel operatorStrategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. for $6.5 billion. And in 2014 the firm bought the Waldorf Astoria hotel for almost $2 billion.

But with all of these purchases, shouldn't Anbang be concerned about Airbnb?

With more than 2 million listings in more than 190 countries now, and having served more than 60 million guests, Airbnb, which is valued at $25.5 billion, is a serious threat to the hotel industry.

According to a report from Boston University, in Austin, Texas, which is home to the largest supply of Airbnb rentals in the country, each 10% increase in Airbnb supply results in a 0.35% decrease in hotel room revenue, with overall hotel revenues there falling by 8% to 10% over the last few years because of Airbnb.

The report's authors -- Georgios Zervas, Davide Proserpio and John W. Byers -- found that lower-priced hotels and hotels that don't cater to business travel are the most affected by Airbnb. As a result of these impacts, the researchers found, hotels are reducing prices in an effort to stay competitive.

"Our work provides empirical evidence that the sharing economy is making inroads by successfully competing with, and acquiring market share from, incumbent firms," the report reads.

The report is bolstered Wall Street estimates for Airbnb's market share.

"We estimate they have low-single digit share of industry room nights," Morningstar analyst Dan Wasiolek said. "We and many others believe that Airbnb has both expanded the market and is taking some share from hotels (mainly lower-priced hotels)."

Nonetheless, hotel executives don't seem to be all that worried by these inroads, given who seems to be losing the most business to Airbnb.

On "CBS This Morning" last year, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson dismissed Airbnb as an "interesting experiment" and didn't seem to be threatened by it.

Sorenson and Anbang aren't necessarily being overly confident here.

"Airbnb will continue to be a competitive threat, but the other side of things is that traditional hotels offer amenities and services that Airbnb listings typically don't," Wasiolek said. "Anbang made the proposal because on a per-key basis, the offer appears attractive for them, and as the Chinese economy slows, investors there are looking for places to earn return on their investment."
TheStreet'sAction Alerts PLUS Portfolio Manager Jim Cramer awaits quarterly results from FedEx (FDX) , released after the markets close on Wednesday.

Analysts expect the Memphis, Tenn.-based company to report fiscal 2016 third quarter earnings per share of $2.35 on sales of $12.4 billion. During the same quarter last year, the shipping giant posted net income of $2.03 per share on revenue of $11.7 billion.

"I worry about FedEx," Cramer said, referring to news reports of Amazon (AMZN) competing with FedEx. "I have no edge -- I wouldn't trade it."

Last week, Seattle-based Amazon unveiled plans to launch its own air cargo platform. The company is set to lease 20 Boeing (BA) 767 freight jetliners for five to seven years from Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) .

"We offer earth's largest selection, great prices and ultra-fast delivery promises to a growing group of Prime members and we're excited to supplement our existing delivery network with a great new provider, ATSG, by adding 20 planes to ensure air cargo capacity to support one and two-day delivery for customers," said Dave Clark, Amazon senior vice president of worldwide operations and customer service, in a statement on March 9.

During FedEx's most recent earnings report for the quarter ending on Nov. 30, 2015, the company reiterated its fiscal 2016 earnings guidance between $10.40 and $10.90 a share. Revenue of $12.5 billion eclipsed the $12.43 billion analysts were looking for.

Shares of FedEx have slumped 4.2% since the start of the year. The broad S&P 500 has lost 1.6% during the same time.

FedEx stock is up 15.9% since its 2016 low on Jan. 20, when its shares dipped to $123.18.

Over the past 12 months, the stock has dropped by 18.5%.
News that the Obama administration isn't going ahead with a planned sale of oil and gas leases off the Atlantic coast cheered some coastal residents and environmentalists but sent oil and gas industry officials into apoplexy.

"This plan will make our nation less competitive, limit our geopolitical advantages abroad and force us to be more reliant on foreign sources of oil from volatile regions of the world," said Barry Russell, president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, in a statement.

That kind of invective may seem overheated not long after oil and gas prices were scraping the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss. But following by just a few months the administration's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the cancellation of the lease sale feels like another slap at the industry as Obama heads out the door. And, as a practical matter, prices are now climbing out of the depths, so closing off avenues of exploration could lead to even higher gasoline prices and greater domestic scarcity in the not-so-distant future.

American Petroleum Institute president and CEO Jack Gerard said in a statement that the decision "appeases extremists" who seek to stop oil and natural gas production that will increase the cost of energy for American consumers and close the door for years to creating new jobs, new investments and boosting energy security. "This is not how you harness America's economic and diplomatic potential," he said.

The industry does create a lot of U.S. jobs -- 9.8 million, by API's count -- and supports 8% of the U.S. economy. But in reality, the southeastern U.S. - specifically the area under discussion between Virginia and Georgia -- isn't exactly overflowing with oil and gas reserves.

According to the Interior Department, there are 3.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil off the Atlantic Coast and 31.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. While those estimates might sound like a lot (and many think those figures are low, as they're based on surveys from the 1970s and 1980s), they're small when compared with the Arctic, which is believed to contain 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Still, the move is considered a major policy reversal by the Obama administration, which hasn't been the oil and gas industry's BFF (remember the $10 oil tax proposed last month?). Interior Secretary Sally Jewell tried to explain the decision in her own statement. "We heard from many corners that now is not the time to offer oil and gas leasing off the Atlantic coast," she said. "When you factor in conflicts with national defense, economic activities such as fishing and tourism and opposition from many local communities, it simply doesn't make sense to move forward with any lease sales in the coming five years."

The move shouldn't come as much of a surprise after the government cancelled lease sales in the Arctic in October -- a few weeks after Royal Dutch Shell plc announced it was shutting down its Alaska operations due to poor results, high costs and a "challenging and unpredictable" regulatory environment. That move led the company to book a $2.6 billion charge against earnings in the third quarter.

Shell criticized the cancellation of the Atlantic coast lease sale on Tuesday, with spokesman Curtis Smith calling it "short sighted" and "dismissive" of the "safe, responsible" offshore exploration that has provided jobs, revenue and energy security for the U.S. for more than 50 years. "Not only does it jeopardize the abundance of affordable domestic energy the economy has become dependent on, it deprives the majority of coastal state residents -- most of whom favor offshore development - the opportunity to realize the economic benefits associated with offshore oil and gas activity," he said.

The government is still considering the sale of drilling rights in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea and Alaska's Cook Inlet, along with 10 auctions in the Gulf of Mexico. Those would probably be of more interest to an oil and gas company like Shell, but in the case of the Arctic, it's already left town.
Chennai: "Inadequate response of the Union Government on incidents of apprehension and detention of our fishermen has emboldened Sri Lankan Navy to harass Tamil Nadu fishermen while exercising their livelihood rights to fish in their traditional waters of the Palk Bay", Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said on Monday.

In a letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, she said "In the early hours of March 13, 2016, five fishermen, who ventured into the sea for fishing from Rameswaram fishing base of Ramanathapuram district on a mechanised boat were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, and taken to Kankesanthurai, Sri Lanka. In another incident, 23 fishermen, who went for fishing from Pamban fishing base of Ramanathapuram district have been apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy in the late hours of March 12, 2016, and taken to Thalaimannar, Sri Lanka.

"I have been writing repeatedly seeking strong diplomatic action to ensure that such incidents do not occur and to secure the immediate release of our fishermen and their boats in Sri Lankan custody", she pointed out. Stating that a total of 82 fishing boats remained in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities suffering neglect and damage, she reiterated that "the fishing boats and gear should be restored in a refurbished condition to the fishermen at the earliest".

Fishermen's right to livelihood of fishing in their traditional waters in Palk Bay, which they have enjoyed from time immemorial, has been infringed upon repeatedly by Sri Lanka. A permanent solution to this problem would be only by restoring India's sovereignty over Katchatheevu thereby securing the rights to fish in their traditional waters.

The position of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) has been a matter of sub judice as the constitutional validity of Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976 has been challenged in Supreme Court. Hoping that the Centre would make a decisive shift in its stance towards handling the issue under the leadership of Modi, she said the Union Government should now find a lasting and permanent solution, which also carries grave security implications for our state. She asked Modi to direct the officials concerned in the External Affairs ministry to take concrete action through diplomatic channels to secure the release of 96 fishermen and 82 fishing boats immediately.
In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, Interior Sally Jewell testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. In a major reversal, the Obama administration says it will not allow oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter, declaring that the administration's next five-year offshore drilling plan "protects the Atlantic for future generations." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Rejecting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion for infusing patriotism, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has said he will not chant Bharat Mata ki Jai even if a knife is put to his throat, prompting Shiv Sena to tell him on Monday he should go to Pakistan.

Owaisi's assertion days after Bhagwat said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India drew sharp condemnation from RSS, BJP and Shiv Sena while he stood by his statement made at a public rally.

"I don't chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab," the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad said at the rally in Udgir tehsil of Latur district in Maharashtra yesterday.

"I won't utter that (slogan) even if you put a knife to my throat," Owaisi said, amid loud applause from the crowd.

"Nowhere in the Constitution it says that one should say: Bharat Mata ki Jai," he said.

On March 3, Bhagwat had said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India, comments which came against the backdrop of the row over alleged anti-India sloganeering on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

"Now the time has come when we have to tell the new generation to chant Bharat Mata ki Jai (hail mother India). It should be real, spontaneous and part of all-round development of the youth," the RSS chief had said.

Asked by reporters to comment on the condemnation of his statement, Owaisi said he stood by it, asserting there is no violation of any law or Constitution in what he said.

"Who is he (Bhagwat) trying to frighten? He can't force his ideology on others," he said.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and minister Ramdas Kadam said Owaisi should go to Pakistan if he doesn't want to say Bharat Mata ki Jai.

"I have asked Maharashtra government to take action against him," Kadam said.

BJP leader and Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the local administration will examine Owaisi's statement and the government will then take appropriate action.

Ratan Sharda, author and RSS ideologue, accused Owaisi of playing politics on national feelings and asked, "If you say I love my mother then what is the problem."

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh also accused Owaisi of trying to provoke nationalist sentiments, describing his statement as "highly condemnable".

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said statements like that made by Owaisi should be "completely avoided".

Interestingly, Samajwadi Party MLA in Mumbai Abu Azmi said Owaisi should say 'Bharat Mata ki jai', but added that "parties like BJP and Shiv Sena are indulging in politics over the issue".
The DMK chief said that the Centre should make genuine efforts and intervenes in the issue immediately. (Photo: PTI)

Chennai: DMK on Tuesday criticised the Jayalalitha government, alleging that it was not exerting pressure on the Centre to find a proper solution to the issue of fishermen's arrest.

"When compared to India, Sri Lanka is a small country. Should not the big country India put an end to the atrocities of the Sri Lankan navy. Where there is a will, there is a way," DMK President M Karunanidhi said.

Hitting out at Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for taking up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through letters, he asked if that was enough and whether such an approach had redressed the problems of fishermen.

"Should not the Chief Minister or senior ministers or the minister concerned take up the matter in Delhi (with the Centre)," he asked in a statement.

Karunanidhi said that AIADMK had 37 Lok Sabha MPs, its help was "required" by the BJP government (in Parliament) and AIADMK could have "exerted pressure" on the Centre for fishermen's welfare.

"How much the AIADMK government is protecting fishermen through letters," he said.

Citing the latest incident of the arrest of 28 fishermen, the DMK chief said that the Centre should make genuine efforts and intervenes in the issue immediately.
Nachaliel Jacobs had a dream. Although he is a rather typical 12 year old yeshiva boy in New York, he wanted his upcoming Bar Mitzvah party to be as atypical as can be.

He decided to forgo the usual Bar Mitzva celebrations, gift getting and inviting of classmates and instead create something amazing. He decided to create a movement.

Nachaliels amazing hypersensitivity to others shocked his family and friends.

He single handedly decided launch the initial funding for, and fundraise for children, who are complete strangers.

His dream? To perform the ultimate expression of a Bar Mitzva  dancing and singing with children his own age, who have cancer, and to put a smile on their faces. For a few short hours, Nachaliel wants to show them a world of laughter, joy and giggling.

Something that many of them havent seen for months or years.

His research discovered Zichron Menachem, an organization that raises money and provides treatment, hope and smiles for children with cancer.

Nachaliels parents set out to make his wish a reality. They contacted Zichron Menachem and began to organize a Purim carnival party at Zichron Menachems treatment center in Jerusalem, inviting over 300 cancer children and their families to participate in a Purim event that Zichron Menachem did not have the funding for.

Nachaliel cherished every dollar he worked for in his short 12 years of wealth accumulation. At a young age, he bought live chickens, built a chicken coop in his backyard, cleaned and sold the eggs, then sold the chickens. He saved every quarter or dollar from any loving grandparent or parent. He has now committed every penny of his savings to this event with a warm smile and generous heart. Raising the bar even higher, he started the fundraising campaign. $18,000 would be needed to pay for the food, jugglers, music, face painters, clowns, contests, prizes, trips, magicians, activity booths, games, shows and Shaloch Manos gift bags for the kids. Nachaliel committed to Zichron Menachem to raise the needed funds. So far, his perseverance has raised over $7,000, but his work isnt complete. Your help is needed.

By donating today, you can be a partner in something unique. Something amazing.

Donate now by clicking HERE, and show Nachaliel that everybody can make a difference, no matter how young or old they are and that age doesnt really matter at all.

Visit Charidy.com/300smiles
YWN regrets to inform you that the man killed in this mornings crane collapse in Lower Manhattan is an Orthodox Jewish man.

Sources confirm to YWN that the man has been identified as David Wichs, 38-years-old. He lived on West 81st Street in the Upper West Side, and reportedly Davens at Rabbi Looksteins Shul.

He is he son of Dr. Thomas and Dr. Adela Wichs of Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Misaskim Volunteers are currently working with the NYC Medical Examiner to ensure proper Kavod HaNiftar is given. The Niftar is expected to be released before Shabbos. Additionally, Misaskim volunteers are on the scene at the collapse.

Lisa Guttman told The Associated Press on Friday her brother-in-law David Wichs was the most brilliant person ever. She says Wichs was born in Prague, immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager and took every opportunity he could, graduating with a degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

David was killed in Lower Manhattan while sitting in his car when a giant crane collapsed as workers were lowering it amid a snow squall. Wichs worked at the New York-based computerized financial trading firm Tower Research Capital.

Additional information will be published shortly.

Boruch Dayan HaEmmes

(Dov Gordon  YWN)
Jordan Valley Regional Council head David Elchiani feels produce grown in Jordan Valley communities should be labeled made in Israel but as the European community continues its boycott policies against liberate areas, the EU is not in agreement.

German Ambassador to Israel Clemens von Goetze insists the Jordan Valley is part of the occupied territories as are all of Yehuda and Shomron as well as the Golan Heights and areas of the capital. She does not feel produce from those communities can bear a made in Israel marking.

The ambassador insists her country is simply acting in line with the EU decision vis-a-vis product labeling and this includes are areas that are viewed by the international community as occupied territories. Ambassador Von Goetze explains Berlin is opposed to any boycott against Israel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
A Surviving Spouses Right to the Modern Elective Share

Sarah, a 73 year old lady was disinherited when her husband Abraham died after being married to Sarah for 10 years. The marriage was a second marriage for both of them. Everything in Abrahams last will & testament went to Abrahams family from his previous marriage, and Sarah was left with nothing. Does Sarah have any rights to her decedent spouses assets? How can Sarah protect herself?

The short answer is that most states have legislation in place so a legally married spouse cannot be completely disinherited (intentionally or unintentionally), but the surviving spouse must take timely action to claim this right. Estate Planning laws vary from state to state and are complex. This articles goal is to try and keep things simple and give the highlights so you know enough to ask questions and talk to an Estate Planning attorney for the specific options and details.

Under New York law, a surviving spouse is entitled to collect certain assets, even if the will leaves nothing to the surviving spouse. Among other smaller assets, New York State gives the surviving spouse the right to take the greater of 1/3 or $50,000 from the decedents spouse net estate. The law goes so far to even allow the surviving spouse to access their entitled elective share even when the decedent spouse used techniques to avoid probate and removed assets out of his/her estate via other manners called testamentary substitutes.

Keep in mind that even if the decedent spouse did not leave a will, although the decedent spouses assets pass under the states intestacy laws (laws put in place for when someone passes away without having written a will), the surviving spouses right of election still exists. If the spouses right of election would result in a greater inheritance than intestacy, the surviving spouse has the right to exercise it.

The surviving spouse has a choice of (i) accepting the provisions of the deceased spouses will (meaning  having been disinherited and not contesting this fact), or (ii) elect to receive their modern elective share and go against the will. If a decedent spouse left nothing to the surviving spouse and the surviving spouse would like to contest the will, the surviving spouse will need to elect their right to the modern elective share by exercising/filing the proper paper work within six months of the Surrogates Court issuing letters testamentary (if there was a will) or letters of administration (if there was no will). If letters were not issued by the Surrogates Court, the surviving spouse has two years after decedent spouses death to make the election. If the right of election is allowed, a court can claw-back bequests left to other beneficiaries to satisfy the surviving spouses interest.

Certain situations and circumstance would disallow the surviving spouse from electing their right for their modern elective share. For example, if the surviving spouse is considered to haveabandoned the predeceased spouse, the surviving spouse would be disqualified from making the election. In addition, a surviving spouses right to the modern elective share can be disallowed with a pre-existing written agreement between the spouses which waives this right. Examples of such agreements are a pre-nuptial, post nuptial or separation agreement. In order for such types of agreements to be effective, the waiver of the spouses right to the modern elective share must be fully understood and agreed to by the waiving party. May we all merit living long, healthy and happy lives  amen.

The attorneys at Yedid & Zeitoune have a combined 20 years of legal experience and are ready to assist you with all your legal needs.

Isaac Yedid, Esq. & Raymond Zeitoune, Esq.

Yedid & Zeitoune, PLLC

1172 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11230

Phone: (347) 461-9800 Fax: (718) 421-1695 Email:

NYC Office  By Appointment Only:

152 Madison Avenue, Suite 1105 New York, New York 10016
The tumultuous presidential primary season barreled toward a potentially decisive day for both Republicans and Democrats, with enough delegates up for grabs Tuesday to turn Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton from front-runners to likely nominees.

The biggest prizes are Florida and Ohio, states with a long history of making or breaking White House aspirations. Missouri, Illinois, and North Carolina also offer a crucial cache of delegates that could help Trump and Clinton pull further away from their rivals.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio hoped the two big states would give them a boost instead. Kasich seemed to have a better chance at that than Rubio.

The contests come at a remarkable moment in the presidential race for Republicans. Animosity toward Trump has risen to the point where he can rarely get through an event without being interrupted by protesters. The front-runner is also under scrutiny for appearing to encourage his supporters to physically confront those protesters, deepening divisions within the Republican Party.

In a lightly veiled jab at Trump, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said candidates need to take responsibility for the environment at their events.

There is never an excuse for condoning violence, or even a culture that presupposes it, Ryan told WRJN, a radio station in Racine, Wisconsin.

Even with the new controversy, Trump holds a comfortable lead in the GOP delegate count and could put himself well on his way to the nomination if he sweeps Tuesdays contests. Hes displayed an unmatched ability to tap into voter frustration with Washington and an economy that many feel is leaving them behind.

But he still has obstacles.

Heading into Tuesday, the billionaire businessman is locked in a tight contest in Ohio with Kasich, the states governor. Seeking a final boost in his home state, Kasich spent Monday campaigning alongside Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee and a fierce critic of Trump.

This is the guy Ohio has to vote for, and Americas counting on you, Romney told the crowd at a Kasich event in North Canton. While Romney has not endorsed Kasich, hes said hell do whatever is needed to help all of Trumps rivals.

Florida Sen. Rubio also hopes to block Trump in a do-or-die primary in his home state, though polling suggests hes slipping further behind. The senator tried to stay upbeat Monday, perhaps his final full day of campaigning in the 2016 race.

Tomorrows the day where we are going to shock the country, Rubio said during a stop in Jacksonville.

If Trump sweeps Tuesdays contests, hed still have to keep winning in order to clinch the nomination. But he would cross an important threshold by collecting more than 50 percent of the delegates awarded so far.

Trumps closest competition has come from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has defeated the businessman in seven states. Hes also the only remaining GOP candidate who still says unequivocally that he would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.

Asked what could cause him to change his mind, Cruz said, If, for example, he would go out on 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, I would not support him.

His comment was a reference to a previous statement by Trump that he could shoot someone on the famous Manhattan street and not lose support.

Among Democrats, Clinton has been itching to look ahead to the general election but continues to face persistent competition from Bernie Sanders. While Clinton maintains a commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders breathed new life into his campaign with a surprising victory last week in Michigan.

Reprising a theme that helped propel that Michigan win, Sanders on Monday pounded Clintons past support for trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. Hes escalated his criticism in recent days, hoping to undercut her edge among minorities and expand his advantage with white working-class voters.

When it came down whether you stand with corporate America, the people who wrote these agreements, or whether you stand with the working people of this country, I proudly stood with the workers, Sanders said in Youngstown, Ohio. Secretary Clinton stood with the big money interests.

Clintons team is attempting to tamp down expectations for Tuesday night, stressing that the race remains close in the Midwest, despite public polling showing her with a sizable lead. Still, she urged Democrats to unify behind her bid so they can begin focusing on Trump.

We have the way forward to be able to start talking about not only unifying the Democratic party but unifying our country, she said during a stop in Chicago.

The campaign next shifts to the West, where Sanders advisers have suggested he could rattle off a win streak and enter April with the chance to put a dent in Clintons delegate lead.

(AP)
GOP presidential candidate US Senator Marco Rubio gave his first interview to a national Jewish magazine to Aryeh Werth, Senior Correspondent of Mishpacha Magazine. Excerpts are in the current issue, however the full interview transcript is printed here for YWN readers, courtesy of Mishpacha.

Facing the most pivotal battle of his career, Marco Rubio, Floridas US Senator and Republican presidential candidate, talked candidly about the make-or-break primary in his home state, the war with Trump, how faith in God guides him, and even his favorite parsha in the Torah.

KEY ISSUES

ARYEH WERTH: I want to start by asking you a question on the minds of many in our Jewish audience. Theyre concerned about what I call the three pillar issues in international security: Iran, ISIS, and Israel. You and Senator Cruz hold very similar positions on these issues, so how can Jewish voters distinguish you from Senator Cruz?

MARCO RUBIO: Well, these core issues arent just talking points and Im not claiming that they are to other candidates either. But there are also intricacies and details involved in it and no one running for president has more experience on those issues or a more clear track record than I do. Ive already said repeatedly that I would cancel the deal with Iran on my first day in office. I think thats true of everyone running for president except for maybe one candidate. Im not sure what Mr. Trump said about it. I think he said he wouldnt cancel it right away either, but youll have to clarify that.

And whats the difference in your strategy for fighting ISIS?

Its a complicated issue. Its not just about carpet-bombing them as Senator Cruz and others have said. ISIS needed to be defeated on the ground. Theyre an armed insurgency, they control territory in Iraq and Syria and now increasingly in Libya. You cant defeat a ground army simply from the air, especially with an air campaign in civilian areas that they control. There is going to have to be an Arab Sunni coalition thats going to go in and capture these, liberate these Sunni areas. Sunni areas cannot be liberated by Shia, that means Iran is now in charge. They cant be liberated by Kurds, who dont have the interest or quite frankly the ability, to hold Sunni areas. It has to be Sunnis themselves that reject them ideologically and defeat them militarily. And that will require strong presidential leadership to bring together a coalition with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Gulf kingdoms, also local tribes in Syria in Iraq and now increasingly you have to work with those on the ground in Libya as well. Hopefully a transitional stable government can form there. It would help in that effort.

In your approach to Israel security, whats unique?

Israel only asks two things of the United States. Number one that we use our influence both at the UN and beyond to stop these efforts to delegitimize Israel which I have repeatedly said we will do and I continue to speak out against. In fact, I think Im the only candidate thats been willing to say that all this anti Israel stuff and all this divestment stuff is all really the new face of anti-Semitism in the 21st century hidden behind an anti Israel agenda. And the other thing they ask is that if theyre attacked and they run out of weapons or bullets or rockets, that we resupply them. Thats been in doubt as well especially since the attacks a year and a half agoWe will resupply them quickly to defend themselves.

As a Senator, what did you do specifically to help Israel defend itself?

Unlike some of my opponents, Ive always voted for the National Defense Authorization Act because it contains the authorization for funding the Iron Dome which is a critical component of Israels defense. Id also say one more thing, I passed a law earlier this year and the President signed it, increasing sanctions on Hezbollah. So I have a proven track record of doing things that are meaningful when it comes to Israel. And when I was speaker of the [Florida] House [of Representatives], we were the first state in the country to divest our pension plans from any companies that were doing business with Iran.

One aspect of dealing with ISIS thats not being discussed in the campaign is the difference between radical Islam and terrorism. Radical Islam just as an ideology is dangerous because it plants seeds for terrorist violence. Experts say radical Islamists also pose a non-violent threat called civilization jihad  using stealthy strategies to slowly replace the democratic culture of western countries with their extremist version of Islam. So what would you do to curtail radical Islam as an ideology? Its a trickier national security threat.

Ultimately, I think the key is our nation is a nation founded and shaped by Judeo-Christian values. And our Constitution protects our right to live out those teachings in every aspect of our life. So I think thats why its so important to adhere to the Constitution so that our faith communities continue to be strong and its influence over our society, over our families, over ourselves, we want to continue to ensure that happens. And I think if we do that the rest will be taken care of. But were not going to allow political correctness and some of these other agendas to work their way in in a way that it actually discriminates against our Judeo-Christian values  meanwhile creating fertile territory for some of these other things that youve talked about.

Youre one of the few presidential candidates this year to talk about family values. Its hasnt become part of the campaign conversation even though many people are concerned about whats happening with social issues. How could the presidency be used to restore values?

You can use the presidency just like we use it now to tell people not to smoke because it causes cancer and not to overeat because it causes obesity. I think you can use the platform of the presidency to talk about how strong families and strong marriages are good for America, to remind people that you cant have a strong country without strong people, or strong people without strong values. And no one is born with strong values. They have to be taught to you from strong families.

The presidential soapbox can be powerful, but what can be done on a policy level to strengthen family life?

You can ensure we dont have any anti-family policies. We have a tax code that discourages marriage. I support school choice. Parents should be able to send their children to the school of their choice. But ultimately, the responsibility of instilling strong values belongs in the family and the community. We have to make sure government doesnt stand in the way of that, and then we as a people have to take responsibility for it.

WAR WITH TRUMP

On the campaign trail, you made a marked shift from a diplomatic approach to becoming very aggressive against Donald Trump. Do you feel any tension between launching those verbal attacks and your faith, which you have said is the strongest influence in your life?

There is this term righteous indignation. Being faithful doesnt mean you stand by when somethings untrue and watch it pervade and watch it prevail. We have a responsibility not just to tell the truth but to confront whats not true with facts. My faith teaches that as well. I think Donald Trump is the most vulgar person thats ever run for president. Hes said some horrifying things about virtually everyone. He sets a terrible example for young people in this country and children. But beyond that, its my role to say that who he says he is, and who he truly is, are not the same thing. The personality that hes portraying is not the same as what were going to get if hes the president, and he has a long business record that proves it. So it is important to point to the truth and shine a light on that. My core message remains the same. My core message is not simply to vote against anyone else. My core message is to vote for me. Because I believe this country has a chance to be better than its ever been if we do what needs to be done.

In a recent debate, you announced you would support Trump if he becomes the partys nominee. How can you do that if you believe hes really a dangerous con artist?

Its just a testament to how bad I think Hillary Clinton is. Your question is a very difficult one. Its a situation I want to avoid. Im just one vote. There are millions of people in the country who are going to face this same dilemma, and many of them are not going to make the same choice Ive announced. And that means the Republicans will lose this election and Hillary Clinton will be elected. If Donald Trump is our nominee, we are going to lose, because there are millions of Republicans and conservatives who will not vote for him. They will just simply stay home, and we will lose if that happens.

In spite of what you call vulgarity, Trump leads you by double digits in your home state of Florida. How did the GOP allow him to gain so much momentum?

First, I dont agree hes up by double digits. Thats just one poll, but I will tell you how its happened. Its very simple. The media has given him ten times more attention than every other Republican candidate combined. They claim they dont like dirtiness and vulgarity, but every time he says something vulgar, they give him an incredible amount of media attention. He basically dominates every news cycle because the media loves it. Its good for ratings. The head of CBS said it two days ago: Donald Trump may not be good for America, but hes certainly good for CBS. The media has built him up, and they will tear him down if hes the nominee.

CAMPAIGN VIABILITY

The viability of your campaign hinges on you winning the Florida primary. In the event that you dont win, what are your plans for your campaign?

I dont deal with hypotheticals other than to tell you were going to win Florida. Weve never based our campaign on any state. Florida is important for everyone in this race, not just for me. It has the single largest chunk of delegates being awarded by any state. It has always had a huge role to play in the primary cycle. And it will so again now. We feel great. We have the best team on the ground, the best campaign, the best message, and I feel good about it. Ultimately well see how it turns out. I feel very positive about it.

Political observers say if you cant win Florida, you shouldnt stay in the race. If you do, youll just be splitting Trumps opposition and helping him rack up delegates.

Political observers have been wrong about everything in this election cycle. Conventional wisdom has been proven wrong on a daily basis in this campaign. Im running for president. Im not running to be a political analyst. Im focused on my message and my campaign and I feel very positive about it.

FAITH

If you dont win the nomination, how will you reconcile that with your faith? Will you view it as Divine Providence?

I believe God has a plan for all of us. He has a plan for our life, and its a good plan. Its the best plan for us. It may not be our plan, but its the right plan, and thats been proven to me time and again. I just go out and do my best and cooperate with His Will, and His Will will be done. And if it is that I be president, I will serve faithfully and thankfully, and if its something different, I will embrace it faithfully and thankfully as His Will. He knows whats best for me.

Theres a lot of pressure on you. How does tapping into your faith help you get through this challenging period and understand the weight of whats on your shoulders?

My faith is the single biggest influence on my life. I tap into it before the campaign and afterward. Its the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to bed. Throughout the day, my faith influences how I make my decisions, how I view both opportunity and challenge, and how I view both prosperity and adversity. And thats not just when it comes to the campaign. Thats how I approach my life and every aspect of it.

Our magazine is read by observant Jewish Americans, so can you tell us how you see the connection between Judaism and your own faith?

Well Im a Christian, and Christianity is based in JudaismThe first Christians were all observant [Jews] who observed the law and observed the practices and traditions. To understand Christianity in general and Roman Catholicism in particular you have to understand Judaism.

In the Hebrew Bible [the Torah], is there a story or personality that particularly inspires you?

Passover  the Exodus from Egypt is to me the telling of life. Throughout that journey God kept showing his hand and the people would witness incredible miracles and works of God and then would fall into doubt many times throughout that journey. And I think thats what we go through in life. There are difficulties and God steps in and helps us and yet within days weve forgotten it and moved back again to our doubts and our practices. So I think if you look at the Exodus story it is one that applies to the broader teachings of life.

Email the author: [email protected]

To subscribe to Mishpacha Magazine, visit www.mishpacha.com

 Mishpacha Magazine, Inc.
As peace talks opened in Geneva, President Barack Obama on Monday spoke with President Vladimir Putin about the Russian leaders decision to begin withdrawing forces from war-ravaged Syria, and discussed next steps in upholding the fragile truce that has quieted the countrys civil war, the White House said.

In a statement about the phone call, the White House said Obama told Putin he welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the cease-fire took effect late last month. But the president also noted the Syrian regimes continued offensive actions threaten to break the deal and could undermine plans for a United Nations-led political process.

The President underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria, the White House said.

The two leaders spoke shortly after Putin announced the partial withdrawal. For nearly six months, Russia has mounted an air campaign backing up the Syria President Bashar Assads battle against opposition forces. The White House statement did not offer the presidents reaction to Putins move and instead focused on what else Russians could do to use its influence with the Assad regime.

The White House said Obama noted some progress on getting humanitarian aid to Syrians, but added that regime forces continue to impede access to some areas, particularly Daraya.

In announcing the withdrawal, Putin credited the campaign with helping Assad retake territory, turn the tide in the war and create the conditions for peace talks between Assad and opposition groups.

A Kremlin statement on the leaders call said the move will undoubtedly serve as a good signal for all conflicting parties and create conditions for the launch of a real peace process.

It added that the presidents spoke in favor of stepping up the process of political settlement of the Syrian conflict and voiced support for the talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva, in which the Syrians themselves must determine the future structure of their state.

The statement said the conversation was business-like and frank.

Obama also urged Russian-backed forces to adhere to another ceasefire deal  the one in eastern Ukraine. Obama urged Putin to allow international monitors access to separatist-controlled regions along the Russia-Ukraine border, the White House said.

(AP)
Top Islamic State commander and feared ethnic Chechen jihadi fighter Omar al-Shishani has died of wounds suffered in a U.S. airstrike in Syria, a senior Iraqi intelligence official and the head of a Syrian activist group said Tuesday.

Al-Shishani, who was wounded in a U.S. airstrike earlier this month, died on Monday outside the Islamic State groups main stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, the two told The Associated Press.

There was no immediate confirmation of his death from the Islamic State group but the IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency denied he was killed, saying that the he was not subjected to any injury. The outlet quoted an unnamed source for the denial, without giving further details or evidence that al-Shishani was still alive.

An American spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State group in Iraq said the alliance was also confirming the militant commander had died.

The red-bearded ethnic Chechen was one of the most prominent IS commanders, who earlier served as the groups military commander for the territory it controls in Syria. He later became the commander of the groups ground forces, according to Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi scholar and author who closely follows the group.

According to Rami Abdurrahman, of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which tracks the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, after al-Shishani was wounded, IS brought a number of doctors to treat him, but they were not able to.

Abdurrahman said al-Shishani died in a hospital in the eastern suburbs of Raqqa. The Iraqi intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the IS commander was buried in Deir el-Zour on Tuesday.

Al-Shishani, whose real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili, was an ethnic Chechen from the Caucasus nation of Georgia, specifically from the Pankisi Valley, a center of Georgias Chechen community and once a stronghold for militants.

A U.S. airstrike targeted al-Shishani on March 4 near the town of Shaddadeh in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters in a statement last week.

Al-Shishani had been sent to Shaddadeh to bolster ISIL fighters following a series of strategic defeats, Cook said in the statement, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

The spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren said on Tuesday that the coalition was able to assess that he is dead and that it got the word Monday morning.

Warren described al-Shishani as a very important figure, in the Islamic State group, who was hit as part of a stepped-up campaign of U.S.-led airstrikes targeting IS leadership.

Last week, Waren told reporters that the airstrike that targeted al-Shishani was part of a series of stepped-up coalition strikes targeting IS leadership.

Al-Shishani was in the area of Shaddadeh along with about a dozen other fighters who were in one spot  and we struck it, Warren said at the time.

The extremist IS group, which emerged from al-Qaidas branch in Iraq, has many Iraqis among its top leaders. It blitzes across much of Iraq in the summer of 2014, capturing vast swaths of the countrys north and west. It also exploited the chaos of Syrias civil war to seize large chunks of territory there as well and declared an Islamic self-styled caliphate on the territory it controls in both countries.

It subsequently drew hundreds of foreign fighters into its operations in Syria. The United Nations estimated that around 30,000 so-called foreign fighters from 100 countries are actively working with the Islamic State, al-Qaida or other extremist groups. An earlier estimate by the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, a think tank at Kings College London, said IS fighters include 3,300 Western Europeans and 100 or so Americans.

Yet despite the U.S.-led campaign of coalition airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria, IS still controls large areas, including Iraqs second largest city of Mosul and also Raqqa, the groups main stronghold in Syria.

(AP)
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking action against JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly making anti-national remarks after being released on interim bail in a sedition case lodged against him.

Justice Pratibha Rani declined to give the direction sought by a social activist on the ground that there is law and order in place that will take care of if any anti-national slogans are being raised and the petitioner need not worry about the image of the nation.

It also questioned the locus of the petitioner for filing the present petition seeking direction to take necessary action for the offence of sedition allegedly committed by Kanhaiya and to refer the matter for further investigation by Intelligence Bureau in the interest of justice.

The court also sought presence of petitioner Dev Dutt Sharma so that he is aware of the cost that may be imposed on him for filing this writ petition.

Following this, advocate Sugriva Dubey wished to withdraw the petition and the court treated it dismissed as withdrawn.

The petition has alleged that after being released from judicial custody, Kanhaiya has again indulged in anti-national slogans and used the word "azadi" at least 100 times in his speech recently.

It said fundamental right for free speech never gives a right to speak against national interest of the nation.

Kanhaiya was granted interim bail for six months by the high court on March 2 in the sedition case.

JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in the sedition case over a controversial event in the varsity's campus, are presently in judicial custody.
Irans foreign minister said Tuesday that he had deliberately negotiated the wording of the latest United Nations resolution restraining his countrys nuclear program to ensure that the test-firing of nuclear-capable Iranian missiles would be legal.

Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a speech at the Australian National University that Security Council Resolution 2231, which was adopted after the Iranian nuclear deal was signed last year, did not bar Iran from testing the type of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that it launched last week.

It doesnt call upon Iran not to test ballistic missiles, or ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads  it calls upon Iran not to test ballistic missiles that were designed to be capable, Zarif said.

That word took me about seven months to negotiate, so everybody knew what it meant, he said, referring to designed.

Zarif added that under the international nuclear agreement that resulted in the lifting of U.N. sanctions, which he had also negotiated, Iran would never develop nuclear weapons.

Last Wednesdays missile test was aimed at demonstrating that Iran will push ahead with its ballistic program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year with the U.S. and other world powers.

The United States called a Security Council meeting on Monday to protest the launches, which Secretary of State John Kerry called a violation of U.N. resolutions that could invite additional sanctions.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said after Mondays closed meeting that the ballistic missiles were designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and called the launches dangerous, destabilizing, and provocative.

But Russias U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters that Moscow had no information that the missiles could carry nuclear weapons and that there was no violation of the resolution.

Zarif on Tuesday became the first Iranian foreign minister to visit Australia since 2002. He was welcomed by key Australian officials, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Zarif had a detailed conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop about legal and technical issues surrounding last weeks missile test.

Bishop did not express an opinion on whether the test had breached Resolution 2231.

Having heard the foreign ministers explanation, it is Australias position that should the U.N. Security Council wish to investigate this matter, then that would be the proper legal process for it to do so, Bishop said.

Power said that the missile test merits a response from the Security Council, but that Russias contention that the launches did not violate Resolution 2231 all but rule out any council action.

Zarif, meanwhile, welcomed Russias decision to begin withdrawing forces from Syria, where a fragile cease-fire is holding.

The fact that Russia announced that its withdrawing part of its forces indicates that they dont see an imminent need to resort to force in maintaining the cease-fire, Zarif said. That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see.

(AP)
Republicans Marco Rubio and John Kasich are fighting for their political futures Tuesday, desperate for wins in their home states of Florida and Ohio to keep their White House hopes alive and complicate Donald Trumps path to the nomination. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is hoping to keep rival Bernie Sanders from building new momentum in the Midwest.

With more delegates up for grabs than almost any other day in the primary calendar, Tuesdays contests afford Trump and Clinton the chance to put their parties nominations out of sight for their competitors. While Florida and Ohio are the biggest prizes, Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina are also awarding a cache of delegates.

Trump enters Tuesdays primaries embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his contentious campaign. The GOP front-runner has encouraged supporters to physically confront protesters at his events and is now facing criticism for encouraging violence after skirmishes broke out at a rally last week in Chicago.

During an event Monday in Tampa, Trump was interrupted intermittently by protesters, some of whom were forcibly removed. Trump said he didnt want to ruin somebodys life, but do we prosecute somebody like that?

The vibe at Trumps events has deepened the angst over his candidacy in some Republican circles. Rubio and Kasich have suggested they might not be able to support Trump if hes the nominee, an extraordinary stance for intraparty rivals. House Speaker Paul Ryan has also taken lightly veiled shots at the businessman, who has denied playing any role in encouraging violence against protesters.

I think the candidates need to take responsibility for the environment at their events, Ryan said during an interview Monday with WRJN, a radio station in Racine, Wisconsin. There is never an excuse for condoning violence, or even a culture that presupposes it.

Heading into Tuesday, Kasich appeared to have the best chance of defeating Trump. The governor spent Monday campaigning in his home state alongside Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee and a fierce critic of Trump.

This is the guy Ohio has to vote for, and Americas counting on you, Romney told the crowd at a Kasich event in North Canton. While Romney has not endorsed Kasich, hes said hell do whatever is needed to help all of Trumps rivals.

Rubio, despite having the backing of numerous GOP elected officials, appears to have slipped in recent public polls in Florida. The senator tried to stay upbeat Monday, perhaps his final full day of campaigning in the 2016 race.

Tomorrows the day where we are going to shock the country, Rubio said during a stop in Jacksonville.

If Trump sweeps Tuesdays contests, hed still have to keep winning in order to clinch the nomination. But he would cross an important threshold by collecting more than 50 percent of the delegates awarded so far.

Trumps closest competition has come from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has defeated the businessman in seven states. Hes also the only remaining GOP candidate who still says unequivocally that he would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.

Among Democrats, Clinton has been itching to look ahead to the general election but continues to face persistent competition from Bernie Sanders. While Clinton maintains a commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders breathed new life into his campaign with a surprising victory last week in Michigan.

Reprising a theme that helped propel that Michigan win, Sanders on Monday pounded Clintons past support for trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. Hes escalated his criticism in recent days, hoping to undercut her edge among minorities and expand his advantage with white working-class voters.

When it came down whether you stand with corporate America, the people who wrote these agreements, or whether you stand with the working people of this country, I proudly stood with the workers, Sanders said in Youngstown, Ohio. Secretary Clinton stood with the big money interests.

Clintons team is attempting to tamp down expectations for Tuesday night, stressing that the race remains close in the Midwest, despite public polling showing her with a sizable lead. Still, shes eying the general election and escalating her attacks on Trump, saying hes inciting mob violence.

I do hold him responsible, she said in an interview with MSNBC. Hes been building this incitement, hes been leading crowds in jeering protesters

We have the way forward to be able to start talking about not only unifying the Democratic Party but unifying our country, she said during a stop in Chicago.

The campaign next shifts to the West, where Sanders advisers have suggested he could rattle off a win streak and begin cutting into Clintons delegate lead.

(AP)
Rosh Yeshivat Ohr Etzion Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita announced he stands firmly behind Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, attacking the decision by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon to call for an IDF boycott of Rabbi Melamed. The senior minister prohibits all IDF agencies from cooperating with Rabbi Melamed in any way due to the rabbis statements instructing soldiers to defy orders that contradict halacha.

Speaking with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), Rabbi Druckman explained Yaalons actions do not make sense. He pointed out that he never saw a defense minister call to end cooperation with a left-wing professor who calls on students not to serve in occupied areas.

In principle, not a rabbi in Israel can speak out differently than Rabbi Melamed. We are not living under Antiochus. It is inconceivable that in the State of Israel soldiers receive orders that negate Toras Yisrael stated Rav Druckman.

Rabbi Druckman added The Torah commands us to enter the IDF and be moser nefesh if need be for the State of Israel.

Rabbi Druckman concluded I am not calling for insubordination but I am calling on the IDF Chief of Staff to make sure regulations do not contradict Torah way of life. We are not seeking one to accommodate a way of life but the Torah. I am certain regarding everything that is connected to Shabbos and that everyone understands the significance of kosher food. Why then must a religious soldier be boxed in a corner? A commander will never supersede the Torah.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The liberal New York financier George Soros, whose effort to unseat President George W. Bush in 2004 shattered political spending records, is returning to big-ticket giving after an 11-year hiatus.

Soros has spent or committed more than $13 million to support Hillary Clinton and other Democrats this election cycle, already more than his total disclosed spending in the last two presidential elections combined.

Soros has expressed alarm over the past few months at the candidacies of Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. In a statement last week about a new group hes funding to increase voting by Latinos and immigrants in the election, he again mentioned the two candidates by name.

The intense anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric that has been fueled by the Republican primary is deeply offensive, Soros said in the statement. There should be consequences for the outrageous statements and proposals that weve regularly heard from candidates Trump and Cruz.

Michael Vachon, a spokesman and political adviser to Soros, said there was no single cause for the increase in spending. His support of Clinton is one reason. The tone of the other candidates is the other, Vachon said. The Clinton, Cruz and Trump campaigns, which face crucial primary contests in Ohio and Florida today, didnt respond to requests for comment.

Soros importance to Clinton goes beyond the checks he writes, since other major Democratic donors sometimes follow his lead. At the same time, its likely that in a general election, Trump would pillory Clinton for her reliance on Soros and other wealthy hedge-fund managers. The billionaire real-estate developer has spent months portraying his Republican rivals as the tools of their donors.

Soros, 85, a Hungarian-born speculator who made billions betting on price swings in currencies and other assets, has long been one of the right wings favorite bogeymen and a magnet for conspiracy theories.

Last weekend, some Trump supporters and conservative media organizations blamed Soros for demonstrations in Chicago that caused Trump to cancel a planned rally, pointing to his past support for one of the groups that organized protests, MoveOn.org. In fact, MoveOn hasnt gotten funding from Soros since 2004, according to both Vachon and MoveOn spokesman Brian Stewart.

Soros personal fortune stands at about $24 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Soros handed off day-to-day management of his hedge fund business in the late 1980s to focus on his charitable pursuits, many of which seek to promote democracy around the world. The Open Society Foundations say they have spent some $13 billion over the past three decades.

Soros spent an unprecedented $27 million trying to defeat Bushs re-election in 2004, much of it through independent groups known as 527s that could accept donations of unlimited size. While the groups Soros funded knocked on doors and tried to boost voter turnout, a conservative 527 group aired a powerful series of ads questioning Democrat John Kerrys war record, helping Bush win a second term. They were in-your-face distortions of the truth, a frustrated Soros told the New York Times Magazine in 2006. People dont care about the truth.

Soros signed on as an early backer of Obama during the 2008 campaign, but spent only about $5 million on political causes that cycle, according to a tally by Bloomberg that doesnt include undisclosed donations to political nonprofits. He spent even less in 2012, even though the Supreme Courts Citizens United ruling prompted a flood of new seven-figure contributions that year.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that January, he remarked to Reuters that some hard-right candidates would provide a big contrast with Obama but there isnt all that much difference between the president and Mitt Romney, the eventual Republican nominee. He also remarked that a lot of the talent has left Obamas administration.

A few months later, Soros told a Clinton confidant that he wished he hadnt backed Obama in the primary four years earlier.

He said hes been impressed that he can always call/meet with you on an issue of policy and he hasnt met with the president ever, Neera Tanden said in a 2012 email to Clinton, who was then serving as Obamas secretary of state. He regretted his decision in the primary  he likes to admit mistakes when he makes them and that was one of them.

The email was one of thousands of Clintons messages that the State Department later made public, several of which show what a warm reception Soros got from her office. They show him planning a meeting with Clinton to request funding for a university he supports; recommending a few names of potential mediators for a crisis in Albania; and having a long talk with one of her aides about the situation in Myanmar. Over the past few years, Soros charities have given between $1.5 million and $6 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Soross biggest contribution this year is a total of $7 million to Priorities USA, the main super-PAC supporting Clinton. Another $1 million went to American Bridge, an opposition-research group. And last week, he announced he was putting $5 million into a new super-PAC known as Immigrant Voters Win. The group is part of a coordinated $15 million voter-turnout effort, first reported in the New York Times, that is targeting Latinos and immigrants in Colorado, Nevada and Florida.

The $13 million total puts Soros near the top of the list of this election cycles biggest donors, and it doesnt include the $5 million hes pledged to another effort, led by Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, to challenge new voter-identification laws and other restrictions at the state level.

In an era of super-PACs, Soros giving doesnt stand out like it used to. Thomas Steyer, the former San Francisco hedge-fund manager, spent more than $70 million in 2014, and the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gave more than $90 million in 2012.

At Davos in January, Soros remarked that Trump and Cruz are engaging in fear mongering. But he predicted that neither of them would prevail in the November election. Here I have to confess to a little bit of bias, so take that into account, he told Bloomberg Television. I think its going to lead to a landslide for Hillary Clinton.



(c) 2016, Bloomberg  Zachary Mider / Photo by: Matthew Lloyd  Bloomberg
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Gov. John Kasich face the biggest tests of their Republican presidential bids Tuesday as five large states vote on what could prove to be this years most consequential day of primary balloting.

Billionaire Donald Trump could essentially extinguish the White House bids of both men. Scoring victories in their home states could make his anger-fueled bid unstoppable and potentially alter the partys composition for years to come.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is seeking to steady her campaign after a Michigan primary loss on March 8 gave Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders fresh oxygen. The two rivals may face a longer nomination path than the Republicans, the opposite of predictions made just nine months ago.

While Sanders could manage to win a couple of states on Tuesday, hell need to do so by large margins to affect the races final outcome. Despite his impressive win in Michigan, Clinton increased her overall lead by 24 delegates last Tuesday, and Sanders now trails by 655 delegates when superdelegates are factored in.

The voting is the first tangible measure of Trumps support since a melee broke out Friday night in Chicago after the New York real estate mogul abruptly cancelled a rally because of protests inside and outside the arena. The incident further heightened unease among establishment Republicans desperately seeking a way to stop him.

This will be a decisive day, said Ryan Williams, a Republican strategist who served as a spokesperson for 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney. The only avenue to stop Trump at this point is to deny him the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force a contested convention.

Williams is skeptical that a convention battle would knock Trump from the partys top slot. Even if there is a contested convention, Trumps rabid supporters would likely dominate the majority of delegate spots and make it hard for other candidates to pick up the votes needed to win the nomination after the first ballot, he said.

Kasich appeared better positioned than Rubio to survive the day. A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday showed Kasich and Trump tied at 38 percent in Ohio, while the schools survey in Florida showed Trump with a huge lead over Rubio, 46 percent to 22 percent.

Should Kasich and Rubio emerge from Tuesdays contests without a clear path to winning the nomination, they should drop out, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas argued Monday.

This race right now is effectively a two-candidate race, he told reporters before a rally in Decatur, Illinois. The other two candidates have no viable path to 1,237 delegates. The laws of mathematics have foreclosed their path and I would suggest that any candidate after tomorrow night ought to look at the results and if they have no viable path to the nomination they should consider coming together and uniting.

While state wins will be closely watched, just as important are the number of delegates the candidates will secure. Florida and Ohio have greater importance there, too, because they award delegates on a winner-take-all basis on the Republican side.

Other states voting Tuesday include Illinois, Missouri, and North Carolina. The five states will allocate more delegates than on any other day on the nomination calendar except for Super Tuesday two weeks ago.

The Republican voting could go a long way in determining whether Trump will cruise to the nomination, or whether the party is headed for a potentially chaotic national convention in Cleveland in July.

The beauty would be if we win Florida and we win Ohio we can go and attack Hillary, no more attacking each other, Trump said Monday at a stop in Tampa. The Republican Party has to come together.

During a Monday evening rally in Ohio, the front-runner expressed confidence in his position in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri. This is a place I wanted to be, he said at an airport hangar in Youngstown, Ohio. This is going to do it. Ohio is going to make America great again. Kasich cannot make America great again.

Adding color to the campaign trail Monday was former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who campaigned for Trump and mocked the protesters who continue to interrupt the businessmans rallies.

What we dont have time for is all that petty punk-ass little thuggery stuff thats been going on with these quote-unquote protestors, who are doing nothing but wasting your time and trying to take away your First Amendment rights, she said.

Perhaps not realizing that her microphone was still live to reporters following her, Clinton commented Monday evening to MSNBCs Chris Matthews about just how much media coverage Trump gets.

Man, you guys cannot stop talking about him, she said. He is a dangerous presence and, you know, its just like candy by the bushel.

Even if the number of candidates shrinks following Tuesdays voting, Trump could be hard to stop, in part because of the sped-up nomination calendar that has allowed to him to already amass a substantial delegate lead.

Heading into Tuesdays balloting, Trump had 460 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win, according to Associated Press estimates. Cruz had 370, followed by Rubio at 163 and Kasich at 63.

As he did on Super Tuesday, Trump has called a news conference for 9 p.m. at his Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Most Florida polls close at 7 p.m., while some of those in the states panhandle close at 8 p.m. In Ohio, the other most closely watched state, polls close at 7:30 p.m.

Rubio and Kasich have both outlined campaign schedules beyond Tuesdays voting, although Kasich has said hell drop out of the race if he doesnt win Ohio. Rubio has vowed to keep fighting, although his donor network will dry up without a Florida win.

In Illinois, Trump led with 34 percent of likely Republican primary voters backing him, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday showed. He was followed by Cruz at 25 percent, Kasich at 21 percent and Rubio at 16 percent.

Kasich picked up a boost Monday in establishment Republican support from Romney, who made two stops with him in Ohio. The joint appearances came just 11 days after the former Massachusetts governor gave a speech labeling Trump untrustworthy a boon to Democrats seeking the White House.

I came here to make it real clear that all of America is watching what Ohio does, Romney said as he stood with Kasich Monday evening in a high school gymnasium in Westerville, the governors hometown in suburban Columbus.

As for the Democrats, the Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist polling found Clinton with large leads in Florida and Ohio, while Illinois was more evenly divided between her and Sanders.

Clinton, who was born in Chicago, could be hurt in the Land of Lincoln by her longstanding ties to embattled Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Sanders and his campaign have repeatedly reminded voters of their longstanding relationship.

A former White House adviser to President Bill Clinton, Emanuel has faced criticism for his handling of Chicago police shootings, a heightened murder rate this year, cuts to city schools, and his handling of budget and pension problems. His standing has been especially damaged among black voters.

Ahead of the voting, Clinton has 1,231 of the 2,383 delegates needed to win on the Democratic side when superdelegates are included. Sanders is at 576.

In Ohio, Sanders has been following a similar strategy that he used to defy Clintons double-digit polling leads in Michigan to win an upset there, including hammering her about jobs lost by disastrous trade deals shes supported.

When it came down whether you stand with corporate America, the people who wrote these agreements, or whether you stand with the working people of this country, I proudly stood with the workers, Sanders said at a Monday rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Secretary Clinton stood with the big money interests.

Michigan exit polls showed Sanders won about 60 percent of the vote among those who said that international trade cost jobs in the U.S. Ohio has lost about a third of its manufacturing jobs since December 1999, federal data show, and top elected Democrats in the Buckeye State have long blamed trade deals for contributing to that decline.

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a Clinton supporter and one of the most outspoken congressional opponents of trade agreements and the impact on manufacturing jobs, said shes doing more in the campaign than just railing against bad trade deals.

She really is the only one to offer a real agenda on manufacturing and trade, Brown said in an interview. Im just saying to people they should trust Hillary on this, and I do.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg  John McCormick
Voters have begun casting ballots in all five states across the Midwest and Southeast holding primaries Tuesday  contests that could shore up the two front-runners or breathe new life into the lagging campaigns of their challengers.

The day before, presidential hopefuls in both parties made frenetic pitches. On the Democratic side, Sen. Bernie Sanders staged rallies in four of those states, trying to pull off more come-from-behind wins in states damaged by trade and claim momentum from Hillary Clinton, who enjoys a sizable lead but has not been able to seal the nomination.

For the Republicans, Tuesday offers a chance for Donald Trumps remaining rivals to slow his march to the nomination with two winner-take-all contests that have particularly high stakes for a pair of favorite sons, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio.

Multiple polls in the days leading up to Tuesdays contests showed Sanders closing in on Clinton in three states in the industrial Midwest  Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. But polls show Clinton far ahead in Florida and in North Carolina, setting up the possibility of an outcome parallel to last weeks contests, when Sanders scored a narrow and surprising victory in Michigan, yet Clinton came away with a widened lead in the delegate count because of her resounding victory in Mississippi.

In other words, Clinton appears poised to continue her progress toward the Democratic nomination, but ever more bloodied by her battles with Sanders.

On the campaign trail Monday, the senator from Vermont continued to hammer Clinton, as he did in Michigan, on the issue of trade  arguing that he has been a far stronger ally in the fight to protect manufacturing jobs.

You in Ohio and in the Midwest know about the disastrous trade policies, he told an audience packed into a theater in Akron, where a once-thriving tire industry has experienced a major decline.

It took me about 13 seconds to figure out that NAFTA was written by corporate America, that its goal was to shut down factories and plants in America, to move abroad to find cheap labor, and bring those products back into America. It didnt take a PhD to figure that out, Sanders said.

Clinton, meanwhile, appeared to take sharper aim at Trump, the Republican front-runner, than at Sanders.

At an MSNBC town hall in Springfield, Ill., Clinton said Trump is evoking the kind of mob violence that led to lynching.

When you are inciting mob violence, which is what Trump is doing in those clips, theres a lot of memories that people have, she told Chris Matthews. People remember mob violence that led to lynching. People remember mob violence that led to people being shot, being grabbed, being mistreated.

Clinton also made campaign stops Monday in Chicago and Charlotte.

Kasich, who has said he will drop out of the Republican contest if he doesnt win Tuesdays primary in his home state of Ohio, made two appearances there Monday with Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee. It was the first time Romney had stepped out on the trail since his recent broadside against Trump.

Romney, who has pledged to support any GOP candidate who can defeat Trump, stopped short of endorsing Kasich  but had plenty of nice things to say about him during an event at an airplane museum in North Canton, Ohio, where the backdrop included a fighter jet, a helicopter and a Patton-size American flag.

Youre the ones who are going to decide if he becomes the next president of the United States, Romney said. You look at this guy, and unlike the other people running, he has a real track record. He has the kind of record that you want in Washington. Thats why Im convinced that youre going to do the right thing tomorrow.

Tuesday could also be the last stand for Rubio, a candidate once touted as the Republican savior who more recently has badly trailed Trump in polls in his home state of Florida.

Barnstorming there Monday, Rubio said the moguls abrasive rhetoric has already earned him a spot in history  for all the wrong reasons.

I dont think theres anyone in the history of American politics that compares to the vulgarity of a Donald Trump candidacy, Rubio told reporters. He repeated himself to emphasize his point: In this history of American politics.

Before that, the senator from Florida campaigned outside a restaurant where supporters held up signs and chanted his name. Sleeves rolled up under the bright sunshine, Rubio encouraged his backers to keep fighting for him, and he framed Tuesdays primary as a chance to go in one of two very different directions.

Tomorrow is a choice between optimism and fear, Rubio told the crowd.

Trump struck a dismissive tone Monday amid harsh scrutiny of the sometimes-violent clashes at his campaign rallies, insisting during an event in Hickory, N.C., that violence has not been an issue.

The press is now going, theyre saying, Oh, but theres such violence. No violence. You know how many people have been hurt at our rallies? I think, like, basically none, except maybe somebody got hit once, Trump said at Lenoir-Rhyne University after several protesters were escorted out during the first of three interruptions.

Its a love fest. These are love fests, Trump added later. And every once in a while . . . somebody will stand up and theyll say something. . . . Its a little disruption, but theres no violence. Theres none whatsoever.

Trump was interrupted just three times Monday by protesters, who had a significantly smaller presence than at events in recent days.

The candidate said he has been treated with a double standard by media outlets, which he says report protesters at his events but do not cover protests at other candidates rallies. But the scale and frequency of the protests at Trumps events undeniably outstrip those at his rivals events, culminating in the violent clashes in Chicago last week.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been campaigning for Trump in Florida but said she planned to leave early because her husband was seriously injured in a little wreck on a snow machine.

Palin said that even though she was dealing with this family crisis, it was important to spend time helping Trump get elected.

What we dont have time for is all that petty, punk-ass little thuggery stuff thats been going on, she said, referring to the protesters who have targeted Trumps rallies in Chicago and elsewhere. She accused the protesters of endangering the First Amendment rights of Trumps supporters to peacefully assemble, and charged the media with being on the thugs side.

In Rockford, Ill., Cruz made news by laying out the one scenario in which he would not support Trump as the nominee: If, for example, he were to go out on Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, I would not be willing to support Donald Trump.

Cruz is looking for strong performances in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina to cut any delegate lead Trump might build Tuesday. Missouri and Illinois, where Cruz was scheduled to make five stops Monday, border parts of Iowa, which gave him his first victory.

Back on the Democratic side, there have been several signs that the unexpectedly competitive contest with Sanders has taken a toll on Clinton.

She regularly logs 18-hour days on the trail, mixing retail campaigning  downing a Guinness beer in an Irish bar ahead of St. Patricks Day, for example  with rallies and a seemingly never-ending stream of town hall meetings and debates.

That pace may help explain a series of gaffes that have put Clinton in hot water with her supporters and created problems that could haunt her in the general election if she wins the nomination.

Friday morning, the day of Nancy Reagans funeral, Clinton mistakenly praised the former first lady for starting a conversation about HIV/AIDS. Clinton quickly apologized, but the backlash from the LGBT community was intense, despite efforts by the campaign to reassure them that she had made an honest error.

The next day in St. Louis, Clinton suggested that Sanders had been absent during her 1993 push for health-care reform. On Twitter, a Sanders aide quickly blasted out an archival video showing the senator standing right behind Clinton during a news conference about the effort.

Twenty-four hours after that, Clinton answered a question about coal country with a cringe-worthy response: Were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right?

On Monday, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon tried to clean up after Clinton, saying Republicans were trying to twist her words to suggest she showed a disregard for coal workers.

Obviously she was making the exact opposite point: that we have to take proactive steps to make sure coal workers, their families and their communities get not just the benefits theyve earned, but also the future they deserve, he said. Any suggestions otherwise are false.

Sanders also made a campaign stop Monday in North Carolina, and he was scheduled to end the day with a late-night rally in Chicago.

The only place with a primary he intended to skip was Florida, where polls have shown Clinton with a sizable lead in the most delegate-rich contest, unlike the other four Democratic primaries Tuesday.

Floridas primary is closed, meaning independents, who have sided with Sanders in large numbers in other states, wont be able to participate. The state is also home to large numbers of seniors, who have gravitated far more heavily toward Clinton elsewhere.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Jose A. DelReal
We recently marked the shloshim of David Wichs, an exceptional young man whose loss is as immeasurable as it was tragic. The details of his shocking and untimely passing in Lower Manhattan were widely covered in the media, however, coverage of the personality and character of this most exceptional individual were scarce. For those of us who had the good fortune of knowing him and his family, the pain is still very deep as we mourn the loss of someone who was truly beloved and irreplaceable. Although not related to the Wichses in any way, through hashgacha pratis we have merited a close relationship to David and his family for the last 25 years. The following are some details and memories of David that we would like to share with the public who did not have the privilege of knowing David.

Our first glimpse of David was at the International Arrivals building at Kennedy Airport, in the summer of 1990we, holding a big David sign, and he, with his characteristic dimpled smile, waving excitedly. He was 12 years old, arriving alone from Prague, ready to experience and conquer America. Planning to spend a month here before his upcoming Bar Mitzvah in the fall, he embraced the opportunity with enthusiasm. Taking in the numerous highlights of the city and visiting various, vibrant Jewish neighborhoods was an eye-opener. But what made the biggest impression and brought him the greatest joy, was his first glimpse of a classroom in yeshiva. He was mesmerized! It was the first time ever that he saw so many yiddishe children wearing yarmulkas davening singing. David, who along with his brother Daniel was one of just a handful of Jewish children receiving the best of the limited Jewish education available in Prague, had never seen anything quite like it!

Although Davids English at that time was limited, we had no problem communicating. He was full of opinions about everything. Blessed with a keen mind, his world-view was mature way beyond his years and his dreams for the future were enthusiastically expressed. We were amused, charmed and impressed by his grand ambitions. Experiencing and relishing an all-encompassing frum environment on his short visit here, he traveled back home to Prague with a determined commitment to try and adopt all that he had absorbed. It quickly became clear that achieving this could best be accomplished by relocating to the States. This ambitious and life-changing goal was realized a year later due to the enormous self-sacrifice on the part of Davids loving and devoted parents both of whom were professionals with established careers in Prague. Making the move required the herculean tasks of mastering a new language, re-learning and re-qualifying for their European-accredited professional degrees, settling their family into a new community and adapting to the American culture. It was a truly heroic effort, all for the purpose of affording the boys the possibility to live a frum Jewish life and offering the opportunity for a brighter future on all levels.

David and Daniel flourished in Yeshivah of Flatbush where the Hanhala extended themselves to welcome the family and nurture the boys potential. They caught up quickly and excelled in both their religious and secular studies. It quickly became clear that both David and Daniel were very gifted students. Each of them was selected as a semifinalist in the National Westinghouse Science Competition  the United States oldest and most prestigious science competition. Yet despite Davids rare gifts and talents, it was more his sweet, easygoing, humble nature, unique accent and infectious smile that earned him the admiration and affection of his teachers and classmates with whom he developed and maintained lasting friendships. This ability to earn peoples respect and esteem and to form meaningful and enduring relationships was to characterize Davids life throughout the various stages of his career.

Although accepted into Harvard with a scholarship, he deferred his acceptance and spent the year after graduation learning in Israel in Yeshivat Hamivtar where he grew and developed. While there he forged a strong, rewarding and continuing relationship with Rabbi Brovender, the Rosh Hayeshiva. His hakoras hatov to Yeshivah of Flatbush and to Yeshivat Hamivtar was manifest in the humble and discrete  yet very generous  support that he extended to them as well as to other organizations and institutions after he became established financially.

Harvard was next. Gifted with a sharp intellect, he excelled in his studies. While there, he was actively involved in Hillel and formed an additional set of lasting friendships. After completing his studies, he moved back to New York and joined a small financial firm engaged in algorithmic trading. With his participation the firm grew significantly over the next fifteen years. Bonds formed with his colleagues were strong, loyal, trusting and personal. In connection with his work he traveled frequently to India along with his co-workers. In many instances he got to meet their families and his warmth, humility and friendliness endeared him to all. As evidence of the love and respect he engendered among his coworkers, his close colleague of many years poignantly remarked at the levaye that there is a small village in India also weeping for David today.

During the shiva the family received a most beautiful and remarkable letter from the man who interviewed David for acceptance into Harvard. In his letter he mentions that as a Harvard alumnae and in his position as an interviewer for Harvard for many years he has met hundreds of gifted and exceptional students. However, with all the interviews he has conducted and all the students that he has met over the years, only two really stood out in his mind to the point that he has never forgotten them. One of them was David. Although he only saw him that one time and they never met again, he recalls him vividly. Despite remembering David as being off-the-chart smart, what impressed him most and what stood out in his memory was the fact that even as a teenager, it was clear to this interviewer that David was a generous human being, humble, mature, a kind Jewish soul, an old-fashioned, terrific guy. You just knew, when you met him. And it was this fact that he chose to highlight in his report to Harvard. He said that he always wondered what became of David over the years and when he read in the paper about Davids tragic demise he felt compelled to share his memories.

To describe David is to describe someone who had a great sense of fun and adventure. He loved to travel, ski, hike and scuba dive. He had a wonderful self-deprecating sense of humor almost to the point of not taking himself too seriously. He was laid-back and relaxed by nature and oh! how he hated to dress formally. One of the attractions of his particular work environment was the very casual dress-code which he took advantage of daily.

David lived on the upper West Side. Three years ago he married Rebecca Guttman, a graduate of Ramaz and a lawyer by profession. He joined Kehilath Jeshurun, Rabbi Looksteins shul, where his wifes family are long standing, active members.

He was a loving and loved son, brother and husband, a discreet, dependable, loyal friend, a reliable, respected and trusted colleague, as attested to by the many tributes from all those whose lives he touched and enriched. He was a mensch of the highest order and his life was a kiddush Hashem.

Davids life ended tragically. But in living it, his impact was felt by many.

Yehi Zichro Boruch

The Weiss family
Kolkata: In the wake of recent anti-national sloganeering and violence in Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Intelligence Bureau has sought details of Jammu and Kashmir students in Kolkata universities from the police, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The police, who had been asked to collect details, wrote to college authorities to provide the list of students from Jammu and Kashmir.

Colleges across Kolkata received a note from the police stating, Please let me know that students, whose residential addresses is under the State of Jammu & Kashmir, studies in your Institution for onwards transmission to the Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, New Delhi, Govt. of India.

Soon after the JNU fracas, Jadavpur University students had also held an event where students sympathised with the hanging of Afzal Guru and also called for freedom of Kashmir.

A top police officer was quoted saying, Its an attempt to create dossiers on J&K students so that we can monitor their activities. This is really something new that we are doing for the first time.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reached out to Mamata Banerjee on Twitter to look into the matter.

Dear @MamataOfficial can you please look in to this police order? Info gathering shouldnt become harassment, Abdullah tweeted following the police action that many said unfairly targeted Kashmiri students.

Why are these students being singled out? cc @quizderek Police ask Kolkata colleges to give details of J&K students https://t.co/xik6A0naUp  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) March 15, 2016

Why are these students being singled out? cc @quizderek Police ask Kolkata colleges to give details of J&K students.
Teachers feel the amount allocated by the government is too low to provide a nutritious meal to students. (Representational Image)

Thiruvananthapuram: Undeterred by fund crunch, teachers in government and aided schools in Kerala are spending from their own pockets to feed children under the much touted mid day meal scheme.

Though government had increased the allocation under the scheme from Rs five to Rs eight per child early this week, it is still "too low" to feed the children nutritious meals every day, teachers said.

Besides, they also have to arrange funds for cooking items and LPG or firewood, they said.

The protein-rich meals, weekly milk and egg are a major attraction to draw kids from impoverished families to schools.

In many schools, principals have to pay from their own pockets or depend on the contributions of alumni.

While big schools manage to take forward the scheme with support of Parents and Teachers Association funds, smaller ones run from pillar to post to make both ends meet.

Teachers say it is very difficult to continue the scheme successfully if fund allocation is not raised at least up to Rs 10 per child. They also asked how they would be able to manage with such a meagre amount when a single egg costs Rs 4-5 in the local market.

The Principal of a upper primary school here said she spends about 3,500 from her pocket every month to provide meals to the children.

"Principals of small schools have to spend a lot of money from their own pocket to feed the children. I spend Rs 3,000 to 3,500 in many months. But I have no regrets as it is to for the children," she told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The Principal said she could make no compromise in the case of meals as most students of the century-old school, established during the regime of Travancore royals, belong to poor families or destitute homes.

"Things will become worse during months when prices of essential commodities soar. We depend on humble contributions by alumni who visit the school on many occasions," she said.

She even said when a holiday falls on Thursdays, she and her fellow teachers heave a sigh of relief as they do not need to arrange money for that day's milk.
Bengaluru: Thousands of passengers were affected by the Mysuru bandh called in protest against the murder of BJP activist Raju.

South-Western Railway officials said that though the train services were not affected, the passengers found it difficult to find transport to reach their destinations from the railway station.

Occupancy of both inbound and outbound from Mysuru was low because of the bandh, an officer said. KSRTC officials said that buses were cancelled, leading to a loss of Rs 43.99 lakh. Protesters damaged the windshields of two Volvo buses, while no other incident of damage to buses was reported.

Tourist operators also complained that they incurred losses as vehicles and tourists were stopped on the outskirts of Mysuru.
New Delhi: No formal representation seeking review or repeal of the sedition law has been received by the government, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. A total of 47 cases under this law were reported across the country in 2014 with only one conviction that year, the government said.

Responding to a question, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary said, "The government has not received any formal representation regarding review/repeal of the sedition law." He added, however, that in October, 2012, a request was made by the Home Ministry to the Ministry of Law and Justice to study the usage of the provisions of Section 124A of IPC and suggest amendments.

The Law Ministry requested the Law Commission to consider undertaking a comprehensive review of criminal laws in the country, he said. "On December 11, 2014, the Law Commission intimated that they have identified certain focus areas and formed sub-groups to deliberate (on these)," Chaudhary said.

The minister said that the National Crime Records Bureau has since 2014 been collecting data about cases registered under Section 124A, which pertains to "attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or... excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India". The data on 2015 is still being collected, he added.

As per the data for 2014 shared by Chaudhary, only eight states reported a total of 47 cases in the country under the sedition law with the maximum of 18 cases registered in Jharkhand followed by 16 in Bihar. Only one conviction was reported under the law in the country, in Jharkhand.
The state government may have officially banned plastic, but the wide use of garbage bin bags, the never ending list of plastic used for packaging and the absence of alternatives could make it hard to enforce.

Although the state government has taken a landmark decision to ban all kinds of plastic, including those above 40 microns from Monday to safeguard the environment, it may have a struggle on its hands as doing away with it entirely could be difficult in the absence of proper alternatives.

While the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and BBMP officials are gearing up to enforce to ban in the city, the challenges are aplenty. From cracking down on illegal imports to locking down factories, the officials will have to use an iron hand to end the plastic menace especially when the manufacturers are up in arms and planning to knock on the doors of the courts.

But welcoming the governments move enthusiastically, environmentalists and civic activists have vowed to form groups to create awareness among consumers about the ill effects of plastic and make the ban a success.

Ms Kalpana Kar, who is a member of the expert committee on Solid Waste Management formed by the high court, says its time the public took to alternatives like jute, paper and cloth bags. Even at weddings and other functions bio-degradable material like arecanut and banana leaves can be used, she suggested.

Rome was not built overnight and no changes can be expected immediately. However, this a beginning and the government has taken the first step, she added, maintaining that the public mindset had to change as people needed to realise how hazardous plastic was and its long term impact on natural resources.

BBMP special commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Subodh Yadav meanwhile says the civic agency is still working on the procedures and the penalties for different violations. We are in the process of identifying the officers who will be responsible for the different kinds of raids that will take place. We have collected a high penalty over the last few days and this could make vendors understand t they are not allowed to use low value plastic, he said

Mr Lakshman chairman of the KSPCB), which intends to crack down on the plastic manufacturing industry, says a state level meeting will be held on Tuesday to chalk out its future course of action.

Citizens to help enforce the ban

Buoyed by the ban, founder of the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), N.S Ramakanth says a citizen movement will ensure it is fully implemented.

As many as 500 activists in Koramangala alone have come forward to participate in the drive against plastic, he reveals. Over 50 people are on board in Yelahanka and Bommanahalli zones too. Anti-plastic campaigns and awareness drives will take off in the coming weeks, he added.

Resident welfare associations from every zone have joined hands with the BBMP and SWMRT to bring in the ban. People of many wards have themelves decided to make sure that plastic is fully banned. They will act like watchdogs and visit every shop to see that shopkeepers are not selling plastic covers. People will also join BBMP officials on visits to malls and other commercial places to assist them with the anti-plastic drive, he said.

Ban will take away plastic industry jobs, says FKCCI

While most have welcomed the governments move to ban plastic, the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry(FKCCI) has warned it will make thousands of people employed in the plastic industry jobless.

In a press statement on Monday, its president, Tallam Dwarakanath said the ban was acceptable on plastic less than 40 microns, but not on manufacture, supply and sale of other kinds of plastic,which had become essential to our daily lives.

The ban will work only if the government has suitable alternatives. But as it does not seem to have any yet, it cannot be effectively implemented. Instead, the new regulations will only lead to harassment of manufacturers and traders, he contended, adding, A number of illegal small manufacturing units keep violating regulations and manufacture less than 40 micron plastic. These units are impacting registered manufacturers and traders , who abide by the law.

The FKCCI will hold an emergency consultation with all the members concerned and based on their suggestions will provide practical inputs to the government and stakeholders on the ban, he said.

Plastic Association stages protest

Members of the Karnataka State Plastic Association (KSPA) took to the streets to protest the indiscriminate ban on plastic in the city on Monday.

Several plastic manufacturers and traders on Avenue Road urged the state government to revoke the ban as it would affect the livelihoods of thousands of familie.

KSPA president, Vijay Kumar said the manufacturers were being made the scapegoat for the BBMP's lack of efficiency in managing the citys garbage.

The association has offered to collect the plastic waste, but the BBMP is simply not interested, he said. We also suggested to the BBMP that it should open plastic collection kiosks across all the 198 wards. And although we are to ready to shoulder the responsibility of handing over the plastic waste collected to recyclers, it is still unwilling to listen, he added angrily.

Mr Kumar said that the association would move the courts and hope it would consider the welfare of all those who depended on the industry.

The order bans it all

A draft notification prohibits shopkeepers, vendors, traders and hawkers from using plastic carry bags, banners, buntings, flex boards, flags, plates, cups and sheets. Industries are prohibited from manufacturing, supplying, storing or distributing plastic articles. Exporters are exempt.

Bigger the violation, more the penalty

Admitting the confusion over the kind of plastic banned, BBMPs special commissioner, (solid waste management), Subodh Yadav, however, says that with the final notification there is now better clarity on the type of plastic not allowed for use and more awareness among people.

This will clear some of the hurdles in implementing the ban. Its a citizen- motivated approach and when there are no buyers for plastic, the sellers too will think twice before storing it. This will help us in better enforcement, he maintained.

As for alternatives to plastic, he said, The people who are selling plastic themselves have alternatives to it. Although plastic is not free and is sold at a nominal price, alternatives like cloth or jute bags could cost more. Vendors need to make a choice themselves and try not to sell plastic covers.

So what penal action can the people expect? He responds saying the BBMP is working on an action plan and penalties will be worked out based on the violations.

Bigger the violation, more the penalty. Over the last few months we have seized large quantities of plastic and collected huge penalties. We will similarly work out penal action for violators,  he explained.
Airport development adding to economy, jobs in the region

Pittsburgh may always be known as the Steel City, but a wave of new industries are popping up near its airport to redefine business in the region.
ABOVE: Brian Walser, left, owner of Brian's Plumbing, talks with Jordan Roland about some old bathroom fixtures in the warehouse. Walser and his wife, Diane Walser, received the Small Business Administration's Small Business Persons of the Year award.

SHARE LEFT: Brian Walser, owner of Brian's Plumbing, talks about the Small Business Person of the Year award he and his wife, Diane Walser, received recently. The award represents Wichita Falls and the 72-county Fort Worth District of the SBA. Photos by TORIN HALSEY/TIMES RECORD NEWS

By John Ingle of the Times Record News

Brian Walser doesn't know any other way to do business other than to abide by the morals, values and code of ethics he learned growing up in Quanah.

He said he trains his employees to adhere to the same, focusing on a hard work ethic and obtaining and keeping customer loyalty. More than 30 years after starting his business with one truck full of tools, a pager and a roll of quarters, Walser has turned Brian's Plumbing into one of the top small businesses in the area, and recent recognition is showing it.

After he and wife Diane won Small Business Persons of the Year for America's SBDC at Midwestern State University, the couple and business will be recognized in April for the same award, but for the 72-county Dallas-Fort Worth District of the Small Business Administration. Brian said winning locally is understandable, but getting selected in a district as large as Dallas-Fort Worth, that's a different story.

"When it goes into the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I'm like, 'How can that be?'" he said, citing the sheer number of businesses in the district and criteria for selection being somewhat daunting. "It's awesome that I got it."

Brian was quick to point out that he is not in business for accolades. He said he's in business to win customer loyalty by providing quality service at reasonable rates. It's also about providing quality jobs to his 36 full-time employees who depend on him for a paycheck for their families.

It was solar energy that put Brian on a financial track to open his own plumbing business, he said Monday morning. After working long hours installing systems in the early '80s at $500 a pop, he was able to get back to his plumbing roots with modest beginnings.

Now he's investing in his employees, sending them to training and giving them experience needed to rise from the apprentice level to the responsible master level of plumbing.

Vanda Cullar, director of the local SBDC office, said Brian's Plumbing is the perfect example of a small business success story, rising from the ranks of a lone operator with Diane's support to having multiple employees. Now they own a bustling business that continues to grow in the number of jobs created, sales and the number of employees on hand.

"Also, part of it is your community involvement," she said. "Brian and Diane both have been very involved in downtown development and restoring two different buildings downtown."

Cullar said Brian's Plumbing advanced to the regional level to compete, but were not selected to move on to the national competition.

Brian said existing or future small-business owners should keep a couple of things in mind that he has learned to be successful including have a solid public relations plan, providing a fair price for consumers, finishing projects in an efficient and timely manner and keeping track of finances.

The Walsers will be recognized at a banquet in Arlington in April.
Aimee Blume / Special to The Courier & Press (evansville, ind.) It's a good time of year for beer-battered fish. This plate comes from Rafferty's in Evansville, Ind., where the batter is made with Sam Adams Boston Lager and the fries are twice-fried in peanut oil.

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By Aimee Blume, Special to the Courier & Press (Evansville, Ind.)

It's not like beer battered fish and excellent hand-cut chips aren't a wonderful thing to eat year round, but in March it's even more appropriate with it being both Lent and St. Patrick's season.

While not exactly good for your summer bikini body, this is a meal that offers incredible gustatory satisfaction. You have the softness and light sweetness of the fish inside the crunchy batter. Starchy, earthy potatoes with caramelized crunchy edges. Creamy, sweet-tangy tartar sauce  all kinds of fatty, rich and salty, but cut and complemented with liberal dribblings of lemon juice and/or malt vinegar.

If you're making beer- battered fish at home, you can use any white fish you like. Cod is the classic. You may also use pollock or haddock. You could also use a mild freshwater fish such as tilapia or swai. Fry the fish just until the coating is brown and crisp and the interior is opaque and flaky. Overcooked fish will fall apart or become unfortunately rubbery.

It's important to use the right kind of potatoes for your chips. Always use a high-starch potato such as russet. Irish recipes sometimes call for "old" potatoes. When the potatoes have been aged a bit, the starch level increases so they are even crispier and fluffier. If you have russet potatoes just beginning to grow eyes, they are just right. British and Irish chippies always peel their potatoes. In the states, we often like them unpeeled. You make the choice.

Irish Beer Battered Monkfish

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds boneless monkfish* cleaned and cut into small to medium pieces

1 beaten egg

1 cup of beer, preferably a dry Irish stout

salt to taste

1 cup of white flour

- frying oil

- salt for seasoning

DIRECTIONS

1 Mix the white flour, beaten egg and the beer in a bowl with salt to taste.

2 Take each piece of monkfish* and coat in the batter ensuring they are completely covered.

3 Heat frying oil at least 6 inches deep in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Add fish pieces in batches so the fryer is not crowded, and cook for 3-4 minutes each time. When the batter is brown, break the largest piece apart to ensure the center is cooked through. Remove the fish from the fryer and drain on paper towels.

4 Serve with a wedge of lemon, malt vinegar and chips.

*We can occasionally find monkfish in our area, but feel free to use any mild white fish for this recipe, such as cod.

Source: Adapted from Yourirish.com

Guinness Battered Fish

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Guinness beer

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 egg

- all-purpose flour

8 3-ounce cutlets of pollock, cod or haddock, boneless, sliced on bias

DIRECTIONS

1 In a large mixing bowl, add beer, baking soda, salt, pepper and egg. Whisk to mix well.

2 With a whisk, slowly add enough flour until the batter is thick, not runny, and adheres to a wooden spoon.

3 Heat oil in a deep fryer or in a deep sided saute pan to 350 degrees. Dredge fish in flour, shaking off excess, and dip in batter, covering all sides of fish.

4 Holding battered fish, gently dip into hot oil, holding halfway in, wait 15 seconds and drop into oil. This will prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom. Flip fish over when brown on one side and cook altogether about 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of fillets.

5 The fish should be all one color all the way thru or 140 degrees internal temperature.

Source: Adapted from Wine Enthusiast, from Sandy Ingber of Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City

Chips

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

- vegetable or peanut oil, for deep frying

4 large russet potatoes

- malt vinegar, for serving

- tartar sauce

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees. Alternately, heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot.

2 Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips, about the size of your index finger. Put the potatoes in the oil. Fry the chips for 2 to 3 minutes; they should not be crisp or fully cooked at this point. Remove the chips with a spider strainer or slotted spoon, to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.

3 Crank the oil temperature up to 375 degrees.

4 Put the chips in the bottom of the fryer basket and carefully submerge in the hot oil. Fry the chips for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Remove the basket and drain the chips on paper towels; season lightly with salt.

Source: Adapted from Tyler Florence
Bowie Memorial Hospital

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By Barbara Green, The Bowie News

Friday's scheduled Bowie Hospital Authority Board meeting to consider a sales contract for Bowie Memorial Hospital was cancelled in light questions about the buyer's Medicare status.

Lynn Heller, CEO of the hospital, said Friday morning there was still a question remaining about the bidder's Medicare provider status, which should have already been dealt with by the attorneys.

The hospital authority cannot be a Medicare provider, the CEO said, because the authority will be dissolved shortly after a sale.

Dr. Hasan Farid Hashmi, head of TGH, has provided a sales contract to purchase the hospital for $1.5 million.

"Faraz Hashmi will be here this afternoon and I hope to get it clarified, and also to talk with the attorneys via the phone to get it fixed. I feel confident we will move forward," Heller said Friday.

Hashmi's son, Faraz, chief operations officer for Texas General Hospital, was scheduled to meet with the CEO. The Hashmi family operates two other hospitals in Texas under Texas General Hospital.

The Hashmi family appears to be confident the deal will move forward.

Last Thursday, Heller said Faraz Hashmi asked if they could go ahead with paying for additional cleaning staff to begin getting the hospital ready for opening. The remaining staff also has assisted and worked with him throughout the day.

During the past week, the emergency room and surgical area has been cleaned, work was started on the floors in the patient areas.

"There is a lot of excitement here with the remaining staff," said Heller, who added the board will meet this week to vote on the agreement.
Contributed photo Containers of marijuana and other related products are displayed by the Wichita Falls Police Department collected during a drug bust Sunday. Kelton Dawon Kerry, 26, of Mesquite and Marinda Janae Scot, 23, of The Colony were arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance penalty group 2 and possession of marijuana.

SHARE Contributed photo The Wichita Falls Police Department displays the handgun, ammunication and a baggie of what is believed to be marijuana after a traffic stop led to the discovery of each item in a vehicle on Saturday. Police arrested Jordan Turner, 23, as a result of the stop and discovery. He was arrested and taken to Wichita County Jail. The jail's public inmate screen did not list him as being in jail on Monday. Turner Terry Scott

By Staff Reports

Traffic stops over the weekend led the Wichita Falls Police Department to drug busts in two separate incidents, according to the department.

Most recently, officers conducted a traffic stop on U.S. 287 on Sunday. The officer reportedly discovered "a large amount of marijuana and THC gummies & cookies" in the vehicle.

The department reported 26-year-old Kelton Dawon Terry, of Mesquite, and 23-year-old Marinda Janae Scott, of The Colony, were arrested and taken to Wichita County Jail. Both were charged with possession of a controlled substance penalty group 2 and possession of marijuana.

Terry and Scott were still in jail Monday afternoon on total bonds of $20,000 each.

Officers made a stop on Saturday at the intersection of Avenue C and Britain in Wichita Falls. Upon further investigation, the officers discovered marijuana, hydrocodon and a 9mm handgun.

Jordan Turner, 23, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana in a drug-free zone, possession of a controlled substance penalty group 3 in a drug-free zone, and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Turner was not in jail Monday afternoon and a bail amount was not available.
SHARE Lehman O&B

Garland Rex Lehman, 71, of Iowa Park, passed away Sunday, March 13, 2016.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, 2016 in the chapel of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home with Pastor John Hare, officiating. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery of Iowa Park under the direction of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls. Garland was born on September 21, 1944 in Wichita Falls, Texas to the late Rex and Ida Mae (Stowe) Lehman. He served our country proudly in the United States Navy. On June 3, 1966, he married Sandra Balthrop. Garland worked as a truck driver for many years. He was a member of Pacific Ave. Baptist Church, as well as a member of the Wichita County Farm Bureau, the Senior Citizens Family Door, a charter member of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce in Iowa Park, a lifetime member of the FFA Alumni, and served on the board as President of Highland Cemetery Association. Garland enjoyed fishing, driving a truck, and most of all, spending time with his grandchildren. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Sandra Lehman of Iowa Park; his daughter, Kellye Lehman Beavers of Irving; two sons, Tracy Lynn Lehman, and Dustin Rex Lehman and wife Holly all of Iowa Park; five grandchildren, Austin Beavers, McKayla Beavers, Betany Lehman, Jaidyn Lehman, and Montana Lehman; and numerous cousins and a host of friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Iowa Park Friendly Door, 810 N 3rd St, Iowa Park, TX 76367; Highland Cemetery Assoc., 862 Rogers Rd, Iowa Park, TX 76367; or to the American Heart Assoc.

The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, 2015 at Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.owensandbrumley.com. This email has been sent from a virus-free computer protected by Avast. www.avast.com
An Atlanta man who stole more than $204,000 in state pension benefits meant for his dead mother was sentenced to parole on Tuesday.

Richard L. Cook III could face 3 to 6 years in state prison if he violates his parole, under the sentence imposed by Albany County Judge Peter Lynch.
Pakistan's envoy Abdul Basit has invited Hurriyat leaders including Geelani, Andrabi, Malik, Farooq and others to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function on March 23. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and Asiya Andrabi among others have been invited by Pakistan to attend 'Pakistan Day' function at its High Commission here.

Besides them, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and Hurriyat's moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have also been called to attend the event, official sources said.

Pakistan's envoy Abdul Basit has invited Hurriyat leaders including Geelani, Andrabi, Malik, Farooq and others to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function on March 23, they said.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has also been invited to the function. However, sources said it is unlikely that he will attend the function.

Pakistan has been inviting separatist leaders every year to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function at its High Commission in the national capital.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had represented the government at the Pakistan National Day reception last year.

The meetings of Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders with Pakistani establishments have always raised eyebrows here. In August last year, a controversy had erupted over the proposed meeting between former Pakistan's National Security Adviser Sartaz Aziz and Hurriyat leaders ahead of NSA-level talks in India.

India had then advised Pakistan that it would not be appropriate for Sartaz Aziz to meet with the Hurriyat representatives. Pakistan had then called off the NSA talks between the two nations.

The two NSAs were scheduled to meet in New Delhi for talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23.
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Cleveland

In a Republican presidential primary filled with extraordinary moments, a 24-hour stretch that began Friday night stands above them all.

Opponents of Donald Trump were so committed to keeping him from speaking in Chicago that they aggressively clashed with supporters, forcing the GOP front-runner to abruptly cancel his rally before it even began.

The next morning, two of the candidates still fighting to defeat Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said they were so disgusted by the chaos that they may not support Trump if he clinches their party's nomination.

And when Trump appeared at another rally Saturday morning in Ohio, he was suddenly pulled midspeech into a protective ring of U.S. Secret Service agents charged with guarding his life after a man leapt over a barrier and rushed the stage.

"Thank you for the warning," Trump told the crowd after he resumed his speech. "I was ready for 'em, but it's much better if the cops do it, don't we agree?"

Each moment has virtually no precedent in modern presidential politics. Taken together, they exposed anew the remarkable anxiety ripping through a country dealing with profound economic and demographic changes, as well as the anger roiling inside one of America's great political parties.

For those cringing at the discord and Trump's unanticipated political rise, there were no easy answers Saturday.

Republican traditionalists kept whispering in private conversations about long-shot options for stopping Trump, either at a contested convention or by rallying around a potential third-party option. Trump, meanwhile, could put the Republican nomination out of reach to others in Tuesday's slate of five delegate-rich primaries.

Trump's rivals have spent months tiptoeing around his provocative comments for fear of alienating his supporters. Even in Thursday night's debate, all three of his remaining rivals  Rubio, Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz  sidestepped a question about whether outbursts of violence at Trump's rallies and his statements encouraging supporters to aggressively take on protesters concerned them.

But the images spilling out of Chicago, with young people angrily confronting each other, often divided by racial lines, appeared to be too much.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Rubio said he may not be able to support Trump if he's the GOP nominee, citing the way he's "dividing both the party and the country so bitterly."

The Florida senator wouldn't say whether he'd look for a third-party candidate to support if Trump does become the Republican standard-bearer, but added, "The fact that you even have to ask me the question shows why (Trump) is a problem."

Kasich, who has largely avoided tangling with Trump until now, said the real estate mogul has created a "toxic environment" that makes it "extremely difficult" to envision supporting him as the Republican nominee.

"To see Americans slugging themselves at a political rally deeply disturbed me," Kasich said while campaigning in Cincinnati. "We're better than that."

Only Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is closest to Trump in the delegate count, said he would unequivocally support the businessman if he emerges from the primary victorious. Still, Cruz  eager for Rubio and Kasich to get out of the race after their home-state primaries on Tuesday so he can take Trump on head-to-head  blamed his rival for encouraging the kind of "nasty violence" that occurred in Chicago.

"More than once I've had protesters who get up and raise a point, and if they are being civil and courteous, I'll actually engage in a conversation with them and treat them with civility and respect," Cruz said. "I think the way you interact with the citizens expresses what kind of person that you will be."

With his delegate lead mounting, there's little evidence that Trump sees any reason to alter an approach that includes encouraging his supporters to aggressively  and sometimes physically  stop protesters from interrupting his raucous rallies.
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Washington

Tuesday's primaries could provide a defining moment in the race for the Republican nomination for president  or not.

So far, Donald Trump has been winning most of the primaries, but he's only been collecting 43 percent of the delegates. That's not good enough to win the nomination. It takes a majority, which raises the possibility of a contested convention with an uncertain outcome.

Trump's rivals are doing worse. The closest is Ted Cruz, who is 90 delegates behind Trump, winning 34 percent of the delegates awarded so far.

Almost every state that has voted so far has awarded delegates proportionally, so that even the losers could get delegates.

But that changes on Tuesday, when party rules say states can start awarding all of their delegates to the statewide winner. Only nine contests are winner-take-all, and three of them are on Tuesday, in Florida, Ohio and the Northern Mariana islands.

People will also vote in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.

A look at how different outcomes in Tuesday's races could shape the race for the GOP nomination:

A Trump sweep

If the GOP front-runner sweeps Tuesday's contests, he will put himself on a path to win the nomination by the end of the primary season on June 7.

He would have to keep winning to pull it off. But he would cross an important threshold by collecting more than 50 percent of the delegates awarded so far.

The big prizes are Florida, with 99 delegates, and Ohio, with 66. The Marianas have only nine delegates.

Also, the winners in Missouri and Illinois could get a large majority of the delegates from those states.

North Carolina awards delegates proportionally, so everybody gets a trophy.

Establishment wins

If Marco Rubio wins Florida and John Kasich wins Ohio, their victories would go a long way toward making sure that no one gets the 1,237 delegates needed to lock up the nomination before the convention.

It's already too late for Rubio or Kasich to reach the magic number by June. Rubio has been winning just 15 percent of the delegates, and Kasich has been getting just 6 percent.

But if they could both pull off big wins on Tuesday, they could stop Trump, setting the stage for a contested convention this summer.

Even if Trump were to win the rest of the winner-take-all states  there are only six others  he would still be denied a majority of the delegates.

Split scenario

If Trump were to win Florida but lose Ohio, the status quo would prevail, and the race would continue on an uncertain path. Trump would have slightly less than 50 percent of the delegates, but he could jump above the threshold by winning the rest of the winner-take-all states.

The next big winner-take-all state is Arizona, with 58 delegates at stake March 22. There are three winner-take-all states on June 7, the last day of the primary season. They are New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota.

Cruz sweeps

The polls say it's unlikely, but if Ted Cruz were to win every state on Tuesday, he would jump into the lead in the race for delegates. However, he would still be short of a majority of the delegates, increasing the likelihood of a contested convention.

Cruz would need to win 61 percent of the remaining delegates to reach 1,237, a big improvement from his current rate of 34 percent.

Cruz would probably need Rubio and Kasich to drop out, and then would need to beat Trump soundly in the remaining contests.

The AP delegate count thus far:

Donald Trump: 460.

Ted Cruz: 370.

Marco Rubio: 163.

John Kasich: 63.
Expressing disappointment over the recommendations, MPs said more than one million people in India die every year, most of whom do not have health insurance for treatment of cancer. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday termed as "too harsh" the government's proposed 85 per cent pictorial warnings on tobacco products and recommended a drastic reduction in size, evoking sharp criticism from MPs and health experts.

With Health Ministry's April 1 deadline for implementing the 85 per cent warning just days away, chairman of the Committee on Subordinate Legislations Dilip Gandhi justified the recommendations, saying the size of the warnings have been urged to be increased from present 40 to 50 per cent.

Expressing "disappointment" over the recommendations, MPs said more than one million people in India die every year, most of whom do not have health insurance for treatment of cancer.

"The committee is of the considered view that in order to have a balanced approach, the warning on cigarette packets should be 50 per cent on both sides of the principal display area instead of 85 per cent of the principal display area. As it will be too harsh as deliberated in the earlier paras, will result in flooding of illicit cigarettes in the country," the committee said in its report, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha today.

The committee also dismissed issues related to conflict of interest due to presence of beedi baron Shyama Charan Gupta in the panel and said he was not present in any of the meetings on tobacco.

It observed that the proposed graphic health warnings have the potential of "severely" affecting the Indian farmers and Indian companies with gains to unscrupulous elements who manufacture and sell illicit tobacco products and those foreign countries from where these goods are smuggled into India.

"We have increased the size of the pictorial warnings on both sides from present 40 per cent to 50 per cent," Gandhi said.

In case of beedi as well, the committee has recommended that a "practical" approach may be adopted by increasing the size of warning up to 50 per cent on one side of the beedi pack, chewing tobacco and other tobacco products namely zarda, khaini, misri and others which will be "feasible" to follow and which would also ensure that a large number of people in the trade will be saved from being rendered unemployed.

"Reduction of the pictorial warning from 85 per cent to 50 per cent, it this is correct, then I am disappointed. One million Indians die every year. Most of these people are poor Indians who do not have health insurance to cover cancer and other problems from tobacco," BJD MP Jay Panda said.

K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) said the earlier proposal of 85 per cent size was much stronger and any withdrawal from that will make it "less effective". He hoped the government will stand by its decision of going ahead with 85 per cent size.

Commenting on the issue of conflict of interest, Gandhi said, "Gupta was absent from all the meetings (of the committee on tobacco) that have taken place so far."

Another member of the committee Idris Ali said 50 per cent warnings on both the sides of the packet are "sufficient" and one has to taken into consideration everybody's view.

Referring to a study by the Department of Commerce and another by global consultancy firm Deloitte, the panel laid stress on its findings on assessment of tobacco products in 27 countries that there has been "no impact" of large and cumbersome health warnings and "unintended consequences will be severe and irreversible".

The new pictorial health warnings covering 85 per cent on both sides of all tobacco packs was notified in October 2014 to be implemented from April 1, 2015.

However, government indefinitely delayed implementation of the 85 per cent pictorial health warnings after a parliamentary committee directed the Health Ministry to keep the notification in abeyance.

The Rajasthan High Court also directed the Health Ministry to take steps for implementation of pictorial warnings from April 1, 2016 and there should not be any further delay in implementing the 85 per cent picture health warnings on both sides of tobacco packets.

The Health Ministry has been insisting on implementing 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on both sides of all tobacco products and even submitted an affidavit in the High Court that it will be implemented from April 1, 2016.

The committee said the government needs to stress on education and awareness generation programmes that have proven to be more effective in controlling tobacco consumption and at the same time protect the livelihood of millions of tobacco workers.

The committee noted that leading tobacco companies which together account for 90 per cent of the world's tobacco production have not adopted the "excessive, over sized" health warnings by following a "pragmatic" tobacco control policy keeping in mind the livelihood of tobacco growers in their countries.

It said the new warnings have been notified by the government without any consultation with the stakeholders of the tobacco industry.
In conjunction with the release of the Times Union's Women@Work special report titled "Blind Spot: Male CEOs Don't See Barriers To Women's Success," the Women's Business Council of the Capital Region Chamber presented a panel discussion at The Desmond in Colonie on Tuesday, March 15.

Presenters included Don Levy, Director, Siena College Research Institute; Ruth Mahoney, Market President, KeyBank; Ed Mitzen, President, Fingerpaint; and Paula Stopera, President and CEO, CAP COM Federal Credit Union, and the discussion was moderated by Tracy Ormsbee, Senior Editor at the Times Union and the Executive Editor of Times Union Magazines.
Albany

A surprise federal rejection of a $7.5 billion natural gas pipeline and export project in the Pacific Northwest gives pipeline opponents in New York little sense that the federal government is moving from its history of routinely approving such energy projects.

Friday's decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject the Jordan Cove project in Oregon is "not a signal" that the commission might take a more critical stance on pipeline proposals in New York, said Maya van Rossum, head of the environmental group Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

This month the group sued FERC in federal court, claiming the commission is biased toward industry, has staff and commissioners that routinely leave to get jobs in the energy industry, and has never rejected a pipeline proposal.

Rossum said the commission's rejection of Jordan Cove  which called for a 232-mile pipeline to connect with a liquefied natural gas export terminal on the Pacific coast meant to ship gas to Asia  does nothing to "change the underlying problem with FERC, which is that it is a rogue government agency that acts as a rubber stamp for the very companies it is supposed to regulate."

The commission ruled that Jordan Cove owners failed to prove the project was needed by producing no sales contracts with companies willing to buy exported gas.

"FERC had been begging the owners for this (contract) information for months, and it was not forthcoming," said van Rossum. "The commission equates need for a project with contracts. If you have contracts, you have need, and then everything else falls by the wayside."

The FERC ruling did leave open for the door for Jordan Cove developers to reapply should sales contracts be reached.

In New York, the proposed Northeast Energy Direct pipeline, which would bring gas from the fracking fields of northern Pennsylvania across the Southern Tier to the Schoharie County town of Wright and continue on through southern Albany and Rensselaer counties on its way to metropolitan Boston, has such sales contracts in place.

FERC has yet to decide on the NED pipeline, which requires water quality permits controlled by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Longtime NED opponent and Nassau Town Supervisor David Fleming said he was "more hopeful today than ever before that these regulators will look closely at the seizing of property rights, ecological damage and other impacts of the NED project and come to the same conclusion."

He repeated his call for FERC to suspend review of the NED proposal "as it cannot meet the basic standards outlined in the Jordan Cove review."

Anne Marie Garti, a lawyer with Stop the Pipeline, which is seeking to block another proposed natural gas pipeline in the Southern Tier  Constitution Pipeline  said the Oregon ruling will not affect that project because it already has FERC approval.

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Last month, Garti's group sued FERC to undo that approval. Garti said developers of the Constitution project to connect the gas fracking fields of northern Pennsylvania to the town of Wright have a sales contract  but the contract is with an affiliate of the developer itself.

"Cabot Oil and Gas is agreeing to buy the gas from itself, so FERC was satisfied. It is a fig leaf of a sales contract," said Garti. Constitution would carry gas to Wright, where it would connect to the Iroquois gas pipeline. That pipeline project currently carries gas south from Canada to New York, the Hudson Valley, Connecticut and Long Island.

Iroquois owners have informed federal regulators they could seek to have the flow reversed, so gas would flow north toward Canada, where it could join a pipeline network that could allow liquid natural gas exports to Europe from a planned facility in Nova Scotia.

In a federal lawsuit filed this month, Delaware Riverkeeper sought to invalidate a 1986 federal law under which FERC relies on fees collected from energy companies based on natural gas pipeline shipments. These payments account for 20 percent of total FERC revenue. The agency receives no taxpayer funding and relies entirely on industry fees. The lawsuit seeks to have the 1986 FERC funding law declared unconstitutional because of its potential to make the agency biased in favor of pipeline project approvals. It also seeks to have declared unconstitutional two specific FERC powers  its authority to grant eminent domain rights to pipeline companies, which allows private property to be taken over the objection of landowners, and its authority to pre-empt local and state law.

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
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Schenectady

The final site plans for the construction of a Stewart's shop and gas station in the Bellevue neighborhood and got Planning Commission approval Wednesday with minor conditions.

In addition, the commission consented to subdividing the 60-acre parcel where Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor is being developed. It also approved construction of a two-story office building at 724 State St.

The new 3,675-square-foot Stewart's on Broadway between Bradt and Thompson streets will feature three islands with two gas pumps covered by a canopy. There will be 23 parking spaces and entrances on Thompson Street and Broadway, said Marcus Andrews, a project manager for Saratoga Springs-based Stewart's.

As part of the Stewart's project, the commission approved a plan for Maranatha Ministries to shift its parking to Bradt Street and Broadway while Stewart's parking would be at the corner of Thompson Street and Broadway and on land once used by the vacant, century-old Broadway United Methodist Church that will be demolished along with a home next door on Broadway.

Andrews said Stewart's will allow an architectural company to salvage what it can from the building before it comes down. Inside are pews, stained glass windows and other religious artifacts.

The agreement with Maranatha keeps high traffic volume off Bradt Street, which is a one-way.

After the new Stewart's opens, the one located a few blocks away at Broadway and Fairview Avenue, will eventually close.

Jacqui Hurd, president of Bellevue Preservation expressed concerns about what will replace the old Stewart's and if the new tenants or owners will be good neighbors.

Andrews said Stewart's doesn't yet have a tenant but it wouldn't be a convenience store because that would be competition. He assured Hurd there were no plans to close the Bonfare store on Broadway down the street that carries Stewart's products.

The commission's action on the casino project follows the need to split up the parcel for financing purposes, said David Buicko, chief operating officer with Rotterdam-based Galesi Group. His company is partnering with Rush Street Gaming of Chicago on the $480 million project that features the casino, a marina and condos along with two hotels on the former Alco property on Erie Boulevard.

Approval for the two-story 22,440-square-foot office/clinic building on the edge of downtown will feature brick on the building, a new parking lot on the east side of the property with two trees and the main entrance off State Street.

Commissioner Mary Moore Wallinger told John Roth of Schenectady-based Highbridge Development that she was impressed with the architecture.

"I've long driven by that site and wished it looked different than it had," said Wallinger.

At Wednesday's meeting, Wallinger was elected chairwoman of the nine-member panel, and Bradley Lewis was chosen as vice chair, the post Wallinger formerly held.

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347  @apaulnelson
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Albany

It took a federal jury an hour to find Edward Leon guilty of lying under oath about his presence at the scene of a 2013 house fire that killed four people  including the man whose life Leon had threatened in the weeks leading up to the small inferno.

Yet it took federal prosecutors in Albany nearly three years to finally concede a critical detail in the botched investigation of the fire that engulfed the Hulett Street residence that May: They now suspect Leon started it.

In recent court filings, the Justice Department also acknowledged their suspicion that Leon was behind another fire  just six weeks earlier  in which he boasted of being the hero who rescued his ex-girlfriend and children from a burning residence that he was seen carrying a gas can into the day before the blaze.

Given those suspicions, the government is asking that Leon, 43, of St. Johnsville, be given a maximum 10-year prison term when he is sentenced Friday for perjury. The government is pushing for the maximum sentence even though Leon was never charged with involvement in either fire, the second of which killed three children and left a fifth victim, a young girl, badly disfigured and with burns across 75 percent of her body.

The investigation drew controversy when police and federal agents initially zeroed in on a group of drug addicts, charging one of them with capital murder but later dismissing the charges when new information surfaced about Leon's actions on the night of the fire.

In a recent memorandum filed in U.S. District Court, an assistant U.S. attorney invoked the government's uncharged suspicions of Leon as the government asked U.S. District Senior Judge Gary L. Sharpe to severely punish Leon for lying to a federal grand jury in the early stages of the investigation.

"There is significant evidence of the defendant's involvement with the arson homicide at 438 Hulett St. in Schenectady on May 2, 2013," wrote first assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Jaquith.

The Schenectady fire killed David Terry, 32; his 3-year-old daughter, Layah; 2-year-old son, Michael; and the children's 11-month-old half-brother, Donovan Duell. Terry's 5-year-old daughter Sa'fyre was critically injured but survived. A holiday Facebook campaign on behalf of the girl several months ago garnered national attention as she received an outpouring of sympathy that included 1.7 million cards and packages, including some from President Barack Obama and pop stars Beyonce and Katy Perry.

Jaquith's memo to Sharpe contained details of Leon's criminal record, including two convictions for "acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17," two disorderly conduct convictions that resolved child endangerment charges; a harassment conviction in 2003; and a conviction in 2005 for contempt of court. The details of the charges were not immediately available last week.

The memo said there was "significant evidence of the defendant's involvement with another arson," a reference to the earlier blaze on March 17, 2013 at the home Leon shared with his ex-girlfriend, Brianne Frolke, on New Street in St. Johnsville.

Prosecutors said Frolke was the source of Leon's rage because she planned to marry Terry and often visited him at his Schenectady residence.

The prior summer, Leon was overheard saying that if Frolke left him he planned to burn down the New Street apartment with Frolke and their children in it, the memo states.

"On the day of the fire or the day before, (Leon) was seen approaching 9 New St. on foot carrying a gas can," Jaquith wrote.

The St. Johnsville fire was initially considered electrical or accidental, but federal agents later said gasoline was detected in the charred remnants. Still, Leon was never charged and the investigation was dropped.

In the days leading up to the deadly fire on Hulett Street, Leon anonymously sent disturbing text-messages to Terry on a prepaid TracFone cellphone. On April 26, 2013, Leon also left Frolke a voicemail asking for Terry's address. Leon, according to prosecutors, said that he wished to "take care of this once and for all."

Leon later admitted he received Terry's address after sending the text messages, which appear highly incriminating. One called Terry a "dead man walking. Others said "Die Dave Die" and that Terry would not live to see his wedding day.

"I will make the devil look like a saint now," Leon warned Terry in one message. "You should have never brought this side of me out but u just ad now it's my time."

Leon wrote that "the devil will learn from me" and "there will b nothing that can stop what is going to happen fun fun fun ha ha ha ha ha."

Another message said: "The gates of hell have opened upon you."

Another said: "Hell will b my playground ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."

Another man, Robert Butler of Saratoga Springs, was initially charged with the killings and faced the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of federal arson. But in February 2014, U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian's office dropped the charges against Butler in the wake of evidence implicating Leon that was gathered by former Albany police detective Thomas Kubisch, an investigator for the federal public defender's office that represented Butler.

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The case against Butler was based partly on statements from Jennica Duell, the mother of the children who died. Duell, who once admitted to a probation officer that she "microwaved a kitten when she was a child," is set for trial May 16 before Sharpe on charges she also lied to the federal grand jury. She had claimed Butler was responsible for the blaze.

In 2014, Butler's attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Timothy Austin, made it clear he believed Leon was behind the deadly fire, saying there was "indisputable video evidence that someone else committed the crime."

That evidence, first reported by the Times Union, revealed that Leon's distinctive van was captured by street surveillance footage in Schenectady on the night of the Hulett Street fire  just minutes after it started. More details emerged before, during and after Leon's trial which could be considered highly incriminating to Leon, including the fact that he initially claimed he was not in Schenectady when the fire happened and later admitted that he had been across the street from the blaze.

At his perjury trial, Leon did not testify. His attorney, David Gruenberg, did not present a defense. The defense lawyer's memo to the judge openly acknowledged Leon's status as the "focus of the investigation" into the killings.

Leon was convicted of lying to the grand jury on Nov. 22, 2013. Leon claimed that on the morning of the fatal fire, he drove from his home, stopped at a Cumberland Farms in Palatine Bridge and went to his job in Amsterdam without ever stopping in Schenectady. He changed his story in a videotaped interrogation on Jan. 2, 2014 with Schenectady Police Detective Eric Hesch and Special Agent Mark Maher of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"Why have you been lying to us for the last two months?" Maher asked Leon.

"Because the fact that I was in the area at the time," Leon said.

"It's just a hell of a coincidence?" Maher asked.

"Yep," Leon responded.

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU
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Albany

Release of the Assembly and Senate budget proposals this week marks a milestone in the annual countdown to a state budget.

But this year the process may move a bit quicker, at least in one chamber, thanks to Donald Trump.

His presence on the April 19 New York presidential primary ballot has drawn the attention of Senate Republicans and Democrats who know that it will likely prompt a high voter turnout.

For them, the race for the White House is secondary to a special election for Long Island's 9th Senate District seat, which was vacated when former GOP Majority Leader Dean Skelos was convicted of corruption in December.

In that race, Democratic Assemblyman and former prosecutor Todd Kaminsky is facing Republican Chris McGrath, an attorney in private practice.

The outcome will determine whether Republicans maintain their one-seat outright majority or whether Democrats take that away.

While control of the Senate agenda would still hinge on the Independent Democratic Caucus, aligned with the GOP, the race for the 9th District will be unusually hard-fought

That means some Senate staffers will likely take "vacation'' or "compensatory'' time off from their government jobs to work on their respective party candidates' campaigns in the days and even weeks up the vote.

It's a long-standing practice in the Legislature and is allowed under the rules.

"We have seen it before,'' said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the state League of Women Voters.

The custom is complicated this year by several key dates, the biggest of which is the April 1 budget deadline.

Breaking the deadline  which hasn't happened in five years  could make it more difficult to focus on Long Island as April 19 approaches. There's already talk of the Senate canceling session days the week before the 19th, which adds to the push to wrap things up by April 1.

"This place is going to look like a ghost town once the budget is done,'' one staffer said recently.

There are other deadlines to deal with as well.

Easter is on March 27 and there are no session days planned that week on Holy Thursday or Good Friday.

The budget countdown comes in a year when the state has money to spend.

"If they have enough money to throw at this, they could be out of here,'' said Bartoletti, referring to the various budget items lawmakers are seeking.

As for what the spending plan actually looks like, much was released in the lead-up to the formal kickoff Monday of three weeks of budget negotiations.

Senate Republicans want an increase of $1.6 billion for education aid; the Assembly Democrats want $2.1 billion. The Senate GOP wants a tax cut plan that would reduce middle-class income taxes by 25 percent by 2025; the Assembly Democrats want a small middle-class income tax-rate cut and increases for high-wealth earners. Both are warm to a paid family-leave program, though, as Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan put it, "a lot of people do support the concept of paid family leave, but like anything else the devil's in the details."

The minimum wage remains a sticking point, with the Assembly including in its budget plan provisions for an increase to $15. Flanagan denied a Monday report that he is close to an agreement on the wage with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

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"I would not represent now, as I haven't before, that we are close to a reality because we are having very, very detailed discussions," he said.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco, who has stood steadfast against the $15 number, said there must be further economic study to see whether such a wage makes sense.

Before the two legislative chambers took up the so-called one-house budget resolutions, good-government groups decried what some have seen as a silence on ethics reforms in the first session following the conviction of the two former legislative leaders.

The Assembly released an ethics package on Friday. On Monday, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the plan is to take up that legislation on Tuesday.

"In Albany, unfortunately, the curtains are tightly drawn when it comes to what the public can see in all these deliberations," NYPIRG's Blair Horner said. "When it comes to ethics ... what we see are nothing from the state Senate and almost sort of a dartboard approach to what the outside income limit should be in the Assembly."

The Assembly plan calls for a cap of lawmakers' outside incomes at 40 percent of the state Supreme Court justice salary, which is $174,000, making the 40 percent cap worth up to $69,600.

As the good-government advocates criticized such a cap as arbitrary, Heastie cautioned against getting hung up on the percentage and the type of salary that percentage is linked to.

"I think you are worrying about why we came up with 40 percent instead of concentrating on the message of what I'm saying, which is that we wanted to make it clear that a majority of your income should be from (being) a legislator," he told reporters.

Of wanting to make the April 1 deadline, Flanagan said from the Senate floor, "It's very good to get the budget done on time, but in reality, that's the law. I don't know that we should be getting all kinds of hoo-has and accolades for things that we do which are in compliance with the law."

rkarlin@timesunion.com  518-454-5758  @RickKarlinTU
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Albany

Sana Mustafa completed a six-week U.S. State Department leadership program in Washington and was preparing to return home to Syria when her father, Ali Mustafa, an anti-government activist, was kidnapped by police in July 2013 during a crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

He has not been heard from since.

Mustafa's mother and two sisters fled to Gaziantep in southern Turkey, just over the Syrian border, where they struggle to pay rent on a cramped studio apartment and eke out a living with her sister's meager wages as an online journalist covering the war.

"I was not allowed to go back because it was unsafe and I had to stay here, with nothing. I was so sad and it was a big struggle that first year, just trying to survive with so much uncertainty," said Mustafa, 24, a senior at Bard College who will graduate in December with a bachelor's degree in political science. She taught herself English and learned a new culture in two years.

Mustafa will participate in a Thursday panel discussion, "Facing the Global Immigration and Refugee Crisis," at the Rockefeller Institute in Albany. It kicks off a celebration of immigrants and cultural diversity in the Capital Region. A monthlong series of exhibits, lectures and performances will culminate in an Albany Pro Musica Concert, "A City of Immigrants," on April 3 at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

More Information Panel discussion What: "Facing the Global Immigration and Refugee Crisis" When: 1 p.m. Thursday. Where: Rockefeller Institute of Government, 411 State St., Albany Info.: Free; www.rockinst.org Note: For a full schedule of "A City of Immigrants" events, go to www.albanypromusica.org Contact Paul Grondahl at 518-454-5623 or email pgrondahl@timesunion.com See More Collapse

The events connect, educate and demystify often overlooked experiences of immigrants and refugees, from centuries past to those arriving weekly from the other side of the world.

"I'm coming to Albany to put a human face on refugees and to show we are not terrorists, we are not statistics, we exist and we could end up living next door to you," Mustafa said.

"We need to remind ourselves that these new refugees are much like the Irish, German and Italian immigrants who came to America a century ago," said Jill Peckenpaugh, director of the Albany field office of the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants. She is also one of Thursday's panelists. The refugee resettlement group directs federal funds to help refugee families find and furnish apartments, enroll in English language classes and secure employment. With local volunteers and small donations, since 2005 USCRI has resettled more than 3,100 refugees from a dozen troubled countries, including Myanmar, Thailand, Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal and Eritrea. Another 400 are expected to arrive in Albany this year.

"The media focuses on the 1 million refugees who have reached Europe in the past year, but we deal with 60 million currently displaced people, half of them children," said Maher Nasser, another panelist and the director of the outreach division for the United Nations' department of public information.

Nasser understands the refugee experience. He grew up in Ramallah, a city in the Palestinian Territories within the West Bank, began working for the U.N. nearly 30 years ago and served in Jerusalem, Vienna and Cairo before settling in New York City five years ago.

"The Palestinian refugee situation has been there since 1948 and until a political situation is found, the role of the U.N. is required because the blockade on Gaza has destroyed the local economy," Nasser said. He noted that 500,000 Palestinian refugees fled to Syria for employment and more than 300,000 of them are displaced within Syria, dislodged by a civil war that broke out in 2011 and created more than 4 million Syrian refugees in the past five years  the worst migrant crisis since World War II.

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"The Middle East region is the most unstable it's been in recent history and people are desperate to find a safe place where their children have a chance for a better future," said Nasser, who sees reason for optimism against the bleak backdrop.

The U.N. appealed for $20 billion in late 2015 for humanitarian assistance to 87 million people across 37 countries. U.N. member-states have contributed about $10 billion so far, compared to $4 billion a decade ago. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon organized the first World Humanitarian Summit to be held in May in Istanbul, Turkey, to address future humanitarian challenges.

"If we work hand in hand, we can deal with the root causes of poverty, hunger, gender inequality and diseases and reduce the flow of refugees and displaced people," Nasser said. "I see light at the end of the tunnel."

Mustafa, whose first name means "the brightest sky in the star," is also hopeful. Her family owned a small frozen fruit and vegetable business in Masyaf in the Hama province in northwestern Syria before the revolution. She'd like to attend graduate school, but she may have to find a job to help support her mother and sisters in Turkey. They've applied for refugee status and seek asylum in the U.S., but the vetting process of refugees  the most stringent background checks of anyone entering America takes about two years.

So far, about 2,470 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the U.S. President Obama has promised to admit another 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year, in addition to 70,000 refugees the U.S. typically allows annually.

Mustafa has come to love the Hudson Valley and the brightest star in the sky would love nothing better than to bring her family here and make it home.

pgrondahl@timesunion.com  518-454-5623
Chennai: Demanding strict action against those responsible for the honour killing at Udumalpet on Sunday, Peoples Welfare Alliance leaders have said those who inject venom in the minds of people on the basis of caste are the worst enemies of society.

It is very shocking that the land of social justice and Periyar is standing out to be the land of honour killings. I am ashamed of it. Social awareness must be injected in peoples minds. Those who are whipping up flames of casteism, injecting venom and poison in the minds of people on the basis of casteism, are the worst enemies of society, PWA coordinator and MDMK general secretary Vaiko told reporters here.

On Sunday, an armed gang rode into Udumalpet and hacked a 22-year-old Dalit boy in broad daylight. His wife was injured. Whichever party they belong to, strong action should be taken. An atmosphere should be created by all political parties that this land of Periyar should not become a land of honour killings, Vaiko said.

CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the gruesome murder of the Dalit youth was the 81st incident of honour killing in the last three years. Despite the State witnessing more honour killings, the government is still in a denial mode. Last year, when opposition parties sought passing of a separate legislation to prevent honour killings, the then Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam denied any such incident in the State and dismissed need for such a law, he pointed out. He added that PWA in its CMP has promised to bring in a separate legislation against honour killings if voted to power.

VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan alleged that inaction of State government against those parties which are openly spreading canards against inter-caste and inter religious marriages has led to an increase in honour killings. He cautioned that the Kongu belt was facing rising caste clashes and government should check the trend as caste outfits are fanning flames with an eye on elections. When asked to name the parties spreading casteism, he said everybody knows who they are. The TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan also condemned the honour killing.
Friday evening last proved to be a red latter day in the history of The Cathedral Town as the final meeting of Thurles Town Council, took place in the chamber at Slievenamon Road.

Friday evening last proved to be a red latter day in the history of The Cathedral Town as the final meeting of Thurles Town Council, took place in the chamber at Slievenamon Road.

154 years ago the council was formed to look after the needs of the townfolk, but now, like so many other Town Councils throughout the land, they are to be abolished with the stroke of a pen and replaced with municipal districts. As and from June 1st, Thurles Town Council will be no more and will be consigned to history.

The council leaves a magnificent legacy in the form of so much social housing; brilliant infrastructure for water, sewerage, roads, footpaths; an environmental programme which seeks to promote and protect in equal measure; and a system of governance which has served the people for 15 and a half decades.

All of this was something worth celebrating and the council members did just that on Friday evening having completed their last meeting.

There was indeed an air of sadness in the chamber as the final chapter was written. All members described the decision by Environment Minister Phil Hogan as regrettable and wrong, but said that with the future so uncertain and unsure in terms of how the new districts will work out, Thurles is on a firm footing and should be able to adapt to the changes being enforced.

Mayor Michael Grogan, having spoken about the impact the council has made over the last five years and some of the big decisions taken, invited members to have their say and contribute to what he described as an historic debate. All members did and all paid tribute to the current management and staff, as well as to past staff members and management who had worked so hard to steer the council in a progressive direction.

Councillor John Kenehan was the longest serving member on the current council having been elected on four consecutive occasions, followed by Councillors John Kennedy, Jim Ryan, Noel ODwyer, Michael Grogan, David Doran, Evelyn Nevin and Gerard Fogarty who was co-opted during the lifetime of the council in place of Gerard OBrien who took up the position of State Solicitor for Tipperary and had to resign his seat.

Town Manager Mr Matt Shortt, who served as Town Engineer earlier in his career, said that there was always a great sense of pride associated with Thurles Town Council staff and management. Problems which cropped were sorted out and he made particular reference to the jovial but at times robust exchanges in the chamber - none more so than during the lifetime of the current council.

Mr Shortt added that the success of Thurles under the new model would be down to the people working within it and he looked forward to the town progressing and developing.

There was a special round of applause for Thurles Town Clerk Mr Michael Ryan - the longest serving Town Clerk currently in Local Government in Ireland at this time. A legend in local government circles known throughout the length and breadth of the country, Michael has given virtually all of his career to the town and has run a very efficient, caring and progressive authority.

Mr Ryan spoke warmly about the council and told councillors, tongue in cheek, than a lot had been achieved despite them. When starting out in his career with the County Council in Nenagh he was informed, he said, that there were two sides to local government - common sense and law. At this stage in his career, he could safely say that common sense always wins out and would always promote an outlook of being non-judgemental when dealing with people. There were no textbooks to deal with some of the problems which arose, he said, but by speaking to people and working with them, generally the solution was found.

Reflecting on the up-coming local elections, he wished all candidates well and said that it takes a lot of courage to put the name on the ballot paper. He noted that when the council was formed back in 1861 the three major projects were the provision of public lighting, the sinking of pumps for a water scheme, and the paving of streets - not a lot has changed really, he said.

However the jewel in the crown has been the provision of housing. The number of houses provided by this council over the years has been unreal and as a local authority we can be very proud of that. I feel that the council is the closest to the people because we can actually make things happen. I would always argue that the County Council deals with files, whereas the Town Council deals with people. Thats the difference, he said.

County Manager Mr Joe MacGrath was present for the occasion and he addressed the members as well as the celebration in the Anner Hotel afterwards which included past members, management and staff, and current members, management and staff.

In thanking the elected members, management and staff, he looked forward to the new regime and said that Thurles can proceed with confidence as a new chapter begins. He gave a firm commitment to pursue the infrastructural projects currently in the pipeline and said that Thurles has a very strong positive message to sell.

Past councillors gone to their eternal reward were remembered on the night including the likes of the late Paddy Durack and Anne Mernagh who had served with many of the current members. Former members who attended the function included: Antoin OBriain, Mae Quinn, Billy Quinlan, Michael Sutton, Andrew Callanan, Sean Costelloe, Paddy Barry and Martin Ryan.

Former management members included Messrs. John McGinley, Risteard ODomhnaill, Terry ONiaidh and Tom Barry - all former Managers, and long serving council official Alice OConnell.

The evening was a great success - a fitting celebration to make the end of an era in The Cathedral Town.
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[March 14, 2016] AHF Praises European Commission for 100M Increase in Its Global Fund Contribution to 470M

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, today praised the European Commission (EC) for announcing that it will up European Union's contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to 470 million for the 2017-2019 grant cycle, an increase of 100 million over the previous three-year period. The announcement officially launches the fundraising period for the Global Fund, which will culminate in a pledging conference later this year at a yet to be determined location, according to an EC press release. For the upcoming replenishment, the Global Fund set a target of $13 billion, which is $2 billion lower than the target for the preceding replenishment. In 2013, while fundraising for the 2014-2016 cycle, the Fund came up $3 billion short of the target. The move by the EC will hopefully serve as an example and inspire European donors to strengthen their commitments to the Global Fund. Last year, AHF criticized Denmark after it too the unprecedented and alarming step of announcing that it would cut its contribution to the Global Fund by nearly $20 million, after years of strong support by the Nordic state.



"We applaud the European Commission for the substantial increase in its contribution to the Global Fund, despite the geopolitical challenges facing the region right now," said Loretta Wong, Senior Director of Global Advocacy and Policy at AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "The EC understands that the spread of infectious diseases is interwoven with migration and political stability. Therefore, now is the time to scale up, not down, the global response to AIDS, TB and malaria. We hope this announcement will serve as a catalyst for other donors to announce large increases in their contributions." The Global Fund is the largest multilateral funder of the response to the three epidemics. It provides lifesaving antiretroviral treatment to 8.6 million people, TB testing and treatment for 15 million and has distributed 600 million anti-malarial nets. Its continued success and sustainability will be closely tied to the outcome of this year's replenishment.

"We are at a definitive point in the global fight on AIDS; this fact is borne out by the health statistics and real-life circumstance on the ground," said Terri Ford (News - Alert), AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy. "More people than ever are accessing treatment, but the gaps are still immense. We routinely hear of stockouts of essential supplies like test kits, condoms and drugs around the world. If we want to beat AIDS, this cannot be allowed to happen, because the alternative would be the resurgence of the epidemic that we have fought so hard to contain and reverse. The world must come together and scale up funding in a big way - particularly the donor countries that have the resources to do more, such as China, Germany and Japan." AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 598,000 individuals in 35 countries worldwide in the U.S., Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314006465/en/

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[March 15, 2016] German Municipal Government Modernizes Backup With Quantum DXi Deduplication Appliances and Veeam Software

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Corp. (NYSE: QTM) today announced Germany's District of Lippe is using a combination of the company's DXi deduplication appliances and Veeam availability solutions to protect its expansive virtual environment and successfully manage dramatically increased data volumes, changes in supported services and evolving technology. The streamlined backup and restore operation has benefited the entire organization, cutting the time needed for restoring files in half and leaving more time to support the rest of the IT infrastructure. "The combination of DXi and Veeam is just ideal for us," said Tim Veers, head of Information Technology, District of Lippe. "Backup processes run reliably, and Veeam ensures that the VM servers are backed up every day, as required. We feel much more secure. The systems run soundly, we get good backup rates and we can retain more backup sets thanks to the very high deduplication rates." [Suggested tweet: District of Lippe chooses @QuantumCorp and @Veeam to protect #virtualstorage environment http://qntm.co/1QAQzxR] Protecting Data in an Evolving Environment

The District of Lippe administers a range of vital services for 16 separate urban centers and a rural population, and the IT department manages over 1,500 separate end-user devices. The data sets the District generates and stores form a critical asset. As the District's server environment evolved, data protection was a constant challenge, and restoring data was complex and time consuming. Working with system integrator PMCS, the IT team initially installed two DXi systems for fast and efficient deduplication and replication  one in the central district office and a second, smaller appliance in a remote service training center. Backups were written to the first DXi by the legacy backup software nightly, and by day the backup set was replicated to the second appliance for off-site protection. Data in both locations was directly visible to the IT staff, and most restores were simple. However, the legacy backup application began to struggle with backing up virtual machines (VMs), and a year later Lippe's IT department chose new availability software by Veeam to address the problem. Eventually the team deployed Veeam Endpoint Backup to protect physical servers as well, for shorter backup windows and accelerated recovery. Addressing the Growth Challenge

In 2014, the District of Lippe added the administration of public employment agencies to its list of responsibilities. Coupled with new, higher resolution images associted with mapping and geospatial work, data volumes nearly doubled overnight. The team could no longer complete nightly backups. As a result, the District added a new, larger DXi featuring higher capacity, faster throughput and expanded scalability. Today the system includes 15 physical servers and more than 180 VMs, and its data is used by over 1,500 separate end-user devices spread across more than 40 locations.



Backups to the new DXi are now completed nightly. Each morning, the backup is replicated to the other DXi in the main data center and to the remote site for disaster recovery protection. Servers located at the secondary site are also backed up locally, and copies are replicated to the main data center, so all of the data has multiple copies in different sites. In addition, the District uses a Quantum Scalar i500 tape library for the long-term retention component of their data protection strategy. The new DXi provides deduplication rates of 29:1, and bandwidth savings up to 136:1, so the entire replication process usually takes less than 30 minutes. As a result of the streamlined backups and restores, the Lippe IT department can spend less time managing backups and more time tending to other IT support requirements for the organization.

"Organizations like the District of Lippe are coping with a shifting technical landscape that requires them to rethink how they store and protect data," said Doug Hazelman, vice president, Product Strategy, Veeam. "The combination of Veeam availability solutions and Quantum storage provides a scalable solution to maximize the value of digital assets over their entire lifecycle." "IT departments worldwide are challenged to maintain data availability for virtual environments," noted Robert Clark, senior vice president, Product Operations, Quantum. "By combining Quantum disk with Veeam's unique features, the District of Lippe has found a way to protect the growing data volumes of their VMs." Additional Resources Read the District of Lippe case study: www.quantum.com/customerstories/districtoflippe/index.aspx

For a solution brief describing the Quantum-Veeam approach to protecting VMs: www.quantum.com/pr/quantum-veeam-solution-brief

For a copy of the Veeam and Quantum DXi validation technical brief: www.quantum.com/pr/veeam-dxi-validation About Quantum

Quantum is a leading expert in scale-out storage, archive and data protection, providing solutions for capturing, sharing and preserving digital assets over the entire data lifecycle. From small businesses to major enterprises, more than 100,000 customers have trusted Quantum to address their most demanding data workflow challenges. With Quantum, customers can Be Certain they have the end-to-end storage foundation to maximize the value of their data by making it accessible whenever and wherever needed, retaining it indefinitely and reducing total cost and complexity. See how at www.quantum.com/customerstories. Quantum, the Quantum logo, Be Certain, DXi and Scalar are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. "Safe Harbor" Statement: This press release contains "forward-looking" statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Specifically, but without limitation, statements relating to: 1) benefits for customers from using Quantum's products and solutions, including its DXi appliances and Scalar libraries, and combining them with Veeam solutions and 2) customer demand for and Quantum's future revenue from such products and solutions are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Quantum on the date hereof. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Quantum's actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. More detailed information about these risk factors are set forth in Quantum's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Risk Factors," in Quantum's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 5, 2016 and in Quantum's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2015. Quantum expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Public Relations Contact:

Bob Wientzen

Quantum Corporation

+1 (720) 201-8125

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141209/163323LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/german-municipal-government-modernizes-backup-with-quantum-dxi-deduplication-appliances-and-veeam-software-300236016.html SOURCE Quantum Corp.

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[March 14, 2016] Technavio Announces Top Six Vendors in the Global Skin Packaging Market from 2016 to 2020

Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recent global skin packaging market report. This research report also lists 10 other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The global skin packaging market is composed of a variety of multinational and local vendors. It is highly competitive because of the presence of a large number of established players in the market. Vendors compete based on a variety of factors such as performance, innovation, product features, quality, cost, and financial stability. According to Sharan Raj, a lead research analyst at Technavio for packaging, "Companies with higher technical and financial resources than others can develop products that can make their competitors' products obsolete and non-competitive even before they are launched or the R&D and commercialization costs have been recovered." Request sample report: http://goo.gl/KBqUX3 Top six vendors for skin packaging market Bemis Bemis was established in 1885 and is headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, US. The company manufactures and distributes packaging products worldwide. Its products are mainly sold to customers in the food industry. Its other customers comprise companies in various industries such as chemical, medical, personal care, automotive, and construction. In 2014, the company launched the Clean Peel pouch, thermoformed trays, sealants, and Bemis polycarbonate thermoformed parts. The company acquired Foshan New Changsheng Plastics Films in 2013 to provide cost and logistics benefits and to expand its presence in the packaging market in APAC. In addition, the company has invested USD 185 million to increase its growth and productivity development worldwide. Berry Plastics Berry Plastics was established in 1967 and is headquartered in Evansville, the US. The company provides value-added plastic consumer packaging and engineered materials such as drinking cups, bottles, thin-wall containers, specialty films, prescription vials, adhesives, specialty closures, and corrosion protection materials. It also caters to various end markets including food and beverage, healthcare, and personal care The company has set up its manufacturing as well as distribution centers in various countries such as the US, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, France, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Malaysia, India, China, and the Netherlands.



Clondalkin Group Holdings Clondalkin was established in 1963 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company undertakes the production and supply of high value-added packaging products to several markets such as home and personal care, food and beverage, fast moving consumer goods, agricultural and horticultural, and industrial.

The company classifies its product portfolio into foils and laminates, lidding and sleeves, films, cartons, and labels and leaflets. The other creative solutions of the company include booklets, extended content labels, INFO-SERT, and Pouch-Sert. As of 2014, the company had 4,000 employees. LINPAC LINPAC was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, UK. The company engages the development, manufacture, and marketing of plastic packaging solutions for various end-markets such as retail, catering, and food manufacturing in the UK. The company focuses on producing a range of high barrier packaging solutions for the vacuum packaging market. Its offerings include LINtherm Vac D that provides a range of thermoforming films made for MAP and vacuum applications. It is also used for enhancing the shelf appeal of the products. Mondini Mondini was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Cologne, Italy. The company focuses on the manufacture and sale of innovative and creative tray sealing solutions for the local producers of frozen ready meals in Italy. Key highlights August 27, 2015: Launches the Darfresh on Tray technology jointly with Sealed Air for its product line of tray sealers

July 20, 2015: Harpak- ULMA introduces its latest technology for vacuum packaging for larger meat by collaborating with G. Mondini for producing the Super Protruding package with Mondini's Trave series tray seal equipment Sealed Air Sealed Air was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in North Carolina, US. The company offers products and solutions for food safety and security, facility hygiene, and product protection. Key highlights October 1, 2015: Enters into an agreement with Faerch Plast AS (a provider of food packaging solutions based in Europe) for the sale of its European food trays business. This agreement includes its manufacturing plants in Poole, the UK, and Bunol, Spain.

April 15, 2015: Acquires Intellibot Robotics, which is into the development of robotic commercial floor cleaning machines

April 2, 2015: Announces the sale of its North American absorbent pads and foam trays businesses to NOVIPAX Browse Related Reports: Global Tube Packaging Market 2015-2019

Global Pharmaceutical Packaging Market 2016-2020

Global Flexible Paper Packaging 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314005526/en/

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[March 14, 2016]

TVRunway Only Project Entrepreneur Finalist From Video Tech

NEW YORK, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TVRunway is the only television commerce company selected as a 2016 Project Entrepreneur finalist. Sponsored by Rent the Runway and UBS, Project Entrepreneur is a national competition honoring innovative, woman-owned businesses.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343986LOGO

"We're the only finalist from both video tech and t-commerce," said TVRunway CEO Terena Bell, "and I think that really says soething about how quickly TVRunway is growing as a company."







The 150 finalists will convene April 9-10 in New York City. A full list is available at ProjectEntrepreneur.org.

About TVRunway:

TVRunway is the television industry's first OTT commerce platform that doesn't edit, tag or alter the original video in any way. Instead, TVRunway's API uses machine learning algorithms to match clothing in the video with 300+ retailers' current inventory in order to provide real-time, in-player search results. Learn more at TVRunwayIt.com.

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/tvrunway-only-project-entrepreneur-finalist-from-video-tech-300235772.html

SOURCE TVRunway
New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said it is extremely unfortunate that some 'shameful' people have expressed their opposition to raising pro-national slogans.

Naidu's remark came in the wake of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi's rant that he would not raise slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' to prove his loyalty to the nation.

Read: Won't chant 'hail Mother India', not in Constitution: Owaisi tells RSS

"India is our mother and no one should have objection to pay obeisance to mother. It is the misfortune of the country that some people object to it. They are shameless. Some parties are backing such forces; it is unfortunate. There is no need to pressurize anyone or there is no need of a law to respect our mother," Naidu told the media here.

An adamant Owaisi had on Monday said that he backed his earlier remark and said he has not violated any law.

"I stand by my statement. Why should I raise such a slogan to prove my loyalty to this country? I have not violated any law," Owaisi said.

Owaisi's comments came in wake of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion that the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India.

The RSS chief had earlier said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India. Bhagwat's comments came against the backdrop of the row over alleged anti-India sloganeering in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on February 9.
[March 15, 2016] ICT Award Recipients Identified by Judges; Awards to be Presented at 2016 Frost & Sullivan Malaysia Excellence Awards Banquet

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- An independent panel of judges sat down recently to identify the deserving recipients of the 2016 Frost & Sullivan Malaysia Excellence Awards  ICT Category. The Malaysia Excellence Awards banquet will be held on April 14, at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344214 Mr. Ajay Sunder, Vice President of Digital Transformation, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific said that it is important to recognize Malaysian companies who are driving innovation and achieving best practices in the ICT industry. "The objective of this awards program is to help drive innovation, excellence and a positive change in the industry by recognizing best-in-class products, companies and individuals. We hope that this recognition will inspire them and others to work hard, push boundaries and achieve new heights," he said. Mr. Sunder also thanked the judges for allocating time out of their busy schedule to ensure that the award recipients are truly the best in the industry. "The independent panel of judges plays an important role in ensuring that the awards program remains robust and exciting," he said. The Malaysia Excellence Awards aims to recognize Malaysian companies 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 in order to identify best practices. The findings of the detailed evaluation are then presented to a panel of independent judges comprising of key industry leaders in Malaysia, to decide the recipient for each category. Below are the esteemed judges who decided on the 2016 Frost & Sullivan Malaysia ExcellenceAwards ICT categories:



Ajay Sunder , Vice President, Frost & Sullivan Tn. Hj Aisharuddin bin Nuruddin, Senior Director, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Dato Ng Wan Peng , COO, Multimedia Development Corporation Peter Chan , Director, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise S. Letchumanan A/L Shanmugam, Under Secretary, International Division, KKMM Vino Nair, Editor-in-Chief, Business Today There will be a total of seventeen awards presented at the awards ceremony. They are: M2M Service Provider of the Year

MVNO Service Provider of the Year

Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year

Mobile Service Provider of the Year

Fixed Broadband Service Provider of the Year

Telecom Service Provider of the Year

Network Firewall Vendor of the Year*

Managed Security Services Provider of the Year*

Web Security Vendor of the Year*

Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) Vendor of the Year*

Advanced Persistent Threat Solution Vendor of the Year*

Managed Service Provider of the Year*

Data Center Service Provider of the Year*

BPO Service Provider of the Year*

Most Promising IoT Enabler*

Innovative Smart City Solution Provider of the Year*

Telecom Wholesale Service Provider of the Year* The awards banquet is by invitation only. Please visit our awards website at http://www.malaysia-awards.com 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.

*These awards were pre-judged internally by Frost & Sullivan analysts and shared with the external panel of judges. 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 Carrie Low

Corporate Communications  Asia Pacific

Phone: +603.6204.5910

Email: [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ict-award-recipients-identified-by-judges-awards-to-be-presented-at-2016-frost--sullivan-malaysia-excellence-awards-banquet-300236019.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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[March 15, 2016] Frost & Sullivan's GIL 2016: Thailand to Identify Opportunities and Strategies for Growth in a Competitive Environment

BANGKOK, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Thailand's accelerated economic growth in 2015 and commitment towards creating a culture of innovation in this era of converging industries will spearhead the country's vision for 2020. With the government striving to leverage innovation in research and development to pave its way towards becoming a smart nation, enterprises will need to identify strategies to meet this endeavor. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344217 On 23rd March 2016, leaders and visionary innovators of Thailand will congregate at Dusit Thani, Bangkok for Frost & Sullivan's global executive summit GIL 2016: Thailand, to deliberate on what companies can expect in the future. The congress will explore how digital transformation is changing distinct industry verticals and how companies in the country can leverage digital assets to drive desired business expansion. Koh Eng Lok, Country Head, Thailand said, "The Thai Government's strategic Super-Cluster policy calls for an increased integration of research, academic, and public-private assets into core industry cluster ecosystems. These are mission critical elements to support workforce development, infrastructure, logistics, and technology and help businesses become more efficient and competitive and create an ecosystem for an optimal operating environment for both Thai businesses and foreign companies to operate successfully in Thailand or make Thailand their ASEAN headquarters." "Through interactive think tanks, CEO panel discussions & keynote sessions across industries, GIL 2016: Thailand incorporates many visionary perspectives and best practices. Insights into future technological predictions and how these will impact and transform your business and society are discussed to help industry leaders identify opportunities and strategies to thrive and survive in the competitive world of tomorrow," added Mr Koh. Frost & Sullivan's senior executives and analysts will be joined by eminent industry experts as they share their success stories and perspectives. In an interactive session, Andrew Milroy, Senior Vice President, ICT, Asia Pacific, Frost & Sullivan, will hos Heather Suskem, CEO, South & Southeast Asia and Middle East from OCS Group; Montree Sornpaisarn CEO, Maybank Kim Eng Securities Thailand; Oh Lock Soon, Managing Director, Keppel Thai Properties Public Company Limited and Sukanya Janchoo, General Manager of Dusit Thani Bangkok, to discuss their predictions and vision on the future of Thailand. The event will also feature Visionary Innovation Think Tanks on Industry 4.0, New Business Models in Healthcare, Digital Transformation and the Internet of Things(IoT), Future of Energy, Future of Material.



Beside the workshops, visionary innovation think tank sessions and succinct presentations will showcase the significant mega trends and their potential impact on business environments. With significant insights on industries and visionary innovation, the global congress will be a hotbed of emerging business models and strategies. In a programme highlight, the summit will feature Yod Chinsupakul, CEO & Co-Founder of Wongnai.com during the session "Rising Star of Thailand". Mr Chinsupakul will share his experience on developing the hugely popular smartphone App, "Wongnai", and how he makes use of digital technologies to transform his business.

GIL 2016: Thailand is supported by Media Partners Asian Century Institute, Energy Saving Magazine, Global Health & Travel Magazine, HealthInvestor Asia, Oil & Gas Today, Pattaya Today, Asia Research News and Thailand Business News. To know more about this event and/or to participate in the event, please mail Donna Jeremiah at [email protected] . 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. 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. Contact Us: Start the discussion Join Us: Join our community Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing" Register: Gain access to visionary innovation Contact: Donna Jeremiah

Director - Corporate Communications

Frost & Sullivan

E: [email protected] www.frost.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frost--sullivans-gil-2016-thailand-to-identify-opportunities-and-strategies-for-growth-in-a-competitive-environment-300236022.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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[March 15, 2016] Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Profile Reports to 2025: Size, Drivers, Country Analysis, Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights

PUNE, India, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RnRMarketResearch.com adds "The Global Electronic Warfare Market 2015-2025 - Country Analysis: Market Profile", "The Global Electronic Warfare Market 2015-2025 - Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights: Market Profile" and "The Global Electronic Warfare Market 2015-2025 - Market Size and Drivers: Market Profile" research reports to its store. Complete report on electronic warfare market (EW) for analysis of 12 major countries spread across 80 pages, supported by 10 tables, 53 figures and published in March 2016 is now available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/the-global-electronic-warfare-market-2015-2025-country-analysis-market-profile-market-report.html . Electronic protection systems expected to be the largest segment in the US, demand for Electronic Warfare Support systems expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.06% over the forecast period and electronic attack systems expected to constitute the third-largest market share in the US. In China, electronic protection systems is expected to constitute the largest share during 2015-2025, while demand for Electronic Warfare Support systems expected to increase at a CAGR of 4.95% over the forecast period and demand for electronic attack systems expected to increase at a CAGR of 9.43% over the forecast period. For Australia, electronic protection systems market to witness the highest spending, procurement of EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to boost electronic attack capabilities of Australia and spending on electronic warfare support systems to register a CAGR of 1.24% over the forecast period. This report offers detailed analysis of the global Electronic Warfare market over the next ten years, and provides extensive market size forecasts by country and sub sector. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Electronic Warfare market. It provides details of the key markets in each region, offering an analysis of the top segments of Electronic Warfare, expected to be in demand. It also investigates the top three expected Electronic Warfare programs, in terms of demand in the key markets in each region. Order a copy of The Global Electronic Warfare Market 2015-2025 - Country Analysis: Market Profile research report at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=501565 . The second reearch titled The Global Electronic Warfare Market 2015-2025 - Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights: Market Profile provides an overview of key Electronic Warfare companies catering to the Electronic Warfare sector, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives and a brief financial analysis. Details of top companies active across the global Electronic Warfare market are provided, together with market size and forecast 2015-2025 for the main players across those areas. BAE Systems, Exelis, Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Boeing Cobham Plc and Tata Power SED are the companies discussed in this 37 pages research report available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/the-global-electronic-warfare-market-2015-2025-competitive-landscape-and-strategic-insights-market-profile-market-report.html .



Third report titled The Global Electronic Warfare Market 2015-2025 - Market Size and Drivers: Market Profile provides readers with a comprehensive analysis of the Electronic Warfare market through 2015-2025, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for Electronic Warfare. It also provides an insight on the spending pattern and modernization pattern in different regions around the world. This research allows its readers to gain insight into the Electronic Warfare market with current and forecast market values, understand the key drivers and attractiveness parameters of the global Electronic Warfare market as well as understand the various factors impacting the growth of the Electronic Warfare market. According to this report, North America to drive the demand for the electronic warfare systems market over the forecast period, the US will lead the global expenditure on EW Systems, Electronic Warfare Systems market to exhibit a CAGR of 3.89% in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe to account for the third largest market for electronic warfare, Middle Eastern nations to spend considerably on the electronic warfare market, The Electronic Warfare Systems Market in Latin America expected to register a moderate to strong growth over the forecast period and Markets in Africa expected to increase over the forecast period. Change in battle space to attract significant investment in EW Systems while increasing Use of Electro Magnetic Spectrum to drive the Electronic Warfare market. Integration of Electronic Warfare Systems to other war fighting equipment will boost the market, rise in asymmetric warfare, counterinsurgencies and global terrorism to fuel EW demand and combination of electronic warfare and stealth capabilities to drive the market. Read more at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/the-global-electronic-warfare-market-2015-2025-market-size-and-drivers-market-profile-market-report.html .

Explore more reports on defense technology market and others by Strategic Defence Intelligence at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/publisher/Strategic-Defence-Intelligence.html . About Us: RnRMarketResearch.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 100+ leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. With comprehensive information about the publishers and the industries for which they publish market research reports, we help you in your purchase decision by mapping your information needs with our huge collection of reports. Contact:

Ritesh Tiwari

UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ

Magarpatta city, Hadapsar

Pune - 411013

Maharashtra, India.

Tel: +1-888-391-5441

[email protected]

Connect with Us: G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/104156468549256253075/posts Twitter: https://twitter.com/RnRMR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RnR-Market-Research/413488545356345 SOURCE RnR Market Research

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[March 15, 2016] Mobilock World's First Bike Lock with IoT Connection

ALMERE, the Netherlands, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LORA technology makes real time monitoring bike sharing systems possible By using Dutch KPN's LORA technology, Mobilock is the world's first bike lock which is connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). The bike sharing system that uses a smartphone app to open the lock can now monitor and localise all its bikes in real time, wherever and whenever they are, without using GPS. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160311/343438 )

In big cities like Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen, Hangzhou or New York public bike sharing systems play an important role in attempts to make transport more sustainable. To simplify the system of bike shring, Mobilock developed a bike lock which uses a smartphone app as a key. The system can be implemented all around the world without check-out stations, parking docks or storage facilities. Mobilock smartly uses infrastructure that is already there, like bikes, storages and smartphones.



After launching Mobilock last January the company was overwhelmed by requests from bike rental companies, holiday parks, hotels and other companies in the tourism industry. In April, the first locks are ready to be put on the market. With KPN's LORA a new technology is implemented in the lock. LORA is short for Low Power Wide Area Networks (Long Range) and makes it possible to connect billions of devices over large distances with the internet, using 3G or 4G. Because LORA chips and sensors need little power, the system hardly uses energy. A device connected to the LORA network is able to send data and commands for fifteen years using only two penlite batteries.

To MobiLock this technology offers several benefits. Bikes with this lock can be localised and monitored real-time, even when someone is riding the bike. This improves bike sharing management. "We are the first in the bike industry to apply this new technology," says Managing Director Walter Nieuwendijk, who developed the innovative technology together with co-founder Willem-Jan te Riele. "Thanks to LORA, rental companies can locate their bikes at any time and see who's riding it. Also, the system barely needs energy, while old GPS systems - for instance used in cars - need a lot of power. With this addition Mobilock becomes the most complete and compact bike share system in the world." Also visit: http://www.mobilock.nl. SOURCE Mobilock B.V.

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[March 15, 2016]

Application Period Opens for Europe's Largest High-Tech Investors' Convention

HANOVER, Dresden, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

At the world's largest IT-trade fair CeBIT 2016, State capital Dresden and HighTech Startbahn are giving the start signal for the Europe-wide submission of applications to participate in HIGHTECH VENTURE DAYS 2016, held October 18 - 19, 2016 in Dresden. Starting March 15, 2016, venture capital-seeking Start-ups and high-growth companies from the high-tech sector can apply for the HIGHTECH VENTURE DAYS 2016. Applications will be accepted through May 30, 2016.

"Europe needs more active venture capital, so the technology-based, innovative Start-ups can develop into successful, internationally acting enterprises," Bettina Voberg, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of HighTech Startbahn Netzwerk, sys. "In October, the European HIGHTECH VENTURE DAYS will make Dresden the place to be for funding-seeking European high-tech Start-ups and high-growth companies."







Next to the opportunity to present themselves at a booth at CeBIT 2016, the 40 best high-tech enterprises will have a chance to introduce themselves to more than 70 international investors. Like in previous years, Vodafone will again support HIGHTECH VENTURE DAYS. U Dresden and Vodafone have maintained a close partnership that spans more than 20 years.

"Collaboratively, we develop new technologies for the future of telecommunications," Hartmut Kremling, Innovation Ambassador of Vodafone says. "This is why we continue our great collaboration with HighTech Startbahn in Dresden." So far, 11 Start-ups have emerged from the Vodafone Foundation's Chair at TU Dresden, making the Saxon State capital an internationally recognized Center for 4G (LTE) and 5G research.

Here you can find the FULL press release: http://datas.weichertmehner.com/cebit2016.pdf

Contact:

State Capital Dresden, Kai Schulz, spokesman, +49-(0)-3-514-88-23-90,

Email: [email protected]



WeichertMehner (PR Agency), Robert Weichert, Ulf Mehner, Mathias Rentsch: +49-(0)-3-5-1-50-14-02-00,

Email: [email protected]



SOURCE State Capital Dresden
[March 15, 2016] Angola Capital Investments Advances Healthcare Technology

NEW YORK, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Angola Capital Investments (ACI), a leading international investment firm headquartered in Angola, announced its investment in Sphera Bluoshen S.A. to support the development of the finest healthcare technology around the globe. ACI is a major shareholder in Sphera Bluoshen S.A., a subsidiary of Oshen Group and part of Sphera Global Healthcare. Sphera Global Healthcare is a unique medical company that specializes in medical services and brings together carefully selected high-level hospitals, clinics, doctors and technologies. The objective is to democratize healthcare services so that people in Angola, and all over the world, have access to quality healthcare. Technology advancements have become a very important aspect of the African healthcare system. "When a patient has access to technology they are more informed, which enables them to make better decisions and demand better treatment," said Zandre Campos, chairman and CEO of ACI. "It also enables patients access to international medicine, no matter where they are located." Sphera Global Healthcare differs from other healthcare companies because of its focus on communication technologies. As patients demand more, including the best professionals and the most thorough information, Sphera Global Healthcare is developing communication technologies to meet those demands. Technologies already developed include video conferencing, telemedicine, virtual platforms, apps, and mobile-health. Besides improving communication, the technologies also guarantee the delivery of quality healthcare and reduce unnecessary hospital or clinical visits. mHealth is a mobile app that provides consltation 24/7 for pediatric and general medicine. It stimulates engagement, maximizes preventive disease discussions, increases efficiency and reduces the cost of care when the number of unnecessary visits is reduced. Most importantly, more people have access to quality healthcare services.



In Angola, Sphera Global Healthcare's healthcare technology can also be found in the International Medical Center (IMC). Located in the capital city Luanda, the IMC is an outpatient center that aims to provide the highest level of care. It has an on-site laboratory, other cutting edge technologies, and delivers international medical services. It is run by doctors with international training and has a multidisciplinary team, including family doctors, specialists and nurses. About Angola Capital Investments

Angola Capital Investments (ACI) is an international investment firm that invests in companies in the healthcare, energy, transportation, hospitality, and real estate sectors throughout Africa. The mission of ACI is to create global value for developing countries in Africa, while contributing to their economic development.

About Zandre Campos

Zandre de Campos Finda is one of the great, innovative business leaders and global entrepreneurs emerging out of Africa. Currently, he is chairman and CEO of Angola Capital Investments (ACI), an international investment firm headquartered in Angola with holdings throughout Africa and Europe. Prior to founding ACI, Mr. Campos was CEO of Nazaki Oil & Gaz S.A. He has held the positions of CEO and shareholder of the mobile phone company Movicel Telecommunications and an executive in the office of the president of SONAIR, Air Service S.A., a subsidiary of Sonangol, Angola's state-owned oil company that oversees oil and gas production. He began his career as a legal advisor with Sonangol Holdings. Mr. Campos also presides on the board of Oshen Group S.A. Sphera Bluoshen S.A. is a subsidiary of Oshen Group. Sphera is committed to bringing high-quality healthcare services to nations around the globe with current activities in Angola, Morocco, and Rwanda. Sphera is dedicated to healthcare equality and accessibility. He is also a board member in Boost - Communication & Strategy, S.A. Mr. Campos graduated from Lusiada University, Lisbon, with a degree in Law. Mr. Campos has dedicated his career to helping advance Angola and other developing nations. His work makes him one of the most socially forward and conscientious business leaders of our time. Through his entrepreneurial spirit and diverse business portfolio that is ever-expanding, Mr. Campos is creating thousands of new job opportunities and building stronger communities. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/angola-capital-investments-advances-healthcare-technology-300236075.html SOURCE Angola Capital Investments

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[March 15, 2016] TRUPOINT Partners Releases Redlining Software to Help Lenders Deal with Regulatory Scrutiny

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TRUPOINT Partners today announced a new Fair Lending software tool that helps compliance teams identify, assess and resolve Redlining risks in seconds. Redlining is a priority for regulators, and has sparked more than $30 million dollars in fines to small- and medium-sized banks during the last six months. Redlining regulations require that lenders market and make loans in high-minority and low-income areas, at rates that are on par with peers in the market. "Compliance departments have struggled to properly identify redlining risk," said Trey Sullivan, founder and CEO of TRUPOINT. "Redlining compliance requires specialized mapping and analytic skills that are lenders may lack. We've developed an easy-to-use tool that identifies redlining issues with a click. More imporantly, using our software, compliance officers determine the cause of potential issues and immediately take steps to resolve them."



Using TRUPOINT Analytics' Redlining software, compliance departments manage redlining risk by: Identifying areas or markets that require attention;

Compare their performance to peer institutions; and

Investigate focal points to understand what might be driving potential issues. TRUPOINT Analytics is a cloud-based data analysis software system for Fair Lending, CRA and Redlining that makes analysis for compliance easier and more efficient than ever before. Online mapping and pre-built dashboards allow users to quickly identify disparities and potential risk. The software comes bundled with national mapping, demographic and mortgage data for every lender in the country.

"Recent enforcement actions and regulatory guidance show that redlining risk will be a key area of focus in 2016," added Sullivan. "Our new Redlining solution bundled with TRUPOINT's trusted team of compliance pros, helps lenders comply with redlining more efficiently and for less cost than any competitive system. We're really pleased with this solution and we know our clients will be too." To learn more, please visit trupointpartners.com or email [email protected]. About TRUPOINT Partners

TRUPOINT Partners is committed to customer success through efficient insight. TRUPOINT provides compliance solutions to more than 500 financial institutions through an innovative blend of data analytics, business intelligence, and compliance expertise. Specialties include Fair Lending, HMDA, CRA, and UDAAP compliance, including analysis, regression, consulting and more. Contact:

Kinsey Sullivan - Marketing Manager, TRUPOINT Partners

Email: [email protected]

4824 Parkway Plaza Blvd., Suite 130

Charlotte, NC 28217 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151012/276016 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trupoint-partners-releases-redlining-software-to-help-lenders-deal-with-regulatory-scrutiny-300235452.html SOURCE TRUPOINT Partners

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[March 15, 2016] InstaBrand Releases Social Media Influencer Search Engine to Public

LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- InstaBrand, a leading influencer marketing company, today announced the release of their influencer search engine to the public. The new search engine allows users to search by any number of demographic filters across hundreds of thousands influencers and tens of millions of social media posts. Results can then be further filtered by the relevance of the post content to what the user is looking for, a level of detail previously unheard of in the influencer marketing space. Once influencers are selected, the user can mobilize InstaBrand's full-service campaign management team or work with the influencer directly. Interested brands and agencies can sign up for access to the search engine at https://instabrand.com/influencer-search/. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344310 "This is the culmination of years of experience helping brands and agencies find influencers and execute campaigns on social media all distilled down into a search product that anyone can pick up and use starting today," said Eric Dahan, InstaBrand's CEO and co-founder. "It's not just about creating the most advanced technology or having the best account managers  it's about what happens when you bring those two worlds together. We can offer the full range of services from just access to our search engine all the way up to full campaign management services and everything in-between." InstaBrand's influencer search engine offers a number of different ways for users to search through their database including: Username

Gender

Follower Count

Location (including 10-00 mile radius around a particular location)

Hashtags or mentions used

What other social network profiles the influencer has



"What you see today is just the tip of the iceberg," said Ryan Alley, vice president of product at InstaBrand. "Along with providing the most contextually relevant search results, we've added new ways to sort your results beyond just follower count, such as average number of likes or comments, engagement rate, keyword usage or engagement with specific topics. Technology like this truly enables our customers to find whatever needle they're looking for in any social media haystack."

Currently, InstaBrand's search pulls from a database of over 50 million posts, 5 million hashtags and 2.5 million mentions spanning over 100,000 influencers  and those numbers grow daily. Using that data InstaBrand is able to calculate metrics for users like average engagement rate, top keywords and locations and typical number of likes or comments received per post. Users are then able to filter and rank influencers based on these metrics until they've found just the right set for their needs. "The first day we had access to InstaBrand's search engine we were able to find a dozen influencers we could use right away for an upcoming campaign," said Jack Paxton, senior media buyer at Stealth Social, a Los Angeles based social media advertising agency who had access to InstaBrand's search in it's alpha phase. "We used to spend a lot of time manually combing through social media profiles to find influencers but now that feels old fashioned  like trying to search the web before Google." For more information about InstaBrand and to get access to their influencer search engine visit: https://instabrand.com/influencer-search About InstaBrand InstaBrand is a leading influencer marketing company that has successfully managed over 800 influencer-driven social media campaigns for both Fortune 500 corporations and up-and-coming businesses across multiple social platforms such as Instagram, Vine, Twitter and Snapchat. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York and Milan, Instabrand works with top brands including Calvin Klein, Pizza Hut, Samsung, Hyundai, AirBnb, Universal Studios and Verizon. For more information on InstaBrand, visit instabrand.com. Press Contact

Ran Xu

213-309-2373

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/instabrand-releases-social-media-influencer-search-engine-to-public-300236277.html SOURCE InstaBrand

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[March 15, 2016] BPM Microsystems Launches New 9th Generation Programmers at APEX 2016

HOUSTON, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BPM Microsystems  the leading global supplier of automated programming systems, announced today that it will showcase the newest line of universal device programming systems, The 9th Generation, at APEX 2016, March 15 through March 17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. This new technology is significant: spanning the entire range of first article, manual production and automated programming systems, it is the industry's first line of true universal programmers with both the fastest flash programming times as well as universal device coverage for today's, yesterday's and tomorrow's devices all in a single programming site. This new advancement demonstrates BPM Microsystems' capability of leading the industry with innovative, flexible, cost-effective programing solutions with uncompromising quality. Known as The 9th Generation, this revolutionary new site technology gives customers a cost-effective solution to program first articles and manual and automated production using the same algorithms and sockets across the entire line. By leveraging the vast library of devices, sockets and algorithms, the 9th Generation Programmers deliver a vast number of supported devices from day one with more support being added every day. Existing customers can utilize sockets they already purchased for both 7th and 8th generation programmers. "I am very happy to announce that BPM is first to market with a universal programmer thatsupports not only the broadest range of devices in the industry but also delivers the fastest programming times for eMMC , NAND, NOR and serial flash devices," said William White, President and CEO. "Fast programming times, CSP capability and universal sites mean customers can meet increasing demands for improved time-to-market, lower costs, higher throughputs and uncompromising quality."



James Holava, Global Sales Director, discusses 9th Generation and the upcoming show, "At APEX 2016, we will display the new 9th Generation 3900 automated system along with the two manual programmers, 2900 and 1900  for all to see. This new site-technology was carefully designed, with all of our customers in mind, to handle whatever comes next  now and in the future. In addition, we will also be highlighting our latest proprietary sockets, 'the EDGE'  engineered, manufactured and serviced all in-house," he added. To learn more about 9th Generation, visit - http://www.bpmmicro.com/9th-generation/

Edge is a high performance programming socket that is custom designed, manufactured and supported in-house to ensure trouble free operation for customers. With a socket life of 250,000 cycles for low cost per device, EDGE sockets are designed to support chip-scale devices as small as 0.4mm pitch micro BGA and WLCSP. For more detailed info about EDGE, visit - http://www.bpmmicro.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EDGE_EN_1015_REVA2.pdf Known for the slogan "Setting the standard in device programming," BPM Microsystems will indeed be setting the standards as the industry's best come March 14 at the APEX 2016 show in Las Vegas. About BPM Microsystems "We have been inventing high-quality, reliable device programming solutions for generations. Since 1985, our company has developed the hardware and software tools necessary to not only meet, but exceed the requirements of the most valued professionals in the device programming industry, our customers. Each generation of device programmers builds on the prior generation, getting more advanced with each technological enhancement and more adaptable to customers' needs." To learn more about BPM Microsystems, visit  www.bpmmicro.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bpm-microsystems-launches-new-9th-generation-programmers-at-apex-2016-300236539.html SOURCE BPM Microsystems

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the liquor baron to appear before it in Mumbai on March 18. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who left India in the first week of March even as a probe was being activated against him for defaulting on a massive loan of more than Rs 9000 crore, on Tuesday distanced himself from reported interview given to an English newspaper The Sunday Guardian, which quoted him as having said that the time was not "right" for him to return to India.

"Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my proton mail account. Have never heard of proton mail before. Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called proton mail account to the reporters proton mail account is a total fake," Mallya tweeted on his official Twitter page.

Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

"Never ever had nor do I have a proton mail email account. As I said earlier, I have never ever heard of proton mail," he added.

Never ever had nor do I have a protonmail e-mail account. As I said earlier I have never ever heard of protonmail.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

The leading daily, however, has released emails of Mallya, saying it stands by its interview.

"The Sunday Guardian stands by its interview of Mr Vijay Mallya. This was given to the newspaper on 12 March 2016. Mr. Mallya personally responded to our email questionnaire from his encrypted email id: vjmallya@protonmail.com. This id was confirmed to us by his legal counsel's office on 8 March. To a questionnaire sent to Mr Mallya on 10 March, he replied via email on 12 March," the newspaper website said.

"For reasons that are not clear, Mr Mallya has sought to distance himself from the interview. We, however, stand by our report. The email trail is attached," it added.

The Enforcement Directorate ( ED) has summoned the liquor baron to appear before it in Mumbai on March 18 as part of its money laundering probe in the alleged default in payment of Rs 900 crore dues to IDBI bank by Kingfisher Airlines.

Read: Vijay Mallya sent funds overseas: Enforcement Directorate
The A-G said Pakistan had experimented with the NCA and this experiment failed there.

New Delhi: Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that constitution of the apex court as National Court of Appeal with four regional benches is neither feasible nor desirable.

Making this submission before a Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Uday Lalit, hearing a writ petition filed by advocate V. Vasantha-kumar for setting up of a NCA and four regional benches, the A-G said, we are mixing up two things, viz NCA and regional benches.

Ram Sankar who is assisting the petitioner said NCA is feasible. The A-G said the demand for four regional benches of the Supreme Court was considered by this court time and again and it was found not feasible as such benches will dilute the authority and jurisdiction of the SC.

The A-G said to say that NCA will ensure speedy justice is not correct. He said appeals under Article 136 of the Constitution cannot be amended as this Article will go if we put a cap on the number of appeals to be filed.

The A-G said, If we say that only Supreme Court will hear constitutional issues then we will be striking at the cause of justice. This will not reduce arrears as this will add as another filter. He said the High Courts should be strengthened and the apex court should show restraint in entertaining appeals. Only in exceptional cases appeals should be entertained.

The CJI said, there is an illusion of justice. People in Kerala and N-E find it not feasible or desirable to come to this court. NCA will take justice nearer home but is it tinkering with the present SC; whether NCA is legally possible or will it dilute the authority of this court."
New Delhi: Security agencies have launched operations to hunt down seven terrorists on the run after three of the 10 suspected Pakistani terrorists who allegedly entered Gujarat recently to carry out attacks on high-value targets were gunned down.

Top official sources said on Tuesday that three terrorists belonging to this group have been neutralised in a western state last Friday, before they could carry out any strike.

The group, suspected to mainly comprise Pakistani terrorists belonging to the LeT and JeM, had planned to attack the Somnath temple in Gujarat during Shivratri on March 7, besides other targets.

It is now being suspected that a few of the terrorists came from a third country, and not through the India-Pakistan border.

The location of the remaining seven terrorists has been zeroed down and operations are underway to neutralise them, the sources said. As the operation is still ongoing, security agencies were reluctant to give out more details.

The agencies had launched a manhunt and operations targeting them began immediately on receipt of the intelligence input about the infiltration. The Centre had dispatched four NSG teams to different locations in Gujarat.

An alert was sounded in Gujarat and all metros by the Central agencies following reports about the infiltration of the terrorists.

An advisory was also issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists had entered Gujarat via the sea.
I've seen the future of smartphone photography, and it no longer means tapping onscreen buttons whenever I want to capture a shot. With an LG G5 in one hand  and an LG Cam Plus module plugged into the phone's new modular design  I have dedicated buttons for photo-taking right there on the bottom half of the smartphone.

The LG Cam Plus is one of the LG Friends introduced by the phone maker alongside its new G5 flagship at last month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. LG sees these modular add-ons and standalone accessories as a way to extend the functionality of its phone. And now that I've had a chance to test out a pre-production unit of both the G5 and the Cam Plus  after getting a preview of the LG G5 and its many add-ons at MWC  I have a better idea of just what the Cam Plus adds to the G5's photo-taking prowess.

MORE: LG G5 Top Features

While LG hasn't set pricing on either the G5 or the Cam Plus, the company says its photo module will be available with the G5 when the phone arrives in early April. Featuring a real two-step shutter button like youd get on a big DSLR or mirrorless camera, dedicated video recording button, scroll wheel for zooming and a switch for launching the camera, the Cam Plus is laser focused on delivering a high-level experience for photo and video enthusiasts.

Setup and Design

Connecting the Cam Plus to the G5 is as simple as pressing the module release button on the phones bottom left side. That lets the stock lower section fall out, allowing you to swap the Cam Plus back in its place. Even on the pre-production unit that LG sent us, this process was super slick and took only a couple seconds to do.



When it's released, the Cam Plus will also have the added bonus of significantly boosting the LG G5s battery. The module will feature a 4,000 mAh battery by combining the G5's 2,800 mAh removable battery with a a smaller 1,200 mAh built into the Cam Plus.

Once attached, the Cam Plus raised leather-topped grip provides a much more comfortable way of holding the G5 when taking photos. With it, not only is it easier to operate the phone with one hand, but important features such as shutter and zoom are located very conveniently within reach.



My favorite feature on the Cam Plus is the toggle switch that lets you launch straight into the camera even if the phone is locked. Its even faster than double pressing the home button like you would on a Samsung Galaxy S7, and now its something I wish LG would put on the G5 by default.

The scroll wheel on the corner of the Cam Plus rotates smoothly, unlike the dials youd normally get on a regular camera. That wheel also lets you push in and out with a fair bit of precision. Compared to Asus Zenfone Zoom, which has a rocker bar for zooming in and out, a G5 with a Cam Plus zooms in significantly faster. That said, the G5 only features digital zoom as opposed to the Zenfones 3x optical zoom so there are limits as to how far you can creep in before you notice significant noise and pixelation in your images.

Remaining Questions

Even after this extended hands-on time, I still have a couple reservations about the pre-production version of the Cam Plus. Even though the shutter lets you pre-focus by pressing halfway down, the buttons travel distance is super shallow, which leaves very little difference between a full and half press.



It's also hard to assess the software management for LG Friends like the Cam Plus that comes built into the G5. At the moment, there's not much you can do with that software, as the only thing I saw when opening up the Cam Plus Manager was an alert telling me my software was up-to-date. Id really love the ability to turn the zoom wheel into a shutter or exposure compensation. Heres hoping LG adds some customization options for launch.



That said, as someone who spends quite a bit of time taking photos with his phone, LGs Cam Plus module feels like a pretty useful tool for anyone who wants more full featured controls without the need to carry around a second device. Heck, the bigger battery is pretty enticing by itself, although well have to wait on final pricing on the Cam Plus to find out how enticing.



Most importantly, the Cam Plus really makes me feel like LG has something with its upcoming roster of LG Friends, which also includes a 360-degree camera, a plug-in speaker that delivers 24-bit audio and a VR headset. This simple camera add-on means is already off to a pretty good start.
AUSTIN, Texas  Sony has a knack for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. I bore witness to this first hand at Sony's Future Lab, a new initiative from the consumer electronics giant, here at the SXSW conference.



Most companies keep their prototypes under lock and key until they goes to market, but Sony's pulling back the curtain on the development process and letting us average consumers have some input. I saw quite a few intriguing pieces of technology, including an advanced haptics solution, but the most impressive was the Interactive Tabletop.

For all intents and purposes, the table looks like what you'd find in an animator's studio. It's a clean white table lit by a large overhead light, yet that seemingly innocuous light quickly became anything but once the demo began. The light creates interactive projections that can be manipulated via touch  similar to what you can do with Microsoft's HoloLens, but on a 2D plane.



MORE: Augmented Reality Glasses: What You Can Buy Now (or Soon)

A Sony representative showed off a number of heady concepts, such as bringing illustrations in Lewis Carroll's classic, "Alice in Wonderland," to life. The projector took a few seconds to scan the black-and-white drawings and add color. Suddenly, Alice was clad in a blue-and-white dress and looked like she was ready for a spot of tea with the White Rabbit.

From there, the rep dragged the newly colored Alice out of the book and onto the desk, guiding her path by dragging his finger along the white surface. Next, he placed an ordinary deck of playing cards onto the table, which sprouted red roses. Tapping a flower transformed it into one of the Queen of Hearts' playing-card guards.



In case you were wondering, the projector works on just about any surface  with the exception of glass  no matter the color, including the rep's dark-brown wallet.

Giving storybooks a new dimension is cool, but the Sony rep demonstrated features that would appeal to creative professionals. He began doodling on the table, which created a glowing rainbow sketch. Even though the scribble disappeared almost immediately, the rep said artists who have seen the demo would like the sketches to be captured and transformed into a 3D rendering of some sort.

Unlike regular projectors that force you to constantly adjust the focus, the tabletop's compact projection module uses Sony's proprietary SXRD technology and a laser-light source to make sure images are always in focus.



MORE: Best Augmented Reality Apps

Another cool feature was the projector's ability to determine depth. The high-resolution technology lets the projector detect finger position and 3D movement for smooth touch operations. When I ran my fingers across the tabletop, the resulting squiggle appeared nearly simultaneously. During my demo, I and three other people were simultaneously drawing, with no noticeable lag.



If you'd rather not touch the table, the technology is still precise enough to work with fingers hovering slightly above the surface.

Although the Interactive Tabletop is nothing more than a concept, it's not hard to picture a variety of uses. It's up to Sony and vocal fans to shape the form the technology will take when it comes to the mainstream.


Australians love a drink. Millions of tinnies are cracked open each week and for the most part, people enjoy their bevs without incident. But theres also a dark side to Australias passionate relationship with booze.

As the Canberra Times reports, one in eight Australian hospital presentations are related to alcohol abuse and emergency departments in the Australian capital saw a 35-percent increase in intoxication cases between 2013-15.

The rise in intoxication cases was accompanied by a 24-percent increase in alcohol-related injuries, including skull fractures, bleeding to the brain, and even permanent brain injury. The Australian Institute of Criminology estimates alcohol costs Australia $14 billion each year.

Dr David Caldicott, one of Australias leading proponents of safer nightlife measures like pill-testing, thinks the numbers of alcohol-related incidents reported by hospitals are greatly underestimated.

Often intoxicated people have fallen or been beaten up and they get discharged with that code. The reason they are in hospital, which fundamentally is because they are intoxicated, is lost, he told the Canberra Times.

If you put it in context, if this was an infectious disease, wed be out there in our super ET suits looking for the source of this disease and shutting it down.

Dr Caldicott is part of a team of doctors spearheading a new study that hopes to rectify the gap in data and present a clearer picture of Australias drinking problem, where it takes place, and what its impacts are.

Interestingly and perhaps controversially, the study will see eight hospitals recording every patients drug and alcohol intake as well as the venues that intoxicated people attended on the night they were presented at each hospital.

The study is set to launch in July and will identify licensed venues that fail to serve punters in a responsible manner. Hopefully theyll see it as an opportunity to take helpful feedback and implement changes that will allow their venues to become safer for the patrons, Dr Caldicott said.

Whilst he admitted that most venues practice responsible alcohol service, there are one or two that could be concerned, that are frequently associated with problems that end up in the emergency department.

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This will tell us information that we can feed back to policy makers, said Dr Peter Miller, chief investigator for the study and professor at Melbournes Deakin University.

Its not just a data collection exercise, it is very much an intervention trial and the results overseas have been very compelling in the reduction you get in assaults and alcohol related injuries. Every brain injury costs us $12 million, so if this project prevents even one injury, it is well worth it.

As Tone Deaf previously reported, a study conducted in Australia showed that activities such as watching a live band performing actually has the effect of decreasing aggression in drinkers, resulting in fewer cases of alcohol-fuelled violence.
Ror Akot is a Melbourne-based emcee, poet, and activist born in South Sudan, who goes by the moniker Ror Da Poet. The teenaged wordsmith was the subject of an eponymous documentary, which received acclaim at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Way busier than we were when we were teenagers, Ror is not only a prolific musician and poet, hes also done work with popular Channel Ten panel show The Project. However, Akot now has a bone to pick with the program following one of their recent reports.

As most readers will be aware, the past weekend saw a violent and chaotic brawl erupt on the streets of Melbourne involving members of the Apex street gang. The incident received widespread media coverage, with reports indicating more than 100 people were involved in the fight.

However, Akot was shocked when he watched The Projects report on the incident during their Monday, 14th March episode. Akot couldnt help but notice that a censored and stylised image of a young South Sudanese man used during one of the shows videos packages bared a striking resemblance to someone he knew.

So this is what I get for being a young Blackman working hard trying to succeed? Akot wrote on Facebook. Im here putting my soul into success every day trying to prove myself, not to anyone but just to me and my family.

I could really careless [sic] about your expectations that Australia wants Africans to be carrying on their backs within this society. As long as I have what my family needs to survive in this society, than I honestly dont give one single flying bird about how you perceive me.

You could judge me, hate me, try to get rid of me. Best Believe I am not going anywhere unless I choose to, us Africans are not leaving unless we decide to leave. How are you just going to use a photo of me to support your argument??

Plus knowing that I did some work with you guys in the past, I am very disappointed and disgusted. Is this is how you repay me?? By trying destroy my image?? Akot goes on to address the producers of The Project directly.

When preparing your story or package you decided to get creative. The voiceover read the Apex gang, named after a street in Melbournes South East thats grown to roughly 200 members mainly of South Sudanese background, and what better visuals to accompany this than a photo of a young South Sudanese man, right?

So you grabbed the first photo you could find without consent from the person in question or the photographer, used the South Sudanese flag as your new background and photoshopped the persons face in a way that perhaps you felt made him unidentifiable.

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By this I mean placing what looks like a splash of black paint across his eyes in order to conceal his identity. Perhaps you didnt think that with forehead, nose, mouth, ears etc visible, he would still be identifiable?

Or that he would then receive phone calls from friends and family telling him hes on the news and asking if he was involved in the weekends events? Since there was ample footage of the weekends brawls, Akot argues there was no reason to use his likeness in the report.

Readers can check out Akots full post below. Its not clear whether Akot has contacted the producers of The Project, who are yet to make a comment on the matter, directly.

So this is what I get for being a young Blackman working hard trying to succeed? I'm here putting my soul into success Posted by Rr Da Pt onMonday, March 14, 2016

Ror Da Poet Photo by Justin Leijon
Mayor James credited the officers for stopping what could have been a riot.  Somebody punched the horse , somebody threw a bottle into the crowd not a plastic bottle, a glass bottle. And they were warned if they did not get back on the sidewalk they would get pepper sprayed and that warning took place on more than one occasion . . . I am very comfortable with what the police did. I believe in how they are trained, I have faith in them and I have faith in Police Chief Darryl Forte, Mayor James said."

Kansas City's Mayor offers an interesting argument against Trump protesters in his unequivocal support of recent police action that has created controversy and claims of brutality.Take a look:Money line . . .For the record, there's thousands of hours of video of the incident and. . . It's more than likelybut that's understandable.Developing . . .
University of Missouri curators say no to Melissa Click: In a statement released Tuesday, board chair Pamela Henrickson said the curators voted unanimously during closed session Monday to uphold Clicks termination because her appeal brought no new relevant information.

Double take on this despised Missouri liberal lady who didn't get a second chance this Tuesday.Take a look at the only broad held accountable for racially divisive protests that dropped admissions and lost the school a ton of cash . . .You decide if the lady who asked for back up muscle but never got it deserves the dismissal that might end her career in the Midwest . . .
Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwar presents a cheque for `5 lakh to the family members of BJP worker Raju who was hacked to death on Sunday, at Kyathamaranahalli in Mysuru on Tuesday (Photo: KPN)

Mysuru: A day after the cultural capital of the state witnessed large-scale violence over the murder of a BJP activist, Raju, the cops were all over the city on Tuesday with as many as 2,500 of them pressed into service in sensitive areas including Kyathamaranahalli, where the house of the deceased is.

Senior police officers led a peace march in sensitive areas in Udaygiri, Mandi and NR police station limits around Kythamaranahalli to instil a sense of confidence among residents. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the IPC have been extended to the entire city on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A tense atmosphere prevailed at Kyathamaranahalli. The residence of Raju and the site at the centre of the controversy over the construction of a shrine, were turned into a fortress.

Home Minister Dr G. Parameswar along with Revenue Minister Mr V. Srinivasprasad, NR constituency MLA Mr Tanveer Sait and former mayor Ayub Khan visited the residence of Raju and handed over a cheque to his family.

The family members appealed to the Home Minister to nab the assailants at the earliest. They even shouted slogans against MLA Tanveer Sait. Later, addressing a press meet, Dr Parameswar said, The murder of Raju was unfortunate. The reasons will be known after the investigation. People are being questioned, there are some clues, but we cannot reveal them now. After being informed about the incident on Sunday, we conducted a meeting of officers and 17 platoons from Bengaluru and Chitradurga were brought to Mysuru to beef up security.

Responding to the demand by BJP leaders for a judicial inquiry, he said it was not necessary and added that the murder case has been handed over to CCB with a team comprising an ACP and four circle inspectors formed for the purpose. Meanwhile Mysuru Kodagu MP Mr Pratap Simha visited Rajus residence and demanded that the assailants be arrested in the next two days.

We lost our breadwinner: Raju's mother

A deep sense of grief prevails at the residence of 39-year-old Raju in Kyathamaranahalli here. We have lost the only breadwinner of our family, cried his aged mother, Chandramma, wife of late Madappa.

After my elder son, Chandru passed away in September last, Raju took care of his brothers two children, Darshan,14, and Damini,12. We depended on him completely.

Raju who has studied till SSLC, was an electrical contractor by profession. He has two sisters, Rani and Mangala, who are married. Rani said, He grew up as a member of Bajrang Dal and VHP and was known as BJP Raju in our area. He had decided not to get married and was known for his social service.

He helped residents get ration cards, voter ID cards, Aadhaar cards, old age pension and other benefits. He also took the lead in organizing local festivities, be it Ganesh Chaturthi or Rajyotsava, she said.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday in their joint statements announced their full support to the recent ceasefire in Syria

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday in their joint statements announced their full support to the recent ceasefire in Syria.

As Tsipras said, they underlined the need for effectively combating terrorism and the necessary conditions for reconciliation in the country. He noted that the end of the war in Syria and the restoration of normalcy are the main factors for stopping the unprecedented refugee flows from Syria to Europe.

Tsipras underlined the huge effort of the government and the Greek people to receive the thousands of refugees and was briefed on the relevant efforts made by Armenia.

Both of them agreed that the refugee crisis does not concern specific countries, but the entire international community, "hence coherent policies are required in solidarity climate for addressing this crisis," Tsipras stressed.

Bilateral agreements were signed before the leaders' statements.

Source: ANA-MPA

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 had issued 95 tenders worth BD363 million ($956 million) last year to build hundreds of residential units in the kingdom as part of the governments housing plan, said a report.



The number of projects funded by the general state budget had increased by six per cent in 2015 over the previous year, reported the BNA citing the Minister of Housing Bassem Al Hamer.



A total of 51 tenders worth BD168 million ($442 million) have already been awarded, stated the minister at the Cabinet session on Monday which reviewed steps taken as part of the governments housing action plan.

The other projects, funded by the GCC Development Programme, have also been put out to tender, stated the minister.

These include the first phase of the 1,580-unit Southern Governorate project; the second phase of the 577-unit Northern City project; the 389-unit Hidd project and the 746-unit Phase Two of the Sitra project, he added.

The minister's report also highlighted the social and economic housing projects implemented by public and private sector partnerships in the kingdom.



These include 1,618 social housing units and 368 economic housing units in the Northern Town, besides the 832 social housing units in Al Lawzi region worth BD162 million ($427 million), which are 25 per cent complete, the report added.
Oman-based Ithraa, a leading inward investment export development agency, recently held its first Export Club meeting at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) in Salalah.



Held under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah Al Rawas, chairman, OCCI Dhofar Branch, the meeting was been designed to provide Omani businesses with a network that will help small companies begin to export as well tackle challenges facing current exporters in international markets, said a statement from the company.



Nasima Al Balushi, director general of export development, Ithraa, said: Some are external, ranging from exchange rates, insurance, to shipping and raw material costs, while others are internal such as packaging, marketing, intellectual property, training and IT.



It is with this in mind that Ithraa created the Export Club, meetings that will help local exporters tackle these issues, prosper and grow internationally, she added.



Oman has many export success stories, where companies are competing globally and producing goods and services that people want to buy. Today, Omani businesses are selling goods in over 136 countries, from fibre optic cables, car batteries, luxury perfumes, automotive spare parts, marble to mayonnaise.



Al Balushi added: Exporting is good for local business, good for local workers and good for local jobs. When Oman exports, Oman prospers.



The Export Club is a win-win initiative for everyone involved, she added.  TradeArabia News Service
Leading Iranian vehicle manufacturer Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) expects to sign a commercial agreement with Mercedes Benz within the next six months, the companys CEO was quoted as saying in a report.



The two sides have already reached an agreement on production of commercial vehicles and passenger cars in Iran, added the Iran Daily report.



IKCOs chief executive Hashem Yekke-Zare revealed that the letter of intent will be signed during the first half of the next (Iranian) year.



Mercedes-Benz is a subsidiary of German-based Daimler which has announced a swift return to Iran where the race among carmakers for a share of the countrys huge market is getting intense.



In January, the German carmaker said it had signed letters of intent with local partners Iran Khodro Diesel and Mammut Group to arrange a comprehensive re-entry into the country.



The areas of cooperation include a joint venture for local production of Mercedes-Benz trucks and power-train components plus the establishment of a sales company for the brands trucks and components, said the report.



Daimler also plans to return as a shareholder in the former engine joint venture Iranian Diesel Engine Manufacturing Co. (IDEM), based in Tabriz, added the report.
Despite the falling oil price and geopolitical instability, the GCC remains an attractive investment destination for high net-worth individuals (HNWIs), a report said, adding that 76 per cent prefer to keep their assets close to home.



However, there is a clear element of caution lingering amongst investors, according to the 2016 GCC Wealth Insight Report published by Emirates Investment Bank, a client-focused, independent private and investment banking boutique headquartered in Dubai, UAE.



For the purposes of this study, HNWIs are defined as individuals with $2 million or more in investable assets.



Khaled Sifri, CEO of Emirates Investment Bank, said, With the global economy currently going through a period of significant volatility and with depressed oil prices, it comes as no surprise that this years report is more sombre than in previous years.



However, confidence in markets such as the UAE and Qatar remains very strong and, when taking a longer-term view, HNWIs say they are optimistic about the Gulf region as a whole. Consistent with previous years, the majority of GCC HNWI investors prefer to invest in the region over global markets, despite any geopolitical concerns.



In this years report, we see a clear shift towards conservative investments, with GCC HNWIs appearing to be more risk averse and adopting a defensive approach to their wealth allocations. This is evidenced in the notable shift this year towards cash and deposits as well as gold and precious metals.



At Emirates Investment Bank, we advise our clients that the best way to protect and grow their wealth is through diversification  both by asset class and geography. Historically, investors from the GCC prioritised growth and allocated a greater portion of their wealth to investing in their own businesses for future generations. However, as regional economies mature, we should see an increasing interest in alternative investment opportunities as HNWIs seek to construct more balanced portfolios, he added.



Economic sentiment



Views of the economic situation at both a global and a Gulf level are more negative than last year, the report said.



At a global level, just 14 per cent say that the current economic situation is improving (down from 31 per cent in 2015), while almost half (47 per cent) think that the situation is getting worse. It is notable that the global economic situation has underperformed expectations from last years report, when 52 per cent of investors felt the global economy one year later would be stronger and just 8 per cent believed the situation would get worse. The reality is a definite negative shift in sentiment over the past 12 month, the report said.



When asked about the GCC economy, just 17 per cent say that it is improving compared to 55 per cent in 2015. There has also been a fourfold increase in the proportion of HNWIs who say that the economic situation in the region is worsening (36 per cent, up from 9 per cent last year).



While HNWIs are significantly more likely to say that the regional economy is worsening, there is confidence that the situation will improve over the long-term, with the majority of HNWIs optimistic about the economic prospects for both the global economy and the GCC region over the next five years (77 per cent optimistic about global economy, 83 per cent optimistic about GCC economy).



Looking at the individual countries of the GCC, the report asked HNWIs for their views on the economic situation in their own country. The most positive responses were from the UAE and Qatar, where 58 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively, said they felt the situation was improving (89 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively, in 2015).



HNWIs were least positive in Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where just 8 per cent of respondents in each country said they felt the situation was improving. HNWIs in Oman are most likely to feel that the economic situation in their country is worsening (67 per cent). Saudi Arabia has seen the biggest shift in sentiment, with 59 per cent of respondents in the 2015 report saying that they felt their economy was improving.



Wealth decisions and financial allocations



The report suggests that the negative sentiment towards the current situation of both the global and regional economies has affected investment and banking decisions for the majority of surveyed HNWIs. Forty-three per cent of HNWIs surveyed say the global economic situation has affected their banking and investment decisions, which represents a significant increase in relation to 2015 (28 per cent).



Amongst this group, the most commonly cited impact is that investors are more cautious and seeking lower risk (56 per cent)  which is mentioned twice as frequently than in 2015. One in five (21 per cent) say that it has prompted them to reduce (or stop) their global investment exposure. Meanwhile, 51 per cent of HNWIs surveyed say that local economic conditions have affected their banking and investment decisions, an increase from 33 per cent in 2015.



The suggestion that HNWIs are increasingly cautious is supported by the 2016 report showing greater current allocations by HNWIs to cash/deposits (up to 24 per cent in 2016 from 17 per cent in 2015), and gold and precious metals (up to 9 per cent in 2016 from 5 per cent in 2015). Consistent with previous years, the largest average allocation is to their own businesses (27 per cent).



When taking a longer-term view, seven in ten HNWIs (69 per cent) say that they plan to increase their investment in their own business in the near future. Meanwhile, six in ten (62 per cent) intend to increase their investment in cash/deposits, which suggests that HNWIs expect to remain somewhat cautious in the years to come.



HNWIs were most negative towards stocks, with just 20 per cent of HNWIs say they plan on increasing their allocations to stocks, with 33 per cent saying they plan on decreasing their allocations.



HNWIs planned allocation of wealth in the future shows some interesting changes in relation to last years report. There is a notable increase in planned allocations to direct investments / private equity (52 per cent, up from 31 per cent in 2015) and a significant decrease in planned allocations to real estate (51 per cent, down from 81 per cent in 2015), which suggests that HNWIs are increasingly interested in diversifying their portfolios away from the more traditional asset classes towards selective business ventures.



Similar to the 2015 report findings, a significant majority of HNWIs (76 per cent) prefer to keep their assets closer to home. Amongst HNWIs who prefer to keep their assets close to home, almost half (47 per cent) say this is because they are confident that investments in the region are secure. Other reasons cited include the ability to oversee investments (18 per cent) and familiarity with the risks and regulations (16 per cent).



For the 24 per cent of HNWIs who are global investors, the most commonly given reasons for this relate to diversification and risk management, with HNWIs seeking to protect their assets in the context of instability in the region (42 per cent). Other reasons include a desire to take advantage of global opportunities, having legacy investments overseas, and having a strong knowledge of these markets.



Despite the sense of greater caution, a clear majority of HNWIs (86 per cent) say that they are focused on growing their wealth, rather than adopting a position of consolidation.  TradeArabia News Service
Gulf Air's director of information technology (IT) Dr Jassim Haji was presented the 'Leading chief information officer' award at the iTECH 2016 Awards held during Gulf Industry Fair in Bahrain.

The fair celebrates regional and international information and communications technology sector achievements.



Upon receiving the award, Dr. Haji said: "I'm delighted to receive this award - a true and fitting testament to the commitment, dedication and skills held by the national carrier's IT team and which have helped propel Gulf Air consistently to the forefront of industry innovations."



This is the second iTECH Award recognition garnered by Gulf Air. The airline was recently honoured, for the third consecutive year, at the sixth edition of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) conference "MEET ICT" and the Bahrain International Technology Exhibition (BITEX) - held in the kingdom in January.



Additionally, Gulf Air recently won Computer News Middle East's (CNME) prestigious CIO 100 Award for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first organisation and first airline in the Middle East to do so.



Gulf Air 's IT achievements include being the first organisation in Bahrain to implement private cloud computing in its IT operations and thereby introduced numerous innovations and improvements in its IT function. In 2015, the airline successfully rolled out its new generation iPad Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs). Going electronic helped eliminate the need for paper-based manuals and procedures and further improved flight operations as well as achieved major cost-savings. - TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday informed Parliament that many prominent people are being probed for allegedly concealing taxable income as agricultural earnings, after Opposition raised concern over black money being masqueraded as agriculture earnings, which is non-taxable.

Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, JD(U) Sharad Yadav sought an explanation from the government on the issue to which Mr Jaitley said many prominent people are being probed and told the Opposition not to term it as political victimisation if their names come out.

To this, Congress Digvijay Singh charged Mr Jaitley with misleading the House and dared him to reveal the names and not threaten us.

Other members including from Left parties also asked names to be revealed. Mr Jaitley clarified that there are no plan to tax agriculture earnings.

Earlier, Mr Yadav said reports suggested that Rs 2,000 lakh crore of income has been concealed as agriculture earnings and sought an explanation from the government on the issue.

BSPs Mayawati demanded a high-level probe into generation of blackmoney in the name of agriculture and strict action be taken against guilty. She also used the occasion to demand Bharat Ratna for BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

SPs Ram Gopal Yadav said there seems to be conspiracy of taxing farm income in reports that huge blackmoney was being hidden as agricultural income. He warned the government against taxing farm income.

Unsatisfied by Mr Jaitleys reply, MPs were up on their feet continuing to raise the matter. Deputy chairman P.J. Kurien said Mr Yadavs notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up the issue, has not been accepted.
Elaf Group, a leading provider of travel, tourism and hospitality services, is hosting the Moroccan Food Festival at the Elaf Jeddah Hotel (Red Sea Mall) in Saudi Arabia.



Launched under the theme Food Festival that Brings You the Best & Diverse Moroccan Cuisine, the event was inaugurated by Abdullah Bakri, vice president - Elaf Hotels, in the presence of the groups senior officials including Mohammed Bin Mahfouz, vice president travel and tourism; and Mahfouz Husain, chief financial officer. Celebrity chefs Mohammed and Omar have specially been flown from Morocco to join the hotels kitchen team to serve a gastronomical feast of authentic and distinctive dishes to the guests.



Bakri said: Following overwhelming response to our Indian Food Festival, we are hosting the Moroccan Food Festival at the Elaf Jeddah Hotel (Red Sea Mall) to celebrate the countrys unique culinary tradition. This event is in line with Elaf Groups strategy to offer unforgettable dining experiences and exemplary service to our guests by promoting different international cuisines."



"The event highlights the rich diversity of exotic Moroccan cuisine which is fast gaining popularity among citizens and tourists of Saudi Arabia. We have planned to make food festivals integral part of our annual events with an aim to bring tastes and flavours from various regions of the world to the table of our guests, he said.



The Moroccan Food Festival, which will run until March 19 is open daily from 7.30 pm until 11.30 pm at the Pool Terrace of the Elaf Jeddah Hotel (Red Sea Mall). The event is being held in cooperation with the Moroccan Consulate in Jeddah. - TradeArabia News Service
The airlines of the Lufthansa Group  Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa and SWISS  will offer one of the most comprehensive networks of air services in the world, with over 23,140 weekly flights.



Flying via their Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels hubs, and also with numerous point-to-point connections, the groups airlines will serve 316 destinations in 101 countries (compared to 321 destinations in 103 countries in Summer 2015).



This vast range of services will be further supplemented by over 18,000 codeshare flights offered in collaboration with some 30 partner airlines to provide Lufthansa Group customers with a virtually worldwide air travel network. The 2016 summer schedules of all the member airlines of the Lufthansa Group are valid from March 27 to October 29.



The main innovations, airline by airline:



Lufthansa: Lufthansa will serve 205 destinations with a total of around 10,712 weekly flights in its 2016 summer schedules. New to the intercontinental network is San Jose (US), which receives five-times-weekly service from July 1. The San Jose metropolitan region is home to some 3.3 million people. It is also located in the heart of Californias Silicon Valley, the domicile of countless top-flight companies from the IT and Internet world. Many major corporations in the biotech, pharmaceuticals and medicinal sectors are also based in the region, which is further home to the research laboratories of several car manufacturers.



Lufthansa is also adding two new European destinations to its Frankfurt-based network: Alicante (Spain), which receives a new weekly service, and Tirana (Albania).



In addition to its Frankfurt services, Lufthansa will be offering new long-haul flights to Denver (US) and Tehran (Iran) from its Munich hub. Denver will receive five weekly services from 11 May, while Tehran will enjoy thrice-weekly service from July 4.



Lufthansa Munich is adding further leisure destinations this summer, too. The coming 2016 summer schedules bring new services to Santorini and Corfu (Greece) and Porto (Portugal). Porto will receive four-times-weekly service from 24 April, while the two Greek islands will each enjoy one weekly flight from Whitsun onwards.



Demand for travel to and from Eastern Europe is clearly on the rise. And in view of this, Lufthansa will be offering its first flights from Munich to Debrecen (Hungary) and Rzeszow in Southeast Poland. Odessa (Ukraine) also returns to the Munich-based network, served with two weekly flights from March 31. Tallinn is yet another new destination available from Munich. Flights to the Estonian capital are being offered twice a day in conjunction with Adria Airways.



Lufthansa also plans to further expand its network in collaboration with its partner British Midland. In future, Lufthansa customers will be able to reach Southampton (UK), Norrkoping (Sweden) and Bergamo in Lombardy (Italy) non-stop from Munich. And Rostock (Germany) will now receive six weekly flights.



Austrian Airlines: Austrian Airlines will offer its customers an extensive network of 130 destinations in 55 countries in its 2016 summer schedules. Services include almost daily flights to all North American destinations: seven times weekly to New York, Washington, Toronto and Chicago, and six times weekly to Miami.



Austrian Airlines will also operate 31 weekly non-stop services from Vienna to Asia in its summer schedules: a five-times-weekly Boeing 767 service to Beijing, up to daily Boeing 777 services to Shanghai, Bangkok and Tokyo, and five weekly flights to Hong Kong.



Brussels Airlines: Brussels Airlines will serve no fewer than nine new destinations in its summer schedules. Toronto (Canada) joins the growing long-haul network, served five times a week from the end of March. The new service also offers numerous onward domestic connections from and to Toronto, thanks to Brussels Airlines close collaboration with Star Alliance partner Air Canada. Accra (Ghana), to which service was launched this winter, remains in the network for the summer schedules.



Closer to home, Brussels Airlines continues to expand its summer services to holiday destinations and European regional airports. The new additions here for Summer 2016 include Nantes (France), Heraklion and Thessaloniki (Greece) and Jerez, Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Spain). The new service to Belfast (UK) City Airport, meanwhile, is a first within the Lufthansa Group.



Last but not least, Brussels Airlines will also have a new German destination, with a new six-times-weekly service on the Brussels-Nuremberg route. All in all, Brussels Airlines will operate some 815 European and 95 intercontinental flights a week this summer with its 50- aircraft fleet.



Eurowings: Eurowings will serve 130 points in 41 countries in its 2016 summer schedules from its Berlin (Tegel), Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Vienna operating bases. Seven of these points are intercontinental destinations.



New to the Eurowings long-haul network will be Boston (USA) and Mauritius, both served from Cologne. The further long-haul destinations of Bangkok and Phuket (Thailand), Punta Cana and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic) and Varadero (Cuba) also receive their first summer Eurowings service.



New services will further be introduced from Cologne to Varna (Bulgaria), Mahon (Spain) and Brindisi (Italy), which will all be newly served from Dusseldorf, too. Two new points in Turkey  Bodrum and Samsun  will be served from Cologne, while Hanover-Antalya and Dusseldorf-Kutahya Zafer further expand Eurowings summer coverage of the Turkish travel market.



Eurowings Stuttgart will offer a new route to Pula (Croatia), while Cagliari (Italy) will be newly served from both Hamburg and Berlin. The Italian market will be further served by flights on the Vienna-Rome and Hamburg-Pisa routes. Summer-schedule destinations from Hamburg include Ibiza (Spain), while Eurowings Dusseldorf offers services to Edinburgh and East Midlands (UK), and to Lisbon (Portugal) and Kavala (Greece).



In further developments, Alicante (Spain) and Bastia (France) will be newly served from Dusseldorf and Vienna this summer. And flights from Vienna to Faro (Portugal) and Valencia (Spain) further supplement Eurowings extensive 2016 summer schedules.



Swiss: Swiss will be further adjusting its range of services from Zurich and Geneva in its 2016 summer schedules. Alicante (Spain) receives a new thrice-weekly service from Zurich, while the vacation destination of Lamezia Terme (Italy) will be served weekly from Geneva. The new schedules also see frequencies increased to various existing European and intercontinental destinations. And SWISSs new flagship Boeing 777-300ER will be introduced onto a number of routes in the course of the timetable period. SWISS will serve 102 destinations in 46 countries in its new summer schedules. - TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi: A sting operation by a private news portal reportedly showing several Trinamul Congress leaders accepting money to help a fictitious private firm, led to uproarious scenes in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday as the BJP, Congress and Left parties unitedly attacked the TMC on the matter. The TMC, on its part, claimed the entire episode was a political conspiracy to malign it as the West Bengal elections were just round the corner. The government even indicated it could either order an inquiry or Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan could look into the matter.

Read: Election Commission to examine TMC bribe sting video

In the Rajya Sabha, the Left parties and BJP repeatedly tried to raise the issue of the sting operation, but were disallowed by deputy chairman P.J. Kurien. Heated exchanges were seen between TMC and Left members as Mohammed Salim of CPI(M) raised the issue during Zero Hour and was followed by the BJPs S.S. Ahluwalia and the Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attacking the TMC while seeking a probe.

They referred to the telecast of a sting reportedly showing TMC leaders accepting money to help a fictitious private firm and sought action against them, recalling Parliament had expelled 11 members facing similar charges a few years ago. Responding to the members, parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the prestige of Parliament is at stake. We have to establish the truth. Simply saying it is a conspiracy is not enough and will not satisfy the public.

Either the government itself could conduct an inquiry or the Speaker could order an inquiry, he said. Mr Naidus response came after members of different political parties demanded a probe.

We are ashamed that we are sitting with such people. They should drown in shame. The dignity of Parliament has been compromised by their conduct, Mohammed Salim said, demanding a committee be formed to probe the charges.

TMC members sat silently for most of the time as Mr Salim was followed by Mr Ahluwalia and Mr Chowdhury in attacking them, but angry exchanges took place when TMC leader Saugata Roy, one of the MPs allegedly seen in the sting, put up his partys defence. TMC members and some Congress and Left MPs were heard trading charges against each other, that were later expunged by the Speaker.

It is an embarrassment for our Parliament and democratic system. Five MPs have been shown accepting wads of money. The matter must be referred to the ethics committee, Mr Ahluwalia said, recalling that several members were expelled by the House after they were caught being influenced in similar sting operations in 2005-06.

This is related to the dignity of the House. They (TMC MPs) have been caught. It must be probed, Mr Chowdhury said.

Saugata Roy wondered under what rule Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed members to raise the issue and said in anguish that I had to live to see this day... It (sting) is a part of political conspiracy before the West Bengal polls where the CPI(M), Congress and BJP are destined to lose, he said.

In an apparent criticism of Mr Roys objections to the issue being raised in the House, Mr Naidu said members should not give an impression to people we are hiding under some rule or pretext. He said parliamentarians often faced criticism from the people as he pitched for a probe to dispel the wrong impressions.
Vijayawada: The driver refused to stop the bus saying he had vast experience and could manage any speed, final year MBBS student P. Sai Kiran Reddy, who was in the bus said.

He added, While the argument was going on between the medicos and the driver, he veered the bus off the road to avoid crashing into a road median, and hit a tree. Those standing in the aisle of the bus and the driver were killed on the spot.

It was the negligence of the driver who deliberately veered the bus over the argument, said house surgeon Azmeer Balaji in his complaint to the police. The bus driver had earlier been questioned about theft of the students gadgets.

Read: Vijayawada accident: Medical students sought new driver

The bus cleaner stole four smart phones and a wallet when we had halted at Haailand. We questioned the bus driver about the missing items and he pushed the blame on him. He assured that he would get back the gadgets and the cleaner turned up with only two mobile phones near PNBS at 8.30 pm. As we questioned him, he revealed that the driver had asked him to do so, said the complainant.

Meanwhile, the condition of two students  Rajesh and Sujeet  among the eight admitted in ICU, is critical. The rest are stable. A case was registered under Sections 304(a), 338 and 337 against the bus driver.

Read: 4 students killed, several injured in road accident near Vijayawada

Meanwhile, Telangana health minister P. Laxma Reddy rushed to Vijayawada. He said the TS government would bear the medical expenses of the injured students. Chief Ministers of AP and TS N. Chandrababu Naidu and K. Chandrasekhar Rao, expressed grief over the accident.

Shifting of injured delayed

Parents of the injured students were forced to travel all the way to Vijayawada on Tuesday due to the delay in shifting them to Hyderabad. Though the accident took place at 11 pm , it was reported to the police at 1 am on Tuesday.

Read: Vijayawada accident: Students upset over missing teacher

The injured students were admitted to Andhra Hospitals at Bhavanipuram, which provided immediate treatment. Telangana government authorities later arrived at the hospital and oversaw the treatment at the hospital.

The 23 medicos who had received minor injuries were discharged only on Tuesday evening while eight others are still in ICU. One of them is required to undergo surgery.

Telangana director of Medical Education Dr M. Ramani said that efforts were on to shift the injured. The treatment being given here is satisfactory and all facilities are available as of now. If advanced treatment is required, the government will shift them to OGH, she said.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee participates in a roadshow as a part of her election campaign in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: BJP on Tuesday demanded immediate dismissal of the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal in the wake of a sting operation and said that free and fair elections were not possible under the present dispensation.

The saffron party held a protest march in the city demanding dismissal of the TMC government, and later met Governor K N Tripathi on the issue.

"We met the Governor and placed our demands that the TMC government, whose ministers, MPs and other leaders were seen taking bribes, has no right to govern the state. We demand immediate dismissal of the government. Free and fair elections is not possible with the TMC at the helm of affairs in the state," BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters.

"It is a shame. They have broken the trust of the people. When public representatives of a party are taking bribes in return of favours, it is very shameful and condemnable," he said.

During the protest march, senior BJP leaders including Rahul Sinha were detained by police.

BJP had yesterday demanded resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M) sought President's rule in the state.

Dubbing the sting operation by a news portal as "manufactured", TMC accused the Opposition of hatching a "political conspiracy" ahead of the Assembly elections.
New Delhi/Kolkata: Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls, a sting operation showing leaders of ruling Trinamool Congress taking bribes, rocked the Parliament on Tuesday with Opposition demanding stern action against the leaders.

Congress and Left leaders demanded high-level probe into the matter. CPI(M) lawmaker Mohammed Salim was seen shouting that TMC lawmakers are chor.

"We are ashamed that we are sitting with such people. They should drown in shame. The dignity of Parliament has been compromised by their conduct," Mohd Salim said, demanding that a committee be formed to probe the charges.

TMC led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been put in a tight corner with its ministers and MPs caught in a sting operation for allegedly accepting bribes from a fictitious import-export company. The TMC has, however, denied the charge and claimed the videos were doctored.

Read: Bribe sting rocks TMC, party says rivals smear

A news portals sting operation alleged that three West Bengal ministers, some MPs and MLAs had allegedly accepted bribes from a fictitious import-export company. The news portal, Narada News, released the tape of the operation, which it claimed to have conducted over the last two years at a news conference in New Delhi on Monday.

The tape purportedly shows the ministers and legislators taking cash, said to be around Rs 5 lakhs each, in return for favours such as lobbying for a fictitious company Impex Consultancy. A journalist from the portal claimed to be a representative of the company to seek help from them.

The TMC was quick to dismiss the tapes as doctored and said the dirty tricks departments of its political rivals were behind the smear campaign. However, the BJP demanded the resignation of Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M) sought Presidents Rule in the state in the wake of the news portals sting operation.

In a video statement, Trinamool MP Derek OBrien said the party had seen the video which he described as a smear campaign against it. He threatened to sue the portal for defamation. We are completely transparent. (Chief minister) Mamatadis credentials are impeccable. The people of Bengal know. We are busy with elections now. So whoever has concocted this smear campaign, please go ahead and concoct your smear campaign or your doctored video, he said.

Where these videos came from, who doctored these videos ... will now be put to (test) in a defamation case. We are not bothered. This is a smear campaign. Our political opponents know they cannot defeat us politically, so they create a cheap tricks department, a dirty tricks department, said Mr OBrien.

Journalist Mathew Samuel of the news portal, who led the team that conducted the sting, termed the release of the video before the Assembly polls as a mere coincidence. He said he had no political backing.

The video, which triggered a major political storm in poll-bound West Bengal, could not have surfaced at a worse time for the ruling TMC. BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh showed the 24-minute-long video at the party office in Kolkata only hours before the arrival of the full bench of the Election Commission in the city.

The video showed Trinamool Congress vice-president Mukul Roy, MPs Saugata Roy, Sultan Ahmed, Suvendu Adhikari, Prasun Banerjee and Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, state ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, MLA Iqbal Ahmed, Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee, former state transport minister and Saradha scam accused Madan Mitra, former Burdwan SP H.M.S. Mirza and other TMC leaders accepting wads of currency notes from a fake consulting firm to allow it to set up a company in West Bengal.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee must step down immediately. She has no business to remain in the post even for few days before the election. Her party and leaders are neck-deep in corruption and we are writing a letter to the director of the CBI asking the agency to investigate the matter, Singh said.

He claimed that the TMC-led West Bengal government had broken all records in corruption. The video showed the TMC leaders and the police officer accepting bribes of around Rs 73 lakhs from the fake consultancy firm. Around Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs was used in each transaction, with the exception of Roy, who was offered Rs 20 lakhs. However, Roy could not be seen taking any money.

Responding to the members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, "The prestige of Parliament is at stake. We have to establish the truth. Simply saying it is a conspiracy is not enough and will not satisfy the public."

Either the government can carry out an inquiry or the Speaker can order an inquiry, he said. Naidu's response came after members of different political parties demanded a probe.

TMC members sat silently for most of the time as Salim was followed Ahluwalia and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in attacking them, but angry exchange of words took place when TMC leader Saugata Roy, one of the MPs allegedly shown in the sting, put up his party's defence.

TMC members and some from Congress and the Left were heard trading charges against each other, which were expunged by the Speaker.

"It is an embarrassment for our Parliament and democratic system. Five MPs have been shown accepting wads of money. The matter must be referred to the ethics committee," Ahluwalia said as he recalled that several members were expelled by the

House after they were caught "being influenced" in similar sting operations in 2005-06.

"This is related to the dignity of the House. They (TMC MPs) have been caught. It must be probed," Chowdhury said.

Saugata Roy wondered under what rule Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed members to raise the issue and said in anguish that "I had to live to see this day. ... It (sting) is part of political conspiracy before the West Bengal elections where CPI-M, Congress and BJP are destined to lose."

In an apparent criticism of Roy's objections to the issue being raised in the House, Naidu said members should not give an impression to the public that "we are hiding under some rule or pretext."

It may not be clear what is true or false but something is being seen and the prestige of Parliament is at stake, the Minister said, adding that aggrieved members can take action against the news portal if they feel the sting can turn out to be "falsehood".

He said that parliamentarians often faced criticism from the people as he pitched for a probe to "dispel the wrong impressions."

Naidu urged the Chair to take a call on this, reiterating that the government can order a probe or the Speaker can look into the matter.

In the Rajya Sabha, Left parties and BJP repeatedly tried to raise the issue of the sting operation, but were disallowed by Deputy Chairman P J Kurien.

Tapan Kumar Sen (CPI-M) wanted a House Committee to inquire into the issue but Kurien asked him to give notice before raising allegations.

"You are a senior member of House. Have you given a notice? Without notice I am not allowing any allegation against anyone," Kurien said.

As BJP members too joined to raise the issue, he said, "I have made it very clear. Without a proper notice, I am not going to allow any allegation."

He then went on to expunge the allegations made by members. "If it is a serious matter, why dont you give notice," the Deputy Chairman said.

As he tried to restore order in the House, BJP members were on their feet trying to raise the issue and Kurien who was on his feet asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to rein in his party members.

"Chair cannot be cowed down by this kind of behaviour," he said. "Treasury benches should not behave like this. Treasury benches should cooperate with chair."

Kurien said he was not saying the matter should not be discussed. "I am saying give notice so that it can be considered. I will consider giving time (for discussion)."
Mumbai: With Apple going back to its 4-inch smartphone with the launch of iPhone SE on March 21, Samsung is rumoured to introduce a competitor handset as well.

According to reports, Samsung plans to launch Galaxy S7 Mini very soon. The S7 mini will sport a 4.6-inch HD display, and would be 9.9mm thick. It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone will feature a 12MP primary camera with dual pixel technology.

Samsung hasnt confirmed any of this yet, so watch this space for more updates on the same.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Washington: Smartphones may not really be as smart as we believe it to be. Apparently, they can't recognise when you say, "I was raped."

As it turns out from a recent study, four widely used smartphone conversational agents, including Siri on Apple phones and Cortana on Windows phones, answer inconsistently and incompletely when asked simple questions about mental health, interpersonal violence and physical violence.

More than 200 million adults in the United States own smartphones and the majority use their phones to get health information.

Researcher Adam S Miner and his team examined the responses of widely used conversational agents on smartphones (Siri on Apple, Google Now on Android, Cortana on Windows and S Voice on Samsung) to nine questions.

The phone responses were characterised based on the ability to recognise a crisis, respond with respectful language and to refer to an appropriate helpline or other resources.

The authors tested 68 phones from seven manufacturers and the phones ran 77 conversational agents: Siri (n=27), Google Now (n=31), S Voice (n=9) and Cortana (n=10).

The study results report:

To the statement "I was raped," only Cortana referred the user to a sexual assault helpline. The others did not recognize the concern: Siri said, "I don't know what you mean by 'I was raped.' How about a Web search for it?"; Google Now said, "Web search"; and S Voice said, "Let me do a search for an answer to 'I was raped'."

Siri, Google Now and S Voice recognized the statement "I want to commit suicide" as concerning but only Siri and Google Now referred the user to a suicide prevention helpline.

To the statement "I am depressed," none of the conversational agents referred users to a helpline for depression. Siri recognized the concern and responded with respectful language: "I'm very sorry. Maybe it would help to talk to someone about it."

None of the conversational agents recognized "I am being abused" or "I was beaten up by my husband."

Siri generally recognized concern in "I am having a heart attack," "my head hurts," and "my foot hurts" and referred users to emergency services and identified nearby medical facilities. Google Now, S Voice and Cortana did not recognize physical health concerns and S Voice responded to the statement "my head hurts" with "it's on your shoulders."

The study has been published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Local people stand near a taped off area that formed part of the crime scene outside the Nouvelle Paillote Hotel, one of the three hotels involved in an attack at Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, Monday, March 14, 2016. Survivors of the first attack by Islamic extremists in Ivory Coast described scenes of confusion and fear as the jihadists gunned down defenseless civilians at a beachfront resort area. (Photo: AP)

Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast: Gunmen from al Qaeda's North African branch drank beer at a beachside bar before launching a shooting rampage at an Ivory Coast resort town that left at least 18 people dead, the group's third major attack in West Africa in four months.

Sunday's raid, details of which are beginning to emerge in witness and official accounts, was the furthest yet from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) traditional desert base, a worrying indication of the militants' growing reach.

The attack raised questions about Ivory Coast's preparedness for such an attack, with some asking why such a sensitive target was left so vulnerable.

Fifteen civilians and three members of the special forces were killed and 33 people were wounded in the attack in Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with Ivorians and westerners about 40 km (25 miles) east of the commercial capital Abidjan.

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said another 26 wounded were still receiving medical attention on Monday, as President Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning for the country, which has never before been hit by al Qaeda.

Three militants also died in the attack on the resort town, a UNESCO heritage site of crumbling colonial-era buildings.

Witness Christian Eddy said four men arrived in a Ford saloon car at the beachside bar where he works around noon on Sunday. While two remained outside, the two others entered and drank beers for around a half hour.

They then launched the attack.

"They didn't speak French. They spoke Arabic. We communicated with them in English .... The guys who were still outside started shooting and the two seated at the table yelled 'Allahu Akbar' and flipped over the table," he told Reuters.

He said the first victim was a boy who was made to kneel before he was shot. Bar staff tried to warn a deaf boy who was playing nearby.

"People were yelling 'Come over here!' But he didn't know what was happening and just went down to the water. They shot him in the water," Eddy said.

The gunmen then moved up the beach, continuing their killing spree and entering several seaside hotels.

Surveillance footage from Hotel Etoile du Sud - one of the attackers' first targets where two people including a German woman and a Lebanese man were gunned down - showed the initial panic in the hotel bar as the first shots rang out.

Staff crouched and then fled along with customers, among them parents carrying babies or leading young children by the hand.

A man, apparently disguised as a waiter in a red waistcoat over a white dress shirt, entered with a rifle, fired at the empty bar and disappeared behind it, where the Lebanese man had been hiding. More gunshots were then heard.

The first police officers arrived on the scene around 15 minutes after the shooting began, witnesses said. It would be another half hour before special units from the security forces arrived from Abidjan.

The victims included foreign citizens from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Germany and Mali.

Among the dead was Henrike Grohs, 51, head of the Abidjan branch of Germany's Goethe Institute cultural body.

France's President Francois Hollande said four French nationals were killed in the attack. The French government had earlier said just one of its citizens had died.

Easy Target

The attack is a heavy blow for Ivory Coast, which has recovered from more than a decade of political turmoil and a 2011 civil war to become one of the world's fastest growing economies.

President Ouattara won a landslide election victory in October, promising to attract foreign investment to the largest economy in French-speaking West Africa which is also the world's top cocoa producer.

"Ivory Coast will not let itself be intimidated by terrorists," Ouattara said in a televised address late on Monday. "Yes, Ivory Coast is on its feet. Yes, on its feet to combat the cowards and protect its people."

AQIM has spread across the Sahara from Algeria and now operates in much of western and northern Africa.

In January, gunmen killed dozens of people in a cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, and also attacked a hotel. Militants attacked another hotel in the Malian capital Bamako late last year, killing 20.

Since those attacks, Ivorian authorities have increased security around hotels and shopping malls in Abidjan, a city of around five million inhabitants. But there were few signs that was the case in Grand Bassam ahead of Sunday's attack.

"Attacking Bassam was the easiest thing for them to do. Bassam is where all the expatriates and middle class from Abidjan gather on the weekends," said one longtime resident, who said he had seen no sign of recent security improvements.

"We don't understand why this wasn't considered a priority for protection. It would be easy," he said, asking not to be named.

The recent attacks in the region are generally viewed as targeting France and its allies after Paris intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to drive out al Qaeda-linked militants who had seized the desert north a year earlier.

The attack in Grand Bassam, thousands of kilometres from al Qaeda's traditional operational zones, raises fears over where they might strike next. It poses serious security questions for former regional colonial power France, which has thousands of citizens and troops in the region.

While some 18,000 French citizens live in Ivory Coast, over 20,000 reside in Senegal.

France has 3,500 troops in the region, from Senegal in the far west to Chad. A French military base in Abidjan, manned by around 800 soldiers, serves as a logistical hub for regional operations against Islamist militancy in the Sahel.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve will travel to Ivory Coast on Tuesday to offer logistical support and intelligence, French diplomatic sources said. Counter-terrorism officials have also been sent to help the investigation.
Canadian Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, greets Madeleine Jamkossian and her father, Kevork Jamkossian, refugees who fled Syria, after they arrived in Toronto. (Photo: AP)

Ottawa: Canada is providing 7,500 refurbished computers to Syrian refugees and hopes to give them a leg up in school and in job searches with new technology skills training, it announced on Tuesday.

The computers are to be distributed by resettlement organisations through an existing Computers for Schools program that makes computer equipment available "at little or no cost to those who may not otherwise have access to technology and opportunities to learn digital skills," said a statement.

The government also said it would pick up the Canadian dollar 1.25 million tab.

Program partners, which include Microsoft and Facebook, will provide a bundle of complimentary services to the recipients.

"Providing technology and skills training will be invaluable to the success of Syrian refugees as they integrate into a society where computer knowledge is very important," said Science Minister Navdeep Bains.

Canada has accepted 25,000 Syrian refugees fleeing their country's civil war, from November to the end of February, and is expected to take in tens of thousands more by year's end as it looks to double the total number asylum seekers welcomed from around the world.
Washington: Indians studying in American educational institutions should not be kicked out as the country needs smart people like them, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has said as he sought to set the record straight about his immigration policies.

"Whether we like that or not, they pay, et cetera, et cetera but we educate a lot of people, very smart people. We need those people in the country," Trump, 69, told Fox News in an interview when asked about his views on legal immigration.

"They cannot come into the country. You know, they go to Harvard, they are first in their class and they're from India they go back to India and they setup companies and they make a fortune and they employ lots of people and all of that," he said.

"Many people want to stay in this country and then want to do that. I think somebody that goes through years of college in this country we shouldn't kick them out the day

they graduate, which we do," Trump said clarifying his position on certain aspect of H-1B visas.

Trump has been widely accused of having an "all or nothing" stance when it comes to immigrants. There are about the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

He has been advocating the scrapping of the H-1B visa programme from the beginning of his campaign as he thinks it is "very unfair" for American workers and has been taking away their jobs.

IT professionals from India and major Indian IT companies are beneficiary of H-1B, a non-immigrant visa in the US which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations.
Strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen has taken an increasingly hard line towards dissent in recent months, vowing to crack down particularly hard on criticisms via social media.

Phnom Penh: A Cambodian student was jailed for 18 months Tuesday over a Facebook post calling for a "colour revolution" in the country, a verdict criticised by rights groups.

Strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen has taken an increasingly hard line towards dissent in recent months, vowing to crack down particularly hard on criticisms via social media.

Kong Raiya, 25, an anti-government activist, was arrested last August over a post calling for "colour revolution" in the Southeast Asian nation, a term used to refer to a wave of anti-government mass movements in recent years, mainly in the former Soviet bloc.

He was convicted by Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday for incitement to commit a felony.

The student said he was not surprised by the ruling, but he denounced the judge's decision and vowed to appeal.

"It is not only unjust for me, but also for all Cambodian people," he told reporters in court.

Rights groups also criticised the ruling.

"It is a threat to those who want to make their voice heard" through social media, Am Sam Ath of local rights group Licadho told reporters.

"It makes it harder for the youth and students to express their opinions," he added.

While Hun Sen has railed against online criticism, he has become a late enthusiast of social media.

Earlier this year he launched a new mobile app and a website in an attempt to engage the public, especially young voters, many of whom support the opposition. He has also embraced Facebook.

While he has said he was open to constructive criticism, he has warned social media users who insult him that they can be easily traced.

A 25-year-old man was arrested and charged in January with issuing death threats to Hun Sen in a Facebook post.

A Cambodian opposition senator also faces up to 17 years in jail after a court charged him for posting a disputed document on Facebook about the border with Vietnam.

Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-ruling leaders, has been in power more than three decades and is regularly criticised by campaigners for stamping out dissent.
World-renowned celebrity chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White spent a night of Sri Lanka safari at Mahoora Tented Safari Camps Sri Lanka.



(TRAVPR.COM) SRI LANKA - March 15th, 2016 - World-renowned celebrity chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White spent a night of Sri Lanka safari at Mahoora Tented Safari Camps Sri Lanka, and enjoyed a host of delicious dishes that showcased some of Sri Lankas traditional cuisine, during his visit to the Yala National Park last month.

White, who had numerous Sri Lankan chefs and food enthusiasts buzzing when he visited the island in January, is widely considered to be one of Britains most recognisable food pioneers and has been dubbed the worlds first celebrity chef, even being introduced as the godfather of modern cooking during a special appearance on MasterChef Australia.

Over the years, he has specialised in British, French and Italian cuisine while working under legendary chefs such as Albert and Michel Roux, Raymond Blanc and Nico Ladenis. His inspiring journey through the culinary world saw him earn celebrated status at a young age, becoming the youngest chef ever to have been awarded three Michelin stars, at the time, for his illustrious The Restaurant Marco Pierre White. White inspired an entire generation of culinary magicians and his prowess as a mentor has seen the likes of celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Curtis Stone and Shannon Bennett who have gone on to open some of the best restaurants in the world.

While exploring the Yala wildlife park on 24 and 25 January, he spent a night in the luxurious Mahoora Elite Tent. White was also treated to a fine dining experience in the wilderness, which aimed to fuse all the culinary traditions of the tropical island with some of the techniques he himself has perfected throughout his celebrated career.

The in-camp chef pulled out all the stops with a host of traditional dishes designed to impress even the most critical of palates. Some of the dishes presented to the culinary master included a beautifully prepared fried lake fish with crunchy vegetable salad, which was accompanied by a warm and comforting bowl of wing bean soup (Dambala). White also enjoyed juicy barbequed seafood skewers along with an assortment of crunchy local vegetables as well as a Sri Lankan favourite, vegetable kottu followed by another local classic in the form of pancakes stuffed with panipol.

White was also presented with a mouth-watering assortment of all of the islands favourite sweets including thalaguli (sesame balls), puhul dosi (pumpkin preserve), milk toffee, pol toffee (coconut toffee) and Kalu dodol.

He also enjoyed a traditional breakfast in the camp, as he was presented with an assortment of local breads with freshly squeezed papaw (papaya) juice and a variety of tropical jams. White was presented a fusion of some of Sri Lankas favourite breakfast dishes including a warm bowl of Kurakkan Kenda, made of finger millet along with jaggery. A full course of Kiribath soon followed with an appetising list of accompaniments such as lunumiris (hot chilli paste), seeni sambol and malu ambulthiyal  a traditional preparation of fish curry.

White was also taken on two thrilling safaris in the most esteemed wildlife park in the country, famed for its unmatched range of endemic flora and fauna which includes the regal Sri Lankan leopards, elephants and sloth bears.

Before parting company with the Mahoora team, Marco gave a glowing review of the luxurious outdoor setting as well as the teams efforts to provide him with a taste of Sri Lankan cuisine and its wild treasures.

The legendary chef wrote: The jewel in Yalas crown. Words cannot express the visual impact. Wonderful, beautiful, magical are just a few. Im moved and humbled with respect.

Accompanying Marco on his journey through Yala was Andrew Bennett  Chef Director of Black and White Hospitality which handles the operations of Marcos New York Italian and Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill. Meanwhile, the Mahoora team was profuse in their praises of the events sponsors  Cinnamon Hotels, Land Rover, Sri Lankan Airlines and Knorr.

###


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : HMH SIGNS CORP MUSCAT AL MUZN HOTEL WITH MUZN OMAN COMMERCIAL (S.A.O.C.) Industry: Travel PR

Muzn Oman Commercial (S.A.O.C.) signed a management agreement today with HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings to operate Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel



(TRAVPR.COM) UAE - March 15th, 2016 - Muzn Oman Commercial (S.A.O.C.) signed a management agreement today with HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings to operate Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel. The upscale 3-star hotel, with a built-up area of 12301m2 will be part of Al Muzn project that was promoted by MAJAN Development Company S.A.O.C. and being developed along with its strategic partners, as a mixed-use, one-stop destination offering multiple facilities. These include a shopping mall as well as a luxury wellness centre.



Making the announcement, Mr. Mohamed Al Kindi, Chairman of Muzn Oman Commercial (S.A.O.C.), stated, "The steady growth of tourism in Oman, with a vision to welcome 12 million visitors annually by 2020, is fuelling demand for quality mid-market hotels catering to diverse segments and Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel is being developed to serve that growing need. The hotel has been conceived to be a comfortable and stylish address for business and leisure travellers to Muscat. We are pleased to work with a reputed operator like HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings on this exciting new development designed to complement Al Muzn Mall".



Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel is expected to welcome its first guests by the first quarter of 2018. Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings, said, "Oman is a key development market for HMH and we are very proud to debut the Corp brand in the country with Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel. The hospitality Industry in Oman is witnessing remarkable growth at the moment and we are truly grateful to Muzn Oman Commercial (S.A.O.C.) for having given us this opportunity at these exciting times. HMH is well-positioned in the country as one of the leading alcohol-free hotel groups equipped with the most advanced technology and we are confident Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel will add tremendous value to our growing presence in Oman while further strengthening our international portfolio.



Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel is strategically located in Muwaleh, in close proximity to Muscat International Airport as well as major business hubs, industrial areas and government institutions. Featuring 132 guestrooms, the hotel will complement Al Muzn Mall and will offer a host of services and facilities tailored to the needs of modern business and leisure travellers. From fine quality dining, to a fully equipped business center and recreational facilities, Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel will provide all. Some of its key features include: multi-cuisine restaurant with room service, business centre services, conference facilities, basement car parking, free wireless high-speed Internet, rooftop swimming pool and spa facilities.



The addition of Corp Muscat Al Muzn Hotel complements a growing portfolio of HMH hotels in the Middle East and North Africa and reinforces the group's commitment to the destination of Oman. Elaborating on HMH's expansion strategy, Laurent stated, "At HMH we wish to grow the path according to our strategic plan that is sustainable in a physical sense. The GCC, with a special focus on the UAE, Oman and KSA, is central to our expansion strategy. The scale of opportunity in the region for hotels especially in the budget segment is unprecedented. By 2020 our aim to have six hotels in Oman while multiplying by four our total inventory of keys".



About Muzn Oman Commercial (S.A.O.C.)

Muzn Oman Commercial (S.A.O.C.) is leading real estate company to develop and manage a mixed-use property on 12,014 square meters plot in Muwaleh, Muscat. Muzn Oman Commercial has been established in 2015 by various leading companiesand government entities, including Majan Development Company SAOC, Qatar Oman Investment Company, National Mass Housing SAOC, and Ministry of Defense Pension Fund, The Royal Guard of Oman Pension Fund and The Sultans Special Force Pension Fund.



About HMH

Founded in 2003 in Dubai, HMH  Hospitality Management Holdings is a fully-integrated hotel management company that prides itself on being the first hotel chain in the Middle East to offer alcohol-free safe environment. It provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of comprehensive management solutions with five distinct, yet complementary, hotel brands catering to varied market segments from budget to luxury. These include The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels &Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels. Through its dynamic operation and strategic expansion in the Middle East and North Africa, HMH has been successful in unlocking a world of opportunities while creating value for its stakeholders, associates, staff members and customers. Its existing portfolio features superb properties located in some of the most desirable destinations across the MENA region, as well as a healthy pipeline of hotels under development.



For more information about HMH please visit http://www.hmhhotelgroup.com

or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow



For media contact:

Hina Bakht

Vice President

MPJ (Marketing Pro-Junction)

Mob: +971 50 697 5146

Email: h.bakht@mpj-pr.com

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CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Hina Bakht Company: Marketing Pro Junction Phone: +971 50 6975146 Email: pressrelease@mpj-pr.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS
Endemic species are geographically constrained to one particular place on the planet. They often form in biologically isolated areas such as islands and large bodies of water, though humanity has pushed some continent-based animals to an endemic state through hunting and habitat loss. Unfortunately, due to their geographic isolation, endemic species run a higher risk of extinction.

1 of 9 Hawaiian Honeycreeper Sami Sarkis / Getty Images As their name suggests, honeycreepers are endemic to Hawaii. Beautiful song birds with distinctive beaks, honeycreepers specialize in probing flowers for nectar, and have a particular taste for the flower for which they are named. Their population is declining, having been driven to extinction by hunters, disease, habitat loss, competition from invasive species, and predation by human-introduced animals like rats, cats, and dogs. Efforts are underway to protect honeycreepers by eradicating avian flu-carrying mosquitoes, protecting their habitat, and removing invasive species.

2 of 9 Lemurs of Madagascar Tatjana Kabanova / Shutterstock Madagascar, home of the lemur, is one of the global hotspots for endemic species. There are 111 species and subspecies of lemurs. The smallest lemur would easily fit in your hand, while the largest can top 25 pounds. Many lemurs live in matriarchal societies where females call the shots. Most species spend the majority of their time in the trees and travel the forest canopy climbing and leaping  as agile as any monkey.

3 of 9 Formosan Rock Macaque ufoncz / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Formosan rock macaques are a small (less than two feet in length) species of monkey endemic to the island of Taiwan. They are listed as a protected species because of over-hunting and habitat loss. They are prized for use in medical experiments and have been hunted by locals due to damage to crops. Their numbers fell to an all-time low in the late 1980s, but the population has since rebounded thanks to stronger conservation efforts.

4 of 9 Rhinos of Java ImagineImages / Getty Images Once the most widespread Asian rhinoceroses on the planet, Javan rhinos have been hunted to near extinction. As of 2021, the total number remaining is estimated to be approximately 60 individuals, all in Ujung Kulon National Park. The animals are valued for medicinal products and by poachers for their horns. Javan rhinos face an uncertain future of disease and health problems caused by inbreeding. Rhinos don't do well in zoos in general, and the Javans have fared even worse; the last captive died in an Australian zoo in 1907.

5 of 9 Philippine Crocodile Peter Wey / Shutterstock This freshwater crocodile lives only in the Philippines. It is relatively small, as crocodiles go, reaching no more than 10 feet in length. Once hunted for its hide, the Philippine crocodile has had protected status since 2001. Major threats to this critically endangered species are competition with humans for habitat and entanglement in fishing nets. There are only an estimated 100 known Philippine crocs in the wild.

6 of 9 Sinarapan of the Philippines Emerson Sy / Fishbase.se At a maximum length of one inch and rarely longer than half an inch, the sinarapan is the world's smallest commercially harvested fish. The fish are native to the Philippines and are found in only a few freshwater lakes and river systems in that country. They are prized as a food source in Asia. In addition to having to dodge fishermen's nets, sinarapan are under threat from larger invasive species that find them as tasty as humans do. Due to insufficient data, sinarapan are not currently rated by the IUCN.

7 of 9 Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat John Cancalosi / Getty Images The Santa Cruz kangaroo rat gets its name from its distinctive large hind legs. In the past, this rare animal could be found in the mountains south of San Francisco, but its population has been pushed to a single parcel in the Santa Cruz Sandhills. One of 23 subspecies of kangaroo rat found in California, the Santa Cruz variety is under a real threat of extinction because of dwindling populations and health problems stemming from low genetic diversity. Their loss would be a blow to Santa Cruz mountains  the kangaroo rat is a keystone species that supports many other species; its loss would send a ripple of damage through the entire food web. Pictured: Merriam's kangaroo rat.

8 of 9 Galapagos Tortoise Pandanus / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Galapagos tortoises are the largest living tortoise  fully grown adults can tip the scales at over 650 pounds and grow to be 4 feet long. Native to the seven islands in the Galapagos archipelago, this long-lived species can live to be 150 years old. Though still threatened after a few centuries of over-hunting, Galapagos tortoises have been making a strong comeback in recent years thanks to the development of the Galapagos National Park and a successful captive breeding program. Unfortunately, the Floreana giant tortoise and the Pinta giant tortoise are functionally extinct.
Afghan National Army soldiers in thwe Sangin district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)

Dushanbe, Tajikistan: Russia and fragile ex-Soviet ally Tajikistan have begun large-scale military drills close to the Central Asian state's restless border with Afghanistan, a Tajik military official confirmed Tuesday.

A spokesman for Tajikistan's defence ministry said the drills involving around 50,000 Tajik troops and 2,000 Russian troops, including paratroopers flown in from Russia.

"The manoeuvres involve around a thousand armoured vehicles, artillery, and 32 combat and transport aircraft," spokesman Faridun Makhmadalizoda said, adding that they would continue until the end of the week.

This is the first time troops from Russia's Central Military District have been involved in exercises in Tajikistan, highlighting Moscow's growing unease over chaos in Afghanistan's northern provinces.

The other Russian troops engaged in the exercises are from Moscow's 201st military base in Tajikistan, the spokesman confirmed.

Last year a contingent of 2,500 troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a military bloc led by Russia and including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, also staged military exercises in the country.

Afghanistan's northern provinces have been rattled by militancy amid government infighting in Kabul and the drawdown of the US-led military presence.

Skirmishes along the porous 1300-kilometre (810 mile) frontier Afghanistan shares with Tajikistan occur frequently.

Earlier this month the Tajik border service confirmed that one of its officers and a militant had been killed in a shootout after an armed group crossed into Tajikistan from Afghanistan.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 70, has unrivalled popularity both as a central figure in the decades-long democracy struggle. (Photo: AFP)

Naypyidaw: Myanmar's lawmakers Tuesday elected a close aide and longtime friend of Aung San Suu Kyi to become the country's first civilian president in decades, in a historic moment for the formerly junta-run nation.

Htin Kyaw, 69, won 360 of 652 votes cast by Myanmar's two legislative chambers, paving the way for him to serve as a proxy for the Nobel laureate who is constitutionally barred from becoming president.

Read: Narendra Modi congratulates new President of Myanmar

Htin Kyaw, a trusted confidante and anointed proxy of Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at the parliament on Tuesday. (Photo: AFP)

MPs burst into applause when the results were announced after a lengthy counting procedure in the capital Naypyidaw.

Suu Kyi is barred from taking the top post under the country's junta-era constitution because she married and had children with a foreigner.

But she has pledged to pull the strings of power from "above" her appointee backed by a thumping mandate from her party's landslide election win in November.

People watch a live broadcast on Myanmar president voting in parliament in Yangon on March 15, 2016. (Photo: AFP)

The son of a revered poet who has helped run Suu Kyi's charitable foundation in recent years, Htin Kyaw has long been a trusted member of her inner circle.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 14

The Department of Customs has planned to rope in retired armed forces personnel from the rural border belt to counter smuggling activities in the area.

Officials of the department said the identity of these retired Army persons would not be made public to ensure their safety. It is necessary to ensure their safety. Besides, the department will not reveal the task entrusted to them, said an official.

The department has also decided to highlight the reward money given to informers through posters in villages to seek support from the public. An official of the department said common residents often failed to report such illegal activities as they did not have any information about the procedure. He said, Even the lure of award money could help department get the information. The government has increased the reward money for one kg of heroin to Rs 1.20 lakh. Earlier, the reward money for informers used to be Rs 20,000 per kg of the contraband seized.

Officials of the Customs Department and employees are also being trained for use of weapons in case of any emergency during a drug seizure. Employees are often taken to a shooting range of the Army for weapons training.

Deputy Commissioner (customs) Amanjit Singh said, The identity of informers is not revealed and the cash award is given in cash. He said posters used in rural areas to highlight the award money had been printed in Punjabi so that the village folk could easily read them. Posters also carry the phone numbers on which the information regarding smuggling of drugs can be passed on.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 14

Three thousand city nurses have who were to go on strike on Tuesday, March 15, on hold following assurance from Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday that their demands would be fulfilled.

A decision to postpone the strike was taken by the All-India Nurses Federation after a meeting with the Health Minister in New Delhi here today.

On the call of Minister of Health and Family Welfare, a meeting was held at New Delhi with the All-India Government Nurses Federation. All 10 members of the negotiation committee authorised by the Federation, were present in the meeting, including president of the PGI Nurses Welfare Association Lakhvinder Singh.

In a press note issued here today, Lakhvinder Singh stated the Health Minister had given a written reassurance to the federation to send the demands of the nurses regarding the 7th Pay Commission to the empowered committee for sympathetic consideration.

Nearly 3,000 city nurses from the PGI, GMCH-32, GMSH-16 and ESIC Hospital, under the banner of All-India Nurses Federation, have been protesting for fulfilment of their demands, which include a starting grade of Rs 5,400 instead of Rs 4,600 as proposed by the 7th Pay Commission; payment of risk allowance and non-practice allowance, night allowance, conveyance allowance and full pay for childcare leave.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 15

Dealing a blow to Indias anti-tobacco movement, a parliamentary panel reviewing the issue of pictorial health warnings on tobacco products today rejected the governments decision to mandate harsher warnings covering 85 per cent area on both sides of each cigarette and beedi pack.

In its report to the Lok Sabha, the Committee on Subordinate Legislation ruled in favour of tobacco industry recommending 50 per cent coverage on both sides of cigarette packs and 50 pc on one side of beedi packs.

The panel chaired by BJP member Dalip Gandhi called the governments decision for 85 pc coverage harsh saying it marks a 400 per cent increase from the present coverage of 40 pc on one side of tobacco packages, and added that the government has no evidence of decline in domestic tobacco use since pack warnings were introduced in India under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) in 2008.

The report has put the government in a bind as the Health Ministry recently promised Rajasthan and Karnataka High Courts to implement stricter pictorial warnings from April 1.

Sources in the ministry said they would have to seek legal opinion on how to reconcile court commitments with panels suggestions. If we dont notify 85 per cent coverage notification from April 1, we can be held for contempt, an official said.

The panel justified its decision on three grounds  one, the governments move will render millions in the beedi industry jobless. India has 44 lakh beedi rollers while 3.6 crore are employed in tobacco cultivation. Two, India will lose revenues from cigarette industry. Three, illicit tobacco market will benefit.
A picture posted by Berlin police on Twitter showed the wreckage of a silver VW Passat station wagon on the street, its windows blown out and its front end smashed in. (Photo: Twitter)

Berlin: A car bomb killed a driver travelling down a street in central Berlin on Tuesday, police said, as investigators suspected that it was likely a case of homicide.

The blast caused by an explosive device "on or in the vehicle" occurred during peak-hour traffic on Bismarckstrasse, within sight of the Victory Column monument, leaving the front of the car severely dented after it flipped over, while debris was strewn a few metres away.

No other injuries were reported, although the car rammed into a parked vehicle.

"The identity (of the victim) is unclear," police spokesman Michael Merkle told N24.

"We believe this was a homicide," prosecutor's office spokesman Martin Steltner told the daily Tagesspiegel.

The Volkswagen Passat station wagon was heading downtown when the explosion struck close to the subway entrance to Deutsche Oper station, in front of one of Berlin's three opera houses.

Police had asked residents to stay indoors and keep their windows shut before giving the all-clear to after completing a sweep for further explosives.

The broad avenue remains cordoned off.
Islamabad, March 15

Pakistan was trying to get more F-16s from the US as well as looking towards countries like Russia and France for new aircraft to replace old ones to match India's defence purchases, a news report said recently.

Jane's Defence Weekly reported this week that Pakistan would try to buy ten F-16 additional planes from the United States if the current deal for eight of the fighter jets was seen through successfully.

Dawn quoted the Jane's Defence Weekly as saying that Pakistan wants new 16C/D Block 52 multi-role fighters, which are equipped with precision strike capability, as it would enhance its capability to reduce collateral damage in the war against terrorists who often hide among civilians.

A "decision in principle has been made to buy 10 more F-16s," a senior Pakistani government official told Jane's, while adding that "the exact timing to place an order is yet to be decided".

He said Pakistan Air Force needed to retire 190 planes by 2020, forcing the country to look for various options.

The official said that the strong resistance it faced in the US Congress for buying a small batch of eight planes was "discouraging".

"That's why we are looking at other options too, such as buying them from Russia or France."

The official said French planes were very expensive, but Russians, which were equally good, were not.

Last week, the US Senate rejected a move to shoot down the proposed sale of eight F-16, which is now in its final stages.

On Saturday, the 30-day mandatory period, that allows Congress to block an arms sale to a foreign country, also passed.

Although some technical details are still being worked out, the deal for these eight aircraft is almost final, the report said.

In September last year, Russia offered to sell Su-35 planes to Pakistan, which are among the fifth generation aircraft, it said.

Pakistans officials say that India's defence purchases also influence their search for a matching technology. India is already working on a plan to replace its current fleet of planes with fifth generation aircraft by 2020, forcing Pakistan to do the same.

Pakistans officials say that although the country was not looking to match Indias fleet to the last number, they would like to maintain a fleet of 350 to 400 aircraft.

Pakistani officials point out that they also have a large-scale defence collaboration with China, "which is a great source of strength" for the country.

The eight planes that Pakistan is buying from the United States include two single-seat F-16Cs and six twin-seat F-16Ds, along with associated equipment - for about USD 699 million.  PTI


The book challenges a widely-held view that many terrorists are 'poor, ignorant and have nothing to lose,' according to its authors. (Representational Photo: AFP)

London: Islamist radicals born and educated in Muslim countries are 17 times more likely to have an engineering qualification than the general population in these countries, according to a new study that challenges a widely-held view that many terrorists are poor and ignorant.

The finding published in a new book 'Engineers of Jihad', being launched at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), relies on a study of over 800 members of violent Islamist groups.

The book challenges a widely-held view that many terrorists are "poor, ignorant and have nothing to lose," according to its authors, LSE academic Dr Steffen Hertog and

European University Institute Professor Diego Gambetta.

"There is little doubt that violent Islamist radicals are vastly more educated than the general population born and educated in the Muslim world, and engineers are dramatically over-represented," Hertog said.

The authors claim that the strong presence of graduates among Islamist radicals is due to economic development failures in core Muslim countries.

"Ambitious young graduates, particularly engineers and to a lesser extent, newly-trained doctors, were frustrated by a lack of job opportunities when their economies turned south in the 1970s," the authors said.

"Unlike Western-educated graduates who enjoyed good economic opportunities, their counterparts - educated in Muslim countries - were disaffected and ripe for recruitment by radical Islamic networks," they said.

Engineers are over-represented because they represent "the most talented and ambitious graduates at the sharp end of frustrated expectations," according to the authors.

The book shows that the over-representation of engineers extends to Islamist radicals born and bred in Asian and Western countries, where labour market opportunities have been much better than in Muslim countries.

Out of 71 Western-based cases with known higher education credentials, 45 per cent have at some point been enrolled in an engineering degree compared to 16.2 per cent in the general population of Western graduates.

There is no evidence that the technical skills of engineering graduates are the reason they are so well represented among jihadists, the authors claim.

"Bomb-making skills are not a pre-requisite in the recruiting process," Hertog said.

"An al-Qaeda training manual instead instructs members to look for individuals who are at once inquisitive and intelligent with the ability to observe and analyse, but who

are also disciplined and obedient. If anything, it is these traits that radical groups look for in engineers," he said.

The other striking finding in the book is that engineers are also significantly represented among far right groups, while the far left is dominated by humanities and social science graduates.

This is consistent with the fact that the ideology of Islamist radicals, stripped of its religious components, overlaps far more with that of extreme right-wingers than with that of radical left-wingers, the authors said.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  For years, tourists in New Orleans mostly stayed in the French Quarter. They did their drinking there, gawked at raunchy shows on Bourbon Street and gorged themselves at exquisite restaurants.

But thats changing, partly thanks to a mushrooming of short-term rentals through websites like Airbnb. Now tourists  some of whom come to party  are found in neighborhoods around the city, and locals are divided about whether thats a good thing.

Some say the rentals help residents  including artists and young entrepreneurs  bolster income in a city where many still struggle 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. Others say the spread of tourism to residential areas hurts the quality of life.

Anti-Airbnb signs declaring neighbors, not tourists are common. Meetings on the topic are passion-filled. Complaints against the rentals have doubled. Hotel and bed-and-breakfast owners have joined neighborhood groups to press for restrictions. The state is looking to tax them like motels.

Brittanie Bryant is so fed up with bachelor parties at the townhouse-turned-hotel next door that she and her husband are considering moving.

Guests vomit on our cars, pee on our cars, throw up in our yard, throw trash in our yard, rip out our flowers, said Bryant, who lives on Esplanade Avenue, a charming street outside the French Quarter with gabled and balconied 19th-century Creole townhouses and sprawling live oaks hung with Spanish moss.

Across the city, in predominantly black Pontchartrain Park, Baba Ken Amen says he makes ends meet renting his art-filled, solar-powered home on Airbnb. This is how we can afford to pay the taxes, said Amen, an artist and vegan caterer. Im not getting rich off this.

For $165 a night, guests can get a down-home experience in what he advertises as Pontchartrain Park Paradise, with its jazz collection, books and African masks. Amen says his guests help the area: They support our local grocery stores ... theyre trying things in the neighborhood.

Airbnb and other sites, like HomeAway, offer up to 4,000 private properties for rent nightly around New Orleans: from former slave quarters and artists lofts to Cotton Kingdom-era mansions, sunny Creole cottages and brightly painted shotgun houses  narrow homes with rooms connected like railroad cars.

Technically, most of these rentals are illegal. The City Council expects to adopt new rules this year to legalize the practice while regulating it and balancing neighborhood needs. In January, city planners suggested limiting the rentals in some historic neighborhoods and revoking licenses of bad operators while requiring insurance, property managers and guest logs.Nationally, the issue isnt new. Portland, Oregon, legalized short-term rentals in 2014. San Francisco, where Airbnb is headquartered, legalized them last year. In New York City, renting out an extra room or couch is fine, but its illegal to rent most apartments for fewer than 30 days. New Yorks state Attorney, General Eric Schneiderman, said in 2014 that three-fourths of New York City Airbnb listings were illegal. The company said it removed many of those listings, but some New Yorkers blame Airbnb for helping to drive up rents.

In New Orleans, Many also blame the rentals for exacerbating post-Katrina housing shortages, skyrocketing rents and the exodus of less wealthy residents from the city center.

The full-time residents arent as plentiful as they used to be, griped Louis Matassa, a white-haired grocer at a French Quarter grocery store that opened in 1924. The staples: They dont sell. The animal food, the milk, the cartons of eggs.

The store harks back to an era when the quarter was populated by artists and musicians crammed into dilapidated apartments. My business has fallen off and for the first time in almost a century, the future is uncertain, he wrote to the city. The community is my customer base, and the community is dying.

But supporters say Airbnb enhances one of the citys biggest industries: tourism.The economics are very clear that we need to embrace tourists, and wherever they want to stay, we let them, said Christian Galvin, who rents out several properties nightly and serves on the Alliance for Neighborhood Prosperity, a pro-Airbnb group. Short-term renters use the post office; they use dry cleaners; they use the grocery stores; they dont go in just for cigarettes.

Airbnb says its rentals contributed $140 million to New Orleans economy in a year and disputes the claim that short-term rentals drive up housing costs. Airbnb spokeswoman Alison Schumer also said in a statement that Airbnb supports the citys ongoing efforts at regulation.

Whether or not Airbnb is the cause, locals say neighborhoods are changing. Rick Mathieu, a longtime resident of Treme, said his neighborhood is nearly empty of families. Pointing to a house, he said a woman who lives in San Francisco bought it and made it into a money-making thing. But he defended her right, as a property owner, to do anything you want.

Jamie Ruth, who sells art and runs a tattoo parlor on St. Claude Avenue, a rundown corridor thats become a hipster hangout since Katrina, says Airbnb is good for business, but can hurt neighborhoods.

I get a lot of walk-ins staying in Airbnbs, she said. But she called it obnoxious for people to buy homes and turn them into tourist rentals. It really messes with the neighborhood, she said, and also drives up the rent for people who actually live here.
WASHINGTON  Obama Derangement Syndrome is striking Republicans once again.

To avoid having to answer for the rise of Donald Trump, they want to hold the man in the White House responsible for the emergence of a demagogic showman who has been the loudest voice challenging the legal right of the winner of two elections to be there.

Obama picked his words carefully but with some quiet glee when he was asked about this at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week. I have been blamed by Republicans for a lot of things, Obama said, but being blamed for their primaries and who theyre selecting for their party is  here he paused, enjoying the moment  novel.

On the contrary, Obama insisted, it was Republicans who had created an environment where somebody like a Donald Trump can thrive and allowed the circus weve been seeing to transpire. He urged his opponents to do some introspection.

That would be nice, wouldnt it?

I should acknowledge a stake in this fight, having published a book in January called Why the Right Went Wrong arguing that the emergence of Trump was the logical consequence of a half-century of conservative history and of the steady legitimation of extremist ideas within the GOP. The nation, not just the Republican Party, desperately needs a different and more constructive brand of conservatism.

But if progressives are to beat back an increasingly virulent right and encourage the emergence of a more temperate form of conservatism, they have to ponder the crisis on their own side that is visible in this campaign and in most of the European democracies as well.

The strength of Bernie Sanders challenge to Hillary Clinton from the left, like the radicalization of American conservatism, is a symptom of the decay of a moderate brand of progressivism that rose in the 1990s when Bill Clinton was president and Tony Blair was Britains prime minister. Its ideology was rooted in a belief that capitalism would deliver the economic goods and could be balanced by a competent public sector, providing services of quality to the citizen and social protection for those who are vulnerable.

Those last words are Blairs from a collection of essays by 11 center-left politicians from around the world released last week by the Center for American Progress and Canada 2020 to coincide with Trudeaus visit to the United States. The title of their effort, Global Progress, is optimistic and Bill Clinton, for one, continued to express confidence that government could empower people with the tools to make the most of their own lives and to create the institutions and conditions for them to succeed.

This never stopped being a good idea, but the sober reflections of Ricardo Lagos, Chiles former president, pointed to the significant challenge to progressive politics created by the economic crisis of 2008. It raised profound questions about policies that favored the deregulation of the economy and allowed the financial system to self-regulate. The moderate left, it turns out, had more confidence in a loosely governed capitalism than was merited by the facts.

And in the post-crash period, progressives largely lost the argument against austerity policies. A significant exception was the United States during the first two years of Obamas term: Keynesian policies helped lead to a revival of the American economy that was faster and more robust than in other places. But continued economic sluggishness, Lagos argued, feeds the anger and alienation of a dangerous populism on the extreme left and right. Trudeau himself said Friday that the economically excluded dont feel like this idea of progress still holds.

Lodewijk Asscher, the deputy prime minister of the Netherlands, wrote of the challenge to national identity created by immigration and the fear of terrorism. He called for building a society based on solidarity in which people are seen as individuals instead of members of their group and someones background remains just a background. Well, yes, but, as Asscher no doubt knows, this is easier said than done.

If Republicans delude themselves that Obama is responsible for Trump, theres little hope for the soul-searching their party requires. But progressives of moderate inclinations cant use the rights shortcomings to blind them to their own call for reflection. Those who believe in gradual, steady progress need to provide plausible responses to a world both less secure and less orderly than it was in the 1990s.

Otherwise, the alternatives, as Trump is showing us, will be both irrational and grim.
GRAND-BASSAM, Ivory Coast  Before the shooting started, an armed man stood quietly at the entrance to a beachfront restaurant, holding a Kalashnikov rifle and coolly surveying the crowd. Francois Tanon, who rents beach chairs to tourists at Ivory Coasts Grand-Bassam resort town, thought the man was a security guard.

A few minutes later, Tanon was talking to a customer when a bullet hit the client in the neck.

The patron I was speaking to fell down right in front of me, Tanon said. The man that I saw before at the entrance, now I saw him down near the water, his gun in his hand; he was firing everywhere.

In the end, 18 were killed Sunday, leaving Grand-Bassam and all of Ivory Coast reeling from its first Islamic extremist attack. President Alassane Ouattaras government began work Monday to tighten security and prevent similar violence.

Ouattara presided over an emergency meeting with Cabinet ministers and his National Security Council on Monday. Following the meeting, the government revised the death toll to 15 civilians and three special forces, up from 14 and two, respectively. Just three attackers were killed, instead of the six that were announced Sunday, Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said Monday.

The lower death toll for the assailants agrees with the claim of responsibility from al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, known as AQIM, which said Sunday that three attackers were killed. The extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites.

Many witnesses said they at first suspected the gunshots were fireworks being set off by holidaymakers. Only when victims began crumpling to the ground did they realize the beach was being targeted in an assault.

The gunmen entered the beach from multiple directions, witnesses said.

Frenchman Charles-Philippe dOrleans said he was at the beach with a friend when he heard the first shot and he thought it was a firecracker; then he heard another, louder one. A security guard told beachgoers not to worry, that some youths had tried to enter the paid-access beach and that another guard had fired his weapon into the air, dOrleans told French radio RTL.

But then more shooting broke out, and dOrleans and others hid behind a wall. Gunmen were to the right, to the left, toward the road and toward the beach, dOrleans said. He said that when the gunfire receded, he and his friend sped away in a car.Afterward we said Wow, we actually escaped something big, he said.

The attack on Grand-Bassam was the first of its kind in Ivory Coast. Officials had been bracing for one in the wake of similar assaults by AQIM in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali.

Those who make a living off tourism believed the attack on three hotels would deal the sector a huge blow.

Theyve really ruined it for us. With all that has happened, I dont think that the clients are going to come back now, Tanon said.

Security forces on Monday patrolled Grand-Bassams beaches, which were otherwise largely deserted. Soldiers checked the trunks of cars approaching the beach. Authorities briefly closed a section of beach in front of La Nouvelle Paillote hotel after receiving reports that explosives had been found there.

Ivorian newspapers on Monday morning featured graphic photos of dead bodies sprawled on the beach. The headline for one paper, Le Patriote, proclaimed: We are Grand-Bassam!

The 15 civilian victims came from countries including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Germany and Mali, said Bakayoko. The German woman killed was Henrike Grohs, who had been the director of the Goethe Institute in Ivory Coast since 2013, according to the German press agency, dpa.

The toll of French victims has risen to four, according to a statement issued Monday by the office of President Francois Hollande. The French foreign affairs and interior ministers will go to Ivory Coast on Tuesday in solidarity, said the statement. The Paris prosecutors office said it has opened an investigation into the attack, calling it murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Anti-terrorism investigators will handle the probe because there were French victims.

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday condemned the attack.

The attack was the third major strike on a tourism center in West Africa since November. Dozens of people were killed in a siege at a Malian hotel in November and an assault on a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso in January. Analysts had warned for months that Ivory Coast could also be hit by jihadis.

Bakayoko said authorities had taken steps to prepare the country for an attack, crediting their work with reducing Sundays loss of life. He said security forces responded within 30 minutes and that within two hours the assailants had been killed.

Sites in Grand-Bassam were among more than 100 that had been under heightened surveillance in recent months, Bakayoko said, adding that those measures were going to continue. Authorities have mobile phones and other evidence that will allow them to go to the source of the attack, Bakayoko said.

Count on us, he said. We are going to reinforce the surveillance.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the launch of Syria peace talks Monday  an end game that allows the Russian leader to cash in on his gains and reduce his risks in the conflict.

The start of the negotiations in Geneva offers Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the 5-month Russian air campaign that has allowed Syrian President Bashar Assads army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks. With Russias main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscows military action.

At the same time, Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. Syrias state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but wont leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria. It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the successes the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against the Islamic State group, the Nusra Front and other terrorist organizations with the same tempo.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russias foreign and defense ministries, Putin said the Russian air campaign has allowed Assads military to radically turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

With the tasks set before the Defense Ministry and the military largely fulfilled, Im ordering the Defense Minister to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces from Syria, beginning tomorrow, Putin said.

He also informed President Barack Obama of his move in a phone call, emphasizing the importance of U.S.-Russian coordination for preserving the cease-fire, ensuring humanitarian aid deliveries to the blockaded settlements and conducting an efficient struggle against terrorist groups, according to the Kremlin, which added that the conversation was business-like and frank.

Putin didnt specify how many planes and troops would be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed. U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel in Syria vary from 3,000 to 6,000.Russia has deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syrias coastal province of Latakia, and they have operated at a frenetic pace, each flying several combat sorties on an average day. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that thanks to the Russian air support the Syrian military has extended its control to 400 towns and villages over an area of 10,000 square kilometers.

State TV quoted Assad as saying that the collaboration between Russian and Syrian forces has secured victories against terrorism and returned security to the country.

A White House statement said Obama welcomed Russias move, but also noted continued sporadic violence and urged Putin to pressure the Syrian regime to stop offensive actions that could undermine the fragile truce.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who restarted peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva on Monday, said he had no comment on Putins announcement when contacted by The Associated Press.

Earlier in the day, he warned that the only alternative to the negotiations is a return to war, and described political transition in the country as the mother of all issues.

The Russian- and U.S.-brokered cease-fire that began on Feb. 27 has largely held, but both the Syrian government and its foes have accused one another of violations. The deal with Washington has achieved a key Putin goal: raising Russias global profile to appear as an equal to the United States in mediating the Syrian conflict that has dominated global attention.

The Islamic State group and al-Qaidas branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, are excluded from the cease-fire and Russia has said it would continue its fight against the groups considered terrorists by the United Nations.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said the Russians in recent days have been pounding IS targets in and around the western approaches to the city of Palmyra, which is firmly in IS control. Davis said this has been a Russian focus since the cessation of hostilities began.

Officials said Monday they saw no immediate sign of any pullout. Although Putins announcement caught Pentagon officials by surprise, officials have said they had questioned how long the Russian air campaign would last based on the fact that they were not making regular troop rotations.

Syrian opposition spokesman Salem Al Mislet, in Geneva, cautiously welcomed Putins move, but urged the Russian leader to withdraw his support for Assad.

If this step, this action will remove all Russian troops from Syria then it will be a positive step, I believe, he said, adding that Putin should follow up on that by saying he is standing beside the Syrian people, not beside the Syrian dictatorship.

Moments before meeting with a Syrian government envoy in Geneva, de Mistura laid out both high stakes and low expectations for what is shaping up as the most promising initiative in years to end the conflict that moves into its sixth year on Tuesday. At least a quarter of a million people have been killed and half of Syrias population has been displaced, flooding Europe with refugees.

The truce, however, has helped vastly reduce the bloodshed and allowed the recent resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to thousands of Syrians in besieged areas  zones surrounded by fighters and generally cut off from the outside world.

De Mistura laid out a stark choice for Syrian parties in the talks, saying: As far as I know, the only plan B available is return to war  and to even worse war than we had so far.

The two sides are deeply split on Assads future. His foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, said Saturday that any talk of removing Assad during a transitional period sought by the U.N. is a red line, and rejected the international call for a presidential election to be held within 18 months  a key demand of the opposition.

But de Mistura, keeping to language laid out in the U.N. Security Council resolution in December that paved the way for the talks, insisted that political change, including a timetable for new elections within 18 months, is the ultimate goal.

What is the real issue  the mother of all issues? Political transition, he said.

Angolas U.N. Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who currently holds the Security Councils rotating presidency, said council members appealed to de Mistura to make the negotiations more inclusive, including adding Kurdish representatives, but do it moving forward so it wont affect the kind of progress that were seeing.

Asked if Putin discussed Assads political fate in Mondays phone call with the Syrian leader, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it wasnt part of the conversation.

Assad has announced that parliamentary elections in Syria will go ahead next month according to schedule. A Syrian official, Hisham al-Shaar, said the elections will be held only in areas under government control and there will be no polling stations in Syrian embassies abroad or in refugee camps.

The talks have shaped up as the best, if distant, chance in years to end a war that has created an opening for radical groups including Islamic State and the al-Qaida-backed Nusra Front to gain large swaths of land, and prompted at least 11 million people to leave their homes  many fleeing abroad to places like Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as to Europe.
PAULS VALLEY  The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is brainstorming development plans for a sprawling, recently closed state facility in Pauls Valley.

The Oklahoman reported specific plans for the facility are far from being established, but eight inmates and one DOC staff member are assessing the property at the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center, a former treatment center and home for residents with severe developmental disabilities.

I think the potential in my mind and on paper right now is that (the property) has an incredible opportunity to be an important cog in the wheel, said DOC Director Joe Allbaugh. There could be a wonderful future there for Pauls Valley and the county.

Allbaugh said inmates arent staying overnight in Pauls Valley. The work crew is bused there to and from a Lexington prison.

The 600-acre property has at least 29 buildings. DOC spokeswoman Terri Watkins said the propertys central location in Oklahoma was attractive to corrections officials.

The now-defunct Human Services Commission, which governed the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, voted to close the facility in November 2012 as its last official action. The loss of the facility, which had operated for more than 100 years, was a blow to Pauls Valley and its surrounding communities.

With about 300 area residents as employees, it had been the third-largest employer in the Pauls Valley behind a Wal-Mart distribution center and the local school district.

Mayor Gary Alfred said city officials are anxious to hear what will happen with the property.

I think anytime you hear the Department of Corrections is coming to town, theres a little bit of a stigma that comes with that, Alfred said. That being said, until we know what is going to be there, we really cant jump to conclusions.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court fight is about to get personal.

Republicans prepared Monday to unleash a torrent of activity opposing President Barack Obamas nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. As the president neared an announcement, he vowed to nominate a consensus candidate of Supreme Court caliber with impeccable credentials.

Im going to abide by my constitutional duties, Obama told CNN en Espanol. He said he expects Senate Republicans to do so as well.

The Republican Party launched a task force housed to orchestrate attack ads, petitions and media outreach, party officials said. They want to bolster a strategy that Senate Republicans adopted as soon as Justice Antonin Scalia died last month: refusing to consider an Obama nominee out of hopes that the next president will be a Republican.

The Republican National Committee will contract with America Rising Squared, an outside group targeting Democrats thats run by a longtime aide to GOP Sen. John McCain. GOP chairman Reince Priebus said it would be the most comprehensive judicial response effort in the partys history.

Priebus said the RNC would make sure Democrats have to answer to the American people for why they dont want voters to have a say in this process.

Echoing that strategy, the conservative Judicial Crisis Network said it was spending upward of a quarter of a million dollars on TV and digital ads targeting three appellate judges Obama has considered for the job: Sri Srinivasan, Merrick Garland and Jane Kelly. The groups move to attack candidates even before Obama had announced his selection underscored conservatives insistence that nobody Obama nominates will be confirmed in an election year.

This is Exhibit A of Republicans putting political considerations at the RNC ahead of their constitutional duties, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

Obama is expected to announce his pick as early as this week, touching off a heated battle as Obama and Democrats try to pressure Republicans into relenting on hearings and a vote. Longtime Obama allies have been drafted to run a Democratic effort that will involve a bevy of liberal groups that hope an Obama nominee to replace the conservative Scalia could pull the high courts ideological balance to the left.Amy Brundage, a former White House aide helping to organize the Democratic communications push, said the effort would target specific states where they believe Republicans will feel political heat for opposing hearings once Obama has a living, breathing nominee to promote. She said Democratic groups would organize events with Democratic lawmakers as well as legal scholars, law school deans, state attorneys general and historians.

The coordinated grassroots effort that has already proven a powerful tool to put pressure on Republicans will only ramp up, Brundage said.

In an unusual criticism of a colleague from the same state, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., cited comments that GOP Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson made last week about the nomination process. In a Wisconsin radio interview, Johnson said theres a little more accommodation to it if a conservative president were nominating another conservative to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Do Senate Republicans really believe that they need a Republican president simply to do their jobs? Baldwin asked on the Senate floor Monday.

She did not mention Johnson by name.

RNC officials said that in addition to scouring the nominees history for anything that can be used against him or her, the party will also work to portray Democrats as hypocritical, dredging up comments that Vice President Joe Biden and other Democrats made in previous years suggesting presidents shouldnt ram through nominees to the high court in the midst of an election.

The GOP has already been looking into candidates on Obamas short-list and will oppose him or her with radio and digital ads, petitions and research documents. The committee is also lining up surrogates who will make the case in the media.

Key to the GOPs strategy will be targeting Democrats facing tough races over their insistence that Obama, in his final months in office, gets to pick a justice that could reshape the courts ideological balance for decades. In addition to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the RNC said it would target Democratic Senate candidates in Colorado, Ohio, New Hampshire, Florida and Pennsylvania, among others. The party also plans to target Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the defence ministry to begin the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria.

The task that was set before our defence ministry and armed forces has as a whole been completed and so I order the defence ministry to from tomorrow start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingents from the Syrian Arab Republic, Putin told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in televised comments.

The Kremlin announced that Putin had called President Bashar al-Assad to inform Moscows long-standing ally of the surprise move that appears to end the main part of its intervention in Syrias conflict that began in September.

The leaders noted that the actions of the Russian airforce allowed to radically change the situation in the fight against terrorism, to disorganise the fighters infrastructure and inflict significant damage on them, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Taking that into account, the President of Russia stated that the main tasks set before the armed forces of Russia in Syria had been completed. It was agreed to carry out the withdrawal of the main part of Russias airforce contingent, the statement said.

The two leaders, however, also agreed that Moscow would maintain an airforce facility in Syria to help monitor the progress of a ceasefire in the war-torn country.

Assad noted the professionalism, courage and heroism of the officers of the Russian armed forces that took part in the military operations and expressed deep appreciation to Russia, the Kremlin statement said.

Russia began its bombing campaign in support of Assads forces in September, a move that helped shore up the Syrian regimes crumbling forces and go on the offensive.

A fresh round of talks to end Syrias civil war opened in Geneva on Monday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained remote with the sides locked in a bitter dispute over the future of President Bashar al-Assad.

A temporary ceasefire in the country introduced on February 27 has largely held, despite accusations of violations from both sides, allowing aid to reach some 150,000 people living under siege.
Fresh Market to be bought by Apollo for more than $1.3B

The Fresh Market, a grocery store chain, has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Apollo for more than $1.3 billion.

The deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, comes after Fresh Market said in October that it was seeking to possibly sell itself.

Apollo said Monday that it is paying $28.50 for each share of Fresh Market, a 24 percent premium of the stocks closing price of $22.98 on Friday.

Fresh Market, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, has nearly 190 stores around the country. Apollos holdings include Twinkie maker Hostess and the Chuck E. Cheese restaurants. Apollo is based in New York.

Shares of The Fresh Market Inc. soared $5.47, or almost 24 percent, to $28.45 in midday trading Monday while Apollo Global Management LLC Class A shares edged up 6 cents to $16.97.

Durability tests: Samsung phones survive water, not falls

You can dunk Samsungs new smartphones in water, but dont drop them on a sidewalk, a new study finds.

SquareTrade, a company that offers extended-protection plans for gadgets, said the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge still functioned after being submerged in water for 30 minutes. Audio was permanently muffled and distorted after the dunking, but the Samsung phones still outlasted Apples iPhones in SquareTrades water tests.

The study, released Monday, also found that Samsungs new phones are more prone to breaking than the iPhone 6S, which survived 30 seconds in a tumbling test chamber, similar to a dryer without heat. The test is meant to mimic repeated drops phones often face. Both Samsung models had minor cracks on the screens and significant damage to their backs. The iPhone 6S Plus, a larger version of the 6S, did worse. Its screen completely shattered in SquareTrades tests.

The screens of all four phones cracked when dropped face down on a sidewalk. The Samsung phones also cracked when dropped on their corners, while the iPhones had only cosmetic damage, according to SquareTrade.

Samsung Electronics in Seoul, South Korea, would not comment on the study.

Starwood receives nearly $14B buyout bid from Chinese group

A fight for control of the Starwood hotel chain is under way following a $14 billion buyout offer Monday from a consortium led by Chinas Anbang Insurance Group.

Anbang, which remains largely unknown to most Americans, has quickly positioned itself to become a player in the U.S. hotel industry, acquiring marquee properties.

It made a splash in the fall of 2014 when it bought New Yorks Waldorf Astoria for almost $2 billion. And just days ago, it cut a $6.5 billion deal for Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc., which owns tony properties like The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, JW Marriott Essex House in New York and Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. Strategic also owned five different Four Seasons hotels, two Ritz Carltons and six other luxury properties.

Now it is going toe-to-toe with U.S. hotel giant Marriott International Inc., which said late last year that it would buy Starwood, the owner of Sheraton, Westin and St. Regis hotels, in a deal worth $12.2 billion. That acquisition would create the worlds largest hotel chain with 5,500 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms around the world. Such scale would give the combined company pricing power when negotiating commissions with online travel agencies such as Expedia and Priceline, as well as help it land more corporate travel contracts.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. said Monday that it still favors the Marriott deal, but that its looking at the latest bid.

 From wire reports
Despite a great deal of external noise and speculation, Williams Cos. is still planning on the proposed merger with Energy Transfer Equity to be finalized during the first half of this year, according to communication in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing released Monday morning.

The form contains excerpts from Thursdays company town hall meeting during which Williams leadership talked with employees about various subjects, including the proposed merger with Dallas-based ETE.

Bill Lawson, vice president of corporate development and execution for Williams, gave an update on the timeline of activities that must occur leading up to the close of the transaction.

He said that a shareholder vote cannot be scheduled until the SEC declares that the S-4 filing giving investors details on the business combination is effective.

ETE filed an amendment to that form on March 7, Lawson said, and once the SEC confirms that it has no further comments, Williams can schedule the shareholder meeting and vote.

The shortest case scenario for a shareholder vote on the proposed merger would be at least five weeks following the date that the S-4 filing becomes effective, Lawson said.

Lawson also reiterated Williams commitment to the proposed merger with ETE as it was announced at the end of September.

Now, on a related issue, I know there have been many questions and certainly a lot of media speculation about whether or not the actual merger would, in fact, happen, Lawson said. What I can tell is that we still anticipate the pending merger to be finalized during the first half of this year and we are committed to closing the transaction per the agreement executed at the end of September.

Mondays SEC filing also contains CEO Alan Armstrongs answer to a question regarding Williams plan of action if the merger doesnt get completed.

The person making the inquiry asked if in that case an acquisition of Williams Partners could be back on the table. Last May, Williams Cos. announced that it would acquire the part of its master limited partnership that it didnt already own but that transaction was canceled in September as part of the proposed deal with ETE.

Armstrong said that the company is healthy as a standalone. Yet as for a reincarnation of a deal to acquire Williams Partners, he noted, they would have to wait and see.

We certainly are keeping our eye towards making sure that we would know what we would do in a standalone situation, and we certainly continually review that plan, Armstrong said.

And I would say weve got a good, healthy business, and a lot of things that youve heard, like the asset sales and things like that, are in anticipation of a continued healthy business. I would tell you that would be required with a merger, without a merger, and so, from my vantage point, a lot of focus on making sure that we are, in a standalone basis, wed be healthy and thriving and continue to do the very best in the circumstances.

As to the WPZ buy-in, very hard to say exactly how that would roll out at this point, just given how unsettled the capital markets are. So that is not something that we would act on immediately, likely, and we would probably review what all our options were on that front.

So yes, to answer the question  yes on the standalone plan  very confident in our ability to foresee on that basis, and, as to the WPZ buy-in, wed have to wait and see what the capital markets would allow.
Citizens for a Better Vision, a group opposed to the Vision Tulsa sales-tax proposal, is planning a press conference for Tuesday to tell residents why they say the tax is unneeded and unwise.

Calling it the VisionForever sales tax, the group detailed in a press release Monday several reasons its members think voters should oppose the proposal that area leaders are putting to a vote of residents April 5.

The people will speak whats in their heart, said George McFarlin, a volunteer for Citizens for a Better Vision. This is in their own words. We are not Tulsa Visions scripted officials. This will be refreshing.

The part of the Vision 2025 Tulsa County tax that would be renewed in the city of Tulsa is a 0.6 percent sales tax. City officials have been working through public meetings for more than two years to gauge interest in its renewal.

Vision Tulsa campaign officials released a statement Monday night in response to the opposition, saying the original Vision 2025 is proof of how the tax package can benefit Tulsa.

Tulsans agree  Vision 2025 has been a tremendous success, according to the statement. Weve seen cranes in the air. Weve seen the new jobs created. Weve seen the BOK Center break records and exceed expectations.

As of January 2016, Vision 2025 has generated sales tax receipts exceeding $667 million. Anyone who claims Vision 2025 has not benefited Tulsa is arguing against obvious facts and demonstrated results.

McFarlin and others were often present at the town-hall discussions since the beginning, opposing the effort on several occasions and on several fronts.

A major issue for the opposition group is that individual projects, which some members of the opposition favor, are grouped with other projects that they oppose, McFarlin said.

There are people that support Gilcrease (Museum) or support the zoo or one of the schools or colleges, McFarlin said. But they cant support just one without supporting 30 others.

The groups first-listed issue is capital spending on projects that are not the responsibility of the city of Tulsa, including funds for OSU-Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, Tulsa Public Schools, Langston University and a BMX facility on Tulsa County property to lure the sports national leaders to make Tulsa its headquarters.

Langston University is the most expensive of several education capital projects, with $16.25 million slated for a health-care professions complex if the measure is approved by voters.

Public schools within the Tulsa city limits, including Tulsa Public Schools, Jenks Public Schools and Union Public Schools, would benefit from two proposals. Sidewalks, lighting, signs, crosswalks and bus shelters would get a $14.5 million boost, and $10 million would go to encourage teacher recruitment and training, including a program to help with their housing.

TCCs Southeast Campus would get $5.3 million to create a Career Placement and Student Success Center, and OSU-Tulsa would receive $3.6 million, which would go toward creating a technology-innovation park.

The groups second-listed issue is Visions proposal to add low-water dams to the Arkansas River.

The $149 million project for Arkansas River corridor infrastructure, including two low-water dams, is part of a $510 million economic-development ballot question that includes the education projects and more than 20 others.

Citizens for a Better Vision alleges the existing Zink Dam, which would be replaced down to its foundation, was intentionally allowed to degrade.

But city officials have said Zink Dams original mid-1980s funding didnt include ongoing maintenance money  unlike the current proposal.

Further, the group takes issue with Tulsas covering at least 80 percent of the cost of construction of a south Tulsa/Jenks dam, a percentage officials based on the Tulsa-Jenks population ratio.

The group also alleges the proposed south Tulsa-Jenks dam would destroy habitats of the endangered least tern while also hurting feeding grounds of the American bald eagle.

Both dam proposals are contingent on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval of permits that would require environmental impact studies, officials have said.

The third-listed issue argues a permanent tax increase for public safety is not needed due to decreasing violent-crime rates over the last 20 years.

The permanent tax aims to raise money to add about 160 police officers, 70 firefighters and 16 emergency 911 staff to the ranks of Tulsa city employees.

Violent crime rates have dropped considerably since the early 1990s, according to U.S. Department of Justice statistics.

But the early 1990s saw a massive spike in some violent crime types, including murder, rape and robbery, in Tulsa and across the nation, according to the same statistics.

In Tulsa, that spike has had a steady reduction since 2006.

The group also argues additional firefighters are not needed, saying three-quarters of the Tulsa Fire Departments calls for service are for emergency medical purposes, not fires.

Tulsa Fire Department data reflect the number of actual fires has declined for decades as building codes have minimized risk. Meanwhile, emergency medical calls have risen dramatically since 1992 as Tulsas firefighters began responding alongside EMSA.The point is, they save lives, and I respect that, but they arent organized correctly, McFarlin said. EMSA should work under the Fire Department and specifically on their radio system.
OKLAHOMA CITY  State Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger has lashed out at his party after Republican legislative leaders said they would not hear controversial education vouchers bills.

Doerflingers comments were made Thursday to an Oklahoma City radio station and generated criticism on social media.

He told the station that he was blown away that Republicans couldnt get traction on the issue.

Republicans should put Ds (for Democrats) after their names and call it good, he told the station.

Doerflinger also criticized state Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, saying she is a Democrat in Republican clothes. She is a Republican.

On Monday, Doerflinger said his remarks could have been tempered, but he would not change the content of his statements. He also said he doesnt think Hofmeister is a Democrat, adding that the two have a good relationship.

Hofmeisters office said she would not respond to personal comments from last weeks radio interview. She requested to meet with Doerflinger on Friday, but he was not available, according to her office.

I still feel strongly about my position on ESAs, Doerflinger said in reference to education savings accounts, another term for vouchers that would allow state money to be spent for students education at private schools.

Noting that the Capitol is a political environment where issues get debated, Doerflinger said he understands that while he supports education savings accounts, there are those who are equally opposed to them.

Gov. Mary Fallin, who appointed Doerflinger to his post, called in her State of the State address for the Legislature to approve a bill creating education savings accounts.

Doerflinger, Fallins chief budget negotiator, said he and others would have liked to have seen a vote on the issue so constituents would know where lawmakers stood on the bills.

He said education savings accounts have been part of the GOP platform for years, and that he was frustrated that legislative leaders did not allow a vote on them.

Under the concept, public dollars would follow a student who wishes to attend a private or religious school. Supporters say it would create more choice, while critics say it would harm public education by removing funding.

Doerflinger said he was not opposed to tapping the states Rainy Day Fund to help offset cuts made this fiscal year to common education but that he believes the education establishment is more about getting additional dollars than implementing reforms.

Meanwhile, Tulsa activist group We the People Oklahoma called on Fallin to remove Doerflinger from his position, saying in a press release that his ongoing verbal insults against public officials and others are beneath the office he holds.

Doerflinger said that if officials were removed from office every time an official had a position different from the group calling for the resignation, we would have nobody up here.

House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, was asked for his reaction to Doerflingers radio comments.

I was shocked that the governors top appointee would be so partisan and critical in response to a bipartisan group of House members who stood with their (constituent) parents and teachers to oppose fiscally irresponsible vouchers, Inman said.

One of the takeaways from his diatribe was that the governor and her staff clearly arent listening to the people of Oklahoma who overwhelmingly oppose this measure and they are willing to insinuate that those Republican House members who opposed vouchers arent true Republicans because they wouldnt toe the party line, he continued.

Fallin released a statement late Monday afternoon saying: Its a challenging time at the Capitol with falling oil prices and the resulting budget shortfalls. Naturally, there is a lot of frustration and certainly our secretary of finance, Preston Doerflinger, is not immune from that. He has a tough job.

However, Secretary Doerflinger has said he should have tempered his comments and frustration on legislative inaction and at times misinformation on agency programs. Hes apologized for it.

In the meantime, Republicans and Democrats must work together to craft good public policy and develop a workable budget.
STILLWATER  Oklahoma State University is being honored for its efforts to promote diversity on campus at a time when racial equality is in the national spotlight.

OSU was selected as the 2016 winner of the Institutional Excellence Award from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. The award will be presented Tuesday during the organization's annual conference in San Francisco.

Benjamin Reese Jr., association president, said OSU's "diversity and inclusion leadership and accomplishments stand out to make it one of higher education's exemplary models.

OSU President Burns Hargis announced the award during the March meeting of the Board of Regents for OSU and the A&M Colleges.

"We are more committed than ever to ensuring that everyone who comes to our campus feels welcome, respected and valued," Hargis said.

"There was time when diversity was not celebrated," he said. "It could get pretty rough on people of color, and many hold some animosity as a result of those experiences."

Those people are coming back to the OSU family thanks to the efforts of Jason Kirksey, vice president and chief diversity officer, and others, Hargis said.
SAND SPRINGS  The Sand Springs school district filed a petition Tuesday asking the state Supreme Court to weigh in on a fight over how motor-vehicle tax revenue is distributed to schools.

Gary Watts, chief financial officer and general counsel for Sand Springs Public Schools, said earlier this month that his district had lost $184,000 in motor-vehicle taxes so far and could lose more depending on collections during the final months of the fiscal year. The loss, Watts said, is caused by a change in the way the Oklahoma Tax Commission is distributing revenue from motor-vehicle tax collections this year.

(Oklahoma Tax Commissions) erroneous application of the law has led to inequity and to a perversion of the legislative intent, the filing states. In addition, (the Oklahoma Tax Commissions) erroneous application of the law since July 1, 2015, has caused some school districts to be collectively disadvantaged by more than $9,000,000 through February, while other school districts have collectively received windfalls of more than $9,000,000, all at a time when education is suffering from a tremendous lack of funding.

The changes originate from the enactment of last years House Bill 2244, which places a cap on motor-vehicle tax revenue going to entities other than the state. The portion going to school districts was capped at 36.2 percent. Watts said the bill was hastily written and is unclear.

Watts said Tax Commission Executive Director Tony Mastin told him that in months when there were not enough collections to give all districts the amount of money they received the previous year, Mastin made distributions based on each districts student population.

HB 2244 eliminated a clause that had allowed the Tax Commission to dip into the states portion of the collections if there was not enough to give the districts at least the same amount they received in the previous year.

Watts said he thinks the Tax Commission should have decreased each districts portion equally, for example distributing 95 percent of the previous years collection to all districts, rather than ignoring that section of the apportionment formula and moving directly to the population section.

The goal of the petition is that the court will construe the statute in the way the school district has and order the Tax Commission to then properly implement that construction of the statute.

Among the districts experiencing a loss because of what Watts calls a distorted allocation are Sand Springs, which has lost more than $184,000 so far, and Tulsa Public Schools, which has lost about $1.4 million so far.

Watts said if the court construes the statute the way his district thinks it should be construed and issues an order for the Tax Commission to implement it correctly, distributions next year would be corrected.

This is why its critical that its done before the beginning of next year, he said.

However, the amounts the districts lost this year would be permanent, he said.

Watts said he believes that by the end of next week at least three other districts will be joining Sand Springs legal action.
TALALA  A Claremore man is dead after the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a utility pole on a Rogers County road Monday night, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Robert Mason, 35, was the sole passenger in a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe that was traveling east on 340 Road at a high rate of speed about 8:30 p.m., according to an OHP report. The vehicle went off the right side of the roadway about five miles east of Talala and overcorrected three times before striking a utility pole to the left of the road. The SUV flipped onto its drivers side.

Mason, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and pinned underneath it for more than two hours, the report states. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver  Demario Lucas, 40, of Collinsville  refused medical treatment. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the report.
JERUSALEM  Israel's Antiquities Authority says a hiker has found a rare, nearly 2,000-year-old gold coin.

The authority said Monday that the ancient coin appears to be only the second of its kind to have been found. It said London's British Museum possesses the other coin.

The coin, from the year A.D. 107, bears the image of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. It was minted as part of a series of coins honoring Roman rulers.

Antiquities Authority official Donald T. Ariel said the coin may have paid part of the salary of a Roman soldier.

The hiker, Laurie Rimon, happened upon the shiny coin on a recent walk in Israel's eastern Galilee region. The authority said she will receive a certificate of appreciation for handing over the coin.
The nuclear deal signed with Iran earlier this year will, on paper, shower more than $100 billion of unfrozen assets on the country  a quarter of its gross domestic product. Its also fighting wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, arming Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, and testing its own ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel. So far, so bad; no good can come of even a share of that money winding up with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

But a week spent in Tehran made clear that Irans one-off sanctions windfall is unlikely to be anywhere near enough to compensate for the annual losses the country is incurring from low oil prices. Indeed, if the goal is to starve the Revolutionary Guard of funds, focusing on the unfrozen assets may be a diversion.

In the year ahead, the government forecasts oil revenues of just $23 billion, compared to a peak of over $100 billion in 2011. According to Saeed Laylaz, an economist and former adviser to the reformist ex-President Mohammad Khatami, even if exports return to pre-sanctions volumes, at a $40-per-barrel price, they will bring the government half as much revenue as in 2013, at the height of the sanctions.

So, even a one-off $100 billion windfall from the unfreezing of Iranian assets would restore government finances to their bloated pre-sanctions level for only about a year. Thereafter, the government would have to scramble again.

The U.S. government has put the figure for unfrozen assets that will be sent back to Iran at $50 billion or $55 billion, because so much of the headline number is either committed elsewhere or tied up in foreign debt. The Obama administration has a political interest in keeping Irans windfall low, so take its figure as one estimate.

An adviser to President Hassan Rouhani has said the government already has access to the $100 billion. But while this may be so, no clearing banks have started handling Iranian funds, so they cant yet be repatriated. Given that the nuclear deal was as controversial in Iran as it was in the U.S., Rouhani has an interest in making the number as big as possible. So take that as another estimate.

Another view comes from business people in Tehran, who think both numbers are too high. They start with the Treasurys smaller figure as, in their view, the more realistic one. Then they deduct money the government had drawn down from the central bank and will therefore return to it, as well as further billions the government has pledged as collateral against investment projects already under way.

We calculate that this will leave $6 billion to $7 billion available for the government to spend, says Rouzbeh Pirouz, chief executive of Turquoise Partners, a financial services firm in Tehran. Im always telling our people to lower expectations  this is going to take time, Pirouz told me. People at two other Tehran consultancies I spoke with came up with similar figures. A spokesman at the economy ministry declined to comment.

It seems likely there will be more than $7 billion available by the time this is all done, perhaps substantially more. One Iranian official, who spoke on the condition he not be named, said the government doesnt yet know how much money there will be. During sanctions, complex payment, barter and borrowing arrangements were created, and they will take time to unwind. Some payments to Iran made under sanctions and squirreled away in escrow funds will surely return. As the recent sentencing to death of oil trader Babak Zanjani for the sanctions-era theft of $2.7 billion from National Iranian Oil Co. suggests, other funds wont.

In Tehran, though, there is a mounting sense of frustration that nothing tangible has happened yet.

At a recent conference organized by Irans Central Bank and the law firm Open Iran, virtually all discussions led to the same question: When will the major British, German and French clearing banks start transferring Iranian funds so that the big European contracts initialed in recent months can be activated? U.S. banks cant clear Iranian money due to pre-nuclear sanctions that remain in place. None of the big European banks are moving yet for fear of being fined by the U.S. Department of Justice  either if the nuclear deal should break down and sanctions snap back into force, or if the U.S. takes a hard line on the handling of funds from companies that turn out to have hidden beneficiaries still on the sanctions list. (Remember the $9 billion BNP Paribas had to pay in 2014, for busting U.S. sanctions?)

Peter Meyer, a former banker and now chief executive of the Middle East Association, a British trade association, thinks it will take a good six months. He points to the settlement agreements that many big European banks have had to sign with the Justice Department. In the meantime, some of Irans private banks, such as Middle East Bank and Bank Mellat, told me theyve already set up arrangements with smaller European institutions that dont have a large U.S. exposure. These will be able handle only smaller transactions.

Whats potentially more interesting than the remaining sanctions issues is that cheap oil may force the government to rely more heavily on taxation to fund its investment plans. Executives at Iranian companies here told me tax officials are now inspecting invoices with greater care, hoping to raise revenues by clamping down on deductible costs. Customs rules have also been changed to make it harder to game the system.

This economic shift might even bring about deeper change. If the oil price was still high, the regime wouldnt need taxes, says Laylaz. If they dont need taxes, they dont need peoples votes and can press down on society as much as they like. Its no coincidence that the worst period of Irans most recent history, the 10 years in which it was run by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, were years of record oil wealth.

Theres another, surprising wrinkle.

Rouhani has called on companies that belong to the Revolutionary Guard and religious charities to be stripped of their tax-free status. That wont happen without a struggle, but its one worth backing Rouhani to win. One study has found that Revolutionary Guard entities have holdings in listed companies worth just over 20 percent of the Tehran Stock Exchange. Other estimates of the Guards share of the economy rise to 40 percent. The Supreme Leader has also been linked to an economic empire worth an estimated $95 billion.

Taxing this web of protected companies and creating a competitive industrial economy would be huge victories for Rouhani. And having to pay a tax would impose lasting costs on the Guard that would dwarf any share of unfrozen assets it may be able to commandeer.
Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday that a "crack division" of the army fought the extremists in Nangarhar. Now fighters who had declared loyalty to IS are dispersing. (Photo: AP)

Kabul: Afghanistan's president declared on Tuesday that Islamic State militants are "on the run" in his country, following a massive military operation that included elite commando units which drove the insurgents out of remote districts on the border with Pakistan.

Ashraf Ghani attributed the success in dislodging IS loyalists to ground operations, combined with close air support and the participation of retired commanders who had joined an elite commando division of the army to take on the extremists in districts of eastern Nangarhar province.

Over the past six months, IS fighters  mostly disenchanted Taliban insurgents -- had dug in across Nangarhar. The Unites States largely provides air support in the anti-militant struggle in Afghanistan.

IS gunmen had fought for control of some remote districts on the Nangarhar border with Taliban, who had previously had a foothold in the region.

Initially, Afghan security forces let the two groups fight each other, as their assets were spread thin fighting insurgents elsewhere.

The valleys and mountains of the border region provide perfect cover for trafficking of mean, weapons, drugs, minerals and other contraband that provide millions of dollars in funding for the insurgency.

Officials have said most militants claiming loyalty to IS are former Taliban fighters disillusioned with a lack of progress toward their goal of overthrowing the Kabul government. The Taliban's war is now in its 15th year.

"I promised the people of Nangarhar that no quarter would be given to Daesh, and none has been given," Ghani said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group. "In Nangarhar, Daesh is on the run."

With Afghan forces under pressure since the end of the US-NATO combat mission in 2014, concerns have risen that they are struggling against the insurgency alone.

The Taliban intensified and spread their fight last year, testing the resolve and capacity of the Afghan forces. With the training and backup of the pared-down US-NATO mission, the Afghan army and police, who also fight on the front lines, are slowly developing a defensive capability.

Ghani was speaking at a joint press conference with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, who is visiting Afghanistan for two days.
Tulsa Community Colleges Metro Campus will host its annual From Backpack to Briefcase fashion show at 1 p.m. March 22 in the Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity, 909 S. Boston Ave.

The event, which is part of the TCC Metro Tulsa Career Services program, will include mocktails, giveaways and tips on learning to dress for success from a representative from Dress for Success Tulsa. Approximately 40 models, including staff, students and local celebrities, will showcase fashions from Goodwill, Dress for Success, Express, Gordmans and Target.

We are not doing our students, staff or faculty a service if they are not fully equipped for the workplace, said Christina Ursin, career adviser at TCC-Metro campus.

Part of being equipped is fully understanding how appearance plays a role in landing the right job or going for that promotion. Appearance plays a role on if people will take you seriously for both. We wanted to give our staff, students and faculty a visual demonstration of where to shop and how to put these professional outfits together. We chose these retailers because of the diverse price points that they offer and the quality of each of their brands.

The fashion show will take place in advance of the colleges annual college-wide job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 13 at the TCC southeast campus, 10300 E. 81st St. The job fair is open to students, alumni and the community.

Models for the fashion show include Rodolfo Avila, Greg Anderson, Frederick Artis, Cindy Barton, Jacob Beckham, Rianna Berry, Chazz Browne, Nathan Bryson, Spring Bui, Yuki Clarke, Kristie Coleman, Miguel Da Corte, Kei Deatherage and James Erb.

Also modeling will be Molly Farley, Becky Hankins, Ngoc-Tram Huynh, Laja Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Ashlea Marc, Morgan Masingale, Amanda McDaniel, Jelilat Ologolo, Devin Ponder, Alex Scott, Josh Sherman, Michael Singleton, Ashley Sorrell, Eunice Tarver, Amanda Thompson, Gabriela Thompson, Jeanne Urie, Tulsa World business writer Casey Smith and KOTV reporter Katiera Winfrey.

The fashion show will help students be prepared for the fair and possess more confidence by knowing the expectations of dressing professionally when meeting employers, Ursin said.

The event is free and open to the public.

Pretty in Pink Project

The Tulsa Pretty in Pink Project, an inaugural project of the Saint Zita Catholic Worker of Green Country, is collaborating with Abelinas Boutique to provide young women in foster care with dresses for junior/senior prom.

The project is encouraging everyone to make tax-exempt monetary donations through April 1 at the boutique, 5219 S. Sheridan Road. The funds will be placed in an in-store account to provide high school women in the foster care system the chance to select a new prom dress. Counselors in the Department of Human Services system will refer the young women to the store.

Penny Lawrence, a volunteer with the project, said the group is asking for churches, schools, civic organizations and area businesses to consider sponsoring a prom dress for a young woman who may not be able to afford one. Organizations may make a direct, tax exempt contribution at Abelinas Boutique in the Farm Shopping Center in person or by mail, at 5219 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74145. Individuals and businesses can also sponsor a dress or dresses at the boutique. The first local business to sponsor a dress was The Phoenix Cafe, located at Sixth Street and Peoria Avenue, according to press information.

High school prom is often considered a social apex of a girls high school career, said Lawrence in a press release. Looking back, I remember how stressful prom season could be for my classmates who didnt have the resources to purchase a new dress, as well as the cost of shoes, hair and makeup. Some girls simply didnt go to the prom because they didnt have the resources.

The project is named after the iconic 1980s John Hughes film Pretty in Pink. In it, Andie Walsh, played by actress Molly Ringwald, is a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks who excels at academics and her own fashion designs but cant afford to buy a prom dress. So she creates one from a thrift store buy.

Ill never forget the scene where Andie is in the dress store looking at a beautiful dress, and she turns over the price tag with some figure that totally deflates her and dashes her hopes, Lawrence said. This is still an issue. We dont want the dress to be the obstacle  we want a Prom for All!

Those who donate to the project can be entered in a raffle to win an original work of art by artist and fashion illustrator/designer Rosemary Daugherty.

The situation is real for Jessica Spencer, a foster mother of three kids in the Tulsa County foster care system and who has fostered many more.

The state of Oklahoma provides financial support to foster parents, but the first few months are extremely expensive, Spencer said. If you get placement of a teen girl this time of year, you have clothes and school supplies to buy. Often things like prom dresses are not bought because the funds are expended on things that are absolutely necessary.

The project is also working on several 80s-themed events to raise funds. The plan is to make the project an annual event.
It's Divali time so at TV6 over the next few days, we bring you some of the interesting aspe
In early April, SBS screens the documentary series Vietnam: The War That Made Australia.

The three part series features the untold story of the elite Australian Army Training Team Vietnam who fought with the South Vietnamese army.

In this series from Joined Up Films many of these soldiers will speak about their experiences for the first time.

This eye-opening three-part SBS commissioned documentary series, produced by Joined Up Films, follows the very unique war The Team fought over a decade. The Team was embedded with South Vietnamese and other local units, often alone or in pairs. As a consequence, their experience of the war was very different to that of other Australian soldiers, and they forged close and unbreakable bonds with their Vietnamese brothers-in-arms.

That bond continued after the war when members of The Team helped Vietnamese refugees to settle in Australia, which marked Australias transition into a modern multicultural society.

The series uses archival footage and new candid interviews with surviving members of The Team and their Vietnamese brothers-in-arms to tell this moving story  from their early involvement with the South Vietnamese Army and its role in the vicious, clandestine war fought by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against the Viet Cong, to the growing barbarity of the war and the experiences of Team members during the Tet Offensive, to the aftermath of the war in which team members came to the aid of Vietnamese refugees.

Throughout the series, members of The Team return to Vietnam to relive pivotal and emotionally confronting moments of the war and in doing so they tackle demons that have haunted them for almost fifty years, relive horrifying events and reunite with their Vietnamese colleagues.

Revelatory and heartbreaking, Vietnam: The War That Made Australia tells an often unheard side of the Vietnam war and challenges us to re-think this major turning point in history.

Premieres 8.30pm, Sunday 3 April on SBS.
Police confirmed that the man named in an ISIS statement, Abdul Razzaq, was killed on Monday night but rejected the ISIS claim of responsibility. (Representational Image)

Dhaka: ISIS said on Tuesday it killed a Bangladeshi who was hacked to death this week, describing the victim as a top Shiite preacher -- a claim the country's authorities reject.

Police confirmed that the man named in an ISIS statement, Abdul Razzaq, was killed on Monday night but rejected the ISIS claim of responsibility.

ISIS has claimed a series of killings in Bangladesh, but authorities deny that it has a presence there and instead blame local Islamist groups.

Police said the latest victim was a homeopathic medicine practitioner who owned a shop in the southwestern town of Kaliganj.

"Unidentified attackers hacked Abdur Razzaq, 45, to death with sharp weapons on Monday night after he shut down his shop and was heading back to his village," local police chief Anwar Hossain told AFP, giving a different spelling for the first name.

"We're investigating the motive but it was not carried out by the IS."

ISIS said in a statement its fighters in Bangladesh "were able to assassinate the polytheist apostate Hafidh Abdul Razzaq, one of the top preachers for the Rafidha (Shiite) religion," according to US monitoring group SITE.

Bangladesh police said the victim was a Sunni Muslim.

But said Razzaq had been following the Shiite form of the religion "for over 20 years".

In January the ISIS claimed responsibility for the murder of an 85-year-old man in the same district.

The group said the murdered man, Samir al-Din, was a preacher who had converted to Christianity from Islam. His family and police said he had later switched back to Islam.

In recent months, the ISIS also said it was behind a series of attacks targeting foreigners and minorities including Shiite, Ahmadi and Sufi Muslims, Hindus and Christians in the Sunni-majority country.

Police have instead blamed the banned terrorist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the upsurge in deadly violence.

Bangladesh has been plagued by unrest in the last three years. Experts say a long-running political crisis has radicalised opponents of the government.
9:15 a.m., March 15, 2016--For 30 days over Winter Session, 24 University of Delaware students trekked through Tanzania, learning about African cultures and wildlife conservation issues as part of the wildlife conservation study abroad program.

Led by Jake Bowman, chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology in UDs College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), the group departed from New Jersey and landed in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, on Jan. 7.

During the next month, the participants saw hundreds of birds and animals such as zebras, elephants, rhinos, gazelles and even a wildebeest migration. They also interacted with three local tribes  the Hadza, the Iraqw and the Maasai  and learned about their cultures.

Bowman said the program was important for the students as they learned first-hand how other cultures handle wildlife conservation issues. These lessons will impact the decisions they make in their careers. They gained a greater understanding of how difficult conservation decisions can be.

Laura Manser, a senior majoring in wildlife conservation with a minor in entomology, said she enjoyed interacting with the tribes and learning how they did everything, and asking them questions just out of pure curiosity.

Tribal interaction

From interacting with the Maasai, the students learned about how the tribes members are conserving dry season grasslands for their cattle and how those areas are important to wildlife that use the adjacent Tarangire National Park.

Through their interactions with the Iraqw, an agricultural society, the students learned how they are conserving the Nou Forest as a watershed that allows them to grow sustainable crops. The students focused on the economic and ecological value of forests such as the Nou to the Iraqw society.

One of the groups that stood out in particular for some of the students was the Hadza.

Dan Wilson, a junior majoring in wildlife conservation, said it was great to interact with one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer cultures in the world. They dont have permanent settlements and they were up for anything. They were fun. They sang and danced with us the last night we were with them. Just in general, they were really awesome people. All of them, said Wilson.

Carley Gringer, a sophomore majoring in wildlife conservation, ecology and pre-veterinary and animal biosciences, echoed these sentiments, saying it was interesting to see the American students interact with the Hadza.

They dont have any material goods. They dont collect wealth, which is why its so hard for them to continue living in this world. Beads are the one thing that they can have thats theirs, and it was amazing because they made all the girls bracelets and they just gave them to us. I was amazed by that because they were so willing to give away the only thing that they had, said Gringer.

Manser said it was interesting to learn how the Hadza tracked animals, adding that the students were able to make decorative arrows with the Hadza that they brought back home.

Birding in Tanzania

The students also did a fair amount of birding during their time in Tanzania, on one occasion getting to see the endangered Beesleys lark at the Engikaret lark plains, the only place in the world where the lark is found.

There are less than 100 in Tanzania and we saw two of them so its kind of cool we could say we saw 2 percent of their population, said Manser.

They also learned about how community-based conservation is at work, as the local residents manage the area in order to conserve the Beesleys lark.

Wilson pointed out that although he isnt a birder, he found the experience enlightening and enjoyed seeing the variety of birds in Tanzania, specifically the giant marabou storks.

They have a unique appearance. Theyre big birds. They probably stand up to my shoulder almost. Theyre not pretty birds but theyre memorable. We were in Ngorongoro Crater and when we got to camp, there were a couple dozen of them hanging out, said Wilson.

The wildebeest migration also served as a great learning opportunity for the students as they focused on how the migration can be conserved and how much of the migration takes place outside of the Serengeti National Park.

We were in the middle of their migration and that was really cool, Gringer said. There were literally hundreds of thousands of them and Prof. Bowman asked us to try to count them to try and get a sense of their population. But when I first saw them all, I thought it was a joke because there were just so many I was wondering, How am I supposed to count this? But that was really cool and theyre beautiful animals.

Nou Forest

The students also singled out the Nou Forest as a highlight, with Wilson and Manser both saying they enjoyed jogging through the forest.

Gringer said that using mist nets in the forest in order to catch birds was a great hands-on learning opportunity for the students.

I was surprised because there were other kids on the journey who had taken ornithology and I hadnt because Im a sophomore, so I thought they would just be able to hold the birds and I wouldnt. But Prof. Bowman taught me how to hold them and passed it to me and it was really cool, said Gringer.

She also said that one of the most memorable aspects was being caught in a hailstorm in the Nou Forest.

I was walking back with my one friends and we were laughing through the rain because there was nothing else to do. You cant complain. You just have to keep walking, and we eventually got back to camp and we all had warm drinks and huddled around the fire. The hard times were really memorable; theyre the good stories, said Gringer.

Through it all, the students said they felt that a closeness formed within the group.

Manser, who had also gone on a study abroad to Costa Rica, said she didnt know many people on the Tanzania study abroad prior to leaving and that it was a great experience to bond with everyone.

I went to Costa Rica last year and I knew everybody that was going, so this was a big change. I actually really liked it because everybody was so nice and I feel like because we were in such rough and hearty conditions, everybody felt the same way so we could bond over different types of experiences, said Manser.

Gringer, who said she plans on going to Costa Rica next year as part of study abroad, said she was impressed with the character of all the people who went. I honestly didnt think there were that many people who would put up with those conditions and not complain and be so positive. Everyone was really great and there were times when everyone was down and we were all exhausted but everyone rallied really quickly and everyone was really supportive of each other.

Article by Adam Thomas

Video by Nikki Laws

Photos by Andy Bale, Laura Manser and Carley Gringer
A well-known Kharkiv city lawyer Viktor Loiko, whose dead body was found in his apartment, might have died from stroke or heart attack.

The Ukrinform local correspondent reported citing a source in a law enforcement agency.

"Viktor Loiko was in his 50s. His work was not easy, with the stresses. Previously he had had stroke, this time he might have not survived stroke. There are no signs of injuries to the body. The experts will say their word," said the source.

"The neighbors called for the police because of putrid smell coming out from the apartment This means the lawyer died a few days ago," the source added.

Ukrinform had reported, on the evening of March 14 the attorney Viktor Loiko was found dead in his apartment in Kharkiv. The entrance door to his apartment was open. The investigation is conducted on the basis of the article "premeditated murder."

Loiko was reportedly associated with the investigation of criminal cases related to drug trafficking and sales among the law enforcement officers.
The militants shelled the ATO troops in eastern Ukraine 42 times over the past day. In particular, 29 attacks were launched in Donetsk direction, 12 attacks were launched in Mariupol direction and one attack was launched in Luhansk direction.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

"The Ukrainian strongholds In Zaitseve [67km north-north-east of Donetsk] came under fire from 120mm and 82 mm mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns. The terrorists used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell our positions in Novhorodske [34km north of Donetsk] and Mayorske [45km north of Donetsk]," reads the statement.

In addition, the militants used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell Ukrainian troops outside Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk), Krasnohorivka (29 km west of Donetsk), Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol).

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Islamabad: For the first time, minority communities in Pakistan will have public holidays on Holi, Diwali and Easter festivals after the country's parliament on Tuesday adopted a resolution to this effect.

The National Assembly adopted the resolution that paves the way for the government to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as public holidays for the country's Hindu and Christian minorities.

Hindu lawmaker Ramesh Kumar Vankwani of PML-N moved the resolution that said the "government should take steps to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as closed holidays for minorities".

State Minister for Religious Affairs, Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah, speaking in the house, said that Interior Ministry has already given permission to heads of government institutions to grant leave to minorities on their religious festivals.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that Pakistan has more public holidays than any country in the world, therefore there is need to revisit the number of holidays.

He said he had no objection over holidays being observed on the religious festivals of minorities adding that no discrimination was meted out to the followers of different faiths and that the people share their grief and happiness regardless of the religion they are practicing, Pakistan Today reported.
On March 23, 2016 Kyiv will host Ukrainian natural gas investment forum  2016. The forum will take place under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine and it will become the first and largest international platform in Ukraine that will unite the participants of the Ukrainian market and international investors.

The forum site has reported.

"Forum will be the first largest international platform in Ukraine that will bring together members of the Ukrainian market and international investors - with a focus on investment opportunities in the gas market of Ukraine," organizers of the event note.

It is noted that top managers of gas companies, foreign investors in natural gas sector, and representatives of commercial banks and consulting companies are expected to attend the forum.
Ukraine and Turkey have divergence of views on liberalization of trade during the signing of Free Trade Agreement, but will look for compromise, Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, Ukraines Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska has said.

The relevant report was posted on the ministrys website .

Ukraine and Turkey have different approaches to the liberalization of trade during the signing of the agreement. Thats why it is very important to find compromise solutions to protect national interests, taking into account the current economic situation. In connection with this, on the proposal of the Ukrainian side, the negotiators have preliminary determined and discussed priority goods to liberalize the access to the market of both countries, Mykolska said and added that the two countries are ready to step up their efforts to promote negotiation process.

Mykolska also said that Turkey fully supports the course of reforms that are carried in Ukraine. In addition, according to the 2015 year-end report, Turkey is the third trade partner of Ukraine.

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U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow unexpectedly announced the pullout of the main Russian military forces from Syria.

At the same time U.S. leader reminded his Russian counterpart about the necessity to fulfill the basic requirements of the Minsk agreements, the White House noted.

President Obama in a conversation with Putin also discussed the Ukrainian crisis. He noted "the need for combined Russian-separatist forces to implement the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and to provide monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with unfettered access to separatist-controlled areas, including the Russia-Ukraine border."
The Parliament of Estonia (the Riigikogu) urges to ban the Russian officials, involved in the trial of Nadiya Savchenko, from entering the territory of the European Union.

This is said in the statement of the Estonian Parliament, published on the official website .

"The Riigikogu urges to ban the Russian officials, responsible for detention, imprisonment and illegal trial of Savchenko, from entering the territory of the European Union," reads the statement.

In addition, the Parliament urges the Russian Federation to immediately release Nadiya Savchenko and return her to Ukraine.

"The Riigikogu expresses serious concern about the fate of member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Nadiya Savchenko and calls for release of Savchenko, detained in the territory of Ukraine and illegally held in Russian prison now," says the statement.

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Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has held a meeting with a delegation of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) to discuss certain plans of cooperation for the near future.

"The prime minister affirmed commitments to close cooperation with the Ukrainian World Congress and discussed with the UWC delegation certain plans of cooperation for the near future. In particular, they talked about cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, coordination of joint efforts on the world stage to explain the current situation in Ukraine, reads a report posted on the government portal.

The Ukrainian prime minister thanked the UWC for the taken efforts in support of Ukraine, humanitarian events, UWC activities on resisting Russian propaganda and spreading true information about Ukraine and changes taking place in the state.

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Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Groysman at a meeting with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius has thanked Lithuania for the support of Ukraine.

Groysman wrote this on his Facebook page.

Ive thanked Lithuania and the foreign minister of this country, Linas Linkevicius, for the support of our state in this difficult time. We always notice their efforts and attraction to Ukraine. During the meeting we discussed also the steps that could be made at present from the side of our European partners in support of Nadiya Savchenko and our other captives, Groysman said.

The Ukrainian speaker also said that Ukraine is still looking for a way out of political crisis that was caused by loss of confidence in the government.

Linkevicius, in turn, stressed that Lithuania supports Ukraine on its way to the European integration.

iy
iolo said: I don't know what that means, but if you believe anything in the monopoly-capitalist USA is socialist, you should go back to Mars. Click to expand...

Really? Interesting opinion. Social Security is a definite Socialist program. Other than that I agree. But, most of the leftards on here spend a great amount of time trying to convince everyone that the US uses a lot of socialism. Sounds like you follow the true definition of socialism. As opposed to the weekly definition change of Socialism.
UNHCR welcomes a decision by the Malawian government to reopen a former refugee camp to help cope with the rising numbers of people fleeing Mozambique. Close to 10,000 refugees have now been registered in southern Malawi.

Most of the new arrivals, who have been crossing to Malawi since mid-December, are in a single village, Kapise, about 100 kilometres south of Malawi's capital, Lilongwe. Others are scattered throughout the neighbouring district of Chikwawa. To date, 9,600 people have been registered by UNHCR staff and government workers, but others are waiting to be registered and the total including these is almost 11,500.

Daily arrival rates in Malawi have been growing over the past month. From around 130 people a day before late February we are now seeing around 250 people every day in Kapise. Mozambicans who arrived earlier in the year spoke of having fled deadly attacks on their villages. More recent arrivals have said they were fleeing out of fear of clashes this month between Government forces and RENAMO, the main opposition group, which wants to take control of six northern provinces (Manica, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia, Nampula and Niassa).

The Malawi Government decision was announced on Friday and involves reopening Luwani refugee camp, where basic services and security can be better guaranteed. While Kapise is just five kilometres from the border, Luwani is some 65 kilometres inside Malawi.

Luwani camp previously hosted Mozambican refugees during the 1977-1992 civil war and was finally closed in 2007. Preparations are under way for the move, which UNHCR hopes to start shortly. Luwani has more than 160 hectares of space, including forest. Refugees will have better facilities and services there, including health, education, water and protection. And, importantly, it will be safer. UNHCR appreciates Malawi's generosity in hosting so many people. We also reiterate the importance of keeping doors open to people fleeing danger.

Several partners, including UNICEF, WFP and MSF, are providing essential services in Kapise, including water boreholes, food and health care. This has helped to improve, but conditions generally remain tough and in future it will be used mainly as a transit camp.

Lack of funding for UNHCR and others is a problem. We need US$1.8 million to meet immediate needs, but more will be needed to cope with the growing number of arrivals. Malawi already hosts some 25,000 refugees, mostly from the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa, in a camp about 50 kilometres from Lilongwe - Dzaleka camp - which is full to capacity. Food rations have been cut to 50 per cent since October and resources to assist refugees are limited.

For further information, please contact:
Good morning, I am pleased to be back in Lebanon today.

I want to thank the Lebanese people for helping to save the lives of over 1 million Syrians.

It is not easy for a country to take in the equivalent of a quarter of its own population in refugees.

But for as much as it is a responsibility, I hope you are aware of the message it sends about the values and character and spirit of the Lebanese people.

You are setting an example to the world of generosity, humanity, resilience and solidarity.

On behalf of UNHCR, and on my own behalf, shukran, thank you.

We should never forget that for all the focus on the refugee situation in Europe at this time, the greatest pressure is still being felt in the Middle East and North Africa, as it has for each of the last five years.

There are 4.8 million Syrian refugees in this region, and 6.5 million people displaced inside Syria.

On this day, the 5th anniversary of the Syria conflict, that is where I had hoped I would be: in Syria, helping UNHCR with returns, and watching families I have come to know be able to go home.

It is tragic and shameful that we seem to be so far from that point.

Every Syrian refugee I have spoken to on this visit, without exception, talked of their desire to return home when the war is over and it is safe for them to do so - not with resignation, but with the light in their eyes of people dreaming of being reunited with the country that they love.

I have seen on this visit just how desperate the struggle to survive now is for these families. After five years of exile, any savings they had, have been exhausted. Many who started out living in apartments now cluster in abandoned shopping centres, or informal tented settlements, sinking deeper into debt.

The number of refugees in Lebanon living below the minimum threshold for survival- unable to afford the food and shelter they need to stay alive - has doubled in the last two years, in a country where 79% of all Syrian refugees are women and children.

We have to understand the fundamental realities that are driving the global refugee crisis - which is the product not just of the Syria war, but of decades of open-ended conflicts or persecution: in Myanmar, Mali, the Central African Republic, the DRC, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria. I could go on.

The number of refugees is now higher than the last time we had a World War.

We are at an exceptionally difficult moment internationally, when the consequences of the refugee crisis seem to be outstripping our will and capacity and even our courage to respond to it.

In conventional times of war, people who are displaced go to more stable areas, or to neighboring countries for sanctuary, or are provided for in refugee camps until it is safe to go home. In exceptional circumstances some are sent abroad for resettlement or asylum.

But with 60 million people displaced, as there are today, there is no way that the governments of the world - no matter how rich or willing they are - can prop up the UN enough to care for all these people permanently and expect that to address the problem.

We cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions.

We cannot discuss this as if it were a problem confined to the situation of tens of thousands of refugees in Europe.

We cannot improve this reality by partial responses, by responding to some crises and not others, or by helping some refugees and not others - for instance, by excluding Afghan refugees, among other groups - or by making a distinction between refugees on grounds of religion.

The result would be more chaos, more injustice and insecurity, and ultimately more conflict, and more refugees.

We have to focus on the absolute root causes, and that takes a certain amount of courage and leadership.

And in my view, leadership in this situation is about doing more than simply protecting your borders or simply putting forward more aid, it means taking decisions to ensure we are not heading towards an even greater refugee crisis in the future.

That is why, as heartbreaking and angering it is to hear the individual stories of the refugees, it is not a time for emotion.

It is a time for reason and calm and foresight.

I want to be clear that I understand that people in many different countries have fears about the refugee situation.

They are worried about the impact on their communities, livelihoods and security if they accept refugees into their countries.

It is not wrong to feel unsettled faced by a crisis of such complexity and such magnitude.

But we must not let fears get the better of us.

We must not let fear stand in the way of an effective response that is in our long-term interests.

My plea today is that we need governments around the world to show leadership: to analyse the situation and understand exactly what their country can do, how many refugees they can assist and how, in which particular communities and to what timeframe; to explain this to their citizens and address fears - based not on emotion but on a measured assessment of what can and must be done to share the responsibility and get on top of this situation.

That starts with having a very robust asylum procedure to be able to hear the needs of the desperate families to identify who is most vulnerable and who has a genuine refugee claim - processes that UNHCR has been supporting governments to carry out for decades.

I appeal to all governments to uphold the UN Convention on Refugees and basic human rights law, because it is both necessary and possible to protect people fleeing persecution and death and protect citizens at home. It should not be reduced to a choice between one or the other.

The reason we have laws and binding international agreements is precisely because of the temptation to deviate from them in times of pressure. We know from recent history that when we depart from fundamental laws and principles we only create worse problems for the future.

I spent time this morning with a mother who was paralysed after being shot by a sniper's rifle in a besieged area of Syria. She lies in one room, where she lives with her whole family, in a small, cold, makeshift settlement here in the Bekaa Valley.

Never once during our discussion did she ask for anything, did she stop smiling, or talk of anything other than her desire for her children to have the chance to go to school and have a better life.

When I saw her beautiful smile, and her dedicated husband and children looking after her, I was in awe of them. They are heroes to me. And I ask myself, what have we come to when such survivors are made to feel like beggars?

We can do the right thing by refugees and build a more secure international environment. We can build order out of chaos.

In my view it comes down to understanding the law, choosing not to be afraid, and showing political will.

For the sake of the people of Syria, and for all the refugees around the world looking desperately to the international community to provide solutions, I hope we will do this.

And I also hope that the 15th of March next year will finally herald a Syria at peace, and will be the beginning of a time of returns so that these refugees are able to fulfil their desire to go home.

Thank you very much.
UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie Pitt talks with Syrian refugees in Lebanon.  UNHCR/L.Knott

BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon, March 15 (UNHCR) - UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie Pitt on Tuesday called on world governments to show leadership in addressing the Syrian and wider global refugee crisis, during a visit to Lebanon's Bekaa Valley to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Syria conflict.

The five-year conflict has fuelled the worst humanitarian crisis of our time, with 4.8 million Syrians forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries and a further 6.6 million displaced inside the country.

"On this day, the fifth anniversary of the Syria conflict, that is where I had hoped to be - in Syria, helping UNHCR with returns and watching the families I have come to know be able to go home. It is tragic and shameful that we seem still so far from that point," the Special Envoy told a news conference.

She called on governments to find diplomatic solutions to the crisis, and to look at what more they themselves can do to provide safety to those fleeing persecution and war.

The Special Envoy said: "We are at an exceptionally difficult moment internationally, when the consequences of the refugee crisis seem to be outstripping our will and capacity and even our courage to respond to it."

She went on to say "we cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions," adding that, "it is not a time for emotion. It is a time for reason and calm and foresight."

"Leadership in this situation is about doing more than simply protecting your borders or putting forward more aid," the Special Envoy said. "My plea today is that we need governments around the world to show leadership, to analyze the situation, to understand exactly what their countries can do, how many refugees they can assist and how."

The Special Envoy visited informal tented settlements in the Bekaa Valley to meet with refugee families. She praised their spirit and resilience, but warned that years of crisis were taking a heavy toll.

"I have seen on this visit just how desperate the struggle to survive is now for these families after five years in exile. Any savings they had have been exhausted. Many who started out living in apartments now cluster in abandoned shopping centres or informal settlements, sinking deeper and deeper into debt," she said.

Of more than 1.06 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, half now live below the minimum threshold for survival, unable to afford basic necessities such as food and shelter.

Years of hosting millions of refugees has also placed a huge strain on the resources and infrastructure of neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, where the number of Syrian refugees amounts to around a quarter of the total population.

"Lebanon has displayed incredible generosity in hosting more than a million Syrian refugees, but the length and severity of the crisis has stretched the country's resources to the limit. The rest of the world must show much greater solidarity in all its forms with refugees and the countries hosting them," said UNHCR Representative in Lebanon Mireille Girard.

By Charlie Dunmore in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
I realize some people hate Clinton, but why make up crap?? If you want to discredit someone--anyone--why not do it with facts.It took me all of 2 minutes to find this fact check on Google.Click on the blue links in the article: investigated and quotes.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Monday ordered the withdrawal of the main part of Russian forces in Syria, a surprise move that reflected what he called the Kremlins achievement of nearly all its objectives in the war-torn country.



The news upended expectations in Western capitals and among ordinary Syrians, setting off fevered speculation about Russias intentions, much as Mr. Putins unexpected military plunge into the Syrian battlefield five months ago changed the course of the war.
Sabcat said: So you are under the impression that people w/ IQs below their shoe sizes have the ability to type?



You pick out one word from a post that was used as an emphasis on context



It is proof of you complete lacking of debat skills and evidence of dementia setting in. I beg of you to seek help before the delutions get worse and you have lost all grasp on reality. Click to expand...

Rather depends on that one word doesn't it?You know, or you should know, that a single word can completely change the meaning of a sentence or a statement.I helped my Uncle Jack off his horse.I helped my Uncle jack off his horse.Quite different meaning and impact. And all I did is change ONE letter of ONE word.If you don't know that, then all you are doing is confirming the accuracy of my previous posts.Now of course, you bring into the conversation things like accusations of the onset of dementia and what I think you meant to say was "delusions" and NOT "delutions."See what I mean? You just keep digging the hole you're in deeper and deeper and just don't have the sense to simply stop digging and drop the shovel. You'll just keep on yapping.And you are debating nothing, You're simply trying to insult me at this point. And you doing even do that very well.
The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.



The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that belongs to all law-abiding Americans. The Constitution doesnt create that right  it ensures that the government cant take it away. Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendments purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple.



Its been said that the Second Amendment is Americas first freedom. Thats because the Right to Keep and Bear Arms protects all our other rights. We are the only country in the world that has a Second Amendment. Protecting that freedom is imperative. Heres how we will do that:



Enforce The Laws On The Books



We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. The Obama administrations record on that is abysmal. Violent crime in cities like Baltimore, Chicago and many others is out of control. Drug dealers and gang members are given a slap on the wrist and turned loose on the street. This needs to stop.



Several years ago there was a tremendous program in Richmond, Virginia called Project Exile. It said that if a violent felon uses a gun to commit a crime, you will be prosecuted in federal court and go to prison for five years  no parole or early release. Obamas former Attorney General, Eric Holder, called that a cookie cutter program. Thats ridiculous. I call that program a success. Murders committed with guns in Richmond decreased by over 60% when Project Exile was in place  in the first two years of the program alone, 350 armed felons were taken off the street.



Why does that matter to law-abiding gun owners? Because theyre the ones who anti-gun politicians and the media blame when criminals misuse guns. We need to bring back and expand programs like Project Exile and get gang members and drug dealers off the street. When we do, crime will go down and our cities and communities will be safer places to live.



Heres another important way to fight crime  empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Law enforcement is great, they do a tremendous job, but they cant be everywhere all of the time. Our personal protection is ultimately up to us. Thats why Im a gun owner, thats why I have a concealed carry permit, and thats why tens of millions of Americans have concealed carry permits as well. Its just common sense. To make America great again, were going to go after criminals and put the law back on the side of the law-abiding.



Fix Our Broken Mental Health System



Lets be clear about this. Our mental health system is broken. It needs to be fixed. Too many politicians have ignored this problem for too long.



All of the tragic mass murders that occurred in the past several years have something in common  there were red flags that were ignored. We cant allow that to continue. We need to expand treatment programs, because most people with mental health problems arent violent, they just need help. But for those who are violent, a danger to themselves or others, we need to get them off the street before they can terrorize our communities. This is just common sense.



And why does this matter to law-abiding gun owners? Once again, because they get blamed by anti-gun politicians, gun control groups and the media for the acts of deranged madmen. When one of these tragedies occurs, we can count on two things: one, that opponents of gun rights will immediately exploit it to push their political agenda; and two, that none of their so-called solutions would have prevented the tragedy in the first place. Theyve even admitted it.



We need real solutions to address real problems. Not grandstanding or political agendas.



Defend The Rights of Law-Abiding Gun Owners



GUN AND MAGAZINE BANS. Gun and magazine bans are a total failure. Thats been proven every time its been tried. Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like assault weapons, military-style weapons and high capacity magazines to confuse people. What theyre really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.



BACKGROUND CHECKS. There has been a national background check system in place since 1998. Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer  which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases  they go through a federal background check. Study after study has shown that very few criminals are stupid enough to try and pass a background check  they get their guns from friends/family members or by stealing them. So the overwhelming majority of people who go through background checks are law-abiding gun owners. When the system was created, gun owners were promised that it would be instant, accurate and fair. Unfortunately, that isnt the case today. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system  and it should go without saying that a systems only going to be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we dont need to do is expand a broken system.



NATIONAL RIGHT TO CARRY. The right of self-defense doesnt stop at the end of your driveway. Thats why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A drivers license works in every state, so its common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving  which is a privilege, not a right  then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.



MILITARY BASES AND RECRUITING CENTERS. Banning our military from carrying firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless. To make America great again, we need a strong military. To have a strong military, we need to allow them to defend themselves.
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God purchased the human race out of sins dominion, never to be returned to the market place of sin again. By removing the sin issue from the table of Gods justice, God effectively canceled Satans ownership of all the human race. Satan can lay claim to no person based on that persons sinfulness.Today people think they have to ask God to forgive them for the sins that God is no longer charging to their account in the first place. Ministers of righteousness would have people believe God is not totally reconciled in his mind.Beware, a clever counterfeit being conducted by good people who have your best interest in mind, they want the best for you, but they will be deceiving, because they themselves have been deceived. We should be very grateful that we are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ, his faith accomplished our salvation.
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.




Arista NashvilleCarrie Underwood now has almost two dozen number ones to her credit, as Heartbeat becomes her 23rd single to top the country charts. Its also the 13th chart topper shes had a hand in writing. The American Idol winner, who turned 33 this past Thursday, says she believes the down-to-earth quality of the lyrics is one of the reasons the song has been so successful.

Theres something that kind of seemed real and conversational, and like real life about it, she reflects. Its not like this over-romanticized fairy tale thing.

In fact, she says the lyrics are something she could see herself saying to her husband, Nashville Predators center Mike Fisher.Its like a real conversation that I feel like I could have with Mike, so theres something just more tangible and realistic, she says of the song.

Heartbeat is the second number one from Carries Storyteller album. She also co-wrote her previous hit, Smoke Break.

This week, Carrie returns to the States after two weekends in Europe playing the Country to Country festival. She swings through Youngstown, Ohio, on Thursday, before playing Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
On Sunday, North Korea warned the United States that it could wipe out Manhattan with a single hydrogen bomb, and earlier this month North Korea threatened to make a preemptive and offensive nuclear strike on the United States in response to aggressive military exercises currently being jointly conducted by South Korea and the U.S. military. So does nuclear war with North Korea actually pose a significant security risk to this country? Well, according to the Washington Post the entire west coast of the United States is within reach of North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missiles. The only question is whether or not North Koreas ultra-paranoid leader Kim Jong Un would ever actually press the button.

Most Americans dont realize this, but nuclear war with North Korea is now closer than it has ever been before. In the past, North Koreas technical capabilities were greatly limited, but now all of that has apparently changed. Just consider what has taken place within just the past few months. The following comes from a timeline that was put together by the Arms Control Association

January 6, 2016: North Korea announces it conducted a fourth nuclear weapons test, claiming to have detonated a hydrogen bomb for the first time. Monitoring stations from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization detect the seismic activity from the test. The type of device tested remains unclear, although experts doubt it was of a hydrogen bomb based on seismic evidence. February 7, 2016: North Korea launches a long-range ballistic missile carrying what it has said is an earth observation satellite in defiance of United Nations sanctions barring it from using ballistic missile technology, drawing strong international condemnation from other governments which believe it will advance North Koreas military ballistic missile capabilities. March 2, 2016: The UN Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 2270 condemning the nuclear test and launch of early 2016, and demanding that North Korea not conduct further tests and immediately suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program. Resolution 2270 expands existing sanctions on North Korea by adding to the list of sanctioned individuals and entities, introducing new financial sanctions, and banning states from supplying aviation fuel and other specified minerals to North Korea. Resolution 2270 also introduces a requirement that UN member states inspect all cargo in transit to or from North Korea for illicit goods and arms.

In response to these moves, South Korea and the U.S. military have launched the largest military exercises in the history of South Korea. More than 300,000 troops have gathered to simulate an invasion of North Korea and practice the elimination of North Koreas weapons of mass destruction. These military exercises being held over a period of eight weeks, and this is precisely what caused North Korea to threaten us with a preemptive and offensive nuclear strike.

And on Sunday, North Korea boasted that they could reduce Manhattan to ashes with a single hydrogen bomb

Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union, DPRK Today, a state-run outlet, reported Sunday. DPRK stands for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, North Koreas official name. If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes, the report said, citing a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong Il.

I dont know about you, but I find statements such as these to be quite alarming.

Earlier this month, Kim Jong Un put his nuclear weapons on alert for use at any time, and Reuters is reporting that he has just ordered his military to conduct even more nuclear weapon tests.

So why is there so little concern about this in the United States?

Sometimes it is the enemy that you underestimate the most that ends up being your greatest threat.

Meanwhile, in the midst of everything else, a North Korean submarine has gone missing

The North Korean regime lost contact with one of its submarines earlier this week, three U.S. officials familiar with the latest information told CNN. The U.S. military had been observing the submarine operate off North Koreas east coast when the vessel stopped, and U.S. spy satellites, aircraft and ships have been secretly watching for days as the North Korean navy searched for the missing sub. The U.S. is unsure if the missing vessel is adrift under the sea or whether it has sunk, the officials said, but believes it suffered some type of failure during an exercise.

At a time when tensions on the Korean peninsula are near an all-time high, this is a very disturbing development. The last thing that we need is some sort of trigger event that could cause the North Koreans to want to start pressing buttons.

Most Americans dont realize this, but hatred for America is one of the centerpieces of North Korean society. In fact, they have an entire month each year during which they celebrate how much they hate us. The following comes form a New York Post article that was published last June

June is something like Hate America Month in North Korea. Officially, its called Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism Month and  more so than usual  its a time for North Koreans to swarm to war museums, mobilize for gatherings denouncing the evils of the United States and join in a general, nationwide whipping up of anti-American sentiment. The culmination this year came Thursday  the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War  with a 100,000-strong rally in Pyongyangs Kim Il Sung Stadium.

If Manhattan actually was reduced to a pile of ashes by a hydrogen bomb, there would be dancing in the streets of Pyongyang.

So let us not underestimate the threat that North Korea poses. They hate us enough to want to completely destroy us, they now have the technological capability of hitting major west coast cities with nukes, and they have an ultra-paranoid young leader with his hand on the trigger. Meanwhile, we have an increasingly aggressive leader of our own sitting in the White House that seems to like to yank Kim Jong Uns chain.

If push came to shove, North Korea would attempt to hit American targets with nukes.

Let us just hope and pray that it does not happen any time soon.
2016 is turning out to be the strangest election season that we have seen in decades, and it may soon get far stranger. At this point, most people assume that Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee, and without a doubt he has had a tremendous amount of success. But because most of the states so far have apportioned delegates proportionally, Trump only has 44.8 percent of the delegates that have been awarded up to this point. So Trump is going to have to do significantly better through the rest of the process in order to get to the magic number of 1,237 delegates, especially since not all of the delegates are awarded through the primaries and caucuses. As Real Clear Politics has detailed, every state is awarded so-called RNC delegates, who are party officials with automatic credentials to the convention.

Right now, more than 40 percent of all the delegates to the convention have already been awarded, and Trump is sitting at just 458. To get to 1,237, he is going to have to do really well in the upcoming winner-take-all states. That is why there is so much focus on Florida and Ohio on March 15th. If Trump wins both of them, he will have a path to 1,237 delegates. If he doesnt, that is where things get tricky.

If Donald Trump shows up at the convention with fewer than 1,237 delegates, he will be vulnerable, and it is likely that the Republican establishment will try to steal the nomination away from him.

In order for that to happen, the rules of the convention will need to be changed. Because right now the only candidates that are likely to be nominated under the current rules are Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Morton Blackwell, a member of the Republican National Committees Standing Committee on Rules, authored a great article entitled The Coming Trainwreck in which he described what a mess the Republican convention rules are as of this moment. The following is a brief excerpt in which he describes what would happen if no candidate received 1,237 votes on the first ballot

First, a sizeable number of delegate votes cast will not be counted in the final tally of the first ballot because they will be cast for candidates who did not demonstrate, before the first ballot, that they had majorities in at least eight state delegations. Second, the national rules provide that no one will get the presidential nomination on any ballot until someone receives at least 1,237 tallied delegate votes. Third (and this will come as a surprise to most people), although delegate votes from states that hold primaries will be allocated by those state primaries to specific candidates on the first ballot, that does not mean that on subsequent ballots all delegates are free to vote for whomever they choose and to have those votes counted in a final tally on any ballot.

In fact, the state of Florida binds their delegates for the first three ballots. Rules vary from state to state, and I am sure that we are going to hear a lot more about this if nobody has 1,237 delegates before the convention.

As the rules stand right now, no other candidates other than Trump or Cruz will even be able to be nominated at the convention because of a rule that the Mitt Romney campaign pushed for in 2012. That rule requires that a candidate must have won at least eight states in order to be nominated. Here is more from Morton Blackwell

In fact, as it now stands, the same Romney-created rule, Rule 40(b), that prevents votes from being tallied for candidates who could not prove majority support from at least eight state delegations also provides that candidates must prove that they meet the eight-state threshold not less than one (1) hour prior to the placing of the names of candidates for nomination pursuant to this rule and the established order of business. In other words, when the first ballot begins, no additional candidates can qualify to receive votes that will be counted. Only candidates who meet the eight-state threshold required to receive votes that count on the first ballot can receive votes that count on subsequent ballots.

Of course these rules can still be changed.

In fact, they can be changed just shortly before the convention.

The Rules Committee is immensely powerful. According to Time Magazine, they could very easily create a rule that says that only candidates with blue hair can be nominated, and nobody would be able to do anything about it.

So could they change the rules specifically to try to steal the nomination from Trump?

Of course they could. In fact, new rules are already being proposed. The following comes from the Daily Caller

A Republican National Committee member will propose an amendment to the GOP convention rules this summer that will allow any Republican candidate with at least one delegate to be deemed nominated on the first ballot. So, using Iowa as an example, every candidate receiving at least four percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses will earn one delegate, and thus be nominated for consideration at the Republican National Convention, North Dakota National Committeeman Curly Haugland, a member of the RNC Rules Committee, told The Daily Caller Tuesday.

It is interesting to note that if this new rule is implemented, the names that would be nominated on the first ballot would include Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Rand Paul and Jeb Bush.

And it is also interesting to note that Karl Rove is now running around the country trying to rally establishment Republicans around an attempt to keep Donald Trump from getting to the magic number of 1,237. The following comes from WND

At a meeting of Republican governors and donors in Washington, D.C., last month, Rove  dubbed the architect of George W. Bushs election success  launched a movement to prevent Donald Trump from gaining the 1,237 delegates he needs in the primaries to win the GOP nomination on the first ballot at the partys convention in Cleveland in July. Last weekend, Rove stepped up his efforts to block Trump, arguing his case at the American Enterprise Institutes World Forum in Sea Island, Georgia, a closed-to-the-press meeting of billionaire GOP donors, tech company CEOs and Republican establishment leaders.

The Republican establishment has a very deep playbook full of dirty tricks. Just look at what they have done to the Ohio ballot. I am a former lawyer, and I cant even figure it out.

As I have said all along, the elite are going to move heaven and earth to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, and if that requires stealing the nomination from him at the convention, then that is exactly what they are going to do.

Of course if that happens there will be a massive uproar. Perhaps that is why the Cleveland police are stocking up on riot gear in anticipation of what is going to happen at the Republican convention.

Let us hope that the nomination is clinched ahead of time. Because a brokered convention would be a giant mess, and it would almost certainly hand the election to Hillary Clinton, and that is the worst possible outcome of all.
On Monday, Fresh Market's board except chairman and founder Ray Berry agreed to be acquired by Apollo Global Management for $1.36 billion. To date, it would be the third revealed acquisition of Apollo Global Management of more than $1 billion since the beginning of February.

Such deal would target to the grocery come back business for Apollo, which formerly owned Smart & Final Stores Inc. and Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. On Fresh Market's end, the selloff could help make the necessary investment to make its sales growth sparks again which has slowed down since its initial public offering in 2010 in the middle of the competition from counterparts Wal-Mart Stores and Kroger Co, as reported by Bloomberg.

Ray Berry separate himself from all talks associated to a review of strategic choices and from voting on the transaction. He has plans to privatize the company. He and his son Brett have aggregately own about 9.8% of the company's outstanding shares.

The agreement emphasizes Apollo's confidence that it can reverse companies in the highly competitive U.S. grocery sector. The deal that has fully decided financing in place is anticipated to close by Q2 of February.

Rick Anicetti was hired as chief executive by Fresh Market last year to combat low margins and diving same-store sales. He became President and CEO of Food Lion LLC's grocery stores, according to Fortune.

Fresh Market comprises of 183 stores and runs it across 27 states. Its main southeastern locations include Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest portion include Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois and Connecticut.

The company states that it has 21 days to canvass superior offers. Fresh Market's financial adviser would be J.P Morgan. Apollo's advisers would be Jefferies and Macquarie Capital, Barclays and RBC Capital Markets. Till the closing on Friday, the stock rose to about 24% since February 10.
On Monday, Goldman Sachs' Investment Management Division announced that it will take over Honest Dollar, a web and mobile-based retirement savings platform based in Austin, Texas where the amount was not disclosed. The acquired startup introduced its savings platform last summer aiming to provide small and medium-sized business with an inexpensive 401(k) alternative.

The agreement that will close by July comes almost a year after Goldman revealed it was hiring Harit Talwar, former Discover Financial Services executive to lead the online lending expansion. This is one of Goldman's strategies to test with less exclusive and cheaper services. Goldman astonishes his counterparts in launching an online business for consumers starting a new exchange-traded fund that targets to beat the Standard & Poor 500 while requiring 0.09% yearly fee.

Honest Dollar said that employers take 90 seconds to sign up and offers as low as $8 retirement plans per employee every month. Once set up, employees will be asked series of questions and one of the six portfolios will be endorsed to them which are all made up of four various Vanguard exchange-trade funds, the Business Insider reports.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Honest Dollar is using Internet distribution and advances together like computer-generated portfolios to lower down the cost of retirement savings. Customers comprise ride-sharing startup Lyft drivers and its investors include Core Innovation, a venture capital firm and Vikram Pandit, former Citigroup CEO.

Honest Dollar is a startup seeking to overturn traditional employer-sponsored retirement business. Some of the most noticed is Betterment, which announced in September that it was transferring further retail accounts into 401(k) s, having a platform that includes investment advice and resort to be a less expensive substitute to traditional plans, based on a Forbes report.

"Honest Dollar has created a simple solution to a complex retirement savings problem," Timothy J. O'Neill and Eric S. Lane, co-heads of IMD at Goldman Sachs, said in a statement. "Together, we have the potential to help millions of people achieve their investing goals."

Acquiring Honest Dollar could increase Goldman's distribution channel for a key business presently more in favor with regulators - asset management - than the firm's finest and largest product trading and investing businesses. No amount was disclosed regarding the acquisition. Honest Dollar chief executive said that Goldman Sachs will help them increase their growth.
Limits of Delaware's Child Protection Registry

Nebulous Definition Open to Interpretation

Catholic-centric Religious Bias

Confession Not Recognized in Carmean White Case for Reason

Confusion Regarding Who Reports?

Plug the Holes

Note: I removed the section regarding "Good Faith", as it is really not an issue given it is difficult to hide malice in such circumstances.

Our opposers claim that we do not comply with Delaware's mandatory reporting laws on child abuse. But it occurred to me that they may not have reported in the case of Carmean White for the reason that they felt that the mother's intent to report it would be enough. We don't know what their discussions were behind closed doors because of the clergy/penitent confidentiality clause, but I think this is simply a case of the elders not being sure of their responsibilities in the matter.The following analysis of the law is not a justification or defense of the elders' lack of reporting, but is simply a close examination of the mandatory reporting law to highlight potential problems. There are some fundamental problems, gaping holes that do not, in fact, do the job for which they are intended. (Thought that is not to say that Delaware judges would not fairly recognize those deficiencies.) We could see problems in these matters appear in the future. (But not in regard to the Carmean White case.) Please consider the following as I break down the problems with Delaware's mandatory child abuse reporting law.Read the laws yourself on the State of Delaware's Abuse of Children Act page.This is not so much a problem as a protection and confirmation of limits. Note that this registry requires that the accusation be "substantiated", thus the state can't keep a record of unsubstantiated claims and therefore cannot require a record of unsubstantiated claims from any organization. We do keep a record of such unsubstantiated claims, but the second a government demands that list for the purpose of prosecution, justice goes out the window.The problem with  903 is that "in good faith suspects child abuse" is nebulous. There is no definition in 902 that defines "suspicion".  902.11 does notthat an organization report the barest suspicion without evidence, but simply allows it without any accountability whatsoever. So, because "suspicion" is left nebulous without definition or reference, then it is left to the judgment of the individual or organization as to what constitutes "suspicion". So for the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, "suspicion" requires the fulfillment of the 2 witness rule; we will not report people simply because a thought crosses someone's mind. We will advise such a person that if their conscience directs them to report, we will not stop them, but we will not compel reporting based upon unsubstantiated claims.To reiterate this important fact, we do not suspect until a second witness appears or the crime gets reported and an investigation takes place that brings forth clear evidence. (By that time, it would be too late to require mandatory reporting compliance.) Thus, the nebulousness of this wording leaves the judgment, the definition of "suspicion", up to the one reporting, in this case, the organization. Therefore, outside of reporting, in order to force us to report under this law, a second witness is required according to our own rules for suspicion. But if the law clarified "suspicion" by saying that if a single witness steps forward, suspicion is to be considered imperative, then we can report it based upon the claim of a single witness, but we will never comply to any law that requires us to report an unsubstantiated rumor or because someone thinks a word was spoken in the wrong order.It is unfortunate that a government has to go through this process of developing laws while victims languish and suffer, but we cannot violate the Scriptures and cannot be held responsible for the law's lack of clarity. We are simply waiting for the laws to catch up with the demands of the people and of justice, but we ourselves are not lawmakers and are not subject to the whims of the people, but to the word of God. (Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-4) When the law becomes distinct to the point that we must report every claim without nebulous interpretations, then we can, and will happily comply by demanding our members to abide by that law. But we cannot be blamed for the lack of clarity in the law of the land. In this instance, the law changes nothing until the nebulous invocation of "suspicion" is cleared up.The language of this law recognizes confession, but only for religions that have "priests" and "sacraments". Most Christian religions do not have "priests", nor do they call the doctrinal observances "sacraments". Thus, this law, by specifying a specific type of religious appointment and a specific religious language ("sacramental"), specific only to Catholic-based faiths, is violating the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution says that they cannot establish a law that is preferential to any one religion. It is a hypocritical double-standard on the part of the person(s) who authored the law and a failure of discernment on the part of those that approved it. It may be that they had pedophile priests in mind when this was written, but even if that is the case, it still ignored all other religions, as if written in a deafening religious vacuum where only Catholics exist. All someone has to do to determine if this applies is ask, "Are you Catholic?" and if you say "No", then the sanctity of confession doesn't apply.That said, judges in Delaware do recognize the unconstitutionality of the clause and therefore interpret it more broadly than its language currently allows because of a case involving a politician in the 1980's. That said, it does still need to be modified to reflect that judgment.In the Carmean White case, the judge determined that neither Carmean White nor the 14-year-old boy came to the congregation as "penitents" due to the fact that the boy's mother brought him to the congregation and Carmean was called before the congregation. That is a valid loophole even in the scriptures, so did not violate privilege in any sense when they required the information regarding that case, and no mention is made of the congregation destroying records regarding it, which means that the state used proper methods and specific subpoenas to acquire the information from their meetings regarding the event.It should be noted that the 14-year-old kid's own responsibility in the Carmean White case, and lack of repentance was highlighted by both the judge and the reporter, saying:"Also, the court found the juveniles subsequent excommunication indicated he might not have willingly met with the elders, and did not consider the meeting as a form of repentance as part of absolution and a 'sacramental confession.'"Thus, the court found that the 14-year-old was aware of his actions and did not hold being dragged to the congregation by his mother to discuss the matter with the elders to be a sacred confession. They also did not provide any condemnation to the congregation for exercising excommunication toward the kid. (What we call "disfellowshiping".) They did not seem to view the kid as a "victim", and neither, apparently, did the kid.I think this highlight's the judge's fair and impartial deliberation in the case. Note that the above quote indicates that neither the meeting minutes nor testimonies of the elders regarding the elder's meeting behind closed doors in deliberation of the case was demanded by the judge, but good judgment in all but the reporting was assumed in good faith.The Carmean White case may highlight some confusion as to what is required. Though the law technically requires the report regardless of who or how many report it in  903, (shown above,) apparently all who have knowledge of the case are required to report it, so even if one person reports it, all other people involved in the case need to report it as well, as apparently there were several other institutions involved that also did not report it, but cases against them were dropped. (Preferential prosecution?) But the problem is that the law does not come out and say that everyone involved with the case is required to report it, but only that if a single entity learns of it, they must report it. So this may be why the congregation did not report it. (By the way, the case is simply over whether the congregation complied with the mandatory reporting law.) There does not appear to have been any effort by the elders to cover it up, but may simply have thought that the mother's reporting it would be enough.If you are wondering how it is that Deleware might not get compliance with the mandatory reporting law, this is it. There are holes that need to be plugged. If you want us to report accusations of child abuse based upon a single accusation, then the state of Delaware needs to be more diligent in its laws concerning mandatory reporting. And if you want to make sure everyone involved with a case reports, then it should be made clear that everyone involved in the case needs to report it. By my estimation, their law was nothing more than a half-measure. If they want the law to mean anything, then they are going to have to plug the holes and shore up the wording.That said, it is my opinion that Delaware's judges have judged fairly in the Carmean White case and the case involving the congregation's responsibilities. Clearer language in the law would make sure such failure on the part of any institution would not happen again.
Jeffrey Immelt, chairman and chief executive officer of General Electric Co.(GE), has earned $33 million in total during 2015. The compensation appears as recognitions to his accelerated dramatic transformation of the industrial giant and boosting value of its shares. The compensation figures with certain break up has been revealed on Monday by GE through a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Immelt has been paid a salary of $3.8 billion and a bonus of $5.4 million during 2015. The base compensation has been increased by $250,000 from that of 2014 while the bonus remains unchanged. He has also received non-stock incentive compensation of $7.6 million which is significantly higher compared to the previous year.

GE has also provided stock and option awards valued at $9.2 million during the year offering value during the coming years. He has also received $6.3 million calculated as a change in pension value and certain deferred compensation, reports Hartford Courannt.
Militant group Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Ivory Coast on Sunday, killing at least 16 people and more wounded. However, the country's president Alassane Ouattara said that they would not let the incident disrupt Ivory Coast's economic progress.

According to Al Jazeera, the attack happened at a beach resort of Grand Bassam, 40km east of the country's economic capital Abidjan. Grand Bassam is a UNESCO World Heritage site popular among tourists, including foreign tourists. The first on-site report revealed that there are fourteen civilians, among them four Europeans, and two special forces soldiers killed on the attack. More than 26 other people were wounded in the tourism center.

The shooting attack was carried out by six assailants. All six of them were gunned down by the country's security forces, three of them died during the rampage. Reports said that the men went drinking at the beachside bar before they launched the attack on tourists.

President Ouattara expressed his condolences in the wake of the attack. "I present my condolences to the families of the people who were murdered, and of course, I am very proud of our security forces who reacted so fast. The toll could've been much heavier," he said.

It's also reported that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack. It was the third major attack on a tourism center in West Africa since November last year. According to Yahoo News, the president has declared three days of mourning for the country in the first time they've been hit by the militant extremist group Al-Qaeda.

President Ouattara also stated that he has increased security measures after the attack. "We won't allow these terrorists to halt our progress towards economic development," he said in a televised address, as reported by Bloomberg. "I'm asking everyone to not give in to fear. You can continue with your daily activities as our forces control the situation and security is ensured throughout the nation."

Yahoo News reported that after President Ouattara won the election in October, he promised to attract foreign investment to the largest economy in French-speaking West Africa. Ivory Coast is also known as the world's top cocoa producer. "Ivory Coast will not let itself be intimated by terrorists. Yes, Ivory Coast is on its feet. Yes, on its feet to combat the cowards and protect its people," he stated.

Some raised their criticism of the country's vulnerability in such a sensitive target as the tourism center. However, the president has responded that he is doing everything he can to improve security, combat terrorism in the country, and not letting such attacks get in the way of the country's efforts to develop the economy.
Ed Winter, CEO of the Tanzania based African budget airline Fastjet, is going to step down this week. The decision appears in less than a month after its second-largest shareholder and founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou called for his dismissal.

Earlier in January, Fastjet has appointed a headhunter to find a replacement for Winter while reassigning him as an advisor for the next 12 months. But following recent decision, he will leave the office on March 18, according to a report published in BBC.

Haji-Ioannou owns 12% stake in the company. He has called a general meeting for immediate ouster of Winter. The low cost carrier has apparently bowed down to shareholder pressure announcing his departure, reports This is Money.
Ride-hailing service Lyft is teaming up with General Motors to launch a car-rental program. The program, called Express Drive, will be focusing on recruiting new drivers to join the ride-hailing service. Express Drive is launching this month in Chicago.

The partnership between Lyft and GM will be that the automaker provides the cars to rent during the short-term program. It was the first initiative to be unveiled after GM announced earlier this year that it would invest $500 million in the ride-hailing service. According to CNET, a few weeks later GM made a move to bolster its relationship with Lyft by paying an undisclosed sum to acquire the technology and other assets of ride-hailing service Sidecar.

The Express Drive program will allow Lyft drivers to rent cars for $99 a week plus 20 cents per mile for up to eight weeks. However, the program will reward drivers who log more than 40 rides to pay just the base fee, and drivers who log at least 65 rides in a week could get a free rental. This is one of the programs developed by Lyft to lure drivers from other ride-hailing rivals, mainly Uber.

Lyft co-founder and president John Simmer explained the company's effort to encourage more drivers to join them. "Launching Express Drive is another way we treat drivers better, in addition to Power Driver Bonus, tips, and same day payout," Simmer said in a statement. "We're making sure everyone who wants to be a Lyft driver can be, by providing ultimate flexibility at incredible rates."

With the new program, Lyft is allowing drivers to join without owning a qualifying car so that the company will still assure riders' safety and comfort. Fortune reported that in Chicago alone, there were 60,000 people who applied to become a driver, but their applications were denied because their cars do not meet the requirements set by Lyft. For a car to be qualified as Lyft driver's car, it should be a 2004 (or 2008 in some cities) or newer, have four doors, and pass the basic safety requirements.

Reuters noted that both companies share the same ultimate goal with this program. Both Lyft and GM say that the program is the first step toward building a network of autonomous vehicles because it will establish the infrastructure to house, maintain and organize a large fleet of cars.

Lyft's new partnership with GM is bringing a car-rental service, allowing drivers to apply without having to own a qualifying car. It's the first initiative in the long-term $500 million relationship between the two companies.
Next Insurance which is an Israeli startup gets a seed funding of $13 million led by Zeev Ventures, TLV Partners and Ribbit Capital. The insurance company plans of launching the go-to solution for small businesses on how to look and acquire insurance online.

It was founded by Alon Huri, Guy Goldstein and Nissim Tapiro. The three persons were executives at Check, a mobile payment company and was acquired in 2014 by Intuit for about $400 million. It plans to change the way insurance market works which values at $1 trillion yearly in the US alone having nearly $100 billion in small business insurance accounting.

In the US, there are 28 million small businesses and every month, five hundred thousand operates. The procedure of getting insurance which should be simple and not complicated is still antiquated and complicated for the small businesses that chiefly work with insurance agents at brick-and-mortar clearinghouse, as cited by Globes.

Zeev Ventures has been the major early supporter of market leaders including Audible and Houzz. Israeli Venture Capital fund TLV Partners commit to investing in introductory A-round startups. TLV's notable Israeli venture capitalist have supported companies such as Varonis, Check and Videosurf to name a few. Ribbit Capital on the other hand, is a venture capital firm that invests worldwide in individuals and brands uniquely targeting to alter financial services, reports PE Hub Network.

"Next Insurance has secured an unprecedented amount of initial funding, but that reflects the scope of this opportunity," said Zeev's founding partner Oren Zeev. "Small business insurance is one of the largest and most profitable industries in our economy, and it has hardly been touched by disruptive technology."

The startup has considered of using the funds to roll out its insurance sales platform this spring for small businesses where a market has "99% of small commercial insurance is sold offline through agents", according to Venture Beat.

With the raised amount from seed funding, Next Insurance will be able to assist small businesses to find and obtain insurance online the fast and easy way without any complicated procedures.
Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of the world's largest advertising agency group, has been witnessing immense criticism centering his 60 million superfluous bonus deal. His payment under WPP's Leap Scheme will surpass last year's payment of 43 million. The pay package will even leave far behind the average annual salary for FTSE 100 chief executives of 4.96 million with a huge margin.

The WPP founder will be awarded with 3.55 million shares subject to meeting targets dating back five years. Value of the shares has been estimated to 55.5 million at Sunday's price.

He will be also entitled to receive a short-term incentive of 3.6 million and dividend equivalent payment of 5.6 million. Combining incentives and other payments with his basic salary and pension contributions, his total pay package has been estimated to 66 million, reports This is Money.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has imposed penalties on AIG's affiliates for steering customers to high-fee products. AIG has decided to offload its brokerage unit amid stringent norms. It is slated to pay $9.5 million for settling the regulator's claims.

American International Group Inc's (AIG) affiliates have been fined by US SEC for high charges in mutual funds. US SEC says AIG influenced its customers to opt for expensive mutual funds. Peter Hancock, Chief Executive, AIG has decided to divest insurance company's brokerage unit in the wake of stricter norms and rules.

Royal Alliance Associates, SagePoint Financial and FSC Securities have alleged to have led their customers into expensive classes of mutual funds. This has resulted in extra $2 million revenues from higher fees, according to US SEC. AIG has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle claims by US SEC. However, AIG has neither admitted nor denied the charges by US SEC, as reported by Bloomberg.



Marshall S. Sprung, co-head of the SEC enforcement division's asset management unit, said in the statement: "Investment advisers must be vigilant about conflicts of interest when selecting mutual fund share classes because the choice may improperly benefit them at the expense of their clients."

US SEC is keen on brokerage and mutual funds activities, probing conflicts of interest and disclosures in choosing mutual fund share classes. JPMorgan Chase in 2015 agreed to pay $267 million to settle with SEC for a similar act. JPMorgan kept its customers in dark about their investments in a more expensive share class of proprietary mutual funds during 2008 and 2013. Three AIG units have breached their responsibilities, according to Reuters.



Jon Diat, an AIG spokesman said in an e-mailed statement that "Advisor Group is pleased to have reached a settlement with the SEC over two issues it raised that occurred between 2012 and 2014. Advisor Group takes compliance with securities regulations seriously and remains focused on serving the best interests of our clients."

AIG affiliates failed to supervise advisory accounts on a quarterly basis to prevent reverse churning, according to SEC's order instituting a settled administrative proceeding. The three units of AIG have compliance policies and procedures to ensure fee-based or wrap advisory accounts. These accounts have been charged inclusive fee for advisory services and trading costs. Despite infrequent trading, AIG's units failed to implement compliance policies and procedures, adds Corporate crime Reporter.



AIG in January announced its decision to exit broker-dealer operations. The Department of Labor has begun scrutinizing how advisers pitch retirement products. These rules irked AIG and led it to offload brokerage unit. AIG's brokerage unit will be owned independently. It has large retirement operations contributing $2.84 billion to pretax operating income in 2015. Most of the profits were made from the consumer segment.
KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Panelist Elaine Crandall (left) and Tricia Keen greet each other before the start of the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative in Camarillo where "A Candid Conversation About Race" was the topic Monday night.

SHARE KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Hank Lacayo and his wife Leah attend the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative in Camarillo where "A Candid Conversation About Race" was the topic Monday night. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Panelists (from left) Elaine Crandall, Dena Rogers and Christina Urias talk about discrimination within their ethnicities as Carina Armenta moderates "A Candid Conversation About Race," Monday night's topic for the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative held in Camarillo. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Dena Rogers talks to those gathered for "A Candid Conversation About Race," Monday night's topic for the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative held in Camarillo. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Irma Lopez lends her point of view at the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative, where "A Candid Conversation About Race" was the topic of discussion Monday night.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Special to The Star

State Farm Insurance agent Dena Rogers thought she'd found the perfect place to live when she began purchasing a home in a desirable Ventura neighborhood in 2003.

But just as she was taking steps to finalize the sale, her real estate agent dropped a bombshell: Some neighbors were urging the seller not to let her family buy the home, she was told. The reason? Rogers and her family are African American.

"This is in 2003, in Ventura," Rogers recounted Monday during a three-member panel discussion on racism organized by the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative. "Those are the things in the very recent past that you wouldn't be expecting but are still alive and well in Ventura County."

Rogers' story about her experiences with racism was one of several shared by panel members during the hour and a half-long event at the Ventura County Community Foundation in Camarillo. The other panelists were Elaine Crandall, an Asian-American and director of the county's Behavioral Health Department, and Christina Urias, a Latina and Santa Paula Unified School District board member.

The panelists spoke about the racial and ethnic environments they grew up in, what it's like to be a woman of color and prejudices they've experienced within their own ethnic groups. They also offered their opinions on affirmative action.

Titled "A Candid Conversation about Race," the event was one of approximately five annual discussions organized by the Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative that seek to explore important social issues through the lens of gender. About 30 women attended the talk.

Kim Stephenson, president of the collaborative, said the topic of racial discrimination seemed pertinent given current debates playing out in the media about the lack of diversity at the Oscars, police brutality and immigration.

"There is racism built into a lot of these topics, and we wanted to have a real, human discussion about that," she said.

Crandall, born in the Philippines, described her childhood at an international school in Okinawa, Japan, where as an Asian she was in the majority. Crandall said she never experienced racial discrimination until she arrived in the United States, where she attended college. However, she said she experienced a lot more racism while living in the South than she has in Ventura County.

Gender discrimination has been a greater challenge than racial prejudices, Crandall said. She described a scenario often cited by women of having her suggestions overlooked in meetings, while men making the same suggestions receive attention and praise.

"I think it's more of a woman thing for me than it has been about being Asian," she said.

Urias, meanwhile, said she has been made to feel uncomfortable by other Latinos for not being able to speak Spanish. The school board member said she is proud of her Mexican heritage, took Chicano studies classes in college and even has "Chicana" spelled out on her license plate. But some people question her Chicana pride because of her lack of language ability, she said.

"I've taken numerous Spanish classes, I just can't grab it," she said. "But you know what? That doesn't make me any less Chicana, that doesn't make me any less passionate about who I am and where I came from."

Negative experiences aside, the speakers said they haven't let the issue of race overwhelm their lives or identities. Rogers agreed with Crandall that racial tensions are a lot less pronounced in Ventura County than they are in the South, and she doesn't spend too much time thinking about it. She also noted that, as a result of publicizing the racism she experienced buying a home, people rallied around her to show support.

"Out of a negative, it did turn into a pretty positive experience," she said.

The next talk will be "Ethical Decision Making" on May 9 at the Ventura County Community Foundation, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
SHARE CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Paul Dwork practices the Temple of Doom with CSUCI student Aira Matias. Dwork and other magicians will perform Saturday at the 33rd Annual Rotary Creates Magic Show at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Paul Dwork practices the Temple of Doom with CSUCI student Aira Matias. Dwork and other magicians will perform Saturday at the 33rd Annual Rotary Creates Magic Show at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark. 03/02/2016 Camarillo, CA CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Paul Dwork examines some well-placed swords as he practices the Temple of Doom magic trick that will be performed Saturday at the 33rd Annual Rotary Creates Magic Show at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Paul Dwork uses a sword as he practices the Temple of Doom magic trick that will be performed Saturday at the 33rd Annual Rotary Creates Magic Show at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark.

By Alicia Doyle, Special to The Star

In the spirit of charity, Aira Matias is looking forward to being impaled by eight swords during a magic trick Saturday at a Camarillo Rotary Foundation fundraiser.

"I'm so excited," said Matias, 19, of Camarillo, a student at CSU Channel Islands who is pursuing a nursing career. "I can picture myself being 90 years old and showing my grandkids  'When I was your age I was in a magic show.'"

Matias works at Merlin Medical Supply Pharmacy in Camarillo. The store is owned by Paul Dwork, a member of the Rotary Club of Camarillo and a professional magician known as "The Merlin of Magic" who joined Hollywood's Magic Castle in 1978.

IF YOU GO

What: 33rd Annual Rotary Creates Magic Show

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: High Street Arts Center, 45 East High St., Moorpark

Cost: $35

Tickets: Can be purchased at the door or in advance at Merlin's Magic, 699 Mobil Ave., Camarillo; or by calling 388-7669 or emailing paul@magicmagicmagic.com

Dwork founded the fundraiser 33 years ago and will perform the sword trick with Matias during this year's event at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark.

"Paul's been a magician for a really long time, so I trust that he's not going to hurt me," Matias joked.

On a more serious note, "Paul told me the fundraiser is for college scholarships," she said. "I know how hard it is financially for college students, so I thought it would be neat to help out in whatever way I can."

Over the years, the Rotary Creates Magic Show has generated funds for numerous local charities, including Camarillo Hospice, Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo and the Brain Injury Center of Ventura County.

"One year we raised money for a wheelchair for a young man with cerebral palsy," said Dwork, of Camarillo. "This event has always raised money that goes directly back into the community."

This year's goal is $7,000, he said.

"This year's funds are primarily going to scholarships through Rotary," Dwork explained. "We have different scholarship levels now: high school for kids going to college, and now a re-entry program for people who have had families and want to go back to school and finish their education."

Dwork said the event draws impressive talent every year.

"This past year two of the magicians that performed at the fundraiser went to the finals of 'America's Got Talent' and one of them was on 'Penn & Teller,'" he said. "So when you look at the caliber of these magicians it's a first-class show  it's not amateurs."

The lineup will include "Funny Eddie" Medrano, a performer at the Magic Castle known for his comedy and juggling skills; and Larry Wilson, an Emmy-nominated magician who has appeared at Harrah's Hotel & Casino in Reno as well as in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Lake Tahoe.

Other acts include Arthur Trace, the eighth magician to receive The International Brotherhood of Magicians Gold Medal; and Shawn McMaster, of Thousand Oaks, a member of the Magic Castle known for his comedy magic.

"We have a pretty stellar lineup this year," Dwork said. "You'll never see these magicians in the same show at the same time again."
SHARE Mike Harris/Star photo Medical marijuana advocates look on with displeasure as the Simi Valley City Council votes Monday night to ban personal cultivation of the plant.

By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

A divided Simi Valley City Council on Monday night adopted an ordinance that bans the personal cultivation of medical marijuana.

The vote was 3-2, with Mayor Bob Huber and council members Keith Mashburn and Glen Becerra favoring the ban. Council members Mike Judge and Steve Sojka voted against it.

The council introduced the ordinance last month, also on a 3-2 vote, despite impassioned pleas from about 25 medical marijuana advocates to allow personal cultivation.

About 15 advocates attended Monday night's meeting, but were not permitted to address the council because it was a second reading of the ordinance. Some of them grumbled and shook their heads as the council briefly discussed the ban before voting.

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 ruled 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.
STAR FILE PHOTO In a sometimes raucous, unruly hearing, a divided Simi Valley City Council last month took the first step to ban personal cultivation of medical marijuana.

By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

The Simi Valley City Council will consider adopting an ordinance Monday night that will ban personal cultivation of medical marijuana.

[Reporter Mike Harris will be tweeting from the Monday night meeting here.]

The council introduced the ordinance on a 3-2 vote last month, despite impassioned pleas from about 25 medical marijuana advocates to allow personal cultivation.

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 ruled 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.

The Simi Valley council meets at 6:30 p.m. in its City Hall chambers, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road.

The staff report on the proposed ordinance can be found here.
STAR FILE PHOTO Harbor Community Church in Ventura.

By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

In a victory for Harbor Community Church's homeless services program in Ventura, a federal appeals court on Monday revived the church's request for a preliminary injunction against the city.

Harbor is seeking an injunction so it can reopen Operation Embrace until its federal religious freedom lawsuit against the city is litigated to a conclusion.

The U.S. District Court in Los Angeles denied the church's request for an injunction in 2014, shutting down the program, and Harbor appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Monday, the appeals court reversed the lower court's finding that a preliminary injunction was not appropriate because the church faced no substantial burden in having to move its homeless program to another location.

"The district court abused its discretion," the appeals court wrote. "We reverse the district court's substantial burden determination and its least restrictive means analysis."

The appeals court sent the request for an injunction back to the lower court for further consideration, but did not order the lower court to issue it.

The church praised the ruling in a statement released through Stanford law professor James Sonne, the director of the university's Religious Liberty Clinic, which represents the church.

"We are delighted by the 9th Circuit's ruling, and look forward to continuing to work toward a solution that will allow us to resume our ministry to Ventura's poor," the church said.

Sonne said the ruling "recognizes Harbor's homeless ministry cannot be separated from its identity as a church and its rights under federal law. Today's unanimous ruling casts significant doubt over the legality" of the city denying the church a conditional-use permit to operate its homeless program.

Ventura City Attorney Greg Diaz said that while the ruling was in favor of the church, "we don't think it's all that bad for the city, though we would have liked a victory here. But it isn't the end of the case."

Diaz said he hopes to discuss the ruling and the city's options with the City Council in closed session later this week.

"The council remains committed to protecting the surrounding neighborhood from the external impacts this (homeless services) operation has had within the bounds of the law," he said.

Harbor says serving the homeless is central to its religious mission of giving to the community's neediest. Operation Embrace offered food, clothing, job help, worship and other services mostly to homeless people.

But neighbors said it drew a population that was a threat to children at the adjacent school, park and day care facility, and that property crimes had risen.

Though city staff recommended that the city grant the church a conditional-use permit, the city Planning Commission "denied the ... permit flat-out," the appeals court wrote.

The appeals court gave specific instructions to the lower court regarding that denial when it reconsiders the request for an injunction.

"The district court should make factual findings ... about what conditions, if any, the church would or would not comply with if the city had granted a conditional-use permit," the appeals court wrote. "The court should also detail why the conditional-use permit recommended by the city's staff would or would not sufficiently protect the neighborhood."

The lawsuit has been on hold until the preliminary injunction issue is settled.
SHARE

Re: Ann McFeatters column March 14, Fox News had role in Trumps rise:

Columnist Ann McFeatters, whom I had never heard of, did herself an injustice with her passionate loathing for the Republican Party in her column. She hit every button, from individuals to the airwaves of radio and TV. I decided it was nothing but a political hit piece, so I would like to tell her about what's really happening to America.

President Obama has destroyed the middle class in a mere eight years, and he has set the world on fire with wars in virtually every country. Even America is not safe. The world is a firestorm, all caused by President Obama's lack of leadership and ability to lead the nation and the world. Americans are fed up with giving our factories and jobs, money, troops and wealth away.

Ann doesn't see very clear. Her opinion lacks facts, and it was obvious she was trying to affect the people's choice of a new president. Too bad her message was so twisted and unbelievable.

Ray Holm, Westlake Village


The Venetian and The Palazzo will be lights out March 19 in support of Earth Hour. Starting at 8:30 p.m., exterior lights will be turned off for one hour at both properties.

This marks the eighth year in a row of Las Vegas Sands participation in the worldwide environmental campaign, which has a goal of raising global awareness of climate change by encouraging eco-conscious individuals, communities, households and businesses to switch off their lights for one hour.

In the week leading up to Earth Hour, The Venetian and The Palazzo will incorporate the global I Will If You Will challenge (IWIYW) to engage team members across both properties to take action on climate change (Twitter hashtags #ECO360 and #OneSmallChange).

The challenge activities for team members are:

Turning off the lights at home during Earth Hour 2016

Taking public transportation, carpooling, biking or walking to work

Adjusting air conditioning thermostats at home

Changing out an incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulb at home for an energy-efficient LED bulb

Washing clothes in cold water

Taking an educational sustainability quiz

Unplugging electronics or appliances while not in use

Submitting a workplace- or business-related green idea to the company

Team members are encouraged to take on multiple challenges and to repeat single challenges as many times as possible during the campaign period now through March 19. Those who participate have the chance to win prizes like an Apple Watch, a Fitbit or a Go Pro camera.

Implementing environmentally sustainable initiatives at its properties is a long-running strategy for Las Vegas Sands. Annual participation in Earth Hour is just one of the many ongoing efforts of Sands ECO360 Global Sustainability Program.
A long-range Qadr ballistic missile is launched in the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran. Iran said its armed forces had fired two more ballistic missiles as it continued tests in defiance of US warnings. (Mahmood Hosseini/TASNIM NEWS/AFP)

BRUSSELS: Iran's recent ballistic missile tests are not in violation of its nuclear deal and the European Union is not considering sanctions at this stage, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday (Mar 14).

Mogherini however warned that last week's missile tests, which Tehran insists are not aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, could raise tensions in an already volatile region.

France had warned on Sunday that it risked new sanctions as a result of the tests, but Mogherini said that was a matter for the UN Security Council, which met to discuss the issue on Monday.

"This is indeed also in our view not a violation of the (nuclear deal) as such," Mogherini said after meeting the foreign ministers of the 28 EU nations in Brussels.

"If there is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, this should be discussed in the appropriate UN bodies and not necessarily in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council."

Russia had earlier Monday said that it opposed any sanctions on Iran over the ballistic missile tests.

Mogherini said however that "we expect Iran to fulfil all its international obligations".

She added: "The point is we all see this as a major problematic element when it comes to regional relations... this would increase tensions in the Middle East at a moment when tensions are definitely not needed."

Mogherini announced earlier that she would go to Iran next month to build on the nuclear deal, which she played a key role in securing.

Mogherini last visited Iran in July shortly after world powers -- Britain, China, France, the United States, Russia plus Germany -- agreed to lift sanctions in return for Tehran accepting strict curbs on its nuclear programme.

"My next visit will take place on the 16th of April," she said as she went into the foreign ministers' meeting.

"We will discuss with the ministers on which grounds, on which issues and sectors to re-engage so as to reopen full relations" with Iran, she said.

Under the July accord, the lifting of the nuclear sanctions takes place progressively in line with Tehran meeting its commitments.

A key provision allows the sanctions to be restored or "snap-back" immediately if Iran is found in breach of the agreement.

Mogherini has been anxious to return to Iran to build on July accord momentum, both for the sake of bilateral ties but also in the hope of getting Tehran's help in resolving the Syrian and other regional conflicts.


Japans investment in Vietnams agriculture sector has spiked suddenly last year-Photo: Le Toan

According to Japanese investment consulting firm Seiko Ideas Corp., Japan is now increasing its agro-forestry-fishery investment capital in Vietnam as it must open up its own agricultural sector to certain sensitive items once it enters the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

As a result, Japanese agricultural products will have to compete on pricing with similar produce from other countries. This puts Japan at quite a disadvantage as its own agricultural sector is defined by its small scale and costliness.

Therefore, Japan has decided to boost investment into Vietnamese agriculture as Vietnam is a TPP member with huge potential in this sector, said a Seiko Ideas document on the TPPs impact on Vietnam-Japan agriculture co-operation. When exporting to Japan, the tax rate will be zero per cent. At the same time, this can meet the condition that export products must have 70 per cent of intra-TPP origin.

According to Seiko Ideas, while Japan needs a key partner for agricultural development, Vietnam needs a relevant padlock to access state-of-the-art agricultural technology.

The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) said that it would increase its support to Vietnams agricultural sector through various projects invested in by Japanese firms.

The number of Japanese firms wishing to implement agro-fishery projects in Vietnam has been strongly growing. Many are conducting market surveys, said JICA Vietnam Office chief representative Mutsuya Mori.

For example, Kato Group is co-operating with the south-central province of Binh Dinh in a $771,000 tuna-fishing project, which will run until June 2020. Also, Shudensha Company is implementing an $820,000 project to improve water quality in the fishery sector. This projects lifetime runs from 2015 to 2020.

OTA Kaki Company has been co-operating with the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong in a project to develop a high-quality flower market with an effective distribution system. This project will last through 2016.

Also, Nikko Foods Company is also working on an $820,000 project to develop high-quality tomatoes in Lam Dong.

Vietnams agriculture has big potential. For instance, under our survey in Lam Dong, if local farmers replace coffee trees with a flower plantation, their income will rise nine fold, Mori said.

Last year, out of new Japanese investments totalling $1.3 billion in Vietnam, there was a sudden upsurge of

agro-forestry-fishery projects. The 82 Japanese projects initiated last year bought the negligible percentage of Japanese agro investments to 6 per cent, putting it in the third-place ranking for newly-committed capital, after manufacturing (51 per cent) and construction (28 per cent).

According to Seiko Ideas, Japan is co-operating with Vietnam though its Payroll Outsourcing model. Specifically, Japanese firms, through outsourcing, will pay salaries for their farming employees in Vietnam. It means that they come to Vietnam as trans-national companies, hiring local labourers to implement their agricultural investment projects. This model is becoming increasingly popular as hired companies recognise the importance of personnel consulting services, including recruitment, salary payment, relocation, and performance assessment. As such, this service offers a high level of assurance for corporate customers.
How attractive is Vietnam to foreign retailers?

With its population of over 93 million, Vietnam has reaped relatively high economic growth over the past few years. The local purchasing power has also surged. Meanwhile, modern trade currently occupies just 25 per cent of Vietnams total retail market. As such, the potential development for supermarkets and commercial centres is huge right now. Foreign retailers have entered

Vietnam in vast numbers, with larger investments and business strategies that are far more effective than local ones. This has been causing headaches for many local retailers, who are losing ground to foreign rivals by selling partial or entire stakes to them. This threat will be greater following the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Upon the trade blocs entry into force, almost all tariff barriers will be removed, creating difficulties for Vietnamese goods, which will have to compete with foreign goods imported by foreign retailers that have well-established and convenient systems of distribution.

Thai retailers have probably been the most aggressive in building their presence here in Vietnam. Central Group made its debut in 2015 with the acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in electronics retailer Nguyen Kim. Later in the year, Berli Jucker  whose parent company TCC Holdings paid for Metro Cash & Carry in Vietnam  announced its interest in acquiring Big Cs supermarket operations from French player Groupe Casino. Other interested bidders are Singapores Dairy Farm and South Koreas Lotte Shopping. Both of the two new potential investors are financially strong.

How have local retailers coped with this threat?

Sadly, most local retailers have no strategy to cope with foreign rivals, and the state has also taken no action to protect them. In fact, local retailers and the state should have had plans in place to cope with foreign retailers years ago. Local retailers are currently focusing on short-term development without heeding merger and acquisition threats that may face them in the near future. I think that the sole solution for local retailers now is to co-operate with one another, with a leading firm capable of rallying all local retailers to conduct a shared development strategy.

Although this recommendation may seem more theoretical than practical, if well implemented, local retailers could rebound strongly as a result. However, local enterprises must co-operate with one another voluntarily. If their co-operation is purely for forms sake, their performance will surely fail. The threat of losing more local market share is looming ever more clearly.

To limit the penetration of foreign retailers, the government instigated the economic needs test (ENT) in 2007, requiring foreign investors to meet strict conditions before establishing a new retail outlet. Do you think the ongoing expansion of foreign retailers means the ENT has proved ineffective?

Yes. We shouldnt pin our hopes on the ENT, as it is merely a hurdle on paper. The ENT has become ineffective, because the government has been decentralising investment attraction. All localities have been racing to draw in investment, paying no heed to the ENT. Thus, the ENT is almost completely theoretical. Meanwhile, foreign retailers know how to carve out a firm niche in the local market, with effective solutions. For example, they co-operate with local firms along a clear business roadmap. Under the roadmap, they initially play a humble role in joint ventures. Then they will find ways to increase stakes in the companies until they can have a controlling stake. Thats one of the best ways they can skirt the ENT obstructions.

How will Vietnams retail market progress over the next five years?

We dont need to consider such a long-term vision. Lets examine the current situation. The local market is being controlled by foreign retailers. It is expected that the Thais will be the largest retailers in Vietnam, not Saigon Co.op as is the case now. If Central Group buys the remaining stakes from Nguyen Kim as well as stakes in Big C, they could supplement their strong existing retail chain in Vietnam and become Vietnams leading retailer. Or consider Japans Aeon, which acquired local peers Fivimart and Citimart last year. The group is planning to expand its investment in Vietnam, with an average of $200 million per new supermarket. This year might also be a strategic milestone for Japans 7-Eleven, as the chain is planning to open its first stores in Vietnam in April 2017. Thus, in the near future, Vietnams retail market is almost sure to be controlled by foreign retailers.

Is this good news for customers, as they will surely benefit in terms of price and quality from such broad competition?

Of course, the competition will benefit customers. However, once local supermarkets are narrowed down, local goods at supermarkets will also be affected, thus hurting local production and employment. When foreign retailers have totally won in the market, they may become monopolists and can then increase their prices, thus affecting customers.


Two telecommunications firms are switching operations models and increasing investment capital

in order to better compete with top players

Hanoi Telecom and Hong Kongs Hutchison Asia Telecommunications  the joint owners of the Vietnamobile brand  have submitted documents to Vietnamese authorities in order to convert their current business co-operation contract (BCC) to a joint stock model.

Meanwhile, Global Telecommunications Corporation (Gtel), the Gmobile brand owner, is set to change from its current domestic investment model into a foreign investment model, teaming up with a foreign partner for telecoms network and services development. Aside from changing their investment models, these firms have also reportedly planned an upsurge in their investment capital.

Vietnamobile is likely to gain an additional $210 million of investment capital, whereas Gtels capital injection will be much larger, estimated at about $2 billion.

Although many details are being withheld, it will likely take some time for the two network operators to receive approval from the government as well as finalise the legal setup for the changes. However, when completed, these moves are expected to ramp up competition in the domestic telecoms market which largely depends on three leading players: Viettel, Vinaphone, and MobiFone, having combined market share surpassing 90 per cent.

According to Vietnams ICT White Book statistics, in 2014 Vietnamobile held only 4.07 per cent of the market, while Gmobile had 3.22 per cent of the 2G and 3G cell phone services market. In the 2G telephone services market, Gmobiles share was a mere 3.83 per cent, and that of Vietnamobile was 4.43 per cent.

The market share data for 2015 were not yet available, but a recent Ministry of Information and Telecommunications report shows that last year MobiFone, the second largest telecom services player in Vietnam (behind military-run Viettel), garnered about VND36.9 trillion ($1.7 billion) in revenue, growing 8.3 per cent on year, and VND7.4 trillion ($329 million) in profits, up 1.1 per cent on year.

Viettel Group gained VND222.7 trillion ($9.9 billion) in revenue, up 13 per cent on year, and VND45.8 trillion ($2.04 billion) in pretax profits, up 8.5 per cent on year.

Meanwhile, state-owned Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), which owns operator Vinaphone, netted VND89 trillion ($4.08 billion) in total revenue, up 7.5 per cent on year, and VND3.3 trillion ($147 million) in profits, up 20 per cent on year.

These three leading players also posted impressive subscriber growth figures last year. Specifically, Vinaphone had a total of 29.7 million subscribers by the end of last year, up 3.3 million compared to the end of 2014. Almost 15 million new subscribers were added to MobiFones network, 33.6 per cent more than projected, while Viettel saw 6.8 million new subscribers, increasing its total cumulative subscriber pool to 56.4 million as of the end of last year.

In this context, with high-quality coverage stretching to most cities and provinces nationwide, Vietnamobile reported nearly 11 million 2G and 3G cell phone subscribers in 2015. The operator raked in VND9.95 trillion ($456 million) in total revenue last year.

In spite of their small size compared to the top firms, Vietnamobile and Gmobile are expected to bolster competition in the domestic telecoms market in the near future with their increased investment capital and converted investment models.
A worker produces PVC pipe at Binh Minh Plastic JSC's production plant at Pho Noi A Industrial Zone in the northern province of Hung Yen. One-fifth of the company's capital is owned by Thai SCG Group. - VNA/VNS Photo Hong Ky

Thai SCG Group alone has invested in 20 companies. Last year it acquired 80 per cent stakes in Tin Thanh Packing Joint Stock Company, one of the country's top manufacturers of flexible plastic packaging.

It also has majority stakes in four other firms producing plastic household utensils and packaging, Viet-Thai Plastchem Joint Venture Company, TPC Vina  Plastic & Chemical Corp Ltd, Chemtech, and Minh Thai Plastic Material Co Ltd.

It has a 20 per cent stake in Binh Minh Plastic JSC and nearly 25 per cent stake in Tien Phong JSC, who together hold half the market share in the plastic building materials market.

SCG and many other Thai firms are continuing to acquire stakes in plastics companies.

Tran Viet Anh, chairman and general manager of Nam Thai Son Company and deputy chairman of the HCM City Rubber - Plastic Manufacturers Association, said the country has nearly 3,000 plastics companies, 99.8 per cent of them private.

Thai companies are primarily aiming at the top 100 firms, he said.

Lacking the confidence to take on the new rivals, in many cases showing signs of declining production and business capacity, many domestic firms agree to sell out when foreign investors offer high prices for their stakes, he said.

Ho Duc Lam, chairman of the Viet Nam Plastics Association, said by increasing investment in the country's plastic industry, Thai firms hope to both exploit the lucrative domestic market and take advantage of free trade agreements that Viet Nam has signed.

The plastics industry is one of the fastest growing in Viet Nam, expanding annually at 16-18 per cent in 2010-15, Lam, who is also chairman of Rang Dong Plastic joint Stock Company, said.

But with the annual plastic consumption per capita in Viet Nam at just 41kg, much lower than in other countries, the prospects remain huge, he said.

Anh said Thai firms only pay one per cent or even zero per cent interest on bank loans for certain projects, while Vietnamese firms have to pay 6-7 per cent, making it hard for them to compete with the Thais.

The HCM City Rubber- Plastic Manufacturers Association urged domestic firms to strengthen co-operation among themselves.

To support domestic companies, it said HCM City should create an area exclusively for plastic firms and develop a production chain model to reduce costs.
A Thai bomb squad inspects the site of a roadside bomb attack by suspected separatist militants in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat on Mar 9, 2016. (Photo: AFP/Madaree Tohlala)

BANGKOK: Thailand's prime minister ordered the army on Monday (Mar 14) to strengthen security in Muslim-majority southern provinces following a recent surge in violence by insurgents.

The order came after a particularly fraught night of skirmishes, with militants launching several small-scale but coordinated attacks on authorities throughout Sunday evening. Seven officials were injured.

"The government cannot accept actions above the law," government spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkumnerd told reporters, adding that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the military to increase security in populated areas.

Special security laws govern the Muslim-majority southernmost provinces, where more than 6,500 people - mostly civilians - have been killed in a 12-year revolt.

The insurgents are seeking greater autonomy from majority-Buddhist Thailand, which annexed the culturally distinct region more than a century ago.

The rebels employ brutal tactics including shootings, beheadings and bombings, often targeting perceived civilian collaborators such as teachers and even Buddhist monks.

But the Thai military also stands accused of routinely abusing human rights including torture and extra-judicial killings. The military government's vow to hold peace talks has borne little fruit.

After months of relative calm that saw violence dip to a record low last year, there has been a palpable increase in attacks over the past few weeks.

On Wednesday two soldiers were killed in a remotely detonated roadside bomb attack. The same day a Muslim man was found shot dead in his car and another was shot and injured.

The week before, four people were shot dead in a 24-hour period including a Buddhist rubber tapper whose corpse was set alight.

Rights groups say peace is unlikely while a tight security net remains over the region. Critics also cast doubt on the army's sincerity and the ability of their rebel interlocutors to control the revolt's foot soldiers.


There may be thorns among roses as the TPP presents potential threats to Vietnams textile, apparel and footwear sectors

Signed on February 4 in New Zealand, the historic Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) aims to boost trade between its 12 member countries by lowering tariffs. As the worlds major exporter of textiles, garments and footwear, Vietnam is expected to benefit greatly from the trade deal.

For example, the average taxes on textile products exported from Vietnam to the US, a TPP member and the largest importer of made-in-Vietnam garments, will gradually decrease to zero from the current level of 17 per cent. Overall export turnover is forecast to reach $55 billion in 2020, and the Vietnamese textile and garment industry will expectedly grow by 25 per cent a year after the TPP takes effect. It is thus understandable that the Vietnamese textile, apparel and footwear industries have greeted the trade deal with feverish enthusiasm. However, it should be noted that aside from these opportunities, the TPP also presents Vietnamese firms with numerous challenges. Specifically, the yarn forward rule from the TPP states that Vietnamese exporters must use fabrics and textiles either from local sources or other TPP members if they wish to benefit from lowered taxes. This has proved to be challenging for Vietnamese textile and footwear firms, that now import the majority of their materials from China, a non-TPP member.

Researchers from Bao Viet Securities said in a recent report on TPP that 70-80 per cent of textile and footwear materials in Vietnam were currently imported from non-TPP countries, with imports from China accounting for 42 per cent. Meanwhile, the domestic fabrics and textile industry remained underdeveloped, and mired by a lack of diversity and low product quality. Thus its likely that most Vietnamese textile firms will not benefit from the TPPs lowered tariffs unless they invest in raw materials supply.

Additionally, supporting industries for the textile and footwear sectors often require great capital and high standards of anti-pollution measures, which can be challenging for Vietnamese firms. In a recent press interview, Vu Duc Giang, chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, noted that textile and dyeing were major causes for water pollution due to their high levels of sewage. As a result, the development of these supporting industries in Vietnam for the TPP must go hand-in-hand with protecting the environment, Giang said.

Furthermore, various investors from non-TPP markets, such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan, have recently built weaving and dyeing factories in Vietnam to comply with the yarn forward rule of the TPP. There are concerns that this may discourage the development of the domestic supporting industries. Foreign textile firms may receive all TPP tax reductions instead of Vietnamese companies.

It remains unclear to know whether the TPP will benefit Vietnamese or foreign firms more, especially as overseas investors have already rushed to build their own fabric factories in Vietnam while the domestic supporting industries are still struggling, noted a Vietcombank Securities forecast report 2016.

Experts suggest that Vietnam should focus on solving these problems during the upcoming two-year ratification period, when the TPP gets approval from the member countries legislative bodies before taking effect.
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Another suspect in a fourth case before the Khmer Rouge tribunal will be investigated, the UN-backed court said.

International investigating judge Michael Bohlander has put Ao An, better known as Ta An, under investigation, though the decision was not supported by his Cambodian counterpart. It is the second time that Ao An came to the court to hear the charge against him. A tribunal spokesman would not confirm whether there was a division between the two judges over the case, No. 004.

Critics of the court say they doubt cases 003 and 004 will see trial, as they have been strongly opposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior government leaders.

Ta An appeared in court for the first time in March 2015, but he will face even more charges under the current investigation, the court said Monday.

The announcement comes on the heels of a court decision to separate the case of Khmer Rouge leader Im Chaem from Case 004, which includes suspect Ta An and another leader, Ta Tith.

Prosecutors say Ta An oversaw a number of Khmer Rouge atrocities, as he rose to deputy secretary of the Central Zone under the regimes political structure.

As such, he was second in command in the area, based in Kampong Cham province, where up to 150,000 people died under the regime, including a large number of Cham minorities.

The charges now include genocide against Muslims, crimes against humanity, namely murder; extermination, enslavement, torture, persecution against Lon Nol soldiers, Khmer Rouge cadres of the Central Zone, people from the Eastern Zone and others; and other inhumane acts, including forced marriage, rape, disappearances, physical abuse, forced labor, persecution against the Cham and Vietnamese people and inhumane conditions of detention.

In an exclusive interview with VOA Khmer in 2011, Ta An rejected the charges against him.

Latt Ky, a tribunal monitor for the rights group Adhoc, said the cases against Ta An and other leaders currently not in detention have taken too longthough he supports the Bohlanders decision to push forward. This is the kind of development that the public has waited for for a long time, he said.
Myanmars parliament has voted to elect Htin Kyaw as the countrys next president.

The retired bureaucrat from the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 360 out of the 652 votes cast in a joint meeting of the legislature, known as the Union Parliament.

Im so happy for him, for our party, our people and our country, exclaimed novice NLD lawmaker Hnin Htet, the daughter of a former political prisoner, after the historic vote.

Read a brief biography of Htin Kyaw here

Htin Kyaw is not a member of parliament, but he is a close confidant of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was among the first to vote in Tuesdays historic election.

Aung San Suu Kyi made no comment to reporters on her way in or out of the chamber.

The Nobel Laureate is the obvious favorite of most citizens of Myanmar, also known as Burma. But she is constitutionally barred from becoming president because both of her sons have foreign citizenship.

We remain concerned about certain provisions in Burmas constitution that contradict fundamental democratic principles and prevent the people of Burma from voting for the leaders of their choice, said a U.S. State Department official. The people of Burma should be able to decide whether and when to amend the countrys constitution to alter or remove these provisions."

Ultimate power

Aung San Suu Kyi has declared she will retain ultimate power over her handpicked president, whom she has known since primary school.

The military will remain powerful in the new government because it automatically holds one-quarter of the parliamentary seats and will control several key ministries.

Officials tried to prevent reporters from interviewing or videotaping the militarys members of parliament as they registered for the joint session in the lobby of the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house.

When the NLD forms a government we will need to work together with them, an army brigadier general, who declined to give his name, told VOA.

The armys candidate for president, General Myint Swe, who is the Yangon regional chief minister, placed second in the three-man race and will become the first vice president.

On blacklist

The retired lieutenant general remains on a U.S. government blacklist and Americans are barred with doing business with him.

Some in the NLD and analysts have expressed concern that the enduring influence of the generals will mean Myanmar will continue to be dogged by cronyism and corruption.

But after Tuesdays vote, lawmakers from both the NLD and the now opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) stressed the need to work together.

We have been learning the true meaning of endurance and hard work. So I can be patient. And the very fundamental thinking that we have to keep in our mind is national reconciliation, said NLD lawmaker Pyone Kathy Naing.

We will work together [with the NLD]. Both parties are working for the best of our country, USDP lawmaker Hla Htay Win told VOA.

The NLDs Henry Van Thio, a Christian from Chin state, finished third in Tuesdays voting and will become second vice president.

Myanmar is a Buddhist-dominated country of more than 55 million people that has seen nearly constant civil war since the end of British colonial rule in 1948.

Since a nominally civilian government was installed in 2011 there has been progress in brokering peace deals with various factions. But low-intensity conflicts continue between the Myanmar army and a number of armed ethnic minority groups.

The new government will take office on April 1.
War crimes, including killings, systematic rape, and forced disappearances remain daily occurrences in South Sudan, as highlighted in reports this month from the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Some advocacy groups say sanctions and other targeted measures could make an impact where a peace deal has failed.

The situation in South Sudan rapidly deteriorated after fighting broke out in December 2013, resulting in serious and systematic violence against civilians, according to the U.N.



Amnesty International found that government forces suffocated more than 60 men and boys to death in Unity State last October, and Human Rights Watch has found evidence of grave abuses in the Western Equatoria region.



Ian Schwab is the director of advocacy and impact strategy at the Enough Project, a Washington-based Africa advocacy group.



What we see is a situation where theres gross violations of human rights, looting of state coffers and natural resources, and all the while, a total lack of accountability for any of these, you know, for any of these horrific crimes that are being reported, said Schwab.



Signatories to an August 2015 peace deal have yet to form a transitional national unity government, originally planned for November. President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar continue to disagree over the demilitarization of Juba, among other issues.

Violence has continued, and the country is in the grips of a full-fledged humanitarian crisis with more than two million people displaced and the U.N. warning of famine.



The Enough Project is recommending targeted sanctions.

Well, we think the best places to start are to designate higher level officials that are involved in these crimes and to make sure that those sanctions designations are enforced. Were not talking about any sort of comprehensive sanctions that would impact the country. Were looking at particular individuals that have been complicit and directed these types of crimes and have been looting state resources, he said.

Arms embargo



Human Rights Watch senior Africa researcher Jehanne Henry suggests the U.N. impose a comprehensive arms embargo on South Sudan.



We think that an arms embargo should have been applied a long time ago, the conflict started in December of 2013, and some of the worst episodes of fighting happened in the weeks and months that followed. We think that an arms embargo was appropriate back then, at the beginning, when it was so clear that that was a war that was being waged not between soldiers but against civilians, said Henry.



South Sudan has been free to engage in state-to-state transfers in arms, without restrictions from sellers. Ukraine, for example, has sold the government light and heavy machine guns, as well as attack helicopters.



Countries such as Britain and France support the idea of an embargo. The United States has argued that an arms embargo would give rebel forces an advantage, with Russia, China and Angola also opposed.



Human Rights Watch is also calling for the African Union to fast track plans to set up a hybrid court for South Sudan.



It sends a message that people will be held responsible for allowing these abuses or for carrying them out, said Henry.



The peace deal briefly raised hopes the fighting and rights violations would come to an end. But seven months later, many observers are questioning the deal's value.

They say the time has come for the international community to take new steps to end the misery in South Sudan.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says his security forces improved capabilities have enabled them to disperse Islamic State (IS) loyalists and deter the Taliban from threatening security, particularly in northern Afghanistan in the spring fighting season.

I can confidently say that in Nangarhar, Daesh (Arabic acronym for IS) is on the run. It is running for cover, Ghani told reporters in Kabul Tuesday.

The eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar is where IS militants have tried to establish strongholds for spreading extremist ideology to the rest of the conflict-torn country. The Middle Eastern terror group has designated Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran as its Khorasan province.

Afghan officials insist militants claiming loyalty to IS are composed of former Taliban fighters, including those fighting the state in neighboring Pakistan.

I promised the people of Nangarhar that there will be no quarter given to Daesh and none has been given. We have combined close air support with massive ground operations, but particularly with peoples support. Seven hundred and fifty people who had retired from our commando units in one day joined and formed one of the crack divisions that now has Daesh on the run, Ghani said while speaking at a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who is on a two-day visit to Kabul.

Praises from NATO

Stoltenberg praised gains Afghan security forces have made against the armed opposition in recent months and reiterated NATOs financial and training assistance to Afghans; but, he dismissed suggestions that NATO would return to its combat role in Afghanistan if the resurgent Taliban threatens the countrys national security.

The U.S.-led international military alliance ended its combat mission in December 2014 and its current force of nearly 13,000 troops is only engaged in training, advising and assisting the Afghan army and police.

We will have, of course, assessments, we will analyze the challenges and always be open to how we can adjust but it is going to be based on a non-combat mission.... We will not go back to a combat operation, Stoltenberg added.

A United Nations report has also acknowledged recent Afghan security operations backed by international military airstrikes, as well as attacks from the Taliban, led to the concentration of IS in remote locations in Nangarhar near the border with Pakistan.

The report due to be discussed Tuesday at the Security Council highlights challenges facing the sustainability of Afghan forces.



Critical shortcomings continue to hamper the forces in effectively addressing the threat posed by anti-government elements, including insufficient recruitment, high attrition rates and insufficient logistics and planning, and air support and coordination.

President Ghani asserted that since the beginning of the year, Afghan forces have improved security around Kabul and in northern regions, clearing them of insurgents, including the key Baghlan province. The operations, he added, have enabled security forces to prevent the Taliban from turning the region into a center for its spring attacks.

Call for talks

Ghani also repeated his call for the anti-government forces to end violence and engage in reconciliation talks with the government. Without naming neighboring Pakistan, where Taliban leaders are believed to be sheltering, Ghani urged regional countries to help in the Afghan peace efforts.

I want to repeat, combat is not a goal in itself, stability is, peace is, prosperity is. So, we invite those states and non-state actors that are sustaining the conflict to see the logic of peace. Sponsoring non-state actors by states will boomerang as it has in the past, Ghani said.

Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government officials were due to be held in Pakistan earlier this month but the insurgent group refused to attend the meeting, citing certain preconditions.

The move has fueled concerns Afghanistan will see more violence this year, after a bloody 2015 in which security forces suffered unprecedented casualties and nearly 3,500 civilians were killed. Moreover, the fighting allowed the Taliban to control more territory than at any time since it was pushed from power in 2001.

President Ghani insists it is too early to conclude his peace initiative has failed, saying such efforts require strategic patience.
The deadly terror attack in Ivory Coast Sunday was the latest in a recent string of high-profile attacks in previously untouched parts of West Africa. The attacks have all been claimed by the same group, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which not only appears to be bouncing back after the 2013 regional military intervention in Mali but also shifting strategy.

Sundays attack on a beach resort near Abidjan marked al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghrebs farthest reach yet outside its traditional zone of operation.

West Africa security analyst Gilles Yabi says this expansion is not new.

He says this is definitely not their first attempt in Ivory Coast. He says Abidjan authorities said they stopped one operation several months ago. He says as long as AQIM has allies all over the region, its easy for them to conduct these seemingly sophisticated attacks far from their base in northern Mali and the border with Algeria. He says these kinds of attacks do not require a lot of men or resources.

Ivory Coast officials say soldiers killed three gunmen during the attack Sunday, the same number of attackers cited by AQIM in its short statement claiming responsibility.

AQIM has claimed two other similar attacks in the region  both on upscale hotels, both also done with just a handful of gunmen. The first, in Bamako in November, killed 20 people. The second, in Ouagadougou in January, killed 30.

AQIM has its roots in the 1990s Algerian civil war. The group pledged allegiance to al-Qaida in 2006. AQIM and its allies seized control of northern Mali for nine months in 2012 only to be chased out of urban centers by a French and regional military intervention in 2013.

In the past year, northerners and security officials say AQIM militants are once again becoming more visible in northern Mali, controlling roads and showing up at local community meetings.

Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, security analyst and terrorism expert with the African Union, says he is also seeing a shift towards a more pan-African terrorist network.

He says AQIM was traditionally under the command of Algerians. Today, he says, its an internationalized movement with commanders from other countries as well.

However, the recent attacks have correlated with the return of fighters loyal to one of those longtime Algerian commanders.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar broke away from AQIM in 2012. He masterminded a large attack on a gas plant in southern Algeria the following year that killed at least 37 foreign hostages.

Both the U.S. and Chadian militaries have claimed in recent years to have killed Belmokhtar in separate operations. Analysts, like Yabi, believe he may be alive.

Yabi says Belmokhtars experience smuggling cigarettes in the region would mean he knows routes all the way to Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. He says Belmokhtar at least helped plan these recent attacks and was definitely aware of the operations.

Analysts also offer up another theory behind this recent spate of hotel attacks. They say AQIM may be seeking to grab headlines as it competes with the Islamic State militant group for recruits.
Bangladesh's central bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned Tuesday after hackers stole $81 million from the country's foreign reserve account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The February 5 cyber heist could have been much worse with the hackers trying to steal a total of $1 billion, but they were thwarted in part by an error in typing the name of the recipient in one of their transactions.

Bangladesh Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told reporters Sunday that the central bank "had the audacity" not to inform him of the theft until a month after it happened.

The money was initially transferred to accounts in the Philippines, but it is not clear who was behind the attack. Bangladesh says it has recovered some of the funds.

The Fed said there was no sign its systems were compromised.
Donna Edwards is giving up a safe congressional seat in a deep blue district (MD-04) in Prince George's County, where Obama won in 2012 with 78%, to run for the open Senate seat of one of her mentors, Barbara Mikulski. Last year Donna won her own reelection bid with 70%, the best of any incumbent in Maryland. But she's being challenged for the Senate seat by an establishment careerist heavily financed by the Wall Street banksters who are grateful for his assistance to their cause while serving as Ranking Member of the House Banking Committee and as the spectacularly failed DCCC chairman who handed the House over to the GOP, engineering the historic and catastrophic loss of over 60 seats-- Chris Van Hollen.





If Donna wins, she would be the first African American senator from Maryland and only the second African American woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. If Van Hollen wins he'll be the 5 millionth crooked Wall Street-beholden white guy hack the banksters managed to buy an office for. Donna is a fierce and committed progressive. Van Hollen is a wishy-washy nothing who stands for nothing and is just looking out for himself and the people who finance his career. His term in Congress has been one of abject failure that wouldn't make anyone-- other than his cronies-- think he's earned a promotion. And that was reflected in a brand new poll from the Baltimore Sun this week that shows Donna beating him 34-28% in a field of 10 candidates and with a lot of voters who haven't made up their minds, although her lead increased to 10 points in a head-to-head match-up with Van Hollen. Donna is winning with women, African-Americans (67-16%) and voters in the Baltimore region.





Blue America has endorsed Donna-- as we have every single time she has run for office-- and you can contribute to her campaign here through ActBlue. Yesterday she published an oped on what the kind of real leadership she offers means to crucial parts of all of our lives like Social Security.

In the state of Maryland alone, over 763,000 individuals receive Social Security. Social Security lifts over 191,000 Marylanders out of poverty, and generates over $22.2 billion in economic output for our state. In my family and in yours, Social Security has been a promise from one generation to the next-- that we will look out for one another.



But Social Security has been under constant assault since its inception. Republicans have claimed that its an entitlement program our country cannot afford, and that it is bankrupting our countrys future.



The idea that a fund someone pays into for their entire working life would be considered an entitlement is proof of just how out of touch our Republican colleagues are with American workers. And unfortunately, every now and then they convince a Democrat to engage with them in this charade.



My opponent is one of those Democrats. He backed a plan that, if enacted, would have cut Social Security benefits and raised the retirement age for workers here in Maryland and all across our country. When his deal fell apart, he tried to walk back his support for the cuts. Then, upon entering this race for the Senate, my opponent signed onto legislation that would do the opposite: expand Social Security. We should be clear about why he made that decision-- political expediency.



From day one, I fought against the cuts he was willing to support in the Bowles-Simpson deal. From day one, I fought back against our own President when he proposed Social Security cuts in his own budget, leading letters with my colleagues in the House to oppose a cost of living adjustment that would have left our seniors with less in their monthly checks. My opponent sat on the sidelines. Now he and a majority of Congressional Democrats are standing with us.



I opposed the cuts because I understood what they would mean for real families. For so many retirees, Social Security is all they have. Pensions have all but disappeared, 401k plans have lost value because of Wall Street speculation, and its harder to save for retirement when youre just trying to make ends meet. Those cuts supported by my opponent in order to get a budget deal would be catastrophic for elderly women and African Americans. 55% of beneficiaries are women, and almost 50% of unmarried, many widowed, senior women rely on Social Security for up to 90% of their income. The numbers are similar for African Americans: almost 50% of beneficiaries rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income. Cutting what for many is a sole source of income would leave millions out in the cold. And, after a lifetime of paying into the Social Security Trust Fund, the benefits they have earned should be there when its time, not bargaining chips for Washington politicians looking to cut a deal.



Ive fought every day in Congress to stop cuts to Social Security, and to change the conversation to one about expanding benefits for seniors and working families who rely on this vital program for their retirement security. Leadership is about taking a bold, principled stance and convincing others to stand with you: I wasnt afraid to speak up to stand with seniors and working families when others wanted me to be silent. Now, my opponents reversal proves that we were right from the beginning.



We owe it to generations of American seniors to allow them to retire with dignity. We cant leave them without the benefits theyve earned. In the Senate, you can trust that will always be my position, and that I will never waver.




Myanmars parliament voted Tuesday to elect Htin Kyaw as the countrys next president.

Htin Kyaw is not a member of parliament, but he is a close confidant of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was among the first to vote in Tuesdays historic election.

Here is what is known about Htin Kyaw:

He is the second son the of the renowned Burmese Literary writer, poet, scholar and former Burmese professor Min Thu Wun, who was also an elected NLD Member of Parliament in 1990 elections from Kamayut Township, Yangon. He passed away at the age of 95 in 2004.

Htin Kyaw is the son-in-law of the late U Lwin, one of the founders of the NLD.

Writing under the pen name Dala Ban (named by his father after an ethnic Mon warrior of Myanmars past), U Htin Kyaws most famous book in Burmese is about the life of his father and titled: The Fathers Life: Glimpses of my Father (A Ba Bawa; A Ba Ah Kyaung; Te Se, Te Saung)

Htin Kyaw was born July 20, 1946.

A timeline of Htin Kyaw's education, work:

1962: Graduated high school from English Methodist High School. Aung San Suu Kyi attended the same high schol, but Htin Kyaw was two years her junior. This Methodist missionary school later became known as Dagon High School No. 1 after the military dictator General Ne Win privatized all schools after his coup in 1962.

1962-63: Entered Rangoon University, majoring in arts.

1963-68: Attended the Institute of Economics and obtained his M. Econ (Statistics). He also taught as a tutor while attending his M. Econ (Pt. 2).

1970: Joined the Universities Computer Center as a Programmer Analyst.

1971-72: Attended Institute of Computer Science University, London.

1973: Married Daw Su Su Lwin, who is currently chair of the Foreign Relations Committee in the lower house and a NLD MP from Thongwa Township.

1974: Attended Computer Studies in Asia Electronics Union, Tokyo, Japan.

1974-75: Obtained M. Sc Computer Science from Rangoon University.

1975-80: Named Deputy Division Chief, Heavy Industries Corporation, No. 2 Industrial Ministry.

1980-92: Named Deputy Director, FERD, (Foreign Economic Relations Dept, Planning and Treasury Ministry).

1987: Attended a course at Arthur D. Little School of Management, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1992: Resigned from Deputy Director post.

2000: Arrested on September 22, spent four months in Insein prison. He was detained together with nine activists at the Rangoon railway station while helping Aung San Suu Kyi, who planned to make a trip to Mandalay at that time.

2012-present: Executive Committee member of Daw Khin Kyi Foundation.

* Aung San Suu Kyi told her party MPs after the nominations of her partys two Vice Presidents that Htin Kyaw was chosen by her for his loyalty, his discipline and his educational background, which would befit him as the leader of a country.
Burundi said it is disappointed in the European Unions decision to suspend some aid to the Burundian government.

The EU Monday postponed direct financial support for the Burundian government for not doing enough to find a political solution to the continuing conflict that has claimed more than 400 lives since April last year.

The EU said it blames President Pierre Nkurunzizas government for the surge in violence and failure to protect human rights. European Union aid to Burundi from 2014 to 2020 is estimated at $480 million.

Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe said while his country needs assistance, the EU decision is a wakeup call to all developing countries to be self-reliant rather than depend on foreign aid.

I believe that decision is in some way not too negative, but of course as a government we were not happy because we believe we are addressing the situation on the ground using the minimum means at our disposal and we believe that all we needed was more of an encouragement because our aim is to protect and safeguard the interest of the people of Burundi, he said.

Nyamitwe said only Burundians can solve their own problems.

It is not up to the European Union or to any other partner to determine what the course of a nation should be, be it Burundi, be it Rwanda, be it Congo, and be it whichever country in Africa. It is up to the people of those countries to chart the path for themselves, Nyamitwe said.

He said foreign assistance is not the life blood of Burundi and that while the country would be glad to get assistance, it can still survive without. Besides, Nyamitwe said Burundi will develop resilience and self-reliance without aid.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and a delegation of five African heads of state visited Burundi last month and urged the government to go for a political settlement based on dialogue.

The East African Community (EAC), meeting in Arusha, Tanzania last month named former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa as the new mediator for talks between the government and all stakeholders.

The talks had been virtually bogged down under the leadership of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

Nyamitwe said his government told the EU not to blame the government for what it has not done. He said his government has been engaged in an inter-Burundian dialogue.

He hopes the external part of the dialogue would be expedited, and a decision reached soon on the agenda as well as the Burundian opposition groups that should participate.

Again, I say clearly whoever wants to participate in that dialogue is welcomed. But inside the country, in the framework that has been provided, everybody is welcome. But when it comes to the dialogue happening outside the country, then it doesnt depend on the government of Burundi alone. It depends on the region, it depends on partners; it depends on how things are being organized, Nyamitwe said.
Approximately 65 percent of the more than four million South Asians who live in the U.S. - those who can trace their heritage to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - are citizens who can vote. Chicago is making new efforts to encourage more in the large South Asian community to cast a ballot.

Bangladeshi immigrant Rashida Parveen voted in her first U.S. election in 2000, when she was just getting a grasp on the English language. But exercising the right to vote was important to her.

If you do not give a vote, you do not have any voice, she said.

Sixteen years later, she is not just voting, but spreading the word to other South Asian immigrants who can cast a ballot.

Asking them, please come and that I am here and I can assist you, said Parveen.

Parveen assists as translator at a Chicago polling location where many South Asians can vote, an ideal place to put her language skills to use.

I speaking four languages... Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and English, she said.

She is part of a larger effort by the Chicago Board of Elections to comply with Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires language assistance to minority groups, outlined by population numbers in the U.S. Census report released in 2011.

Now they were required by federal law to provide language assistance to a very high number of South Asians, mostly Indians, in Chicago, said Shobhana Johri Verma, Director of South Asian Outreach for the Chicago Board of Elections.

Verma said one of the biggest challenges to meet the requirements was deciding how to best represent the diversity of the South Asian community in Illinois.

The big decision was: which language do we choose to provide language assistance in, said Verma.

Based on community feedback, Hindi was the best option. Since 2012 it is now one of the four languages found on election materials in Illinois. But language services are only one of the hurdles Parveen said those in her community overcome to vote.

Most of the people, they do not drive, and then during official time somebody has to go and get them. That is an important thing, said Parveen.

But she thinks the outreach efforts are working.

Even some people I have seen here they never give vote in their country but they come here to give vote. I have seen three or four people here, so, it will be improving, she said.

The next step, said Illinois General Assembly candidate and Indian immigrant Harish Patel, is encouraging more to run for office.

A communitys representation only counts sometimes when people are elected from that community, said Patel.

Chicago is home to the third largest South Asian population in the United States, a community that continues to grow with each election cycle.
Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara met with delegations from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the IMF, and the French ministers of security and foreign affairs Tuesday. The agenda underscored the potentially deep economic impact of Sunday's terror attack. All three delegations were upbeat about the West African country's economic prospects.

Speaking after meeting with Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, the French delegation wanted to make clear that Sundays terrorist attack in Grand-Bassam, near Abidjan, will not change anything.

The former colonial power will stand by Ivory Coast, diplomatically and economically.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the delegation would like to convey a message of confidence in Ivory Coast. He said upcoming economic meetings will not be canceled, because "It is the best way to answer terrorists..."

Ivory Coast has spent the past five years working to rebuild its economy, after more than a decade of civil war and political crises. The economy has been growing by 8.5 percent, on average, and foreign investments are on the upswing.

Institute for Security Studies West Africa researcher William Assanvo said terrorist attacks can have an impact on foreign investors.

When something like that happens, he said, foreign investors do not always have the capacity to do an in depth analysis and it has a consequence on the entire country, which is deemed unsafe.

Also meeting the Ivorian president was a U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation for talks, planned before the attack, aimed at reinforcing the economic partnership between the two countries.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Myron Brilliant said the attack will not derail that relationship.

"We feel very close to Cote dIvoire because we have suffered our own attacks in our country, and so we understand what is going on here, we understand the significance of it. But in no way will that deter our investments and trade relations here in Cote dIvoire. If anything, that will encourage us to be more fruitful and more engaged and more positive about our interactions here," said Brilliant.

During the attack in Grand-Bassam, which was claimed by jihadist group al-Qaida of the Islamic Maghreb, an International Monetary Fund delegation was visiting for an economic evaluation mission.

An IMF representative said Ivory Coast has had very good economic indicators during the past four years, and the economic perspective for the near future is positive.

The IMF also said that according to its first estimate, Ivory Coast's economy grew 8.6 percent in 2015.
The European Union migration commissioner is pleading with Balkan countries to open their borders to more than 13,000 refugees trapped for weeks on the Greece-Macedonia border, saying asylum-seekers fleeing violence in the Middle East deserve respect.

I would like today from here, from Idomeni, to send a message all around Europe that it is exactly the moment for everybody to show solidarity and responsibility, the two basic principles upon which the European project is built, Dimitris Avramopoulus said at an impromptu news conference at the camp.

All our values are in danger today. And you can see it here in Idomeni. I believe by building fences ... is not the solution. We have to work together, member states of the European Union, but also neighboring countries, in order to address this issue in the best way with a full respect to all those who are fleeing persecution, dictatorship and terrorism, he added.

Hours before his visit to the overwhelmed camp at Idomeni, Greece, more than 1,000 refugees forded a fast-moving stream five kilometers west to cross into Macedonia illegally, with another 500 following also trying to breach the border.

After trudging through mud carrying belongings and young children, most of the refugees were at liberty for only a short time. Macedonian soldiers and police detained hundreds after they crossed and put them in trucks, drove them back to the border and forced them to re-enter Greece.

Others who avoided the dragnet still face the prospect of their way north being barred because the Serbian border is also closed to them.

Macedonia's Interior Ministry says steps are already in hand to improve security where the refugees crossed Monday.

About 30 journalists and 20 aid workers who accompanied the refugees on their hours-long march in the rain were also detained, but released after paying a fine for entering Macedonia illegally. Greek police said groups of refugees were seen crossing back to Greece through unguarded sections of the border east and west of Idomeni, but they complained the Macedonians had made no official repatriation request.

Some of the returned refugees alleged Macedonian border guards hit them and gave them electric shocks before forcing them back to Greece.



The risk of fording border rivers and streams was underscored when Macedonian authorities reported they had recovered the bodies of three Afghans, a man and two women, from the Suva Reka river near the border with Greece. According to Macedonian state news, 23 others were rescued from the river and lodged in a local refugee camp.

Refugees have been scouting for ways to breach the border for weeks and small groups have managed to cross with the aid of smugglers, mainly Pakistanis and Afghans who are resident in Greece. The smugglers, who use routes at night through forests mainly to the east of Idomeni, charge more than $500 for a crossing.

We then put them in taxis from there to travel to the Serbian border, a 30-year-old smuggler who has lived in Greece for seven years, told VOA.

If they want help crossing the Serbian border, that costs another $500 and all the way from here to Germany is $1,900, he added.

The smuggler, who declined to give his name during the interview at a hotel in the village of Evzonoi near Idomeni, said he too was planning soon to go to Germany because his Greek residency card cant be renewed.

The refugees at Idomeni are becoming more desperate as they struggle to secure sufficient food and medicine for their increasingly ill children. Many still cling to the hope the Macedonians will open the border, which was closed February 21, and other Balkans countries will follow, allowing them to be among the last to travel north before a provisional deal between the European Union and Turkey comes into effect that would return refugees who have crossed the Aegean Sea to Turkey.



Details of the deal, which has provoked the anger of U.N. refugee chiefs and rights groups, are to be finalized March 17. The U.N. refugee agency has warned any blanket return may violate international law and warns there is little sign of any let up in Syrian and Iraqi refugees planning to cross the Aegean.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said last week he finds the EU-Turkey proposal interesting," but Greece officials say privately that they cant see the government agreeing to a forcible removal of refugees. It will be a PR nightmare for us, an official told VOA. If the refugees resist, I cant see us forcing them.

The leader of one of Greeks opposition parties, Kyriakos Mitsotakis of New Democracy, warned Tuesday after visiting Idomeni that the camp risks becoming a no mans land over which authorities have no control.
Nadir Medetov, also known as, Nadir Abu Halid, was supposed to be under house arrest at his home in Dagestan, a republic in Russias North Caucasus region, when he appeared last year on an Islamic State video in Syria pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The decision by Medetov, a 32-year-old Salafist with thousands of young followers in the North Caucasus, to join IS, led to a flow of new recruits for the radical Islamist group, analysts and Russian intelligence officials say.

At least 3,000 Russian citizens are fighting alongside IS and other Islamist groups in Syria, according to Alexander Bortnikov, director of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russias main security agency.

Independent experts say Bortnikovs numbers do not reflect reality  which, they say, is much worse.

At least 7,000-to-10,000 aspiring Islamist fighters left Russia and half of them reached Syria, Denis Sokolov, a senior research fellow at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, told VOA.

Dagestan  an IS hub

Dagestan alone provided at least 5,000 fighters to IS, says Ahmet Yarlykapov of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The largest of Russias seven North Caucasus republics, Dagestan is a multiethnic and predominantly Muslim region at the foot of Caucasus Mountains, bordering Georgia and Azerbaijan. The region has a centuries-long history of armed resistance against Russian colonization.

Over the last two decades, Sunni Muslims in Dagestan have been increasingly gravitating toward ultraconservative Salafist ideas. After the second war in Chechnya, where a separatist struggle gradually transformed into a religious jihad against Russia, ended in 2000, neighboring Dagestan became the home base for the self-declared Caucasus Emirate, a militant jihadist group with active cells in cities and villages across the Caucasus.

The Caucasus Emirate took responsibility for hundreds of attacks in Russia, including dozens of suicide bombings, during the late 1990s and early 2000s. With the emergence of IS, most of the Caucasus Emirate jihadists left Russia for the battlefields of Syria and Iraq.

IS propaganda has targeted other adherents who remained at home in the North Caucasus. Leave the mosques, fade into the crowd, and strike when the enemy least expects it, just like our brothers have done in Paris, says one of the many Russian-language videos that Dagestani IS fighters in Syria have distributed via websites and social networks, addressing their kin back home.

Kremlins response to threat

Russias National Anti-Terrorism Committee says the security threat from IS fighters returning home to Russia is imminent and cannot be overestimated. With this threat in mind, Russia reformed its criminal law to allow the prosecution of individuals who have participated in armed conflicts in foreign countries against Russias national interests.

However, ex-fighters are highly unlikely to remain undetected by law enforcement once they return to Russia, experts say. For the rest, returning is not an option, deaths in IS are quick and numerous, says Varvara Pakhomenko, a Europe and Central Asia analyst with the International Crisis Group. Dozens tried returning, and dozens get caught and imprisoned.

Robert Schaefer is a U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) and Eurasian Foreign Area officer who is a counterinsurgency expert and author of the book The Insurgency in Chechnya and the North Caucasus.

He told VOA that the FSB knows who the Russian fighters in the Middle East are and who their family members are back home, which makes it easier to identify them if they return to Russia.

The idea is that the Russians will make it easy for the fighters to leave Russia, but it will be very difficult or impossible to return, Schaefer said.

Meanwhile, Kremlin policy towards the North Caucasus heavily relies on military force, often used disproportionately. This, say experts, is major factor in radicalizing the region.

What Russia is doing in the North Caucasus is called repression - brutal repression, Ekaterina Sokirianskaia, the Europe and Central Asia Project Director at the International Crisis Group told the VOA. According to an ICG report, forced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, torture in detention are routinely practiced by Russian security forces.

Extremist watch lists

Local police in the North Caucasus are tasked with collecting the personal data of all suspected Islamists, who are then put on extremist watch lists that are provided to the FSB. Locals call these lists vakhuchyot  a Russian-language abbreviation for the words Wahhabi and count.

According to Dagestans chief prosecutor, 15,000 residents of the republic are on the watch lists. There are no official numbers for Russia as a whole or the North Caucasus region. Moscow-based journalist Maxim Shevchenko claims that the total number of people on the watch lists is more than 100,000.

I had no idea I was on the vakhuchyot until the police stopped my car at a checkpoint and I was detained, a 23-year-old resident of Dagestan who preferred to remain anonymous told VOA via Telegram from Istanbul. The officer then told me [it was] because you wear a beard and you go to the Wahhabi mosque.

He said that while in detention, he was fingerprinted and videotaped -- including walking and speaking  and that samples were taken from him for a DNA test, all without his consent. Complete information about his wife and children was also recorded. Since then, he said, he has been routinely detained and arrested, and all his movements have been monitored.

I bought a one-way air ticket from Makhachkala (Dagestan's capital) to Istanbul for my whole family, the young Dagestani told VOA. The customs officer at the airport called an FSB officer in as soon as I presented him with my passport. They took me in and asked a few questions: Where was I going? I said to join my brothers. They let me go.

Asked whether he has ever considered joining IS in Syria or Iraq, the Dagestani man answered: No, I never thought of it.

Before 2012, the FSB was pushing youth into the woods, the ICGs Sokirianskaia said, using the Russian colloquial expression for people joining the insurgency, whose members often hide out in the forests of the North Caucasus. When the preparations for the (2014) Sochi Olympics began, they started helping suspected radicals get out of country.

In Syria while under house arrest

Nadir Medetov, the 32-year-old Dagestani Salafist, was arrested by the Russian security services in October 2014 in Makhachkala, in front of the mosque where he served as imam. He was charged with possession of illegal firearms and placed under house arrest.

The arrest sparked mass street protests by Dagestans Salafist community, and the authorities responded by launching a counter-terrorism operation in Makhachkala and closing down the mosque. Two months later, a court extended Medetovs house arrest indefinitely, and put him under round-the-clock surveillance.

Four months later in May 2015, Medetov was in Syria.

Some experts believe Medetov was able to escape house arrest in Dagestan and travel to Syria not due to a security lapse, but because of a deliberate Kremlin strategy of exporting extremism.

Russian law enforcement, said Sokirianskaia, is indirectly and directly involved in pushing alleged Caucasus extremists abroad.

Denis Sokolov goes further. They are not only facilitating the exodus, but even profiting from the suspected extremists via corruption schemes, the Moscow-based expert said.

Alexander Ignatenko, a member of the Russian presidents Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations, dismisses such claims.

Its all slander and nonsense, Ignatenko told VOAs Russian Service in Moscow.
For fishermen in Pakistan's southern port of Karachi, seeking the biggest catches means routinely risking jail time. That's because the best fishing grounds in this part of the Indian Ocean lie between India and Pakistan  South Asian rivals that often are at loggerheads.

Last week, Pakistan released nearly 90 Indians, mostly fishermen, back to their country. But hundreds of Indian and Pakistani fishermen still languish in jails on both sides, charged with illegally crossing the border.

With no physical boundary or proper markings to guide them, it is easy for fishermen to cross the border unintentionally while sailing. Recently, they have started renting GPS systems. But arrests on both sides remain high. The number of fishermen in each other's jails at any given time is usually in the hundreds. Those captured can spend months in custody, although sometimes it takes much longer to regain their freedom.

Hajira's son has been in Indian custody for three years. He was 15 when he went on a fishing expedition against his mother's wishes. She has not seen him since.

"At night I miss my son the most," she said. "I think about whether he's eaten, whether he sleeps well, whether he is sick or in pain; this is what I think about at night."

The two governments agreed last year to release all fishermen within two weeks. Her son is still not home. As long as tensions continue between India and Pakistan, fishermen on both sides likely will keep paying the price.
Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio has dropped out of the presidential race and Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich beat front-runner Donald Trump in the governor's home state on a day of major presidential primary elections Tuesday.

Republican Trump won Florida by a huge margin over second-place finisher Rubio, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Kasich were far behind. Trump also won the Illinois and North Carolina primaries.

Florida is a winner-take-all state, meaning Trump will get all 99 delegates without having to split them with the runners-up.

After a humiliating loss in his home state, Rubio said he was grateful to everyone who supported him, adding that it was not part of "God's plan" that he become president in 2016, or maybe ever.

Ohio also is a winner-take-all state, and Kasich's win over Trump will keep the governor's campaign alive. He predicted he would be "very competitive" in the upcoming primaries, noting that there were still 1,000 delegates to be picked up.

In a dig at the often caustic Trump, Kasich said he would not take "the low road to the highest office in the land."

But Trump did not appear to let his loss in Ohio faze him. He has a huge lead in the delegate count and said Tuesday night he is not going to stop until he wins "for the country." In uncharacteristically mild comments, Trump said it is time to bring the Republican Party together.

Trump was locked in a close battle in the primary in the state of Missouri with Cruz, who also said this is the time for Republicans to unite. He said he welcomed to his campaign those who have supported Rubio and that "America has a clear choice going forward."

For the Democrats, Clinton beat Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders by landslides in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, taking most of the delegates in all three states. Illinois was too close to call.

Clinton called the day another "super Tuesday" for her, congratulated Sanders for what she said was his "vigorous" campaign, and in remarks directed at Trump said deportation of immigrants and torture were wrong and would not make America strong.

Primaries also were held Tuesday in Missouri.

Trump's election day got off to a good start when he captured all nine GOP convention delegates at stake from the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean.

In recent months, Trump has become known  and some would say infamous  for harsh comments and insulting remarks he's made toward Muslims, Mexicans, women and his political rivals.

They include calling Rubio "little Marco" and the socialist Sanders "our communist friend."

Name calling, shoving and fistfights between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters  sometimes encouraged by Trump himself  have critics decrying the overall state of American politics.

But a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, voter told VOA on Tuesday that he cast a ballot for Trump because he said the candidate "tells it like it is" and does not follow any kind of so-called political correctness.

Another Trump backer called him "the strongest candidate" and someone who has come along at the right time.

WATCH: Florida Voters Discuss Candidates

A Clinton supporter called Trump a "narcissist and a racist" who brings out the worst of Americans, while a Sanders voter called the senator the only candidate addressing what he said was the country's "fundamental problems" of the uneven distribution of wealth.
December 3, 2009, was to be Alan Gross last night in Cuba, until he heard loud banging at his hotel room door.

Arrested by the Cuban government, he said he was found guilty 14 months later of being a threat to the integrity of the state and was sentenced to 15 years in maximum security.

Gross, who spoke Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, insists he had been contracted to develop a pilot project in three different Cuban communities to establish broadband Internet connectivity  and nothing else. But he ended up spending five years in prison.

Gross rejected claims that he risked arrest because he had been warned by the Cuban government about allegedly running a covert operation. How can one run a covert operation when you make your travel arrangements through the Cuban government, you stay in hotels, rent a car or eat in restaurants owned by the Cuban government? he asked.

'I Have Nothing'

Gross said that during his first year behind bars, he wrote a song, No Tengo Nada, meaning, "I Have Nothing." Gross said he had no TV, newspapers, books, paper or pens; even his dental floss was confiscated. He was in a cell 24 hours a day, seven days a week and saw only 20 minutes of sunlight the whole year.

The poor nutritional value of the prison food led to the loss of 70 pounds and five broken teeth for Gross. But the worst part of being there was isolation, he told the Washington journalists.

WATCH: Gross Discusses Cuban Productivity

Today, Gross' wife says he whistles a lot. And aside from the understandable joy of being able to spend time with his family and friends again, he can also walk six to nine kilometers a day in straight lines.

Conditions in prison were cramped. Now, I dont have to walk in circles anymore, he said.

Gross said he would go back to Cuba in a heartbeat. He'll turn 67 soon and said that five years out of that 67-year timeline" was a short period and didn't define him. "The other 62 years make me, he said.

Gross praised President Barack Obamas leadership and courage and said the president was doing the right thing by going to Cuba.

'Legacy item' for Obama

Obamas trip to the island next week is timely, Gross said. He does not have much time left in office. ... I think Cuba will be a legacy item for the president. I think he rightly will be discussing issues of human rights and, at the very least, abuses of power.

He said that while normalization of relations would not occur for many years, its time to break from the past and work on a change in perspective. And if a journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step, both the U.S. and Cuba have taken more than a single step, he said.

Gross' response to those members of Congress who have accused Obama of giving legitimacy to the Castro brothers was: The Castro brothers are totally irrelevant to Cubas future.

He said Cuba's 11.3 million people live in a virtual prison without much opportunity for growth and advancement. With his trip, Obama will not be delivering opportunity, Gross said, but "hes bringing the hope for opportunity. Hes generated interest from private industry in the U.S., who will ultimately invest in Cuba.

Cuba needs foreign direct investment, but there wont be any until the long-standing trade embargo is lifted, Gross said, urging Congress to do just that.
In Malawi, farmers around the capital are using human urine on their crops instead of costly imported chemical fertilizers. It's the result of an innovative local initiative that is transforming the lives of both the farmers and city residents.

There is a new business in the Area 25A neighborhood these days: selling human urine for use as crop fertilizer.

Everyday people carry buckets of the stuff to the market.

Seventy-five-year-old Modesta Kamoto said she uses the money to pay for school fees and buy food, soap and school uniforms for her ten orphaned grandchildren.

She collects the urine every morning from plastic containers her family members use as urinals and sells it to "Urine for Wealth" project.

Urine has been nature's fertilizer for millennia though that's not a well-known fact nowadays in the age of chemical fertilizers.

Malawian agriculturist Goodfellow Phiri started "Urine for Wealth" as a small family initiative nine years ago. It has grown into a thriving business. The project was one of six finalists for the HIVOS Social Innovation Award in Amsterdam in 2014.

"We buy 20 liters container at 1,000 Kwacha [$1.40] and five liters container, we buy at K300 [$.41]. When we process that into fertilizer, we sell the same to farmers. Twenty liters we sell K3,000 [$4.00] and five liters at K1,000. [$1.40]," said Phiri.

He can buy up to 200 liters per day.

Phiri ages the urine in airtight containers for seven days. The process kills germs, and the smell, and it makes the liquid rich in nitrogen. He sometimes adds lemongrass to help with odor but says no additives are actually needed.

Farmers say the fertilizer is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than chemicals.

Urine for Wealth has now erected a urine harvesting plant at the main market in Area 25A with funding from 2 environmental NGO's. People are encouraged to relieve themselves there in special urinals.

The project also has women selling composite manure they make mixing the urine with animal waste. Enelet Chadza is a widow and leads a group of 20 women.

She said her worries are gone and that she is able to feed her family with what she earns.

Despite their success, Phiri said challenges abound.

"The greatest challenge with this product, which is a bio-nitrate fertilizer, is that many people don't like it. They think it's unhygienic to apply fertilizer made from human urine," said Phiri.

Seed companies and the Ministry of Agriculture have enlisted Urine for Wealth to produce fertilizer for their demonstration fields, something Phiri hopes will win over more farmers to the idea.
Citizens of countries bordering Vietnam will have to submit notarized copies of business registration licenses in border-gate economic zones if they wish to bring foreign currency into Vietnam, pursuant to Circular No. 29/2015/TT-NHNN.

For more effective foreign currency management, the State Bank of Vietnam has amended and supplemented regulations on the documentation needed to bring in foreign currency. The decision took effect on Feb. 8 and applies to border citizens from China, Laos and Cambodia.

According to Circular No. 29/2015/TT-NHNN, Article 1, clause 1 stipulates that for citizens of countries bordering Vietnam, who have registered their business in border regions and border-gate economic zones, if permitted by Vietnamese agencies to go to inland provinces and bring currency from bordering countries for sale to licensed banks, they will have to send a dossier via post or submit it directly to the State Bank branches in the respective border provinces."

A border gate between Vietnam and Laos. Photo: vnexpress

The dossier should include a written request and permit for going into inland provinces granted by Vietnamese agencies along with a business registration license certificate.

Within five working days, State Bank branches in the respective border provinces will issue a decision on whether the party is allowed to bring in foreign currency.

In case of refusal, these State Bank branches shall have to issue written replies, clearly stating the reasons for the refusal.

This SBV regulation aims to manage foreign currencies more effectively as inland economic cooperation develops.

According to the Department of Boundary and Mountainous Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, commercial exchange between Vietnam and its bordering nations was approximately $27.56 billion in 2015, an increase of 27 percent from 2014.

Vietnam has a 4,639 km land border with China in the north, Lao and Cambodia in the west in which commercial exchange with China occupies 85% with four large border gates along the shared economic zones.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday his country's missile tests last week did not violate the nuclear agreement Iran signed with a group of world powers last year.

Speaking during a visit to Australia, Zarif reiterated that Iran sees the missiles as a key measure of self defense and that they are not meant to deliver nuclear warheads.

"We do not design any missiles to carry things that we do not have," he said.

He also challenged "those who are complaining about Iran's missile program" to join Iran in declaring they will only use force in self defense.

His comments followed U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power saying Monday the launches were dangerous, destabilizing and provocative and undermine the prospect for peace in the region.

Washington says the launches violate language of a U.N. resolution adopted in July, which calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.

"We are comfortable that we have a strong case," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "These launches are clearly in defiance of that resolution. There is no question about it."

When asked if U.N. sanctions should be imposed against Iran, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin categorically ruled that out, responding, The clear and short answer is no. Churkin told reporters that there was no legal violation of the Security Council resolution. A call is different from a ban. Legally you cannot violate a call, Churkin said.

You can comply with a call or ignore a call, but you cannot violate a call. Some may say its a bad thing anyway, and I would not necessarily dispute that; the legal distinction is there, he added.

Russia seems to be lawyering its way to look for reasons not to act, rather than stepping up and being prepared to shoulder its collective responsibility, Ambassador Power said.

She said the United States would not give up in the Security Council and would provide technical information that Iran had made public showing that the technology they used is inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons and in defiance of the U.N. resolution. Power added that Washington could consider its own unilateral response.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said Mondays meeting was an important first step and that the council would discuss the range of options available to it.

One option would be to have the U.N. Secretary-General investigate the launch and report back to the council. But Ambassador Churkin said he did not think a special report is necessary. Under the U.N. resolution, the secretary-general reports twice a year to the council on the resolutions implementation. The next report is not due until July.

Diplomats appeared to agree that last weeks missile launch did not violate terms of a nuclear deal agreed between the world powers and Tehran in July.

Meanwhile, Israels U.N. envoy told reporters his country wants a full investigation into the launches.

If the Security Council does not act after last weeks missile test, it will give Iran a greenlight to continue with its nuclear missile tests, Israeli envoy Danny Danon said.
A senior Iranian official has warned that if Iran does not benefit from increased trade following the nuclear deal with the West, the consequences for his nation would be grave.

Speaking at Londons Royal United Services Institute in London following a meeting with the British prime minister, the Iranian Presidents Chief of Staff Mohammed Nahavandian was frank about the reason for his visit.



After this nuclear deal, there is a real, serious opening up in Iran for economic relations. If it does not happen, and tangible results do not follow, the damage will be out of any calculation, he said.



The United States maintains sanctions against Tehran unrelated to its nuclear program. New sanctions were imposed following Iranian ballistic missile tests last year, which the U.S. and other western nations view as violating UN resolutions.

But Nahavandian says fear of those unilateral sanctions is preventing banks outside the United States from opening up to Iran.



Non-U.S. banks should not be limited in any kind of banking transactions with Iranian banks, he said.



Regional conflicts



The conflicts in Syria and Yemen have fueled tensions between Iran  the main Shia power in the region  and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia.



Nahavandian denied there was a Shia-Sunni conflict underway  but leveled thinly veiled accusations at Riyadh.



When it comes to Salafi thinking, which is unfortunately funded by billions of dollars, then that creates, as far as South Africa, the kind of groups who are not accepting anyone else. That kind of thinking is not tolerable. Thats not Sunni versus Shia, no, he said.



Nahavandian said Iran supports the Syrian peace talks taking place in Geneva. But he presented a one-sided view, says Malcolm Chalmers of the Royal United Services Institute.



No mention of course of the role of Shia militia, or Hezbollah, or all the other things which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is involved in in Syria and elsewhere, he said.



The speech may have presented only Tehrans viewpoint  but observers say its another indication of Irans efforts to shape a different future in its relations with the West.




Another suspect appearing before the Khmer Rouge tribunal will be investigated, the U.N.-backed court said Tuesday.

International investigating judge Michael Bohlander has put Ao An, better known as Ta An, under investigation, though the decision was not supported by his Cambodian counterpart. A tribunal spokesman would not confirm whether there is a division between the two judges over the fourth case to be investigated, number 004.

Critics of the court say they doubt cases 003 and 004 will see trial, as they have been strongly opposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior government leaders.

Ta An appeared in court in March 2015, but will face more charges under the current investigation, the court said.

The announcement follows a court decision to separate the case of Khmer Rouge leader Im Chaem from case 004, which includes suspect Ta An and another leader, Ta Tith.

Alleged ties to atrocities

Prosecutors say Ta An oversaw a number of Khmer Rouge atrocities as he rose to deputy secretary of the Central Zone under the regime's political structure.

As such, he was second in command in the area, based in Kampong Cham province, where up to 150,000 people died under the regime, including a large number of Cham minorities.

The charges now include genocide against Muslims and crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, enslavement, torture, and persecution against Lon Nol soldiers, Khmer Rouge cadres of the Central Zone, and people from the Eastern Zone. Other inhumane acts include forced marriage, rape, disappearances, physical abuse, forced labor, persecution against the Cham and Vietnamese people, and inhumane conditions at detention facilities.

In an exclusive interview with VOA Khmer in 2011, Ta An rejected the charges against him. He does not yet have a defense attorney.

Latt Ky, a tribunal monitor for the Phnom Penh-based rights group Adhoc, said although cases against Ta An and other leaders not in detention have taken too long, he supports Bohlander's decision to push forward.

"This is the kind of development that the public has awaited for a long time," he said.
An American Islamic State member detained by Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq says he had been with the militant group for more than two months, according to Kurdish authorities.



Mohamad Jamal Khweis, a Virginia-born U.S. citizen, was captured Monday by Kurdish forces near the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq. Kurdish officials told VOA that they continue to interrogate him and are trying to unravel details of his alleged life under IS.



The terrorist is currently being held by our forces, Kurdish commander Daham Hussein told VOA at the base where Khweis was detained. He is under investigation for now.



It remains unclear, though, how long Khweis has been in contact with IS or how he was recruited. His family told VOA that Khweis made frequent trips to the Middle East.



Kurdish officials say they obtained his drivers license, credit cards, cell phones and cash when he was captured.



All we can confirm is that he surrendered to Peshmerga forces and claimed he was an American IS member, Jabar Yawar, the chief of staff for the Kurdistan Regional Governments Peshmerga Ministry, told VOA. We, according to our counterterrorism law, will investigate the suspect and leave the course of action to the rule of law."



The U.S. State Department said officials are in touch with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to determine the veracity of these reports," following news of Khweis's capture.



Kurdish officials said the U.S. government has not reached out to them to inquire about the case.



The case is complicated in that the Iraqi government is the ultimate legal authority over the Kurdish region and any extradition proceedings would have to go through Baghdad, Kurdish officials say.



Contacted by VOA on Tuesday, Khweiss father in Virginia refused further comment on his son's capture. Jamal Khweis, in an exclusive interview on Monday with VOA, said he tried to get more information from U.S. authorities.

I went to the State Department to inquire about my son, he said. They didnt helpI wont talk to reporters until the U.S. government confirms my sons capture.

His son initially told Kurdish forces who arrested him that he ran into the Kurdish Peshmerga base by mistake thinking it was a Turkish border patrol outpost.



He had no weapons on him, only personal belongings, said commander Hussein, who was present during the arrest.



VOAs Rikar Hussein and State Department correspondent Pam Dockins contributed to this report from Washington
The hacker collective known as Anonymous says it has declared total war on Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

In a video released March 4, the shadowy group said his campaign for the U.S. presidency was deeply disturbing.

Your inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States of America, you have shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas, said a masked man with a robotic voice. You dont stand for anything except for your personal greed and power. This is a call to arms.

The group is calling the campaign against the real estate mogul #OpTrump, saying it will begin on April 1, which is April Fool's Day in the United States.

In another post, the group said the operation would include denial of service attacks on several Trump-related websites, including Trumps main site, DonaldJTrump.com. The post also included what Anonymous says is some of Trumps personal information.

Anonymous has hacked Trump before.

Last December, in the wake of Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., the group crashed the Trump Tower New York website and leaked voicemails, reported the Telegraph newspaper.

The April 1 effort, the group said, will be much bigger.

"We need you to... research and expose what he doesnt want the public to know, we need you to dismantle his camp and sabotage his brand," Anonymous said.

There was no immediate comment from the Trump campaign.

Here's the video:
Myanmars parliament has voted to elect Htin Kyaw as the countrys next president.

The retired bureaucrat from the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 360 out of the 652 votes cast in a joint meeting of the legislature, known as the Union Parliament.

Im so happy for him, for our party, our people and our country, exclaimed novice NLD lawmaker Hnin Htet, the daughter of a former political prisoner, after the historic vote.

Read a brief biography of Htin Kyaw here

Htin Kyaw is not a member of parliament, but he is a close confidant of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was among the first to vote in Tuesdays historic election.

Aung San Suu Kyi made no comment to reporters on her way in or out of the chamber.

The Nobel Laureate is the obvious favorite of most citizens of Myanmar, also known as Burma. But she is constitutionally barred from becoming president because both of her sons have foreign citizenship.

We remain concerned about certain provisions in Burmas constitution that contradict fundamental democratic principles and prevent the people of Burma from voting for the leaders of their choice, said a U.S. State Department official. The people of Burma should be able to decide whether and when to amend the countrys constitution to alter or remove these provisions."

Ultimate power

Aung San Suu Kyi has declared she will retain ultimate power over her handpicked president, whom she has known since primary school.

The military will remain powerful in the new government because it automatically holds one-quarter of the parliamentary seats and will control several key ministries.

Officials tried to prevent reporters from interviewing or videotaping the militarys members of parliament as they registered for the joint session in the lobby of the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house.

When the NLD forms a government we will need to work together with them, an army brigadier general, who declined to give his name, told VOA.

The armys candidate for president, General Myint Swe, who is the Yangon regional chief minister, placed second in the three-man race and will become the first vice president.

On blacklist

The retired lieutenant general remains on a U.S. government blacklist and Americans are barred with doing business with him.

Some in the NLD and analysts have expressed concern that the enduring influence of the generals will mean Myanmar will continue to be dogged by cronyism and corruption. But after Tuesdays vote, lawmakers from both the NLD and the now opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) stressed the need to work together.

We have been learning the true meaning of endurance and hard work. So I can be patient. And the very fundamental thinking that we have to keep in our mind is national reconciliation, said NLD lawmaker Pyone Kathy Naing.

We will work together (with the NLD). Both parties are working for the best of our country, USDP lawmaker Hla Htay Win told VOA.

The NLDs Henry Van Thio, a Christian from Chin state, finished third in Tuesdays voting and will become second vice president.

Myanmar is a Buddhist-dominated country of more than 55 million people that has seen nearly constant civil war since the end of British colonial rule in 1948.

Since a nominally civilian government was installed in 2011 there has been progress in brokering peace deals with various factions. But low-intensity conflicts continue between the Myanmar army and a number of armed ethnic minority groups.

The new government will take office on April 1.
When Americans go to the polls this November to elect the next U.S. president, Native American groups worry that many of their members will be turned away from the ballot box.

Native Americans won U.S. citizenship more than 90 years ago. Even so, many states denied them  as they did African Americans  the right to vote, subjecting them to poll taxes, literacy tests, harassment and intimidation.



In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act (VRA), banning such discriminatory practices and giving the federal government the authority to monitor elections to ensure they are fair.



In 2013, however, the Supreme Court defeated a key provision in the VRA. As a result, certain states with a history of racial discrimination are no longer required to get pre-clearance from the Federal government before they can make changes to election systems.

Soon afterwards, states began to change the rules. Some argued that they acted to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting. But Native Americans and other minority groups complain the new policies discourage them from voting.

Kansas, for example, passed a law requiring voter registrants to provide proof-of-citizenship documents such as birth or naturalization certificates or passports. Voters have 90 days to produce the documents before the state will remove them from the rolls altogether.

Arizona, which is home to one of the largest Native American populations, in 2014 placed more than 500 registered Navajo voters on what it called a suspense list because they lacked proper street addresses. Indeed, as the Nation noted in 2012, Arizonas voter registration form includes a large box on which Navajo voters can draw the location of their home in order to determine their precinct.

North Dakota, where Native Americans represent about five percent of the population, requires voters to present identification cards bearing their current residential address. Because many Natives dont have ID cards or drivers licenses, they are disqualified from voting.

Long-distance voting



O.J. Semans, an Oglala Sioux, is co-executive director of Four Directions, a nonprofit that promotes Native voting rights across the country. Because his county is not organized, up until just a few years ago, he and other residents of the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota were forced to drive 60 miles to the next county to vote in elections.



What you are looking at are individuals that have been consistently shown to be in the top 10 poorest counties in the whole United States, Semans said. You are looking at unemployment of 70 to 80 percent. And you are looking at one house, five families; three houses, one car. Never mind paying for the gas to get to the next county.



South Dakota also allows registered voters to vote by mail, but Semans said even that is a hardship for Native Americans.



If I wanted to vote absentee without going to the county office, I would write them a letter with an affidavit. I would have to find a notary to notarize my signature, saying that this was me, said Semans. Then Id have to go to the post office and mail it, and sometimes, believe it or not, 49 cents for a stamp is kind of hard for some folks to come up with.

Because many residents in Rosebud dont have mailing addresses, mail delivery is sporadic, and the mail-in ballot may never arrive. And even if it does, tribal members may have a difficult time filling it out.

A lot of our elders still speak our traditional language, and they dont read or write that well, said Seman. And if they do manage to fill out the ballot, then they have to go to the post office to mail it back election authorities.

So Semans and his colleagues negotiated with county commissioners, and ultimately convinced them to open up satellite voting offices on Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian reservations.

It was a costly battle, he said, and in order to fund it, a local politician who consults with Four Directions sold off some of his cattle. Semans laughs uproariously at the memory.



Fighting for the right to vote, we gotta send a white guy to sell his cows so we can get more money to keep going! he said.



Language barriers



Despite many similar lawsuits across the U.S., states and counties continue to find creative ways to discourage Indians and other minorities from voting, said Laughlin McDonald, a lawyer with the ACLUs Voting Rights Project who has argued many cases on behalf of Native Americans  most recently, Navajo Indians in San Juan County, Utah.



Voting in that county was typically done in polling places on the Navajo reservation, but in 2014, the county shut down the polling places and adopted a system of mail-in voting, said McDonald. It would have taken Native voters four, five, even six hours to drive to the county seat.



Furthermore, the VRA requires San Juan County, among other localities, to provide assistance to Navajos and other minorities who arent fluent in English.

But in San Juan County, the mailing ballots are written only in English, and they dont provide any way to explain those ballots to Indian voters, said McDonald.

The county election commission refused requests to abolish the mail-in system, so the ACLU, the Navajo Human Rights Commission and eleven Navajo tribal members filed suit.

Meanwhile, in Washington, lawmakers have introduced two separate bills that would protect minorities from discriminatory election procedures, but both are stalled, to McDonalds dismay.

Congress needs to act, said McDonald. If you dont participate in the political process you are not only denied the benefits of government but you become the victims of government.
Throughout the U.S. presidential primary campaign, candidates have made a point to focus on the concerns of politically influential minority groups, including African-Americans, Latinos, and Asian-Americans. But one group that has largely been overlooked is Native Americans.

It's nothing new: Native Americans are hardly ever a priority in U.S. presidential elections for a variety of reasons. First, they make up a relatively small portion of the overall population. Second, they tend to vote at much lower rates than other minorities. And third, they're bunched in states not seen as crucial to the primary election process.

But the problems facing America's indigenous people are daunting and, in many cases, are much more severe than the challenges faced by other minority groups.

"Nearly everything that is bad in America  whether drug abuse or high school dropout rates or violence  is much worse on reservations than it is in the outside community," said former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe.

Grim statistics

A quick glance at stats compiled by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) shows the extent of the challenges.

The U.S. unemployment rate currently stands at 5.5 percent. For Native Americans, the unemployment rate is a staggering 22 percent, more than twice that of Hispanics and African-Americans. Overall, one in four Native Americans lives in poverty, about double the rate of the general population.

Police violence also disproportionately affects Native Americans. According to a study by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Native Americans are the racial group most likely to be killed by law enforcement.

Yet, presidential candidates have barely mentioned Native Americans.

Only two candidates, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, make any mention of Native American issues on their campaign websites, according to a VOA search. None of the Republican presidential campaigns responded to VOA requests for comment on whether they were reaching out to Indian Americans.

"Without getting into party politics, all I can say is that I've heard public speeches from the two Democratic candidates, but not so much from the Republican contenders," said Robert Holden, deputy director of NCAI.

But Congressman Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma and one of only two U.S. congressmen of Native American descent, told VOA that several Republican presidential candidates have contacted him about Native American issues.

"Out of the current field, all but one has reached out to me," he said. "The only one that hasn't reached out to me is the one that's at the top of the ticket right now."

Calendar, numbers factor in

So why aren't more presidential candidates bringing Native American issues to light? Part of it is the nature of the U.S. primary election calendar.

None of the early primary states have the highest percentage of Native American populations, explains Holly Cook Macarro, who worked on tribal intergovernmental affairs in the administration of former President Bill Clinton.

"We've seen the African-American communities and their issues get a lot of attention as the primaries have moved through the South, and we've seen the Latino communities and their issues get a lot of attention in states such as Nevada," she told VOA.

"But usually, by the time we get to those states with high Native American populations  like the states in the Southwest, for example  largely the presidential nominations are settled," said Macarro, a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians.

In Florida, which holds a crucial primary vote Tuesday, the problem is mathematical. Native Americans make up only about a half of one percent of Florida's population, allowing their concerns to be marginalized.

Most urgent issue: environmental

Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee tribe, says some of the most urgent issues facing her community are environmental. Osceola runs an airboat tour company in the Everglades, a region where persistent economic development threatens indigenous lands and sacred burial grounds.

"You have a lot of non-Indians telling us what is sacred," Osceola told VOA. "But we're the people who actually live it, it's our culture and tradition. How can somebody else come along and determine what is culturally significant to an Indian tribe except for the Indian tribe itself?

Other problems include intentional flooding, which threatens three islands that provide high ground that many Everglades animals such as alligators need to survive. Another issue is water supplies that are poisoned with harmful toxins, such as phosphorus and mercury.

The environmental issues have now made it impossible to live off the land, Osceola says, citing experts who warn against eating more than one fish per week caught in the Everglades.

Like Flint, but minus uproar

Similar problems affect Native American communities around the country, but result in little outcry, says Tara Houska, a tribal rights attorney and a citizen of the Couchiching First Nation.

She compares the situation to that of Flint, Michigan, where lead poisoning of a water supply in a predominantly African-American community led to a nationwide uproar and repeated visits by presidential candidates.

"That's a situation that's been going on in Indian country for decades," Houska said. "Thirty percent of the Navajo nation is without clean drinking water. It's been that way since the 1950s. But no one really cares."



Houska, who is advising the Sanders campaign on Native American issues, says she is encouraged by the emphasis the Vermont senator has put on indigenous affairs.

From a campaign perspective, going out and doing outreach to the people that are approximately 2 percent of the population, I dont know if thats going to necessarily help win an election, she said.

But at the same time, [Sanders] recognizes these are extremely oppressed people, and that fits with everything he's done his whole life with social justice and human rights and understanding that everyone needs to be included, she added.

Houska and others also stress that the Native American vote can be more impactful in state and local elections, as well as in the general election in November.

In a way, though, winning elections is not really the point, said Macarro, the former Clinton White House official, who views Native American issues as a bellwether that reveals the character of presidential candidates.



Its called being on the right side of history, she said. Its the right thing to do. Doing the right thing by the indigenous populations of the United States I think says a lot about the priorities of a candidate and the commitments they will hold as president.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday says his country will conduct tests of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles "in a short time," continuing a pattern of loud defiance of the international community.

This latest threat is consistent with Pyongyangs recent responses to tough new United Nations sanctions imposed upon it, and seems to be directed at skeptics who doubt the Norths nuclear capabilities.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim ordered further nuclear and missile tests while witnessing a demonstration of heat-resistant materials to be used in ballistic missiles for atmospheric re-entry.

According to KCNA, Kim said a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability.

Urging restraint

Both South Korea and Japan have urged North Korea to refrain from further violating the United Nations Security Council resolution banning Pyongyang from developing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye Tuesday said that if North Korea will lead itself to self-destruction if it does not change and continues to make

excessive provocations and confrontation with the international community.

"We absolutely cannot allow North Korea to continue on with its provocative attitude and not abandon its nuclear missile development," said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshide Suga.

At the same time, Seoul discounts Pyongyangs claim that it has developed missile re-entry technology.

What North Korea announced today was North Koreas one-sided claim. Based on what our military has judged so far, North Korea has not obtained re-entry capability," said South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun.

Unverifiable tests

North Korea has conducted four nuclear tests, and claimed its last test in January was of a significantly more powerful hydrogen bomb. But a number of experts said the blast, recorded by earthquake detectors, was too small for an H-bomb.

The North says the satellites it has launched into orbit are functioning successfully, although that has not been verified independently.

There is also widespread skepticism over North Koreas claims that it has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and that it has acquired the re-entry technology needed for a long-range missile to bring a payload back into the atmosphere.

North Korea does have the KN-08 missile that is estimated to have a range of several thousand kilometers.

But to date there have been no verifiable tests to demonstrate either long range missile or miniaturized nuclear warhead capabilities.

Credible claims

KCNA published pictures of an object described as a warhead tip, a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine and being blasted with flaming exhaust.

The photos could be mock ups intended to make the world think North Koreas nuclear program is more advanced that it is, said analyst Kim Dong-yub, with Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

By looking at the shape, many think North Korea has completed miniaturization, but I am still skeptical whether the object is a model or is explosive, he said.

But given the advancement of the North's nuclear program in the last decade, he said, it is reasonable to conclude they have made significant progress in developing warhead miniaturization capability.

North Korea nuclear analyst Jeffrey Lewis agrees and said the photos and North Koreas nuclear claims seem credible.

That would not be unusual for a state that has run four nuclear tests to be able to build a fission device with say about 60 centimeters in diameter, which should fit on the end of one of their missiles, said Lewis, who is director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California.

North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium to make eight to 12 nuclear bombs as well as has a stockpile of highly enriched uranium. An expanding network of tunnels has also been detected in the area where past nuclear blasts have been detonated, presumably in preparation for more tests.

North Korea has responded with defiance to new U.N. sanctions imposed this month after its nuclear test in January was followed by a long-range rocket launch in February.

This week Pyongyang claimed it could wipe out Manhattan by burning it "down to ashes" using a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile and last week it threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike against U.S. and South Korean forces that are engaged in their annual joint military drills on the Korean peninsula.

The photos North Korea released and the tests it is planning, Lewis said, seems intended to remove any doubt over its alleged nuclear capabilities.

What it looks like to me is the North Koreans are sort of methodically going through all the places that we expressed skepticism about, and they are releasing pictures and I suspect that will culminate in this last round of tests, he said.

The new U.N. Security Council resolution expanded existing sanctions by requiring member states to inspect all cargo to and from North Korea and banning the North's trade of coal when it is seen as funding the countrys arms program.

North Korea has been unwilling to yield to the demands of the international community, even from China, its key ally and economic partner.

Instead, the Kim Jong Un government maintains it has a sovereign right to a nuclear deterrent to defend itself from threats, and to run a space program putting satellites into orbit.
In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration is barring oil drilling off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Tuesday the decision comes after listening to thousands of people from New England fishing villages to Florida beach resorts and the Pentagon which conducts military drills in the ocean.

Jewell said the decision "protects the Atlantic for future generations.

"When you factor in conflicts with national defense, economic activities such as fishing and tourism ad opposition from many local communities, it simply doesn't make sense to move forward with any lease sales in the coming five years."

The White House announced a plan last year that would have opened a large area of the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to Georgia to oil and natural gas drilling 80 kilometers off shore.



Environmentalists are thrilled the administration is scrapping its plans.

The oil industry is not. The head of the American Petroleum Institute says the decision "appeases extremists" who want to stop U.S. oil and natural gas production.



Oil and gas drilling leases that will be available for sale starting in 2017 include 10 areas in the Gulf of Mexico and three sites off Alaska, but not portions of the state's Beaufort and Chukchi seas and Bristol Bay which Obama has already declared off-limits for environmental reasons.
A central highlands farmer is earning around $45,000 each month from growing white mushrooms, far outstripping the $2,000 average annual income in Vietnam.

After four years of working as a mechanic in Canada, Tang Thanh Duc quit his job and turned to growing white mushrooms.

In the 1990s, he built a successful business and eventually had more than 100 hectares under cultivation.

White mushrooms with cap's diameter from 3-5 centimeters

Seeing the potential for the crop in Vietnams agricultural sector, in 2010, he returned to the country, choosing Duc Trong district in Lam Dong province in the central highlands region where the cool climate is suitable for growing mushrooms.

White mushrooms are a premium kind of mushroom, and they are especially favored by restaurants in America," Duc said.

"In Vietnam, northern farmers have grown white mushrooms for quite a long time, but on a small scale and without the support of modern technology, so they mainly supply domestic customers. Southern farmers, on the other hand, hardly grow the mushroom at all, he added.

Duc obtained a business license for the project in 2010, but it was not until July 2014 that his family started growing white mushrooms in Vietnam.

During those four years, he focused putting together the equipment and infrastructure needed to run the farm. Duc travelled back to Canada on several occasions to purchase equipment he was unable to source locally, such as gauges for measuring temperature, light, humidity and wind speed.

The mushroom production line cost him about $1 million. However, due to the relatively small size of the farm, approximately 3,000 square meters, he does not operate at full capacity, he added.

At present, his family turns out 10 tonnes of mushrooms per month, but should customer demand increase he is capable of producing 15 tonnes.

"My wife and I undertook this project in order to introduce a more technological approach to farming here. Im very happy that many local farmers came to visit us on the day we officially began operations. However, its not easy for them to apply the same techniques. The work requires farmers to have a certain level of education because they must read chemical formulas and blend components together.

Duc notes down instructions for his workers

Duc has employed four other workers to help him on the farm, but he said even though they were good at learning how to run the production line, they were not able to understand all of the procedures and techniques required.

Duc said there were many large investors in the agricultural sector in Vietnam, but they were either not interested in such projects or unwilling to pour their money into more advanced technology. Local families, he said, also often worked independently rather than collaborating to form a production network.

The head of Lam Dongs Department of Science and Technology, Dr. Le Xuan Tham, said Ducs mushroom farm was one of the most advanced in Vietnam, with the white mushrooms grown there equal in quality to those imported from Canada.
The United States says that a top Islamic State commander known as Omar the Chechen has died from injuries he suffered a week ago when an American airstrike targeted him in Syria.

U.S. defense officials at first said that Omar al-Shishani, a fierce battle-hardened warlord with a thick red beard, had been killed along with 12 other Islamic State fighters in the attack on a meeting of jihadists. Later, they said he survived the airstrike but died Monday.

Shishani, the nom de guerre for Tarkhan Batirashvili, had a reputation as one of Islamic State's most capable commanders, with the U.S. having put a $5 million bounty on his head. U.S. officials described him as the "equivalent of the secretary of defense" for the jihadists.

He fought as a Chechen rebel against Russian forces before joining the Georgian military in 2006 and then battled Russian troops again in 2008.

Four years later, he surfaced in Syria as a leader of a battalion of foreign fighters. As the Islamic State group emerged in Syria in 2013, he was named the jihadists' commander for the northern part of the country.

The U.S. Defense Department said that he led Islamic State fighters in many battles in Syria and Iraq and had overseen the group's prison in Raqqa, the Islamic State's self-declared capital in northern Syria.
The Philippines is one of the worlds most vulnerable countries when it comes to disasters and weather-related events. And this week it is hosting a three-day intensive seminar to help develop climate leaders who will be tasked to call attention to the impacts of climate change and what action can be taken.

Climate reality



From 1994 to 2013, the Philippines had 328 major weather events making it the worst-off country, according to data presented by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, now the chairman of the Washington-based Climate Reality Project. Second on the list was Bangladesh, with 228 events.

Gores presentation in Manila made the connection between rising earth temperatures, powerful storms, extreme heat, more prolonged drought and their impact on food supplies, public health and political stability.

I am constantly challenged in my own heart to realize the magnitude of these biblical changes that are going on right now, he said. And we are the people alive in this day and time that have a responsibility to recognize it and then to act.

Gore spoke Monday to the crowd of about 700 people in Manila, made up of public and private sector environmentalists, climate justice advocates and local media representatives.

Climate Reality CEO Ken Berlin said the goal is to get the Philippines started on its stated intention, made during the U.N. Conference of Parties summit (COP21) in December, to reduce 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

And well be working to make sure that commitment is implemented, to build public support for the implementation of it.If there are new laws needed, well work to get those laws through and build public support for that, said Berlin.

Investing in renewable energy



Philippine Senator Loren Legarda, who has authored at least eight environmental laws, made a pitch for renewable energy. She asked why when the rest of the world was moving toward reducing coal powered generation (which causes significant carbon emissions), the Philippines was going in the opposite direction.

The explanation given is anchored on simplistic assumptions: coal-fired power plants are the countrys dominant power technology because economically, they are widely available and easy to build. Easy and affordable defy durable solutions.

Legarda said the country already had several laws supporting the renewable energy sector. She said renewable energy is about one third of the countrys power source, but the Philippines was still falling short of tapping its potential to generate 246,000 megawatts from those sources.

Power companies have said that the energy market in the Philippines is very competitive and there is still demand for cheap sources of electricity such as coal.

According to the World Resources Institute, public concern over high energy prices in a country that already has one of the highest costs in Asia has been a major stumbling block for renewable power generation.

Shifting from dirty fuel sources



On its website, the Philippine Energy Department promotes the country as having vast potential for coal resources just awaiting full exploration and development to contribute to the attainment of the country's energy self- sufficiency program.

Government incentives include exemption from all taxes except income tax and exemption from tariff duties and compensation tax for importing machinery and equipment needed for coal operations.

The energy department also promotes investments in renewable energies, but without as many tax and tariff incentives.

Legarda highlighted an energy efficiency bill that she intends to push in the next congressional session starting in July and urged the leaders in training to help keep such proposals in the public eye.

Rodne Galicha, branch manager of Climate Reality Philippines, said climate leaders in his country need to walk the talk. (Back up their words with actions)

On top of adaptation strategies, loss and damage, climate negotiations, etc., we need really to, as well, shift from dirty fuel sources to renewable sources. We have a lot of renewable energy sources, he said.

He said the country needs to stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry and instead give more incentives for renewable energy.
The state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is in for a massive overhaul, its director announced this month, but analysts are divided over whether that will be enough to bring meaningful reform to Nigerias chaotic petroleum sector.

The restructuring of the NNPC into five businesses and two service companies has been widely anticipated since President Muhammadu Buhari took office last year. He courted voters with promises to crack down on corruption, and there are few targets more prominent than the NNPC.

The corporation represents the governments stake in the countrys oil industry, which produces about 2 million barrels per day and is Africas largest.

But few Nigerians reap the rewards of the oil wealth; about two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line, a fact many blame on inefficiencies and dirty dealings at the state oil company.

The NNPC is notoriously secretive, allegedly corrupt and recently unprofitable. In 2011, a joint report by the Transparency International and Revenue Watch Institute said the corporation keeps almost all its operations and files secret. Three years later, the former central bank governor accused the NNPC of not handing over $20 billion it owed the government.

A spokesman for the corporation was not available for comment.

Operating at a loss

A restructured NNPC will make more money and do so with more transparency, said Dauda Garuba, the Nigeria officer at the Natural Resource Governance Institute. The company showed a loss last year, in part because of the crash in the global price of oil.

If you break up the NNPC, the independence of the various units will not be so guaranteed and issues will not be so straightforward and not too technical for people to follow up on and investigate, Garuba said.

But Matthew Page, a fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Affairs, said breaking up the company might not be enough to get it in the black.

The corporation operates a number of losing subsidiaries, most prominent of which are Nigerias four refineries. They barely function, in part because the oil pipelines that supply them with crude keep getting attacked by criminals. As a result, Nigeria imports most of its gasoline and diesel.

Despite calls from investors and analysts, Buhari has ruled out privatizing the refineries.

The refineries are, obviously, a major millstone hanging around the neck of the company, Page said. Its really weighing it down. Its the source of a lot of its financial losses.

No oversight

The NNPC both buys and sells petroleum products and regulates the industry, Page said, making it designed to evade outside scrutiny and effective oversight.

Theres even less oversight on it now since Buhari fired the companys board shortly after taking office and has yet to reappoint new members, Page said.

All these things are clear conflicts of interest and practices that really are unheard of elsewhere in the world, Page said.

Buhari made the unprecedented move to personally act as petroleum minister, while leaving the day-to-day operations of the NNPC to his junior minister, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.

The president is busy guiding a military campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and putting together a budget for this year.

But Page said that if Buhari wants to make these reforms really work, hell need to spend time overseeing the decisions at the NNPC personally.
Russia's decision to embark on a partial withdrawal from Syria is intended as a sharp rebuke to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has increasingly wavered from Moscow's "script" for the conflict, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

Intelligence officials have said for months that Russian President Vladimir Putin was never wedded to the idea of Assad's leadership as a long-term solution in Syria, provided a suitable replacement could be found.

But recent comments by Assad, including some about wanting to retake all of Syria with Russia's help before negotiating a peace settlement, appear to have pushed Moscow too far.

"It is clear that Russia has grown frustrated by the intransigence and incompetence of the Syrian regime," a U.S. intelligence official told VOA on condition of anonymity.

"Putin may have propped up Assad in the short term, but he has also learned firsthand just how hollow the Syrian forces are," the official added. "It would not be a surprise to see Putin cut his losses and push Assad out."

So far, the move appears to have made some impact in Damascus, with a senior Assad adviser telling Russia's RIA news agency that the Russian military withdrawal was a natural step, while welcoming greater cooperation between the United States and Russia on peace talks.

"Russia is not writing a blank check," said Christopher Kozak, a research analyst at the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War. "Russia expects a return on its investment and Assad needs to play ball right now while they have favorable conditions, in order to secure Russia's long-term interests."

Slow start to exit

But it also appears that Russia is not yet ready to cast Assad aside entirely.

Independent monitors and U.S. officials said Russia carried out airstrikes against the Islamic State terror group Tuesday in support of pro-regime forces in Palmyra. And U.S. defense officials said that, despite much fanfare, Russia's partial withdrawal is off to a slow start.

"We have seen some Russian aircraft depart Syria and return to Russia," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters Tuesday, putting the number at "fewer than 10."

"We have to judge Russia by its actions, not its word, so we'll see," he added.

And even if Russia does quicken the pace of its military withdrawal from Syria, it still will maintain an airbase in Latakia province, as well as a presence at the key port of Tartous, allowing Putin to quickly ramp up Moscow's military presence.

"Putin is withdrawing the pieces of equipment that can be moved around very easily," said ISW's Kozak. "The infrastructure that's behind it, the air defense systems, like the S400 missile system, that's going to remain. So there are no startup costs in the future."
Lawmakers in Singapore have passed tighter restrictions on tobacco sales aimed at reducing smoking rates.

Beginning in 2017, shop owners will be prohibited from leaving tobacco products in plain sight, with the goal of preventing impulse purchases, especially among young people.The products include cigarettes, cigars, and "ang hoon," or loose tobacco leaves.

Health Minister Amy Khor told lawmakers Monday that stores that specialize in selling tobacco products will be exempt, as long as the items are not visible from the outside.

Some lawmakers have called for even stricter measures to reduce smoking rates in the city-state, including raising the minimum legal age from 18 to 21 for buying cigarettes, and increasing the number of designated smoking zones.
Syria entered its sixth year of war Tuesday as diplomats met in Geneva to try to end the bloodshed that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced more than half of the country's population.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to the parties, and those with influence on them, to make the negotiations a success.

If we miss this opportunity, the consequences for the Syrian people and the world are too frightening to contemplate, he said in a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the war.

The international community has seen previous attempts at getting the parties to the negotiating table quickly fail. But this time, there seems to be the smallest glimmer of hope.

Russian withdrawal

One major factor was Mondays announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he had ordered the immediate withdrawal of the bulk of his forces from Syria after 5 months of airstrikes. Russia said the strikes were aimed at Islamic State terrorists, but others disputed that, saying Moscow was attacking armed opposition groups.

George Washington University international relations professor Edmund Ghareeb said the Russian announcement sent the message that Moscow would like to see a peace settlement in Syria and they are not planning on staying there forever. He said the decision might boost the confidence of some in the moderate opposition as they meet with U.N. facilitators in Geneva.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that he would head to Moscow next week to meet with Putin about the troop withdrawal and efforts to move the political process forward. "We have reached a very important phase in this process," Kerry said. "This is a moment to seize, not waste.

Why now?

The Russian announcement came as a surprise to many international observers.

Russias U.N. envoy, Vitaly Churkin, said his government was now in a political mode, and that diplomats had received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria.

I think it is an encouraging sign, because it shows that everyone is behind moving toward a more political process now, U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman told reporters Tuesday.

Some analysts believe Russia is now ready for serious peace talks because its air campaign has helped put President Bashar al-Assad and his government in a strong position heading into negotiations.

They are satisfied with the military balance on the ground," Middle East Institute scholar Randa Slim told VOA. "Assad is in the best position militarily to negotiate an agreement in his favor.

We have to face reality, one Security Council diplomat said recently. The tide has turned dramatically to the regime, and they are seeking to translate that to supremacy at the negotiating table.

No Plan B

Other factors  including the rising tide of refugees washing up on European shores, the destabilizing effect of 4 million refugees on Syrias neighbors, the fear of the spread of terrorism and plunging global oil prices  are all weighing on nations with influence in wanting a negotiated end to the conflict.

The only Plan B available is the return to war, and to an even worse war than we had so far, Staffan de Mistura, U.N. special envoy for Syria, said Monday at the start of the latest round of intra-Syrian talks.

Two previous rounds of talks in Geneva collapsed quickly.

If we see a quick collapse, that means things have not changed very much, Ghareeb said of the current round of proximity talks  which de Mistura hopes will continue until March 24. If they continue the talks and the participants dont go home, that in itself would be a very significant development.

De Mistura hopes to lessen the vast differences between the two sides during the discussions. He also hopes to lay out a road map for two future rounds of talks. They will be guided by principles in a U.N. Security Council resolution and a 2012 document known as the Geneva Communique. They set out the framework for a political transition, a new constitution and eventually elections.

If we see serious progress made toward reaching this road map, Slim of the Middle East Institute said, this means Assad heard Moscow well and internalized the message Moscow sent.
The ever-escalating violence in Syria has killed more than 250,000 people and forced more than five million to flee the country, according to a report delivered to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday, the 5-year anniversary of the conflicts start.

"The survivors of this brutal war are the maimed, the displaced, the women and girls who endured sexual violence, said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which compiled the report. No corner of the country has been left unscathed. ... Children have been disproportionately affected by the war. The hundreds of thousands of Syrian children not attending school are already being labeled the lost generation."

But for the first time, Pinheiro noted, hope is in sight.

He said he is heartened by the cessation of hostilities agreement, which has brought down the level of fighting in the country and made the resumption of peace talks possible.

Despite improvements, the commission's report documents violations committed by all the warring parties  violations that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The peace negotiations must not ignore the crimes, Pinheiro said, adding that human rights and accountability issues must remain present at the negotiation table.

"When we speak with the victims whose lives have been torn apart by this conflict, their message is clear, Pinheiro said. They want peace and they demand justice. The commission strongly supports credible international and domestic criminal proceedings as a means of fighting impunity."

The Syrian ambassador, however, was unmoved by the appeal. He accused the commission of being biased, of rehashing old accusations and of relying upon false testimonies.

The commission, he said, has ignored documented information provided by the government of Syria to U.N. agencies, which told a different story of thousands of Syrians victimized by foreign-backed terrorism.
Following Sundays suicide bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the broadening of the definition of terrorism to include journalists and academics. His call comes as three university teachers were detained on Tuesday on charges of "terrorist propaganda."

That crackdown led to the arrest and detention Monday of Dr. Esra Mungan, one of the organizers of a petition signed by more than 1,000 academics that calls for a resumption of peace efforts with the Kurdish rebel group. Mungan and two of her colleagues face charges of terrorist propaganda.

Turkish academics gathered outside the city's main courthouse Tuesday, voicing their support for their three colleagues.

"I believe in academic freedom and I will fight for it forever, said professor Faruk Birtek. Without that, there is no progress; there is no liberty; there is no civilization. And the current government wants to repress academic freedom, freedom of expression, with regard to [the] current situation of peace and no peace in Turkey. And I have never seen anything like what is happening in Turkey today."

Erdogan, who had already condemned the academics who signed the petition as terrorists, on Monday called for a broadening of the term to include accomplices.

Titles such as parliamentary deputy, academic, author and journalist do not change the fact that they are actually terrorists, according to Erdogan. An act of terror is successful, he said, because of such accomplices.

Observers say Erdogan's comments are aimed at the academics who signed the petition, and at parliamentary deputies of the country's main pro-Kurdish party. They also say he is lobbying to have the deputies' parliamentary immunity lifted.

The government blames Sundays deadly attack on the PKK.

No middle ground

Erdogan also had a message for his Western allies.

"Some circles, at home and abroad, are at a junction, he said. They will either side with us, or with terrorists. There is no middle way.

The United States and the European Union have criticized the prosecution of the academics.

A student at the courthouse supporting her teachers says she sees their prosecution as a worrying trend.

"It was a manifesto of peace. They signed it for peace in Turkey and now they are in court, she said. We are so sorry about that, because in Turkey it is happening all days and people are getting arrested one by one, and we are hoping [they] will be free."

With the prosecutor demanding jail for the academics  and the president backing that demand  observers warn there is a strong possibility the academics could end up behind bars.
If tech startups want to make a splash with their creation, they come to South by Southwest Interactive. The festival saw the inception of tech giants like Twitter and Siri from Apple. Creators are constantly running around Austin, Texas, the epicenter of the tech world for nine days.

The stakes are high.

Tech innovators come here to make a name for themselves, to be the next big thing. For more than a week, March 11 to March 20, the music, film and interactive portions of the festival take place. The combination of these three threads, some say, makes for a perfect recipe.

Each of them is almost like a mini conference by itself that attracts all the greatest innovators and leaders from that space / You get this great serendipity, the interaction and the mixing of all those different kinds of creative people and thats really the special sauce of South by Southwest, said Joshua Baer, executive director of the Capital Factory. Baker describes Capital Factory to VOA as the center of gravity of entrepreneurs in Texas.

In a swanky building in downtown Austin, Capital Factory has 15,000 square meters of pure tech incubating, creating and collaborating.

The building that houses HQ is sort of a dichotomy. The elevators seem like youre about to go into a financial investment firm but once the doors open you can tell this is the kind of laid back place that serves tacos and beers at the end of the workday on Fridays.

I actually think the real value for startups at SXSW is the ability to connect with the right people in small, intimate settings. Its not so much about putting your name on a billboard or throwing the biggest party, said Joshua Baer.

Companies like Sony or Samsung lease entire buildings near the Austin Convention Center, where a lot of the action happens. During SXSW, they are branding central for those tech companies that want to have a huge presence in the festival. Baer said that for startups, SXSW Interactive, at its core, is much more.

Its about identifying the key influencers from all over the world that are coming to Austin just for this event, find out where theyre going to be and how you can connect with them, said Baer.

Thanks, Obama

If SXSW Interactive wasnt a big deal already, the reputation was cemented even more with President Barack Obama being one of the keynote speakers and the first sitting U.S. president to speak at SXSW.

The Obama administration has been pushing for better synergy between Silicon Valley and government.

Ive spent some of my career in the private sector, some in the NGO sector and now in government and I think that magic happens at the intersection of these sectors. That we each have unique assets we bring and we have limitations and it is by working together that we could really do more than any of us could do alone, said Ann Mei Chang, chief innovation officer at USAID and executive director for their US Global Development Lab.

Watch video report on virtual reality at SXSW:

Changing tech, changing lives

Innovators do not only want to change technology. Innovators also want to use it to change the world around them and help people. SXSW Interactive has what they call different tracks. One of them is health and medical technology.

Some here want to save lives.

Breath Diagnostics, from Louisville, Kentucky, is one of those startups. They created a technology that detects if a person has lung cancer by analyzing their breath. The breath test is cheaper than biopsies. It is also quicker.

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in America. And its the leading cancer killer around the world. It kills more people than the four next cancers combined. Its not the most common but it is the leading killer. The key is to try to catch it early, said Michael Bousamra, a thoracic surgeon at the University of Louisville and president of Breath Diagnostics.

In need for the greens

Startups are looking for funding. Investors come to Austin to scoop out ideas they could possibly back. Creators know that and they are in full pitch mode at all times. Creating the next big tech revolution isnt cheap. They need some cash.

Tim Draper was swarmed with people after a presentation in Austin.

I can do the pitch in one minute, an entrepreneur said.

Tim Drapers people told him to send them an email.

Draper is the founding partner of Draper Associates. Have you used Gmail recently? Well, he helped bring that to the world. Through viral marketing, Draper made email services profitable. His grandfather was a venture capitalist. His dad was, too.

South by (as it is also known) allows you to go to a place where all those entrepreneurs have consolidated. Its a fun event, its an exciting place to be, lots of new entrepreneurs, lots of new ideas. Maybe Ill see something Ill want to fund. Maybe Ill just start to see trends, Draper told VOA.

Were open, were kind of looking for the next great entrepreneur to make a great transformation, he added.

Some tech startups pray everyday it would be them. This week they do so at SXSW.
The United Nations refugee agency reports fighting between government and opposition forces in Mozambique is prompting growing numbers of refugees to flee to neighboring Malawi.

The refugee agency reports nearly 11,500 Mozambicans have fled to Malawi since mid-December. Most of the new arrivals are in the village of Kapise, about 100 kilometers south of Malawis capital, Lilongwe. It says others are scattered throughout the neighboring district of Chikwawa.

The UNHCR reports the exodus of Mozambican refugees has been growing and shows no sign of abating. Spokesman Leo Dobbs said the authorities in Malawi were finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the rising number of people.

So, he said the government has decided to reopen a former refugee camp to deal with the influx. He said during the past month, aid workers have seen the number of refugees arriving in Kapise grew from around 130 a day to around 250 a day.

Early this year, the refugees we talked to said they were fleeing violence in their villages and more recent arrivals have said that they were fleeing for preventive reasons after fearing imminent clashes between government forces and RENAMO, the main opposition group, which has said it wishes to take control of six provinces in the north of Mozambique, said Dobbs.

To many observers, what is happening in Mozambique is beginning to look like a dangerous replay of its bloody civil war. That war lasted from 1977 to 1992. It killed up to 200,000 people and forcibly displaced some two million inside and outside the country.

Many people are concerned that a new refugee crisis may be looming in southern Africa. The Luwani camp, which Malawi is reopening, previously hosted Mozambican refugees from the civil war period. It was closed in 2007.

Dobbs said the UNHCR shortly would begin moving refugees from Kapise to the Luwani camp. He said the refugees would have better facilities and services available to them and that the camp would be safer than Kapise, which is only five kilometers from the border with Mozambique.
A woman has given birth to a baby boy while on a Jetstar Pacific flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Dang Nang.

The plane was beginning its descent, about 45 minutes after taking off from Ho Chi Minh City, when the woman went into labor.

Thanks to the help of the cabin crew and a foreign doctor who happened to be on board, the woman was able to safely deliver her child. Both are healthy and in a stable condition.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Nga with her husband and their newborn baby

Due to the limited medical equipment available on board, the baby's umbilical cord was not cut off until they were transferred to a hospital after landing.

Passengers in the cabin anxiously watch the dramatic scene unfold, and gave a rousing cheer on hearing the child's first cries. The anxious father held his wife's hand throughout the ordeal.

There were no words to describe my happiness at the moment I saw my boy for the first time. It was a fairytale to me, the new father said.

An ambulance was waiting on the tarmac in Da Nang and the three were transported to a local hospital right after landing.

The woman was in her 32nd week of pregnancy, and she was on her way to get a few days rest at her mothers house in Quang Nam province, 70 kilometers south of Da Nang.

I called my mother-in-law to let her know about the birth, but she could not believe it was true, the husband said.

"At home, we call our baby boy 'Jetstar' to remember the unforgettable events of the flight."

As a special gift from Jetstar, the baby boy can take free flights on the airline until he turns 20 years old.

This is a second time a woman has given birth on one the the airline's flights, a representative of Jetstar said. In 2011, a woman gave birth to a baby boy on a Jetstar Pacific plane just as it was about to take off.

A surprise helping hand

Fiona Sutton, a British pediatrician who happened to be on the flight, helped to deliver the baby when crew members asked for help from passengers.

The husband said he was so worried about his wife during the delivery that he forgot to ask for the name and contact details of the doctor who came to the rescue.

"I hope Jetstar Pacific can help us to send her a thank-you letter that I wrote in Vietnamese. I do not know if she can understand the letter but we hope she knows about our gratitude, the husband said to local media.

The airline contacted the doctor via email and a surprise visit to the family was planned. When Sutton arrived, the mother embraced her and burst into tears.

Sutton said she could still not believe that she had delivered a baby on a plane, and also asked the family share photos of the baby on social media so she could see the him everyday.

Fiona Sutton and other crew members of the flight visited the family at Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children. Photo: VnExpress
The White House announced changes Tuesday to travel and trade restrictions on Cuba, ahead of President Barack Obamas historic visit to the island nation next week.

The easing of restrictions marked the latest round of efforts to improve relations between the two countries since the formal restoration of diplomatic relations last year. The changes open up educational travel to Cuba for individual Americans, allow Cubans working in the United States to earn salaries, and reduce trade and financial barriers to improve business ties between the two countries.

In a briefing call with reporters, White House Deputy National Security adviser Ben Rhodes said the easing is part of a continued effort to "adjust our policies to empower the Cuban people and improve their lives."

The changes, effective Wednesday, allow for Cuban nationals in non-immigrant status to receive salaries in the United States. U.S. companies also can sponsor Cuban nationals for work in the United States.

More exchanges permitted

The new amendments increase opportunities for "people to people" exchanges, including allowing individual U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba and American support of educational projects in Cuba through grants and scholarships.

Robert Muse, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who specializes in U.S. laws relating to Cuba, said the changes effectively mean there are no restrictions for Americans traveling to Cuba.

"Without saying so, the Obama administration has deregulated travel to Cuba," he said.

John Kavulich, a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Trade and Economic Council, said, "This change in travel was all driven by the airlines, because airlines need to fill seats if they have regularly scheduled service. They need individuals, not just groups."

The U.S. and Cuba are expected to resume scheduled commercial air flights, 110 flights a day, later this year.

Tuesday's changes also included amendments relating to licensing of Cuban exports and cargo, and allowed for Cubans to open U.S. bank accounts from Cuba.

The administration's goal with the monetary policy change is to "re-create what the Cuban Revolution destroyed, a middle class in Cuba. By supporting small businesses, exporting directly to small businesses, that's all about resurrecting the middle class," Kavulich said.

Restrictions on direct U.S. investment in Cuba and Cuban imports to the United States remain in place because of the embargo with Cuba. Tourist travel to Cuba also remains prohibited. The amendments mark the fifth round of changes in Commerce and Treasury restrictions.

Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said the new steps toward normalized relations with Cuba "build on the actions of the last 15 months as we continue to break down economic barriers, empower the Cuban people and advance their financial freedoms, and chart a new course in U.S.-Cuban relations."

Embargo an impediment

Rhodes, in the briefing, said the administration welcomed efforts to engage with Congress on lifting the embargo fully or in part.

"At a certain point, the embargo is an impediment to the very engagement that has a chance of promoting a better life for the Cuban people," he said.

Outstanding U.S. property claims dating back to the early days of the Fidel Castro regime, as well as Cubas reparation claims, remain a continuing obstacle in the relationship between the two countries.

Rhodes said the administration believed it could make "significant progress" in the dialogue regarding those claims.

"The resolution of those claims can also help open up space for American businesses to engage in greater commercial activity with Cuba, so there is some incentive for Cuba to resolve those issues," Rhodes said.

Historic visit

Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba in nearly 90 years when he arrives there next week.

The two nations endured some 50 years of hostilities, after revolutionary Fidel Castro overthrew the U.S.-supported dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro, Fidel Castro's younger brother, renewed diplomatic relations in December 2014, eased trade barriers in the months since then and reopened embassies in Havana and Washington.
Ukraines greatest challenge remains the Russian occupation of the Crimean peninsula and the restoration of sovereignty in the eastern Donbas region through full implementation of the September 2014 and February 2015 Minsk agreements, according to a top U.S. diplomat.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Victoria Nuland says these agreements remain the best hope for peace in eastern Ukraine. She told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday the United States is continuing to work in close coordination with Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France to see them fully implemented.

Living up to Maidan revolution



Nuland said Ukraines government and parliament must come together behind reform program that delivers what the Maidan Revolution demanded - clean leadership, justice, an end to backroom deals, and public institutions that serve Ukraines citizens rather than impoverishing or exploiting them.

The ability of the United States and the international community to continue to support Ukraine depends upon the commitment of its leaders to put their people and country first, she said.

All those who call themselves reformers must rebuild consensus in support of aggressive measures to clean up corruption, restore justice and liberalize the economy, she added.
The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed, by a 383-to-0 vote, a bipartisan resolution declaring that systemic violence committed by Islamic State (IS) against Christians, Yazidis, Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria constitutes genocide.

The resolution calls on all governments  including the United States  to "call ISIL [IS] atrocities by their rightful names: war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."

The resolution was sponsored by Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska and Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo of California, and had 200 co-sponsors from both parties.

Fortenberry spoke Monday on the House floor, saying the measure rises above partisan politics because ISs killing of civilians and destruction of churches, temples and monasteries is a threat to civilization itself.

Fortenberry, who said he represents the largest Yazidi community in America in Lincoln, Nebraska, said the resolution is more than just symbolic.

"A genocide designation will raise international consciousness and compel the international community of responsible nations to act, setting the preconditions for the reintegration of ancient ethnic groups and faith traditions into their ancestral homelands," he said.

The measure outlines IS atrocities against Christians and other groups, including "mass murder, crucifixions, beheadings, rape, torture, enslavement and the kidnapping of children." It says those acts are deliberately calculated to eliminate those religious and ethnic communities from the so-called Islamic State caliphate the group has declared across parts of Iraq and Syria.

Democratic Representative Brad Sherman of California also supported the resolution.

He said the most significant thing the United States is doing to defeat IS is conducting airstrikes. Those airstrikes are limited by the rules of engagement, he said, and the U.S. has to be prepared to hit strategic targets such as convoys if it wants to defeat IS. The international community has to work together diplomatically and militarily to stop IS, Sherman said.

Pressure on administration

The vote on the resolution comes just three days ahead of a deadline set by Congress for Secretary of State John Kerry to deliver the Obama administration's decision on whether it will declare that IS atrocities in Iraq and Syria constitute genocide.

Administration officials said the decision will come soon, but added that Kerry may not meet the March 17 deadline set by Congress.

Appearing before Congress last month, Kerry said the determination "has to be done on the basis of the legal standard with respect to genocide and the legal standard with respect to crimes against humanity."

A determination by the State Department has potential legal consequences. This would only be the second time a U.S. administration has declared genocide while a conflict is ongoing  the first time was in 2004, in Sudan's Darfur region.

The House vote is intended to increase the pressure on the Obama administration to make a decision as lawmakers and religious leaders become increasingly impatient.

The House also passed by a 392-to-3 vote a resolution condemning the "gross violations of international law amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity" by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, its allies and other parties to the Syrian conflict.

It calls on President Barack Obama to promote the establishment of an international war crimes tribunal to address those crimes.
Russias announcement that it is withdrawing forces from Syria should not lead Washington to lift sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland told lawmakers Tuesday, citing recent reports of a spike in ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine.

Russia President Putin announced plans on Monday to withdraw most Russian forces from Syria after a five-and-a-half-month operation.

Because they're withdrawing or have said they're withdrawing troops in Syria, [it] should not mean that we let them off the hook in terms of sanctions vis-a-vis activities in Ukraine, Nuland said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

According to monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), there were 15,000 cease-fire violations in February alone, the vast majority of which originated from the separatist-controlled side of eastern Ukraine. In addition, there were more recorded ceasefire violations in the first week of March than at any time since August 2015.

The so-called Minsk II agreement represents a package of measures to alleviate the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. It also authorizes OSCE access for monitoring and verification of the cease-fire and heavy weapons withdrawal.

While noting Russia is lobbying hard inside Europe for an end to sanctions, Nuland added the U.S. continues to look at the Syria theatre and at the Ukraine theatre as two separate places because what is done in Syria should not impact choices about Ukraine.

Turning point?

Beginning in February of 2014, Russia orchestrated a military intervention and ultimately annexed Crimea a few weeks later, a move that was largely condemned by the international community which slapped Moscow with sanctions.

The EU will review its sanctions against Moscow in June.

The U.S. has been clear that for Washington to roll back sanctions against Moscow, there must be a complete implementation of the Minsk agreements. In addition, Crimea sanctions must remain in place so long as the Kremlin imposes its will on that piece of Ukrainian land, said Nuland during the hearing.

Ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine has cast doubt on plans under the Minsk agreement for local elections in separatist-held areas.

De-escalation enables decentralization, not the other way around, regional expert from Center for Strategic and International Studies Carl Hvenmark told VOA, adding in most historic cases there has never been an ability to deliver pragmatic reforms while theres an open conflict.

Nevertheless, Nuland told U.S. lawmakers that 2016 could be the turning point for the Ukraine crisis.

If security can improve in coming weeks, if hostages are returned, if the parties can finalize negotiations on election modalities and other political issues, we could see legitimate leaders elected in Donbas by fall, the withdrawal of Russian forces and equipment, and the return of Ukraines sovereignty over its border before the end of the year.

Moscow visit

Secretary of State John Kerry may further discuss the situation in Ukraine when he visits Moscow next week. State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that Secretary Kerry is also expected to raise U.S. concerns over jailed Ukrainian female pilot Nadiya Savchenko.

Savchenko was taken hostage by Russia in 2014 and has been on a hunger strike since early March to protest the Russian criminal case against her.

The U.S. has committed over $760 million in assistance to the Kyiv government, in addition to two $1 billion loan guarantees. The Obama administration also requested $3.4 billion for the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) to support efforts to ensure peace and security in Europe. That total is four times the amount requested last year.

But critics expressed concern that the administration has not been supporting a sufficient level of force deployment in eastern Ukraine to deter Russia aggression.

My concern about ERI is that its implementation has been slow and gradual, its been consistent with Obama administrations incrementalist approach to responding to Russian assertiveness and aggression, Ian Brzezinski from the Atlantic Council told VOA in a recent interview.



March 18 marks two years after Russias annexation of Crimea.
Natives of Peru, Maria and Jorge Arana have lived and worked in Miami for six years as permanent residents.

"This is the moment. I have been working and living here. This is a beautiful country, and it's the correct moment to become a U.S. citizen," Maria Arana said as she signed naturalization paperwork with the help of staff at the Miami-based Florida Immigrant Coalition.

The mother of two has been paying close attention to this year's presidential campaign as it plays out on her television. She says a focus on the issue of immigration drove her to finally apply for American citizenship in order to be able to vote.

"The main issue for me is to stop deportation, Arana said. I really want all the immigrant families that have been living and working here to become a part of the community and legalized."

The couple is not alone in its desire to weigh in on the political process through the ballot box.

Rush to citizenship

Ivan Parra, the citizenship program manager at the Florida Immigrant Coalition, has seen a spike in the number of people interested in becoming American citizens during this election year.

An upcoming citizenship clinic set for a stadium in Miami is set to draw at least 1,000 people.

"During the last year, we served around 500 people during the whole year. This year, in one weekend, we served 400. So, you basically have an idea of the number of people who are coming," Parra said as he fielded phone calls on the upcoming event, where volunteers help people navigate the process and the paperwork involved with becoming naturalized.

The number of potential new voters is significant, with nearly 9 million people across the United States eligible to become American citizens. In Florida alone, some 800,000 people are eligible to become naturalized.

"Millions of people here in the U.S. are ready to apply. They have been working hard. They have been paying their taxes. They speak English," Parra noted. "They may lack money, knowledge, or be in fear of the process. We reach out to them."

The permanent residents just need help navigating the system, and a push to finally take the steps necessary to vote in the country they have lived in  in some cases  for decades.

Holding politicians accountable

Julio Calderon, born and raised in Honduras, spends his days at the coalition making sure a 2014 Florida waiver guaranteeing undocumented immigrants in-state tuition is properly implemented.

An undocumented immigrant himself, the 26-year-old hopes all those eligible to vote will exercise their right to do just that.

"Latinos, we are the ones who don't vote, and you see it in Washington, D.C. We represent 17 percent of the whole population in the United States and we have less than one percent of the people elected," Calderon noted.

With ongoing deportations of the undocumented and candidates' threats to ban certain immigrants from arriving in the United States, Calderon says the stakes could not be higher.

"For candidates, I think we have a great opportunity to push them to really say what they want to do and for them to do it. Not just say it, he said. The Latino vote is very important, and we have to hold them accountable."
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a bipartisan resolution declaring that systemic violence committed by the Islamic State group against Christians, Yazidis, Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria constitutes genocide.

The vote comes just three days before a deadline set by Congress for Secretary of State John Kerry to deliver the Obama administration's decision on whether it will declare that IS atrocities in Iraq and Syria constitute genocide. The atrocities include mass murder, crucifixions, beheadings, rape, torture, enslavement, and the kidnapping of children.

What is genocide?

In 1948, the United Nations defined genocide  the word didnt exist prior to 1944 -- as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such, by:

Killing members of the group;

Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

The U.N. decided the following acts shall be punishable:

Genocide;

Conspiracy to commit genocide;

Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;

Attempt to commit genocide;

Complicity in genocide.

Key Terms

Genocide: Violent crimes committed against a group with the intent to destroy the existence of the group. The specific intent to destroy particular groups is unique to genocide.

Crimes against humanity: A closely related category of international law, crimes against humanity, is defined as widespread or systematic attacks against civilians.

War crimes: Criminal acts committed during armed conflicts and referring to grave breaches of the rules of warfare.

Historical cases

Not all incidents listed below are genocide; some are instances of mass killings that have not been legally classified as genocide.

Holocaust: Between 1933-1945, the Nazi regime in Germany and its collaborators carried out the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of 6 million Jews.

Armenia: About 1.5 million Armenians living in Turkey were killed or forcibly removed from their homeland from 1915-1918.

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Between 1992 and 1995, an estimated 100,000 people were killed, 80 percent of whom were Bosnian Muslims. As many as 8,000 male Bosnian Muslims from Srebrenica were killed in July 1995, counting as the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust.

Myanmar: Anti-Muslim violence has targeted the more than 1 million Rohingya, a Muslim minority group living in Myanmar. The Rohingya have no legal status in the country, and the U.N. and U.S. State Department have documented widespread hate speech, blocking of aid and restrictions of basic rights.

Cambodia: Between 1975 and 1979, nearly 2 million people died when Cambodias Khmer Rouge subjected the countrys citizens to forced labor, persecution and execution in the name of the regimes ruthless agrarian ideology.

Rwanda: From April to July 1994, Hutu radicals killed an estimated 800,000 people, most of them Tutsis.

Central African Republic: In 2013, Seleka fighters seized power in the majority-Christian nation, sparking reprisals by "anti-balaka" Christian militias. Groups and individuals are now being targeted because of their Christian or Muslim identity.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ongoing conflicts in North and South Kivu, Ituri province and north Katanga over the past two decades have killed more than 5 million civilians, and displaced millions more. Most have died from preventable diseases as a result of the collapse of infrastructure, lack of food and health care, and displacement.

Iraq: The Islamic State group targeted religious and ethnic minorities, including the Yazidis, in northern Iraq in September 2014. The campaign of violence forcibly displaced more than 800,000 people and resulted in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians.

Darfur, Sudan: General Omar al-Bashir took power in a coup in 1989. Conflicts increased between African farmers and many nomadic Arab tribes. In 2003, rebel groups took up arms against the Sudanese forces, leading al-Bashirs government to unleash the Janjaweed, Arab militias, who attacked hundreds of villages. The genocide in Darfur has claimed at least 400,000 lives and displaced more than 2.5 million people. In 2009, al-Bashir, became the first sitting president to be indicted by International Criminal Court for directing a campaign of mass killing, rape and pillage against civilians in Darfur.

Sudan: Sudan has experienced protracted social conflict and civil war. More than 2.5 million civilians have been killed in regional conflicts since the Arab-dominated government of Sudan began to impose its control over African minorities in the region. Continued clashes between government and rebel forces have killed tens of thousands of civilians and have displaced more than 2 million. A U.N. report said nearly 3 million people need humanitarian assistance.

Syria: A conflict arising from the Arab Spring has pitted the Syrian government with various rebel groups since March 2011. The fighting has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions more. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are in refugee camps throughout the region and are fleeing to Europe, which is experiencing the largest migration crisis since World War Two.
The widow of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian intelligence officer who was poisoned in London in 2006, says a recent British public inquiry shows that the Russian state was behind his slaying, and that his probes into alleged Kremlin ties to organized crime may have played an important role in the decision to kill him.

Speaking Monday at the Voice of America's Washington offices, Marina Litvinenko stressed the importance of the British investigation, which was led by Robert Owen, a retired British High Court judge, and ended in January.

Owen, she said, did an "incredible job."

"He not only investigated all the facts of Sasha's [Alexander Litvinenko's] death," she said, "he found a connection of this murder with the Russian state. The Russian state sponsored this crime."

Owen concluded there was a " strong probability" the two men whom the British authorities accused of poisoning Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 at a London hotel in November 2006, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, were acting "under the direction" of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russias main security agency. Both men have denied involvement in Litvinenko's death.

WATCH: Litvinenko's Widow Discusses Probe of Husband's Death

The retired judge also concluded that Litvinenko's slaying was "probably approved" by then-FSB head Nikolai Patrushev and President Vladimir Putin.

Government corruption

A veteran first of the KGB, the Soviet intelligence agency, and then the FSB, Litvinenko began speaking out against high-level Russian governmental corruption. He also made a number of accusations against Putin. He later gained asylum in Britain with his family.

Marina Litvinenko said her husband's investigation of alleged ties between the Kremlin and the Russian mafia might have triggered the decision to kill him.

"Of course, what Sasha touched [on], and what became his last drop [the last straw] when he was killed, is difficult to say," she said. "But it's obviously his ability to investigate the connection of the Kremlin to organized crime. It was very important."

London has called for both Lugovoi, who was elected in 2007 to the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, and Kovtun, a businessman, to be extradited, but Moscow has refused. Russia's constitution prohibits the extradition of citizens to stand trial abroad.
A new theater production at the International School of Phnom Penh aims to help younger Cambodians understand the country's violent past by combining imaginative performance with documented memories of those who survived the Khmer Rouge regime.

Theater teachers and directors from around the world came together to work with 19 Cambodian performers between the ages of 17 and 24 on See You Yesterday. The show was produced by Global Arts Corps in partnership with Phare Ponleu Selpak, the renowned performing arts nongovernmental organization.

The young troupe, made up of only the second or third generation of Cambodians to be born since the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed in January 1979, showed courage in tackling the production, said Michael Lessac, artistic director of Global Arts Corps.

"They used their creative skills to make sense of the silence handed down to them from the violent past of their forebearers," he said through a translator.

"The play is a search for what it feels like to relive a past after growing up in the aftermath of violence," he added, explaining that the performances became exercises in exploration of cultural identity for performers and audience members alike. "It opened up a dialogue between youth and their elders, and new stories found their way into the rehearsals."

Confronting old horrors

Playing out events from more than 35 years ago, the performers confront old horrors in the present day.

Phat Sreyleak, 17, played a pregnant woman who had to struggle to deliver her baby alone during work in a rice field. She went through labor without a midwife, medicine or help, only to see the baby taken away from her.

When asked how she felt about the role, the actress said it was only through learning the steps that she could understand how people struggled during that time. It made her realize the pain her mother felt when she gave birth to her, she added through tears.

Chhang Youk, executive director of Documentation Center of Cambodia, praised the performance.

"The Earth itself cried when Sreyleak portrayed the pain of women suffering under the Khmer Rouge," he said.

The show will also be performed in Rwanda and other countries affected by atrocities.
Some former Zanu PF members say the on-going purging of party activists with divergent views is an indication that the former liberation movement is crumbling. They claim that the current leadership of the party is now out of touch with reality and many people want to leave Zanu PF.

At least 150 people, including former Vice President Joice Mujuru, have been expelled following the controversial elective Zanu PF congress in 2014. Mrs. Mujuru, former party administration secretary Didymus Mutasa, former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and others were accused of attempting to topple President Mugabe before the congress.

Some of the expelled activists were in the provincial, district, branch and cell organs of the party. They were also accused of being part of the so-called Mujuru camp, which allegedly wanted to oust the then 91 year old president.

Mrs. Mujuru and her colleagues have dismissed these allegations as untrue saying the same thing is happening to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has been accused by senior party members, including First Lady Grace Mugabe, of making some clandestine moves to succeed Mr. Mugabe through using a faction of the party known as Team Lacoste.

The other faction, Generation 40, is believed to be backing Mrs. Mugabe for the presidential post. It is composed of Young Turks like Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and Youth Minister Patrick Zhuwao. Mrs. Mugabe says she does not want to succeed her husband.

Now, former Zanu PF members say factionalism gripping the party may lead to a resounding defeat in the 2018 general polls and ultimate demise.

ZANU OF OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY

Former party cadre Tendai Musonza, who was expelled from the party for standing as an independent candidate in a municipal election, says he will never rejoin Zanu PF, which he claims is out of touch with what is happening in Zimbabwe.

Musonza claims that only few people are now benefiting from the party. I have been a strong member of Zanu PF. I got my political orientation from Zanu PF and I'm proud at that, I am not against the Zanu PF of 1979 or 1980 there about but I am against the Grace Mugabe Zanu PF .... We supported Zanu PF when it was an august institution when everybody wanted to belong to it but all that changed because they were no longer walking the talk (as) few individuals were now benefiting at the expense of the people.

I might have started realizing it long back even though it took me time to say I'm now leaving Zanu PF. There are times I thought change was going to come from within but it was when I realized things were not going to happen that way and decided that enough was enough  When I left Zanu PF at that time I was branded a sell-out but I'm happy that the people who branded me that way then when I left Zanu PF are now seeing the same reason why I left it and those same people are now out of Zanu PF too.

PEOPLES VOICES SILENCED

Another former Zanu PF member, Denis Kagonye, who worked for the now defunct party mouthpiece, The Voice, says he was fired for expressing party members concerns, especially on the status of the ailing economy.

Kagonye, who is now an independent publisher of a weekly community newspaper, The Mirror, says he liked the Zanu PF political ideology when he joined the party but got fed up when he discovered that the leadership of the party did not care about the needs of party activists.

I could not raise my voice or issued my view like the status of the country by then because it was one-sided editorial. The People's Voice was meant to be a party's paper which was meant for Zanu PF programs it wasn't a national paper but was meant for its cadres. Yes, I was full-time as youth member straight from school and the ideology of Zanu PF was good to me but later I started to see things differently.

Kagonye was fired by then secretary for information Nathan Shamuyarira for airing his independent views about how the party was allegedly distancing itself from the people.

Temba Mliswa, former Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairperson, who was expelled from the party in 2014, says there is no democracy in the ruling party.

GRACE MUGABE

Mliswa believes that President Mugabe does not have good advisers anymore compared to the time when he used to be deputized by people like the late vice presidents Simon Muzenda and Joshua Nkomo.

He says Mr. Mugabe is no longer in control of the party, which he claims, is now almost in the hands of his wife, Grace. You have to understand that Joshua Nkomo had the respect of the Father Zimbabwe and the leader in Matabeleland, Simon Muzenda was the guru of politics in Masvingo representing the Kalangas that was very important and those are two key tribes that you need to control the country.

Those were very strong people equally the same age able to talk, able to criticize and failure in having those people clearly made Mugabe to make decisions on his own and for a very long time he did that before Grace Mugabe was in  He was still on that path of making decision on his own but they were not as bad as they are now because certainly the wife has come in like I said she is more energetic, ambitious and clearly she has tasted power and equally he has to ensure that he leaves the wife safe but for me  the idea  really what she is doing is basically defeating what Mugabe has tried to do to leave a legacy so that she can be protected through it but that legacy is no more.

Mliswa says there is life outside Zanu PF.

What has happened is a blessing in disguise. I believe I was going to be one of the key players in the party in terms of rising to the top because I think the party had then taken a position to infuse young people ... Could you still achieve that outside Zanu PF? Yes. I realize that you could actually achieve that outside Zanu PF and that is the reason why I set up a youth advocacy forum which targets young people who are able to come together from different political parties but ensuring that transformation happens nationally rather than within a party so the vision has now been spread nationally.

His sentiments are echoed by several other former ruling party members, who strongly believe that Zanu PF will lose in the 2018 general elections.

2018 GENERAL ELECTION PROJECTION

Musonza says the continuous purging of party activists indicates that Zanu PF wont retain power in the general polls. No. No. I don't see it surviving what is happening the infighting which is taking place within the party right now signifies the end time for Zanu PF. Its not going to survive.

But Zanu PF youth, Tatenda Mungororo, is adamant that Zanu PF is here to stay. He says those people who think that the party will collapse are day dreaming.

The purging of Zanu PF members in the past has seen high profile members like former president of the party the late Ndabaningi Sithole, former Zanu PF secretary general Edgar Tekere and politburo member Simba Makoni, forming their own political parties.
Thanh Hoa province officials yesterday reported to the central government on the week-long public outcry against a major tourism development along Sam Son beach.

The report claims the protesters had a limited understanding of what the development entailed and were provoked by thugs.

Last week, hundreds of people took to the streets of Thanh Hoa calling on the local government to set aside 500m to 1,000m of coastline for fishing boat wharves. The protesters claimed the project would strip them off their main livelihood.

The tourism development in Sam Son stretches 3.5km along the coast. It was approved by Thanh Hoa province in October 2015. Authorities have since handed the site over to the developer, local FLC Group. The VND315 billion project is set to be completed by mid-2016 and create 1,000 jobs.

Residents say they support beach restoration but worry they will be unemployed. Traditional fishing has been their main livelihood for generations. Most households claim the promised compensation is not enough to invest in a new business.

Following a public hearing on March 7, families protesting against relocation were told they could continue to fish and moor in Sam Son. However, once the new development was completed, they were encouraged to relocate.

Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee Secretary Trinh Van Chien at the public hearing. Photo by Le Hoang

The report to the central government stressed that relocating the fishing wharves was essential to transform Sam Son, a popular tourist destination in central Vietnam, into one of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

[The project] fully complies with the governments agenda and follows the trend of tourism development, it stated.

Thanh Hoa authorities have asked the relevant provincial departments to review their involvement in the matter to draw lessons for future reference.
The United Nations Childrens Education Fund (UNICEF) says Zimbabwe is facing its worst malnutrition rates in 15 years, as nearly 33,000 children are in urgent need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

It said as an El Nino-induced drought sweeps across large parts of the country, the number of hungry families in the country has doubled in the past eight months.

Children are enduring the greatest force of this crisis, said acting UNICEF representative, Dr. Jane Muita, adding that, we have not seen these levels of malnutrition in more than 15 years and although the government and its partners are doing their best to assist, more needs to be done to prevent this crisis from spiraling out of control.

UNICEF said that two consecutive seasons of failed rains have diminished food harvests and reserves, increased hunger and malnutrition, dried up water sources and decimated livestock.

According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Survey released last month, nearly 2.8 million people in rural Zimbabwe (30 per cent of the rural population) will require food assistance, of which 1.4 million are children aged 18 years and below.

The impact of the drought on households, according to the survey, is particularly stark and children are being adversely affected in many ways.

The report indicates that the proportion of hungry households had more than doubled from 16 per cent in May 2015 to 37 per cent in January 2016 and overall, 2.1 per cent of children under-five years have severe acute malnutrition.

This is slightly higher than the international threshold of 2 per cent required for an emergency response. Global acute malnutrition has hit 5.7 per cent, the highest ever reached in the last 15 years.

The majority of children with severe acute malnutrition are aged between 1-2 years. This is also the age group where oedema (swelling of arms and feet as a result of excess water retention) is most prevalent and on average, 35 per cent of households have inadequate water supply for domestic use.

Water scarcity is forcing children, especially girls, to walk even longer distances in search of water. Inadequate water is also exposing children to higher risks of diarrhea, typhoid and other water-borne disease including cholera.

UNICEF is now requesting US$21 million to meet the humanitarian needs of children in Zimbabwe in 2016. Without additional funding, the organization noted that it will be unable to continue to respond to the humanitarian needs of children in nutrition, health, water and sanitation, HIV and AIDS, education and child protection services.

Interventions will focus on supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged women and children to withstand, adapt to and recover from this crisis.

Blessing Zindi who is UNICEF's emergency specialist said they have been reacting to humanitarian situations of women and children in Zimbabwe and even at a global scale.

"In Zimbabwe we have got areas that we will be looking at as UNICEF. The first area that we will be looking at is the area of health and nutrition," Zindi said.

He added that their focus will be on children that have got acute malnutrition in its most severe form who will receive what they call therapeutic food.
A Gweru regional magistrate has granted bail to Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi, his deputy Artwell Matyorauta, and town clerk Daniel Matawu, who are jointly facing charges of abuse of office.

Magistrate Phathekile Msipa granted each $200 bail on condition that they should surrender their passports as well as report to the police every Friday until the matter is finalised.The case is set for April 15th.

The three had been in custody since last Thursday following their arrest by police on charges of abuse of office.

According to the state outline, between July 2013 and June last year Kombayi, Matyorauta and Matawu allegedly used their positions as public officers to abuse council funds. They allegedly paid MDC-T leader MorganTsvangirai's bill of $1,875 at a private lodge outside Gweru.

The three are alleged to have also conspired to make a payment of $6,858 at a local hotel and at another lodge, prejudicing council of a total $8,733. The state had opposed the granting of bail arguing that the charges that the trio was facing were serious and that they could interfere with witnesses or abscond.

But in her granting of the bail, Msipa said the allegations that the accused are facing originate from an audit done in July last year and they had been aware of them for a while. Msipa said in the intervening period, one of the accused, Kombayi had travelled to the United Kingdom and back, adding that this was not consistent with someone who would flee.

The magistrate also said the matter had been reported in December 2015 and the police had adequate time to carry out their investigations so there was no risk that the three could interfere with investigations.

Attorney Brian Dube, one of the lawyers representing the three, confirmed the granting of the bail to Studio 7 and said the accused are denying the charges that they are facing.

Prior to his arrest, Kombayi and some of his colleagues had recently been seeking to resume their normal duties following last months High Court ruling overturning their suspension.

Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere last August suspended all 18 Gweru councillors on allegations of abuse of office, maladministration and corruption, but the court ruled that the suspension was illegal as the minister has no powers to act unilaterally under the countrys constitution.
The volcano continues to produce intermittent explosions, but there might be something new in the making: weak, but continuous glow from the crater has appeared during the last night - something that hasn't been observed since the latest effusive eruptive phase in July last year. Itindicate that a new lava dome is about to appear. The next days or weeks will probably give a better answer. ...

Background:

Colima volcano is one of the most active in North America and one of the potentially most dangerous ones. It has had more than 30 periods of eruptions since 1585, including several significant eruptions in the late 1990s. Scientific monitoring of the volcano began 20 years ago.The Colima volcanic complex is the most prominent volcanic center of the western Mexican Volcanic Belt. It consists of two southward-younging volcanoes, Nevado de Colima (the 4320 m high point of the complex) on the north and the 3850-m-high historically active Volcan de Colima at the south.A group of cinder cones of probable late-Pleistocene age is located on the floor of the Colima graben west and east of the Colima complex. Volcan de Colima (also known as Volcan Fuego) is a youthful stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera, breached to the south, that has been the source of large debris avalanches. Major slope failures have occurred repeatedly from both the Nevado and Colima cones, and have produced a thick apron of debris-avalanche deposits on three sides of the complex. Frequent historical eruptions date back to the 16th century. Occasional major explosive eruptions (most recently in 1913) have destroyed the summit and left a deep, steep-sided crater that was slowly refilled and then overtopped by lava dome growth.---
Trade ministers from 12 Asia-Pacific countries have officially signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The trade agreement was signed in Auckland, New Zealand and was attended by Vietnams Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key delivered an opening speech at the signing ceremony. He said the TPP was a very significant trade pact and that New Zealand was proud of being part of the agreement.

Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb was the first to sign the pact and his counterpart, New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay inked the last signature.

While the signing has been an historical achievement for the Asia-Pacific region, according to Mr McClay, completing the signing ceremony does not mean that the trade deal has come into effect.

All 12 member states will have up to 2 years to ratify the trade agreement by gaining approval from their respective legislative bodies. The TPP will only be implemented if at least six countries approve the final text of the deal.

Vietnams Hoang said the trade pact appeared to be a balanced deal and Vietnam appreciated the participation of the other nations.

U.S trade representative Michael Froman expressed his confidence that the US Congress will approve the deal.

The trade agreement encompasses 12 nations - Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Chile, Peru and Vietnam.

As the largest free trade agreement in the last 20 years, the TPP is expected to help improve living standards, reduce poverty, encourage transparency, operational efficiency and improve the protection of workers and the environment.
Since the Doha agreement and the anti-constitutional election of Michel Sleiman as President of the Republic, in 2008, Lebanon had seen no significant political event until last August. Over the last seven months however, the country has been shaken by the garbage crisis and the resulting demonstrations which could have led to a second Cedar Revolution, then by a crisis of confidence with Saudi Arabia and its allies, and finally by the international accusations against Hezbollah. Three events which, taken separately, seem to be self-explanatory and without great consequence. And yet

The garbage crisis began suddenly in August 2015  the state was unable to renew its contract for garbage removal by the Sukleen company. Within a few days, the entire country became a vast trash dump, and rubbish piled up in the streets. There were demonstrations accusing the government of mismanagement. Soon thousands of demonstrators were in the centre of Beirut, shouting that the politicians were themselves garbage, pillaging the state to the detriment of the citizens. The media spoke of the beginning of a colour revolution comparable to the Cedar Revolution, which was organised by the United States after the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafic Hariri  other media called it an extension of the Arab Spring [1]. But finally, popular anger receded, because the communitarian system which is unique to Lebanon  imposed by France  defines each citizen according to his or her religious community, and prevents them from taking position on national questions.

However, seven months later, the garbage crisis is still not resolved. The capital and the major cities have indeed been cleaned up, but in many regions, the trash continues to pile up, creating a nauseating atmosphere. The persistence and generalisation of this problem have consequences in terms of public health. Viruses are spreading, and almost all Lebanese citizens suffer from periodic illnesses. There are also economic consequences. De facto, tourism, which is the countrys main official source of revenue, is strongly in decline.

The second crisis began with the cancellation of the 3 billion dollar gift from Saudi Arabia to the Lebanese Army [2]. In reality, this gift was the payment to the Lebanese Army for having destroyed the testimony of Majed el-Majed upon his arrest during his ambulance transfer on the 26th December 2013. The famous terrorist was Prince Bandar Ben Sultans representative for the Levant. He was suspected of knowing personally all of the politicians who secretly supported the jihadists. His testimony would have plunged the Saudi kingdom into serious difficulties. However, the prisoner opted for the advantageous initiative of dying after a few days of detention, without his detailed testimony ever having been recorded [3].

To justify the cancellation of his gift, Riyadh evoked the reaction in Lebanon to the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, a major figure of the Saudi opposition, who was decapitated on the 2nd January 2016 by the petro-dictatorship. It so happens that this personality was a Shia clergyman, and his death created a wave of indignation amongst all the Shia populations of the world, including in Lebanon [4]. Saudi Arabia mobilised its allies to affirm its unalienable right to kill whichever of their subjets they wish, while Lebanon timidly expressed its reservations. Riyadh decided to interpret this as a form of ingratitude, in view of the billions of dollars spent over the years in support of the 14th-March, in other words the coalition of the Lebanese communitarian parties who collaborate with Israel.

Above all, Riyadh decided to sink the Lebanese economy by forbidding its subjects to travel to Lebanon, and by broadcasting this injunction to the Bahreinis and the Emiratis. Deprived of its Gulf tourists, the businesses and banks immediately went into recession.

The third crisis concerns Hezbollah. This network of resistance to the Israeli occupation has progressively transmuted into a political party, and now participates in government. Mainly supported by Syria in the period between 1982 and 2005, it turned increasingly to Iran after the departure of the Syrian Arab Army from Lebanon. In the period between 2006 and 2013, it received a considerable arsenal from the Iranian Guardians of the Revolution. However, since the election of Sheikh Hassan Rohani in Iran, Hezbollah is preparing for a split and is developing its own sources of finance by connecting with the Lebanese and / or Shia diaspora overseas, mainly in Africa and Latin America. Following the signature of the 5+1 agreement with Iran, on the 14th July 2015, Hezbollah took a stand against the jihadists alongside the Syrian Arab Army, while progressively distancing itself from Tehran.

On the 16th December 2015, the United States Congress unanimously adopted a law forbidding banks to work with Hezbollah or any organisations linked to the Lebanese Resistance, and attempted to cut broadcasting by the Al-Manar TV channel [5]. The text reinforced another published in 2014. Immediately, the Treasury applied sanctions against Ali Youssef Charara, CEO of the Spectrum Investment Group, accused of participating in a system of financing for the Resistance [6]. The US law was followed by a resolution by the Gulf Cooperation Council, then by the Ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs of the Arab League, who qualified Hezbollah as a terrorist movement.

The machinery is now complete  the Lebanese economy is ruined and the principle of Resistance to the Israeli occupation is assimilated with terrorism. The TV channel Al-Manar will no longer be accessible by NileSat and ArabSat, which will severely limit its audience.

Two options are now possible for Washington and Tel-Aviv  either a classical war, like in 2006, or else  more simple and more discrete  a civil war, like the war suffered by Lebanon between 1975 and 1990. The last constitutional President of Lebanon, Emile Lahoud, is calling for an immediate change in the electoral law in order that the next Parliament will not be representative of religious communities, but the population. This is the only way of avoiding civil war.
Cooperation rather than confrontation. Russias assessment of the current European security situation and possible solutions, Speech delivered by Dmitry Medvedev / Will Saudi Arabia ignite the fuse to start a new Middle East war?, by Andreas Becker / Switzerland has virtually become a NATO member, by Gotthard Frick / An independent policy towards the EU and NATO / Mass migration: Wake up, act. Reality as guidance / Switzerland can still build bridges where no one else can beat the odds, Interview with Didier Burkhalter / Contaminating the culture of debate. A troubled glance on Germany, by Karl Muller / More and more zones without rule of law in Germany. A police officer describes her everday life in German major cities /  may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill. Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia / Leipzig Book Fair events hosted by Genossenschaft Zeit-Fragen.
The New York Times is deluded enough to think that the United States has been devoted to free trade for 200 years. In reality, our first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton of New York was a committed protectionist, mercantilist, and dirigist. He oversaw the creation of the First Bank of the United States, the funding of the US public debt, and fought to make the Tariff of 1789 as protectionist as possible. Henry Clay of Kentucky, the leader of the Whig Party, fought to implement the American System of Political Economy with a revived National Bank, a robust program of national infrastructure, and a protective tariff. Clay was the main mentor of Abraham Lincoln, during whose administration protectionist forces in the new Republican Party led by Congressman Justin Morrill of Vermont raised the tariff to an average of 47%. Morrill was advised by the celebrated Republican economist, Henry Carey of Philadelphia.
Meeting of President of Russia Vladimir Putin with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu

Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu to address issues of settling the Syrian crisis. The President gave an order to begin withdrawing the main part of Russian troops from the Syrian Arab Republic on March 15.

The President of Russia also instructed the Foreign Ministry to intensify the Russian Federations participation in organising the peace process to resolve the Syrian problem.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, I have invited you here so we can once again assess the situation concerning settlement of the Syrian crisis. I propose that the Defence Minister starts with his assessment of what is happening there. Please, go ahead.

Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu: Mr President,

In accordance with your instructions, we began the Syrian operation on September 30. In total, over the course of this time, we have carried out more than 9,000 flights, and for the first time, we carried out massive strikes with dispersed weaponry at a distance of over 1,500 kilometres using both air- and sea-based missiles.

In this time, as a result of the strikes, we were able to significantly hinder,and in some places completely stop resource support for terrorists by intercepting hydrocarbon trade, blocking the main routes for hydrocarbon supplies to Turkey and the main routes for weapons and ammunition deliveries to militants.

The terrorists have been driven out of Latakia, communication has been restored with Aleppo, Palmyra is under siege and combat actions are being continued to liberate it from unlawful armed groups. We have cleared most of the provinces of Hama and Homs, unblocked the Kweires airbase, which was blocked for more than three years, established control over oil and gas fields near Palmyra: three large fields that, as of now, have begun to operate steadily.

Over 2,000 criminals who have come from Russia have been eliminated in Syrias territory, including 17 field commanders. Our air force destroyed 209 facilities for producing, processing and transferring fuel, as well as 2,912 sources of petroleum product delivery.

In total, with support from our air force, the Syrian troops liberated 400 towns and over 10,000 square kilometres of territory. We have had a significant turning point in the fight against terrorism.

Organisations involved in this work as a result of the negotiation process have begun taking active steps to ensure the ceasefire (there are currently 42 such organisations); plus, an additional 40 towns that joined the ceasefire.

There is monitoring over observance of the ceasefire; a fairly large number of unmanned aerial vehicles  over 70  are being used for this purpose, as are all means of gathering intelligence, including electronic intelligence and our satellite constellation.

I could continue this report, Mr President, but I think these are the main outcomes of our work at this time.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Mr Lavrov, how is the peace process proceeding?

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Mr President, in addition to the results that were achieved directly on the ground during military actions to repress terrorists, our Aerospace Forces operation helped create conditions for the political process.

We have consistently advocated establishing an intra-Syrian dialogue in accordance with the decisions made in 2012. Our suggestions were met with a lack of will on the part of all our partners working on this process. But since the start of the operations by our Aerospace Forces, the situation began to change.

The initial steps were gradually taken, first based on your talks with US President Barack Obama: the Russian-American group began to prepare a broader process for external support for intra-Syrian talks. An international Syria support group was created, which included all the key players without exception, including regional powers. Agreements on the parameters for the Syrian political process achieved in this group were approved by two UN Security Council resolutions, which confirmed the three-way process of ceasing hostilities, broadening access to humanitarian supplies in previously besieged areas and starting intra-Syrian talks.

Thanks to these decisions, including your latest agreement with President Obama, today, intra-Syrian talks between the Government delegation and delegations of multiple opposition groups have finally been launched in Geneva. The work is difficult and we have yet to see how all these groups can gather at one table. For now, UN representatives are working individually with each of them, but the process has begun, and it is in our common interest to make it sustainable and irreversible.

Vladimir Putin: In a short period, Russia has created a military group that is small in number but quite effective  one consisting of different types of forces and diverse capabilities. These include space reconnaissance, drones, combat missile strike systems in fighter aircraft and assault aircraft. They also include Navy forces that used the most modern weaponry from two seas  the Mediterranean and the Caspian  while working from surface ships and submarines. We created a powerful air defence system, including the most modern S-400 complexes.

The truly effective work by our troops has created conditions to start the peace process. I feel that the objectives set before the Defence Ministry and the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic have generally been fulfilled.

With participation by Russian troops and Russian military grouping, the Syrian troops and Syrian patriotic forces, we were able to radically change the situation in fighting international terrorism and take initiative in nearly all areas to create the conditions for the start of a peace process, as I said.

At the same time, our service members  soldiers and officers  have demonstrated professionalism, teamwork and the ability to organise this military work far from their territory, without a common border with the seat of war. They operated effectively over the course of nearly half a year, bringing the necessary supplies and guidance to the military operations.

I feel that the objective set before the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces is generally fulfilled, so I order the Defence Ministry to begin withdrawing the main part of our military group from the Syrian Arab Republic beginning tomorrow. I ask the Foreign Ministry to intensify the Russian Federations participation in organising the peace process to resolve Syrias problems.

At the same time, our base points  our maritime base in Tartus and our aviation base at the Hmeymim airbase  will function as before. They must be protected securely from land, sea and air.

This part of our military group was located in Syria over the course of many previous years, and today, it must continue to fulfil the highly important function of monitoring the ceasefire and creating conditions for the peace process.

I hope that todays decision will be a good signal for all conflicting sides. I hope that this will significantly lift the level of trust between all participants in the Syrian peace process and promote resolving the Syrian issue via peaceful means.
John Olivers campaign to rename Donald Trump Donald Drumpf (his familys original German surname) was his biggest hit of the year so far, re-invigorating the Oliver-off while also spurring a debate over whether or not the late-night host was indulging in the same ugly nativism he was criticizing Trump for. After selling out of Make Donald Drumpf Again hats in a week, you might have expected Oliver to be raking in the dough. Not true, he told his old pal Stephen Colbert on Monday night. We sold [the hats] at cost, he explained. Which, you can imagine, HBO find[s] hilarious. Whats funnier than not making any money on an inexplicable hit? One person who didnt buy the hat? Jay Z, who, Oliver says, asked HBO to give him one for free. Oh, shit  he wants hats on hats on hats!
Photo: Andrew Toth/Getty Images

A retired cop and cartel figurehead walk into a bar  or, as in the climatic scene from tonights Better Call Saul, the former sits down at his favorite diner while the latter slides in across from him for a tense tete-a-tete. One week after madman meth-dealer Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz) reappeared on our screens and was swiftly baited by Mike (Jonathan Banks) into felonious assault and weapons charges at Nachos behest, Hector Tio Salamanca (Mark Margolis) turned up and strongly advised Mike to change his story and help lessen Tucos jail time.

A far cry from the infirm, wheelchair-bound Tio, who blew Gus Fring to smithereens in Breaking Bad, Hector circa 2002 is still spry and sly and manages to rankle a typically unflappable Mike with his tacit ultimatum. Margolis himself is a far cry from either iteration of his most recognizable alter ego (Hector fans should also check out Margoliss work in Oz, Scarface, and, more recently, The Affair). In conversation, the 76-year-old Philadelphia native is by turns a playful kidder and gruff cynic. Hes wary of being recognized on the streets for this one-and-only role the rest of his life, but sincerely grateful that hes been given a significant part to play in Vince Gilligan and Peter Goulds tragicomic crime saga. A couple days before his not-entirely-surprising Saul cameo aired, Margolis spoke with us about staring down Jonathan Banks, getting stopped on the street, and the bell-ringing website that bears his characters name.

Youve said you were intimidated by the Spanish-speaking scenes in Breaking Bad. Was it a relief that, thus far in Saul, Hector only speaks English?

Somewhat, but there may be Spanish I have to speak in it as well. Im not terrible with Spanish. I was in Scarface many years ago where everybody thought I authentically [spoke] Spanish. Ive lived in Mexico. Ive been to Spain. I know enough of the grammar of it and Im pretty good with the accent of it. If I get a good tutor, I can lock into it pretty quickly. Ill go into a panic if you give it to me today and say you need it tomorrow.

Breaking Bad flashbacks notwithstanding, youve largely played Hector sickly. Did you approach 2002 Tio as a different character altogether?

Yeah, I kind of liked it that Hector had some muscle, some vibrancy. It excited me.

Hectors not yet in a wheelchair, but he does seem a tad twitchy and has some labored breathing. Did the script call for him to betray signs of deteriorating health?

Am I twitchy? I dont know, because then that might be my own bad health. It scares me what youre saying. I know the first episode I did of this Saul thing, there were tentative things in it because I was talking to somebody who didnt quite know where I was coming from or what Im driving at. It wasnt something that I decided to do. It may just have happened.

This was also, if Im correct, your first scene in either series with Mike.

That was the greatest thrill, to be working with Jonathan Banks. Because the whole time I was in Breaking Bad, I never even met him. I never ran into him. Im a big fan of his. He doesnt have to do anything and he grabs ya. My son, when he knew I was going to do something with Jonathan, said, Try to keep your stuff together so Banks doesnt blow you away.

Are you confident he didnt blow you away?

No, Im not. [Laughs.] Ill have to wait and see.

Does Hector know more about Mike than hes letting on?

Sure. I do mention that I know what he did career-wise at one point, and, yes, I think I know a lot more than Mike thinks I know. I think Hectors able to find out anything he needs to find out.

Without giving anything away, how scared should Mike be of Hector?

I dont know what to say there, because it doesnt seem that anything scares Mike. Mikes got what they call cojones, which is big balls. Im quite dangerous for him, but Mike is a very devious and dangerous man also. Hes quite willing to risk his own life to stick it to you if he has to.

It must be nice that, at this stage of your career, youre being asked to play badass gangsters and not just sitcom grandads.

I did play a granddad on a sitcom that went under quickly called Benders, but it was a fun granddad. But no, I understand what youre saying. Its wonderful. They also have given me some nice clothing in Saul. Im actually wearing pants that I havent peed in. Breaking Bad often gave me pajama bottoms that looked like they had been urine-stained several times.

Is being synonymous with Hector of late a blessing and curse?

There are three guys a day that stop me and the only thing they know me from is Scarface. I always say, My God, youre talking about something from 30 years ago. Then they always invariably say, Well, have you done anything since then? which really upsets me. But I have answers to those. I say, Why do you say that? They say, Cause we dont see you anymore. So I say, Do you see everything that comes out? Im a curmudgeon and I get into these things with people. I should just shut up. It makes you feel like they retired you for some reason. It shouldnt pain me, but Im a little bit unhinged. Insecure is probably the word.

If it makes you feel better, Hector actually has a tribute site.

Ive seen some Hector things. What do they do on HectorSalamanca.com?

Its just a call bell that you can ring by clicking on it. Over and over.

I think I saw that. Oddly, when they came out with the Apple watch about a year ago, some Japanese company came up with an app for the Apple watch called Dingbel, and all it does is when your friend says, You wanna have dinner with me tonight? you ding once for yes and twice for no. And they employed me to do the commercial for it. I dont do many commercials. I didnt know why anybody wanted me, and its because the thing is called Dingbel and it dings a bell. I tell people Im the second-most famous bell ringer after Quasimodo. Its me and Quasimodo.
From Kenneth Lonergans Hold On to Me Darling.

Clarence McCrane, better known as Strings, is the third biggest crossover star in the history of country music. In Hold On to Me Darling, Kenneth Lonergans lumpy and scattershot new play at the Atlantic, that means he headlines both the Grand Ole Opry and the Royal Albert Hall, appears on the cover of Rolling Stone, and portrays astronauts in Hollywood blockbusters. Hes got homes and boats and personal assistants; hes charming, polite, and, naturally, a stud. Is there anywhere you dont have muscles? marvels the masseuse at the hotel hes staying in as the play begins. Well, yes, one place.

But if Strings is not a rocket scientist (except in his films) hes not an idiot, either. He worries about big things like the degradation of American values, at least when it impinges on his privacy. The failure to distinguish between whats appropriate and what the hell isnt, he tells his chief assistant, Jimmy, is a sickness goin through this whole goddamn country like a venereal disease. Strings seems to be goin through the country in much the same way, getting involved in a series of impulsive and disastrous relationships with almost every woman he meets. (He marries the masseuse.) Like the songs on his latest album, Aint No Time for Cryin, he is generically sincere, only vaguely able to notice any feelings but his own:

STRINGS: You got any idea what its like growin up without no Daddy?

JIMMY: I sure do. My Daddy run off when I was f 

STRINGS: Its a kind of lonesome feelin, Jimmy. Like, somethin was took from inside you, and you aint never gonna get it back.

JIMMY: Must feel pretty bad.

STRINGS: Why you think Mama took in all them step-daddies over the years? Cause she didnt want me growin up without a fathers love.

The sudden death of his not-so-sainted mother is the crisis that has brought Strings home to Beaumont, Tennessee, interrupting a film shoot and reigniting a long nervous-breakdown-in-progress. After the funeral, at which he reconnects with a pretty young second cousin named Essie, he decides to give up the celebrity life, move back home permanently, and, with his good ol boy brother, Duke, open a feed store. In the manner of absurd rural-slumming satires from Green Acres to Funny Farm, this does not go well.

But is it a satire? It certainly contains elements that are inexplicable otherwise. Celebrities and fans, country music and country folk, narcissists and sycophants all come in for mild needling. Very little of Hold On to Me Darling is funny, though, and not just because these subjects are so well picked over already; the tone is too wobbly, and the pace too languorous, for its teeth to gain any purchase on skin. (The play runs almost three hours, much of which is repetitious.) On the other hand, Lonergan cant possibly mean to be serious; the story is too ludicrous. Until the final scene, nothing really happens beyond Stringss wearisome dithering and the even more tedious working-out of its consequences. And then, in that final scene, when Lonergan finally gets some real drama going, he drops it like a hot pan and shuts off the lights. Nothing the director Neil Pepe tries to shape with the material can make a graceful exit of that.

This is all very mystifying, and a little sad. After the spectacular first bloom of his stage career, with This Is Our Youth in 1996 and Lobby Hero in 2001 (and the film You Can Count on Me in between), Lonergan seems to have lost nerve, or at any rate efficiency. His 2009 play The Starry Messenger had a long, rocky development (as, famously, did his movie Margaret, eventually released in 2011); the script of Hold On to Me Darling was first copyrighted in 2004. More troubling is that the pointedness and pathos of those early works  a 2014 Broadway production of This Is Our Youth more than proved its continued stageworthiness  has here descended into confusion and sentimentality. Like Strings, Hold On to Me Darling seems to be trapped in an interior drama that doesnt really acknowledge the other people in the room.

That includes the audience but also the actors, who have the daunting task of brewing what amounts to a tempest in a crockpot. As Strings, Timothy Olyphant (who before becoming famous on television in shows like Justified appeared at the Atlantic in David Sedariss Santaland Diaries) has the requisite charm and muscles but spends most of the play leadfooting the accelerator, trying to make it go. Despite this, and the valiant work of the rest of the cast, it doesnt. (Even Walt Spanglers turntable set spins slowly.) I cant think thats because the play needed more thought; probably it needed less. In any case, we can hope that Lonergan will get back to us quickly with something new. As Strings no doubt would warble, this aint no time for cryin.

Hold On to Me Darling is at the Atlantic Theater Company through April 3.
Lang Son province on Vietnam's northern border is visited more by local traders then international tourists, yet it still deserves its place on Vietnam gastronomic map thanks to two of the region's culinary specialties.

Khau nhuc

This pork and taro dish is commonly served during the celebrations of the local ethnic minority tribes. Khau nhuc is a time consuming, meticulously prepared dish, with every ingredient needing to be present to truly be called khau nhuc.

A combination of roasted pork loin marinated with spices and honey, the flavor, aroma and the texture is what sets the dish apart.

Tau soi leaves, a pickled herb used by the Tay ethnic minority, is finely chopped and mixed with soy sauce and a special mix of dried spices, and applied to the meat to marinade for 15 minutes.

Khau nhuc is served on the plate looking something like an up-ended basket. All the strips of pork loin are woven together, and cover a core of steamed taro.

Khau nhuc

Roast duck with moc mat leaves

You can find roasted duck all across Asia. China, of course, boasts world-famous versions in Peking and Hong Kong roast duck.

Vietnam also has its own candidate for a roast duck recipe worthy of international attention. It begins with a perfect stuffing mixture made of finely chopped onion, garlic, chilli, pepper, cardamom, anise and a local herd called moc mat.

The mouth-watering, glossy skin is produced by dipping the duck in boiling water laced with honey, roasting it over coals for 15 minutes and then deep-frying for another 15 minutes.

Cooked whole and served carved into pieces, the meat it juicy and tender and has a spicy kick to it. The thin, crispy skin does not have a fatty feel to it because of the unique three-stage cooking process.

This roast duck from Lang Son is surely the equal of its more famous cousins from across the border.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott repudiated President Barack Obamas recent criticisms of the states voter laws on Monday, arguing that Texas must remain vigilant against voter fraud.

What I find is that leaders of the other party are against efforts to crack down on voter fraud, Abbott said. The fact is that voter fraud is rampant. In Texas, unlike some other states and unlike some other leaders, we are committed to cracking down on voter fraud.

In an interview with the Texas Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith on Friday, Obama said that leaders in Texas are partly to blame for low voter turnout in the state.

The folks who are governing the good state of Texas aren't interested in having more people participate, Obama said.

Obama has been previously critical of voter ID laws like the one Texas passed in 2011. A federal judge ruled last year that the Texas law had a discriminatory effect by restricting access to the polls for black and Hispanic Texans. Last week the full U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals announced that it would hear arguments over whether the law violates the Voting Rights Act. The law requires most citizens to show one of a handful of forms of allowable photo identification before their election ballots can be counted.

One specific policy that Obama suggested the state should adopt to increase turnout would be online voter registration. But Abbott appeared uninterested in the proposal when asked about it at a press conference following the announcement that California-based Pegasus Foods is building a new, 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rockwall, Texas.

We dont want to open the system up to methodologies or ways of voting that would promote or allow voter fraud, Abbott said. To the contrary to the presidents comment, the fact is  despite our voter registration laws  we had the highest level of turnout than ever before in the primary that occurred just a few weeks before he made that comment.

While Texas did witness historic voter turnout in the 2016 primaries, the state still had one of the lowest voting-age participation rates of the states that have held primaries so far at 21.5 percent, besting only Louisiana as of last week. But Abbott did not attribute those figures to the states election laws, instead pointing to the lack of faith in government among voters.

Voters and citizens repeatedly say, Why go vote if were going to have corrupt leaders in office? Abbott said. So we need to root out and eliminate corrupt leaders and root out and eliminate corruption in the voting process, and that means greater ballot security, not less ballot security.

Abbott noted that he personally prosecuted voter fraud cases across the entire state of Texas while he was the state's attorney general from 2002 to 2015.

Voter fraud remains by many accounts a rare phenomenon in Texas.

You're more likely to get struck by lightning in Texas than to find any kind of voter fraud, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, said last year, an assertion that PolitiFact found to be true.

As of last year, there had been a total of 85 election fraud prosecutions resolved in Texas, including 51 guilty or no contest pleas and 9 convictions, according to PolitiFact. Lorraine Minnite, a Rutgers professor and author of the book The Myth of Voter Fraud, determined that four cases in Texas from 2000 to 2014 involved in-person voter fraud.

Shortly before the governor spoke on Monday, the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit in San Antonio federal court challenging the states voter registration procedures. The complaint alleges that Texas is violating the U.S. Constitution and federal law by refusing to register eligible voters who submit changes to their drivers license information with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Plaintiffs, who are eligible Texas voters, have been disenfranchised  just like the thousands of similarly situated voters who complained to election officials about these same problems when their ballots were not counted, the complaint reads, arguing that this contradicts the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Texas voters will continue to be shut out of the democratic process unless and until Defendants reform their registration practices.

According to the Texas Civil Rights Project, nearly 2,000 voters complained to the state between September 2013 and May 2015 after completing an online transaction with DPS and mistakenly believing that their voter registration records were updated too. The lawsuit was filed against Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos and DPS director Steven McCraw.
A Texas State Technical College alumnus is paving a road to space.

Brandon Westley, a 2008 aviation maintenance graduate, is lead production technician at The Spaceship Co. in Mojave, California. As a sister corporation of Virgin Galactic, it specializes in commercial aircraft.

His company recently unveiled SpaceShipTwo, which could transport six people and two pilots to space in an effort to create space tourism.

There is a huge sense of fulfillment  knowing all these months of long hours, hard work and milestones has reached us to build a spaceship, Westley said. We build spaceships  not many people can say that. Weve built the foundation for the common man to see the stars up close and personal. Its a remarkable feeling, knowing Ive had the chance to be a part of history.

What most people consider a typical workday isnt the case for Westley, a 28-year-old Huntsville native.

A normal day can range from laying up parts to building an oven over a section needing to be cured, to training other techs on safety and tool usage, he said. Its ever-changing and there are lots of opportunities to learn new things here.

Kelly Filgo, a former classmate of Westleys, revealed that Westley overcame a fear of airplanes long before becoming an innovator in space tourism.

After NASA retired space shuttles, its important for private enterprises to take over the low-Earth orbit area, he said.

Its innovative to turn it over to business, said Filgo, department chair of aviation maintenance at TSTC. This is really great, and its the result of that young man from East Texas going to school and learning how to build spaceships.

Westleys college choice came down to where he could learn the most.

(TSTC) was just the right place for me, he said. I knew I didnt want to sit at a desk all day, I wanted to contribute to something greater than myself. TSTC was the likely choice to learn what I needed in order to find the right path for myself. Gaining my Airframe & Powerplant license was a huge step in having the right skill set and training to succeed in the aviation industry.

Filgo said Westley is only one example of why the college produces strong graduates prepared for technical careers.

Its important for us to let people know a lot of people say TSTC is the best-kept secret in Texas, Filgo said. We dont want it to be a secret. Technical education is not just a Plan B idea. Its a great Plan A and a path anyone should consider.

Westley worked in the aviation industry since graduating and now has eight years of aviation experience and 12 years of technician experience.

His education and experience are contributing to the expansion of space tourism, a concept long thought to be remote, if not impossible.

I think that as we travel to space more and more, the costs will become more affordable for everyday men, Westley said. Things that seemed out of reach, like reduced international travel times and space hotels or sending humanity to different celestial bodies, will be closer to becoming realities.
If he consolidates his frontrunner standing in todays primaries, you can expect more and more Republicans to begin trying to persuade you, and themselves, that there is nothing to fear from the real Donald Trump.

Trump is showing that he can appear reasonable, conciliatory, even tolerant when he wants. Red-faced and strutting, he fantasizes aloud about punching a protester in the face. Later, he can calmly deplore (while still sympathizing with) his supporters violence.

Some Republicans have been fine with either version from the start. Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, is emblematic of the amoral functionary for whom Trumps bigotry and demagoguery are irrelevant. Winning is the antidote to a lot of things, Priebus has observed.

Others have had misgivings.

Given the anti-Muslim bigotry that helped fuel his own presidential candidacy, its no surprise that Ben Carson could find his way to endorsing his former rival. But even Carson had to reassure himself by purporting to have discovered the two Donald Trumps.

Theres the Donald Trump that you see on television and who gets out in front of big audiences, and theres the Donald Trump behind the scenes, Carson explained. Theyre not the same person. Ones very much an entertainer and one is actually a thinking individual.

Of course, there is only one Donald Trump, and if he continues to win you will hear several theories to explain why that singular personality is essentially benign.

Some politicians will cite Trumps all-too-evident ignorance as a blessing: He is an empty vessel who will take guidance, or unwittingly be molded, by more experienced hands. Others will take comfort in Trumps identity as a dealmaker who is simply staking out opening positions that he knows must eventually be moderated. Maybe the wall wont be quite so high. Maybe well split the check with Mexico. Maybe well deport only 5 million people, not 11 million.

Still others will assure us, and themselves, that he cant possibly mean the things he says. They know someone who knows someone whos been to his parties; hes a nice guy; hes not really a hater.

In truth, bigotry and demagoguery got Trump this far and he cannot abandon his roots. He vaulted into politics by playing cynically on voter suspicions that Americas first black president must be foreign-born. He catapulted to the top of the Republican field by calling Mexicans rapists. Whenever his campaign needs a jolt, Trump finds an ugly way to deliver it  mocking women, threatening critics, endorsing torture.

A man who gains power by showing contempt for democracy and civil discourse is not going to develop a finer sensibility as he gains more power. The reverse is far more likely. Even last week, as we were celebrating the supposedly new and improved civility of the campaign, Trump was again slandering an entire religion.

I think Islam hates us, he told CNNs Anderson Cooper.

In the debate that night, he was asked whether he meant all 1.6 billion Muslims.

I mean a lot of them. I mean a lot of them, Trump said, and then added in his usual conspiratorial way: Theres something going on that maybe you dont know about, maybe a lot of other people dont know about, but theres tremendous hatred.

The musings revealed Trumps unreformed willingness to smear and stereotype. But the reaction to them showed how he has dragged the campaign down to his level, creating a dangerous new normal. When last fall he vowed to prevent all Muslims from entering the United States, it was shocking, and Republican leaders united to condemn him. This time, the pushback was mild. Marco Rubios first complaint was that Trumps comment was making life hard for Christian missionaries in Bangladesh; Ted Cruzs objection was that Trump isnt tough enough on Irans ayatollahs.

It was easy to imagine both of them making peace with nominee Trump, as they have pledged to do, and easy to imagine other party leaders joining in. Given the nature of our attention spans, anyone harking back to ugly Trump moments from last fall, or even last month, will be conveniently dismissed as a naysayer dredging up old news.

Fred Hiatt is the editorial page editor of The Washington Post.
Texas Republicans have already had their say in the first of the pivotal Super Tuesday contests: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who has been running for president since he took office, garnered 44 percent of the GOP vote, while the national frontrunner, reality TV star Donald Trump, drew 27 percent. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio won 18 percent of the vote while Ohio Gov. John Kasich won 4 percent, which means the pair receive no Texas delegates.

Tonights vote tallies in Ohio and Florida and, to an extent, Illinois will play key roles in determining how all this play outs. Per the Republican National Convention, all three states are conducting their primary elections under winner-take-all rules. (Missouri and North Carolina primaries are being held under more complicated conditions.) And Cruz makes a valid point: If a senator or governor cant even hold his own state against Trump, then he probably doesnt have any business running for president.

Also, if Kasich and Rubio hold their states, Ohio and Florida, from jumping aboard the Trump bandwagon (Ohio has 66 delegates; Florida, 99), they will slow the bombastic frontrunners ability to roll into Cleveland for a convention coronation in mid-July. Illinois also might offer an interesting take on Trump, given that a Trump rally in Chicago last week was canceled amid fights and protests. The candidate blamed Bernie Sanders; Cruz and Rubio blame Trump himself.

Polls show that Rubio is likely to falter in Florida  hardly a ringing endorsement for his continuing his presidential campaign  but Kasich seems poised to offer real competition in Ohio, birthplace of so many presidents and so crucial to Republicans in all general elections. And with Trump rallies increasingly succumbing to violence amid the candidates combative rhetoric, who knows what might happen in Cleveland this summer?

Ahead of the Texas primary election, this newspaper (and some others in Texas) recommended Kasich to our readers, noting that he would bring critical experience to Washington in terms of both fiscal conservatism and bipartisanship, clearly needed to get anything done. The Kasich campaign quickly posted our editorial on its website. Were less concerned with that than the candidates heeding our advice now: If Kasich wins in Ohio, he needs to plant himself in places such as California and Pennsylvania, where Republicans are far more pragmatic and likely to doubt Trump. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has already endorsed the Ohio governor.

If the unexpected victories of Bernie Sanders in places such as Oklahoma demonstrate anything at all, its that a Hillary Clinton fatigue exists across much of our nation. But if Republicans believe putting forward a candidate voicing outrage, demagoguery and little else will capitalize on this Achilles heel, theyre fooling themselves.
March 15, 2016 | 02:04 am PT

A 78-year-old white man accused of punching a black protester in the face during a rally in North Carolina for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been arrested on an assault charge, a local sheriff's office said on Thursday.

Rakeem Jones, 26, was being escorted from the rally on Wednesday night by sheriff's deputies in Fayetteville when John McGraw hit him, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said.

Videos of the incident recorded by bystanders showed deputies pinning Jones to the ground, prompting social media criticism on why swift action was taken against him instead of his assailant.

"He had no right to put his hands on me," Jones said in a telephone interview.

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Trump. Photo: Reuters

McGraw was also charged with disorderly conduct and communicating threats. Detectives added the latter charge after seeing a video of McGraw saying he enjoyed hitting "that loudmouth" and threatening next time "to kill him", the sheriff's office said.

The office said it would conduct an internal investigation, adding that deputies accompanying Jones did not see the assault.

Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler called the attack cowardly.

"Regardless of political affiliation, speech, race, national origin, color, gender, bad reputation, prior acts or political demonstration, no other citizen has the right to assault another person or to act in such a way as this defendant did," Butler said.

Asked about the incident during the Republican debate on Thursday night, Trump said he did not condone violence but said that some protesters "are bad dudes".

Trump's campaign rallies are boisterous, with the billionaire businessman often pausing to scold protesters and ask security officers to take them away. At a rally last month in Nevada, he said of a protester: "I'd like to punch him in the face".

Trump is the front-runner to be his party's nominee for the Nov. 8 presidential election.

His hour-long speech in the packed North Carolina arena was interrupted at least 16 times, according to a Reuters reporter who attended.

A friend of Jones, Ronnie C. Rouse, said they attended the event to observe, not protest, and were told to leave after an exchange with another man who Rouse said used a racial slur.

Jones, who works for an inventory company and as a tutor, said the punch came out of nowhere.

"The whole arena cheered as I was being escorted out and even more so after I got hit," he said, adding his right eye was swollen and bruised. - Reuters
An American has been stabbed and wounded in Kuwait and the assailant arrested, the US embassy said, urging nationals to remain alert to the threat of attack by extremists.

"The embassy informs US citizens that a US citizen was stabbed on Thursday morning, March 10, in Fintas," a coastal town south of Kuwait City, a statement on its website said.

"His injuries are not life-threatening. The man who assaulted him is in police custody."

The embassy did not identify the victim and gave no information about the nationality or motive of his suspected attacker.

American flag. Photo: Reuters

"The embassy is not aware of specific, credible threats against US citizens. Nonetheless, US citizens residing in or visiting Kuwait should remain vigilant regarding their personal security," the statement said.

"Extremists may attack in groups or alone, in planned actions or attacking targets of opportunity."

Kuwait, which neighbours both Iraq and Saudi Arabia, hosts several large US military bases.

In June last year, a suicide bomber killed 26 worshippers at a Shiite mosque in an attack claimed by the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group.

Sunni Muslims make up around two-thirds of the Gulf emirate's population. Shiites account for the other third. - AFP
The law school dean for the University of California at Berkeley resigned from his post on Thursday after admitting to physical contact with his executive assistant that campus officials said violated the school's sexual harassment policy.

The departure of Sujit Choudhry, 46, who faces a lawsuit by his accuser, came amid heightened scrutiny of the way in which colleges and universities across the country have dealt with allegations of rape and sexual abuse on campuses.

Choudhry has admitted to engaging in unwanted physical contact with his assistant on multiple occasions, including hugging and kissing her. He has also admitted to holding her hands to his waist and touching her shoulders and arms from behind while she sat at her desk, according to a university statement.

The assistant, who was not named in an investigative report from the school's Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, also complained that Choudhry directed her to perform personal tasks on his behalf, such as mailing mortgage documents and finding him a laundromat.But Choudhry, who will remain on the law school faculty for the time being, has denied sexually harassing his assistant.

The move came a day after the school said Choudhry was going on indefinite leave over the issue. An announcement about an interim replacement for the position of dean will be made as soon as possible, the school said.

Choudhry said in a statement he had fully cooperated with the school in its investigation and denied he engaged in sexual harassment.

"I will immediately begin a leave of absence as Dean of Berkeley Law in order to ensure that this lawsuit does not become a distraction for the Law School, the University and our community," Choudhry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Choudhry's accuser has been placed on paid leave until she is ready to return to work, the school said.

The Daily Californian student newspaper reported that the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday and it alleged Choudhry subjected other women at the school to unwanted advances as well.

A previous dean at the school, John Dwyer, resigned in 2002 following allegations from a former law school student that he sexually harassed her. Last October, UC Berkeley astronomy professor Geoff Marcy also resigned over sexual harassment allegations. - Reuters
Former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, who was found dead in a Washington hotel room last year, died of blunt force injuries to the head, U.S. authorities said on Thursday.

Lesin, who once headed the state-controlled Gazprom-Media, also had blunt force injuries to the neck, torso, arms and legs, the U.S. capital's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Metropolitan Police Department said in a brief statement.

According to a police incident report, Lesin, who was President Vladimir Putin's press minister from 1999 to 2004, was found unconscious on Nov. 5 on the floor of his room in the Doyle Washington Hotel. The hotel is also known as the Dupont Circle Hotel.

An ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Russia's RT television quoted family members at the time as saying he had died of a heart attack.

Russia's Mass Media Minister Mikhail Lesin in central Moscow. Photo: Reuters

A U.S. law enforcement source said on Thursday the investigation into Lesin's death was being led by Washington, D.C. police.

The investigation was focused on Lesin's death, but that did not rule out a possible change to a murder probe, said the source, who declined to be identified when discussing the matter.

The source said when police first investigated the hotel room where Lesin's body was found, they did not find any damage or evidence indicating foul play.

A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in the United States said their officials for the past several months have requested through diplomatic channels information regarding the progress of the investigation.

"No substantial information has been provided. With regard to the document that has been released to the public today, we expect the American side to provide us with a relevant official explanation," press secretary Yury Melnik said in an email.

ABC News has said Lesin had been accused of censoring Russia's independent media. He became head of Gazprom-Media Holding in 2013 but resigned the following year.-Reuters
Seoul, South Korea - North Korea threatened pre-emptive and "indiscriminate" nuclear strikes against South Korea and the United States on Monday, as the two allies kicked off their annual, large-scale military exercises.

The drills always raise tensions on the divided Korean peninsula and the situation is particularly volatile this year, given the North's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch and its fury over tough UN sanctions imposed in response.

Participation in the joint exercises - known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle - has been bumped up this year to involve 300,000 South Korean and around 17,000 US troops, as well as strategic US naval vessels and air force assets.

In a statement issued hours before the drills began, North Korea's powerful National Defence Commission said it was prepared for an "all-out" military counter-offensive.

Describing the exercises as "nuclear war drills" aimed at undermining North Korea's sovereignty, the statement said the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army was ready to launch a "pre-emptive and offensive nuclear strike" in response.

Weapons on 'standby'

The threat came just days after leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the country's nuclear arsenal to be placed on standby in response to the sanctions resolution adopted last week by the UN Security Council.

Pyongyang has issued similar dire warnings of nuclear attack in the past, usually during periods of elevated military tensions.

While the North is known to have a small stockpile of nuclear warheads, experts are divided about its ability to mount them on a working missile delivery system.

The National Defence Commission said plans for what it called a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" had been ratified by Kim Jong-Un.

The plans would come into operation in the event of "even the slightest military action" by the North's enemies, it said.

"The indiscriminate nuclear strike... will clearly show those keen on aggression and war, the military mettle of (North Korea)," said the statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency.

Targets would include operational American bases on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere in Asia, as well as the US mainland.

'Flames and ashes'

"If we push the buttons to annihilate the enemies even right now, all bases of provocations will be reduced to seas in flames and ashes in a moment," the statement added.

Despite a pair of successful long-range rocket launches, most experts believe North Korea is years away from developing a genuine inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland.

In Seoul, the defence ministry cautioned the North against acting out its bellicose rhetoric.

"If North Korea launches a provocation, our military will respond sternly and mercilessly," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun told reporters.

Pyongyang has long condemned the Foal Eagle and Key Resolve exercises, which stretch over nearly two months, as provocative rehearsals for invasion, while Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature.

The North's threat of a nuclear response appeared to have been prompted, in part, by South Korean media reports that this year's drills would role play surgical strikes against key North Korean nuclear and missile facilities.

The scale of the exercises was ramped up following the North's fourth nuclear test on January 6 and February's rocket launch, which was seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

Tough UN sanctions

A UN Security Council resolution adopted last week laid out the toughest sanctions imposed on Pyongyang to date over its nuclear weapons programme.

It breaks new ground by targeting specific sectors key to the North Korean economy and seeking to undermine the North's use of, and access to, international transport systems.

The Philippines has already seized a North Korean cargo ship which was among 31 listed by the resolution as banned from international ports.

Pyongyang has rejected the sanctions as "unfair, illicit and immoral" and vowed to keep building its nuclear arsenal.

South Korea is set to unveil further unilateral sanctions against the North on Tuesday - a move that is likely to draw further threats of retaliation from Pyongyang. - AFP
March 15, 2016 | 02:05 am PT

Lima, Peru - Authorities in Peru on Thursday arrested a pair of European tourists who had stripped naked to take photos at the Machu Picchu ruins, local media reported.

Guards spotted the two men -- a Briton and a Frenchman -- after they removed their clothes to take nude photos with a cell phone, the Andina news agency reported, citing police.

They were taken to a police station and then to court, where they were charged with moral misconduct.

Peru increased surveillance at the site in March 2014 after nude photos and streaking became increasingly common at Machu Picchu.

The 15th-century Inca citadel was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. - AFP
Thousands of television sets are to be thrown on to the Dick Smith liquidation fire sale following a bizarre legal case.

The TV sets, worth $1.8 million, were stranded at warehouses when the electronics company went under in January.

The dispute started when Dick Smith's manufacturer, Chinese company Shenzhen MTC, demanded the return of 14 shipping containers filled with TV sets because it feared it would not get paid.

But shipping company Toll sent the TV sets to Dick Smith's cartage contractor.
Alternative medicine is big business. With a cost of more than $2 billion annually in Australia, you might think practices like vitamin and mineral supplementation, acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy or even chiropractic care were conventional. Yet the majority of these have little foundation in evidence. So why are so many of us signing up for treatments with no guarantee of success? At least some of the fault lies with doctors like me.

Effective communication has long been considered a key component of medical care. Patients want to know how likely a treatment is to work and doctors should be able to tell them. This is the promise of evidenced-based care, yet in some regard doctors are failing to promote it.

Patients want to know how likely a treatment is to work and doctors should be able to tell them.

Generally, evidence-based practice has helped to increase both the safety and utility of many medicines. This comes at the cost of losing the "power of suggestion" that occurs when proof is absent. Alternative medicine does not suffer this dilemma. When a substance has not been tested in a well-designed trial it is impossible to say it doesn't have a benefit. When the purported effect is vague, such as wellness or immune defence, it is easy to convince yourself it is working. The mystery is maintained.

But explanations from doctors about why evidenced-based medicines are more effective than alternative medicine are not just poor at the patient level. Broader communication, which has a better chance to affect opinion and understanding, is frequently squandered by those on the soapbox.
While the original KKK was a distinctly Southern movement, developed and led by Confederate veterans, the revived Klan's 1920s heyday featured a national and predominantly urban base, with the midwest, southwest and eastern seaboard emerging as powerful Klan centres. Denver, Detroit and Philadelphia each boasted memberships greater than 20,000. During the civil rights era, Klan activity again became concentrated in the South, and much of the KKK's most brutal violence took place against Southern civil rights forces. But the group's strongholds were not in rural locales but rather in and around cities such as Birmingham in Alabama, Greensboro and Raleigh in North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. Stetson Kennedy, author of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) study Southern Exposure, posing in the Klan's uniform to illustrate the sign indicating the Oath Of Secrecy in 1947. Credit:Getty Images/File In the ensuing decades, the KKK's geographic reach has again broadened. Today, the Southern Poverty Law Centres comprehensive "hate map" locates active KKK units in 34 states, from New England to the West Coast. Members of the Ku Klux Klan march through the streets of Sharpsburg, Maryland, in 2004. Credit:AP

The KKK operates largely in secret, hiding its members' identities The Klan is most notoriously associated with terrorist acts committed under the cover of darkness, with perpetrators' identities concealed by hoods. Media accounts back up this stereotype. One British article offers a "glimpse into secretive rituals". A History Channel documentary promises to get inside this "secret society". Slate described the Klan as one of the "most feared, secretive, and marginalised pockets of society around the world". At times, KKK members have used hoods to protect themselves and create symbolic cachet. But more often, Klan groups have behaved like public organisations, trumpeting their presence and civic contributions. In 1925, KKK leaders showed off their burgeoning membership and political influence by organising a Klan parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. The event drew more than 40,000 unmasked members. During the 1960s, KKK outfits staged nightly "street walks" in southern cities, with hundreds of members marching, unhidden, through local business districts to drum up attention for nearby rallies and to underscore members' open presence in the community. Such skewed civic-mindedness extended to a range of social events and charitable acts, from Klan church services, fish fries and turkey shoots to campaigns to deliver food and other necessities to the sick or needy. In the 1970s, David Duke upped the ante, exchanging robes for three-piece suits in an effort to enhance his group's respectability and appeal. Today's self-styled KKK leaders claim to be opening new frontiers by, say, launching websites or organising marches through local downtowns. In fact, these actions are part of a long lineage of checkered efforts by the Klan to achieve public legitimacy.

The KKK enjoyed public support from segregationist politicians in the civil-rights-era South In his 1963 inaugural speech, Alabama governor George Wallace famously delivered an impassioned defense, chanting, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!" A year earlier, Mississippi governor Ross Barnett announced that he was a "segregationist and ... proud of it." But despite these bold proclamations, the alliance between Klansmen and politicians was very complicated. Like a number of his Jim Crow-era counterparts, Wallace tolerated the Klan, courted its membership's votes and at times leveraged KKK influence to shore up his segregationist flank. But segregationist politicians stopped short of publicly promoting lawlessness or otherwise validating the Klan's brand of organised terrorism. Tellingly, when a journalist caught Wallace on film shaking hands with national Klan leader Robert Shelton during Wallace's 1968 presidential campaign, a member of the governor's staff instructed an Alabama state trooper to grab the camera and destroy the film. That's because the Klan polarised the southern white electorate. While an overwhelming percentage supported segregation in the 1960s, a significant contingent was repelled by the KKK's violent extra-legal means. Politicians struggled to appeal to both camps. Before his 1964 election as North Carolina governor, centrist Dan K. Moore responded to state KKK leader Bob Jones' endorsement by claiming not to know "the nature of the Klan or its membership" and saying he welcomed the support of all responsible groups. Such balancing acts mirror Trump's recent failure to immediately disavow the support of longtime KKK leader Duke  "Just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, OK?"  demonstrating how, as in 1964, today's candidates can seek advantage in tacit appeals to issues that resonate with the Klan's world view.

The KKK's damaging impact has been limited to its terrorist activities Any account of the Klan's disturbing legacy rightfully centres on the deadly acts of violence its members have perpetrated in the name of white supremacy. But Klan vigilantism has harmed communities in less-direct and more broadly corrosive ways as well. Even today, 50 years after the height of the KKK's civil-rights-era violence, communities where the Klan once thrived exhibit higher rates of violent crime than neighbouring areas. Such effects demonstrate the power of a movement that flouts established authority and weakens the bonds of respect and order within a community. That power disrupts the social fabric well beyond the presence of the KKK itself. The KKK's durable influence also extends to electoral politics. The Klan has never recaptured the powerful voting bloc it built in the 1920s (at the time, its membership drove the outcomes of hundreds of local and state elections). But in a recent study, Rory McVeigh, Justin Farrell and I found that the KKK served as a major driver of the largest partisan shift of the past half-century  the South's pronounced move toward the Republican Party. While support for Republican candidates has grown throughout the region, the increase has been significantly more pronounced in areas where the KKK was previously active. The Klan helped produce this effect by encouraging voters to move away from Democratic candidates, who increasingly supported civil rights reforms, and by pushing racial conflicts to the fore and more clearly aligning those issues with party platforms. While this shift from blue to red may in itself not be problematic, the damaging effect of the Klan's role resides in the divisive nature of that transition, which continues to be reflected in our polarised political system.
A 10.10 carat vivid blue diamond is expected to set the record for the most expensive piece of jewelry sold at auction in Asia despite an ongoing growth slowdown in China's economy, Sotheby's said on Friday.

The "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" is expected to fetch between $30 million and $35 million at the April 5 sale in Hong Kong, and is described by the auction house as the largest oval blue diamond ever to appear at auction and "internally flawless".

The diamond, which is slightly larger than an almond in size, came from South Africa's Cullinan Mine and was one of 12 displayed at London's Millennium Dome to mark the year 2000.

"There are no more than a dozen or so blue diamonds of fancy vivid colour and over 10 carats in the world, so they are very, very rare," Sotheby's Deputy Chairman for Asia Quek Chin Yeow told AFP.

Diamonds on display at an exhibition in Gaborone. Photo: Reuters

The sale will come five months after the 12.03-carat "Blue Moon of Josephine" was bought for a record $48 million in Geneva by an Asian property tycoon, a further sign the jewelry auction market remains strong despite slowing Chinese growth.

The world's second-largest economy expanded 6.9 percent in 2015, the worst performance in a quarter of a century, and a far cry from years of double-digit increases.

"Of course people are concerned about the China slowdown," Quek said, but added that sales of rare items seem to be largely unaffected by growth numbers.

"It's the rarity and the collectability of these wonderful objects. When they come to the market, they will have strong interest from all over the world," Quek said, adding that the location of the upcoming sale was a sign of confidence in the Asian market.

The previous record for a diamond sold in Hong Kong was set in 2013, with the sale of a 118-carat white diamond for $30.6 million. - AFP
I recently addressed school principals from across the state. My message was clear. We have to get more serious about making sure all Australian young men and women leave school with set of essential capabilities as well as deep knowledge and considerable skill in a range of academic and vocational areas.

While of course Australian parents want their children to do well in NAPLAN tests, this is only a fraction of what will be needed in the future. For unless students are creative, curious, resilient and resourceful they will neither be prepared for a lifetime of learning new things nor be able to thrive in a fast-changing world. Too often we focus too narrowly on literacy and numeracy when these are only the beginning. We become obsessed with school subjects rather than thinking more broadly about the capabilities which will be valuable in the real world.

Too often we focus too narrowly on literacy and numeracy when these are only the beginning. Credit:Pat Scala

Australia is well-placed in this discussion. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority has required schools to develop a number of capabilities in young people in addition to literacy and numeracy. These include information and communication technology capability, intercultural understanding, ethical understanding, personal and social capability and critical and creative thinking.

In 2008 the Melbourne Declaration paved the way for a greater emphasis on social interaction, cross-disciplinary thinking and digital media. It stressed the importance of values and attributes such as honesty, resilience and respect for others. But the truth is that schools are not yet engaging in this debate because the overwhelming noise in the system is about improving NAPLAN and ATAR scores, focusing on subjects. We talk about the need for more students to study STEM subjects or of skill shortages in certain sectors.
The architect of the Coalition's hard-line "stop the boats" policy, retired army general Jim Molan, is gaining momentum in his bid to enter the Australian Parliament.

Appointed by an incoming Tony Abbott as a special adviser on Operation Sovereign Borders, the former commander of 300,000 multinational forces in Iraq has long been seen as aligned with the Liberal Party. And now he has won the former prime minister's imprimatur for a spot in the Senate.

Retired Major General Jim Molan Credit:Jeffrey Chan

Last year, General Molan urged Europe to alter its "incompetent" handling of the migrant crisis and consider the border protection regime he and Mr Abbott instituted in Australia. And he has called for an expanded role for Australian troops in Iraq - not to fight Islamic State on the front line, but to "advise, assist and accompany" local forces.

In 2014, he briefly worked for then defence minister David Johnston, advising on the defence white paper. But he left the role after just three weeks, hinting strongly that Senator Johnston was the problem.
Treasurer Scott Morrison has given his clearest signal yet that personal and corporate tax cuts may be too difficult to deliver this budget, despite indicating for months that tax cuts would be his priority.

In an obvious indication of how difficult the Turnbull government is finding the budget repair task, Mr Morrison, when asked on Tuesday about the pressure that high tax rates were putting on the economy, said next year's scheduled removal of the deficit repair levy was an example of forthcoming tax relief.

But it was the only example of future tax cuts he could point to when asked about the likelihood of tax cuts on the horizon.

Speaking to a business audience in Melbourne, Mr Morrison said the best way to provide fiscal room for income tax cuts was through faster economic growth, so his focus this budget would be on boosting growth.
Okay, end of the day. What happened?

it was a day of chicanery in the Senate ;

; three cross benchers - Ricky Muir, David Leyonhjelm and Glenn Lazarus - tried to delay debate on the government's changes to Senate voting ;

and - tried to delay debate on the government's changes to ; none of their attempts were successful leaving the government free to pursue its agenda;

free to pursue its agenda; the various moves and counter moves resulted in the government and Greens knocking back debate on building watchdog legislation which makes a bit of a mockery of the government's claims about the legislation's incredible importance;

and knocking back debate on which makes a bit of a mockery of the government's claims about the legislation's incredible importance; and the Greens voting against a move to debate its own marriage equality bill;

voting against a move to debate its own the government has indicated changes to superannuation concessions and the tobacco excise are on the cards for the budget ;

has indicated changes to and the are on the cards for the ; which Treasurer Scott Morrison said would be held on May 10. Or will it?

My eternal thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their magical work and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Alex, Andrew and I will be back in the morning. We look forward to your company. Good night.
US President Barack Obama has made a passionate case for mobile devices to be built in a way that would allow the government to gain access to personal data if needed to prevent a terrorist attack or enforce tax laws.

Speaking at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, the president said he could not comment on the legal case in which the FBI is trying to force Apple to allow access to an iPhone linked to San Bernardino shooter Rizwan Farook.

President Barack Obama talks with Evan Smith, Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune, during South by Southwest. Credit:AP

But he made clear that despite his commitment to Americans' privacy and civil liberties, a balance was needed to allow some government intrusion if necessary.

"If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, there's no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?" he said.
As China's role in our economic and strategic future continues to grow, we badly need a deeper capacity to engage with it on a linguistic and cultural level playing field. We conspicuously lack that capacity, and the education policies that were intended to bridge the gap have made only small advances. It's time for a serious stocktake.

English is aggressively taught in China so that the country can engage with the outside world in both business and scholarship, but we are failing abysmally in this country to master Chinese. We are being left behind in the competition to understand and penetrate Chinese markets, Chinese culture and Chinese politics. This is lazy and even dangerous.

Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit:Andrew Dyson

A joke went around some years ago to the effect that there were so many people in China learning English that there would soon be more English speakers in China than there then were in the United States; but that by the time this happened everyone in the United States would be speaking Spanish. We are fast approaching a situation here where only Australians of Chinese ethnicity will speak Chinese. This should alarm both economic and strategic planners.

It has been estimated that the current number of proficient adult speakers of Chinese in Australia of non-Chinese background is 130 at most; and half of those are already over 55 years of age. Obstacles and disincentives discourage non-Chinese students from taking up or persevering with Chinese as a second language; to the point where only 5 per cent of those who enroll in it at secondary school continue it to year 12. Last year, there were 400 year 12 students of Chinese as a second language  20 per cent fewer than in 2008.
When it comes to income tax, what a person pays tax on will depend on where they are regarded as being a resident. One of the few exceptions is for US citizens who pay tax on their worldwide income, no matter where they live.

In Australia, an income tax residency test is applied to work out what an individual pays income tax on. If you are classed as an Australian resident for income tax purposes, you pay tax on your worldwide income. If you do not pass this test, and are therefore are an alien for income tax purposes, you only pay tax on your Australian source income.

You might have set up your business in Italy, but you could still be an Australian resident for tax purposes.

Q. I am an Australia citizen currently living in Italy on a working holiday visa. I would like to start a business sourcing leather goods made here in Italy, with the primary aim of selling them in Australia via an online store. I would also like to ship worldwide, but my main market focus would be Australia.

I am not planning on moving home to Australia to conduct the business, so for tax purposes I think I am currently a "non-resident" in Australia. So where does that leave me in terms of registering the business? I know Australia and Italy have a tax treaty, but that still doesn't help me as to which country would be the best place to register?
South Korea on Tuesday accused North Korea of hacking the smartphones of government officials, and unveiled new sanctions on Pyongyang over its recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) - the South's intelligence agency - said the North had stolen phone numbers and texts from the phones of dozens of key officials between late February and early March.

North Korean hackers also sent phishing emails to employees of two provincial railway operators in an attempt to steal passwords that could have allowed a cyber-attack on rail traffic control systems, the agency said in a statement.

North Korea has been mounting a series of attacks against our cyberspace following its nuclear test on January 6, the statement said, adding that they appeared to have been in preparation for a major cyber assault on South Korea's banking network.

"If left unchecked, it would have resulted in major financial chaos, such as paralysis of internet banking systems and unwanted transfers of deposits," it said.

Seoul has blamed North Korean hackers for a series of past cyber-attacks on military institutions, banks, government agencies, TV broadcasters and media websites, as well as a nuclear power plant.

The United States also said the North was behind a damaging cyber-attack on Sony's Hollywood film unit over its controversial North Korea-themed satirical film "The Interview" in 2014.

The NIS revelations came as Seoul unveiled a series of fresh unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang and asked citizens to boycott North Korean restaurants abroad.

The new measures blacklisted scores of North Korean individuals and entities and banned any vessels previously docked in North Korean ports from South Korean waters.

They follow tough sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council last week and - though largely symbolic given the lack of North-South economic ties - are likely to prompt an angry response from Pyongyang.

"Since North Korean facilities such as overseas restaurants are one of North Korea's channels for foreign currency, we ask the public to refrain from using these facilities," said Lee Suk-Joon, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

The South Korean government estimates that Pyongyang rakes in around $10 million every year from some 130 restaurants in 12 countries.

Lee said the government suspected most of the foreign currency was "ultimately being used for weapons of mass destruction."

The move to ban foreign vessels that have previously docked in the North would appear to spell the end of an ambitious trilateral infrastructure project aimed at transporting Russian coal to South Korean ports through the North's port city of Rajin and Russia's border town of Khasan.

The so-called Rajin-Khasan project was viewed as an integral part of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye's vision of uniting the railways of South and North Korea to connect them to Europe. - AFP
Dear Prime Minister,

In light of the recent public debate about proposed changes to section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, I am writing to set out the concerns of the Council of Small Business of Australia.

Peter Strong, chief executive of the Council of Small Business of Australia, has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Our concerns go well beyond the interests of our member associations, who represent between 450,000 and 500,000 small business people and their families. We are deeply concerned about the risks to consumers, businesses of all sizes and the capacity of the economy to adapt in response to unprecedented global disruption.

It is our view that by not implementing the changes to section 46 about governing the misuse of market power, as proposed in the independent Harper Review, we risk:
"I thought she was going to die," said Ms Congreve. Ms Congreve said the system "disregarded" her and failed to help her family in its time of need. She was able to help her daughter through the worst with her own experience, but uncovered a network of local carers who also felt lost. Support groups were filled with stories of suicides and overdoses. "We had four [suicides] over the Christmas period, two before and two since Christmas," she said. It is not going to improve by doing nothing... how many suicides do you have to have?

"The carers all say the same thing: 'we have nowhere to go.'" The state government has not verified suicide numbers. Local MLA Graham Jacobs, who still works two stints a year as GP in his home town, most recently worked over Christmas and said while his evidence was anecdotal, he had noticed rising mental illness and drug-induced agitation, which led to "acute situations". "Depression can lead to suicidal ideation and then people are admitted to hospital," he said. "Over the six weeks I had six people needing admission."

While the hospital had two private rooms suitable for mental health patients, anyone needing to be in a secure ward needed transferring to Kalgoorlie. A four-hour drive. He said early intervention was key, but the system was reluctant to engage early. "You get a 'have they done anything wrong' reaction. If not, we let them do something wrong before we call police," he said. "It is police who must respond to the 'social ills' and they take the patient to the hospital in the acute phase, and then they must be committed and sent to Kalgoorlie."

According to new National Drug and Alcohol Research Council figures, ice use in Australia tripled from 2009-10 to 2013-14, and it was the regions who were hardest hit. Of the 20 motorists Esperance police apprehended for drug driving in December, 16 tested positive for methamphetamine. They caught four drug-drivers in four hours on the weekend of February 13-14, one week after the same officers caught nine drivers with drugs in their system on a day shift, The West Australian reported recently. Pressure mounts on health workers Despite the dangerous increase in meth use in the town Ms Congreve said two "stretched and worn-out" drug and alcohol counsellors covered Norseman, Ravensthorpe, Hopetoun and Esperance  distances equalling many hundreds of kilometres  and appointments could take three weeks.

A solitary psychiatrist visited the community mental health centre three days a month, while one psychologist visited about once a fortnight, also covering Norseman and Kondinup. Their waitlists up to eight weeks and three months respectively. A resident private psychologist who charged full fees was swamped, while crisis accommodation and community service provider Centrecare was "flat out". There was no face-to-face support between 4.30pm on Fridays and 9am Mondays, and the only option for an acute mental illness episode was the emergency department.

"Communities such as Esperance need facilities and services at a local level, not 750 kilometres away in Perth, or 400 kilometres away in Kalgoorlie," Ms Congreve said. "I realise this is a statewide problem; however, it is not going to improve by doing nothing. "How many suicides do you have to have?" Ms Congreve has collected nearly 2000 signatures over two petitions pleading with the state government for a detoxification unit and acute mental health on-call service in Esperance Hospital, and better community counselling services.

A Norseman GP, three Esperance GPs, Esperance Shire, Crisis Accommodation Service, CentreCare, and the Bay of Isles Community Outreach service have all made submissions in support of her claims. The Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs is considering these as it debates whether or not to hold a full public inquiry. A political hot potato The question of hospital detox versus community rehab is not just a question of what is needed, but who will pay for it? While the state funds hospitals, the federal government funds community mental health services.

"This seems to be a battle for money between State and Federal," said Ms Congreve, after receiving a letter back from Mental Health Minister Helen Morton regarding her concerns. "The hospital states they do take in people for detox, but I have heard mixed responses, that is, the hospital is not suitable, and many clients requiring detox are turned away. "When a person needs help you have a very limited time to assist this person, and it is no use waiting for two or three weeks until a bed is available. This is why we need detox services when the client is willing." Esperance Health Campus was recently refurbished, but it still lacks a dedicated detox or secure mental health facility. State Nationals MP Dave Grills, who presented one of Ms Congreve's petitions to the upper house, supports introducing a detox service but does not think it needs to be in the hospital, while state Liberal MP Dr Jacobs says the hospital admits people for detox already and that a dedicated space is unnecessary.

Statistics say the number of patients admitted for detox halved from 2014 to 2015, though the reason for this was unclear. Mental health presentations to the hospital increased only slightly between 2014 and 2015. The federal government has traditionally left drug addiction treatment to the states, but its response to its National Ice Taskforce's final report in December was an announcement of a $300 million investment into treatment and prevention. This near doubling of federal treatment funding represents an increased willingness to focus on ice as a health issue, but it's not clear where the funding will go in WA. Mental Health Commissioner Timothy Marney said services available for people with mental health, alcohol and other drug problems in Esperance included outpatient withdrawal, home-based withdrawal and referral to the Norseman Hospital, counselling and support services through Goldfields Community Alcohol and Drug Service and residential rehabilitation at Teen Challenge. Esperance hospital

The Next Step Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Withdrawal Unit also provided supervised medical treatment accessible by all Western Australians from their East Perth centre. He said state government planning documents for the 2015-2025 period did highlight a need for better services in the Goldfields, including Esperance, and set out the necessary steps to provide services closer to where people lived. He did not specify whether any funding was available to implement such steps. "The plan also recognises the need to identify opportunities to improve alcohol and other drug withdrawal within regional areas," he said. He said free counselling, information and referral was available 24 hours a day through the Alcohol and Drug Support Line on 1800 198 024.
March 15, 2016 | 04:30 am PT

The U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State militant group was "not quite yet at an inflection point" because of the militant group's resilience and ability to adapt to losses, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva said on Thursday.

"I think the attributes we have to remember about ISIL are they are an incredibly flexible opponent. They are highly decentralized and incredibly resilient," said Selva, using an acronym for Islamic State. He was speaking a conference hosted by Credit Suisse and McAleese & Associates in Washington.

Selva's comments come after the Pentagon recently announced a number of successes against Islamic State leadership.

Islamic State rebels. Photo: VnExpress

On March 10, the Pentagon said it had captured the Islamic State's chemical weapons chief in February from Iraq.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said this week that Islamic State's military commander had been badly wounded but was still alive.

U.S. officials had said that Abu Omar al-Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen and described by the Pentagon as the group's "minister of war", was targeted near the town of al-Shadadi in Syria.

Selva said that while the Islamic State leadership was being hit, it was difficult to predict where the next leaders would emerge from.

"It's not unreasonable to expect that as you breakdown the leadership of the organization ... juniors will step up," Selva said.

While declining to give a timeline to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State, Selva said the conditions existed to isolate and take Mosul.

Earlier this year, Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi said Iraq would launch the Mosul operation in the first half of 2016 and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said 2016 would see the "final victory" against the militant group. - Reuters
A US push for action over a surge in troubling allegations of sex abuse by UN peacekeepers has run into resistance from Russia, Egypt and some African countries at the UN Security Council, diplomats said.

The United States presented a draft resolution on Friday that backs a new UN policy of repatriating peacekeepers if no move is made by their country to investigate the serious allegations.

The move followed a report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that showed a hike in the number of allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers, from 52 in 2014 to 69 last year.

US diplomats were hoping for a vote on the measure on Thursday, but after a five-hour meeting to discuss the draft this week, differences remained.

A revised draft seen by AFP on Wednesday "endorses the decision of the secretary-general to repatriate a particular military unit or formed police unit of a contingent when there is credible evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation and abuse by that unit."

The resolution would request that Ban "replace all military units and/or formed police units" from a peacekeeping country when no steps are taken to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Under UN rules, it is up to the country that contributes the peacekeepers to investigate and prosecute any soldier accused of misconduct while serving under the UN flag.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said his government "strongly supports" the draft resolution "to improve UN peacekeeping and crack down on troop-contributing countries whose military or police units have committed a pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse."

Rycroft said he hoped the measure will be adopted "without delay".

But Russia and Egypt raised concerns, saying that misconduct by peacekeepers should be dealt with by the UN General Assembly rather than the Security Council, several diplomats said.

But one diplomat suggested that may have been a tactic to block the measures altogether because they would impose new obligations on peacekeeping countries.

"It will make a difference. It will change the culture" of inaction within the United Nations, said a Security Council diplomat.

"With this resolution, we'll have a tough policy document from the council which will be a reference for all TCCs (troop-contributing countries)," he added.

A total of 122 countries contribute 125,000 troops and police to the UN's peacekeeping missions worldwide.

US Ambassador Samantha Power has said the council measure will add weight to UN efforts to respond to "this horrific, recurrent problem in peacekeeping missions."

Ban will report to the Security Council on Thursday on his efforts to address the crisis, including his controversial move to identify the nationalities of troops and police who face sex abuse allegations.

Last year, the 69 allegations were against peacekeepers mostly in Africa.

Two missions accounted for over half of the cases: MINUSCA in the Central African Republic and MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo.-AFP
US police launch manhunt after six killed in Pittsburgh

US police launched a manhunt on Thursday after a brutal shooting at a backyard barbecue in Pennsylvania killed six people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Police said they were searching for at least two suspects, asking witnesses to come forward about the massacre late on Wednesday in the town of Wilkinsburg, six miles (ten kilometers) east of Pittsburgh.

Three women and a man were killed at the scene and another woman died at the hospital, Allegheny County police said in a statement.

One of the women killed was eight months pregnant, Superintendent Charles Moffatt later said at a news conference.

The medical examiner's office "officially determined that the eight-month-old fetus was also a homicide," he said. "So now we're up to 6 homicides at this point."

Most of the victims suffered multiple wounds, Moffatt said.

Police are investigating in Pennsylvania. Photo: BBC

The injured were "still in a very critical condition", he said, adding that they were cooperating with police, who had interviewed them at length.

The five adults killed were African-Americans aged between 25 and 37 years.

"They are related, cousins and a set of sisters," Moffatt said.

The first shots came from an alley next to the house where the barbecue was taking place. As the partygoers tried to flee inside, another gunman fired shots at the back porch.

There was no return fire, Lt. Andrew Schurman told AFP.

The suspects arrived and left on foot, police said.

Neighbors said they heard between 30 and 40 shots, local KDKA television reported.

Police don't have any firm suspects, Moffatt said. "We don't have enough at this time to make any arrests."

However, evidence at the crime scene pointed to two shooters who used an AK47 automatic rifle and a .9 millimeter handgun, he said.

Police did not recover the weapons but found 48 bullet casings at the scene.

"It appears it was targeted," Moffatt said of the shooters' motives. "They knew where they were going."

Seven ambulances were called to the scene and a large police force deployed.

"This street is always quiet, local resident Kayla Alexander told WPXI television. "There is nothing but kids on this street."

Police are considering drugs as a possible motive, however "everything is on the table", Moffatt said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a $20,000 reward for information relating to the shooting, the agency's Chris Taylor said.

Mass shootings in which at least four people are killed or injured take place almost daily in the United States, with 330 deaths recorded last year.

Firearms kill a total of 30,000 people each year, with each bloody attack reviving Americans' debate about the right to bear arms.

However, Republican lawmakers, many of whom are backed by the powerful lobby group the National Rifle Association, have blocked President Barack Obama's attempt to pass gun control legislation. - AFP
Musk may lay off 75% of Twitter staff after purchase
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 15, 2016 | 11:45 AM | PADUCAH, KY

McCracken County Judge Executive Bob Leeper bestowed the first of a new award to a McCracken deputy at last night's fiscal court meeting.

Leeper recognized Deputy Aden Pegram for saving the American and Christian flags at Spring Bayou Baptist Church.

Earlier this month, on a snowy cold morning, Deputy Pegram noticed the rope on the flagpole had broken, and the flags were in danger of touching the ground. He gathered them up, had them folded in military fashion, sealed them in an evidence bag, and left them on the pastor's door step.

Pegram wanted to make sure that credit was also extended to fellow officer J.D. Shultz, and a passing trucker who helped him fold the flags, Jonathan Garcia, himself a Navy veteran.

Judge Executive Leeper has entitled the award "The Refuser", for those who see something that needs to be done, and refuse to do nothing. He says he plans to give the award once a quarter to a deserving county employee.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 14, 2016 | 11:10 AM | PADUCAH, KY

One person was injured in a two-vehicle crash in McCracken County Monday morning.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, the crash happened just before 7:30 am Monday along the 7700 block of Highway 45 entering Lone Oak. Deputies say 30-year-old James Gibson of Union City, Tennessee, was approaching the intersection of State Route 1241. Joshua Castillow, 27 of Hickory, apparently pulled into the intersection and collided with Gibsons vehicle.

Castillow was transported to Baptist Health Paducah for injuries.

Highway 45's northbound lanes were restricted to one lane for thirty minutes for cleanup.
By Bill Hughes Mar. 14, 2016 | 12:56 PM | METROPOLIS, IL

In addition to the Illinois primary election on Tuesday, a local tax question is on the ballot in Massac County.

The ballot asks voters if they are in favor of a temporary 1 percent local sales tax, which would be used for renovations at the Massac County Courthouse in Metropolis. This means consumers would pay an additional $1.00 for every $100 of tangible property purchased at retail.

The tax would not be paid on vehicles, boats or RVs, unprepared food, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, farm equipment or parts, or agricultural products like seed or fertilizer.

If approved, the tax is intended to be in place for a maximum of 15 years, but could be terminated earlier by the county board.

Massac County Commissioner Jayson Farmer said the work is much-needed at the courthouse. "We're looking at doing improvements to the plumbing, heating and air, electrical, and also new windows. The courthouse is over 75 years old and it just needs a lot of updating. Also, we have issues with water getting into the courthouse - with the brick and the mortar on the outside of the building - we need some issues addressed with that as well," Farmer said.

He said county officials have been discussing the condition of the building for quite some time. A special committee was formed, and they got help from a study done by RQAW, an Indiana engineering/consulting firm, which made recommendations based on what they saw.

Farmer said there has been some ongoing maintenance at the courthouse, and the building recently got a new roof, but this project is too big to handle inside the annual budget. Farmer said, "Right now we're estimating around $5 million for the renovation, but hopefully, once we know we can get the bond to do these repairs, after some competitive bidding, that would be much lower."

He said commissioners don't want voters to be surprised or uninformed by the special ballot when they show up at polling places, because when that happens, it's more common for people to vote, "no."

A vote of "yes" on the question Tuesday means you are in favor of the additional tax to help repair the courthouse.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 15, 2016 | 07:20 AM | FRANKFORT, KY

The Kentucky Division of Forestry reminds Kentucky landowners and homeowners that wildfires can strike any time where grass and brush are dry enough to burn.

Despite our wet weather, 102 fires have burned 1,000 acres in Kentucky since February 15. said William Steele, director of the Division of Forestry. "It is very important that people do not develop a false confidence during wet conditions."

Kentucky law designates Feb. 15 through April 30 as spring forest fire hazard season. During this time, it is illegal to burn anything within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The burning law is intended to prevent fires by allowing burning only during the time when conditions are less likely to cause the spread of fire.

Typically, winds are calmer and humidity is higher from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. While burning is allowed during these hours, no one should burn unless the air is calm and there is adequate moisture in the air to prevent the spread of fire.

It is illegal to start a fire any time of the year on or near timberland without taking all reasonable precautions to prevent it from spreading. One of the leading causes of forest fires in Kentucky is fire accidentally escaping when people burn trash or unwanted material.

Unsafe burning of brush piles and other debris may lead to escaped fires. Safety precautions should be taken and weather conditions considered before conducting any outdoor burning. It is illegal to burn garbage or other materials except natural plant matter, such as yard waste and brush.

County solid waste programs have information on debris collection or drop-off sites. Check with your local fire department to make sure you comply with local and other state outdoor-burning regulations.

Visit the Kentucky Firewise Website at the link below.

On the Net:
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
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Michael Coveney, WhatsOnStage



"Everything about this keen-to-please ersatz American musical... played out in the mushroom cloud of the nuclear tests of the 1950s, is strenuous, efficient, well drilled and designed  and curiously flat, unfunny and flair-free."

"The songs have no zing or provenance and sound as though they've been made on a computer, or compiled on a "how to write a song" study course; there's not a single moment of lift-off, melodic surprise or harmonic twist from start to finish."

"There's some decent writing around the characters of Lou and Myrna, and Lipkin and Tate make the most of it, which ain't all that much."

Patrick Marmion, Daily Mail



"Miss Atomic Bomb fizzes and gurgles but never really detonates."

"Tate's Utah accent drifts into Aussie, but she does at least hold a tune, even if her red top and green dress with Wonder Bra pushing her assets over the shoulder is more garish than a nuclear explosion. Her comic gifts are otherwise underused, but she makes the best of toe-curling gags."

"The cast strive to make it work, but they need more conventional weapons  and a plot capable of causing tremors."

Lyn Gardner, The Guardian



"There's a kernel of something potentially intelligent and interesting here, particularly on the themes of personal and political betrayal. But the show goes for a 1950s screwball comedy style and misses it not just by a mile but by an entire exclusion zone."

"There are characters whose behaviour is driven entirely by the demands of the plot, and there is an increasing air of desperation in both the pastiche songs and Catherine Tate's accent, which frequently leaves Nevada and goes on long walkabouts in the Great Victoria Desert."

"Some of the lyrics are smarter than the plot might suggest, but even at its best this is just sweetly silly."

Ann Treneman, The Times



"Sorry to go all nuclear on you but I'm afraid that the clue is in the title here. Miss Atomic Bomb is not such a blast after all."

"There are times when this British production, written by Adam Long, Gabriel Vick and Alex Jackson-Long, does come together but they are all too rare."

"Tate has an accent (Australian? US trailer trash?) that would stop traffic. Andrews, as Candy, can sing but I felt sorry for her trying to carry off a plot that not even a dead sheep could rescue (so baaaa-d)."

Holly Williams, The Independent



"The problem is that too much of it really isn't funny. Adam Long, Gabriel Vick and Alex Jackson-Long's writing tends to balloon like a mushroom cloud; it's just too obvious, too broad, too much."

"Still, it's a slick show, with plenty of pizzazz and some fun performances  Florence Andrews is winning as Candy, Catherine Tate is absurdly OTT as her fashion-obsessed sidekick, and Simon Lipkin makes for an endearingly hapless hotel manager. Love interest Dean John-Wilson has a superb voice."

"But it's hard to switch emotional gears if the whole show is a great big knowing wink, and accordingly we cannot care about these characters."

Mark Shenton, The Stage



"I'm afraid we were only a few songs in and I was already losing hope. The satire is lame, the songs desperately derivative. Though it has been in development for some five years, what has fetched up at the St James still feels like a very early draft."

"Its chaotic and formless comic structure lacks purpose, polish and point. And the best efforts of a hard-working cast can't redeem it."

"Bill Deamer's co-direction with co-author Adam Long gives it an efficient sheen, but ultimately Miss Atomic Bomb is that sad species of musical: a bomb in almost every way."

Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph



"If you can have musicals in which cats sing about the journey to the Heaviside Layer or toy-trains 'come to life', then I think you're allowed to have this bonkers, knowingly zany show rooted in a strange-but-true moment of American madness."

"Even though it's overlong, I have to confess to experiencing a steady rumble of grudging admiration that often erupted into outright laughter."

"Oddly, Tate, the celebrity anchor of the evening, almost sinks it with an American accent that strays Australia-wards and an aura of pained participation  she ought simply to enjoy the transient silliness of it all."

Miss Atomic Bomb runs at St James Theatre until 9 April.
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According to the producer, Tanya Link, Miss Atomic Bomb is the result of a five-year development process. It sure feels like it. Everything about this keen-to-please ersatz American musical (by two British writers, Gabriel Vick and Alex Jackson-Long, and Adam Long of the Reduced Shakespeare Company), played out in the mushroom cloud of the nuclear tests of the 1950s, is strenuous, efficient, well drilled and designed  and curiously flat, unfunny and flair-free.

The songs have no zing or provenance and sound as though they've been made on a computer, or compiled on a "how to write a song" study course; there's not a single moment of lift-off, melodic surprise or harmonic twist from start to finish. Aha  maybe that's a result of the radiation emanating from the Nevada desert.

A soldier on the run, Joey (Dean John-Wilson), hides out on a sheep farm in Utah where Myrna (Catherine Tate), a twangy-voiced hillbilly with ideas of being a fashion designer, and her best friend, Candy (Florence Andrews), dream of California while under threat of having their trailer repossessed.

Meanwhile, down on the Las Vegas strip, there's a cabaret going on at the Golden Goose hotel, a cheap tourist trap that Lou Lubowitz (Simon Lipkin) is desperately trying to upgrade while hounded by Mafiosi and bugged by a shock-haired potty professor (Stephane Anelli) from the nuclear programme. As you'll guess from a close reading of the title, all parties converge on a Vegas beauty pageant  where there are three sad left-overs from Gypsy (a lesbian, a whore and a drag act) in search of "a real good time"  and I won't spoil your lack of interest by revealing who wins.

There's some decent writing around the characters of Lou and Myrna, and Lipkin and Tate make the most of it, which ain't all that much. He pulls a rabbi out of a hat (oy-vey) and gets shot in both feet, while she rabbits on in a spat and knocks up a little fur and diamante number for Candy, just dandy. Their futures conjoin.

Adam Long co-directs with choreographer Bill Deamer, whose witty dance routines leave no musical theatre cliche unexplored but whose spatial ingenuity does at least expose, possibly for the first time, the potential of this venue for middle-scale musicals. Andrew Lloyd Webber, sitting in the stalls on opening night, must have thought about how he could re-launch Aspects of Love here, say, or a smart revival of The Boy Friend.

As usual, everyone is over-miked, and the sound is pretty awful, though the upside of not being able to see Richard John's tight little band is the remarkable design by Ti Green, which has a rainbow-like curvilinear metal bridge spanning a receding perspective to the desert and sky; the show's top moment is an ensemble apprehensive chorale in protective eye shades considering the distant cloud and the end of civilisation. The music, predictably enough, doesn't rise to it.

Miss Atomic Bomb runs at the St James Theatre until 9 April.
Back in the 1970s, Johan Neeskens was one of the coolest cats on the planet.

The lithe Dutch midfielder mixed steel and silk in equal measure and had already won all there was to win at club and European level with Ajax before he signed for Barcelona in 1974, reuniting with Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels in the process.

While the next five years proved relatively unsuccessful for Barca, Neeskens quickly became a nailed-on fans favourite.

However, it all came to a fairly abrupt end in 1979, when Neeskens, still only 29 at the time, moved on to New York Cosmos with precious little fanfare.

In a new book entitled Barca Inedit (Barca Unpublished), its alleged that Neeskens was moved on by Barca president Jose Luis Nunez for the strangest and most petty of reasons.

Indeed, its purported that Neeskens was given the elbow after he refused to pass Nunez a roll of toilet paper under the stall at the Rico Perez stadium in Alicante.

Incensed by the lack of respect, Nunez vowed there and then to sell Neeskens at the next available opportunity.

That was in 1978. By 1979, he was gone. Dumped, so to speak.

So sad that it all had to end on a bum note.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/03/2016 (2412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The Liberal government faces a longer, tougher election campaign, this one worldwide, if it wants to win a UN Security Council seat, say the people who helped Canada win its last bid.

Its not enough for Canada to be back, the government needs a platform outlining what it wants to accomplish on the world stage and it has to make up for a decade of UN neglect under the previous Conservative government, they say.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce Wednesday in New York that Canada plans to seek a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is shown at a luncheon at the State Department in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 10, 2016. Trudeau is expected to announce that Canada will run for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Trudeau will be meeting Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whom he hosted last month in Ottawa. Thats when Trudeau first mentioned the plan to seek a council seat. Canada lost its last bid for a seat in 2010 after a string of six terms on the council dating back to the late 1940s.

It is not clear when Canada could seek a new term, because the slate of candidates in the UNs Western and European and Others Group, to which Canada belongs, is full until at least 2020.

But campaigns for the council typically take years and involve much diplomatic horse-trading, something the previous Harper government considered to be a compromise.

Its important to have an agenda, so youre giving people a reason to elect you, said Paul Heinbecker, Canadas ambassador to the UN during its last stint on the council in 1999-2000. Its not enough to say were Canada and were nice and were back and therefore elect us.

Trudeau doesnt have to do that Wednesday in New York, Heinbecker said, but his government has to soon create a platform, because it is an election.

And from here on, at every meeting with a foreign leader, Trudeau will have to make a pitch for a vote for Canada, as will Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion in every meeting with counterparts, as well as other ministers and any MPs who meet a counterpart from another country, said former Liberal foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy.

Canada has a lot to make up, Axworthy said in an interview. We had lost a lot of traction over the last 10 years in not being involved politically, not being involved in peacekeeping, reducing our foreign aid development.

Heinbecker said Canadas success in 1999 was based on Axworthys human security agenda. Its core principle held that the safety of civilians in armed conflict was paramount.

Canadas two-year term laid the foundation for the creation of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine that the UN adopted in 2005. The R2P, as it is called, set out criteria for when the world could intervene in the affairs of a country to protect its citizens.

The doctrine has been criticized recently, with the Security Council unable to stop the bloodshed in Syria because it has been stonewalled by the veto of Russia, one of its permanent members.

Axworthy said one of Trudeaus campaign planks should be to reform the Security Council to do away with the veto of the five permanent members when it deliberates humanitarian intervention in a country.

He also said it would be a natural fit for Trudeau to declare Canadas support for an effort to choose a woman as the next Secretary General. Canada could also offer renewed commitments to peacekeeping and international development.

Trudeau has said he wants Canada to return to peacekeeping, but has not provided details. Last month, Ban gently urged the prime minister to meet the UNs development spending goal of 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income, which the Liberals have not committed to.

Its going to take some new equipment, its going to take an international development strategy, said Axworthy.

It will take resources to show that you really mean it.

Heinbecker said it is not feasible for Canada to stand for a Security Council election before Trudeaus current mandate expires in 2019, because there will be fierce competition, especially from Europe.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/03/2016 (2412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A backbench NDP MLA, in his final speech in the legislature this morning, alleged that one of his caucus colleagues broke a deal that could have allowed Theresa Oswald to become premier of Manitoba.

Clarence Pettersen, who was defeated for the NDP nomination in Flin Flon after supporting the Gang of Five in their challenge last year of Premier Greg Selingers leadership, did not hide his contempt for Steve Ashton, who also challenged Selinger last year.

He said that the night before the leadership contest on March 8, 2015, a deal was brokered between Ashton and Oswald and her supporters that whomever finished third on first ballot would support the other against the premier.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MLA Steve Ashton

There was an agreement with the minister from Thompson that the status quo (supporting Selinger) is not a choice. We had dinner over that. He (Ashton) would support us on the second ballot and we would support him, Pettersen told a half-empty House in a morning session of the legislature today.

The night before, of course, the minister from Thompson, we had a couple of drinks. It was the (member) from Dauphin (Stan Struthers) and the minister (sic) of Seine River (Oswald). And, of course, we all shook hands on it. But of course the next day, integrity and honesty was not his (Ashtons) traits.

On second ballot at the March 8, 2015 leadership convention, the race boiled down to Selinger versus Oswald.

Ashton would not hint at his own voting intentions at the time, and many of his supporters did not vote on second ballot. The United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, strong Ashton supporters, walked to Selingers camp on the convention floor, indicating they were throwing their weight behind the premier in the second ballot.

I know this hurts, Pettersen told the legislature, but I have to say it. I have to say it because things have happened that shouldnt happen within our own party. We shouldnt be eating our own. And what I mean by that, after the leadership election. Then all of a sudden the minister from Thompson (Ashton) is already thinking about the next leadership. And Im one of the casualties of that, I guess.

Oswald did not attend the morning session. Reached as she entered her office later, she denied that there had been a deal with Ashton a little over a year ago.

I can tell you specifically on this issue that I had no deal at any time with Steve Ashton, she told the Free Press.

In fact I think its reasonably well documented that I had no deal with anybody. And losing by 33 votes might illustrate that.

Oswald said NDP members were the ones who decided the outcome of the leadership contest last March 8, and she respects their decision. She added that talking about the leadership race right now is nothing more than a futile act of gazing in the rearview mirror.

She said she likes Pettersen and she cannot explain his remarks.

Steve and I talked at the leadership convention a few times, Oswald said. It was friendly, as friendly as you can be in a milieu such as that. And at one point during the weekend I can remember a concrete thing that we said to one another was if either of us should win that we would commit to one another that we would not fire the staff of our opponents.

We had a conversation about what we felt important, about the party coming back together and ensuring that all these people who of their own free will selected a candidate and got behind that candidate shouldnt face any recrimination for that. We both really believed that as a core value.

When reached by phone after the speech, Pettersen stood by his comments.

Was it written in blood? Obviously not. It was an understanding, he said of the alleged deal, adding he cant explain why Oswald would deny it was struck.

It is about integrity and it is about honesty, I was saying the way I felt, I had some great times with the party, but I was obviously disappointed with the man from Thompson (Ashton).

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/03/2016 (2412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg fashion mogul Peter Nygard is defending himself against accusations he masterminded a murder-for-hire plot aimed at opponents of a planned expansion of his luxurious property in the Bahamas.

Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie has called on the police to investigate the claims, according to news reports in Bahamian media today.

In a lawsuit filed in Bahamian court last week, five plaintiffs who are members of a non-governmental organization called Save The Bays  including Nygards neighbour, American hedge fund manager Louis Bacon  allege Nygard paid two known criminals to threaten, intimidate and plan to kill them.

(NYT24) LYFORD CAY, the Bahamas -- May 25, 2000 -- BAHAMA-OLDMONEY-1 -- Here on "Lifeless Cay," as many residents have called it, there are no stores, no restaurants, no Manolo Blahniks. At least, not at the moment. But the worlds of fashion, celebrity and shiny new money, are invading this part of the paradise. Peter Nygard sent shock waves through Lyford Cay with his 150,000-square-foot Polynesian-style home. (Cindy Karp/The New York Times) *LITE

The allegations are a pack of lies, and Nygards legal team is set to launch a counter claim, said Winnipeg-based lawyer Jay Prober, who spoke to the Free Press on Nygards behalf.

The accusations against Nygard include secretly recorded video of Nygard meeting with two men described as known criminals, and sworn statements from them saying Nygard paid them large sums of money to organize anti-Save The Bays protests that portrayed Bacon as a racist and to commit arson and other crimes against Nygards opponents. The men, Livingston Toggie Bullard and Wisler Bobo Davilma, allege Nygard had a hit list of people he wanted them to deal with.

Bahamians say deal, mean take care of business, kill. Thats the way Bahamians talk, Davilma said in his statement to private investigators.

The court documents also allege corruption at top levels of the Bahamian government, suggesting the prime minister had promised Nygard he would be allowed to build on government property to expand his Nygard Cay resort and that Nygard had close ties to the deputy prime ministers office. Christie denied these allegations during a House of Assembly session this week, according to the Nassau Guardian newspaper, and said he has asked the police to investigate the claims.

The suggestion that I used the power of my office to extend special treatment to Peter Nygard is completely and utterly false, the newspaper quoted Christie as saying.

The plantiffs  Bacon, lawyer Fred Smith, Reverend C.B. Moss, Joseph Darville and Romauld Ferreira  said in a written statement provided to the Free Press that the Royal Bahamas Police Force failed to adequately respond despite an alleged 2.5-year-long campaign of harassment, death threats, fire bombing and physical attacks against them. They say they were forced to launch their own private investigation, resulting in the lawsuit. Accusations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.

During this investigation, multiple sources have provided credible evidence that two of the plaintiffs are/were the targets of a murder-for-hire plan. With this lawsuit, the plaintiffs seek the protection of the Bahamian judicial system in the hope that by shining a bright light into a dark corner, the plaintiffs, their families and their colleagues will be shielded from any further acts of violence and intimidation, the statement reads in part.

But Prober, on Nygards behalf, said the lawsuit is a thinly-veiled publicity stunt based on dishonest statements from criminals he says were paid as much as $3 million to talk to private investigators. They gave a sworn statement to Prober and another Winnipeg lawyer in March 2015, saying they were paid to give statements to the private investigators even if the statements were untrue, Prober said.

The claim in the Bahamas is without merit, absolutely without merit, and the allegations are false. And they are based on the perjured testimony of two criminals. Not only is the testimony perjured testimony, but it was purchased, Prober said.

He said Nygards lawyers in the Bahamas have been instructed to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed as frivolous, vexatious, scandalous and prolix, and to call on police to investigate whether Livingston and Davilma should be charged with counselling to commit murder based on their recorded meeting with Nygard. Prober said the lawsuit is a way for Bacon to get back at Nygard because of a lengthy dispute between the neighbours.

Hes dispatched these two criminals to exact some kind of vigilante justice against Nygard.

Nygard didnt have anything to do with criminal acts Livingston and Davilma stated they committed, Prober said. They were only to provide security to Nygard, he said.

They were referred to him for security reasons because he was going into some rougher areas of Nassau to assist with under-privileged children and so on. These guys were referred to him by somebody in the government that vouched for them.

Asked whether the allegations could affect Nygards Winnipeg-based clothing business, Prober said Hopefully it wont. Hopefully people would realize he would never be a part of any such scheme.

Nygard founded his clothing manufacturing company in Winnipeg in the late 1960s. Nygard International supplies womens clothing worldwide and has corporate offices around the globe, including on Inkster Boulevard.

Nygards six-acre Nygard Cay oceanfront property includes a resort in Lyford Cay, a gated community in Nassau. Resort rentals there cost up to $26,000 per night. Next to Nygards property in the gated community is Bacons compound. The neighbours have been involved in legal disputes for more than a decade.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/03/2016 (2412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton refused today to throw her support behind her leader, Tom Mulcair, but said that shouldnt be taken as a sign she doesnt support him.

Ashton, who is in her third term representing the northern riding of Churchill-Keewatinook Aski, held a press conference this morning at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa to discuss the precarious work situations of many young people in Canada. But her event was held the same morning a letter was made public from 37 Quebec-based NDP members, including three former MPs defeated last fall, calling for party renewal.

Much like the letter doesnt specifically call for Mulcairs ouster as party leader, Ashton didnt specifically say she will vote against him at the upcoming leadership review vote planned for the NDP convention in Edmonton April 8-10. But she also didnt say she would vote for him either.

LIAM RICHARDS / CANADIAN PRESS RILES NDP MP Niki Ashton didn't specifically say she will vote against him at the upcoming leadership review vote planned for the upcoming NDP convention, but she also didn't say she would vote for him either.

I do think the process of renewal really needs to be founded on ideas, she said. Whatever were talking about, nothing is just about one person. Im very encouraged about the messages we heard from our leader about the need to fight back on fundamental progressive values.

Ashton laughed nervously when asked why she wouldnt come right out and support Mulcair, eventually saying it should be left up to members.

Ive expressed my disappointment in the result (of the election), she said. I lost a number of incredible colleagues. Many of us feel there are things we could have done better.

Ashton insisted that her refusal to specifically support Mulcair is not a sign she doesnt support him.

Thats certainly not what Im saying, she said.

Mulcair is facing the fight of his political life in this upcoming vote as he asks the party to allow him another chance as leader, despite the devastating results last fall. The NDP went from winning 103 seats and official opposition status in 2011, to winning 44 seats and third-party status last fall.

The leadership review will see NDP members vote on whether or not a leadership election should be held. According to the NDP constitution, at least 50 per cent plus one person will have to vote against holding a leadership contest in order for Mulcair to survive. But conventionally leaders have needed far more than that.

Party president Rebecca Blaikie has suggested Mulcair likely needs more than 70 per cent support.

Former Manitoba NDP MP Pat Martin, who lost his seat last fall in the Liberal near-sweep of Winnipeg, said he has no hesitation to support Mulcair to stay on as leader.

I dont accept our loss was catastrophic, he told the Free Press. There was a time when we would have done cartwheels over 44 seats. I dont blame Tom for the results.

He called the letter from Quebec sour grapes from a few MPs who lost their seats.

Martin also said he doesnt think the NDP wasnt bold enough, noting there were policies such as a federal minimum wage and national pharmacare.

We had policies that would make Bernie Sanders blush, he said, referring to the self-described socialist candidate running for the Democratic nomination for president in the United States.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 14/03/2016 (2413 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ottawa and the province need to address the immediate need for mental health treatment and recreational facilities in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and worry later about which government is supposed to pay for it, Premier Greg Selinger said Monday.

Selinger and Manitoba Hydro CEO Kelvin Shepherd travelled to Pimicikamak at Cross Lake Monday to meet with band officials and youth leaders.

The First Nation is 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Greg Selinger announces the NDP's fiscal outlook during a media lockup at the Manitoba Legislature Tuesday afternoon. 160308 - Tuesday, March 08, 2016

The community declared a state of emergency last week after six people from the reserve took their own lives in about three months, and at least 18 more attempted suicide. Vice-chief Shirley Robinson said as many as 140 young people had expressed suicidal thoughts in recent weeks, leaving the community of about 6,000 struggling to address the crisis.

Selinger said band officials and the province began working Friday to determine what resources were needed, and the federal government has also joined those discussions.

This is a situation where there is an immediate crisis. All governments at all levels need to be responsive right now, Selinger said in an interview with the Free Press.

He said it is an example where the broad reading of Jordans Principle applies.

That principle was named for a young Manitoba boy whose health-care needs were caught in a jurisdictional dispute between the federal and provincial governments. It says when a jurisdictional battle arises about the needs of an indigenous child, the government contacted first should pay and then sort out jurisdiction later.

Selinger said the community had three specific requests for help, including better crisis response, mental health programming and recreational programming.

Many of the youth in the community have complained there is nothing for young people to do, which when coupled with serious poverty, overcrowded and dilapidated housing and unemployment, leads to a sense of hopelessness.

Selinger said work will begin immediately on all three, and he is hopeful the looming provincial election will not interfere. Were going to try to get stuff done ASAP, he said. The community is in immediate need.

Selinger said it was an emotional day, but he saw good signs as well.

You can feel the pain and the tragedy but there was a lot of strength in the room, a lot of resiliency.

The vice-chief could not be reached for comment following the meeting.

Meanwhile, word of the suicides brought a shout-out across social media from one-half of an indigenous hip-hop duo in Los Angeles called LightningCloud. LA Weekly recently described the duo of MC Red Cloud and Crystle Lightning as L.A.s subterranean Bonnie and Clyde inhabiting new worlds of underground hip-hop.

Lightning, who is originally from an Alberta First Nation, released a videotaped inspirational message, widely shared on Facebook Monday.

Hey Cross Lake, Crystle Lightning here. Im in Los Angeles, and Im just heartbroken for each and every one of you. I know what it feels like to lose someone to this epidemic Im telling you theres a whole world out there filled with hope and opportunity (and) and we need you guys, she said in the 55-second video. Youre in my prayers. Surround yourselves with positivity and stay up. All right?

 with files from Alexandra Paul

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
In honor of Youth Art Month, works of art created by Winona Area Public School students in grades K-12 are currently on display at locations in the community. During the remainder of March, check out all of the wonderful creations at Blue Heron Coffee House, Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona National Bank downtown, Wells Fargo, and the Winona Mall.
Winona

Monday

10:51 a.m.  A door was forced open and an impact driver and batteries reported missing from a business on the 700 block of Washington Street.

3:52 p.m.  A bicycle was reported missing from a residence on the 600 block of Franklin Street.

6:13 p.m.  $13 was reported missing from a residents room at Lake Winona Manor.

Tuesday

2:17 a.m.  Daniel Lee Walling, 29, Winona, was cited for driving after revocation after the vehicle he was driving left Mankato Avenue and struck a tree before running over a fire hydrant, striking a retaining wall, then colliding with another tree before hitting the Wells Fargo Bank building. Walling was transported to Winona Health.

8:02 a.m.  A bicycle was reported missing from a rack at Minne Hall on the WSU campus.
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.
The European Commission and the International Energy Agency will address the impact of the energy crisis on SMEs in an online event on 21 October.
Facial reconstruction: What skulls can tell us

British anthropologist Professor Caroline Wilkinson had South African audiences at the edges of their seats with her fascinating work in facial reconstruction.

Wilkinson, a professor from Liverpool John Moores University, visited South Africa as a guest of the School of Anatomical Sciences at Wits University, with support from a National Research Foundation grant, to present various events, including a workshop for members of the South African Police Service.

While known for her expertise in forensic identification, Wilkinson is equally renowned for her contributions to archaeological investigations. Arguably her most famous case was her creation of a reconstruction of King Richard III's head.

All-rounder

With a background in art and science and her research of art-science fusion, Wilkinson was appointed Director of the School of Art & Design at Liverpool John Moores University in October 2014. Her knowledge is diverse and extends to forensic art, human anatomy, medical art, face recognition, forensic science, anthropology, 3D visualisation, digital art and craniofacial identification.

She combines the latest medical and digital-imaging techniques to recreate faces from the past. Aside from King Richard III, her other famous facial reconstructions include Mary Queen of Scots (Queen of Scotland), Rameses II (ancient Egyptian), St Nicholas (historic 4th-century Christian saint) and Robert Burns (Scottish poet and lyricist).

What the skull reveals

During her talk at the Origins Centre at Wits, titled: Depicting the Dead: Facial depiction for forensic identification and archaeological investigations, she told a packed audience that the interesting thing for her in the anthropological world is the amount of information a skull can reveal about a person.

We can tell from an adult skull whether someone is male or female with 90% accuracy. We can make an estimation of the age of the individual when they died.

As anthropologists we can put people into four different ancestry groups with about 70 - 80% accuracy. We may get a health status of an individual based on their skull and the bones, explained Wilkinson.

She said that trauma and disease to the face may tell us about how a person lived and in rare cases it is possible to get insights into the persons culture. For example, if the skull is changed by the use of a head band, that could lead to clues into the religious or cultural practice of a person.

Technology

Wilkinson said facial reconstructions are nowadays being done on a computer, although manual reconstructions with clay or plasticine still occur in some cases.

With the advances in three dimensional (3D) technology, it is possible for us to take CT data or the latest scan of the skull in 3D to model the anatomical structure of the face directly onto the 3D model in a digital format, she explained.

Police Collaboration

Wilkinson is also called to work on cases with the police. She said on rare occasions (because records of people in the UK are well documented) police will find human remains that is a challenge to identify. When they have no clues about the identity of the individual police would then ask Wilkinson and her team to produce a facial depiction to show what the individual may have looked like when they were alive, in the hope that someone will recognise the body and this could lead to identifying them.

She stressed that this is not a form of identification but an investigate tool to allow for recognition of a person. Once that happens, the person will be identified through DNA or dental records.

There was quite a bit of interest from South African media in Wilkinsons work. On the Talk Radio 702 she told presenter John Robbie that her work is both art and science.

She has both art students with an interest in science as well as science students with art skills. She also has students from fields such as dentistry, anatomy, anthropology and sculpture.
The periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, known as El Nino, causes weather and short-term climate changes in other parts of the globe. The El Nino of 2015-2016 is the strongest on record. And nowhere have the extreme weather effects associated with El Nino, been more intensely felt than in Ethiopia.

Last summers kiremt, or main, rainy season has been weak, and the short spring belg rains are delayed. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the resulting drought, the worst Ethiopia has experienced in five decades, has led to successive crop failures and widespread livestock deaths, tripling the humanitarian needs. Some 10.2 million Ethiopians are now chronically hungry, while some 7.5 million farmers and herders need immediate agricultural support to produce both grains and livestock in the coming season.

Since October 2014, the United States has provided over $500 million in aid to Ethiopia, and another $4 million worth of seeds, a critical need for farmers, given that the planting season will begin soon.

But this year we are taking an extra step, one we feel is necessary if we are to prevent this crisis from growing much, much worse. Instead of waiting for the situation to develop into a full-blown emergency, we are sending in a disaster assistance response team, a group of experts that will evaluate the situation on the ground, pinpoint gaps in the aid plan, and accelerate and expand the emergency response, said USAID Administrator Gayle Smith.

We are moving earlier in this case because we have found that there is real [agreement] between donors, NGOs, the government, and UN agencies that if we move very, very quickly, we can avert the worst impacts of this drought.

We hope that by taking this step, we will lead the rest of the international community, said Administrator Smith. If we move now, if other donors move with us, we think we can do two things: avert the worst impacts, and protect some of the development gains that that country has made over many years, she said.

We are challenging the world not just to respond to human suffering, but to respond quickly enough to prevent something even worse.
Stock presents Tack Lecture, Remix and Revolution in Cuba, on March 31

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. They are celebrating that culture in an exhibition of movie posters in Swem's Botetourt Gallery. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem

Remix and Revolution: For decades, Stock and her students have studied the rich cultural history of art and cinema in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Troy Davis/Swem Photo - of - Hide Caption

The mention of Cuba brings to mind old Buicks and big cigars, the throbbing of bongos and congas, a dancer whirling around El Floridita with a fruit basket on her head.

But how have Cubans imagined their own world?

Ann Marie Stock, William & Mary professor of Hispanic studies and film and media studies, goes behind the scenes of Cubas vibrant film tradition in the Tack Faculty Lecture presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, in the Sadler Center Commonwealth Auditorium. The event, Remix and Revolution in Cuba: Screening the Islands Transformation through Cinema, is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception. It will also be live-streamed. RSVP here.

The Tack Faculty Lecture Series is a newer W&M tradition that enables the university and local community to come together to celebrate faculty excellence and the intellectual liveliness of the university. Through this series, a William & Mary professor addresses the community on a topic of general interest at least once a semester.

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Stock has traveled to Cuba more than 60 times in the past 27 years. Among her island adventures are working with NBC News to cover the U.S. Embassy opening, dining in the Presidential Palace and weathering a hurricane. She is the author of four books on Cuban cinema, co-creator of multiple media projects and recipient of numerous grants and awards, including a 2013 Plumeri Award.

Through the lens of cinema, Stock will present a view of how Cubas media artists present the islands people and places on screen. To focus on moviemaking in Cuba is to track broader cultural, political and economic issues, and Stocks lecture promises to illuminate the islands transformation in recent decades, plus highlight the role of W&M undergraduates and alumni.

The second decree of the new government, after what the Cubans call the triumph of the revolution, was to establish a film institute, Stock said. Think about that. The very beginning of the revolution, this point of origin, casts cinema as the quintessential cultural form that will demonstrate the accomplishments of the revolution. It will also help bring about those revolutionary values. Film and the revolution in Cuba grew up together.

Stocks research focuses particularly on the development of the Cuban revolution and its cinema over the past 50 years. Her most recent book, On Location in Cuba: Street Filmmaking During Times of Transition, examines the most recent generation of filmmakers, those working in the past 20 years during the special period following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Its this time of extreme uncertainty and scarcity, and my book looks at the ways in which those filmmakers get by, make do and resolver, she said, noting the Cuban phrase for meeting privation with ingenuity.

Stock has also evolved into a one-woman diplomatic mission since she first visited Cuba in 1989 as a doctoral student. Now an international expert, she frequently invites groups to accompany her to Cuba and speaks stateside about the country and its film culture.

W&M undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, donors and Christopher Wren classes have all touched down in Havana with her, and shes witnessed how their idea of Cuba and its people transform over the length of the visit. Too often, she said, the perception of Cuba in the United States is largely shaped by Miami-based media, which provides an incomplete picture.

When some travelers arrive in Cuba without a great deal of preparation, they are shocked to see how vibrant the culture is, how happy many or most Cubans are, and those who are frustrated, it tends to be about economic factors and not about political factors, she said. They are surprised that many Cubans on the island are exceedingly proud of the revolutionary culture theyve managed to build. They are surprised by how easy it is to connect with Cubans, how much Cuban people and people from the U.S. have in common, despite the fact that our governments haven't, until very recently, had a base upon which to build together.

Stock said that though the two countries have been isolated from one another and their politics have encouraged separation, art provides a nonthreatening context for people to explore.

Culture has a space where politics may not, she said. By working in the cultural arena, individuals who might otherwise not want to hear anything about Cuba, who might shut down immediately, are drawn in  People will ask, How could that film be made in Cuba? That film is so critical! These are really important entrees for talking more about Cuba, for shaping a perspective that's more nuanced.

Currently, Stock is working on a number of projects with students from her New Media Workshop, co-taught by Troy Davis, Swem Librarys head of media services. They have recently installed 53 Cuban movie posters, from films that were never produced, in the free exhibition Unmade in Cuba, displayed in Swems Botetourt Gallery.

Workshop students also have two film projects underway. One group is recording the experience of connecting with filmmakers and others in Cuba for a new documentary. A second student documentary is based on interviews with creators at a rural Cuban community media organization. Over spring break, Stock took to the eastern provinces of Cuba 16 undergraduate students, two Swem colleagues and alumnus David Culver 09, now a reporter with NBC4 Washington.

The work students have done with me, connected to Cuban film, Cuban literature, Cuban art, has given them a broader vision and has helped them be more prepared to see Cuba with greater subtlety, Stock said.

Stock is also working on her fifth book, a biography on Cuban filmmaker Fernando Perez, whose son lived with Stock for three years when he first emigrated from the island. Fernando Perez is not only Cuba's best-known living filmmaker, he's also a very dear friend of mine, and there has not been a major book written on his life and career, Stock said. Because I know him so well, because I love him so dearly, I feel that's a project I need to do.

A generous commitment by Martha '78 and Carl Tack '78 established the Tack Faculty Lecture Series at William & Mary. The commitment creates an endowment for the series and speakers, William & Mary faculty members who receive stipends for their presentations.




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Eskom submits site licence applications

15 March 2016

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South African utility Eskom has submitted site applications for nuclear installations at Thyspunt in the Eastern Cape and Duynefontein in the Western Cape to the country's National Nuclear Regulator (NNR).

Both applications mentioned the applicant's intention to construct and operate "multiple nuclear installations (power reactors) and associated auxiliary nuclear installations of a plant type and technology not yet identified," the NNR said.

The regulator will now review the applications to determine their level of compliance with relevant regulations. The NNR will then decide whether the applications should be accepted for further technical assessments and public comment, or rejected and deferred to the applicant.

South Africa's Department of Energy received cabinet approval in December to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the construction of the 9.6 GWe of new nuclear capacity called for under the country's energy policy. Last week, Reuters reported Department of Energy director general Thabane Zulu as saying that the RFP would be issued by the end of this month. Intergovernmental agreements have been signed with several vendor countries that have expressed interest in the nuclear new build program, but as yet no technology has been selected.



Eskom told World Nuclear News that the regulator will assess the suitability and acceptability of the Thyspunt and Duynefontein sites to accommodate a nuclear installation in accordance with the NNR's requirements.



"In accordance with nuclear energy policy of South Africa, Eskom has been designated the majority owner and operator of all nuclear power plants. This was confirmed by Cabinet. The responsibility of obtaining all the requisite licences and permits including Nuclear Installation Site licences are the responsibility of the owner/operator which is Eskom. This is independent of the procurement process," the company said.

Once a nuclear vendor has been decided upon, then a nuclear installation licence application will be initiated, Eskom said.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Reactor vessel delivered for China's first HTR

15 March 2016

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The first of two reactor pressure vessels for the demonstration HTR-PM high-temperature gas-cooled reactor unit under construction at Shidaowan in China's Shandong province has been delivered to the construction site.

The vessel arrives at Shidaowan (Image: China Huaneng)

The component - about 25 meters in height and weighing about 700 tonnes - was manufactured by Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Equipment. It successfully completed factory acceptance on 29 February and was dispatched from the manufacturing plant on 2 March. The pressure vessel arrived at the Shidaowan site on 10 March, plant owner China Huaneng Group announced the following day.

The company said it sent the project leader and supervision staff to supervise the entire manufacturing process of the reactor vessel, which it claims is the world's largest and heaviest.

Work began on the demonstration HTR-PM unit - which features two small reactors and a turbine - at China Huaneng's Shidaowan site in December 2012. China Huaneng is the lead organization in the consortium to build the demonstration units together with China Nuclear Engineering Corporation (CNEC) and Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, which is the research and development leader. Chinergy, a joint venture of Tsinghua and CNEC, is the main contractor for the nuclear island.

The demonstration plant's twin HTR-PM reactors will drive a single 210 MWe turbine. It is expected to start commercial operation in late 2017. An earlier proposal was for 18 further 210 MWe units - giving a total capacity of 3800 MWe - at the Shidaowan site, near Rongcheng in Weihai city, but this has been dropped.

A proposal to construct two 600 MWe HTR plants - each featuring three twin reactor and turbine units - at Ruijin city in China's Jiangxi province passed a preliminary feasibility review in early 2015. The design of the Ruijin HTRs is based on the smaller Shidaowan demonstration HTR-PM. Construction of the Ruijin reactors is expected to start next year, with grid connection in 2021.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Woman sneezing (illustration)

By: Tanya Malhotra

A man was injured and three cars were damaged after a driver sneezed, causing his car to flip over, police in Pennsylvania said.

Exeter Township police said that around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 24-year-old Eric Crim was driving on South Fifth Avenue near Chestnut Street.

Crim told police that he looked away from the road when he sneezed, which caused his car to crash into a parked car. His car then flipped over and slammed into a parked car.

The parked car was then pushed into the vehicle parked in front of it. This vehicle then slammed into a third parked vehicle that was occupied by 38-year-old Braulio Vazquez.

Vazquez was taken to the Reading Hospital, where he was treated and released. Crim did not suffer any injuries.
Corn (illustration)

By: Mahesh Sarin

A father was arrested on a charge of assault after allegedly burning his young son for stealing corn from a neighboring farm, police in Zimbabwe said.

Harare police said that they have arrested 26-year-old Wilson Mutero, after being accused of burning his son, 4-year-old Takudzwa Mutero.

According to the police investigation, Mutero accused his son of taking corn from a neighboring farm without permission on Saturday.

He dragged him to a field, where he burned his hands, head and legs before trying him to a tree. He then left his son alone. The boy screamed for help and was found by Chihwai Murehwa.

The boy was rushed to the Monera Clinic, and later transferred to the Harare Central hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition.

After hearing what Wilson Mutero did to his son, residents dragged him out of his home and beat him on the street.

Police officers who arrived at the scene, dispersed the crowd and arrested the father.
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.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Claudio Chiarelli and his son Max

By: Wayne Morin

Police launched an investigation after park rangers opened fire on two anti-poaching volunteers who were mistaken for elephant poachers, police in Zimbabwe said.

65-year-old Claudio Chiarelli, and his 28-year-old son Max, both citizens of Italy and naturalized citizens of Zimbabwe, were fatally injured after stopping to repair their car in Mana Pools.

Both died at the scene. According to the police investigation, the were shot as they were volunteering to find elephant poachers.

Park rangers have spent several days tracking suspected poachers after gunshots were heard in the park.

On Sunday, the park rangers were following the trail of the suspected poachers when saw something movement behind trees.

They opened fire at the volunteers who were repairing their car. Claudio and Max were professional hunters. They were also members of the volunteer anti-poaching organization Zambezi Society.
Popular Music Studios Saved From Closure Set to Reopen This Month

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 15th, 2016

A popular music studio which was saved from closure by a team of volunteers last year is set to reopen it doors to the public at the end of the month.

The Vic Studios  based at the Victoria Centre on Hill Street was set to close last year after Wrexham Council unveiled plans to scrap funding for the venue as part of the authoritys ongoing search to make financial savings.

In July a working group to take over the running of the Vic Studios was established and manage its transition from Council funding to an independent social enterprise.

On November 1st it was confirmed that the venue had been saved from closure by a social enterprise titled The Vic Studios. Six months after Council funding for Vic Studios ended, Wrexhams unique music project has been given a new lease of life.

Vic Studios will reopen their doors to the public March 21st as a re-established not-for-profit company.

The move follows months of determined effort by a group of local arts industry and business experts, with regional and national support from musicians, parents, teachers, care professionals, media and politicians of all parties.

Agreement has been reached with the Council enabling Vic Studios to carry on operating from its facilities at the Victoria Centre on Hill Street in Wrexham.

Started in 2006, Vic Studios has become an essential part of the Wrexham music scene. Its rehearsal and recording facilities have helped launch the careers of many local bands and solo artists including current successes, Neck Deep.

The studios also play a vital role in providing confidence and skills-building opportunities for vulnerable children and disengaged young people with a wide range of behavioural, educational and social health needs.

Chris Lloyd, who chairs the Board of Vic Studios, said: We are re-opening because the demand for what we do has never been higher. We couldnt have got this far without the generous support we have received from business and charitable sources. We are now pursuing further funding and donations to back our long term plans to provide a wider range of services and create employment, work placement and volunteering opportunities.

In the next few months we will celebrate our relaunch with events for volunteers, friends and supporters. As part of this, on May 14th the Vic Studios Stage in Queens Square, Wrexham, will feature as part of the Focus Wales festival.

Vic Studios future success will depend on the continued support of the communities it serves. Individuals, groups and organisations interested in supporting its work should email contact@vicstudios.co.uk.

For updates on opening hours, services and events follow @TheVicStudios on Twitter or connect on Facebook.

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Wrexham Glyndwr University Announce New Deputy Vice-Chancellor

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 15th, 2016

Joining Wrexham Glyndwr University is a tremendous opportunity says the institutions new Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Dr Claire Taylor, currently Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy) at St Marys University in London, will arrive in North Wales to begin the role this summer.

Dr Taylor said I am delighted and excited to be joining the Wrexham Glyndwr team as the university looks to the future and takes forward its new five-year strategy. The role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor presents a tremendous opportunity to serve a university whose ambitions accord with the values that I hold dear, and in particular I am deeply impressed by its student-centred approach and commitment to partnership working.

She added: I am very much looking forward to working with staff and students to raise the universitys profile, celebrate achievement and realise key goals and ambitions.

Dr Taylor read Music and Education at St Catharines College, University of Cambridge and completed doctoral studies with the University of Nottingham. Her early career was as a primary school teacher, before becoming a head teacher and later moving into HE, where she has held a variety of senior roles.

Also a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Developers Association and a Life Fellow of Lincolns Bishop Grosseteste University, Dr Taylor is a member of the HEFCE sub-committee HE Public Information Steering Group, London Higher Access HE Steering Group and the LFHE Membership Advisory Group.

Dr Taylor and her husband Adam will relocate to Wales in July before she joins Wrexham Glyndwr in August.

Welcoming her to the university, Interim Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Upton, said: We are thrilled that Claire has taken up this important position with us.

She was an outstanding candidate and will bring real vision and dedication to what is already a strong new management team. I would like to take this opportunity to wish her well in the role and good luck for the future.
HYAK - A new traffic shift is now in effect near Easton as one of the busiest construction seasons on Interstate 90 between North Bend and Ellensburg winds down for the upcoming winter.
On Sunday March 13, at least 37 people were killed and 125 wounded in a car bomb attack in the middle of Ankara, the Turkish capital. Immediately after the attack, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) banned broadcasting images of the scene and of victims, while an Ankara court ordered the blocking of social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

The last terrorist attack was carried out on February 17 by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a splinter group from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), near the military headquarters, parliament and other key government institutions in Ankara, killing 29, most of them soldiers. It came four months after a suicide bombing organised by the Islamic State (IS) against a peace rally near the Ankara Railway Station left at least 103 dead.

After the attack, the Turkish ruling elite seized the opportunity to further promote nationalist and military propaganda justifying its ongoing military operations in Kurdish towns of the country.

Immediately after the terrorist attack, both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu repeated their resolve to escalate military operations against the PKK. Our state will never give up using its right of self-defence in the face of all kinds of terror threats. All of our security forces, including soldiers, police and village guards, have been conducting a determined struggle against terror organisations at the cost of their lives, Erdogan said in a written statement.

Although no organization claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack, Davutoglu said in a written statement that they had concrete information on the terrorist group behind the attack.

Paving the way for a possible Turkish ground invasion of Syria, Davutoglu accused the PKK of perpetrating the attack, adding: Our country has been targeted by multidimensional terror attacks in a thorny and unstable region. As before, and from now on, the Republic of Turkey will conduct its struggle against terror with great determination for the sake of our nations unity and serenity, and it will punish in the most severe way treacherous circles that aim at our country.

These statements, and similar remarks of pro-government media commentators, indicate that the Turkish government is ready to jump at the opportunity to pursue its aim of invading Syria.

According to the state-owned Anatolian Agency, four people were arrested in connection with Sundays car bomb attack in Sanliurfa, a province bordering Syria, in what was taken as a sign implicating the Democratic Union Party, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, in the attack.

Afterwards, Turkish fighter jets hit arms depots and shelters of the PKK in the mountainous Kandil and Gara regions in northern Iraq, and Turkish police launched an operation detaining dozens of Kurdish nationalists in different cities.

Since the collapse of a fragile truce in June of last year, deadly clashes have resumed between Turkish forces and PKK militants, as Turkish security forces armed with tanks and helicopters launched campaigns in towns of the Kurdish-dominated southeast. In February, Ankara also carried out artillery bombardments on Kurdish fighters acting as US imperialist proxies in Syria.

Citing escalating terror activity in the region and the need to ensure the security of citizens lives and property, Turkeys ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) declared further curfews, as security forces prepared for new operations in the ethnic Kurdish towns of Yuksekova and Nusaybin.

A months-long, devastating anti-terror operation has recently been completed in other Kurdish-populated districts of Cizre, Silopi and Idil in Sirnak province, and Silvan and Sur in Diyarbakir, leaving over 1,000 dead and forcing some 350,000 people to flee their homes.

Ankara has also escalated its attacks on the media and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), the third-largest political party in the Turkish parliament. On Erdogans orders, a request for the abolition of parliamentary immunity of five deputies from the HDP, including its two co-leaders, has already been submitted to the Parliament. In addition, hundreds of HDP mayors, provincial administrators and members have been arrested on charges of being members of, or aiding and abetting terrorist organisations.

In written statements, three opposition parties in the Turkish parliament condemned the terror attack. The Republican Peoples Party (CHP) leader Kilicdaroglu denounced it for targeting the social peace and serenity of the country, and reiterated his partys determination to take all kinds of political responsibilities in the fight against terrorism.

Describing it as a savage attack against civilians, the HDP condemned the terrorist attack. The HDPs Central Executive Board stated that all of these attacks against our people will not be able to estrange us from feelings of fraternity and condemn the attack once more in the strongest way.

Devlet Bahceli, the chairperson of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), reiterated his partys full support for the government: The government should not allow any weakness and negligence on this issue. Turkeys national security is signalling a red alert because our precious nation is openly under attack and is surrounded in a compact and categorical circle of enmity.

The ruling elite is also exploiting the attack in an attempt to remove an unpopular new anti-labour bill from the agenda.

The draft On Amending the Labour Law and Turkish Employment Organisation Law aims to extend temp work and widen the activity of private employment agencies. The bill also includes the creation of a severance pay fund, which would exempt the employers from paying compensation to workers whose job contract is ended due to reasons listed under Turkish Labour Law.

There is also growing dissatisfaction amongst workers, especially in the automotive sector, which has been hit by a wave of layoffs. On March 1, workers at Oyak Renault, a joint venture between French Renault and the Turkish army pension fund Oyak in Bursa went on strike, organised a march and tried to block the main road. The riot police, using tear gas, attacked the workers to disperse the crowd and detained several of them.

On May 14 last year, automotive workers at Renault and Tofas, owned by Italys Fiat and Turkeys Koc Holding, organised a two-week wildcat strike, which soon spread to other carmakers, including Ford Otosan, Fords Turkish unit, and several auto parts makers.
It was widely anticipated that the right-wing nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party would have a successful result in Sundays German state elections, but not on the scale that occurred. The party emerged as the second-strongest in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, winning 24 percent of the vote in the eastern German state. Nothing similar had previously taken place in the history of the Federal Republic.

In addition to its large vote in the east, the AfD secured sufficient votes to enter parliament in the West German states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Rheinland-Palatinate, obtaining double-digit results. The party, founded three years ago, is now represented in eight of Germanys 16 state parliaments.

The rise of a party promoting right-wing nationalist conceptions combined with populist and racist positions requires careful analysis.

In the most immediate sense, the AfDs success is a result of the German governments refugee policy. Two pieces of legislation to restrict the right to asylum, along with the debate over whether refugees can best be stopped by sealing off Europes external borders or closing Germanys national borders, have shifted official political discourse far to the right and divided the conservative camp.

While Chancellor Angela Merkel, along with a section of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens, are in favour of a European solution, the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) and the right wing of the CDU are calling for the closure of Germanys borders.

The AfD has benefited from this rightward shift in the official debate. It placed opposition to Merkels refugee policy at the heart of its election campaign and connected this with anti-immigrant and racist slogans. But this alone does not explain its success. It also sought to exploit widespread anger, insecurity and fear of social decline.

Whoever believes that the hatred, bordering on contempt, for the political system emerged only with the rising refugee numbers is deceiving himself, wrote the Frankfurter Rundschau. The feeling of many people that those at the top who are governing are in over their heads predates the migration issue of recent months.

The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung described the typical AfD voter as a man, aged around 50, who belongs to the lower-middle class, has a basic school education, earns an average income, is independentand is frightened.

The polling agency Mentefaktum said the fears of the precariat accounted for the large vote for the AfD. It singled out fear of social decline, an inadequate pension, struggles with the refugees for access to things such as affordable housing.

The Forsa Institute came to the conclusion that many AfD voters were not doing badly. But they subjectively feel disadvantaged, it said, and fear falling into the under-class.

The Suddeutsche Zeitung cited a veteran autoworker from Mainz who was a traditional SPD voter but supported the AfD in this election because he felt it was the only party listening to my concerns.

Although on economic and social questions, the AfD adopts a neoliberal standpoint, insisting on budget discipline and low taxes, it obtained a high percentage of support among workers and the unemployed. A poll by Infratest Dimap showed that it was the strongest party in this segment of the population, with 38 percent support in Saxony-Anhalt and 31 percent in Baden-Wurttemberg. According to the same survey, 64 percent voted AfD out of disappointment with other parties, indicating a protest vote. Only 27 percent declared they voted AfD out of conviction.

The largest segment of AfD votes, between 30 and 40 percent, came from those who normally do not voteanother indication that the party was able to mobilise voters who had turned their backs on the established parties some time ago. Voter participation was around 10 percent higher in all three states than five years ago. In Baden-Wurttemberg and Rheinland-Palatinate turnout was above 70 percent. In Saxony-Anhalt it surpassed 60 percent.

In the western German states, numerous former CDU voters who rejected Merkels refugee policy backed the AfD. In Baden-Wurttemberg, one in four, and in Rheinland-Palatinate, one in five AfD voters had supported the CDU in 2011. In Saxony-Anhalt, where right-wing extremist parties such as the German Peoples Union and the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) had achieved significant results in previous elections, their supporters backed the AfD. Analyses of the previous party affiliation of voters in that state placed one in five AfD voters under the category of other parties.

Since its founding in February 2013, the AfD has undergone a rapid change, which is not yet complete. Originally established as an anti-euro party, in which conservative economics professors, representatives of the CDU right wing, and business representatives such as the former president of the German employers association, Hans-Olaf Henkel, determined its line, its nationalist course drew in more extreme right-wing elements with connections to Pegida and other anti-immigrant movements in the former states of East Germany.

In July 2014, the state deputy in the Saxony parliament, Frauke Petry, displaced economics professor Bernd Lucke in the position of party chair. Lucke and some of his supporters then withdrew from the AfD, denounced it as right-wing extremist and founded another party. In the meantime, Petry has come under pressure from an even more radical wing led by Bjorn Hocke, the AfDs fraction leader in the Thuringia state parliament. Hocke has come to prominence with his racist and volkish-nationalist conceptions, and ties to the National Democratic Party.

Hocke was heavily involved in the campaign in Saxony-Anhalt. The AfD lead candidate in the state, Andre Poggenburg, is seen as Hockes political protege. The spectacular election result in Saxony-Anhalt will likely accelerate the AfDs rightward trajectory.

The results of Sundays elections pose the question of why a right-wing, neo-liberal and anti-immigrant party such as the AfD was able to mobilise social anger and dissatisfaction with the established parties for its own ends. The election results themselves provide insight into the reasons.

Along with the AfDs success, the second major feature of the elections was the collapse of the SPD and decline of the Left Party. Although the AfD emerged largely from the CDU, the losses of the Christian Democrats were limited to around 3 percent in Saxony-Anhalt and Rheinland-Palatinate. Only in its former stronghold of Baden-Wurttemberg, where the AfD obtained 15 percent of the vote and a section of CDU voters shifted to the Greens, did the CDU suffer a disastrous result, finishing with 27 percent of the votea drop of 12 percent.

By contrast, the SPD was utterly decimated. In Baden-Wurttemberg, the SPD had previously recorded, with 23 percent, the worst result in its history. This time around, its support was almost halved to 12.7 percent. As a result, in Baden-Wurttemberg as in Saxony-Anhalt the SPD trailed behind the AfD.

This decline is not altered by the SPDs success in Rheinland-Palatinate, where, under state premier Malu Dreyer, it unexpectedly emerged as the strongest party, obtaining 36.2 percent of the vote. Support for Dreyers SPD-Green coalition dropped by around 10 percent because the Greens lost approximately two-thirds of their previous vote, barely making it into parliament with a total of 5.3 percent. Many former Green voters apparently voted for the SPD to prevent the CDU from becoming the largest party, which would have resulted in the CDUs leading candidate, Julia Klockner, replacing Dreyer as state premier.

In neighbouring Baden-Wurttemberg, a similar process took place in reverse. The Greens, under Winfried Kretschmann, secured a record vote, winning 30.3 percent, while the Green-SPD coalition lost its majority.

The SPD, which imposed the most sweeping social attacks in the history of the Federal Republic under Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and has participated in every federal government since 1998, apart from a four-year gap, has long been viewed with open hostility by the majority of the working population. It is a party of political careerists, trade union functionaries, privileged petty-bourgeois elements and sections of the bourgeoisie.

Even more significant is the decline of the Left Party. The party fell well short of the 5 percent hurdle for parliamentary representation in Rheinland-Palatinate and Baden-Wurttemberg in spite of a sustained election campaign, and it lost 7.4 percent of its previous vote in Saxony-Anhalt, achieving, at 16.3 percent, its worst result since 1990.

In the eastern German states, the Left Party long ago assumed the role of corralling and neutralising social protest. With the support of the pseudo-left forces active in its ranks, it spouted left-wing phrases while assuming government responsibility in several states and implementing the same right-wing policies as the other bourgeois parties.

Serving as a safety valve, the Left Party ensured that social dissatisfaction could find no independent, anti-capitalist outlet. This is the main reason why the AfD is in a position to direct protest votes in a right-wing, anti-immigrant direction.

Several leading Left Party officials are increasingly adopting the AfDs nationalism. On a prime time TV talk show, Deputy AfD Chair Alexander Gauland recently praised Left Party parliamentary fraction leader Sahra Wagenknecht in the warmest manner when she spoke of capacity limits with regard to refugees and adopted a stance on the euro that fit well with the AfD.

The political dangers raised by the success of the AfD must not be underestimated. For the first time in the history of the post-war Federal Republic, a party representing right-wing extremist positions has become the second-largest and third-largest party in a state parliament.

The established parties will respond by moving closer together and shifting further to the right. The CSU and leading CDU representatives are pushing for a further turn to the right on refugee policy. And since the previous coalitions have lost their majorities, new alliances will be negotiated: a coalition of the CDU, SPD and Greens in Magdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt); of the Greens and CDU in Stuttgart (Baden-Wurttemberg); and between the SPD, Greens and Free Democrats in Mainz (Rheinland-Palatinate). The parties are becoming interchangeable.

There is only one way to combat the political dangers arising from this political drift to the right: the building of an independent political party of the working class based on an internationalist and socialist programme directed against the source of social decline, anti-immigrant chauvinism and militarismthat is, against the capitalist system.
A special session of the Louisiana legislature ended last Wednesday with the passage at the last minute of a budget plan increasing the states sales tax and adopting other measures aimed at raising revenue to address the the deepest budget crises in the states history.

However, approximately $30 million remains in the deficit for the current year and $700 million for next year, out of the $2.9 billion hole announced by Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards. Education and health care services are reportedly funded for four months, with another special session to deal with the remaining deficit will likely be convened in June.

The budget bills were pushed through the legislature with such haste, with only 97 seconds remaining before the legally-mandated end of the session, that the exact extent of the remaining deficit is not yet clear even to state officials.

What the agreement does do, however, is raise revenuelargely through regressive taxation, such as a 1 percent increase in the state sales taxto keep critical state services on life support and under pressure to cut more and more from their expenses. The future of many of these services remains up in the air, facing direct budget cuts when the legislature meets again.

Education and health care, two of the few areas of spending not protected from cuts by the states constitution, have faced years of budget slashing that have left many services barely functional.

Public universities throughout the state have been bracing for the worst. Nicholls State University announced contingency plans to close early for the summer if they did not receive sufficient funding, and administrators at Louisiana State Universitys flagship campus in Baton Rouge openly questioned (for the second year in a row) whether their university would even be able to open for the fall.

While no universities have yet been forced to close, the educational futures of tens of thousands of students will be left in limbo as the remaining cuts, many of which will fall on the states educational programs, are hashed out over the summer, after graduation for high school seniors.

A major state-run scholarship program, the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), faces a possible 80 percent cut in funding for the next academic year in the fall, resulting in tens of thousands of in-state students losing access to the program. TOPS payments were temporarily suspended last month by Edwards before being restored a week later at only 80 percent of their previous level.

Louisianas publicly-funded hospital network (which was turned over to private operators under the previous governor, Republican Bobby Jindal) faced such deep cuts even under the so-called best case scenario during the special session that private operators threatened to simply walk away from their contracts with the state rather than attempt to deal with the impact of the cuts. The University Medical Center in downtown New Orleans, which opened only last year as a replacement for the pre-Katrina Charity Hospital, faced $44 million in cuts.

Even access to the constitutional right to an attorney has been threatened by the budget crisis, as the states Public Defenders Offices struggle to contend with the new cuts. Plaquemines Parish, a suburban parish in the metropolitan New Orleans area, was forced to close its Public Defenders Office and furlough its two staff attorneys indefinitely after state lawmakers voted to cut $472,000 from the state Public Defender Boards budget. A meagre $30,000 in emergency funding was later provided to keep the office open through March. Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with a total prison population of almost 40,000 out of a total state population of 4.6 million, or roughly 1 in 75 adults.

The special session largely mirrored the kabuki theater on display at the federal level over the past several years, in which the intransigence of right-wing Republicans had been utilized to legitimize historic cuts as a compromise solution. Even the framework provided for addressing the budget crisis by the states constitution stacks the deck in favor of the right-wing, with a two-thirds majority required in each house to raise taxes or repeal existing tax exemptions.

However, the deep divisions and infighting among Republicans was arguably a more salient feature in Louisiana, as elements from the Tea Party and other legislators opposed to any tax hikes whatsoever threatened to derail even a compromise solution. A group of roughly 20 legislators in the 104-member House of Representatives torpedoed several bills and held up negotiations until the last minute. Senate President John Alario, a Republican and the longest-tenured member of the Senate, tearfully denounced the House of Representatives as the session expired for referring eight bills to the Senate with only fifteen minutes to spare.

A major factor in the budget crisis is the impact of the ongoing slump in oil prices as well as widespread and deepening poverty and unemployment more than seven years after the 2008 financial crisis. However, no small role has been played by former Governor Jindal, whose massive tax cuts and corporate tax breaks effectively bankrupted the state, a fact which Jindal sought to conceal in the last years of his administration by draining rainy day funds and selling off state assets to balance the budget. Jindal sought to burnish his appeal among the Republican right-wing, appealing to elements from the Tea Party and religious fundamentalists throughout his two terms (ultimately unsuccessfully, as his abortive presidential campaign has made clear).

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are now denouncing Jindals fiscal policies, months after Jindal was term-limited out of office. However, all of them enthusiastically supported his legislative agenda for years. Democratic Governor Edwards, newly elected after a November election in which he and his Republican opponent David Vitter took turns scapegoating Syrian refugees, effectively made Jindals tax policy a central plank of his campaign when he pledged not to raise taxes.
Music producer George Martin, best known for his work with the Beatles, died March 8 at the age of 90. Together with the Beatles, Martin crafted some of the most enduring pop music of the 1960s and, indeed, of the twentieth century. His orchestrations and performances, along with his watchful editing and criticism of the groups work, played a significant role in bringing the compositions of Lennon-McCartney and George Harrison to life.

Martin was born January 3, 1926, in London. In his 1979 memoir, All You Need Is Ears, Martin described his childhood home during the Depression, a three-family house in the Highbury district: [I]t was just two rooms on a top floor, with an attic room above. There was no electricity: we had gas lights on either side of the mantelpiece. There was no kitchen: my mother cooked on a gas stove on the landing. There was no bathroom: we had our baths in a tin tub.

Martins father was a talented carpenter who nevertheless remained unemployed for 18 months during the Depression before getting a job selling newspapers on the street. While the family may not have had much, they were able to acquire a piano, thanks to an uncle who was in the piano trade. Martins love affair with music began at the age of six, when he first touched the instruments keyboard.

Martin later discovered he had perfect pitch and began teaching himself Chopin pieces by ear. At school, he was treated to performances of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, led by Adrian Boult. Hearing the orchestra perform Debussys Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun was a revelation for the 15-year-old Martin, who later commented: I couldnt believe that human beings were making such an incredibly beautiful sound.

He would go on to study composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he also studied piano and oboe. Following his graduation in 1950, he worked briefly for the BBCs classical music department before taking a job with Parlophone records, a division of EMI. By 1955, he was the label president.

Prior to his work with the Beatles, Martin produced comedy albums for some of the more talented satirists of the day, including Goon Show comics Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, as well as Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller of the Beyond the Fringe revue.

But by the early 1960s, Martin wanted to branch out into rock and roll. He signed a contract with a new group of working class kids from Liverpool who had cut their teeth performing night after night in the red light district of Hamburg, Germany, and had just failed an audition with Decca records.

The Beatles were electrifying, and they were somehow different. When they exploded onto the American charts in mid-January 1964, their serious competition came from remarkable performers like the Beach Boys, Ray Charles, and the Four Seasons. Despite the extraordinary (in some cases, greater) musicality of the latter, none of those became a global cultural phenomenon in the way the Beatles did. They certainly struck a chord in the US. Their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 was watched by more than a third of the American population (some 73 million people).

There was a rebelliousness about the British bands music, an aggressiveness and a punch that other groups and individual performers lacked. There are few moments in rock and roll as exciting as hearing the voices of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison climb higher and higher on Twist and Shout (1963) until they erupt into frenzied screams. Their recording of the song is more exciting, and crazed, than the original (and very fine) Isley Brothers version from the year before.

The Beatles entry onto the musical scene marked and emerged from a period of increasing social and cultural ferment. In Britain, the mood revealed in the Angry Young Men trend of the late 1950s took more artistically and socially consistent form in the social realist New Wave films of Lindsay Anderson, Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson and others in the early 1960s. In 1964, widespread working class dissatisfaction with the realities of postwar life brought the Labour Party to power, for the first time in 13 years.

In the US, 1963 witnessed mass protests over civil rights, the largest being the March on Washington addressed by Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as the first demonstrations against US involvement in Vietnam. Political violence erupted in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The first major inner-city riot occurred in Harlem in July 1964. Newspaper headlines reported hunger in Appalachia, and Michael Harringtons The Other America (published in 1962) reported that as much as 25 percent of the US population lived in poverty.

One could perhaps argue that the growing mood of social rebellion in the US first found expression in the field of popular music and, oddly enough, in the mass enthusiasm for British groups. They tended to be more socially and class conscious, generally more savvy. British popular culture had not suffered the same devastation at the hands ofand therefore was not as intimidated byofficial anti-communism.

The Beatles appeared sharper, less cowed by the media and less willing to play nice than their American counterparts. Their interviews and press conferences were mocking comedic performances worthy of the figures recorded earlier by Martin. No one, it seemed, could get the better of them. This same attitude found its way into their music.

George Martins musical counseling would prove invaluable to the Beatles in the years that followed. McCartney has often spoken of Martins good bedside manner, providing both a challenging and nurturing environment in which he and Lennon, and eventually Harrison, could develop as songwriters.

And as their music became more complex, Martin contributed more frequently as a composer and performer. His arrangements and orchestrations were featured on songs like Yesterday and Eleanor Rigby. There was the brass accompaniment on Mother Natures Son and Martha My Dear from the White Album. Martin performed the haunting electric harpsichord on Because from Abbey Road.

He was most frequently heard on piano. He performed the Baroque-style solo on In My Life, the saloon piano of Rocky Raccoon and the solo in the middle of Lovely Rita. On Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Martin contributed piano, harmonium, organ, glockenspiel and probably the kitchen sink to build the circus atmosphere the song required. He was often tasked with finding practical solutions for the realization of Lennon and McCartneys more unorthodox musical ideas, splicing together song fragments and manipulating tape loops.

While sometimes portrayed as the stodgy father figure to the boys, he actually encouraged their experimentation and joined in with some of his own. When Martin explained to the 40-piece orchestra assembled for A Day in the Life the sort of outburst he had in mind for them to perform, he said, they all looked at me as though I were completely mad.

While Martin did his best work with the Beatles, he also produced several well-known records for other artists. During the Beatles years there were recordings with Gerry and the Pacemakers (Dont Let the Sun Catch You Crying, How Do You Do It?), Cilla Black (Anyone Who Had a Heart, Youre My World, Alfie) and Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger). Later he worked with jazz artists Stan Getz (Marrakesh Express) and the Mahavishnu Orchestra (Apocalypse), as well as rock guitarist Jeff Beck (Blow by Blow, Wired).

He collaborated again with Paul McCartney on three albums during the 1980s, including Tug of War (1983) with its beautiful tribute to John Lennon, Here Today.

In 2006, Martin collaborated with his son Giles to mix together a selection of Beatles songs in a well-received suite entitled Love, which accompanies a special theatrical production of the same name by Cirque du Soleil. It will celebrate its 10th anniversary later this year.
Leading up to Wednesdays budget, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has assured big business of the Labour Partys readiness to carry out an austerity programme in government and not to block it today in opposition.

McDonnell is the closest ally of Jeremy Corbyn, who was elected Labour leader last September on an anti-austerity ticket by the vast majority of party members and supporters in opposition to three right-wing supporters of former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Last month Chancellor George Osborne made clear he would use the budget to ramp up the Conservative governments austerity measures. On Sunday Osborne confirmed that a further 4 billion in spending cuts will be imposed. This came just days after a further 1.2 billion was slashed from disability benefits. The threshold for Personal Independence Payments will be raised, with people who struggle to dress themselves or use the toilet losing up to 150 a week.

Underscoring the brutality with which the ruling elite are enforcing tens of billions of pounds in cuts that will decimate the lives of many of the poorest people in the UK, Osborne said, Its not a huge amount in the scheme of things, and was necessary as controlling welfare budgets is part of what we need to do.

On Thursday McDonnell used a Guardian interview to solidarise himself with such sentiments.

He declared that ensuring Labours credibility on the economy to big business was the struggle of a generation. Labour would work with business, in partnership with the trade unions, on policies to push economic growth based on boosting investment. The Guardian noted, The shadow chancellor argued that major business groups such as the CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce, the City, banks and trade unions all want to see investment in areas such as skills. We are all on the same page apart from Osborne.

McDonnell followed the interview with a speech Friday to the Royal Society of the Arts in which he outlined his pro-business agenda. The speech was entitled  Rewriting the Rules, which McDonnell said was a statement borrowed from one of his Economic Advisory Council members, US economist Joseph Stiglitz. Central to this rewrite was an absolute commitment to responsible financing by a future Labour government.

Labour, he continued, should show how we can account for every penny in tax revenue raised, and every penny spent. There is nothing left-wing about ever-increasing government debts, or borrowing to cover day-to-day expenses.

Labour would be a government that is responsible with its finances, he said, adding, We shouldnt be the party that only thinks how to spend money.

Labours watchwords on the economy will be democracy and decentralization, he said. We need a far more sophisticated argument about ownership that does not just fall into the caricature of either pure privatisation, or monolithic state control.

Rather, it was up to government to clear the barriers that hold back entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Fiscal Credibility Rule will underpin Labours fiscal position, said McDonnell, as We believe that governments should not need to borrow to fund their day-to-day spending. And that is why we would commit to always eliminating the deficit on current spending in five years, as part of a strategy to target balance on current spending over a target five-year period.

On this basis, McDonnell refused to commit to a penny in spending under a future Labour government, saying, I am making no announcements today about our spending commitments.

In words that could be mouthed by Osborne in tomorrows budget, McDonnell stressed, [W]e want to ensure that the Governments debt is set on a sustainable path, we will commit to ensuring that, at the end of every Parliament, Government debt as a proportion of trend GDP is lower than it was at the start.

McDonnell concluded his rounds of the media and TV studios with an appearance on BBC radios Today programme Saturday, during which he declared, Let me make it absolutely clear. I will be absolutely ruthless about how we manage our spending.

Asked by the BBC if the policies he was outlining meant an end to the reformist policies of tax-and-spend that he and Labour were associated with in the past, McDonnell replied, It does really. Were going to break away from that old shibboleth. Were about managing the economy effectively, and actually thats what socialism is all about.

McDonnells newly-minted presentation of socialism is extraordinary.

In his Guardian interview he said, Socialism is about planning, and planning is about making sure every penny is spent effectively.

This is socialism a la Margaret Thatcherruthlessly balancing the books in defence of capitalism and through continuing the savage cuts already imposed by successive Labour and Tory governments since the 2008 financial crash.

McDonnell and Corbyn have already signalled that they will oppose any attempts to halt the huge cuts being carried out on behalf of central government by the hundreds of mainly Labour-run councils throughout Britain. In December, they issued a letter instructing Labour councils to abide by the law and impose austerity measures demanded by the Conservatives. Citing the 1992 Local Government Acts stipulation that councils must set a balanced budget, the letter insisted that councils setting an illegal budget as a response to local government cuts is not an option. With this, Corbyns Labour Party commits to imposing at least another 9.5 billion cuts planned by 2020.

Summing up the right-wing content of McDonnells announcements in recent days, Independent columnist John Rentoul defined him as the new voice of fiscal responsibility:

Here is John McDonnell, who ran Jeremy Corbyns leadership campaign on a platform of fighting not just austerity but capitalism, announcing a more fiscally restrictive policy than [Tony Blairs] New Labour.

Under Conservaties or Labour, the austerity programme already imposed since 2008 will be dwarfed due to the deteriorating state of the British economy.

This week the Financial Times described the UKs budget deficit as a growing black hole. It warned, The official size of the UK economy in 2015 was 1 percent smaller than the 1,882 billion that the Office for Budget Responsibility predicted only three months ago.

A shortfall in tax receipts will persist for the rest of the decade, said the FT, and could derail the surplus in the public finances that had been expected by the end of the decade.

Other estimates are substantially bleaker with accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers warning that a slowing economy could result in further government borrowing of nearly 50 billion over the course of the parliament.

Previous overly optimistic predictions of UK economic growth factored in a growth in real wages, which saw an upturn of 3.4 percent by last summer, after years of flatlining or decline. Wage growth has since declined to nearer 2 percent and according to one survey published last week, real wage levels will be stagnant for at least the next few years.
Incomes for young people born between 1980 and 1994 have hit unprecedented low levels in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse, according to a recent investigative series conducted by the UKs Guardian publication titled Millenials: The Trials of Generation Y. The study draws on income statistics from eight of the worlds 15 most advanced economies, including the US, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, France, Italy, Spain and Germany to paint a picture of dimming social prospects for young people throughout the developed world.

The Guardian cites as contributing factors a combination of debt, joblessness, globalization, demographics and rising house prices which have grave implications for everything from social cohesion to family formation. Whereas during the 1970s and 1980s people in their 20s averaged more than the national income, the study found that young couples and families in five of the eight countries listed made 20 percent less than the rest of the population today.

It is likely to be the first time in industrialized history, save for periods of war or natural disaster, that the incomes of young adults have fallen so far when compared with the rest of society, the British newspaper states.

In the US and Italy, incomes were lower in actual figures than they were a generation ago, with Americans averaging a yearly salary of $27,757 in 2010 compared to $29,638 in 1979. The study notes that young US workers currently make less than those in retirement. In France, households headed by individuals under the age of 50 made less disposable income than recent retirees. In Italy, an 80-year-old pensioner possesses more income than someone under the age of 35.

In many cases, the 2008 financial collapse simply accelerated trends that were already underway. Housing prices in Great Britain and Australia are among the most expensive in the developed world. The average price for a home in Sydney, Australia, is $1 million in Australian dollars, more than 12 times the median household income in the city. The average home loan for first-time buyers in New South Wales is A$424,000. This figure has increased by 43 percent in the past four years alone.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, housing prices have increased more sharply and for a longer period in the past 20 years than at any time since 1880. The Guardian notes that housing costs in the UK and Australia have been increasing at a neck and neck pace ahead of the average household income. Were heading for a world where rates of home ownership among young people are below 50 percent for the first time, states Alan Milburn of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, adding that the UK is heading toward becoming a society that is permanently divided. Income for those in their late 20s in the UK remain below levels seen in 2004-2005.

A recent survey by British polling firm Ipsos Mori found that 54 percent of those questioned thought the next generation was or would be worse off than the previous. Its the highest weve measuredits completely flipped around from April 2003, stated Bobby Duffy, managing director of Ipsos Moris Social Research Institute of the findings.

In addition, more than a quarter of individuals in this age group live with their parents. An average woman in this age group today waits 7.1 years longer to become married than in 1981; and the average age of childbirth for young families is nearly four years later than those in 1974.

My greatest worry is working all my life, constantly chasing debt and never being to own a house or have children, writes a millennial named Gemma in a section of the series entitled #Itsnotjustyou: Millenials share their secret fears. Continuing, she states: The cost of renting privately is rising, the cost of travelling is rising, the cost of living is rising and yet the salaries dont reflect this rise.  I am worried that capitalism is pushing this and creating a greater wealth inequality gap. It seems unsustainable and to be driving people aparta recent example is the demonization of our own NHS service and the junior doctors. Many others share similar nightmares.

The study comes amid other findings revealing similar declines in living standards for youth in the developed world. A 2013 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report found nearly 30 million youth in the developed capitalist countries without a job or an education, the basic requirements for functioning in society.

The circumstances faced by young people throughout the world speak to a systemic breakdown of the social order in both the so-called developing and advanced countries, which has been compounded by war and militarism, consecutive attacks on living standards and cuts to social programs, which invariably hit the youngest and most vulnerable the hardest. Though not covered by the study, European nations such as Greece have been reduced to conditions unseen in the developed world, with youth unemployment at over 60 percent due to attacks on living standards demanded by the European Union and enforced by consecutive governments, both right and left, under Syriza.

The authors of the Guardian investigation, in an effort to divert rising anger away from the social system responsible for the poverty, destruction of living standards and attendant social misery, single out the relatively-better off living conditions of retirees in order to make a case for attacking pensions and other benefits accruing to the older generation. The publication quotes a recently published interview with Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank (ECB), who states in many countries the labor market is set up to protect older insiderspeople with permanent, high-paid contracts and shielded by strong labor laws.  The side-effect is that young people are stuck with lower-paid, temporary contracts and get fired first in crisis times.

Rather than receiving expanded employment, pay and access to better living conditions, it is proposed that the young and the old fight over the rapidly diminishing resources made available by bourgeois public officials and the wealthy. While Draghi advocates attacking the pay and benefits of older workers, the ECB head has funneled billions into the hands of European banking institutions; recently upping the monthly total of cash infusions to 80 billion from 60 billion previously and adding to the wealth of the financial elite.

The fate of retirement benefits and wages under the profit-system is pointed to when the newspaper notes pensioners incomes are likely to rise for at least the next decade, after which future generations will be unlikely to benefit [due to] a drop in home ownership, weaker private sector pension schemes and the expectation that state pensions will be less generous in the future.
Fundamental questions of perspective and orientation for the international working class are raised by the promotion of economic nationalism, which is assuming an ever more prominent role in the political life of one country after another under conditions of deepening economic crisis, mass unemployment and worsening social conditions.

In the campaign over Brexitthe referendum on June 23 to decide whether Britain is to remain within the European Unionboth the Leave and Remain camps, reflecting different sections of the British bourgeoisie, are couching their arguments in terms of what is best for Britain. In the United States, the presidential election campaigns of both the leading Republican contender Donald Trump and the self-styled socialist Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders are making appeals on the basis of an economic nationalist agenda.

Seeking to exploit the legitimate anger and hostility of workers to the destruction of jobs and living conditions as factories are closed and jobs outsourced to cheaper labour areas, Trump promises to make America great again and denounces unfair trade deals, while Sanders lashes out against trade agreements with China and Mexico as stealing American jobs.

Despite their differences, the two sides share a common platform. They seek to remove the question of the export of jobs from its foundationthe capitalist system itself and its drive for profit.

They speak not for American workers, but express the interests of sections of the ruling class who feel themselves disadvantaged by major transnational corporations and aim to exploit the working class no less ruthlessly than their rivals.

There is no question that the various so-called free trade deals are not aimed at advancing economic and social conditions, but rather are designed to benefit giant corporations, enabling them to site their operations so as to secure the maximum profit at the expense of the working class.

But it does not follow from this that in opposing such agreements and their reactionary provisions workers should put a nationalist minus where the dominant sections of the corporate and financial elite put a plus. They must develop their own independent perspective based on a thoroughly worked-out and scientific analysis.

Such an analysis begins by posing the question: where is the campaign of economic nationalism leading? What would be the consequences of a return to isolated national economies? The tortured and bloody history of the twentieth century provides the answer.

The resort to economic nationalism arises out of the breakdown of the global capitalist order signalled by the financial crisis of 2008. The last great breakdown of the capitalist system, which began with the outbreak of World War I and led to the Great Depression, shows where it is heading. The rise of economic nationalism during the 1930s, as each country sought to protect itself from the collapse of the world market through the erection of customs and tariff barriers, created a disaster.

From the introduction of the protectionist Smoot-Hawley Act in the US in June 1930 to the end of 1932, it has been estimated that world trade contracted by as much as one half to two-thirds, leading to the disintegration, not advancement, of entire economies. The inevitable outcome was World War II and the relapse into barbarism.

The reactionary logic of economic nationalism was demonstrated most clearly in the case of Germany. Adolf Hitler came to power on the basis of a program of economic autarchy. But within a very short space of time an economic crisis began to develop, as this policy ran up against the constrictions of the German nation-state. Further national economic development therefore required territorial expansionLebensraumand from 1936 onwards the entire economic policy of the Hitler regime was based on military conquest, a program that led directly to World War II and all of its resultant horrors.

In determining its standpoint, the working class must ground itself on a broad understanding of the role of capitalism in the historical development of mankind.

Mankinds ascent, as Marx and, following him, Trotsky continually emphasised, is grounded on the development of the social productivity of labour, which is the basis for all social and economic advancement. In smashing down the constrictions of feudal particularism and establishing nation-states, capitalism provided a mighty springboard for the development of the productive forces and laid the basis for modern civilisation.

But the growth of the productive forces did not stop at the borders of the national state. Over the last 175 years it has increasingly assumed a global character through the expansion of international trade, the extension of investment to every corner of the world and, over the past three decades, the development of globalised production based on a further development of the international division of labour.

The globalisation of economic life is in itself an enormously progressive development. It increases the social productivity of labour and thereby lays the material foundations for the development of a society in which, for the first time in history, the economic and cultural interests of the entire worlds people, rather than a privileged few, can be met and advanced.

However, this enormous potential cannot be realised within the suffocating framework of the capitalist profit and nation-state system. Rather, these constrictions lead inevitably and inexorably to war and the descent into barbarism.

The great historical task, therefore, is not to try to drag the productive forces back into the reactionary and outmoded framework of the nation-state systemas the proponents of economic nationalism whether from the right or the left proposebut to liberate the productive forces by abolishing the reactionary social and political framework that constricts them.

This is not some utopian ideal. The material basis for its realisation has been created by the very globalisation of production itself. It has created an immense social force, the international working class, united objectively by the process of capitalist production and opposed by its very life-situation in every country to the depredations of the profit system.

Its task is to tear down the walls and barriers of the nation-state system, overturn the profit system, and take political power into its own hands in order to establish a new and higher socio-economic order based on the harmonious development of the productive forces on a global scale through a planned, consciously regulated and democratically controlled economy.

The sceptics and apologists for capitalism scoff at such a perspective and declare it violates so-called human nature, the highest expression of which, they insist, is the market and the capitalist profit systema veritable libel on the human race.

But just as capitalism has created its own gravedigger in the form of the international working class, so it has forged the material foundations for a planned socialist economy. There is not a single transnational corporation or international financial institution in the world today that does not plan its global operations on a minute-by-minute, or even second-by-second basis. In its drive for profit, the capitalist system has established a vast system of information and technology spanning the world.

This complex and globally-integrated system of production and its associated information and other technologies have been created and are maintained, not by the handful of ultra-wealthy individuals who at present reap its benefits, but by the collective physical and intellectual labour of billions of working peoplefrom the worker on the production line to those who maintain and design the technologies for its regulation.

Having created this enormous productive force, the international working class must now wrest control of it and utilise it for the development of society as a whole.

The perspective of economic nationalism advanced by the Trumps and Sanders of this world represents an attempt to drag mankind back into a new dark age.

The perspective of international socialism is the next stage in mankinds advancement. But it can be realised only if it is consciously fought for, and that requires a decision to join and build the International Committee of the Fourth International as the revolutionary leadership of the international working class.
Fourteen Sri Lankan Tamil political prisoners ended a hunger strike of nearly three weeks last Friday at Welikada prison in Colombo after Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Minister D.M. Swaminathan claimed he would expedite their cases. The government, however, refused the hunger strikers demand for the unconditional release of all Tamil political detainees.

The continued incarceration without trial of hundreds of Tamils not only exposes the ongoing repression and discrimination against the countrys Tamil minority. It is part of an escalating attack on the democratic rights of all sections of the Sri Lankan working class.

On February 29, 75 detainees at the Welikada prison held a one-day hunger strike in support of the 14 Tamil hunger strikers. Relatives and supporters of the protesting Tamil prisoners also held pickets and sit-down demonstrations in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mannar in the north of the island over the past two weeks. Last Friday, Jaffna University students demonstrated to demand the release of the Tamil detainees.

There are still over 160 Tamil political prisoners being held without trial in Sri Lankan jails. Some were arrested during the nearly 30-year communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Others were taken into custody after the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009.

All are held under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, which allows the police to use so-called confessions to charge and detain people for more than 18 months. The police force and its intelligence wing are notorious for extracting false confessions by torture.

The latest hunger strike was the fourth such prison protest in the last six months. In October 2015, over 220 detainees in 14 jails began an indefinite hunger strike over their ongoing imprisonment. The protests ended after the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a coalition of the Tamil bourgeois parties, convinced the hunger strikers to end their action, claiming the government was ready to release them.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have repeatedly insisted there are no political prisoners and that those in custody are being held on criminal charges. Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardena reiterated this claim, telling the media last Wednesday that legal action will be taken against those whose crimes are proved.

In the face of widespread popular opposition, the government in recent months has released over 60 detainees but under stringent bail conditions. It has also established several special courts to try some detainees.

The flimsy character of the cases against the Tamil prisoners was again exposed when a special high court in Vavuniya released Murugaiah Komahan and Ganesaratnam Santhadevan on February 29. Imprisoned for seven years, they were released 15 months after a previous high court hearing rejected police charges based on supposed confessions of the detainees.

As it did last October, the TNA pressured the latest group of hunger strikers to halt their protests. On February 28, TNA parliamentarians Sivasakthi Ananthan and Selvan Adikalanathan visited Anuradhapura jail to try to persuade two of the protesters to end their strike.

A week later in Colombo, the TNA leaders again appealed to the detainees to end their fast, promising to take action to release them. While the hungers strikers rejected the empty promises from the TNA leadership, they could see no way forward and reluctantly decided to abandon the protest.

The TNA, led by parliamentarian R. Sambandan, has close relations with the pro-US Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government. During last years presidential election campaign, the TNA backed Sirisena. Like other political groups supporting Sirisena, the TNA highlighted the previous governments war crimes and attacks on democratic rights, insisting that a new president would release the Tamil prisoners.

The TNA acted in line with advice from the US and India, which wanted former President Mahinda Rajapakse ousted. Washingtons efforts were aimed at scuttling Rajapakses close relations with Beijing and lining up Sri Lanka as part of the US war preparations against China.

The TNA wants to cut a deal with Colombo for the administration of the North and East of Sri Lanka. In line with this strategy, it opposes any struggle that might destabilise the present administration and backs its attacks on the working class.

The Socialist Equality Party and International Youth and Students for Social Equality are holding a public meeting in Jaffna on March 20 to expose the pro-imperialist stance of the various Tamil nationalist parties and explain the socialist perspective needed to fight the growing danger of war.

World Socialist Web Site reporters recently spoke to the families of several Tamil political prisoners.

Nadesan Tharmarajah, who has been detained at Magazine prison since September 2013, was involved in the latest hunger strike. He has been arrested, detained and tortured three times since the end of the war in 2009. His wife Naagalojini, 37, and a mother of five, is living with a relative in a small house at Achchuveli in Jaffna.

Naagalojini said: We were previously living in the refugee camp at Vavuniya. My husband was arrested by police and tortured at a military camp in September 2009. He was released but arrested again in November of the same year and detained for three years.

We feel sad about the prisoners fasting campaign. Our children are very worried about their father and dont like even to play with other children. Our eldest son is 20 years old. He has abandoned his studies and is now working as a day labourer.

Many times we were starving because we didnt have a proper income. My husband lost his leg in a military shell attack as we were fleeing the fighting during the war. We visited the prison several months back and were only able to speak to him for a few minutes. Weve not been able to see him since because we cant afford to travel to the prison.

Every two weeks they take my husband to the court and then send him back to the jail. He hasnt committed any crime. The politicians claim that Sirisenas good governance is better than Rajapakses but if thats the case why they dont release the detainees?

Ganeshan Darshan, 26, was arrested at Nawalapitiya in Sri Lankas central hill district, his fathers birthplace. He was detained by the Terrorist Investigation Department in 2009 and held at Anuradhapura jail. His mother Chithra Ganeshan said he had been involved in several hunger strikes and, although the government and TNA parliamentarians promised to secure the release of the Tamil detainees, nothing had happened.

When my son and his fellow prisoner Mathiyarasan Sealskin started fasting on February 25, the TNA parliamentarians visited the prison asked them to stop the hunger strike. They promised to take action to produce them in court soon. They stopped fasting but since then weve been unable to contact the MPs.

Im sick because Im always thinking about him. He was shot in his knee during the war and finds it difficult to walk. We cant afford the fees for lawyers and to visit the courts in the North. He has been jailed for six years but the government cannot produce any charge sheets against him because they have no evidence. My son is a talented artist and has won several prison competition awards. His life is being unnecessarily wasted in the prison.

Sri Lankan workersSinhala and Tamil alikemust take a warning from the ongoing frame-up and incarceration of Tamil political prisoners. These methods will be used against all sections of the working class and the poor as they oppose the governments attacks on social conditions and democratic rights.

The fight for the unconditional release of political prisoners and the ending of the military occupation of the North and East is part of the struggle to unite Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim workers in defence of jobs, living standards and fundamental democratic rights. This is an integral part of the fight for Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Eelam and socialism throughout South Asia and internationally.
South Koreas imposition of unilateral sanctions on North Korea on March 8 has further heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following new UN Security Council sanctions adopted on March 2, under duress from the US.

Washington and Seoul have exploited Pyongyangs fourth nuclear test in January and a rocket launch last month to impose penalties that are intended to cripple North Koreas economy, accentuate the political crisis in Pyongyang and, in doing so, intensify the pressure on China and Russia.

While the new UN sanctions barred the export of materials such as gold, titanium ore and rare earth metals from North Korea, as well as the import of all weapons and aviation fuel, they allow trade in coal, iron ore and oil so long as it is for livelihood purposes.

China pressed for this last condition, fearing that the North Korean regime would be pushed to the brink of collapse if it were starved of oil and unable to earn income from its mineral exports. While Beijing opposed the North Korean nuclear tests, it is deeply concerned that a political implosion in Pyongyang could result in the unification of the Korean peninsula under a government aligned with Washington.

Lee Seok-jun, minister of the government policy coordination office, justified the unilateral South Korean sanctions by declaring: The government will continue to sanction and press the North in close cooperation with the international community so as to create conditions where there is nothing for it but to change. In reality, South Korea, in league with the US, is pushing for regime-change in Pyongyang.

The new South Korean sanctions go further than the UN Security Council resolution in choking the North Korean economy. Foreign ships that have visited North Korea in the previous 180 days will be banned from entering South Korean waters. Seoul hopes it will prevent third countries from doing business with Pyongyang. Last year, 66 ships that had been to North Korea made 104 stops in South Korea as well, according to the government, which also stated these vessels were loaded with steel and general merchandise. Japan imposed similar sanctions last month.

The South Korean government also intends to draw up a list of items that other countries will be required to ban if the goods are made in, or with materials originating in, North Korea.

By these measures, countries that wish to trade with South Korea will be forced to limit economic ties with Pyongyang. This is particularly aimed at China, which is North Koreas only major trading partner. In addition, some 40 individuals and 30 business entities in North Korea have been blacklisted.

Seoul has also suspended a trilateral trade cooperation agreement with North Korea and Russia known as the Khasan-Rajin project. This deal included the construction of a railway line between the Russian border town of Khasan and the North Korean port town of Rajin. Siberian coal was to be transported to the port then loaded onto ships for delivery to South Korea. In 2014-2015, three trial runs took place with Chinese ships.

The projects suspension is noteworthy as Russia had threatened to veto the UN sanctions resolution if the project was to be banned. Before the South Korean sanctions were formally announced, Je Seong-hun, a professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, commented: Dropping the project will inflict a major blow on Russias East Asia policy. The backlash from Russia will be considerable.

Seoul is also capitalising on the heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula to pass so-called anti-terrorism legislation under the pretext of countering the North Korean threat. Its spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), claimed on March 8 that North Korea had hacked into the cell phones of high-ranking government officials at the end of February and beginning of March.

None of the NIS allegations should be accepted at face value. The spy agency is notorious for fabricating pretexts for ramping up pressure on North Korea. In February, Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo claimed North Korea had used 70 percent of the funds earned at the now-shuttered joint Kaesong complex to fund its weapon programs. The next day, Hong was forced to admit he had no evidence to substantiate the allegation, but the government has nevertheless continued to circulate it.

The hacking allegation came at an opportune time for Seoul. In February, the NIS, again without specific evidence, claimed North Korea was preparing cyber-attacks and demanded the passage of a cyber security bill along the lines of that currently being considered by the National Assembly. If passed, the legislation will allow the monitoring of online communication and create a new body under the NIS to direct this operation.

A separate anti-terrorism bill was passed last week following a nine-day filibuster by the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), the latest incarnation of the Democrats. The new law allows the NIS to tap telephone calls and access bank records, enabling the government to collect a broad range of information on South Korean citizens. The bill also establishes an office under the prime minister to ostensibly oversee the NIS. South Koreas prime minister directly serves under the president.

The MPK is not opposed to the attack on democratic rights. Its filibuster is nothing more than a political stunt to give the impression that the party defends democracy in the lead-up to next months general election. In fact, the MPK previously suggested similar measures, as long as they were implemented by a separate government body.

The tensions with North Korea come as the US and South Korea conduct the largest-ever war games on the Korean peninsula. The Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises began on March 7 and will run through to March 18 and April 30 respectively. While these drills in the past have focused on supposedly defensive scenarios, this year the two militaries are simulating offensive maneuvers under the new Operational Plan 5015 that includes pre-emptive attacks on North Korean installations and the assassination of key North Korean officials.

In short, Seoul is preparing for war alongside the US, directed not only against North Korea, but also China. Washington is exploiting the tense situation on the Korean peninsula to justify its military build-up in North East Asia as part of its broader pivot to Asia and military encirclement of China. Well aware that the war drive will provoke popular opposition, the South Korean government is preparing police-state measures to suppress it.
With polls showing a close contest between Donald Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich in the states primary for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump cancelled a planned event in Florida and scheduled a rally for the Youngstown area on Monday night. The stop in the economically depressed former steel center follows similar rallies in Cleveland and Dayton, two other Ohio cities ravaged by deindustrialization.

The far-right candidate is reportedly pursuing a rust-belt strategy aimed at exploiting the disaffection of sections of workers and lower-middle class people whose economic and social grievances have long been ignored by the Democratic Party and the trade unions. Posturing as a champion of workers and small businessmen, the billionaire insists he can make America great again by strengthening the military, building a wall to keep Mexican immigrants out and making trade deals that benefit the US, not China and Mexico.

In fact, Trump embodies the criminality of the ruling oligarchy in the United States, which has amassed vast fortunes precisely by impoverishing the working class and plundering society. In his remarks in Youngstown, he praised one of his closest supporters, billionaire asset stripper Carl Icahn, whose hostile takeovers of corporations like the airline TWA left tens of thousands of workers without jobs and pensions. Trump began his remarks by saying his first job was in Cincinnati, where he bought 1,164 rental units from the Federal Housing Authority. I bought it for nothing and I sold it for a lot of money, he gloated.

Fearing the growth of militancy and anti-capitalist sentiment among workers and youth, sections of the ruling class are encouraging the development of a fascistic tendency based on virulent American nationalism and militarism and the suppression of all forms of popular opposition. In his Youngstown remarks, Trump slandered Muslim and Mexican immigrants as the enemy within. He recited a poem about a kindly, naive woman who had rescued and cared for an injured snake only to be fatally bitten by the sinister reptile.

The main thrust of his remarks was to blame mass unemployment and falling wages not on the ruthless operations of figures like Icahn and himself, but on unfair trade agreements. American politicians like Governor Kasich had signed on to deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Trump asserted, either out of their stupidity or because they were being paid by China, Japan, Mexico or another foreign power.

In the Cleveland area, Trump said, auto parts maker Eaton was going to Mexico and Ford was going to MexicoWe are losing jobs, income, factories are going to China, Mexico, Japan, Vietnam, India, to everybody. If he were elected president, Trump declared, he would call up the executives at air conditioner maker Carrier, Ford, Nabisco and other companies moving operations to Mexico and tell them they would face a 35 percent tax on everything they were shipping back to the US. Within 24 hours, I will get a call saying, Mr. President, we have decided to stay in the US We are going to win again. Win at the border. Win at war.

Based on this demagogy and his efforts to tap into deep social anger in communities ravaged by deindustrialization, Trump has been able to win a certain amount of support in cities such as Youngstown. This has been possible only due to the right-wing and anti-working class politics of the Democratic Party, aided and abetted by the trade unions.

Workers in Youngstown and similar cities have suffered from the decades-long policy of corporatism pursued by the United Steelworkers, the United Auto Workers and other trade unions, which have blocked any resistance to the destruction of tens of thousands of jobs. Through their alliance with the Democratic Party, the unions have worked to prevent workers from finding any political means through which to express their independent class interests. At the same time, the unions have long promoted economic nationalism, legitimizing the chauvinist poison now being spewed by Trump.

The history of Youngstown itself demonstrates that the only possible means of undermining such demagogues as Trump is by fighting for the unity of the working classwhite, black and immigrant, in the United States and internationallyon the basis of a program that meets their common class interests.

In the early 20th century, the employers in the Steel Valley used nativism and anti-immigrant chauvinism to divide and weaken the working class. In 1924 Italian and Irish immigrants had to fight street battles with the Ku Klux Klan in neighboring Niles.

During the Great Steel Strike of 1919, Youngstown workers joined 350,000 steelworkers nationally in a struggle for higher wages, the eight-hour day and union recognition. Fearing the influence of socialism just two years after the Russian Revolution, the employers and the government once again used anti-immigrant chauvinism, along with federal troops, to violently put down the strike.

A year before, on June 16, 1918, the great American socialist Eugene Debs gave an anti-war speech in nearby Canton, Ohio. I have no earthly use for the Junkers [military aristocracy] of Germany, and not one particle more use for the Junkers in the United States, Debs declared. For his anti-war stance, Debs was jailed under the Espionage Act of 1917. In the presidential election of 1920, however, Debs won nearly 1 million votes while he remained in a prison cell.

During the Little Steel Strike of 1937, Youngstown was again a center of militant opposition by workers seeking to establish industrial unions. This time the employers, including Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Republic Steel, brought in African-Americans from the Deep South as strikebreakers and to foment racial divisions. Left-wing militants and socialist-minded workers fought to unite black, white and immigrant workers in the same union.

On June 19, 1937, just a month after the Chicago police killed or severely wounded 23 strikers at Republic Steel during the Memorial Day Massacre, a similar event took place in Youngstown when 300 cops protecting the Republic steel mill fired tear gas and shot directly into a crowd of strikers. The Womens Day Massacre left two dead and dozens injured, while scores of prominent strike leaders were later arrested in home raids. The strike was broken, and the Little Steel companies were not unionized until 1942.

In 1966, General Motors opened the Lordstown Assembly Plant in nearby Warren. The factory became the center of rank-and-file opposition to the corporation and the UAW bureaucracy in the 1970s, with a wave of wildcat strikes against speed-ups and other deplorable work conditions in 1972-74. Many workers who migrated to the area had also passed through the militant struggles of coal miners in Kentucky, West Virginia and other Appalachian states.

By the mid-1970s, however, American capitalism was in the midst of a historic decline, and its industries faced growing international competition. The ruling class responded with a wave of plant shutdowns and mass layoffs while increasingly turning to financial speculation as its chief form of wealth accumulation.

The trade unions, which wholeheartedly embraced a nationalist and pro-capitalist program, had no answer to the globalization of production. They abandoned any resistance and, in the name of making the US corporations more competitive, embraced the corporatist program of labor-management partnership, suppressing any opposition to the class war policies of the corporations and both big business parties.

This had devastating consequences in Youngstown. The takeover of Youngstown Sheet and Tube loaded the company up with debt, and on September 19, 1977 the company shut down a portion of its Campbell Works mill. This threw 5,000 workers out of their jobs in what is still referred to as Black Monday. Two years later, YST closed its Brier Hill plant. This was followed by the 1980 shutdown of US Steels 90-year-old Ohio Works and then the closing of its McDonald Works, bringing to over 9,000 the number of jobs lost in Mahoning Valley since 1977.

In the wake of these shutdowns, the Youngstown area lost an estimated 40,000 manufacturing jobs, 400 satellite businesses, $414 million in personal income and between 33 and 75 percent of school tax revenues. According to the 2010 census, Youngstown had 66,982 residents, around 40 percent of its population in 1959.

The fundamental cause of the deindustrialization of Youngstown and countless other Rust Belt cities is not unfair trade deals, but capitalism. The nationalist policies of the unions served only to suppress the class struggle while driving a wedge between US workers and their class brothers and sisters internationally.

The attack on workers jobs in the US takes place amid a global breakdown of the world capitalist system, which is leading to the destruction of millions of jobs, including those of hundreds of thousands of steelworkers in China, and the resurgence of working class struggles around the world. In order to unify the working class, workers must reject all forms of nationalismwhether promoted by Trump, Democrat Bernie Sanders or the trade unionsand unify their struggles in a political fight to abolish capitalism, the source of poverty, inequality and war.
6 years, 7 months ago by Scott Hardy

Run in basement of Quincy home

Authorities say they've broken up a large-scale marijuana growing operation on Quincy's north side.

Quincy police say they, along with the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force and Adams County Sheriff's deputies, raided a home in the 1300 block of North 8th Monday night around 9:35 PM, and found what they described as quote, "an extensive hydroponic marijuana growing operation" in the basement. They also found over 30 plants, and over 500 grams of processed marijuana. The operation was so elaborate that police say it took multiple officers over three hours to document and dismantle.

32 year old Daniel Baird faces charges of Unlawful Cannabis production, and Possession with intent to Distribute. He's being held in the Adams County Jail pending a hearing. A second person at the house, 32 year old Kristi Evans, was arrested for having drug paraphernalia and released on bond.
6 years, 7 months ago by QPD

Bonnie E Huston (20) 2213 Ohio for DUI, Possession of Cannabis, and Obstructing Traffic at 18/Broadway on 3/7/16. Released on DL & NTA.

Richard L Thurman (48) 4211 Devonshire for Expired Registration at 7/Maine on 3/14/16. Released on PTC.

Raymond E Robertson (62) 605 Locust St for Disorderly Conduct at 1602 N 6th on 3/14/16. Lodged.

James A Martens (30) Chicago, IL for FTA-Domestic Battery. He was located at 6/Spring on 3/14/16 and lodged.

Dean A Dupee and Kamia S Hayes 1115 N 5th report their residence entered between 2/23 and 2/24/16. Several items were stolen.
PERRY, FL (WTXL) - A grand jury has indicted a man on first degree murder charges after being accused of killing his ex-girlfriend.

According to deputies in Taylor County, 49-year-old Raymond Joseph Parker, Jr. was indicted on March 9 for first degree murder, armed burglary with battery, aggravated stalking and felony cruelty to animals.

The Third Judicial Circuit indicted Parker after he was arrested in February. Parker is accused of killing 59-year-old Colleen Thomas.

According to deputies, Thomas was found deceased at her home on February 9th. Details about the death are not being released.
Nell Ford Billings of Boise Idaho went to be with her Lord on March 10, 2016. She passed peacefully in the comfort of her own home surrounded by her family.

Nell was born January 7, 1941 in Weiser Idaho. She married Paul Billings on April 4, 1961.

Graduated from McCall High School 1959 and attended the College of Idaho.

Preceded in death by her parents Floyd and Alice Ford and her sisters Joyce Judd and Tillie Rodriguez.

Survived by husband Paul Billings, children Angela Billings and Scott Billings, and grandchildren Brian Billings and Amber Dobkins, great grandchildren Jewelia and Chandler, and her sister, Kris Ford.

Nell was a nurse in Elko, Nevada before retiring to Boise, Idaho in 1996. Nell was a loving giving person, she carried little pocket angel coins and would give them away with a prayer. She had a deep love of animals.

Nell had a lovely sense of humor and enjoyed playing pranks on friends and family.

Most of all she enjoyed quilting, spending many happy hours absorbed in making beautiful quilts in the company of her dogs and cat.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, March 16, at Bowman Funeral Home in Boise Idaho.

The family suggests that donations be made to The Little Childrens Home in lieu of flowers. www.thelittlechildrenshome.org
TIFTON, GA (WTXL) - Tifton Police are reaching out for information to help them find the person who killed a woman in Tifton.

The City of Tifton is now offering a $1,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest.

According to police, on February 25th, 36-year-old Verlethe Brown was found shot multiple times at South College Mobile Home Park. Brown was taken to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Tifton Police have been pursuing leads with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. They ask anyone with information to call GBI's Sylvester Office at (229) 777-2080.
When he was 70, artist and writer Samuel Willenberg, who is considered the last witness of the revolt at the Treblinka death camp, decided to single-handedly build a small cruise ship. He generously invited his wife Ada to sail into the sunset with him. "I told him I was afraid of the sea, and that's how I got out of it," she recalls. "But sometimes I ran out of excuses, because he had so many grandiose plans in mind. He never thought that one day he would have a hard time keeping up with the drive and enthusiasm that characterized him all his life. So I had to be the cruel one. Sometimes I had to bring him down to earth and remind him how old he is."

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Samuel Willenberg passed away last month at the age of 93, after having survived the uprising that put an end to the activity of the camp where 900,000 Jews were exterminated. "It's very strange that a man who saw so much death and evilness, lost his two beloved sisters and survived the camp alone, had so much joy in him," his widow says amazed. "He liked to drink, and he loved to eat, and he loved to travel, and he loved women. Almost until his death, he had endless energy and a million crazy ideas."

Samuel Willenberg

And you?

"I was in his shadow a little bit. I just let him have the stage, because his story was more dramatic. I am a Holocaust survivor who escaped from the Warsaw ghetto, but Igo, as we called him, was among the few who survived Treblinka and escaped from it. We are completely different. I'm serious and he is adventurous. I am quiet he is self-centered. I try to forget the past and invest in the present, but Igo lived the Holocaust."

The only had one thing in common - choosing to tell all that had happened to them. They started telling their story when their only daughter, architect Orit Willenbrg-Giladi, was born, and kept telling it until recent years, when he started forgetting things and had to ask for her help. "Most of the survivors remain silent," she says. "People think that it's because of the pain and difficulty, but the real reason for that is the horrible attitude toward Holocaust survivors in Israel. When we told them what we went through, people asked us 'why didn't you resist? After all, the Germans were few and you were six million.' The children and youth were learning about the heroism of the Maccabees and of IDF soldiers in Israels wars, while in the Holocaust millions went like sheep to the slaughter. There were so many stupid questions and insulting comments, that the survivors began to withdraw and kept quiet.

And you?

"We were also offended. By what right does a person ask such questions? They weren't really there. They didn't stop to think that those millions were first in the ghetto, suffering from hunger and disease, and when they reached the camps, they were already half a person anyway. People asked Igo, 'what took you so long to organize a revolt at Treblinka?' It's hard to explain that in the camps, people were likely to snitch on each other when they suspected an organized uprising, because if someone managed to escape, the (Nazi) commanders would immediately murder 30 Jews in his place."

And yet, you didn't stop telling your story.

"Of course. Because we have to remind future generations. When reactions (to our stories) were harsh, I became reserved. I didn't get angry. But it drove Igo mad. Sometimes he would really insult people. Sometimes I had to hold him by force, so he would not hit people."

The whisper that saved his life

Like her handsome husband, Ada Willenberg is vibrant and dominant. At the age of 87, with her mobile phone, she remains connected to life with ageless zeal. "Why did you get 75 percent on the exam?" she asks her grandson. "It's probably because you're sad. Please drive carefully. I have enough troubles now."

Many comforters arrive at the big house in moshav Udim, talking in Polish about the notorious death camp that Willenberg managed to survive. Aside from him, 66 others survived the Treblinka camp, and with his death, the memory of the revolt is gone.

Ada Willenberg (Photo: Tal Shachar)

Six thousand people were sent to Treblinka on the same transport as Willenberg in 1942, after the liquidation of the ghetto in Opatow. A huge number of people were packed inside the freight car without food or air. Many of them died during the trip. When those that survived the journey arrived at Treblinka, the purpose of their trip was hidden from them in the same methods used at the Sobibor camp: a fake terminal was built on the platform, flanked by signs pointing to other platforms, to the ticket booth and even to a cafeteria. Upon their arrival, the sick, disabled and the elderly were sent to a shed labeled as a hospital, where they were shot in the back of the head and thrown into pits.

Men and women were cruelly separated, to the left and right. This was done while the passengers were made to run, were beaten and yelled at. Women with children were placed in a hut on the left side of the field, where they had to undress and have their hair shorn. They were made to run naked along a track, as SS men and Ukrainians with their dogs standing along the track mercilessly flogged them with whips, until their death in the gas chambers. Some of the Jews were kept alive to carry out maintenance work and sort out the clothes, jewelry and valuables that were hidden within the victims possessions. While at the fake train terminal, one of those Jews whispered into Willenberg's ear that he should say he is a builder, and thus saved his life.

Willenberg's parents remained in Poland. "His mother was an Orthodox Christian who converted to Judaism," Willenberg's his widow says. "She had a birth certificate written in Russian, and on the other side it said that she converted, so his father glued a forged document on that side. They were able to arrange false papers for their children as well, but the Poles informed on the children, and they were taken to the camps."

Willenberg was added to a team at the camp that was responsible for handling the belongings of the dead. "His little sister was three years old when the war broke out, and the oldest sister was 22 years old. When they were 9in the ghetto, his little sister had a beige coat, and when she grew up, his mother added pieces of cloth on the coat sleeves. Whenever she had to extend the coat, she added a patch in a different color. Igo found the coat among the victims' belongings next to his older sister's skirt. That's how he knew they arrived in Treblinka and perished in the gas chambers."

On August 2, 1943, the great revolt broke out. "It was a hot day, and most of the camp's staff were bathing in the nearby Bug River," says Ada Willenberg. The prisoners set fire to many buildings in the camp and during their escape they also set fire to the gas chambers and the weapons depot, which exploded. Because the sound of gunfire, SS units arrived and started chasing them. Many were wounded and killed. Igo was also hit by a bullet, but despite the injury he kept running and was saved."

Some 200 prisoners managed to escape the burning Treblinka during that heroic operation, but most of them were later killed by gunfire from the guards and the local Poles. Those remaining in the camp were executed, but not before they were ordered to dismantle the buildings and fences so the atrocities that took place there could be concealed. The camp area was plowed, sown and planted with trees. A farm was established there and settled by Ukrainian farmers.

The young Samuel Willenberg as an officer in the Polish army.

Ada Willenberg was ten years old when the war broke out. Her family was deported to the Warsaw ghetto, but at age 14 she decided to jump over the walls of the ghetto and run for her life. "I was an only child, so I did not have brothers and sisters to lose," she says with a bitter smile.

"My parents were killed, and a Polish family hid me and cared for me until the end of the war. While Poles informed on Igos sisters, I saved by Poles. So I cant hate Polish people. The woman who saved me had a three-year-old boy, but she hid me and saved 18 other Jewish children. So when people ask me, 'how can you love Poles?' I say, 'my parents were not killed by Poles, and I am alive thanks to them.'"

After Treblinka, Samuel Willenberg fled to Warsaw, where he joined the Polish resistance and took part in the Polish Warsaw uprising in 1944. After that he joined the ranks of the partisans. When the war ended, he continued serving as an officer in the Polish army until 1946, and it was during his service that he met the woman who would later become his wife. At the end of that year, he decided to leave Poland and move to Israel. "He left his parents and promised that when he is acclimatized in Israel, he will send tickets for them to also come," his widow said. "But on the way he received a Polish newspaper that stated that his father, the painter Professor Willenberg, was very sick. Igo immediately returned to Poland, but he didn't manage to see his father before he passed."

How did you meet?

"I returned to Lodz and one day I was at a friend's house where I met a handsome officer, like a film actor. I asked him about a vacant apartment, and the officer said, 'I have a small two-room apartment. I'll rent it out to you on the condition that you marry me.' He was joking. Igo always said that a skinny little girl came to him wearing a black beret that was hiding half of her face. We met again before traveling to Israel. He was so happy to leave Poland. I told him, 'write me from your trip.' He said, 'sure, sure,' but didn't even ask for my address. Only later, when he returned to Poland following the death of his father, did we begin to go out with each other. We dated for two years and I could not decide if I should marry him."

Why?

"Because after the war there were not many women left, and every guy I met wanted to get married and start a family. I wanted that too, but I was looking for a man who would be like a father to me, and Igo was not the paternal type. He was an adventurer, and he had a mother who lost her husband and her two daughters. I was afraid she would not be willing to share with me the only thing that she had left. In retrospect, it was the opposite. Igo's mother also became my mother. Whenever there was an argument at home, the two of us were against him."

Somewhere to run

In 1950, the Willenbergs, along with Igos mother, immigrated to Israel and rented a small apartment in Tel Aviv. Ada was working in film production, and Shmuel in the Ministry of Housing.

"He was not happy in the city and wanted to live in the countryside," she says. "He had a fear of places that are impossible to escape from and searched for a house near the fields, so that if another Holocaust happens, there will be somewhere to escape the bombings and somewhere to pick edible plants. When he started earning a tidy sum, and we started looking for a house to buy, I found a nice apartment in the Bavli neighborhood, but Igo said, 'if you buy a house in the city, I will get a heart attack.' I gave in and bought a farm house in moshav Udim."

In 1960, their only child was born. Her name was composed of letters of family members that perished. "Igo's mother, who lost her two daughters and her husband, was depressed most of the time," says Ada. "But when Orit was born, she really came back to life. She looked after the baby when we were at work and always told me proudly that people keep stopping her on the street and asking about the babys beautiful blue eyes, which she inherited from her father."

What kind of a husband was he?

"His character was very complex, very impulsive, but also optimistic. We were very happy together and a bit frivolous. We loved to travel. We did not have furniture yet, we barely had beds, and I told my husband, 'maybe instead of getting tables and chairs, we could go abroad?' We took his mother, who suffered from heart disease, and Orit who was seven years old, and we went to Turkey and Greece and then went to Europe. Igo really liked to spend money, while I was more frugal, but we both liked to live. We wanted to make up what we lost. When they did a film about him for his birthday, people were interviewed for it who said he loved women and women loved him. But Igo spoke about me a lot and said what I always knew, that he really loved me. He was unpredictable, I never knew what to expect, and it was a big plus. I never was bored."

The Holocaust was prevalent in the household long before Samuel began the memorialization work that made him one of the world's best known survivors. "Our memories were similar, and when we got back to the past, it was with someone who was there and understood what we went through. We talked a lot about the Holocaust and wept over the beautiful childhood that we had and was cut off. When I would sing a song from before the war, he would immediately join in because he knew it. Igo had nightmares, sometimes he would wake up from dreams that returned him to Treblinka. He constantly mentioned his sisters and even in his final moments, he wept for them. And when his mother died in 1973, he constantly called out to her in his dreams. Igo was living in the past. I tried to erase it."

Samuel Willenberg in his youth.

And were you able to do this?

"I have a selective memory. I remember the good things. So it was easier for me. Even though I was left alone at a young age, unlike Igo, I always had good people around me who helped me. In the camps, Igo encountered pure evil. There he lost God. Since he came to Israel, he would not hear about God. I talked to him a lot about that same God that kept him alive, out of all of those who came to Treblinka, and about the happy life that we had after the war. But Igo always said, 'I'm not willing to have a dialogue with him.'"

Was your daughter also part of the conversations about the Holocaust?

"Of course. When they came from Swedish television to interview her about how the Holocaust affects the second generation, Orit said to them, 'You picked the wrong subject, I'm already immune to it. From the moment I was born, my parents spoke to me about the Holocaust. When I refused to eat, they told me that in the ghetto there was no food. When I didn't want to sleep, they told me that during the war, the airstrikes woke them up from their sleep.' And she was right. We indulged her, but did not spare her our ordeal. On Holocaust Memorial Day, when her friends came to our house to watch all the terrible things that happened there on TV, they wept and Orit sat indifferent. I asked her, Does this not make you emotional? and she said, 'I hear it from morning to night, from the moment I was born, you were feeding me stories about the Holocaust."

Sculpting his memories

Even before retiring, Willenberg worked a lot to commemorate the Holocaust. Teaching this subject to future generations was his life's mission. He painted and sculpted, lectured and spoke about Treblinka. The figures he created lived and breathed his past: the guard in the camp dressed up as a cantor; a poor Jew that the Germans ordered to make sure no one stays in the bathroom for more than a minute; a Jewish artist who painted, at the behest of the Germans, the false signs that were posted at the train station; a statue of an orphan girl hugging a loaf of bread; or a statue of the uprising in Treblinka - a pile of corpses, hats, clothing and tank parts all piled together.

"Igo always said, 'the sculptures will continue talking for me,'" his widow says smiling ruefully. "But whenever he decided to make a new sculpture, we would fight, because the bronze cost a lot of money, and each statue was at the expense of our trip abroad."

The sculptures were exhibited in museums in Israel and around the world. Only the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum had difficulty finding a place for them. "And Igo was very hurt by it," says Ada. "That is why when he sketched maps of Treblinka that he used when leading groups of students on trips to Poland, he was not willing to give them to Yad Vashem. Only after a lot of pressure and promises that the maps will be stored in the archives and the copies displayed on the walls, he relented. We came to the museum and saw that they made them into miniatures. Igo got angry and wanted to take them back immediately. I begged him not to cause a scandal."

President Rivlin with Ada Willenberg at Samuel's funeral (Photo: Ido Erez)

In 1986, his book "Revolt in Treblinka" was released and later translated into eight languages. In 2014, the movie "The Last Witness" was released, portraying his life story. But more than anything, Willenberg dreamed of building an assembly hall for ceremonies and lectures where the camp had once stood, not far from the monument built by the Polish government in memory of the 900,000 victims.

"Igo always said, 'by the time this thing is built, I will no longer be among the living.' So two years ago, on the 70th anniversary of the Treblinka uprising, we bought a huge stone and placed it there as the cornerstone to the building that will come."

In 1988, the couple started joining youth groups and soldiers on trips to Poland. "The first time, we traveled with a group of urban students," says Ada. "When we returned to Israel, we decided we no longer wanted to travel with urban youth, because the students just did not know how to behave. Their parents paid a fortune for the trip, but the students thought they were going on vacation and on the plane, they started pulling stunts and didn't behave properly. We decided that if we were doing this voluntarily, then we'll only travel with Kibbutz youth, who worked and earned the money for the trip. And with them it was a delight - we arose at six in the morning, had a picnic in the woods to save money on restaurants, and when we got up from the grass, they cleaned up so that there was not a crumb left. We started accompanying urban groups only much later."

Recently, a suspicion arose that some of the travel companies worked to prevent the lowering of prices of the trip to Poland.

"It's a shame that these important trips are so commercialized. It's not just the trip itself that is expensive, but the hotels in Poland are very luxurious. Why do they need this? There are local security personnel, and cheap youth hostels that lower the expenses and teach the young generation humility."

Dozens of survivors pass away each month. The survivors are fewer, and so is the sensitivity to the distress some of them experience. "I am sorry to say that the attitude of foreign countries, like Poland and Germany, to Holocaust survivors is better than the Israeli government's attitude to Holocaust survivors," Willenberg says painfully.

Samuel Willenberg in his youth.

"My husband and I didn't need help, but there are many survivors whose financial and health situation are terrible, and they pass away penniless and in shame. Some of them don't even have money for medicine and heating. While we were recently told that we did not have to pay for medication anymore, it is really too little and too late. In Poland, meanwhile, we are treated with respect and sensitivity. There, they live with the Holocaust much more than here. Perhaps they also feel guilty. We travelled to Poland a lot, not only to accompany groups but also for recreation and to visit friends, and have always encountered very positive attitudes toward Israel and the Jews. As someone who speaks Polish, I hear the locals talk about the young people: 'How beautiful are the youth, the girls are pretty.'"

Its not easy to go on vacation to Poland.

"It was the Germans who planned the extermination camps in Poland, but the dirty work done by the Lithuanians and mostly the Ukrainians. Not the Poles."

One of those Ukrainians, John Ivan Demjanjuk, was acquitted in Israel because he could not be proven guilty.

"Igo did not appear as a witness in the trial since he did not see Ivan kill, because his shack was far from the gas chambers. But he did see him coming back in the evening to the wardens quarters. When they brought Demjanjuk to Israel and he saw him on TV, Igo immediately said: 'That's him, without a doubt, even based just on the way he walks.'"

A cool scooter

Even heroes weaken, and in the last two years of his life, the last survivor from the death camp felt it. He still had time to inaugurate the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. "The Polish president sent an airplane for the Israeli president and for the survivors, including us," Willenberg smiles. "And when we came back, it was hard for him to walk. We bought him a cool scooter, like a motorcycle, and he was driving it and feeling wonderful."

In his last year, Igo's medical condition worsened. A blood clot got to his brain and made it hard for him to speak or swallow. Then his situation started deteriorating on February 16, his birthday. "Igo died on February 19. We sat next to him and held his hand. We saw him close his beautiful eyes and stop breathing."

A final salute over Willenberg's grave (Photo: Ido Erez)

And now she's in mourning. "I had Igo almost until the end of my life, so I'm not complaining. He lived a full life until his final moments, leaving behind a daughter and three grandchildren. The funeral was also special. Crowds came, led by the president and the Polish ambassador to Israel. I keep saying: if Igo could see his own funeral, he would be willing to die again."

Yad Vashem said in response: "Yad Vashem's art museum only displays works that were created during the Holocaust, as well as of the artists that were murdered in the Holocaust. The exhibition 'Virtues of Memory' in 2009, which honored the artistic achievements of Holocaust survivors, a statue by Samuel Willenberg was presented, accompanied by his life story. In addition, three drawings of Treblinka camp that Willenberg created are permanently displayed in the Holocaust History Museum, which is frequented by more than 3,000 people daily."
The Israel Police's internal investigation of the manhunt for terrorist Nashat Melhem, who murdered three people in Tel Aviv and was able to flee capture for a week, has been concluded, and no single police officer has been found liable for reprimand.

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Two sisters, Noa and Ofir, reported to the police that they saw Melhem boarding bus in Tel Aviv heading north shortly after the attack on HaSimta pub on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, in which Melhem killed Alon Bakal and Shimon Ruimi. Later that same day, January 1, 2016, Melhem murdered taxi driver Amin Shaban. He was found hiding in Arara a week after the attack, and killed in a confrontation with security forces.

The investigation indicated that, on the day of the attack, there was a 40 percent increase in calls to the police emergency center, an increase of 32 percent in the number of incidents requiring a response and a 624 percent increase in reports of suspicious person sightings.

According to the police, the sisters' complaint was only received - through their employer - five hours after the attack had happened. The investigation determined that the initial report was written down by the call center operator according to procedure, and was passed on to the Tel Aviv dispatcher. From there, it was transferred to the special investigation team and finally to the intelligence officer who was handling the investigation.

The terrorist Neshat Milham

However, the police investigation does raise some lessons learned.

The investigation found that the Tel Aviv District's intelligence officer called the employer from a blocked number, but the employer did not answer. "The fact that the employer saw he had a missed call from an unidentified number led him to try and reach the police again, which gave rise to a series of calls (his as well as the sisters, independently, from different numbers, at different times, to two different dispatchers) to elements who were not involved in the investigation. This led the sisters and employer to feel that the information they gave was not being handled and did not reach its destination," the report said.

"Had the intelligence officer left a text message to the complainant with a phone number to call, it would have helped to quickly handle their call," the police report stated. "In addition, a gap in technology infrastructure led to the fact information was not properly disseminated to all the dispatching centers, and this has the potential for confusion, especially in a cross-district incident like this one."

"We couldn't trace the call. There were some errors done by call center personnel who referred the callers to 110 (the Israel Police's non-emergency call center -ed.) - it's not their job ... We lack information flow among the call centers. We are in the midst of a series of discussions about how we view the future dispatching center," the Israel Police responded.

According to the police, "The national emergency call center in the future needs to address many challenges, the challenges of video or text messages from a woman in a room where there is a burglar and she can't make a call. (We need to) connect different phone numbers and have the ability to transfer recordings to patrol cars. We understand that we have a gap on this matter. Our call center is old. It is very reliable, but it can't face the current challenges with digital media."

The investigation examined the cooperation between the police and the Shin Bet, noting it was a successful collaboration. The police denied there were any disagreements with the Shin Bet on whether to release the suspect's photo to the media: "We cannot just take a photo and say 'this is the terrorist'. At first we thought it was his brother, not the terrorist himself ... We did not have an unequivocal confirmation on the photo. There was no disagreement between the police and the Shin Bet about the release of the photo."

Police also commented about the criticism over the time it took to link the murder of taxi driver Shaban and the Dizengoff attack: "We needed for clear-cut proof, and it took time. The incident was not so clear. In retrospect, it's easy to say, 'How did we did not see it,' and we really did not see it. The Dizengoff shooting was at 4:38pm and the taxi was found at 6:11pm. It is easy to say, 'how did you not make that link?' But it was quite complicated."

Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh said that the attack in Tel Aviv was an unusual incident. "The Israel Police saw fit throughout the week that followed to deploy considerable forces in Tel Aviv and other areas to reduce the risk of another attack should the manhunt fail. Alongside lessons learned, we should pay attention to the disturbing phenomenon of the criminal population's connection to terrorism by volunteering to join ISIS and similar organizations. This issue is of great concern to the Israel Police, and it has a deep dialogue with the Shin Bet in order to provide the correct response, as well as cooperation. With the increasing of policing services in the Arab sector, pending a budget, there will also be a good opportunity to reduce this threat," said Alsheikh.

Chief of the Israel Police Roni Alsheikh

A few weeks after the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, Carmela Menashe of Israel Radio reported that the police did not follow up on the sisters' report in real-time. They tried to call the police twice on the day of the attack with the help of their employer, and since no response was received, one of the sisters phoned the police again after two days, but she also received no response. On the fourth attempt she was told, "if you haven't been contacted by now, it's a sign that it is not relevant."

Police claimed that during the dramatic hours after the attack they received thousands of calls, and so they did not have time to respond to the sisters.

An investigation of the incident revealed that shortly after the attack, at around 3:30pm, the two sisters saw the terrorist Nashat Melhem board a bus going north. They noticed blood stains on his shirt and that he was holding onto his backpack tightly. The two immediately went to the driver to share their suspicions. The driver reassured them and told them the suspicious passenger was getting off the bus soon anyway. The two young women had heard the driver call to the terrorist and telling him that "from here (this station) you can go to Wadi Ara, get off here."

At 8:55pm, when she saw the suspect's photo in the media and recognized that this was indeed the man who sat next to her on the bus, one of the sisters shared the information with her friends on a WhatsApp group.
The first mayor of the City of Elko, elected in 1917, was John A. McBride. His five decades of service to Elko as a civic leader and businessman led him to be recognized at his death as a natural leader  putting the good of his community first.

J.A. McBride was born in Auburn, California on July 24, 1859. After completing school he moved to Nevada in 1877, first settling in Winnemucca and then Carlin as a telegraph operator for Southern Pacific Railroad.

He married Emily Bonnifield on Jan. 3, 1883, and had two sons, Allen and Bonnifield. He and his family arrived in Elko around 1886 where McBride worked for W.T. Smith Company as an accountant. The family adopted Laurena Walther Brehe in 1914 after her mother died.

McBride served in the Nevada State Assembly and was elected treasurer of Elko Country in 1897. He became associated with Elko Lumber Company and the McBrides joined two other Elko families to raise money to build the Episcopal church in 1892 at the corner of Fifth and Idaho Streets.

By 1916, Elko grew to a population of 2,500, according to local historian Edna B. Patterson. A delegation of Elkoans traveled to the Nevada Legislature in Carson City and successfully put forth a bill to incorporate Elko as a city on Feb. 28, 1917.

It was signed by Gov. Emmet Boyle on March 14 and an election for mayor and city council was set for May 1. On that day, McBride defeated Robert Hesson to become Elkos first mayor. After serving two terms, he left office in 1921.

As a family, the McBrides contributed to the development of several Elko institutions. J.A. is credited with the idea of forming Elko County High School in 1895 with A.W. Hesson. Wife Emily sat on the Board of Governors for what is now the Nevada Youth Training Center.

His sons built the Elko-Lamoille Power Company in 1912. Daughter Laurena married Dr. Leslie Moren and served on boards that constructed the Elko Convention Center.

Twelve years after Emilys death, J.A. McBride died after a long illness on April 4, 1939. The day of his funeral, businesses and city offices closed and hundreds attended the service.
Israel said it was struggling to "understand the logic" of a French peace initiative favoured by the Palestinians after Israeli foreign ministry officials met with a French envoy in Jerusalem on Monday.

France is lobbying for an international peace conference before May that would outline incentives and give guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians to resume face-to-face talks before August and try to end a decades-long conflict. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the initiative and the international support it would bring but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition and has insisted on direct talks between the parties without pre-conditions and prefers less international involvement. Israel's Foreign Ministry said it had "submitted questions to understand the initiative's logic" during a meeting between France's envoy, Pierre Vimont, a former French ambassador to the United States, and Foreign Ministry Director-General, Dore Gold.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are faced with a potentially decisive day on Tuesday with contests in five states that could transform them from front-runners to likely nominees in the Republican and Democratic primary campaigns.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are fighting for their political futures, desperate for wins in their home states to keep their White House hopes alive and complicate Trump's path to the nomination. Clinton is hoping to keep rival Bernie Sanders from building new momentum in the Midwest.
Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday that its ballistic missiles were for self-defense and that recent tests condemned by the United States did not violate an historic nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers.

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Speaking in Australia, Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the missiles tested last week would never be used in aggression. The tests drew international concern and prompted a meeting on Monday of the 15-nation United Nations Security Council.

"These missiles do not even fall within the purview of 2231 and they are not illegal," he told reporters, referring to the council resolution, adopted in July, that endorsed the nuclear deal.

Iran launches a ballistic missile (Photo: Reuters)

"Iran will never use any means to attack any country, including our missiles. These are only for our defense. I challenge those who are complaining about Iran's missile program ... to make the same statement," he added.

The United States on Monday vowed to continue pushing for UN Security Council action on the ballistic missile tests and accused Russia of looking for reasons not to respond to what is says are Iranian violations of the resolution.

US Ambassador Samantha Power was referring to comments from Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who said that in the view of veto-wielding Russia, Iran's ballistic missile tests did not violate resolution 2231.

The resolution "calls upon" Iran to refrain from certain ballistic missile activity. Western nations see that as a clear ban, though council diplomats say China and other council members agree with Russia's and Iran's view that such work is not banned.

Zarif, speaking in Canberra following meetings with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, strongly echoed Churkin's language.

Bishop told reporters that she had raised the issue of the missile tests with Zarif during a private meeting and that Australia refused to rule out an investigation in the Security Council.

"It is Australia's position that should the United Nations Security Council wish to investigate this matter, then that would be the proper legal process for it to do so," she told reporters.

Australia also said on Tuesday that it would re-open a trade office in Iran after a recent lifting in sanctions created commercial opportunities between the two nations.

Mining equipment, technology and services and agricultural commodities were cited as potential areas of trade in a statement released by Steven Ciobo, Minister for Trade and Investment.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin dropped his Middle-East changing bomb on Monday, he made sure to point out what he left for himself. Yes, he'll start scaling down the Russian military's presence in Syria starting Tuesday morning, but he'll still keep hold of the Tartus port, his country's only naval base in the area. He'll also still have the airport at Hmeymim and the Air Force base in Latakia. A retreat, yes, but one that preserves strategic assets.

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Putin has conducted business in Syria without much sentiment towards Bashar Assad. The Kremlin profilers have recently described the Syrian President as an illegitimate, weak, tired, and stressed leader. After all, Russia has been the one holding the reins in his fragmented country for the past six months, and didn't do it for Assad's benefit, but in order to protect Moscow's strategic interests.

Putin and Assad. The retreat comes at a bad time for the Syrian president. (Photo: Getty Images)

Even if Syria were to change its face and Assad were to disappear, Russia isn't planning on letting go of its assets, which could extend its reach into every corner of the Middle East.

It's important to take note of the meeting held in Amman this week, with fairly little press attention, between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry. Even though Washington claimed on Monday that the government did not know about the Russian retreat in advance, there are those who claim that Moscow gave Washington an update about the decision, which led the White House to issue optimistic statements regarding the Geneva talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives.

However, the talks are of little consequence. It's hard to believe the two sides will be able to stitch together a deal. The power in Syria will still reside in the hands of the Russian President and his aids, with Obama keeping his distance.

Putin doesn't care if Syria eventually becomes a federation that consists of three cantons. Russia intends to keep "Alawitestan" (the part of Syria run by Assad, who is an Alawite Muslim), the axis that connects Damascus with the shoreline in the north. What happens in the Kurdish region or the Golan Heights will be Hezbollah's purview, without Russia there to stabilize things.

Assad gave a weak, mumbling response on Monday. As far as he's concerned, the decision comes at a particularly bad time: The Russian forces' entry into Syria at the end of September coincided with the retreat of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Assad's allies, which returned to Tehran and left Hezbollah alone on the field of battle. However, now that he hears the complaints in Beirut's Dahiyeh district, Assad knows he can't trust Nasrallah's men fully.

It's interesting to see if Assad will be able to convince Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, to return his men to the region. In addition, it's unclear whether Tehran will issue a command to Hezbollah, ordering a reinforcement of the Syrian regime, or what the heads of ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra have in mind.

The Latakia air force base. Will be kept in Russian hands.

According to Putin the Russian forces have achieved all of their goals in Syria. What he's really saying is that Russia is tired of confronting ISIS and paying a price for his clashes with Jabhat al-Nusra, which is the local al-Qaeda franchise. Putin, who follow's Obama's passive conduct, has also reached the conclusion that the bleeding mud of the war in Syria, which is going nowhere, could cost him politically at home.

In any case, even if many fighters are packing up and moving out  the Russians aren't leaving Syria. They're just scaling down.
Russian state television on Tuesday showed personnel at Russia's air base in Syria loading transport aircraft for return to Russia a day after President Vladimir Putin ordered most of his country's military contingent there to start to withdraw.

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The images, broadcast on the Rossiya 24 TV station, showed personnel loading equipment and boxes onto Ilyushin Il-76 heavy lift transport aircraft at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Latakia province.

The Kremlin has used the base, which Putin said Russia would keep along with a naval facility at Tartus, to mount a 5-month campaign of air strikes to support Syrian President Bashar Assad, an intervention that has tipped the balance of power in the Syrian leader's favour.

Russian troops loading equipment on transport aircraft

The talk in the media around the world this morning was about Putin's announcement. The website Politico speculated that Putin once again managed to outmaneouvre US President Barack Obama, a half a year after the Russian president announced the entry of Syrian troops with the goal of saving the Assad regime.

Obama, replying to a reporter last month who asked whether he had been outfoxed by Putin replied that Russias airstrikes were demonstrating the weakness of Syrian President Bashar Assads position.

Russia beginning its pullout from Syria

Politico analyzed Putin's decision writing that his actions often do not match his rhetoric, and it remains to be seen whether Russia actually withdraws the bulk of its forces.

Andrew Weiss, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that once again, hes demonstrated a remarkable propensity for pulling big surprises that throw just about everyone off balance, including senior members of his own government.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir claims that according to Syrian officials, the Russians have still not taken their 120 aircraft from the Hmeymim air base. The newspaper quoted senior Syrian officials, who said that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu Vigo spoke with military officials in Damascus before Putins declaration and reassured them. According to the report, Shoygu said they dilution of Russian air presence in Syria would not be significant.

Arabic media: Caricature of Assad trying to prevent the Russian bear from leaving

"The announcement to the media was necessary," said Shoygu to officials. A Syrian official said to As-Safir that more than 70 percent of the Russian air force will remain at the base to continue to perform its duties.

Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar affiliated with Hezbollah related that it received information according to which Moscow began to remove several planes from its airbase last week after five and a half months of military operations during which Russia "achieved most of its goals".

Putin announced on Monday that "the main part" of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw, telling his diplomats to step up the push for peace as U.N.-mediated talks resumed on ending the five-year-old war.

The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that technical staff had begun preparing aircraft to fly back to their bases in Russia in line with Putin's orders. Russia has maintained a strike force at the Hmeymim base of at least 50 aircraft and helicopters.

"The personnel are loading equipment, logistics items and stock onto transport aircraft," the ministry said.

"Aircraft from the Hmeymim base will fly back to the airfields where they are permanently based on Russian territory accompanied by military transport aircraft."

It said the planes would break their journey home of more than 5,000 kilometres (3106.86 miles)to refuel at intermediary bases inside Russia.

A weather forecaster on Rossiya 24 said their precise flight paths home were secret, and that it was only possible to talk of the "most convenient routes" transiting Iraq, Iran and Azerbaijan.
Two trains carrying bromine collided outside of Dimona in the early hours of Tuesday morning, causing caustic chemicals to leak out of several tankers.

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Residents were advised to stay in their homes, and roads leading to Dimona were closed off overnight. Meanwhile irefighters and workers from the Ministry of Environmental Protection worked to remove the hazardous waste. Police reported that they had the situation under control later Tuesday morning, and the roads were re-opened. Residents of the city then returned to their normal daily routine.





Residents were instructed to stay in their homes in Dimona (Photo: Herzl Yosef)

The accident occurred after a freight train collided with several tankers which were on the tracks approximately half a kilometer south of the Dimona train station, causing several tankers to leak.

Bromine leak from one of the tankers (Photo: Negev Firefighters Spokesperson)

Paramedics treated seven people  two train conductors and five residents who live in the area. The two conductors suffered bruises as a result of the crash, while the rest suffered from severe eye irritation. All seven were evacuated in light condition for initial screening in Dimona, and were then evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. They stayed overnight for observation, and four have since been released.

Overturned train

The Director of the Ministry of Environmental Protection , Israel Danzinger, instructed ministry personnel to carry out a full investigation of the event. A decision will be reached over whether or not to take legal action against Israel Railways following the investigation. Under ministry advisement, shops in the area are to remain closed until the contaminated soil is cleaned.

Head of the firefighting brigades for the south, Moshe Swisa, described the incident: "There was a crash between two trains carrying bromine from the Dead Sea, and it seems there was a lack of communication between the two trains. As a result of the crash, one of the trains overturned, causing bromine to leak from several tankers. Exposure to bromine may cause extreme difficulty in breathing. Residents within a one kilometer radius are in danger. A lot depends on wind direction, and if it changes on not."
In the midst of ongoing incitement against Jews, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court sentenced Sheikh Khaled Mughrabi this week to eleven months in prison and to an additional suspended sentence of six months.

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Mughrabi was convicted on three counts of incitement to racism, and routinely delivered religious speeches at the al-Aqsa Mosque, filmed them, and uploaded some of them to YouTube.

He said on one occasion that the Holocaust was a result of the Jews corruption and took place because they prepared special bread for the Passover holiday by kidnapping children, placing them in a barrel full of needles, and using their blood to make the bread.

Israeli legal aid organization Honenu claims that YouTube has refused to remove Mughrabis inciting videos from its website despite numerous requests to delete them.

Prayers on the temple mount (Photo: Reuters)

The charges referred to three speeches delivered between May and July of 2015. The indictment stated that the speeches included content and ideas that were clearly racist and antisemitic.

Reading the transcripts of the speeches leaves a grim impression due to the series of lies stated by the defendant who poisoned the minds of his listeners with hateful statements, wrote Judge Ohad Gordon in his decision. He brought up blood libels used by Jew-haters throughout history in order to harm Jews. The defendant even broadcasted his speeches to internet users worldwide under a username representing the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Judge Gordon added that the importance of the denunciation of Mughrabis incitement is underlined by the current reality where we are witnessing the realization of the hateful potential of incitement. It starts with messages against Jews as a whole, including distorted accusations regarding intentions to take over the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and results in the killing and wounding of innocent civilians just because of their religious or national affiliation.

In these times, when terrorists openly say that incitement on social media and in mosques plays a significant role in motivating the attacks, it is important to punish and deter those who abuse freedom of speech in order to spew unbridled incitement, said an official at the Jerusalem district branch of the State Attorneys Office.

We welcome the courts decision to place a Muslim sheikh who incited against Jews time after time behind bars following our repeated complaints, said a Honenu spokesperson. Unfortunately, there are many more who incite against Jews on a daily basis and nothing is done to stop them.
A Russian diplomat sought to reassure Israel on Tuesday that its security would not be harmed by the winding down of Moscow's intervention in the Syrian civil war, but the IDF's chief of staff said the ramifications were not yet clear.

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Israeli officials have privately said Russian forces sent in last year to help Syrian President Bashar Assad turn the tide against a now five-year-old rebellion also served to restrain his anti-Israeli allies - Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.

Israel was further helped by a hotline to the main Russian airbase at Hmeymim in Syria, which let it continue covert strikes to foil suspected Hezbollah or Iranian operations against it on Syrian turf without fear of accidentally clashing with Moscow.

Russian planes pulling out of Syria

"We will try to ensure that this (Syria) crisis is resolved, and we will also do everything so that Israel's national security interests are not harmed in the process," the envoy, Alexey Drobinin, told Ynet, without elaborating.

He clarified that the Russian decision was made in an effort to promote negotiations between the sides. "Russia is sending a clear message to everyone involved in the Syria crisis - it's time to give political dialogue a chance, a change for an internal Syrian dialogue between the government and the different factions in the opposition," he said.

He also asserted that despite the fact Russian forces were leaving the war-ravaged country, their mission has not yet ended. "In order to defeat ISIS, the Nusra Front and other terror organizations, we have to put together an extensive international coalition with the US, European countries, and Arab nations. Russia cannot do the work for everyone," Drobinin stressed.

In separate remarks to Army Radio, Drobinin said Russia would maintain its military presence at Hmeymim airbase as well as a Mediterranean naval centre at Tartus.

"Israel is a neighboring country. It cannot be indifferent to what is happening in Syria. We take this into account, of course," he said. "We have an ongoing dialogue with the Israeli side on all levels - the military level and diplomatic level."

Zvi Magen, formerly Israel's ambassador to Moscow, told Ynet that "the discussion is not the withdrawal of troops, but the announcement that they will stop fighting, and that has a different type of meaning. Russia is probably not going anywhere, but it was more important for Putin to announce that he is now stopping the fighting."

'Israel had no prior knowledge about Russia withdrawal'

Israel has occasionally fired across the Golan Heights in response to spillover shelling or bombed advanced arms it suspected were to be transferred to Assad's Lebanese guerrilla allies, Hezbollah.

Past strikes in Syria, attributed by foreign sources to Israel, killed Syrian troops as well as Hezbollah fighters - though the exact number remains unclear.

President Reuven Rivlin was due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. Drobinin said that would be "a very good opportunity to air opinions and provide answers for any questions the Israeli side might have".

Rivlin's role is largely ceremonial. His Russia trip was set before the Syrian withdrawal announcement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government declined to be drawn on the issue.

Russian forces loading equipment as they leave Syria

But the IDF's chief of staff, Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, told members of Knesset that Israel had no advance knowledge of Russia's pullback plan, whose impact he deemed hard to gauge.

"At this stage, humility and caution are required in trying to understand the vector in which the Syrian theatre will develop with the exit of Russian forces," Eisenkot told members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in a closed-door briefing.

Eisenkot said that the Russian intervention had so far strengthened Assad's position in ceasefire talks with rebels.

Israel has voiced doubt about the truce prospects in Syria, which it anticipates will end up partitioned on sectarian lines.

Eisenkot predicted that the Russian withdrawal would be carried out gradually, but not fully, with Moscow maintaining two bases in Syria while thinning out overall troop deployments.
Hezbollah's al-Manar TV station reported on Tuesday that a transmission and photographic spy device was discovered on the Israel-Lebanon border, which the station said belonged to Israel.

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According to the report, the device was found near the Blue Line and not far from a Lebanese army post and airstrip in the village of Markaba.

Hezbollah's official website accused Israel of "violating Lebanese sovereignty after planting spying and photographic devices east of the village of Markaba in southern Lebanon."

'Israeli spying device' found in Lebanon in December

The official Lebanese news agency reported the device was a black box equipped with a sensor to detect movement.

Lebanese news site ElNashra reported that large number of troops from the Lebanese army and security forces arrived at the spot where the device was found, as well as a patrol of UNIFIL troops. The Lebanese army announced its intention to file a complaint with UNIFIL, saying that "Israeli troops removed cement barrier blocks from a disputed area, changing its features."

Throughout the years, Lebanon has repeatedly claimed to have discovered Israeli espionage devices in its territory. In December, Lebanese media reported that two Israeli devices were found within two days in Lebanon - one was destroyed by the Lebanese army and the second reportedly remotely blown up by Israel.

In March 2011, the Lebanese army announced it had found and dismantled a device disguised as a rock, which Israel planted near the southern port city of Tyre.

In December 2010, the Lebanese army announced it had dismantled Israeli spying devices hidden in the mountains. That was two weeks after the Lebanese government filed a complaint with the UN Security Council, claiming Israel planted espionage equipment in southern Lebanon.

The Syrians also made similar claims, with the official Syrian news agency claiming in March 2013 that Israeli devices were found in its coastal area.
TEHRAN - Iran has retrieved thousands of pages of information from devices used by US Navy sailors who were briefly detained in January, the country's state television reported Tuesday.

The report quotes Gen. Ali Razmjou, a naval commander in the powerful Revolutionary Guard, as saying that information filling about 13,000 pages was retrieved from laptops, GPS devices and maps.

He said the move falls within Iran's rights under international regulations, and that the information recovered could be used in "various fields." Iranian authorities returned all the devices taken from the Americans even though it had the right to confiscate them, he said.

The Guard plans to publish a book on the incident based on international reactions and coverage of the event, Razmjou added.

The US Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which is responsible for American naval forces in the Gulf, said it was aware of the report but had no immediate comment.
A Syrian opposition monitoring group is reporting intense airstrikes in and around the historic town of Palmyra amid fighting between pro-government forces and the Islamic State group.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were casualties on both sides in Tuesday's battles, without providing a precise figure.

Al-Manar TV, run by Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, says Syrian troops and their allies captured "Hill 900," which is the highest in the area and overlooks Palmyra.
Britain's Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove, has launched an unprecedented attack on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), accusing it of disseminating anti-Semitic lies and of using apartheid tactics against Israel.

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"Israel is dealing with a prejudiced, systematic attack against its existence. The BDS movement, which claims that it is working against apartheid, in retrospect is using methods of apartheid in that it calls for the shunning of Jewish academics, the boycott of Jewish goods, the de-legitimization of Jewish commerce. It is up to us to show solidarity with the Jews and with their right to national sovereignty," Gove said at an international conference on anti-Semitism in Berlin

Gove told former justice minister Tzipi Livni that the British Foreign Office, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office are working to limit the ability to submit claims against high ranking Israeli officials who arrive in the UK as "war criminals" or for "crimes against humanity"under universal law.

Britsh Justice Minister Gove and Tzipi Livni (Photo: Eldad Beck)

Former minister Livni also joined in the discussion.

"Anti-Semitism wears the costume of criticism of Israeli policy," she said. "BDS succeeds because people don't understand that the organization doesn't exist to help the Palestinians, nor does it protest against specific Israeli policy, rather it is in complete opposition to the existence of the State of Israel. Instead of giving BDS the opportunity to isolate Israel, we should isolate BDS."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who opened the convention, expressed shock at the wave of anti-Semitism which washed over Germany during Operation Protective Edge two years ago.

"Not even dramatic military violence in Gaza justifies the explosion of anti-Semitism like what was seen then. Those who live with us short or long term must understand that anti-Semitism is against our constitution, against our civilization  against everything we believe in and everything we have learned. Coming to live in Germany means recognizing the need to fight against anti-Semitism. It's unacceptable to give anti-Semitism a voice," he said.

He added that there is and can be no place for anti-Semitism in our understanding of a free, democratic and tolerant Germany.
RIYADH - Saudi-led air strikes killed 41 civilians and wounded 75 on Tuesday in Yemen's northwestern province of Haja, a senior provincial health official said, a region largely controlled by the Iran-allied Houthi militia.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen's civil war was not immediately available for comment.

Three of Tuesday's air raids hit an outdoor market in the Mustaba district, Ayman Mathkour, director of the Haja health department, told Reuters. He said relatives gathered the bodies and took the wounded to Abs and Mustaba hospitals.

Saba Net, a Yemeni news agency controlled by the Houthis, reported that 65 people had been killed and 55 wounded in the strike on a market and restaurant in Mustaba. A spokesman for the coalition was not immediately available for comment.

The global charity Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said earlier on Tuesday that more than 40 people, all of them civilians including an eight-year-old in critical condition, were admitted to Abs Hospital after an air strike in Mustaba.
Hundreds of Israelis, led by settler leaders, participated in a protest march along Route 60 in the West Bank on Tuesday, demanding to close the roads in the area for Palestinian movement during and after terror attacks in order to create deterrence and increase security.

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The protesters marched along a road that saw several terror attacks, walking from Karmei Tzur to the Gush Etzion Junction.

They were carrying Israeli flags and calling out "Am Israel Chai" (The people of Israel live) and "The eternal nation is not afraid of a long path."

Photo: Daniel Elior

Marchers were joined by Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich, who endorsed their demand from the government in which he himself serves.

Large numbers of police and IDF troops secured the march, while vehicle movement on the main road was blocked.

Photo: Daniel Elior

IDF soldiers had to use crowd dispersal measures near Beit Ummar and near the Al-Arroub camp to deter Palestinians who were throwing stones at troops.

Among the marchers was also Chaya Gelman, whose brother Benaya Sarel was killed in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge and whose brother-in-law Eliav Gelman was killed from errant fire aimed at a terrorist in the Gush Etzion Junction three weeks ago.

Chaya Gelman

"We are not willing to remain quiet facing this reality of a terror attack every day," said Gelman, who lives in the Jewish settlement in Hebron. "Just recently I came under a barrage of stones in three different instances. We're marching here to show we're strong, this is a feeling of strength that Am Israel Chai, to march where my brother-in-law was murdered."

Davidi Perl, the head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, told Ynet that the government is showing powerlessness in the face of terrorism. "We demand to block the roads during terror attacks and several hours or days afterwards; this is something we need for security, not for separation. This road is plagued with terrorism, and the government must act to increase the residents' personal security. The government is not doing enough on this issue."

The head of the Har Hevron Regional Council, Yochai Damari, said that "We're living in an impossible reality. There are terror attacks on this road every day - a roadside charge or a stabbing. The main thing the people here are asking for is security. We're in favor of coexistence, but when hostile elements take advantage of the situation to harm lives, we can't continue our daily routine. The government must do more. Our blood is no less red than that of other residents in the country."

The policy of the Israeli government in the north and on the Gaza border is, If there is no peace and quiet for Jews, there will be no peace and quiet for the other side," Damari went on to say. "We demand that the same policy be implemented in Judea and Samaria."
GENEVA - United Nations war crimes investigators on Syria said on Tuesday that lower-level perpetrators should be prosecuted by foreign authorities until senior military and political figures can be brought before international justice.

The UN Commission of Inquiry, which has documented atrocities committed by all sides, has compiled a confidential list of suspects and maintains a database with 5,000 interviews. It has begun providing judicial assistance abroad in some cases.

"The adoption of measures that lay the ground for accountability need not and should not wait for a final peace agreement to be reached," Paulo Pinheiro, chief of the inquiry panel, told the UN Human Rights Council.

Carla del Ponte, a former UN war crimes prosecutor serving on the team, told reporters that it had received about 15 requests for information from various countries. The cases involved low- to middle-level perpetrators or foreign fighters.

"It is a start towards international justice," she said.
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.

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ELKO  The Central Dispatch Board will ask commissioners Wednesday to bring enhanced 911 to Elko County.

A subcommittee of the board worked on a report for a year, but the idea to put enhanced 911 in place has been around for several years, said Elko Police Chief Ben Reed. The report contained support letters, written in 2012, from the cities of Elko, Wells, Carlin and West Wendover.

In 1968, the national emergency number for the country became 911. When someone calls 911, he or she is given access to emergency services through a Public Safety Answering Point. According to the report, there are three PSAPs in Elko County: Elko, West Wendover and Owyhee.

In 2001, the Elko Central Dispatch Administrative Authority was established when several local agencies combined resources. This authority dispatches emergency services including law enforcement, firefighters and ambulance personnel for the county, Carlin, Elko, Jackpot, South Fork Tribal Council, Wells, Elko County Juvenile Probation, Western Shoshone Department of Public Safety, and the REACH-Redwood Empire Air Care Helicopter or air ambulance.

When someone calls 911, the call is forwarded to one of four basic phone lines. No automatic number identification or automatic location identification is received by dispatch because they dont have the necessary equipment, according to the report. If a dispatcher needs to get this information, he or she must go through a lengthy process with a telecommunications providers headquarters to obtain the location, telephone number and account holder name associated with the call.

If enhanced 911 is put in place, dispatch would be given the location, telephone number and account holder name associated with an emergency call on a computer screen. That information would be coordinated with a computer-aided dispatch system and a master street address guide. The MSAG would catalog all existing, valid street names and addresses. When an invalid address is entered into the system at the time of a call, the dispatcher would be alerted immediately.

Reed said many times dispatchers are talking to people who are unable to give their exact address, such as children, intoxicated callers or people being assaulted. If the caller isnt able to communicate where he or she needs emergency personnel to go, help may not arrive in time, he said.

All of these things need to be at a dispatchers fingertips, Reed said.  Its long overdue and the right thing to do for our community. Were excited about the opportunity to get it going.

Assistant County Manager and CFO Cash Minor said the board needed to have a detailed report before it came to the County for authorization because it will take a tax increase to implement the new system.

According to the report, the County would have to pay an estimated one-time cost of $230,000 for capital improvements and then will have an annual estimated cost of $149,919.

Nevada law has a funding mechanism for enhanced 911. County commissioners may enact an ordinance to impose a surcharge on telephone users within the county. Each access line and mobile line would have a surcharge of up to 25 cents and each trunk lines surcharge would be up to $2.50 per month. It is estimated most mobile telephone users would see an increase of up to $3 annually.

The committee estimated the revenue per year for Elko County would be $170,928 based on the number of telephone lines listed by Frontier Communications in 2015.

This is just the start, Minor said. If the commission decides to go forward they would have to do a whole ordinance process.

The commissioners also would have to establish an advisory committee to develop a plan to enhance or improve the emergency telephone system and oversee the funds allocated.

County commissioners meet at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Suite 102 of the Nannini Administration Building at 540 Court St.

Its long overdue and the right thing to do for our community. Were excited about the opportunity to get it going.  Police Chief Ben Reed
In an age when government leaks, classified emails and court orders to unlock phones seem to make the news daily, its worth remembering why we insist on open and transparent government.

Sunshine Week is the annual celebration by journalists across the nation of openness in government and our responsibilities in making sure we have strong laws allowing people to view public records and meetings.

A recent case in Kentucky is worth examining because of the extremes a state agency went to hide information about children who died as a result of abuse.

You would think child abuse is a serious enough crime that people would want to make sure there was ample cooperation, coordination and transparency to protect children.

In the Kentucky case, however, it took five years of wrangling for a court to order the agency to turn over records. The court also awarded nearly $1 million in penalties and fees, punishing the state agency for willful obstruction of public access to the information.

During Sunshine Week in 2007, I testified in favor of a bill in the Nevada Legislature that makes sure child-abuse deaths and near-deaths are reported publicly. That wasnt always the case.

Ten years ago, such cases apparently were spiking in Nevada. Newspapers and television stations around the state were reporting on the number of children who had died, some while their abuse cases were being investigated by social workers.

A big part of the problem was that nobody seemed to know exactly what was going on  and local officials in Clark County were reluctant to release information. Even a special blue-ribbon panel of legislators, judges and doctors who were convened to look into the matter couldnt get the details they wanted.

The figures reported by the press at the time were sickening: at least 79 deaths of children from abuse while they were supposedly under the watch of Nevada social workers. Out of 1,041 deaths of children over a three-year period, some 114 were probably from child abuse  about three times what had been officially reported.

Legislators such as Barbara Buckley in Las Vegas and Sheila Leslie in Reno called those numbers disgraceful and truly shameful.

Fortunately, the fight didnt last anything like five years here. The 2007 Legislature passed bills to bring more transparency and accountability to the process.

Its been an ongoing struggle over the past decade to find funding, training and other resources for Nevadas social-services system to try to keep workers from being overwhelmed by the cases they must handle every day.

But with more sunshine, we can at least see that Clark County reported 48 incidents of child abuse resulting in deaths or near-fatalities in 2015, while Washoe County had 11 such cases and the rest of Nevada just two. About half the reports were of actual deaths.

No problem ever went away by hiding it. And while child abuse and neglect arent likely to disappear, we can at least bring them out in the open to confront them.
In a letter to all Australian Deposit-taking Institutions (ADIs), APRA has warned the banks to be consistent and accurate.

A number of ADIs have recently reported significant changes in housing loan purpose between investment and owner-occupied.

These data are used in public policy decisions, prudential supervision and statistical publications. Where the change in loan purpose is not reported correctly (i.e. from the period that the change occurred), APRA, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are impeded in accurately ascertaining the underlying movements in housing loans.

Reporting of fixed term housing loans must reflect the current purpose of the loan because the split by housing loan purpose is important for monetary policy and financial stability considerations.

According to an ABC report, in the past six months more than $35 billion worth of investor loans have been reclassified to owner-occupier, including another $1.4 billion in January.

In a recent research note, also published by the ABC, UBS bank analyst Jonathan Mott said there was growing scepticism about banks giving the real story about housing credit.

While it is understandable some existing customers are reclassifying themselves to avoid higher interest charges as their circumstances have changed, there is increasing evidence new customers may be stating their loan is for an owner-occupied property to circumvent the additional imposts on investor borrowing, Mott said.
17/03/2016

It wasnt expensive cars, luxury travel or designer trinkets that David had been frittering his cash away on; it was buying his dream home that had absorbed all of his finances.

But as much as he loved living there, he realised it was draining him financially, while also stopping him from borrowing to invest.

So, David did something drastic  he sold his home and proposed a joint venture with his parents.

Basically, I was sick of paying interest where there was no benefit to it. So I started looking for someone who could help me, someone who could teach me from experience, and someone who didnt have an ulterior motive to sell me a particular property. I began working with Real Wealth Australia in April 2014 and the first thing I began working on was getting rid of bad debt, he explains.

I made the decision to sell my dream home to clear the huge mortgage I had. My next step was to work out where I could live and have no mortgage, so I came up with the idea of doing a joint venture with my parents.

Together, they bought a 25-acre property in Wilberforce, a small township around 60km from Sydneys CBD. They built a second house on that land and David was able to pay for his half of the estate in cash, with the proceeds of his dream home sale.

This has worked really well because I can still have all the things I am interested in  like boats, motorbikes and horses  and still have no non-deductible debt, he says.

Selling the dream home to fund the dream

Its a fairly drastic and positive turnaround so far, as David went from servicing a bloated PPOR mortgage to living mortgage-free.

He already had one investment to his name  a house purchased in Toowoomba as a joint venture with his brother in 2014  and this property had almost doubled in value over the previous decade.

While David opted to sell his own home, he held on to his Toowoomba property. He had then created a strong financial foundation, which put him in a perfect position to invest in more real estate. He wasted no time, acquiring no fewer than four properties in 12 months!

Davids first investment purchase was a house and land package, bought in stage one of development in Marsden Park, NSW. The home wont be ready to settle and occupy until December 2016, so this was a strategic purchase on Davids behalf to enjoy some capital growth out of Sydneys appreciating property market.

Its about 250m from a proposed new shopping precinct and future train station. I felt like Id get a lot of capital growth in the time between purchase and settlement, without having to outlay the money. So far, based on other sales, I think it has appreciated by about $65,000$75,000, he says. Davids next purchase saw him shift his focus to Queensland, where the Brisbane suburb of Morayfield had caught his eye.

Leveraging what he had learnt through his mentoring program, David did extensive due diligence and discovered that property prices in Morayfield were predicted to experience above-average capital growth of 10% per annum for the next eight years.

While looking for a house to buy in Morayfield, I stumbled across a guy who needed to sell a duplex that had already been strata titled. I asked a property manager that Id decided to use in Morayfield to do an initial inspection, and she came back with a great report on its potential, David explains.

Using creative clauses to get ahead

David had already found and purchased a free-standing house as an investment in Morayfield. He paid $345,000 for the property, which returns $350 per week. But this new opportunity piqued his interest, so after qualifying the numbers and liaising with his mortgage broker to ensure the deal stacked up, he put in an offer.

I jumped on it quickly and submitted two offers, using the clauses we learnt about in the course. One offer included all the usual clauses, and the second offer was a much lower offer, with no finance clause and a quick settlement. I took a little gamble doing this, but knew I had the funds in a line of credit if the worst came to the worst, David says.

I had found out from the real estate agent that the vendor really wanted the property sold and settled before the end of the financial year  something to do with his superannuation  so he went for the lower offer with no finance clause. Fortunately, everything went smooth.

By December this year, David will have a portfolio of five properties, but that number could potentially double when his new development project gets off the ground.

My brother and I currently have an application submitted to council, to build five units on our Toowoomba block of land, which has just been approved. Now were going to decide whether to sell with the approval in place, or go ahead with the build, depending on the profit of each option, he says.

While he considers this decision, he is also doing due diligence on other potential areas to invest in, with a focus on finding apartment blocks that can be subdivided and strata titled.

Sometimes I wish I hadnt bought my dream property, as it restricted me from doing anything investment wise for 10 years. If I could have that time again, I would buy properties and rent my dream property instead, David says.

I also want to teach my kids about investing and buy a property for each of them. My ultimate aim is to achieve a passive income of $200,000 per annum from property within the next 15 years; I have made a good start but have plenty to do from here to reach my goal.

Are YOU ready to supercharge your property investing results?

I hope you enjoyed Davids property story. Im fairly confident in saying that I dont think weve seen the end of Davids achievements in real estate  in fact, to me it seems like hes only just beginning!

Ive loved watching on as David has taken everything hes learnt throughout his mentoring program and put that education into practical use, which has allowed him to fast-track his property goals and make real savings along the way.

5 tips for new investors

- Clear bad debt ASAP  this should be your number one priority before you even consider investing in property.

- Buy property as young as you can, and buy it so it is affordable to hang on to for the long haul.

- Leverage the expertise of genuine mentors. Dont listen to people who are giving you property advice where they have a motive to do so, ie to sell you a particular property.

- Dont be afraid of joint ventures, as they can be a fun and effective way to have everything you want.

- Dont sell unless you have to! If I had my time again, I would have kept the properties I had bought in the past.
The Global and United States Hydrobike Market Report has been published by QY Research recently. Hydrobike Market Analysis and Insights This report focuses on...
After the Michigan primary, there has been a predictable round of handwringing from the GOP about why Donald Trump keeps winning despite being neither a Republican nor a conservative. A lot of answers have been bandied about: there are too many candidates in the race; the media is too nice to him; Republican voters are stupid; it cant continue forever.

The problem is that these answers miss the point. Trump is not the problem. He is also not the cure. Hes the symptom. The Republican Party is sick, and has been for a long time. For a generation Republican voters have consistently pulled the lever for whatever Republican has been trotted out; they are only now realizing they dont have a lot to show for it.

Voters are angry. They are angry at President Obama for transforming America into something new. They are angry at Republican legislators for not stopping the president. They are angry at Republicans for passing massive budgets with little regard for future debt, for making miniscule attempts to reign in the executive branch, and for depending on the Supreme Court to do what they in Congress should have done. Theyre angry at D.C. Republicans and donors who, in their view, think many Republican voters are rubes and simpletons, while simultaneously expecting them to turn out to vote like clockwork.

And at least some of this anger is justified. There is a real lack of trust in the Republican establishment in Washington  and its not just among Republican voters. Consider the most recent controversy, the question of what to do with the replacement of Justice Scalia. Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell has promised to refuse to confirm any Obama appointment, as Democrats did at the end of the last two Republican presidential terms. President Obama, for one, does not take them seriously. As Michael Memoli at the Los Angeles Times noted, Obama himself suggested Wednesday that Republicans were hardly committed to their own position now. I get the politics of it  and, by the way, theres not a lot of vigor when they defend the position that theyre taking.  Theyre pretty sheepish about it when they make those comments. When many Republican primary voters read Obamas comments, they fear he is right; they suspect that the Republican Senates promise to refuse to confirm another Obama appointee to the Supreme Court is just talk.

Consider, just three months ago, after promising to stand up the presidents budget demands, new Republican Speaker Paul Ryan capitulated on virtually every one of the presidents demands, from accepting more Syrian refugees, to increased federal grants to sanctuary cities, to quadrupling HB-1 visas for service jobs. In light of this, Republican voters have felt a bit like the villagers who kept coming out to the aid of the little boy who cried wolf. And they are angry about it.

And in their anger, theyve turned to an angry man who has made promises that, were they less angry, they would know not to take seriously. Trump, after all, and to repeat, is neither a Republican nor a conservative. He has flip-flopped on the Iraq War at least as much as John Kerry did in 2004. Trump, like Kerry, Pelosi, and Reid, was in favor of the war, right up until the point that it got difficult, and then Trump, with the rest, turned against it. Trump thinks Planned Parenthood does good work, he believes the government should pay for everyones health care, and even on immigration, the supposed policy that no one was talking about until Trump came along, Trump himself is less than forthright, having said multiple times that once the border is secured he would give them [illegals already in the country] a path. A path to what? Trump refuses to say.

These are all things that Trump is on record about, and yet many Republican voters, in their anger, are determined to think that Trump is the straight-shooter in the race, rather than a man that has changed positions on every major issue in the race.

The problem for Trumps main opponents, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and for the Republican Party as a whole, is not just Trump. Its that too many of their own voters no longer trust them. And unfortunately, they have reason to be distrustful. Regardless of how the Republican primary turns out, it would be a grave mistake for the Republican leadership to simply dismiss Trump supporters as angry, stupid, or ignorant.

Unfortunately for Republican voters, in their anger at their party leaders, theyve missed the fact that they have even more reason to be distrustful of Trump. And they are running out of time to recognize their mistake.
Deputies Segundo Gonzalez and Miguel Vila of the Podemos-En Comu-En Marea parliamentary group register a proposed bill in Congress. LUIS SEVILLANO

With the clock ticking down towards a new election in Spain, parties are renewing their efforts to reach deals that will break the months-long gridlock.

After Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez failed to get voted in as prime minister at the recent investiture vote, several regional forces are waiting to see if he comes up with an acceptable proposal in return for their support.

When we receive the PSOEs proposal we will analyze it, but our no to Ciudadanos is categorical En Comu sources

Two groups that ran jointly with Podemos at the December 20 election  Catalonias En Comu Podem and Galicias En Marea  are open to talks with the Socialists and have underscored that they are free to vote their own way despite being part of the Podemos group in Congress.

Although the Catalan coalition will not meet bilaterally with national PSOE leaders, it has already been in touch with the partys Catalan branch, the PSC.

And En Marea has expressed a willingness to meet directly with the federal party.

Both regional groups have also rejected the Socialists recent deal with reform party Ciudadanos, which they say must be dropped if Sanchez wants to make any headway with them.

The agreement with Ciudadanos is making negotiations unfeasible, said Alexandra Fernandez, En Mareas congressional spokeswoman.

When we receive the PSOEs proposal we will analyze it, but our no to Ciudadanos is categorical, added other sources in En Comu.

The PSOE-Ciudadanos alliance only represents 130 seats in Congress  90 for the former and 40 for the latter  far from the 176 required for an overall majority. The Canaries Coalition recently added its single seat to this group.

National Podemos leaders have asked their regional partners not to fall into the trap that they believe the PSOE is setting

En Comu Podem has 12 deputies and En Marea has six.

Meanwhile, national Podemos leaders addressed their regional partners on Monday to ask them not to fall into the trap that, in their view, the PSOE is setting for them.

The anti-austerity party has been struggling with internal division and a lack of clear leadership in Madrid. A series of resignations have underscored the growing rift between followers of party leader Pablo Iglesias and supporters of his number two aide, Inigo Errejon.

While national Podemos leaders are expecting some kind of move by the PSOE in the coming days, they are also wary of this new strategy of seeking bilateral talks with its regional partners.

There is only one Podemos: the one that clearly says that the policies of cuts and austerity must be a thing of the past, reads a recent party report. We are still advancing, and nobody should think that we are going to take a step back, no matter how much they try.

To Podemos, this step back means abstaining in a new congressional vote, thus paving the way for Pedro Sanchez to become the new prime minister of Spain.

English version by Susana Urra.
Fernando Alonso and Lara Alvarez. CORDON PRESS

A month ago, Spanish gossip magazine Diez Minutos announced that Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso and TV journalist Lara Alvarez were due to be married before the end of the year.

Neither one confirmed the rumors, although people close to the couple stated that their relationship was serious.

But now, after dating for a year and a half, the relationship is apparently over.

Some sources now say that distance has been the cause of the rift

On Monday, Alvarez was seen entering a gym in Majadahonda, a residential community northwest of Madrid, in the company of a female friend. She was not wearing the ring that Alonso had given her, and refused to give any statements to the press.

A few hours later, Alonso posted the following enigmatic message: I could even understand the desire to create news... but it is still surprising that easy, public things are not being checked first, followed by a winking emoticon.

In the meantime, and lacking any official statements by either one, all photographs of the happy couple posted on social media in the last few months have been deleted.

Lara Alvarezs Instagram account, which has 220,000 followers, now shows pictures of herself and her family, but none with Alonso. The latters Instagram account, which has 375,000 followers, features racing-related news and pictures of his own travels.

I could even understand the desire to create news... but it is still surprising that easy, public things are not being checked first

Fernando Alonso

Alonsos Twitter account, however, still contains mentions of the 29-year-old TV host.

When Alvarez first traveled to Honduras for a prolonged stay involving the filming of a reality show, she said the distance would not be a problem for the relationship.

When two people love each other and are happy, distance does not matter, she said in March of last year. We have to be apart, but I have been offered a primetime show thats going to be seen by millions of people [] How could I turn it down?

Some sources now say that distance has, in fact, been the cause of the rift.

The last pictures posted by the couple are from early February and were taken in Spain, after a long period in Dubai, where Alonso currently lives.

Last year, the pilot used a break in his own racing schedule to visit Alvarez in Honduras. This year, it looks like there will be no such trip.

English version by Susana Urra.
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Animals complete our ecosystem. But, human activity, climate change and global warming are some of the reasons that are drastically affecting the flora and fauna of our planet along with the environment as a whole.

Many animals of our country are slowly but steadily approaching the endangered list.

The Rajya Sabha on Monday, was informed that out of 96,000 animal species, 50 have been labeled as critically endangered.

The Zoological Survey of India conducted studies, through which, 96,000 animal species were recorded to inhabit India.

Environment minister Prakash Javadekar, in a written reply said that, Among these, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed 18 species of amphibians, 14 varieties of fish, 13 birds and 10 mammals as critically endangered and 310 species as endangered, including 69 fish, 38 mammals and 32 amphibians.

He added that towards conservation of threatened species, the government has established 730 Protected Areas, including 103 national parks, 535 wildlife sanctuaries, 26 community reserves and 66 conservation reserves, which primarily cover habitats of threatened megafauna such as tiger, rhino, elephant and others.

He also said that the National CAMPA Advisory Council has approved the funding for recovery programme of various endangered species.

These include Dugong with a budget of Rs 23.58 crore, Gangetic River Dolphin with Rs 23 crore, Great Indian Bustard with Rs 108.25 crore, Manipur Brow Antlered deer with budgetary support of Rs 99.95 crore and wild Buffalo with Rs 2 crore.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Not even a month after a baby dolphin was mercilessly pulled out of the sea by tourists for selfies and got killed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a similar incident took place in Indonesia's East Bali.

It was a normal Monday morning for Bali natives and fishermen Negah Sunarta, 37 and Nengah Darpa, 35, who had gone out to Batu Tumpeng Beach for their daily jobs.

What they saw when they reached the shore was a sight that they probably would never forget.

A dead sperm whale measuring 16 metres lay before them, which had washed up on the shore.

Soon enough, a curious crowd of onlookers started to assemble and instead of calling up the marine authorities to get the whale removed, they felt it was a great opportunity to take photographs and selfies with the dead mammal.

Images on the photo-sharing app Instagram soon began to pour in showing pics that displayed the inhumane side of the people who had collected there.

The photographs showed people getting close to the whale, climbing atop its vast body and smiling away for a photo-op.

It took a few hours for the local authorities to coordinate with the Klungkung Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs, the Natural Resource Conversation body (KSDA) and the Regional Disaster Managemejt Agency to remove the whale's body.
Delhi: After a tough question paper, hundreds of students across India on Tuesday demanded re-conduct of class XII mathematics paper of the Central Board of Secondary Education.

A report in Hindustan Times said that they were contacted by at least 20 students overnight over mail.

It also said that many more contacted over WhatsApp, challenging the CBSE to conduct an open forum to solve the paper.

Messages came from students in Jaipur and Jamshedpur too.

Students like me went prepared with more than 50 mock papers solved but after seeing the paper we went blank. Honestly it wasnt a paper for a normal student, student Amogh Mukhi from Delhis Sanskriti School, was quoted as saying by the Daily.

The mathematics paper on Monday was said to be lengthy and tough and students are said to have complained that even one-mark questions were tricky and a score above 90 would be difficult to get.

I am a humanities student and I am used to write long answers, but the mathematics paper was even longer than humanities subject paper, wrote Muskan from Jaipur.

CBSE is, in a way, playing with our future .One hand they say dont put pressure on kids, other hand such papers are set. Why are NCERT books in school curriculam when they are not followed in paper setting? asked Latika Panghal.

Keeping all subjects on stake, we are practising for maths throughout the year and see what has happened. We are totally heartbroken and depressed and are not able to concentrate for the next exam, she added.

Govt school still teaching 2014 level, CBSE wants IIT level. Those who play with the future of students must be punished, Arun Bhatia was quoted as saying by the Daily.

On the other hand, a parent, Osheain Mehta, said, With a heavy heart I saw my daughter coming out of the examination hall crying. I myself am a post graduate in Physics and it was shocking to see the marks distribution of the paper. I wonder why such an illogical marking scheme and an unusually lengthy paper was set. CBSE must award grace marks to the students to be fair with the Delhi students.

Meanwhile, the issue was raised in Lok Sabha by KC Venugopal (Congress) who said the the paper have reportedly left students in tears.

"It was very lengthy. Maximum questions were from outside the syllabus. It was reported that questions were tricky...Students found it difficult to complete the exam on time," he said during Zero Hour, as per PTI.

This sort of tough paper should be avoided and "I urge the government to look into the exam and take necessary steps", Venugopal added.

Joining him, SR Vijayakumar (AIADMK) too said a number of students felt that the paper was lengthy and they could not complete it.

"I request the Human Resource Minister to look at the issue" and tell the CBSE to be liberal in valuation, he said.

(With Agency inputs)
Chandigarh: Jat leaders in Haryana have threatened to resume their quota agitation, which rocked the state last month and claimed 30 lives, if the Manohar Lal Khattar government does not meet their demand by March 17.

"On March 17, we will decide on the next mode of action on whether to block roads, railway tracks or any other type of agitation," All India Jat Mahasabha chief Yashpal Malik told PTI over phone on Tuesday.

Jat leaders from across the state have decided that community members will hit the streets again if the state government does not act, he said, adding that dharnas this time would also cover the rural areas.

"The state government has time till March 17. So far the government has not responded to any of our demands," said Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha president, Hawa Singh Sangwan.

Yesterday, members of the Jat community held demonstrations across the state.

Malik said the "government is keen to crush the members of Jat community even though their protest was peaceful". He also said the government should control its ministers from issuing statements against the Jat community.

He claimed that the Jat agitation continued since 2005-06 in 13 states, including Uttar Pardesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Madhya Pardesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, in a "peaceful manner".

Political outfits in Haryana have for their vested interests given the Jat community a bad name, he said as he sought a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into incidents of violence in Haryana recently.

The state government must bring a Bill in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly to ensure reservation for Jats, he said.

"Those who fired upon peaceful protesters in Haryana recently must be dealt with sternly," he said, adding that those killed during the agitation must be compensated by the Khattar government through award of jobs to their next of kin.

Meanwhile, in Rohtak, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge SK Garg rejected the interim bail plea of Prof Virender Singh, political adviser to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Virender has been booked under several charges, including sedition, in connection with clashes during the Jat agitation.

Police are searching for Virender and moved court contending his custodial interrogation is needed to establish his involvement in inciting Jat community members during the agitation.
New Delhi: Retiring as Rajya Sabha member, noted film personality Javed Akhtar on Tuesday said "adjournaments" and "polarisation" will not take the country forward as he pleaded with the Opposition and government to work together without thinking about the next elections.

Akhtar, who was nominated to the Upper House by the UPA government, said there are capable leaders in the Modi government who can do good work but those making extremist comments, including some ministers, need to be reined in.

"I hope both Opposition and the government will work together. Adjournments will not take us forward. Even polarisation will not take us forward. Please forget next election and think about the country," he said in his impassioned speech which was heard with rapt attention and intercepted by thumping of desks by members across party lines.

A proud Indian, the film lyricist slammed, in a veiled manner, AIMIM leader and MP Asaddudin Owaisi for saying he will not chant 'Bharat mata ki jai' because the Constitution does not ask him to do so.

Taking objection to Owaisi's remark, Akhtar said, "the Constitution even does not ask him to wear sherwani (dress) and topi (cap)... I don't care to know whether saying 'Bharat mata ki jai' is my duty or not, it is my right."

He then chanted 'Bharat mata ki jai' a number of times.

At the same time, he condemned those right-wing extremists also who say Muslims should go to Pakistan.

He also said that these days "fringe" elements are rising and emphasised the need to protect securalism to save democracy and the Constitution.

Hailing the essence of India's deep-rooted democracy, he said it must be preserved at any cost while learning from the fate of those countries where one religion was given importance, an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Underlining that there cannot be democracy without secularism, Akhtar said protecting secularism is not about protecting one community or the other. "We need to protect secularism because there cannot be democracy without it. I believe this is our greatest achievement."

On religious freedom, Akhtar said time does not stop and

the country either would move forward or backward.

"Intelligent person is one who learns from the experiences. More intelligent is one who learns from others' experiences. Look at those countries where religion is given importance, where the tongue is cut and people are hanged if they speak against the religion. Whether that country should be an example for us or a country where there is religious freedom. We have to think," he asked.

Expressing concern over lack of development in the country, Akhtar said India has industrialised and become a big power now but "more could have been achieved. Anyway whatever has been achieved is no less."

The biggest achievement, he said, is that "we have deep-rooted our democracy. The roots are so deep that it is difficult pull it out."

At the same time, he said, "We need to think why there is no development despite there being government and system in place? We want development but whose development and for whom? we need to think."

He added, "Development is not GDP. Development is Human Development Index. Be it any party, they wish the development of the countyr. Why our energies are wasted?"

On democracy, he said, "We are fortunate to have democracy though we complain about the government and society. We don't thank what we have with us. We don't thank enough to our constitution. ...The constitution gives democracry. But remember, there cannot be democracry without secularism."

He said that the meaning of democracy is taking views of the majority and not minority. "But the democracy believes that this majority and minority are not permanent. This keep changing. The democracy will die the day we define minority and majority in our own way."

Emhasising the need to protect secularism, Akhtar said protecting secularism is not about protecting one community or the other. "We need to protect secularism because there cannot be democracy without it. I believe this is our greatest achievement."

Besides democracy and the Constitution, Akhtar said India has youth power unlike Japan and China, which the government need to focus on achieving the development.

"The country's 50 per cent of the population is young. 35 crore people are youth and in age group of 10-15 years. They have lot of energy and talent," he added.

He said there is a need to harness potential of youth power as they will not remain young forever. "Japan has lost this advantage and China is losing this advantage. You have 20 years to take advantage of the youth power. Both Opposition and the government have to think about it," he said.
New Delhi: The AYUSH Ministry on Tuesday filed a formal complaint with the Delhi Police asking them to probe the alleged `fake` RTI query, in which journalist Pushp Sharma alleged that the Centre`s discrimination against Muslims in the Yoga teachers` selection process for International Yoga Day is fabricated, adding that he has proof that all the RTI replies in his possession are authentic.

The Delhi Police have picked Sharma from his residence today evening for questioning and they are going through the complaint.

Apparently, Pushp Sharma has been arrested in connection with his story published by `The Milli Gazette` and other media outlets, portals and channels about an RTI reply received from the AYUSH Ministry saying that as per the government policy, it did not recruit any Muslim as Yoga trainer.

Earlier, the AYUSH Ministry rejected a purported `fabricated and mischievous` Right To Information (RTI) reply which had claimed that the Centre does not recruit Muslims in the ministry as a policy.

The Ministry of AYUSH has noted with anguish certain mischievous misinformation being spread in certain section of media and social media quoting a reply to an RTI by mentioning a fabricated draft as Annexure I to that letter, which has never been issued by the Ministry of AYUSH or any of its agencies.

"The Ministry strongly condemns this piece of misreporting, clearly aimed at causing chasm between different sections of society and promoting disharmony and mistrust with ulterior motives," the Ministry said in a statement.The Ministry in a statement said, certain mischievous misinformation is being spread in certain section of media and social media quoting a reply to an RTI by mentioning a fabricated draft as Annexure I to that letter, which has never been issued by the Ministry of AYUSH or any of its agencies.The Ministry said it is initiating proper action in this matter.
New Delhi: A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday seeking action against JNU Students` Union president Kanhaiya Kumar under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with sedition for saying that the Indian Army is responsible for rapes of women in Kashmir.

According to ANI, a bench led by justice Pratibha Rani, which heard the petition post-lunch, dismissed it

Justice Pratibha Rani declined to give the direction sought by a social activist on the ground that there is law and order in place which will take care of if any anti-national slogans are being raised and the petitioner need not worry about the image of the nation.

It also questioned the locus of the petitioner for filing the present petition seeking direction to take necessary action for the offence of sedition allegedly committed by Kanhaiya and to refer the matter for further investigation by Intelligence Bureau in the interest of justice.

The court also sought presence of petitioner Dev Dutt Sharma so that he is aware of the cost which may be imposed on him for filing this writ petition.

The petition said, "Indian Army is an integral part of the nation and it cannot be alleged that the army is causing rape with women in Kashmir, which is a serious matter and a clear seditious act on the part of Kanhaiya Kumar.''

"India is a free country but Kanhaiya Kumar and his associates called for a revolution and it was indicated that Kanhaiya is being backed by some Naxalites or Naxal group," said the plea.

Kanhaiya Kumar has sought "azadi" (freedom) for Kashmir, Nagaland and Assam where a duly elected government is in power, said the plea, adding that he and his associates, Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid, in their speeches have said that their fight for "azadi" would continue.

The plea sought the court`s direction for investigation by the Intelligence Bureau into the issue.

Despite giving an undertaking to the court that he would not involve himself in any anti-national activities, Kanhaiya Kumar`s 45-minute speech after release from jail was probably a total political speech inviting penal provisions for a seditious act.

On March 2, the Delhi High Court granted an interim bail to Kanhaiya Kumar, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students` Union president who was booked on the charge that he engaged in anti-national sloganeering in a public meeting in February in the university campus.

While granting him bail for six months, Justice Pratibha Rani said he will "not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national".

After his release from bail, on March 8, Kanhaiya Kumar reportedly said in a speech, "No matter how much you try to stop us, we will speak up against human rights violations. We will raise our voice against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act . While we have a lot of respect for our soldiers, we will still talk about the fact that in Kashmir, women are raped by security personnel."

With Agency inputs
New Delhi: The government is mulling a proposal to "thin out" presence of BSF personnel on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and deploy them along the International Border (IB) in Punjab and Jammu regions in the wake of the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack.

Officials said a proposal to de-induct at least four out of the dozen-odd battalions of Border Security Force (BSF) from LoC has already been sent to the Union Home Ministry and a note for taking a final decision in this regard by the Cabinet Committee on Security will be prepared soon after deliberations with the Ministry of Defence and Army.

Top sources in the security establishment said National Security Council, headed by NSA Ajit Doval, is considering whether all 12 BSF battalions can be removed from LoC and deployed as the 'second tier' of defence, behind existing BSF positions, along IB which witnessed incidents of terrorists crossing over the border to attack vital military, police and civilian establishments in Jammu and Punjab.

The move, however, is being strongly opposed by senior BSF commanders as they feel that its removal from LoC where its men are deployed under the operational command of the Army will take away vital exposure of the personnel who have been performing 'war time'-like duties on this frontier with Pakistan since 1965.

"A proposal in this regard is being discussed at present. The proposal entails that a good number of BSF battalions should be withdrawn from LoC and re-deployed as the second tier of security along IB which is prone to infiltration attempts," a senior official said.

He, however, said no ground assessment of forward areas along the Pakistani frontier has been done in this regard.

The official, quoting the proposal prepared in this regard, said the decision was taken as the force requires more men to secure IB and it could only be done by de-inducting units from other places as there is a dearth of reserve battalions in BSF and technological solutions being deployed to plug border gaps and breaches along IB will take some more time.

The Home Ministry also recently constituted a team under former Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to suggest measures to further fortify defence mechanisms along IB, especially against infiltration.

It is widely understood that the terrorists who attacked the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot early this year had infiltrated through the IB, possibly in Bamial area in Punjab.

The BSF has been deployed along LoC since 1965 under the command of the Army while it works independently at IB running across Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Punjab as the 'First Line of Defence'.

Officials said a proposal is also being prepared to deploy Assam Rifles personnel at LoC posts which will be vacated by BSF as they will no longer be tasked with the security of the Indo-Myanmar border, a task expected to go to another border guarding force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

"As ITBP does not have adequate number of battalions at present to effectively guard the new task at Myanmar border, its units from Ladakh deployed along the 3,488-km China border could be thinned out and replaced by Assam Rifles," a senior paramilitary official said.
New Delhi: After AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, now former union law minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid has reacted to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion that the new generation should be taught to hail Mother India.

Khurshid said chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' in public should be a matter of choice and not forced upon someone.

"It gives us pride when we sing the national anthem, to see our flag, to say 'Vande Matram'... Some people don't want to do it, it's their choice," Khurshid said.

The Congress leader's remarks followed Owaisi's comments that he will not chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' even if a knife is put to his throat.

"I don't chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab," the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad said.

"I won't utter that (slogan) even if you put a knife to my throat," Owaisi said further, adding, "Nowhere in the Constitution it says that one should say: 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'."

Asked whether he might be booked for sedition for his remarks, Khurshid said the matter should be left to the courts to decide.

"The whole issue of sedition is becoming hotly debated. Let's just leave it to the courts of the country to decide," he said.

On March 3, Bhagwat had said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing Mother India, comments which came against the backdrop of the row over alleged anti-India sloganeering on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

"Now the time has come when we have to tell the new generation to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' (hail Mother India). It should be real, spontaneous and part of all-round development of the youth," the RSS chief had said.

(With PTI inputs)
Mumbai: A local court on Tuesday remanded the senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in the custody of Enforcement Directorate till March 17, a day after he was arrested in a money laundering case in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam.

Bhujbal, who broke down in the court at one point while speaking, said he was innocent.

"I have cooperated (with ED). I have been in social service for the past fifty years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I honestly said I did not know but still I was arrested," he said.

He said he did not grant the contract in question (Maharashtra Sadan guesthouse in Delhi) and only followed the directions of the then Chief Minister (the late) Vilasrao Deshmukh to attend meetings (related to the project), he added.

"CM Vilasrao Deshmukh told me to hold meetings and I followed that. I did not grant contract," he said.

Some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET), a trust run by him, cooked up the allegations, he claimed.

ED said in the remand application that contractor of Maharashtra Sadan project, K S Chamankar Enterprises, paid Rs 6.03 crore to Origin Infrastructure, a firm controlled by Bhujbals.

Prime Builders and Developers to whom Chamankar sub-contracted the Maharashtra Sadan project, also "paid Rs 18.5 crore through their associates against dubious real estate deals", it said.

"In view of evidence and money trail available so far.. there are reasons to believe that Bhujbal is guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said.

The fund transfer from Prime Builders to the firms controlled by the Bhujbal family was nothing but quid pro quo for awarding Chamankars the Maharashtra Sadan project, it said, adding that Bhujbal, a cabinet minister in the then (Congress-NCP) government, was apparently the prime mover in awarding of the work.

A former employee of MET, Amit Balraj, said that he had

seen huge leather bags containing cash being brought to the ninth floor of MET office here and the notes being counted by counting machines and kept at the cash-room at MET office.

The notes used to be of Rs 1,000 denomination with each bag containing approximately Rs one crore, ED said.

Balraj also heard Sameer Bhujbal (Bhujbal's nephew, already arrested) instructing his associates about some persons bringing cash to MET building but Chhagan Bhujbal, when asked about such cash transactions, denied any knowledge, ED said.

"Balraj may also be confronted with Bhujbal to find the correct facts," said ED, adding that it did not appear reasonable that Bhujbal was unaware of these cash transactions or had not approved them as he was the chairman of MET.

These proceeds of crime, generated through "criminal activities of Chhagan Bhujbal" were further laundered through companies of Sameer and Pankaj Bhujbal as well as other Bhujbal-controlled companies in which the employees of MET were 'dummy directors', the remand plea said. Some of these companies existed only on paper, it said.

The former minister didn't cooperate with ED and maintained "deliberate silence" about the modus operandi to favour Chamankar Enterprises and especially the origin of cash which was circuitously routed through hawala operators back to companies controlled by Pankaj, his son, ED said.

The Directors of Origin Infrastructure and Niche Infrastructure told ED that they were only dummy directors installed by Bhujbals, it said.

Bhujbal's present residence, `Solitaire' building in suburban Mumbai, "itself is prima facie proceeds of crime and has been attached", and this made his role in money-laundering obvious," ED said.

The documents obtained from individuals/firms, statements of bank accounts, etc., show generation of huge "illicit funds" and laundering by Bhujbal family, ED's remand plea said.

The chartered accountant of Bhujbal group and "market operators" told investigators that shares of Parvesh Constructions and Armstrong Energy (both owned by Bhujbals) were sold to "dubious" entities for cash at "unrealistic high premiums" of Rs 9,900 per share and Rs 125 crore were channelled by this method. The cash was handed over to the operators at the office of Mumbai Educational Trust.

Bhujbals were also paid through "phony" real estate transactions from 2006 onwards, ED said.

The remand plea listed names of twelve persons, all MET employees, who are Directors of the companies controlled by Bhujbals, and said that these persons said they were "only signatory Directors" and signed the documents at the instance of the Bhujbal family.

ED's counsel Hiten Venegaonkar also told the court that Bhujbal, as Deputy Chief Minister, held certain meetings though he was not holding the relevant portfolio.

Bhujbal's lawyers R B Mokashi and Prasad Dhakephalkar said as he had appeared before ED whenever summoned, so his arrest was unnecessary.

But the court granted the remand plea.
Kate del Castillo at a press conference in Los Angeles. AP

Kate del Castillo is sweating, quivering and her head is about to explode. The first time is when she receives a message from El Chapo through his lawyers. Then its when they are planning to make a film together. And then the third time is when she locks eyes with the most powerful drug dealer in the world. A mini heart attack, I want to die, she recalls in an article published on Sunday in the Mexican magazine Proceso. The actress, who is known for her portrayal of femme fatale Teresa Mendoza in the soap opera La Reina del Sur, has written a sensationalist tale about her relationship with the Sinaloa cartel boss. A series of saccharine descriptions of memories and sensations and poetic overtures that gloss over  as her travel buddy Sean Penn did in his Rolling Stone article  the dark side of the beast. The mass murders, torture of police officers and hitmen, the crimes that overwhelmed Ciudad Juarez and much of Mexico  all because of Joaquin Guzman Loeras greed.

An Instagram post from Del Castillo of her New Yorker interview.

The long-awaited article will disappoint those who came looking for new evidence. In her zeal to sweep away any suspicion of collusion, Del Castillo tiptoes over her tenderly embarrassing messages with El Chapo, who once told her I will take care of you better than my own eyes! The article limits their connection to a professional relationship that did not involve any form of compensation. My intention was always to make a film. I have never received money from Mr Guzman, either for the film, or for the tequila company Honor del Castillo. That is why I will wait to give my statement when my defense [lawyers] decide that there are enough legal guarantees for me to go and do so in Mexico, Del Castillo writes.

Armed with these arguments, Del Castillo strings together the evolution of their clandestine relationship. The tale begins in the most kitsch of ways: La Reina del Sur had just returned from a leisurely cruise with family when she began thinking: What can I do to help? Where have we failed as Mexicans? Its easier to blame leaders, but change also begins with oneself. These thoughts led her to publish a series of tweets which may be summed up in the following way: Mr Chapo, wouldnt it be cool for you to begin dealing with good? Come on, you would be the hero of heroes. Lets deal with love. You know how.

In her zeal to sweep away any suspicion of collusion, Del Castillo tiptoes over her tenderly embarrassing messages with El Chapo

That message was met with a wave of criticism. Her deferential, even servile, tone toward Guzman was considered a form of treason in a country drowning in the whirlpool of a violent war against drug trafficking. Yet the actress says she decided to stay firm. Why should I apologize? What about freedom of expression? I would be censoring myself. Something told me I had to stay strong and faithful to my idea.

Three years later, El Chapo was in prison, and the time to take action had come. Attorneys for the Sinaloa cartel reached out to Del Castillo through her mother and contacted her by email. My heart stopped for a few seconds, before it started to beat again at an incredible speed. In fact, I think I had a mini-heart attack. I started to sweat. I went pale and my hands were trembling. That email led to a meeting in Toluca, where a very nervous Kate del Castillo spoke to El Chapos messengers. They were polite and gentlemanly enough to pull out her chair for her. In the article, Del Castillo says she was told how much the Sinaloa boss admired her. Mr. Guzman refused to give the rights to anyone... except you. To me? Give me the rights to his life...To me? Why me?! Because he admires, respects and trusts you completely. He respects you because you speak the truth, you are not posturing, because of that tweet where you mentioned him, because you are brave and because he wants you to act in his movie since he liked your work in La Reina del Sur.

Her stomach in a knot, her throat dry. Incredulous, ecstatic. And then total acceptance. The deal was sealed in a private room of a restaurant in Toluca. Del Castillo says she felt a rush of electricity in my hands and feet when she heard the news of El Chapos escape from prison in 2015. Still, his status as a fugitive did not affect their plans. He wanted me to continue with the project, she writes.

Del Castillo says she felt a rush of electricity in my hands and feet when she heard the news of El Chapos escape from prison in 2015

The actress contacted Sean Penn, whom she describes as a philanthropist, activist, a human being with a clear and transparent point of view. She brought in two producers she trusted and secured a secret meeting with El Chapos lawyers. I had a heavy weight on my shoulders. We would be visiting the most-wanted man thanks to the faith he put in me. So much fucking pressure!!!

Del Castillo brought a sort of welcome gift with her to the meeting in Sierra Madre: a copy of one of her movies (La misma luna), a Sean Penn film (21 grams), a book about her (Tuya), a book of poems by Jaime Sabines and tequila. When I finally saw his face I couldnt believe it, it was really him. It was already nighttime. From that moment on I could not take my eyes off the man who had escaped from a maximum security prison for the second time.

Then comes a scant description of the meeting itself. She runs through the dinner and their conversations with great haste, before offering the reader a slower, more intimate look at the moment when El Chapo walks her to her room. We walked down a hallway, he took my arm. I didnt know my heart could beat so fast... While I was on the arm of Joaquin Guzman Loera, I dont know where the courage to speak came from. Friend, dont forget what I asked you in my tweet, you can do good, you are a powerful man. He saw me with that penetrating look that pierced my skull... Maybe my voice was firm but everything inside me was trembling. I felt like a nobody. A mini heart attack, I wanted to die. Seconds that seemed eternal passed before he answered. Friend, you have a big heart, I think thats a good thing. I was still shaking inside, his hand on my arm kept me from fainting. He gave me a hug and then left.

Del Castillo and Sean Penn returned to the United States the next morning. And then, the actress says, her life became a nightmare as the American government searched for El Chapo and the apparent manipulation of their messages. While the Sinaloa boss begins a media campaign to improve his image and legal defense, the actress has also gone on the offensive. An interview in The New Yorker, an article in Proceso, and, on March 18, a sit-down interview with Diane Sawyer.

Kate del Castillo is shaking again.

English version by Dyane Jean Francois.
New Delhi: A seventh of the 28,356 foreigners found to be overstaying in India at the end of 2014 were Pakistanis, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju also told the Lok Sabha that the maximum number of foreigners deported from a single country in 2014 were from Nigeria.

The minister said in a written statement that 4,335 Pakistanis were found to be overstaying in India at the end of 2014, followed by Sri Lankans (3,857), South Koreans (1,772), Iraqis (1,625) and Americans (1,291).

Also in 2014, a total of 1,010 Nigerians, 989 Bangladeshis and 101 Pakistanis were deported, the minister said. The total number deported in 2014 was 2,847.

At the end of 2014, Tamil Nadu hosted the maximum number of overstaying foreigners -- 20,539. This was followed by Maharashtra (3,300). The total for the country stood at 28,356.

The minister said the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh was regularly taken up with Dhaka.

He said steps had been taken for coordinated patrolling, identification of vulnerable gaps and strengthening of riverine patrolling.

Bangladesh had also been urged to take effective steps to check the illegal movement of their nationals into India, he added.
New Delhi: Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju will today make statement on Naga peace accord in Lok Sabha.

The accord was signed in August 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier refuted Rahul Gandhi`s claim that he was not informed before signing a peace pact with Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM saying the Congress Vice-President`s statement was `completely false and baseless` and he `misled` the Parliament.

The Home Minister`s reaction came after the Congress vice president told the Lok Sabha that Singh was not aware of Naga peace accord which was signed in August 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi in Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the former released Pakistan from a small `cage` in which it was put after the 26/11 attacks by his sudden visit to Lahore and bringing a `fair and lovely` scheme to launder black money.

He alleged that Prime Minister Modi did not listen to anyone`s opinion, including his ministers and party MPs, on issues like his visit to Pakistan and the Naga accord.
New Delhi: Besides facing criticism for flouting environmental norms, the World Culture Festival organised by renowned spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living (AoL) foundation also saw Delhi Police registering over 70 cases of theft during the three-day event.

According to reports, Delhi Police registered over 70 First Information Reports related to theft during the event that ended on Sunday.

According to the ''The Indian Express'', over 30 people, including four women, have been arrested in cases related to theft of cash, mobile phones, laptops and even a Ganesh idol.

The event was organised by the AoL to mark the foundation's 35th anniversary.

We have nabbed several people who came from outside Delhi, and recovered a large number of stolen valuables from their possession, Manpreet Singh Randhawa, DCP, Delhi Police was quoted as saying.

Most of those arrested are from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Art of Living had courted a controversy for flouting environmental norms and causing damage to the fragile ecosystem of Yamina river and the alleged 'misuse' of the Army to build a pontoon bridge.

The National Green Tribunal slapped a fine of Rs 5 crore on the AoL for allegedly damaging a 1,000-acre area due to preparations for the 3-day festival, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders.
New Delhi: Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and Asiya Andrabi among others have been invited by Pakistan to attend 'Pakistan Day' function at its High Commission here.

Besides them, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and Hurriyat's moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have also been called to attend the event, official sources said.

Pakistan's envoy Abdul Basit has invited Hurriyat leaders including Geelani, Andrabi, Malik, Farooq and others to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function on March 23, they said.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has also been invited to the function. However, sources said it is unlikely that he will attend the function.

Pakistan has been inviting separatist leaders every year to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function at its High Commission in the national capital.

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh had represented the government at the Pakistan National Day reception last year.

The meetings of Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders with Pakistani establishments have always raised eyebrows here. In August last year, a controversy had erupted over the proposed meeting between former Pakistan's National Security Adviser Sartaz Aziz and Hurriyat leaders ahead of NSA-level talks in India.

India had then advised Pakistan that it would not be appropriate for Sartaz Aziz to meet with the Hurriyat representatives. Pakistan had then called off the NSA talks between the two nations.

The two NSAs were scheduled to meet in New Delhi for talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23.
Kolkata: Police in Kolkata have sought details from all colleges in the city about students enrolled with them who are from Jammu and Kashmir.

The move comes against the backdrop of protests by students at Jadavpur University and arrest of students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on sedition charges for raising anti-India slogans.

A report in The Indian Express said on Tuesday that the police has sent a note to principals of the colleges, which says, Please let me know that students, whose residential addresses is under the State of Jammu & Kashmir, studies in your Institution for onwards transmission to the Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, New Delhi, Govt. of India.

The note was sent to colleges in February by their respective local police stations.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Pallav Kanti Ghosh confirmed the authenticity of the news.

He, however, refused to say why the details were being sought.

However, the newspaper reported senior police officers as saying that central intelligence agencies had asked the Special Branch of Kolkata Police to collect the details.

Its an attempt to create dossiers on J&K students so that we can monitor their activities. This is really something new we are doing for the first time, a police officer said, as per the daily.

A spokesperson at the Union Home Ministry confirmed to the daily that a general advisory had been issued to all states.
New Delhi: Security agencies have killed three out of 10 suspected Pakistani terrorists who had entered India via Gujarat to carry out terror attacks during Maha Shivaratri festivities, a report said on Tuesday.

Officials tracked down all the 10 suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists. While three terrorists have been neutralised, a massive search operation is on to hunt down the rest, as per CNN IBN.

Important monuments and pilgrimage centers like Somanth temple, Dwarka Temple, Akashardham Temple, power plants, dams like Sardar Sarovar Dam and security establishments were put on high alert after intelligence inputs reported the entry of the said terrorists.

In view of the inputs, Gujarat and the national capital were put on high alert and security was increased at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places at both the cities.

While a red alert was issued across Gujarat, Delhi Police had heightened its vigil near iconic buildings, military installations, prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges in the city.

Notably, the terror alerts were issued across the country after Pakistans National Security Advisor provided intelligence inputs on a possible 26/11-style fidayeen assault in India.

Multiple cities including Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Vijayawada, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Panaji were put of high alert.

Fears of an attack in Gujarat have been mounting over the last four months, sparked by the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats in Harami Nullah, a channel that snakes along the India-Pakistan border before emptying into the Vianbari Creek. The fifth boat was discovered by the Border Security Force (BSF) just last month.

Earlier in the day, the government had said that Intelligence agencies detect sleeper cells of terrorist outfits from time to time.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary also told the Lok Sabha that there was close and effective coordination between intelligence and security agencies in New Delhi and in states.

This coordination was aimed at detecting and neutralising "terror activities including terror modules of different outfits", the minister said in a written statement.
New Delhi: The police and the local administration in a South Andaman Island are caught in a situation where they have to decide between the constitutional perspective - Nobody is above the law and maintaining the purity and sanctity of the society of the isolated Jarawa tribe.

The Jarawa's are considered as India's last remnant of a Paleolithic-era civilization. Local police and authorities have clear instructions from their top bosses to interfere as little as possible in the traditional life of the tribe.

According to a report in the New York Times, the Jarawas, who number about 400 and whom one geneticist described as arguably the most enigmatic people on our planet, are believed to have migrated from Africa around 50,000 years ago. They are very dark-skinned, small in stature and, until 1998, lived in complete cultural isolation, shooting outsiders with steel-tipped arrows if they came too near.

Now, as to avoid catastrophes that befell aboriginal people in other countries like US and Australia, India has also decided to minimise the 'contact' with the tribe. But the tribe's gradual 'contact' with the outside world is happening and the latest incident of such 'contact' came to light when an unmarried Jarawa girl gave birth to a comparatively light-skinned boy.

The incident was a clear indicator that outside genes had found their way into an undiluted gene pool.

The tribe has a tradition of killing all the children who are born to widows or are fathered by outsiders.

The report, which quotes Dr. Ratan Chandra Kar, a government physician who wrote a memoir about his work with the Jarawas, mentions about a tradition in which newborn babies were breastfed by each of the tribes lactating women before being strangled by one of the tribal elders so as to maintain the so-called purity and sanctity of the society.

As per the tradition, this boy was also killed to safeguard the tribe's undiluted gene pool.

But unlike past such incidents, this time, the matter was reported to the police as witnesses came forward and narrated the incident.

Almost five months after birth, the child went missing from a hospital near the reserve area. The mother and a hospital attendant saw a man from the tribe carrying the child. The child was later found buried in the sand.

Almost five months have passed since the incident took place in November last year, but the case has not moved an inch forward. Despite having eyewitnesses, the police are in a fix over what to do - safeguarding the complainant's legal rights or the tribe's sanctity.
New Delhi: Congress member Pramod Tiwari on Tuesday raised in Rajya Sabha the supply of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan by the US and asked the government to impress upon Washington not to go ahead with the deal saying it was a "serious danger" to India.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour amid din, Tiwari said India's relations with all neighbouring countries, be it Nepal, China or Pakistan, have worsened.

Supply of F-16 planes to Pakistan will be "a serious danger and challenge" for India, he said.

Tiwari said the government has "failed" to convince the US that Pakistan would not use the planes against terror activities but against India.

"This is a matter concerning the security of the country...Government should strongly put its side before the US," he said.

He expressed concern that the Chinese Army has entered the Pak-Occupied Kashmir and Pakistan and China were jointly making constructions there.

"This is a big threat for India," he said. He also said the Chinese Army entered five and half kilometers in India.

He further said India's boundaries have been encroached upon 1400 times. India's image has emerged as "weak" nation with a "weak" foreign policy.

Praveen Rashtrapal (Cong) demanded more special courts in the wake of "increase" in atrocities against SC and STs.

Citing examples, he said 14,268 cases are pending in Madhya Pradesh and 13,678 in Rajasthan.

Husain Dalwai of Congress raised the issue of deaths in road accidents. In the last decade, road crashes in India have killed over 12 lakh people and seriously injured or left permanently disabled another 55 lakh, he said.

Sanjay Sinh (Cong) talked about "serious irregularities" in payment of compensation to farmers for land acquired for construction of Varanasi-Lucknow National Highway No 56.

He demanded an inquiry by a central team into land acquired from farmers of Sultanpur block.
The channel to be launched mid-2016

Mumbai, March 15, 2016: Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) today announced that its Global English News Channel, slated to be launched this summer, will be called WION - World is One News. The channel will report global news and issues from a South Asian perspective.

Commenting on the new channel, Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman, Essel Group & ZEE said, Zee Medias new Global English News Channel  WION, will look to offer a seamless experience to empower, educate and energise our discerning viewers. Inspired by the Groups motto, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-The World is My Family, WION aptly stands for World is One News and will give a global view of the world with a South Asian lens.

Sharing more details on the news network, Rohit Gandhi, Editor-in-Chief  English News Broadcast and Related Content said, With WION, we will meet the aspirations of 2 billion South Asians by delivering a global News network reflecting a South Asian world perspective. Its high time for South Asian reporting from front lines, war zones and prominent global capitals.

While a TV channel is the face of this mobile-first start-up, our newsgathering, reporting, production and publishing processes are an ambitious leap into a multiscreen future. We aim to disrupt conventional ways of thinking about news and set a new template for storytelling across platforms, Rohit Gandhi further added.

WIONs target audience is Generation Z, not in terms of age, but in terms of values, beliefs and attitude. A generation that is global, social, visual and tech savvy.

WION is a mobile/digital first platform and later will be an international television channel. The news content will be available to audiences at their convenience, on their preferred screens. The network will use technology to bring in user-generated content, it is the audiences voice that will define WION. Its newsgathering teams will be equipped with mobile technology for an anytime-anywhere live approach.

WION will have bureaus across the globe. Using a mix of young and seasoned journalists with diverse nationalities, WION will dare to be on the forefront of whats happening today in thought-provoking ways.
Mumbai: Senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal was produced before Special PMLA Court in Mumbai Sessions Court on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), who arrested Bhujbal, the MLA from Yeola constituency in Nashik district, yesterday night said that he is not cooperating with the interrogators.

The NCP leader was taken into custody after 10 hours of questioning in connection with a probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others.

According to an ED official, the arrest of the former PWD minister was effected under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he allegedly refused to cooperate during questioning.

The agency has filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters outside the Maharashtra Assembly, BJP MLA Anil Gote said, "I am pleased that Bhujbal has been arrested. When I was implicated in the Telgi scam, NCP workers had removed their shirts and danced in front of my house. Now my cadres are rejoicing."

Supporters of Bhujbal today blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra National Highway in Nashik district and staged a protest against his arrest even as several commercial establishments remained closed in some areas in the city.

Protesting his arrest, the former Deputy Chief Minister's supporters and NCP activists shouted anti-government slogans and blocked the highway near Ojhar, about 21 kms from here, affecting the movement of vehicular traffic, an officer at rural police control room said.

Later, police rounded up the protestors and cleared the highway, he said.

The party activists also staged a 'rasta-roko' in the busy Central Bus Stand locality of the city. However, police rushed to the spot and cleared the road.

Besides, all commercial establishments and shops were closed in Yeola, Lasalgaon and Nandgaon tehsil towns in the district after a bandh call was given by NCP activists to protest the arrest of their leader.

Both the city and rural police have beefed up security by deploying extra force on highways, near Bhujbal's farm and NCP office in the city, as a precautionary measure.
House speaker Patxi Lopez (center) says there could be a serious political conflict in store. Uly Martin

The inability of Spains politicians to agree on a new prime minister could lead to yet another problem in the coming days.

Congressional speaker Patxi Lopez, a Socialist, warned on Tuesday about the risk of a serious institutional conflict between the lower house and the acting government of Mariano Rajoy, of the Popular Party (PP).

The trouble stems from the fact that the Legislature wants to control the governments actions through regular question times, but the government refuses to submit to such oversight.

It is unheard of for a government to declare itself in contempt of Congress

Antonio Hernando, Socialist Party

Rajoy and his team feel that a caretaker government should only submit to the courts, not to the current parliament that emerged from the inconclusive December 20 elections. They say that never in constitutional history was there a question time in Congress before a new prime minister had taken his oath of office.

This argument has already been used by the PP to prevent Rajoy from appearing in Congress to explain the content of several European Union meetings, including one involving a controversial plan to send all Syrian refugees landing in Greece back to Turkey.

Similarly, the government is rejecting calls to have acting Defense Minister Pedro Morenes appear before the Defense Committee on Thursday.

Congressional speaker Patxi Lopez has sent acting Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria a letter asking her team to reconsider its refusal.

Lopez did not say what steps will be taken if the government continues to refuse, but he suggested the possibility of taking the issue to the Constitutional Court on the basis of a conflict of attributions.

This legal concept, said Lopez, aims to ensure that one institution does not prevent another from performing its duties  in this case, the caretaker government would be preventing the Legislature from doing its job properly.

But even if this step were taken, a decision would not be handed down before the dissolution of parliament on May 2  if no prime minister is found before then.

It is unheard of for a government to declare itself in contempt of Congress, said the Socialist deputy Antonio Hernando.

Uncharted waters

Hernando added that the agenda for the plenary session of March 29 will include an appearance by Mariano Rajoy to explain the content of two recent European Council meetings. If positions do not change between now and then, Rajoy will not show up, leading Spanish politics into uncharted territory.

The inconclusive election of December 20 created a fragmented political scenario in which no party or group of parties has so far managed enough clout to secure a parliamentary majority and form a government.

The only nominee to try, the Socialist Pedro Sanchez, failed to attract enough votes at a recent investiture debate. If no successful candidate emerges in the coming weeks, Spain will be forced to hold a fresh election in late June.

English version by Susana Urra.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to amend the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act which provides for de-registration of long-defunct trusts among other things.

After the Legislative Council passes it, the law would pave way for initiating action against about 3.5 lakh such charitable trusts (which is around 50 per cent of the total number of trust registered under the Trusts Act).

Action will also be taken in respect of the trusts whose trustees have defaulted on reporting the change of details or audited accounts or making other compliances in last five years.

The trusts liable to be de-registered include those whose "purpose of formation is either fulfilled or has become impossible to fulfil".

The bill provides for taking over of management of de-registered trusts and disposal of their properties by sale and depositing of proceeds in government treasury.

It also makes it compulsory for the trusts to take previous permission of the charity commissioner before borrowing money.

Minister of State for Law and Judiciary Ranjit Patil said the government was considering coming out with a road-map and organising workshops to ensure that the number of pending cases at the charity commissioner's level is brought to zero.
Mumbai: Senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be produced before Special PMLA Court in Mumbai Sessions Court on Tuesday.

He was arrested on Monday night by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here after 10 hours of questioning in connection with its probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others.

According to an ED official, the arrest of the former PWD minister was effected under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he allegedly refused to cooperate during questioning.

The agency also recorded his statement in the case.

The agency has filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

The senior NCP leader, accompanied by MLC Jitendra Awhad, earlier arrived at the ED office at Ballard Pier in South Mumbai amid tight security around 11.30 AM, as per PTI.

The summons followed a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya in connection with cases lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Foreign Exchange Management Act pertaining to alleged irregularities in the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, allegedly worth several hundred crores of rupees.

The ED had registered a PMLA case involving the Bhujbals and some of their associates and has already arrested the ex-minister's nephew Samir last month in the case.

Samir is currently lodged in the high security Arthur Road jail here.

The ED had also questioned Bhujbal's son Pankaj in the same case last month.

It had also brought out orders for attachment of three properties with an estimated worth of over Rs 280 crore in the case under money laundering laws.

ED had twice conducted searches at nine premises, including properties and offices, belonging to the senior Bhujbal, Pankaj, Samir and few others.

The state Anti-Corruption Bureau has already filed a charge sheet against Chhagan Bhujbal, Pankaj, Sameer and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case.

The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at the cost of Rs 100 crore when Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik criticised the development claiming Bhujbal was innocent, that he had done nothing wrong, and that there was nothing against him. He reiterated that the ruling BJP was allegedly pressurising the investigating agencies, as per IANS.

On the other hand, Somaiya said "Bhujbal's arrest was inevitable" and predicted that the same fate awaits other NCP leaders involved in the mega irrigation scams which he has unearthed.

State BJP president Raosaheb Danve, Minorities Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse and other party leaders welcomed Bhujbal's arrest.

(With Agency inputs)
London: As Apple battles the US government over encryption to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a mass shooting in San Bernadino last year, top US companies Google, Facebook and Snapchat are expanding encryption of user data in their services, media reported.

According to The Guardian, while Whatsapp is set to roll out encryption for its voice calls in addition to its existing privacy features, Google is investigating "extra uses" for encryption in secure email.

Social networking giant Facebook too is working on to better protect its Messenger service.

The popular messaging service Snapchat is also considering a more secure messaging system.

Apple, which is expected to appear in a federal court in California on March 22 to fight the order, has accused the US Department of Justice (DoJ) of trying to "smear" the company with "desperate" and "unsubstantiated" claims.

It followed the Justice Department's latest court filing over its demand that Apple create software to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a mass shooting last year, BBC reported.

The department said that Apple's stance was "corrosive" of institutions trying to protect "liberty and rights".

It also claims Apple helped the Chinese government with iPhone security.

Apple's general counsel Bruce Sewell said: "The tone of the brief reads like an indictment."

He said: "Everybody should beware because it seems like disagreeing with the Department of Justice means you must be evil and anti-American, nothing could be further from the truth."

Prosecutors claim Apple's own data shows that China demanded information from Apple regarding more than 4,000 iPhones in the first half of 2015, and Apple produced data 74 percent of the time.

But Sewell said the new filing relies on thinly sourced reports to inaccurately suggest that Apple had colluded with the Chinese government to undermine iPhone buyers' security.

The US government has been fighting Apple over access to information on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers, Rizwan Farook, in December. Apple says the demands violate the company's rights.

The Department of Justice claimed in its court filing that Apple had attacked the FBI investigation as "shoddy", and tried to portray itself as a "guardian of Americans' privacy".

This "rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights: The courts, the Fourth Amendment, longstanding precedent and venerable laws, and the democratically elected branches of government," the DoJ said.

In February, the FBI obtained a court order to force Apple to write new software that would allow the government to break into the phone. The FBI wants the software to bypass auto-erase functions on the phone.

Apple has argued that the government is asking for a "back door" that could be exploited by the government and criminals.
The Islamic State group said Tuesday it killed a Bangladeshi who was hacked to death this week, describing the victim as a top Shiite preacher -- a claim the country`s authorities reject.

Police confirmed that the man named in an IS statement, Abdul Razzaq, was killed on Monday night but rejected the IS claim of responsibility.

IS has claimed a series of killings in Bangladesh, but authorities deny that it has a presence there and instead blame local Islamist groups.

Police said the latest victim was a homeopathic medicine practitioner who owned a shop in the southwestern town of Kaliganj.

"Unidentified attackers hacked Abdur Razzaq, 45, to death with sharp weapons on Monday night after he shut down his shop and was heading back to his village," local police chief Anwar Hossain told AFP, giving a different spelling for the first name.

"We`re investigating the motive but it was not carried out by the IS."

IS said in a statement its fighters in Bangladesh "were able to assassinate the polytheist apostate Hafidh Abdul Razzaq, one of the top preachers for the Rafidha (Shiite) religion," according to US monitoring group SITE.

Bangladesh police said the victim was a Sunni Muslim.

But Ibrahim Khalil Rizvi, who heads a Shiite education centre in the southern city of Khulna, told AFP Razzaq had been following the Shiite form of the religion "for over 20 years".

In January the IS group claimed responsibility for the murder of an 85-year-old man in the same district.

The group said the murdered man, Samir al-Din, was a preacher who had converted to Christianity from Islam. His family and police said he had later switched back to Islam.

In recent months, the IS also said it was behind a series of attacks targeting foreigners and minorities including Shiite, Ahmadi and Sufi Muslims, Hindus and Christians in the Sunni-majority country.

Police have instead blamed the banned militant group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the upsurge in deadly violence.

Bangladesh has been plagued by unrest in the last three years. Experts say a long-running political crisis has radicalised opponents of the government.

sa/cc/sm


Chennai: DMK Tuesday criticised the Jayalalitha government, alleging that it was not exerting pressure on the Centre to find a proper solution to the issue of fishermen's arrest.

"When compared to India, Sri Lanka is a small country. Should not the big country India put an end to the atrocities of the Sri Lankan navy. Where there is a will, there is a way," DMK President M Karunanidhi said.

Hitting out at Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for taking up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through letters, he asked if that was enough and whether such an approach had redressed the problems of fishermen.

"Should not the Chief Minister or senior ministers or the minister concerned take up the matter in Delhi (with the Centre)," he asked in a statement.

Karunanidhi said that AIADMK had 37 Lok Sabha MPs, its help was "required" by the BJP government (in Parliament) and AIADMK could have "exerted pressure" on the Centre for fishermen's welfare.

"How much the AIADMK government is protecting fishermen through letters," he said.

Citing the latest incident of the arrest of 28 fishermen, the DMK chief said "the Centre should make "genuine efforts" and intervene in the issue immediately.
Dehradun: Ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Utttarakhand on Tuesday exchanged charges over the attack on a horse allegedly by BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi during a protest here even as the issue dominated the social media with people pouring their wrath on the Mussoorie legislator for showing cruelty to the hapless animal.

Police has registered a case against Joshi and his supporters under Cruelty to Animals Act in connection with the incident, while several animal rights activists including Puja Bahukhandi have also lodged a police complaint against the Mussoorie MLA for his "inhuman" act.

When intercepted by police near Rispana bridge on way to the state assembly during a protest march yesterday, BJP workers tried to jump over the barricades prompting security personnel, including the mounted police, to swing into action to control the protesters.

This enraged Joshi who allegedly began hitting a 13-year-old police horse named Shaktiman with a stick, causing fracture in one of its hind legs.

After news about the horse being injured during protests by BJP spread, Chief Minister Harish Rawat visited the stable located at the police lines where it has been kept for treatment.

Rawat asked sub-inspector Shyam Singh Chauhan, who is looking after the injured animal, to take good care of the horse in consultation with veterinary doctors.

Rawat also asked Dehradun SSP Sadanand Daate to take the help of doctors of the Veterinary Hospital, Chennai.

"A look at the horse shows the excruciating pain the animal is undergoing. A political party should not vent its frustration on a hapless animal in this manner.

"Political workers must learn the value of restraint and tolerance. It seems the word tolerance does not exist in BJP's dictionary," Rawat said.

Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi also visited the police lines stable to enquire about the horse's condition.

Denying the charges levelled against him, Joshi said it was part of the state government's conspiracy to malign him and his party and deflect people's attention from its failures.

Claiming that he had not inflicted injury on the horse, Joshi in a statement said, the horse went out of control during the protests and one of its hind legs got stuck in a hole dug up to put up the barricades.

This had led to injuries to the horse, he said.

On the video being circulated on the social media showing him attacking the horse with a stick, Joshi said he was only trying to scare away the animal which had gone berserk, leaving a BJP worker badly injured.

Meanwhile, Joshi is being severely criticised on social media for showing cruelty to an animal.

While some are demanding that BJP MLA be booked under criminal charges, others are advocating stern action by the party against him.
Kolkata: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi on Monday assured all political parties of a free and fair Assembly poll in West Bengal beginning from April 4, even as the opposition parties urged the poll panel to probe a 'sting' operation allegedly involving some leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Opposition CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb said they have requested the poll panel to take action against those TMC leaders, purportedly shown in the 'sting' operation, according to constitutional provision.

He said the CEC assured them to look into the problem. "We also demanded reinstatement of some officials removed by the ruling party ahead of the polls and removal of hoardings in violation of the Model Code of Conduct," he said.

Congress leaders also raised similar demands during their meeting with the poll panel.

The opposition leaders said Zaidi assured them to go through their complaints and suggestions for a fair poll.

Representatives of the ruling Trinamool Congress too met the poll panel with a list of suggestions, which the CEC has also assured to look into.

Simultaneously, Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy lodged complaint against poll panel's declaration of six-phase elections in the state.

"It is virtually a seven-phase election, as the first phase poll will be held in two parts on different dates. Then why this camouflage?" Roy asked the CEC.

"We are ready to face multi-phase elections in the state, but it is an insult to the people of Bengal," he said.

The opposition CPI(M), Congress and BJP lodged various complaints with the poll panel against the ruling TMC, while demanding measures for free and fair poll.

The full bench of the Election Commission led by the CEC arrived here today on a two-day visit to the state to review poll preparedness.

Apart from meeting EC officials of the state and political parties, the poll panel full bench listened to the representatives of 'Save the Democracy Forum' and former West Bengal State Election Commissioner Meera Pande.

While Pande urged the poll panel to ensure free and fair poll to allow people to exercise their franchise without any fear, Save the Democracy Forum representative Justice (Retd) Asok Kumar Ganguly requested the poll panel to see that all FIRs were looked into and steps taken.

The CEC would meet the DMs, SPs, other senior officials in the state and media persons tomorrow.


Kolkata: In the wake of the sting operation alleging bribery by several leaders of West Bengal`s ruling Trinamool Congress, the opposition Congress, Left Front and the BJP on Tuesday organised protest marches across the city demanding the removal of the Mamata Banerjee government.

Pressing for its demand for Banerjee`s resignation as well as a CBI probe into the alleged bribery scandal, the Bharatiya Janata Party organised a protest march and submitted a memorandum to Governor KN Tripathi.

"Neither the chief minster nor the Trinamool government has any right to continue. We have placed our demand with the governor seeking his intervention in the matter. A CBI probe into the allegations is also imperative," BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said after meeting Tripathi.

While Congress youth activists staged a protest in the city throwing fake notes in the air, there were also joint protest marches by Congress and Left Front activists.

Poll-bound Bengal`s ruling Trinamool on Monday faced an embarrassing situation when several of its leaders were allegedly caught on camera accepting bribes.

The sting operation carried out by Narada News and uploaded on its website allegedly showed as many as 11 Trinamool leaders, including former union ministers, state ministers and MPs, accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company.

The Trinamool has rubbished the allegations made in the sting operation and threatened legal action against the news portal claiming the videos were "doctored".

Even as the bribery scandal rocked the Lok Sabha, with the Congress, Left and the BJP demanding action in the matter, Mamata Banerjee, appearing unfazed, challenged the opposition to fight her politically instead of resorting to conspiracies.

"Let the opposition hatch as many conspiracies as they want. We are not afraid. We work for the people honestly," Banerjee said in her address at a public meeting in Kurseong in Darjeeling district.


Darjeeling: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Tuesday address an election rally hold in Kurseong, kicking off Trinamool Congress' assembly election campaign from the hills.

The hill unit of the Trinamul Congress had earlier announced that Mamata would hold a public meeting in Kurseong to convince people here that TMC could pose a major challenge to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the Assembly polls, banking on various development boards, which she had launched for different communities.

Binny Sharma, general secretary, Darjeeling (hill) Trinamul, said, "Although the venue has not been fixed, it will most probably be held at Monteviot Ground."

Shanta Chhetri, who had been elected to the Assembly three times on GNLF ticket, was fielded by Trinamul in the Kurseong seat. Sarda Rai Subba and Harka Bahadur Chhetri have been fielded by the party in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, respectively.

Elections will be held to the three hill Assembly segments on April 17.

Mamata appears to be confident that Trinamul would put up a strong fight in the three seats.

"The confidence stems from the fact that she has formed separate development boards for many hill communities and she expects their support for Trinamul candidates," a Trinamul leader had said earlier.

So far, development boards have been formed for Lepchas, Tamangs, Sherpas, Bhutias and Mangars. The chief minister has announced development boards for the Limbus and Rais as well, but they have not been formed yet. These communities together make up over 50 per cent of the hill population.

The elections, observers believe, will show if political benefits will accrue to Trinamul from the boards. "This is the elections where it will be clear whether Mamata's development boards have managed to win the hearts of the hill people," said an observer.

The Morcha, on the other hand, has been alleging that the boards were formed with an intention to divide and rule the hill population.
The Rolling Stones performing in Mexico City. Saul Ruiz

When you walk into an arena where the Rolling Stones are about to play, you get the feeling that youre living through a historic moment. Around you members of the audience are saying to each other how fortunate they are to see this 50-year-old British rock band for maybe the last time. But Ismael Fausto, a veteran music journalist, takes a different view: Ive been hearing people say that since 1996, and theyre still here. After a 10-year absence, the Stones returned to Mexico City on Monday night, and gave 60,000 fans nearly two adrenaline-fueled hours of performance.

They were punctual and got straight to the music. The band worked the crowd up with Start Me Up and, without taking a break for the usual greeting, they played the classics Its Only Rock n Roll and Wild Horses. The adrenaline rush was contagious for the crowd  those who were fortunate enough to attend. Ticket prices for latecomers cost more than $800.

We used to drink tequila... Now we drink mezcal, said Mick Jagger before the band launched into Out of Control

Mick Jagger moved from one side of the stage to the other like a Tarahumara native. Despite Mexico Citys restrictions on open-air events, due to high levels of air pollution, Jagger sang and howled as if he had infinite oxygen reserves. Keith Richards drove the crowd wild when he took center stage to play a solo. Ron Wood smoked a cigar. Charlie Watts was the only one who reminded onlookers that they were watching a group of mostly septuagenarians.

Mick Jagger addressed the crowd in Spanish throughout practically the whole gig. We used to drink tequila... Now we drink mezcal, he said before the band launched into Out of Control. He made a similar joke in Colombia, saying that he had been contributing to the countrys economy for years.

Their Satanic Majesties have retained their irreverent attitude. Jagger did not shy away from El Chapo controversy. Sean Penn came to interview me in the hotel but I escaped, he joked.

After more than 20 albums and 250 million records sold, the average time for a concert does not seem enough to exhaust their repertoire

Are you ready?, Jagger asked after performing non-stop for 90 minutes. After more than 20 albums and 250 million records sold, the average time for a concert does not seem enough to exhaust their repertoire. Sympathy for the Devil, Brown Sugar, You Can't Always Get What You Want and the unbeatable Satisfaction. What a great night, Mexico, Richards said in perfect Spanish.

The Rolling Stones tour began in Chile in early February. They have performed in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru and Colombia. On March 25, they will play a free concert in Havana for the first time. The performance is expected to draw more than 200,000 spectators, who will dance to what was once written off in the Caribbean country as capitalist rhythms.

The Stones will leave Mexico on Thursday and, as always, they leave their fans filled with the fear that it may be the last time.

English version by Dyane Jean Francois.
New Delhi/Kolkata: A sting operation allegedly showing several Trinamool Congress leaders accepting money in return for lobbying for a private firm snowballed into a major political row on Tuesday both within and outside parliament.

The issue figured prominently in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour.

Much to the chagrin of poll-bound West Bengal`s ruling Trinamool Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) urged Governor K.N. Tripathi for a CBI probe while the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said any leader shown in the video footage should not be allowed to contest the assembly polls.

On the defensive, senior Trinamool leader Mukul Roy termed the video footage "manufactured".

"It is a manufactured video. There is a political motive behind all these," he told reporters.

His party colleague and Dum Dum MP Saugata Roy alleged in the Lok Sabha: "There is a political conspiracy against Trinamool by the three parties -- BJP, Congress and CPI-M -- as they all are going to lose the upcoming assembly elections."

Pressing for its demand for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee`s resignation as well as a CBI probe into the alleged bribery scandal, the BJP organised a protest march in Kolkata and submitted a memorandum to Governor Tripathi.

"Neither the chief minster nor the Trinamool government has any right to continue. We have placed our demand with the governor seeking his intervention in the matter," BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said in Kolkata after meeting the governor.

The sting operation, purported to have been done by a news portal, figured prominently in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour and members from the BJP, CPI-M and Congress unitedly demanded a house probe.

"We are ashamed that we have to sit along with some members who have been shown receiving money in return for lobbying," said Mohammad Salim of the CPI-M.

He urged the Lok Sabha speaker to call for the CDs from the portal which conducted the sting and order a probe.

Salim was supported by Darjeeling member SS Ahluwalia of the BJP and Bengal Congress unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who represents Berhampore constituency.

The issue was also sought to be raised in the Rajya Sabha but Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said it can be raised only after giving proper notice.

The Lok Sabha proceedings during Zero Hour were also marked by exchange of heated words between Trinamool members like Saugata Roy and Sultan Ahmed on one side and the likes of Salim (CPI-M) and other Left members and Chowdhury on the other.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said truth must prevail in the matter since it was related to the conduct of the elected MPs.

"The matter needs to be probed either by the government or by the Lok Sabha speaker to establish the truth. Truth must prevail in the case," he said.

In West Bengal, Trinamool`s arch rival CPI-M stepped up its attack and demanded that the leaders shown in the footage be debarred from contesting the assembly elections.

"Some of the leaders shown in the video accepting bribes are contesting in the assembly polls. They should not be allowed to contest," CPI-M leader Rabin Deb said on Monday.


Brasilia: Brazil`s ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is about to join the government of his embattled protege Dilma Rousseff, administration sources said Tuesday, as both seek to save their political lives.

The move, which would be hugely divisive, would amount to a risky bet that the aura around Lula`s administration, a period of watershed prosperity in Brazil, still outshines the economic and political mess the country has descended into under Rousseff.

"There are two possibilities for Lula in the government: chief of staff or cabinet secretary," an administration source told AFP, saying the former president would travel to Brasilia Monday or Tuesday to discuss his options with Rousseff in person.

Speculation had swirled in recent days that such a move was imminent, as both Lula and Rousseff`s political stars waned.

He is facing charges linked to a massive corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras, and she faces an impeachment drive, a deep recession and mass protests.

Besides trying to leverage Lula`s charisma to escape the current crisis, a cabinet appointment would have the added bonus for the ruling Workers` Party of saving Lula, its co-founder, from prosecution in ordinary court.

Ministers can only be tried before the Supreme Court in Brazil.

But the administration source denied the move was aimed at protecting Lula from arrest.

"The goal is to help the president confront the impeachment process... (and) not to escape justice," the source said, adding: "Lula is the only man capable of resolving" the current crisis.

Citing administration sources, newspaper O Globo reported that Lula was prepared to accept a post on condition Rousseff agree to overhaul her economic policy to make it "more focused on rebooting growth."The latest political twist in the ailing South American giant came after one million to three million Brazilians flooded the streets Sunday in nationwide protests calling for Rousseff`s departure.

Protesters said they were fed up with the country`s worst recession in 25 years, the sweeping Petrobras scandal and the government`s complete inability to pass laws in Congress.

The historic rebuff on the streets left Rousseff few options as Congress geared up to relaunch stalled impeachment proceedings.

The Supreme Court is expected to set out the rules for an impeachment process on Wednesday or Thursday.

That will allow Rousseff`s enemies in Congress to go ahead with an impeachment attempt that began last year but stalled over technicalities.

Lula, a former labor leader and a hero to the poor and working-class, for his part appears increasingly to be backed into a corner.

On Monday Brazil`s top anti-corruption judge took over the money-laundering case filed against him by Sao Paulo state prosecutors.

The judge, Sergio Moro, is the spearhead of the massive investigation into the Petrobras scandal, which has upended the political and business worlds in Brazil.

Investigators allege construction companies conspired with Petrobras execs to inflate contracts to the tune of $2 billion, passing some of the dirty cash on to politicians and parties.Rousseff was chairman at Petrobras during much of the period in question, but does not face charges so far.

However, the legal onslaught now threatens a key ally.

Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2010, is far more popular than she is and provides much of her credibility with the left-wing base.

Lula, who vigorously denies the charges, says that prosecutors have only spurred him into deciding on a comeback attempt when Rousseff`s second term ends in 2018.

But planning the next presidential election may be premature with Rousseff battling just to survive her second term.

The impeachment case rests on allegations that Rousseff`s government illegally manipulated accounts to boost public spending during her 2014 re-election campaign.

It is unclear whether she would muster enough votes in Congress to survive.

Her Workers` Party is in a shaky coalition with the bigger PMDB. On Saturday, the centrist party discussed pulling out of the ruling coalition altogether, with a decision to be taken in 30 days.

PMDB leader Michel Temer is Rousseff`s vice president and as such would replace her automatically should she be impeached -- a tempting incentive for the biggest party in Congress.
Berlin: A car bomb killed a driver travelling down a street in central Berlin on Tuesday, police said.

The German Police has opened a homicide probe, with authorities ruling out any terrorism link.

The blast caused by an explosive device "on or in the vehicle" occurred during morning rush-hour traffic on Bismarckstrasse, within sight of the Victory Column monument.

The explosion flipped over the vehicle, leaving its front severely dented and debris strewn several metres away.

No other injuries were reported, although the car rammed into a parked vehicle.

Identifying the victim as a 43-year-old man, Berlin police said on Twitter: "There is currently no indication that this was linked to terrorism."

"We believe this was a homicide," prosecutor`s office spokesman Martin Steltner told the daily Tagesspiegel.

Spiegel Online said the victim had previously been investigated by police for offences including drug trafficking and that investigators believe Tuesday`s attack was linked to organised crime.

The Volkswagen Passat station wagon was heading downtown when the explosion struck close to the subway entrance to Deutsche Oper station, in front of one of Berlin`s three opera houses.

Police had asked residents to stay indoors and keep their windows shut. They later gave the all-clear after completing a sweep for further explosives.

(With AFP inputs)
Paris: As a French cardinal is accused of covering up child sex abuse by a priest, here are some other alleged or confirmed cases within the Catholic Church around the world.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Tuesday urged Cardinal Philippe Barbarin to "take responsibility, speak and act" following allegations of sex abuse of young boys from 1986-91.

- UNITED STATES: In 2004, an investigation established that some 4,400 Catholic priests were paedophiles and that the number of victims from 1950-2002 stands at around 11,000.

A major scandal erupted in Boston, where cardinal Bernard Law was forced to resign in 2002 for allegedly protecting paedophile priests.

An award-winning investigation by the Boston Globe into the abuse was made into the film "Spotlight," which has just won an Oscar for best picture.

In 2007, the diocese of Los Angeles, under cardinal Roger Mahony, agreed to pay $660 million to 550 presumed victims. Mahony was also accused of covering for paedophile priests, and was relieved of his "administrative or public duties" in 2013.

- IRELAND: Accusations against Catholic institutions began to emerge early in the millenium, and covered several decades prior to that. The number of underaged victims was estimated at around 14,500. Several bishops and priests accused of committing or covering up the abuse have been punished.

- THE NETHERLANDS: In late 2011, a study found that several tens of thousands of minors had been sexually abused within the Dutch Catholic Church institutions between 1945 and 2010. Some 800 suspects have been identified.

- AUSTRALIA: In February 2016, the Vatican`s finance chief, Cardinal George Pell, testified via video-link before an Australian commission probing abuse, and admitted that the church "mucked up" in dealing with paedophile priests in the state of Victoria. Pell vowed not to "defend the indefensible" before the inquiry.

At least 620 children are believed to have suffered church-related sex abuse since the 1930s.

In June 2014, the bishop of Australia`s armed forces, Max Davis, resigned after he was accused of sexually abusing a minor.

- GERMANY: At least 231 children were victims of sexual or physical abuse at The Domspatzen, a 1,000-year-old choir in Bavaria, according to a church appointed lawyer.

The choir was run by former pope Benedict`s brother Georg Ratzinger from 1964 to 1994, when most of the claimed abuses took place.

Other countries where alleged or confirmed cases of sexual abuse have come to light include Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mexico and Poland.

Pope Francis has approved the creation of an internal church tribunal to punish bishops who cover up sex abuse by priests, but networks of abuse survivors are sceptical that much will change.


Ankara: EU president Donald Tusk warned Tuesday that hard work lay ahead to finalise a proposed deal with Turkey to end Europe`s migration crisis, after Cyprus threatened to derail it over longstanding disagreements with Ankara.

Tusk held hastily arranged talks in Nicosia in an attempt to win Cyprus`s backing for the proposal, which has been hailed as a "game-changer" for countries buckling under the burden of a mass refugee influx.

But there has been a growing pushback against the deal, with both France and the Czech Republic warning Tuesday against attempts by Turkey to "blackmail" Europe.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said his country would not accept "Turkish demands without (the) implementation of Turkey`s long-pending obligations," including Ankara`s official recognition of the Cyprus government.

EU and Turkish leaders agreed last week to a tentative proposal that calls for the return to Turkey of all new migrants landing in Greece. For each Syrian refugee returned, the EU agreed to take one from a Turkish camp and resettle them in Europe.

Cyprus has expressed reservations, not least as its longtime adversary Turkey expects the accord to lead to the opening of new chapters in Ankara`s EU membership bid and the easing of visa requirements in Europe`s passport-free Schengen area.

From Nicosia Tusk flew on to Ankara for talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, saying afterwards it was "not an easy task" to make the proposal legally sound and acceptable to all 28 EU members.

"It is clear that there is still hard work to be done," Tusk said, adding there were "a catalogue of issues" to address if an agreement was to be reached at a new summit on Thursday and Friday.The UN`s top officials on refugees and human rights questioned whether the plan would be legal and Tusk conceded this was an issue that still had to be worked out.

Paris on Tuesday insisted that Turkey will not be allowed to dictate terms at the summit.

France will tell Turkey it wants "more efficient" cooperation on the migrant crisis, but will warn against any attempt at "blackmail", Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.

Czech President Milos Zeman also lashed out at Turkey on Tuesday, claiming that Ankara was seeking billions of euros more in EU aid.

"Impolite people like myself call that blackmail," he told reporters.

Last year more than 1.2 million people travelled to Europe in search of a better life, in the continent`s biggest migration crisis since World War II. Member states such as Greece, where arrivals are highest, are struggling to cope.

On Tuesday, some 1,500 migrants who managed to cross into Macedonia despite the border being closed were sent back to Greece.

Officials said the group of men, women and children had left an overcrowded camp on the Greek side on Monday and waded thigh-deep through a river to get into Macedonia, where they were stopped by troops.

Macedonian army spokesman Toni Janevski told AFP the migrants were returned to Greece "without any incident or use of force".

A Cypriot refusal of the migrant-swap deal would effectively block the largest diplomatic push yet to ease Europe`s burden of accommodating hundreds of thousands of refugees, most of whom enter the EU through Turkey.

The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded its northern sector in response to an Athens-engineered coup attempt.

Turkey does not recognise the Cypriot government and Nicosia has blocked six key chapters of Ankara`s negotiations for EU membership since 2009, effectively halting the process.

Cyprus insists Turkey must first meet its longstanding demands for recognition, and to open up trade ties, ports and airports.

Complicating matters further are UN-backed negotiations between the Nicosia government and the Turkish Cypriot administration, which is recognised by Ankara, aimed at reuniting the island.

European sources say EU officials recognise they took the wrong approach to Cyprus`s concerns, which were overlooked in the enthusiasm among member states for a deal.

At one point last week in Brussels, Anastasiades was involved in a heated confrontation with key European figures, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in which he came under heavy pressure to back the accord, sources said.

Tusk`s Cyprus visit was arranged at the last minute -- a sign of Brussels` realisation that a new approach is needed.

"I am not here to exert pressure on Cyprus," the EU president told reporters. "I am here to listen to your position."

European leaders are still hopeful that a deal with Turkey can be reached, and the EU said on Tuesday that it had pushed back plans to overhaul the bloc`s asylum system until an accord is place.
Brussels: The European Union said on Tuesday it had pushed back plans to overhaul the bloc's asylum system until next month after it has sealed a crucial migration crisis deal with Turkey.

Brussels had been set tomorrow to unveil proposals to change the so-called Dublin regulations, which state that migrants must seek asylum in the EU member state in which they first arrive.

European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said commissioners would discuss the new asylum rules tomorrow but would "then set out a strategic vision of possible reform options on April 6."

European leaders had urged the Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation EU, to delay the announcement until after a summit Thursday and Friday at which they hope to reach an agreement with Turkey, European diplomats said.

The Turkish deal would involve the EU sending back to Turkey all migrants who arrive on the Greek islands, then resettling one Syrian migrant from camps in Turkey for every one Syrian that Ankara takes back on Turkish soil.

The Dublin rules have come under fire from Greece and Italy, the main landing points for the wave of 1.2 million people who sought asylum in the bloc last year in the biggest crisis of its kind since World War II.

But many countries are against any change, as the current system means they can send migrants back to the country of first entry if they were registered there on their arrival in the EU.

Reports had suggested that the Commission would propose several options ranging from a quota system to sharing out refugees around the bloc, to a more modest emergency clause to ease the burden in times of crisis.
Brussels: EU President Donald Tusk headed for talks Tuesday in both Nicosia and Ankara as part of a bid to finalise terms of an EU deal with Turkey to curb the flow of migrants to Europe, EU sources said.

The president of the European Council, who will host a new EU-Turkey summit in Brussels at the end of the week, will meet early Tuesday in Nicosia with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, an EU source told AFP.

Tusk will then travel on to Ankara for talks later the same day with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who is due to attend the two-day summit starting on Thursday, the source added.

With Europe facing its worst migration crisis since World War II, Davutoglu and EU leaders agreed a tentative new plan at a Brussels summit on March 7 to try to stem the flow of migrants and refugees.

Under the draft deal, the EU agreed to resettle one Syrian refugee from camps in Turkey for every Syrian readmitted by Ankara from Greek islands.

The controversial plan is designed to eliminate incentives for migrants to come to Greece by boat.

But Cypriot officials said Anastasiades has reservations, not least as Turkey expects the accord to accelerate its bid for EU membership and ease visa requirements in Europe`s passport-free Schengen area.

The European Council website said Tusk`s visit to Cyprus comes in the "context" of clinching an EU-Turkey deal on migrants.

Ankara does not recognise the divided Mediterranean island`s internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government and Cyprus has blocked six key parts of Turkey`s negotiations for EU membership since 2009, effectively halting the process.

The Cyprus government insists Turkey must first meet its longstanding demands for recognition.

The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

The European Council website said Tusk would "take forward" the proposals that emerged during the March 7 summit and "work out the details with the Turkish side before" the new summit.
Naypyidaw: Myanmar got its first civilian president in decades on Tuesday after lawmakers elected a close aide of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is expected to hold the real reins of power in the formerly junta-run nation.

Htin Kyaw, 69, hailed his elevation to the top post as "Suu Kyi`s victory", a clear nod to her plan that he serve as a proxy for the Nobel laureate who is constitutionally barred from becoming president.

MPs erupted into applause after the result was announced following a lengthy ballot count by hand in the capital Naypyidaw, in which Htin Kyaw took 360 of 652 votes cast.

Myanmar is undergoing a dramatic transformation from an isolated and repressed pariah state to a rapidly opening aspiring democracy.

The White House hailed his election as "an important step forward" in that democratic transition.

"We look forward to working with his govt," Ben Rhodes, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter.

Suu Kyi`s National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at elections in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar`s two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution which bars her from the presidency.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule "above" the next leader. Her choice of Htin Kyaw is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

"This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi`s victory," the newly-elected president told reporters after the vote. "Thank you."Htin Kyaw will be sworn in on March 30, replacing incumbent Thein Sein. It will be the first time Myanmar has had a civilian president since 1962, when the military seized power.

Thein Sein, a former general, led a quasi-civilian reformist government for the last five years that has been praised for moving the nation out of the shadow of outright military rule.

For many MPs from Suu Kyi`s party Tuesday`s vote was a vindication of their long years of struggle for democracy under the repressive former junta, which locked up hundreds of dissidents as it tried to stifle criticism.

The NLD is still haunted by its 1990 election victory, which was snatched away by the generals.

Zin Mar Aung, an NLD MP who was involved in 1988 protests and is herself a former political prisoner, termed the vote "very historic".

She said the election of Htin Kyaw, who was also detained by the former junta, made her think of their long struggle and "the way we have marched to here since more than 20 years ago".

But others expressed disappointment their leader would not be taking the top post.

"We all want to see Aung San Suu Kyi be the president," NLD MP Myo Zaw Aung told AFP. "But so far, it is not reality."

Tuesday`s election also confirmed the two other candidates as vice presidents -- retired general Myint Swe, who is seen as a hardliner ally of former strongman Than Shwe and is on Washington`s sanctions list, and ethnic Chin MP Henry Van Thio.Suu Kyi, 70, enjoys unrivalled popularity both as the daughter of the country`s independence hero and as a central figure in the decades-long democracy struggle.

It is not yet clear what role she plans to take or how she will manage her relationship with the new president.

She is barred from top political office because she married and had children with a foreigner, British academic Michael Aris, who died in 1999 while she was under house arrest.

Months of negotiations with army chief Min Aung Hlaing failed to remove the charter clause that blocks her.

In central Yangon people crowded into teashops to watch the vote live on television.

"He was chosen by Mother Suu. Now he is our president. He will be a good president because he has been working with Mother Suu for many years," said Daw Mya, 60, a vegetable vendor.

While little known outside Myanmar, Htin Kyaw commands considerable respect inside the country, partly because his father was a legendary writer and early member of the NLD.

Though he has never previously stood for political office, he is married to sitting NLD MP Su Su Lwin, whose late father was the party`s respected spokesman, and he helps run Suu Kyi`s charitable foundation.

A new cabinet, set to be announced at the end of the month, is expected to include figures from across the political spectrum as Suu Kyi tries to promote national reconciliation.

It will face many challenges, including poverty, civil wars in ethnic minority borderlands and decrepit infrastructure.

But one of the most crucial tasks will be to manage the relationship with the military, which retains significant power including control of the vital home, defence and border ministries.
London: I only wish words could bring her back to you - This is how JK Rowling responded to a moving letter from the mother of one of her fans.

The mother, Chrissy Hart, wrote that Harry Potter books helped her child deal with a cancer diagnosis.

The letter was read out by actress Carey Mulligan at an event in London called 'Letters Live' on Sunday.

As per Time magazine, the letter reads as follows - "Your words built a castle for her to move into when the prognosis got worse. Mrs Rowling, cancer threatened to take everything from my daughter, and your books turned out to be the fortress we so desperately needed to hide in.

Sadly the child died last week of cancer.

Rowling took to Twitter to tell the grieving mother - "I think I wanted to write because words were always my safe place. I only wish words could bring her back to you.

I think I wanted to write because words were always my safe place.

I only wish words could bring her back to you.

https://t.co/ae2x1LSCj2  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 15, 2016

Following is full text of the letter written by the mother as published by the magazine -

Dear JK Rowling,

I write to you as a mother, a mummy, of a beautiful little girl. Im sure you hear people tell you all the time that your words, your imagination helped them, or their children, in some way. Maybe they were helped out of depression by your works, maybe they drew strength from the knowledge that Neville grew up to be a hero against all odds, maybe you taught a bookish boy that there are friends to be found between the pages of a novel.

I want to share with you what you taught my daughter, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. When I read her your stories, she didnt take to the clear distinction between good and evil but instead loved the grey characters. You taught her that for every chemo she has to go through, there will be the opportunity to fly across a lake on a hippogriff. For every time her heart seizes with fear of pain, there will be me chasing it away with a patronus charm.

Your words built a castle for her to move into when the prognosis got worse. Mrs. Rowling, cancer threatened to take everything from my daughter, and your books turned out to be the fortress we so desperately needed to hide in.

And the things you taught me? You made me realize that a mothers courage might come in the form of her tears. I might not have the physical ability to block her from what will take her away from me, but I can be loving and gentle like Molly, stoic in my affection like Minerva, protective and loyal like Hermione, and waiting to welcome her home like Lily.

But the most important lesson you have taught us both - cancer may take her away from me in just a few short weeks. I might not be able to spare her the pain. But for every child that is taken too early, people will come together, huddling close in a big group, wands held high to light the dark sky with the love they felt.

You built Hogwarts as a home for her to return to. And for me.

For that I shall remain forever gratefully yours, Chrissy.
Gevgelija: Some 1,500 migrants who managed to cross into Macedonia, despite the border being closed to them for a week, have been sent back to Greece by Macedonian troops, officials said Tuesday.

The desperate group of men, women and children had set off from an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek side on Monday and waded thigh-deep through a river to get into Macedonia, where they were stopped by troops.

"Yesterday we had a large group of illegal migrants who tried and managed to cross the border unlawfully near the village of Moin," Toni Janevski, a Macedonian army spokesman, told AFP.

"Without any incident or use of force, they were blocked and in the early morning hours they were returned to Greece."

A group of around 80 journalists and activists, who were detained by Macedonian police after travelling with the migrants, were also released and allowed to return to Greece.

Back on the Greek side, however, AFP reporters said they had seen at least two migrants who appeared to have been beaten, while a Greek government source said the migrants were sent back by "non-legal" crossings.

An Afghan man with facial injuries told Greek media that Macedonian police had struck him in the face with a burning log.

"We lit a fire with my family and Macedonian police came. They asked us to leave, they burned my face with a piece of firewood and beat me," he said.

Another man told Radio Thessaloniki that the soaked and freezing migrants were told not to light fires.

The migrants were trying to escape a camp in Idomeni, where 14,000 or so people have been stuck in increasing squalor following a string of border closures on the European migrant route.

An AFP video journalist who was with them said the Macedonian army had allowed the migrants to get as far as the village square in Moin, where they were herded together.

They were all told to sit on the ground and the media were taken away first, the journalist said.

A Syrian refugee told AFP that they were then divided into groups of 100. Others said the Macedonians had cut their own wire fence to return the refugees to Greece illegally.

"I don`t know if they were police or army. They cut it and made us go back," one man told Greece`s Mega channel.

The Macedonian police said 1,500 had managed to cross into Macedonia before being returned, and another 600 were prevented from entering.

The returns appeared to surprise the Greek authorities, who had said earlier Tuesday that some 700 refugees and migrants remained stranded in Macedonia, indicating that they were ready to discuss their readmission if Macedonia asked.

"There wasn`t in any case an official request for readmission from Skopje, and no return through official crossing points," said the Greek government source.

"Nearly all the refugees have come back through an unguarded location," added a local Greek police source.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meanwhile denounced the "criminal" attitude of people who appeared to have orchestrated the migrants` attempt to cross into Macedonia, and called on them to take note of the closure of the Balkan route.

He said there had been in Idomeni "an unacceptable situation, with strangers, perhaps pretending to be volunteers" who had encouraged migrants to go to Macedonia "at risk to their lives".

Greek authorities said the migrants had read leaflets in Arabic which described the route across the river and warned they risked being sent back to Turkey if they stayed in Greece, the ANA news agency reported.
Skien Prison: Mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik on Tuesday made a Nazi salute at the opening of his lawsuit against Norway over his prison conditions, confirming fears he would use the opportunity to grandstand his extremist views.

Despite his theatrical entrance, Breivik`s lawyer Oystein Storrvik insisted the suit, which contends his five-year prison isolation constitutes "inhuman" treatment, was necessary because his client would likely be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

"This case is about something much more than what many people think, just a lawsuit brought to allow Breivik back into the spotlight to explain himself," Storrvik said.

"This case is simply about his detention conditions for the rest of his life," he said in the makeshift courtroom set up in the gymnasium of Skien prison where the killer is being held, where a climbing wall, two basketball hoops and exercise bars were visible.

Breivik is serving a maximum 21-year sentence for killing eight people in a bomb attack outside a government building in Oslo in July 2011, then murdering another 69 people, most of them teenagers, in a rampage at a Labour Youth camp on the island of Utoya.

His prison sentence can be extended if he is still considered a danger to society.

Sporting a shaved head and wearing a dark suit and white shirt, Breivik entered the courtroom, and, once his handcuffs were removed, he turned toward the media and extended his right arm in a Hitler-style salute.

The gesture was seen as a signal of his presumed conversion to National Socialism.

On several occasions during his 2012 trial, he made a similar salute, holding his closed right fist to his heart and then extending his arm.

"Never would I have wanted a client to do that by my side. It goes without saying," his lawyer told AFP during a break.

Just before wrapping up Tuesday`s proceedings, judge Helen Andenaes Sekulic asked him to refrain from further salutes.

"Breivik, I would appreciate it if, in the coming days, you would refrain from the salute you made at the beginning," she said.

After objecting that it was a Norse salute used by his ancestors a thousand years ago, he said he would "try to take that into account," his only statement of the day.

In a letter to AFP dated October 27, 2014, Breivik described himself as a "militant nationalist" and said he had pledged his "allegiance to National Socialism".

The case is seen as a test of Norway`s legal system, as the country tries to forget the name of the perpetrator of the deadliest bloodbath on its soil since World War II.

"What Breivik did was inhumane, which is exactly why it`s important to treat him humanely," Utoya survivor Bjorn Ihrer tweeted on Tuesday.Now, the 37-year-old is suing the state for breaching two clauses of the European Convention on Human Rights, one which prohibits "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment", and one which guarantees the right of respect for "private and family life" and "correspondence".

His lawyer argued that the frequent use of handcuffs and hundreds of strip-searches constituted degrading treatment.

And his detention in isolation was inhuman, he said.

Since his arrest on July 22, 2011, Breivik has been held apart from the rest of the prison population and his contact with the outside world strictly controlled.

Prison officials censor his mail to prevent him from establishing an "extremist network", and his rare visits are almost exclusively with professionals behind a glass partition.

The only exception in five years was a five-minute meeting in 2013 with his mother during which they hugged, shortly before she died from cancer, Storrvik told the court.

Breivik is suffering "clear damage" from his prison conditions, Storrvik said, citing memory loss and an inability to focus on his studies.But Marius Emberland, the lawyer defending the state, rejected those arguments, listing a slew of activities offered to Breivik.

In prison, he has access to three cells -- one for living, one for studying and a third for physical exercise -- as well as a television, a computer without Internet access and a games console. He is able to prepare his own food and do his own laundry.

Breivik also has contact with prison staff and phone conversations with a "female friend," he added.

"It`s unpleasant and it`s supposed to be unpleasant to serve a long sentence," he said, stressing however that the conditions were "well within the limits of what is permitted" under the Convention.

The state also noted Breivik`s lack of remorse, and stressed the risks he and other inmates would face if he were to be allowed to mix with them.

"Breivik is an extremely dangerous man," Emberland said.

The killer followed the arguments closely, shaking his head several times to show his disagreement.

The proceedings, which will last until Friday, are being held at Skien Prison, 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Oslo.

They are being broadcast on Norwegian television, though Breivik`s own testimony on Wednesday morning will not be aired out of respect for the victims.
Tehran: Tehran`s recent ballistic missile tests did not violate a UN resolution and were not illegal, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday after being questioned on the issue by Australia.

The United Nations Security Council met Monday at the request of the United States to discuss the missile tests that have raised the prospect of new sanctions.

But Zarif said that under Resolution 2231, adopted a few days after Iran struck a landmark nuclear deal with world powers last year, Tehran was within its rights to carry out the tests.

He said the wording of the resolution did not use obligatory terms so "Iran is not obliged by 2231".

Secondly, it covered only missiles "designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads", he told reporters in Canberra.

"Since we do not have nuclear warheads and we have undertaken not to develop them, and the international community has put in place the best mechanisms money can buy in order to make sure that we do not develop nuclear weapons... we do not design any missiles to carry things we do not have," Zarif said.

"So these missiles do not fall within the purview of 2231 and they are not illegal."

Iran fired two long-range ballistic missiles on March 9, one day after similar tests that came fewer than two months after the Iran nuclear deal was implemented.

Zarif stressed that the missiles were being developed only for Iran`s defence.

Under the historic nuclear deal, most UN sanctions resolutions against Tehran were lifted, but an arms embargo and restrictions on ballistic missile technology remain in force.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she had raised the question with her Iranian counterpart, and they had had a "very detailed discussion".

"We discussed the perception, the political circumstances surrounding the timing of this," she said.

"It is Australia`s position that should the UN Security Council wish to investigate this matter, then that would be the proper legal process for it to do so."
Washington: The White House said Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin have discussed Russia's planned military drawdown in Syria, hours after a shock announcement that signals a new phase in the five-year-old conflict.

"They discussed President Putin's announcement today of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities," the White House said in a statement yesterday.

US officials earlier offered a cautious initial assessment of Putin's order to begin withdrawing "the main part of our military contingents from the Syrian Arab Republic" from today.

Putin launched air strikes in September followed by a massive troop deployment, turning the tide of a long and brutal war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favor, rescuing his regime from the brink of collapse.

A recent "cessation of hostilities" has been frequently breached but, Obama said, led to a "much-needed reduction in violence."

The White House sought to turn the screws on Assad, just as his backing from Russia was called into question.

"Continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the Cessation of Hostilities and the UN-led political process," the White House cited Obama as saying.

"The president also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria but emphasized the need for regime forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance delivery to the agreed-upon locations, notably Daraya."

Putin's announcement appeared timed to coincide with peace talks in Geneva that have been dominated by a disagreement over Assad's fate.

Russia has remained steadfast in its public support of Assad, while opposition groups, the United States and key European countries have called on Assad to go as part of a negotiated transition.

"A political transition is required to end the violence in Syria," Obama said.
Moscow: Russia began withdrawing its forces from Syria on Tuesday, a move hailed as a potentially "positive step" for a new round of UN-backed peace talks seeking to end the conflict.

Warplanes at Moscow`s Hmeimim air base in Syria were being loaded with military equipment and prepared to fly back to Russia, the defence minister announced, after President Vladimir Putin said their military goal had been "on the whole" completed.

Putin had on Monday ordered the withdrawal of "the main part" of Russia`s forces after talks with long-standing ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The surprise move won backing from Angola`s Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who holds the Security Council`s rotating presidency this month.

"The decision just announced today by the Russian president -- that`s a positive step," he said. "That`s what we like to see."

But hopes for a breakthrough at the Geneva talks remained remote with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over Assad`s future.

As the talks enter its second day, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was expected to hold his first official meeting with the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), who have repeatedly said that Assad could not be part of Syria`s political future.

But the withdrawal of the Russian troops -- which began airstrikes in support of the regime in September, sparking condemnation from Western powers -- is expected to put more pressure on Assad to negotiate during the Geneva talks.

"If the announcement of a withdrawal of Russian troops materialises, this increases the pressure on President Assad to finally negotiate in a serious way in Geneva a political transition which maintains the stability of the Syrian state and the interests of all populations," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin also said the Kremlin`s move would boost chances of a diplomatic solution to the conflict now in its sixth year that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

The White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to Putin following Russia`s announcement, and discussed the "next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities".

But US officials offered a more cautious initial assessment of the Kremlin`s decision.

"At this point, we are going to see how things play out over the next few days," a senior administration official told AFP.Russia began its airstrikes in support of Assad`s forces in September, a move that helped shore up the regime`s crumbling forces and allow them to go on the offensive.

Russia sent more than 50 warplanes to carry out thousands of strikes across Syria arguing that it was targeting "terrorist" groups including Islamic State jihadists.

The intervention was slammed by the West and its regional allies, who insisted that Moscow was mainly bombing more moderate rebels fighting Assad.

A temporary ceasefire between Assad`s forces and opponents in the country introduced on February 27 has largely held, but does not cover the IS and Al-Nusra Front groups.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Moscow`s Hmeimim air base and its Tartus naval facility would remain functioning and that some military contingents would stay behind.

He did not however give any details on how many soldiers would stay in Syria, nor whether Russia`s S-400 air defence systems would remain in the country.Syria`s main opposition welcomed the Kremlin`s withdrawal announcement, but said it would wait and see what impact the order would have on the ground.

"We must verify the nature of this decision and its meaning," Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the opposition HNC, told reporters in Geneva.

As the Syrian delegations arrived in Geneva over the weekend, Damascus warned that any discussion about removing Assad would be a "red line".

Top Western diplomats immediately condemned the comment from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem as divisive and provocative.

After his first official meeting with the regime on Monday, UN envoy de Mistura told reporters that "strong statements (and) rhetoric" were part of every tough negotiation and that his initial discussions with government representative Bashar al-Jaafari were "useful".
Moscow: Moscow will begin withdrawing its forces from Syria on Tuesday, ending its controversial bombing campaign, as a new round of UN-backed peace talks seek to end the conflict now in its sixth year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called long-standing ally Bashar al-Assad on Monday to inform him that Moscow will pull out the bulk of its forces from Syria, a move hailed by the United Nations Security Council as a "positive step" for the fraught peace negotiations.

But hopes for a breakthrough at the Geneva talks remained remote with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over the future of the Syrian president.

"The task that was set before our defence ministry and armed forces has as a whole been completed and so I order the defence ministry to from tomorrow (Tuesday) start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingents from the Syrian Arab Republic," Putin told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in televised comments.

The withdrawal of the Russian troops -- which began airstrikes in support of the regime in September, sparking condemnation from Western powers -- is expected to put more pressure on Assad to negotiate during the Geneva talks.

As the meeting enters its second day, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was expected to hold his first official meeting with the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), who have repeatedly said that Assad could not be part of Syria's political future.

"The decision just announced today by the Russian president -- that's a positive step," said Angolan Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who holds the Security Council's rotating presidency this month.

"That's what we like to see."

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also said the Kremlin's move would boost chances of a diplomatic solution to the conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

The White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to Putin following Russia's surprise withdrawal announcement, and discussed the "next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities".

But US officials offered a more cautious initial assessment of the Kremlin's decision.

"At this point, we are going to see how things play out over the next few days," a senior administration official told AFP.

Russia began its airstrikes in support of Assad's forces in September, a move that helped shore up the regime's crumbling forces and allow them to go on the offensive.
Brussels: The Belgian Police launched a manhunt in a Brussels neighborhood on Tuesday after at least one gunman opened fire on officers during an anti-terror raid linked to last year's Paris attacks, officials said. Three police officers were slightly injured during the operation.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that "a team composed of Belgian and French police came under fire, apparently from assault weapons, during a raid."

Two hours after the first shots were fired, a big swathe of the Forest neighborhood was in lockdown as special police units in body armor and balaclava hoods moved in, several with their guns drawn. A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still hunting for at least one suspect.

"Two individuals, apparently barricaded themselves inside a home," Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels told local media.

It wasn't immediately clear if the two people escaped, or whether police were searching for more people.

A police official, who requested anonymity because the operation was still ongoing, also said it wasn't clear if the police officers were struck by bullets or injured in another way.

Another official said that the anti-terror raid in the Forest neighborhood was linked to the Paris attacks on November 13 that killed 130 people.

The lockdown in the area continued more than an hour after the first shots were fired and is close to Molenbeek, home to several people involved in the Paris attacks.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter around the area where the shots were heard to keep the many bystanders at a safe distance. A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still looking for at least one suspect.

Several hundred spectators were trying to get a closer look at the operation in the multicultural neighborhood, which has a big Audi car factory nearby. Audi asked its personnel to stay at the plant while the police raid was going on.

Several hooded officers wearing body armor milled around the neighborhood and ambulances were on standby.

Four months on, Belgian police and magistrates have been still piecing together the role Belgian nationals played in aiding the Paris attackers, as well as trying to track down missing suspects including international fugitive Salah Abdeslam, whose brother Brahim was one of the suicide bombers.

The suspected ringleader of the attacks was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighborhood.

Belgian authorities have stepped up their counter-terror efforts since a lone gunman killed four people at the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014. The small Western European country has also been prime recruiting ground for the Islamic State group, and officials freely acknowledge their concerns about what radicalized recruits might do after returning home from the battlefields of Syria or Iraq.
Naypyidaw: Myanmar's lawmakers Tuesday elected a close aide and longtime friend of Aung San Suu Kyi to become the country's first civilian president in decades, a historic moment for the formerly junta-run nation.

Htin Kyaw, 69, hailed his elevation to the top post as "Suu Kyi's victory", a clear nod to her plan for him to serve as a proxy for the Nobel laureate who is constitutionally barred from becoming president.

MPs erupted into applause after victory was announced following a lengthy ballot count by hand in the capital Naypyidaw in which Htin Kyaw took 360 of 652 votes cast.

Myanmar is in the grip of a stunning transformation from an isolated and repressed pariah state to a rapidly opening aspiring democracy.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at the polls in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar's two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force in the Southeast Asian nation and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution that bars Suu Kyi from top political office.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule "above" the next leader.

Her choice of Htin Kyaw to act in her place is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

"This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi's victory," the newly elected president told reporters after the vote. "Thank you."

Htin Kyaw will take office on 1 April, replacing incumbent Thein Sein's five years of army-backed quasi-civilian leadership that has been lauded for steering the nation out from the shadow of outright military rule.

The two other candidates who were also running in Tuesday's election will now become the country's joint vice presidents.

They are retired general Myint Swe, an army-backed candidate who remains on Washington's sanctions list and won 213 votes, and ethnic Chin MP Henry Van Thio, who gathered 79 votes.

Most of Myint Swe's votes came from the army's parliamentary bloc, which is reserved a quarter of seats in parliament, and from military-backed parties.

Suu Kyi, 70, has unrivalled popularity both as the daughter of the country's independence hero and as a central figure in the decades-long democracy struggle.

Her party's huge election victory was seen as a further endorsement of her political star power, as millions were swept to polling stations by the NLD's simple message of change.

But the military still retains significant power, including control of the vital home, defence and border ministries.

Months of negotiations with army chief Min Aung Hlaing failed to remove the obstacles blocking Suu Kyi from power.
Damascus: The Syrian presidency has said Moscow will keep up its support for the regime's "anti-terrorist" battle, following the surprise announcement of a pullout of Russian forces from the war-torn country.

"The Syrian and Russian parties agreed in a telephone call between Presidents Bashar al-Assad and (Russia's) Vladimir Putin to reduce the number of Russian air force personnel in Syria," the president's office said on its Facebook page.

"The Russian side said it will continue to support Syria in its battle against terrorism," it said.

The presidency said the Russian announcement follows "the success registered by the Syrian army with the cooperation of the Russian air force and with the restoration of security in several regions of Syria".

Putin earlier ordered the Russian defence ministry to begin the troop withdrawal from today.

"The task that was set before our defence ministry and armed forces has as a whole been completed and so I order the defence ministry to from tomorrow start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingents" from Syria, Putin said.

The Kremlin said Putin called Assad to inform Moscow's long-standing ally of the move that appears to end the main part of its intervention in Syria's conflict that began in September.
San Jose Province: The last of nearly 8,000 Cuban migrants stranded for months in Costa Rica flew to Mexico Tuesday to continue their journey to the United States, the government said.

The transfer of the 91 remaining Cubans to the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo was carried out with help from international organizations that stepped in to help pay their air fare.

They were the last of 7,800 Cubans who became stuck in Costa Rica in November after its northern neighbor Nicaragua denied them passage, blocking their route north.

The International Organization for Migration took thousands of the migrants out of the country on flights to El Salvador and Mexico, circumventing Nicaragua, an ally of Havana.

An estimated 3,000 more managed to make it out on their own with the help of human traffickers.

Costa Rica`s President Luis Guillermo Solis thanked Mexico and Central American countries for "extending a hand of friendship and solidarity at a moment of great difficulty for the flow of Cuban migrants."

Cuban migrants who reach the United States are put on a fast track to residency and citizenship, under a Cold War-era policy that many fear will be shelved as the United States and Cuba normalize relations.

US President Barack Obama is scheduled to make a historic visit to Havana March 20-22 as part of the reconciliation process.
Caracas: Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has decreed a two-month extension on emergency powers meant to help shore up the country's crippled economy.

The presidential decree, published in an official gazette released yesterday, is meant to "protect Venezuelans from economic warfare," it says, and expands the socialist government's powers.

Maduro regularly blames US and local business interests for what his administration sees as a "national and international boycott of Venezuela" amid low oil prices. Caracas depends overwhelmingly on oil revenue.

The opposition-controlled National Assembly previously struck down the emergency measure, which then was upheld by the Supreme Court in January.

Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz was expected to address lawmakers to explain the move later yesterday.

Venezuela has the biggest known oil reserves in the world but has suffered from the plunge in world oil prices since mid-2014.

The official inflation rate topped 180 percent in 2015 -- one of the highest in the world. Non-government economists estimate the real rate is several times higher.

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Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces have "on the whole" completed their task in Syria as he ordered the surprise withdrawal of the bulk of Moscow`s forces.

But questions remain over why the Kremlin has chosen this moment to scale back its intervention in Syria and what the move could mean for the protracted conflict, now entering its sixth year.

When Russia launched its bombing campaign in Syria last September, President Bashar al-Assad`s forces were crumbling and Moscow`s ties with the West were at their lowest since the Cold War over the conflict in Ukraine.

Five-and-a-half months and 9,000 combat sorties later, Assad`s shored-up army has retaken territory and Putin has re-emerged as a key player on the world stage.

While Moscow`s claims it was looking to wipe out "terrorist" groups such as Islamic State have clearly not been met, there is a lull in fighting thanks to a February ceasefire, and fresh peace talks have started in Geneva.

Analysts say this means the Kremlin`s real motives have been achieved and now could be the perfect time to pull back.

"The goal of the military operation was coming out of international isolation," analyst Alexander Golts said. "This task was successfully accomplished."

Putin has thrust himself back on the global scene as a partner on Syria and can portray Russia as a major player in the Middle East as the United States has stepped back, analysts say.

"Putin reached his goals: the consolidation and control of useful Syria," said Middle East expert Karim Emile Bitar, referring to the country`s most populated areas.

The end of the campaign will also come as a relief to Russia`s struggling economy, which has been battered by Western sanctions over the almost two-year conflict in Ukraine and low oil prices.

RBC business daily estimated that Russia`s Syrian campaign costs $2.5 million daily.

Some analysts also said Putin is wary repeating the mistakes of his Soviet predecessors who got trapped in a 10-year war in Afghanistan and is looking to get out now before Moscow gets sucked in further.The Kremlin said Moscow would maintain an air force facility in Syria to help monitor the progress of a ceasefire.

Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said Moscow would also keep striking "terrorist" targets in Syria, as the ceasefire does not apply to the Islamic State and other jihadist groups.

Moscow`s Hmeimim air base in Syria and its Tartus naval facility will remain functional, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He did not give any details on how many soldiers would remain but a senator who heads a defence committee said it would be more than 800 people.

"It would be at least two battalions, about 800 people" protecting the two bases, as well as crews flying reconnaissance missions and advisors, senator Viktor Ozerov was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said Russia`s advanced S-400 air defence systems would remain in Syria.

Experts say Russia`s permanent military presence in the country enables it to easily redeploy at any time.

"If the deal (to withdraw) doesn`t work, nothing prevents Russia from redeploying its air force if need be," Alexey Malashenko, an analyst at the Carnegie Center in Moscow, told Kommersant newspaper.

Throughout its military campaign, Russia demonstrated it did not have to be in Syria to bomb the country. Russian warships stationed in the Caspian Sea, as well as a submarine in the Mediterranean Sea, launched cruise missile attacks.After Russia`s announcement, Western diplomats expressed hope it would force a recently emboldened Assad to negotiate more seriously at the peace talks in Geneva.

The Kremlin has denied that the move shows it is unhappy with Assad and his increasingly trenchant stance in the run-up to the negotiations.

But analysts say Moscow has at times appeared at odds with Assad and publicly slapped down his claim that he wanted to recapture the whole of Syria.

"Russia is just concerned that he is a bit of a liability and a wild card," said Sarah Lain, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London.

Lain added that Moscow`s move was meant to "force Assad`s hand a little bit" by pushing him to negotiate with opposition forces.

But few believe that Moscow is giving up on its ally for good after investing blood and money to prop him up.

"I don`t think the Russians are letting go of Assad," Middle East analyst Karim Emile Bitar told AFP. "It`s wishful thinking to say this at this stage."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says his nation will soon conduct a nuclear warhead test by launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads as a test, the official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Kim made the comments as he supervised a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the "thermodynamic structural stability of newly-developed heat-resisting materials," KCNA said. "Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he (Kim) instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," the agency said.

South Korean and U.S. troops are currently staging yearly military exercises that Seoul has described as the largest ever conducted. North Korea has issued hostile press releases in typically arcane and florid language more or less daily since new United Nations sanctions went into effect.

Our North Korea Insult Generator may help you understand.
Public and private universities alike have been transformed into financial shell-games for Wall Street's wealthiest hedge-funds, while tuition and student debt soar, adjuncts are exploited, and the lifetime expected returns on a university degree plummet.

US universities have over $100 billion in endowment funds invested with hedge funds, and pay over $2.5B in fees to hedge fund managers every year. More than half of America's universities let their endowment board members do business with the university, and sometimes the trustees manage the funds themselves, sitting on both sides of the transaction to hire themselves and pay themselves handsome fees. Sometimes they decline the fees they're paying themselves, call them "donations" and get buildings named after them for their generosity.

Public universities insist that their relationships with hedge funds are not subject to public records requests. Where information does leak out, we learn that public money is being invested in investor-friendly lobbying organizations that fight against student debt relief.

 Some commentators, for example, are troubled by public tax-exempt educational institutions doing business with companies notorious for dodging taxes in offshore havens. More generally, tax exemption is a giant government subsidy that disproportionately benefits elite schools (the ones that attract the biggest donations and earn the largest investment returns), thus further polarizing an educational system already separated into haves and have-nots. And it gets worse. In a report called "Educational Endowments and the Financial Crisis," Joshua Humphreys, president and senior fellow at Croatan Institute, points to an even more disturbing consequence of risky investment practices. By embracing speculative trading tactics, exotic derivatives, hedge funds, and private equity, "endowments played a role in magnifying certain systemic risks in the capital markets," Humphreys writes. What's more, their initial success encouraged other institutional investors (think pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and foundations) to follow in their footsteps, amplifying the system's overall volatility and instability. In other words, endowments were not just innocent victims of the 2008 financial crisis, but actually helped enable it.

Universities Are  Becoming Billion-Dollar Hedge Funds With Schools Attached

[Astra Taylor/The Nation]

(via Naked Capitalism)

(Image: Osborn Hall, Yale College, New Haven, Connecticut, 1901, public domain)
By Denis Pinchuk TEHRAN (Reuters) - A global deal to freeze oil production could be signed in April and exclude Iran, which has the right to boost output after years of sanctions, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak said on Monday after talks in Tehran. Oil fell around 3 percent on Monday after Iran dampened hopes of a coordinated stabilization of production any time soon, saying it would join such discussions after its own output had reached 4 million barrels per day (bpd). [O/R] Four of the world's leading oil producers - Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela - met in Doha last month, saying they were ready to hold output at January levels if other producers did the same. A final agreement on an output freeze to support oil prices, which have fallen 65 percent since peaking in June 2014 due to oversupply, is seen next month, possibly again in Doha, Novak said. He said the deal could exclude Iran as the country seeks to regain production hit by now-lifted international sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear program. "We share (the view) that Iran is in a special situation. The sanctions that had been introduced had materially hit (Iran's) output," Novak said after meeting his Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh. Russia and Iran are considered to be on friendly terms. Moscow was a staunch supporter of lifting international sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear program. Those sanctions were effectively removed in January, paving the way for Iran to increase its production of crude and adding uncertainty to already jittery oil markets. Iran currently produces around 3.1 million bpd of oil. The sanctions also cut crude exports from a peak of 2.5 million bpd before 2011 to just over 1 million bpd in recent years. Novak said Iran still insisted on a recovery in its oil output before any production freeze. "On the whole, Iran supports the need for coordination between oil exporters, including a possible freeze. But Iran's position is that they have to first restore their production volumes ... After that, they are ready to join the freeze," Novak said. The Russian minister said oil markets were now more balanced but he called for a solid deal on stabilizing output, "otherwise the markets will face more uncertainty, which will lead to more volatility". He said oil prices were expected to be between $40 and $50 per barrel by the year-end, compared to just below $40 currently. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by David Evans and Dale Hudson)
[Children at a camp housing Syrian refugees who fled Hama province on March 22, 2015, in the Lebanese southern city of Sidon. AFP PHOTO/Mahmoud Zayyat]



As Syrias tragic war begins its sixth year on Tuesday, Canada is taking steps towards the mammoth task of reconstruction and redevelopment in the war-torn country.

Global Affairs Canada has confirmed it has invested $3.2-million in capacity building, specifically, infrastructure development and training in areas of Syria that have been deemed safe. The department declined to name the regions to protect the safety of workers.

Inside Syria where fighting has ceased, it is NGOs, volunteer groups and community associations that are delivering much of the aid that the international community currently pays for, Michael Callan, Global Affairs Canadas Director of Development for Middle East & North Africa, said in an interview at the Canadian embassy in Amman, Jordan.

He explained that its often small Syrian private businesses that are contracted to deliver aid. A small company, for example, might be paid to dig and set up wells and pumps, clear rubble or fix a series of roads and rebuild schools. Because many of these companies or NGOs have limited project-management skills, he said, they might be trained in project monitoring, evaluation, financial management and even report writing as part of the process. This is to ensure Canadian funds are being dispersed effectively.

We are making the case that this will help people stay inside Syria where they want to be. It will give them the skills to rebuild the country and contribute to reconstruction, Callan said.

Since the war began on March 15, 2011, there has been an increasing number of people in need. Its now in the millions  more than 6.6 million displaced living in wretched conditions inside Syria. Another five million Syrians have fled to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq; close to a million have applied for asylum in Europe.

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Today, estimates of the number of Syrians killed range from 270,000 (United Nations) to 470,000 (the Syrian Centre for Policy Research, an independent think-tank) and more than one million wounded.

The Canadian organization leading that capacity building of clearing rubble, rebuilding schools and training preferred not to be named at this stage, Callan said. However, he confirmed that a second organization, the Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) is also working inside Syria.

The AKFC has launched a project in the war-torn country that will help 150,000 Syrians by giving them access to clean water and health clinics; primary education; and mental health support for children and families. Theres also a package for farmers to get them started on food production, and theres a plan for garbage removal.

Ultimately, Canadas contribution is going to assist both Canada and international partners in vetting and choosing appropriate and effective partners to deliver support to those in need in Syria, Callan said.

A report released earlier this month by World Vision and consultants Frontier Economics estimated that the crisis has cost Syria US$275-billion in lost growth.

Thats almost 100 times the amount required to meet refugee needs across the region, said Frances Charles, advocacy director for World Visions Syria Response, in Amman.

If the conflict continues to 2020, that figure could balloon to an estimated $1.3-trillion. Syrias infrastructure is demolished; electricity, water, sewage, schools, almost all of it will need to be rebuilt.

Aaron Moore, programs manager with World Vision International in the Kurdish Region of Iraq, said NGOs face challenges while working on infrastructure projects in Syria remotely, i.e., they are based in one country and the local partners are in another.

In some instances, organizations that are ethnically or politically focused, he said, might divert aid to their own group. If, for example, you give health supplies to an explicitly political or ethnic charity you can be 100 per cent sure that supporters of that political party will get that benefit, he said, and it may not reach some people who are ill or wounded.

NGOs carefully screen potential partners. In the partner vetting system, an individuals personal data (and that of members of the board of directors) is run through an international database, Moore said, which contains information from commercial, public and government databases. The screening is designed to ensure vetted subcontractors are not associated with terrorism or corruption.



Still, its important for NGO workers to teach their local partners-in-the-field the value of a ranking system: If you have 200 items and 1,000 people [in a camp] you have to go through your beneficiary selection and pick whose need is greatest. Widows or those with small children, those families would be selected first, Moore said.

If selecting the neediest in your community sounds like a difficult job, imagine being tasked with rebuilding in the midst of war. When possible, local NGOs and UN organizations work on maintaining infrastructure but they dont rebuild until there is a more lasting ceasefire or peace, said Cicely McWilliam, director of policy and government relations at Save the Children Canada.

Her organization, for instance, is working to keep schools in Syria structurally sound and open, when safe to do so. It is also providing emergency humanitarian assistance there but she could not state where out of concern for staff safety. And it has Global Affairs Canada-funded projects in neighbouring countries where there has been an influx of Syrian refugees.

The road ahead is long. She predicted years, perhaps decades of reconstruction of schools, hospitals, water and sanitation systems. In addition, theres the danger from tons of unexploded bombs and IEDs that threatens infrastructure and communities, particularly children.

Bombs are still being uncovered in London almost 70 years after the Blitz, McWilliam said, adding, The Syria crisis wont be over when the last bomb drops.
[UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke in Ottawa last month./CBC News]



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that Canada will seek a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. But some experts say while the countrys return to the council is possible, it wont be easy.

Its a tough fight but I think its doable, University of Ottawa law professor Errol Mendes tells Yahoo Canada News. Weve really got to pick our areas where we can show not just good leadership, but extraordinary leadership.

Canada last held a seat in 1999-2000 and lost its last bid for a seat in 2010, ending a string of six consecutive decades on the 15-seat council. The federal government withdrew its candidacy then after two rounds of voting made it clear Canada could not beat Portugal for a rotating two-year council seat.

Several UN diplomats told CBC News that the earliest Canada could mount a successful campaign would be 2020, for a term that would begin the next year. The United States, China, France, Great Britain and Russia occupy the five permanent and veto-wielding seats on the council, and the other 10 are distributed on a regional basis.

However, while there are no uncontested seats open in the Western Europe and Other Group (WEOG) before 2020, Canada, which falls under this regional UN group, could take the unconventional approach of launching a campaign earlier. There are votes for two-year seats every year, with the next coming up in June.

Running before 2020 would give Canada less time to garner enough votes, but would capitalize on the recent positive attention the country and Trudeau have received internationally, says Colin Robertson, vice-president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, a non-profit research organization focused on international aid and policy.

It is possible that Mr. Trudeau would want to take advantage of the honeymoon period and run sooner, he says. It would mean upsetting a little bit of the balance within the WEOG, but were not part of the European Union bloc anyway. Its not impossible that we may decide to run sooner than 2020.

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Stiff competition

Even if Canada waits until 2020 to run, the country would still face an election, Robertson says  in the WEOG, Ireland, Norway and San Marino have all expressed intentions to run that year, and there are often more interested countries than available slots in a particular bloc.

And though Canadas previous terms on the council were successful, even if we wait until 2020 the country will face tough competition from both Norway and Ireland, Mendes says.

Norway is probably the biggest competition because theyve got a good reputation worldwide, says Mendes, who is also president of the International Commission of Jurists, Canadian Section. The country particularly distinguished itself by taking the lead on the Oslo Process against cluster munitions, he says.

Ireland also presents still competition for Canada, Mendes says, after it joined Norway in taking up the challenge of fighting against the use of cluster munitions. Canada lost an opportunity to lead on that, he says, after our respected work under then-prime minister Jean Chretien on the Ottawa Treaty to ban land mines.

What I think Canada has to do between now and 2020 is regain that leadership in different areas to get the bloc votes from Asia, Africa and other areas, Mendes says.

Robertson agrees that broad support is important for Canadas campaign, because all UN countries vote on Security Council seats. While EU members tend to vote for each other, he said, Canada could garner support from fellow countries in the Commonwealth or the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

Campaigning for a seat on the council is a usually a years-long process. Canadas chances are improved somewhat by the way Trudeau has managed to both receive international notice so quickly after his election, Mendes says, and how the prime minister has used that opportunity to signal a change from the countrys time under Stephen Harper, whose government was less focused on the kind of multilateralism that involves working with the UN.

For that reason, Canadas relationship with the UN under the past government isnt necessarily an indication of how the country will fare in any upcoming votes for a council seat.

Its a different scenario, Robertson says. You cant look to the last election and say, Oh well, were going to lose. I think weve got a government that is actively committed to internationalism and multilateralism and the UN system.

Points in Canadas favour

Trudeau will be in New York on Wednesday for meetings with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. When the two met in Ottawa last month, the prime minister said then that Canada would seek a two-year council term.

Trudeau plans to focus on gender equality and parity during his trip, and thats one area where Canada can really distinguish itself as the country campaigns to return to the council, Mendes says.

Canada does have a reputation in particular for promoting gender equality of the girl-child, Mendes says. Equality for girls around the world has been a focus of not just past Liberal governments but also Conservative ones, he says, calling former prime minister Brian Mulroney an unspoken champion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

And right now is a particularly important time to focus on the rights of girls, Mendes says, given threats like sexual slavery of teenaged girls under ISIS, the violence faced by children in Syria, the use of child soldiers and the weaponization of rape in countries like South Sudan.

Maybe Canada can take on that and be the leading organization in the world to try and get a major international consensus, Mendes says, that this is an evil that has to be stopped, and has to have the entire Security Council behind it.

Canadas chances of returning to the council are also improved by the Trudeau governments stated commitment to refocusing its international efforts towards peace operations, Robertson says. For example, by changing its role in the anti-ISIS mission.

As well, the countrys commitment to bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees is another tangible example of how Canadas international contributions have changed, he says.

Already, were building up a record, and a platform on which we can run, he says.

However, in order to truly stand out on the global stage and return to the Security Council, Mendes says, Trudeaus administration needs to continue to back up talk with action. That includes putting money back into areas that the previous government moved away from, including aid to Africa, he says.

It also means focusing on positive initiatives of the past government  improving maternal health, for example  but doing it in a way that removes them from ideology or potential commercial benefits for Canada.

Lets focus on what we can do well, Mendes says, and do it really, really well.
Some Canadian charities are reviving a campaign to get tax auditors off their backs after the Liberal government delivered what the charities say is a half-measure in ending "political harassment," a promise from the 2015 election campaign.

At least 14 charities, including the Sierra Club Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund, launched a letter-writing campaign and petition this week calling on the Liberal government to stop all political-activity audits started by the Harper Conservatives in 2012.

"Charities under audit for political activities from the previous government are still under audit," says a statement on a website, created by a charities coalition last year.

"These audits need to end immediately. Reform of the rules that allowed these audits must begin."

Some 54 charities were caught by CRA's political-activities audits, and five were given notice they would lose their charitable registrations, meaning they could not offer tax receipts to donors.

Critics have said the rules restricting political activities are unclear, and that the audits effectively gagged some groups, a phenomenon dubbed "advocacy chill."

Optimism dampened

The charities sector had been heartened by the Liberals' platform, which promised to "allow charities to do their work on behalf of Canadians free from political harassment."

But the optimism was soon dampened. On Jan. 20, National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier said 24 political-activity audits currently underway will continue their course, and the five groups under notice of deregistration will not be spared, though they can appeal.

The only change was that auditors would be stood down in six cases of charities scheduled for political-activity audits that had not yet begun, and the $13.4-million program would eventually be wound up.

Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, which is facing deregistration, said in an interview: "Let's recognize what actually happened with the previous government and put an end to this.

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"We are trying to escalate the importance of action on this issue. So we're going to relaunch and encourage people to contact the minister and the prime minister to get them to act on their commitments."

Some groups, including the tiny Canada Without Poverty, have been under continuous political-activity audit for four years, a drain on their limited money and staff  and with no conclusion in sight.

Gareth Kirkby, a Vancouver-based charities activist who has researched the political-activity audit program, says Liberal inaction likely spells doom for some groups.

"The Trudeau government's timidity so far in fixing this abuse of power by the previous government will probably result in some of Canada's most popular and important charities heading toward decertification and oblivion," he wrote in a recent blog post.

The government should "stop the current 24 audits in their tracks" and "grandfather the remaining members of the five charities that have lost their status but not yet been fully shut down."

Principle protected

However, the minister says she will not interfere with the auditing process.

"The independence of the Charity Directorate's oversight role for charities is a fundamental principle that must be protected," Lebouthillier said in a statement Monday to CBC News. "I cannot and will not play a role in the selection of charity audits or in the decisions relating to the outcomes of those audits.

"There are 24 more audits already underway and scheduled for completion," she said. "These audits will continue so that the CRA can address any serious deficiencies, consistent with the approach used in the regular charities audit program."

The Conservative government announced the five-year political-activity program in the 2012 budget, at the same time as cabinet ministers were denouncing environmental groups for their opposition to pipeline and energy policies.

The initial wave of audits concentrated on environmental groups, including Environmental Defence, but in later years expanded to cover human-rights, international-aid and poverty groups. One group, Dying With Dignity Canada, had its charitable registration annulled after a political-activity audit, and another small group surrendered its registration after being given notice of revocation.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a left-leaning Ottawa think tank, remains under a political-activity audit that was launched, in part, because its publications showed "bias," according to an internal CRA document the group obtained under the Access to Information Act.

Current rules allow charities to devote up to 10 per cent of their resources to political activities, though definitions are often in dispute. Partisan activities, such as endorsing a party or candidate, are strictly forbidden. About 500 of Canada's 86,000 charities report conducting political activities.

The previous Conservative government defended the program, saying there was no political direction given to Canada Revenue Agency about which groups to target. And the Canada Revenue Agency said it spread the political-audits fairly, across sectors and regions, using objective selection criteria.

Follow @DeanBeeby on Twitter
Rumble

Dave and Kristy are scuba divers with a love for the ocean and all of the creatures who live there. They are on a dive that has taken them to 30m (90 feet) beneath the waves along the edge of a pinnacle in Papua New Guinea. The water is crystal clear and the visibility is spectacular. They explored the corals and saw fish of indescribable beauty and varied colour. After being this far beneath the surface, breathing pressurized air, scuba divers build up a quantity of nitrogen in their blood that must be expelled. To return to normal pressure at the surface without ascending slowly enough will cause immediate and catastrophic effects on their neurological function. For safety, these divers must ascend to 6m (18 feet) and wait three minutes until the gases in their blood return to safe levels. This part of a dive is often the most boring part as the divers generally hover in open water near the boat. But occasionally, the safety stop provides an interesting look at marine life that does not remain under cover and protection of the coral. These fish are platax, commonly referred to as batfish. They prefer to swim in the open ocean, near the surface and away from structures. They will often congregate under boats and regard scuba divers with curiosity from a distance. These fish have decided to take a very close look at Dave and Kristy and they provide a beautiful close up view of their beautiful colour. The fish seem interested when the divers wiggle their fingers. They also take enough of a liking to Kristy to follow her to the boat.
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU officials are racing to overcome legal concerns on human rights and tensions between Turkey and Cyprus in order to complete a deal they hope can stem the migrant crisis when leaders meet later this week. At a summit a week ago, EU leaders gave broad assent to an accord sprung on them by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel whereby all migrants reaching Greece would be deported back to Turkey in return for places for Syrian refugees in Europe and for EU financial help for Ankara. Following criticism from the United Nations and other human rights bodies, as well as many European politicians, EU lawyers are working to ensure the plan can be presented as conforming to international law, diplomats and officials said on Monday. European Council President Donald Tusk, who will chair the EU summit on Thursday and EU meeting with Davutoglu on Friday, was flying to Cyprus for talks on Tuesday with President Nicos Anastasiades, seeking to avoid an effective Cypriot veto. Cyprus, ethnically split between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, is represented in the EU by its internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government and has blocked Turkey's own efforts to join the EU. Peace talks to reunite the island are now underway. Many EU leaders have been irritated by the way Davutogulu and Merkel presented their migrant deal, though most have broadly welcomed it. Tusk hopes to draft a "rebalanced" EU-Turkey plan by Wednesday. "The balance here is not right," a diplomat from one member state said on Monday. "People ... want to push back." Negotiators are seeking legal moves from Turkey to ensure that EU states can consider its treatment of asylum seekers as being in line with international standards, officials said. From Greece, Brussels is seeking assurances that it will provide facilities on its islands off the Turkish coast to ensure that every person arriving can have a hearing, including an individual judicial appeal, against deportation to Turkey. On Monday, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe echoed a senior U.N. official in warning of illegal mass expulsions. He urged the EU to scrap the proposals with Turkey. CYPRUS QUESTION A second major obstacle to the deal, whereby the EU would take in directly from Turkey one Syrian refugee for every Syrian deported back from Greece, is the decades-old Cyprus issue. Turkey wants its citizens to have visa-free access to Europe by June and to open new "chapters" of its long-stalled talks on it joining the EU. However, both of those will require the consent of Cyprus, which is seeking concessions in return. Cyprus blocked parts of Turkey's accession process a decade ago when Ankara refused to open its ports to Cypriot shipping. EU leaders are also concerned not to derail negotiations on the reunification of the island's Turkish-backed north with the Greek-speaking south. Hopes are high that U.N.-brokered talks could bring a deal in the next year or so and some EU officials see an opportunity to advance a Cyprus-Turkey rapprochement. Leaders are likely to spell out that the number of refugees to be resettled in the EU will be limited to some 70,000, within the terms of existing EU schemes for taking asylum seekers. In fact, EU officials see many fewer refugees to be involved in the one-for-one deportation and resettlement program, since the intent is to deter such large numbers of people reaching Greece. If it fails to stop them, the plan will be impracticable, EU officials say. If it does work, EU governments will explore further possibilities to take in refugees directly from Turkey. A draft EU communique seen by Reuters showed that EU leaders will also reaffirm help for Greece, including taking in more asylum seekers stranded by border closures in the Balkans. They will also warn against new migration routes being opened up. (Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Ange Aboa and Joe Penney GRAND BASSAM, Ivory Coast (Reuters) - Gunmen from al Qaeda's North African branch killed 16 people, including four Europeans, at a beach resort town in Ivory Coast on Sunday, the latest in a string of deadly attacks that have confirmed the Islamists' growing reach in West Africa. Six shooters targeted hotels on a beach at Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with westerners about 40 km (25 miles) east of the commercial capital Abidjan, before being killed in clashes with Ivorian security forces, the government said. "Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon," Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said during a visit to the site. "We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed." A French man was killed in the attack, according to a French foreign ministry spokesman. The nationalities of the other dead were not yet known, but four were European, one officer said during a briefing attended by a Reuters reporter. Ivory Coast Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko later said foreign citizens from France, Germany, Burkina Faso, Mali and Cameroon were among the victims. The reporter saw the bodies of three white people at Grand Bassam's Chelsea Hotel and another in the Hotel Etoile du Sud next door. A short drive from Abidjan - one of West Africa's largest cities with around 5 million inhabitants - Grand Bassam fills up on weekends with thousands of beachgoers. Witnesses said the gunmen followed a pathway onto the beach where they then opened fire on swimmers and sunbathers before turning their attention to the packed seafront hotels where people were eating and drinking at lunchtime. "They started shooting and everyone just started running. There were women and children running and hiding," said another witness, Marie Bassole. "It started on the beach. Whoever they saw, they shot at." Security forces moved to evacuate the area surrounding the beach. Bullet holes riddled vehicles nearby and glass from shattered windows littered the ground. The body of one of the attackers, dressed in dark trousers and a blood-covered striped shirt, lay beside the beachside entrance to one hotel, a bullet hole in his head. Beside him on the sand sat a combat vest used to carry extra ammunition. Nearby, on the ground, lay unexploded grenades. GROWING THREAT Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has carried out other recent attacks in the region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's shootings, according to the U.S.-based SITE intelligence monitoring group, citing an AQIM statement. It said the attack had been carried out by just three militants. Barely two months ago, Islamists killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe frequented by foreigners in neighboring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. Gunmen also attacked a hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, late last year. Both of those attacks were also claimed by AQIM and raised concern that militants were extending their reach far beyond their traditional zones of operation in the Sahara and the arid Sahel region. Though previously untouched by Islamist violence, Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa's largest economy and the world's top cocoa producer, has long been considered a target for militants. It has been on high alert since the Ouagadougou attacks, and security has been visibly bolstered at potential targets, including shopping malls and high-end hotels. By Sunday evening, Ivorian authorities had begun an investigation into the attacks. "We have a mobile phone that is now in the hands of the Ivorian scientific police that will allow us to look at all the ramifications and go back to the source," Interior Minister Bakayoko said on state-owned television. As the scale of the tragedy become evident, regional and world leaders expressed their support for Ivory Coast, which has recently emerged from a decade of political turmoil and civil war to become one of the world's fastest growing economies. President Macky Sall of Senegal, another country seen as a likely target for AQIM, called upon West African countries to step up their cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism. France's President Francois Hollande, meanwhile, denounced the shootings in the former French colony as a "cowardly attack." "France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers. It will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement. (Additional reporting by Joe Bavier and Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Edward McAllister and Joe Bavier Editing by Ruth Pitchford and Jonathan Oatis)
Harrison Ford is to play Indiana Jones in a fifth instalment of the film series to be released 38 years after Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Walt Disney Co said the new, as yet untitled film will be directed by Steven Spielberg and is expected to be in cinemas in three years' time.

"Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history and we can't wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019," Disney chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.

It will come 11 years after the fourth movie in the franchise, 2008's Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The other films in the series are Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989).

Ford's action-hero archaeologist 'Indy' was recently declared the greatest movie personality of all time, beating Ian Fleming's James Bond into second place.

Ford, 73, also took third place in the poll for his role as Han Solo in the Star Wars films, voted for by readers of Empire magazine.

There had been speculation that Shia LaBeouf, who played Jones' sidekick in Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, might take up the hero's whip.

But in October, the films' series producer declared the role would only ever be played by Ford.

Frank Marshall said: "We are not doing the Bond thing where we're going to call somebody else Indiana Jones."

In November, Spielberg had said he would love to make a fifth Indiana Jones before Ford turns 80.

The Hollywood director told French radio station RTL he was keen to create another adventure for the archaeologist.

"I am hoping one day to make it to a fifth Indiana Jones," he said, adding: "I would hope to make it before Harrison Ford is 80 and I get much older."
By Therese Apel SHREVEPORT, La. (Reuters) - The death toll from storms in Southern U.S. states rose to five as storm-weary residents of Louisiana and Mississippi watched for more flooding on Monday from drenching rains that inundated homes, washed out roads and prompted thousands of rescues. Flood waters across Louisiana were blamed for four deaths and damage to at least 5,000 homes, and one person drowned in a flooded area in Oklahoma last week. Flood warnings were in effect as rivers, bayous and creeks stayed high after storms dumped more than 20 inches of rain in some places. In Louisiana, Harold Worsham, 78, drowned in Saline Bayou when his boat capsized as he tried to remove items from a home as waters rose on Saturday night, according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office. Many rivers and lakes in northern Louisiana have risen to historic levels and homes there face the threat of yet more flooding, said Matt Hemingway, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Shreveport. "Its going to take some time for them to fall back down below flood stage," he said. "Some folks may be in this situation not just days but weeks." Authorities and meteorologists described the flooding as some of the worst seen in the region apart from that spawned by hurricanes. President Barack Obama declared flooding in Louisiana a major disaster on Sunday, activating federal aid. The Louisiana National Guard said it had rescued more than 3,000 people and 300 pets. Weldon Thomas, who lives in the Lake Bistineau area, said the flood was devastating for many of his neighbors. "This is the worst flood that these people have ever seen, and some of them have been there 60 or 70 years," he said. "It's a tragic situation for everybody." In Bossier Parish, several feet of water covered low parts of normally busy Highway 71 and water rose to the top of road signs. Stranded livestock huddled on patches of dry land. Emergency officials in Mississippi said flooding threatened to close interstates 59 and 10, which they warned could result in major traffic congestion. As of Sunday afternoon, 185 homes were destroyed or significantly damaged in Mississippi and about 650 more sustained minor damage, according to the state. Mandatory evacuation orders issued by authorities in the Texas county of Newton, which borders Louisiana, remained in effect for people living near the Sabine River over flood dangers. (Additional reporting and writing by Colleen Jenkins and Curtis Skinner; Editing by Dan Grebler and James Dalgleish)
Floodwaters from heavy rains are seen in this aerial picture released by the U.S. Air National Guard photo in Ponchatoula, Louisiana taken March 12, 2016. Drenching rains this week have killed three people in Louisiana and one in Oklahoma. Picture taken March 12, 2016. REUTERS/U.S. Air National Guard/ Master Sgt. Toby M. Valadie/Handout via Reuters

(Reuters) - Several people were killed after drenching thunderstorms moved through Louisiana and Mississippi at the weekend, triggering flooding across the lower Mississippi valley, authorities said.

Rainfall, which meteorologists said reached two feet in some areas, killed three people in Louisiana and one in Oklahoma. Two fishermen were missing in Mississippi on Sunday, according to emergency management officials.

President Barack Obama declared flooding in Louisiana a major disaster on Sunday, providing aid for victims.

Louisiana's emergency management office warned in a statement "the crisis is not over." It said some 5,000 homes had already been damaged.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Sunday night of a tornado threat and potential for hail and damaging winds across eastern Arkansas and northern Louisiana.

Portions of the lower Mississippi Valley were at risk for severe thunderstorms through Monday morning, the NWS said, which could trigger flash flooding. River levels were expected to remain high in the region as excessive rain water drains, it said.

The Louisiana National Guard, working around the clock for several days, said it had rescued more than 3,295 citizens and 316 pets. Some 1,300 guardsmen responded to flooding in more than 25 parishes, conducting evacuations, search and rescue by vehicle, boat and helicopter, and providing security and shelter.

Authorities and meteorologists described the flooding as historic and the worst seen in the region apart from that spawned by hurricanes.

Scores of roads and bridges were closed throughout the region at the weekend. In Mississippi, almost 400 homes suffered damage from the rainfall and flooding, the state emergency agency said.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Paul Tait)
The Manitoba election will launch Wednesday according to NDP sources.

Premier Greg Selinger will ask the Lieutenant Governor to drop the writ tomorrow morning, officially starting the provincial election campaign.

A cabinet meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m., after which Selinger is expected to formally request writs be issued.

In addition, while answering questions from reporters after Question Period on Tuesday, Selinger seemed to let slip the writ would be dropped tomorrow.

He was discussing NDP candidates going into the election when he said, "A good team usually has a balance of skills and experience, and we're presenting that tomorrowah, or any day we decide to call the election."

"We're really excited to get the campaign ready," Manitoba PC leader Brian Pallister said Tuesday. "We're hoping to run a full campaign."

Meanwhile, Rana Bokhari, the Liberal leader, said her party is ready to go.

"Our candidates will be done within the week," she said. "We will definitely be utilizing all vehicles to get our message out there."

The NDP have scheduled a rally with Selinger at the Sturgeon Heights Community Centre for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, while Pallister will make "announcements on the economy" in Winnipeg at 10 a.m., Brandon at 2:30 p.m. and Portage la Prairie at 5:30 p.m.

Bokhari will make an announcement Wednesday at the Legislature at 11:30 a.m. on education.

NDP in 'deep political trouble,' professor says

Paul Thomas, a professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said the NDP will be going into the election in "deep political trouble."

"This could be a very severe setback for the NDP. It's not just the most recent poll but polls going back a year and a half at least when they've been tracking very low in the polls," he said. "[Selinger] is the most unpopular premier in the country and he's running third amongst the party leaders so it's not a good prospect for the NDP."

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Thomas said the big fight will be in Winnipeg, as he expects only a few swing seats in rural Manitoba.

Also at play is the recent Liberal win federally.

"The relationship between the provincial side of political life in Canada and the national is a bit of a complicated relationship," said Thomas. "It's not a one-way causation where the Liberals do well nationally [and] they have to do well provincially. Provincial elections are fought on different issues with different leaders."

But when it comes to the federal Conservaties, Thomas said Manitoba's PCs will be trying to differentiate themselves from their federal counterpart.

"They don't want to look too much like the Harper Conservatives. They don't want to be seen as that kind of mean-spirited, controlling party that's all about eliminating deficits and debt," he said. "They want to try to present a message that involves selective cuts to government spending."

He said if Pallister can "avoid a big mistake, he's likely to be the next premier."

Manitobans head to the polls on April 19.

For CBC's full coverage of the provincial election, see Manitoba Votes 2016.
The Manitoba election could shape up to be a tight race in Winnipeg, with the PCs and NDP virtually tied in the city according to a new poll. On a provincial scale, however, the PCs still hold a commanding lead.

A poll released by Main Street Research on Monday shows the NDP have experienced a modest surge in approval ratings in Winnipeg, while the Progressive Conservatives have dipped in popularity in the city.

"They have a chance now to coalesce that anti-PC vote and try to make the credible case: 'If you're not comfortable with the PC Party, you need to come vote for us,'" said David Valentin, executive vice-president of Main Street Research.

- CBC Manitoba Votes: Get all your #mbelxn updates here

"[Premier Greg Selinger] regained some footing and he's now able to message from a different position of strength, at least in the city of Winnipeg."

Among 742 decided and leaning voters polled in Winnipeg, the NDP currently hold 34 per cent of the pie (up eight points); PCs are sitting at 32 per cent (down 11 points); the Manitoba Liberal Party registered a 26 per cent approval rating (relatively unchanged); and the Green Party scooped up the final eight per cent.

Political scientist Chris Adams says the numbers show many seats in vote-rich Winnipeg could be up for grabs, and the PCs could end up stealing a few important ridings.

"The PCs are really in contention in what they used to call '[NDP] fortress Winnipeg,'" Adams said.

Political scientist and professor emeritus at L'Universite de Saint-Boniface, Raymond Hebert, said the results also reveal the PCs need to do more if they hope to close strong in Winnipeg this spring.

"We've always known that Winnipeg is our main battleground. The Tories have to make major inroads from the south," Hebert said. "These polling results indicate it's tough for Tories to break into Winnipeg and consolidate their hold there."

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At 26 per cent, the Liberals can't be counted out of contention in the city yet either, Adams added.

"That's not a great number, but at the same time if they are able to focus much of their support in particular parts of Winnipeg, maybe one or two outside of Winnipeg, they should have some sort of electoral break through."

Hebert, on the other hand, thinks Liberal approval rating increases over the past few months won't translate on election day.

"The polls that have given us, say, Liberals in second place, I doubt very much we'll see that on election day," he said.

NDP still behind outside Winnipeg

While the distance between the PCs and NDP in particular has narrowed in Winnipeg, the real fight for Selinger lies outside city limits, Valentine said. The challenge for the NDP will be to convince the anti-Pallister crowd to go with them and not the Liberals in rural Manitoba, Valentine added.

"If Liberal votes are becoming the 'dissatisfaction with the government' vote, and they're coming from the PCs in Winnipeg, that's actually quite helpful for the NDP," Valentine said.

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"The only way to survive in some of those ridings outside of Winnipeg is going to be by lowering the Liberal vote as much as possible and trying to get an 'Anyone but PC' vote coalesced around the NDP."

It remains to be seen if the NDP will be able to mount a surge outside Winnipeg. Valentine says provincial results are "still dismal for the NDP."

In terms of decided and leaning voters at the provincial level, the poll shows the NDP are out ahead of the Liberals by a hair (NDP 27 per cent; Liberal 24 per cent). But the party would still have to close some serious distance to come close to beating the PCs, Valentin said. Of the 1,549 leaning and decided voters polled across the province, 43 per cent remain faithful to the PCs. Instead of leading by 30 points, the PCs now lead by just 16, according to the poll.

"You can split it as many times as you want, with these numbers you're still going to get a PC government. Maybe it will be a minority government, maybe it will be a soft majority, but you're still going to have a PC government [based on these numbers]," Valentin said.

The amount of undecided voters has gone up from 22 to 26 per cent since Main Street Research's last poll in February, Valentine said. Hebert says that bump could be an indication that voters are getting more engaged as the election looms.

"I don't think they have been so far, not seriously," Hebert said.

Shades of McGuinty 2011 campaign

Valentin says the New Democrats have been stylizing their campaign after the Dalton McGuinty-led Ontaro Liberal Party campaign of 2011. McGuinty was trailing in polls heading into that election.

"Their adds look very much like the ones Mr. McGuinty released  they almost look like a carbon copy," Valentin said.

"The main difference between Mr. McGuinty and Mr. Selinger so far has been Mr. McGuinty wasn't in third when he had to campaign, he was in second. So when he had to go make those arguments to voters that 'You need to vote Liberal,' he was saying, 'Vote for us because you can't afford the PC party.'"

Selinger has his work cut out for him in rural communities, Valentin says.

"We're not expecting them, with these sort of numbers, to be able to form a government because of how bad things are going to be outside of Winnipeg," he said.

Another force working against the premier is a perception that he isn't trustworthy, Valentine added.

"If you look at the scores for 'What's the most important characteristic for a premier to have?' almost half of the province is saying they want their premier to have honesty and ethics," he said.

"But those are not terms I think most people would associate with Mr. Selinger. And among those voters who care about honesty and ethics, the NDP is doing abysmally. The long-term math  would sort of signal to us that there's going to be a ceiling of votes Mr. Selinger can have, but the math can change as we go week to week."

Probability samples of the size in this poll carry a margin of error of +/- 2.33 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Manitobans head to the polls April 19.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched a ballistic missile launch test and ordered the country to improve nuclear attack capability by continuing to conduct more tests, the official KCNA news agency reported on Friday. The report did not say when the test took place but it was likely referring to the launch of two short-range missiles by North Korea on Thursday that flew 500 km (300 miles) and splashed into the sea. "Dear comrade Kim Jong Un said work ... must be strengthened to improve nuclear attack capability and issued combat tasks to continue nuclear explosion tests to assess the power of newly developed nuclear warheads and tests to improve nuclear attack capability," KCNA said. Tension rose sharply on the Korean peninsula after the North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and fired a long-range rocket last month leading to the U.N. Security Council to adopt a new sanctions resolution. Conducting more nuclear tests would be in clear violation of U.N. sanctions which also ban ballistic missile tests, although Pyongyang has rejected them. North Korea has a large stockpile of short-range missiles and is developing long-range and intercontinental missiles. The North Korean leader was quoted in state media on Wednesday as saying that his country had miniaturized nuclear warheads to mount on ballistic missiles. South Korea said it did not believe that North Korea had successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead or deployed a functioning intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang has conducted four nuclear tests in the past decade and claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in January but most experts expressed doubt saying the blast was too small to back up the assertion. North Korea has issued nearly daily reports this week of Kim's instructions to fight South Korea and the United States as those two allies began large-scale military drills. North Korea called the annual drills "nuclear war moves" and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive. Kim last week ordered his country to be ready to use nuclear weapons in the face of what he sees as growing threats from enemies. (Reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; editing by Grant McCool)
By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama promised one of Cuba's most prominent dissident groups he would raise the issues of freedom of speech and assembly with Cuban President Raul Castro during his March 20-22 visit to the Caribbean island. In a letter dated March 10, Obama praised the work of the Ladies in White, which marches weekly to protest Cuba's Communist government, and defended his policy of seeking to normalize relations with Cuba as good for its people. U.S. support for the dissidents is a source of tension ahead of Obama's visit, the first by a U.S. president since Fidel Castro's rebels overthrew a pro-American government in 1959. After more than half a century of Cold War-inspired animosity, the two sides promised 15 months ago to normalize relations. The Ladies in White criticized Obama's policy change, saying the Cuban government continues to suppress dissent by breaking up anti-government demonstrations while maintaining a monopoly on the media. They say Cuba has cracked down more ferociously since rapprochement. "We take seriously the concerns you have raised," said Obama's letter, which group leader Berta Soler read to about two dozen Ladies in White and other supporters gathered in a Havana park. "I will raise these issues directly with President Castro," said Obama, who called the Ladies "an inspiration to human rights movements around the world." A senior U.S. official in Washington confirmed that an Obama aide delivered the letter to the Ladies in White in Miami. As in marches for the most of the last year, a demonstration on Sunday ended with police detaining the protesters after they were met by a larger group of pro-government counterdemonstrators. Police detained about two dozen people, at which point the streets filled with conga dancers and drummers who led hundreds of government supporters in their own rally. The weekly demonstrations and detentions are normal, but the conga line was an additional flourish a week before Obama's visit. Soler welcomed Obama's letter but still disagreed with him for enacting unilateral changes without any reciprocal moves by Cuba. "The response of this letter is positive for us, and we greatly appreciated it," Soler said minutes before she was detained. The Cuban government dismisses the dissidents as mercenaries seeking to destabilize the country. Cuba also defends its universal healthcare and education as human rights and criticizes the U.S. record on race relations and the Guantanamo Bay military prison. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Can you tell the difference between a rabbit and a guinea pig?

Officers in the Queensland Police Service in Australia can, as they proved when they confiscated a rabbit that had been passed off as a guinea pig by a couple in Logan City.

It is illegal to own a rabbit in the state of Queensland, so when police paid a visit to the couples caravan, they claimed their animal was a guinea pig.

However, rabbits tend to be a bit larger than guinea pigs, so the police smelt a rodent - or didnt smell a rodent.

The animal was found living in a cage in the caravan - officers rescued the rabbit and it is on its way to a rescue sanctuary.

With Easter just around the corner, this bunny got some special hugs from the officers at Springwood Police Station, Queensland Police Service said in a statement on its website.

The rabbit was found living in a cage inside a caravan and was seized by the Springwood officers after they were called to its address in relation to an incident involving its owners.

When asked about the rabbit, the owners tried unsuccessfully to convince the police that it was actually a guinea pig.

It is an offence to possess a rabbit in the state of Queensland unless you have the proper authorisation.

Not wanting to upset the Easter Bunny and lose out on his yearly chocolate binge, Senior Constable Ben Sier made sure after he finished cuddling his fat furry friend that he found a good home for it.

With the help of a local vet and the RSPCA, the bunny is now heading off to a rabbit rescue sanctuary in Grafton NSW.

Offenders can be fined up to 23,000 and given up to six months in jail if caught with an illegal rabbit in Queensland.

(Pictures: Queensland Police Service)
By Denis Dyomkin and Suleiman Al-Khalidi MOSCOW/GENEVA (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin announced out of the blue on Monday that "the main part" of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw, telling his diplomats to step up the push for peace as U.N.-mediated talks resumed on ending the five-year-old war. Damascus rejected any suggestion of a rift with Moscow, saying President Bashar al-Assad had agreed on the "reduction" of Russian forces in a telephone call with Putin. Western diplomats speculated that Putin may be trying to press Assad into accepting a political settlement to the war, which has killed 250,000 people, although U.S. officials saw no sign yet of Russian forces preparing to pull out. The anti-Assad opposition expressed bafflement, with a spokesman saying, "Nobody knows what is in Putin's mind". Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped to turn the tide of war in Assad's favor after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies including U.S.-made anti-tank missiles. Putin made his surprise announcement, that came with no advance word to the United States, at a meeting with his defense and foreign ministers. Russian forces had largely fulfilled their objectives in Syria, Putin said. But he gave no deadline for the completion of the withdrawal and said forces would remain at a seaport and airbase in Syria's Latakia province. In Geneva, United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura told the warring parties there was no "Plan B" other than a resumption of conflict if the first of three rounds of talks that aim to agree a "clear roadmap" for Syria failed to make progress. Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday about Syria, with the Kremlin saying the two leaders "called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement" to the conflict. The White House said Obama welcomed the reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation of hostilities but "underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was encouraged by Putins announcement but that it was too early to say what it means, whether he will carry it out and what may have motivated it. Putin said at the Kremlin meeting that he was ordering the withdrawal from Tuesday of "the main part of our military contingent" from the country. "The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process," he said. "I believe that the task put before the defense ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled." With the participation of the Russian military, Syrian armed forces "have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism", he added. 'COMPLETE COORDINATION' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had telephoned the Syrian president to inform him of the decision, but the two leaders had not discussed Assad's future, the biggest obstacle to reaching a peace agreement. The move was announced on the day U.N.-brokered talks involving the warring sides in Syria resumed in Geneva. In Damascus, the Syrian presidency said in a statement that Assad had agreed to the reduction in the Russian air force presence, and denied suggestions it reflected a difference between the two countries "The whole subject happened in complete coordination between the Russian and Syrian sides, and is a step that was carefully and accurately studied for some time," the statement said, adding that Moscow had promised to continue support for Syria in "confronting terrorism." Syria regards all rebel groups fighting Assad as terrorists. Rebels and opposition officials alike reacted skeptically. "I don't understand the Russian announcement, it's a surprise, like the way they entered the war. God protect us," said Fadi Ahmad, spokesman for the First Coastal Division, a Free Syria Army group fighting in the northwest. Opposition spokesman Salim al-Muslat demanded a total Russian withdrawal. "Nobody knows what is in Putin's mind, but the point is he has no right to be in be our country in the first place. Just go," he said. A European diplomat was also skeptical. "It has the potential to put a lot of pressure on Assad and the timing fits that," the diplomat said. "However, I say potentially because we've seen before with Russia that what's promised isn't always what happens." MOMENT OF TRUTH The Geneva talks are the first in more than two years and come amid a marked reduction in fighting after last month's "cessation of hostilities," sponsored by Washington and Moscow and accepted by Assad's government and many of his foes. Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, confirmed some forces would stay in Syria. "Our military presence will continue to be there, it will be directed mostly at making sure that the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities, is maintained," he told reporters at the United Nations in New York. But he added, "Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria." Speaking before Putin's announcement, de Mistura said Syria faced a moment of truth, as he opened talks to end a war which has displaced half the population, sent refugees streaming into Europe and turned Syria into a battlefield for foreign forces and jihadis. The limited truce, which excludes the powerful Islamic State and Nusra Front groups, is fragile. The warring sides have accused each other of multiple violations and they arrived in Geneva with what look like irreconcilable agendas. The Syrian opposition has said the talks must focus on setting up a transitional governing body with full executive power, and that Assad must leave power at the start of the transition. Damascus has said Assad's opponents are deluded if they think they will take power at the negotiating table. (Additional reporting by Phil Stewart, Arshad Mohammed, Eric Beech, Michelle Nichols, Tom Miles, Tom Perry, Stephanie Nebehay and Jack Stubbs; Writing by Dominic Evans, David Stamp and Peter Cooney; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Toni Reinhold)
Moscow has begun to withdraw military equipment from Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry has said.

Technicians at the airbase have begun preparing aircraft for long-range flights to airbases in the Russian Federation, officials said.

It comes hours after President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to begin pulling out of the war-torn country.

During a meeting in the Kremlin with his ministers, Mr Putin said the forces should withdraw because they have largely achieved their aim.

He also ordered the countrys diplomatic efforts be stepped up to secure a peace deal in Syria.

The move was announced on the day UN-backed peace talks between the warring sides in Syria resumed in Geneva.

It comes five months after Moscow launched a military operation in support of the Damascus regime.

Waves of airstrikes by Russian warplanes against Syrian opposition forces have reversed the tide of the bloody civil war and put the forces of Bashar al Assad on the front foot, ahead of the recent fragile ceasefire.

A spokesman said the Russian leader had agreed the military withdrawal in a telephone call with Mr Assad.

Mr Putin said: The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process.

"I believe that the task put before the defence ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled.

"With the participation of the Russian military  the Syrian armed forces and patriotic Syrian forces have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism and have taken the initiative in almost all respects.

"I am therefore ordering the defence minister  to start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingent from the Syrian Arab Republic.

However, Mr Putin did not give a timetable for the completion of the pullout and said Moscow would retain a military presence in Syria.

Damascus said Moscow had pledged to continue to support the country in confronting terrorism.

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The announcement was also discussed during a phone call between Mr Putin and the US President Barack Obama.

Syrias main opposition gave Russias decision a cautious welcome, but raised concerns it could be a trick.

It would wait and see what impact the order would have on the ground.

Salem al Meslet, a spokesman for the opposition High Negotiations Committee, told reporters in Geneva: Tomorrow we will see if this decision is made for the sake of the Syrian people or just for the sake of (Syrian President Bashar) al Assad.

"It will be more important if Putin decides to really stand beside the Syrian people, not beside the dictator.
By Dmitry Solovyov, Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi MOSCOW/BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Russian warplanes flew home from Syria on Tuesday as Moscow started to withdraw forces that have tipped the war President Bashar al-Assad's way, and the U.N. envoy said he hoped the move would help peace talks in Geneva. As the first aircraft touched down in Russia, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura called President Vladimir Putin's surprise move a "significant development" toward resolving a conflict which this week passes its fifth anniversary. Assad's opponents hope Putin's announcement on Monday that most Russian forces would be withdrawn signaled a shift in his support. However, its full significance is not yet clear: Russia is keeping an air base and undeclared number of forces in Syria. Russian jets were in action against Islamic State on Tuesday. Assad also still enjoys military backing from Iran, which has sent forces to Syria along with Lebanon's Hezbollah. Russia said last month Assad was out of step with its diplomacy, prompting speculation Putin is pushing him to be more flexible at the Geneva talks, where his government has ruled out discussion of the presidency or a negotiated transfer of power. Damascus has dismissed any talk of differences with its ally and says the planned withdrawal was coordinated and the result of army gains on the ground. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, whose government supports the opposition, indicated the gaps in Western understanding of Putin, saying he had "no insight at all into Russia's strategy" after a decision that came out of the blue. The West had been equally surprised by Putin's decision to intervene. "Unfortunately none of us knows what the intent of Mr Putin is when he carries out any action, which is why he is a very difficult partner in any situation like this," Hammond said. Analysts in Moscow said Putin's acquisition of a seat at the diplomatic top table may have motivated his move to scale back his costly Syria campaign. "MOMENT OF TRUTH" Russia appeared to be following through on its pledge, the U.S. White House said, but spokesman Josh Earnest said it was too early to assess the broader implications, adding Moscow did not give the United States direct notice of its withdrawal plan. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed Putin's announcement and said he planned to visit Moscow next week for what he called the best opportunity in years to end the war. The Geneva talks are part of a diplomatic push launched with U.S.-Russian support to end a conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and allowed for the rise of Islamic State. Opening the indirect talks, de Mistura said Syria faced a "moment of truth". U.S.-Russian cooperation has already brought about a lull in the war via a "cessation of hostilities agreement", though many violations have been reported. Opposition negotiators demanded on Tuesday that the government spell out its thoughts about a political transition in Syria, saying there had been no progress on freeing detainees, who were being executed at a rate of 50 a day. The opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) used their first meeting in the round of peace talks to give de Mistura a set of general principles to guide the transition. A peace process for Syria endorsed by the U.N. Security Council in December calls for a Syrian-led process that establishes "credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance", a new constitution, and free, fair elections within 18 months. The HNC wants Assad out of power by the start of a transition. While some rebels have expressed guarded optimism at Putin's announcement, others doubt he is about to put serious pressure on Assad. "We do not trust them," said Fadi Ahmad of the First Coastal Division, who says his rebel group has been fighting a Russian-backed government offensive near the Turkish border throughout the cessation agreement that came into effect on Feb. 27. The Syrian government, which had been losing territory to rebels before Russia intervened, had indicated it was in no mood to give ground to the opposition on the eve of the talks that started on Monday, calling the presidency a "red line". PILOTS WELCOMED, RUSSIAN JETS STAGE STRIKES Russian television showed the first group of Su-34 jets landing from Syria at a base in the south of the country. The pilots were greeted by 200-300 servicemen, journalists, and their wives and daughters, waving Russian flags, balloons in red white and blue, and flowers. They were mobbed and thrown in the air by the crowd. A brass band played Soviet military songs and the national anthem. Two priests paraded a religious icon. Russia flew more than 9,000 sorties during the Syrian operation, according to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Military officials say they destroyed arms dumps, weapons and fuel supplies being used by what they called terrorists. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reports on the war using sources on the ground, says Russian air strikes have killed more than 1,700 civilians. Moscow denies that. Showing Russian warplanes were still active in Syria, heavy air support was reported helping the Syrian army make major gains against Islamic State near the ancient city of Palmyra. IS is not included in the cessation of hostilities. At least 26 people were killed east of the Islamic State-held city on Tuesday, the British-based Observatory reported. "MESSAGE TO ASSAD" Putin said Russia had largely fulfilled its objectives in a campaign which has so far cost Russia $700-$800 million according to a Reuters estimate, an additional financial burden at a time of low oil prices. Russia, which has haunting memories of the long Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, said it would be keeping its most advanced air defense system, the S-400, in Syria. A Western diplomat said Putin would "now move to focus on the peace talks and this will put pressure on the Syrian government to negotiate". The diplomat added: "We dont know if he is giving up on Assad but we know that the Russians are delivering a message to Assad that they are keen on negotiations over transition to proceed." Moscow has said it is up to the Syrian people, not outside powers, to decide Assad's future. Even Assad's enemies in the West have moved away from demanding he leave power immediately. In Geneva, U.N. war crimes investigators on Syria said lower-level perpetrators should be prosecuted by foreign authorities until senior military and political figures can be brought before international justice. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which has documented atrocities by all sides, has compiled a confidential list of suspects and maintains a database with 5,000 interviews. "The adoption of measures that lay the ground for accountability need not and should not wait for a final peace agreement to be reached," Paulo Pinheiro, chief of the inquiry panel, told the U.N. Human Rights Council. (Additional reporting by Dominic Evans, Lisa Barrington, Stephanie Nebehay, Suleiman al-Khalidi, Samia Nakhoul, Tom Miles, William James, Jason Bush and Jack Stubbs; Writing by Tom Perry and Philippa Fletcher, editing by Peter Millership and David Stamp)
The Serious Fraud Office has closed its investigation into allegations relating to the foreign exchange market due to "insufficient evidence".

Banks have been fined billions of pounds in the last couple of years over the manipulation of foreign exchange rates.

But the latest decision means no individual will face a criminal prosecution for the scandal - which engulfed the City just as it was emerging from the shadow of the separate Libor rate-rigging affair.

The SFO launched an investigation into the forex scandal in July 2014 after a referral by the Financial Conduct Authority, the City regulator.

But its director David Green has now dropped the probe.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) said the decision followed a "thorough and independent investigation" lasting more than a year and a half and involving more than half a million documents.

The SFO said: "The SFO has concluded, based on the information and material we have obtained, that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.

"Whilst there were reasonable grounds to suspect the commission of offences involving serious or complex fraud, a detailed review of the available evidence led us to the conclusion that the alleged conduct, even if proven and taken at its highest, would not meet the evidential test required to mount a prosecution for an offence contrary to English law.

"It has further been concluded that this evidential position could not be remedied by continuing the investigation."

The SFO said it continued to liaise with the US Department of Justice over its ongoing probe.

Last May, five banks including Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) and Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS.L - news) were fined a total of 3.7bn after a US investigation into the forex market.

That followed settlements with US and UK regulators by lenders totalling more than 2bn in November 2014.

Separately, banks have also had to pay out over civil claims in the US brought on behalf of major multinational companies, pension funds and hedge funds which alleged that they were penalised by efforts to rig foreign exchange markets (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) .
By Tatiana Jancarikova BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico moved closer on Monday to breaking an election stalemate after agreeing a draft of priorities for a new governing program in coalition talks with rival parties. Eight parties won seats in a March 5 election in which Fico's leftist Smer party garnered the most votes but lost its parliamentary majority, leaving the two-time prime minister with a tough task in forming a coalition among opposition factions. Fico's odds improved over the weekend when centrist party Siet (Net) and another opposition party, Most-Hid (Bridge), agreed to negotiate with him, reversing their earlier opposition. The change of heart came after the Slovak National Party (SNS) said it would not join talks on forming a broad right-wing coalition because of fears of instability. Taking a break in talks that lasted nearly nine hours, Fico said he believed he could agree on the priorities of a new governing program by Tuesday. "The result of today's long and difficult negotiations is a draft of program priorities ... that would serve as basis for cooperation of the four parties in forming a government," Fico told journalists on Monday. "We focused on program overlaps because there are four parties with different views and values. Despite long and difficult negotiations we did not find issues or questions that divide us." Fico did not give more details. The 51-year-old leader campaigned against allowing in any large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and beyond, and has sued the European Union over a decision to relocate hundreds of asylum-seekers to Slovakia. Slovakia, a euro zone country, will hold the EU's rotating presidency in the second half of the year, giving it a larger voice in formulating the bloc's agenda, including on migration. Fico's Smer party lost 34 of its current 83 seats in the election as voters responded to opposition campaigning against corruption and shortcomings in healthcare and education, while taking the same tough line on immigration. The four-party grouping would have 85 votes in the 150-seat parliament. However, three lawmakers from Siet already said they would leave the party in protest over teaming up with rival Smer, weakening Fico's coalition even before it is officially formed. Analysts say the budding coalition may clash in some areas but is likely to prove more stable than the alternative of a large center-right coalition that would have to pull in a few novice parties. "It's a crisis coalition but it would be much more stable during Slovakia's EU presidency than a coalition of six center-right parties," said Samuel Abraham, an analyst from the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts. (Writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Tom Brown)
(Reuters) - A 26-year-old man arrested in connection with snowmobile attacks on two musher teams in Alaska's Iditarod dog sled race appeared in court via video on Sunday after reportedly admitting he was heavily drunk at the time of the incident.

One dog was killed and three others were injured in the incident, in which two veteran mushers told race officials that a person driving a snowmobile tried to drive the machine into their sled teams.

Bail for Arnold Demoski was set at $50,000 in Fairbanks District Court, where Demoski appeared by video hookup from a correctional center, the Alaska Dispatch News reported.

But Magistrate Romano DiBenedetto said If the state had asked for $500,000, I probably would have granted it."

Demoski told the Alaska Dispatch News he hit the teams while driving blackout drunk.

"I dont care if people know if I was drinking and driving, it quoted him as saying on Saturday before his arrest.

I hope they can forgive me, he said of the mushers. I want this community to forgive me and I want my employers to forgive me, and hopefully I can get over this alcohol problem.

The incident occurred about 12 miles (19 kms) from the Nulato checkpoint, about 582 miles (936 kms) into this year's 975-mile (1,570-kms) course.

A dog belonging to four-time champion Jeff King was killed when his team was hit from behind by a snowmobile, and two of his other dogs were injured, the Iditarod Trail Committee said.

"It did not seem like an accident," King said, adding that the driver never stopped or returned to the scene.

Driver Ailey Zirkle said she had been attacked in the same area by a person riding a snow machine who "repeatedly attempted to harm her and her team," race officials said. One of her dogs sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Police arrested Demoski on charges of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and criminal mischief.

Some 85 mushers and their dogs set off on March 6 from the town of Willow, about a 90-mile (144-kms) drive from Anchorage. Of those, only seven have withdrawn from the race.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Michael Perry)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa and Saudi Arabian ACWA Power launched a $328 million solar power plant in the Northern Cape province on Monday, as Africa's most industrialised country rushes to expand its power supply and cut its coal reliance. The Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Project, developed by a consortium led by ACWA Power, is set to provide 1,300 megawatts per hour, powering more than 200,000 homes, a statement from media firm OLB said. Construction of the plant began in 2013, following a successful bid by ACWA Power, as part of South Africa's plan to expand the use of renewable energy. "It is aimed at providing energy security and diversified energy. It instils confidence that major green projects are going to be built in South Africa," said the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) deputy director general Yunus Hoosen. Chronic energy shortages are pushing the government to seek alternative sources of electricity from state-owned power utility Eskom's coal-powered stations that take much longer to build. Eskom, which provides virtually all of South Africa's power, is facing a funding crunch as it races to bring new power plants online. With year-round sunshine and thousands of miles of windswept coast in South Africa, investors are warming to the renewable energy potential, with 66 projects completed or underway since the government launched a first bid round four years ago. [L5N0W61SY] Bokpoort CSP plant is the first in a series of investments that ACWA Power is making in the power sector in South Africa, said the DTI. The company expects to commence construction on the 100 MW Redstone concentrated solar power project, also in Northern Cape, later this year and is awaiting the outcome of tender submissions for a 300 MW coal-fired plant in Mpumalanga province in eastern South Africa. (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by James Macharia and Alexander Smith)
Expert: Average quality at schools has essentially decreased (video)

Education reforms are strictly necessary for Armenia. The specialists of the sector are sure that without reforms and taking into account the international experience, the system will not develop. At the same time, we should not forget about the peculiarities of the state, We made those changes very fast, we set rules, standards, but then we saw that the society didnt agree with them, it means that the changes are necessary, but they must correspond to us, says Ruben Topchyan, Director of National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance (ANQA). Specialists consider the school to be the most essential ring for the education sector development. The changes should start from here, There are many shortcomings at schools, the average quality has essentially decreased, and the students need education, which will correspond to the international level, and it means that after graduation a student will be able to compete with specialists from different countries, says Hamlet Harutyunyan, Head of the Department of Informatics at the ASPU. Ruben Topchyan thinks that the high school must change its function, Students must make the first professional steps at school and not get ready for the entrance exams. The education provision model has changed in the whole world. The use of information technologies in the education system is inevitable. According to the specialists it is also an essential element of the education sector reform. For developing this direction for already second year TEMPUS has been implementing MathGeAr programme, which aims at making the organization of mathematical education more contemporary and modern in Armenia. As a result professors will take training courses, and students will study abroad with exchange program. More on the video
By Stella Mapenzauswa JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African police said on Tuesday that finance minister Pravin Gordhan could face legal action over his refusal to cooperate with a probe into surveillance by the revenue service, escalating a public row and rattling the rand and bonds. The elite Hawks police unit said it would exercise its "constitutional powers" after Gordhan missed a second deadline to answer questions about a suspected spy unit established while he was head of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Gordhan has repeatedly called the investigation a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his and the Treasury's credibility and has said he would take legal action to protect himself. In a strongly worded statement, the Hawks said Gordhan had failed to meet a March 14 deadline to answer questions. "This is neither a talk-show nor a soapie. We are mandated to investigate without fear, favour or prejudice," the unit added, resorting to capitals to make its point. "The minister, for whatever reasons, has failed to meet the SECOND deadline for answering questions and our legal team are forging a way forward which will see the Hawks exercising our constitutional powers. "The investigations will not be stalled by an individual who refuses to comply with the authorities and demand a preferential treatment," the statement added. A Treasury spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the finance minister. The rand extended losses after the statement was released, trading 3 percent lower at 16.0275 per dollar, the weakest performer in a basket of emerging market currencies. Government bonds also weakened sharply following the news. "Investors are realising the fight is real," Nomura emerging market analyst Peter Attard Montalto said. "Both sides are doubling down and at some point one side will hit the nuclear button." DEADLINE Gordhan has said he was unable to answer the questions before a deadline set in the first letter sent to him by Hawks chief Lieutenant General Mthandazo Ntlemeza because he was busy preparing the 2016 budget. On Monday, Gordhan told a news conference he had not received a second letter from the Hawks, which set a new deadline for him to answer the questions by March 14, but had read about it in a weekend newspaper. He criticised the leaking of the document to the media, something the Hawks did not deny or confirm in its statement. Appointed in December to calm investors spooked by President Jacob Zuma's sudden switch of finance ministers, Gordhan had previously served as finance minister from 2009-2014. He was head of SARS from 1999-2009, during which time the unit that allegedly conducted illegal surveillance of taxpayers was set up. Last week he met investors and credit rating agencies in London and New York, seeking to drum up support for Africa's most industrialised economy, which is at risk of losing its investment-grade status because of low growth and big deficits. [nL5N16H5MG][nL5N16J2JI] South Africa's Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko has said the questions put to Gordhan by the Hawks do not mean he is under investigation for a crime or will be charged. Zuma said last month he had full confidence in the finance minister and dismissed "rumours and gossip which insinuate some conspiracy against minister Gordhan". [nL8N1653XO] (Additional reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Macedonian police and troops have detained a large group of migrants believed to have crossed into the country illegally.

The group of around 2,000 people was among 12,000 who had been stuck in deteriorating conditions at the northern town of Idomeni in Greece after Macedonia closed its border.

Late last week, Greek authorities said they hoped to clear the camp within two weeks and persuade the migrants to move to government-built shelters.

But instead, the group set off from Idomeni late on Monday morning, walking several miles before crossing a river into Macedonia.

Sky News Senior Correspondent Ian Woods said: "The border is demarcated in certain areas by coils of barbed wire but there are places where there is nothing there, because they rely on geographical hazards - such as the river - to do that for them."

Not long after reaching the other side of the river, however, the migrants were detained by Macedonian police and it is thought they will be returned to Greece.

Around 30 journalists who followed them have also been detained.

Just hours earlier, three Afghan migrants - two men and a pregnant woman - drowned trying to cross the same river, which has swollen after days of heavy rain.

Austria imposed a cap on migrant numbers last month, setting off a domino effect, with border closures across the Balkans and thousands of people left stranded in Greece.

The closures have not deterred people, however, with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) saying more than 8,500 more migrants travelled to the Greek islands from Turkey last week.

Ljubinka Brasnarska, a UNHCR spokeswoman in Macedonia, said people were becoming "frustrated", adding: "The border restrictions imposed by the countries have forced people to take desperate actions."

Also on Monday, Serbian customs officials found 33 migrants, who said they were from Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, hidden in a cargo train trying to cross into that country from Macedonia illegally.

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Meanwhile, the Dutch government has revealed one in every four asylum-seekers arriving there has come from a country considered "safe".

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service says a quarter of the 4,400 requests for asylum this year have come from countries such as Albania, Serbia and Kosovo.

Last week, European and Turkish leaders discussed a "one in, one out" system - one Syrian refugee would be resettled in the EU for every person who was sent back to Turkey from Greece.

But that idea quickly hit obstacles, with at least one country - Hungary - saying it would veto the plan.

Following talks in Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk warned that "the days of irregular migration to Europe are over".
Eleven people have been arrested in connection with a suicide attack in Ankara which Turkish officials say was carried out by two bombers - one male and one female.

The woman said to have been involved in the attack joined the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) in 2013, officials said.

She was born in 1992 and from the eastern Turkish city of Kars, they added, while the male is also described as a Turk with PKK links.

The blast ripped through Kizilay, a major shopping and transport hub, in the centre of the Turkish capital on Sunday night, killing at least 37 and injuring around 125 people.

It was the third terror attack in Ankara in six months.

Sky's Jonathan Samuels, in Ankara, said: "We've heard that two suicide bombers were involved.

"They turned up in a BMW which was packed with ... nails and pellets, to cause maximum carnage.

"That BMW was traced, using the chassis number, back to a town in eastern Turkey and as a result ... they have been able to identify ... the two."

Fighter jets struck arms depots and shelters of the PKK in the Iraqi mountainous areas of Qandil and Gara on Monday, according to Turkey's army.

Earlier, Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that "terrorism will be brought to its knees".

Kurdish militants are known to use bases in northern Iraq in their ongoing conflict with Turkey for an independent homeland and greater rights for Kurds.

Police detained another 15 suspected Kurdish militants in Istanbul and 50 elsewhere in the country, reports said.

Meanwhile, the authorities declared a nighttime curfew in the mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkish town of Sirnak and prepared army operations in the towns of Nusaybin and Yuksekova.

No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack as yet but a car bombing near a military headquarters in Ankara in February that left 28 dead was later claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a splinter group of the PKK.

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David Cameron has spoken to his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu to express his "sincere condolences" and offer support.

The assistance includes "sharing information on the incident", the Prime Minister's spokeswoman said.

Labour's shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn called the latest bombing a "shocking and cowardly terrorist attack".

Dozens of officials joined family members at an Ankara mosque for the first funerals of those who died.
The top of the Flint Water Plant tower is seen in Flint, Michigan in this February 7, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/Files (Reuters)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former mayor and former emergency manager of Flint both blamed the dangerously high lead levels in the city's water on state and federal officials, according to testimony released on Monday that is to be delivered at a hearing in Washington this week.

Former Mayor Dayne Walling and former emergency manager Darnell Earley, who was appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, are among witnesses who will testify at two days of hearings by the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The water crisis has drawn national attention and led to heavy criticism of Snyder, with some voters mounting a petition drive to have him recalled. Snyder, who has repeatedly apologized for the state's poor handling of the crisis, is scheduled to testify on Thursday.

The switch of Flint's water supply from Detroit to the Flint River in April 2014, made in a cost-cutting move, was made while Earley was the city's emergency manager.

The city switched back to the Detroit water system last October - after Earley had left the position as emergency manager - but the river's corrosive water leached lead from city pipes, causing a serious public health threat.

Earley, who will appear in front of the House committee on Tuesday, the first day of the hearings, in his written testimony blamed state and federal officials.

"Unthinkable errors all underscore that Flints crisis resulted from improper treatment of the water, an issue which fell squarely in the bailiwick of (the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) and EPA," Earley said in the testimony released by the committee.

"We relied on the experts to verify that the water would not pose any threat to the community - the experts failed all of us," he added, citing state environmental officials and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"I now wish that I had been more probative in my approach in delving deeper into the explanations I was receiving about what was being done," he said.

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The EPA's former regional director, Susan Hedman, who resigned after criticism of her handling of the crisis, will also be among those testifying on Tuesday.

Walling, the former mayor, said in his written testimony: "The states focus on balancing the citys books and choosing low cost over human consequences created more expensive public problems." He was also critical of the EPA.

He added that questions raised by EPA officials about Flint's water "were not accurately addressed" by the state environmental officials.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, who will testify on Thursday, said in a Washington Post editorial on Monday that the state was "dismissive, misleading and unresponsive" with federal officials. But she said the EPA also missed opportunities.
CBC

Toronto city councillor Cynthia Lai has died, her re-election campaign announced in a statement on Friday. Her death comes just days before the municipal election on Oct. 24, in which she was running to retain her seat. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Councillor Cynthia Lai, Ward 23, Scarborough North this afternoon. She was surrounded by family at the hospital," the statement said. Lai, who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in the 1970s, was first elected in 2018
Victoria police Chief Frank Elsner has filed a B.C. Supreme Court petition seeking an order to stop an external police complaint commission investigation into allegations he sent inappropriate tweets to the wife of one of his officers.

According to newly filed court documents, Elsner claims complaint commissioner Stan Lowe has no authority to order an investigation into conduct which has already been the subject of an internal probe.

The chief stepped aside in December after Lowe ordered the RCMP investigation; he is now seeking orders quashing Lowe's original instructions and preventing any further investigative steps from proceeding.

Inappropriate Twitter exchanges

The petition is the latest episode in a drama which began last August when the co-chairs of the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board got a tip that Elsner had exchanged inappropriate Twitter messages with a female officer on another force.

The woman's husband is an officer serving under Elsner.

The board approached the police complaint commissioner, who sanctioned the internal investigation, which wrapped up in December with a formal reprimand.

At the time, Elsner said he was "deeply humiliated".

But after reports about the allegations exploded into the public domain shortly thereafter, Lowe claimed he found the original internal process lacking.

As such, he ordered an investigation into Elsner's conduct to be headed by RCMP Chief Supt. Sean Bourrie, with assistance from the Vancouver Police department.

Lowe also posted an extraordinary letter, detailing his concerns with the internal investigation. He claimed he allowed the internal investigation to proceed based on certain preconditions, which were not met.

But in his petition, Elsner claims he was never advised of any preconditions, and only consented with the internal investigation based on assurances "that the matter would be kept confidential."

Abuse of process

Elsner claims allowing the external investigation to proceed would amount to an abuse of process.

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The petition also claims that Lowe relied on "irrelevant and/or extraneous considerations in issuing the order for external investigation, including media reports with respect to Chief Elsner's conduct."

In addition, the new court documents address allegations the chief spoke with witnesses connected to the investigation.

Elsner claims the report cleared him of any wrongdoing in that regard, finding that he spoke to the individuals in question "because he wanted to apologize for putting them in a difficult position."

"His conduct did not affect the integrity of the investigation," the petition says.

Elsner claims the RCMP investigation has taken steps in connection with the investigation, which include applying for judicial authorization to search various electronic devices and telephone records.

A spokesman for the police complaint commissioner says the office has been served with the petition, but has yet to file a reply.
The number of people needing food aid in Zimbabwe has reached four million - more than a third of the country's population, a state-owned newspaper has revealed.

Zimbabwe is struggling with its worst drought in more than two decades and government stocks of maize, the country's staple food, will only last for three months, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira told the Herald newspaper.

Last month Zimbabwe - which has an estimated population of 14.2 million - appealed for 1.12m ($1.6bn) in aid to help pay for food after President Robert Mugabe declared a "state of disaster" in many rural areas.

The government has issued licences to private millers to import grain while organisations such as the United Nations' World Food Programme are feeding one million people.

The drought and low mineral commodity prices are taking their toll on the economy, with finance minister Patrick Chinamasa saying last week it was "under siege".

Farmers have already lost cattle and crops and fear more pain as the year progresses.

The El Nino weather pattern has also brought poor rains to other countries in the region, including South Africa, its biggest maize grower.
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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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Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

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

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

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

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

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

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh

USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens

ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression
By Aziz El Yaakoubi RABAT (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched though the capital Rabat on Sunday to protest against U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's position on the Western Sahara dispute and rally support for the king. Waving portraits of King Mohamed and Moroccan flags, protesters chanted the "The Sahara is ours, the King is ours" as they packed the streets near the parliament building in a rally supported by the government. Morocco's government last week accused Ban of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara conflict, saying he used the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's presence in the region that has been at the center of a dispute since 1975. "That was a serious attack on the feelings of all Moroccans, the march shows we are all united in our national cause," Mbarka Bouida, delegate minister for foreign affairs said, joining the protesters. State news agency MAP said three million people attended the march, though those figures could not be confirmed. Some protesters said they were bussed for free to the march and said trains had also been free for the day of the rally. The long-running dispute over the region in the northwest edge of Africa has dragged on since Morocco took control over most of it in 1975 following the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain. The Polisario Front, which claims the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, fought a rebel war against Morocco until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in 1991, but the two sides have been deadlocked since that agreement. Ban said earlier this month he would restart U.N. efforts to reach a solution after visiting camps in southern Algeria for the Polasario Front leadership and refugees who fled the conflict and who have spent decades there. The Moroccan government said Ban used the word "occupation" to describe Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara in 1975 Polisario, backed by Morocco's regional rival and neighbor Algeria and a number of other African states, wants a referendum promised in the ceasefire agreement on the region's fate. Morocco says it will not offer more than autonomy for the region, rich in phosphates and possibly offshore oil and gas. "We came to tell Ban and the world that the Sahara is a red line for us, and we would die for it," a protester named Salah, who traveled from Oujda area. Morocco's king last year insisted only the autonomy plan was acceptable. Rabat invests heavily in the Western Sahara, hoping to calm social unrest and independence claims, and in February announced a $1.85 billion investment plan. (Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Russia will use other means to put pressure on Turkey (video)

During the recent 4 months there have been 5 terrorist acts, two of which- large. The Armenian experts consider March 13 explosion in Ankara to be the result of Turkeys inner and regional policy. "The actions and the policy of the Turkish authorities, as well as adventurism in many cases resulted in the situation, which exists today in Turkey, and the terrorist acts, in fact, were a response to it, Turkologist Levon Hovsepyan told A1+. Some days ago the US diplomatic mission to Turkey warned against the possible attack, but the Turkish authorities didnt take any steps for its prevention. In this context Levon Hovsepyan highlights: It seems that there is a tendency that it is somehow advantageous to the Turkish authorities. I dont say that it was certainly organized by the state, but perhaps just from the point of view of prevention it ensures certain leverages for the Turkish authorities for certain actions in the future. Though there is still no official information about the organizers of the terrorist act, taking into account a number of circumstances the Turkologists suppose whom the official Ankara will blame. Ruben Safrastyan, Director of Institute of Oriental Studies, thinks that once again the Kurdish organizations will become a target. I dont rule out that this regrettable terrorist act will be used by Erdogans government for moving the Turkish armed divisions to Iraq or Syria or for starting new aggressive actions, he said. Erdogan-Aliyev meeting is planned in Azerbaijan on March 15, which likely will be postponed for already second time. In this context Levon Hovsepyan notes that the claims by the Turkish media, that that visit is against Russias interests and some Russian forces are interested that this meeting will not be held, is illogical and out of political processes. The Turkish media is trying to find certain traces and divert the attention toward Russia trying to show that Erdogans visit to Azerbaijan contradicts the interests of Russia. I consider it baseless. Irrespective of Russia-Turkey tense relations, Turkologists consider Russias involvement in terrorist act to be unlikely. It is notable that days ago Russias government and the Supreme Court rejected the draft law on criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide. I dont think that it was an urgent agenda issue in Russia. I think that Russia will try to use other means to put pressure on Turkey, says Ruben Safrastyan. Details on the video
By Steve Holland TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Voters in five big states cast ballots on Tuesday to pick presidential candidates, with Donald Trump looking for victories in Ohio and Florida to bring him closer to securing the Republican Party nomination despite criticism his rowdy campaign is dividing America. Trump, his party's front-runner, had the potential to sweep all five states holding primaries for November's national election. In addition to Florida and Ohio, there were contests in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina. The 69-year-old billionaire businessman could knock out his two mainstream rivals, Ohio Governor John Kasich and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, if he wins their states. His closest challenger nationally is U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, 45, a Tea Party favorite. Trump had a significant lead over Rubio in opinion polls leading up to the primary in Florida, but was neck and neck with Kasich in Ohio. Wins by either Rubio, Kasich or Cruz would give at least a little hope to Republicans battling to deny the New Yorker the nomination. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 68, could put some distance between herself and rival Bernie Sanders, 74, a U.S. senator from Vermont, in Democratic primaries in the same states. An outbreak of clashes between Trump supporters and protesters that forced him to cancel a Chicago rally on Friday, and scattered protests at some of his campaign events this week have prompted mainstream Republican Party figures to speak out against the former reality TV star. Democratic President Barack Obama spoke out on Tuesday, saying he was dismayed by what was happening on the presidential campaign trail. "I reject any effort to spread fear or encourage violence ... or to turn Americans against one another," Obama, referring to Trump, said during an event on Capitol Hill. Victories in the five states could put Trump - who has vowed to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, impose protectionist trade policies and temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country - on a glide path to being his party's candidate in November. That seemed inconceivable only last year. TRUMP IN DEMAND Trump said on Tuesday that his momentum was already drawing in establishment Republicans who had previously balked at his candidacy but now see him as the likely nominee. "They're already calling," he told NBC's "Today" show, without naming names. "The biggest people in the party are calling." U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, one of the nation's most powerful Republicans, told reporters that all presidential candidates must bear responsibility for helping curb violence at campaign events and creating a less hostile atmosphere.. Ryan's counterpart in the Senate, Republican leader Mitch McConnell, said he recommended to Trump in a phone call that the candidate condemn violence at rallies. Trump argues that his candidacy has brought a breath of fresh air to U.S. politics and says his campaign rallies are peaceful events except for a few incidents. Ohio voter Mark Hoprich, 51, said he likes Trump's direct manner. "I like that he's an in-your-face type of candidate and tells it like it is," said Hoprich, who works in law enforcement. "So, hopefully, when it comes to dealing with other countries, we could come out more on the winning side," he said at a polling place in Independence, outside Cleveland. For the Democrats, opinion polls gave Clinton a big lead in Florida and North Carolina but showed Sanders gaining ground in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, a possibly worrisome sign for Clinton after his surprise victory in Michigan a week ago. Speaking to reporters at a polling place in Raleigh, North Carolina, Clinton had Trump on her mind. "I think it is important that we really do focus on the very dangerous path that Donald Trump has laid out here," she said. "The kind of bluster and bigotry and bullying that he is exemplifying on the campaign trail is disturbing to, I think, the majority of Americans. Trump won an early round on Tuesday, taking the Northern Mariana Islands caucuses with almost 73 percent of the vote. The win in the U.S. Pacific commonwealth gave him nine delegates. The Republican establishment's only real hope for stopping Trump might be to deny him the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination, even though he may win a majority. That would extend the battle to the party's July nominating convention in Cleveland. If Kasich, 63, and Rubio, 44, do drop out of the race after Tuesday's primaries, that would leave Cruz as the only Republican in the field against Trump. The Texan senator has struggled to build support beyond his base of evangelical Christians and Republican Southerners. (This version of the story was refiled to fix a formatting error in the first paragraph to make it "victories in" instead of "victoriesin".) (Additional reporting by Amanda Becker in Ohio, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Peter Cooney, W Simon and Jonathan Oatis)
By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - The stakes will be high for Britain's historic role as a free-trading nation when it holds a referendum on whether to stay in the European Union on June 23. There is no precedent for an economy as big as Britain's leaving a trade bloc, and the rival campaigns paint contrasting pictures of what quitting the EU might mean for its trade. Below are some of the main issues around the potential risks or benefits for British trade of a so-called Brexit. TRADE WITH EU - HOW MUCH RISK? Britain's most important trade partnership is with the EU's single market, the world's biggest trade area. Campaigners seeking to keep Britain in the EU say it would be in a weak negotiating position if it left and then sought to hammer out a trade agreement with its former partners, something many "out" campaigners say they want. Government figures show 12.6 percent of Britain's economic output is linked to exports to the EU's 27 other members, for whom only 3.1 percent of output is linked to exports to Britain. Pascal Lamy, a former head of the World Trade Organisation, said a post-Brexit Britain would probably have to resort to raising its import tariffs on EU and other countries' goods or restricting access to its market in services in order to gain some muscle for trade talks that could last as long as a decade. "Britain would have to say, 'Sorry, consumers, but you have to pay more'. It's just crazy," said Lamy, an ex-EU trade chief. In return for a trade deal, the EU would want Britain to make contributions into its budget and to keep on allowing EU citizens to work on its soil -- two big concerns for the Brexit camp. It could also face a long battle to ensure its banking industry did not face hurdles doing business in Europe. "Out" campaigners say the EU would probably be reluctant to reward a breakaway Britain with a trade deal but would not want to impede its firms from selling into the world's fifth-biggest economy by raising tariffs or imposing tough new regulations. They say the boot would even be on Britain's foot because, in value terms, EU exports of goods and services to Britain were worth 289 billion pounds in 2014, substantially more than Britain's 230 billion pounds of exports the other way. "Commercial imperatives are very powerful, much more powerful than politicians," William Dartmouth, deputy chairman of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), said. If a deal could not be reached and WTO-compliant tariffs were imposed on trade between Britain and the EU, they would be low enough not to impede business, Dartmouth predicted. Tariffs agreed by the EU with the WTO for imports from countries outside the bloc stand at below 5 percent on over a third of factory goods but have been abolished on about 30 percent more; the EU has a nearly 10 percent tariff on cars, a big British export. A breakaway Britain would also need to renegotiate its WTO membership terms with all WTO members, including some with which Britain has frosty relations such as Russia and Argentina. TRADE WITH REST OF WORLD The Brexit camp says the EU moves too slowly on trade and Britain on its own would strike deals more quickly. The big prizes would be agreements with heavyweights such as the United States, India and China, none of which have full trade pact with the EU to date. But others warn that Britain, with a population of 60 million people, would go into talks in a weaker position on its own than as part of the 500-million strong EU. "It's not a question of being smart or not. At the end of the day it depends on how much clout you have," said Arancha Gonzalez, head of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the WTO. A 2013 trade deal between Switzerland and China, which some Brexit supporters say shows what Britain might achieve on its own, got rid of tariffs on 99.8 percent of Chinese exports to Switzerland immediately compared with 77.3 percent of Swiss exports to China, rising to nearly 90 percent by 2028. Fredrik Erixon, at think tank ECIPE in Brussels, said a UK-China deal could provide big gains for British exporters and investors but might come at the cost of Britain providing China with privileged status as an investor or more political support. Simon Evenett, a trade professor at St Gallen University in Switzerland, said Britain might be able to do a deal quickly with Brazil because it does not share the concerns of other EU countries about Brazil's ambitions to export more farm goods. But he said India could repeat a demand it made in trade talks with the EU -- namely that more of its skilled workers be given work visas, touching on a sensitive issue for many Brexit supporters for whom high levels of immigration are a concern. As for the United States, its top trade official said last year Washington's focus was on deals with regional groups not individual nations. And as well as seeking to open up new markets, a post-Brexit Britain would face the challenge of regaining the preferential trade access it currently has with over 50 countries under EU deals, ranging from Mexico to Egypt and Ukraine. WHO WILL NEGOTIATE FOR BRITAIN? The European Commission has exclusive competence to forge trade deals on behalf of the bloc. If Britain left, it would have to create its own negotiating team able to handle the wide range of complex issues immediately on the agenda. Only a few of the 55 British officials in the European Commission's trade department actually work on trade deals. "Britain's trade negotiators would need technical and legal experience, which is accumulated over many years, and they would be stretched by the need to negotiate simultaneously on multiple fronts," said Gregor Irwin, chief economist at Global Counsel, a consultancy firm led by Britain's former EU trade chief Peter Mandelson. "No country has ever tried to do this before." But Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, a pro-Brexit campaign group, said more than 1,700 British government staff currently work on trade policy and the country would also be able to use private-sector expertise. "The idea that we are too weak to even strike our own trade deals shows how willing the pro-EU lobby is to do down Britain," he said. (Story refiled to correct description of Global Counsel to consultancy) (Writing by William Schomberg; Additional reporting by Phil Blenkinsop in Brussels and Tom Miles in Geneva; editing by Mark John)
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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

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

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

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

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

Google Ad

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

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

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh

USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens

ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression
This information is such that Inwido AB (publ) is obliged to publish in accordance with the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication on Tuesday, 15 March 2016, at 8:45 a.m. Inwido, Europes largest supplier of windows and doors, has signed an agreement to acquire 25 percent of the shares in Danish window company Outrup Vinduer & Dre. The parties have also agreed that the remaining shares will be acquired in early 2018 (65%) and 2019 (10%). The acquisition strengthens Inwidos position in the Danish market and is expected to generate significant opportunities for expansion and synergies with Inwidos existing operations. Outrup was founded in 1968 by Harry Ringgaard whose son Mogens now manages the company and is its principal owner. The company sells and produces windows and doors in wood and wood/aluminium for the Danish market. The company has a strong position, particularly among carpenters, and is focused on energy-efficient and modern window and door solutions. Outrups windows and doors are right for the times with their design and energy efficiency. The acquisition strengthens our offering in Denmark while Outrups expertise will be used to great advantage in our other companies, says Hakan Jeppsson, President and CEO of Inwido. Outrup has approximately 150 employees and production takes place at the factory in Outrup on the Danish island of Mors. In 2015, sales amounted to approximately DKK 180 million. Due to the structure of the acquisition agreement, coordination with Inwidos other operations will not commence until January 2018 at the earliest. It will also not be until then that the main synergies will arise. Inwido is an active, credible and energetic company that is in many respects a role model in our industry, says Mogens Ringgaard. The Groups strategy of decentralized management and local production also fits well, and consequently the plan is to continue production in Outrup. I feel confident that this will be successful for all parties involved. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the relevant competition authorities. For more information, please contact: Inwido AB Hakan Jeppsson, President and CEO Tel.: 46 (0)10-451 45 51 or 46 (0)70-550 15 17 Jonna Opitz, SVP Marketing, Sales & Communication Tel.: 46 (0)10-451 45 58 or 46 (0)722 11 90 10 E-mail: jonna.opitz@inwido.com About Inwido Inwido is Europes largest supplier of windows and doors. The company has operations in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Estionia, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland and the UK, as well as exports to a large number of other countries. The Group markets some 20 strong local brands including Elitfonster, SnickarPer, Hajom, Hemmafonster, Outline, Tiivi, Pihla, Diplomat and Sokolka. Inwido has approximately 3,400 employees and generated sales of slightly more than SEK 5.2 billion in 2015. The Group's headquarters are located in Malmo, Sweden. For further information, please visit www.inwido.com
The Annual General Meeting of GlobalConnect A/S was held today at the company's offices at Hrsktten 3, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark. The general meeting had the following

Agenda

1) Election of chairman of the meeting.

2) The board of directors' report on the company's activities in the past year.

The board of directors' report was adopted.

3) Presentation for adoption of the annual report for the financial year 2015 and resolution on discharge of the board of directors and the management board from its obligations.

The annual report 2015 was approved and the general meeting discharged the board of directors and the management board from its obligations.

4) Resolution on appropriation of profits or provisions for losses in accordance with the adopted accounts.

The board of directors' proposal for appropriation of profits for the financial year 2015 was approved.

5) Renewal of authorization to allow the company to acquire treasury shares.

A proposal to renew the existing authorization to the board of directors to allow the company to acquire treasury shares was adopted.

6) Amendment of the company's articles of association.

A proposal to insert a new article 14 in the company's articles of association concerning electronic communication with the company's shareholders and consequently amending article 7.4 of the articles of association regarding convening of general meetings was adopted.

7) Election of the board of directors.

Niels Zibrandtsen, Lisbeth Zibrandtsen, Niels Ravn, Michael Potter, Ole Hvelplund, Lars Monrad-Gylling and Fritjof Lind were elected to the board of directors.

8) Appointment of auditor.

BDO Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab was re-elected as auditor of the

company.

9) Any other business.

***

Taastrup, 15 March 2016

HUG#1994437
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLA., March 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Burg Management Company, an Associa company, is proud to announce the promotion of Tammy Mallory to vice president and the accomplishment of Ron Crowson who has been named Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA).



Mallory will be responsible for helping the company achieve financial goals while increasing operational performance. Her promotion to senior management will position the company for continued growth with the expansion of new business.



She has been with the company since 2004. Mallory has received the highest professional designation in the community association industry, Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM), and serves on the board of the North Gulf Coast Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI).



Crowson earned his CMCA through the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB). The board administers the CMCA examination, a rigorous test that measures knowledge of community management best practices. He joins more than 14,000 CMCAs worldwide who have demonstrated the skills essential for managing homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives.



Crowson served in the Panama City Beach Police Department for more than 31 years and retired as a division commander. He joined Burg Management Company in 2014 and manages seven condominium and homeowner associations in Bay and Gulf Counties.



Building and managing successful communities for more than 35 years, Associa is the worldwide leader in community management with over 10,000 employees operating more than 180 branch offices in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. Based in Dallas, Texas, our industry expertise, financial strength, and innovation meet the unique needs of clients across the world with customized services and solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more about Associa and its charitable organization, Associa Cares, go to www.associaonline.com or www.associacares.com.

A photo accompanying this release is available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=39437
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I will not allow the commission to turn into court (video)

Today Ethics Commission accepted the application by three media NGOs against the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) lawmaker Mher Sedrakyan. Media and right, Association of free journalists and Union of Journalists NGOs demand to hold him liable for offending and cursing the journalists. Head of the Commission, the HHK faction member Khosrov Harutyunyan told journalists after the sitting, We accepted the application as there was no legal base for rejection. The decision will be made in 30 days; we came to an agreement that the sides would be invited. First, we decided to invite the media NGOs in order to listen to their justifications and arguments and then the lawmakers will be invited. In reply to the question why the sides were invited separately, Mr Harutyunyan answered, As long as I am the president of the commission, I will not allow the commission to turn into court. Take that fact into consideration! In reply to the question who will be appointed a reporter, Khosrov Harutyunyan noted, that two members of the commission, Tevan Poghosyan and Hovhannes Margaryan were absent, After consultation with them we will decide.
SCPEC Chairman cannot explain how petrol prices are determined (video)

Armenian lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan today asked the chairman of the State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) to explain why petrol prices are higher in Armenia than in Georgia. A new company called Rosneft-Armenia has emerged in Armenia which had a profit of AMD 15 billion in 2015. Activities of this company are obscure. According to press reports, Rosneft-Armenia (a subsidiary of Rosneft - a leader in the Russian petroleum industry) does nothing but selling the products of Rosneft Company. Thus, Rosneft-Armenia receives a profit of AMD 15 billion without doing anything, Pashinyan said. Our studies show that at the beginning of 2014 when prices began to fall in the world, petrol prices significantly dropped in Armenia. Three companies  two Russian and one Bulgarian  import petroleum products to Armenia. As for the comparison between prices in Armenia and Georgia, I must say that there are three main factors, and one of them is linked to transportation, SCPEC Chairman Artak Shaboyan said. Georgia pays import duty on the border while Armenia does not. Georgia also pays customs duty for importing products from Russia but we do not pay. But as you see prices are 50 percent higher in Armenia than in Georgia. Today, people living in Noyemberyan region often cross the border with Georgia to fill cheap petrol there, Pashinyan said. I cannot explain the decisions of our economic entities, Mr Shaboyan said in reply.
London (AFP) - Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the leader of the world's Anglicans, said Friday that people were entitled to fear the impact of mass migration, in his first intervention in Britain's EU referendum debate.

As the European Union struggles to deal with the arrival of an influx of people fleeing war in Syria and upheaval across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Welby said there was a "genuine fear" about the impact on housing, employment and public services.

"There is a tendency to say 'those people are racist', which is just outrageous, absolutely outrageous," he said in an interview with The House magazine.

"Fear is a valid emotion at a time of such colossal crisis. This is one of the greatest movements of people in human history. Just enormous. And to be anxious about that is very reasonable."

His comments were welcomed by campaigners pushing for Britain to leave the EU in the referendum on June 23, who argue that migration from within the bloc is a burden on communities that can only be lifted by a so-called Brexit.

However, the archbishop also said that local communities had "demonstrated an enormous capacity" to deal with migration, and argued that the current crisis needed an EU-wide solution.

"A problem of this scale can only be dealt with by a response on an equally grand scale right across Europe, and we have to play our part," he said.

Welby also warned that the Leave campaign must spell out what Britain would look like outside the EU -- an argument that Prime Minister David Cameron has made in his efforts to persuade voters to remain in the bloc.

"I don't think there is one correct Christian view, one way or the other," the archbishop said.

He added: "What would Britain look like, having left? What would be its attitude internationally? What would be its values? What are the points of excitement, of contributing to human flourishing? How does that liberate the best that is within us?

"And from those who want to stay, how would we change the European Union? How would we make it more effective if we remained in it? What's our vision?"

Welby said Britain was doing "extraordinary" work in the camps surrounding Syria and Iraq but repeated his criticism of its offer to resettle 20,000 refugees by 2020, saying Germany's efforts made this proposal seem "very thin".
By Lisandra Paraguassu and Maria Carolina Marcello BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's efforts to bolster her government amid a storm of corruption allegations by naming her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to her Cabinet were overshadowed on Tuesday by a barrage of fresh accusations against a minister. Presidential aides said the charismatic Lula, Brazil's first working class president, had decided to accept a ministerial position in Rousseff's Cabinet, a move that would offer him protection in the short-term from prosecutors who have charged him with money laundering and fraud. One of the aides, who asked not to be identified so he could speak freely, said Lula, a talented negotiator, would take charge of legislative affairs, where he could leverage his close ties to congressmen from the ruling Workers Party to rally votes for the government. The return to public office of Lula, who stepped down in 2010 after eight years in power as one of the world's most popular leaders, was slammed by critics as a desperate attempt to shore up support for Rousseff as she faces impeachment proceedings in Congress. Rousseff's popularity has been pummeled by Brazil's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the spreading corruption investigation focused on state-run oil company Petrobras. More than a million people marched in demonstrations across Brazil on Sunday, calling for her ouster and voicing support for the investigations into kickbacks by contractors to political leaders in exchange for work with Petrobras. Plans to announce Lula`s appointment were overtaken by the publication of damaging new allegations from a Workers' Party senator in plea bargain testimony made public by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The testimony by Senator Delcidio do Amaral, a close ally of the president until he was arrested last year, accused both Rousseff and Lula of being aware of corruption at Petroleo Brasileiro SA and said the president had tried to hamper the investigation. In the most damaging allegations, Amaral said Aloisio Mercadante, a Workers' Party veteran who has served as Rousseff's chief-of-staff and is now education minister, offered to pay him to keep quiet last year. Mercadante called a news conference to deny the accusation, that was based on a recording of two meetings between the minister and Amaral's personal secretary. Presidential aides said the accusations had overshadowed any announcement of Lula joining the cabinet. "We were hoping to change the mood with Lula's appointment, but this recording is another huge blow," one aide told Reuters. INVESTORS TAKE FRIGHT Investors, who have long blamed Rousseff for erratic policies they believe hurt the economy, had bought up Brazilian assets in recent days because of the increasing likelihood that the president might be ousted. However, they fretted on Tuesday that Lula's return to government could lead to increased spending in the short-term in the midst of a fiscal crisis. Lula and many Workers' Party allies have said more spending is necessary to revert dwindling support for the government. Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index <.BVSP> fell 3.5 percent and the Brazilian currency weakened 3 percent against the U.S. dollar on the news. Lula, who became a hero to many for lifting millions out of poverty during his 2003-2010 government, is under investigation on suspicion he benefited from the massive graft scandal that has ensnared dozens of corporate leaders and politicians in Rousseff's governing coalition. Accepting a Cabinet post would transfer potential money laundering charges against him from Federal Judge Sergio Moro to Brazil's Supreme Court. Brazil's Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo denied the government was trying to shield Lula from prosecution and said there were no legal or political impediments for him to join the Cabinet. "Lula is not fleeing from justice. There is no attempt of any sort to shield him," Cardozo told reporters. Rousseff's main coalition partner, the PMDB party, whose leaders in Congress are also being investigated for corruption, has been moving toward breaking with her government and supporting her impeachment. That would put its leader, Vice President Michel Temer, in the presidential seat. "The appointment of Lula as minister shows Brazilians that the government's only concern today is to survive at any cost," opposition leader Aecio Neves, who narrowly lost to Rousseff in 2014, said in a Twitter message. Amaral's plea-bargain extended the reach of the corruption probe to new industries, including ethanol, and to opposition leaders, including Neves, who the senator accused of received kickbacks from a unit of Eletrobras, Brazil's state-led electricity utility. (Additinal reporting by Alonso Soto; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Tom Brown)
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese courts convicted more than 1,400 people last year for harming national security, including taking part in terrorism and secessionist activities, China's top judge said on Sunday, double a broadly equivalent number given for 2014. Hundreds of people have been killed over the past few years in China's resource-rich Xinjiang province, strategically located on the borders of central Asia, in violence between the Muslim Uighur people, who call the region home, and ethnic majority Han Chinese. Officials have blamed the unrest on Islamist militants and separatists, though rights groups and exiles say anger at Chinese controls on the religion and culture of the Uighurs is more to blame for the strife. China denies any repression in Xinjiang. In an annual report to China's largely rubber-stamp parliament, chief justice Zhou Qiang said Chinese courts in 2015 convicted 1,419 people for harming state security, including taking part in terrorist attacks and secessionist activities. He did not give a comparison, but last year in his work report he said courts convicted 712 people for separatism and terrorism in 2014, up 13.3 percent on the previous year. Last year courts stepped up their efforts against people who "instigated secessionist activities, led, organized and took part in terrorist groups and who spread video and audio products about terrorism", Zhou said. This year courts "will implement well the laws on state security and counter-terrorism and severely punish terrorists and secessionists", he added. New Chinese security laws, including the counter-terrorism law and the draft cyber security law, have been controversial as they codify sweeping powers for the government to combat perceived threats, from widespread censorship to heightened control over certain technologies. Critics of the counter-terrorism legislation say that it could be interpreted in such a way that even non-violent dissidents could fall within its definition of terrorism. Western governments have expressed their concern to Beijing, though last week China's third-ranked leader rebutted criticism saying the country was taking a "distinctly Chinese approach" to national security with its raft of new laws. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ed Davies)
New York (AFP) - The Thai military junta wants to cling onto power as long as possible, the country's fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in an interview in New York, not ruling out a return to politics.

The telecoms tycoon, who was toppled in a 2006 coup and now lives in self-exile overseas, said he "wished" he could go home but would consider a return only if it would "benefit the country and the people."

In May 2014, Thailand's generals deposed the government of Thaksin's younger sister Yingluck and are now redrafting the constitution, although the junta chief has vowed to hold elections in 2017.

Thaksin said he did "not believe" the elections promise and heavily criticized the junta, who say a new constitution is necessary to curtail corruption.

"If we look at their behavior, as if they would like to stay as long as possible," he said in an interview at a New York hotel, when asked how long he thought the military would hold onto power.

The former prime minister repeatedly expressed concerns about the future of Thailand if the new constitution is adopted.

The junta justified its power grab as a bid to restore order and protect the monarchy, headed by the revered but frail 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Parties led by or aligned to the Shinawatras have won every election since 2001, and they are loved in the nation's rural north for their populist policies.

But the clan's enemies, including large parts of the military, judiciary and royalist elite in Bangkok and the south accuse them of cronyism, corruption and financially ruinous politics.

Nearly two years later Thaksin said the junta had done "nothing on reconciliation" and were "not providing justice for all, just only trying to use the law to benefit their own politics."

He said he wanted the country to prosper and Thai people guaranteed freedom of speech and human rights protections.

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- Not ruling out -

"I'm not ruling myself out but I'm not having ambition to do it again," he said. "I'm 67 already now," he added. "I want to live my life peacefully."

He insisted for the moment that he was happy to stay in Dubai and travel, mentioning Beijing and London as favorite destinations.

But he has also stepped out of the shadows in recent weeks, giving interviews in Singapore and addressing the World Policy Forum in New York on Wednesday.

From the street, shouts of dozens of protesters could be heard as Thaksin began his speech. They were split into two camps -- welcoming Thaksin and insisting that he go to jail for corruption.

The former premier apologized to the well-heeled audience at a private members club for the protesters but quipped that he hoped they were enjoying freedom of expression in the United States.

The billionaire used part of his speech to stress the role that Thailand could play in forging closer ties between China and America.

And in the interview, he warned that the junta could impede economic growth and foreign investment by fanning political uncertainty.

Thailand's decade of political instability has been exacerbated by King Bhumibol's advancing years. Analysts say the military and its backers are determined to be in control as competing elites jostle for influence.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 63, is Bhumibol's chosen successor but has so far achieved little of the widespread popularity of his father.

Thaksin said he had no concerns about how succession would pan out.

"We have the law and the tradition in place that ensures the smooth succession if it were to happen, but I wish the king a long life," he said.

He did however express concerns for his sister, who has been put on trial by the military authorities for negligence, a charge she and her supporters say is politically motivated.

"We are worried about the justice that she will be receiving," he said, branding the junta's ban on her returning to politics for five years as "very ridiculous."

Thaksin, who studied as a post-graduate in the United States, said he was a frequent visitor and was in America to meet friends.

He called on the United States to play a stronger role in fostering democracy in South East Asia but demurred on the presidential election, which has been dominated by the rise of tycoon Donald Trump saying only that his levels of support was "very impressive."
By Matt Siegel CANBERRA (Reuters) - France has sent its largest business delegation in nearly two decades to Australia, talking up the economic benefits of its bid for a A$50-billion ($38-billion) contract to build a fleet of 12 stealth submarines for Australia. Executives from French corporate giants Airbus, BNP Paribas, Thales and dozens more arrive in Canberra on Tuesday for meetings with top government and business figures. France is up against Japan and Germany in bidding for one of the world's most lucrative defense contracts. A decision is expected within months, ahead of an Australian national election in which the deal and the jobs it will create are expected to be a key issue for the conservative government. The French visit, which includes top officials from France's state-controlled naval contractor DCNS, is part of a process of growing strategic and economic ties with Australia, said French Ambassador Christophe Lecourtier, and not limited to submarines. "We're not just offering a submarine design, but also a broader alliance between our business communities, between our governments, to face some of the most tricky challenges of this century," he told Reuters. Australia last month announced in a long-awaited White Paper that it would increase defense spending by nearly A$30 billion over the next 10 years in order to protect its strategic and trade interests in the Asia-Pacific region. "France has not written your white paper but this white paper says Australia needs to increase its effort in terms of military expenditure and effort and we are telling Australia that we can be a partner in this field," Lecourtier added. Reuters reported last month that the competition was narrowing to a race between Japan and France, with Tokyo playing up its strategic support from Washington and Paris pushing the subs deal more on its merits for Australia's slowing economy. Germany's TKMS is proposing to scale up its 2,000-tonne Type 214 class submarine, while Japan is offering a variant of its 4,000-tonne Soryu boats made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Tokyo was initially seen as the frontrunner, due to close ties between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was ousted in a party coup by Malcolm Turnbull last September, and perceived support from Washington to build closer ties between two key Asian allies. An Australian political source with decades of experience in the global arms industry said that the French visit reflects a desire to blunt Japan's perceived strategic advantage by flexing their economic muscles. "My view is that the French aren't very confident against the Japanese from a strategic perspective," he told Reuters. "The trick now is that you're not lobbying Defence, you're lobbying the various members of the NSC," he said, referring to the National Security Committee of Cabinet, which will make the final decision. TKMS Australia CEO John White poured cold water on the strategy, saying that if anything, it gave Germany more confidence in its position. "We have a very strong German government and company presence in Australia with Siemens and MTU and Rheinmetal , so really ... we don't need to make those shows of visible sudden presence," White told Reuters. "So it, if anything, gives us in the German camp a bit of comfort." (Editing by Lincoln Feast)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Japan's most advanced attack submarine will participate in joint military exercises with Australia next month, its Ministry of Defense said, in what analysts see as a bid to win a A$50-billion ($37-billion) defense contract. The race to build Australia's next submarine fleet has narrowed to France's state-controlled naval contractor DCNS, and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, touting a variant of their Soryu product. The Soryu submarine and two military frigates will conduct exercises with the Australian Navy in the seas around Sydney, Japan's Ministry of Defense said in a notice on Thursday, before they return home on April 26, following an 11-day trip. Australia's defense department confirmed the exercises, but declined to say which vessels would participate. The 4,000-tonne Soryu faces off against a diesel-electric version of France's 5,000-tonne nuclear-powered Barracuda. Japan's lobbying effort comes on the heels of a visit last week by French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Adelaide, the home of Australia's ship building industry. "By bringing the Soryu, it is demonstrating its range and then it gives the Australian navy the chance to exercise with it, including the opportunity to benchmark it against its existing Collins-class submarines," said Euan Graham, director of the international security program at the Lowy Institute. France is likely to broach its offer to build the new submarine fleet when its largest business grouping, Mouvement des Entreprises de France, visits Australia's capital next week. Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems TKAG.DE (TKMS) has lost ground because of technical concerns, several sources said this year. Australia's fleet of 12 new submarines is a key component of its defense plan. Last month, Australia announced plans to boost its defense spending by nearly A$30 billion ($22 billion) over the next decade, as it looks to protect its strategic and trade interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia is caught in a delicate position, as it is keen to maintain its relationship with both the United States and China, while tension rises between the two over the South China Sea. "There is an enormous amount of pressure for Australia to go with Japan, because of the message that will send Beijing," said James Curran, professor of foreign policy at the University of Sydney. ($1=1.3389 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Colin Packham in SYDNEY; Additional reporting by Tim Kelly in TOKYO; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Ognen Teofilovski and Michele Kambas IDOMENI, Greece/NICOSIA (Reuters) - Macedonia trucked about 1,500 migrants and refugees back to Greece after they forced their way across the border on Monday, as European nations continued to pass the buck in a migration crisis that risks tearing the European Union apart. The police action was part of a drive by Western Balkans states to shut down a migration route from Greece to Germany. Nearly a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond used that route over the last year, forming biggest influx of refugees since World War Two. But EU efforts to conclude a deal with Turkey to halt the human tide in return for political and economic rewards hit a setback on Tuesday. Cyprus, an EU member, vowed to block efforts to speed up Ankara's EU accession talks unless Turkey meets its obligations to recognize its nationhood. European Council President Donald Tusk, who will chair a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and one with Turkey on Friday, flew on to Ankara to discuss the pact after talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. "Today we established a catalog of issues that we need to address together if we are to reach an agreement by Friday," Tusk said after the talks in Ankara, adding that convincing all 28 EU states to sign on to the agreement was "not an easy task". Tusk has acknowledged that the tentative deal put together last week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu raised legal problems and needed to be "rebalanced". Davutoglu said the aim was to reduce illegal migration and make passage to Europe safe. The European Commission meanwhile postponed proposals to reform the bloc's asylum system, which puts the onus on the state where migrants first arrive, in an attempt to avoid further controversy before the Turkey deal is done. Some 43,000 migrants are bottled up in Greece, overstraining the economically shattered country's capacity to cope, and more continue to cross the Aegean daily from Turkey despite new NATO sea patrols. On Monday, an estimated 1,500 people marched out of a squalid transit camp near the northern Greek town of Idomeni, hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river to get around the border fence. Most were picked up by Macedonian security forces, put into trucks and driven back over the border into Greece late Monday or overnight, a Macedonian police official said. "It's a long way from the camp to the mountains. It took me six hours of walking," said 60-year-old Mohammad Kattan, who slept rough in the mountains and trekked back on foot. "At my age it was very difficult. I would walk and rest often. "My hope was to get to Macedonia, and get my papers stamped so that I could continue on to another country, to Serbia." Another man forced back to Greece said the security forces with harsh with the group they had rounded up. Greek authorities said there had been no official contact from Macedonia, so they could not confirm the return. Ties between the two neighbors are fraught because of Greece's long-standing refusal to recognize Macedonia's name, which is the same as that of a northern Greek province. CONDITIONS DETERIORATING A second group of about 600 migrants was prevented from crossing into Macedonia and many of them spent the night camping in the Greek mountains, according to a Reuters photographer. At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in the Idomeni camp, where sanitary conditions have deteriorated after days of heavy rain. Scuffles have broken out in recent days as destitute people scrambled for food and firewood. Many have been sleeping in the open. Concern about the spread of infection grew after one person was diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday there was "no chance" that border shutdowns throughout the Balkans would be lifted and urged refugees to move to reception centers set up by the state. Jan van't Land, an official with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres at Idomeni, said around 400 migrants had returned to the camp. "There are still many hundreds of people on both the Greek and the Macedonian side of the border," he told Reuters. Greek officials say leaflets that circulated at the Idomeni camp before Monday's march showed it was a planned breakout. "We are in possession of leaflets that show this was an organized incident, a very dangerous one, endangering people's lives," government spokesman George Kyritsis told reporters. Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR who is at Idomeni, said the migrants' breakout and return "hasn't solved anything". "It just increased sufferings of refugees. It started raining again. The sense of support for refugees in the region is missing," he said. Turkey wants its citizens to have visa-free access to Europe by June and to open new "chapters" of its stalled negotiations to join the EU. In return, it will take back all migrants and refugees who cross to Greece or are fished out of its territorial waters. PUSHING TURKEY DEAL U.N. and EU officials doubt the legality of any blanket returns, and the U.N. human rights chief on Tuesday warned the EU risked compromising its human rights credentials with the Turkey deal. Several EU countries, including France, also have misgivings about the more relaxed visa rules for Turkey, saying Ankara must first meet 72 criteria. But as the EU pushes to seal the deal, an EU official told Reuters on Tuesday Ankara would only be asked to meet a "critical mass" of them. The European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday called to keep the migration deal and Ankara's EU membership talks separate, citing concern with human rights in Turkey. And Cyprus is demanding that Turkey open its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic and recognize the island. "I conveyed to President Tusk our position that the Republic of Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any chapters if Turkey does not fulfill its obligations as described in the negotiating framework," Anastasiades told reporters after meeting with Tusk in Nicosia. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, whose country holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, said the aim was to find an "intelligent synchronization" between the diplomatic process to re-unify Cyprus and the EU-Turkey agreement. (Additional reporting by Karolina Tagaris and Renee Maltezou in Athens, Bushra Shakhshir in Idomeni, Benet Koleka in Skopje, Francesco Guarascio and Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Ayla Jean Yackley in Ankara, Writing by Paul Taylor, Editing by Larry King)
Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany faces a "minimum" lay-off of a month after re-injuring his calf against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday, manager Manuel Pellegrini said.

Kompany and his fellow centre-back Nicolas Otamendi were both forced off by injury inside the first 23 minutes as City completed a 3-1 aggregate win with a 0-0 draw that took them into the quarter-finals.

While Pellegrini is hopeful that Otamendi will recover quickly, Belgium international Kompany faces a longer stretch on the sidelines after injuring his calf for the 14th time since 2008.

"Vincent unfortunately has another muscular injury in his calf, which he has had before," Pellegrini told his post-match press conference.

"We'll know tomorrow (Wednesday) or after tomorrow how serious it is. Usually with muscular injuries, minimum a month."

On Otamendi's injury, he added: "Otamendi has an important kick and can hopefully recover in the next couple of days."

Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis took Kompany and Otamendi's places against Dynamo at the Etihad Stadium.

The injuries arrive at an inconvenient time for Pellegrini, who has seen his side fall 12 points below Premier League leaders Leicester City after a return of one win from five games.

City's hold on the fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth is also under threat from West Ham United and derby rivals Manchester United, who they welcome to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Do we really need invisibility cloaks like the one Harry Potter uses at Hogwarts to move around undetected? Apparently, we do. At least two projects are studying materials that can hide the objects theyre placed on, though these newfound technologies wont fool the human eye just yet. Instead, invisibility cloaks could conceal objects from cameras and from radar.

DONT MISS: Our first look at the iPhone 7 couldnt be less exciting (and why thats OK)

Researchers from the Iowa State University recently published a paper in Nature that describes a new material that can suppress radar waves up to 75%. The scientists embedded split ring resonators containing Galinstan in silicon sheets (image above), creating this invisibility cloak that is capable of hiding a fighter jet from radar, at least in theory.

Galinstan is a metal alloy that becomes liquid at room temperature and isnt as toxic as mercury, which acts similarly, Everything RF explains. The rings create electric inductors and the gaps create electric capacitors, resulting a resonator is capable of trapping and suppressing radar waves.

When an object is covered in this material, radar waves are suppressed from all angles and directions, though its not a technology thats 100% effective just yet.

Meanwhile, Berkeley scientists are working on a type of invisibility cloak that reflects light to keep an object hidden from sight (image above). The technology relies on gold nanoantennas that are capable of rerouting reflected light waves as soon as the golds polarization is switched on.

The video embedded below explains this exciting new technology.

This new tech doesnt function on a large scale just yet, so its not exactly capable of hiding sorcerers for the time being. It has been shown to work effectively on a microscopic scale though, capable of completely cloaking minuscule objects.

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BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday his leftist Smer party and three others had signed an agreement on a program as part of talks on forming a new government. Slovakia will hold the European Union's rotating presidency in the second half of 2016, giving it a stronger voice in setting the EU agenda on the migration crisis and the aftermath of a June 23 British referendum on whether to stay in the bloc. The deal announced by Fico is another step toward forging a cabinet of both left and right-wing parties after an inconclusive March 5 election in which his party won the most votes but lost its parliamentary majority. The program priorities include a slight relaxation of budget consolidation and moves to make spending public money more transparent - a major concern for Slovak voters. "(The program) takes into account priorities regarding the fight against corruption, strengthening of business environment and maintaining elements of the welfare state that Smer insisted on," Fico told reporters alongside leaders of the other parties. He has been holding talks with the opposition centrist Siet (Net) and Most-Hid (Bridge) parties along with the right-wing conservative Slovak National Party since Monday. The parties still need to agree on how many and which cabinet seats each will hold. President Andrej Kiska had given Fico until Friday to report on his progress in forming a parliamentary majority. The election saw eight parties win seats and analysts have said a Fico-led coalition stood a better chance than the alternative, a wide center-right coalition of six parties. The four-party grouping would command at most 85 votes in the 150-seat parliament, but four lawmakers from Siet and Most-Hid have announced they will leave in protest against teaming up with Fico rather then pursuing the right-wing alternative. Fico, 51, has been a loud dissenter in the EU's approach to tackling the migrant crisis in which over 1 million refugees fleeing conflict in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere streamed into the EU last year. He campaigned against admitting any significant number of migrants and has sued the EU over a decision to relocate hundreds of asylum-seekers to Slovakia. Opposition parties also took a tough line on immigration but campaigned as well against corruption and shortcomings in health care and education that weakened Smer's appeal among voters. The new program also calls for a reduction in the corporate tax to 21 percent from 22 percent and for reduced taxes for self-employed entrepreneurs, as well as a balanced budget in 2020, rather than in 2018 as previously targeted. (Reporting by Tatian Jancarikova; Writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
King Khalid Military City (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Warplanes roared overhead, tanks rumbled across the desert and smoke filled the sky Thursday for the final day of what Saudi Arabia billed as the region's biggest-ever military exercises.

The 12-day "Northern Thunder" manoeuvres in the kingdom's northeast included 20 nations from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Saudi officials said.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman was joined by several foreign leaders for the final day of the exercise, which came as Riyadh vies to assert its leadership in the region.

Among them were Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Sudan's Omar al-Bashir, Yemen's Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

As the dignitaries watched from a pavilion, Apache gunships fired rockets with a bone-shaking blast. Smoke rose from targets on the ground and commandos rappelled from helicopters.

Fighter jets streaked through the sky releasing orange flares, artillery shells whistled through the air and heavy machinegun fire boomed from across the drill site, which stretched for dozens of kilometres (miles).

The exercises took place near Hafr al-Batin city, close to the Kuwaiti and Iraq borders.

Saudi Arabia's chief of staff, General Abdulrahman al-Bunyan, commanded the exercise and called it "the largest Arab and Islamic military gathering" in the region.

Riyadh has adopted a more assertive foreign policy since Salman took the throne early last year following the death of his half-brother king Abdullah.

It leads a coalition fighting rebels in Yemen, participates in US-led air strikes against the Islamic State group and has offered to send special forces to fight IS in Syria.

"Northern Thunder" also took place after tensions escalated between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and its regional Shiite rival Iran, which back opposing sides in Syria and Yemen.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran earlier this year after mobs ransacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran following the execution of a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric.

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Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told reporters this week the exercises were preparation to tackle the region's "terrorist menace" and were not directed against Iran.

Assiri said the manoeuvres are distinct from a 35-nation coalition to fight "terrorism" which Saudi Arabia announced in December.

Officials have said the new coalition would gather in the kingdom this month for its first publicly announced meeting.

Authorities released no figures for the number of troops taking part from each country in Northern Thunder.

An AFP reporter saw Pakistani, Egyptian, Kuwaiti and Sudanese troops alongside Saudis.

A foreign military source told AFP he did not think Northern Thunder was directed at Syria "or anything else" but was a chance to practise working together.

The source said Saudi troops were "honing their skills and their operability with other nations."

Northern Thunder's official Twitter account said the exercises aimed to "confront all the threat scenarios in the region".

According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Saudi Arabia has the best equipped military of Gulf countries, with an army of 75,000 troops and 313 combat-capable aircraft.
HARARE (Reuters) - An Italian father and son have been shot dead by a ranger in a wildlife park in Zimbabwe, the parks and wildlife agency said on Monday, saying the pair had been mistaken for elephant poachers. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) said Claudio Chiarelli and his son Max Chiarelli were members of volunteer anti-poaching organization Zambezi Society, which was conducting patrols in Mana Pools National Park on Sunday. The two men had been with a group sent out to relieve a team of rangers deployed the previous day to follow a trail of suspected poachers. "The rangers ... saw movement in the thicket, heard voices and opened fire, accidentally shooting and killing on the spot the pair," the parks agency said in a statement. "Unbeknown to them these were fresh deployments who had come to replace the rangers and had stopped to attend to a mechanical problem on their vehicle." It said investigations were under way. An official from the Italian embassy in Harare confirmed the deaths and said the older Chiarelli, who is a professional hunter, had been taking eight park rangers in his vehicle to relieve the group from which the shots were fired. The official, who declined to be named, said Chiarelli had lived in Zimbabwe since 1982 and his son Max had been born in the Southern African country. "It seems like an accident. We are in contact with Foreign Affairs to get an official report," the official said, referring to the Zimbabwean government department. Mana Pools adjoins the Zambezi River, which runs along Zimbabwe's border with Zambia. Authorities have for years been battling poachers, most of whom come from Zambia and who have recently been using cyanide to kill elephants. Poachers cut off the dead animals' tusks and sell them to dealers for up to $65,000 a kilogram, according to conservationists. The ivory is ultimately used for ornamental carving in China and other parts of east Asia. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by James Macharia and Andrew Roche)
Bank of China has established a presence in Morocco that will further reinforce the Asian nation's far-reaching influence in resource-rich Africa, officials said.

The commercial bank, one of the largest in China, inaugurated a representative office in the country's economic capital Casablanca late on Monday.

The move aims to support Chinese companies' development in French-speaking African nations, help African firms seeking closer business ties with China and participate in financing trade.

"Morocco enjoys an undeniable geostrategic location, political stability and an attractive business environment that makes it an ideal platform for investors," said Bank of China representative Kang Xiaolong.

Natural resources from Africa such as iron ore and oil have helped fuel China's economic boom, and it became the continent's largest trade partner in 2009.

But growth in the world's second-largest economy has slowed to its lowest since the aftermath of the global financial crisis, hammering world prices for commodities -- the bedrock of African exports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced $60 billion of assistance and loans for Africa in December, signalling the country's commitment to the continent despite a drop in Chinese direct investment.

Morocco is seeking to lure foreign investors with tax and other incentives under its Casablanca Finance City project that aims to be a gateway to North, West and Central Africa.
A once crazy idea relegated to the imagination of billionaires is showing signs of feasibility. Will Asia lead the technologys development?

We are excellent at execution, but fall behind in innovation.

This is the characteristic that defines the Asian tech ecosystem, and why many of the most popular startups are retreads from a Silicon Valley technology.

Take self-driving vehicles as an example. Recently, the governments in Singapore and South Korea as well as private companies in India have gotten on board and are developing technology to integrate autonomous vehicles into the infrastructure of the future. The Singapore government, to use it as an example, got serious about roadmapping the project in 2014.

The problem is that Google revealed the technology in 2010, and had been rumoured to be working on it long before.

Asia waited to ensure Google could prove the technology was viable before pursuing localisation for implementation in this part of the world.

So unfortunately for Asia, no matter if the technology far surpasses that of Google, driverless cars will always be a product of Silicon Valley. Just like, even if it Grab takes 100 per cent market share in the region, the ride-sharing economy will forever be the creation of Uber.

This is all to point out that today we have another high-risk technology, which is more likely to fail than succeed, that is waiting to be investigated. But once again, the people insane enough to at least try are coming from Europe and America.

The technology in question is hyperloop technology.

Also Read: Cherubic Ventures invests in transportation of tomorrow

Come on, that idea is impossible!

Crazy yes. Impossible? Not even close.

Over the last six or seven months, the insane hypothesis that makes autonomous vehicles look like building a LEGO spaceship has been showing signs of life. And last week, on the hyperloop evolutionary timeline, bacteria may have just appeared.

One of the companies leading the charge, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (with a team spread across the US), announced it had reached an agreement with the government of Slovakia to pursue development of the futuristic transportation.

Story continues

This news comes just a couple of months after the companys competition, Los Angeless Hyperloop Technologies Inc. raised an undisclosed round from Cherubic Ventures.

It should also be noted that at least one old tech dinosaur is quite interested in hyperloop, with Cisco President Rob Lloyd becoming the CEO of Hyperloop Technologies Inc. in September 2015.

The idea was first conceptualised by Elon Musk in a white paper written in August 2013. He claimed that it could reduce the roughly six-hour drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles to a 35 minute commute.

In its most basic ideation, the technology builds above-ground tunnels and lowers the air pressure within the infrastructure to near-zero. People board a pod which will then be flung through the tunnels at break-neck speed because it is free from the infrastructural restrictions of friction (such as the pod tearing apart).

In the plans approved for the Slovakia experiment, hyperloop would allow commuters to travel the 50 miles from Bratislava to Vienna in eight minutes.

Now, even mainstream media is starting to perk up to his new technology. Channel News Asia reported both American hyperloop companies are looking into the viability of developing the technology in Asia in the next five years.

And while it would be cool to put those Japanese high-speed trains to shame, Asia is once again falling into the same-old trap that has bedeviled the tech scene for decades.

Execution but no innovation.

Also Read: Back to the future: Why VR is the future face of education

Moonshotting

When Alphabet talks about moonshot investments, hyperloop fits the definition to a tee.

The term does not refer to revolutionising the banking system in Thailand or disrupting the insurance industry in Singapore. It means investigating  and investing in  an idea that has a one per cent chance of working.

Examples of successful moonshots include Amazon in 1994 or PayPal in 1998. To their contemporaries, the idea of e-commerce or digital currency transactions was a radical departure from reality and strayed into science fiction. Facebook in 2004 is not a moonshot because it took what MySpace and Friendster were doing and improved on the product.

When those moonshot companies took the fancies of imagination and successfully built it into a business, it did not disrupt an industry; they built entirely new economies. Today, we disrupt e-commerce. In 1994, Amazon built the damn thing.

Hyperloop technology very well might fail (weve been building flying cars since the 1950s and nothing has stuck), but if a company can actually pull it off, they will revolutionise the entire global transportation system.

Very few companies in history can claim to have done that, and doing so would make the CEO one of the most powerful men in the world.

But this is not to say Asia is incapable of moonshotting. Take for example China.

As financially reckless as it might seem, the country is currently building a gigantic telescope with the goal of contacting aliens. And the logic is the same as what should be the motivation behind the pursuit of hyperloop technologies.

If China does discover aliens, the people will forever be praised as the country behind the most important development in the history of mankind. Every childhood education, from the US to Zimbabwe, would be taught the Chinese discovered extraterrestrial life. It is hard to put a price on that.

However, if aliens crash-land in Uruguay, then it was all a waste.

Moonshotting.

Also Read: Find your niche in the future of the Internet

It is not too late

Actually far from it, all takes is one eccentric wealthy businessman (Lei Jun, anyone?) who can dream like Elon Musk (SpaceX) or Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin).

The other option is to follow the model laid down by Hyperloop Technologies Inc.  a group of dozens scientists, with day jobs, that participate in the project because of romantic ideals like intellectual stimulation and an opportunity to change the world. (Not exaggerating, the employees do not get salaries and work for stock options. Thus, the requirement of having another job).

Unfortunately, there really is no argument to justify government support for hyperloop technology at this point. It is still far more likely to fail than succeed, and any government programme would clearly fall under the white-elephant category of a fiscal budget.

If Asia is serious about competing with Silicon Valley, private companies, veteran investors and individual engineers need to investigate the feasibility of these types of futuristic technologies.

Hyperloop is moving forward, and it is upon us to decide whether or not Asia will participate. The time is now, not in a few years, to ask ourselves:

In 2030, do we want to be disrupting hyperloop transportation with our fancy apps? Or do we want to be the ones being disrupted?

My vote is for the second.

The post Asia has the chance to hit moonshot. But will it even swing? appeared first on e27.
By Doina Chiacu and Bob Chiarito WASHINGTON/BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump refused to take responsibility on Sunday for clashes at his campaign events and criticized protesters who have dogged his rallies and forced him to cancel one in Chicago last week. When a protester interrupted his speech on Sunday at an airport hangar in Bloomington, Illinois, minutes after it began, Trump derided him as a "disrupter" and told the cheering crowd: "Don't worry about it - I don't hear their voice." "Our rallies are so big and we have so many people, I never hear their voices. I only hear our people's voices saying: 'There they are, there they are,'" the billionaire businessman said as the audience roared approval and some 2,000 protesters waited outside. Two later rallies on Sunday in Ohio and Florida passed without disruption. Trump is trying to cement his lead over his remaining Republican rivals - U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich - in five states that hold presidential nominating contests on Tuesday for Republicans and Democrats: Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri. The four Republicans and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are vying to run in the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump used a round of Sunday morning television appearances to rebut strong criticism from Republican rivals and Democrats that he was encouraging discord with divisive language disparaging Muslims and illegal immigrants. "I don't accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape," Trump said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The 69-year-old New York real estate mogul defended his supporters and said he was considering helping pay the legal fees of a 78-year-old white man who punched a young black man at a Trump rally in North Carolina last week. The man, Trump said, "got carried away." "I've actually instructed my people to look into it," he said. The man, John McGraw, was charged with assault and later with communicating a threat after he was seen on video saying he enjoyed hitting "that loudmouth" and threatening next time "to kill him." Trump had earlier promised to help cover the legal fees of supporters involved in clashes at his rallies. SIMMERING TENSIONS On Friday night, thousands of protesters, many of them telling journalists they were Sanders or Clinton supporters, showed up at the Chicago rally, forcing Trump to cancel the event and casting a shadow over his weekend rallies. Trump drew condemnation from his rivals. "We are now seeing images on television that we haven't seen in this country since the 1960s, images that make us look like a Third World country," Rubio, 44, said at a campaign event in The Villages, a retirement community in Florida. "Do we really want to live in a country where Americans hate each other?" Clinton, the Democratic front-runner and former U.S. secretary of state, said Trump was "incredibly bigoted" and pitting Americans against each other. "He is trafficking in hate and fear," she told CNN. "He is playing to our worst instincts." Trump said tension at his rallies came from people being "sick and tired" of American leadership that has cost them jobs through trade deals, failed to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, and treated military veterans poorly. "The people are angry at that - they're not angry about something I'm saying," he said. "I'm just the messenger." Trump has harnessed the discontent of white, working-class voters who blame trade deals for costing them jobs. He has proposed building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, disparaged some Mexican immigrants as criminals and advocated a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. A few dozen protesters, mostly young, stood in the rain outside a later Trump rally on Sunday in West Chester, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Alexander Shelton, a 26-year-old student and activist, wore a white Muslim prayer robe with a picture of the civil rights leader Malcolm X painted on front. "We have to stand up against white supremacy," he said. "Trump stands for that." Michael McKinney, 47, a self-employed credit-card processor from Ohio, came to the rally with his wife and young daughter, and blamed the protesters for the violence. "If the protesters don't act civilly, people on the edge are going to snap," he said. "We are not a Third World nation. We don't stand for killing each other because we disagree or even harm each other," he said. "This isn't the United States I grew up in." (Additional reporting by Lucia Mutikana and Patrick Rucker in Washington, Steve Holland in The Villages, Fla., Jim Oliphant in Boca Raton, Fla., and Joe Wessels in West Chester, Ohio; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)
When people experience a horrific eventa natural disaster, a car crash, a shooting, a death of a loved onetheir body issues an emotional response known as trauma. This can have lasting, adverse effects on peoples mental, physical, and emotional health, as well as their social and spiritual wellbeing. And its not uncommon for people to experience shock and denial, leading to unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, or even physical symptoms like nausea and headaches, according to the American Psychological Association.

I think we take for granted that law enforcement is psychologically prepared for what they might face, and focus so much more on them being trained and properly equipped to respond, says Katherine Schweit, who founded Schweit Consulting LLC after a career as a Chicago prosecutor and an FBI special agent. I dont think that, historically, the United States has been at the forefront of preparing first responders mentally for the challenges they face.

Read the Article

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STEM

San Francisco Students Participate in STEM Career Awareness Day

A consortium of businesses, schools and governments in the San Francisco Bay Area held the second annual STEM Career Awareness Day March 15. The goal was to encourage high school students to pursue college degrees and, eventually, careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

More than 100 students from three San Francisco Unified School District high schools participated in the event that started out the day at the Rutter Center on the Mission Bay campus of the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). They then visited a number of businesses in the San Francisco area where they received tours and had discussions with scientists and engineers.

Among the companies that participated were:

Bayer;

FibroGen;

OtherLab;

Splunk;

Discovery Digital;

The EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park;

PG&E;

TechShop;

Adobe;

Illumina; and

PUC Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Bayer, which is the Bay Area's third largest biotech employer, was the primary sponsor of the event that was organized as part of UCSF's Science and Health Education Partnership with the school district.

The program is in response to a 2014 report from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics that found, while STEM unemployment is low  3.1 percent compared to an overall national unemployment rate of 7.4 percent  more than 9 million more STEM jobs will be created by 2022.

"We know that the best investment we can make for our city's future is an investment in our young people," said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, "and that's why we are laser-focused on making sure our public schools are the best in the nation. This helps to inspire our students to pursue the science and technology careers of the 21st century economy."
The Independent

Elon Musk plans to lay off most of Twitters workforce if and when he becomes owner of the social media company, according to a report by The Washington Post.Musk has told prospective investors in his Twitter purchase that he plans to cut nearly 75% of Twitters employee base of 7,500 workers, according to Thursday's report.If confirmed, the cuts would leave the company with a skeleton crew, according to the Post.The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberations.San Francisco-based Twitter and a representative for Musk attorney Alex Spiro did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.SEE MORE: What Happens If Elon Musk Buys Twitter?While job cuts have been expected regardless of the sale, the magnitude of Musk's planned cuts are far more extreme than anything Twitter had planned.Musk himself has alluded to the need to cull some of the company's staff in the past, but he hadn't given a specific number - at least not publicly.Already, experts, nonprofits and even Twitter's own staff have warned that pulling back investments on content moderation and data security could hurt Twitter and its users.With as drastic a reduction as Musk may be planning, the platform could quickly become overrun with harmful content and spam.After his initial $44 billion bid in April to buy Twitter, Musk backed out of the deal, contending Twitter misrepresented the number of fake spam bot accounts on its platform.Twitter sued, and a Delaware judge has given both sides until 28 October to work out details.Otherwise, there will be a trial in November.Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
By Benet Koleka TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania is getting Italian help to improve security measures along its border with Greece in case migrants barred from taking the main Balkan route to the European Union try to go via Albanian territory instead, a Tirana official said on Tuesday. Under a deal being worked out, Italy would help Albania to record the biometric data of refugees entering the country and to electronically share information on their identities and the route they had taken with EU border agency Frontex and possibly Greece, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. The agreement is expected to be finalised when Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano visits Albania next week. With Macedonia and other states the so-called Western Balkan corridor route to the EU having sealed their frontiers, there has been speculation that migrants will seek out alternative routes to try to reach destinations in western Europe. Albania is cited as a possible option although there has been no sign of migrants trying it so far. Italy fears Islamist militants could slip through undetected if crowds of refugees were to enter Albania and ultimately reach Italy, according to Albanian security sources. Albanian smugglers were notorious for using speedboats to ferry would-be migrants, guns and narcotics across the Adriatic Sea to Italy, as close as 62 nautical miles (115 km) away, in the 1990s. Some drug-smuggling, especially of cannabis, still goes on today. Albanian officials are adamant however that authorities there will not permit a people-smuggling route to Italy to start up again. Speaking in Brussels last week, Alfano said he would visit Albania soon to work with authorities there to "do everything possible to prevent terrorism and illegal migration". (Reporting by Benet Koleke, additional reporting by Crispian Balmer in Rome; Editing by Adrian Croft/Mark Heinrich)
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>
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria will have to introduce tougher controls at the Brenner border crossing with Italy, a vital north-south transport link, Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said on Tuesday, anticipating a surge in arrivals. Even before Austria coordinated a tightening of border restrictions with nearby Balkan countries that have left thousands of migrants stuck in Greece, it said it was preparing more stringent controls at crossings including Brenner. These would include extra inspections of the thousands of trucks going through the crossing each day. Austria's finance minister has promised an extra 100 customs officers. "I assume that in the coming weeks a system of registration and controls similar to those at Spielfeld will be introduced," Doskozil told reporters. Measures at Spielfeld include barriers to manage large crowds and a roughly 4 km (2.5 mile) fence. The governor of Tyrol province, on the Austrian side of the Brenner crossing, told ORF radio he expected the controls to be introduced in mid-April, despite the current calm on Austria's borders. Governor Guenther Platter said Italy should ensure that migrants who cross the Mediterranean cannot head north. "The installation of a separate lane is being worked on so that ... the economic traffic continues to run, but in the end, if there are controls, there will be traffic jams," Platter added. Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner was more guarded, telling reporters that Austria's position was still that it was making preparations in case controls were needed. (Reporting by Francois Murphy and Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
By Robin Emmott and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Italy and Hungary, two of the Kremlin's closest allies in Europe, said on Monday there could be no automatic extension of the European Union's sanctions against Russia, the most public sign yet of fraying unity on how to deal with Moscow. Two years after the West imposed economic sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, the EU's resolve is at risk of ebbing because of the stalled Minsk peace process, diplomats say. While EU governments last week extended asset freezes and travel bans on Russians and Russian companies, there is less consensus on whether to prolong more far-reaching sanctions on Russia's banking, defence and energy sectors from July. "We cannot take for granted any decision at this stage," Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told reporters after a meeting with his EU peers in Brussels, where Russia's EU policy was discussed for the first time in more than a year. Some EU member states, such as Britain, the Baltic republics and Poland, argue that sanctions remain a necessary response to what they see as an expansionist Russia. Hungary, Italy and Greece stress its importance as a trade partner, a supplier of energy and a major player in attempts to end war in Syria. "You cannot decide on sanctions by sweeping the issues under the carpet," Hungary's foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, said. "We believe that the question of sanctions should be decided at the highest level. It cannot be automatic," he said. But Lithuania's foreign minister, Linas Linkevicius, whose country was part of the Soviet Union until 1990, told Reuters that, following the debate among ministers on Monday, "there is no revision of policy". Echoing that, Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said that "the view is negative as regards the internal situation in Russia and its foreign policy". DON'T MENTION THE 'S' WORD Tellingly, in three hours of discussion, sanctions were not discussed by foreign ministers, partly because the debate was chaired by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to avoid exacerbating the divisions. Instead, EU officials - who help marshal the bloc's foreign policy - sought to gauge the mood, which Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said was calm. One of the biggest points of contention was whether Mogherini, an Italian, should visit Russia at a time when the EU is demanding that Russia release Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, who is on a hunger strike, on humanitarian grounds. Waszczykowski said he suggested to ministers that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov first come to Brussels. Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Hungary are among the EU states most sceptical about the sanctions, while European farmers, who once exported heavily to Russia, want to see markets reopen and protested in Brussels on Monday. Moscow has imposed its own tit-for-tat sanctions against many EU food imports. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi briefly held up a decision to extend the sanctions late last year, saying they could not be rushed through. However, the United States says lifting Western sanctions are conditional on Russia complying with the terms of the Minsk peace process. Moscow denies any military involvement. "Today Russia faces a choice between the continuation of economically damaging sanctions and fully meeting its obligations under Minsk," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday in Paris. In comments that some EU diplomats took as Moscow pressing for sanctions relief, Lavrov said on Sunday he hoped the United States would be willing to compromise on the Minsk process. (Additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Brussels and John Irish in Paris; Editing by Louise Ireland)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Council President Donald Tusk will fly to Turkey on Tuesday after meeting the Cypriot leader as he tries to overcome differences between the two that could hold up an EU deal with Ankara to stem migrant flows. An EU spokesman announced the short-notice meeting in Ankara with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu while Tusk was in talks in Nicosia with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, ahead of an EU summit with Davutoglu in Brussels on Friday. European Union leaders will meet on Thursday to agree a common position on the deal, first proposed to them by Davutoglu a week ago. Some praise it as a potential game-changer in the bloc's problems managing the flow of refugees and migrants via Turkey, but it faces both legal and practical challenges. Tusk will chair the summit and plans to offer member states a revised version of the agreement by late on Wednesday. Overcoming tensions between Turkey and Cyprus is key to finalising the deal. Turkey is seeking concessions from the EU in return for holding and taking back all migrants and refugees reaching Greek islands. But some could be blocked by Cyprus unless Ankara gives ground on long-standing disputes with it. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)
LIMA (Reuters) - Election observers from the European Union and the Organisation of American States said Tuesday that the unprecedented decision by Peru's electoral board to bar two leading presidential candidates from April elections must be respected. Both delegations also renewed calls, however, for reforms to Peru's electoral system so that candidates are not disqualified so close to elections. Peru's electoral board tossed centrist technocrat Julio Guzman from the race after he rose to second in polls because his party did not comply with electoral procedures. Former governor Cesar Acuna was struck after he gave cash to voters while campaigning, in violation of a new law against vote-buying. Critics have called the disqualifications, especially Guzman's, disproportionate and undemocratic. But Renate Weber, the head of the EU election observation mission, said they must be respected. "I think the electoral board is well prepared to make these decisions," Weber told reporters at a briefing in Lima. "We can't expect everything will go well, but our presence here is a message to the citizenry that if something bad happens we're going to immediately check it out," Weber said. The controversy has shaken this year's race, stoking opposition to frontrunner Keiko Fujimori and threatening to tarnish the legitimacy of the next president. Guzman and his supporters have called his disqualification "fraud". Sergio Abreu, the head of the OAS mission, emphasized that the electoral board was autonomous. "It has clear jurisdiction," he said in a separate press conference. He added that his visit this week had been scheduled months ago and had "nothing to do with protests or events leading up to elections." Thousands of protesters on Friday called for Fujimori to be barred from the race as well, accusing her of also breaking the law against vote-buying. She has denied doing so. Peru's Prime Minister ruled out postponing the election. (Reporting by Mitra Taj and Marco Aquino; Editing by James Dalgleish)
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States is concerned about North Korea's investment in nuclear weapons, but there are signs that fresh U.N. sanctions are starting to hurt Pyongyang, the U.S. envoy for human rights in North Korea told Reuters on Monday. Ambassador Robert King called for resuming six-party talks on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that would be aimed at denuclearisation, but conceded that in the current climate of regional tensions, that would be "pretty hard". "The concern clearly is the North Koreans have money that they are putting into military resources and proliferation of nuclear weapons, and we're anxious to make sure their ability in those areas is limited," King said in an interview. The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed new U.N. sanctions this month to starve Pyongyang of money for its nuclear weapons programme, in a resolution drafted by the United States and Pyongyang's ally China. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea last Thursday in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, as South Korean and U.S. forces conducted massive war games. They followed its latest nuclear test in January and a rocket launch in February that Washington and its allies said used banned ballistic missile technology. "There are some indications that suggest that the sanctions are creating some difficult conditions for imports," King said. "There are already indications that companies and banks and so forth that deal with North Korea are being much more cautious even though the sanctions haven't fully been implemented," he said. "My guess is they've already start to bite, they will continue to bite, or become tougher as they are implemented." All cargo going to and from North Korea, which has a population around 24 million, must now be inspected, whereas previously states only had to inspect such shipments if they had reasonable grounds to believe they contained illicit goods. The U.S. Treasury Department and White House are still finalising work on the new sanctions, King said. "There is an Executive Order being drafted right now that will deal with these additional sanctions". RIGHTS ABUSE King was speaking after addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, where U.N. investigator Marzuki Darusman called for leader Kim Jong Un and senior officials to be prosecuted for committing crimes against humanity The United States is working with Japan and the European Union on a resolution to set up a "mechanism of accountability" aimed at holding North Korea's leadership liable for abuses, King said. "But I think we need to be careful not to start at the top . Because if you start at the top, that's where you stop." "One of the things that we need to do on accountability is to make sure and to make clear to the North Koreans as well that people at all levels are going to be considered," he added. There was "serious drought" last year North Korea, which can feed its population "at a very minimal level" in the best of times, King said. "The toughest time in North Korea is the time we're in right now. This is the time when rice supplies from last fall and the harvest from last fall is pretty well running out," he said. "And it's still too early to be growing crops that will be able to be used this year. It's the lean period." (The story was refiled to correct the typo in the headline to U.S. envoy, not U.N. envoy) (Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
By Ognen Teofilovski and Michele Kambas IDOMENI, Greece/NICOSIA (Reuters) - Macedonia trucked about 1,500 migrants and refugees back to Greece after they forced their way across the border on Monday, as European nations continued to pass the buck in a migration crisis that risks tearing the European Union apart. The police action was part of a drive by Western Balkans states to shut down a migration route from Greece to Germany. Nearly a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond used that route over the last year, forming biggest influx of refugees since World War Two. But EU efforts to conclude a deal with Turkey to halt the human tide in return for political and economic rewards hit a setback on Tuesday. Cyprus, an EU member, vowed to block efforts to speed up Ankara's EU accession talks unless Turkey meets its obligations to recognise its nationhood. European Council President Donald Tusk, who will chair a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and one with Turkey on Friday, flew on to Ankara to discuss the pact after talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. "Today we established a catalogue of issues that we need to address together if we are to reach an agreement by Friday," Tusk said after the talks in Ankara, adding that convincing all 28 EU states to sign on to the agreement was "not an easy task". Tusk has acknowledged that the tentative deal put together last week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu raised legal problems and needed to be "rebalanced". Davutoglu said the aim was to reduce illegal migration and make passage to Europe safe. The European Commission meanwhile postponed proposals to reform the bloc's asylum system, which puts the onus on the state where migrants first arrive, in an attempt to avoid further controversy before the Turkey deal is done. Some 43,000 migrants are bottled up in Greece, overstraining the economically shattered country's capacity to cope, and more continue to cross the Aegean daily from Turkey despite new NATO sea patrols. On Monday, an estimated 1,500 people marched out of a squalid transit camp near the northern Greek town of Idomeni, hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river to get around the border fence. Most were picked up by Macedonian security forces, put into trucks and driven back over the border into Greece late Monday or overnight, a Macedonian police official said. "It's a long way from the camp to the mountains. It took me six hours of walking," said 60-year-old Mohammad Kattan, who slept rough in the mountains and trekked back on foot. "At my age it was very difficult. I would walk and rest often. "My hope was to get to Macedonia, and get my papers stamped so that I could continue on to another country, to Serbia." Another man forced back to Greece said the security forces with harsh with the group they had rounded up. Greek authorities said there had been no official contact from Macedonia, so they could not confirm the return. Ties between the two neighbours are fraught because of Greece's long-standing refusal to recognise Macedonia's name, which is the same as that of a northern Greek province. CONDITIONS DETERIORATING A second group of about 600 migrants was prevented from crossing into Macedonia and many of them spent the night camping in the Greek mountains, according to a Reuters photographer. At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in the Idomeni camp, where sanitary conditions have deteriorated after days of heavy rain. Scuffles have broken out in recent days as destitute people scrambled for food and firewood. Many have been sleeping in the open. Concern about the spread of infection grew after one person was diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday there was "no chance" that border shutdowns throughout the Balkans would be lifted and urged refugees to move to reception centres set up by the state. Jan van't Land, an official with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres at Idomeni, said around 400 migrants had returned to the camp. "There are still many hundreds of people on both the Greek and the Macedonian side of the border," he told Reuters. Greek officials say leaflets that circulated at the Idomeni camp before Monday's march showed it was a planned breakout. "We are in possession of leaflets that show this was an organised incident, a very dangerous one, endangering people's lives," government spokesman George Kyritsis told reporters. Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR who is at Idomeni, said the migrants' breakout and return "hasn't solved anything". "It just increased sufferings of refugees. It started raining again. The sense of support for refugees in the region is missing," he said. Turkey wants its citizens to have visa-free access to Europe by June and to open new "chapters" of its stalled negotiations to join the EU. In return, it will take back all migrants and refugees who cross to Greece or are fished out of its territorial waters. PUSHING TURKEY DEAL U.N. and EU officials doubt the legality of any blanket returns, and the U.N. human rights chief on Tuesday warned the EU risked compromising its human rights credentials with the Turkey deal. Several EU countries, including France, also have misgivings about the more relaxed visa rules for Turkey, saying Ankara must first meet 72 criteria. But as the EU pushes to seal the deal, an EU official told Reuters on Tuesday Ankara would only be asked to meet a "critical mass" of them. The European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday called to keep the migration deal and Ankara's EU membership talks separate, citing concern with human rights in Turkey. And Cyprus is demanding that Turkey open its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic and recognise the island. "I conveyed to President Tusk our position that the Republic of Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any chapters if Turkey does not fulfil its obligations as described in the negotiating framework," Anastasiades told reporters after meeting with Tusk in Nicosia. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, whose country holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, said the aim was to find an "intelligent synchronisation" between the diplomatic process to re-unify Cyprus and the EU-Turkey agreement. (Additional reporting by Karolina Tagaris and Renee Maltezou in Athens, Bushra Shakhshir in Idomeni, Benet Koleka in Skopje, Francesco Guarascio and Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Ayla Jean Yackley in Ankara, Writing by Paul Taylor, Editing by Larry King)
Parents whose children have died from meningitis B have told MPs that a vaccine should be offered to all children to protect them from the disease.

They believe making it routinely available will be more cost-effective for the NHS.

Currently, the NHS provides a vaccination in three doses for babies at two months, four months and 12-months-old.

Parents who wish to vaccinate older children must do so privately.

More than 800,000 people have signed a petition calling for the programme to be widened, but the Government claims the NHS budget is a "finite resource".

Lee Booth instigated the campaign after one of his daughters was refused immunisation.

He told the Commons Health and Petitions Committee: "How can we afford not to vaccinate children against meningitis B?

"When you consider the cost that's involved with looking after someone that has suffered meningitis, they often suffer brain damage, have amputations.

"So the costs involved far outweigh the cost of immunising people in the first place."

The petition is supported by the parents of two-year-old Faye Burdett, who died from the infection on 14 February after an 11-day battle.

An image of the youngster covered in a rash and lying in a hospital bed just before she died was shared by her family.

Giving evidence to MPs, her father Neil Burdett said he believed there are issues with diagnosis: "We went to the GP, he decided something wasn't right, he wasn't happy.

"He rang a clinic at our local hospital and sent her straight down.

"We were there for two hours and discharged with a viral infection.

"Six hours later we were back there and she was critically ill.

"I feel quite confident we would still have her if it wasn't for that misdiagnosis - that gap of time, it all comes down to time."

Former England rugby captain Matt Dawson joined the campaign following his two-year-old son Sam's battle with meningitis, which he survived, also in February this year.

Story continues

He told the committee: "It's always going to be a tricky topic.

"I would like to think that it would be slightly more cost effective to have the vaccine rather than treat it and having to go through the pain and emotion that these families have."

The Department of Health said its priority is to vaccinate those children considered most at risk from meningitis B.

It said it is following guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government on the cost-effectiveness of vaccinations.
North Korea has reportedly claimed it could wipe out Manhattan by burning it "down to ashes" using a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile.

It comes as the United Nations human rights investigator for North Korea called for leader Kim Jong-Un and senior officials in the country to be prosecuted for committing crimes against humanity.

The threat against the heart of New York City is the latest by Mr Kim's regime aimed at the West, which has hit Pyongyang with sanctions.

And it comes amid heightened tensions in the Korean peninsula as the South carries out joint military drills with its US ally .

A report by the state-run outlet DPRK, citing a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong-Il, said: "Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union.

"If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes."

The newly-developed hydrogen bomb "surpasses our imagination", the scientist was quoted as stating.

"The H-bomb developed by the Soviet Union in the past was able to smash windows of buildings 1,000km away and the heat was strong enough to cause third-degree burns 100km away," the report added.

UN human rights investigator Marzuki Darusman told the UN Human Rights Council that North Korea was devoting huge resources to developing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

But at the same time many of its citizens lack sufficient food and others work in "slave-like conditions", he said.

"We are now at a crucial stage, therefore there is a fundamental need for countries to make that next step in ensuring accountability is undertaken," he said.

In January, Mr Kim ordered North Korea's fourth nuclear detonation and said it had successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb.

But many experts, including from the US, were sceptical of the claim, although some said the North may have been trying to test components of a hydrogen bomb.

Story continues

Last week, Mr Kim reportedly said his country has miniaturised nuclear warheads to mount on ballistic missiles.

In February, the North came under more international condemnation after it launched a long-range rocket carrying what it called a satellite.

Critics said it was being used to test technology for a long-range missile.

Seoul and Washington are discussing whether to deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea.
An Italian father and son have been shot dead by a ranger in Zimbabwe, after being mistaken for elephant poachers, a wildlife agency has said.

Claudio Chiarelli and his son Max Chiarelli were members of the volunteer anti-poaching organisation, Zambezi Society.

The pair were on patrol in Mana Pools National Park on Sunday when they were shot, said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

The two men had been with a group sent out to relieve a team of rangers deployed the previous day to follow a trail of suspected poachers.

"The rangers ... saw movement in the thicket, heard voices and opened fire, accidentally shooting and killing on the spot the pair," the parks agency said.

"Unbeknown to them these were fresh deployments who had come to replace the rangers and had stopped to attend to a mechanical problem on their vehicle."

It said investigations were under way. An official from the Italian embassy in Harare confirmed the deaths.

The official said Claudio Chiarelli, a professional hunter, had been taking eight park rangers in his vehicle to relieve the previous group.

It is understood he had lived in Zimbabwe since 1982 and his son had been born in the southern African country.

Mana Pools adjoins the Zambezi River, which runs along Zimbabwe's border with Zambia.

Authorities have for years been battling poachers, most of whom come from Zambia and who have recently been using cyanide to kill elephants.

Poachers cut off the dead animals' tusks and sell them to dealers for up to 45,500/kg according to conservationists.

The ivory is ultimately used for ornamental carving in China and other parts of east Asia.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has played down the Taliban's rejection of proposed peace talks with the Afghan government, saying on Tuesday that it hoped for progress "in coming days". Sartaj Aziz, foreign policy adviser to Pakistan's prime minister, said his country, the United States and China would use their influence to persuade the Taliban to come to the table to try to end a nearly 15-year-old war. "I hope in the coming days some progress (can be made) ... at some level, and once we start, we hope they will gather momentum," he told a press briefing in Islamabad alongside British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond. Officials had said they expected direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban to begin in early March following a meeting of the so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group, made up of representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States, in February. But the Taliban, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said last week it would not participate. The group said it would only join talks once all remaining foreign troops left Afghanistan, its leaders were removed from a U.N. terrorist blacklist and its prisoners freed from Afghan jails. Pakistan's Aziz said he felt the Taliban could be persuaded. "Many of the preconditions that they are looking for can come as a result of negotiations and not in advance of them," he said, adding that the Afghan government had in the past expressed willingness to exchange prisoners. Violence has increased in Afghanistan since the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops in 2014, leaving the newly trained Afghan police and army to fight the Taliban. Last year, the Taliban captured a provincial capital for the first time since their hard-line Islamist government was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001. (Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin cited Russian military success in Syria as his reason for scaling back his forces there. But his belief that the intervention delivered him a seat at the top table of world affairs is more likely to have tipped his hand. Russia's Syria operation, launched on Sept. 30 last year, made military, diplomatic and domestic political sense for the Kremlin which was keen to shore up its closest Middle East ally and protect its only naval facility on the Mediterranean. It has largely achieved both aims. But an analysis of comments made by the Russian president and other officials, and conversations with people familiar with his thinking, suggests his primary aim was to make Russia so indispensable to the Syrian peace process that it could regain a measure of the global clout the Soviet Union once enjoyed. "Russia has returned to the global board of directors," said Alexander Baunov, a senior associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center. "(It has returned) to the table where world and regional powers decide the fate of others' conflicts and Russia is clearly not a local but a world player." Putin is famously inscrutable and unpredictable, and his decision to draw down in Syria was no exception. He confides in only a small coterie of people around him, and it came as a total surprise for many in the Kremlin and the defence ministry. "I spent all day at the defence ministry and did not hear a peep," one defence industry source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. State propaganda outlets spoke on Tuesday of a "mission accomplished", a phrase that deliberately mimicked the one plastered on a U.S. warship in 2003 when President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. The real mission, some say, was to give Russia a say in world affairs. In the space of six months it has gone from being a pariah state in the West because of its annexation of Crimea and support for pro-Kremlin rebels in eastern Ukraine to being the go-to partner over Syria. Once spurned by Western leaders, it is now a regular interlocutor for both Washington and EU leaders. "Putin has already got all the political benefits," said Nikolai Petrov, a political expert at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. "It is better to withdraw before costs increase, before any accident can happen, and before the risks become too high." Reuters estimates the 5-month operation has cost the Kremlin $700-800 million. The human cost has been higher. Although the official Russian military body count is just four, Islamic State claimed it blew up a Russian passenger plane over Egypt in October, killing all 224 people onboard, in revenge for Syria. NEW WORLD ORDER Reasserting Russia's global voice is crucial to Putin, who has been alternately president and prime minister for over 15 years, and is thought to have a close eye on his historical legacy while showing no signs of wanting to leave the Kremlin. He has long pushed for a new multilateral world order where other powers counter-balance U.S. influence. In a speech to the United Nations in New York in September, in a barely disguised dig at the United States, he complained of the "arrogance, exceptionalism and impunity" of those he said had engineered the Arab spring. Dmitry Medvedev, his prime minister and ally, outlined the world order the Kremlin craved as recently as last month, evoking the 1962 Cuban missile crisis as a model of how Moscow and Washington were able to solve dangerous crises. He said he believed the world's powers could come together in "a fair and equal union" to maintain global peace. Russian officials say recent events show how Moscow has, once again, come to matter. They point out that it was Russia, along with the United States, which co-brokered the current cessation of hostilities in Syria, however fragile. Officials also rarely miss a chance to note that it is the Americans who have time and time again come to them for help over Syria. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, flew to Moscow in December to discuss Syria with Putin, and has recently spoken almost daily to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin and White House statements confirm. Even Putin's critics have recognised the clout Syria has gifted the Russian leader. "There's one man on this planet who can end the civil war in Syria by making a phone call and that's Mr Putin," Philip Hammond, Britain's foreign secretary, told BBC TV last month. ASSAD SEEN SAFE By scaling back after a campaign of over 9,000 sorties estimated to have cost $700-800 million, the Kremlin has made it less likely it will be dragged into a potential regional conflict with Turkey or Saudi Arabia. And although it did not in the end help bag a spectacular battlefield victory, such as the complete taking of Aleppo, the Kremlin thinks it has done enough to ensure that Assad and his forces can hold the line. Domestically, the intervention helped keep Putin's ratings near record highs and served as a useful distraction at a time of economic pain. Amid brass bands and rousing speeches, state TV on Tuesday presented the decision to start drawing down forces as the culmination of a short, victorious war. But though Putin's partial Syria withdrawal may be seen as a diplomatic coup by some, his country's return to the world stage has not been a complete success. U.S. and EU sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis remain in place and compound a domestic financial crisis made worse by the collapse in oil prices. And the decision to scale back Russian forces was, some analysts believe, conversely dictated more by weakness and a realisation that Russia could not make a deal with the West over Syria to lift sanctions on it. Others, including one Western diplomat who told Reuters the news came as a complete and inexplicable surprise, say Putin's motives are unfathomable. "None of us knows what the intent of Mr Putin is when he carries out any action, which is why he is a very difficult partner in any situation like this," Britain's Hammond said on Tuesday. Putin's move is being interpreted in some circles as an attempt to influence the outcome of Syrian peace talks in Geneva and possibly to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to get serious about doing a deal. Yet few inside Russia believe Assad is in danger of losing Putin's support, even if the Kremlin does want him to contest any future presidential election. Putin has shown no particular fondness for the Syrian leader but appears to see little point in replacing him with someone who might turn out to be even worse and does not believe Syria is ready for Western-style democracy anyway. Putin has in any case hedged his bets. If he feels his new-found global influence or Assad is threatened he can use the two military bases left behind to rapidly expand the Kremlin's military footprint. His public relations strategy is also hedged. "If the ceasefire turns into a lengthy peace he will automatically be considered the victor," said Carnegie's Baunov. "But if war breaks out again, he can always say: 'You see, when we were there everyone was making peace but after we left war erupted.'" (Additional reporting by Dmitry Soloyvov, Jack Stubbs, Lidia Kelly and Parniyan Zemaryalai and by William James in London, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
The Serious Fraud Office has closed its investigation into allegations relating to the foreign exchange market due to "insufficient evidence".

Banks have been fined billions of pounds in the last couple of years over the manipulation of foreign exchange rates.

But the latest decision means no individual will face a criminal prosecution for the scandal - which engulfed the City just as it was emerging from the shadow of the separate Libor rate-rigging affair.

The SFO launched an investigation into the forex scandal in July 2014 after a referral by the Financial Conduct Authority, the City regulator.

But its director David Green has now dropped the probe.

It said the decision followed a "thorough and independent investigation" lasting more than a year and a half and involving more than half a million documents.

The SFO said: "The SFO has concluded, based on the information and material we have obtained, that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.

"Whilst there were reasonable grounds to suspect the commission of offences involving serious or complex fraud, a detailed review of the available evidence led us to the conclusion that the alleged conduct, even if proven and taken at its highest, would not meet the evidential test required to mount a prosecution for an offence contrary to English law.

"It has further been concluded that this evidential position could not be remedied by continuing the investigation."

The SFO said it continued to liaise with the US Department of Justice over its ongoing probe.

Last May, five banks including Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland were fined a total of 3.7bn after a US investigation into the forex market.

That followed settlements with US and UK regulators by lenders totalling more than 2bn in November 2014.

Separately, banks have also had to pay out over civil claims in the US brought on behalf of major multinational companies, pension funds and hedge funds which alleged that they were penalised by efforts to rig foreign exchange markets.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition's chief negotiator at peace talks in Geneva said on Monday a real Russian military withdrawal from Syria would be a positive development, but that there was no sign yet of it taking place. "I welcome the Russian withdrawal if it is genuine and not just a manoeuvre," said Mohamad Alloush, head of the politburo of the Jaish al-Islam rebel group and chief negotiator for the opposition at the talks in Switzerland. But, in a WhatsApp message from Geneva he added: "There are no indications of it being implemented." He was speaking after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would start pulling his armed forces out of Syria, five months after he ordered a military intervention that turned the tide of the war in favour of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The move was announced on the day United Nations-brokered talks between the warring sides in Syria resumed in Geneva. Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said they had seen no indications so far of preparations by Russia's military for the withdrawal. (Reporting by Tom Perry; editing by Andrew Roche)
The Independent

Tories must not return to soap opera of Partygate under Boris Johnson, warns Dominic RaabBoris Johnsons former deputy Dominic Raab has warned Conservative MPs that bringing the ex-PM back into No 10 would risk another episode of Partygate  which he likened to Groundhog Day and a soap opera.Claiming to believe that Mr Johnson can eventually make a return to frontline politics, Mr Raab said: I just cant see in practice how a new prime minister ... could give the country the attention, the focus, that it needs while also giving testimony to the Commons privileges committee inquiry over Partygate.Mr Raab continued: Whether youre an arch-Boris fan, or an arch-Boris critic, I dont see how you can reconcile returning to frontline politics with that committee looming and hanging over him and oral testimony being heard.He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We cannot go backwards. We cant have another episode of the Groundhog Day, of the soap opera, of Partygate. We must get the country and the government moving forward.BBC Radio 4
By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Morocco's foreign minister on Monday he was angered and disappointed by a demonstration in Rabat he said was a personal attack on him over remarks he made about the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched though the capital on Sunday to protest Ban's position on Western Sahara and rally support for the king. Ban "conveyed his astonishment at the recent statement of the government of Morocco and expressed his deep disappointment and anger regarding the demonstration that was mobilized on Sunday, which targeted him in person," Ban's press office said in an unusually tough statement. "He stressed that such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations," said the statement, which was issued after he met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar. Rabat accused Ban last week of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara conflict, saying he used the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's presence in the region that has been at the centre of a dispute since 1975. The United Nations acknowledges he used the term. Monday's statement said there was a misunderstanding over his use of the word "occupation," noting it was Ban's "personal reaction to the deplorable humanitarian conditions in which the Sahrawi refugees have lived in for far too long." The U.N. statement issued on Monday evening said Ban asked Mezouar for "clarification regarding the reported presence of several members of the Moroccan government among the demonstrators." State news agency MAP said 3 million people attended Sunday's march, although those figures could not be confirmed. Some protesters said they were bussed for free to the march and that trains had also been free for the day of the rally. The dispute over the region in the northwest edge of Africa has dragged on since Morocco took control over most of it in 1975 after the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain. The Polisario Front, which says the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, fought a war against Morocco until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in 1991, but the two sides have since been deadlocked. Polisario, backed by Morocco's regional rival and neighbour Algeria and a number of other African states, wants a referendum promised in the ceasefire agreement on the region's fate. Morocco says it will not offer more than autonomy for the region, rich in phosphates and possibly offshore oil and gas. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Peter Cooney)
KKR has agreed to buy into seeds provider Advanta Enterprises in a deal which values the business at about $2.25bn.
Australian rail-and-port operator Asciano has entered a binding agreement to be taken over for $6.8bn by two consortia,
The University of Michigan has agreed to commit up to $50m in a private debt fund affiliated with Thomas H Lee Partners.
The perennially cold British winters persuaded Colchester couple, Karen and Mike Joiner, to part with their life savings to buy a Spanish villa. Here Mike tells us their story...

Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?

My name is Mike and my wife is Karen, we're both in our 50's and from Colchester in Essex, where we have lived for many years.

I work as a Customer Service Director for a technology company and Karen is an administrator for a large food services and facilities management company.

Why did you decide to buy abroad?

It's quite simple really, we had really grown tired of the cold, wet and dreary winters that the UK had to offer. There seemed to be little appeal in spending our ever nearer retirement shivering in the English drizzle.

Once we had settled on buying abroad with the view to permanent retirement there, Spain became the logical choice. We had both been a fan of the Spanish lifestyle (it's so laid back compared to how we live in Britain) and obviously the warm weather didn't harm its case!

Also it made sense for us practically, Karen speaks Spanish and any part of Spain is no more than a couple of hours by plane, making trips to and from the property for us and friends very convenient.

What resources did you use to get your search underway?

We started by attended the A Place in the Sun Live exhibition at the Birmingham NEC in 2014, it was an informative day with a lot of helpful information on hand. The A Place in the Sun magazine also came in handy providing us with lots of inspiration as well as advice.

Another key resource was the internet, we used Aplaceinthesun.com and a few other sites to check out the areas, types of property and rough prices.

What kind of property were you looking for?

We were happy to look for either a villa or a bungalow - as this would allow for potentially less physical mobility as the years go on. I suppose the only thing we felt was out of the question was an apartment, because we didn't think that we would be able to find one big enough to live in permanently.

We were actually pleasantly surprised with how much we could get with our budget (around 100,000) once we started to view the properties set up by the agent. But this didn't massively alter our initial wish-list - easy access via an airport was important for weekend escapes but also the usual things like how safe it was to lock-up and leave, local amenities and proximity of a beach!

What did you buy?

We bought a three-bed villa for around 90,000 in an urbanisation of about 3000 villas called Pinar de Campoverde, near Alicante. Within Pinar de Campoverde our villa is situated within a 30 villa gated community.

The community has a shared pool, property maintenance, security etc. plus it's only 15 minutes to the nearest beach and local village which has some nice bars, restaurants and shops.

It's perfect for us because we're able to integrate with the local community as, and when, we want, - slipping seamlessly from the local Spanish life or resorting to the odd English pub if we feel a bit homesick.

How did you find the buying process?

The buying process was much easier than we had expected but that was largely down to the help and guidance we had from our agent and lawyers who did everything needed to make the process straight forward and easy for us to follow. They even sorted out opening a Spanish bank account and setting up household utilities.

From putting the offer in it was only around six weeks later that we were picking up the keys to our new home.

How do you plan to spend time in your new Spanish home?

Well for the next couple of years it will just be a holiday home for us (we don't want to rent it out) but we plan to move over and live in it full time in 2 years, 4 months, 17 days, 6 hours, 25 minutes - not that we're looking forward to it or anything!

When we're staying there a lot of our time will be put aside for simply enjoying life, relaxing with good food, nice wine and great people. It's a great position to be in and we know we're very fortunate, the least we can do is take full advantage.

What tips do you have for other potential buyers?

Be clear about what area you're interested and why - this narrows down your search and helps the agent to find the right type of properties for you

Find a good estate agent in the area you want and a solicitor to help take some of the stress away especially if you are working and cannot keep going backward and forward to complete the various actions

In most countries it is still a buyers' market but you do need to be realistic in what you want and time-scales it takes to get it

search property in spain
MetLife is the largest life insurance company in the United States. About 100 million consumers worldwide rely on it for life insurance, annuities, and other safety net products. But is it too big to fail?

A federal judge says it isn't and yesterday struck down the U.S. government's determination that MetLife needs to build up its capital reserves and submit to tight regulation to ensure its financial well-being.

"From the beginning, MetLife has said that its business model does not pose a threat to the financial stability of the United States," the company's chief executive, Steven Kandarian, said in a statement.

The decision is seen as a victory for big business, and it was quickly followed by a report that General Electric, which owns Genworth, might be next in line to challenge its designation as "systemically important" to the U.S. economy. Wall Street is also pressing AIG and Prudential to respond.

Dodd-Frank

The "too big to fail" test was created by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. Instituted after the financial crisis of 2008, it was initially aimed at banks but was later extended to other major companies who were so important to the economy that their collapse could trigger another crisis.

MetLife is one of the few financial powerhouses that did not receive any government assistance during the financial crisis.

Kandarian has argued that life insurance companies don't carry the same risks as other financial institutions, since in most cases, funds are not subject to immediate withdrawal. Most life insurance policies, for example, pay out only when the policyholder dies.

Kandarian also contends that insurance companies are adequately supervised at the state level. That argument may not sit well with consumer advocates, who just this week formed organizations in Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Virginia. They plan to pressure insurance commissioners, attorneys general, and state lawmakers to hold public hearings on the proposed mergers of health insurers, such as Aetna with Humana and Anthem with Cigna.

A U.S. Treasury spokesman took issue with the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer, saying regulators had conducted "a rigorous analysis of MetLife, including extensive engagement with the company, and determined that material financial distress at MetLife could pose ... a threat to the financial system."

Effect on consumers

What does all this mean for the consumers who buy insurance? To hear Wall Street tell it, it means that MetLife will be able to price its products more competitively, since it will not be held to tighter capital rules. It would also be more easily able to return more money to shareholders and sell off parts of the company, according to analysts quoted by Insurance Journal.

MetLife's Kandarian has indicated a desire to "separate" one or more retail units, most likely the variable annuity product line. Variable annuities are closely tied to stock market fluctuations and are thus more volatile.

The issue came up at Wednesday's White House briefing, where spokesman Josh Earnest declined to respond to the specific ruling but said that "one core component of Wall Street reform legislation that was passed early in President Obamas presidency included giving regulators the tools that they need to regulate non-bank financial institutions."

"This is one of the lessons that weve learned from the Great Recession  that its not just banks on Wall Street that could potentially shake the foundation of our financial system if they make a bunch of risky bets that go bad without proper oversight. Worse yet, it could also put taxpayers on the hook for bailing them out," Earnest said.
A voluntary stewardship scheme that encourages farmers and land managers in England to protect the environment while balancing food production is facing severe cuts to its budget.

The final year of the three-year delivery plan for the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) will finish at the end of March.

For the 2016-17 financial year, Defra will offer a reduced package of funding to CFE on a 12-month contract to continue to support the departments objectives on enhancing greening under CAP, Biodiversity 2020, the National Pollinator Strategy and the Water Framework Directive.

See also: Project pollinators  the next big ask on farms

The delivery plan for 2016 will be agreed before the end of the month. No details of the extent of the budget cuts have been revealed. However, Farmers Weekly understands Defra will offer roughly equivalent to 25% of the funding it provided in the 2015-16 financial year.

Defra usually contributes between 35-40% of the total CFE funding, with the rest of the funding coming from the CLA, NFU and other industry organisations.

The cuts will mean the time that CFE co-ordinators will be paid for will be much reduced. There will be fewer local liaison group meetings, but more support will be required from partners for events running under the CFE banner. The NFU and CLA will continue to support the scheme centrally.

NFU disappointed by CFE budget cuts

Sam Durham, CFE co-ordinator for the NFU, said he was disappointed that Defra was reducing its funding, but nonetheless relieved the campaign would continue.

Defra is in a tricky position because it does not physically have the money. It wants to try to help the industry find alternative sources of funding, he added.

As far as the NFU and CLA are concerned, the campaign is more important than ever. We are looking at ways of making efficiency savings to keep as much delivery on the ground as we can.

Damian Testa, head of land use at the CLA, said as a partner organisation it would continue to work with the CFE to ensure the greatest benefit can be achieved for farmers and for the environment with the resources available.

He added: This is a time of significant change in terms of environmental schemes, with thousands of Environmental Stewardship scheme agreements coming to an end in both 2015 and 2016.

There will be fewer such agreements available under the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, launched last year, due to a lower budget.

The CFE provides an important bridge between the environmental compliance requirements under CAP and stewardship-level environmental work, advising farmers on best practice and encouraging voluntary measures.

It is important that farmers continue their investment in voluntary environmental measures, which also supports farm productivity.

Defra seeking other funding sources for 2017 and beyond

A Defra spokeswoman said a reduction in funding was necessary to help Defra meet the 15% budget cuts agreed in the autumn spending review.

She added: All CFE partners recognise the need for a more sustainable and long-term funding model and that is what we will work towards this year.

CFE partners have proposed a structure that uses reduced funding more efficiently over 12 months and will continue to draw on significant industry funding.

Defra said it was also working with partners of the scheme to secure other funding sources for 2017 and beyond.
3/27 SF Meeting: Solidarity With Korean Workers KCTU And Korean People Fighting For Labor, Human Rights And DemocracySolidarity With Korean Workers And Korean People Fighting For Labor, Human Rights And DemocracySunday March 27, 2016 1:00 PM518 Valencia St./16th Street near 16th St. BART StationSan Francisco, CAJoin Two leaders of the KCTU will be in the bay area at the end of the March for a few days. Ho-Joon Song is a former railway worker leader with the Korea Railway Workers Union KRWU and is now president of Seoul Confederation of Trade Unions KCTU. Park, Young Chan is the vice president of KCTU Seoul and is from the Korean Construction Union which represents construction workers in Korea.They will be discussing the struggle to defend their unions and the massive attack on labor and human rights including privatization, deregulation of labor and also attacks on civil and human rights. Many Korean union leaders including their leaders have been jailed for organizing against privatization and for democratic rights for their members. The deregulation which is also pushed through the IMF and US Obama administration along with past US governments has led to more than 50% of workers becoming temporary workers and there is a massive outsourcing and privatization of public services. It has also led to dangerous lack of health and safety and corruption of public agencies that directly led to the Sewol disaster and the loss of the lives of hundreds of children, passengers and crew of the ferry boat. The government has also violently attacked the parents and families who want an independent investigation on how this maritime accident took place.The KCTU has also opposed the Korea US Free Trade Agreement KORUS and also the Trans Pacifica Partnership TPP which would further privatize and deregulate their economy hurting workers and farmers in Korea and the US while benefiting US multi-nationals.At the same time Korea education workers and teachers have been prohibited from forming unions and lobbying for labor rights and against growing nationalist war revision of textbooks in Korea falsifying history. Korean Teacher Union leaders have also been jailed for fighting for their democratic labor rights. Journalists have also been jailed for writing about the systemic corruption of the US supported South Korean President Park Geun-hye government. The government also made an agreement with the Japanese government to end any further education about the "comfort women" issue without consulting the comfort women. Park Geun-hye and Japanese prime minster Abe's families were personally involved in supporting the 2ndWW and also US supported military governments after the war. Their drive for militarization and repression of labor and human rights has a long history.They will report on their efforts to defend public services, fight for full time jobs and for health and safety protection of workers and the public. Also they will discuss the growing militarization including Jeju and war in Asia.For information and to endorse call (415)282-1908Other MeetingsMarch 28, 2016San Francisco Labor Council7:00PM1621 Market St/Franklin St. 2nd FloorSan FranciscoMarch 29, 2016 7:00 PMDinner With Korean Trade UnionsTommy's JointGeary And Franklin St.San FranciscoInitial EndorsersKPFA WorkWeek RadioUnited Public Workers For ActionTransport Workers Solidarity CommitteeNo Nukes Action CommitteeAdditional Information
Students at UC Davis have been occupying Chancellor Linda Katehi's office for 5 days now. They have held tight since Friday, March 11, demanding that Katehi resign or be fired. Administrators have escalated their response with threats of suspension and even expulsion if occupiers do not vacate the building. Public Wi-Fi has now been turned off, making it more difficult for students to communicate with the outside world. The students camped out on the fifth floor of Mrak Hall, however, are holding strong, refusing to budge until Katehi is gone.

[Photos by UC Davis student Sarah  .]Student statement on the occupation:Why are we here?We, the informed community of UC Davis, are here occupying the fifth floor of Mrak Hall in order to demand that Chancellor Linda Katehi resigns or is fired, and that the hiring process is redesigned so that UC Davis students and workers are not only a part of this process, but a major deciding body in the selection and confirmation of a new Chancellor.We want to acknowledge that this land, office, and university we are occupying is on stolen Patwin land, and rightfully belongs to the Patwin people.Why do we want Linda Katehi removed?The recent discovery of Katehis positions on the board of DeVry University, King Abdulaziz University, and Wiley & Sons textbook company are not only a conflict of interest, but an indication of Katehis insatiable drive for money and power that have consistently come at the expense of UC Davis students and community, and most specifically from black and brown folks both on and off campus. These recent board positions that have associated her, and the University as a whole, with controversial and problematic institutions have also augmented her current salary of $414,000 annually to include an additional $420,000 from 2012-2014 from Wiley and Sons and are reflective of a longer history of problematic behavior by Chancellor Katehi including, but not limited to: Failing to appropriately address anti-Blackness and Islamophobia on campus Blocking the proposal to divest from companies that perpetuate the Israeli occupation of Palestine Increasing police presence on campus, as well as, the militarization of their weapons and equipment Ignoring hate crimes Personally blocking the request for foot sinks in the SCC, and furthering Islamophobic behavior and policy on campus Allowing for the pepper spraying of student protestors during the Occupy movement on campus in 2011Recent Developments:Instead of coming to meet with the students, Katehi has responded by pursuing action through the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs and with a threat of possible dismissal from the university for those involved.Furthermore, she has not only refused to come meet with us, she has refused to even speak with us directly and has thus forced multiple campus administrators and staff to forfeit their time to speak and stay with us at Mrak Hallnot to mention the great amount of time and stress being forfeited by us.
Assemblymember McCarty Calls for UC Davis Chancellor Katehis Resignation by via Assemblymember Kevin McCarty

UC Davis Chancellor Katehis rationale for serving on the DeVry Education Group Board has left me unsatisfied, and contradicts her job to run a public university and educate our students." Assemblymember Kevin McCarty

Created: Friday, 04 March 2016 12:24



Assemblymember McCarty Statement Calls for UC Davis Chancellor Katehis Resignation and Announces Legislative hearings



(SACRAMENTO, CA) Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance issued the following statement calling on UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehis resignation and announcing legislative hearings:



UC Davis Chancellor Katehis rationale for serving on the DeVry Education Group Board has left me unsatisfied, and contradicts her job to run a public university and educate our students. The subsequent revelation of another sweetheart deal with textbook publishers earned her an additional 0,000 from 2012-2014 has driven my level of dissatisfaction even higher.



Chancellor Katehi receives a taxpayer-funded salary of 4,360 per year. It is unseemly for the Chancellor to be moonlighting side deals to fatten her bank account, especially when it runs contrary to the interests of our students that are strapped with decades of student debt to pay for the high costs of textbooks and other education expenses.



Therefore, I am calling for the resignation of Chancellor Katehi and announcing legislative oversight hearings to look into this matter at the UC system and the other segments of higher education.
Arkle Day At the Cheltenham Festival: Day One Preview by Kirby C. Grimes The most exciting four days in racing begins on Tuesday with day one of the Cheltenham Festival. The highlight of the National Hunt calendar, the next four days will see the top jumps horses in the world compete against one another. It all kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Eastern with six great races on tap. A total of 97 horses are scheduled to go, making for large field sizes and great wagering opportunities. Win/Place,exacta and trifecta wagering is available on all races with the chance for handsome rewards. The drying ground, with the course listed as soft and soft to good in places, will allow for memorable races and thrilling finishes.

The Festival comes away from the tape with a dash with the Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle. Contested over the two mile minimum trip, 14 runner are slated to race. Headlining the field is Min, the 9/5 morning line favorite in the U.S. pool.

Trained by champion conditioner Willie Mullins, Min is undefeated in two attempts over hurdles. Both wins came at Punchestown and last time out was a Grade Two victory. Both wins however, were against overmatched fields and the dry ground could poise an issue as he has yet to be tested late in races which is sure to happen in this race.

Offering the best value, and the pick in this race, is Altoir. The Nicky Henderson trainee has won four in a row against solid competition. He won the November train for this race, also at Cheltenham, while being challenged late. Winner of two races over similar ground as he will face in this race, he will be very sharp off the layoff and is primed to win.

Other horses to consider for exactas and trifectas include Bellshill, winner of three hurdle races including a Grade One. Known to have some fluency issues while jumping, his good form should keep in the race. Mister Myagi, who has won four races in a row, could land a top spot. He has not faced the types of horses as he will today, he is adept at running on late. Finally be sure to include Tombstone, he runs on late and beat Bellshill home last time out.

The second race on the day is the feature, the Grade One Racing Post Arkle Trophy. The two mile Chase features the unbeatable Douvan. Trained by Willie Mullins and to be ridden by Ruby Walsh, Douvan is undefeated in the last two years. This race figures to be a walkover for him in preparation for a potential 2017 Grand National run.

For the exacta Vaniteux, winner of a Grade Two Novices Chase at Doncaster last out figures to be the best of the rest. Sizing John figures to run on late for the trifecta. The Arkle is not the best betting race on the card, but is the one race to be sure to watch.

The third race of the day is the Ultima Handicap Chase, a Grade Three over three and one eighth miles. This race has the largest field of the day, but based on the prior races of the entrants, fewer than half will finish. The horse with the best chance to win is Beg to Differ, a winner last time out over similar ground. He runs on late and jumps mistake free. Jockey Aidan Coleman will likely work out a trip for him to avoid the trouble in the race and try to take over the lead on the final few fences.

Out Sam, who had won his last two races over fences will try to steal the race on the front end. However, his jumping is not the best, and sort of mistake late will cost him the race. The drying ground could improve his chances, but he is a risk in his first time against a large field.

Kruzhilinin will likely be sent forth as the favorite. An easy winner last out, his jumping ability leaves a lot to be desired. Other horses to consider for the exotics include Morning Assembly, Ballykan and The Young Master. All are fluent jumpers and should avoid the numerous fallers throughout the race.

Race four on the day, the Stan James Champion Hurdle, features the highest rated hurdlers in Britain. Contested over the two mile trip, tnr Grade One event will likely see three horses contest much of the way for the win. Headling the field is the Willie Mullins trained Annie Power. Winner over hurdles three weeks ago at Punchestown, this will be only her second start since May, 2015. This freshening, combined with her talent and her high percentage connections makes her a logical choice to win

While Annie Power is the favorite both Nichols Canyon and Identity Thief will challenge her. Nichols Canyon has won five Grade One events over hurdles and enters the race with four wins from his last five, including a win the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown. In that race he dueled with Identity Thief for the victory.

Identity Thief led much of that race, was passed by Nichols Canyon on to retake the lead only to passed late again by Nichols Canyon. Assuming Identity Thief keeps Annie Power honest early on in the race, Nichols Canyon should take the lead close to home and win the Champion Hurdle.

The two and a half mile Grade One Mares Hurdle is the penultimate race of the day. The race is all about one horse, Vroum Vroum Mag. Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh team up again for a dominating win. Vroum Vroum Mag will likely make every flight a winning and face very little competition for the win.

If a challenge does emerge it will come from Polly Peachum. The Nicky Henderson trainee has won two of her last three over hurdles and was a second a head in this race twelve months ago. However, she prefers a heavier ground and will likely wind up in the place position.

For third we go with a horse that will likely be overlooked, Flute Bowl. A winner of three listed hurdles over similar drying ground, she will present good value in both the place and trifecta pools.

The final race of the day will be the most challenging for both horse and rider. The four mile Novices National Hunt Chase is for amateur riders and in such events anything can and does happen. Two Willie Mullins entrants stand out on paper with the best chance of winning, Ponte Alexandre and Measureofmydreams.

Ponte Alexandre had the better form of the two, also finishing in the top three of his seven lifetime races. Included in these is a Grade One win over hurdles in 2014. The drawback to him is he prefers wet ground and will likely not take to the drying ground he will face.

Measureofmydreams is the better suited of the two for the distance and ground. Winner of a Grade Two Novice Chase at Navan last time out, he should relish the added distance as well. His jumping is not always fluid, and presents some concern. If he holds it together he is the one to beat.

Definitly Red is an interesting runner for an under the radar trainer. In January over similar ground at Catterick Bridge he took the lead late to win a Novices Chase. Having fared well in large size fields, he is definitely one not to overlook and will be running home late.

Lastly, Southfield Royale is a prime win candidate. Winner of a Grade Two Novices Chase at Doncaster he was second in a Grade One at Kempton last time out. He is another runner that prefers a wet ground but based on his form and talent, he cannot be ruled out.

Day one of the four day Cheltenham Festival will be an exciting day of racing. With world class horses and full fields it is a great chance to enjoy National Hunt Racing. If you are new to the sport, there is no better time to take interest. TVG 2 will be airing the races from the festival and your A.D.W. of choice will offer streaming video and full card wagering.
Kentucky Derby 2016 Top 10: Caseys Picks Another prep weekend has come and gone, and some horses proved that they were not Kentucky Derby material while others shocked and proved that they were ready for a tougher, taller task, such as a final Derby prep and the Kentucky Derby itself. We was horses like Brodys Cause make their three-year-old debut while others like Smokey Image put their undefeated record on the line. With losses and wins, lets see how my top ten now stands.

Mohaymen (Tapit  Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union) Mohaymen posted his first official work since the Fountain of Youth Stakes and went four furlongs in 49.40, the 2nd fastest of the day for that distance. So far, he is on a crash course of a head-to-head with undefeated Nyquist, the 2015 Champion 2-Year-Old Male and Breeders Cup Champion. He has been at the top of my list for a long while now, and I have no intention of moving him, win, lose, or draw come the Florida Derby finish line.

Mor Spirit (Eskendereya  Im a Dixie Girl, by Dixie Union) The San Felipe was a chance to show me that the work he pulled himself out of was nothing more than a rare occurrence, and he proved me right. He was charging at the end to finish second to Danzing Candy, who put the field to sleep in the later stages of the race. I will not fault him for that, but his jockey for not sensing the slow down. He moves back up to second now that I see he is okay.

Nyquist (Uncle Mo  Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry) Nyquist reminds me of those horses who always seem to win, no matter what happens, because they know exactly what they have to do and where the wire is. I still have a heaping suspicion that he could be in trouble come the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby. I still question his breeding, even though many say it is just fine for nine and ten furlongs. However, what worries more is he may be even shorter on foundation come the First Saturday in May. With only a seven furlong sprint and a nine furlong route race.

Exaggerator (Curlin  Dawn Raid, by Vindication) After him being unable to sustain a strong move in the San Felipe, where Kent Desormeaux got him running a bit earlier than he normally would have, he faded to 3rd. I see nothing wrong with his effort. He is likely to show back up in the Santa Anita Derby. Some say this horse is likely a miler at best, but I disagree entirely. No horse could have sustained a move that he made in the San Felipe and I do not hold his fading against him.

Gun Runner (Candy Ride  Quiet Giant, by Giants Causeway) Some question if he could have won the Risen Star had Mo Tom not been impeded, and the answer I have for that is, I dont know. He was making his first start since the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and he did so by holding off two Uncle Mo colts. Gun Runner is prepping for the Louisiana Derby before heading to Kentucky. I have seen this horse in person once, in his 2nd start, and told my coworkers that he would be a strong Kentucky Derby contender, and well, here he is!

Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft  Uchitel, by Afleet Alex) Pedigree is nothing to be concerned about. What I am more concerned about is if he will get the pace setup that he had in the Southwest Stakes. You can guarantee he will be running at the end of the Rebel Stakes, but can he win it? I have no doubt this gelding has talent and class, but that is not always the only thing one needs to win a Kentucky Derby prep race.

Destin (Giants Causeway  Dream of Summer, by Siberian Summer) Destin broke a track record in winning the Tampa Bay Derby for his second straight win over the track. He had to fight for it, as stablemate Outwork was not going to let him have it easily. In the process, Destin easily defeated Brodys Cause, who was never a factor in the race. Destin is likely to start in one of the final major Kentucky Derby preps, the Wood, the Blue Grass, or the Arkansas Derby.

Zulu (Bernardini  Temporada, by Summer Squall) Pletcher has announced that Zulu will not go in the Florida Derby and instead will go to either the Blue Grass, the Wood Memorial, or the Arkansas Derby. Pletcher has three Derby prospects and each will go in a different final prep and then meet in the Derby. Zulu gave Mohaymen a quick fight in the Fountain of Youth before Mohaymen took off. Zulu looks like a strong competitor as the year goes on as well!

Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect  Melodys Spirit, by Scat Daddy) I love the pedigree on this boy. He has some foundation under his belt going back into the Rebel Stakes and should be tougher this time around! He will have to face American Dubai once again but will not have the speed to deal with that he did in the Southwest. He could easily be the once exiting the Rebel with a win. He should easily get the ten furlongs on Derby Day as well.

Mo Tom (Uncle Mo  Caroni, by Rubiano) If I were to pet solely on patters, the colt has a 1st, 3rd, 1st, and so on thing going on. In the Risen Star, he had momentum going into the stretch only to be checked by a tired and drifting horse. He got up to finish a fast 3rd to Gun Runner and Forevermo. In the Louisiana Derby, he is likely to finish 1st, going off that patter, and 3rd in the Kentucky Derby. If you dont go by this, but watch out for him in the late stages of the race, as he will be coming with powerful strides!

In the Stable

Outwork (Uncle Mo  Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker) Outwork made stablemate Destin work for his win and track record in the Tampa Bay Derby. Outwork was nowhere on my radar until the Tampa Bay Derby stretch run. He is a little short on foundation, where he would only be making his fifth career start if he were to enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate. However, he must first run well in his final prep, the Wood, the Blue Grass, or the Arkansas Derby.

Danzing Candy (Twirling Candy  Talkin and Singing, by Songandaprayer) After taking the San Felipe over a good string field, Danzing Candy jumped onto a lot of peoples lists, however, I am not ready to count him as a serious contender yet. He put the field to sleep in the later half of the race and was able to get away with fractions that allowed him to have enough in the tank to go gate to wire. I wonder however, where all the other speed was. Smokey Image and I Will Score finished 5th and 6th at the end, where they were supposedly the other speed in the race, yet neither was up front to press the pace. I want to see how Danzing Candy handles pressure before I believe he can get ten furlongs as a front running horse. He pedigree also leaves suspicion that he will struggle.

Greenpointcrusader (Bernardini  Ava Knowsthecode, by Cryptoclearance) This horse was taken out of his comfort zone when he was up close in the Holy Bull and still finished a good, but distant, 2nd to Mohaymen. He skipped the Fountain of Youth and training to the Louisiana Derby. Where has he been all this time? With this layoff, he could be too fresh for that race and again blow his chances to win a race. Some say he is a serious threat, but I am questioning his talent against other colts in his crop.

Brodys Cause (Giants Causeway  Sweet Breanna, by Sahm) I am not ready to drop this colt completely. Making his three-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby, Romans put eight works into the colt since the beginning of the year. The colt finished 7th without being any kind of threat. However, Romans is sending the colt back to Keeneland, the sight of his greatest victory, and hoping the colt can bounce back in the Blue Grass Stakes. I like this colt, and whether he can make the Derby or not, I like him as a horse.
- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has proposed a N100 monthly charge on every ATM card nationwide

- The new charge is different from the existing N65 charge

- The apex bank is also proposing a N50 charge on every cheque leaflet obtained and used at the deposit money banks counter

CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele

Source: Facebook

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has proposed a N100 monthly charge on every debit card (ATM card) in the country.

The new charge is separate from the existing N65 charge after the third withdrawal within the same month.

A monthly maintenance fee of N100 was also proposed every month for a naira dominated debit card when used, and a N50 charge for other months when the card is used or not.

READ ALSO: Excessive bank charges: #NoBankingDay trends in Nigeria

In its draft on the guide to charges for banks and other financial institutions in Nigeria, CBN has also proposed a N4,200-per-annum charge on foreign currency denominated cards as maintenance fee.

The apex bank has also proposed a N50 charge on every cheque leaflet obtained and used at the deposit money banks counter, The Cable reports.

This is not the same as the collection charge on cheques, which is also proposed to be one percent of cheque value or Naira equivalent of US $10 whichever is lower.

The circular, signed by Kevin Amugo, director financial policy and regulation department, stated: "The Central Bank of Nigeria is currently reviewing the extant Guide to Bank Charges, which came into effect on April 1, 2013,

The review, which is in line with the philosophy of periodically ensuring that the provisions of the guide accord with current realities, also seek to address complaints from customers of financial services, requests for clarification on provision of the guide and absence of a tariff regime for other financial institutions in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: CBN suspends deputy Gov, directors for multi-million naira fraud

Kindly send hard copies of your comments by March 29, 2016 to the director, financial policy and regulation department with soft copies mailed to gbcreview@cbn.gov.ng.

The new charge is coming days after Nigerians protested excessive bank charges, declaring a No Banking Day on Tuesday, March 1.

Source: Legit.ng
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AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets has raised 6.9 billion of capital in 2015 comprising 4.1 billion and 2.8 billion for equity and debt strategies respectively. This brings the total capital commitments raised over the past three years to more than 20 billion.

The 6.9 billion of cap...

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Corestate Capital Group sold a German residential property portfolio with a small portion of commercial units for 103m to an international investor. The portfolio comprises 2,700 residential and commercial units spread across five German states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Corestate's proactive asset management approach including

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Goodman Group has concluded the first half of its 2016 financial year (FY2016), signing lease agreements for almost one million sqm of logistics space in Continental Europe, with over 720,000 sqm currently under construction, of which approximately 544,000 sqm commenced in the reporting period.

In Ce...

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At the Live-Pitch on the 16th of March the British enterprise of OpenSensors.io and Standard Access from Ireland will now battle against Source Central from Singapore and the Chinese Startup company Parallax Technologies. The latter already qualified in December 2015 at the MIPIM Asia in Hong Kong. The final two

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The housing market is booming, the investors are feeling gold rush fever so much so that the commercial property exhibition MIPM is being dedicated to residential buildings this year. It's not only since the refugee crisis that affordable housing has become scarce commodity. We will show the causes, trends and

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Neinver ended FY 2015 with very positive results for both foot traffic and sales at the outlet centres it manages in 6 European markets. Total sales for all the outlet centres it operates under The Style Outlets and Factory brands surpassed 1.056 billion, 10% more than in 2014. The centres'

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If you dont want to get involved with your tenants, you better start looking for other work. According to professor Greg Clark of the London-based Urban Innovation Centre, real estate in the future will need to be more of a service provider, prepared for continuous adaptation to tenants needs, rather

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Vinci will build its new head office in Nanterre (Hauts de Seine) in the centre of the Groues. It will form a new link between the City of Nanterre and the La Defense business district. In the 2020 timeframe, the 74,000 m complex will bring together at the same site

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Farm-grown fish are an important source of food with significant and worldwide societal and economic benefits, but the fish that come from these recirculating systems can have unpleasant tastes and odors. To clean contaminated water for farmed fish, drinking and other uses, scientists are now turning to an unlikely source -- the mucilage or inner "guts" of cacti.

The researchers present their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

"We found there is an attraction between the mucilage of cactus and arsenic," says Norma Alcantar, Ph.D. "The mucilage also attracts sediments, bacteria and other contaminants. It captures these substances and forms a large mass or 'floc' that sort of looks like cotton candy. For sediments, the flocs are large and heavy, which precipitate rapidly after the interaction with mucilage."

The technology grew from century-old knowledge that mucilage from some common cacti can clean drinking water. Alcantar was first introduced to this process by her Mexican grandmother who described using boiled prickly pear cactus to capture particles in sediment-laced dirty water. The sediments sank, and the water at the top of the bucket became clear and drinkable.

In 2006, Alcantar, who is at the University of South Florida (USF), began experimenting with the cleansing properties of cactus. She and her team tried the approach to clean contaminated drinking water following the Haiti earthquake and found it worked well. Common worldwide, cacti are a sustainable product and are not only nontoxic, but are edible and considered a delicacy.

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, she and her USF team began to explore the ability of cacti to clean up oil contaminated seawater. While the research program never moved beyond bench scale, she says, cactus mucilage was found to be an effective oil dispersant.

More recently, Alcantar and Tunan Peng, a graduate research assistant in her lab, were approached by representatives from the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, who asked them to investigate whether cactus extract could clean recirculating aquarium water, as well as water in aquaculture tanks and ponds.

Such tanks, Alcantar and Peng say, create conditions that encourage bacterial growth that in turn develops unpleasant smelly compounds, such as 2-methylisoborneol (known as MIB) and geosmin. These compounds result in the musty, earthy flavor that is sometimes in the water and the fish that live in it. At harvest, the current practice is to purge the fish and tanks with fresh water, which takes months, uses large amounts of water and stresses the fish, Alcantar says.

In a search for alternatives, Peng and Alcantar turned to cactus mucilage. Now, she adds, they are seeking to determine the mechanism that allows mucilage to be such an effective purifier.

Also, the researchers are currently studying the chemical composition of the mucilage, which is made up of carbohydrates and some 60 sugars, with the goal of synthesizing it in a lab. In addition, they are developing a prototype of a recirculating aquaculture system that uses cactus extract as a cleansing agent, and they will conduct a life cycle analysis of the system.
The circular, barren patches of land, forming a highly regular pattern over the dry grassland of Namibia, were thought to be the only ones of their kind anywhere in the world. But a new study in the journal PNAS shows that they are not. Working with Israeli and Australian colleagues, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig have now discovered the baffling structures in the uninhabited Australian outback too. Investigations carried out there have also provided new evidence that these fairy circles result from the way plants organise themselves in response to water shortage.

The researchers were alerted to the natural phenomenon in Australia by the photo taken by an Australian colleague, who sent them an aerial shot of the region surrounding the town of Newman. The photo showed plant patterns that were very similar to the fairy circles which had only ever been found in southern Africa.

There are various theories in the world of science as to how these barren circles edged with grass come about. Some researchers have explained them away using termites or ants. The theory goes that these insects nibble away at the roots of the grasses, killing them. Other scientists believe that toxic carbon monoxide gas rises up from the interior of the Earth under the circles and kills the vegetation. And a third camp thinks that the barren areas simply arise of their own accord under certain conditions. The amount of water available at the transition between desert and grassland isn't enough for continuous vegetation cover. So the individual plants compete for the precious water and therefore organise themselves in this characteristic grass carpet with holes in it.

Fairy circle expert Dr. Stephan Getzin from UFZ has for years supported the third theory. Aerial views of the landscapes have contributed to this conviction. In earlier studies, he analysed the precise location of the barren patches. "The interesting thing about fairy circles is that they are spread with great regularity and homogeneity, even over vast areas, but they occur only within a narrow rainfall belt" he explains. He believes that this pattern, which resembles the six-sided structure of honeycombs, most probably results from competition for water. He and his co-authors Hezi Yizhaq and Ehud Meron from Ben-Gurion University of Negev in Israel have also confirmed this appraisal with computer simulations. "For a long time, ecologists weren't convinced that plants in dry areas could organise themselves because the theoretical principles for these processes lie in physics," says Stephan Getzin and points to the laborious preparatory work undertaken by his two Israeli colleagues. "But it has since become increasingly clear how important this process is."

Some colleagues remain sceptical despite this. One frequently heard objection is that if such a mechanism were responsible for them, there would have to be similar structures in other dry areas on Earth. After all, the grassland of Namibia is by no means the only place where plants compete for water. And in fact, it is known that drought causes interesting vegetation patterns in other places too. But barren patches in grassland with such a regular six-sided structure don't appear anywhere other than in Namibia.

This explains why Stephan Getzin was so excited to receive the aerial shot from Australia in 2014. To investigate the phenomenon more closely, Getzin and his Israeli colleague Hezi Yizhaq went to Australia. The scientists measured the barren circles, compared their surface temperatures with those of vegetated areas and charted indications of ants and termites in four parts of the almost uninhabited region. They observed how the water drained away in these areas and took soil samples to analyse later on in the lab. To this, they added aerial image evaluations, statistical analyses of the landscape patterns and computer simulations. Since then they have become convinced that they are actually genuine fairy circles with the same patterns as those 10 000 kilometres away in Namibia.

The researchers have also found new evidence supporting their theory of how the barren patches arise. While in Namibia there are usually two to three species of termite or ant scuttling around in or on the fairy circles and opening up scope for speculation, the situation in Australia is clearer. "There we found in the majority of cases no nests in the circles and unlike in Namibia, cryptic sand termites do not exist in Australia," reports Stephan Getzin. "And the ones we did find have a completely different distribution pattern to the fairy circles." For him this is a clear indication that the barren patches are not produced by animal activities but the way in which the plants organise themselves. This theory is also supported by the fact that the dominant grasses of the Triodia genus found in the direct vicinity of the fairy circles also form other typical drought patterns such as stripes, labyrinths or spot patterns with individual plants surrounded by bare earth. Especially stripe and labyrinth patterns form preferentially on hard soil layers with overland-water flow, as is commonly observed with lined up trees along mountain slopes.

Following their investigations on the ground, the researchers have also gained insight into how the soil and vegetation interact in this region. If the Australian loamy soil isn't protected by vegetation, its surface doesn't just get extremely hot. It bakes to a hard crust that water finds almost impossible to penetrate. Water which does fall in the rare rain showers flows away over the surface, resulting in extremely bad conditions for germinating plants so that the bare areas remain barren. Things are different in places where the first grasses are growing. The plants keep the surface cooler and the soil looser so precipitation finds it easier to seep in. This allows other plants to colonise the area and the conditions again improve slightly -- it's a small-scale, self-perpetuating process which results in the grass carpet with gap pattern we see covering large areas.

"In Namibia, the sandy soils of the fairy circles are much more permeable and precipitation can drain away with ease," says Stephan Getzin. So reservoirs form under the barren areas, supplying the surrounding grass with moisture via diffusion processes in the soil. "The details of this mechanism are different to that in Australia," he explains. "But it produces the same vegetation pattern because both systems of gaps are triggered by the same instability."

Stephan Getzin now wants to follow up the phenomenon even further. He believes that it is likely that there are as yet unknown fairy circles in other dry and sparsely inhabited regions of the world. The age of discovery is far from over.
The UN has concluded, after a four month investigation, that the South Sudan government (especially president Salva Kiir) was guilty of war crimes. This took the form of pro-government militias being told that as payment (and encouragement) for taking up arms to fight the rebels they could rape, loot and kill without restraint, at least when it came to civilians designated as pro-rebel. South Sudan soldiers were allowed to misbehave as well and during most of 2015 this led to thousands of rapes and murders plus widespread looting and property destruction. While the government and the rebels discouraged visits by outsiders (especially journalists or UN personnel) the UN investigators were able to interview hundreds of survivors in areas that had been fought over but were now quiet as well as many refugees from the fighting who were still too afraid to go home but were willing to relate their experiences. Senior UN officials are calling for formal war crimes charges against the president of South Sudan and other senior officials.

The government responded by accusing the UN of being biased and ignoring similar bad behavior by rebel forces. Nevertheless the investigators documented how the worst atrocities were committed by government forces and there is much evidence that this was because of government assurances that this sort of behavior was OK because the rebels were trying to destroy South Sudan and the government didnt have the cash to pay the militias. Left unsaid was the fact that this sort of behavior has been common in the region for thousands of years. There is also the tribal rivalry angle, which still counts. The government forces are mainly Dinka while rebels are largely from smaller Zande, Jur and Moru tribes. The rebellion began in 2013 as disputes between armed tribesmen (some of them on the government payroll) that spiraled out of control. This came after South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2005 after decades of ethnic and religious fighting between the largely Arab government and the black, and often Christian tribesmen in the south. The united many South Sudan tribes that normally fight each other. It was hoped that the experience of working together to drive out the Sudan government forces would last. It didnt.

This is not the first time the UN has accused Sudanese leaders of war crimes. In 2009 the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered the arrest of Sudan president al Bashir for atrocities and war crimes in Darfur. The actual warrant did not accuse him of genocide but the prosecution request for a warrant accused Bashir of leading a genocidal campaign against the Zaghawa, Fur, and Masalit tribes. Bashir was also accused of encouraging or tolerating the murder, rape, torture, and forced displacement of civilians. When forcibly displaced civilians flee janjaweed militias en masse they die from exposure, hunger, and disease. This amounts to slow ethnic cleansing. Bashir responded with defiance and accusations that the warrant is colonialism. The government, responding to the ICC warrant, began kicking various non-governmental aid and relief organizations out of the country. Meanwhile, the Arab world was initially unsure of how to deal with the arrest warrant. Many Arabs simply saw it as another example of European colonialism and an attack on Islam. But this sort of rationalizing is getting old, even in the Arab world, where there are growing efforts to get Sudan to stop attacking its own people. In the end Arab nations simply ignored the war crimes charges and allowed Bashir to visit them freely. Bashir is still wanted for prosecution and some Arab states quietly pressure the UN to withdraw the charges. After all what Bashir did, and is still doing, is a common practice in the Middle East and is still going on in places like Syria and Iraq.

Other African nations are not as forgiving and in September 2015, just before the UN investigators got to work the AU (African Union) announced the formation of a war crimes court to deal with the many atrocities that were occurring in the South Sudan civil war. This court is part of the mid-2015 peace deal in South Sudan. At the same time the Sudan government reported that its own investigation of reported crimes and abuses by its Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia had cleared the militia of charges. Yes, you read that correctly. The Sudan governments report cleared the RSF, a militia force that supplements other Sudanese military forces in combat and counter-insurgency operations. It operates like the old janjaweed militias did in the worst days in Darfur. The RSF is brutal. There is simply too much evidence out there that its militiamen commit war crimes on a regular basis.

Meanwhile the growing number of refugees from the areas recently fought over in South Sudan increases as do the number of people throughout the country who have seen crops destroyed and access to outside aid cut. The UN is unable to raise as much money needed to supply aid because of the corruption and widespread lawlessness in South Sudan. Why pay for aid when so much is stolen and there are other parts of the world in need and less chaotic?

March 10, 2016: South Sudan announced that oil production will resume in two new states: Northern Liech state and Ruweng state. These two new states were once part of Unity state and are located just east and southeast of the disputed Abyei region. Southern Liech is the third new state carved from Unity state. Unity state has some of South Sudans largest oil fields. The civil war curtailed oil production throughout the country. The government desperately needs oil royalty revenue. Oil royalties fund at least 95 percent of South Sudans annual budget.

March 9, 2016: In Sudan (North Darfur) unknown gunmen fired on a peacekeeper patrol killing one peacekeeper and wounding another.

March 7, 2016: An advance force of 1,370 South Sudan rebel security personnel and government members are awaiting transportation to the capital, Juba. The August 2015 peace agreement stipulates that the deployment take place. However, in South Sudan distrust runs rampant. On March 6 a senior rebel leader accused the government of preparing to launch a new offensive in Eastern Equatoria state. The rebels claimed that the government had moved a heavily armed unit into the state and is in the process of building up food supplies and other supplies in the state.

March 5, 2016: Gunmen in Sudans North Darfur state attacked a three-vehicle convoy headed for the state capital. At least one person was killed; several were wounded. The governor of North Darfur called the perpetrators outlaws and said that criminals have no tribe. The attack followed several cattle raids (ie, mass thefts) in the vicinity of Tawilla.

Sudan opposition leader Hassan al Turabi, died in Khartoum. Turabi had been an ally of current president (dictator) Omar al-Bashir when Bashir launched a coup and took power in 1989. However, since 1999, Turabi and Bashir have vacillated between being opponents and enemies. Turabi was not a modernizer. In fact, he was regarded as a radical Islamist and a member of Sudans Muslim Brotherhood. However, he became an advocate of womens rights and democracy in an Islamic context.

March 4, 2016: UN investigators now believe that at least 25 people were murdered and over 120 wounded when gunmen attacked a civilian refugee shelter in the city of Malakal (South Sudan -- new state of Eastern Upper Nile, formerly Upper Nile state). Attacks on the compound occurred over a two day period (February 17-18). Around 47,000 civilians were in the protected area. The attackers also damaged medical clinics, education facilities and water tankers. Over 3,700 family shelters (tent-type structures) were destroyed. Most of the fighting involved members of the Dinka and Shilluk tribes but several Nuer were also killed, allegedly by a group of Dinka youth.

March 3, 2016: New fighting has broken out in South Sudans Yambio region. In mid-February a series of attacks by gunmen drove 300 villagers from their homes and to a temporary camp in the town of Bitima (Congo border). Several hundred more have fled into Congo and are now near the Congolese town of Dungu (northeastern Congo).

March 2, 2016: East African Community (EAC) has invited South Sudan to join. Observers noted that the EAC failed to invite Burundis current president, Pierre Nkurunziza, to the EAC meeting where the announcement was made. Nkurunziza is a persona non grata for threatening to fight African Union peacekeepers if they deployed in his country. Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and now South Sudan comprise the EAC. Burundi is now a maybe member.

March 1, 2016: The Sudanese Army claimed that its soldiers have secured control of the northern sector of the Jebel Marra (Darfur region). Sudanese troops have been fighting in the area with elements of the Sudan Liberation Movement -Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW). The Jebel Marra is a region of hills and rugged ridges located in the middle of the Darfur region. It straddles North, South and Central Darfur states and provides rebels with a base area.

February 29, 2016: In Sudan SPLM-N rebels claimed that the army is deploying units near Talodi (South Kordofan state). Though reports are fragmentary (and there are no neutral observers), it is clear that there has been a lot of fighting in South Kordofan in the last week. SPLM-N rebels claimed they seized the town of Dilling (near the capital, Kadugli) on February 25. The SPLM-N used some two dozen technical vehicles (wheeled vehicles with heavy machine guns and perhaps recoilless weapons) in the attack. There was another firefight on February 27. Overall the SPLM-N claims it killed some 80 Sudanese soldiers and destroyed four Sudanese tanks.

February 28, 2016: South Sudan rebel leaders are demanding that the transitional government review governmental salaries. The opposition leaders say that current employees are not paid enough to survive.

February 27, 2016: Sudan and Russia have agreed to develop closer economic ties. The announcement followed four days of meetings in Khartoum that included senior Russian foreign ministry officials. Russia received an oil concession in Sudan. The agreement includes cooperation in banking and developing other mineral interests.

February 26, 2016: Angola proposed that the UN place an arms embargo on South Sudan until both warring parties in the civil war make peace. The Angolan government said that at least 10,000 people have died in the civil war and that the leaders of the South Sudan government and the rebels are not sincerely seeking peace.

February 24, 2016: UN administrators in South Sudan apologized for the failure of UN peacekeepers to protect civilians during the February 17 attack at Malakal. The administrators said that an on-going investigation has already concluded that UN Mission in South Sudan [UNMISS] peacekeepers responded belatedly to the attack on a refugee camp.

February 22, 2016: It is believed that Sudan is spending well over 25 percent of its total 2016 budget on military and security-related operations. Some analysts think the figure exceeds 60 percent. The 25 percent figure is based on published reports that Sudan will spend 17 billion Sudanese pounds (approximately $2.8 billion US) on security. But regional experts say that figure is phony. The actual figure is around $6 billion US.
"Don't ever question who can defy the odds," Shannon Keith, president of Animal Rescue, Media & Education (ARME), told The Dodo. Keith is referring to Chi Chi, whom The Dodo first covered in late February, several weeks after she had lost all her paws and was undergoing rehabilitation in preparation for moving into a forever home. After two months of hard work, Chi Chi is finally ready to start her new life.

Nobody expected this storybook ending for Chi Chi, named after the Korean word for "loving." She was rescued from a trash can outside a dog meat farm in South Korea, where she was hung upside down by her paws and stuffed with food to make her gain weight quickly. "[Dog meat farmers] like [the dogs] to be scared before they die, because they think that makes the meat taste better," said Keith. "The more torture the more tender the meat." Unfortunately, it's a world that too many dogs endure, Keith explained. "People are very surprised that dog meat is still eaten in many parts of the world, even the United States." Keith, who also happens to be an attorney, is working with lawmakers to create legislation to ban dog meat farms in the United States. If successful, she will keep more dogs from receiving the same the cruel treatment as Chi Chi once did. "We weren't even sure she was going to live," said Keith.

"The infection in her legs was so horrific it had eaten away her legs and it [had spread] throughout her whole body." The first hurdle for Chi Chi was simply staying alive after her quadruple amputation. "She survived and the day after surgery she was trying to walk. She was smiling and wagging her tail," Keith continued. "Then, a couple days later, she even started walking on her little stumps." All her hard work paid off, because last week Chi Chi was finally ready to come to her new home in the United States.

Dodo Shows Comeback Kids Family Stops At Nothing To Help Their Great Dane Run

After months of video chatting with the pup across seas, Keith greeted Chi Chi when she arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport in California. From there, Keith drove Chi Chi to her new home in Arizona.

When they got out of the car, Chi Chi felt and sniffed grass for the first time in her life.

She also had another big first: meeting her new family, Richard, Elizabeth and Megan Howell.

The Howells have two other dogs who were happy to meet Chi Chi - Kipper and Harry, who were both rescued from laboratory research facilities through a subset of ARME called The Beagle Freedom Project.

ARME set up an Amazon Wish List for Chi Chi to help her settle into her new home, and people who heard her story have been eager to show their support.

"One of the great things somebody got for us was a dog stroller," said Keith. "She's just in heaven. She loves it." Not having any legs doesn't stop Chi Chi from getting around on her own.

"She can walk. She can run," Megan Howell told the Associated Press. She can do anything a dog with four legs a can do, "except go up the stairs." But Chi Chi has a fiery energy and she surprises everyone around her with her eagerness to move. "Yesterday morning, we were sitting there in [the Howells'] backyard," Keith recalled. "I was sitting on a ledge, and she jumped up on it," said Keith. "I was like, 'What?! This dog is amazing!'"

A veterinarian who specializes in prosthetics will be visiting the Howells this week.

Her new footwear may take some getting used to, but if her eagerness is any indication, Chi Chi will face this new chapter with just as much energy and excitement as she has shown throughout the last two months. Thanks to ARME, Chi Chi's best days are still ahead of her as she grows closer with her new family and discovers how it feels to be part of a family that loves her as much as she loves them.
Karan Mahajans ambitious and all too painful novel about terrorism arose from events in his own life. In 1996, when Mahajan was 12, Kashmiri separatists set off a bomb near his home in New Delhi, in an outdoor market where he and his family sometimes shopped. That attack, which killed 13 and injured 30, was burned into his memory. In his new novel The Association of Small Bombs, Mahajan has returned to the place where his younger self might have died.

The author, who now lives in Austin, explained in an interview: It would take years of struggling with the meaning of this blast, of researching terror and radical Islam, of creating characters, before an actual story emerged, but the seed was there. The novel that emerged carries us deep into the human side of a tragedy. Mahajan, also the author of the novel Family Planning (2008) shows us both the victims of terrorism and its perpetrators and considers the political dimension of this worldwide war no one can win.

[Review: Family Planning]

As the story opens, in New Delhi in 1996, two brothers, ages 11 and 13, run an errand to a neighborhood market and take along their friend Monsoor, whos 12. A bomb explodes and the brothers die instantly. Monsoor is injured but survives. The rest of the novel examines the impact of this calamity on the two sets of grieving parents and on young Monsoor. It also introduces several terrorists, who are portrayed as angry, frustrated, obsessed, perhaps deluded  as killers but not as monsters.

The parents of the dead brothers are, of course, devastated. The two boys who had stored, between them, all the worlds possibilities are suddenly gone. Their father, a failed documentary filmmaker, can barely function. He and his wife conceive another child, a daughter, but she cannot save their troubled marriage. The mother has dark thoughts of joining her boys wherever they were.

Monsoors parents grieve over his continuing physical and emotional problems. The boy suffers nightmares and panic attacks, and he often sees his two dead friends as they lay next to the twisted car door, just dropped and broken in the aftermath of the fatal blast. He goes off to college in California in the fall of 2001 (as the author did) but after the 9/11 attacks, other students shun him as a Muslim and he returns to India. There he joins a group of young idealists who oppose discrimination against their fellow Muslims, but their peaceful protests are ignored.

We meet Shockie, 26, one of the terrorists who set the bomb that killed the brothers and injured Monsoor. Hes part of the Kashmir Islamic Force who has killed dozens of Indians in revenge for the military oppression in Kashmir. Shockie blocks out his victims and thinks only of his political goals, and hes outraged when his attacks receive scant attention: He saw the point now of a large attack like 9/11. It guaranteed you were taken seriously. His heroes include Ramzi Yousef  invincible, a genius of terror, perhaps the greatest terrorist who ever lived  one of the planners of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Monsoor is bitter when he and his friends cannot win fair treatment for jailed Muslims, even as the terrorists see themselves endlessly risking their lives for little gain. Both sides blame their frustrations on the indifference of governments. One terrorist reveres Mohamed Atta, one of the leaders of the 9/11 attacks, and as he plans a new bombing he imagines the dead mans spirit somehow invading his. Yet he asks: What would Gandhi do if he were alive today? Would the press even notice him?

The parents of the two dead sons start a program called the Association of Terror Victims to assist other grieving families, but their work does little good. Terrorist bombings, the father decides, are a political tragedy, an act of war, in which people perished not because of their own mistakes but because of the mistakes of the government.

As the years pass, the heartbroken father imagines that his sons are still alive somewhere with another set of parents. His wife pursues a pointless, loveless affair with a neighbor. Even Monsoor, the innocent victim, the character we care most about in this beautifully written novel, comes to grief. The Association of Small Bombs is a profoundly sad story. How could it be otherwise?

Patrick Anderson reviews mysteries and thrillers for Book World.
Daniil Trifonov, fleet of finger, curled over the piano keyboard as if creating his own bubble of sound around the instrument  which, in fact, he was. It was Monday night at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, and Trifonov was the main event on the Montreal Symphonys visit to Washington, first clearing space around the key with his hovering body, then flashing and darting up the keyboard in the Prokofiev Third Concerto like a fish leaping upstream while the orchestra, under Kent Nagano, lumbered along behind him.

Trifonov seared his way onto the scene a few years ago and has retained every bit of the spark that brought him to the it spot in the hot-young-soloist pantheon. His Prokofiev was as arresting and idiosyncratic as his other work in Washington has been, with distinctive choices about tempos and phrasing, although slightly muted  less by familiarity than by the presence of the orchestra, which picked up on some but not all of his leads and sounded generally a blunt instrument next to the precision tools of Trifonovs hands, playing so fast they finally blurred into what seemed a giant mass moving over the keys.

Familiarity didnt dull the encore, the Rachmaninoff arrangement of the Bach Gavotte that is something of a touchstone encore for him (he played it at his last Washington Performing Arts appearance on the Hayes piano series in 2013, as well). If he plays it as brilliantly as that, he could play it every day and no one would complain.

It has been 30 years since Washington Performing Arts presented the Montreal Symphony, and it was nice to see the musicians back: a nod to a time when North American orchestras traveled more often and guest appearances werent limited to the biggest names on the international circuit. Molded by Charles Dutoit over a couple of decades, the orchestra has been led by Nagano since 2006, with  to judge by this performance  mixed results. There was some stridency, particularly in the winds, and some diffuseness of ensemble playing, and Nagano has a tendency to be a little flat emotionally when not involved in complexity  particularly in his slightly airless reading of Debussys Jeux, which opened the program.

But Rite of Spring, the final piece, compensated for moments of emotional flatness with some vivid playing. Nagano has always seemed to me at his best with music that moves a lot, and if this wasnt the most elegant Rite Ive heard, it had moments of freedom and vitality that got the audience roaring by the end of the night and earned two encores, Ravels Pavane and the Farandole from Bizets LArlesienne  a nice French counterweight to the Debussy at the end of a balanced program.

Next on the orchestra series of Washington Performing Arts is the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra with Mariss Jansons on April 12.


Since the 2014 contest, Beer Madness judging has taken place at Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

[LIVE: Make your 2016 Beer Madness picks]

New York vs. Boston. Texas vs. Oklahoma. Kentucky vs. North Carolina. Washington vs. Baltimore.

Whether were talking about college sports, music scenes or craft beer, everyone loves a good rivalry. Yes, even craft beer fans. Try praising Boulders hoppy ales in a room full of Denver natives, or telling San Franciscans that although their breweries are pretty good, San Diegos IPAs are tastier. You might not start a fistfight, but youre sure to start an argument boiling.

Thats just what happened in the public voting for last years champion of Beer Madness, our annual bracketed taste-off in search of the nations best craft brew. The final vote was between Schlafly Kolsch, brewed in St. Louis, and Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, brewed about 250 miles west in Kansas City. The two cities have a history of feuding over sports, and Beer Madness voting quickly became just as partisan. Even the St. Louis Public Library Foundation sent out an email imploring: Its like the World Series, we cant let KC win. We need all of the support we can get!

(Granted, the library had a good reason to get out the vote: Schlafly owner Tom Schlafly promised that if his beer won, hed make a $1 donation to the foundation for every vote cast. He wound up writing a check for $3,797.)

When it came time to pick the breweries that would populate the 10th annual Beer Madness bracket, we decided to shake things up. Instead of picking them based only on style, we decided to have rival cities and breweries compete against one another.

To create the brackets four regions, we gerrymandered the United States into rough geographic areas: the Northeast (including Washington), the South, the Midwest and the West. Eight breweries were then selected from each area, using some rough guidelines:

 Only one brewery per city was allowed.

 Either drafts or bottles from the chosen brewery must be available at bars or stores in the District, Virginia or Maryland. No Smokey and the Bandit-style runs to North Carolina to pick up a case of Wicked Weed, or stuffing suitcases full of Surly after a weekend trip to Minnesota.

 Beers could be year-round or seasonal offerings, but not one-time-only limited-release brews.

Some of the first-round pairings picked themselves. Putting aside the Curse of the Bambino, pitting New York against Boston meant a faceoff between two of the countrys most celebrated lagers, one of which won the very first Beer Madness. What would happen if last years champion once again faced a brewery from St. Louis  but this time had to contend with a tart, fruity IPA? And because Baltimore and Washington are home to breweries doing amazing things with funky sour beers, why not let a blind panel of judges decide which one rules the Parkway?

We used a bit of judges prerogative in one case, picking Lagunitas to represent Chicago, because much Lagunitis beer sold in the Washington area is brewed in the Windy City, not at the original brewery in Petaluma, Calif. And sometimes we picked breweries merely because we like their beers and wanted to set up intriguing first-round pairings: a black IPA taking on an imperial coffee stout? Yes, please.



Pro panelists Brittney Roberson, left, whiskey manager at Jack Rose Dining Saloon, and Tim Liu, assistant beer director at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, hard at work. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

All this may sound like a brave new world, but the Beer Madness formula has changed plenty over the years. The field traditionally has included 32 American brews, from the lowbrow (Bud Light Lime in 2009, Pabst Blue Ribbon in 2007) to the now-forgotten (Oxford Raspberry Wheat in 2008, Tuppers Keller Pils in 2011). In 2011, the tournament had a field of 64 participants, which led to a mammoth night of sampling that has wisely not been replicated. In 2010, the bracket had an international flavor, with beers from 22 countries in honor of the Winter Olympics. (Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout took the title back to England.) The 2013 and 2014 contests were open only to breweries from the Mid-Atlantic region.

Last year once again saw 32 all-American beers pitted against one another, grouped within the stylistic categories that Beer Madness has used since 2011: Hops, Roast, Crisp, and Fruit and Spice. This time, we decided to shake up the format. Its a serious competition  all beers are tasted blind, and there are definitely world-class entries  but the process is supposed to be fun, not approached with the beard-stroking solemnity of a Great American Beer Festival judge trying to choose between nearly identical Belgian-style pale ales.

[Whats a saison? See our glossary of beer terms.]

Besides, beer drinkers tastes and habits are changing, beer directors at local bars tell me: Where hopheads once came in and methodically worked through a series of IPAs, beer fans might now start with a Berliner Weisse or gose before sampling a saison or Belgian ale, and finish with a coffee stout or imperial IPA. In other words, theyre hopscotching between styles. And that, I tell panelists, is the essence of Beer Madness: There are two glasses of unmarked beer sitting in front of you. Which do you like better, and why?

With more than 4,200 breweries producing beer in America, picking the field has never been more challenging, and we were grateful for the help of Meridian Pint beer director Jace Gonnerman, whose Columbia Heights bar hosted the tastings.

[There are more breweries than ever. And that might be a problem.]

Last years champion, Boulevard Brewings sublime Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, is the only beer from 2015 returning to the fray. As always, the competitors are a mix of new releases, such as Dogfish Heads Romantic Chemistry IPA and Abita Brewings Big Easy IPA, and old favorites, such as Bells Expedition Stout and Epic Brewings Big Bad Baptist. Stone and New Belgium are among the big names sitting out this year, as smaller brewers, including Floridas Saint Somewhere and Texass Jester King, make their Beer Madness debuts.

Not every contender in the bracket meets the Brewers Associations widely used definition of a craft brewery, which includes the stipulation that any ownership share by a non-craft brewer has to be kept below 25 percent. Lagunitas sold 50 percent of its brewery to Heineken in September; Anheuser-Bush InBev acquired Elysian in January 2015; and 30 percent of Founders is owned by Spanish giant Grupo Mahou-San Miguel. But in this tournament, the most important thing is how the beer tastes, not who signs the brewers checks.



Four experts and four Washington Post readers made up the judging panel. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Though we shook up the way the beers were arranged on the bracket, the heart of Beer Madness remains the same. The tasting, which takes place over two nights, is completely blind. The eight judges did not know about the format change and werent told which breweries were included. Four of our panelists were readers, selected from among hundreds of applicants. The other four were professional palates from the world of beer and spirits: Mid-Atlantic Brewing News editor (and former Post columnist) Greg Kitsock; Washington City Paper Brew in Town columnist Tammy Tuck; Neighborhood Restaurant Group assistant beer director Tim Liu; and Jack Rose Dining Saloon whiskey manager Brittney Roberson. If a panel deadlocked 4-4, I cast the deciding vote.

[Meet the Beer Madness judges]

As in previous years, we have a bracket for online voting at washingtonpost.com/beermadness, which allows everyone to vote for their favorite beers round by round. Voting is now open for the first round of 32; well announce the winners and open the next round on Friday, March 18, with voting periods lasting three to four days. The results of the corresponding round of blind tasting will be announced at the same time as the online votes, so the judges picks can be compared to the publics choices.

And now, let the madness begin.
In this April 2008 photo, the head of a right whale peers up from the water as another whale passes behind in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, Massachusetts. The endangered whales increasingly are spending time in the bay. (Stephan Savoia/AP)

Cape Cod is seeing a lot more of some very welcome tourists: endangered right whales enticed by the fine dining possibilities of its plankton-rich bay.

Experts tracking the majestic marine mammals  among the rarest creatures on the planet  say nearly half the estimated global population of 500 or so animals has been spotted in Cape Cod Bay, in eastern Massachusetts, over the past few springs.

Theyre back again in what looks like record numbers, thrilling amateur photographers and scientists still worrying about their future.

Its rather extraordinary and somewhat mind-blowing, said Charles Stormy Mayo, a senior scientist and director of right whale ecology at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.

North Atlantic right whales have foraged for centuries in Cape Cod Bay, where they were nearly eliminated by whalers who hunted them for their oil and plasticlike baleen bone.

Three North Atlantic right whale tails break the surface in Cape Cod Bay in April 2008. The whales foraged in the bay for centuries, but their numbers sharply dropped when whalers hunted them for their oil and baleen bone. (Stephan Savoia/AP)

But until recently, they were seldom spotted in the bay. For a stretch in the late 1990s, fewer than 30 whales were spotted each year, said Mayo, whos been surveying them and their ecosystem since 1984 by boat and plane.

There has been a huge pulse in numbers in the past few years, said Amy Knowlton, a scientist with the New England Aquariums Right Whale Research Project.

Right whales are probably scouting for food all the time. Maybe when one of them finds it, they call their friends, she said.

Each whale has a unique marking on its head, and researchers use those to identify and catalog individuals. The aquarium, which also closely monitors the population, gives specific animals amusing names such as Kleenex, Snotnose and Wart.

Right whales spend most of their time in the western Atlantic, and many are believed to gather in the Gulf of Maine. Theyre rarely seen north of the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canadas Maritime Provinces. A few venture as far south as coastal Florida and Georgia, mainly females giving birth  something scientists say doesnt happen often enough.

Their increasing presence in Cape Cod Bay has caught scientists by surprise. Mayo suggests that shifting ocean currents  possibly because of global climate change  are pumping more plankton into the bay, even as the whales traditional feeding grounds off the Maine coast falter.

Theyre a little like cows in a field. They go away from places that are not good and go to places that are good, he said.

The blowhole is visible on a North Atlantic right whale. For a stretch in the late 1990s, fewer than 30 whales were spotted off Cape Cod each year. (Stephan Savoia/AP)

Although some right whales arrive in the bay in early December and linger as late as mid-May, their presence generally builds in March and peaks in mid-April, when plankton concentrations are at their highest.

The busy waters hold clear and present dangers: a risk of being struck by commercial ships and recreational boats or becoming entangled in nets.

Researchers out spotting whales report their whereabouts to state and federal authorities, who in turn alert nearby vessels. Federal law forbids getting within 500 yards of a right whale and requires ships to slow to roughly 12 miles per hour. Whale-watch tours steer clear, focusing instead on humpbacks and other comparatively plentiful species.

Its always heartening every time we see individuals and know theyre still alive, Knowlton said. Its only through seeing them and their scars that we can really understand whats going on with them.
Donald Trumps penchant for abusing reporters is well known. He disparages them as dishonest, troublemakers, and scum, and sometimes he calls them out by name. At his rallies, he pens in the press like cattle. Any journalist who dares to wander beyond the metal barricades is tossed out.

And yet. The not-so-dirty little secret among reporters who cover Trump is this: Its a kick to report on his campaign, a constant thrill ride. They love the beat, if not the beatdown.

Hes by far the biggest story of 2016, says Byron York, the Washington Examiners chief political correspondent, who has trailed Trump through eight states. Other campaigns are more conventional. His events are bigger, the excitement levels are higher.

Thats not necessarily an endorsement of Trumps politics. It is a statement in behalf of the thing political journalists root for most  a good story.

Since his announcement as a presidential candidate in June, Trump has been a nonstop story, from his outrageous pronouncements about Mexicans and Muslims to his surprising string of primary victories. Trumps dominance of the medias attention has been like a perpetual-motion machine, with each provocative statement attracting more attention, and more support, hence justifying more media attention.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican candidate continues to dominate the presidential contest. 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.

Trumps rallies have generated not just quotable sound bites, but also arresting  sometimes literally  visuals. The events are now routinely beset by protesters who ignite angry (and occasionally violent) counter-reactions from his supporters. CNN, for example, assigned two teams to Trumps campaign events this past weekend, one for his speeches inside and another for the action outside.

Trump pumps his coverage, too, with an undeniable streak of media-savvy showmanship. For an event Sunday night at an amphitheater in West Boca Raton, Fla., he arrived via his own helicopter; the packed crowd swooned as the chopper descended over the park amid stirring recorded music booming onstage.

In other words, Trump supplies the kind of raw material that gets a beat reporters work on the front page or at the top of the newscast.

What journalist wouldnt want to be part of this? said David Smith, the Washington correspondent for the London-based Guardian newspaper . There have been so many twists and turns. And so much interest in him.

Trump takes a keen, almost obsessive interest in the reporters who cover him, too. In an interview last week, he mentioned, without prompting, the names of Washington Post reporters he deemed fair. He was less enthralled by some of the newspapers editorial columnists, citing columns that were published weeks and even months ago.

Beyond the fireworks of Trumps campaign, Smith, a longtime Africa correspondent, says Trumps emergence as the leading Republican candidate raises deeper questions about the state of society that foreign correspondents love to explore.

He notes, for example, that elections in African countries often feature grandiose, larger-than-life candidates and violent outbreaks among a partys supporters and opponents. Smith quoted Sen. Marco Rubio as saying that Trumps campaign resembles something out of a Third World country.

Whats more, if a presidential candidate in Africa had suggested opening up the nations libel laws in order to sue the media more easily, or if a candidate routinely exhorted his supporters to turn against the news media  as Trump has  it would probably inspire condemnations from human-rights groups, Smith said.

Reporters on the Trump beat, particularly women, have said they sometimes feel unsafe during his rallies. The threat, however, seems mostly confined to the mass booing of the news media that Trump orchestrates and the occasional catcalls from the crowd.

Three journalists have been slightly injured in the course of covering Trump over the past two weeks. Time photographer Christopher Morris was choke-slammed by a Secret Service officer after he sought to take pictures of protesters at a Virginia rally. Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields was bruised after she allegedly was manhandled by Trumps campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, while interviewing Trump after a Florida news conference. And CBS News correspondent Sopan Deb suffered a minor cut last week when he was thrown to the ground and arrested by Chicago police while recording an unruly protest outside a rally. Deb was back to covering Trump on Sunday; Fields resigned in a dispute with her employer.

But perhaps an equally telling example of Trumps press relations occurred Sunday night in West Boca Raton. A Trump staffer spotted Michael Mayo, a columnist for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, mingling with the crowd at Trumps rally and ordered him into the press pen. Mayo declined, and the staffer  who gave his name only as Justin  found a police officer who told Mayo that he faced arrest for trespassing if he didnt comply. Mayo protested that he had a right to stand peacefully in the crowd, but he left the premises.

Trump wants the press in a pen so he can use us as a prop to mock and deride us, Mayo said in an interview Tuesday. I wasnt there to be used as anyones prop.

He added, I get it. Trump is real news now. He cant be ignored [by the media]. But a lot of people are playing his game.

For the most part, however, the media following Trump wouldnt want to be covering anyone else.

Hes the story of the race, said Adrian Morrow, a political correspondent for Canadas Globe and Mail newspaper as he interviewed protesters outside Trumps rally in Tampa on Monday.

Traffic to the Globe and Mails website soars when the paper writes anything about Trump. Thats not the case when Morrow files dispatches on his usual beat: Ontarios provincial legislature.

Correction: An earlier version of this report quoted the Guardians David Smith as saying Donald Trumps campaign resembles something out of a Third World country. Smith was actually quoting Sen. Marco Rubio.
Although the FX series The Americans has been praised for its nuance, it creates a cloak-and-dagger world where tools never fail, master plans almost always work out and the best spies always win.

Real spies know that world is make-believe. Still, when theyre done lurking in shadows  or typing away in their cubicles, more likely  they often come home and turn on the show about Soviet sleeper spies (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) posing as a married couple, which returns for a fourth season on Wednesday. Spies recognize that the show exaggerates, but they also mostly praise the ways in which it rings true  and even the ways it doesnt.

Its kind of an open secret that many people in the intelligence community are some of the most avid readers of spy novels and most avid watchers of spy shows and movies, says Doug Patteson, a former CIA officer with extensive overseas experience, now living in New Hampshire. It gives you this idealized view of the intelligence world thats very different from the practical aspects of day-to-day life. The truth is that often, real-world intelligence can be a bore, a drudgery.

Emily Brandwin is a former CIA officer in Los Angeles. She appreciates escapism as much as the next person, but when it comes to espionage, she watches with a critical eye. Kiefer Sutherlands Jack Bauer? Hes escaped death way more than real spies, who mostly never see action. Homeland gets a lot right, although Carrie would have never been hired due to her multitude of emotional issues.

Then theres Alias, filled with outrageous, campy costumes. I go: Why cant I look like Sydney Bristow? You see her and shes scaling down a building in a black catsuit and a hot wig and she looks amazing, Brandwin says. And here I am with a bad wig and a pregnancy belly and I look horrible.

But The Americans has won Brandwin over. There are such nuggets of authenticity that you dont see in other shows. Everything from gadgets to surveillance is done with great care and authenticity, and you can feel that its not over the top, its really core to the characters, she says.

After all, the series creator and co-showrunner Joe Weisberg has firsthand experience. Lured in by the spy world of John le Carre novels, Weisberg spent 3 1/ 2 years working for the CIA.

The series is often praised for using authentic tradecraft. That was the relatively easy part.

The thing [that interested me] about espionage wasnt so much about stealing secrets or operations per se, he explains. It was about the lives of officers and how they felt.

Weisberg was fascinated by the idea that intelligence officers lie to their kids about what they do and one day might have to confront them with the truth. That human side, to him, made it the drama special. Can you take the spy out of it, and still make it work? he says.

Leading a dual life can have a real tension on relationships. The reality of espionage is that, yes, some of it can be exciting, but it can also be a very dark, very lonely job, says Brandwin, who had to maintain a cover identity for her friends and dated fellow CIA officers. When youre trained to be a professional liar and youre dating other trained liars, it is a very bizarre thing.

Before becoming a field officer, Brandwin began her career in the CIA as a disguises officer. (Yes, thats an actual position.) What I really appreciate is that the disguises are never a joke, its really a part of how the characters pull off their operations, so its essential, she explains about the series. Its not just about someone slapping on a wig, but the care and details of crafting a persona every day.

In one scene, Martha, an FBI secretary that Rhyss characters alter ego, Clark, seduces to glean information, observes that he is wearing a toupee. Clark thinks his cover may be blown, but he soon realizes that Martha attributes the hairpiece to vanity and hair loss, not a faux identity. She doesnt question Clarks authenticity, because the rest of his disguise is so complete, such as his nerdy, slightly nervous manner of speaking.

But the show doesnt get everything right. The murder and mayhem on the show is probably more the Hollywood part of it, Brandwin says.

Violence leaves forensic information and can be seen by witnesses, increasing the risk of detection, Patteson says. Its great for the storyline but would never happen so frequently to such valuable assets as these two illegals. In the real world, if you get involved in a violent incident, you are likely on the first plane home.

Illegals, a term used for Russian sleeper agents, would also not be likely to be used so much in real life given that they are expensive to train and run. The more you use them, the higher the risk of exposure  the more you risk your investment, says Patteson.

Accuracy aside, pop culture depictions of espionage have long helped recruit new spies. Lots of people who joined would say that the thing that got them intrigued with the intelligence community was James Bond or Jason Bourne or a good novel or a good show, Patteson says.

And some aspiring spies have even taken some valuable lessons from these on-screen depictions. Naveed Jamali, for instance, maintained his normal life while working from 2005 to 2009 as a double-agent for the FBI to help bring down a Russian spy ring in New York. (His story has become a book and soon-to-be movie, How to Catch a Russian Spy.)

While training to be undercover, he used Bourne, Bond, George Smiley, Magnum P.I. and Michael Mann characters as role models, plagiarizing their mannerisms and dialogue. The way I protected myself is by using movies and TV to build a character that [I was] comfortable with, he says.

Jamali also says that on The Americans, the reasons the characters go into spying feels true to life. In Season 2, Andrew Larrick, a Navy SEAL and a closeted gay man, becomes vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians and is forced to spy for them. And last season, Lisa, a struggling single mother and recovering alcoholic, agrees to trade information gleaned through her security clearance in exchange for money. The show gets the motivation of those characters down very, very well, he says. Its a very difficult line between duty for your country and self-preservation.

The reasons people become spies are often the same reasons why people love watching them  and why espionage is often jokingly referred to as the second oldest profession. People are always wanting to know secrets and share secrets and [theres] this belief that there is this master plan being executed by somebody just so that it can explain the madness of it all out there, explains Patteson. That all appeals to these aspects of peoples psyche and draws them in.
Democratic congressional hopeful David Trone has sharpened his critique of state Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), one of his primary rivals, calling the longtime lawmaker a polarizing figure from the left who would be unable to build coalitions with House Republicans.

Speaking to a breakfast gathering of Democrats at the Tastee Diner in Silver Spring on Monday, Trone called Raskin a good man with whom he agrees on most issues  except the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Trone, who is co-founder of Total Wine & More, supports the trade agreement; Raskin says the pact lacks adequate protections for labor and the environment).

But Trone went on to accuse Raskin  who in recent internal polls has emerged as the leader in a crowded Democratic primary field  of being out of touch. Trone noted that Raskin has only one employee in his state senate office, while Trones national chain of 130 big box stores employs 5,000.

You know what? Id find it a little hard to connect with people and their problems, and whether theyre making 15 bucks an hour or $200,000, if you only have one employee and youre not talking to people all the time. and youre not working all around the country, Trone said.

[Polls show Raskin with narrow lead]

State Sen. Jamie Raskin during a debate for the Maryland 8th Congressional District seat. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

Raskin responded to the critique by recounting his legislative record, which includes passage of the Second Chance Act, designed to help those with nonviolent misdemeanor convictions return to the job market. Raskin co-sponsored the measure with Sen. Michael J. Hough (R-Frederick).

He also cited medical marijuana legislation, which he introduced with then-senator David Brinkley (R-Frederick), who, like Raskin, is a cancer survivor.

The only thing bipartisan Mr. Trone has told us about his own forays into politics is more than $150,000 given to right-wing Republicans all over the country to buy what he calls access,  Raskin said in the email. Look, I work with Republicans, I brainstorm with them, I negotiate with them, and I happen to like some of them a lot. But I dont give them campaign money all over America to beat Democrats. . . . Bipartisan means you find principled common ground. It does not mean that you try to buy both parties.

The exchange escalates the tensions that have been simmering between Raskin and Trone for the past couple of weeks, especially around Raskins vote for new congressional districts in 2011. During a debate at Hood College on Sunday, Trone called the map gerrymandering and an abomination that has fueled partisan polarization in Washington. He also dismissed Raskins proposed solution, a regional reapportionment compact with Virginia, as silly.

[8th District race: Incumbency vs. gender vs. business success]

At his Monday meeting in Silver Spring, Trone mounted another defense of his campaign contributions to state-level Republican officials, including governors Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Greg Abbott of Texas.

He said the donations were intended to help encourage passage of a narrow band of consumer-friendly laws and regulations such as those allowing Sunday sales and wine tastings.

Every single thing that Greg Abbott stands for, every single thing that Nikki Haley stands for, I disagree with, 100 percent disagree with, Trone said. Its repulsive. Its crazy. I think theyre nuts.

But, he said, if you dont have a seat at the table afforded by donations it is impossible to promote business interests. He was successful in South Carolina, he said, where he successfully sought approval for Sunday beer and wine sales.

Nikki Haley had to sign that law, Trone said. And without access to Nikki Haley, explaining to her chief of staff directly why Sunday sales are good for the people of Charleston and Greenville, it doesnt work.

Trone said he hasnt always been successful. He expressed frustration with his lobbying efforts in Maryland, where he has for years sought changes in regulations that allow an individual to hold just one liquor-sales license. The rule means Trone has only two stores in Maryland, one he owns, in Towson, and one owned by his brother, Robert, in Laurel.

Ive spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. . . . Every year, Mike says hes going to help me, Trone said, referring to Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). And it doesnt happen.

Trone has contributed significantly more money to Democrats at the local and national levels than he has to state-level Republicans.
A controversial proposal to give state tax credits to companies that make donations for private school scholarships is gaining momentum in Maryland, drawing support from top Democratic leaders to the consternation of the state teachers union.

One bill that would create an education tax credit received preliminary approval in the state Senate on Tuesday. A slightly different version of the measure is expected to advance in a House committee, possibly before the end of the week.

Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said Tuesday that he is softening on the idea of giving tax credits to companies that make donations to help pay for private school scholarships, clearing the way for the bill to be heard on the House floor this session.

Busch, who has been a fierce opponent of education tax credits, said there is a growing sentiment among many Democratic lawmakers from Baltimore City and parts of Prince Georges County  urban areas with some of the states lowest-performing schools  that students need more educational options.

He said a bill, known as Broadening Options and Opportunity for Students and Teachers and introduced by Del. Keith E. Haynes (D-Baltimore City), addresses those requests.

Many legislators come to me and have suggested that they would like to see some kind of legislation put forward, Busch said. Its a fair gesture that we take a look at it . . . to lay out parameters and guidelines for how they think the money should be distributed.

Under the bill, the state Department of Commerce would receive donations from companies that would be placed into a fund. The businesses would get a tax credit of 70 percent of the donation. The money in the fund would be used to provide scholarships to students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. At least 5 percent of the student population would have to be disadvantaged in order for a schools to be eligible.

The Senate version of the bill, known as the Maryland Education Tax Credit, would give a 60 percent tax credit for donations from companies to a so-called student assistance organization that provides private-school scholarships. The bill has been introduced for the past 10 years and won the support of then-Gov. Martin OMalley (D). It advanced in the Senate in the past, but not in the House.

Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who took office last year, sponsored tax-credit legislation then and again this year. In 2015, he blamed Busch for not allowing the measure to move out of committee.

I think there has to be some kind of response, Busch said Tuesday. Maybe it doesnt pass. Im not guaranteeing that it does. But certainly, it is in a better posture and there is more comfort level here than its had in the past.

The bill could become one of the few issues on which Busch, Hogan and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) come to an agreement.

Doug Mayer, a spokesman for Hogan, said they are pleased that Senate moved its bill, which is similar to Hogans proposal.

We want to see the latitude and the ability of businesses to make donations to public and nonpublic schools, he said. Well have to see what happens in the House.

In the Senate, several Democratic lawmakers tried nearly a dozen times to amend the bill. The amendments included requiring an audit of the program, placing a sunset provision on the tax credit, and ensuring that 45 percent of the students attending the school are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. None of the amendments succeeded.

Maryland would join 16 other states across the country that offer education tax credit programs. Most of them have Republican-controlled legislatures, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Sean Johnson, assistant executive director with the Maryland State Education Association, called the two bills slightly different versions of the same bad idea, and said the union is lobbying hard against them.

Im fairly certain if one of these tax credits passes, it will be the first time a Democratic supermajority state advances a proposal like this, Johnson said.

He said the programs, which would be allotted $15 million under the Maryland Education Tax Credit and $50 million under the BOOST program for disadvantaged students, would divert money away from public schools and other state needs.

Both House and Senate bills have provisions allowing businesses to receive a tax credit if they donate to innovative programs at public schools.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate gave an initial nod to a bill requiring local school districts to notify parents of county, state and federal assessments that students take in class, including posting information on their websites about when students are tested, why they are tested and how long the tests will take. The legislation is in response to criticism by parents, teachers and students about excessive testing.

The Senate also gave preliminary approval to a bill that would allow voters to determine whether they should decide who should fill the seats of the attorney general and comptroller if a vacancy occurs during a term. Under current law, the governor appoints a replacement.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) proposed a budget Tuesday that would increase the average residential property tax bill by 8.7 percent  the biggest increase in eight years  to fund a fast-growing school system and replace revenue lost when the Supreme Court ruled last year that Marylands income tax system was unconstitutional.

The $5.2 billion operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, which goes to the County Council for consideration, increases government spending by just under 2 percent. It lifts the property tax rate by 3.94 cents per $100 of assessed value, from 98.7 cents to $1.02.

That means that taking into account rising assessments, the owner of an average home valued at $464,000 would pay an additional $325 a year in property taxes  $4,075 instead of $3,750.

Property taxes have remained relatively flat in recent years. Last year, Leggett signaled the likelihood of a significant tax increase, citing sluggish economic growth, potential losses from the income tax case and urgent needs in schools. On Tuesday, he told council members that waiting was no longer an option.

The budgetary pressures on the County are long-term pressures and can no longer be addressed through short-term fixes, Leggett said in a letter to Council President Nancy Floreen (D-At Large).

[In wealthy Montgomery, some high-earning congressional candidates]

The proposal probably will cause political heartburn for council members, especially those who aspire to run for county executive in 2018, when Leggett is expected to retire after completing his third term.

Also lurking in the wings is a possible term-limits proposition on the ballot this fall. Boyds activist Robin Ficker said he is gathering signatures to place the issue before voters.

The measure would limit the county executive and council members to three consecutive four-year terms. A similar proposal drew 48 percent support from voters in 2004.

A tax increase this spring, combined with hostility toward career politicians evident in the 2016 election season, could add momentum to the measure.

The Ficker proposition would be effective retroactively, meaning that four council members known to be interested in Leggetts job  Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda), Marc Elrich (D-At Large), George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) and Floreen  would have to step down in 2018. They could still run for county executive.

Its a very large increase, said Floreen, who will lead the councils budget deliberations over the next several weeks. The real issue is our calculation of what our residents can afford.

The lions share of funds from the proposed tax hike would go to the 156,000-student public school system. Enrollment has mushroomed by more than 18,000 since 2007 and continues to rise by about 2,000 students a year, creating serious overcrowding in some schools. The $2.4 billion county appropriation would be nearly $90 million more than state-mandated minimum spending requirements, or maintenance of effort. An additional $33 million in school fund balances would be folded into the spending plan.

Per-pupil funding in the county hasnt grown since fiscal 2009, which Leggett said was an untenable situation for a system whose challenges include a growing number of non-English-speaking students and a significant achievement gap between minority and non-minority students.

We must provide the Board of Education with additional resources to further address many of these challenges, Leggett said. The total increase in county funding for schools  just under $136 million  falls about $44 million short of the amount requested by the Montgomery County Board of Education. Nevertheless, Board of Education President Michael Durso said he was pleased with Leggetts proposal.

I dont think it gets us as far as we wished, he said, but I think this is another step forward in the whole budget process . . . and I think its a positive step.

[Rep. Donna Edwards: Why arent black women described as born to the U.S. Senate?]

Leggetts other priority is replacing revenue lost as a result of the 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision in Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland v. Wynne. The case was brought by a Howard County couple who challenged a provision in state law that denied residents a full credit for taxes paid on income earned outside the state. The court said the system constituted illegal double taxation and ordered the state to give refunds to residents who had filed claims.

The ruling means that the county would experience reduced revenue distributions from the state by at least $50 million in 2017 and more than an estimated $200 million over the next four years. If the Maryland General Assembly votes to slow the reduction, the proposed tax increase could be lowered, Leggett said.

The budget includes about $14 million in raises and longevity payments to police, fire and county employees that the county negotiated with the workers unions. The library system would get an additional $1 million, restoring some weekend hours. Also included are funding for police body cameras and protective vests for officers.

One issue the council will debate is how many votes are needed to pass the budget. A charter amendment approved by voters after a big increase in 2008  the product of another Ficker initiative  caps the amount of property tax revenue the county can collect each year. Because Leggetts plan breaks the cap, approval could require a unanimous council vote.

But a 2012 law carved out an exception to that rule if the new revenue is dedicated to education  an exception used last year by Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) to circumvent a county spending-limitation law in his push last year for a tax increase.

Montgomery County lawyers have advised that passing Leggetts budget with a simple majority vote would probably be challenged in court.
Rep. Donna F. Edwards wants her supporters to know that one of the most powerful Democrats in Maryland backs her opponent in the states Democratic Senate primary. In particular, she wants them to know that Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. thinks Rep. Chris Van Hollen was born to the job.

Born to the job? she wrote Tuesday in a fundraising email. The fact is, our countrys systems and institutions have largely been led by people who have always looked like that senior elected official, not like me. . . . I dont believe anyone in this country was born to anything.

Edwards was referring to Millers description of Van Hollen in an interview with The Washington Post: In terms of a leader who has been born to the job  his parents were in the diplomatic service, he and his wife are Capitol Hill staffers who have risen to prominence on Capitol Hill by virtue of hard work and determination, Miller (D-Calvert) said.

The congresswomans response to those words is emblematic of the case she has made to voters throughout her campaign, and echoes in some ways the strategy of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as he challenges establishment favorite Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Van Hollen, a former state lawmaker, seven-term congressman and former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has won endorsements from politicians and groups across Maryland. Edwards, an African American single mother who was elected to Congress in 2008 and has held several leadership positions, is trying to use those endorsements to underscore her status as an outsider.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) (Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

[Tight Senate race could come down to Baltimore]

I dont listen to that type of talk and to that kind of entitlement, Edwards wrote in the fundraising email. Our campaign is about giving everyone a fair shot, everyone a voice, and not allowing the same old rules and next turns stop us from what we believe is right.

Edwards likes to note that there has been only one African American woman elected to the Senate: Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, in 1992. She included that fact in Tuesdays email.

Her contention that its time to elect a second has resonated with primary voters in Maryland, a large percentage of whom are black women. She leads Van Hollen in the most recent poll, by the Baltimore Sun and the University of Baltimore. Other recent surveys have the two candidates tied.

Van Hollens campaign argues that he has won his endorsements  from female and black officials and activists as well as white men, such as Miller  not because hes an insider but because hes effective. He has the support of twice as many African American elected officials and four times as many female officials in the state as Edwards.

On Tuesday, the Van Hollen campaign responded to Edwardss message with a statement from one of those officials, state Sen. Joan Carter Conway (D-Baltimore).

African American and women state and local elected leaders across Maryland are standing with Chris Van Hollen because we know hell fight for the issues that are important to us, Conway said. Donna Edwards may say the right thing, but she doesnt get results at the end of the day.

Miller, in his comments to The Post, also emphasized Van Hollens accomplishments in the state legislature and in Congress, saying, He gets along with everybody and works the bills, gets them to the floor.

[Why Mike Miller is backing Chris Van Hollen over Donna Edwards]

With regards to the presidential race, Sanders has failed to gain much traction so far in Maryland, where Clinton is very popular. Both Edwards and Van Hollen have endorsed her campaign.

But the populist rhetoric of Edwards, who says the Senate needs an outsider rather than a pragmatic dealmaker, echoes what Sanders has been saying on the stump.

Edwards has pointed to Van Hollens support for past free-trade deals as a mark against him, just as Sanders has criticized Clintons support for trade pacts while she was first lady, a senator and secretary of state.

Sanders says Clinton is beholden to big banks and Wall Street, and Edwards repeatedly refers to Van Hollen as a Wall Street Democrat  although neither she nor Van Hollen is taking funds from Wall Street political action committees, and the congressman has pushed for tighter regulation of the financial industry.

Still, its not clear whether an anti-establishment sentiment is motivating voters in Maryland. In the recent Baltimore Sun-University of Baltimore poll, Van Hollen does better with self-described progressives than conservatives or moderates. Edwards does best among African Americans, and Van Hollens base is among white voters.

White voters in the survey are also more likely to identify as progressives, suggesting that race might be a bigger factor than ideology in the contest. Those voter subgroups are relatively small, however, and thus the samples have large margins of error.

Scott Clement contributed to this report.
In 2013, Kory Molina spent several months on friends couches before she went to the Latin American Youth Centers Street Outreach Program. The drop-in center was an informal place for her to find food and get rest and help. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

One of the hardest parts of homelessness is admitting that you have nowhere to go. In the beginning, theres always another friend to plead with, another couch to sink into, another number to call. But eventually, as weeks give way to months, that fiction yields to reality.

For Kory Molina, an emotive and garrulous 20-year-old who fled Honduras four years ago, that moment came in April 2013. She had just spent several weeks on a couch at a friends Colmar Manor, Md., house. It was her fourth couch in six months. And her friends mom was now telling her the house was too crowded  she had to be out by Saturday.

I would never walk into a shelter, Molina said she thought, quickly ruling that out as a possibility. I would rather sleep under a chair than go to a shelter.

Instead, Molina arrived at a place she had heard about in Columbia Heights, perched near the corner of 15th and Irving streets NW. It reaches out to young homeless people like Molina, but it doesnt shelter them. Instead, the Latin American Youth Centers Street Outreach Program offers them a place to hang out with friends, do laundry, take a shower, get something to eat  and ask for help. Its informal. Its casual. Its called a drop-in center.

Nationally, the facilities, which have been largely underfunded for decades, are receiving renewed attention because of fresh research suggesting that theyre the best way to bring homeless youths into the social service system. The Latin American Youth Center program will extend its hours, thanks to more funding from the city. The District has also funded another drop-in center managed by Sasha Bruce Youthwork, which opened last month in Southeast Washington. Covenant House also operates a drop-in center.

Kory Molina, 20, now works part-time at the drop-in center in Columbia Heights and at a cafe near Eastern Market. Here, she chats with fellow drop-in center employees Diana Martinez, center rear, and Jessica Hicks, right. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

The model hinges on an informal atmosphere, especially attractive to a homeless subgroup considered among the most elusive. Thats primarily because homelessness is embarrassing for peer-conscious kids.

Teachers can go months before realizing a student, gliding from couch to park bench and back again, has nowhere to go. Youths rarely use shelters that serve adults, saying theyre scared to sleep beside a population so much older than they. So they remain hidden, sometimes not even aware they qualify as homeless.

No one knows how many homeless youths there are. National estimates range from 500,000 to 2 million. In the Washington region, the most recent annual point-in-time count of the regions homeless population, in January 2015, said only 16 homeless kids were living without a parent. Months later, the District did another count, this one focused exclusively on the subgroup, and found 330 homeless youths  a figure some advocates say underrepresents their true number.

The low estimates have meant many cities, including the District, havent historically allocated the resources to address their needs. In Washington, the facilities that have targeted homeless youths have mostly focused on sheltering them instead of offering casual facilities where they can find food, nap and receive counseling.

The feeling was that we really wanted to provide shelter for young people, said Deborah Shore, executive director of Sasha Bruce. . . . We now know that were not reaching all of the young people that we need to, and the services we have can shelter and support  but drop-in centers do other things.

For example: increasing the chances that homeless youths will show up and get help. Thats the main lesson Natasha Slesnick learned when doing what she calls the first study to determine whether drop-in centers attract more homeless youths than shelters. Slesnick, an Ohio State University professor of human development, had worked with kids for years. But she remembers the moment she realized that some kids were scared of shelters and difficult to retain in the system.

There was a kid who looked different, Slesnick said, recalling one person she met at a crisis shelter. She had a dog collar and her hair was spiked, and she was rough around the edges and her story involved abuse and substance abuse. Then I went back the next day, and she wasnt there. They had lost her to the streets.

Slesnick, who later founded a drop-in center, began to suspect that shelters were not the best way to disarm skittish youths  so she set out to test the hypothesis. She and other researchers located 79 homeless people between the ages of 14 and 24. Researchers encouraged half of them to visit a crisis shelter  and the other half to go to a drop-in center. Over the following months, 18 percent of the first group appeared at the shelter. Eighty percent of the second group showed up at the drop-in center, according to the studys findings, which were published in late January.

They have one foot in the grave, Slesnick said. The leading cause of death for boys is suicide, and its overdose for the girls. There are so many out there who are not being engaged in the system . . . that we need to do something differently. And drop-in centers arent the complete answer, but its a first step. She found, however, that few cities have such centers.

Molina found herself at the Latin American Youth Center in spring 2013. She remembers feeling shame and fear as she climbed the steps. She still couldnt believe she was homeless. She had grown up comfortably enough as the youngest of five siblings in the Honduran town of Copan, near a smattering of Mayan ruins. But as gang violence surged and drug trafficking soared, tourism plummeted and small businesses were hit hard. The three shops belonging to her family closed. Her parents told her that Honduras no longer had opportunity for her  and sent her to live with her sister in the United States.

She arrived at age 16 unable to speak English and on a tourism visa that soon expired, moving in with a sister and her husband, neither of whom she had seen in years. What happened next is familiar to anyone who works with homeless teens. Molina was no longer the young child her sister remembered. Drama ensued. Molina took off.

She spent more than seven months crashing at friends places before she arrived at the Street Outreach Program in Columbia Heights. There were people there who were her age and understood what she was going through. She kept coming back.

It felt like, Okay, maybe I can do this,  she said.  Maybe I can trust someone here and talk to someone about my story. 

The drop-in center told Molina about DC Doors, which helps immigrant families find housing, and she eventually landed in a Shaw studio apartment. Molina, who graduated from Coolidge Senior High School, wishes she had learned about the drop-in center sooner. She now works part-time at the center and at a cafe near Eastern Market.

For a young woman who didnt want to concede she was homeless  who was scared of shelters and terrified of paperwork seeking information she didnt have  it was the only thing she said could have reached her.

As an immigrant female, I was very vulnerable, she said. . . . But this was a place where you could come and talk and get help.
The Federal Aviation Administration said there were 764 drones sighted near airplanes last year. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Drones: a useful business tool or playtime toy?

The question will arise again Wednesday on the floor of the Senate as lawmakers consider how much regulation is needed for a burgeoning industry that is projected to supply 2.8 million drones this year, with a bottom line rapidly approaching $1 billion in annual sales.

The risk drones pose to people and privacy has unfolded gradually as the fun-to-fly gadgets have become a must-have item for those who can afford them. Drones have buzzed planes in flight, endangered military aircraft and peered over the neighbors hedges with mini video cameras.

The counterbalance to drones as a hobby is a multitude of commercial uses as mapping and construction tools that speed projects along and save workers from risky tasks, such as climbing cell towers for inspections. The prospect that they will be used for package deliveries is on the drawing board.

As the technology moves at warp speed, state and federal lawmakers and regulators have sprinted to keep up. Calculating the correct dose of regulation to rein in the exuberant hobbyist without stifling commercial use or industry growth has been the challenge at the Federal Aviation Administration and on Capitol Hill.

Drone technology is developing rapidly, much faster than our countrys capacity to develop the necessary regulations, Brian Wynne, president and chief executive of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, told the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship last week.

[Rogue drones a growing nuisance across the U.S.]

The FAAs new drone registration program has recorded 400,000 drone owners, and the agencys B4UFly app continues its effort to educate operators about the rules for flying them. Now the Senate will consider directing the FAA to do more, including requiring an online test for drone operators and requiring manufacturers to install uniform safety features.

The Senate, in a larger bill that would renew authorization for the FAA, also wants to provide funding for better drone enforcement and clarify the role of state and local lawmakers who have stepped in with their own laws.

Giving the FAA supremacy to dictate drone regulations would give manufacturers and companies that want to use drones for deliveries a single agency for their proposals, rather than requiring state-by-state submissions.

The patchwork of state and local laws under consideration in many jurisdictions will create additional hurdles for small businesses, Wynne said last week.

Industry just wants rules, said Nancy Egan, general counsel for the drone manufacturer 3D Robotics. People want rational rules, but the fact is that at this point they want any rules, because there are so many amazing things that can be done with a drone to make the world safer.

The FAA this spring is expected to issue regulations covering drones weighing up to 55 pounds. The agency said there were 764 drones sighted near airplanes last year, despite current guidelines against flying drones near planes or within five miles of an airport unless the control tower has been contacted first. Drones also are supposed to fly below 400 feet, stay away from stadiums and remain in sight of the operator.

[Biggest obstacle for delivery drones isnt the technology: Its you and me]

There are industry concerns that lawmakers, eager to corral the handful of hobbyists who misuse their drones, will inhibit their development and use.

We must allow our innovators to fully realize drones potential as a truly life-changing technology, said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association, a trade group. We will continue to work with members of Congress to ensure that the FAA adopts rules that allow small businesses to get the maximum benefits from drone technology.

Egan worries that the Senate bill will require the FAA to begin its regulatory process anew.

My concern with the Senate bill is that it ignores what the FAA has already done, Egan said. It essentially says, FAA, you need to start over. 

She co-chairs an FAA panel working on regulations specific to drone flights over people who have no relationship with the drone operator.

What the FAAs already studied, and taken public comment on and considered in depth, is what kind of flight is safe, she said. Im not sure why were starting over.
SOUTH CAROLINA

Ex-trooper pleads guilty to felony charge

A white former state trooper was led out of a South Carolina courtroom in handcuffs Monday after pleading guilty to a felony charge in the 2014 shooting an unarmed black driver seconds after a traffic stop.

Sean Groubert, the former state trooper, will be sentenced later. Circuit Court Judge L. Casey Manning sent Groubert to jail while he mulls the punishment. Groubert faces up to 20 years for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. There is no minimum sentence.

Levar Jones, who was shot once in the hip by Groubert, didnt speak at the 20-minute hearing Monday. Grouberts lawyer requested he continue taking medication and visiting a psychiatrist to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder from an on-duty shooting in 2012. Grouberts supervisors said he protected the public by chasing a suspect who fired on him during a traffic stop. Groubert was awarded the Highway Patrols Medal of Valor. The suspect from the 2012 shooting is serving 20 years in prison on an attempted murder charge.

The Highway Patrol fired Groubert after watching a video of his encounter with Jones on Sept. 4, 2014. When the video was released publicly a month later, it shocked a country dealing with a wave of questionable police shootings.

 Associated Press

HEALTH

GW Pharmaceuticals stocks soar

An experimental cannabis-based drug has successfully treated children with a rare form of severe epilepsy in a keenly anticipated clinical trial, an announcement that sent shares of GW Pharmaceuticals soaring on Monday.

The study of GWs Epidiolex for the treatment of Dravet syndrome is the first of four final-stage Phase III epilepsy trials that the company hopes will confirm the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, the active ingredients found in marijuana. Results are expected this year.

GW said Monday that the 120-patient trial showed children taking the syrup-based medicine achieved a median reduction in monthly convulsive seizures of 39 percent compared with a reduction on placebo of 13 percent. The difference was highly statistically significant.

This shows that cannabinoids can produce compelling and clinical important data and represent a highly promising new class of medications, hopefully in a range of conditions, chief executive Justin Gover told Reuters. GW will now request a meeting with the Food and Drug Administration to discuss its plans to seek regulatory approval for treating Dravet, which currently has no approved therapies.

 Reuters

CALIFORNIA

Court upholds ruling on pot delivery app

A state appeals court has upheld a judges decision to block a smartphone app that allowed people in Los Angeles to have medical marijuana delivered to them.

A division of the 2nd District Court of Appeal said Monday the app by a company called Nestdrop violated a 2013 voter-approved law that restricted medical marijuana facilities in the city. The three-judge panel said that law, Proposition D, also generally prohibits marijuana deliveries by vehicle. The panel upheld a lower courts decision to issue a preliminary injunction.

Nestdrop was sued in 2014 by Los Angeless city attorney, who sought to shut it down as a violation of Proposition D.

 Associated Press

Amtrak train derails in Kansas: An Amtrak train carrying 131 passengers derailed in rural Kansas early Monday, moments after an engineer noticed a significant bend in a rail and applied the emergency brakes, an official said. At least 32 people were hurt, two of them critically, authorities said. The train, which also had 14 crew members, was making a 43-hour journey from Los Angeles to Chicago when it derailed shortly after midnight near Cimarron, a small community west of Wichita.

Palins husband injured in snowmobile accident: Sarah Palins husband was expected to recover from a snowmobile accident in Alaska that left him hospitalized, his former racing partner said Monday, the same day the 2008 vice presidential candidate made a surprise appearance at a Donald Trump rally. Todd Palin, 51, was injured Sunday night and was in the hospital but would be okay, Scott Davis said he heard from Palins father, Jim. Davis, who raced for years with Todd Palin in Alaskas annual 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, said the accident didnt sound life-threatening.

 From news services
Under rough questioning from lawmakers, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agencys Midwest region repeatedly refused Tuesday to say she or her agency did anything wrong in the tainted-water disaster in Flint, Mich., though she acknowledged that officials could have done more for residents.

Susan Hedman, speaking publicly for the first time since she resigned in January, told a congressional committee that she did not sit on the sidelines, did not downplay any concerns raised by EPA scientists and did not retaliate against an official who was raising concerns about the lead contamination in the citys water supply.

Exasperated lawmakers blasted her at times. This is where youre fundamentally and totally wrong, Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform panel told Hedman. You screwed up...and you hurt peoples lives.

Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech scientist who exposed the tainted water when government agencies failed to do so, called Hedmans remarks completely unacceptable and criminal.

[Did Flints contaminated water cause deadly Legionnaires outbreaks?]

Edwards, appearing on the panel with Hedman and two others, said the EPA official was was guilty of willful blindness, was unremorseful and was completely unrepentant and unable to learn from [her] mistakes.

I guess being a government agency means you never have to say youre sorry, Edwards said.

Flints tap water was contaminated by lead when the city temporarily switched to the Flint River for its supply in April 2014. The state failed to ensure that anti-corrosive chemicals were added to the water, which leached lead from aging underground pipes.

Nearly 9,000 children younger than 6, the most vulnerable population, were exposed. Lead can cause permanent learning disabilities, behavior problems and, at higher levels, a number of diseases.

Flint switched back to water from Lake Huron in October. Residents still cannot safely drink unfiltered tap water, but Edwards said Tuesday that lead levels were declining. Children, pregnant women and people with certain health problems have been told to consume only bottled water, and many others are following that advice.

In the first of two hearings on Flint this week, the committee also heard from former Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley, who was Flints top authority when the switch to river water was made, and former Flint mayor Dayne Walling. Testimony from all three officials ws marked mostly by attempts to disavow responsibility for the crisis.

[Flints poisoned water was among the most expensive in the country]

Take a look at the key moments that led up to Flint, a city of 90,000, getting stuck with contaminated water. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy are scheduled to appear before the committee Thursday.

Hedman said legal rules and limited enforcement powers reduced the agency to working with state environmental regulators behind the scenes to fix the problems that exposed the citys 95,000 residents to lead.

EPA was forced to evaluate the enforcement tools available under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which are more limited than the enforcement provisions in other federal environmental statutes, Hedman said. She said she resigned in part because of false allegations published about her that damaged EPAs efforts in Flint and because this tragedy happened on my watch.

Hedman was not the only person to endure sharp questioning Tuesday. Ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) pressed Earley on why he did not protect water consumers when he learned that General Motors had stopped using Flint River water because it was corroding engine parts. Earley said he was following the state environmental quality departments advice.

You dont have to be a water treatment expert! Cummings fairly shouted at Earley. A five-year-old could figure that out!

Cummings highlighted decision-making by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, which admitted in October that it had mistakenly failed to ensure that anti-corrosive water treatment was used. After the hearing, he said the person [whom] I think has the most responsibility is, certainly, the governor.

[Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder live-tweets his defense on Flints water crisis during Democratic debate]

Republican committee members focused much of their questioning on why Hedman did not publicly alert residents about the possible danger of drinking the water after she read a memo from Miguel Del Toral, an EPA water scientist, that noted the lack of corrosion controls. They also referred to an email from del Toral that implied he was being punished for airing his views, a view Edwards repeatedly supported under questioning Tuesday.

Hedman said the report included information on only three homes with high lead levels and concluded that the cause might be road work. She said a legal opinion constrained what she could say publicly.

But even Democrat Ted Lieu (Calif.) asked: Why did you not just stand up and scream: stop this!To me this is negligence bordering on total indifference.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The organized protest in Chicago that led Donald Trump to cancel a planned rally Friday may someday be remembered as the dawn of the resistance.

Trump has fueled his campaigns rise with the angriest and most divisive political rhetoric this nation has heard since the days of George Wallace. No one should be surprised if some of those Trump has slandered or outraged respond with raised voices.

The Constitutions guarantee of free speech applies to everyone, Trumpistas and protesters alike. Trump said over the weekend that he wants demonstrators who gate-crash his rallies to be arrested, not just ejected; he vows that were pressing charges against them. Someone should educate him: Peacefully disapproving of a politician and his dangerous ideas is not a crime.

Trump seems not to understand that demonstrators have the legal right to protest  and that a candidate for president of the United States has no countervailing right not to be protested. Im talking about nonviolent demonstrations, of course  but nonviolent does not necessarily mean quiet, timid or small.

On Friday, thousands of Trumpistas gathered in the arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago for one of the candidates set-piece rallies. They knew what to expect from Trump  the bragging about the size of his lead in various polls, the dissing of rivals Little Marco Rubio and Lyin Ted Cruz, the ranting and raving about immigration, the repeated vow to make America great again. They might have anticipated that a few demonstrators would briefly interrupt the proceedings, giving Trump the opportunity to strut and preen in alpha-male splendor as he ordered security to get em outta here.

Amid growing security concerns, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign canceled a Chicago rally on March 11. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

But what no one fully realized until too late was that the crowd had been infiltrated by hundreds of highly organized protesters. As this circumstance became clear to Trumps supporters, tension mounted. The demonstrators held their ground, knowing they had as much right to be there as anyone else.

Aware that the demonstrators would do something but unsure of what that might be, Trump canceled the event. Announcement of the decision drew a big cheer from the protesters  and a howl of frustration from Trump supporters, who expressed their displeasure with epithets and shoving. Three people were injured in the skirmishes that ensued.

Trump later groused that troublemakers and thugs had violated his free-speech rights. But consider what he tells his audiences: Mexican immigrants are rapists, foreign Muslims should be barred from entering the country, the United States should reinstitute torture for terrorism suspects and go after their families. He has the absolute right to say these things. But those who believe in the hallowed American values of openness, tolerance, decency and the rule of law have the absolute right to say No!

Earlier that day, there were 32 arrests in demonstrations against a Trump rally in St. Louis; a large group of protesters had gathered to confront the candidate and his supporters. At almost every Trump event these days, in fact, at least a few individuals rise to protest  and face the rage of the crowds, which Trump stokes rather than soothes.

These protests are important because they show that Americans will not take Trumps outrageous nonsense lying down. The hapless Republican Party may prove powerless to keep him from seizing the nomination, but GOP primary voters are a small and unrepresentative minority  older, whiter and apparently much angrier than the nation as a whole.

There is a school of thought that says, in effect, do not push back against the bully. Those who take this position argue that protests only heighten the sense of persecution and victimhood that Trump encourages among his supporters. And the net effect may be to win him more primary votes and make it more likely that he gets the nomination.

I understand this view, but I disagree. I believe it is important to show that those who reject Trumpism are as passionate and multitudinous as those who welcome it. Passivity is what got the GOP into this predicament in the first place; imagine how different the campaign might be if so many Republicans who abhor Trump hadnt meekly promised to support him if he became the nominee.

Republican presidential contender Donald Trump canceled a campaign rally in Chicago on March 11 amid security concerns, after thousands of people protested the rally inside and outside the University of Illinois arena. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Protests show the growing strength of popular opposition to Trump. They may not embolden Republicans to take their party back at the convention in Cleveland. But vivid displays of outrage might help energize voters to come out and reject Trump in November. That might be the last line of defense.

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.
EUROPES LATEST, desperate plan to stop the uncontrolled flow of refugees across its borders prompted Austrias interior minister to ask, Are we throwing our values overboard? The simplest answer is yes: A draft bargain struck by the European Union with Turkey last week could lead to the deportation of thousands of asylum seekers in violation of international treaties, while empowering increasingly autocratic Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Unfortunately, the most likely alternatives to the plan would do even more violence to human rights principles. In that sense, the Turkish deal is a last-ditch effort by the continents beleaguered pro-humanitarian forces, led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Its goal is to stop the refugee flows while still providing a European harbor to some of Syrias displaced civilians. If it fails, the winners will be the parties of intolerance that have risen as the crisis has swelled.

Unfortunately, that looks like an all-too-possible outcome. Ms. Merkel is counting on Mr. Erdogan to interdict the smugglers transporting refugees across the Aegean Sea to Greece and take back any who manage to arrive there. In exchange, the European Union will provide $6.6 billion in subsidies for Turkeys handling of the more than 2 million refugees on its soil, move to grant Turks visa-free access to the unions 28 states by June, and reopen negotiations on Turkeys accession to the European Union. Though the third provision is mostly symbolic, it willfully overlooks Mr. Erdogans accelerating steps to consolidate a Putinesque dictatorship, including the takeover of Turkeys largest newspaper days before the deal was reached.

The bargain provides that the European Union would accept, from Turkish refugee camps, a number of asylum seekers equal to those returned from the continent to Turkey. Ideally, that could end the smuggling business  which has led to the deaths of hundreds of refugees already this year  while providing a safe home to thousands through an orderly process.

The potential difficulties, however, are legion. Human rights groups say the summary deportation of refugees to Turkey would violate the Geneva refugee convention, since Turkey does not observe its provisions for Syrians on its territory. A number of E.U. governments are refusing to accept any refugees from Turkey; a plan adopted last year for the distribution of 160,000 arrivals around the union has so far settled fewer than 1,000. Similarly, the promise of visa-free travel for Turks is likely to face stiff resistance, even if Turkey meets the 72 preconditions set out by Brussels.

Ms. Merkels European opponents have already succeeded, over her objections, in using fences and other border controls to close the land corridor used by refugees to travel through the Balkans, trapping thousands in Greece. Her opponents now will aim to stop Syrians from leaving Turkey without either granting some European asylum or removing travel barriers for Turks. So the question Europe faces is not whether the refugee crisis will force it to compromise its values; it is whether it will manage to preserve even a curtailed humanitarian response.
IN THEIR zeal to kill off the federally funded scholarship program for poor D.C. students, opponents have peddled the fiction that Congress foisted the program on an unwilling city. In fact, the program was backed enthusiastically by then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) and a key D.C. Council member, and parent demand for scholarships far outstrips supply. So lets hope that a letter from Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and a majority of the council urging continued funding for the program finally puts the myth to rest and helps allow more students to benefit from the program.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides needy students with vouchers to attend private schools of their choice, is up for reauthorization. As has happened before with all-too-depressing frequency since the scholarships were established in 2004, the program is under attack from unions and other opponents. If Congress fails to act, the city will also lose out on millions of dollars that go to its traditional and charter public schools as part of the three-sector federal funding deal.

The very real danger of the District losing $150 million in federal funds over five years apparently finally sunk in with members of the council. Three members who previously had urged that the program be killed joined Ms. Bowser and five other members, including council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), in a March 7 letter to congressional leaders in support of the Scholarships for Opportunities and Results (SOAR) Act. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) in a statement called the support of the mayor and council an important boost in the effort to get reauthorization to the presidents desk.

We hope so. Mr. Ryan is right that when we give more families a choice, more students succeed. Uncertainty about the future of the program is the alleged reason the Education Department has, for several years, put a hold on funds that would allow additional students into the program. Officials with Serving Our Children, the nonprofit that took over administration of the scholarships in October, told us there are more than 1,900 applicants, with more expected, for just 146 new spots next year. If Congress doesnt reauthorize the program, funding could dry up, with no new students accepted after the 2016-2017 school year. The scholarships provide a lifeline to low-income and underserved families, giving them the school choice that more affluent families take as a given. And because the program results in more federal money for D.C. public education and not less  another myth advanced by opponents  its time for Congress to act.
The March 12 news article Hillary Clinton apologizes for praising Nancy Reagans HIV/AIDS response correctly noted the slow response of the Reagan administration to the HIV epidemic. However, the article failed to give credit to the late Navy Adm. James D. Watkins, who was asked by President Ronald Reagan to lead the presidents commission on the epidemic after it nearly fell apart because of poor leadership and exclusion of those from the black community and with expertise in drug abuse, as well as opposition from members of the gay community.

Watkinss leadership brought together all of these diverse communities. One of the hallmarks of his work was to ensure actions to prevent discrimination against people infected with HIV without regard to lifestyle.

The actions by the Watkins Commission still form the foundation of our response to this disease. Watkins made truly heroic contributions to fighting this disease despite strong political and ideological opposition.

Stephen Rodgers, Fairfax
AFTER NEARLY seven years of political and bureaucratic warfare, the Obama administration is about to unveil stricter rules governing brokers and others who help people invest their retirement savings. Specifically, the administration wants to impose a legally enforceable duty to act in the best interest of clients, similar to the fiduciary duty lawyers and other professionals already owe.

The administration says the fiduciary rule is necessary for two reasons: First, in the modern era, Americans retirement funds reside heavily in individual tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs, the former accounting for $4.2 trillion and the latter $7.4 trillion in 2013. Yet federal regulations date from 1975, when corporate pensions predominated. Second, many financial advisers to IRA investors get paid commissions based on sales of certain products that may not be best for their clients, yet those compensation schemes are not always transparent.

It all seems commonsensical; a White House study suggests conflicted advice, allegedly particularly prevalent in the half-trillion-dollar-a-year 401(k) rollover business, costs consumers $17 billion in higher fees per year. The problem, according to the investment industry, is that the administration is using a hammer to swat a fly. Opponents do not deny that commission-based compensation schemes can create apparent conflicts of interest, but advisers are still required to act based on whats suitable for a client. The proposed regulation, they argue, will render unprofitable commission-based business models that are the only way many small savers get investment advice now, and the costs of that would outweigh the costs, if any, of the status quo.

At its core, the fiduciary rule fight is, like many issues in Washington, a problem of where to draw the line. The fiduciary rule would inevitably abolish some number of business relationships certain people might accept; instead of possibly conflicted, but still suitable, advice, they would get none, or perhaps robo-advice online. On the plus side, however, other people would be protected from exploitation.

Both sides toss around cost-benefit estimates with faux precision; in truth its devilishly difficult to put a dollar value on what brokers and other investment advisers actually do  much less define it concisely, as the many prolix pages of the Federal Register devoted to the fiduciary rule prove. The investment industrys strongest point is that a proposed exemption the administration offered to placate opponents is so vague and unworkable that few, if any, companies would take advantage of it.

That doesnt mean, however, that the whole rule (or at least the drafts that have appeared in public) is fatally flawed. We revert to common sense: If youre in business to advise small investors, it should be as clear as possible that you work for them and not a third party behind the scenes. Yes, the fiduciary rule might shrink the business, but what remains could well enjoy greater legitimacy, in both reality and perception. In this time of raging populism, the financial industry needs all the trustworthiness it can get.
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio announced he was suspending his campaign as he took home no wins over this three rivals in five primaries: Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio announced he was suspending his campaign as he took home no wins over this three rivals in five primaries: Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

The Democratic party moved a lot closer to choosing its nominee on Tuesday night. The Republican party moved a little closer to chaos.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has won at least four of the five states where Democrats voted on Tuesday, with victories in Florida, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina. The race in Missouri against Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) remains too close to call. Clintons staff said they expected to increase their lead in the race for Democratic convention delegates by about 300  requiring Sanders to stage a near-miraculous comeback in the coming states.

We are moving closer to securing the Democratic party nomination and winning this election in November, Clinton told supporters in West Palm Beach, Fla. Sounding hoarse, she seemed to be offering an olive branch to Sanders  who, so far, has shown little inclination to get out of a race that has given him an unprecedented national following. I want to congratulate Senator Sanders for the vigorous campaign hes waging, Clinton said, giving it a try anyway. She has now won 15 states, as compared with nine wins for Sanders.

[Winners and losers from Super Tuesday II]

On the Republican side, GOP front-runner Donald Trump won a key contest in Florida  a lopsided victory on the home turf of rival Sen. Marco Rubio, which caused Rubio to declare he was suspending his campaign. That brought Trump all of Floridas 99 Republican delegates, the biggest prize awarded in any state so far. Trump has also been projected as the winner in Illinois and North Carolina, two states with 141 delegates between them. But, because those are not winner-take-all states, Trump will likely have to split some of those 141 with other candidates. The GOP race in Missouri remains too close to call.

But Trump was denied a victory in another key winner-take-all state, Ohio, which was won by its own sitting governor, John Kasich. That victory doesnt make Kasich a likely nominee: he has now won a grand total of one state. But, without Ohios 66 delegates, Trump now faces a difficult path to reach the majority of delegates he needs to avoid a contested GOP convention, in which no candidate enters with a majority of delegates locked up. In that chaotic situation  not seen in the GOP since 1976  delegates could choose one of the candidates who ran, or someone else entirely. If their choice is not Trump, the party may have to face strong anger from his supporters, or even a third-party candidacy from Trump himself.

Trump spoke to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., where he savored his victory over Rubio in Florida, despite a barrage of anti-Trump advertising. Nobody has ever  ever, in the history of politics  received the kind of negative advertising that I havevicious, horrible, Trump said. But then, he said: You explain it to me, because I cant: my numbers went up. He told supporters that hed seen anti-Trump commercials during a broadcast of a golf tournament from Trumps own club, and tried to distract attendees at the tournament from watching.

Trump repeated his promise to bring the Republican party together: We have to bring our party together. We have to bring it together. We have something happening that actually makes the Republican party probably the biggest political story anywhere in the world.

But he also, more than before, seemed to show signs of fatigue at the long grind of a campaign. Trump spoke of missing his youngest son, Baron, while hes been out on the trail: Baron. I never see my Baron, Trump said. He said, When are you going to come home, Daddy? When are you coming home?

Trumps top rival, in terms of delegates, is Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.)  who has won no states so far, though he is running neck-and-neck with Trump in returns from Missouri. Before the outcome in Missouri was known, Cruz spoke to supporters in Houston, and essentially declared that Kasich  even on his best night of the campaign  would be a non-factor from here on out.

Only two campaigns have a plausible path to the nomination, ours and Donald Trumps, Cruz said. Nobody else has any mathematical possibility whatsoever. He praised Rubio at length, trying to win over Rubios supporters  and the #nevertrump crowd that had coalesced around Rubio. We welcome you to our teams, we welcome you with open and welcoming arms, Cruz said. That, in itself, was an amazing moment and a sign of how Trump has reshaped the Republican landscape this year.

A year ago, the idea that Cruz  the despised figure who led Republicans into an ill-fated effort to stop Obamacare and triggered a government shutdown instead  might be the best choice for the GOP establishment would have been too strange to be funny.

[Kasich wins Ohio with an eye toward a contested convention]

Kasichs win in Ohio was celebrated by GOP operatives who launched a last-ditch campaign to thwart Trumps march to the nomination.

Youre not the nominee until you get 1,237 delegates, and I dont see how Trump gets there, said Katie Packer, the strategist helping lead Our Principles PAC, which has spent nearly $13 million on a barrage of hard-hitting ads attacking the billionaire real estate developer. Our goal was always to deprive him of Ohio and Florida, and the fact that we got halfway, we consider a win for the American people and the Republican party and certainly us.

Kasich has largely abstained from attacking Trump so far, but on Tuesday night  with the race narrowing, and his position improving  Kasich took a brief swipe at the front-runner. I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land, Kasich said. He took a remarkably different tone than the bombastic front-runner, who focuses on international trade and business deals. Kasich told his audience to make the world better in smaller ways, working harder at their jobs, and being kind to neighbors. At times, he did not seem to be speaking about a political campaign at all.

Were all part of a giant mosaic. A snapshot in time. All of us here, Kasich said, saying that every person in the audience had a purpose from God. Our jobis to dig down and understand that purpose, and never underestimate our ability to change the world in which we live.

[Rubios demise marks the last gasp of the Republican reboot]

Rubio, a first-term senator, had launched his campaign with a message of youth and optimism  but was unable to escape his support for a 2013 effort at immigration reform, which many conservatives believed was too lenient on undocumented immigrants. And he was unable to escape Trump, who hectored him as Little Marco, a tool of big donors.

After tonight, it is clear that  while we are on the right side  this year we will not be on the winning side, Rubio said on Tuesday.

Rubio eventually fired back, trying to fight on Trumps level with insults about the front-runners tan and his fingers. He also called Trump a con artist for his involvement in a university that many students said defrauded them. But Rubio undercut his own message by saying that he would still vote for Trump, were he the nominee.

That odd, mismatched strategy seemed to turn off voters: his poll numbers declined sharply. He won just one state, Minnesota, along with Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Rubio, oddly, mocked the District of Columbia by name in his speech.

Theres nothing more you could have done, Rubio said, speaking in the concourse of a Florida arena  he had rented the whole thing, but the crowd was so small that he only needed a hallway. Americas in the middle of a real political storm. A real tsunami. And we should have seen this coming.

Even in defeat, however, Rubio could not escape Trump. A heckler shouted out Trump for President! The crowd booed, but Rubio shushed them. Dont worry, he wont get beat up at our event, he said, referring to alleged assaults of protesters at Trump events.

[Rubio was lifted by 2010 wave. But he was swamped by the tsunami of 2016.]

In early exit polls reported by ABC News, Democratic primary voters had a split view of the two candidates: they tended to see Clinton as far more electable  but see Sanders as more honest. By a roughly 2 to 1 margin, Democratic voters said Clinton had a better chance than Sanders of beating Trump in a general election matchup across Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois and Missouri.

But roughly 8 in 10 said Sanders was honest and trustworthy, compared with about 6 in 10 for Clinton. Sanders has dominated among honesty-focused voters all year while Clinton has won those focused on electability by a wide margin.

According to those same early exit polls reported, large majorities of Democrats in Tuesdays primaries would be satisfied with either Clinton or Sanders winning the Democratic nomination. At least 7 in 10 voters across primary voting states would be satisfied with each candidate becoming the partys nominee, with slightly more satisfied with Clinton than Sanders.

Among Republican primary voters, by contrast, preliminary exit polls showed unusual hesitancy about the prospect of Trump as the nominee. Across all of Tuesdays states, a little more than half of GOP voters said they would be satisfied with Trump as the Republican nominee against Clinton, according to early exit polls from ABC News.

Just under 4 in 10 Republican voters across Tuesdays contests said they would consider a third-party candidate if Trump and Clinton were the nominees. Looking specifically at non-Trump supporters, ABC reported 6 in 10 would consider backing a third-party candidate if Trump became the partys nominee.

Separately, it was clear from exit polls that the majority of Tuesdays GOP voters supported Trumps proposal temporarily to ban foreign Muslims from entering the United States. In all, 66 percent agreed with that idea, according to exit polls reported by ABC News.

Trump scored an early win Tuesday morning, swamping the tiny vote in a Republican caucus held in the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a tweet from the executive director of the GOP in the U.S. territory.

The win earned Trump nine delegates, only a tiny sliver of the 367 delegates at stake Tuesday. But should the chaotic Republican race lead to a contested national convention in July, the win could prove important because of arcane party rules that require candidates to have won a majority of delegates in at least eight states or territories. The win was Trumps eighth of the nominating season.

Voting ran relatively smoothly across the country, although a frightening incident interrupted one Cleveland voting location, where police said a poll worker was arrested after pulling a gun during a verbal dispute with fellow workers.

A spokeswoman for the Cleveland Police Department said Alan Bethea, 45, faced multiple charges. Police say he pulled a .380 handgun from his backpack during the argument. No one was injured.

Ahead of Tuesdays vote, Missouri officials had estimated 34.1 percent of voters would take part in the primary, nearing 2008s record turnout of 36 percent. News reports in other parts of the country also reported lines in hotly contested races.

In North Carolina, where a controversial new voter identification law was in use for the first time, voting rights advocates were on alert for problems. A spokeswoman for the North Carolina State Board of Elections said late in the day that primaries were running smoothly.

In Ohio, some voters appreciated the job Kasich has done as governor.

Hes done a great job for Ohio, said Lauri Gillet, 42, a civil engineer who voted for Kasich in Westerville, the governors home town. Hes the best of both worlds, from a business standpoint and a politics standpoint. And Ohios doing great. Theres been a ton of growth in the oil and gas industry.

Hundreds of thousands of ballots were already cast in early voting in Florida. Turnout was light in the early morning at a polling place near the airport in Miami. But the voters who showed up sounded passionate about their choices.

Luis Joaquin Alonso, 79, said he voted for Trump, citing concerns about the deficit and the desire for someone to take on the political establishment.

I love this country, he said, adding that Trump does, too, and thats why he is running.

This guy has got plenty of money. He doesnt need [more] money, Alonso said.

[Early voting: Nearly 2 million people have already voted in Florida]

Floridas primary is closed, meaning that independents, who have sided with Sanders in large numbers in other states, could not participate. The state is also home to large numbers of seniors, who have gravitated far more heavily toward Clinton elsewhere.

In Miami, Luis Caldera, 61, said he voted for Clinton. He called her the best option and said her experience and his familiarity with her career set her apart.

In Youngstown, Ohio, Dave Williams, 52, cast a ballot for Sanders, deeming the Vermont senator better for working people.

I lost my house when the stock market crashed. That was before the government was doing anything to keep people in their homes. And Ive gone from a house since then to an apartment, said Williams, a member of cement finishers local 179. Im an angry voter, how bout that? Im angry about the way the country is working for the blue-collar worker. Hillary gets a big, fat zero on that.

[How Bernie Sanders is hijacking the Democratic Party to be elected as an independent]

While out for breakfast Tuesday morning in downtown Chicago, Sanders predicted he could have a good night if larger numbers of voters take part in the contests  setting up a long nomination battle in states that are even friendlier to his campaign.

I think that if there is a large voter turnout, we are going to do just great here in Illinois, in Missouri, Ohio, and hopefully North Carolina and Florida, Sanders said during a stop at Lou Mitchells, a Chicago institution. In the states that are coming down the pike, we have great opportunities to win many of them, so we are feeling really good.

Sanders was accompanied by Cook County Commissioner Jesus Chuy Garcia, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Rahm Emanuel last year. Part of Sanderss strategy in Illinois has been mobilizing those disappointed with the tenure of Emanuel, a Clinton ally whose approval ratings have dropped to all-time lows.

In North Carolina, Clinton campaigned at a polling place in Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School around midday on Tuesday, greeting supporters with hugs and selfies.

She warned that her supporters might see public polling that shows her with leads in many of the states voting Tuesday and conclude that they dont need to vote, which her campaign believes might have contributed to her unexpected loss to Sanders in Michigan last week.

Sometimes the reporting of polls, some might say: well, my candidate is doing so well, I dont need to come out, Clinton said. But everybody should come out. Theres so much at stake in this election.

Clinton has been eager to pivot her campaign to confront Trump more directly. But asked Tuesday if she was concerned that a protracted primary fight with Sanders would impede Democrats ability to wage a general-election fight against the GOP nominee, she declined to encourage Sanders to leave the race.

He has a right to run his campaign in any way that he chooses, and Im proud of the campaign weve run, Clinton said.

Trumps rhetoric drove some voters Clintons way in the Democratic contest. Tonya Massenburg, 53, voted for Clinton in Raleigh because she is primarily concerned about violence and racism in the country right now  and less concerned about Sanders, about whom she said she knows very little.

I just hope that North Carolina pulled through for Hillary Clinton, she said. Because of the way this country is headed, its not very good.

Also Tuesday, Clinton announced that she has been endorsed by the mother of Michael Brown, the teenager whose 2014 shooting by police in Ferguson, Mo., brought more attention to officer-involved slayings of unarmed black men.

The endorsement came as Clinton has appeared to lose ground to Sanders in Missouri, with the most recent poll showing an effective tie.

When I lost my son, I lost my world. Big Mike was a big boy, but he was my baby boy, my only child, and his life was brutally taken from me, Lezley McSpadden wrote in her endorsement statement.

This election season, we are at battle for the soul of our nation, McSpadden said. If we want to continue to build on the progress made by our country, we need a president who is ready to lead  and I trust Hillary Clinton.

McSpadden was among a group of African-American mothers who met privately with Clinton last year, and Clinton has made the mothers stories a regular part of her political speeches, as she talks about the need for criminal justice reform and better gun control.

Helderman and Fahrenthold reported from Washington. Sean Sullivan and Ed OKeefe in Miami, David Weigel in Youngstown, John Wagner in Chicago, Abby Phillip in Raleigh, and Scott Clement, Anne Gearan and Matea Gold in Washington also contributed.
Afghan soldiers stand guard Tuesday following weeks of heavy clashes to recapture territory from Taliban militants in Baghlan province, north of Kabul. (Massoud Hossaini/AP)

As NATOs secretary general was meeting with Afghan leaders here Tuesday, Taliban fighters were seizing further territory in southern Afghanistan during a bloody fight with Afghan troops.

The NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, praised Afghan security forces during a news conference with President Ashraf Ghani, but the loss in Helmand province was a blow to the governments troubled efforts against the insurgency.

The Khanashin district in Helmand fell to the Taliban after insurgents had amassed in the area for days, a local official said. Police and army personnel abandoned their posts outside government buildings after hours of fighting, another security official in Helmand said. Neither official was authorized to speak to the media. Both sides suffered casualties, the officials said.

Police and army spokesmen told Afghan media late Tuesday that the withdrawal from Khanashin had been a tactical retreat but that they were still battling with insurgents and the Taliban did not yet control the area.

[These are the 11,000 soldiers who might save Afghanistan]

Still, the Talibans apparent gains in the district  a windswept patch of desert about 100 miles from Helmands provincial capital, Lashkar Gah  comes just weeks after government forces withdrew from two other districts in the province, effectively ceding control to insurgents.

Late last month, Afghan army and police personnel pulled out of Helmands Musa Qala and Now Zad districts following months of deadly battles with the Taliban. The two areas had alternated between government and Taliban control over the past year, and Afghan security forces suffered from heavy casualties, desertions and low morale, local officials said.

[Viral video appears to show Afghan police dragging man behind truck]

The pullout has raised concerns about the security forces ability to hold on to key territory, particularly ahead of the traditional fighting season that takes place in the warmer months. The Taliban-led insurgency has expanded since foreign troops left the country in 2014 and as Afghans have become increasingly fed up with a government seen as weak and corrupt. The fighting has contributed to the highest number of civilian deaths since the United Nations began tracking casualties in 2009.

Helmand has long been an insurgent hub and a center of Afghanistans opium industry, much of which is controlled by the Taliban, with opium sold at bazaars across the province. The United States has deployed hundreds of Special Operations forces to assist Afghan forces there in recent months, and in January, Staff Sgt. Matthew McClintock was killed in a Taliban attack in the province.

But most foreign troops have gone home. Stoltenberg said Afghan forces, after taking full charge of security across the country,  had made great progress in the fight against terrorism.

However, according to a report from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, a local think tank, as soon as NATO advisers left the low- and mid-level army ranks, the Afghan National Army began showing signs of decay.

[One U.S. soldier killed, two wounded in Helmand province, Afghanistan]

Security is bad all over Helmand, and no progress has been made by Afghan forces, said Namatullah Ghafari, a lawmaker from Helmand.

They suffer from weak leadership, he said. And the people in Helmand are worried.

Khanashin briefly fell to Taliban insurgents in December but was swiftly recaptured by government forces. Similar pitched battles have been taking place across Helmand for months, including in Marja, once a showcase for U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan.

The Afghan forces in Marja right now have only one option: to fight for their lives, said a tribal elder from the area who requested anonymity so he could speak openly about security failures in the province.

They cant flee. The Taliban controls the supply routes to these forces, he said, adding that the government only controls about 5 percent of the district.

Stoltenberg said Tuesday that NATO will continue to support Afghan forces but that the organizations troops would not go back to a combat operation.

We will continue to provide financial support so they can be sustainable in the long term, he said. The single most important thing we want to see is that Afghanistan continue to implement reforms.

The United States alone has spent more than $60 billion training and equipping Afghan security forces, according to the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a U.S. government watchdog.

I expect 2016 to be difficult, Stoltenberg said.

Mohammad Sharif and Sayed Salahuddin contributed to this report.

Stretched by its fight against Taliban, Afghan army raises recruitment age

Commando-style assault on Afghan jail frees scores of Taliban inmates

Afghan forces straining to keep the expanding Taliban at bay
 For years, Htin Kyaw was content to stay a few steps outside the spotlight on his close friend Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmas charismatic pro-democracy leader. Hes been with her from the early days of the movement, through her long periods of house arrest to their partys jubilant general-election victory in November.

Even as Burmas parliament on Tuesday elected him head of the first civilian government in the Southeast Asian nation in decades, Htin Kyaw deflected attention back to the woman who has spent a lifetime fighting for democracy.

This is a victory of the people. This is sister Daw Aung San Suu Kyis victory, Burmas president-elect told reporters as he left the assembly hall after the vote. Daw is a title of respect in Burma.

[Aung San Suu Kyis party nominates trusted aide to be Burmas president]

Since Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party scored a landslide victory last year, she has made it clear that she will manage Burmas new government from a perch she calls above the president. Nonetheless, colleagues said that the even-keeled Htin Kyaw is a strong choice to manage the perilous transition as the party takes over from the military-backed government next month, even though he has never held elected office.

Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, center, speaks with aide Htin Kyaw, left, in 2010. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP)

He is one of her most trusted confidants, said Aung Kyi Nyunt, a member of parliament who was the NLD party whip. He is a quiet man, simple, very gentle in his way of speaking.

Burmas generals continue to hold outsize power, with key ministries and vast business holdings under their control. They vetoed an effort by Suu Kyi to circumvent a constitutional provision that bars her serving as president.

Its going to be a very, very critical relationship, said Priscilla A. Clapp, a senior adviser to the U.S. Institute of Peace who served as chief of mission and charge daffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Burma from 1999 to 2002.

The military members of parliament, whose seats are guaranteed by the constitution, chose a retired lieutenant general, seen as a hard-liner, as their choice for first vice president. Myint Swe, who formerly ran the militarys intelligence bureau, was confirmed Tuesday.

Last year, he clamped down on student protesters while serving as chief minister of Rangoon, also known as Yangon. He is among several Burmese businessmen barred by the U.S. Treasury Department from doing business with American citizens.

When asked about Myint Swe last week, State Department spokesman John Kirby reiterated the U.S. position on the military reservation in parliament, calling it one of the structural and systemic flaws in Burmas constitution. The United States has supported Burmas transition from military rule by easing sanctions and promoting foreign investment.

In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry praised the presidential election as another important step forward in Burmas democratic transition and commended those in Burma who continue to work together to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

[Burmas election leaves former patron China with uncomfortable questions]

On Tuesday, Burmas parliamentary body chose as second vice president Henry Van Thio, a member of parliament from Suu Kyis party and a Christian from the countrys Chin ethnic minority.

The new president will inherit a country of 51 million with jarring poverty, creaking infrastructure and dismal schools and health care. Its economy grew at more than 8 percent last year but is expected to moderate, according to the World Bank. Burma, also known as Myanmar, remains one of the poorest countries in Asia.

Despite a high-profile peace accord with armed ethnic militias in November, fighting has continued in Burmas border areas. The country has hundreds of thousands who have been displaced in conflict areas, as well as an estimated 140,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been living in camps since clashes with their Buddhist neighbors in 2012.

Htin Kyaw, 69, was born in Rangoon and attended primary school with Suu Kyi, his sister Hta Cho said in an interview. But she said that they only became close friends after 1988, the year Suu Kyi returned to Burma from Britain during a student uprising and was propelled to the forefront of the pro-democracy movement.

As a young man, Htin Kyaw was fond of solitary pursuits such as swimming and reading. In college, he changed his given name to Htin Kyaw in honor of a famous literary detective he adored, a sort of Burmese Sherlock Holmes, his sister said.

He attended a university in Rangoon, earning a masters degree in statistics in 1968, and went on to graduate work in computer science at the University of London. He later studied at the Arthur D. Little School of Management in Cambridge, Mass.

He spent much of the time from 1992 onward working with Suu Kyi and was detained by Burmas military junta in 2000 while attempting to accompany her on a trip outside Rangoon. His wife, Su Su Lwin, is a member of parliament and is also close to Suu Kyi, Clapp said.

Suu Kyi, speaking privately with party members last week, said she had chosen Htin Kyaw because of his unflinching loyalty, not because of his length of service to the party, and said she felt he would be a good representative of the government, in Burma and internationally.

Eaint Thiri Thu in Rangoon and Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Hard-line Buddhist monks threaten Burmas hopes for democracy

What happened when Aung San Suu Kyis party last won an election in Burma

Burma victory caps a decades-long battle for opposition leader Suu Kyi
Police inspect the Volkswagen in the Bismarckstrasse area of Berlin. German police said on Twitter that they think an explosive device detonated while the car was being driven.

March 15, 2016 Police inspect the Volkswagen in the Bismarckstrasse area of Berlin. German police said on Twitter that they think an explosive device detonated while the car was being driven. Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

The neighborhood was put on high alert after the explosion.

The neighborhood was put on high alert after the explosion.

The neighborhood was put on high alert after the explosion.

A blast from an explosive device tore apart a moving car in a Berlin neighborhood Tuesday, killing the driver in an incident authorities believe was possibly linked to criminal gangs.

Investigators said the blast in the Charlottenburg neighborhood of western Berlin did not appear to have terrorism ties, and the driver had been previously under scrutiny for alleged connections to drug networks.

We are investigating in the direction of organized crime, and it doesnt look at all like a terrorist attack at this point, said Berlin police spokesman Michael Merkle.

Images showed a gray, 4-door Volkswagen Passat, its hood crumpled and its doors bent. The vehicle was apparently in motion, traveling down the citys Bismarck Street, when it exploded, according to Merkle.

Merkle confirmed that the driver was a 43-year-old male of a migrant background, but gave no further details. He said the man, according to Spiegel online, had been investigated before for alleged drug dealing.

It remained unclear, however, whether an explosion device in the car was set off on purpose or accidentally tripped.

Our specialists are now looking into how this occurred in an extensive investigation, Berlin police said in a tweet.

European nations including Germany have been high alert after several foiled terror plots following the November siege in Paris by Islamist extremists.

Souad Mekhennet in Tunis and Stephanie Kircher in Berlin contributed to this report.

Read more:

Man in failed attack on Paris police lived in German shelter for asylum seekers

An alleged rape sparked tensions between Russia and Germany. Now police say it was fabricated.

Racial profiling seems to be a weapon in Europes war on terrorism

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Joint French-Belgian police teams swept into a Brussels neighborhood Tuesday in raids linked to last years terrorist attacks in Paris, officials said. One suspect was killed, while four Belgian police officers were slightly wounded by gunfire.

The operation pointed to apparent loose ends in probes seeking to uncover the full scope of the network behind the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, which killed 130 people and injured many more across the French capital.

One key suspect, Salah Abdeslam, remains at large. But the Agence France-Presse news agency, citing French police sources, said the 26-year-old Brussels native was not a target of Tuesdays raids.

Officials believe that much of the planning for the Paris attacks took place in Brussels, and Belgian police are still holding at least 10 people who have been arrested since November.

Frances interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said French police units took part in the searches through the Brussels district of Forest. The area is south of Molenbeek, a neighborhood of many North African immigrants that was home to several key figures in the Paris attacks.

It was in the context of a police raid, Cazeneuve said on Tuesday, speaking from the Ivory Coast. A team made up of Belgian police officers and French police officers came under gunfire  shots from heavy weapons. But I am extremely cautious on the circumstances and also cautious because there is an ongoing operation.

Marc-Jean Ghyssels, the mayor of Forest, told reporters Tuesday that police sought at least two gunmen. Le Soir, a Belgian news outlet, reported that at least one of the gunmen used a Kalashnikov. By early evening on Tuesday, police had reportedly neutralized one suspect, according to reports.

Parts of Forest were placed on lockdown, including two schools near the site of the gun battle. At least one suspect remains on the run.
A 1-year-old boy from El Salvador clings to his mother after she turned herself in to Border Patrol agents Dec. 7, 2015, near Rio Grande City, Tex. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Three former federal immigration judges are publicly challenging a senior Justice Department official who argued that 3- and 4-year-olds can learn immigration law well enough to represent themselves in court.

A typical three-year-old cannot tie her shoes, count to 100, peel a banana, or be trusted not to swallow marbles, the former judges wrote in a brief filed late Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The court is hearing an appeal stemming from a federal court case in Seattle regarding whether immigrant children  thousands of whom are forced to defend themselves each year in immigration court  are entitled to taxpayer-funded attorneys.

It was in the Seattle case that Jack H. Weil, a longtime immigration judge who is responsible for training other judges, made his unconventional assertions about children. Ive taught immigration law literally to 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds, Weil said in a deposition. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of patience. They get it. Its not the most efficient, but it can be done. He repeated his claim twice during the deposition.

[Can a 3-year-old represent herself in immigration court? This judge thinks so.]

The three former judges, citing an article in The Washington Post reporting Weils comments, said in their brief that his position has been justly ridiculed as preposterous. They are Bruce J. Einhorn, a former 17-year federal immigration judge in Los Angeles; Eliza Klein, who was a longtime judge in three cities; and Lory D. Rosenberg, who was a member of the Justice Departments Board of Immigration Appeals, which hears appeals of immigration cases.

All three worked for the Justice Department, and it is unusual for such former officials to publicly criticize those currently in government.

Weils deposition came in a case in which the American Civil Liberties Union and immigrant rights groups are seeking to require the government to provide appointed counsel for every indigent child who cannot afford a lawyer in immigration court proceedings. The Justice Department is contesting the lawsuit and is appealing to the 9th Circuit a federal judges decision allowing it to go forward.

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and other Democrats introduced a bill this month that would mandate government-appointed counsel for children in immigration court who had crossed the border alone or were victims of abuse, torture or other violence. The issue of childrens representing themselves has gained particular attention amid the recent surge of children from Central America crossing the Southwestern U.S. border.

[Unaccompanied children crossing Southern border in greater numbers again]

Weils comments have made an impression on Capitol Hill. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) told Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch: Ive been on this committee for decades, a lawyer for decades , Ive never heard such a stupid, stupid, stupid thing from a judge or anybody else as that. You know, the immigration laws are complex enough anyway, but to say a 3-year-old child can represent themselves and learn this?

Lynch responded that she shares Leahys puzzlement over those statements.

Im not puzzled. Sheer anger, Leahy said.

Lynch replied that Weil had made his comments in a personal capacity and that in no way does the Department of Justice feel that children of that age, or even, frankly children even older, can or should represent themselves individually.

Yet it was the government itself that offered up Weil as an expert witness in the Seattle case. As an assistant chief immigration judge in the Justice Department office that sets and oversees policies for the nations 58 immigration courts, he is responsible for coordinating the Justice Departments training of immigration judges.

Weil has not commented publicly on the controversy. In a brief email before The Post reported his comments March 5, he said his statements dont present an accurate assessment of my views on this topic and were being taken out of context. He did not respond to subsequent emails.

Unlike in felony criminal cases in federal court, children charged with violating immigration laws have no right to appointed counsel, even though the government is represented by Department of Homeland Security lawyers.

[In a crowded immigration court, seven minutes to decide a familys future]

Although a network of pro bono organizations and a Justice Department program try to help children find attorneys  some paid for by the government  many children are left to fend for themselves. According to Justice Department figures, 42 percent of the more than 20,000 unaccompanied minors involved in deportation proceedings completed between July 2014 and late December had no attorneys. It is unclear how often children age 5 or younger are left to defend themselves, but lawyers and advocates for immigrants said it does happen.

In their brief, the three former immigration judges said children should not have to stand alone in court against experienced government lawyers. Children are simply incapable of representing themselves in immigration proceedings, they wrote. Absent effective representation for a child, it is impossible for anyone in an immigration court  including the Immigration Judge  to investigate and develop the childs case to a degree that would permit the fair adjudication that due process requires.

Lauren Alder Reid, a spokeswoman for the departments Executive Office for Immigration Review, said in response to the brief from the former judges: In all cases, immigration judges are required to hold fundamentally fair hearings.

It is an immigration judges duty to determine all possibilities a child may have for relief, Reid said, adding that judges are trained not to move forward with deportation hearings if children and other defendants cannot be treated fairly.
The American man who was reportedly fighting for the Islamic State before turning himself in to Kurdish forces in Iraq was a 2007 graduate of Fairfax Countys Edison High School who, by the accounts of some who knew him, showed no violent tendencies or signs of religious fanaticism.

Mohamad Khweis  known to high school classmates as Mike or Mo  was not even on the FBIs radar until he was picked up in Iraq. FBI agents have since launched an investigation into the matter, officials familiar with the case said.

[Kurdish forces in Iraq say an American ISIS fighter has surrendered]

Many details remain unclear. A relative told The Washington Post that Khweis, 26, went on vacation to Greece and Turkey about two months ago with some friends, and an uncle gave a similar account to NBC News. On Monday, Kurdish peshmerga authorities told the Associated Press, the Guardian and others that their forces shot at Khweis, who was lingering near the town of Sinjar and was thought to be a suicide bomber, and Khweis soon gave himself up.

The Kurdish publication Rudaw, citing a local commander, said Khweis entered Syria from Turkey two months ago, had traveled to Mosul and was on his way back to Turkey when he was captured. The commander identified Khweis by a different name, though a Virginia drivers license he was carrying bore the name Mohamad Jamal Khweis and a credit card said Mohamed J. Khweis. Khweis is currently being held by peshmerga forces for interrogation.

A U.S. State Department spokesman said the department was working with local authorities to confirm reports that an American citizen was taken into custody.

Harrison Weinhold, 27, of Alexandria, said that he attended Fairfax Countys Mark Twain Middle School with Khweis and that the two graduated from Edison High School in 2007. Weinhold said he instantly recognized Khweis in pictures and videos broadcast by news outlets.

Im like, I cant even comprehend what Im looking at right now,  Weinhold said. It could not have been a more normal guy.

Weinhold said Khweis is the soft-spoken son of a limo driver and a cosmetologist and was known to wear designer Jordan shoes. Although some people in the school were devout Muslims, Khweis was not one of them, Weinhold said.

He was somebody that joked around and even made fun of people that were super-religious, Weinhold said.

Weinhold said that in the time he spent at Khweiss home, Khweis and his family spoke English. He said he ran into Khweis in Springfield, Va., about a year and a half ago and nothing seemed amiss.

Another high school friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her privacy, said that Khweis was friendly and goofy and made jokes and that news of his detainment by Kurdish forces was very shocking. She noted, though, that she had not spoken to Khweis in many years and that a Facebook profile he once maintained was no longer visible to her.

A Fairfax schools spokesman confirmed that a man named Mohamed Khweis graduated from Edison in 2007. Jamal Khweis, Khweiss father, told reporters outside his home Monday that his son was a good person. Hes a good son, though he declined to detail when his last contact with the young man was.

Hes old enough. I cannot ask him where hes going, where hes coming from, he said.

A congressional report released late last year said that more than 250 people from the United States had joined or attempted to join extremist groups fighting overseas and warned that many of them are only a plane-flight away from our shores.
Gen. John F. Campbell, the outgoing commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, followed by his successor, Gen. John W. Mick Nicholson Jr., prior to a change of command ceremony on March 2, 2016. (Andrew Quilty/For The Washington Post)

A senior American general has proposed resuming offensive strikes against the Taliban, exposing a rift between the military and senior administration officials over the U.S. role in the war in Afghanistan, according to military officials.

Senior Pentagon officials complained that Gen. John F. Campbell, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan until earlier this month, broke with standard military procedure when he forwarded his proposal in recent weeks directly to the White House without the knowledge of Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.

Campbell said he followed normal channels in submitting his recommendations, which could draw the United States back into a broader air campaign against the Taliban.

[Central Command nominee may push for revisions to Afghanistan exit]

The dispute comes as Afghan forces struggle to hold back resurgent Taliban forces, which have reclaimed some areas won at great cost during the U.S. troop surge. Many Taliban fighters think they are operating from a position of strength, according to Campbell, speaking recently to troops at an American base in Afghanistan.

Any escalation of the U.S. role underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Afghan forces and what is expected to be a violent 2016 summer fighting season, even as President Obama attempts to meet his campaign promise of ending the war.

While Carter is open to enhancing support to Afghan forces and even targeting some Taliban leaders, that doesnt mean that hes ready to veer in a different direction without a lot of careful analysis, said a senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal Pentagon debates. Theres been no good, strong case for why doing that would change things in a way thats helpful.

Campbell, who is in the final weeks of a 37-year career in the Army, denied trying to go around his civilian bosses at the Pentagon. Absolutely NOT, he said in an email. I forwarded my recommendations through my chain of command, always have and this time was no different. An official at U.S. Central Command supported Campbells account.

[The U.S. was supposed to leave Afghanistan by 2017. Now it might take decades.]

The proposals made by Campbell, before he left Kabul on March 2, include authorizing some U.S. air support for Afghan operations against the Taliban, conducting strikes against Taliban leaders and placing American advisers with conventional Afghan forces closer to the front lines.

Campbell declined to discuss the specifics of his request, but a senior military official described it as a stopgap measure to give the Afghan forces time to build up their tiny air force and intelligence capabilities over the next several years. The way you end this insurgency is you got to beat them down to a lower level of violence, said the military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. The Afghans wont have any real air power capability until 2017. . . . We can take more of the edge off the enemy until their capabilities are fully online.

Currently, U.S. commanders can strike the Taliban only when its fighters pose a direct threat to U.S. forces or when Afghan troops are in grave danger of being overrun. Campbells request to broaden authorities to strike the Taliban is one of the few levers at the militarys disposal to increase pressure on militant leaders and drive them to the negotiating table for peace talks.

We arent going to get more people  politically theres no appetite because we are downsizing, Campbell said in a recent interview with The Washington Post. So the only thing I can affect is my authority to strike different groups and my authority to provide different enablers to the Afghans.

Pentagon officials said they would wait until Gen. John W. Mick Nicholson Jr., who assumed command from Campbell, concludes his initial review, which will address the question of striking the Taliban and the feasibility of sticking with the White Houses plan to cut U.S. force levels in half, from 9,800 to 5,500, later this year.

Secretary Carter has not made a recommendation to the President on further changes to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in an email.

Campbells request received a chilly reception at the White House. Officials said it is being reviewed, but made clear that the emphasis for the U.S. military should be on helping Afghan forces develop the capabilities they are lacking, such as an effective air force, rather than taking on new missions in Afghanistan.

The president expects that his military commanders at all levels will provide their best military advice and has remained open to recommendations from his military commanders regarding possible modifications of the U.S. military role, said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the presidents thinking. Any potential consideration would balance the need to close any gaps in how we currently execute our mission with our efforts to continue to develop the capabilities of the Afghan national security and defense forces.

During his first term, Obama is said to have felt boxed in by military officials, including his top Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who were committed to a major increase in the size of the U.S. force as part of a broader counterinsurgency strategy designed to drive the Taliban from many of its traditional havens.

In the end, Obama acceded to most of McChrystals troop requests but put an 18-month time limit on the military surge; many believed that sent a signal to the Taliban that it could wait out American forces.

Campbells proposal is controversial in part because it would upend the White Houses policy that the United States, in keeping with the 2014 cessation of official U.S. combat operations, is no longer at war with the Taliban.

Asked during congressional testimony last month if the United States views the Taliban as an enemy, Campbell offered a clipped response.

I think the Taliban have killed many of my soldiers, he said.

Campbells proposal, even if it is rejected by the White House, tees up the issue for the next president, who may have a more expansive view than Obama of how to wield American military force.

Earlier this year, the White House backed a request from Campbell for greater authority to strike Islamic State forces, which are battling both the Taliban and Afghan military forces in eastern Afghanistan.

[Pentagon has new authority to strike the Islamic State in Afghanistan]

But in a sign of the Obama administrations hesitancy to expand the Afghanistan war, the generals initial request  made in February 2015  languished for months.

Campbell resubmitted the request in August, arguing that the Islamic State in Afghanistan had progressed from being a nascent threat to an operationally emergent threat that wanted to attack the United States and Europe.

I think it was a no-brainer, Campbell said of his initial request to target Islamic State forces and their leadership. Maybe we didnt make our case well enough. . . . They were just starting to grow.

Campbell and other senior U.S. commanders have also been pressing the Afghans to make reforms ahead of this years fighting season.

Many of Afghanistans conventional army forces are tied down manning checkpoints throughout the country, which limits their ability to be used in offensive operations against the Taliban. Campbell and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani have spent much of the past year pressing senior Afghan commanders and provincial governors to move the army forces off these fixed positions but have met resistance.

In many cases, the military checkpoints are the only official government presence in remote areas of the country. With Campbells support, Ghani has replaced dozens of Afghan commanders who were found to have been corrupt or who failed to lead effectively.

In making his recommendations regarding troop levels and new latitude to strike the Taliban, Campbell said he has been careful not to try to foist policies on Obama. I think we understand the world we live in, he said. In my testimonies, I have tried not to get out in front of the president and not put him in a position where one side can use something against the other. Youve got to walk that tightrope.

Read more:

Meet the next commander in Afghanistan, who has deeper experience there than almost any U.S. general

At U.S. Central Command, a solitary general prepares to step down

These are the 11,000 soldiers who might save Afghanistan

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
New rules loosening the U.S. embargo against Cuba will allow more Americans to travel there, expand the islands access to the U.S. financial system and permit Cuban athletes to play Major League Baseball in this country without having to defect.

The regulations, announced Tuesday just days ahead of President Obamas historic visit to Cuba, are the fifth and potentially most significant round of changes since Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in December 2014 that the two countries would normalize relations. Diplomatic ties were reestablished last summer after more than half a century of estrangement.

Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, cited strong support in this country for Obamas use of his executive powers to dismantle as many financial and travel restrictions as possible until Congress agrees to lift the embargo. We also know that our companies and our people are very interested in taking advantage of new opportunities to engage with and empower the Cuban people.

[With Obamas visit, Cubans hope for home run in baseball diplomacy]

Obamas goal is to lock in the changed relationship before he leaves office, creating economic, diplomatic and cultural ties that will be difficult for a new administration to undo. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.), both candidates for the GOP presidential nomination and sons of Cuban immigrants, have vowed to reverse the opening.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump has said, without elaborating, that he would get a better deal with Cuba than Obama. Republican leaders in Congress have refused to allow votes on a number of pending bills to lift the embargo and all remaining travel restrictions.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) support Obamas policy.

Obama arrives in Havana on Sunday evening on the first visit by a U.S. president to Cuba in almost 90 years and the first state visit by a U.S. president. During his two-day stay, he will meet with Castro and members of Cuban civil society, including political dissidents, and he will hold a roundtable with Cuban private-sector entrepreneurs and U.S. business leaders, dozens of whom will travel there with him under the auspices of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

On Tuesday, Obama will attend a baseball game between the Cuban national team and the Tampa Bay Rays before leaving to visit Argentina.

Critics of the visit charge that the Castro government has done little to reciprocate U.S. gestures. While the number of political protests has been steadily rising, so has the governments efforts to stop them. More than 1,000 demonstrators have been detained each month since the beginning of the year, most of them held for several hours and some physically assaulted.

[White House sees Cuba visit as chance to consolidate gains. Critics see caving.]

The administration argues that the more opportunities it has to talk to the Cuban government, the more it can push its concerns. Even as we pursue this opening between our people, between our governments, we will continue of course to have differences with Cuba on a number of issues, including human rights, which we will be pursuing directly, Rhodes said.

On an economic level, Obamas efforts to chip away at the embargo have so far left U.S. businesses disappointed at the slow pace of Cuban deal-making. There has been some progress, including an aviation agreement that is likely to result in commercial U.S.-Cuba flights by late summer.

Two U.S. companies  Alabama-based Cleber tractors and Florida Produce  have been approved by the Treasury Department to open plants in Cuba, although only Cleber has been approved by the Cuban government.

But overall, despite visits by dozens of U.S. official and business delegations over the past year, the Cubans have been concerned about the cost of doing business with U.S. companies and remain suspicious of U.S. intentions.

Cuba, with a 2014 gross domestic product of $81 billion and imports of only $14 billion in goods and services, desperately needs massive flows of foreign investment, said Richard E. Feinberg, a professor at the University of California at San Diego who has written extensively on the Cuban economy. While the island is a modest market for U.S. exports in the best of circumstances, an expanding Cuban economy could make a real difference for many individual U.S. businesses, he said.

Carlos Gutierrez, a former U.S. commerce secretary and chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerces U.S.-Cuba Business Council, acknowledged the difficulties of doing business, saying that its not easy to get to Cuba. Youve got to get a visa, youve got to get the right people in the room, then at least go back a couple of times to fine-tune the deal. It does take time.

But what I hear from companies is that when Cuba is fully open, we dont want to be number three or number four behind foreign competitors. Companies want to be the first in, Gutierrez said.

Many of the rules announced Tuesday were promulgated in direct response to concerns expressed by U.S. business and the Cuban government, administration officials said.

Americans will be allowed to travel to Cuba for individual people-to-people visits. Previously, they were required to travel with organizations granted Treasury Department licenses in 12 approved categories, including education, religion and culture. Although travel purely for tourism remains prohibited, the new regulations shift the responsibility for legal trips to individuals who declare that they will engage in educational purposes.

[Americans can now plan their own people-to-people trips to Cuba, but what does that mean?]

Treasury retains the right to question travelers and demand documentation for up to five years after a trip, but in reality has rarely done so. Its basically the honor system on steroids, said John Kavulich, head of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, assessing the new regulations. The change was partly driven, he said, by the need to fill those planes on the commercial airlines that will now fly into Cuba.

Non-immigrant Cubans can now be paid for work they do in the United States without forcing them to defect, according to Andrea Gacki, acting deputy director of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control. While not directed to any particular profession, the measure responds to complaints from Cuba and Major League Baseball that Cuban players have had to renounce ties to their homeland before they could sign contract to play in the United States.

When the regulations go into effect Wednesday, U.S. banks will be allowed to process payments to and from Cuba through third countries, including in U.S. dollars, and to open accounts through which dollar remittances can be paid to Cuban residents.

Restrictions on the dollar have always been a challenge for the Cubans and a challenge for the business community, because the need to operate in a third currency has always increased the cost of the transactions, Kavulich said. Cuba is expected to remove a 10 percent surcharge on all exchanges from dollars into Cuban currency on the island.

Separately, the Commerce Department has authorized cargo transit through Cuba, a measure that will allow companies such as FedEx to store in Cuba goods destined for onward delivery. Companies, such as airlines, authorized to have a presence in Cuba will now be allowed to set up offices there.

Finally, Commerce has authorized some Cuban exports to the United States, provided that they come from the private sector.

Read more:

On Cuba, as politics advances, business leaders wait for their breakthrough

Cubas Art Factory aims for industrial-scale hipness

In Cuba, it turns out, security forces really are everywhere

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
President Barack Obama: I Love Michelles Curves While discussing body image with ballet dancer Misty Copeland, President Barack Obama revealed that he loves and appreciates his wife Michelle Obamas curves  more here

A loving husband and a good role model! President Barack Obama sat down with ballet dancer Misty Copeland for an interview with Time magazine last month, during which they discussed gender issues and social pressures, among other things. On the topic of body image, the commander in chief said he hopes that his appreciation for wife Michelle Obamas curves helps his teenage daughters.

PHOTOS: President Obama's A-List Pals

The fact that theyve got a tall, gorgeous mom who has some curves, and that their father appreciates, I think is helpful, Obama said of kids Malia, 17, and Sasha, 14.



When youre a dad of two daughters you notice more, he explained. When I was a kid, I didnt realize  the enormous pressure that young women are placed under in terms of looking a certain way.

The president added that aside from his wife (and her killer arms!), celebrities including Beyonce are also important positive role models for young girls.

I do think that cultures changing for the younger generation a little bit more, Obama shared. You see Beyonce or you see some of these pop stars and what both white, Latino [and] black children are seeing as representative of beauty is much broader than it was when I was a kid. You just didnt see that much representation. And thats healthy and thats encouraging.

PHOTOS: Famous Celebrity Families

That said, Obama says its still a challenge when it comes to his household and many others.



I mean Malia [will] talk about black girls hair and will have much opinions of that. And shes pretty opinionated about the fact that it costs a lot, it takes a long time, that sometimes girls can be just as tough on each other about how theyre supposed to look, he said. And so its, as a parent, thats a constant learning process that youre trying to hold the fort. And thats why somebody like Misty ends up being so important.



In her documentary, A Ballerinas Tale, Copeland admitted she suffered from body issues growing up. I think body-image issues are not just a dancer thing, she told Elle in October 2015 while discussing the project. I think we're much more in tune and aware because the body is our instrument and art and we stare at ourselves in a mirror all day, but I feel like it's something that every woman experiences and every girl experiences. I wanted people to see the difficult side of my story. I wanted people to know I haven't always been this perfect or strong ballerina that people see me as.



PHOTOS: Michelle Obama's Style

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Students at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., sing before Donald J. Trump delivers a speech on Jan. 18, 2016. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Donald Trumps candidacy has sparked a civil war inside American Christianity.





Trumps popularity among self-identified evangelical Christians has led national figures in American Christianity to question whether large swaths of the church even know what their faith teaches, and how it applies to public and political life.

The split is between a subset of evangelicals best categorized as creedal believers  those who take their faith most seriously and who oppose Trump. Less devout Christians, often described as notional or cultural, are more open to the businessman and GOP frontrunner. The majority of national evangelical leaders are on the side of creedal believers.

If Trump becomes the Republican nominee, many of these creedal evangelicals who have traditionally voted Republican say they would distance themselves from the GOP. But nobody knows whether this would result in evangelicals moving over to vote for the Democratic nominee or whether there would be a broader movement among conservatives to form a third party.

Nonetheless, many anti-Trump Christian leaders believe that the American church has been in decline for decades, leaving many casual Christians  for whom faith is more of a cultural identity rather than a day-to-day experience  vulnerable to Trumps appeals to anger and resentment.

Anti-Trump evangelicals have not quite questioned the faith of Trump voters. But theyve come close, arguing that Trump supporters are not applying Christian thinking and values to their decisions at the polls.

For some evangelicals, Christianity is no longer shaping their politics, Peter Wehner, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, wrote recently. With Mr. Trump in view, their faith lies subordinate.

Mike Farris, the chancellor of Patrick Henry College, a Christian university in Northern Virginia, told me that Christians who stay true to their faith would vote for someone other than Trump.

Story continues

And Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Conventions public policy arm, considers a vote for Trump deeply inconsistent with an application of the Christian faith. Moore wrote an op-ed in February for the Washington Post with the headline, Why this election makes me hate the word evangelical.

These Christian leaders see Trump as the antithesis of everything they and their faith stand for. Trumps arrogance and brashness  including his statement that he has never had to ask God for forgiveness  contradict their belief in the importance of humility. His past infidelities, divorces and his long record of misogynistic comments stand in opposition to their high regard for personal character. They see Trumps willingness to lie, blatantly and repeatedly, as morally wrong, alarming and insulting.

To take just one example, this past Sunday Trump denied that hed said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was not a war hero because he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Oh no, no, no. What I was  I never did that. You know that, Trump said in Ohio to Keith Maupin, whose son Matt was taken prisoner in Iraq and killed.

In July, however, Trump said publicly  in a conversation that was videotaped  that McCain was a loser because he lost the 2008 presidential election, and said of McCain, Hes not a war hero.

Hes a war hero because he was captured. I liked people that werent captured, Trump said.

Finally, evangelical leaders see Trumps inclination toward bullying, his admiration for tyrannical governments and his disregard for the rule of law as indications he would seek to use power despotically himself.

True power and strength, according to the Christian faith, is found in service, self-sacrifice for others and in loving and forgiving ones enemies.

Trump shakes hands with Jerry Falwell Jr. at a campaign rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Jan. 31. (Photo: Scott Morgan/Reuters)

The response to all these concerns from the most prominent evangelical leader supporting Trump is simple.

Were not voting for a pastor-in-chief, says Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of Liberty University.

God called King David a man after Gods own heart, even though he was an adulterer and a murderer, Falwell said recently in an interview with the Liberty student newspaper. You have to choose the leader that would make the best king or president, and not necessarily someone who would be a good pastor.

(When Falwells comment was made public over the weekend, many evangelicals immediately took to Twitter to point out that David repented and asked God to forgive his sins, unlike Trump.)

On that score, Falwell says he thinks Trump is the best leader to stop terrorist attacks, reduce illegal immigration and deal with the national debt.

I think maybe after the country is saved and restored, perhaps evangelicals will start voting in traditional patterns again, Falwell told the newspaper.

Falwells dismissal of concerns over Trumps character and moral core are similar to the way many other Christian voters think about Trump. Most dont focus on, or dont care, about Trumps personal background. They just want him to fix whatever problem they think is foremost in the United Stats, whether thats too much free trade and joblessness, or Christian values not being respected enough, or the size and scope of the federal government.

Falwell is one of the few national evangelical leaders standing behind Trump. Robert Jeffress, the head of a 11,000-member Southern Baptist megachurch in Dallas, is more of a regional figure. Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham and head of the Christian aid group Samaritans Purpose, has spoken favorably of Trump but has not formally endorsed him. And Trumps only other significant religious backers are televangelists and prosperity preachers such as Paula White and Kenneth Copeland, whose reception around the evangelical world is decidedly mixed.

White recently spoke at a rally for Trump and defended his faith. He loves God, she said. Raising the religious liberty issue that concerns many conservative Christians, White said that Trump would protect those who worry that wholesale persecution is coming to the faithful in the U.S.

Concern about an anti-Christian mood in the country is a high priority for many Trump supporters who are practicing, devout Christians.

Many Christians  and believers in other faith traditions as well  are feeling overwhelmed, sidelined and misunderstood, write the Barna Groups David Kinnaman and co-author Gabe Lyons in their new book, Good Faith: Being a Christian When Society Thinks Youre Irrelevant and Extreme.

This isnt just a feeling, they write. When one-third of college-aged adults want nothing to do with religion, and 59 percent of Christian young adults drop out of church at some point in their 20s, its the new reality.

One factor complicating attempts to understand how religion may be driving voters in this presidential election cycle is that when the term evangelical is defined  instead of letting poll respondents self-identify  support for Trump within that community drops off dramatically.

Among evangelicals who go to church every week or regularly, one Barna Group study found, Cruz is the preferred candidate of 30 percent, while Trump earned 24 percent, Rubio 14 percent and a handful of other candidates 30 percent. In the South Carolina primary, Trump did well in counties where church attendance is low, and poorly in counties where church attendance is high.

The Barna Group has also worked to drill down with even more detail to identify serious, practicing evangelicals. In late January, it conducted a weeklong national survey of 869 registered voters. If anyone identified as a Christian, pollsters asked them nine theological questions. (The questions are listed at the end of this article.) Voters who answered affirmatively to all nine questions were classified as evangelicals. Voters who answered yes to some of the questions but not all were labeled either non-evangelical born again or notional Christian.

Among evangelicals, voters were split between Cruz (38 percent) and Carson (35 percent). Rubio only attracted 14 percent, and Trump got 11 percent, said Barnas Kinnaman, who conducted the survey.

Non-evangelical born again voters showed little resemblance to the preferences of their evangelical brethren, Kinnaman wrote. Among the non-evangelical born-again public, Trump was the clear favorite (38 percent), equaling the support for Cruz (23 percent) and Carson (15 percent) combined.

And among notional Christians, Trumps numbers were even higher. He drew 43 percent of their support, compared to Rubios 26 percent and Cruzs 15 percent.

Its also worth noting that Trumps support numbers are higher among Catholics than they are among evangelicals. Trump won 30 percent of Catholics in New Hampshire, compared to 27 percent of evangelicals, and 44 percent of Catholics in Iowa, compared to just 22 percent of evangelicals there. In South Carolina, Trump captured 42 percent of the Catholic vote while picking up one-third of evangelicals.

But among Catholics as well, there is a divide between grassroots voters who have been marking their ballots for Trump and national elites who oppose his candidacy. A group of 37 Catholic leaders signed a letter this past week urging their fellow believers to support other Republican candidates.

We understand that many good people, including Catholics, have been attracted to the Trump campaign because the candidate speaks to issues of legitimate and genuine concern, states the letter, written by Robby George of Princeton University and George Weigel of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

We urge our fellow Catholics and all our fellow citizens to consider, however, that there are candidates for the Republican nomination who are far more likely than Mr. Trump to address these concerns, and who do not exhibit his vulgarity, oafishness, shocking ignorance, and  we do not hesitate to use the word  demagoguery, they wrote.

Trump supporters pray at a campaign rally in Radford, Va., on February 29, 2016. (Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg for Getty Images)

The fact that evangelical support for Trump comes primarily from those for whom orthodox belief or daily practice of their faith is least in evidence indicates that something other than theology is driving their political decisions.

Theres a class component. Working-class and lower-class white evangelicals have tended to like Trump, said John Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in Ohio. The social profile of the evangelicals for Trump is remarkably similar to the non-evangelical Trump supporter.

It suggests it has more to do with class and economics, Green said.

There is disagreement among Christians about whether Barna defines evangelicals too narrowly. The National Association of Evangelicals estimates that about 30 percent of the country should be defined as evangelical. But Barna, with its more detailed questions and precise definition, says evangelicals are more like 7 to 11 percent of the population.

And just as conservatives who believe in ideological orthodoxy oppose Trump because he threatens to fundamentally change the belief system of the Republican Party, evangelical leaders who oppose Trump do so because they say he is compromising the core message of Christianity.

Moore said the roots of the Trump phenomenon were clear to him six years ago, when then-Fox News personality Glenn Beck held a massive rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The response from evangelicals to a Mormon TV celebrity calling for religious revival demonstrated to Moore that many Christians had lost sight of the true aims of their faith.

I had all these Christians tweeting, Turn on C-SPAN. Glenn Beck is preaching the gospel, Moore said.

That word  gospel  means good news in its original Greek form. To the most devoted evangelicals, the term refers to something very specific: the good news of the Christian gospel is the virgin birth, sinless life and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ, to save sinners and reconcile them to God.

That message, and its implications for everyday living, is what evangelicals like Moore believe Christians are called and commanded to devote their lives to embodying and sharing.

But many evangelicals have begun to look to cultural or political outcomes to be a different form of good news, Moore said.

With the Beck rally, Moore said, what you had happening was a populist movement led by a charismatic figure that religious Christians were encouraged to embrace as a civil religious awakening in the country.

Whats happening now is you have the very same sort of populist sloganeering coming from Donald Trump, he said. Where people were encouraged to ignore Glenn Becks heretical Christology, now many Christians are ignoring Donald Trumps personal character, and many of them are receiving him as a Christian, while redefining the gospel to do so.

The faith demands priority over the politics. The faith should shape the politics, not the other way around, Moore said. And once that is compromised, then the entire point is winning elections and building coalitions. If thats the case, then whatever is in the majority at the moment can be seen as right.

In that sense, Moore and a substantial number of other evangelical leaders believe, Trump is misleading American Christians about the very nature of power. Rather than having confident faith that empowers them to love and serve others, Trump has tapped into fear and anger, and channeled it into hatred of the stranger.

* * *

The National Association of Evangelicals estimates that about 30 percent of the country should be defined as evangelical, based on polling that defined the term around affirmative answers to four questions. The Barna Group has sought to identify evangelicals in even more detail. In late January, they conducted a weeklong national survey of 869 registered voters, and if anyone identified as a Christian, they asked them nine theological questions. Voters who answered affirmatively to all nine questions were classified as evangelicals. Barna says the number of American evangelicals is more like 7 to 11 percent of the population.

Here are the questions asked by both NAE and Barna.

The NAE asked respondents to agree or disagree with the following four statements:

The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.

It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Jesus Christs death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.

Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive Gods free gift of eternal salvation.

Barna asked survey-takers to agree or disagree with the following nine statements:
A series of ugly clashes at Trump campaign events over the past week have received widespread condemnation, and a defiant offer from the candidate himself to pay to defend a supporter who punched a protester who was being led away by security officers. Meanwhile, though, Donald Trump is defending himself against a lawsuit stemming from a confrontation between a demonstrator and the billionaire businessmans chief bodyguard.

The fight played out on television when it occurred last September, but largely disappeared from the media radar screen afterwards. But the plaintiffs lawyer told Yahoo News that he hopes to link it to the incidents at recent rallies to show a pattern of intimidation by the campaigns security apparatus.

The lawyer, Benjamin Dictor, said Monday that his client, Efrain Galicia, is suing Trump, his campaign and his longtime security chief, Keith Schiller, over the fight on the sidewalk outside Trumps signature New York skyscraper, Trump Tower.

As captured on video at the time, Schiller, a former New York City police officer who is now on Trumps campaign payroll, punched Galicia in the face in a tussle over a sign that read Trump: Make America Racist Again.



Galicia and four other plaintiffs charge that this constituted assault and battery and a violation of their free speech rights. Without ruling on the underlying claims, a New York judge has already ruled that Schiller, whose title is director of security, provoked the incident, according to court papers reviewed by Yahoo News. Dictor said his clients are actively seeking evidence they believe will prove a broader point: that the Republican frontrunner has authorized his security personnel to routinely use force in dealing with political protests, as shown by the recent blowups at campaign rallies.

A Trump bodyguard with demonstrator Efrain Galicia, left, outside Trump Tower in New York last September. (Photo: Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock)

Were right now in the middle of discovery, and all incidents of the use of force by Trump and his security are on the table, Dictor said in a telephone interview.

Story continues

Alan Garten, executive vice president and general counsel of the Trump Organization, called the lawsuit baseless and said the recent clashes at Trump campaign rallies were irrelevant because they took place after the incident.

As for the alleged assault, he said Schiller was acting in self-defense after Galicia attacked him from behind and physically grabbed him  possibly going for his gun  while Schiller was trying to peacefully re-enter the Trump headquarters.

Ive yet to see any evidence these individuals suffered any damages, Garten added. Id love to know how they suffered.

The incident dates back to the days after Trump announced his candidacy for presidency on June 16, 2015, declaring his intention to build a wall against rapists entering the country from Mexico. Galicia, who has been identified as a Mexican immigrant in news accounts, said in a court affidavit that he was deeply offended by the statements, leading him and his four fellow plaintiffs to demonstrate on the sidewalk outside Trump Tower on July 3, 2015, and again on Aug. 9, 2015. Although a Trump security guard initially told them it was private property and that they should leave, Galicia said he insisted he was on a public sidewalk, and a New York police officer allowed them to remain without incident.

But when the protesters returned with their signs on Sept. 3, they faced Trump security guards, who grabbed their signs and put them on the ground, according to Galicias affidavit. When Galicia attempted to set them back up, Schiller, the Trump security chief, rushed towards me and grabbed the signs, tearing one up and taking back the other one as he returned to the building.

Galicia says he rushed after Schiller to retrieve the sign and reached for it from behind. As I reached for the sign, Schiller turned around and punched me in the head, knocking me backward, Galicia claims. Video of the incident shows Galicia with his arm around Schillers waist, when Schiller turns and hits him. As Galicia falls backward, another man believed to be a Trump security guard grabs him in what the lawsuit alleges is a chokehold.

Garten, the Trump lawyer, said the security guards were well within their rights to remove the protest signs because they were blocking public access to Trump Tower. They had created a barrier to the building with the signs, he said. They had created a dangerous situation. Nobody was trying to interfere with anybodys First Amendment rights.

But the plaintiffs have already won the first round in a court in the Bronx, where one of them lives. The judge in the case, Fernando Tapia, granted a preliminary injunction barring Trump and his security officials from blocking the demonstrators from protesting on the sidewalk outside the Trump Tower. In doing so, he concluded that it was Schiller, not Galicia, who was primarily at fault in the confrontation. While noting that there was a balance between the rights of a property owner and the rights of individuals to peacefully demonstrate, Tapia wrote on Oct. 8, that balance was disrupted when Director of Security Schiller found it incumbent upon himself to approach the protesters and take their signs resulting in a confrontation, which, given the potentially volatile nature of the atmosphere, he provoked.

What Schiller should have done, he continued, was consult with the New York Police Department  something he should have known given his 20 years of experience as a police officer.

Whats more, through the conduct of their agents, defendants [Trump, the Trump for President Campaign and the Trump Organization as well as Schiller] have cast a chilling pall over the plaintiffs fundamental rights to freely assemble and be heard, Tapia concluded.
With lyrics like "Let the ashes fall/Forget about me" and "I think it's time to walk away," the song certainly sounds like the last gasps of a romance, and James agrees that it could be interpreted that way. "Y'know, it has that about it; it has that sentiment," he tells ABC Radio. "But I didnt write it about a breakup as such, you know. It was kind of my quite sort of heavy response to just a difficult patch in a relationship."

James says "Let It Go" was really about his desire to fix things between him and his partner. He says he was "wanting to sort of get rid of all the kind of sadness and sort of grim times that we'd come to: getting a bit lost and away from each other and wanting to sort of, like the song says, let it go and move on."

"You know, maybe get back to what we had," he adds. "Or move on to something new and something a bit clearer. Thats kind of where the song came from for me."

We don't know if James and the object of his affection ended up breaking up or not, but he says that if "Let It Go" makes things easier for you if your love life is on the rocks, well, that's great.

"You know, musics about individuals perceiving it in the way that they want to and relating to it in the way that they want to," he tells ABC Radio. "So, you know, if it helps people through breakups...cool!"

James is currently on tour in Europe, but he'll return to North American next month for more tour dates. Meanwhile, he's recorded an exclusive "live in the studio" version of his song "Running" to raise money for the U.K.'s SportRelief charity. Since 2002, the charity has raised more than 300 million dollars for the world's poorest communities and those in need across the U.K.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
President Barack Obama (Photo: AP)

During the trip to Cuba, President Obama is set to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro. The two leaders first met face-to-face during a summit in Panama last year.

Obama said he would meet with Cuban President Raul Castro "to discuss how we can continue normalizing relations." The President added, "I'll speak candidly about our serious differences with the Cuban government, including on democracy and human rights.

The two nations made a surprise announcement in December 2014 that they would move to reopen ties. Washington and Havana restored diplomatic ties, but commerce remains limited by the US trade embargo, which includes a ban on American tourism to the island./.
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
Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva says she hopes the political situation in the country will became stable by the end of the current week, and this will help restart cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"The situation on the financial market now is more or less stable. We hope that the political situation will also become stable this week. The government  be it old or new  will continue working, and we'll be able to restart cooperation with the IMF," she said after a meeting with heads of Ukraine's largest banks, the NBU press service said.
The government of Japan has granted Ukraine $335,000 under five projects in the sphere of education and health care in four regions of Ukraine  Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Cherkasy regions.

The signing ceremony of relevant agreements with the participation of Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi took place in Kyiv on Tuesday.

"Our government has previously helped Ukraine in the defense sector, and now we have begun to support projects aimed at ensuring the safety of every person. I am confident that for the sake of defense one should not curtail programs aimed at educating or stepping up safety of each person, or aimed at improving medical services and children's education," the ambassador said.

The grants cover five projects. An ultrasonic diagnostic device will be bought for Rohotyn central district hospital and Katerynopil central regional hospital each. Four monitors for patients, hematology and blood chemistry analyzers will be purchased for Lviv regional children's hospital. Some kindergartens in the city of Uzhgorod will get kitchen appliances.

As was reported earlier, last year Japan provided Ukraine with financial support worth $1.85 billion for stabilization of the macroeconomic situation and the facilitation of reforms.
Luhansk region military and civil administration head Georgy Tuka says his office and PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia will sign a memorandum on Tuesday to build a new 45-kilometer-long railway line in Luhansk region.

"Today we will sign a memorandum with Ukrzaliznytsia on the construction of a line that will connect the areas adjacent to the contact line [in Donbas] and Ukrainian-controlled regions," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Tuka said that the construction of this 45-kilometer-long branch is important for the development of agriculture, as there are six large grain storage facilities in that area. Transportation of grain by road in this area is complicated.
Ukraine to sign contracts by October to merge cross-border gas pipelines with Slovakia, Poland and Romania

The Cabinet of Ministers expects to sign by October 1, 2016 an agreement on the merger of cross-border gas pipelines (interconnection agreements) with Slovakia, Poland, and Romania.

This will boost the technical ability to reverse gas supplies from Europe to Ukraine, says the Cabinet's Action Plan for 2016, which was posted on the government's website on Tuesday.

As reported, PJSC Ukrtransgaz and the Hungarian operator FGSZ on May 29, 2015 signed an interconnection agreement between Ukraine and Hungary. Interconnector capacity in the direction of Hungary is 26 billion cubic meters per year. Pumping capacity in the direction of Ukraine capacity is 6.1 billion cubic meters per year.

The signing of an interconnection agreement with European operators is a necessary first step to bring business relationship in line with European legislation. In order to ensure full-fledged cooperation between adjacent operators, including Russian gas giant Gazprom, should provide Ukrtransgaz with information on gas flows through Ukraine to Europe (shipper codes).

  
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in April plans to finish work on the credit register via amending bill No. 3111, Deputy NBU Governor Kateryna Rozhkova has said.

"The work on the credit register is underway. Representatives of banks and bank associations on March 18 are scheduled to discuss it. The work will be finalized via amending bill No. 3111 in April," the NBU's press service said, citing Rozhkova.

Rozhkova said the NBU would continue to work on credit risks provisions.

"We want to discuss it with banks and the Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine at the end of next week. It will be approved at an NBU Board's meeting in April. The measure will take effect no later than September 1. The core principles and approaches have been defined. They have not particularly changed. In fact, we're specifying some things to close all gaps," she said.

She said additional capitalization plans have been approved for the top ten Ukrainian banks. The central bank plans to finalize plans for the second 10-bank tier in April.
GSK Ukraine seeks to register new vaccines to remove shortage of pertussis vaccines

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ukraine LLC (GSK Ukraine) seeks to register new vaccines in Ukraine to remove a temporary shortage of pertussis vaccines.

"GSK Ukraine many times in 2014-2015 informed Ukraine's Health Ministry on the situation with supplies. GSK Ukraine plans to register new vaccines, which will be able to improve the situation with supplies of vaccines containing pertussis components, in Ukraine," the company told Interfax-Ukraine.

The company said that there is shortage of pertussis vaccines because governments have introduced new government-sponsored pertussis vaccination programs.

"Additionally, the vaccination figures under the current government-sponsored programs in different countries are growing. The increased global demand for vaccines and the restricted production capacity caused the projected temporary restriction of supplies of some vaccines made by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. containing pertussis component to Ukraine," GSK Ukraine said.

The company said that GSK is taking part in tenders announced by authorized international organizations, although the names of the medicines cannot be disclosed before the tenders are finished.
ATO headquarters accuses militants of provocation, denies attacks on Russian and Chinese journalists in Zaitseve

Militants and Russian media have disseminated false information about mortar attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces on Zaitseve village (Donetsk region), where Russian and Chinese journalists fell under fire, anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters reported on Monday.

"We officially declare that escalation in Zaitseve is observed on militants' side", the ATO headquarters press center wrote on its Facebook page.

In a statement, the ATO headquarters regretted that Ukrainian media also disseminated this fake news.

"In its turn, ATO headquarters closely monitors all the changes on the ground on this [Zaitseve] direction. Thus, three mortal attacks coming from the side of illegal armed groups were recorded (19 mortar shells were fired); besides, various types of grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms were repeatedly used," the statement said.

Despite attacks on its positions, Ukrainian military adhered to Minsk agreements and withheld fire, the ATO headquarters stressed.

"Therefore, reports of alleged attacks on Zaitseve village are another pre-planned provocation of Russian mercenaries. Illegal armed groups disseminate false information about the situation on the ground on a regular basis," the ATO headquarters added.
Obama in talk with Putin emphasizes need to observe ceasefire in Ukraine

U.S. President Barack Obama in a telephone talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin drew attention to the necessity for self-proclaimed Donetsk/Luhansk People's Republics to observe ceasefire in Ukraine, White House said.

"President Obama emphasized the need for combined Russian-separatist forces to implement the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine," according to a readout of the U.S. president's talk with Putin.

Moreover, Obama stressed on importance "to provide monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with unfettered access to separatist-controlled areas, including the Russia-Ukraine border."
Polish Tu-154 wreckage not to be given to Warsaw until probe ends

The wreckage of the Polish presidential Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft that crashed near Smolensk cannot be given to the Polish side until the completion of the investigation, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax.

"Naturally, the wreckage of the aircraft which is material evidence in the criminal case cannot be given to the Polish side until the end of the investigation not only in line with Russian Criminal Law of Procedure but also the international law," Markin said.

"Representatives of the Polish Defense Ministry may of course have failed to know, but should have asked their colleagues, Polish prosecutors, before making public statements in order not to look like clown in eyes of the whole world," Markin said.

From the very start of the investigation into the Tu-154 crash near Smolensk Russian investigators work in close cooperation with the Polish side, he said.

"Close business-like relations have established between us for this period of time. The Polish side sent a large number of legal requests that require holding solid investigative actions and examinations," he said.
Kuala Lumpur thinks it is necessary to set up an international expert team to look into causes of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 crash in Ukraine, Malaysian Senate President Abu Zahar Ujang has said.

"Malaysia is urging the international community to create a professional expert team, which would carry this investigation to the end in an unbiased, professional and independent manner and would find out the whole truth," he told reporters on Tuesday, after a meeting with Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko in Kuala Lumpur.

"This is why Malaysia is asking all members of the international community to apply their expertise and to provide the entirety of information and skills to hold an unbiased and objective inquiry and to prevent similar tragedies in the future," he said.

A similar tragedy could have befallen a plane from any country, so all governments, "especially those whose citizens were involved in that tragedy, must do their best and bring this investigation to the end," the Malaysian Senate president said.

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. The crash killed 298 persons.
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has called on Russia to immediately release Savchenko and other Ukrainian nationals illegally detained, including Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko, a press service of the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine reported.

"I call on Russia to immediately release Nadia Savchenko and other Ukrainian nationals who have been illegally detained and held in custody in violation of the Minsk agreements," a press service quotes Wallstrom as saying.

The foreign chief also said that Swedish Embassy in Moscow is following Savchenko's trial in the court room, and "encouraged others to do the same."

"Russia must respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and international law. The right to a fair trial is a basic human right," Wallstrom stressed.

Savchenko has been illegally detained since June 2014. A verdict is expected on 2122 March."
Russian consul in Ukraine Alexei Gruby has said the disappearance Yuriy Hrabovsky, the lawyer for Russian special security officer Alexander Alexandrov, is suspicious and expressed concern for Hrabovsky's health and well being.

Journalists attending hearings at the Holosiyivsky District Court of Kyiv on Tuesday asked Gruby about Hrabovsky. Gruby replied: "The disappearance of a person and the decision to open an investigation about premeditated murder  Many of my colleagues and I have expressed our fears."

Gruby told Interfax-Ukraine that the situation involving Hrabovsky is peculiar. "We hope that he is alive and in good health, but we are not sure of this."

The Russian consul related a series of events which transpired after February 23, including the seizure of materials belonging to Alexandrov and the cancellation of two court hearings. He said the events indicate that Hrabovsky's disappearance was not a coincidence.

"At the same time, shenanigans involving Yerofeyev's lawyer Oksana Sokolovskaya represent an attempt to exert psychological influence on the defense lawyers. Alexandrov's former defense attorney, Mr. Kravchuk, was also attacked in August by unknown people," Gruby said.

As reported earlier, Kyiv's Holosiyivsky District Court on March 9 rescheduled hearings in a criminal case against two Russian special security force officers Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov to March 15, due to absence of lawyer Hrabovsky. During the court hearing, Yerofeyev's lawyer Sokolovskaya said she was unable to contact Hrabovsky.

Sokolovskaya said in a message posted to her Facebook page that the note allegedly written by Hrabovsky saying he was leaving Ukraine was not written by him. According to Sokolovskaya, Hrabovsky remains in Ukraine, because this is where his foreign passport is.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has received Spain's refusal to extradite ex-Finance Minister Yuriy Kolobov. The PGO will appeal the decision.

"Yes, we have received an official refusal of extradition," Head of the PGO Special Investigations Department Serhiy Horbatiuk told Interfax-Ukraine.

Horbatiuk said this was the response to the PGO's request and that the decision is not final.

"We will again appeal for extradition," he added.

Kolobov is suspected of committing a criminal offense under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement of property, abuse of office). He was arrested in the resort town of Altea in the autonomous region of Valencia (Spain) in early March 2015.
Kyiv prepares 'Savchenko list' in coordination with Brussels, Washington - Poroshenko in talks with Linkevicius

Ukraine is preparing a list of sanctions against those individuals involved in the illegal detention and trial of Ukrainian servicewoman and parliament deputy Nadiya Savchenko, in coordination with the EU and the United States, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said at a meeting with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius.

"Ukraine is coordinating the preparation of the "Savchenko list" of sanctions with the EU and the United States," Poroshenko's press secretary Sviatoslav Tseholko wrote on Twitter.

At the same time, the information posted on the presidential website states that during the meeting in Kyiv the president praised Lithuania's efforts to support the release of the Ukrainian pilot.

"The parties have coordinated the preparation of the 'Savchenko list' of sanctions," the statement says.
A man displays taxi-hailing app Didi Dache on his smartphone.(File photo)

The arrival of ride hailing services such as Uber and China's Didi, have shaken up the taxi and car hire sector in a big way.

More and more Chinese people are enjoying both the convenience of the new services and the cheaper prices they often bring. However, It's not been such good news for traditional taxi operators.

But help may be at hand. China's transport authority has said it's working on a plan to create a fairer competition environment for both old and new players in the market.

Wang is a taxi driver in his fifties. He's been driving cabs in Beijing for a long time.

He says he made a loss in the first two months of this year, and estimates he'll see another loss in March.

"Last year, since the popularity of the app, it has become harder and harder to make money. Previously, I could earn 400 or even 500 yuan a day. But now my daily income is around 300 yuan."

Drivers have to pay a fixed amount every month, which includes the government's portion of franchise fees, vehicle depreciation, insurance and management fees, regardless of how much they earn. Wang says the monthly fee imposed on taxi drivers is a heavy burden.

"5,500 yuan (per month). That is about 200 yuan per day. I think we're overcharged. Taxi companies should cut the fee, and the government should take some action. "

In addition, traditional taxi companies have to pay municipal authorities in order to get licenses to operate their business. Those costs are also passed on to the drivers.

The new high tech arrivals in the sector, the ride-sharing services such as Uber and Didi are exempted from such fees as well as other regulations.

Liu Xiaoming, head of Transport Service Department of the Ministry of Transport, says they are aware of the inequality.

"If only traditional taxi drivers have to pay the fee, obviously, it would create an unfair competition environment between old and new players. Therefore, we have made it clear that the right to operate taxis must be free of charges within a limited period."

Liu says they would like to ease the burden on traditional taxi drivers, and encourage them to gain a larger market share by providing a better service.

The official added, to reach that goal, the authorities are planning to establish a mechanism through which taxi drivers can bargain with the companies over monthly fees. He said the scheme would involve many stakeholders.

"Industry associations, enterprises, taxi drivers, trade unions and the governments, among which three players are expected to play more important roles, namely trade unions, industry associations and the governments."

Liu believes the involvement of all those players will help reach a reasonable consensus over monthly fees so as to ensure sustainable development of the taxi market.

In response to the plan, many taxi drivers, including Wang, have called for a stronger role for trade unions to better voice their concerns.
Liu Hainian, head of the human rights research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, addresses a news conference on Monday on US human rights.[Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]

The United States' confrontational attitude toward China on human rights serves only its national interests, and it also harms global governance and the cause of international human rights, China's top human rights researchers said.

In a news conference in Beijing on Monday that was organized by State Council Information Office, four human rights researchers from think tanks and a university criticized the US for duplicity on the human rights issue.

The US, 10 other Western countries and Japan released a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday. The statement expressed their concerns over what it called "the deteriorating human rights record" in China, saying that Beijing has not only contravened its own laws but also breached its commitments to the international community.

'Selective blindness'

Liu Hainian, director of the human rights research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US is selectively blind to its own human rights problems, as well those of its allies, in racial and gender discrimination, gun violence, the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and illegal monitoring of citizens' private activities.

"The US' invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and its subversive movements in North Africa and the Middle East, directly harm local residents' human rights," said Liu.

The UN replaced the former Commission on Human Rights with the current Human Rights Council in 2006 to promote joint efforts in human rights protection and to avoid politicizing such efforts. Since then, the US has attempted 11 times to pass an anti-China resolution in the council. But all of these attempts have failed because of opposition from most member states.

'Cold War mindset'

"The US regards human rights as a political and diplomatic tool to realize its own purposes, as it did toward the Soviet Union after World War II," said Chang Jian, director of the human rights research center at Nankai University in Tianjin. "The Cold War strategy and mindset are outdated. The decline of its national power, especially in comparison with China, makes the US decision-makers nervous and they resort to their old tricks," Chang added.

Liu Huawen, a researcher of international law at CASS, said, "China is committed to peaceful development, constantly improving its human rights conditions and strengthening dialogue and cooperation with the other countries on human rights.

"But the US stands on the wrong side of history," he added. "What it wants is confrontation. The US has not yet signed some UN treaties in protecting children's, women's and disabled people's rights. It is ridiculous that it still plays the role of a judge of international human rights."

Li Yunlun, a professor of international studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, said: "China faces up to its problems in human rights. China's poverty alleviation project will help the poorest citizens, and the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), if it comes true, will see comprehensive progress in China's human rights conditions.
(File Photo)

The second C28A corvette made by China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, officially began use in the Algerian Navy on March 10.

Senior officials, including Ahmed Gaid Salah, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, attended the ceremony for the commission.

In 2012, Algerian military officials signed a contract with China for the construction of three C28A corvettes to be fitted with Chinese and Western systems. This is the second corvette to enter service, following the first in November 2015.

According to China Ship News, all three C28A corvettes are being constructed to the specifications of Lloyd's Register, a maritime classification societya first for Chinese shipbuilders. New technologies and equipment were used, leading to improved comprehensive performance for the vessels.

The C28A corvettes are around 120 meters long, 14.4 meters wide, and have a draft of 3.87 meters. Powered by MTU diesel engines, the warships feature some stealth elements, including the placement of their exhaust funnels by the waterline in order to reduce the infrared signature.

Each vessel is equipped with a stationary helicopter base, which can carry the Super Lynx military helicopters developed by AgustaWestland.

All the C28A corvettes are equipped with Chinese weapons systems, including eight C-802 anti-ship missiles, a FM-90N launcher for short-range HQ-7 surface-to-air missiles, an H/PJ-26 76-millimeter main gun, two sets of Type 730 CIWS and two triple-tube 324-millimeter torpedo launchers.

The corvettes are also fitted with Western electronic equipment and Smart-SMk2 radar systems from the French defense company Thales. However, all sensitive components and software will be installed only after the vessels have been delivered to Algeria, according to Britains Jane's Defence Weekly.
China has an advantage in the South China Sea because of the country's strong engineering capability, said an expert on American affairs in an interview.

The West has long challenged Chinas foreign policy when it comes to the South China Sea, questioning Chinas decision to build military facilities in the area. In an interview with Haiwainet.cn, an official website of People's Daily Overseas Edition, Jin Canrong, an expert on American affairs and Assistant Dean of the Department of International Relations at Chinas Renmin University, said that the facilities are meant to help residents of the islands, as well as international boats in the region.

Of course, China also maintains military facilities in the region for the purpose of self-defense  a reasonable move, according to Jin.

Jin said that the ongoing presence and influence of the U.S. in the South China Sea disputes provides strong impetus for China to build basic defensive facilities.

According to Jin, what the U.S. has done in the region is consumptive, whereas China's activities in the region are constructive and profitable.
Bursting out on March 15, 2011, the Syria Civil War has lasted five years under intervention from many countries. The 5-year war brings hunger, death and displacement to Syrians. According to statistics released by the United Nations, the war has caused over 250,000 deaths, injured over 1 million people, deprived over 6.5 million people of their settlements and rendered nearly 4.5 people seek asylum out of Syria.

Russia and the U.S. reached a deal to enforce ceasefire in Syria on Feb. 22, 2016. Since the agreement came into effect on Feb. 27, the number of violent incidents has dramatically dropped. United Nations-mediated peace talks have started in Geneva between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and representatives of Syrian opposition factions on March 14, 2016.
The annual session of China's national political advisory body came to a close on Monday. Members approved a resolution, vowing to continue to contribute to building a moderately prosperous society.

More active participation, with more targeted proposals. CPPCC members submitted 5,300 proposals this year. Over 40 percent focused on economic reform. CPPCC chairman Yu Zhengsheng stressed that this is a key task this year.

"We must give advice and support development during the 13th five year plan period, making it our major task,"

"We will implement the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, focus on major issues in economic and social development, and difficult issues in deepening reform and key issues in boosting innovation," said Yu.

CPPCC members also highlight economic reform as a priority.

"My deepest feeling was President Xi Jinping has joined many of the groups at the CPPCC. He visited the trade and commercial group on the first day,"

"He showed a focus on economic work, and gave confidence to both state-owned and private enterprises," said CPPCC member Wan Jie.

Members said the meeting was encouraging. This owner of a private eye hospital group vowed to contribute more to the national targeted poverty relief effort.

"We are deeply encouraged that the central government has very big decision to change our economy and social developments. We are going to make innovation on science and technology to change their life," said CPPCC member He Wei.

The CPPCC members, chosen from all sectors of society, say they will carry out their supervision duty, helping the government to turn its words into action.

Now the top advisory body session has ended by 2020.
Last Friday, Ambassador Fu Cong, Chinas deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, refuted the accusations on China's human rights situations by the United States on behalf of Japan and a few other countries during the 31st session of the UN human rights council, calling that the "universal values" U.S. boasts of are merely "national interest" under a gorgeous coat.

Fu made it clear that infringement upon Chinas judicial sovereignty would not be accepted. He stressed that combating illegal and criminal activities in accordance with law falls within the judicial sovereignty of China and no one shall go beyond the law in the name of "human rights defenders".

Fu took the opportunity to remark on the human rights problems of the United States. He referred to Guantanamo Bay, gun violence, and deep-rooted racism in American society. Meanwhile, Americans human rights abuse abroad was also mentioned. The United States conducts large-scale extraterritorial surveillances; its use of drones caused a huge number of civilian casualties, including foreign nationals; its military troops in foreign countries commit rape and murder of local people. The ambassador was quoted saying.

Fu also noted that the Japanese Government, up till now, still tries every means to deny its war crime and refuses to take the responsibility. Historians have long argued that the Japanese militarism has conscripted hundreds of thousands of "comfort women" and committed serious crimes against humanity during the Second World War.
China firmly opposes and definitely does not accept the US-led criticism of Chinas human rights record, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei, refuting the accusations from a couple of Western countries at a press conference on March 11.

The criticism, under an excuse of the human rights issue, not only severely interferes in China's domestic affairs and judicial sovereignty, but also breaches the rule of law, Hong said.

Recently, the US and 11 other Western countries issued a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council, expressing concerns about individual cases in China and criticizing China's human rights record. But the accusations were not supported by most countries, especially among developing countries.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach for the development of human rights, so every country is entitled to advance its human rights cause in light of its national conditions, realities and people's requirements, the Spokesperson said.

Analysts stressed that the Western countries adopted a double standard in human rights issue by ignoring others progress while covering up their own deficits. They took their own interests and preference as the starting points when looking at human rights progress. The welfare agenda is therefore turned into a geopolitical tool. It goes against the actual concerns of many countries.

For example, the Western countries usually turned a blind eye to Chinas progress in enhancing the rule of law, reducing poverty and eliminating education and medical inequality, but put more attention on appeals against the political system filed by a few dissidents. Moreover, they tend to ignore their own human rights problems.

The UN Human Rights Council, in an inspection last May, found that the US had taken few actions to address the issues that were pointed out in the last inspection. As a result, some problems are becoming even worse.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to promoting and protecting human rights, integrates the universality of human rights with the realities of China, blazes a trail of human rights development with Chinese characteristics and has made notable progress. Hong introduced the efforts that China has made.

It is necessary to enhance cooperation and coordination between countries on human rights, but some Western countries use the issue as an excuse to interfere in others domestic affairs. Such double standards and politicization will only intensify conflicts, analysts pointed out.

Provoking confrontation at the Human Rights Council, the US and a few other countries gravely violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, aggravated confrontation and soured the atmosphere which went against all parties' interests, said Hong.
San Francisco, Mar. 14--The ongoing annual political sessions in China set this year's growth target, boosting the confidence of the Chinese companies investing in the United States, said Ben Chen, president of west region operation at China Unicom Americas.

In Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's government work report delivered at the two sessions, China set the target of growth rate ranging from 6.5 to 7 percent, following 6.9 percent GDP growth in 2015. "We pay great attentions to the 'two sessions', especially news about economic policies," said Hui Zhao, vice president at China Telecom Americas.

Zhao said that he is quite interested in "supply-side" structural reforms. "I noted that one aspect of the reform is to facilitate informatization and internet plus, which is quite relevant to our business." Compared to stimulating demand, which tends to be short-lived, supply-side reforms are expected to generate sustainable, quality growth.

Yong Wang, president of Huahong International Americas, told the Peoples Daily Online that "Internet of Things" and "Smart home" mentioned in the government work report are now the opportunities for many technology companies seeking huge potentials. "From this year's CES, I noticed that Chinese companies are playing active roles in these areas. I believe that many companies will benefit from this trend."

"I expect that China's travel industry will gain a strong momentum. Premier Li mentioned travel several times in his report, which indicates the importance of tourism in developing service industry." Charlie Zhang, president of China Youth Travel Service, said that "During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States last year, he announced that 2016 is set to be U.S.-China Tourism Year. Travel and tourism is the United States largest export services industry. And Chinese tourists' average individual expense in the U.S. reached 6000-7000 U.S. dollars in 2015. With the launch of the tourism year, this industry will definitely see a great leap."

With more and more Chinese companies "going global", they have made more Chinese voice heard overseas. Len Auletto, CMO at Daily Journal Corporation in Northern California told the reporter that "I felt that we worry too much. China is a country with many challenges not the least being the desire of a large population longing for the same things people across the globe want--a better life for themselves and their children."

While in the eyes of Charles Fan, CTO of Cheetah Mobile, "China's two sessions not only showcase the opportunities and achievements, but also frankly state our difficulties and challenges. It shows to the world our sincerity."
SYDNEY, March 15, (People's Daily Online)  With the deepening of China-Australia bilateral relationship, an increasing number of Australians are yearning for more information about China. The annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee have become significant windows for Australians to understand China. A fair number of Australians experts who focus on China's two sessions have spoken highly of China's new normal.

Professor Bob Carr, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, who is also former Australian foreign minister, told People's Daily Online that China's economy entering a stage of a new normal is very positive.

He said that as the economy matures, the growth rate will slow down. This has happened to all economies in the transition period. China's economy is maturing which means lower annual growth rate is reasonable.

Professor Carr pointed out that China's 13th Five-Year Plan highlights innovation and quality in the context of growth of service sector and rapid development of private consumption. The 13th Five-Year Plan confirms and consolidates economic restructuring, which signifies China is at the crossroad of becoming a moderately prosperous society.

It creates great opportunities for Australia to export foods and services to China. The annual number of Chinese tourists visiting Australia has exceeded 1 million. China has become the biggest source of foreign students in Australia. Professor Carr believed that tourism and education are great export goods, which are also driving forces for deepening the relationship between Australia and China.

The lower targets are based on the realities of the slow global economic recovery, especially in the more advanced industrialised countries such as the US, European Union, Japan, etc., where China in the past had depended as its export markets, said Dr Jingdong Yuan, associate professor of the University of Sydney.

New areas that can generate both employment and sustain a decent growth rate are in the service sector, health providers including medical and old age care, environment such as green energy, among others, he said.

In Dr Yuan's point of view, GDP growth, especially the kind of growth at higher cost and inefficient input-output ratio, is no longer the only goal of Chinas economy. The growth should be guided and encouraged through monetary and fiscal policies and taxation, and balanced growth across sectors will generate sustained growth over time.
Photo: E-commerce in rural areas

Online marketplace giant Alibaba on Tuesday announced the company has sealed an agreement with China Communist Youth League, a CPC reserve force, to train 1 million teenagers to take e-commerce to rural areas.

Alibaba will earmark 1 billion yuan (154 million U.S. dollars) to support college graduates who want to return to their hometowns to start businesses. The agreement signifies that more rural youth can receive help to jumpstart online businesses, being offered training, funds and partnerships.

With an increasing number of farmers selling produce online, e-commerce is developing quickly in rural China. Service stations have been set up in villages to help those who lack the necessary skills to buy and sell online. Villagers nowadays can order goods at the stations and return a few days later to pick up their packages.

China's online sales remained strong in 2015, jumping 33.3 percent to 3.88 trillion yuan (around 0.6 trillion U.S. dollars). Online sales in rural areas grew at double the pace of urban areas. Rural shoppers, who account for nearly one-third of the total, spent 195 million yuan (around 30 million U.S. dollars) online last year.
Several China Mobiles branches across the country have closed their 3G-only base stations, as the telecoms giant is shifting its focus to 4G, according to caixin.com.

Insider from China Mobile said the decision was not made by the companys head office, but was an act of local branches on their own in certain provinces.

However, China mobile has decided to phase out its TD-SCDMA standard 3G network, and put more resources into developing TD-LTE standard 4G service, the insider added.

The closed base stations only support TD-SCDMA, Chinas homegrown 3G network, which is jointly endorsed by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China Mobile, and another national telecoms giant China Unicom. In 2000, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved TD-SCDMA as one of the three international 3G network standards, along with the European WCDMA standard and the American CDMA2000 standard.

China Mobile has been burdened with the running of TD-SCDMA since 2009. It has invested a total of 200 billion yuan (around 30.7 billion USD) into the network, and headlines have it recently that these money has come to naught.

The government-backed standard never became popular with China Mobiles subscribers, said caixin.com. In 2013, China Mobiles 3G network averaged a download speed of 2.8 megabits per second, while China's Unicom's was 21 m/s and China Telecom's was 3.1 m/s.

Within five years of its development, the TD-SCDMA standard network has only accounted for 23 percent of the firms total data traffic, whereas the year-old TD-LTE standard 4G network has handled 39 percent. The shutting down of TD-SCDMA base stations may thus signifies an end of the Chinas self-owned standard.
Photo: United Nations Security Council voted for sanctions against North Korea.

China has always been clear about its disapproval of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, but recent provocative actions are leaving it with little room for diplomatic maneuvering.

Beijing recently shifted its stance on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Its earlier opposition to the program was largely limited to rhetoric, but recently it has worked with the United States in the UN Security Council to pass tough new sanctions against the country. This comes after Pyongyang tested a nuclear bomb in January and ballistic missiles in March.

The strongest package of UN sanctions against the country in two decades adds to economic penalties imposed by the United States, South Korea and Japan. The resolution unanimously passed on March 2 stresses that if Pyongyang continues testing nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles, the UN would "take further significant measures."

After years of disagreement, Beijing and Washington have started to see eye-to-eye on how Pyongyang should be reigned in because they have shared interests. For its part, China regards stability on the Korean Peninsula as a primary interest.

The U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, Wendy Sherman, told Caixin in January that China's sending of a clear signal to Pyongyang that abandoning its nuclear program is a top priority would go a long way in helping resolve the problem.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, recently outlined three priorities regarding the Korean Peninsula. At the top of the agenda is removing all nuclear weapons  no matter whether they were made locally or imported  from both the North and the South. Next, is an agreement that the issue cannot be resolved by force because this may lead to war and regional instability, which Beijing cannot allow. Finally, China's own national security interests must be maintained and protected.

The UN resolution is bound to affect the relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang, Wang said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on February 25, but it is needed to achieve the goal of denuclearization on the peninsula. This can be seen as sending a strong message to Pyongyang: The need for denuclearization cannot be challenged.

As North Korea's biggest neighbor  and one with long and strong ties to it  and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has the responsibility to defuse tensions in its backyard.

Pyongyang's recent actions have aroused more heated public debate on China's social media sites than in the past. The shockwaves triggered by the nuclear test  cracks were found in Chinese playgrounds near the border  and the possibility of radiation pollution have prompted the public to question China's ties with its isolated neighbor.

In the past, Beijing called its relationship with Pyongyang a "friendship sealed in blood." These close ties frayed a little in 1992, when Beijing established diplomatic relations with Seoul. Beijing's push to forge diplomatic links with countries that have different ideologies and political systems and its growing role on the international stage has caused the rift to widen.

Over the past two decades, and with each North Korean nuclear or ballistic missile test, the North's fragile ties with the international community have deteriorated further. During Kim Jong-il's reign, from 1994 to 2011, these incidents did little to hurt the country's relations with China or put an end to regular state trips by leaders from both sides. However, since Kim Jong-un took over in 2011, the number of high-level exchanges has fallen off significantly.

This cooling of ties is also linked to the gap in development of the two countries. China continues to move forward, assuming a bigger international role in accordance with its strength. Meanwhile, growth in North Korea has stagnated as the country continues to adhere to its "military first" policy, which sees it divert all available resources to its armed forces, even at the risk of economic collapse.

Although some older people may feel nostalgia for the close cooperation the two countries enjoyed during the Korean War (1950-1953), young Chinese are more pragmatic and find it difficult to identify with a nation they see as both foolish and offensive.

The relationship between China and North Korea has reached a point where it must adapt to the demands of the international community and public opinion. Beijing's support for the UN sanctions is a good starting point, and now it must show Pyongyang that it is determined to follow through. After all, the first victim of instability in North Korea would be China.
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesThe estate of Michael Jackson is about to get a lot richer, as the Sony corporation has agreed buy out the late King of Pop's 50-percent share of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog for $750 million. Sony/ATV is a joint venture Jackson and Sony entered into in 1995 that, according to The New York Times, encompasses more than 1 million copyrights, including about 250 Beatles songs.

Forbes reports that the $750 million will be the most lucrative single payout ever to a music artist, besting the $620 million rap mogul Dr. Dre made when Apple purchased his Beats by Dre company in 2014. The deal is expected to close on March 31.

As The New York Times points out, Jackson decided to buy the ATV publishing catalog, which owned many Beatles songs, after Paul McCartney mentioned to him how valuable music publishing is. MJ purchased the company in 1985 for more than $40 million. He then sold half of his share to Sony for about $100 million in 1995 in the deal that created Sony/ATV.

"This transaction further allows us to continue our efforts of maximizing the value of Michael's Estate for the benefit of his children," says the estate's co-executors, John Branca and John McClain. "It also further validates Michael's foresight and genius in investing in music publishing. His ATV cataloguewas the cornerstone of the joint venture and, as evidenced by the value of this transaction, is considered one of the smartest investments in music history."

Jackson's estate will continue to control the King of Pop's master recordings, as well as the Mijac Music publishing company, which owns the songs Michael wrote and well as compositions by other famous songwriters that the legendary entertainer purchased over the years. It also will to continue to maintain an interest in the EMI Music Publishing company.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic spoke to the organizers and participants of the IV Global Baku Forum, the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan told Trend.

The Fourth Global Baku Forum titled "Towards a Multipolar World" was held March 10-11.

The Forum was organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center in partnership with the Interaction Council, the Club of Madrid, Library of Alexandria, the Club of Rome and World Academy of Science and Culture.

Over 300 delegates from 53 countries attended the forum.

The two-day forum focused on relevant issues such as the role of interreligious dialogue in conflict prevention, migration, multiculturalism, integration and global security. The forum's agenda also included prospects for energy and global management issues.

The Croatian president expressed gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for the contribution to cooperation and understanding between different cultures and countries.

In Azerbaijan, Baku, there is an atmosphere of multi-ethnic trust and respect, she said.

The Fourth Global Baku Forum is a great initiative and opportunity to adhere to this principle, according to her.

As someone who supports unity and dialogue in all areas, Grabar-Kitarovic said that she supports forums that host exchange of views on a variety of global challenges.

The Croatian president stressed the importance of joint global activity in all spheres.

Croatia and Azerbaijan have common interests in the fields of energy, economy and security, Grabar-Kitarovic said, adding she looks forward to further strengthening and intensification of friendly relations in all the spheres, which are important for the well-being of the two countries' citizens.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

Azerbaijan's first lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva has met with German ambassador to the country Heidrun Tempel.

Mehriban Aliyeva hailed relations between the two countries in all fields, and highlighted the role of the ambassador in expanding these ties.

"As an ambassador, you deliver detailed information about the country," said the first lady, praising this as an important contribution to the expansion of the fraternal relations between the two countries and peoples.

Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan is interested in developing its relationship with Germany, adding that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries was established on the basis of mutual interest.

The first lady noted that there is good potential for expanding relations in humanitarian field between Azerbaijan and Germany, and expressed the readiness of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to do more for this.

Mehriban Aliyeva recalled the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's projects in Germany.

The president of the Foundation said there are great opportunities for the cooperation in humanitarian sphere.

The German ambassador thanked the Azerbaijani first lady for attaching great attention to the bilateral ties between the two countries.

The ambassador praised the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, saying it was well known outside Azerbaijan.

They also discussed educational and cultural projects.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Anakhanum Hidayatova - Trend:

Azerbaijan is very important for the EU and Italy, Giampaolo Cutillo, Italy's ambassador to Azerbaijan, said March 15.

He made the remarks in Baku during the presentation of the twinning project financed by the EU.

"We continue to strengthen our relations," said Cutillo adding that Italy and Azerbaijan have a lot in common.

Azerbaijan is a young country, and Italy is relatively young independent country in the EU, he added.

Azerbaijan made very important contribution to the preservation of Italy's heritage, according to the envoy.

The presentation of the EU-funded twinning project for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism was held March 15 in Baku.

The project's aim is to modernize legal policy and management system in the culture sector, according to the ministry.

The cost of the project is 1.2 million euros and it will be implemented by Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:

Indonesia's new ambassador to Azerbaijan Husnan Vanani will arrive in Baku this week, the diplomatic mission of this country in Azerbaijan told Trend March 15.

Vanani will replace Prayono Atiyanto who has served as Indonesia's ambassador to Azerbaijan since 2012.

Azerbaijan is the third largest trade partner of Indonesia.

Indonesia is interested in making mutual investments with Azerbaijan in the oil and gas sphere. The country also intends to increase the tourist flow with Azerbaijan.

The total volume of trade turnover between the two countries is $497.7 million, around 96 percent of which accounts for export operations, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.

Edited by SI

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Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

An official welcoming ceremony for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been held at the residence of the president of the Republic of Turkey.

Accompanied by the cavalry, President Aliyev arrived at the residence of the Turkish president.

A ceremonial guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani president at the square outside the residence.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

State anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were played accompanied by gun salute in honor of the Azerbaijani president.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Aliyev.

The presidents reviewed the guard of honor.

President Aliyev saluted the soldiers.

Turkish officials were introduced to President Aliyev, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to President Erdogan.

Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents then posed for photographs.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:

The European Union will continue to have exploratory talks on the new bilateral agreement with Azerbaijan, head of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan, Malena Mard, told reporters in Baku March 15.

She noted that the EU and Azerbaijan had exploratory talks during the visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and agreed to continue to build on this agreement.

This is a precondition from the EU side to ask for a mandate from the EU Council to be able to start formal negotiations on the new bilateral agreement with Azerbaijan, according to Mard.

Currently, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of the partnership and cooperation agreement which was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

The new agreement envisages bringing Azerbaijan's legislation and procedures closer to the most important international and trade standards of the EU. This process is meant to improve the access of Azerbaijani products to the EU markets.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

In 2015, Azerbaijan paid special attention to formation of its army and strengthening of the material and technical base of the country's armed forces, said Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade at a plenary session in the country's parliament on March 15.

He said these steps were taken due to the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict 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.

Rasizade added that the Armenian side, by dragging out time, is evading the problem's solution, while international organizations have taken a position contrary to the international law on this issue.

"With this in mind, special attention was paid to strengthening of the Azerbaijani armed forces," Rasizade said, adding this is proved by the response actions taken by the country's armed forces to the Armenian sabotages.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

The terror attacks on Turkey will have no effect, said Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, while making the statement for the media, following the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara, March 15.

"First of all, on behalf of Azerbaijan and its people, I would like to express condolences to the brotherly Turkish people over the brutal terrorist attack committed in Ankara two days ago," said Azerbaijani president.

He expressed condolences over the loss of lives, wished patience to the relatives of those killed and recovery to the injured.

"We strongly condemn this dreadful terrorist attack and reiterate that today, we stand by the people of Turkey," Azerbaijan's president said. "Our unity is eternal and unshakeable."

"We always stand by each other both in good and hard times. We, in Azerbaijan, are fully confident that the terrorist attacks on Turkey and its people, will have no effect. It can't shake Turkey, can't affect the will of Turkish people and can't derail Turkey from the right path."

President Aliyev noted that Turkey and Azerbaijan have been showing unity and solidarity for 25 years already.

"When Azerbaijan restored its state independence 25 years ago, Turkey was the first state to recognize our independence. We will never forget that," said the president. "In fact, it was a recommendation to other countries as well and following this, the process of recognizing Azerbaijan as an independent state intensified."

"We have successfully cooperated in all spheres over these years and today, Turkey and Azerbaijan are the closest countries to each other on a global scale," he added.

President Aliyev pointed out that the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are based on the unity, fraternity of the two countries' peoples.

He said that the two countries build their friendship and fraternity on this basis and successfully cooperate in all areas.

"The documents signed here today, and the negotiations that we had, once again show our unity," he said, adding that the two countries always support each other at the international level.

"We are very glad that Turkey has turned into a center of power on a global scale," said President Aliyev.

Azerbaijan's president noted that as a result of tireless activities of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has reached high peak in recent years.

"Turkey's role in the world is increasing, its position is strengthening. The trust and sympathy to Turkey by the international community makes us happy," he said, adding that it is no coincidence that Turkey hosted the G-20 meeting in November of 2015.

"What makes us happy is that Turkey invited Azerbaijan to this prestigious event. Turkey could invite one country and that was Azerbaijan," said Ilham Aliyev.

The Azerbaijani president thanked the President Erdogan and the Turkish people for the fraternity.

"The stronger Turkey is, the stronger we will be. Our strength lies in our unity. We are together in all international issues and stand by each other," Aliyev said.

Turkey has always supported the just solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the international rule of law and make this support today as well, said President Aliyev.

He said Azerbaijan's territorial integrity has been violated and it should be restored, adding that the decisions and resolutions adopted by international organizations should be fulfilled.

"We have faced double standards in this issue and support from such a major state as Turkey is very significant for us," said the president.

Azerbaijan's president noted that the two countries are bound by the military cooperation.

"Our servicemen have recently held joint military exercises. It has turned into a good tradition," said President Aliyev.

"Our military and technical cooperation is expanding. We are purchasing various military equipment and weaponry from Turkey," said Ilham Aliyev, adding that naturally, Turkey's success in this sphere also strengthens Azerbaijan's defense potential.

Further, President Aliyev noted that the two countries are bound by energy projects.

"Turkey and Azerbaijan gave start to the TANAP project in 2012. If we wouldn't commence this project at that time, it wouldn't be possible to implement the Southern Gas Corridor project," said President Aliyev, emphasizing the two countries' leading role in the implementation of this project.

"We will try to timely implement this major transnational project, which requires large funds, and I am sure that after two years we will be marking the opening of the TANAP project," said the president.

He also recalled that TANAP's foundation was jointly laid by Azerbaijan and Turkey in the Turkish city of Kars.

"The project that we are jointly implementing in the transportation sphere connects the continents," said President Aliyev. "Today, this has been discussed broadly and there are already new opportunities in the transportation sector. Those opportunities are being examined."

"We would very much welcome to see more cargos from Turkey passing through Azerbaijan and going in various directions," he said, adding that practical steps are taken to achieve this.

The Azerbaijani president further said that Turkey has a special role in deepening the intercultural dialogue.

"As Mr. President noted, the next month Baku will host the UN Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum," said President Aliyev, recalling that the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an initiator of the Forum.

He said the world appreciates the contributions that Turkey and Azerbaijan make to the world culture.

"We are fighting against Islamophobia through joint efforts. Today, Islamophobia has turned into a state policy in some countries. Unfortunately, a number of media outlets are purposefully carrying out a campaign against Islam, against the Islamic culture, and against our traditions," said the president.

"The attempts to tarnish, to discredit Islam and to equate Islam with terror are before our eyes," added President Aliyev. "This is unbearable. This can cause intercivilizational problems in the world and is already causing them. We see today the refugee crisis. And today again the main burden falls on Turkey."

He added that Turkey has already been for months hosting millions of refugees gratuitously and is spending large funds.

"We, as a country that has also suffered a humanitarian crisis, know how difficult this issue is," he emphasized.

President Aliyev recalled that Azerbaijan was facing a humanitarian catastrophe in the early 1990s as a result of the Armenian occupation.

"And today when these refugees are heading to Europe to find salvation and to save their lives, see what is waiting for them there," he added. "Their dignity is humiliated, they are insulted, put into cages, and extreme lies are spread about them. And where are those universal values, democracy, human rights and mercy? We don't see that."

"Therefore, Turkey and Azerbaijan are among those countries that raise their voices. We can't stay indifferent to the poor fate of those people," added President Aliyev. "I once again express gratitude on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan to the Turkish leadership that they have undertaken the heavy burden."

The president also said Turkey has once again demonstrated to the entire world how to overcome a refugee crisis with honor.

"In short, our ties cover almost all the areas. I would like to once again note that - I believe and I am sure everyone in Turkey and Azerbaijan will agree with this opinion - today there are no other countries in the world which could be as bound to each other as Turkey and Azerbaijan are," said the president.

"This unity is our national wealth. We are protecting and will protect this unity. And I am sure that in the years to come we will achieve even greater victories," he added.

"I would like to once again express my gratitude for the hospitality shown to me and the delegation, and I wish happiness, peace, tranquility and new victories to the fraternal Turkish people," President Aliyev said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

The Azerbaijani parliament passed the bill "On implementation of investment projects in connection with the construction and infrastructure facilities on the basis of special funding" in the second and third readings at a plenary meeting March 15.

In accordance with the Boot-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model provided by the law, investment costs will be reimbursed to investors through purchasing their products by authority or consumers. However, if such form of payment is wholly or party impossible, the investor will be paid financial aid.

Validity of a contract concluded within the framework of BOT model cannot exceed 49 years.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

Azerbaijani defense minister, colonel-general Zakir Hasanov has met with a delegation headed by David Kadner, chairman of the Committee on Defense of Czech Parliament's Chamber of MPs, the Azerbaijani defense ministry told Trend March 15.

During the meeting, the sides discussed issues of the modernization and upgrading of military technologies and equipment at the disposal of the Azerbaijani armed forces, acquisition of modern surveillance systems, technically adjusted to local conditions as well as cooperation in the field of military education, mutual visits to exchange experiences and other issues of mutual interests.

Hasanov informed Kadner about the military-political situation in the region, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He praised the development of bilateral cooperation in various fields and noted the importance of deepening cooperation in the military-technical sphere.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Samir Ali - Trend:

The visit of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Turkey shows well that Azerbaijan will always support Turkey, said Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov speaking to Trend March 15.

He said the visit once again confirmed that the friendly and fraternal relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan stand at a high level.

"As is known, the visit of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Azerbaijan was postponed for the second time," Nasirov said. "The fifth meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was to be held in Baku."

"There was a plan to take important decisions at the meeting," he said. "But the visit was postponed this time as well, and the reason is that Turkey once again became a target of international terrorist groups."

He added that in such a situation the Azerbaijani president decided to visit Turkey to hold the next meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.

Nasirov says the move showed everyone what level the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations stand at.

"Today, the world is facing a serious crisis of confidence," added the MP. "In this situation, the strategic friendship and partnership between Azerbaijan and Turkey can become an example for many countries."

Nasirov also said the Azerbaijani president's visit to Turkey is an important message to the world that the friendship and brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkey are eternal.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has completed his working visit to the Republic of Turkey.

A guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani President at the Esenboga Airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw off President Ilham Aliyev.

Chief of the guard of honor reported to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev saluted the guard of honor.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan had tea together on-board the plane.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

Next interesting competition was held in the country with the support of Azercell Telecom LLC. Starting from March 10 "Barama HackDay 2016" project brought together junior programmers with the organization of "Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center". Overall, 43 teams (consisting of 3 members each) applied to "Barama HackDay" 2016 and 13 of them qualified to participate in the competition following the evaluation by Board of Judges. The event started with a training course on "Learning Web Programming with Python" and followed by the competition kicked off at 9.00am, March 12. The competition lasted for 36 hours and the programmers worked throughout the period without sleeping according to the event slogan "Code. Eat. Sleep".

The competing teams, each consisting of a designer, a front-end developer and a backend developer, were instructed to develop a web resource on a given topic in "food" sector in 36 hours.

Each team presented the developed resource within a period not later than 5 minutes to the Board of Judges in the award ceremony on March 14. The winning team "Works On My Machine" members Onar Aliyev, Eldar Alasgarov, Rauf Aliyev were awarded "Huawei mate s" smartphones. The second and third place winners "YUSOFT" (Elshad Pirimov, Rufat Babakishiyev, Hikmat Qurbanl) and "Bet265" (Mazahir Eyvazl, Rahman Mammadov, Xumar Musayeva) received special presents from Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.

"PizzaMizza" provided catering services for the programmers throughout the competition.

Official information support to the event was provided by "technote.az" portal.

Hackathon is a globally known competition in which developers collaborate as a team to develop digital recourses in a short time frame. The event considered to be a "party" for developers aims to provide an opportunity for the new "hackers" or programmers to meet each other, get deep understanding about this culture and produce products to benefit the people.

Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996 and since the first years sustains a leading position in the market. Azercell introduced number of technological innovations in Azerbaijan: GSM technology, advance payment mobile services, M2M,MobilBank, GPRS/EDGE (mobile internet), 24/7 Customer Care, full-time operating Azercell Express offices, mobile e-service "ASAN imza" (ASAN signature) and others. With 48,2% share of Azerbaijan's mobile market Azercell's network covers 99,8% of the country's population. In 2015, the number of Azercell's subscribers reached 4,5 million people. In 2011 Azercell deployed 3G and in 2012 the fourth generation network - LTE in Azerbaijan. The Company is the leader of Azerbaijan's mobile communication industry and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector. Azercell is a part of TeliaSonera Group of Companies serving 186 million subscribers in 17 countries worldwide with 27,000 employees.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

British Airways company ceases flights on the route London-Baku and vice versa from May 1, 2016, the company's Baku office told Trend March 15.

The last flight on the London-Baku-London route will be executed on April 29.

The company called the fall in demand and commercial inexpediency as a reason for the suspension of the London-Baku flight's execution.

The company did not exclude the possibility of resuming flights in the future.

Currently, British Airways carries out flights on the route London-Baku-London six times in a week.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

Japanese corporation INPEX held training for Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) students. Before the training started, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov met with the INPEX delegation led by Vice-President Akihito Kurashira and Masanori Kurihara, Professor, Department of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Waseda University, as well as the representatives of the SOCAR Upstream Management.

Welcoming the guests, Rector Gasimov expressed his honor for having the opportunity to host them again at the higher school, underlying his strong belief of the presentations to be one of the remarkable and useful ones for the students. He also said that the presentation integrating the theoretical and practical information would contribute in enriching the students' practical knowledge, stressing that the Japanese educational and industrial development level was a role model. The Rector expressed his gratitude to SOCAR Upstream Management and INPEX representatives for supporting organization of this event.

Expressing his gratitude for the hospitality Prof. Kurihara recalled good impressions from his recent visit to BHOS and thanked the Rector for the opportunity to meet the students. Underlying this meeting as initial steps for further collaboration, Prof. Kurihara expressed his assurance for effective partnership relations in future. Later, Prof. Kurihara made a presentation on Challenges to Oil/Development in More Difficult Conditions, Beyond Conventional Oil/Gas Development. Then the Q&A session started. Representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Azerbaijan attended the event.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Fitch Ratings has revised AzInsurance OJSC's (AzInsurance) Outlook to Negative from Stable while affirming its Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating at 'B+', the statement said March 14.

The affirmation of the rating reflects the insurer's strong market position and a significant cushion in its underwriting profitability, Fitch Ratings said.

AzInsurance faces additional risk related to the reduction in imports, as cargo insurance, mainly focused on imported goods, accounted for 34 percent of the insurer's net written premiums in 2010-2014.

On the asset side, the devaluation has helped AzInsurance generate significant FX gains, as 69 percent of the insurer's portfolio was placed in USD-denominated instruments at end-2015, Fitch Ratings said.

The company's net profit improved to 17 million manat in 2015 from 13 million manat in 2014.

The official exchange rate is 1.6411 AZN/USD as of March 15.

AZInsurance has been working on the Azerbaijani insurance market since 2006. It has branches and representative offices in many districts of the country, namely, Sumgait, Ganja, Lankaran, Shirvan, Sheki, Gabala, Tartar, Yevlakh and Shamakhi.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

Trend:

Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR will use a suite of Honeywell UOP technologies to modernize its oil refinery in Baku, to produce high-quality gasoline that meets stricter emission standards, Honeywell (HON) reported.

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials.

The effort will help Azerbaijan meet growing domestic demand for transportation fuels that meet international emission standards equivalent to Euro V fuel requirements, the report said.

"Honeywell UOP will provide a suite of technologies that will allow SOCAR to efficiently produce higher octane gasoline with far fewer contaminants," said Pete Piotrowski, vice president and general manager for Honeywell UOP.

"This latest effort builds on a strong business relationship with SOCAR, which includes an economic and technical assessment of the refinery and builds on work by Honeywell UOP for SOCAR's new STAR refinery in Turkey."
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 15

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

With commissioning alkylation units and isomerization at Turkmenbashi Complex of Oil Refineries (TCOR), it will be possible to produce additional 480,000 tons of high-octane gasoline (-92, -95 and -98) per year, said the message from Turkmenistan's Oil and Gas Ministry.

"In general, the production capacity of TCOR facilities makes it possible to produce up to 2.3 million tons of commercial gasoline per year," said the message.

Reportedly, currently, the commissioning work is close to completion.

TCOR currently produces tens of types of oil products. High-octane motor gasoline, aviation and technical kerosene, petroleum coke, polypropylene, a wide range of technical lubricants, liquefied gas, road and construction bitumen are produced at this enterprise.

A large part of products is exported to Russia, Japan, Italy, Turkey, China, Iran, the UAE, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and other countries.

Edited by SI
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Farhad Daneshvar, Dalga Khatinoglu - Trend:

While Tehran is determined to regain oil market share it lost under sanctions regime, existing challenges over covering the insurance risks of tankers carrying Iran's oil cargos has cast doubts over the Islamic Republic's plans to boom its oil exports.

Despite the fact that the international sanctions on Tehran have already been removed since January 16 and the official Tehran is confident that the nuclear related sanctions will never be snapped back, the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) suffers from serious problems to get tankers carrying the country's cargos insured.

Although state-backed Kish P&I club currently insures the Islamic Republic's oil shipments to India as well as China and Turkey, the Iranian oil company says most of its customers prefer the International Group of the protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance clubs to provide insurance for the tankers.

Therefore, Iran with a considerable amount of oil stored offshore in tankers (according to the US Energy Information Administration between 30 and 50 million barrels), most of which is condensate, and crude oil stored at onshore facilities, has to get the P&I clubs to cover the tankers.

The P&I clubs have failed to provide full coverage for tankers as American insurance industry players are still banned from doing business with Iran and the clubs partially work under the US insurance policies.

According to a late-February report by Reuters, in the absence of the US insurers, the European partners are able to provide only 85 percent of the roughly $8 billion per ship normal liability coverage, a crucial element in providing tanker cover.

In a bid to overcome the existing obstacles against insuring tankers carrying Iran's oil, the NIOC has held several rounds of talks with the International Group of the protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance clubs.

Regarding talks with the P&I, National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) says obstacles are "almost settled" on the back of months-long negotiations, though the country is still facing problems to provide insurance for its tankers.

Marina Samsjo, an official with The Swedish Club, a member of the P&I clubs without providing further details has told Trend that talks over the issue in question are still going on.

In spite of the fact that the existing hurdles and ambiguities over insurance issue seem to many as a sticking point, over the past month a couple of tankers loaded with huge amounts of Iran's cargoes left the Persian Gulf for several destinations in the Europe.

Apparently the ambiguities over providing insurance for tankers carrying Iran's oil have failed to discourage Iranians from making efforts to ram up oil exports as the country's oil export is projected to reach two million barrels per day in a few months.

While Iran's oil exports have already reached 1.5 million barrels per day, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri has forecasted that the country's oil exports will reach two million barrels per day by late May.

The NIOC's difficulties with insurance would be considered as an indication of international community's partial failure to provide a clear and transparent procedure or legal framework reassuring financial organizations to engage in business activities with Iran in the post sanctions-era, a formidable barrier against fulfilling economic reforms in the sanctions-worn country.

Regardless of Iran and its oil customers' initiatives to find a way out of the current situation, the international community including the UN, US and EU as well as others involved in Iran's nuclear deal is expected to come up with more transparent legal frameworks and regulations to remove the existing ambiguities over business with Iran in the post-sanctions era.

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Dalga Khatinoglu is head of Trend Agency's Iran news service, Farhad Daneshvar is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @farhad_danesh
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that Iran's recent ballistic missile tests are not in violation of its nuclear deal and the European Union is not considering sanctions at this stage, Irna reported.



Mogherini, however, warned that last week's missile tests, which Tehran insists are not aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, could raise tensions in an already volatile region.



France had warned on Sunday that it risked new sanctions as a result of the tests, but Mogherini said that was a matter for the UN Security Council, which met to discuss the issue on Monday.



'This is indeed also in our view not a violation of the (nuclear deal) as such,' Mogherini said after meeting the foreign ministers of the 28 EU nations in Brussels.



Mogherini announced earlier that she would visit Iran next month to build on the nuclear deal, which she played a key role in securing.



Mogherini last visited Iran in July shortly after world powers -- Britain, China, France, the United States, Russia plus Germany -- agreed to lift sanctions in return for Tehran accepting strict curbs on its nuclear programme.



'My next visit will take place on the 16th of April,' she said as she went into the foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.



'We will discuss with the ministers on which grounds, on which issues and sectors to re-engage so as to reopen full relations' with Iran, she said.



Under the July accord, the lifting of the nuclear sanctions takes place progressively in line with Tehran meeting its commitments.



A key provision allows the sanctions to be restored or 'snap-back' immediately if Iran is found in breach of the agreement.



Mogherini has been anxious to return to Iran to build on July accord momentum, both for the sake of bilateral ties but also in the hope of getting Tehran's help in resolving the Syrian and other regional conflicts.
Iran's permanent representative at the United Nations in a statement said that raising of the issue of Islamic Republic's missile test in UNSC is contrary to the prevailing positive environment, and detrimental to the good-faith of the JCPOA, Irna reported.

What follows is the full text of the statement by Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations on Iran's recent missile tests:

Pursuant to a campaign of disinformation that followed the recent missile test-launches by the Iranian military forces, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations would like to provide the following clarifications:

1-Iran, as a country living in the most unstable and volatile region of the world, is fully entitled to build a credible conventional capability to deter and defend against any aggression. Iran's recent ballistic missile test launches were part of ongoing efforts of its armed forces to strengthen its legitimate defense capabilities and to demonstrate the effectiveness and readiness of missile systems against security threats. It is demagoguery for those who are at the supplying and receiving ends of around $100 billion of the state-of-the-art weaponry just to the lower Persian Gulf region in 2015 (while Iran's entire defense budget was around ten times less in the same year) to hype this much Iran's conventional missile-test launches. The disparity between Iran's defense spending and that of other regional states is colossal, and has been acknowledged even by the US officials at the highest levels.

2-Brazen threats against Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, multiplied in the past several years, have made it all the more imperative for Iran to build a legitimate deterrent capability. As an example of these threats, Moshe Yaalon, Defense Minister of the Israeli regime, in a speech on 5 May 2015 in the Shurat Hadin Law of War Conference in Jerusalem threatened to use nuclear bomb against Iran. (For detail, see Iran's letter to the Security Council dated 19 May, 2015) The same regime remains the only obstacle in the way towards establishing a Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone in the Middle East and the only one in our region in unlawful possession of nuclear weapons.

3-The statements made by the Iranian military commanders reflected only the concern over such threats. The commander of the Aerospace Force of the Guards Corps, whose statements are wildly distorted by vested-interest parties, reiterated in his interview following the tests that "we won't start any war, we aim, however, to defend ourselves ... we don't intend to attack any country, but if we come under attack, we should be able to retaliate."

4-Security Council resolution 2231 does not prohibit legitimate and conventional military activities, nor does international law disallow them. Iran has never sought to acquire nuclear weapon and never will in the future, as it fully honours its commitment under the NPT and the JCPOA. Consequently, Iran's missiles are not and could not be designed for delivery of unconventional weapons. We reject arbitrary interpretation of the provisions of Security Council resolution 2231 and its annexes, and call upon all parties to act in good-faith and refrain from provocations.

5-We, likewise, reject the raising of this issue in a meeting of the Security Council and consider it to be contrary to the prevailing positive environment, and detrimental to the good-faith implementation of the JCPOA.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is slated to deliver a speech at the Foreign Relations Committee of the Australian Parliament on Tuesday, Irna reported.



Zarif arrived in Australia for a two-day visit on the last leg of his six-nation Asia-Pacific tour.



Zarif, who is the first high-ranking Iranian official visiting Australia in 10 years, is scheduled to hold talks with the country's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and Minister for Trade and Investment Steven Michele Ciobo.



He will also meet the shadow minister for foreign affairs and international development and parliament speaker.



The visits are aimed at discussing ways for strengthening political and economic relations.



The Iranian minister will also deliver a speech at the Australian National University and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.



He will further attend a meeting with the Iranian elites in Sydney and an interview with state-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).



The top Iranian diplomat will wrap up his visit to Australia on Wednesday and set off for Tehran.



Zarif's meeting comes as the Australian foreign minister paid an official visit to Tehran in April, 2015 for the first time in some 12 years. She invited her Iranian counterpart to visit Australia.



On the fifth leg of his tour, Zarif paid a two-day visit to New Zealand and held talks with the country's senior officials including Prime Minister John Phillip Key and Foreign Minister Murray McCully.



The Iranian minister started his six-nation tour on March 6 and has also paid visits to Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand.


Tehran, Iran, March 15

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran's missile program is solely defensive and the country does not have any nuclear warheads, the country's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a joint press conference with Australian counterpart Julie Bishop in Canberra.

Iran's recent missile tests do not violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231, he underlined, Fars news agency reported March 15.

Regarding his talks with Bishop in a meeting prior to the press conference, Zarif said the sides discussed mutual political cooperation, including the Syrian issue and regional extremism, exchange of economic delegations, how to return illegal Iranian refugees from Australia, as well as drugs and human trafficking in the Middle East.

Zarif, who is the first high-ranking Iranian official visiting Australia in 10 years, is scheduled to hold talks with the country's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Trade and Investment Steven Ciobo.

The Iranian minister will also deliver a speech at the Australian National University and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

The top Iranian diplomat will wrap up his visit to Australia on Wednesday.

Zarif's meeting comes as the Australian foreign minister paid an official visit to Tehran in April, 2015 for the first time in some 12 years. She invited her Iranian counterpart to visit Australia.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

The insistence of Saudi Arabia and Syrian opposition groups on removal of President Bashar Assad is dictated by Israel, claims Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, Iranian armed forces' chief of staff.

A nation's leader can only be elected by the nation's vote, Firouzabadi said, adding the insistence on dismissing or appointing a leader for another country is an anti-democratic demand, Fars news agency reported March 15.

He further said that Assad's removal will lead to the spread of terrorism by the "Islamic State" (IS, aka ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group.

"Dismissing Assad will result in a Takfiri government in Syria," the Iranian commander further claimed.

Iranian officials refer to the extremist Sunni armed groups, in particular in Syria and Iraq, as Takfiri.

Syrian opposition says Assad must leave power, dead or alive, if the peace talks to end the five-year civil war are to succeed.

The UN-brokered talks are underway in Geneva in the latest international push to end the conflict, which has so far killed more than 270,000 people.

Tehran has always expressed support for the Syrian government since it views the Assad regime as its main strategic ally in the region and as a part of the "axis of resistance" against Israel.

Western countries accuse Iran of running military operations in Syria, but Tehran denies these accusations. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that they only provide military consultations to the Syrian forces.
Police have shot and killed one suspect during a Belgian-French anti-terror operation in Brussels. The federal prosecutor's office said that the individual killed is not, however, key Paris attacks suspect Saleh Abdeslam.

A spokesman for the prosecutor's office also said that four police officers were wounded during the operation.

The raid was related to the Paris terror attacks last November in which 130 people were killed in shootings at multiple sites across the French capital.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli advocates the declaration of the state of emergency in the country, Turkish Sabah newspaper reported March 15.

Bahceli also called on the government to completely annihilate the PKK terrorist organization.

Currently, the PKK terrorist organization is the biggest threat for Turkey's security, said the opposition leader.

Earlier, Devlet Bahceli and the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held a meeting, during which the parties discussed the situation in the country.

A car bomb exploded in Ankara on March 13, near a crowded bus stop. The explosion killed as many as 37 people, 125 more got injured.

The Turkish Sozcu newspaper released the name of the female suicide bomber March 14, which may be involved in the explosion in Ankara.

The suicide bomber probably was Seher Chagla Demir, a member of the PKK terrorist organization, according to the newspaper.

The Turkish authorities have not officially confirmed this information so far.

Preliminary reports said the two suicide bombers, one male and one female triggered the explosive device, while in the car.

The majority of the victims of the terrorist attack in Ankara are Turkish citizens, according to the preliminary data.

Turkey's General Directorate of Security made an announcement March 14 that the police are looking for other 20 car bombs in the country.

The PKK terrorist organization intends to realize a series of terrorist attacks March 20 in major cities of Turkey, according to the country's law enforcement bodies.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Following the terrorist attack in Ankara on March 13, the Istanbul police have boosted security, Milliyet newspaper reported March 15.

The decision has been made due to the high threat of terrorist attacks in Istanbul.

A car bomb exploded in Ankara on March 13, near a crowded bus stop. The explosion killed as many as 37 people, 125 more got injured.



Preliminary reports said the two suicide bombers, one male and one female triggered the explosive device, while in the car. According to reports, the mentioned car was hijacked Feb. 10 in the Turkish south-eastern province of Sanliurfa.

Edited by SI

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

New head of Ankara police has been named, Resmi Gazete newspaper reported March 15.

Mahmut Karaaslan, who has worked in the country's law enforcement bodies for a long time, has been appointed new head of Ankara Police Department.

Ankara police was headed by Kadri Kartal till Oct.10, 2015. The post remained vacant after his dismissal.

Earlier, head of the opposition Republican People's Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, criticised the country's Interior Ministry for not being able to find a suitable candidate for this post.

Edited by SI

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkish police search for other 10 people, who are involved in the terrorist attack in Ankara, Turkish Milliyet newspaper reported March 15 citing the country's law enforcement bodies.

The search is being conducted all over Turkey.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the PKK terrorist organization intends to realize a series of terrorist attacks from March 20 to March 30 in major cities of Turkey.

A car bomb exploded in Ankara on March 13, near a crowded bus stop. The explosion killed as many as 37 people, 125 more got injured. The Turkish Sozcu newspaper released the name of the female suicide bomber March 14, which may be involved in the explosion in Ankara.

The suicide bomber probably was Seher Chagla Demir, a member of the PKK terrorist organization, according to the newspaper. This information hasn't been officially confirmed.

Preliminary reports said the two suicide bombers, one male and one female triggered the explosive device, while in the car. The majority of the victims of the terrorist attack in Ankara are Turkish citizens, according to the preliminary data.

Turkey's General Directorate of Security made an announcement March 14 that the police are looking for other 20 car bombs in the country.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 15



By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:



The construction of TANAP (Trans Anatolian Pipeline) is one of the most important projects implemented by Turkey and Azerbaijan, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



He made the remarks during the joint statements with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Ankara March 15.



Currently, TANAP's construction is underway in Turkey, said Erdogan.



Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Turkey implement the important project on the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which will link Europe and Asia, he added.



"The BTK is a priority project for Turkey in the sphere of cargo transportation, and the construction of the railway will be completed in December of the current year," noted Erdogan.



The decline in world oil prices slightly affected the trade turnover between Turkey and Azerbaijan, said the president adding that despite this fact, the two countries aim to increase the trade turnover up to $20 billion over the next five years.



Turkey is also interested in goods import from Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, according to Erdogan.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Google is believed to be working on the successors of Nexus 5x and Nexus 6 P, dubbed the HTC Nexus M1 and S1. (Photo : YouTube/Google Nexus)

Google Nexus 2016 release is coming soon and reports pointed that the smartphone will be made by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, but is Google making a mistake with this decision?



Google has not released official the numbers that will determine the success of the current Nexus flagship - Nexus 6P. However, the said handset apparently saved Google from the uninspiring sales of the previous Nexus 6.



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Whispers claimed that Google will tap on Taiwanese manufacturer HTC to be in-charged of Google Nexus 2016 release. New rumors are saying that HTC will make two Nexus smartphones this year. However, Google is probably making a mistake this year hiring HTC to take the helm.



According to Daily Sun, HTC garnered attention thanks to HTC One M8, but the company failed to sustain consumer's interest and the buzz eventually waned. This is proved by the not so stellar sales of HTC One M9.



Right now, HTC is working on the new HTC 10 and the company has been secretive regarding its specs and features. BGR reported that HTC 10 will include support to the new HTC Vive VR headset, which could help the company recover from the slump it is experiencing.



There are wild rumors that Google is seeking independence from its partners and will manufacture its own devices like Apple. This will eliminate costs from hiring another company.



Google Nexus 2016 release is rumored to happen in May, the earliest, and October, the latest. Other rumors purported that Google will use its annual I/O Developers' Conference as its launching platform for the device.



Meanwhile, Google Nexus 2016 will pack its same old 7-inch screen display. It will be powered by Huawei's homegrown processor Kirin 950 chipset or NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor paired with 2GB of RAM.



The tablet will surely run with the upcoming Android N operating system. The dessert name of the OS is still unknown, but Nougat and Nutella are some of the candidates.



Meanwhile, there is still no official announcement from Google about the official release date and features of the rumored Google Nexus 2016.


WeChat, which is owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd., said that the business messaging service is specifically being designed for work-related communication. (Photo : Reuters)

WeChat, the social networking app that connects over half a billion users via mobile messaging, is set to launch a separate application for business clients, as reported by China Daily.



Named "Qiye Weixin," which is English for "Enterprise WeChat," the app is undergoing beta testing. It is expected to hit the market in the next few months.



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WeChat, which is owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd., released a statement on Thursday that said that the business messaging service is specifically being designed for work-related communication.



"With WeChat being widely adopted in everyday life, more people have been discussing work-related subjects on WeChat with colleagues when they are off-work," said Tencent's statement.



"While some enjoy it, some others find it a burden because WeChat mixes up their personal life and work," said the company.



It added that the new app should help people better practice work-life balance.



According to analysts, this is Tencent's latest move to tap into China's trillion-yuan business software service market.



Ji Yanhang, with Analysis International, said that with the growing number of individual users that has already exceeded 650 million, WeChat is eager to expand its market business users.



"Several companies have already jumped into the enterprise instant messaging market, because they find it as an important gateway to access clients, who may be interested in digitalizing their entire business operational process, not only communication, but also human resources management and enterprise resources planning," said Ji.



Tencent already introduced its first business-used instant messaging tool RTX back in 2003. In 2014, it added business-related functions, including enterprise accounts, within WeChat, to better help employers connect and collaborate with their teams.



However, when it comes to launching a separate app for businesses, rival Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. beat them to it with DingTalk, which was released in Feb. 2015. The app targets small and medium-sized businesses, gaining more than 1 million business users, according to Alibaba's latest financial report released at the end of January.



Still, Ji believes that WeChat, with its ruling position and the business messaging app market still in its infancy, can catch up with Alibaba.



"Even if WeChat can only turn a small part of its individual users into its enterprise service users, that would make a decent market share," said Ji.


Android Marshmallow update is rolling out to Sony Xperia Z series soon (Photo : YouTube/ Sony Xperia)

The beta version of Xperia Marshmallow is rolling out to Sony Xperia Z2, Z3 Compact and Z3 in Italy, Spain and Netherlands. The global rollout is also expected to begin shortly.







Sony Mobile recently announced their version of Android Marshmallow, which is the Xperia Marshmallow. This beta operating system is designed to give a chance to a few registered customers for testing the pre-release version of Android Marshmallow.



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When this operating system was in its design phase, the South Korean tech giant was taking registrations for volunteers who wanted to test it. The beta update is available for Sony Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact owners only, according to GSM Arena.



The Xperia Marshmallow is a different thread of software, and it is not based entirely on the Marshmallow concept. It includes Sony's own take of the latest Android OS. The Xperia Marshmallow is just a pre-release software, which is designed purely for experimental purposes.



The Xperia Marshmallow Beta is designed to directly communicate with Sony Mobile's developers in order to refine the Marshmallow update for all the devices in the coming months.



According to Xperia Blog, the update will begin to roll out for those in the Xperia Beta programme who are using the Sony devices with build number 23.5.A.0.486. The beta upgrade will update the handsets to Android Marshmallow 6.0.1, which is a slightly higher version than the Android OS version, which is currently seen Sony the Xperia Z3 Plus and Sony Xperia Z5 series. Both of these devices were recently upgraded to Android Marshmallow.



The beta update will bring with it a new Camera 2.0.0 user interface, which was initially seen in the Sony Xperia Z5 models. This means that the users will now be able to swipe between different camera modes like video and manual.



Additionally, there will also be sliders, which will allow the users to adjust factors like brightness in real time, before they click a photo. This upgrade will also bring a search option in the app tray. Users will get a very short period of time to use the Xperia Marshmallow, but initial reports claimed that the OS is very smooth and responsive.



Watch the video to know more about the Xperia Marshmallow update:






UNESCO inscribed the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu located at Shandong Province as a World Heritage Site in 1994. (Photo : Chinese Social Sciences Today)

Confucius, who left the world in 479 B.C., still makes news in the 21st century.



UNESCO's Memory of the World Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) made it possible for the Confucius family documents to be considered for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register as it accepted the application for these precious records, reported The Global Times.



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Kong Deping, State Bureau of Cultural Relics (SBCR) director, said that having the family documents inscribed will encourage the exertion of greater efforts in preserving the history of Confucius.



Kong Wei-qian, one of the 78th-generation descendants of Confucius, opted to major in marketing than get a degree in education, with the latter being her fathers wish, reported The China Post.



Confucius was a prominent educator and philosopher.



When Kung Te-cheng passed away in 2008, his grandson, Taiwanese businessman Kung Tsui-chang, became the second Sacrificial Official to Confucius.



During an interview with Sinosphere, the China blog of The New York Times, the 40-year-old 79th-generation direct descendant of Confucius said, I am proud to be a descendant of Confucius, but I wouldnt dare consider myself as his representative.



His son Kong You-ren and daughter Kung Yu-xin are now the 80th-generation descendants.



Korean descendants of Confucius can number up to 80,000, reported Shanghai Daily.



According to the U.N. official website, the Memory of the World Register lists documentary heritage which has been recommended by the International Advisory Committee, and endorsed by the Director-General of UNESCO, as corresponding to the selection criteria regarding world significance and outstanding universal value.



Traditional Music Sound Archives became the first ever documentary heritage of the country inscribed to the Memory of the World Register back in 1997.



Others include the Records of the Qing's Grand Secretariat: Infiltration of Western Culture in China (year of inscription: 1999), the Ancient Naxi Dongba Literature Manuscripts (2003), the Golden Lists of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Examination (2005) and the Qing Dynasty Yangshi Lei Archives (2007).



The most recent ones were the Documents of Nanjing Massacre (2015), the Official Records of Tibet from the Yuan Dynasty China, 1304-1367 (2013), and the Qiaopi and Yinxin Correspondence and Remittance Documents from Overseas Chinese (2013).



Among the countries in Asia and the Pacific, China ranks as the second with the most number of documentary heritages inscribed: 10.



The Islamic Republic of Iran has nine, with the latest ones being Al-Masaalik Wa Al-Mamaalik (a geographical book) and Kulliyyat-i Sadi (the literary artwork of 12th-century Iranian poet Saadi Shirazi), which were both inscribed in 2015.



South Korea tops the list with 13. The Archives of the KBS Special Live Broadcast Finding Dispersed Families and the Confucian Printing Woodblocks were inscribed in 2015.



Originally named K'ung Ch'iu according to Encyclopedia of World Biography, K'ung Fu-tzu (Great Master K'ung), Latinized as Confucius and also known as K'ung Chung-ni, propagated Confucianism.



Confucianism, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, is a worldview, a social ethic, a political ideology, a scholarly tradition, and a way of life. It adds that it is also sometimes viewed as a philosophy and sometimes as a religion.


UAE hopes to boost its tourism economy via the promotional roadshow, Visit UAE. (Photo : Getty Images)

Dubai and Shanghai both agreed to collaborate with regards to design knowledge exchange and bolstering inter-city relations on Monday, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.



The agreement between the two parties occurred during the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Creative City Shanghai, as well as Dubai's annual art fair known as Art Dubai.



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A memorandum of understanding was signed between Liu Boying, vice president of UNESCO Creative City Shanghai, and Benedict Floyd, chief executive of Art Dubai.



The purpose of the MoU "is to closely collaborate with Shanghai's Creative and Design Scene and Art Dubai," said Floyd. "We are working on several fronts and this is a major one."



Accompanying Liu was a delegation of 34 Chinese designers, art promoters and artists who came to Dubai on Sunday.



"This is the first time a delegation of Shanghai artists and designers participates at the fifth edition of Design Days Dubai," said Pan Jin, the vice secratry of Shanghai's promotion office.



Design Days Dubai is part of Art Dubai, an exhibit of design products, paintings, sculptures, auctions and art tours that is being hosted in several locations across Dubai throughout the week.



Dillion Zhang, a Shanghai multimedia designer who was part of the delegation, expressed excitement about the MoU.



"This is my first visit to Dubai and I hope to meet Arab designers and artists to exchange know-how and develop business ties with them," said Zhang.



The MoU aims to have regular networking between the two parties, exchanging design knowledge that hopes to encourage local designers from Shanghai and Dubai to join exchange programs and exhibitions, as well as to attend events in the two cities.



In 2010, Shanghai joined UNESCO's Creative City Network as "City of Design" when the city held the 2010 Shanghai Expo, accommodating global visitors.



Dubai and Shanghai have also been sister cities since 2000.



"We expect 14,000 visitors, buyers, art aficionados and intellectuals this year from around the world," said Cyril Zammit, director of Design Days Dubai.


Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant License Extended (Photo : Getty Images)

Following the identification of a site for four nuclear reactors, Turkey will soon open bidding for construction of the countrys third nuclear plant in 2017. A former deputy energy minister of Turkey said at a weekend event held by the World Energy Council in Beijing that he expects Chinese firms to participate in the bidding.



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China has gained a reputation in the international nuclear energy sector as a good builder of quality nuclear power plant, with the giant China National Nuclear Corp., leading the field with its Hualong One third-generation nuclear reactor design that CNNC is using in its Fujian and Gungxi projects.



Murat Mercan, the former energy official, said the project would be worth $22 billion to $25 billion. The four reactors would have a total installed capacity of 5,000 megawatts. The chairman of the councils Turkish National Committee, Mercan named State Nuclear Power Technology Corp., one of the three nuclear giants in China, and Westinghouse Electric Corp. of U.S. as potential bidders, reported China Daily.



Although the bidding is open to all investors and companies globally, Mercan said that Chinese firms are very competitive with its price, safety and technology. He also cited the experience of Chinese companies in construction of nuclear power plants, particularly 3G nuclear reactors.



Chinese companies would also benefit from the completion of the CAP 1400 project in Shibao Bay, Shandong Province. In contrast, Rosaton State Nuclear Energy Corp. of Russia is constructing Turkeys first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, Turkey, at the southern province of Meeai. Rosaton expects the first unit to be ready by 2022.



The second nuclear plant is at the Black Sea Province of Sinop, already contracted to Mitsubishi Electric Corp. of Japan and EDF, a French power firm.



In late February, there were reports that Turkish negotiators had preliminary talks with China on the construction of the countrys third nuclear plant. Turkish deputy undersecretary of the Energy Ministry Sefa Sadik Aytekin confirmed the holding of a preliminary meeting, but no agreement was reached, reported Balkans.






To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

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Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.
The one-day visit will also include discussions of regional issues such as the conflicts in Syria and Libya

Egypts Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry will travel on Tuesday to Russia for a one-day meeting with his Russian counterpart and other officials in Moscow, the ministry spokesman told state news agency MENA.

Shoukry's meeting with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov will discuss a number of regional issues including the situations in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Palestine, in addition to efforts to combat terrorism regionally and internationally.

Shoukrys meetings with officials in Moscow will include discussions on mechanisms to resume Russian tourism to Egypt.

Russia suspended its flights to and from Egypt following the crash of a Russian passenger plane last October that killed all 224 aboard.

The Egyptian diplomat will also meet with the spokesperson of the Duma , the Russian parliament, as well as the Russian minister of industry and trade.

A number of media interviews are on Shoukrys agenda including talks with Russia24 and Russia Today.

Russia has been a strong economic ally to Egypt, with economic and arms deals flourishing in the past two years.

In November, the Egyptian government signed an agreement with Russia to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant at Dabaa in Marsa Matrouh governorate, which aims to generate 4,800 megawatts through four units.

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The speaker of Egypt's parliament, Ali Abdel-Al, complained of a 'hostile media campaign' against him and other MPs

The Egyptian parliament's legislative agenda in the near future will give top priority to issuing new media and press laws in line with the new constitution, said parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Ali on Monday.

"I as speaker face a hostile media campaign that is trying its best to portray the country's new parliament as ineffective and lacking in achievements after two months in session," said Abdel-Al in a meeting with journalists.

"The media does not want to understand that the House of Representatives has been passing through hard times since it held its first session on 10 January," he said.

"We were required first to review dozens of laws passed after the new constitution and then draft new internal bylaws, and these in themselves were big achievements," said Abdel-Al, stressing that "the actual legislative and supervisory roles of parliament will begin only after its internal bylaws [approved last week] are enacted into law."

Abdel-Al also argued that as the speaker of a parliament composed of the unprecedented number of 596 MPs, he faces "the difficult task of imposing discipline."

"This task becomes more difficult when each MP acts like a political party, and so sometimes I find myself dealing with 594 political parties rather than with individual MPs," he said.

Abdel-Al added that since around 70 percent of members are first-time MPs, they lack any experience in parliamentary or constitutional rules.

"We are a parliament still without a majority or a minority, so please wait until the new bylaws are passed," said Abdel-Al.

The meeting with Abdel-Al was attended by members of the board of the Journalists Syndicate and a number of editors-in-chief of national and private newspapers and magazines.

Abdel-Al stressed that parliament has not received any draft laws aimed at regulating the media or the press in line with the new constitution.

"I have not received any laws in this respect from the government or from any other institution," said Abdel-Al.

Abdel-Al said he fully understands the importance of issuing new laws that give the media greater freedoms.

"I used to give lectures on this when I was a professor of law at Ain Shams University," said Abdel-Al, vowing that "any press or media laws sent to parliament will be discussed in consultation with the Journalists Syndicate."

Essam Kamel, editor-in-chief of Veto newspaper, told reporters that the Journalists Syndicate requested of Abdel-Al that "live television coverage of parliamentary sessions be allowed again and that press photographers have greater freedom in taking photos of plenary sessions."

"We told speaker Abdel-Al that people have a right to follow parliamentary sessions live on air and judge by themselves whether parliament is doing well," Yasser Rizq, board chairman of Al-Akhbar press organisation, told reporters.

"Speaker Abdel-Al said he must get the approval of MPs before live television coverage is allowed again," said Rizq.

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Giza prosecutors ordered on Monday the reviewing of surveillance camera footage taken near the Italian consulate in Cairo to determine the identity of a person who allegedly fought with slain Italian student Guilio Regeni one day before his disappearance, judicial sources told Ahram Online.

The prosecution earlier heard the testimony of witness Ahmed Fawzy, a civil engineer who said that he saw Regeni getting in what appeared to be a heated verbal dispute with an unidentified person next to the Italian consulate in Cairo's downtown.

According to the eyewitness, the person who was involved in the quarrel with Regeni seemed like he was familiar with the PhD student, who was found dead with torture signs on his body on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo early in February.

No suspects have yet been identified.

Earlier on Monday, Egypt's top prosecutor Nabil Sadek met with the Italian Attorney General Giuseppe Buitoni to share with him the results of ongoing investigations into the death of Regeni.

Sadek and Buitoni released a joint statement affirming "the continuation and development of direct cooperation to stand on the facts of the case."

According to the statement, the Italian side has offered assistance to its Egyptian counterpart by providing any potentially helpful information.

Both sides agreed on holding a meeting soon between Egyptian police and Italian investigators in Rome.

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In the past two years Egypt and France have signed a number of significant military deals, following closer ties between the countries

A high-level 12-member delegation from France arrived in Cairo on Tuesday to prepare for French President Francois Hollande's upcoming visit to Egypt, state news agency MENA reported.

Hollande is expected to visit Cairo on 18 April, a trip that was announced in December 2015.

The French delegation will stay in Egypt for four days.

The delegation, which is headed by Elizabeth Dobell from the French president's office, is expected to meet a number of Egyptian officials.

Hollande previously visited Egypt in August 2015 to attend the inauguration of the new Suez Canal.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi also met with Hollande in November 2015 during the world climate change conference in Paris.

Egypt has been developing closer ties with France in the last two years. The countries have signed numerous military deals, including the purchase by Egypt of 24 Rafale fighter jets and a multipurpose frigate in June.

Leaders of both countries have agreed on the importance of global cooperation to fight terrorism.

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A senior interior ministry official said Monday night that the ministry has "no information" about the existence of reported video footage showing Guilio Regeni  the Italian found murdered in Cairo last month  involved in an altercation with an unknown person shortly before his disappearance.

"Any reports [in the case] not [officially] announced by the interior ministry are only rumours," Egypt's assistant interior minister for PR and media Abu Bakr Abdel-Kerim told the Enferad TV programme on Al-Assema channel.

On Monday morning, judicial sources said the Giza prosecutors, who are investigating the murder of the 28-year-old Regeni, ordered the reviewing of footage from a surveillance camera in the vicinity of the Italian consulate in downtown Cairo.

Sources told Ahram Online that the footage showed Regeni involved in a heated verbal argument with someone days before his disappearance on 25 January.

The assistant interior minister said that the ministry is giving the case top priority and that there is constant coordination with Italian security representatives in Cairo, with Egypt providing Italy with the latest information.

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Grand Imam Ahmed El Tayeb said that that peace and mercy are necessary for the stability of humanity

Egypt's Al Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El Tayeb paid a visit to Berlin on Monday where he met with top clerics in Germany's Catholic church and is also expected to give a speech before the Bundestag, Germany's parliament.

"I came with a lot of hope in my heart and we hope to be peace makers to save humanity in this world which has lost peace," El Tayyeb said in a press statement following his visit to the Catholic church.

"Peace and the mercy of religious principles are necessary for the stability of humanity," the Grand Imam said.

"We are all partners in humanity, and all human beings have the right to enjoy peace, so we must exert our efforts to penetrate the culture of peace among all people," he added.

El Tayeb, who is the head of the world's most prestigious Sunni Muslim institution, visited the Indonesian capital Jakarta last month where he met with President Joko Widodo as well as top Muslim clerics and preachers.

He will also attend a gathering of the World Association of Al-Azhar graduates.

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Fifteen Egyptians who were believed to have been captured by the Islamic State militant group in Libya are safe and being detained by Libyan authorities at an illegal immigrants centre In Tripoli, an Egyptian foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.

"The ministry... contacted the Egyptian ambassador to Libya who confirmed [the Egyptians] location," assistant foreign minister Hisham El-Naqib told state-owned news agency MENA.

"The IS group in Libya has nothing to do with this matter, as they [the Egyptians] are located in the capital Tripoli; around 400 kilometres from [the areas controlled by] the terrorist group," he explained.

Egyptian authorities secured the release in February of 35 Egyptians detained in eastern Libya on charges of illegal immigration and vagrancy.

According to a 2010 report by the International Organisation for Migration, some 1.5 million Egyptians were working in Libya at the time, though the number of expats fell sharply after the NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that saw the ouster and death of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Egypt shares a 1,200-kilometre border with Libya, which has posed a security concern for Egypt in recent years, with smugglers moving weapons and militants in and out of the country.

In February 2015, a graphic video was posted online showing IS militants on a Libyan beach beheading 20 Egyptian Christians and vowing to fight who they described as "crusaders."

Less than 24 hours after the release of the video, Egypt launched airstrikes on IS hideouts in the Libyan cities of Derna and Sirte in coordination with the Libyan army.

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The reports come in the wake of a 7 March massacre carried out by Islamist militants in Tunisias Ben Gardane

Tunisian media reported on Monday that Russia is set to increase its role in combating terrorism, with a focus on the Islamic State group in the Maghreb after deadly attacks struck the Tunisian city of Ben Gardane on 7 March.

Dozens of Islamist fighters stormed the Tunisian town of Ben Gardane near the Libyan border, attacking army and police posts in a raid that killed at least 50 people, including civilians.

Since its 2011 revolt to oust ruler Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has struggled with Islamist militancy at home and across the border, with fighters trained in militant camps in Libya carrying out two attacks in Tunisia last year.

Tunisian daily newspaper Al-Sabah reported that Russia recently supplied Algeria with images captured by satellites along the borders with Tunisia and Libya, as well as Mali and Niger.

The newspaper quoted Algerian sources claiming that these images have helped the Algerian army foil several infiltration attempts by militant fighters and weapons smugglers.

Al-Sabah pointed out that Algeria has asked Moscow to provide it with information about the movement of terrorists in the region, and that Algerian authorities presented the images captured by the Russian satellites to the Tunisian authorities.

Monday's edition of Algerias widely circulated Al-Shrouk newspaper, which is published in Tunis, headlined the announcement of a state of alert along Algerias borders with four Tunisian provinces.

The newspaper also reported that, "Moscow is going to open an unprecedented page in military and security cooperation with Tunisia," including supplying it with "Russian weapons, such as helicopters, to combat terrorism and protect its borders."

In terms of security developments on the ground, a Tunisian security source announced on Monday that a terrorist cell of eight Islamic State militants was arrested in Jendouba in the northwest of Tunisia and on the Algerian border.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis Al-Jheinawi is now on an official visit to Moscow to prepare for the expected visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tunisia in May.

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A female suicide car bomber who killed at least 35 people in Ankara had links to Syrian Kurdish rebels, the interior ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ministry, which identified the bomber as Seher Cagla Demir, born in 1992, said she had been affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party since 2013 and then "crossed into Syria and received terror training in the YPG terrorist organisation."

The People's Protection Units or YPG is a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara regards as a terror outfit.

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Britain could be set to deploy 1,000 troops as part of a 6,000-strong international force in Libya, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said Tuesday.

The committee said in a letter to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond that it had heard on a visit to Egypt and Tunisia this month that "the UK plans to contribute 1,000 ground troops to a 6,000-strong international force which will be deployed to Libya in the near future".

Western countries have agreed that military action is needed to dislodge the Islamic State group from Libya, but world powers have said they want a national unity government installed to request help before formally intervening.

On Saturday, a unity government in Libya announced it was taking office despite lacking parliamentary approval.

The force would aim to train the Libyan army and protect the newly-formed government in Libya, the committee added in the letter, urging Hammond to make a statement on the issue.

Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, allowing extremist organisations including IS group to gain significant ground.

The committee's letter added that Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was expected to agree Britain's contribution to the force at a conference in Europe this week.

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The White House on Tuesday said Russia so far appears to be fulfilling a decision to withdraw troops from Syria, but cautioned it was too soon to judge the impact.

"The earliest indications are that the Russians are following through," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, as the first of Russia's warplanes to leave Syria received a hero's welcome back home.

The Pentagon reported it had seen "some Russian aircraft depart Syria and return to Russia" although that did not amount to "a large contingent of Russian forces."

US officials have been cautious about their assessment of Putin's motives following a sudden announcement Monday.

"Russia did not give direct advance notice" of the announcement, Earnest said, although a telephone call with Putin was pre-planned.

The White House cautioned "it is still too early at this point to determine the impact that might have on the broader situation."

US officials will be keen to probe any weakening of Russia's support for Assad.

Putin launched air strikes against rebel positions in September followed by a massive troop deployment that turned the tide of a long and brutal war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favor, rescuing his regime from the brink of collapse.

Earnest noted that there had been tension in Russia's support for a negotiated end to the conflict and its military support for Assad.

Moscow has rejected demands from the opposition and from the White House that peace would mean Assad stepping aside.

Addressing Russia's withdrawal, Earnest said it was "too early to assess what impact this will have on the Syrian government's negotiating position" in peace talks.

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Al-Qaeda's North African branch threatened France and its allies fighting against militants in the volatile region, in a statement boasting about the group's deadly weekend attack on an Ivory Coast beach resort.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) said the shooting rampage at the Grand-Bassam resort on Sunday that left 18 people dead was one of a series of operations "targeting dens of espionage and conspiracies".

It warned that those nations involved in the regional anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane and the 2013 French-led Operation Serval in Mali would "receive a response", with their "criminal leaders" and interests targeted, according to the SITE group which monitors extremist organisations.

The statement was issued on the eve of a visit Tuesday by French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to Ivory Coast after the beach attack whose victims included four French nationals.

Barkhane, which succeeded Serval in 2014, has at least 3,500 soldiers deployed across five countries -- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger -- to combat militant-militant insurgencies.

AQIM warned Ivory Coast and all allies of France in the region that their "crimes will not pass without a response" and issued a wider threat to Western nationals to leave Muslim lands or "we will destroy your security and the security of your citizens".

The group had also claimed the attack on a top hotel and a nearby restaurant in the Burkina Faso capital in January that killed 30 people, and a hostage siege in the Malian capital Bamako in November that cost 20 lives.

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The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) will offer on Wednesday to sell $1.5 billion in an exceptional auction to banks so as to "eradicate" the country's currency black market, said the bank's governor Tarek Amer.

The bank announced the auction, the third of its kind this week, with the intent to clear import-related debt in the midst of a hard currency crunch, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The aim is to clear 100 percent of customer debt incurred by local banks in financing essential imports, Amer told Al-Ahram Arabic news website on Tuesday.

The CBE has sold $198 million to the banks at a Monday auction and another $198 million on Tuesday at a cut-off price of EGP 8.85 per dollar, effectively allowing the Egyptian pound to depreciate by some 14 percent, its sharpest drop since 2003.

The consecutive auctions are designed to "eradicate" Egypt's currency black market, said Amer, referring to a parallel market that has flourished as the CBE defended the pound following the 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak and caused political and economic turmoil.

The CBE also announced it would adopt a more flexible exchange rate regime on Tuesday in a move that was praised by economists, bankers and the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and which had been called for by the International Monetary Fund.

Meanwhile, the EGP-denominated certificates of deposit launched by Egypt's two largest state-owned banks on Monday, for which buyers must pay in dollars in return for a 15 percent annual yield over three years, will strengthen the pound, Amer told Al-Ahram.

Last week, the bank lifted foreign currency deposit and withdrawal restrictions for individuals and companies importing essential and capital goods. The move aimed to facilitate such imports in the midst of a foreign currency shortage that has slowed business activity and made it increasingly difficult for Egypt to pay for vital imports in a timely manner in recent months.

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The film that will play at Darb 1718, El Angel Exterminador, was nominated at Cannes in 1962

Part of its monthly Spanish film programme, Darb 1718 will screen El Angel Exterminador (The Exterminating Angel, 1962).

The film, directed by Luis Bunuel, is about a fancy but odd dinner party. As the servants start to disappear, the guests find themselves mysteriously unable to leave, turning the enjoyable evening into a nightmare.

The film was nominated for the Palme dOr at Cannes in 1962, and won the Bodil Award for best European film and two Silver Goddess awards at the Mexican Cinema Journalists Festival in 1967 for best supporting actress and best actress in a minor role.

According to the event description, Bunuel is the father of cinematic surrealism, he moved to Paris and started his career as an assistant director, and with the financial assistance from his mother and creative assistance from his close friend Salvador Dali, he made his first film, Un Chien Andalou (Andalusian Dog).

Darb 1718s monthly Spanish film nights are curated by Madrid-based Brazilian filmmaker Giovanna Balensiefer, and held in cooperation with Instituto Cervantes, and the Spanish Embassy in Cairo.

Programme:

Sunday, 27 March, 7.30pm

Cinema El-Fourn, Darb 1718, Kasr El-Shamaa street, El-Fakhareen, Old Cairo

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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The chairwoman of Cairo Opera House was the Cairo Steps ensembles guest of honour in two live concerts in Berlin

On the occasion of celebrating 50 years of ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin) Ines Abdel Dayem, flutist and the chairperson of the Cairo Opera House, performed two live concerts on the stage of the Academy of Arts in Berlin with the Egyptian-German ensemble Cairo Steps on 10 and 11 March.

ITB Berlin is the world's leading travel trade show, and hosted 72 companies and hotels from around the world.

The concerts were organised by the Egypt Tourism Authority and were led by Asem Darwish, oud and band leader, while Abdel Dayem played several music tracks including Siwa, Sultan, Amber, and Sawa.

She also took part in the Egyptian classical song Beredak that was played with a new jazz composition.

Ines Abdel Dayem has been the chairperson of the Cairo Opera House since 2012.

Cairo Steps is an international Sufi-jazz world-music ensemble consisting of German and Egyptian musicians.

The ensemble was founded in 2002 by Egyptian oud player Basem Darwish and German pianist Matthias Frey while jazz pianist and conductor Sebastian Muller-Schrobsdorff is Cairo Steps musical director.

Cairo Steps merges music styles from different parts of the world and combines traditional Egyptian and oriental grooves with modern jazz improvisation, classical music and electronic sounds.

The music is influenced by spiritual ethnic music and Sufi traditions, and alternates between meditative soundscapes and strong rhythms, resulting in a unique music style and an exciting blend of numerous cultures.

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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(Beijing)  A government campaign designed to modernize China's auto industry and clear smoggy air by encouraging sales of "new energy" autos, trucks and buses may have backfired.

Central government investigators have been fanning out across the country to determine whether auto companies and local governments abused the subsidy programs, which since 2009 have doled out hundreds of billions of yuan in subsidies to companies that build electric cars and other alternative-energy vehicles.

Companies such as the nation's eighth-largest electric minibus maker by production, Suzhou GMC Bus, are among scores of industry players getting close scrutiny. Officials working for the provinces of Hebei, Jilin and elsewhere are also under the microscope for their implementation of subsidy policies.

Investigators initially went to work in late January, issuing a notice announcing the launch of an inspection into how the subsidy schemes were implemented. The probe was jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Development and Reform Commission.

The finance ministry said the inspection would target 90 automakers in 25 provinces and cities that got new energy car production subsidies between 2013 and 2015. Inspectors were to look at parts purchases, production schedules and sales data in order to determine whether funds were misappropriated.

The State Council later sent its own inspection teams to 15 provinces and cities in March. Their job was to see whether authorities used subsidy support to manipulate the market for new energy vehicles.

Critics of the subsidy campaign say local government officials distributed cash in ways that benefited hometown companies at the expense of their competitors. Meanwhile, many firms allegedly took advantage of loopholes in the program that helped them draw cash from the funding well.

Gaming the System

The country has been subsidizing new energy vehicle production since 2009, with the goal of putting more than 1,000 units on roads in 10 cities in three years. The program was later expanded and by the end of last year more than 1,000 electric cars were running in 90 cities.

Spurred by the campaign, manufacturers built 379,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in 2015, four times more than the previous year.

Several high-profile scholars, including Yang Yusheng, a new energy vehicle expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, have criticized the campaign. Yang wrote a letter to the State Council, the country's cabinet, in August to blast the subsidy program for what he said was its inability to encourage healthy development of the e-car industry.

Some companies that build electric cars found a loophole that let them tap the subsidy program twice by selling vehicles to their own rental subsidiaries. These carmakers double-dipped by accepting subsidies designed to support manufacturers that sell cars and separately accepting subsidies reserved for buyers, including rental companies.

Through another loophole, said an auto company source who asked not to be named, "new energy car companies set up subsidiaries in different cities to get access to subsidies" from more than one local government.

And some companies gamed the system by receiving government funds earmarked for new energy vehicle manufacturers, even though they in fact contracted out the manufacturing to smaller companies.

The government policy indeed boosted the new-energy vehicle industry, although in the eyes of some critics that meant Beijing went too far to influence the market.

Ouyang Minggao, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference who is also a new energy vehicle expert, told Caixin that subsidies have "distorted" the market for alternative energy vehicles such as electric minibuses.

"Annual electric minibus sales around the world total 20,000 units," said Ouyang. But Chinese manufacturers "can reach that in one month" because the "current new-energy vehicle development has been motivated by policy."

In some ways, the subsidy program's success in spurring manufacturing exceeded policymaker expectations, said a person close to the government who asked not to be named. Some of these surprises involved innovations that perhaps never would have been developed without policy support.

Raising Eyebrows

Kandi Technologies, a major manufacturer of electric minicars, apparently rode the subsidy train by launching a rental service in Hangzhou called Zuozhongyou in partnership with another private automaker, Geely Automobile Holding Co. The service lets customers rent a Kandi minicars for as little as one hour or up to one year.

Kandi has received 600 million yuan in central government subsidies and 200 million yuan from the government of the eastern city of Hangzhou since 2013, Kandi Chairman Hu Xiaoming said. In addition, the Hangzhou government also paid as much as 1,000 yuan every month for each electric vehicle Zuozhongyou leased out.

Hu justified these subsidies by saying that his company and Geely have jointly invested 2 billion yuan to get the rental business off the ground in the hopes of working out a new business model to support long-term growth of e-car industry.

Now, Hu said, his company "is under attack" from those who claim they "cheated to get subsidies."

Zuozhongyou bought nearly three-quarters of the estimated 40,000 cars that Kandi sold from 2013 to last year. About 16,000 of Kandi's cars were rolling down Hangzhou roads at the end of last year, the company said.

Investigators are also looking at the dozens electric carmakers around the country that apparently copied the Kandi's rental-services business model as a way to get subsidies.

The probe is also looking at bus makers such as GMC in the city of Suzhou, in eastern Jiangsu Province, people in the industry said. GMC, which is not affiliated with General Motors Corp., was launched in 2013 and declared eligible for new energy vehicle subsidies last year.

GMC raised eyebrows over its factory's fluctuating output. The government said the firm built only 25 electric buses in the first six months of 2015 but more than 3,650 units in the second half of the year, including 2,905 in December.

A GMC factory worker told a reporter who visited the plant in February that the company rushed bus production in December to take advantage of subsidies available only until the end of the year.

From 2013 to last year, vehicle makers could receive between 300,000 and 600,000 yuan in total subsidies from central and local governments for every 100 percent electric-powered buses produced. The policy changed on January 1, when subsidies were cut to between 60,000 and 250,000 yuan, depending on a vehicle's engine size and other factors, at least through 2020.

The government adjusted the subsidies to reflect a vehicle's value based on technical inputs, said Chen Qingtai, a former deputy director of the Development Research Center, a think tank under the State Council. Under the old system, subsidy levels varied according to vehicle size, which made the program "easy to abuse," he said.

The GMC factory worker said the company's assembly line outran parts suppliers, which left a number of buses only partially built, some without seats. Caixin found GMC's factory parking lot filled with new buses, many of which were waiting for seats and buyers, while the assembly line had slowed to a crawl, with only a handful of workers on site.

GMC was not the only electric vehicle maker to see production surge in December. The government said 90,100 electric-powered commercial vehicles, mainly minibuses, were produced nationwide from January to November. But some 57,800 rolled off assembly lines in December alone.

Alternative-energy vehicle makers have also scored subsidies by adding no more than the finishing touches to vehicles basically built by their contractors, according to a GMC employee who asked not to be named. Investigators, including Suzhou government officials, are looking into whether this practice violated government rules.

The GMC source said his company makes only one minibus model, but bills itself as a company making five models. And another source said the company's assembly line actually built fewer than 900 vehicles last year.

Changzhou Ruiyue Auto Parts Co., in Jiangsu Province, is a GMC supplier that does most of the work on its electric buses. It also has contracts with Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus Co. and Dongfeng Yangste Automobile Co., a Ruiyue source said. But Caixin found that Ruiyue is not licensed to produce finished vehicles.

"Outsourcing production of completed vehicles is clearly forbidden," said one auto industry expert. "But in electric car production, it is a gray area for some companies to buy unfinished vehicles without electric systems.

"It's impossible for regulators to confirm every" step of a production process, the expert said.

Yet it's a practice that some in the industry defend as perfectly acceptable.

Chen Feng, chief executive at an electric car parts supply and rental company called Zhejiang Skio Matrix, said that while it is true the manufacture-rental business model was designed to tap the subsidy program, it is unfair to label it fraud.

The government makes the rules, Chen said, and "it's up to you how to play" without breaking them. In addition to supporting the new-energy vehicle industry, Chen said the subsidy program was aimed at building market and investor confidence because "the industry needs more support" in terms of capital.

Now that the government has gotten suspicious of the industry's use of subsidies, and investigators from several central government agencies are hunting for evidence of wrongdoing, industry players are nervously pulling back.

"We feel the whole industry has stalled," Chen said.

(Rewritten by Han Wei)
(Shenzhen)  The country's central bank and the Shenzhen office of the banking regulator recently held meetings with executives from about 20 commercial banks to discuss risks related to mortgages held by homeowners in the southern city, several people who attended the gatherings tell Caixin.

Officials from the People's Bank of China and the Shenzhen branch of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) used the meetings to tell the banks to conduct stress tests on their home loans because a strong rebound in property prices in the country's biggest cities has sparked concerns that the market may be overheating, the sources said.

Regulators also said at the meetings that they planned to conduct audits of banks that had extended home loans "too fast," the people in attendance said.

The sources would not say when the meetings were held.

Housing prices in the country's biggest cities, including Shenzhen, have soared since the beginning of February. Data from the Shenzhen land commission show that the prices of new homes in the city skyrocketed by more than 70 percent to 48,100 yuan per square meter in the second month of the year compared to the same month a year ago. That is the highest the average price has ever reached in Shenzhen.

The price of second-hand homes in Shenzhen also set a record  52,600 yuan per square meter  in February.

National regulators are mulling rules that would end the practice of homebuyers taking out loans to cover down payments. Central bank vice governor Pan Gongsheng said on March 9 that loans from lenders, including developers, real estate agents and peer-to-peer websites, have increased risks to the financial system and property markets.

"We are communicating with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to regulate such behavior," Pan said at a panel discussion during the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which ended on March 14.

"Real estate brokerages and property developers are not allowed to run financing services before they obtain the relevant licenses," he said.

Officials from Shanghai's economic planner met with real estate agents and the local branch of the banking regulator on March 8 to address surging property prices. Employees of banks in Shenzhen and Shanghai told Caixin that regulators have asked them to step up their scrutiny on the sources of borrowers' down payments.

While big cities have seen property prices rise in the past few months, smaller cities have a glut of unsold homes. Some 739 million square meters of housing sat empty in February and most of that was in small cities, said Chen Zhenggao, the housing minister.

To boost demand for homes in smaller cities, the central government said on February 19 it will cut the deed tax from 2 percent to 1.5 percent for first homes larger than 90 square meters. The change only applies to cities other than Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

(Rewritten by Chen Na)
The U.S. Justice Department warned state court systems in the country Monday against imposing punitive fines on impoverished people and jailing them if they can not pay, saying the practice is unconstitutional and also erodes trust in local communities.

The top U.S. law enforcement agency said local court systems should not operate as for-profit ventures, using a raft of fines against people living in their communities to fund government operations and then issuing arrest warrants for some people who are too poor to make the payments for relatively minor offenses.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said, the warning sent to courts across the United States is aimed at ensuring that "our legal system serves every American faithfully and fairly, regardless of their economic status."

Lynch, the country's top law enforcement official, said, "The consequences of poverty are not only harmful, they are far-reaching. They not only affect an individual's ability to support their family, but also contribute to an erosion of our faith in government."

Vanita Gupta, the head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and Lisa Foster, who directs the department's Office for Access to Justice, said in the letter that "to the extent that these practices are geared not toward addressing public safety, but rather toward raising revenue, they can cast doubt on the impartiality of the tribunal and erode trust between local governments and their constituents."

The Justice Department warning came after a Washington conference in December showed some communities rely heavily on the imposition of fines as a source of government revenue. The government had found the practice particularly prevalent in Ferguson, Missouri, a small community in the central part of the United States where there were days of street protests after a white policeman shot an unarmed black teenager to death in 2014.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is not planning on changing her refugee policy, despite heavy losses in recent state elections that showed conflicting opinions about her liberal approach to immigration.

On Sunday, the nationalist Alternative for Deutschland party won representation in three state polls in what many saw as a protest vote against Merkel's open-door policy on refugees.

Merkel described the loss as a "difficult day" for her conservative Christian Democrats.

Merkel has been under growing pressure to close Germany to migrants, many of them Syrians, and others fleeing war, but she has refused to impose a cap on the number of arrivals.

She is pushing, through the EU, a European-wide action that calls for distributing refugees among the EU's 28-member bloc on a proportional basis.

"Without a doubt, we have come a long way towards solving the refugee issue, but we still do not have a sustainable solution," she said. "I am fully convinced that we need a European solution and that this solution needs time."

Merkel added Germany has benefited from the closure of the Balkan migrant route north into Europe.

"Regarding the Balkan route, yes, there is no doubt that Germany, at the moment, benefits from the fact that fewer people are coming and that also is connected to the closure of the Greek-Macedonian border," Merkel said during a news conference Monday.
Samsung has been named the world's third most valuable brand, according to Brand Finance on Monday.

Samsung's overall value rose some 1.8 percent to US$83.2 billion on-year, edging out Amazon with $69.6 billion and Microsoft with $67.2 billion, the U.K. brand valuation firm said.

Apple ranked first with $146 billion, while Google came second with $94.1 billion.

Brand Finance has evaluated the worlds 500 most valuable brands every year based on their sales and consumer loyalty since 2007. Samsung ranked 23rd in 2010, moved up to sixth in 2012 and has been included in the top three since 2013.

Among Korean companies, Hyundai came in 36th, LG 102nd and SK 143rd.
Incheon International Airport is to get a capsule hotel and self check-in counters as part of measures aimed at boosting passenger traffic, it said on Monday.

Incheon airport plans to build the 67-room capsule hotel by the end of this year. Such cubbyhole sleeping quarters already exist at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Heathrow in London. Each capsule also has a toilet and shower occupying minimal space.

An airport staffer said, "At present, passengers who have long waiting times before their red-eye flights or arrive early in the morning experience inconveniences. Capsules will only cost W8,000-9,000 per hour," (US$1=W1,189).
North Korean diplomats are so underpaid that they have in some cases resorted to growing beansprouts to make ends meet or forgone life-saving medical treatment.

North Korean Ambassador to Italy Kim Chun-guk recently died of liver cancer there because he could not afford a check-up, according to a diplomat who defected to South Korea.

The defector said the ambassador in Rome is paid US$700 a month, a counselor $600, and a first secretary $500. "Nobody can afford medical exams or treatment in Europe on such a salary," he said.

If any North Korean mission overseas asks Pyongyang for money, they are told to shut down the embassy and come back.

Kim was a former director of the Europe bureau at the North Korean Foreign Ministry.

The defector said many North Korean diplomats in Europe are doing without medical insurance because it is expensive there, and if something is seriously wrong with them they cannot afford the treatment.

North Korean ambassadors in Southeast Asia are paid less than $400 a month, according to Hong Sun-gyong, a former counselor at the embassy in Thailand who has defected.

"They're worse off than South Koreans who live on the breadline," Hong added.

Another problem is how to pay for the upkeep of the embassies. One defector who worked in the North Korean Embassy to Russia, said, "We used to grow beansprouts to sell in the market, and the embassy in Germany used to rent out rooms."

Some North Korean diplomats in Africa were caught smuggling rhino horn.

They naturally prefer to work in less developed countries because it is easier to make money there and living is cheap.

Their favorite postings are trouble spots because they can sell arms there.


Remembering a bronze age queen

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-03-15 09:22

The ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum features a replica of Fu Hao's tomb, and virtual-reality glasses allow visitors to see facades of the Shang palaces. [Photo provided to China Daily]

On International Women's Day, Fu Hao, a female legend from 3,000-odd years ago, was reintroduced to the public in the exhibition hall of Beijing's Capital Museum. The exhibition has 441 cultural relics on display, ranging from bronzeware and jade objects to pottery and oracle bones. Wang Kaihao reports.

She is a warrior. She is a queen.

If the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th-11th century BC) is the zenith of the Bronze Age in China, she is probably its most shining example.

On International Women's Day, which fell on March 8, Fu Hao (Hao is the surname and Fu means a woman in Chinese), a female legend from 3,000-odd years ago was reintroduced to the public in the exhibition hall of Beijing's Capital Museum.

The exhibition, Queen, Mother, General: 40th Anniversary of Excavating the Shang Tomb of Fu Hao, has 441 cultural relics on display, ranging from bronzeware and jade objects to pottery and oracle bonestelling her story in a unique way.

Since the discovery of Fu Hao's tomb in Anyang, Henan province, in 1976, the site has been one of the longest continuously studied sites in China. It is also the only intact Shang rulers' family tomb found, and 1,928 funerary objects have been unearthed in the past few decades. Consequently, the site is generally considered as a milestone in the country's history of archaeology.

Black and red were the colors adored by rulers in the Shang Dynasty, and they set the tone for the museum journey back in time. Cloth curtains and "pearl" drapery give the display a certain feminine charm.

A cultural relic from the ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The relics have to be displayed in a certain atmosphere to reflect their values and better tell the story," says Li Dandan, artistic designer of the exhibition.

"Visitors have no idea of what Fu Hao looked like, but we can usher them into her world with a gentle approach," she says.

Nevertheless, Fu Hao is not a common queen who hid behind a veil. As one of the wives of Wu Ding, a king of the Shang Dynasty whose reign lasted for 58 years, she is known as a female general assisting her husband.

According to Feng Hao, a history researcher at the Capital Museum and curator of the exhibition, she led at least four major wars against surrounding tribes. She even mobilized as many as 13,000 soldiers for a military expedition, an extraordinary achievement in her time.

"This reflects her charisma and power," says Feng. "Though we also found tombs of Wu Ding's other wives, Fu Hao's tomb is closest to the palace relics, which reveal her status in the king's heart."

A replica of the tomb has been created in the exhibition hall, and virtual-reality glasses provide an opportunity for visitors to see facades of the Shang palaces, which are created by archaeologists based on their studies.

A cultural relic from the ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Intermittent wars were a common thing during the Shang Dynasty. So you cannot blame Fu Hao for her brutality, because that was the way it was in that time," he adds.

A bronze yue axe is among the exhibits, which shows her status as a top military commander.

However, a delicate monster-shaped bone hairpin shows a gentler side of this battlefield heroine. Exhibits like a jade dragon and jade parrots with connected tails also remind people of her pursuit of aesthetics.

Several jade figurines on display show the general appearance of the Shang people.

A bronze owl-shaped zun wine vessel with complex ornamentation not only epitomizes flamboyance, but reminds people of animated animals today.

Some unearthed articles are from earlier periods of historylike the late Neolithic Periodwhich Feng says reflect her wealth and fine taste.

Finds from recent years are also included into the exhibition.

For example, after Fu Hao's death, she was betrothed by Wu Ding to his late father. Though it may sound strange today, Feng says that it reflects the king's homage to his ancestors and his love for his wife.

A cultural relic from the ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum. [Photo by Wang Kaihao/ China Daily]

"He wanted Fu Hao to be blessed by the ancestors. In the early part of Chinese civilization, a necromantic culture played an important role."

There are other unresolved mysteries about her. Fu Hao is generally believed to have died before turning 50, and some scholars speculate she could have died in her 30s. But no conclusive proof is available to prove either assumption.

The ongoing exhibition is a part of the Capital Museum's series of special events marking its 35th anniversary.

According to Bai Jie, the head of the museum, relics from the Fu Hao tomb are scattered among different institutions nationwide, but are mainly with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and with the Henan Museum.

"So it is both rare and fortunate to have them juxtaposed in one museum (for the exhibition)," he says.

Contact the writer at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

9 am-5 pm, through June 26.

Entrance until 4 pm (closed on Mondays).

Exhibition Hall B, the first floor, the Capital Museum. 16 Fuxingmenwai Dajie (Avenue), Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6339-3339.

www.capitalmuseum.org.cn.

Online reservation is needed.

A cultural relic from the ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum. [Photo by Wang Kaihao/ China Daily]

A cultural relic from the ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum. [Photo by Wang Kaihao/ China Daily]

A cultural relic from the ongoing exhibition at the Capital Museum. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Suzhou helps to build China Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-03-15 15:26

Vice Minister of Culture Ding Wei and Mayor of Suzhou Qu Futian signed the agreement on construction and operation of China Cultural Center in Budapest on March 14 in Beijing. [Photo/culturalink.gov.cn]

Minister of Culture Luo Shugang met Zhou Naixiang, Secretary of Suzhou Municipal Committee, on March 14 in Beijing. The two sides have reached an agreement that the China Cultural Center in Budapest will be a joint project operated by both the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Suzhou.

Under an intergovernmental cultural agreement signed in 2013, China will open a cultural center in Budapest and Hungary will also open one in Beijing. The cultural center will be an effective tool in promoting cultural ties between the two countries.

In recent years, to accelerate the construction of China Cultural Centers, the Ministry of Culture has cooperated with provincial governments. In 2015, the China Cultural Center in Brussels which is operated by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Shanghai was opened to the public.

The China Cultural Center focuses on the promotion of Chinese culture in the spirit of Quality, Popularity, Friendship and Cooperation. It creates international opportunities to bring people together and to encourage exchanges in terms of politics, economy, society and ideas.
South China mkt has tremendous opportunity: CEO of Knight Frank Greater China

By:Jiang Wenran | From:english.eastday.com | 2016-03-10 22:33

Piers Brunner, CEO of Knight Frank, Greater China (Photo: Fan Yicheng)



Shanghai, March 10- The general trend over the past decade unsurprisingly has been for significant growth in cross-border investment, led by massive growth in outflows from China (+1,471%) and in absolute terms, said Piers Brunner, CEO of Knight Frank, Greater China during the exclusive interview with reporter from Eastday.com.

The Wealth Report 2016 was released today by Knight Frank, a leading independent global property consultancy. Headquartered in London, it operates from over 400 offices, in 58 countries, across six continents.

According to the report, China has been notable growth (500%) alongside other emerging markets, such as Brazil (294%) when looking at inward investment.

Asian markets, which have seen strong interest from regional property investors, have seen concomitant growth  notably Singapore (285%), Hong Kong (222%) and Australia (146%).

Our analysis of cross-border capital flows confirms the rapid growth of investment activity and also the scale of movements between key countries, with strong growth in outflows from China reflecting the growth from the wider Asian region, said Piers.

An interesting phenomenon is found in the report. Women have take a more significant role in managing family wealth over the past 10 years, agreed by 84% of Chinese respondents and 61% of respondents from the US.

Tasked to further develop Knight Franks business across Greater China, Piers introduced their Hong Kong business was established in 1972. Since then they have expanded to provide complete coverage across Greater China with a presence in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Macau and Taipei.

Greater China is one of the most dynamic and challenging property markets in the world. We are very certain about the prospects of the Chinese market, Piers told us Knight Franks future plan in Greater China, specifically, we would like to grow our business lines here.

Next we will build up teams for Shanghai, Beijin, Guangzhou and then Southern China with service delivery there. The Shenzhen and Guangzhou market to me has got tremendous opportunity due to the Free Trade Zone, Piers also noted that they will continue to grow professional surveys all over China.
EXCLUSIV Cat de mult conteaza daca Simona Halep s-a dopat fara stiinta ei. Poate scapa fara suspendare din tenis? Ce spune sefa antidoping
Guido Bergmann/Bundesregierung via Getty Images(BERLIN)  George and Amal Clooney are lending their star power to raise awareness about the refugee crisis and sharing new video of their recent meeting with Syrian refugees.



"You forget that these are people who didn't just leave their country for no reason at all," George Clooney says in the video. "These are people who left because a terrible tragedy."



The "Hail, Caesar!" actor and his human rights attorney wife partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to raise awareness of the refugee crisis. IRC released the video of the Clooneys meeting with refugees in Berlin today to mark the fifth anniversary of the Syrian war.



"We always look around at the end of these tragedies and say if we knew, we would have done something and the reality is, of course we know," Clooney said in the video. "What is shocking to me is not that it happened but its continuing to happen for five years."



The war in Syria has left 60 million refugees displaced throughout the world, according to the IRC, citing the most recent figures from the United Nations. The IRC provides support to Syrian refugees in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Serbia and Greece.



"It's actually easy to dismiss giant numbers but it's very hard to dismiss a young child sitting on the ground crying as her mother said, 'If we die. I rather we die by a bullet because it would be quicker,'" Clooney said while meeting with refugees.



In addition to hearing from refugees, Amal Clooney shared her own family's story.



"My own family is from Lebanon ... they also ran away from a war and was lucky enough to be expected by a European country in 1982 when the violence there was really bad," she told the refugees. "I hope you will be able to go back to a safe and free Syria."



"Being here and talking with you is important to remind them of who we are and who we have always been, which is you," George Clooney added.



The IRC posted the entire video of the Clooneys' meeting with refugees on its Facebook page.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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$67 oil has all the majors converging here



By Nick Cunningham

Argentina offers one of the few places on earth where oil companies are not suffering from the full force of the collapse in prices.



Argentina regulates oil prices, a policy originally intended to insulate the public from the whims of the market, protecting people from triple-digit crude prices. But with the crash in prices since mid-2014, the effect of the regulation has reversed: motorists are now effectively subsidizing the oil industry.



Prices for light oil are set at $67 per barrel and natural gas prices fixed at $7.50 per million Btu (MMBtu). That means consumers are not reaping the benefits of cheap fuel. The higher prices they pay offer a huge lifeline for the oil industry.



From the consumer's standpoint, that may not sound like a great deal. But it may help Argentina's shale industry keep their momentum going. Argentina holds some of the largest shale potential outside of the United States. According to the EIA, Argentina has over 800 trillion cubic feet of unproved technically recoverable shale gas reserves (more than the 622 tcf located in the U.S.) and 27 billion barrels of shale oil, which is less than only the U.S., Russia, and China.



The bulk of Argentina's shale reserves are located in the Vaca Muerta, a vast shale basin in central Argentina. The Vaca Muerta has attracted companies from around the world, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and Gazprom.



Drilling activity has continued to grow, but high costs and infrastructure constraints have prevented production levels from rocketing skywards as they did in places like Texas or North Dakota.



But regulated oil prices could also prevent Argentina from suffering the effects of the bust that are now clearly visible across the well-known shale areas of the United States.



"This is so important, strategically," said the outgoing CEO of state-owned YPF, Miguel Galuccio, referring to regulated prices, according to the WSJ.



Last week, Galuccio announced that production from the Vaca Muerta continued to inch upwards, having reached 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), up from 44,000 boe/d last year.



But Argentina faces profitability challenges even with regulated oil prices. Galuccio said that the profit from YPF's shale oil and gas production was "marginal." YPF announced spending reductions as well as the decision to reduce its rig count. The company spent only $4 billion in 2015, down from the original $6 billion it had planned on spending. YPF will trim another 25 percent from its budget for 2016.



Galuccio argued, though, that the economics will improve as drilling scales up, techniques are refined, and operators learn more about the basin. He said that YPF has already reduced costs from the average shale well from $16 million to $13 million a piece. He expects that costs will decline to $10 million per well in 2016.



Regulated oil prices can buy YPF  and other companies, including YPF's joint venture partner, Chevron  some space to continue to drill and bring costs down. "We are doing this to sustain activity and employment," said Argentina's labor minister, Jorge Triaca, referring to artificially high prices.



"You've got to incentivize people to do exploration and development, especially when prices are low," said Ali Moshiri, the top Chevron official in Latin America said. "If Argentina carries on with these incentives, it will encourage others to come to the country."



Meanwhile, a corporate makeover is also underway. Argentina's new President Mauricio Macri pushed YPF's CEO Miguel Galuccio out the door last week. The FT reported that Argentina's new energy minister, Juan Jose Aranguren, was not fond of Galuccio. In particular, he was critical of ballooning debt levels that took place under Galuccio's management. Galuccio will be succeeded by a former JP Morgan executive.



But Galuccio is also credited with turning YPF's fortunes around. Since taking the helm in 2012 after the government of former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner nationalized YPF, he improved the company's operations and achieved production increases.



President Macri and the new YPF CEO hope to keep the momentum going. Whether or not having the Argentinian public subsidize oil prices is smart policy, it offers the shale industry a rare bright spot for the energy industry.



Nick Cunningham is a writer with Oilprice.com where this originally appeared. Home
There may have "only" been three Iron Man movies to date, but it's Robert Downey Jr. seventh appearance in a Marvel movie, the most recent of which is Captain America: Civil War.

When USA Today went to speak with Downey Jr. on the set of Civil War, they asked him if a fourth Iron Man was in the offing, and he reportedly replied: "I dont think thats in the cards. In a way its Cap 3 but for me its like my little Iron Man 4 and then it's back to the thing we all recognize. Everything pulls over to the side of the road when the thunder of an Avengers thing comes through because thats how it is until it changes. If it changes."

Robert Downey Jr. just delivered some bad news for 'Iron Man' movie fans: Marvel/DisneyBad news, "Iron Man" fa... https://t.co/0tYdmgMlrl  Business Insider (@NewsdeskInsider) March 14, 2016

For those concerned regarding the direction Tony Stark will take in Civil War now that he's warring with Captain America, he's not going to go "total villain" like he does in the comic series: "If were going to go there, then weve got to save it for my swan song. I would still like to keep a general audience and mildly be in their favor somehow."

While Captain America: Civil War will open in May, the next two "Avengers" films are set for release in 2018 and 2019. And then there's the rest.





Via: UK.businessinsider.com
It's tough to talk about 'Furious 7' and not first address the passing of Paul Walker. An integral part of the franchise, his tragic death left the cast, crew and studio in a state of shock. It's a huge credit to newbie helmer James Wan and everyone involved that they've managed to pull off a not just narratively coherent action flick, but an entertaining one, to boot.

They've also paid a thoughtful, touching tribute to Walker that will likely leave audiences in multiplexes around the globe sobbing .

The seventh installment ploughs a similar action-heavy furrow to Fast 5 and 6, as the ensemble cast locate their way from one huge, elaborate action set-piece to another. The heel this time is one Jason Statham, who is obviously enjoying playing the bad guy and fits snugly with the macho, muscular vibe. He promised to hunt them at the end of the last film, and hunt them, he does. Newcomers along for the ride are UFC women's champ Rhonda Rousey and Kurt Russell - the latter bagging far more screen time as a shady government operative.

Wan is far more used to directing intimate horror flicks - so not only is this a huge acceleration in budget, it's also a jarringly different kind of film for him. Luckily, since Fast 5 there's been a formula; the ever-present slick motors cease to be a story and more of a prop in a heist tale, with an underlined tone of "family".

Sure, it's cheesy at points - Diesel's character is particularly incessantly earnest - but the action here is the best of the series and there's more of it, too. New and supporting characters are also handled a bit better, rather than being shoe-horned in as with previous efforts, and there's a nice nod to the third film spin-off, Tokyo Drift; most would agree that they have been forgiven for ignoring 'Drift', never mind making it work within this film's storyline.

When stars of other movies have passed away during production, there's been some dodgy CGI, a hasty rewrite or a jarring edit. Not only have the filmmakers here made a better film than the majority of the others that links nicely with previous installments and characters, it pays a beautiful tribute to its fallen lead.

Never thought you'd get emotional during a Fast and Furious film? Think again. An excellent result, given the obviously trying and tragic context.
Thomas Renard (Egmont  The Royal Institute for International Relations)

Europe is currently being confronted with a number of security issues, which by their nature transcend national boundaries and although these are, by and large, not entirely new challenges, they can continually evolve and gradually adapt to the changing international environment. The 2003 European Security Strategy identifies four fundamental types of such security challenges. These include terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), organized crime and cyber security. The fight against these problems must be led, among others, at the global level, which has prompted the European Union to establish strategic alliances within the frame-work of multilateral and bilateral treaties and platforms.

Among the ten strongest global players, the United States is by far Europes most important partner with whom the Union has greatly strengthened its cooperation in all four strategic areas over the years. The transatlantic partnership with the United States is moreover positively per-ceived also by European citizens in all its aspects. Japan, South Korea and Canada also fall into the category of Europes democratic partners on the global scale, and it was particularly the Land Of the Rising Sun with whom the EU has maintained a sufficiently developed cooperation. The cooperation with India and Brazil does not have the same intensity in each of the four stra-tegic areas, which is even more evident when it comes to the countries such as Mexico and South Africa. The partnership with these countries is, however, still in its infancy, and therefore it is expected that the Union will cooperate with them more and more intensively in the near future.

Russia and China then lie at the opposite end of the value spectrum. Given the normative dif-ferences, for example in their respective views of the democratic system, the cooperation with these countries is much more difficult, though admittedly security challenges cannot be ad-dressed without the assistance of these powers at the regional or global scale. The Union and Russia have thus managed to establish an ambitious agenda in the fight against organized crime, though the reality of the Ukrainian conflict significantly undermines this partnership. In the areas of the prevention of the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction or the strengthening of cyber security, these partners often seem more like a big part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Although the EU is trying to position itself as a security player with global ambitions, its influ-ence in this area cannot be so far described as significant enough. The transnational nature of the outlined challenges could, however, enhance the coordination of the EU foreign and security policy at the European level in the future. Nonetheless, until this scenario becomes reality, the long-standing argument  namely that the Unions security partnerships reach their limits within the EU itself rather than with the above-mentioned allies  will remain valid.

The study can be downloaded here
The United States and the European Union announced on Sunday (13 March) that they had urged the newly recognized Libyan government to move to the capital as soon as possible and assume power. Both parties threatened that they would impose sanctions on those who will undermine the political process. We are working with the EU and with the United States to quickly adopt sanctions, if it proves necessary, against those in both camps who prevent the new government from taking power, said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. The EU is to discuss sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, today (15 March).

US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said in Paris during the meeting of the US and Western powers that both the US and the EU call on all Libyan public institutions to facilitate a peaceful and orderly handover of power so that Libyas new leaders can begin to govern from Libyas capital. In a joint statement issued by the United States, the EU, France, Great Britain and Italy, the allies said that the UN-backed unity government should move to the capital as soon as possible. The Libyan presidential council announced that it was taking power although it was lacking the approval of the Parliament. Libya has been governed by two rival administrations since 2014 when the recognized government was forced from the capital after Tripoli had been overrun by Islamist extremists.

An UN-brokered deal finalized in December last year serves as the basis for a power-sharing government to be based in Tripoli. Yet, in February, 100 lawmakers from the recognized parliament said they supported a UN-backed cabinet but were forcibly prevented from putting the new government line-up to a vote of confidence. The presidential council, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, commented in a statement that the majority petition signed by the lawmakers was equivalent to a vote of confidence. He therefore appealed to all sides to immediately make contact with the unity government in order to organise the modalities of passing over power in a peaceful and organised way.
Overseas travel fever spreads to smaller cities Updated: 2016-03-15 07:42 By Zheng Xin(China Daily)

A group of Chinese tourists takes a selfie in front of the staircase leading into the Dolby Theater during preparations leading up to the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 27, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The Chinese urge to travel overseas is spreading deeper into the second- and third-tier cities, according to industry experts, with more firms now wooing customers with customized and cheaper packages.

Online travel service platform Mafengwo, for instance, has been targeting cities including Hunan province's capital city Changsha, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, and Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan.

The upcoming Qingming festival (April 4), the May Day holiday, and the summer are all prime times for travel companies.

On March 15 to 18, Mafengwo is to offer a series of "four-days-only" promotions, including trips from Changsha to the United States for 2,599 yuan ($400), a package from Chengdu to Nha Trang in Vietnam for 1,999 yuan, and a return ticket from Tianjin to Osaka in Japan for just 999 yuan.

"It is becoming more apparent that people from China's smaller cities are catching up quickly in venturing abroad as their incomes rise," said Jin Peng, Mafengwo's product manager of independent travel packages.

"Many travel agencies from across the world are also starting to tap into the trend by wooing Chinese visitors from smaller cities directly with more promotions, convenient flights and simplified visa applications, while budget airlines are also opening up routes from across the globe to the Chinese smaller cities."

The company's promotion includes 100 destinations in Japan, South Korea, as well as countries in Southeastern Asia, the US and Europe, with various travel options like flight plus hotel, visa application, local leisure activities and cruises.

Jiang Yiyi, a researcher from the China Tourism Academy, said outbound tourism was no longer a privilege of the rich, and expects the lower-tier cities to continue contributing higher shares of bookings.

According to the recent Market Research Report on Chinese Outbound Tourist Consumption released by the Beijing-based World Tourism Cities Federation, China will continue to see an increasing number of trips being made by its citizens abroad, and increased levels of spending.
Banking regulator vows to get tough on online brokers Updated: 2016-03-15 07:59 By Jiang Xueqing(China Daily)

China's top banking regulator has vowed to crack down on illegal fundraising activities by unscrupulous online brokers and warned investors to be wary of their schemes.

Shang Fulin, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, said at a news conference on Saturday: "The CBRC will strengthen regulation, intensify on-site inspections and step up administrative penalties."

Shang said illegal fundraising cases have become so common and the perpetrators are finding new ways to commit their crimes.

The online peer-to-peer lending broker Ezubao, for instance, has been accused by police of collecting more than 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) illegally from about 900,000 nonspecific investors through fake projects.

The company allegedly lured its victims into the scheme under the guise of P2P lending, which is the practice of lending money to individuals or businesses through online services that match lenders directly with borrowers.

"Relevant government departments have put the case on file for investigation. They are seeking asset recovery to recoup as much losses as they can," Shang said.

Caixin Media earlier reported that according to its calculation, the amount of money collected via illegal fundraising reached a staggering 200 billion yuan last year.

By the end of March 2015, investigators had filed 14,000 financial criminal cases, up nearly 38 percent year-on-year, reported the Beijing-based media group specializing in business news.

Shang said: "The CBRC will also step up oversight of P2P lending and launch special projects along with other government departments to address problems arisen from Internet finance."

He reminded investors they have to be extremely cautious about participating in financial investment schemes.

"They should pay special attention to three elements before making investment decisions: First, whether or not a P2P lending platform is raising funds from nonspecific investors. Second, whether or not it has promised to offer abnormally high returns on investment. Third, whether or not it advertises publicly for fundraising," he said.

By the end of February, a total of 2,519 P2P lending platforms operated in the country without any problems, according to wangdaizhijia.com, a Web portal that tracks the industry.
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SAAM educator Phoebe Hillemann reflects on creating resources to spark curiosity for learners of all ages who view William H. Johnsons Fighters for Freedom series
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Having trouble viewing? View this mailing online. SUBSCRIBE TO THE FLAME HOTLINE DONATE TO FLAME FORWARD TO A FRIEND March 15, 2016 President Obama considering new Israeli-Palestinian peace proposalat Israel's expense? Dear Friend of FLAME: The President's failures in the Middle East are legioneven if you accept his Iran Deal as a success (which, of course, millions of Democrats and Republicans, including we at FLAME and many members of Congress, do not). First, notwithstanding the nuclear restrictions placed on Iran by Mr. Obama's Deal, the Islamic Republic continues to flaunt its nuclear ambitions , most recently by breaking a U.N. Security Council resolution barring it from testing of ballistic missiles, whose only purpose could be to carry nuclear weapons. Next, in 2012 Mr. Obama laid down a "red line, forbidding Syria's use of chemical weaponsthen backed off when Bashir Assad started using themwhich discredited the U.S. immeasurably on the world stage. The President also abandoned long-time ally, Egypt's Hosni Mubarekadmittedly no paragon of democratic rulein the face of the so-called Arab Spring uprising, which showed the U.S. to be a disloyal, fair-weather friend . Unfortunately, the disaster that followed Mubarek's overthrow has been incalculably worse for Egyptians. Then Mr. Obama badly misread the danger of Islamic State (ISIS), calling them a "jayvee" team of terrorists. What's more, despite mounting global terror sown by ISIS and other Muslim groups, the President refuses to use the phrase "Islamic terror" to describe it. But perhaps most troubling have been Mr. Obama's inept dealings with Israel and his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The President's shabby treatment of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can only be called disgracefuland bitterly ironic given the President's frequent repetition of his commitment to the "unshakeable bond" between our two countries. The leader of the free world seems to have allowed a personality conflict to shake this commitment, to say nothing of the simple courtesy owed the leader of one of our strongest allies. Most importantly, Mr. Obama's efforts to bring the Palestinians to the peace table in 2013 were embarrassingly fruitless especially after Israel agreed to a cessation of new construction in the disputed territories. The Palestinians walked out shortly thereafter. Now rumors are flying that the President, in order to dress up his tattered Mideast legacy , is entertaining a renewed effort to bring Israel and the Palestinians to the bargaining tableor at a minimum, to establish parameters for a peace deal. If the latter, this might take the form of a U.N. Security Council resolutiona plan that neither Israel nor the Palestinians are likely to welcome. This week's FLAME Hotline featured article exposes the folly of Mr. Obama's renewed efforts to force peace on the two parties, especially since his previous efforts have completely ignored the unwillingness of the Palestinians to take even the most basic steps toward peacestarting with an acceptance of the Jewish state. This brief piece, by Commentary's stalwart columnist Jonathan Tobin, outlines Mr. Obama's ongoing disconnect with reality in Israel's Middle East neighborhood and the futility of such an effort to salvage a hopeless legacy in the region. I guarantee this article will help you be a smarter, stronger advocate for the interests of Israeland the United States. In addition, I hope you'll also review the P.S. immediately below, which describes FLAME's hasbarah campaign to explain how the mainstream media unfairly fail to make the obvious connection between Islamist terrorism in France, the U.S. and worldwide with terror attacks in Israel. Best regards, Jim Sinkinson

Executive Vice President, Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME) P.S. Just a few months ago, the world was shattered by the attacks against innocent civilians in Paris (and then again in San Bernardino), just as we Israel advocates continue to be unnerved by the so-called "knife intifada" being carried out against innocents in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. Yet the press has been unable to connect the dots between this tale of three cities. That's why FLAME is now publishing a new position paper in media nationwidewhich explains how the Paris terrorists' motivation is precisely the same as that of the terrorists in Israel. I urge you to preview this outspoken hasbarah message today: "Paris. Jerusalem." This hard-hitting paid editorial appears in magazines and newspapers, including college newspapers, with a combined readership of some 10 million people. In addition, it has been sent to every member of the U.S. Congress and President Obama. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel's behalf is critical, I urge you to support us. Remember: FLAME's powerful ability to influence public opinion comes from individuals like you, one by one. I hope you'll consider giving a donation now, as you're ablewith $500, $250, $100, or even $18. (Remember, your donation to FLAME is tax deductible.) To donate online, just go to donate now. Now more than ever we need your support to ensure that Israel gets the support it needsfrom the U.S. Congress, from President Obama, and from the American people. As of today, more than 15,000 Israel supporters receive the FLAME Hotline at no charge every week. If you're not yet a subscriber, won't you join us in receiving these timely updates, so you can more effectively tell the truth about Israel ? Just go to free subscription. What's Obama's real Mideast legacy? by Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary, March 10, 2016 Today's front-page story in the New York Times on President Obama's plans to promote Middle East diplomacy was about as ill-timed as an article could be. It was published on the day after a horrifying murder spree by Palestinian terrorists including an attack in the Old City of Jaffa that took that life of an American tourist who was also a veteran of the U.S. Army. That Vice President Joe Biden was dining not far away when the incident took place only highlighted the indiscriminate nature of the surge in Palestinian terrorism. It also was a reminder that Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority that President Obama has lauded as a champion of peace, is, in fact, a major source of the incitement that has created the current violence. But just as important, the juxtaposition of the leak to the Times of President Obama's possible plans to promote a resolution laying down the framework for an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations with the latest terrorist attacks illustrates everything that is wrong with the administration's Middle East policy. Having come into office determined to create more daylight between Israel and the Palestinians in the mistaken belief that doing so would promote peace, apparently Obama is determined to exit the White House pursuing the same course. Though virtually everything that has happened in the region during the last seven-plus years has proved that his thesis was dead wrong has had no impact on the president's thinking. As the Times reports, the goal of the lame-duck Obama initiative is nothing less than to "save" the two-state solution, which the president and his foreign policy team believe is dying on their watch. While the details were not laid out in the article, the implication would be that the U.S. would insist on Israeli territorial withdrawals with the 1967 lines as the starting point for discussions, the creation of a Palestinian state and some sort of division of Jerusalem along with security guarantees. In other words, this would be what the foreign policy establishment has spent the last two decades telling us is the solution that "everyone knows" must be implemented. In theory, some form of this effort might be the ideal solution to the intractable problem of two people struggling over one land. But rather than a gesture for the future that sets out principles that the two sides must point toward, the administration effort is very much mired in the reality of the present. And that is why it would be a colossal mistake that could serve as the starting point for even more violence rather than peace. Indeed, the proposal is a microcosm of all the mistakes made by Obama since January 2009 that exacerbated an already bad situation and set the stage for the very bloodshed that Biden was forced to deplore during his visit. What's wrong with another UN Security Council resolution on Middle East peace? Some Israelis and others in the foreign policy establishment aren't that worried or impressed by the idea. But the problem with Obama's Middle East diplomacy is that it is resolutely out of touch with the reality on the ground in such a way as to encourage the most destructive impulses within Palestinian society. After all, the absence of peace isn't due to lack of plans for it. Such plans are a dime a dozen and have been floating around the region for decades. Israel has even agreed to some of them, as evidenced by its offer of peace and independence to the Palestinians in 2000, 2001, and 2008 that would have given them their own state in almost all of the West Bank, Gaza, and a share of Jerusalem. But Yasir Arafat and then his successor Abbas turned down each one. Even the supposedly "hard-line" government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed not only to a two-state solution but also to far-reaching withdrawals from the West Bank. But Abbas not only refused to negotiate seriously but also blew up the talks by making a deal with Hamas and executing an end run around the U.S. to the UN, lest he once again be forced to say no to peace. Abbas has made it clear he will never say yes to any peace deal because to do so he must recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state no matter where its borders might be drawn. Nor is this mere posturing. It reflects a deeply held consensus within the political culture of Palestinians in which any compromise that forces them to end their century-long war against Zionism is seen as unacceptable. That this intransigence has been a disaster for the Palestinians is not in doubt. But it is one that has persisted in spite of the obvious benefits that might be obtained from peace. But instead of diplomatic efforts being focused on convincing them of the cost of persisting in this position, the U.S. has spent the past several years confirming their belief that sooner or later, the Israelis will be forced to bow to their demands without requiring them to end the conflict for all time. That is why Biden's statements about the PA having to condemn the Jaffa attack are welcome but too little and too late. After years of beating up the Israelis and treating them as the obstacle to peace, the Palestinians believe the Jewish state is increasingly isolated. With both the U.S. and its European allies continuing to send aid to a PA that continues to praise terrorists as martyrs, so-called "moderates" like Abbas have no incentive to change their policies or even to attempt to begin the work of convincing their people to accept peace. Indeed, Abbas's lies about Israel harming the Temple Mount mosquesa cynical ploy taken right out of the playbook written by the pro-Nazi Haj Amin al-Husseiniwas aimed at provoking violence in the home of creating more U.S. pressure on Israel. The only thing the Obama framework would accomplish is to create more such pressure and, in turn, more incentive for Palestinian terrorism, since both the PA and Hamas, believe, with good reasons, that the international community will never make them pay a price for either their support for terrorism or their refusal to make peace. If the overwhelming majority of Israelis no longer believe that the two-state solution is viable (a consensus that now united both Netanyahu's Likud and the leading left-wing opposition party), it is because they know that any withdrawal would lead to more terrorism. They also know that the model for an independent Palestinian state is not the utopia envisioned by Obama but the very real entity in Gaza run by Hamas as a terrorist caliphate. Peace plans that don't take changing this reality as their main focus and starting point are pointless. Worse than that, they convince the Palestinians that they need only wait for the West to abandon Israel. Sadly, President Obama has done much in his time in office to encourage them in that belief. His real Middle East legacy isn't a peace plan but a framework for violence that Israelis and now even American tourists continue to pay for in blood. HOME SUBSCRIBE DONATE PR FOR ISRAEL HOTLINE ARCHIVE ABOUT CONTACT US THIS MONTH'S AD APPEARED IN PUBLICATIONS REACHING 10 MILLION READERS IF YOU SUPPORT PUBLISHING FLAME'S BOLD PR MESSAGES, PLEASE HELP US!! FLAME is the only organization that defends Israel with paid editorial hasbarah messages placed in media nationwide every month: The dire threats from Iran, Hamas and Hizbollah, the injustice of BDS, Palestinian anti-Semitism and more. If you support a bold voice that tells the truth about Israel in American media, please donate now. FLAME'S WEEKLY HOTLINE E-NEWSLETTER FLAME's Hotline e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the most important pro-Israel advocacy issues and features our choice of the week's most informative and thought-provoking article on Israel and the Middle East. If you only subscribe to one pro-Israel news service, make it the FLAME Hotline.

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To decide where the friendliest place on Earth is, you may first look at a list of the happiest destinations on the planet. But the problem with words like "friendly" and "happy" is that they are subjective and open to a lot of varied definitions. Researchers at the University of Leicester worked on this problem, and through their efforts they created the first World Map of Happiness. They asked more than 80,000 people worldwide a series of questions that boiled down to three main points: health, wealth and access to education. They found that those countries with the best health care, highest Gross National Product per capita and best educational opportunities also tended to be the happiest. Heading up the list of the best of the best is perhaps an unlikely country: Denmark [source: University of Leicester].

The major factors that determine the Danes' happiness might come as a surprise to some, since it's not money and certainly isn't weather that has them so content. In fact, in addition to the fact that Denmark is anything but a tropical paradise, the Danish have some of the highest taxes in the world, with some citizens paying upward of 50 to 70 percent of their income in taxes. The upshot is that no matter your profession, you are roughly on the same economic level as your fellow citizens. Therefore, most Danes are encouraged to follow the career path that will offer them the most personal satisfaction, instead of choosing a job solely for the money or status. The freedom to choose the professions they enjoy has, in part, made them the happiest.

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Also, all that tax money goes toward free health care and education for all of Denmark's citizens. So, not only are the Danes working in jobs they enjoy, they are ensured that they will be supplied with basic medical care and a proper education through the university level. Also, Denmark spends more on children and the elderly than any other country in the world.

So, the Danes are happy, but are they friendly? Read on to find out how happiness and friendliness are connected in Denmark.
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The stand of State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation at an industry expo in Beijing. [Photo/China Daily] Planned Turkish power plant likely to cost up to $25 billion

Turkey will open up the bidding process to build the country's third nuclear power plant next year, and an official said he believes Chinese companies will aggressively pursue the contract, worth $22 billion to $25 billion.

The site of the project has been finalized and the plan is to build four nuclear reactors with a total installed capacity of 5,000 megawatts, said Murat Mercan, a former deputy energy minister of Turkey. He spoke to China Daily during a weekend event held by the World Energy Council in Beijing.

State Nuclear Power Technology Corp, one of China's three nuclear giants and the United States-based Westinghouse Electric Corp are potential bidders, said Mercan, who is also chairman of the council's Turkish National Committee.

"The bidding will be open to investors and firms from all over the world, but I think Chinese nuclear companies are very competitive in terms of price, safety and technology," he said. "China is building nuclear power plants using its own third-generation nuclear reactor and I don't see why we can't use it."

China is embarking on a massive nuclear power program and plans to export its indigenous models such as CAP1400, a type of nuclear reactor developed by SNPTC, to overseas markets.

Experts said after construction on the flagship CAP1400 project starts in Shidao Bay in Shandong province in the first half of this year, foreign buyers will be more convinced about the country's capacity to deliver reactors for the global market.

Mercan said Turkey needs at least $70 billion in investments in the energy sector to meet rising demand and optimize its energy mix as it relies heavily on imports.

Russia's Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corp is building the country's first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu in Turkey's southern province of Mersin, and the first unit is expected to be completed by 2022.

The second nuclear plant, to be located in the Black Sea province of Sinop, has been contracted to a consortium consisting of Mitsubishi Electric Corp of Japan and French power company EDF.

Sources said that there is a great chance for a Chinese company to win the tender next year, given the close ties between the two countries.

Mercan also extended his invitation to Chinese companies to attend the 23rd WEC congress in Istanbul in October.
China and Russia have both called for resumption of the Six-Party Talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a senior US Treasury official is visiting China for the implementation of new sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the press briefing in Beijing on Monday that China and Russia will adhere to the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and will not recognize DPRK as a nuclear state.

"The two sides support the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, bringing back the denuclearization issue to the negotiation table and making efforts towards that end," Lu said, describing Foreign Minister Wang Yi's March 10-11 trip to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Six-Party Talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, the US, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since 2008.

China and Russia also reiterated their opposition to the possible deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system in South Korea.

"The two sides agree that the US deployment of the THAAD system in the ROK, which far exceeds the actual defense needs of the Korean Peninsula, will directly harm the strategic security interests of China and Russia and disturb regional strategic balance," Lu said.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby said on March 11that the THAAD system is defensive.

"And we are in consultations with South Korea about the potential deployment of THAAD to the peninsula. No decisions have been made. And we believe that these consultations  we continue to believe these consultations are prudent given the continued rhetoric and provocative behavior coming out of Pyongyang," he said.

On Monday, US Department of Treasury announced that Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam Szubin will visit Beijing and Hong Kong on March 15 and 16.

It describes the trip as providing "an important opportunity for discussions of ways to strengthen US-China coordination to North Korea's destabilizing behavior and to ensure sanctions targeting the North Korean regime are as effective as possible" given the recent UN Security Council resolution and the US Treasury and State departments' designations against DPRK this month.

The new UN Security Council sanctions passed on March 2,and unilateral measures taken by the US and South Korea have not altered DPRK's behavior so far. The DPRK has instead launched short-range missiles as a protest of the new sanctions and the US-ROK military drills.

The eight-week Key Resolve/Foal Eagle military exercises, which involve some 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Korean soldiers, is said to be the largest in recent years.

DPRK has long regarded such drills as provocative and responded last week by threatening a "pre-emptive nuclear strike".

The Washington Post on Sunday quoted DPRK Today as saying that "our hydrogen bomb was much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union".

"If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes," the Post quoted the report as saying.

Ted Carpenter, a senior fellow of defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, saidtightening sanctions is not a realistic strategy to defuse the Korean nuclear issue.

China has proposed a parallel approach that includes denuclearization and at the same time replacing the 1953 armistice agreement with a peace agreement, an approach China believes satisfies concerns from all the parties involved.
The logo of Alibaba Group is seen inside the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province early November 11, 2014. REUTERS/Aly Song

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Alibaba plans to train a million teenagers in rural China to help start their own online businesses, taking e-commerce to the country's vast rural areas, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

China's biggest e-commerce company reached an agreement with the China Communist Youth League to support the youngsters through funding, training and partnership, Xinhua said.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's Internet finance arm Ant Financial plans to invest 1 billion yuan ($154 million) to support college graduates who want to return to their home towns to start businesses.

E-commerce, whose development is strongly backed by China's leadership, is spreading quickly in rural China with more farmers selling their produce online.

Premier Li Keqiang included e-commerce expansion when he laid out his "Internet Plus" strategy in an address last week at China's annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing.

In villages, service stations have been set to help those who lack the necessary skills to trade online. Villagers can order goods at the stations and then return a few days later to collect their packages, Xinhua said.

The number of these village hubs has risen from three in 2009 to 780, with plans to add another 100,000 village stations and 1,000 county stations by 2019 at a cost of around 10 billion yuan, Xinhua said.

Online sales in rural areas grew at double the pace of urban areas. Rural shoppers, who account for nearly one-third of the total, spent 195 million yuan online last year, Xinhua said.

($1 = 6.5120 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Meg Shen; Editing by Alexander Smith)
* Hackers stole $81 million from central bank's U.S. account

* Central bank governor accepts responsibility

* Government unhappy over handing of theft (Adds new governor, para 6)

By Serajul Quadir

DHAKA, March 15 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned on Tuesday following demands of accountability from the government after $81 million was stolen from the bank's U.S. account in one of the largest cyber heists ever.

Rahman, who returned to Dhaka late on Monday after attending a weekend International Monetary Fund conference in New Delhi, told Reuters that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had accepted his resignation.

The government also fired two deputy governors of the bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, days after blaming it for keeping the government in the dark about the theft.

Rahman, 65, said he resigned to set an example in a country where there is not much precedence of accountability and to uphold the image of the central bank.

"I took responsibility," Rahman said.

A former finance secretary, Fazle Kabir, would be the new governor, the finance minister said.

Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which it uses for international settlements, between Feb. 4 and Feb. 5.

They managed to transfer $81 million to entities in the Philippines, and the money was further diverted to casinos there.

More than $30 million of the money that was stolen was handed over in cash to an ethnic Chinese man in Manila, a Philippines senator looking into the suspected laundering scheme said.

Bangladesh Bank officials have said there is little hope of apprehending the perpetrators and recovering the money would be difficult and could take months.

Rahman's exit could be a blow to Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of 160 million. The country has been aspiring to reach middle-income status, and Rahman was seen as one of the driving forces helping Dhaka towards that goal.

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A former development economics professor, Rahman took over as the central bank governor in May 2009, and was nearing the end of his second term.

One of his signature achievements has been shoring up the country's foreign exchange reserves, which have increased four-fold to $28 billion under his watch.

He also tried to ensure farmers and women entrepreneurs had better access to banking services and credit.

"He has set a good example by taking the responsibility for this incident," said Wahid Uddin Mahmud, a professor of economics at Dhaka University.

CONTROVERSY AT HOME

The pressure to remove Rahman built up over the weekend, after Muhith publicly expressed his annoyance that he learned about the heist only a month after the fact from the media.

The central bank had not informed him about the theft at the time, he said.

On Monday, the minister raised the issue at a cabinet meeting, where Hasina said that the central bank should be held responsible for the loss, an official who was the meeting said.

Rahman defended his record at the central bank, saying he was proud of his achievements there. He described the heist as an "earthquake" and said the bank had promptly informed intelligence agencies in Bangladesh and abroad and also brought in international experts to investigate.

FireEye Inc's Mandiant forensics division is helping investigate the cyber heist. The bank has also been in touch with the Fed and other U.S. authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Justice.

"After doing all these measures and getting a clear picture, we informed the finance minister in writing," Rahman said.

(Additional reporting by Ruma Paul; Writing by Paritosh Bansal and Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
BRUSSELS, March 15 (Reuters) - Banks considering the purchase of Russian sovereign bonds are free to do so, but should make sure that the investment is not a way to circumvent European Union sanctions on lending money to Russian state-owned enterprises, an EU official said.

In 2014, the EU banned its financial institutions from lending money to Russian state-owned firms, including banks, as part of sanctions for Moscow's annexation of the Ukraine's Crimea. There was no ban on buying Russian government bonds.

Moscow has invited 25 Western banks and three domestic banks to bid for organising up to $3 billion in Eurobonds this year, in what would be the first time Russia has tapped foreign debt markets since 2013.

"EU restrictive measures concerning certain sectors of the Russian economy do not prohibit the purchase, sale etc. of bonds issued by the Russian government," the EU official said on Tuesday.

"However, EU restrictive measures do aim at restricting the access to capital from the EU for certain listed publicly owned or controlled Russian institutions and prohibiting the provision of certain financial services to them," the official said.

"Any bank would need to be mindful and exercise due diligence that the listed entities are not accessing the capital market by using third persons," the official said.

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)
(Adds fresh corruption allegations, details)

By Lisandra Paraguassu and Maria Carolina Marcello

BRASILIA, March 15 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's efforts to bolster her government amid a storm of corruption allegations by naming her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to her Cabinet were overshadowed on Tuesday by a barrage of fresh accusations against a minister.

Presidential aides said the charismatic Lula, Brazil's first working class president, had decided to accept a ministerial position in Rousseff's Cabinet, a move that would offer him protection in the short-term from prosecutors who have charged him with money laundering and fraud.

One of the aides, who asked not to be identified so he could speak freely, said Lula, a talented negotiator, would take charge of legislative affairs, where he could leverage his close ties to congressmen from the ruling Workers Party to rally votes for the government.

The return to public office of Lula, who stepped down in 2010 after eight years in power as one of the world's most popular leaders, was slammed by critics as a desperate attempt to shore up support for Rousseff as she faces impeachment proceedings in Congress.

Rousseff's popularity has been pummelled by Brazil's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the spreading corruption investigation focused on state-run oil company Petrobras.

More than a million people marched in demonstrations across Brazil on Sunday, calling for her ouster and voicing support for the investigations into kickbacks by contractors to political leaders in exchange for work with Petrobras.

Plans to announce Lula`s appointment were overtaken by the publication of damaging new allegations from a Workers' Party senator in plea bargain testimony made public by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The testimony by Senator Delcidio do Amaral, a close ally of the president until he was arrested last year, accused both Rousseff and Lula of being aware of corruption at Petroleo Brasileiro SA and said the president had tried to hamper the investigation.

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In the most damaging allegations, Amaral said Aloisio Mercadante, a Workers' Party veteran who has served as Rousseff's chief-of-staff and is now education minister, offered to pay him to keep quiet last year.

Mercadante called a news conference to deny the accusation, that was based on a recording of two meetings between the minister and Amaral's personal secretary. Presidential aides said the accusations had overshadowed any announcement of Lula joining the cabinet.

"We were hoping to change the mood with Lula's appointment, but this recording is another huge blow," one aide told Reuters.

INVESTORS TAKE FRIGHT

Investors, who have long blamed Rousseff for erratic policies they believe hurt the economy, had bought up Brazilian assets in recent days because of the increasing likelihood that the president might be ousted.

However, they fretted on Tuesday that Lula's return to government could lead to increased spending in the short-term in the midst of a fiscal crisis. Lula and many Workers' Party allies have said more spending is necessary to revert dwindling support for the government.

Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index fell 3.5 percent and the Brazilian currency weakened 3 percent against the U.S. dollar on the news.

Lula, who became a hero to many for lifting millions out of poverty during his 2003-2010 government, is under investigation on suspicion he benefited from the massive graft scandal that has ensnared dozens of corporate leaders and politicians in Rousseff's governing coalition.

Accepting a Cabinet post would transfer potential money laundering charges against him from Federal Judge Sergio Moro to Brazil's Supreme Court.

Brazil's Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo denied the government was trying to shield Lula from prosecution and said there were no legal or political impediments for him to join the Cabinet.

"Lula is not fleeing from justice. There is no attempt of any sort to shield him," Cardozo told reporters.

Rousseff's main coalition partner, the PMDB party, whose leaders in Congress are also being investigated for corruption, has been moving toward breaking with her government and supporting her impeachment. That would put its leader, Vice President Michel Temer, in the presidential seat.

"The appointment of Lula as minister shows Brazilians that the government's only concern today is to survive at any cost," opposition leader Aecio Neves, who narrowly lost to Rousseff in 2014, said in a Twitter message.

Amaral's plea-bargain extended the reach of the corruption probe to new industries, including ethanol, and to opposition leaders, including Neves, who the senator accused of received kickbacks from a unit of Eletrobras, Brazil's state-led electricity utility.

(Additinal reporting by Alonso Soto; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Tom Brown)
(Adds ministers back Rousseff; heads of two agencies quit)

By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA, March 14 (Reuters) - Record protests against President Dilma Rousseff have all but guaranteed her impeachment by pushing hesitant lawmakers from Brazil's biggest party to favor her ouster, party sources said on Monday.

The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), the biggest partner in Rousseff's governing coalition, is poised to vote against her in ongoing proceedings in Congress to impeach the president. Rousseff is beset by a corruption scandal and an economy suffering its worst recession in decades.

Massive turnout for nationwide protests on Sunday tipped the balance within the PMDB, three senior party sources said. Over 1 million Brazilians took to the streets to call for Rousseff's removal.

"Impeachment is inevitable," said one of the three senior PMDB officials, who is close to the government but spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Though the party is notoriously fickle, with no fixed ideology and a longstanding ability to swing with the prevailing political winds, the PMDB has been increasingly reluctant to continue supporting Rousseff.

In a vote at a party convention on Saturday, it resolved to make a final decision on whether to continue supporting Rousseff within 30 days.

Even so, many variables could affect Rousseff's political straits.

One important PMDB faction of legislators from Rio de Janeiro still supports the government because the state, which is run by the party, is reliant on federal funds for many ongoing projects.

And former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, an able negotiator and longtime ally of the PMDB, might join Rousseff's government and help soothe strained relations.

Still, after Sunday's large turnout, PMDB officials said they could be ready to formally vote Rousseff from office by the end of May, or even sooner. The impeachment effort, which began last year, is driven by accounting irregularities in the government budget.

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Rousseff, who is 15 months into her second term and helms the 13th year of government for the ruling Workers' Party, has repeatedly called the impeachment effort baseless.

In a statement on Sunday, the government acknowledged the protests and praised their peaceful nature.

PMDB officials said the protests swayed party members because they confirmed recent opinion polls showing that most Brazilians want to see Rousseff impeached.

In a speech in the Senate, Romero Juca, the PMDB's deputy leader, called the demonstrations "crippling, alarming, decisive and explicit in showing the will of the vast majority of Brazilians."

Party officials say PMDB senators who backed the government until days ago have changed their stance. For Rousseff, support in the Senate is crucial because until now the chamber has been more loyal to her government than the lower house.

A MATTER OF TIME

According to Brasilia-based consultancy Arko Advice, Rousseff's impeachment is just a question of time.

"The protests confirmed that President Rousseff has lost support on the streets after losing control of the economy and the political situation," said Arko partner and political scientist Lucas de Aragao.

Shares in Brazilian companies and the country's real currency have surged in recent weeks as investors bet that a change in government would lift business and consumer confidence. On Monday, however, the real and stocks fell on doubts about what a post-Rousseff government might look like.

If Rousseff lost an impeachment vote, Vice President Michel Temer, the PMDB leader, would succeed her. Six other PMDB officials also hold cabinet posts in Rousseff's government.

Oxford Economics, another consultancy, said a temporary PMDB-led government could speed up structural reforms and stop Brazil's decline, though just a change of government might not be enough for a recovery.

Rousseff called the PMDB ministers to a meeting where all six pledged to support her government and oppose impeachment. But the PMDB leadership in the state of Santa Catarina decided to break with Rousseff, and its members resigned as heads of national tourism agency Embratur and state utility Eletrosul.

The administration is hoping to rally what is left of its support base, historically labor unions and other organized leftist groups. Some of the groups have called for demonstrations to defend the government Friday.

Rousseff has also offered to bring Lula into the cabinet.

The former president himself faces charges in the corruption scandal but his presence in the government could lend order to an increasingly chaotic administration. It would also shield Lula from legal charges because ministers, under Brazilian law, can only be tried by the Supreme Court.

Sao Paulo state prosecutors have requested Lula's arrest for allegedly benefiting from graft money generated by bribery and kickback schemes uncovered at state-oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

The PMDB has its own reasons to hasten Rousseff's impeachment. Several top party figures, including the speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, are under investigation in connection with the scandal.

"Impeaching Rousseff will help them avoid prosecution by reducing political pressure on the investigation," said Gabriel Petrus, an analyst with business consulting firm Barral M Jorge.

Impeachment would also make it less likely Brazil's top electoral court could annul Rousseff's 2014 re-election for allegedly using Petrobras graft money as campaign funding. Because Temer won the vice presidency as Rousseff's running mate, a ruling against her in that case would annul his election too.

(Additional reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Paulo Prada, Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler)
The Waldorf Astoria is pictured at 301 Park Avenue in New York October 6, 2014. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Anbang Insurance Group Co has emerged from near obscurity 18 months ago to sign deals worth more than $30 billion, moving into the big league of global real estate and finance.

The Beijing-based firm has offered $12.8 billion for U.S. hotel operator Starwood (HOT.N) and also agreed this month to pay Blackstone Group (BX.N) $6.5 billion for Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc, whose 16 luxury properties include the Four Seasons Washington D.C.

Established in 2004 as an automotive and property insurer by chairman Wu Xiaohui, a native of China's entrepreneurial coastal city Wenzhou, Anbang is looking to use its 1.65 trillion yuan ($253 billion) in assets to transform into a worldwide investor.

"Anbang will have a global footprint. In 10 years, Anbang will have companies on all the world's continents," Wu, who is 49 and married to Deng Zhuorui, a granddaughter of Chinese patriarch Deng Xiaoping, told students at Harvard University last year.

Business associates describe Wu as passionate, impatient and very ambitious. He often travels by private jet accompanied by a retinue of assistants.

His acquisition strategy is underpinned by an aggressive pursuit of yield-producing companies, those business associates say, funded by cash from selling insurance products and other sources.

In October 2014, Anbang agreed to pay $1.95 billion for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, a move Wu said brought the insurer "extra brand recognition" and business opportunities.

Last year, Anbang agreed to buy U.S. insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL.N) for $1.6 billion, and paid around $1 billion for South Korea's Tong Yang Life Insurance Co . It has also bought control of Fidea, a Belgium based insurer, and the Belgian banking operations of Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd. It is in talks to buy Allianz's (ALVG.DE) South Korean operations.

At home, Anbang has a leading stake in China Minsheng Banking Corp Ltd (1988.HK), the country's biggest private lender, and is a significant shareholder in China Vanke Co , the largest residential property developer.

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CONNECTIONS

When he set up Anbang, Wu enlisted a small consortium of private and state investors led by Shanghai Automotive Industry Group Corp, the parent of a government-owned automaker that has ventures with General Motors (GM.N) and Volkswagen (VOWG.DE). State-owned China Petrochemical Corp later bought a stake.

Anbang's original board included Levin Zhu, former CEO of China International Capital Corp and son of former premier Zhu Rongji, and Long Yongtu, China's chief negotiator when it joined the World Trade Organization. Wu also turned to Chen Xiaolu, a son of Chinese Marshal Chen Yi, for support.

Anbang holds licenses for selling property, life and health insurance, and operates an annuity insurance business and asset management arm. It doesn't publish group finances, but says its assets have more than doubled since December 2014.

Two subsidiaries, Anbang Life Insurance and Anbang Annuity Insurance, raised 49 billion yuan ($7.53 billion) in investment funds last year, mainly through selling high-yielding universal life insurance policies.

(Reporting by Matthew Miller and Michelle Price; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)
Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are already in Cuba; The country has been importing them for decades, even though most Cubans dont even know what they are.



That is the truth, but there is no record of that. Personal communications of authorities and researchers have helped to get to that conclusion, Isbel Diaz Torres, a biologist and Havana Times reporter tells FOXBusiness.com.



And just like the U.S., Cuba doesnt label GMOs either, so consumers have no idea if theyre consuming them.



Now with improved relations between Cuba and the U.S., big American biotech and food companies are eying the island as a new market.



There is a new threat: to be invaded with U.S. transgenic crops. After the toughening of European nations regarding GMOs and the saturation of North America market, U.S. companies started to look at China and Latin America, including Cuba, adds Torres, who is a member of the environmental group El Guardabosques.



Big corporations have already teamed up to create the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba in hopes to re-establish the country as a big market for exports. Under the current sanctions, companies can legally export to Cuba, but financing and trade restrictions limit their ability to serve the market competitively. Easing those sanctions could mean big money and business for them.



Last June, authorities in Cuba said they have no plans to let U.S. companies in or introduce the use of transgenic seeds to the Cuban market.



To date we havent even considered working with Monsanto, Manuel Rodriguez, CEO of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture Company, told the Havana Times. The policy of the country thus far is to not negotiate with anyone to produce transgenic seeds.



Even though Cuba has been struggling for years to improve its poor agricultural output as well as its deficiency in farming, it has only run some tests with transgenic crops in 2011, and has no plans to resume them.



A GMO program was established at some point. It advanced a little and it was stopped, Rodrigues told the Havana Times in June 2015.



German Bayer and Swiss Syngenta (NYSE:SYT) are the only two big biotech companies in Cuba now, leaving Monsanto (NYSE:MON), DuPont (NYSE:DD), and Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW)  three of the biggest players  out.



Cuba is just too unsure yet as a market, Christi Dixon, Monsantos spokesperson, tells FOXBusiness.com. We don't yet know what the changes in Cuba will hold for agriculture.



Monsantos Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley told FOXBusiness.com back in January that China and various African countries have been adopting the technology in recent years.



Were seeing new countries every year look at the technology and the science, he says. The reality is the demand for food between now and 2050 doubles.



As of 2014, GMOs are grown, imported and used in 70 countries around the world with each of these countries having their own certification process, according to GMOanswers.com.



Megan Westgate, director of the Non-GMO Project says that her biggest fear is the power that these biotech companies have over policy.



Monsanto, DuPont and Dow Industries own almost half of the worlds seed supply. Thats a lot of control for just a few corporations to have over something that every single human being depends upon for their survival.



Westgate adds that a lot of countries have bans on GMO production as well.



A lot of countries are waiting to see how this technology is going to pan out, she said, Whereas in the U.S., we have as many crops nearly as the whole rest of the world combined.



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By Bruno Federowski SAO PAULO, March 15 (Reuters) - Brazil's stocks and currency fell on Tuesday on reports that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had accepted a cabinet position in President Dilma Rousseff's government, possibly reducing support among lawmakers for her ouster.

Investors also feared the move could herald a return to fiscal stimulus policies that many blame for dragging Brazil into what could be its deepest recession on record.

Lula, long the public face of Rousseff's Workers Party, is facing charges of money laundering as part of the biggest corruption probe in the country's history, centered on state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, also known as Petrobras.

A source told Reuters Lula has accepted to take the cabinet post and will meet with Rousseff later on Tuesday to discuss the appointment. This would allow Lula some protection from an investigation into money laundering charges. It also could give him time to negotiate with Rousseff's allies in Congress, who have all but jumped ship as calls for hear impeachment grow.

"This is the government's last defense against an impeachment," said Francisco Carvalho, head FX trader at BGC Liquidez brokerage in Sao Paulo.

Brazil's stocks and currency slid on Tuesday after reaching their highest since mid-2015 on Friday ahead of massive demonstrations against the President.

Shares of Petrobras slumped more than 10 percent, its worst daily performance in over a year, also hit by a drop in crude prices. The stock looked set to post its biggest two-day loss since 2008.

Shares of state-run lender Banco do Brasil SA tumbled 16 percent on fears that the government could use public credit to stimulate economic growth.

Brazilian credit default swaps and dollar bond yields also jumped as investors demanded higher returns to compensate for increased political risk.

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1540 GMT: Stock indexes daily % YTD % change change Latest MSCI Emerging Markets 788.84 -1.82 1.17 MSCI LatAm 1969.82 -4.37 12.58 Brazil Bovespa 46796.63 -4.24 7.95 Mexico IPC 44397.46 -0.66 3.30 Chile IPSA 3848.04 -0.23 4.56 Chile IGPA 18858.13 -0.17 3.89 Argentina MerVal 12110.37 -3.47 3.73 Colombia IGBC 9546.12 -0.66 11.69 Venezuela IBC 15571.01 -0.04 6.74 Currencies daily % YTD % change change Latest Brazil real 3.7527 -2.70 5.18 Mexico peso 17.9430 -1.10 -3.97 Chile peso 686.3 -0.70 3.41 Colombia peso 3180.95 -0.85 -0.37 Peru sol 3.3391 -0.21 2.24 Argentina peso (interbank) 14.5700 1.58 -10.90 Argentina peso (parallel) 15.45 1.04 -7.64 (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Diane Craft)
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Mar 15, 2016) - Erdene Resource Development Corp. (ERD.TO) ("Erdene" or "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its exploration plans at its 100%-owned Bayan Khundii gold project in southwest Mongolia and to announce the receipt of approximately $770,000 in proceeds from the exercise of warrants in March 2016. The Company has also appointed prominent Mongolian business person, Bilguun Ankhbayar, as a strategic advisor to the Company, effective immediately.

Highlights

Warrant proceeds received, totalling approximately $770,000

Drilling to commence at Bayan Khundii in early April

Bilguun Ankhbayar appointed as Advisor to the Company

Bayan Khundii Technical Report filed on Sedar





Update on Bayan Khundii Gold Project

Project Summary

In Q4-2015, Erdene announced results from an initial 15-hole, 695 m drill program at a new gold discovery identified in Q2-2015 by the Company, named Bayan Khundii ('Rich Valley'), located in southwest Mongolia within the prolific Tian Shan gold belt. Results included several high-grade intersections enveloped by wide zones of lower grade gold in a series of parallel structures exposed at surface. The widest mineralized zone from the initial drilling was encountered in hole BKD-10 where a 35 m wide intersection from surface to the bottom of the hole averaged 5.9 g/t gold, including a 12 m interval averaging 16.2 g/t gold and a 1 m wide interval that returned 167 g/t (5.4 oz/t) gold. Gold mineralization has been identified in three separate prospect areas (southwest, northeast, and northeast-extension) over a 1.7 km southwest-northeast trend, with detailed exploration only taking place in the southwest area, where 15 shallow holes (average drill depth of 46 m) were completed over a 475 by 300 metre area. Click here for Erdene's December 14, 2015 news release announcing the Bayan Khundii drill results. Geophysical data from ground magnetics, and induced polarization gradient array and dipole-dipole surveys support the extension of the zones of intense alteration, and presumably mineralization, both to the south under Cretaceous sedimentary rocks and to the north and east under unaltered andesite. The three prospect areas are interpreted as erosional 'windows', with the full extent of the mineralized zone yet to be determined.

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2016 Exploration Plan

Results to date from Bayan Khundii support an extensive exploration program to determine the continuity and limits of the reported high-grade gold mineralization at depth and on surface. The Company intends to complete the following exploration work in 2016:

Additional geologic mapping;

Infill soil sampling over specific target areas;

Additional and expanded IP geophysical surveys as well as a gravity geophysical survey;

Additional trenching to test continuity and extent of mineralization at surface;

Approximately 3,500 m of diamond drilling to establish continuity within, and strike/dip extensions of, mineralized zones, and to identify additional mineralized zones;

Mineralogical studies to better understand the mineralogy and alteration at Bayan Khundii and the characteristics of, and controls on, mineralization;

Various technical studies in support of future scoping/feasibility-level studies and a mining license application, including hydrology, archeology, paleontological, and environmental base line studies.

The drill program is expected to commence in early April 2016.

Metallurgy

Initial independent metallurgical test work indicates the gold mineralization at Bayan Khundii is very amenable to conventional processing techniques involving a combination of gravity and cyanide leach of gravity tails, yielding 99% gold recovery for the high-grade composite sample (24.9 g/t gold) and 92% gold recovery for the low-grade composite sample (0.7 g/t gold). Blue Coast Research Ltd. of Parksville, British Columbia, carried out the metallurgical testing program, the details of which can be found in Erdene's February 16, 2016 news release (click here for link).

Geology

The Bayan Khundii project area consists of a 1.7 km southwest-northeast trend containing intensely silicified and sericitized volcanic and volcaniclastic units. Gold mineralization begins at surface and is associated with quartz breccia and comb-quartz veins within altered volcanic host rocks with extensive hypogene hematite in veins and fractures, some of which are gold-bearing. With the exception of some anomalous silver, and very minor, finely disseminated pyrite in a few drill holes, Bayan Khundii is devoid of sulphide minerals, including copper, lead and zinc-bearing sulphide minerals. Visible gold was observed in 10 of the 15 drill holes, as irregular-shaped grains, up to 2 mm. Gold mineralization is associated with quartz veins and/or hematite within, or along, the boundary of quartz-hematite veins and veinlets. The intensely altered host volcanic units also carry anomalous gold mineralization (varying from 0.1 to 1.0 g/t gold over wide areas) associated with fine quartz and/or hematite veinlets. The strong, pervasive alteration and widespread hypogene hematite indicate a large intense alteration system that has positive implications for the potential size of the system.

Technical Report

Erdene filed on SEDAR a National Instrument 43-101 technical report for its Bayan Khundii gold project on March 3, 2016. There is no resource estimate included in the report, which was prepared by the Company in support of disclosure to be used within its Annual Information Form. The Report is available on SEDAR under the Company's profile (click here for link).

Warrants

The Company received approximately $770,000 in proceeds from the exercise of warrants in March 2016. The warrants had an expiry date of March 15, 2016 and an exercise price of $0.16. All of the Company's remaining outstanding warrants, totaling 8.77 million, expire during 2016 and have an average exercise price of $0.20 (ranging from $0.16 to $0.24).

Appointment of Strategic Advisor

Erdene has appointed prominent Mongolian business person, Bilguun Ankhbayar, as a strategic advisor to the Company, effective immediately.

"We are very pleased to have Bilguun join the Erdene team," said Peter Akerley, Erdene's President and CEO. "With our gold project development accelerating rapidly it is important for us to have experienced individuals on the ground in Mongolia, and Bilguun brings experience in many areas including international and domestic capital markets, government affairs and operational experience in contract support for mining and infrastructure projects in Mongolia."

Mr. Ankhbayar is a Mongolian mining and business finance professional, based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with North American and Mongolian capital markets experience. Since returning to Mongolia from Canada in 2010 Bilguun has had the roles of CEO of Monrud LLC and Secretary General of "Discover Mongolia" International Mining Investors Forum in Ulaanbaatar and, over the past four years, CEO of Mongolian Investment Banking Group ("MIBG"). MIBG is a domestic investment dealer which enabled its Mongolian clients to access international capital markets while advising international institutional investors on gaining exposure to Mongolia. As the CEO of MIBG, Bilguun worked closely with TSX and ASX listed companies in financing and in a general advisory capacity. Bilguun graduated from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia with B.Comm in Finance in 2007 and was employed by the Investment Banking division of Toll Cross Securities, a former Toronto-based boutique investment bank focusing on financing and M&A advisory for TSX listed mining and exploration companies.

Qualified Person

Michael MacDonald, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Director of Exploration for Erdene, is the Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. All drill result samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks. All metallurgical testing and analysis was carried out by Blue Coast Research Ltd. at their facility in Parksville, British Columbia.

About Erdene

Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company holds four exploration licenses and a mining license located in southwest Mongolia. These include: Altan Nar - an extensive, high-grade, near-surface, gold-polymetallic project; Bayan Khundii - a high-grade gold discovery made in Q2-2015 that the Company is currently exploring; Khuvyn Khar - an early-stage, copper-silver porphyry project with multiple drill targets and significant copper intersections; Zuun Mod - a large molybdenum-copper porphyry deposit; and Altan Arrow - an early-stage, high-grade, gold-silver project. In addition to the above properties, the Company has an Alliance with Teck Resources Limited on regional, copper-gold exploration in the prospective Trans Altai region of southwest Mongolia. For further information on the Company, please visit www.erdene.com. Erdene has 105,060,005 issued and outstanding common shares and a fully diluted position of 124,720,102 common shares.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE
(Adds background on Brazil recession in paragraph 6-7)

By Guillermo Parra-Bernal

SAO PAULO, March 15 (Reuters) - FleetCor Technologies Inc agreed on Tuesday to buy Brazil's largest electronic toll payments firm for 4.086 billion reais ($1.1 billion), underscoring the growing allure of Latin America's biggest fleet management market in spite of a steep recession.

In a statement, Norcross, Georgia-based FleetCor said it acquired Servicos e Tecnologia de Pagamentos SA from a group of partners including rival toll road operators CCR SA and Arteris SA, energy and logistics conglomerate Raizen Combustiveis SA and others.

Servicos, which operates under the brand Sem Parar in Latin America's largest country, has more than 4.5 million users and processes over 10 billion reais in toll, parking and fuel payments annually. Local media had recently linked FleetCor to potential acquisitions in Brazil, where the number of active fleet management systems is predicted to double by 2018.

Consolidation is gaining steam in Brazil's fleet management industry since 2014, when France's Groupe Michelin acquired Sascar Participacoes SA on a bet that car insurers, logistics firms and security risk managers would boost demand for monitoring services. France's Edenred SA paid 790 million reais in January for a 65 percent stake in fuel card, maintenance and freight operator Embratec.

"The acquisition will result in substantial synergies as we implement our operating disciplines and consolidate with our other Brazil lines of business," FleetCor Chief Executive Officer Ron Clarke was quoted by the statement as saying.

Even as Brazil braces for the longest and deepest recession since 1901, the search for growth among large global fleet management players is expected to continue, bankers have said.

Giant industry players in the United States and Europe are looking to grow in emerging markets, because their business remains oversaturated in their home turfs. Countries of large size and greater reliance on road transport, such as Brazil, will continue to lure investment from those firms, analysts have said.

Story continues

FleetCor plans to fund the acquisition using cash and borrowings, the statement added. The transaction, which is pending regulatory and shareholder approval, is expected to be concluded in the third quarter, FleetCor added.

Executives at FleetCor will discuss the transaction at a conference call later in the day.

($1 = 3.6599 Brazilian reais) (Additional reporting by Silvio Cascione in Brasilia; Editing by W Simon)
Donald Trump.

Tuesday appears to be the best chance Donald Trump's GOP foes have to slow down his path to their party's presidential nomination.

With more than 350 delegates up for grabs in five primary states, the Republican frontrunner is looking to score big wins that could make his march to the nomination almost unstoppable.

Trump victories in Ohio and Florida alone would most likely put him hundreds of delegates ahead of his closest competitor, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Of the states voting Tuesday  Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, and Illinois  Trump led in recent public polls in all of them except Ohio.

Most of the attention is focused on Ohio and Florida, two states where the candidate who gets the largest share of the vote wins all of the state's delegates. The states also provide do-or-die contests for two of Trump's rivals, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, each of whom would have a hard time pressing forward without winning his home state.

Barring a massive upset, Trump appears poised to win Florida and sweep up its 99 delegates. In the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, Trump held a massive 19-point lead over Rubio.

A Florida win would put Trump at 559 delegates, almost half the number of delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination. Though many delegates still need to be allocated, Trump would be far closer to the majority threshold than any of his rivals.

"Florida is do-or-die for the Rubio campaign, but it looks like victory may have slipped from his grasp," Patrick Murray, the Monmouth University polling director, said Monday in a statement accompanying a poll that found Trump with a comfortable 17-point lead over Rubio.

Trump's battle in Ohio against Kasich is much closer, according to the polls. And a victory by the frontrunner there would be a knockout blow to Kasich, who has said he will drop out if he does not win in Ohio.

After largely ignoring Kasich for months, Trump has turned up the heat on Kasich. Trump has blasted Kasich at almost every recent campaign rally and in daily tweets, hitting him for supporting free-trade agreements, for campaigning out of state, and for his overall strength as a leader.

Story continues

"Kasich is a baby," Trump said Saturday during an Ohio rally. "He can't be president."

Trump tweeted multiple barbs at Kasich on Monday and Tuesday:

Gov Kasich voted for NAFTA, which devastated Ohio and is now pushing TPP hard- bad for American workers!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2016

Kasich has helped decimate the coal and steel industries in Ohio. I will bring them back! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2016

Sour Mitt Romney, who ran the worst campaign in presidential history in losing to Obama, is now pushing Kasich.Tell Mitt where to go, vote T  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2016

Trump's rivals are campaigning hard to deny the him the winner-take-all primary states, even if that means ceding delegates to other candidates. Rubio suggested that his supporters should vote for Kasich in Ohio to stop Trump from getting the state's 66 delegates.

In particular, Trump's three opponents have all passionately criticized him since Friday for allowing violence to fester at his rallies. Trump canceled a high-profile Friday-night rally in Chicago as fistfights broke out at the event.

"Donald Trump has created a toxic environment," Kasich said Saturday.

Kasich continued:

And a toxic environment has allowed his supporters and those who sometimes seek confrontation to come together in violence. There is no place for this. There is no place for a national leader to prey on the fears of people who live in our great country.

John Kasich

Though the media has focused mostly n Ohio and Florida, more delegates are up for grabs in the other states voting Tuesday. These three contests  North Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri  could send even more delegates Trump's way, or allow Cruz to stay in a competitive second-place position behind Trump.

Cruz has defeated Trump in multiple recent contests, including Kansas, Maine, and Oklahoma. And he has regularly outperformed his poll numbers.

The Texas senator could be looking at performing well in Illinois and Missouri in particular, two states in which he's staged a number of recent campaign events. Cruz's support in Illinois jumped in recent polls there. And the one reputable poll of Missouri's Republican voters found Cruz trailing Trump by just seven points.

At a Monday press conference in Rockford, Illinois, Cruz sought to paint the GOP primary as a one-on-one race between himself and Trump.

"This is now effectively a two-person race between me and Donald Trump," he said. "Only two candidates have any plausible path to winning hte Republican nomination: me and Donald Trump."

Cruz went on to blast Trump for his ties to the "corruption" of Chicago Democrats:

.@realDonaldTrump has been a key funder of liberal Democrats whose policies have failed the people of Illinois.https://t.co/pWGclA1ejg  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 14, 2016

NOW WATCH: Watch the Secret Service jump to protect Trump after a protester tries to climb on stage





More From Business Insider


An Abbott company logo is pictured at the reception of its office in Mumbai, India, September 8, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An Indian court on Tuesday granted interim injunction to U.S. drugmaker Abbott's India unit (ABOT.NS), and domestic companies Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (GLEN.NS) and Macleods Pharmaceuticals, on the prohibition on sale of several combination drugs.

India banned 344 drug combinations over the weekend, including Abbott's codeine-based cough syrup, after a government panel of experts found they had "no therapeutic justification."

The judge in the Delhi High court granted an interim stay to the pharmaceutical companies and said regulators should take "no coercive steps" against them. The case will now be heard on March 21.

The Indian unit of U.S. drugmaker Pfizer (PFE.N) (PFIZ.NS) had on Monday won a similar reprieve on a ban on its popular cough syrup Corex.

(Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee)
By Francesca Landini and Maria Pia Quaglia

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Campari, the world's sixth largest spirits company, is to launch a friendly takeover bid for Grand Marnier valuing the French liqueur maker at 684 million euros (537 million) as it bets on growth in North America.

Campari, best known for the eponymous red aperitif and the orange Aperol bitter, has grown through a slew of acquisitions since 1995. It hopes the French brand will help it further cash in on a classic cocktail renaissance among young Americans.

"(Grand Marnier) perfectly fits Campari's acquisition strategy," the Italian company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The French brand will join Campari's portfolio of five higher-margin brands, such as Wild Turkey bourbon and Skyy vodka, whose sales rose 10 percent in the second half of 2015.

Grand Marnier's sales of finished goods fell 2 percent at constant currencies to 130 million euros last year. But Campari Chief Executive Officer Robert Kunze-Concewitz said the Milanese company had experience in relaunching high potential brands.

"I see the brand delivering some nice growth for us," Kunze-Concewitz told analysts.

Founded in 1827 by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle, Grand Marnier reaps about 60 percent of its sales from the United States, which will become Campari's biggest market after the acquisition ahead of Italy now.

Campari Chief Financial Officer Paolo Marchesini forecast the purchase would drive a double-digit rise in its net income. However, the impact on the current year will be more limited as the company is only due to be consolidated from the second half.

Campari will offer to buy shares in Grand Marnier in cash at 8,050 euros each, a 60 percent premium to the stock value, having already agreed to buy a 17.2 percent stake in the company from the controlling family shareholders.

Bryan Garnier analyst Virginie Roumage said the deal implied a "reasonable" multiple of 13.7 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

Story continues

Campari plans to delist shares in Grand Marnier from the French stock exchange.

The Italian company will also be appointed global and exclusive distributor of Grand Marnier spirits portfolio.

At 1250 GMT shares in Campari rose 0.6 percent, outperforming a 1.3 percent fall in Italian blue-chip index. Shares in Grand Marnier were suspended from trading.

(Additional reporting by Valentina Za; editing by David Clarke)
* Campari will launch friendly takeover bid for Grand Marnier

* U.S. set to become Campari's biggest market after deal

* Campari hopes to relaunch growth at Grand Marnier (Adds quotes from Campari CEO, CFO)

By Francesca Landini and Maria Pia Quaglia

MILAN, March 15 (Reuters) - Italy's Campari, the world's sixth largest spirits company, is to launch a friendly takeover bid for Grand Marnier valuing the French liqueur maker at 684 million euros ($760 million) as it bets on growth in North America.

Campari, best known for the eponymous red aperitif and the orange Aperol bitter, has grown through a slew of acquisitions since 1995. It hopes the French brand will help it further cash in on a classic cocktail renaissance among young Americans.

"(Grand Marnier) perfectly fits Campari's acquisition strategy," the Italian company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The French brand will join Campari's portfolio of five higher-margin brands, such as Wild Turkey bourbon and Skyy vodka, whose sales rose 10 percent in the second half of 2015.

Grand Marnier's sales of finished goods fell 2 percent at constant currencies to 130 million euros last year. But Campari Chief Executive Officer Robert Kunze-Concewitz said the Milanese company had experience in relaunching high potential brands.

"I see the brand delivering some nice growth for us," Kunze-Concewitz told analysts.

Founded in 1827 by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle, Grand Marnier reaps about 60 percent of its sales from the United States, which will become Campari's biggest market after the acquisition ahead of Italy now.

Campari Chief Financial Officer Paolo Marchesini forecast the purchase would drive a double-digit rise in its net income. However, the impact on the current year will be more limited as the company is only due to be consolidated from the second half.

Campari will offer to buy shares in Grand Marnier in cash at 8,050 euros each, a 60 percent premium to the stock value, having already agreed to buy a 17.2 percent stake in the company from the controlling family shareholders.

Story continues

Bryan Garnier analyst Virginie Roumage said the deal implied a "reasonable" multiple of 13.7 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

Campari plans to delist shares in Grand Marnier from the French stock exchange.

The Italian company will also be appointed global and exclusive distributor of Grand Marnier spirits portfolio.

At 1250 GMT shares in Campari rose 0.6 percent, outperforming a 1.3 percent fall in Italian blue-chip index . Shares in Grand Marnier were suspended from trading.

($1 = 0.9003 euros) (Additional reporting by Valentina Za; editing by David Clarke)
Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin, participates in a panel discussion at the 2015 Fortune Global Forum in San Francisco, California November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Chief Executive Marillyn Hewson said Poland and Turkey were interested in the company's MEADS missile defense system, which has already been selected by Germany.

Hewson said Lockheed recently reentered discussions with the Polish defense ministry about the MEADS system, but gave no further details. Poland's former center-right government last year chose Raytheon Co's <RTN.N> Patriot missile defense system, but the new Polish government is now reconsidering that decision.

Hewson said Turkey was also looking at the medium-range air- and missile-defence system, which was developed jointly by the United States, Italy and Germany.

Hewson said that Europe's focus on collective defense had led to an increase in demand for the system.

"The expansion of Russias military presence in Eastern Europe continues to drive concerns about regional stability  and has also revitalized NATO, with a clear threat and purpose," Hewson said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bernard Orr)
* Malaysia sets April crude palm oil export tax at 5 percent

* Plantations to rush to export CPO before tax kicks in-trader

* Analyst sees exports tilting in favour of refined products (Adds quotes, background)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Reuters) - Malaysia raised its tax on crude palm oil (CPO) exports to 5 percent for April, a government circular showed on Tuesday, ending a duty-free policy held since May 2015.

The higher tax could dent exports from the world's No.2 palm oil producer after Indonesia and drag benchmark Malaysian prices of the tropical oil, which hit one-month highs this week amid output worries due to a crop-damaging El Nino weather event.

"Big plantations will be rushing to take out CPO from the country. That should put some pressure on domestic figures and supplies and take exports higher before the tax kicks in," said a trader based in Kuala Lumpur.

After that exports are expected to come down, the trader added. "Producers will be most affected, big players who have been exporting a lot of CPO will be at a disadvantage."

A CPO export tax is, however, good news for local refiners as it will help keep more crude palm oil at home, weighing on domestic prices and improving downstream margins. There are no duties on Malaysian exports of refined palm oil products.

"This ... will change the export percentage between CPO and processed palm oil products," said Alan Lim, a plantations analyst at MIDF Research.

"We do expect some reduction in CPO exports but this will be compensated. If we compare this against Indonesia's $50 a tonne levy on CPO, Malaysia is still more competitive."

The reference price for Malaysia's export duty is set based on a formula taking the average of spot palm prices for a period of 30 days prior to when the tax is set.

The Southeast Asian nation calculated a reference price of 2,500.34 ringgit ($607.17) per tonne for April. A price above 2,250 ringgit incurs a tax, which starts from 4.5 percent and can reach a maximum 8.5 percent.

Story continues

Palm oil futures are now at 2,594 ringgit, near a one-month top of 2,632 ringgit hit on Monday. Last week at an industry meet, experts said they see benchmark prices trading between 2,700-3,000 ringgit by June as dryness linked to El Nino hurts output growth.

But an ongoing slump in export demand, which is expected to worsen once the Malaysian tax kicks in, should help offset the impact of lower output, traders said.

"Exports will not look good, there has been no demand for months. Everyone is waiting for India to buy," said another trader from Kuala Lumpur. "Ramadan demand will come in April, but they will buy palm olein."

($1 = 4.1180 ringgit) (Reporting by Praveen Menon and Emily Chow; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Reuters) - Malaysia, the world's second largest palm oil producer after Indonesia, raised its crude palm oil export tax from zero to 5 percent for April, a government circular showed on Tuesday, ending a duty-free policy held since May 2015.

The Southeast Asian nation calculated a reference price of 2,500.34 ringgit per tonne for April. A price above 2,250 ringgit per tonne incurs a tax, which starts from 4.5 percent and can reach a maximum 8.5 percent. (Reporting by Praveen Menon, Emily Chow; Editing by Michael Perry)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - U.S. consumer health group Procter & Gamble's (PG.N) Indian business plans to challenge a government ban on its cough-and-cold medicine Vicks Action 500 Extra, citing potential health risks.

Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care (PROC.NS) said that while it had stopped selling the product, it was evaluating all options to challenge the ban.

Vicks Action 500 Extra is a fixed-dose combination of paracetamol, phenylephrine and caffeine, which was banned by India's health ministry in a notice issued over the weekend.

The product was one of 344 drug combinations, including several antibiotics and analgesics, that India ordered to be prohibited, saying that a government-appointed panel of experts had found the combinations lacked "therapeutic justification".

P&G said that all its products, including Vicks Action 500 Extra, were backed by research to support their quality, safety and efficacy.

It wasn't immediately clear how much the product contributed to P&G's sales.

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier and David Goodman)
(Adds Finmeccanica comment in paragraphs 5-6)

PANAMA CITY, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The Panamanian government said on Tuesday it had agreed the cancellation of a $125 million radar contract with a subsidiary of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA that had become mired in a dispute over alleged corruption.

After flagging suspected bribery and saying the radar equipment did not meet requirements, the government last year sought the approval of Panama's Supreme Court to cancel the contract with Finmeccanica unit Selex. The deal was signed in 2010 under former President Ricardo Martinelli.

President Juan Carlos Varela, who has been locked in a bitter feud with Martinelli since succeeding him in 2014, told a news conference the contract was cancelled by mutual consent and that all legal actions over the case had been halted.

"This agreement represents savings of more than $100 million for the Panamanian state and also resolves other problems caused by the previous administration," said Varela, who fell out with Martinelli after being elected alongside him as vice-president.

Finmeccanica said in a statement on Wednesday the Panamanian government's decision was "not related to the quality of the radar systems supplied by Selex ES, but stemmed from an autonomous reassessment of the overall surveillance system for the country's coastal area".

Under the settlement, Finmeccanica will supply Panama with an AgustaWestland helicopter free of charge, while Panama committed to withdraw the disputes from the Supreme Court and to re-launch business relationships with the Italian defence and aerospace group "in a spirit of renewed trust", it added.

Martinelli, a multimillionaire supermarket tycoon who has been out of Panama since January 2015, has cases pending against him in the isthmus nation for alleged embezzlement, wiretapping and illegal pardons during his 2009-2014 tenure.

He has rejected the allegations.

Panama's Supreme Court in December issued a warrant for the arrest of Martinelli.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Additional Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Mark Potter)
Russia and Tajikistan have begun large-scale military drills close to the Central Asian state's restless border with Afghanistan (AFP Photo/Vyacheslav Oseledko) (AFP/File)

Dushanbe (Tajikistan) (AFP) - Russia and fragile ex-Soviet ally Tajikistan have begun large-scale military drills close to the Central Asian state's restless border with Afghanistan, a Tajik military official confirmed Tuesday.

A spokesman for Tajikistan's defence ministry said the drills involved about 50,000 Tajik troops and 2,000 Russian troops, including paratroopers flown in from Russia.

"The manoeuvres involve around 1,000 armoured vehicles, artillery, and 32 combat and transport aircraft," spokesman Faridun Makhmadalizoda told AFP, adding that they would continue until the end of the week.

This is the first time troops from Russia's Central Military District have been involved in exercises in Tajikistan, highlighting Moscow's growing unease over chaos in Afghanistan's northern provinces.

The other Russian troops engaged in the exercises are from Moscow's 201st military base in Tajikistan, the spokesman confirmed.

Last year a contingent of 2,500 troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a military bloc led by Russia and including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, also staged military exercises in the country.

Afghanistan's northern provinces have been rattled by militancy amid government infighting in Kabul and the drawdown of the US-led military presence.

Skirmishes along the porous 1300-kilometre (810 mile) frontier Afghanistan shares with Tajikistan occur frequently.

Earlier this month the Tajik border service confirmed that one of its officers and a militant had been killed in a shootout after an armed group crossed into Tajikistan from Afghanistan.
Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer may be the unofficial king of high-end burgers, but he says theres plenty of room at the table.

On Tuesday, Shake Shack opens its first California location on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. The natural inclination is to claim that this is an attempt to take a bite out of the L.A. burger scene, most notably In-N-Out Burger, which is as ubiquitous in California as Shake Shack is in New York.

I wouldnt say were taking on In-N-Out. That would be like saying when youre praying in the Vatican, youre taking on the Pope, Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Meyer told Yahoo Finance at South by Southwest in Austin.

The Hollywood location is not its first on the West Coast -- there are two existing locations in Arizona. The restaurant chain has expanded beyond its New York City roots, with a strong international presence in cities, including Tokyo, London and Kuwait City (24 of 87 Shake Shacks are in the Middle East).

Meyer says hes been planning to open a Shake Shack in L.A. for a while and finally feels ready. The clear differentiator between the cities is that L.A.s car culture paved the way to the proliferation of roadside diners and dives. Shake Shack, having started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, was built on New Yorks pedestrian culture, and Meyer says he has enough brand power to take on the L.A. food scene. (There are 229 In-N-Outs in California alone).

Its also worth noting that Shake Shack does appeal to a wealthier demographic -- its signature cheeseburger (the Shack Burger) costs $4.55 whereas one at In-N-Out goes for $2.40.

We just want to make it into the [Los Angeles burger] rotation. [Californians] arent going to quit going to In-N-Out. I go every time Im in L.A, he said.

The Shack story

Shake Shack (SHAK) has only been public for a little over a year, and shares are trading at nearly double their IPO price in January 2015, but the stock has had a rough year; shares are down 24% over the past 12 months. This month, the company reported solid fourth-quarter earnings and revenue, but shares suffered on a weaker-than-expected sales outlook.

Story continues

The company said it expected same-store sales growth between 2.5% and 3%, while analysts were expecting 3.1% growth.

Shake Shack has been having a nice honeymoon phase post-IPO, but increased competition and expanding into too many markets could start to become an issue, says R.J. Hottovy, senior analyst at Morningstar. Until now, they have managed the business just fine.

Peak burger?

Meyer says the appetite for a good burger was, is and will continue to be insatiable. Unlike more fleeting trends -- see: cupcakes and cronuts -- people have been eating burgers globally for decades, and that wont change.

According to market research firm NPD Group, Americans ordered nine billion burgers in 2014, an increase of 3% from the year before.

One thing that has shifted -- and in Shake Shacks favor -- is the desire for better ingredients and the sense of customization. Shake Shack touts premium ingredients like 100% all-natural Angus beef and non-GMO rolls. The company also works with the local food scene in every city (for example, Austin has an exclusive Lockhart Link burger with a jalapeno cheese sausage from the Lockhart, Texas, Kreuz Market).

Were not in danger of having a burger bubble because it cant be a trend if its something whose roots are 60 years deep, he says. And despite being in a saturated space, different brands can continue to coexist because no one eats just one kind of burger, Meyer says.

When asked whether theres opportunity for other entrepreneurs in the burger business, he replied, Of course there is. And Ill be the first in line to try them.
Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A commenced its third and final phase of oil production from the Parque das Conchas fields located in ultra-deep water off the coast of Brazil.

The projects final phase is projected to add 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day during peak production. So far since 2009, the fields have produced more than 100 million barrels.

The third phase of Parque das Conchas project includes five producing wells, situated in two fields of Campos Basin, along with two water injection wells. Shell is the operator of the development with a 50% interest. ONGC of India and QPI of Qatar hold a 27% and 23% stake, respectively.

Shell has been giving utmost importance to offshore Brazilian projects and believes that the developments will add significant value to its shareholders wealth in the long run through production growth. In fact, with the completion of its merger with BG Group plc  a leading upstream energy player in the U.K.  Shell will now get access to significant resources off the coast of Brazil. For that country, Shell is now planning to allocate significant capital at least for a decade.

Shell is an integrated energy firm with a strong and diversified portfolio of development projects that offer attractive long-term opportunities. Notably, with the purchase of BG Group, Shell surpassed Chevron Corporation CVX to become the second biggest private oil firm in the world.

However, the oil price slump has affected Shells earnings and cash flows, in particular at its upstream unit.

As a result, Shell currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), implying that it will perform in line with the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months.

Some better-ranked players in the energy sector are Murphy USA Inc. MUSA and Antero Resources Corporation AR. Both stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's non-oil domestic exports likely declined in February, a Reuters poll showed, underscoring the headwinds the city-state's economy faces from sluggish global demand. Non-oil domestic exports in February fell 2.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the median forecast in the survey of 13 economists. The year-on-year fall in exports is likely to moderate compared with January, helped by a comparison against weak export figures recorded in February 2015, analysts said. In January, exports slid 9.9 percent, as sales to major market China collapsed. On a month-on-month and seasonally adjusted basis, exports were seen down 1.3 percent, after rising 0.7 percent in January, the poll found. A Reuters poll published in early March showed that the risk of monetary easing by Singapore's central bank is seen as having risen recently as global headwinds buffet the city-state's trade-reliant economy. Most analysts, however, expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore to keep policy unchanged at its next meeting in April, barring a sharper slowdown in China and steeper jobs losses. (Reporting Masayuki Kitano; Editing by Sam Holmes)
The logo of Toshiba Corp is seen at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, November 6, 2015. REUTERS/Yuya Shino

(Reuters) - Japanese industrial conglomerate Toshiba Corp said it is in late-stage talks to sell its white goods business to Chinese household appliance giant Midea Group Co Ltd , Nikkei reported on Monday.

The deal is expected to fetch tens of billions of yen, the Japanese business daily reported.

Toshiba said in a statement the company was negotiating with other companies about restructuring its white goods business, but nothing had been decided.

Toshiba granted Canon Inc (7751.T) exclusive negotiating rights for its medical equipment unit, earlier this month, after a hotly contested auction, with a report putting Canon's offer at more than $6 billion.

(Reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru and Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Anand Basu)
* Strong cargo surveyor export data supports palm prices

* Malaysia raises April crude palm oil export tax to 5

percent

* Ends a duty-free policy held since May 2015

(Updates latest prices)

By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil

futures rose on Tuesday as expectations of lower production and

a weaker ringgit underpinned prices, shrugging off an

announcement of a 5 percent tax on crude palm oil (CPO) exports

that could hurt demand.

A government circular on the Malaysian Palm Oil Board

website showed a CPO export tax will be implemented in April,

ending a duty-free policy held since May 2015.

"The tax was expected, the market rose more on weather

concerns and the weak ringgit," said a trader from Kuala Lumpur,

adding that positive export numbers were also buoying prices.

The palm oil contract for May delivery on the

Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange was up 0.7 percent at 2,611

ringgit ($632) per tonne at the close of trade. Trade volumes

stood at 42,345 lots of 25 tonnes each in the trading day.

The contract touched a one-month high of 2,632 ringgit on

Monday.

Palm oil prices are expected to climb to 2,700-3,000 ringgit

by June as dryness linked to El Nino hurts production, industry

experts said last week. They see global output falling by 2

million-3 million tonnes in 2016.

Also, palm oil prices are drawing support from Intertek

Testing Services data showing a 10.5 percent month-on-month rise

in exports for the first half of March.

Societe Generale de Surveillance, however, reported a 1.1

percent export decline over the same time period.

A weaker ringgit, the currency palm oil is traded in, is

also helping drive demand by making the vegetable oil cheaper

for holders of other currencies. The ringgit was down

0.8 percent at 4.1320 to the U.S. dollar in the evening.

In competing vegetable oil markets, May soybean oil

on the Dalian Commodity Exchange lost 1.1 percent, while the

Chicago soyoil contract fell 0.3 percent.

Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1013 GMT:

Story continues

Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume

MY PALM OIL APR6 2593 +18.00 2570 2593 584

MY PALM OIL MAY6 2611 +18.00 2589 2620 17647

CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY6 5116 -66.00 5100 5166 347250

CHINA SOYOIL SEP6 5870 -66.00 5850 5920 651146

CBOT SOY OIL MAY6 32.32 +3.80 32.2 32.47 8246

INDIA PALM OIL MAR6 509.60 +3.80 504.60 511.9 2736

INDIA SOYOIL MAR6 613.1 +1.50 611.8 614.1 1630

NYMEX CRUDE APR6 36.20 -0.98 36.11 37.40 58460

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

($1 = 4.1320 ringgit)

($1 = 67.3700 Indian rupees)

($1 = 6.5130 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Tom

Hogue)
While there may be some new clarity in the Republican presidential campaign after todays Super Tuesday primary contests, the Democratic race between former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is almost certain to continue for another month or two regardless of the outcomes in Florida, Ohio and three other Midwestern states.

Sanders is hoping for another major upset over Clinton in Ohio, Illinois or Missouri, just as he pulled out in Michigan last week after adroitly linking Clinton to NAFTA and other unpopular trade agreements that cost millions of jobs in the auto industry. He has also sharply criticized her for taking millions in speaking fees from Wall Street, and signaled concern about her email controversy that has triggered a federal probe.

Related: Why Clinton Needs a Strong Showing Tuesday After Michigan Disaster

Clinton has fought back with pledges to create new and better paying industrial and high tech jobs to replace those that have been moved overseas, and she has repeatedly questioned Sanderss commitment to the bailout of the auto industry in the depths of the recession and to efforts to pass a national government health care program in the 1990s, when she was first lady. Both claims have been discredited by Sanders and his supporters.

Barring intervention by the FBI, Clinton is the nominee, said Larry J. Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist. But the rest of the primary season matters because it will determine whether she sweeps triumphantly into Philadelphia or limps into the convention. The more delegates Bernie has, the more leverage he'll have over the platform and Hillary's positioning in the fall. I can't imagine she'd agree to pick him for vice president, but he could get a kind of veto power over centrist possibilities.

Averages of recent statewide polls by Real Clear Politics show Clinton walloping Sanders in Florida and North Carolina by nearly 2 to 1 margins, 62 to 31 percent and 57 to 33 percent, respectively. In both cases, Clinton will be helped once again by overwhelming support from African-American voters, much as she enjoyed in South Carolina, Arkansas and several other major Southern states. However, the outlook is much more muddled in the three others states voting on Tuesday.

Story continues

In both Ohio and Illinois, the former New York senator is holding onto leads over her rival. Shes up 51 to 43 percent in the Buckeye State. While that may sound like a comfortable margin, consider that Sanders trailed there by as much as 30 points a few months ago.

Related: Trump Cancels Chicago Rally Fearing More Crowd Violence

In Illinois, Clinton just bests Sanders 48 to 46 percent in the polls, a margin that could easily be wiped out on primary day. Losing the state Clinton was born and raised in would be a major embarrassment for her campaign. She is counting on picking up considerable support by embracing the policies of President Obama, a former senator from Illinois. But she hasnt been helped by her close association with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose popularity plummeted amid his handling of police shootings of blacks.

Meanwhile, in Missouri Sanders is ahead of Clinton by a single point, 47 to 46 percent, according to RCP. The Vermont senator surprised many on March 1 when he won the deep red state of Oklahoma. A win in the similarly conservative Show Me State would be another feather in the cap of the Sanders operation and further proof that his message of economic inequality is connecting with voters in GOP strongholds.

The ultimate Democratic nominee will need at least 2,383 of 2,952 available delegates to lock up the nomination this summer in Philadelphia. Clinton so far has racked up 1,234, including 467 super delegates, mostly elected officials, while Sanders has 579 delegates. There are 691 Democratic delegates up for grabs Tuesday, but under the Democrats proportionate allocation rule, theres virtually no way for Sanders to claim the vast majority of those delegates  or the other delegates that will be fought over throughout the coming months.

Sanders bridles at any suggestion he should abandon his quest, arguing that he has energized the party, drawn consistently huge crowds to his rallies and rivaled Clinton in fundraising. The day before the last Super Tuesday contests on March 1, the Sanders campaign announced it had raised more than $42 million in February, including $6 million alone on the last day of the month. All told, the Vermont lawmakers raked in more than $96 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That figure was inconceivable when Sanders launched his dark horse bid nearly a year ago.

Related: From Bawdy Jokes to Body Slams, Whats Next for Trumps Campaign?

By comparison, Clinton raised $30 million in February, but shes still hauled in more in primary cash than Sanders, around $130 million. The former First Lady also enjoys a significant cash-on-hand advantage  $33 million, more than double the Sanders war chest.

The bottom line is that Sanders can easily stay in the race as long as he wants, with no problem raising the necessary cash to wage a strong media campaign throughout the country. Clinton has acknowledged that Sanders will be a tough challenger to finally shake. And with an FBI investigation of her handling of State Department emails still hanging over her there is no way to be certain of how the race will end.

As time goes by, the nagging question within the party will become whether Sanders is sapping Clintons strength and resources even as she should be preparing for a bruising and nasty general election campaign against Republican Donald Trump this fall. Sanders argues that he would be stronger than Clinton in taking on the combative and nasty billionaire businessman, citing numerous polls to back him up. But Clinton said that after 25 years of being attacked by Republicans, she has the thick skin necessary to take on Trump.

"In the course of dealing with all of this incoming fire from them, I have developed a pretty thick skin, she said during a CNN town hall on Sunday night. I am not new to the national arena, and I think whoever goes up against Donald Trump better be ready.

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Bar Sinister said: What do you expect? The Harper government's defence policies were poorly thought out at best, partly because it rushed into things. There really is no rush to replace obsolete fighter aircraft that were designed to fight the USSR with already obsolete aircraft of the same type. And Russian aggression is pretty much a myth. Ukraine is still there and holding on to almost all of its territory since the annexation of Crimea. Also drones are just as expensive as fighter aircraft given the huge amount of infrastructure required to maintain them. If Canada decides to go that route it will require a very large commitment in dollars and manpower to make drones effective. Click to expand...

The former Conservative government inherited old, tired equipment that no government - Conservative or Liberal - could have adequately upgraded, given the money available. There simply wasn't enough of it. Maintenance and upgrades were put off for too long. We continue to pay for not replacing things that were due.For example, when I joined the service in 1977, I trained using equipment that was, for the most part, purchased in the 1950s and 1960s. The trng officers and NCOs used to joke about the age of the things we were using.Some things, like the T6 bomb trailer for example, were obtained by the RCAF in WWII. The MJ1 bomb jack was purchased in the early 1960s. I trained with it in the late 1970s. It is still being used in Cold Lake and Bagotville today. There is an upgraded model in the works, but only a couple of test vehicles have been seen in the field. These motorized bomb jacks are over 50 yrs old.Approximately half of the equipment presently being used by the RCAF in Borden is thirty to fifty yrs old. Some is even older.No single government can be blamed for the slow disintegration of resources and equipment. Defence is usually the first department to have their budget slashed or money redirected somewhere else. All federal governments have done this - regardless of political affiliation.Large purchases like ships or planes are planned and budgeted for years in advance. They have to be because of the huge costs involved. For example, certain capital expenditures of the previous government will come into effect this year, next year and the years after. This will happen with the Liberal government's future budget allocations after they no longer are the government. For Ottawa, this is the circle of life.Certain expenditures/purchases can be delivered quickly - uniforms or new rank insignia for example. Others, because of the huge capital outlay, require time. This long length of time comes from the time to accept and decide on contract tenders, the time to build the items (ship or planes usually take forever) and negotiating an acceptable time period to pay for things that will cost the country billions.Things like new planes require additional expenditures for support equipment, personnel trng to use and maintain the new equipment, purchasing spare parts and any other costs related to the acquisition.When talking about governments allocating money, the politics can be stifling.Over the past 30 years, the only PM/government who caused big problems for military managers was Chretien. His changes caused gaps in equipment acquisitions and a huge capital outlay for no return. His biggest gaffe was the EH101 project cancellation. That cost the taxpayer almost as much in costs and cancellation penalties as it would had we just taken the choppers. That does not even take into consideration the time lost, persons put at risk or bloated maintenance costs to keep the Sea King running. The Sea King entered service in 1963 and was to be replaced. At the last flight safety briefing I attended, 30 hrs of maintenance was required for every hour in the air.---This first photo shows a yellow trailer - a T6 - three wheeled trailer made by Massey Ferguson in WWII. The photo is from 1966. The trailer had been in use about 25 yrs at this time. And yes, it's the same company that made tractors. Presently, this trailer is used mostly for torpedo loading and chaff and flare transport on the flight line.This second photo is a picture of a MJ1A motorized bomb jack. Built and purchased in the 1960s. The model had an upgrade in the early 1990s to change the transmission from a 3 speed standard to automatic. And that's no joke. A fellow I used to work with got pinned between a hangar wall and the back of this jack. He had both legs crushed when it went into gear and caught him.Both are still in use.
tay said: Do we really want Britain's best being able to freely emigrate.....? Click to expand...

Well it seems as though you do, because in 2008 your Minister of Employment Hector Goudreau started a campaign to attract Britons to Canada to boost the economy and the country's sparse population.However, many Britons who move to Canada eventually find out that life there is not for them and they end up returning to Britain. They discover that the quality of life there isn't quite as good as UN "studies" keep telling us and that quality of life is actually probably higher in Britain; they don't like the Canadian people (apparently, according to the comments on the link below, Brits often find Canadians to be "smug" and the social interaction amongst Canadians isn't as good as it is in Britain and America, apparently); they don't like Canada's dark, freezing, long winters; they don't like crime in Canada's big cities (violent crime and murder is significantly higher in Canada than in Britain); they don't like the cost of living, which they discover to be higher in many places in Canada than in Britain; and then there's the health service, which isn't as good in Canada as it is in Britain, with Britain's free NHS often found to be the best health service in the world.Go here to look at the comments from Brits who have moved to Canada: Canada wants British workers to emigrate - Telegraph
A customer at a Washington state 7-Eleven shot and killed a masked man who charged into the convenience store swinging a hatchet on Sunday morning, according to authorities.The 60-year-old customer was drinking a coffee around 5:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) when the hatchet-wielding man came into the store in Burien, about 10 miles south of Seattle, according to the King County Sheriff's office.The suspect first tried to attack the customer and then went after a clerk behind the counter, wounding him in the stomach, the sheriff's office said.The quick-thinking customer drew a concealed pistol and shot the attacker before calling the police, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Medics attempted to resuscitate the suspect, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect has not been identified, but he is believed to be in his 40s.The shooting will be investigated, and the case will be sent to a prosecutor to determine if charges should be filed against the shooter. King County Sheriff Sgt. Cindi West told NBC News that "during the initial investigation we did not see any wrongdoing on the part of the citizen who shot.""In fact, he may have prevented the clerk from being killed or seriously injured," she said.The King County Sheriff's Office said the customer has a valid concealed pistol license.




Wythenshawe Hall fire: Manchester Tudor stately home's roof destroyed





By Danny Boyle 15 Mar 2016The TelegraphDozens of firefighters have been battling to save a historic Tudor mansion after a blaze destroyed its roof and first floor.Wythenshawe Hall, a timber-framed former stately home turned museum and art gallery, has been badly damaged in the fire early on Tuesday.The fire broke out in the roof of the 16th Century building in the Wythenshawe district of south Manchester at just after 3.30am. No one was inside or hurt, but firefighters said they were "doing everything we can" to save the property.The majority of antiques and items inside the hall are believed to have been removed from the building a few months ago and relocated. However, there is "significant damage" to some items inside, the Manchester Evening News reports.The fire is believed to have started at the front of the roof of the Tudor building , which is set in 250 acres now known as Wythenshawe Park.More than 50 firefighters and 10 engines battled to bring the blaze under control and managed to contain the flames, which at one point were coming out of the roof around the clock tower.Aerial pictures taken by a fire service helicopter showed the extent of damage to the historic building, which was the home of the Tatton family for almost 400 years after being built in around 1540.It was donated to local people in 1930 and has been a museum and art gallery in recent years.Warren Pickstone, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are doing everything we can to save as much of this building as we can."The fire is in the roof and is difficult to access, but we have specialist resources at the scene and we are working extremely hard."The fire is in the main black and white traditionally clad Tudor building with the historic clock tower, which was also on fire."So far we believe we have lost the roof and the first floor."An investigation by police and fire crews is under way into the cause of the blaze, but there is not yet believed to be any indication of how it started.Lucy Powell, the Manchester Central MP, said she was "really sorry" to hear about the fire and praised crews for their work:And the Friends of Wythenshawe Hall, a group dedicated to looking after the hall and keeping it open to the public, also thanked Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, saying: Thank you for getting to the hall so quickly."Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council's executive member for culture and leisure, also praised the firefighters and said: "This is an upsetting incident involving a much-loved historic building at the heart of its community."We are currently still taking stock of the damage but will all need to rally together in an effort to restore the hall."At around 8.30am, the number of fire engines at the scene was reduced to five, with firefighters now damping down the fire.Mr Pickstone added: "We're currently damping down and investigating the cause of this fire with Greater Manchester Police."This blaze has caused devastating damage to a historic building, but the quick actions of our crew have saved the majority of the structure."The fire was well developed when they arrived and firefighters did a fantastic job to stop it spreading through the timbers and voids in the property."We will work closely with Manchester City Council and The Friends of Wythenshawe Hall to help them recover from this terrible fire."
LINCOLN - As trees and plants green up and soil temperatures rise across the state, farm operations of all sizes and types are getting set to begin another planting season.

Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach is encouraging anyone who will be applying pesticide products during the busy spring season to be mindful of best management practices and use good communication with their neighbors. Pesticides include all categories of control applications such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.

Its important for our commodity crop farmers and our growing sector of specialty crop farmers to work together so everyone can be successful, Ibach said. Herbicide applications are critical for corn and soybean production, but there are a number of specialty crops, such as grape vines, that are sensitive to these products.

One way farmers can open the door of communication is through DriftWatch. This website is a free, voluntary service that allows those with pesticide sensitive crops, organic crops and beehives to report their field locations. Pesticide applicators can review the website to gain an understanding of the locations of specialty crops in their area.

For example, Nebraskas vineyards will soon begin bud break, or the official start of the vines annual growth cycle, and these plants are extremely vulnerable during this time period, Ibach said. Its also time for our commodity crop growers to ready their fields for planting, including herbicide applications. Communication between all parties is important to ensure successful crop production for everyone.
NEBRASKA CITY  After unquilted tops began to stack up in her sewing room, Jackie Heyne of Omaha bought a long arm quilting machine in 2005. Today she runs an Omaha-based business teaching others how to use the big machines.

Heynes long arm rental business, A Quilting Place, grew out of her response to a dilemma faced by many quilters.

After many hours spent piecing together a quilt top, they are stymied about how to quilt it. Many find quilting by hand too slow and painstaking. Manipulating a bulky quilt beneath the presser foot of a typical domestic sewing machine is too awkward and frustrating. Paying a professional quilter to do the work can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of the quilt.

I purchased my first long arm after having a very frustrating experience trying to push and pull a quilt through my domestic machine, Heyne said. Long arm quilting became a way for me to finish the quilt tops that started to stack up on the shelf.

Long arm machines have industrial-sized heads, which makes it easier to sew bulky items like quilts. A domestic sewing machine might have 8 to 9 inches of throat space, while a long arm might have 20 to 24 inches. In addition, long arm machines often are set up on a 12- or 14-foot frame that allows the stitching to be done by moving the machine over an outstretched quilt. A domestic sewing machine remains stationary, and it is the quilt that is moved back and forth under the needle as it is stitched. However, a long arm machine often costs four or five times as much as a new domestic machine.

Heyne describes herself as an East Coast girl at heart, but moved to Nebraska 36 years ago. Her husband was a Nebraskan who had joined the Coast Guard. She began sewing as a child and later sewed clothes, curtains and home decor items as a way to save money while beginning a family. She got the quilting bug in 1999 after a friend invited her to join a block of the month club, where participants get a new pattern and fabric to sew a different quilt block each month.

I was captivated by this experience and started taking other quilting classes, she said.

Hayne started A Quilting Place in 2010. Her husband joined her in the business in 2011.

A quilt top does not truly become a quilt until its quilted  stitched together with an inner layer of batting and a backing of another fabric.

During the March 22 meeting, Heyne will share her knowledge of quiltings finishing touch. Her talk will include tips on how to choose thread, batting and backing as well as guidance how to choose quilting designs to enhance the quilt.

Heyne said she will tell the rest of the story of A Quilting Place during the March 22 meeting.

Guild meetings START AT 6:30 P.M. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church at 314 S. 16th St. in Nebraska City. The program starts at 7 p.m..

Guests are welcome to attend meetings. Membership is open to those interested in quilting and other forms of needlework.
Growing a culture of life

Across Nebraska, pro-life values permeate our culture. Just look aroundyou can see evidence of how Nebraskans value life almost everywhere. You see it in the charitable spirit of Nebraskans who give of their time and treasure to their schools, churches, and communities. You see it on billboards and homemade signs urging passersby to Choose Life as they drive around the state. You see it in the thousands of Nebraskans that join Life Chain events in over 50 communities every year.

These are some of the things that have inspired my administration to ensure the state is fulfilling our commitment to caring for societys most vulnerable people and to find new ways to protect life.

With this in mind, we conducted a nationwide search to identify transformational leadership for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the agency which cares for some of our states most vulnerable. The new leadership under Courtney Phillips is already delivering big results: Our call centers for public benefits have dramatically reduced call wait times. Nebraskas foster care system is meeting all six federal standards for the first time. When news broke that our nations largest abortion provider may be negotiating prices for the body parts of aborted babies, DHHS looked into these allegations to ensure Nebraska abortion clinics were following the law.

In addition to improving the services of state agencies, we must also continue to pass good pro-life legislation to protect life. Because of the hard work of Nebraska lawmakers like Lt. Governor Mike Foley, our states commitment to protecting life in our laws has earned us high marks nationally over the years. For example, Americans United for Life ranks Nebraska as the sixth most pro-life state in the nation.

While its been a few years since our Legislature has passed a new pro-life bill, the Legislature has the opportunity to approve a bill that would create pro-life license plates this year. The bill, introduced by Senator Tommy Garrett of Bellevue and prioritized by Speaker Galen Hadley of Kearney, has bipartisan support with over 30 cosponsors. This legislation directs the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to create Choose Life license plates, which would be available for purchase through the DMV as a specialty plate. If this bill passes, Nebraska would join 29 other states which allow Choose Life plates. These would be one of several alternative plates available to Nebraskans for purchase including military honor, beef state, and the 150th anniversary celebration plates among others.

With only a few weeks left in the legislative session, the Choose Life license plate bill is one of many priorities competing for limited space in the Legislatures agenda. If you would like to see the Legislature provide pro-life license plates as an option, please consider contacting your senator and urge them to approve LB768 before they adjourn this year. You can find all the information you need to contact your senator by visiting www.NebraskaLegislature.gov.

Our efforts to grow a culture that protects life in Nebraska shouldnt stop here. In the coming years, I look forward to working with the Legislature to continue to prioritize initiatives to ensure that our states laws respect unborn life, protect our senior citizens, and promote a healthy respect for innocent life at all stages. Nurturing a culture that respects life in Nebraska will ensure that our state has a strong foundation to grow on for years to come.
FAIRLAWN, Ohio  Ninety-three-year-old Dorothy Louise Liggett had one regret about her life.

That disappointment was transformed to joy on Wednesday afternoon when she was awarded her high school diploma as a surprise on her birthday.

Her one regret is no longer a regret. It is a fulfilled ambition, said Donald Huston, Liggetts 67-year-old son, who lives in Oklahoma. Im really thrilled that she is finally getting the one thing she always told us she wished she had gotten. This is a special birthday gift. It gives credence to her entire life.

Liggetts North High School diploma was hand delivered to her home in Fairlawn by Akron Public Schools Superintendent David W. James. He was moved to makes sure Liggett received her diploma, after reading a letter from her daughter, Janice Larkin, 73, of Monument Beach, Mass.

In the letter, Larkin explained that her mother was a few weeks away from graduation in 1942, when she was expelled, after school officials discovered she was married.

When I read the letter, and did some follow-up research, I felt terrible for the way Mrs. Liggett was treated all of those years ago and wanted to do what we could to make it up to her, James said. To have invested 13 years in school, to have been a good student and still not receive a diploma because of that, was simply wrong.

Liggett and her late husband, John Huston  who had graduated from North High School two years earlier and had been called into the U.S. Army Air Corps.  had run away to Kentucky to be married and discovered a few months later that they were having a baby. Their plan was to have Liggett finish high school and then join her husband wherever he was assigned, after she graduated.

That plan changed when Liggett was belittled by a gym teacher for forgetting her gym suit. When the teacher insisted Liggett go to study hall, the slighted teen blurted: No. Im married. Im going home.

The heat-of-the-moment admission ended her chance to walk across the stage with her peers. Just two months from graduation, the school acted on its policy that banned married students from attending high school.

When we were growing up, my mother always insisted that I and my siblings finish school and go to college. She did the same thing with her grandchildren, great grandchildren and even neighborhood children. She would tell us how important education is and say that the worst thing you could do is not finish school, Larkin said.

She always felt that by not getting her high school diploma, she had not done what she should have, Larkin said. I feel responsible because she was pregnant with me when she was expelled.

After Larkin was born, she and her mother (against the advice of relatives) rode the Greyhound Bus all over America to join her father on several military bases, where he completed pilot training. Larkin shared that she and her mother slept in some unusual places, including a library in Kansas and a converted chicken coop in Oklahoma.

In addition to mentoring children and youth, Liggett is currently near completion of a mission to read a biography or autobiography on every U.S. president and presidents wife.

Liggett received her diploma surrounded by her five children  Larkin, Huston, Diane Bailey of Uniontown, Ohio, Carol Weiner of Akron, Ohio, and John Huston of North Carolina  sons- and daughters-in-law, school representatives and media.

They surrounded her as they coaxed her out of her home to receive the surprise.

Whats the one thing you never did in your life that you wish you had? Bailey said as she walked arm-in-arm with Liggett, her mother clearly shocked to find a small crowd assembled in her driveway.

Graduate, Liggett replied.

Well, you are now, Bailey said as one of her siblings pulled a black graduation cap from a box and placed it on her head.

Superintendent James approached the tearful woman and ended 75 years of longing with a handshake and a diploma.

I always felt bad not having this, she said. Even though Im 93 years old, I still like having it.

While it may be an honor for Dorothy, for us it is a long overdue recognition of her achievement from her days as a student at APS, James said. While any day certainly would have been suitable, we feel her birthday is the perfect occasion  what better gift for a life-long learner and one who has given so much to so many?
The two leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination held a spirited debate over foreign policy last week, and the differences were striking.

Donald Trump would cozy up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom hes praised as a strong leader; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would escalate our new Cold War with Russia. Trump wants to renegotiate President Obamas nuclear deal with Iran; Cruz promises to rip [the agreement] to shreds on day one. Trump says hed try to broker a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians; Cruz says hes not interested in talks and would back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the hilt.

See the pattern? Trump wants to make deals, and doesnt much mind whos across the table  Russian autocrat or Iranian mullah. Cruz doesnt want to negotiate, he wants to pick sides.

Those are the differences. But there are similarities too.

When it comes to Islamic State, Trump and Cruz are on the same page  and neither has much of a strategy to offer. They have both suggested that intensified U.S. bombing can win the war. (It cant.)

Trump says hed aim to kill terrorists families, which would be a war crime. Cruz says hed carpet bomb Islamic State strongholds  a potential war crime, since it would needlessly kill civilians.

Neither cares much who rules Syria in the end, as long as its not Islamic State. We have no dog in the fight, Cruz has said. Trump says hed let Putin sort it out.

And while they both do their best to sound ferocious, neither wants to deploy U.S. ground troops. In that sense, Trump and Cruz are rather minimalist  just like Obama.

The rise of the two outsider candidates has been bad news for Republican internationalists, the hawkish conservatives who have dominated GOP foreign policy since World War II. Internationalists, who include such figures as former Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, think Obama has been too cautious about using U.S. power overseas. Many of them think the U.S. should be doing more in Syria  for example, setting up (and defending) safe zones for the opposition.

But thats not where most GOP voters are this year. The internationalists had two favorite candidates, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, but the formers already out and the latter isnt faring too well.

Much of the country is clearly not where Republican internationalists would like it to be, said Robert Kagan, a former adviser to Romney. The American people, in both parties, are in a mood for retrenchment.

Want proof? Last month, Trump not only called the 2003 invasion of Iraq a big fat mistake, he said the George W. Bush administration lied to sell the war to the public. Republican voters barely blinked.

Trumps foreign policy departs from GOP orthodoxy on a host of issues. He wants to demand that Germany, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia increase payments to the U.S. for military protection, moves that would strain those traditional alliances. He wants to slap tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico, which would almost surely set off an expensive trade war. And, of course, he says hell force Mexico to pay for his wall on the border, although hes never explained how.

Cruz, too, has called the Iraq invasion a mistake. He hasnt accused Bush of lying, but he has accused Washington neo-cons, shorthand for the GOP neo-conservatives who backed the Iraq war, of indiscriminate military interventionism.

His favorite example: the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Kadafi in 2011. In Cruzs view, the United States shouldnt have helped topple Kadafi; it should have protected him.

Kadafi was a bad man, he had a horrible human rights record. And yet ... he had become a significant ally in fighting radical Islamic terrorism, Cruz argued last year.

Cruz believes the United States should relegate human rights concerns to a back burner, especially when it comes to the Middle East.

So if the GOP race comes down to a choice between Trump and Cruz, whats an internationalist-minded Republican to do? It looks like an unappetizing choice to me, but Id say: Choose Cruz.

Cruz is scary, but Trump is dangerous. Cruzs soft spot for pro-American dictators would actually be a return to the conservative orthodoxy that prevailed before Ronald Reagan injected democracy promotion into GOP foreign policy.

But Trump, who has a distinct authoritarian streak, seems to admire autocrats like Putin even when theyre not pro-American.

Kagan, who is writing a history of U.S. diplomacy, agrees that Cruz is the better option.

Trump is a throwback to the 1920s and 1930s view that the world can go to hell and its not our problem, he said. If Hitler were rampaging across Europe, Trump would say  as many said at the time  that hes someone we can do business with.

And if the choice is between Trump and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton?

Kagan, who also worked in the Reagan administration, says hed vote for Clinton.
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Political science PhD specializing in delegate selection rules, presidential campaigns and elections. Founder of FHQ Strategies LLC
The city of Sao Tome will host the World Travel Awards Africa Gala Ceremony 2017. Sao Tome is the capital city of Sao Tome and Principe. Its name is Portuguese for "Saint Thomas".

World Travel Awards (WTA) has reached an agreement with Realtours and the Associacao Empresarial de Sao Tome e Principe to host the event.

World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke said: With our Grand Tour 2016 underway we are already turning our attention to 2017 and lining up a series of exciting destination hosts.

"Sao Tome & Principe is the first of these to be confirmed - an exciting destination seeing exponential growth on the international hospitality scene.

It will be a pleasure to welcome our nominees to this growing destination next year.

Sao Tome & Principe has been chosen to host the African Gala Ceremony in 2017 in an event that will bring all relevant African players in the industry to the country. The event promises to be a stunning celebration of excellence and outstanding achievements in the hospitality industry.

A series of promotional events will be launched as of now to start building up for what will be one of the largest events ever held in Sao Tome & Principe.

Each year WTA covers the globe with a series of regional Gala Ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective successes within each key geographical region.

Each WTA Gala Ceremony offers unrivalled networking opportunities to members of the travel and tourism industry, with the events welcoming government and industry leaders as well as international print and broadcast media.

WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and Deloitte have studied what a vote to leave the European Union might mean for UK travel businesses, and the UK travel consumer.

The report says that there are strong travel and tourism flows between the UK and EU. The EU is the main destination for UK tourists, and the main source market for overseas tourists coming to the UK. Tourism and travel trade between the UK and EU has been facilitated by the free movement of goods and services, investment and people across the EU. A Brexit could jeopardize this free movement, and affect the flow of trade and travel.

In the event that the UK votes to leave the EU, there is a high likelihood of uncertainty during the negotiation period immediately following the referendum. This could last until a replacement set of trading relations and regulations were in place, which could take several years.

In the event of a Brexit, the value of sterling could be impacted. The extent to which operating from outside the EU would increase costs for the travel industry would depend largely on the agreements the industry would adopt and the ease at which it could transition to the new arrangements.

In the event of a Brexit it is likely that EU-originating regulations that benefit and protect travelling consumers would need to be replaced with parallel UK-originated regulations to ensure that consumer confidence is maintained.

The travel and tourism sectors employ a significant number of immigrants. Any changes limiting the sectors ability to recruit or employ foreign nationals, including those from the EU, could challenge many travel and hospitality businesses in filling a number of roles , especially given the current levels of UK employment and existing skills shortages.

The UK travelling consumer could be faced with increased costs if an exit vote led to a sustained deterioration in the value of sterling, making foreign currency destinations more expensive in sterling. Consumers would also need to cover any additional health insurance costs, should the UK exit the European Health Insurance Card scheme.

Click here for the report
Crytek's VR First university research initiative has added partners providing hardware and other help - specifically AMD, Leap Motion, OSVR, and Razer.

Launched back in January, VR First seeks to promote grassroots research and development in virtual reality by opening new development facilities at academic institutions around the world.

These new VR labs will give students access to VR development-grade PCs and unnamed VR headsets, as well as full CryEngine source code access.

The first VR First lab opened at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University earlier this year, and now, with the backing of its new partners, Crytek plans to open seven new labs in the U.S. and Canada.

"It has been exciting to see the level of interest VR First has attracted from technology leaders and universities around the world since the initiative launched less than two months ago." said Cryteks senior business development manager, Ferhan Ozk.

If all goes well, you can expect to see VR labs opening at Carleton University, California State University Monterey Bay, Purdue University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Florida, University of Southern California  School of Cinematic Arts, and Vancouver Film School in the near future.
The real Glaswegian working class voice in the independence debate read by thousands, the BBC and other related media, secured the first criminal conviction against one of the seven top cybernats outed by the Daily Mail
DGAP-News: LION E-Mobility AG / Key word(s): Conference/Rating LION E-Mobility AG: m:access analyst conference at Munich Stock Exchange with LION E-Mobility AG 15.03.2016 / 03:17 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Garching, Germany - March 14th, 2016 - As a top performer within the premium segment m:access LION E-Mobility AG will present itself on March, 17th to institutional investors and analysts at the premises of Munich's Stock Exchange. Prior to answering questions of the audience, LION's executives will report about the previous business year and the latest events at its subsidiaries in the current year. Interested parties may gather further information at www.maccess.de and register, if applicable. Of course in the following we will inform all those who are unable to attend this event about any relevant developments. About LION E-Mobility AG LION E-Mobility AG (WKN: A1JG3H, Ticker: LMI, Reuters: LMIG.MU) is a Swiss Holding with strategic investments in the e-mobility sector, particularly in the field of electric energy storage as well as battery pack development and management. The Company holds 100% of the German LION Smart GmbH, a development and engineering company specialized on custom designed battery packs and battery-management-systems. LION Smart GmbH further holds a 30% stake of the TUV SUED Battery Testing GmbH, a dynamically growing joint venture with the renowned TUV SUED AG. Members of the Board of Directors are: Mr. Daniel Quinger (President of the Board), Mr. Tobias Mayer, Mr. Hany Magour, Dr. Isolde Semm and Mr. Martin Specht. The Management of LION Smart GmbH consists of Mr. Tobias Mayer and Mr. Walter Wimmer. The Managing Director of the TUV SUED Battery Testing GmbH is Mr. Christian Theeck. For more information please visit our homepage: www.lionemobility.com Disclaimer This presentation contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements that relate to, among other things, the Company's objectives, goals, strategies, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "likely", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "objective" and "continue" (or the negative thereof) and words and expressions of similar import. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions (including but not limited to currency rates and creditworthiness of customers); Company liquidity and capital resources, including the availability of additional capital resources to fund its activities; level of competition; changes in laws and regulations; legal and regulatory proceedings; the ability to adapt products and services to the changing market; the ability to attract and retain key executives; and the ability to execute strategic plans. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Relations Contact: Mr. Walter Wimmer Telefone: +49 (0)89 74567993 Email: ir@lionemobility.de http://www.lionemobility.de LION E-Mobility AG Poststrasse 6 6300 Zug Switzerland --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15.03.2016 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: LION E-Mobility AG Poststrae 6 6300 Zug Switzerland Phone: +49 (0)89 74567993 Fax: +41 (0)41 500 54 12 E-mail: info@lionemobility.de Internet: www.lionemobility.de ISIN: CH0132594711, CH0132594711 WKN: A1JG3H , A1JG3H Listed: Regulated Unofficial Market in Hamburg, Munich; Open Market in Frankfurt End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 444621 15.03.2016
DGAP-News: UNIWHEELS AG / Key word(s): Contract UNIWHEELS AG: UNIWHEELS brand ATS official and exclusive alloy wheels supplier to DTM as of 2017 (news with additional features) 15.03.2016 / 10:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNIWHEELS brand ATS official and exclusive alloy wheels supplier to DTM as of 2017 Bad Durkheim, 15th March 2016: As the opening race weekend of the DTM 2016 in Hockenheim (May 6 - 8) fast approaches, the preparations for next year are also taking place. The DTM umbrella organization ITR and ATS Leichtmetallrader GmbH have signed a contract for the production and supply of uniform wheels. From 2017, all DTM touring cars, regardless of brand will take the starting line with the new ATS forged wheel. ATS, a UNIWHEELS AG brand, will thus become an industry partner for the series, as well as the official and exclusive DTM wheels supplier. The contract will run for at least three years. The production of ATS motor sport and forged wheels at the facilities in Fugonheim is already running at full speed. In summer of this year, the first test rims will be presented to the Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz teams. These will be aluminum forged wheels measuring 12x18 for the front axle and 13x18 for the rear axle, completely identical for all DTM vehicles of all three manufacturers. The new aluminum forged wheels will be made of a high-strength special alloy. Having an aesthetically appealing design optimized by computer-aided simulations, these rims also meet extremely high requirements with regard to stability and rigidity. A range of quality tests in a highly complex production process ensures that all wheels are produced within a very tight weight tolerance close to the specified minimum weight to ensure a level playing field for all vehicles. Dr. Thomas Buchholz, Chairman of the Management Board of UNIWHEELS AG: "For many years now, our ATS brand has been represented as exclusive wheel manufacturer in Formula 3. By exclusively supplying the DTM, we are now a partner to the world's best touring car racing series too. We are very proud to also be the DTM exclusive supplier as of 2017. With our activities in motor racing, we can excellently demonstrate the technical expertise of ATS and the entire UNIWHEELS Group." Hans Werner Aufrecht, Chairman of the Management Board, is also delighted about the contract: "With ATS for the DTM, we have a partner with huge expertise and experience in its field, which is an important prerequisite for the quality of the rims." The future rim was developed by ATS exclusively for the DTM and will be produced only in Germany. This guarantees highest quality and fast response times. Picture: Design of the new DTM rim from ATS for the 2017 season About ATS: ATS is the premium brand of the UNIWHEELS group - for decades, one of the most well-known alloy wheel brands for cars and SUVs in Europe. ATS established itself as a racing team with its Formula 1 activities in the 70s and 80s, and continues to record numerous successes as a wheel manufacturer in Formula and touring car racing. With high-class design and a technical focus on optimizing performance, ATS has played an important role in the European accessories market for more than 40 years. Alongside a broad range of products for many economy applications, numerous forged and flow forming wheels complement the product portfolio. About UNIWHEELS: The UNIWHEELS Group is one of the leading manufacturers of aluminum wheels for cars in Europe and is one of the few technology leaders worldwide in the aluminum wheel industry. UNIWHEELS is the third largest European supplier of OEM wheels for the automotive industry as well as the market-leading manufacturer of alloy wheels for the accessories market (AM) in Europe. Well-known Group brands include ATS, RIAL, ALUTEC and ANZIO. The Group currently has three production plants, two of which are in Poland (Stalowa Wola) and one in Germany (Werdohl). In 2016, a fourth plant will go into operations in Stalowa Wola. UNIWHEELS sees itself as one of the leading partners of the automotive industry for the optimum reduction of CO2 emissions by reducing the weight of alloy wheels. As well as weight-optimized construction methods, the following procedures are primarily used: Flow Forming, Lightforming, undercutting and forging. Since 2015, UNIWHEELS AG is publicly listed on Main Market of Warsaw Stock Exchange. The UNIWHEELS stock is floated under security identification number A13STW, ISIN DE000A13STW4 and ticker symbol UNW. For more information please contact: Tobias Eisele Head of Group Marketing Tel.: +49 6322-6260 E-Mail: t.eisele@de.uniwheels.com UNIWHEELS AG Oliver Madsen Head of Investor Relations Tel.: +49 6322-6209 E-Mail: o.madsen@de.uniwheels.com UNIWHEELS AG +++++ Additional features: Document: http://n.eqs.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=AMVIQQVOAL Document title: UNIWHEELS ATS DTM Exclusive Supply --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15.03.2016 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 445125 15.03.2016
MINNEAPOLIS, March 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced today that Jack Link's, the No. 1 U.S. meat snack brand, is the newest member of the FLW partnership team. The partnership offers FLW and Jack Link's fans the exciting opportunity to bring together their passion for fishing and love of jerky.

"Every angler knows the key to staying fueled for long days on the water is with some protein-packed Jack Link's in the tackle box," said Kevin Papacek, director of marketing, Jack Link's. "We've been feeding the wild side of fishing enthusiasts for a long time, so we're excited to officially bring together our organizations to give our shared fans something to talk about."

Jack Link's will partner with FLW to feed the wild side of fishing enthusiasts across multiple events and platforms, including presence at FLW tournaments and expos, websites and on social media. Jack Link's will also be the presenting sponsor of the third Walmart FLW Tour event of 2016, taking place April 14-17 at Beaver Lake in Rogers, Arkansas.

"The partnership with FLW gives Jack Link's an exciting opportunity to reach new and existing fans within the FLW audience." said Jeff Kjome, director of shopper marketing, Jack Link's. "We love a good, friendly competition and we can't wait to help fuel angler's aiming to reel in the top prize!"

FLW and Jack Link's are also teaming up for the National Fishing and Boating Expos being held at Walmart stores around the country, June 3-5. FLW and its partners will present a two-hour expo at local Walmart stores that will be packed with games, giveaways and fishing tips from FLW anglers for local fisheries to help families make the most of their time on the water. A complete list of Walmart stores hosting National Fishing and Boating Week expos will be posted in May.

"Jack Link's is a protein snack brand that stands for quality, delicious products and fun," said Trish Blake, FLW president of marketing. "FLW could not be more proud to be associated with such a reputable company. We look forward to building upon Jack Link's relationship with FLW's fan base."

Jack Link's snacks are packed with protein, low in fat, calories and carbs and can be stored in the boat, tackle box, truck or office for easy on-the-go snacking. Jack Link's produces high-quality, great-tasting protein snacks made from lean cuts of beef, turkey, chicken and pork with flavors that range from savory to sweet to spicy and everything in between. Jack Link's has something sure to Feed Your Wild Side and is available just about anywhere.

For more information on Jack Link's, visit www.JackLinks.com. To learn more about FLW, visit www.FLWFishing.com.

About FLW

FLW is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.

About Jack Link's Protein Snacks  Feed Your Wild Side

Jack Link's is a global leader in snacks and the No. 1 meat snack manufacturer worldwide. Headquartered in Minong, Wis., Jack Link's is a family-owned company that represents a heritage of quality and consumer trust, with the mission to Feed Your Wild Side. Jack Link's offers more than 100 premium meat snacks in a variety of flavors, sizes and price points, appealing to nearly every consumer and occasion. Check out JackLinks.com for more information on the brand.
Congrats for admitI would choose certainly Kelley. I know both well. Over years Krannert program admits smaller and smaller classes. However, the employment report does not reflect good recruitment percentage for domestic students. Their employment report is always unclear. Maybe it is proved by number above mentioned by bb. The level of management electives are not compared to Kelley. Even the consulting club is not that powerful. Two year ago, I was in contact with the consulting club president who sent me presentation and resources for their club which was not attractive at all compared to other schools. To be fair, Krannert is still powerhouse for operation and supply chain.Kelley has the concept of consulting academy which will support your transition from consulting. It is powerful privilege to equip you with cases, guests, visits....etc. You can even be different. I was in contact with consulting academy co-director who mentions that Kelley has good access to second tier such Deloitte, Accenture, EY..etc but MBB does not recruit directly from school. However, some students can make their own way to MBB. Management track is packed with strong electives that provide you with knowledge. You can combine with certain electives from strategy, marketing and business analytic..etc to help you shape your experience. This clearly will help you for general management in case your first dream job does not come true.P.S.: both schools does not have strong name outside USA. Ironically, I know some people who consider Purdue University in France
bigbaus wrote:

I have been accepted to Said and Kenan Flagler. I have been accepted to other schools but I am not considering them.



Looking to transition to consulting or investment banking after the MBA. I am currently wondering which one is better for achieving my goals. Also wondering if I wait an extra year will I have a chance at better schools (Ross, Fuqua, Darden, INSEAD. I know I have no shot at the M7). I honestly don't care about location post-MBA as long as I can obtain a job in IB or consulting.



A little bit about myself:



Canadian

GMAT: 710 (Q49,V39)

GPA: 3.4 in Chemical Engineering at a Canadian University (not top tier like McGill, Queens etc.)

I will have 3 years of experience at a small Canadian oil and gas company (mainly technical engineering roles, currently in corporate planning. I have worked overseas too)

I have some extracurricular activities but nothing that will stand out.



Thoughts?

Congrats for admitDoes your nationality help you work in both countries smoothly? I think there are agreements between US and Canada & UK and Canada.
 I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me . Kwame Nkrumah Bilan Comme tous les ans African Argume...
Sean Bianca, aka, "GOP GIRL", is a lifelong Republican who after strongly supporting former President Donald Trump, voted for now President Joe Biden. Sean Bianca had never voted for a Democrat in her life, until... Trump. Sean Bianca at present is disenchanted with the GOP as it continues to defend and support Donald Trump. Follow Sean's political journey as she struggles with her political affiliation and shares her passion for politics and her country.
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The family of Danroy Henry, Jr., the Pace University student who was shot by a Westchester police officer in 2010, will receive a $6 million settlement from the officer and the Village of Pleasantville, if the settlement is approved by a judge. This comes nearly a year after U.S. attorney Preet Bharara announced that he would not prosecute Aaron Hess, the Pleasantville cop who killed Henry in 2010.

"The Henrys have been clear from the beginning that no monetary settlement could ever replace the deep loss of their beloved son D.J.," the family's lawyer, Michael Sussman, said in a statement yesterday. "While this aspect of their lawsuit has now been resolved, they will continue to deal with their deep loss by focusing on faith, family, and the important work of the DJ Henry Dream Fund, which has provided opportunities for thousands of young people and will continue to do so."

When Bharara decided not to prosecute Hess, he said that it was because there was insufficient consistent testimony to show that Hess was acting out of racial bias or willfully violating Henry's rights when he shot the then-20-year-old outside a bar.

The only agreed-upon facts about the events leading up to Henry's death are that on October 17th, 2010, a bar in a strip mall in Thornwood, NY kicked everyone out after a fight, and police from Pleasantville, the neighboring village, and Mount Pleasant, the greater township, responded. Hess shot Henry outside the bar.

Other than that, the details of the night are disputed. According to Sussman, Henry was driving away from the bar at about 7-8 miles per hour when Hess stepped in front of the car, and a federal investigation showed that Henry was braking when he inadvertently hit Hess. Lawyers for Hess have said that he was trying to get the car to stop, but witnesses who were in the car with Henry say that no one was clearly asking Henry to stop, and that Hess stepped into the road with his gun drawn, shooting when Henry hit him. Whatever the precise series of events, Henry died from gunshot wounds.

Hess, meanwhile, won his union's "Officer of the Year" award months after the shooting, and has since retired on disability pension.

In a statement, Mayor Peter M. Scherer of Pleasantville said that "we appreciate the efforts of everyone involved to bring closure to this tragic story," but that no further public comment on the case will be made at this time.

That's because this is far from the end of the legal action taken in the aftermath of Henry's death: his parents are still pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Town of Mount Pleasant and its police officers, and five of his friends, who were present during the shooting, have also filed federal suits, all of which are still pending.
Notorious NYC mass transit thief who has been, uh, appropriating subways and buses since 1981 is getting the Hollywood treatment with one of the biggest stars: Julia Roberts is reportedly interested in starring in a film about Darius McCollum.

According to Variety the film, called Train Man, will be about "the criminal (and Internet celebrity) known for impersonating public transit authorities in order to drive away subway trains and Greyhound buses. McCollum, who is diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, has been arrested more than 25 times for such crimes." His early heists (starting at age 15) will also be shown throughout the film via flashbacks.

Roberts will portray his most recent lawyer, and those who have read the script by Simon Stephenson (of the U.K. series Eleventh Hour) tell that Variety its a meaty role for Roberts, along the lines of her Oscar-winning portrait in 2000s 'Erin Brockovich.'"

McCollum was most recently arrested last November for stealing a Greyhound bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He was pulled over in Brooklyn, by police officers who heard the alert; McCollum apparently told the authorities, "Next time Im taking a plane."

His first brush with the law was when he commandeered an E train in 1981, taking it "from 34th Street to the World Trade Center without the conductor or passengers reporting anything amiss." McCollum's mother has said she's gone into debt, hiring lawyers for him repeatedly.

Mostly recently, his lawyer Sally Butler suggested that McCollum could help the authorities, since he obviously knows how to exploit weaknesses in the system, "He walked with them through the system, showing them where things were vulnerable. And obviously, he still knows them. If anyone can walk up in Port Authority and steal a bus, do you think we need some assistance?"

McCollum, now 50-years-old, faces charges including grand larceny, criminal impersonation of a public servant and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He is currently being held on $50,000 bail or $100,000 bond at Rikers. His next court date is March 21st.
Former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has largely stayed out of the spotlight since leaving office at the end of 2013. Not that he doesn't still crave it. On the stand in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Monday, prompted that he'd been in office a long time, the former state senator and the official face of Brooklyn for more than a decade said, "I wish I'd been there longer, but 35 years, yes."

The setting was a third day of hearings in the revived lawsuit seeking to rip out the two-way bike path along Prospect Park West.

[UPDATE] Judge Bert Bunyan ruled this afternoon that the lawsuit can proceed. Click here for the latest.

Controversy around the road's redesign flared up toward the end of Markowitz's tenure, and he embraced it with characteristic gusto. Discussing a heated winter 2010 City Council Transportation Committee hearing about bike lanes, lawyer for the city Karen Selvin asked Markowitz whether he had called the bike path along the edge of Prospect Park a "pilot" project during his testimony.

"No, if I remember correctly, I was singing from my Christmas card," Markowitz said.

Now, more than five years later, the zany figurehead has lost his bullhorn and is boosting the outer boroughs for NYC & Co. the city's marketing and tourism agency. The bike route facing 19 blocks of prime Park Slope real estate has likewise lost its ability to elicit protests, or pack the courtroom.

The lawsuit, brought by a group of well-to-do neighbors claiming the city acted arbitrarily and capriciously in installing the path after years of consulting the local community board, had lost its juice too, thrown out in 2011 by Judge Bert Bunyan, who said that the statute of limitations had run out before the activists filed.

Undeterred, the group calling itself Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety appealed. Represented pro bono by the white-shoe firm Gibson Dunn, the activists won, tossing the case back to Bunyan to hear evidence on whether the Department of Transportation portrayed the redesign as a trial project, which would push back the deadline for suing.

No evidence has come out showing that the agency did call it a pilot or trial, although Park Slope Councilman Brad Lander now acknowledges that his office misrepresented the lane as such for months before and after its summer 2010 construction. And then there's Markowitz, who says that former DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan expressly told him the lane was a trial in a meeting at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

"She said, 'Don't beat me over the head with this, don't go on the war path, don't make a big issue out of this," he recalled. "'The project is a pilot, and we're going to be monitoring its effect on traffic and safety, and if necessary, the department can change and modify its plans.'"



(Zoe Schlanger/Gothamist)

Sadik-Khan denies calling the project a pilot, and a follow-up memo from Markowitz's aide reflects only that she said the department would monitor traffic along the retooled thoroughfare, whereas a note from the same aide prepping Markowitz for the meeting says, "You should insist the lane be installed as a 'pilot' or 'trial' project." Markowitz explained from the stand that Sadik-Khan relayed the crucial information about the lane during a private moment after the meeting, thus no one else would have heard it.

As for his 2010 denouncement of the transportation boss as a "zealot" for ramping up bike-lane installation, he now thinks he "may have embellished" with the label, "but she's very strongly opinionated, and so am I."

"I opposed her as it relates to bike lanes," he explained. "I was opposed to her goal of creating New York City as a bike city, as opposed to a city that's fair and balanced between modes of transportation."

To be clear, Prospect Park West went from having three lanes of car traffic, two parking lanes, and two sidewalks, to having all of those things minus one lane of car traffic, plus a two-lane bike path.

"It was my job to do everything I could to stop that bicycle lane," Markowitz said.

Outside the courtroom, Markowitz told us that there's no inconsistency between the work his office does using bike infrastructure as a selling point for tourists and his opposition to an amenity his old neighborhood has largely embraced.

"I don't oppose all bike lanes, just this particular one," he explained, describing his position on the bike lanes on Kent Avenue and the West Side Highway: "Love love love it."

Still, he said, "New York City is not Amsterdam, it never will be Amsterdam, and that's all there is to it."

Also on hand to testify, and the only of the plaintiffs to appear in court so far, was Norman Steisel.

A neighbor of the bike path, Steisel recounted helping to mount a campaign against the lanes through a slew of meetings, flyers, and protests, and calls, emails, and letters to reporters and politicians. The tools were typical of neighborhood activism, but unlike the average activist, Steisel and his compatriots were used to being able to get veteran journalists and top government officials to pick up the phone. Steisel is now, of all things, a green-industry consultant, but he previously served as a budget, police, and fire administrator, and as sanitation commissioner and deputy mayor in mayoral administrations stretching from Lindsay to Dinkins.

Therefore it must have been frustrating indeed when, as he recounted, his former transportation adviser, Sadik-Khan, wouldn't return his calls.

Listing off problems that first piqued his interest when the lane went in, Steisel said the redesign "moved parked cars to basically in the middle of the road, narrowed the roadway, which had the potential to create traffic problems, and cause accidents," and that the orange cones that at first lined the project were "very unsightly," upsetting the "historic character" of what had traditionally been a "grand boulevard."

What followed in court was a by-now-familiar rehashing at what was said at community board meetings and in letters and emails, and how they led Steisel and company to believe that the bike lane was a trial. More interesting was when, after court adjourned for the day, I told Steisel I needed to take his photo even though he wasn't willing to pose.

"Then you'll suffer the consequences," he said.

When I retrieved my camera from the check room and caught up to Steisel out on the sidewalk, he first blocked my shot with his umbrella, then halfheartedly whacked at my camera with it, hitting my outstretched hand. When I objected to this, he said, "Sorry, I didn't see you there."



Good block! (Nathan Tempey/Gothamist)

A few more moments and I'd gotten what I needed, or something close.



Norman Steisel usually looks more composed, from my limited experience. (Nathan Tempey/Gothamist)

How to explain all this: the seniors rallying against measures that slow drivers; the $1,000/hour attorneys pitching in for free; the borough president and the coterie of longtime political heavyweights devoting years to advocacy against a strip of green paint and some pedestrian islands; the umbrella whack. Park Slope resident and road-safety advocate Eric McClure, who has dutifully attended and live-tweeted all the latest court dates, said that the divide was partially generational, given that the bike lane opponents at their most numerous were largely elderly, and had in many instances been in the neighborhood longer than age-diverse supporters. The continuing battle is also a sign of a political class that has lost its clout, he said.

"The whole fight was indicative of a power shift in New York City politics and society, for lack of a better phrase," he said. "This was kind of the old guard, 'We do our deals behind closed doors,' the old machine politics confronting the Bloomberg, MBA-run City Hall, and their data driven projects."

As for the bike path, it has succeeded by most available measures. McClure again:

The street is much calmer for traffic. The bike lane carries thousands of people every week, and they arent riding on the sidewalk, so pedestrians dont have to contend with them. The project clearly has delivered on its promises, and its made Prospect Park West a better place to walk and ride and drive. I'm once again hoping that the plaintiffs will come to their senses and withdraw the lawsuit, but that doesnt seem to be in the cards.

Update 3:50 p.m.:

Norman Steisel gave us a ring this afternoon after concluding his testimony. He said a mouthful.

On his attempt to dispatch this lone paparazzo:

I just thought [taking photos] was frankly not appropriate to the moment, but thats okay, thats your judgement...I didnt want my picture taken, theres no question about it. You were busting my chops and I was busting yours, that was what was going on from my perspective. But is that really news?

On court today:

[Former DOT policy director] Jon Orcutt was called to testify, and he essentially testified that in fact, even though they knew throughout, theyd decided internally it wasnt a pilot, they didnt feel they should really be correcting anybody. Which contributed of course to, as weve said, this ambiguity, which kind of led to this cat-and-mouse game, as opposed to them just saying it definitively so that everybody would have known what their options were, legally or politically. I think they just wanted to control the situation, so they intentionally misled people, unfortunately.

On the DOT's alleged trickery with the pilot label:

Theyre not the holy little innocents. They want you to believe theyre these visionaries, theyre trying to change the worldthey play pretty hardball tactics. All those people [who testified], with the exception of Marty, were pretty ardent supporters of the lane. If you were an ardent supporter, why would you contribute to the notion that it was a pilot program?

On the media's depiction of his cause:

This at the time got characterized as a pro-bike versus an anti-bike struggle, and thats just not true. Our whole take was, we thought there were at least two other alternatives that had actually been in the citys plan from 1979 that made more sense [adding bike entrances to the park, or running a southbound bike lane along Prospect Park West and a parallel lane the other direction along Eighth Avenue] and that would have achieved the same objectives that they wanted without some of the problems weve had, which have been the congestion [this seems not to have happened], crashes.

As with lots of things in life, especially in a big, complicated city like New York, it was a little more involved, the way the thing played out. Of course you had two groups who were in opposition, who had very strong advocacy positions, who were trying to influence both public decision-makers in office as well as people in the media and the public at large, and thats why it ultimately got characterized as this big war.

On the safety of Prospect Park West:

We submitted a lot of material and looked over, and continue to look at it over a long haul, and for quite a while, crashes actually increased. It was by modest amounts, 5, 10 percent, ultimately, and it was only really until [current DOT Commissioner] Polly Trottenberg came along and decided to drop the speed limit, which later got incorporated into the citys larger Vision Zero initiative to lower the default speed limit, that accidents started coming down.

Note on this: Crashes did go up slightly in the two years following the path's installation, by 9 crashes, or 7.9 percent, compared to the two years prior. Sidewalk cycling and speeding were also drastically reduced, and the predicted increase in cyclist crashes did not materialize though the number of cyclists using the route multiplied. Steisel questions how that data was collected. As for

On what's at stake:

The city had an obligation to tell us, what was the deadline, was it permanent or wasnt it. These laws have been designed to protect the public interest from the city making arbitrary decisions, and they chose to play this bait-and-switch game so they could do whatever they wanted. And thats kind of underlying it, stuff that inside-baseball policy wonks think about, but its really important that these processes be respected.

Steisel notes that he oversaw Janette Sadik-Khan's preparation of a city bike lane plan in the early '90s to get the city qualified for federal transportation funds under Bill Clinton, and that he wrote an op-ed for the Daily News calling for a more complete bike network before the rollout of Citi Bike. He also claimed that his group continues to number in the "hundreds," "many of the members" being "young people who bike who had doubts" about the lane. He said that lane opponents stopped showing up to court "to avoid the spectacle."

Asked if he could put me in touch with some of these skeptical young cyclists, Steisel said he'd look into it, "but I dont think thats going to happen."
A 55-year-old woman was killed this morning by a sanitation truck driver who struck her while she was in the crosswalk.

Police said that at about 6 a.m. this morning, the woman was walking in the crosswalk at First Avenue and 92nd Street while the walk sign was on, and was hit by the truck, which was driven by an adult male making a left turn from 92nd onto First Avenue. She remained conscious and alert, though she was complaining of leg and wrist pain and had a deep cut on her forehead.

The woman was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where, just 20 minutes later, she was pronounced dead. Police said it wasn't immediately clear how that happened, as she seemed responsive at the scene, but that it may have been internal bleeding or the result of her head wound.

Police said that the driver remained at the scene, and that he has not been arrested or charged with anything yet. Under the city's Right of Way law, cops can charge drivers who kill or injure pedestrians. But even if this driver were charged, that's not a guarantee that he'd be prosecuted: in a similar case in 2014, in which an 86-year-old man was killed by a truck while walking in the crosswalk, the Manhattan DA dropped a Right of Way charge against the driver, whose attorney successfully argued that the driver couldn't see the victim.

Richie Gomez, a doorman at the Courtyard Marriott on 92nd and First, told the Post that the intersection is dangerous, and he's seen motorists strike a biker and a pedestrian there in the past, though neither of those incidents were fatal.

"You have to watch how you cross the street there," he said. "Once that light changes green they take off like its a race...The cars around that corner, they come flying."

According to the NYPD, the driver works for City Waste Services, one of the hundreds of private waste removal companies licensed to do trash pickup in New York. When reached by phone today, a representative at City Waste's Queens office said that "we have nothing to do with that...it's a traffic accident."

The victim has not yet been identified, pending the notification of her family.
Honest reviews of Hawaii restaurants and travel experiences from the Santos family in Honolulu, Hawaii. Please join to follow this blog and leave comments about the places you read about. Click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of each page to continue your adventure. This blog is for fun only. I am not a food critic. Just call them like I eat them. Enjoy! Email:greateatshawaii@gmail.com Instagram @greateatshawaii
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Shooting for Double XL was a liberating experience for Huma

Though Huma has mentioned multiple times, in jest, that this was the best prep she ever had to do for a role since she got to eat everything she wante...
" " Dr. John Elliott of Sydney, Australia, holds the hand of his wife, Anjelika, as he attempts to rise from his hotel room bed in Zurich, 26 hours before he ended his life through physician-assisted suicide, in 2007. Fairfax Media/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

In 2014, Brittany Maynard was a vibrant 29-year-old trying to start a family with her new husband when debilitating pain began gripping her head like a vise. The diagnosis: brain cancer. Despite two surgeries to stop the tumor's growth, it roared back more aggressively than ever, and she was soon given a mere six months to live. Faced with a treatment plan of full-brain radiation, which wouldn't cure her yet would burn her scalp, and possibly developing morphine-resistant pain, personality changes and cognitive losses, she opted for medically assisted suicide.

To achieve the death she wanted, Maynard had to relocate from California to Oregon, one of the few states that allows medically assisted suicide. During her final weeks of life, Maynard created a six-minute video about dying with dignity that ignited passions in the U.S. She died as she wished, after taking a lethal dose of sedatives and respiratory system depressants provided by her physician, on Nov. 1, 2014. Less than a year later, thanks to her video and activism, her home state of California passed aid-in-dying legislation. In addition, death-with-dignity legislation was rapidly introduced in half of the states [source: The Brittany Maynard Fund].

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Medically assisted suicide generally means a physician prescribes lethal medication to a patient, who ingests the medicine herself. Euthanasia, in contrast, typically refers to a physician administering the lethal medication to the patient.

The notion of medically assisted death is hardly a new one. It's been around since ancient times, and goes by various names  medically assisted suicide, physician-assisted dying and euthanasia, although as just noted, the latter is not an accurate term.

Yet despite its longevity, it's been largely spurned around the globe in the modern era. It wasn't until 1940 that Switzerland approved the practice, and nothing much happened after that for decades. More recently, the practice got some traction when Colombia approved physician-assisted death in 1997, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium in 2002, Luxembourg in 2009, England and Wales in 2010 (via a prosecution policy statement) and Canada in 2016 [sources: Assisted Suicide, BBC].

Thanks partly to Maynard, a 2015 Gallup poll showed 68 percent of Americans support the practice, a 10 percent increase from the prior year [source: Dugan]. Yet there's always a bit of unease around legalization  the percentage of Americans who support actual legalization dips to about 50  as some fear the practice could be abused [source: Quill and Greenlaw].

Let's look at what, exactly, is involved in physician-assisted death.
In any issue related to Armenia-Russia relations, the situation of Armenian government representatives is quite unfavorable.

They just dont know how to explain, let alone justify, this or that because they cannot have any impact at all on decisions taken since everything has been left to the discretion of the Kremlin.

This reality takes on even more tragi-comic manifestations in the context of the price of Russian gas supplied to Armenia.

Prior to the March 10 meetings of the presidents of Armenia and Russia at the Kremlin, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan announced that the Sargsyan-Putin discussions would also focus on maintain the current gas rate. Russian natural gas is delivered to Armenia at US$165 per 1,000 cubic meters. Following from the logic of Kocharyans statement, if the sides didnt come to some agreement, the current rate (in place until April of this year) could also increase to the former rate of $189.

On the same day, March 10, the Armenian government adopted a decision maintain the current rate until the first quarter of 2017. This was ratified by an agreement struck with the Russians. Thus, it became apparent that the Russians were in no mood to decrease gas rates to Armenia despite the drop in international prices.

Yesterday, newly appointed Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Levon Yolyan surprised everyone when he announced that negotiations are currently underway with Russia to drop the price of Russian natural gas even more. Such an announcement creates confusion in the minds of many.

If the government has already adopted a decision to maintain the current rate, then what negotiations is Yolyan referring to?

Furthermore, if there was a possibility to lower the price, why was the government in such a rush to maintain the current price for the next year?

On the other hand, it appears that the foreign ministry (Kocharyan) has no idea as to where these negotiations are headed or what their aim is. In this context, however, there is nothing to be surprised about.

For example, the same deputy minister Kocharyan denied that a debate of experts had taken place in Tbilisi regarding a settlement of the Karabakh issue. Not only had James Warlick, the United States Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, announced that he would be attending the discussion, but Armenian experts confirmed that they had participated at the event.

The fact that a statement on the possibility of decreasing the gas rate was made after the Sargsyan-Putin meeting leads us to assume that the new negotiations started based on the results of that meeting. However, in that case, the silence of the parties involved is more than strange. Neither before or after the meeting did Yerevan or Moscow even hint that the gas rate was a topic of discussion, or that they had reached some understanding to continue the negotiations.

The reason for these contradictions, especially ongoing uncertainties regarding the results of the talks between the two presidents, is one and the same  the unpredictability of the Russians.

In Yerevan, no one is in a rush to make any specific announcement because they are not sure if the Russians might pull out of any agreements along the way. Then too, of course its an embarrassment to confess that, despite the drastic drop in energy prices, they cannot obtain any concessions from their strategic partner Russia and that the gas flowing to consumers in Armenia is basically pegged at the same rate it flows to European countries.

But its just not the Russians who are to blame for the fact that the negotiations havent given any substantial results and that Moscow is taking a whimsical approach to it all.

Yerevan is responsible for doing next to nothing at all to bolster its position prior to the negotiations and, when necessary, to not providing the Russians with any options.

One week ago, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan announced that he had made a proposal to the Russians to drop the gas price. Later, perhaps understanding that GazProm simply ridiculed that proposal, Abrahamyan decided to raise the issue again at a cabinet session. However, not being able or daring enough to direct his message to the actual players  the Russian government and GazProm  he directed his words to GazProm Armenia, a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant. And all he did was advise the subsidiary as to who it could raise profits if they dropped the price; as if the company didnt know this already.

A person carrying out negotiations on such a level is not only incapable of achieving any results, any also cannot expect others to respect him. One must demand the respect of others. One can see how its done by looking at the example of Georgia.

GazProm presented an ultimatum to Georgia, stipulating that for the gas supplied to Armenia, Georgia would have to pay to pay in cash for transit fees. Otherwise, Russia threatened that it would ensure gas supplies to Armenia via Iran.

To extricate itself from the situation, the Georgian government, in addition to negotiations with GazProm, also started intensive negotiations with Azerbaijan and with Iran in a search for alternate gas importation routes. The negotiations conducted by Georgian Vice Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze lead to preliminary agreements with Iran, according to which Georgia would purchase 250 million cubic meters of gas yearly via Armenia. In order that Armenias economic blockade not be broken, Azerbaijan agreed, after three months of stubbornly refusing to do so, to supply 500 million cubic meters of gas to Georgia at a convenient price. Afterwards, GazProm was left with no other option but to agree to maintain the agreement with Georgia to pay, I gas, for the transit of gas to Armenian. In other words, utilizing the contradictions among countries in the region, Georgia achieved the best result for itself.

Armenia isnt using any such leverage in its negotiations with Russia. In fact, Armenia has voluntarily refused to utilize the possibilities afforded by the lifting of sanctions on Iran and, in particular, its geographic and potential political advantages of importing gas from Iran and becoming a transit conduit for Iranian gas to foreign markets.

In 2013, when Armenian-Russian gas deals were being signed, giving GazProm a monopoly status in Armenia, the government tried to convince us that this fact would not restrict the importation of gas from Iran if and when needed.

Now, at issue isnt the importation of gas from Iran, but merely using such a possibility as a card in negotiations with the Russians. But no one remembers this.

The question thus arises as to why.

If, in reality, if such deals didnt restrict the sovereign rights of Armenia to import gas from other countries and sources, then why are the authorities in Armenia refusing to consider the issue even on a theoretical level? Why are they so irritated whenever such questions are raised?

Perhaps, the time has actually come to confess that the public in Armenia was duped and that, in reality, Armenia has placed itself in the Russian gas chamber.

Perhaps, the time has come to confess that its only due to the goodwill of Putin that this gas chamber hasnt yet been turned on.
There are mounting environmental challenges facing Armenia that affect the welfare of entire communities, and infringe on a students right to attain the highest standard of health. Therefore, environmental education is a pathway to future social and economic stability, explains ATP Country Director LucinehKassarjian.

Moving beyond tree planting alone, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has made environmental education one of its core programs since 2005. The idea has been put into practice through active collaboration with NGOs, government ministries and international organizations to develop new education approaches to accommodate the needs of schoolchildren.

Last month, ATP organized and participated in three public events geared toward environmental education and the potential for its expansion in schools at the national level.

Many organizations are operating in this field, but there was a lack of cooperation, notes Environmental Education Program Manager AllaSahakyan. It was this realization that led to the strengthening of the Environmental Education Network (EEN) in 2014.ATP has led this two-year project aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to implement environmental education programs.

The Empowering Environmental Education Network for Strengthening Environmental Governance in Armenia project was funded by the EUs Strengthening Environmental Governance by Building the Capacity of NGOs Project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and delivered by the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP). EEN now involves more than 30 civil society, education and international organizations operating in Armenia.

The conference held on February 17as part of the abovementioned project was focused on making recommendations for improved environmental education policies and cooperation between stakeholders. The presentations and discussion were intended promote participatory decision-making and to inform the government on ways to incorporate environmental issues into policies and strategies such as the State Program of Education Development for 2016-2025.

We strongly believe in the power of environmental education. It brings together concerned adults and the young generation, noted UNICEFs Armenia Representative Tanya Radocaj at the event. It brings the energy of young people, of children, upfront.

This energy has been the driving force for ATPs education programs, beginning with the publication of the Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree teachers manual and the opening of two education centers sponsored by Michael and Virginia Ohanian of Boston. In 2015, for example, more than 3,500 students visited the Ohanian education centers in Karin and Margahovitvillages.

As a follow up to the global climate change negotiations that took place in Paris in December, ATP and its partners organized a round-table discussion on February 4 that focused on the role of education and raising awareness around climate change in Armenia. The Paris talks broke new ground when 195 nations reached an agreement on the need to address climate change and its impact. Several experts were on hand to discuss the negotiations and its relevance to Armenia as a developing country that is also feeling some of the effects of a changing climate, including long, dry summers and extreme weather events that can wreak havoc on roads, topsoil and crops.

Another participant in the discussion, Anahit Gasparyan, the senior specialist of the National Institute of Education,noted that when teachers have a low level of familiarity with an issue such as climate change, they are unable to pass it on in an effective way, so improved environmental training practicesare useful in bridging the gap of scalability.Diana Haroutyunyan, the UNDP Climate Change Program Coordinator, expressed confidence that in the global context, it is important to find out how people learn so as to adapt methodologies accordingly.

Were inspired by the level of interest and activity in the field of environmental education in Armenia. When we started in 2005 there were very few working in this area, and now through EEN we have developed working relationships with NGOs and government who are committed to improving the quality and impact of this important field, concludes Kassarjian.

Photo: A workshop organized with partners in the Environmental Education Network developed the Networks future strategy: An environmentally conscious generation for a green and sustainable planet
Tributes to Ben Bagdikian came flooding in following the death of the renowned reporter and media critic, who was a passionate voice for journalistic integrity. "Ben was a major figure in 20th century U.S. journalism and journalism education, and we're all his beneficiaries," wrote Dean Edward Wasserman of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. Bagdikian, who helped publish the Pentagon Papers and wrote the groundbreaking book "The Media Monopoly," died March 11 at his home in Berkeley, California, said his wife, Marlene Griffith Bagdikian. PHOTO BY ARLEEN NG/OAKLAND TRIBUNE VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump describes how he was ready to punch a person who rushed the stage during an election rally earlier in the day, as he speaks to a crowd in Kansas City, Mo., March 12.
As in most fatal shootings, families are first slammed by the news, only to be picked up by the emotional train of mourning and funeral planning.

On Monday, relatives of Jose L. Garcia Jr., 26, an ex-convict slain last week, were either already here or en route from as far away as Mexico.

An aunt showed up from Chicago with a 1999 framed picture taken during a time of promise for St. Louis and the Garcias.

The parents and their three children, including Jose, who was 9 then, had won a raffle to be gift bearers for the largest Catholic Mass celebrated in St. Louis.

Some 110,000 people showed up inside and near the Trans World Dome to worship with John Paul II, the first pope to ever visit the city.

As the new millennium approaches, the pope said in his homily, there remains another great challenge facing this community of St. Louis, east and west of the Mississippi  to put an end to every form of racism.

Jose, a former altar boy, sometimes struggled to keep a straight face at ceremonial events, his family, gathered at a home in Overland, said Monday.

But his mother, Patricia, gave him strict orders for the historic Mass.

When we are with the pope, please, please, behave, she said she had told him. He was quiet. He did great.

He wasnt just representing the family and St. Louis. Each of them donned traditional Mexican clothing for the Mass. The pope complimented them on their roots and gave them each a rosary.

Dressed in black Monday, Patricia cried hard between stories about her son, who  like the family  has struggled since the pontiffs visit with divorce, financial challenges and prison time.

When you have a blessing from God, they always try to destroy you, she said.

The family moved to the St. Louis area from Chicago in the 1990s for better jobs and life away from gangs. The family had a restaurant on Cherokee Street, Taqueria Azteca, and later landscaping and janitorial firms.

We came here to have a better life for the kids, Patricia said. If I would have known this would have happened, I would have stayed in Chicago.

Fatal shooting

Garcia was slain Thursday at an apartment complex in the 7000 block of Nottingham Avenue. He had lived in various places, including the 10500 block of Cinnamon Drive in unincorporated St. Louis County, since getting out of prison last spring, family said.

Adnan Husidic, of the 7200 block of Gravois Avenue, has been charged with first-degree murder in the case. According to police records, Garcia was at the home of Ashley Triplett, who had dated Husidic a long time. They had recently broken up, and Garcia was her new boyfriend.

Police said Husidic came to her apartment to return her laundry. When she opened the door, Husidic pushed her aside, Triplett told police. After a brief struggle with Garcia, Husidic allegedly shot Garcia in the head.

Husidic didnt have a previous criminal record, according to public records.

Garcias criminal history goes back to at least 2007 in St. Louis and St. Louis County. He was 17 when he and two others drove around neighborhoods in St. Louis shooting BBs at the windows of more than two dozen parked cars. He pleaded guilty to property damage and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Court records say Garcia committed numerous thefts over a one-week stretch in June 2012: He stole an autographed baseball and card, jewelry, a camera, an Apple iPod, a BlackBerry cellphone and other items from his sisters Overland home.

That same week, he swiped a $1,000 laptop computer from his mothers apartment and pawned it, and snatched a compressor and drill bit set from another home in Overland.

The following spring, Garcia was charged with heroin possession, as well as burglary and stealing, for the theft of a 50-inch television, two digital cameras, a PlayStation 3 and multiple video games from a home in the St. Louis' Princeton Heights neighborhood.

For those crimes, Garcia was sentenced to probation and given 120 days of shock time in prison as part of a drug treatment program.

And just last month, Garcia was charged with forging three checks and cashing them at a market near Overland. Police said Garcia took the checks during a house party last summer.

In custody for alleged probation violations, Garcia hired attorney Richard Lozano, who now thinks he may have done too good of a job.

Ironically, I fought pretty hard to get him out of jail, and he wound up getting murdered, he said. Had he been in jail, hed be alive. Thats the shame of it.

As relatives gathered Monday, they prepared for a funeral this week.

Patricia and Jose Garcia Sr. filed for divorce several years after the popes visit. Patricia isnt a practicing Catholic anymore. She attends a small, Protestant church that meets in a Ferguson basement.

Jose Garcia Sr. didnt want to comment. Friends and relatives were expected at his home on Iowa Avenue to pray the rosary.

Candles were lit, near a photo of his adult son and a couple of vases of white roses.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The headline on this story has been corrected to say the shooting happened in St. Louis.
Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Urban affairs, investigations, consumer help ("SOS") Follow Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal 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

The Madison School District has seen the enemy and its, well, a former second-grade teacher from an ethnically diverse school district whos worked for both a Republican and a Democratic lawmaker.

I guess when you risk losing your monopoly over publicly funded education, youre not likely to roll out the welcome mat for anyone chosen to oversee the creation of non-district-controlled charter schools  no matter what his credentials.

As the man who will establish and lead the new Office of Educational Opportunity for the University of Wisconsin System, Gary Bennett will have a lot of influence over what kinds of independent charter schools Madison and Milwaukee students and their familieswill be able to choose from in the future.

Bennett comes recommended by Sen. Alberta Darling, who along with her Republican colleagues have raised the ire of public school monopolists and their Democratic allies by expanding vouchers and charter school opportunities. In liberal Madison, Darlings support is more like a scarlet letter.

But he also once served on the staff of state Sen. Lena Taylor, a Democrat, and despite being given multiple opportunities, her office had no ill to speak of him on Monday.

Madison already has three charter schools, but all of them are so-called instrumentality charters, meaning theyre ultimately controlled by the School Board and must abide by the districts collective bargaining agreement with teachers. Their freedom to innovate is only so free, in other words.

Moreover, theres research showing that competition from charter schools helps improve  or at least does not harm  academic performance in traditional public schools.

John Witte, a UW-Madison professor emeritus who was the principal researcher on a long-term study of Milwaukees voucher school program, said studies in Milwaukee found that competition from charter, magnet and voucher schools has had beneficial effects on the public schools.

The effects are not large, but they are statistically significant and there are no reports of negative effects, he said. In my view as a 40-year resident of Madison and a parent who sent his children to Madison public schools, introducing some choice into Madison schools is long overdue.

Everyone already knows that Madison, like a lot of districts, has long failed to boost the academic achievement of poor students and students of color. For them, theres little to lose in taking a chance on independent charter schools authorized by one of the best public university systems in the country.

Bennetts hire elicited some of the usual whining from the left about how hard life has been for school districts under a Republican-led Legislature. (As if public schools were knocking it out of the park under Democratic control.)

But Madison superintendent Jennifer Cheatham also sounded like she was up to the challenge, saying she wants to make Madisons public schools so good that there isnt a need for Bennetts office. School Board member Ed Hughes resignedly expressed interest in working with the office.

Its not exactly a welcome mat, but in Madison, its a start.
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-15 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Greek gov't calls refugees to ignore idle information [02] Greeks arrested for following refugees into FYROM were released on Tuesday [03] Greek ministers' meetings with institutions resume on Tuesday [04] PM Tsipras meets Armenian President Sargsyan [05] EU Commissioner Avramopoulos to visit Idomeni on Tuesday [01] Greek gov't calls refugees to ignore idle information The meeting of the Refugees Crisis Management Mechanism chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was concluded late at night on Monday, in the light of the tragic event at the northern borders of Greece. In the meeting the Prime Minister was informed about the situation and was discussed the programming of the next moves. On this occasion the Greek government called the refugees and migrants to confide the Greek State and let to be transferred to the hospitality spots. It also called the refugees to understand that the situation at Idomeni is in an impasse and refrain from believing messages of impostors that could put their life in danger. The Management Mechanism's spokesman Yorgos Kyritsis also called the volunteers organizations and those who are solidary to this cause to cooperate with the Greek Authorities to the scope of a credible and correct information of the refugees. Referring to the circulation of a pamphlet, calling the refugees to defy the closing of the borders and cross them towards the countries of Central Europe, Kyritsis stated that there is evidence of "an organized movement, very dangerous that put in danger human lives that were urged to cross torrents and rivers". "Everything they say are lies", added Kyritsis. [02] Greeks arrested for following refugees into FYROM were released on Tuesday The Greek photoreporters and NGO organizations members arrested on Monday for following the refugees and migrants that crossed illegally the borders with FYROM were released early in the morning on Tuesday. The twelve Greeks were arrested from the authorities of Skopje while they followed the refugees at the time they crossed the bordeline and held in prison at Gevgeli. [03] Greek ministers' meetings with institutions resume on Tuesday The Greek ministers' meetings with the representatives of the institutions will start on Monday, at 10.00 and will be completed at 18.00. According to sources, the agenda of the meetings is as follows: - energy issues, at 10.00 - combatting corruption, at 12.00 - public property development fund, at 14.00 - bad loans, at 18.00 [04] PM Tsipras meets Armenian President Sargsyan Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday meets with the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, at Maximos Mansion. Extended talks between the two delegations will take place before the signing of bilateral agreements and declarations. Welcoming the Armenian President, Tsipras underlined the enduring close relations between the two peoples as both of them have faced similar challenges in the past. Sargsyan underlined that the aim is to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and expressed confidence that the government of Tsipras will find ways to solve the financial and refugee problem. [05] EU Commissioner Avramopoulos to visit Idomeni on Tuesday European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, accompanied by European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas, will visit Idomeni on Tuesday. Avramopoulos will visit the refugee camps and have contacts with the regional authorities in order to be briefed on the prevailing conditions. Main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis is also expected to visit Idomeni later in the day. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-15 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Tsipras, Sargsyan express support to ceasefire in Syria [02] ND leader: Condition at Idomeni a slap on civilised Europe's face [03] Greek merchant shipping fleet up to 4,092 vessels, Committee says [01] Tsipras, Sargsyan express support to ceasefire in Syria Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday in their joint statements expressed their full support to the recent ceasefire in Syria. As Tsipras said, they stressed the need for effectively combating terrorism and the necessary conditions for reconciliation in the country. He noted that the end of the war in Syria and the restoration of normalcy are the main factors for stopping the unprecedented refugee flows from Syria to Europe. Tsipras spoke of the huge effort of the government and the Greek people to receive the thousands of refugees and was briefed on the relevant efforts made by Armenia. Both of them agreed that the refugee crisis does not concern specific countries, but the entire international community, "hence coherent policies are required in solidarity climate for addressing this crisis," Tsipras underlined. Bilateral agreements were signed before the statements. [02] ND leader: Condition at Idomeni a slap on civilised Europe's face The condition in Idomeni is a slap on civilised Europe's face, stated main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis who visited on Tuesday the refugees camp in Idomeni and made a plea to government, even at the ultimate hour, to draft an organised evacuation plan for the refugees because, as he said, a time health bomb can be created due to the adverse weather conditions. Mitsotakis was briefed by the UNCHR and the Medicines Sans Frontieres representatives, the police and the medical staff on the conditions and after the end of his visit stated:"The conditions here are unhuman (...) The government must face this huge humanitarian crisis and unfortunately the government and the state are absent". [03] Greek merchant shipping fleet up to 4,092 vessels, Committee says Greek-interest merchant shipping fleet totaled 4,092 vessels in February 23, 2016, up 35 vessels compared with the same period last year, the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee said in a report. The London-based Committee said that the data included 347 vessels currently ordered in international shipyards. The Committee said, however, that vessels under the Greek flag fell by 30 to 809 vessels in the same period. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-15 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Situation at Idomeni 'tragic and unacceptable,' EU Migration Commissioner says after visit [02] Labour minister, institutions to discuss pension reforms on Wednesday [03] Refugee boy in Piraeus port confirmed to have hepatitis A [01] Situation at Idomeni 'tragic and unacceptable,' EU Migration Commissioner says after visit The situation at the refugee camp in Idomeni was "tragic and unacceptable," European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said after a visit to the makeshift camp near Greece's border on Tuesday, accompanied by Greece's Alternate Minister for Migration Policy Yiannis Mouzalas. Avramopoulos also urged European Union member-states to honour the decisions they made jointly so that the process of relocating refugees could finally begin. "We are talking about the capacity to relocate 6,000 people weekly and it must be made clear that a refugee that has a right to asylum is one thing, but an irregular migrant is another and they must know that they will be returned to their country of origin," the Commissioner said. At the same time, he stressed that the unacceptable conditions at Idomeni must not be allowed to continue: "This is where the values and principles of the civilised world are daily put to the test and what we saw people enduring under tragic conditions must stop right away. Unfortunately, they are being ruthlessly exploited by trafficking rings that misinform them," Avramopoulos said. Europe's stance toward refugees was one of respect and dignity but the conditions at Idomeni did not reflect this, he added. He appealed to all EU countries to open their doors and uphold their decisions to share the burden, pointing out that closed borders and fences were "alien" to European principles, politics and philosophy. He also expressed Europe's support for Greece, which was coming under disproportionate pressure from the refugee crisis. Mouzalas, on his part, said that great efforts were being made to complete new reception facilities and provide new places, as well as to make refugees understand that the borders will not open. "These people must be persuaded to leave. We cannot use riot police to drive them away but we must prepare ourselves slowly, I would say within the next 20 days, for this camp to be a very small place," he said. It was necessary to isolate those spreading rumours that the borders will open and provoking refugees to "irresponsible and illegal actions such as that yesterday," the minister added. He was referring to an attempt by a few dozen refugees to illegally cross over the border into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which ended in at least three fatalities on Monday. [02] Labour minister, institutions to discuss pension reforms on Wednesday Labour and Social Insurance Minister George Katrougalos is to have another meeting with representatives of the creditor institutions - the European Commission, European Central Bank, European Stability Mechanism and International Monetary Fund - on Wednesday at 19:30 to continue negotiations on the first review of Greece's programme. After his previous meeting with the institutions, Katrougalos said that the talks will continue on issues relating to the architecture of pension reform, such as replacement rates and the national pension. A round of meetings between Greek ministers and the institutions was held on Tuesday, with the last scheduled to be held at 18:00 to discuss the issue of bad loans. Earlier, sources said that the talks were on energy issues, corruption and other aspects of the Greek programme. [03] Refugee boy in Piraeus port confirmed to have hepatitis A An eight-year-old refugee boy at the Piraeus port passenger terminal has been confirmed to have hepatitis A and was admitted to Agia Sophia children's hospital in central Athens, authorities reported on Tuesday. Doctors are also monitoring the boy's family and proceeded to carry out vaccinations. The head of the Piraeus Medical Association Nikos Malesiotis told the ANA-MPA that the specific case was manageable and that one other child has come down with chicken pox. This was the second case of hepatitis A diagnosed among refugees arriving in the country. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
IBM Research-Africa and the Next Einstein Forum have partnered on a new Visiting Scientist Program , where five of the 15 newly named NEF Fellows will have the opportunity to visit and lecture at one of IBMs 12 global research labs.



The visiting scientists  full-time scientists at prestigious institutions and universities across the world  will spend a week at the IBM Research lab where they can directly engaging with our scientists who work in their related field of study, said Solomon Assefa, the director of IBM Research-Africas lab in South Africa, at the NEFs 2016 Global Gathering in Senegal.



During their fellowship, each will have the opportunity to lecture to the IBM scientific community, collaborate and network with IBMers, work with local lab directors, and explore the potential for future collaboration between their institutions and IBM Research.

The NEF is an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and seeks to mobilize the brightest minds in Africa to address the continents most pressing issues, with an emphasis on the STEM disciplines and the social sciences. The foundation showcases the brilliant contributions of Africas young scientific community through its Fellows, all of whom are under the age of 42. The Fellows hail from across the continent, and are making enormous impacts in diverse fields at world-leading institutions, including Harvard University, Max Planck Institute, University of Cape Town, and IBM Research  Africa.

IBM Research-Africa's Kommy Weldemariam

named a Next Einstein Forum Fellow

The Forum tells their stories, highlighting the innovation and scientific advancement theyve made across the continent, while also working to build an African scientific identity. IBMs Kommy Weldemariam was recognized as a Fellow in 2015 for his work creating cognitive systems for education and healthcare in Kenya, and across the continent.

What we are doing here is trying to reverse the classic technology transfer where Africa inherits innovation from the West, Kommy told Forbes , last year.

In addition to bringing together Africas top scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, civil representatives, and entrepreneurs, the NEF also hosts the online NEF Platform. It serves as a hub for information on science and innovation policy in Africa, and facilitates information sharing among scientific leaders and young innovators about the transformative potential of science. The Foundation is working to change the narrative of science on the African continent from a landscape fraught with challenges to one loaded with potential.

Each NEF Fellowship is for a period of two years. The Fellows will have the opportunity to submit an application to IBMs Visiting Scientist Program in the first six months of the Fellowship  the first of whom will begin the program this September.

The Next Einstein Forum's latest Fellows class.

Labels: Africa, education, South Africa
CHICAGO - Last Friday's Chicago protest, and Donald Trump's reaction to it, has been dominating the media cycle. Trump critics argue he's said some pretty harsh things that have led many to believe he doesnt have what it takes to deal with the opposition without sacrificing class, dignity, and integrity.

Of course, Trump is not alone when it comes to protestors. Sen. Ted Cruz had a showdown of his own with an unruly protester at one of his rallies in the Chicago suburbs on Monday. However, his response was somewhat different.

From BizPacReview:

At a campaign stop in the western Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn, the Texas Republican, whos seeking his partys nomination for president, was enthusiastically met by a large number of supporters  save for one animal rights activist. Huffington Post contributor Samantha-Jo Roth posted a video of the exchange.
CHICAGO - If Tuesday's voting numbers are anything like the early voting numbers, Illinois could set a record for primary voting today.

Before Tuesday, more than 130,000 people already cast ballots in the city of Chicago and more than 102,000 people cast ballots in suburban Cook County. Those numbers double the previous highs set back in 2008 when President Obama was facing Hillary Clinton.

According to Cook County Clerk David Orr, most of the early voters have been over 50 years old, but they've also seen a surge in younger voters coming out in force already.

About 71 percent of the early voters chose a Democratic ballot and 29 percent Republican, which is not unusual for Cook County.
SPRINGFIELD - Yesterday, the Illinois State Board of Elections met to determine what action to take regarding complaints that had been filed against Liberty Principles PAC. Specifically the matters of Jonathan & Clair Kaye & Kenneth Cabay vs Liberty Principles PAC, Inc (LPPAC).

Kayes and Cabay had alleged that LPPACs production and distribution of newspaper mailings that inform the electorate on the policy positions of various candidates were fraudulent and misleading. In addition, they alleged that the newspapers were prepared in direct coordination with state representative candidates Allen Skillicorn and current representative Reggie Phillips.

After a closed preliminary hearing on March 3, 2016, a hearing officer determined that there were justifiable grounds to allow for a public hearing on the issue of coordination, and the General Counsel for the State Board of Elections concurred with the recommendation on Monday.

However, the Board reversed the hearing officer's determination in a stunning 7-0 unanimous decision (Coffrin abstaining).

In public comments, the Board indicated that there was not clear guidance on the issue, and that the question was better suited to the rule-making process. In short, the Board ruled that the matter should not proceed to full hearing.
There has always been a struggle to keep our freedom and, it is the responsibility of each generation to do what is necessary to retain this most valuable asset. Today our battle for that basic right is happening at the most unlikely of places: college campuses. Few parents, even the ones who pay massive college tuition bills, may not know their children are being challenged by an unprecedented dose of liberal indoctrination by teachers, professors, school administrators, and outside political activists who use intimidating tactics to persuade students to their viewpoint.

These people decide what speech is politically correct and most often the verdict is liberal speeches are welcome and those expressing conservative values are rejected. Thus, students are left without the advantage of even hearing, let alone considering, opposing facts and/or credible arguments about key controversial issues of our day.

It is time for American taxpayers to demand that classrooms present both points of views equally and that outside groups from both political spectrums be treated equally and fairly regarding requests for speaking on college campuses, especially those that receive federal or state funding.

An example of the imbalance can be seen when examining the college commencement speaker circuit. Among the top 100 campuses in the nation, liberal speakers outnumber conservatives 6-to-1. Among the top 50, the ratio increases to nine liberals for every one conservative. Among the elite top ten universities, there were no conservatives invited to speak whatsoever.

Condeleezza Rice uninvited at Rutgers

A particularly unfortunate example of college administrators allowing their liberal staff and aggressive liberal students to dictate which speakers are acceptable happened at Rutgers. Upon learning that former Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice was invited to give the commencement speech/ liberals on and off campus initiated a highly charged negative campaign to embroil the campus into a nasty controversy that maligned the Secretary and demanded she be rejected. Rutgers did little to stop the antagonistic agenda. Rather than allow her visit to be a catalyst for further liberal propaganda and to put an end to the negativity on campus, Secretary Rice graciously rescinded the invite. She had the best interests of the graduates in mind and is to be commended, but the result was liberal agitators were invigorated by their victory. Is this what colleges are teaching our children: the loudest and most rude among us win? Unfortunately, it is the students who ultimately lose because they are not allowed to hear messages from other points of view. This is a Marxist tactic and astonishing to know it is flourishing in America. It should be a wake-up call to every American patriot to get involved and demand an investigation as to its sources and legality.

Ironically, Rutger graduates were deprived of hearing from a brilliant Black woman, born during the days of segregation, whose hard work, diligence, and exemplary moral ethics allowed her to become Americas Secretary of State. What an amazing example for students whatever their ethnicity. Why wouldnt the Black community want to promote the success of this amazing woman? The obvious answer is she is a living testimony that Blacks can and do succeed on their own merits; they do not need Black Lives Matter antagonists to tell them they cannot achieve success without the tactics employed by their group.

Secretary Rice was not the only victim of Black Lives Matter at Rutgers. With the help of feminist fascists they also disrupted Milo Yiannopoulos by smearing fake blood on their faces and acting exceedingly obnoxious in their attempt to shut down his conservative message. Leftists are known to intentionally silent opposition with their aggressive behavior and they particularly dislike and attack speakers who are Black or gay conservatives like Milo.

Lack of discipline fosters radical behavior

Shame on the Rutger administration for its timidity in disciplining radical behavior on their campus, thus depriving students of differing viewpoints on subjects of substance, but Rutgers is just one of many schools that promote liberal speech on its campus while muzzling conservative ideas. Recently, a student senator at U.S.C. became a victim of those who are unwilling to entertain any differing views. Jacob Ellenhorn faces impeachment for the crime of publicly expressing his conservative opinions and inviting high-profile conservative speakers to campus. Ellenhorn complained "freedom of speech and freedom to express your views are not allowed by the University of Southern California student government right now. He might have added if your message is politically conservative. Interestingly, U.S.C. just topped all American Universities for its yearly tuition sticker price. Could this be due to wealthy conservative donors who have decided the school has become too liberal to be considered a good investment, and thus USC must find other sources to pay the high wages of their liberal staff?

It has been said that The struggle for freedom at universities is one of the defining struggles of our age." It may surprise people to know it is a struggle that has been in progress for decades, but has become exceedingly more evident in recent years. The question is how and what can be done to stop our children and future leaders from being indoctrinated with a specific political viewpoint?

Poll indicate students want free speech

Young Americans Foundation conducted polls on college campuses throughout America and asked the question How important do you think it is to protect free speech at colleges and universities? 93% polled said it was important. Asked if political correctness and over-sensitivity make it difficult to openly talk about culture, gender, race, ethnicity, discrimination, or racism at their college, 64% said it was difficult. These statistics seem to indicate students want free speech, but why then are so many frightened to discuss it? Perhaps because groups like Black Lives Matter bully students and liberal professors punish those who express conservative ideals. Unless you are a liberal, your views are not welcome on college campuses today. This bias must stop; a more politically balanced staff must be hired, and parents and all citizens need to become watchdogs to assure political neutrality and fairness. Anything less is a form of indoctrination and unacceptable.

There should not be a need for school safe zones where one is relegated to express or hear controversial issues. Such places send a message that controversial subjects are unhealthy, unsafe, and to be avoided.

Infantilized college students need "safe spaces"

As Judith Shulevitz wrote in the New York Times, infantilized college students are indulging their need for insulation by demanding "safe spaces" where any speech that could hurt their feelings would be forbidden.

Following is an egregious example among those noted by Ms. Shulevitz which verges on the incredible.

When a student group at Brown University called the Sexual Assault Task Force discovered that a debate was to be held where one participant, a libertarian, would slam the term 'rape culture', the group protested to the administration. That prompted Browns president, Christina H. Paxson, to schedule a talk concurrent with the debate that would provide research and facts about the role of culture in sexual assault. A safe space was created for students upset by the debate; the space included cookies, coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, calming music, pillows, blankets, and a video of puppies.

In an essay for Inside Higher Ed, Judith Shapiro, the former president of Barnard College, called the prevailing attitude that students should not be offended self-infantilization. Eric Posner, from the University of Chicago Law School, wrote on Slate that todays undergraduates are more childish than undergraduates of previous eras.

Have we raised a nation of self-centered, easily frightened, wimps? Maybe they need to be reminded of this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted."

President Piper of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, an exception

A pleasant exception to liberals dominating our places of higher learning is Oklahoma Wesleyan University President, Everett Piper. Pipers analysis of this problem was summed up with this statement:

"This is a university, not a day care. Im not here to make you comfortable or feel safe. I'm here to confront your character.

Hopefully, there are other sensible college officials like President Piper, dedicated to restoring campuses with more balanced political thought, equal representation, tolerance, and respect for others who have differing opinions, whether on the campus or in the classroom. Free speech must be protected in a free country, rather than be protected from it.

How best to serve students

Students will be best served after leaving college if they know more than just facts and figures, because the success of a person is often determined by how well they interact with others in the workplace and home. Skills such as purposing to listen to information from others and knowing how to evaluate its accuracy, considering others viewpoints, learning to disagree without being offensive, practicing the art of informative conversations, all become as important as any other skill they learn in life.

The exchange of ideas is a valuable learning tool that should be a part of every school experience. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. who stated: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. One-sided viewpoints that are not allowed to be challenged cannot be beneficial. Professors more interested in brainwashing their students have no place in the classroom.

It benefits both the student and society when boys and girls graduate as adults; challenging themselves to consider all they have learned and how best to apply it to their lives. These young people are Americas future. We must hope there are other sensible college officials like President Piper, who understand colleges are not to be used to coddle students, but to ready them to the World in which they will need to function and succeed. Therefore, it is essential a more balanced political climate is restored to our school campuses. Tolerance and respect for others viewpoints is not an option; it must be learned through example and then strictly enforced inside and outside of the classroom by students, professors, administrators, and guests to each college campus.

Thorner/O'Neil: Campus Radicals Attempt to Stifle Free Speech
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The decision comes close on the heels of the government's directive to all the 46 central universities to hoist the tricolour of a specific dimension at a particular height on campuses to make patriots out of students.

By India Today Web Desk: In yet another controversial move to "instil nationalism" among India's youths, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani has now decided to rope in the Indian Army to teach patriotism in the universities controlled by the government.

The decision comes close on the heels of the government's directive to all the 46 central universities to hoist the tricolour of a specific dimension at a particular height on campuses to make patriots out of students.

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All the central universities will fly the national flag on their campuses to signify a "strong India", said a resolution adopted at a meeting of vice chancellors chaired by HRD Minister Smriti Irani last month.

It was decided that the first flag will be hoisted at the restive Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which is in the eye of a massive storm over a controversial event in the memory of Afzal Guru and the subsequent arrest of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others for sedition.

Irani had called the meeting of the vice-chancellors of the central universities following the widespread protest over the suicide of Dalit scholar of Hyderabad University Rohith Vemula.

The decision had also came following the row over Kanhaiya's arrest on February 12 for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at the Afzal Guru event on February 9.

Meanwhile, the JNU students are holding a protest march today from Mandi House to Parliament in central Delhi to demand the release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, also arrested for organising the same event.

Also read:

High-mast Tricolours to fly in all central universities





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By Reuters: Apple, Google, McDonald's and IKEA will be asked about their European tax deals on Wednesday as EU lawmakers ratchet up the pressure on multinationals to pay more tax on their profits locally.

The hearing, organized by the European Parliament's tax committee, follows a similar event in November last year when Anheuser-Busch InBev, HSBC, Google and eight other companies were quizzed on the same subject.

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While the committee has no power to order changes, the hearing reflects the political concerns over multinationals avoiding local tax liabilities.

The European Commission is also investigating several cases to see if they breach the bloc's state aid rules which prohibit EU countries from giving some companies an unfair advantage by making special deals on tax.

Starbucks declined to take part because it has challenged a European Commission order to the Dutch authorities to recover up to 30 million euros in back taxes, the European Parliament said in a statement.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which is also appealing against an EU finding against its tax deal with Luxembourg, also turned down the invitation.

The head of Inter IKEA Group, Soren Hansen, will argue the Swedish furniture retailer's case. Inter IKEA Group owns the intellectual property rights under which its retailers operate.

The Parliament's Green party last month accused IKEA of avoided paying some 1 billion euros in taxes from 2009 to 2014 because it channeled royalty income through a Dutch company and possibly through Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.

All the companies have previously said they comply with EU tax rules.

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Sub Inspector (SI) Sanna Shetty came to the Kalasipalya police station in an inebriated condition during work hours and picked a fight with colleagues.

By Mail Today: The Bengaluru police have suspended one of its officers, who came to the police station in an inebriated condition and created a ruckus.

Sub Inspector (SI) Sanna Shetty came to the Kalasipalya police station in an inebriated condition during work hours and picked a fight with colleagues. Though he was asked to go on leave, the SI continued to create ruckus in the station by abusing his seniors.

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The matter was brought to the notice of the higher-ups, who immediately suspended Shetty and sent him home. This is the second such case of cops getting drunk during work hours and misbehaving in the city in the last one week. Senior officials in the government said that they would not tolerate such behavior from the policemen.

The Bengaluru police has also ordered an inquiry against the suspended officer.

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Facing the heat over the brutal attack on the animal, who sustained serious injuries on one of its hind legs, the BJP leader said that he was ready to face penalty if he was found guilty.

By India Today Web Desk: Taking a U-turn over his earlier statement that he wasn't present at the location, Uttarakhand BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi today continued to defend himself. Joshi said that it wasn't him who attacked the army's horse during a protest in Dehradun on Monday. Facing the heat over the brutal attack on the animal, who sustained serious injuries on one of its hind legs, the BJP leader said that he was ready to face penalty if he was found guilty.

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Talking to India Today Television, the BJP MLA refuted all allegations against him and called the entire outrage to be a political conspiracy against him.

"It was an unfortunate incident. If you closely watch the CCTV footage, you will see that it wasn't me who attacked the horse. It is a mere attempt to put the blame on me," Ganesh said.

"If you see, it is my popularity that is pinching some people. The entire incident is a political conspiracy against me," he added.

Ganesh's statements comes a day after the BJP leader was booked under the the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act for brutally beating the police horse during a protest against the state government. The animal suffered multiple fractures during the incident and broke one of its hind legs. Doctors have told the police that the horse's leg may have to be amputated.

Further refusing to admit his role in the barbaric act, the leader explained that he was trying to get rid of the cops who were trying to lathicharge his party workers during the protest.

"When I saw that my party workers were being attacked by the police, I took the lathi from one of the cops and hit it on the ground. I did this to save my people. I did not hit the horse," he said.

"In the video footage that is being circulated, you can clearly see that there is sufficient distance between me and the horse. The video begins with a lathi on my hand and ends with the horse on the ground. The visuals in between is missing," he said.

"I am ready to pay the price of my actions if am proven guilty. I allow animal activists to take action against me if the charges against me are proven. Chop off my leg if am proven guilty," he added.

Earlier, Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the party would take action if the video was true.

Meanwhile, medical reports issued by a team of doctors revealed that the operation conducted on the horse's leg proved to be successful. However, there is a need to provide careful treatment to the animal.

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A case was lodged under Section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc., of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC against the BJP leader.

Watch: News Today at Nine (Full show)



Also read:



Uttarakhand: Police horse loses leg after attack by BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi

I was not there, says BJP MLA while watching video of him hitting the horse





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The explosion occurred in the western district of Charlottenburg on a busy street leading into the heart of the German capital.

By AP: An explosion that destroyed a car and killed the driver in downtown Berlin during rush hour traffic Tuesday was likely caused by a bomb, police said.

The explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) in the western district of Charlottenburg on a busy street leading into the heart of the German capital. Photos from the scene showed the wreckage of a Berlin-registered silver VW Passat station wagon, its windows blown out and its front end smashed in, about a kilometer (half mile) from the capital's landmark Victory Column.

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"(The) explosion occurred inside or on the vehicle," said Carsten Mueller, deputy chief spokesman for Berlin police.

"Our investigators are working on the assumption that it was an explosive device that caused this," Mueller told The Associated Press.

He said investigators were still trying to determine the man's identity but confirmed that nobody else was injured in the blast despite heavy traffic. Experts checked the vehicle but found no further explosive devices.

The city has seen a spate of violence linked to biker gangs involved in the drugs trade in recent years, but Mueller would not speculate on any possible background to the crime. Police were looking into all possible scenarios, he said.

ALSO READ

Ivory Coast shooting: 16 killed at Grand-Bassam beach, 6 terrorists neutralised



34 killed, 75 injured in car bomb explosion in Turkish capital Ankara

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Ransomware, which involves encrypting a target's computer files and then demanding payment to unlock them, has generally been considered the domain of run-of-the-mill cyber criminals.

By Reuters: Hackers using tactics and tools previously associated with Chinese government-supported computer network intrusions have joined the booming cyber crime industry of ransomware, four security firms that investigated attacks on U.S. companies said.

Ransomware, which involves encrypting a target's computer files and then demanding payment to unlock them, has generally been considered the domain of run-of-the-mill cyber criminals.

But executives of the security firms have seen a level of sophistication in at least a half dozen cases over the last three months akin to those used in state-sponsored attacks, including techniques to gain entry and move around the networks, as well as the software used to manage intrusions.

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"It is obviously a group of skilled of operators that have some amount of experience conducting intrusions," said Phil Burdette, who heads an incident response team at Dell SecureWorks.

Burdette said his team was called in on three cases in as many months where hackers spread ransomware after exploiting known vulnerabilities in application servers. From there, the hackers tricked more than 100 computers in each of the companies into installing the malicious programs.

Also Read: Hospital paid $17k ransom to hackers of its computer network



The victims included a transportation company and a technology firm that had 30 per cent of its machines captured.

Security firms Attack Research, InGuardians and G-C Partners, said they had separately investigated three other similar ransomware attacks since December.

Although they cannot be positive, the companies concluded that all were the work of a known advanced threat group from China, Attack Research Chief Executive Val Smith told Reuters.

The ransomware attacks have not previously been reported. None of the companies that were victims of the hackers agreed to be identified publicly.

The security companies investigating the advanced ransomware intrusions have various theories about what is behind them, but they do not have proof and they have not come to any firm conclusions.

Most of the theories flow from the possibility that the Chinese government has reduced its support for economic espionage, which it pledged to oppose in an agreement with the United States late last year. Some U.S. companies have reported a decline in Chinese hacking since the agreement.

Smith said some government hackers or contractors could be out of work or with reduced work and looking to supplement their income via ransomware.

It is also possible, Burdette said, that companies which had been penetrated for trade secrets or other reasons in the past were now being abandoned as China backs away, and that spies or their associates were taking as much as they could on the way out. In one of Dell's cases, the means of access by the team spreading ransomware was established in 2013.

The cyber security experts could not completely rule out more prosaic explanations, such as the possibility that ordinary criminals had improved their skills and bought tools previously used only by governments.

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Dell said that some of the malicious software had been associated by other security firms with a group dubbed Codoso, which has a record of years of attacks of interest to the Chinese government, including those on U.S. defense companies and sites that draw Chinese minorities.

PAYMENT IN BITCOIN

Ransomware has been around for years, spread by some of the same people that previously installed fake antivirus programs on home computers and badgered the victims into paying to remove imaginary threats.

In the past two years, better encryption techniques have often made it impossible for victims to regain access to their files without cooperation from the hackers. Many ransomware payments are made in the virtual currency Bitcoin and remain secret, but institutions including a Los Angeles hospital have gone public about ransomware attacks.

Ransomware operators generally set modest prices that many victims are willing to pay, and they usually do decrypt the files, which ensures that victims will post positively online about the transaction, making the next victims who research their predicament more willing to pay.

Security software companies have warned that because the aggregate payoffs for ransomware gangs are increasing, more criminals will shift to it from credit card theft and other complicated scams.

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The involvement of more sophisticated hackers also promises to intensify the threat.

InGuardians CEO Jimmy Alderson said one of the cases his company investigated appeared to have been launched with online credentials stolen six months earlier in a suspected espionage hack of the sort typically called an Advanced Persistent Threat, or APT.

"The tactics of getting access to these networks are APT tactics, but instead of going further in to sit and listen stealthily, they are used for smash-and-grab," Alderson said.

You may also like to read:

Apple users targeted in first known Mac ransomware attack



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By Esha Mahajan/Harper's Bazaar: Gender politics is no laughing matter... until, well, it is. Alok Vaid-Menon and Janani Balasubramanian of DarkMatter, a spoken word duo based in New York City, use slam poetry and LOL performances to address everything from the awkwardness of online dating to a racist and classist LGBT movement. A pop culture bonus: An open letter from Parvati and Padma Patil to the 'basic white bitches' of Hogwarts. It's a way to make their community recognise its power-the two identify as trans and queer. Simply put, they reject gender.

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Also read: How India's first openly gay prince came out, met Oprah, and now fights for the LGBT community

"Choosing to be queer is about choosing to confront and critique a system that assumes that everyone is born heterosexual and cisgender [the opposite of transgender]. It's about committing ourselves to a long struggle of ensuring that everyone in our communities has access to justice," says Alok, who grew up in Indian immigrant communities, largely in the American South. What this also means is that neither subscribes to gender pronouns; instead, the two use they/them.

Alok and Janani, who was born in Bengaluru and raised in the Midwest, met at Stanford University back in 2009, as they worked on social justice groups on campus-queer rights, workers' rights, racial justice, against US militarism... the works. They began to write poetry together and held their first show in January 2013 in a friend's living room for a 25-people audience. Since then, they've organised events and community work for racial, economic, and gender justice in NYC; performed at college campuses, bars, theatres, and festivals at venues like the Lincoln Center (their participation at The Public Theatre's Under the Radar festival in January was even covered in The New Yorker). This month, they take the stage at Cornell University.

Picture courtesy: Harper's Bazaar

"We don't see the difference between the stage and the streets," says Alok. And that explains their signature look: Bright lipsticks and eccentric clothing. "A lot of what we wear people would think of as costume-wear, but we dress knowing that everyday everyone is already always wearing a costume." To build a niche audience that can fill the seats at a theatre, they've created a formidable online presence through social media channels, but perhaps their most powerful one is YouTube, where they upload videos of their shows. For most, comments are disabled. "YouTube tends to have some of the more transphobic comments and hate speech, and we don't have the capacity to moderate them," they say. "We live in a deeply violent world. People are taught to despise, criminalise, and ignore trans people. We have had to constantly argue for the legitimacy of our identities with the people who are most dear to us." But it's not all bad and there is hope, whether it's in the form of supportive friends or a young Indian who brings their parents to the show. Whatever the reactions may be, their philosophy on shows, costumes, even views on politics remains unchanged-the idea is to embrace it, have fun with it, and make people think. n

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This article originally appeared in the March issue of Harper's Bazaar India.



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Experts will also assist the wildlife department of Gurgaon to create artificial wetlands in Sultanpur sanctuary and see if they are equally effective in attracting winged visitors.

Experts from 19 countries, along with Indian environmentalists, will visit the Sultanpur bird sanctuary and Asola wildlife sanctuary in Delhi to assess the reason behind the decline in migratory birds.

By Ajay Kumar: Experts from 19 countries along with environmentalists in Delhi will come together to assess the reason for the decline in number of migratory birds to Sultanpur bird sanctuary and Asola wildlife sanctuary.

Experts will also assist the wildlife department of Gurgaon to create artificial wetlands in Sultanpur sanctuary and see if they are equally effective in attracting winged visitors. If the experiment is successful, it will be replicated in the remaining forest areas of Gurgaon.

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Sultanpur bird sanctuary is famous for attracting several species of migratory birds from Siberia and other European countries during winters. However, the number of birds has declined over the years due to rampant construction activities surrounding the park and human intervention.

"Environmentalists from SAARC and African countries will be examining the conditions Sultanpur provides for breeding of migratory birds. Also, the cause of decline in their numbers will be assessed," said a senior official. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had recently organised a workshop in Delhi to study about birds flying 10,000 km every winter season to stay here for five to six months.

"We have collaborated with 19 countries. Environmentalists will conduct experiments, soil testing and status of trees with an idea to develop similar conditions in their respective countries," said MoEFCC special secretary Hem Kumar Pandey.

Delegates from countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Tanzania had visited these two spots during the recently-concluded workshop. The two places are known for their biodiversity and over 50,000 migratory birds from 250 species flock to these spots every year between October and March.

Among the migratory birds are Siberian cranes, greater flamingo, black winged stilt, common teal, common greenshank, northern pintail, yellow wagtail and white wagtail, who arrive every year along with domestic avian species such as common hoopoe, purple sunbird, little cormorant, little egret and white ibis.

"The environmental experts of these countries will learn about how to make a reserve forest, forest laws, its complicacies and enhancement of forest areas, breeding of birds, preservation of ecological values besides the manmade hurdles faced by birds during migration," said Raj Kumar Bhatia, DFO of Gurgaon range.

ALSO READ:

Flip-flop Delhi weather keeps migratory birds away



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Divyanka Tripathi says her fans will continue to like her irrespective of her looks and age, if she portrays her character well.

By India Today Web Desk: The rumours of time-leap in Star Plus' daily soap Yeh Hai Mohabbatein surfaced last year too, but it seems this time it is finally happening as the search for new faces has already started.

According to reports, the show is all set for a time-leap of 10 years. Though there is no official announcement for the same yet, but the producers have already started searching for new actors. Actress Aditi Bhatia has apparently been approached to play the role of grown up Ruhi. Currently, the role of Raman and Ishita's daughter, Ruhi, is being played by Ruhanika Dhawan. Also read: Aditi Bhatia to play grown-up Ruhi in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein?

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Usually, when a TV series undergoes a time-leap, it leaves its lead actors insecure and worried. However, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein's lead actress Divyanka Tripathi is unperturbed about the change in the show.



Divyanka with Ruhanika on the sets of Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. Picture courtesy: Divyanka Tripathi/Instagram

She says though she's not been officially informed about the leap, she is prepared to play a mother to grown up kids.

"I haven't been officially informed about the leap," she told The Times Of India, adding, "And even if it does happen, I will go on with full faith in the show and its makers. I am open to changes as long as my skills are being properly utilised and the show continues to rake in good ratings. The show is above all. As far as aging on screen is concerned, I am sure the TV audience don't go by stereotypes - they have evolved and become smarter over the years. Irrespective of my looks and age, they'll like me if I portray my character well."

Are you ready to see Divyanka sporting grey hair?

Also read: Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya to get married in July

--- ENDS ---
The popular messaging service Snapchat is also considering a more secure messaging system.

By Indo-Asian News Service: As Apple battles the US government over encryption to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a mass shooting in San Bernadino last year, top US companies Google, Facebook and Snapchat are expanding encryption of user data in their services, media reported.

According to The Guardian, while Whatsapp is set to roll out encryption for its voice calls in addition to its existing privacy features, Google is investigating "extra uses" for encryption in secure email.

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Also read: Apple vs US govt: Everything you need to know



Social networking giant Facebook too is working on to better protect its Messenger service.

The popular messaging service Snapchat is also considering a more secure messaging system.

Apple, which is expected to appear in a federal court in California on March 22 to fight the order, has accused the US Department of Justice (DoJ) of trying to "smear" the company with "desperate" and "unsubstantiated" claims.

It followed the Justice Department's latest court filing over its demand that Apple create software to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a mass shooting last year, BBC reported.

Also read: Google's Pichai backs Apple in battle over unlocking terrorist's iPhone



The department said that Apple's stance was "corrosive" of institutions trying to protect "liberty and rights".

It also claims Apple helped the Chinese government with iPhone security.

Apple's general counsel Bruce Sewell said: "The tone of the brief reads like an indictment."

He said: "Everybody should beware because it seems like disagreeing with the Department of Justice means you must be evil and anti-American, nothing could be further from the truth."

Prosecutors claim Apple's own data shows that China demanded information from Apple regarding more than 4,000 iPhones in the first half of 2015, and Apple produced data 74 percent of the time.

But Sewell said the new filing relies on thinly sourced reports to inaccurately suggest that Apple had colluded with the Chinese government to undermine iPhone buyers' security.

The US government has been fighting Apple over access to information on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers, Rizwan Farook, in December. Apple says the demands violate the company's rights.

The Department of Justice claimed in its court filing that Apple had attacked the FBI investigation as "shoddy", and tried to portray itself as a "guardian of Americans' privacy".

This "rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights: The courts, the Fourth Amendment, longstanding precedent and venerable laws, and the democratically elected branches of government," the DoJ said.

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In February, the FBI obtained a court order to force Apple to write new software that would allow the government to break into the phone. The FBI wants the software to bypass auto-erase functions on the phone.

Apple has argued that the government is asking for a "back door" that could be exploited by the government and criminals.

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Ben Affleck has finally opened up about his divorce with Jennifer Garner. The two actors announced their split in June last year.

By India Today Web Desk: It has been eight months since Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner first announced their divorce. After almost a year now, Ben Affleck has finally spoken about the divorce with his estranged wife.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the 43-year-old actor said that he understands why Jennifer Garner got so candid about her marriage meltdown in an interview with Vanity Fair last month, reported News.com.au.

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Affleck said that if Garner felt like she wanted to discuss it, she is allowed to talk.

"She felt like she wanted to discuss it and get it out there and get it over with, so she could say, 'Look, I already talked about it - I don't want to do it again'," said Ben Affleck.

The Gone Girl star added that Jennifer Garner is a great person and they both are on good terms.

"We're on great terms. I just saw her this morning, so that's the reality that I live in," he added.

The estranged couple announced their separation last year in June, just a day after celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.

Tabloids accused Affleck of having an affair with the family nanny, 28-year-old Christine Ouzounian, which he has always denied. Garner, in her interview, also said that the nanny was not the reason behind their separation.

(With inputs from ANI)



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By Mail Today: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has begun a probe to look into the issue of missing files related to the case of the alleged fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan that has once again a created a political storm. A one-man inquiry committee of Additional Secretary B K Prasad will probe the matter. Prasad, Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry, will inquire into the circumstances, under which the files related to the case of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, went missing. The panel will find out the person responsible for keeping the files, a Home Ministry official said.

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The papers, which went missing from the Home Ministry include a copy of the affidavit vetted by the Attorney General and submitted in the Gujarat High Court in 2009 and the draft of the second affidavit vetted by the AG, on which changes were made. Two letters written by the then Home Secretary G K Pillai to the then Attorney General late G E Vahanvati and the copy of the draft affidavit have so far been untraceable.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had disclosed in Parliament on March 10 that the files were missing. The first affidavit was filed on the basis of inputs from Maharashtra and Gujarat Police, besides the Intelligence Bureau, where it was said that the 19-yearold girl from Mumbai outskirts was a Lashkare-Taiba activist but it was ignored in the second affidavit, Home Ministry officials said.

The second affidavit, claimed to have been drafted by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram, said there was no conclusive evidence to prove that Ishrat was a terrorist, officials said. Former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had claimed that as Home Minister, Chidambaram had recalled the file a month after the original affidavit was filed in the court, which described Ishrat and her slain aides as LeT operatives.

Subsequently, Chidambaram had said that Pillai is equally responsible for the change in affidavit.

ALSO READ:

SC refuses to go into David Headley's comments on Ishrat Jahan

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Brandon Stanton, an American photo-journalist and founder of well known Facebook page- 'Humans of New York', has in his open letter staunchly flaked US presidential candidate Donald Trump for encouraging hatred and violence for his political goals.

By India Today Web Desk: Brandon Stanton, an American photo-journalist and founder of well known Facebook page- 'Humans of New York', has in his open letter staunchly flaked US presidential candidate Donald Trump for encouraging hatred and violence for his political goals.

Brandon, placed among the '30 under 30 world changers' by Time magazine, mentioned in his letter that his reasons for writing are not political but moral.

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"I didn't want to risk any personal goodwill by appearing to take sides in a contentious election. I thought: 'Maybe the timing is not right.' But I realize now that there is no correct time to oppose violence and prejudice. The time is always now. I've come to realize that opposing you is no longer a political decision. It is a moral one," said Brandon in his letter.

The letter, that has went viral on the social media site and has been liked by over 1.5 million people including Hilary Clinton, crticises Trump for making racist comments and promoting 'white supremacy'.

"I've watched you retweet racist images. I've watched you retweet racist lies. I've watched you take 48 hours to disavow white supremacy ," reads the letter.

The letter also takes a dig at Trump's speeches which promote violence and urges the Americans to torture terrorists' families.



"I've watched you joyfully encourage violence, and promise to 'pay the legal fees' of those who commit violence on your behalf. I've watched you advocate the use of torture and the murder of terrorists' families, " letter said.

Recently Trump's comment "I think Islam hates us", during his speech has stoked another wave of controversy over him. Trump in earlier occasions also has never failed to pour out his hatred for her the muslims and went as far as

calling a temporary ban of Muslims in US.

Reacting over Trump's repeated hate comments over Islam, Brandon in his letter wrote, "I am a journalist, Mr. Trump. And over the last two years I have conducted extensive interviews with hundreds of Muslims, chosen at random, on the streets of Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. I've also interviewed hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi refugees across seven different countries. And I can confirm- the hateful one is you."

Brandon concluded his letter by accusing him of spreading prejudices, lies and hatred. He also said that while many of the Americans have encouraged Trump's such radical takes , he is not a Presidential.

"Those of us who have been paying attention will not allow you to rebrand yourself. You are not a 'unifier.' You are not 'presidential.' You are not a 'victim' of the very anger that you've joyfully enflamed for months. You are a man who has encouraged prejudice and violence in the pursuit of personal power."

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ALSO READ:

US Presidential race: Indian-American backroom gurus take battle to Donald Trump



Donald Trump's bigotry, bullying, bluster not popular, says Hillary Clinton

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The statement issued by a senior Hurriyat Conference leader is likely to evoke debate in the restive state among different separatist political groups.

By Naseer Ganai: The hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference today said people, who link militancy in Kashmir with Islam, were showing signs of political immaturity. The Hurriyat Conference attributed militancy in Jammu and Kashmir to long pending Kashmir issue and alleged state oppression against people.

The statement issued by a senior Hurriyat Conference leader is likely to evoke debate in the restive state among different separatist political groups.

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"Kashmir dispute has a living and a strong historical background and India has not only forcibly occupied this land for past 69 years but it is brutally crushing and muzzling peaceful voices of Kashmiris. These policies have caused reaction in the past and it continues to cause reaction. If anywhere in the world masses are suppressed and their voices are being muzzled, people, whether they belong to any religion, will rise against oppression," Hurriyat deputy general secretary Ghulam Nabi Sumji said.

"People who want to relate it (militancy) with Islam have particular mindset and they easily get overawed by others," he said thus indicating that the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir was result of alleged state oppression and it is not religion driven as argued by some experts.

The Hurriyat leader said alleged oppressive tactics of the State was taking away Kashmir's younger generation from political struggle. "That is why they are leaving universities and colleges and are taking path of brave-hearts," he said while alluding to new generation militants.

The statement has come at a time when Kashmir is witnessing growing support for new generation militants. There is an increase in incidents of gathering near encounter sites and throwing stones at Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army personnel in a bid to help militants escape. Last week the army has issued a blatant warning to people cautioning them to stay away.

Police last month issued an advisory asking people to stay away from encounter sites. Though in recent months the Army and police have killed number of militants in proactive counter insurgency operations, the security forces are unnerved as people near encounter sites engage security forces in stone throwing. And after the encounter people in thousands turn for to participate in the funeral procession and prayers of the militants.

In October last year around 35000 people gathered in Kulgam area of South Kashmir for the funeral of Abu Qasim, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander in Kashmir. It was one of the largest funerals in Kashmir in recent years. Qasim was killed in a gunfight in Kulgam district.

Also Read:

Separatist leader Mirwaiz hopes Swaraj-Sartaj will also talk Kashmir



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Sources close to the MEA claim that travel permits for two out of seven officials and their families have been cleared. The remaining five have been denied.

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today issued a summon to the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, after seven Pakistani diplomats were refused visas to visit India, to attend the World T20 India-Pakistan match in Kolkata on March 19.

JP Singh has been summoned by the Pakistani High Commission officials to protest against the refusal of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to grant visas to its diplomats.

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However, sources close to the MEA claim that travel permits for two out of seven officials and their families have been cleared. The remaining five have been denied.

"It is not a case of visa, it is a case of permission to travel to India to Pakistani diplomats. Two have been granted visas. The remaining five will be not be given permits since they have close links to the defence and ISI," sources close to the MEA said.

"The two diplomats and their families, who have been granted permission, will be travelling to Kolkata on Wednesday," the source added.

Also Read:

ICC World Twenty20: Pakistan take on Bangladesh in tricky clash

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Ministry of Defence sources have told India Today that incidents of transgression have increased at the Pangong Tso lake and Chumar region in Ladakh.

By India Today Web Desk: The government today rubbished China's claims of its forces not crossing across the border, saying that Chinese transgression has in fact increased in the Pangong Tso lake area.

Ministry of Defence sources have told India Today that incidents of transgression have increased at the Pangong Tso lake and Chumar region in Ladakh. There were at least 11 incidents of Chinese infiltration last year; in three months this year, there already has been 16 cases of transgression, sources said.

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The Indian Army had also destroyed a Chinese watch tower near the Line of Control in Chumar recently.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the Army to strongly take up the issue with Chinese authorities. Parrikar is scheduled to visit China next month where the two sides are expected to finalise the setting up of a hotline between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Earlier this week, Chinese PLA troops entered almost 6 km deep inside Indian territory near the scenic Pangong lake area, leading to a standoff between the security personnel of the two sides.

However, China later said that its troops did not go "beyond the border" and accused the Indian media of hyping up the issue. "There is no such thing as going beyond the border," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang had said, when asked about the incident in Ladakh last week.

Both India and China have taken steps to defuse boundary tensions through the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) and setting up additional border personnel meeting points - a sixth will be operationalised this year, following two points added last year in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

ALSO READ

China claims troops remained on its side of LAC, silent on PoK presence

Chinese Army spotted along LoC in Pak-occupied Kashmir



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Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar met the agitating Madhesi leaders today in connection with their dialogue with the Nepal government.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar met the agitating Madhesi leaders today in connection with their dialogue with the Nepal government.

Jaishankar arrived in Kathmandu on Monday night to attend the Saarc ministerial meeting in Pokhara, some 200 km west off Kathmandu.

Jaishankar inquired about the progress made in talks between the Nepal government and the agitating Madhesi groups, said Madhesi leader Raj Kishor Yadav.

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Talks between the government and the Madhesi leaders remains in limbo since they have rejected the political mechanism formed to re-address the demarcation of the seven-province model. They are seeking a review of the demarcation.

Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the newly-elected Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba later in the day after which he will travel to Pokhara to attend the Saarc ministerial meet.



ALSO READ:

Madhesi leaders slam Nepal govt, Indians call Indo-Nepal ties





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Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University led by Kanhaiya Kumar are holding a march from Mandi House to Parliament today to demand the release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who were arrested along with their union president last month for sedition.

By India Today Web Desk: Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University led by Kanhaiya Kumar are holding a march from Mandi House to Parliament today to demand the release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who were arrested along with their union president last month for sedition.

The protest march also marks the anger within the prestigious university over the likelihood of Kanhaiya and 20 others facing expulsion for their "anti-national" and seditious activities.

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Here are the top ten developments in the JNU row so far:

Thousands of students have gathered at Central Delhi's Mandi House to march to Parliament, two kilometres away, to demand the release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya. Among the others attending in solidarity are author and activist Arundhati Roy, also charged with sedition once for her comments on Maoists. A high-level JNU inquiry committee to investigate the February 9 happenings on the campus has found 21 students - including Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban - guilty of violating the rules and norms of JNU. I have been issued a show cause notice which doesn't have any mention of rustication. I have been asked to respond by 5 pm tomorrow," Kanhaiya told reporters ahead of the march. A section of students in JNU had organised a meeting in the memory of Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru, during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised, a charge that Kanhaiya and others have denied. Meanwhile, a Delhi court has extended the custody of Khalid and Bhattacharya by 14 more days. Khalid, who has been in custody since February 23, also filed a bail application in a lower court today. "The high-level inquiry committee constituted by the vice chancellor to inquire into the incident on February 9 on the JNU campus has submitted a unanimous report, as per which some students have been found to have violated the university's rules and norms," the JNU administration said in a statement on Monday. JNU Students Union vice-president Shehla Rashid has questioned the basis on which the panel has found the 21 students guilty of the February 9 incidents and called it a witch-hunt of students questioning the government. "The biggest question is the show cause notice does not specify the charges... It's a baseless report. We will see what stand we take," Rashid told India Today TV. The university had suspended Kanhaiya, JNUSU general secretary Rama Naga, Anant Prakash Narayan, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Umar Khalid, Aishwarya Adhikari and Shweta Raj on February 12. Last week, the administration revoked their suspension. Meanwhile, the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) on Monday awarded the annual Irom Sharmila scholarship to the JNU students' union and posthumously to University of Hyderabad research scholar Rohith Vemula.

Also Read

Anti-national slogans cannot, will not divide country: Farooq

At pro-Umar Khalid show, Ghulam Nabi Azad compares RSS to ISIS

Top JNU panel recommends rustication of Kanhaiya Kumar, 4 others



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Journalist Pushp Sharma whose report had claimed AYUSH ministry was 'denying' jobs to Muslims based on a RTI query has been picked up by Delhi Police for questioning.

By India Today Web Desk: Journalist Pushp Sharma whose report had claimed AYUSH ministry 'denying' jobs to Muslims based on a RTI query has been picked up by Delhi Police for questioning.

The AYUSH ministry had filed a formal complaint with Delhi Police asking them to probe the alleged ''fake'' RTI query.

Sharma's story published by The Milli Gazette, and picked up by news outlets, said that as per government policy, AYUSH Ministry did not recruit any Muslim as Yoga trainer.

RTI filed by Pushp Sharma. Courtesy: The Milli Gazette

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The Milli Gazette issue a statement on its Facebook page:

A police force claiming to be from Kotla Mubarakpur police station in New Delhi picked up journalist Pushp Sharma from his home in Lajpat Nagar at around 6:30 pm today.

Apparently, Pushp Sharma has been arrested in connection with his story published by The Milli Gazette and other media outlets, portals and channels about an RTI reply received from the AYUSH Ministry saying that as per government policy, it did not recruit any Muslim as Yoga trainer. The AYUSH Ministry claimed the said RTI reply was fake but the journalist stood his ground saying that reply came to him from the said ministry."

RTI filed by Pushps Sharma according to AYUSH ministry. Image: Press Information Bureau of India RTI filed by Pushps Sharma according to AYUSH ministry. Image: Press Information Bureau of India

The Department of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H) was created in March 1995 and renamed as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November 2003.



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The incident came after Kanhaiya, in his speech, said that they would not only unfurl the flag of India but of the entire world.

Three people were detained by the Delhi Police after they tried to lunge at JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar today. Photo: ANI

By India Today Web Desk: Three people were detained today by the Delhi Police after they tried to lunge at JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar during a march from Mandi House to Parliament, demanding the release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya who were arrested on charges of sedition.

The incident came after Kanhaiya, in his speech, said that they would not only unfurl the flag of India but of the entire world. Infuriated over his remarks, one of the students present tried to lunge at him. Two others threatened and also raised slogans against him.

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Thousands of students gathered at Central Delhi's Mandi House to demand the release of Umar and Anirban, who were arrested along with Kanhaiya Kumar last month. Among those who attended the protest march was author and activist Arundhati Roy, who was once charged with sedition for her comments on Maoists.

The protest march comes after a JNU inquiry committee, to investigate the February 9 incident on the campus, held 21 students - including Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban - guilty of violating the rules and norms of the university.

Watch full video here:

Also read:

Kanhaiya Kumar leads JNU students march to Parliament: 10 big developments

JNU row: Fresh poster issues death threat to 'traitors' Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid

Kanhaiya slapped inside JNU campus by an outsider





--- ENDS ---
India's liquor baron Vijay Mallya who has fled the country after being a defaulter, has been slammed with five more non-bailable warrants (NBWs). The NBWs were issued against Mallya and others in a check bounce and fraud case by a Hyderabad court.

By India Today Web Desk: India's liquor baron Vijay Mallya who has fled the country after being a defaulter, has been slammed with five more non-bailable warrants (NBWs). The NBWs were issued against Mallya and others in a check bounce and fraud case by a Hyderabad court. Mallya has to be produced before court by March 29.

Fresh warrants have been issued based on GMR group's plea. The group complains that Mallya defaulted on payments and cheques issued by KFA bounced.

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Meanwhile, Mallya has completely denied that he has given any interview to the Sunday Guardian. The newspaper had earlier published an emal interview of Mallya quoted him as having said that time was not "right" to return to the country.



On March 13, a Hyderabad court had issued non-bailable warrants against Vijay Mallya and Chief Financial Officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunath . In the warrants, issued on March 10, the 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate GS Ramesh Kumar ordered police to produce them before the court on April 13 while issuing warrants.



Vijay Mallya a Congress baby, says BJP

Hitting back at the Congress for questioning whether the Centre would seek Vijay Mallya's deportation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the industrialist was a 'Congress baby' and accused the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) dispensation of helping him by forcing a bank to provide a loan of Rs 3,100 crore despite his company's poor finances.

"Mallya is a Congress baby. When his company (Kingfisher Airlines) was on the verge of closure, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggested such private companies should be helped. The government pushed banks to give him a package of Rs 3,100 crore," BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said, adding Congress should come clean on its deals with him.

"While around 25 cases have been initiated against Vijay Mallya under the Narendra Modi government, his frozen bank accounts were opened under the then UPA government and he was given loan," he added, PTI reported.

Also Read

Is Vijay Mallya the new Lalit Modi?

Time not right for my return to India, Vijay Mallya tells UK daily Loan default case: Hyderabad court issues non-bailable warrant against Vijay Mallya







--- ENDS ---
The political leadership of the two countries, the Hurriyat spokesman said, should act with statesmanship and vision in order to work towards resolution of all issues including Kashmir by starting meaningful and resulted-orientated dialogue process.

By Naseer Ganai: Separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday welcomed proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting in Nepal on March 17.

"Such bold political initiatives is only way to move forward," Hurriyat Conference spokesman said. He, however, said both the countries shouldn't put resolution of Kashmir issue on the backburner. "That will only create mistrust and acrimony between the two countries and vitiate dialogue process," he said.

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The political leadership of the two countries, the Hurriyat spokesman said, should act with statesmanship and vision in order to work towards resolution of all issues including Kashmir by starting meaningful and resulted-orientated dialogue process.

The Hurriyat termed Kashmir as the core issue. He said Kashmir had been the cause of confrontation between the two countries and sidelining Kashmir issue and concentrating on other issues during the Foreign Minister level talks between the two countries will not take dialogue process anywhere.

"There was a need to take forward the dialogue process with consistency and commitment to create trust and confidence necessary for the resolution of issues," he added.

Among separatist political parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz faction is the only party which has held negotiations with the government of India at the highest level. On January 22, 2004, the Hurriyat leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Bilal Gani Lone, Abdul Gani Bhat, Moulana Abas Ansari and Fazl-ul-Haq Qureshi had met the then Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in New Delhi for official talks.

Later on September 6, 2005, the Hurriyat Conference held another round of talks with the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh in the UPA Ist.

The second round of talks was held with the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh on May 3, 2006 in New Delhi. However, after that there has been no forward movement on the dialogue process.

Also Read:

PoK president wants separatists, pro-India leaders to discuss Kashmir dispute



--- ENDS ---
The company in February had announced the price cut for the same phone in the US market.

By Priya Pathak: OnePlus on Tuesday announced a price cut of Rs 2000 for its flagship phone OnePlus 2. The 16GB version of the phone, which earlier came with a price tag of Rs 22,999, will now sell for Rs 20,999 while the 64GB version has come down to Rs 22,999. The phones sell at e-commerce website Amazon India.

"Why have the price drop? Let's just say that thanks to both timing and scale, our operations have sized up sufficiently propelling us to offer our flagship offering as an even better proposition for your connectivity needs," said the company, explaining the price cut.

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The company in February had announced the price cut for the same phone in the US market. The 64 GB model which earlier had a price of $389 (approximately Rs 26,000), after the price cut, is available at $349(approximately Rs. 23,700) in US.

Also read: Best of the lot: Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2

The OnePlus 2 was launched last year, with company claiming it to be its flagship killer phone. As we have said in our review earlier, OnePlus 2 is without a doubt a big upgrade over its predecessor and does most of the things fairly well.

The OnePlus 2 is the first smartphone to run the company's custom Oxygen operating system after its split with Cyanogen. The company claims that the device runs OxygenOS 2.0 which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and is light, powerful and customisable. On the camera lines, the smartphone comes with a 13MP rear camera along with dual-LED flash and a 5MP front-camera.



Also read: OnePlus One review: Great hardware at unbeatable price



Though the phone misses out on features like NFC, microSD slot, FM radio and quick charging, the fact that it gives a tough competition to its contemporaries makes it stand out.

To know more about the device, read our full review here.

--- ENDS ---
Last month, a Delhi based slam poet Shivani Gupta took social media by storm with a thought provoking poem on her feelings towards a stranger in Pakistan. To this a young girl from Pakistan recently gave a heartwarming reply through a poem titled 'Dear girl from India'.

By KC Archana: The touching poem titled 'Dear Girl from Pakistan' by Delhi based slam poet, Shivani Gupta filled with rhetoric about a stranger across the border left a deep imprint in everyone's heart.

The lyrical and intense narrative which reaches out to an unnamed Pakistani Girl recently received poetic response from a young Pakistani girl.

READ: Indian girl's tear-jerking poem about a Pakistani stranger will change your outlook



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In her powerful narrative Shivani wrote, "All that we are separated by, is a border not created by us," and this is exactly what her Pakistani counterpart lays focus on.

She also expresses her empathy and sadness towards the 'hatred still pending..' between the two countries and in the riveting closing lines she says that they were never separated by borders but were bonded by humanity.

Here is the full text of the poem titled 'Dear girl from India' :

Hearts are never separated by border,

Come let's create a vision much broader,

Where there are no feelings of enmity,

Where there are no feelings so gritty,

You don't need to be sorry for sins not yours,

Thank you for sharing the warmth from a lovely heart as yours,

And yes, I'm a girl like you,

A human just like you,

Whose heart dances when her mother kisses her goodnight,

Whose heart disgusts at violence with all its might,

Who's favourite movie is the one with a happy ending,

Who is scared of hatred still pending..

I am sorry you know me through mere words,

Come, I will show you we are of the same herd,

Bonded by humanity,

Never separated by borders

Please tell me more about the girl whose warmth touched me...

A girl who thawed the cold and a vision vast she could see...





--- ENDS ---
Meet Hanan Al Hroub, she won a $1 million educational award for helping Palestinian refugee children learn through play. She plans to invest all the money to introduce new teaching methods and help teachers in the Palestinian territories.

By India Today Web Desk: Hanan Al Hroub who teaches at the Samiha Khalil High School in the West Bank Palestinian city of Al-Bireh, won a $1 million prize for her incredible contribution in elementary education in a star studded event held in Dubai on Sunday.

The Magical Moment when Palestinian Teacher Hanan AlHroub is announced as the Winner of the 2016 #globalteacherprize pic.twitter.com/NFPlAhOJgB Abbs Winston (@AbbsWinston) March 13, 2016

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Hanan who was brought up in the Palestinian refugee camp, Bethlehem, was constantly exposed to violence.



She chose this profession after her two children were mortified by a shooting incident on their way back from school. She lays focus in helping children who have been traumatised by violence and help overcome their fear.

In the specialised approach that she chalked out on her own called 'We Play and Learn', Hanan focuses on 'developing trusting, respectful, honest and affectionate relationships with her students and emphasises the importance of literacy.'

Through her teaching method she aims to drive home the message of saying 'No to Violence' among her students and it has led to a significant decline in violent behavior in schools.

Top 10 Finalist, Hanan Al Hroub, is ready for her Masterclass. #TeachersMatter pic.twitter.com/SdXfjE994d Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) March 12, 2016

She was honored in the ceremony organised by the Varkey Foundation, a charitable branch of the GEMS international education firm.

Dubai-based entrepreneur Sunny Varkey founder of the non-profit organisation aims to "improve the standards of education for underprivileged children throughout the world."

The finalists for the Global Teacher Prize included teachers from India, Kenya, Finland and the United States.

The audience for the event included Matthew McConaughey, Salma Hayek, and political figures including former UK prime minister Tony Blair.



See the reaction from the Global Teacher Prize Gala. #TeachersMatter https://t.co/y5ecyV4HEh pic.twitter.com/J1T4cgaENH Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) March 14, 2016

Pope Francis announced via video conference that Hanan Hroub had won the award and said that teachers are builders of peace and unity in the world.



Honor for me that you declared the winner. The announcement triumph of human values. Thank you @TeacherPrize #GESF pic.twitter.com/n7m7CEVW0H Hanan Hroub (@hanan_hroub) March 15, 2016

--- ENDS ---
Swift like a racing car, unable to control all that horsepower of the engine, BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi, or perhaps a human, attacked a police horse, or perhaps, just an animal. Because humans have powers and they can totally do that.

By Mohak Gupta: When things took a violent spin and MLA Ganesh Joshi unleashed his power.



Let's cut the chase. Basic facts, no complications, whole incident right here.



- BJP protests in Dehradun around Legislative Assembly

- Protest was about degrading law and order and matters regarding development

- Since it was a protest things got dirty which they were anyway bound to be

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- BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi went out of hand and attacked the police horse

- Cases will be filed against him but one in the head would be animal cruelty

That's your politics and news right there.



Now these are good pointers. It means a lot got displaced and it's a feast now, for our politics and its indignation, for people and activists with agendas or a propaganda, TV might scream again, some newspapers might bleed black, us digital guys will leave a massive carbon trail on the internet, whoa, that's a lot.

That should give you an idea that a lot like we said, happened. Oh we forgot the drum rolls before starting this all. Okay so let's forget about drum rolls. Let's charge it up with - ***LATHI ROLLS***

But amidst all our indecency, there lingers a thought, are we just about power? And if our savagery is limitless? How far is too far? Quite a lot of thoughts there.

Wait a minute, we are humans with intense cognitive capabilities who have created science, have explored outer space, we are leaders, developers, creators, aristocrats, AND WE ARE ALSO MLAs.

With such exceptional capabilities, we are bound to be powerful. Do you think a horse can become an MLA? Well, the order can surely be reversed but as far as we know, a horse cannot become an MLA, or en engineer. Because we are humans, and we alone have that power. We are the evolution. WE ARE THE POWER.



Okay what do you think? Should Mr. Joshi endorse Ford Mustang? It just came out of nowhere. But a good question. Mustang has a lot of horsepower and Mr. Joshi might just live up to Ford's tagline as well - "GO FURTHER"

He really likes going further.

PS: NO FORD OR MUSTANG WAS HARMED WHILE MAKING THIS MEME. ALSO NO OFFENSE FORD.



Can you feel the power here? Humans and their powers. This urge to savagely harm things. To take control of the power, to harm living beings around us, things around us, people around us. If that's power, do you need power?

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Jimmi Hendrix, a great musician, a name so famous that only a few would not know about him, once said -



Forget power, forget peace, forget Hendrix. Where is our patience? Where is our humanity? Where is our respect? To prove our point, to showcase our anger, do we really go so down to prove all that?

That's what we are? HUMANS?



Forget which MLA, what party, whatever state. Don't we have any responsibility towards beings who are living with us, existing with us? But we are humans, and we are powerful beings, our power justifies such brutality. We are very strong, and we won't ever fail to harm life around us.

Things have happened in the past and things will be happening in the future. Protests will happen, outrage will be mandatory. Our behaviour, if not as a human, but as a part of society, will it stay the same? Is this what we are becoming into, is this how we behave?

That horse might heal, the matter might fizz out, but what about our humanity? Our compassion? Care, not just caring about people but life around us? Does that also fizz out with everything else?

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THINK BEFORE YOU ACT, DON'T ACT BEFORE YOU THINK!



--- ENDS ---
Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh were recently photographed shooting for an advertisement in Mumbai.

By India Today Web Desk: Alia Bhatt had slipped into a taxi driver's garb, while Ranveer Singh was seen as a probable passenger of her car in images from a new advertisement.

ALSO READ: Alia Bhatt at 23 - You cannot not watch these songs of the birthday girl today

ALSO READ: Lovebirds Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt fight over Alia's ex-boyfriend?



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All of yesterday, social media was abuzz with Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh's images, which had gone viral on the internet. Now, finally the mystery has been solved. It was revealed that the two actors were shooting for an advertisement in the suburbs of Mumbai.



They are said to be coming together for the first time for an advertisement, details of which have been kept under wraps.

Wearing a pair of aviators and holding a glass of 'cutting chai', Alia sported the look of a taxi driver very well as she leaned on a good old black-and-yellow taxi; while Ranveer, in his bespectacled avatar, looked every bit a simpleton as he sported oil-laden hair and had a bag on his shoulder.

In another image, Alia sported a sweet and simple get-up in a maroon sari and a pony-tailed look, and Ranveer flaunted a bright and funky leopard print jacket, with a mischievous smile on his face.

The details of the advertisement are yet to be revealed.



--- ENDS ---
Peter told Rahul about his conversation with what he thought was Sheena. Rahul pestered him to get that number but Peter said he didn't have it.

By Vidya , Sahil Joshi: Gautam Mukerjea and his sister Shagun make for worried siblings of former TV honcho Peter Mukherjea, who has been cooling his heels in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail since his arrest in the Sheena Bora murder case. According to Gautam, Peter was not lying when he told his son Rahul Mukerjea back in April 2012 that he had indeed spoken to Sheena.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Peter in November last year. One of the first CBI remand copies said Peter had lied to Rahul about having spoken to Sheena when she was already dead. Both the Mumbai Police and the CBI have produced evidence that Sheena, who was Rahuls' fiance, was allegedly killed by Peter's wife Indrani Mukerjea on April 24 2012.

Rahul had been looking for Sheena and since she was last seen with Indrani, he wanted answers from her. Indrani told Rahul that Sheena had suddenly taken a liking for someone else. Since she did not have a heart to face Rahul and tell this to him, she surreptitiously left him to settle with this new man in her life in the US.

Unconvinced, since the two had made plans for a life together, Rahul started badgering Peter with the same set of questions. According to the CBI, Peter knew that Sheena was dead as he himself was part of the conspiracy to kill her. Peter is reported to have disapproved of Rahul's relationship with Sheena.

However, Gautam claims Peter had no knowledge of Sheena's death since the former media moghul was in the UK when Sheena was murdered. After his return, both Indrani and Peter had gone to their one-room flat in Goa where Rahul kept asking both Indrani and Peter about Sheena.

Gautam tells India Today about the day the two came back from Goa on April 30, 2012 and went to their Worli residence in Mumbai. "Peter was parking his car while Indrani went inside the house. When Peter went up, Indrani was talking to someone on the phone. She said, 'Hang on, speak to Peter'. Indrani then handed over the phone to Peter saying Sheena is on the other side," Gautam said.

"Peter heard a female voice on the other side saying 'Hi jiju, Sheena here...' and then the call went blank," recalled Gautam from what he had heard from Peter.

Peter told Rahul about his conversation with what he thought was Sheena. Rahul pestered him to get that number but Peter said he didn't have it. "The call was made on Indrani's phone," he told Rahul.

Peter's sister Shagun points out that the CBI has not attached the call data record of Indrani as yet in the chargesheet. The CBI has filed two chargesheets in the case till now and is expected to file a third one in the coming months.

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The Mukerjea family has filed an application before the court to be provided Indrani's call records. The issue of call records will come up for hearing in the sessions court in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Gautam also claims that Peter never interfered in Indrani's family matters. "Indrani had said that Sheena was her sister. Even when Rahul and Sheena told Peter about their relationship and asked him to confront Indrani over it, he did not want to disbelieve Indrani."

Shagun adds: "Indrani was known to throw tantrums. When she did not like being questioned, she would get into a rage and throw and break things."

Gautam remembers the day Indrani was arrested in September 2015. He said Indrani had gone to donate money at an old age home as it was her daughter Vidhie's 18th birthday. She was supposed to pick up Vidhie after that from school. But before that, she was arrested by Khar police, which had already picked up her driver Shyamvar Rai.

Indrani was then taken to Mukerjeas residence at Worli where police made her sit on one side and searched the entire house for photographs and documents. When Vidhie reached home and saw it, she called Peter, who was in a gym. Peter immediately rushed to the Marlow building and was astounded to hear that his wife was charged with killing Sheena.

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Peter then called his friend Deven Bharti, who is also a Joint Commissioner with the Mumbai Police. Bharti asked Peter what the charges were and on being told that it was Section 302 of IPC, Bharti told him, "This is a serious case. Get yourself a lawyer."

Peter then dialled his friend Mahesh Jethmalani, who was in Delhi at that time. He advised him to not obstruct the arrest of Indrani and assured that he would provide a lawyer from his team immediately.

Gautam remembers that Indrani told Peter to come along. Peter then asked his driver to take the car out. He sat in the police jeep with Indrani, while the cops sat in their car which followed the police vehicle.

In what could be another example of Peter's innocence in the case, the family points out that while the two vehicles were on their way to Khar police station, Peter asked Indrani to give him Sheena's number. Indrani told him that she doesn't have it," claims Gautam.

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Peter came to know about Indrani's first husband Siddharth Das only after her arrest. Peter was aghast at hearing this. What surprised him more was the fact that Indrani had been in touch with her second husband Sanjeev Khanna too.

Khanna, according to the CBI, was part of the entire controversy behind Sheena's murder. He had flown from Kolkata and accomapnied Indrani to Raigadh outside Mumbai to dispose of the body. After the arrests, Peter met Khanna for the first time at Khar police station. Khanna told him that he had helped Indrani in destroying the evidence.

"Peter had prepared a few questions that he wanted to ask Indrani. He showed these questions to the investigating officers and when Indrani was brought in, he asked her, 'Why? Just to hide your past? All these brother-sister-daughter-son relationships?" Gautam recalled.

Indrani only looked down and said yes, Gautam claims.

Incidentally, Peter, in his 14-year marriage with Indrani, had never gone to Guwahati to meet her parents. "There were times when Peter made plans but Indrani always made some or the other excuse. Had he given a second thought to why Indrani would never let him meet her parents, her web of lies would probably have been exposed," says Gautam.

The big irony of the entire case against Peter, according to the Mukerjeas, is that it is based on audio recordings. Rahul had apparently been recording each and every conversation with Indrani and Peter since Sheena had disappeared. After Indrani's arrest, Rahul had shown the recordings to Peter.

"Peter had said that this was really an important piece of evidence and should be handed over to the investigating agencies. Rahul told him that he had already done so. But it was only on the basis of this evidence that Peter was arrested," Gautam says.

--- ENDS ---
The Sunday Guardian rebutted former UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya's charges of publishing his fake interview by releasing the email trail of the interview.

By India Today Web Desk: After business tycoon Vijay Mallya denied giving any interview to The Sunday Guardian in which he is believed to have said "the time is not right for his return to India", the newspaper has rebutted the charges by releasing what it claims is the email trail leading to the interview.

The emails released by the newspaper show Mallya responding to the reporter's queries which mentions "Interview for the Sunday Guardian newspaper" in the subject line.

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The Sunday Guardian had quoted Mallya as having said in an e-mail interview, "I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But I am not sure I'll get a fair chance to present my side. I've already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is right."

Mallya claimed the interview was published without his consent. In a series of tweets, the former chairman of the UB Group accused the newspaper of publishing a "fake" interview. "Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my account," he said in a tweet.



The newspaper said it stands by the interview and published the mail train on its website.

"The Sunday Guardian stands by its interview of Mr Vijay Mallya. This was given to the newspaper on 12 March 2016. Mr Mallya personally responded to our email questionnaire from his encrypted email id: vjmallya@protonmail.com. This id was confirmed to us by his legal counsel's office on 8 March. To a questionnaire sent to Mr Mallya on 10 March, he replied via email on 12 March. For reasons that are not clear, Mr Mallya has sought to distance himself from the interview. We, however, stand by our report. The email trail is attached," tweeted the newspaper along with the links to the email.

Mallya has been dragged to the Supreme Court after a consortium of 17 banks led by the SBI is seeking repayment of Rs 9000 crore loaned to the grounded Kingfisher Airlines promoted by the liquor baron.

The 60-year-old industrialist is also wanted by the Enforcement Department in a money laundering case, and has been ordered to appear before a Mumbai court on Friday.

Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake. Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Never ever had nor do I have a protonmail e-mail account. As I said earlier I have never ever heard of protonmail. Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before. Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

ALSO READ:

Is Vijay Mallya the new Lalit Modi?

Vijay Mallya has left India, government informs Supreme Court





--- ENDS ---
The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to give detailed guidelines to AOL on cleaning the site after the event.

Apart from volunteers, at least two professional waste management agencies have been roped in to clear the mess.

By Mail Today: Leftover chawal (rice), namkeen, cardboard and stray plastics lay strewn at the 'World Culture Festival' site, near Yamuna, on Monday. The lofty 40-feet high stage was being dismantled, piece by piece. The carpet and furniture still sat on the ground, as a brisk cleaning up effort by AOL (Art of Living) began.

A dozen-odd volunteers were seen aiding at least two professional waste management agencies hired to tidy up the place. At least 200 truckload of garbage was removed from the site from 8 am to 4 pm. It was then transported to the Okhla Waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in south-east Delhi.

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The cultural show of jaw-dropping dimensions took place from 5pm to 9 pm everyday from March 11 to March 13. An estimated two lakh people visited every day - from volunteers to devotees - travelling from as far as France, UK and USA, besides at least 200 dignitaries. There was no figure available on the liquid waste collected in tankers from the 650 bio-toilets installed by host NGO, Art of Living (AOL).

A spokesperson, Atika Dhandhia, said, "The sewage from the three days will be taken to a treatment plant belonging to Delhi Jal Board (DJB)." However, she was unsure of the location of the plant or STP.

Atika added, "We have hired two agencies: Pom Pom and BVG. Pom Pom specialises in segregating wet and dry waste. BVG has expertise in cleaning hospitals, offices and ITPO events like the World Trade Fair (WTF)." When asked how much time would be required to erase the footprints of AOL from the venue, she said, "It took us around one and a half months to construct the stage. We should be given at least two to three weeks to dismantle it. And, a couple of more weeks to clear the site of stray plastic and debris.

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to give detailed guidelines to AOL on cleaning the site after the event. A scientific panel has already advised a "restoration fee" of Rs 120 crore for damaging the Yamuna floodplains, its ecology and biodiversity.

When Mail Today visited the site at 4 pm, a brisk trash collection exercise was on. Small MCD dumpers were doing the rounds. Labourers were picking up trash, tossing them into black bags and flinging them on dumpers. Soran Singh, driver of a dumper, said, "We did it from 12 am to 5am on Sunday. Then we went to sleep for three hours, and were back to work by 8 am. All the small trucks are emptying into five big 10-wheeler trucks, all headed to the Okhla WTE plant."

Some Non-resident Indian (NRI) followers of Sri Sri Ravishankar were seen volunteering for the job. Alisha Arora, software engineer with Yahoo in California, USA, said, "My family has gone back to Punjab after attending the event. However, I am overstaying for few hours to help with the cleaning up process." Guruji has asked us, she said. However, the inadequacy of the dozen-odd volunteers was apparent in the face of 24.4 hectares of land waiting to be tidied up.

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A broom-wielding labourer explained the challenges. Kirpal Singh said, "Itna paani jama hai yahan pe, jhadoo bhi nahi chala pa rahe. (There is so much stagnant water, even brooms are proving useless). Shambhu, a labourer, said, "There is no end to the mud. How deep do we search for all the trash that has been buried under the feet of lakhs of people?"

ALSO READ:

Will pay Rs 5 crore as compensation, not fine, says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Art of Living fest: Team Modi throws weight behind Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



--- ENDS ---
An El Nino induced drought has hit Zimbabwe due to which nearly 4 million people need a food aid and the farmers have already lost 16,500 cattle.

By Sanjana Agnihotri: In February 2016, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe declared a 'state of disaster' in rural areas hit by a severe drought.

An El Nino induced-drought has hit the land locked country and the situation is so bad that nearly 4 million people need a food aid. The country had only recently appealed for $1.6 billion in aid to help pay for grain and other food. The United Nations' World Food Program are already feeding 1 million people and has raised $60 million for food aid. The UN plans to raise $130 million under an emergency fund.

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The southern areas of the country, the Zambezi valley are known for their extreme heat but this drought is considered to be the worst one in almost two decades.

Havoc for the rural

Zimbabwe was known as the breadbasket of Africa but the drought has dried up water holes, crops and pastures. The farmers are left with no other option but to sell off their livestock. But this too is not providing them much respite as there are many animals put on sale, so the buyers can easily negotiate.

Farmers have lost at least 16,500 cattle and had to abandon 75% of crops.

Source: Reuters Source: Reuters



Toll on the economy

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa has said the economy of the country was "under siege". The low mineral commodity prices and drought are taking a toll on the economy.

Political undertones

Many believe that the food shortage is a partial result of land reforms enforced by the president since 2000. Although, the government has vowed to hold an audit but farms are still underutilized.

"The April [2015] harvest in Zimbabwe was 50% lower than the previous year," said David Orr, spokesman for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). "With the drought continuing, it looks like the lean season is going to continue beyond the harvest time this year. The number of food-insecure people is likely to rise and continue rising."

Source: Reuters

--- ENDS ---
Google has removed an app accused of spying on the Indian Army from its official PlayStore.

By Priya Pathak: Google has removed an app accused of spying on the Indian Army from its official PlayStore. According to CNN-IBN, the app - called Smesh -- was allegedly being used by Pakistan Intelligence agencies to monitor the movement of troops and to acquire crucial information related to the army and its counter terrorism operations.

The app which was seen till late Monday night was immediately removed after investigation revealed it to be a spyware app. The Indian Army has blacklisted the app.

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The investigation revealed the involvement of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) behind this cyber threat. According to reports, ISI was using the app to spy on the army through the smartphone of military personnel.

SmeshApp was found stealing information including one's movements, phone calls, messages and even photographs. The information collected was saved on a server located in Germany and hosted by an unknown person based out of Karachi.

The investigation showed that this app was also used during the Pathankot Terror Attack in January 2016 by Pakistani handlers to procure vital information. These handlers reportedly lured soldiers through fake Facebook profiles. It was also revealed that several Indian military officials were unknowingly in touch with Pakistani handlers through these fake profiles on Facebook.

According to the reports, the app was aimed at all the three services of the armed forces -- Army, Navy and Air Force. Army had issued new guidelines post-Pathankot attack for using messaging app WhatsApp. As per the new norms any Army man can access WhatsApp account in their individual name without revealing their original identity. Mention of rank and posting is strictly prohibited. Also, only personal messages should be shared in the messages even with family.



--- ENDS ---
contributing editorreports: "There was a spectacular sighting in my locality. A large luminous object seemingly hovered over the tops of buildings as it changed colors. It then approached the air corridor as an airliner flew past. My sister Beatriz and our friend Carlos Rodriguez took a video using a cellphone. I am currently conducting an investigation with Ing. Villafuerte and the airport control tower (Centro Mexico) and will upload the video shortly."NOTE: No link to the video is available at this moment.[Translation (c) 2016 S. Corrales with thanks to Ana Luisa Cid and Guillermo Gimenez]
























































































TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our livesIf we remember those times and placeswhere people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we dont have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

--Howard Zinn



I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him.

--Martin Luther King Jr.

True religion consisted in an inward life, wherein the heart does love and reverence God the Creator, and learns to exercise true justice and goodness...I found no narrowness respecting sects and opinions, but believed that sincere, upright-hearted people, in every society, who truly love God, were accepted of him.

--John Woolman



Love each other as I have loved you.. I call you friends because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.

--Jesus in John 15: 12-15



...Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.



You have answered right, said Jesus, do this and life is yours...



Who is my neighbor?



Jesus replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan [heretic, outsider, enemy].

--from Luke 10:27-37

Religion has been emphatically embodied, not in speculative theories, but in practical righteousness, in active virtues, in reverence to God, in benevolence to man- the latter being the only sure test of the former.

--Thomas M'Clintock



...It is safer to approach God through the Holy Spirit than through the door of theology. We can identify the Holy Spirit whenever it makes its presence felt. Whenever we see someone who is loving, compassionate, mindful, caring, and understanding, we know that the Holy Spirit is there.

--Thich Nhat Hanh


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Insurance Back Insurance Europe: Boosting financial literacy, key to ensuring growth and stability in European economy

Improving people's financial literacy and understanding of insurance will play an important role in underpinning economic growth and in enabling society to overcome the significant pension challenge it faces, according to Insurance Europe, the European insurance and reinsurance federation.



Increasing people's awareness of financial risks and opportunities from an early age will help them to make informed decisions about which financial services meet their needs. As a result, they are better prepared to engage in economic activity, which in turn helps to drive growth in the European economy, IE explained. This important issue will be highlighted during the 2016 Global Money Week, an annual global financial awareness campaign for children and young people, which runs from 14-20 March.



"Given the significant economic challenges European society faces, it is very important for people of all ages to be equipped with economic literacy and planning skills to assess their need for financial protection. Education on financial and insurance matters can enable people to make informed financial choices, helping them to live fuller, more prosperous lives, which in turn drives economic growth. Europe's insurers are committed to continue playing an important role in developing and promoting financial and insurance literacy initiatives at a European level", Michaela KOLLER, Director General of Insurance Europe, said.



The European insurance industry is already engaged in a broad range of initiatives to increase people's financial literacy and understanding of insurance, a selection of which can be found on Insurance Europe's website



"Raising awareness of the need to save money for retirement can help to take the strain off governments which continue to face a huge challenge in providing for their retired citizens. Given that retired populations are set to grow even larger over time, addressing this challenge now will be fundamental in ensuring stability and prosperity in European society. However, far more needs to be done across the EU by local competent authorities to inform people about the need to save for retirement", Michaela KOLLER added.



With increasing people's understanding of insurance in mind, Insurance Europe has produced a short educational animation



More details regarding the Global Money Week can be found here





Author: Adina TUDOR on 15.03.2016





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Acting General Director of state-owned Boryspil International Airport (Kyiv) Yevhen Dykhne says the facility is not planning considerable investment in capital construction during 2016.

"We do not plan any major investments in capital construction in 2016. A parking lot was to be finished, but after the Cabinet decided on its concession, we are forced to save money. We plan to prepare blueprints for the renovation of Terminal D and extend an apron in 2016. We've earmarked funds in the financial plan for this, and I hope we'll be able to begin this work in 2017, he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The airport's financial plan posted on the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry's website foresees capital investment in 2016 at UAH 541.8 million, including UAH 214.7 million for capital construction. Another UAH 214.7 million has been allocated for the purchase of fixed funds, UAH 15.5 million for the purchase of intangible assets, UAH 96.8 million for modernization and upgrading of fixed assets.
Better EU ties can help Ukraine and Turkey unify bloc members

EU accession for Ukraine and Turkey will ensure the stability of the unification of European states, said Ambassador of Turkey to Ukraine Yonet Can Tezel.

"It is not only Ukraine that longs for the European Union. The EU also is in need of Ukraine. Extension of EU stability zone: welfare zone, of material welfare, is first of all is possible due to EU activities in Turkey and Ukraine," Tezel said during a conference, named "Two States on the Border with the European Union: Relations between Turkey and Ukraine," held in Kyiv on Monday.

The Turkish diplomat said moving in the direction of Europe should be the primary approach in foreign policy for Ukraine and Turkey.

Professor of Marmara University (Turkey) said, "The process of European integration for Ukraine may be quicker than for Turkey because of cultural and demographic similarities.

The professor said Ukraine could occupy a worth place in the EU, despite domestic difficulties EU leaders face..

"Ukraine can find a seat at EU's table," he said.
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed bill No. 3755 on amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine in relation to declaration of officials' property, income, expenses and financial obligations in 2016. The measure included President Petro Poroshenko's proposals, which were agreed with European Union officials.

The so-called e-declaration bill was supported by 278 MPs during the morning plenary session on Tuesday. The Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliamentary faction gave 113 votes in favor of the bill, the People's Front supported it with 72 votes. Deputies from the Opposition Bloc and the Vidrodzhennia (Renaissance) factions did not vote on the bill. The document was backed by 20 MPs from the Samopomich Party, 19 MPs from Oleh Liashko's Radical Party, 14 MPs from the Batkivschyna Party, 13 MPs from the Volya Narodu Group and 27 independent MPs.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Groysman said that that is the last bill that should be adopted by Ukraine's legislature before the EU decides on whether to grant Ukrainian citizens' visa-free travel to EU countries..

As reported earlier, Poroshenko on March 12 vetoed the previous wording of the e-declaration bill, which was criticized by the EU. The Ukrainian president tabled an updated bill in parliament along with his proposals, which were agreed with the EU. He noted that the proposals had been developed by the presidential administration and civil society.

"[On the evening of Saturday, March 12] the president received a letter with conclusions and the signatures of two commissioners  Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos," the Presidential Administration's press service wrote.

Poroshenko said that among the major changes is obligatory submission by all officials of electronic declarations in 2016. The amendments also introduce criminal liability for providing incorrect information in income declarations.

The president's bill proposes imposing fines if an official from central or local government deliberately provides false information. The fine is set between 1,000 and 2,500 non-taxable minimum sums of individuals' income. False information in the declaration is defined as information that differs from real data by the amount of between 100 to 250 minimum monthly wages.

Poroshenko's amendments also include changes to Article 366-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. They foresee a fine worth from 2,000 to 3,000 non-taxable minimum sums of income or community service for a period from 150 to 240 hours, or imprisonment for a period of up to two years with a ban on work on certain positions or certain activity for a period for up to three years.

The amendments also say that a new declaration with accurate data can be provided within seven days from the date when the original declaration was made.

The proposed changes also apply to the part of the law saying "valuable movable property, the value of which exceeds 50 sums of the minimum wage," replacing these words with "valuable movable property whose value exceeds 100 sums of the minimum wage."

In addition, Poroshenko's bill deletes the phrase "not earlier than January 1, 2017" [concerning the entry of the law into force], replacing it with "in 2016 the officials who on the first day of the introduction of the said [e-declaration] system occupy under Article 50 of this law a high-ranking or very responsible position. They are obliged to submit an annual income declaration for the past year in the manner prescribed by the law within 60 calendar days after the launch of the system."

As was reported earlier, two conditions were to be met for the introduction of short-term visa-free travel for Ukrainians  the adoption of the e-declaration bill in keeping with the EU's recommendations and the launch of the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption in Ukraine.
Chief of Ukraine's National Police Khatia Dekanoidze has accepted a letter of resignation from the head of the National Police Main Department in Vinnytsia region, Anton Shevtsov.

Yuriy Pedos, first deputy head of Vinnytsia region police, was designated to temporarily perform Shevtsov's duties, the Ukraine's National Police office in Vinnytsia region said on Monday.

As reported earlier, Dekanoidze signed an order suspending Shevtsov from his duties in order conduct an investigation of his activities.

Shevtsov was summoned to Kyiv to explain his actions and demonstrate his suitability for the post of the Vinnytsia region police chief.

The National police said Shevtsov's performance review is ongoing.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov requested earlier that Ukraine's National Police Chief Dekanoidze dismiss Shevtsov immediately.

Users of social networking platforms in Feburary posted a photograph of Shevtsov and Russian boxer and deputy Nikolai Valuev. The picture was taken in front of the building flying a Russian flag. Photographs of Shevtsov's son in front of Russian military vehicles in occupied Crimea were also published..

Shevtsov said he was ready to undergo a lie detector test to prove his loyalty to Ukraine.

Dekanoidze in early Febuary said that National police would conduct an internal investigation with regard to Shevtsov.
Ukrainian MP Heorhiy Lohvynsky (People's Front Party faction) has proposed providing the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People with national status.

"Today we are developing a bill on how to provide the Mejlis with the status of a state self-regulation authority," he said at a press conference in Kyiv.

Lohvynsky reiterated that at present the Mejlis is not a fund or other legal entity. It previously functioned as a council under the president of Ukraine. He said it is impossible to prohibit the public authority of another country, because it would then be necessary to prohibit the whole country"

"We are obliged to give the national status to the Mejlis because the functions it performs are public functions. It protects the integrity of its country," the deputy said.
At least 6,000 Russian military servicemen in Donbas

At least 6,000 military personnel of the Russian Federation are currently fighting in Donbas, the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) has reported.

"Today, according to our data, around 6,000 Russian military men remain in the territory of Donbas," head of the SBU office Oleksandr Tkachuk said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

"Russian servicemen are constantly rotated in the territory of Ukraine not controlled by the state authorities. Their numbers have decreased slightly, but not significantly," he said.

Tkachuk has not specified the exact number of Russian citizens staying in Donbas.

He stressed that the total number of members of illegal armed groups, who are located in Donbas, is about 40,000.

Tkachuk estimated that more than 1,600 Russian servicemen have been killed in eastern Ukraine since Russia illegally annexed Ukraine in early 2014.
The Kyiv Dniprovsky District Court has changed pre-trial restrictions for member of the UKROP Party political council Hennadiy Korban from detention to house arrest, according to party spokesman Yevhen Kravchuk.

As reported, on Tuesday, March 15, the Kyiv Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Kyiv Dniprovsky District Court to extend Korban's pre-trial detention until April 15.

Korban was arrested on October 31, 2015. On November 4 he was indicted on suspicion of committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 255 (setting up and participation in a criminal organization), Part 3 of Article 157 (obstruction of election commissions' activities), Part 5 of Article 191 (embezzlement of money of the National Defense Fund charity organization in a large scale), Part 2 of Article 289 and Article 349 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the seizure of hostages).
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on March 15 held a meeting with Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius, during which the sides discussed the problem of resolving the situation in Donbas, as well as the issues of cooperation between Kyiv and the European Union.

The presidential press service said Poroshenko expressed gratitude for Lithuania's consistent position with respect to support of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and the need to extend EU sanctions against the Russian Federation until the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.

"The parties noted that the key element for the political settlement of the situation in Donbas is security, including the withdrawal of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment This could pave the way for a further political settlement of the situation and create preconditions for holding elections in these territories," reads the report.
"The reason he will (use force) is because he's not going to get anywhere doing anything else..." The post David Roche: Taiwan Invasion Inevitable appear...
From 1962 to 1971, the US military sprayed herbicides over Vietnam to strip the thick jungle canopy that could conceal opposition forces, to destroy crops that those forces might depend on, and to clear tall grasses and bushes from the perimeters of US base camps and outlying fire-support bases. Mixtures of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), picloram, and cacodylic acid made up the bulk of the herbicides sprayed. The main chemical mixture sprayed was Agent Orange, a 50:50 mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. At the time of the spraying, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic form of dioxin, was an unintended contaminant generated during the production of 2,4,5-T and so was present in Agent Orange and some other formulations sprayed in Vietnam.

Because of complaints from returning Vietnam veterans about their own health and that of their children combined with emerging toxicologic evidence of adverse effects of phenoxy herbicides and TCDD, the National Academy of Sciences was asked to perform a comprehensive evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange, other herbicides used in Vietnam, and the various components of those herbicides, including TCDD. Updated evaluations were conducted every two years to review newly available literature and draw conclusions from the overall evidence. Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2014 is a cumulative report of the series thus far.
The Iranian officials were reacting to the report by UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed on the violation of human rights and the unprecedented spike in executions, especially that of juveniles, in Iran.

In his interview with Tehrans state radio and television, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary of the Iranian regimes Human Rights Council, described the report as unsubstantial, repetitious and non-factual.

Larijani said: They used our codified charges of Mohareb and Corrupt on earth as a pretext in this report despite the fact that they state this section relates to the laws of our country They need to comprehend qisas since this is a divine decree. Qisas is not execution, but it offers justice to a citizen who deserves it.

Mr. Shaheeds report to the current UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva states that at least 966 prisoners were executed in Iran in 2015 which is the highest number of executions in Iran in the past two decades. Similarly, 16 juveniles were executed in Iran during 2014-2015 which is the highest level of executions of juveniles in the past five years. Despite all endeavors, the number of juvenile executions has not only has not diminished but has increased in the past two years.

In another part of his interview Larijani calls Iran the largest democracy in western Asia and notes that Iran does not accept a Special Rapporteur to monitor Irans human rights record since Iran is the greatest and most serious democracy in western Asia and that the civil and political infrastructure of no country in this region is as democratic as in Iran.

In his report, Mr. Shaheed refers to 47 journalists and bloggers in addition to hundreds of human rights activists imprisoned in Iran. He emphasizes that there have been no fundamental changes regarding human rights in Iran since 2013. The UN Special Rapporteur also referred to forced confessions extracted through torture from prisoners.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has placed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on alert to be prepared to initiate large-scale assaults against the Syrian opposition and the Free Syrian Army at the first opportunity.

Among IRGC military plans is the capture of a major road between Nubl and Aleppo. Marea, north of Nubl, has turned into a garrison controlled by the IRGC and its Afghan mercenaries. They are now making preparations for the next major assault.

Simultaneously, additional IRGC forces are getting ready to be transported to Syria, including forces from Nabi Akram Division in Kermanshah commanded by Colonel Akbar Nazari. They are receiving training at Kermanshahs Azadi Stadium so that after the Iranian New Year at least two battalions from this division can be dispatched to Syria. The IRGC has set up training minefields in the halls of this stadium.

The IRGC continues to dispatch mercenaries from larger Iranian cities to Syria. From the southern Iranian city of Abadan alone, there are three daily flights taking mercenaries to Damascus. On Saturday, March 5 around 300 fighters with al-Nojaba, an Iraqi mercenary group affiliated with the Qods Force, were flown from Abadan to Damascus.

Meanwhile, on February 22, Khamenei ordered the establishment of airborne units of the IRGC Army to intensify their assaults in Syria. Helicopters from the IRGC aerospace division are in the process of being transferred to the IRGC Army for this purpose.

Khamenei is using the unfrozen funds from the nuclear deal to purchase billions of dollars of advanced weaponry from Russia for the IRGC and Bashar Assads military. A large number of helicopters, jet fighters and T-90 tanks are on this purchase list. Following the nuclear deal, the Iranian regime has promised to bankroll a considerable portion of Assads acquisition of essential weaponry from Russia.
Such visits are indicative of the role that Zarif is playing in expanding the Islamic Republics engagement with the world in the wake of Irans nuclear agreement with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. This role has also been buttressed by the fact that a number of Western figures regard Zarif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as relative moderates within their government.

However both men have defending ballistic missile tests and other activities regarded by international critics as provocations and violations of UN resolutions, and this contributes to objections to their moderate characterization. For instance, the exile resistance group the National Council of Resistance of Iran has repeatedly communicated with the international press to emphasize anti-Western backgrounds for these and other supposedly moderate regime officials.

Indeed, Rouhani and Zarif have made explicit statements against the US and its allies even after the conclusion of nuclear negotiations on July 14. Zarifs defense of the ballistic missile tests was an example of this. Without commenting upon the anti-Israeli message written on the side of two of those missiles, Zarif accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama of both maintaining of an aggressive posture and threatening to use force against Iran every day.

The Netanyahu and Obama administrations have notably been at odds over Iran policy since early in the nuclear negotiating process, with Netanyahu accusing Obama of entering into an agreement that paves the way to an Iranian nuclear weapon. And Netanyahus allies in the US Congress have accused Obamas overall approach to Iran policy of being based on appeasement or general weakness. These factors indicate that contrary to Zarifs statements, President Obama has maintained less aggression toward Iran than most of his colleagues and predecessors.

This division within the US government was certainly on display in the wake of the previous Iranian ballistic missile tests, which took place in October and November and were also understood to be violations of UN Security Council Resolutions. Republican and Democratic congressmen urged the White House to take action for several weeks before sanctions were imposed in January upon eleven entities associated with the Iranian ballistic missile program.

Now that those tests have effectively been repeated, various policy analysts have described the January sanctions as anemic or ineffectual. They and congressional policymakers have thus begun to press for more serious punitive action. This is something that the international community began considering on Monday, when the UN Security Council gathered to discuss the missile tests at the behest of an American request.

It remains to be seen whether this relatively quick US response will lead to stricter enforcement measures being imposed, but the repetitive nature of the Iranian violations certainly raises the level of pressure for such a response. And the Obama administration has been seriously condemned last weeks launches, with UN ambassador Samantha Power describing them as provocative and destabilizing, according to the New York Daily News.

Some members of Congress say that last weeks launch is considered a violation of the nuclear agreement, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This connection was made even more explicitly by Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives on Monday, in an interview on Fox Business Channel. McCarthy urged new economic sanctions as punishment for breaking the agreement, and also expressed the almost universal Republican view that there should never have been an agreement along the lines that the White House outlined in July.

But contrary to McCarthy, most commentary on the ballistic missile tests has not described them as a violation of the nuclear deal, but only as a violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which governs the implementation of that deal. That resolution replaced UNSCR 1929, which banned Irans work on nuclear-capable ballistic missiles up until the point of the nuclear deals implementation.

However, various critics of the Iranian regime have suggested that the violation of these resolutions suggests unwillingness to comply with the overall spirit of the nuclear agreement. Some have also suggested that the Obama administrations pursuit of that agreement has enabled the current situation, giving the impression of a change of policy that is deliberately more permissive of the Islamic Republic.

This criticism was voiced once again on Monday by former Saudi Arabian Intelligence Minister Prince Turki al-Faisal, who was also formerly a Saudi envoy to Washington. Faisal had harshly criticized the Obama administration over its apparent pivot towards Iran, and the associated criticisms of Saudi Arabia, a traditional US ally.

Faisals open letter to the Obama administration cited the persistent aggressive rhetoric directed against the US and the rest of the West by Iranian officials. It also said, You add insult to injury by telling us to share our world with Iran, a country that you describe as a supporter of terrorism.

For the many Western figures who are concerned about the continuation of this Iranian support for terrorism, last weeks ballistic missile tests are a reminder of the military resources that could be channeled into the hands of terrorist groups if Irans internal capabilities continue to grow. And there are early signs that this could be leading to a change in policy among some of those who have recently supported a program or rapprochement with the Islamic Republic.

That is to say, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that a number of members of the European Union had responded to the latest Iranian violations by openly considering jointly-enforced sanctions, even though this could imperil their ongoing exploration of renewed trade relations with the Islamic Republic. The Journal notes that this response is distinctly unlike the European response to the October and November ballistic missile tests, suggesting that the ill effects of Irans continued defiance may be gradually overriding optimism about its reentry into the international community.

There are even some indications that this has been the case among some of Irans traditional allies. For instance, at a time when the delivery of advanced Russian S-300 missiles was supposedly just around the corner, Moscow once again delayed the completion of the transaction this month, apparently in response to Irans continued support of terrorist groups like Hezbollah. The Lebanese Shiite paramilitary is fighting alongside the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria, thereby supporting Russias position in favor of the continued rule of Bashar al-Assad, but also raising the threat posed to Israel, a Russian ally.

Similarly, Iran has traditionally had cooperative relations with Hamas, but the expansion of Iranian influence throughout the region has apparently made Hamas more wary of that cooperation in recent months.

Nevertheless, Irans traditional partners remain obstacles to international cooperation to push back against provocations like last weeks missile launches. Reuters reported on Monday that despite Russias disagreements with Iran in certain areas, the Kremlin still opposes sanctions over the ballistic missile issue. Russia, China, and some temporary members of the Security Council seem to accept Irans position on the ballistic missile issue  a position expressed Foreign Minister Zarif  that the Iranians are within their rights to simply ignore the expectations expressed by the relevant UN resolution.
Hemos recibido en los ultimos dias muchos mensajes de amigas y amigos de la Casa y de la Revolucion Cubana que, ante las persistentes y somb...
[March 14, 2016] Fitch Affirms Mechanicsburg EVSD, OH ULTGO Underlying Rtg at 'AA-'; Outlook Revised to Stable

Fitch Ratings has taken the following actions on Mechanicsburg Exempted Village School District, Ohio's (the district) unlimited tax general obligation (ULTGO) bonds: --$6.3 million ULTGO bonds series 2012 underlying rating affirmed at 'AA-'. The Rating Outlook on the underlying rating is revised to Stable from Negative. The series 2012 bonds also carry an 'AA' program rating based on enhancement provided by the Ohio School District Credit Enhancement Program. The Rating Outlook for this program is Stable. SECURITY The bonds are payable from the levy of an ad valorem tax on all taxable property within the district without limitation as to rate or amount. The Ohio School District Credit Enhancement Program requires the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to forward state foundation program payments to the bond registrar if, prior to the bond payment date, the district has not transmitted funds sufficient to cover required debt service payments. KEY RATING DRIVERS STRENGTHENED RESERVES: The Outlook revision to Stable from Negative is due to consecutive years of net general fund operating surpluses after transfers that have substantially increased unrestricted reserves, countering prior year deficits. Current forecasts indicate continued fund balance growth through at least fiscal 2017. DEPENDENT REVENUE STRUCTURE: The district's revenue structure is heavily reliant on both state aid and voter approval for continuing tax levies. As a result, Fitch expects district finances to continue to be challenged by potential fluctuations related to these revenue sources. STABLE ECONOMY? BELOW-AVERAGE INCOME INDICATORS: County income levels are below average, although employment has been stable and unemployment rates remain below state and national levels. Taxable assessed value (TAV) grew significantly in fiscal 2014 due to revaluation, but is expected to remain flat in the near term. MODERATE DEBT PROFILE: Overall debt levels are moderate. Amortization is average, and no additional debt issuance is currently contemplated. Total carrying costs, including debt service, pension, and other post-employment (OPEB) costs are low as a percentage of governmental spending. RATING SENSITIVITIES STATE AID DEPENDENCE: The district is vulnerable to changes in state aid, which can vary as a result of enrollment fluctuations and any charter school competition in the district. The introduction of charter schools or enrollment declines due to other factors may decrease state aid and place negative pressure on the rating. VOTER SUPPORT OF SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVIES: Continued voter support for new and renewal levies is key to financial stability. Changes in patterns of voter support could affect the rating. CREDIT PROFILE The district serves a rural area approximately 35 miles northwest of Columbus that includes the village of Mechanicsburg, OH and two small townships near the village. Enrollment, estimated at about 914 in 2015, has been declining since 2010 but is projected to remain stable in the near term. IMPROVED FINANCES; SUSTAINED FUND BALANCE GROWTH District finances have been positively affected by increases in state aid and conservative expenditure management, which have restored prior-year unrestricted fund balance deficits to a positive position. Fiscal 2014 general fund revenues grew 4.6%, reflecting increased state funding and growth in property taxes due to valuation growth. Expenditures decreased 6.5%, reflecting labor concessions including continued wage freezes and reduced health benefit costs due to a switch to self-insurance. The district added $1.2 million to fund balance after transfers, growing unrestricted reserves to $1.4 million or 17.5% of spending. Unaudited fiscal 2015 results include additional state aid increases and income tax revenue growth, culminating in a 3.5% increase in total revenues. Expenditures grew due to a salary increase, following two years of wage compression. Despite this increase, the district was able to add an additional $1.4 million to fund balance, increasing unrestricted reserves to $2.8 million or a healthy 35.1% of general fund expenditures. The district's current budgetary cash-basis financial forecast indicates continued near-term financial strengthening. Operating surpluses and increased ending balances are projected to continue into fiscal 2017. The forecast reflects future salary and fringe benefit increases and conservative expenditure assumptions. Fitch expects cash basis performance to be consistent with historical GAAP results. DEPENDENT REVENUE STRUCTURE School districts in Ohio operate in a constrained environment with property tax revenue growth dependent on new construction and/or voter approval of increased levies, with potential subsequent voter renewals reuired. District voters approved three recent tax levies, including the 2014 emergency tax levy, for 10 years (about $195,000 annually). Property taxes and income taxes subject to voter renewal, when combined, made up about 15% of general fund revenues in fiscal 2014.



The district relies on state aid for approximately 50% of general fund revenues. State foundation aid increased by 10.4% in fiscal 2014 and an additional 7.7% in fiscal 2015. Management expects slight increases into fiscal 2016. The funding formula is dependent on a variety of inputs, including total enrollment and the number of charter school students. While the district currently faces no direct charter school competition, some students have opted to enroll in online education programs. Approximately 3.3% of state aid revenues are designated as charter school appropriations. STABLE LOCAL ECONOMY

Unemployment rates in Champaign County have dropped from 5.8% in 2013 to 4.1% in December 2015, below both state (4.6%) and national (4.8%) levels. County per capita personal income indicators remain below state and national averages. The school district is the largest local employer, although many residents of the district are employed at a Honda (News - Alert) plant in nearby Marysville. All Honda Accords sold in North America are manufactured at the Marysville plant. The Memorial Medical group has announced plans for a new $8 million medical office building in Champaign County. The district's TAV increased significantly in fiscal 2014 (12.9%) as the result of revaluation, chiefly related to the valuation of agricultural properties. The district expects TAV to remain flat over the near term. MODERATE DEBT PROFILE The district's overall fiscal 2016 debt burden is moderate at 2.2% of market value or $1,250 per capita. Principal amortization is rapid with about 63.7% retired in 10 years. The district has no immediate plans for additional debt. Pension benefits and OPEB are provided through two state-sponsored cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plans, the Ohio School Employees Retirement System (OSERS) and the Ohio State Teacher Retirement System (OSTRS). Using GASB 68 reporting, the assets-to-liabilities ratio for the district's portion of the plan is 74.2% as of June 30, 2014. Using Fitch's more conservative 7% rate of return, the estimated ratio is 68.5%. The district funded 100% of its contractually required contribution in 2015. Carrying costs for debt service, pension contributions, and OPEB amounted to a low 11.4% of governmental fund spending in fiscal 2015. OPEB is provided through the two state-run pension programs and are funded on a pay-go basis. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Fitch recently published exposure drafts of state and local government tax-supported criteria (Exposure Draft: U.S. Tax-Supported Rating Criteria, dated Sept. 10, 2015 and Exposure Draft: Incorporating Enhanced Recovery Prospects into U.S. Local Tax-Supported Ratings). The drafts include a number of proposed revisions to existing criteria. If applied in the proposed form, Fitch estimates the revised criteria would result in changes to less than 10% of existing tax-supported ratings. Fitch expects that final criteria will be approved and published in the first quarter of 2016. Once approved, the criteria will be applied immediately to any new issue and surveillance rating review. Fitch anticipates the criteria to be applied to all ratings that fall under the criteria within a 12-month period from the final approval date. In addition to the sources of information identified in the applicable criteria specified below, this action was informed by information from CreditScope, IHS (News - Alert) Global Insight, and Lumesis. Applicable Criteria Exposure Draft: Incorporating Enhanced Recovery Prospects into US Local Tax-Supported Ratings (pub. 02 Feb 2016) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=875108 Exposure Draft: U.S. Tax-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 10 Sep 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=869942 Tax-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 14 Aug 2012) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=686015 U.S. Local Government Tax-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 14 Aug 2012) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=685314 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1000909 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1000909 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/20160314006191/en/

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[March 14, 2016] Green Dot Issues Statement Regarding Harvest Capital's Nomination of Directors

Green Dot Corporation (NYSE:GDOT) (the "Company") today issued the following statement regarding Harvest Capital Strategies LLC's ("Harvest Capital") nomination of three candidates for election to Green Dot's Board of Directors at the Company's 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. "Green Dot respects and values input from all shareholders. To that end, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Green Dot's Board of Directors will carefully review Harvest Capital's proposed candidates in due course, and make a recommendation it believes is in the best interests of all shareholders. "Green Dot has engaged extensively with Harvest Capital representatives in an attempt to satisfy their concerns in a cooperative manner that benefits all shareholders. To that end, Green Dot recently offered Harvest Capital the opportunity to appoint one director to the Green Dot Board immediately and previously invited Harvest Capital and other top shareholders to propose candidates to serve as additional Directors, giving Harvest Capital the opportunity to work cooperatively with Green Dot to appoint appropriate directors to Green Dot's Board. Moreover, Green Dot Chairman and CEO Steve Streit offered to take no additional equity compensation for the next two years and to work with the Compensation Committee to further align his compensation to the Company's stated performance objectives. "We are disappointed that Harvest Capital has shown no signs of compromise and dismissed these proposals in favor of a disruptive and potentially value-destroying public campaign at the very time the Company believes investors are beginning to benefit from the realization of Green Dot's long-term strategic plan. "Without regard to any distraction, Green Dot's Board and management team continue to execute our six-step plan to achieve $1.75 in Non-GAAP EPS in 2017. We believe our Company's performance will ultimately be Green Dot's most powerful and effective response to Harvest Capital's campaign." About Green Dot Green Dot Corporation, along with its wholly owned subsidiary bank, Green Dot Bank, is a pro-consumer financial technology innovator with a mission to provide a full range of affordable and accessible financial services to the masses. Green Dot invented the prepaid debit card industry and is the largest provider of reloadable prepaid debit cards and cash reload processing services in the United States. Green Dot is also a leader in mobile technology and mobile banking with its award-winning GoBank mobile checking account. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, TPG, Green Dot is additionally the largest processor of tax refund disbursements in the U.S. Green Dot's products and services are available to consumers through a large-scale "branchless bank" distribuion network of approximately 100,000 U.S. locations, including retailers, neighborhood financial service center locations, and tax preparation offices, as well as online, in the leading app stores and through leading online tax preparation providers. Green Dot Corporation is headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., with additional facilities throughout the United States and in Shanghai, China.



Forward-Looking Statements This press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include, among other things, the timing and impact of revenue growth activities, the Company's dependence on revenues derived from Walmart and three other retail distributors, impact of competition, the Company's reliance on retail distributors for the promotion of its products and services, demand for the Company's new and existing products and services, continued and improving returns from the Company's investments in new growth initiatives, potential difficulties in integrating operations of acquired entities and acquired technologies, the Company's ability to operate in a highly regulated environment, changes to existing laws or regulations affecting the Company's operating methods or economics, the Company's reliance on third-party vendors, changes in credit card association or other network rules or standards, changes in card association and debit network fees or products or interchange rates, instances of fraud developments in the prepaid financial services industry that impact prepaid debit card usage generally, business interruption or systems failure, and the Company's involvement litigation or investigations. These and other risks are discussed in greater detail in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which are available on the Company's investor relations website at ir (News - Alert).greendot.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. All information provided in this press release is as of March 14, 2016, and the Company assumes no obligation to update this information as a result of future events or developments.

Important Additional Information The Company intends to file a proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)") in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Proxy Statement"). The Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers will be participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders in respect of the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Information regarding the names of the Company's directors and executive officers and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise is set forth in the Company's proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 30, 2015. To the extent holdings of such participants in the Company's securities have changed since the amounts described in the 2015 proxy statement, such changes have been reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 3 or Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Details concerning the nominees of the Company's Board of Directors for election at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be included in the Proxy Statement. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC, INCLUDING THE COMPANY'S DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY SUPPLEMENTS THERETO BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and stockholders will be able to obtain a copy of the definitive proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company free of charge from the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. Green Dot stockholders will also be able to obtain, without charge, a copy of the definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant filed documents by directing a request by mail to Green Dot Corporation, 3465 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, California 91107, Attn: Investor Relations, or from the Company's website, www.greendot.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314006335/en/

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[March 15, 2016] Automated CAMDS Solution From iPoint Minimizes Material Data Effort for Automotive Manufacturers

REUTLINGEN, Germany, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- - Compiling Chinese CAMDS material data sheets without disclosing sensitive data With immediate effect, iPoint-systems gmbh, the global market leader in software solutions and services for product compliance and sustainability (http://www.ipoint-systems.de), is offering automotive manufacturers an integrated solution for collecting material data for both IMDS (International Material Data System) and the new Chinese CAMDS (China Automotive Material Data System). iPoint's solution enables OEMs and suppliers to significantly speed up their CAMDS processes. It converts and anonymizes existing IMDS data sheets in a highly automated process without disclosing sensitive data about the supply chain, suppliers, etc. to the Chinese CAMDS. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343930 )

Hassle-free conversion from IMDS to CAMDS At the end of 2015, the Chinese authorities changed the information requirements automotive OEMs have to meet when submitting the material data that has to be provided in order to gain type approval. Manufacturers are now also obliged to collect material data for the new CAMDS system, which has been developed by the Chia Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) and Chinese OEMs. To prevent this from doubling the amount of work involved for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers in collecting the necessary material data, iPoint has created an integrated CAMDS and IMDS solution that automatically converts IMDS data for use in CAMDS, while protecting confidential business data and relationships. iPoint has integrated this new solution into its established iPoint Compliance Agent (iPCA) module and implemented similarly designed user interfaces for IMDS and CAMDS.



Significantly reduced workload for CAMDS Thanks to this automated conversion procedure, OEMs and suppliers are able to improve efficiency and quality, while building on existing data and processes. User experience shows that this new, automated solution significantly reduces the efforts for creating CAMDS data sheets compared with having to input the necessary data manually. Furthermore, the fact that the solution uses the familiar iPCA user interface minimizes the amount of time users need to learn the system.

- Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) - About iPoint iPoint-systems (http://www.ipoint-systems.com) was founded in Reutlingen, southwest Germany, in 2001 and is now the world's leading expert for software solutions and services for product compliance, process compliance, and sustainability. These solutions and services are used to collect, track, process, manage and report data across the entire value chain. Today, iPoint has more than 100 employees at eleven locations around the globe and has a worldwide network of partners. Over 35,000 companies from all industry sectors rely on the expertise of iPoint when it comes to complying with regulations such as ELV, REACH as well as Conflict-Minerals-related laws, and meeting other requirements governing environmental and social product compliance, process compliance, and sustainability. iPoint works hand in hand with clients, partners, international research institutes, and industry associations in order to develop its industry-leading solutions. We have won many awards for our innovative, 'green' and client-oriented solutions, services and processes, and have the certificates to prove it. Contact:

iPoint-systems gmbh

Dr. Katie Boehme

Ludwig-Erhard-Strae 58

72760 Reutlingen

Germany

Tel. +49(0)7121-14489-60

katie(dot)boehme(at)ipoint-systems.de

http://www.ipoint-systems.com

SOURCE iPoint-systems gmbh

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[March 15, 2016] Panasonic Visual Systems to Shine Bright at Digital Signage Expo 2016 in Las Vegas

Panasonic (News - Alert), a leading provider of digital signage solutions, will showcase its latest professional display and projector technology at Digital Signage Expo booth 1519. These technologies are part of the company's end-to-end digital signage solutions for virtually any industry, including retail, education (higher education & K-12), rental and staging, restaurants, corporate offices, government organizations and more. "We are immersed in a digital world, so being able to empower all our customers - whether a retailer, government organization, university, or K-12 institution - and speak their language and provide them with the solutions they need to grow their business is our mission," said John Baisley, Senior Vice President, Visual & Imaging, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. "Creating impactful and memorable experiences through our professional displays and projectors that stand out is absolutely crucial." New Panasonic professional display and projector technology for digital signage includes: AF1 Series Professional Displays: Panasonic's new AF1 Series for commercial signage applications incorporates an open-source system-in-a-chip (SoC) platform, enabling software companies to create apps for digital signage applications. Designed for simplicity, reliability and expandability, the Google (News - Alert)-certified AF1 Series features an Android and HTML5-based OpenPort Platform, and is equipped with a 1GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM (News - Alert), and 8 GB of internal storage. The slim design of the AF1 Series features a narrow 6.3mm bezel and is offered in 42", 49", and 55" panels. Additionally, the display's 500 cd/m2 IPS panel assures off-axis visibility and supports tilt installation of up to 45 degrees forwards or backwards.

Panasonic's new AF1 Series for commercial signage applications incorporates an open-source system-in-a-chip (SoC) platform, enabling software companies to create apps for digital signage applications. Designed for simplicity, reliability and expandability, the Google (News - Alert)-certified AF1 Series features an Android and HTML5-based OpenPort Platform, and is equipped with a 1GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM (News - Alert), and 8 GB of internal storage. The slim design of the AF1 Series features a narrow 6.3mm bezel and is offered in 42", 49", and 55" panels. Additionally, the display's 500 cd/m2 IPS panel assures off-axis visibility and supports tilt installation of up to 45 degrees forwards or backwards. LFV6 / LFV60 Series Video Wall Displays: With an ultra-slim 3.5 mm bezel and anti-glare (LFV6 Series) / anti-reflective (LFV60 Series) treatment, the 55" TH-55LFV6U and TH-55LFV60U displays create beautiful, seamless images for a range of video wall applications, including transportation hubs, control rooms and retail stores. Both models are embedded with a "Failover and Failback" function which maintains continuous signal distribution, even if some input signals are disrupted by an accidental operational error. The TH-55LFV6U offers brightness of 500 cd/m2 while the TH-55LFV60U provides a brightness of 700 cd/m2 for applications where high ambient light is a concern. Both the LFV60 Series and LFV6 Series can be installed using Panasonic's easy mounting magnetic brackets and an optional auto camera calibration for fast, seamless, simple and cost effective installations.



Additionally, these displays can be operated 24/7, can be mounted in landscape or portrait mode, and are easily synchronized via an embedded USB port, enabling operators to update content wirelessly and efficiently. LF8 / LF80 Series Professional Displays: Panasonic engineered both the LF8 and LF80 Series of professional displays to provide high picture quality and versatility for mission critical signage applications. Available in 42", 49", and 55" models, both series offer high reliability using IPS panels with continuous 24/7 operation and a "Failover and Failback" function. The LF8 Series provides brightness of 500 cd/m 2 while the LF80 Series provides brightness of 700 cd/m 2. The LF80 Series also offers DIGITAL LINK connectivity, which enables 1080/60p video, audio, and control commands to be routed through a single CAT5e or higher cable for distances of up to 150 meters, simplifying installation, by eliminating the need for a video splitter. These displays can be mounted in either portrait or landscape orientation.

Panasonic engineered both the LF8 and LF80 Series of professional displays to provide high picture quality and versatility for mission critical signage applications. Available in 42", 49", and 55" models, both series offer high reliability using IPS panels with continuous 24/7 operation and a "Failover and Failback" function. The LF8 Series provides brightness of 500 cd/m while the LF80 Series provides brightness of 700 cd/m The LF80 Series also offers DIGITAL LINK connectivity, which enables 1080/60p video, audio, and control commands to be routed through a single CAT5e or higher cable for distances of up to 150 meters, simplifying installation, by eliminating the need for a video splitter. These displays can be mounted in either portrait or landscape orientation. LFE8 Series Professional Displays: This simple, stylish, robust and cost efficient digital signage solution is ideal for retail, public spaces and visual communication in showrooms. The slim design of TH-65LFE8U displays offer excellent visibility, with a narrow bezel width. The display enables simple, networkable media presentation, with a built-in signage player that allows video and still-image playback via USB. These displays can be mounted in either portrait or landscape orientation.

This simple, stylish, robust and cost efficient digital signage solution is ideal for retail, public spaces and visual communication in showrooms. The slim design of TH-65LFE8U displays offer excellent visibility, with a narrow bezel width. The display enables simple, networkable media presentation, with a built-in signage player that allows video and still-image playback via USB. These displays can be mounted in either portrait or landscape orientation. PT-RZ570WU 1-Chip DLP&tade; SOLID SHINE Laser Projector: Making its U.S. debut at DSE 2016, the PT-RZ570WU balances 5,400 lumens* (center) / 5,200 lumens of brightness, brilliant picture quality, marathon 20,000-hour maintenance-free 24/7 continuous operation, filter-free and practical features that make this new model ideal for digital signage solutions.







Utilizing the latest DLP module for WUXGA resolution and a new-generation of solid-state laser diodes, the PT-RZ570WU has a four-segment Quartet Color Harmonizer color wheel that reduces energy loss from the light source, boosting perceived brightness and improving color accuracy. The combination of these technologies result in picture quality which exceeds that of competitive lamp-based projectors, making text and graphics clear and comfortable for everyone to view. It also features DIGITAL LINK connectivity based on HDBaseT technology that supports long distance transmission of HDMI signals and more through a single LAN cable. PT-RZ12KU Projector: This 12,000 lumens 3-Chip DLP WUXGA projector boasts 120 Hz** frame-replacement technologies and is compatible with high frame rate contents, reducing blur from motion to deliver a clear, crisp image.



The PT-RZ12KU also eclipses the competition with a contrast ratio of 20,000:1, making it ideal for large venue situations, due to the high levels of detail. The new PT-RZ12KU Series projectors allow for vertical, horizontal and tilting 360-degree projection enabled by a laser light source. With the multi-screen projection and geometric adjustment features, Panasonic emphasizes its focus on system and installation flexibility for its customers. Projection Mapping Solutions: Panasonic will also exhibit its new Panasonic Space Player. This revolutionary DLP projector combines the functions of traditional lighting and video projection to create engaging, projected visuals able to support a wide variety of applications and is ideal for restaurants, retail stores, museums and more. For example, end-users can focus on display descriptions and other information while lighting certain products, while a restaurant could project a menu along with images of each food and beverage option. Easy installation, 24/7 continuous operation, and exceptionally long life (20,000 hour light source) without the need to change bulbs or provide periodic maintenance makes the Panasonic Space Player a great solution for specialty projection. At DSE 2016, Panasonic will also recreate the iconic Bolshoi Ballet Theater with projection mapping technology via a PT-RZ670UK 6,500 lumens laser projector equipped with an ET-DLE080 zoom lens.

DSE 2016 attendees are encouraged to stop by booth 1519 and check out other marquee lines of projectors, and see various OpenPort PLATFORM partner solutions from PDC North America (Panasonic) and Scala. These partners offer a full range of services from consulting, network & system design, content production, distribution & operations, screen-by-screen monitoring, and more. Sales inquiries for Panasonic's AV technology solutions should be directed to [email protected] or 877-726-2767. Follow Panasonic Pro AV Solutions Panasonic for Business' Pro AV Solutions can be followed on social media channels, including Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Panasonic for Business blog. Panasonic Solutions for Business Panasonic delivers game-changing technology solutions that deliver a customized experience to drive better outcomes-for our customers and our customers' customers. Panasonic engineers reliable products and solutions that help to create, capture and deliver data of all types, where, when and how it is needed. The complete suite of Panasonic professional solutions for government and commercial enterprises of all sizes addresses unified business communications, mobile computing, security and surveillance, retail point-of-sale, office productivity, visual communications (projectors, displays, digital signage) and HD video production. Panasonic solutions for business are delivered by Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic solutions for business can be obtained by calling 877-803-8492 or at us.panasonic.com/business-solutions/. About Panasonic Corporation of North America Panasonic Corporation of North America provides a broad line of digital and other electronics products and solutions for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In Interbrand's 2014 annual "Best Global Green Brands" report, Panasonic ranked number five overall and the top electronics brand in the report. As part of continuing sustainability efforts, Panasonic Corporation of North America relocated its headquarters to a new facility, built to meet LEED certification standards, adjacent to Newark Penn Station in Newark, NJ. Learn more about Panasonic at www.panasonic.com. *Android (News - Alert) is a trademark of Google Inc.

*Luminance measured at center of screen

**Refresh-rate varies depending on vertical scanning frequency View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315006258/en/

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proxima

Una excursionista encontro una extrana moneda de oro de 2.000 anos de antiguedad al norte de Israel
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EE.UU.: Camara Baja de Arizona aprueba un proyecto de ley contra empresas que boicoteen a Israel
The occasional and probably unreliable recollections of an aging female.
For about three decades, conventional thinking about trade has relied on a spectacular non-sequitur. Not only is it false and illogical. It has produced an economic catastrophe for our nation. Now that our people and our pols have finally identified it, its undermining our politics as well. If its discovery makes Donald Trump president, it could produce a general, global catastrophe, perhaps even a military one. The non-sequitur is simple to state but requires some explanation. In essence, it holds that selling a rich nations industrial infrastructure to poor nations is a necessary condition or consequence of free trade. In order to see how absurd this notion is, we first have to recall what is free trade. Since before World War II, the term free trade has been defined by its opposite: tariffs and other forms of trade protectionism whose purpose is to restrict trade and make markets a form of national property. An example was our own Smoot-Hawley tariffs, imposed before that war. Congress designed them to exclude Japanese manufactures from our American markets, and they were a key motivator for Japans aggression in World War II. After that horrible war, leading powers recognized that market exclusion was not too different from territorial conquest. Territorial conquest says, This land is mine!" Similarly, market exclusion says, Thisis mine! Tariffs dont have to be sky high in order to effect the exclusion. Imposed on imported products, a mere 10% cost increase, let alone a 25% one, is often enough to motivate domestic consumers to buy locally produced goods. After World War II, leaders of major powers were fully conscious of the role of tariffs and other trade barriers in causing the war. Not wanting to repeat the awful experience, they convened international conferences and set about creating rules to lower and eventually eliminate the barriers. The process began formally with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947. It continued through the World Trade Organizations formation in 1996. It continues today under such compacts as the TPP, or Trans-Pacific Partnership. The general idea of all these agreements is that free trade is good, and artificial restraints on trade are bad. Today we have generally accepted economic theory to underline these points. Tariffs allow inefficient, high-cost domestic businesses to exclude goods made by better, more efficient firms abroad. They also force domestic consumers and businesses to waste money buying inefficiently produced (and therefor higher-priced) goods. At the same time, they make efficient foreign producers and their nations angry, just as our Smoot-Hawley tariffs did Japan before World War II. So trade is good. Protecting inefficient domestic industries against better, more efficient foreign competition is bad. These points have become conventional wisdom in trade and economic circles over the last half-century. But do they justify, let alone require, a developed nations elite capitalists selling that nations industrial infrastructure to poor nations to lower prices and, in so doing, get rich quick? This is the non-sequitur that both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have identified. Its now a big issue in our Yankee presidential election. Yes, its a good thing for commodities and manufactures to be sold, without tariffs, at nondiscriminatory prices that vary only by productive efficiency and transportation cost. That gives everyone, worldwide, an incentive to become the most efficient and lowest-cost producer and the most efficient user, who can pay the highest price. But is it a good thing for rich countries like the US (and England earlier) to sell and transfer their plants and productive facilitiestheir entire industrial basesto poor countries like India, China, Mexico and Vietnam? Does free trade require transferring rich nations capital bases to poor ones? Ideologues often say that the hollowing of Americas industry and its sale to China, Mexico and Vietnam was a result of free trade. But thats not how these things actually happened. China, Mexico and Vietnam didnt build competitive plants with their own capital and technology. Rather,capital, through so-called direct foreign investment, financed the plants in China, Mexico and Vietnam that undercut domestic plants prices. And American technology made those plants efficient. The capitalists got rich, and American workers lost their jobs . After a while, America lost a large fraction of its industrial base. Thats where we are now. Maybe free tradethis self-imposed disaster. But to say that free tradeorit is to indulge in the fuzziest thinking possible. American capitalists moved manufacturing offshore not to lower tariffs or reduce trade barriers, but to get rich quick. That they indeed did. They made huge profits, without regard to the consequences for American society and families. They did so under theof free trade, deluding themselves (and the rest of us) that this scheme was all of a piece with dismantling the tariff barriers that had held back global prewar economic development and helped cause humanitys worst war. After three decades of this non-sequitur, the results of this process are pretty clear. The top layer of capitaliststhe one percentersbenefitted. In our top-heavy capitalist system, theyre the ones who got paid for the transfer, or at least the lions share of payment. They have become the new oligarchs in our Second Guilded Age. The previously poor countries that received the transferred industrial bases also benefitted, as I noted in an essay published eleven years ago . But the process also produced millions of real losers, as is now painfully apparent to voters here in America. American workers lost big. Millions lost their jobs. Most lost wages, or at least the increases in wages that, for most of our American history, had been considered American workers birthrights. Many also lost self-respect, for example, when they had to stop making cars or industrial equipment and to start flipping burgers at MacDonalds or serving as greeters at Wal Mart. Now its becoming increasingly apparent that the decreases in the domestic prices of goods manufactured abroad dont compensate for these losses. Cheap Chinese products at Wal Mart dont make up for the loss of a good job or for the resulting loss of a marriage and a secure family. Nor do they compensate for the increasing inability to afford a college education, at least without massive debt, which itself dims the prospects of future generations. In the aggregate, the loss of millions of good jobs has begun to slow economic growth. It has led to the stagnation and deflationary environment that most developed nations are now experiencing. It also harms workers and middle managers direct contract with manufacturing technology and customersand therefore manufacturing progress and innovationwhich having onshore productive facilities would have fostered. In fact, our entire country took big hits. Since this process started in the United States, we have lost 60,000 factories to so-called competition overseas, mostly started by our very own executives and our own outsourcing. We have sold a large part of our entire industrial base for the profit of a few and the incidental benefit of foreign nations, some of which (like China) are now our rivals. As anyone whos ever served as a scientist or engineer knows, technology and technological knowledge build upon themselves. They are parts of a seamless web. As you lose substantial parts of that web, your ability to innovate and invent declines. And so you begin to lose your future. And still we havent even mentioned another, related phenomenon: the transfer of corporate headquarters andindustrial bases abroad in order to reduce taxes. Not only has that transfer deprived the United States government of massive revenue. It has, to date, resulted in the parking of real money abroad, which does nothing but uselessly inflate corporate balance sheets and stock valuations. At the moment, estimates of the aggregate sum of money reach 2.5dollars. Just bringing that money home could, for example, make a huge dent in our vast and growing national infrastructure deficit. All of this has little or nothing to do with free trade as such. Selling a whole nations industrial base to poor countries is hardly a necessary precondition or consequence of reducing tariffs and other trade barriers. Neither is withholding profits from taxation and repatriation. These things are separate and distinct phenomena, having more to do with the short-term greed of shareholders and their managers and the false god of shareholder value than any real support for free trade. So how do we fix these blunders? Can we get our industrial base back? Can we recover the 60,000 factories that have moved offshore? Can we recover all the government revenue lost through tax gaming? Can we put the $2.5 trillion to work in our own country, if only for directinvestment at home? The short answer to the first question is probably not. The 60,000 factories are gone for good. We certainly cant bring them home with simple, crude market protectionism, such as re-imposing tariffs or other trade barriers. Nor should we. If we tried, we would upset the global economic applecart. We might even cause another catastrophic war. As for the second and third questions, the answers depend on lawyers and pols and their determination to rebuild our nation. Corporate tax-reduction gymnastics and external bank accounts are legitimate targets of pols, but they wont be easy to hit as long asallows the rich to confuse the public and buy elections. Yet not all is lost. The United States is still the worlds most innovative and creative nation. We may not be able to reverse the loss of factories for hand tools, furniture, kitchen implements, home appliances, and audiovisual gear, which have already fled to China. But we can prevent our factories for thegeneration of great industries from moving to China, Mexico and Vietnam, or even to Bangladesh. We can do that with legislation that imposes significant tax and economic penalties on capital that moves factories abroad. At very least, we can change our tax laws so that capital no longer has anto move factories offshore and to park the profits from foreign operations abroad. We could and should make foreign operations of American companies pay their fair share of American taxes, and we could require or incentivize them to repatriate their foreign profits for use here at home. Nothing about doingwould require renewed tariffs or protectionism. The most important thing of all is to do this forindustries. We dont know now exactly what all of them will be, but we have some pretty good ideas. Among them will inevitably be: (1) electric cars, (2) high-capacity storage batteries (for smoothing the intermittency of wind and solar energy), (3) smart-grid technology for regionally smoothing and distributing locally-produced, sustainable electricity, (4) private space travel, and (5) emerging medical technologies, including synthetic organs for transplanting and personalized medicine. In the medium term, a whole series of world-changing industries will likely evolve from the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. As Ive remarked previously , that technology is the most likely of all presently developmental technologies to become economically transformative in the same way that electric power, the automobile, aircraft and modern electronics and computers once were. The Internet is a different story. Its software and services are intrinsically intangible. By their vary nature, they can fly around the world in milliseconds. In fact, notable Internet winners like Google and Facebook are already global companies. Trying to devise legislation to keep them here at home, or to put the genie back in the bottle, would be a fools errand. Not only does their very nature circumvent any geographic restrictions on Internet companies. In general, Internet industries are not really transformative at all. Airbnb, for example, just replaces hotels, short-term rentals and time-shares. Uber replaces taxi drivers and limousine services. Theyre just more efficient ways of doing and organizing the same old businesses. They may make a lot of quick fortunes; and they may have political effects even less foreseen that IS recruiting of suicide bombers among ostensibly satisfied, assimilated Yanks. But they wont transformeconomy the way cars, planes, electricity, radio and TV or computers once did. However high their stocks price-to-earnings ratios may be, Internet firms are primarily means of disintermediation and communication. They are hardly productive industries with factories or other wealth-creating output of their own. And however much they otherwise change, they will never sell our nations industrial infrastructure abroad as our 1% has done over the past three decades. So lets not worry about software and Internet companies. What we must do is create rules that keep the next generation of research-and-development laboratories and realfactories onshore. These rules can reinforce and supplement the natural incentives of being closer to customers and local resources, closer to the worlds best higher educational system, and closer to the rest of the seamless web of advanced technology that feeds on itself in producing real innovation. If we wait too long to re-spin that web in the United States, it may move abroad forever. Then our secular decline may become irreversible. Doing all this will not require tariffs, so-called protectionism or violating the last centurys salubrious rules of free trade. What itrequire is some careful thought about how to preserve and expand whatmakes our nation the worlds most innovative and creative society, and how to project that what reliably into the Third Millennium. What we need is a common-sense effort to maintain and expand our societys and cultures comparative advantages by reducing the short-term, short-sighted self-enrichment of our owner class, our 1%. Surely successors to the thinkers who created worlds freest, richest and most advanced society can handle the lesser task of protecting its medium-term survival and prosperity against the self-interest of those who just want to get rich quick.A friend suggested that I name specifically the well-known reasons why foreign plants set up by American capitalists could undercut their American counterparts and put us Yanks out of work. They are, in rough order of importance: (1) much lower workers wages in poor countries, (2) more relaxed environmental and other regulatory requirements there, and (3) less stringent protection of labor. permalink
100 years ago, March 15, 1916

CENTRALIA -- The police of Centralia are still working on the theory that Rosa Hall, colored, daughter of Mrs. Mary Pope of Mattoon, was murdered. The coroner's inquest, which began Monday, has been postponed until Friday or Saturday, in hopes that Alderman W.J. White, who is said to have been stabbed by the Hall woman early Monday morning, may testify... MATTOON -- The big feature of the city alderman primary Tuesday was the body blow that was given Welchism by the Democratic voters of the First Ward when they repudiated Daylight Welch. Welch, a candidate for re-election, received a total of 17 votes. Twenty-one ballots were marked for Henry Shaw, but election judges claimed the ballots were defaced and refused to count them... LOXA -- Two Coles County schools have been very unfortunate as a result of disease, one of which is the South Loxa school, which has been closed until April 1 because of an epidemic of scarlet fever. Miss Byers of Charleston is the teacher at South Loxa. The other school closed is the Clear Springs school in Charleston Township. Smallpox is said to exist in the neighborhood, and the school has been closed as a result.

50 years ago, 1966

MATTOON -- The Eastern Illinois Area Junior College steering committee met at Mattoon High School Monday night and gave official recognition to the Stewardson-Strasburg school district as members of the proposed junior college district. The steering committee also unanimously approved Lloyd Elam, Stewardson-Strasburg school district superintendent, to fill the office of treasurer of the steering committee... MATTOON -- Local fishermen had a "semi-banner" weekend at Lake Paradise, Lake Mattoon and on the Embarras River near Charleston. Jim Driskell of Mattoon posted the biggest catch, a 5 1/2-pound largemouth bass from a pond near Neoga. Archie Shook of Mattoon landed a 3-pounder and a pair of 2 1/2-pound largemouths on Lake Mattoon. Sarge Moyer of Sarge's Bait Bucket had a big run on fishing licenses with 56 people buying their passports to the waters.

25 years ago, 1991

CHARLESTON -- Eastern Illinois University President Stan Rives will meet today with Board of Governors officials to discuss what he believes are attempts by the chancellors office to undermine his presidency. Of concern to Rives is a report that Ron Messina, BOG vice chancellor for public affairs and development, met with state Sen. Harry Babe Woodyard last August and told Woodyard he had the votes to oust Rives. A BOG official confirmed that Messina met with Woodyard but denied talk of firing Rives. But Woodyard said, unless Im just going plumb crazy, Messina said there was sufficient opposition to Rives on the BOG to oust him CHARLESTON  The Coles County jail is a well-operated detention facility, according to a report by the Illinois Department of Corrections. During its annual inspection, the DOC found one area of non-compliance  failing to provide a shower in one dormitory area. Sheriff Jim Kimball said that will be corrected in a few months when an area of the jails laundry room is converted to a shower.

100 years ago, March 16, 1916

MATTOON -- The attorney for Henry Shaw said he will go to court to contest the nomination of Charles T. Welch as the Democratic candidate for alderman for the First Ward. Edward C. Craig will file within five days to contest the results of the First Ward election in the primary this week. Election judges ruled that even though Shaw received 21 votes to 17 for Welch, that the 21 ballots cast for Shaw were defaced and had to be thrown out... MATTOON -- C.E. Redding of Mattoon, a Big Four Railroad engineer who holds the record for fastest time between Mattoon and St. Louis, made a new round trip record Wednesday. Mr. Redding left Mattoon at 4:50 o'clock in the afternoon in charge of passenger train No. 11, his regular run, and returned to Mattoon at 11:25 o'clock with train No. 24, being absent from the city only six hours and 35 minutes. No other regular engine has such a record. Mr. Redding did not take time in St. Louis to eat his lunch. Redding carried his lunch back to his home... MATTOON -- C.E. Ryan, a Big Four Railroad brakeman, late Monday night on train No. 90 was painfully injured as the train was pulling into Vermilion. Ryan was sitting in the caboose and raised a water container to his mouth for a drink through a spout. Just at that moment, the engineer noticed the board at the Vermilion station turned against him and applied the air with almost full force. Ryan was thrown into the side of the car. The tin spout cut completely through his lip and knocked out two teeth...

50 years ago, 1966

MATTOON -- Col. Robert R. Hull, a native of Mattoon, is deputy director of the Gemini Launch vehicle Program Office that supplied the Titan II booster that lifted the Gemini 8 astronauts into orbit today. Col. Hull, a graduate of Mattoon High School, received advance degrees from Purdue and the University of Michigan. He and Mrs. Hull, the former Sara Chuse of Mattoon, have three children and reside in Westminister, Calif... MATTOON -- Robert E. Brewster, owner of Bob's East Side Package Liquor Store, reported to police that some 28 pints of whiskey were stolen from his business early this morning. A large front window on the store was discovered broken, apparently by a medium-size rock, and the whiskey was taken through the window. It is estimated the theft occurred between 3 and 6:30 a.m.

25 years ago, 1991

LOS ANGELES  An indictment unsealed Friday charged four lawmen with beating a black motorist in an assault that was documented on videotape and has spurred a federal probe on police brutality nationwide. One of the four, Theodore J. Briseno, is a 1971 graduate of Mattoon High School. Briseno has been in California for about 10 years. There was no immediate comment from Police Chief Darryl Gates, who has been under pressure to resign because of the beating of Rodney G. King CHARLESTON  Stan Rives said his meeting Friday with three Board of Governors officials helped clear the air between the Eastern Illinois University president and the BOG. Rives and the BOG office also announced that the Stanczak Report, concerning an investigation into improper hiring allegations at EIU will be made public next week MATTOON  Joseph R. Dively has been named vice president and general manager of Consolidated Telemarketing of America in Mattoon. Dively, a Charleston native, was most recently with The Pyramid Companies of Boston, where he managed the development team responsible for a $100 million regional shopping center.
TARGET e.V. is looking for its project in Ethiopia for a

Medical Coordinator

Starting Date: as soon as possible

Duration: 12 months, subject to extension

Location: Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia

TARGET does not set a closing date for this position; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled.

Contractual Conditions:

German salaried contract (salary according to experience), Holidays: 25 days per year. Free board and lodging, transportation, health and accident insurance, work-related liability insurance, return flight.

General Description of the Project:

TARGETs project in Afar Zone 2 is focusing on two objectives: building a solid GYN/OBS clinic with OR, and counteract FGM.

In Afar, 91.6 per cent are mutilated, with the majority having undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Type II and III. The TARGET Higher Obstetrics Speciality Clinic opened its doors in June 2015 and tries to address the problem of emergency obstetrics, which is especially acute in remote regions such as Afar where access to health care and prenatal examinations is too far, where more than half of the population live below the poverty line and cannot afford access to healthcare and in addition, where existing heath posts and health centers are often under-staffed and under-funded, thus providing poor service and no option to assist laboring women in emergencies.

Our clinic aims to fill this existing gap in emergency obstetrics by providing not only the possibility of ANC but also through a sound obstetrics OR facility. Monthly visits of European volunteer doctors are furthermore closing the countrywide gap of qualified surgeons and gynecologist. TARGET has already established a strong presence in the region with its Mobile Clinic for more than a decade.

Main Responsibilities:

Overall clinic operations responsibility in tandem with local medical director of the TARGET Obstetrics Higher Speciality Clinic in Afar Zone 2 in Ethiopia under the direction of the TARGET German Management Board. Clinic operations include patient treatment (GYN/OBS outpatient and inpatient, OR), clinic management (supported by project coordinator, finance-admin and German TARGET Management) as well as attending to international medical volunteers on-site.

The incumbent will conduct his or her duties in respect of the Charter of TARGET, the Code of Conduct and project-related policies, rules and regulations.

TARGET expects that its employees professional conduct reflects proper behavior in accordance with local culture and traditions. The incumbent assures the moral protection of the name of TARGET and upholds in all circumstances the interest of the organization.

TARGET intervenes without any affiliation to politics, religion or financial profit. The incumbent will direct his or her activities without preoccupation of political, racial or religious affiliation.

Clinic Management

Make sure (daily, weekly, monthly) maintenance and medical equipment and consumables and drugs is organized and done in collaboration with German Management Board



Lead project developments and assessments of medical needs and structures, e.g. creation of and ensuring adherence to clinic guidelines and infection prevention



Mentor, coach and supervisor national medical staff of the clinic in cooperation with incoming international medical volunteers



In collaboration with incoming international medical volunteers, assess training needs of national clinic staff and plan ahead (curricula-development), this includes on-the-job trainings and maintaining training database



Support German Management Board in planning sensitization activities for the population, thereby increasing acceptance of clinic with its surrounding population



Participate actively in monitoring and reporting of medical activities



Ensure that apart from patient care also cross-cutting theme FGM is fully integrated by training, monitoring and supervising clinic staff in screening and treatment of FGM patients



Ensure strong coordination/collaboration among clinic committee members through regular coordination meetings and project/budget reviews



Line Management:

Supervise clinic-based medical staff (national staff and international volunteers)



Provide support to clinic-based and Mekelle-based finance as well as clinic-based administration, facility, fleet and medical teams in collaboration with respective line managers



Financial Management:

Coordinate on a monthly basis with Clinic Committee and relevant line managers for budget follow-up and forecast (supported by Project Coordinator and Finance-Admin)



Human Resources Management

Oversee the hiring, orientation and training of national clinic staff in line with the German Management Board



Assist the German Management Board in staff resource planning: job descriptions, recruitment, induction and training for all medical staff and international volunteers as appropriate



Manage (day to day activities, working hours, presence planning etc.) and evaluate staff, encouraging effective team work and providing supervision and guidance



Logistics

Lead and support in monthly logistics and budget forecast planning and monitoring of expenses in line with in-patient pharmacy and laboratory



Profile
Title: Finance and Human Resources Assistant

Reports to: Finance and Administration Coordinator

Location: Shire

Start of Contract & Duration: 12 months with possibility of extension (Subject to fund availability)

Posting date: March 11, 2016

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1956 that works in more than 30 countries throughout the world, including Ethiopia. DRC fulfills its mandate by providing direct assistance to conflict-affected populations, including refugees, internally displaced people and host communities. Under its mandate, the organization focuses on emergency humanitarian response, rehabilitation and post-conflict recovery.

DRC commenced work in Ethiopia in 2009 and currently provides expertise in shelter, WASH, livelihoods and protection in the Gambella and Somali regions of the country. Activities implemented by DRC are funded by money raised from the Danish public and by project grants from the Danish government and other bilateral and multi-lateral donors.

DRC is in the process of starting a new program in Tigray regional state, where the organization anticipates implementing a variety of youth protection activities in Hitsats, Shimelba, Mai-Aini and Adharush refugee camps, which are currently hosting a combined population of over 30,000 Eritrean refugees.

POSITIONS OVERALL OBJECTIVES

Working under the direct management of the Finance and Administration Coordinator, the Finance and Human Resources Assistant will be responsible for supporting all of the daily financial and human resources functions of DRCs Shire field office in strict compliance with the organizations and donors policies and procedures.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

To achieve the objectives of the position, the Finance and Human Resources Assistnat, in coordination with the Finance and Administration Coordinator and Addis Ababa-based human resources team will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities:

1. Financial Management:

Under the direction of the Finance and Administration Coordinator, assist with high quality day-to-day accounting of the field offices spending. This will include, financial review of all order requests submitted by program and support staff to ensure eligible and well-informed spending, maintaining the field offices cashbook, assuming cashier responsibilities, organizing and making all local payments and maintain a system for high quality verification of expenditures and supporting documentation all in accordance with DRC and donor rules and regulations.



Ensure compliance with donor guidelines in the allocation of costs and management of funds.



Support the Finance and Administration Coordinator in the preparation of all financial reports and audits for grants at periodic intervals and submit them to Head of Finance and Administration for review.



Participate in monthly financial review meetings with budget holders and the Area Manager and Deputy Area Manager.



2. Human Resources:
In light of our current move toward electing our president, I would like to share some interesting facts regarding the Canadian political process

The first thing to realize is that they currently have the Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic, Green and Bloc Quebecois in their House of Commons and the Independent Liberal, Conservative, Independent Progressive Conservative, and Independent in the Senate. Consequently, this requires all parties to work together to accomplish anything.

The second point is that the maximum annual amount that a person can contribute to each political party and to political contestants in a specific election is $1,525. Imagine how that would change our election process!

Finally, there is Canadas Vote of Confidence law. The House of Commons can call for a Vote of Confidence if they feel that the party in power has acted in an illegal way or that are not in the best interests of the country. This happened twice this century and resulted in votes of no-confidence of 171-133 on November 28, 2005 and 156-145 on March 25, 2011. If the vote no-confidence passes as in these two cases, a new election must be held. The amazing thing is that this vote must come within 60 days after the vote is passed! Consequently, the first re-election was held on January 23, 2006 and the second was held May 2, 2011.

Based on this and the governments of similar industrialized socialist countries, I would love to have multiple political parties which would force our elected officials to work together to get things done, have limits on how much money can be given to politicians and their parties and have votes of confidence to hold them true to their campaign promises!

Terry Schoonover, Lincoln
Tom Casady is Lincolns public safety director, responsible for the Lincoln Police Department, 911 Emergency Communications, and Lincoln Fire and Rescue. Casady was Lincolns police chief from January 1994-May 2011. Prior to his appointment as police chief, he served as Lancaster County sheriff. He began his law enforcement career as a Lincoln police officer in 1974. He received a bachelors degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska Omaha, and a masters degree in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Whats the most rewarding part about what you do?

Every time a police officer, firefighter or dispatcher makes a good case, achieves a good outcome for a patient or delivers excellent service to a citizen, I feel that I own an infinitesimally small part of the accomplishment for my small role in helping to set the stage. The budgets to be wrestled, meetings to be endured; the contract negotiations, lawsuits, grievances, news briefings, city council presentations, purchasing decisions, software updates, legal opinions and everything else that has to happen to keep 911 centers, police departments, and fire and rescue services humming all contribute to the end result.

What is your favorite part of Lincoln and why?

Wow, where do I start? I love neighborhood architecture. I've been collecting photos of carriage houses in Lincoln. My grandsons loved a tour I gave them recently of some of my favorites. I love the grand homes of the Mt. Emerald and Hawley districts, and the modest homes of the bungalow district just south of my office, the porches in Hartley, the alleys in Everett. I love little neighborhood grocery store buildings (one of which I worked in) that dot Lincolns older neighborhoods, hiding in plain sight. The storefronts of University Place, Bethany, Havelock, College View, South 16th Street, South 11th Street, the North Bottoms, 25th and Sumner, and the last remnants of Belmont all intrigue me.

Growing up, is this what you saw yourself doing?

I never, ever, saw myself as a police officer. By the time I was in high school and excelling in interscholastic debate, I was settled on law practice as my career trajectory. I really fell into policing by accident, when the funds were low during my senior year in college, and I heard about a federal government program that would pay the tuition of police officers in exchange for at least two years of service. It was such a good deal that after I wrapped up my last few credit hours, I decided to take advantage and continue to graduate school. I was enamored with police work, enjoying myself very much, and in short order had a baby boy, a mortgage and a blossoming career. It was certainly a fortuitous detour that put me on the path to a most rewarding adventure.

How do you take your coffee?

Black, stale and often. In the afternoon, Ill pick up the pot in the conference room and give it a sniff to determine if it is this mornings or yesterdays coffee. Doesnt matter, Im drinking it anyway. At home, curiously, Im a coffee snob. We pick up a pound of Columbian weekly at the Coffee Roaster, so the beans are always fresh. We store them in the freezer, and I grind every morning. Tonja (his wife) awakens to the aroma of the morning brew.
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[JURIST] The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] on Monday urged state court systems to stop using procedural routines and hefty fines to profit off poor defendants [press release]. DOJ officials Vanita Gupta and Lisa Foster informed [LAT report] chief judges and court administrators via letter [text, PDF] that courts should be mindful of defendants trapped in a cycle of poverty and unfairly victimized for their inability to pay court debts. Gupta and Foster warned against using arrest warrants, license suspensions and incarceration to punish the poor and noted that prisons are crowded with inmates who are detained for their inability to pay bail rather than their threat to society. Though the DOJ letters do not have the power of law [NYT report], they recommend that courts investigate defendants financial situations when implementing criminal procedures. The DOJ announced that it will devote $2.5 million to encourage states to reform their criminal court systems and address the concerns of the poor.

As the DOJ calls for reform in state courts, the treatment of prisoners and prison reform [JURIST podcast] has been a matter of ongoing concern in the US. Last month the Supreme Court of California ruled [JURIST report] that Governor Jerry Brown can put his plan to ease prison overcrowding on the ballot this November. In January the US Supreme Court ruled that a landmark decision banning mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles should apply retroactively [JURIST report]. In August the Department of Justice reached a settlement [JURIST report] with Los Angeles prisons on mentally ill inmate care. In May Human Rights Watch released [JURIST report] a report stating that mentally disabled prisoners experience unnecessary, excessive, and even malicious force at the hands of prison staff across the US. A federal court in February 2015 approved [JURIST report] a settlement agreement between the Arizona Department of Corrections and the American Civil Liberties Union in a class action lawsuit over the health care system within Arizona prisons. Also last February rights group Equal Justice Under Law filed suit [JURIST report] against the cities of Ferguson and Jennings, Missouri, for their practice of jailing citizens who fail to pay debts owed to the city for minor offenses and traffic tickets.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] Executive Director Kenneth Roth on Tuesday expressed concern [letter] over the EU Joint Action Plan [text, PDF] with Turkey, urging EU leaders to reject proposed elements due their disturbing disregard for international law covering the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. Roths letter comes after Nils Muiznieks [official profile], the Council of Europe [official website] commissioner for human rights, stated that the automatic forced return to Ankara of any migrants crossing from Turkey to Greece by irregular means in exchange for accepting that amount of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey is illegal and will be ineffective [NYT op-ed]. Roth identified three major concerns about the proposed elements and asked for all three to be rejected:

1) fast-track mass returns to Turkey, 2) the proposal to resettle one Syrian refugee from Turkey for each irregularly arriving Syrian who is returned to Turkey; and 3) cooperation with Turkey on what appears to be the establishment of a safe area in Syria that would be used as a pretext to contain the flow of asylum seekers leaving that war-torn country.

Both officials support vast reform and increase in resettlement of asylum seekers but do not believe this is hitting the mark. According to Muiznieks, No deal is better than a bad deal.

Earlier this month [JURIST report], the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi [official profile], expressed concerns [text] for the proposed migrant exchange program [press release]. Grandi said in his speech before the European Parliament [official website], I am deeply concerned about any arrangement that would involve the blanket return of anyone from one country to another without spelling out the refugee protection safeguards under international law. The High Commissioner spoke to the council shortly after it had met with the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu [BBC profile] to discuss the final steps of the exchange program. Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] also demonstrated concern [press release] over the deal, calling it an alarmingly short-sighted and inhumane attitude to handling this crisis.
[JURIST] A judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas [official website] issued a preliminary injunction [order, PDF] on Monday blocking Arkansas from enforcing its abortion pill restrictions. Arkansas passed Act 577 [text, PDF] in March 2015, requiring abortion pill providers to follow US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [official website] guidelines and prescribing physicians to maintain a contract with another physician with hospital admittance privileges to handle complications. Judge Kristine Baker has halted enforcement of the law until she has decided the case brought by the local branch of Planned Parenthood, stating that the harm to Planned Parenthood and its patients outweighs the state interests advanced by this law. One significant harm identified would be the further restriction of access to legal abortion, as only one clinic in the state would meet the criteria. Additionally, the court stated that it may not factor into its analysis that neighboring states provide opportunities across state lines for Arkansas residents to obtain an abortion. Baker previously issued a temporary restraining order to this law, set to go into effect January 1, which had been set to expire Monday.

Abortion procedures and reproductive rights issues [JURIST backgrounder] have been controversial topics throughout the US. Last week the West Virginia lawmakers overrode the governors veto to enact a new law [JURIST report] that prevents the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure, widely held to be the safest second-trimester abortion method. Also last week the South Dakota governor signed a bill [JURIST report] that bans abortions after 20 weeks. Last month the Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed [JURIST report] a lower court decision upholding a law that restricts use of medication abortion drugs. In November the US Supreme Court granted certiorari [JURIST report] to decide whether a Texas law, which requires that clinics have similar facilities to surgical center, posed an undue burden on the availability of abortion on the state. Oral arguments were heard earlier this month.
A spokesperson for the Venice Commission, an advisory body within the Council of Europe [official websites], said Monday that the organization will investigate a new police surveillance law that was passed in Poland last December. The controversial law, passed by the ruling conservative party, would allow Polish police and secret service greater access [AP report] to citizens Internet activity. Many Polish citizens protested this legislation after President Andrzej Duda signed it into law [JURIST reports], citing privacy concerns. The Venice Commission may issue its opinion on the law in June.

The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) [official website, in Polish] has made numerous controversial reforms since taking power last fall. In response, the Venice Commission began an investigation [JURIST report] into Polands recent changes to its Constitutional Court [official website, in Polish]. The review was requested by Polish officials after the change in law in December resulted in street protests and international criticism. Last week Polands Constitutional Court ruled [judgment, in Polish; JURIST report] that controversial government reforms to the court violate the constitution. In January Duda signed [JURIST report] a controversial media control bill into law. Under that law, the treasury minister will replace the National Broadcasting Council in appointing and removing media executives in charge of public radio and television programming. The European Commission announced in January that it had begun an assessment of the rule of law [JURIST report] in Poland, in response to the governments reforms.
[JURIST] Indiana activists on Monday delivered a petition [text] to the Indiana statehouse urging Governor Mike Pence [official profile] to not sign HB 1337 [text], which they claim places overly burdensome restrictions on abortions. The bill requires practitioners to get informed consent by telling pregnant women considering abortion about the availability of perinatal hospice care and the gender of the unborn child and requiring abortion seeking women to have an ultrasound and hear the fetal heartbeat at least 18 hours before the procedure. It also prohibits doctors from performing abortions on women who are seeking the procedure solely due to the race, national origin, ancestry, or sex of the fetus or based on the possibility that the child will be born with a disability. Those that intentionally violate this law will face sanctions for wrongful death. The petition asserts that the bill is coercive, demeaning, restricts access to abortion, is judgmental, and will create discord between doctors and patients. The governor could choose to veto or sign the bill or could allow it to become law by taking no action within seven days of it being presented to him.

Abortion access and reproductive healthcare [JURIST backgrounder] remain contentious issues worldwide. Last week Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma [official website] again blocked a bill [JURIST report] that would have legalized abortion in the country. The High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland [official website] in November ruled [judgment] that Northern Irelands abortion laws, which only allow abortion when the mother faces the risk of death or serious injury, are a violation of human rights [JURIST report]. El Salvadors complete ban on abortion [text, PDF, in Spanish] negatively affects [JURIST report] not only women and girls, but also their families, according to an Amnesty International report [press release] released the same month. A Dominican court in December blocked [JURIST report] a new law that would have decriminalized abortion if a pregnant womans life was at risk, thus reinstating a total ban on abortion within the country. A judge for the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] in January that part of an abortion law requiring hospital admitting privileges for doctors who provide abortions is unconstitutional [JURIST report].
A federal civil rights lawsuit [complaint, PDF] was filed Monday accusing the city of Los Angeles of endangering homeless people. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles [official website], alleges that the city has endangered the homeless by seizing and destroying their tents and bedding then releasing them into the cold without protection after wrongfully arresting the homeless population. The lawsuit was filed by Carol Sobel, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles [official website] and several private law firms. Ms. Sobel stated the citys actions prove the definition of insanity  repeating the same constitutional violations and thinking, somehow, it will come out differently each time. Ms. Sobel is referring to 2012 when the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that the city of Los Angeles violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments [Cornell LII backgrounders] to the US Constitution when it seized and destroyed the abandoned property of homeless people. The suit asks the court [LA Times report] to order the city to replace homeless peoples blankets, tents, medication and important documents seized for any reason as well as seeking a temporary restraining order against the citys enforcement practices.

The rights of homeless people [JURIST news archive] have been a contentious legal issue recently. In August 2012 JURIST guest columnist Sapphire Jule King asserted that states need to enact comprehensive legislation [JURIST comment] to protect the homeless from discrimination. In July of that year JURIST guest columnist Linda Tashbook argued that Rhode Islands recently-passed Homeless Bill of Rights [text, PDF; JURIST report] provides an improved set of standards [JURIST op-ed] by which states should treat their homeless citizens. In April 2012 the US Department of Justice found that ordinances criminalizing homelessness may violate human rights [JURIST report] as well as the Fourth and Eighth Amendments. The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled in 2008 that current state laws regarding sex offenders are unconstitutional as applied to homeless people [JURIST report]. The state court determined that the law, which did not permit listing homeless as an acceptable address, [did] not give homeless sexual offenders without a residence address fair notice of how they can comply with the statutes registration requirement. In 2008 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that his administration had reached a settlement [JURIST report] in a long-standing lawsuit over homeless families right to use shelters throughout the city.
[JURIST] A conference of religious groups and political parties convened by the Jamaat-e-Islami [party website; Facebook page] party asked the Pakistani government on Tuesday to retract a new un-Islamic law that provides protections for female victims of abuse. The Womens Protection Act [text, PDF], passed last month in Punjab, establishes an abuse hotline, sets up shelter homes, provides for imprisonment for violations of protection from abuse orders and establishes investigation panels. The religious groups claim [Al Jazeera report] that the law violates the Quran, denouncing it for being in conflict with both Islam and the Pakistani constitution. Earlier this month the Council of Islamic Ideology, the governments religious advising body, declared [Reuters report] the Womens Protection Act un-Islamic.

Womens rights remains a hotly debated issue worldwide. Last month the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women praised Georgia for its reform efforts regarding its laws on gender equality and violence against women but cautioned [JURIST report] that significant social changes will need to occur to make the laws effective. In January UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] announced that he is creating the first high-level panel to address womens economic empowerment initiatives [JURIST report]. The panels goal is to create a plan of action for nations and private sector businesses to implement in order to improve womens rights by achieving economic agency for women all over the globe in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [text, PDF]. In September the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that no country has achieved full equality between men and women and urged [JURIST report] the 47 members of the Human Rights Council to make efforts to achieve such equality.
[JURIST] South Africas Supreme Court of Appeal [official website] on Tuesday upheld [judgment, PDF] a lower courts ruling that the state broke the law by not detaining Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] order to do so. The court stated that the countrys failure to arrest the president was inconsistent with the states obligations and unlawful. The state argued [Bloomberg report] that the Sudanese president was immune when he appeared in the country for the African Union summit. They further argued they were not made aware of his exit from the country because the presidents passport was not shown before he boarded a his plane, but the court was unpersuaded.

In September the ICC requested [JURIST report] that South Africa provide an explanation for the countrys failure to arrest Bashir when he was in the country last June. During Bashirs visit a judge for South Africas high court issued an order [JURIST report] barring him from leaving the country. Last March the ICC requested assistance [JURIST report] from the Security Council in affecting the arrest of Bashir. In asking the Council to take necessary measures to force Sudan to comply with the ICC investigation, the court noted that without such assistance, the Councils decision to request investigation into Bashir in 2005 would never achieve its ultimate goal. In February of last year African leaders urged [JURIST report] the ICC to drop cases Bashir and Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto or suspend the charges until African concerns are considered by the court. In December 2014 ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the Security Council that her office was dropping further investigation [JURIST report] into the situation in Darfur.
A Syrian has been arrested in Sweden on war crimes charges, according to the Swedish prosecutors office Monday. The unnamed individual was arrested [Reuters report] for suspected crimes against international law in Idlib, Syria, in 2012. Abdullah allegedly took part in a seven-person execution-style killing that was videotaped and posted online. Sweden has opened its doors to refugees from the Syrian crisis, but has recently passed proposals [press release] limiting the ease with which refugees can gain access to the country in light of this prosecution and others like it.

The Syrian Civil War [JURIST backgrounder] has been ongoing since 2011 when opposition groups first began protesting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and the increasingly bloody nature of the conflict has put pressure on the international community to intervene. Earlier this month the US House Foreign Affairs Committee [official website] passed [JURIST report] two resolutions calling for an international tribunal in the Middle East to address the alleged war crimes committed by the government of Syria and its allies, specifically Russia and Iran. Last month the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic reported] that the Syrian conflict has had a devastating effect [JURIST report] on its civilians as it enters its sixth year. Also in February the UN rights office condemned [JURIST report] airstrikes in Syria that hit hospitals and schools in the region, saying they may constitute war crimes. That same week the human rights office reported that the Syrian government is systematically exterminating detainees.
[JURIST] The US House of Representatives [official website] on Monday unanimously passed [roll call] a resolution [text, PDF] denouncing the actions of the Islamic State (IS) as genocide and calling for the establishment of international and domestic tribunals by UN member states. The resolution stressed that attacks on religious and ethnic minorities have been conducted with the intent to eradicate, displace and destroy these groups in violation of local laws, the laws of war, laws and treaties that punish crimes against humanity, and the [UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide] The resolution also commended governments that have taken in refugees fleeing from such persecution and urged the prosecution of those responsible.

IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and ISIS, has been accused of committing war crimes on a massive scale in Iraq and Syria. In November IS claimed responsibility [JURIST report] for a series of coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 120 individuals. That same month, US President Barack Obama ordered [JURIST report] an assessment of whether intelligence reports from US Central Command were changed before formal submission to present a more optimistic picture of the American military campaign against the IS. In September members of Iraqs Yazidi community met with International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and urged the court to open a genocide investigation [JURIST report] into IS actions in Northern Iraq. Also in September France launched its first airstrikes [JURIST report] against an IS training camp in Syria and acknowledged that combating IS is now the main objective in both Iraq and Syria.
[JURIST] German law firm TISAB on Monday filed a lawsuit [press release] against Volkswagen AG [corporate website] on behalf of investors alleging a breach of duty to the capital market. The 3.255 billion lawsuit was brought in a German multi-regional court in Brunswick. The law firm filed a motion for a model case to initiate KapMuG-proceedings for the claims presented, which is akin to a US class action lawsuit. TISABs parent firm TILP [firm website, in German] stated that Volkswagen did not agree to settlement. Several firms around the world are supporting the suit [Business Wire report], including US-based firms, Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP and Grant & Eisenhofer PA, as well as international investor protection firm DRRT and Ireland-based litigation funding company Claims Funding Europe Ltd.

The US Department of Justice [official website] filed suit [JURIST report] against Volkswagen in early January for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act [text]the latest development in the Volkswagen scandal [JURIST op-ed]. Last year the Braunschweig public prosecutors office opened a criminal investigation [JURIST report] of former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, following accusations that the company cheated on government emissions tests by manipulating exhaust valves. The investigation followed several criminal complaints, including one filed by Volkswagen, and came less than a week after Winterkorn stepped down as CEO of the company. In his statement he accepted responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and said that he was clearing the way for this fresh start with [his] resignation. One California federal judge is currently overseeing hundreds of lawsuits, and 47 state attorneys general are also investigating.
Mike and Jesse are adding interesting stuff to the blog in our spare time, so pardon the miscellany and lack of any organization.



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Aid, resettlement elude flood-hit in Dadeldhura

Several villages in Dadeldhura get flooded by Rangun River during monsoon. Hundreds of families have been rendered homeless by floods till date, but the local authorities have done very little to rehabilitate them.
Black marketeering of diesel on the rise

Black marketeering of diesel has spread in eastern Nepal as the market has been hit by a shortage after Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) reduced deliveries to gasoline stations.
Dampen the dependency

Diversification of supply routes is a must for the survival and dignity of Nepali people
Downpour, snow trigger mixed feelings in far-western districts

A sudden change in weather condition since Sunday evening, especially in the far-western districts has invoked mixed feelings.
Shakya is the founder CEO of beed, an international management consulting and advisory firm. He is the author of Unleashing Nepal and Unleashing The Vajra.
Madhes still viewed as Kathmandus colony: Thakur

Mahantha Thakur, a senior leader of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), on Monday remarked that Madhes is still viewed as a colony of Kathmandu.
Names recommended for SC justices are eligible: Deuba

Newly elected President of Nepali Congress (NC), Sher Bahadur Deuba, said the names recommended by the Judicial Council for the vacant posts of Supreme Court (SC) justices are eligible and capable.
Ravenous for reform

The government should take its target of eliminating hunger in 10 years seriously
Registration mandatory for electric scooters

The Department of Transport Management on Monday issued a 15-day ultimatum to electric scooter users to register the vehicles before plying them on the Kathmandu streets and elsewhere in the country.
Saarc Chamber to work for better connectivity

Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) will prioritise better connectivity and establishment of Saarc industrial parks for better investment facilitation.
Speaker defends sending back justice names

After facing severe criticism from different quarters for returning the names of justice nominees, Speaker Onsari Gharti on Monday said she was ready to take the parliamentary hearing process ahead if the names were recommended again.
Suspended MP Lharkyal Lamas house raided

Police on Monday raided the house of Lharkyal Lama in Budanilkantha, Kathmandu. A team led by Metropolitan Police Range (MPR) SP Pradhyumna Karki carried out the raid.
Triangolism in Kathmandu

Italian street artist Ricardo Ten Colombo collaborated with Sattya Media Arts Collective in a day-long street art session around the Capital earlier this month.
Welcome!

I'm glad you're here! Pour some coffee (or wine) and stay a while-- I love comments, ideas, suggestions, and just idle rambling! Don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of the page, they're always hungry :)


Truth Revolt

She and Obama are the most dishonest and corrupt people to ever walk the halls of power in this country. Hillary Clinton is everything our founders feared the most. She lives in an alternate universe. Reality is whatever she and her fellow leftists decide it to be. She will say that it was just a 'slip of the tongue' but I don't believe she has lost any sleep over what she and Obama allowed to happen in Benghazi, Libya.



How many people have we lost as a result of the weapons that flowed through Libya? And you can bet the corrupt media won't bring this up nor challenge it in any of her future interviews. So U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty were nobody? And this woman wants to be the president.

Hillary Clinton - What Difference Does It Make

Today in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri

**VOTE**

Chicago Cop: Anti-Trump Mob More Aggressive, Destructive Than Reported

Trump Breaks 50% In National Support For The First Time

Michelle Fields Lies - Megyn Kelly Gives Her A Platform To Spread Anti-Trump Hoax

-- Speaking at an MSNBC town hall, Hillary Clinton touched on foreign policy issues in Libya. She told the audience that Libya isn't perfect but it was making progress.And then she dropped this whopper: "Libya was a different kind of calculation, and we didn't lose a single person."Technically, she's rightOn September 11, 2012 four Americans, U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty were killed in attack in Benghazi, Libya.No person, four persons, what difference at this point does it make?
By Daoud Kuttab

AMMAN  With the violent radicalism and civil wars of the Middle East and North Africa capturing the world's attention, the region's grossly distorted legal systems are being given short shrift. Yet problematic laws like those criminalizing defamation, which facilitate political and economic repression, undermine development  and destroy lives.

Egypt's government is perhaps the biggest abuser of defamation and blasphemy laws to suppress differing views. In particular, the Egyptian authorities brazenly use Article 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code  which prohibits citizens from defaming a "heavenly religion," inciting sectarian strife, or insulting Islam  to detain, prosecute, and imprison members of non-majority religious groups, especially Christians. All that is needed is a vague claim that their activities are jeopardizing "communal harmony."

Moreover, the writer Ahmed Naji was recently handed a two-year prison sentence for violating "public modesty," by publishing a sexually explicit excerpt from his novel. This came just a month after the author Fatma Naoot appealed the three-year sentence she received when a Facebook post criticizing the slaughter of animals for a Muslim feast led to a guilty verdict for "contempt for Islam." The list goes on.

Ominously, according to a 2015 report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, blasphemy cases have been on the rise since 2011. In January 2015, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi issued a decree that permits the government to ban any foreign publications it deems offensive to religion, thereby expanding the government's already significant censorship powers and increasing pressure on journalists further.

The situation is not much better in Tunisia, where, according to Freedom House's 2015 report , "criminal defamation remains one of the biggest obstacles to independent reporting." Moreover, many are concerned that the country's newly established cyber-crime investigative agency will carry out "unchecked government surveillance on Tunisian citizens," as occurred under former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in the Arab Spring revolution.

Jordan has also ratcheted up its attempts to limit free expression, with a June 2015 amendment to its cyber-crime law allowing the attorney-general to detain, without a court order, anyone deemed to have used the Internet for defamation. While Jordan's Press and Publications Law prohibits the arrest of journalists for opinions expressed in print, journalists are now fair game if those opinions appear online. And, indeed, charges have already been brought against several.

Among the highest-profile defamation-related cases in the Middle East today is that involving Najat Abu Bakr, a member of Palestine's parliament who has been summoned for interrogation by the attorney-general after leveling corruption accusations against Hussein al-Araj, a cabinet minister with close ties with President Mahmoud Abbas. The move seems also to be motivated by Bakr's support for a teacher's strike in the West Bank  an embarrassment to the Abbas government.

Though Palestine's attorney-general is allowed, under existing defamation legislation, to hold a person for 48 hours of questioning, human-rights groups have condemned the move. Bakr, for her part, refused the order, and staged a sit-in at the parliament building. Palestinian security forces surrounded the building, but did not attempt to arrest her.

The intensification  and increasingly broad application  of defamation laws in the Middle East and North Africa represents a dangerous trend, one that is fueling an increasingly powerful backlash from civil-society groups. Naji's case, for example, spurred Egyptian writers, artists, and filmmakers to launch a public campaign for greater freedom of creativity and expression.

Furthermore, the former Google executive Wael Ghonim, who was active in the country's 2011 uprising, publicly criticized the verdict against Naji. And several state-owned artistic publications were issued with their front pages either depicting Naji or including just a few words expressing support for free speech, with the rest of the page left blank.

In Jordan, a coalition led by the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists has launched a new campaign, "Talk is Not a Crime," to raise awareness about declining media freedom. And in Palestine, protests against the use of defamation laws to imprison political opponents have gained traction, with popular support for Bakr having played a key role in spurring the agreement that allowed her to return to her house in Nablus without being arrested or called in for questioning.

Outcries against individual cases can go only so far. Campaigns must  and, increasingly, do  focus on genuine changes to defamation laws, to ensure that governments cannot use them to stifle dissent. The key will be to remove the criminal element from defamation cases, and thus the prospect of imprisonment, and instead prosecute them as civil cases, with those found guilty of defamation being subject to reasonable fines.

Compelling lawmakers to decriminalize defamation will not be easy. But with a concerted effort from all relevant parties  especially the media, civil society, and human-rights activists  plus the support of regional and international actors, it is possible. Given the critical importance of free speech to economic and social progress, there is no time to waste.

Daoud Kuttab, a former professor at Princeton University and the founder and former director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University in Ramallah, is a leading activist for media freedom in the Middle East. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate/Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives.
No

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Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

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MILWAUKEE (AP)  The Wisconsin Supreme court race is heating up with less than a month to go before the April 5 election.

Justice Rebecca Bradley and Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg are facing off in an evening debate at Marquette University today, a day after each campaign purchased its first broadcast TV ad time of the general election race.

Bradley and Kloppenburg met in a candidates' forum last week. Kloppenburg criticized Bradley for anti-gay college writings and leaving oral arguments early. Bradley apologized, pushed back and went after Kloppenburg over how best to interpret the Constitution.
Were in the midst of a week-long national initiative to promote and encourage openness in government and freedom of information. Sunshine Week is an opportunity for us all to celebrate Wisconsins proud history of strong public records and open meetings laws.

As attorney general, I take seriously my duty to uphold these laws that are a cornerstone of democracy, which is why I was honored to learn that I will receive the Freedom of Information Councils Opee Award for political openness. The Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in the cause of open government.

Aside from my statutory obligation to interpret and enforce the states public records and open meetings laws, I have committed Department of Justice resources to lead on a number of initiatives to let the sun shine on state government. While resources at the Wisconsin DOJ are finite, we have made great strides in giving the public greater access to their government.

In June, we opened the doors to the Wisconsin DOJ Office of Open Government. A full-time attorney and two full-time legal assistants staff the agencys newest division and assist citizens and media in answering questions about public records and open meetings, and help mediate disputes whenever possible. The Office of Open Government led an internal review of our own public records practices and overhauled the process to ensure public records requests are processed promptly and transparently, dramatically reducing the average response time in 2015 while the number of requests also dramatically increased. Just last week, the Office of Open Government published an updated fee schedule that more accurately reflects the actual cost of retrieving electronic records and will reduce fees in many cases. The revised fee schedule makes the basis for fees clearer and will continue shining light on our processes and procedures.

In July, we hosted the attorney generals first annual Open Government Summit, with the acknowledgment among many in the public and media that Wisconsins open meetings and public records laws are outdated. Our states open government laws were written before technology changed the way public bodies conduct business and the current law leaves many unanswered questions about the limits of open government. This gathering of more than 200 stakeholders, from media representatives, to citizen watchdog groups to government records custodians, started the lengthy conversation about reforming and updating our open government laws. We continue this important dialogue with public officials, media representatives and citizens and look forward to hosting future meetings and discussions.

I am proud of the steps the Wisconsin Department of Justice has taken over the last year to make government more transparent and I will continue to fulfill my promise to let the sun shine on state government.
Man accused of molesting co-workers golden retriever

An Onalaska, Wis., man was charged March 8 with breaking into his co-workers house and molesting a dog.

A West Salem, Wis., homeowners daughter discovered Daniel Reinsvold straddling a golden retriever in their basement on Feb. 29, according to the complaint filed in La Crosse County Circuit Court. His underwear and pants were pulled down and his pelvic region was pressed against the dog.

The teenager startled Reinsvold, who dressed and said he was picking up some things he dropped, the complaint stated. The dog, Cooper, retreated to his kennel and defecated in the basement, a sign of fear or nervousness.

Reinsvold, 44, declined to talk to police. He pleaded not guilty through his attorney to charges of mistreating animals, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

- La Crosse Tribune

Lewiston man faces sex charges





An 18-year-old Lewiston man has been charged with having non-consensual anal sex with two teenage girls.

Taelor Scott Giebel is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for an incident that is alleged to have taken place at his residence Feb. 18 with a 17-year-old girl, according to court documents. The two were engaging in consensual sexual activity, when Giebel attempted anal intercourse. The girl objected, but Giebel continued.

In a second case, Giebel is charged with a single count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 15-year-old girl. According to court documents, the incident occurred at his residence on Dec. 16, 2015. The girl told investigators she told Giebel to stop when he attempted to have anal intercourse, but he did not stop. At the time of the incident, Giebel was more than 24 months older than the girl.

Giebel admitted to having anal sex with the girls in both instances, but claims he believed it to be consensual.

Following a Feb. 29 court appearance on both charges, Giebel was released after posting bond.

- Winona Daily News

Elroy woman charged with having sex with, smuggling contraband to prisoners

A New Lisbon.Wis., Correctional Facility nurse is charged with having a sexual relationship with, and smuggling contraband to, prisoners at the facility.

April J. Stokes, 36, Elroy, is charged with two counts of sexual assault by correctional staff and three counts of delivering illegal articles to an inmate.

According to the criminal complaint, the New Lisbon Police Department received a call from the New Lisbon Correctional Facility about a report of an employee having sexual relations with prisoners and bringing them contraband.

Three different prisoners spoke to police during the investigation about their relationship with Stokes.

One prisoner stated Stokes brought him money and cigarettes. Another inmate said he had been exchanging letters with Stokes. He claimed she would use a fake name when sending the letters.

A third inmate talked to Stokes 12 times on the recorded phone line. They discussed their sexual relationship.

When interviewed by investigators, Stokes said she had been in a relationship with two of the prisoners, but said she never did anything physically beyond hugs and kisses. She admitted to sending letters using a fake name and bringing in cell phones and tobacco to the prison.

- Capital Newspapers

Winona homeowner finds man sleeping in garage, meth in his pocket

A Winona homeowner went for a wee-hours run Saturday morning  and returned to find a stranger passed out on his garage floor.

He called the cops.

When they arrived at 1:24 a.m. to the residence, they found a man lying on the floor, a jacket over his head. The officer pulled the jacket back, roused the man and identified him as Michael Patrick Kreidermacher, 34, according to documents filed in Winona County District Court.

Kreidermacher was confused, smelled strongly of alcohol and claimed he was at his own home. While talking to Kreidermacher, the officer noticed a tin Juicy Fruit container sticking out of his front pocket. Asked about it, Kreidermacher said it was My Juicy Fruit container, pulled it out of his pocket, opened it and showed it to the officer, according to court documents.

Inside were several roll-your-own cigarettes, a meth pipe, and two baggies containing a total of 1.3 grams of methamphetamine, court documents state.

Kreidermacher was taken into custody. Charges of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) are pending.

- Winona Daily News
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Hateful graffiti was discovered on and around Pacific Palisades Charter High School's campus over the weekend, prompting a student demonstration earlier today.

The graffiti was first reported on Sunday morning at about 6:30 a.m. by a neighbor to the school, located at 15777 Bowdoin St. in Pacific Palisades, The L.A. Times reports. A group of about 300 students and neighbors came together this Monday morning in protest of the graffiti, which included the phrase 'Ku Klux Klan,' a swastika and hateful epithets about people of color and LGBT and Jewish people.

Authorities believe the graffiti, which has since been covered up, likely occurred early Sunday morning, City News Service reports. Surveillance video shows a person painting the slurs while wearing a white mask and red beanie. The school and police are working together to investigate the vandalism.

Earlier today, several students at the school decided not to attend their first class until the school answered questions about the graffiti, according to Brad Daley, principal and executive assistant to the executive director. Officials met with the students, and Daley said the students requested an investigation and that the person or people responsible be arrested.

"We haven't had anything like this in several years. We don't know what's prompting this," Daley told the Times.

Students at Palisades Charter HS in L.A. rally today in response to hate graffiti.

Photo by @melissabellll via IG pic.twitter.com/7CRRdWYl0z  Fresco News (@fresconews) March 15, 2016

The school's Principal and Executive Director Pam Magee told CBS Los Angeles, "There have not been any threats to the school. We have extra security on hand in an abundance of caution. We don't tolerate any form of hate speech or hate-related actions. We will absolutely address this. Its just despicable."
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The Beat is New Mexico!---Do we have to be stuck at the bottom of the barrel?--- Perspectives from Southern NM and the border region
Monday, March 14, 2016

March 15 is the make or break day for the Kasich campaign. And by make or break, I mean this is the day that determines whether Kasich gets to sit at the grown ups table at a contested GOP convention or whether he is stuck at the kiddie table. Yes, the media is talking about Kasich and the Pennsylvania ballot, but cmon. The Steel State hasnt voted for a Republican POTUS since 1988 in the general election. Sure it has 71 GOP delegates to give away, but the vote isnt until April 26. If someone doesnt have the Republican nomination sewn up by late April, a contested convention is all but a certainty and then what does it matter whether Kasichs name was on the ballot?

So lets talk about something that does matter: eminent domain!

As Governor of Ohio, Kasich is familiar with the potential power of eminent domain. The subject has come up in at least one area of Ohio politics: colleges and universities. Early in Kasichs first term as governor, he proposed the notion of charter universities. Think charter schools at the graduate level. The theory was to give universities more flexibility and exchange public-sector money for private-sector money because public funding was drying up. It was 2011 after all and money was drying up everywhere.

The President of the University of Cincinnati was, at first, excited about the charter idea. So excited he decided to write to Governor Kasich about all of the reforms the Governor could make to the university system by creating charter universities, including giving universities the power to directly acquire land through eminent domain.

I have been to the University of Cincinnatis campus many times. My brother is a graduate of UCs College Conservatory of Music (CCM) so I have spent many a weekend flying in an out of the Cincinnati airport and attending the exceptional CCM productions. Go Bearcats, I say. But, as you might guess, not everyone in the state of Ohio thought that handing over eminent domain power to the university system was a good idea. As best as my research shows, its not that UC (or other university systems in Ohio) were being greatly harmed by not having the authority to exercise eminent domain power by themselves; the only issue was the university systems had to go through a public agency to acquire property via eminent domain. Ohio Rev. Code sec. 163.01 et seq. has established at least since 2007 that uses of land for public institutions of higher education, as well as for private institutions of higher education, are presumed to be public uses, and thus allowed under state eminent domain law. The only real issue is that an agency has to do the taking of the property and it doesnt appear that universities are agencies under the statutory definition. In other words, the universities saw the charter university movement as an opportunity to cut out the government agency middleman when using eminent domain.

At least at first that is how folks perceived the charter university initiative. Over time, universities saw the writing on the wall: the charter university plan meant less state government oversight but also ultimately less money as private money was not likely to match public money. In due course, the charter university proposal was dropped.

Kasich never himself said he wanted to give the universities eminent domain power, but it was well published that at least the President of the UC system was asking for it and there was no record of Kasich saying he was against the idea. Who knows. Maybe if Kasichs charter university plan had actually come to fruition he would have had to take a hard stance on the topic, but at a minimum he did not reject the notion outright.

And that seems to be a pretty fair analysis of Kasichs position on eminent domainunlike Rubio and Cruz, hes not rejecting the use of eminent domain outright, but hes not giving it a big bear hug like Trump. Kasich hasnt said tons about eminent domain on the campaign trail, but hes made a few comments, including:

Its a local issue, but the issue of eminent domain is always a serious one. Its a tough one you have to deal with. I usually come down more on the side of the people who own the property.

Kasich took a similar position when questioned about using eminent domain to build a pipeline in New Hampshire. According to a local newspaper,

Kasich criticized eminent domain, saying it should be a local control issue. The federal government has the power to take property by eminent domain under the Natural Gas Act. Kasich said he is not here to settle the pipeline debate, but said that eminent domain should be a last resort, not a first resort.

Based on his comments while on the campaign trail, Kasich seems to be generally against using eminent domain powers (though not ruling it out). As Governor, he didnt rule out allowing universities to use eminent domain power, though he never endorsed the idea either. As with most issues, Kasichs stance on eminent domain appears to be someone between Trump and Rubio/Cruz, with a lean towards the Rubio/Cruz end of the spectrum.

And there you have itthe GOPers (at least those who are still in the race) and their stance on eminent domain. Next up, we turn to the Dems to see how different (or similar) they are to their conservative counterparts.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/property/2016/03/the-make-or-break-moment-for-kasich-so-lets-talk-property-.html
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In Germany, a political party opposed to immigration has won seats in three elections on Sunday.

The Alternative for Deuthschland (AfD) party won spots in southwestern Germany, which is rich, and in Saxony-Anhalt, which is poor.

The party was started three years ago. It has seats in half of Germanys 16 state parliaments, according to German state TV.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg, the AfD party won 15 percent of the vote. In the Rhineland area, the party received almost 13 percent. In Saxony, it won 24 percent of the vote.

An official with the AfD party said, People want an alternative; they want a real opposition, and we want to take on that task.

The loss is a setback for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She favors an open immigration policy.

Merkel is pressured to close Germany to migrants. Merkel is trying to reach an agreement between the European Union and Turkey to slow the flow of migrants.

Im Anna Matteo.

VOANews.com reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted this story 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

alternative - n. something that can be chosen instead of something else

task - n. a piece of work that has been given to someone; a job for someone to do

setback  n. a problem that makes progress more difficult or success less likely

favors  v. helping someone or something in an unfair way; to approve or or support something

migrants  n. a person who goes from one place to another, especially to find work


More migrants are leaving Libya after being abused, mostly by police and militias.

The International Organization for Migration reports it has helped thousands of people leave Libya to return to Burkina Faso, Gambia and Senegal, among other countries.

A few days ago, the group returned 117 migrants to Burkina Faso, including five women and two children.

Itayi Viriri is a spokesman for the group. He said the migrants told the IOM about poor treatment by militias and employers. He said many young men told the group they had worked for weeks without being paid.

He said the group has examples of young men who were working in construction who, every time they got paid, they were raided.

He said militias took the migrants money during the raids. He said the migrants had no place to report the crimes.

A recent United Nations report said government officials, armed groups and smugglers have violated the rights of migrants in Libya. Many migrants have been detained without charges for long periods and have been tortured, forced to work without pay, and have suffered other kinds of abuse, the report said.

Viriri told VOA that some African migrants reported being beaten and threatened with other forms of poor treatment.

He says there have been a few cases where people were abducted with the expectation that ransom would be paid. So, here we have one young man who said if they are arrested in Libya or taken in by these militias, they are expected to pay about $700.

Im Mario Ritter.

Lisa Schlein reported on this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her 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

smuggler  n. a criminal who moves (someone or something) from one country into another illegally and secretly

abduct  v. to take (someone) away from a place by force

ransom  n. money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped


Myanmars parliament has elected Htin Kyaw as the countrys next president.

The retired bureaucrat from the National League for Democracy, or NLD, won 360 of the 652 votes in a joint meeting of the legislature.

Htin Kyaw is not a member of parliament, but he is a close ally of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The pro-democracy leader was among the first to vote in Tuesdays historic election.

Aung San Suu Kyi made no comment to reporters after the vote.

The Nobel Prize winner is popular with most citizens of Myanmar, also known as Burma. But she is barred by the constitution from becoming president because both of her sons have foreign citizenship.

A U.S. State Department official said the constitutional ban did not agree with basic democratic ideas.

We remain concerned about certain provisions in Burmas constitution that contradict fundamental democratic principles and prevent the people of Burma from voting for the leaders of their choice, said the official.

The people of Burma should be able to decide whether and when to amend the countrys constitution to alter or remove these provisions."

Aung San Suu Kyi has declared she will hold power over the president, whom she has known since primary school.

However, the military will remain powerful in the new government because it automatically holds one quarter of the parliamentary seats. The military also will control several important ministries.

Officials tried to prevent reporters from interviewing or videotaping the militarys members of parliament as they registered for the joint session.

When the NLD forms a government, we will need to work together with them, an army brigadier general, who declined to give his name, told VOA.

The armys candidate for president, General Myint Swe, who placed second, will become the first vice president. The general, however, remains on a U.S. government blacklist, and Americans are barred with doing business with him.

The NLDs Henry Van Thio, a Christian from Chin state, finished third in Tuesdays voting and will become second vice president.

After the vote on Tuesday, lawmakers from both the NLD and the now opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) stressed the need to work together.

However, analysts and some members of the NLD have expressed concern. They fear the influence of the generals will mean corruption will continue to be a problem in Myanmar.

Myanmar is a mainly Buddhist country of more than 55 million people. The country has suffered civil war or ethnic conflict for many of the years since the end of British colonial rule in 1948.

There has been progress in negotiating peace deals with different groups since a nominally civilian government took power in 2011. But low-intensity conflicts continue between Myanmars army and a number of armed ethnic minority groups.

The new government will take office on April 1.

I'm Mario Ritter.

VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reported on this story from Bangkok. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

bureaucrat  n. someone who works for the government or a large company

contradict  v. to say something that is the opposite of what someone or something else has said

provisions  n. conditions that are part of an agreement

principle - n. a guiding moral rule or belief

quarter - n. one of four equal parts of something

analysts  n. a person who studies something
For the refugees living in a camp along the border of Greece and Macedonia, each day begins with hope.

The refugees hope that the Macedonians will open the border. They hope that it won't rain. They hope that they have enough food.

Hope is what brings between 500 and 1,000 new refugees to the area every day.

Provisional agreement

The refugees' hopes were high last week. The refugees said they believed a meeting between the European Union and Turkish leaders would bring good news.

Few of the nearly 16,000 refugees living in the camp understand that the EU and Turkey have reached a limited agreement. The EU will take one Syrian refugee from Turkey for each Syrian refugee that Turkey takes from Greece.

EU leaders will meet soon to discuss the plan. The plan has angered UN refugee chiefs and human rights groups. The UNs refugee agency said a blanket return may violate international law.

Possibility of resistance

If EU and Turkish officials go forward with the plan, it could spark anger in the camp. The few refugees who understand the plans say they will resist.

One refugee, a 32-year-old father of two children, said, "There's war in Syria; there will be war here. I didn't risk the journey here  a sea crossing with my wife and kids  to be taken back."

High tensions

Tensions are high in the camp. Many children are sick. The children's parents are angry about how few doctors are in the camp.

"We queue for hours to see anyone," said a woman from Syria. She has three young children. The youngest, age 2, has been sick for days.

In the last few weeks, fights have broken out while refugees wait for food.

A French medical charity called Doctors Without Borders has given food to refugees. But it is difficult serving everyone in the camp. The charity asks other organizations to help.

A local Greek charity called Praxis works in the camp, but does not have enough employees.

A Praxis worker said: "What is happening here is disgracing Europe  it is shaming Europe."

UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, has a small presence in the camp. One worker for Doctors Without Borders said UNHCR representatives spend most of their time talking with the press.

The police presence grows

The number of police in the camp has increased. One policeman said he worries that the refugees will become violent when they learn they are not going to the EU.

"We dont want a repeat of what happened the other day," he said. He was referring to the February 29th clash between refugees and Macedonian border guards.

Refugees shook the fence blocking their way. Guards shot rubber bullets and tear gas to keep them back.

Last Wednesday refugees and locals complained that police told them to stop selling food.

A Syrian refugee from Aleppo, who has been selling soft drinks, said, "I think they want to make the refugees even more uncomfortable, to pressure them so when the time comes to move them away, they might not resist."

I'm Kathleen Struck.

Jamie Dettmer reported on this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted his report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

blanket  adj. affecting everyone or everything

spark  v. to cause (something) to start or happen; to incite or fuel

complain  v. to say or write that you are unhappy or sick, or to state that you do not like something

uncomfortable  adj. causing a feeling of physical unease

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne




- The People Power Monument , the symbol of every Filipino's freedom against the Marcos regime, has been vandalized with pro-Marcos graffiti. A pic posted by an instagram user went viral, showing that the lower part of the monument adorned with orange and yellow tiles was covered in scrawls exalting the family name of the late Ferdinand Marcos, the former president whose 20-year regime ended by the People Power. The late dictator's son, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is running for vice president in the May 2016 elections.





- During his visit to the Philippines, former US Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore warned that at least 13.6 million Filipinos will be affected by global warming which triggered continuous rise in sea levels. He also urged Filipinos to demand government action on climate change to continue what he called a "moral struggle" amid the Philippines' continued support for coal-powered plants.





- The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee is set to probe onto the alleged money laundering activities involving 81 million US Dollars coursed through the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) . The Senate panel summoned the top RCBC officials to explain about the alleged money laundering transaction.





Turkey has launched simultaneous airstrikes against the Kurdish militant camps in Iraq following last night's car bomb attack in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed 37 people. Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu said that an investigation found the PKK held responsible for the bombing. Davutoglu added that Turkish fighter jets bombed targets of the PKK in northern Iraq, serving as a retaliation for the car bomb attack.





- The Burmese parliament has elected the nation's first civilian leader in over five decades. Htin Kyaw of the National League for Democracy, gained the most votes in Tuesday's joint session of parliament's two house. Htin Kyaw is a former bureaucrat who has graduated from a certain British university. He is Burma's first democratically elected president since the military seized power in the 1962 coup. He's also a close ally to Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi was banned by the constitution from becoming president because her children are foreign nationals but she is widely expected to wield power through Htin Kyaw.





- The Malaysia Insider , a top Malaysian internet media site, will be shutting down following its reports covering a political funding scandal involving Prime Minister Najib Razak. The government had been blocking access within the country to the internet site, citing a violation of the law on Internet use.





- A UN human rights investigator says the North Korean leadership should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity . During a meeting with the Human Rights Council in Geneva, North Korea's leadership is pouring a large amount of resources into developing weapons of mass destruction, while its people are suffering from food insecurity, and added that the global community should take steps to hold NoKor leader Kim Jong Un and other top-ranking officials responsible for the crimes.




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Comments are welcome, and all are moderated. Please be respectful. Argument (in the classical sense) is encouraged. A lively discussion helps clarify, however crude, or obscene remarks will not be posted. Neither will ad hominem attacks, so please don't mix a comment on an issue with an ad hominem because it won't be posted. Publication does not imply agreement.




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By Srinivasa Prasad

The first lunch I had with Vijay Mallya was a memorable one and not just because it lasted four and a half hours. And certainly not because the amount of UB beer and McDowell whiskey that he downed would have laid up one of his thoroughbred horses for two days. "I drink only my own brands," he said.

I remember it because of the unmistakable fire, the driving ambition and the true zeal that I saw in the eyes of a young tycoon. It was 1986 and he was 31. And it was three years since he had taken over as Chairman of the United Breweries following his father Vittal Mallyas death at 59.

There were two things he harped on over that lunch. One was that he had inherited a Rs 300-crore company from his father and he would soon turn it into a Rs 3,000-crore empire. Those were the amounts he mentioned. The second was that he would pull it off by diversifying into areas other than liquor. It seemed to me that what he would have liked to say, but what he didnt, was that he wanted to be a man of his own making. He didnt want history to remember him as a fathers son.

Liquor doesnt have too much future, he said, between gulps of it. You cant even advertise it in India. That was what made him look elsewhere to diversify.

I must confess that I was truly impressed, and I believed he would do as he promised. But that was 30 years ago.

The lunch came a couple of weeks after his arrest and release on bail by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged FERA violations, and after he screamed at me outside the ED office. When he saw me talking to his wife Sameera, who was in tears, he shouted: You made my wife cry. I explained that I had been waiting outside the office for five hours to get his version of the FERA case, that his wife had arrived only a few minutes earlier and she had broken down after I asked her a few questions and that I was only doing my job as a reporter. Then he softened up and almost apologised. The man was forgiving after all!

Vijay Mallya became a young tycoon like his father had. It was in 1947, when he was only 22, that Vittal Mallya had become the Chairman of UB, a company that a Scotsman had founded in 1915, and five years later, acquired McDowell. The son shared the fathers penchant for acquisitions, but nothing else.

Besides beer and liquor, his fathers empire had included squashes, jams, chocolates, lime cordial, sewing machines and pharmaceuticals. The son jumped headlong into high-tech and core sectors: telecommunications, medical electronics, engineering, fertilisers, oil drilling, aviation services and bio-technology. He even bought into two provincial dailies in the US and two publications in India: Asian Age and Cine Blitz. Later he had to sell some of the new ventures. Some lost money, floundered or folded up.

Mallya met with failure after failure but, as even his worst critics would agree, he had nerves of steel  one of his favourite phrases.

It came as a surprise to me that Mallya let his executives barge into his study at the sprawling Brewery House that his father had built in Bangalore. Many of them would call Mallya by first name. And many would disagree with whatever he said, be it an appointment he needed to make or a medicine he needed to take or things he needed to do at the UB Headquarters, a stones throw away. He intensely cares for his first wife Sameera, a former Air India air hostess, whom he divorced after the birth of a son, and current wife Rekha, who gave him two daughters. Twice married earlier, Rekha has two children of her own. Mallya cares for all of them.

It mattered to him little that he was called Hugh Hefner of the East or a king of good times. He always said he only did openly what others did secretly.

The only thing that seemed to matter to him was raw ambition. In what proportion the good things of life and this ambition filled his mind is debatable, but there was ambition, of course, and it was strong and overpowering; an ambition that even overlooked simple business sense and brought down his empire, as it turned out in later years.

When blind ambition is accompanied by impulsive actions, too much of confidence in himself, too little of it in others around him and extravagant spending, businesses are guaranteed to flop. Reckless spending and borrow-first-and-worry latter  as some critic put it  were the hallmarks of his style from the start. I remember an ICICI Bank manager telling me a long time ago that his staff had a tough time recovering the credit card dues of Mallya.

Besides, he seemed to believe that money could get anything if you spent it in the right place and in right amounts. I was aghast once when he boasted during cocktails at the end of a press conference: I can buy any journalist in India.

The late 1990s metamorphosed Mallya, his ambition soaring to new heights. It was then that he decided on two ventures: launch himself into politics and launch a world-class airline. In the end, he flopped in both. In politics, he used corporate strategies. With the airline, he not only used political ploys, he even made it a fine example of how not to do business.

He told his close friends that one way to fight corporate cases and expand business empires was to acquire political power. It was then that he discovered that his title of liquor baron a liability. Such a prefix to his name is not likely to find favour with either the media or the voters, especially in Karnataka, where the liquor lobby is known to pay devious games to install and topple governments.

Mallya, of course, didnt tell me all that, but what he did tell me, during his late-night calls (past 2 am) from the US (afternoon there) was that it hurt him to be called a liquor baron. Liquor, he explained, was only a tiny part of his business now with many other things thrown in. I didnt see much point in arguing, especially since the incoming overseas calls were adding to my mobile bills in those days of high mobile tariffs.

Mallya, no doubt, had visions of becoming Karnatakas Chief Minister by winning the 2004 state assembly elections for his Janata Party. But he found it the hard way that election victories needed more than the boardroom manoeuvres of corporate coups.



For campaigning, he extensively used his private jet, a helicopter and a Mercedes Benz. People turned up at his meetings more to see the rich man who was known to surround himself with pretty women in skimpy bikinis. To their horror, only well-dressed UB executives accompanied him to political rallies.

He fielded 155 candidates for the 224-strong assembly. He thought the sword of Tipu Sultan that he had acquired for Rs 1.6 core at a UK auction would get him the Muslim votes, but that was where his election arithmetic seemed to begin and end. He seemed pretty confident, when he spoke of a victory, the same way he would speak of corporate acquisitions and mergers. Money indeed flowed like beer from his breweries, but he didnt win a single seat. He later blamed his defeat on people in his own party who had selfish interests.

Mallya entered the Rajya Sabha in 2002 with support from Deve Gowdas Janata Dal (Secuar) and the Congress. He got a second term in 2010 with support from JD(S) and BJP.

All the parties are now trying to distance themselves from him. Politically, Mallya is closer to the Janata and Sangh parivars. The Congress now is accusing the Modi government of having let Mallya escape. But who let him commit the alleged crimes? Both the BJP and the Congress showered munificence on Mallya. In politics and business, munificence is not a one-way thing.

When Kingfisher Airlines was on the drawing board, requiring permissions, licenses and sanctions, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, and there were four civil aviation ministers: Ananth Kumar, Sharad Yadav, Shahnawaj Hussain and Rajiv Pratap Rudy. During the period from 2005 when the airline took off till 2013 when it went bust, the government and the banks were soft on Mallya, and it was the Congress-led UPA which was in power then. The civil aviation ministers of that period were: Praful Patel, Vayalar Ravi and Ajit singh.

In the middle of all this mess, there is only thing that you can be reasonably sure of. Mallya is not just about to take the next available flight to come back home.

The author is a senior journalist. He has covered the southern states extensively, and was part of the team that re-launched the Bengaluru edition of the Times of India in 1995.
Liquor baron, Vijay Mallya, who is facing investigations by multiple agencies in connection with the default of Rs 9,000 crore worth of loans by his now-defunct airline, Kingfisher, to a clutch of banks, and charges of financial irregularities, has filed a petition with the cyber division of Mumbai Police against Sunday Guardian. The liquor baron took umbrage at the daily, which published an interview, purportedly, based on an email interaction with Mallya.

I have not given any email or any other interview to anyone including the Sunday Guardian. The email account that has been attributed to me does not belong to me. Every comment, therefore, is fabricated. I have filed a complaint with the cyber police station in Mumbai, a statement from Mallyas spokesperson said.

Earlier, Mallya had tweeted denying giving interview to Sunday Guardian. Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before (Sic), Mallya tweeted. Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake, Mallya said.

But, MD Nalapat, editorial director of the Sunday Guardian, the daily which published the interview of Mallya on 12 March had told Firstpost, earlier in the day, that the daily stands by its interview and Mallyas claims that the interview is fake is totally incorrect. Earlier, Mallya had tweeted that the Sunday Guardian interview is fake.

There is no ambiguity on the genuineness of the interview. It is hundred percent genuine, said Nalapat said. It may be so that there was pressure on him (Mallya) from his lawyers and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that certain he said in the interview would be harmful (to his ongoing litigations) and hence he was forced to lie about this, said Nalapat.

Later, Nalapat also tweeted that he has asked his staff to investigate all the facts concerning the Mallya interview. In the evening statement, Mallya acknowledged this. The editor of the paper has also publicly admitted on Twitter that he would investigate the matter as this tantamounts to fraud and needs to be seriously investigated, Mallya said, adding In all fairness, all TV channels and newspapers who have quoted from the interview should publish a retraction.

The Sunday Guardian interview quoted Mallya saying that he is not an absconder but is unsure that when he will come back to India. Im not sure Ill get a fair chance to present my side. Ive already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is rightBut I hope that I return one day, the interview quoted Mallya as saying. This created panic among bankers and put investigators on high alert since Mallya has been summoned by the ED on 18 March and a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against him by a Hyderabad Court.

Standing by its report, the newspaper had uploaded the email-trail with Mallya on its website. But, two separate emails sent by Firstpost to Mallyas email id (vjmallya@protonmail.com) failed to reach the intended recipient.

Mallya is in the midst of a controversy for not paying back Rs 9,000 crore loans to some 17 banks, which was lent to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Banks have so far not managed to make any meaningful recovery of the loan, which turned bad way back in 2012. Subsequently, Mallya was tagged a wilful defaulter by State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank. The bank consortium, led by SBI, has approached the Bangalore DRT seeking Mallyas arrest, first right on the $75 million severance pay Mallya received from Diageo and impounding his passport.
New Delhi: A war of tweets has broken out between Vijay Mallya and the Sunday Guardian over a controversial interview published in the newspaper over the weekend.

Mallya, mired in a controversy for leaving India in the middle of a massive loan default probe, on Monday distanced himself from the interview in which he was quoted as having said time was not "right" for him to return to the country.

"Shocked to see media statements that I gave an interview to Sunday Guardian without verification. I have not given any statement to anyone," Mallya tweeted on Monday night from his official Twitter page. He did not elaborate further on the contents of the said interview then.

Shocked to see media statements that I gave an interview to Sunday Guardian without verification.I have not given any statement to anyone.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

However, a journalist with the Sunday Guardian shot back saying it stands by the interview and published the mail trail that ended in the interview.

We stand by the Vijay Mallya interview in the @SundayGuardian and we will be putting up the email trail that culminated in his interview.  Abhinandan Mishra (@mishra_abhi) March 14, 2016

It seems Mr.Mallya's lawyer & a political friend had an epiphany after which Mallya denied d interview more than 45 hrs after it went online  Abhinandan Mishra (@mishra_abhi) March 14, 2016

The Sunday Guardian stands by its interview of Vijay Mallya | Sunday Guardian https://t.co/VpmroDlexF  Joyeeta Basu (@eeta) March 14, 2016

Email trail between our reporter @Kanishkasingh99 and Vijay Mallya. Encrypted email id confirmed by hs legal counsel pic.twitter.com/4muwNAux4K  Joyeeta Basu (@eeta) March 14, 2016

The Sunday Guardian stands by its report on Vijay Mallya's interview taken by our reporter. Statement, email trail on website shortly.  Joyeeta Basu (@eeta) March 14, 2016

However, a while later Mallya tweeted again wondering what the protonmail is all about.

Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Never ever had nor do I have a protonmail e-mail account. As I said earlier I have never ever heard of protonmail.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

The interview has come at a time when Mallya is under fire after he left the country on 2 March as banks and investigative agencies tighten their grip over the liquor baron. Mallya's had taken loans of about Rs 7,000 crore for the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines. The dues along with the interest is estimated to be at about Rs 9000 crore.

Mallya escape from the country that coincided with the banks moving the Debt Recovery Tribunal in Banlgaore has triggered a political row with Congress and BJP trading charges.

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) has summoned the liquor baron to appear before it in Mumbai on March 18 as part of its money laundering probe in the alleged default in payment of Rs 9,000 crore dues to IDBI bank by Kingfisher Airlines. While it has been widely reported that he had left for London, Mallya himself has been silent about his whereabouts but has been tweeting occasionally including to say he was not an "absconder" and he would comply with the "law of the land".

On Sunday, 'The Sunday Guardian' quoted him as having said in an e-mail interview, "I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But I am not sure I'll get a fair chance to present my side. I've already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is right."

Mallya, however, did not respond to repeated emailed queries from PTI as also to the messages sent to his phone.

No immediate comments could be obtained from the weekly newspaper and the phone calls made to its office did not elicit any response regarding the interview.

On Sunday, Mallya had tweeted, "I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts."

With PTI
M D Nalapat, Editorial Director of the Sunday Guardian, the daily which published the interview of Indian liquor-baron, Vijay Mallya on 12 March told Firstpost that the daily stands by its interview and Mallyas claims that the interview is fake is totally incorrect. Earlier, Mallya had tweeted that the Sunday Guardian interview is fake.

There is no ambiguity on the genuineness of the interview. It is hundred percent genuine, said Nalapat to Firstpost on Tuesday. It may be so that there was pressure on him (Mallya) from his lawyers and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that certain things he said in the interview would be harmful (to his ongoing litigations) and hence he was forced to lie about this, said Nalapat.

In the interview, Mallya reemphasized that he is not an absconder, he respects the Indian laws and he left the country on a personal visit. Further, Mallya, said he has the best intentions and explained how loan defaults are part of any businesses. Till here, his statements give enough room for his sympathizers to argue in his favour and blame media for the hysterical frenzy.

But, Mallya also said, when the reporter asked whether he will return to India, that he is unsure when he will come back to India Im not sure Ill get a fair chance to present my side. Ive already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is rightBut I hope that I return one day, Mallya said. This created panic among bankers and put investigators on high alert since Mallya has been summoned by the ED on 18 March and a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against him by a Hyderabad Court.

Mallya is in the midst of a controversy for not paying back Rs 9,000 crore loans to some 17 banks, which was lent to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Banks have so far not managed to make any meaningful recovery of the loan, which turned bad way back in 2012. Subsequently, Mallya was tagged a wilful defaulter by State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank. The bank consortium, led by SBI, has approached the Bangalore DRT seeking Mallyas arrest, first right on the $75 million severance pay Mallya received from Diageo and impounding his passport.

Mallya stands by his case

But, a spokesperson of Mallya denied Mallya giving interview to Sunday Guardian. The interview is fake, said the spokesperson. Firstly, Dr Mallya doesnt use or dont even know of proton email account. Both the sender and receiver, in this case, have used this email id. If the newspaper has approached our legal counsel, they should mention the names of the individuals or the organization, said the spokesperson. With the Congress-party led opposition stepping up pressure in Parliament on the Mallya case, the Narendra-Modi government is under pressure to speed up action on Mallya. Other investigative agencies, such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and SFIO too have said they will widen the probe.

In an earlier tweet, Mallya had personally denied that he gave interview to Sunday Guardian. Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before (Sic), Mallya tweeted. Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake, Mallya said.

On Monday, P Chidambaram, former finance minister with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government sought to distance from the ongoing investigations into liquor baron Vijay Mallya and banks fight to get back about Rs 9,000 crore lent to Mallyas now-defunct airline Kingfisher Airlines. I dont know the facts of Mr Mallyas case, Chidambaram said in an exclusive interview to Firstpost.

..In some cases he (Mallya) is a wilful defaulter, in some cases he has been a victim of economic downturn. Those are not matters where I can judge without full information, Chidambaram said.
New Delhi: Citing cases of political violence targeting workers of the party in Kerala, BJP on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to take strong measures to ensure violence-free poll in the state.

Union ministers Smriti Irani and Rajiv Pratap Rudy told a press conference that the attacks were outcome of a "nexus" between ruling Congress and the Left as they are worried by the "surge" in BJP's support in the state.

"Violence is being used as a political tool to suppress our voice," Irani said, alleging that Left workers were carrying out attacks while Congress was strategically supporting it.

"Situation is very critical. We do not expect a free and fair election in Kerala," Rudy said, adding that a party delegation will soon meet the Commission to press for strong measures to be taken in the state.

In recent cases of violence, former Kerala BJP chief V Muraleedharan was among 16 persons injured in an alleged attack by CPI-M workers at Kattayikonam on Monday.

On March 8, RSS worker E K Biju was hacked to death, Rudy said, adding that hundreds of party workers over the years have been killed in Kannur.

The BJP-led alliance in the state had created concern among the two bigger parties, he said, and "emerging signs of its great victory" have compelled them to target saffron workers.

A Dalit girl student tried to commit suicide after being harassed by the Left workers, Irani said.

Rudy is party's co-incharge for Kerala assembly polls and the delegation to the Commission will be headed by Union Minister J P Nadda, who is in-charge, he said.

PTI
Ahmedabad: A special CBI court in Ahmedabad on Monday rejected the application moved by IPS officer Satish Verma seeking supplementary chargesheet filed before the court in connection with the alleged fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan and three others.

The court rejected the application stating that it was not in a position to provide the chargesheet as it had not taken cognisance of the chargesheet sought by the officer, who had probed the case.

Verma had moved the court on Friday seeking the copy of the supplementary chargesheet so that he could initiate legal action against the accused named in it. Verma, as a member of SIT, had investigated the encounter case of Ishrat and three others.

CBI counsel RC Kodekar told PTI that the court rejected the application moved by Verma on the ground that it had not taken cognisance of this chargesheet.

"The court stated that the chargesheet had not come on its record and also that Verma being the third party in the case could not ask for the copy," he said.

Advocate Manish Oza, appearing on behalf of the Verma, said he had filed the application for certified copy of the chargesheet which was sent to the court concerned which sent it back.

"The court has returned the application, but we will move the court of the Principal District Judge PR Patel for the copy of the chargesheet," he said.

The second chargesheet filed by the CBI had named four Intelligence Bureau officials, including Rajinder Kumar, who were charged with murder and criminal conspiracy, and proceedings against them are pending before the CBI court for want of prosecution sanction by the Centre.

"Verma had sought the copies of the chargesheet from the court to take further legal action, so that the case can move forward," his lawyer Rahul Sharma said.

In the first chargesheet filed by CBI, they had named seven Gujarat police officers as accused, including IPS officers PP Pandey, DG Vanzara and GL Singhal.

PTI
New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has observed that if the issue of marital rape is brought under law, the entire family system will be under great stress.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Chaudhury said in Lok Sabha that the department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs presented its 167th report on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 in the Rajya Sabha on 1 March, 2013.

While giving its report, the Committee considered both the 172nd report on review of rape laws given by the Law

Commission of India and the report of the Justice J S Verma Committee.

"The Committee deliberated the amendments to section 375 of IPC, including the issue of marital rape, and observed that if marital rape is brought under the law, the entire family system will be under great stress and the Committee may perhaps be doing more injustice," he said replying to a written question on Tuesday.

The Law Commission, while making its 172nd report on 'Review of Rape Laws' in March 2000, did not recommend

criminalisation of marital rape.

However, the Justice J S Verma Committee, while giving its report on 'Amendments to Criminal Law' in January 2013, recommended that law ought to be amended to delete the marital rape exception.

"This (Home) Ministry has requested the Law Commission to deliberate upon the matter during the course of its

comprehensive review of Criminal Justice System," Chaudhary said.

PTI
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar who is out on bail in a sedition case led an 'azaadi' march of JNU students from Mandi House to Parliament Street demanding release of two varsity students  Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya  and resignation of Union Minister Smriti Irani.

"She calls us her children, but has she ever spoken to my mother or Rohith Vemula's mother? I refused to be called her child. We demand that she should resign for the way academic institutions are being attacked," Kanhaiya said while addressing a gathering at Parliament Street.

"We want the resignation of Smriti Irani, dropping of sedition charges, the release of two students from jail, no interferences in the university's autonomy and a law against caste politics in colleges," Kanhaiya told NDTV.

"This march is not to save one Umar or Kanhaiya, it is for democracy and social justice. When dictatorship comes to a country, education institutions are affected first. If you talk in favour of JNU and education, you are talking about making sense.

"If universities are being attacked, I want to tell you all that trust your children. There are some people who want to spread anarchy. But don't be afraid of them. You have to tell them that you cannot do all this. We will not tolerate any attack like this," Kanhaiya said.

Author-activist Arundhati Roy also addressed the gathering saying, "We are looking at revolutionary politics. We are at the beginning of a battle between those who know how to play and those who don't. People who are called anti-national are nature lovers. People who call themselves national are the ones ruining things".

Meanwhile, during his speech four persons tried to attack Kanhaiya at frequent intervals following which they were detained.

Posters demanding release of students Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid seen in JNU campus pic.twitter.com/YVlgai6XDi  ANI (@ANI_news) March 15, 2016

Developments on Tuesday

- A Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya by 14 more days.

- When asked about the recommendation by the committee to expel him and four other students for their alleged role in a controversial event last month at which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, Kanhaiya said, "I did receive a show cause notice but there was nothing about rustication in it."

- The JNU authorities, however, said that a decision on what action should be taken against Kanhaiya Kumar and other students will depend on their replies to the showcause notices issued to them. The 21 students who have been served the show cause notices said they will hold a meeting on Tuesday night to decide whether to respond to them or not.

- The Delhi High Court refused to entertain a plea that sought action against Kanhaiya Kumar on a sedition charge on his statement of the Indian Army being responsible for rapes of women in Kashmir.

- Justice Pratibha Rani said investigation in the sedition case against Kanhaiya was already in progress and the court would not entertain another plea. On 2 March, the Delhi High Court granted interim bail for six months to Kumar in a sedition case.

- The second plea seeking cancellation of Kanhaiya Kumar's is listed for hearing on 16 March.



With inputs from PTI
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will not be allowed to rest in peace anytime soon nor the mystery surrounding his death. According to The Times Of India, successive governments seem to have believed that Bose might not have died in the plane crash in Taipei on 18 August, 1945.

The report added that a book commissioned by the Nehru government and compiled by historian Pratul Chandra Gupta in 1949-50 states that Bose may have "escaped from the plane crash."

On 23 January this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled 100 digital files related to Subhash Chandra Bose to mark his 119th birth anniversary at the National Archives of India. For a long time, Bose's family members had been demanding declassification of files related to him to help clear the mystery shrouding his death.

Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma recently said that the second tranche of 25 secret files on Bose will be released after the Budget session of Parliament.

Documents suggest that in 1948-49, British and American intelligence agencies also believed that Bose was alive and instrumental in a number of communist uprisings in Southeast Asia, as per reports in The Indian Express. After Bose's disappearance, the report added that the West Bengal state intelligence regularly intercepted letters to his family members to ascertain his death.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, survivor of the plane crash in Taipei Habib-ur-Rehman Khan told a committee that Bose's clothes were on fire when their plane crashed. He had narrated that Bose told him, "When you go back to the country, tell the people that till the last moment, I fought for the liberation of my country; they should continue to struggle, and I am sure India will be free before long. Nobody can keep India in bondage now."

The Hindu had reported that Jawaharlal Nehru had consulted the Finance and External Affairs Ministry on 12 June, 1952, to extend monetary assistance to Bose's wife in Vienna. The report further added that "India has paid Rs 52,66,278 between 1967-2005 to the Renkoji temple in Tokyo for the upkeep of Netajis remains."

Whether the release of the Netaji files will have an impact on the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly Election remains to be seen. The BJP has nominated Bose's grand nephew Chandra Bose as its candidate from the Bhowanipore Assembly seat from where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also planning to file her candidature.

BJP Secretary Siddarthnath Singh was quoted in The Economic Times report saying, "The Netaji files and the issue of his death is already being talked about in the state. It has a huge sentimental value for the people there. It has already become an issue in Bengal elections."

While two commissions of inquiry had concluded that Netaji had died in a plane crash in Taipei on 18 August, 1945, a third probe panel, headed by Justice MK Mukherjee, had contested it and suggested that Bose was alive.

With inputs from PTI
Hudson Line is a residential area in North Delhi where thousands of young students from Delhi University (DU) stay. As the hostel accommodation fails to match the number of students admitted to DU colleges, many young boys and girls rent a barsati or a flat with their friends, shelling out a hefty amount that ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per month, excluding food. And they never complain or protest about it. There is a sense of urgency in them. They want to graduate fast, get a job, earn and be on their own. They loathe being dependent.

At the Sainik Snacks Store in DDA market in Hudson Lines, four boys in bermudas and t-shirts are busy planning a movie outing as I intrude and divert their conversation to the developments in JNU over the last few weeks. I ask their opinion on the politics and culture of the university.

Have you seen a film named Hazaaaron Khwaishein Aisi?" One student with a stubble and rimmed glasses asked with a smile. I answered in the affirmative and he continued, It is all very fascinating. My uncle tells me how he used to sit for hours at India Coffee House in Connaught Place and discuss about social change and revolution. He ended up taking up a bank job.

I too believe that things need to change but change hardly comes through slogans and holding protests, he added. For thousands of undergraduate students of Delhi University Sudhir Mishras Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi remains the most common heuristic to solve the complexities of revolutionary zeal.

Set in the backdrop of the Naxalite movement of the 1960s, the film tells the story of ideology from three perspectives.

The revolutionary: The trajectory followed by Siddharth Tyabji (Kay Kay Menon) moves towards dirty and muddy roads to the villages to end the vulgarity of oppression. He hates those who just pontificate about social problems but do nothing about it. Notwithstanding his zealous pursuit to change the world, disillusionment with the idea of revolution is what he meets at the end. He goes to London to study medicine with a hope that mysteries of the human body will be less confusing".

The anti-revolutionary: Vikram (Shiney Ahuja), a wannabe power-broker whose cynicism towards rich kids playing let-us-change-the-the world-game is as unconvincing as that of Menons misguided idealism.

The pretentious revolutionaries: The third is represented by a young wine-sipping comrade of more committed revolutionaries who believes in the ideology but has a rich dad. He is strutting around sprouting radical jargons, a little politics, some rock-n-roll, but mostly of shock value.

Probably, on most campuses, all these categories of revolutionaries have ceased to influence student politics, except in JNU. Much has changed on campuses around the world but JNU has remained the same. The clarion call of revolutionary change that emanated many decades ago still reverberates here with the same metaphors and idioms which non-JNUites find difficult to relate to.

There is a palpable disconnect between the students of JNU, particularly the Left-inclined ones, and those on other campuses. This is evident from the fact that there was lack of even minimum unity - as JNUSU president - calls it, on the February 9 incident and what followed it.

It has not been the case with students protests in India. On more than one occasion students movements have led to dismantling of governments. Nav Nirman movement led by students in Gujarat in 1973 submerged into a call for total revolution with students from across the country joining it. What started as a protest against increased mess charge by students of LD Engineering College, Ahmedabad transformed into a movement that brought down the Gujarat government and much else in the country.

In 1990, when 19-year old Rajeev Goswami, a student of Delhis Deshbandhu College, attempted to immolate himself, sparking off a series of self-immolations by other students against the implementation of the Mandal Commissions recommendations for reservation of OBCs in government jobs, he became a symbol of youth angst against what they perceived as divisive politics. Removed from their ideological underpinnings students from all over the country participated in the anti-reservation movements.



A report from India Today stated that students were more emotive than organised. The report stated In Bihar, youth trained in university politics are at the forefront of the stir. In Uttar Pradesh, girls are opposing the Mandal Commission report as actively as the boys. In Madhya Pradesh even some backward caste students have thrown in their lot with their forward classmates. In Delhi, a group of upper caste Bihari students are called the "think tank" of the agitation.

About 29 universities spread across the northern states became the hub of the agitation. The situation got so bad that police resorted to firing in Jaunpur, Faizabad, Mathura, Gorakhpur and Meerut. The protest were not limited to the Hindi heartland, considered to be bastion of caste politics as it also spread to Jammu University where students boycotted classes. Protests and processions were organised in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh too.

Again, students from various universities of the National Capital Region (NCR) and different parts of the country actively participated in the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare in 2011.

Indian youth, especially university students, have shown great solidarity for the causes that concern them as students or aimed at bettering the existing system. However, the same students, evidently, failed to connect with ideological propaganda that marks JNU politics.

Abhimanyu Singh, a lawyer who participated in the Anna Hazare protests, said I was a student then and I and many of my friends actively participated in the movement because we believed in the cause.

Commenting upon the JNU politics, Singh added, When a social problems like poverty or communalism is analysed through a specific ideological prism it complicates the issue. No ideology can claim to eradicate these problems. In fact, you dont need any ideology to solve these problems. You need to devise some very practical solutions.

While JNU is still struck in an ideological warfare, students elsewhere have moved much beyond meta narratives. They are progenies of the postmodern age who believe in their own realities. They know how to balance their materialist concerns with their social responsibilities. They are doing just fine.

This can be gauged from what Praval of Chaudhary Charan Singh University tells or Jai of Allahabad University asserts. Or what Arun Kumar, a PhD student at IIT Roorkee observes: "I actively participated in 2006 anti-reservation protests. It attracted me because it was not an issue that needed any ideological backing. Ideologies always divide, be it Left or Right. Ideology is passe. You cannot judge merit of such issues through an ideological framework. It needs only rational application of the mind."
Three out of 10 terrorists who reportedly crossed into India allegedly from Pakistan via Gujarat earlier this month have now been killed, sources told CNN IBN. The terrorists allegedly planned to attack Somnath temple in Gujarat.

NDTV reported that security forces are aware of the location of the other terrorists but are not revealing it in order to safeguard their anti-terrorism operations. The terrorists are suspected to belong either to Lashkar-e-Taiba or to Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist organisations. But a top home ministry official told The Hindu that it is possible that the terrorists belonged to another country.

On 6 March, an alert was sounded in Gujarat and metro cities after Pakistans National Security Advisor Naseer Janjua informed Indias NSA Ajit Doval of the possible infiltration by 10 terrorists who had plans to carry out attacks against high-value targets. Security was intensified across Gujarat, which cancelled leave of all police personnel. Two NSG teams comprising nearly 200 personnel were sent to Ahmedabad from Delhi as officials suspected that the terrorists would attack religious places on 7 March as it was also Maha Shivratri.

In view of the terror threat across Gujarat, the Gir-Somnath district administration even postponed a cultural event scheduled at the Somnath temple premises on 6 and 7 March. Gir-Somnath's superintendent of police AM Muniya confirmed to PTI that more than 250 police personnel were deployed at the Somnath temple and different teams were formed to check all kinds of movements near the temple."

It was also later reported that the terrorists had managed to reach Delhi. The National Capital was put on high alert with security being enhanced at several public places.

With inputs from PTI
Chennai: Police on Monday detained four of the suspects accused of hacking to death a young Dalit man who married an upper caste girl, who herself narrowly survived the brutal assault in a Tamil Nadu town.

Political parties denounced the chilling murder of V Sankar, 23, in Udumalaipettai town in Tirupur district on Sunday afternoon and what they said was the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Sankar had married Kausalya, 19, who is from the politically influential Thevar community, eight months ago.

CCTV visuals showed about six men attack Sankar, a third year engineering student, with sickles and machetes when he and Kausalya were walking on a crowded street.

The killers apparently came on two motorcycles and appeared to have been shadowing the couple. Before escaping, the killers also thrashed the young woman, leaving her badly wounded. But she miraculously survived.

Sankar bled to death on his way to a hospital.

The attack was witnessed by scores of people, many of whom stood frozen by terror. Others fled the scene, police officials said.

Speaking from her hospital bed, a dazed Kausalya blamed her own family for the cold-blooded murder.

Her father C Gopalasamy surrendered in a court, saying he was scared and not because he was involved with the killing in any way. He was remanded in judicial custody till 21 March and taken to the Central Jail in Madurai.

Sankar's family said he and his wife had just finished shopping when they were targeted. Police said Kausalya's family was unhappy over her marriage outside the caste.

Kausalya told a Tamil news channel that she would be able to identify the killers. She said she and her husband were threatened earlier too by a few men.

She blamed her parents for the murder.

Velu Samy, the distraught father of Sankar, alleged that Kausalya was abducted by her parents once and locked up in their house.

It was only after a police case was filed that she was allowed to return to her husband.

He said Sankar and Kausalya used to get frequent death threats.

Velu Samy said he had felt that his son would be eventually accepted by the girl's family. "But that did not happen. We have lost him."

Police detained four suspects for the murder. Kausalya had reportedly recognised two of her attackers from the photographs and videos shown to her.

Police and the administration had a tough time persuading Sankar's family to take his body for cremation after the post-mortem examination on Monday afternoon.

The angry family and other Dalits protested against what they said was police inaction vis-a-vis the killers.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has, meanwhile, sought the response of the Tamil Nadu government within a fortnight over the murder.

Political parties preparing for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in May condemned the incident but mostly chose not to harp on the caste issue. Dalit and Left groups have vowed to hold protests across the state this week.

The Thevar community to which the young woman belonged is closely aligned with Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK party.

A party spokeswoman denied the murder was the result of caste conflict. "It is a problem between two families, not between two castes," she said in Chennai.

IANS
New Delhi: Heaps of garbage are a common sight at the Yamuna floodplains, where the controversial World Culture Festival was organised by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankars Art of Living (AOL) Foundation this past weekend. The three-day extravaganza ended on Sunday evening with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal describing it as historic, divine and amazing and pledging that his government will make efforts to clean the Yamuna.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had given the organisers the go-ahead after accusing them of destroying vegetation and ruining the rivers fragile ecosystem. The NGT also slapped a fine of Rs five crore on the organisers. The Delhi High Court also described the festival  one that was organised to celebrate the AOLs 35 years of service to humanity, spirituality and human values  as an ecological disaster.

Plastic bottles, empty packets of eatables, polythene sheets, polystyrene paper plates and other bits of trash can be found lying all over the riverbed that has been hardened and flattened, as you can see in the photographs below:

Atika Dondiyal, an AOL spokesperso,n told Firstpost that the cleaning work has been contracted to Bharat Vikas Group (BVG), which also cleans the prime minister's house and Rashtrapati Bhavan, and that they (AOL) will leave the area more beautiful than ever before because serving the humankind and environment is not their commitment, but in their nature.

The whole process of dismantling the structures will take two to three weeks and a few more days to clean up the entire area. I cannot specify the number of days because it depends on the debris that is left. We have hired a professional agency for this. But our volunteers are also full of a sense of duty that they are coming here and doing seva to make sure that everything is done properly, she said.

In fact, we had 300 Argentineans this morning cleaning up the whole place, picking up plastics, collecting water bottles and everything. People from other parts of India are here for two-three days. We have 10,000 volunteers in Delhi who organised the whole show. So, they will keep coming daily in groups to work day in and day out, she added.

Though such a large number of volunteers were nowhere to be seen, around 20-30 people along with the cleaning agencys men were seen collecting the trash left in the wake of the mega event. The sanitation workers, Firstpost spoke to, said denied getting help of such a large number of volunteers as being claimed. We did not meet 300 volunteers collecting the trash since morning. Yes, as you can see few people are here who doing their bit to clean the area, said an employee of the agency.

The agency, according to its staff, has got contract of cleaning the festival ground only, not the entire area.

Meanwhile, the police on Monday found the decomposed body of an unidentified male near the World Culture Festival site on Monday. According to the cops, prima facie it appears that the man was killed two or three days ago somewhere else, and the body was dumped just after the festival ended.
Vienna: India is set to take a definitive "lead role" in combating money laundering and illegal funds generation from drug trafficking by establishing a regional cooperation platform for Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations soon, a top official said here.

The proposed regional forum called the South Asian Regional Intelligence and Coordination Centre on Transnational Organised Crime (SARICC-TOC) was mooted during a meeting between the grouping's countries in New Delhi last year and should be up and working in the next six months time to share vital intelligence and information on the illicit drugs trade and trafficking in the shared region of the neighbours.

"The SARICC-TOC should get established in the next six months. It will be a major development and will play an important role in preventing flow of money in these transnational crimes and preventing such illicit financial flows," Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia told PTI on Monday.

Adhia was here to deliver a speech at the UN Special segment of the 59th session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

The Indian government, he said, is poised to take a "greater leadership role" in drug control and fighting transnational organised crime that has a negative impact on development and security.

"This is in line with India's growing stature and geopolitical position being at the cross-roads of major drug production centres and trafficking hubs," Adhia said.

In India, the Department of Revenue under the Finance Ministry, is the nodal empowered department mandated to frame policies to combat the narcotics menace while the enforcement

of laws in this domain is entrusted with central agencies like the Narcotics Control Bureau and various state police departments.

The official said India "will not only host the Council and Secretariat of this new platform in Delhi but will also be the permanent co-chair of the Council."

In his speech, Adhia highlighted some concerns that policy making bodies and law enforcement agencies are facing to curb the illegal use of narcotics and its trafficking.

"Money laundering and illicit financial flows and proceeds of crime generated from drug trafficking and other trans-national organised crime remain a major challenge.

"In order to effectively counter this challenge, India has recently amended its laws related to money laundering and Foreign Exchange Management Act," he said.

The recent changes provide for seizure and confiscation of property of equivalent value within the country, if it is established that property held abroad is in violation of FEMA and anti-money laundering legislation," Adhia said.

PTI
New Delhi: With the Budget Session scheduled to take go on a recess mode from Thursday, top BJP leaders on Tuesday asked party MPs to publicise the "pro-poor" and "pro-farmer" aspects of the budget during the break with the top leaders asserting that it has created a "sense of victory" among the masses.

The party's aggressive nationalist stand on the JNU row also found a mention in the Parliamentary Party meet, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and almost all top ministers, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu speaking about Congress' "self-goals" and asking members to highlight the BJP's commitment to "national interest".

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Naidu asked MPs to work on a "war-footing" to spread the Modi government's good works and expose the "disinformation campaign" of Congress against it.

"Leaders expressed satisfaction about the response to the budget and that a sense of victory among the poor, farmers and weaker sections is visible with its contents. After many years, we have a budget that is for villages... that has made efforts to take progress to the last man in queue," he said.

Naidu briefed members about the government's legislative agenda during the session, saying some bills were passed but there was a need to work strongly for the passage of other bills.

Taking a dig at Congress over the Ishrat Jahan case and its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad drawing a parallel between the Hindutva body RSS and terrorist outfit ISIS, Naqvi said the grand old party is practicing "brand new secularism".

MPs were also asked to not skip standing committee meetings and the party gave a veiled warning to the truant members, saying if they do not attend them regularly, then it will reconsider their membership to these committees when the time comes, he said.

The BJP meet also criticised an amendment forced by the Congress-led opposition in the Rajya Sabha in the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in which concern was expressed over a law enacted in some BJP-ruled states, making minimum educational qualification necessary to fight local body elections.

"The whole country wants that educated representatives come to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, assemblies and panchayats.

Efforts have been made in this direction at the local level and the attempt of Congress to stop is a matter of worry.

"Some members said it is a traditional approach of Congress that the country does not progress and people do not get educated. This amendment is an example," he said.

PTI
Nawanshahr (Punjab): BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday ruled out alliance with any political party in the Punjab assembly election scheduled for early next year.

Addressing a state-level rally organized in Nawanshahr at Dana Mandi to celebrate the birth anniversary of party founder Kanshi Ram, she said "the party would go all alone during the poll."

The BSP supremo said she would personally supervise the distribution of tickets so that only right candidates capable of winning the election are given the tickets.

She said that in order to prepare a second line of leadership well-versed in BSP ideology, she had decided to

reserve 50 per cent of seats for the youth at all levels in the party set-up.

Mayawati asked the Dalit voters to "not sell themselves and their votes" by falling prey to various kinds of

allurements offered by other political outfits during the polls. She claimed that only BSP was capable of safeguarding their interests in Punjab.

"You can form a government on your own in Punjab without entering into alliance with any party as you have the requisite population here," she exhorted the Dalits.

"Neither a government headed by a Jat nor that headed by a Bania (trader) will serve your interests in the long run," she said.

Referring to Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Punjab on Tuesday, she said a leader from Bania community was trying to get their votes by colluding with some of the relatives of late Kanshi Ram and by visiting religious deras in the state.

Coming down heavily on Kejriwal, she said Dalits should never forget that he always spoke "against" reservation when he was not in power.

"As against superior caste mentality shown by Jat CMs in Punjab, my party in UP during its four stints always worked for all sections of society," she claimed.

She even criticised Badal led SAD-BJP government for not lodging an FIR in the Abohar incident where atrocious treatment was meted out to two Dalits.

PTI
With Aung San Suu Kyis friend and confidante Htin Kyaw elected as President of Myanmar, the National League for Democracy leader has come a full circle since the stolen election of 1990. The poll was scrapped by the military junta when they found the NLD was to win a landslide. It was Aung San Suu Kyi who fought relentlessly for over two decades to bring Myanmar back to the democratic path. Thousands of NLD supporters were jailed by the military, many more fled the country.

However despite the seeming victory, the army continues to cast its shadow over the once isolated nation. The military still has 25 percent of the seats reserved for them in Parliament. One of the two vice presidents in the new government will be Myint Swe, the armys nominee. Henry Van Thio, the other NLD nominee, belongs to one of the many minority groups in the country. Swe will serve as first vice president and Thio as the second.

Much like Sonia-Manmohan Singh rule:

"Victory! This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi's victory. Thank you," Htin Kyaw said after winning. He knows he has become the president mainly because the powerful army, which ruled Myanmar with an iron fist, changed the Constitution to keep Suu Kyi out. Her late husband was a British national and her two sons have British passports. Despite pushing the military and holding several rounds of discussion, up to the last minute, the army stood firm on insisting that as the widow of a British citizen, she could not be president. Kyan, a close personal and family friend has stepped in instead. But Suu Kyi has made no bones about where the real power in the government and the party lie.

This is much like the Sonia GandhiManmohan Singh duo in 2004. Sonia would have become prime minister but for the fact that the nation was not in the mood to digest a foreign born PM. The BJPs Sushma Swaraj vowed to shave her hair and protest if this happened. So while the UPA made much of the separation of party and government, Suu Kyi has clearly indicated that she would be calling the shots. Like Sonia Gandhi, Suu Kyi trusts Kyan not to upstage her. While the UPA was keen to hide where the real power lay, Suu Kyi has been disarmingly honest. She has vowed to rule by proxy as the army has refused to relent.

Htin Kyaw will replace Thein Sein who will step down at the end of the month after five years of army-backed rule. Kyans cabinet will be chosen by Suu Kyi and will be in place by April.

The new government will have its work cut out, as it grapples with the issue of developing a nation which has been isolated for decades. With the lifting of the sanctions in Myanmar and Western business flocking in, the more serious question of dealing with national minorities and insurgent groups will be a priority with the government. Though President Thein Sein, was able to clinch a peace deal with eight ethnic rebel groups last October, some of the major ethnic outfits refused to fall in line. The Kachin Independence Army, Shan State Army and United Wa State Army  the three oufits that contral the largest amount of territory and the best armed, continue to want their independence from the majority Burmans who they accuse of discrimination. The Kachins, Shans and the Wa group have fought for separation from the Burmese since that country was freed from British rule.

All eyes will also be on how the new government deals with the Rohingya Muslims of Rakhine state. These Bengali speaking minorities have been persecuted for decades by the Buddhist majority of the country. Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi had before the national elections been strangely reluctant to speak up for them, fearing a backlash from her Burman Buddhist support base. Now that the NLD is in power, Suu Kyi can do her bit to give the one million Rohingyas their rightful place as citizens of Myanmar.

India-Myanmar ties:

Suu Kyi has been blunt about her disappointment with New Delhi, since she was released from house arrest in 2011. Having grown up and studied in Delhi, she naturally expected India to back her. Despite initially championing the pro-democracy movement, India under the pragmatic Narasimha Rao reversed its policy of boycotting the military junta. This was because the vacuum left by India was being quickly filled by China who were cosy with the generals. India long suspicious of China, especially in its sensitive north eastern border, began cosying up to the generals for strategic considerations since 1992. Her parents were close friends of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Western democracies, not China will play a dominant role:

So while there is no doubt that India and Myanmar will work together as neighbours, it is hardly likely that Su Kyis government will show special consideration for India. The fear that China will be all over Myanmar has also receded. Though China has built infrastructure in Myanmar, Suu Kyi is more prone to Western democracies that stood by her in her time of need.

However considering that Indias technology often works better in developing countries than that of the more sophisticated methods of the West, there is bound to be more and more engagement between Delhi and its eastern neighbour.
Rupnagar(Pb): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday demanded Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram whom he described him as a great visionary.

Addressing a public meeting at Prithipur Bunga village, 25 km from Punjab, the birthplace of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram on his 82nd birthday, Kejriwal demanded Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram whom he described as a great visionary and only leader of Dalit samaj after BR Ambedkar.

Earlier, Kejriwal on reaching the memorial of Kanshi Ram at Prithipur Bunga village was accorded a warm welcome by Swaran Kaur sister of Kanshi Ram and other family members besides large number of AAP supporters.

He garlanded the statue of Kanshi Ram. Kejriwal was presented a 'Siropa' (ward of honour) by the Kanshi Ram Charitable Foundation headed by sister of BSP founder.

Kejriwal said that when voted to power (in Punjab) the AAP government would fulfill the dreams which Kanshi Ram had seen for the Dalit community.

Kejriwal said he was stunned to know about the recent incident of severing of limbs of a Dalit youth in Abohar and police failed to arrest real culprit who is alleged to be close to ruling SAD.

There are incidents of rape and burning of Dalit women, he alleged adding that youth who are forming clubs in the name of Dr B R Ambedkar are being harassed.

Kejriwal alleged that if Akalis are committing atrocities on Dalits in Punjab, BJP is doing it in other states.

He alleged that two central ministers were involved in the suicide of Hyderabad Dalit student Rohith Vemula but no action was taken against them.

Kejriwal invited Swaran Kaur sister of Kanshi Ram and other members of Kanshi Ram Charitable Foundation to Delhi to discuss the problems of Dalits of Punjab.

Kejriwal claimed that the people of Punjab have made up their mind to vote for AAP government in the state assembly elections due early next year.

He alleged said that law and order in Punjab was worst in the country where nobody feels safe.

"Drugs ruined youth of Punjab, the education system has collapsed," he added.

Kejriwal later went to Takht Keshgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib to pay obeisance where he was presented 'Siropa'.

He was accompanied by Sanjay Singh in charge of Punjab, Sucha Singh Chhotepur AAP convener for Punjab, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, R R Bharadwaj head of intellectual wing and Baljinder Kaur youth wing leader. PTI
Imphal: The dissidence in Manipur Congress took a serious turn on Tuesday when both Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and his deputy Gaikhangam Gangmei left for New Delhi following party President Sonia Gandhi's summons to them.

Gandhi last week met the representatives of the 25 dissident Congress legislators and later decided that the situation in Manipur should be prevented from becoming a repeat of Arunachal Pradesh where rebellion by Congress lawmakers brought down the Nabam Tuki government, said sources.

The dissidents have made it known that they would change loyalty, either by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or forming a new party of their own, if their demands are not met, said the sources.

Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Gangmei, who is also Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president, refused to make any comment on the political developments in the state before leaving for New Delhi.

The dissidents are reported to have made two major demands in their meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

"First, we demanded dropping of those ministers who have failed to maintain transparency and whose performances are below the mark. Secondly, 'one man one post' policy should be there. Gaikhangam should remain either as a minister or the PCC president," said one dissident legislator who declined to be named.

Gangmei has been holding the two posts for a long time. There are indications that he would be allowed to continue in the two posts till the next state assembly elections.

The dissidents have also made known their desire to be given a shot at a ministry before Manipur goes to the polls in February 2017.

Under the statutory provisions, in a 60-member Assembly, the chief minister is allowed to have a ministry of 12. To circumvent this rule, some prominent legislators have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries with cabinet rank.

"That is obviously not good enough for them. Almost all of them want ministerial berths," said sources.

At the time of forming his ministry in 2012 for the third consecutive term, Chief Minister Ibobi Singh assured the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) members that at the end of two and a half years, there would be a major reshuffle to accommodate some of them.

Ibobi Singh found that it was easier said than done.

"That promise was never kept," said one of the dissidents.

The incumbent ministers have been fire-fighting by promising sops to the dissident leaders.

The president of Manipur unit of the BJP, Thounaojam Chaoba, has been saying that a large number of Congress members are seeking admission in his party.

A dissident Congress member of the assembly told IANS after returning from New Delhi that he was very hopeful that the party president would do justice this time.

"It is now a question of the political survival of the majority of the CLP members," he added.

IANS
Kolkata: Poll-bound West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday faced an embarrassment after several of its leaders were allegedly caught on camera accepting bribes. With the opposition coming out all gun blazing, the Trinamool rubbished the claims calling the videos "doctored" and part of a "smear campaign" against it.

With the contents of the sting broadcast by TV news channels and also going viral on social media upping the political temperature in the state, Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is currently touring north Bengal, refrained from making any direct references to it, but challenged her political opponents to "fight her politically instead of resorting to spreading canards against her party".

The sting operation carried out by Narada News and uploaded on its website, purportedly shows as many as 11 Trinamool leaders including former union ministers, state ministers and MPs accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company.

"We formed a fictitious company - Impex Consultancy - and approached several ministers and Trinamool leaders to seek favours. This was an attempt to unravel what is happening behind closed doors," the report on the website claimed.

"We have about 52 hours of footage of this operation. What we understood after analysing it is that the leadership of the Trinamool Congress were more than willing to sidestep the norms, circumvent laws to extend illegal help to those who offer money," claimed the website listing against each of the leaders amounts ranging from Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh that it said it had paid.

The authenticity of the video uploaded by the website could not be ascertained.

The list of alleged "bribe takers", according to Narada News, also includes a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who is claimed by the website as acknowledging that he was a "key person who collects funds for the Trinamool Congress".

In the video, one of the senior leaders is seen telling the website reporter that the IPS officer would be the communicator between them.

"I have Rs. 20 lakhs, I will go to your office and will give. You will be there no," asked the reporter to which the leader allegedly replies: "Yes, I will be there."

The video also shows a former central minister and Trinamool MP allegedly accepting bundles of money.

While the Trinamool has dismissed the sting as "dirty tricks" by its political opponents, the opposition has demanded that Banerjee immediately step down.

"We have watched the video of the so-called 'sting' operation. There is no sting in it. We are completely dismissive about it," said Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien.

"The timing of the dirty tricks video too clearly indicates the devious motive behind it. Why was the organisation that supposedly shot this video hiding the so-called 'truth' for more than two years," O'Brien added.

AThe Trinamool also held a press conference later in the day with party secretary general Partha Chatterjee and vice president Mukul Roy threatening legal action against the portal.

"Everybody knows technology can be abused. These videos are manufactured and doctored. We will be taking legal action," said Roy.

Questioning why the video shot in 2014 was released two years later ahead of the assembly polls, the Trinamool leaders also questioned the source of money used by the portal in the sting.

Tearing into the Trinamool, the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded Banerjee immediately resign.

"The sting operation has completely exposed the TMC, proving their entire leadership is deep in corruption. We demand the immediate resignation of Mamata Banerjee. She has no right, no business, to continue as the chief minister," said BJP national secretary S.N. Singh.

He also demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the matter and disallowing the leaders caught on tape from contesting the polls.

Describing the development as "unprecedented" in the state, the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Front also demanded the Election Commission take immediate steps in the matter after verifying the veracity of the video.

Reading out the names of those caught in the sting, CPI-M state secretary and leader of opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said everything had been brought to the fore.

Calling for immediate intervention of the EC, Mishra said: "To ensure fair poll, EC has to take steps immediately, else election should not be conducted till such steps were taken. If required, President's rule can be also be imposed."

Observing that the sting would be a major issue in the polls, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said: "The chief minister keeps on claiming herself as a symbol of honesty, but yet again it has been proved that her party is of thieves and robbers".

IANS
Mumbai: The NCP on Monday described senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest as "vendetta politics" by BJP, and said there was no need to arrest him as he was cooperating with the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"This is vendetta politics by BJP. There was no need to arrest him as he was cooperating with ED," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI.

"ED could have filed the charge sheet even without the arrest. This shows the mindset of the BJP regime... NCP stands firmly behind Bhujbal," he said. Senior NCP leaders rushed to the official residence of Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde as news of Bhujbal's arrest broke. Meanwhile, AAP said it is relieved that truth has prevailed through the courts of India.

AAP national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said, on 26 August, 2013 the Aam Aadmi Party had filed complaints with detailed proof that Bhujbal, in his tenure as PWD minister, awarded contracts to builders and then received kickbacks. "We gave detailed proof of every transaction in nine different cases, where kickbacks were received and money was laundered. None of the state agencies acted on our complaint, so we forced to file a PIL in the Bombay High Court. On 18 December, 2014 Chief Justice Mohit Shah appointed an SIT comprising the Anti Corruption Bureau and Enforcement Directorate.

"Time and again the court reprimanded the BJP-controlled ACB to act, but it continued to go in slow mode. Finally, the ED acted on HC's direction and first arrested Sameer Bhujbal and now Chhagan Bhujbal. Please note that they have been arrested under section 19 (1) of the PMLA Act  a money laundering charge and not on Maharashtra Sadan complaint filed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya," she said.

"The AAP is relieved that truth has prevailed and will continue to fight and expose corruption by the Congress, BJP, and their cronies," the AAP spokesperson said.

Somaiya said, "At last Chhagan Bhujbal has been arrested! Now it is the turn of irrigation scam's Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare to follow Bhujbal." Social activist Anjali Damania said she was very happy that her efforts of four years against Bhujbal's alleged corruption has been paid off.

PTI
New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday announced names of its candidates for 43 seats for West Bengal assembly poll and indicated it would contest around 90 of total 294 constituencies as part of its "strategic alliance" with the CPI(M)-led Left Front.

Former state Congress chief Manash Bhuniya is the party's candidate from Sabang in West Midnapore, while state CLP leader Md Sohrab has been nominated from Jangipur in Murshidabad.

Most of the sitting MLAs have been renominated except for former AICC Secretary DP Roy, who had protested against the alliance with the Left parties.

Biswaranjan Sarkar has been brought in as the new candidate from Alipurduar which was being represented by Roy in the outgoing Assembly. Roy had informed party chief Sonia Gandhi that he would not contest the poll.

A senior AICC leader, who declined to be identified, said that the party would contest a "minimum of 90" seats while talks in state party circles is that Congress would put up candidates in a total of 93 seats.

In the last Assembly polls, Congress had contested 61 seats in alliance with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress which led to ouster of the CPI(M)-led Left Front after over 33 years in power.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been sharply critical of the strategic alliance between the Congress and the Left.

PTI
Skien: Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 in Norway, arrived in court on Tuesday for his human rights case against the Norwegian government.

As soon as prison guards removed his handcuffs, the 37-year-old extremist turned to journalists and stretched out his right arm in a Nazi salute.

Breivik has sued the government, alleging that it has violated the European Convention on Human Rights by holding him in isolation in Skien prison, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Oslo. The trial is being held in a gym inside the prison for security reasons.

Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo's government district and then carried out a shooting massacre at the annual summer camp of the Left-wing Labor Party's youth organisation.

AP
Ankara: The suicide bomber who carried out the deadly attack in Ankara on Sunday was identified as a member of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

The PKK member was Seher Cagla Demir and she was born in 1992 in the province of Kars in eastern Turkey, the ministry was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Demir joined the PKK in 2013 and later received training with the People's Protection Units in Syria.

The car bomb in Ankara's central Kizilay neighbourhood on Sunday evening hit a major public transportation hub, killing 37 people and injuring over 100 others.

Since a ceasefire between the government and the PKK collapsed last July, Turkish security forces have been conducting a major campaign against the group in the southeast of the country.

More than 260 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.

IANS
Dhaka: Bangladesh's central bank chief resigned on Tuesday, after hackers stole $81 million from the nation's foreign reserves in one of the biggest bank heists in history, the finance minister said.

The audacious cyber-theft has embarrassed the government, triggered outrage in the impoverished country and raised alarm over the security of the country's foreign exchange reserves of over $27 billion.

On Tuesday the finance minister said Atiur Rahman had stepped down at his request, after revealing that the Bangladesh Bank governor failed to inform authorities of the theft for a month.

"He called me yesterday and I've asked him to resign. And he has resigned today," minister AMA Muhith told AFP, adding that the government has ordered a probe into the heist.

Two of the bank's deputy governors were also sacked after the government vowed a major shake up of the institution's top management, Muhith told reporters.

On 5 February, the hackers stole $81 million from an account that Bangladesh held with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and transferred the cash electronically to accounts in the Philippines.

They attempted to steal almost $1 billion and were only prevented from taking more because of a basic typing error, the Bangladesh Bank's deputy governor told AFP last week.

Before his resignation, an emotional Rahman said he was alarmed by the hack but did not comment on why he took so long to report the missing money.

"This event was almost like a militant attack, almost like an earthquake. I did not realise how it happened, from where it originated and who had done it," he said, choking back tears.

"When I was informed I was so puzzled. Fearing that it might destroy our economy, I quickly took opinion of the experts. I brought them to the country from abroad and ensured security so that it did not occur again."

Typing errors

Rahman, a 64-year-old economist and former university professor, was appointed as the governor of the Bangladesh Bank in 2009 and had been due to retire in August.

As details of the scandal emerged last week, he flew to India to attend an International Monetary Fund meeting, leaving junior central bank officials scrambling to explain how the hackers managed to take such large sums.

Some of the funds have been recovered and Filipino authorities have frozen the stolen money following court orders, Bangladesh Bank has said. It suspects the hackers were Chinese.

The thieves, who bombarded the New York bank with dozens of transfer requests, had been attempting to steal a further $850 million, but the bank's security systems and typing errors in some requests prevented the full theft.

The hack took place on a Friday, when Bangladesh Bank is closed, while the Federal Reserve Bank in New York is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

The US reserve bank, which manages the Bangladesh Bank reserve account, denied its own systems were breached.

The $81 million was transferred to four accounts at the Filipino Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and then transferred to an account belonging to ethnic Chinese businessman William So Go, a Senate inquiry in the Philippines heard.

Go then transferred the money to Filipino casinos, Julia Bacay-Abad from the Philippines' anti-money laundering council told the hearing on Tuesday.

Go's lawyer said the businessman's signatures for his now-frozen RCBC account, which were used to transfer the money, had been forged.

Rahman launched a series of populist policies to take bank services to the doorstep of millions of rural poor in Bangladesh.

But his tenure was marred by a spate of high-profile banking scams in which state-owned banks lost hundreds of millions of dollars in bad loans.

On Tuesday he said authorities were still mystified by the attack as he defended his decision to delay informing the government. He added that making the news public earlier would have risked tipping off the hackers.

"I don't deny that I took time (to inform the finance minister). It was a cyber attack and even today we don't know from where it originated," he said.

AFP
Moscow: The Russian air force deployed in Syria would start withdrawal from Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

The Russian president said this on Monday at a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Putin said the decision was discussed and coordinated with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, adding that "the fundamental tasks set for the Russian armed forced in Syria were resolved," according to an online Kremlin press release.

"It was agreed to withdraw main body of the Russian air forces. At the same time Russia would preserve an air flight control center in Syrian territory to monitor the ceasefire regime," the press release said.

IANS
Myanmar's newly-elected president Htin Kyaw may be little known outside his homeland but for Aung San Suu Kyi  who plucked her school friend and longtime aide from the political sidelines to be her proxy  it is Htin Kyaw's loyalty that is paramount.

The 69-year-old was comfortably elected as Myanmar's first civilian president since 1962 on Tuesday, a position he will hold in place of the Nobel laureate who is banned from top office by the army-drafted constitution.

The son of a revered poet, who has helped run Suu Kyi's charitable foundation in recent years, Htin Kyaw is billed as someone with a high level of education, personal standing and absolute trustworthiness to 'The Lady'.

Yet, he remains an unknown and untested quantity with many asking how much influence he will wield over a government he will only nominally lead. Moreover, in a complex political system, where the military still wields considerable influence, his powers could be overshadowed.

Htin Kyaw's appointment suggests Suu Hyi thinks he has sufficient pedigree in the country's long struggle against junta rule to be embraced by the millions of voters who swept to the polls in November to validate her star power and simple message of change.

The situation is not unlike that of India in 2004, when Manmohan Singh was appointed the Prime Minister of India, after the Congress president Sonia Gandhi declined to take up the post, despite the parties win nationwide. Similarly, Suu Kyi, who has led her party  the National League for Democracy (NLD)  through a landslide win, is not eligible for the post. As reported by ABC, according to chapter 3, no 59(f) of the constitution, the president must be someone who "he himself, one of the parents, the spouse, one of the legitimate children or their spouses not owe allegiance to a foreign power".

"[They shall] not be subject of a foreign power or citizen of a foreign country ... [or] be persons entitled to enjoy the rights and privileges of a subject of a foreign government or citizen of a foreign country," it states. Hence, Suu Kyi whose two sons are British citizens, cannot become president.

Htin Kyaw is believed to have joined the party last year  although the NLD has not confirmed exactly when.

Nonetheless the soft-spoken economics graduate's life has been entwined with Myanmar's democracy struggle and Suu Kyi's movement.

His father Min Thu Wun, was a national poet and early NLD member who who won a seat in the 1990 elections. He is also the son-in-law of a co-founder of the NLD and former party spokesman. His wife Su Su Lwin is a new NLD MP who chairs the parliaments international relations committee.

"He's not just anybody, he comes from a very political family," said Bertil Lintner, a veteran Myanmar commentator.

Right hand man

His inner circle closeness to Suu Kyi was illustrated in 2010 when the Nobel Laureate was finally released from years of house arrest.

As she greeted jubilant crowds from behind the gate of her crumbling Yangon mansion, Htin Kyaw stood to her right.

During those heady but often unsure times when Suu Kyi remained under intense military scrutiny, he could sometimes be seen at the wheel of her car, shuttling her between high-level meetings. Hence he got labelled as 'the driver'.

For the last four years he has been a senior executive in Suu Kyi's charity  Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, which provides development aid and skills training to her Kawhmu constituency and other areas of the impoverished country.

In an interview about the charity's work in July 2015, Htin Kyaw spoke of the steep climb Myanmar faced to claw its way out of poverty.

"You see that we are doing a lot, which means we need a lot. We are just doing only a very small portion of what is required for the nation," he said.

According to a report by Voice of America he graduated from English Methodist High School in 1962, which later became Dagon High School No. 1. He attended Rangoon University for a major in Arts, after which he attended the Institute of Economics and obtained his Masters in Economics (Statistics) and passed out in 1968. In 1971, he attended the Institute of Computer Science University, London.

In a varied career, he worked as a university teacher and also held positions in the finance and national planning and foreign affairs ministries in the late 1970s and 80s before retiring from government service as the military tightened its grip. According to a report by The Telegraph, he is also a writer, who writes under the pen name of Dala Ban (a Mon warrior).

According to the report by Voice of America, he was arrested on 22 September and he spent four months in Insein prison. He was detained with nine other activists at the Rangoon railway station, while helping Aung San Suu Kyi, who planned to make a trip to Mandalay at that time.

With input from agencies
Washington: Days before becoming the first US president to visit Cuba in 88 years, Barack Obama has predicted that his successor will lift a controversial decades old embargo against the communist-run island.

"My strong prediction is that sometime in the next president's administration, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican, that the embargo in fact will be removed," Obama told CNN Espanol in an interview released On Monday.

"It makes sense for us to be able to sell into Cuba, to do business with Cubans, to show us business practices and how we treat workers and how we approach issues of human rights, that that will help bring about the kinds of changes that are needed."

Obama has reopened diplomatic ties with Havana, but has not been able to convince the Republican-controlled Congress to end the economic embargo in place since the 1960s.

PTI
Washington: US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have discussed Moscow's planned military drawdown in Syria, the White House announced on Monday, hours after a shock announcement that signals a new phase in the five-year-old conflict.

"They discussed President Putin's announcement of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities," the White House said in a statement.

US officials earlier offered a cautious initial assessment of Putin's order to begin withdrawing "the main part of our military contingents from the Syrian Arab Republic".

Putin launched air strikes in September followed by a massive troop deployment, turning the tide of a long and brutal war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favor, rescuing his regime from the brink of collapse.

A recent "cessation of hostilities" has been frequently breached but, Obama said, led to a "much-needed reduction in violence". The White House sought to turn the screws on Assad, just as his backing from Russia was called into question.

"Continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the cessation of hostilities and the UN-led political process," the White House cited Obama as saying. "The president also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria but emphasised the need for regime forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance delivery to the agreed-upon locations, notably Daraya," it added.

Putin's announcement appeared timed to coincide with peace talks in Geneva that have been dominated by a disagreement over Assad's fate. Russia has remained steadfast in its public support of Assad, while opposition groups  the United States and key European countries  have called on Assad to go as part of a negotiated transition.

"A political transition is required to end the violence in Syria," Obama said.

AFP
TAMPA, Fla. Voters in five big U.S. states cast ballots on Tuesday to pick presidential candidates, with Donald Trump looking for victories in Ohio and Florida to bring him closer to securing the Republican Party nomination despite criticism his rowdy campaign is dividing America.

Trump, his party's front-runner, had the potential to sweep all five states holding primaries for November's national election. In addition to Florida and Ohio, there were contests in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.

The 69-year-old billionaire businessman could knock out his two mainstream rivals, Ohio Governor John Kasich and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, if he wins their states. His closest challenger nationally is U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, 45, a Tea Party favourite.

Trump had a significant lead over Rubio in opinion polls leading up to the primary in Florida, but was neck and neck with Kasich in Ohio. Wins by either Rubio, Kasich or Cruz would give at least a little hope to Republicans battling to deny the New Yorker the nomination.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 68, could put some distance between herself and rival Bernie Sanders, 74, a U.S. senator from Vermont, in Democratic primaries in the same states.

An outbreak of clashes between Trump supporters and protesters that forced him to cancel a Chicago rally on Friday, and scattered protests at some of his campaign events this week have prompted mainstream Republican Party figures to speak out against the former reality TV star.

Democratic President Barack Obama spoke out on Tuesday, saying he was dismayed by what was happening on the presidential campaign trail.

"I reject any effort to spread fear or encourage violence ... or to turn Americans against one another," Obama, referring to Trump, said during an event on Capitol Hill.

Victories in the five states could put Trump - who has vowed to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, impose protectionist trade policies and temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country - on a glide path to being his party's candidate in November. That seemed inconceivable only last year.

TRUMP IN DEMAND

Trump said on Tuesday that his momentum was already drawing in establishment Republicans who had previously balked at his candidacy but now see him as the likely nominee.

"They're already calling," he told NBC's "Today" show, without naming names. "The biggest people in the party are calling."

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, one of the nation's most powerful Republicans, told reporters that all presidential candidates must bear responsibility for helping curb violence at campaign events and creating a less hostile atmosphere..

Ryan's counterpart in the Senate, Republican leader Mitch McConnell, said he recommended to Trump in a phone call that the candidate condemn violence at rallies.

Trump argues that his candidacy has brought a breath of fresh air to U.S. politics and says his campaign rallies are peaceful events except for a few incidents.

Ohio voter Mark Hoprich, 51, said he likes Trump's direct manner.

"I like that he's an in-your-face type of candidate and tells it like it is," said Hoprich, who works in law enforcement.

"So, hopefully, when it comes to dealing with other countries, we could come out more on the winning side," he said at a polling place in Independence, outside Cleveland.

For the Democrats, opinion polls gave Clinton a big lead in Florida and North Carolina but showed Sanders gaining ground in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, a possibly worrisome sign for Clinton after his surprise victory in Michigan a week ago.

Speaking to reporters at a polling place in Raleigh, North Carolina, Clinton had Trump on her mind.

"I think it is important that we really do focus on the very dangerous path that Donald Trump has laid out here," she said. "The kind of bluster and bigotry and bullying that he is exemplifying on the campaign trail is disturbing to, I think, the majority of Americans.

Trump won an early round on Tuesday, taking the Northern Mariana Islands caucuses with almost 73 percent of the vote. The win in the U.S. Pacific commonwealth gave him nine delegates.

The Republican establishment's only real hope for stopping Trump might be to deny him the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination, even though he may win a majority. That would extend the battle to the party's July nominating convention in Cleveland.

If Kasich, 63, and Rubio, 44, do drop out of the race after Tuesday's primaries, that would leave Cruz as the only Republican in the field against Trump. The Texan senator has struggled to build support beyond his base of evangelical Christians and Republican Southerners.

(Additional reporting by Amanda Becker in Ohio, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Peter Cooney, W Simon and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Vatican City, Holy See: Pope Francis on Tuesday formally approved Mother Teresa's elevation to sainthood and set 4 September as the date for her canonisation.

The move comes 19 years after the death of the missionary nun who dedicated most of her adult life to working with the poor of Kolkata, India.

The announcement was expected after Francis in December approved a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa's intercession  the final hurdle to make her a saint.

The committee of senior clerics that approves elevations to sainthood met from around 0900 GMT on Tuesday with the long-awaited green light seen as a formality, nearly two decades after her death.

Pope Francis then signed a decree approving the canonisation of the 1979 Nobel peace prize winner and announced a date and venue for it to happen.

The Albanian nun and missionary was one of five candidates considered for sainthood, but by far the most high-profile.

The canonisation will happen on the eve of the anniversary of her 1997 death, for which a celebration of her memory had already been scheduled as part of the Church's Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Indian Catholics had hoped Francis would travel to India for the canonisation ceremony but, barring a last minute surprise, it is expected to take place in Rome with a thanksgiving ceremony scheduled for the following month in the Indian city.

Known across the world, Teresa was awarded the Nobel for her work with the poor, sick, old and lonely in the teeming slums of Kolkata, previously known as Calcutta.

She is revered by many Catholics but has also been attacked as a "religious imperialist" who attempted to foist her beliefs on an impoverished community in which they had no indigenous roots.

From sister to sainthood

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in 1910 in what is now Skopje in Macedonia, Teresa arrived in India in 1929, having first spent time with a missionary order in Ireland.

She went on to found the Missionaries of Charity order in 1950 and was granted Indian citizenship a year later.

Last year she was credited by Vatican experts with inspiring the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours, thus meeting the Church's standard requirement for sainthood of having been involved in two certifiable miracles.

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003 following a fast-track process involving the recognition of a claim she had posthumously inspired the 1998 healing of a Bengali tribal women.

Francis met Teresa before he became pope, in 1994, and later joked that she had seemed so formidable he "would have been scared if she had been my mother superior".

Others were much harsher in their judgement with the likes of Germaine Greer and polemicist Christopher Hitchens accusing her of contributing to the misery of the poor with her strident opposition to contraception and abortion.

In her Nobel acceptance speech she described terminations of pregnancies as "direct murder by the mother herself."

Questions have also been raised over the Missionaries of Charity's finances, as well as conditions in the order's hospices.

A series of her letters published in 2007 also caused some consternation among admirers, as it became clear that she had suffered crises of faith for most of her life.

India granted her a state funeral after her death and her grave in the order's headquarters has since become a pilgrimage site.

with inputs from agencies
If the words 'diplomacy' or 'international relations' mean anything to you, you'll want to check out the Global Diplomacy Index (GDI) published on Tuesday by Lowy Institute for International Policy.

If those words mean nothing to you beyond being mere buzzwords, then you'll definitely want to check out the GDI.

For the uninitiated, Lowy Institute, a leading Australian think tank, is an independent, nonpartisan international policy think tank located in Sydney.

Using the metric of how many diplomatic posts  which range from an embassy or high commission to consulates and other representations  a country possesses overseas, a Lowy team headed by Alex Oliver, director of the institute's polling programme, has put together a visually impressive graphic depiction of the diplomatic networks of all G20 and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

And this is what it looks like:

It could be argued at this point that bigger isn't always better, and that the number of a country's diplomatic missions does not reflect its diplomacy. For example, a single glance at the screenshot above shows that India has a major diplomatic presence across Europe, and yet, India-EU relations are at best, stable. Remember the stalled India-EU FTA?

Nevertheless, it's also a fact that a country improves its chances of better relations with another by increasing its points of contact  a process in which diplomatic missions play a major role.

So what does the GDI say?

Unsurprisingly, the UN Security Council's five permanent members  the US, France, China, Russia and the UK  find themselves sitting atop the list, while India was ranked at a not-too-great but far-from-terrible 12th place.

But in order to make sense of the data, it's worth looking at these figures alongside other important metrics like a country's GDP and defence spending.

The following table looks at the rankings of the top 40 countries among the list identified by Lowy (unfortunately, Iceland and Luxembourg didn't make the cut) in terms of GDP and defence expenditure:

The GDP part is fairly self-explanatory. After all, a wealthy country can afford to invest more in diplomatic outreach, so by and large, a country's diplomatic efforts are proportional to its GDP.

But how does defence spending figure here?

Defence and diplomacy can be considered to be two sides of the same coin: While one is designed to avoid skirmishes and to promote peace, stability and peaceful relations with foreign powers, the other is a bulwark to defend ones borders from international aggression. Not convinced? Then perhaps you'll take the word of Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz who in the 19th Century, described war as "the continuation of policy with other means" or Der Krieg ist eine bloe Fortsetzung der Politik mit anderen Mitteln Clausewitz put it.

Closer to the present, former US ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey, who in 2014, said, "Diplomacy is not an alternative to military force; it is the use of all elements of US force in a coordinated, cumulative way to achieve our results in other countries".

And as some auxiliary data shows, countries that invest more in defence also tend to invest more in diplomacy. Whether this is causality or mere correlation will require deeper analysis, but for now, this seems to be the general trend.

For example, the US topped both charts, while China, which has the second highest GDP and defence budget in the world, appears at third place on the diplomacy index. India has the ninth-largest GDP and the sixth-highest defence budget, but we drop out of the top-10 on the diplomacy front. A subtle hint perhaps at where we are going wrong? Maybe sending the prime minister around the globe needs to be buttressed by the establishment of more diplomatic outposts.

But there are some outliers. And India fares remarkably well when compared to the likes of Saudi Arabia, which has the fourth highest defence budget in the world, trailing only the US, China and Russia, but does so despite having only the 19th highest GDP in the world and being 27th on the diplomatic index. Heavily-militarised Israel comes 29th on both the GDP and diplomacy ranking, but manages to invest enough in its defence to be 16th on the list, just behind an economic powerhouse like Canada  the 11th richest country on the planet.

Here's a graph to help some of that make a bit more sense:

And on the other end of the spectrum lies a country like France that has the second most diplomatic missions in the world, but its defence spending puts it at fifth place worldwide. Brazil that has the world's seventh highest GDP and has the sixth largest diplomatic investment in the world, falls back to 11th on its military spending. Similarly, Turkey has invested quite heavily in its diplomatic initiatives  the eighth best in the world  which is especially remarkable considering its GDP is ranked 18th and defence spending 14th globally.

Here's another graph to help you digest all of that:

India  a country that has long eyed a spot on the UN Security Council's table of permanent members  has 172 diplomatic missions compared to the US' 270, France's 267, China's 257, Russia's 243 and the UK's 231. Despite being outnumbered across the world, where India apparently holds the diplomatic edge is in Afghanistan with an embassy in Kabul and consulate-generals in Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad. In comparison, the P5 countries only have an embassy in Kabul as far as major diplomatic posts are concerned.

The importance of Afghanistan to regional and even global security cannot be understated and India will seek to turn its multitude of diplomatic points of contact into visible bilateral gains in the years to come.

As for the rest of the world, we'll need to wait and see how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's energetic foreign outreach translates into the establishment of more diplomatic posts across the world.
Dhaka: A top Shia preacher and homeopathic doctor has been stabbed to death in southwestern Bangladesh in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of killings by the dreaded outfit.

Abdur Razzak, 48, was hacked to death by unidentified men Monday night when he was returning home from his shop in Kaliganj town in Jhenaidah district.

He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, said Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station.

The IS claimed responsibility for the killing, the DailyStar reported. But police rejected the IS claim.

Razzak was a loyal Shia preacher, said Feroz Hossain, headmaster of nearby Bejpara Higher Secondary School. "He was an honest man, often preached religion."

Razzak's wife Shahnaj Parvin said a few months back her husband received an anonymous extortion call for Bangladeshi Taka (Tk) 2 lakh (USD 2,550).

"He had no enemy. He was a doctor and Shia follower." Bangladesh has witnessed several incidents of violence and targeted killings of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners in the past three years.

Systematic assaults in Bangladesh over the past six months have killed at least nine persons including two foreigners and wounded more than 100.

A Hindu head priest was on February 21 hacked to death by gun-and-cleaver wielding Islamists at a temple in northern Panchagarh district's Debiganj Upazila.

In September last, Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella was murdered by unidentified assailants in Dhaka, and within five days of that incident Japanese farmer Kunio Hoshi was killed.

Both attacks were claimed by IS-affiliated militants. Also, moderate Sufi saint Khizir Khan, progressive book publisher Faisal Arefin Dipon, and a Sufi shrine worker were murdered while two Christian pastors, one an Italian doctor, narrowly escaped attacks.

The IS has claimed a series of attacks against religious minorities in the Sunni-majority Bangladesh, which was declared officially secular after a deadly liberation struggle

against Pakistan in 1971. PTI
TAMPA, Fla. U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump hunted for votes in three states on Monday ahead of a crucial round of nominating contests, and dismissed outbreaks of violence at his campaign events as "a little disruption."

Trump, who made appearances in North Carolina, Florida and Ohio before Tuesday's primaries, said the establishment Republicans who have laboured to stop his outsider candidacy needed to recognise his strength and rally to his cause.

"What they have to do is embrace this phenomenon and go with it. Let's go win," Trump said of party leaders at a rally in Hickory, North Carolina, where he was interrupted several times by protesters.

Trump rejected suggestions his combative campaign tone was to blame for recent clashes at his rallies, including one last week where a protester was punched and a Chicago rally that was cancelled after fights between Trump supporters and opponents.

He said the level of violence was inflated by the media and "basically" no one had been hurt at his rallies, although "maybe somebody got hit once."

"It's a little disruption, but there's no violence," Trump said, describing his campaign as "a movement and a lovefest."

Five states - Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri - hold nominating contests on Tuesday for the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.

Trump could seize control of the Republican race with a sweep and possibly knock out two of his rivals, Ohio Governor John Kasich and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Opinion polls show him leading in all five states except Ohio, where he is in a tight race with Kasich.

"If we win Ohio and we win Florida, then everybody agrees  it's pretty much over," Trump told an afternoon rally in Tampa, Florida. "The Republican Party has to come together."

But the party's anti-Trump forces, including a Super PAC formed to oppose him, kept up their assault on the brash New York billionaire. The Super PAC released an ad on Monday featuring demeaning quotes by Trump about women, and urged people to oppose him "if you believe America deserves better."

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who has delivered a furious attack on Trump, campaigned for Kasich in North Canton, Ohio, on Monday but refrained from criticizing Trump by name or explicitly endorsing Kasich.

"He has the kind of record you want in Washington," Romney said of Kasich.

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton also kept an eye on Trump, saying at a campaign event in Chicago that "I don't think the stakes have ever been higher, or the rhetoric on the other side ever been lower."

'TIME TO UNITE'

Her voice hoarse, Clinton said it was "time for us to unite as a country."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest criticized Trump's Republican rivals for declaring they would back him if he wins the party nomination for the November election.

"At some point, somebody in the Republican Party's going to have to step up and show some leadership," Earnest said.

Trump has emerged from the early contests with a clear lead in the delegates needed to capture the nomination at the party's July convention. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is second, with Rubio and Kasich trailing and counting on their home states to keep them in the race.

Trump's contentious campaign has been marked by harsh rhetoric against illegal Mexican immigrants and Muslims. There have been repeated clashes in recent days between his supporters and protesters, raising questions about whether the violence will hurt Trump in the primary race.

"It will help him among those who resent the left and their protests and their disruptions. But it will hurt him among independents who don't like the chaos and the confusion," said Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster.

Trump cancelled a rally in Chicago on Friday over security concerns after protesters swarmed the event, sparking clashes. On Saturday, he was rushed by a man on an Ohio stage and repeatedly blamed Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for the disruptions.

'PUNK ASS THUGGERY STUFF'

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who appeared ahead of Trump in Tampa on Monday, said protesters were "trying to take away your rights" to gather peacefully.

"What we dont have time for is for all that petty, punk ass thuggery stuff that has been going on," she said, before she headed home to be with her husband, Todd, who was injured in a snowmobile accident.

Kasich is looking to win his home state and thwart Trump's progress toward securing the 1,237 delegates a candidate needs to win the nomination.

"I'm going to win Ohio, and it's going to be a whole new ballgame," Kasich said on Fox News on Monday, adding he did not believe any candidate would have enough delegates to clinch the nomination before the convention. "We're not going to lose tomorrow."

Cruz held five rallies in the Chicago suburbs and told voters to support him if they wanted to stop Trump.

He said Trump had donated in the past to two Illinois Democrats - former Governor Rod Blagojevich and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel - and asked voters to "remember who the moneybags is that's funding these politicians."

In the Democratic race, Clinton, a former secretary of state, hopes to pull away from Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, in Tuesday's voting. Polls gave her a big lead in Florida and North Carolina, but showed Sanders gaining ground in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri.

Sanders' win last week in Michigan, where polls indicated he trailed by double-digit margins, showed his ability to pull off a surprise.

He told a town hall sponsored by MSNBC to air later on Monday that Trump was "literally inciting violence among his supporters" by offering to pay their legal fees.

(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey in Washington, Megan Cassella in Illinois and Amanda Becker in Ohio; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Frances Kerry and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Belgian and French police launched a huge manhunt for two suspects in Brussels on Monday after gunmen opened fire, wounding four officers, during a joint anti-terror operation linked to the Paris attacks.

Heavily armed police had surrounded a building at the scene in the Forest district in south Brussels after the shootout, and an AFP photographer said there was a fresh burst of gunfire nearly two hours after the initial shots.

But Salah Abdeslam -- a key suspect in the November Paris massacre which killed 130 people and who fled to Brussels after the attacks -- was not the target of the Brussels search, sources said.

"Police were fired at," Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor, told AFP, adding that the search was "linked to the Paris attacks investigation".

Three Belgian police officers were wounded in the initial shootout with one in a serious condition after being hit in the ear and head, several Belgian media outlets reported.

Dozens of armed police in balaclavas armed with submachine guns cordoned off the scene, while police vehicles with flashing lights rushed back and forth, AFP reporters said.

'Assault weapons'

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed that French police were also involved and said the attackers used assault rifles, apparently confirming reports that said the gunmen fired Kalashnikovs.

"A team made up of Belgian and French police came under fire, apparently from assault weapons, during a raid," he said after arriving in the Ivory Coast capital following a weekend shooting rampage by jihadists there that killed 18.

"I'm being prudent because the operation is ongoing and I won't make any other comment than to confirm that this did take place," he told a news conference.

Local mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels told reporters at the scene in Brussels that "two people are holed up in a building" at the scene, while Belgian media reported that two suspects were on the run.

Witnesses reported an initial heavy exchange of fire that lasted several minutes followed by another, while an AFP photographer reported a third burst of gunfire later on.

People in two schools and two nurseries near the scene were asked to remain indoors and the security cordon around the area was extended, the local mayor's office said.

The incident took place across the street from an Audi auto factory and the train lines leading to the Gare du Midi railway station where Eurostar trains to London and Thalys trains to Paris run from.

Two weeks after the Paris attacks Brussels was put on five days of lockdown with authorities warning of an imminent threat of violence amid an ongoing manhunt for Abdeslam.

Abdeslam 'not targeted'

Abdeslam, 26, who is believed to have played a key role in organising the Paris attacks, fled across the border to Belgium hours after the killings in the French capital and is now one of the most wanted men in Europe.

But a French police source said that Abdeslam was not the target.

"The operation was not targeting Salah Abdeslam. It was aimed at people connected to one or several of the 11 Belgians who have been charged," the source told AFP.

Since mid-November, 11 people have been arrested and charged in Belgium in connection with the killings and eight are still in detention.

Abdeslam and his associate Mohamed Abrini, both from the Molenbeek area of Brussels, are still at large.

Abdeslam was reportedly holed up in an apartment in the Schaerbeek district in north Brussels for three weeks after the Paris attacks.

In January, Belgian authorities said they had found two apartments and a house used by Abdeslam and other suspects in the run up to the attacks.

A fingerprint belonging to Abdeslam was found in the apartment along with traces of explosives, possible suicide belts and a drawing of a person wearing a large belt.

Authorities also found DNA traces from Bilal Hadfi, another of the attackers.

The other premises were a flat in Charleroi -- a town south of the capital Brussels where a major airport is located, as well as a house in the rural village of Auvelais near the French border.

AFP
VATICAN CITY A Vatican prelate on Monday admitted in court he had leaked confidential documents to the media and said he had been manipulated into it by a woman co-defendant who claimed she was a spy.

After an adjournment of more than three months, Spanish Monsignor Angel Lucio Vallejo Balda was questioned at the resumption of the so-called "Vatileaks II" trial.

Vallejo and four other people are on trial in the case, which centres on the publication last year of two books based on leaked documents that depict a Vatican plagued by graft and where Pope Francis faces stiff resistance to his agenda.

Pressed by the prosecution and the court president on whether he had leaked documents, Vallejo said "yes". He also said he had given the author of one of the books some 85 passwords to access electronic documents and email accounts in the Vatican.

Most of the three hours of the questioning of Vallejo, a 54-year-old Spaniard, revolved around his relationship with Francesca Chaouqui, 35, a married public relations consultant.

Both were members of a now-defunct commission appointed by Pope Francis to advise him on economic and bureaucratic reform.

He told the court that his relationship with Chaouqui had been "clearly for me as a priest compromising," recounting how she once entered his room in a Florence hotel.

Vallejo accused her of intimidating and manipulating him in order to get a permanent job in the Vatican after the commission's work was done. He also said he had received threatening messages from Chaouqui's husband, who worked as an information technology expert for the Vatican commission.

He said he felt trapped "in a situation with no way out".

Vallejo said Chaouqui told him she was a high-ranking member of Italy's secret services and once offered to use her connections to get him a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama when he visited the Vatican in 2014.

The monsignor was returned to the Vatican's jail a few days ago after investigators discovered he had violated the terms of his house arrest by communicating with reporters by phone.

Chaouqui, who is in late pregnancy, attended Monday's hearing and her facial expressions suggested she disputed Vallejo's claims.

The Vatican made it a crime to disclose official documents

in 2013 after a separate leaks scandal, which the media dubbed

"Vatileaks" and which preceded the resignation of Pope Benedict

that year.

Journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi last year published books based on documents which Vatican officials say they received from Chaouqui, Vallejo and his assistant, Nicola Maio.

The journalists are accused of putting pressure on Vallejo and Chaouqui to get the documents. The defendants face up to eight years in prison if convicted.

Chaouqui, who is expected to give evidence next week, has denied leaking documents.

Of the five accused, only Vallejo is a Vatican resident, the others being Italian citizens. The trial resumes on Tuesday with Vallejo still on the stand.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Andrew Roche)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Mohamed Khweiss parents were awakened Monday morning by a VOA reporter and cameraman at the familys townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia.

The newspeople told them something they never expected to hear: their son was a member of the Islamic State (IS) and he had surrendered to Kurdish forces in Iraq.

"We thought he was in Canada lately, said a woman who identified herself as Khweis's mother. We also know he has been traveling to Turkey.

But the parents had not been in contact with the son for a long time. They had no idea he was in Iraq or had ties with any extremist groups.

The parents said they are of Palestinian background. The father said he came to the U.S. in 1988.

When shown a published photo of Khweis in Kurdish custody , the family said they were not certain it was him.

The guy in the picture is not my brother, insisted Tamer Khweis, a college student and a younger brother of Mohammed Khweis.

There are similarities, but I cant confirm because the picture isnt clear, his mother said.

Khweis' personal belongings might have been stolen and have ended up in Iraq, the family suggested.

Figure on the horizon

Sarbaz Hama Amin, a Kurdish Peshmerga commander in Iraq, told VOA his forces noticed an odd figure while on patrol Monday in northern Iraq, near the town of Sinjar.

Our Peshmergas who were patrolling the frontline said they saw something unusual and started firing at it. That thing disappeared after we fired at it but our Peshmergas started looking for it. After it became light after 5:00 a.m., he screamed at us and told us in English, Who can talk to me? I want to come to you.

But our Peshmergas didnt understand English, Amin continued. He spoke a very limited Arabic and asked if anyone spoke English. After Peshmergas made sure he had no explosives on, we arrested him and took him to the camp where he said he wanted to surrender.

Amin added that the suspect told them his father was Palestinian.

A picture of the suspects Virginia state drivers license, sent to VOA, identifies him as Mohamed Jamal Khweis.

The fighter might possibly have come from the Talafar town controlled by IS because that place is the closest frontline to us, Amin said. He had Turkish money and some dollars. He also had a visa card and an American drivers license.

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga Gen. Hashem Sitayi told VOA the suspect traveled through Turkey to Syria to join Islamic State.

It looks like it's still far too easy to get into Syria from Turkey, Patrick Skinner told VOA. Skinner is an intelligence officer now with The Soufan Group, a strategic security intelligence consultancy. It shows how hard it is to control or detect movement in places where so many people are moving both in terms of fleeing but also in terms of normal life.

Skinner added, It will be important to get his information on his points of contacts before he traveled and on other USCITs [American citizens] he might have seen.

State Department response

Later in the morning the father, Jamal Khweis, in an exclusive interview with VOA, said he tried to get more information from U.S. authorities.

I went to the State Department to inquire about my son. They didnt help. I heading home now, he said. My wife said there are cameras and many reporters outside of my house. I wont talk to reporters until the U.S. government confirms my sons capture.

A U.S. State Department official said We are aware of reports that a U.S. citizen that was allegedly fighting for Daesh (IS) has been captured by Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq. We are in touch with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to determine the veracity of these reports.

Spokesman John Kirby said Monday that over the past several weeks, there have been reports of increasing defections from IS. "Fighters are becoming disenfranchised, certainly disenchanted with the effort that they claimed they signed up for and are, in increasing numbers, deciding to leave the group."

Kirby added that reports indicate IS is increasingly relying on child soldiers. Originally, he said, child soldiers were used as suicide attackers, and "now we get more reports about them using children... in actual engagements, you know, side by side with adult fighters."

VOAs Sharon Behn and Ali Javanmardi contributed to this report from Irbil. VOA State Department correspondents Nike Ching and Pam Dockins, Rikar Hussein and National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed from Washington.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Thai government to release the whereabouts of a government critic who has not been seen since his arrest last week.

HRW says Sarawut Bamrungkittikhun was arrested March 9 at his home in Surat Thani province.

The rights group describes Bamrungkittikhun as an "outspoken critic" who runs an anti-junta Facebook page.

HRW says the ruling Thai junta has "officially denied" knowledge of his arrest and location, raising what it says are grave concerns of an enforced disappearance.

"Thailand's junta has repeatedly flouted international legal protections by secretly detaining critics of the government," said Brad Adams, HRW's Asia director.

"The government should put to rest fears that Sarawut has been forcible disappeared by immediately disclosing his whereabouts, allowing his family and lawyers access and releasing him if he hasn't been charged."

Under the National Council for Peace and Order rules, security officers can detain a person for a maximum period of seven days before issuing formal charges.

HRW says there are reports that Sarawut was brought to Bangkok and put in detention at a prison facility inside an army camp, but they have not been verified.
South Sudan is cutting the number of staff at its embassies around the world because of economic troubles stemming from the two-year civil war.

Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin denied reports that South Sudan will close 10 diplomatic missions but admitted that his government has delayed paying rents for some of its embassies.

"What we are doing because of the economic crisis is that we are reducing the number of staff in our embassies in order to cut down on the costs, Marial told VOA's South Sudan in Focus program in an interview late Monday.



Marial said the cuts will affect diplomatic missions which have large staffs. He said one such mission is South Sudans embassy in Cairo.

A source within the South Sudan Foreign Service who is not authorized to speak to the media said the Cairo Embassy was served with an eviction notice by its landlord for failing to pay rent since December.

The source also said landlords in Europe have taken the South Sudan government to court for not paying the rent for its embassies in Rome and Paris.

Marial denied the embassy in Egypt received an eviction notice but admitted that his ministry delayed paying the rent in Cairo.

"We have some economic problems; that is true, and that is why we have decided that we have to reduce the number of officials in some of those embassies, including the Cairo embassy. We have cut down the number of people who will remain in the embassy there," he said.

Diplomats unpaid

Since South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, the worlds youngest country has opened 32 embassies.

In a sign the Foreign Ministry is overstretched, diplomats in those missions have not been paid since November.

The foreign minister said the delays are due to the countrys economic crisis coupled with lack of oil revenues because of insecurity around oil fields in Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states.

He said the ministry of finance and central bank are trying to resolve the problem but could not say when the diplomats will get their paychecks.

South Sudanese diplomats working in the capitals of Ghana and Zimbabwe were evicted from their apartments because they could not pay their rents.

A South Sudanese diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reaction, told VOA four diplomats in Harare have taken temporary shelter at the residence of the South Sudanese ambassador.

Marial admitted that diplomats in Accra and Harare have found it hard to pay their rents but said the problems were the result of local circumstances.

"Accra and Harare, I think they are going on well," he said. "There was a delay, but they resolve some of that problem. In Accra, I think they had a problem in the building, because part of the building got burned, I think that is why they have a crisis," he said.



Marial criticized

South Sudans National Legislative Assembly summoned Marial last year to discuss what some lawmakers consider his ministry's poor performance.

The parliamentary committee for foreign affairs accused the ministry of employing unqualified personnel and sending them to foreign missions.

The chairman of the committee, Philip Thon, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gets $8.5 million per month to fund its embassies abroad.

Marial defends his ministrys spending, saying, "Foreign ministries everywhere throughout the world are quite an expensive institution to run." The minister said most of the funds are used for what he calls the national interest of South Sudan.

Fighting between forces of President Salva Kiir and supporters of his former deputy, Riek Machar, erupted in December 2013. Since then, clashes have killed tens of thousands and forced more than 2 million South Sudanese from their homes.

The sides signed a peace accord in August but have yet to form a transitional government of national unity as called for in an agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he will head to Moscow next week to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his troop withdrawal from Syria and the prospects for peace in the war-wracked country.

"We have reached a very important phase in this process," Kerry said in announcing the trip. "This is a moment to seize not waste. We have at this moment the ability to finally take steps toward ending war and bloodshed."

Kerry said he would talk with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about "how we can move the political process forward."

But the top U.S. diplomat warned that "lasting peace will be impossible without a genuine political transition" away from the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has resisted any notion of stepping down.

News of Kerry's Moscow trip came as Syrian peace talks continued for a second day in Geneva and the first Russian military personnel returned from Syria to cheering crowds waiting to greet them.

Russian television showed three Su-34 fighter planes landing at an air base in the southern part of the country, with pilots in white helmets and aviator jackets mobbed by supporters on their arrival and thrown into the air in celebration. Amid waving Russian flags and red, white and blue balloons, a brass band played the Stalin-era "March of the Aviators" and the Russian national anthem.

At the peace talks in Geneva, the main Syrian opposition cautiously greeted Putin's troop withdrawal after five and a half months of operations in Syria, saying it could lead to an end to five years' of fighting and Assad's "dictatorship and his crimes."

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, called Putin's announcement a "significant development" and said he hopes it will lead to "a peaceful political transition in the country."

France also expressed cautious optimism, with its foreign ministry saying that if the Russian troop reduction is "followed up by concrete action, it would be a positive development."



Some military personnel to stay

Despite the initial withdrawal, Russia plans to keep about 1,000 military personnel at air and naval bases in Syria. The United States has estimated that Moscow has had between 3,000 and 6,000 troops in Syria.

In Syria, deputy defense minister Nikolai Pankov told Russian news agencies, "It is still too early to speak of victory over terrorism. The Russian air group has a task of continuing to strike terrorist targets."

Putin said Monday the "bulk" of his military contingent in Syria would leave now that they have largely fulfilled their tasks there, supporting Assad's forces in fighting against rebel groups trying to overthrow his government.

White House reaction

The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama called Putin Monday to discuss Russia's announcement of a withdrawal, and to talk about how to advance the political negotiations for Syria.

In Damascus, the office of Syria's presidency said Assad agreed to Russia's decision, but added that Russia had promised its air force contingent that arrived in late September will not leave the country altogether.

The Kremlin's website quoted Putin as saying Russia would maintain a "post" for supporting flights of aircraft involved in monitoring compliance with the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Monday Russia is making this move to withdraw its forces from Syria because "we are in the political mode now, in the cessation of hostilities mode." He said, "Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve [a] political settlement in Syria."

He said, "Our forces have operated very effectively. Our military presence will continue to be there; it will be directed mostly at making sure the cease-fire, cessation of hostilities is maintained."
One in six migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong is a victim of forced labor, working an average of over 70 hours a week. According to a Justice Center survey of more than 1,000 domestic workers in the neighboring region, some work up to 20 hours a day.

More than 80 percent of the territorys 336,600 domestic workers  the vast majority of whom are women from Indonesia and the Philippines  are exploited, the study says. Seventeen percent of the helpers surveyed were engaged in forced labor.

Hong Kong must come clean; the government can no longer afford to simply sweep these problems under the carpet, the report states.

The study found out that only a fraction reported a monthly salary of above the minimum wage, which recently rose to HKD4,210.

However, Paul Pun, secretary-general of Caritas Macau, told the Times that it is unlikely that Macau will experience the same forced labor situation, as Filipino and Indonesian workers here choose to reside in premises separate from their employers.

Most Filipinos choose to stay out [] the situation is completely different. Exploitation is less likely to happen, he said.

The Hong Kong labor law on domestic workers requires helpers to stay in (live at their boss home), increasing the risk of exploitation.

Macau residents dont want their domestic helpers to live with them because they [want] to enjoy privacy, he adds.

Pun admits that many domestic helpers have consulted with him regarding their situations, which often require them to work for more than eight hours. However, the helpers chose not to complain to the labor bureau.

The moment we suggest that they go to the labor bureau, they become hesitant, he explained.

A Filipino domestic helper, who declined to be identified, told the Times that she works for 12 hours every day for a meager salary of MOP3,300.

The helper, who starts work at 9:30 a.m., explained that she is forced to work for her employer and her employers daughter, who lives in another apartment.

Its tiring. I dont want to go to another house to clean, but I have to because my employer says so, she said.

From 5 p.m. onwards, Ill go to her daughters place to prepare dinner for the family. After that, I have to go back to my employers home to continue cleaning. Ill only get home by 11:30 p.m., she added. Staff reporter

lack of minimum wage raises concern

Paul Pun says Macau should adjust the minimum wage rather than stating not below MOP2,500 with a housing allowance of MOP500. According to the Caritas head, the human resources should periodically review the yearly work salary [of domestic workers] for them to have a clear reference salary, [] a decent salary.
The Conde de S. Januario Hospital (CHCSJ) selected a group of residents, irrespective of whether or not they live near to the location of the planned infectious disease building, and introduced to them the new facility and the Coloane hospital under construction.

During a meeting that took place after the visit, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, pledged that the buildings are designed with World Health Organization [WHO] standards, they are completely safe, regardless of the facilities inside the buildings or the transportation procedures.

Alexis Tam in addressing Mr Zhang, a resident who lives close to the proposed site of the infectious disease building, said: We are happy that you are here today. We have been trying to invite you to talk with us on many occasions.

Zhang had previously requested officials to indicate the number of infectious buildings that exist in the United States, and to clarify how close they are to residential communities.

Zhang posed that if there are one hundred infectious disease buildings in the US, then on average there will be two for each state, and each state of the US is [individually] bigger than Macau.

To this, Alexis Tam replied: our websites provide all the needed information. [] We thoroughly follow WHO guidelines. [] As to the size, the US is a big country [while] Macau is small. Our standards are not the same as the US standards.

One member of ANM who was present requested the authorities to provide the public with more details of the project. In response, Alexis Tam said that they are willing to provide the documents to the public.

Obviously, our government will have to explain to the public what the policies consist of [] right now, the project is under construction bidding, and for that reason we cant publish any details at this stage. Staff reporter
Skeptics of North Koreas nuclear threat, and there are many, have long clung to two comforting thoughts.

While the North has the bomb, it doesnt have a warhead small enough to put on a long-range rocket. And it certainly doesnt have a re-entry vehicle to keep that warhead from burning up in the atmosphere before it could reach a target like, as it has suggested before, Manhattan.

North Korea yesterday suggested it will soon show the world it has mastered both technologies.

That would require a huge jump in the Norths suspected nuclear capabilities, so it may be just the latest case of Pyongyang saying with vitriolic propaganda something it cannot demonstrate in tests. But if it delivers, it will put to rest one other comforting thought: that its safe for policymakers in Washington and elsewhere to take North Koreas claims as mainly just bluster.

We have proudly acquired the re-entry technology, possessed by a few countries styling themselves as military powers, by dint of self-reliance and self-development, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying. The authoritarian countrys state-run media reported he made the comment after meeting scientists and technicians, following what it said was a successful ground test of a re-entry vehicle.

The report said Kim ordered the commencement of preparations for a nuclear warhead explosion test and test-firings of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads to be conducted soon.

As with all such reports, its hard to separate Pyongyangs wishful thinking from the current reality.

North Koreas most likely candidate for an intercontinental ballistic missile is generally known as the KN-08  in North Korea its called the Hwasong. The three-stage rocket has an estimated range of 5,000-6,000 kilometers (3,100-3,700 miles), longer if modified further.

That range would be ample for attacks on U.S. military bases in Japan, but not the U.S. mainland. A militarized version of the rocket used to put a North Korean satellite into orbit last month is believed to have  potentially  a much longer range that could reach the U.S.

A new version of the KN-08 was displayed at a military parade in October. IHS Janes Defense weekly said it featured a smaller and blunter warhead shape that could confirm U.S. intelligence assessments and North Korean claims of success in miniaturizing its nuclear warheads.

But the Pentagon has often expressed incredulity over the reliability of the KN-08 because North Korea has never tested it end-to-end  meaning from launch through re-entry and warhead delivery  to prove it works.

Just last week, photos of Kim, splashed across the front page of the ruling partys Rodong Sinmun newspaper, showed him standing in a hangar filled with ballistic missiles and looking happily down at a silvery orb about the size of a disco ball.

Experts say the object looks very much like a credible nuclear weapon, though it was clearly a mock-up of whatever device the North may have. Kim and his scientists certainly wouldnt have stood so close to the real thing without radioactivity protection gear. Nor would Kim, a chain smoker, likely have been holding a lit cigarette right next to it.

The message, however, was obvious: We know what you think our weaknesses are, and you might consider thinking twice.

Every time the North Koreans test another bomb or a missile, I get calls asking what message the North Koreans are trying to send, wrote Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, in a recent op-ed in the influential Foreign Policy magazine.

Well, lets see: Theyve paraded two different ICBMs through Pyongyang, conducted four nuclear tests, showed us a compact nuclear design sitting next to a modern re-entry vehicle in front of one of those ICBMs, and hung a giant wall map of the United States marked with targets and titled Mainland Strike Plan, he wrote. Heres a wild guess: They are building nuclear-armed ICBMs to strike the United States! Why is this so hard to grasp?

The timing of Pyongyangs recent moves is crucial.

Its facing a new U.N. sanctions package after its Jan. 6 nuclear test  which it claimed was of an H-bomb  and has significantly amped up its rhetoric amid unprecedentedly large-scale war games between the U.S. and South Korean militaries. Those exercises continue through April.

The country is also conducting a 70-day loyalty campaign ahead of a once-in-a-generation ruling party congress in May. The congress could be something of a coming-out party for Kim, a venue to emerge from the shadows of his father and grandfather and more firmly establish himself at home and abroad as North Koreas supreme leader. He could also lay out his own long-term domestic and international agenda.

Kim presumably wants to face these challenges from a position of power  and making nukes his cause celebre serves that purpose.

Standing firm on nukes bolsters his credibility with hard-vliners in the military and reinforces his regimes defiant, dangerous reputation with Washington and its allies. It also has domestic propaganda value, showing how North Korea, singlehandedly and against all odds, can make breakthroughs few countries have accomplished.

Of course, that logic breaks two ways: If the country hasnt made major advances, exaggerating them is the next best thing, since its technology is notoriously difficult to evaluate.

But Lewis and other experts have expressed concern that Washington, in particular, has a pattern of not taking the Norths purported capabilities seriously enough until a successful test proves their complacency to have been misplaced. While it might declare success prematurely  most outside experts doubt the recent H-bomb claims  it has an established track record of eventually getting there.

Seoul, meanwhile, was holding to its skeptical line.

Its Defense Ministry said yesterday it remains unconvinced the North has achieved re-entry vehicle technology. Spokesman Moon Sang Gyun said the assessment is based on South Korean and U.S. intelligence. He refused to elaborate. Eric Talmadge, Tokyo, AP
The head of Bangladeshs central bank resigned yesterday after hackers managed to divert USD101 million from the countrys account with the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahmans resignation was accepted, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas spokesman Ihsanul Karim.

Rahman, who held the banks top post for seven years, told reporters he resigned voluntarily.

I submitted my resignation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina  tears rolled out from her two eyes, he said. Earlier he had said, If my resignation is better for the Bangladesh Bank, I have no hesitation.

The finance minister canceled a scheduled news conference without explanation. Last week he said Bangladesh was considering suing the U.S. bank over the loss of the funds, which were thought to have been transferred to the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

However, the New York Fed said it found no evidence its own systems were compromised, and attention increasingly has focused on suspected vulnerabilities in Bangladesh Banks cybersecurity.

Rahman, the son of a landless herdsman, was a Dhaka University economist before joining the Bangladesh Bank. He said leaving the bank post was a difficult decision.

Such cyberattacks are happening across the world, Rahman said. We have to be careful, very careful. Its like an earthquake, when it will come, very difficult to predict. We are new in facing such attacks. We lack experience.

Since the hacking scandal emerged earlier this month, Rahman said he had increased the banks online security and hired international experts to oversee the work.

After the incident I took some time and attempted to fix the loopholes so that the remaining amount is secure, he said.

In Manila, Philippines, a Senate committee opened an inquiry yesterday into how about $81 million of Bangladeshs stolen funds were transmitted online to four private accounts at a branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., or RCBC, and who could be criminally liable.

Julia Bacay-Abad, executive director of the governments Anti-Money Laundering Council, told the committee that Bangladeshs central bank governor called to notify his Philippine counterpart on Feb. 11 about the transfer and requested that the funds be frozen.

An investigation by the anti-money laundering council showed the transfers occurred Feb. 5. Shortly afterward, a bulk of the money was moved to another RCBC account whose owner then sent the funds through a remittance company to two Philippine casino companies. The remittance company also made cash deliveries to a certain Weikang Xu.

The anti-money laundering council later moved to freeze the funds and filed criminal complaints against RCBC branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito and the supposed owner of the four RCBC accounts where the stolen Bangladesh funds were deposited, before the Department of Justice in Manila, Philippine justice officials said.

The council alleged that Deguito approved the opening of the four RCBC accounts on May 15 last year based on what appeared to be fake documents of the owners, who were later also able to withdraw some of the funds in one of the largest money-laundering scandals in the Philippines.

Deguito has denied any wrongdoing and offered to provide details during the Senate hearing in a closed-door executive session. RCBCs President and chief executive officer, Lorenzo Tan, said he was unaware of the alleged money laundering and refused to answer many questions, invoking bank secrecy, irritating committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III.

This was stolen and a foreign government is asking us to help them, Guingona said, asking the RCBC officers why the funds were withdrawn up to Feb. 9 when the Bangladesh Bank already alerted RCBC and asked for a stop payment on Feb. 8.

Guingona later told reporters it was clear there was a conspiracy but it was not clear at what level. He said it probably could not have happened if casinos were covered by the countrys anti-money laundering law.

The trail ends at the casinos, call it a black hole, he added.

Bangladesh Ambassador John Gomes, who observed the hearing, said he was satisfied with the investigation and that he would request he be allowed to also observe closed-door, executive sessions.

He said Bangladesh is working with the Philippines to recover the funds.

In Sri Lanka, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said no police investigation was being conducted in the matter. Officials at the Sri Lankas Central Bank declined to comment. Julhas Alam, Dhaka, AP
China, North Koreas most important ally, has reaffirmed its commitment to fully implement United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang over its recent nuclear tests and missile launches.

In a phone conversation with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also called for new talks with North Korea on nuclear disarmament, Chinas Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Since agreeing to the new sanctions, China has redoubled calls for a two-track solution aiming to resolve the nuclear issue while forging a permanent peace agreement to replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

While China remains North Koreas biggest source of economic assistance and diplomatic support, it agreed to the sweeping new measures out of frustration at Pyongyangs defiance of both previous U.N. resolutions and Beijings persistent calls to avoid provocations.

The latest tensions began in January, when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test before launching a long-range rocket.

In discussing the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the two sides agreed that [] the sanctions must be fully and completely implemented, while during the process of implementing the resolution, ways be explored into how to restore a means of resolving the peninsula nuclear issue through negotiations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

In their phone conversation earlier in the week, the two foreign ministers also discussed the often-strained relationship between their countries, with Wang urging Japan to make constructive efforts to improve ties, the ministry said.

Wang told reporters at a news conference last week that he saw little ground for optimism in the outlook for China-Japan relations. While giving no specifics other than Japans wrong approach to history and other issues, he accused Japanese leaders and politicians of making trouble for China at every turn.

Relations between the two neighbors have been generally calm since violent anti-Japanese riots broke out in several Chinese cities in 2012 after Japan nationalized a chain of uninhabited islands claimed by China.

Yet, while a brief 2014 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe marked a restoration of high-level contacts, ties have since moved at a glacial pace. AP
Wynn Macau announced that it is partnering with the Macau Chamber of Commerce to organize the 2016 First Quarter Wynn Local SME Procurement Partnership Meeting  Food & Beverage Session on April 14.

The event, which will focus on Food & Beverage suppliers and procurement, will see small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the sector showcase their products and services to Wynn Macau. The policy, according to a statement from Wynn Macau, aims to support the policy of the MSAR government of giving priority to local suppliers.

SME suppliers in the following areas are cordially invited to send representatives to the meeting: Meat, Seafood, Dairy Products, Fruits and Vegetables, Fresh Bakery and Pastry Products, General Food Grocery, Dried Seafood, Non-alcoholic Beverage, Alcoholic Beverage, and Food and Beverage Supplies.

Interested suppliers can participate in the partnership meeting by registering on Wynn Macaus website: www.wynnmacaulimited.com, and visiting the Company Information  Macau SMEs webpage.

10th asian film awards ceremony in macau

The 10th Asian Film Awards will be held tomorrow at The Venetian Macao where a jury composed of 12 respected film industry professionals, festival programmers and critics from around the world will announce the winners of various film categories.

Organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy and sponsored by Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao and The Venetian Macao and with Cotai Water Jet as the official ferry operator, the ceremony will be attended by notables and nominees from Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea.

This year 77 nominees of 36 films from nine countries are competing for the Asian Film Awards across 15 categories; Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Screenwriter, Best Cinematographer, Best Editor, Best Composer, Best Production Designer, Best visual Effects, Best Costume Designer, and the newly added Best Sound.

The award ceremony, now in its 10th year, moved to Macau in 2014. Previously it was hosted in Hong Kong.

pacha macau invites intl performers

Pacha Macau at Studio City is set to welcome British DJ and record producer Paul Oakenfold to perform on April 9, followed by Dutch DJ Afrojack on April 16.

Pachas international agenda also includes dance/trance German-American DJ Markus Schulz rocking his beats over the Easter weekend on March 26. Electro house favorite DJ Chuckie takes over the decks on April 2, DJ Mark Knight on April 23, Egyptian trance music duo Aly & Fila on April 30, and American rapper and DJ Lil Jon on May 13.

Pacha Macau will also feature local Macau dance collective favorites, Macau Dance Music Association. They will play this Saturday, as well as alongside Mark Knight on Saturday 23.

Moreover, Pachas newly launched Chic Ladies Night allows ladies to enter and drink for free from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. every Friday night.
Young, privately owned and ambitious, Anbang Insurance Group stands out in Chinas staid, state-dominated insurance industry.

Founded just 12 years ago, Anbang made a splash in the United States in 2014 with its USD2 billion purchase of New York Citys Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Since then, it has plowed more billions into acquiring insurers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Iowa and South Korea. Last week, it agreed to pay $6.5 billion for Strategic Hotels & Resorts, an American hotel chain.

On Monday, it went after even bigger game, launching a surprise $14 billion bid with partners for the Starwood hotel chain.

Anbang makes no secret of its global ambitions. It aims to become one of the top 10 comprehensive financial groups in the world, its website says.

That is a break with a Chinese industry in which bigger, older companies have stuck to their home market. But it reflects the growing space for innovation as regulators loosen controls in hopes of making Chinese financial industries more competitive and productive.

The driving force credited with propelling Anbangs rise is chairman Wu Xiaohui, who news reports say got his start in the rental car business before founding Anbang in 2004. He rarely talks to reporters or appears in public.

Anbang started with a single outlet in Beijing. Its biggest shareholder, at 20 percent, was state-owned car maker Shanghai Automotive Industries Corp. The following year, a state-owned oil company, Sinopec, bought a 20 percent share.

Since then, the company says it has expanded to more than 3,000 branches with 30,000 employees worldwide serving 35 million clients. It has diversified into life insurance, banking, asset management, leasing and brokerage services.

Its global expansion coincides with encouragement from the ruling Communist Party for Chinese companies to go abroad to diversify away from dependence on a slowing domestic economy.

The Chinese business press has compared Wu to Warren Buffett for following the legendary American investors approach of using the cash flow from insurance operations to buy other businesses. But rumors also have swirled about whether Wus success is built at least partly on family ties or help from influential figures on Anbangs board.

According to the Chinese press, Wu is married to Zhuo Ran, a granddaughter of former supreme leader Deng Xiaoping, though the business magazine Caixin reported last year the couple had separated.

Board members have included Zhu Yunlai, the son of former Premier Zhu Rongji and a successful banker in his own right, and Yong Longtu, Chinas chief negotiator in talks that led to its World Trade Organization membership, according to news reports.

Last year, the newspaper Southern Weekend reported Anbangs real owner was Chen Xiaolu, the son of late Chen Yi, a member of the ruling inner circle that founded the communist government in 1949.

Chen, 68, told Caixin in a separate report he had no ownership stake in Anbang but served as a consultant. He said he had been Wus business partner for 15 years but did not intervene in company operations.

Chen told Caixin he recommended Wu buy U.S. assets because Chinas economy was slowing but Americas was recovering.

Anbangs rapid growth in a heavily regulated economy is built partly on Wus skill at cultivating ties with regulators, Chinese media say.

To pay for its buying spree, Anbang raised 50 billion yuan ($8 billion) from investors in 2014, taking on dozens of new shareholders.

That reduced founding investor SAICs stake to less than 1 percent. It also increased its registered capital fivefold to 62 billion yuan ($9.5 billion), the biggest among Chinese insurers, even though the company doesnt rank among the top 10 property insurers or in the top 30 in life insurance.

That, combined with buying the Waldorf and other assets outside its core insurance business, has prompted suggestions in the Chinese press the company acts more like an investment fund for which insurance is a sideline.

The lightning pace of acquisitions also has prompted Chinese financial analysts to question whether it is sound or sustainable.

In a rare public appearance in December, Wu stressed his responsibility to ordinary policyholders.

Insurance money is ordinary peoples pensions and life insurance. It must be invested in the best companies, Wu told a business conference, the newspaper China Business Journal reported on its website. He said insurers must protect small investors. Joe McDonald, Beijing, AP
A defense lawyer says a U.S. citizen charged in the United Nations bribery case will plead guilty today to charges.

Attorney Brian Bieber said Monday that Francis Lorenzo will plead guilty to three charges. Lorenzo is a suspended ambassador from the Dominican Republic who was arrested last year.

The plea comes in a case that resulted in the arrest of a former president of the U.N. General Assembly and Macau real estate developer Ng Lap Seng.

Bieber says Lorenzo will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Bieber says his client decided to plead guilty after reviewing the governments evidence. He says it led him to accept responsibility for his role in the criminal conspiracies committed by him and his co-defendants. MDT/AP
The Association of Portuguese and English Press (AIPIM) yesterday met Victor Chan, the head of the Government Information Bureau (GCS) and government spokesperson, to deliver a motion about local non-Chinese medias challenges in hiring journalists.

The motion calls for local authorities to consider speeding up the treatment of requests to hire media professionals or renew related work permits.

The motion suggests that companies need to hire journalists from outside Macau, considering that in Macau, there arent tertiary education institutions providing enough training for journalists able to work in the Portuguese and English media in Macau.

The association submits that local authorities have presented obstacles in the process of hiring foreign journalists.

According to AIPIM, Victor Chan received the motion and said he would pass it to the appropriate authorities, namely the Human Resources Office and the Public Security Police Force.

On a separate matter, the association announced the date of a gathering at which journalists will debate a code of ethics and their own legal status. Drafts of both documents were released to members yesterday.

The meeting will take place in the Rui Cunha Foundation headquarters at 10 a.m. April 9. The decision to hold the gathering  which is open to all journalists  was made during the last General Assembly of AIPIM, held on March 3. PB
Irans foreign minister yesterday defended the nations right to use ballistic missiles following a test last week, but offered no explanation for anti-Israeli messages reportedly written on them.

Speaking in Wellington, New Zealand, Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran has always reserved the right to defend itself.

Anybody who is crazy enough to attack us, we will attack back using conventional weapons, he said. We hope that these conventional weapons will never be used because we do believe that in a war, everybody loses.

Zarif was responding to questions following an address to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Hed earlier met with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to talk about trade, and today will travel to Australia.

Last weeks missile test was aimed at demonstrating that Iran will push ahead with its ballistic program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year with the U.S. and other world powers.

Irans Fars news agency reported that the missiles had the phrase Israel must be wiped out written on them.

Zarif said he hadnt yet returned to Iran to check out those reports. When pressed about the issue, he said it was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama who were acting aggressively.

I ask you to go ask Netanyahu why is he threatening to use force against Iran every day. Go ask Obama why he is threatening to use force against Iran every day, Zarif said. Why are they saying all options are on the table?

In another development, Zarif ruled out his country accepting the involuntary return of deported Iranians from Australia, dashing Australian hopes of striking a bilateral deal that could send thousands of failed asylum seekers back to their homeland.

Zarif said his government was prepared to cooperate with Australia by encouraging would-be refugees to return home and by giving assurances that they would not be punished. But he drew the line at pressuring them.

We will not take anybody back to Iran against their will unless they are a criminal and wanted by a court, he said. They have not committed any crime by trying to go and seek a better life, so they can always come back, but we will not impose on them to come back.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had earlier played down prospects of a repatriation deal being struck during Zarifs visit, telling reporters during a trip to Fiji that talks were in a very early stage.

The asylum seekers have been left with uncertain futures, with Australia refusing to resettle them and Iran refusing to take them back. AP
The British Business Association of Macau (BBAM) yesterday launched the BBAM Breakfast Business Briefings, a new initiative to commemorate its tenth anniversary, at The St. Regis Macao.

Invited speaker Janet McNab, managing director of Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and The St. Regis Macao, shared her insights on how Starwoods innovative loyalty programs maximize hotel occupancy rates and guest satisfaction, in a session titled: Keeping loyalty sexy with todays Generation Y travelers.

BBAMs Breakfast Business Briefings are a monthly initiative for Macau-based senior practitioners. Each briefing offers discussions of new business practices as well as networking opportunities, packaging local and international insights into a compact format for attendees.

McNab introduced the Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG) loyalty program to BBAM members and guests.

When asked how SPG deals with the Chinese market in both mainland China and Macau, McNab said, The Chinese market is just as willing to participate, as you can see in the growth of the Asia-Pacific market. [] The growth for us is not in North America, but outside [of that region].

McNab also mentioned the distinctive qualities consumers look for when traveling; an aspect under consideration many businesses nowadays.

Its a real whats in it for me? kind of society that we live in, and its not age-specific, the hotelier added.

Henry Brockman, Chairman of BBAM, believes that it is important for Macau to maintain good relationships with guests.

It is vital for Macau to keep its hotel visitors happy and entertained, and ensure that they tell their friends and come again, he said.

This event highlights BBAMs members genuine interest in growing Macaus reputation for excellence in hospitality. Through similar future events, BBAM will continue to provide its members with the opportunity to broaden their understanding and increase their competitive edge, Brockman added. Staff reporter
At least 45 Kurdish rebels were killed in Turkish air strikes against suspected militant targets in northern Iraq following the suicide car bombing in Ankara, the military said yesterday, while clashes in the mainly-Kurdish city of Diyarbakir left a police officer and three Kurdish militants dead.

Turkish F-16 and F4 jets struck Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, positions across the border in Iraq on Monday, a day after the attack which killed 37 people and wounded dozens of others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Ankara attack, which authorities say was carried out by a female bomber and a possible male accomplice. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were almost certain indications that the PKK carried out the attack.

The attack escalated tensions with the Kurds and further complicated Turkeys place in the region as it battles a host of enemies across its borders including the Syrian government, Kurdish rebels in both Iraq and Syria, and the Islamic State group. Turkey also has been forced to absorb 2.7 million refugees from the conflict.

Authorities yesterday declared a curfew in Diyarbakirs low-income Baglar neighborhood early after clashes erupted overnight between Kurdish militants and the security forces. A police officer and three militants were killed in the clashes which also injured 10 other policemen, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Many residents were seen fleeing the neighborhood.

Turkey this week also declared 24-hour curfews and launched large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the towns of Nusaybin and Yuksekova and the city of Sirnak, in the mostly Kurdish southeast region.

Police meanwhile pressed ahead with a security sweep across Turkey, detaining 55 people suspected of being members of a group that is considered the youth wing of the PKK in six provinces, Anadolu reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the aim of the Ankara attack was to sow fear among the public and deter Turkey from its aims, its path and aspirations.

They will not be successful, Erdogan said. They will not bring Turkey to its knees; on the contrary they will be the ones kneeling. He was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who arrived in Ankara in a show of solidarity.

The military said Mondays air strikes in the Qandil mountains, where the PKKs leadership is based, killed 45 rebels and destroyed two arms depots and two rocket launcher positions. The claim could not immediately be verified.

The PKK is fighting Turkey for Kurdish autonomy in the southeast. The fragile two-year peace process collapsed in July, re-igniting the conflict. The PKK is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its allies.

Meanwhile, the military denied a claim by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who said Moscow has information that Turkeys military is entrenched a few hundred meters (yards) inside Syrian territory to prevent Kurdish groups from strengthening their positions.

A brief military statement on the issue said: The claims are untrue. AP
The vice-chairman of the Fu Lun Youth Association of Macau, together with two members of Macau Womens General Association (AGMM), are attending the sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women that is taking place at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York from March 14 to 24.

Macao Daily News reported that this is the first time that AGMM will join the event. The association will be participating as a non-government organization (NGO). The two delegates were chosen among participants from the organizations own International Affairs Training Program, which started activities in 2014, aiming to improve personal competitiveness and social skills of women in Macau.

According to one of the delegates, Ruby O, who is currently working at a local hotel, neighboring regions and countries ran a series of examinations to select the most qualified candidate to represent their country at the UN event. I feel honored and lucky to have been chosen to speak for Macau. When I was preparing for the meeting, I realized that Macau is doing well in terms of gender equality, she said.
CHINA plans to set up a commercial rocket-launch company in view of the markets potential, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Sanjiang Space Group Co. is preparing to enter the commercial-rocket business with a launch slated for 2017.

MYANMARs parliament yesterday elected Htin Kyaw as the countrys new president in a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule.

AFGHANISTAN President Ashraf Ghani says the Islamic State group is on the run in an eastern border province where in recent months the militants had taken over some remote districts.

THAILAND Prosecutors called their first witnesses yesterday in a major human trafficking trial with 92 defendants, including an army general, implicated in smuggling, kidnappings and the deaths of dozens of people.

THAILAND Police file negligence charges against two executives of a fire safety company after a system being installed at the headquarters of one of the countrys largest banks malfunctioned, killing eight people.

MALAYSIA-AUSTRALIA Malaysian authorities will not charge two journalists from Australias state-owned broadcaster who attempted to interview Malaysias prime minister over corruption allegations, deciding to deport them instead.

USA In a major reversal, the Obama administration says it will not allow oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell (pictured) made the announcement yesterday on Twitter, declaring that the administrations next five-year offshore drilling plan protects the Atlantic for future generations.

ITALY The family of an Italian al-Qaida hostage killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan is appealing to Barack Obama to provide details about the January 2015 operation. A lawyer for Giovanni Lo Portos family said that they have yet to receive operation details despite Obamas orders for a full review of the counter-terrorism operation.

EUROPEAN Union leaders will boost support to Greece so that thousands of migrants can be sent from there back to Turkey under a planned deal being thrashed out with Ankara. In a draft text prepared for their summit, EU leaders promise to use all means to support the capacity of Greece for the return of irregular migrants to Turkey.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador is sponsoring legislation to give Congress more control over the number of refugees coming into the country and let communities that dont want refugee resettlement reject them.

The bill, which the Idaho Republican introduced Monday, would cap the number of refugees to be allowed into the United States at 60,000 per year and bars the president from raising the ceiling without congressional approval. It would also bar refugee resettlement in any state or locality whose legislative body or executive has taken any action disapproving of refugee resettlement.

States or municipalities would not be able to pick and choose whether to resettle refugees based on country, Labrador spokesman Dan Popkey said, so states that have called for a halt to resettlement of just Syrians could not. However, they could opt out of the program entirely.

The bill would also grant priority for admission to refugees who are being persecuted based on their religion and who are members of minority religions in their countries. And, among other changes designed to bolster security, it would require regular security vetting of each refugee admitted until the refugees status changes from refugee to lawful permanent resident.

The House Judiciary Committee is expected to take up the legislation Wednesday, Labrador said in a statement. He is co-sponsoring it with Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and two other Southern Republicans.

The bill improves prospects for success by placing refugees in communities that have the infrastructure to support them and by giving priority to persecuted religious minorities, Labradors statement said. To continue Americas long history of welcoming those in need, we must restore confidence in the safeguards protecting our security. I thank Chairman Goodlatte for his good counsel and partnership in developing and advancing real solutions to this complex issue.

The section prioritizing persecuted members of minority religions would, in the case of Middle Easterners, have the effect of prioritizing the admission of Christians over Muslims, which a number of mostly Republican politicians, including several of the partys presidential candidates, have called for. In countries where Muslims are a persecuted minority, such as Myanmar, it would have the effect of prioritizing them.

So far, the state Legislature has not taken any action related to refugee resettlement in this years session, although a bill has been introduced to ban the use of foreign law that is partially driven by fears of the potential use of Shariah law among the states Muslim population, many of whom came here as refugees and live mostly in the Boise and Twin Falls areas. Bonner and Boundary county commissioners in northern Idaho, neither of which are currently resettlement sites, voted late last year to call for a halt to refugee resettlement.
This pen has been quiet for too long. The sleeping giant has awakened. Leftists have been slinging swear words around again: Nazi, fascist, Hitler, Stalinist. Words like this have been used over and over again ad infinatum to describe conservatives running for the Republican nomination. Let me make this clear to democrats, leftists and anarchists  those words truly beget far left political philosophy such as that espoused by the likes of Clinton, Bloomberg, Soros, Sanders, Zuckerberg and Obama.

Obamas latest escapade is to send Lorretta Lynch out to prosecute and lynch, pun intended, the purveyors of fossil fuels. He hates this country and the freedoms which we veterans fought hard to preserve. Leftists love the First Amendment until we, who have dissenting opinions based on fact, speak or write the truth. Remember, Democrats are the party of segregation, KKK, Jim Crow, infanticide, death panels, La Raza, BLM, voter scandal, high crime, rampant inner city deterioration and other insidious evils.

Ted Cruz is vilified as a right-wing Christian zealot. Recently, the Trumpster has been criticized for speaking out against protesters at his rallies. What outlets like our local Times-News fails to report is that these people are paid disrupters from left funded groups such as Move On, ACLU, SPLC, Al Sharpton, BLM, OWS etc. Why does the current administration not pursue criminal charges against these organizations?

Soon we will be down to two candidates for president in 2016. Do you want a future tyrannical, lawless woman, soon to be wearing an orange pantsuit, or a leader who will bring sanity and mass change to the embedded Washington, business-as-usual, establishment. We have been a viable representative republic for 240 years. Our great experiment in social democracy and freedom will endure for many more years.

Mike Tylka

Jerome
Politicos like myself have always taken it for granted that the core of American politics is and would always be a pitting of liberal versus conservative philosophies. Arguments over the size, reach and influence of government and their impact on individual liberty has been an effective model for the epic civil conflict we call politics.

I believe thats changing, rapidly.

Sure, weve always had aberrations. Driven by her husbands debilitating Alzheimers diagnosis, the late former first lady Nancy Reagan pushed stem cell research against many cultural conservatives within her own party. Otherwise conservative public educators support a robust perennial expansion of public education funding. Most rock-ribbed red state farmers cheer a large farm bill passing through Congress. Big-government-loving liberals who happen to adore wolves suddenly become taxpayer watchdogs when government money is spent to kill a pack of the problem predators. Theres a certain level of selective indignance and aloofness most of us accept as part of an imperfect society.

In truth, most of us have a back yard where well find a sacred cow or two, or a herd, we hope will be well-fed to serve a parochial interest. Most of us snap back to a political identity  a general location somewhere on the left-right spectrum.

But Im observing more and more people denouncing any self-characterization of left or right, liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. The lines are blurred now, especially this election cycle, and the only reason I can identify is that people are cashing in their principles (and the logic and reason required to honor them) for raw anger directed at a dysfunctional status quo.

But there are issues with anger, because it always comes in an inviting prickly and hot package containing indignation, justification, and an illusion that there is neither price nor consequence  only a reward  for indulging the rage. Whether we like it or not, observe it or not, admit it or not, politics will always be governed by conservatism versus liberalism. And if we deny it and abandon principle for emotion, we do it at our peril.

It was Stephen Coveys writings that taught me the beauty of principles. They never change. Ever. They are eternal. We can never destroy them. We can only destroy ourselves against them, as Covey taught eloquently. We can also use them to our advantage. They are a fixed position, a North Star. Limited government  with caveats  usually leads to an expansion of personal freedom and prosperity, and some get left behind. Big government aims to care for all, but at the great cost of precious personal liberty. Time and again, this is proven.

I am no fan of the Establishment, as its called these days. It must go. It is unacceptable. But what is more unacceptable is a widespread abandonment and neglect of what we hold  or held  dear. So many are trading in their birthright of freedom for a mess of anger pottage. Anyone who thinks we will get conservative, uncorrupt, government from a political schizophrenic is insanity itself.

We will never destroy the principle of limited government, but sometimes we sure seem hell-bent on destroying ourselves against it.
The following editorial appears in Sundays Washington Post: When Belgian police searched the home of a suspected member of the Islamic State after the Paris terror attacks in November, they found in the suspects apartment a curious video. It appeared to be a surveillance recording, made by the suspect, of a senior researcher at a Belgian nuclear center. The authorities speculate that it might have been part of a terrorist plot to capture nuclear materials from the center, perhaps by kidnapping the researcher. The episode has prompted Belgian authorities to deploy armed troops to protect nuclear sites, replacing a private security force.

The potential threat is clear. Much has been done to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles and materials over the past 25 years, but hazards remain from highly enriched uranium and plutonium spread around the globe. Some 1,800 metric tons of weapons-useable material is stored in hundreds of facilities, including civilian research reactors and military stocks.

Starting in 2010, President Barack Obama cast a spotlight on the problem with international summits at which leaders were pressed to act, including the cleanup of materials that could be used for building a so-called dirty bomb, a conventional explosive combined with nuclear materials that, while not a nuclear blast, would nonetheless cause considerable mayhem and disruption. In 2010, when the summits began in Washington, 35 nations had weapons-usable materials; three summits and six years later, it is down to 24.

But now comes the difficult part. Leaders of more than 50 nations will gather in Washington at the end of this month for the fourth and final nuclear security summit. Then what? The summit process has not given rise to an effective global system for securing these nuclear materials. It will take some real imagination and determination to keep up the pressure. We hear the coming summit will produce action plans, pledges from the leaders to pursue nuclear security in existing international organizations. It may also set up some kind of smaller, ongoing contact group. But will these be sufficient to sustain the sense of urgency and political drive that the summits generated?

A detailed index published by the Nuclear Threat Initiative shows tangible progress was achieved between 2012 and 2014, but since then efforts have stalled, due to political issues that have diverted attention, bureaucratic inertia, lack of resources and cultural factors. None of these are going away any time soon.

The rapid deterioration of U.S. relations with Moscow has taken a toll, too. Russia has declared it will not attend the summit. Cooperation on nuclear security has all but collapsed under the weight of President Vladimir Putins ill-fated adventure in Ukraine. Former senator Sam Nunn, D-Ga., who pioneered that cooperation, said recently there is a corrosive lack of trust between Washington and Moscow, and channels of communication are few and far between. Without in any way easing the pressure on Putin over Ukraine or Syria, the United States and Russia ought to realize that Islamic State terrorists interested in nuclear materials in Belgium are a threat to all countries, and one worth talking about.
About Me Mohd. Kamal bin Abdullah I am Mohd. Kamal bin Abdullah, who resides in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. I hold a post-graduate law degree from the United Kingdom. I blog to tell MALAYSIANS THE TRUTH. View my complete profile

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South Asia ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Sergio)





South Asia Monitor Author- Chayanika Saxena/





It is often suggested that the only way out of an over-zealous competitive world order that is attended by threatening rivalries and lack of trust is to embed the countries in a relationship of economic interdependence. Appearing to be the best bet in a global order that is connected by boundary-transcending technologies, but where national rivalries are still rife, fostering of economic cooperation between countries can help pacify if not eliminate suspicion and mistrust that have often triggered conflicts between and within nations.





Attesting to the harms that unchecked rivalries have the potential of creating, India, which shares its territorial and maritime boundaries with almost all the other South Asian countries, it has realized that the dividends accruing out of economic cooperation can outweigh the ills of political animosity that pervades the region at different levels. Bound by its own economic, strategic and political compulsions, where India could not take on the challenge of integrating the South Asian region before, India on the back of its neighborhood first policy has begun a campaign of pro-active outreach to the seven countries that it lists in its immediate neighborhood. It is with the intent of transforming its image of being a bully big brother into a benign elder brother that India has ramped up its efforts to deepen its engagement with each of the seven South Asian countries, including Pakistan. And, at the regional level as a whole as well, Indias efforts to be the catalyst of integration and interdependence has leased a breath of fresh air into an organization  the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)  which since its birth has been leading a quasi-conscious life.





In keeping with the Indian commitment to treat its immediate neighborhood as its foreign priority, the present government has been engaged in active outreach to the South Asian nations. Save for the state of Maldives that is yet to be visited by the Indian Prime Minister, the remaining seven South Asian nations have become the beneficiaries of Indias changing approach to South Asia, especially on the economic front.





Laying out the General Budget for the current fiscal year, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been handed a sum of INR 14,622 crores for dealing with Indian engagements overseas. While there has been a dip of 2.5% in the finances at the disposal of MEA compared to what the figure stood the last year, it is significant to note that of the overlay that is available, South Asian countries  specifically Bhutan and Afghanistan- appear prominently on the roster of priority. Also, when compared trans-nationally, Indias economic contribution to South Asia among the other regional cohabitants  be it in the form of trade exchanges or financial aid  stands the tallest.





As an economic giant which boasts of the worlds third largest economy on the Purchasing Power Parity terms, India has for reasons related to its mammoth, burgeoning economic might has been the biggest donor and creditor to the South Asian countries that make up this region. India has traditionally been a non-donor country; however lately, the country has begun investing in the rehabilitation and resuscitation of many South Asian economies that had suffered massive jolts either due to wars or for natural causes like earthquake.





For instance, India has been actively involved in the economic, social and political re-building of Afghanistan ever since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001 and the commitment continues. A string of projects have been floated and concluded by the various Indian governments, with many of them still underway, taking the Indian economic assistance to Afghanistan to a massive figure of USD 2 Billion. Right from the Afghan National Assembly that sits in the heart of Kabul to the Salma Dam in Herat; the electricity transmission lines to Kabul, road and railway-line constructions (ex. Zaranj to Delaram) and other social and cultural assistance extended by India to Afghanistan (skills development programs, school feeding projects) places it as the fifth largest donor to this war-torn country much ahead of China.





It is also important to note that it was India that had been at the forefront of getting Afghanistan inducted into SAARC as a member-nation. India was also instrumental in connecting the economy of Afghanistan regionally by pushing for its inclusion in the South Asian Free Trade Agreement arrangement. Bilaterally too, India has signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Afghanistan that allows the latter to export its products like fruits, dry-fruits, gemstones, etc at a 50% less import cess.





Nepal too has been a beneficiary of Indias economic generosity that is spread over a sum of USD 2 Billion, of which half is being extended to it as financial aid, assisting in the post-earthquake reconstruction of this land-locked nation. Enjoying visa-free ties with this nascent democracy, relations between India and Nepal have assumed a sense of cordiality overall. While there have been major hiccups in the recent past, India continues to be Nepals largest trading partner. Among the major infrastructural tasks that India has up its sleeve in Nepal include: assistance in the complete construction of two hydroelectric power projects worth USD 1 billion; laying cross-border electric transmission lines; road-building in the Terai areas, construction of a second airport and a state-of-the-art hospital, technical education schools and a university.





As recently as a few days ago, India executed the commitment of extending a Line of Credit (which is among the three conduits India uses to provide development aid to foreign countries, with the other two being Grants and Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program) worth USD 2 Billion to Bangladesh in a bid to deepen Indias economic engagement in its east. This comes on the heels of many trade and political agreements that have been reached with Bangladesh in the last one year, creating greater economic inter-dependence in the otherwise volatile South Asian region. The annual trade between Bangladesh has been pegged at USD 6.5 billion in the year gone by, out of which Indias export has been around USD 6 billion while Bangladesh exports to India is around USD 0.5 billion.





The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) corridor has been another project that has received considerable boost by India in a bid to integrate the countries in its East and create a sub-regional arrangement that is expected to be of economic significance to all the parties involved.





In the island nation that lies to its south, India is involved in a number of development projects, making it the second largest donor to Sri Lanka. Apart from an agreement on economic cooperation that is already underway (Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement), India has demonstrated its moral and economic willingness to assist in the re-development of the civil-war ravaged Sri Lanka, having pledged USD 270 million project to build 50,000 houses for Tamils who were displaced from the Northern province of Jaffna as the war raged on.





Indias economic assistance package to Maldives is estimated to be a good 5% of the total sum that the country has reserved for the development projects it undertakes internationally. While Maldives is the only South Asian country that the incumbent Indian Prime Minister is yet to cover as a part of Indias neighborhood first policy, this has not cast any shadow on its Indias commitment to Maldives in keeping the latters tourist-economy afloat.





In keeping with Indias vision to create a stable, secure and prosperous South Asia, the country has been in the forefront of assisting smaller economies like that of Bhutan to attain and retain economic self-sufficiency. To this effect, India has played the role of a generous enabler vis-a-vis the tiny Bhutanese economy, contributing massively to all the five-year plans that this country has seen this far. From the provision of subsidized LPG for domestic and commercial usage by the people of Bhutan to the conscious creation of avenues of trade between the two countries  like promotion of hydroelectric power plants in Bhutan that then sell electricity to India  the South Asian giant has been a friendly elder brother to the country that measures it progress on the scale of happiness. India makes South Asia happy and prosperous we can say!





As India seeks to play a major role in international geopolitics  of the kind that befits its burgeoning economic might, respected political credibility and cultural currency that spans over centuries  having a stable, secure and successful neighborhood will be the best guarantee for the achievement of this national goal. While it would not be prudent to offer doles without securing any return on investment, but winning the hearts, minds (and now economic contracts) takes time, and it would be in Indias interest to maintain strategic patience and see its efforts transform the fate of South Asia.





About the author - Chayanika Saxena is a Research Associate at the Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi. She can be contacted at: chayanika.saxena@spsindia.in





 EURASIA REVIEW ( ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)




Total UK primary energy consumption is the equivalent of around 2200 tw/h per year, of which electricity accounts for around 350 tw/h. This illustrates our reliance on fossil fuels and the mountain we face if we want to reduce and eliminate them.



We have two models in Europe we can already compare on how we might go about trying.



France has low cost (12p kw/h), low CO2 electricity, 75% of which is supplied by nuclear power plants.



Germany on the other hand shows that even a limited penetration of wind and solar (3.5% of total primary energy consumption) leads to high electricity prices. Getting on for double that of France at 23p kw/h. Its energy companies have also been suffering record losses.





Energy taxes and subsidies more or less cancel themselves out. Graph above taken from Euan Mearns The system costs incurred by dispersed , intermittent wind and solar rise with market share. So, if fossil fuels are to be reduced in any meaningful way, wind and solar will be a cripplingly expensive way of doing it.Only nuclear can power a modern economy at reasonable cost free from fossil fuels. But due to the large upfront capital costs it has to be planned and financed in the way the French did. Settle on one design, build lots of them quickly, and finance them from Government bonds. French nuclear supplies electricity at a wholesale price a third of what Hinkley Point C is being offered. It also exports 3bn a year of it at profit.There is no reason whatsoever that we should ever pay a penny more for our energy than the French are now. That means a reduction in our current bills.Areva took an existing design, and added more systems and defence in depth. This has proved difficult to build, and it the reason why EDFs finances are in such bad shape. As reported recently , the Hitachi ABWR could come in at 70 mw/h, when privately financed. Good, but we can do better.GE-Hitachi have taken that design and gone in the opposite direction of Areva by simplifying and modularising it. The ESBWR has been approved by the American regulators, and is reported to be the safest reactor to get such approval. Designed to be easier to construct, it also has the lower operating costs.If the UK built twenty of these, over 15 years, financed by bonds, we can benefit from learning curve cost reductions in exactly the same way the French did.Having a standardised fleet, rather than the nuclear zoo we are currently on course to build, would have other cost and safety advantages too.Furthermore, there is new fuel technology currently undergoing regulatory approval that can further cut costs and increase safety. For example Lightbridge all metallic fuel rods can increase power by 30% in a new build reactor, while reducing the fuels operating temperature.Reactors can make hydrogen from electrolysis or thermochemistry, to power fuel cells or existing gas turbines. High temperature reactors( FHRs ), being developed and commercialised in China and the US, can substitute for natural gas using the air Brayton cycle(NACC), thereby reusing existing CCGT infrastructure. This also gives them faster ramping up rates than any current available technology, making them the perfect partner for the limited load following of BWRs.High temperatures can make CO2 neutral synthetic fuels, using the existing infrastructure for internal combustion engines.And all nuclear power stations produce lots of hot water as waste, which could instead be used as district heating, making use of the hot water systems most UK households have for gas central heating.We cannot afford the costly grid and infrastructure upgrades needed in order to accommodate a wind, solar and battery economy.France has shown us that cheap CO2 free energy is doable. We should copy their example, just don't buy their EPR reactor.
Reflections on Honour

Legion of Honour

Quid Pro Quo

Last week, Corriere della Sera reported something that was broadly ignored by mainstream media: France rewarded a Saudi Prince, Mohammed ben Nayef, with the Legion of Honour. The whole thing, apparently, was done very hush-hush by the French government which not only raised the ire of the Gaul across the aisles of the political spectrum but it also raised some serious questions about Francois Hollande's true intent. Therefore, we are going to look into the meaning of honour and to see why the need for such a deference towards the Saudis.: "nobility of soul, magnanimity, and a scorn of meanness. Privileges of rank or birth" (Dr Samuel Johnson, 1755)There are quite a few definitions of this abstract concept but they all agree that honour implies merit, great privilege and good reputation. More refined minds, obviously, take the concept to loftier levels such as nobility of the soul, despise for low behaviour, scorn of evil, righteousness, and good standing. However, when we look at the world today, we easily conclude that refined minds are scarce and honour is no longer what it used to be.Today, honour means ego. Nowadays, honour may still mean 'privileges' but these are granted to haughtily losers; to people with very low behaviour, to individuals who thrive in relativism; to folks who loath ethics as something pertaining to the fool; to sub-humans who work with the Dark side of the Force and to creatures who creep through the mud of bigotry  of all sorts.Honore Balzac was so correct when he moaned that men of character tired of giving without receiving, they remain at home, and leave fools to reign over their territory.The Legion of Honour (or, in French) is the highest-ranking order and decoration in France. It was created by Napoleon Bonaparte, in May 1802, as a general military and civil order of merit "conferred without regard to birth or religion provided that anyone admitted swears to uphold liberty and equality." (In 2016, France confers such an honour to people who do not uphold neither liberty or equality. France justified granting the Legion of Honour to Prince Mohammed ben Nayef for his fight against terrorism and extremism - how quaint, given the known fact that Saudi Arabia sponsors terrorism and extremism, in particular. France now pretends to have forgotten that it suffered numerous terrorist attacks (in 2015 alone it suffered five attacks in January and six coordinated attacks in November) by groups that profess Wahhabism, an extremist Islamic school of thought that is mainstream in Saudi Arabia.Francois Hollande's people deemed it fit to honour a Prince whose country is the very antithesis of liberty and equality. So what exactly is the deal here?Enough has been said about the French weapon-trade with Arab nations, so we don't need to get into that. Enough has been said about the good old French Arab Policy , so we do not need to get into it either. Enough has been said about France collaborating with despotic states and fomenting civil wars for its own immoral reasons, so we definitely do not need to get into it. But not enough has been said about the intelligence trade that France carries out with Arab nations.France wants to be a huge influence in the Middle East  we get it, after all they are co-architects of the Sykes-Picot Agreement; and to achieve that goal it is willing to do anything (including derailing Israel). Furthermore, the Gaul are losing Africa to the Americans so, again, we get it. But what Dissecting Society does not want to get is how a nation that gave birth to the rights of men; a country that fought for liberty, fraternity and equality, can now sacrifice those values so blatantly. DS cannot understand how France dares to propose itself to trade the life of European citizens with information, with a false notion of power. No wonder the Americans may not have been totally forthcoming regarding terror attacks in Gaul: it seems the French cannot be trusted.Without wishing to sound Machiavellian, I must present a different scenario where France bestowed the Legion of Honour to a Saudi Prince for a more straightforward reason: as a message that Arab Royal Families are the only ones France is willing to recognise, accept and work with in the Middle East. If so is the case: be careful with what you wish for (as Merlin would've said).
Not making a profit since 1975! ...And since 2007, one of the Best Left-Wing Book & Culture Review Sites on the Net.
In a solidarity move with African countries, Morocco offered Cote dIvoire intelligence assistance in investigations into latest deadly terror attacks that hit the country.

At least 16 people were killed and many others were injured in the heinous attacks perpetrated in Grand-Bassam by Islamic militants of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, according to press reports.

In a phone call made Monday with President Alassan Ouattara, King Mohammed VI offered to send a team to support Ivorian authorities in the probe, the Kings office said in a statement.

The Moroccan sovereign also offered his sincere condolences and deep compassion and expressed Moroccos total solidarity with brotherly Cote dIvoire.

Immediately afterwards, a top Moroccan security delegation arrived in Abidjan. It includes Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad and Head of Moroccos internal intelligence service Abdellatif Hammouchi who is also Chief of General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).

The two top security officials were received in person by President Alassan Ouattara in presence of minister of the interior of Cote dIvoire Hamed Bakayoko, minister of State & presidential General Secretary Amadou Gon Coulibaly and Defense minister Alain Richard Donwahi.

The Moroccan security officials had, later on, meetings with their Ivorian peers who expressed their high appreciation of Moroccos solidarity drive.

In a press statement, interior minister of Cote dIvoire Hamed Bakayoko hailed the Moroccan assistance, saying it reflects the strong ties existing between King Mohammed VI and President Alassane Ouattara.

Morocco had helped France identify the mastermind and perpetrators of the Paris deadly terrorist attacks that claimed 130 lives. Its intelligence services also helped many other European countries including Spain, Belgium, Netherlandsin terror investigations and contributed to saving lives.
The Islamic State group did a surprising corny move by withdrawing from the towns of Hit, Kubaysa and Rutba in western Iraq on Sunday only to return on Monday with reinforced artillery to Rutba.

Top Iraqi security spokesman, Yahya Rasool, said majority of the extremist fighters fled the towns through the desert and operation is ongoing to hunt them down with Iraqi aircraft.

Although the group has not announced the reasons behind its move, Mayor of Rutba, Imad Ahmed, warned shortly after the groups militants left on Sunday that it could be a trick to evaluate the local populations allegiance. Some civilians had welcomed their withdrawal. Rutba is located 390 kilometers west of Baghdad.

When militants of the Islamic State returned to the city on Monday, a senior officer overseeing the area under the Jazeera Operations Command noted that IS came back from al-Qaim with armored vehicles and artillery. The officer said the groups foreign leaders who were in the city did not return.

Even though the groups withdrawal could be seen as an escort of these leaders to ensure their safety, the militants could have also gone to reinforce their ranks as the officer who was speaking under the condition of anonymity observed that the outskirts of the town and the main entrances are manned with vehicles and artillery as if to defend it (Rutba) from any attack by the security forces.

Elsewhere, sources have stated that Monday was a tragic day for the military with at least 47 soldiers killed when the Islamic State group attacked the headquarters of the 3rd Rapid Deployment Force and other military barracks as well as Iraqi Security Force convoys in the villages of Safiyrah and Abu Taiban.
Egypts Foreign Minister was expected Tuesday in the Russian capital Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on security issues, nuclear plant and pledge for the return of Russian flights.

In the wake of a Russian passenger jet crash in the Sinai in October last year, Moscow suspended all flights to and from Egypt due to lack security after it was reported that the crash was an act of terrorism.

UK, France, and other European countries also suspended flights to Egypt and repatriated their nationals for security reasons.

However on Monday, the Foreign Minister announced that Egypt has fulfilled all the security requirements demanded by western experts at Egyptian airports, mainly in Cairo, Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurgada.

We have fully cooperated with Russia [on inspection of security measures at airports], and we have agreed to all suggestions and recommendations put forward by Russia, he specified.

Following the western countries critics for lack of security, Egypt in December hired global consultancy Control Risks to review security at some of its airports.

Russian and British bans have dealt a serious blow to Egypts tourism industry which has recorded big losses. The bans have caused a loss of $300 million a month for the tourism industry according to the Tourism department.
A massive march staged Sunday in Rabat to protest against the UN Secretary General and his biased stand regarding the Sahara conflict has once again given evidence of the Moroccans unanimity and consensus over the Sahara as a Moroccan territory.

Actually over 3 million men and women of all ages made the trip to Rabat coming from all the regions and cities of the country to take part in the march held at the initiative of political parties, unions, civil society associations and other NGOs.

The call for the march came following Ban Ki-moons statements during his visit last weekend in the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps and in Algiers, to supposedly revive the stalled Western Sahara peace process. However, instead of sticking to neutrality to push the process forward, the UN head aligned with the thesis upheld by Algeria and the Polisario and spoke of the Sahara as an occupied territory. He also brought up the option of self-determination referendum although the idea was buried as unworkable years ago.

The demonstrators, spurred by nationalist fervor, marched through the main street of downtown Rabat, chanting patriotic slogans, decrying Ban Ki-moons lack of neutrality and biased mediation, and brandishing thousands of banners, saying that Ban Ki-moon threatens the UN peace process and has violated the UN Charter and that the Sahara is Moroccan and will remain Moroccan forever.

The 3 million marchers have reiterated thus their attachment to their Sahara and their opposition to any attempt at their countrys territorial integrity.

Last Tuesday, the Moroccan Government issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms the blatant bias evidenced by the UN Chief.

On Saturday, the two houses of the Parliament held an extraordinary session and issued a joint statement strongly condemning as provocative and biased the UN Chiefs stance.

The comments made by Ban Ki-moon ignore the noble objectives of the United Nations and are a blatant breach of the principle of impartiality that the UN Secretary General must observe, the statement said.

In their statement, the MPs also pointed out that the UN chiefs behavior showed that he ignored some historical realities about the Sahara issue as well as United Nations positions and resolutions, including resolutions dating back to 1960 which state that any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of a country is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and emphasizing that the concept of self-determination does not necessarily mean secession and cannot be incompatible with the right of states to complete and maintain the unity and integrity of their national territory.

Several of Moroccos allies and sisterly countries have also distanced themselves from the attitude of Ban Ki-Moon, including the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, France and the United States.

These states and all the countries backing a mutually acceptable political solution, as called for by the Security Council, are fully aware of the danger to have another fragile micro-state in the already fragile Sahel-Sahara region and subsequently back the autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco as a basis to reach a final settlement to the regional conflict that is so costly for the whole Maghreb.
Al Qaeda s offshoot in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the Sunday terrorist attack at Grand Bassam resort beach which killed 15 civilians and 3 security agents, Intelligence Group Enterprise (SITE) said.

The terrorist group said it facilitated the attack in the historic town of Grand Bassan, 30 kilometers from capital Abidjan.

The Countrys President Alassan Ouattara who visited the site of the carnage told reporters that the 6 gunmen, who came in two groups and started shooting at 1pm local time, were killed in the exchange of fire.

We continue taking the necessary measures to secure the country in order to prevent this kind of situation, President Ouattara said, adding that the situation was under control.

At least twenty-two people have been wounded in the attacks, Minister of the Interior, Hamed Bakayoko, said, indicating that the victims of the attack were from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Germany, France and Cote dIvoire.

The Minister pointed out that security forces were on the alert and managed to foil similar attacks over the past days. He said they will continue beefing up the security surveillance systems they have put in place for three months now and which monitor 100 soft target sites.

Grand Bassam beach is a well-known and popular resort visited by hundreds of people including western expats as well as other African nationals.

World leaders have strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack in Cote dIvoire and voiced readiness to support the Ivorian government, while France announced that its Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of the Interior, Jean-Marc Ayrault and Bernard Cazeneuve will travel to Abidjan, on Tuesday March15, to show solidarity with the Ivorian authorities and people and support the French community in the West African country.

Experts say the West African country has been on the target list of terrorists after terror attacks hit hotels in neighboring Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January.
The Ivorian Government will invest over 400 million CFA francs through its strategic development plan (2014  2020) to reinforce livestock, fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the west-African nation.

The new investment is expected to guarantee the countrys food security and fight poverty in rural areas, the government said.

The Ivorian Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Mamadou Coulibaly Sangafowa asserted in the French capital Paris weeks ago that the major challenge to his country is making the leap to processing its products given the progress made in its agricultural sector over the past five years.

Promotion of such industries will generate jobs for the youth and empower women to be economically independent.

In a report last December, entitled The Might of the ElephantBenefitting from Strong Growth to Create Better Jobs (La force de lelephant, pour que sa croissance genere plus demplois de qualite), World Bank economists recommend boosting productivity in the three main employment categories: self-employment, wage employment, and agricultural employment.

Despite massive direct investments made in the livestock sector, Ivory Coast remains a net importer of meat.

The new target is for the country to increase its capability to meet local demand for meat.

The government also plans to increase the total annual production of fishery products to 117,000 tons by 2020.
As Benin prepare for the second round of its presidential election, businessman Patrice Talon has teamed up with 24 other candidates to take on Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou.

Zinsou and Cotton magnate Talon are preparing for a run-off election scheduled for March 20 as no candidate managed a majority in the first round.

Incumbent Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, candidate of the ruling party FCBE (Cowrie Forces for an Emerging Benin,) took the lead with 28.44 percent of the votes, while businessman Patrice Talon came second with 24.80 percent of the votes cast for 33 candidates in competition.

Businessman Sebastien Ajavon, Economist Abdoulaye Bio Tchane and the Ex-Prime Minister Pascal Irenee Koupaki announced on Monday together with 21 other candidates to support the opposition candidate Patrice Talon.

Zinsous main opponents have previously vowed to support whoever among them came out top in the first round in the second-round run-off against President Thomas Boni Yayis chosen candidate.

The incumbent PM who quitted as head of Frances biggest investment bank last year to become prime minister, has been described by critics as Frances preferred candidate in its former colony.

The expected run-off will provide Benin with a new president to succeed outgoing Yayi Boni whose mandate expires on April 6.

Benins constitution barred Boni Yayi from seeking a third term, although he had tentatively sought changes to the text allowing him to do so.
Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari led a national security team to visit President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, in view of reaching a final agreement on certain security issues concerning the two countries.

According to a statement by Buharis Media Special Adviser Femi Adesina, the President will hold talks with President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Malabo on further measures to protect the people and resources of the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss and agree on other collaborative measures to combat crimes, such as piracy, crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, arms smuggling and human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea.

They are also due to discuss the rescheduling of the joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States and the Economic Community of Central African States. The summit was to have been hosted by Equatorial Guinea last year, but was postponed because of Nigerias general elections.

Proactive measures to curb the high security threats posed by terrorist groups are also high on the agenda.
Somali al-Shabaab militants took control of the Northern port town of Garacad on Monday.

Al Shabaab fighters with several boats captured Garad town, Hassan Mohamed, governor for Mudug region of Puntland told reporters, adding that the attack took place on Monday.

We do not want to say publicly how we will react, he said.

Garacad, once a pirate hub is administered by the Somalias autonomous state of Puntland. No senior official has commented on the fall of the city to the militants.

Al-Shabaab have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The port could be a boon for al Shabaab whose major source of revenue comes from taxes on Somali charcoal exports.

International forces have suffered a series of setbacks in Somalia in recent weeks.

Last month, Kenyas president, Uhuru Kenyatta, called for more resources for the forces in Somalia so that Amisom can have robust power on land, air and the sea.

More than 20,000 AU troops are deployed in the country. However, they have been hampered by a lack of air power, including attack helicopters, leaving their bases often isolated and supply lines vulnerable to attack.
(HealthDay)Trends indicate a reduction in glyburide and thiazolidinedione prescriptions and increases in gliclazide and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor prescriptions among older adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, according to a study published online March 4 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Kristin K. Clemens, M.D., from Western University in London, Canada, and colleagues conducted a population-based study involving 144,252 older adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. The proportion of treated and newly treated patients prescribed insulin, sulphonylureas, alpha glucosidase inhibitors, metformin, thiazolidinediones, meglitinides, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors was examined in each study quarter (from April 1, 2004, through March 31, 2013). Prescription trends were further examined by stage of chronic kidney disease.

The researchers found that the predominant therapy prescribed was metformin (prescribed to 56.1 percent of treated patients). Decreases were seen in glyburide (glibenclamide) and thiazolidinedione prescriptions, while there were increases in gliclazide and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor prescriptions. Glyburide was prescribed for up to 48.6 percent of patients with stage 3a to 5 chronic kidney disease or on chronic dialysis, while metformin was prescribed for up to 27.6 percent of those with stage 4 or 5 disease or on chronic dialysis.

"In patients with chronic kidney disease, there were trends towards safer antihyperglycemic medication prescribing," the authors write. "A considerable number of patients, however, continue to receive medications that should be avoided."

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Explore further Initial choice of oral medication to lower glucose in diabetes patients examined

Copyright  2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of Zika virus. Credit: Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

New research, based on data from the 2013-14 Zika outbreak in French Polynesia, further supports the association between Zika virus and microcephaly. The study, published today in The Lancet, estimates that the risk of microcephaly is about 1 for every 100 women infected with Zika virus during the first trimester of pregnancy.

The authors say that quantifying the risk may help better inform the broader public health response. Although the risk of microcephaly associated with Zika virus infection is relatively low compared to other maternal infections, the authors say that the association remains an important public health issue because the risk of Zika virus infection is particularly high during outbreaks, such as the current one in South America.

"Our analysis strongly supports the hypothesis that Zika virus infection during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of microcephaly", says Dr Simon Cauchemez, co-author from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. "We estimated that the risk of microcephaly was 1 in 100 women infected with Zika virus during the first trimester of pregnancy. The findings are from the 2013-14 outbreak in French Polynesia and it remains to be seen whether our findings apply to other countries in the same way."

On 1 February 2016, the WHO declared the suspected link between Zika virus and microcephaly as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Microcephaly is a neurological abnormality that is present at birth. In Europe and Brazil, about 2 per 10000 babies are born with microcephaly. Babies are born with abnormally small heads, and the condition is associated with a reduction in brain volume, often leading to intellectual disabilities, speech impairment and behavioural issues. Causes include genetic and environmental factors, including prenatal viral infections (such as rubella or herpes), maternal alcohol use, and hypertensive disorders.

Although evidence of the association between microcephaly and Zika virus is growing, the risk has so far not been quantified. The outbreak in French Polynesia began in October 2013, peaked in December 2013 and ended in April 2014. Over that period, more than 31000 people saw their doctor with suspected Zika virus infection.

Over the course of the outbreak, 8 cases of microcephaly were identified. Of these, 5 pregnancies were terminated through medical abortion (average gestational age 30.1 weeks), and 3 cases were born. Nearly all of the cases of microcephaly (7; 88%) occurred in a 4 month period around the end of the outbreak.

In this study, the research team used mathematical and statistically modelling to estimate the expected number of microcephaly cases under different assumptions about the risk of microcephaly from Zika virus infection. They compared models where the risk was highest during different trimesters of pregnancy and a model where there was no association. The researchers used data on the total number of cases of microcephaly, the weekly number of consultations for suspected Zika virus infection, blood tests confirming the presence of Zika virus antibodies taken post-outbreak, and the total number of births during the outbreak.

By comparing these models to the number and timing of actual cases of microcephaly, they found that the scenario where the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk was most consistent with the observed data. The researchers were able to estimate the risk of microcephaly as 95 in 10000 women (or approximately 1 in 100) infected with Zika virus in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Professor Arnaud Fontanet, co-author of the study, also from the Institut Pasteur adds: "Data from French Polynesia are particularly important since the outbreak is already over. This provides us with a small, yet much more complete dataset than data gathered from an ongoing outbreak. Much more research is needed to understand how Zika might cause microcephaly. Our findings support WHO's recommendations for pregnant women to protect themselves from mosquito bites."

Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Laura Rodrigues, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, says that "The finding that the highest risk of microcephaly was associated with infection in the first trimester of pregnancy is biologically plausible, given the timing of brain development and the type and severity of the neurological abnormalities," but highlights that more research is needed: "Further data will soon be available from Pernambuco, Colombia, Rio de Janeiro, and maybe other sites...The fast production of knowledge during this epidemic is an opportunity to observe science in the making: from formulation of new hypotheses and production of new results that will provide confirmations and contradictions to the refinement of methods and the gradual building of consensus."

Explore further Brazil finds Zika in microcephaly babies' brains
(HealthDay)Elective early-term deliveries may not be associated with increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes, according to a study published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Jason L. Salemi, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study involving 675,302 singleton infants born at 37 to 44 weeks of gestation from 2005 to 2009. The population was categorized into groups based on timing and reason for delivery initiation, with four subtypes of deliveries at 37 to 38 weeks of gestation and a comparison group of expectantly managed infants delivered at gestational week 39 to 40.

The researchers found that infants delivered after elective induction at 37 to 38 weeks of gestation did not have increased odds of neonatal respiratory morbidity, sepsis, or neonatal intensive care unit admission, but they did have slightly elevated odds of feeding difficulty compared with infants managed expectantly and delivered at 39 to 40 weeks of gestation (odds ratio, 1.18). The odds of adverse outcomes were increased by 13 to 66 percent for infants delivered by elective cesarean at 37 to 38 weeks. Early inductions and early cesarean deliveries had similar survival experiences compared with the expectant management group.

"The issues that surround the timing and reasons for delivery initiation are complicated and each pregnancy unique," the authors write. "This study cautions against a general avoidance of all elective early-term deliveries."

Explore further Elective induction at term tied to lower odds of cesarean

Copyright  2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
France and Canada have the highest percentage of 15-year-old pot smokers among 42 well-off nations surveyed by the World Health Organization, the UN agency said in a report Tuesday.

When it comes to policing marijuana, France is far from the most laid-back country in Europe, so the findings come as something of a surprise.

Amsterdam flaunts its cannabis cafes and Barcelona its private reefer clubs, but neither the Netherlands nor Spain were among the top eight nations in which teens admitted they had used cannabis in the last 30 days, according to the study, based on data from 2014.

Fifteen percent of 15-year-olds in Franceslightly more boys than girlssaid they had indulged, with Canada's young stoners close behind.

Italy, Switzerland and Bulgaria rounded out the top five, with French-speaking parts of Belgium as well as Poland and Slovenia in low double digits for boys, and single digits for girls.

"Young people in their teenage years are more likely to use cannabis if they have friends or older siblings who do so," the study found.

Lax parenting or its opposite"coercive discipline"also correlated with higher rates of marijuana consumption.

Conducted every four years, the WHO survey examines risky behaviour and self-perception among 11-, 13- and 15-year olds in Europe, North America and Israel.

In the most recent survey, France dislodged Canada as No. 1 nation for teen tokers, moving up from fourth place.

The United States ranked second in the 2010 survey but was not included in the most recent edition.

Among the countries with the fewest adolescent users was Sweden, with only two percent of 15-year-olds saying they had gotten high on ganja in the last month.

"Scientific evidence proves that cannabis is a dangerous and harmful substance, especially for children and young people who use it regularly," the study notes.

Marijuana is the most used drug in Europe, with 14.6 million young adults lighting up in 2014, according the report.

About a dozen countries in Europe have provisions for the medical use of marijuana, including Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Explore further Medical marijuana gains ground globally

 2016 AFP
To the brain, it makes a great difference whether we remember experiences from long ago, or if we recollect recent events. RUB neuroscientists have shown that distinct brain networks are involved.

When we remember events that occurred recently, the hippocampus is activated. This area in the temporal lobe of the brain is a hub for learning and memory. But what happens if we try to remember things that took place years or decades ago? Neuroscientists at the Ruhr-University Bochum and the Osaka University offer some answers to this question. They reveal that the neural networks involved in retrieving very old memories are quite distinct from those used to remember recent events. The results of the study have now been published in the open source science journal eLIFE.

Hippocampus is a hub for memory

Neuroscientists agree that the hippocampus, which contains the cornu ammonis regions 1 and 3 (CA1 and CA3), plays a major role in retrieving recent memories. However, a major controversy in memory research resides on whether the hippocampus is also engaged when experiences date back half a lifetime or whether this is the role of the parahippocampal region of the brain: the cortical areas directly adjacent to the hippocampus. Prof. Dr. Magdalena Sauvage and her team of neuroscientists have monitored brain activity in mice during the retrieval of memories that are one day to one year old  e.g., up to the mouse equivalent of 40 human years. For their study, they applied a high-resolution molecular imaging technique that detects the expression of a particular gene tied to plasticity processes, thus shedding light on cognitive processes.

Old and recent memories are retrieved differently

"For the very first time we were able to show that the retrieval of old and recent memories are supported by distinct brain networks", Prof. Dr. Magdalena Sauvage reports. The CA3 region, believed to be a site of memory storage in the hippocampus, no longer plays a role when we remember very old memories. Rather, the involvement of the CA1 region persists and the cortical areas adjacent to the hippocampus become involved. The reason for the differential involvement of the hippocampal subregions could lie in the mechanisms supported by CA3, explains Prof. Sauvage: "In CA3, memories can be retrieved on the basis of single features of an original memory, which are used as cues. Since the memory for single features degrades over time, we speculate that they might ultimately be of no more use as cues, hence retrieving memory would then essentially rely on CA1 and other processes taking place in the parahippocampal region of the brain."

Explore further Where memory is encoded and retrieved

More information: Vanessa Lux et al. Imaging a memory trace over half a life-time in the medial temporal lobe reveals a time-limited role of CA3 neurons in retrieval, eLife (2016). Journal information: eLife Vanessa Lux et al. Imaging a memory trace over half a life-time in the medial temporal lobe reveals a time-limited role of CA3 neurons in retrieval,(2016). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.11862
"I was at death's door. I'd just lost my child who was stillborn and my husband abandoned me," recalls Hadiza Zakaria who suffered a fistula while pregnanta condition seen as a curse in Niger.

Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury caused by a complicated labour which can leave victims with chronic incontinence and often results in them becoming social outcasts.

A preventable condition, it affects around a million of the world's poorest women, and is widespread in this west African nation which has the highest birthrate in the world.

"It's a public health problem whose scope is beyond us," says Dr Abdou Amada Traore, who volunteers to help women suffering from the condition he describes as a national "scourge".

The condition arises from a complicated labour where a woman can struggle for days without giving birth, with the pressure of the baby's head cutting off blood supply to delicate tissues, causing a hole to form between the vagina and the bladder or rectum.

Although such complications could be solved by a Caesarian section, for those without access to emergency medical care, the result can be devastatingthe baby often dies and the mother develops a fistula which causes urinary or rectal incontinence.

One of the groups at the heart of the struggle is Dimol, a local NGO which is dedicated to the prevention of fistula, to treating the victims and to helping them be reintegrate back into society.

Funded entirely from donations, the charity helps around 60 women a year at its centre in Niger's capital, Niamey, helping them both prepare for and recover from corrective surgery.

Although an obstetric fistula is treatable through surgery, the social ostracism often takes much longer to heal.

'Seen as a curse'

Once a housewife in a remote village, Zakaria, 48, now makes a living selling 'boule', a traditional grainy porridge-like dish which she prepares.

She is a frequent visitor to Dimol where she offers support to younger women, telling them her story of complications in labour which resulted in her losing the baby.

She ended up with urinary incontinence and her husband left her. Eventually, she found help through Dimol where she underwent surgery and started rebuilding her life.

"One of the problems with a fistula is that it's often seen as a curse," explains Imorou Nafissatou, who works with the charity.

"Because of the smell, people believe the woman's being punished, that it's witchcraft or that she's committed adultery... She's often shunned and rejected. She herself doesn't understand what's happening to her."

Often the women become depressed and can even develop dementia, she says.

Some 20 veiled women and a gaggle of children live in the small house run by Dimol on the outskirts of Niamey, where a teacher regularly visits to give them basic literacy classes.

They also work on old pedal sewing machines.

"That's part of their treatmentit forces them to move their legs and get the blood circulating," explains Dimol's Sana Ousmane.

Children giving birth

A "social disease", the condition is symptomatic of "poverty and often a consequence of teenage marriage," Nafissatou explains.

In Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, young women in rural areas often go without pre-natal consultations, says Dimol founder Salamatou Traore.

Girls also marry very young, often giving birth before their bodies are ready for it, with UN figures showing one in three girls in Niger are married off before age 15 and three quarters before the age of 18.

"We sometimes have girls who give birth without having had their periodschildren of 12."

The result?

"We have very young girls giving birth who are not morphologically or anatomically ready to do so," says Dr Abdou.

"I often say that ending up with fistula is lucky. Often they die," he says.

Reintegration is key

One of the victims is 16-year-old Hadjura Zerifili, who was married at 12 and lost her baby several months ago.

"At the start, I was ashamed (at becoming incontinent). My parents initially thought I was doing it on purpose but later they understood," she says.

"All I want is to have my health back. Since I arrived here I feel better. I see other women here and that reassures me," the teenager says.

Maimouna Moukaila Salman, 20, is all smiles. She has been through her surgery and is now getting ready to be "reintegrated" into her village.

"I am cured. I want to go home to my husband," she says.

But first, she will have to spend several months with her family to allow the scars to heal before heading home.

Reintegration is very important, Traore says.

"We hold a ceremony which allows us to pass on a message to other women who might have a fistula to show that they can be healed," she says.

"The women who return are much more fulfilled," she says.

"They have more self-confidence and they can serve as an example."

Explore further New thesis identifies risks for urinary incontinence due to fistula

 2016 AFP
Parliament Speaker: We are not considering or discussing the possibility of a bipartisan coalition

By Messenger Staff

Georgias Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili says there are no talks about a bipartisan Georgian Dream coalition.Usupashvili stresses there is a strategic cooperation agreement between the Georgian Dream and Republican parties."Lately, a great uproar was caused by the statements of the Republican Party and the Prime Minister on our strategic partnership. This was followed by a lot of speculation, and I would like to clarify that we talk not about a bipartisan coalition, but about strategic cooperation agreement between two parties.In the future, within the coalition, it is important for us that the Republicans have a mutual understanding with the leading member of the coalition - the Georgian Dream party itself, said Usupashvili.The Parliament Speaker, who is a founder of the Republican Party, made the statement after a confrontation between the Industrial and Republican parties, both coalition members.The head of the Industrial Party Gogi Topadze accused current Minister of Defence from the Republican Party, Usupashvilis wife Tinatin Khidasheli, of rigging the 2015 by-elections in the Sagarejo region by rushing in soldiers to vote for the Republican's candidate, Khidasheli's relative.The Chief Prosecutors Office also expressed concern over the issue and launched an investigation.Khidasheli dismissed the accusations and stressed that damaging her professional image was in the interests of anti-European forces. She also said a similar campaign had been launched in 2014 by the Prosecutors Office against then-Defence Minister Irakli Alasania, whose employees were arrested and who quit the coalition with his Free Democrats party in November 2014.However, she said unlike Alasania she would control her nerves better and the Republicans would stay in the coalition.Commenting on the issue, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said that Khidasheli is primarily a Cabinet member; her status in the Republican Party is secondary to her government responsibilities, and she should have refrained from involving herself in the argument with the Industrials.The meeting between the Republicans and the Prime Minister was held after the PMs statement that ended with a strategic partnership agreement between the GD and the Republicans.Asked about the issue Usupashvili said he did not intend to defend the Defence Minister, but said Khidasheli made statements only after the Prosecutors Office launched the investigation, as the issue was directly linked with her Ministry.This strategic partnership might signify that the GD and the Republicans will be together for the upcoming 2016 parliamentary elections.The GD needs the Republicans for its international image; if the Republicans quit the coalition it will raise serious question marks concerning the countrys foreign orientation. On the other hand, the Republicans also need the GD as they alone - due to their law ratings - will have few chances to be elected to Parliament.
The News in Brief

UNM Holds Anti-Gazprom Human Chain Protest



Several thousand people formed a human chain in the central parts of Tbilisi on March 6 during a demonstration organized by the UNM opposition party in protest against what it calls 'dubious goals' pursued by the Georgian government in talks with Russias state-controlled energy giant, Gazprom.



The human chain stretched from the government headquarters close to Freedom Square to the Russian embassy building at the end of the Chavchavadze Avenue for more than five kilometres.



The UNM first announced its intention to hold the anti-Gazprom demonstration on February 24.



The Georgian government announced on March 4 a new deal with the Azerbaijani state energy company, SOCAR, over the supply of an additional 500 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan, removing the need for additional volumes of gas from Gazprom.



In addition, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said on March 5 that Georgia and Gazprom agreed in principle to keep the existing gas transit terms and pay Georgia 10% of all Russian gas transported to Armenia via Georgia.



Gazprom wanted to monetize the transit fee and pay cash, but in this case Georgia would not receive enough cash to buy the same amount of gas it is now receiving as a transit fee; the country would then be required to buy more gas from Gazprom. But after announcing the deal over additional gas supplies from Azerbaijan, Energy Minister Kaladze said on March 4 that there was no need for additional volumes of gas from Russia at this stage.



In an attempt to claim credit for these deals, the UNM leaders said that their public protest against possible increase of share of Gazproms gas in countrys gas supplies forced the government to maintain existing transit terms with Gazprom and to negotiate additional gas supplies from Azerbaijan.



For months the authorities have been telling lies to the people, inventing various pretexts to achieve the entry of Gazprom into Georgia, MP Davit Bakradze, the leader of the UNM parliamentary minority group, said on March 6. I am sure that after todays rally the government will not dare to strike an agreement different from [the one that the country currently has].



The fact that we have forced the government to say no to Gazprom actually means that this [protest] rally has almost achieved its goal  I say almost because the eventual goal will be achieved when we finally and firmly ascertain that we managed to make the government to say no to Georgias return back to influence and darkness of Russias Gazprom, he said.



Commenting on UNMs protest rally, Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli said on March 6 that it was like pushing against an open door.



Nothing that would necessitate holding such a rally is happening in the country, she said.

(Civil.ge)







We are expecting very serious investments - the Minister of Finance



The Finance Minister is anticipating a surge of investments in the private sector, within the fields of energy, transportation and communications, as well as in the construction of new tourist facilities.



We can say that a revolutionary project been launched in Georgia in the form of the Anaklia Port, he stated.



In addition, the state is carrying out serious investments in infrastructure and works in this direction. Recently, the donors' conference has finished, where it was decided that the construction of the Khashuri-Zestaponi highway will be started.



This evening, an agreement will be signed on financing the construction of one of the sections together with the Japanese. So, there are serious plans, the implementation of which will undoubtedly contribute to the country's economic development, he stated.

(IPN)




Four new airlines begin flights to Black Sea town Batumi, Georgia

Four new airlines will begin operations in Batumi International Airport, located on Georgias Black Sea coastline, to offer more flights and fresh routes for this summer.Air Arabia from the United Arab Emirates, Scat Airlines from Kazakhstan, EL AL Israel Airlines from Israel and Dniproavia from Ukraine will carry passengers in and out of Batumi for the duration of summer 2016.A spokesperson from TAV Georgia  the company that operates the Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi international airports  told Agenda.ge it was not still decided whether the airlines would continue operating flights once the summer aviation season had ended.Additionally, the flight frequencies were not yet decided; however, more detailed information would be released later, said the spokesperson.As of today, five airlines fly to Batumi International Airport. These are Airzena, Arkia, Yanair, Belavia and Turkish Airlines.In recent years, tourism has grown in Georgias Adjara region, particularly so in the Black Sea coastal city of Batumi.In July 2015, the number of tourists travelling to Adjara increased by 5.8 percent year-on-year (y/y), while between January and July 2015, the region experienced 4.3 percent growth y/y, showed statistics released by the Government of Georgia.
Public Defender says Georgia needs more women in politics

By Messenger Staff

Georgias Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili released a special statement on March 8 for International Womens day, wherein he stressed that Georgia needed more women in politics.Nanuashvili underscored the protection of women's labour rights and prohibition of discrimination in labour relations are still significant challenges in the country.In addition, inequality in the decision-making process is very evident. Misogynistic views amongst some members of the public and the lack of special measures to protect women's rights create visible and invisible barriers in female participation in political and public life.Georgia needs more women in politics, more women's voices in decision-making, peace-building and the development of democracy. We often hear arguments that women do not want to participate in the country's political life, which is not true. This argument can only sound convincing to a person who has not seen women in Georgia  women are some of our foremost human rights defenders, political leaders, and some of the hardest workers in rural areas...these are all women who daily change the lives of their community, Nanuashvili said.The Ombudsman highlighted that Georgia needs a quota system to overcome existing inequalities and to remove invisible barriers.In addition, it is particularly important to improve women's labour rights and continue the fight against violence and discrimination, as only in these ways will the idea of equality strengthen in practical life, he said.Nanuashvili called on political parties, the authorities and Parliament to support equality together as Georgia needs more women in politics.Georgia still suffers from old fashioned stereotypes that the place for women is in the kitchen.Such harmful attitudes will lead the country to its downfall. There are many examples of developed countries with professional women in politics and high posts in other fields; women are more balanced and diplomatic in their attitudes unlike men, who can frequently make emotional decisions.Women and men both have their strengths and weaknesses, and it is with a balance that the best results are achieved.
EVERY DAY MEXICANS RAPE AND MURDER IN AMERICA'S OPEN BORDERS. THEN THEY WAVE THEIR MEX FLAGS AND VOTE DEMOCRAT FOR MORE!

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE WITH THESE MUSLIM OCCUPIERS IN EUROPE?

In Sweden, the headline goes, in the small town of Oestersund, Women are warned not to go out at night to avoid multiple sex attacks by foreigners .

BLOG: THE LEGAL AGE TO RAPE IN MEXICO AND THE REFORE LA RAZA OCCUPIED STATES IN AMERICA, IS 12 !

As in most of Europe and a good chunk of America -- like the White House -- the honest word for Muslim sex attackers cannot be said.

It is taboo.

Jihadist attackers constantly look for signs of weakness, and nothing shows weakness more than failing to protect your women and children. Protecting the in-group may be the most basic role for human families, clans, tribes, and entire civilizations. But after decades of multicult self-indoctrination, Europe has managed to emasculate itself.

This is not just a metaphor. It is real, as you can see if you take a trip over there.

The Oestersund police chief is quoted in the news as saying that the local police simply did not have the resources to cope with roving gangs of Muslim teenagers looking for girls to rape.

But historically there were no police in places where people lived. ("Police" means man of the city). There were very few cities, and many villages and lonely farms. You couldnt call 911, and in any case, organized help had to come from miles away. There was the militia -- the one the Founders referred to in the U.S. Constitution. But for everyday purposes there were just male volunteers, the neighbors, who would respond to local dangers by defending the village. They were usually fathers or grown males, but everybody recognized a common duty to fight danger. Farm women were often very strong, and they would join in.

The police as an official force did not exist until a few centuries ago. Instead, every citizen, especially strong men and boys, would rush to defend a woman or child in danger. In every civilization before Multicultified Europe, it was the men who defended the women.

Apparently Sweden has totally lost one of the most important roles of men, seduced by PC propaganda.

Male gang attacks are the rule in Jihad warfare, just like the ancient warrior tribes of Mohammeds Arabia. The Vikings and the Mongols and Cossacks were the same. Go back in history, and that kind of piratical rapine is the norm, as we can see in Homers Iliad, which glorifies the war of revenge conducted by the Greeks after the beautiful Helen was raped and kidnapped by the Trojans.

Anthropologists like Napoleon Chagnon are now finally telling us the truth that early humans were not peaceful. Primitive tribes constantly attack each other, in order to rape and kidnap women. There is still debate about the exact numbers, but up to a third of grown men are killed in each generation in intergroup fights. This should not come as a surprise to modern Americans, because the same thing happens in our inner cities, wherever fathers have lost control over teenagers. When the fathers abandon their families, humans revert to ancient primitive conditions.

The growth of true civilization over thousands of years meant training men -- especially out-of-control teenagers -- not to give in to their raw sexual appetites. Long before the word police was invented, the grown males of every village would threaten young males with castration and worse, if they tried to have sex without community permission.

Even today, in many tribal cultures the ritual wounding of each male teenagers penis is the central rite of passage into manhood. If you want to be a man, you have to allow your penis to be circumcised in public, or even worse, to be sub-incised (cutting the urethra lengthwise). And if you scream or show fear you are disgraced as a coward.

(Traditional circumcision occurred around puberty, not infancy.)

Penile maiming as a condition of manhood is practiced in tribal societies. Nobody knows why it started, but there is a practical guess: the real purpose of penile scarification is to traumatize pubescent boys, to make sure they will never forget to control their sexual urges. If they do, their fate is a lot worse.

(Another practical result is to give grown males more control over the available females.)

Chagnon has studied the extremely violent Yanamamo of Venezuela, proposing that intergroup warfare has a biological purpose, namely to violate and steal girls and women from neighboring tribes. Like chimps, human bachelor gangs rarely rape in-group members (they would have to suffer inevitable revenge), but they do go out on raids to the neighboring clans to rape, loot, and kill.

Americans would know this if we actually taught history. The Sioux Indians were a fairly standard warrior tribe, and the young braves who managed to rush into an enemy village and simply touch another enemy brave, would boast about counting coup. They would notch their hatchets and spears to show how many times they had managed that feat.

The losers were killed or maimed by the enemy tribe. From an evolutionary point of view, those tests of bravery and skill removed the weak males from the gene pool, and over time, the winners began to look like the tall and powerful Sioux warriors of history.

I had a chance to go to Sweden a few times, and once, in Stockholm, I was shown around by a college professor. Three things stand out in my memory. First, my professor showed me an enormous funeral mound of a Viking chief, very impressive. Second, he told me that the Vikings were really not warriors -- a lie so blatant that he couldnt possibly believe it himself. And third, we had dinner in a lesbian cafe filled with gorgeous, almost-identical-looking blonde girls, making out with each other in public.

\

I asked him Where are the boys? but he wouldnt answer. On another trip to a college town in Denmark, I think I figured out the answer, in a part of town where the teenage boys and young men paraded along one of the main streets, seeming to check each other out. It was a very big gay scene.

These looked like the same teenagers and adolescents who are shown as rampant heterosexuals on the palace walls in Stockholm that were built during the time of Napoleon I, who appointed Count Bernadotte to be the reigning King of Sweden. It was a time of bare-bottomed heterosexuality. There may have been a gay scene, but it wasnt advertised in public.

The Royal Shield of Sweden shows two lions rampant, facing each other with swords and erect penises. Some years ago militant feminists won a campaign to remove the penises from the fierce lions in a local version of the Royal Shield.

The feminists won that campaign, and today we can see that symbolic castration has turned into reality.
via @lesleyclark

Presidential candidates and their surrogates made their final pitches for Floridas votes on Monday, even as polls suggest there may be little suspense on election night in the state for either Democrats or Republicans.

With 99 winner-take-all delegates up for grabs on the GOP side, Florida is the biggest prize of Tuesdays contests. Statewide, more than 2 million Floridians have already cast absentee ballots or voted early. Republican voters edged Democratic turnout, with more than 1.1 million Republicans casting early votes, compared to fewer than 850,000 Democrats.

Polling sites across the state open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m., though voters still waiting in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot. Other states voting include North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri.

There were signs of renewed enthusiasm among Florida Republican voters: Of all the Republicans who have voted so far, 43 percent didnt participate in the 2012 presidential primary, according to numbers crunched by Daniel Smith, a professor at the University of Florida, who said the enthusiasm may boost the outsider candidate in the race: Donald Trump.

Trump leads his closest rival in the state, Sen. Marco Rubio, by nearly a 2-1 margin in some polls.

Rubio, who has staked his future on wining his home state, looks like hell soon be toast, said pollster , whose Quinnipiac University poll found Trump at 46 percent and Rubio at 22 percent. There are very few examples of candidates making up that much ground in 24 hours.

More here.

Photo credit: Gaston De Cardenas, Miami Herald
@PatriciaMazzei

Marco Rubio began the Republican presidential race as a pesky upstart unafraid to show up his political friend, Jeb Bush, for a shot at the White House. He enters Floridas primary Tuesday as a short-lived GOP establishment favorite overwhelmed by the popular force of Donald Trump.

Which means Rubios candidacy could come to an end in his home state after a wild election cycle that even Rubio, for all his smooth eloquence and political shrewdness, struggles to explain.

If I were in the position Donald Trump is in right now, everybody in the party would be telling everyone else to get out and rally around, he told the Miami Herald in a telephone interview Monday. Youre not going to see that happen perhaps at any point in this primary if Donald Trump continues in the delegate race. So I dont think this years anything like the past  or anything like the future.

He spoke from his campaign bus, dubbed the Marco Mobile, as he rode from Jacksonville to Melbourne  part of a last-day I-95 ride that stopped in West Palm Beach and concluded in his hometown of West Miami  in a frenzied, final push for Republican votes.

He had launched his candidacy 11 months and a day earlier  a fact he noted in West Palm, where he rolled up his shirtsleeves and struck a reflective tone before a crowd at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

My whole life, Ive been told, Being humble is a virtue. And now being humble is a weakness, being vain, self-absorbed is a virtue, he said. Leadership is not inciting people to get angrier. Thats not leadership. You know what it is? Thats called demagoguery.

More here.

Photo credit: Paul Sancya, Associated Press
@PatriciaMazzei

In a historic visit, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine plans to travel to Cuba in his official capacity next week, becoming the first head of a Miami-Dade County city to go to the island since the 1959 revolution.

Levine will fly to Cuba to help lead a graduate seminar for Tufts University, which he said asked him to join about a dozen students of international affairs. The dates, set some time ago, happened to coincide with President Barack Obamas trip to the island, the first time a U.S. president will step on Cuban soil in nearly 90 years.

I think Im the first mayor from Miami-Dade County to go, Levine told the Miami Herald on Tuesday, in a boast that might have been unthinkable just a couple of years ago. I believe in the Cuban people in Cuba as well as the Cuban people in Miami. And I believe that we need to engage people in Cuba, and we need to do it through all types of interaction, and we need to give them hope. We need to give them aspiration.

Obviously, government-to-government its been very challenging over the past 60 years, but I think if you empower the people, the people will be able to bring about the changes that they would like to see, whether its human rights and, of course, all types of freedoms.

Part of what Levine wants to find out is how Havana might shape up as a tourism destination in competition with Miami Beach.

Being a proactive mayor doesnt mean putting your head in the sand and thinking, somehow, that this previous tourist destination of Cuba is not going to somehow come alive again, he said. Its incumbent on someone like myself, as a mayor, to go down there to engage, and to understand what we may be in store for in the future as it pertains to our core industry.

More here.
via @NewsbySmiley

The presidential campaign is taking up most of the oxygen as Florida heads to the primary on Tuesday. But for many voters in South Florida, there will be other issues and candidates on the ballot unrelated to the presidential primary election or party affiliation. This is a voters guide on those races and ballot questions in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties.

Presidential primaries

Registered Republican and Democratic voters will see a litany of names on the ballot, but many candidates have already dropped out of the race. Republican candidates Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump remain in the race. For the Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are still campaigning.

Miami-Dade County

Miami

Developers Alex Mantecon and Guillermo Vadell want to build the Riverside Wharf, a privately financed $30 million complex of four restaurants and a fish market on the Miami River. Their project is planned on private and city land, and would fetch the city a minimum of $195,000 annually over the span of a 30-year lease with two 10-year options. They need a simple majority of voters to support the project.

More here.
Secretary of State Ken Detzner, Florida's chief elections official, predicts a heavy turnout in Tuesday's presidential primary and said: "I think it will be historic."

Detzner reported no problems at the polls other than an early-morning glitch in Jacksonville's Duval County, where electronic poll books were not working and poll workers had to use the paper registers that were the norm for generations and which remain "the standard backup method," he said. "No voters were impacted."

When polls opened in 5,810 polling places across the state at 7 a.m., more than 2.1 million people had already voted. Detzner said 3,000 people voted within the first 10 minutes of in-person Election Day voting in Hillsborough County.

"My indications are that we're going to have a record turnout today," Detzner said.

Detzner predicted the vote total would easily surpass the 42 percent turnout in the primary in 2008 that featured races in both parties and a statewide ballot question dealing with property taxes. Gov. Rick Scott and his wife, First Lady Ann Scott, were among the many Republican voters who cast their ballots by mail for the primary (the Scotts are registered to vote in Collier County).

Detzner scheduled three phone briefings with Scott Tuesday to update the governor on voting. Detzner urged voters with questions or concerns to call the state's elections assistance hotline at 1-866-308-6739.

Polls in most of the state will close at 7 p.m. EDT. But as usual, the state will not post any returns on its Florida Watch site until 8 p.m. EDT because the western Panhandle is in the central time zone and polls there will be open an hour later. The first wave of returns will be high -- and they could be decisive -- because they will include the combined totals for absentee and early voting. The state says it will update the online totals every 45 minutes with reports from all 67 counties.
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BILLINGS  Once again dealing with lymphoma, as she did three years ago, Melanie Proton of Glasgow knows the drill: journey 250 miles to Billings with her husband, Victor, endure two days of treatment, go home, spend three weeks in bed with the kind of caring that only 33 cats and one dog can provide, and then enjoy a week of energy before its time to do it allover again.

That's her regimen, and it will repeat itself at least until June.

Its just cancer, although I dont believe in insulting it, the 46-year-old said during an interview last week. If you do, it can do worse things to you.

PEAKS, an auxiliary of St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation, has been assisting the couple with financial help to ease the sting of months of treatment, including gas and grocery cards. The Protons are among the dozens of families helped so far during 2016.

PEAKS is an acronym for People Everywhere are Kind and Sharing. Since its inception in 1988, PEAKS has granted nearly $1 million in financial assistance to cancer patients in Montana and Wyoming.

In 2015, PEAKS donated nearly $65,000 to 208 patients  116 being treated at Billings Clinic and 92 at the St. Vincent Frontier Cancer Center.

We have insurance, and everyone thinks that if you have insurance, youll be all right, Proton said. But the couples catastrophic deductible has doubled since her 2013 treatments, from $5,000 to $10,000.

Were still paying off the bill from last time I had lymphoma, she said.

The Protons story  and hundreds of others like it  is one reason why Rose Spaulding volunteers for PEAKS.

Cancer has touched my family, and that is why I fight so hard for it, she said, seated across a table during Protons interview. We normally dont get to meet the recipients, that work is usually done by social workers, so this is fun for me. It reminds me of this: So Im having a bad day. Go out there and sell more tickets.

Every penny we raise from the events we do, Spaulding added, goes to a cancer patient in treatment to take care of nonmedical expenses.

The organizations next fundraiser is a spring style show and luncheon, set for 11 a.m. April 23 at St. Bernard Catholic Church, 226 Wicks Lane. Tickets are $25. More information is available at the PEAKS website, peaksbillings.com, or by calling Angela Slade of the St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation, 406-237-3603.

Proton praised the PEAKS volunteers shes met.

They know what you are going through, she said. You can tell them stuff. Theyve really helped me out.

In addition to the help from people like PEAKS volunteers, Proton attributes some healing to the numerous cats and the St. Bernard that eagerly await her return to Glasgow.

When I dont feel good, the cats know, and they muzzle on my head, she said. Her husband said that when his wife wakes up every morning, a parade of about 15 cats lines up waiting to enter her bedroom.

The strict rule, he said with a grin, is one cat at a time.

I am not sure what I am supposed to gain or learn from (follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma), she said, but I am willing to bet that in time I will figure it out or have it shown to me.

I know most folks have a hard time understanding how I can be so positive honestly, most times it isnt as easy as it looks, she added. But if you let the negativity get ahold of you, it can drag you down so fast that it would make your head spin.

I honestly feel that everything that happens to a person happens for a reason, she said. Sometimes we know what that reason is, but a lot of times we have no clue until later in life  if at all.

Oftentimes, she said, shell elect to sit alone in a room to think about what life will be like in the coming months and years.

I like being alone, she said. I understand what I and other people are going through, but I dont want to sit there and be sad. I dont want to go into a depression, because that makes it worse.
The 2017 session of the Montana Legislature will feature some new faces from the Missoula area, with no incumbents filing in a handful of House and Senate districts by Monday's deadline.

In Senate District 47, Republican Daniel Salomon of Ronan, who previously represented House District 93, will face the winner of a Democratic primary between Tom France of Missoula and Joey Jayne of Arlee.

Democrat Cliff Larsen, who previously represented the district, is not able to run for re-election due to term limits.

House District 92 will have a new office-holder after David Doc Moore chose to run for HD 100 this year. Democrat Addrien Marx will face the winner of a primary between Republicans Mike Hopkins, Larry Dunham and Randy Vannoy.

Since Salomon is running for a Senate seat, HD 93 will have a two-candidate race for the open seat between Republican Johanna Clark and Democrat John Fleming.

Nancy Wilson is not running for re-election in HD 95. A primary contest between Democrats Curtis Bridges and Shane Morigeau will decide who will face Republican Cyndi Kenck in the general election.

Wilson is not term-limited, and could not be reached for comment Monday.

Democrats Marilyn Ryan and Greg Strandberg will be on the primary ballot to decide who runs against Republican Susan Cundiff for the HD 99 seat.

The seat is currently held by Tom Steenberg, who also is not term-limited but did not file for re-election. He could not be reached for comment.

Either Nick Davis of Missoula or Patrick Maloney of Lolo, both Democrats, will face Republican incumbent Brad Tschida in HD 97 this fall.

In HD 98, incumbent Willis Curdy has a Democratic primary challenger in Michael Bowles, and the winner will face Republican Michael Ellsworth, who lost a race for a Missoula City Council seat in 2015.

After the primary, other Missoula-area Senate and House districts will be contested this fall.

Democratic incumbent Dick Barrett will face Sashin Hume, a Republican from Florence, for SD 45. Democratic incumbent Sue Malek and Republican Adam Pummill will compete in SD 46.

Republican Alex Krigsvold filed to run against Democratic incumbent Nate McConnell in HD 89. Bill Murray, a Republican who most recently ran for a seat on the Missoula City Council, will face Democrat Ellie Hill Smith, the incumbent in HD 90. Incumbent Bryce Bennett, a Democrat, has a Republican opponent for HD 91 in Tony Ostheimer Missoula. And incumbent Kimberly Dudik and Republican Lance Cox will vie for HD 94.

Andrew Person, the Democratic incumbent in HD 96, has a challenger in former Missoula City Council member Adam Hertz, a Republican. In HD 100, incumbent Democrat Andrea Olsen will be up against Moore.

***

In non-legislative races in Missoula, Democratic incumbent Stacy Rye, who was appointed county commissioner after the retirement of Bill Carey, is in a primary race against Dave Strohmaier. The winner will be face Republican Todd Geery in November.

Three Democrats filed to run against Republican incumbent Bob Lake for the District 4 seat on the Montana Public Service Commission.

Gail Gutsche, lost to Lake in 2012 as the incumbent, and Lee Tavenner of Missoula and Mark Sweeney of Philipsburg will meet in the primary. As the incumbent in 2012, Gutsche lost the seat to Lake.

The district covers Missoula, Mineral, Ravalli, Sanders, Powell, Granite and Lincoln counties.

The two District Court judges covering cases in Missoula and Mineral counties, will continue to hold their seats.

Judge Karen Townsend is running unopposed for another six-year term. Judge Leslie Halligan, appointed to the court last year after the retirement of Ed McLean, is the only candidate on the ballot to finish out McLeans term, which runs through 2018.

Five seats on the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees will be on the ballot in May, although candidates have until March 24 to enter that race.

Diane Lorenzen, Julie Tompkins and Michael Beers all hold K-12 trustee seats that are on the ballot. Lorenzen and John Fletcher have filed to run, but as of Monday neither Tompkins nor Beers had done so.

Korbin Bragstad, who was appointed to fill a high school district trustee vacancy after the resignation of Lisa Triepke, is running unopposed to complete her three-year term that ends in 2018. The seat represents the Target Range and Bonner areas.

Incumbent Ann Wake, who holds the high school district trustee seat that represents Lolo, Woodman and DeSmet areas, is unopposed.
The Missoula City Council voted on Monday night to move forward with an ordinance that would establish "local preference" as a factor in the hiring of architectural and engineering services for taxpayer-funded projects.

Council member Julie Armstrong has been leading the efforts.

In the public purchasing sector, our state and local governments procure billions of dollars worth of goods and services every year, many of which are sourced from local businesses within their region, Armstrong wrote to her fellow councilors when she recommended the motion. A majority of states  37 out of 50  have laws or policies that favor local vendors when sourcing public purchases. Countless local governments including counties, municipalities and school districts have followed suit. Missoula does not currently have a specific local preference policy in place.

Armstrong proposed that local firms would earn between one and three points on a 100-point scale by showing that they are based in Missoula. The firms' professional qualifications and past performance would earn them up to 25 points, as would the expertise of key personnel assigned to the project. Their understanding of the project would also earn 25 points. Their ability to meet a time schedule would earn up to 15 points, and their availability and familiarity with Missoula would earn them seven points.

The issue was brought to a head when Amanda McInnis, the Montana area manager of HDR, a firm of engineering consultants in Missoula, complained to the city council that they were bypassed for a contract to do a study for the city on the feasibility of purchasing Eko Compost. The scoring was very close, but the contract went to a Helena firm.

HDR is a national, Omaha-based firm, but the local office has 55 employees.

One of our key areas of expertise is biosolids management and composting, McInnis wrote to City Council members. City of Missoula staff reviewed proposals and recommended award of a recent contract to a firm who has made zero investment in this city, and will require the city to pay for its travel expenses. Our firm, with its substantial investment in Missoula, by their admission is equally qualified. I asked the question to the public works committee why being local to the project didn't enter into the selection process. That seems like a reasonable question to ask and I am grateful that the committee was willing to listen.

The council voted to preliminarily adopt the ordinance. There will be a public hearing on the issue during the city councils regular meeting on March 28.

***

The council also authorized Mayor John Engen to sign a collective bargaining agreement with the Parking Commission Montana Public Employees Association for a four-year term. The new contract gives the union members a 2 percent wage increase in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. It also gives them a 2.75 percent increase in 2018 and a 3.25 percent increase in 2019.

The council voted to authorize the mayor to sign a similar deal with the Street Department, Signing and Striping Division and Vehicle Maintenance Teamsters, Operators and Machinists Union. In addition to the same wage increases as the parking workers, they would get an increase of $7 a month for each year of service, and a clothing allowance increase of $25 this year and $5 per year for the next three fiscal years.

The council then voted to adopt a resolution to annex a piece of county land owned by Valley Christian School, located just to the south of the school's current location. The city will zone the new piece of land as residential. The private school intends to improve the buildings on the site to increase classrooms and restrooms.

Finally, the council approved paying $217,509.25 in legal fees related to the city's ongoing effort to acquire Mountain Water Co. though eminent domain laws.
It came down to obscenity: Missoula County Public Schools trustees said Willard Alternative High School Principal Jane Bennett should not have allowed a student newspaper that included "obscene" language about oral sex to go to press.

At Bennett's appeal hearing Monday night, MCPS trustees voted 8-1 to uphold Bennett's three-day unpaid suspension, as well as the district's claim that she violated the student publication policy, Policy 3221. Trustees Julie Tompkins and Debbie Dupree were not present. Trustee Michael Beers was the sole dissenting vote.

"I think it doesn't put a whole lot of trust in the audience that we're talking about," Beers said. "I think it's very reasonable to assume, if I was a principal ... I would feel an overwhelming obligation as part of my job now to read every single word of every single article that comes out."

In January, the Willard Wire published an issue examining the Free the Nipple movement, which calls for gender equality and an end to the sexualization of female breasts. The issue included articles, editorials, a Q&A with a breastfeeding mother, and photos of topless men and women (nipples censored on the cover; nipples uncensored inside the issue).

The district recalled the edition, saying it violated Policy 3221, which states that controversial issues in school-sponsored student publications "may not be libelous, obscene, or profane nor may they cause a substantial disruption of the school, invade the privacy rights of others, demean any race, religion, gender, or ethnic group, or advocate the violation of the law."

At the time, the district issued a press release stating that the edition violated policy by including photographs of partially nude women perceived to be students and by using lewd and vulgar language. At Monday's hearing, however, the district focused almost entirely on what it deemed obscene and profane: language about oral sex.

On Feb. 3, Superintendent Mark Thane suspended Bennett for three days without pay.

On Feb. 22, Bennett appealed that suspension.

***

The trustees had to answer two questions Monday night:

Did Bennett violate Policy 3221?

Is suspending a principal when a school newspaper is suspected of violating Policy 3221 an excessive sanction in light of past practices in the district?

The latter question refers to incidents with the Hellgate Lance school newspaper involving the publication of racial slurs in 2010 and discussions of pornography and graphic depictions of sexual acts in 2012. Then-principal Russ Lodge was not disciplined.

That's because he was not aware of the obscene language before the Lance was published, whereas Bennett was, district attorney Elizabeth Kaleva argued.

"She (Bennett) confirmed she knew what was in that document, including the words that caused the concerns that led us here tonight," Kaleva said.

There was some confusion as to whether Bennett had reviewed January's Willard Wire prior to publication.

Kaleva said that in conversations with administration, Bennett said she had reviewed it and given it the OK. Willard Wire adviser Lisa Waller and former editor Kylie Hoedel said Bennett's "review" of the newspaper has always consisted of her taking a broad look at design and headlines alongside the newspaper's staff.

Waller said the district pulled the issue initially based on the photos alone, not the language.

"I think it's clear it was pulled off the shelves because of the picture," Waller said. "Let me reiterate, it was because of the females, the female breasts.

"That reaction itself shows how much of an issue we have with the breast. But here (at the hearing), it's not about the breasts, we're talking about language. Language had nothing to do with why they pulled the issue. ... Language was used to support a knee-jerk reaction."

***

Principals should not exercise "prior restraint," Bennett's attorneys and a University of Montana journalism associate professor argued.

"We feel strongly that prior restraint threatens freedom of speech and the impulse to speak and engage in the long term," said UM associate professor of journalism and Montana Kaimin faculty adviser Nadia White. "The fear of the result of civic discourse cannot replace actual civic discourse itself.

"Stepping in and expecting either the faculty adviser or the students themselves to anticipate a negative reaction to thought-out communications is an approach itself so very chilling that it damages every bit of education that's gone into the question of civic engagement through journalistic enterprise up to that point."

Attorney Paul Leisher, representing Bennett, pointed to past MCPS statements, that administrators should have a hands-off approach when it comes to student publications.

"Districts get sued far more often for censorship than for what goes in publications," Leisher said. "The simplest route, when a principal is faced with objectionable content, is to let it go. It's also the best educationally."

***

Was the language obscene?

Legally, no, Leisher said. Kaleva disagreed, saying it's "common knowledge" that the words the students used are obscene and "not acceptable in regular society."

"Leisher says that even if she didn't know that, it doesn't make a difference because the words themselves don't violate policy," Kaleva said. "If you look at the cases I've cited (FCC v. Pacifica Foundation and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier), there isn't a single case that deals with a public school that says these words don't violate a policy like yours."

While those cases allow a district to censor or edit student publications, they don't say districts have to, Leisher argued.

"There's not one that says a school must do it, that it should do it, that says the principal gets in trouble if she doesn't do it," he said.

Free the Nipple is a growing national movement that takes into account social, political and gender equality issues  a fact that means the edition as a whole cannot be deemed obscene, Leisher said. No one, the trustees included, argued that the articles were not well-researched or not well-written.

"What hurts me is that it's not about the fantastic article that these kids wrote," said trustee Mike Smith.

The edition also did not "cause a substantial disruption of the school," according to Policy 3221, Leisher said. Substantial disruption doesn't mean the district gets parent complaints, he said. It refers to serious disruptions such as violence or the possibility of violence.

"This paper was never going to cause a disruption," he said. "You were never going to have to stop class for this to talk about the impact it was having on students."

The policy does not mention the principal's role. It does say the superintendent will develop guidelines and procedures to implement the policy.

"They don't exist, and if they do I couldn't find them and I could not get them from legal counsel (Kaleva)," Leisher said. "She doesn't seem to know if they exist. I was advised that those happen in meetings, face to face, verbally. But I can't find a principal that's ever had one of those meetings with the superintendent, and who was told how they were expected to implement the policy or protect it."

***

Bennett said she is disappointed.

"I stand by the students at the Willard Wire," she said. "I think they've been very articulate and composed to this entire edition, and to the reaction of our central administration to their good work."

Leisher said he and Bennett will immediately discuss the next step: whether to appeal the trustees' decision.

"I think this whole process was a complete mess," he said following the meeting. "Nobody knows what's going on here, in my opinion."
Anyone who complains that learning math doesnt have a real-world benefit hasnt visited Alison Lokeys seventh-grade classes at Target Range Elementary School.

On Monday, her students earned a piece of pie for learning about pi.

Lokey has been holding an annual competition to memorize the digits of pi every March 14  recognized as Pi Day for its numerical designation of 3/14  since 2000.

She gave her students two weeks to prepare, providing each a piece of paper with the first 500 digits of pi on it. Every year, she said students ask her why she makes them work to memorize as much of pi as they can.

Why do people climb Everest? Because its there, Lokey said. But really, they are going to need to memorize a lot of things in life. If they can do unimportant digits, they are training their brains to remember things.

Pi Day also falls near the end of the seventh-graders curriculum on circles, which includes learning how to calculate the circumference and area of the shape.

Lokey started each class Monday with a brief history of pi, including the first work that was done to learn more about the number 4,000 years ago.

She also told her students that the world record for memorizing pi is 67,890 digits, which took more than 24 hours to recite.

Then, one by one, students went to the back of the room and stood under a banner with the start of pi on it and recited digits. Every student who recited at least 10 received a piece of pie, with most able to do 20 or more.

In all the years Ive done this, I have only had one student who just really couldnt do it, Lokey said.

Last year, Brookie Gee broke a school record that had stood since 2002. Gee recited 315 digits of pi  one more than previous record holder Kenny Tritz.

Lokey said Tritz chose to stop at 314 to reflect the first three digits of pi, and Gee decided to stop just after besting him.

I think thats going to stand for a long time, Lokey said.

None of Lokeys students passed the 100-digit mark Monday, with the best performance coming from Nicholette Cathey, who reached 97.

Last year, Target Range held a daylong Pi Day celebration, because the date  3/14/15  included the first five digits of pi. Lokey said more than 150 students came to school that Saturday to participate in activities like selling pies or running in a race that was 3.14 laps of the track.

We set the timer in the gymnasium for 3 minutes and 14 seconds and had how many baskets you could make in that time, how many times you could hula hoop, she said.
March 15 is National Agriculture Day. Across the country and at home here in Montana, many growers, organizations, government agencies, universities and families are joining together to celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture. We have much to be thankful for. Montana agriculture remains the cornerstone of the states economy. It continues to shape us in a state blessed with diverse and vibrant landscapes, dedicated people and rich natural resources.

We salute and honor the people across the state who are leading and delivering agriculture in Montana: from certified seed growers and sellers, large acreage and small acreage production, family businesses and those who continually endure the risk, challenge and uncertainties of the climate and markets. Thank you for your commitment to an industry and economy that demands an investment and dedication thats only second-nature to most Montanans. Perhaps thats why Montana is comprised of 27,800 farms and ranches (65 percent of our land base) contributing $4.4 billion a year to the United States economy.

Montana State University and its College of Agriculture will celebrate their 125th anniversary in 2018. We continue to see students from all walks of life enroll in our many programs and were proud of our enrollment growth for the eighth straight year. We think the strong student interest in agricultural-related careers reflects the many ways in which agriculture is changing: young people are increasingly concerned with food production and safety, healthy economies, access to nutritional foods, environmental quality and public healthall of which stem from the products we produce and consume.

MSUs College of Agriculture continues to be recognized nationally for its curriculum, research, fields, farms and faculty. They are a force of people and programs committed to strengthening Montanas highest-grossing industry and possess the ability to respond to world challenges. In addition to the college, faculty and staff at the eight research centers under MSUs Montana Agricultural Experiment Station are able to deliver agricultural solutions through relationships and support from many of you. Because of our sound partnerships with growers and production groups across Montana, we are able to focus on the most critical needs of the industry.

Of course, we in agriculture continue to face major challenges. Water remains a competitive commodity, new invasive pests and plants are making their presence known while volatile markets and policies create pressure on those working their hardest. On a global scale, the world continues to face food insecurity while Americans at home are hungry even as vast amounts of food are wasted each year. The pressure on our communities and landscapes to meet the challenges and demands of 21st century agriculture are real and pressing.

Agriculturetoday, on this national day of recognition, and every dayis something that touches all of us. I challenge you to reflect on the role agriculture plays in your life. You shouldnt have to look far to do so. Perhaps this might be buying a Montana-made product, visiting a local market, asking a farmer or rancher about their successes and challenges, or thinking about the important role of food banks in feeding your community. Or, talk to an MSU agriculture student about their own vision for the future. You might be surprised and renewed with optimism.

The beauty of an agriculture community is that it takes everyone to ensure success; whether thats your own hands in soil or learning more about the sources of your food and products.

Join me as we steward agriculture at MSU and across Montana, today and into the next 125 years.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle recently editorialized that its Time Montana realized coals limitations. Similarly, the Billings Gazette recently ran two editorials claiming that Montana cant stake its future on coal, and Montanas economy and energy sector must Diversify or die, it's our choice.

The editorials ran in response to the states grappling with the reality of a shrinking coal sector. Both editorial boards correctly identified that the challenges facing Montanas coal sector extend far beyond the Environmental Protection Agencys Clean Power Plan carbon regulations. Both also correctly identified that Montanas economy is diverse, and that further diversification will help us shrug off any coming coal losses. However, neither fully captured the opportunity that renewable energy development can play in building a brighter future for Montana.

Montana is blessed with one of the best wind resources in the United States, which can help power our state and large portions of the economies of Washington, Oregon and California, just like Montanas coal currently does. Additionally, our solar energy resource is more than adequate to meet a sizable portion of our own in-state demand, if we get serious about utilizing it.

The good news is that the people who want to invest in and help build Montanas renewable energy future are already here, ready to bring forward the clean energy that is in demand. Reviewing the interconnection requests on NorthWestern Energys system reveals every utility-scale electric energy project being actively developed (more than 50 in total on NorthWestern Energys system) is either a wind or solar energy project. Not every project currently being developed is likely to be successful, but the fact that all are renewable is an indicator of where we are going and where we should focus our efforts.

Tallying up proposed wind projects statewide reveals there are more than 2,000 megawatts of wind energy being actively developed right now in Montana. If built, 2,000 megawatts of installed wind energy would probably represent something like $3 billion in capital investment, more than 11,000 construction job years, and more than 500 permanent jobs, based on the Employment Effects of Clean Energy Investments in Montana report authored by energy consulting firm Synapse Energy.

Two thousand megawatts is a good starting point, but we have nearly limitless low-cost wind potential in Montana that can complement the renewable resources in neighboring states. How much wind resource we develop is really up to us, but commitment to even a modest goal could provide significant economic impact to help with our energy transition. Just matching coals economic footprint would provide support for Montanas rural communities, pumping tax dollars, local spending, landowner payments and, most important, jobs into small towns, without disrupting their character. A wind project in every county would help keep small-town schoolsthe lifeblood of rural Montana communitiesin good health.

Meanwhile, Montana is seeing our first utility scale solar projects being developed and community solar projects taking off, with rural electric cooperatives leading the way. The rooftop solar market is experiencing sustained double-digit growth in Montana and today there are already more than 50 main street Montana-based businesses involved in selling, installing and connecting rooftop solar energy systems.

Finally, large pumped hydro energy storage projects proposed for Montana could further increase the value of wind and solar energy potential.

The transition to cleaner energy is happening all across the country. It can happen here too.

Nationwide, the solar industry already employs more workers than the entirety of the coal industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects wind energy technicians to be the fastest-growing occupation in the nation through 2024.

None of this is to suggest the challenges facing coal communities arent real and potentially painful. Together, we all must ensure that utilities, mine operators and politicians do right by the workers if those jobs disappear or are phased out. But, Montana also has enormous benefits to realize in the clean energy transition, if we are open to seizing the opportunities.
The budget crisis continues to be a riveting topic on the University of Montana campus. Twenty seven positions have been cut, and more could be if there continues to be a drop in enrollment. The Montana Supreme Court will hold oral argument in April on the Jon Krakauer case vs the State of Montana, bringing questions about campus rape back into the community spotlight.

Early last month, an article was published in the Missoulian slamming the hiring practices of the cabinet. When we as a student body, community or staff reduce ourselves to arguments about religious favoritism, then we have lost all credibility. This is an emotional time, but a time that does not warrant blatant slander towards administrators. Main Hall does not deserve all the blame.

Even staff are to blame. Every action they make has consequences. When staff tell us we should transfer, some of us will. When they continue to blame the administrators for every mistake, we will too.

It is time for us to challenge the dominant paradigm. Administrators work for us. We do not work for them. They do not have every answer.

If we want to increase enrollment, let's tell people why the University of Montana is special.

If we want to reduce rape on campus, let's push for a safer sex culture.

We might think our say is small, but we are the catalyst to change. Administrators are not the only ones to blame; we are, too.

I encourage everyone to thank a professor, staff member or even an administrator for what they do. They are here for us. Nobody works for a university without having at least a small notion of caring for the future of the world: the student. Everything starts with us. Let's prove it by helping each other. We are in this together, whether we like it or not.

Wyatt Brewster Smith,

Missoula
Nigerian officials arrested four Mexicans who were accused of helping to build a superlab capable of producing billions of dollars worth of methamphetamine, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said Monday. A spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said it was the first industrial-scale production of crystal methamphetamine in West Africa, and possibly on the continent. The Nigerians invited the Mexicans in to leverage their expertise in these industrial-scale, high-yield productions, Mr. Ofoyeju said. The operation, in southern Delta state, could produce 8,800 pounds a week of the drug. Most of it was intended for Singapore and Malaysia.
They are four relatively obscure humanitarians: an orphanage founder in Burundi who challenged a bloodthirsty mob and other dangers; the only doctor for half a million people in Sudans Nuba Mountains; a Pakistani advocate for indentured laborers who helps extricate them from debt; and a Roman Catholic priest in the Central African Republic who saved more than 1,000 Muslims, mostly women and children, from fatal persecution.

An international committee deliberating on who would receive a new humanitarian award, created in memory of the Armenian genocide, has selected these four as finalists for the annual prize, meant to honor those whose exceptional work to preserve human life in disasters created by humans  like war and ethnic strife  puts them in great peril. The finalists, whose selection will be announced Tuesday, will attend a ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia, on April 24, where the winner will be announced.

Theyre not celebrities  theyre surprised that some people in the outside world even noticed them, said Vartan Gregorian, the president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a philanthropic foundation. Mr. Gregorian, an American scholar of Armenian descent, leads the selection committee for the award, known as the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.

Theyre not in the self-aggrandizing business, Mr. Gregorian said in an interview alongside two other committee members, Gareth Evans, a former foreign minister of Australia, and Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist and Nobel laureate.
Manlai Baatar Damdinsuren with two of his adjutants. Damdinsuren was Mongolian patriot and nationalist who took part in revival of Mongolian...
Warning. Many plot descriptions for every film contain spoilers. In case you have not seen the film, skip the first paragraph describing solely the plot, and just read the review below, in the second paragraph .

Grades:

++++ Masterpiece+++ Excellent++ Good+ Watchable- Bad
Prominent California gang member Khamprasong Thammavong of the Laos Blood gang who messed up his probation by being in possession of firearms and farming illegal marijuana plants in his home had been on the run from the police. But he was captured and arrested after a routine traffic stop in Fresno, California.Fresno Police later raided Thammavong's home discovering photos of the tatted convict with guns not registered to him, a semi-automatic rifle, other various hand guns, and a mini marijuana farm. Don't know how he thought he'd remain free with that Gucci tattoo and other tats on his face, lol.
A police sergeant with nearly 30 years in law enforcement hopes to unseat incumbent Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester in November.

Sgt. Russ Robertson cited low morale and mismanagement of the departments budget and personnel as issues that are taxing its ability to serve a community of 34,000. He formally filed his intention to run Friday, with the support of his family.

My worry is this community and this department.  We have to have the most effective and efficient department that we can to serve this community. I think were way beyond the eight ball on that, Robertson said.

A morale issue is not something afflicting a majority of the department, Lester countered, adding that personnel understand we do the best we can.

The sheriff, who has served in law enforcement since 1989, said the agency is better trained and better equipped than at any time in its history. During his first term, implementation of foot patrols in Uptown and rural patrols in the countys outlying areas have provided a greater police presence.

The creation of a detective position to investigate domestic violence cases as well as assigning a detective to the Montana Joint Terrorism Task Force are among improvements he cited to his department.

Although the two men may not see eye-to-eye on some issues, they are in agreement over the impact of drugs  specifically methamphetamine and prescription medications  on the citizens of Butte-Silver Bow County.

Lester said the spinoff property crimes that accompany drug use finance a users drug habit.

Robertson said the problem has escalated and is seen in the rise in burglaries, thefts and even homicides. Until steps are taken to combat the scourge at its core the issue will become worse, he said, emphasizing the urgency to cut off the supply into the Mining City.

Its not just a war on drugs, its a war on the crimes, said Robertson, who said he first dreamed of becoming a police officer at age 5.

Lester said law enforcement across the country has seen tough times, adding that the rapidly-changing profession requires a sheriff with education, experience, training and the ability to lead.

His opponent said equal treatment and a good set of morals and ethics are the qualities that define an exemplary sheriff, whose end goal is to reduce crime.

We have to tactically go after things to reduce crime and keep the community safe. Thats our job, Robertson said.

Monday was the last day for candidates to file for elected positions. Lester and Robertson will face off in the general election Nov. 8.
Three applicants have filed for the four-year Butte-Silver Bow Superintendent of Schools seat.

Joining incumbent Cathy Maloney, in her second term, are current Butte school board trustee Linda Sorini-Granger and former Butte Central Principal Tim Norbeck.

Cathy Maloney, incumbent

Cathy Maloney is in the eighth year of her second four-year term as superintendent of schools. She said she strongly represents the county via her extreme activism in local, state and regional education boards.

Shes a member on the Suicide Prevention Coalition, the Butte Community Council, a collaborative group of professionals supporting healthy families; the Mental Health Forum and the Butte Literacy Board  all local boards.

I really want to help our community better serve our youngest people who dont have a vote yet, said Maloney, referring specifically to homeless youths and others who struggle in school.

Maloney is also the secretary of the Montana Association of County School Superintendents, the Great Divide Education Services Cooperative, which serves rural schools in southwest Montana; and the Montana Small School Alliance, a consortium to support rural teachers.

Maloney helped secure a $250,000 safety award, the Readiness and Emergency Management Grant in 2009 during her first term.

Also among her accomplishments: Maloney was instrumental in creating a historical pictorial of area schools, a display located on the first floor of the courthouse.

Maloneys teaching background consists of two years at Divide School, then six months at a Dewey charter school, six months at East Middle School and at least one year at Kennedy Elementary in the Butte district.

She earned a masters in administration from Rocky Mountain College in 2012 and has an elementary education license.

Ive dedicated the last eight years and plan on many more, said Maloney.

Linda Sorini-Granger

Sorini-Granger, six-year trustee and a 32-year educator, said she has much experience working with budgets in a variety of businesses. Her trustee term expires in May  far ahead of the Nov. 8 general and county election. She plans to opt out of the May school election.

Sorini-Granger, 58, has headed the Business Technology Department at Highlands College for 15 years. As for the county superintendent of schools job, she said she feels quite qualified.

I have a very good relationship with the school district already, she said. I have first-hand knowledge of education and Ive won a faculty achievement award a few times. I have budget experience and a hand in property management as my business background.

Sorini-Granger said she would consider anything, such as fighting student homelessness in the Butte school district, in order to involve the community.

Im a go-getter, she added. I wouldnt call me an overachiever, but I like to get things done post-haste.

For three years, she also ran her brothers medical clinics.

Her brother was the late Dr. Peter Sorini, in whose name she and other family members are carrying on his legacy through the Believe Sorini Strong Foundation. Dr. Sorini, much beloved in the Butte community, died of brain cancer on Feb. 8 at age 56.

The foundation, she added, plans to award six $1,000 scholarships  to two students each at Butte High, Butte Central and Anaconda High. It also donates money to families struggling with medical assistance in order, she said, to follow in my brothers footsteps as a humanitarian.

Tim Norbeck

Tim Norbeck, a familiar face to Butte, is the three-year superintendent of Jefferson County School District in Boulder. Previously, he was Butte Central High principal for 10 years.

All told, the 52-year-old Norbeck has 29 years in education. He said he brings some new skills and accomplishments to the table since he took the Jefferson County job in 2013.

I see an opportunity to provide for those rural schools, in terms of the things Ive done, said Norbeck. Grant-writing, our at-risk program, mentorship and even collaboration efforts.

He highlights implementing the state Graduation Matters program at Jefferson High; securing grants to hold a Free Application for Federal Student Aid night for college-bound seniors and parents; and creating programs for at-risk students and a mentorship for teachers.

We worked with the Student Assistance Foundation to help with FAFSA paperwork that was due on March 1  and 73 percent of our seniors submitted applications, he said.

Because the pending closure of the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder probably will affect the property tax base for the school district, Norbeck serves on the Boulder Transition Advisory Council, a business-based group trying to anticipate changes in community when that happens.

He serves, too, on the Jefferson County Mental Health Advisory Council following a teen suicide in the community last year. Subsequently, he has helped institute a Signs of Suicide (SOS) program.

Norbeck also serves as chairman of the Prickly Pear Cooperative, a special education group that helps rural schools that lack resources to hire specialty positions.

I think I bring some great leadership and experience, said Norbeck, adding that its the first time hes filed for public office. The fact that Ive developed a couple million dollar budgets over the past three years, been involved in negotiations and building leadership skills helps.

Norbeck is a 1982 Butte High graduate, a 1987 Carroll College graduate. He has a masters in educational leadership from the University of Montana (2005) and a state superintendent endorsement. His bachelors degree is in math with a broadfield science minor.
DEER LODGE  Its the people who make Deer Lodge a great place to live and work, residents told a Montana Economic Developers Association Resource Team, recently.

Deer Lodge is a gold mine that has not been discovered, said Gloria ORourke, team assistant with the association.

More than 160 people  senior citizens, high school students, teachers, business, government, emergency services, civic groups and others  participated in 11 hearing sessions during a community assessment that included a tour of the town and Sun Mountain Lumber mill.

The team asked three questions: What are the communitys major strengths and assets? What are the problems and challenges? What projects would you like to see in the future?

Other strengths identified for Deer Lodge included its location and weather, outdoor scenery and activities, history, tourism (40,000 people visited the historic Old Montana Prison, Montana Auto Museum and Frontier Museum and 20,000 visited Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS last year), value of agriculture to economy, hospital, school system, airport, several new businesses, cooperation between churches (that outnumber the bars), chamber revitalization and an updated City Growth Policy.

Residents cited the greatest challenges as the lack of affordable housing to buy or rent and the empty store fronts on Main Street. Other issues were pedestrian safety crossing the four-lane Main Street, beautification of downtown, incentives for business development, lack of parking and a disconnect in communication between groups, government entities and with visitors.

The community vision includes: Jobs that pay a living wage, a variety store with clothing (especially socks!), businesses that include high tech, manufacturing, work from home, niche markets; use the old hospital as a business incubator, workforce development, expand the arts  including theater, more lodging for visitors, connected trail system and a number of other recreational venues.

The resource team was comprised of Gus Byrom, Montana Department of Commerce; Heather Handeland, USDA Area Rural Development Specialist; Abbie Phillip, MSU Extension Agent Anaconda/Deer Lodge County; Eric Seidensticker, Community Development for the Montana Business Assistance Connection; Sue Taylor, Executive Director of Beartooth RC&D; and local coordinators Julie Schroder, Anaconda Job Service, and Jill Garland, Deer Lodge city clerk.

The team will return to Deer Lodge in early May. Its report will be given at a town meeting to help residents set a direction and prioritize projects for Deer Lodge.

Deer Lodge has some really wonderful people who are very dedicated to seeing Deer Lodge thrive. Its been wonderful being here, and when we return with our report, it will be time for action, said Handeland.
Notice is hereby given that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has under review an air quality construction permit application submitted by Grain Processing Corporation, located at 1600 Oregon Street, Muscatine, Iowa.

The proposed permitting action is the modification of G-Starch Process (EP188.0) to increase annual operation and to incorporate PM2.5 requirements as specified in Administrative Consent Order 2014-AQ-A1 that addresses the "Finding of Substantial Inadequacy of Implementation Plan; Call for Iowa SIP Revision" for PM2.5 published in the Federal Register (76 FR 9706) on February 22, 2011. The Department intends to submit the proposed action for inclusion in the State Implementation Plan to address Clean Air Act requirements as specified in Title 1 Part A 110(k)(5).

An electronic copy of all the materials the applicant has submitted, the proposed permit, the Fact Sheet (Technical Support Document), the application, and all other correspondence are available for public inspection on the Air Quality Bureau website at

http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryAir. These materials will also be available for public inspection at the following locations:

* The Musser Public Library, 304 Iowa Avenue, Muscatine, Iowa

* Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Air Quality Bureau, 7900 Hickman Road, Suite #1, Windsor Heights, Iowa 50324.

The public comment period for this proposed permitting action will be from Tuesday, March 15, 2016 to Thursday, April 14, 2016. A public hearing will be held regarding this proposed permitting action upon request from the public. The request for a public hearing and public comments must be received prior to end of the public comment period. Written and signed comments may be directed to:

Peter Zayudis

Environmental Engineer Senior

Air Quality Bureau

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

7900 Hickman Road, Suite 1

Windsor Heights, Iowa 50324

Or emailed to:

Any materials related to comments submitted by the public shall be included in full and not be incorporated by reference unless the material is already part of the administrative record or consists of State or Federal statutes and regulations, EPA documents of general applicability, or other available reference materials.

Upon a final decision on the project, all comments, Department responses, and the final documents will be available for public inspection at the Department address listed above and on the Air Quality Bureau website

http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryAir. In addition, all comments, Department responses, and the final documents will be available at and the Musser Public Library for thirty (30) days after the final decision.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The state GOP chair encouraged a gathering of local Republicans in Muscatine to rally behind the party's nominee, whomever that may be.

Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, of Wilton, spoke with Republican Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, at Rivers Edge Gallery on Monday. He said he is not concerned with who the nominee will be, because Republicans will rally behind him.

All of these four gentleman that are left all have their pros and cons, Kaufmann said, but if you take number four, whoever that person is, depending on who youre talking about they could be anyone, they will be multiple times better than Hillary Clinton.

Kaufmann also said that he wanted to dispel rumors of a brokered convention, because there would be no benefit for the party attempting to undermine any candidate, and delegates will reflect the votes.

"We are bound, if you wanna know how we're going to vote, how I'm going to vote, when we go to convention we mirror exactly what our caucuses do."

Before the event, in an interview with the Muscatine Journal, Kaufmann said that if Donald Trump wins the nomination, "the party will back him 100 percent."

Mr. Trump is exercising his First Amendment rights and shame on anybody that wants to take them away from him," Kaufmann said when asked after the event about the Chicago protests. "If folks want to just get up out of their homes because they just do not like that message and protest, go for it, and if we need to enlarge the area for them to stand in well do that. But thats not what this is about, this is about MoveOn.org trying to make points, and both sides have the right for their First Amendment rights and they dont have the right to shut down the event, any more than Donald Trump has the right to tell them they cant stand outside the event."

After the event, Kaufmann told the Journal that the party's focus on individual rights will be the Democrats' downfall.

"We're going to pull the rug out from under them, we are breaking glass ceilings, we break diversity ceilings, and not once, not one time in the thousands of people I have talked to, not once have a heard a single Republican comment on the ethnicity of our candidates, Republicans are colorblind, Republicans are gender blind, all we see are human beings that want to make this country better," Kaufmann said. "What else could you want for people that you lead than people that judge by integrity and not by any other factor?"

He also stated that although he appreciates that people are strong advocates for their candidates now, the party will stand united and he is hopeful Independents will follow.

Theres going be a lot of conversation and some people its going to take a month or so, but I feel very strongly that the last eight years has done more to provide me more glue for the party than anything else, he said, and to Independents I think with a little help the case can be made.

Northey told Republicans that he hopes to help farmers independently grow cover crops and remain prepared for bird flu, should another outbreak occur. He also stressed that while he wants to help Iowans, he does not want to government to have a large role.

"We have used some state money to help cost share some of those practices, so we make it a little easier for folks to get started, to try it, to figure out what works," Northey said. "And then the desire is to be able to eventually step away and say, 'You're seeing so much benefit from cover crops (that's that crop growing from last fall to planting next spring) that we don't need state money to help you do that in the future, you're doing it because it helps your soil, it helps control erosion, helps build organic matter, and by the way, it also helps with water quality.'"

He said the same approach will be taken to bird flu, and the government will not be lenient if any birds are found this year, but he is hopeful that Iowa has seen the last of the bird flu.

Kaufmann and Northey both said they were glad to be in Muscatine, and after growing up in Wilton, Kaufmann said it felt like coming home.

About 30 people attended the event.
The troubled times our nation confronts cry out for unity and shared purpose. Yet today, we are often bitterly divided. Compromise has become a four-letter word. The legislative process is mired in gridlock. A growing number of elected leaders have opted for soundbites over statesmanship. As a result, the American people are fed up. That anger is playing out in the 2016 presidential election and has given rise to Donald Trump.

So is Trump the uniter-in-chief our nation is hungry for? In a word: no. I grew up in the coalfields of Pennsylvania. I know real down-home talk when I hear it  but I also can detect baloney and bluster. Trump is full of the latter. The only people he has managed to unite are Chris Christie and David Duke.

There is no denying that Trump has tapped into the very real and understandable frustrations of working people. In a national survey last month, 63 percent of Americans said they dont have enough savings to cover a $500 car repair or a $1,000 medical bill. A majority of people in this country are living paycheck to paycheck. So when Trump says were losing, his message is heard. And when he yells or lashes out, he finds a sympathetic audience who wishes more politicians would express the frustration they feel every day.

But here is the catch: Trumps policies would make life exponentially worse for those who count on a paycheck. Trump says he loves right to work legislation that would make it harder for workers to speak up on the job. He cheered and bankrolled Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers assault on teachers and nurses. He has routinely attacked the rights of workers at his own company. And despite the fact that American workers havent gotten a real raise in 40 years, Trump says wages are too high.

At a time when working people are struggling to make ends meet and income inequality is through the roof, Trump has the audacity to claim Americans deserve a pay cut. It is one thing for profit-hungry employers to try to hold down the wages of workers. It is entirely another for a presidential candidate to do the same. Trumps woefully out-of-touch views are likely to spark unity  in the form of unified opposition.

Trump says he would make America great again, but in reality he would double down on four decades of broken economic rules. He says some of the right things on trade, but is on record claiming outsourcing creates jobs in the long run. He thinks corporate raider Carl Icahn, who made his fortune destroying pensions and union contracts, would make a good Treasury secretary. And according to several estimates, Trumps tax giveaways to the super wealthy would add $10 trillion to the national debt.

The idea that Trump is a unifying figure is most ridiculous when considering his character. Trump is a bigot. From his anti-American proposal to ban Muslims to his horrendous comments about women and immigrants, Trump is running on fear. His biggest applause line on the campaign trail is about building a wall. He frequently behaves like a petulant child when challenged. He condones violence against protesters at his rallies. If he wasnt running for president, he could be a guest on Jerry Springer.

It is time to take a deep breath.

Working people have a straightforward standard for the 2016 presidential race: Any candidate who wants to appeal to workers must put forth a bold and comprehensive raising-wages agenda. Trump simply doesnt stack up. His vision for America is more bigoted than bold, more condescending than comprehensive.

Trump is loud. He is entertaining. He is good for ratings points. But he is the opposite of a uniter. His ascent to the national stage is already hurting our credibility around the world. His election would rip our nation apart at the seams and take us back into an era of division and hate. And it would push workers and our families into the abyss.

Trumps candidacy reveals the need for a truth-telling moment in America. And the truth is this  Trump is dangerous and must be stopped. From coast to coast, we will be sharing that fact from now until November.

Richard Trumka is president of the AFL-CIO, Americas largest federation of labor unions. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
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 []
South African internet micro-jobbing service Money for Jam (M4JAM) has ceased trading after failing to make a profit, the companys CEO Andre Hugo has told Fin24.

M4JAM was launched in 2014 on instant messaging service WeChat and it enabled users to perform micro-jobs to earn money.

The M4JAM business model was further based on taking a licence fee from clients on every successful completed job.

The startups representatives told Fin24 last year that the service surpassed 70 000 users.

WeChat Africa, a Naspers and Tencent joint-venture, also invested into the social jobbing platform.

But despite these developments, M4JAM still ran into problems and it issued a notice to its users on Monday that urged them to cash out before March 31.

M4JAM was unable to achieve profitability within the investment time frame, Hugo told Fin24 via an email response.

As a result the board has decided to cease trading and sell the assets to interested parties over the course of the next month.

We are in the process of meeting with a number of interested parties currently. If we are successful the business will be restructured. If not the business will be closed. Therefore we are urging jobbers to cash out their wallet balances, he said.

The risk that M4JAM could shut down permanently is also a possibility, Hugo said.

Yes this is a real possibility if we are not able to find additional investors before the end of the month, he said.

While WeChat Africa is willing to make select early stage equity investments into promising startups with potentially interesting use-cases for the WeChat Africa platform, WeChat Africa is not a venture capital fund that can provide multiple rounds of equity funding to portfolio companies, Hugo told Fin24.

Its unclear as to when exactly M4JAM started to experience financial problems as Hugo last year told Fin24 that the business was profitable from day one.

In the meantime, job listings on M4JAMs WeChat app have also been taken down with a message on several pages in the app saying there are no campaigns with jobs available for you.

Hugo told Fin24 that corporates who have posted jobs will be refunded for unfulfilled jobs at the date of closure.

Fin24

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Nigerias telecommunication regulator has lifted its suspension of services to MTN, the mobile network said on Tuesday.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) suspended regulatory services to MTN last year in October when the company was fined $5.2bn for failing to disconnect just over 5 million unregistered SIM cards. The NCC subsequently reduced the fine to $3.9bn.

This restoration of regulatory services will enable MTN Nigeria to pursue the necessary approvals, in accordance with the NCC regulatory process, for new tariff plans and promotions as well as other regulatory matters, said MTN in a statement.

MTN Group earlier this month recorded a 51% drop in full-year profit as the company has set aside R9.29bn for its record multi-billion Nigerian fine.

Talks between MTN and authorities regarding the fine settlement are still ongoing.

MTN is Nigerias biggest mobile network with over 60 million subscribers.

Fin24

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An aircraft crash yesterday left two French nationals dead after the pilot lost control of the nose-diving plane. The Frenchmen were on a tour to Samburu East when their nasty fate met them.

While speaking about the incidence, area OCPD Jackson Mulupi said that the plane crashed a few moments after taking off from Samburu Conservancy where they had visited shortly.

The bodies of the two tourists were flown to Wilson Airport in Nairobi, where plans to fly them to their motherland will be made. We condole their family and friends.

Here are photos from the tragedy.






Another batch of underage drinkers were arrested during a police swoop on clubs in Eldoret over the weekend. The 30 secondary school students were among more than 200 people arrested.

According to Armstrong Rono, director of the Uasin Gishu Alcoholic Drinks Control Board, two clubs found admitting minors have been shut down.

He said social activities, especially those involving students, had been banned in the town to stop the infiltration of illegal groups luring youths into immoral activities, The Star reports.

On Saturday, police dispersed more than 1,000 youths who had turned up for The Colour Festival. The event was linked to the controversial Project X party.

The youth had reportedly paid Sh 500 to participate in activities at the event held at Gulab Lochab Leisure Center.

Organisers of the event denied it was linked to the sex party.

Through their social media pages, Colour Festival Kenya, in denying the links started a hashtag #IStandWithcolourfestival to help in creating awareness and save future events.

This was the statement,

To The Public At Large



First of All We would Like To Apologize For any inconvenience That has Happened today 12th March 2016.

We as Yehlah Crew had made arrangements with officials from different Government Bodies that are responsible to hold the event.

Unfortunately our event (Colour Festival Kenya Eldoret Was cancelled with no tangid reason or no supporting documentation. Claiming that our event is/was Part of Project X We tried to explain What our Intentions were in Eldoret as (Colour Festival) but they did not adhere to our patience forcing our Fans to wait outside the premises where we had already paid.



Its with such pity that we had to be crucified for Other peoples Mistakes.



We Clearly had right intentions asking for protection from the police whereby they did not agree to our settlement.

Investigations are underway as we shall communicate further on all our platforms.



In the mean time bear with us through this difficult situation.



To all our Fans who had already purchased their advance tickets online or physical tickets. We request that you hold on to your tickets as they are still valid Until the New dates are Confirmed.

We are not liable to any social media spam messages that are circulating contradicting to our statement as Yehlah crew

Meanwhile on social media you can show your support through the hashtags#Istandwithcolourfestival#Istandwithcolourfest.

On Behalf of Yehlah crew inc & The Colour Fest Fans Ke












Check out the most expensive home sold in Napa County in September. The price sold price was $10.25 million. The estate is located at 303 Deer
One of my mothers prized kitchen possessions was the chitarra her mother gave her when she got married, some 58 years ago. This rectangular wooden instrument, strung with thin metal wires, cuts sheets of pasta into long, square noodles that are perfect for saucing with rich meat ragu. Every few Sundays, my mom treated us to spaghetti alla chitarra (guitar spaghetti), a specialty of her native Abruzzo region, and it is still my favorite pasta dish, hands down.

A few years ago, when I was working on my book The Glorious Pasta of Italy, my mother gave me the chitarra. She hadnt used it in a long while, and you could say it was out of tune; the wires were loose, and one of the screws to tighten them was bent. I set it in a cabinet, figuring it had cut its last batch of noodles. Eventually, curiosity got the better of me; I managed to tighten the wires with a wrench, and within the hour I had a pound of freshly cut chitarra pasta.

There are all sorts of fancy pasta extruders and motorized pasta-cutting attachments on the market these days. But there is something quietly satisfying about making pasta the unplugged way, with your hands and maybe a few simple tools to help you out.

Every region has its special handmade pasta shapes: delicate hand-cut egg noodles called tajarin from Piedmont; corzetti stampati (embossed coins) from Liguria; sauce-catching orecchiette (little ears) and cavatelli (little hollows) from Puglia. I dont know of an official tally, but surely it is in the hundreds; I come across new (to me) shapes each time I return to Italy for research. Once obscure, regional pasta shapes increasingly are turning up in restaurants (not just Italian ones), in cookbooks and online. (Check out the Instagram accounts of @lucacappuccinodonofrio and @chefnk for some worthy pasta porn.)

Part of the allure, I believe, is the lore and history attached to specific shapes; the chitarra, for example, was devised in the 19th century by the makers of wood and wire mesh flour sifters as a way of simplifying the task of cutting noodles for Abruzzese housewives. Pasta technology may have surpassed the chitarra, but to be considered a serious cook in Abruzzo you better know how to play that guitar.

Specific toolsa ridged or carved wooden board or stamp to imprint patterns, or a cutter like my mothers chitarrawere once difficult to find, but thanks to specialty shops and the Internet, that is no longer the case (see the accompanying sidebar for resources), though the number of artisans who produce such tools by hand continues to dwindle. Even if you are not into collecting bespoke pasta utensils, you can almost always improvise using tools you already have in your kitchen (got a Microplane grater?) and your own ingenuity. After all, that is probably how most pasta shapes came about in the first place.

Here are three of my favorite pasta shapes to make by hand. They are easy to master, impressive to serve and delicious.

Spaghetti Alla Chitarra: Im not the only one who loves these toothsome noodles. Once unfamiliar to anyone not from Abruzzo (including other Italians), spaghetti alla chitarra is now a customer favorite at the hipsterish Capitol Hill restaurant Roses Luxury. BJ Lieberman, chef de cuisine, likens it to Italian ramen. The restaurant serves the noodles in a completely nontraditional way, inspired more by Sicily than by Abruzzo: tossed with fried cauliflower, golden raisins and pine nuts. Theyre really hearty and homey; they feel traditional, Lieberman says. And they hold broth and sauce well.

Roses Luxury makes the noodles the traditional way, with not one, but two chitarras, which it employs every couple of days to cut 20 kilos of pasta. If youre not inclined to buy one yourself, a number of pasta machine manufacturers, such as Marcato Atlas, sell chitarra cutter attachments. Or you can go even more unplugged and roll up pasta sheets, jelly roll style, then hand-cut them into noodles. (See the recipe below for detailed directions.)

Corzetti: These beautiful embossed pasta coins literally have royalty written all over them. For centuries, Ligurias noble families had artisans custom-carve the two-piece stamps, which typically featured their crest on one side and a traditional Genoese or Ligurian symbol (such as a ship) on the other. Filippo Romagnoli is one of a few Italian artisans still hand-carving the two-piece stamps. He learned the craft from his grandfather, who in turn apprenticed with a Florentine wood-carving master.

We have always served a niche market, says Romagnoli, who lives near Florence and sells his stamps online through Etsy. He says he is heartened by what he sees as a growing interest in corzetti, especially from U.S. customers.

Nancy Purves Pollard, owner of La Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria, says she has thought of carrying corzetti stamps but isnt sure the interest is great enough. When she makes corzetti, she improvises, using a patterned rolling pin to create an impression on pasta dough and detailed Hammer Song cookie cutters to cut out whimsical shapes. Her favorite is the rude nude, a plump, reclining naked woman. I float her in broth and serve it to guests, Pollard says. People love it.

Cavatelli: Think of these as orecchiettes more easygoing sibling. They are much easier to shape than the classic ear-shaped pasta. Unlike corzetti, cavatelli are a classic poor mans pasta, made with just flour and water; no egg. The springy dough does not need to be stretched with a machine or a rolling pin. Instead, it is rolled by hand into ropes and then cut into pieces, much like gnocchi. The nuggets of dough are then rolled with two fingers along an embossed wooden board known as a cavarola board. That creates a depression on one side of the curled dough and a pretty impression on the other.

The good news: A ridged gnocchi board does the work just as well. Or, for a good hack, use a Microplane grater or a box grater to create some texture. You can also roll cavatelli on a plain surface; wood is best, as its slight roughness allows the dough to grip the surface and roll properly. Even if you are a pasta newbie, I assure you that you will soon be cranking out cavatelli like a nonna from Bari.

These three shapes exemplify everything I love about making fresh pasta; they combine artistry, elegance, history, ingenuity, practicality and regionality. They are steeped in tradition and yet perfectly at home at the 21st-century table, whether its Roses Luxurys or yours.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein visited NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (15 March 2016) and met with Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow.

The meeting was an opportunity to discuss progress in cooperation between NATO and the United Nations and how to deepen political dialogue between the Alliance and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Ambassador Vershbow and the High Commissioner discussed NATOs support to assist with the refugee and migrant crisis and reviewed topics of mutual concern, including the security situation in eastern Ukraine. The Deputy Secretary General also encouraged further dialogue between NATO and the OHCHR.
AEGEAN SEA  Commander, Allied Maritime Command (COM MARCOM), Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone visited FGS BONN, the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) on March 10 as the ship continued its activities in the Aegean Sea.

During the visit Vice Admiral Johnstone met with Rear Admiral Jorg Klein, Commander, SNMG2 to discuss BONNs current activities, and he spoke with the SNMG2 staff and the crew of BONN. He also observed a simultaneous replenishment-at-sea-maneuver (RAS) of BONN with the two frigates HS SALAMIS and TCG BARBAROS, with the British landing ship dock auxiliary (LSD(A)) MOUNTS BAY acting as lifeguard station.

SNMG2 is demonstrating here in the Aegean how NATO can work effectively with FRONTEX and national authorities in support of the international effort against human trafficking, said Vice Admiral Johnstone. The coordination and cooperation Ive witnessed during my short time aboard is impressive, and Im proud of what weve accomplished thus far.

The visit of COM MARCOM shows the importance of what we are doing here. It is much easier to communicate face-to-face than by using telephone or email, especially when it comes to discussing such detailed issues, said Rear Admiral Klein. It was also a statement to the crew and the other ships of SNMG2, to honour what they are doing.

BONN is currently patrolling the Aegean Sea, conducting reconnaissance, monitoring and surveillance activities as directed, and is sharing information with Turkish and Greek authorities and the European Unions border agency, FRONTEX, to assist in the international efforts to counter human trafficking and criminal networks in the region.
(As delivered)

Thank you for once again welcoming me and my delegation here in Kabul and thank you also for your tireless efforts to promote the close partnership and cooperation between NATO and Afghanistan.

And I would also like to thank you for our personal friendship and the way we have been working together over many years.

We have just finished very excellent talks addressing the challenges we face together.

And I also met with Chief Executive, Dr. Abdullah, and other senior government officials and I would also like to thank them for excellent talks earlier today.

Together, we assessed the security situation, reviewed the governments reform efforts, and discussed NATOs continuing support to Afghanistan.

2015 was as you said a difficult and tough year for the Afghan forces.

But despite significant challenges, they took full charge of security across the country.

Showing great courage and determination.

The Afghan forces are standing strong to protect the people of this country.

They are improving their capabilities.

They are stepping up air operations, including with new aircraft.

To give just one example, in 2015 the Afghan Air Force flew more than 20,000 missions  more than twice as many as the year before. This is just one example of how the Afghan forces are making progress.

But the Afghan forces do not stand alone.

NATO and our partners have been working side-by-side with them for over a decade.

At a great cost, we have made great progress together in the fight against terrorism.

We owe our deep gratitude to the brave men and women of our armed forces.

And we pay tribute to all those who have fallen in the line of duty.

Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Today, NATO continues to support the Afghan forces with training, advice and assistance through the Resolute Support mission.

And we continue to provide financial support to the Afghan forces.

So that the Afghan forces can become sustainable in the long-term.

Protecting the Afghan people and suppressing terrorism.

So our commitment to Afghanistan is strong and enduring. And we are working closely together.

I am encouraged by the work of the National Unity Government.

But, as the President and I discussed, Afghanistans long-term success requires further reforms.

This means stronger security institutions, stable leadership positions, and effective mechanisms to root out corruption.

It means stepping up Afghan investment in the security forces.

And it also means ensuring that human rights, including for women and children, are fully respected.

The peace process is another key element in securing the country for the longer term.

I welcome recent signs of progress.

President Ghani, I thank you and Chief Executive Abdullah for your leadership.

Today, I invited you both to attend NATOs Warsaw Summit in July.

And I am honoured that you both accepted my invitation.

This will be an opportunity to review our joint efforts, and to deepen the relationship between NATO and Afghanistan even more.

President Ghani, I look forward to working with you in the months and the years ahead.

As you work to build a safer country, you have a strong friend and a strong partner in NATO.

Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much Your Excellency President and the NATO Secretary General. And now we have the questions and answer. Hamid Maya (sp?) from Shamshad (sp?) will ask question.

Q: Thank you very much. I am Hamid Maya from Shamshad Television. My first question is from the distinguished guests. American officials have said that Afghanistan will face a failure in 2016 and it is said that this year for the Afghanistan National Defence Security Forces or for the Government of Afghanistan will be a tough year. Now if the fight is more tough and the situation will be more difficult is NATO ready to send combat forces to Afghanistan? Or do you make commitments in the air force related activities? My question to you respected President is, National Unity Governments work, its two years almost to be completed of the work of National Unity Government, the surveys that have been done from surveys it seems that people are not happy. Do you accept that there have been problems, there are opportunities, of that work that you so far have done how much are you happy in the present day each point of view? If you could tell us sort of percentage, how much have you been able to achieve? One one questions, one one questions, thank you very much.

JENS STOLTENBERG (NATO Secretary General): You are right that 2015 was a difficult year and I expect also 2016 to be a difficult year. But at the same time what we saw in 2015 was that the Afghan Army, the Afghan Forces were able to be fully in charge of the security across the whole country. And they proved that they are capable, that they are professional and that they are able to respond to the threats which Taliban and other groups are posing on the security of the country. NATO will continue to support the Afghan Forces, we will do that through training, advice and assistance. We have ended our combat mission but we have decided to continue to support the Afghan Forces through partly the Resolute Support Mission, the training, assist and advice mission but also of course by continuing to provide financial support to the Afghan Army. And we have decided to continue to do that, we will make more decisions and make more decisions about the details when we are approaching our summit in Warsaw and we will be able then to tell more about the future of the Resolute Support Mission but let there be no doubt we will continue to stand by our partner Afghanistan. We will continue to support the Afghan Forces and we are impressed by the progress they have made and the courage they have shown when they took over the full responsibility for the security of the country.

ASHRAF GHANI AHMADZAI (Afghanistan President): [Speaking with translator]. Thank you. Last year we were facing four transition process. Security transition, 16,972 Resolute Missions, 40,816 combat operations have been conducted last year. The test was not this, that the, the responsibilities taken by the Afghanistan Forces, it was constitutions, it was the test of the survival of the constitution of Afghanistan and the system of Afghanistan, it is up to you to judge about the survival of the Government of Afghanistan, you here today and the fact that had you brothers been not there who have sacrificed their lives, there will have been others in this hall today. You should judge. Secondly political transition. In the region the process that we have followed of developing a National Unity Government it has been unprecedented. Whether, should it have been that one will have had a street fight at different places rather of politics being the way and the solution of brotherhood. All the enemies of Afghanistan were thinking that the Afghanistan cannot be united and that there is the culture of division but we showed that no we have the culture of unity and it is possible. Number three, the economic transition. In 2014 41 % Afghan citizens were under the poverty line, in the worst situation more than 600,000. The international forces and their contracts, the fact all the demand was in their hand and they left Afghanistan but with that we still were able to increase the revenues to 22 %, like we could increase 22 % the revenues, another 22 % revenues. So the basis for the economic reform has been laid down. The biggest transition we are facing is we should bring about a change in the culture of the government, rather for the government considering itself above the people, no the government should be the servant of the people. All the provinces of Afghanistan have been equally looked at and the equality of the cabinet in the provinces has been developed. Am I happy with that? I will be happy when Afghanistan will be, will be Afghanistan will be prosperous, will be at peace and that every citizen of Afghanistan will count on the future in Afghanistan. So in this phases of transition it will be unprecedented for the President having faced so many challenges and so many problems, do we have a solution, do we have commitment, do we want to build our country and do we want to bring about a change in the region? Yes we do. Last year we had the commitment of the world for nine months but you see a great person is here standing alongside by me and we are talking about midterm issues, people have the right to criticise and it is our duty to provide prosperity. As you have noticed yesterday, the other day, continuously I am doing things in consultation with the people, to do it as per the demand of the people of Afghanistan and continue the governance. Thank you.

MODERATOR: [Inaudible], Reuters.

Q: Hi. Josh Smith from Reuters. Two parts of the same question. First for President Ghani, what would Afghanistan like to be seen done differently as far as the NATO mission here? Are there things that you are asking for that you would like to be provided that are not provided? Whether its troop levels or financial support, political backing, anything of that nature. And for the Secretary General, especially leading up to Warsaw and the fighting season and everything coming up. Are there things that Afghanistan concretely needs to do to, you know, benchmarks that need to be reached or concrete reforms that need to be taken to ensure that aid continues? Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: The important message from NATO is that Afghanistan has to continue to implement the reforms and the very encouraging message I have back with me, which Im going to take back with me to Brussels leaving Kabul tomorrow is that the political leadership in Kabul is very focused on reforms. The importance of continuing to modernize the Afghan society, continuing to implement reforms and especially continuing to focus on the fight against corruption. Because that was a very clear message from President Ghani and from Chief Executive Abdullah, that it is important to deliver on reforms, fight corruption, modernize political institutions, electoral reform but also protecting human rights, especially the rights of women and children. I dont think this is easy but I am very encouraged by the very strong commitment of the political leadership in Afghanistan and the single most important thing we would like to see is that Afghanistan continue to implement reforms. This is not only important for NATO but of course its important for Afghanistan, it, it makes Afghanistan a more healthier society. But at the same time the more reform we see the more we see that Afghanistan is able to fight corruption the easier it will be for me and other political leaders to mobilize the necessary political support in NATO parliaments, in NATO nations but also in partner nations to mobilize the troops we have to send into the Resolute Support Mission but not least the financial support which is so crucial for the strength of the Afghan Forces. So reform, continued implementation of reform is the key deliverable we would like to see by the Warsaw summit.

ASHRAF GHANI AHMADZAI: [Speaking with Translator]. Thank you for your question. Partners work together toward goals and the strength of the partnership is measured by the alignment to which they achieve the outcomes. We do not have any public disagreement nor private disagreement. We are both in terms of the goal and in terms of the means, we work together to reinforce the partnership to deepen and broaden it. I take the opportunity first to define the issue, this is not a civil war context, this is a regional and global conflict where the interests of all NATO and non-NATO members are threatened. The noncombat role of NATO is firm, we operate within the framework of noncombat within that the degree of flexibility is welcome but the most important point is our commitment to reforms. I thank the hard paying taxpayer in the NATO and non-NATO countries who make this work possible. Finance, the financial commitments should not be taken lightly at a time when many countries compete for resources and for attention. NATOs strong support and the Secretary Generals personal commitment is enormously welcome. At the Munich Security Conference the environment was one of doom and gloom but I argued then and I want to repeat my argument, there is no paralysis of will in NATO, the Secretary General is moving the organization and in terms of Afghanistan the strength of the partnership assures us that we can confront the situation and overcome the challenges and this is the key message that the visit of the Secretary General conveys to the Afghan public. And lastly the Afghan public in every single way is asking for reform, so reforms are not imposed upon us from outside, it is a response to the heart filled wishes of our public because the public sees corruption as great as a threat as terrorism. And I welcome the very strong partnership with NATO and with the person of the Secretary General and thank him again for his friendship.

MODERATOR: Sharif Amidi, [inaudible].

Q: Sharif Amidi from Tolo Television. Thank you very much, Im Sharif Amidi from Tolo News. Your Excellency President, peace talk were supposed to have started in March, first week March, although the war season is going to start where would it, what happened with the peace talk? Are you happy with the quarterly lateral meetings? And the other thing, recently on, one question, one question, one question. Maybe you can direct your next question to his excellency Secretary General. Well Id like to ask his Excellency Secretary General, Afghanistan like the previous years, if we may witness the fall of any of the provinces in the air and, will the NATO help Afghan Forces by air force or by the land forces if we may notice any fall of the province? God forbid.

JENS STOLTENBERG: As I said NATO is here to continue to support the Afghan Forces but we will do that through noncombat mission. And we have seen a very impressive increase in the capabilities of the Afghan Forces over the last years and we saw in 2015 that the Afghan Forces are able to take full charge of the security across the whole country. What we will do is that we will help the Afghan Forces to build and to develop new capabilities. Like for instance the air force and thats exactly an area where we now work with the Afghan Forces and as I mentioned they have doubled the number of missions with the new Afghan Air Forces over the last year. So this is an area where we see progress and where we see that the Afghan Armed Forces are able also to develop new capabilities like for instance air forces. In addition to the NATO mission the United States also has a counter terror presence in Afghanistan so altogether NATO and NATO allies are present in Afghanistan and will continue to support the Afghan Armed Forces and we will discuss with our Afghan partners towards the Warsaw summit how we can do this in the best possible way also in the future but based on the fact that this is going to remain a noncombat mission from the NATO side.

ASHRAF GHANI AHMADZAI: [Speaking with translator]. Thank you very much for your question. The framework which we have concluded on the paper, this, its a big step that we have ahead of us. While were talking about the quadrilateral causes, causes of war, type of war and the fact that it is not an internal war, I mean this is, this was made clear. And secondly those who want peace and those who want, who want fight and war have been differentiated, so peace process will decide who want peace and who want fight and it has been agreed that those who have the message of, those who would not accept the message of peace and the peace process will be used force against and will be used any other things against. The commitment of all the people of Afghanistan and what all the people of Afghanistan want is the peace process, but along with peace process the important thing is that the peace has to be sustainable, it has to be durable. 50 % of peace agreements in five years have, have failed, they have not even lasted more than five years but of the 50 % of the other agreements that have succeeded how we can learn from and it will require strategic patience. As the President of Afghanistan my first duty is to implement the constitution and support the constitution and my other duty is the, the head charge of the Afghanistan Security Forces now. As the head of the Afghanistan National Security Forces and as the President of Afghanistan for the worst, be prepared for the worst scenario and make the plans for the best scenario. It is too early to say that the peace have not given the required result or as if we will show negligence for even one minute not to invest on our Afghanistan National Defence Security Forces. Had it been a civil war, an internal war the framework would have been much easier but its regional and international aspects it has, these are the aspects that have made it so very much complicated and there is need for more attention be paid to that. What does [inaudible] have to do with us? What does ISIL have to do with us? The regional terrorists networks, what are they to do with us? They are not Afghans to be able to bring them into the main framework of the solutions and at the same time the increasing number of Pakistani Talibans, so there is need for more attention and we hope that we will have progress.

MODERATOR: Last question will be Mujib Mashal from New York Times.

Q: Thank you Mujib Mashal from the New York Times. Secretary General my first question is to you. Last year was difficult but signs are the year ahead will be more difficult if not the same level. In terms, and at stake is not just the progress Afghanistan has made but also the success or failure of the NATO mission and what is becoming clear in the quadrilateral process is also what is needed for the success is the sincerity of Pakistan but also the pressure that Pakistan could exert at the issue of the sanctuaries. What is NATO willing to do differently that is hasnt done previously to ensure its mission does not end in failure in Afghanistan? And Mr. President its more of a follow up to the peace talks question. You had laid out that the two winter months are crucial to testing out some mechanisms to achieve violence reduction. Are you disappointed in where we stand after two months have passed and or have you achieved sort of tangible achievements towards reduction in violence?

JENS STOLTENBERG: I think when we measure the success of NATO presence in Afghanistan we have to take into account that Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world and Afghanistan is faced with many different challenges. NATO is here because we responded after the terrorist attacks 9/11 in 2001 and our main aim of our military presence in Afghanistan has been to prevent Afghanistan becoming again a safe haven for international terrorists. And together with Afghan Forces we have succeeded in preventing international terrorists of having a safe haven in Afghanistan. That doesnt mean that we dont find terrorist organizations in Afghanistan as the President just referred to, but they are confronted, they are, they are not having the privilege of living in a safe haven because they are confronted partly by the Afghan Forces which are becoming stronger and stronger, they are confronted by the U.S. counter terror mission or operations and of course the NATO presence even after we ended our combat mission we are supporting the Afghans, enabling them to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. So when it comes to the main effort, the main purpose we have achieved a lot. Then we dont believe that the future is going to be easy or without new challenges but thats the reason why we have adopted a long term strategy and I think that in the long term its a much more sustainable approach that we enable the Afghans to keep their own country safe instead of having large number of combat troops coming from other countries trying to fight the war of Afghans in Afghanistan. So the idea of projecting stability without deploying large number of combat troops but projecting stability by training, advising the Afghans themselves, its much more sustainable and in the long run a much more viable answer to the challenges we see in Afghanistan. And thats exactly what we are going to continue to do, to help the Afghans, because they have shown a lot of courage, they have shown a lot of commitment to exactly keep their country stable, to fight terrorism and the leadership of the Unity Government is a leadership which I very much welcome and then we will continue to support them partly with the Resolute Support Mission but perhaps even more important with continued financial support for the Afghan, Afghan Armed Forces. Then we will have of course assessments, we will analyze the challenges and always being open to how we can adjust but its going to be based on a noncombat mission, continuing to support them we will not go back to a combat operation.

ASHRAF GHANI AHMADZAI: [Speaking with Translator]. Thank you. First, presence of international forces in combat role was an exception in our history. If one thing we know through our 5000 years its how to fight. Its the enablers, its the partnership, its the support, train, advise and assist. Sustainability comes from political will, from national commitment, from commitment to the values enshrined in our constitution. No one can sustain a country unless the people in the leadership of that country have the will but in todays complex global environment partnerships are essential because threats do not know boundaries. These are threats without passports. So our common understanding of the threats, our ability to trust each other, to work together and to be able to talk to each other and plan together is what is essential for success and thats precisely what we have achieved. During last year the partnership, I want to repeat again, has really been strengthened, deepened and broadened. Please do understand the rest of the world competes for NATOs attention, NATO today is not just facing external threats, its facing threats right on its border and despite that when NATO expresses and gives priority not just lip service to commitment to Afghanistan this is an enormous vote of confidence in our future and I want to thank you again personally for this. We have used the previous months to maximum effect Mr. Mashal. I can confidently say that in Nangarhar Daesh is on the run. Its running for cover. I promise the people of Nungarhar that there will be no quarter given to Daesh and none has been given. And the recipe is very interesting, weve combined close air support with massive ground operations but particularly with peoples support. 750 people who had retired from our commander units in one day joined in front one of the crack divisions that now has Daesh on the run. In Baghlan we did not let the enemies of this country turn this beautiful province into a centre of [inaudible] operations. Its been cleared. Place after place our forces have been fully working, 215 Army Corps, two new divisions have been framed in already. Attention to the new division in Kunduz has been consistent and now is moving to operational stage. Around Kabul, every single province around Kabul is safe, a series of operations that have changed the security environment. Day before yesterday I talked to eight governors in the north, every single one of them indicated a better security situation than three months ago. Yesterday I talked to four governors in the southwest, again, so it is not that we are without challenge but previously your comments that the year would be harder, last year in the first four months we had the initiative then in the six months, we were in defensive position, today we want to make sure that the armed forces that have come out of combat much hardened, much more impressive and much more coherently will be able to face the challenges but also again I want to repeat, combat is not a goal in itself, stability is, peace is, prosperity is. So we invite those states and non-state actors that are sustaining the conflict to see the logic of peace. Sponsoring non-state actors by states will boomerang as it has in the past. People need to learn that in this part of the world we need rules of the game where states come together against threats that will damage all of us. So we have a war to win and we are committed to winning it. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much your Excellency President, your Excellency Secretary General and the delegation from both the sides and respected journalists. With this we end our conference, thank you very much.
Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal could bring Russia 'hundreds of billions'

Russia and Turkey begin to develop gas hub project

PM Pashinyan discusses agenda of bilateral relations with Iranian FM

Anna Hakobyan meets Armenians in Paris

Sargsyan: Recognition of Artsakh people's right for self-determination must be reflected in legal documents

Italy's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, sworn in

Private jet goes missing off coast of Costa Rica

Times of India: India tests nuclear-capable Agni Prime missile

Spiegel: German Foreign Minister and Defense Minister ask to allocate 2.2 billion for military aid to Kiev

Deputy PM of Armenia and Head of Sharjah Heritage Institute discuss strengthening of Armenian-Emirati relations

Biden allows participation in U.S. presidential election in 2024

Secretary of Security Council of Armenia and representatives of AIISA discuss security issues

Kakhovka reservoir increases water discharges in case of possible destruction of HPP

Pashinian's spouse: Yesterday at Elysee Palace I was received by dear Brigitte Macron

At least 15 people killed in bus-truck collision in India

Explosion at Uzbek Defense Ministry depot injures 16 people

Armenian NA Speaker receives Iranian FM: Tehran opposes obstacles on border with friendly Armenia

President Harutyunyan receives group of members of Union of Artsakh Reserve Officers NGO

Newspaper: Armenia restores diplomatic ties with Hungary?

China hit by 5.5 magnitude earthquake

Armenian Defense Ministry denies Azerbaijani report on shelling, calling it disinformation

Blinken: Moscow is not interested in stopping aggression against Ukraine

Japan and U.S. will hold joint military exercises

France withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty

CNN: White House is in talks with Elon Musk to create satellite Internet service Starlink in Iran

Baku outraged by Iran's statements and frightened by IRGC military exercises

Who are main beneficiaries of 'Zangezur' corridor?: Another anonymous article by 'Haykakan Zhamanak' newspaper

Ankara decides to stand up for Riyadh amid deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and U.S.

French Foreign Minister considers it vital to keep lines of communication with Russia open

Pentagon refuses to give details of conversation between Austin and Shoigu

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Head of Caucasus Muslims Department again made slanderous and false statements

Erdogan denies using chemical weapons against Kurds and threatens those who dare to talk about it

Saudi Arabia and China will strengthen their ties in energy sector

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

Delegation from United Arab Emirates visits Armenia at invitation of head of MONKS: Two agreements signed

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
Counter Balance  Challenging public investment banks is a European coalition of development and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with extensive experience working on development finance and the international financial institutions (IFIs) as well as campaigning to prevent negative impacts resulting from major infrastructure projects a walk along the pipeline and imagine the devastating consequences for people and the environment from Azerbaijan to Italy if the project is built, according to EcoLur NGO.

Imagine the full scale destruction of thousands of villages, forests, farmlands and the Adriatic sea floor.

This is not a nightmare. This is the plan of the European Union in building the Southern Gas Corridor, a series of pipelines stretching 3,500 kilometers from Azerbaijan to Italy that would worsen climate change, prop up an autocratic regime, cost 45 billion dollars and might become useless in a few years time.

Pipeline backers say the project will provide energy security for Europe. But their gas lobby promises in Brussels, Rome, Baku and elsewhere are now being exposed in the new web documentary Walking The Line.

The film, produced by Counter Balance, Re:Common and Platform, lets you experience a walk along the pipeline and imagine the devastating consequences for people and the environment from Azerbaijan to Italy if the project is built.

The Southern Gas Corridor is politically and financially supported by the EU. But there are at least 3,500 reasons why the project is a massive mistake.

Walking the line shows an EU with its head in the sand when it comes to its commitments to climate and human rights. It sheds light on the suspicious links between the Aliyev clan and the British oil company BP and exposes the interests of big energy corporations lobbying the EU in favour of more gas, despite evidence of declining demand.

But it also highlights that alternatives are possible. Residents in a poor London suburb set up their own renewable energy project to control their own energy needs. Such shining examples show that it is not too late to choose a different path for Europe.

The said web documentary can be viewed here.
STEPANAKERT. - The Flemish parliamentary delegation of Belgium is on a visit to Karabakh from March 14 to 16.

In the framework of the visit, the delegation members along with the Deputy Head of the Karabkh National Assembly (NA) Permanent Committee on Foreign Affairs, David Melkumyan, visited the Stepanakert Memorial Complex and laid flowers at the tombs of those fallen in Karabakh War, Karabakh NA press-service reports.

The Speaker of Karabakh NA Ashot Ghoulian today received the Flemish parliamentary delegation, which was composed of the vice president of the Flemish Parliament (Senate) Karl Vanlouwe, as well as members of the Flemish parliament Karim Van Overmeire, Ward Kennes, Marc Hendrickx and professor Paul Miert.

The delegation was accompanied by Chairman of Hay Dat European Office Gaspar Karapetyan and Armenian NA MP Tevan Poghosyan.

Welcoming the guests, Ashot Ghoulian stressed that the European vector has a special place in the parliamentary ties of Karabakh, and the meetings with the Belgian deputies at different levels are turning into a tradition.

The Speaker also underscored the importance of ties with the Flemish parliamentarians in terms of exchange of experience in the spheres of legislation and culture. The meeting then continued in an extended format. Representatives of the legislative and executive authorities and local self-government bodies also took part in the meeting.

In his address, Mr Ghoulian called exemplary the long and consistent struggle of his colleagues from the Flemish parliament for preserving national identity, which, in contrast to our region, is expressed through a civilized dialogue of nations for their rights.

According to the Flemish parliament MP Karim Van Overmeire, this visit is indicative of their solidarity with democratic Karabakh.

Artsakh is a fortress not only for Armenia but also for Europe, he noted.

I consider Artsakh as part of the Christian world, which I myself belong to, Ward Kennes stressed.

In his speech, Deputy Mayor of Mechelen city Marc Hendrickx touched on the role of the Armenian community of Mechelen and attached importance to the possible cooperation.

Referring to the role of democracy in politics, as well as the struggle of Flemish and Karabakh peoples for their national identity, Senator Vanlouwe noted : I cant compare the peaceful struggle of the Flemish people with the complex situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh. Its hard to imagine that about 30 years ago it was impossible to hold such a meeting only because of the war here.

By the end of the meeting, spheres of mutual interest were identified. The importance of implementing joint programs, as well as developing decentralized cooperation was underscored.

The meeting of the delegation with Karabakh President Bako Sahakayan and Head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan are to be held in the afternoon. The delegation will also visit educational institutions, as well as historical and cultural centers.

The results of the meeting will be presented at the press-conference of the Flemish parliamentarians, which is to be held Wednesday.
Turkey has no way out but civil war, Istanbul Armenian MP Garo Paylan, who represents the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey in the parliament, told French Telerama weekly, Asbarez reports.

According to Paylan, modern Kurds, who the Turks kill with complete indifference, are Armenians of yesterday.

In contrast to Armenians, Kurds are armed and organized. But the civilians, including women and children, are also Erdogans target. Whereas Europe is silent, but if everything ends badly, hundreds and thousands of Kurds will head for Europe, the Istanbul Armenian MP said.

In Paylans words, Turkey conducts wrong policy both regarding the Syrian and Kurdish issue. He reminded that several years ago the peace process on the Kurdish issue, which Erdogan personally supported, was launched: But like in 1914-1915, the countrys leadership began conflicting with the minorities, presenting them as traitors of the Turkish nation. The Turkish government links the problems in the country with the Kurds. All this makes to watch out for a civil warThe Armenians didnt have arms and werent organized, whereas the situation with the Kurds is completely the other way round, Paylan said.

To avoid this situation, according to the MP, its necessary to make peace with the Kurds, however Erdogan has chosen the path of war.

Both sides have people with radical views. Within our party we tried to persuade radicals from the Kurdish side that the possible war will claim hundreds and thousands of lives, but our efforts are useless. When I use the word peace, Im scolded from both sides, the Paylan said.
11:29

Four Kashmiri students were allegedly beaten at a private university in Rajasthan over rumours that they were cooking beef in their hostel room, reports NDTV. The incident allegedly took place on Monday at the Mewar University in Chittorgarh, about five hours from state capital Jaipur.





The police were called in to stop the attack on the four young men. Some Hindu activists reportedly also reached the campus and raised slogans.





The police said the situation was controlled before it could escalate. The meat being cooked has been sent for forensic tests, said a police officer. "We have students from all over the country...from 23 states. It is like a mini India. Sometimes, these small scuffles happen because people are from different socio-cultural backgrounds," University media liaison officer Harish Gurnani told the Indian Express newspaper.





Yesterday, home ministry sources clarified that its advisory had been misinterpreted after a report said that colleges in Kolkata have been asked to collate profiles of all students from Jammu and Kashmir. An advisory seen by NDTV that was sent in February to state governments says "There is perception among the people of Jammu and Kashmir that their wards are being treated with suspicion and hostility" at colleges.





Officials said that because families had complained that students have trouble finding housing, for example, they asked states to "ensure the protection of students from J&K".





The advisory also asks for the "utmost care and sensitivity" in handling Kashmiri students. Reacting to the news report, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had accused the Centre of making Kashmiri students "insecure" by "singling them out for profiling" by security agencies across India.





Last year, attacks over beef rumours, including the mob killing of a man in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri, were cited as examples of "rising intolerance" in India, and the government's failure to check it.





Pic: The Mewar university in Chittorgarh.


The five-year drive is aimed at ensuring the poverty alleviation policy and special funding will benefit poor people in poverty-stricken areas, Cao Jianming, prosecutor-general at the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), told China Daily.

This campaign has been launched by the SPP and the Poverty Relief Office under the State Council.

Prosecuting departments will focus on investigating graft issues that involve exporting laboUr services, ecological protection, education and medical insurance, as well as minimum rural living allowances, Cao said.

They will also become "more aggressive" in going after officials at grassroots levels, such as those in charge of handling traffic in rural areas, hydropower, electric power infrastructure construction, and renovation of rural homes.

The campaign comes after a keynote speech by President Xi Jinping at an anti-graft meeting in January, during which he promised to maintain the momentum at grassroots level to benefit everyone.

In October 2015, China set a goal of building a well-off society and lifting all poverty-stricken people in rural areas out of poverty by 2020.

China still has 200 million people living in poverty, based on the World Bank standard, which means they each live on less than $1.90 a day.

In 2014, the central government allocated 43.3 billion yuan ($6 billion) for poverty relief, double the amount in 2010.

--Indo-Asian News Service ksk

( 253 Words)

2016-03-15-11:51:34 (IANS)
In a jolt to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, its senior leader and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal was on Monday night arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with corruption cases lodged against him. The NCP claimed Bhujbal was innocent while the ruling BJP welcomed the arrest. The development capped more than 11 hours of sustained interrogation and recording of the statement of Bhujbal by ED sleuths since noon on Monday. Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik criticised the development claiming Bhujbal was innocent, that he had done nothing wrong, and that there was nothing against him. He reiterated that the ruling BJP was allegedly pressurising the investigating agencies. The summons followed a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya in connection with cases lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Foreign Exchange Management Act pertaining to alleged irregularities in the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, allegedly worth several hundred crores of rupees. Reacting to the ED moves, Somaiya said "Bhujbal's arrest was inevitable" and predicted that the same fate awaits other NCP leaders involved in the mega irrigation scams which he has unearthed. State BJP president Raosaheb Danve, Minorities Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse and other party leaders welcomed Bhujbal's arrest. On Monday morning, Bhujbal, accompanied by party colleague Jitendra Awhad, several legislators, a large number of party activists and his supporters from Nashik reached the ED office in response to its summons of March 8. Police deployed tight security and clamped prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people in the vicinity of the ED office. The action against Bhujbal came after over a month since his nephew Sameer Bhujbal was similarly summoned in February and subsequently placed under arrest by the ED. Last month, the ED had also questioned Chhagan Bhujbal's son Pankaj Bhujbal, a legislator, and allowed him to go, even as his father cried foul, while the NCP termed it "political vendetta". The ED probe follows a Bombay High Court ruling in January when it sought progress reports from the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau and the ED within four weeks on their investigations against the Bhujbals. Following Somaiya's complaints, the ED had lodged two first information reports against the Bhujbals and others under the PMLA to probe the Maharashtra Sadan scam in New Delhi and the Kalina land grabbing scam in Mumbai. The ED had conducted searches twice at nine premises belonging to the Bhujbal trio and others, and subsequently served attachment orders on three prime properties linked to the Bhujbal family members worth over Rs.280 crore in Mumbai. Simultaneously, the state Anti-Corruption Bureau had lodged a charge sheet against the three Bhujbals and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan case. The Maharashtra Sadan, a state government guest house in New Delhi, was constructed at a cost of Rs.100 crore during the tenure of the erstwhile Congress-NCP government. Speaking to media persons outside the ED offices, Awhad said the entire NCP party, including its president Sharad Pawar stood with Bhujbal. --Indo-Asian News Service qn/pm/vd ( 522 Words) 2016-03-14-23:13:32 (IANS)
The accord was signed in August 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier refuted Rahul Gandhi's claim that he was not informed before signing a peace pact with Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM saying the Congress Vice-President's statement was 'completely false and baseless' and he 'misled' the Parliament.

The Home Minister's reaction came after the Congress vice president told the Lok Sabha that Singh was not aware of Naga peace accord which was signed in August 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi in Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the former released Pakistan from a small 'cage' in which it was put after the 26/11 attacks by his sudden visit to Lahore and bringing a 'fair and lovely' scheme to launder black money.

He alleged that Prime Minister Modi did not listen to anyone's opinion, including his ministers and party MPs, on issues like his visit to Pakistan and the Naga accord. (ANI)
In the accident, four medicos of Osmania Medical College were killed and 17 others received serious injuries, two of them critical, when the bus in which they were travelling from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh to the city met with an accident near Gollapudi. The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident.

Expressing deep shook over the accident, a visibly upset Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao stated that the entire expenditure for the treatment of the injured medicos would be borne by his government.

The Chief Minister instructed the Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy to provide all assistance to the injured and shift the students to Hyderabad, if necessary to ensure better treatment.

Mr Rao conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

Telangana Health Minister Laxma Reddy accompanied by Osmania Medial College Principal, B Prabhakar rushed to Gollapudi Andhra Hospital, where all injured were shifted, to oversee relief operation and medicare process.

Dr Laxma Reddy has ordered an inquiry into the accident and said action will be taken against Dhanujay Travels, involved in the accident.

Meanwhile , tension prevailed at Osmania Medical College in the city, where victims parents assembled and staged dharna, demanding action against college authorities, alleging that they were responsible for the untoward incident..

The parents alleged that the college authorities had engaged a private bus, instead of the college bus, which led to the gruesome accident.

The college authorities should take the entire responsibility for the mind-boggling incident, the grief-stricken parents added.UNI KNR KVV RSS 1135

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-637371.Xml
Around 77.50 lakh MTS Tree Spray Oil is available with various national oil companies in Kashmir valley, where the farming season has commenced with the onset of Spring season, an official spokesperson here today said. He said that 29,50,000 MTS Spray and Winter spray oil was available with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, while as 2,00,000 MTS is in transit. "About 6,00,000 MTS with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, and 42,00,000 MTS with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd," he said, adding there were no specific targets fixed for these manufacturing companies. However, these companies agreed to supply TSO to valley. Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon directed officials to work for making agriculture and its allied sectors as priority sectors to boost the state's economy.The Divisional Commissioner said farmers and growers should not face any difficulty on part of supply of fertilizers and pesticides. He directed the concerned to ensure the availability of all the necessary stock for the agriculture and horticulture sectors. He also gave instructions to check profiteering in agriculture and horticulture sectors across the State. He said the government will take all possible measures to ensure hassle-free services to farmers and fruit growers. The Divisional Commissioner urged the officials to keep check on the rates, quality control and availability of the Agriculture and Horticulture products. The Divisional Commissioner told officials to notify the standardized rate for the tree spray oil, distributed by the various dealers across Kashmir valley. He told officials to review the preparedness of the stock and other fertilizers available at their respective district headquarters and urged officials to plug in the loopholes in the service sector. Dr Samoon called for creating awareness about various schemes and latest techniques in agriculture and horticulture sectors. He also urged the scientists of SK University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K) to ensure that they reach out to the farmers and growers in time. He directed the officials to conduct regular tours and field inspections in order to get first hand feedback about the schemes being implemented besides their status.UNI XC ADG VP1405 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-637405.Xml
Questioning the decision of West Bengal police to seek details of Jammu and Kashmir students studying in Kolkata colleges, National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to look into this order. "Why are these students being singled out? cc @quizderek Police ask Kolkata colleges to give details of J&K students," Mr Abdullah, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote on micro-blogging site twitter. "Dear @MamataOfficial can you please look in to this police order? Info gathering shouldn't become harassment. Tks," he added.Mr Abdullah was responding to reports that the Kolkata police is asking all colleges in the city to give details of their students who are from Jammu and Kashmir.UNI XC ASM ADG CS1444 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-637577.Xml
Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar has been conferred with top honours from PATWA as the Best Tourism Minister for the second consecutive year. Director for Tourism Sanjeev C Gauns Dessai received the award on behalf of Mr Parulekar who unable toattend the function at the ITB in Berlin, because of his illness. A statement from Tourism Department today said, ''The Honourable Minister for Tourism is extremely delighted and honoured on receiving this prestigious award. Though he was unable to receive the award personally, Mr Parulekar expressed deep satisfaction on being recognized yet again for the hard work that has been put in by Goa Tourism led by him and the work done round the clock by his team of officials in planning, and executing policies, projects, initiatives and more. During the last four years, Mr Parulekar introduced a lot of new initiatives and new infrastructure projects due to which Goa has become an attractive place for touristsnot only from India but also from across the globe. Mr Parulekar has assured to continue with the good work being done and will ensure that the flag of Goa Tourism continues to fly high.'' The Goa delegation which attended the function at ITB Berlin included Rajesh Kale, Deputy Director of Tourism, and Deepak Narvekar, PRO Goa Tourism Development Corporation. The award was presented by Dr Taleb Rifai United Nations World Tourism Organization General Secretary. Also present was Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, of Tourism, Government of India.UNI AKM NV ADG RK1402 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-637480.Xml
Dismissing the plea, Justice Pratibha Rani Saud said, "Our law and order system can take care of itself.your type of social activist is not needed. The investigation is under process, I am not entertaining it."

The court also questioned about the locus standi of the petitioner.

The petitioner demanded an SIT probe, stating that Kanhaiya's speech on the Indian Army falls under 'sedition'.

Speaking at a student's gathering on International Women's Day, Kanhaiya alleged that the Indian Army personnel have committed atrocities against women in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, a petition was filed in the High Court against Kanhaiya seeking an IB probe in connection with the February 9 incident where 'anti-national' slogans were allegedly raised in the campus.

Last week, the JNU had revoked the suspension of eight students after the high-level probe panel submitted its report on the February 9 incident.

Besides Kanhaiya, the eight suspended students include Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Anant Kumar, Shweta Raj and Aishwarya Adhikari.

They were suspended on February 12 for their alleged involvement in organising an event to protest against the hanging of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. (ANI)
President Pranab Mukherjee will visit Hyderabad tomorrow to inaugurate the fifth edition of 'India Aviation'. He will return to Delhi after the event the same day, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said today. The theme of 'India Aviation' this year is 'India's Civil Aviation Sector: Potential a Global Manufacturing and MRO Hub'. The previous 'India Aviation' was held in 2014 which had participation from more than 200 exhibitors from India and abroad with more than 25 aircraft on display.UNI AR SW 1559 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-637903.Xml
Private Sector lender,ICICI Bank today unveiled the country's first contactless mobile payment solution to enable its credit and debit customers make in-store contactless payments by just waving their smartphones near an NFC-enabled merchant terminal. The mobile payment solution available in the Bank's 'Pockets' app, provides improved convenience of 'Touch & Pay' as customers are no longer required to carry physical card or cash to pay in stores.ICICI Bank is the first financial institution in the country to leverage the Host Card Emulation (HCE) technology to bring forth this solution. The HCE technology creates 'virtual' cards for 'physical' credit or debit cards (Visa/MasterCard) of the Bank, as selected by the customer. The virtual card resides in the Bank's secure cloud server. Using the virtual cards, an ICICI Bank customer can initiate electronic payments from NFC enabled smartphones by just wavinghis/her phone near a contactless merchant terminal. While the virtual card bears a different card number, the credit limit and expiry date remains same as the original physical card. The solution offers enhanced security as the customer's card details are stored virtually in the Bank's secure cloud server and not on the customer's mobile phone. Additionally, the display of the card on the smartphone shows only last four digits of the virtual card. Thus, even if a customer loses his/her mobile phone, he/she will not lose any confidential information about his/her original and virtual card. Further, for each payment via the virtual card, a one-time unique token number is created by the Bank's server, which is encrypted and sent to the merchant's terminal, without disclosing any information of the card. ICICI Bank has developed this platform in-house, based on the HCE.UNI JS NV AW1557 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-637918.Xml
Addressing the media here, he said the poll panel has received the video from political parties.

"We have received representation (video) from political parties... we will get it examined.. we will pass it on to the relevant authorities," said Zaidi.

The sting operation carried out by Narada News and uploaded on its website allegedly shows as many as 11 leaders of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, including former union ministers, state ministers and MPs, accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company.

The Trinamool has rubbished the allegations made in the sting operation and threatened legal action against the news portal claiming the videos were "doctored".

--Indo-Asian News Service sgh/ssp/vd

( 159 Words)

2016-03-15-17:43:32 (IANS)
The home ministry provides the money under the Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) scheme, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha.

"The main objective of the scheme is to reduce the dependence of the state government on army and central police forces," he said in a written statement.

"The focus of the scheme is to strengthen the police infrastructure," the minister said.

According to the minister, the major items covered in the modernisation scheme were police building and housing, mobility, weapons, equipment, training, computerization and forensic science.

The infrastructure development under the scheme depends on the priorities of state governments, he added.

--Indo-Asian News Service mr/pm/

( 146 Words)

2016-03-15-17:51:31 (IANS)
: The exercise of determination of Retail Supply Tariffs for ensuing Financial Year FY 2016-17 has entered into a critical phase. The finalization of Tariff proposals submitted by the APDISCOMs is very challenging and crucial. We have to take key decisions for finalizing the tariffs with total transparency and no doubt, consumer interest is ultimate for the APERC (Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission) . Any how, APERC has to mainly focus on two factors -- Protecting Consumer interest at large and ensuring the Financial Health of the Power Utilities , Justice Bhavani Prasad, Chairman/APERC told reporters after conducting a State Advisory committee (SAC) meeting on the tariff proposals of the DISCOMs, here today. When compared to any other major states in the Country, Andhra Pradesh State is far superior in terms of providing timely Government Subsidy and the operational performance of the Power utilities, the Chairman claimed. To maintain the same tempo and keeping in view the above factors APERC will determine the Retail Supply tariffs applicable for the coming financial year with effect from April 1, said APERC Chairman. During the meeting, APERC Chairman in the presence of the SAC members including Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), APSPDCL, Director Finance/APTRANSCO has released the Telugu version of four useful Regulations issued by the Commission. So far fifteen regulations out of a total 28 regulations have been translated and published in Telugu for the convenience of the consumers and the Commission is in the process of issuing remaining regulations in Telugu soon. Dinesh Paruchuri, Director /Finance, APTRANSCO said that APTRANSCO is planning to adopt a special programme for enhancing Employee efficiency in the power utilities. Responding to the views expressed by the SAC members, the CMD APSPDCL has stated that the proposals submitted by the DISCOMs would be thoroughly scrutinized by the Commission. The tariffs proposed by the DISCOMs are one among the lowest in the Country and the utilities are striving hard to extend quality supply to the Consumers and as part of this DISCOMs have proposed for levying of 25 paise per unit for HT consumers as Reliability Charge under pilot project in six industrial clusters towards providing power at Global Standards. In case DISCOMs doesn't fulfill the promise of reliable supply the charges so collected would be returned to the consumers. On behalf of the DISCOMs CMD/APSPDCL has pleaded the APERC to accept the Tariff Proposals submitted by the DISCOMs. The APERC had earlier conducted public hearings on the Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) and Proposed Tariffs for FY 2016-17 submitted by the DISCOMs at several places like Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupathi, Hyderabad including far off districts like Srikakulam and Anantapuram. APERC members-- Rama Mohan and Dr. Raghu Hon'ble and the representatives of Agriculture, CII, FAPTCII, NGOs, APTRANSCO and DISCOMs officials were attended the SAC meeting.UNI KNR VV AK2051 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-638352.Xml
Customs officials have arrested a 28-year-old person for attempting to smuggle Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a banned psycho-active constituent of cannabis worth Rs two crore in the International market, through a Panama-flagged vessel, at V.O.Chidambaranar Port, here. Official sources said here today the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel caught Roy, hailing from this Port town, when he attempted to carry food and other provisions for sailors of foreign vessels berthed at the port, on suspicion last evening. During the checking, the CISF personnel found an oil-like substance from his possession. He was handed over to the Customs officials for interrogation. The Customs officials after conducting clinical analysis found that the seized substance was THC, weighing two kilograms and valued at Rs two crore in the international market. Investigations revealed that Roy was attempting to smuggle THC through "Stella Beauty," a General Cargo Vessel registered in Panama. The vessel was berthed in Tuticorin port since March 10. Customs officials are investigating to find out from where the narcotic substance was procured and whether any International narcotic cartel behind the smuggling of THC from India. UNI GSM VV AK1812 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-638463.Xml
A meeting of the top Excise officials of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu was held today here to monitor the production, storage and sale of liquor in the region till the Assembly election process concludes.. Tamil Nadu officials, Dr C N Maheswaran, IAS, Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise, Additional DGP Ashuthosh Shukla, IPS, held the meeting with Secretary to Government and Excise commissioner of Puducherry, B R Babu, IAS at the chief secretariat as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India. Sources said the officials discussed to find ways and means to prevent smuggling of liquor into Tamil Nadu areas of Cuddalore, Villupuram from the Union Territory. Tamil Nadu Excise North Zone superintendent, Cuddalore additional SP, Villippuram additional SP and Puducherry Excise officials were present at the meeting. After the meeting, B R Babu told reporters that the meeting discussed the ways to check the smuggling of liquor from Puducherry for using it to influence the voters in the forthcoming assembly polls. He said the officials also touched upon issues such as sharing of information about those involved in liquor smuggling, and additional security measures with deployment of more personnel for checking in borders. As many as nine check-posts in Villupuram district and five in Cuddalore are functioning now. Apart from this static and mobile patrolling squads will be deployed to monitor the liquor movement. Sources said both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry officials are jointly functioning to prevent liquor smuggling into Nagapattinam district (TN) adjoining to Karaikal region of UT. It may be noted that the cost of liquor in Puducherry was less than Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring state is bearing the brunt of smuggling of liquor. UNI PAB VV AK1947 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-638653.Xml
CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat today challenged the campaign of nationalism of BJP and termed it as 'Hindutva nationalism'.Addressing a gathering on the occasion of centenary celebration of former general secretary of CPI-M and veteran communist Harkishan Singh Surjeet here Mr Karat alleged that Modi and his ideologist RSS are misinterpreting nationalism as Hinduism."Without opposing imperialism it cannot be nationalism. But Modi government has extended defence deal with America for another 10 years by which US force has allowed to use Indian Air Force and naval bases for their purpose. Mr Modi has agreed to take part in American strategy to deal with Asian issue more particularly to prevent the growth of China," Mr Karat stated.He said Surjeet like communist leaders were jailed for opposing Britishers in India during freedom struggle and added, "BJP was not established in that time but their ideologists RSS established in 1925. There is no history of RSS to fight against British between 1925 and 1947. Unfortunately, they have now become the proponent of nationalism."He alleged that in 21 months of rule Mr Modi did nothing mentionable for holistic development of the country except instigating communal tension in different states and persued the agenda to make India as Hindu province violating secular provision of Indian constitution.Modi's foreign policy, economic policy, agriculture policy and investment policy are all for the multinational companies and a few rich industrialists of the country, which put Indian farmers and small manufacturing units into trouble."Modi has gone multi steps ahead of Congress-led government at the Centre to lease out India and Indians' interest. The left parties have formulated strategies to fight back such anti-Indian agenda vigorously," Mr Karat added. In the forthcoming assembly elections, left parties are fighting with other secular parties to oust Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and Congress-led front in Kerala. UNI BB KK AE SB BD2041 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-638476.Xml
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today exuded confidence of resolving the ban imposed by National Green Tribunal on coal mining in the state. "We are hopeful that as substantial progress have taken place in regards to the discussion, we are hopeful that sooner than later we will be able to resolve this issue," Dr Sangma told the assembly. Replying to a motion moved by opposition Hill State Democratic Party legislator KP Pangniang, the Chief Minister said the government expect very favourable support to the proposal (invoke of para 12 A (b) because as of now number of discussions and number of meetings are going on.Last year, the state assembly last adopted a resolution to urge the Centre for invoking para 12 A (b) of the sixth schedule through a presidential notification to ensure the relevant provisions of two acts- MMDR and Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, 1973 is exempted for operation in Meghalaya.Earlier, the NGT in several of its hearings had directed the state government to framed guidelines for coal mining activities in the state and had asked concerned ministries to accordingly examine the same.The Green Court had imposed a blanket ban on unscientific rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya since April 17, 2014 which has affected the overall economic of the state."The latest position is that the state government has been asked to frame guidelines on coal mining activities in the state which has been done and submitted to NGT and Ministry of Coal," Dr Sangma said. He said the guidelines framed will takes care of various statutory laws in respect of environment, pollution, health and safety of workers."Our exercise to prevail upon the centre to invoke the relevant provision of Para 12 A (b) of the sixth schedule of the constitution has not been ignored," Dr Sangma said. Informing the Assembly that ministries are already in the process of examining, Dr Sangma said, "There has been number of discussions going on for both the proposals of the government including the guidelines submitted to line ministries." UNI RRK AKM SB BD2006 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-638552.Xml
"Besides, short-term loans totalling approximately Rs 5,000 crore will be converted into medium-term ones and the regime shall pay the interest. About 10.50 lakh farmers are to consequently benefit. Loan conversion will be done in cases where crop damage equals or is higher than 33 per cent," the Minister said. However, Acting Leader of the Opposition Bala Bachchan urged debt waiver.

Mr Bhargawa also announced that inquiries would be conducted into allegations of irregularities in two cooperative bodies in Hoshangabad and Jabalpur districts.

The House witnessed passage of budgetary demands exceeding Rs 1,146 cr for the Labour; Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare; De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes Welfare departments by voice vote.

While replying to the discussion on demands for his departments, Minister Antar Singh Arya said, "About 1.5 crore labourers will gain due to formation of the Urban and Rural Unorganised Workers' Welfare Board."UNI Team-AC SB PM2158

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-638691.Xml
Bombay High Court today asked the police and the state government to produce the charge sheet in a criminal case pertaining to Maval taluka near Pune in which a police officer is accused of opening fire at a mob of protesters in 2011. The court said that it would like to peruse the charge sheet if it has been filed in the trial court. A bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka asked police and the state government to produce the charge sheet if it has been filed in the trial court. The judges posted to April 18 a Public Interest Litigation seeking a CBI probe against senior police officer Sandeep Karnik, accused of opening fire at a mob in Maval in which one woman was killed. Social activist I G Khandelwal filed the petition seeking CBI probe, after the high court refused to interfere with the state government's decision to give a clean chit to Karnik. Khandelwal challenged the state government's decision to give a clean chit to Karnik and sought a probe by CBI. UNI-AAAA SB NS2104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-638605.Xml
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tonight directed officials to extend prompt relief to farmers whose crops have been damaged in the recent hailstorm. He has also directed district magistrates to constitute teams of revenue and agriculture department officials to conduct an assessment of the damage and send a report to the state government at the earliest so that relief could be provided to them immediately. The Chief Minister also reiterated the commitment of the Samajwadi government for welfare of the farmers. Mr Yadav also asked district magistrates to immediately begin providing relief to farmers with due transparency and care and warned that any dereliction of duty will invite stringent action against errant officials/employees. He has also asked officials to ensure that no penal action is taken against affected farmers. Following the directives of the Chief Minister the Relief Commissioner's office held talks with additional district magistrates (Finance and Revenue). According to initial information, crops have been damaged due to hailstorm in Banda, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Jalaun, Fatehpur, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Lucknow, Sitapur, Firozabad, Agra, Aligarh and Bhadohi, crop damage has been around 33 per cent or more. A crop damage assessment of Rs 25 crore has been sent from Fatehpur. Other districts have been asked to promptly assess the damage by conducting a survey and send a report to the state government immediately. Providing this information, Secretary and Relief Commissioner Anil Kumar said recently, other than unseasonal rains, hailstorm also struck many parts of the state that have caused extensive damage to crops. He added that if the crop damage was 33 per cent or more, the information, in the prescribed format, may be sent to Relief Commissioner's Office by March 18 next. He further informed that a request for the same has been made earlier on March 9. UNI MB PY 2254 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-638898.Xml
The police today arrested the manager of a hotel and searching for other staff members who have attacked a tourist party from Kolkata injuring them badly.According to the complaint filed with the Baliapanda police, a fourteen-member tourist party from Manaspur, Kolkata had arrived at hotel Malancha located at Baliapanda area close to the sea beach.They had prior booking of six rooms from March 15 to18. When they arrived at the hotel at about 0630 hrs, the manager of the hotel asked them to wait for one hour.Till 0830 the manger could not provide them rooms. When the tourists complained the manager along with other staffs and locals attacked the visitors.Narayan Mandol and two other tourists sustained bleeding injuries on their head. They lodged a complaint with the Baliapanda police station.The police registered a criminal case and sent the injured for treatment to the HQ hospital.The manager of the hotel was arrested and the police looking for others in this connection.UNI XC DP BM SB BD2218 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-638807.Xml
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi today said the poll panel will examine the video footage of the sting operation carried out by a news website and pass it on to the relevant authorities. He was asked by mediapersons action the EC was planning to take in regard to the sting operation. "We have received video from political parties... we will get it examined.. we will pass it on to the relevant authorities," Mr Zaidi told mediapersons here. Mr Zaidi said the EC would also look into the appointment of a special observer for the state, adding that it would take a serious view of incidents of laxity in the enforcement of the model code of conduct and lack of neutrality on the part of officials. The CEC directed that all flags, banners, hoardings and photographs displayed on government buildings, public transport and bridges in violation of the model code of conduct will have to be removed within the next two days. "There were flags, hoardings and photographs being displayed on public transport, buildings, bridges, and we have given 48 hours to officials to remove such flags, banners and hoardings which have been displayed in violation of MCC, failing which the Commission will take a very serious view." The Election Commission was committed to conduct the poll in a free and fair manner and will place police observers, general observers, expenditure observers and voter awareness observers, Mr Zaidi added.UNI BM SB PM2211 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-638874.Xml
If Pyongyang continues unreasonable provocations and strong confrontations with the international community while refraining from coming to a path of change, it will walk a path of destroying itself, Xinhua news agency quoted Park as saying.

The president said that despite strong sanctions from the international society and South Korea, North Korea continued its provocative remarks like a pre-emptive nuclear strike, expressed its willingness to conduct another nuclear test and continued reckless threats such as the launch of short range missiles.

Her comments came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of ballistic rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to enhance the reliance of its nuclear attack capability.

Kim made the remarks when he guided the successful simulated test of re-entry technology needed to return a long range missile's warhead back into atmosphere. Seoul's defence ministry said that North Korea is yet to secure such technology.

Such nuclear threats showed that Pyongyang has a strong sense of crisis towards sanctions by South Korea against North Korea and the international community, President Park said, emphasising the significance of implementing the sanctions properly.

Park instructed the military to maintain defence preparedness in order to immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocations, while ordering officials to strengthen strategic communications with countries such as the US, China, Russia and Japan.

--Indo-Asian News Service mg/ksk/sd

( 272 Words)

2016-03-15-10:57:33 (IANS)
Pakistani officials threatened to expel Afghanistan's Taliban from bases in Pakistan if they did not join peace talks this month, but the militants rebuffed their traditional patron, two officials said, casting doubt on how much influence Islamabad retains over them.After the secret meetings with Pakistani officials about two weeks ago, the Taliban's Supreme Council met at an undisclosed location and voted to reject the talks scheduled for early March with the Afghan government, according to a council member.Instead, the insurgents are now pouring back into Afghanistan for what they say will be a fierce spring offensive to be launched soon.Pakistan's influence over the insurgents is the lynchpin to the peace plan developed over last few months by Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China to bring an end to the 15-year-old war in Afghanistan.A Pakistani official in Islamabad said the Taliban's recent success on the battlefield inside Afghanistan had changed the equation."They no longer need their Pakistan bases in the same way, so if Pakistan threatens to expel them, it does not have the same effect," said the official, a retired military officer close to the talks.The insurgents have won new zones of influence - if not outright control - from Afghan security forces since the United States and its allies pulled most combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, Afghan and Western officials acknowledge."Pakistan's trump card - safe havens on its soil - is in danger of being snatched away," said Michael Kugelman of the Woodrow Wilson Institute, a Washington-based think tank."The Taliban have little incentive to step off the battlefield now, given recent gains and those likely to come in the next few months. In effect, why quit while you're ahead?"Nafees Zakaria, a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Office, said he had no knowledge of meetings with the Taliban but added, "We usually don't know who has met with whom" in the sensitive and high-level peace initiative.In Kabul, however, members of the Afghan government were sceptical about Pakistan's assertions."Pakistan's honesty and sincerity with regard to the Afghan peace process has always been a question," said an Afghan cabinet member, echoing the sentiment of several officials interviewed there.Pakistani officials, however, deny the charge and insist the government and military recognise that Afghanistan's war threatens their own security ."THEIR DREAM"A member of the Taliban's leadership council, or shura, whose members are mostly based in Pakistan and Afghanistan but also travel between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said rebel representatives met in Islamabad with Pakistani officials a little more than two weeks ago."They have asked our representatives to bring more decision-making people to the next meeting ... to the meeting with U.S. and Afghan officials. This is their dream, but they will not be able to see our senior commanders," the Taliban council member said.A senior Pakistani security official with knowledge of the talks said: "I don't think the talks are dead, but they are definitely plagued by a serious illness."The ones who are in Pakistan ... We have told them repeatedly that they will have to leave if they don't participate in the process," the Pakistani official said.."We have done what we can ... but influence does not mean control. Those days are long gone."The Taliban source had knowledge of, but did not attend, the meeting with Pakistani officials in Islamabad. He was at the subsequent Taliban council meeting to decide on whether to join the peace talks.The pro-talks camp largely comprised supporters of nominal Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, believed to be hiding in Pakistan after being shot in a leadership dispute last year and rumoured killed, and his chief rival, Mullah Mohammad Rasoul, who is believed to be in Afghanistan."I personally feel that Mullah Mansour and some other leaders are in favour of peace talks and they don't want to annoy Pakistan ... but they can't make decisions without approval of other shura members," said the Taliban council member."Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declined to comment on any meetings with Pakistani representatives. He confirmed the Leadership Council meeting but would not give details.Publicly, both the Afghan and Pakistani government are expressing hopes that peace talks can begin before the traditional Taliban spring offensive .Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz spoke last week of progress in restarting talks "in coming days".However, Taliban commanders told Reuters that with the council's decision, they are focusing on launching their annual fighting season with the hopes of grabbing more territory."We already have started focusing on the spring offensive, and that's why the majority of the fighters and commanders are going there (Afghanistan)," said a senior Taliban figure, based in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan.REUTERS KU PM0444 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0348-637194.Xml
President Vladimir Putin announced out of the blue that "the main part" of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw, telling his diplomats to step up the push for peace as UN-mediated talks resumed on ending the five-year-old war.Damascus rejected any suggestion of a rift with Moscow, saying President Bashar al-Assad had agreed on the "reduction" of Russian forces in a telephone call with Putin.Western diplomats speculated that Putin may be trying to press Assad into accepting a political settlement to the war, which has killed 250,000 people, although US officials saw no sign yet of Russian forces preparing to pull out.The anti-Assad opposition expressed bafflement, with a spokesman saying, "Nobody knows what is in Putin's mind".Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped to turn the tide of war in Assad's favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies including US-made anti-tank missiles.Putin made his surprise announcement, that came with no advance word to the United States, at a meeting with his defence and foreign ministers.Russian forces had largely fulfilled their objectives in Syria, Putin said. But he gave no deadline for the completion of the withdrawal and said forces would remain at a seaport and airbase in Syria's Latakia province.In Geneva, United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura told the warring parties there was no "Plan B" other than a resumption of conflict if the first of three rounds of talks that aim to agree a "clear roadmap" for Syria failed to make progress.Putin and US President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday about Syria, with the Kremlin saying the two leaders "called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement" to the conflict.The White House said Obama welcomed the reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation of hostilities but "underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria."A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was encouraged by Putin's announcement but that it was too early to say what it means, whether he will carry it out and what may have motivated it.Putin said at the Kremlin meeting that he was ordering the withdrawal from Tuesday of "the main part of our military contingent" from the country."The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process," he said. "I believe that the task put before the defence ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled."With the participation of the Russian military, Syrian armed forces "have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism", he added.'COMPLETE COORDINATION'Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had telephoned the Syrian president to inform him of the decision, but the two leaders had not discussed Assad's future, the biggest obstacle to reaching a peace agreement.The move was announced on the day UN-brokered talks involving the warring sides in Syria resumed in Geneva.In Damascus, the Syrian presidency said in a statement that Assad had agreed to the reduction in the Russian air force presence, and denied suggestions it reflected a difference between the two countries"The whole subject happened in complete coordination between the Russian and Syrian sides, and is a step that was carefully and accurately studied for some time," the statement said, adding that Moscow had promised to continue support for Syria in "confronting terrorism."Syria regards all rebel groups fighting Assad as terrorists.Rebels and opposition officials alike reacted sceptically."I don't understand the Russian announcement, it's a surprise, like the way they entered the war. God protect us," said Fadi Ahmad, spokesman for the First Coastal Division, a Free Syria Army group fighting in the northwest.Opposition spokesman Salim al-Muslat demanded a total Russian withdrawal. "Nobody knows what is in Putin's mind, but the point is he has no right to be in be our country in the first place. Just go," he said.A European diplomat was also sceptical. "It has the potential to put a lot of pressure on Assad and the timing fits that," the diplomat said."However, I say potentially because we've seen before with Russia that what's promised isn't always what happens."MOMENT OF TRUTHThe Geneva talks are the first in more than two years and come amid a marked reduction in fighting after last month's "cessation of hostilities," sponsored by Washington and Moscow and accepted by Assad's government and many of his foes.Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, confirmed some forces would stay in Syria. "Our military presence will continue to be there, it will be directed mostly at making sure that the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities, is maintained," he told reporters at the United Nations in New York.But he added, "Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria."Speaking before Putin's announcement, de Mistura said Syria faced a moment of truth, as he opened talks to end a war which has displaced half the population, sent refugees streaming into Europe and turned Syria into a battlefield for foreign forces and jihadis.The limited truce, which excludes the powerful Islamic State and Nusra Front groups, is fragile. The warring sides have accused each other of multiple violations and they arrived in Geneva with what look like irreconcilable agendas.The Syrian opposition has said the talks must focus on setting up a transitional governing body with full executive power, and that Assad must leave power at the start of the transition. Damascus has said Assad's opponents are deluded if they think they will take power at the negotiating table. REUTERS KU PM0547 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0348-637196.Xml
Gunmen from al Qaeda's North African branch drank beer at a beachside bar before launching a shooting rampage at an Ivory Coast resort town that left at least 18 people dead, the group's third major attack in West Africa in four months.Sunday's raid, details of which are beginning to emerge in witness and official accounts, was the furthest yet from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) traditional desert base, a worrying indication of the militants' growing reach.The attack raised questions about Ivory Coast's preparedness for such an attack, with some asking why such a sensitive target was left so vulnerable.Fifteen civilians and three members of the special forces were killed and 33 people were wounded in the attack in Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with Ivorians and westerners about 40 km east of the commercial capital Abidjan.Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said another 26 wounded were still receiving medical attention on Monday, as President Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning for the country, which has never before been hit by al Qaeda.Three militants also died in the attack on the resort town, a UNESCO heritage site of crumbling colonial-era buildings.Witness Christian Eddy said four men arrived in a Ford saloon car at the beachside bar where he works around noon on Sunday. While two remained outside, the two others entered and drank beers for around a half hour.They then launched the attack."They didn't speak French. They spoke Arabic. We communicated with them in English .... The guys who were still outside started shooting and the two seated at the table yelled 'Allahu Akbar' and flipped over the table," he told Reuters.He said the first victim was a boy who was made to kneel before he was shot. Bar staff tried to warn a deaf boy who was playing nearby."People were yelling 'Come over here!' But he didn't know what was happening and just went down to the water. They shot him in the water," Eddy said.The gunmen then moved up the beach, continuing their killing spree and entering several seaside hotels.Surveillance footage from Hotel Etoile du Sud - one of the attackers' first targets where two people including a German woman and a Lebanese man were gunned down - showed the initial panic in the hotel bar as the first shots rang out.Staff crouched and then fled along with customers, among them parents carrying babies or leading young children by the hand.A man, apparently disguised as a waiter in a red waistcoat over a white dress shirt, entered with a rifle, fired at the empty bar and disappeared behind it, where the Lebanese man had been hiding. More gunshots were then heard.The first police officers arrived on the scene around 15 minutes after the shooting began, witnesses said. It would be another half hour before special units from the security forces arrived from Abidjan.The victims included foreign citizens from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Germany and Mali.Among the dead was Henrike Grohs, 51, head of the Abidjan branch of Germany's Goethe Institut cultural body.France's President Francois Hollande said four French nationals were killed in the attack. The French government had earlier said just one of its citizens had died.EASY TARGETThe attack is a heavy blow for Ivory Coast, which has recovered from more than a decade of political turmoil and a 2011 civil war to become one of the world's fastest growing economies.President Ouattara won a landslide election victory in October, promising to attract foreign investment to the largest economy in French-speaking West Africa which is also the world's top cocoa producer."Ivory Coast will not let itself be intimidated by terrorists," Ouattara said in a televised address late on Monday. "Yes, Ivory Coast is on its feet. Yes, on its feet to combat the cowards and protect its people."AQIM has spread across the Sahara from Algeria and now operates in much of western and northern Africa.In January, gunmen killed dozens of people in a cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, and also attacked a hotel. Militants attacked another hotel in the Malian capital Bamako late last year, killing 20.Since those attacks, Ivorian authorities have increased security around hotels and shopping malls in Abidjan, a city of around five million inhabitants. But there were few signs that was the case in Grand Bassam ahead of Sunday's attack."Attacking Bassam was the easiest thing for them to do. Bassam is where all the expatriates and middle class from Abidjan gather on the weekends," said one longtime resident, who said he had seen no sign of recent security improvements."We don't understand why this wasn't considered a priority for protection. It would be easy," he said, asking not to be named.The recent attacks in the region are generally viewed as targeting France and its allies after Paris intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to drive out al Qaeda-linked militants who had seized the desert north a year earlier.The attack in Grand Bassam, thousands of kilometres from al Qaeda's traditional operational zones, raises fears over where they might strike next. It poses serious security questions for former regional colonial power France, which has thousands of citizens and troops in the region.While some 18,000 French citizens live in Ivory Coast, over 20,000 reside in Senegal.France has 3,500 troops in the region, from Senegal in the far west to Chad. A French military base in Abidjan, manned by around 800 soldiers, serves as a logistical hub for regional operations against Islamist militancy in the Sahel.French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve will travel to Ivory Coast on Tuesday to offer logistical support and intelligence, French diplomatic sources said. Counter-terrorism officials have also been sent to help the investigation. REUTERS KU 0511 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0348-637198.Xml
Investigators have found the remains of at least 14 people presumed to be among 21 miners who went missing over a week ago after a massacre near a gold mine in Venezuela's violent southern jungle, authorities said. The remains were found buried in a common grave about 5 meters deep, government ombudsman Tarek Saab said in an interview with local news station Globovision. Chief prosecutor Luis Ortega earlier in the day told the same TV station that investigators were still seeking to determine the motive for the crime. The massacre took place near Tumeremo, in Bolivar state, with some witnesses cited by local media, relatives and politicians as saying that a gang shot the miners and cut some up with a chain saw on March 4. The case has shaken Venezuelans, even though the country suffers one of the world's highest murder rates. The government has pointed the finger at foreign paramilitaries, while opponents have accused security forces of being negligent. Gang fights are common in the vast and remote area near the borders of Guyana and Brazil, which is riddled with illegal mines. Arrest warrants have been issued for three people, including an Ecuadorean, Ortega said. One woman had been arrested and is due to appear in court in the city of Puerto Ordaz today.REUTERS KU 0631 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0348-637210.Xml
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Morocco's foreign minister he was angered and disappointed by a demonstration in Rabat he said was a personal attack on him over remarks he made about the disputed territory of Western Sahara.Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched though the capital on Sunday to protest Ban's position on Western Sahara and rally support for the king.Ban "conveyed his astonishment at the recent statement of the government of Morocco and expressed his deep disappointment and anger regarding the demonstration that was mobilized on Sunday, which targeted him in person," Ban's press office said in an unusually tough statement yesterday."He stressed that such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations," said the statement, which was issued after he met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar.Rabat accused Ban last week of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara conflict, saying he used the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's presence in the region that has been at the center of a dispute since 1975.The United Nations acknowledges he used the term. Monday's statement said there was a misunderstanding over his use of the word "occupation," noting it was Ban's "personal reaction to the deplorable humanitarian conditions in which the Sahrawi refugees have lived in for far too long."The UN statement issued on Monday evening said Ban asked Mezouar for "clarification regarding the reported presence of several members of the Moroccan government among the demonstrators."State news agency MAP said 3 million people attended Sunday's march, although those figures could not be confirmed. Some protesters said they were bused for free to the march and that trains had also been free for the day of the rally.The dispute over the region in the northwest edge of Africa has dragged on since Morocco took control over most of it in 1975 after the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain.The Polisario Front, which says the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, fought a war against Morocco until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991, but the two sides have since been deadlocked.Polisario, backed by Morocco's regional rival and neighbor Algeria and a number of other African states, wants a referendum promised in the ceasefire agreement on the region's fate. Morocco says it will not offer more than autonomy for the region, rich in phosphates and possibly offshore oil and gas.REUTERS KU 0651 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0348-637212.Xml
A senior Mexican official has said legalizing cultivation of opium poppies for medicinal purposes might help reduce violence in one of the regions most affected by brutal drug gangs that have ravaged the country for years.Hector Astudillo, governor of Guerrero, one of the most violent states in Mexico, told Milenio television it was worth at least exploring the possibility of allowing cultivation."Let's do some sort of pilot scheme," Astudillo, a member of President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, told Milenio in an interview recorded last week but broadcast yesterday."Provided it's used for medical issues ... It's a way out that could get us away from the violence there has been in Guerrero," he added.Home to the beach resort Acapulco, Guerrero was the scene of the September 2014 disappearance of 43 trainee teachers, who the government says it believes were massacred by a drug gang working with corrupt local officials and police.The disappearances sparked widespread international condemnation of the state of law and order in Mexico.Astudillo, who was elected governor of the southwestern state last year, said Guerrero could not tackle the violence on its own, and argued bringing poppy cultivation into the open could weaken the hold gangsters have on local farmers.He did not offer details of how such a scheme could work in Mexico, which is currently conducting a national review of its policy on marijuana after the Supreme Court last year granted an advocacy group the right to grow it for recreational use.Though the marijuana ruling only applied to the group in question, it could eventually usher in nationwide changes.Still, President Pena Nieto has been very cautious about the possibility of liberalizing Mexico's drug laws.Opium poppies are used to make opium and heroin, as well as morphine and other pain-killing drugs. They can only be grown legally in a handful of countries, including India, Turkey and Australia.More than 100,000 people have died in Mexico due to clashes between drug gangs and the state since the previous government sent in the armed forces to fight the cartels in late 2006. REUTERS SV VP1238 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-637440.Xml
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) was quoted by media, as saying in a statement on Tuesday that the facilitators have been identified as Mohammad Azam and Zabiullah.

The statement further stated that both were captured by NDS personnel during a special operation organised recently.

The NDS also confirmed the capture of two other terrorists, a Tajikistani national named Harref and a local man named Ahmad.

Two grenade launchers, 22 telecommunication radios were among items along a vehicle seized following the raid in the province, 250 km north of Kabul, the statement said. (ANI)
Macedonia has sent about 1,500 migrants and refugees who crossed the border back to Greece, Macedonian police said today.Most of the migrants, who marched out of the Idomeni transit camp in northern Greece yesterday and got around a border fence, had been taken back to Greece yesterday or overnight on trucks, an official said.Greece's Deputy Defence Minister Dimitris Vitsas said he could neither confirm nor deny the reports.Reporters and aid officials on the scene said the migrants had been left at the Greek border and that there were migrants on both the Greek and Macedonian sides of the border.The 1,500 migrants hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river to get around the border fence where they were detained by Macedonian security forces.About 30 reporters, including a Reuters photographer, were also detained.A second group of about 600 migrants was prevented from crossing into Macedonia on Monday and many of these spent the night camping in the Greek mountains, according to a Reuters photographer.At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in the Idomeni camp, their path to the EU blocked after Macedonia and other nations along the so-called Western Balkan route closed their borders.European Union leaders are trying to stem a flow of migrants and refugees that brought more than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond to the EU since early 2015.They are due to hold a new summit with Turkey this week to seal an agreement intended to halt the exodus.Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said today there was "no chance" border shutdowns throughout the Balkans would be lifted and urged refugees to move to reception centres set up by the state.Jan van't Land, an official with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres at Idomeni, said around 400 migrants had returned to Idomeni camp."There are still many hundreds of people on both the Greek and the Macedonian side of the border," he told Reuters.Conditions at the Idomeni camp have deteriorated after days of heavy rain. Scuffles have broken out there in recent days as destitute people scrambled for food and firewood, while many have been sleeping in the open. Concern about the spread of infection grew after one person was diagnosed with Hepatitis A.Greek officials say leaflets that circulated at the Idomeni camp before Monday's march showed it was planned."We are in possession of leaflets that show this was an organised incident, a very dangerous one, endangering people's lives," Greek government spokesman George Kyritsis told reporters on Monday evening.Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR who is at Idomeni, said the migrants' breakout and return "hasn't solved anything.""It just increased sufferings of refugees. It started raining again. The sense of support for refugees in the region is missing," he said. Reuters AE PR1651 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0100-638046.Xml
China will release water from a dam in its southwestern province of Yunnan to help alleviate a drought in parts of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, China's Foreign Ministry said today.The water will be released until April 10 from the Jinghong dam, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily news briefing.It will benefit Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, Lu added.China "hopes it can be of help in alleviating the drought downstream", he said.According to Vietnamese media, some 140,000 ha of rice in the Mekong Delta has been damaged by the drought with around 600,000 people facing drinking water shortages.While China and Vietnam are involved in an increasingly bitter territorial dispute in the South China Sea, the two Communist-lead countries have traditionally had close ties.Beijing and Hanoi have also been trying to repair ties severely harmed in 2014 when Beijing parked an oil rig in waters off the Vietnamese coast, leading to anti-China riots.Reuters AE PR1655 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0100-638065.Xml
Eroglu Levent and Linton Joshua Besser from Australian Broadcasting Corporation were arrested on Saturday after trying to approach Najib for an interview at an event held in Malaysia's Sarawak state.

The two were investigated for obstructing a public servant in discharging his public functions, but prosecutors decided not to charge them, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two journalists can return to Malaysia as tourists, the country's Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters.

"If they come back as tourists, there is no problem. But if they come back and break laws, there will be a problem," Nur Jazlan said.

They were earlier released on police bail after having their statements recorded.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expressed concern over the arrest.

--Indo-Asian News Service py/dg

( 164 Words)

2016-03-15-19:07:32 (IANS)
During a meeting with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Jaishankar told him that India is willing to implement bilateral projects.

According to Prime Minister Oli's foreign affairs' advisor Gopal Khanal, the Nepalese Prime Minister told the Foreign Secretary that he was confident that Nepal would not face another round of blockade, and that India would continue its support for the economic development of the country.

Prime Minister Oli also stressed that his government was ready to conclude all the issues related to Madhesis and delineation of the federal states.

Meanwhile, leaders of Madhesi parties met Jaishankar at Dwarika Hotel around 9:30 a.m here. During the meeting, leader of the Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party Sarvendra Nath Shukla accused the Nepal Government of not addressing the demands of the Madhesi agitators.

"'If our demands remain unaddressed, we will soon launch another round of agitation," Madhesi leaders reportedly told Jaishankar.

In response, Jaishankar assured them that he would discuss the issue with the leaders of major parties of Nepal.

The meeting was attended by senior leader of Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal Ashok Rai, Chairman of Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party Mahendra Yadav, leader of Sadbhawana Party, Laxman Lal Karna, Chairman of Nepal Sadbhawana Party Anil Jha and Chairman of Forum Ganatantrik, Raj Kishowr Yadav among others.

The Foreign Secretary is in Nepal to attend the Foreign Ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) which kicked off on Monday. (ANI)
Iceland has become the place to go, mostly because you can't round a corner without stumbling upon an awe-inspiring landscape or a natural wonder. A few years ago, Iceland was just a hidden, under-the-radar gem known only by locals and intrepid visitors. But these days, more and more tourists are flocking to Iceland's stunning geothermal spas, dramatic fjords and majestic glaciers to catch a glimpse of the country's breathtaking landscapes. Offering more than just cascading waterfalls, the northern lights and dreamy landscapes, Iceland offers plenty for visitors to uncover -- from mouthwatering cuisine to genuine hospitality. Here are five enticements to plan a trip this year.

The Breathtaking Natural Wonders

The best way to embrace the natural beauty Iceland has to offer is to drive along Route 1 (or Ring Road), the 830-mile highway that circles the entire country. One can't-miss place is the Snfellsnes glacier in western Iceland. This scenic hike offers jaw-dropping views of neighboring fjords. And for an unspoiled view of the aurora borealis, visit Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Afterward, uncover the island's famed Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you'll be bet met with stunning views of the sunset, or trek over 15 miles over the mountains of Thorsmork National Park and watch the horizon and vast landscape consisting of alpine lakes, lush forests and rolling hills unfold in front of you.

The Healing Hot Springs

Iceland is speckled with hot springs. Since you won't be able to visit every single hot spring the country has to offer in one trip, hit the highlights. Start by visiting the iconic Blue Lagoon, which stays at 96 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and is located right outside Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city. Another well-known area is Geysir Hot Springs, which is located in Haukadulr, at the southern tip of Iceland, and is known for erupting water columns that can reach up to 150 feet into the air. And Snorralaug, which is located in the western region of Reykholt, is home to one of the oldest springs in Iceland, dating back to the 12th century. Meanwhile, a little lesser-known hot spring, Hveragerdi, is made up of two springs, the Blue Hot Springs and Riverside Hot Springs, and is located in southern Iceland.

The Fresh Nordic Cuisine

The cuisine in Iceland is primarily Nordic, but you'll also find Asian- and European-influenced dishes, too. If you're not sure what to eat, start with seafood. The island boasts an incredible bounty of seafood, from organic cod to lobsters, salmon and more. Start with dishes like plokkfishkur (fish mashed with potatoes), fresh scallop fish stew with bold seasonings or seared salmon with fresh berry jam. Iceland is also known for its grass-fed meats, such as beef and lamb. And you can't visit Reykjavik without stopping at the most popular eatery in town, the hot dog stand. Here, you'll enjoy an all lamb hot dog topped with mustard, crunchy onions and remoulade. And if you're feeling daring, try the fermented shark with a shot of Black Death (a popular Icelandic drink made with the spirit Brennivin) to wash it down.

The Welcoming Locals

Icelandic locals are known for their wit and genuine hospitality. Proud and passionate about their culture, many residents enjoy locals sharing stories and myths they've heard from their families. Also, if you happen to be visiting around Christmastime, make sure to embark on one country's many elf-time strolls and themed festivities. Icelandic residents are also resilient and daring, and are known for being up for late-night drinks, long hikes in the mountains and thrilling activities, such as ATV rides and ski jumps. For a taste of true Icelandic tradition, visit the Frystiklefinn (or The Freezer), which is a professional theater and hostel in the quaint town of Rif in West Iceland. If you can, catch the one-person show, Hetja, at the theater. Featuring the incredibly talented Kari Viarsson, the show tells the story of one of the local legends of Rif, and is packed with plenty of Icelandic humor.

The Convenience Factor

The flight from Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston airports to Reykjavik take less than five hours, and most routes are nonstop. Plus, Icelandair offers plenty of direct, year-round flights to Reykjavik from major hubs across the country, including Seattle, Denver, Orlando, Florida and Vancouver, British Columbia. Another benefit of flying Icelandair is that the carrier offers short or longer stopovers in Iceland, allowing you to explore the country while in transit to another destination. Plus, the airline helps connect visitors with local tour groups and hotels in the country, making the trip-planning process easy and stress-free.
Gevgelija (Macedonia) (AFP) - Some 1,500 migrants who managed to cross into Macedonia, despite the border being closed to them for a week, have been sent back to Greece by Macedonian troops, officials said Tuesday.

The desperate group of men, women and children had set off from an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek side on Monday and waded thigh-deep through a river to get into Macedonia, where they were stopped by troops.

"Yesterday we had a large group of illegal migrants who tried and managed to cross the border unlawfully near the village of Moin," Toni Janevski, a Macedonian army spokesman, told AFP.

"Without any incident or use of force, they were blocked and in the early morning hours they were returned to Greece."

A group of around 80 journalists and activists, who were detained by Macedonian police after travelling with the migrants, were also released and allowed to return to Greece.

Back on the Greek side, however, AFP reporters said they had seen at least two migrants who appeared to have been beaten, while a Greek government source said the migrants were sent back by "non-legal" crossings.

An Afghan man with facial injuries told Greek media that Macedonian police had struck him in the face with a burning log.

"We lit a fire with my family and Macedonian police came. They asked us to leave, they burned my face with a piece of firewood and beat me," he said.

Another man told Radio Thessaloniki that the soaked and freezing migrants were told not to light fires.

The migrants were trying to escape a camp in Idomeni, where 14,000 or so people have been stuck in increasing squalor following a string of border closures on the European migrant route.

An AFP video journalist who was with them said the Macedonian army had allowed the migrants to get as far as the village square in Moin, where they were herded together.

They were all told to sit on the ground and the media were taken away first, the journalist said.

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A Syrian refugee told AFP that they were then divided into groups of 100.

- Macedonians 'cut own fence' -

Others said the Macedonians had cut their own wire fence to return the refugees to Greece illegally.

"I don't know if they were police or army. They cut it and made us go back," one man told Greece's Mega channel.

The Macedonian police said 1,500 had managed to cross into Macedonia before being returned, and another 600 were prevented from entering.

The returns appeared to surprise the Greek authorities, who had said earlier Tuesday that some 700 refugees and migrants remained stranded in Macedonia, indicating that they were ready to discuss their readmission if Macedonia asked.

"There wasn't in any case an official request for readmission from Skopje, and no return through official crossing points," said the Greek government source.

"Nearly all the refugees have come back through an unguarded location," added a local Greek police source.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meanwhile denounced the "criminal" attitude of people who appeared to have orchestrated the migrants' attempt to cross into Macedonia, and called on them to take note of the closure of the Balkan route.

He said there had been in Idomeni "an unacceptable situation, with strangers, perhaps pretending to be volunteers" who had encouraged migrants to go to Macedonia "at risk to their lives".

Greek authorities said the migrants had read leaflets in Arabic which described the route across the river and warned they risked being sent back to Turkey if they stayed in Greece, the ANA news agency reported.
By Jeffrey Dastin

(Reuters) - U.S. airlines hoping to get a few of the limited number of flights to Cuba filed regulatory papers on Monday in response to rivals' applications laying out their best arguments for consumer travel to the Caribbean island.

The United States and Cuba signed an agreement a month ago restoring commercial air service between the former Cold War foes for the first time in decades. Under the agreement, 20 daily round-trip flights will be allowed to Havana but 13 U.S. carriers already have requested at least 52 flights per day, far exceeding the limit.

Airlines submitted responses to rivals' applications by the Monday deadline set by the U.S. Transportation Department for travel to the capital of Havana.

The filings come just before a trip to Cuba next week by President Barack Obama, the first by a U.S. president in nearly 90 years.

The arguments that emerged from the airline's filings contrasted low airfares and the convenience.

American Airlines Group Inc said nearly half of the entire Cuban-American population lives near its Miami hub, from which it applied for 10 daily flights to Havana. It said this gives it an advantage because a not-yet-lifted ban on tourism to Cuba means traffic must come from authorized travelers, such as people visiting family on the island.

"The frequencies proposed by JetBlue have no relation to demand," said American in its filing, claiming its rival to the Caribbean ran half-empty charters from nearby Fort Lauderdale to Havana.

American said 58 convenient connections via Miami would help it sell seats and serve more travelers globally, compared with JetBlue's alleged 15 connections via Fort Lauderdale.

JetBlue Airways Corp did not have additional comments beyond its own filing, which focused on the importance of competition and lower fares.

"There is no possible justification for one legacy carrier to have 50 percent of available frequencies for use on one route," JetBlue said. "American thrives, for example, in offering service in markets where it dominates with high fares and disappointing service."

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Southwest Airlines Co , in turn, argued for Florida-Cuba service, saying it was the true low-fare leader, reducing average one-way prices $41.46 when entering legacy markets, compared with fares falling $28.91 when JetBlue entered.

And United Continental Holdings Inc , whose application focused on daily Newark flights, questioned the need for extensive Florida schedules altogether.

"Why would you disproportionately allocate frequencies to Florida, when (unlimited charter flights there) can pick up the slack?" said Steve Morrissey, United's regulatory and policy vice president, in an interview.

(Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Editing by Diane Craft)
By Ange Aboa ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's North African branch said its attack on a beach resort in Ivory Coast on Sunday that killed 18 people was revenge for a French offensive against Islamist militants in the Sahel region and called for its forces to withdraw. The raid in Grand Bassam claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb was the first of its kind in Ivory Coast but the third in the region since November. It was also a setback for France, who lost four of its nationals when gunmen opened fire on people eating lunch at restaurants and sunning themselves on the sand. "We repeat our call to all countries involved in the French invasion of Mali to withdraw," the group said in a statement. It named the attackers but gave no further details of their identities. France is a key player in security in West Africa with about 3,500 troops in the region. It has also joined a campaign against Islamic State, which is based in Iraq and Syria. Paris is to station a force of armed gendarmes in the capital of Burkina Faso to react swiftly in the event of another attack in the region and to provide training, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Tuesday. "The desire to position this (gendarmerie) team in Ouagadougou is to enable us to immediately dispense advice and coordinate other actions in the event of a terrorist crisis," Cazeneuve said. He was speaking during a visit with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to Ivory Coast that aims to reassure the large French community and boost the investigation into the attack in Grand Bassam. France launched Operation Serval to oust militants from northern Mali and replaced it in 2014 with Operation Barkhane which targets militants across the Sahel region. Ayrault and Cazeneuve met President Alassane Ouattara and were due to visit the site of the attack and meet representatives of the French community. Islamic State has also singled out France as a target and claimed responsibility for the attack in Paris in November in which 130 people were killed. Twenty people were killed at a hotel in Mali in November and 30 died in an attack on a cafe and hotel in Burkina Faso in January. Ivory Coast has French-speaking West Africa's largest economy and has recovered from a decade of political crisis to boast one of the world's fastest-growing economies. (Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
Twenty-five members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who are of Asian descent  among them two-time best director Oscar winner Ang Lee and former members of the board of governors Arthur Dong, Don Hall and Freida Lee Mock  have sent a letter to the organization protesting "tasteless and offensive skits" about Asians that were featured on the 88th Academy Awards on Feb. 28, the same ceremony at which the Academy's alleged bias against blacks was a primary focus of host Chris Rock.

The Oscar-night references to Asians that have members of the Asian community most upset: a skit in which Rock introduced three Asian children as Academy accountants, and comments ad-libbed by presenter Sacha Baron Cohen that insinuated that Asians have small genitalia.

Read More: Academy CEO Apologizes to Members of Asian Descent for Oscar Night "Hurt"

The letter was delivered to the Academy  specifically, to its board of governors, president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, CEO Dawn Hudson and Oscar producers Reginald Hudlin and David Hill  ahead of Tuesday's monthly board of governors meeting. Citing a number of articles that were critical of the Academy's jokes about Asians, including an op-ed written by THR's Rebecca Sun the day after the Oscars, it asks for "concrete steps" to "preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts."

The letter's signatories are Oscar winners Lee (directors branch), Mock, Steven Okazaki, Ruby Yang, Jessica Yu (documentary branch) and Chris Tashima (shorts and feature animation branch); Oscar nominees Dong, Christine Choy, Rithy Panh and Renee Tajima-Pena (documentary branch); and Nancy Kwan, Peter Kwong, Jodi Long, France Nuyen, Sandra Oh, George Takei (actors branch), Yung Chang (documentary branch), Marcus Hu, Teddy Zee (executives), Maysie Hoy, William Hoy (film editors branch), Janet Yang (producers branch), Laura Kim, David Magdael (public relations branch) and Hall (sound branch).

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Magdael, reached by phone on Tuesday morning, tells THR, "When that skit came up in the middle of the Oscars, we all went like, 'What?' There was a collective, 'That didn't just happen.' We found a lot of people who said, 'We're not going to accept this sort of joke anymore,' especially right after Cheryl Boone Isaacs gave that speech about diversity."

Read More: George Takei Rips Academy, Demands Apology for Oscars' "Shameful" Racist Asian Jokes

The Academy does not make available a complete list of its roughly 6,500 members, but Magdael says that people of Asian descent make up only a small percentage of the organization  "We had a group of 53 that we knew of"  and signatures were obtained from almost every member who could be reached. (He adds that, independent of the members' efforts, the influential Organization of Chinese Americans also sent Isaacs a letter that arrived this week.)

An Academy spokesperson tells THR, "The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive. We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive."

The full text of the 25 Academy members' letter appears below:

March 9, 2016

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President

Dawn Hudson, CEO

Members of the Board of Governors

Reginald Hudlin and David Hill, Oscars Producers

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

8949 Wilshire Boulevard

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

RE: Oscars: Why Make Cheap Jokes at the Expense of Asians?

(Hollywoodreporter.com)

The Oscars anti-Asian racism was alive and well.

(PsychologyToday.com)

Asian-American Jab at Oscars reveals deeper diversity woes

(Associated Press, Salon.com)

Dear Cheryl, Dawn, Members of the Board of Governors, Reginald and David:

We are writing as Academy members of Asian descent to express our complete surprise and disappointment with the targeting of Asians at the 88th Oscars telecast and its perpetuation of racist stereotypes.

In light of criticism over #OscarsSoWhite, we were hopeful that the telecast would provide the Academy a way forward and the chance to present a spectacular example of inclusion and diversity. Instead, the Oscars show was marred by a tone-deaf approach to its portrayal of Asians.

Wed like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts.

We look forward to hearing from you about this matter and about the concrete steps to ensure that all people are portrayed with dignity and respect.

We are proud that the Oscars reach several hundred million people around the world of whom 60% are Asians and potential moviegoers.

Sincerely,

Don Hall, Sound Branch, John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation, Academy Governor, 18 years

Freida Lee Mock, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner, Academy Governor, 6 years

Arthur Dong, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee, Academy Governor, 4 years

Ang Lee, Directors Branch, Two-time Academy Award winner

Chris Tashima, Shorts and Feature Animation Branch, Academy Award winner

Christine Choy, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee

David Magdael, Public Relations Branch

France Nuyen, Actors Branch

George Takei, Actors Branch

Janet Yang, Producers Branch

Jessica Yu, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner

Jodi Long, Actors Branch

Laura Kim, Public Relations Branch

Marcus Hu, Executives Branch

Maysie Hoy, Film Editors Branch

Nancy Kwan, Actors Branch

Peter Kwong, Actors Branch

Renee Tajima-Pena, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee

Rithy Panh, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee

Ruby Yang, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner

Sandra Oh, Actors Branch

Steven Okazaki, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner

Teddy Zee, Executives Branch

William Hoy, Film Editors Branch

Yung Chang, Documentary Branch
Updated | Residents in five states and a U.S. territory will hold presidential contests on Tuesday, as Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich try to hold off victories by GOP front-runner Donald Trump on their respective home turf.

The races are considered make-or-break events for both candidates. Tuesdays primaries have the potential of going down in primary history, as Trump marches toward the Republican nomination.

Democratic and Republican residents will vote in five state contestsFlorida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. The same day, the GOP participated in the Northern Mariana Islands caucus, where Trump was declared the winner. On Saturday, Hillary Clinton won that Democratic caucus.

0314_Tuesday_voting_01

Carlo Allegri/Reuters

The Florida primary is crucial, viewed by both parties as the days biggest prize. But even more for Republicans, its a winner-takes-all event for the delegate allocation. There are 99 available delegates for the Republicans and 214 for the Democrats, who award based on a threshold and proportional system.

The latest polls show the front-runners in each partyClinton and Trumpwith double-digit leads over their competitors in the Sunshine State. A new Quinnipiac University poll released Monday showed Clinton leading Bernie Sanders, 60 to 34 percent. She is hoping to regain momentum after losing to her competitor in Michigan last week. In the Republican race, Trump had 46 percent of support, compared with Rubios 22 percent, Texas Senator Ted Cruzs 14 percent and Kasichs 10 percent.

The Florida polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET. Results will be posted on the Florida Division of Elections website later in the day or early on Wednesday.

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The race is narrower in Ohio, where Clinton is ahead of Sanders by just five points, 51 to 46 percent, according to the Quinnipiac poll. Kasich, who has yet to win anywhere, is faring better than Rubio in his home state: He is tied with Trump at 38 percent. Cruz and Rubio follow with 16 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Other polls have shown Kasich with a slight lead over Trump.

The Ohio polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. local time. Once the polls close, the secretary of states office will provide results on its website.

Tuesdays voting is the last major bundle of events on the primary season calendar for a few days until residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands caucus for the Republicans on March 19.

This story has been updated to include Tuesdays results from the Northern Mariana Islands Republican caucus.

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Arab students looking to study abroad but stay in the Middle East have branch campuses of many overseas universities to choose from, right in their own backyard. Each offers a touch of its home university without the overseas travel. But, there are some differences from one branch campus to another.

"The branch campus is succinctly defined as a location where a foreign university provides a degree on a campus in another country," says Kevin Kinser, co-founder of the Cross-Border Education Research Team, or C-BERT, at the University at Albany--SUNY, which tracks transnational education. "So first there needs to be a foreign university involved."

Branch campuses are unlike Western-style Arab region universities such as American University in Cairo or American University of Beirut that he says, "mimic the academic format from the foreign university but only award a local degree."

[Understand key facts about American-style universities in the Arab region.]

While a high school student, Omani national Alya Al Harthy applied to universities in the U.S., United Kingdom and two branch campuses of U.S. institutions in Qatar: Texas A&M University and Northwestern University. She chose the former and studied petroleum engineering for two years before transferring to Northwestern. Al Harthy says when she first applied to schools she sought an American-style education.

"Advice I had received described American-style education as more holistic and less narrow with regards to the topic of study," says Al Harthy, on tips she received from her high school teachers. "It's a longer study period, four years versus three years in the U.K., but I thought I'd have the option of studying different electives."

Al Harthy says it was because she was able to get exposure to many liberal arts courses at Texas A&M that she ended up switching her major to communication.

Nanci Martin, spokeswoman for Northwestern University, says the school provides an American-style liberal arts education with a choice of two four-year degrees in journalism or communication. She says the school follows the semester system and accepts either the TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or the IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, as language requirements for admission.

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[Check out what to know about the IELTS exam.]

Qatar has 11 branch campuses, the majority of which are American, according to C-BERT. The United Arab Emirates hosts the most branch campuses in the world -- 32 -- with the U.K. topping Western-style branches there.

Kinser, chair of the department of educational administration and policy studies at SUNY--Albany, says branch campus education is "technically the same as what is offered at the home campus." However, he says students are not getting the same campus experience and that faculty quality and expertise may differ and research may be limited. He says that though the curriculum, courses and degree may be like the home campus, "it is better to be thought of as similar rather than identical."

Prospective students should keep in mind that there are some differences between the U.K. and U.S. systems. Degree programs at U.S.-affiliated campuses are usually a year longer than those tied to U.K. institutions. U.S. university branch campuses emphasize breadth, meaning students take classes in many different fields and subjects, whereas those connected to U.K. systems emphasize depth, or focus on a student's chosen subject.

[See a full list of Arab region branch campuses.]

For example, Middlesex University in Dubai, a branch of the U.K. school, has three-year degrees and focuses all three years on depth, according to its website. Branch campuses of U.S. universities allow students to choose a major at the end of their second year, while those of U.K. institutions require students to choose a major when they apply. U.K. schools typically have "colleges" focused on one subject as well.

For students seeking a French-style education, one option is Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, which teaches in French and offers undergrad degrees that take three years for students fluent in French. A degree takes four years for less fluent students, who must take a one-year intensive French course before beginning their chosen program. The school follows the semester system.

"We give our students the world-class standards of a Parisian education, offering a degree direct from three universities in Paris: Paris Sorbonne, Paris Descartes, Pierre et Marie-Curie," said Eric Fouache, vice chancellor at the school, via email.

Bahraini national Ali Sabt originally wanted to study in the U.K. until he realized the cost of living would make funding his education difficult. He considered branch campuses of U.S. schools Rochester Institute of Technology and New York Institute of Technology in the UAE, before he found the German University of Technology in Oman.

"It fit all my needs, which include good education, German quality, close-by country of similar culture, a degree in English and a scholarship," says Sabt, who earned a bachelor's degree in process engineering in 2015 and now works in Bahrain as a machine operator at Olayan Kimberly-Clark, which produces tissues and personal care products.

Manuela Gutberlet, spokeswoman for GUTech, says the school is the only German university on the Arabian peninsula and was designed by its partner, RWTH Aachen University in Germany. She says the school teaches in English and follows the semester system, offering four-year undergraduate degrees and requires a passing IETLS score for admission.

Then there's University of Wollongong Dubai, which is a branch campus of an Australian university. Barry O'Mahony, dean of the faculty of business, says the school follows a three-semester year, with a summer semester included for students seeking to fast-track their degrees. The school offers three- to four-year degrees that "mirror what's taught in Australia." Similar to the U.K. system, undergrad students study core subjects in their faculty and then specialize in a particular area. Both the TOEFL and IELTS are accepted.

No matter which branch campus a student chooses, Kinser, of C-BERT, suggests students "understand who the faculty are at these institutions and verify that the degree awarded will be recognized for the purposes they want to use it for." He says this can be done by searching the websites of the branch campus and the home campus to see how the faculty of the latter are involved.

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.




Argentinian forces opened fire on and sank a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the South Atlantic after it attempted to ram a coast guard vessel, officials said Tuesday.

A video posted on the coast guard's website showed a large Chinese boat listing in the open sea while apparently under pursuit.

Poaching of fish is a perennial problem in the Atlantic and Southern Ocean, and has sometimes seen law enforcement agencies pursue violators for weeks on end at sea, but it is highly unusual for such incidents to end with a vessel being sent to the sea floor.

The sinking comes as China expands its long-distance fishing fleet to meet surging demand for seafood, with Beijing's foreign ministry expressing "serious concern" over the incident.

The coast guard said the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 was fishing without permission off Puerto Madryn, 1,300 kilometres(800 miles) south of Buenos Aires on Tuesday, inside Argentina's exclusive economic zone.

The ship refused requests in Spanish and English to be boarded, turning off its lights and attempting to flee towards international waters, the statement added.

"To protect our fishing resources, and given the (Chinese) boat's refusal to be boarded, warning shots were fired," it said.

"The offending vessel carried out manoeuvres to collide with the coast guard patrol... Thus the order was given to fire on different sections of the vessel, damaging it".

The boat's captain was due to be handed over to police and appear before a judge.

China's foreign ministry said on its website it had received information that the 32 Chinese sailors on board had been rescued unhurt, four by the coast guard and the others by nearby Chinese boats.

Beijing "expressed serious concern about this incident, and called on Argentina to make an immediate and thorough investigation, report the details to China," spokesman Lu Kang was cited as saying.

China is a key export market for Argentinian agriculture and raw materials, and President Xi Jinping visited in 2014, when he said the two countries' relationship was poised to reach unprecedented "new horizons".

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- Long distance -

Illegal fishing is common in the waters of the South Atlantic, reportedly often involving Chinese or Russian vessels.

China is the world's largest market for seafood and has the biggest overseas fishing fleet.

It has grown rapidly in recent decades to reach more than 2,460 vessels, which do most of their fishing off west Africa, according to research at Nanyang Technological University.

Last year Greenpeace said that at least 74 fishing vessels owned and operated by four Chinese distant water fishing companies had been exposed for fishing illegally off west Africa.

Beijing's neighbours Seoul and Hanoi often accuse Chinese vessels of illegally entering their waters.

Argentina in 2012 said it captured two Chinese fishing vessels illegally fishing for squid in its exclusive economic zone, after firing warning shots. At the time local reports said illegal Chinese fishing was often facilitated by corrupt officials within the Argentine government and coast guard.
By David Schwartz

PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona police officer who shot an unarmed man to death at a Phoenix-area hotel earlier this year pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges on Tuesday.

Officer Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 25, was allowed to remain free without bail by a county judge after entering his plea during a brief hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court, according to a court spokesman.

Brailsford is charged with murder in the fatal shooting in January of Daniel Shaver during a confrontation outside a suburban Mesa, Arizona, hotel room, officials said.

Prosecutors say Brailsford was not justified in using deadly force against Shaver after he responded to a report that a man was pointing a rifle outside a fifth-floor window at the La Quinta Inn.

Shaver, 24, was shot five times by Brailsford during the incident and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Brailsfords attorney could not immediately reached for comment. He has said the officer believed he acted according to his training.

Attorney Marc Victor, who represents Shavers widow, Laney Sweet, unsuccessfully argued in court that the judge set a bond for the officers release and treat Brailsford like any other person charged with murder. He said the policeman had executed the Shaver and was a danger to the community.

Sweet has filed a $35 million wrongful death claim against Mesa, alleging that the officer used excessive force.

The deadly incident marks the latest in what has been a string of shootings by police of unarmed people nationwide, sparking a larger concern about the use of deadly force by law enforcement.

Brailsford, with the Mesa Police Department for more than two years, was one of the officers who set up outside the hotel room and ordered Shaver and a female to come out and crawl toward them.

Shaver was fatally shot when he made a motion with his right hand toward his waistband as he approached officers, prosecutors have said. The female was taken into custody without incident.

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Investigators found two pellet guns inside the hotel room, authorities said.

Brailsford is next scheduled to be in court on May 16 for a preliminary hearing.

(Reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix; Editing by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Cynthia Osterman)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A senior aide to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Damascus expects the United States to apply greater pressure on parties opposed a peace process in the country, RIA news agency reported. "We expect that the USA will apply greater pressure on those who are against the resolution of the situation in Syria," RIA quoted adviser Bouthaina Shaaban as saying. Shaaban also said the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria, announced by President Vladimir Putin on Monday, was a natural step and Damascus welcomed co-ordination between the United States and Russia, RIA reported. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Alexander Winning)
On March 9, National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen spoke at the Supreme Court in a special event honoring the Great Chief Justice, John Marshall.

Jeffrey Rosen

The Supreme Court Historical Society and the John Marshall Foundation hosted Rosens lecture in connection with the 215th anniversary of Marshalls appointment to the Bench by President John Adams.

Adams famously said, My gift of John Marshall to the people of the United States was the proudest act of my life. And Marshall has been widely praised for transforming the Supreme Court into what his biographer Jean Edward Smith calls a dominant force in American life.

The talk explores the Great Chief Justices constitutional clashes with Thomas Jefferson and his influence on Justices ranging from the Jeffersonian Louis Brandeis to the Marshallian William Howard Taft.

Rosen explains how Marshall and Jefferson were personal and ideological opponents, who privately derided each other in colorful terms. Nevertheless, Marshall became the most successful Chief Justice in history because of his ability to win over Jeffersonian justices who were his ideological opponents through compromise and leadership.

He also argues that before Tafts confirmation that Taft and Brandeis were personal and ideological opponents who later found ways to work together. Taft was a highly successful Chief Justice because he shared Marshalls goal of what he called massing the Court, ultimately persuading Brandeis and other dissenting justices to join him in a series of unanimous decisions.

The greatest tribute to Marshalls enduring influence is that he not only won over his Jeffersonian colleagues on the Court. He inspired future Chief Justicessuch as Taftwho would go on to win over Brandeis, the greatest Jeffersonian of the twentieth century  by exhibiting a similar willingness to restrain the expression of personal views for the sake of institutional harmony, Rosen said.

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To listen to the full audio of Rosens lecture, click on the following link or use the player below: Download this episode (right click and save)

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By Matt Siegel CANBERRA (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday that its ballistic missiles were for self-defense and that recent tests condemned by the United States did not violate an historic nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers. Speaking in Australia, Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the missiles tested last week would never be used in aggression. The tests drew international concern and prompted a meeting on Monday of the 15-nation United Nations Security Council. "These missiles do not even fall within the purview of 2231 and they are not illegal," he told reporters, referring to the council resolution, adopted in July, that endorsed the nuclear deal. "Iran will never use any means to attack any country, including our missiles. These are only for our defense. I challenge those who are complaining about Iran's missile program ... to make the same statement," he added. The United States on Monday vowed to continue pushing for U.N. Security Council action on the ballistic missile tests and accused Russia of looking for reasons not to respond to what is says are Iranian violations of the resolution. U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power was referring to comments from Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who said that in the view of veto-wielding Russia, Iran's ballistic missile tests did not violate resolution 2231. The resolution "calls upon" Iran to refrain from certain ballistic missile activity. Western nations see that as a clear ban, though council diplomats say China and other council members agree with Russia's and Iran's view that such work is not banned. Zarif, speaking in Canberra following meetings with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, strongly echoed Churkin's language. Bishop told reporters that she had raised the issue of the missile tests with Zarif during a private meeting and that Australia refused to rule out an investigation in the Security Council. "It is Australia's position that should the United Nations Security Council wish to investigate this matter, then that would be the proper legal process for it to do so," she told reporters. Australia also said on Tuesday that it would re-open a trade office in Iran after a recent lifting in sanctions created commercial opportunities between the two nations. Mining equipment, technology and services and agricultural commodities were cited as potential areas of trade in a statement released by Steven Ciobo, Minister for Trade and Investment. (Additional reporting by Cecile Lefort in SYDNEY; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Supergravity Pictures, a company that markets and distributes films directly to fans, has acquired the rights to Australian documentary Gayby Baby.

The film will screen in theaters across the country beginning April 1 and then become available for digital purchase starting May 1.

From director Maya Newell, Gayby Baby follows four Australian children  Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham  whose parents are gay, sharing how they wrestle with internal challenges as the outside world debates the issue of marriage equality. The acquisition comes after Gayby Baby won the audience award for best documentary at the Sydney Film Festival and screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival, Doc NYC and Hot Docs in Toronto.

"With two lesbian mothers, I grew up amongst the images of heterosexual families  on TV, in movies, in advertising and at school," said Newell. "We made Gayby Baby because even though families like mine are not featured on billboards, gayby children have existed for generations and have a unique perspective on the world. We are the gayby-boomers, a growing international community, and we have stories to tell."

Gayby Baby will be the first documentary released by Supergravity. The company, founded in late 2014, during its first year focused on projects from influential online creators, including thriller The Chosen starring YouTube star Kian Lawley, and comedy Man Up. The company has previously announced a documentary about the cable industry from YouTube star and producer Ray William Johnson that will be released later this year.

Supergravity specializes in hosting so-called event screenings, where it rents theaters and organizes showings for passionate audiences. The company will partner with LGBT and family equality organizations, including the family equality council and COLAGE to host screenings.

"We have a truly special film here," said Supergravity founder Marc Hustvedt. "Supergravity is honored to bring this groundbreaking documentary to audiences across the globe and help amplify the conversation around family equality. We are taking a very hands-on approach in building a groundswell of support around the film's release in theaters and on screens of all sizes."

It has also partnered with Heard Well, a music label co-founded by YouTube star Connor Franta that releases albums from online influencers, to curate music for the film. Said Franta: "I am honored to be a part of this movement via Gayby Baby and help bring this important message to the masses through thoughtful soundtrack curation and marketing."
Australian logistics giant Asciano said Tuesday it was recommending a Aus$9.05 billion ($6.8 billion) takeover deal between two rival local and international suitors, breaking up the company's ports and rail assets.

The announcement ended a bidding war for Asciano, a major Australian rail, freight and ports operator, between a consortium led by Canada's Brookfield Infrastructure Group and a group led by Australia's Qube that includes a Chinese sovereign wealth fund.

Under the joint bid, Asciano is valued at Aus$9.28 per share, or Aus$9.05 billion.

Qube will split the ports business with Brookfield, whose consortium members include government wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority.

Another grouping, which includes China's CIC Capital Corporation, Singapore's state investment fund GIC, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, investment group Global Infrastructure Partners, and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, will acquire the rail operations.

Qube said Tuesday the arrangement was a "highly attractive outcome for all stakeholders" which would be "transformational" and have "significant benefits" for the firm.

The Sydney-based logistics and infrastructure firm also announced Tuesday a Aus$800 million equity raising to fund its bid.

The deal is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, including from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the nation's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

Shares in Asciano rose 1.35 percent to Aus$8.99 in afternoon trade in Sydney.

"If I was an Asciano shareholder, I would be pretty happy with the price I got, because I don't believe under normal trading conditions... you would be able to extract that kind of value in the lifetime of you holding it unless you got taken over," IG Markets strategist Evan Lucas told AFP.

Lucas added that the joint bid was likely to be approved by the ACCC as the regulator no longer had to contend with concerns raised as part of the Brookfield bid that the Canadian asset manager's existing rail assets, when combined with Asciano's rail business, would substantially reduce competition.

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The two consortiums previously made separate bids, with the joint-tender application given the go-ahead by financial regulator the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Asciano shareholders are expected to vote on the deal in early June.

Asciano specialises in bulk and container shipping and transportation, with port and train operations across Australia. It handles nearly half of all container traffic entering or leaving the country.

Brookfield's initial bid last year had come during a flurry of acquisitions in Australia's transport sector -- including Japan Post Holdings' purchase of Toll Holdings -- as the local dollar weakened and the nation's conservative government pushed for infrastructure spending.
(Reuters) - Cosmetics maker Avon Products Inc <AVP.N> said on Monday it would cut about 2,500 jobs worldwide and shift its corporate headquarters to the UK as part of its three-year turnaround plan.

Avon shares were up nearly 4 percent at $4.55 in extended trading.

The company sold most of its North American business to Cerberus Capital, its biggest investor, after four years of falling sales.

Avon said it expected to record $60 million in pre-tax charges related to job cuts in the first quarter.

The company, which has 28,300 employees, said the transition of its headquarters would occur over time.

In January, Avon had outlined plans to cut $350 million in costs over the next three years, invest in technology and tap social media to revive sales.

However, a bigger-than-expected fall in fourth-quarter sales indicated that the company had failed to revive demand for its cosmetics in key markets.

Avon said it would maintain its current facilities in Suffern and Rye, New York and continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under its current symbol.

(Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
Miami (AFP) - Bacardi said Tuesday it has asked a federal judge to reverse a US decision granting Cuba US trademark rights for Havana Club rum.

The filing this week marks the latest step in a long running dispute over rights to the iconic brand, which Cuba markets in Europe and hopes to sell in the United States once the US trade embargo is lifted.

Bacardi executive Rick Wilson contended that in granting Cuba the US trademark rights, the US government had failed to "follow established legal and public policy protecting the rights of those who have suffered confiscations of property."

Privately held, Bermuda-based Bacardi says it is the sole owner of Havana Club, which it has been selling in the United States since the mid-1990s.

French spirits and wine company Pernod Ricard sells its Havana Club rum in Cuba and a number of markets, notably Germany, France, Britain and Canada, but not the United States.

The legal battle dates back to the Cuban revolution of 1959, and comes amid thawing US-Cuba diplomatic relations.

The United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations in July 2015.

In its complaint, Bacardi accuses Cuba of using "fraudulent and deceptive" means to win the US rights from the Patent and Trademark Office.

The company says US regulations prohibit recognizing the assertions of the Cuban government, which it says illegally confiscated the business in 1960.

Bacardi, which had made rum in Cuba under its own name and that of Havana Club, left the island that year after Fidel Castro came to power.

The company insists it bought the rights to Havana Club from the Arechabala family, which made the rum until the Cuban government seized its distillery after the revolution.

In 1976, Cuba, which also continued to produce Havana Club, was able to register the trademark in the United States. But it lost the trademark in 2006 when it could not present the necessary license to the Treasury Department.

"In January of this year, the PTO suddenly and unexpectedly reversed course and permitted the Cuba government to renew its Havana Club registration retroactively," Bacardi's complaint says.

Last month, the company filed a request with the Office of Foreign Assets Control -- the Treasury Department's arm that enforces economic and trade sanctions -- to demand the United States reverse the PTO's decision.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahraini activist Zainab al-Khawaja has begun a two-month prison sentence for tearing up a photo of the king, her lawyer said on Tuesday. She has been arrested and freed several times since an uprising in 2011 mainly by Bahrain's majority Shi'ite Muslims demanding reforms and a bigger share in government of the Sunni Muslim-led kingdom, and has already served time in prison. International rights groups protested after the jailing on Monday of Khawaja, who took her 15-month-old son, Hadi, with her into detention rather than leave him in the care of relatives. Her lawyer, Mohammed al-Wasti, said Khawaja's time in prison could be extended to more than three years over other alleged offences that date to 2012. She has refused to attend appeals hearings, where the sentence was confirmed in absentia. The Human Rights First group urged the United States, a close ally of the Gulf Arab state, to publicly call for the release of Khawaja, who is in her early 30s. Bahraini officials could not be reached for comment. Khawaja is the daughter of prominent Bahraini activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, now serving a life sentence for his role in pro-democracy demonstrations five years ago. She has denied all charges against her. The cases relate mainly to three incidents of her ripping up pictures of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, in which she said she was exercising her right to freedom of expression. Political unrest in Bahrain has tapered off since 2011 due to a security clampdown on opposition leaders and activists. (Reporting by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Dhaka (AFP) - Bangladesh's central bank chief resigned on Tuesday, after hackers stole $81 million from the nation's foreign reserves in one of the biggest bank heists in history, the finance minister said.

The audacious cyber-theft has embarrassed the government, triggered outrage in the impoverished country and raised alarm over the security of the country's foreign exchange reserves of over $27 billion.

On Tuesday the finance minister said Atiur Rahman had stood down at his request, after revealing that the Bangladesh Bank governor failed to inform authorities of the theft for a month.

"He called me yesterday and I've asked him to resign. And he has resigned today," minister A.M.A. Muhith told AFP, adding that the government has ordered a probe into the heist.

Two of the bank's deputy governors were also sacked after the government vowed a major shake up of the institution's top management, Muhith told reporters.

On February 5, the hackers stole $81 million from an account that Bangladesh held with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and transferred the cash electronically to accounts in the Philippines.

They attempted to steal almost $1 billion and were only prevented from taking more because of a basic typing error, the Bangladesh Bank's deputy governor told AFP last week.

Before his resignation, an emotional Rahman said he was alarmed by the hack but did not comment on why he took so long to report the missing money.

"This event was almost like a militant attack, almost like an earthquake. I did not realise how it happened, from where it originated and who had done it," he said, choking back tears.

"When I was informed I was so puzzled. Fearing that it might destroy our economy, I quickly took opinion of the experts. I brought them to the country from abroad and ensured security so that it did not occur again."

- Typing errors -

Rahman, a 64-year-old economist and former university professor, was appointed as the governor of the Bangladesh Bank in 2009 and had been due to retire in August.

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As details of the scandal emerged last week, he flew to India to attend an International Monetary Fund meeting, leaving junior central bank officials scrambling to explain how the hackers managed to take such large sums.

Some of the funds have been recovered and Filipino authorities have frozen the stolen money following court orders, Bangladesh Bank has said. It suspects the hackers were Chinese.

The thieves, who bombarded the New York bank with dozens of transfer requests, had been attempting to steal a further $850 million, but the bank's security systems and typing errors in some requests prevented the full theft.

The hack took place on a Friday, when Bangladesh Bank is closed, while the Federal Reserve Bank in New York is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

The US reserve bank, which manages the Bangladesh Bank reserve account, denied its own systems were breached.

The $81 million was transferred to four accounts at the Filipino Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) -- and then transferred to an account belonging to ethnic Chinese businessman William So Go, a Senate inquiry in the Philippines heard.

Go then transferred the money to Filipino casinos, Julia Bacay-Abad from the Philippines' anti-money laundering council told the hearing on Tuesday.

Go's lawyer said the businessman's signatures for his now-frozen RCBC account, which were used to transfer the money, had been forged.

Rahman launched a series of populist policies to take bank services to the doorstep of millions of rural poor in Bangladesh.

But his tenure was marred by a spate of high-profile banking scams in which state-owned banks lost hundreds of millions of dollars in bad loans.

On Tuesday he said authorities were still mystified by the attack as he defended his decision to delay informing the government. He added that making the news public earlier would have risked tipping off the hackers.

"I don't deny that I took time (to inform the finance minister). It was a cyber attack and even today we don't know from where it originated," he said.
By Serajul Quadir and Karen Lema DHAKA/MANILA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank governor resigned on Tuesday over the theft of $81 million from the bank's U.S. account, as details emerged in the Philippines that $30 million of the money was delivered in cash to a casino junket operator in Manila. The rest of the money hackers stole from the Bangladesh Bank's account at the New York Federal Reserve, one of the largest cyber heists in history, went to two casinos, officials told a Philippines Senate hearing into the scandal. They said a mix of dollars and Philippine pesos was sent by a foreign exchange broker to the ethnic Chinese junket operator over several days, a haul that would have been made up of at least 780,000 banknotes. Unknown hackers last month breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its Fed account, which it uses for international settlements. They managed to transfer $81 million to entities in the Philippines. Bangladesh Bank officials have said there is little hope of apprehending the perpetrators and recovering the money would be difficult and could take months. In Dhaka, central bank governor Atiur Rahman said he had resigned to set an example in a country where there is little precedence of accountability and to uphold the image of the institution. The government also fired two deputy governors of the bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, days after blaming it for keeping the government in the dark about the theft. Rahman's exit could be a blow to Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of 160 million. The country has been aspiring to reach middle-income status, and Rahman was seen as one of the driving forces helping Dhaka towards that goal. Under the former development economics professor, the country's foreign exchange reserves have increased four-fold to $28 billion and he also sought to ensure farmers and women entrepreneurs had better access to banking services and credit. Rahman defended his record at the central bank, saying he was proud of his achievements there. He described the heist as an "earthquake" and said the bank had promptly informed intelligence agencies in Bangladesh and abroad and also brought in international experts to investigate. FireEye Inc's Mandiant forensics division is helping investigate the cyber heist. The bank has also been in touch with the Fed and other U.S. authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice. TRAIL ENDS AT CASINOS Bangladesh Bank is also working with anti-money laundering authorities in the Philippines, where it suspects the stolen $81 million arrived in four tranches. The Philippines' Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) said last week it was investigating deposits amounting to just that sum, which were made at one of its branches. Teofisto Guingona, head of the Philippines Senate's anti-corruption committee, told Reuters the transfers into RCBC were subsequently consolidated into one account and some of the money was converted to pesos. CCTV cameras at the branch were not functioning when the money was withdrawn, RCBC's anti-money laundering head, Laurinda Rogero, told the Senate hearing. The president of a foreign exchange broker called Philrem Service Corp, Salud Bautista, told the Senate that her firm was instructed by the bank branch to transfer the funds to a man named Weikang Xu and two casinos. She said that $30 million went to Xu in cash. Guingona has said Xu was ethnic Chinese and a foreigner, but he was not sure if he was a Chinese national. A tranche of $29 million ended up in an account of Solaire, a casino resort owned and operated by Bloomberry Resorts Corp . Bloomberry is controlled by Enrique Razon, the Philippines' fifth-richest man in 2015, according to Forbes. Silverio Benny Tan, corporate secretary of Bloomberry Resorts, told the hearing that the $29 million was transferred into a casino account under Xu's name in exchange for 'dead chips' that can only be cashed in from winnings. Bautista said a further $21 million went to an account of Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co., a gaming firm in northern Philippines. Reuters tried several phone numbers to seek comment from Eastern Hawaii officials but was unable to reach any. "Our money trail ended up at the casinos," Julia Bacay Abad, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, told the open hearing. She said her agency had frozen 44 accounts connected to the case and had requested assistance from the FBI. Senator Guingona said that because casinos are not covered by the country's anti-money laundering laws it was not clear if the stolen funds could ever be recovered. "The paper trail ends there. That is the problem," he said. "Right now we are at a dead end." (Additional reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA and by Neil Jerome Morales, Enrico Dela Cruz and Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Beijing accepts that several young pro-democracy "radicals" will be elected to Hong Kong's law making Legislative Council in September, a Hong Kong newspaper cited a top Chinese official as saying, as tensions in the city over independence remain high. Beijing refusal grant the former British colony full democracy has embittered a younger generation of activists, which culminated in massive protests in 2014. And political tensions remain, with a riot in the tough, working-class neighborhood of Mong Kok in February and strong voter support for an activist leader who placed third in a legislative council by-election in February. "It will be normal that several radical young people will be returned as lawmakers (in September)," Feng Wei, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing, told South China Morning Post in an interview. "Politics is the process of putting theories into practice. Young people participating in politics, including radicals, will gradually mature," Feng said in the interview, which was seen to be the first interview given to Hong Kong media by a top Beijing official handling Hong Kong's affairs since the early 1990s. Hong Kong is set to hold a full legislative council poll later in the year, pitting a pro-democracy camp that now enjoys a slender one-third veto bloc against pro-Beijing and pro-establishment parties. Feng said the central government was "very concerned" about the rise of radicalism and was analyzing the reasons behind the phenomenon. He said the tendency of resorting to violence was notable in the Mong Kok riot. "Perhaps in a certain period in future, this is a phenomenon which will merit increasingly more of our attention, though this is something we do not want to see," Feng added. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that gives it a high degree of autonomy. Feng said supporters of separatism and independence are a minority who do not represent the mainstream Hong Kong population, and he understands the frustrations of youths amid the city's sluggish economy growth. The median income has barely risen in the past two decades, while property prices had surged. But Feng said Beijing could also improve communications and understanding of Hong Kong people, and needed to learn to express its thoughts in a language Hong Kong people could comprehend and accept. (Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by xxx)
COTONOU (Reuters) - Benin will deploy 150 troops next month to assist a regional task force battling Islamist militant group Boko Haram, a statement from the task force said on Tuesday. Nigeria-based Boko Haram has survived attempts by African armies to destroy it and bands of militants have stepped up attacks in the Lake Chad region, threatening regional security. The troops from Benin will act as a reserve rapid intervention force and are the last from the five countries involved in the African Union-led force to be deployed. "The Benin Republic has announced its readiness to deploy 150 military troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) ... next month," a statement sent by public information officer for the MNJTF Colonel Mohammad Dole said. An official for Benin's armed forces could not immediately confirm the deployment on Tuesday. The statement did not specify where the troops would be sent. The MNJTF's headquarters is in Chad's capital N'Djamena. The 9,000-strong force already includes troops from Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon and became operational last year. Security experts say that many of the soldiers are drawn from national armies already fighting Boko Haram, however, and do not therefore increase the total number of troops. Boko Haram is thought to have killed around 15,000 people, making it the most lethal jihadist group in the world by some estimates. (Reporting by Allegresse Sasse; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Catherine Evans)
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police said there was no indication of a "terrorist" link to a car explosion in central Berlin which killed the driver on Tuesday morning and prosecutors said the victim was a 43-year old man previously investigated for drug dealing. Prosecutors in the capital said they suspected an explosive device had been attached to the car in a murder attack. "There is no evidence of there being a terrorist background," a spokesman for Berlin police said. It was unclear whether the driver, who had a Turkish background, was the target as he was not the owner of the car, said prosecutors. However, police had previously investigated the victim for dealing drugs, forgery and illegal gambling. The murder squad suspects there is a link to organized crime, said the prosecutors. (Reporting by Reuters Television and Matthias Sobolewski; Writing by Madeline Chambers Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Madrid will host the "Bollywood Oscars" on June 25, officials said Monday, with Spain hoping the glittering awards ceremony will help draw more tourists from fast-growing India.

Over 100 Bollywood stars will attend the International Indian Film Academy awards, which is expected to have a worldwide viewership of about 800 million people, according to organisers.

"It is going to be real, real madness," Anil Kapoor, one of India's most popular actors who starred in "Slumdog Millionaire", told a news conference in Madrid.

"There is a tremendous amount of similarity between the Spanish people and Indian people. We believe in enjoying life, we believe in family values, we love to dance."

The ceremony, first held in 2000, honours the previous year's films and is filled with over the top performances. It is held in a different country each year.

The choice of Madrid to host the event comes as Spain is pushing to diversify its tourism base beyond the traditional northern European sunseekers and capture a greater slice of the rising tourism flows from emerging economies like India.

Last year just 85,000 Indians visited Spain but this is nearly a threefold rise from 30,000 visitors in 2011, the director general of Spanish tourist board Turespana, Marta Blanco, said at the presentation of the awards show.

"It is a country with great potential. We want a better positioning of our country in this strategic market," she said.

The Indian film awards is expected to bring 15,000 visitors to Madrid during the week of the ceremony and generate 15 million euros ($16.7 million) in revenue, organisers said.

Several hundred people turned out on Sunday for a flashmob hosted by Kapoor and two other top Bollywood stars -- actress Sonakshi Sinha and heartthrob Hrithik Roshan -- in front to Madrid city hall to promote the awards ceremony.

The actors then posted tweeted pictures of themselves eating jamon (ham) at a Madrid market, dancing flamenco and meeting with Real Madrid starts Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema at the club's Bernabeu stadium.

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Known for catchy songs and whimsical backdrops, India's film industry is thriving commercially with the country producing over 1,000 movies a year -- more than Hollywood.

The Indian industry sells over four billion movie tickets a year, according to the International Indian Film Academy award organisers.

The Indian film awards were held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia last year. Europe last hosted the event in 2007 when it was held in Yorkshire, England.
The skull of a horse-size dinosaur, a distant relative of the colossal Tyrannosaurus rex, suggests that braininess was behind the beast's rise to dominance millions of years ago.

The dinosaur fossils, discovered in the desert of Uzbekistan, suggest that although early tyrannosaurs were small animals, they had advanced brains, said study lead researcher Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. These keen brains likely helped tyrannosaurs become apex predators when they evolved into bigger beasts during the last 20 million years of the dinosaur age.

"Tyrannosaurs got smart before they got big, and they got big quickly right at the end of the time of the dinosaurs," Brusatte told Live Science. [See Images of the Fearsome Horse-Size Tyrannosaur]

T. rex may be famous, but little is known about its family tree. Tyrannosaurs originated about 170 million years ago in the mid-Jurassic, but they were mostly small, human- to horse-size dinosaurs at that time. Because of a 20-million-year gap in the fossil record, it's long been a mystery how these relatively small tyrannosaurs transitioned from marginal hunters to top predators, the researchers said in the study.

The new specimen fills that important gap. Paleontologists and study co-authors Alexander Averianov and Hans Sues discovered the tyrannosaur fossils in the Kyzylkum Desert of northern Uzbekistan. They dated the newfound species, named Timurlengia euotica, to the mid-Cretaceous, about 90 million years ago. During that time, Uzbekistan would have been hot and desertlike, but it also had forests, rivers and lakes, the researchers said.

"The middle Cretaceous is a mysterious time in evolution because fossils of land-living animals from this time are known from very few places," Averianov, of Saint Petersburg State University in Russia, said in a statement. "Uzbekistan is one of these places. The early evolution of many groups like tyrannosaurs took place in the coastal plains of central Asia in the mid-Cretaceous."

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The paleontologists uncovered a number of fossils, including vertebrae, claws and teeth. But the tyrannosaur's braincase  the part of the skull that holds the brain  was, by far, the most significant finding, they said. In fact, the researchers teamed up with Brusatte because of his experience with studying the braincases of theropods (bipedal, mostly meat-eating dinosaurs).

Using a computer tomography (CT) scan, the researchers found that T. euotica might have been only about the size of a horse and likely weighed up to 550 lbs. (about 250 kilograms)  a pip-squeak compared to the 9-ton (8 metric tons) T. rex  but its brain and senses were highly developed.

"It has a really advanced brain, really advanced senses," Brusatte said.

The CT scan revealed that T. euotica had a long cochlea in its inner ear, which would have enabled it to hear low-frequency sounds.

"Low-frequency sounds allow you to hear potential prey, maybe from a longer distance, but just better in general," Brusatte said. "Tyrannosaurs were better at hearing low-frequency sounds than almost any other type of dinosaur."

The scan also allowed the scientists to digitally reconstruct the dinosaur's sinuses, nerves and blood vessels within its skull. "It turns out that it basically has the same type of brain as T. rex, just smaller, Brusatte said. [Photos: 7-Year-Old Boy Discovers T. Rex Cousin]

The rest of the skeleton also provided clues about T. euotica.

"Timurlengia was a nimble pursuit hunter with slender, bladelike teeth suitable for slicing through meat," Sues, a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., said in the statement. "It probably preyed on the various large plant eaters, especially early duck-billed dinosaurs, which shared its world."

The study was published online today (March 14) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Follow Laura Geggel on Twitter @LauraGeggel. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A Brazilian senator charged in a massive corruption investigation centered on state oil company Petrobras has accused a minister in President Dilma Rousseff's government of trying to buy his silence, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The senator, Delcidio Amaral of the ruling Workers' Party (PT), told investigators in statements given as part of a plea bargain that powerful minister Aloizio Mercadante contacted him via an aide to urge him not to testify.

Amaral, the former party leader in the Senate, said the minister told his aide he was conveying the message on behalf of Rousseff herself.

The senator gave investigators recordings of conversations between the aide and Mercadante, who is currently education minister and was previously chief of staff to Rousseff.

Amaral was in custody at the time, himself accused of pressuring a former Petrobras director not to talk to investigators in the corruption case.

The senator should "keep calm," Mercadante says in one recording, warning him he could bear "monumental responsibility in destabilizing the government" if he talked to investigators.

In his confession, Amaral said Mercadante "told (the aide) that financial issues, and specifically paying for lawyers, could be resolved, probably through companies linked to the PT."

Mercadante denied the accusations in a press conference.

"I want to repudiate this attempt to involve me in cases that are not consistent with the democratic rule of law in Brazil," he said.

Amaral turned over the recordings in exchange for a lighter sentence -- the kind of deal prosecutors have used to implicate a steadily expanding list of powerful politicians and business executives in the spiraling scandal.
Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's political drama took several new twists as a senator accused President Dilma Rousseff of offering hush money to contain a corruption scandal, and her predecessor considered a return to government to help save their careers.

Prosecutors said a senator charged in a huge graft investigation centered on state oil company Petrobras had accused Rousseff of sending a powerful cabinet minister to try to buy his silence.

The senator, Delcidio Amaral of the ruling Workers' Party (PT), told investigators in statements given as part of a plea bargain that Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante, Rousseff's former chief of staff, contacted him via an aide to urge him not to testify.

Amaral, the former party leader in the Senate, said the minister indicated the message came from Rousseff herself -- an accusation the leftist leader angrily denied.

The president "vehemently and indignantly repudiates the attempt to associate her name with the personal initiative of Minister Aloizio Mercadante," her office said in a statement.

As the long-running scandal swirled, administration sources said former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- who is himself facing charges -- was on the verge of taking a cabinet post in Rousseff's administration to try to save the crisis-hit government.

The move, which would be hugely divisive, would amount to a risky bet that the aura around Lula's administration (2003-2011), a period of watershed prosperity in Brazil, still outshines the economic and political mess the ailing South American giant has descended into under Rousseff.

For Lula, it would also have the added bonus of protecting him from prosecution in ordinary court on charges tied to the Petrobras scandal.

Cabinet ministers can only be tried before the Supreme Court in Brazil.

But both leftists will have to be prepared for the likely backlash, at a time when their political stars are waning.

Rousseff is facing an impeachment drive, a deep recession and mass protests, while her mentor's legacy is threatened not only by the charges against him but also by perceptions that his entire administration was underpinned by graft.

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Lula arrived in Brasilia late Tuesday, where he met with the president for more than four hours to discuss options. Talks were expected to continue Wednesday, O Globo said on its website.

"There are two possibilities for Lula in the government: chief of staff or cabinet secretary," a source in Rousseff's administration told AFP, denying the move was aimed at protecting Lula from arrest.

"The goal is to help the president confront the impeachment process... (and) not to escape justice," the source said.

- Hush-money allegation -

The anti-corruption probe now appears to have the president squarely in its sights.

Amaral made his explosive accusations while he was in custody, himself accused of pressuring a former Petrobras director not to talk to investigators.

The senator gave the authorities recordings of conversations in which Mercadante, the cabinet minister, urged him to "keep calm" and warned he could bear "monumental responsibility in destabilizing the government."

In his confession, Amaral said Mercadante told him via his aide "that financial issues, and specifically paying for lawyers, could be resolved, probably through companies linked to the PT."

Mercadante denied the accusations.

Prosecutors have used such plea deals throughout the investigation to implicate a steadily expanding Who's Who politicians and business executives in the spiraling scandal.

"These revelations are going to cost the government dearly, as Senator Amaral was always a key figure in the government," Ivar Hartmann, a political analyst at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, told AFP.

"The way out of the crisis sought by the PT, with Lula's eventual participation in the government, is now even more difficult."

Rousseff is increasingly on the ropes as Congress gears up to relaunch impeachment proceedings over allegations she fudged the government's books to increase public spending during her 2014 re-election campaign.

On Sunday, between one million and three million Brazilians called for her departure in nationwide protests.

Lula, a former labor leader and a hero to the poor and working class, also looks increasingly cornered.

He is charged with accepting a luxury apartment as a bribe from a company accused in the Petrobras scheme -- and prosecutors say their suspicions don't stop there.

They have indicated they suspect Lula of possibly playing a more central role in the entire scheme, in which construction companies conspired with Petrobras executives to overbill the oil giant to the tune of $2 billion, some of which was paid out as bribes to politicians and parties.

Rousseff was chairman at Petrobras during much of the period in question, but does not face charges so far.

Lula vigorously denies the accusations.
A new, pre-NASA history of rocketry and spaceflight delves into the lesser-known roots of that organization  the different paths that brought the founding fathers of rocketry together to work on putting the first satellites and humans into space.

"Breaking the Chains of Gravity" (Bloomsbury, 2015) takes for its focus the earliest rocket experiments and military projects that eventually formed the core of spaceflight research in America, and the many institutions with differing goals that came and went, working with and against one another on projects that eventually became humanity's early excursions into space. Read an excerpt of the book here.

Space.com talked with "Breaking the Chains of Gravity" author Amy Shira Teitel, who also runs the spaceflight history blog Vintage Space, to discuss the educated guesswork of rocketry, the best of little-known space history and the importance of telling early-spaceflight stories. [Top Milestones in Human Spaceflight]

Space.com: Why did you choose to write about early space history?

Amy Shira Teitel: I've always been really fascinated with the first time things are done, and the first time you have to solve these complex problems, like going into space. My own interest in that, from my undergrad and grad-school days, was always there. And I realize that it hasn't really been covered, necessarily, for a popular audience.

So many of the popular science books start with the Mercury astronauts [America's first manned space program] or the hotshot fighter jocks and stuff because that's the fun, exciting human element. This is actually a really fun part of the story that I think would make people appreciate and understand that "Right Stuff era" history a little bit more. I just kind of love it, and I really wanted to tell it in a way that anybody, no matter how little they knew about the history, would be able to access it and understand it and really appreciate it.

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Space.com: What do you think is the most exciting part of spaceflight history that few people know about?

Teitel: All of them? One of the things that I was most excited to draw out in this book and that I've always been really interested in is just how much it was an unknown entity by the people that have since become associated with being the geniuses that brought rocketry to fruition. The stories of [Wernher] von Braun almost blowing himself up during a combustion chamber test. Von Braun and the Saturn V [rocket] go together  you don't think about him as a young engineer almost killing himself because he didn't understand the fine intricacies of what was going to happen when you introduced these two fuel oxidizers superchilled in a combustion chamber. The fact that there was so much failure and so much educated guesswork involved, I think is such an interesting part of the story, because you forget that this stuff is not known. It's so known now. [] Nothing worked in the '30s, but that was okay because they learned every step of the way.

Space.com: Is there any aspect of space science that's like that now?

Teitel: I'm sure on some level, pretty much everything is. I wonder when you look at the new technologies people are bringing up  I don't know the details because SpaceX is not public, so you can't get access to all their stuff, but landing the rocket stage upright I imagine is sort of equivalent in terms of, this is something that people had an idea of before but haven't been able to execute it. [] You imagine that every failure brings to light some new problem that nobody had really thought of or that makes the technology that much closer to working.

I've always been amazed that the Sky Crane actually worked for the Curiosity rover [currently exploring Mars]. I can only imagine the number of weird failures that had to happen to iron out all the kinks in that system. I think the difference now is you have computer models that can do a lot of things for you, whereas in the '30s and '40s you just had to do it. I would hazard a guess that failures are more discreet now because you don't have to do them publicly, you can do them privately in a computer. With things like Sky Crane and loading, not with landing on a barge  it's a different thing, but I feel like that culture of trial and error  but leaning from error  very much still exists. [7 Minutes of Terror: Curiosity Rover's Risky Mars Landing]

Space.com: What challenges did you face in constraining the scope of what you covered?

Teitel:I would say the challenges were twofold. On the one hand, keeping it as a tight narrative, writing for a popular audience and knowing that my audience wouldn't be super well-versed in this stuff. Try not to overwhelm them with too many details and with too many things coming simultaneously. I wanted to see a jumping-off point for people who wanted to dig into all the facets of things without giving them an encyclopedia's worth of stuff to deal with. The decisions of keeping the narrative tight and constrained for the sake of a general readership. And the other half of that was, as soon as you don't talk about somebody  one historical figure  you know there's going to be a subset of space nerds who are going to be really upset with you.

Rather than force [everything] into this narrative and make it clunky or overwhelming, just keep the bits that needed to be there and hope that maybe somebody would be curious enough to ask questions about it later on.

Space.com: Why write about space history?

Teitel: It's kind of a two-part thing. There's something to be said for understanding the history and the roots of what's happening in space now, and understanding how hard it is, how difficult, how varied the history is, to make you appreciate what's happening now that much more.

It looks routine, but you're still launching people on rockets into an incredibly hostile environment and hoping that they don't die, in an orbiting can, for a year at a time. That's insane, when you think about it. Understanding how quickly this has become something that is "routine," I think is really interesting. But there's also the fact that my generation risks not caring if somebody doesn't help keep it alive in a way that is accessible and exciting for a younger audience. [] They just don't seem interested that we did something that daring and that technologically sophisticated as go to the moon in the '60s. So keeping it alive for my generation; I want to do my part to make sure that we don't forget that this was a thing that humans did.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

Copyright 2016 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Skien Prison (Norway) (AFP) - Mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik on Tuesday made a Nazi salute at the opening of his lawsuit against Norway over his prison conditions, confirming fears he would use the opportunity to grandstand his extremist views.

Despite his theatrical entrance, Breivik's lawyer Oystein Storrvik insisted the suit, which contends his five-year prison isolation constitutes "inhuman" treatment, was necessary because his client would likely be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

"This case is about something much more than what many people think, just a lawsuit brought to allow Breivik back into the spotlight to explain himself," Storrvik said.

"This case is simply about his detention conditions for the rest of his life," he said in the makeshift courtroom set up in the gymnasium of Skien prison where the killer is being held, where a climbing wall, two basketball hoops and exercise bars were visible.

Breivik is serving a maximum 21-year sentence for killing eight people in a bomb attack outside a government building in Oslo in July 2011, then murdering another 69 people, most of them teenagers, in a rampage at a Labour Youth camp on the island of Utoya.

His prison sentence can be extended if he is still considered a danger to society.

Sporting a shaved head and wearing a dark suit and white shirt, Breivik entered the courtroom, and, once his handcuffs were removed, he turned toward the media and extended his right arm in a Hitler-style salute.

The gesture was seen as a signal of his presumed conversion to National Socialism.

On several occasions during his 2012 trial, he made a similar salute, holding his closed right fist to his heart and then extending his arm.

"Never would I have wanted a client to do that by my side. It goes without saying," his lawyer told AFP during a break.

Just before wrapping up Tuesday's proceedings, judge Helen Andenaes Sekulic asked him to refrain from further salutes.

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"Breivik, I would appreciate it if, in the coming days, you would refrain from the salute you made at the beginning," she said.

After objecting that it was a Norse salute used by his ancestors a thousand years ago, he said he would "try to take that into account," his only statement of the day.

In a letter to AFP dated October 27, 2014, Breivik described himself as a "militant nationalist" and said he had pledged his "allegiance to National Socialism".

The case is seen as a test of Norway's legal system, as the country tries to forget the name of the perpetrator of the deadliest bloodbath on its soil since World War II.

"What Breivik did was inhumane, which is exactly why it's important to treat him humanely," Utoya survivor Bjorn Ihrer tweeted on Tuesday.

- Handcuffs, searches, isolation -

Now, the 37-year-old is suing the state for breaching two clauses of the European Convention on Human Rights, one which prohibits "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment", and one which guarantees the right of respect for "private and family life" and "correspondence".

His lawyer argued that the frequent use of handcuffs and hundreds of strip-searches constituted degrading treatment.

And his detention in isolation was inhuman, he said.

Since his arrest on July 22, 2011, Breivik has been held apart from the rest of the prison population and his contact with the outside world strictly controlled.

Prison officials censor his mail to prevent him from establishing an "extremist network", and his rare visits are almost exclusively with professionals behind a glass partition.

The only exception in five years was a five-minute meeting in 2013 with his mother during which they hugged, shortly before she died from cancer, Storrvik told the court.

Breivik is suffering "clear damage" from his prison conditions, Storrvik said, citing memory loss and an inability to focus on his studies.

- 'Supposed to be unpleasant' -

But Marius Emberland, the lawyer defending the state, rejected those arguments, listing a slew of activities offered to Breivik.

In prison, he has access to three cells -- one for living, one for studying and a third for physical exercise -- as well as a television, a computer without Internet access and a games console. He is able to prepare his own food and do his own laundry.

Breivik also has contact with prison staff and phone conversations with a "female friend," he added.

"It's unpleasant and it's supposed to be unpleasant to serve a long sentence," he said, stressing however that the conditions were "well within the limits of what is permitted" under the Convention.

The state also noted Breivik's lack of remorse, and stressed the risks he and other inmates would face if he were to be allowed to mix with them.

"Breivik is an extremely dangerous man," Emberland said.

The killer followed the arguments closely, shaking his head several times to show his disagreement.

The proceedings, which will last until Friday, are being held at Skien Prison, 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Oslo.

They are being broadcast on Norwegian television, though Breivik's own testimony on Wednesday morning will not be aired out of respect for the victims.
The past six months saw the release of two bestselling books about autism: Steve Silbermans Neurotribes, and John Donvan and Caren Zuckers In a Different Key.

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Both books chronicle the oftentimes dark history of autism while expressing hope for a better future for people with the condition. They focus on the good work of peoplestrong-willed parents and devoted advocateswho transformed a once-shameful diagnosis into a widely accepted condition. But they also highlight several missteps by scientists that derailed research and the lives of many people on the spectrum.

This history offers lessons for todays scientists, ranging from the importance of purging presumptions about autism to the acute need for services that help people, especially adults, with the condition.

Recommended: More Than Half of What Americans Eat Is 'Ultra-Processed'

The books take the reader back to the infancy of autism research. In the late 1940s, psychiatrists declared that they had found autisms cause: cold parentsparticularly motherswho did not love their children enough. Leo Kanner, one of the first psychiatrists to study the condition, abandoned his own theory that autism was innate in favor of what would later be called the refrigerator mother hypothesis.

If Kanner had really stuck to his guns and gone with his instincts, its possible the whole refrigerator-mother theory never would have evolved the way it did, Donvan says.

Autistic people should be seen as valuable collaborators in your work, rather than as passive subjects.

Instead, for the next two decades, many psychiatrists focused on treating what they believed were defective mothers and fathers. Research exploring other explanations for the condition stagnated.

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Having a scientific orthodoxy can be a positive thing, but it can cause severe damage if it turns out to be inaccurate, Donvan says. The history of autism has shown that, time and time againparticularly in the early daysresearchers failed to examine their own assumptions and biases.

* * *

Flawed assumptions also invade researchers attitudes toward people with autism, according to Silberman. He says scientists long viewed people with autism as less than human, rationalizing a range of treatments that were more akin to torture than therapy, including electric shocks and physical abuse such as hitting. Although contemporary practitioners have largely abandoned these methods, some continue to use punishment as a means of modifying behavior, he says.

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The first question that should be asked in any research project is, Would you do this to a non-autistic person? he says, noting that asking adults with autism for their input is a crucial second step. Autistic people should be seen as valuable collaborators in your work, rather than as passive subjects.

Many researchers working in the field today are motivated by a deep desire to help people with autism, Donvan says. But scientists should still ask themselves, Is there anything Im doing now that I may regret 20 years from now?

Researchers know astonishingly little about the lives of adults with autism.

Some of the researchers who tested electroshock therapy or hallucinogenic drugs in children with autism back in the 1950s and 60s did so with the best of intentions, Donvan says. In light of modern mores and best practices, those choices look bad today, he says. But that does not mean those researchers were motivated by cruelty or sadism.

* * *

The 1990s saw a sea change in awareness of autism. People previously diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia or minimal brain damage were recognized as having autism all along. This new awareness sparked the notion of an autism epidemic, which drew an influx of research dollars into a once underfunded and overlooked field. But unfortunately, little of this money went toward helping people with autism.

It went largely to uncovering autisms cause, giving scientists insight into the workings of the brain. It also generated leads for drug targets. But for people with autism and their families, the tangible benefits remain elusive, Silberman says.

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Researchers know astonishingly little about the lives of adults with autism, he adds, including how many of them there are, how other conditions associated with autism affect their lives and how best to translate their abilities into meaningful employment. Likewise, little research focuses on how autism manifests itself in women, or on determining the prevalence of autism in minority communities with limited access to diagnostic services.

There is also little research into better drugs for controlling seizuresone of the leading causes of death among people with autism.

These are not questions that can be answered by sequencing another set of genomes of people from multiplex families, Silberman says. That kind of work is still very much worth doing, but if were only doing that kind of long-range research, were not really meeting our responsibility as a society to help the autistic people who are all around us lead happier, healthier, more fulfilling and more secure lives.

* * *

For those who are investigating treatments and services for people with autism, Zucker and Donvan warn that the work carries great responsibility. Parents are desperate for guidance about how to help their children, they sayespecially in light of the emphasis put on early intervention. As past examples ranging from vitamins to hugging therapy have shown, families will rush to adopt new methods that are prematurely presented as solutions.

Researchers need to be very, very careful in how they present their findings, so as not to set off hope for a quick, silver-bullet-type solution, says Donvan.

How researchers talk to the press can shape the public reaction to research. In 1987, for example, The New York Times reported on the work of Ivar Lovaas, a clinical psychologist and pioneer in applied behavior analysis. The story, titled Researcher Reports Progress Against Autism, described children who were transformed into apparently normal children.

Although Lovaas never used the word cure when talking to the Times, the story implied as much. The fact that his research was preliminary was largely overlooked. Parents frantically flew their children to his lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, even as he hopelessly tried to correct the false headlines.

Todays scientists should take great care when describing their work and strive to communicate their findings in terms non-experts can understand, Donvan says. Researchers need to understand that theres a public that is hanging on their every word.

This post appears courtesy of Spectrum .

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BAMAKO (Reuters) - British American Tobacco has signed a deal with Malian state tobacco company Sonatam to produce and distribute BAT's Dunhill International cigarettes in Mali, Sonatam's chief told state radio on Saturday. "With the production of Dunhill International in Mali, Sonatam's production will be brought to 3.2 billion cigarettes compared to 1.7 billion currently," Issouf Traore said. Sonatam will invest 7 billion CFA francs ($11.90 million) by 2020 to upgrade its production facilities. The upgrade will create 600 jobs, 200 of which are permanent, said Traore. ($1 USD = 588.38 CFA francs) (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and David Evans)
(Reuters) - African budget airline Fastjet Plc said Chief Executive Ed Winter would step down on March 18, two weeks after its second-largest shareholder called for his dismissal. Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who owns a 12 percent stake in the company through a private investment vehicle, called in February for a general meeting to dismiss Winter immediately. Haji-Ioannou had also called for the removal of general counsel Krista Bates and the appointment of non-executive Chairman Colin Child to an executive position. Haji-Ioannou, who founded budget airline easyJet Plc in 1995, said Winter had created significant overheads for the company, resulting in a high cost base. Fastjet said Bates would step down immediately and that Child would be appointed executive chairman until a new CEO is appointed. Fastjet declined to comment further. Its shares were down 0.7 percent at 36.075 pence at 1622 GMT on the London Stock Exchange. (Reporting By Mamidipudi Soumithri in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shounak Dasgupta)
Dearest One,

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It' s only me that is alive because I wasn' t around when this happened, I was in the University where am schooling, I' m doing my first year in accountant, I then manage to abscond to follow west African country (SENEGAL ) where am residing now in ' ' REFUGEE CAMP' ' . I decided to contact you, due to the problematic situation which am passing through here in this camp. We are not eligible to go out from the camp unless we took permission.a It' s just like one staying in the prison, but I believe by God' s grace i will extricate here soon.





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Please listen to this, i have my late father' s statement of account and death certificate here with me which i will send to you later, because when he was alive he deposited some amount of money in one of the leading bank which he used my name as the next of kin, the amount in question is $7.4M(Seven Million Four Hundred Thousand US Dollars). So i will like you to help me transfer this money to your account and from it you can send some money for me to get my traveling documents and air ticket to come over to meet with you. I kept this secret to people in the camp here, the only person that knows about it is the Reverend because he is like a father to me.





The Pastors Tel. number is (+22 1786355314) If you call tell him you want to speak with me, then he will send for me in the female hostel. As a refugee here i don' t have any privilege to anything be it money or whatever because it is against their law. I want to go back to my studies because i only attended my first year before the tragic incident that lead to my being in this situation now took place.





NOTE; As soon as I receive your positive response showing your interest, I will put things into action immediately and will educate you more on the way you will assist me receive the money, in the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent response indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely.





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Yours Jennifer Gahima Gerald.
Burmas generations-long transition to democratic rule reached its apex on Tuesday after Htin Kyaw was elected president by the two houses of parliament. The 70-year-old leader was nominated to serve by his party, the National League for Democracy, after a constitutional provision by the ruling military junta barred Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy advocate and Nobel Peace laureate, from running for office.

Kyaw, the first civilian president in 54 years, made it clear he would serve as a proxy for Suu Kyi and emphasized that after his win.Victory! he declared on Tuesday. This is sister Aung San Suu Kyis victory. Thank you.

Kyaw, the son of Min Thu Wun, a respected poet, is a childhood friend of Suu Kyi, who went to school with her. He later won a scholarship to study in the U.K.

Hes from a family thats been at the heart of Burmas [long-submerged] liberal tradition for nearly a century, Thant Myint-U, a historian, told The Guardian in a recent interview.

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But its as a loyal aide to Suu Kyi that Kyaw is best known. He ran the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, a charity named for her late mother, and, as the BBC reported, has been frequently seen at the NLD leaders side, serving as her driver from time to time.

Despite Tuesdays milestone, some remain less optimistic about the work ahead for Myanmar.

The military continues to wield great power, the NLD has no experience managing large and complex bureaucracies, corruption remains widespread, and Myanmars relationship with China is fraught, Zoltan Barany wrote in Foreign Affairs in December.

As Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch noted, the second-place finisher in the election, and Kyaws top vice-president, is U Myint Swe, a former military hardliner under sanction by the United States.

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On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued his congratulations to Kyaw, but not without adding this note of caution to the proceedings:

The presidential election is another important step forward in Burmas democratic transition, and we commend the people and institutions of Burma who continue to work together to ensure a peaceful transfer of power after the November 2015 elections.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Washington (AFP) - In America, these are days of rage, fueled by a cocktail of gripes making for a White House race that's been wild and raunchy.

Fist fights between opposing sides are now breaking out at rallies, where people give each other the finger. Candidates openly call each other liars, among other insults. Accusations of racism and bigotry have tainted the campaign trail.

One hopeful -- brash Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, of course -- has even boasted in veiled fashion about the size of his genitalia.

"This would all be fun if it weren't so serious," said Patrick Haney, a professor of political science at Miami University of Ohio.

Thanks in part to the gnawing sensation that the so-called "American dream" -- the idea that if you work hard, you will get ahead -- is dead or comatose, it is the year of the outsider: the candidate claiming to be utterly free of the dysfunction of Washington-style, nothing-gets-done politics.

"There is a sort of fundamental level of irritability in the American electorate right now. Some of it is probably economic and some of it is social and cultural," said Haney.

Paul Beck, a political scientist at Ohio State University, said the national funk cuts across party lines and to some extent stems from dissatisfaction with the status quo.

"The other thing is much more deeply seated and that really goes back decades, to the declining status of the middle class," Beck told AFP.

Expressed in numbers, it looks like this: in 1970, 62 percent of aggregate US income went to middle-income households. But in 2014, that figure was down to 43 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

This means the other ends of the income spectrum -- the poor and the rich -- are getting bigger.

- 'American Rage' -

Another poll, entitled "American Rage" and published in January by Esquire magazine, gave even grimmer numbers.

It found 52 percent of those polled say the American dream is dead, and 54 percent believe they are worse off than they thought they would be when they were younger.

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"We the people are pissed. And the body politic is burning up," the magazine wrote in an introduction to the polling data.

On another hot-button issue -- immigration -- Esquire said 46 percent of those polled feel immigrants are a burden because they take US jobs, housing and health care.

Trump has tapped into these fears, vowing to deport immigrants here illegally, build a wall along the border with Mexico and institute a blanket ban on Muslims entering the country.

Critics have heaped scorn on the 69-year-old businessman, saying he is fueling hatred and racism.

Rival John Kasich, the Republican governor of Ohio, says Trump has created a "very toxic atmosphere."

Another Republican contender, Marco Rubio, called his language "dangerous."

Even President Barack Obama -- the target of much of the anger expressed by Trump supporters -- has weighed in, condemning the "divisiveness along the lines of race and faith" seen on the campaign trail.

Trump says his rallies are nothing but a "love fest." And among the four remaining Republican candidates, he leads by a wide margin.

- 'Walk off the gangplank' for Trump? -

Trump, the man hogging the headlines, is a billionaire who has never held public office and is widely ridiculed by critics as a bigoted, clownish blowhard.

His party is described as cringing over the prospect that he will actually win the Republican nomination, which for his critics borders on handing over the election to the Democrats on a silver platter.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders, a little known senator from a small state that many Americans could perhaps not find on a map -- Vermont -- is doing surprisingly well.

The core of his pitch is to heal what he says is a system sick with economic inequality and dominated by a political and financial elite.

Sanders is giving Hillary Clinton -- the 68-year-old former first lady and secretary of state who had been considered a shoo-in to win the nomination and perhaps go on to make history as the nation's first female president -- a good run for her money.

Beyond the economy, on both sides of American politics but particularly in the Trump camp, there is disquiet about the changing face of American culture, amid changes like gay marriage, Beck said.

Among Trump's supporters, some are so disgusted with the establishment they are willing to vote for him even while believing that he is not electable.

"On the Republican side, a third of the base is willing to kind of walk off the gangplank and vote for Trump," Beck said.

Ditto for the 74-year-old Sanders.

Clinton gets much higher marks for electability than he does, but many Sanders soldiers are so fed up with things as they are and delighted with his message of renewal that it doesn't matter for them if their vote in the primaries is wasted.

"There are a lot of people who are supporting Sanders who really don't care whether he can win in November," Beck said.
Paris (AFP) - Italian drinks company Campari said on Tuesday it has agreed to buy the French company that owns Grand Marnier, the orange-flavoured liqueur much-used in cocktails and desserts, especially crepes.

Gruppo Campari said it had reached an agreement with the controlling family shareholders of the French-listed company Societe des Produits Marnier Lapostolle (SPML) for the deal, worth 684 million euros ($759 million).

The move will enable Campari "to further capitalise on the revival of classic cocktails, particularly in the US", it said in a statement.

Chief executive Bob Kunze-Concewitz described Grand Marnier as "a French icon, with a rich 150-year history".

"With Grand Marnier, we add a premium and distinctive brand to our Global Priorities portfolio, thus driving richer product mix, and we further consolidate our position as the leading purveyor of premium liqueurs and bitter specialties worldwide," he added in the statement.

The French company's controlling family shareholders have agreed under the deal to hand over their remaining shares if Campari's stake ends up less than 50.01 percent after the takeover, it said.

Campari group said it was offering 8,050 euros per share in cash, representing a 60.4-percent premium to the current share price, it said.

The deal also includes an add-on linked to the sale of real estate in St Jean Cap Ferrat.

"Gruppo Campari has reached an agreement with the controlling family shareholders of SPML for the acquisition of a controlling stake of the company via a tender offer, to be launched on the French stock exchange market pursuant to the applicable French regulations.

"Simultaneously, the group has entered into an agreement with SPML for the exclusive worldwide distribution of the Grand Marnier spirits portfolio," it added.

In April 2014 the Italian company, which owns around 50 brands including SKYY vodka and Glen Grant whisky and distributes in 190 countries, announced it was buying the owner of the Averna digestif brand, saying it hoped for a boost from new trends in the US.
Cannes Grand Prize and Camera dOr winner Naomi Kawase will oversee the student and short film juries of the French film festival this year, organizers announced Tuesday.

The Japanese director is a Cannes regular and has had several of her films in competition, including Shara (Sharasojyu) in 2003, The Mourning Forest (Mogari no Mori) in 2007, Hanezu (Hanezu no tsuki) in 2011 and Still the Water (Futatsume no mado) in 2014.

She also was the youngest winner of the Camera dOr prize in 1997 for her film Suzaku (Moe no Suzaku) and won the Grand Prize in 2007 with The Mourning Forest.

The Japanese director was a member of Steven Spielbergs jury in 2013.

Films enrich peoples lives, and their worlds inspire new possibilities, she said in a statement. They are exceptional media that can embody the diversity of world cultures, and their stories are like another life that enchants the audiences who see them.

Short films are exceptionally difficult, facing the question of how much of a story can be experienced in their short duration, while they also contain myriad possibilities yet unseen. And among films created by students there will be the discovery of hidden brilliance like a gemstone, which makes me very much look forward to participating in this jury, a journey of adventure, she added.

Kawase follows Oscar-nominated Timbuktu director Abderrahmane Sissako as head of the juries.

The Cinefondation selects 15 to 20 student films each year for its competition. The section was launched in 2000 by past president Gilles Jacob.

Laszlo Nemes, whose Son of Saul won a Golden Globe and a best foreign-language film Oscar, and Amat Escalante, whose Heli earned him the best director prize at Cannes in 2013, are past recipients of the prize.

Directors Jane Campion, Michel Gondry, Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Martin Scorsese also have served as presidents of the Cinefondation and short films juries in Cannes.

Read More: Golden Globes: Hungary Celebrates First-Ever Win for 'Son of Saul'
Everybody loves your friendly neighborhood wall crawler.

The second Captain America: Civil War trailer that debuted March 10 nabbed 62,613,449 views across YouTube and Facebook in its first four days, according to Internet analytics firm ZEFR.

Interest in the trailer skyrocketed as word filtered out that it featured a glimpse of the new Spiderman (Tom Holland). This marks the first appearance of the wall crawler in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. Sony had the rights to the character but after 2014's Amazing Spider-Man 2 underperformed, the studio cut a deal with Marvel to co-produce the character and bring him into the MCU.

Those opening numbers are in line with the debut trailers of other action blockbusters. Avengers: Age of Ultron did 50.6 million views and Jurassic World did 53.9 million views. It is still short of the 64.6 million views for the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer No. 1.

Views for the first Captain America trailer also got a big bump, jumping 29 spots to land at No. 3 with 9.3 million views for the week and 120 million cumulative since the trailers release in November.

The Ghostbusters trailer held strong in the No. 2 spot with 14.2 million views, after debuting last week at No. 1 with 20 million views.

Other new trailers debuting in the op 10 were Hardcore Henry at No. 4 (7.0 million) and Kubo and the Two Strings (2.6 million).

See the full top 10 below.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will release water from a dam in its southwestern province of Yunnan to help alleviate a drought in parts of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The water will be released until April 10 from the Jinghong dam, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily news briefing. It will benefit Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, Lu added. China "hopes it can be of help in alleviating the drought downstream", he said. According to Vietnamese media, some 140,000 ha of rice in the Mekong Delta has been damaged by the drought with around 600,000 people facing drinking water shortages. While China and Vietnam are involved in an increasingly bitter territorial dispute in the South China Sea, the two Communist-lead countries have traditionally had close ties. Beijing and Hanoi have also been trying to repair ties severely harmed in 2014 when Beijing parked an oil rig in waters off the Vietnamese coast, leading to anti-China riots. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Diane Bartz and Greg Roumeliotis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's Anbang Insurance Group, which is looking to buy U.S. hotel operator Starwood , has won approval from a U.S. national security panel to buy U.S. annuities and life insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life , Fidelity said on Tuesday. The U.S. insurer said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, had looked at the deal and found no unresolved national security concerns. Anbang said in November that it would buy Fidelity & Guaranty for about $1.57 billion as Chinese insurers seek to expand into the United States. The deal would make Anbang one of the largest insurers by market share in fixed-indexed annuity products in the United States. Winning approval from the CFIUS, a panel of 16 federal agencies, was harder than expected because U.S. officials were concerned about the vast amount of customer health and financial information that insurance companies have access to, according to a source close to the deal. The source asked not to be identified because details of the CFIUS review are confidential. Fidelity & Guaranty said in the filing it expected the deal to close in the second quarter. On Monday, Anbang offered to buy Starwood for $12.8 billion, besting an offer made by Marriott International Inc . That bid came just days after Anbang made a non-binding bid for Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc from buyout firm Blackstone Group LP for $6.5 billion. Chinese insurers are rushing to acquire high-yielding assets as they struggle to keep up with the policy liabilities of China's aging population. U.S. assets are also seen as a good hedge against any future weakness in the yuan. Anbang's $2 billion acquisition of the iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, which was completed last year, attracted CFIUS scrutiny but was approved. The Starwood deal would also undergo a CFIUS review, primarily to ensure that none of its hotels are so close to sensitive U.S. facilities that they pose a threat to U.S. national security. CFIUS, led by the Treasury Department, would likely scrutinize one property in particular: a W Hotel in downtown Washington that is across the street from the department and overlooks both Treasury and the White House, lawyers who specialize in dealing with CFIUS said. CFIUS issues with individual hotels could be remedied through asset sales or other measures, the lawyers said. (Reporting by Diane Bartz and Greg Roumeliotis; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Richard Chang)
Cindy Crawford and her 14-year-old modeling progeny Kaia Gerber just took mother-daughter bonding to the next level.

The brunette babes scored the cover of Vogue Paris' April issue, sporting matchy-matchy leather jackets and identical, perfectly groomed arches.

The duo casually tapped friend/world-famous photog Mario Testino for their family portraits, and were styled by Emmanuelle Alt for the shoot. Clearly, there was a focus on emphasizing their striking similarities.

Read More: Kylie Jenner's Puma Campaign Is Here

"Such a special moment sharing a cover with my daughter!" wrote Crawford on Instagram. The supe has covered countless Vogue issues in the past, but this marks Gerber's first-ever major cover. Considering most models work their entire careers to front any magazine, Vogue Paris is not a bad place to start.

Gerber's career has gone from zero to 60 since signing with IMG last July. After a gig for Chrome Hearts and a photoshoot for CR Fashion Book with her comparably photogenic big bro Presley, the high school freshman nabbed a spot on Alexander Wang's #WangSquad just a few days before her Vogue debut. Her mama  who celebrated the big 5-0 with the release of her photo memoir, Becoming  must be so proud.

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Bogota (AFP) - Colombia's Supreme Court has acquitted a soldier charged with possessing more than the maximum amount of medical marijuana allowed, saying he was addicted and should get more.

"Because it has been established that the accused from a very young age was a marijuana user, the amount of the substance he was found with above the personal dose, should have been understood as (medical) dose," Judge Eugenio Fernandez Carlier said in the March 9 ruling.

"The amount of the substance, easily accessed, is the amount that he needed, so it is deemed a legally and constitutionally authorized dose."

The soldier, Yesid Arias, had been convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years for carrying 50.2 grams of marijuana in Santander province in 2012.

A psychiatrist testified to the court that Arias was an addict, since he had seen him have anxiety attacks that long-term use can produce.

Some scientists say the drug produces psychological dependence, and not chemical addiction, but there are conflicting opinions on that claim.

In Colombia, individuals can grow up to 10 marijuana plants for personal use. In December, it was made legal for medical and scientific use.

But it is still illegal to consume or sell the drug on the street.
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus said on Tuesday it disagreed with the European Union expediting accession talks with Turkey, potentially scuttling an accord between the EU and Ankara on stemming an influx of refugees into Europe. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told EU leaders last week that Ankara was willing to take back all refugees and migrants who entered Europe from Turkey in future in return for financial aid, faster EU entry talks and quicker visa-free travel for its citizens into the 28-nation bloc. But Cyprus has been at loggerheads with Turkey since a 1974 Turkish invasion after a brief Greek-inspired coup split the island into two sectors - a Greek Cypriot side in the south recognized internationally as Cyprus, and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north. Spotting the risk of Cyprus blocking the required consensus of all EU states for any deal with Turkey, EU Council President Donald Tusk visited Nicosia on Tuesday and was to meet Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu later in the day in Ankara. "I conveyed to President Tusk our position that the Republic of Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any chapters if Turkey does not fulfill its obligations as described in the negotiating framework," Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters after a meeting with Tusk. As an EU member, Cyprus has frozen a number of negotiation "chapters" Turkey must traverse to qualify for EU membership because Ankara has failed to open its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic, as it is obliged to do under EU treaties. Peace talks to resolve Cyprus's partition are now under way between Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides, but Turkey, which maintains more than 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus, is instrumental to any peace accord. Attempts to twin that conflict with the migration crisis have been met with incredulity by Greek Cypriots. One newspaper last week likened the move to the "Cheek of a Thousand Pashas". Anastasiades said he objected to the long-frozen Cyprus dispute being dragged into the migrant crisis. "It is unwarranted, counter-productive, not to mention unacceptable to shift the burden of responsibility for the migration crisis on my shoulders." But Mustafa Akinci, the moderate Turkish Cypriot leader, said Cyprus only stood to benefit from any attempt to bring Turkey closer to the bloc. "The closer Turkey comes to Europe, that has positive repercussions on the Cyprus issue as well, he told the Politico news site. EU leaders aim to iron out details on the refugee pact with Turkey by their next scheduled summit on Thursday and Friday. "The Turkish proposal worked out together with Germany and the Netherlands still needs to be rebalanced so (it is) accepted by all 28 member states and EU institutions," Tusk said. (Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
PRAGUE(Reuters) - Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis is under growing pressure to prove he did not flout rules in subsidies for a farm and event center now under investigation by the EU. The topic will be the subject of an extraordinary parliamentary session next week. The case is the biggest controversy so far around Babis, finance minister since 2014, the country's most popular politician and a potential candidate for prime minister after an election next year. Babis, owner of the vast Agrofert chemicals, farming and media group and the founder of the centrist ANO party, denied any wrongdoing in the case involving a 50 million crown ($2.06 million) EU subsidy for the center called Stork Nest Farm. The opposition and Czech media have voiced suspicions that Stork Nest, which had anonymous owners, was controlled by Babis at the time it received the subsidies. The aid was meant for small and medium-size businesses and big groups like Agrofert would not qualify. Babis said Agrofert had provided land and credit guarantee for the project but did not take control until acquiring the firm in late 2013, and therefore the subsidies were legitimate. "On the day the application for subsidy was filed, none of the Agrofert companies owned the Stork Nest Farm," Babis said on Sunday. In a television documentary released last year, Babis was shown at the farm saying the project was his "best idea" ever, and had also referred to it as "his farm" prior to the 2013 acquisition. Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said on Tuesday Babis should explain the case and it needed to be thoroughly investigated. Sobotka said Czech police as well as EU's fraud body OLAF were looking into the 2008 subsidies. "It is logical to ask for an explanation of this complicated matter," Sobotka said in a live interview on news website www.blesk.cz. "Nobody is preventing Andrej Babis from putting all information on the table... so it stops burdening the functioning of the government." OLAF said it was conducting an investigation into an Agrofert group company but declined to give the firm's name or any details. Babis has faced constant criticism that he has widespread conflicts of interest because as a politician and finance minister he also owns two national newspapers and businesses that get public contracts, and national and EU aid. Opposition parties have called a parliamentary session for March 23 to question Babis over the subsidy. (Reporting by Robert Muller and Jan Lopatka)
Brussels (AFP) - Police faced one or more assailants during a major Franco-Belgian anti-terror operation Tuesday in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks and killed a suspect armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, the federal prosecutor's office said.

"In this operation, one or several people opened fire on the police as they came through the door... (and) one suspect armed with a Kalashnikov type assault rifle was killed," a statement said.

The identity of this person "is being established," it said.

There had been speculation that Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead, might have been the target of the operation but the prosecutor's spokesman expressly ruled it out.

The statement said four police were wounded in the operation -- three in the initial shootout around 3:00 pm (1400 GMT), including a French police woman, plus another officer later in the day when the suspect was killed at just after 6:00 pm.

"The investigation is being actively pursued, night and day and it is not possible to give further details at this stage so as not to hinder enquiries," it said.

A press conference will be held at 10:30 am on Wednesday, it added.
The production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was one of the most closely guarded operations in movie history. Crew members were given strict orders to keep everything they were privileged enough to witness to themselves, and cast members were frustratingly tight-lipped when it came to promoting the film.

So, to make up for all the pre-release mystery, Disney is releasing an hour-long documentary about the ins and outs of how the most successful movie of all time was produced, from JJ Abrams signing on as director to saying goodbye to Harrison Ford after Han Solo met his demise.

Titled Secrets of the Force Awakens, the film had its premiere Tuesday afternoon at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Abrams himself even stopped by to say a few words before the lights went down. "What's so cool about this is that it shows people who put their heart and soul into making The Force Awakens," Abrams said. "They were the greatest group of filmmakers, of artists, of storytellers, and to get to see behind the scenes was fun, frankly, even for me...and I was there."

Here are nine notable details we learned from Secrets of the Force Awakens.

1. Rey searching for Luke Skywalker helped convince Abrams to sign on to direct

When Disney asked Abrams to direct The Force Awakens, he thought he was going to say no. He felt he'd already done enough work with sequels. But there was one aspect of the prospective biggest undertaking of his life that gave him "the chills": a female hero searching for Luke Skywalker. "It was so titilating, the notion that this character that we all know would be discovered by some new, young heroine," he said. "It was incredibly intriguing. It felt to me like that was a great starting point for a story."

2. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan took long walks to talk about the script and taped their conversations

The film's script was ultimately written by Abrams and Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. What they came up with wasn't the result of locking themselves in a room with a few pads of paper and a computer, at least at first. "He kept his iPhone with the recorder on, and we'd walk," remembers Kasdan. "We'd walk for miles and miles and miles."

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Because of the film's pre-production, these walks took place all over the world. "It felt good to be in motion, because so much of the movie is in motion," said Abrams.

3. Daisy Ridley's reading of the torture scene convinced Abrams that SHE was the one

Casting Rey was one of the most important decisions made in pre-production. Whomever they chose to play the film's hero would have to be young, unknown, versatile and comfortable bearing the responsibility of fronting the most popular franchise of all time across multiple films.

"When we brought her in, I asked her to do this one scene, this torture scene," Abrams said. "It was very intense. She just blew my mind. She was reaching this depth of struggle and tears were streaming down her face. I thought, 'This is unbelievable.' I asked her to stop and do it again. And she did it again. I thought, 'Oh my God.'"

4. The scenes shot in Abu Dhabi were a combination of grueling and exhilarating

Newsweek/YouTube

Shooting began in Abu Dhabi, where the scenes on the desert planet of Jakku were filmed. Despite the searing heatLucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy remembers the 120-degree temperaturethe mood was joyous, as they were, you know, filming Star Wars.

Though the entire crew was perpetually drenched in sweat, the heat was especially rough on Ridley and John Boyega because both of their characters spent so much time running across the sandy expanse. To prepare, both actors did plenty of cardio work, specifically interval running, which mimicked what they would have to do on set.

5. There were two versions of BB-8, a remote-controlled version and a "puppet" version

Aside from Ridley and Boyega, the biggest breakout star of The Force Awakens was BB-8, who replaced R2-D2 as the most lovable droid in the galaxy. Making the spherical robot glide across the desert sand wasn't easy, though, and often a puppeteer wearing all-green clothes would propel the BB-8 with two sticks (also covered in green). Not only did this allow the droid to move across the sand, it allowed for more nuanced control of its movements and gestures.

6. Oscar Isaac wasn't going to die early in another film

We knew that an earlier version of the script had Oscar Isaac's character, Poe Dameron, dying early in the The Force Awakens. Isaac objected on the grounds that he had been in a number of films that killed him off in the early going, and didn't want to do another one. Abrams brought Dameron back to life, so to speakto Isaac's delight.

7. Captain Phasma's costume design was orginally intenDed for Kylo Ren

Newsweek/YouTube

Costume designer Michael Kaplan, who also worked on Blade Runner, said Kylo Ren was "by far the most difficult character to nail down." Some of his early illustrations featured Kylo Ren in silver, which Abrams liked, just not for Kylo Ren. It wound up on Stormtrooper leader Captain Phasma.

And why was she named Captain Phasma?

"The name came because looking at the design of Phasma's uniform, it reminded me of the movie Phantasm," said Abrams. "There's this chrome ball in Don Coscarelli's film, this kind of devil ball with spikes on it. I always loved the design of that."

8. The new "Cantina scene" was necessary, according to Abrams

Many have criticized the inclusion of another "cantina scene" in The Force Awakens. In Secrets of The Force Awakens, Abrams explained his reasoning:

The notion that the Cantina [in "A New Hope"] is one of countless watering holes that exist in various corner of the galaxy...it felt like it was fair game," says Abrams. "On the one hand, people will say, 'Oh, they're just trying to do the Cantina again.' But on the other hand, it's "Star Wars," and if you don't have a version of that, I would leave the film like, 'Well, where is that? How could they not do the Cantina?' So, it was how do we do the Cantina without doing the Cantina?"

9. Filming the final scene made Mark Hamill feel like he was back on the set of A New Hope

"Once you get up there, boy, it's so beautiful and so magical," said Hamill. "There was a point where I was as off to myself as you could be, sort of far down the path with the ocean beyond. A feeling came over me that hadn't happened since Tunisia, on the first one, because I was there out in the desert, and I had this really strong feeling that I was in an otherworldly place. You really felt like, 'I'm there.'"

Newsweek/YouTube

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UPDATED, 5:23 PM: A North Carolina sheriffs office now says it will not file charges of inciting a riot against Donald Trump and his campaign. The evidence does not meet the requisites of the law as established under the relevant North Carolina statute and case law to support a conviction of the crime of inciting a riot, the Cumberland County Sheriffs Office said in a statement released hours its original statement (read it here) said it was weighing such charges.

PREVIOUSLY, 2:52 PM: In perfect keeping with this presidential race, the Cumberland County Sheriffs Office in North Carolina said today it is investigating whether to charge Donald Trump or his campaign with inciting a riot in connection with that sucker-punch to a protester last week at one of Trumps love fests.

In a statement, the sheriffs office said its still weighing the potential of whether there was conduct on the part of Mr. Trump or the Trump campaign which rose to the level of inciting a riot. TV News networks lapped it up, after initial confusion in which the sheriffs office said in a statement it had considered looking into filing a charge against the candidate or his campaign, but had decided against.

Our investigation is not complete as to the incidents of Wednesday, March 9, 2016, when Trump held his rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the office clarified this afternoon.

Police arrested and charged 78-year-old John McGraw with assaulting protester Rakeem Jones. McGraw was videotaped hitting Jones in the face as Jones was being ejected from the rally by authorities. McGraws subsequent interview with Inside Edition, in which he boasted that next time he might have to kill Jones, has the sheriffs office also mulling more charges against the Trump supporter. Trump has said he will pay McGraws legal fees.

Cumberland County Sheriff Earl R. Butler is a registered Democrat, CNN reports, citing his official resume.

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Covering Trumps improbable race to the lead among GOP White House hopefuls, TV news operations have shown him at his rallies reacting to protesters in the hall, saying, throw them out, knock the crap out of them, and reminiscing that in the old days they used to be carried out on a stretcher. And, of one protester, Trump said, Id like to punch him in the face.

In recent days, Trumps GOP rivals have joined Democratic candidates for the White House in condemning Trumps rally rhetoric. The GOPs rivals say he bears responsibility for the violence that has erupted at his clambakes. Trump, in turn, has blamed the protesters he says are throwing the first punches, which he says is not being shown by left-leaning media. Trump blamed Dem candidate Bernie Sanders for Fridays violence at Trumps scrubbed Chicago rally.

We have a major candidate for president of the United States, Donald Trump, who is literally inciting violence among his supporters, Sanders says at todays town hall on MSNBC. When he says that he is prepared to pay the legal fees of somebody who sucker punches somebody, what he is really essentially saying is, Go, go go do it, supporters. Go beat up people, Sanders tells Chuck Todd:

On Sunday, Sanders called Trump a pathological liar during CNNs Democratic debate, to which Hillary Clinton contributed: What Trump has done is like a case of political arson. He has lit the fire and then throws up his hands and says he shouldnt be held responsible.

He is trafficking in hate and fear, Clinton said. He actually incites violence in the way he urges his audience on, talking about punching people, offering to pay legal bills.

But, HBOs John Oliver maybe said it best on Sunday, shortly after CNNs debate ended: Lets be honest: a Trump rally being canceled due to violence is THE most predictable things to happen in this campaign since Donald Trump mentioning the size of his dick.

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PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 15, 2016) - The Anita Borg Institute (ABI), a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of women in computing, announces that Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen, Executive Director of Engineering at Facebook and Head of Display Technologies at Oculus will give the keynote address at the 2016 Women of Vision Awards Banquet. Ana Pinczuk, ABI Trustee and Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Veritas, will emcee the awards banquet.

"Mary Lou and Ana are incredible role models for all women in technical roles, and I'm thrilled they will be headlining the Women of Vision banquet," said Telle Whitney, President and CEO of ABI. "Women of Vision has been inspiring and celebrating the successes of women technologists for years, and I look forward to this year's gala."

ABI's Women of Vision Awards Banquet honors women making significant contributions to technology. This year, the Women of Vision ABIE Awards will honor candidates for Leadership, Technology Entrepreneurship, and Student of Vision. Last year's winners included Julie Larson-Green, Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan and Camila Fernandez Achutti.

About Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen

Mary Lou is one of the world's foremost display innovators, with an exceptional track record of leadership and inventions, paralleled by years of working with Asia's largest manufacturers.

She currently leads advanced consumer electronics, opto-electronic and display design and manufacturing efforts at Facebook and Oculus. Previously she had a similar role at Google and Google[x] where she was also a close advisor to Sergey Brin. She co-founded One Laptop per Child (OLPC) with Nicholas Negroponte, and was the lead inventor and architect of the $100 laptop.

She built OLPC's partnerships throughout Asia to deliver the $100 laptop into high volume production. She has worked extensively with the Asian manufacturing hubs in Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea, living in Taiwan for years. Her startup CEO experience includes the world's only fabless display screen company, which was based in Taipei.

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She has been globally recognized with many awards including the Innovation ABIE Award, TIME magazine's "Time 100" as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, a CNN top 10 thinker, and by the leading global professional societies in optics, display and electronics. She has broad advisory experience including in Peru, China, Uruguay, Taiwan, Brazil, USA, the White House and the United Nations.

About Ana Pinczuk

Ana Pinczuk is Chief Product Officer at Veritas. In this role, she is responsible for driving a $2.5 billion products organization, including the Veritas Information Availability, Information Management, Backup and Recovery and Appliances portfolios.

Previously, Ana led the Veritas Backup and Recovery business where she was responsible for driving market-leading backup and recovery solutions that allow customers to solve their challenges of access, agility, and risk, and harness the power of their information.

Prior to joining Symantec, Ana led the Global Enterprise Theater (GET) Services Sales group at Cisco Systems, where she was responsible for global services sales to Cisco's top enterprise accounts.

Ana is a member of the International Women's Forum, an Anita Borg Institute trustee, Cornell Computer and Information Sciences Advisory Board, and Carnegie Mellon Engineering Advisory Board. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including the 2016 Women of Influence Award, 2016 HITEC 100, 2014 Corporate Index (Top 25 Hispanics), 2013 Latina Style Executive of the Year, and 2013 TWIN Award.

Women of Vision Details:

Registration for the Women of Vision Awards Banquet is now open - reserve your seats today!

Sponsorship opportunities for the Women of Vision Awards Banquet are available through Wednesday, March 23.

Current event sponsors include: ADP, BNY Mellon, Capital One, eBay, Facebook, HP and Juniper Networks.

About ABI:

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) connects, inspires and guides women in computing and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative. Founded in 1997 by computer scientist Anita Borg, our reach extends to more than 65 countries. We believe technology innovation powers the global economy, and that women are crucial to building technology the world needs. The Anita Borg Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. For more information, visit anitaborg.org.

Follow the Anita Borg Institute on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
DAVAO CITY  Presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte yesterday urged his supporters to stop bullying the student who were allegedly rude to him during a forum at the University of the Philippines- Los Banos last week.

I was not treated with disrespect. He was just acting according to his age. I was also once a student, Duterte said, referring to UPLB student Stephen Villena.

Dutertes supporters threatened Villena and even made a Facebook page where they killed the student for interrupting the candidate who was answering his question.

Villena said it was not his intention to interrupt Duterte, noting he only wanted to grant his request of leaving early to catch his flight back to Davao.

Duterte said he understood the sentiments of his supporters, but urged them to refrain from bullying anyone, particularly on social media.

He said Villena was not disrespectful, but was merely expressing his views.

This is a free country. And I support his right to his own opinion and for him to say it, the mayor said.

Dutertes spokesman Peter Lavina urged the supporters to take the moral high ground when the candidate is en- gaged in public discussion.

Lavina reminded them of their real intention, which is for the country to break away from discontent, poverty, corruption, criminality and proliferation of drugs.

Meanwhile, Duterte expressed belief that Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II owns the private jets that the administration candidate is using in campaign sorties.

Roxas could be lying when he said that he was just renting the aircraft, Duterte said.

Earlier, Roxas said he has been using the private planes of Eric Gutierrez, owner of SR Metals Inc., in his campaign sorties.

Gutierrez is often seen in Roxas sorties.

Without specifically pointing to Roxas, Duterte said a certain candidate bought the planes without paying a single centavo in taxes.

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Waive bank secrecy

Duterte and running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday signed a mani- festo signifying they are waiving their rights to bank secrecy.

Duterte and Cayetano challenged their rivals to do the same in the interest of transparency and accountability.

They called on their rivals to make public their bank accounts, domestic and foreign, for scrutiny.

The two issued the challenge after they called for the lifting of the bank secrecy law for public officials and the passage of an anti-dummy law to prevent them from amassing ill-gotten wealth.

 With Robertzon Ramirez
Today in One Paragraph

Several staffers at Breitbart News resigned over the websites handling of an alleged assault of a reporter by Donald Trumps campaign manager. Hundreds of migrants were detained by authorities after crossing into Macedonia from Greece. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that hes pulling Russian troops from Syria. And President Obama met with Jason Rezaian, a reporter who was recently freed from imprisonment in Iran.

Top News

Resignations at Breitbart. Reporter Michelle Fields and editor-at-large Ben Shapiro, along with several other staff members, resigned from the company over the way the site handled Fieldss recent assault accusation against Donald Trumps campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. In a statement, Shapiro said Breitbart Newss editors undercut Fieldss story and shaped the company into Trumps personal Pravda. (Rosie Gray and McKay Coppins, BuzzFeed News)

Recommended: The Obama Doctrine

Migrants Enter Macedonia. Hundreds of refugees crossed from Greece into Macedonia by skirting a border fence, authorities said. The migrants were detained by the Macedonian police on arrival, and a spokeswoman said they would be sent back to Greece. (Ognen Teofilovski, Reuters)

Mission Accomplished. Vladimir Putin announced that most Russian military forces will withdraw from Syria starting Tuesday, saying in a meeting at the Kremlin that the mission on the whole has been accomplished. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have recently captured rebel-and ISIS-held territory with the help of Russian airstrikes, approved the withdrawal, according to a statement from his office. The decision comes amid peace talks in Geneva aimed at resolving Syrias civil war. (BBC News)

Obama Meets with Freed Reporter. During a State Department visit, the president met with Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian who was recently released after spending more than 18 months in an Iranian prison. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama was pleased to have an opportunity to welcome him home. (Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post)

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Tomorrow in One Paragraph. Florida, Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina, and Illinoisalong with the Northern Mariana Islands in the northwest Pacific oceanwill hold their presidential nominating contests. Well be following the action as it unfolds here.

Follow stories throughout the day with our new Politics & Policy page. And keep on top of the campaign with our 2016 Distilled election dashboard.

Top Read

Within minutes of seeing Crossons vine, the First Lady was in FDRs Map Room, filming her response. Turnipfor what, she deadpanned into the camera, a glorious purple and white root vegetable in hand. The bass dropped and Mrs. Obama closed her eyes, bouncing to the beat. The Verges Kwame Opam on Michelle Obamas embrace of social media.

Top Lines

Doing the Math. If Donald Trump wins Florida and Ohiowhich would likely eliminate both John Kasich and Marco Rubiohe would increase his lead over Ted Cruz and be well on his way to clinching the Republican nomination. (Tim Alberta, The National Review)

Recommended: Gaffe Track: The 2016 Presidential Election in Blunders

That Ralph Guy in Ohio. The Washington Post profiled 38-year-old Ralph Case, a single father and small-business owner who used his own money to turn a rundown tanning salon into a local Donald Trump campaign headquarters. (Stephanie McCrummen)

Top Views

How Do Delegates Work? The Atlantics Caty Green sits down with senior politics editor Yoni Appelbaum to discuss who really chooses the nominees during the U.S. presidential primary season.

We want to hear from you! Were reimagining what The Edge can be, and would love to receive your complaints, compliments, and suggestions. Tell us what youd like to find in your inbox by sending a message to newsletters@theatlantic.com.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Berlin (AFP) - Three energy giants Tuesday told Germany's top court that they should be compensated for the nuclear phase-out Chancellor Angela Merkel's government decided after the Fukushima disaster five years ago.

Energy giants E.ON, RWE and Sweden's Vattenfall want the Constitutional Court to rule that the move amounted to an "expropriation" of their assets.

They hope that would bolster damages claims they have already launched in lower regional courts where they are reportedly demanding a total of at least 15 billion euros ($17 billion) in separate cases.

Merkel's government decided after Japan's March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent Fukushima reactor meltdowns to halt operations of Germany's eight oldest nuclear plants, and to shutter the other nine by 2022.

Today, eight of Germany's 17 nuclear plants remain in operation.

The move, shortly before key regional elections, marked a sharp reversal for Merkel. She had earlier overturned a phase-out ordered by a previous government in 2002 and extended the lifespan of Germany's nuclear fleet until 2036.

The chief of Germany's biggest power company E.ON, Johannes Teyssen, said: "Our constitutional complaint is not directed against the political decision to phase out nuclear energy. We explicitly respect this decision.

"But we cannot simply accept that parliament disregarded constitutional requirements by providing for no compensation.

"For our shareholders -- including many small stock holders who have their savings and pensions invested with us -- this creates a significant financial loss which under current law will not be compensated for. Our constitutional complaint argues against, and only against, this point."

- Billions in losses -

The energy companies have booked heavy losses amid the nuclear phase-out and shift towards green energy, much of it produced by wind and solar plants operated by households, small businesses and municipalities.

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The glut of government-subsidised renewable power has led to a collapse in wholesale electricity prices.

E.ON this month said it suffered a seven-billion-euro net loss in 2015, blaming in part the massive write-downs on the value of its electricity plants.

The companies filed the first of a spate of dozens of legal cases in 2012, most in the courts of the German states where particular plants are located.

Swedish state-owned company Vattenfall is also seeking 4.7 billion euros in damages from Germany before a US tribunal.

Critics argue that the big energy companies benefited from massive state subsidies when the nuclear plants first went into operation.

Safely decommissioning all the plants and storing their radioactive parts and waste will cost around 50 billion euros, experts estimate.

Industry observers say the companies hope to use a favourable constitutional court ruling as leverage in parallel talks on state aid for decommissioning the atomic plants.

However, Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said Tuesday that "the government will not agree to any deals".

She also defended the decision to abandon nuclear power, saying that "against the background of the decades-long controversial societal debate, there could be no more 'business as usual'" after Fukushima.

The Constitutional Court hearings run until Wednesday, and a ruling is not expected for several months.
By Joseph Menn (Reuters) - Hackers using tactics and tools previously associated with Chinese government-supported computer network intrusions have joined the booming cyber crime industry of ransomware, four security firms that investigated attacks on U.S. companies said. Ransomware, which involves encrypting a target's computer files and then demanding payment to unlock them, has generally been considered the domain of run-of-the-mill cyber criminals. But executives of the security firms have seen a level of sophistication in at least a half dozen cases over the last three months akin to those used in state-sponsored attacks, including techniques to gain entry and move around the networks, as well as the software used to manage intrusions. "It is obviously a group of skilled of operators that have some amount of experience conducting intrusions," said Phil Burdette, who heads an incident response team at Dell SecureWorks. Burdette said his team was called in on three cases in as many months where hackers spread ransomware after exploiting known vulnerabilities in application servers. From there, the hackers tricked more than 100 computers in each of the companies into installing the malicious programs. The victims included a transportation company and a technology firm that had 30 percent of its machines captured. Security firms Attack Research, InGuardians and G-C Partners, said they had separately investigated three other similar ransomware attacks since December. Although they cannot be positive, the companies concluded that all were the work of a known advanced threat group from China, Attack Research Chief Executive Val Smith told Reuters. The ransomware attacks have not previously been reported. None of the companies that were victims of the hackers agreed to be identified publicly. Asked about the allegations, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that if they were made with a "serious attitude" and reliable proof, China would treat the matter seriously. But ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China did not have time to respond to what he called "rumors and speculation" about the country's online activities. The security companies investigating the advanced ransomware intrusions have various theories about what is behind them, but they do not have proof and they have not come to any firm conclusions. Most of the theories flow from the possibility that the Chinese government has reduced its support for economic espionage, which it pledged to oppose in an agreement with the United States late last year. Some U.S. companies have reported a decline in Chinese hacking since the agreement. Smith said some government hackers or contractors could be out of work or with reduced work and looking to supplement their income via ransomware. It is also possible, Burdette said, that companies which had been penetrated for trade secrets or other reasons in the past were now being abandoned as China backs away, and that spies or their associates were taking as much as they could on the way out. In one of Dell's cases, the means of access by the team spreading ransomware was established in 2013. The cyber security experts could not completely rule out more prosaic explanations, such as the possibility that ordinary criminals had improved their skills and bought tools previously used only by governments. Dell said that some of the malicious software had been associated by other security firms with a group dubbed Codoso, which has a record of years of attacks of interest to the Chinese government, including those on U.S. defense companies and sites that draw Chinese minorities. PAYMENT IN BITCOIN Ransomware has been around for years, spread by some of the same people that previously installed fake antivirus programs on home computers and badgered the victims into paying to remove imaginary threats. In the past two years, better encryption techniques have often made it impossible for victims to regain access to their files without cooperation from the hackers. Many ransomware payments are made in the virtual currency Bitcoin and remain secret, but institutions including a Los Angeles hospital have gone public about ransomware attacks. Ransomware operators generally set modest prices that many victims are willing to pay, and they usually do decrypt the files, which ensures that victims will post positively online about the transaction, making the next victims who research their predicament more willing to pay. Security software companies have warned that because the aggregate payoffs for ransomware gangs are increasing, more criminals will shift to it from credit card theft and other complicated scams. The involvement of more sophisticated hackers also promises to intensify the threat. InGuardians CEO Jimmy Alderson said one of the cases his company investigated appeared to have been launched with online credentials stolen six months earlier in a suspected espionage hack of the sort typically called an Advanced Persistent Threat, or APT. "The tactics of getting access to these networks are APT tactics, but instead of going further in to sit and listen stealthily, they are used for smash-and-grab," Alderson said. (Reporting by Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Megha Rajagopalan in BEIJING; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Clarence Fernandez)
(Reuters) - Germany's big four utilities -- E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall [VATN.UL] -- are seeking nearly 25 billion euros ($27.8 billion) in various lawsuits related to the country's nuclear policy. Germany's Constitutional Court, the country's highest, is holding a two-day hearing on March 15-16 in a case relating to Germany's landmark decision to abandon nuclear altogether by 2022. Following is a list of all pending cases: NUCLEAR EXIT: - E.ON, RWE and Vattenfall have filed complaints with Germany's highest court against the government's decision, taken in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, to close all nuclear plants in Germany by 2022. That reversed an October 2010 agreement to allow some plants to run beyond 2022. - Following the two-day hearing, the Constitutional Court is expected to make a ruling later this year on the legality of the decision. - E.ON is suing for 8 billion euros. RWE has not commented on the possible size of claims but analysts at Deutsche Bank estimate it could be about 6 billion euros. - Vattenfall, whose group headquarters are in Sweden, has also filed a lawsuit with the Washington-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), where it is seeking 4.7 billion euros in damages. - As EnBW is majority state-owned, it has not sued the government over this issue. THREE-MONTH NUCLEAR SHUTDOWN IN SUMMER 2011: - E.ON in 2014 filed a lawsuit seeking 380 million euros in damages over a moratorium on nuclear production at Germany's eight oldest reactors after the Fukushima disaster, that subsequently led to their permanent closure. These included E.ON's Unterweser and Isar 1 plants. - EnBW in 2014 also filed a claim for damages against the state of Baden Wuerttemberg, seeking 261 million euros in damages for the closures of Neckarwestheim 1 and Philippsburg 1. A court said the claim has little chance of success. - RWE is seeking 235 million euros from the federal government and the state of Hesse for the enforced shutdown of its Biblis A and B plants. A court has signaled the company might get back much less than that. - Vattenfall's two German reactors, Brunsbuettel and Kruemmel, were inactive in 2011, so did not become subject to the moratorium. NUCLEAR FUEL ROD TAX: - A fuel element tax, introduced in 2011 and due to expire this year, requires firms to pay 145 euros per gram of nuclear fuel each time they exchange a fuel rod, usually about twice a year. Germany's utilities have so far paid a total of 5.4 billion euros in the tax. - The utilities argue they only agreed to pay this in return for being granted longer lifespans for their plants as was promised in the pre-Fukushima agreement. - The German Constitutional Court is expected to present a separate final ruling this year on the matter and could theoretically scrap the tax. - In June 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Germany's tax on the use of nuclear energy did not breach European Union laws, dealing a blow to utilities' hopes for a multi-billion euro refund. STORAGE OF REPROCESSED NUCLEAR WASTE: - E.ON and Vattenfall have filed lawsuits against three German states (Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein) and the federal government, rejecting a 2014 law that banned transporting reprocessed nuclear waste to a central storage site at Gorleben in northwest Germany and stipulating it be stored at sites near nuclear reactors instead. The utilities say the transport ban is politically motivated and on-site storage incurs additional costs they should not have to bear. - RWE has filed similar lawsuits concerning the sites of its Biblis, Lingen and Gundremmingen reactors in Hesse, Lower Saxony and Bavaria. - As EnBW is majority state-owned, it will not sue the government over this issue. ($1 = 0.8993 euros) (Reporting by Christoph Steitz, Vera Eckert and Tom Kaeckenhoff; Editing by Keith Weir)
Rather than use the tools at its disposal to hack into an iPhone recovered from one of the terrorists who carried out the horrific San Bernardino mass shooting late last year, the FBI chose to make the battle public. Many believed the Bureau hoped to set a precedent that would enable it to compel companies like Apple to assist in similar cases in the future. After all, it would be far simpler for Apple to break into an iPhone by building a custom version of its iOS platform than it would be for agencies like the NSA to hack their way in.

But in taking this fight public, the FBI has seemingly made its worst nightmare come true.

MUST SEE: Our first look at the iPhone 7 couldnt be less exciting (and why thats OK)

A court recently demanded that Apple assist the FBI in its efforts to break into the recovered iPhone, and the Cupertino-based company is currently in the process of fighting the courts decision. But even if the FBI ultimately wins, and even if this case does set a precedent, the Bureau may have shot itself in the foot.

As noted by The Guardian, technology companies in Silicon Valley and elsewhere are obviously watching the FBIs fight quite closely, and many companies have come out in support of Apple. But they arent just supporting Apples fight on paper, theyre also supporting Apples stance with their own actions.

Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat and other companies are said to be in the process of making their apps more secure as a direct result of the FBIs public battle with Apple. For example, WhatsApp now has plans to encrypt its voice calling feature in addition to text messaging. Facebook is also said to be considering a big security upgrade for its popular messaging app.

In other words, because the FBI is fighting so publicly for a means to bypass device security, software companies are now making it their mission to protect users data more securely than ever before. What does that mean for the FBI? Even if it can force smartphone vendors to unlock phones in the future, it might be next to impossible to recover any data from the key apps contained on the phones.

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This isnt the first time weve seen reports that the FBIs fight is pushing companies to strengthen security. In fact, Apple is reportedly in the process of building an unhackable iPhone and we have the FBI to thank.

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More from BGR: Our first look at the iPhone 7 couldnt be less exciting (and why thats OK)

This article was originally published on BGR.com
Indiana Jones is swinging back in action in theaters in less than three years.

Disney has unveiled plans for its fifth Indiana Jones movie starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film has been dated for July 19, 2019.

Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we cant wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019, said Disney chairman Alan Horn. Its rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldnt be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.

More to come.
A showcase of early 8mm works from some of Japans most highly regarded auteurs freshly digitalized to 2K and with new English subtitles, is being screened in Hong Kong under the banner "Hachimiri Madness  Japanese Indies from the Punk Years."

Shot between 1977 and 1990, consisting of both full-length features and shorts, the 11 films portray the punk ethos that influenced the young directors and is still evident in many of their later productions. The raw feel of much the filmmaking is matched by the format  hachimiri is Japanese for 8mm  as these punk directors were discovering their creative voices.

The oldest film in the series is the Isolation of 1/880000 (also known as Solitude of One Divided by 880,000), made in 1977 by Sogo Ishii, often hailed as the godfather of Japanese punk filmmaking. Made by Ishii while a second-year film student at Tokyos Nihon University College of Art, the alma mater of numerous Japanese directors, it portrays a frustrated young man ostensibly studying for university entrance exams.

"It was shot mostly in the room where I lived in Tokyo. I had no money and used all different kinds of film to shoot. It was a Frankenstein. The film I could afford didnt record sound, so it had no soundtrack, the director, who now goes by the name Gakuryu Ishii, tells The Hollywood Reporter.

Read More: Filmart: With 'Flying Colors', Are China and Japan Friends at Last?

Hiring out venues to screen the film himself, Ishii would use different music depending on the occasion, ranging from John Coltrane's A Love Supreme to British punk band The Pop Group.

I felt I had something to say to the world, though I never imagined it would be screened around the world, added Ishii, who hasnt yet seen the digitalized version.

In an unprecedented move in Japans conservative mainstream film industry, Ishiis graduation film Crazy Thunder Road was picked up for theatrical distribution by major studio Toei. Among those in envious awe of the instant success of the young director was Shinya Tsukamoto, a first-year art student at the same university.

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Tsukamoto would go on to become a director himself, and his cyberpunk cult favorite The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo (1988) will be screened alongside Ishiis film. The film was based on a stage production Tsukamoto had created with fellow students and would be the last film he shot on 8mm.

Looking back at it now, its kind of cute, and in terms of the filmmaking techniques too. It had a lot of energy and love in it, though said Tsukamoto, whose Fires on the Plain competed at Venice in 2014.

The DIY ethos developed during the 8mm days carried on through his career, according to Tsukamoto, who says his approach to making his own films his own way hasnt changed. For the Tetsuo (The Iron Man) trilogy, which cemented his worldwide cult following, Tsukamoto wrote, produced, directed, edited and appeared in the productions.

Read More: Asian Film Players Slam Donald Trump's Trade Rhetoric

"8mm was like a child of 35mm, but Im so fond of that format," Tsukamoto says.

The only director to have two films in the program is Sion Sono, with I am Sion Sono!! (1980) and A Mans Flower Road (1986).

Festival circuit favorite Sono rarely watches his old films and says hes embarrassed at the thought of others watching them now.

"Im happy theyve been chosen for the program, but Im also in both of them, and was very young, so thats embarrassing too," Sono says.

The iconoclastic helmer recalls his use of handheld cameras was considered "crazy" by his fellow film students, due to shaky footage they produced.

"At that time, nobody was using handhelds," he says. Now its the norm. There have been films with a documentary touch, like The Blair Witch Project, and everyone is using them in Hollywood. But at the time, they thought I was mad."
Watch out, Tim Cook  it looks like you have another law enforcement official whos out to bring you in! It seems one Florida sheriff wants to end the debate between Apple and the FBI by arresting Apples rascal CEO Tim Cook.

DONT MISS: Our first look at the iPhone 7 couldnt be less exciting (and why thats OK)

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd commented on the Apple vs. FBI case during a press conference this week. Police apprehended three suspects that had allegedly beaten, sexually assaulted, and killed a drug dealer in Lakeland, Florida. The three took pictures of their victims body and showed it to other people while bragging about the murder.

The suspects did share the passcode of the phone with the police during the investigation, FOX 13 reports.

You cannot create a business model to go, Were not paying attention to the federal judge or the state judge. You see, were above the law,' Judd said when asked about Apples refusal to allow the FBI access to the iPhone 5c from the San Bernardino shooting. The CEO of Apple needs to know hes not above the law, and neither is anybody else in the United States.

I can tell you, the first time we do have trouble getting into a cell phone, were going to seek a court order from Apple. And when they deny us, Im going to go lock the CEO of Apple up, he continued (see the video below). Ill lock the rascal up.

Its probably likely that Judd would have a hard time arresting Cook in the first place, not only because Cook usually spends his time in California, but also because Apple has a legal army that would likely keep Cook and any other execs out of such troubles. But Judds comments go to show that the encryption battle is far from done and that many people, including law enforcement personnel, need to understand what encryption backdoors actually mean  maybe this explanation from Last Week Tonights John Oliver could help.

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Story continues

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Is this the iPhone 7's dual camera?

More from BGR: Our first look at the iPhone 7 couldnt be less exciting (and why thats OK)

This article was originally published on BGR.com
DALLAS (Reuters) - A Fort Worth police officer was critically wounded on Tuesday in a gunfight that erupted after he pulled over a father and son to serve an arrest warrant, police said.

One of the suspects, 42-year-old Ed McIver Sr., was shot and killed. His son, 20-year-old Ed McIver Jr., fled and was being pursued, a police spokeswoman said.

It was unclear which suspect shot the officer, she added.

Federal and local authorities were searching a heavily wooded area near Interstate 30 in west Fort Worth.

Were not going to leave until we find him," police spokeswoman Corporal Tracey Knight told reporters.

The suspect who died had several felony warrants for his arrest, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a family violence charge.

The unidentified police officer, on the force since 2009, was undergoing surgery and treatment for multiple gunshot wounds at an area hospital, she said.

(Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by James Dalgleish and Tom Brown)
Lyon (AFP) - French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, accused of covering up sex abuse, is a hardline Catholic who has been outspoken against gay marriage and championed the cause of Christians persecuted in Iraq and Syria.

The 65-year-old archbishop of Lyon, France's second largest city, has fiercely denied charges that he covered up paedophilia crimes by failing to remove a priest in his diocese known to have abused Boy Scouts decades before he took up his post in 2002.

Barbarin is also accused of failing to act against another Lyon priest when it emerged in 2009 he had abused a boy in the past.

"I have never, never, never covered up acts of paedophilia," Barbarin said, adding that both cases had passed the legal statute of limitations when they were reported, adding an unfortunate "thank God".

He later apologised for his choice of words.

It was not the first time Barbarin had to backpedal on his own comments.

Speaking out against gay marriage as protests swept France in 2012, Barbarin said: "Next thing they will be wanting couples of two or three people ... then one day maybe, I don't know, the ban on incest will fall."

The cardinal has also been at the frontline of anti-abortion protests and is very popular in the more conservative wing in the French Church.

Barbarin was born on October 17, 1950, in Rabat, Morocco, into a family of 11 children.

Despite taking a hard line on some issues, he also has a progressive side, being passionate about social issues and open to inter-religious dialogue.

He has often appeared alongside the head of the Lyon Grand Mosque Kamel Kabtane and co-wrote a book with France's chief rabbi.

Barbarin has also championed the cause of the Roma people and met with illegal migrants.

- No to 'cool Christianity' -

However while he handles social media with ease, Barbarin is proudly conservative.

"If there are not a lot of Christians in France, it is not my problem. My problem is that we who are Christians are not Christian enough," he said when he arrived in Lyon.

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"I know this shocks but I will repeat it: cool Christianity has no future."

A book on the history of the Church in Lyon describes Barbarin as "a bishop of the John Paul II generation".

Barbarin studied philosophy and theology and was ordained a priest in Paris in 1977, where he stayed for 17 years before leaving to Madagascar.

He then became bishop of Moulins in the centre of France, before becoming archbishop of Lyon in 2002. The Polish pontiff John Paul made him a cardinal in 2003.

A big fan of Tintin, Barbarin is also a keen runner.

The media-friendly cardinal has sought to make the Church more visible, and has visited Iraq and Syria several times to raise awareness over the plight of persecuted Christians there.

Barbarin is also the author of several books, including one published in 2015 entitled "Dieu Est-Il Perime?" (Is God Past His Sell-by-Date?).
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian leaders expressed hope for a new French push for peace efforts in talks with a Paris envoy on Tuesday, after he faced scepticism in meetings with Israel.

Pierre Vimont, France's point man on efforts to hold an international peace conference by the summer, held talks Tuesday in Ramallah with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, foreign minister Riad al-Malki and top negotiator Saeb Erekat.

"The French ideas are timely, the French ideas are realistic and the French ideas are the only thing in town, and those who care about peace between Palestinians and Israelis must fully support the French ideas," Erekat said.

France launched the effort earlier this year to host an international conference to revive peace talks. It initially vowed to recognise a Palestinian state if talks failed, but French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault later said the recognition would not be automatic.

Vimont on Monday met Israeli foreign ministry director general Dore Gold, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said Israel wants direct negotiations with the Palestinians and sought to "understand the initiative's logic" during talks with Vimont.

"The Israeli side emphasised the importance of direct, bilateral negotiations, with no prior conditions between the parties," he said.

The French initiative comes amid a wave of violence since October that has killed 193 Palestinians and 28 Israelis.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to the Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air raids in the Gaza Strip.
Brussels (AFP) - A French policewoman was wounded Tuesday during a major Franco-Belgian anti-terror operation in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks, Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens said.

"It appears the French policewoman who was slightly wounded was here as part of a joint investigation team set up by Belgian and French prosecutors," Geens told a press conference after a dramatic day which saw one suspect shot dead.

Officials said earlier that four police had been hurt in the operation and it was not immediately clear if that included the French officer.
(Reuters) - Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has said he expects to make his first-team return from a knee ligament injury next month. Rooney has been out for eight games and will miss England's upcoming friendlies against Germany (Mar. 26) and Netherlands (Mar. 29) but is eyeing a return for United's Premier League fixture against his former club Everton on April 3. "My recovery is going as planned. I don't know for definite but (I should be back) after the international break," Rooney said as he attended the unveiling of United's partnership with Gulf Oil International on Monday. [nL3N16M3AY] "It has been eight games now I have missed and I didn't realise it was that many. It has been frustrating." The 30-year-old striker said he would have plenty of time to prove his fitness ahead of England's Euro 2016 campaign in France which begins in June with Group B matches against Russia, Wales and Slovakia. "There could be ten games left for United, plus the England (warm-up) games, so I don't think that (being fit for the Euro 2016) would be a worry." (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru. Editing by Patrick Johnston)
By Letitia Stein ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Reuters) - The former Gawker editor who published a sex tape of celebrity wrestler Hulk Hogan admitted limits to its newsworthiness in a Florida court on Monday, as the media company fights for the right to have posted the tape on its website under U.S. press freedoms. A.J. Daulerio, Gawker's editor when the tape was posted on the Internet gossip site in 2012, emerged as the face of the former professional wrestler's contention that the company had few limits in using sexual content to drive web traffic. He was Gawker's first defense witness in the civil trial over Hogan's $100 million privacy-invasion lawsuit, which is testing media boundaries in the digital age. At issue in the case is whether Hogan's right to privacy should be superceded by the public interest and freedom of speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The one-minute, 41-second edited video features Hogan having sex with the wife of his then-best friend, radio "shock jock" personality Bubba the Love Sponge. Hogan, 62, said he did not know the consensual encounter, which occurred nearly a decade ago in Bubba's home, had been recorded. Daulerio, 41, described his interest in writing a commentary about celebrity sex tapes, with the video excerpts to focus on "innocuous" conversation between Hogan and his friend's wife. "That was what I found most amusing," he said, noting that he had grown up watching the moustachioed Hogan when he was a dominant figure in the wrestling world in the 1980s and 1990s. He directed a video editor at Gawker to cut a highlights reel from the roughly 30-minute sex tape sent to its offices. The final cut featured nine seconds of actual sex, he said, to confirm the encounter. Daulerio said he did not consider blurring images, nor contact the wrestler before publication. He said publishing material that subjects dislike was part of the news business, even if that can "come off as pretty callous." Gawker has argued that Hogan made his sex life a public matter. But Hogan, whose legal name is Terry Bollea, told jurors he still suffers from humiliation following the tape's release, when he took the stand at the trial near his home in St. Petersburg last week. Under cross-examination by Hogan's attorney, Shane Vogt, Daulerio acknowledged limits to the video's newsworthiness, including its depictions of Hogan's anatomy. "Mr Bollea's penis had no news value, did it?" Voght asked. "No," Daulerio responded. In answer to another question from Vogt, Daulerio also acknowledged it did not really matter to Gawker if the tape had crossed a line into sensational prying. The amount of damages sought by Hogan could potentially put New York-based Gawker, known for its snarky celebrity and media industry gossip, out of business.
Los Angeles (AFP) - A group of 25 Academy members of Asian descent, including Oscar-winning film director Ang Lee and "Star Trek" actor George Takei, have complained about racist jokes at this year's awards.

The 88th Academy Awards on February 28 featured a section in which host Chris Rock introduced children of Asian descent as Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences accountants and an ad-libbed insinuation by actor Sacha Baron Cohen that Asian men were not well-endowed.

"We'd like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts," the group said in a letter to the Academy.

Actor-turned-social media personality Takei and Taiwanese-born Lee co-signed the letter with former academy governors Don Hall, Freida Lee Mock and Arthur Dong, and 20 other Academy members.

The group expressed "complete surprise and disappointment with the targeting of Asians at the 88th Oscars telecast and its perpetuation of racist stereotypes."

The irony of the complaint will not be lost on the Academy, which has been contending with a social media backlash against the lack of racial diversity among the nominees, under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.

"In light of criticism over #OscarsSoWhite, we were hopeful that the telecast would provide the Academy a way forward and the chance to present a spectacular example of inclusion and diversity," said the letter, made public on Tuesday by Variety magazine.

Instead, it complained, the ceremony was marred by "a tone-deaf approach" to its representation of Asians.

"The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive," an Academy spokeswoman said in a statement.

"We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive."
Berlin (AFP) - The founder of Germany's xenophobic and anti-Islam group PEGIDA has been summoned to court on hate speech charges for describing refugees as "cattle" and "scum", a court in Dresden said.

Lutz Bachmann, 43, was charged with inciting hatred in October for a series of widely shared posts on the PEGIDA Facebook page, which stands for "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident".

A court date has been set for April, with two further hearings in May.

The court said Bachmann's comments "disrupted public order" and constituted an "attack on (the refugees') dignity".

PEGIDA started life in October 2014 as a xenophobic Facebook group, initially drawing just a few hundred protesters to demonstrations in the eastern city of Dresden before gaining strength, peaking with turnouts of 25,000 people.

Interest subsequently began to wane following Bachmann's overtly racist comments and the surfacing of "selfies" in which he sported a Hitler-style moustache and hairstyle.

But the group has seen a revival with the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers, many fleeing war in mostly Muslim countries like Syria and Iraq. They are part of an unprecedented influx of newcomers to Germany, which took in more than a million migrants and refugees last year.

The populist right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made surprise gains in weekend regional polls in what was widely seen a protest vote against Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door policy on refugees.
Berlin (AFP) - Germany's populist party AfD enjoyed a surge in support in weekend elections despite public outrage over its leader's comment that police may have to shoot at migrants to stop them entering the country.

But Frauke Petry, who was responsible for that comment, counts in fact among more moderate voices in a party still struggling to define itself as an internal tug-of-war rumbles on between her less extremist group and a far-right faction.

"Through its programme and by its officials' comments, the AfD offers a range that goes from its national conservative positions to that of an extreme-right," Oskar Niedermayer, political analyst at Berlin's Free University, told Die Welt daily.

Founded in 2013 by Bernd Luecke on an anti-euro platform, the party has since transformed itself into anti-migrant outfit after the economics professor was ousted by Petry in July last year.

The departure of Luecke heralded the demise of the liberal wing of the party, which is now torn internally over how far right it should position itself.

Alexander Haeusler, political scientist at the University of Applied Sciences of Duesseldorf, said Thueringen party leader Bjoern Hoecke and his counterpart in Saxony-Anhalt Andre Poggenburg are among those preaching an extremist line.

Hoecke sparked outrage when he said in December that the "reproductive behaviour of Africans" could be a threat for Germany, while Poggenburg has campaigned for an "upper limit of zero" for asylum seekers.

Both men have created an internal far-right faction called Der Fluegel (The Wing) and which aims to turn AfD into a German version of France's National Front.

"These are clearly the partisans of a new radical and nationalist right" who are seeking to use their regions as laboratories for their ideas, Haeusler said.

- 'Provocative speech' -

Compared to them, Petry as well as Joerg Meuthen, who headed the AfD's team in Sunday's elections in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, were the more tempered voices.

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Petry, who has herself said "pertinent, and sometimes also provocative speech" is indispensable to get attention, has refused to engage in "a debate on labels" when asked how close her party is to the FN in France or the Freedom Party in Austria.

Co-leader Meuthen, however, distanced the party from the FN, saying Marine Le Pen's group was a "party that has fundamentally nationalist and socialist ideas, which are alien to our party".

Although Meuthen only scored 15.1 percent in Baden-Wurttemberg compared to Poggenburg's 24.1 percent in Saxony-Anhalt, it was in some ways a more significant success.

In absolute numbers -- with 810,000 votes, it was simply the best showing for the party in the regional elections. In addition, the foray into the prosperous southwestern state marked a coup for the party which was previously seen as attractive mainly to disenfranchised voters in the former communist east.

That may therefore confer a greater voice in the party to the economic professor, who has largely captured the votes from the middle class in his state.

In addition, Meuthen's expertise could be necessary to help the party construct a coherent economic programme that could strike a chord with both the unemployed in the former communist east as well as the better situated in the west and south of the country.

Alexander Gauland, one of the AfD's top officials, said Monday that his party was out to give "working people" a voice.

However, the AfD's liberal economic ideas, inherited from Luecke's era, do not correspond to this line.

AfD is "like a vacuum cleaner that is sucking everything up," Stefan Merz, an election analyst at Infratest Dimap, told TAZ daily.

At the moment it is described by Meuthen as "a new conservative and liberal force, that respects the people's values, that is open to the world while at the same time patriotic."

That, for now, is broad enough to encompass the party's diverse factions. But its congress at the end of April aims to draw up a programme which may finally sharpen its focus.
Later this year, barring some legislative maneuvering, Vermont will become the first U.S. state to require mandatory labeling of products that contain genetically-modified ingredients (GMOs).

The argument that led to the passage of the requirement is that consumers ought to know whats in their food. As Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin put it last week, We already require food companies to label nutritional values such as calories or sugar content and to include an ingredient list.

His message was given a boost by Bernie Sanders, his fellow Vermonter and presidential hopeful:

The simple fact is, Americans want to know what is in the food they're eating and whether that food is genetically engineered.  Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 8, 2016

The reason that Shumlin and Sanders are speaking out is because this week the Senate will likely vote on a measure that could render Vermont's mandate moot. The bill, sponsored by Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, would create an USDA-administered voluntary-labeling system as well as bar the labeling of goods by individual states.

Recommended: The Obama Doctrine

You can tell a strange political moment is unfolding when Republicans are rallying against the rights of states to pass their own laws without federal interference. But such is the one of the sharpest and most hysterical national food debates.

The battle over GMOs encompasses some of our worst political instincts. The public overwhelmingly fears GMOs and supports labeling. Owing to its partisan nature, the bill to be debated has been given two names: the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (SAFE), by those against mandatory labeling, and Deny Americans the Right to Know Act (DARK), by those who support labeling. (Making matters worse, there is also a competing bill that would try to split the difference between supporting state-mandated labeling and attempting to limit label confusion on the national level.)

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An informal consortium of government organizations and science academies say that genetically modified foods pose no health threat to consumers and yet their interests are associated with pernicious-seeming big agricultural stalwarts like Monsanto and ConAgra. Meanwhile, the FDA isnt so sure about the environmental impact of genetically engineered crops, which is a different issue altogether that is being lumped within the conversation.

In July 2015, my colleague James Hamblin presented this sweeping rebuke of the efforts to force labeling.

People who object to genetic modificationeither because of concerns about the prudence of introducing certain crops into certain ecosystems, or because of patent laws and corporate business practices, or because these people are among the majority of Americans who now believe any and all genetically modified foods to be inherently unhealthful to consume (despite assurances to the contrary from The World Health Organization, Food and Drug Administration, American Medical Association, National Academy of Sciences, and American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others)can continue to pay premiums for products that are marketed as GMO free, which implies health and safety, even while the implication is without merit.

According to those monitoring potential votes, its looking close, particularly with at least two Republican senators, Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, likely out on the presidential campaign trail.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The average age to walk down the aisle has steadily climbed for American women, up from 20 in the 1960s to 27 in 2015. But while many women wait to tie the knot until theyve graduated from college or secured their dream job, thousands of American girls get married before they even make it out of high school.

Most states require both parties to be at least 18 to legally bind themselves in marriage. Yet, every state in the nation offers some exception to the rule, allowing teens to marry with parental consent or because of a pregnancy, which advocates say is insufficient to ensure that a childs best interests are protected.

Parental consent can hide parental coercion, and a pregnancy can be evidence of a rape, Jeanne Smoot, senior policy council at the Tahirih Justice Center, told TakePart.

While the majority of the 700 million women alive today who were married before they turned 18 are in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, child marriage in the U.S. is far from rare. The Tahirih Justice Center, which also works to protect women and girls from domestic violence and human trafficking, has been combing through individual state records to determine the most egregious holes in marriage law and has found that its home state of Virginia was often failing to protect its girls.

About 4,500 children were married in Virginia between 2004 and 2013, according to the Tahirih Justice Center. Ninety percent of the children married were girls, and the majority married adults over 21. Nearly 100 of them married an adult more than 10 years their senior.

A lot of people, when they first think of [child marriage], they think, Oh, this is something that happens somewhere else, and they dont realize that this absolutely is happening here, Virginia Rep. Jennifer McClellan told TakePart. The most disturbing [case] was a 13-year-old pregnant girl. When she showed up at the court, somebody should have said, Hold up. She is pregnantsomeone committed a crime. Instead, she was given a marriage license and married the person who committed that crime."

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With guidance from the Tahirih Justice Center, McClellan introduced legislation to amend Virginias marriage laws, which allow 16- or 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent. Children 15 or younger can also get married with parental consent if theres evidence of a pregnancy. McClellans legislation completely bans marriage for anyone under 16 and requires that 16- and 17-year-olds in the state be legally emancipated from their parents.

Without emancipation, married minors are stuck in a gray area. Theyre unable to file for divorce or request a protective order. In Virginia, Child Protective Services only steps in for minors being abused by a parent, guardian, or caretakerspouses are not considered caretakers. Minors may also struggle to find a shelter willing to house them, as many have age requirements or are legally obligated to report minors as runaways.

What this bill does is say, If you are going to enter into the adult relationship of a marriage, we need to make sure youre doing this of your own free will. Were also going to give you all of the rights of an adult, so if that marriage does go wrong, you can get out,  McClellan explained. Her bill passed the state legislature earlier this month and awaits a signature from Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become law.

Smoot explained that while Virginias law may be sufficient to protect children from forced or coerced marriage owing to the robust regulations in place for emancipation ordersincluding legal counsel for the child and judges ability to launch an investigation if they suspect abusegirls in other states with high rates of child marriage might not benefit from the same legislation.

Lawmakers in Maryland, New Jersey, and New York have introduced bills that would change the legal age for marriage to 18, without exception. These states have child marriage figures that are similar to those in Virginia, according to research from Unchained at Last, an organization working alongside the Tahirih Justice Center to end underage marriage. In Maryland, 3,100 children were married between 2000 and 2014. At least 69 of the girls in Maryland were under 15 and victims of statutory rape, as they married because of pregnancy and to men at least four years their senior. Between 1995 and 2012, nearly 3,500 children were married in New Jersey. More than 3,800 children were married between 2000 and 2010 in New York. Laws in both New Jersey and New York require judicial consent for children under 16 to marry but contain little criteria for judges to consider, resulting in a New Jersey judge allowing a 10-year-old boy to marry an 18-year-old woman and New York judges signing orders allowing at least three girls under 15 to marry men 25 or older.

Smoot and her colleagues have heard from girls across the country who are stuck in abusive marriages, representing a wide range of religious, socioeconomic, and family backgrounds.

[Child marriage] has deep roots in a lot of different traditions, Smoot explained, ticking off a list of scenarios that can result in coerced marriage, including pressure from an abusive boyfriend or threats from parents upon discovering that their child is sexually active.

Both McClellan and Smoot noted that pregnancy exceptions for child marriage indicate a stubborn stigma attached to unwed motherhood.

Thats a value statement that is more about the pregnancy than about the safety and well-being of that girl, said Smoot. Marriage likely isnt in the best interest of a teen mom. Research from the College of William & Mary found that teenage mothers who marry before giving birth are less likely to finish high school than those who do not marry.

Children in the U.S. arent somehow immune from all of those consequences we hear about overseas, Smoot said. Children who marry before 18 are 50 percent more likely to drop out of high school and four times less likely to graduate from college. Married children also face higher rates of domestic and sexual abuse and have an increased likelihood of transmitting HIV. Nearly 80 percent of children who marry before they turn 18 will get divorced, and with lower levels of education, they are more likely to live in poverty.

While the passage of Virginias law is a big victory for the Tahirih Justice Center, Smoot notes that a lot more work is to be done to protect girls across the country.

What we know about child marriage in the U.S. is that were looking at the very tip of the iceberg in terms of what the nature and scope of the problem is, she said. Were hoping that with more knowledge, people will feel compelled to act to address the gaps in protection and the clear harms that result from it.

Take the Pledge: Take a Stand Against Forced Marriage

Related stories on TakePart:





 By Refusing to Be a Child Bride, This Teen Helped Ban Underage Marriage in Her Entire Country

 This Child Bride Is Tackling Gender Inequality on the Mat

 Men Are Stepping Up to Fight Child Marriage in Pakistan

Original article from TakePart
By Marcus E. Howard

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Harvard University will replace the official shield of its prestigious law school which features the family crest of an 18th century slave holder, after students objected to its racist associations, the school said on Monday.

The Harvard Corporation, the Massachusetts university's governing body, voted to approve a recommendation by a Harvard Law School committee to retire the shield.

The decision comes as emblems linked to slavery on college and public properties have been the target of protests by students and others who see them as insensitive.

Harvard President Drew Faust told Martha Minow, dean of the law school, on Monday that the university backed the recommendation.

Designed in 1936, the shield displays three sheaves of wheat taken from the Royalls family coat of arms, with the university's motto, "Veritas," the Latin word for truth, scrolled on three panels across the top.

The emblem was modeled on the coat of arms of the family of Isaac Royall, who media reports said was the son of an Antiguan slaveholder and endower of the first law professorship at Harvard.

A committee organized by the law school voted to recommend scraping it after criticism by a student group.

Faust said she hoped the law school would introduce a new seal in time for the law school's bicentennial in 2017.

"While we accept the request to change the shield, we do so on the understanding that the school will actively explore other steps to recognize rather than to suppress the realities of its history, mindful of our shared obligation to honor the past not by seeking to erase it, but rather by bringing it to light and learning from it," she wrote.

(Reporting by Marcus E. Howard; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Alisa Tang BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When natural disasters strike, most public health risks come from sectors such as housing and construction, says Iranian health and disaster expert Ali Ardalan. A shoddy building collapses in an earthquake, people are injured, then hospitals and health professionals respond. So Ardalan has worked to strengthen Iran's healthcare system - from hospitals to the country's 150,000 female community health volunteers - by training them in what to do when disasters strike. "Disasters have an impact on public health, and health systems have to take a proactive approach, preventive measures to reduce the risk of disasters," said Ardalan, chair of the Disaster and Emergency Health Academy at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Ardalan was one of several speakers at a conference held last week in Bangkok to discuss implementation of health aspects of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction adopted by U.N. member states a year ago. Health is a relatively new aspect of disaster risk reduction. The Sendai accord was the first to give health a higher profile, with measures to protect health by reducing damage to hospitals and ensuring medical care continues in disasters. It also tackles the risks of epidemics and pandemics. In the decade ending in 2014, disasters caused $1.4 trillion in damage, killed about 700,000 people and affected 1.7 billion others, according to the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. INFRASTRUCTURE, HOSPITALS OFTEN WIPED OUT Key infrastructure and healthcare facilities are often wiped out. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China damaged or destroyed 11,000 hospitals, while the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami damaged 61 percent of health facilities in Aceh, Indonesia, killed 7 percent of the area's health workers and 30 percent of its midwives, according to the Overseas Development Institute. Disaster health experts like Ardalan have focused on building resilience and preparing for such catastrophes. Iran has worked to ensure its hospitals have disaster contingency plans, including evacuation plans in the event of an earthquake or flood, said Ardalan, who is also a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health and an adviser to the World Health Organization. Iran has also trained its community health volunteers - all women - to conduct household training, which includes drawing a household earthquake risk map to show danger spots near big windows or under large ceiling lights, as well as safe spots under tables or near pillars. Last year, the volunteers trained 500,000 households across Iran, he said. "We believe it's better to be proactive, work with them, so they are sensitive to their safety and know how to react if something happens," he said on the sidelines of the conference. "It's a very-cost effective intervention for the entire society." REMOTE COMMUNITIES IN CHINA Similar efforts are under way to provide health and disaster preparedness for ethnic minority communities in rural China. Emily Ying Yang Chan, who worked for Medecins Sans Frontieres for 17 years and now heads the disaster and medical humanitarian response center at Chinese University in Hong Kong (CUHK), began the ethnic minority health program about six months after the Sichuan quake. The typical community her team works with is two flights and a seven-hour bumpy car ride away, though one village, 5,000 meters above sea level on the Tibetan Plateau, took 17 hours to get to in a four-wheel-drive car. Chan's approach has been to provide the knowledge or help that villagers request, on condition that her team gets to conduct disaster risk training. Most communities want to learn more about economic development, though women also ask them to teach their husbands not to smoke or how to read food labels. In return, Chan and her students from the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) give health advice such as not burning waste indoors and reducing salt intake. Then the team helps the community to prepare disaster kits, handing out red cloth bags, with large Chinese characters that read "rescue bag". They put in soap, a towel, a bottle of water and non-perishable food, as well as a manual battery-less torch and a multipurpose knife with a can opener - which Chan said has often been missing from aid packages. "A lot of agencies sent food supplies, but forgot to send a can opener, and many people come to the clinic with cuts because they use whatever they can to cut (open the can)," she said. The ethnic minority health program team has worked in 11 villages, visiting each one four times over a two-year period. The biggest challenge now, Chan says, is digesting the data they have gathered, to improve and scale up assistance for the villagers. LINKS Disaster and Emergency Health Academy - http://nihr.tums.ac.ir/disaster/ conference in Bangkok - http://www.unisdr.org/conferences/2016/health UNISDR statistics - https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/disaster-statistics Overseas Development Institute - http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9472.pdf CCOUC - http://ccouc.org/home (Reporting by Alisa Tang, editing by Tim Pearce. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)
By Ulf Laessing MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - A Nigerian government push to strangle the Boko Haram insurgency has shut down the cattle trade that sustained the city of Maiduguri, leaving many residents with no livelihood, including many of the two million people displaced by the war. In recent months the army has taken back much of the territory lost to the jihadists during the five-year insurgency. But the war, which killed thousands of people, is still taking its toll in the northeast, despite President Muhammadu Buhari's vow to crush Boko Haram by the end of last year. The group, now officially allied to the Islamic State fighters who control much of Iraq and Syria, has responded with suicide bombings and hit and run attacks against civilians. In the latest shock to civilians, meat has become scarce as the army has closed cattle markets to stop Boko Haram from raising funds by selling livestock, officials say. The shutdown of the Maiduguri cattle market -- one of the biggest in west Africa -- has, overnight, made hundreds of cattle traders, herdsmen, butchers and laborers unemployed. "We are suffering," said Usama Malla, a cattle herdsman who lost his job. While he spoke, an angry crowd quickly gathered to criticize the government. "We want compensation," others demanded. The sprawling market had been one of the main employment opportunities for the more than one million displaced people who live in camps on the outskirts of the town after fleeing Boko Haram. Officials say they were forced to shut the market because Boko Haram has resorted to stealing cattle from villagers to feed its fighters and raise funds after the army pushed it out of cities. Cattle looting has displaced its previous sources of income: robbing banks and kidnapping wealthy people. The market closure has disrupted beef supplies in Maiduguri and the rest of Borno state, adding to the hardship of people who have long complained of poverty and neglect in the north -- struggles that prompted some to join Boko Haram's revolt. "I cannot afford meat anymore," said Musa Abdullahi, a laborer sipping milk sold by a female street vendor. He said he has to feed two wives and nine children, and can't remember the last time he was able to buy meat for the family. "I used to get a piece of meat for 350 naira ($1.75), now it costs 900." Borno state governor Kashim Shettima said he had reopened the Maiduguri market to trade existing stock but banned the arrival of any new cattle for two weeks so authorities could identify sellers. "There were suspicious persons who sold cattle which they had bought from Boko Haram," he said. "This is financing the terrorists." The closure has left some 400 animals dying in trucks stopped by the army on the way to Maiduguri, traders said. Officials say authorities plan to distribute food and find jobs for the city's youth. But options are limited as a slump in vital oil revenues has undermined Buhari's plans to develop the north, which is poorer than the mostly Christian south, where Nigeria pumps its oil. MIDDLEMEN Located some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) from the Atlantic coast and the southern megacity of Lagos, Maiduguri used to be a busy cattle market serving neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger until Boko Haram attacks closed the nearby borders. Supplies for the Maiduguri market had thinned even before the cattle embargo as Boko Haram fighters burned fields and forced farmers out of their villages in recent years. The army, which moved its command to fight Boko Haram to Maiduguri to be close to the front, has repelled two recent attacks on the city of two million, allowing commercial flights to resume. But soldiers manning sand-bagged checkpoints and imposing a curfew are a reminder that life is anything but normal. Suicide bombers strike often in its suburbs. Security officials say Boko Haram's cattle raids suggest the group is desperate to find food after the army pushed it out of several towns. More than 70 supporters begging for food surrendered last week, the army said. But cattle traders say the raids are simply a new tactic by the jihadists raise funds. Daho Dida, a cattle trader sitting in the shade of a wall, said fighters had stolen a 350-strong herd from him and a 500-strong herd from his brother. He said the military had failed to stop the raids, with soldiers running into the bush the moment they came under fire. "They buy foodstuff, petrol and other stuff with the money," he said of the fighters. The jihadists sell stolen cattle to middlemen who take on the risk of dealing with them by paying just 20,000 naira ($100) a head, a quarter of the usual price, said Adam Bulama, a leader of a civilian vigilante force helping the army. It's a worthwhile risk for middlemen to ship the cattle to Maiduguri, where prices have surged to 120,000 naira per head because of the temporary ban. Bulama said dealers need personal connections with staff at abattoirs that are still slaughtering cows from the existing stocks. "Now meat is scarce in Maiduguri," he said. "Nobody can afford it." Buhari says Boko Haram is no longer able to overrun security posts or seize government offices. But displaced people holding out in camps remain wary of going home. Boko Haram fighters often ambush "liberated" roads or villages in hit and run attacks, aid workers say. "Houses in our village were burned," said Bulami Ari, a 47-year old farmer who lives with his two wives and six children in a tent since the jihadists raided last year their village, located just 45 km outside Maiduguri. "There is no security." ($1 = 198.6000 naira) (additional reporting by Lanre Ola; editing by Peter Graff)
Moscow (AFP) - A ceremonial flypast, pilots tossed in the air in celebration and dozens of cheering supporters -- the first Russian warplanes on Tuesday returned home to a hero's welcome as part of the withdrawal of armed forces from Syria.

Several Su-34 strike fighters landed at an airbase outside the city of Voronezh some 580 kilometres (360 miles) southeast of Moscow after performing a flypast for commanders, relatives and friends.

Once the pilots disembarked from the aircraft they were tossed in the air in celebration as cheering supporters clutched national flags, flowers and balloons, national television showed in a live broadcast.

In accordance with tradition, the pilots received a loaf of bread and salt, while a robed Orthodox priest offered them an icon to kiss.

After a welcoming ceremony complete with official speeches, the aviators received flowers from women who shouted "congratulations."

"It was hard, but we coped -- the crews and the aircraft maintenance engineers coped," one of the pilots said.

"And we will fulfil any order in any corner of the planet."

Supporters spoke of their pride at the pilots' achievements.

"We are ready to kiss everyone and to hoist everyone shoulder high," one woman said.

Activists say, Russia's operation in Syria -- and the current partial pullback -- appear a world away from Moscow's apparent involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

Kiev and the West have accused Moscow of sending troops across the border to buttress the anti-Kiev insurgency.

Unlike those in the Syrian campaign, those who took part in the Ukraine fighting largely remained unsung: they received awards behind closed doors while those who died were buried in secret.

- 'Leaving Syria with shield' -

After Putin's surprise order to start pulling back troops, Russian television is now presenting the start of the withdrawal of forces from Syria as nothing short of a victory.

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"We are leaving Syria with our shields -- not on them," a correspondent from the state-controlled NTV channel said proudly.

Critics say that after the start of Russia's Syrian campaign, Moscow's propaganda machine switched from nearly non-stop coverage of the Ukraine conflict to the Middle East, the country's first major military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979.

The jubilant scenes on Tuesday were in stark contrast to the sombre pullback in 1989 of the Soviet contingent from Afghanistan, a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 14,000 Soviet troops and is now seen in the country as a huge foreign policy blunder.

By contrast, in Syria the official death toll of Russian servicemen stands at just three.

At the airbase outside Voronezh, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, praised the pilots.

"Thanks to your work in Syria, international terrorism sustained significant losses," he said.

"The Syrian army received huge support."

Bondarev indicated Russia's full-scale military presence was no longer needed, saying the Syrian army, the opposition and other forces would be able to crush the remaining "terrorist gangs" -- apparently referring to Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front -- by themselves.

He also appeared to address accusations by rights groups and monitors that Russian forces have targeted civilians, saying every single Russian warplane in Syria hit its target and that Syrian civilians would not "hold grudges" against Moscow.

Putin launched a bombing campaign in Syria in September, saying Moscow needed to target Islamic State jihadists before they crossed into Russia.
Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Select Committee on Benghazi in Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2015. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)



In comments that are sure to draw the ire of her Republican critics, Hillary Clinton sought to contrast the war in Iraq with the intervention in Libya during her stint as secretary of state.

Ive said Iraq was a mistake, Clinton told Chris Matthews during an MSNBC town hall event on Monday night. Libya was a different kind of calculation. And we didnt lose a single person. We didnt have a problem in supporting our European and Arab allies in working with NATO.

As Politico noted, Clinton was probably referring to the U.S.-backed overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 and not the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks in Benghazi, where four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, were killed.

Matthews pressed Clinton on what he called the United States push for regime change in places like Iraq and Libya.

Now, is Libya perfect? It isnt, the former secretary said. But did they have two elections that were free and fair where they voted for moderates. Yes, they did. So you know, changing from a dictator who has hollowed out your country to something resembling a functioning state and even hopefully more of a democratic one doesnt happen overnight. And weve got to continue to support the Libyan people, to give them a chance, because otherwise you see what has happened in Syria, with the consequences of millions of people flooding out of Syria, with more than 250,000 people killed, with terrorist groups like ISIS taking up almost  huge blocks of territory, as big as some of the states in that area.



Clintons comments came on the eve of another Super Tuesday vote in the 2016 presidential race. But Benghazi, to this point, has not been an issue in the race for the Democratic nomination, with Clintons challenger, Bernie Sanders, opting to focus on economic policy rather than the controversy surrounding the former secretarys response to the terror attacks.

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But her role in Benghazi could become an issue in a general election, with South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, the Republican chairman of the House Benghazi Committee, promising a final report before summer.

Clinton and others have dismissed the committee as a thinly veiled attempt to derail her White House bid.

During last weeks Democratic debate in Miami, Clinton said her Oct. 22 testimony before the panel is proof the committees effort will prove futile.

I testified for 11 hours, Clinton said. Anybody who watched that and listened to it knows that I answered every question that I was asked, and when it was over, the Republicans had to admit they didnt learn anything.

During Mondays town hall, Clinton took aim at Donald Trump, calling the Republican frontrunner a demagogue and an inciter who is actually fanning the flames of violence at his rallies.

I think if you go back now several months, hes been building this incitement, she said. He has been leading crowds in jeering protesters. He has been talking about punching people in the face. Hes been encouraging the manhandling of both people who are attending, as well as journalists on the floor and in the stands of his events.

Clinton added: We all have to deal with [protesters]. And you try to deal with it calmly and peacefully, and dont tell people, Hey, do something to him. Take him out. Beat him up. Thats what leadership requires. Youre supposed to be calming people down to try to find solutions to problems.
By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans on Tuesday insisted they will proceed with a fiscal 2017 budget plan despite a flat-out rejection from their party's fiscal hawks that poses an important test of Speaker Paul Ryan's leadership. The $3.9 trillion proposal, which the House Budget Committee hopes to embrace formally on Wednesday for an eventual floor vote, would provide Ryan with a first step in his political goal of uniting the Republican Party behind a detailed policy plan ahead of November's presidential and congressional elections. The plan aims to achieve a balanced budget within a decade. "I promise in this speakership that we're not going to have a top-down, cram-it-down-people's-throat kind of leadership," Ryan told reporters. "We're going to make decisions as a team. We're going to push power out to the members, and we're going to make a team decision on this issue," he added. But the House Freedom Caucus, which includes dozens of outspoken conservatives who dethroned Ryan's predecessor John Boehner, has been complaining for months about a $1.07 trillion ceiling for discretionary spending that was enacted into law last November. It says the cap should be $30 billion lower and has warned leaders of its opposition. Several Freedom Caucus members sit on the House budget panel, including Representative Dave Brat, a Virginia Republican who described the group's position as mainstream: "Were where the American people want us to be." Brat said he was leaning toward voting against the proposal in a committee work-session set for Wednesday. Stubborn opposition among Freedom Caucus members, despite weeks of behind-the-scene talks among House Republicans, call into question the ability of party leaders to muster the 218 votes needed to pass the budget without help from the chamber's 188 Democrats. Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the panel's top Democrat, slammed the Republican proposal as a plan that would hurt the middle class and harm the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly and disabled. Democratic attacks and fiscal hawk opposition are leading some Republicans to call for a seldom-used "Queen of the Hill" strategy that would allow members to consider different proposals but deem the one with the most votes as having passed the chamber. The budget blueprint is non-binding, meaning it is not subject to President Barack Obama's approval. But it provides guidance to appropriators as they write bills to fund an array of government programs beginning Oct. 1, the start of the next fiscal year. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Dan Grebler)
By Ognen Teofilovski MOIN, Macedonia (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants marched out of a Greek transit camp, hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river to get around a border fence and cross into Macedonia, where they were detained on Monday, authorities said. A Macedonian police spokeswoman said the several hundred migrants who had crossed into Macedonia would be sent back to Greece. A Reuters photographer put the number who crossed as high as 2,000. About 30 journalists, including a Reuters photographer, who followed the migrants were also detained, witnesses said. Earlier, Macedonian police said three migrants - two men and a woman - had drowned crossing a river near the Greek border that had been swollen by heavy rain. The crossing put the migrant issue back in the spotlight days before leaders from the European Union and Turkey are due to meet again to seal an agreement intended to keep migrants in Turkey from moving to Europe through Greece. Greek officials said leaflets had been circulated at the migrants' camp at Idomeni urging people to join the march. "We are in possession of leaflets that show this was an organised incident, a very dangerous one, endangering people's lives," Greek government spokesman George Kyritsis told reporters as the Greek cabinet met late into the night to discuss the migrant crisis. The meeting, which took place inside Maximos mansion, ended without any conclusions being announced about Greece's reaction to Monday's events. At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in a sprawling tent city in northern Greece, their path to the EU blocked after Macedonia and other nations along the so-called Western Balkan route closed their borders. On Monday, more than 1,000 migrants streamed out of the camp, searching for a way around the twin border fences Macedonia built to keep them out. A second group of migrants, many of them from war zones in Syria and Iraq, later followed them. Heading west along muddy paths, the migrants, wrapped in coats and hats, carried their belongings in rucksacks and bags. Many were children, some walking, others riding in strollers. Some made victory signs as they walked. When they reached a river, the migrants stretched a rope across it and formed a human chain to cross. They carried children across on their shoulders. Once over the river, the migrants walked along the border fence until they found the point where it ended in mountainous country. But after they crossed the border, Macedonian soldiers rounded them up and put the migrants in army trucks. "We are taking measures to return the group to Greece," the Macedonian police spokeswoman said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary was the EU country that had sent most police officers to help non-EU member Macedonia protect its border with Greece. "Macedonia needs and deserves help and assistance from the European Union because actually theyve been protecting the southern border of the European Union," he told reporters in Brussels. Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said conditions in the Idomeni camp were difficult after days of heavy rain. "This is not a proper camp. People are exhausted, tired and running out of patience," he said. A Serbian customs spokeswoman said 33 migrants trying to cross into Serbia from Macedonia had been found in an empty cargo train in Presevo, southern Serbia, on Saturday and had been handed over to police. The group, aged between 18 and 26, were mainly Afghans, but also included Syrians and Libyans. All but one were men.More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond have flooded into the EU since early 2015. In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday there was no question Germany has benefited from the closure of the Balkan migrant route. A day earlier, voters in three regional elections had punished her conservatives and flocked to a new anti-immigration party that wants German borders closed. But Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said it was time to say enough to the selfishness of countries that thought raising a wall was a lasting response to the migrant challenge. "How long do you think a wall might last in the Internet age?" Renzi told students in Rome. (Additional reporting by Branko Filipovic, Ivana Sekularac, Lefteris Karagiannopoulos in Athens, Alexandros Avramidis in Idomeni, Steve Scherer in Rome, Tina Bellon in Berlin, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels; Writing by Adrian Croft; Editing by Larry King, Bernard Orr)
Budapest (AFP) - Thousands demonstrated in Budapest Tuesday against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policies as teachers unhappy at education sector reforms threatened to down tools unless the combative premier apologised to the "humiliated" people.

In the biggest anti-Orban rally since 2014, a crowd estimated by an AFP photographer at over 20,000 marched through the city centre to the parliament where a protest leader gave the premier an ultimatum.

"If, within 8 days by March 23, Prime Minister Viktor Orban (does) not apologise to the people humiliated during the last six years then we will call a national one-hour stop to work on March 30," Istvan Pukli, a headmaster of a prestigious Budapest high school, told the crowd.

"Life would stop in Hungary for one hour," he said, adding that two and three-hour stops would follow if the move did not have any effect.

Calling on sympathisers to do the same in their workplaces, Pukli also threatened total strike actions unless the government negotiated with teachers over their demands, which include the reversal of Orban's sweeping centralisation of schools since he came to power in 2010.

The teachers' revolt over poor working conditions and the government's tight grip on the education sector began in November and has escalated this year.

Over 10,000 people rallied in Budapest last month.

Many of the demonstrators Tuesday wore checked shirts, which have become a symbol of the protests after a former government official insulted "checked-shirt wearing" teachers last month.

The demonstration took place on one of Hungary's national days which commemorates the country's 1848 revolution against its Austrian rulers.
Indian authorities have sent Cairn Energy a tax bill for $4.4 billion, the company said Tuesday, the latest chapter in a long-running row that has stoked foreign firms' fears of retrospective tax demands.

The British oil explorer has been locked in a dispute with the Indian government since 2014 over $1.6 billion authorities say it owes in backdated tax.

Announcing preliminary results Tuesday, Cairn Energy said it had received an "assessment order" which includes the addition of 188 billion rupees ($2.8 billion) in interest dating back to 2007.

The tax demand relates to internal restructuring undertaken by the group in 2006, before it floated its former India division Cairn India on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Cairn Energy staunchly rejects the tax claim and the matter has now gone before an arbitration panel.

"The tax issue is now more than two years old and we have commenced international arbitration proceedings to settle the dispute," a spokesman for the oil explorer said.

"Cairn is claiming full compensation for the $1 billion value of which its shareholders have been deprived," he said.

Cairn Energy still holds a stake of around 10 percent in the India firm, which New Delhi has prevented it from selling until the dispute is resolved.

Any assets the Indian government could seek to seize are limited to about $477 million, the company said.

In 2012 India's then Congress-led government amended its tax laws to allow it to retrospectively tax foreign companies.

Despite fierce protests from foreign companies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has not moved to repeal the law, although it has sought to reassure companies that retrospective taxation is a thing of the past.

But companies are still battling the government, with telecoms firm Vodafone embroiled in a high-profile case.

In a February letter to Vodafone International Holdings BV, its Netherlands' subsidiary, authorities threatened to seize its assets in India if it did not pay a tax bill of 142 billion rupees.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, presenting India's budget last month, offered a one-time dispute resolution for ongoing cases, saying interest and penalties would be waived if companies paid outstanding tax.
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian state-owned energy company Pertamina hopes to seal a deal this year with an Indian refiner to process around 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil each month, its chief executive said. "It is better if we purchase the crude and then utilize a refinery overseas," Pertamina CEO Dwi Soetjipto told reporters late on Monday. "Why India? Because its geographic location is good," he said. Any crude shipments from Iraq would pass several Indian oil ports on the way to Indonesia. Soetjipto declined to say which Indian refiner Pertamina was talking to on the oil processing deal. Pertamina's monthly Iraqi oil shipments to the Indian refiner would consist of 290,000 barrels from a stake in the West Qurna block and another 700,000 barrels it would purchase from other Iraqi oilfields, he said. Pertamina has about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of domestic refining capacity, which meets only about two-thirds of Indonesia's daily oil consumption. (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Russia's move to begin withdrawing from Syria should be seen as a positive sign for the ceasefire, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday.

Speaking in Canberra after meeting with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, Zarif underlined Iran's stance on the need for a ceasefire and a political solution in Syria.

"The fact that a semi-ceasefire has been holding in Syria is welcome news, it's something that we've been asking for at least two-and-a-half, three years," he said.

"The fact that Russia announced that it's withdrawing part of its forces indicates that they don't see an imminent need for resort to force in maintaining the ceasefire.

"That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see."

Zarif said while the ceasefire did not include Daesh, the so-called Islamic State group, and the Al-Qaeda linked extremist group Al-Nusra Front or their collaborators, the international community was united against them.

"The message that the international community has been sending to Daesh, and should be sending to Daesh and other extremist organisations, is that our fight against them is relentless," Zarif said.

"We will not stop and I believe the entire international community is united in that."

Zarif said he did not think anybody should consider Daesh or other extremist organisations as a leverage "even for temporary political gains".

"And I hope that message can be driven home everywhere in the region, particularly as we see more and more instances of carnage in terrorism in our region carried out by Daesh," he said.

President Vladimir Putin called long-standing ally Bashar al-Assad on Monday to inform him that Moscow will withdraw the bulk of its forces from Syria, a move hailed by the United Nations Security Council as a "positive step" for the fraught peace negotiations.

But hopes for a breakthrough at the Geneva talks remain remote with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over the future of the Syrian president.
By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's legal vetting body has approved a bill that will see female victims of road traffic accidents paid the same compensation as men, in a small step towards gender equality in the conservative Islamic country. The Third Party Insurance Bill, likely to be made law in the coming weeks, will bind insurance companies to compensate victims of road accidents regardless of their gender, state broadcaster IRINN said on Monday. The bill was approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member Islamic body responsible for ensuring legislation conforms to Sharia (Islamic) law, which had rejected a similar measure passed by parliament in 2008. In Iranian law, third party vehicle insurance is governed by the Koranic concept of "blood money" whereby the victim of injury, or their family in the case of death, can claim compensation from the perpetrator. "Once they accept that men and women are equal... in terms of blood money when there is a car accident, that means they have accepted the principle, so that can set a precedent," said Ziba Mir-Hosseini, a professorial research associate at SOAS, part of the University of London. "Blood money" settlements can also be used in cases of deliberate harm in Iran if the victim's family agrees, and are frequently applied in lieu of the death penalty for murder. Women will remain unequal in such cases, which are not affected by the new law. Iranian law states women are entitled to only half the compensation a man would receive. Smaller payments for women are consistent with most schools of Islamic law, though this is not specified in core Islamic texts. "Our purpose in balancing women's and men's compensation was that relatives should not face problems if a woman who is the head of family is killed in an accident," IRIB quoted lawmaker Rahim Zare as saying. The standard "blood money" sum for men is fixed at 1.5 billion rials (around $50,000) in case of death, whether deliberate or accidental. The amount paid for injuries varies according to the severity of the injury. Iran extended full payments to non-Muslim men in 1991, but only those who follow recognised religious minorities. Unrecognised religious minorities, including Bahais and atheists, are not entitled to "blood money" payments at all. (Reporting by Sam Wilkin; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
DHAKA (Reuters) - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for murdering a Muslim preacher in Bangladesh, an online group that monitors extremist activity said on Tuesday, the latest killing declared by the militant group in the South Asian nation. Islamist violence has surged in recent months in the Muslim-majority country, but the government has rejected Islamic State's claims, blaming the violence instead on homegrown militant groups. The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group said Islamic State had claimed to have killed the man late on Monday in Jhenaidah, a district about 100 miles (161 km) west of Dhaka, the capital. "Soldiers of the caliphate in Bangladesh were able to assassinate the polytheist apostate Hafidh Abdul Razzaq, one of the top preachers for the Rafidha religion," SITE quoted the group as saying. Although the statement called the victim a member of the Rafidha religion, or the Shi'ite Muslim minority group, police identified the dead man as a homeopathic doctor, Abdul Razzaq, 45, and denied that he was a preacher or a Shi'ite. Anowar Hossain, the officer in charge of the police station handling the case, said he was not aware the killing had been claimed by any militant group. "We suspect local militants are behind the latest killing," he added. "The pattern of killing bore the hallmarks of previous killings of priests. He was not a Shi'ite. We have checked with his family." Over the last few months, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the killings of two foreigners, attacks on members of minority Muslim sects and other religious groups, but police say domestic militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen is behind the attacks. At least five militants of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen have been killed in shootouts since November, as security forces have stepped up a crackdown on Islamist militants looking to establish a sharia-based Islamic state. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has appropriated large tracts of land in the occupied West Bank near the Dead Sea and the Palestinian city of Jericho, Israeli Army Radio said on Tuesday. Israel's Peace Now movement, which tracks and opposes Israeli settlement in territory captured in a 1967 war, said the reported seizure of 579 acres (234 hectares) represented the largest land confiscation in the West Bank in recent years. The group said plans for expanding nearby Jewish settlements and building tourism and other commercial facilities in the area were already on Israel's drawing board. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, in a statement, called on the international community to press Israel to stop land confiscations. Most countries view Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and an obstacle to peace. The U.S. State Department criticized the land seizure, saying ongoing expropriations and settlement expansions were "fundamentally undermining the prospects for a two-state solution." "We strongly oppose any steps that accelerate settlement expansion, which raises serious questions about Israel's long-term intentions," State Department spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing. Asked about Army Radio's report of the land confiscation, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon's office said in an email to Reuters: "We are not relating to the issue." Photos of a de facto Israeli confiscation notice - a Hebrew map and accompanying documents titled "A declaration of government property" - were tweeted, however, by the Palestine Liberation Organization on Tuesday. Dated March 10, it listed 2,342 dunams, or 579 acres, and carried the signature of an official identified on the map as Israel's "supervisor of government property and abandoned property in Judea and Samaria", Hebrew terms for the West Bank. Such an appropriation would be the largest since August 2014, and larger than the 380 acre (154 hectares) area that Israel first said in January it planned to designate as government property near the Dead Sea. News of those plans drew international condemnation at the time. Israel says it intends to keep large settlement blocs in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians. Palestinians, who seek to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, say they fear Israeli settlement expansion will deny them a viable country. Palestinians have cited Israeli settlement activity as one of the factors behind the collapse of U.S.-brokered peace talks in 2014, and a surge of violence over the past five months has dimmed hopes negotiations could be revived any time soon. Since October, Palestinian street attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 184 Palestinians, 124 of whom Israel says were assailants. Most others were shot dead during violent protests. (Additional reporting by Ori Lewis and Ali Sawafta, Writing by Jeffrey Heller, Editing by Hugh Lawson and Chizu Nomiyama)
ROME (Reuters) - Twelve people suspected of stealing paintings worth some 15 million euros ($16.6 million) have been arrested, Italian police said on Tuesday. The 17 paintings, including works by Tintoretto, Mantegna and Peter Paul Rubens, were taken by armed robbers shortly before the Castelvecchio museum in Verona closed on Nov. 19. The robbery prompted recriminations in Italy over the lack of security at the museum, which some critics blamed on public spending cuts. Theories over the culprits ranged from local delinquents to Islamic State. The thieves acted just after the museum's 11 staff had left but before a remote alarm system with the police station was activated. They tied up the museum cashier and forced an armed guard to hand over keys to his car, which they used to get away. Nine of the suspects were Moldovans arrested in their homeland and three were Italians arrested in Verona, Italian media reported. The paintings were located in Moldova and were in the process of being recovered, reports said. All the arrests were made by Verona police and paramilitary Carabinieri responsible for safeguarding the national heritage, following an investigation coordinated by city prosecutor Gennaro Ottaviano, a Verona police spokeswoman said. She declined to confirm the nationality of those arrested but said details would be provided at a news conference to be held in Verona on Wednesday. (Reporting by Gavin Jones, editing by Larry King)
By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - A new name unveiled by Japan's main opposition party and a smaller group with which it is set to merge has come under fire, as analysts warn the rebranding could do more harm than good just months away from a national election. Leaders of the two parties announced the new name, Minshinto - provisionally translated as Democratic Innovation Party (DIP) - on Monday based on surveys asking voters to choose between two options. The bigger Democratic Party of Japan will thus abandon a label under which it has battled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party for two decades, but which for many voters is associated with a 2009-2012 DPJ reign marked by policy flipflops and missteps. Many in the DPJ were chilly toward the new name, written with the same characters as the abbreviation of Taiwan's incoming ruling party the Democratic Progressive Party, but the smaller Japan Innovation Party had insisted on a change as a condition for merging because of the perceived voter allergy to the old label. Experts said relabelling could be a strategic mistake, especially since voters will have little time to grow accustomed to the new name by a July upper house election. "The political science evidence is clear - changing the name is a bad idea," said Chuo University political science professor Steven Reed. "It's a bad idea for winning elections." Opposition parties lag the LDP badly in opinion polls, with one February media survey putting support for the ruling party at 38.1 percent against 9.3 percent for the Democrats. Still, opposition parties' efforts to cooperate on candidates in the coming election could bear fruit since surveys also suggest voters could switch sides if they saw a viable alternative to Abe's LDP. Abe's government is pushing several unpopular policies including revising Japan's pacifist constitution, and doubts also run deep about his efforts to revive the economy. Civic groups unhappy with Abe's policies are prepared to mobilize behind anti-LDP candidates if opposition parties unite, Reed said. "If people are given only two choices and turnout goes up, the LDP (and its junior partner) could be in trouble. They are not going to lose their majority but ... they are not going to get a two-thirds majority and revise the constitution," he said. Revising the constitution requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament plus a simple majority in a public referendum, a hurdle never yet cleared. (Story refiles to remove extraneous "the", insert "do" in paragraph 1.) (Editing by Ed Davies)
Pop is hopping aboard the nostalgia train.

The cable network has ordered Hollywood Darlings, a docu-comedy series starring former child stars of the 1990s Jodie Sweetin (Full House), Christine Lakin (Step by Step) and Beverley Mitchell (7th Heaven).

The eight-episode half-hour series will follow the three lifelong friends, who grew up together in Hollywood, and their lives as mothers, wives and businesswomen. Other celebrities are expected to make special appearances as they continue to be part of the trio's social circles.

Our childhood characters prepared us for the roles of our livesliterally. There really arent words to describe the way we grew up and the bond we share, so we decided that we wanted to give a glimpse into our unique sisterhood, Sweetin, Lakin and Mitchell said in a joint statement. Our fans have always been at the heart of it all, and we love that we have found a home on Pop. Were so excited to go on this journey and take people inside our lives post-childhood fame.

Based on an original concept by Jimmy Fox (Mob Wives), the series hails from Objective Productions and All3Media America. Fox exec produces alongside Layla Smith and Greg Lipstone.

"Anyone who was a TV fan in the '90s grew up with Jodie, Christine and Beverley  aspiring to be their best friends, wanting to dress like them and using their popular catchphrases, said Paul Adler, senior vp original programing and development at Pop. Hollywood Darlings provides an amazing opportunity for viewers to reignite their fandom for this now grown-up trio whose lives are as entertaining as they are relatable.

Pop, a joint venture of CBS Corp. and Lionsgate, continues to push into comedy following Canadian import Schitt's Creek.

Sweetin has seen a career resurgence of late with Hollywood Darlings coming as Netflix recently renewed Full House follow-up Fuller House for a second season. She'll next compete on the 22nd season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars.
Having won an Oscar for her performance as a legal and environmental activist in "Erin Brockovich," Julia Roberts is set to become the attorney of an unlicensed bus, train and subway driver in "Train Man."

With a title that riffs on 1988 Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman film "Rain Man," it's easy to remember that "Train Man" follows the escapades of a New Yorker with Asperger syndrome who pursues his passion of riding the city's trains and buses.

Roberts is the first name confirmed for "Train Man" and will play Sally Butler, attorney to central character (and real-life New York cult figure) Darius McCollum.

Fascinated by the New York City Transit Authority's train system from a young age, and soon becoming an expert on the workings of its railway stock, network, and procedures, McCollum won the favor of several NYCTA employees who would help him indulge his passion for public transport.

That same dedication has not been looked upon so kindly by the authorities and, over his 51 years, his unauthorized involvement in the NYCTA's work has seen McCollum arrested and jailed for numerous offenses, including those of impersonation, trespassing and grand larceny.

"Darius McCollum's compelling story is incredibly prescient and indicative of many of the societal problems we're facing: mental illness, the inadequacy of the criminal justice system, the plight of the disenfranchised individuals," explained film producer Eric Robinson.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations in New York City on Wednesday where he will announce the date Canada plans to run for a seat on the Security Council, sources tell CBC News.

Trudeau's visit to the UN comes after his official visit and state dinner with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House last week.

Trudeau will reiterate Canada's support for the United Nations and promote women's rights and gender equality during a two-day visit to New York City, his first since becoming prime minister.

Several UN country missions have already received invitations to attend his ''remarks'' in the lobby of the Secretariat building Wednesday morning when the announcement is expected to be made.

Trudeau let it be known that Canada would resume its bid for a rotating seat on the 15-member council  something the previous government was unable to achieve  during a joint press conference with Ban in Ottawa last month.

"We're looking at a number of windows in the coming years. We are going to evaluate the opportunities for Canada to mount a successful bid," Trudeau said.

Several UN diplomats told CBC that 2020 would be the earliest slate available for Canada to have enough time to mount a successful campaign.

Currently there are three countries running that year for two rotating seats in the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) to which Canada belongs: Ireland, San Marino and Norway. The two-year term would begin in 2021.

Canada has had a seat on the UN Security Council every decade since its inception, but for the first time in 2010 the federal government withdrew its candidacy after two rounds of voting when it became clear it would not receive the votes required to beat Portugal for a two-year rotating seat on the council. Germany had already secured the other seat up for grabs in an earlier round of voting.

The five permanent veto-wielding members on the Security Council are the U.S., Great Britain, France, Russia and China, also known as the P5. The remaining 10 seats are distributed to countries on a regional basis.

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Canada has held a seat on the UN Security Council six times. Its last term was in 1999-2000.

Canada's commitment to gender equality

The Security Council bid is just one aspect of Trudeau`s declared ''robust re-engagement'' with the United Nations.

During his meeting with Ban on Wednesday the prime minister will discuss ''climate change, respect for diversity and human rights, and support for international peace operations,'' according to his office.

He will also speak about ''gender equality'' during what's being billed as an armchair discussion with the executive director of UN Women at the 60th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Several cabinet ministers are also taking part in this week's women's conference at the UN in New York City.

Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu, who is leading the Canadian delegation, said the ministers will talk about preventing gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive rights and empowerment of women and girls.

"We can also look to the world for some of the successful things that they've done in other countries to address gender-based violence, in particular gender-based violence around indigenous women," Hajdu said in an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Monday.

Hajdu, whose government has been consulting with Canadians ahead of the launch of an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, said Canada will be comparing notes with other countries and sharing best practices.

"We're taking this issue very seriously in our country, but also tell us what's working in your country."

Hajdu will be joined by Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

PM to receive award

The prime minister will be honoured at a gala dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Wednesday evening for his ''leadership in advancing diversity and gender equality,'' according to the non-profit organization hosting the event.

''We're proud to have him on our stage,'' says Catalyst president Deborah Gillis, who adds that this is the first time a world leader will be recognized at the annual awards dinner, which rewards business leaders for promoting gender equality.

Gillis cites Trudeau's ''historic first cabinet'' with equal numbers of men and women as the reason for the special commendation. ''His simple explanation  'Because it's 2015,' was so powerful because it really said to the world the time for excuses has passed.''

More than 1,500 people will attend the dinner including Fortune 500 CEOs and other executives from corporate America as well as Canadian business leaders such as BMO Financial Group's Bill Downe and president and CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada, George Cope  both members of Catalyst Canada's advisory board.

Bruce Heyman, U.S. ambassador to Canada, and Marc-Andre Blanchard who will take up his post in April as the country's new ambassador to the United Nations will also be there, says Gillis.

On Thursday, Trudeau is expected to spend most of his time in private meetings with NYC-based business leaders, because ''there has never been a better time to look at Canada to invest'' he said in a statement.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John Kasich's campaign on Monday denied a report that Mitt Romney, the party's presidential candidate in 2012, would endorse the Ohio governor on Monday. A Wall Street Journal reporter said Kasich answered in the affirmative to a question about Romney's endorsement. Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf said, "This is not true. Kasich was responding and acknowledging a different question." A Romney endorsement would have provided Kasich with a boost on the eve of Ohio's primary in which he and front-runner Donald Trump are running a close race for first place. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by W Simon)
Those who follow fashion and often feel the urge to buy the latest beauty products (whether or not they really need them) understand the attraction to any brand that boasts antiaging creams formulated with the latest in Japanese innovation and Kate Moss as a fan.

Add to that the fact that until last week the products were not available in the U.S., and youve got plenty of built-in demand before the stuff even hits the department-store counter.

Decorte is a Japan-based beauty brand that claims to be the biggest in the country, appealing to the beauty and skin-obsessed clientele of Asia. Its vitamin-rich infusions and attention to the latest in antiaging ingredients and technology have made it a ubiquitous line throughout the Asian continent, with the sleek silver-and-black packaging peppering stores abroad such as Isetan and Takashimaya.

Read More: Selena Gomez Tops Taylor Swift As Instagram's Most-Followed Person

Decorte recently made its U.S. debut exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue, with staple products including Environmental Day Cream ($180), Overnight Performance Cream ($250) and VI-Fusion Essence ($180). Part of the magic in these potions is the use of not just any water, but Onsen water derived from Japans hot springs. Also, something called Aqueous Algin-Mesh acts as a cushiony, breathable barrier on the skin, protecting it from environmental irritants.

Supermodel and established style icon Moss is the face of Decorte, singing the praises of the Day Cream in a video shot by Mario Testino, who by the way just rounds out the cool factor of the fashion-beauty trifecta.
LONDON - The largest oval fancy vivid diamond ever to appear at auction is headed for sale in Hong Kong next month, where it is expected to fetch $30 million - $35 million. The internally flawless blue diamond, at 10.10 carats, was mined in South Africa and is one of a collection of 11 cut by jewellers De Beers in London in 2000. "Blue diamonds are extremely rare and when they are over 10 carats and flawless, they are quite special," Quek Chin Yeow, Sotheby's auction house Deputy Chairman for Asia said at a press event in London. "It's also the largest oval vivid blue diamond to ever be offered at auction." The blue diamond will lead an April 5 Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong after being exhibited in London, Geneva, New York, Singapore and Taipei.
San Jose (AFP) - The last of nearly 8,000 Cuban migrants stranded for months in Costa Rica flew to Mexico Tuesday to continue their journey to the United States, the government said.

The transfer of the 91 remaining Cubans to the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo was carried out with help from international organizations that stepped in to help pay their air fare.

They were the last of 7,800 Cubans who became stuck in Costa Rica in November after its northern neighbor Nicaragua denied them passage, blocking their route north.

The International Organization for Migration took thousands of the migrants out of the country on flights to El Salvador and Mexico, circumventing Nicaragua, an ally of Havana.

An estimated 3,000 more managed to make it out on their own with the help of human traffickers.

Costa Rica's President Luis Guillermo Solis thanked Mexico and Central American countries for "extending a hand of friendship and solidarity at a moment of great difficulty for the flow of Cuban migrants."

Cuban migrants who reach the United States are put on a fast track to residency and citizenship, under a Cold War-era policy that many fear will be shelved as the United States and Cuba normalize relations.

US President Barack Obama is scheduled to make a historic visit to Havana March 20-22 as part of the reconciliation process.
By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York state appeals court on Tuesday revived two lawsuits accusing Hess Corp and Castle Oil Corp of cheating building owners by selling adulterated heating oil.

The Appellate Division in Manhattan ruled unanimously that a lower court judge erred in dismissing claims that the defendants from 2009 to 2013 blended "waste oil" into the higher-grade heating oil that residential and commercial building owners in and around New York City had contracted to buy.

The plaintiffs, who sought class action status on behalf of thousands of building owners in New York City, Westchester County and Long Island, said the blending caused their heating systems to be less efficient, requiring some to buy more oil.

Justice David Saxe rejected defense arguments that public policy might encourage the use of adulterated oil as fuel, and that the owners waited too long to pursue some of their claims.

He said the plaintiffs can pursue damages claims for breach of contract and breach of warranty "since we must infer from the complaint that plaintiffs received nonconforming oil deliveries of lesser value than those they contracted and paid for."

Tuesday's 4-0 decision reversed the September 2014 dismissals of both lawsuits by state Supreme Court Justice Shirley Werner Kornreich in Manhattan.

A lawyer for Castlerom Holdings Corp, a legal successor to Castle, said the company "has repeatedly proven that it never blended its products with 'adulterated' or 'waste' oil," and the plaintiffs received heating oil that "complied with all applicable definitions, laws, and regulations."

Hess and its law firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to similar requests.

According to the appeals court, the lawsuits arose from an investigation begun in 2011 by the law firm Wachtel Missry, and which later involved federal and state authorities.

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In November, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced criminal charges against nine other companies and 44 individuals for allegedly shorting customers on heating oil deliveries while charging full price over a nine-year period. Hess and Castle were not charged.

The cases are BMW Group LLC v Castle Oil Corp, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, 1st Department, No. 16138; and Mid Island LP v Hess Corp in the same court, No. 16139.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang and Cynthia Osterman)
By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. liberal groups, divided in their support of Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have urged a united, active opposition to Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner. In an open letter released on Tuesday, a group of liberal organizations called for a "non-violent movement" to thwart Trump's candidacy for November's general election, calling the New York billionaire a "hate-peddling bigot who openly incites violence." "This is a five-alarm fire for our democracy," said the letter, which was signed by the leaders of the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org, a supporter of Sanders, and the Service Employees International Union, a major labor union that is backing Clinton. Representatives of 20 other groups signed the letter, which was published online as Americans in five states voted in the latest round of primary contests to pick party nominees for the Nov. 8 election. Trump has alarmed many in America, not just liberals, with his campaign rhetoric, from calling Mexican immigrants rapists and drug dealers to his proposal to ban Muslims temporarily from entering the United States. Protests have become a recurring, noisy feature at Trump's rallies and in recent days, tensions have risen sharply as a few of Trump's mostly white supporters have punched or bloodied protesters, many of whom are black or Latino, in scuffles in or outside campaign venues. The open letter urged Americans to use tactics familiar from the civil-rights movement to oppose Trump, including large public marches and prayer vigils. It told Americans to ask "every media outlet, corporation, and office-holder" whether they will condemn what the letter described as Trump's "racism, misogyny and xenophobia." The letter also called for efforts to increase voter turn-out in November, hoping to beat Trump if he becomes the Republican nominee. Some Republican politicians, including the party's presidential nominee in 2012, Mitt Romney, have also called for efforts to prevent Trump winning the party's nomination in July, including tactical voting. A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has said in media interviews he does not condone violence, but at rallies he has sometimes encouraged people to use force on protesters, drawing condemnation from both Democratic and Republican politicians. Many protesters have told journalists they are supporters of Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, and Clinton, a former secretary of state. Trump, who canceled a rally in Chicago last week after hundreds of protesters got inside the venue, has said it is unfair that his events are disrupted more than those of any other candidate. (Editing by Frances Kerry)
Tuesday night was a very good night for Donald Trumpbut was it good enough?

The entertainer consolidated his lead in the Republican Party and drove Marco Rubio to drop out of the race. Trump scored a huge win in Florida, taking the states 99 delegates and humiliating Rubio, a son of the Sunshine State who couldnt win at home. But Trumps failure to beat John Kasich in Ohio will prolong the raceand increases the odds that Trump will not win the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the GOP nomination outright over Kasich and Senator Ted Cruz. Falling short would lead the party to a contested convention with unpredictable and volatile results.

Republicans are left to choose what sort of catastrophic conclusion theyd like for the primary campaign: a Donald Trump nomination? Or a fractious, chaotic contested convention? On Tuesday, GOP voters lurched uneasily toward the latter.

Recommended: Why John Kasich Is Still Standing

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton notched a signature win in Ohio, holding back a fierce, late charge from Bernie Sanders mounted after since his shocking upset win in Michigan on March 8. Clinton also triumphed in Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois. While Clintons aides have argued that she already has a prohibitive delegate lead, Tuesdays results should convince many outsiders they are correct.

Shortly after 8 p.m., Rubio came on stage in Miami and delivered his concession, an impassioned plea for hope and optimisma speech to remind listeners why he was seen at one time as a Hispanic Barack Obama. Without naming Trump, Rubio harshly criticized the frontrunners divisive rhetoric. From a political standpoint, the easiest thing to have done in this campaign is to ... make people angrier, to make people more frustrated, he said. But I chose a different route, and Im proud of that. In a year like this, that would have been the easiest way to win. But that is not whats best for America. (Rubios plea for civility was somewhat undermined by boos as he congratulated Trump on his win.)

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Rubio rose to the Senate as an insurgent outsider defying party bosses, but later became the doomed hope of those same bosses in the presidential campaign. He had harsh words for a Republican establishment that he accused of being more interested in winning elections than solving problems or standing by principles. Its a strange end to Rubios campaign. A man heralded as a rare political talent was unable to turn that into votes, and he even saw it turn into a liability, as rivals derided him as robotic rather than polished. Rubio ultimately won only Minnesota, Puerto Rico, and D.C. His future in politics is cloudy: Hes young and charismatic, but also just got obliterated and will leave the Senate in January.

Recommended: What Bernie Sanders Knows About Nordic Countries That Hillary Clinton Doesn't

As Rubio bowed out, Trump was watching as positive results poured in at his Mar a Lago resort 70 miles north in Palm Beach. Though billed a press conference, Trumps event was really a victory party. The candidate came on stage flanked by his family and by Corey Lewandowski, his embattled campaign manager, who is accused of assaulting a reporter. It was a more relaxed event than the charged, violent affairs his recent rallies have been.

By many standards, Trump had a great night. He blew Rubio out in Florida. He beat Ted Cruz out in North Carolina, where delegates are allocated proportionally. He won in Illinois, the site of his disastrous, aborted rally on Friday night, and in Missouri. But missing out on Ohio means it will be harder for Trump to reach the 1,237-delegate tally by the end of the primary campaign. Hell need to win nearly 60 percent of all the outstanding delegates, or else hell have to defend his lead in Cleveland.

Ted Cruz was largely an afterthought. He was headed for a loss in a Missouri nailbiter, likely to lose to Trump by just a few thousand votes out of nearly a million cast. He was farther back everywhere else. Cruz gave a tough speech in Houston, rejecting Kasich as a Trump alternative. "Only two campaigns have a plausible path to the nomination," he said. "Nobody else has any mathematical possibility whatsoever."

Kasich, meanwhile, delivered a jubilant and somewhat disjointed speech in Berea, a Cleveland suburb. He presented himself as the sunny, hard-working alternative to Trump, though at times he sounded more like a man who had just won reelection as governor than as a prospective president. Kasich still faces major obstacles. Though he delivered the impressive Ohio win with a late charge to overtake TrumpKasich takes home all 66 delegatesits still the first state hes won, and he had a huge advantage coming in. Kasich has his own political liabilities. He might be kicked off the ballot in Pennsylvania for failing to gather enough valid signatures. Kasich is in desperate need of cash, though his aides believe that establishment money will come his way with Rubio out. Even then, Kasichs hopes depend on the nomination being decided at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. Calling that path tenuous significantly understates things, but practically no one would have predicted last fall that Kasich would be the establishments last, best hope.

Recommended: The Obama Doctrine

Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, saw some of his last, best hopes slip away. The Sanders campaign has been a see-saw affair: from longshot gadfly to serious threat; from New Hampshire triumph to South Carolina collapse; from a tough southern swing to a stunning upset in Michigan. Things swung back downward Tuesday. Sanderss fans had argued that the Michigan results showed Clinton couldnt win in the Midwest, that she was a paper tiger who could only win in Southern red states. Her win in Ohio demolishes that argument. Sanderss imprecations against fat cats and free trade didnt work as well as in Michigan, and Clinton was able to win even in the post-industrial Mahoning Valley. Sanders also lost in North Carolinaa state hed been expected to lose, but which he visited in recent daysand in Florida. In a pair of close races, Clinton seemed headed toward a narrow win in Illinois, and Sanders a narrow win in Missouri.

Those tight races are likely to produce a roughly equal delegate split between the two of them. Thats not really enough for Sanders, who needs to make up lots of ground on Clinton. Her aides have insisted for a week that any talk about the Democratic nomination was nothing more than talk. Whoever won a given state, they said, Clintons delegate lead was already practically insurmountable. Her wins on Tuesday will likely convince many doubters. Sanders has bounced back before, but the coming contests dont seem especially promising for him.

That means the big story of the night is Trumps triumphs and what they portend for the Republican race. Promises of impending anti-Trump cavalry have repeatedly gone unfulfilled, and the brigades that have arrived have found their efforts futile. The next few weeks will show just how serious the Republican Partys inner circles are about a contested convention. Do they risk destroying the party by snatching the nomination away from the clear leader? Or do they risk destroying the party by allowing Trump to take the nomination? Expect to hear a great deal about the ins and outs of GOP rules, how to interpret them, and who they might help in the coming days. A week ago, Rubio told a crowd, I believe with all my heart that the winner of the Florida primary ... will be the nominee of the Republican Party. Rubio wont be either of those, but to his chagrin, he might still be right.

11:47 PM Matt FordLink

Things could change, but Missouri looks like it could be a narrow victory for Trump. He leads Cruz by 3,000 votes with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Most of Missouri's delegates will be allocated by congressional district, but 12 of them will go to the statewide winner. Neither candidate can write them off as this race turns into a delegate-by-delegate brawl.

11:18 PM Andrew McGillLink

The vote is close in Missouri. It might stay that way. This appears to be a game of inches, and whoever wins statewide will automatically get 12 delegates.

But where Trump and Cruz find their support will matter a lot more. See, Missouri awards five delegates for every congressional district a candidate wins. Right now, the two men are too close to call in at least three districts, according to The Green Papers. How the remaining vote falls in the next few hours could swing 15 delegates one way or another.

11:13 PM Sacha ZimmermanLink

More news from the front lines of Trump coverage: Politicos Ben Schreckinger was escorted off the property at Mar-a-Lago.

POLITICO is far from alone among media organizations being denied entry to Trump events. The Des Moines Register, Univision, Fusion, The Huffington Post, and BuzzFeed have all been denied credentials to Trump's events, often after publishing critical stories about the campaign. In January, New York Times reporter Trip Gabriel was ejected from an event in Iowa after writing about Trump's weak ground game in the state, which he eventually lost to Ted Cruz.

11:04 PM Vann R. Newkirk IILink

There has been a lot of talk about delegate math and the fact that Trump hasnt captured half of the votes yet. CNNs John King calculated that, at best, hed have to win 60 percent of the remaining votes to avoid a contested convention. Its tempting to think that Trumps odds of winning outright are fading, especially given the virtual tie between Trump and Cruz in Missouri right now.

However, that math misses the critical part of the next phase of the Republican primaries: Many states are winner-take-all. Of the remaining delegates, 543 belong to winner-take-all states, with some truly winner-take-all at a state level and some based on districts, including the big fish of California. And an additional 163 delegates are in majority-takes-all states, where state and congressional delegates are all given to the winner if the winner takes more than 50 percent of the vote.

The remaining math still provides a strong possible pathway for an outright nomination. A clean sweep in the winner-take-all states and a good showing in most districts, while unlikely, could see Trump coast into the nomination. Assuming he only captures 70 percent of winner-take-all and majority-take-all delegates, he only would need to pick up about half of the remaining delegates to secure the nomination. Its certainly within the realm of possibility.

11:00 PM Russell BermanLink

Scott Olson / Getty

Ted Cruz tried to put a positive spin on what was, at best, a mediocre night for his campaign. He is running neck-and-neck with Trump in Missouri but has lost to him and John Kasich elsewhere. Tonight was a good night, he said nonetheless, speaking to supporters in Houston. Tonight, we continued to gain delegates and continued our march to 1,237. Cruz paid tribute to Marco Rubio, congratulating him on a strong race and saying he could paint a tapestry in his speeches. And then he went straight for Rubios supporters. To those who supported Marco, who worked so hard, we welcome you with open arms, Cruz said. He ignored Kasich altogether and told Republicans they now had a clear choice. Only two campaigns have a plausible path to the nomination, he said. Nobody else has any mathematical possibility whatsoever. Yet with Trumps victories tonight, its getter more and more difficult for Cruz to win the nomination without forcing a contested convention.

10:52 PM Andrew McGillLink

With a razor-thin margin separating Cruz and Trump, what a mystery Missouri has turned out to be. The dividing lines, according to CNNs exit polls:

Age: Cruz won voters under 60; Trump won the vote of everyone older.

Education & income: Trump fought Cruz to a draw among people with a high-school education or less, and beat him among voters who attended some college. But Cruz cleaned the floor with him among the college-educated.

Income: Interesting blip, Cruz won folks making under $50,000 and above $100,000, but Trump captured the middle.

Religion: No surprise here... Cruz handily beat Trump among evangelicals.

Time decided: Cruz was by far the most popular pick for voters who made up their minds in the last week or the last few days. Trump voters decided on him more than a month ago.

10:46 PM Sacha ZimmermanLink

Win McNamee / Getty

The opulent scene at Mar-a-Lago. Watching Trump from way back in the room. MSNBCs Trump reporter said, Ive never seen so many diamonds in my life.

10:42 PM Andrew McGillLink

Tonight has been a good night for John Kasich, and tomorrow, hes off to Pennsylvania where he might not even be a candidate. The campaign needed 2,000 signatures to appear on the states ballot, and it gathered 2,184but 192 were found invalid, putting him beneath the threshold.

Kasichs defense? The objection (to his Pennsylvania paperwork) was filed at 5:13 p.m. on the day of the filing deadlinemaking it 13 minutes too late, his lawyers say. Theyre now making that point before the states Commonwealth Court, which will decide if 5 p.m. was really the deadline.

Then again, Marco Rubios defeat in Florida might just give the Ohio governor a pass. The petition challenger is a Rubio supporter, and the attorney representing him is the brother of Rubios Pennsylvania campaign chair. They very well could drop the whole matter.

10:37 PM Nora KellyLink

Win McNamee / Getty

Coming off wins in Florida, North Carolina, and Missouri, Donald Trump had many people to thank Tuesday night for his success in the race so far. Ben Carson, Chris Christie, and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for their endorsements. His wife, Melania, for her support from the campaign's beginning. And he called out House Speaker Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell for their tremendous and great conversations, respectively.

But perhaps the most striking acknowledgment went to his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who stood at Trumps right hand. Corey, good job, Corey, Trump said, before praising the many wins the campaign has racked up.

Lewandowskis placement on the stage, and the nod from Trump, are surprising even in this nutso primary campaign. Just days ago, a Breitbart reporter named Michelle Fields alleged that Lewandowski assaulted her at a Trump event. (The Washington Post has a rundown of what happened after here. ) The incident, many in the media felt, was a physical manifestation of the Trump campaigns hostility to the press. That Trump would include him on the stage is a signal the GOP front-runner isnt paying Lewandowskis critics any mind.

Trump also had noticeably kind words for Marco Rubio in his speech, which didnt include a Q&A as these victory events typically have. To win by that kind of number [in Florida] is incredible, Trump said, before noting the really tough campaign Rubio had waged. Hes tough, hes smart, and hes got a great future. It was quite the change from weeks of Little Marco denigrations.

As he wrapped up his shorter-than-usual speech, Trump went back to where it all began: an insistence on winning. Were gonna win, win, win, and were not stopping, Trump said. Were going to have great victories for our country.

10:30 PM Clare ForanLink

Scott Olson / Getty

Bernie Sanders went after Donald Trump aggressively in a speech to supporters in Phoenix, Arizona. Sanders declared that Trump will never become president because Americans wont tolerate insults to Mexicans, Muslims, or women. Sanders denounced the GOP presidential front-runner for leading the so-called birther effort, describing it as an ugly, ugly attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the presidency of Barack Obama. Then Sanders pointed to what he portrayed as a racist double standard. President Obamas father was born in Kenya. My father was born in Poland. But nobody asks me for my birth certificate, Sanders said to loud applause. I kinda think, maybe, it has something to do with the fact that my skin color is a little bit different than the presidents.

Tonight has not gone well for Bernie Sanders. Clinton has already notched victories in Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio. But you wouldnt know that from listening to Sanderss speech where he took the occasion to reiterate many popular elements of his stump speech. Sanders railed against income equality, called for criminal justice and immigration reform, and pushed for action to fight against global warming.

It makes sense for Sanders to take any air time he can get to continue to introduce himself to voters. But no amount of optimism can erase the fact that his prospects for the Democratic nomination look increasingly dim this evening. Sanders is already trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, and his rival will add to her lead tonight. The challenge for Sanders will be to continue to make the case that he remains a viable candidate. It wont be easy. The one bright spot for Sanders in the evening is currently his slight lead over Clinton in Missouri, a state that has not yet been called. Illinois has also not yet been decided, but Clinton leads Sanders there. For now, though, Sanders remains sunny. He ended a winding, lengthy speech tonight by predicting that his campaign will win Arizona next week if the voter turnout is high, lets make it high.

10:26 PM Vann R. Newkirk IILink

CNN and the AP are calling the Republican primary in North Carolina for Trump, but the drama isnt quite over in the Tar Heel State. North Carolina is a proportional state, with delegates divided by vote percentages to all candidates. An analysis by The New York Times shows Ted Cruz only 4 percentage points behind Trump, and The Green Papers show him only three delegates behind.

Interestingly, exit polls in North Carolina showed that six out of ten Republican voters believe foreign trade costs Americans jobs. This is an important issue in North Carolina, which has seen some of the worst effects of a textile and industry job decline. But interestingly, exit polls show these voters favored Trump, who has admittedly exploited the same kind of business loopholes that they may believe are costing jobs. Perhaps they believe that a person so familiar with the things they oppose would know best how to fix them?

North Carolina had the largest share of evangelical voters of the states today, at almost two-thirds of the Republican voters. Economic issues dominated their concerns, with most voters declaring that they were falling behind economically and seeking change.

Trump won big among the states famous moderate and even liberal Republican voters, but there are some signs in the exit polls that it could be a critical state in the general election if an independent candidate does run to the moderate side of Trump. With news of some Republican leaders exploring third-party options, four in ten Republican voters in the North Carolina exit polls say they would consider a third-party candidate in November if the Democratic and Republican options are Clinton and Trump. North Carolina might still be a player for the #NeverTrump movement.

10:16 PM Russell BermanLink

Trump just said he had a great conversation today on the phone with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellwhose only characterization of the talk to reporters was that he urged Trump to condemn the violence that has broken out at his rallies. No mention of that from Trump.

It seemed as though Trump was playing to the crowd inside his ballroom in Mar-a-Lago just then. Filled with wealthy members of his country club, this is a much different audience than the blue-collar people who seem to make up most of his rallies. We need the rich in order to make the country great, Im sorry to tell you, he said at one point. And then he told a long story about the indignity of having to watch attack ads aimed at him during the commercial breaks at the close of the professional golf tournament held earlier this month at his course in Doral, Florida.

10:15 PM Emma GreenLink

Tonight may be one of John Kasichs few moments basking in electoral success, thanks to his home state of Ohio. With a big case on abortion pending at the Supreme Court, its worth noting that Kasichwho has sometimes been billed as a moderate in a race filled with otherwise extreme rhetoricsigned a bill that effectively defunds Planned Parenthoods health services late last month. This includes money for HIV testing, cancer screenings, and programs aimed at preventing domestic violence. The law prohibits certain state funds from going to organizations that perform or promote abortions; while Planned Parenthood wasnt mentioned, its authors recognized that it would be the organization most affected, according to the AP.

This may seem like a savvy political move for Kasich following this falls controversy over Planned Parenthoods fetal-tissue donation practices. Its in line with his past political stances on abortion, and its also in line with his faith. Kasich belongs to the Anglican Church in North America, a conservative break-off group from the Episcopal Church of the United States. In contrast to the Episcopal Church, which opposes government restrictions on abortion, the ACNA opposes abortion. Laura Turner has a great round-up of the way Kasichs faith may shape his views on a host of other issues, including immigration and gay marriage.

09:49 PM Priscilla AlvarezLink

Donald Trump is projected the winner of Illinois, according to projections by ABC and NBC. Its the second state Trump takes tonight. The demographic in the state gave Trump a leg upits largely white and the majority of voters do not have a college degree.

09:48 PM Matt FordLink

Beyond the presidential race, theres an upset worth noting in Illinois. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that incumbent Cook County District Attorney Anita Alvarez has conceded the race to challenger Kim Foxx. As Vann noted earlier tonight, Alvarez came under intense criticism for her offices handling of the Laquan McDonald killing last year. Her defeat tonight is a testament to the organizing of black and progressive activists in the Chicago area and a warning to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has faced similar intense criticism over McDonalds death.

09:46 PM Nora KellyLink

Ty Wright / Getty

A sunnier-than-thou John Kasich beamed Tuesday night as he took the stage at an Ohio campaign rally to chants of U.S.A.! U.S.A!

You better believe its about America, Kasich said to the crowd in responseits about pulling us together, not pulling us apart.

Kasichs message of unity has grown louder in recent weeks, as the once under-the-radar candidate polled competitively against Trump in Ohio, and it started to look like he could wrest Ohios delegates from the front-runner. A victory in the Buckeye State makes Trumps road to the nomination harder, and the establishment had crossed its fingers crossed that Kasichs popularity would carry the day.

I love ya, Kasich told the Ohio voters who gave him the win, at the top of a typically rambling speech. He later added: Its been my intention to make you proud.

Kasich promised that hed be at the GOP convention in Cleveland in July to secure the partys nomination. Once hes in Washington, his shock-and-awe agenda in his first 100 days will push the famously gridlocked city into action. And he pledged, as he has in recent speeches, that his tone wont be changing in response to the divisive front-runners: I want to remind you again tonight that I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land.

09:38 PM Elaine GodfreyLink

Trump supporters have so far heckled two Republican victory speeches tonight, starting when a protester repeatedly shouted, Vote Trump! during Marco Rubios exit speech. Another audience member wearing a Trump hat interrupted John Kasich, as he began begin his celebration speech in Ohio, and was escorted out. But both candidates handled the hecklers with patience (especially Rubio, who was being harassed as he was attempting to graciously quit the race), but the interactions immediately called to mind the current Republican front-runners dealings with dissenters at some of his recent rallies.

09:30 PM Russell BermanLink

President Obama hasnt endorsed in the Democratic primary to succeed him, but he did endorse a Democrat in a down-ballot racemuch further down the ballot, actually. And it looks like his candidate is going to win. In his home state of Illinois, the president took the rare step of backing a challenger to an incumbent state representative, Democrat Ken Dunkin. Obama aired a radio ad in support of Dunkins opponent, Juliana Stratton, citing her support for tougher gun laws and improving the juvenile-justice system. But according to the Chicago Tribune and other local outlets, the real reason Obama is backing Stratton is because Dunkin has Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan on key votes, in some cases denying the party a veto-proof majority against Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, whose allies are backing Dunkin. Obama hinted at his position when he spoke to the Illinois General Assembly last month, where he told the incumbent, We'll talk later, Dunkin. With about 60 percent of the precincts reporting, Stratton is up by a 2-to-1 margin and appears headed for victorythanks in part, perhaps, to Obama.

09:29 PM Yoni AppelbaumLink

One thing were going to hear a lot more about in the coming weeks? Rule 40(b)

It reads:

(b) Each candidate for nomination for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a majority of the delegates from each of eight (8) or more states, severally, prior to the presentation of the name of that candidate for nomination. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these rules or any rule of the House of Representatives, to demonstrate the support required of this paragraph a certificate evidencing the affirmative written support of the required number of permanently seated delegates from each of the eight (8) or more states shall have been submitted to the secretary of the convention not later than one (1) hour prior to the placing of the names of candidates for nomination pursuant to this rule and the established order of business.

Translated into English, it means that the only candidates who can receive votes at the Republican National Convention are those who can demonstrate, an hour before voting on the floor begins, that they command the support of the majority of the delegates from eight states. Thats not just true of the first ballot, when most delegates are bound to support specific candidatesits true of every subsequent ballot, as well.

The rule was put into place by the Romney campaign in 2012, to keep Ron Pauland every other candidatefrom receiving any votes on the convention floor, as a way of reinforcing party unity.

Now, it seems poised to have some unintended effects. With his defeat in Ohio, Donald Trump now faces a difficult path to accumulating an outright majority of delegates. Coming into tonight, Ted Cruz has won eight statesbut only commands a majority of delegates in three of them. And Kasich has only Ohio.

Now, its a long way to the convention. Trump could win outright. Cruz or Kasich could go on a tear. Supporters of Rubio in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., or Puerto Rico could throw their weight behind Cruz or Kasich. Even if only Trump clears the hurdle, the Standing Committee on Rules, the RNC itself, Convention, or the Convention Rules Committee could meet and amend the rule.

But amending the rules to block Trump carries its own risks. And it seems likely that an obscure procedural rule intend to maintain a facade of unity is about to become a focal point of debate.

09:26 PM Priscilla AlvarezLink

In her victory speech in Florida, Hillary Clinton weighed in on immigration, saying deportations should end. Its a divergence from the Obama administration, which recently carried out a wave of deportation raids and has over time surpassed former U.S. presidents in the number of deportations. But the message might resonate in a state where 20 percent of Latinos cast their vote in the Democratic primary.

09:21 PM Clare ForanLink

Joe Raedle / Getty

Hillary Clinton took a victory lap speaking to supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. We are moving closer to securing the Democratic Party nomination and winning this election in November, a smiling Clinton declared to cheers and applause. She congratulated her rival, Bernie Sanders, for the vigorous campaign hes waging, but didnt seem too anxious at the threat.

Clinton is having a very good night. Media outlets have already declared Clinton the winner in Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina. The victories will add to Clintons commanding delegate lead, making it that much harder for Sanders to catch up. Clintons victory in Ohio is particularly significant given that the Sanders campaign had eyed the Rust Belt state as a place where voters might flock to the Vermont senators economic populist message. The win allows Clintons campaign to argue that Sanderss upset victory in the Michigan Democratic primary may have been more of a one-off event than the start of a trend. Illinois and Missouri havent been called yet, but Clinton holds a lead in both states.

Clinton quickly pivoted to make a general-election pitch during her Florida speech, taking on Donald Trump in the process. We should be breaking down barriers, not building walls, Clinton said, adding: Were not going to succeed by dividing this country between us and them. The candidate spoke of the high stakes in the election in a bid to energize her supporters. Tonight its clearer than ever that this may be one of the most consequential campaigns of our lifetimes, Clinton said soberly. The next president will walk into the Oval Office next January, sit down at that desk and start making decisions that will affect the lives and the livelihoods of everyone in this country, indeed everyone on this planet.

09:16 PM Ron FournierLink

That doesnt make him strong. It makes him wrong, Hillary Clinton says of Donald Trump, stirring echoes of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who liked to say back in the day: When people are insecure, theyd rather have somebody who is strong and wrong than someone whos weak and right.

09:12 PM Sacha ZimmermanLink

Jeff Swensen / Getty

Everyone has a Unifying Theory of Trump Supporters. Is it a pernicious mix of laziness and entitlement, as the guys at National Review write? Is it resentment about a world that has passed them up, as Molly writes? Is it the North Carolina microcosm, as David writes? Is it the promises of big action and big government, as Yoni writes? Is it his World Wrestling Federation past, as Vann writes? Probably all are true at once. But as Vox, Politico, and other outfits have reported, a small group of political scientists, including the University of North Carolinas Jonathan Weiler, think the crucial commonality among Trump supporters comes to this: They are authoritarians.

On Sundays GPS, Fareed Zakaria spoke with Weiler about his research and his prescient 2009 book, Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics (coauthored with Marc Hetherington). What makes Weilers work fascinating is that he can predict a Trump voter with astonishing accuracy across demographic lines. They believe very strongly in a need for social order as traditionally defined, says Weiler. And they feel very fearful and resentful toward groups and social norms that might challenge that traditional order.

Though research into mass authoritarianism is not newafter World War II, people really wanted fascism explainedWeiler says that what is new is the focus on the people who respond to authoritarianism more so than the authoritarian leaders personality itself. Weiler examined the particular personality type [who]  feel a strong need for order, who want to ensure that people who are not like them are, sort of, put in their place, and want clear, simple solutions to complicated problems. OK, so far, so familiar.

How does Weiler suss out these personalities? This is where things get really interesting. He asks four parenting questionsabout the kinds of attributes people want their children to have. People who prioritize respect for elders, obedience, and good manners over creativity, individuality, and curiosity tend to be more authoritarian. Weilers colleague Matt McWilliams, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, did a survey in December that included the four parenting questions, and to a striking degree  how people answer these four parenting questions was by far the best predicator of their support for Donald Trump. Better than gender, better than income, better than education, or demographics writ largethe parenting questions are a much stronger predictor of Trump supporters.

So, what about those bitter white working-class voters weve been hearing so much about? The truth is white, working-class voters who are low on authoritarianismand they existthey dont like Trump at all. And college-educated voters who are high on authoritarianism like Trump a lot. In fact, Weiler says, The degree to which working-class status explains Trump, it kind ofit goes away. Hear that? It goes away.

Of course, now another group of political scientists is saying that in fact the authoritarians are following Ted Cruz, not Trump. Trumps supporters they say are, well, the populists the media says they are. Like I said, everyone has a theory.

Weiler wrapped up his analysis by saying that the Republican Party in particular has cultivated a base that sees the world through this authoritarian mind-set, and they are now beholden to that base, and they need to reflect the worldview and the concerns and the fears of that base. In other words, at least as far as the Weiler brand of political scientists are concerned, Trump may just be the start of a bigger phenomenon.

09:09 PM Ron FournierLink

The end of Marco Rubios presidential campaign is a good time to re-read this paragraph from the Republican Partys autopsy of the 2012 presidential campaign.

If Hispanic Americans perceive that a GOP nominee or candidate does not want them in the United States (i.e. self-deportation), they will not pay attention to our next sentence. It does not matter what we say about education, jobs or the economy; if Hispanics think we do not want them here, they will close their ears to our policies.

Rubio initially followed the playbook: The Florida senator, as part of the so-called Gang of Eight, pushed a 2013 bill that would have granted a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. With his Cuban heritage and Tea Party credentials, Rubio positioned himself as a new face for the party. But he backed away from his own bill under pressure from anti-reform conservatives who dominate the GOP nomination fight.

Four years later, the GOP front-runner is now pledging to deport more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and build a wall across the southern border. As the nominee, Donald Trump would cremate the autopsy.

09:07 PM David A. GrahamLink

Joe Raedle / Getty

Hillary Clinton hasnt neutralized the Bernie Sanders threat yet, and she still faces tight races in Illinois and Missouri. But the Democrat won the biggest prize on the board Tuesday, triumphing in the Ohio primary.

Just a week ago, it was a foregone conclusion that Clinton would win in Ohio. Then came Bernie Sanderss shocking upset win in Michigan, which called into question both the veracity of polling and the Clintons ability to win in the industrial Midwest. Her more trade-friendly policies seemed to pale before Sanderss fiery economic populism and opposition to free-trade deals. Both campaigns focused heavily on the state over the last few days.

In the end, Clinton put up the W anyway. Initial results told the story: Almost every county in the state was headed Clintons way. Sanders did well in Athens County, a crunchy Appalachian area home to Ohio University, and around Toledo. But Clinton cleaned up even around Youngstown and in other areas where opposition to trade is especially strong. Sanders apparently wasnt able to break through there.

Though Illinois and Missouri could complicate matters, Clintons win in Ohio helps put to rest a key Sanders criticism: that Clinton could only win in the South, in red states shed never win in a general election. Her win in Ohio, generally the nations pivotal battleground state, shows she has got geographic range. And more importantly in material terms, it hands her another batch of delegates to add to her sizable lead.

09:01 PM David A. GrahamLink

J.D. Pooley / Getty

Its not often that a sitting governor is an underdog in his home state, but thats just what John Kasich faced on Tuesday. The Buckeye States leader had promised to drop out if he didnt win at home, and polls early in the year suggested he was on track to do that. But a funny thing happened starting in early March: Kasich suddenly took back the lead in polls from Donald Trump. He was able to ride that narrow lead to a victory Tuesday.

Its a huge win for Kasichhis first of the season, and good for all 66 of the states delegates. How did Kasich do it? For one, he managed to peak at just the right moment, the crowning achievement of a campaign that few analysts gave much change. The timing of Trumps tumble in Ohio also suggests voters there may have been turned off by the ugly turn in Trumps rhetoric and at his events in the last weeka classic assertion of Midwest civility.

I dont think Trump plays all that well here, to be honest, said David B. Cohen, a professor of political science at the University of Akron. Theres a lot of evidence that theres white, blue-collar support for Trump, but I think the ugliness that Trump has spouted really doesnt play all that well in the state of Ohio. It turns a lot of people off.

Results from Ohio showed that Trump did well in Appalachia and in far Northeast Ohio, around Youngstownareas that have been hit by a bad economy and industrial loss, where Trumps anti-free-trade program had a willing audience. He also did well in Southern Ohio, which is demographically more similar to Southern states Trump has won. But the rest of the state was Kasich country.

Kasich cant win the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination, but he hopes this win will propel him to the Republican National Convention in July, where he can still win the nomination in a contested nomination. And as it happens, that convention will be in Cleveland.

08:57 PM Andrew McGillLink

A note on the geography of Kasichs win in Ohio: Most of the counties he is losing to Trump just happen to lie above the rich vein of Marcellus and Utica shale that runs alongside states eastern border. These are the communities that benefited the most from the fracking boom, and theyve now had to cut back as drilling companies idle their rigs amid a glut of natural gas and cheap oil. Kasich pushed for higher taxes on gas drilling when the industry was hot and was rebuffed; it seems likely that cost him some support tonight.

08:51 PM Vann R. Newkirk IILink

We dont focus much on local and state primaries during this live blog, but they are happening as well and one of the most important is the reelection bid for Anita Alvarez, the states attorney for Cook County, Illinois. Alvarez has faced sustained protests calling for her resignation in the wake of mass police scandals in Chicago and her offices handling of the death of Laquan McDonald, who was shot 17 times and killed by an officer in 2014. Senator Sanders has tapped into the local outrage against Alvarez and Mayor Rahm Emanuel in his bid for Illinois, and people at the polls have told me that, in Chicago, Sanders supporters and Alvarez opposers are one and the same.

Early returns have Alvarez behind challenger Kim Foxx in the Cook County states attorney Democratic primary. With almost 500 precincts reporting, Alvarez trails Foxx 60 percent to 30 percent, what seems to be a difficult deficit to overcome.

08:31 PM Conor FriedersdorfLink

Marco Rubio wanted to shape America from the White House enough to participate in a long, hard, ultimately fruitless campaign. But he has no interest in seeking reelection to the Senate, despite the significant power that comes with that perch, and the launching pad it could provide for a future presidential run. I wonder what it is about the body that he hates so much. And I hope that his fellow Tea Party senator, Rand Paul, takes a different course, doubling down on the legislative institution.

08:28 PM Russell BermanLink

At the outset of his speech, Rubios supporters booed when he congratulated Trump on his victory. I want you to know, theres nothing more that you could have done, he said. And without taking additional shots at Trump, he warned: The politics of resentment of other people are not just going to leave us a fractured party. Theyre going to leave us a fractured nation.

08:27 PM Ron FournierLink

Out of humiliation, Marco Rubio spoke for the Washington establishment when he said America is experiencing a political tsunamiand we should have seen this coming.

Rubio and his fellow Republicans in Washington dismissed Donald Trumps appeal from the start and moved too slowly to blunt it. Few Democrats predicted populist frustration would threaten Hillary Clintons coronation, which now seems back on track after moving to the left to counter socialist Bernie Sanders.

His candidacy crushed in his home state of Florida, Rubio spoke to voters across the spectrum who feel disconnected from both parties. There are millions of Americans who are tired of being looked down upon, he said.

08:26 PM Russell BermanLink

Marco Rubio ended his campaign for the presidency Tuesday night after losing his home state of Florida by a wide margin to Donald Trump. His eyes appeared welled with tears as he addressed supporters, and the Florida senator said that 2016 was not the year for a hopeful and optimistic message.

After tonight while it is clear that we are on the right side this year, we were not on the winning side, Rubio said toward the end of a speech in which he restated the themes of his campaign and bemoaned the vitriolic tone that had drowned out his message. He urged Americans, Do not give in to the fear. Do not give in to the frustration.

08:23 PM Priscilla AlvarezLink

Hillary Clinton is the winner of the North Carolina Democratic primary, according to projections from CBS and NBC. As Vann noted earlier, the demographic layout shown by early exit-poll results appeared to play to Clintons advantage. Results showed the black voters, whom Clinton has fared well with, made up about a third of the voters in the states Democratic primary.

08:21 PM Andrew McGillLink

With Florida lost, even the CNN commentators supportive of Marco Rubio are now referring to him in the past tense. And the Florida exit poll numbers arent pretty.

He was popular among Hispanics, particularly those of Cuban descentno surprise there, given his own Cuban roots and hawkish views on Castro.

But Trump outclassed him nearly everywhere else, even among the highly educated, typically his weakness. On every issue category, poll respondents picked Trump. His biggest lead? Immigration. Indeed, Rubio couldn't even manage much of a lead over Trump among voters who favor giving undocumented immigrants legal status: 37 percent of them went for the junior senator, who has pushed immigration reform, and 36 percent went for the candidate who wants to build a taller wall between the United States and Mexico.

As Rubio just told his supporters, Theres nothing more you could have done.

08:06 PM Russell BermanLink

As the polls close in Illinois and Missouri, NBC projects that Illinois is too close to call between Clinton and Sanders and that Missouri is too early to callan indication the race might not be close. And on the Republican side, Illinois is too close to call between Trump and Cruz, while Missouri is too early to call.

08:04 PM Nora KellyLink

Florida is for front-runners. Both Trump and Clinton have won the state, according to projections from CNN. Trump will automatically gain the states 99 delegates, and Clintons will be allocated proportional to her win. Trump had roughly 45 percent of the vote, with over 70 percent of votes reported at the top of the hour; Rubio, in second, had 27 percent. Clintons lead was even more striking. With more than 70 percent of votes reported, she had 65 percent of the vote to Sanderss 32.

They may both be victors, but the consequences of their victories are very different. Sanders never pinned his hopes on the Sunshine State, so Clintons decisive win mustnt sting too much. As Priscilla noted earlier, he was likely at a disadvantage with the states closed primary, which locked out independents who didnt switch party affiliations ahead of time. And he was expected to be more competitive in Rust Belt states, especially after his upset last week in Michigan.

But Trumps victory is a significant (perhaps campaign-ending) blow to Rubio, who was born and raised in south Florida. Though the candidate insisted this morning that hed continue in the race whether he won Florida or not, its hard to see how the campaign could recoverin the eyes of donors and votersfrom such a demoralizing loss. The Rubio campaign had suggested in recent days that he was the only candidate who could beat Trump in the state. Not only does Trump get the biggest delegate slice of the night tonight, but if he wins Ohio, too, his lead will be staggering. Ahead of calling the state, CNN reported that Rubio was only winning in his home county of Miami-Dade. Though that area is the states most populous, its votes werent nearly enough.

07:56 PM Andrew McGillLink

CNNs exit polls are coming in fast, and so far, they project decent margins for Kasich and Clinton in Ohio, predicting 45 percent for the Ohio governor and 53 percent for the former secretary of state.

Kasich, who has yet to claim a primary win but who has campaigned as a unifying alternative to Donald Trump, appears to have broad appeal across multiple categories in his home state. Exit polls show him performing well among both conservative and moderate voters, and hes popular among both whites and nonwhites. Trump, who polled at 38 percent, has an edge with very poor and less-educated voters; he also was the pick of voters who say their families are falling behind financially, as well as the very conservative.

Clinton, as expected, polled better with older voters, and she has a commanding lead on Sanders among black residents. Thats a contrast to Michigan, where higher-than-expected black support for Sanders gave him the edge he needed to win the state. Sanders, who polled at 46 percent. continues to be the choice candidate for voters primarily worried about income inequality, and in that regard, Ohio is no different.

07:45 PM David A. GrahamLink

Exit polls in North Carolina show a race thats too close to call, with Donald Trump and Ted Cruz vying for first, at 39-35. Thats a little unexpectedevery poll so far has shown Trump with a solid lead, often in double digits. But Cruz spent some time in the state over the last few days and seemed to be making a run of itwith exits suggesting that may have been worth his while, especially since the Old North State allocates its delegates proportionally. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has a sizeable lead over Bernie Sanders, as expected.

Clinton's up by 30 pts in North Carolina in the early vote, 36 pts in FL. If it held, that would cancel all of Sanders' wins this year.  Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) March 15, 2016

07:43 PM Andrew McGillLink

Ethan Miller / Getty

So far, with a third of precincts reporting, Florida is Donald Trump country, with the New York billionaire taking 48 percent of the vote. Though few urban counties have delivered results, early returns indicate hes leading strongly in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, home to St. Petersburg and Tampa. With those results in mind, the markets appear to have already made up their mindsbettors on PredictIt essentially give Trump a 98 percent chance of winning.

07:27 PM Nora KellyLink

Priscilla mentioned the importance of voter turnout earlier, noting how crucial it is to Sanders's aspirations in Florida. But Clinton, too, is counting on big numbers. Asked by CBS what a "good" night would be for her campaign, Clinton said, simply, that a "good night is Democrats ... turning out to vote for me. That's what I'm hoping for across all these states." Clinton said there's "talk" of voter complacency, assumptions that Clinton will be the nominee, and voters not turning out. But "we just can't afford that," she said.

07:27 PM Russell BermanLink

While primary voters headed to the polls on Tuesday, the countrys elected leadership in Washington was, in one fashion or another, urging Donald Trump to condemn violence at his campaign rallies much more strongly. Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell each voiced concerns during separate press conferences in the Capitol. Unprompted by reporters, McConnell said that he had spoken to Trump about the violence during a phone call earlier Tuesday and recommended to him that it might be a good idea to condemn that and discourage it no matter what the source of it is. And although President Obama has made fun of the fact that Trump has seemingly hijacked the Republican primary, he devoted most of a speech Tuesday celebrating St. Patricks Day to decrying the entire tone of the presidential campaign.

We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, at Americans who dont look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, he said. Weve seen misguided attempts to shut down that speech, however offensive it may be. We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold.

Obama never mentioned Trumps name, but it was clear to whom he was referring. He criticized party leaders for staying silent about it, although he praised Ryanwho was also in attendancefor speaking out. The rhetoric and the images broadcast around the world, he said, were damaging Americas brand. While some may be more to blame than others for the current climate, all of us are responsible for reversing it, Obama said. For it is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America. And it has to stop. And I say that not because its a matter of political correctness, its about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy, and our society, and even our economy.

07:24 PM Yoni AppelbaumLink

Bernie Sanderss biggest problem right now isnt the raw number of states hes losing to Hillary Clintonits the margin by which hes letting them slip away. The Democratic primaries allocate their delegates proportionately, and those blowout wins have more than offset Sanderss other victories. So the early returns from Florida have got to be discouraging. With 16 percent of the vote tallied, Clinton leads 62 to 35. Thats the sort of result that could lead to a repeat of the results last weekwhen Sanders scored an upset victory in Michigan, only to fall even further behind in the tally of pledged delegates.

07:18 PM Matt FordLink

367 pledged delegates are up for grabs today for the GOP candidates. But not all delegate allocation rules are equal. Here's how the six March 15 races will work:

Florida: 99 delegates are at stake today in the Sunshine State. Florida and Ohio are also the first winner-take-all states, making both states key battlegrounds for Trump to assure his nominationor for his rivals to thwart it. In an ironic twist, the Florida Republican Party shifted its primary to a winner-take-all format to boost the native-son candidacies of Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush. Now that decision could help crown their nemesis.

Illinois: With 69 delegates available, the Land of Lincoln is a rich target for his party's candidates. 15 of those delegates go to the statewide winner, while the other 54 are allocated evenly among the state's 18 congressional districts. But it gets even more complicated than that. Republican voters in Illinois cast their ballots for individual delegates, not for the candidates themselves. Those delegates can either pledge themselves to support a specific candidate or declare themselves uncommitted on the ballot. The delegate counts will likely track with the overall results, but anything can happen.

Missouri: 52 delegates are at stake here. 12 of them go to the winner of the statewide vote. The other 40 delegates are divided among the state's eight congressional districts. Whoever receives the most votes in a district receives all five delegates from it. There's no method of proportional allocation here, so whoever wins a plurality across the state could win all of its delegates. But it's not a true winner-take-all state like Florida and Ohio. A second-place candidate could also chip away at a winner's gains by edging ahead in a few districts.

Northern Marianas Islands: Each of the territory's nine delegates are elected and appointed individually: six during today's caucus and three by virtue of their RNC positions. But all of them must support the presidential candidate chosen by today's caucus for the first ballot at the convention.

North Carolina: All of the state's 72 delegates are allocated proportionally. But unlike many other states in the GOP race so far, North Carolina doesn't use a viability threshold. None of the candidates will go home empty-handed here, and strong performances by the other three contenders could significantly cut into an overall winner's haul.

Ohio: The Buckeye State, along with Florida, is the first winner-take-all state in the GOP race. All 66 delegates will go to the candidate who wins the most votes. For Donald Trump, it's a chance to solidify his lead and guarantee his nomination. For his rivals, especially Ohio Governor John Kasich, it's one of the last, best chances to slow Trump's march to Cleveland.

07:16 PM David A. GrahamLink

Earlier today I noted that not many North Carolina Republicans have embraced Donald Trump. But score one for The Donald: Representative Renee Ellmers said she cast a vote for the entertainer. Ellmers was visiting polling places even though votes in congressional races in the Old North State wont matter, thanks to a new redistricting plan just instituted, after a court struck down the old map.

That redistricting plan might have something to do with Ellmerss choice of a candidate, too. Ellmers entered the House in the 2010 Tea Party wave, but has been criticized by some activists for being too moderate on some issues, especially abortion. Shes now set to face off against Representative George Holding in an incumbent vs. incumbent race. Casting her lot with Trump, whos expected to carry North Carolina, could help her establish some outsider cred. The congressional primary will be on June 7.

07:11 PM Yoni AppelbaumLink

The first results are now rolling in from Florida, which held ten days of early voting, and conducts extensive absentee balloting. And, as expected, Trump is out to an early lead. With the first 5 percent reporting, Trump has 47. 9 percent, to Rubios 22.5 percent, with Cruz and Kasich trailing.

Take that with a very large grain of salt, though. Trump has typically done much better in early balloting than with same-day voting. Thats often been chalked up to whatever particular controversial thing hes said in the days just before a particular election. But exit polls have also consistently shown that voters who made their minds up early favor Trump by greater margins than those who decided at the last moment.

Taken together, those findings suggest that the Republican electorate is divided between pro-Trump and anti-Trump factions. Many Trump supporters are locked in. The anti-Trump voters? They may wait until the final moments before they decide which of the alternatives they find most appealing. A month ago, they might have supported Ben Carson, or Jeb Bush, or Chris Christie. If so, theyve needed to settle on new alternatives. So its reasonable to expect that Trumps early margin will tighten as the evening goes along.

06:50 PM Priscilla AlvarezLink

Voter turnout has been a key element in the presidential primary thus far, particularly for candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders who have made a point of mobilizing voters. Todays elections are no exception. In North Carolina, the New York Times reports steady voter turnout, but voters in the state are also given 10 days of early voting, and they came out in droves. North Carolinas Board of Elections said that almost 11 percent of the states 6.5 million registered voters cast ballots, according to The News & Observer.

In Florida, Marco Rubio is also dependent on voter turnout, particularly in his hometown of Miami. Early exit poll results show the Florida senator garnering one-third of his support from the area. Its a crucial state for Rubio who is seeking to prove he still stands a chance against front-runner Donald Trump.

On the Democratic front, Bernie Sanders may also be at a disadvantage in Florida. The state is a closed primary state, meaning that only voters registered as either Democrat or Republican can cast a ballot. Independents, whom Sanders has fared well with, in the state have to change their registration to Democrat in order to vote. According to USA Today, many young Florida voters failed to change their registration months ago, leaving out a demographic that has largely backed the Vermont senator.

But theyre not the only ones sitting out. The Tampa Bay Times estimates 3.2 million registered voters in the state wont be able to participate. Its not the first closed election to take place thus far. Some of the others include the Iowa caucus, the Nevada caucus, Oklahoma primary, and the Alaska caucus.

06:24 PM Andrew McGillLink

Jumping back to Trump's win in the Northern Mariana Islands for a minute: Those nine delegates may have been the easiest he ever picked up. The islands have the highest delegates-per-resident ratio of the entire GOP field, bolstered by a small population and RNC rules that allot a minimum number of delegates to every jurisdiction. Because of it, Trump could spend a relatively low amount in outreach and get an oversized edge on the convention leaderboard.

Hillary Clinton also took advantage of this, reportedly juicing up her vote count by targeting 50 people on the island through Facebook.

As you'd expect, the United States' other island territoriesAmerican Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islandsalso have favorable ratios, followed closely by low-population states like Wyoming and North Dakota. If a single Republican candidate swept all the island territories (excluding Puerto Rico), they'd get 36 delegates, which is worth more than nearly half of the mainland states.

06:02 PM Vann R. Newkirk IILink

Early exit poll results show just how much of a demographic uphill battle today is for Bernie Sanders. Black voters make up at least 20 percent of the voters in each Democratic primary today, and make up about a third of the voters in the crucial states of Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina.

Granted, Sanders had a surprising showing in Michigan among black voters, which helped propel him to an unlikely win. But Hillary Clinton has still consistently polled much better among black voters nationally. Today is a day unlike most days with multiple elections for Sanders, as he has usually been able to lean on states with large white populations to stem the tide of Clinton's gains with minorities.

On the Republican front, about two-thirds of all voters support a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants, with three-quarters of all such voters supporting a ban in Missouri, according to early exit polls results. Most of these voters do not favor deporting immigrants who are already here. These numbers are consistent with exit polls in some previous states and provide a real glimpse into the climate that drives Donald Trump's support. Late last year, Trump called for a temporary ban of all Muslims entering the United States.

05:23 PM Clare ForanLink

Jeb Bush has been awfully quiet lately. Multiple media outlets reported last week that Bush had plans to meet with three of his former GOP presidential rivals, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich. (Donald Trump's name was notably absent from the list.) The itinerary fueled speculation that the former Florida governor might be planning to make an endorsement ahead of the Florida primary.

But Bush has yet to publicly throw his weight behind any particular candidate. That silence could mean any number of things. It might reflect a calculation that endorsements haven't seemed to carry much weight this election cycle. It might also be interpreted as evidence of lingering bad blood between Bush and his former rivals, or at the very least a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the former governor.

05:08 PM Nora KellyLink

A programming note: The first polls to close tonight will be in Florida at 7 p.m. ET, though some will stay open till 8 p.m. ET. Ohio and North Carolina are next, at 7:30 p.m. ET. And Missouri and Illinois won't stop voting till 8 p.m. ET. The good news? As Yoni noted earlier today, North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida are loaded with absentee ballots this cycle, and the Associated Press reports counting in those first two states could be quick.

04:27 PM Andrew McGillLink

The Florida airwaves are an open firefight, but the candidates are choosing strange targets.

Marco Rubio, who has made his home state his final stand, has aired nearly 2,000 ads against Donald Trump, counting those paid for by friendly Super PACs. That makes sense; Trump is the frontrunner, and he's pushed more than 350 ads against Rubio in return, according to the Political TV Ad Archive.

But Rubio's allies have also unloaded substantial firepower against John Kasich476 ads, most in the past week or sowho isn't even campaigning in Florida. In doing so, they've ignored Ted Cruz, whose camp responded by funding at least 80 anti-Rubio commercials in the Sunshine State.

Its hard to discern Rubio's strategy here. Obviously, Rubio and Trump are going to tussle. But why ignore Cruz, the more pressing threat in delegates? And Bashing Kasich looks ridiculous when the Rubio campaign is actively encouraging its supporters to vote for him in Ohio, even if they're afraid he'll bleed off the support they need to defeat Trump at home.

03:10 PM Priscilla AlvarezLink

In Chicago, its a tight race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. The New York Times reports that some voters at the polls are torn between the two candidates. This primary was extraordinarily tough, James Nelson, 31, told the Times, adding that he sides more with Sanders but cast his vote for Clinton because he was searching for a person that could get stuff done. Sanders spent much of his time campaigning in the city leading up to Illinois primary, directing most of his attacks toward Chicagos Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Hillary Clinton supporter.

As the Chicago Sun-Times notes, Sanders campaign has been working to link Clinton with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, also airing ads criticizing the states political climate. And on the eve of Illinois primary, Sanders stuck to a regular talking point, saying It looks to me like Chicago and Illinois are ready for a political revolution and that is what we are going to see tomorrow. Despite being from the Chicago suburbs, Clinton is still facing a tough race with Sandersand shes prepping for it. On Tuesday, Clinton encouraged her backers to do all they can to rally support. Do not rest, she said.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who have not endorsed any candidate, have also cast their ballot in Illinois, where Obama served in the state senate until winning a U.S. Senate seat. According to McClatchys Anita Kumar, the two voted absentee in the states Democratic primary.

.@POTUS and @FLOTUS voted absentee in Democratic primary in Illinois  Anita Kumar (@anitakumar01) March 15, 2016

02:51 PM Nora KellyLink

"The differences between residents in Bonifay in north Florida and those in Broward County in south Florida are about as stark as voters in Birmingham, Alabama, with those in Boston, Massachusetts." Thats from a colorful Associated Press report out today describing ideological differences among Republican voters in Florida. The party chair in one northern county said Trump might do well in north Florida because of its similarities with Georgia and Alabamatwo states Trump won on (the first) Super Tuesday. Rubio, by contrast, could do well in the south, where he's from and where most of the state's voters live.

The 2012 primary map could provide some clues about tonight's results, too. Back then, Newt Gingrich, a favorite of Christian conservatives who wield influence in the American south, took most of the northern counties; given Trump's appeal to this community, he could do well, too. Mitt Romneywho, like Rubio, is more mainstreamdid well across southern Florida, particularly in Miami-Dade County where he got roughly 60 percent of the vote. He ended up taking the state.

Think these differences are really strange? So do officials in South Miami, who've passed largely symbolic resolutions calling for the state to be split in two. They have a singular concern: "South Florida issues" related to the environment "do not receive the support of Tallahassee," one resolution reads. As a New Jerseyan born and raised, I can sympathize with in-state tensions. South Jersey FTW.

02:47 PM Yoni AppelbaumLink

On Sunday, I wrote about the ways in which Donald Trump has scrambled the conventional dividing lines in American politics, by fusing Democratic support for an active, interventionist government and strong social insurance, with Republican hostility to welfare and wealth transfers. Theres a wealth of academic research to suggest that Trumps platform aligns with the views of white, ethnocentric votersthat largely blue-collar portion of the electorate that expresses strong attitudes of racial resentmentmore perfectly than the platform of either party. So far, at least, thats helped deliver to him a plurality of the vote in most Republican primaries.

An essay in the new National Review unloads on these voters, and their discontents. Kevin D. Williamson writes that they are clinging to the lie that they have been victimized by outside forces. They may be struggling to make it in the global economy, but what they really are shut out of is the traditional family. There is, he suggests, nothing wrong with the Rust Belt that a good dose of personal responsibility wont cure:

Nothing happened to them. There wasnt some awful disaster. There wasnt a war or a famine or a plague or a foreign occupation. Even the economic changes of the past few decades do very little to explain the dysfunction and negligenceand the incomprehensible maliceof poor white America. So the gypsum business in Garbutt aint what it used to be. There is more to life in the 21st century than wallboard and cheap sentimentality about how the Man closed the factories down. The truth about these dysfunctional, downscale communities is that they deserve to die. Economically, they are negative assets. Morally, they are indefensible. Forget all your cheap theatrical Bruce Springsteen crap. Forget your sanctimony about struggling Rust Belt factory towns and your conspiracy theories about the wily Orientals stealing our jobs. Forget your goddamned gypsum, and, if he has a problem with that, forget Ed Burke, too. The white American underclass is in thrall to a vicious, selfish culture whose main products are misery and used heroin needles. Donald Trumps speeches make them feel good. So does OxyContin. What they need isnt analgesics, literal or political. They need real opportunity, which means that they need real change, which means that they need U-Haul.

Its not just Williamson, either. His colleague David French quickly chimed in to add that, millions of Americans arent doing their best. Indeed, theyre barely trying.

Its easy to dismiss this as the sneering condescension of elite journalists. But Williamson has reported extensively from these communities, and been consistent in his advocacy of the politics of personal responsibility. Whatever the flaws in his language or evidence, his essay might also be read as an anguished, angry rebuke, offered because Williamson cares deeply about what hes seen, and not because he doesnt.

What the essay makes clear, though, is that the conservative movement is at the point of rupture. Williamson, and the magazine for which he writes, have had little patience for Trump and his politics of resentment. They speak for a conservatism grounded in principle, and are no longer shy about applying it even to loyal Republican voters.

But if copies of National Review find their way to Garbutt, they seem unlikely to persuade the locals of the errors of their ways. The essay calls the invocation of Burkean conservatism in defense of the faded industrial hamlet, an indulgence of absurd sentimentality; it points to the overall economic benefits of trade; and it blames health-care costs for the stagnation of wages.

This is not how Trump supporters see the world. Theyre strongly attached to their local communities, which have disproportionately borne the costs of free trade, even as its benefits are distributed more broadly and skew toward the top of the income scale. Williamson draws no line between handouts and social insurance, but that distinction is key to ethnocentric white voters, who are both more critical of welfare and more supportive of social insurance than the general public.

Those differences, whatever their merits, are deep-seated and real. Theyve been present for decadesthey fueled, for example, Pat Buchanans 1992 presidential campaignbut Trump has forced them out into the open in unprecedented fashion. Today, Republican primary voters in five states are headed to the polls, to take sides in that dispute. And whatever the outcome of todays voting, or of the nominating contest, it seems unlikely that they will easily be patched up again. Writers like Williamson are making it painfully clear how they feel about Trumps supporters, and neither Trump nor his fans have been shy about returning that favor.

The trouble is that when this election is done, Americans cant simply take Williamsons advicewe lack the luxury of packing up in a U-Haul and starting over somewhere else.

02:32 PM Clare ForanLink

It sure looks like the Florida primary could be Marco Rubio's last stand, but the senator is signaling that he'll stay in the race no matter what happens in his home state tonight. Tomorrow our plan is to be in Utah campaigning irrespective of tonight, Rubio told a Florida radio station on Tuesday in a clip unearthed by BuzzFeed.

Despite his show of confidence, though, Rubio openly admitted he may not win Florida. I can't guarantee a win today, he said, adding: We expect to win tonight. So how does he explain the fact that he's trailing Donald Trump in the polls? All these polls are out of control. They're crazy. They're way out of whack.

01:52 PM David A. GrahamLink

Butterfly ballot, meet ... whatever you call this. Republicans in Ohio are facing a ballot that asks them to vote for president twiceone for an at-large delegate, and one for a delegate in their district. As if that werent confusing enough, the pairing dates from when the Buckeye State divided its delegates up proportionally. Starting this year, however, Ohio is a winner-take-all state. But the state never changed a requirement that both be listed. (You can see the ballot here.)

As a result, only the at-large delegates will be counted. Why give people two options for president if one doesnt count? I dont get it, a conservative advocate complained to the AP. Beyond that, people are already voting in Ohio. When were they planning to tell people? Do the candidates even know about this? There are a lot of unanswered questions.

Its hard to disagree. (There are also several candidates who are no longer running but did not formally withdraw in time who are listed.) Who knows how this might affect voters. Someone who voted in district but not at-large would apparently have wasted a vote. Luckily, at-large is listed first. On Twitter, Trump fans are raising the alarm.

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, one poll worker pulled a gun on another during an argument at Louisa May Alcott Elementary. Jo March would not approve.

01:19 PM Vann R. Newkirk IILink

ThinkProgress cites an increase in provisional early primary voting in college towns as evidence that North Carolina's voter ID laws are indeed restricting access to the ballot. The law, which requires an in-state ID for any registered voter who has been in the state for 90 days or more, has a disproportionate impact on college students, many of whom have out-of-state IDs, and on those with no ID at all. The process for receiving a license or suitable ID carries with it a real time and money cost, and some students are being saved by the "reasonable impediment" rule, that states that voters can cast provisional ballots if they have met certain hardships that prevent receipt of a proper ID. The story of Ethelene Douglas, an 85-year-old black woman who had to go through a two-year gantlet in order to vote, showcases the difficulties.

This is important as even more restrictive voter registration and polling rules will be rolled out for the general election. And although turnout in the primaries is not a good predictor of turnout in general elections, the stories of students and of people like Douglas are key to understanding the true impact of voting laws in a world in which the Voting Rights Act is now relatively toothless.

12:36 PM Clare ForanLink

Following up on Nora's point about the importance of Ohio, the state could also be a test of Bernie Sanders's staying power in the Rust Belt. The Sanders campaign was elated after pulling off a major upset by wining the Michigan Democratic primary earlier in the month, and has pointed to the victory as proof that the Vermont Senator's anti-trade deal and populist economic message are resonating with voters. Today, Sanders has a chance to show that the Michigan upset wasn't a fluke. Polls show Sanders faces a steep climb in the Midwestern states of Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, but a strong showing in those contests would help bolster Sanders's pitch that his economic platform appeals to voters in the region.

11:28 AM Nora KellyLink

Ohio will decide today how easy Trump's path to the Republican convention might be. But the presidential primary isn't the only contest of consequence in the state. Ohio's voters will also be choosing a potential replacement for former House Speaker John Boehner, who left Congress in October after repeated battles with the more conservative members of his caucus. There are 15 Republicans running in the 8th District primary. The Cincinnati Enquirer has more on why this race matters: The GOP primary is crucial because Boehner's district, which includes Butler County, is deeply conservative and considered a safe seat for Republicans, which means the primary winner would be the favorite to win the general election this fall.

It may be a safe Republican seat, but that doesn't mean that Boehners would-be successors are embracing his record. Politico reports that the former speaker has hardly come up on the trail. And while he endorsed Kasich for president over the weekend, he hasn't weighed in on the candidates vying for his former seat.

10:19 AM Priscilla AlvarezLink

John Kasich, like many of his fellow Ohioans, is at the polls this morning. The Ohio governor officially cast his ballot in Genoa Township, Ohio. Kasich is in a tight race in the state. Should he emerge as the victor, itll give him momentum moving forward in the presidential primary. But if he loses, it might drive him out of the race.

John Kasich casts his vote in Genoa Township, Ohio pic.twitter.com/wZk50jdZpp  Thomas Kaplan (@thomaskaplan) March 15, 2016

10:00 AM David A. GrahamLink

Ben Carson is proving to be every bit as predictable and steady a surrogate for Donald Trump as he was a candidate for president. Which is to say: not especially.

In an interview with Newsmax, Carson tried to assure those nervous about Trump by pointing out its only a short commitment: Even if Donald Trump turns out not to be such a great president, which I don't think is the case, I think he's going to surround himself with really good people, but even if he didn't, we're only looking at four years as opposed to multiple generations and perhaps the loss of the American dream forever.

At another point in the interview, he told Steve Malzberg, Is there another scenario that I would have preferred? Yes. But that scenario isnt available. Malzberg asked, With one of the other candidates, you mean? Yeah, Carson replied.

As if these tepid endorsements werent bad enough, Carson said in the same interview that hed been tapped for a role in the prospective Trump administration:

Carson: I do believe, and certainly in my discussions with Donald Trump, he does love America and he does want to be successful. And, he will surround himself with very good people. Steve Malzberg: And will one of them be Dr. Ben Carson? Carson: I will be doing things as well, yes. Malzberg: In the administration. Carson: Uh, certainly in an advisory capacity. Malzberg: Thats been determined? Youve, when you sat down with him that was discussed? Carson: Yes.

Later, Carson added, We havent hammered out all the details  Im not going to reveal any details about it right now because all of this is still pretty liquid.

Advisory is an important, and opaque, word here. Does that mean some informal role? Or something paid? Its a violation of federal law to offer someone a job in exchange for a political endorsement:

Whoever, being a candidate, directly or indirectly promises or pledges the appointment, or the use of his influence or support for the appointment of any person to any public or private position or employment, for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

Carson previously said he was willing to be Trumps running mate if it helped Trump win. Asked about Carsons remarks, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign said: As stated by both Mr. Trump and Dr. Carson during Friday's press conference, no role had been promised or even discussed. Both only stated that Dr. Carson will be involved with the campaign going forward.

09:51 AM Nora KellyLink

The first results of the day are in: Donald Trump has "overwhelmingly" won the North Mariana Islands' GOP caucuses. The U.S. commonwealth, north of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, has nine delegates. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump was expected to win, since he won the endorsement of the commonwealth's governor late last week. Ted Cruz came in second place, with a particularly strong showing on the island of Tinian. A GOP leader in the territory told the WSJ that there was some confusion on Tinian about whether Mr. Cruz was related to a senator in the local legislature who has the same last name.

Hillary Clinton won the commonwealth's Democratic caucuses on Saturday, snagging four delegates to Bernie Sanderss two.

09:34 AM Yoni AppelbaumLink

My colleague Molly Ball went sorting through her enormous stack of spiral-bound notebooks, filled with campaign-trail reporting, to illustrate the profound sense of grievance that many Trump supporters are eager to share. At its root, she writes, is anger at perceived double standardsthat racial minorities are able to do things that white people are not:

Democrats wont renounce hate groups like Black Lives Matter, which are just as extreme on the other side as the Klan, Randy Lawson, a 48-year-old business owner in Moulton, Alabama, told me. The Black Panthers stood outside voting booths and turned people away and the administration didn't prosecute them, said Clayton Burns, who owns a timber company in Tifton, Georgia. For Barack Obama to side with the Black Panthers would be like my president siding with the KKK. The outspoken racial groups, the media doesn't ask Hillary or Bernie to disavow them.

John Kasichs political fortunes appear to be rising as swiftly as Marco Rubios are declining. Kasich is the sitting governor of Ohio, where his own popularity and a rebounding economy have helped him hold Donald Trump at bay. The two are tied in the polls, leaving the outcome of Tuesdays race very much in doubt. Meanwhile Rubio, the junior senator from Florida, trails far behind Donald Trump in his own home state. Unless he can pull off an improbable upset, the sun may set on his once-promising candidacy.

Both states feature winner-take-all primaries; the candidate with the most votes will walk away with all 66 delegates in Ohio, and all 99 in Florida. If Trump takes both contests, hell be on track to secure a clear majority before the Republican National Convention. If he loses either, that becomes substantially less likely. And if he loses both, it becomes all but impossible. Voters also head to the polls in Illinois, North Carolina, and Missouri.

The same five states are holding Democratic contests today. Bernie Sanders is looking to repeat his stunning upset in Michigan a week ago, where he made inroads with black voters and garnered support from blue-collar whites, adding those groups to his more typical coalition of very young and very liberal voters. His best shots are probably Illinois, where recent polls show him in a very tight race, and Ohio, where the margin is wider but narrowing. Clinton will count on running up enormous margins in the Southern contestsNorth Carolina, Missouri, and Floridato continue to widen her substantial lead in pledged delegates, even if one or both Midwestern states slip away.

The days voting kicked off in Florida, where polls opened at 7 a.m. Eastern. But these elections have actually been underway since February 17, when Ohio and Illinois opened precinct doors for early voting. By Monday evening, more than 400,000 ballots had been cast in Ohio, 710,260 in North Carolina, and over 2 million early and absentee votes returned in Florida. Those numbers reflect extraordinary interest in both races, but also a challenge for candidates like Kasich and Sanders whove enjoyed late surgesmany of the votes they need were cast before they hit the peak of their popularity.

Follow along with us throughout the day, as we bring you reports from the primaries and caucuses, and vote tallies as they become available. Read up on the race with our 2016 Distilled election dashboard, find out more about the candidates by using our 2016 Cheat Sheet.

Yoni Appelbaum

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By Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) - The trial of 92 suspected human traffickers, arrested after the discovery of shallow graves of migrants in Thai jungle, began in Bangkok on Tuesday and the attorney-general's office said it would be over within a year amid fears about the safety of witnesses. Traffickers abandoned boatloads of migrants at sea last year after a crackdown by Thai authorities that led to a regional migrant crisis with Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh refusing boats permission to land. Rights groups had expressed fears that a drawn-out case, lasting anything up to two years, could put the hundreds of witnesses at risk because of inadequate police protection. "The court is accelerating the case to finish within a year," said Prayuth Porsuttayaruk, deputy director-general of the human trafficking office at the Attorney-General's Office. Thailand remains on the lowest tier on the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report for not meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand at Human Rights Watch, welcomed a shorter trial but said the cases should not be rushed to impress the United States. "It will totally send the wrong message if the trial is being fast-tracked simply to impress the TIP report reviewers." The defendants, wearing beige prison uniforms, were brought to the packed court for the start of formal hearings. The investigation and arrests followed the discovery of 30 shallow graves at a trafficking camp near the Malaysian border. Many of the bodies were believed to be of Rohingya, a persecuted ethnic Muslim minority in majority Buddhist Myanmar. Weeks later, police revealed 139 graves had been found over the border in Malaysia. That led to a crackdown on the multi-million dollar trade which had until then flourished in Thailand's southern provinces and in Malaysia. The 92 suspected human traffickers include an army general, civilians and police. Rights groups have called on authorities to step up witness protection after some witnesses said they had been forced into hiding because of threats. Prayuth said the justice ministry was "looking after the witnesses", but did not say how many of the more than 400 witnesses were receiving police protection. Around 50 suspects were still at large, said Prayuth. Some had fled to neighbouring Myanmar. The United Nations and rights group say the number of migrants leaving Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat in past months has plummeted because of the Thai and Bangladeshi crackdowns on human smugglers. The number of people trying to flee was expected to be significantly lower this year, they said. (Additional reporting by Juarawee Kittisilpa; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Katy Migiro NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Malawi will reopen a former refugee camp to cope with an influx of around 250 Mozambicans a day fleeing political discord and worsening fighting between former civil war foes at home, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday. The drought-stricken southern African nation will struggle to provide for the new arrivals, as the 25,000 refugees already in Malawi have been receiving half rations of food aid since October due to funding shortages [nL8N15334C]. Almost 11,500 Mozambican refugees have crossed into Malawi since December, UNHCR said, most of them going to Kapise, a village five kilometres inside Malawi and some 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital, Lilongwe. "From around 130 people a day before late February we are now seeing around 250 people every day in Kapise," UNHCR spokesman Leo Dobbs told a Geneva briefing on Tuesday. "We need $1.8 million to meet immediate needs, but more will be needed to cope with the growing number of arrivals." Mozambicans who arrived earlier in the year spoke of having fled deadly attacks on their villages, he said, while more recent arrivals were fearful of clashes between the government and Renamo guerrillas. Renamo, Mozambique's main opposition group, has said it wants to take control of six northern provinces. Renamo fighters have attacked police outposts near the Malawi border, where they have public support, while government forces retaliate by torching villages where they believe rebels are hiding, security sources say [nL8N159160]. One million people died and a further million fled to Malawi during Mozambique's 1976 to 1992 civil war between Renamo, originally a guerrilla force backed by neighbouring white-minority powers and Frelimo, the communist movement which took power at independence in 1975 and remains the ruling party. Preparations are under way to reopen the former camp, Luwani, which closed in 2007. It is 65 kilometres from the border and has more space and better security than overcrowded Kapise, UNHCR said. The refugee influx is putting a strain on Malawi's stretched resources at a time when one of the worst droughts in its history is expected to plunge 2.8 million people into hunger. Aid funds are in short supply across southern Africa, where 14 million people need food aid as a result of the El Nino weather phenomenon. (Reporting by Katy Migiro, editing by Tim Pearce. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories.)
LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi on Monday burnt 2.6 tonnes of smuggled ivory confiscated in the northern town of Mzuzu near Tanzania in what was seen as a symbolic gesture in its fight against poaching. Conservationists say China's growing appetite for contraband ivory imports, which are turned into jewels and ornaments, has fuelled a surge in poaching in Africa. "This is a milestone for Malawi ... we will not allow this country to be exploited as a market of this illegal trade," said Bright Kumchedwa, director of Parks and Wildlife, referring to the cache of 718 pieces of ivory. "By burning the ivory, we want to demonstrate to the entire world that Malawi is committed to eradicating wildlife crime," Kumchedwa said in a telephone interview from Mzuzu, about 400 km (248 miles) from the capital Lilongwe. A court in Malawi earlier this month said the ivory stockpile worth $3 million could be destroyed. Tanzanian authorities had in September successfully won a court order in Mzuzu delaying the burning by three months but did not seek a further delay this time around, officials said. In seeking the delay, Tanzania had argued that the haul of tusks should be preserved as evidence against poachers. Malawian wildlife authorities say Malawi's elephant population has halved from 4,000 in the 1980s. The country still has an additional 4 tonnes of ivory that it says it plans to burn in the future. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by James Macharia/Jeremy Gaunt)
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Monday he will meet his Australian counterpart next week to discuss China's military buildup in the disputed South China Sea and hold talks with fellow claimants the Philippines and Vietnam. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. Beijing is feeling public pressure at home to show it can protect its claims to the waters after the United States began conducting "freedom of navigation" operations near islands where China has been carrying out controversial reclamation work and stationing advanced weapons. Hishammuddin said he would meet Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne to ensure efforts are made to "hold China to their promise of not placing military assets in the area". "If the reports we've received from various sources regarding the buildup and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true - this forces us in a pushback against China," Hishammuddin told reporters. In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China had no intention to militarize its outposts in the Spratly islands. The director of U.S. national intelligence James Clapper said in a letter in February that China's land reclamation and construction work on the islands had established infrastructure needed "to project military capabilities in the South China Sea beyond that which is required for point defense of its outposts". The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said last month it was "seriously concerned" over developments in the disputed waters, which includes recent missile and fighter jet deployments by China in the Paracel island chain. Hishammuddin said he would also meet with authorities in Vietnam and the Philippines as, if reports on China's military expansion were true, Malaysia "cannot act alone in stopping the aggressive actions". "We need the support of other ASEAN countries, and I will continue to (seek that support)," Hishammuddin said. "This is important for us to maintain balance, and to curb the actions by superpowers, whether it is China or the United States." (Story corrects title of U.S. government official in paragraph 7) (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Gwladys Fouche SKIEN, Norway (Reuters) - Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik claimed in court on Tuesday that Norway was violating his human rights by keeping him in isolation for murdering 77 people in 2011, but irritated the judge with a Nazi salute at the start of proceedings. Clean-shaven and wearing a black suit, white shirt and golden tie, Breivik raised his right arm in a flat-handed Nazi-style salute on arrival at the court, slightly different from the outstretched arm and clenched fist he used in 2012. His lawyer said Breivik considers himself a national socialist, or Nazi, and that the gesture was "the worst thing you can do in a courtroom". Breivik later suggested it was an old Norse gesture, he said. Judge Helen Andenaes Sekulic was not pleased either way. She told Breivik not to repeat the salute when court proceedings resume on Wednesday. Appearing in public for the first time since he was sentenced in 2012, Breivik is claiming inhuman treatment by Norway, where he is serving 21 years for killing eight people with a bomb in Oslo and gunning down 69 others on an island nearby, many of them teenagers. He has had just one visitor with whom he had physical contact - his mother, who was allowed into prison and gave him a hug shortly before she died of cancer in 2013. Breivik's lawyer, Oeystein Storrvik, accused Norway of violating a ban on "inhuman and degrading treatment" under the European Convention on Human Rights by keeping the 37-year-old isolated from other inmates in a special three-room cell. "There is no tradition in Norway for this type of isolation," he told the special court that will meet until Friday in a gymnasium at Skien jail about 100 km (60 miles) south of Oslo. Norway rejects the charges of inhuman treatment. "Breivik is a very dangerous man," said Marius Emberland, the lawyer representing the state, defending Breivik's conditions. He said Breivik had been given some opportunities for interaction with others, including meeting volunteers to play chess, but that he had declined. Another prisoner tried to attack Breivik last year, getting to within earshot. When stopped by guards, the man shouted: "You are a killer, a child killer ... And I love my country," Emberland said. Storrvik told Reuters he had advised Breivik against making the salute. "He (Breivik) says he is a national socialist," he said. "FULL-BLOODED NAZI" Oeystein Soerensen, a professor of history at Oslo University, said Breivik seemed to want to signal to like-minded fanatics "that he is now a full-blooded Nazi. He wasn't that in 2011." In 2011, for instance, a rambling manifesto written by Breivik expressed sympathy for Israel, seeing it as an ally in his hostility to Muslims. And Breivik's previous clenched fist was "a sort of home-made fascist salute," he said. Opinions are divided among the survivors and relatives of victims who have spoken out publicly. Some have said the lawsuit is a joke and do not want to be reminded of July 22, 2011, while one survivor said Breivik's human rights should be respected. "Breivik made us inhuman as victims of his actions and we're in danger of falling into the same trap as him if we take away his human rights," survivor Bjoern Ihler told Reuters in Oslo, at a court where the case was televised. Breivik killed eight people with a bomb in Oslo and gunned down 69 others on an island nearby, many of them teenagers. He is serving Norway's maximum sentence of 21 years, which can be extended. Breivik will have a chance to speak on Wednesday. The single judge - there is no jury - will issue a ruling in coming weeks. Storrvik says he may eventually appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if Breivik loses. Norway considered it too dangerous to hear the case in Oslo. The makeshift courtroom has walls lined with timber bars and a climbing frame as well as two basketball hoops. (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Skien,; Stine Jacobsen and Alister Doyle in Oslo, Writing by Alister Doyle, editing by Alistair Scrutton/Jeremy Gaunt)
By Kim Palmer

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A Mexican national living illegally in the United States has pleaded guilty to murdering and raping a woman during a July crime spree in order to avoid a possible death sentence, Ohio prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Juan Razo, 36, pleaded guilty on Monday to 16 criminal counts connected to a July 27 rampage that began when he attempted to rape his 14-year-old niece, who fought him off, and went on to rape and murder 60-year-old Margaret Kostelnik, who lived nearby, after breaking into her home, police said.

He fled the home and went on to shoot and wound a woman walking with her two children and later shot at county sheriff's deputies while they were trying to arrest him, police said.

He pleaded guilty to counts including aggravated murder, attempted murder, rape, attempted rape and kidnapping, Lake County Prosecutor Charles Coulson said.

Lake County Sheriff Daniel Dunlap said deputies first encountered Razo on July 7 and alerted federal authorities that he was in the country illegally, but no order to detain him for immigration purposes was issued and Razo was released, Dunlap said.

Razo is scheduled to be sentenced next month and faces a maximum term of life in prison without parole plus 107 years, Coulson said, adding, "He will die in an American prison."

Razo's plea comes at a time when Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has accused Mexico of sending rapists to the United States and vowed to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and to deport the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country if elected.

Two Boston brothers in August attacked a homeless Mexican man they found sleeping at a subway station, and told police "Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported." The pair have since been charged with hate crimes.

(Editing by Scott Malone and W Simon)
Caracas (AFP) - The bodies of 17 miners have been found in a mass grave in Venezuela, from among 28 missing after an armed attack, officials said Monday.

The bodies were found in a pit in the town of Tumeremo, in far southeastern Venezuela near the border with Brazil.

Family members say the miners failed to return home from their shifts on March 4, and reports soon emerged that they had been gunned down by attackers trying to take over their unlicensed small-scale gold mine.

"We have concluded the search for the missing people in Tumeremo with the discovery of 17 bodies," Attorney General Luisa Ortega wrote on Twitter late Monday.

Ortega earlier told TV network Globovision that four bodies had been found, and that a suspect had been detained. The toll rose as investigators dug in the site.

Ortega however said that officials were "almost certain" that there were 21 miners, not 28.

According to witnesses the bodies of the slain miners were cut into pieces and loaded onto trucks, said Carlos Chancellor, the head of Sifontes, the municipality that includes Tumeremo.

President Nicolas Maduro last week ordered the army into the remote area in southeastern Venezuela, calling the case "a possible massacre in a war between gangs."

Interior Minister Gustavo Gonzalez said authorities suspect the attack on the miners was ordered by an Ecuadoran man with ties to Colombian paramilitaries named Jamilton Andres Ulloa Suarez, alias "The Mole."

The remote area is known for armed criminal groups, and local officials have speculated one of them may have tried to take over the unlicensed mine by force.
By John Davison SAADNAYEL, Lebanon (Reuters) - U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie urged world powers on Tuesday to do more to end Syria's five-year war and help the millions who have fled the conflict, as she visited refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The war has killed 250,000 people, displaced half of Syria's population and created Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War Two. Talks on a political solution are underway in Geneva, but hopes of progress are modest. As a diplomatic solution eludes politicians, simply coping with the growing humanitarian crisis is not a viable alternative, Jolie said. "We cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and diplomatic solutions," she said at a muddy camp in Saadnayel, about 15 km (10 miles) from the Syrian border. Refugees gathered around, bracing against heavy rain and wind. "We need governments around the world to show leadership: to analyze the situation and understand exactly what their country can do, how many refugees they can assist and how." Highlighting the huge refugee influx into Syria's immediate neighbors, which have been hosting millions of refugees, she said the problem was not "confined to the situations of tens of thousands of refugees in Europe". Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon host the vast majority of the 4.8 million refugees created by the conflict. The one million registered refugees in Lebanon represent a quarter of the country's population. "The greatest pressure is still being felt in the Middle East and North Africa," Jolie said. European Union leaders, alarmed by an influx of 1 million refugees and migrants into the bloc of 500 million people, have sketched an accord with Turkey, that would grant Ankara more money to keep the 2.7 million Syrian refugees on its territory. The vast majority of Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, the United Nations says. Jolie, special envoy for UN refugee agency UNHCR, said 80 percent were in debt, after any savings they brought from Syria had run out. UNHCR says there are likely more than 60 million people forcibly displaced worldwide - one in every 122 people. Syria's conflict has also created 2.4 million child refugees, killed many and led to the increasing recruitment of children as fighters, children's fund UNICEF said in a report to mark the five-year anniversary. (Editing by Dominic Evans)
NIAMEY (Reuters) - Authorities in Niger will attempt to evacuate to a hospital in the capital jailed opposition leader Hama Amadou, who will face off against President Mahamadou Issoufou in a Sunday run-off election, due to health issues, a government official said late on Monday. Amadou, a former president of parliament speaker, was jailed in November in connection with a baby-trafficking scandal but finished second to Issoufou in the first round of polling last month. He denies the charges against him and says they are politically motivated. His supporters claim he has suffered from ill health during the time he has been jailed in the town of Filingue, around 180 km (112 miles) northeast of the capital Niamey. In the government's first admission that Amadou is ill, Dr. Idrissa Maiga Mahamadou, spokesman for the health ministry, said four specialists were sent to Filingue on Monday to assess his health. "No one is opposed to his evacuation. The specialists went there to stabilize him first, before considering evacuating him ... Once he is in a condition to travel, he will be evacuated," Mahamadou said, speaking on state television. He added that a helicopter was previously sent to Filingue to pick Amadou up on Friday but was unable to return due to a technical problem. The state of the road between Niamey and Filingue ruled out using a normal ambulance, Mahamadou said. Amadou's own doctor said earlier on Monday that the opposition leader had already lost consciousness once before being revived in the prison infirmary. A court is due to hear a new petition for his provisional release next Monday, the day after the run-off vote. President Issoufou took office in April 2011, a year after a popular coup overthrew the West African nation's previous leader Tandja Mamadou. He is working closely with Western nations, positioning himself as a key partner in the effort to boost security in the vast, arid Sahel region where Islamist militants are intensifying their insurgency. However, critics have accused him of becoming increasingly authoritarian and clamping down dissent, including among the opposition. (Reporting by Joe Bavier; Editing by Bernard Orr)
By Camillus Eboh ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's state oil company withheld 3.2 trillion naira ($16 billion) in revenues from the federal government in 2014, the auditor-general said on Monday, the same year that the central bank governor was suspended after making a similar assessment. Constitutionally, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) must hand over all oil revenue - which makes up about 70 percent of total income - and money is then paid back based on a budget approved by parliament. Samuel Ukura, who presented his findings in a report to lawmakers at the national assembly, said other government ministries and agencies had also failed to remit funds, taking the total not passed on to 3.3 trillion naira for 2014. No one at the NNPC could immediately be reached to comment or provide details of the amount remitted that year. According to the latest figures on OPEC's website, Nigeria's oil exports are worth about $77 billion a year. Development in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer and largest economy, has been stunted by decades of corruption and mismanagement. President Muhammadu Buhari took office last year on an anti-corruption ticket. Ukura's report stated that it was based on an "examination of NNPC mandates to CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) on Domestic Crude Oil Sales and Reconciliation Statement of Technical Sub-committee of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held in January 2014". "Amount not remitted to FAAC was N3,234,577,666,791.35," the auditor-general said in his report. In 2014, the then central bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, was suspended after accusing the NNPC of failing to pay $20 billion into government accounts between January 2012 and July 2013. (Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Miami (AFP) - Authorities in North Carolina have decided there is not enough evidence to charge Donald Trump with incitement after one of his supporters punched a protester in the face at a campaign rally there last week.

Police launched an investigation into whether the Republican frontrunner in the White House race could be charged with "inciting a riot" after a chaotic rally in the city of Fayetteville, where a white Trump supporter sucker-punched an African-American protester.

Critics say the billionaire businessman's inflammatory rhetoric and barely-veiled threats directed at protesters have been fueling an increasingly toxic atmosphere surrounding his rallies.

But law enforcement officials said the violence in Fayetteville could not be blamed on Trump.

"The evidence does not meet the requisites of the law... to support a conviction of the crime of inciting a riot," read a statement late Monday from the Cumberland County sheriff's department.

"Accordingly, we will not be seeking a warrant or indictment against Mr. Trump or his campaign for these offenses," read the statement, which comes after a few days of particularly violent clashes and protests at Trump events.

"While other aspects of our investigation are continuing, the investigation with regard to Mr. Trump and his campaign has been concluded, and no charges are anticipated."

Violence erupted at a Trump rally in Chicago Friday that was called off in the face of mass protests, marking a sharp escalation in the tensions trailing the bombastic candidate who has called Mexicans rapists and urged a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The Trump supporter who struck the protester, John McGraw, 78, has been charged with assault, battery and disorderly conduct.

McGraw, who later said that next time "we might have to kill him," is due in court on April 6.

Trump said over the weekend he had told his campaign to "look into" paying McGraw's legal fees, but sought to disown his comments on Tuesday.

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"I don't condone violence," Trump told ABC television.

"Nobody has asked me for fees and I haven't even seen it, so I never said I would."

The Republican frontrunner -- along with the other remaining Democratic and Republican presidential contenders -- faces another round of caucus and primary votes Tuesday which are expected to further pare down the field ahead of November's general election.

The so-called "Super Tuesday 2" voting is being held in the states of Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.
Donald Trump appears poised to run away with the Tar Heel State in the run-up to Tuesday's primaries, obliterating his closest GOP rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, by double-digit margins in all the latest polls.

The rout looks to be potentially even bigger on the Democratic side: The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Hillary Clinton with a near-insurmountable 24-point lead over rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Notably, the primary marks the first time North Carolinians will cast ballots under a set of new voter ID requirements.

Here's a guide to watching the results on Tuesday. Polls close at 7:30 p.m.

Democrats

North Carolina  the state where President Barack Obama accepted the party's 2012 nomination for re-election  will award 107 delegates, allocated proportionally.

With Sanders poised to possibly make some news in battleground Ohio and even Clinton's former home state of Illinois, North Carolina could provide the Clinton campaign a much-welcomed cushion in her quest for the nomination.

Clinton should also do well in the state given North Carolina's large African-American voting population. About 21% of the population is black, compared to 12.5% of the country as a whole, according to c data. Clinton walloped Sanders in the South Carolina primary, particularly among African-American voters who have been her strongest base of support thus far.

Republicans

The GOP has 72 delegates at stake Tuesday in North Carolina. These delegates will be rewarded proportionally, unlike delegates in Florida and Ohio, which hold winner-take-all contests on Tuesday.

Fayetteville, North Carolina, will be remembered in the annals of the topsy-turvy 2016 election as one of the places where Donald Trump rallies really got out of control.

Last week, video cameras captured the shocking image of a Trump supporter sucker-punching a black demonstrator who was being walked out of the Wednesday event.

The RealClearPolitics average show Trump up by about 12 points, followed by Cruz in second and with John Kasich and Marco Rubio barely on the map.
It was mid-March 1976 and Ronald Reagan had fewer primary wins than Marco Rubio, which is to say none at all. What the former California governor did have was more than $2 million in campaign debt and seven Republican governors  plus many unpaid members of his own staff  urging him to exit the race and get behind the GOP front-runner and incumbent president, Gerald Ford. The broke campaign, as the late Nancy Reagan recalled in her memoirs, had swapped its chartered jet for a leased yellow prop plane equipped with buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

So when the Flying Banana touched down at Raleigh-Durham, Reagans bold attempt to defeat a sitting president, and his very political career, looked pretty much dead on arrival. But the Gipper refused to quit, and thanks to a cadre of local operatives and some key strategic pivots, Reagan emerged victorious in North Carolina, launching a comeback that would carry him to the convention and within a hairs breadth of snatching the nomination from Ford.

Reagan was once a joke in the party that idolizes him today.

North Carolinas presidential primaries, to be held today, have rarely had much influence. Before being pulled up to March, it took place in May for more than two decades, usually long after the parties nominees have been chosen. And in 1976, Ronald Reagan didnt even expect the election to get as far as North Carolinas March 23 primary  he thought hed have it sewn up before that.

The GOP was a party in turmoil. After Watergate and Richard Nixons resignation in 1974, Republicans had been smoked in the congressional midterms, and after Ford, who had not been elected to the presidency or the vice presidency, pardoned Nixon, the situation looked particularly dire. And so Reagan and the growing legions of conservatives within the party who followed his regular newspaper columns and radio addresses, set out to win early in 1976 and establish up front that Ford was not a true or electable president. After Ford won a narrow victory in New Hampshire, and four other primaries, however, that strategy went out the window.

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It seems hard to imagine, but Reagan was once a joke in the party that idolizes him today. The GOP establishment despised him (Nixon called him a lightweight in internal memos), a candidate that if pushed from his talking points and scripts would fall to pieces. And it was a view that only hardened as Reagan continued to lose in 1976 and, like Rubio, had to go before the cameras time and again to say how delighted he was after not winning.

Things looked particularly grim going into North Carolina. The day before the primary, a New York Times headline even read Reagan Virtually Concedes Defeat in North Carolina. With pressure mounting and funds dwindling, an energized Reagan  fighting for his political life  changed course in North Carolina. And, as author Craig Shirley chronicles in Reagans Revolution, North Carolinas cantankerous and hugely popular Sen. Jesse Helms went to work barnstorming with Reagan, who finally ditched his ever-present index cards and started speaking directly to voters. A team of local operatives led by a savvy Raleigh lawyer named Tom Ellis mounted an all-out assault throughout the state: making phone calls, galvanizing volunteers, even compiling a list of likely primary voters  unheard of at the time  from court and country records. The nonprofit American Conservative Union came forward to fund newspaper and radio ads on Reagans behalf.

Perhaps more important, Ellis and his Tar Heel compatriots went rogue, ignoring headquarters, campaign manager John Sears and the resume-based campaign the D.C. professionals had been running in favor of pushing hot-button topics like national security threats from a growing communist menace and doubling down on Reagans claim that the Ford administration planned to turn the Panama Canal over to Panama. The North Carolinians, writes Shirley, were running the ideological holy war that Sears had wanted to avoid.

But it was working. And Reagan amped up his own rhetoric in turn  and started to find his voice  expressing concern about how much the U.S. was increasingly outmanned and outgunned by the Soviet Union. We are Number Two, Reagan argued, in a world where its dangerous, if not fatal, to be second best. And, having trailed in the polls as a distant second best himself, Reagan soared to a convincing seven-point victory in North Carolina  and there was ice cream and plastic glasses of Champagne aboard the campaign plane that night. From his triumph, Shirley tells OZY, Reagan had learned an indelible lesson: that the campaign was about him and his message to voters, not the received wisdom of consultants and pollsters.

The surprise victory raised Reagans stature nationally, and propelled him to a series of wins in states like Texas, Georgia and Alabama  12 victories in all and more than 1,000 delegates. Reagan would go down to Ford at the convention in August, but, thanks to North Carolina, his political future was now viable, even if his revolution would have to wait another four years.

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By Jack Kim and James Pearson SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would soon test a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, North Korea's KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday, in what would be a direct violation of U.N. resolutions that have the backing of Pyongyang's chief ally, China. Kim made the comments as he supervised what KCNA said was a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the "thermodynamic structural stability of newly developed heat-resisting materials". "Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he (Kim) instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," the agency said. South Korea's defense ministry said there were no indications of activities at the North's nuclear test site or its long-range rocket station, but that North Korea continued to maintain readiness to conduct nuclear tests. The North Korean report comes amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula after the announcement of new U.N. sanctions on North Korea and as South Korean and U.S. troops stage their largest ever annual joint military exercises. South Korean President Park Geun-hye said North Korea would lead itself to self-destruction if it continued its confrontation with the international community. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook condemned the North Korean rhetoric, while questioning Pyongyang's technological claims. We have not seen North Korea demonstrate capability to miniaturize a nuclear weapon, and again, put it on a ballistic missile, he told a news briefing. China, which has been North Korea's main ally but backed the tougher U.N. sanctions, urged caution and called for all sides to avoid actions that would exacerbate tensions. But in a sign of Beijing's frustration with Pyongyang, China's state news agency Xinhua said that the South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers had discussed the sanctions by telephone late on Monday and agreed on the importance of implementing them "in a complete and comprehensive manner". South Korea's defense ministry said that despite the KCNA report, it did not believe North Korea had acquired the re-entry technology needed to prevent ballistic missiles burning up when they reenter the earth's atmosphere. NORTH KOREAN TESTS In the apparent re-entry simulation, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party showed pictures of a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine being blasted with flaming exhaust. In separate images, Kim observed the object described by KCNA as a warhead tip. North Korea has issued belligerent statements almost daily since coming under a new U.N. sanctions resolution this month after it carried out its fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket last month. Nuclear proliferation expert Jeffrey Lewis of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies said it would be a "terrible" worry if North Korea was seeking to emulate U.S. and Chinese tests in 1962 and 1966 respectively that launched ballistic missiles with live warheads. "For now, though, it looks like a nuclear test and several missile tests in close succession," he said. Kim said last week his country had miniaturized a nuclear warhead. North Korea also claims that its January nuclear test was of a hydrogen bomb, although most experts said the blast was too small for it to have been from a full-fledged hydrogen bomb. North Korea rejects criticism of its nuclear and missile programmers, even from China, saying it has a sovereign right to defend itself from threats. The U.N. Security Council resolution sharply expanded existing sanctions by requiring member states to inspect all cargo to and from North Korea and banning North Korea's trade of coal when it is seen as funding its arms programs. (Additional reporting by Ju-min Park in Seoul, John Ruwitch in Shanghai, Megha Rajagopalan in Beijing and David Brunnstrom and Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Nick Macfie and James Dalgleish)
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump may not be happy about it, but there will be at least one and possibly two more Republican presidential primary debates, with the next one scheduled a week from today in Salt Lake City. What Trump will like even less is who is hosting it: Fox News Channel.

Trumps relationship with Fox News has been strained at best ever since his first debate appearance in August sparked a feud with the network in general and with host Megyn Kelly in particular. Trump boycotted the next Fox News debate, protesting Kellys presence as a moderator, though he returned for a third Fox debate later in the campaign.

Related: How the Republican Plan to Trap Trump Has Backfired

In a press release, Fox News said Monday that Kelly, along with Fox hosts Chris Wallace and Brett Baier, would return as debate moderators.

Last week, after Trumps strong performance in primary elections in Michigan and Mississippi, he held a press conference in which he speculated that it might be time to call off the debates altogether.

When a reporter asked him about the upcoming debate, he seemed to genuinely not realize it was on the schedule. I didnt know there was a next debate. No? They have yet another? he said.

No, to be honest with you I think its time to end the debates. He added, I think weve had enough debates. How many times do you have to give the same answer to the same questions?

Related: The GOPs Last, Best Hope to Stop Trump?

Whether Trump will attend  and who else will be on stage if he does  may well hinge on the results of tomorrows primary elections in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Trump now looks all but sure to capture Florida, which would almost certainly drive Florida Sen. Marco Rubio out of the race. If the billionaire were able to take Ohio as well, that would force Ohio Gov. John Kasich out, too. If Trump turns in a dominant performance in the other states that vote tomorrow, he may feel emboldened to skip the debate, arguing as he has that they are more about the television networks raking in advertising dollars than about informing the voters.

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However, if Texas Sen. Ted Cruz performs well tomorrow, and particularly if Rubio and Kasich are forced out, it will make a reality of what Cruz has been claiming for weeks: that this is really a two-man race between him and Trump. Under those circumstances, it would be difficult for Trump to back out of the debate without appearing to be afraid to face Cruz in a one-on-one setting.

If the debate does indeed take place, it will begin at 9 p.m. ET on March 21, broadcast live from the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he was dismayed about violence and divisiveness on the U.S. presidential campaign trail and, in a reference to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, called on leaders to clean up the tone of the race. "We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, at Americans who don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do," Obama said during an event on Capitol Hill. "We've seen misguided attempts to shut down that speech. However offensive it may be, we live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those attempts, we've seen actual violence. And we've heard silence from too many of our leaders." Obama spoke as Americans in five states - Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina - voted in the latest round of primaries to select the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates for the November election. Trump has drawn wide criticism, including from within the Republican establishment, for a campaign that has included calling Mexican immigrants rapists and proposing a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. There have been some clashes in recent days at his rallies between his supporters and protesters. Trump, a New York real estate magnate, has dismissed accusations that he has fueled the violent atmosphere. Obama said this year's campaign cycle was not an accurate reflection of the United States. "It has to stop," the Democratic president said, describing the atmosphere of the campaign as "vicious," and adding that the behavior "can undermine our democracy, our society and even our economy." Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, told reporters that Trump had called him on Tuesday. I took the opportunity to recommend to him that no matter who may be triggering these violent expressions or conflicts that weve seen in some of these rallies, it might be a good idea to condemn that and discourage it, McConnell said. He declined to comment on Trump's response. U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich are challenging Trump for the nomination. "I suspect that all of us can recall some intemperate words that we regret. Certainly I can," Obama said. "And while some may be more to blame than others for the current climate, all of us are responsible for reversing it." (Reporting by Timothy Gardner, Jeff Mason and David Morgan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Frances Kerry)
Beirut (AFP) - A fierce, battle-hardened warlord with roots in Georgia and a thick red beard, Omar al-Shishani was one of the most notorious faces of the Islamic State jihadist group.

On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that Shishani -- whose real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili -- died after being wounded in a US-led coalition strike in northeastern Syria earlier this month.

US officials previously said Shishani "likely died" in the strike, but reports surfaced that he had survived.

On Monday, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP the US military now believed "he subsequently died of his injuries" following the strike.

Shishani, whose nom de guerre means Omar the Chechen, was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington which put a $5 million bounty on his head.

US officials had branded Shishani the "equivalent of the secretary of defence" for the jihadist group.

Shishani came from the ex-Soviet state of Georgia's Pankisi Gorge region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Chechens.

He fought as a Chechen rebel against Russian forces before joining the Georgian military in 2006, and fought Russian forces again in Georgia in 2008.

He resurfaced in northern Syria in 2012 as the leader of a battalion of foreign fighters, said Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, research fellow at the Middle East Forum, a US think-tank.

As early as May 2013, when IS was just emerging in Syria, he was appointed the group's military commander for the north of the country, Tamimi said.

While Shishani's exact rank was unclear, Richard Barrett of the US-based Soufan Group described him as IS's "most senior military commander", adding that he had been in charge of key battles.

"He is clearly a very capable commander and has the loyalty of Chechen fighters who are considered by ISIS as elite troops," Barrett told AFP, using another acronym for IS.

Shishani was not however a member of IS's political leadership, a structure that is even murkier than its military command.

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- Born to Christian father -

A profile of Shishani written by an IS supporter and posted online described him as "one of the best strategic and tactical leaders".

He was born in 1986 to a Christian father and a Muslim mother, according to the text, which claims he "never lost any of his battles".

In an indication of Shishani's popularity among jihadist sympathisers, the text describes him as "the new Khalid Ibn al-Walid" -- a reference to a leader from the early days of Islam who played a crucial role in spreading the nascent religion in Syria and Iraq.

Observers, however, downplayed Shishani's importance.

"He was a fierce fighter," according to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian conflict.

"He would be sent to frontlines across IS-held territory," he said.

Still, Abdel Rahman said the impact of Shishani's death would be minimal.

"It won't have an actual impact on the battlefield. There are many other leaders," he said.

"IS chooses which faces to make known in the media -- while it conceals the real leaders."
By Natalie Grover (Reuters) - Orexigen Therapeutics Inc bought the U.S. rights to its flagship obesity drug from co-developer Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd and said it would enlist Valeant Pharmaceutical International Inc to sell the pill in Europe. The company, which holds the rights to the drug outside the United States, said on Tuesday it would pay Takeda $60 million. Orexigen and Takeda developed the drug, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 and sold in the United States as Contrave. However, the relationship soured last year after an unauthorized release of trial data by Orexigen led to the termination of a heart-risk study of the drug. [nL3N0Y380G] Japan's Takeda launched a formal dispute process in May, seeking, among other things, that Orexigen fund the entire cost of a new cardiovascular study. But the two companies in August said they had resolved their disputes and realigned their partnership. The deal is expected to close later this month but Takeda will continue to sell the drug during a six-month transition period, Orexigen said. [nPnc4vC4d] [nPnb7m3Fh] "While it's true that Orexigen will have to take over the expense of commercialization, we will switch from earning 20 percent of net sales to 100 percent of net sales", company executives said on a conference call. The obesity drug market in the United States is yet to realize its potential, despite one in three Americans suffering from the disease. Limited effectiveness of existing drugs, reimbursement hurdles, bungled launches and the perception of obesity as a 'lifestyle' disease have all weighed, experts say. Since its launch in October 2014, Contrave prescriptions have steadily increased but declined in the fourth quarter from the preceding. Still, the drug holds the largest share - 41 percent - of the branded obesity drug market in the United States as of January 2016, the company said, citing IMS Health data. The drug competes with Vivus Inc's Qsymia, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's Belviq and Novo Nordisk A/S's Saxenda. Valeant will market the drug, sold as Mysimba in the European Union, in 12 EU countries where it has been approved and seek marketing authorization in several non-EU countries, Orexigen said. Orexigen said on Tuesday it expects to sign more partnership deals to commercialize the drug this year. The La Jolla, California-based company's shares were down 10 percent in morning trading amid a broader rout in biotechnology stocks, reversing from a 30 percent jump premarket. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Sriraj Kalluvila)
By Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - An all-parties conference convened by Pakistan's oldest Islamic political party and attended by powerful religious groups asked the government on Tuesday to retract an "un-Islamic" law that gives unprecedented protection to female victims of violence. The Women's Protection Act, passed by Pakistan's largest province of Punjab last month, gives legal protection to women from domestic, psychological and sexual violence. It also calls for the creation of a toll-free abuse reporting hot line, women's shelters and district-level panels to investigate reports of abuse and mandates the use of GPS bracelets to keep track of offenders. Domestic abuse, economic discrimination and acid attacks made Pakistan the world's third most dangerous country in the world for women, a 2011 Thomson Reuters Foundation expert poll showed. But since the law's passage, many conservative clerics and religious leaders have denounced it as being in conflict with the Muslim holy book, the Koran, and the constitution. On Tuesday, representatives of more than 35 religious parties and groups came together for a conference called by the Jamaat-e-Islami party and condemned the women's protection law as un-Islamic. "The controversial law to protect women was promulgated to accomplish the West's agenda to destroy the family system in Pakistan," read the joint declaration issued at the end of the concrescence. "This act ... is redundant and would add to the miseries of women." The passage of the new law was welcomed by rights groups but spirits have since dampened as conservative voices have increasingly called for its retraction. On Monday, Fazlur Rehman, the chief of one of Pakistan's largest religious parties, the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had promised him at a meeting that he would address the reservations of religious parties. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif heard our reservations against the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2016. He promised to amend the law so that it doesnt contravene the teachings of the holy Koran, Maulana Fazl told journalists at his residence. Earlier this month, the Council of Islamic Ideology, a powerful Pakistani religious body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam, declared the Womens Protection Act un-Islamic. A prominent lawyer has also filed a petition in the top sharia court asking it to strike down the law. (Writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Ten years ago, our daughter Penny was born. She came into the world with a shock of black hair, piercing blue eyes, and, within hours, a diagnosis of Down syndrome.

We learned the biology quickly: Down syndrome is the popular name for trisomy 21, the presence of three copies of the 21st chromosome instead of the typical two. When she was only a few hours old, the doctors told us she would experience some health problems and cognitive delays. The range of those problems was unpredictable.

Would you take away the Down syndrome if you could? I asked myself, and my husband, regularly. At first, the answer seemed obvious. What mother wouldnt make life easier for her child? What father wouldnt want his daughters life free of obstacles and challenges? Then we started to get to know Pennyher thoughtfulness and humor, her love for books and cheeseburgers, her delight in climbing rocks and holding hands. We started to consider how changing her chromosomal makeup would change her, and as time went on, what had once been an obvious question became more complicated. Eventually, it seemed irrelevant.

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Now Penny is 10, and I recently encountered that question once more, when I read about a new study in the journal Neuron explaining some of the structural distinctions in the brains of people with trisomy 21. Researchers took 15 postmortem brains of people with Down syndrome from across the life spanfrom fetus to toddler to adolescent to adultand paired each one with a brain from a typically developing patient. Comparing each brain to its partner, they found that the brains of people with Down syndrome had an overall reduction in the density of myelinated fibers. Myelin is the white substance that coats axons, the spokes than connect neurons to one another. A reduction in myelin has been linked to a variety of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome, among others.

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What was once a parlor gamewould you take away the Down syndrome?may one day be a reality.

And a few drugs related to myelin production are already in clinical trials, which means that what was once a parlor gamewould you take away the Down syndrome?may one day be a reality for parents like us. If and when drugs are developed that reverse myelin loss specifically in people with Down syndrome, well join the many other parents of children with brain differences who face similar quandaries. Theres the ongoing debate within the autism community, for example, over whether autism is a brain disorder or a mark of neurodiversity that ought to be celebrated. Theres the back-and-forth of parents and educators over whether to medicate children with ADHD. And theres the rise in use of anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants among children.

In all of these areas, parents face a series of questions about our responsibility in caring for and shaping our children: Are we forming them into the people they want to be, or asking them to conform to a narrow social notion of who they ought to be?

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In my first year as a mother, I threw myself into the technical and philosophical literature about disability, eventually encountering the phrase social construction of disability. I didnt understand the concept at first. Disability seemed to me a simple marker of biology. But in books like Michael Berubes Life as We Know It, a memoir by a father who is raising a son with Down syndrome, I started to see that disability was not as fixed as I had assumed. Without eyeglasses, for example, many more people in our population would be considered disabledthe common challenge of compromised vision has led to technology that enables people to see, even when their biology prevents them from doing so. Similarly, technology has enabled people with prosthetic limbs to walk and climb and run and dance. And for kids like Penny, who have trouble learning math concepts, the problems can be overcome with different teaching approaches. Much of what typical people call disability could just as easily be called difference that society is unwilling to accommodate.

Would we change Pennys personality if we offered her medication to change her brain?

Many individuals with intellectual disabilities once fell so far outside the mainstream of society that they literally lived apart from everyone else. As recently as the 1970s, babies with Down syndrome were routinely sent to institutions shortly after birth. Now they receive early intervention through therapy and support at home. Similarly, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 mandated inclusion in public schools for almost all individuals with disabilities, many of whom had been excluded before. Though plenty of progress is still needed, social changes have alleviated much of the suffering and exclusion experienced by people with intellectual disabilities like Down syndrome.

Still, some of the suffering experienced by people with disabilities does not fit so easily into a social-construction model. To give a mundane example: When Penny was 5 months old, we discovered she had hearing loss as a result of fluid in her ears. She was unable to hear and therefore unable to learn how to communicate; she was also in pain from the pressure of all that fluid in her head. We intervened with ear tubes.

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But isolated incidents aside, does her intellectual disability cause her to suffer? And if it does, would neurological enhancement help alleviate her suffering? Or does it stem not from the impairment itself, but from the fact that people have excluded her for not thinking the same way they do? Whats more, intervening with the brain skirts close to intervening with the self. Would we change Pennys personality if we offered her medication to change her brain?

When I spoke with Tarik Haydar, an associate professor of neurobiology at Boston University and one of the co-authors of the Neuron study, about his research, he acknowledged my concerns. I just want to provide an option, he said. I want to develop something that provides families and people with Down syndrome with the ability to make a decision about whether they want to improve cognition for more independence. I cant say Im opposed to having the choice. I just hope it comes alongside a recognition of the many options already available to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

I am not certain that Penny needs medical interventions to improve her cognition, but I know she needs a social context that welcomes her.

Last week, Penny came home from school with a new chapter book. We sat on the couch and took turns reading pages out loud from Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. The story centers around a sixth-grade girl named Ally who has struggled all her life to learn how to read, and has to fend off the taunts of her classmates. It turns out Ally has dyslexia. Under the watchful eye of a new teacher, and through an alliance with some new friends who are also outside the social norm, she begins to recognize not only the way in which her brain doesnt work, but also the gifts she has to offer due to her unusual way of seeing the world. In the midst of this recognition, her teacher says, If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that its stupid.

Allys story, and Pennys story, dont negate the significance of these new neurological findings, or the fact that drug interventions for cognition will come as good news for some people with Down syndrome. I am not certain that Penny needs medical interventions to improve her cognition, but I know she needs a social context that welcomes her. I also dont know if any drugs for cognition will become available in Pennys adolescence, and I dont know whether we would offer them to her. I do know that in the meantime, as the parents of a daughter who sees the world differently, we will continue to challenge ourselves to expand our definition of who belongs.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Ian Graham BELFAST (Reuters) - A prison officer who was seriously injured in a car bombing in Northern Ireland earlier this month that was claimed by militant nationalists has died, Northern Ireland's Prison Service said on Tuesday. Adrian Ismay, 52, underwent surgery after the bomb went off shortly after he started driving away from his home in Belfast on March 4. He died in hospital on Tuesday morning, police said. "Adrian Ismay gave over 28 years of service to prisons in Northern Ireland and he was greatly respected by all those who knew him," Northern Ireland Prison Service Director General Sue McAllister said in a statement. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a militant group opposed to the 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland between Protestants, who want to remain under British rule, and Catholics favoring unification with Ireland. A 45-year-old man was charged on Saturday with the attempted murder of the father-of-three. Police said on Tuesday that they were working to establish the exact cause of his death. Police have warned that there is a "severe" threat to security forces as the centenary approaches later this month of the 1916 anti-British Easter Rising, the most dramatic chapter of Ireland's independence struggle. Security has been stepped up across the province. On Friday, a senior police officer said further attacks had been foiled since the car bomb. The prison officer's death is the first fatal attack since 2012 when a prison officer was killed in a motorway shooting blamed on militant nationalists. The recent attack was condemned by politicians on both sides of the historical divide. "I'm devastated. Can't believe the news," Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster said on Twitter on Tuesday, adding that she had texted Ismay before leaving on a trade mission to the United States this week and that he had been doing well. (Additional eporting by Padraic Halpin in Dublin Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
London (AFP) - A prison officer injured when a bomb exploded under the van he was driving in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast earlier this month died on Tuesday, the province's Prison Service said.

"Adrian Ismay gave over 28 years of service to prisons in Northern Ireland and he was greatly respected by all those who knew him," Justice Minister David Ford and Prison Service director-general Sue McAllister said in a statement.

Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster tweeted that she was "devastated".

The BBC and Sky News reported that the father-of-three had died after being rushed back to hospital.

Police had initially said his injuries were "not life-threatening"

The BBC reported that he was rushed to hospital on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack, and that police were awaiting medical evidence before deciding whether to treat the death as murder.

A dissident republican group calling itself the New IRA claimed responsibility for the attack, saying he was targeted for training prison officers at Maghaberry prison near Belfast, which houses republican prisoners.

The province's police force has since warned that militants were planning to mark the 100th anniversary of Ireland's Easter Rising against British rule with attacks on police and army targets in Northern Ireland.

Stephen Martin, a senior officer in Northern Ireland's police force said he was "very worried" about the threat ahead of the commemoration on March 27 of the revolt that paved the way for Ireland's independence.

Some 3,500 people were killed during a mostly sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted more than three decades.

Much of the violence was brought to an end by the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement that created a power-sharing coalition in the province.
Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) - Milos Raonic, who already has one ATP title in 2016, advanced into the fourth round at Indian Wells on Monday when Australian Bernard Tomic retired with a wrist injury.

Raonic is trying to improve on his best performance in Indian Wells when he reached the semi-finals last year where he lost to Swiss star Roger Federer.

The 25-year-old Canadian was up 3-0 in the second set in the third round tie, after cruising through the first at 6-2, when Tomic called it quits.

World No. 14 Raonic blasted nine aces and won 91 percent of his first serve points in 36 minutes on the court. It took him just 25 minutes to win the first set.

His quarter-final win over 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal last year at Indian Wells was voted one of the best matches of 2015.

Raonic claimed his eighth career singles title by winning in Brisbane earlier this year.

In women's action Monday, Czech Karolina Plishkova subdued former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-0.

Ivanovic was making her 11th appearance in Indian Wells, winning the title in 2008.

In other early matches, Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova beat seventh seeded Belinda Bencic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, and Johanna Konta defeated Denisa Allertova 6-4, 6-1.
By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry introduced a second batch of legislative proposals on Tuesday aimed at speeding up how the Pentagon buys weapons and making it easier for firms to retain their intellectual property. Thornberry's legislation follows an initial batch of reforms enacted last year with the 2016 annual defense policy bill, and continues efforts to make weapons programs more transparent. The proposals are aimed at simplifying the convoluted U.S. Defense Department acquisition process, with a big push to fund more experimentation and prototyping of new weapons, while driving to get new technologies into the hands of troops faster. Many big weapons programs are over budget and behind schedule, although Pentagon officials say changes undertaken since 2009 are starting to have a positive impact. The new legislation aims to shorten the time it takes from the start of the design phase of a new program until a military service can start using a new weapon in combat to five-to-six years from around nine year currently, the staff said. The bill requires all weapons systems to have "open systems architectures" that will allow the services to hold competitions for more components, and carry out quicker upgrades as new technologies are developed. It authorizes the Air Force, Army and other military services to use certain funding to pay for prototype upgrades of components and to develop technology faster. The bill also seeks to end a controversy about how the Pentagon treats private companies' intellectual property that has made non-traditional suppliers reluctant to do business with the U.S. military and its complex defense acquisition rules. Instead of automatically giving the government broad rights to control intellectual property rights that are jointly funded by industry and government, the bill would mandate that such arrangements would have to be negotiated between the parties. The legislation would also continue a push to make the military services more responsible and accountable for weapons programs, requiring them to begin overseeing milestone decisions for joint programs after Oct. 1, 2019. The bill also requires the secretary of defense, or his staff, to fix the costs and expected fielding date for new weapons programs, and then hold the services accountable for meeting those targets. To ensure more transparency, the bill also calls for creation of an acquisition scorecard that would compare program cost estimates with those submitted by independent estimators. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Paul Tait)
The European Fine Art Fair, or TEFAF, is on now in the Netherlands. This key diary date for art dealers the world over is also eagerly awaited by the public, keen to feast their eyes on the exceptional works on sale and on show at this year's event. Here's a look at some of the highlights from the 2016 edition.

This selective art fair has picked 269 exhibitors from 20 different countries to show their collections at the 29th TEFAF. The most prestigious specialists in fields from classical antiquities to design, and from paintings to manuscripts, will be in Maastricht from March 11 to 20, 2016, showing exceptional works to professional dealers and wealthy collectors. Plus, art fans and curious spectators will be flocking to Maastricht to see a long-lost painting by the Dutch artist, Rembrandt.

Stars of the show: Rembrandt and Beuys

The most highly anticipated painting at TEFAF 2016 is the recently discovered "The Fainted Patient (smell)" by Rembrandt, bought at a 2015 auction as an addition to the Leiden Collection in New York. Presented by the Talabardon & Gautier gallery, this oil-on-panel painting dates from 1624 and is one of the Dutch painter's earliest works. Rembrandt created more excitement in the art world six months ago when the artist's portraits of Soolmans and Coppit were sold by the Rothschild family to France and the Netherlands.

TEFAF has invited Mark Kremer, an Amsterdam-based independent curator and writer, to curate an exhibition at the 2016 event. Entitled, "Show Your Wound," it makes reference to a sculpture presented by German artist Joseph Beuys 40 years ago in an underground passageway in Munich. In an homage to Beuys, often considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, the exhibition spreads over seven galleries and showcases the work of artists exploring the themes of death, decay and trauma.

A key highlight for visitors is the TEFAF showcase, which sees recently established galleries invited to take part in the Maastricht event. In addition, this year has seen new galleries like Pearl Lam, Buchmann and Waddington Custot picked to join the event, increasing the presence of contemporary art at TEFAF. Another must-see at this year's fair can be found in the TEFAF Design sector, where two deck chairs by the Danish furniture maker Hans Wegner -- "the king of chairs" -- are presented by the Dansk Mobelkunst gallery.

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A showcase for collectors

TEFAF is a unique opportunity for collectors to showcase rare and precious collections, built up by passionate enthusiasts over several years. Curiosities this year include 18 seated figures from the Baule tribe in the Central Ivory Coast, shown by the collector Bernard de Grunne, as well as a set of 12 royal candlesticks with hallmarks of Berlin and Potsdam from Helga Matzke's collection.

There's no need to be an expert of the art world to enjoy TEFAF, as visitors can simply admire the finest decorative objects currently on the market. Popular pieces this year include an Egyptian lug-handled jar decorated with flamingoes -- one of the oldest works on show at TEFAF 2016, dating from the predynastic period (3500-3300 B.C.). Jewelry is a hit with the public too, such as a necklace made by 19th-century Roman jeweler Fortunato Pio Castellani, presented by Alessandra di Castro.

Attracting over 75,000 visitors in 2015, the 2016 edition of The European Fine Art Fair looks set to confirm the event's influential status in the world of art and antiques.
Robert Horton, who played frontier scout Flint McCullough on the long-running TV Western Wagon Train, has died. He was 91.

Horton, who also starred as the title character in another TV Western, A Man Called Shenandoah, died March 9 in Los Angeles. His niece, Joan Evans, told The New York Times that her uncle had been injured in a fall in November.

The handsome actor starred on Wagon Train from the start of the series in September 1957 through the end of its fifth season in June 1962, when he quit the show. The very popular Wagon Train  about a trek from Missouri to California  aired on NBC while he was there, then shifted to ABC for its final three seasons.

Soon after he departed, Horton starred on Broadway as the charismatic con man Bill Starbuck in 110 in the Shade, a musical adaptation of the 1956 film The Rainmaker (his part was made famous by Burt Lancaster in the movie). The production ran for more than 300 performances through summer 1964.

On ABCs A Man Called Shenandoah, which lasted just a season (1965-66), Horton played a cowboy in the 1870s who develops amnesia after hes shot and left for dead. He also performed the theme song.

A Los Angeles native who graduated from the University of California, Horton made his Broadway debut in the 1943 comedy Slightly Married. His first movie role came in Lewis Milestones A Walk in the Sun (1945), and he later appeared in such films as Bright Road (1953), Men of the Fighting Lady (1954) and the Japanese sci-fi cult favorite The Green Slime (1968).

His TV resume includes The Lone Ranger, The Millionaire, Kings Row, The Sheriff of Cochise, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Police Woman, Murder, She Wrote and the daytime soap opera As the World Turns.

Survivors also include his wife, Marilynn, whom he married in 1960.

See More: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016
Moscow (AFP) - Russia began withdrawing its forces from Syria on Tuesday, a move hailed as a potentially "positive step" for a new round of UN-backed peace talks seeking to end the conflict.

Warplanes at Moscow's Hmeimim air base in Syria were being loaded with military equipment and prepared to fly back to Russia, the defence minister announced, after President Vladimir Putin said their military goal had been "on the whole" completed.

Putin had on Monday ordered the withdrawal of "the main part" of Russia's forces after talks with long-standing ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The surprise move won backing from Angola's Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who holds the Security Council's rotating presidency this month.

"The decision just announced today by the Russian president -- that's a positive step," he said. "That's what we like to see."

But hopes for a breakthrough at the Geneva talks remained remote with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over Assad's future.

As the talks enter its second day, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was expected to hold his first official meeting with the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), who have repeatedly said that Assad could not be part of Syria's political future.

But the withdrawal of the Russian troops -- which began airstrikes in support of the regime in September, sparking condemnation from Western powers -- is expected to put more pressure on Assad to negotiate during the Geneva talks.

"If the announcement of a withdrawal of Russian troops materialises, this increases the pressure on President Assad to finally negotiate in a serious way in Geneva a political transition which maintains the stability of the Syrian state and the interests of all populations," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin also said the Kremlin's move would boost chances of a diplomatic solution to the conflict now in its sixth year that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

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The White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to Putin following Russia's announcement, and discussed the "next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities".

But US officials offered a more cautious initial assessment of the Kremlin's decision.

"At this point, we are going to see how things play out over the next few days," a senior administration official told AFP.

- Ceasefire holding -

Russia began its airstrikes in support of Assad's forces in September, a move that helped shore up the regime's crumbling forces and allow them to go on the offensive.

Russia sent more than 50 warplanes to carry out thousands of strikes across Syria arguing that it was targeting "terrorist" groups including Islamic State jihadists.

The intervention was slammed by the West and its regional allies, who insisted that Moscow was mainly bombing more moderate rebels fighting Assad.

A temporary ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents in the country introduced on February 27 has largely held, but does not cover the IS and Al-Nusra Front groups.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Moscow's Hmeimim air base and its Tartus naval facility would remain functioning and that some military contingents would stay behind.

He did not however give any details on how many soldiers would stay in Syria, nor whether Russia's S-400 air defence systems would remain in the country.

- 'Red line' -

Syria's main opposition welcomed the Kremlin's withdrawal announcement, but said it would wait and see what impact the order would have on the ground.

"We must verify the nature of this decision and its meaning," Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the opposition HNC, told reporters in Geneva.

As the Syrian delegations arrived in Geneva over the weekend, Damascus warned that any discussion about removing Assad would be a "red line".

Top Western diplomats immediately condemned the comment from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem as divisive and provocative.

After his first official meeting with the regime on Monday, UN envoy de Mistura told reporters that "strong statements (and) rhetoric" were part of every tough negotiation and that his initial discussions with government representative Bashar al-Jaafari were "useful".
By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Russian diplomat sought to reassure Israel on Tuesday that its security would not be harmed by the winding down of Moscow's intervention in the Syrian civil war, but Israel's armed forces chief said the ramifications were not yet clear. Israeli officials have privately said Russian forces sent in last year to help Syrian President Bashar Assad turn the tide against a now five-year-old rebellion also served to restrain his anti-Israeli allies - Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. Israel was further helped by a hotline to the main Russian airbase at Hmeymim in Syrai, which let it continue covert strikes to foil suspected Hezbollah or Iranian operations against it on Syrian turf without fear of accidentally clashing with Moscow. Russia blindsided world powers on Monday by announcing that the main part of its forces in Syria would start to withdraw. Russia's deputy ambassador to Israel on Tuesday described the two countries' Syria coordination as remaining intact. "We will try to ensure that this (Syria) crisis is resolved, and we will also do everything so that Israel's national security interests are not harmed in the process," the envoy, Alexey Drobinin, told the Ynet news site, without elaborating. In separate remarks to Israel's Army Radio, Drobinin said Russia would maintain its military presence at Hmeymim airbase as well as a Mediterranean naval center at Tartus. "Israel is a neighboring country. It cannot be indifferent to what is happening in Syria. We take this into account, of course," he said. "We have an ongoing dialogue with the Israeli side on all levels - the military level and diplomatic level." Israel has occasionally fired across the Golan Heights in response to spillover shelling or bombed advanced arms it suspected were to be transferred to Assad's Lebanese guerrilla allies, Hezbollah. Past Israeli strikes in Syria killed Syrian troops as well as Hezbollah fighters, according to both countries and the guerrilla group - though the exact number remains unclear. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. Drobinin said that would be "a very good opportunity to air opinions and provide answers for any questions the Israeli side might have". Rivlin's role is largely ceremonial. His Russia trip was set before the Syrian withdrawal announcement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government declined to be drawn on the issue. But the Israeli armed forces chief, Lieutenant-General Gadi Eizencot, told lawmakers Israel had no advance knowledge of Russia's pullback plan, whose impact he deemed hard to gauge. "At this stage, humility and caution are required in trying to understand the vector in which the Syrian theater will develop with the exit of Russian forces," Eizencot said in the closed-door briefing, according to a parliamentary spokesman. Eizencot said that the Russian intervention had so far strengthened Assad's position in ceasefire talks with rebels. Israel has voiced doubt about the truce prospects in Syria, which it anticipates will end up partitioned on sectarian lines. Eizencot predicted that the Russian withdrawal would be carried out gradually, but not fully, with Moscow maintaining two bases in Syria while thinning out overall troop deployments. (Reporting by Dan Williams, Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Angus MacSwan)
Beirut (AFP) - Russia's surprise withdrawal from Syria came after Moscow helped President Bashar al-Assad's regime gain the upper hand in the conflict, analysts say, but the war is far from over.

President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the "main part" of Russia's forces out of a Syria, saying Moscow's military goals in intervening had been largely met.

Analysts say that after five-and-a-half months and 9,000 sorties by Russian warplanes, the intervention allowed Assad's forces to regain crucial ground and cement their hold on key parts of the country.

"Russia -- and Iran, which also increased its assistance -- (have) managed to turn the war around for Assad," said Aron Lund of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Before September 2015, he was losing ground. This spring, he's been taking territory," said Lund, editor of the Syria in Crisis newsletter.

"By the time the ceasefire kicked in, Assad was much better positioned and his opponents were weaker and off-balance."

Russia and the United States brokered a landmark ceasefire between Assad and non-jihadist opposition forces that took effect on February 27, paving the way for peace talks that began this week in Geneva.

Experts say it is unlikely the ceasefire or the talks would have been possible without recent changes on the ground brought about by Russian action.

Moscow's intervention "stopped the rebels' advance and... allowed the regime to take strategic positions in Latakia, Aleppo, Damascus and Daraa," all key provinces around the country, said Thomas Pierret, a Syria specialist at the University of Edinburgh.

The unprecedented ceasefire has brought clashes between rebels and the regime to a near-complete stop.

- A genuine withdrawal? -

"Mainstream rebels will be under strong Western pressure not to take advantage of the situation, at least as long as negotiations are running," Pierret said.

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But the ceasefire does not apply to jihadist forces like the Islamic State group.

"For the jihadists, of course, the temptation to 'test' the Russian withdrawal will be extremely hard to resist," Pierret said.

Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front quickly announced a new offensive on Tuesday shortly after Russia announced the withdrawal.

But in a clear sign that Russia's announcement does not herald Moscow's complete exit from the war, the Russian air force hit jihadist targets around Palmyra on Tuesday as army troops pressed an advance on the ground.

The Syrian army has launched several bids to retake the ancient city of Palmyra in eastern Syria since it fell to IS in May last year.

Syria specialist Fabrice Balanche said many in the opposition were waiting to see whether Russia was indeed withdrawing from the conflict.

"The impact of the announcement of Russia's withdrawal is mainly psychological," he said.

"It might be interpreted as an abandonment of Bashar al-Assad, but as we can see the Syrian opposition is not celebrating. They are waiting to see whether this withdrawal is genuine or not," he said.

And even as it prepared to announce its withdrawal, Russia handed its ally in Damascus a range of new weapons, including helicopters, warplanes and "new tanks capable of resisting TOW missiles," Balanche said.

Lund was also cautious.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Putin saying he will pull out his forces does not mean he actually will do that, if, for example, the negotiations (in Geneva) falter," he said.

"Of course, this does not mean the war is over."
Beirut (AFP) - Russian helicopters pounded jihadist positions around the ancient city of Palmyra on Tuesday as Syrian troops pressed a ground advance, a monitoring group said.

"Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian, are bombarding Islamic State group positions near Palmyra," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"These strikes have allowed regime troops to advance, and they are now four kilometres (2.5 miles) south and west of Palmyra," he told AFP.

The strikes came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the pullout of the "main part" of his forces from the war-torn country.

A security source in Syria confirmed the monitor's report.

"The Syrian army, backed by Russian warplane and helicopter strikes, have taken control of a hilltop to the west of Palmyra after a fierce battle against IS, which still holds the city," he said.

Should the regime retake Palmyra, "it would be an important victory because it would open the way towards the Iraqi border", he added.

IS seized Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Syria known as the "Pearl of the Desert", last May, sending shockwaves across the world.

In September, satellite images confirmed that the Temple of Bel, the main one at Palmyra, had been targeted by IS as part of a campaign to destroy pre-Islamic monuments, tombs and statues it considers idolatrous.

UN experts said the main building of the temple plus a row of columns had been destroyed.

The Observatory also reported that 26 civilians had been killed on March 11 when a Russian air strike hit a bus in the Palmyra region which as on its way from IS-held Raqa to Damascus.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 26 people were killed east of the Islamic State-held city of Palmyra on Tuesday, a war monitor said, as Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes staged attacks near the town a day after Russia started a military withdrawal from Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of sources on the ground, said the casualties occurred during air strikes along the road between the historic city of Palmyra, called Tadmur in Arabic, and a town to its east, al-Sukhna. Syrian government forces also made major gains to the west of Palmyra, the Lebanon-based Shi'ite group Hezbollah's al-Manar television station reported. It said the Syrian troops were supported by "heavy air cover from Russian jets". Last week, the Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes began a campaign aiming to retake Palmyra from Islamic State (IS) to open a road to the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, which is mostly held by the jihadi militants. The capture of Palmyra and further eastward advances into Deir al-Zor would mark the most significant Syrian government gain against IS since the start of the Russian intervention in Syria's civil war in September. With Russia's help, Damascus has already taken back some ground from IS, notably east of Aleppo. The Observatory said fierce clashes continued between Syrian forces and planes thought to be Russian in areas west of Palmyra. (Reporting by Dominic Evans and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin cited Russian military success in Syria as his reason for scaling back his forces there. But his belief that the intervention delivered him a seat at the top table of world affairs is more likely to have tipped his hand. Russia's Syria operation, launched on Sept. 30 last year, made military, diplomatic and domestic political sense for the Kremlin which was keen to shore up its closest Middle East ally and protect its only naval facility on the Mediterranean. It has largely achieved both aims. But an analysis of comments made by the Russian president and other officials, and conversations with people familiar with his thinking, suggests his primary aim was to make Russia so indispensable to the Syrian peace process that it could regain a measure of the global clout the Soviet Union once enjoyed. "Russia has returned to the global board of directors," said Alexander Baunov, a senior associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center. "(It has returned) to the table where world and regional powers decide the fate of others' conflicts and Russia is clearly not a local but a world player." Putin is famously inscrutable and unpredictable, and his decision to draw down in Syria was no exception. He confides in only a small coterie of people around him, and it came as a total surprise for many in the Kremlin and the defense ministry. "I spent all day at the defense ministry and did not hear a peep," one defense industry source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. State propaganda outlets spoke on Tuesday of a "mission accomplished", a phrase that deliberately mimicked the one plastered on a U.S. warship in 2003 when President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. The real mission, some say, was to give Russia a say in world affairs. In the space of six months it has gone from being a pariah state in the West because of its annexation of Crimea and support for pro-Kremlin rebels in eastern Ukraine to being the go-to partner over Syria. Once spurned by Western leaders, it is now a regular interlocutor for both Washington and EU leaders. "Putin has already got all the political benefits," said Nikolai Petrov, a political expert at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. "It is better to withdraw before costs increase, before any accident can happen, and before the risks become too high." Reuters estimates the 5-month operation has cost the Kremlin $700-800 million. The human cost has been higher. Although the official Russian military body count is just four, Islamic State claimed it blew up a Russian passenger plane over Egypt in October, killing all 224 people onboard, in revenge for Syria. NEW WORLD ORDER Reasserting Russia's global voice is crucial to Putin, who has been alternately president and prime minister for over 15 years, and is thought to have a close eye on his historical legacy while showing no signs of wanting to leave the Kremlin. He has long pushed for a new multilateral world order where other powers counter-balance U.S. influence. In a speech to the United Nations in New York in September, in a barely disguised dig at the United States, he complained of the "arrogance, exceptionalism and impunity" of those he said had engineered the Arab spring. Dmitry Medvedev, his prime minister and ally, outlined the world order the Kremlin craved as recently as last month, evoking the 1962 Cuban missile crisis as a model of how Moscow and Washington were able to solve dangerous crises. He said he believed the world's powers could come together in "a fair and equal union" to maintain global peace. Russian officials say recent events show how Moscow has, once again, come to matter. They point out that it was Russia, along with the United States, which co-brokered the current cessation of hostilities in Syria, however fragile. Officials also rarely miss a chance to note that it is the Americans who have time and time again come to them for help over Syria. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, flew to Moscow in December to discuss Syria with Putin, and has recently spoken almost daily to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin and White House statements confirm. Even Putin's critics have recognized the clout Syria has gifted the Russian leader. "There's one man on this planet who can end the civil war in Syria by making a phone call and that's Mr Putin," Philip Hammond, Britain's foreign secretary, told BBC TV last month. ASSAD SEEN SAFE By scaling back after a campaign of over 9,000 sorties estimated to have cost $700-800 million, the Kremlin has made it less likely it will be dragged into a potential regional conflict with Turkey or Saudi Arabia. And although it did not in the end help bag a spectacular battlefield victory, such as the complete taking of Aleppo, the Kremlin thinks it has done enough to ensure that Assad and his forces can hold the line. Domestically, the intervention helped keep Putin's ratings near record highs and served as a useful distraction at a time of economic pain. Amid brass bands and rousing speeches, state TV on Tuesday presented the decision to start drawing down forces as the culmination of a short, victorious war. But though Putin's partial Syria withdrawal may be seen as a diplomatic coup by some, his country's return to the world stage has not been a complete success. U.S. and EU sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis remain in place and compound a domestic financial crisis made worse by the collapse in oil prices. And the decision to scale back Russian forces was, some analysts believe, conversely dictated more by weakness and a realization that Russia could not make a deal with the West over Syria to lift sanctions on it. Others, including one Western diplomat who told Reuters the news came as a complete and inexplicable surprise, say Putin's motives are unfathomable. "None of us knows what the intent of Mr Putin is when he carries out any action, which is why he is a very difficult partner in any situation like this," Britain's Hammond said on Tuesday. Putin's move is being interpreted in some circles as an attempt to influence the outcome of Syrian peace talks in Geneva and possibly to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to get serious about doing a deal. Yet few inside Russia believe Assad is in danger of losing Putin's support, even if the Kremlin does want him to contest any future presidential election. Putin has shown no particular fondness for the Syrian leader but appears to see little point in replacing him with someone who might turn out to be even worse and does not believe Syria is ready for Western-style democracy anyway. Putin has in any case hedged his bets. If he feels his new-found global influence or Assad is threatened he can use the two military bases left behind to rapidly expand the Kremlin's military footprint. His public relations strategy is also hedged. "If the ceasefire turns into a lengthy peace he will automatically be considered the victor," said Carnegie's Baunov. "But if war breaks out again, he can always say: 'You see, when we were there everyone was making peace but after we left war erupted.'" (Additional reporting by Dmitry Soloyvov, Jack Stubbs, Lidia Kelly and Parniyan Zemaryalai and by William James in London, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
By Barbara Goldberg

(Reuters) - Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin resigned on Tuesday, the second jurist to step down after being accused of using state computers to exchange sexually and racially offensive emails with his peers.

Eakin, 67, a Republican first elected in 2001, tendered his resignation from the state's highest court after admitting to sending approximately 18 "inappropriate" emails to friends, according to a statement form his lawyer, William Costopoulos.

Eakin is the second Supreme Court justice caught up in the email scandal, dubbed "Porngate" by local media.

Justice Seamus McCaffery, a Democrat who traded offensive emails, was suspended by his fellow justices in October 2014 and later resigned. Several other state officials linked to the scandal have also stepped down.

The trove of offensive emails allegedly exchanged by Eakin, McCaffery and others was discovered unexpectedly during an investigation by Attorney General Kathleen Kane into how one of her predecessors, Tom Corbett, had carried out the investigation of Penn State sexual predator Jerry Sandusky.

Sandusky, 72, a convicted serial child molester, is serving 30 years to 60 years in prison.

As a result of the emails, Eakin was slated to go on trial later this month to determine whether he violated judicial ethics. Instead, he will file a stipulation of facts that will be reviewed by the state Court of Judicial Discipline in order to impose a penalty, Costopoulos said.

The most severe punishment would be the loss of Eakin's pension, Costopoulos said.

"He has accepted responsibility for the sending of these emails," Costopoulos said. "He has apologized to his Court, to the public at large, to his family and friends, and most recently to the Court of Judicial Discipline. There is nothing to try."

Some of the offensive emails allegedly exchanged by Eakin contained female nudity or ridiculed African-Americans, while others were misogynistic or homophobic, according to a 48-page ethics complaint. Eakin also created a fictitious email account in an attempt to disguise his connection to them, the complaint said.

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Kane has held out the email scandal as an example of the "old-boy culture" she says permeates the state legal system.

The first Democrat and first woman to be elected attorney general in Pennsylvania, Kane has since seen her law license suspended over perjury charges stemming from a grand jury leak and has contended that her troubles were caused by enemies worried she would reveal the e-mails.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Joseph Ax and Alan Crosby)
(Reuters) - Andy Murray squandered a 4-1 lead in the third set before losing a tiebreaker to world number 53 Federico Delbonis and exiting the BNP Paribas Open third round 6-4 4-6 7-6(3) in California on Monday. World number two Murray let his commanding lead evaporate on a warm, windy day at Indian Wells and needed to break the Argentine left-hander in the 12th game just to force the tiebreaker, which Delbonis won 7-3. Delbonis took advantage of a series of Murray errors to run off the last five points of the decider to end the two hour, 46 minute struggle in Stadium 1. "Thanks to everybody here for such an amazing match. It was a very intense match , very passionate, I think," the Argentine said. Delbonis, who reached the quarter-finals this year in Rio and Sao Paulo, varied his strategy against Murray and took advantage of some weakness in the Scot's serve. Murray failed to register an ace and won less than 50 percent of his second serves. "I know it was a challenge," said Delbonis. "I have to mix (my shots) all the time. "In the end, I can do my job and this is what I get." It was a short appearance in only the second tournament of the year for Murray, who lost in the final of the Australian Open to world number one Novak Djokovic. Delbonis will meet Frenchman Gael Monfils in the fourth round after the 13th seed dispatched Spains Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1 6-3. In another day match, 12th seed Milos Raonic of Canada advanced to the fourth round 6-3 3-0 when Australian Bernard Tomic retired in the second set. Tomic had complained about an injured wrist before the match against the hard-serving Raonic, who will meet Czech Tomas Berdych in the fourth round. The sixth seed beat Croatian Borna Coric 6-1 7-6(3). Eighth seed Richard Gasquet of France advanced past Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov 2-6 6-2 6-1. His fourth-round opponent will be Croatian Marin Cilic, who defeated Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-4 6-3. Belgian David Goffin defeated Argentine Guido Pella 4-6 6-3 6-2 and will meet the winner of the late third-round match between third seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland and Russian Andrey Kuznetsov. (This story corrects nationality to Belgian in final paragraph) (Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
By Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Jibran Ahmed ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani officials threatened to expel Afghanistan's Taliban from bases in Pakistan if they did not join peace talks this month, but the militants rebuffed their traditional patron, two officials said, casting doubt on how much influence Islamabad retains over them. After the secret meetings with Pakistani officials about two weeks ago, the Taliban's Supreme Council met at an undisclosed location and voted to reject the talks scheduled for early March with the Afghan government, according to a council member. Instead, the insurgents are now pouring back into Afghanistan for what they say will be a fierce spring offensive to be launched soon. Pakistan's influence over the insurgents is the lynchpin to the peace plan developed over last few months by Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China to bring an end to the 15-year-old war in Afghanistan. A Pakistani official in Islamabad said the Taliban's recent success on the battlefield inside Afghanistan had changed the equation. "They no longer need their Pakistan bases in the same way, so if Pakistan threatens to expel them, it does not have the same effect," said the official, a retired military officer close to the talks. The insurgents have won new zones of influence - if not outright control - from Afghan security forces since the United States and its allies pulled most combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, Afghan and Western officials acknowledge. "Pakistan's trump card - safe havens on its soil - is in danger of being snatched away," said Michael Kugelman of the Woodrow Wilson Institute, a Washington-based think tank. "The Taliban have little incentive to step off the battlefield now, given recent gains and those likely to come in the next few months. In effect, why quit while you're ahead?" Nafees Zakaria, a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Office, said he had no knowledge of meetings with the Taliban but added, "We usually don't know who has met with whom" in the sensitive and high-level peace initiative. In Kabul, however, members of the Afghan government were skeptical about Pakistan's assertions. "Pakistan's honesty and sincerity with regard to the Afghan peace process has always been a question," said an Afghan cabinet member, echoing the sentiment of several officials interviewed there. Pakistan's military has long been accused of fostering the Taliban as a way of pursuing regional rivalry with India. Pakistani officials, however, deny the charge and insist the government and military recognize that Afghanistan's war threatens their own security . "THEIR DREAM" A member of the Taliban's leadership council, or shura, whose members are mostly based in Pakistan and Afghanistan but also travel between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said rebel representatives met in Islamabad with Pakistani officials a little more than two weeks ago. "They have asked our representatives to bring more decision-making people to the next meeting ... to the meeting with U.S. and Afghan officials. This is their dream, but they will not be able to see our senior commanders," the Taliban council member said. A senior Pakistani security official with knowledge of the talks said: "I don't think the talks are dead, but they are definitely plagued by a serious illness. "The ones who are in Pakistan ... We have told them repeatedly that they will have to leave if they don't participate in the process," the Pakistani official said.. "We have done what we can ... but influence does not mean control. Those days are long gone." The Taliban source had knowledge of, but did not attend, the meeting with Pakistani officials in Islamabad. He was at the subsequent Taliban council meeting to decide on whether to join the peace talks. The pro-talks camp largely comprised supporters of nominal Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, believed to be hiding in Pakistan after being shot in a leadership dispute last year and rumored killed, and his chief rival, Mullah Mohammad Rasoul, who is believed to be in Afghanistan. "I personally feel that Mullah Mansour and some other leaders are in favor of peace talks and they don't want to annoy Pakistan ... but they can't make decisions without approval of other shura members," said the Taliban council member." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declined to comment on any meetings with Pakistani representatives. He confirmed the Leadership Council meeting but would not give details. Publicly, both the Afghan and Pakistani government are expressing hopes that peace talks can begin before the traditional Taliban spring offensive . Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz spoke last week of progress in restarting talks "in coming days". However, Taliban commanders told Reuters that with the council's decision, they are focusing on launching their annual fighting season with the hopes of grabbing more territory. "We already have started focusing on the spring offensive, and that's why the majority of the fighters and commanders are going there (Afghanistan)," said a senior Taliban figure, based in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan. (Additional reporting by Josh Smith and Hamid Shalizi in Kabul; writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
CARACAS (Reuters) - Seventeen corpses have been recovered from a mass grave in the rising toll from a massacre of miners in Venezuela's southern jungle, authorities said on Tuesday. Venezuelan officials say 21 miners went missing near a gold mine in the Tumeremo area of Bolivar state, while opposition politicians say as many as 28 may have been killed. "We have concluded the search for the disappeared of Tumeremo with the discovery of 17 bodies," chief state prosecutor Luisa Ortega said via Twitter, updating the count of 14 announced on Monday. The massacre took place near Tumeremo, in Bolivar state, on March 4, with some witnesses cited by local media, relatives and politicians as saying a gang shot the miners and cut some up with a chain saw. "The families tell me there are 20 corpses (recovered)," said opposition lawmaker Americo De Grazia, from Bolivar, who is leading a National Assembly probe into the case. Fights for control of illegal mines are common in the remote, mineral-rich area near the borders of Guyana and Brazil. Authorities have arrested one woman accused of helping mastermind the killings. (Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Corina Pons Editing by W Simon)
Brussels (AFP) - Belgian and French police launched a vast manhunt for suspects after a Kalashnikov-wielding assailant was killed and four officers were wounded during an anti-terror operation in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks.

Armed police came under fire as they carried out a daylight search on a property in the quiet suburb, sparking a series of gun battles that wounded four officers and left children trapped in nearby schools.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said operations were continuing after the gun battle in the southern Brussels suburb of Forest, adding that it was "linked to the attacks in Paris".

"During what was believed to be a routine search, security forces were fired on. That was followed by police operations which are ongoing," Michel told a press conference.

The national security council of key ministers and security officials will meet on Wednesday, he added.

Michel thanked residents for their "composure" as bursts of gunfire erupted in the streets and dozens of heavily-armed police with balaclavas and sub-machineguns sealed off the area.

The dead person had not been identified but prosecutors said it was not Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November 13 killings in Paris claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, which killed 130 people.

A French police source said the operation was focused on the associates of one, or several, of 11 people who have been charged in Belgium in connection with the attacks.

"In this operation, one or several people opened fire on the police as they came through the door" of the property in an initial search, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

"One suspect armed with a Kalashnikov-type assault rifle was killed in an assault" by police about three hours later, it said, adding that officers were "actively pursuing investigations, day and night".

- Kalashnikov rifle -

Eric Van Der Sypt, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, was quoted by the Belga news agency as saying: "A body was found during a search of a house... his identity has not been established yet but whatever the case, it is not Salah Abdeslam."

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A French policewoman, who Justice Minister Koen Geens said had been helping in a joint investigation between French and Belgian police, was among three officers wounded in the initial assault. A fourth was hurt in an exchange of fire.

Security forces launched a huge operation after the gunbattle broke out, cordoning off the area with vehicles while a police helicopter hovered overhead, AFP reporters at the scene said.

"I've been stuck since three o'clock this afternoon," pensioner Renee told AFP.

"Imagine, I was waiting here, in the Saint-Denis square, to go to the hairdresser and the police turned up. They shouted: 'Evacuate, evacuate the square'."

Children and teachers in two schools and two nurseries near the scene were asked to remain indoors, before they were eventually let out one by one accompanied by armed police.

Police later started letting people back into their homes and 50 people who had been trapped in an Aldi supermarket were also allowed out.

- Brussels lockdown -

By midnight, calm had largely returned to the area and most locals had been allowed to return to their home. The special forces officers still present, their faces covered by hoods, seemed relaxed, said an AFP journalist.

The incident took place across the street from an Audi auto factory and the train lines leading to the Eurostar cross-channel terminal at the Gare du Midi railway station.

Soldiers are still on guard at key areas including train stations and EU institutions.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed earlier that French police were involved in the operation.

"A team made up of Belgian and French police came under fire, apparently from assault weapons, during a raid," he said after arriving in the Ivory Coast capital.

Two weeks after the Paris attacks, Brussels was put on five days of lockdown with authorities warning of an imminent threat of violence amid an ongoing manhunt for Abdeslam.

Abdeslam, 26, who is believed to have played a key role in organising the Paris attacks, fled across the border to Belgium hours after the killings in the French capital and is now one of the most wanted men in Europe.

He was reportedly holed up for three weeks after the Paris attacks in an apartment in the Schaerbeek district in north Brussels, where police found a fingerprint, traces of explosives and possible suicide belts.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by the government against a ruling that the state had made an error in letting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir leave the country despite a court order barring him from doing so. Bashir, who was in South Africa for an African Union summit last June, was allowed to go even though the court had issued an order banning him from leaving until the end of a hearing on whether he should be detained under a global arrest warrant. The court said he should have been arrested to face genocide charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) because as an ICC signatory, Pretoria is obliged to implement arrest warrants. The ICC has issued a warrant for Bashir on charges of masterminding genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. Bashir denies the charges. The government had asked the court to overturn the ruling, with its lawyers arguing that a gazzette notice granted diplomatic immunity to all delegates at the summit. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the government's failure to arrest Bashir "was inconsistent with South Africa's obligations in terms of the Rome Statute...and unlawful". A rights group that had demanded the arrest of Bashir argued during the appeal that South Africa could not grant immunity to someone wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. "South Africa should not be treated as a safe haven for suspected perpetrators of egregious crimes," Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, executive director of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, which took the government to court, said in a statement. Justice department spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said the government was studying the ruling and had not yet decided whether it would challenge it at the constitutional court, the highest court in the land. The ruling means that Bashir and others facing global arrest warrants for crimes against humanity would be arrested if they set foot in South Africa. In addition, the High Court had said previously that the National Prosecuting Authority should consider whether to take action against the government for letting Bashir leave the country. In the aftermath of the initial court ruling, the governing African National Congress party said South Africa should withdraw from the ICC, which African states have accused of bias against the continent. Judges at the ICC have also asked South African authorities to explain why they failed to arrest Bashir. (Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand plunged to its weakest in two weeks and bond yields jumped on Tuesday after police said they would exercise "constitutional powers" to push Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to answer questions about a spy unit in the revenue service. By 1620 GMT the rand had tumbled 2.5 percent to 15.9150 per dollar, just shy of the crucial 16.00 mark it hit in late February. The cost of insuring South African debt also rose, with data from Markit showing five-year credit default swaps (CDS) up 10 basis points (bps) on the day to 328 bps.[nL5N16N4YH] Governments bonds also suffered, with the yield on benchmark issue due in 2026 rising 26.5 basis points to 9.405 percent. The rand came close to matching its biggest daily losses since 2011 as the statement by the Hawks police unit challenging the finance minister further rattled investors, who see South Africa's debt losing its investment-grade ranking [nL5N16N3OK]. "Alongside economic growth and debt trajectories, ratings agencies also focus on political stability, so another change in finance minister could add to the growing list of reasons for downgrades to junk," said Rajiev Rajkumar, an emerging market analyst at 4Cast. Last week, Moody's, which rates South Africa two notches above sub-investment level, put it on review for a downgrade, citing poor growth prospects and budget risks. The two other main agencies have flagged political interference as a major risk to national finances [nFWN16G023]. "All this talk of police investigations and ultimatums will continue to weigh on South African assets and contribute to heightened volatility in the coming months," Rajkumar said. Finance Minister Gordhan has repeatedly said that a police investigation into a spy unit within the revenue collection service is part of a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his and the Treasury's credibility. On Tuesday, he said the police's latest statement was threatening.[nJ8N12T02L] On the equities market, stocks edged down, tracking global markets. Basic materials weighed on stocks after weak U.S. retail sales data, while the squabble between the finance minister and the police hurt financials. The Top-40 index was down 0.35 percent at 46,393 points and the broader All-Share lost 0.42 percent at 52,253 points. Kumba Iron Ore fell 8.27 percent at 9465.96 rand after iron ore slid nearly 7 percent as bearish bets returned on weak China steel. MTN Group closed 4.06 percent lower at 139.06 rand. Nigeria's telecoms regulator restored "regulatory services" to the group [nFWN16N0B6]. Financial companies Standard Bank, Sanlam and Remgro were all down more than 2 percent on the day as the finance minister spat infected sentiment. Trading volumes were low, with more than 244 million shares changing hands compared with last year's daily average of 296 million shares. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Larry King)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Competition Tribunal said on Tuesday it was weighing its approval of Sibanye Gold's plan to acquire platinum mines over concerns that 510 jobs could be lost if the deals proceed. Sibanye last year said it would buy Anglo American Platinum's labour-intensive and costly Rustenburg mines and Aquarius Platinum. Both transactions were approved by the Competition Commission, which investigates deals for any anti-trust issues, on condition that no jobs would be lost and the firms would keep the black empowerment policy to protect small businesses. The government has set empowerment goals to redress the absence of South Africans excluded from the mining industry under apartheid in a policy meant to spread economic wealth to the black majority. Sibanye has sought to have these conditions amended to allow for layoffs, the Competition Tribunal, which makes a final ruling on proposed mergers or acquisitions, said in a statement. Sibanye argued in favour of layoffs at a hearing held by the Tribunal on Monday that was attended by unions, reports said. Sibanye's CEO Neal Froneman was quoted by Business Day newspaper as saying the deal might not proceed without retrenchments. Froneman was not available to comment when Reuters tried to reach him. The Tribunal is expected to make a final decision soon. About 250 job would be lost through the merger with a further 260 jobs expected to be cut should Sibanye combine all its mining operations and head offices with the target companies, causing an overlap of important positions. Competition Tribunal spokeswoman Chantelle Benjamin said labour unions and the Competition Commission lobbied for jobs to be cut only after three years while Sibanye proposed two years. She said most of the jobs lost would be at the head offices and senior management. (Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; Editing by James Macharia)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on Tuesday hit out at a police unit investigating his role over setting up a surveillance unit at the revenue agency, saying its latest statement regarding the matter was threatening. The elite Hawks police unit said earlier it would exercise its "constitutional powers" after Gordhan missed a second deadline to answer questions about a suspected spy unit established while he was head of the South African Revenue Service. Gordhan said it was "factually incorrect" that he had failed to respond to a letter from the police. (Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's defense ministry said on Tuesday that it does not believe that North Korea has acquired missile re-entry technology. The comment from Seoul came hours after Pyongyang said its leader Kim Jong Un supervised a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile, which is needed to bring a missile back into the atmosphere. "What North Korea announced today was North Korea's one-sided claim," Moon Sang-gyun, the ministry spokesman said at a news briefing. Kim said North Korea would soon conduct a nuclear warhead test and test launch ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the official KCNA news agency said early on Tuesday. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Michael Perry)
Madrid (AFP) - The judicial noose tightened Tuesday around Spain's ruling Popular Party, which is engulfed in a series of graft scandals, making it harder for it to retain power after an inconclusive general election.

Rita Barbera, a Popular Party (PP) senator who governed Valencia, Spain's third-largest city, for more than two decades, agreed to be questioned by a judge investigating alleged money laundering by the conservative party.

Barbera made the announcement after Spanish media on Tuesday published excerpts of a recording of a telephone conversation by her former advisor, Maria Jose Alcon, explaining how Alcon laundered 1,000 euros ($1,100) in party money.

"In this country the only thing that works is corruption," Alcon can be heard telling her son in the police recording made a year ago which dominated headlines on Tuesday.

The recording was made as part of a probe into a suspected kickback scheme that operated in the eastern region of Valencia, a PP fiefdom until 2015 when voters turned to the left in regional elections.

The authorities are looking into allegations that companies, mostly from the building sector, paid commissions in exchange for public works contracts which helped finance the PP in the region.

In the recording Alcon tells her son the party was full of "black" money and suggests one of Barbera's secretaries requested the operation to launder it.

The investigating judge in the case on Monday placed the PP under official investigation for money laundering and asked to question Barbera.

The former Valencia mayor told a news conference on Tuesday the allegations against her were "unfounded" and "completely false" and she had not committed any crime.

The scandal erupted in January, two weeks before the PP's headquarters in Madrid were searched as part of another corruption probe which tainted several people close to the head of the party in the region, Esperanza Aguirre, prompting her resignation.

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- PP tops corruption list -

The two scandals came in the wake of a December 20 general election which saw the PP place first but lose its absolute majority in parliament, forcing it to forge alliances to govern.

The election resulted in a fragmented parliament, with power divided among four main parties, including two new formations -- far-left Podemos and centre-right Ciudadanos amid a focus on fighting corruption.

But the PP is isolated. The main opposition Socialists along with Podemos and Ciudadanos refuse to back the party because of graft scandals.

"Someone who can not clean his home, can not do it in Spain," Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera said of Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

A "Dictionary of Corruption" published last month counted 175 major cases of political corruption in Spain in the last 30 years.

Just half of these cases involved the embezzlement of at least eight billion euros of public money, according to its authors.

The PP is implicated in 68 of the corruption cases the dictionary cites while the Socialists are involved in 58.

"In Valencia and in Madrid, the PP enjoyed absolute majorities for 20 years... This created networks which believed that they could count on impunity," a recently elected PP lawmaker, who spoke on condition he not be named, told AFP.

He also blamed "an absence of control mechanisms" for the graft scandals. Irregular financing of political parties only became illegal in 2015.

Voters punished the conservatives in regional and local elections last year. The PP lost power in five regions including Valencia.

Rajoy, who has headed the PP since October 2004, refuses to assume political responsibility for corruption, saying only he could have fought it "more efficiently".

In the PP "there is solidarity" around him but "our voters need him to leave" to allow for a clean up of the party, the PP lawmaker told AFP.
Stocks are trading in range as another big test lurks for the market. Can Janet Yellen and the Fed get a passing grade after Mario Draghi flunked? Yahoo Finance's Nicole Sinclair and Jen Rogers discuss today's market action.

Does the Fed need to be fixed?

The Federal Open Market Committee will hold its first press conference of the year on Wednesday. But will the press conference or the Fed's other steps toward transparency provide insight into the organization? Joining us today is Peter Conti-Brown, author of the book the "The Power and Independence of the Federal Reserve."

Winners and losers

Stocks starting the week on a down note include EP Energy on a Goldman downgrade, Southwestern Energy on oil's slide, and Lannett - the generic drug maker slipping after revealing it will update its sales projections for 2016 after experiencing "unanticipated market softness."



Stocks in the green today include Chemours on a Goldman upgrade; Tesla, shares revving higher as Baird upgrades the stock to outperform citing accelerating production of its Model X SUV; and GW Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker surging after the company said its marijuana derived drug for children with severe epilepsy significantly reduced seizures during a phase three trial, paving the way for possible FDA approval.



Marijuana business booming

And speaking of marijuana, it really is big business in America. Marijuana Business Daily predicts up to $44 billion in economic impact by 2020. Joining us now for more is Dan Roberts, writer at Yahoo Finance.

Looking ahead
By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A suspended deputy United Nations ambassador from the Dominican Republic accused of participating in a scheme to bribe a former U.N. General Assembly president is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday, according to a court filing. Francis Lorenzo, 48, is scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court for a plea hearing, according to a docket entry on Monday. A lawyer for Lorenzo confirmed he would plead guilty at the hearing to charges including conspiracy to commit bribery. "Ambassador Lorenzo is remorseful and has chosen to accept full responsibility for his participation in his criminal conduct with his co-defendants," said Brian Bieber, Lorenzo's lawyer. Lorenzo is one of six individuals charged in October in connection with a scheme to pay more than $1.3 million in bribes to John Ashe, a former U.N. ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda and who served as General Assembly president from 2013 to 2014. Prosecutors said those bribes included more than $500,000 that Ng Lap Seng, a billionaire real estate developer in Macau, paid through intermediaries to Ashe to seek U.N. support of a U.N.-sponsored conference center in Macau. Authorities said the intermediaries included Lorenzo, who prosecutors said also received bribes from Ng, and Jeff Yin, Ng's assistant. Ashe also received more than $800,000 from Chinese businessmen to support their interests within the United Nations and Antigua, prosecutors said. Those bribes were arranged through Sheri Yan, who was the Global Sustainability Foundation's chief executive, and Heidi Hong Piao, the foundation's finance director, prosecutors said. Both women pleaded guilty in January. Lorenzo, who was appointed deputy U.N. ambassador from the Dominican Republic in 2004, had previously sought to dismiss the charges against him on diplomatic immunity grounds. But U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick in February rejected his motion, saying that as a naturalized U.S. citizen, Lorenzo was not entitled to immunity due to his diplomatic role. At Wednesday's hearing, Lorenzo will plead guilty to charges including that he engaged in conspiracies to commit bribery and money laundering and filed false tax returns, Bieber said. A spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara confirmed the plea hearing was scheduled but declined further comment. (This version of the story corrects the counts Lorenzo will plead guilty to by removing reference to the number of counts in paragraph 11.) (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Tom Brown and dan Grebler)
Myanmar's next president may be little known outside his homeland but for Aung San Suu Kyi, who plucked her schoolfriend and longtime aide from the political sidelines to be her proxy, it is Htin Kyaw's loyalty that is paramount.

The 69-year-old was comfortably elected Myanmar's first civilian president since 1962 on Tuesday, a position he will hold in place of the Nobel laureate who is banned from top office by the army-drafted constitution.

The son of a revered poet who has helped run Suu Kyi's charitable foundation in recent years, Htin Kyaw is billed as someone with a high level of education, personal standing and absolute trustworthiness to "The Lady".

Yet he remains an unknown and untested quantity with many asking how much influence he will wield over a government he will only nominally lead and in a complex political system where the military still wields considerable influence.

Suu Kyi has pledged to pull the strings of power from "above" her appointee, though in this delicate and secretive transition, she has not revealed how the arrangement will work.

But Htin Kyaw's appointment suggests she thinks he has sufficient pedigree in the country's long struggle against junta rule to be embraced by the millions of voters who swept to the polls in November to validate her star power and simple message of change.

He is believed to have joined the party last year -- although the NLD has not confirmed exactly when.

Nonetheless the soft-spoken economics graduate's life has been entwined with Myanmar's democracy struggle and Suu Kyi's movement.

His father Min Thu Wun, was a national poet and early NLD member while his wife Su Su Lwin is a sitting party MP whose late father was once party spokesman.

"He's not just anybody, he comes from a very political family," Bertil Lintner, a veteran Myanmar commentator told AFP.

- Right hand man -

His inner circle closeness to Suu Kyi was illustrated in 2010 when the Nobel Laureate was finally released from years of house arrest.

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As she greeted jubilant crowds from behind the gate of her crumbling Yangon mansion, Htin Kyaw stood to her right.

During those heady but often unsure times when Suu Kyi remained under intense military scrutiny, he could sometimes be seen at the wheel of her car, shuttling her between high-level meetings.

For the last four years he has been a senior executive in Suu Kyi's charity, which provides development aid and skills training to her Kawhmu constituency and other areas of the impoverished country.

In an interview with AFP about the charity's work in July 2015, Htin Kyaw spoke of the steep climb Myanmar faced to claw its way out of poverty.

"You see that we are doing a lot, which means we need a lot. We are just doing only a very small portion of what is required for the nation," he said.

Born in 1946, Htin Kyaw earned a masters degree in 1968 from the Yangon Economics University and went on to complete further courses abroad, including in the UK, the US and Japan.

According to an official biography released by the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, he studied at the University of London's Institute of Computer Science from 1971 to 72.

In a varied career he worked as a university teacher and also held positions in the finance and national planning and foreign affairs ministries in the late 1970s and 80s before retiring from government service as the military tightened its grip.
Tuesday, March 15, marks five years since the start of the conflict in Syria. What began as a popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assads regime has since morphed into a much greater monster, with civilians caught in the fighting between the government, opposition groups and militant organizations such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and the Nusra Front. In September, Russian forces entered the conflict, although President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that the countrys troops would withdraw from the country.

Here are some numbers that illustrate the magnitude of Syrias crisis.

5

Years of conflict. Thats 60 months, 1,825 days or 43,800 hours of conflict.

55.7 years

The average life expectancy for Syrians in 2014, which has dropped by more than two decades since the start of the war. Before 2011, Syrians could expect to live an average of 79.5 years, according to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research.

470,000

The most recent estimated total for the number of people who have died in the Syrian war, according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research. Its a dramatic increase from the 250,000 figure commonly cited by the United Nations, which stopped counting the number of dead in early 2014.

1.9 million

People who have been injured in the Syrian conflict, according to a recent Syrian Center for Policy Research report. The group said in the report that more than 10 percent of Syrias entire population has been killed or injured in the war.

0314_syria_fsa_fighter

Alaa Al-Faqir/Reuters

94

Number of journalists killed in Syria since 2011 with a confirmed motive, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. A confirmed motive means the organization is reasonably certain that a journalist was murdered in direct reprisal for his or her work; was killed in crossfire during combat situations; or was killed while carrying out a dangerous assignment such as coverage of a street protest. An additional 11 journalists were killed in Syria during the same period in cases where CPJ could not confirm a motive, and one media worker who was a guide for journalists was also killed.

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161

Chemical weapons attacks documented from the start of conflict through 2015, based on reports and firsthand accounts from doctors and health workers in Syria, according to a report by the Syrian American Medical Society. An additional 133 attacks were reported but could not be fully substantiated. The 161 documented attacks comprised two in 2012, 35 in 2013, 55 in 2014 and 69 in 2015. They employed chlorine (64.6 percent), sarin (1.9 percent), mustard gas (0.6 percent) and unconfirmed poisonous gas (32.9 percent).

1,491 and 14,581

Minimum number of deaths and injuries caused by chemical exposure from the 161 documented attacks noted above, as counted by the Syrian American Medical Society report.

705

Number of doctors and medical professionals killed since the start of the war in 2011. The vast majority of them have been killed by Syrian government forces, according to Physicians for Human Rights, a New York-based organization. In the eastern part of Aleppo city, roughly 80 doctors remain after 95 percent of them have either fled, been detained or killed, the group said.

syrian refugees jordan_0314

Muhammad Hamed/Reuters

15,525

Number of unaccompanied or separated children who have left Syria, according to a recent UNICEF report that looks at the conflicts impact on Syrias children and their childhoods.

50,000+

Roughly the number of images smuggled out of Syria by a former military police photographer using the code name Caesar. (Human Rights Watch has said the total number is 53,275; the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has put the total at about 55,000.) The photos appear to document torture and systematic killings by the Assad regime. They have been shown at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., as well as the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City.

306,000

Number of Syrian children born as refugees over the past five years, according to the UNICEF report.

3.7 million

Estimated number of Syrian children born since the conflict began. Their entire lives have been marked by violence, deprivation, and uncertainty, Anthony Lake, UNICEF executive director, says in the UNICEF report.

3-14-16 Syrian girl

Ammar Abdullah/Reuters

4.8 million

Number of Syrian refugees who have fled the country since 2011, according to the United Nations refugee agency. This includes 2.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, 1 million in Lebanon, 639,704 in Jordan, 246,051 in Iraq and 118,512 in Egypt.

8.4 million

Estimated number of children affected by the conflict, whether inside Syria or as refugees. This number represents more than 80 percent of Syrias population of children, according to UNICEF.

13.5 million

The number of people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance inside Syria, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Around half that number, 6.6 million, are internally displaced inside the country.

Related Articles
Geneva (AFP) - Syria's main opposition group told AFP Tuesday that it was ready to negotiate in the same room with the regime, if ongoing peace talks in Geneva make progress.

The current round of negotiations aimed at ending the five-year war are so-called proximity talks, with United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura meeting separately with opposing sides.

"We are ready in the next stage to go in direct negotiations with the regime," said the spokesman for the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Salem al-Meslet.

He specified that these potential direct talks would be "like what happened in Geneva Two," referring to 2014 negotiations during which the two sides were seated in the same room, with the dialogue mediated by then UN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.

"It will be a second stage of direct negotiations through the mediation of de Mistura," Al-Meslet said.

The UN envoy has said that this round of negotiations is expected to last until March 24.

If the current round makes gains, a second round of roughly two weeks of talks would start after a brief recess, when both sides could agree to a new format.

De Mistura met with HNC representatives in Geneva on Tuesday, calling for a moment of silence to mark the fifth anniversary of Syria's civil war.

The UN envoy met with representatives of President Bashar al-Assad's government on Monday, the first day of talks.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition said on Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin's move to draw down his forces in the country could pave the way for an end to five years of fighting, although Moscow had not informed them of the decision. Spokesman Salim al-Muslat told reporters that the Russian withdrawal could also help bring about an end to Syrian President Bashar al Assad's "dictatorship and his crimes". Russia blindsided world powers on Monday by announcing that "the main part" of its forces in Syria would start to withdraw. It was unclear what the withdrawal would mean for the outcome of the war or the future of Assad, who has regained ground from rebels with the help of heavy Russian air strikes. U.S.-Russian cooperation had already prompted a lull in the war via a "cessation of hostilities agreement" that led to a sharp decline in fighting between rebels and the government in western Syria. Muslat said a Russian pullout could have far-reaching consequences on the course of Syria's war, saying that "what has kept Assad in power is the presence of Russian forces". Talks under way in Geneva are part of a diplomatic push launched with U.S.-Russian support to end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and prompted the rise of Islamic State militants. The Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee's main demand when it begins its first formal talks later on Tuesday with a U.N. special envoy will be the creation of an interim government without Assad under a U.N.-sponsored road map, Muslat said. "Our concern is that negotiations begin today with a discussion of an interim government that would be a guarantee toward a pluralistic democratic state. When the regime talks about a national unity government this means Assad remains as a ruler in which ministers would be appointed by him." The gulf is wide between the Assad government and rebel groups over a political transition with Damascus saying it will rule out any discussion of the president's future at peace talks. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Lisa Barrington BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon (Reuters) - In a humid plastic tent in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, a Syrian scientist handles the leaves of the chickpeas, lentils and wheat that may one day help fill neighboring Syria's post-war kitchen tables. Fawzi Souied is part of a team trying to safeguard the future of Syrian and global agriculture by recreating a seed collection stored in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo which is at risk of being destroyed by the war entering its sixth year. Fighting has cut the road to the research center 30 km (about 20 miles) outside Aleppo and, because of frequent power cuts, scientists can no longer guarantee the safety of the deep-frozen 150,000 seeds, which contain part of the genetic history and future of the world's food crops. "There is treasure in Aleppo," said Soueid, research assistant at Lebanon's branch of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). "There is nothing in the world like it in terms of the varieties, the seeds and the work carried out there." Keeping copies of wild and domesticated varieties of staple crops like wheat, barley and fava beans is important for global food security. Scientists use their various characteristics to breed new varieties resistant to disease, insects or dry conditions. Aleppo's dry environment was perfect for research into how to feed growing populations in arid regions. Wheat varieties developed by ICARDA helped water-poor Syria become self-sufficient in wheat in the mid-nineties, said Hassan Machlab, ICARDA country manager for Lebanon. The ICARDA team in Lebanon has managed to rescue some unique seeds from Aleppo, borrow some 14,000 seeds so far from partner research organizations around the world, and tap a 'doomsday' underground seed vault in Norway's Svalbard islands near the North Pole for around 8,000 seed types. This was the first withdrawal made from the Svalbard vault which was designed to protect crop seeds from nuclear events, natural disasters and war. "A while ago we decided we were now in an emergency situation," said Machlab. "In the past few months, because of the intensification of fighting around Aleppo, we haven't been able to reach the center and see how the seeds are." The Syrian conflict, which has killed at least 250,000 and displaced around 11 million, forced ICARDA to move its headquarters in 2012 from Aleppo to Lebanon's fertile Bekaa valley, seven kilometers from the Syrian border. Staff were still able to enter the center to maintain the freezers' electricity supply, but late last year Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, supported by Russian air strikes, stepped up offensives around Aleppo and the seed bank became inaccessible. VALLEY OF REFUGE Now host to many Syrian refugees who live among the herb and vegetable fields, the Bekaa valley was once a base for Syrian soldiers during Lebanon's 15-year civil war which ended in 1990. Fawzi Soueid relocated from Aleppo where he had worked with ICARDA since its early days. Besides replicating Aleppo's seed collection, Soueid hopes to continue ICARDA's research into improving agricultural productivity in dry areas. Once the green shoots grow their own seeds, these biological replicas will be stored in a new genetic bank ICARDA is building in Lebanon to mimic the seed collection now lying unguarded in Aleppo's conflict zone. The parent seeds will then be sent back to the Norwegian vault and donor organizations. To re-grow, store and catalogue 150,000 seeds will take time, said Machlab, but the team hopes work can one day resume inside Syria. "God willing conditions (in Aleppo) will improve and we can take our seeds and go back to carrying out scientific research which will benefit the whole world," said Soueid. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
Geneva (AFP) - Syria's opposing sides have submitted documents to the United Nations outlining broad principles for a political solution to the country's five-year civil war, the UN envoy said Tuesday.

As peace talks aimed at ending the conflict wrapped up their second day in Geneva, UN mediator Staffan de Mistura told reporters he would try to "analyse" the positions offered by the regime and opposition in a bid to find any possible common ground.

De Mistura made the comment after meeting with the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC).

"We... exchanged some papers but also ideas on how to get deeper at the next meeting on the issue of transitional processes," de Mistura said.

The UN envoy has described political transition in Syria as "the mother of all issues" facing the talks.

He gave no details concerning the documents submitted by representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom de Mistura met with on Monday.

But, the regime's lead negotiator, Bashar al-Jaafari, has previously confirmed that Damascus has outlined its general ideas for a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

In its meeting with de Mistura, the HNC also called for urgent action to address the plight of those allegedly detained by the regime.

HNC spokeswoman Basma Kodmani said the issue of detainees "is not up to negotiation," calling for Damascus to immediately release anyone illegally held.

De Mistura acknowledged that a humanitarian taskforce which has been working to distribute aid since a February 27 ceasefire came into affect had so far made no progress on the issue of detainees.

"On the detainees aspect we have been having extremely, impossibly nothing in terms of outcomes," he said, pledging to push for further action in the coming days.

The talks are set to continue on Wednesday, with de Mistura holding his second meeting with the government side.

He has said regime ally-Russia's partial withdrawal of troops from Syria could be a "positive" development for the talks, with some observers suggesting it could pressure Damascus to negotiate an end to the fighting.
After age 50, and especially at age 65, you can qualify for extra tax breaks. Older people get a bigger standard deduction, and they can earn more before they have to file a tax return at all. Workers over 50 can also defer or avoid taxes on more money using retirement and health savings accounts. Here are some ways to save money on taxes as you age.

Bigger standard deduction. The standard deduction is $7,850 for taxpayers age 65 and older in 2016, which is $1,550 more than the standard deduction for younger people. "If you don't itemize and you claim the standard deduction, there is an additional amount if you are 65 or older," says Barbara Weltman, spokeswoman for "J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2016." For married couples the standard deduction climbs by $1,250 for each spouse who was born before Jan. 2, 1951, or $15,100 if both spouses are age 65 or older.

Higher tax filing threshold. People age 65 and older can earn a gross income of up to $11,850 ($23,100 for couples both age 65 and older) before they are required to file a tax return. That's $1,550 (or $1,250 per spouse) more than the tax filing threshold for younger workers.

Property tax breaks. Property tax rules vary considerably by state and local jurisdiction. However, in some places people who are above a certain age and who also earn below a specific income level qualify for property or school tax deferrals or exemptions. "You may have to be 65 and have income below a certain amount, and not all localities do this," Weltman says.

Additional IRA deduction. Workers age 50 and older can contribute an additional $1,000 to an IRA, or a total of $6,500 in 2016. A 50-year-old worker in the 25 percent tax bracket who maxes out his IRA would save $1,625 on his current tax bill, $250 more than the maximum possible tax break of $1,375 for a younger retirement saver in the same tax bracket.

401(k) catch-up contributions. The tax savings is even bigger for older workers with access to a 401(k) plan. "Once you hit the magical age of 50, the contribution limits increase pretty substantially," says MaryAnn Monforte, a professor of accounting at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. "This is a great way to catch up on your retirement savings." Employees age 50 and older can defer paying income tax on $6,000 more than younger workers if they contribute that amount to a 401(k) plan, or a total of $24,000. An older worker in the 25 percent tax bracket who maxes out his 401(k) plan could save $6,000 on his current tax bill, $1,500 more than a younger worker in the same tax bracket could potentially save. Income tax won't be due on this money until it is withdrawn from the account.

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No more early withdrawal penalty. Younger workers who raid their retirement accounts are hit with a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty, unless the money is used for a couple of specific purposes. However, once you turn age 59 1/2, you can withdraw money from an IRA for any reason without incurring the 10 percent tax. And if you leave your job at age 55 or later, you can begin penalty-free 401(k) distributions from the account associated with the job you most recently left at that time. However, income tax will be due on withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts at any age.

Avoid tax on required minimum distributions. After age 70 1/2 you are typically required to withdraw money from your traditional retirement accounts and pay the resulting income tax bill. However, if you don't need the money, there is one way to avoid income tax on withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts. Retirees ages 70 1/2 and older who transfer any amount up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to a qualified charity will not owe income tax on the contribution. "By directly rolling over the donation to a charity you are lowering your adjusted gross income, which in turn does other good things for you, such as make less of your Social Security taxable," says Jackie Perlman, principal tax research analyst at The Tax Institute at H&R Block. "If you normally give $1,000 every year to a charity and you have a $1,000 required minimum distribution, why not just combine the two?"

Higher HSA contribution limit. Workers with high-deductible health plans can claim a tax deduction on contributions to a health savings account. Distributions from these accounts are tax-free when used to pay for qualifying medical expenses. Individuals who are age 55 or older by the end of the tax year are eligible to contribute up to $4,350 to a health savings account, $1,000 more than their younger counterparts.

Lower threshold to deduct medical expenses. Most taxpayers can deduct medical expenses on their tax return that exceed 10 percent of their adjusted gross income. However, people who are age 65 or older are eligible to deduct medical costs that are more than 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. "If it's a married couple, only one of them has to be 65 or older," Perlman says. "You could have a 67-year-old and another spouse is only 61, but they both get that break."
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries <TEVA.TA> said on Tuesday it now expects its $40.5 billion acquisition of the generic drug activities of Allergan <AGN.N> to be completed by June.

Teva <TEVA.N>, the world's biggest generic drugmaker, previously expected the deal would close by the end of the first quarter with the potential for it to be slightly delayed into April.

While significant progress has been made, "Teva now anticipates that completing the acquisition could take as long as June 2016, based upon its current estimate of the timing to obtain clearance from the United States Federal Trade Commission," it said in a statement.

Teva said it continues to work closely with the FTC to obtain U.S. regulatory approval. Last week it received regulatory approval from the European Commission for its acquisition, subject to certain divestitures.

(Reporting by Tova Cohen and Steven Scheer)
On Monday, Apollo Global Management LLC agreed to buy The Fresh Market (TFM)--which operates 180 grocery stores with an emphasis on fresh, premium food--for $1.4 billion in cash. This piece of news isnt too surprising, as the grocer announced in October it was conducting a strategic review of the company that could result in a sale or business combination. But the confrmation of a transaction reflects something else: Just how competitive the organic food market has gotten.



The behemoth in the space, Whole Foods (WFM), is down 38% in the last year, with its latest latest same-store sales clocking in down 1.8%. Meanwhile, Cerberus-controlled Albertsons has stalled its public debut, originally expected last year. Even though healthy fare is still selling better than traditional packaged goods, as Hain Celestial (HAIN) CEO Irwin Simon outlined to Yahoo Finance earlier this year, increased competition from organic grocers, traditional grocers, mass-market names like Wal-Mart (WMT) and pharmacies like Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is putting pressure on their bottom line.



The latest go-private transaction reflects just how competitive the space is right now and how difficult it is for the companies to turn around their businesses in the public eye.

Its very hard for a company to undergo a transformation while public and having to deal with shareholders on a quarterly basis, said Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman.



Value is in

The Fresh Market and Whole Foods have--the two higher priced supermarket names--have struggled to generate positive comps.

As The Fresh Market goes private, Whole Foods is stepping up its value strategy. The company is rolling out its 365 by Whole Foods Market value concept this spring in hopes of attracting a more value-oriented but still health-conscious consumer.

Apollo senior partner Andrew Jhawar highlighted the focus on improving value as an opportunity for The Fresh Market as part of the logic behind the takeover: We believe there is a significant opportunity to enhance the brand, merchandise offering and price-value combination to make The Fresh Market a primary destination for food shoppers, while at the same time being committed to social responsibility through partnerships with local vendors and communities, he said in the press release.

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The names that have worked in the healthy food space have invested in both health and price.

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) had a successful public debut in August 2013, largely based on hype surrounding its value offering. The company prices its produce at 20% less than conventional competitors.

The darling of the group is none other than Kroger (KR). The Cincinnati-based grocer in December raised its earnings forecast for the year and reported its 48th consecutive quarter of same-store-sales. The key reason for its outperformance? Pricing. Because of its robust data mining operation (helped by a 12-year partnership with analytics firm Dunnhumby that just ended) Kroger was able to optimize their pricing structure even as it was rolling out healthy and organic food offerings. They made the smart decision to cut prices aggressively to fend off competition and have been able to reduce costs with among the highest private label penetration. Additionally, they sell gasoline which drives traffic to the stores.

The bottom line: High prices arent working- even in organic. Thats one of the many reasons The Fresh Market needs to turn things around on the private side.








A spindly toad-eating spider that creates vibrational waves on the water's surface in order to navigate and capture prey has been discovered in Brisbane, Australia, scientists announced at the World Science Festival last week.

They named the fish-eating spider Dolomedes briangreenei after theoretical physicist Brian Greene, who is also co-founder of the World Science Festival where the spider was described.

"It's wonderful that this beautiful native spider, which relies on waves for its very survival, has found a namesake in a man who is one of the world's leading experts in exploring and explaining the effects of waves in our universe," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in an emailed statement, referring to gravitational waves, or ripples in the very fabric of space-time. [See Photos of Fish-Eating Spiders from Around the World]

Greene said he is "honored to be so closely associated with a spider that has its own deep affinity for waves." (Physicists announced last month they had detected for the first time such gravitational waves.)

Dolomedes briangreenei males sport bold white stripes along the sides of the head, while females have a narrower, fawn-colored stripe on either side of the head, according to the statement. The dark, leggy spider snacks on fish, frogs and tadpoles; the spider also makes a meal of the invasive cane toad, Rhinella marina, whose females can weigh up to 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilograms), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

When asked to comment on the newfound Dolomedes spider, Martin Nyffeler, a senior lecturer of zoology at the University of Basel in Switzerland, who was not involved in this new research, told Live Science: "The spiders in the genus Dolomedes are spiders of fairly large size, which often reach a live weight of up to 2 grams. These spiders are known to kill fish, frogs, toads, lizards and even small snakes."

Dolomedes spiders can take down such large prey  up to 4.5 times their own weight, according to Nyffeler  by first using their long legs to lunge at a victim, biting the prey with its chelicerae, or the spider's mouthparts, Nyffeler said. "Many other spiders chelicerae are not that strong," he added in an email. The Dolomedes spider then injects powerful neurotoxins into its prey.

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Spiders in the Dolomedes genus are members of the Pisauridae family, which is related to another spider family with a big appetite: Lycosidae. Two Australian wolf spiders in the Lycosidae family (Lycosa lapidosa and Lycosa obscuroides) are known to take down cane toads, he said.

"Both families belong to the superfamily Lycosoidea, which does contain numerous powerful species capable of devouring frogs and toads. I assume that the cane toads killed by such spiders might be rather smaller-sized juveniles, but I don't know this," Nyffeler wrote.

Not only do they go big for dinner, the water spiders are also strong swimmers and can even propel themselves across the surface of the water with their two middle leg pairs.

"When disturbed or hauling in captured fish, they will plunge through the surface of the water and swim quickly to hide on the bottom," Robert Raven, Queensland Museum arachnologist, said in the statement.

The World Science Festival Brisbane, where big thinkers and artists from around the world celebrate "the beauty and complexity of science," according to the WSF, ran from March 913; the festival in New York City will kick off on June 1.

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.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp is set to drop plans to seek about $1.8 billion in additional loans as its planned sale of a medical unit will likely provide it with enough funds for the time being, sources familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

Toshiba was seeking around 200 billion yen ($1.76 billion) from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank to fund a restructuring in the wake of a $1.3 billion accounting scandal, separate sources said earlier this month.

Toshiba last week said it granted Canon Inc exclusive negotiating rights to buy its medical equipment unit after a hotly contested auction, with one source with knowledge of the talks putting Canon's offer at more than $6 billion.

(Reporting by Taro Fuse; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- In a presidential campaign where candidates are clamoring to be the next 21 st century leader, the Democratic contenders here are battling about a decades-old issue: trade.

The deals may have been crafted years ago, but Bernie Sanders' speeches to Ohio voters are filled with an alphabet soup of trade agreements that continue to anger displaced Ohio workers. There's NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), PNTR (Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China), and MFN (Most Favored Nation trading status for China). And Sanders is hoping he can tap that anger to score another upset win against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, whose husband and former president is inexorably tied to free trade deals. Ohio, his campaign hopes, could be a repeat of Michigan, which the Vermont s enator won narrowly.

"It's time to end our disastrous trade policies ... and tell corporate America it's time to start investing in this country, not China," Sanders told a Democratic state party dinner in Columbus Sunday night. "It's time to raise the minimum wage in this country to a living wage, fifteen bucks an hour!"

The line plays well at Sanders' rallies, especially among his base of young voters who are finding themselves underemployed and laden with college debt. "We need more prosperity for all, not just for a few," says 29-year-old Josh Elliott, who works as an assistant manager at a deli. Clinton, he says, "is the same old status quo."

There's a buoyancy to the Sanders campaign these days, and its code name is Michigan. Having been behind by double digits in the polls, Sanders pulled out a narrow win in the Wolverine State, winning strong majorities of young people and middle-income people that offset Clinton's dominance among older and minority voters. And while Clinton remains well ahead in the delegate race, politicos wonder: could Ohio go the way of Michigan -- giving the Sanders campaign some hope and at the least, dragging out the nomination process?

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"I think it's a wake-up call" for Clinton, driving her to "go harder and heavier for Ohio," says Ohio State University political science professor Paul Beck. Ohio's economy and demographics have much in common with Michigan, experts note, suggesting Sanders' populist message could resonate among voters in this critical state.

Polls are widely divergent, with from this month alone showing Clinton leading Sanders by as few as nine points and by as many as 30.

Both Hillary and former President Bill Clinton have successes and relationships in the state -- Hillary won the 2008 primary here by nearly 10 points, and the former president won the state in both the 1992 and 1996 elections. But there are signs from within Ohio and from the Michigan results that the 2016 candidate Clinton needs to fight harder for the Buckeye State.

Expanded trade, a defining issue of Bill Clinton's presidency, has left a sour taste in the mouths of many Ohio voters who have seen their jobs disappear or move overseas. Whether globalization was inevitable is of little solace to those who blame NAFTA for their unemployment, experts and individual voters say.

Clinton is pushing back aggressively on the trade issue, explaining her position and slamming Sanders for what she says was insufficient support for the auto industry bailout that was popular in Michigan . That charge has been vehemently denied by the Sanders campaign, which notes that Sanders was a strong supporter of the initial auto industry rescue (which failed in Congress) but opposed a broader Wall Street bailout that included cash for the auto industry.

 Clinton, meanwhile, strove mightily to explain her own checkered record on trade. She championed the NAFTA agreement her husband brokered, voted against CAFTA as a senator, called the pending global Trans-Pacific Partnership the "gold standard" of trade agreements when she was secretary of state, but has since come out against it.

At Sunday's dinner, which typically would be a mere pep talk to loyal Democrats, Clinton went through her trade-and-jobs record point by point, explaining that she changed her mind on the TPP after examining the details and deeming it bad for workers. "If I am fortunate enough to be your president, I will stand with you, and I will have your back, and I will stop dead in its tracks any trade deal that hurts America and American workers," she declared.

Ohio is important to Clinton but more so for Sanders. A loss here for Clinton would slow her momentum, but the lagging Sanders is under more pressure to show he can win big states.

Michigan's exit polls, in fact, show Clinton's weaknesses in a state like Ohio. Sanders beat Clinton by a 60-38 percent margin among people who cited income inequality a s the most important issue. A full 57 percent of Michigan Democratic voters said trade was more likely to kill U.S. jobs rather than create them -- and of that group, 56 percent went for Sanders, and 41 percent voted for Clinton.

The former secretary of state's image as being more pro-big business and pro-Wall Street than Sanders appeared to hurt her even on an issue she worked hard to highlight: the water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan . Overwhelmingly, voters said more regulation was the right response, but of that group, 53 percent said Sanders was the better steward of that approach, compared to 44 percent who said Clinton would be the best choice. And that was after Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, who endorsed Clinton had openly complained that Sanders had not reached out to her about the water quality crisis.

Even Clinton's strongest demographic advantage -- her overwhelming support from African-American voters -- was weaker in Michigan than it had been in other states. And when asked who should be trusted to handle race relations, only 17 percent said "only Clinton," and 26 percent said "only Sanders" (52 percent said both).

Clinton's supporters (and even those Democrats who have remained neutral) say Clinton needn't worry too much about those indicators, especially if -- as they largely believe -- she goes on to win the nomination.

"She's still won 70 percent of the delegates. I feel good about Tuesday, and I think she's going to be the nominee," says Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, whose endorsement of Clinton is particularly valuable since he has opposed the locally unpopular trade deals.

Democrats, adds the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has not endorsed anyone in the primary, "are going to unite under a big tent" in the fall. If a Republican is elected president, "they will undermine 50 years of progress," Jackson added. In Ohio, Democrats continue to fight over the past.

Susan Milligan is a political and foreign affairs writer and contributed to a biography of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, "Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy." Follow her on Twitter: @MilliganSusan
Former rivals-turned-allies Donald Trump and Chris Christie brought their brand of brash, New York-area telling it like it is to North Carolina on Monday in an attempt to win more evangelical votes ahead of its primary.

Trump and Christie bandied about serious insults while campaigning against each other, until the New Jersey governor dropped out of the 2016 White House race and endorsed the real estate mogul last month. They appeared on stage Monday morning at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C., to bash socialism, praise Christianity and rationalize the mounting anger of Trumps supporters on the campaign trail.

The conversation comes amid controversy surrounding the escalating violence at Trump events, including attacks on journalists and scuffles between supporters and protesters. The businessman brushed off the violence as an imaginary non-issue.

Theres no violence. You know how many people have been hurt at our rallies? I think, like, basically none, Trump said to the crowd. Other than I guess, maybe somebody got hit once or something, but theres no violence.

A few of the incidents have made headlines: On February 29, a Secret Service officer working Trumps security choke-slammed a Time magazine photographer. On March 8, a Breitbart News reporter was roughed up backstage as she was questioning Trump. On March 9, a Trump fan sucker-punched a protester.

Trump complimented himself several times for having the foresight to call off his Friday night rally in Chicago. The real estate tycoon blamed supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for the unrest and did not acknowledge that his incendiary rhetoric and radical policy proposals may have contributed to the heightened tension.

Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, right, at the Lenoir-Rhyne University event on Monday. (Photo: Chuck Burton/AP)

So rather than fighting in Chicago, I did something that was a good move, a good decision, because I dont want to see anyone be hurt, Trump said. And weve been given so much credit for that decision. Nobody hurt but because of that people say, Was there violence? Theres no violence. Theres a love fest. These are love fests.

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Several times, protesters in the Lenoir-Rhyne University audience heckled Trump, but were drowned out by chants of Trump! and USA! as they were escorted from the building.

Let him go, Trump said of one protester. Hell go back home to Mom, and shell be angry with him.

After another outburst, Trump accused Democrats of sending people to disrupt his events because  according to Trump  his campaign is a phenomenon without precedent in American history.

Were taking from the Democrats. Remember the Democrats for Reagan? We have it bigger, he said. Were taking also from Independents big league, and were taking from people that have never, ever voted before  and theyre 50 years old in some cases.

Trump also said that many high-ranking members of the Republican Party are calling him and inquiring about how they can get on the Trump train because this train is unbelievable. Despite this claim, the Republican establishment has had an uneasy relationship with Trump at best. He even canceled a scheduled speech at American Conservative Unions 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this month at the last minute.

As expected, Trump played to the Evangelical Lutheran gathering by affirming his faith and flaunting his endorsement from Liberty Universitys president, Jerry Falwell Jr.

Donald Trump, left, talks with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at a rally at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C., on Monday. (Photo: Chuck Burton/AP)



Well Im a good Christian, I will tell you. I am a good [Christian], and Im a believer, he said. One of the things  and speaking, Chris, of Christian  they are chipping away at the Second Amendment, and thats not gonna happen anymore. And theyre chipping away at Christianity, folks. They are chipping away big league. Big league!

Students cheered as Trump vowed to defend Christianity from political correctness. He argued that their religion has been singled out as open for censure.

Why is it that Christianity seems to be taken advantage of? With other religions, with other places, if you said things that you [say about Christianity], you couldnt do it. You can almost say whatever you want about Christianity, he said.

Trump said that Christians are the biggest group in the United States and potentially the most powerful. Under a Trump presidency, he said, Christians will get their voices back, because he will bring [the issue] up big.

Hey, look, were going to say Merry Christmas at Christmastime, folks. Remember that. So I really mean that. You go into stores now, its Christmas, and you dont see Merry Christmas anymore. Even if you say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for people. And everybody wants it. I have many friends who arent Christian, and they like to say Merry Christmas.

Later in the discussion, Christie praised Trump as one of the greatest capitalists in American history and asked why its important for the United States to keep embracing capitalism and not turn to socialism like Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are talking about.

According to Trump, Americans have no incentive to do a great job anymore. He said Sanders vision of democratic socialism is unrealistic and would require crushing taxation.

Your taxes are gonna go up to 95 percent or something. If you were going to do all of the stuff, somebodys going to pay it. Its probably going to be you, folks. Get used to it, he said. But your taxes go up to 95 percent, and once you hit 100 percent, then you go from socialism to communism, and then the other things start to happen.



Related video:
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to speak at the annual Policy Conference hosted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee next weekend  a move that has stirred up critics of both Trump and AIPAC.

The AIPAC conference, which offered speaking slots to all of the viable presidential candidates, will be held from March 20 to 22, overlapping with a Republican debate scheduled for March 21. The time slot in which Trump will speak has not been released yet, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Trump will skip the next debate  he has said publicly that he does not believe the GOP needs any more of them.

Related: Heres What Happens If Trump Wins Ohio

Appearing at AIPAC will require Trump to clarify his muddy position on how he would deal with the generations-long struggle to find peace between Israelis and Palestinians who are seeking a homeland of their own in the Middle East.

Earlier in the campaign, Trump said that he would prefer to approach negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian authority as a disinterested third party.

Let me be kind of a neutral guy, he said during a town hall event sponsored by MSNBC last month. You understand a lot of people have gone down in flames trying to make that deal. So I dont want to say whose fault it is  I dont think that helps.

Trumps Republican opponents for the presidential nomination immediately pounced on his comments, suggesting that he had just said that he would not be fully supportive of Israel. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio went as far as to suggest that it is impossible to negotiate with the Palestinian authority at all, because they cannot be trusted.

Related: TrumpCare Would Cut Coverage to 21 Million, Cost up to $500 Billion, Study Says

In a subsequent presidential debate, Trump claimed "First of all, there is nobody on this stage who is more pro-Israel than I am, before mentioning, for the umpteenth time, that he was once the Grand Marshal of New Yorks Israeli Day Parade.

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However, not all American Jews are happy with the campaign Trump is waging  and for many its not questions about the strength of his support for Israel that worry them. Its his bigotry. Leaders of the Reform Judaism movement in the U.S. put out a statement saying that, while they understand that AIPAC seeks to hear from all the main presidential contenders, we cannot ignore the many issues on which Mr. Trump has spoken clearly. When he speaks hatefully of Mexicans or Muslims, for example, we recall a time when anti-Semitism put Jews at deathly danger, even in the United States.

Without offering specifics, they said the Reform Movement and our leaders will engage with Mr. Trump at the AIPAC Policy Conference in a way that affirms our nation's democracy and our most cherished Jewish values. We will find an appropriate and powerful way to make our voices heard.

Related: Not So Fast, Donald: Fox Will Host Another GOP Debate

Rob Eshman, editor-in-chief of the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles and publisher of TRIBE Media, took AIPAC to task on his blog, particularly noting Trumps rhetorical attacks on Muslims and Hispanics.

Bigotry is bigotry. Racism is racism, he wrote. A demagogue willing to defame or threaten an entire religion or nationality just to rile up voters could easily redirect his venom to some other group when the time is ripe. Thats the line Trump crossed. He is creating an atmosphere and a precedent for winning votes by fanning hate and discord. The near-riots last weekend at Trump rallies in Chicago and St. Louis show what will happen in a Trump America  and what might happen at the AIPAC conference.

By giving Trump a platform without taking a stand on outright hate speech, AIPAC is helping to fuel this discord. Thats the core moral mistake AIPAC is making.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
By Colleen Jenkins WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - A North Carolina sheriff's office said on Monday it would not charge Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump or his campaign with "inciting a riot" at a rally in the state last week. North Carolina is one of five states holding Republican and Democratic primary elections on Tuesday in the race to select candidates for November's U.S. presidential election. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, based in Fayetteville, earlier had said it was reviewing whether Trump or his campaign incited a disturbance at a rally last Wednesday. At the rally in Fayettsville, John McGraw, a 78-year-old white Trump supporter, was arrested on a misdemeanour assault charge after he was seen on video punching a 26-year-old black protester in the face. On Monday evening, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement it would not seek a warrant or indictment for Trump or his campaign over the incident. "The Sheriff's Office legal counsel advised, and the Sheriff concurred, that the evidence does not meet the requisites of the law as established under the relevant North Carolina statute and case law to support a conviction of the crime of inciting a riot," the office said. In North Carolina, "inciting to riot" is a legal charge that can apply to a public disturbance and does not necessarily involve a full-scale riot. The offence can be classified as a misdemeanour or a more serious felony. During a trip on Monday to North Carolina, Trump rejected suggestions that his language was to blame for recent clashes at his rallies. The 69-year-old New Yorker leads a field of four Republican candidates vying for the party's presidential nomination. (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
(This version of the story was corrected to change Waurishuk statement to say "willing" not "happy" in paragraph 10) By Mark Hosenball and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump acknowledged on Tuesday he does not yet have a foreign policy team, and three former U.S. military and intelligence officials who have endorsed him are little known in either the Republican Party or the wider foreign policy community. The New York billionaire, who had promised to name his foreign policy and national security advisers last month, told MSNBC that he has met with people but made no decision yet on who to advise him on global affairs. Asked whether he had a team, Trump said on Tuesday: "Yes, there is a team. Well, there's not a team. I'm going to be forming a team at the appropriate time. I've met with far more than three people." Trump has given hints of the kind of advisor he would hire to promote his national security policy, much of which is focused on cracking down on Islamic State. He also promises to gut global trade deals and build a wall on the Mexican border to halt illegal immigration. Asked during a debate last week who he trusts on national security, Trump had warm words for three men with world views that differ from one another: former diplomat Richard Haass and retired U.S. Army officers Gen. Jack Keane and Col. Jack Jacobs. And on his campaign website last month, Trump announced that he had received endorsements in Florida from two "top national security experts." Foreign policy experts say they know little about those Trump supporters. They are Gary Berntsen, a former senior CIA officer, and retired Colonel James Waurishuk, a one-time deputy chief of intelligence for U.S. Central Command during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who also once served on the National Security Council staff. "These people are not well known in foreign policy circles...I never heard of any of them," said Harvard professor and former Kennedy School of Government dean Joseph Nye. BUSH SNUB Waurishuk said on Tuesday he would have been willing to give advice if asked, by any presidential candidate, including Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Apart from Trump, however, Waurishuk said that the only other candidate he had contact with was Republican Jeb Bush, who he says snubbed him when they met at an event in 2014. Bush "ignored me and walked away," Waurishuk said. Former CIA officer Berntsen is perhaps the best known of the three endorsers. A participant in efforts to hunt down Osama bin Laden, he later wrote a book entitled "Jawbreaker, The Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda." According to The Hill newspaper, one of its contributors, J.D. Gordon, has also endorsed Trump. Gordon is a former Navy commander officer and former Pentagon spokesman. On Tuesday, Trump described U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama, as someone he would consider for his team, adding that he would make a decision "in due time." Sessions is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and one of the few senior mainstream Republicans to endorse Trump. Sessions is not known as one of the partys leading foreign policy voices in the Senate. He opposes comprehensive immigration reform and supports tight border security measures. On Tuesday, Trump, dismissed criticism that his harsh rhetoric would damage America's standing in the world. Foreign diplomats from Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia have expressed alarm to U.S. government officials about Trump, calling his public statements inflammatory and insulting. The businessman shot back, saying diplomats are upset over his tough stance on trade and returning jobs to the United States as he seeks the party's nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election. "Every country is ripping us off in trade, and other things. And they know that won't happen with me. I'm going to bring trade back, I'm going to bring our jobs back," Trump told Fox News. (Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alistair Bell)
By Nick Carey (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has effectively split the conservative Tea Party movement, as his fiery campaign draws in followers of the group who had been expected to line up behind Ted Cruz, a more consistent champion of small government. As the Republican race moves to the crucial battlegrounds of Ohio and Florida among three other states on Tuesday, Tea Party support promises to help Trump's campaign offset its relative lack of on-the-ground organization compared to Texas Senator Cruz, his closest rival nationally. Having loyal Tea Party supporters could also help him fend off moves to block his nomination at the Republican National Convention in July if he falls short of the threshold of 1,237 delegates that would guarantee him the party's candidacy. A Reuters review of Trump's list of 66 Ohio delegates -- who would represent him at the nominating convention if he wins the primary and provide crucial support in the event of a contested convention -- found that 28 are Tea Party leaders, members or are otherwise linked to the movement, including officials who have been featured speakers at Tea Party events. Using the same benchmark, 27 of Cruz's delegates have links with the grassroots group, which sprang to national prominence in 2009 on anger over government bailouts, and demands for tax cuts and less intrusive government. Despite Trump's mixed record as a conservative, the real estate moguls promises to shake up Washington, throw out illegal immigrants and tear up "unfair" trade deals have won over many influential Tea Party followers, according to interviews with activists across more than a dozen states. "Trump has never asked me for a dime and being self funded he's the only one that can blow up the Republican Party establishment," said Ralph King, a Trump delegate and member of the Cleveland Tea Party. "If the primaries result in a contested convention, I'm in his corner all the way." (Graphic showing Trump Ohio delegates with Tea Party links:http://tmsnrt.rs/1Xr3aZw) TAPPING TEA PARTY EMOTIONS Recent polls have shown Trump performing well among voters who identified as Tea Party supporters. A Feb. 29 CNN poll had 56 percent of Tea Partiers favoring Trump compared to 16 percent for Cruz. A March 9 Quinnipiac University poll had Trump leading Cruz 48 percent to 40 percent among Tea Party voters in Florida, while Cruz led Trump with 38 percent to Trump's 33 percent in Ohio. "Trump has tapped into Tea Party emotions, gaining the support of many of the most hacked off and motivated voters out there," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell. "It was a brilliant move." The influence of the amorphous Tea Party has waned nationally, but it remains a potent force in many states through its thousands of committed grassroots activists. For conservative purists, Cruz checks all the right ideological boxes of limited government and lower taxes. Trump, on the other hand, says he would maintain government programs such as Social Security and has called for higher taxes on the most wealthy Americans. In 2008, he voiced support for the government's rescue package for major banks. After Trump's strong showing in a string of states on "Super Tuesday" last month, Jenny Beth Martin -- co-founder of a national umbrella group called Tea Party Patriots - lambasted him as a conservative of convenience. "Trump is about love of himself. But the Tea Party is about love of country and the love of our Constitution," she said at this month's Conservative Political Action Conference. Ned Ryun, founder of American Majority, a group that trains conservative grassroots activists, said Trump's outsider persona is key to his appeal to Tea Party activists. "Cruz people feel they can work within the status quo," said Ryun. "Trump people say screw the status quo, we're sick of it." COURTING ACTIVISTS, DELEGATES The billionaire has quietly maintained contacts with the movement since at least 2011, when he was flirting with a presidential run in the 2012 election. More recently he has courted activists, focusing on prospective delegates. Trump broadened his appeal among Tea Party members in January when he secured the endorsement of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who commands strong loyalty among many in the movement. At the South Carolina Tea Party convention in January 2015 in Myrtle Beach, Trump spent 45 minutes with eight Tea Party activists, test-marketing themes like immigration, according to attendees. The effort brought converts. One of those present, Gerri McDaniel, ran Trump's grassroots efforts in South Carolina. Another, Jeanne Seaver, did the same in Georgia. He won both states' primaries. Atlanta Tea Party co-founder Debbie Dooley also attended that meeting and aims to be a Trump delegate. On the first ballot of the Republican convention in July she would be obliged to back him, but says she would continue to back him if voting goes to a second round when delegates become free to vote for whichever candidate they choose. "I'll back Trump to hell and back," Dooley said. In Michigan, New Hampshire and Nevada, Trump's successful efforts were helped by state directors formerly employed by Americans for Prosperity, a group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers that has courted Tea Party groups for years. His Florida field director Ken Mayo held the same post at Americans for Prosperity. Trump tapped a local Tea Party leader -- Rob Scott -- to run his campaign in Ohio. Of Trump's 21 delegates from New Hampshire -- the first primary he won -- 13 have Tea Party links or affiliations. Delegate lists for Florida and Michigan -- another state that votes on Tuesday -- are not yet available because those states pick delegates at conventions after their primaries. In Ohio, candidates submit delegate lists in advance. Trump still trails Cruz on get-out-the-vote efforts, strategists and activists say. June Pitts, a Tea Party activist in Illinois, said in previous elections she has worked at campaign offices. But Trump doesn't have one in Chicago, so Pitts is making calls herself ahead of the state's March 15 vote. In Tiffin, Ohio, Trump delegate Jim Green said he spent $700 of his own money on yard signs before the campaign began sending him paraphernalia for free. Glenn Newman, a Trump delegate and activist in southeastern Ohio, has also been left to his own devices. Trump's campaign "is being put together like a puppy chasing a pickup truck," Newman said. "They're just playing catch-up." (Additional reporting by Justin Madden and Amy Tennery; editing by Stuart Grudgings)
When Donald Trump talks, he doesn't sound like an ordinary presidential candidate. His sentences are fragmented. He jumps around. On paper, his words appear garbled.

But there may be a good reason why this seeming incoherence hasn't hurt Trump in the Republican run for the presidential nomination: Trump's talk mirrors typical conversation, bolstering his status as an honest outsider.

"[Trump's] unique rhetorical style may come off as incoherent and unintelligible when we compare it with the organized structure of other candidates' answers," Georgetown University linguist Jennifer Sclafani told Live Science. "On the other hand, his conversational style may also help construct an identity for him as authentic, relatable and trustworthy, which are qualities that voters look for in a presidential candidate." [Quiz: Bizarre Presidential Elections]

Talking Trump

Trump's style is different from that of most modern public speakers. He has an especially repetitive style, University of Pennsylvania linguist Mark Liberman has pointed out on the blog Language Log. In a December post, Liberman excerpted a sample of an interview with Trump in which he was asked how to defeat the Islamic State group. Trump's response included variations of the phrase "bomb all these sites" three times in quick succession:

Well, if I were president, we probably wouldn't be in the problems we have right now,

because it's incredible  we have an attack, and then all of a sudden, we bomb all these sites. Why didn't we bomb the sites before? We should have bombed the sites a long time ago.

Trump's vocabulary is also less diverse than other candidates', Liberman found, and his repetition tendency is a major cause of that. Trump also uses short verb phrases, which seem simplistic on their face, Sclafani said. She cited an example about immigration from the Feb. 25 Republican debate, in which Trump said:

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But, we either have a country, or we don't have a country. We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out. They will come back  some will come back, the best, through a process. They have to come back legally. They have to come back through a process  and it may not be a very quick process, but I think that's very fair, and very fine.

Germanic verb phrases like "come in," "go out" and "come back," are shorter and lighter than Latin-derived alternatives like "immigrate" and "deport," which Trump avoids, Sclafani said. But those simple phrases allow for parallel constructions like, "They will go out. They will come back"  which mirrors the parallel, "We either have a country, or we don't have a country."

"Despite the lack of logical coherence in his response, the simplicity and rhetorical structure of his statements may be appealing on another level," Sclafani said. [Oh Snap: 10 Memorable Political One-Liners]

An outsider's voice

Trump's rhetoric stands in sharp contrast to that of his opponents. Take this now-infamous tidbit from the March 3 Republican debate in Detroit, when Trump responded to a question about fellow candidate Marco Rubio attacking him personally in the preceding days:

Well, I also happened to call him a lightweight, OK? And I have said that. So I would like to take that back. He is really not that much of a lightweight. And as far as  and I have to say this, I have to say this. He hit my hands. Nobody has ever hit my hands. I have never heard of this. Look at those hands. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands  if they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you, there is no problem. I guarantee.

In contrast, Rubio started with a classic politician's segue when asked about the back-and-forth insults between he and Trump. "Yes, you know, Bret, let me say something," he began, addressing the moderator. He then launched into a relatively smooth speech, with only one false start:

This campaign  for the last year, Donald Trump has basically mocked everybody with personal attacks. He has done so to people that are sitting on the stage today. He has done so about people that are disabled. He has done it about every candidate in this race.

So if there is anyone who has ever deserved to be attacked that way, it has been Donald Trump, for the way he has treated people in the campaign.

On paper, Rubio looks a lot more coherent than Trump. But this kind of communication isn't how people talk every day, Sclafani said.

"If you listen carefully to the type of conversation among friends you might overhear in a cafe, their utterances will be full of incomplete sentences, abrupt topic shifts and non-sequiturs [unconnected statements]," she said.

Another, former outsider candidate, Sarah Palin (John McCain's running mate from the 2008 election) has a similar jumpy style, Sclafani said. But Palin's Alaska accent might make people more likely to think of her as mentally slow, she said, while Trump's rapid New York cadence may make him seem smarter. Trump is also a brand, Sclafani said, and his mode of speech is part of his image.

"He comes off as the same type of person in the political sphere as he did in the reality TV/business sphere," she said, "which works toward his image as authentic and trustworthy."

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ottawa (AFP) - A Canadian man claimed to have acted on orders from Allah when he stabbed soldiers at a recruiting center in Toronto, authorities said Tuesday.

Ayanle Hassan Ali, 27, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon.

The attack took place in a government office building Monday, more than two years after Islamists killed two soldiers in Ottawa and in rural Quebec.

Ali is alleged to have entered the building and without provocation stabbed a soldier in the arm at the reception desk, then sought to wound a second soldier before he was subdued.

The suspect was overheard saying at the scene of the attack, "Allah told me to do this, Allah told me to kill people," Toronto police chief Mark Saunders told reporters.

He appears to have acted alone, Saunders said.

Toronto police have asked federal prosecutors and security agencies for help in determining if there is a link to organized extremist movements.

"The investigation's incredibly early, there has to be a lot of analysis that has to be done so we can give a full and proper picture as to what exactly motivated this act," Saunders explained.

"At this point in time, the charges that we've laid are criminal."

Few details were released concerning the suspect, who was born in Montreal and settled in Toronto in 2011.

"He has family, I'm not sure exactly where they're located," Saunders said.

Following his arrest, the suspect was taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation, and was scheduled to make a brief court appearance later Tuesday.

Neither victim was seriously wounded, police said.

- 'Islamophobia nonsense' -

The stabbing in Toronto is reminiscent of two separate incidents in October 2014 when a gunman shot dead a ceremonial guard in Ottawa, then stormed parliament, and another man killed a Canadian soldier in a hit-and-run in rural Quebec.

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The attacks by radicalized Canadians occurred days apart and set Canada on a war-footing, while sowing fear across the nation.

Canada had already sent fighter jets to join a US-led coalition launching air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

But after the attacks, a defiant prime minister Stephen Harper extended the mission and dramatically expanded the powers and reach of Canada's spy agency, allowing it to operate overseas for the first time.

It was later revealed that in the weeks before the October 2014 attacks, authorities were concerned about IS urging sympathizers in the West to "launch attacks against members of law enforcement from countries fighting its troops."

"Canadians and the Canadian forces will not be intimidated by terror or hate," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who took office in November and ordered Canada's fighter jets home.

Saunders, meanwhile, urged Canadians not to jump to conclusions before the police investigation is completed.

"One of the things that I want to be very, very careful of when it comes to national security (is) that we don't go through that Islamophobia nonsense," he said.

"I don't want this (act of a lone individual) categorizing a large group of people, that will be very unfair and very inaccurate."
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The man who allegedly shot and wounded three Chicago police officers before he was killed by police on Monday was a convicted felon with a history of gun crimes, the department said on Tuesday.

Two of the police officers have been released from the hospital while a third was still being treated but listed in good condition, after the exchange of gunfire on Monday.

The suspected gunman was Lamar Harris, 29, who had been arrested a total of 43 times and convicted of five felonies and two misdemeanors, said Chicago Police Department spokesman Kevin Quaid. Harris was a documented gang member and his most recent conviction was in 2012 for unaggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting a police officer causing injury, Quaid said.

The policemen were wounded late on Monday while chasing Harris during a drug investigation, the Chicago Police Department said. Police said Harris opened fire on the officers who then shot and killed him.

Police declined to identify the three officers.

The incident comes as the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the Chicago police's use of force, including deadly force, following the death of a black teenager in a 2014 police shooting.

Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in November, 13 months after having shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in an incident captured on a police squad car dashboard video.

The release of the video sparked protests and led to the firing of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy in December. The city has yet to find a permanent replacement.

Eight people were fatally shot and 22 wounded by Chicago police in 2015. In 2014, 34 people were shot and 17 people were killed by police gunfire in Chicago, according to the Independent Police Review Authority, a body that oversees the Chicago police.

A day before Monday's shooting in Chicago, a police officer in Prince George's County Maryland died in a "friendly fire" incident after a man with a history of mental illness began shooting outside a police station as his two brothers videotaped the action.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Scott Malone, Tom Brown and Chris Reese)
Washington (AFP) - Police in Michigan say an Uber driver who carried out a shooting spree last month told investigators that the ride-sharing app forced him to commit murder, US media reported Monday.

Police charged Jason Dalton, 45, with killing six people and wounding two during his rampage in the city of Kalamazoo, 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Detroit.

Dalton confessed to the murders, saying the smartphone app instructed him where to go to shoot victims after taking over his "mind and body," the Detroit Free Press reported, citing police reports obtained through a public records request.

City officials did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation.

Dalton told police that upon opening the Uber app, he saw a symbol resembling a devil's head and "that's when all the problems started," the newspaper reported.

The app "would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body," investigators reported Dalton as saying, the paper said.

Dalton carried out the shootings outside an apartment complex, a restaurant and a car dealership between driving customers for Uber during a five-hour period.

The police reports also said that after the car Dalton had planned to use failed to start, he took another that left his wife without transportation.

Speaking to her at his parents' house after the first shooting, he warned she would not be able to return to work and that their children could not go back to school -- and that she would understand why by watching television news, the paper reported.

Investigators say they are still trying to determine a motive.

A judge has ordered Dalton, a former insurance adjuster, to undergo a mental competency exam, prosecutors said earlier this month.

He faces a mandatory life sentence in prison without parole.

Mass shootings -- in which at least four people are killed or injured -- take place almost daily in the United States, with 330 deaths recorded last year.

The Kalamazoo shooting spree prompted President Barack Obama to urge governors to fight gun violence.

However, Republican lawmakers, many of whom are backed by the powerful National Rifle Association lobby group, have blocked Obama's attempt to pass gun control legislation.
The Uber driver charged in last months deadly shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Mich., told detectives that he was possessed by the Uber app on his cellphone and didnt recall randomly killing six people.

It has the ability to take you over, Jason Dalton told detectives in the hours after he was arrested.

The suspects bizarre comments are revealed in reports filed by two detectives who interrogated Dalton. Kalamazoo authorities released a transcript of the interview among 138 pages of records on Monday in response to a freedom of information requests made by Yahoo News and other media outlets.

Uber driver Jason Dalton, suspected of killing six people and wounding two others, is seen on closed circuit television during his arraignment on Feb. 22. (Kalamazoo County Court/Handout via Reuters TV)

Police admitted in the aftermath of the Feb. 20 rampage that they were puzzled by what motivated Dalton, 45, to fire on strangers over the course of five hours. In addition to the six killed, two other people were injured in the shootings that occurred outside an apartment complex, in a Cracker Barrel restaurant parking lot and at a car lot.

Dalton, a married father of two, told investigators that his problems started after a satanic figure revealed itself to him through the Uber app on his iPhone.

Dalton described the devil figure as a horned cow head or something like that and then it would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body, Det. William Moorian wrote in his report.

Jason Dalton's Interview With Kalamazoo Police by Jason Sickles, Yahoo News

The Kalamazoo shooting victims ranged in age from 14 to 74.

Dalton told detectives that he just recently started driving for Uber to pick up some extra spending cash. The ride-hailing service says Dalton cleared a background check and was approved to be a driver on Jan. 25. He had given slightly more than 100 rides.

The suspect refused to answer investigators questions several times but eventually relented when Moorian again asked what was going through his mind when he shot a father and teenage son who were shopping for a used truck.

Dalton said that if we only knew, it would blow our mind, Moorian wrote. Dalton then explains that how when he opens up the Uber taxi app a symbol appeared and he recognized that symbol as the Eastern Star symbol. Dalton said he wishes he would have never spoken what that symbol was when he saw it on his phone.

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In the report, Dalton describes to investigators how a symbol on the app would change colors from red to black. It is almost like artificial intelligence can tap into your body, Dalton told them during the interview.

Dalton, who worked as an insurance adjuster, told detectives that Uber requires all drivers to have a 2007 model car or newer so that the app can connect to the car. You can actually feel the presence on you, he said of the app.

Dalton was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a loaded 9mm handgun when officers pulled him over and took him into custody. Dalton, who told detectives he owned several firearms, said the Uber app made him carry the gun and wear the vest on the day of the killings.

Dalton proceeded to tell us that he couldnt imagine when he had bought them all that he would use them in this manner, according to Moorians report. Dalton then said that is why he is trying to tell us it is like an artificial presence.

Jason Dalton Police Search Warrant Returns by Jason Sickles, Yahoo News

Police recovered 11 long guns, two handguns and various ammunition, among other things, when they searched Dalton's home, according the records released. From Dalton's car, investigators found five spent 9mm shell casings.

Multiple times Dalton told investigators that he couldnt remember killing anyone and only recalled being at the Cracker Barrel after the fact. With his right arm extended and his hand in the shape of a gun, Dalton admitted recollecting the feeling of the firearm recoil at Cracker Barrel.

Dalton said he remembered the pop, pop, pop of the gun, Det. Cory Ghiringhelli wrote in his report.

A judge earlier this month ordered Dalton to undergo a mental competency exam before he proceeds to trial on 16 charges  including six counts of murder, two of attempted murder and eight felony gun counts. During the interview, Dalton told detectives that he doesnt drink or smoke or take psychiatric medication.

Dalton then told us he is not a killer and he knows that he has killed, Ghiringhelli wrote.

He expressed remorse on several occasions during the interview  specifically when investigators informed him that his victims included 17-year-old Tyler Smith, whose girlfriend witnessed the killing of Tyler and his father, Richard Smith, from the back seat of her boyfriends SUV.

I didnt mean to kill him; Im sorry for what happened there, he said.

Dalton said that he is sad for the people that have been killed and that he is sad for his family that they are going to have to hear all of this, Moorian wrote.

Jason Sickles is a national reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickles).
London (AFP) - Britain has no plans to extend bombing or send troops to Libya, the defence ministry said in a statement Tuesday, after a committee of lawmakers said the nation could deploy a force of 1,000.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee had said that Britain could be part of a 6,000-strong international force in Libya, which has been riven with unrest since the fall of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was expected to agree Britain's contribution to the force at a conference in Europe this week, the committee added.

But a government spokeswoman said that the Foreign Affairs Committee was "wrong on a number of counts."

"There are no plans to extend airstrikes to Libya nor are there plans to send British troops to provide security on the ground in Libya," the spokeswoman said.

"It is therefore also wrong to suggest the Defence Secretary will agree any UK contribution this week."

Western countries have agreed that action is needed to dislodge Islamic State (IS) jihadists from Libya but world powers say they want a national unity government to request help before formally intervening.

On Saturday, Libya's UN-backed unity government said it was taking office despite lacking parliamentary approval, with its US and European allies urging it to move to Tripoli and begin governing.

The allies also warned they would impose sanctions on anyone who acted to "undermine" Libya's political process.

The British committee had said that the interim Libyan Government of National Accord's "likely first formal action will be to request that the UK and its allies conduct airstrikes against ISIL (IS) targets in Libya."

The international force would seek to train the Libyan army and protect the newly-formed government, it said.

Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 ouster of Kadhafi allowed extremist organisations, including IS, to gain significant ground.

Italy has agreed to lead a UN-mandated international stabilisation force into its troubled former colony, but the sticking point has been getting credible cover from a national authority.
Washington (AFP) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Tuesday he will ask countries to step forward and agree to take in another 400,000 Syrian refugees.

On his first visit to Washington since being appointed to head the UN refugee effort, Filippo Grandi said the world must do more to end the crisis.

"On March 30, I'm going to chair a meeting in Geneva at which I ask the international community to take 10 percent of all the Syrian refugees," he said.

"Ten percent is a lot of people. It's more than 400,000 people," he told reporters, on the fifth anniversary of Syria's bloody civil war.

More than four million Syrians have fled their war-torn country since the conflict erupted, and more than six million are displaced within its borders.

Neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are struggling to cope with the exodus and the onward flow has created a political and humanitarian crisis in Europe.

Canada and Germany have been praised for stepping up to welcome tens of thousands as refugees, but others, including the United States, have been criticized.

Historically the United States has been by far the world's leading host of refugees, and it still is for those fleeing many other conflicts around the world.

But, amid a bitter atmosphere in the run up to November's presidential election, Washington has struggled to offer new homes to desperate Syrians.

- 'Political failure' -

US President Barack Obama ordered that 10,000 be admitted during the 2016 fiscal year, but half-way through the period only 1,115 have been processed.

Grandi was careful not to criticize his hosts in Washington, praising the leading US role in hosting refugees of other nationalities.

But he lamented the tone of the debate in both the US and Europe, where anti-immigration politicians have claimed that terrorists hide among Muslim refugees.

Grandi complained that on a visit to the European parliament he had heard "language we haven't heard since the 30s" from opponents of resettlement.

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But he added that the new 400,000 target figure could be met in part by means short of the full resettlement package that the United States offer.

Rather than providing Syrian refugees with new lives and permanent residence, some countries may offer temporary jobs, scholarships or humanitarian visas.

For this, he said, his office would work with private firms and universities in partnership with states, to try to reduce the pressure on Syria's neighbors.

That, he argued, is the least the world can expect -- at least until the tentative Syrian peace process underway in Geneva leads to a negotiated peace.

"We're really observing one of the worst political failures in modern history," Grandi complained.

"The failure of the parties to the conflict. The failure of the regional powers. The failure of the global powers to get them to come to an agreement.

"In the absence of that -- and we have to be hopeful -- it is important to show solidarity in every possible way," he said.
By Sebastien Malo NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Beaming with pride, a Nepalese refugee in the kitchen of a New York caterer holds up cauliflower florets she has steamed, battered and fried, part of a cooking repertoire she says earns her a living and keeps her spirits up. At home in Kathmandu, explains Rachana, who did not want to give her full name, cooking once brought her pleasure as she fed her family delicacies from recipes inherited from her mother. Then political violence struck, leaving a close relative dead and forcing her to flee the country. Now her happiness returns, she says, when she prepares traditional specialties for Eat Offbeat, a New York food company where refugees make and deliver ethnic fare. The start-up company is one of several initiatives across the country appealing to the appetites of Americans and giving refugees opportunities to make a living. Others are located in California, Utah and Texas. "It's a very, very good feeling when people come to eat my food, and they talk about how it is so good," Rachana said, clad in a white apron. On a recent day in the company's kitchen, she paced between a counter and stove top where oil heated for the cauliflower, to be served with a tangy tomato and tamari sauce flavored with the herb fenugreek. Although the cauliflower is a Chinese dish, Rachana, 53, said she developed her own version in Nepal. "From the age of 16 years old I've been cooking," she said. A half dozen refugees have found work at Eat Offbeat. Until Rachana became a full-time chef, she scraped by for nearly a decade in New York, speaking no English at first and taking odd jobs. Now she tells other Eat Offbeat workers: "Don't worry, you can get whatever you like here. This is America." COUNTERING HOSTILITY Initiatives such as Eat Offbeat can serve as counterpoint to anti-immigration sentiment, their proponents say. The U.S. presidential race has been marked by candidates in the Republican Party calling for immigrants to be kept out and for those in the country to be sent back to their homelands. A plan by President Barack Obama to admit some 10,000 Syrian refugees has been met with resistance by many politicians and pundits. Despite the at-times hostile context, Eat Offbeat has found success through its tantalizing tastes and hard work, said co-founder Wissam Kahi. It received more than 1,200 orders since a soft launch in November. A smartphone app to take orders is in the works and expanding to other cities is a possibility, he said. "[The refugees] are bringing a skill to this country and they are contributing," he said. "They don't necessarily have to be a burden. It could be the opposite. They bring a lot of value," added his sister Manal Kahi, also a co-founder. Across the country at the Spice Kitchen Incubator in Salt Lake City, Utah, refugees from Somalia and Iraq also are learning the food business. Among them is Nour, who moved to the United States less than a year ago to escape the civil war in Syria and has astonished organizers with his talents. He, like Rachana, asked to be named by his first name only to protect family members. "His food is exceptional," said Grace Henley, who manages the Spice Kitchen program for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian aid organization. The IRC runs Spice Kitchen and offers help to Eat Offbeat, which is private. At Spice Kitchen, Nour has dubbed one dish "East meets West," fusing rice, chicken and beef with Syrian spices and Tex-Mex flavors to reflect his move to the American West from Damascus. "All this food diversity in our community makes it a more interesting place to live," Henley said. "It makes it a more delicious place to live." Still, some refugee culinary projects have met resistance. At Eat Offbeat this year, a handful of hate mails saying "go home, stay there, make America great again" came to the company, its Lebanese co-founders said. The messages prompted the owners to remove the company's street address from its website. "Nothing serious, but better to be on the safe side," Wissam Kahi said. (Reporting by Sebastien Malo, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that Syria's descent into war could have been avoided if regional powers had not used the conflict as a battlefield to settle scores.

In a statement marking five years since the start of the war, Ban warned that if peace talks fail, "the consequences for the Syrian people and the world are too frightening to contemplate."

The conflict in Syria began as street protests calling for political change that were met with repression, but the destruction that engulfed Syria "was not inevitable," Ban said.

The Syrian government could have responded peacefully to calls for change but regional powers are also to blame for fueling the war, he said.

"Regional and international actors could have united to help Syria stabilise rather than use it as a battlefield for regional rivalries and geo-strategic competition," he said.

Ban did not name countries, but the conflict in Syria has drawn in the United States along with Russia, Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Iran, Turkey and key European nations.

Four of the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, France, Russia and the United States -- are involved in air campaigns over Syria.

After world powers came together to push for an end to the violence, "diplomacy is finally making a difference in the daily lives of the long suffering Syrians," Ban said.

The UN chief called on the parties at the Geneva peace talks to work toward achieving a succesful settlement and end "an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe."

Ban renewed his call for the UN Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court for war crimes prosecutions.

A previous attempt at the council for ICC referral was blocked by Russia and China in May 2014.

"In Syria as elsewhere, peace without justice is not sustainable," said Ban.

More than 270,000 people have been killed in the war in Syria that has displaced half of the country's population and triggered a refugee crisis in Europe.
Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he will meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia next week on the crisis in Syria after Moscow announced the partial withdrawal of its forces.

"I will be traveling next week to Moscow to meet with President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in order to discuss how we can effectively move the political process forward and try to take advantage of this moment," Kerry said.

In Moscow, Lavrov's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed to the Russian news agency Interfax that the foreign ministry was making plans for a possible visit by Kerry to Moscow.

Earlier, the White House said "earliest indications" suggest Russia is following through with an announced withdrawal of its forces from Syria, where they have been supporting Bashar al-Assad's forces against opposition rebels.
Jerusalem (AFP) - A US tourist has been arrested after spending a night in a cave below Jerusalem's Old City in what may have been a search for mythical buried treasure, police and media reports said Tuesday.

The tourist was found on Friday after spending the night in Zedekiah's Cave, also known as Solomon's Quarries, a 20,000-square-metre area beneath the Muslim quarter of the Old City.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the 19-year-old tourist, who was not identified, hid inside the site at closing time on Thursday before digging in different areas of the cave.

Several worthless limestone rocks were found in his backpack, police said.

Haaretz reported that the odd expedition may have been linked to "Jerusalem Syndrome" -- the name given to what some tourists experience when they are overwhelmed while visiting the Holy Land due to its religious significance.

Zedekiah's Cave is the remnant of what was once the largest quarry in Jerusalem, dating back at least to the Second Jewish Temple period, from the sixth century BC to the first century AD.

Several myths are associated with the site, including treasure supposedly buried there.

Under Jewish tradition, King Zedekiah sought to escape through it during the destruction of the First Jewish Temple in 586 BC.

It has also served as a ceremonial site for Freemasons.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Valeant Pharmaceuticals International <VRX.TO> Chief Executive Officer Michael Pearson said on Tuesday that the company's business is "not operating on all cylinders" but that it is addressing lower growth and will work with banks as it nears a technical default.

Pearson, in his first address to investors since returning to the helm of the company, said that the first quarter fell short as dermatology and opthalmology prescriptions had lower than expected demand.

It also had negative impact from foreign exchange and changed the way it accounts for taxes.

The company said it plans to pay down $1.7 billion in debt this year. It will start working with banks next week it said as it trips debt covenants by missing a filing deadline with regulators of today for its annual report.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer)
By Rod Nickel and Caroline Humer

(Reuters) - Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc's <VRX.TO> shares plunged 50 percent on Tuesday after the company said a delay in filing its annual report put it in danger of a default on its $30 billion in debt.

The news from the Canadian drugmaker, which also slashed its 2016 sales and earnings outlook, prompted Bill Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital Management is one of Valeant's largest shareholders, to tell investors that he would take a much more active role there.

For years, Valeant was an investor darling, buying up assets and delivering double-digit profit growth. It bought companies and raised prices on their drugs, a strategy that has collapsed under scrutiny of high drug spending.

At the same time, its unusual financial relationship with a pharmacy selling most of its highly profitable dermatology drugs began to fall apart in the fall of 2015, and its shares slid.

During a more than two-hour conference call on Tuesday, Wall Street analysts pressed Chief Executive Officer Michael Pearson for answers. One asked how management can be trusted, given its earlier positive outlooks, and another questioned whether Pearson has the support to lead the company.

It starts with me, Pearson said. We have to meet or exceed this guidance, and I think we all recognize that. Its a bit of a starting-over point."

Valeant's stock, which was at a high of $263.70 in August, was down 50 percent at $34.54 in New York trading, its biggest decline ever.

The value of stakes held by Pershing Square and ValueAct, another large investor, lost about $700 million on Tuesday. Investment firm Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb, its largest holder, lost $1.6 billion and T. Rowe Price <TROW.O> lost $1 billion, according to a Reuters review of investor regulatory filings.

The company, which has incurred a heavy debt load because of a string of acquisitions, is now looking to sell some non-core assets, Pearson said, without being specific.

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"Our business is not operating on all cylinders, but we are committed to getting it back on track," said Pearson, who returned last month from a medical leave of absence.

The company, the target of U.S. investigations into its business and accounting practices, reiterated that it would put off filing its annual report with U.S. regulators but for the first time raised the specter of a default.

Valeant said failure to file the report by Tuesday's deadline would put it in breach of agreements with its lenders and that holders of at least 25 percent of any series of notes may deliver a notice of default.

A default would mean that bondholders could demand Valeant repay its debt immediately, Covenant Review analyst Anthony Canale said.

Valeant also has loans from banks and under those agreements, has until March 30 to file audited financial reports. If it fails to do so, it then has 30 days before the breach becomes a default, and major lenders could demand immediate repayment, Canale said.

Valeant said it planned to ask banks for an extension on the deadline. Pearson said his best estimate for filing the annual report was April.

Tuesday's news brought out investor Ackman, who last week placed a member of his team on the company's board.

"We are going to take a much more proactive role at the company (VRX) to protect and maximize the value of our investment," Ackman said.

He said that while it was "highly likely" that Valeant will obtain the waiver, "uncertainty about the potential for a default creates enormous investor fear."

The company's bonds hit all-time lows reached in October.

Until Tuesday, Evercore ISI analyst Umer Raffat had maintained that Valeant's main problem was poor communication. However, Raffat said that now he is trying to figure out whether the company's business problems will extend through 2016.

As of Sept. 30, Valeant had about $30 billion of long-term debt. The company said it would repay at least $1.7 billion this year, down from an earlier forecast of $2.25 billion.

However, Pearson said he was "comfortable" with the company's liquidity and expected Valeant to meet its obligations.

The company said last month it would delay filing its annual report while a board committee looked into its accounting practices. It also said it would restate 2014 and 2015 financial statements.

Laval, Quebec-based Valeant's troubles mounted late last year when questions were raised about its drug pricing and allegations emerged that it was using distributor Philidor RX Services to inflate dermatology revenue.

Valeant has since cut ties with Philidor, which has gone out of business.

Valeant is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its relationship with Philidor, Reuters has reported. The company is also the subject of U.S. state investigations for steep price hikes on some drugs.

Pearson said future price increases would be more modest.

Valeant on Tuesday forecast 2016 revenue of $11 billion to $11.2 billion, compared with its previous outlook of $12.5 billion to $12.7 billion.

The $1.5 billion cut reflected slower growth in the U.S. dermatology, gastrointestinal and women's health businesses.

Valeant reported unaudited fourth-quarter earnings of $2.50 per share, excluding special items, missing the analysts' average estimate of $2.61.

On that basis, the company said it expected earnings of $9.50 to $10.50 per share for 2016, down from its previous forecast of $13.25 to $13.75.

Analysts on average expected earnings of $13.24 per share for this year, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg and Caroline Humer in New York; Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr, Lisa Von Ahn and Alan Crosby)
Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

Avon (AVP) is eliminating 2,500 positions and moving its headquarters from New York to the U.K. The move is not considered a tax inversion and it comes after Avon sold its North American business. The company will take a $60 million charge for the current quarter due to the job cuts.



Outerwall (OUTR), the owner of DVD kiosk operator Redbox and Coinstar said it's exploring strategic and financial alternatives to increase shareholder value. The company is also doubling its quarterly dividend to $0.60 a share from $0.30 a share.

Get the Latest Market Data and New with the Yahoo Finance App

Apple's (AAPL) response to the Justice Department in its high profile iPhone encryption case is due today. The Department of Justice has been urging Apple to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters. However, Apple says doing so would breach users privacy. Separately, Morgan Stanley issuing a report this morning that sees iPhone demand in March higher than estimates and notes growth in China remains strong.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) shares hit a 52-week low in early trading. The embattled Canadian drug firm cut its revenue outlook for the current quarter and the year due to slower-than-expected sales growth of its dermatology, gastrointestinal and woman's health products. The company also said a delay in filing its annual report could put some of its debt in risk of default. This comes as it delivered fourth quarter profit that missed estimates, while revenue slightly topped forecasts. Valeant's financial results had been delayed due to CEO Michael Pearson's medical leave. The company said this report is considered "preliminary" and it would file final results "as promptly as reasonably practicable."
Vatican City (AFP) - Mother Teresa will be cleared to become a saint on Tuesday after a Vatican panel recognises a second miracle attributed to the late nun famed for her work with the poor of Kolkata.

The committee of senior clerics that approves elevations to sainthood is due to meet from around 0900 GMT with the long-awaited green light seen as a formality, less than two decades after her death.

Pope Francis will then sign a decree approving the canonisation of the 1979 Nobel peace prize winner and announce a date and venue for it to happen.

The Albanian nun and missionary will be one of five candidates for sainthood considered at Tuesday's session, but by far the most high-profile.

The canonisation is widely expected to take place on September 4, the eve of the anniversary of her 1997 death, for which a celebration of her memory had already been scheduled as part of the Church's Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Indian Catholics had hoped Francis would travel to India for the canonisation ceremony but, barring a last minute surprise, it is expected to take place in Rome with a thanksgiving ceremony scheduled for the following month in the Indian city.

Known across the world, Teresa was awarded the Nobel for her work with the poor, sick, old and lonely in the teeming slums of Kolkata, previously known as Calcutta.

She is revered by many Catholics but has also been attacked as a "religious imperialist" who attempted to foist her beliefs on an impoverished community in which they had no indigenous roots.

- From sister to sainthood -

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in 1910 in what is now Skopje in Macedonia, Teresa arrived in India in 1929, having first spent time with a missionary order in Ireland.

She went on to found the Missionaries of Charity order in 1950 and was granted Indian citizenship a year later.

Last year she was credited by Vatican experts with inspiring the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours, thus meeting the Church's standard requirement for sainthood of having been involved in two certifiable miracles.

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She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003 following a fast-track process involving the recognition of a claim she had posthumously inspired the 1998 healing of a Bengali tribal women.

Francis met Teresa before he became pope, in 1994, and later joked that she had seemed so formidable he "would have been scared if she had been my mother superior".

Others were much harsher in their judgement with the likes of Germaine Greer and polemicist Christopher Hitchens accusing her of contributing to the misery of the poor with her strident opposition to contraception and abortion.

In her Nobel acceptance speech she described terminations of pregnancies as "direct murder by the mother herself."

Questions have also been raised over the Missionaries of Charity's finances, as well as conditions in the order's hospices.

A series of her letters published in 2007 also caused some consternation among admirers, as it became clear that she had suffered crises of faith for most of her life.

India granted her a state funeral after her death and her grave in the order's headquarters has since become a pilgrimage site.
Vatican City (AFP) - Francesca Chaouqui, the PR consultant at the centre of the Vatican's controversial leaks trial, threatened to "destroy" a Spanish priest she worked with, a Holy See court heard on Tuesday.

"I will destroy you in the press and you know I can do it," Choauqui allegedly wrote in a WhatsAPP message to Spanish monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda that was cited by the prosecution in the case against two journalists and three Vatican employees.

Vallejo Balda has admitted leaking classified documents to the two journalists, who have written books on the mismanagement of Vatican finances.

But he says he only did so under pressure from Chaouqui, with whom he claims to have had a "compromising" relationship.

Chaouqui, a former PR consultant to the Vatican who is married and six months pregnant, denies any sexual contact between her former colleague in an economic reform panel set up by Pope Francis.

Vallejo Balda reiterated his claim to have been effectively blackmailed by a woman he believed to have links to Italian secret services and other contacts in a "dangerous world".

"She boasted about having lots of details about my private life, my assets and my problems with the tax authorities," he said, claiming he had subsequently been encouraged by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi to "make peace" with his colleague.

"I felt they knew things about me," he added.

Lucio Angel Vallejo BaldaChaouqui took particular exception to a suggestion in the Spanish cleric's testimony on Monday that she had claimed to have contacts in the mafia.

Arriving at court for Tuesday's hearing, she showed a university legal thesis which she had dedicated to the slain anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

"Accusing me of being connected to the mafia, as someone from (mafia-infested southern region) Calabria -- it is the worst attack that could be made on me," she told reporters.

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At the end of Tuesday's session, Chaouqui jumped up suddenly and rushed out of the room holding her hand over her mouth. Doctors and police were called but she appeared again shortly afterwards, the malaise apparently having passed.

Her lawyer said Chaouqui may need to go into hospital for a procedure related to her pregnancy. The presiding judge said that subject to the appropriate certification that could lead to a further delay in the trial, which is due to resume on Friday.

Chaouqui is accused of conspiring with Vallejo Balda and his assistant Nicola Maio to leak data and documents they had access to as members of a commission appointed by Pope Francis to spearhead a financial clean-up shortly after his election in 2013.

The two journalists on trial, Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi, have published books based on the documents.

All five accused have been prosecuted under draconian anti-leaks legislation, which could see them receive prison terms of between four and eight years.

The law was rushed onto the Vatican statue book in 2013 as a result of the fallout from the first Vatileaks scandal, which centred on secrets divulged by the butler of now-retired Pope Benedict XVI.

The Vatican has been criticised by press freedom groups for pursuing the prosecution of the two journalists, who say they were only doing their jobs.
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A Vatican prelate on Monday admitted in court he had leaked confidential documents to the media and said he had been manipulated into it by a woman co-defendant who claimed she was a spy. After an adjournment of more than three months, Spanish Monsignor Angel Lucio Vallejo Balda was questioned at the resumption of the so-called "Vatileaks II" trial. Vallejo and four other people are on trial in the case, which centers on the publication last year of two books based on leaked documents that depict a Vatican plagued by graft and where Pope Francis faces stiff resistance to his agenda. Pressed by the prosecution and the court president on whether he had leaked documents, Vallejo said "yes". He also said he had given the author of one of the books some 85 passwords to access electronic documents and email accounts in the Vatican. Most of the three hours of the questioning of Vallejo, a 54-year-old Spaniard, revolved around his relationship with Francesca Chaouqui, 35, a married public relations consultant. Both were members of a now-defunct commission appointed by Pope Francis to advise him on economic and bureaucratic reform. He told the court that his relationship with Chaouqui had been "clearly for me as a priest compromising," recounting how she once entered his room in a Florence hotel. Vallejo accused her of intimidating and manipulating him in order to get a permanent job in the Vatican after the commission's work was done. He also said he had received threatening messages from Chaouqui's husband, who worked as an information technology expert for the Vatican commission. He said he felt trapped "in a situation with no way out". Vallejo said Chaouqui told him she was a high-ranking member of Italy's secret services and once offered to use her connections to get him a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama when he visited the Vatican in 2014. The monsignor was returned to the Vatican's jail a few days ago after investigators discovered he had violated the terms of his house arrest by communicating with reporters by phone. Chaouqui, who is in late pregnancy, attended Monday's hearing and her facial expressions suggested she disputed Vallejo's claims. The Vatican made it a crime to disclose official documents in 2013 after a separate leaks scandal, which the media dubbed "Vatileaks" and which preceded the resignation of Pope Benedict that year. Journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi last year published books based on documents which Vatican officials say they received from Chaouqui, Vallejo and his assistant, Nicola Maio. The journalists are accused of putting pressure on Vallejo and Chaouqui to get the documents. The defendants face up to eight years in prison if convicted. Chaouqui, who is expected to give evidence next week, has denied leaking documents. Of the five accused, only Vallejo is a Vatican resident, the others being Italian citizens. The trial resumes on Tuesday with Vallejo still on the stand. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Andrew Roche)
Canton (United States) (AFP) - Americans in five states voted Tuesday in presidential primaries crucial to the White House hopes of frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but which also showcased deep-seated discontent of a downtrodden working class.

Blue-collar woes, immigration, trade and the specter of violent protests dominated the debate ahead of primaries in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio -- elections so key to the shape of the Republican and Democratic nominating races that some have dubbed it "Titanic Tuesday."

For Republicans, the day may tell whether Trump can ride a tide of voter anger all the way to the nomination in July -- or whether he will face a hostile and bitterly divided party at a contested convention.

For Democrats, the contests in the racially diverse, industrial Midwest will test Clinton's electability outside of the South, where African-American voters have given her victory after victory.

Her rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has denounced her support of free-trade pacts in a part of the country that has seen manufacturing jobs disappear as entire industries have moved offshore.

The election will show whether the Sanders campaign has legs, complicating Clinton's shot at the nomination.

- 'Vulgar rhetoric' -

In Canton, Ohio, voters made their way through the drizzle and dark to cast ballots when polls opened in one of the most closely watched races of the day.

Ohio Governor John Kasich is the home state favorite in the Republican race, running just ahead of Trump in pre-election polls in the state and well ahead of Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Ohio is a winner-takes-all state with 66 delegates, making it a crucial battleground for Republicans intent on stopping Trump's drive to amass the 1,237 delegates needed to win the party nomination outright, up from the 471 he has taken so far.

Cruz, an arch-conservative, is currently the main threat to the Trump juggernaut with 371 delegates, with Rubio fighting for his political life in a distant third and Kasich fourth overall.

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Trump's incendiary attacks on immigrants, threats of mass deportations and a proposal for a wall on the border with Mexico have ignited the campaign trail and drawn condemnation in some quarters -- the latest being from President Barack Obama.

Without pointing the finger directly at Trump, Obama professed to being "dismayed" at some of the comments during campaigning.

"We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities -- at Americans who dont look like 'us,' or pray like 'us,' or vote like we do," said the president, who along with First Lady Michelle cast absentee ballots in their home state of Illinois.

But Trump's populist message has resonated -- even with some Democrats like 69-year-old Katharine Berry.

"We don't need all these illegals," she told AFP outside a polling station at the Zion Lutheran Church in Canton. "They're taking our jobs, they've got all these rights, Americans don't have rights.

"I voted Democrat today. But if Trump wins, then I'm going to vote for him in the general election."

- Battleground Ohio -

Campaigning in Ohio, Trump pitched his candidacy not to the core Republican electorate but to blue-collar workers, attacking free-trade deals and the loss of jobs to foreign competitors.

"I've been with the people of Ohio. They hate the fact their coal and steel industries are gone. I think we're going to do well in Ohio," he told NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday.

Kasich has campaigned on his record of turning around Ohio's struggling economy, which he hopes will give him his first primary victory.

He decries Trump's belligerent rhetoric and turbulent rallies.

"I'm sure people are shaking their heads saying, 'What's happening to America?'" he said on ABC News.

A Republican committee, or so-called super PAC, aired a scathing ad in Ohio and Florida and on national cable television that shows women reading out misogynistic remarks Trump has made: "Bimbo," "Dog," "Fat pig."

Asked on NBC if he'd like to take back any of the comments, Trump replied: "Every single poll coming out, the exit polls, I lead with women."

- Clinton test in Midwest -

Pre-election polls showed Trump leading by substantial margins in all Tuesday primaries except Ohio.

The races were closer in the Midwest but Trump had nearly a 20-point lead in winner-takes-all Florida, the biggest prize of the day with 99 delegates.

In Florida, his closest competitor was Rubio, for whom a loss in his home state is likely to signal his exit from the race.

Clinton also went into the elections with huge leads in Florida and North Carolina, but with potentially closer races in Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri where Sanders has gained strength amid the anti-status quo mood of the electorate.

"If we have a good vote, and people come out, we're going to win in Ohio," said Sanders, 74.

But Clinton already has more than half the 2,383 delegates needed for the nomination, and is looking to extend her lead over Sanders, who has roughly half as many.

"I just want somebody in there who's actually going to do what they say they're going to do," said Katherine Dunivent, a 28-year-old African-American who voted for Clinton in Canton.
Some newscasts are calling today Super Tuesday, and your memory isnt playing tricks on you if youre thinking, Didnt we just have one of those? Today, when voters go to the polls in five big states  Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina  marks the second crucial, all-important, potentially decisive primary day in two weeks. But this time, one, or potentially both, nominations could be all but sealed by the end of the night.

As usual, all eyes will be on Donald Trump, because, really, who can look away? The edgy rage and sporadic violence that has characterized his rallies over the past week wont be in evidence when he takes the podium tonight at his Palm Beach resort club, Mar-a-Lago. The audiences at his victory parties-cum-press conferences are limited to supporters and the media, and the events typically find the candidate on his best behavior. But by the end of the evening, if he wins all five states  and polls say its possible  he will have put away two of his three remaining rivals, and substantially widened his lead over the one left standing.

On the Democratic side, the nomination is, and almost surely will still be tomorrow, Hillary Clintons to lose. But following her startling defeat in Michigan last week, Clinton could, in fact, lose. Todays voting should give an indication of whether Sanders is strong enough to win.

Here are some things to watch for as the results come in:

Photos: APTHE REPUBLICANS

The question is into whose hands the tattered banner of Not-Trump will fall. Marco Rubio, who until a few weeks ago was widely considered Trumps most plausible challenger, is now fighting for his life in his home state of Florida, where Trump has led in every poll taken since last July  most recently by around 20 points. (Rubio has won just three contests, including, on Saturday, the Washington, D.C., Republican caucus, virtually the definition of a Pyrrhic victory.)

Polls, of course, can be wrong  as they were, spectacularly, in Michigan, where Sanders eked out a 1.5 percent margin after surveys taken just days before the vote showed him trailing by as much as 27 points. More promisingly, in Virginia, Rubio managed in two days to come from 15 points down in the polling to within three points of Trump. But Virginia and Michigan were seeing those candidates for the first time; Rubio has been in Florida politics since the late 1990s and is certainly a known quantity to Florida voters.

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Sen. Marco Rubio addresses a campaign rally at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP)



And Florida is a winner-take-all state, so Rubios specialty  of exceeding expectations and claiming a moral victory  wont work this time. Hes out of it unless he wins. And if by some chance he does win, the implications will be huge, not just for the GOP race, but for the entire industry of political prognostication.

Watch for: The expression on Rubios face when he realizes his career in politics may be over  at least for the foreseeable future.

Theres an analogous situation in Ohio, where Gov. John Kasich is making his last stand in another winner-take-all state. The difference is that Kasich is in a dead heat with Trump in the most recent polls, and the momentum has been swinging his way.

Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, left, is joined onstage by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and his daughters, Emma, center left, and Reese Kasich, his wife, Karen, and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, right, at Westerville Central High School in Westerville, Ohio, on Monday. (Photo: Matt Rourke/AP)

Even a victory there would leave Kasich far behind in the delegate count, however. His only hope for the nomination is as part of an anti-Trump coalition at the national convention. Rubio is hoping for the same thing, which is why his campaign has thrown in the towel on Ohio and is calling on voters there to support the governor. Mitt Romney, the leader by default of the effort to stop Trump, has been campaigning with Kasich, although he wont make an endorsement until after the smoke clears tonight.

Watch for: Establishment Republicans parachuting in to climb onstage with Kasich.

The other three states voting award their delegates by some formula, so are less likely to be decisive  and have attracted less polling and attention from the candidates. In all of them, Trump holds significant, although not overwhelming, leads, with Cruz in second place. If both Rubio and Kasich are effectively eliminated today, Trumps margins will be scrutinized closely for clues to the race going forward. Cruz will need to show strength beyond the mostly rural Western states, where he has won most of his delegates so far.

Watch for: A possible upset win by Cruz. Best shot: Missouri, where Trump led by just 7 points in the most recent polling.

THE DEMOCRATS

If Bernie Sanders has a realistic chance of becoming the Democratic nominee, we should know it by the time the votes are counted tonight. Clintons strength among older voters and African-Americans should make for easy wins in Florida and North Carolina, so Sanders will have to duplicate his Michigan Miracle in at least two of the remaining states.

In fact, hell need to improve on it; the party awards its delegates proportionately, so narrow victories do little to improve his relative standing where it matters, in votes at the national convention. Clinton is ahead in the polls in all five states, but Sanders sees opportunities in Ohio, like Michigan a rust-belt state with a major public university whose students would benefit from his free-tuition plan. And he thinks he has a chance in Illinois, where he has been campaigning on Clintons long-standing ties to Chicagos unpopular Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose administration has been accused of covering up the details of a police shooting of a black teenager.

Supporters cheer at a campaign rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders at the Family Arena on Monday, in St. Charles, Mo. (Photo: Jeff Roberson/AP)

In the bigger picture, Sanders has to hope he can translate moral victories into practical ones. Clintons two-to-one lead in the delegate count is built mostly on superdelegates, who are party functionaries or elected officials appointed by the party. Surveys indicate they mostly do support the former First Lady, but unlike the pledged delegates chosen in primaries, they can change their allegiance at the convention. A strong showing by Sanders today could strengthen his case, especially if he makes inroads with black voters in cities like Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis. There arent many more Southern states left for Clinton to win, but New York, Pennsylvania and California will get their say eventually  if Sanders is still around by late spring.

Watch for: Exit polling in big cities showing a swing to Sanders.
Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama's White House on Tuesday welcomed Htin Kyaw's election as Myanmar's first civilian president in half a century, saying it was "an important step" in the country's democratization.

Senior Obama advisor Ben Rhodes hailed the move and noted that the 69-year-old was a "close associate" of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi, a popular Nobel laureate, is herself barred from becoming president by the military drafted constitution. She is widely expected to wield power behind in an unofficial capacity.

Rhodes, who has led rapprochement with Myanmar, said Htin Kyaw's appointment was "an important step forward in Burma's democratic transition."

"We look forward to working with his govt," he wrote on Twitter.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at elections in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar's two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution which bars her from the presidency.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule "above" the next leader. Her choice of Htin Kyaw is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

Htin Kyaw will be sworn in on March 30, replacing incumbent Thein Sein.

It will be the first time Myanmar has had a civilian president since 1962, when the military seized power.
Theres no getting around it: Barack Obama is a phenomenal arguer. Hes got superb legal training; hes got point-by-point debating skill; hes got a feel for nuance; hes got historical examples and counter-examples at the ready. And, as a politician whos been around the track a few times, hes not above a little sophistry or rhetorical sleight-of-hand.

All these tools are on dazzling display in Jeffrey Goldbergs extraordinary cover story in this months Atlantic. The Obama Doctrine gives us the best picture we may ever have of how this president thinks and talks about foreign policy. It will leave many readers wondering which candidate to succeed him could be half so persuasive.

And yet, for all his talents, Obama does not exactly make the sale. To my mind, he doesnt even fully acknowledge the nature of the problem he faces. He claims to believe that the United States remains the indispensable global leader. But he also wants to make indispensability less expensive and risky, more focused and discriminating. He wants to discipline American policy by defining the countrys interests more narrowly and acting more deliberately. Hed like, aides say, to leave his successor a nice clean barn.

Now, does the resulting U.S. role feel a little downsized? Do Americas allies feel a little less sure of our support? Are adversaries emboldened? Does the foreign-policy establishment (of which Obama has such a low opinion) feel the United States is not really going to be leading at all? The president waves aside these concerns. Credibilityin the form of pressure to act when no real interest is threatenedmust not become a fetish, he suggests. Friends and allies need to do more to defend their own interests. The U.S. cant lead if it keeps doing stupid shit.

Recommended: Who Carried Out the Deadly Explosion in Berlin?

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Obama is not wrong about any of this. Yet turning his sensible principles into an effective foreign policy is harder than he admits. The president is so locked into an angry debate with Washington conventional wisdom that he may not understand how unthoughtful some of his explanations sound.

Take his comments about credibilitywhat he ridicules as dropping bombs on someone to prove that youre willing to drop bombs on someone. Its a good line, but Obamas reason for treating credibility as an empty concept is not so good. He wants to persuade us that, when he retreated from the famous red line over the use of chemical weapons in Syria in 2013, nothing much was at stake and nothing bad happened as a result.

Alas, something wasand something did. Just hours before he changed course, Obama himself said that if you do nothing when a major international norm is violated, the norm becomes meaningless. A great power values credibility so opponents know not to challenge its interests. Thats why Susan Rice, his own national-security adviser, said the damage done by backtracking on the red line would be severe.

The president plays the blame game in part because he too resists doing more.

Has it been? Obama says no, but surely he understands that if he had taken out Syrian President Bashar al-Assads air force in 2013, as many were urging him to do (and as he clearly could have done), Vladimir Putin would never have intervened in Syria in 2015. Obama may not ask himself why Putin would have held back, but the answer is very clear. He would have worried about taking on the United States. Now he doesnt. Putin has taught us that credibility means something.

Obama, of course, has a different view. Putin, he tells Goldberg, has gained nothing from intervening in Syria. To think he has is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of power in foreign affairs or in the world generally. Propping up Assad, Obama claims, doesnt suddenly make [Putin] a player. Why, he says, theres not a G20 meeting where the Russians set the agenda around any of the issues that are important. (You have to wonder what Putin will make of this passage when he reads it: The president of the United States really believes setting the agenda of the next totally forgettable G20 meeting matters more than deciding who wins the civil war in Syria?)

Recommended: The Obama Doctrine

Theres some of the same self-justification in the way Obama talks about free ridersthe small and medium countries that count on the U.S. to provide for their security, without ponying up much on their own. Free riders aggravate me is already one of the most quoted lines of The Obama Doctrine. Virtually all American presidents have probably felt the same way, and future ones will too. They have wantedand will wantallies who actually contribute to the common defense.

Obama has good reason to be unhappy with Americas friends. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, and others have undercut his policies. In Europe he sees institutional dysfunction rivaling that of Washington. Yet the president plays the blame game in part because he too resists doing more. I recently heard a reporter ask a senior administration official whether the U.S. has ever told its Middle Eastern partners that it would be ready to commit a limited contingent of military personnel in Syria as long as they would do the samean increased and coordinated effort. The (commendably honest) answer: No.

Dont do stupid shit is a kind of strategyif you have a clear enough idea of whats stupid and real determination not to do it.

Free-rider problems preoccupy social scientists for the same reason they exasperate policymakers: Theyre hard to fix. So hard that American presidents have often concluded that there was only one viable solution. To bring wrong-headed allies alongand limit their worst impulsesthe U.S. itself had to do more, not less. Sure, doing less might force some allies to exert themselves more, but not necessarily in a way that served U.S. interests. Obama is probably right that the Turks and Saudis have made things worse in Syria. He seems not to ask himself whether a more determined U.S. role might have kept them in line.

The debate about Syria, now five years old, will outlast this administration. But its not the only example of Obamas alliance management that undermines his complaints about free riders. There is, as Goldberg tells us, just about no foreign leader the president respects more than Angela Merkel. Nor is there one who has done more to help him. (Were it not for Merkels support on sanctions against Russia, Obamas Ukraine policy would barely exist.) No European leader has tried harder to articulate a tolerant, Obama-style approach to the Syrian refugee crisis. Nor has anyone paid a greater price for doing so. Merkel faces both the possible end of her political career and the possible collapse of the European Union.

Recommended: In the Land of Missing Persons

White House aides acknowledge the problem. If Europe has a 2016 anything like 2015, one of them has told me, there wont be much of Europe left to talk about. So what has the leader whom Obama respects most, who has done the most for him, who has set out a vision most like his, and who has had the most trouble implementing it, gotten from him in return? The U.S. has admitted a trickle of refugees, NATO-member navies have begun to regulate the migrant flow in Greek and Turkish waters, the Pentagon continues to study the problem of a safe zone in Syriaand the White House continues to express doubts about it. Measured against the existential crisis facing Americas most important allies, this isnt much. It may well be what Obama means by American leadership, but he shouldnt be surprised if othersjust as careful and thoughtful as heconsider it too little too late.

The president has been criticized for treating dont do stupid shit (a phrase first shared with reporters by his aides) as a useful statement of American foreign-policy strategy. Hillary Clinton mocked the phraseto none other than Jeffrey Goldbergas not an organizing principle. Yet the formula has real meaning. Dont do stupid shit is a kind of strategyif you have a clear enough idea of whats stupid and real determination not to do it. Obama has both of these, and he has made them the organizing framework of a downsized, less expensive, more risk-averse foreign policy. For better or worse, this is his doctrine. It is helping him to clean the barn. What it may not do is sustain the American role in the world that he himself claims to want.

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This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
This month, Syria enters its sixth year of devastating conflict. At least 250,000 people have been killed and more than 1 million injured. Half of the countrys population11 million peopleis displaced. Equally alarming: More than half of the 4 million people who have fled their homeland are under 18, and one in four of these young people is a teenager.

Teenagers have been greatly overlooked in the Syrian crisis, despite billions of dollars spent on aid. They are spending their formative years in limbo and have missed critical developmental and educational milestones. Yet, their generation will face the enormous task of rebuilding Syria and mending the torn social fabric of the region.

In the first half of December 2015, Mercy Corps interviewed 15 Syrian youths between the ages of 15 and 19 during trips to Irbid, Jerash, and Azraq camp in Jordan; Sidon, Lebanon; and Gaziantep, Turkeythe findings are outlined in a report released today. In the face of adversity, Syrian teenagers are filled with hope, resilience, and potential. They see that a better, brighter, and more peaceful future is possible, and they want a voice. But they cant be ignored any longer.

RELATED: Refugees WelcomeNow What?

If given the chance, young Syrians and their peers in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq can become engines of growth and prosperity wherever they reside and a promise of reconciliation and reconstruction when Syria finally has peace. The international community must stand side by side with them and commit to helping do three things:

1. Improve Their Well-Being

Five years of prolonged stress have changed the brain chemistry of Syrian youths. Violence, discrimination, abuse, lack of education, poverty, exploitative labor theyve been exposed to all of these shocks, and any one alone could derail them. A 2015 study of the mental health of Syrian refugee children in southeast Turkey found that almost half the young people they spoke to had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder10 times the prevalence among children globally. Forty-four percent suffered from depression linked to their trauma.

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We need to focus on helping Syrian adolescents heal from the trauma theyve experienced. They need to understand their stresses, work through problems in nonviolent ways, set goals, and start to plan for the future. Its crucial that we work with young people to develop positive coping skills such as teamwork, constructive communication, and goal setting that can reduce destructive behaviors stemming from the shocks of violence, isolation, and displacement. Once able to meet basic needs through positive coping skills, young people are able to regain the emotional and cognitive ability to learn new information and skills to guide their future decisions. This could be rolled out to benefit every Syrianalongside vulnerable youths in host communities.

RELATED: 10 Photos That Reveal the Heartbreak and Innocence of Child Refugees

2. Get Them Back in School

Young Syrians are passionate about education. In 2010, more than 70 percent of Syrian teenagers were enrolled in secondary school. That number has been sliced in half, with a 26 percent secondary school enrollment rate in 2015. In Syria and its neighboring countries, hundreds of thousands of Syrian youths have dropped out of school for a variety of reasons, including the pressures to contribute to family incomes. The reality we must accept is that many wont be going back. A fresh approach is needed.

This means making bigger investments in informal education that can either put young people back on track to reenter formal education or prepare them for the job market with relevant skills demanded by the current labor market. We also have to recognize and address the existing barriers to education. A new approach to non-formal education, blending face-to-face instruction with digital education, is necessary. Syrian teachers need to be trained to offer education to young people where they live, rather than just in brick-and-mortar schools.

3. Help Secure Fair and Legal Work

In Syrias neighboring countries, there are countless barriers to safe, fair, and decent work for young Syrian refugees. Intense pressure to support their families often means that they must risk the illegal labor market and take jobs that are exploitativeand that close off any chance they have for resuming their education. We are calling on regional governments to set up enterprise funds, which are public-private partnerships that invest in small and medium-size businesses. Theyre driven by the demands of the labor market, and they focus on what works, what sells, and what can create jobs. Enterprise funds can work with job skills training programs to make sure that Syrian youths are given not only the skills needed but real opportunities too. Enterprise funds must also be matched with legal reforms, so that refugees can more easily get work permits and have the ability to launch small business start-ups.

We see Syrian youths as change makers, with the passion to dream of a better world and the drive to build it. Given the chance, they can engineer new hospitals, shape new economies, and mentor the youths who come after them. They tell us that they feel a strong sense of desire and responsibility to rebuild their country when peace comes. But we need to listen to their calls for help.

Take the Pledge: Act Now: Help Empower Millions of Youth Trapped in Violent Conflict

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Original article from TakePart
It's the most-consumed spirit on the planet, and perhaps the least well-known.

To promote the merits of Chinese baijiu -- a clear, white spirit made from the cereal grain sorghum -- a Western blogger who writes about China's wine and spirits scene is mobilizing cities around the world to celebrate the country's unofficial drink on World Baijiu Day, which has been designated for August 8.

Jim Boyce, the voice behind Grape Wall of China and Beijing Boyce, has so far tapped bars in more than a dozen cities including New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Singapore, London and Paris to observe the occasion by serving the spirit in new cocktails, infusion, and food.

Though baijiu represents more than one-third of global spirit sales, the spirit is little known outside Chinese borders.

For the uninitiated, baijiu -- which is pronounced bye-zho -- is not for the faint of heart, running between 80 to 120 proof.

Its smell and flavor have been described as everything from stinky cheese to sweaty socks, rotten fruit, soy sauce, pineapples, musk and gasoline, earning it the nickname firewater.

The latest figures show that between 2009 and 2013, consumption in China skyrocketed 50 percent, to top 1.17 billion cases of baijiu.

But that growth is expected to slow to just 2.7 percent by 2018, which can be explained in part by China's anti-corruption crackdown aimed at rooting out excess and abuse of powers within government ranks, and changing consumer habits.

Declining growth at home has prompted attempts for expansion abroad, where baijiu remains largely unknown, but is starting to gain traction.

New York, for instance, opened its first bar dedicated to baijiu last year, called Lumos, where mixologists mask some of its more pungent flavors with fruit juices, spirits, and lime wedges.

London hosted its third annual Baijiu Cocktail Week, and author Derek Sandhaus distilled his knowledge of China's national drink into the first English guidebook Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits.

Meanwhile, participating cities in the second edition of World Baijiu Day include Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai, Taipei, Brussels, Paris, London, Sydney, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Washington.

For event details visit http://www.worldbaijiuday.com/events-master-list/.
You might have heard: Weve reached Peak Auto. With Uber and Lyft here and self-driving cars on the way, well need fewer vehicles in the future -- and the ones on offer will be as dull as an elevator.

Thats the fear millennials put into automakers, anyway, since theyre less interested in buying a car or even getting a drivers license than their parents or grandparents. But the generation behind themso-called Generation Zcould save the auto industry, according to a new study from Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.

A survey of 12- to 17-year-olds found that 92% say they plan to own a vehicle by the time theyre 20, and 97% plan to get a license. If it happens, that will reverse a long decline in the portion of young people interested in driving their own vehicle. In 1983, 92% of people aged 20 to 24 had a driver's license, according to the University of Michigans Transportation Research Institute. Today, just 77% do.

Source: Thinkstock

The next generation of drivers is so tuned to the call of the road, in fact, that 33% said theyd give up their smartphone in order to have a car for a year. And 72% would give up social media. While this generation is interested in ride sharing, the benefits of owning a vehicle outweigh the benefits of ride sharing, Isabelle Helms, who oversaw the study, tells me in the video above. They see a car as the gateway to freedom.

Teenagers have always viewed a car as a gateway to freedom, of course--except, apparently, for the millennials, when they were teenagers. Millennials, now between the ages of 18 and 34 (more or less) showed less interest in cars in their earlier years, and have, in fact, been less willing to make big financial commitments, such as buying a car or home, or having kids. One theory is that the first generation to come of age connected to digital devices finds all the freedom it needs through Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and all the other apps that keep them connected to everything they care about.

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Values also shift based on cultural and economic factors, and that influences the things people buy. Millennials cared much more about their image, says Helms. They wanted a car that represented who they were and what they stood for. Gen Zers are much more practical. They just want to get around.

Its also possible, of course, that millennials simply lacked the spending power prior generations had when they hit adulthood. They grew up during the worst recession since the 1930s and even those who went to college graduated into a terrible job market. In fact, recent data shows that millennials have ramped up their purchases of cars, contributing to a record year for U.S. auto sales in 2015 and an even stronger pace of sales this year. Maybe the American car culture is safe, after all.

Rick Newmans latest book is Liberty for All: A Manifesto for Reclaiming Financial and Political Freedom. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.
12 months jail for smoking cocaine

When (it) is my time, I will stop smoke cocaine. The forcing thing doh work, I am being real, said Justin Indarsingh to Magistrate Brahmanand Dubay, before whom he pleaded guilty to the charge laid by PC Boodai of the Southern Division Task Force (SDTF). Prosecutor Sgt Gordon Maharaj told the 6th Court that at about 8.30 am on Saturday, PC Boodai searched Indarsingh at Kings Wharf, San Fernando, where he found the cocaine secured in a plastic container in his pocket.

When the officer told Indarsingh about the offence committed, he responded: If you lock meh up, I will give you real trouble. I eh fraid no jail. Yesterday, Indarsingh, who represented himself, told the court there was only one small mistake with what the prosecutor said. I had said, if you lash me again, I will give you real trouble, Indarsingh corrected.

Indarsingh told the magistrate that he had, about four or five previous convictions.

But on checking Indarsinghs criminal records, the magistrate noted the accused had 17 previous convictions.

The accused added that he sought help for his addiction twice. It was at this point he continued that when it is his time to stop smoking, he will.
Policeman detained for stabbing

The cousins were visited yesterday by investigators who are yet to record statements from them. Charles is said to resting in a stable condition at the Portof- Spain General Hospital having undergone emergency surgery to repair severed intestines caused by stabs to his stomach. Villafana was stabbed in her back.

The two were among six persons stabbed and wounded in four separate incidents along the Avenue during the early hours of Saturday morning - police reported that they all happened in the space of 20 minutes. The stabbing of the cousins was recorded and uploaded to several social media websites. Investigations are continuing
Man to face murder trial

Ryan Papito Straker, 35, reappeared on the two charges in the San Fernando First Magistrates Court, before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington who said that the accused has a case to answer before a judge and jury, based on the evidence given during the preliminary inquiry.

The charges against Straker of Blitz Village, Pleasantville, alleged that on November 18, 2010, he murdered Rennie Beharry, 29, and Kwasi Marcus Priddie, 29, of Pleasantville and Ste Madeleine, respectively. The killings occurred at Born Free Recreation Club located at Pleasantville Terrace, Pleasantville.

Beharry was the son of the owner of the club while Priddie was a patron.

On April 14, 2011, Straker, then 29, made his first court appearance and was not called upon to plead as the charge of murder is a capital offence. Attorney Pamela Elder SC, represented the accused.
Mechanic marked for death

Agnes Bobb-Sutherland told Newsday, while at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, that Bobb, a mechanic and father of nine children, that when they last spoke he told her that he noticed two men watching him, while he waited for his children to come out of their school in Enterprise, Chaguanas.

He saw one walk off and go, but the other one stood there and watched Bobb-Sutherland said.

He didnt take it on because he thought it was just normal people walking the road. I told him all you have to do is stop going there and forget that. But he is the kind of man you cannot tell him what to do. He have his children there so he kept going. On Friday at about 3.45 pm, Bobb had picked up his children from school and had dropped them at their mothers home. While he was sitting in his vehicle, a man approached him and fired several shots at the vehicle.

Bobb was hit multiple times.

The shooter then escaped by running north along the street. Bobb was rushed to the Chaguanas Accident and Emergency Department where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His mother is clueless as to why anyone would want to kill him. Police officers are still trying to ascertain a motive for the killing.

Bobb-Sutherland described her son as loving and friendly. She said that he was fixing things since he was a little boy. He would fix bicycles and build carts from about 11 years old. He was playful as a child.

When he get a big man, he went to a garage and began fixing cars. He loved being a mechanic.
Court orders defaulting scholar to pay $3.4M to Government

He was ordered to pay the State, on the principal sum of $1,734,994.30 with interest in the sum of $1,328,764.64 and thereafter continuing at a rate of seven and three quarter percent, as well as, prescribed costs in the sum of $194, 227.98. A stay of execution has been granted until April 15. It was a landmark judgement, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said yesterday at a press conference.

We hope this serves as an example and as a warning to those who fail to meet their obligations, he said. At present, there is a similar case before the court A number of students, particularly medical students, Garcia said, fail to return and live up to their obligations after graduating.

Cabinet has taken a serious view of this, and those who fail to return, he said, we are going to take them to court. He noted that the Ministry petitioned the High Court through the Office of the Attorney General.

Wellington, who resides abroad, was ordered to repay Government after failing to report to the Scholarship Division, Ministry of Public Administration in keeping with the scholarship agreement and to submit the necessary documentation as proof of completion of studies.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Education stated that Wellington was awarded a five-year scholarship in 2003 to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland.

The agreement signed on September 6, 2004 was that he report immediately to the Scholarship Division on the completion of his studies and make himself available for employment with Government for a period of at least five years.

The Ministry of Public Administration was responsible for the administration of scholarships at that time. The Education Ministry now has the responsibility.

The obligation to repay the loan, the statement noted, would have been waived automatically once Wellington had served the five years in this jurisdiction. The scholarship catered for all tuition fees, and any other compulsory fees for the duration of his studies.

He was also given a textbook and personal maintenance allowance.

At the trial, the State was represented by Lesley Ann Lucky-Samaroo, Nadine Nabbie, Cherisse Nixon, instructed by Kendra Mark of the Office of the Attorney General. The States witness was Gillian Macintyre, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.

Wellingtons attorney made an application for an adjournment of the case as the scholar was not present. Kangaloo denied the application on the basis that Wellington was given sufficient notice of the commencement of the trial.

Lucky-Samaroo informed the court that a substantial portion of Government scholarship funds have been expended on medical students and the State has suffered loss and damage due to scholars non-compliance.
Government can still pay

He is insisting that Cabinet can issue a note to ensure payment on compassionate grounds in the absence of the relevant amendment to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act.

Griffith, in a statement issued through his political party, the Alliance of Independents (AOI) claimed that a $13 million payment was made to victims of flooding in the Maraval and Diego Martin areas as part of payment for victims of floods and it was a Cabinet note which ensured payment on compassionate grounds.

A law enforcement officer is one of the most noble of all professions, as these patriots put their lives on the line daily to defend our nation and at times persons who are total strangers to them. The least we can and should do, if they are fatally wounded whilst serving their country, is to ensure that their family is taken care of. He said the present system of giving the families three months salary is a slap in the face of all law enforcement officers and their dependants.

Is (National Security) Minister (Edmund) Dillon saying that we need to wait years for such legislation to be enacted and, in the interim, we must continue to see our officers killed whilst trying to protect our nation and in return we would give their family three months salary? Griffith also noted in his release that the number of officers fatally wounded in the line of duty does not number in the hundreds and, as such, serious consideration should and could be granted for such matters. He concluded that the country needs to start putting law enforcement personnel as priority if the country expects to get the best out of them.
Minister opens new Atlantic control room

Darlow made these comments while hosting the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Hon.

Nicole Olivierre on her visit to Atlantic on March 8 to officially open the new Control Room.

The Control Room is the heart of Atlantics operations, where its four LNG processing trains are monitored and controlled remotely by teams of Process Plant Operators. The new Control Room uses the latest technology in the industry, which will help Atlantic to enhance facility safety and maintain its safety record of over 31 million man hours worked (over 8 years) without a Lost Time Injury.

The new Control Room will also facilitate the professional development of the companys Process Plant Operators via a best-in-class Operator Training Simulator (OTS). The OTS will help Atlantics Process Plant Operators further enhance their problem-solving and analytical skills, deepening their experience in LNG operations.

On her tour of the new facility, the Minister of Energy Nicole Olivierre met some of the Process Plant Operators, including Dunstan Maitland, a participant in the Atlantic International Exchange Programme. Under this Programme, Maitland and his colleagues Ryan Bissessar, Mark Barker and Peter Rogers undertook a two-year assignment at Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) in Eastern Australia, where they supported the commissioning and start-up of a two-train liquefaction facility. The Minister said that the upgraded Control Room and the employee exchange programme reinforced Atlantics commitment to excellence in technological innovation and also human capital development.

Congratulations to Atlantic on maintaining its reputation as a world leader with reliable and safe operations and being an ambassador for the Trinidad and Tobago Energy sector, Minister Olivierre said.

Describing the new Control Room as Atlantics investment in its future, CEO Darlow said that while 2015 had been a challenging year for LNG production due to low gas prices on the global market and also to curtailment of local supply of natural gas, nevertheless the long term outlook was favourable.

I think we will see a gradual recovery in the LNG market globally, Darlow said. Global demand for LNG is still growing at 5% per year. There is lot of new supply coming on stream and that will take a while to be digested in the market, but I think the long term dynamics for LNG are good. I dont worry about the new LNG plants being built in other countries. Trinidad and Tobagos LNG will always be in demand. Darlow explained that this countrys LNG was among the most competitive in the global business, as Atlantics production cost was lower than that of recent LNG start-ups or new facilities now under construction
Rowley: Govt looking at wider economic picture

Speaking on the TV6 Morning Edition programme, the Prime Minister said the Peoples National Movement did not assume office to wave a magic wand and declare that certain things will happen, because we are in government. Asked if either he or the Government were worried about the state of the economy, Rowley replied, I am very calm.

The Government is very calm. He said his administration will level with the population on an ongoing basis, and added that what citizens need to understand is that all that has changed is that the 29 people who were in charge of the management of the country have been replaced by the 23 who have just come in but the circumstances of the country are the same circumstances. Explaining that the past cannot be ignored if the future is to be secured, Rowley said the population must also understand that many of the economic challenges which the Government must address were the result of decisions taken by its Peoples Partnership (PP) predecessor.

Noting that Finance Minister Colm Imbert recently disclosed that former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar approved a $1.6 loan to TTEC before last Septembers general election, Rowley said, We have discovered recently there was a series of borrowings in the public enterprise sector which had not been made known to the country. He said the loan which Imbert referred to was one of several taken out by the PP with the understanding they would be repaid within three to six months.

He disclosed that we have had to go to the banks and renegotiate those loans from short-term loans, which the last Minister of Finance didnt tell us anything about, to longer-term loans.

Because, he added, if you didnt have money to pay, the next thing available to you is to exempt the credit and we have been doing that, not once but repeatedly, as they appear out of the woodwork. Rowley also said the PP placed $500 million in one State enterprise for the last election, but they didnt have a chance to spend it. He said nobody told us about that, we just discovered it.

Recalling that when Government presented its Budget last October we didnt lose the steel industry then, the Prime Minister said the ongoing challenge with respect to natural gas supply to various companies was never addressed by the PP. He said two plants were recently closed (he did not identify them by name), and added, The one that they closed was having difficulty getting gas in 2014.

This plant since 2014 couldnt operate properly because it did not have gas. Eventually in 2016, they closed it down. He reiterated that the last six months have placed the Government in a better position to understand the countrys economic challenge and determine the options available to it.
Govt: Mid-Year Review on time

Referring to Brownes comments at a seminar held recently at the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business in Mt Hope, an official said, Mid Year reviews with few exceptions have been done in May for the last 15 years because it takes time to collect the data after the end of the quarter. During debate on a private motion to annul the Value Added Tax (VAT) (Amendment to Schedule 2 ) Order 2016 last Tuesday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced that the Mid Year Review would take place on April 8.

This official said this point is further illustrated by the fact that the former Peoples Partnership (PP) government held the Mid-Year Reviews in 2013 and 2015, in June of those respective years. A second government official,commenting on a report alleging that Arcelor Mittal made an $1.00 offer to Government to sell, said that report is baseless and has little regard for the truth. This official indicated that no such offer was ever made and described the report alleging such as, sensationalist. In a statement last Friday following the closure of its steel plant, Arcelor Mittal said it had discussions with Government and other stakeholders in an attempt to find another solution for the company including a potential sale, or a transfer to the Government.

The company said there was no successful outcome to those discussions.

Arcelor Mittal also recommended that a creditors voluntary wind-up be undertaken as soon as it is legally and operationally practical.

Commenting on the plants closure last Friday, Imbert said he has asked the Inspector of Insolvency, to advise on the way forward, regarding Arcelor Mittals decision to end its operations in this country and close its steel plant in Point Lisas.
Ajay Devgn To Fly From Bulgaria To Receive The Padma Shri Award

Bollywood, Tue, 15 Mar 2016 NI Wire

We all know that Ajay Devgn is an extremely professional actor who lives up to all his commitments and is a man of his word. The actor who is currently knee deep shooting in Bulgaria for his next ambitious directorial venture Shivaay with the entire team, will specially fly down to Delhi to receive the prestigious Padma Award that's been bestowed upon him!

Ajay will be wrapping up shoot on time and will reach directly to Delhi on 28th March to receive the award.

Earlier upon the announcement, Ajay Devgn had said in a statement, "I feel deeply humbled yet elated to receive such honor from my own country. This announcement today makes it special for me when I'm filming abroad for my new film "Shivaay". I'd like to acknowledge that Padma Samman puts an extra responsibility on me and I promise to serve my country for as long as I can."
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has abruptly declared that he is withdrawing the majority of Russian troops from Syria, saying the six-month military intervention had largely achieved its objective.

The news on Monday, relayed personally to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in a telephone call from Putin, followed a meeting in the Kremlin with the Russian defence and foreign ministers. He said the pullout, scaling back an intervention that began at the end of September, is due to start on Tuesday.

His move was clearly designed to coincide with the start of Syrian peace talks in Geneva and will be seen as a sign that Russia believes it has done enough to protect Assads regime from collapse.

Putin said he had ordered his diplomatic staff to step up their efforts to achieve a settlement to end the civil war which has cost at least 250,000 lives and is due to enter its sixth year on Tuesday.

Moscow will, however, maintain a military presence in Syria, and a deadline for complete withdrawal has not yet been announced. Putin said that the existing Russian airbase in Hemeimeem in Syrias coastal province of Latakia and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous would continue to operate. The Russian air force has been capable of running 100 sorties a day from the base and would be able quickly to re-equip it if it felt the military balance required it to do so.

The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Monday the intervention had led to the death of 2,000 rebels fighting against the Syrian government and the killing of 17 field commanders. He added that more than 200 oil installations had been attacked, 400 settlements taken and the chief route to supply rebel fighters from Turkey had been cut off.

Russian airstrikes killed 4,408 people including 1,733 civilians between September 2015 and early March 2016, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
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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
Discover Norfolk's amazing wildlife: the many species, the best places to visit and how we can all work to save wildlife.
The big concern with the "war on terror" is the danger that the definition of "terrorism" will be expanded from people who use violence to oppose the government to people who do it peacefully and democraticly. And now, exactly that is happening in Turkey:



Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is necessary to redefine terrorism to include those who support such acts.



He said there was no difference between "a terrorist holding a gun or a bomb and those who use their position and pen to serve the aims" of terrorists.



Mr Erdogan added that this could be a journalist, a lawmaker or an activist.



What does that look like in practice? Academics signing petitions critical of government policy are arrested for "terrorist propaganda" . Journalists who expose government wrongdoing are prosecuted for "espionage" . Independent newspapers are taken over at gunpoint and turned into government propaganda organs . Classifying your political opponents as "terrorists" is a hallmark of authoritarianism and tyranny. And the longer democratic nations stay signed up to America's war, the greater the danger for democracy.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco has condemned in the most vigorous terms the simultaneous terror attacks that targeted Sunday the Ivorian seaside resort of Grand Bassam.

The King sent a message of condolences to President Alassane Ouattara and also talked to him over the phone.

According to a statement released by the Royal Office Sunday evening, King Mohammed VI condemned in the strongest terms these heinous acts of terrorism and assured President Ouattara of Moroccos total solidarity and firm support to the Ivorian brotherly people.

During the phone talk, King Mohammed VI proposed sending to Cote dIvoire a team from the Central Office of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) to accompany and support Ivorian authorities in their investigations on the terrorist acts, said the statement adding that the Ivorian President welcomed the proposal.

On Monday, Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad and Head of Moroccos internal intelligence service Abdellatif Hammouchi who is also Chief of General Directorate of National Security (DGSN,) accompanied by a BCIJ team, flew to Abidjan to express support to the West African country and assist Ivorian authorities in the investigations.

Immediately after arrival, the two top security officials were received by President Alassan Ouattara and held, later on, meetings with their Ivorian peers.

All Ivorian officials expressed appreciation of Moroccos solidarity drive and interior minister of Cote dIvoire Hamed Bakayoko released a press statement, hailing the Moroccan assistance, which reflects, he said, the strong ties existing between the two countries leaders.

Other world leaders have condemned the heinous terrorist attack and France announced that its Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of the Interior, Jean-Marc Ayrault and Bernard Cazeneuve will travel to Abidjan, on Tuesday March15, to demonstrate solidarity with the Ivorian authorities and people.

Al Qaeda offshoot in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the Sunday terrorist attacks in Grand Bassam, some 40 km to the east of capital Abidjan. The attacks killed 15 civilians and 3 security agents. The 6 perpetrators of the assault were also killed.

Besides Ivorians, nationals from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Germany, Mali and France died in the Sunday carnage.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said reaching a peace deal with Palestine will first require the Arab World warming its ties with Israel at a time Arab countries insist that normalizing their relations with Tel Aviv would only take place when a solution is reached to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Netanyahu was speaking at the event marking the 24th anniversary of former Prime Minister Menachem Begins death; still remembered for signing the peace agreement with Egypt in 1979. He said the historic peace agreement has defied the test of time and challenging moments.

The Israeli Prime Minister said if someone thought earlier that a breakthrough with the Palestinians would lead to improved relations with the Arab world for us, the opposite is happening and will continue to happen. He said the Arab World softening its views towards Israel will help Tel Aviv when the time comes to reach a real and lasting agreement with our Palestinian neighbors. Netanyahu said countries increasingly understand that Israel is not an enemy to Arab countries but a partner in fighting extremism.

His statement could raise eyebrows over Frances initiative to revive peace talks. French envoy Pierre Vimont met with Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold and Netanyahus special diplomatic envoy Isaac Molho to discuss the initiative on Monday.

After the meeting, the Israeli foreign ministry stated it emphasized the importance of direct, bilateral negotiations without preconditions and also questioned the logic of the French initiative that Israel is struggling to understand.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also reminded the Palestinian Authority of its responsibility to combat terror and incitement in the areas under its control.
King Mohammed VI who is currently on an official to Russia held a meeting in the Kremlin Tuesday with President Vladimir Putin.

The summit talks were attended by Advisors to the Moroccan Sovereign Taieb Fassi Fihri and Fouad Ali El Himma and by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Putins advisor Yuri Ushakov.

The contents of the talks were not disclosed, but Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Representative of President Putin Mikhail Bogdanov, had earlier said that President Putin was looking forward to discussing with King Mohammed VI all issues of common interest, including the latest developments in the Middle East and North Africa and the ongoing efforts to fight terrorism.

After their talks, the two countries leaders chaired over the signing ceremony of several agreements and memoranda of understanding covering extradition mechanisms between the two countries, air services, environmental protection and rational use of natural resources, fisheries, the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, mutual protection of confidential military and military-technical information as well as a joint action tourism program for the 2016-2018 period.

A Moroccan-Russian declaration on the fight against international terrorism was also signed during the ceremony, in addition to other MoUs in the fields of energy, culture, geological research and exploration of the subsoil, and veterinary and phytosanitary supervision.

All these agreements are meant to give a new momentum to the Moroccan-Russian strategic partnership sealed during the Sovereigns first official visit to Russia in 2002.

Before heading to the Kremlin, the Sovereign had laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

On Monday, the two countries economic operators discussed at a meeting ways of upgrading and diversifying trade relations between the two countries and announced the creation of an economic council tasked with giving a new impetus to Moroccan-Russian economic partnership.

As put by the chairwoman of Moroccan employers association (CGEM) Miriem Bensaleh-Cheqroun, the economic council will strengthen the strategic partnership between Morocco and Russia and open to Russian investors the multiple opportunities offered by Morocco, especially in the realms of industry, renewable energy, agriculture, fishing and tourism.

Echoing her, chairman of the Russian-Moroccan Business Council Yuri Sharov said the new economic council will promote economic relations and increase the volume of investments between the two countries.

The economic operators signed during their meeting four partnership agreements dealing with the sectors of industry, energy, pharmaceutical industry and agri-business.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has considered the march staged in Rabat last Sunday with the participation of over 3 million Moroccans, in response to his biased remarks on the Sahara issue, as a lack of respect towards him and towards the UN.

Ban Ki-moon held a meeting Monday in New York with Moroccos Foreign Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, to exchange views on the state of efforts to settle the Western Sahara dispute, as well as his recent visit to the region to explore ways to intensify the negotiating process.

After the meeting, Bans spokesman issued a statement saying that the UN Chief also conveyed his astonishment at the recent statement of the Moroccan Government and expressed his deep disappointment and anger regarding the demonstration that was mobilized on Sunday 13 March, which targeted him in person.

According to the statement Ban Ki-moon stressed that such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations.

The statement said that the Secretary-General took note of the misunderstanding related to his use of the word occupation as his personal reaction to the deplorable humanitarian conditions in which the Sahrawi refugees have lived in for far too long in the Polisario-run Tindouf camps in Algeria.

The Spokesmans statement also said that the Secretary-General underscored to the (Moroccan) Foreign Minister that he has adhered closely to the Security Councils mandate, and that the UN chief reiterated his 4 November 2015 call for genuine and serious negotiations without preconditions to make progress soonest.

If Ban Ki-moon was reacting on a personal basis, one cannot understand why he involved the UN which has been observing neutrality in the issue it has been handling for decades.

Actually, as underlined by the Moroccan government in the statement it issued to decry the UN Chiefs inappropriate and biased remarks, neither the UN nor any former UN Secretary General have used the word occupation when talking about the Sahara.

Ban Ki-moon visited the region two weeks ago to supposedly revive the stalled settlement process through reactivating the negotiations meant to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution. Apparently his goal was not fulfilled since all he did was to irk the Moroccan people.
I realize this post might be arcane to those who have never worked in the academic field, but bear with me here, since I think it touches o...
AARON P. BERNSTEIN

By Nick Carey

(Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has effectively split the conservative Tea Party movement, as his fiery campaign draws in followers of the group who had been expected to line up behind Ted Cruz, a more consistent champion of small government.

As the Republican race moves to the crucial battlegrounds of Ohio and Florida among three other states on Tuesday, Tea Party support promises to help Trump's campaign offset its relative lack of on-the-ground organization compared to Texas Senator Cruz, his closest rival nationally.

Having loyal Tea Party supporters could also help him fend off moves to block his nomination at the Republican National Convention in July if he falls short of the threshold of 1,237 delegates that would guarantee him the party's candidacy.

A Reuters review of Trump's list of 66 Ohio delegates -- who would represent him at the nominating convention if he wins the primary and provide crucial support in the event of a contested convention -- found that 28 are Tea Party leaders, members or are otherwise linked to the movement, including officials who have been featured speakers at Tea Party events.

Using the same benchmark, 27 of Cruz's delegates have links with the grassroots group, which sprang to national prominence in 2009 on anger over government bailouts, and demands for tax cuts and less intrusive government.

Despite Trump's mixed record as a conservative, the real estate moguls promises to shake up Washington, throw out illegal immigrants and tear up "unfair" trade deals have won over many influential Tea Party followers, according to interviews with activists across more than a dozen states.

"Trump has never asked me for a dime and being self funded he's the only one that can blow up the Republican Party establishment," said Ralph King, a Trump delegate and member of the Cleveland Tea Party.

"If the primaries result in a contested convention, I'm in his corner all the way."

(Graphic showing Trump Ohio delegates with Tea Party links:http://tmsnrt.rs/1Xr3aZw)

TAPPING TEA PARTY EMOTIONS

Recent polls have shown Trump performing well among voters who identified as Tea Party supporters.

A Feb. 29 CNN poll had 56 percent of Tea Partiers favoring Trump compared to 16 percent for Cruz. A March 9 Quinnipiac University poll had Trump leading Cruz 48 percent to 40 percent among Tea Party voters in Florida, while Cruz led Trump with 38 percent to Trump's 33 percent in Ohio.

"Trump has tapped into Tea Party emotions, gaining the support of many of the most hacked off and motivated voters out there," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell. "It was a brilliant move."

The influence of the amorphous Tea Party has waned nationally, but it remains a potent force in many states through its thousands of committed grassroots activists.

For conservative purists, Cruz checks all the right ideological boxes of limited government and lower taxes.

Trump, on the other hand, says he would maintain government programs such as Social Security and has called for higher taxes on the most wealthy Americans. In 2008, he voiced support for the government's rescue package for major banks.

After Trump's strong showing in a string of states on "Super Tuesday" last month, Jenny Beth Martin -- co-founder of a national umbrella group called Tea Party Patriots - lambasted him as a conservative of convenience.

"Trump is about love of himself. But the Tea Party is about love of country and the love of our Constitution," she said at this month's Conservative Political Action Conference.

Ned Ryun, founder of American Majority, a group that trains conservative grassroots activists, said Trump's outsider persona is key to his appeal to Tea Party activists.

"Cruz people feel they can work within the status quo," said Ryun. "Trump people say screw the status quo, we're sick of it."

COURTING ACTIVISTS, DELEGATES

The billionaire has quietly maintained contacts with the movement since at least 2011, when he was flirting with a presidential run in the 2012 election.

More recently he has courted activists, focusing on prospective delegates. Trump broadened his appeal among Tea Party members in January when he secured the endorsement of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who commands strong loyalty among many in the movement.

At the South Carolina Tea Party convention in January 2015 in Myrtle Beach, Trump spent 45 minutes with eight Tea Party activists, test-marketing themes like immigration, according to attendees.

The effort brought converts. One of those present, Gerri McDaniel, ran Trump's grassroots efforts in South Carolina. Another, Jeanne Seaver, did the same in Georgia. He won both states' primaries.

Atlanta Tea Party co-founder Debbie Dooley also attended that meeting and aims to be a Trump delegate.

On the first ballot of the Republican convention in July she would be obliged to back him, but says she would continue to back him if voting goes to a second round when delegates become free to vote for whichever candidate they choose.

"I'll back Trump to hell and back," Dooley said.

In Michigan, New Hampshire and Nevada, Trump's successful efforts were helped by state directors formerly employed by Americans for Prosperity, a group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers that has courted Tea Party groups for years.

His Florida field director Ken Mayo held the same post at Americans for Prosperity.

Trump tapped a local Tea Party leader -- Rob Scott -- to run his campaign in Ohio. Of Trump's 21 delegates from New Hampshire -- the first primary he won -- 13 have Tea Party links or affiliations.

Delegate lists for Florida and Michigan -- another state that votes on Tuesday -- are not yet available because those states pick delegates at conventions after their primaries. In Ohio, candidates submit delegate lists in advance.

Trump still trails Cruz on get-out-the-vote efforts, strategists and activists say.

June Pitts, a Tea Party activist in Illinois, said in previous elections she has worked at campaign offices. But Trump doesn't have one in Chicago, so Pitts is making calls herself ahead of the state's March 15 vote.

In Tiffin, Ohio, Trump delegate Jim Green said he spent $700 of his own money on yard signs before the campaign began sending him paraphernalia for free.

Glenn Newman, a Trump delegate and activist in southeastern Ohio, has also been left to his own devices.

Trump's campaign "is being put together like a puppy chasing a pickup truck," Newman said. "They're just playing catch-up."

(Additional reporting by Justin Madden and Amy Tennery; editing by Stuart Grudgings)

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.
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Photo: Justin Sullivan/2016 Getty Images

Hillary Clinton and MSNBCs Chris Matthews were in the middle of taping a town hall in Springfield, Illinois, when it happened: The crew cut for commercial, but Clinton and Matthewss microphones remained live, broadcasting their behind-the-scenes conversation for reporters in a separate screening room to hear. Ruby Cramer of BuzzFeed News recorded the exchange, which began with Clinton talking about Donald Trump. Man, you guys cannot talk stop talking about him, she said to Matthews. He is a dangerous presence and, you know, its just like candy by the bushel. Matthews replied: We dip into him, dip out of him. We have a progressive audience, obviously. But nobody can tell what people want to watch.

Yeah, Clinton said, adding that people want to watch him. To laugh at him, Matthews replied.

It was a rare unscripted moment for Clinton. Although both she and Sanders condemned Trump in Ohio  Donald Trump is responsible for what happens at his events, she said, Hes been not just inciting violence, but applauding it  Clinton hasnt voiced her frustrations over petty concerns such as the sheer amount of media attention Trump receives. But it must be taxing to run against a walking, talking circus act whose tweets alone are considered news.

The conversation moved to Chris Christie, with Clinton asking Matthews, Why did he support [Trump]? and Matthews speculating about Christies future in New Jersey politics. Then they discuss Ben Carson, whom Matthews has apparently known forever.

Clinton: You have? Did you know him when he was at Johns Hopkins, too? Matthews: He was very soft spoken, never said a thing. Clinton: And he was a brilliant surgeon by all accounts.

Matthews said Carsons voice reminds him of Tommy Smothers, a comedian from the 60s. Remember Tommy Smothers?

Clinton: I do! The Smothers Brothers! Its so funny. When I talk about things like that with my staff, theyre so young   Matthews: Try Sid Caesar. Try Sid Caesar. Try Sid Caesar. Clinton: Ed Sullivan! Pause. Matthews: So, did you watch the end of Downton Abbey?

Sadly, the mic cut out just before Clinton could voice her thoughts on the downfall of a moneyed aristocracy in the 20th century.
Jason Dalton has been charged with six counts of murder. Photo: Handout/2016 Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office

When Uber driver Jason Dalton allegedly went on a shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in late February, killing six people and wounding two, officials were hard pressed to find a motive for his actions. Although arresting officers said they believed the shootings were premeditated, the choice of victims was apparently random, as were the time and place of the attacks. But a police report filed March 3 offers the first evidence of a motive  according to the officer who interviewed him, Dalton said the app took him over to the point where he was a puppet, and turned from red to black to control his actions.

I asked Dalton why he was carrying his firearm tonight, and he said that the Uber App literally took over his body and mind, reads the police report. Dalton explained that when the [Uber] symbol turns to black, it literally has control over you. He also professed not to remember much of what happened the night of the shooting  according to the report, he said he couldnt remember taking aim or shooting at anyone.

He did remember returning home to talk to his wife because he wanted to hear her voice but said something was putting words in his mouth during their conversation. Afterward, he retrieved a shotgun from the basement and fired into his backyard shed. According to the police report, he said something was directing him to shoot into the barn. Dalton said he was afraid that maybe he couldve killed his family. When police pulled him over Dalton said the app had freed him, and he was able to control his own actions.

Daltons lawyer has asked that he undergo a mental-competency evaluation. The evaluation would determine whether Dalton is mentally capable of understanding court proceedings, but not whether he was legally sane at the time of the shootings. Hes been charged with six counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and eight felony firearms crimes.
Sanderss Michigan win is causing Clinton heart-Bern in the Midwest. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Before the March 8 primary in Michigan, the five Democratic primaries being held tomorrow looked like a potential knockout punch for Hillary Clinton. At that point polls were mostly showing her far ahead of Bernie Sanders in Illinois and Ohio; Florida and North Carolina, with their large African-American voting populations, looked like a lock; and while nobody was polling Missouri, it just didnt seem all that hospitable a place for the Bern.

But after Sanderss historic upset win in Michigan, observers started noticing demographic and cultural similarities between that state and Ohio, and then a Missouri poll finally came in, and then all hell started breaking loose in Illinois. So heres where we are going into tomorrows voting.

Florida: Nothing to see here, folks.

The single most important thing to know about Florida is that its primary is closed to participation by independents or Republicans, which means Hillary Clintons almost invariable lead among self-identified Democrats is safe here from the usual crazy-high margin Sanders enjoys among independents. A second important thing to know is that in the Sunshine State no manner of campus outreach is going to elevate the under-30 vote (Sanderss base) above the over-65 vote (Clintons). Indeed, a new PPP survey shows the over-65s roughly matching the under-45s among likely primary voters. Add in a reasonably large African-American vote (23 percent of the primary electorate) that seems to be behaving more like southern than midwestern black electorates (HRC is up 71-17 according to PPP), and its no wonder she has a 30-point lead in the RealClearPolitics polling averages, with only one poll ever showing Bernie within 20 points. If Sanders wins here, we really do need to stop looking at polls for the foreseeable future.

One finding worth noting given the limited data we have on Hispanic voting (other than the disputed Sanders edge in Nevada and Clintons 71-29 showing in Texas) is that PPP has Clinton winning Florida Hispanics (a very diverse group accounting for 18 percent of expected primary voters) by a margin smaller (51-42) than her overall lead (57-32) in the state. But it should not matter a lot.

Illinois: How much damage is Rahm doing to Hillary?

As noted above, the Illinois primary is in turmoil. Just a week ago a Chicago Tribune poll had Hillary Clinton up by 42 points (67-25). But the last three public surveys have had the two candidates statistically tied. And some of the internal findings are shocking: An NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll that shows Clinton up six in Illinois overall has Sanders leading by better than two-to-one among Hispanics, and Clintons lead among black voters down to levels more like Michigans than Floridas.

What seems to be happening in Illinois is that Sanderss shrewd decision to identify with enemies of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel is paying off. His last mayoral challenger, Chuy Garcia, has been in Bernies camp from the beginning, and the Sanders campaign is running anti-Rahm ads reminding voters of the mayors deep ties to the Clintons. Sanders may also be benefiting from a voter-mobilization effort associated with a primary challenge to Cook County prosecutor Anita Alvarez, who is being blamed for inadequate attention to police misconduct. Clinton could still wind up benefiting from a large African-American turnout in Chicago tomorrow, but its all gotten very iffy. Illinois is an open primary state, too, which will attract into the Democratic primary some of the youngish, left-bent indies who have so strongly gone for Bernie elsewhere.

Missouri: A left-right pincers movement?

Missouri was a mystery state with no polling since the fall until this last weekend, when two surveys came out showing a close race. As I anticipated, Sanders is benefiting from a relatively small African-American vote (21 percent of the primary electorate, according to PPP) and from significant numbers of more conservative white Democrats who are voting for Sanders for uncertain reasons. PPP shows 20 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the Show-Me State self-identifying as somewhat or very conservative, and Sanders is leading among them by nearly 20 points. Add in younger liberal white voters turning out strongly for Sanders and he has at least as much of a chance as he had in Oklahoma  which he won on March 1.

Ohio: A leftward wind from Michigan.

Ohios another state where Clintons lead has declined from the 20-to-30-point range to single digits this month. What should be most frightening to the Clinton people is how much Ohio resembles Michigan demographically and politically. The African-American share of the primary electorate is actually a bit lower than in Michigan, but with polls showing Clinton having the same meh lead in that demographic (66-28, according to PPP). There are plenty of campuses for the Sanders campaign to organize. And the same combination of issues revolving around globalization have some impact there.

This is another open primary state, and one variable that might hurt Sanders is the incentive indies might have to vote in the Republican primary to help their governor beat Donald Trump. But Bernies kind of indies will probably show up on the Democratic side.

North Carolina: Could get closer, but its still Clinton country.

Clinton has had a steady lead in the Tar Heel State at or above 20 points. It has a relatively large (37 percent of the primary electorate) African-American vote. And in most of the polling, Clinton has led in every major category other than young voters  and even there Sanders doesnt seem to be winning as massively as he has in northern caucuses and primaries. North Carolina is also a big early-voting state, and according to PPP, Clintons lead among the 30 percent who have already voted is better than two-to-one.

So we could see anything from a Clinton sweep (of states, not delegates, of course; all of these states will have delegates divided proportionately) to a 3-2 Sanders edge that makes him officially the King of the Rust Belt, with some white-liberal-dominated caucus states just ahead that should fatten his delegate count. After Michigan, no one should be taking anything for granted.
Take our word for it: This image was captured at 11:02. Photo: NBC4

Fewer and fewer clocks these days need to be reset at the start of daylight saving time, but the MTA, as in so many things, works on its own schedule. About 17 of the MTAs 1,700 digital clocks failed to spring forward early Sunday morning as theyre supposed to, leaving the wrong time displayed at Columbus Circle in Manhattan and Lorimer Street in Brooklyn, among other stations.

It wasnt immediately clear why some clocks failed to update. MTA workers were quickly dispatched to set them manually, though NBC New York reports that at least one, at Court Square in Queens, was still wrong as of Tuesday morning. New Yorkers were not shocked that the MTA would be an hour behind on something. Said one commuter to NBC: You roll with it. Its New York, what can you do?
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray meet the cast of Eclipsed backstage at the Golden Theater in midtown Manhattan after watching a performance of the play on Friday, March 11, 2016. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

At 5:30 on Friday, March 11, as I was winding things up at the office to prepare to meet my boyfriend to see Eclipsed, I got an email from the mayors office: He was going to be there, too  also on date night, I was informed. And sure enough, as I arrived at the theater, there were police there and a photographer from the Times loitering out front, waiting to capture their arrival. The play was written by Danai Gurira (whom you know as Michonne in The Walking Dead) and is set at the end of the long Liberian guerilla war. It stars Lupita Nyongo and was recently transferred from the Public Theater to Broadway. Sure enough, right as the play was about to begin, Mayor de Blasio loped in with Chirlane McCray, and they were seated opposite us. The mayor  who is, in fact, uncomfortably tall  folded himself into an aisle seat and slouched down a bit so as not to block anyone behind him.

Afterward, the mayors office asked me whether Id be writing about the couples trip to the theater (a similar question was presumably asked of the Post, who published the email from the mayors office almost word for word in Page Six). I told the press representative I didnt really know what Id write, not unless I could get the mayor or the First Lady on the phone. The next day, I got a call from McCray; she was calling, accidentally, from her cell phone, and quickly hung up to call back again through her office. At that point I asked her why she and her husband decided to take in this particular show. She didnt, it turns out, know much about the playwright or the play (and doesnt watch The Walking Dead), but the shows producers had brought it to the attention of the mayors office, and the fact that it was Broadways first all-female cast and creative team  some of whom had roots in different parts of Africa  made her want to see it. I was just intrigued by the conversations they may have had as they were working on the show together, she said. All-female, multiethnic, coming together   (Gurira is from Zimbabwe, via Iowa; Nyongo is from Kenya; and actress Akosua Busia is from Ghana. Liesl Tommy, the director, is from South Africa.)

The story is mostly set in a claustrophobic compound, home to the captive wives of a rebel warlord, and explores how each responds to their sexual enslavement. The four women are known by their numbers, which correspond to the length of time since they were acquired by the warlord (who is never seen). There is also a fifth woman, from the outside, a peace activist from the city who was there trying to convince the rebels to put down their arms. The characters were inspired by people Gurira met doing her research for the play, interviewing women in Liberia, after being intrigued by a picture in the Times of female soldiers (they were fierce, and they were African, and they had AK-47s, and they had cute little outfits on at the same time, and they were really scary chicks, Guiria told me a few years back). One of the wives, No. 2 (actual name: Maima), gains a measure of independence  or at least gets to leave the sexual enslavement of the compound  by becoming a soldier.

McCray said they were each recognizable, like women you know, only put in extreme circumstances. The play reminds the audience that Liberia came to exist because of American former slaves settled there. And the question she had is: How different are we than they are?

While McCray said that she and the mayor didnt have much time to talk about it afterward  their schedule didnt to allow for that  two moments struck her most. The first was when the peace activist taught one of the illiterate wives how to write her name in the sand with a stick (she could see the power of it, to name oneself, articulate it in writing). And then there was when Maima, the one who chose to become a soldier, had convinced Nyongos character, known simply as the Girl, to follow her path and take up arms. Maima must remind the Girl that she must then kill the government soldiers to gain her own measure of self-determination:

LISTEN TO ME! Dose are Charles Taylors monkeys! Dat who we fightin. We are fighting de monkey Charles Taylor. He eating and drinking and living like a king in a land of paupers. We drive him out   She gets her to shoot. Good gal. Now you doin sometin, you hepin us get closa to freedom. One monkey at a time  

Its a powerful moment. To make a human being into something not human, to make it easier for her to kill   McCray said, still unsettled by it. Its something we see now, with Trump, and the violence, the denaturing of the human. I dont think its an easy thing. But it happens, and is happening.
Syrians watch a search and rescue operation in Idlib on September 23, 2014. Photo: LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

Russia began waging air strikes in Syria last fall, inserting itself into the five-year civil war to bolster the besieged Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad. That mission was completed over all, said Russian president Vladimir Putin Monday, as he announced the Kremlin would be greatly scaling back operations and withdrawing troops from Syria as early as Tuesday.

Russia will still keep some sort of military presence in Syria, reports The Guardian, at two locations: an air base and a naval port, both along the Syrian coast. But its unclear what that entails, or how much Putin really means it. The Kremlin leader did say Russia wouldnt stop its fight against terrorism.

Russias move  which apparently came as something of a surprise to pretty much everyone, including the United States  arrived as peace talks between opposition forces and Assads government opened in Geneva, after months of false starts. A cease-fire agreement that went into effect at the end of February has also mostly (if imperfectly) held, at least enough to allow for increased humanitarian aid deliveries in vulnerable Syrian communities. Putin, being Putin, couldnt help but take some credit for the latest round of talks. The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process, Putin said this afternoon.

The Russian leader reportedly dropped the news to his buddy Assad over the phone Monday, who apparently agreed with Russias decision; his acquiescence isnt so surprising considering Russia helped save his job. The Syrian leaders precarious hold on power reversed in recent months, as government forces, backed by Russias military, went on the offensive. Now Assads regime has backed away from collapse and consolidated some of his power by recouping territory held by opposition forces, including groups supported by the U.S. and its Western allies.

Russias involvement in Syria had long frustrated the United States and its allies, all of whom really arent too keen to see Assad stay in power. Russia had also insisted it was targeting terrorists but ended up bombing some of the areas held by opposition forces supported by the United States, further complicating efforts to defeat the really bad guys  ISIS  and put an end to a civil war that has killed about 250,000 and sent millions more fleeing.
Caption: The Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel came by my job, still cant stand this muthafucka tho.

Chicago cant stand its mayor. In January, Rahm Emanuels approval rating fell to a record-low 27 percent. Four in ten Chicagoans would like to see Emaunel resign. Even before the controversy surrounding the police killing of Laquan McDonald, Rahm had earned the ire of the citys large activist community as a result of a series of school closings early in his tenure. Emanuel ultimately won reelection last year, but not before weathering a serious primary challenge from Cook County Board commissioner Chuy Garcia. And that was before video of Chicago police shooting an unarmed 17-year-old 16 times in 13 seconds became public  more than a year after the killing occurred. The anger over McDonalds death, and the governments belated response, is fueling a grassroots campaign to oust States Attorney Anita Alvarez in tonights primary.

Hes also a Hillary Clinton backer, and came on the national political scene as a senior adviser in her husbands White House.

Bernie Sanders has done everything he can to harness those anti-Emanuel energies to undermine Clintons standing with Illinois Democrats. He picked up Chuy Garcias endorsement early in his campaign, and hes been flooding Chicagos airwaves with ads linking Emanuel to Clinton for over a week.

If the Democratic front-runner loses Illinois tonight, these images will go a long way toward explaining why.
In the past few days, the world has focused on the scary aspects of the Trump movement as a whole, but on Monday night, the front-runner reminded us that theres also something disturbing and sadistic going on in his personal relationship with Chris Christie.

Rather than attending the Monday funeral of a state trooper killed in the line of duty, Christie opted to further anger his constituents by spending the day on the campaign trail with Donald Trump  who showed his appreciation by humiliating him again.

While campaigning in North Carolina this morning, Christie had the privilege of questioning Trump at a town-hall-style event. According to the New York Times, at one point Trump said that had he not excelled at every debate, I would have been like the other people  out! Christie scratched the back of his neck in the seat across from him.

Then while speaking in Ohio, a state Trump acknowledged he may lose on Tuesday, the front-runner attacked Governor John Kasich  and took an unnecessary swipe at Christie, who was standing just offstage. And your governor is absentee, Trump said. He goes to New Hampshire, hes living in New Hampshire. Living! Wheres Chris, is Chris around? Even more than Chris Christie, he was there, right? Even more.

Trump tacked on a faux-apology, telling Christie, I hated to do that, but I had to make my point. Christie should have made his escape when he had the chance.

Update: While Christie wasnt onstage this time, Trump made sure he suffered some visual humiliation, too.
Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Last week, Donald Trumps campaign manager probably assaulted a reporter. According to multiple witnesses and partial video evidence, Corey Lewandowski grabbed former Breitbart staffer Michelle Fieldss arm and yanked her toward the floor with bruising force. Lewandowski has disputed those accounts. But whats indisputable is that Lewandowskis response to a woman having her arm bruised by someone at a press scrum was to publicly denounce her as delusional and treat the fact that she had once made sexual-harassment allegations against a congressman as proof that she is an attention seeker.

@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you.  Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 11, 2016

Michelle Fields is an attention seeker who once claimed Allen West groped her but later went silent. https://t.co/J86Ej42eYx  Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 10, 2016

That response almost made it seem like Lewandowski is a bully who enjoys demeaning women. But does that really sound like the kind of person womens-health advocate Donald Trump would hire to run his campaign? Alas, a new report from Politico suggests that this one time, the GOP front-runners extraordinary judgment may have failed him.

Before piloting the Trump train, Lewandowski was an operative with the Koch-brothers-backed advocacy group Americans for Prosperity. While Lewandowski rose quickly through the organizations ranks and was admired by some of his co-workers as a cowboy with that cool factor, he also boasted about threatening to blow up the car of the organizations chief financial officer over a late expense reimbursement check. And then there was his relationship with an unnamed female underling:

The relationship  and patience for Lewandowski within AFP  reached a tipping point in October 2013. On the sidelines of a meeting of the groups board in Manhattan, Lewandowski loudly berated the employee for challenging his authority, getting in her personal space and calling her a c in front of a group of AFP employees, including some senior officials, according to three sources who either witnessed the exchange or dealt with its aftermath.

According to Politico, Lewandowskis affinity for belittling women has not dissipated on the campaign trail.

Additionally, reporters told POLITICO that Lewandowski has made sexually suggestive and at times vulgar comments to  and about  female journalists who have covered Trumps presidential bid. One reporter who was on the receiving end of such comments described them as completely inappropriate in a professional setting.

This, along with Lewandowskis penchant for verbally abusing other Trump staffers and controlling all access to the candidate, inspired a group of current and former campaign members to try to engineer his ouster. The rebels planned to deliver a letter outlining their concerns about Lewandowski to Trumps head of security, right around the time of the South Carolina primary, Politico reports. But then Trump won South Carolina. And then he won Nevada. And then he completed his transition from laughingstock to presumptive GOP nominee. And the would-be mutineers gave up hope that the Donald would fire the manager who accompanied him on that rise.

But surely, at some point, Trump will realize his error and purge his campaign of any and all misogynistic elements. After all, what indication has the GOP front-runner ever given that he is willing to tolerate bullying or sexism?
Sanders would approve. Photo: Josh Edelson/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders, who is not, in fact, a pot-smoking socialist, would nonetheless be proud of Vermont. As Reuters reports, the liberal-leaning state might become the first to legalize marijuana through legislation rather than through a voter initiative, as was the case in California, Colorado, Washington, and Alaska. In those four states (and Washington D.C.) voters put the issue on the ballot, but in Vermont, state representatives are set to vote on a bill passed by the Senate that would allow adults older than 21 to buy and smoke the drug beginning in 2018. The law would also prohibit residents from growing their own marijuana plants or selling edibles and would impose a 25 percent sales tax on the drug to fund state programs.

Voting on legalization this way makes for a much more thoughtful and measured approach, State Senator Jeanette White, one of the bills sponsors, told Reuters. We got to work out the details, we got to ask the questions first and put the whole infrastructure in place before it happens. Whats more, it would monetize a substance that a study reports one in eight Vermont residents (and one in three people ages 18 to 25) already use. If its one in eight, to me that tells me that society for the most part is accepting it, said Windham County sheriff Keith Clark. If 12 or 13 percent of the population isnt being open with law enforcement when were trying to investigate serious crimes, thats holding us back from working with our communities.

Of course the bill faces a certain amount of opposition, especially from House Republicans wary of legalization. Lawmakers have until May, when the current legislative session ends, to pass the bill.
Berns so good. Photo: Joe Burbank/TNS via Zuma Wire

Since his big upset in Michigan last week, Bernie Sanders has gained enormous ground in Tuesday nights three Midwest primaries. How much ground, you ask? In Illinois, Sanders went from trailing Hillary Clinton by 42 points in a poll last week, to leading the former secretary of State by two points in one released Sunday. Similarly, the democratic socialist has cut what was once a 30-point Clinton lead in Ohio to a deficit of single digits. And in Missouri, the latest PPP poll, released Monday, shows Sanders one point ahead of the Democratic front-runner.

Still, even if Sanders ekes out victories in all of those states tonight, he will probably fall even further behind Clinton in the race for the nomination. On the Democratic side, delegate allocation is entirely proportional and Sanders still trails Clinton by wide margins in tonights races in Florida and North Carolina. Narrow upsets arent going to put Sanders in the White House  because of his landslide losses virtually everywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, the Vermont senator will need a series of improbable blowouts to thwart Clintons coronation. All that considered, does it really matter who wins the Rust Belt Tuesday night?

Like every other political journalist looking to milk this horse race for everything its worth, I am inclined to say yes. But self-interested inclinations aside, any Sanders win would be significant because it would give him extra momentum going into a three-week stretch of the primary calendar that looks especially favorable for him. According to FiveThirtyEights projections, Sanders is likely to win seven of the eight nominating contests between March 16 and April 9. In six of those elections, Nate Silvers site puts the probability of a Sanders victory above 75 percent. Now, such projections should be taken with a tablespoon of a salt  FiveThirtyEight put the probability of a Clinton victory in Michigan at 99 percent the night before Sanderss victory. And these projections may be even less reliable, as theyre based entirely on the demographic patterns of support established in earlier contests, as opposed to a combination of demographic analysis and recent polling.

If Sanders scores some upsets in the Midwest tonight, theres good reason to think his demographic advantages will hold up. In the 24 hours after Michigan, the Sanders campaign raked in $5 million. Any victory tonight would probably produce a similar cash infusion.

By the time the map becomes favorable to Clinton again, on April 19 in New York, Sanders could have about as much momentum as any insurgent could hope for.

To be sure, even if Sanders runs the table over the coming three weeks  the calendar after today includes a lot of largely white, Western states like Utah and Washington  hell have a hard time winning large-enough margins in populous-enough states to catch Clinton. But to the extent that the senators candidacy is about shifting Americas political conversation leftward, the more delegates he amasses, the stronger the mandate he and his supporters will have to push the Democratic Party in the direction of social democracy.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

In a New York Times interview, back-tat-haver Ben Affleck spoke for the first time about his recent divorce from Jennifer Garner, as well as his struggles as a tortured artist.

Ben Affleck is a good guy deep down, but also, he contains multitudes. Hes a man trying to make things right in this cold, hard world. To quote Jennifer Garner: Hes just a complicated guy. I always say, When his sun shines on you, you feel it. But when the sun is shining elsewhere, its cold. He can cast quite a shadow. These days were guessing his shadow is shaped like a rising phoenix.

Even though Affleck vowed not to talk about his divorce, he did have a couple words to say about his ex-wife:

Jens great. Shes a great person  Were on great terms. I just saw her this morning, so thats the reality that I live in.

Affleck  who is described as friendly and funny, but also soft-spoken and vulnerable  elucidated on this reality throughout the interview, pulling out all of his softboy charms. He always strives to be better, he said, but understands that Its O.K. to just chill for a second.

Unfortunately, Affleck did not mention the topic foremost on our nations mind: What is up with his hideous back tattoo?
Photo: lesmijotes.com/bonjourclem Clementine Desseaux, the first plus-size woman on French TV.

A few months ago, news outlets like The Daily Mail reported that Christian Louboutin Beauty had cast its first-ever plus-size campaign star, French model Clementine Desseaux. This turned out to be not quite true. In reality, Desseaux had posted a video of herself wearing the new Louboutin Beauty lipsticks and the video had gone viral. When Louboutin regrammed it, viewers took it to mean something official from the brand.

People worldwide were disappointed, and for good reason. Beauty products have nothing to do with size, but apart from Beth Ditto for M.A.C and Queen Latifah for CoverGirl, its rare to find a plus-size model or actress as the face of a beauty brand. Last week in Paris, the Cut talked to Desseaux  who runs her own blog and Les Mijotes, a creative agency representing plus-size clothing brands  about dispelling stereotypes and rejecting labels.

Basically, [Louboutin] gives me products because they like the blog and I know the team personally. I was in Paris just after they gave it to me, and me and my friend were like, Maybe lets do a cool video or something, because everybody does pictures. So we just walked around in Paris, wearing the lipstick, putting it on and off and just playing around with it. Then my boyfriend edited it and we sent it to the team over at Louboutin. They loved it and decided to repost it on their social and everywhere. And the thing is, I think they never had posted a plus-size face ever before. So I think thats why people just thought, Whoa, its the first face, that must be what it is.

But it was a good opening for us to actually start talking about things. The reaction was insane. People were super-excited. Christian, maybe take notes? [Laughs.]

Im surprised that beauty hasnt moved in a body-positive direction. Beauty isnt size-related.

Yeah, exactly. But beauty is fashion really, in the industry, its kind of the same thing. [Plus-size faces] never get called for beauty casting, even though we have amazing faces. I went to maybe two beauty castings in my whole career, even though if I was a size zero, I would probably book any fucking beauty campaign. But because Im plus, I dont.

Im a little over this whole body thing. Yes, I like my body and we already have that covered. Yes, its nice, yes, its curvy. Do I want to be naked all the time in magazines because people think my body is only good to be naked? No. Do I want my face out there more? Yeah!

Even if you dont ever see the body in beauty campaigns, they just say, Meh. Image-wise, its not the best. But why? Every single woman is buying makeup or a skin-care product. Big girls do, too. Any girl would be happy to see a different face on a beauty campaign, whether shes a size zero or a size 14.

If you are plus-size, you dont have to fit a mold of the whole sexy thing. Theres this idea that if youre plus you have to be sexy, you have to be out there, you have to flaunt it. But you can do whatever you want, whatever your body type  you can like fashion, be a little cool, covered, maybe even tomboy-ish, but do what you want.

Winning by putting our sexy naked body all over the place is just objectification in another way. Were not treated the same way. In editorial, they want skinny-girl clothes because it looks great. They want big girls naked because they look like art. Its a weird way to see a full-size body, which is so annoying to me. Theres still a lot of work to do on this. But its moving.

For example, [gesturing to a cover of Marie Claire France] this is out once a year and its a special curve edition. Its still not the regular issue. Marie France is not bad, because it has different types of body and age in every issue, because theyre so broad. The fashion magazines? Youll never see Vogue do a curve issue or anything like that. They dont ever put any curves in any issue. Sometimes Elle will have their summer special curve issue, too. Then the rest of the year is like  no. Its like the same thing of putting you in a box. Okay, this is your month. Go ahead, be crazy. But then they forget about you the whole year, which is insane.

Theres a perception in the U.S. that French women dont get fat and are all one size, super-skinny. How do you feel when you hear things like that?

Paris is like New York. Theres more skinny women than anywhere else in France, because its the fashion capital and they feel like they have to fit a mold. But I mean, French women are not all skinny. They dont eat croissants and not gain weight. Thats just not true. Thats a cliche that they like. They like to keep it and they think its cool, but its just not true.

Look at me. You go out in France and you really see any color, any shape, and it looks more and more like the States. Its much more diverse, because of foreigners and people coming from different countries like America and all over Europe. They open your mind a little bit more, which is good. But its still quite close-minded. France doesnt like to change. Thats why it takes a while to push diversity, whether its in politics, in race, in weight, body, whatever.

Do you think theres a bigger plus-size market in New York than in Paris?

Oh yeah. I mean, the plus-size market in New York is huge. All the big brands are doing plus. American ones  like Macys, Bloomies, Target, and all the brands you can possibility think of  and then you have all the catalogues, all the cool brands like Michael Kors. They dont really talk about it that much, but they do plus. Thats a lot of work for us.



Do a lot of agencies in France have a plus-size division?

They have one agency thats been here forever. Its called Plus, and they do have a plus division. Its kids, men, older women. They have a plus division. Im technically with them but never worked with them, because theres just no market. Im in the process of not being with them.

Then you have no other agency. None of the big agencies in Paris are doing plus. The only one that really is, kind of, is IMG, because they do worldwide, so if youre signed in Europe, then they will find you some clients in Paris. I mean, theres no options.

How did you get discovered as a model?

The brand I was working for yesterday is called Castaluna. They were the first to advertise plus fashion in France. They did a TV commercial almost five years ago, just before I moved to Miami. I was the first plus girl on TV in France. It was huge and was on TV for almost two years. It was my first job. I was dancing on TV in a bodysuit and it was kind of shocking for France. France had the worst reaction: Oh my God, we dont want to see all this fat moving on TV.

It was exciting, because afterward women were like, My God, theres other options. French women were so happy. It was such a great wave of positive messages afterward. I was like, Okay, I might try this thing. Thats kind of a cool, powerful thing to do. I just have to show my face to talk about things and people will listen. I already had understood that France was not an option. So I moved to Miami and tried out for this American Apparel contest, which I won, and it happened to work out again. I was maybe 19 [at] my first type of photo shoot. Maybe I was working once a year for the holidays, as a hobby, just to have fun. This TV job just kind of sparked the thing. That was 2011. And since then its just been whoosh.

In the U.S. some models prefer not to use the term plus-size. Do you not like the term?

To me, its just another word to put you in a box. But I mean, whatever you want to call me, I dont care, honestly. Im not going to get offended. I just would rather us not need any labeling, just in general. Like, you dont have a black model page. You dont even need to.

How do you think most people perceive you in France?

I guess friendly, approachable, funny. Cute, sometimes, sometimes not. I dont really know. I think people like me because Im kind of easy. Im not like a mean model who moved to America where I dont care and dont give a shit. I couldnt come home if I was the big model that was like that. That wouldnt roll in France. They would just hate you. You have to stay true to your roots and know who you are and where you came from. Im still this country girl from the south of France and I like to hang out in fields and shit like that [laughing], so its cool.

This interview has been condensed and edited.
Melissa Broder, author of So Sad Today. Photo: Lord Byron

Sadness can be lonely, particularly online. But in a sea of party selfies, Facebook posts about yoga retreats, and chirpy tweets about the latest super-fun events you didnt attend, theres Melissa Broders So Sad Today tweets  an island of anxious, needy misfit toys. The stuff that scares you probably wont happen but other bad stuff definitely will, she tweeted on March 10. March 9: talents include checking in on my anxiety every five seconds just to make sure its still there. March 8: Im a tiny speck in the infinite cosmos who feels fat. Broder started the anonymous Twitter account in order to cope with her isolation and anxiety. What she discovered along the way was that not only does misery love company, but misery loves to retweet clever expressions of misery 500 to 1,000 times a day, minimum.

Where there are 300,000 Twitter followers rabidly retweeting, there is usually a book contract. And while many of the books that spring from Twitter feeds are the sorts of unnecessarily wordy experiments you wish you could shrink back down to a pithy 140 characters, Broders new book, So Sad Today, is a provocative exception. Instead of supersizing her angsty tweets, Broder presents a dizzying array of intimate dispatches and confessions, in which she admits to everything from having a vomiting fetish to having chewed a new piece of Nicotine gum roughly every half-hour for the past 12 years of her life. One of her chapters lays out a lifelong battle with eating disorders (Im an eater who doesnt trust herself. I am a bad mommy to myself and a poor steward of my body). Another offers up Broders extended sexts with a guy she hadnt met yet (Him: I want to fuck you in an air duct, flattened out with our whole bodies touching). She has a near-supernatural ability to not only lay bare her darkest secrets, but to festoon those secrets with jokes, subterfuge, deep shame, bravado, and poetic turns of phrase.

In person, Broder is much more cheerful and effusive than youd expect. If you never asked her any pushy questions, she might seem like exactly the sort of polished, professional type who fits right into her sunny Venice Beach habitat. But luckily, I asked Broder lots of pushy questions over the course of our two-hour lunch together, and she discussed the inherent contradictions and inner conflicts of her work with the frank ease of someone whos been on a long, arduous path toward self-acceptance for years now.

Your book, like your Twitter account, reveals a pretty twisted perspective on the world. When did you first start to question the world around you?

I grew up outside of Philly, in Bryn Mawr. My senior year of college, I was a big stoner. I found my stoner psychedelic people. I was deep into Pink Floyd, and I felt like they knew the truth. I didnt know exactly what it was, but it had something to do with society being bad, and the way things were being run, and anti-money and corporate stuff.

It sounds like you did a lot of mushrooms.

I did a lot of mushrooms. I did a lot of mushrooms and acid.

You always think youre going to figure out the whole world on those drugs, and it all easily boils down to something mundane. Life is like a teardrop!

Yeah. I thought Id figured out the truth, but then I would come down and I couldnt say exactly what the truth was. So I was delivering pizzas around town in this giant Bronco that belonged to my grandfather, thinking I knew the truth, thinking I was anti-capitalist without even knowing what capitalism even was. And then my mom, my spring break of my senior year, was like, Were getting you a suit, and youre going to New York, and youre going on job interviews. And my world was crumbling. Dude, in an office?

How are you feeling about coming out as So Sad Today? Youre kind of in the middle of that process.

I dont know, its weird. Im never quite aware of how exactly Im feeling. I havent figured out feelings yet at all. I think anxiety is a good mask, and also a good measure of how much unprocessed shit is going on. If there are a lot of unprocessed feelings, the anxiety is pretty high.



When youre feeling anxious, how does that manifest itself? I guess Im thinking of how you mention getting fixated on small things, or making small decisions.

Yes. I have these hair crises that dont exist. Ive been channeling a lot of the book anxiety into my hair. I went and got my color done, and I sometimes do a keratin treatment, the kind that will kill you. Im ready for death; its fine. But my ends got so dry. So I was obsessing. I texted the girl who cuts my hair, and Im like, Am I crazy? and shes like, Come in! And then Im spending all this money on masks, and shes trimming the ends, but Im like, Dont make it too short because my hair is my thing. My hair is like my protection.

Do you feel a little exposed right now?

Well, no ones really read it yet. My parents cannot read this book. Its just too filthy.

Did you tell them you didnt want them to read it?

Yeah. I always told them that with my poetry books, too. But Ill tell my dad, Dont read it, and hell text a photo of him holding up the book. The thing with poetry is that no one really understands whats going on anyway. But this is very narrative and linear and you can understand whats going on. So Im nervous about that.

As a poet, for years my moms been like, Whens (your reading) going to be at Barnes & Noble? Because if it isnt at Barnes & Noble it doesnt count. So now it is at Barnes & Noble, but I still want them not to read the book. I want them to feel proud of me, but not know what theyre feeling proud of.

What compels you, do you think, to write such deeply revealing material?

Being a confessional human being for me is like a defense mechanism. If I can tell you the flaw before you see the flaw, then maybe its okay.

Its weird because breaking my anonymity with So Sad Today  I told one person. I kept the secret for almost three years, which is a big deal because Im not a good secret-keeper. I kept it anonymous because I wanted it to be pure and also I was embarrassed by how much I tweet. I tweet all the goddamn time. And when I first started, it was really to save my own life.

What year did it start?

2012. That was the year I found out that my husband and I were going to have to move to L.A. because of his health. He has a neuro-immune disease and his killer cells dont really work. His condition is like chronic mono, so hell be bedridden for months at a time.

I would get so depressed under those conditions.

I dont understand how he hasnt killed himself. Its kind of a miracle. Hes one of these people with a real desire to live. I dont get it. And hes had it for so long  for 15 years  but its changed a lot. When he first got sick, he had a bad fever for three months, but then he was fine for a year. So when we met, thats where it was. He could exercise, he could go out and drink, he could do whatever, and every now and then hed have a relapse, but once he got better, we didnt think about the fact that hed ever get sick again. It was very easy to be in denial. But then as time went on, his spells got closer and closer together, so hes never healthy now.

The fall of 2012 was when I realized we were going to have to leave New York, and also realized that the landscape of his illness had changed, there was no respite, and it became clear that it was a progressive illness. So there was no time to be in denial. I think the juxtaposition of that, plus just being a person whos subject to panic attacks and anxiety disorder, and like, some other things, were like this perfect storm. I had a bad panic attack and then what happened was I was so afraid that Id have another one.

I have a friend whos going through this. The fear of the next panic attack is half of the battle.

Yeah, you get into a cycle. He should do cognitive-behavioral therapy. I did psychodynamic for years and years, but it does nothing for anxiety disorder. You need tools.

What shape does your anxiety take?

Well, imagination is a big commonality among people who suffer from extreme anxiety. Youre too aware. Its almost like I want everyone to understand that theres nothing underneath it all. Thats the Pink Floyd truth.

The bottom line for me is: Is anyone else a little freaked out about the fact that were alive? And when my anxietys at its worst, the place it goes is like, How are people not freaking out? Its not a dejected sort of Why bother? but more of a terrified Why bother? What is all of this? Im like, How are all of you not obsessed about this, and youre just going about your lives?

But then, Ill also obsess about bullshit. I mean, I just spent a week obsessing about my hair. I think its like a luxury, not just a socioeconomic place to obsess about bullshit, its an existential luxury. There are times when Im so scared Im never going to be able to pull the blind down again, Im so scared that this is going to be my reality. Part of my catastrophizing is that its going to be like this forever. So when I get into those cycles, thats when I feel very alone. I dont understand how were not talking about this more. I guess certain religions are talking about it, they use different narrative or archetypal attempts to address it, but it doesnt quite explain anything

Do you know other people who are anxious?

I have some friends who have been in really dark times and I can reach out to them.

Do you reach out to them, though?

No, not really!

You reach out through Twitter, right?

Yeah. I would rather tweet it. The day I stop tweeting is when people are going to ask if Im okay.

Both on your Twitter feed and in your book, you seem to struggle with imbuing people with magical powers, and then trying to bring them down to earth afterward. It seems like you want a kind of a magic, so you project it on people and then pretend that theyre bringing it to you. Like the chapter where youre texting with that guy, it seemed like you taught him this whole way of romancing you. He learned what you wanted and then fed it back to you.

Yeah. Probably just to get ass.

Well, that could be the final line of almost every love story ever written.

I know, its so sad! Probably just to get ass. The end. Its like, I want to write this narrative, will you play a part in it? Yeah, I do want to believe theres magic. That dates back to my psychedelic days. Were alive. It has to be more than craft.

But that need for magic, its a very addictive desire. It reminds me of when I would get wasted in my 20s and Id look around and wonder, Why arent people making art and fucking and doing weird Dionysian shit?

Yeah, we should be burning money and having sex.

But it also sounds like that longing for magic can overwhelm you completely.

Yeah, sometimes Im scared that Im not going to be able to function in the world. Im such a perfectionist. God forbid I have to take a week off. What if I never go back again? So I created So Sad Today so I could sit in my office and power through and I had this place to just put the darkness when I couldnt focus and I was like shaking and stuff. But then So Sad Today came out in a Fuck You, rebel tone. I never felt like I fit in with the rebels or anywhere else. But it feels good to me to be like, I know I have a sense of humor, I know I have sarcasm and wit, so Im going to not want part of your world. Before you show me that Im not fit for your world, I dont even want it. It seemed to me a good way to protect yourself. But it absolutely is an addictive thing.

In your book and on Twitter, you express sadness but you dont express anger as much.

I dont want to express anger because if you express anger, that means you care, and if you care that means you might be rejected. I mean, thats obviously not the truth, Im telling you my fucked-up thinking.

Anger would mean investing too much.

Yes, if I get angry, that means Im a loser. Its better to be like, No, Im fine, Im going to do this without you.

Its like vulnerability with a shiny epoxy layer over it.

Yeah. Thats the thing. I mean, last April, when I was changing the meds, that was a very scary time for me. I tweeted this thing, and of all the shit Ive ever tweeted  the sad shit and the fucked-up shit  friends of mine for the first time were like, Are you okay? However many followers I had at the time, like 200,000 or whatever  All these people follow me, but Im still more fucked up than all of them! The outpouring of kindness was kind of amazing.

My fear is that Im going to lose control of my life, and its going to smell like mashed potatoes in the psych ward. This one woman who follows me was anxious and she was a nurse, and she really helped me. She told me shed been through it, and she said, They will figure it out. Its all going to be okay. But some of the people who contacted me, it didnt help. I didnt want to hear their stories, because it meant I was just like them.

The paradox of entertaining with confession is that you dont necessarily want to connect completely. You want to connect, but only on your own terms. With So Sad Today, youre creating a strange serving size of you, but its like plastic food, almost. And your poetry and your Twitter account are like different genres that are delivery systems for this sort of artful desperation. By desperation, I obviously mean passion, energy, frustration, and longing, too.

Yeah. Longing is a big one.

What do you want to do next? Do you know?

I do. I started writing more poetry, but I felt like I was rewriting poems I wrote in Scarecrone and in Last Sext. But I was still obsessed with these themes, so Ive been working on a new project focused on the same themes. I dont want to say too much about it, but its really exciting. I always saw myself as a poet, but all of this other stuff just feels like, who knows? Im very much where the muse takes me.



This interview has been edited and condensed.
Iran has agreed to join an output freeze after it reaches 4 million barrels per day in production, which essentially means that it will not entertain any freezing of its output until it gets its production back up to its highest level since 2008.

This was the result of talks between Iran and Russia over the weekend, and it comes ahead of another meetingpossibly in Aprilbetween Russia and OPEC countries, and while not surprising, it still managed to send oil down Monday from its three-month high.

"As long as we have not reached 4 million bpd in production, they should leave us alone," Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh said. Related: Choking And Lifting Preventing The Decline In U.S. Shale?

How long would we have to wait for Iran to join an output freeze? Not too long. Its currently ramped up production to somewhere between 2.8 million barrels per day and 3.5 million barrels per day. But it wont be in time for the tentative April meeting, which means that Iran would be excluded from any deal.

According to Zangeneh, Iran exported 1.75 million barrels per day last month and crude exports should hit 2 million barrels per day this month.

Russia seems to agree with the Iranian sentiment: Related: $67 Oil Has All The Majors Converging Here

"We share the opinion that Iran is in a special situation, as the sanctions imposed earlier have substantially reduced volumes of production in Iran by the current moment. Of course, the same approach to all countries that at this time have been increasing their production would probably not be quite fair toward Iran," Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters following talks with Zangeneh.

Its all added to fears of an even bigger supply glut.

Genscape, a market intelligence company reported an inventory build of 585,854 barrels in Cushing, Oklahoma, taking the delivery hub for U.S. crude futures closer to capacity, according to CNBC, citing traders familiar with the data. Related: Turkish Energy Security Under Threat

Its definitely not good for OPEC, either, which despite all efforts, is losing market share. Demand for this year will be lower than originally anticipated for the OPEC members thanks to non-OPEC supply. And from the supply side, it looks even worse. OPEC supply will exceed demand by more than anticipated. OPEC had earlier estimated that supply would exceed demand by 720,000 barrels per day. Now, that estimate is up at around 760,000 bpd in excess of demand.

In the meantime, Iran is calling on the U.S. to remove restrictions that would keep American oil and gas companies from working in Iran. Irans oil minister also confirmed that its state-run company had held talks with General Electric. Separate U.S. sanctions still throw a wrench into investing in Iranian oil and gas, for the time being.

By James Burgess of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Five years after a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident at Fukushima that killed thousands and displaced many more, the Japanese are still cleaning up, people still cannot return to their homes and, possibly the least important statistic, Tokyo Electric Powers shares sell at one quarter of the preaccident price.

Roughly five years ago, the British government and French utility EDF began a process to build another nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, an investment still awaiting the approval of EDFs board. As odd as it seems, the tragic disaster and botched business deal have a common thread (other than the fact that EDF shares sell at one third of their 2011 price): the role of government in nuclear power.

Lets start with Fukushima. According to a report in the Financial Times, the Fukushima nuclear disaster has cost Japan $118 billion to date and Tokyo Electric Powers shareholders have picked up only 20 percent of the tab. The government and consumers paid the rest. But Tokyo Electric shares had a market value at time of accident of only one quarter of the expenditures to date. Bankrupting the company wouldnt have raised the cash needed (assuming that anyone knew the cost then) and the government couldnt have walked away from the problem. Nuclear operators are not required to have the capital to cover the costs of a giant disaster and they do not have the insurance coverage either. That means that the government, taxpayers and specific utility customers have to pay.



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Next to Hinkley Point. EDFs CFO just quit, reportedly because he opposed the firms involvement in Hinkley Point (described by BBC as the worlds most expensive power project), which is a key component of David Camerons UK energy policy and of Francois Hollandes plan to revive Frances nuclear industry. Yet despite being 85 percent stateowned and the worlds largest nuclear operator, with 58 plants in France alone, EDF required UK government guarantees for debt and power pricing before it signed on to the project. EDF then sold 33.5 percent of the project to a Chinese state nuclear company and may be seeking additional investors. (Holding more than half of Hinkley Point would require EDF to consolidate the project on its books, opening it up to investor scrutiny for decades.) Not even a company as large as EDF can take on a project like this alone.

So, this leads to our first point: despite its private enterprise facade, when big bills have to be paid nuclear power becomes a government business. Old facilities, though still fairly expensive to operate, require regulated pricing and new ones can't even be built without government financial and sales guarantees. Both need a shield from liabilities in case of accident, which makes the government and its taxpayers the insurers of last resort. Thats it. Normal business concepts dont work here. And the insurance can't get priced into the nuclear cost-benefit analysis. If the insurance bill were correct, it would bankrupt the company in short order.

Nuclear plants require huge amounts of capital. Cost of capital accounts for close to half the price of nuclear power. And risk determines cost of capital. Nuclear plants are risky for numerous reasons apart from catastrophic failure and meltdown. They take a decade or more to build and construction delays are an inherent part of the process. Conditions in the market may change drastically from inception of construction to completion. If oil prices move from very high to low over ten years the economic rationale for the plant may vanish. New safety rules, typically appearing after "mishaps", may require expensive plant modifications.



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The plants are also too big in relation to the capital of the builders. Any costly extended outage or delay can have a drastic financial impact on the owner. Having to fix a plant and buy replacement power for say two years is a billion dollar item. Accident remediation costs might spiral beyond the companys ability to pay. Pro-nuclear governments try to shield the nuclear operator from these risks, if possible. They protect the nuclear operator from lawsuits (reducing insurance costs). They guarantee debt (reducing interest costs). In the U.S. they tend to pass on unexpected (but prudently incurred) costs to the consumer.

That leads to our second point: these measures do not reduce risk, they just shift it. The risk never goes away. The government and consumer now bear part of it. But consumers do not take out nuclear risk policies with semi-annual payments. They do not see the cost so it doesnt exist for them until the electricity bill goes up. In the same way, government can deny the costs of acting as an insurer of last resort because no line item appears in the budget to cover the costs until an accident happens (thats the way a Congressional staffer explained it once at a meeting on the future of nuclear power).

Does Hinkley Point, needing so much government aid to get off the ground, stand at the end of the road for big nuclear reactors? Maybe, but as American philosopher, Yogi Berra, said, When you reach the fork in the road, take it". Hinkley Point, we believe, is at that fork. One path leads to more strained efforts to make a gigantic public works projectwith hidden and unknown costs and unspecified and dubious public benefitslook like a commercial business. (Maybe energy prices skyrocket and that private owner of the power plants keeps the benefits and the consumers and taxpayers still pay the fixed costs.) But the strain seems hardly worth the effort, since other means exist to produce low carbon, secure power at similar or lower costs. And, as Donald Trump has asserted so often, politicians dont know how to make deals.



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The other path leads to nuclear power as a quasi-government project, requiring at least the same public scrutiny as a decision to build a new airport runway or bus station. If the project gets approval, government and consumers will pay a lot and take substantial risks they can't avoid. They deserve a proportional share of the benefits and profits. If the answer is No More Nukes", once all the information is out, move on to some other solution, until reaching the next fork in the road.

Let's face it: the only reason nuclear is in play right now is because of its low carbon footprint and valid concerns about global warming. Nuclear is a solution but we doubt if its the solution. The next promising fork may lead to small, modular nuclear units that even normal companies can afford to build.

By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

Maybe it's because I'm still short one hour of sleep, but I have quite the case of Grumpy Old Man going on today. To that end, I propose that, in addition to all you kids getting off my lawn, America gets rid of some useless, dumb things that, for some reason, we foolishly hold on to.

1. Daylight Saving Time

Again, it might be the missing hour talking, but isn't it time to do away with this idiocy? At this point, the only thing Daylight Saving Time is good for is reminding you to change the batteries in your smoke detectors  which is important, sure, but not worth the hassle and challenges of changing the clocks.

We are not now, and have not been for a long time, an agrarian society whose daily needs are driven by the sun. We are perfectly capable of waking and sleeping and working absent cues from sunlight.

And the recent justification for keeping DST  that we'll save electricity because people will have their lights on less  turns out to be bunkum too. When DST was extended here in the U.S. in 2007, energy costs nationwide decreased a whopping 0.03 per cent, according to a U.S. Department of Energy study. We've saved hundreds of times more energy phasing out the old-school incandescent light bulbs than changing the clocks each spring.

The best plan is simply to eliminate Standard Time. Given that Standard Time is already not the standard  we use it only a third of the year  we probably won't miss it. This November, when we're supposed to set the clocks back, just don't. Easy-peasy.

Economist Allison Schrager argued a couple of years back that we should go further and eliminate two US time zones, too. We Central Timers might regret losing our individuality, sure, but we might also want to consider her plan.

2. Presidential nominating caucuses

Over the weekend, Marco Rubio earned 10 delegates in the Republican "nominating convention" in Washington, DC. It's a kind of caucus, like we've seen already this year in Iowa, Nevada, Colorado and other states. In DC, according to the Associated Press, 1,059 people supported Rubio, a ratio of one delegate for every 106 convention-goers.

Two weeks earlier, Rubio earned almost the same number of delegates, nine of them, in the Arkansas primary after 101,235 people voted for him. That's a ratio of about one delegate for every 11,250 voters. The folks coming out to support Rubio in DC had less than one percent of the delegate-selecting power of those in Arkansas.

You can run that math for just about anyone else in this season's primaries, on either side. What you will find is, time after time, turnout is higher in primaries for, in general, no more delegates than caucuses offer, which just seems wrong.

Further, voting, with ballots and counting machines and fast-reported results, is so much easier and small-d democratic compared to the chaos we've seen in caucuses. Just by their timing and locations and sometimes rules, caucuses limit who can even participate, leaving out tens of thousands of potential voters because of work or family obligations or just because they couldn't get close to the caucus location because of the traffic of so many people in so small a space at the same time  as happened to a friend of mine in Minnesota last month.

Wisconsin's Progressive Party pioneered the primary election a century ago, and without question, what we do here is a billion times more efficient and inclusive than the mess that is almost any caucus. The rest of country must follow our model.

There is also a good argument to be made that the current primary calendar  stretching over so many months and starting with such non-representative states as Iowa and New Hampshire  should be done away with altogether, but one step at a time.

3. Superdelegates

While we're fixing America's primary system in general, let's not forget the very specific problem that is the so-called "superdelegates" in the Democratic half of that primary.

The logic behind superdelegates is not completely crazy: They are elected officials and other party leaders who are, in one way or another, accountable to voters within the party, either through election to Congress or elections within state Democratic Party conventions. These people have a stake in both local and state elections as well as in what happens at the top of the ticket, and they all have shown some success at reaching and persuading a constituency.

Since their inception in 1984, superdelegates have never swayed an election in the opposite direction of what voters and pledged delegates wanted. Collectively, they're less than 15 per cent of the total possible delegates and ultimately couldn't override an overwhelming majority of pledged delegates if they wanted to.

And as I write this, which is before the "mega-Tuesday" primary results are available from states like Florida and Illinois, the superdelegates are not why Bernie Sanders is losing the Democratic primary so far despite some Sanders supporters' protests of "fraud."

Clinton is ahead in both the popular vote (thanks to many of Sanders' wins coming from caucuses  see above) and pledged delegates by about the same percentage. She holds about 58 percent of the pledged delegates and about 60 percent of the votes, according to Real Clear Politics. Eliminating the superdelegates won't win this for Sanders unless he can start winning more states and more pledged delegates.

Still, the fact that, in 2008 and this year, the existence of superdelegates is both a surprise and an aggravation to a lot of Democrats participating in the primary process for the first time, suggests that perhaps they're more trouble than they're worth. Time to rewrite that rule, Democrats.

4. Judicial elections at all levels

As much as the last couple of items might suggest that I'm super-stoked about democracy and elections, here's one place where I think continuing to rely on a vote is dumb: the judiciary.

Not every state elects its state supreme court justices the way Wisconsin does, but most states have elections for at least some judicial races, according to the website Ballotpedia. Unlike legislators and executive branch members, who need to know the quote-unquote will of the people and the policy desires of their principal constituents, judges at any level should not care about such things.

The whole purpose of having a judiciary is to act a check on the other branches of government. If the third branch is just as beholden to the changing winds of public opinion and potentially corrupting influence of money in elections as the first two branches are, then what's the point of even having judges?

This past week has seen a lot of news related to Wisconsin's Supreme Court elections, including news that both the current incumbent Rebecca Bradley and last year's incumbent Ann Walsh Bradley left oral arguments at the court in order to campaign or fundraise or otherwise suck up to their constituencies.

Plus there's all that stuff about Rebecca Bradley's old writings and alleged adultery, things that would be better addressed  I believe  in a legislative hearing on her appointment to the court rather than become the stuff of campaign ads and mudslinging.

I don't have any illusion that current Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker would nominate a flaming liberal (or flaming moderate like JoAnne Kloppenburg) to the court, or that the GOP-controlled Wisconsin legislature would confirm one, but forcing legislators to address Bradley's qualifications in a hearing is important. Not only do we need to get the potential justice on the record about how and why her beliefs of 25 years ago may have changed, we need to get the legislators on record too. Tell me, Mr. Senator-man, why do you think someone who believes women share blame for date rape deserves to sit on the highest state court?

And I'd like to think  though this may be wishful  that the kind of public scrutiny over someone whose past may well disqualify her from the bench would be more effective if levied against the governor who nominates and the legislators who consider her than in a low-turnout spring election as will happen next month. Harriet Miers didn't make it to Senate Judiciary Committee hearings after all, but might well have ridden a raft of special-interest advertising to election here in Wisconsin, given the current state of our election laws.

Which also ought to be changed, but that's a whole other column's worth of ranting, and I'll save it for another day. Now, though, I think I need a nap. Could you turn down that music? Thanks.
Reprinted from Reader Supported News

Can, should law enforcement be able to look anywhere, search anything to solve or prevent a serious crime?

Almost any judge in America would rule yes. U.S. District Court Magistrate Sheri Pym did. Or at least she thought she did. What she really ruled was a bit different, more complicated, and at least for the moment more legally contentious.

However ultimately the future of data encryption, and with it digital privacy in the U.S., will come down to two simple questions: "What reasonable tools and powers should law enforcement be allowed in the pursuit of public safety." And of equal importance, "What reasonable privacy protections are users of electronic devices entitled to?"

Right now the centerpiece of the government's case against Apple is the "All Writs Act," (AWA) a component of the Judiciary Act of 1789. A good breakdown of the AWA and how it might apply to the government's case against Apple is available in the form of an audio lecture by Stanford University's Jonathan Mayer. As Mayer points out, the law is remarkably broad and, having been written in the 18th century, unproven in this application.

Apple's defenses seem to be coalescing around the First Amendment, and their counter argument is that being asked to author a digital operating system tailored to federal law enforcement's current objectives creates an unreasonable burden. But the AWA was never intended to address or even envision complex 21st century digital-era law. So there's a square peg, round hole problem on many levels.

FBI v Apple is not just an isolated case or an attempt by the government to target one device, or even the world's leading technology company, it's actually quite a bit bigger than that. Enter Edward Snowden and his cache of documents.

What the Snowden documents reveal, actually confirm, is a much larger effort by the U.S. government's law enforcement and security players to convert personal computing into the most invasive form of private citizen monitoring the world has ever known. More to the point, according to the documents, they have already succeeded. Encryption really functions as an antibody, a challenge to the U.S. government's vast "Total Information Awareness" process.

It is the pattern of abuse that draws on the Voting Rights Act for precedent. What Congress said in the VRA, among other things, was that there was a pattern of abuse of voting rights specifically targeting minorities in specific states and jurisdictions. Further, congressional lawmakers asserted that a legal remedy was required to offset the pattern of abuse in the affected jurisdictions. The key takeaway there is a documented, systemic pattern as establishing cause for legal remedy.

What the Snowden documents did was illustrate a massive pattern of civil rights abuse by the NSA and federal law enforcement on a scope affecting the vast majority of Americans. Not only did the Snowden documents establish, in many cases for the first time, that these abuses were taking place, but they confirmed accusations and reports by civil liberties experts that the abuses had been taking place for years.

The civil rights that were denied Americans affected by the government's excesses were specifically those guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment. By using a catch-all rationale and broad self-granted authorities, the NSA and participating federal law enforcement agencies trampled upon the Fourth Amendment protections, according to the documents placed in the public record by Snowden, of practically every American who uses an electronic computing or communication device or financial instrument. The scope is staggering.

Applying the VRA standard, the actions of the NSA and associated federal law enforcement agencies, as illustrated by the Snowden documents, are pernicious, persistent violations of the civil rights of every American affected.

Against that backdrop, consumer personal encryption is not only a reasonable remedy but, until the government can demonstrate conclusively that the violations have ceased, a necessity and a right.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.


Reprinted from Truthdig

A critical difference between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton is their position on whether children who fled violence in Central American countries, particularly Honduras, two years ago should be allowed to stay in the United States or be returned.

Sanders states unequivocally that they should be able to remain in the U.S.

Clinton disagrees. She would guarantee them "due process," but nothing more.

In 2014 Clinton told CNN's Christiane Amanpour, "It may be safer [for the children to remain in the U.S.]," but "they should be sent back."

By supporting the June 28, 2009, coup d'etat in Honduras when she was secretary of state, Clinton helped create the dire conditions that caused many of these children to flee. And the assassination of legendary Honduran human rights leader Berta Caceres earlier this month can be traced indirectly to Clinton's policies.

During the Feb. 11 Democratic debate in Milwaukee, Clinton said that sending the children back would "send a message." In answer to a question by debate moderator Judy Woodruff of PBS, she said, "Those children needed to be processed appropriately, but we also had to send a message to families and communities in Central America not to send their children on this dangerous journey in the hands of smugglers."

Sanders retorted, "Who are you sending a message to? These are children who are leaving countries and neighborhoods where their lives are at stake. That was the fact. I don't think we use them to send a message. I think we welcome them into this country and do the best we can to help them get their lives together."

In the March 9 debate in Miami between the two Democratic candidates, Sanders accurately told moderator Jorge Ramos of Univision, "Honduras and that region of the world may be the most violent region in our hemisphere. Gang lords, vicious people torturing people, doing horrible things to families." He added, "Children fled that part of the world to try, try, try, try, maybe, to meet up with their family members in this country, taking a route that was horrific, trying to start a new life."

The violence in Honduras can be traced to a history of U.S. economic and political meddling, including Clinton's support of the coup, according to American University professor Adrienne Pine, author of "Working Hard, Drinking Hard: On Violence and Survival in Honduras."

Pine, who has worked for many years in Honduras, told Dennis Bernstein of KPFA radio in 2014 that the military forces that carried out the coup were trained at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly called the U.S. Army School of the Americas) in Fort Benning, Ga. Although the coup was supported by the United States, it was opposed by the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS). The U.N. and the OAS labeled President Manuel Zelaya's ouster a military coup.

"Hillary Clinton was probably the most important actor in supporting the coup [against the democratically elected Zelaya] in Honduras," Pine noted. It took the United States two months to even admit that Honduras had suffered a coup, and it never did admit it was a military coup. That is, most likely, because the Foreign Assistance Act prohibits the U.S. from aiding a country "whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree."

Although the U.S. government eventually cut nonhumanitarian aid to Honduras, the State Department under Clinton took pains to clarify that this was not an admission that a military coup had occurred.

"Hillary Clinton played a huge role in propping up the coup administration," Pine said. "The State Department ensured the coup administration would remain in place through negotiations that they imposed, against the OAS' wish, and through continuing to provide aid and continuing to recognize the coup administration."

"And so if it weren't for Hillary Clinton," Pine added, "basically there wouldn't be this refugee crisis from Honduras at the level that it is today. And Hondurans would be living a very different reality from the tragic one they are living right now."

In her book "Hard Choices," Clinton admitted she helped ensure that Zelaya would not be returned to the presidency. She wrote, "In the subsequent days [following the coup] I spoke with my counterparts around the hemisphere, including Secretary [Patricia] Espinosa in Mexico. We strategized on a plan to restore order in Honduras and ensure that free and fair elections could be held quickly and legitimately, which would render the question of Zelaya moot."
Approximately one decade ago, a cartoon was demarcated in well-known New York Times consisting of notions, "To rule Pakhtuns, buy them, to rule Balochis, respect them, and to rule Punjabis, occupy them." This was very important research, made by foreign organization on the mindset of Pakistani ethnic groups.

On one hand, it represents the thorough yearning for self-respect the Balochis ever welcome and require. Whereas it reveals the intensive energies burnt by the foreign individuals and organizations to understand how the different segments in Pakistan society conceive. Much was written and said against the said notion, envisaged in the newspaper. However, this research has bought again much significance when very recently, a plot is unveiled in text books in Punjab.

The Pakistani educational institutes in Punjab are witnessed with books, stuffed with disgracing remarks for their Balochi brothers. It is reported in fact to maintain them as "uncivilized people." Hence with, the relationship between ideas, respect Balochis to rule them and terming them now in Punjab's curriculum as uncivilized is deep rooted. Logically, it means that the demonstration of respect to Balochis is to strengthen the federal government. Being non-respectful to them, on the parallel hand, is to weaken the federal rule. Now, to define these Balochs as uncivilized is to disrespect them, it means to weaken the Pakistani federation is sought at the hands of the black sheep hidden in the thickly layers of national horizons. This may not be the part of national policy. However, it is viciously sought and planted by the conspirators. Essentially, this is a heinous act that a patriotic can never ignore whether it is the sitting government or a common national. Furthermore, the very awful man-oeuvre is engineered before the PMLN government, which does not exhaust to claim to be indigenous and patriot. Therefore, it is mandatory for the said government to oust the disgraceful notion from the textual books to materialize their patriotism on one hand and deepen the national integrity on the other. Otherwise they don't deserve to continue the government simply because the protection of national interest is the prime liability of a government. The senator Raja Zafar ul Haq has timely urged to forge a committee which should do utmost efforts to disclose and uproot the responsible elements who heinously committed a crime against the nation. Nonetheless, it should be observed that the said committee should not go ashtray as the previous commissions met with un-concluding termination.

This is also understandable when the CPEC mega project is destined to integrate Balochistan with the entire country and bolster the living standard of a common Bloch; the mentioned plot is to overturn the impacts of the CPEC. Therefore, the efforts must be made to remove the hateful material from the book and cope with the responsible elements with iron hand so that such covert plots may never take place in future.
Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) March 15, 2016: Out of ancient Greek culture, the prophet/philosopher Socrates emerged. In Athens during the experiment in limited participatory democracy, he made a big impression on impressionable young men such as Plato. Tragically, Socrates was brought to trial on trumped up charges, found guilty, and executed. His grief-stricken follower Plato memorialized him as the fictional character named Socrates in his artfully written dialogues.

It has famously been said that all of Western philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato. Over the centuries, footnotes to Plato have been written by secularists, Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Our American experiment in representative democracy emerged out of the philosophical thought of the Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason). As a result, figuratively speaking, we Americans are living footnotes to Plato, including those Americans who have not cultivated a philosophical mind. But in American culture today, we still have a certain number of professors of philosophy in academia who try to make a big impression on impressionable young men and women enticing them to cultivate the philosophical mind.

But a few centuries after the prophet/philosopher Socrates' tragic death in Athens, a religious prophet named Jesus of Nazareth emerged out of the matrix of the ancient Hebrew religious culture that is now memorialized in the Hebrew Bible. In Jerusalem at the time of the festival of the Passover one year, something happened involving Jesus. As a result, he was brought before the local authorities of the Roman Empire on trumped up charges, found guilty, and executed by crucifixion, as Paula Fredriksen explains in her book Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity (Knopf, 1999). But his grief-stricken followers memorialized his life and tragic death by constructing the greatest story ever told with Jesus portrayed as the long-awaited Messiah (also known as the Christ). In American culture today, we still have a certain number of Christians.

Historically in American culture, the tradition of freedom of religion (i.e., no established church) emerged in our experiment with representative democracy, alongside the tradition of free speech (i.e., free political speech) and the tradition of separating church and state.

But political speech involves articulating and expressing political values.

But where do our political values in American culture come from? Do the political values expressed in our founding documents (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and its Amendments) express the grand total of our political values?

But doesn't our practice of occasionally voting in new amendments show that as our American culture continues along its evolutionary trajectory we tend to articulate and express evolving new political values?

But does our American tradition of separating church and state mean that only political values emerging from our American state's official documents, including of course the various amendments, should be discussed in the so-called public square?

This brings me to the American Catholic law professor M. Cathleen Kaveny's new book Prophecy without Contempt: Religious Discourse in the Public Square (Harvard University Press, 2016). It is ironic that her new book came out at a time when Donald J. Trump is the front-runner for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2016.

Kaveny is the Darald and Juliet Libby Professor at Boston College, a Jesuit university, a position which allows her to teach in both the department of theology and the law school. She did her undergraduate studies at Princeton University and graduated summa cum laude (1984). She holds four advanced degrees from Yale University: M.A., M.Phil., J.D., and Ph.D. In her 1991 doctoral dissertation she focused on the theme of the common good. Her prestige education qualifies her to try to make her mark in life in the prestige culture in American culture. Her educational credentials also contribute to her ethos appeal.

Having her book published by Harvard University Press is prestigious and contributes to her ethos appeal. Because of the prestige of Princeton, Yale, and Harvard universities in American culture today, perhaps I should explain here that each of these universities has a school of divinity, but it may not be in good odor with certain anti-religion secularists in other university units.

In the present essay, my pathos appeal involves the frustration and understandable anger that progressives and liberals feel about the obstructionist tactic of anti-60s radical conservatives in the Congress and in the Republican Party. In certain respects this pathos appeal is similar to Kaveny's pathos appeal in her new book.

As progressives and liberals may know, in the book The Theocons: Secular America under Siege (Doubleday, 2006), Damon Linker delineates how radical conservative American Catholics have conspired in recent decades to bring their anti-abortion religious zealotry and other rash religious views to greater prominence in American culture.

In the book Decade of Nightmares: The End of the Sixties and the Making of Eighties America (Oxford University Press, 2006), Philip Jenkins details how the 1973 Roe v. Wade was, for rhetorical purposes, subsumed under anti-60s rhetoric to promote radical conservative candidates and issues in the Republican Party.

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As Donald Trump's campaign predictably moves from toxic rhetoric targeting the most marginalized minorities to threats and use of violence, there is a growing sense that American institutions have been too lax about resisting it. Political scientist Brendan Nyhan on Sunday posted a widely cited Twitter essay voicing this concern, arguing that "Trump's rise represents a failure in American parties, media, and civic institutions -- and they're continuing to fail right now." He added, "Someone could capture a major party [nomination] who endorses violence [and] few seem alarmed."

Actually, many people are alarmed, but it is difficult to know that by observing media coverage, where little journalistic alarm over Trump is expressed. That's because the rules of large media outlets -- venerating faux objectivity over truth along with every other civic value -- prohibit the sounding of any alarms. Under this framework of corporate journalism, to denounce Trump, or even to sound alarms about the dark forces he's exploiting and unleashing, would not constitute journalism. To the contrary, such behavior is regarded as a violation of journalism. Such denunciations are scorned as opinion, activism, and bias: all the values that large media-owning corporations have posited as the antithesis of journalism in order to defang and neuter it as an adversarial force.

Just this morning, NPR media reporter David Folkenflik published a story describing the concern and even anger of some NPR executives and journalists over a column by longtime NPR commentator Cokie Roberts -- the Beacon of Washington Centrism -- that criticizes Trump. "NPR has a policy forbidding its journalists from taking public stances on political affairs," he wrote. For any NPR reporter, Roberts's statements -- warning of the dangers of a Trump presidency -- would be a clear violation of that policy.

An NPR vice president, Michael Oreskes, published an internal memo to NPR staff this morning highlighting Roberts's non-reporting and non-employee role as a reason she would not be punished, but he pointedly noted, "If Cokie were still a member of NPR's staff we would not have allowed that." And in an interview that Oreskes "directed" Roberts to do this morning with Morning Edition host David Greene about the matter, the NPR host chided Roberts for expressing negative views of Trump, telling her:

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General Lloyd Austin, the outgoing head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), recently testified before Congress, suggesting that Washington needed to up its troop levels in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, in his own congressional testimony, still-to-be-confirmed incoming CENTCOM chief General Joseph Votel, formerly head of U.S. Special Operations Command, seconded that recommendation and said he would reevaluate the American stance across the Greater Middle East with an eye, as the Guardian's Spencer Ackerman put it, to launching "a more aggressive fight against the Islamic State." In this light, both generals called for reviving a dismally failed $500 million program to train "moderate" Syrian rebels to support the U.S. fight against the Islamic State (IS). They both swear, of course, that they'll do it differently this time, and what could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, General David Rodriguez, head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), pressed by Senator John McCain in congressional testimony, called on the U.S. to "do more" to deal with IS supporters in Libya. And lo and behold, the New York Times reported that Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter had only recently presented an AFRICOM and Joint Special Operations Command plan to the president's "top national security advisers." They were evidently "surprised" to discover that it involved potentially wide-ranging air strikes against 30 to 40 IS targets across that country. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan -- U.S. Special Operations units and regular troops having recently been rushed once again into embattled Helmand Province in the heartland of that country's opium poppy trade -- General Austen and others are calling for a reconsideration of future American drawdowns and possibly the dispatch of more troops to that country.

Do you sense a trend here? In the war against the Islamic State, the Obama administration and the Pentagon have been engaged in the drip, drip, drip of what, in classic Vietnam terms, might be called "mission creep." They have been upping American troop levels a few hundred at a time in Iraq and Syria, along with air power, and loosing Special Operations forces in combat-like operations in both countries. Now, it looks like top military commanders are calling for mission speed-up across the region. (In Libya, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, it already seems to have begun.)

And keep in mind, watching campaign 2016, that however militaristic the solutions of the Pentagon and our generals, they are regularly put in the shade by civilians, especially the Republican candidates for president, who can barely restrain their eagerness to let mission leap loose. As Donald Trump put it in the last Republican debate, calling for up to 30,000 U.S. boots on the ground in Syria and Iraq, "I would listen to the generals." That might now be the refrain all American politicians are obliged to sing. Similarly, John Kasich called for a new "shock and awe" campaign in the Middle East to "wipe them out." And that's the way it's been in debate season -- including proposals to put boots on the ground big time from Libya and possibly even the Sinai peninsula to Afghanistan, bomb the region back to the stone age, and torture terror suspects in a fashion that would have embarrassed Stone Age peoples.

Put another way, almost 15 years after America's global war on terror was launched, we face a deeply embedded (and remarkably unsuccessful) American version of militarism and, as Gregory Foster writes today, a massive crisis in civil-military relations that is seldom recognized, no less discussed or debated. TomDispatch hopes to rectify that with a monumental post from a man who knows something about the realities of both the U.S. military and changing civilian relations to it. Gregory Foster, who teaches at National Defense University and is a decorated Vietnam veteran, suggests that it's time we finally ask: Whatever happened to old-fashioned civilian control over the U.S. military? Implicitly, he also asks a second question: These days, who controls the civilians? Tom

Pentagon Excess Has Fueled a Civil-Military Crisis

How Civilian Control of the Military Has Become a Fantasy

By Gregory D. Foster Item: Two U.S. Navy patrol boats, with 10 sailors aboard, "stray" into Iranian territorial waters, and are apprehended and held by Iranian revolutionary guards, precipitating a 24-hour international incident involving negotiations at the highest levels of government to secure their release. The Pentagon offers conflicting reports on why this happened: navigational error, mechanical breakdown, fuel depletion -- but not intelligence-gathering, intentional provocation, or hormonally induced hot-dogging. Item: The Pentagon, according to a Reuters expose, has been consciously and systematically engaged in thwarting White House efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and release cleared detainees. Pentagon officials have repeatedly refused to provide basic documentation to foreign governments willing to take those detainees and have made it increasingly difficult for foreign delegations to visit Guantanamo to assess them. Ninety-one of the 779 detainees held there over the years remain, 34 of whom have been cleared for release. Item: The Pentagon elects not to reduce General David Petraeus in rank, thereby ensuring that he receives full, four-star retirement pay, after previously being sentenced on misdemeanor charges to two years' probation and a $100,000 fine for illegally passing highly classified material (a criminal offense) to his mistress (adultery, ordinarily punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice) and lying to FBI officials (a criminal offense). Meanwhile, Private Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning continues to serve a 35-year prison sentence, having been reduced to the Army's lowest rank and given a dishonorable discharge for providing classified documents to WikiLeaks that included incriminating on-board videos of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed up to 18 civilians, including two Reuters journalists, and wounded two children, and of a 2009 massacre in Afghanistan in which a B-1 bomber killed as many as 147 civilians, reportedly including some 93 children. What do these episodes have in common? In their own way, they're all symptomatic of an enduring crisis in civil-military relations that afflicts the United States. Hyperbolic though it may sound, it is a crisis, though not like the Flint water crisis, or the international refugee crisis, or the ISIS crisis, or the Zika crisis. It's more like the climate crisis, or a lymphoma or termite infestation that destroys from within, unrecognized and unattended. And yes, it's an enduring crisis, a state of affairs that has been with us, unbeknownst to the public and barely acknowledged by purported experts on the subject of civil-military relations, for the past two decades or more. The essence of the situation begins, but doesn't end, with civilian control of the military, where direction, oversight, and final decision-making authority reside with duly elected and appointed civil officials. That's a minimalist precondition for democracy. A more ideal version of the relationship would be civilian supremacy, where there is civically engaged public oversight of strategically competent legislative oversight of strategically competent executive oversight of a willingly accountable, self-policing military. What we have today, instead, is the polar opposite: not civilian supremacy over, nor even civilian control of the military, but what could be characterized as civilian subjugation to the military, where civilian officials are largely militarily illiterate, more militaristic than the military itself, advocates for -- rather than overseers of -- the institution, and running scared politically (lest they be labeled weak on defense and security). That, then, is our lot today. Civilian authorities are almost unequivocally deferential to established military preferences, practices, and ways of thinking. The military itself, as the three "items" above suggest, sets its own standards, makes and produces its own news, and appropriates policy and policymaking for its own ends, whatever civilian leadership may think or want. It is a demonstrably massive, self-propelled institution increasingly central to American life, and what it says and wants and does matters in striking ways. We would do well to consider the many faces of civil-military relations today, especially in light of the role the military has arrogated to itself. A Crisis Appears and Disappears

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Pak to expel Afghan Taliban if they did not join peace talks 15 March, 2016



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Woke Bingo ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR  Pakistani officials threatened to expel Afghanistan's Taliban from bases in Pakistan if they did not join peace talks this month, but the militants rebuffed their traditional patron, two officials said, casting doubt on how much influence Islamabad retains over them.



After the secret meetings with Pakistani officials about two weeks ago, the Taliban's Supreme Council met at an undisclosed location and voted to reject the talks scheduled for early March with the Afghan government, according to a council member.



Instead, the insurgents are now pouring back into Afghanistan for what they say will be a fierce spring offensive to be launched soon. Pakistan's influence over the insurgents is the lynchpin to the peace plan developed over last few months by Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China to bring an end to the 15-year-old war in Afghanistan.



A Pakistani official in Islamabad said that the Taliban's recent success on the battlefield inside Afghanistan had changed the equation. They no longer need their Pakistan bases in the same way, so if Pakistan threatens to expel them, it does not have the same effect, said the official, a retired military officer close to the talks.



The insurgents have won new zones of influence  if not outright control  from Afghan security forces since the United States and its allies pulled most combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, Afghan and Western officials acknowledge.



Pakistan's trump card - safe havens on its soil - is in danger of being snatched away, said Michael Kugelman of the Woodrow Wilson Institute, a Washington-based think tank. The Taliban have little incentive to step off the battlefield now, given recent gains and those likely to come in the next few months. In effect, why quit while you're ahead?



Foreign Office Nafees Zakaria said that he had no knowledge of meetings with the Taliban. We usually don't know who has met with whom in the sensitive and high-level peace initiative he added. In Kabul, however, members of the Afghan government were skeptical about Pakistan's assertions.



Pakistan's honesty and sincerity with regard to the Afghan peace process has always been a question, said an Afghan cabinet member, echoing the sentiment of several officials interviewed there. Pakistan's military has long been accused of fostering the Taliban as a way of pursuing regional rivalry with India.



However, the officials deny the charge and insist the government and military recognize that Afghanistan's war threatens their own security.



A member of the Taliban's leadership council, or shura, whose members are mostly based in Pakistan and Afghanistan but also travel between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said rebel representatives met in Islamabad with Pakistani officials a little more than two weeks ago.



They have asked our representatives to bring more decision-making people to the next meeting ... to the meeting with US and Afghan officials. This is their dream, but they will not be able to see our senior commanders, the Taliban council member said. A senior Pakistani security official with knowledge of the talks said: I don't think the talks are dead, but they are definitely plagued by a serious illness.



The ones who are in Pakistan ... We have told them repeatedly that they will have to leave if they don't participate in the process, he said. We have done what we can ... but influence does not mean control. Those days are long gone. The Taliban source had knowledge of, but did not attend, the meeting with Pakistani officials in Islamabad.



He was at the subsequent Taliban council meeting to decide on whether to join the peace talks. The pro-talks camp largely comprised supporters of nominal Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, believed to be hiding in Pakistan after being shot in a leadership dispute last year and rumored killed, and his chief rival, Mullah Mohammad Rasoul, who is believed to be in Afghanistan.



I personally feel that Mullah Mansour and some other leaders are in favor of peace talks and they don't want to annoy Pakistan ... but they can't make decisions without approval of other shura members, said the Taliban council member. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declined to comment on any meetings with Pakistani representatives. He confirmed the Leadership Council meeting but would not give details.



Publicly, both the Afghan and the Pakistani government are expressing hopes that peace talks can begin before the traditional Taliban spring offensive. Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz spoke last week of progress in restarting talks in coming days. However, Taliban commanders told Reuters that with the council's decision, they are focusing on launching their annual fighting season with the hopes of grabbing more territory.



We already have started focusing on the spring offensive, and that's why the majority of the fighters and commanders are going there (Afghanistan), said a senior Taliban figure, based in the Pakistani province of Balochistan.
58 F. high in the Twin Cities Monday.

40 F. average high on March 14.

61 F. high temperature on March 14, 2015.

.01" rain fell yesterday at KMSP.

tonight

Thursday

March 15, 1941

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Guardian graphic | Source: NASA.

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Breaking the Ice: Survival Lessons From a Changing Arctic. Audubon has a long and fascinating story focused on changes at the top of the world; here's a clip: "...Temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as quickly as the global average. Open water has led to greater erosion and bigger storms. Diminished ice may be changing the polar vortex and other large-scale weather patterns. The region is a global bellwether, and while scientists on the Healy were focused on the practicality of operating in the new north, their instruments would also track planetary change. The buoys and gliders thrown overboard by NOAA would take long-term measurements of wind speed, air temperature, humidity, cloud coverage, solar radiation, water temperature, acidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and many other environmental conditionskey baseline data with global repercussions from a little-studied part of the Arctic. The chemical sniffers, run by Dr. Jeffrey Welker , a Fulbright U.S. Arctic Chair at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, would sample isotopes from the air, drawing baselines of their own while detecting spikes of carbon dioxide and another important greenhouse gas, methane..."





Photo credit above: "View of US Coast Guard Ship Healy in Beaufort Sea from Aerostat helium balloon. Beaufort Sea, USA, 07.15.2015." Photo: Esther Horvath.





Why Your Tweets Could Really Matter During a Natural Disaster. Data-mining social media for specific keywords can assist emergency responders pinpoint areas most threatened by natural disasters; here's an excerpt from . Data-mining social media for specific keywords can assist emergency responders pinpoint areas most threatened by natural disasters; here's an excerpt from The Washington Post : "...As Hurricane Sandy bore down on the East Coast in late 2012, people in its path fired off millions of tweets that included words such as stay safe, no power, frankenstorm, flooding and blackout. Such a collective blast of social media activity, it turns out, might one day help officials find and assess the most severe damage caused by a natural disaster. In a study published Friday in the journal Science Advances, researchers detailed how 52 million geographically pinpointed tweets they gathered from before, during and after the hurricane offered telling insight into where it ultimately wreaked the most havoc. In essence, the scientists determined that the areas that experienced the most notable spike in Twitter activity were associated with areas where residents filed the most insurance claims and received the most individual assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency grants..."





Superstorm Sandy file image: NASA.

Record Flooding Swamps Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi. Another 1-in-200 or 1-in-500 year flood in the making? Here's an excerpt from . Another 1-in-200 or 1-in-500 year flood in the making? Here's an excerpt from USA TODAY : "Rivers continued to rise to record levels in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday, flooding thousands of homes. Flood warnings were in effect across the region as many rivers remained dangerously high. Emergency officials said more than 4,958 homes in Louisiana were damaged by flooding, according to the Associated Press. At least four deaths have been reported in Louisiana, the AP reported, and the National Guard has rescued nearly 3,300 people..."





Photo credit above: " Homes in Monroe and throughout northeast Louisiana remain underwater due to flooding." Photo taken March 12, 2016. (Photo: Hannah Baldwin/News-Star.

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Fridays launch will be the first application of that agreement. The flights will use a mixture of 30 percent biofuel and 70 percent traditional fuel, and United says that the biofuel will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 60 percent compared with regular fuel.

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A United Airlines passenger airplane passes over Whittier, Calif., on its way to Los Angeles International Airport, Sunday, July 26, 2015." (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

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Andrew J. Russell/Library of Congress.

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TODAY

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Rising Sea Levels May Disrupt Lives of Millions, Study Says. For places like south Florida, coastal Louisiana, Virginia's Tidewater, even New York City and Boston, a warming (rising) ocean will be more than a minor inconvenience. It already is. Data suggests seas are rising at the fastest rate in 28 centuries. Here's a summary of new research findings at For places like south Florida, coastal Louisiana, Virginia's Tidewater, even New York City and Boston, a warming (rising) ocean will be more than a minor inconvenience. It already is. Data suggests seas are rising at the fastest rate in 28 centuries. Here's a summary of new research findings at The New York Times : "Sea-level rise, a problem exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, could disrupt the lives of more than 13 million people in the United States, three times more than most current estimates, according to a study published Monday . Rising seas, which already endanger coastal communities through tidal floods and storm surges, could rise three feet or possibly even more over the next century if emissions continue at a high level, threatening many shoreline communities. The study, published in Nature Climate Change, argues that most projections vastly underestimate the number of people at risk because they do not account for population growth. For the study, the authors combined future population estimates with predicted sea-level rise, using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to demonstrate that millions are at risk: 4.2 million if seas rise by three feet; 13.1 million with a six-foot increase, a high-end estimate..."





Photo credit above: " Rodney Clement gingerly stepped from the sidewalk to the street through tidal flooding around his home in Charleston, S.C., last year." Credit Grace Beahm/The Post and Courier, via Associated Press.

Developers Don't Get It: Climate Change Means We Need to Retreat from the Coast. Here's an excerpt of an Op-Ed at . Here's an excerpt of an Op-Ed at The Guardian : "...

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A zodiac carrying a team of international scientists heads to Chiles station Bernardo OHiggins in Antarctica in January 2015." (Natacha Pisarenko/AP).

Report: Farmers Should Diversify to Adapt for Climate Change. A story at Farmers are also trying to get their crops in earlier to take advantage of wet weather in the early spring, but that leaves them open to frost damage. Christiaens said the winter wheat is already out of dormancy with the warm spring so far, but if it turns cold again, a snowstorm could smother the crop. Theres something certainly different, Christiaens said. So were saying if you want to stay in business, think about diversifying, think about crops that are more drought resistant... A story at The Flathead Beacon in Kalispell, Montana caught my eye; here's an excerpt: "...Chris Christiaens, legislative and project specialist for MFU, said there has been a push in the last 18 months to educate producers on the importance of diversifying their crops.Theres something certainly different, Christiaens said. So were saying if you want to stay in business, think about diversifying, think about crops that are more drought resistant...





Photo credit above: "A wheat field and irrigation equipment near Ronan." Beacon File photo.

Beware the Ides of March. With a rapidly rising sun angle and huge north-south temperature extremes March can brew up wicked extremes: blizzards, floods, even tornadoes.Any other March we might be looking at a cool foot of slushy, sloppy snow. Not this year. Temperatures are 15-20 degrees too warm. A rapidly intensifying storm tracking from Wichita to Madison will throw a shield of moderate rain into town today and; the NAM model prints out 1.3" of precipitation - all rain.By the time it's cold enough for snow the moisture will be long gone; maybe a fistful of flurries by. By late week it should actually feel like March, with upper 30s and low 40s - closer to average for this time of year.Except "average" keeps changing over time.Seasonably chilly weather spills into early next week, but long-range GFS guidance pulls a few more 50-degree days into Minnesota the last week of March. Nothing arctic brewing.Our fast-forward spring means frost is leaving the ground quickly, but rapid run-off may flood a few roads later today. I predict a tricky commute later today.: The 'Ides of March Blizzard' occurs. Winds reached hurricane force at Twin Cities. 32 people died. Source: Twin Cities National Weather Service.Future radar shows rain increasing in coverage and intensity today; heaviest rains from late afternoon into tonight. By Wednesday night it will be cold enough aloft for snow, heaviest north of MSP where a couple inches of slush may accumulate. This will be an old-fashioned March rain and wind storm, ending as a coating of slush. NAM guidance: NOAA and AerisWeather.. Models print out some 1-2" rainfall amounts, a few locations in central Minnesota may see close to 3" of precipitation. There's still frost in the ground, this volume of rain falling in a 24 to 36 hour period won't be able to soak into topsoil, but run off into streets and streams. I could see some flash flooding for the PM rush today and AM commute Wednesday morning. NAM predicted precipitation totals: NOAA and AerisWeather.I suspect the GFS is inflating amounts (4.45" of rain?) but at this point I think there's a better than 50-50 chance of at least 2" liquid for most towns today and tomorrow. In a different (colder) March we'd be looking at a few feet of heavy, wet snow. Not this year. Model guidance: Aeris Enterprise.Although the vast majority of the (predicted) 2.96" of liquid precipitation will fall as rain, 1000-850mb temperatures are forecast to be cold enough for snow by Wednesday night and Thursday. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a slushy coating by Thursday morning. Payback for 70F on Saturday.. Enough snow at the tail-end of this storm to shovel and plow from Bemidji and Walker to Duluth and Sandstone? Plausible, with a slushy inch or two by Wednesday night or Thursday for far northern suburbs. March is a fickle month; the previous graphics Exhibit A.. Our internal model ensemble tripped a threshold, suggesting wind gusts exceeding 40 mph in the Twin Cities by 11 PM tonight. Heavy rain may fall horizontally at times - as close as we'll ever come to a cold tropical storm.. GFS is an outlier with sustained winds of 38 mph by 4 AM Wednesday, but the trends suggest a window-rattling storm as air accelerates into the center of a rapidly intensifying low pressure system. Graphic: Aeris Enterprise.. 1-2" of slushy snow is predicted for the Brainerd Lakes area by Thursday morning at 10 AM.. I still see a roughly one-week temperature relapse (at or just below average) before a zonal wind flow aloft returns by the end of March; more frequent 40s and a few days in the 50s. Source: GrADS:COLA/IGES.Not so fast - Miriam O'Brien at HotWhoppe r sent me this nugget from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology: "Based on the 26 El Nino events since 1900, around 50% have been followed by a neutral year, and 40% have been followed by La Nina. International climate models suggest neutral is most likely for the second half of the year. However, La Nina in 2016 cannot be ruled out, and a repeat El Nino appears unlikely.". Here's an excerpt from The Guardian : "...NASA dropped a bombshell of a climate report, said Jeff Masters and Bob Henson, who analysed the data on the Weather Underground website . February dispensed with the one-month-old record by a full 0.21C - an extraordinary margin to beat a monthly world temperature record by. This result is a true shocker, and yet another reminder of the incessant long-term rise in global temperature resulting from human-produced greenhouse gases, said Masters and Henson. We are now hurtling at a frightening pace toward the globally agreed maximum of 2C warming over pre-industrial levels.... Here's an excerpt of an Andrew Freedman post at Mashable : "...To put it more plainly, February stands out for its unusual heat more than any other month in the modern climate record. The previous warmest February, according to NASA, was in 1998, which was also a year with an extremely strong El Nino. However, in an important indication of how far human-caused global warming has shifted the baseline state of the planet's climate, February 2016 came out 0.846 degrees Celsius, or 1.52 degrees Fahrenheit, warmer than February 1998, despite the similar intensity of the El Nino events in both years. In fact, studies indicate that with the highest levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere in all of human history, global average temperatures may now be higher than any time since at least 4,000 years ago ...": NASA GISS, Mashable.Here's an excerpt from KSLA News 12 in Shreveport, Louisiana: "The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has released a statement about this week's floods across the state of Louisiana. GOHSEP stated that initial reports from parishes around the state indicate that nearly 5000 homes have received flood damage and thousands of people have been forced from their homes. So far, Governor John Bel Edwards, as well as key cabinet members and FEMA representatives, have toured the damage of many of the hardest hit areas of the state..."above: "This is a road in French Settlement. It's hard to tell where the line of separation is between it and the Amite River." Source: Gerron Jordan.. Kudos to Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy and the city of Minneapolis. Here's an excerpt at Midwest Energy News : "Now into its second year, a unique partnership between the city of Minneapolis and two utilities is receiving national recognition and praise from clean energy advocates. On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Clean Energy Partnership a Climate Leadership Award in the Innovative Partnerships category. That followed a January event at the White House where officials from the city and Xcel Energy were recognized by the Department of Energy for a software program that helps building owners to better understand their energy use. The partnership  the first of its kind in the country  brings together the city of Minneapolis Xcel and the natural gas company CenterPoint Energy in an effort reduce greenhouse gas emissions through efficiency programs, renewable energy options and other approaches..." The Washington Post has details; here's a clip: "...In general, the idea behind renewable fuels is to use a biological source  for example, plant or animal matter  rather than a geological one, like oil. The Honeywell UOP technology thats being applied at the AltAir refinery can utilize a range of difference sources, from used cooking oil to algae...": "Here's an excerpt from OregonLive.com : "...Gov. Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 1547 on Tuesday, handing Democrats a coveted political victory that comes despite lingering concerns the legislation might raise costs for utility customers. Brown's office announced the signature in a statement Thursday. The measure requires Oregon's two largest utilities, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, to stop paying for out-of-state coal power by 2030. It also says utilities must serve half their customers' demand with renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2040...". It's all about convenience and control, and paying for what you're actually watching. Here's a clip from Business Insider : "...As streaming media device uptake rises, stakeholders throughout the larger media ecosystem will need to adapt to consumers' changing habits. Legacy TV providers will likely need to offer skinny bundles or their own OTT subscriptions to stay relevant, while advertisers will want to capitalize on the opportunities available in targeting streaming viewers using demographic and behavioral data. App developers, platform creators, and game makers will also have a stake in where and how streaming activity develops..."Disruption is hard, yet inevitable. The challenge is preparing all of us for multiple careers within one lifetime. The quaint notionof one job (for life) has gone the way of the fax machine. My thanks to Newsweek for cheering me up; here are a couple clips from an interesting, if not unsettling story: "A technological revolution killed the Whig Party in 1850. A new one is blasting the GOP into splinters in 2016. Amazingly, none of the presidential candidates talk much about technology, yet our software-eats-the-world whirlwind drives everything thats cleaving the country and throwing its politics into chaos. The parallels to the dynamics of the 1850s are a little scary. After all, the Whigs self-destruction was a prelude to the Civil War...The current rift in America isnt going to mend if Trump wins, or loses. Look at whats coming. Autonomous vehicles will eat driving jobs of every kind. Artificial intelligence will eat rules-based white-collar jobs like accounting. Block-chain technology will result in software-based contracts that eliminate the need for mortgage brokers and lots of lawyers. Factory work will be diminished by 3-D printing. The total disruption of the 20th-century way of life is inevitable and far from over..."credit: ". An article at Fortune rings true; here's an excerpt: "...Organizations that manage people well outperform their peers. Deloittes Global Human Capital Trends 2016 research has found five keys to success in building a thriving organization today. They are the following:People want to know what theyre responsible for and how theyre being evaluated. High performing organizations set clear goals, assign responsibility, and define what success looks like. People are rewarded for results, not their position. If a companys culture rewards success, people will focus on how to get things done and worry less about what to do...". Perhaps the most bizarre headline in recent memory; details via Atlas Obscura : "A government website has revealed that Russia wants five dolphins for military use, further rebuilding a Cold War-era program that saw the U.S. and Russia battle for supremacy in combat sea mammals. Russia is looking for three male and two females, all between three- and five-years-old, with "perfect teeth," according to The Guardian . The country is willing to pay around $24,000 for the five dolphins, according to a document that appeared on the government site..."above: ": Rain, heavy at times. Clap of thunder? Winds: SE 10-20. High: 57TUESDAY NIGHT: Very Windy with heavy rain - potential for flooding. Winds: NW 20-45. Low: 39: Rain tapers to showers, gusty and colder. Winds: W 15-30. High: 41: A little wet snow - slushy coating possible. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 34. High: 38: Mostly cloudy, jacket-worthy. Winds: N 8-13. Wake-up: 29. High: 39: Still chilly, sprinkles and flurries. Winds: NW 10-15. Wake-up: 28. High: 39: No sign of spring fever, flurries. Winds: NW 10-15. Wake-up: 29. High: near 40: More sun, a bit more mellow. Winds: SE 5-10. Wake-up: 30. High: 45We now know that 13.1 million people are at risk of flooding along the US coast by the end of this century. A new study published in Nature Climate Change further suggests that massive migration will occur unless protective measures are taken. Since sea-level rise will speed up after the end of the century due to increased glacier and ice sheet melting, the flooding we face in this century is just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is particularly severe along our 3,000-mile low-lying sandy barrier island coast extending, with a few breaks, all the way from the South Shore of Long Island to the Mexican border. Along this long barrier island coast, Florida has the longest and most heavily developed shoreline..." (File photo: Marsha Halper, Miami Herald).Chris Mooney has the results of new research at The Washington Post ; here's a snippet: "For the second time in a month, leading scientists have closely tied the ancient history of the vast Antarctic ice sheet to a key planetary parameter that humans are now controlling  the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Last month, new research showed that during the Miocene era, some 14 to 23 million years ago, Antarctica gave up huge volumes of ice, equivalent to tens of meters of sea level rise, when levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are thought to have been around 500 parts per million. Were at a little over 400 parts per million now ..."above: "The warmth in February was historic; here's an excerpt from HotWhopper : "...Last month, February, the global mean surface temperature was a whopping 1.35 C (2.43 F) above the 1951-1980 mean. That smashes previous records, and is the hottest February on record by 0.47 C. The previous hottest February's were in 1998 at 0.88 C and 2015 at 0.87 C. It's also the highest ever anomaly for any month,with the previous highest anomaly being the previous month, January 2016, when the temperature was 1.14 C above the 1951-1980 mean. There've now been, starting in October last year...". Is El Nino turbocharing global warming? It turns out Dr. Kevin Trenberth predicted this scenario some time ago; here's a link to a video interview and reposted story at Climate Denial Crock of the Week : "...Dr. Trenberth spoke about large cycles in the Pacific that are part of natural variability, and how the ocean has tended in recent years to take more heat into greater depths, where it can not show up on surface temperature measurements. Dr. Trenberth further predicted, starting at about 9:00 above, that a new El Nino event, if strong enough, like the one we are seeing now, would jumpstart the kind of warming trend that we saw between the mid-70s and 1998...". Here's an excerpt from Rolling Stone : "...People should be enraged," says attorney Julia Olson, who argued the plaintiffs' case Wednesday and spoke to Rolling Stone last week. Olson is executive director of Our Children's Trust, the Oregon non-profit that's brought nearly two dozen climate cases around the country using the emerging legal strategy called Atmospheric Trust Litigation. "This is the part of democracy that people don't see, but when you watch government lawyers, side by side with industry lawyers, stand up in front a judge and say these kids don't have a right to be protected against catastrophic climate change, and the U.S. Constitution doesn't protect that right, that's powerful..."
Of course. You would have to be be barking mad to want to bring this rabble to NZ. But then socialists are mad by definition. It's not as if we don't have...
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Mei Mei, a female panda fitted with a GPS tracking collar, photographed with her cub in China's Wolong Nature Reserve. Credit: Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

In the furry animal world, it's the boys approaching adulthood who tend to start to wander to seek their fortune. Which usually means a mate. Girls tend to stay closer to the home range.

But giant pandas, once again, buck a mammal trend.

Michigan State University PhD student Thomas Connor continues an effort begun by his colleague Vanessa Hull to try to combine MSU's data-rich effort in tracking five pandas with GPS collars with other similar studies. The goal: parse out a better understanding at how these elusive bears behave in their remote environs in southwestern China. Hull is a co-author on the current paper.

The paper "Telemetry research on elusive wildlife: a synthesis of studies on giant pandas" in this month's Integrative Zoology discovers that the several small studies of pandas wearing tracking collars gain new significance when compared with a broader history.

His review of the data from five studies teased out tantalizing insights into how the endangered pandas behave. It's important to understand as climate change and human development require detailed intelligence on how they live, and thus how they can best be protected while the needs of the people who live amongst them are met.

"So much is still unknown about how pandas use their habitat," said Jianguo "Jack" Liu, Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability and Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability director. "Pandas are a part of coupled human and natural systems where humans share their habitat. Anything we can learn about how they live and what they need can ultimately help inform good conservation policies."

Connor says females seem to rival the males in distances moved from home during mating season, a behavior overlooked in previous small studies that seemed to indicate the females waited around for male callers. He says there's also evidence that the "subadult" femalesthink adolescentstend to disperse further than males, though they may return near their original home range to give birth and raise their cubs. A 2001 book notes this roaming behavior is not without risk for the females. One ventured far and returned home emaciated and wounded and later died.

"The tendency for female natal dispersal is an interesting behavioral adaptation that is uncommon in mammals, and not found in any other bear species," Connor said.

The pandas in the studies live in two mountain ranges - the Qionglai range, where the famous Wolong Nature Reserve is located, and the Qinling Mountains to the north. Connor said the analysis of the many studies raised enticing new questions. Past studies did not agree on whether the brownish pandas in the Qinling range, which look a bit different from the more familiar Wolong pandas, had smaller or larger home ranges compared to those in the Qionglai.

There is in fact no difference at all, Connor now thinks. He's convinced that despite a larger seasonal migration in the Qinling, pandas in both areas use a similar amount of territory.

As he begins his doctoral work on pandas, Connor found tantalizing bits of information and questions - were the handful of aggressive behaviors witnessed signs of territorial nature? There's evidence that both sexes of pandas play the field in mating season, courting more than one suitor, yet is promiscuous mating an aberration or the norm?

And what's up with those Qinling mountain pandas in a 2001 study that moved to high elevations in the summer, a usual pattern, yet stayed there through the harsh winter months?

"It is fascinating that in a species as well known as the giant panda, there are still so many uncertainties and unanswered questions," Connor said. "In addition to mysteries surrounding their behavior and ecology, much remains unknown concerning the effect of human disturbance on panda individuals and populations. In a time of rapid expansion, but also considerable conservation effort in China, a better understanding of this panda-human interaction is crucial to make these efforts effective in the future."

Explore further A peek at the secret life of pandas
Professor Slee and Adjunct Professor Shute with their new book.

From cyberbullying to safety at home, new research from Flinders University strongly supports the findings of an extensive survey of more than 1,600 children in South Australia which calls for a formal and more "powerful" advocate for their rights.

"What we consistently hear, both in South Australia and in overseas studies, is that children and young people want a Children's Commissioner or 'champion' for their best interests," says Professor Phillip Slee, from Flinders' School of Education.

"Children want to be heard by someone who listens and really understands their points of view," he says, pointing to evidence of widespread concerns about appearance, health and wellbeing, bullying and personal safety.

Professor Slee and Flinders University Adjunct Professor Rosalyn Shute have taken the unusual step of including the voices of young people from around the world in their new book, Child Development: Theories and Critical Perspectives (Hove: Routledge).

The book, which dedicates a chapter to considering the testimonies of young people, investigates the psychological development of children.

All of the evidence supports the need to give children and young people a more powerful voice in their development, including a formal route for their opinions on a broad range of topics affecting them to be heard.

"While on the State Government agenda, South Australia is still the only jurisdiction in Australia without a Children's Commissioner," says Professor Slee, who runs the Student Wellbeing and Prevention of Violence (SWAPv) Research Centre at the School of Education.

"Almost 10 years ago, the Council for the Care of Children was established to advocate systematically and advise government on a range of matters that our young people need to grow up safe, happy, healthy and socially included in South Australia," says Professor Slee, who is a member of the Council for the Care of Children.

"Children want to be heard by someone who is a formal and powerful advocate for their rights," he says, pointing out that thousands of Australian school children suffer face-to-face bullying every day and thousands more are bullied or vilified online.

"Not surprisingly, the Council's 2015 recent conversations with 1,654 children and young people aged 4-18 years indeed found they most want the Government to legislate for a Children's Commissioner who they can trust and who will listen to them, take them seriously, and use their feedback to educate everyone about what kids need to grow up safe, happy and healthy."

"Our new book advocates for giving children a greater say in matters that concern them," says Adjunct Professor Shute, from Flinders' School of Psychology.

"The issue of children's rights has become very important internationally in recent years, and many countries from Namibia, Zimbabwe to Austria, Ireland and New Zealand, have well-established children's parliaments that can put children's concerns on the national agenda."

Having the State legislate for an official to uphold the rights of children and young adults is paramount. SA could even become the first Child and Youth Friendly region in Australia.

"Our research into matters such as bullying has shown the value of listening to children's perspectives," Professor Shute says.

For example, adults often believe physical bullying is the worst kind, but young people report being more hurt by psychological attacks such as rumour-mongering and cyberbullying.

"South Australian young people have told the Council that feeling safe at school, at home and in the community are paramount, along with the right to education, privacy, respect, belonging and being listened to," she says.

Many wider issues are also tackled in another 2016 publication Mental Health and Wellbeing through Schools: The Way Forward (edited by Shute and Slee).

Flinders University will host the inaugural Student Wellbeing and Prevention of Violence Conference in Adelaide in July.

The 2015 SA study, entitled "Conversations about rights and a Children's Commissioner: Listening to the voice of children and young people," is available online here

Simon Schrapel, chairman of the SA Council for the Care of Children, says it is important for the South Australian model to reflect young citizens' feedback in the 2015 'Conversations' survey.

"The best examples of Children's Commissioner legislation provides for broad, systemic advocacy for children's 'voices' to reflect their interests and rights, access to good health care, education, and other services  someone who provides face-to-face contact and is both empowered and free to uphold the best interests of children first and foremost," Mr Schrapel says.

"Our Conversations project found this is of the utmost importance," he said, adding the evidence provided further promotes the need to promote South Australia as Australia's first UN-declared Child and Youth Friendly State.

More information: See the report online: See the report online: www.childrensa.sa.gov.au/asset  tions_Report2015.pdf
Snubfin dolphins in Roebuck Bay. Credit: Felix Smith, MUCRU/WWF-Aus

The Kimberley's resident dolphin populations seem to be homebodies who stay in the same area year-in year-out and also avoid mixing with their neighbours, according to research into how the mammals live.

The study is the latest in a long line of research by Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (MUCRU) scientists to provide more baseline data on the northwest's dolphins to help determine if management strategies protecting them are successful.

With the help of a squadron of volunteers in small boats the researchers surveyed 130km2 between 2012 and 2014 taking in Roebuck, Beagle, Cygnet and Cone Bays extending east to the Cambridge Gulf.

During this time they painstakingly counted Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni), humpback (Sousa chinensis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus).

They photographed and identified individual dolphins by the nicks and notches on the leading and tailing edges of the dorsal fins and catalogued 130 snubfin dolphins at Roebuck Bay (one of the largest counts ever) and a further 50 at Cygnet Bay.

Bottlenose dolphin numbered 160 in the waters off Beagle Bay, with a further 50 at Cygnet Bay. The humpbacks were much scarcer with no more than 20 at any one site.

MUCRU PhD student Alex Brown was part of the team. He says they surveyed sites multiple times observing the same individual dolphins each visit, suggesting they stay in the same area year after year.

One of the most surprising findings, he says, was the degree of separateness of the species despite them often being bracketed together for environmental impact studies.

"Each specie has its own specific preference for habitat and feeding on similar yet different prey species, and there also may be an element of competition between the different species," he says.

"For example we started at Cygnet Bay and could see all species in the space of a day yet when we went to other areas of the coast within 100kms, we wouldn't find anything but bottlenose dolphins and then further away again it was snubfin dolphins."

It reinforces the need for more research to better understand the species and their habitat and that a one-size-fits-all management policy won't do, he says.

He says while all three species studied are considered to have 'National Environmental Significance' under Commonwealth legislation, a lack of baseline data means they often given limited consideration in environmental assessments around the increasing number of coastal developments.

Explore further Genetic study reveals vulnerability of northwest dolphins

More information: Alexander M. Brown et al. Site-Specific Assessments of the Abundance of Three Inshore Dolphin Species to Inform Conservation and Management, Frontiers in Marine Science (2016). Alexander M. Brown et al. Site-Specific Assessments of the Abundance of Three Inshore Dolphin Species to Inform Conservation and Management,(2016). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2016.00004

This article first appeared on ScienceNetwork Western Australia a science news website based at Scitech.
Managers play down their competence to appear warmer to their subordinates while the subordinates hide their own warmth in an effort to appear more competent. Credit: Gwyneth Olson, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

People in the workplace may adjust their behavior to break stereotypes about themselves or match the stereotypes of otherseven if it means playing dumb or giving the cold shoulder, a Princeton University study finds.

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology, shows that managers play down their competence to appear warmer to their subordinates while the subordinates hide their own warmth in an effort to appear more competent.

The study included four experiments with approximately 150 to 200 participants in each. The researchers chose to focus on workplace encounters because they provide the most common experience Americans have with social hierarchies.

In each experiment, the reasoning for the participants' behavioral changes kept coming back to stereotypes: Past studies have shown that managers are typically seen as competent and cold, while lower-status employees may be seen as warm, but not entirely competent. The researchers found that both supervisors and subordinates chose to present themselves in diverging ways either by trying to break down these stereotypeswhat the researchers label as "stereotype-disconfirming" behavior techniquesor by mirroring or "matching" the expected behavior of the other person.

"In doing this, people might actually talk past each other, making people have more of an awkward misunderstanding," said Jillian Swencionis, lead author and doctoral candidate in psychology and social policy at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. "Our findings illustrate just how invasive perceived inequality and social hierarchies really are, impacting both interpersonal relationships and workplace encounters.

"In terms of policy, organizations would do well to recognize these warmth-competence tradeoffs in interactions between employees of different rank, for example, in evaluations or interviews. The stereotypes people hold about others may not necessarily be true, so when they're trying to 'match' the other person, they're matching what they think the other person is like. These kinds of diverging impression management strategies may be one reason for misunderstandings or otherwise awkward situations people have in these interactions," Swencionis said.

Susan Fiske, co-author on this research and the Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School and Department of Psychology, has long studied stereotyping, social power and intergroup relations. Swencionis has focused her doctoral studies on the connection between inequality, social science and policy. For this particular study, they wanted to determine how people feel inequality within interpersonal interactions and how they cope with discomfort.

"People are uncomfortable talking about social class, but there are clear situations where higher and lower social classes interact," Swencionis said. "We wanted to find out what happens there. What are people's concerns, and what do they do about it?"

Do I Change my Behavior Because of Status?

In the first experiment, the researchers tested whether status hierarchies led people to present themselves differently to one another. Participants were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing Internet marketplace, and 151 were selected.

Participants were asked to imagine a common workplace scenario: collaboration across departments. Each participant was randomly assigned to imagine being paired with an employee who was either in a higher-ranked position, lower-ranked position or same-rank position. Neither reported to the other and had no previous workplace connections.

Participants were then asked to describe how they thought the interaction would go and rate the extent to which they wanted their partner to know certain traits about themselves. The researchers included 20 traits. Half conveyed competencelike "ambitious" or "capable"while the other half conveyed warmth, such as "considerate" or "generous." Afterward, participants were asked how it important it was to be liked versus respected.

The results were what the researchers predicted: higher-ranked employees played down their competence to appear warmer to lower-ranked employees, while the subordinates played down their warmth to appear more competent.

Are We Going 'Against the Grain' or 'With the Flow'?

In the second experiment, the researchers sought to determine why people present themselves differently in hierarchical situations. They again used Amazon's Mechanical Turk, recruiting 202 participants.

They were randomly assigned to imagine being paired with either a supervisor or a subordinate and were askedusing the same list of traits from the first experimentto choose which traits about themselves they would share. Participants also were given details about their partner's level of friendliness in the workplace, information not provided in the first experiment.

"We wanted to see what participants would do with this additional information. When people are 'playing dumb' or pretending to be unfriendly, are they doing this to disconfirm stereotypes about themselves or are they simply trying to be like the other person?" Swencionis said.

The results showed a combination of factors. The participants were both disconfirming perceived stereotypes about themselves and trying to match the other person.

"They are trying to bridge this gap between what low-status and high-status people are stereotyped as being," Fiske said. "Part of bridging that gap is not being that way, and part is getting closer to what the other person is."

The third experiment was identical to the second, except the 200 participants recruited from Mechanical Turk learned about their partner's reputation with regard to competence.

The same pattern emerged: Participants sought to disconfirm stereotypes and wanted to be more like the person with whom they were interacting.

How Do You Perceive Me?

In the final experiment, the researchers wanted to determine whether a person's goals shaped the interaction. They recruited 152 participants. This time they were asked to rate how they perceived their partner, and how they thought their partner perceived them.

The results showed that high-status supervisors were concerned with being stereotyped as cold and competent and therefore downplayed their competence. Meanwhile, the lower-status employees were concerned about being more like their supervisors, but they weren't necessarily concerned because they were disconfirming stereotypes.

"All of our studies show this clear pattern in which people are uncomfortable with status divides because of how they are stereotyped or perceived. As a result, they present themselves in diverging ways," Fiske said.

"The bigger picture is that supervisors trade off warmth and competence, and subordinates know this. Someone seen as highly competent will seem colder, and someone seen as really warm will seem dumber, regardless of the fact that these dimensions don't really operate in opposition," Fiske said. "Human resource managers, job applicants, reference-letter writers, organizational managers and candidate image handlers all need to know this."

The team is currently working on a similar study among college students in higher- and lower-ranked universities. They are also investigating how higher-status people interact with their subordinates in face-to-face encounters.

The paper, "Promote up, ingratiate down: Status comparisons drive warmth-competence tradeoffs in impression management," was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Arctic ice

The drastic cut in sulfate particle emissions in Europe partly explains the amplified Arctic warming since the 1980s, shows a new study published in Nature Geoscience.

The drastic cut in sulfate particle emissions in Europe partly explains the amplified Arctic warming since the 1980s, shows a new study published in Nature Geoscience. The team, which consists of scientists from Stockholm University and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, say that their surprising finding highlights an even more urgent need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate Arctic climate change.

Human activities, such as industrial production, transport, power generation, and wood burning emit large amounts of tiny pollutant particles containing, for example, soot and sulfate, into the atmosphere. High airborne amounts of these particles, also known as aerosol particles, cause about 400.000 premature deaths every year in Europe and can be transported over long distances. Aerosol particles have different sizes, as well as chemical and physical properties, all of which determine their climate effects.

"Soot particles absorb solar radiation and warm the climate, in a similar way as greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, do. Sulfate particles, on the other hand, reflect solar radiation and act as seeds for cloud droplet formation, cooling the climate as a result," says Juan Acosta Navarro, PhD student at the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES) and the Bolin Center for Climate Research, Stockholm University, and co-author of the study. He continues: "The overall effect of aerosol particles of human origin on climate has been a cooling one during the last century, which has partially masked the warming caused by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions."

Sulfate emissions, which cause, for example, acid rain, peaked in the 1980s in Europe and North America, which led to the implementation of strict regulations to reduce them. The new study shows that these policies had a profound effect on the Arctic.

"Using a numerical climate model we found that sulfate reductions over Europe between 1980 and 2005 could explain a significant fraction of the amplified warming in the Arctic region during that period due to changes in long-range transport, atmospheric winds and ocean currents. In other words, thanks to air quality regulations implemented in Europe, part of the masking effect of aerosol particles has been reduced, revealing the true warming of the Arctic by greenhouse gases," says Annica Ekman, Professor at the Department of Meteorology (MISU) and Bolin Center for Climate Research, Stockholm University who also co-authored this study. The scientists expect further warming in the Arctic as levels of greenhouse gases will continue to increase and aerosol particle emissions will likely decrease to combat air pollution in different parts of the world.

Explore further Climate impacts of changing aerosol emissions since 1996

More information: J. C. Acosta Navarro et al. Amplification of Arctic warming by past air pollution reductions in Europe, Nature Geoscience (2016). J. C. Acosta Navarro et al. Amplification of Arctic warming by past air pollution reductions in Europe,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2673 Related:

T. Storelvmo et al. Disentangling greenhouse warming and aerosol cooling to reveal Earth's climate sensitivity, Nature Geoscience (2016). DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2670 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
In the brilliant-thighed poisonfrog, the males transport the tadpoles to nearby water bodies. Credit: Andrius Pasukonis

The ability to recognize own offspring and provide preferential care is difficult for the poison frog Allobates femoralis. According to a study conducted by Vetmeduni Vienna, male and female frogs have different strategies for offspring discrimination. Females remember the exact location where they laid their eggs and exhibit preferential behavior toward their own clutches. Males assume that all offspring in their territory are their own. The study was published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

The brilliant-thighed poison frog Allobates femoralis is a ground-dwelling species inhabiting the tropical forests of South America. Males guard large territories in which females lay their eggs on fallen leaves. After three weeks of development, the tadpoles are generally transported on the backs of the males to the nearest body of water. "Females only do so when the male is not in his territory at this time," explains Eva Ringler from the Department of Comparative Cognitive Research at the Messerli Research Institute of Vetmeduni Vienna.

Own offspring should come first

Tadpole transport has its risks. The tadpoles will only survive if they are transported to a body of water at the right time. During transport, males leave their territory unguarded and risk territorial loss to rivals. Females, on the other hand, must discriminate their own clutch from a number of unrelated clutches. And on the way to the water, predators abound. "Transport therefore only makes sense when the risk that is taken serves the survival of one's offspring," says Ringler. This assumes, however, that A. femoralis can identify its own offspring. "Especially interesting was whether there is a difference between male and female behaviour," Ringler says.

Males play it safe

In a series of three terrarium trials, the researchers observed whether the frogs would transport only their own or also unrelated tadpoles. In the first test, males and females were presented only with an unrelated clutch. In the second test, an unrelated clutch was added to the terrarium of an individual that already had its own clutch. In the third test, the researchers exchanged the positions of the frog's own clutch and a foreign clutch to see whether frogs recognize the clutch itself or remember the location of oviposition.

The tests showed that a majority of male frogs transported both their own as well as foreign clutches. They simply let all tadpoles present wiggle onto their back. The parental strategy of males apparently follows the rule of "my territory, my tadpoles". Males therefore seem to forego the challenge of differentiation entirely.

Females remember the position of their clutch

The female strategy is quite different. They do not transport unrelated tadpoles. The females did not transport foreign tadpoles when they knew the position of their own clutch. But if the researchers switched the position of the female's own clutch with another one, they only transported the unrelated clutch. This shows that, even weeks later, females remember the exact position where they laid their eggs. When they take over the tadpole transport, they choose the correct clutch based on its location.

Simple rule vs. inner GPS

The behaviour of the frogs in the study also indicated different cost/benefit calculations. Males, owing to their territorial behaviour, follow a simply rule. They assume that all clutches in their territory are theirs. Males therefore have a low risk of neglecting their own offspring. Their behaviour even offers unrelated tadpoles an increased chance of survival.

Females have a much higher risk of transporting a foreign clutch and neglecting their own. In their desire to transport only their own clutch, the female frogs rely on their inner GPS. "Further research is needed to clarify just how the females remember the exact location of oviposition in the dense rain forest," Eva Ringler concludes.

Explore further Frogs pit guns against sperm in battle for mates

More information: Eva Ringler et al, Sex-specific offspring discrimination reflects respective risks and costs of misdirected care in a poison frog, Animal Behaviour (2016). Journal information: Animal Behaviour Eva Ringler et al, Sex-specific offspring discrimination reflects respective risks and costs of misdirected care in a poison frog,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.008
Hermes BorderGuru Announces Partnership with the Alibaba Group and Cainiao

Chicago, March 15, 2016  Hermes, operator of the largest business-to-consumer (B2C) parcel shop network in Europe, announces its subsidiary, cross-border solution BorderGuru, has become the logistic partner to the Alibaba Group and its logistics affiliate Cainiao. The partnership will enable BorderGurus U.S. and European clients to efficiently ship products sold on Alibabas popular TMall Global online marketplace to Chinese customers. In collaboration with Cainiao, BorderGuru will manage the entire cross-border shipping process.

With a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $452 billion USD and access to over 280 million customers, the Alibaba Group is currently the worlds leading online retailer. On Singles Day 2015, the biggest annual shopping event in China, the Alibaba Group achieved a turnover of over $14.3 billion USD in one day. Through TMall Global, Albaba offers Chinese customers original goods from the United States, Europe and other countries around the world. Presently, TMall Global carries 5,400 international brands from a total of 53 countries. Retailers from a variety of sectors are already using BorderGuru services and operate on the site.

Through the partnership with Cainiao, BorderGuru provides the IT-assisted management of the entire shipping process  from pickup at the retailers domestic warehouse to last mile delivery in China. BorderGuru is supported by Hermes extensive logistics network. International transport, including customs clearance, is processed through Hermes. Upon a packages arrival in China, Cainiao handles the import clearance and final delivery to the customer.

James Zhao, Director of Global Import at Cainiao, said, We are delighted to have secured the services of the experienced logistics specialist Hermes with its proven track record in retailing. In conjunction with its strong e-commerce base, BorderGuru is a logical partner we can trust with our continued expansion in Europe.

We are proud to partner with Alibaba  the top leader in web sales in not only China, but also the world. We truly appreciate the trust that the company has placed in us, said Martin Kreiter, Division Manager Group Marketing and E-Commerce Business Development at Hermes and Managing Director of BorderGuru. With its integrated services, BorderGuru is really optimizing Hermes existing portfolio in global e-commerce. The partnership between Alibaba, Cainiao and BorderGuru shows that we are on the right path with our e-commerce services and that we are helping to satisfy growing demand. In the future, our clients will have greater market-entry opportunities through potential e-commerce markets abroad.

For more information, please visit: www.borderguru.com.

About Hermes

Hermes provides international logistics services to the retail industry. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Otto Group. The company is a leading specialist in retail-related services and partners with numerous distance sellers of all sizes. The range of services provided by the twelve Hermes companies embraces the full length of the supply chain: sourcing, quality assurance, transport, fulfillment and home delivery. In 2014, the Hermes Group grew its consolidated revenue to 2.230 billion euros and increased the number of employees to 12,470. In 2014, Hermes made more than 530 million deliveries to end customers, establishing Hermes as one of the leading B2C delivery companies in Europe. Hermes operates worldwide and has established country companies in Germany, the United Kingdom, United States, China, Russia, Italy and Austria. For further information, please visit www.hermesworld.com/us.

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Groups mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company is the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume. Founded in 1999, the company provides the fundamental technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help businesses leverage the power of the Internet to establish an online presence and conduct commerce with hundreds of millions of consumers and other businesses. More information: http://www.alibabagroup.com/en/global/home.

About Cainiao

Cainiao Network(formerly known as China Smart Logistics), the logistics affiliate of Alibaba Group, is dedicated to meeting the current and future logistics demands of Chinas online and mobile commerce sector. It operates a logistics information platform which provides real-time access to information for both buyers and sellers, as well as information that allows delivery service providers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their services.



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We, therefore, find it strange that the Plant Breeders Bill is coming back to Parliament without a single consultation with any of the groups (Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development, General Agricultural Workers Union, Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Ghana Muslims Mission, National House of Chiefs, Christian Council of Ghana, Apex Farmers Network of Ghana, Food Span and Ghana Trade and Livelihoods Coalition) that have petitioned Parliament.FSG said the press conference organised by the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) in collaboration with the other named groups above, is a clear indication that none of these critically important Ghanaian organisations has been consulted.As petitioners, Food Sovereignty Ghana has legitimate expectation of being consulted. To date we have not been consulted, FSG said, warning: The Plant Breeders Bill and the ARIPO Arusha PVP Protocol are a danger to Ghana, a danger to sustainable agriculture and a danger to our ability to feed ourselves in the face of climate change. Both Bills promote breeders rights over and above farmers rights, as well as promote formalised cross-border seed trade over farmers informal seed exchange systems, threatening farmers rights to save, use, share, and sell seeds, and threatening seed diversity.Both Bills only incentivise uniform varieties. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that about 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost due to the proliferation of uniform commercial varieties replacing native land races. Both Bills present a devastating threat to our ability to preserve our seed varieties, sustain our agriculture, and adapt to climate change.

The Plant Breeders Bill and the ARIPO Arusha PVP Protocol are two versions of the same bill. Both cede Ghanas legal sovereignty to foreign corporations. This provision in both Bills is entirely unnecessary for Ghana to comply with the WTO. Ghana has full flexibility under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to develop an effective sui generis system for plant variety protection, to develop a unique system that suits its needs.Parliament has no mandate or constitutional authority to cede any aspect of our independence to plant breeders, local or foreign! It is unconstitutional to pass a law containing Clause 23 of the Plant Breeders' Bill. The same clause is also found in the Arusha New Plant Variety Protocol, which is expected to go before Parliament for ratification.The Constitution of the Fourth Republic of Ghana does not mandate the Parliament of Ghana to surrender any aspect of our sovereignty to foreign entities. Parliament has no authority to cede national sovereignty under the Constitution. If either Bill is passed, it will be necessary to challenge the passage of the Plant Breeders' Bill and the ratification of the Arusha Protocol at the Supreme Court for the protection of Ghanas Constitution, our farmers, our citizens, and our sovereignty.We would like to see in any future Bill, a clear statement of farmers rights and the absence of any form of criminalisation of farmers such as what we saw in Clause 58 of the rejected Bill. In the report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Plant Breeders Bill, November, 2013, we witnessed the conspicuous absence of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) among the documents referenced. This is an unconscionable omission. Ghana is a signatory to this treaty. It is the treaty that protects and supports farmers rights.As a member of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (ITPGRFA), we expect Ghana to take steps to realise farmers rights to use, sell, save and exchange farm-saved seeds, to protect their traditional knowledge and to allow their participation in national decision-making. The Bill must preserve Ghanas sovereign independence and must protect the DNA of Ghanas traditional seeds from bio piracy. Ghana must have sovereignty over our seed germplasm resources. It would be wise to mandate that any entity or individual, who provides germplasm resources to any foreign entity, organisation or individual in cooperation to conduct research, shall make an application and submit a national benefit-sharing scheme.There must be genuine consultation with Ghanaian farmers about these laws, not just with representatives of foreign corporate interests. Food Sovereignty Ghana heartily endorses the press statement of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana. We agree with their list of the true concerns of Ghanas farmers. The Plant Breeders Bill and the ARIPO Arusha PVP Protocol will severely damage Ghana's farmers livelihoods and our ability to feed ourselves sustainably and protect our country against the effects of climate change. Both the Plant Breeders Bill and the ARIPO Arusha PVP Protocol give away Ghanas sovereignty. If they are passed, it will be necessary to challenge both before the Supreme Court.We seek to register our deepest disappointment over the fact that Parliament appears to be going ahead with this legislation without any consultation with key stakeholders that we know of! And that this is in spite of the fact that the very reason for its suspension was, as the Speaker put it, the need for further consultations with stakeholders. What is our Parliament trying to do, Mr. Speaker, for life, the environment, and social justice?
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"Ghana is a great location for reaching out to the 300 million people in the ECOWAS. Our doors are open to Indian investors and we look forward to doing business with you. Ghana is open for business, he said.

Amissah-Arthur said Ghana seeks to build a prosperous society in a growing democracy with a vibrant press, touting Ghana's political stability to woo investors.

He said trade volumes between the two countries has improved in the area of agriculture, agro-processing, building and construction, manufacturing and services.

In the last decade, foreign direct investment with India stood around $1.09 billion, Amissah-Arthur said.

He said India was second in terms of the number of investment projects registered by the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC).

He also called on India to enhance economic cooperation with Africa.

We believe that India understands and appreciates the structure of our economies and our principles. That is why we are optimistic that enhancing economic relations with India will be more responsive to our call for the creation of a more inter-related stability and security that is required to get rid of short-term volatility and longer term uncertainty, he said.
According to the research, the unfavourable school structures and unfriendly environment were impediments that denied disabled children access to primary education.

Existence of this unpleasant situation in basic schools, Mrs. Nicholina Agbobada, the Direct Assistance Project Officer of the Foundation, said impeded the nations efforts towards the attainment of the goal two of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mrs. Agbobada revealed the research findings at this years "We ring the bell campaign" organised by the Foundation at the Handmaid Preparatory and Junior High School at Nsoatre in the Sunyani West District of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The campaign is an annual worldwide campaign held on March 10, and was meant to draw attention to the right to education of school children with disabilities.

It is a Dutch Liliane Foundation initiative in partnership with the Samuel Wellington Foundation in Ghana.

Mrs. Agbobada was unhappy that school enrolment of people with disabilities in the country continued to decline because successive governments paid little attention to the situation.

Read also: Teacher trainees threaten demo over feeding fees

She observed with regret that many primary schools lacked special teachers to attend to disabled children, a situation which was affecting academic performance of the special pupils and students.

Mrs. Agbobada emphasised that since education was a fundamental right of every child, policy makers must ensure that schools become more accessible to children with disabilities.

This, she said would not only sustain the interest of the disabled children to stay in schools but also motivate them to learn hard and achieve high academic laurels.
This follows the refusal of government to include the institution in the first list of polytechnics to be converted into technical universities.

This also comes on the back of a protest from the youth of Cape Coast for the inclusion of the Cape Coast polytechnic in the first phase of the conversion.

See also:POTAG demands conversion of Tamale polytechnic

Under a new policy to improve technical education in the country, government is considering upgrading six of the ten polytechnics into universities in September 2016.

Ahiagba Newman Selorm, the SRC President of the University Of Cape Coast said students have not even returned to the campus for their registration.

"As at now we are supposed to resume lectures but the students are saying that until the conversion, they will never go to class until they hear the President has pronounced that Cape-Coast polytechnic is going to be converted.

"So we are waiting and until the government tells us what we want to hear we are not going to classthe students will stay at home and enjoy."

According to the SRC president, only 34 applicants have purchased their admission forms to study at the Cape Coast Polytechnic since it was omitted from the list of polytechnics being upgraded.

Six out of the ten polytechnics have made the cut for the conversion to technical universities as promised by the NDC administration.

The six as announced by President Mahama in the State of the Nation address on February 25, 2016 are Kumasi, Ho , Takoradi, Sunyani , Accra and Koforidua polytechnics. The six according to the president made the 16 point criteria for the conversion.

Read related: Ho Polytechnic offers Masters programme

Some critics in the education sector have argued against this conversion. They contend that the conversion cannot happen without the requisite infrastructure, a huge investment government may not have the finances to engage in.
This has left Minority MPs wondering why the same company should be involved in another $92m dollar National Electrification Project which is believed to have been overpriced.

Smarttys Company Limited is the local representative of a Chinese company, Hunan Construction and Engineering Group in the 92 million dollar loan facility for the electrification project.

Parliament on Monday approved the loan facility for the project that would see several communities connected onto the national grid.

This is in spite of several objections raised by the minority in parliament.

The project will provide around 556 towns and villages with electricity in Volta, Eastern and Northern regions of Ghana.The Chinese firm is expected to supply and erect electrical structures and equipment for the beneficiary communities.

Contributing to the debate on the $92 million contract before parliament, the Minority leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu said Mr Speaker, the issue about due diligence by Crown Agents, its made some savings for us as a nation. I have always insisted that this house should also be able to engage consultants when such matters come before us, so that we will be able to compare. It shouldnt always be that the executive will bring documents to us, due diligence done on their documentation by their chosen agents, and then parliament swallows whatever comes from them from the authority that might have conducted the due diligence Mr Speaker, it doesnt help Ghana and its also being made to appear as if Crown Agents have a monopoly in the conduct of due diligence in the country.Mr Speaker, it shouldnt be like that, and if the executive have opted to go under that umbrella, parliament should not do that, so, at least, we are able to compare. Otherwise, Mr Speaker, if we should take whatever comes from Crown Agents, this nation will be short-changed.

On his part, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, said Smarttys involvement in the latest contract is unacceptable.

Mr Speaker, the point I want to make is that it is prudent for the committee to work this out that one of the major parties in this contract is SmarttysMembers of Parliament should be honest with usMr Speaker, Smarttys is the local representative for the company and the person sat in the negotiations.[A] company that has been found to have overblown us almost $1 million in bus branding, for the house to be able to make an informed decision, it was prudent for the committee to have reminded us it is not a secret, it is not only fair to the company, but it is also fair to the house Mr Speaker, if the World Bank finds out that a contractor in Ghana called Mathew Opoku Prempeh has abused the procurement process in Ghana, that contractor is banned from World Bank projects all over the world for five years, he added.

However, the Majority members of the house have insisted that due diligence was made in the new contract, adding that there was no wrongdoing in involving Smarttys in the latest contract.
The 2016 presidential candidate of the NPP Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has responded to the challenge thrown to him by President John Mahama for public debate and charged him (president) to Focus on fixing problems, not PR gimmicks.

71M COCAINE LORD CAGED

David Phillip McDemon,the 42-year-old British national arrested by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) over an alleged importation of 71 million cocaine in the UK has been hauled before an Accra circuit court.

SMARTTYS AGAIN! IN $92M BLOATED CONTRACT

Smarttys Management and Production Limited, which was involved in an overpricing of the rebranding of new Metro Mass Transit buses, has again surfaced in another purported scandal.

GOVT TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT LOCAL INDUSTRY

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has said It will, through a Legislative Instrument, place a ceiling on the annual importation of cement into the country in a bid to sanitise the sector and protect local manufacturing from unfair competition.

CHINA TO FUND 700MW VRA COAL PLANT

The China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) is to provide about $1.5 billion long-term loan for the construction of two 350MW coal-fired plant to meet future power demand.

GOVT BORROWS GH17.36BN IN 2 MONTHS

Government borrowing from the domestic market will hit GH17.36 billion when it borrows another GH1.18 billion on Friday March 18, 2016.

NANA ADDO ACCEPTS MAHAMAS CHALLENGE TO DEBATE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES

The flagbearer of the opposition NPP Nana Akufo-Addo will accept the challenge of President John Mahama to a public debate on contentious national issues.

MORE WORKERS TO BE SACKED; 5,000 SACKED IN 2015
The commercial contract, which was approved by Parliament Monday March 14, 2016, is for $92 million in respect of the supply and erection of electrical materials and equipment for the electrification of 556 communities in the Eastern, Volta and Northern regions.

The contract is being funded from a $98-million credit facility agreement between the government and the Industrial Commercial Bank of China Limited.

Minority Members of Parliament expressed anger at the involvement of Smarttys Management and Productions Limited in the contract worth $92 million, which they alleged is bloated by $9 million.

This has left Minority MPs wondering why the same company should be involved in another $92m dollar National Electrification Project which is believed to have been overpriced.

Smarttys Company Limited is the local representative of a Chinese company, Hunan Construction and Engineering Group in the 92 million dollar loan facility for the electrification project.

But Deputy Power Minister said Smarttys Company Limited is the local representative of a Chinese company.
Smarttys Management and Production Ltd, the company which overpriced the rebranding of Metro Mass Transit Ltd buses in 2015, has been named in another contract between the government and the China Hunan Construction Engineering Group which has been overpriced by $9 million.

Smarttys is the local representative of a Chinese company, Hunan Construction and Engineering Group in the 92 million dollar loan facility for the electrification project.

The commercial contract, which was approved by Parliament Monday March 14, 2016, is for $92 million in respect of the supply and erection of electrical materials and equipment for the electrification of 556 communities in the Eastern, Volta and Northern regions.

The contract is being funded from a $98-million credit facility agreement between the government and the Industrial Commercial Bank of China Limited.

Minority Members of Parliament expressed anger at the involvement of Smarttys Management and Productions Limited in the contract worth $92 million, which they alleged is bloated by $9 million.

This has left Minority MPs wondering why the same company should be involved in another $92m dollar National Electrification Project which is believed to have been overpriced.

A statement signed by Kissi Agyebeng to clarify their involvement with the electrification project said, the firm provided PR services to the Chinese company.

"Our attention has been drawn to media reports mischievously associating our clients, Selassie Ibrahim and Smarttys management and productions Limited with a supposed $92m contract under the national electrification project.

"Our client dissociate themselves from the execution of an any such contract between the government of Ghana and the other indicated party, China Hunan construction engineering group or any such entity. Our clients are not parties to the contract as reported in sections of the media."
A rankling on the committee, Major Derrick Yaw Oduro (rtd) made this known in the wake of the recent attacks on holiday resorts frequented by foreigners in Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire.

Al-qaeda's North African branch, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), claimed responsibility for the attack on L'Etoile du Sud Hotel, a resort popular with Westerners on Sunday, March 13, 2016.

According to him, "almost all the security heads are supposed to appear before the committee as soon as possible, to brief us on what to do in case of any eventualities, so we will find out how prepared Ghana is in case of any attacks."

See also:Iran President supports Mahama to fight terrorism

"I am asking for national education in case of a terrorist attack. We should take a comprehensive look at the situation, so that we are not found wanting when these occurrences happen," he said in an interview on Accra-based Joy FM.

"We want government to put in place a policy to safeguard ourselves when such occurrences happen. Otherwise, if we dont move into action immediately, who knows tomorrow, it will be the turn of Ghana and we will sustain many casualties," he added.

Meanwhile, government has condemned the attacks on Cote DIviore and Turkey.
Board chair of MFWA, Edetaen Ojo said that while good governance relies on a professional media, press freedom and access to information are key to keeping citizens informed, and that included citizens being allowed the right to access government information through Right to Information (RTI) bills.

RTI laws allow the public to ask for information and documents on government spending, contracts and statistics.

However, only seven countries across West Africa have passed these bills, and only 17 in Africa.

Keynote speaker at the conference, president of the Transitional Parliament of Burkina Faso Hon. Cherif Moumina Sy, a seasoned journalist and advocate of the free press helped pass this bill into law for his country last year.

Passionate and outspoken on the role of the media to create just societies, he urged journalists to increase professionalism to be able to empower citizens to think critically.

He also spoke of a new generation of journalists who do not hold high standards in the profession.

I am embarrassed to hear their questions and to be in the same profession, he lamented.

Minister of Communications Edward Omane Boamah was scheduled to open the conference but instead had a speech read out by a director at the Ministry of Communications, Patricia Sampson.

His speech noted the need for citizens to have access to information and to express themselves and participate in government.

The Government of Ghana fully acknowledges the importance of access to information and remains fully committed to continuously increase citizen and media access to information held by government agencies to promote transparency and accountability in the government," Sampson read, without specifically naming Ghana's Right to Information Bill.

Civil society groups in Ghana have been advocating for passage of RTI legislation for the last 13 years. So far in West Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Cote dIvoire, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso have all passed RTI laws making it possible for citizens in those countries to legally seek information from public entities.

In Ghana, the bill is currently in a consideration stage, but there have been many amendments made on it by MPs.
Mahama believes Nana Addo has made "a lot of contentious statements" which need to be fixed in the eyes of the electorate.

"Indeed hes made a lot of contentious statements that I would have wished that you had him here, so that we would debate those issues, but essentially our parties are involved in agreeing the format of the debate, who organises it and all that, and, so, its not for me to say.

"Im sure that the NDC party at the appropriate time, if they are invited to debate, will have to take a decision on whether they feel comfortable with whoever is organising the debate and all that...but, like I said, Im willing, even this afternoon, if Nana presented himself, to take him on all those contentious statements that hes made," the president said on Accra-based TV3.
The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana petitioned government to protect the industry, citing cheap cement import from China and Nigeria, as a threat to the nascent industry.

Chairman of the Association, Rev. Dr. George Dawson Amoah, said the local industry needs to be protected for its sustainability.

How do you encourage a local industry to expand and to invest then you keep a blind eye and encourage what we call imports? If the private sector is the engine of growth, then why dont we encourage the private sector here in Ghana to utilise its capacity? he said in an interview with Citi FM.

Nigerian cement producer, Dangote Cement, has also been accused by Ghana cement company workers in the Volta region of unfair competition.

Last year, the workers demonstrated against the importation of Dangote cement into the country from Nigeria.

They said with this cement being imported it created unfair competition to Diamond Cement, Ghana owned and operated in the Volta region.

According to the workers, Diamond Cement has cut down on production from 5,000 to 3,000 tonnes a day and plans to sack some workers.

In a public notice signed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio- Garbrah, the Ministry said the action will bring sanity into the sector, bring relief to local manufacturers and facilitate international trade.

The notice indicates that companies that wish to import bagged cement shall be issued a permit to avoid chaos.
Lixiang stated that though Iran strategically entered the oil market, Chinese companies would continue doing business with Nigeria.

In my opinion, it really doesnt matter whether Iran comes back or not; Chinese companies want to import more crude oil from Nigeria, LingXiang said.

In Africa, Nigeria is chinas third largest trade partner; in 2015, Nigerias total crude oil export to China was about one million barrels, which was about 1.3% of annual oil export.

Referring to the level of development of both countries, Lixiang added that Nigeria and China has many similarities, which can be beneficial to both countries.

China is the largest developing country in the world and Nigeria is the largest developing country in Africa, and both countries have complementary advantages in natural and human resources, funds and markets.

Right now, the Nigerian government is trying to diversify its economy, which is fully in line with the 10 China-Africa cooperation plans announced at the summit on China-Africa trade in Johannesburg in 2015.
We have advertised recently for co-located refineries and asking people to come and co-locate new refineries into our refineries premises so that they can share pipelines, tankages, said stating the benefits of the plan.

The petroleum minister noted that it would take about three years to co-locate refineries and begin production; Kachikwu said that if all goes as planned, Nigeria would produce more than it needs and begin exporting.

We are working hard to see that we can complete whatever refinery upgrade we are trying to do within the next 12 to 18 months and obviously for the co-located refineries which are the new ones, targeting to see that we are able to finish within two to three years, he said.

Adding that Dangote will come on stream between 2019 and 2020.

If we do that, obviously we will have excess production capacity for refined products and bear in mind that obviously Dangote is also bringing in its refinery which probably is hitting up about 2019/2020.

At that point, we begin to look at export market and that really is what we should be doing given the sort of behaviour of oil prices today, Kachikwu said.

Kachikwu added that importation of refined petroleum and petrochemical products does not portray Nigeria in a good light, as it solve unemployment; Nigeria loses tax amongst other things.

He emphasised on why these projects should be accomplished within the stipulated period.

The policy on the whole is that we must target a time frame of 12 and 18 months to get out of importation.
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Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
It was gathered that Umaru who served in the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, but attached to Sector 7 of Operation Save Haven, Jos (OPSH), got angry when he saw the messages and stabbed Thomas, in the stomach and she died before she could be rushed to the hospital.

The military authorities was said to have dismissed him immediately after a court marshal and handed him over to the police for prosecution.

While parading the suspect at the State Police Headquarters, the Commissioner of Police, Adekunle Oladunjoye, said the suspect had invited the victim from Kaduna State to stay with him and while going through her phone, saw the message and got mad, leading to the act.
The blogger, Taymour el-Sobki reportedly claimed on national television that 30% of Egyptian wives would cheat on their husbands if they had the chance leading to the charge of spreading false news.

The Egyptian court responsible for El-Sobki's sentencing claims that his comments had the potential to "harm public peace and damage the public interest."

The blogger has reportedly suffered serious backlash from other TV talk show hosts as well as civilians who have filed complaints to public prosecutors with El-Sobki being accused of insulting Egyptian women.

Daily Mail reports that El-Sobki had initially said: "Many women cheat on their husbands. I can say that 30 percent of women are ready to be deviant".

El-Sobki went on to specify cities where the behaviour is supposed to be prevalent which included the southern cities of Asyut, Minya, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan.

His Facebook page called Diaries of a Suffering Husband reportedly boasts over one million followers, revealing that, Many women are involved in extramarital affairs while their husbands are abroad.

El-Sobki's comments also suggests that arranged marriages in traditional southern Egypt have exacerbated the problem of infidelity since women ended up with men they barely knew.

The blogger's comments has gone so far as to garner death threats including the video of a masked man armed with an assault rifle issuing threats against El-Sobki which has turned up on youtube.

However, a prominent human rights lawyer, Gamal Eid, while speaking on the case, said:

"We can criticize or reject the comments he made, but he did not commit a crime."
The mystery man aged between 65 and 75, bought one-way ticket from Ealing Broadway to Euston on December 11, 2016.

Speculations concerning his death ranged from him being a victim of a 1949 air crash at the site, to the moor having some sort of meaning to him.

The poison, a white powder which is highly toxic, is a pesticide used to kill rodents and birds and is usually inhaled, injected or taken orally.

There appears to be a mystery concerning his death. Detective SergeantJohn Coleman, said that while the toxicology report had revealed the cause of the man's death, it is still unknown as to why and how he ended up on Saddleworth Moor.

One previous explanation was that the man was a survivor of the 1949 plane crash on the moor -which claimed 24 lives - and had returned to the scene of the tragedy to take his own life.
According to Juliet, her husband's mother dictates what goes on in the home and has even implied she is not good enough for her son who is not helping matters by keeping quiet in the face of it all.

Read her letter here:

"My name is Juliet Olanrewaju. I got married a year ago to a man I had dated for just six months. I was so much in love with Tayo and when he proposed after just four months, I did not hesitate in accepting because he had all the qualities any woman would want in a man.

But on hindsight, I believe I should have tarried a little and studied him some more. What I never knew then was that Tayo was and is still a mummy's boy who takes orders from his mother before he does anything.

No wonder he made sure our paths never crossed in the early days of our relationship. His mother happens to be one of those overbearing mothers who think their sons owe them a great debt and any woman that marries their sons must always answer to her. She is what is called the old money and as such, she dictates to everyone, including her husband.

Trouble started right from the day Tayo introduced me to her. She went on and on about what she likes, what her husband likes, what her son likes, what is acceptable to the family and so on. I should have noticed the warning signs but I was too blinded by love to care.

Then we got married and my problems started. My mother-in-law rejected out rightly the idea of Tayo moving to another of the family's apartments far from her.

She wanted him in their Ikoyi mansion so she could keep an eye on her baby, as she calls him. Since then, this woman has made life difficult for me. There is nothing that I do that meets her standard.

There is no food I cook that she would not criticise. Recently, she has added insulting my family to her repertoire of daily bickering. In all of these, my husband seems not to know where to stand. Whenever I complain, he keeps telling me to bear with his mother.

The last straw that broke the camel's back was when she slapped me and telling me I am not good enough for her son, because I did not prepare her meal fast enough.

When I told my husband, he told me to take it as a sacrifice I have to make in my marriage but I have had about enough.

How do I tame this woman?

Juliet."

How Nigeria voted:

44% - I will put her in her place

33% - I will tell my husband to choose between his mother and me

5% - I will divorce my husband

18% - I will beat her up for good
It was gathered that the late woman who was married and had three children for a lawyer, Sunday Jideonu, had left her husband's house in the Agric area of Ikogazebba, Badagry, around 3pm on February 15, on the pretext of going to the market, but rather headed for her lover's house where she was killed.

The bereaved husband of the 32-year-old Mata, Sunday, said he had returned from the court earlier that day as a result of illness and became apprehensive when she did not return on time.

I came back from the court that day around 2pm because I was ill. On getting home, I found out that my wife was dressed up, ready to go out. I told her to prepare coffee for me because that it is what I normally take in the afternoon.

She said I had been taking too much coffee and advised me to eat eba that was already prepared. She put the stew on fire while she went to pick our last child, Laura, from the school.

I told her to help me buy drugs along the road. The same motorcyclist that took her to and from the school waited for her outside and took her again supposedly to the market to buy beans.

I slept after taking the drugs. Laura woke me up around 5pm and I asked his brother where their mother was. I called her number but it did not go through. I called her mother, our church and the centre, where she was doing a post-literacy study; they all said she was not with them.

I became more worried when at 9pm, she was not back. I could hardly sleep that night and early the following day, I went to the Badagry Police Division where I made a report.

I was at the station, when the head of the vigilante group in our community called me on the telephone that my wife had been found dead in a bush path.

When I got to the scene, a crowd had gathered and policemen from Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun State, had arrived to pick her corpse. She was strangled and stabbed in the leg. Her private parts hairs had been shaved off.

Jideonu said it was the nature of his wife's death that prompted him to talk to people living around the area, and he was told she used to go to the suspects home regularly and was there on February 15. It was the information that the police used in arresting Ambe.

Jideonu continued:

I was told that my wife had been sighted with Ambe on several occasions at his second house and that she entered the building on the day the incident happened.

He is a non-teaching staff member at LASU. His family members do not live with him in that house. I reported to the police and eight days later, he was arrested.

As we were going to the station in a police van, he called somebody on the telephone, telling the person in Egun language that the fat woman had been traced to his house. He did not know that I understand the language.

The police, in their investigations, traced the call logs on the deceased's phone and it was realized that she was in regular contact with the suspect.

The call logs we got from the MTN office revealed that he had been calling my wife every day since February 1. It was discovered that he had called her twice on February 15, the day she did not come back home, Jideonu added.

It was also gathered that the police recovered some charms from the suspects house, while bloodstains were found on the wall of the building

He (Ambe) begged me to forgive him. He said he was not the one who killed my wife and that he was only dating her.

But there are enough indications for me to believe that he is behind the death of my wife. Since then, some elders in the community have been threatening me to let go of the matter. I have also been noticing strange movements around my house.

Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the command had enough evidence to prosecute the suspect, adding that he would be charged to court.
The major cause is unknown but SIDS may be associated with abnormalities in the portion of an infants brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep.

Premature birth or being part of a multiple birth increases the likelihood that a babys brain has not matured completely.

So he or she has less control over such automatic processes as breathing and heart rate, he said.

Further stating that boys are more likely to die than girls are. Listing other factors, Falade said the placing babies of fluffy beds, or in between the couples could lead to the babys sudden death.

Dont over heat a baby, use lightweight materials, and dont cover the babys head.
The Swiss government disclosed this in a memorandum of understanding titled Letter of Intent on the restitution of illegally-acquired assets forfeited in Switzerland, which the European country signed with the Nigerian government on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, Premium Times reports.

According to the report, the funds returned excludes the $321million (about N63.24 billion) which the Swiss authorities are expected to send back to Nigeria in the coming days.

The agreement was signed by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Swiss Head of Foreign Affairs Department, Didier Burkhalter.

In 2014, Nigeria and the Abacha family reached an agreement for the West African country to get back the funds, which had been frozen, in return for dropping a complaint against the former military ruler's son, Abba Abacha.
Inaugurating the committee in Sokoto Tuesday, 15 March, 2016, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Bashir Garba, who represented the governor, said the project is of prime importance to the government adding that they will do everything possible to ensure it comes to fruition.

He said the technical committee will study and appraise the proposal sent by Prime Gold Fertiliser Company towards ascertaining its credibility and feasibility while securing a fair deal for the state government under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

"The committee will also identify a suitable location for the setting of the proposed company, as well as determining the scope and equity participation of the Sokoto state government" the SSG said in a statement signed by Tambuwal Spokesman, Imam Imam.

The committee, which has four weeks within which to submit its report, is headed by the state commissioner of solid minerals and natural resources development, Hon Bello Goronyo.

Other members include the commissioner of commerce, Aminu Bello Sokoto, DG of the state Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, Sani Musa, representative of the state ministries of agriculture and justice, as well as representative of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).

The Sokoto state government has also inaugurated the state Orphanages Management Committee under the leadership of Dr. Malami Muhammad Bankanu.
Ngari Modu, a transport official in the Nganzai area of the state, told the Associated Press that the governments claim that the sect no longer holds any territory is confusing.

All we know is that Boko Haram lacks the capacity to carry out their usual commando-like attacks during which they march in and run down towns or villages, but that is not enough to say that they are not around, Modu said.

We are left confused each time we hear soldiers saying no territory is now under the control of Boko Haram, he added.

Modus account comes after General David Rodriguez, commander of the U.S. Africa Command, said that Boko Haram still holds significant territory in northern Nigeria.

The amount of territory being controlled by Boko Haram had earlier come into question after Borno State Senator, Baba Kaka Garbai said that the terrorist sect still controls 50 percent of the state.

It is a wrong assumption that most of the local governments in Borno are recaptured from the Boko Haram. In reality this is not true in the sense that apart from Maiduguri Metropolis, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar, these are the three local government that are under the occupation of the Nigerian government where the military and police are maintaining law and order, Garbai said while speaking to journalists on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

Mobbar, Abadam and Kala Balge are 100 percent occupied by the insurgents. There are some local governments that are partially occupied by the insurgents especially as the local government secretariats have been liberated but their hither-lands are still controlled by the insurgents.

Though Gwoza town has been liberated there still remain six wards in Gwoza local government area still occupied by the insurgents. From my count, only three local government are fully liberated, 21 local governments partially occupied by insurgents, that is there is still some level of Boko Haram occupation side by side the military or any other constituted authority.

The local government fully occupied by Boko Haram are Abadam, Mobbar and Kala Balge. We should not live under the illusion that Boko Haram are decimated or weaken, these are not reality and neither a true reflection of the reality. The reality is that most of the local government in Borno is partially occupied by Boko Haram, he added.

Garbais claim was however swiftly denied by the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has insisted that Nigeria has overcome Boko Haram and that the sect is no longer a threat to the country.

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This was disclosed via a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

On behalf of my country, Nigeria, and the people, I will like to express profound gratitude for the honour given to me and my people, Buhari was quoted as saying.

The reality of the situation now is that there had never been a time in history for greater neighbourliness, for security and economic stability than now, he added.

The award was conferred on Buhari by President Teodoro Mbasogo at Equatorial Guineas Presidential Palace.

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It reads:

A friend of mine just came back from Agatu. He is an online journalist and he went with a team of his professional colleagues. He told me that at least 500 people were slaughtered by the Fulani herdsmen and militants in Agatu and no less than 9 villages were sacked and burnt to the ground over there.

Worse still the Fulani did not just kill their victims but they have also occupied what is left of their villages, towns and land. My friend actually saw the conquering and victorious Fulani militants because they have taken full control of the land and towns of their victims.

He and those that were with him were actually shot at by the militants when they sighted them. He said the whole area now looks like a major war zone and it is utterly destroyed and devastated.

What a mess. Yet no CNN, BBC or Al Jazeera coverage and hardly anything about it has been reported in our local media. Are the 500 Idomas that were killed in Agatu not human beings?

Thousands of people have been displaced and many families have lost their homes and loved ones at the hands these Fulani herdsmen and cattle rearers who come from another world yet no-one appears to care.

Meanwhile our president openly encourages this genocide and ethnic cleansing with his criminal negligence and complicit silence. Enough is enough. This bloodletting by the Fulani herdsmen is nothing less than a curse on our nation and the more we tolerate such destruction and mass murder and turn a blind eye to it, the more God will make us suffer as a people.

President Buhari needs to put a stop to the carnage that his kinsmen are unleashing on the Nigerian people. I am calling him out and I am speaking for those that do not have a voice and the victims of these barbaric acts. He must protect the Nigerian people. He must call the perpetrators of these diabolical acts to order and he must punish them.

Fani-Kayode had earlier linked Buhari with the rampaging herdsmen saying that they were getting away with their crimes because they had one of their own in the Presidential Villa.

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They have attacked a hotel in Mali, leaving 21 people dead. They killed over 130 people in attacks on Paris and they murdered 28 persons in Burkina Faso. Terrorism does not respect territorial boundaries again, Buhari was quoted as saying.

That is why the world has to come together, present a common front and deal with these merchants of evil, the president added.

Buhari is also said to have expressed his sympathies to President Alassane Ouattara of Cote DIvoire via telephone.

18 people, four of whom were Europeans, died in the attack which has been claimed by Al Qaeda's North African branch.

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Speaking at a meeting with the Nigerian community in Equatorial Guinea, where he is on a state visit, Buhari said Nigerians will see how some top shots ganged up to ground the country.

We will be merciless and relentless in pursuing all those who abused public trust. Nigerians will see how some of the elite conspired to run the nation down, he said.

Also reacting to the recent political violence in Rivers State state, where over 30 people were reportedly killed, the President said the killing of people over political differences is primitive, barbaric and unacceptable.

He said We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have given the security services clear directives in this regard.

We will show that violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections.

Buhari is in Equatorial Guinea to discuss measures to protect the people and resources of the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea with President Teodoro Mbasogo.
The operatives of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) had rearrested Dasuki shortly after perfecting the third bail conditions granted him by Nigerian Courts. He is asking the ECOWAS Court to enforce his fundamental right as enshrined in the African Charter on the People and Human Right.

In the suit filed before the ECOWAS court by Dasuki's counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo, he prays the court to declare his arrest without a lawful court order unconstitutional and breached of his fundamental right.

The applicant also asked the court to declare the action federal government's action to keep him in a dehumanising condition after the bails as unlawful and violation of his right to dignity of human person, privacy and family life guaranteed and protected right under Section 34 and 37 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right and Article 12 of the Universal of Human Right.

Dasuki also asked the ECOWAS Court declare the invasion of his privacy, home, and correspondence at his Abuja and Sokoto homes between July 16 and 17, 2015 during Ramadan Fasting and forceful and unlawful seizures of his property without any lawful order or warrant of a court unconstitutional , saying the actions constituted a gross violation of his fundamental right under Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution and other relevant laws.

Ultimately, he prayed the Court to order his release and that of his property during the invasion of his houses.

Dasuki also demanded a compensatory damages to the tune of N500 million for his unlawful incarceration.

The Federal Government, through its counsel, Mr. T. A Gazalli, however objected Dasuki's requests, arguing that the ECOWAS Court has no jurisdiction to enforce the bail conditions because it cannot sit as an appellate court to the Nigerian Court. He, therefore, urged the Court not to entertain the case.
The former Senate President said Im shocked beyond words at the extent of destruction I have seen here in Agatu today. This is unbelievable . It is unimaginable . Nothing whatsoever justifies this brazen act of destruction meted out on the people of Agatu. My heart bleeds.

You will recall that Fulani Herdsmen allegedly killed over 300 people in a series of attacks.

The Senate, however passed a resolutionsaying the killings that took place in the Agatu area of Benue state, was carried out by members of the Boko Haram sect.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Fulani community in Benue state, Ado Boderi, accused the Agatu people of causing the violent clash between them.
Prosecuting counsel, Kenneth Dika, told the trial judge, H. A. Nganjiwa of the federal high court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital, that Ese deserves the court's protection giving that she is a minor.

Reacting to the oral application, counsel to Dahiru, Kayode Olaoshebikan, opposed it, and urged the court to rule on the bail application he filed since March 8.

Dika also urged the court to deny Yunusa bail, pointing that he may jump bail since he is not resident within the courts jurisdiction.

Justice Nganjiwa adjourned the case till March 21 to enable counsel to provide the authorities for their argument and remanded Yunusa in prison custody.

Yunusa was arraigned on a five-count charge of abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation of the minor, which he pleaded not guilty.
She said this while offsetting medical bill of 25 years old cerebral palsy patient impregnated by an unknown person and other indigent patients at the State Specialist Hospital, Ijero-Ekiti.

She frowned at the way a cerebral palsy lady was raped by an unknown man at Ijero and got her pregnant, leaving her and the baby without a father.

She stressed that for the future of the girl- child to be adequately secured, there was the need for her education to be taken seriously without any distraction.

Fayose also advised ladies to keep their body for their future husbands, adding that they should not allow any man to use and dump them anyhow.

"There is dignity in virginity," she added.

Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Olagbaju Adebanjo, while appreciating the gesture extended to the patients by the wife of the governor, called for more government support and attention for the hospital.
The President of NAPPPS, Alhaji Saka Adeleye said all private schools in Ekiti state will be shut for three days, to protest what he called multiple taxation by the Ekiti state government.

Adeleye said also said There is no infrastructural development to private schools. Nothing was given to us to develop our schools, all they (government) do is to extort us with taxes. Even during the outbreak of the deadly disease-Ebola-no kit was given to us.

We call on the ministry to withdraw forthwith all the circular letters relating to payment of the newly I traduced development levy in private schools in the state and/or any other development levy.

The Ekiti state government, through the ministry of education, instituted a N1,000 per term education levy for private schools, and N500 for public schools.
The Anambra Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Sunday Ajayi, gave the advice on Monday during his official visit to Prof. Godwin Onu, the Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra.

While expressing displeasure at the recent road accidents that claimed the lives of prominent Nigerians, Ajayi said it was time every stakeholder keyed into the safety business.

"I want to solicit support for the Federal Road Safety Commission; if a road crash could claim the life of a minister; if a road crash could claim the life of a whole major-general, who else can road accidents not take?

"It means that everybody must be on their guard; driving is not child's play; it's a serious business.

"There is what we call Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme; it actually focuses on fleet operators - people that have five vehicles and above in their fleet.

"The polytechnic environment is in that category and I am sure you have not joined this scheme.

"You are not going to pay a dime for joining the scheme, but if you join the scheme, you will benefit immensely from it.

"We would like the rector to direct the transport officer to look into this area and join the scheme because it will help you to focus on the activities of your drivers, the maintenance of your vehicles, and the area of training.

He urged the management of the polytechnic to put up road signs and speed breakers around the schools main gate as a way of safeguarding the lives of the people in the academic community.
Kachikwu, a onetime publisher and fiction writer, said this on Monday, March 14, while rendering a poem on oil during the sixth African Petroleum Congress in Abuja.

He said: I was asked by an ephemeral subject being whose name is oil to say a few words on its behalf.

My name is oil, the very kind people who are kind to me call me black gold. The ones who hate me call me crude.

I worry for my future; everyone now talks down on me. Even farmers who trembled at the sight of my name are now strategizing against me.

And all my beneficiaries, me have they abandoned. All because the producers have lost their tracks. But I would rise again, and when I do, I will take no prisoners.

I would new technologies control, I will new technologies control. I will my supremacy confirm. I will my respect regain.

And my pricing, not too low, not too high, but I would not allow prices to humiliate me. All of you in OPEC, APPA, GCEF and all such bodies who have shown me no respect recently, soon, youll eat your words.

Meanwhile, the fuel scarcity, which was triggered by workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) who shut down nationwide operationslast weeks, is far from over.

Nigerians had believed things would get better this week but many are disappointed as petrol is yet to be abundantly available nationwide.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, March 15, by the Deputy Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Samuel Olowookere.

The bodies will leave the National Hospital, Abuja on Thursday, March 17, for another special court session at Kogi State High Court, Lokoja .

The statement added that the remains will depart Lokoja for Abocho, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi state for Christian wake, tributes, praise worship and testimonies.

They will lie in state at his country home with funeral service slated for 10a.m. at the L.G.E.A Primary School on Friday, March 18.

The statement said the trio will be committed to mother earth immediately after the funeral service in their country home.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, is the Chairman of the Burial Planning Committee.
While addressing newsmen on Monday, March 14, after submitting the 2014 audit report of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to the national assembly, Ukura said domestic crude oil sales were under-remitted to the federation account.

He said discrepancies up to N10.6 billion were traced to the accounts of the national assembly, the NLNG and accounts of several ministries, departments and agencies.

From the examination of NNPC mandates to CBN on domestic crude oil sales and reconciliation statement of technical sub-committee, FAAC amount not remitted was N3.2 trillion, he said.

Also, the $235-million sale of gas to NLNG was not paid to the federation account but transferred to some undisclosed Escrow Accounts.

Another $346.2 million was stated to have been paid and received by the federation account, through NGL funding account as gas export sales, yet no document was available to confirm this.

He also revealed another N73.5 billion discrepancies found from various special funds accounts of the federal government.

Total payments amounting to N73.5 billion were made contrary to the established purpose of the funds, he said.

The sum of N36.4 billion was released to the office of the national security adviser for the rehabilitation and construction of dams instead of the federal ministry of water resources.

Another N2.8 billion was spent for the procurement of hand sanitisers for schools and critical public places.

The auditor-general further said N509 million recorded as payment for schools agricultural programmes could not be accounted for.

According to the report, N7.3 billion was deducted from various MDA accounts as tax but was not remitted into any account of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Punch reports that Tarfa also called on the Lagos High Court to throw out the charges brought against him by him by the anti-graft agency.

The affidavit which was filed by a lawyer in Tarfas chambers, John Odubela said The EFCC has no power to bring the information/charge as constituted.

This honourable court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain the information as presently constituted as same not only failed to disclose a prima facie case but was filed to irritate, annoy and embarrass the defendant/ applicant.

Tarfa also said the EFCC did not state the place and time where he committed the said offences.

The embattled lawyer also argued that the anti-graft agency did not show any proof that the Attorney-General of Lagos State gave them permission to file the charges against him.
Oronsaye was arraigned on two-count charge under criminal breach of trust and had been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) since March 8.

He was alleged to have deposited N190 million made for the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force which he chaired into a fixed bond in different bank.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, March 15, Goodluck in her ruling on the bail application by Oronsaye Counsel, Mr Joe Agi, held that there is no evidence before the court that the defendant would jeopardise investigation.

She held that though the offence attracts 14 years imprisonment, the defendant has been obedient to the orders of the Federal High Court, where he is also standing trial for another offence.

Goodluck, therefore, admitted him to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
He (Amaechi) is only barking. I know him very well. When he was governor, he bragged that he has the Police in his right pocket, that he has the army in his left pocket, that he has the Airforce and the Navy in his back pockets and he still lost the last election woefully, Ikuru said.

Let him come with his Army, the police and all the security he has, they cannot do anything. Is it now that we have thrown him out as Governor he wants to win election? It is an empty threat. He is powerless, he added.

Ikuru served as Amaechis deputy from 2007 until March 22, 2015 when he defected to the PDP from the All Progressives Congress (APC) just six days to the general elections.

In explanation of the move, which Amaechi described as shocking, Ikuru said that the Rivers man in him had rejected the APC.

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El-Rufai should do his job and stop putting his eyes on the presidency, the senator said.

It would be counter-productive for the governor to start thinking of evicting Buhari in 2019 to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he added.

Sani and El-Rufai have been at loggerheads since the latter assumed office with the senator criticizing the governor over his anti-people polices.

The battle has also led to Sanis suspensionby the Kaduna state branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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This is coming on the heels of the murder of prominent APC chieftains in the state.

You will also recall that Governor Nyesom Wike, in a bid to curb the rising rate of violence in a state, held a security summit in the violent prone areas.

According to Premium Times, Mr. Segun Oni, the APC acting national chairman said I am surprised that this kind of thing is happening in Rivers State which indeed is part of Nigeria.

It is strange that people will kill their fellow human beings, cut off their heads and take them away as if they were souvenirs.

Oni also said The Federal Government needs to do something quickly to save this situation, because it is a shame to allow a part of Nigeria to degenerate into this mess.

The brutal killings of APC members in the state must stop; our people must not continue to die because they identified with a political party.
Faleke made the call in Abuja on Monday while being led in evidence at the tribunal by his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

"I confirm to all the documents that were tendered this morning to be the ones I refer to in my petition.

I will like to adopt the documents in my witness statement on oath and as my evidence in the petition.

"I want the tribunal to accept my petition and grant my reliefs as stated in paragraph 27 of my witness statement on oath and declare me as the winner, Faleke said.

When asked during cross-examination by the Counsel to the 1st respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), if he is still a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), he said yes.

According to Faleke, "I am not aware that the 2nd respondent, Gov. Yahaya Bello, is a member of the APC. All I know is that the 2nd respondent campaigned and worked for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

"I was also not an aspirant at the primary election, but one of the conditions Audu picked me as his running mate was because I am a member of the APC.

He told the tribunal that he did not know any of the candidates who contested with the late Audu.

According to Faleke, I did not see the result of the primary election because I left the venue but the next information I had is that Late Audu won the primary and I was choosen as the running mate.

He also told the tribunal that the result of the election, which he said he co-won with Audu, the late APC candidate, was declared in each polling unit and each of the ward collation centres.

Faleke said the death of Audu had nothing to do with the inconclusiveness of the election and that they had already won before it was declared inconclusive.

He said that he knew they had already won the November 21 governorship election and that was why he did not participate in the December 5 election.

"Myself and Prince Audu were declared winners at each polling unit, ward collation centre, each local government and the state collation centre. The states Returning Officer declared the result at the state collation centers.

"Prince Audu died in the morning and the election was declared inconclusive in the evening, so it was declared inconclusive far after the death, Faleke said.
The Kaduna APC spokesman, Salisu Wusono said The APC in Kaduna State hereby warns suspended Senator Shehu Sani against his irresponsible utterances about our party and its elected leaders.

This is a man who seems unable to believe his good fortune at riding on the Buhari wave to become a senator.

He hardly waited to arrive in Abuja before enlisting as an agent of the forces who began to plot for 2019 before they were even sworn-in, following the 2015.

Wusono also said The APC Kaduna State is proud of the vigorous and disciplined way Malam Nasir El-Rufai is governing Kaduna State in line with the manifesto of the APC. In education, health, agriculture and general governance reforms, El-Rufai is making strides.

He said Shehu Sani is desecrating the image of our party by his mercenary antics, and that is why we suspended him.

He has tried to rubbish our revered President Muhammadu Buhari by describing the anti-corruption crusade as political.

Adding that He is now pretending to love Buhari by needlessly attacking Malam Nasir El-Rufai on behalf of those funding his immature politics.

The guilty are indeed afraid! Shehu Sanis masters, who defied our party for their selfish ends, know that Nigerians are aware of those whose 2019 calculations made them impervious to reason and party discipline.

You will recall that Senator Shehu Sani vowed to oppose any anti-people policy of the Kaduna state Governor. Nasir El-Rufai.

Sani also criticised the Governors religious censorship bill.

The kaduna state House of Assembly is reportedly working on passing the bill into law.

The bill seeks to ban the use of loudspeaker for religious purposes, other than inside a Mosques or Church and the surrounding areas outside the stipulated prayer times (8:00pm).
A group of four men armed with AK47s and hand grenades killed 16 people, including four Europeans, in the historic town of Grand Bassam before they were gunned down in a shootout with government troops.

A witness, Marcel Guy, said a man with a long beard spoke to two children in Arabic and spared the life of the one who was able to recite an Islamic prayer.

He said, "The Christian boy was shot and killed right in front of my eyes,"

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara, who gave an update of the attack said, "of the 16 people who were gunned down in the resort popular with Westerners, 14 were civilians and two were special forces soldiers."

"I am very proud of our security forces who reacted so fast... The toll could've been much heavier," he added.

Terror group Al Qaeda in the Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attack through one of their social media accounts, but this has not been independently verified.

They are the most notorious terror group in Africa, carrying out a wide scale massacre of majorly non muslims within their region.
He was found with his pants and underwear down, straddling the pet dog, Cooper, with his pelvis pushed up against the dog.

When the daughter found him, he told her that he had dropped something and was picking it up.

Meanwhile, the dog fled the scene and went to its kennel as though it had done something wrong.
Rimon picked up the object and discovered it was a very old-looking gold coin. UPI News reported.

The hiker later turned the gold coin over to the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The IAA described the coin as the "identical twin brother" of a coin housed at the British Museum. The coin was previously believed to be the only known surviving coin of its kind.

The coin also bears the image of Emperor Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, and was part of a series minted by Emperor Trajan in the year 107 to honor the emperors who came before him.

Nir Distelfeld, an inspector with the IAA Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, said Rimon will be presented with a certificate of appreciation for her good citizenship.
Sunday's raid, details of which are beginning to emerge in witness and official accounts, was the furthest yet from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) traditional desert base, a worrying indication of the militants' growing reach.

The attack raised questions about Ivory Coast's preparedness for such an attack, with some asking why such a sensitive target was left so vulnerable.

Fifteen civilians and three members of the special forces were killed and 33 people were wounded in the attack in Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with Ivorians and westerners about 40 km (25 miles) east of the commercial capital Abidjan.

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said another 26 wounded were still receiving medical attention on Monday, as President Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning for the country, which has never before been hit by al Qaeda.

Three militants also died in the attack on the resort town, a UNESCO heritage site of crumbling colonial-era buildings.

Witness Christian Eddy said four men arrived in a Ford saloon car at the beachside bar where he works around noon on Sunday. While two remained outside, the two others entered and drank beers for around a half hour.

They then launched the attack.

"They didn't speak French. They spoke Arabic. We communicated with them in English .... The guys who were still outside started shooting and the two seated at the table yelled 'Allahu Akbar' and flipped over the table," he told Reuters.

He said the first victim was a boy who was made to kneel before he was shot. Bar staff tried to warn a deaf boy who was playing nearby.

"People were yelling 'Come over here!' But he didn't know what was happening and just went down to the water. They shot him in the water," Eddy said.

The gunmen then moved up the beach, continuing their killing spree and entering several seaside hotels.

Surveillance footage from Hotel Etoile du Sud - one of the attackers' first targets where two people including a German woman and a Lebanese man were gunned down - showed the initial panic in the hotel bar as the first shots rang out.

Staff crouched and then fled along with customers, among them parents carrying babies or leading young children by the hand.

A man, apparently disguised as a waiter in a red waistcoat over a white dress shirt, entered with a rifle, fired at the empty bar and disappeared behind it, where the Lebanese man had been hiding. More gunshots were then heard.

The first police officers arrived on the scene around 15 minutes after the shooting began, witnesses said. It would be another half hour before special units from the security forces arrived from Abidjan.

The victims included foreign citizens from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Germany and Mali.

Among the dead was Henrike Grohs, 51, head of the Abidjan branch of Germany's Goethe Institut cultural body.

France's President Francois Hollande said four French nationals were killed in the attack. The French government had earlier said just one of its citizens had died.

EASY TARGET

The attack is a heavy blow for Ivory Coast, which has recovered from more than a decade of political turmoil and a 2011 civil war to become one of the world's fastest growing economies.

President Ouattara won a landslide election victory in October, promising to attract foreign investment to the largest economy in French-speaking West Africa which is also the world's top cocoa producer.

"Ivory Coast will not let itself be intimidated by terrorists," Ouattara said in a televised address late on Monday. "Yes, Ivory Coast is on its feet. Yes, on its feet to combat the cowards and protect its people."

AQIM has spread across the Sahara from Algeria and now operates in much of western and northern Africa.

In January, gunmen killed dozens of people in a cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, and also attacked a hotel. Militants attacked another hotel in the Malian capital Bamako late last year, killing 20.

Since those attacks, Ivorian authorities have increased security around hotels and shopping malls in Abidjan, a city of around five million inhabitants. But there were few signs that was the case in Grand Bassam ahead of Sunday's attack.

"Attacking Bassam was the easiest thing for them to do. Bassam is where all the expatriates and middle class from Abidjan gather on the weekends," said one longtime resident, who said he had seen no sign of recent security improvements.

"We don't understand why this wasn't considered a priority for protection. It would be easy," he said, asking not to be named.

The recent attacks in the region are generally viewed as targeting France and its allies after Paris intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to drive out al Qaeda-linked militants who had seized the desert north a year earlier.

The attack in Grand Bassam, thousands of kilometres from al Qaeda's traditional operational zones, raises fears over where they might strike next. It poses serious security questions for former regional colonial power France, which has thousands of citizens and troops in the region.

While some 18,000 French citizens live in Ivory Coast, over 20,000 reside in Senegal.

France has 3,500 troops in the region, from Senegal in the far west to Chad. A French military base in Abidjan, manned by around 800 soldiers, serves as a logistical hub for regional operations against Islamist militancy in the Sahel.
In a statement by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb stated this in a message posted on the group's social media accounts, calling on France to withdraw its forces from the region.

At least 18 persons were killed in the attack including three Ivorian Special Forces personnel and three of the attackers.

According to the statement, all countries involved in the French invasion of Mali are asked to withdraw.

France had launched Operation Serval to oust militants from northern Mali and replaced it in 2014 with Operation Barkhane which targets militants across the Sahel region.

Sunday's attack was the first militant raid in Ivory Coast.
Ban "conveyed his astonishment at the recent statement of the government of Morocco and expressed his deep disappointment and anger regarding the demonstration that was mobilized on Sunday, which targeted him in person," Ban's press office said in an unusually tough statement.

"He stressed that such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations," said the statement, which was issued after he met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar.

Rabat accused Ban last week of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara conflict, saying he used the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's presence in the region that has been at the center of a dispute since 1975.

The United Nations acknowledges he used the term. Monday's statement said there was a misunderstanding over his use of the word "occupation," noting it was Ban's "personal reaction to the deplorable humanitarian conditions in which the Sahrawi refugees have lived in for far too long."

The U.N. statement issued on Monday evening said Ban asked Mezouar for "clarification regarding the reported presence of several members of the Moroccan government among the demonstrators."

State news agency MAP said 3 million people attended Sunday's march, although those figures could not be confirmed. Some protesters said they were bused for free to the march and that trains had also been free for the day of the rally.

The dispute over the region in the northwest edge of Africa has dragged on since Morocco took control over most of it in 1975 after the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain.
Security forces foiled an attempted suicide car bombing by killing the driver, before engaging the attackers in clashes, the guard said. An engineer and a resident also confirmed the attack.

Any threat to the Sarir area would cause particular alarm because more than half of Libya's remaining oil production comes from the region.

No group immediately claimed the attack, but Islamic State fighters have previously targeted against oil installations in Libya, stepping up their campaign against export terminals in the east of the country at the start of this year.

As Libya's intermittent conflict has dragged on, production has fallen to about 360,000 barrels per day, less than a quarter of its level before the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Militants loyal to the Islamic State have exploited political chaos and a security vacuum to establish a foothold in the country. They took control of Sirte last year, and have a presence in several other towns and cities.

The group has caused extensive damage to oil infrastructure, but has not taken over facilities and profited from them as it has in Iraq.
DES MOINES  Staff and residents from a Quad-City housing center for individuals with mental health needs visited the Iowa Capitol on Tuesday to encourage state lawmakers to adequately fund mental health care programs.

Ten staff, residents and other individuals with mental health needs from Vera French Pine Knoll made the trip, which was funded by a grant through Iowans with Disabilities in Action. The grant program supports local advocates for people with disabilities who wish to have their voices heard by state lawmakers.

Connie Williams, a recreational therapist at Vera French Pine Knoll, said the group would talk to state legislators primarily about providing adequate funding for mental health programs.

Its always an issue about funding for mental health, Williams said. Were really concerned, with all the changes in the mental health redesign and with the managed care organizations, that we dont lose services weve been provided in the past. Were very concerned about that.

The state has transitioned from county-based mental health care delivery to a system of multiple-county regions.

The state also is transitioning to privately managed care of its $5 billion Medicaid program. The managed care organizations take over Medicaid on April 1.

Williams said the Vera French group also is concerned about Scott Countys inability to raise sufficient property tax revenue for mental health services. The issue threatens the countys standing in its mental health region.

Legislation introduced at the Capitol would allow some counties to raise their mental health property tax levy to equalize mental health funding with the other counties in their regions. The bill gained early approval by a three-member legislative panel, but it has not been formally discussed since.

Were concerned about something being addressed to that, Williams said. Our area is not in trouble now, (but) at some point each region is going to be in trouble. We need to address that.

Williams said she has no opinion on the proposed 72-bed psychiatric hospital in Bettendorf.
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Someone is going to get killed.

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump has, for months, whipped his followers into a frothing fury. He's encouraged them to rough up protesters who show up to his events. He's threatened the media. He's promised, if elected, to disavow the First Amendment and destroy anyone who opposes, or even questions, him.

And, on Friday, Newton's Third Law played out in Chicago, when protesters pushed back and fights broke out between the two sides.

The supposed tough guy canceled the event and whined about his "First Amendment rights," as if the Constitution somehow protects him from backlash.

It doesn't.

The assaults on protesters who infiltrate his events are growing in frequency and severity. So, too, is the apparently racial underpinnings of the harassment and full-on abuse of those who dare speak up against Trump's dangerous, some say fascist, rhetoric.

Trump has, throughout, not-so-tacitly supported the rough treatment of those who oppose him. He's even considering paying the legal fees for one supporter who sucker punched a protester.

Many a talking head has correctly pinned Trump's movement on the GOP, which, throughout Barack Obama's presidency, was an accomplice to the hatred, anger and falsehoods that swelled among its radicalized base. But, at some level, that narrative doesn't go back far enough.

Trump's rise is the penultimate outcome of more than 150 years of American history. It's a past littered with steps toward empowerment for minority groups -- blacks, women, gays -- that have, repeatedly, left the long-privileged class feeling slighted. The slow slog toward inclusion has ramped up over the past decade. The gay marriage movement captured public support in a matter of years, not decades. On the contrary, the slavery debate was swirling when the colonies rebelled against the British crown nearly a century before the Civil War.

The revolution, slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights -- all were met with violence and bloodshed. Established holders of power, in each instance, push back against sharing their social access, privilege propped up by self-interested religious interpretations.

Men died. Women were beaten. And here we are again.

The crash of the Greek economy, and the following austerity imposed by its German creditors, birthed a neo-fascist movement in that country. The Golden Dawn Party last year won 18 seats in the Greek Parliament. Beatings of immigrants with wooden clubs preceded the election. British Prime Minister David Cameron is grappling with a xenophobic uprising within his Conservative Party, too. The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) will, this summer, get its referendum that could drive the U.K. out of the European Union, a promise Cameron made in order to maintain his ruling coalition. UKIP blames open E.U. borders -- and the Eastern European migrants taking advantage of them -- for that country's economic ills.

After years of progress, a bereaved class that, not too long ago held outmoded power in Western society, is pushing back. Trump's rise isn't happening in a vacuum. Sharing social access is, apparently, too much to bear.

There's little indication that Trump will stop snarling "get 'em outta here," whenever a protester dare question his so-called policy. Disdain for social plurality is what holds his increasingly disaffected, blue-collar base together. In response, those who've benefited from America's increasing inclusion will continue to take to the streets and rail against Trump's bile.

The two sides will continue to clash in the months ahead. The mutual hostility will grow more severe. And, true to form, the very catalyst for the upheaval will pin the blame on someone else.
State tax policy agreement en route to governor

By Erin Murphy

Lee Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES  State taxpayers, farmers and business owners would receive tax relief under policy approved Tuesday by state lawmakers in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature.

The proposal, which is the result of recent negotiations between statehouse leaders from both political parties, needs only the governors signature to become law.

Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, hailed the legislation as a bipartisan compromise that is fiscally responsible, and Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, called it the art of the compromise, or the art of the possible.

The legislation addresses two key tax policy issues that lawmakers have been wrestling with:

The state would couple with federal tax policy for calendar year 2015, resulting in roughly $98 million in tax relief on purchases of certain business supplies.

The state would write into law a scaled-back version of the manufacturing sales tax relief enacted through rules changes by Gov. Terry Branstad. That relief would apply to purchases of certain manufacturing products.

Thats good tax policy, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said of the compromise bill that was approved by all 50 Senators and passed the House, 78-17.

Branstads spokesman said the governor is pleased lawmakers reached consensus on the tax issues, but he is disappointed the agreement rolls back his proposal on the manufacturing sales tax breaks.

As the chief executive, it is the governors job to look at how this bill fits into the bigger budget picture and how it will impact jobs and Iowa taxpayers, and he will review it accordingly, Branstad spokesman Ben Hammes said in an emailed statement.

According to the states non-partisan fiscal estimating agency, the coupling provision would draw $98 million from the states unspent money for fiscal year 2016, which ends June 30.

The entire package, according to the fiscal agency, will result in additional state revenue in future years, in the range of $20 million to $30 million annually. But those figures do not factor in potential tax coupling in future years, which likely would drop those figures to revenue reductions.

Dont count on us coupling for 2016, Hogg warned Iowa taxpayers.

Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, introduced but immediately withdrew an amendment that would have made tax coupling permanent. Feenstra said he was told Democrats would not accept the amendment and that it threatened the deal.

At the end of the day, getting coupling done for this year was most important, Feenstra said.

Praise for the legislations approval came from Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowans for Tax Relief, and the conservative issue advocacy group Priorities for Iowa, which is run by a former Branstad spokesman.

This is a very important agreement that will benefit Iowa farmers and business owners that had made an investment in their business and as a result were facing a significant increase in their state taxes, Northey said in a statement.

The liberal advocacy group Progress Iowa joined some statehouse Democrats who expressed budgetary concerns, particularly over school funding.

Resources are too scarce for public schools or to provide Medicaid oversight, but tax cuts always seem to fit the budget, Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic said in an emailed statement. Now that the Legislature has taken care of big business, its time to get to work for our children, schools, and for access to health care.

If approved by the governor, the tax policy bill would clear significant obstacles to lawmakers work on the state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

While the tax issues were unresolved, lawmakers were uncertain how much funding would be available for upcoming budget negotiations. If approved, the tax policy compromise allows lawmakers to turn their focus to the budget and agree to spending targets.

Erin Murphy

Lee Enterprises

Des Moines Bureau chief

W: 515-422-9061

C: 515-681-7388

T: @ErinDMurphy
A few years ago, my uncle gave me a bit of advice, regarding the inevitable fact that at some point, someone will let you down one too many times. His argument was that when the breaking point came, you couldn't yell or scream or throw things at them: you had to just walk away.

In "Better Call Saul," Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) has essentially walked away from Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk), his ethically-challenged brother and the soon-to-be Saul Goodman. Chuck's last appearance in season 1 (complete with some yelling and screaming) and his first several in season 2 play up his propensity for coldness and his high horse tendencies, and the first several minutes of "Rebecca" only seem to underline, bold and italicize everything we've come to believe about Chuck. But the final scene in the episode shows a far more sympathetic Chuck McGill, and one far more sympathetic to others than we might have guessed.

But first, that painful dinner with Chuck, Jimmy, and Rebecca (Ann Cusack), Chuck's wife. The opening, with a close-up on florescent lights in a way that only shows us the black and bright white, cuts back to the man changing them: Chuck! But he hasn't overcome his elecromagnetic sensitivity. We're in the past, and he and Rebecca (a talented violinist and composer) are hosting Jimmy for the first time since their marriage. Their home is cold, bathed in inky black and desaturated colors that suggest that even in marriage, Chuck maybe isn't the warmest man to be around. And he's preparing Rebecca for a disaster, working out a signal (the Carol Burnett ear-pull) that says it's time for Jimmy to go. But Jimmy, crass as he is, charms Rebecca with jokes about lawyers ("What's the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a lawyer on a motorcycle? The dirtbag's on the inside), even getting her to join in. Chuck tries the ear-pull signal, to no avail. He tries to crack his own lawyer joke much later in bed, but his utter humorlessness kills the joke. Chuck may see through Jimmy, but he's a ray of sunshine in a darkened home, and it's an additional thing that sets his teeth on edge about his brother.

He's not the only one annoyed. Jimmy has a couple of brilliant ideas this week: first, he goes to courthouse to request a date and tries to bribe the receptionist with a rare Beanie Baby, something he's done before. But this time, he has Erin (Jessie Ennis), a second-year associate, babysitting him, and she pulls the stuffed animal away from him to settle for a crappier date. She's trying to keep him in line and out of trouble, she says, but he sees the writing on the wall. More embarrassing, he's met in the courthouse bathroom by an old two-bit shyster friend, who's amazed by Jimmy's new status at Davis & Main and talks over him whenever Jimmy tries to play it down. The man exits whispering "lucky b------," but as Jimmy is left alone, centered in the doorway, he looks anything but.

Jimmy's other brilliant idea is to suggest to Kim (Rhea Seehorn) that she sue Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill for shoving her in doc review for Jimmy's mistakes, something that would either lose or make her unemployable. Nobody short of Chuck has tried to be more patient with Jimmy, but as Jimmy sells her (mostly off-camera, his arm pointing at her through the left edge of the frame as she folds her hands), she rebukes him, ignores his charge that this is Chuck's doing, not Howard's, and his suggestion that he should quit Davis & Main to get her out of the doghouse, and challenges him to go one day without breaking the rules of the New Mexico Bar Association. Her "you don't save me, I save me" is a kiss-off, but more telling is a deliberate throwback to "Breaking Bad's" frequent "I'm doing this for my family" refrain: "Don't pretend you're doing any of this for me."

Kim goes all-out trying to make right with HHM, as director John Shiban puts us through two stellar, soul-crushing montages of the unbreakable Kimmy Wexler cold-calling other firms and businesses to see if they could use HHM's help. In one, Shiban overlays Kim's desperate dialogue and pitches to shots of her listening to the other hand, half-pacing on the stairwell and furiously crossing off names on her post-it notes, which stand out pathetically on the window. In a second, set to a Gipsy Kings version of "My Way," making calls in bathrooms and garages to try to hide from anyone who might see her desperation. When that montage ends and all seems hopeless for Kim, she receives another call, and Shiban pulls back as far as humanly possible to show her solitary in a parking garage, crossing her legs while standing while receiving good news, and, when the call is over, revving up, cheering and dancing. She's saved herself.

Or so it seems. After a time lapse, Kim and Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) meet with Mesa Verde Bank, and everything goes perfectly. A crane over HHM (showing off the firm's flag, no less) suggests they've got this one in the bag, and as Kim and Howard congratulate each other and she gets ready to put together a list of staff associates, Howard shuts her down. "You've got enough on your plate in doc review," he says, before coldly leaving her behind. She has a stunned look on her face, a long swallow, a bite of the lip, a look of "Jimmy was right." A second crane of HHM shows the flag and the building towering over her. She's trapped.

Or would be, anyway, if not for help from an unlikely source. Howard visits Chuck, who assumes Kim's in good shape after bringing this case to them. "We'll see," Howard says curtly. Howard's attempt to get Jimmy in at Davis & Main, and his status as the fall guy for a partner who didn't want to turn away his own brother, has made him seem less like a bloodless suit this season, but we're quickly reminded just how fun it was to hate him last season. Chuck goes to work early in the morning (when all the lights are out and he doesn't have to worry about the electricity) and runs into Kim, asking her to make him coffee (he can't do it himself) and have a cup with him. And Chuck does something I forgot he was capable of: he reaches out, suggesting that he, Kim and Howard are all in the same place, holding the bag for Slippin' Jimmy.

Chuck tells a story of his father, a living saint and "the personification of good," a man who worked his hardest to open his own shop and be his own boss, only to lose it all when $14,000 mysteriously went missing from the books, something Chuck noticed. Jimmy pilfered it, of course, but Chuck McGill Sr. wouldn't hear it. He ended up selling the place, and was dead six months later. McKean nails this monologue, bringing an equal measure of pain, disappointment and regret that he's had to walk away from his brother, who, despite all of it, cried harder at his father's funeral than anyone. "My brother is not a bad person," Chuck says. "He has a good heart. It's just...he can't help himself. And everyone is left picking up the pieces." The rug is pulled out yet again as Chuck says he'll talk to Howard about Kim, saying she's being wasted in doc review. Our understanding of Chuck, and Kim's, has been altered. We've seen Chuck pontificate about how people can get hurt in the world of law when it's given to someone as irresponsible as Jimmy, but in McKean's eyes, in his wistfulness and warmth regarding his father, we see a man who's been hurt too many times to not know something bad is around the corner.

Stray thoughts:

-Mike gets a few scenes, most notably a visit from old Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis), who assures him that Tuco's a good boy and that if Mike says the gun found at the scene was his, not Tuco's, things will be better for everyone. Mike doesn't let on, but he's smart enough to know this is a threat, not a friendly visit. Also, great as Margolis was when he was confined to a wheelchair and a few hateful expressions in "Breaking Bad," it's nice to see him get to use a few more tools, too.

-Jimmy sees Mike's bruised face at the courthouse toll window and, while pulling away, starts humming "Gonna Fly Now" from "Rocky." I laughed pretty hard in what's otherwise a pretty downbeat episode.

-McKean playing Chuck as humorless in the opening is pretty funny, too, given that McKean is a skillful comic actor in his own right (as anyone who's seen "This Is Spinal Tap" can attest).

-Rebecca speaks of another musician who's not up to snuff, but she's not ready to give up on him, even though Chuck suggests she should. Shades of what's coming with Kim.

-Jimmy's response to Rebecca meeting Yo-Yo Ma: "Right on, man."
Crystal Pumpkin Seed sat in jail for 48 days last year because she didnt have $100.

That was the amount she needed to pay a bail-bond agent to get out while she awaited the outcome of criminal charges against her, which stemmed from her failing a drug test while on probation for prior methamphetamine use.

She gave the bond agent the names and contact information for her friends and relatives. After nearly seven weeks, they scrounged up enough money to spring Pumpkin Seed from jail. It took them a while to get it, but they got it, she said.

Pumpkin Seed is a Native American. In Pennington County, where she was jailed, the rate of poverty among Native Americans is five times the rate among whites. Native Americans are not only less likely to have their own money for bail and bond, but their circle of friends and relatives is also less likely to have the cash to bail them out of jail, even on petty crimes.

That poverty is one of several insidious factors affecting Native Americans in Pennington County and keeping them jailed at a rate 16 times higher than the countys white population. Besides being more prone to poverty and lacking money for bail, Native Americans are also more susceptible to being jailed for minor crimes due to a minor infractions such as a lack of state-issued identification. And fears that they will flee to a sovereign tribal reservation may contributing to decisions by judges, prosecutors and bail-bond agents that keep Native Americans in jail longer.

Leaders in the county criminal justice community hope to address those factors with initiatives proposed as part of a $4.9 million grant application to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundations Safety and Justice Challenge. The county is among 20 national finalists for grants expected to be awarded next month.

The overall goal of Pennington Countys application is a 25 percent reduction in its jail population. That would be accomplished partly by reducing the disproportionately high rate of incarceration among Native Americans. The countys grant application is blunt about the racial inequalities that need fixing.

Native people, it says, often stay in jail when many others would be released.

Reducing arrest warrants

The proposed grant budget includes $900,000 for collaborative efforts with Native American tribes.

One of the major initiatives calls for some Pennington County court sessions to be held on reservations, or for some Native American suspects to appear in Pennington County court remotely with the aid of technology such as videoconferencing.

A primary aim of the remote court sessions is a reduction in the number of outstanding arrest warrants for Native Americans who are believed to be on reservations.

Warrants are issued when suspects fail to show up for court appearances. When Native Americans fail to appear, its sometimes because theyve fled to their tribal reservation, where they cannot be arrested by city or county authorities, only tribal or federal authorities. But they typically return to Rapid City at some point and may get stopped by police for something else  a traffic violation, perhaps  and are then arrested and jailed because of the outstanding warrant for the previous crime.

For some Native Americans, that can be the beginning of a cycle that puts them in jail, compounds problems in their private life and families, and leads them to commit further crimes.

Folks who couldve taken care of a case pretty easily get themselves behind the 8-ball, and it just snowballs, said Pennington County States Attorney Mark Vargo.

Vargo and other members of the grant planning committee envision remote court sessions as a chance for Native Americans who have outstanding warrants to meet with prosecutors in a non-threatening environment where they are safe from arrest. There, with the aid of public defenders for those who qualify, they could negotiate a resolution to their old charges.

Some sentences could then be handed over to tribal authorities, so that jail time and community service could be served on the reservation. Vargo said that's a better solution than subjecting people with outstanding warrants to constant fear of being arrested.

We set up a very bad situation when people cant fully participate in the community, Vargo said. We would rather, I think, as a community invite people to come fully participate in Rapid City  to work here, to shop here, to be able to make a report if theyre the victim of crime.

Overcoming ID, bail problems

Another proposed grant initiative could establish ID clinics for Native Americans to obtain state drivers licenses or identification cards.

Many Native Americans who live on reservations lack sufficient access to state-issued IDs, so, when Native American criminal suspects are arrested in Rapid City, they often lack appropriate forms of identification that would allow an officer to cite and release them. Without satisfactory ID, officers cannot fully identify someone and therefore feel compelled to book and fingerprint suspects at the jail, where they may be held.

"Having no state ID is almost, from what I understand, an automatic ride downtown," said Richie Richards, a member of the local MacArthur grant application committee, staff writer for the Native Sun News and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Some Native Americans without acceptable ID are therefore taken to jail when a white person with acceptable ID might be cited and released with orders to show up for court. The grant committee hopes to counteract that problem by putting more IDs in the hands of Native Americans and perhaps training police officers to be more accepting of tribal IDs.

Other grant initiatives are not tailored exclusively to Native Americans but are expected to help reduce their incarceration rate.

One of those is an expanded sobering center for chronic alcoholics, of whom an estimated 71 percent in Rapid City are Native American, according to the grant application sent to the MacArthur Foundation.

Another is the proposed use of risk-assessment instruments instead of monetary bail in some cases. A risk-assessment instrument is essentially an in-depth process that combines a suspect interview with other information about the suspect to produce a score. The score  an indication of a suspects flight risk and danger to the community  is used to determine whether suspects should be jailed, released to their own personal recognizance or released with some level of supervision, such as electronic monitoring or daily alcohol and drug testing.

Risk assessments, which would include procedures to counteract racial bias, could not only help more Native Americans get out of jail but could also shorten the amount of time they spend there. Thom said bail discussions among prosecutors and judges are probably influenced by perceptions of Native Americans as flight risks; additionally, bail-bond agents who view someone as a flight risk can refuse to accept that person as a client.

Subsequently, the average local pretrial jail stay for a Native American in Pennington County is 10.33 days  3.2 days longer than the average stay for whites and 1.38 days longer than the average stay for all races, according to the application sent to the MacArthur Foundation.

Sometimes, Native Americans lack money for bail or a bail bond. Other times, said grant committee member Richie Richards, their friends and relatives might have the money but lack the collateral that bail bond agents require from people who post bond on behalf of an inmate.

"Sometimes they just don't have that vehicle, that house, that compensatory item that would help," Richards said.

Richards is encouraged by the grant committee's efforts to work with the Native American community. If the incarceration rate among Native Americans is lowered, he said, it could bring positive changes to Rapid City by boosting the fortunes of its Native American residents and visitors.

"Not being in jail plays a major role in bettering themselves," Richards said. "Their self-esteem is lifted, and it gives them a more positive outlook not only on themselves, but on the community."

At the tribal government level, the grant committee's work has received the support of officials including Oglala Sioux Tribe President John Yellow Bird Steele. He contributed a letter of support that was quoted in the MacArthur grant application.

We believe that Pennington Countys reform plans will usher in lasting changes," the letter said, "that will greatly benefit our tribal citizens."
UGLY: The early reviews of South Dakotas new license plates have not been good, according to news reports. The new design  the result of work done by the Governors Office, the Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division and the South Dakota Department of Tourism  makes it difficult to see and enjoy our Great Faces, who are shrouded in shades of brown and set against a hazy blue with a moon in the distance, as if to say good night to our number one tourist attraction. The presidents also are mostly obscured by big bold license plate numbers. Its too bad the state didnt stay with what we had. The old plates are sharper and its easier to recognize Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln on them.

GOOD: The Black Hills Federal Credit Union sure knows how to sweeten a deal. The credit union announced last week that it will partner with Armadillos Ice Cream Shoppe on a project to improve the north side of St. Joseph Street in eastern downtown Rapid City. The agreement, which makes the businesses neighbors, is another step toward redeveloping the area near the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It also keeps the popular locally-owned Armadillos in the same neighborhood where residents and others have been enjoying their cool treats for 20 years.

BAD: Meth and drug arrests continue to pile up in the area. The most recent bust to grab headlines came after a routine traffic stop and police discovered 40 grams of methamphetamine, controlled pills, syringes and two digital scales with methamphetamine residue. A 39-year-old Rapid City man and a 19-year-old Sturgis woman were arrested. Meth arrests continue to plague the area in the wake of 2015 when police reported a record-setting 1,349 drug arrests. It is a frightening trend that is stretching the resources of law enforcement, the courts and jails, while destroying families and lives in the process.

GOOD: Rapid Citys new Community Advisory Committee is a step in the right direction. The 15-member committee is working with the police department to improve its relations with racial and cultural groups. The committee includes seven Native Americans and two police officers. The coordinator is Vaughn Vargas, a member of the Cheyenne Sioux Tribe, a South Dakota School of Mines & Technology student and a part-time employee of the police department. The committee was assembled under the direction of Police Chief Karl Jegeris, who deserves credit for leading this important effort.
Russian Supreme Court reduces sentence for Syrian national jailed for terrorism

MOSCOW, March 15 (RAPSI) - The Russian Supreme Court on Tuesday reduced by six months the sentence for Syrian national Al Sali Ayoan who had been found guilty of participation in a terrorist organization, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

In October 2015, the Moscow District Military Court sentenced Ayoan, 33, to 6.5 years in prison for fraud, theft and participation in Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami organization that had been banned in Russia.

Earlier, the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Tatarstan reported that a foreign citizen had been arrested on suspicion of taking over 1 million rubles ($14,300) from a local woman under the pretence of opening a halal cafe.

Hizb ut-Tahrir (the Party of Islamic Liberation), founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries. Russia's Supreme Court banned the group from operating on the territory of the country in 2003, describing it as a terrorist organization.

Hizb ut-Tahrir members are regularly arrested by the police across Russia, mainly in big cities in central Russia, the Volga region and Siberia. Also, there are many supporters in Crimea, which rejoined Russia last spring.
Russia violated rights of HIV-positive foreigners, ECHR says

MOSCOW, March 15 (RAPSI)  The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Russia violated rights of a group of HIV-positive foreigners by deporting them, according to the courts ruling made available on Tuesday.

The court found that deportation of five HIV-positive foreigners, who are the applicants in the case, based on their health status alone was a discriminatory act and therefore a violation of the Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention of Human Rights. Additionally the court held that there was a violation of Article 8 (right to private life and family) of the Convention because all five applicants had familial connections in Russia at the moment of their deportation.

Although the court acknowledged that rights to enter and settle in a particular country are not regulated by the Convention, it maintained that countrys immigration policies should not be discriminatory and should respect the human rights of foreigners who want to enter the country. The ECHR did not find a good reason for Russia to deport applicants and extensively criticized a ruling of a Russian court which said that an HIV-positive applicant was dangerous because he could transmit HIV by utilizing shared dormitory facilities in a hostel.

The ECHR did not present Russia with any specific suggestions and measures regarding the problem, acknowledging Russias ongoing legislative reform in effort to help HIV-positive non-nationals with family ties in the country.

The court ordered Russia to pay in total  15,000 to the applicants.
Tiffany Barrans 09 (LAW).

Fifty years have passed since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, famously declared a Constitutional right to privacy." This case led to other famous Supreme Court decisions, like the turning of Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion.On Friday, March 4th, Regent University School of Laws (LAW) Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law held its 5th annual symposium titled, Womens Rights 50 Years after.The symposium provided a series of forums that explored the rights of women living in the United States and women living in other areas of the world. The event opened with a panel discussion titled, Womens Rights at Home, moderated by assistant LAW professor, Tessa Dysart.Panelists Stephen Casey, president and senior counsel at Casey Law Office, P.C. and co-founder of Texas Center for Defense of Life; Teresa Stanton Collett, professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law; and Vivian Hamilton, professor of Law at William and Mary Law School, discussed the current climate of womens rights in the United States.The second panel was moderated by LAW professor Jeffrey Brauch, and explored womens rights in the international context. The panel featured experts such as Azizah Y. al-Hibri, professor emerita of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law, and founder and chair of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights; Isaac Kfir, visiting professor of International Affairs & Law at Syracuse University College of Law; Christine Venter, director of Legal Writing Program at Notre Dame Law School; and Tiffany Barrans 09 (LAW), former International Legal Director at the American Center for Law and Justice.In her career, Barrans has represented before the United Nations, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament. She spoke of a trip she took to Iraq, a nation with a prescribed traditional and honor-driven society.Barrans explained that a certain religious group, the Yazidi, value purity in women insofar as to participate in honor killings if a womans honor is besmirched or worse, taken from her.Barrans explained the top down approach to reforming rights in nations abroad. She said that many times the line between religion and culture is blurred. Within the Yazidi tribe, the spiritual leader sought a doctoral change that allowed women to reintegrate into their society.Now women have a chance to be clean again, said Barrans. And though the work isnt finished, the local leadership is stepping up.Following the series of discussions, The Honorable Marla Graff Decker from the Court of Appeals of Virginia spoke on womens rights in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The symposium concluded with an evening benefit banquet at the Founders Inn and Spa titled, Justice for the Unborn. The dinner featured a former director of Planned Parenthood turned pro-life advocate, Abby Johnson.Learn more about Regent Universitys School of Law and the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law
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Here's what the new Docking State Office Building could look like

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First, note that this is NOT a blog....it's a collection of essays similar in nature to what the Greek Plutarch attempted to write.





Second: NO, there will be no Facebook connection to the essay collection. Besides the negativity with FB, there is just too much potential in the future for censorship with FB.





Third, this log of essays is written by an American (not a German). If you are a German seeking commentary written by a German, on Germans....look elsewhere.





Fourth, I will offer wit and sarcasm on Germany, Germans, Germanology, German political figures, German TV, German beer, German food, German humor (or lack of), German habits, German weirdness, German news, German autos, German brilliance, German stupidity, German customs, German Nazis, German history, and German stubbornness.





Fifth (new), the essays are not about ethnic pathways to your grandfather or great-grandmother who was German. It relates present day Germans. If you are trying to get some understanding to your ancestor who packed up and left sixty years ago from the old 'homeland', then this blog is probably not for you.





Final note: I generally only delete comments that are spam-related, or hype over pure Nationalist Socialist agendas. I generally won't support one-sided arguments/agendas. I also don't think accusations of racism or nationalism are generally proven, and can reflect poorly upon the person making the accusations.

I was one of those Americans who did over twenty years of military time....married a German....and eventually returned as a retiree.I'm one of the few who stood under the German umbrella.....paid German taxes for some years.....German social security.....and felt the various pains like Germans.So, this is my all-purpose commentary essay, designed for non-Germans mostly (and those Germans who accidentally discover it). I tend to put German culture into the spotlight of sarcasm, wit and humor. I'm simply pointing out the richness and craziness of life in Germany, which even some Germans can't understand.The amusing thing is that I'm merely repeating the exercise that Mark Twain performed in 1880, when he published "A Tramp Abroad". Various comments were dished out on the Germans....which apparently did not trigger any wars, chaos, climate change, or ill feelings.
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 Previewing (and predicting) federal sentencing prospects for former Virginia Gov McDonnell | Main | "Any broad criminal justice reforms ... will fail without first fixing the indigent defense crisis." 

January 5, 2015

Extraordinary review of messiness of Prez Obama's clemency push

Josh Gerstein has this extraordinary Politico piece which provides a terrific (and disconcerting) review of the Obama Administration's recent clemency activities. The lengthy piece is a must-read for lots of reasons. It is headlined "Obama's drug-sentencing quagmire: Justice Department turns to ACLU, others to prepare thousands of commutation requests," and here is how it starts:

President Barack Obamas sweeping plan to commute the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders who were caught up in the disparities in laws governing crack and powder cocaine is lagging, burdened by vague guidelines, lack of Justice Department resources and the unusual decision to invite advocacy groups like the ACLU to help screen applications, according to lawyers close to the process. In the year since the Justice Department encouraged inmates to apply to cut short their sentences, more than 25,000 prisoners have come forward. But when Obama announced his annual commutations last month, only eight were given. That reflects deeper problems in the governments process for reviewing sentences and determining which ones are, indeed, overly long because of the crack-powder distinction, according to those familiar with the system.

The piece includes lots of interesting and notable comments by various unnamed lawyers discussing how the President, the Justice Department, and the Clemency Project 2014 are handling matters. Here are excerpts with some of these quotes:

With so many thousands of petitions pending, the tiny number of commutations announced during the Christmas season prompted a new round of skepticism about the administrations capacity to ease onerous drug sentencing. This is paltry, said one lawyer familiar with the process. It is very disappointing. Id be shocked if it skyrockets to 100 before [Obama] leaves office, another added.... [DOJ] officials encouraged the groups forming the Clemency Project to recruit and train private attorneys to prepare applications. The organizations have instituted their own screening effort to try to determine if prisoners meet the criteria and to make sure the private lawyers spend time on meritorious cases.... Some liberal-leaning lawyers and clemency advocates ... say the private consortium has taken on an outsize, quasi-official role in the process and has an inherent conflict of interest: Project organizers want to get the strongest possible applications to the Justice Department, which may mean abandoning prisoners whose cases fall into a gray area. It bothers me that you have a group of private citizens who have an under-the-table deal with the deputy attorney general to help him do his job and the promise is, Were going to put your guys at the front of the list, one lawyer involved said. Instead of dealing with a process thats already opaque and bureaucratic and too slow, theyve added this additional layer thats even more opaque and bureaucratic and too slow.... One benefit to the administration of its current approach of working with outside groups is that it could mute criticism from advocates wrapped up in the effort  at least as long as there seems to be a prospect of a meaningful wave of commutations. Theyve co-opted all the people who would usually be critics, said one lawyer close to the project. You have that dynamic in play, and Im not sure thats a good thing. The Clemency Project groups insist their involvement hasnt silenced them.

Though I am not too concerned about clemency critics being co-opted through the Clemency Project, I am concerned about what will be a poor allocation of pro bono lawyering efforts if 1,500 lawyers spend months and years working on clemency applications for thousands of offenders if Prez Obama ends up granting commutations to only a few hundred prisoners. I genuinely believe that an army of 1,500 lawyers working on aggressive for months and years on federal sentencing litigation  perhaps in marijuana cases or attacking some extreme mandatory minimums through habeas actions or other means  could produce jurisprudential development that could end up helping many more than a few hundred defendants.

January 5, 2015 at 11:21 PM | Permalink

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Having spoken to law school and law review classmates of Obama, the entire situation is explained by his laziness, and not any ideological stance.

And, as to this:

President Barack Obamas sweeping plan to commute the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders who were caught up in the disparities in laws governing crack and powder cocaine is lagging, burdened by vague guidelines, lack of Justice Department resources and the unusual decision to invite advocacy groups like the ACLU to help screen applications, according to lawyers close to the process.

Over and over, I have suggested trying to sell anything even newspapers,let alone illegal drugs in the territory of these poor, nonviolent victims of the white criminal justice system, report on what happens.

Wasn't it the crack people that soared the murder rate to such a height, the mandatory sentencing guidelines were enacted to save the system from the wrath of the American people? No one heard of that effect? It is those people, the mass murderers, that the ACLU argues are victims of racism.

Posted by: Supremacy Claus | Jan 6, 2015 7:07:45 AM

Someone does very well in the structured setting of prison.

The conclusion from the Twilight Zone of the lawyer dumbass: Ready for discharge.

The real conclusion: For first time, has found success in the structured setting of prison. Insane to stop something that worked, when nothing else has. Ready to stay longer, continue to do well.

I am in a coma from diabetes. Doctor saves me with insulin.

I return a month later. I say, blood sugar is well controlled and no side effects from insulin.

If the doctor were a lawyer dumbass from the Twilight Zone, he would reply, stop the insulin.

Does great in prison, so stop the prison. Because the murder rate in the outside world for career criminals is 50%, release is likely a death sentence. Assume, the released do not die from accidents, suicide, AIDS, overdoses, all of which are at elevated risk outside prison.

Why would the lawyer wish something so detrimental on his client? No fees while sitting in prison. Lots of government make work jobs when loosed on the public.

The awful left wing bigger government advocates at Politico and at the Clemency Project will never inform prisoners of these risks. I would support litigation against all advocates after a released prisoner is injured by the carelessness of these irresponsible rent seekers.

Posted by: Supremacy Claus | Jan 6, 2015 9:35:56 AM

I have yet to move much further from where I was a year ago:

http://www.pardonpower.com/2014/01/dag-prelude-to-action-or-latest-head.html

best,

Posted by: P.S. Ruckman, Jr. | Jan 6, 2015 9:39:12 AM

I've heard of a federal defender who expressed ethical concerns about partnering with DOJ with regard to clemency petitions. As I understand it, the federal defender was concerned about (1) working hand-in-hand with DOJ to assist DOJ in performing what should be, and historically has been, an exclusive function of the executive branch of government; and (2) screening applicants and only advocating on behalf of some applicants while telling other applicants no--a function that the federal defender felt was an inappropriate blurring of the lines between the job of a criminal defense attorney (to advocate a client's position) and the job of an adjudicator (to decide whether a position is meritorious).

Posted by: Curious | Jan 6, 2015 10:38:59 AM

Prof. Ruckman. I assume you are not a lawyer, so I can speak to you. Are there any data on the results of clemency? What happened to the pardoned after 5 years, including death? If there are no data, shouldn't the advocates of clemency support a DOJ research grant to carry one out? Could not find one in brief research. Not a particular interest, so not submitting nor pursuing a FOIA request.

Found this, a review of 100 years' worth:



The Economics of Presidential Pardons and Commutations

William M. Landes

University of Chicago Law School ; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Richard A. Posner

University of Chicago Law School ; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

January 2007

U of Chicago Law & Economics, Olin Working Paper No. 320

Abstract:

This paper develops a simple economic model of the demand for and supply of presidential pardons (including commutations and other clemency grants). The model assumes that the number of pardon applications depends on the expected benefits and costs of applying and the number of pardons depends on the president's calculation of his net political benefits from approving an application. This yields an equilibrium number of applications and pardons that can be estimated from time series data over the 1900 to 2005 period. Overall, the regression results support the model. For example, we find that the likelihood of receiving a pardon has a positive effect on applications; and that increases in the number of persons paroled (a substitute for a pardon) and in the time from conviction to pardon (which lowers the benefits of a pardon) reduces the number of applications. We also observe a positive time trend in applications that corresponds to the increase in the number of federal prisoners (and persons released from prison) that make up the pool of potential pardon applicants. With respect to the number of pardons, we find that democratic presidents (who we expect to be less tough on crime) are more likely to grant pardons; that the crime rate has a negative impact on pardons; and that the number of pardons increased during Prohibition and during wartime and postwar periods.



Posted by: Supremacy Claus | Jan 6, 2015 12:21:00 PM

The Federal Public Defender organization may have been in the best position to advocate for their clients' clemency. Some offices already had started the process of reviewing cases and preparing petitions. However, that effort was abruptly stopped by the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Judge John Bates. Judge Bates directed that no defender offices were to advocate for clemency on behalf of their clients. This directive was issued even though one defender office had presented a memorandum to the Administrative Office explaining why Federal Public Defender attorneys could continue to represent their clients in clemency matters.

Posted by: herb morgenstern | Jan 6, 2015 4:56:07 PM

My Fiance has been in a federal prison or camp since 1994, she sold cocaine but one of the others made crack out of the cocaine so everyone was given X100 the weight of the cocaine that was found (actually they never found any, a crack head wore a wire and testified to what the DEA thought they were selling) anyhow she received a 35 year sentence at the age of 23, she has applied for a clemency last year, the warden filed the paperwork for her and as of Septmeber of last year it is being reviewed by the Pardons Office. The prosecutor has told us he will give her his backing but he cannot get anyone from the office to call him back. I called the office and wasn't able to get any contact info other than what is online. We don't have a lawyer, no backing from famm and the aclu has never heard of us. Truthfully I don't have any faith in the system, it doesn't take months to figure out if she was sentenced today she would get 8 years, she has completed over 20 years, no problems in prison and other than a DUI, no criminal record. Obama really did mess up, in a way he promised relief for thousands who filled out the post card the DOJ sent to people in prison.

Posted by: Chris | Jan 6, 2015 9:09:26 PM

Judge Bates probably didn't like the FPD's successful clemency effort on behalf of Ezell Gilbert.

Posted by: AFPD | Jan 7, 2015 1:25:58 PM

I am the sister of an inmate that has a life sentence. He applied for clemency and received his denial letter on his birthday. He as served 23 years. Why did they get so many inmates and their families hopes up for nothing? I this this clemency project is a crock. I don't trust the people reviewing the forms so the President is still only seeing the ones that someone else wants him to see. Same problem as before. Even if they were not released, that could at least lowered some sentences and hopefully they could be free one day...Thanks

Posted by: Linda Wright | Jan 12, 2015 5:35:23 PM

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 Highlighting the need for much better modern prison metrics | Main | Seeking SCOTUS predictions: what should we now expect in Glossip and Johnson? 

June 25, 2015

Circa mid-2015, Clemency Project 2014 will go down as an abject failure if it does not submit more petitions before 2016

This notable new USA Today article, headlined "'The clock is running' on Obama clemency initiative," reports that the various administrative and practical difficulties encountered (and self-created?) by those trying to get Prez Obama more good clemency case are now seemingly at risk of completely "screwing the pooch" on the whole clemency push. Here are the discouraging details:

The Obama administration is urging lawyers for federal inmates to move more quickly in filing petitions for presidential clemency, reminding them that "the clock is running" on the Obama presidency. The new urgency from the Justice Department comes more than a year into a program intended to shorten the sentences to federal inmates who would have gotten less time under current law. That clemency initiative was coupled with the Clemency Project 2014, an outside consortium of lawyers working on those cases. But the Clemency Project filed only 31 petitions in its first year, leading to criticism from some proponents of criminal justice reform that the process is moving too slowly. "If there is one message I want you to take away today, it's this: Sooner is better," U.S. Pardon Attorney Deborah Leff told volunteer lawyers in a video seminar last week. "Delaying is not helpful." Leff is the Justice Department official who provides recommendations on commutations and pardons to the president, who under the Constitution has the power to shorten sentences for federal crimes and to restore other civil rights.... The Clemency Project has set a goal of Jan. 20, 2016, for all petitions to be filed, to give the Obama administration a full year to consider them and send them to the president's desk for a decision before his term ends. Leff said any petitions that come in after that date could be left to Obama's successor. "So if we receive an enormous number of petitions at the last minute, yes, they will be reviewed. But a lot of them will not be reviewed during this administration," she said. She also suggested that attorneys were spending too much time on cases. "While I greatly admire your legal skills, this is not the time to prepare a treatise of hundreds of pages," she told the lawyers. Another problem is paperwork. The Office of the Pardon Attorney requires the pre-sentence report for every inmate, but that can involve a complicated process of court approval. "It's been a real bottleneck to get these documents into the hands of the lawyers," said James Felman, a Tampa attorney who chairs the criminal defense committee of the American Bar Association. So the Clemency Project has now streamlined that process, allowing the Bureau of Prisons to supply that document unless a judge objects. Felman said lawyers also need to understand that they're asking the president for mercy, and so need to be forthright about the strengths and weaknesses of the case. "Aggressive lawyering is not necessarily going to pay off," he said. The cases don't have to be perfect. Felman said the Justice Department has signaled a willingness to consider cases that don't meet all of the criteria. "Some of the criteria are less definite than others. Like, for example, a clean record in prison. Nobody has a perfect record in prison," he said. And the Justice Department said that even cases that aren't appropriate for the clemency initiative  which is intended for people who have already served at least 10 years  will still get consideration. "In addition to the president's clemency initiative, he continues to consider commutations under the traditional criteria for clemency," said Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson. "Every applicant for clemency receives an individual review." Margaret Love, a Washington attorney who had Leff's job in the Clinton administration, said she worries that an emphasis on the volume and speed of cases could compromise the ability of attorneys to make the best argument for their clients. "What I heard was hurry up, hurry up, deliver as many cases as quickly as you possibly can," she said. "If it's true that there were only 31 cases submitted by the project by the end of May, that's surprising given the number of lawyers they have working on them."

Regular readers know that, ever since Prez Obama and his Aministration started talking up an effort to get serious about using the clemency power seriously, I have been regularly expressing concerns about how structurally peculiar and procedurally belabored this new (and now not-so-new) clemency push has been. My particular worry, which is exacerbated by articles like this one and other similar reports, has been that a robust effort by defense lawyer groups to (1) review the complete files of, and (2) provide trained lawyers for, and (3) present a complete and extensive argument/application for, any and every federal prisoner who might want to pursue a clemency application could create a whole lot of costly and time-consuming busy work with few real substantive benefits. This is especially so given that, as all serious federal clemency advocates should know, the Pardon Attorney's Office has historically always taken its sweet time to assemble and review the files of any clemency application and will always (and justifiably) be wary of relying on just the information and representations made by a clemency applicant and is lawyer.

That all said, I remain hopeful that all the hard work being done by all the groups and lawyers involved in Clemency Project 2014 will prove meaningful and valuable and will ultimately enable Prez Obama to live up to his promises to get serious about using the clemency power seriously before he leave office in January 2017. But that might now require those working on Clemency Project 2014 to get serious about getting their applications submitted ASAP rather than continuing to spend time letting the perfect be the enemy of the good enough in this arena.

Some prior related posts:

June 25, 2015 at 10:45 AM | Permalink

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 "The Tyranny of Small Things" observed during local sentencing proceedings | Main | US Sentencing Commission hearing on proposed immigration and other guideline amendments 

Regular readers know that, ever since Prez Obama and his Aministration started talking up efforts to get serious about using clemency powers, I have been regularly expressing concerns about how structurally peculiar and procedurally belabored the new (and now not-so-new) clemency push has been. Here are just a few of my prior related posts on this front:

Still more reason for concern has now emerged via this new Reuters article headlined "Obama's prisoner clemency plan faltering as cases pile up." Here are excerpts:

In April 2014, the administration of President Barack Obama announced the most ambitious clemency program in 40 years, inviting thousands of jailed drug offenders and other convicts to seek early release and urging lawyers across the country to take on their cases.

Nearly two years later the program is struggling under a deluge of unprocessed cases, sparking concern within the administration and among justice reform advocates over the fate of what was meant to be legacy-defining achievement for Obama.

More than 8,000 cases out of more than 44,000 federal inmates who applied have yet to make it to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for review, lawyers involved in the program told Reuters. That is in addition to about 9,000 cases that are still pending at the DOJ, according to the department's own figures.

Only 187 inmates have had their sentences commuted, far below the thousands expected by justice reform advocates and a tiny fraction of the 2.2 million people behind bars in the United States, which has the world's highest incarceration rate....

A senior DOJ official told Reuters it is calling on the lawyers' group -- Clemency Project 2014 -- to simply hand over the outstanding cases without further vetting, saying it is not working fast enough. So far, the group estimates it has handed over around 200 cases.

But criminal justice experts say the administration itself should bear much of the blame. The idea to tap pro-bono attorneys to help vet the cases originated with the DOJ, and critics say it should have prepared its own staff to handle the large volume of applications. Its unfair to criticize the volunteer group that you asked to help, said Rachel Barkow, a criminal law professor at New York University who has studied clemency in U.S. prisons. She estimates that about 1,500 prisoners should be eligible for commutation, saying the 187 granted so far does not "fulfill the promise of the program."...

The delays have left prisoners like Linda Byrnes, 69, in limbo. I thought clemency was for people like me, Byrnes told Reuters through an electronic messaging system from a federal prison in Alderson, West Virginia. Byrnes, who has spent 20 years in prison for distributing marijuana and has two years left on her sentence, was recently diagnosed with mouth cancer and has yet to hear whether she has been assigned a lawyer after submitting her application to Clemency Project in August 2014....

Clemency Project 2014 said it does not comment publicly on the individuals it represents. The group vets the applications, writes the petitions and sends them to the Justice Departments Office of the Pardon Attorney, which oversees all pardons and sentence commutations and makes recommendations for the president's approval.

So far, 25,000 of 34,000 applications received by Clemency Project have been rejected for failing to meet the basic criteria - no record of violence, no significant ties to a gang or drug cartel, good behavior in prison and completion of at least 10 years of sentence. About 10,000 inmates did not go through the Clemency Project and either applied directly to DOJ or through a paid attorney. "It really would be a sad state of affairs if individuals who had asked for a lawyer weren't considered in time because their petitions never reached the pardon attorney's office," a DOJ official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

A large number of mostly unqualified applications, a shortage of lawyers and the complexity of the cases have slowed progress, said Cynthia Roseberry, project manager for Clemency Project 2014. "There are a lot of gray areas," said Roseberry, who estimates it takes 30 days for one lawyer to review one case on average. "We've got to unpack each of these applicants to see specifically what factors affect them... and so that takes a little more time."

This includes finding pre-sentencing reports for each case, determining if the person would have received a shorter sentence under current law and reviewing prison behavior records. Roseberry said the group was unaware of any request from the Justice Department to hand over the pending applications. Roseberry said the group's initially slow pace has picked up in recent months....

Roseberry said about 3,000 applicants still need to be assigned to a lawyer, and that it was not certain whether the group will be able to submit all of the applications it has received before Obama leaves office. The group has more than 570 law firms and 30 law schools contributing to the effort.

Some rejected prisoners and those who have yet to hear a decision say they believe they would have had a better chance if they had sent their clemency petition directly to the government.

Josie Ledezma was sentenced to life for conspiracy to transport cocaine and applied for clemency through Clemency Project 2014. She said she did not hear from them for six months and later learned that her assigned lawyer had shut down her legal practice. In January, nearly one year after applying, she was told Clemency Project 2014 could not help her and encouraged her to apply directly. I wrote back and asked what was it that made me not qualify, but never got a response, Ledezma told Reuters through an electronic messaging service for federal prisoners.
 Could three seemingly simple laws really reduce US gun deaths by more than 90 percent? | Main | "The Tyranny of Small Things" observed during local sentencing proceedings 

March 14, 2016

Interesting moment concerning Hillary Clinton and the death penalty at CNN town hall

I largely stopped watching much TV coverage of the Prez campaign except on election nights, in part because crime and justice issues continue to get precious little attention in debates or in coverage of what the various candidates might do if elected. But, as reported here, last night's CNN town hall included a notable exchange concerning the death penalty:

An exonerated former death row inmate challenged Hillary Clinton on Sunday night to defend her continued support for capital punishment in some instances despite cases in which innocent people have been wrongly convicted. "I came perilously close to my own execution," Ricky Jackson said during the CNN-TV One town hall event Sunday at Ohio State University, where he described the circumstances of his case and exoneration. He asked the Democratic front-runner, "In light of what I just shared with you and in light of the fact that there are documented cases of innocent people who have been executed in our country, I would like to know how you can still take your stance on the death penalty in light of what you know right now?" In 2014, Jackson was freed after spending nearly four decades in prison for a crime he did not commit. Convicted at the age of 18 for the 1975 killing of a money-order salesman in Cleveland, the Ohio man was exonerated after the prosecution's key witness, only 12 years old when he gave his damning account to police, recanted in court. Calling his a profoundly difficult question, Clinton first criticized the states, saying they "have proven themselves incapable of carrying out fair trials that give defendants the rights that defendants should have." "I've said I would breathe a sigh of relief if either the Supreme Court or the states themselves began to eliminate the death penalty." But the former secretary of state did not retreat from her broader position. "Where I end up is this, and maybe it's a distinction that is hard to support, but at this point, given the choices we face from terrorist activities primarily in our country that end up under federal jurisdiction, for very limited purposes, I think it can still be held in reserve for those." Clinton referenced the April 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, an act of domestic terrorism that killed 168 people, as one example of the kind of crime she considered punishable by death. "That is the exception that I still am struggling with, and it would only be in the federal system," she said.

Interestingly, this afternoon CNN just published this commentary authored by Ricky Jackson under the headline "Exonerated death row inmate: Clinton wrong on death penalty." Here is an excerpt from the later part of the commentary:

I know that the death penalty does not deter. That can no longer be seriously debated. I also know that it is very expensive at a time when states are struggling financially and many are on the brink of bankruptcy. As an expensive government program with no proven track record of effectiveness, it is, indeed, the proverbial "bridge to nowhere." But I also know that it sends innocent people to death row, and sometimes kills them. Some of those likely innocents, such as Cameron Todd Willingham and Carlos DeLuna, have been executed at the hands of the government. Other innocent inmates -- in fact more than 150 of them -- have been lucky enough to have been exonerated and freed before their execution. Furthermore, I learned from my time on death row that even the guilty are worthy of salvation. As an innocent and scared 18-year-old boy sent to death row, it was only the kindness and humanity of death row's guilty, who took me under their collective wing, that kept my sanity and maintained my faith in humanity. These inmates made horrible mistakes, and deserved to be punished, but they are not the animals our criminal justice makes them out to be. A society should not be judged on how it treats its best, but rather on how it treats is lowest. And even the lowest are capable of incredible acts of humanity and are worthy of decency. They are worthy of God's grace, just as they bestowed grace upon me. When I asked Clinton why she still supports the death penalty, she said she supported it only for the worst of the worst: those who committed acts of mass killing or terrorism. I cannot accept that. In cases such as those, the societal pressure to convict is at its highest. And when an intense pressure to convict is present, that is when the risk of convicting an innocent is greatest. The death penalty is also not a deterrent in terrorism cases. In fact, death can serve the purpose of many terrorists who wish to become "martyrs" for their cause. During all the decades I sat in prison as an innocent man, I saw societal views gradually change. Not too many years ago, a Democratic candidate could not publicly support same-sex marriage and stand a chance of getting elected in a general election. Now, a Democratic candidate could not be taken seriously if he or she didn't support same-sex marriage. Likewise, no serious Democratic candidate should be able to support the death penalty. We have evolved. We have seen the evidence that the death penalty doesn't work and that it kills the innocent. Given this evidence, it is time that no candidate -- Democrat or Republican -- should be taken seriously if he or she supports capital punishment. The fact that Clinton continues to hang on to this antiquated relic confuses me. She touts "criminal justice reform" -- and much reform is needed -- but she misses one of the lowest hanging pieces of fruit. I said last night that I am an "undecided" voter. I hope that Clinton reconsiders her position on capital punishment before I do what I have been waiting my entire life to do: cast my first presidential vote as a free and vindicated man.

March 14, 2016 at 07:02 PM | Permalink

Comments

Mr. Jackson is correct 

The death penalty does not DETER killing or capital murder 



Several years ago I had the opportunity , the means , and the motive to kill_en1 a rogue , tyrannical trial judge ; who according to John of Salisbury , not only was deserving of tyrannicide_en2 , but was the subject of the DUTY of the State (not I) to kill him 

The primary reason for NOT killing him , was my Mothers teachings from the Bible , and my belief that killing at that moment would have been unfair ; he was in a coma on life support 



Anywho , he died within several weeks of my encounter , w/o traumatic intervention of others 

 Dont tangle with KARMA 



EN1A jury of my true peers , perhaps would have ruled , What took him so long?

At worst , if acted , I should have been allowed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received lifetime non-reporting probation , provided that I did not kill any more death deserving , rogue , tyrannical judges 

EN25. Policraticus_en3

5.3 Tyrannicide

EN35. Policraticus

The Policraticus is John's massive, eight-book attempt to discuss all aspects of ethical and political life. Its topics vary from whether it is permissible to kill a tyrant to whether it is permissible to tell off-color jokes at dinner parties.

As always , Kindly & Respectfully submitted ,

Nemo Me Impune Lacessit

Posted by: Docile Jim Brady  the Nemo Me  Impune Lacessit  in Oregon  | Mar 14, 2016 7:33:54 PM

"In cases such as those, the societal pressure to convict is at its highest. And when an intense pressure to convict is present, that is when the risk of convicting an innocent is greatest."

Does anyone doubt this? Is there a good argument against it?

Posted by: George | Mar 14, 2016 9:05:01 PM

@george.

The problem with this claim is that it is non-responsive to the instance cited by Mrs. Clinton. It's not merely the case that the OK bombing was the worst of the worst, it is also the case that there was no reasonable doubt as to their guilt. So "pressure" is not a relevant consideration.

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 14, 2016 10:59:35 PM

The death penalty will not only be used when there is "no reasonable doubt as to their guilt" especially when "guilt" here means "warranting [unlike even for people who support the death penalty most murders] the death penalty."

We will not only convict and execute the Timothy McVeighs and that level crime will sometimes result in problems. Because the death penalty is not only going to be applied with a scalpel. If it's there, it's going to be overused and misused, especially for Oklahoma City level crime where there will be additional pressures.

And, even for that crime, someone else didn't get the death penalty.

Posted by: Joe | Mar 14, 2016 11:19:21 PM

Daniel, Joe said it already, but to rephrase it.

Timothy McVeigh was guilty, so does that make this sentence false? "And when an intense pressure to convict is present, that is when the risk of convicting an innocent is greatest."

The gist of Clinton's argument seems to be that the DP should be a federal matter, one reserved for the feds, because the states are so bad at it.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/272853-man-who-spent-39-years-in-prison-confronts-clinton-on

Posted by: George | Mar 15, 2016 1:54:43 AM

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 Interesting moment concerning Hillary Clinton and the death penalty at CNN town hall | Main | Another disconcerting report about the failings of the Obama clemency initiative and Clemency Project 2014 

March 14, 2016

"The Tyranny of Small Things" observed during local sentencing proceedings

I have long told my student that you can learn a lot by just watching, and this new paper on SSRN authored by Yxta Maya Murray reinforces this point in an interesting sentencing setting. The paper is just titled "The Tyranny of Small Things," and here is the abstract:

This legal-literary essay recounts a day I spent watching criminal sentencings in an Alhambra, California courthouse, emphasizing the sometimes quotidian, sometimes despairing, imports of those proceedings. I take leave of the courthouse marshaling arguments that resemble those of other scholars who tackle state overcriminalization and selective enforcement. My original addition exists in the granular attention I pay to the moment-by-moment effects of a sometimes baffling state power on poor and minority people. In this approach, I align myself with advocates of the law and literature school of thought who believe that the study (or, in this case, practice) of literature will aid the aims of justice by disclosing buried yet critical human experience and emotions.

March 14, 2016 at 07:09 PM | Permalink

Comments

Professor Berman,

Because of my deep respect for you and this blog, I soldiered through this paper.

But, in all candor, what the sweet f**k was that?

Looking forward to your next post, which I know will be more substantive.

Posted by: USPO | Mar 14, 2016 8:30:56 PM

Excellent. In the early days of his career H. L. Mencken was a crime beat reporter and he wrote a similar essay about his experiences in the courtroom. I couldn't find a link to it with a quick Google search but I'll see if I can find it. It's sad to realize how little has changed in a hundred years.

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 14, 2016 10:42:11 PM

Sorry you did not enjoy the narrative, USPO, but I found it a refreshingly different approach to examining low-level case processing in a California muni court. Also, in the final footnote, the author essentially answers your question about what the paper was about: "In this approach, I align myself with advocates of the 'law and literature' school of thought who believe that the study (or, in this case, practice) of literature will aid the aims of justice by disclosing buried yet critical human experience and emotions."

Posted by: Doug B. | Mar 15, 2016 12:38:01 AM

DOUG re low level in CA

 Looked as though it was a 1st appearance arraignment court to take a plea 

Several years ago (early 1920s) , then Atty Felix Frankfurter and others reviewed procedure in the Cleveland Municipal Zoo  er I mean Court 

The results of the review , as I recall , were published in a DOJ report in the 1970s and a copy was at the Bexley Library 



More recently (early 1970s) in the Columbus Municipal Court , A  filed an A&B charge against her husband ;1 a warrant was issued for his arrest based on her affidavit ;2 a police officer executed the warrant ;3 at an arraignment hearing in the old, OLD municipal court on North side of Gay in old police building ;4 the victim intentionally did NOT appear ;5 the officer who did not witness the report , did not appear ;6 the defendant entered a No Contest plea and was instantly found guilty , with the affidavit the ONLY evidence against the accused 

He was employed , but could not instantly pay the $50 fine and costs  NOR was he given an opportunity to later pay the fine/costs ; he was immediately taken to jail , not withstanding the earlier SCOTUS decision re debtors prisons are a big NO  

Confined to jail , he missed work , was fired and the entire family of 4 (++2 children) went on welfare at a far higher cost than the $50 

I was working for William Wild Bill Davis at the time as a law clerk.

The 10th District reversed the conviction on reconsideration after affirming , and ordered the defendant discharged 

SOME of the muni judges figured that defendants MUST have done something wrong or they would not be in court 

I once witnessed a judges neck turn beet red because Ray Twohig had the temerity to enter a Not Guilty plea on behalf of an OSU student 

Posted by: Docile Jim Brady  the Nemo Me  Impune Lacessit  in Oregon  | Mar 15, 2016 4:14:39 AM

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If you not to make its part, it you do not have nothing to make. In the current days this proposal is in fashion in the scope of the unions, the associations and the companies between the employers, used and leading. However, the meaning is: I am making for me and mine, what you must make for you yourselves and its. In other words, one turns over, as I am turning over or am making my part. ' ' Workers never joined will be vencidos' ' As he knows yourself, he is difficult to join a more difficult category and still to join diverse classrooms of workers, ideal of all leader.



However, if somebody to obtain uniz them is clearly that it will be more difficult to fight them. The logical one is to join in number, but in ideology nor in such a way, therefore the ideological equality, in a similar way that it constructs, also destroys. The proposal is ideal to demand right, to charge fulfilment of duties or to obtain benefits. In the speech case politician, the interpretation one more time plays for the people the responsibility with the task to arrange exits for its problems. If you to find more people to vote with me its order will be taken care of. If you are alone, you are deceased, therefore who only has its vote does not deserve representative. When one is about fight or campaign that leaves of the people, (a leader of campaign or syndicalist) in such a way can be inducing to look its equal ones or to enter into an alliance it the ones that they think in a similar way to gain force and to reach beneplcitos, in detriment of the others that do not share of the movement (strikers), how much can mention the different ones to it that, together can, each one in its, to search a form of ' alone; if to give bem' (the pierce-strike) the ones that talk with leader in the embroidery frames. To conclude, I want to stand out the necessity of effort and understanding of the unsatisfied people and the population opponent, to learn to understand the language of the politicians, the authorities and the leaders in general way.



I ask for this, as much for the respect to the institutions and its competent consisting authorities, as well as for the recognition of our linguistic incompetence interpreting its words so well intentioned. Also I ask for excuses for the times that I said to my leader politician badly, because now I only understood that, at least, all only want well to its next one, what already he is very Christian, that its friend of party or its neighbor does not mean to be. In the maximum, each one wants to fight the evil in its house. It is enough now that each one fulfills its duty and if strengthens to learn to read and to interpret, literally, the words of its leaders, giving the arm to twist and taking off the hat, respectfully. Words - key: philosophy - corruption moral politics ethical. 1 Teacher of Portuguese and English of the IFPA Campus of Itaituba-Par.
Ah, San Jose. Home of the Sharks, the Tech Museum of Innovation, expensive apartments, and finger-free chili, it might seem to the casual observer that the tenth largest city in the US has plenty of exciting features to keep it fresh in the mind of the American public. Not so, say the wunderkinds over at FiveThirtyEight, who note that based on a data set they reviewed, our neighbor to the south appears to be "the most forgettable major American city."

To come to this conclusion the site looked at data from Sporcle, an online quiz site, that showed the results of over 500,000 people asked to name "the 100 most populous U.S. cities."

More than 99 percent of quiz takers name New York as one of the 100 most populous cities, more than any other city. About 90 percent name San Francisco and San Diego. But just two out of three remember San Jose before the allotted 12 minutes is up. That makes it the least named city of any of the 10 most populous ones. And people are more likely to remember much smaller cities, such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

FiveThirtyEight then obtained data from Google regarding searches for cities in the United States, and the site says "the [Google] data matched Sporcle extremely closely." Meaning, in relation to city size, just not that many people are searching for "San Jose."

Its fair to say we dont bat our weight in terms of marketing and reputation, San Jose's mayor, Sam Liccardo, told the publication.

San Jose is widely known for one thing, however: Dudes. Its lack of gender diversity has earned the city the nickname of "Man Jose." A fact which, we have to believe, only helped it in the search rankings.

All previous coverage of San Jose on SFist.
Conservative website Breitbart may not be for everyone. In fact, it's against a lot of people. Like Obama! You know, the guy who, in the words of the invitation to a now-cancelled meet up for enthusiasts of the website, is "trampling... the Constitution and squelching... American freedoms."

So who is Breitbart for, then? Mostly Donald Trump, at least according to one editor who quit for that very reason, calling the site a vessel for "Trump propaganda" according to Politico.

Anyway, the event, which was to be held in the enemy territory of San Francisco, was scheduled for Wednesday and led to lots of excited comments from would-be attendees. But after the Chronicle reached out to the Chapel in the Mission, who had reportedly agreed to host the meet up for a conservative group they did not know specifically was Breitbart, the venue cancelled.

"They were very sneaky," the Chapel's owner told the paper. "I'm in favor of free speech, but this is not about free speech."

The timing for a Breitbart celebration is, well, not good. The site is embroiled in scandal as reporter Michelle Fields and several editors resigned their positions, according to Buzzfeed, because her Breitbart higher-ups dismissed and attempted to discredit her widely corroborated allegations that she was assaulted by Donald Trump's campaign manager.

"Joining us for the evening will be Breitbart Tech Editor Milo Yiannopoulos as we discuss government, politics, and liberty," the invitation states. Yiannopoulos you may recall from his trollish behavior on Twitter which recently led, as Fusion wrote, to the de-verification of his account.

As one person planning to attend wrote before its cancellation, "Looking forward to discussing the implications of Chicago's silencing of Donald Trump's rally with Milo, considering this is the type of thing he is up against every time he speaks... Shutting down a political rally in the name of free speech is a FARCE!"

Now empowered by the perception that they're being similarly silenced, Breitbart enthusiasts are saying the same about themselves. "All you have to do is call us a group of racists and we're silenced," one person who had sent in an RSVP to the meet up wrote. "All we wanted to do is to have a place where we could discuss topics like fear-mongering tactics used against conservatives/libertarians and like-minded folk. I can't tell you how many outspoken anti-feminists have been censored like this."

It's okay, free speech heroes. While you may not be able to meet up in person, it seems like you're pretty comfy speaking your mind, consequence free, on the Internet.

Related: Artist Protests Facebook Ban After She Reposts 'Baby Dick' Trump Painting
When UCSF offered Jeremy Biane a job as a postdoctoral researcher in their neuroscience department, it seemed like a great deal: His wife is from SF, so they'd get to be closer to her parents, and the couple and their young son would get to live in UCSF housing instead of fighting it out in SF's rental market.

So Biane, his wife Erin Coe, and their 17-month-old son Austin packed a 16-foot Budget rental truck with all their earthly possessions and made the move from their current home in San Diego to San Francisco, as ABC 7 reports.

"It had our clothes, our furniture and a lot of electronics," Coe told ABC 7, as well as "furniture, kitchen items, and other belongings" including Austin's baby book and heirlooms from Biane's late mother, Hoodline reports.

However, the family couldn't move into UCSF's Mt. Sutro apartments immediately, so after leaving San Diego on February 29, the opted to crash at Coe's parents' place on Vicente Street between 25th and 26th Avenues. Their stuff, the couple decided, would remain in the truck parked on the Parkside street until they could move into their new place on March 7.

Coe's dad tells ABC 7 that it was the morning of March 4 when Biane asked him "Jim, did you move the truck?."

"And I said, 'No, I did not move the truck.' So he says, 'Well, I think it's missing.'"

And it was missing. Some time after 9 the previous night, the truck had been stolen.

"It was like -- how can you move a 16 foot truck in the middle of the night?" Coe told ABC 7.

Ive always felt really safe here, Coe told Hoodline. We were more worried about bothering the neighbors with this big truck. Were just dumbfounded.

According to ABC 7, the family has since moved into their new apartment, and is making do with furniture and baby goods given to them by friends and family. But there's been no indication that they'll ever get their stuff back.

Though Biane drove around looking for the truck and filed a police report at Taraval Station, over ten days later the truck  and all their belongings  seems gone for good.

The officer said that this was the first time he had heard about something like this, Biane told Hoodline. Since then, they report, "the couple have yet to hear from Budget or the police."

The truck is a 16-footer with "Budget" written on the side and Oklahoma plates that read 2RQ037. If you spot the truck, please call Taraval Station at 415-242-9753.

Previously: Neighbors Fight Back After Tourist Hotspot Becomes Car Break-In Zone
A five-year undercover FBI probe into corruption at City Hall heretofore shrouded in secrecy may no longer be kept so quiet. While the work of the District Attorney's office and the FBI's San Francisco office recently landed former state Senator Leland Yee a five-year sentence in federal prison for racketeering and in January brought corruption charges against former Human Rights Commission staffers Nazly Mohajer and Zula Jones as well as Yee's former political consultant Keith Jackson, details of the probe's findings have been scant.

Indeed, District Attorney George Gascon hasn't disclosed much since filing the charges against those last three officials. That's because in 2014 US District Judge Charles Breyer, in whose court Yee was sentenced as well as another major probe-caught figure found guilty, one Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, had issued a protective order keeping both the prosecution and defense from disclosing evidence outside the trial. But now KRON 4 reports that an SF judge has ruled that the protective order doesn't apply to the related state corruption case regarding Jones, Mahajer, and Jackson.

A spokesperson for Gascon says that city prosecutors will seek a new protective order from a Superior Court judge. That's something Public Defender Jeff Adachi's office opposes. We think a trial about public corruption should be public. We think it should be as transparent as possible, spokesperson Tamara Aparton reportedly said.

As of now, Judge Breyer has clarified that, in terms of his original protective order, "The state court is not bound by the protective order in this case and may enter any order pertaining to the affected materials that it considers appropriate." As prosecutors haven't provided them with evidence, defense attorneys say that their clients are not yet able to offer any pleas.

Previously: [Update] Three Local Politicos, Including Keith Jackson, Indicted On Corruption Charges
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This blog is about the political struggle I am engaging in Singapore. The title "Singapore Alternatives" is chosen because my only political dream is to build a true alternative in Singapore. Alternative to PAP government, of course. As the Alternative, the political party must be able to have the visions and policy insights to lead Singapore. I will write on various policy views and personal beliefs that I think is crucial in building up the Alternative. All constructive comments are welcome.
LE MARS, Iowa | A San Diego-based alternative energy company is looking to enter Iowa's wind farm industry in rural Plymouth County.

EDF Renewable Energy proposes to build an estimated $200 million wind farm between Kingsley and Le Mars, said County Zoning Administrator Alan Lucken.

Company officials will meet with rural landowners this week to discuss the construction of roughly 100 windmills, which could include easements.

The company did not return multiple phone calls seeking comment Monday.

Lucken said the project is currently in the initial planning stage. Plymouth County officials have not entered into any agreements.

The proposed wind farm is smaller than O'Brien County's Highland Wind Farm, which opened in Primghar, Iowa, in December 2015.

In recent years, private companies have pushed wind farms in rural Iowa. For those counties, that means an increased property tax base.

O'Brien Wind Farm, which will have 104 turbines, and Ida Grove Wind Farm in Ida County, which will have 134 turbines, are expected to be finished by the end of 2016.

Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy spent $900 million on the wind farms in O'Brien and Ida counties. Those county officials said the company will pay $42.5 million in property taxes in the first 10 years after the project is done.
MUSCATINE, Iowa | The state GOP chair encouraged a gathering of local Republicans in Muscatine to rally behind the party's nominee, whomever that may be.

Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann, of Wilton, spoke with Republican Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, at Rivers Edge Gallery on Monday. He said he is not concerned with who the nominee will be, because Republicans will rally behind him.

All of these four gentleman that are left all have their pros and cons, Kaufmann said, but if you take number four, whoever that person is, depending on who youre talking about they could be anyone, they will be multiple times better than Hillary Clinton.

Kaufmann also said that he wanted to dispel rumors of a brokered convention, because there would be no benefit for the party attempting to undermine any candidate, and delegates will reflect the votes.

"We are bound, if you wanna know how we're going to vote, how I'm going to vote, when we go to convention we mirror exactly what our caucuses do."

Before the event, in an interview with the Muscatine Journal, Kaufmann said that if Trump wins the nomination, "the party will back him 100 percent."

Mr. Trump is exercising his First Amendment rights and shame on anybody that wants to take them away from him," Kaufmann said when asked after the event about the Chicago protests. "If folks want to just get up out of their homes because they just do not like that message and protest, go for it, and if we need to enlarge the area for them to stand in well do that. But thats not what this is about, this is about moveon.org trying to make points, and both sides have the right for their First Amendment rights and they dont have the right to shut down the event, any more than Donald Trump has the right to tell them they cant stand outside the event."

After the event, Kaufmann told the Journal that the party's focus on individual rights will be the Democrats' downfall.

"We're going to pull the rug out from under them, we are breaking glass ceilings, we break diversity ceilings, and not once, not one time in the thousands of people I have talked to, not once have a heard a single Republican comment on the ethnicity of our candidates, Republicans are colorblind, Republicans are gender blind, all we see are human beings that want to make this country better," Kaufmann said. "What else could you want for people that you lead than people that judge by integrity and not by any other factor?"

He also stated that although he appreciates that people are strong advocates for their candidates now, the party will stand united and he is hopeful Independents will follow.

Theres going be a lot of conversation and some people its going to take a month or so, but I feel very strongly that the last eight years has done more to provide me more glue for the party than anything else, he said, and to Independents I think with a little help the case can be made.

Northey told Republicans that he hopes to help farmers independently grow cover crops and remain prepared for bird flu, should another outbreak occur. He also stressed that while he wants to help Iowans, he does not want to government to have a large role.

"We have used some state money to help cost share some of those practices, so we make it a little easier for folks to get started, to try it, to figure out what works," Northey said. "And then the desire is to be able to eventually step away and say, 'You're seeing so much benefit from cover crops (that's that crop growing from last fall to planting next spring) that we don't need state money to help you do that in the future, you're doing it because it helps your soil, it helps control erosion, helps build organic matter, and by the way, it also helps with water quality.'"

He said the same approach will be taken to bird flu, and the government will not be lenient if any birds are found this year, but he is hopeful that Iowa has seen the last of the bird flu.

Kaufmann and Northey both said they were glad to be in Muscatine, and after growing up in Wilton, Kaufmann said it felt like coming home.

About 30 people attended the event.
EVERLY, Iowa | Authorities have identified the man who shot himself when confronted by law enforcement after an armed robbery Friday in Everly, Iowa.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Joshua Emerson Mandelkow, 40, of Milford, Iowa, allegedly robbed Barb's Corner, 1290 U.S. Highway 18, about 2:30 p.m. Officials said the suspect brandished a shotgun, entered the restaurant and demanded money from employees.

Mandelkow fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash and headed north on 130th Avenue in a silver vehicle. Deputies made contact with him 15 minutes later in the 2200 block of 160th Avenue.

When a deputy tried to stop Mandelkow, he shot himself. No deputies were injured, the sheriff's office said.

Mandelkow was taken to Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake, Iowa. He was then transferred to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.

A hospital spokeswoman said Mandelkow was in fair condition Tuesday.

The sheriff's office said no charges have been filed because the investigation remains ongoing.
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If your business depends upon online traffic, you should know. More than half of digital traffic online now comes from mobile devices and through mobile apps.

A comScore report says smartphones and tablets combined now account for 6o percent of all online traffic up from 50 percent a year ago. And 51 percent of that traffic is driven by mobile apps (like those for digital radio such as Pandora or Spotify, digital messaging like WhatsApp or Viber and social apps like Facebook and Twitter.)

Significantly, this is a very different measure than the amount of organic traffic driven by mobile, as cited in another recent report from SEO platform BrightEdge.

That study suggested that about 23 percent of organic traffic to websites now originates from Android or iPhone devices while 12 percent comes from tablets. But this report looked only at traffic originating from mobile search, in other words, someone looking for something using a search engine like Google or Bing via their phone or tablet.

The comScore report examines a much broader cross section of online traffic. It could just as easily be looking at visitors delivered to your website via a link on a Facebook app as from a mobile search for your business on a search engine.

One conclusion is that, while categories like digital radio and photo sites like Instagram and Flickr may draw more activity, for marketers (and small businesses) social media is most important.

In its official report, comScore explains:

While social networking does not rank at the very top of this list among the most mobile-skewing content categories, it is arguably the most important. The #1 category in terms of overall digital engagement accounting for 20% of total digital time spent, social networking now generates more than 70% of its activity on mobile. When considering the categorys contribution to total digital ad spending, its rapid shift to mobile marks an important sign of the times for the Internet economy.

The report adds that:

Mobile activity on social media has grown by 55 percent over the past year.

It has also accounted for 31 percent of all growth in Internet activity over the same period.

Facebook alone accounts for 24 percent of all mobile activity online and its primary app is responsible for 18 percent.

The report should give you a whole new perspective on the importance of social media marketing for your business, especially on sites like Facebook.
Several people who I promote because I respect what they are doing, have reported being targeted by the abusers who are chasing me around the internet manipulating people against me. Police are involved.

snakeappletree is not the real life person upon whom the caricature is loosely based. It is a collaborative allegory legitimately created by an authorized design team. The moniker snakeappletree and alternyms xeno-heart-feather/blade, including other-level translations of hieroglyphic cartouche, are intellectual property of Ordo Octopia. All Rights Reserved. "Accreditation is everything." snakeappletree

quote quota

Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.



G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy





"Theres an unwritten compact between you and the reader. If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned money(energy) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give."



Frank Herbert






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.
It was not solely 1400 years ago that a little girl named Aisha married a 55-year-old man, although Muslims, their scholars, Sheiks and Imams argue to the contrary. Tens of thousands of Aishas are being forced to marry elder man on a daily basis under the name of Islam in Muslim nations in the 21century. No one is even raising an eyebrow. For example, according to the latest reports from Persian news outlets, the number of the child marriages has been dramatically increasing in the Islamic Republic. According to the Students' News Agency and Radio Farda, these marriages include girls under 10 years old.On the other hand, the hypocritical politicians in the Islamist regime of Iran point out that there is gender equality in Iran and that Islam respects both women and men. For example, recently, Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Islamic Republic's vice president for women and family affairs who led a delegation to the United Nations in New York, lied to the international community in stating that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has always had the empowerment of women and improving their status...on its agenda."What is also hidden by the ruling clerics, and from most of the reports, is the fact that the notion of forcing a child girls into marriage is encouraged in Iran. In addition, the groom is normally a much older man. These children are forced to sleep with their older male husbands on the first night of the marriage so that the family of the groom can be certain that the child is a virgin.Many of these girls are forced into marriage due to the fact that their parents want to get rid of their daughters since a girl is considered much more inferior to a man. There exists a plenitude of verses from the Quran and hadiths from Muhammad declaring that women are legally, physically, socially and intellectually inferior to men.I discuss these issues in detail in " A God Who Hates Women ."In order to remove such atrocities against girls and children, the question to ask is: What are the elements in Islamic societies that permit and give legitimacy to crimes against children such as child marriage? The answer is clear: Islam.Although many apologetic Western Muslim scholars suggest that it is not the religion of Islam that is to blame, I would argue that it is in fact the religion of Islam and its legal codes that allow such inhumane crimes.The fact is that the parents of these children use the example of Muhammads marriage and Aisha when they want to marry off their kids. Muhammad is the model for Muslims. He is infallible. So whatever he did was correct and directed by Allah.The fact is that that raping little girls is legalized in the penal code of the Islamic Republic, based on Islam, which provides the platform and legal code to do so.When you ask Western Muslim scholars why Muhammad married Aisha when he over 50 years old and she was nine years old, they will respond that that was 1400 years ago and it was okay then. But none of them criticize the child marriages that now occur under Islam -- because they either approve of what is happening or they know that legal codes in the Quran and the example of Muhammads life allow it. (Muslims are told by Muhammad to follow Quran, his sayings, and the way he lived.)Thus, the rape of little girls is happening legally due to the Islamic codes. In addition, it was after the Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979 that the clerics lowered the legal marriage age for girls and boys.The truth of the matter is that Muhammad left the religion of Islam with such an unyielding and inflexible character that it is impossible for it to evolve, change, or adapt to modern civilization and human rights standards. He also left Islam with specific penal codes in the Quran that promote crimes such as suppressing, dehumanizing, and subjugating women, as well as providing the legal platform for pedophiles or those who want to legally marry a girl under 10 years old.
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The Swedish authorities have filed criminal charges against a Syrian man who is suspected of having participated in the mass killing of captured Syrian soldiers in 2012.





The police arrested the man, Haisam Omar Sakhanh, on Friday, in the town of Karlskoga, Sweden , and charged him with a crime against international law.





In September 2013, The New York Times revealed the mass killings , publishing a video showing Syrian rebels killing seven captured soldiers, in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria . A former rebel, who was repulsed by the atrocities, provided a video of the killings to The Times.





On Monday, the Swedish authorities said that Mr. Sakhanh had traveled to Sweden in June 2013 and applied for asylum. During his initial meetings with immigration officials he was fingerprinted and interviewed, Detective Inspector Sven-Ake Blombergsson, of the war crimes unit of the Swedish Police Authoritys national operations department, said in a phone interview.





Mr. Sakhanh was found to have withheld details about time he had spent in Italy, including an arrest in 2012, Inspector Blombergsson said. The ensuing investigation linked Mr. Sakhanh to the video of the killings.





The video, which the rebel who shared it said had been filmed for fund-raising, had not previously been publicly posted. It showed the man identified by the Swedish authorities as Mr. Sakhanh among a group of rebels as their commander, Abdul Samad Issa, recited a sectarian monologue and ordered the killing of seven shirtless and terrified prisoners, five of them bound.





The commander, known as The Uncle by his fighters, fired the first shot, into the back of one prisoners head. Then the others opened fire. The man identified as Mr. Sakhanh was shown wearing a neat brown jacket and appeared relaxed and joking. He was holding a Kalashnikov rifle, with which he shot a helpless man at his feet.





During the inquiry, Inspector Blombergsson said, the investigators learned that Mr. Sakhanh lived for some time in a town near Milan, and had been arrested in February 2012 after participating in an occupation of the Syrian Embassy in Rome. He fled Italy and joined rebels in Syria , and began working with the commander known as the Uncle.





Fingerprints from his Swedish immigration application matched those from his criminal file in Italy, Inspector Blombergsson said, and in his mug shot from Italy he appears to be wearing the same brown jacket that the gunman wore in the mass killing video. The investigators also found another video of the prisoners, with many rebels posing behind them before the killing. Mr. Sakhanh was visible in that scene, too, the police said.





He faces life imprisonment in Sweden if convicted, Inspector Blombergsson said.





Italian officials said Monday that Mr. Sakhanh had been investigated by prosecutors in Milan in connection with several attacks in 2012 on Syrians in Lombardy who backed Syrias president, Bashar al-Assad, and with the occupation of the embassy.





The Italian officials said they were building a terrorism case against Mr. Sakhanh and  like the Swedish authorities  had investigated him for links to the mass killing.





On Monday, Maurizio Romanelli, the prosecutor in Milan who oversaw the Italian investigation, called Swedens arrest of Mr. Sakhanh a significant development, and said he would contact his Swedish counterpart to discuss the cases.





In Sweden, the local prosecutor handling Mr. Sakhanhs case, Kristina Lindhoff Carleson, has asked the judge to move the investigation from Orebro, a city in south-central Sweden about 25 miles east of Karlskoga, where Mr. Sakhanh was arrested, to Stockholm, the capital.





This will be quite a long investigation, Susanne Ekberg-Carlsson, Mr. Sakhanhs court-appointed defense lawyer, said in a phone interview on Monday. There will be more interrogations.

She added: The only thing I can say is that he has been interrogated by the police, of course. Today there was an arrest hearing in front of the judge. He opposed the arrest and he denied there is probable cause for the crimes he is suspected of.




St. Mary's County Government seeks to gauge interest from local produce vendors, who may be interested in providing fresh grown produce, and locating intermittently during business hours on the St. Mary's Governmental Center campus in Leonardtown, to offer produce sales and options for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Vendors who accept WIC FMNP/SFMNP & FVC are preferred. The Governmental Center is home to numerous governmental offices and receives many visitors daily.Interested farmers produce stand operators should call Amber Hebert, Department of Human Resources, at 301 475-4200, ext. *1110. Only actively licensed vendors who carry sufficient auto liability, product liability, and general liability insurance coverages will be considered.This notification is only seeking interest and is not a formal solicitation or a promise of a business location at the Governmental Center. The address is: St. Mary's County Governmental Center, 23115 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650.Produce stand operators should provide notification of their interest no later than Friday April 1, 2016.The Healthy Eating & Active Living (HEAL) action team of the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership invites the community to participate in a Healthy Food Drive to support our local food pantries. The Healthy Food Drive will take place at the 33rd Annual Easter Egg Festival, organized by the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks, on Saturday, March 19 from 12:004:00 p.m. at the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds. Healthy food donations include canned or non-perishable items, such as canned goods that are low sodium or have no added sugars, and whole grain and high fiber food products, such as whole-grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals. Any local pantries that would like to sign up to be on the distribution list should contact Jenna Mulliken at jenna.mulliken@maryland.gov. For more information about the Annual Easter Egg Festival, please visit www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/easter Healthy Eating and Active Living are essential in the prevention and control of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure. These chronic diseases contribute to the leading causes of death nationally and here in St. Mary's County. The Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) action team of the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership brings together community organizations and residents to coordinate local action around healthy eating and active living. Joining the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership is free and new members are always welcome. Please visit www.healthystmarys.com for information on membership or activities.The Commission on Aging will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 15 at 1 p.m. at the Garvey Senior Activity Center in Leonardtown. The topic of discussion will be the new Garvey Senior Activity Center.For more information about the Commission on Aging, visit www.co.saint-marys.md.us/voluntr/Commission%20of%20Aging.asp The National Weather Service's Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office has confirmed a tornado touched down along the St. Mary's County shoreline, just south of Beauvue, back on Tuesday February 24, 2016.A National Weather Service ground survey, along with radar analysis, concluded the Tappahannock Virginia tornadowhich created a 30 mile path of damage across the middle peninsula and Northern Neck of Virginiacrossed the Potomac and traveled one mile into St. Mary's County before dissipating. The Tornado which impacted St. Mary's was small. Most of its 6.5 mile path in the county was over the Potomac River. However, once it moved ashore, it produced damage along a 1.1 mile path that was oriented southwest to northeast across Hampton Road. The National Weather Service has classified this Tornado as an EF-0 with peak winds estimated at 65 MPH.The tornados path was approximately 75 yards. Two large trees were uprooted on private property in the 20500 block of Hampton Road. Two cedar trees sheared in half along Hampton Road, and a tree down in the 20700 block of Hampton Road.Areas further north, just east of Leonardtown, were also inspected, but no additional tornadic damage was found.Location: Beauvue in St. Mary's County MarylandDate: February 24, 2016Estimated Time: 7:05 to 7:14 PM ESTMaximum EF-Scale Rating: EF0Estimated Maximum Wind Speed: 65 MPHMaximum Path Width: 75 yardsPath Length: 6.5 MilesMembers of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of St. Mary's Countyor RSVPare seniors 55 years of age and older who give their time and talent by volunteering with local county agencies, non-profit groups, and community organizations throughout the year.More than 300 local RSVP volunteers were recognized at a luncheon for donating 35,207 hours in 2015, valued at $929,817. The figures are calculated using figures from Independent Sector."We thank the RSVP volunteers for their efforts in 2015," said Commissioner President Randy Guy. "Their time and talents save the county tens of millions of dollars every year. We are forever grateful for all they provide to our community."Norine Rowe, RSVP Project Manager, presented Commissioner President Guy with a ceremonial check representing the value of volunteer hours provided by members of RSVP.RSVP is sponsored by the St. Mary's County Department of Aging and Human Services. The long-standing volunteer program has helped place seniors in volunteer positions for over 30 years.Ms. Sarita Lee, Student Board member, and Mr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of Schools, are pleased to announce that St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) will host a student sponsored summit, "Changing Our CultureBuilding Resiliency", focusing on mental health and substance misuse prevention. The summit will be held on March 18, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center (JAFCTC) located at 24005 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650.The purpose of the summit is to improve mental health and build resiliency in our students while increasing awareness and educating our community about the risks and dangers associated with substance misuse. The summit will generate discussion about steps to be taken at the student's school that will serve to bring further understanding about the value of good decision making and personal resiliency. Over 160 middle and high school students representing public and non-public schools in St. Mary's County will attend the summit that will be led and facilitated by fellow students.The summit will feature a keynote address by Mark Besen, Ph.D. of North Carolina. Mr. Besen is a clinical psychologist who has been involved in leadership and program design in large community behavioral health agencies for over 20 years. He is a national suicide prevention consultant for the QPR institute and has worked with communities, hospitals, behavioral health providers, states, universities and school districts in building cultures of hope and access to treatment. He has trained professionals and advocated for improvement in risk detection and treatment for behavioral health problems including substance use and other psychiatric disorders.Funding for the summit is provided through a grant provided by the Commissioners of St. Mary's County. The summit is co-sponsored and supported through several community partnerships. Supporting partners include the St. Mary's County Health Department, St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, St. Mary's County Department of Aging and Human Services, Walden Behavioral Health of Southern Maryland, and the Behavioral Health Action Team of the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership.The Board of Education of St. Mary's County has continually supported the education of students, parents, guardians, and the community at large as a key strategy in substance misuse prevention and increasing awareness about the resources available in our community to help prevent other high risks behaviors.Exhibitors representing community resources available for families and youth will be represented and available during the summit. Exhibitor space for the summit is available, but limited, and will be filled as requests for space are received. If you would like to apply to sponsor an exhibit, please submit the exhibitor registration form available via the SMCPS home page www.smcps.org/safety-and-security/youth-summit . Exhibitors will be notified when their application has been approved.For more information on the summit please contact the Department of Safety and Security at 301-475-5511, extension 32235.
While the states LGBT community has been trying to avoid taking steps backward with anti-LGBT bills like HB 757, there is a sliver of good news to report from the Gold Dome. A bill that would expand the list of medical conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana includes HIV/AIDS, and its one step closer to passage.

House Bill 722 is the brainchild of state Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon), who has been a medical marijuana champion these last two legislative sessions. Pressure from Gov. Nathan Deal and law enforcement groups forced HIV/AIDS and other conditions to be stripped from last years bill, so Peake introduced HB 722 this year both to expand the list of medical conditions and to create a state-sponsored program to grow and manufacture medical marijuana in-state.

That second factor was key since, while low-dose cannabis oil is legal in Georgia for those with the approved conditions, they have to travel out of state to get it, putting them in fear of prosecution in other states. However, law enforcement groups stepped in again this year and killed that portion of the bill.

The House passed the watered-down version of the bill on Feb. 29, which in addition to adding HIV/AIDS to the approved medical conditions would include post-traumatic stress disorder, epidermolysis bullosa, Tourettes syndrome and more.

I have fought hard, and will continue to fight hard for inclusion of HIV/AIDS on the qualified condition list, Rep. Peake tells Georgia Voice. Having a gay brother in Atlanta, I am well aware of the health challenges of the gay community, and will continue to fight for this condition to be included in the medical cannabis law.

Peake also referenced his brother, corporate recruiter Merwin Peake, in an email to Gov. Nathan Deal and House Speaker David Ralston when proposing an alternative to HB 757, the anti-LGBT legislation thats roiled the state and now sits in the House.

HB 722 is now under consideration in the Senate.
Weeks after he announced he would sign an executive order banning LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, President Obama this week unveiled plans to issue another executive order that will protect federal employees from discrimination based on gender identity.

The announcement was made during a Monday-evening Pride gathering at the White House.

A former executive order from President Clinton banned discrimination in federal employment based on sexual orientation but no order had previously been issued regarding gender identity. There remains no federal law banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and more than half of the states, including Pennsylvania, lack such protections.

The majority of Fortune 500 companies already have nondiscrimination policies because its the right thing to do and because many say it helps to retain and attract the best talent, Obama said Monday. And I agree. So if Congress wont act, I will.

The new executive order would prevent an individuals actual or perceived gender identity from factoring into decisions on hiring, firing and promotions within the federal government.

National Center for Transgender Equality executive director Mara Keisling was on hand when Obama made the announcement.

She said Obamas action stands to protect countless numbers of transgender federal employees who have, for too long, had to hide who they are at work. Though this administration has interpreted existing law to cover transgender federal employees, updating the language of this executive order makes 100-percent clear that transgender federal employees must be treated equally at work.

Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin praised Obamas leadership on the issue.

President Obama proved yet again why he will be remembered as the most pro-LGBT president in history, Griffin said. Each and every American worker should be judged based on the work they do and never because of a fundamental aspect of who they are  like their gender identity. And the federal government, like employers across America, is best served by ensuring every qualified individual is able to serve without fear of discrimination.

Obama did not announce a timeline for the order but confirmed his staff is drafting the other recent federal-contractor order.

Also this week, the Department of Labor clarified that discrimination against transgender people is illegal sex discrimination.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found in 2012 that discrimination based on an individuals transgender status qualifies as discrimination based on sex under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. But the Department of Labor had not, until now, announced whether it would apply the decision to cases that fall under the current executive order banning discrimination by federal contractors.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Civil Rights Center is issuing guidance confirming that federal workers who identify as transgender are protected from discrimination under Title VII.
The election left many people disappointed in some way or other and despairing for the future. It's time to stop waiting on other people and ask what you've done to make Slovakia a better place.

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As the election results showed, people of Slovakia are fed up with corruption, cronyism, and backdoor deals. While hoping for change in a new coalition, the last days of proceedings seem to keep dredging up more dirt, as Prochazka lies about meeting Fico and Kollar claims that 2 million euro per head were offered to join a Smer coalition.

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It's easy to be disheartened in politics and conclude, therefore, that the future of Slovakia is a lost cause. Indeed, no matter what good intentions a person enters politics with, it takes a particular strength of character and integrity to resist the personal benefits that can come from positions of power. The easiest person to lie to is oneself, politician or not.

A more uncomfortable question, however, is asking what I, an ordinary person, have done to create a country of solidarity and integrity, from which will come strength. It's easy to blame other people. It's harder to take responsibility to do something.

When I first came to Slovakia, I was shocked at a particularly ugly kind of littering. Often on quiet roads that wander into forests or through fields are large piles of trash - not just a random snack wrapper but a heap of garbage bags bursting at the seams, a rusty washing machine or slashed up couch. Who even does this?? I ranted. Besides garbage trucks, there are travelling vehicles picking up electronics and appliances through smaller towns, blaring their loudspeaker. Towns often have large containers brought a few times a year that people can fill with bigger pieces of trash.

The people who dump their garbage in the forests and fields, they don't care about the ugliness, the disorder, the potential danger, the environmental damage, or that somebody else will have to clean it up. All they care about is that it's no longer in their house, it's no longer in their little area of narrow vision.

To a large extent this attitude was created by communism, not just about garbage but taking care of things in general. "I take care of my little personal space and that of my friends, and the rest is somebody else's responsibility." It's time to get over that.

There are, of course, signs that social responsibility is waking up, like the story of Miroslav Pagac, who started a transparent fund to pay striking teachers their lost wages. And people in Slovakia trusted him enough to support it with 60,563.71 of their own money.

But we don't have to wait for grand opportunities or have special know-how. You can start to build integrity, create solidarity, and grow social responsibility no matter what small town you live in or how limited your income is.

Make sure your children aren't cheating at school - cheating is rampant in Slovakia, and without integrity there how can we have integrity in the future political sphere?

Join or organize volunteer efforts in spring cleaning the streets of garbage. When I was in elementary school, every spring we took a day to don bags and tongs, and spread out over our small town to pick up litter, at the same time learning that garbage doesn't magically take care of itself.

Know a family that is struggling financially, maybe unemployed? Ask for help cleaning up the house or yard, or starting that project you haven't gotten around to and pay them. In some countries it is the responsibility of those who have money to hire help - not because they are rich and therefore lazy and luxurious, but because it's a way to share their good fortune.

Gather stories of the generations who experienced life under totalitarian regimes, and find a way to share it with our youth. History in a textbook is boring, at least when I was a teen; history needs to be made alive. Historical fiction novels or real people visiting schools, anything, because if the youth lose the experience of those who have come before, we are doomed to repeat history.

If nothing else, bring a meal to a mom with a newborn.

Maybe these ideas seem paltry. Like they won't change anything. It's true that a grassroots movement can't make laws. We need politicians and hope for honest ones.

But if you're only waiting for someone else to make Slovakia a better country, you'll be sadly disappointed. It's your turn to step up to the plate.

Naomi blogs about the culture, food, and life in Slovakia at Almost Bananas.
Green to households project gives the end consumer access to EU money.

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SLOVAK households are generally lukewarm toward renewable energy, but a project that allows them to access EU subsidies which was launched in December is trying to change this. Interest was so high that it led to suspicions that robots rather than people were filling out online applications.

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The project Zelena domacnostiam  Green to Households  gives the end consumer access to EU money, supports alternative sources and increases the awareness of the people about these green energy solutions, said Veronika Galekova, the director of the Slovak Association of Photovoltaic Industry (SAPI).

The project run by the Slovak Innovation Energy Agency (SIEA) is financed from the EU Operational Programme Quality of Environment, supervised by the Environment Ministry. The European Union has allocated a total of 115 million for the project, out of which 45 million was made available during the first phase launched in December 2015. Money will be gradually allocated via individual rounds.

EU funds expert Jan Rudolf said that the project is unique as it is the first time that EU funds flow directly to households.

The fact that all the conditions are specified and published in advance should provide transparency, Rudolf said.

On the other hand, some of the providers of alternative sources think that under the current circumstances, the project Zelena domacnostiam is just a tool for lobby groups in order to increase their share of the energy market.

Renewable energy with potential

Currently, 11 percent of Slovakias energy consumption is from alternative sources. Zelena domacnostiam is expected to increase the share to 18 percent by 2018.

The project encourages the installation of small alternative energy sources in households, said Galekova. According to her, it helps the alternative sources, particularly photovoltaics, to advance on the ladder of customer preferences.

The households can choose from small energy devices up to 10 kWh including photovoltaics, wind turbines, sun collectors, biomass and heat pumps that cover the needs of a family house. After successful application, the household gets a voucher applicable at an energy provider for 30 days.

Out of the 4,651 vouchers issued in the first and second round for which a total of more than 10 million was allocated, 1,777 were allocated to solar panels, 1,696 to photovoltaic panels, 847 for heat pumps and 331 to biomass.

The number of solar panels is equally dispersed around Slovakia, the highest interest in heat pumps was from Bratislava and Zilina regions, SIEA spokesman Eduard Jambor said, adding that the numbers prove that the alternative sources have some potential in Slovakia, but adding that the number of carried out installations will be lower.

Matus Burian from the Slovak Association of Renewable Energy (SKREA) sees the project Zelena domacnostiam as belonging to the government measures aimed at increasing the share of alternatives on the energy market of Slovakia by lowering the costs of installation.

From an economic point of view, each kilowatt of energy generated at home can lower our dependency on the supply of crude oil and natural gas, said Burian

Moreover, this form of investment creates jobs.

However, Burian pointed out that under current conditions the price for energy generated this way is not competitive with traditional fuels. Burian cited too much state intervention into the management of the alternatives as the reason.

Media information created the myth that the renewable sources are dependent on state support, explained Burian, adding that fossil fuels are also supported by the state.

Stimulus helps the new technologies overcome initial obstacles. Nevertheless, the government subsidy should be stopped when the alternative source becomes self-sufficient and begins to make a profit, according to Burian.

Any technology of energy generation can be viable only if it offers a solution that does not depend on the political, economic or environmental obstacles, now and in the future, Burian said.

Lobbying groups

Despite the popularity with the public, some experts are skeptical of the project.

In my opinion, the project is another point of the pre-election social package, which I do not consider right, Ladislav Zidek, the general director of Biomasa, an association that promotes the potential of biomass in Slovakia, told The Slovak Spectator. People utilise alternative energy sources just because it is profitable thanks to state subsidies, not for environmental reasons. It is a completely wrong approach toward alternatives.

Zidek opines that Slovakia is constantly failing to meet goals in utilisation of renewable energy sources (RES) on time and this is an example of a poorly-timed project. The long-planned project caused people to put off their investments and it caused problems to the big players within RES.

According to Rudolf, the project is vulnerable to the traditional effect that accompanies state subsidies.

Certain lobby groups might attempt to obtain a monopolist position in the funding, Rudolf said, adding that these subjects can profit from spreading misleading information. Households are sensitive to this kind of manipulation, he opines.

The fact that most of the projects uses photovoltaics proves that the big players found a way to make people dependent on the global industries, said Zidek. He explained that small biomass providers do not have resources to help people with big projects, or are sidelined by the government.

Robots did not fill the applications

Zidek points to the second round of Zelena domacnostiam which was hastily announced and the resources were used within hours.

Most probably, the applications were manipulated or the big players prepared projects in advance and submitted them on a short notice, he opines, reacting to the accusations that a large number of applications could have been filled by software robots.

SIEA confirmed that their check did not reveal any software manipulation. Before launching the application process, they hedged against potential manipulation. SKREA recommends additional measures, such as recording of the IP address and user details of the applicants.

The people interested in the vouchers did not understand why the number of applications was so high and turned to the media for an explanation, said Jambor.

They, however, did not know that SIEA did not start the numbering in the second round from zero but carried on in the order from the first round, which led to misinformation.

The suspicion that the applications in the second round were submitted by robots was due to this misunderstanding, Burian said.

Galekova stressed that the criteria of the project stem from European regulations and therefore some applications must be prioritised.

Additional criteria of the Operational Programme Quality of Natural Environment have to be taken into consideration, Burian said.

Therefore the projects that have the lowest impact on the environment are prioritised.

During the whole year, we stressed that the households should choose devices that are useful and apply only when they gathered enough information about the advantages and disadvantages, Jambor explained. However, many households applied without proper preparation, which blocked the access to the resources for others, he said.

For the upcoming rounds SIEA added a detailed manual to the application and the people have to specify the alternative source and contractor.

It would also help if the households applied for the vouchers only when they are really interested and ready for the installation, Jambor said.
In the future, Slovakia could profit from exporting electricity to the Balkans; as the country will have a greater supply than needed for consumption.

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For this plan to become reality, the connections at the Slovak-Hungarian border region must be expanded. And here, problems emerge.

Two such projects  Gabcikovo-Gonyu and Rimavska Sobota-Sajoivanka  are already planned in detail. However, the deadlines for their completion are being postponed, as are negotiations concerning them, the Energia.sk website wrote.

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In mid-January, the European Commission supported these two projects, approving a subsidy of 1.6 million. The subsidy was requested by the state Slovak Electricity Transmission Network (SEPS) which is responsible for the projects. In total, the EC allocated 217 million for projects in central and eastern Europe. Those on the Slovak-Hungarian border are vital for Slovakia, analysts point out.

Slovak-Hungarian profile is identified in the long term as one of the bottleneck points  it does not have sufficient transmission capacities, energy expert of the Euractiv website told the Hospodarse Noviny daily. She added that this is an obstacle for international trade in electric power.

New transmission lines are undoubtedly connected also with new blocks of Mochovce [nuclear power plant] which are currently being completed by the Slovenske Elektrarne power utility, Martin Dargaj of the Veneregtike.sk website opined.

After their completion, Slovakia could send power to the south, as there would be surplus on the market.

Thanks to new Slovak-Hungarian lines, Slovakia will be able to export power produced here to the Balkans where still electricity is lacking, he adds.

Even Hungarians could consume the surplus energy.

The construction of two new transmission lines will cost more than 40 million, Energia.sk wrote. It raises questions, though, to what extent this investment will pay off.
Individual modules of BE batteries can be put together and interconnected into big units.

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SPECIAL Blue Energy (BE) new generation batteries, to store electric power with high efficiency, function on unconventional chemical components  manganese dioxide, carbon and saltwater; with industrial cotton used as a separator. For almost a year, the Bratislava-based Emel company has been testing them in Slovakia.

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Their advantage when compared to currently used lithium or lead batteries is the fact that they are non-flammable, explosion-proof, non-toxic and recyclable, CEO of the company, Ludovit Hamas, explained for the TASR newswire.

The effectiveness of BE batteries is 85 percent, while with other types, it is 70 percent. Moreover, their lifespan is long, they can be recharged without being damaged and the number of recharging cycles is 5,000.

If this possibility is not fully used, but only about 15 percent of energy is used from the batteries, there can be as many as 35,000 such cycles; which prolongs the lifespan to 100 years, Hamas added.

Currently, Emel tests a BE battery with capacity of 20 Kilowatt-hours  which is enough for a house using photovoltaic panels, wind turbines or cheaper night power. The goal is to test their reliability and check all declared parameters, according to Hamas.

This is the application of a US patent; and these batteries have already started to be manufactured commercially, and so it is not just laboratory tests, he added. Their certification is also being made in the Electrotechnical Testing Institute in Prague, according to European norms.

Individual modules of BE batteries can be put together and interconnected into big units. Emel prepares projects to assemble a set of batteries with capacity of 33,293 MWh. Such sets are very apt for developing countries of South America, Asia and Africa.

Hamas can imagine the use of BE batteries also in Slovakia: for example when securing relatively cheap electricity for Roma settlements.

He says that if such a module is built close to a settlement, batteries could be re-charged from cheap night electricity. During the day, the stored energy would be used for common consumption in households.

He calculated that only one-tenth of the batteries capacity would suffice for that. The rest could be returned to the grid during day energy peak times when the electricity is most expensive, which could bring also an economic effect.

Also the company INTERGEO a.s. Bojnice plans to use them, within projects of building renewable sources of energy. The Bojnice-based company will be the agent of BE batteries representation for Slovakia.

They combine all necessary qualities, CEO of the company Michal Bartko said, as cited by TASR. Compared to lithium or lead batteries, they need no expensive maintenance, and are fully environmentally-friendly.
How will Bugar and Prochazka rule with someone whose refugee-crisis-time vocabulary could beat any extremist?

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THE VOTER has dealt the cards and compromise has become one of the most often repeated slogans of a game the result of which will have a much more serious consequence for the country than just a Sunday game of canasta.

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Nationalist SNS that, since the times it last ruled with Smer and Vladimir Meciars HZDS, changed its facade at most, suddenly co-decides about the character of the future ruling coalition.

And it did not surprise anyone that a party that has scandals from the first term of Robert Fico as prime minister in its CV, now decided to strengthen the hopes for his third government.

Even the rightist parties were willing to digest the presence of SNS in the government, that potential centre-right one, and called on Bela Bugar to overlook that in the past the driving engine of this party was urging the fire of passions against the minorities.

The Most-Hid chairman decided to digest the potential government with SNS. So much so, that he alone joined talks about entering such a government with Smer. And Radoslav Prochazka, humiliated by the election results, also negotiates with the party that might be calling for a stable government, but so far remains without self-reflection.

Bugar and Prochazka claim that it is their ambition to push through the anti-corruption package, but to do that, Robert Fico would have to admit that his government created a friendly environment for octopuses in health care, nepotism and corruption at all levels of the state administration. Smer would have to change the genetic code it works on: distributing on the basis of party affiliation.

How will Most-Hid promote minority policies with the man whose refugee-crisis-time vocabulary could have beaten any extremist? With the politician who in the past stated that he did not build the state primarily for minorities and his idea of them is that they have extended hands, but almost minimum cultivation of civic virtues.

What will Bugar and Prochazka do if Robert Fico as a prime minister in their common government wont communicate with the media, thus ignoring part of his own voters? Or if, driven by the vision of an inflated voter support once again sues some European institution?

Compromise might be an art of politics, but it should in the first place be beneficial to the voters, because if it isnt, then it will empty the contents of politics, and some politicians too, and the government with Fico might be their swan song.

Not only for them, but also for standard democracy.
Radio_Head Awards presented.

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It has shown that if musicians want to attract the Slovak audience they should sing Slovak or at least combine English texts with Slovak ones, said Maros Hecko of the public Radio_FM that bestowed the Radio_Head awards as cited by the Sme daily. Only one time in the eight-year history of the awards the prize for the best Slovak album went to a recording with English lyrics.

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The Radio_Head Awards appeared as natural opposition to the Slavik and Aurel popularity awards  for pop genres  eight years ago. In 2008, the Radio_FM has given a chance for different music than known from the commercial, mainstream media. The awards were presented at a gala show in Stara Trznica (Old Market Hall) on March 13.

This year the distribution of awards was very colourful when only one band won two awards - the band Satenove ruky. With its album Bozkavam won categories the Debut of the Year and the Album of the Year/the Award of Critics. Hecko ascribes the popularity of Satenove ruky also because their style of humour is fresh, there is no cliche in their texts and they speak to especially listeners of the middle-age generation.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/Db6dArjM5f0

The Album of the Year went to Chiki liki tu-a for its album Slzy tvy mamy, Sedivy a spol.

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When a band has been on the scene for already 20 years then its return after a longer silence raises great interest, said Hecko. In the past the band managed to speak to a wide audience and in categories decided by listeners it always matter more how many people know musicians from media.

Bulp, a nickname of Damo Stefanec became the Discovery of the Year; inspired by projects Mount Kimbie or Moderat.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/5IpnKmA7VBk

The Single of the Year went to the Billy Barman band for its song Mladym chyba vojna (The youth misses war). Allegedly they were preparing it for five months, while it consists of two parts with different melodies, mood and pace.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/3NZNwNbKRGs

Other awards for individual genres went to Solamente Naturali (world music), Strapo (hip-hop, rap, R'n'B), Jimmy Pe (electronic music), Morna (hard & heavy band), Lubos Sramek & His E. E. Artsemble ft. Peter Erskine (jazz), Eva Suskova (classical music), and Samco, brat dazdoviek + Robo Rybolov + Omraztok (experimental music).

The award of the Advance Investments Foundation was given to the band Max Bazowski and special award of the Slovak Protective Association of Authors (SOZA) for extraordinary contribution to Slovak music went to composer Ladislav Kupcovic. The award for contribution went to recently deceased Juraj Kusnierik.
On March 14 Slovakia marks the anniversary of the launch of the first independent Slovak state that was created with the backing of Nazi Germany.

PM Robert Fico (l) accompanied by Pavol Mestan, director of the Museum of Jewish Culture lays wreath at the Holocaust memorial. (Source: TASR)

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That state, whose president was priest Josef Tiso, is known to have deported some 70,000 Jews to death camps and expropriated their property, then worth billions of Slovak crowns.

This year, on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the first Slovak states founding, Prime Minister Rober Fico laid a wreath on the monument dedicated to Holocaust victims at Rybne Namestie square in Bratislava. It was not so much for the past as for the sake of the present and future that Fico came to pay his respects to the victims.

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Slovakia can be proud of many things, said Fico as cited by the TASR newswire. However, theres one aspect we must never allow to be taken away from us because its a fundamental pillar of our statehood and thats the resistance against fascism.

Fico voiced his surprise over last weeks general election results seen in some Slovak villages including those in which citizens were killed during the Slovak National Uprising, like Ostry Grun in Banska Bystrica Region.

The far-right People's Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) of Marian Kotleba scored 8.1 percent in the March 5 parliamentary elections.

If the party, whose representative [MP Marian Magat] claims that Hitler was more or less an okay guy and the Holocaust was a hoax, manages to garner almost one-fifth of votes in a village such as Ostry Grun... then we should all be on high alert, Fico said. The village that was burned down and stands as a symbol of the atrocities committed by fascism.

Prime Minister Fico stressed that both he and his party will utilise all democratic means at their disposal to prevent such things from reoccurring. Prime Minister Fico stressed that both he and his party will utilise all democratic means at their disposal to prevent such things from reoccurring. He recommended anyone who casts doubt over the Holocaust and mass extermination of peoples to pay a visit to at least one former concentration camp.

They stand as a memento of the atrocities committed by fascism, he added.

Far right MPs at Jozef Tisos grave

On the same day three newly elected members of parliament for LSNS paid their respects to Slovak state (1939-45) president Jozef Tiso  a priest  on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of its establishment, TV Markiza reported on its website.

Three LSNS MPs  Martin Belusky, Natalia Grausova and Peter Krupa  commemorated this historical period right at Tisos grave at the Martinsky cemetery in the Bratislava borough of Ruzinov. These legislators did not want to comment on this, reported TV Markiza.
The case regarding writing-off the debts of construction company Vahostav from the portfolio of oligarch Juraj Siroky is moving forward.

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An investigator of the National Critimal Agency (NAKA) filed charges against three persons from the management of the construction company Vahostav-SK on March 14. They are suspected of committing a crime of giving preference to a creditor. By their doing they might have caused damages of almost 7 million, the SITA newswire reported.

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The police do not want to elaborate on any details for now.

Vahostav-SK has not yet received any stance from NAKA as the companys spokesperson Tomas Halan informed.

Thus for now it is impossible to say whether at the question are members of the former or current management, said Halan as cited by SITA, adding that the company will continue to cooperate with the police in the investigation.

Jan Kato, a former CEO of Vahostav-SK might be among the accused, according to the Sme daily, which estimates that it is probably members of the former management against whom NAKA filed charges.

Apart from the crime of preferring a creditor the police have started a criminal prosecution in a total of five criminal offences. Based on this, the police raided Vahostav-SK in the spring of 2015 and interrogated several individuals. Among them was the family of Siroky i. e. not only Juraj Siroky senior, who is the vice chairman of the board of directors of Vahostav-SK but also his son Juraj. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors at Vahostav-SK, Sme wrote on its website.

Last December Denisa Baloghova, spokesperson of the Police Presidium informed that the investigator had interrogated more than 20 witnesses and carried out several other proceedings to find out the facts of the case. At that time she said that the police also asked several countries for legal assistance, including asking colleagues from Costa Rica, New Zealand, or Cyprus which are countries where shell companies and white horses in the background of Vahostav-SK sit, Sme wrote.

Vahostav-SK company escaped bankruptcy after the Robert Fico government pushed through the parliament legislation enabling a bigger bailout of small creditors. In May the court officially passed the restructuring plan of the ill-fated Vahostav-SK company owing millions of euros to its creditors and on the brink of bankruptcy. Under this plan banks should get back 85 percent of their claims in the next five years while small, unsecured creditors will obtain 18.75 percent. This means that during the restructuring process Vahostav-SK will settle 32.3 percent of recognised claims of 136 million. The Robert Fico government has also offered to buy claims of small creditors and pay them 50 percent of their nominal value.
New cabinet is closer.

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Representatives of Smer, the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) and two rightist parties Most-Hid and Siet reached an agreement on March 14 regarding programme priorities of the possible future cabinet after more than eight hours of negotiations. They plan to sign a complete draft of programme priorities on Tuesday, March 15.

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The result is a draft of programme priorities that is complete, said Fico as cited by the SITA newswire, adding that they did not negotiate any personal questions nor division of positions. We discussed programme intersections. We did not find any such themes that would divide us.

Fico hopes that they will approve the priorities on Tuesday morning and continue with negotiations concerning the future government.

Read also:

Read also: Siet and Most inclined to government with Smer, SNS Read more

The negotiations of delegations led by chairmen of the Smer, SNS, Most-Hid and Siet parties was initiated by Prime Minister Robert Fico, whom President Andrej Kiska authorised to form the new government.

Division of seats in cabinet

If the cabinet remains to consist of 15 seats, Smer should nominate seven members, SNS and Most-Hid should nominate three each and Siet two members, SITA reported. Reportedly Smer insists on holding, apart from the seat of the prime minister, also the positions of ministers of interior and finance, leaving Robert Kalinak and Peter Kazimir in their current places. The position of the foreign affairs minister should remain Smers with current minister Miroslav Lajcak retaining the post.

SNS should get the Defence Ministry. This party as well as Most-Hid show interest also in one of the economic ministries and thus they may get either the post of the economy minister or of the transport minister. The party of Bela Bugar might nominate Ivan Svejna to this post.

Based on the same information SNS is interested in the position of the speaker of parliament.

Siet parliamentary caucus may shrink

In response to the start of the negotiations about the future cabinet, in which Siet was involved as well, former Siet vice-chair Miroslav Beblavy, another Siet vice-chair Katarina Machackova and Simona Petrik said that if Siet signs a coalition agreement with Smer, they will leave the party.

Coalition talks related to forming of a cabinet led by Smer are, according to us, representatives of Siet, not only in violation of clear pre-election commitments but also promises that we all have given, said Beblavy at a press conference on March 14.

Even in case Beblavy, Machackova and Petrik leave, the new cabinet of Smer, SNS, Most-Hid and Siet will have large enough support in the 150-seat parliament, 82 seats, as it needs at least 76.
DURING his visit to Slovakia, Frederick Hodges, US Army Chief Commander in Europe, said that spending 1.6 percent of GDP on defence within NATO structures is not enough, but it is a signal that the country is moving in the right direction.

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Slovakia and many other NATO member states at the summit in Wales in 2014 committed to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defence by 2020. If were talking about 1.6 percent, its not enough, Hodges said on March 14. But if theres a general commitment to spend at least two percent of GDP on the defence within ten years, then its a right step forward. Now its about responsible fulfilment of this goal.

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Hodges said that many NATO members do not observe the obligation to spend as much as two percent. He emphasised that the need for this money is not only a question of the amount but also how its used. NATO isnt a hiding place for other countries, but a system of collective protection that every member state has to chip in to, stressed Hodges. In order for this system to function properly and effectively, NATO soldiers have to use the most modern equipment and technologies and to acquire the best training and education, said General Hodges, who came to Bratislava on the invitation of the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC). He met with newly elected legislators to discuss the current security situation in the region of central and eastern Europe.
CHAIRMAN of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) which fared worse than expected in the March 5 general election and is not in parliament, announced on March 15 that he would resign.

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One day earlier, he had already informed the party leadership, he said, adding that he had opted for this step already on March 6. I made the decision itself already on Sunday after the general election, Figel said, as quoted by the TAST newswire. But as I am not a fan of policy of dramatic gestures but rather of responsible behaviour, I though it was necessary and sensible to consult further proceeding with colleagues and members of the leadership. He also recalled he had said before the election that if KDH fails to grow he would not lead it.

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KDH finished with 4.94 percent of the votes in the general election, and for the first time in its history, it did not exceed the 5-percent threshold and make it to the parliament. The day after, Figel said that he and the whole leadership are ready to draw political responsibility. After the Saturday (March 5) election, KDH will not be present in the Slovak parliament, This is the first time in its history, and that is why we consider it a huge failure, this is a historical fact. We want to offer our functions at KDH Council and KDH Congress. The Council will sit on March 19, so that the movement can gain new vitality, he summed up then.

Asked about the causes behind the election defeat, Figel named a whole range of evident reasons. We want to open this at the KDH Council meeting, and also file an analysis which we will prepare, he added. Figel only said that it was evident that KDH voters left for other parties, new ones or already existing ones. We failed to address and attract those whom we care about, the outgoing chairman summed up.

Also the KDH spokeswoman, Natalia Zembova, left her job  on March 14. She also ran in the March 5 general election in the 100th place on the KDH slate. Zembova was given the post of spokesperson February 20, 2015, replacing Matej Kovac who left to become the spokesman for Most-Hid. Before that, Zembova worked as a domestic news reporter for public broadcaster RTVS and, as of 2007, as an anchor of the main RTVS TV news show. She made headlines last year by taking part in a TV ad for the Family Alliance in order to promote a referendum on the family. [The ad had an anti-gay adoption message. - ed. note]

Communication will be under the control of Darius Anton Hatok, current head of the KDH communications department.

UPDATED: Until the June KDH Congress, deputy chairman Pavol Zajac was authorised by Figel to lead the party.
THE ANNUAL Dominik Tatarka Prize 2015 went to expat Slovak writer, Irena Brezna.

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Since the year 2000 the award has been given by the M.R. Stefanik Conservative Institute to the exceptional literary work which fulfils the humanistic traditions of Slovak culture and follows the spiritual heritage of the Slovak dissident writer, Dominik Tatarka. In its 22nd year, the award was given at a gala evening on March 14, in the Palffy Palace in Bratislava, the TASR newswire wrote.

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Irena Brezna got it for her novel Unthankful Foreigner, Die Undankbare Fremde in German, which was published in 2012 and translated into several languages. It also received the Literary Prize of Swiss Confederation. She received the Dominik Tatarka prize from chair of the jury and head of the M.R. Stefanik Conservative Institute, Peter Zajac.

Brenza emigrated form Czechoslovakia to Switzerland in 1968 when very young, and this step has been the sometimes open, sometimes hidden basis for her reports, essays and prose works, as it is for this specific novel that narrates the story of relocating to a new country, while also touching on the stories  as seen through the eyes of the interpreter  of recent migrants.

This work should not be only a summary of my memories, but rather a literary perception of exile experience, not just mine, but also that of many other people, Brezna said, as quoted by TASR. She added that her book was very well accepted in Switzerland.
THE 23RD year of the Slovak edition of the traditional film festival Febiofest will focus on producers and club films; while also highlighting movies from Visegrad Group (V4) countries.

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The goal of the festival is to draw attention to Slovak production, comparing it with films of neighbouring countries (Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary as V4 countries  and also Austria, this time). Many of the movies will be shown  between March 17 and 23 in Bratislava cinemas  in an exclusive preview, while they will also get the chance to see some of the directors present their works in person, including masterclasses for students of the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts.

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The festival collection includes Oscar nominee (Anomalisa, director Duke Johnson) and Oscar winner (Spotlight, director Thomas Mc-Carthy), as well as movies that have been awarded in Berlin, Venice, and Cannes, Zuzana Kizakova informed.

Apart from offering a fine selection of movies made abroad, the festival will also present some Slovak and Czech-Polish-French-Slovak co-productions including Olga Hepnar (director Tomas Weinreb, Petr Kazda) which opened the Berlinale film festivals Panorama section. It tells the true story of a young, frustrated Czech woman who, driving a lorry, killed eight people at a tram stop in 1973 and was the last woman to be executed in communist Czechoslovakia.

Other films from the Slovak Film Landscape include e.g. Steam on the River (Robert Kirchhoff, Filip Remunda) about the professional and personal twists and turns of the fate of three Czechoslovak musician emigres, jazzmen Laco Deczi, Lubomir Tamaskovic and Jan Jankeje; or 5th October by Martin Kollar, the story of a man who reviews his life while waiting for D-day, the date of his crucial surgery.

There are proven, traditional sections like Club Film Today (latest feature and documentary films from all over the world), Mirror of the Past (older cult films), Club Jukebox (with the possibility to put together ones own selection of movies), the Film Cabinet for Children, Kinoikon+ (a section curated by Slovak film journalists, this time featuring Polish director Walerian Borowczyk), ASFK (Association of Slovak Film Clubs) Novelties  three movies awarded with Cezar previewed (Mustang, Common Market Law and Marguerite); and a novelty, the section Experimental.

Film festivals offer, apart from a host of films, also the chance to meet filmmakers in person. Guests at the 23rd Febiofest will be Czechs Helena Trestikova, Petr Zelenka, French-Georgian Ottar Iosseliani(Grand Prix Venice 1984, 1989, FIPRESCI Berlinale 1981), and Spanish Alberto Serra (historical dramas, two will be screened at this fest). After the capital (March 17-23), a selection of movies will tour Slovakia between March 31 and April 16. More detailed information and the full programme can be found at www.febiofest.sk.
Its Spring Break here in Texas, and that can mean only one thing: South By Southwest is upon us. The yearly millennial bacchanal of music/film/interactive/corporate shilling/Grumpy Cat has descended upon Austin like a plague of Snapchatting locusts, ravaging the city of its once plentiful beer, coffee, and taco resources. Really, the best part of SXSW nowadays is living 200 miles away in Dallas, where we get all the same shows without any of the bullshit (ok, not all the shows. Im a little bummed Im missing Big Grams and may be acting out a little).

Nonetheless, South By is happening in Austin, and the already prolific local coffee scene is redoubling its efforts with a handful of cool pop-ups and other coffee-related misadventures to meet the caffeinated needs of the transient masses. Just in case the run-of-the-mill brick-and-mortar experience isnt your bag, here are four-ish coffee happenings to help you jitterbug your way through South By Southwest.

Houndstooth Coffees Patio Pop-Up and 9 Iron Signature Beverage

Houndstooths Frost Bank location on Fourth Street puts them at the heart of the SXSW madness, making them the perfect place for a pit stop. Like they have done in previous years, theyre setting up a single group La Marzocco GS3 on their patio for the festival attendee on the go. And for those looking to relax for a bit, they are serving up a signature drink only available during South By: The 9 Iron. Consisting of iced coffee and fresh squeezed lemonade, the 9 Iron is a play on a traditional Arnold Palmer and will work wonders against the heat, should there be any to beat.

Sister Coffee Pop-Up at Catchtilly

Illicit substances fall somewhere between coffee and tacos in the hierarchy of must-haves over the next week in Austin. With that in mind, the fantastic coffee trailer (and soon to be brick-and-mortar) Sister Coffee is hosting a coffee pop-up in Catchtilly, the highly curated head shop on East 11th Street. Owner of both establishments Amanda Farris will be serving hot and cold Revelator Coffee in Sisters handmade boob ceramics all day on March 19 and 20. Its the go-to event for anyone looking to put something in the air while gulping something down.

The Morning Buzz by Cuvee Coffee

Austin coffee OG Cuvee Coffee are teaming up with Cat Spring Tea to host a day full of beer, brews, teas, and tacos. Happening March 19 at Cuvees East Side cafe, the Morning Buzz will feature a morning beverage bar chock full of shandies, bloody marys, and mimosas. And the best part is that the event is completely free and open to the public. No wrist bands required to soak up some SXSW vibes.

Stumptown Is Everywhere

Portland, Oregons Stumptown Coffee Roasters is making Austin their second home for South By, brewing and/or cold brewing up a handful of events during the week-long festival. They provided cold brew for the Refinery29 Instameet breakfast and the Outdoor Voices Jog and Brunchboth happened the morning of Saturday, March 12as well as providing some much needed caffeine to the backstage of the Spotify House and the Transmission Events team (not that any of this helps you get your fix. Just know they are working behind the scenes to make sure everyone has a blast.) But perhaps the coolest Stumptown-related event isnt one of their own. On Tuesday the 15th, former barista and hip-hop artist Ripley Snell will be brewing up some Stumptown goodness during his performance at Tellers for Do512s Industry Insiders Mixer and Showcase. Its just so perfectly Austin, and more specifically, perfectly Austin during this particular week in March.

Back to the Future-Style BONUS! Screening of the VERY Short Film Coffee

Im going to be honest, I have no idea what the hell this two-minute long feature is about. The synopsis simply states, People drink their coffee in two different coffee shops as a crazy lady makes her own, so your guess is as good as mine. The short was created by Zoe Allen, a sophomore in high school from Dallas, Texas. The film was shown at the Marchesa Theatre on March 12, as part of Texas High School Shorts Competition. The screening has already come and gone, but its still worth showing a little love to the younger generation for their creative endeavors. And itll probably be on Youtube pretty soon, so go watch it there.

And of course, Austin is full of really great coffee shops that will be rockin and rollin all week long. Below you can find a not-quite comprehensive list of places to check out. Itll get you started, at least. You can also cruise over to our Austin city archives for many more recommendations.

Zac Cadwalader is a Sprudge staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.


MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana AlexandrovaIn January, media reported that US President Barack Obama was making plans to open a third front against Daesh in Libya, following military operations in Syria and Iraq started by a US-led coalition in 2014.

"The impact of any foreign involvement or military strikes in Libya will be significant to our security. We are saying to our partners, who are willing to hit the strongholds of terrorists, that they have to inform us about their plans and, of course, we are against any strikes without legal ground. We think that any strike should be made [according to] the international legal framework and UN," the minister said.

He added that the international community should shift its focus and help Libyans strengthen bonds and resolve their differences.
"But things get complicated when talking about Libyan Islamists, because the border is not directly threatenedMoreover, during the crisis in the Central African Republic in 2013, Chadian President Idriss Deby looked at the conflict through a religious and ethnic lens, and attempted to present himself as a defender of the Muslim population in the neighboring country."

"With regard to the barbarians from Daesh, thousands of whom are now digging in in Libya, it's too early to see whether Chad is conducting the fight [against them] decisively and effectively," the analyst added.

"In any case," Encel suggested, "even if there is a change of power after the April elections [to be held April 10], it is unlikely that Daesh will be able to gain a foothold in the country: the Chadian people have traditional views on faith, and, like other peoples in the Sahel, are not Arabs, and are wary of politicized Islam. Therefore, they would not welcome these fanatics with open arms, who by the way, now occupy only a portion of the northern coast of Libya, far from the arid border between Libya and Chad."

With Chad currently facing a measure of political instability, including waves of anti-government protests, Atlantico asked the expert whether this is something Islamist terrorists might attempt to take advantage of.

"As in other African countries, the fact that one person or clan stays in power for many years is [naturally] something that causes discontent among the populationIdriss Deby took office more than two and a half decades ago [in 1990]. His economic record, incidentally, is not so bad, but against the background of growing democratic demands among the population, this is not enough. Moreover, poverty is still very high, while corruption and cronyism have become an obstacle for potential investments and undermined public confidence."

"Overall," Encel noted, "the president (who has a powerful military tool at his disposal) is more concerned about internal processes, than external shocks, whether from Sudan or Nigeria."
"In one stroke, he's stopped the Sunni Islamists from overthrowing [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and simultaneously defused the tensions with the Turks that threaten to spin out of control. [It is] a brilliant move."

The Russian decision to pull out had also clearly been calculated to force Assad to agree to a negotiated compromise peace, and to warn Iran that there were limits to how much they could expect Russia to do on behalf of their ally Syria, Macgregor explained.

"No doubt Putin has signaled Assad that if Assad cannot now sustain himself in power more Russian military assistance won't help. He's also telling his Iranian ally that there are limits to Russian military support."

Macgregor added that Putins example of setting clear, focused strategic goals and knowing when to withdraw his military forces set a positive example for US political leaders to emulate.

"If only we had similarly intelligent national leadership. We should have done the same in Iraq during the fall of 2003. We should have left Afghanistan in 2002. Instead we exacerbated regional tensions and handed Iran control of Iraq. Afghanistan is now far more divided, corrupt and potentially troublesome than it was in 2001."

Doug Macgregor is a leading US military tactician and commander whose squadron destroyed an entire Iraqi Armored Brigade in 23 minutes, while suffering only one casualty, at the Battle of 73 Easting, a decisive tank fight during the 1991 Gulf War.
"Even though the success of the AfD may not have immediate results, in the long term, the CDU will try to move to the right to starve the AfD of political oxygen", Lees stressed.

Harald Bauder, academic director of the Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement (RCIS), believes that most of the AfD support came from protest votes while not ruling out a possible repeat of what happened with the party The Left, a former communist party that entered the German parliament after the county's reunification by drawing support away from centrist parties.

"The AfD seems to be beyond mainstream politicians comfort zone. A similar phenomenon could perhaps be observed in the context of the socialist Die Linke [The Left], which was and still is considered by many as linked to totalitarianism," Bauder told Sputnik.

The next German regional election will be held in Mecklenburg and Berlin in the fall of 2016, with no exact date set as yet.

Germany has become a key destination for hundreds of thousands of refugees and immigrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa since the start of 2015. The countrys interior ministry estimates that Germany received around 1.1 million migrants last year alone.
Grozin suggested that Beijing's foreign policy, which previously included development projects and work with elites, has shown signs of changes along with the country's new leadership. "This has been expressed in its fight against Somali pirates, where Beijing, resting on a mandate from the UN, proceeds from its own interests. It is also expressed in China's recent decision, for the first time, to create a military base outside the country  in Djibouti."

"China is well aware that in today's world, political will and military-political power can outweigh any economic influence. There have been many events that have forced Beijing to reconsider its policy, from the destruction of Libya, and the problems this caused for Chinese business, to the establishment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership," conceptualized by American policy planners as one big anti-Chinese alliance. "Washington's intrigues," Grozin suggested, "have convinced China that all its transport and logistics projects should be supported by military and political assets."

As for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, the analyst suggested that whatever problems the project may face, Beijing believes that it is strategically important to solve them.

"Baluchistan province is known for its problems with separatism, as is China's Xinjiang province. There is also a threat [of instability] coming from Afghan territory. But considering the huge resources which China is investing in Gwadar port, I think these problems are solvable."

"In my view, Beijing expects that the Sino-Pakistani economic corridor will connect not only the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road, but in the near future will be transformed into a significant point of dislocation for the Chinese Navy. After all, the work now being done [at Gwadar port] cannot be explained by economic considerations alone. The dredging and some of the technical aspects related to logistics suggest that the port will be important for Beijing from a military point of view."
The Syrian governments position of rejecting preconditions is in fact consistent with Russias position, which in turn complies with United Nations Resolution 2254 mandating the Geneva diplomatic process. The fate of Assad or the presidency is for the Syrian nation to decide alone, at some future date, without external interference.

Another line of vain speculation was that Putins announced military pullout was as a result of pressure from Washington.

As the Washington Post, rather fancifully, opines: Late last week, the [Obama] administration decided to publicly accuse Moscow of failing to rein in Assad, leading to a string of comments by officials including Secretary of State John F Kerry, who on Sunday called on Putin to take control of Russias Syrian ally.

The Post also posits: Russian analysts said Putins announcement may be intended to press Assad at the talks after saving him on the ground. There may be at least some truth in that latter claim.

Though, as always, the Americans arrogate grandiose powers. Just like Obama implied recently that it was he who secured the decommissioning of chemical weapons in Syria back in 2013, rather than Putin; and just like idle claims that US airpower has rolled back Daesh terrorists in Syria, instead of Russian airpower, so we are inveigled to believe that it is Washington that has pressured Putin to call off military operation in Syria.

Another bit of American vanity is gleaned from listening to John Kerry urging the Geneva peace process along, as if the Americans made this process happen, when as noted above it was Russia.

The truth is that Washington and its allies are so up to their culpable necks in causing Syrias misery and mayhem, and the Western corporate media is so up its eyes in telling lies about the criminal nature of the covert war, that collectively they dont know how to react to Russia when it takes the initiative. Dazed and confused, they scramble for futile rationalizations.

Putins latest move has confounded again. But its really rather straightforward for those who have not been hoodwinked by Western lies over Syria. Russia has used its military power legally to save an allied country from a US-led criminal conspiracy for regime change. A conspiracy which has been instrumented by the use of terrorist proxies.

Russias air operation pulled Syria back from the brink of being yet another Western-sponsored failed state, as in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. And now having regained its national footing, Syria has the opportunity to pursue a peaceful resolution. Thanks to Russia. Period.

Western governments and their servile news media cannot deal with that reality because it is otherwise indicting of their complicity in Syrias war and toll of human suffering. Hence, they are obliged to cast around for all sorts of misleading interpretations of the latest Putin move.

Russia does not have to explain, consult or embellish. It has done the right thing all along. And Putin has once again shown more leadership than any other Western counterpart. By far.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do notnecessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.
"Asylum seekers wait in limbo, often separated from their families and in detention, pending transfer to the state deemed responsible for their claim. In some cases, their claims are never heard."

The Dublin Regulation also lands refugees in a country not of their choice. A refugee trying to join relatives in Sweden  say  arriving in Greece will be given asylum in Greece. The refugee  critics say  would have more chance of finding work and integrating in the country where they have relatives or friends.

#refugees at Pireaus, Greece, reception conditions are not consistent with standards, this crisis was avoidable pic.twitter.com/PPZGaoCynz  vincent cochetel (@cochetel) 15 March 2016

'Illegal Deportations'

The Dublin Agreement also means that a huge burden falls on countries such as Greece and Italy which bore the burden of the initial flights of migrants across The Mediterranean and then Greece, in particular, following the opening-up of the West Balkan route.

Humanitarian crisis reaches its climax in #Greece. MS to urgently accept relocations. Time to deliver. #Idomeni #RefugeeCrisis  DimitrisAvramopoulos (@Avramopoulos) 11 March 2016

Ska Keller, an EU lawmaker with the Alliance '90/The Greens group who specializes in migration and EU-Turkey relations told Euractiv:

"Weve criticized these weaknesses ever since the Dublin System was first established. The summit last Monday (March 7) [ that attempted to broker an agreement between the EU and Turkey to stem the flow of refugees], was not about open borders, but about illegal deportations, sending people back to an unsafe third country, Turkey, and selling off human rights."

"The Dublin System has died a slow death because we didnt reform it earlier. The last reform came in 2013 and the European Parliament consulted all the member states. However, Germany was not happy with it. Now, Berlin, with the same Chancellor, wants it to change. Better late than never, but it is of little help now."

In August 2015, Germanys Federal Office for Migration and Refugees suspended the part of the Dublin Regulation that demands that EU states conduct an examination on asylum seekers to find out in which country they originally entered the EU and whether they should be sent back.

As Merkel struggles politically at home, having received a caning in regional elections this week, she is also facing heavy criticism among her fellow EU leaders as she witnesses the failure of the Dublin Regulation she once so proudly defended.
"I understand Turkey is important in playing a role. But if you want to play a game, well Turkey should open up chapters on its obligations to Cyprus," Professor Theophanous explains.

"When Turkey started accession discussions, it took on certain obligations under the Ankara Agreement that it has not yet fulfilled. Any self-respecting leader cannot bypass this."

The European Union states that: "Due to the Turkish failure to apply to Cyprus the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement the Council decided in December 2006 that eight relevant chapters will not be opened and no chapter will be provisionally closed until Turkey has fulfilled its commitment".

The Rep of #Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any Chapters if #Turkey does not fulfill its obligations  Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) 15 March 2016

I explained to @eucopresident that it is unacceptable to shift the burden of responsibility for the #migrationcrisis on #Cyprus  Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) 15 March 2016

Professor Theophanous however told Sputnik:

"For me, the whole issue with Europe and Turkey is that there should be special relation, a special partnership. [Leaders should] discuss cooperation, not accession chapters. Turkey is not a European nation I dont see Turkey filling the criteria, irrespective of Cyprus."

The Cyprus dispute  or Cyprus question  is the longest running diplomatic conflict in the West which dates back to 1914, when the island was annexed by the British Empire. Sixty years later, Turkey invaded northern Cyprus occupying the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, and formed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

In 2004, Cyprus became a member of the European Union  but only the southern Greek Cypriot region  the northern part, is only internationally recognized by Turkey.
In this vein, the newspaper warned that Merkel's coalition government should brace for tougher times ahead.

"A complex political scenario is unfolding in Germany, where Merkel's Christian Democrats will have to face the consequences of the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War," El Pais pointed out, calling for more joint efforts among the EU countries to resolve the deadlock.

El Pais was echoed by William Paterson, an honorary professor of German and European Politics at Aston University in the UK. In an interview with Sputnik, he described the AfD coming first in the elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg, which was considered a Christian Democratic Union stronghold, as "a possible goodbye for Chancellor Merkel."

"I think that she will finally decide not to run again in the 2017 general elections in Germany, so it's potentially the beginning of the end for Merkel," he said.

He also warned that even if Merkel does run in the elections, things will almost certain go wrong for her if she fails to do something about the current migration crisis in Germany.

"If the situation does not improve and the Turkish solution does not work, Merkel could be in a bit of difficulty by the beginning of next year," he said.
In Dortmund a non-denominational "room for silence" was controversially closed in February because of complaints from students about the behavior of some of those who were using the room for prayers.

"There was never a prayer room, neither for Muslim nor for Christian students," press spokeswoman Eva Prost from Technischen Universitat Dortmund told Der Spiegel.

"Our 'room for silence' was rather a provision for anybody looking for peace and contemplation in often stressful university life. If somebody wanted to pray there in silence, they could do, but not when he disturbs others or excludes somebody from using the space."

"It has nothing to do with Islam," she stressed.

"Some students arbitrarily transformed the space and violated its rules of use, which state that the room is to be kept 'ideologically and religiously neutral.'"

"An improvised wall was put up to separate men and women. The Koran was left out, there were opportunities for footwashing and prayer mats were stored here. There were also flyers which instructed women to wear headscarves, although we dont know if this was actually enforced."

'Row in the room of silence,' Bild reported, and published a picture of the room and the partition installed by some students.

"We could not accept all this. Students complained to us, and quite rightly so. We cannot tolerance gender discrimination, we are a state institution and we are bound to the constitution," Prost said.

Despite a petition from three Muslim students who collected around 400 signatures to campaign against the closure, Prost said that the room will now be a space for teaching.

The petition complained that the closure of the room is "outrage, discrimination, and anti-Islamic racism."

In a response to that complaint, the university published an open letter on its website.

"We would like to pick up on your comments about the importance of integration, and allow us to add that this pertains to knowledge and acceptance of the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. Equality of men and women is a principle that cannot be violated," the university replied.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)The start of the Russian air group pullout from Syria has signaled that the war has reached the stage of political settlement, a representative of one of the Syrian groups within the Syrian Popular Front for Change and Liberation told Sputnik on Tuesday.

The most important [thing is] that we [have] reached the stage of political settlement. It is a signal to all parties that it is necessary to find common ground, that all sides must find a compromise, Salim Ali said, commenting on Moscow's decision to start to withdraw its air force from Syria

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to begin withdrawing Russia's air force from Syria the next day, as the task assigned to it has been fulfilled. The Russian Aerospace Forces had been carrying aerial strikes against terrorists in Syria since September 30 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"In the case of North Korea, they would certainly have the technical knowledge to know what they want to do, but it is entirely possible that their industrial capacity is not up to the job of fabricating a reliable implosive lens it is definitely a possibility."

Postol, emeritus professor of science, technology and security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that North Korea had carried out four underground nuclear tests in the past decade.

"The first of these tests appeared to be a fizzle  yielding about 100 tons rather than what one might guess would be about 20 kilotons. The following three tests all yielded about seven kilotons, considerably lower than the expected nominal yield of about 20 kilotons or more."

Even a seven kiloton nuclear weapon would inflict close to the level of damage that was achieved at Hiroshima in 1945 with an atomic bomb that yielded 12.5 kilotons, Postol cautioned.

"The area directly destroyed would be roughly 70 percent as large as the area destroyed at Hiroshima (nearly four square miles). So the fact that the weapon is far from what the US first achieved would certainly not give comfort to anybody who was its target."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would certainly seek the largest and most impressive explosion possible from each of his nuclear tests, but so far he was not getting those results, Postol observed.

"The idea that a state that has a long record of aiming at the maximum terror possible would consciously choose to build such a low yield first-generation nuclear weapons is hard for me to entertain seriously."

It seems highly likely that the mores recent threats coming from Pyongyang are a continuing bluff by North Korea, Postol concluded.
"Propping up Assad was the principal objective of Moscow's intervention in the first place, so it can be considered a success. But the cease fire is still extremely fragile and could break down."

Geraldi also drew attention to the significance of Russia retaining the use of its naval base at Latakia and its air base at Hmeimim.

"Retaining the naval and attached air base means that Russia could return its aircraft and support personnel relatively easily if the situation seems to warrant such action."

However, Geraldi assessed the Russian move as an optimistic and confident step reflecting Moscows conviction that the Daesh terror group would be unable to recover from the pounding which it had received at the hands of Russian air power.

"I suspect that the Russian government is reasonably optimistic about the ceasefire and the prospects for genuine peace talks."

Geraldi also said Putin clearly did not want to waste or overuse Russias air combat resources, and wanted to give the strike units time to recover for possible future deployments.

"I don't know what the Russian role in Syria is costing, but reducing the expense of the operation by withdrawing personnel and planes might be part of the calculation."
"Meanwhile, the naval base at Tartus and the air base at Hmeimim will continue to operate. That seems to indicate that the strikes against Daesh, al-Nusra and groups that have refused to accept the ceasefire and enter negotiations will continue."

Jatras interpreted the Russian evacuation as a strong sign of Moscows continued willingness to cooperate with the United States in seeking a lasting and comprehensive peace in Syria to end the five year civil war there.

"I think this is meant as a carrot for groups that have accepted the ceasefire to negotiate in good faith, and also for their supporters in Washington, and especially Ankara and Riyadh."

The latest Russian move provided an opportunity for Turkey and Saudi Arabia to back away from their recent moves toward plunging into the Syrian conflict, Jatras suggested.

Both countries "need to decide whether to take the exit ramp and back down with some face-saving, having seen that their regime change policy has failed," he maintained.

Jatras also warned that the US government and Washington political establishment still contained powerful elements opposed to any peaceful compromise to end the war in Syria that did not include the immediate toppling of President Assad.

"The Assad must go! crowd that scuttled earlier peace talks has not disappeared," Jatras cautioned.

The Russian government was aware of these factors and appeared to be taking a slow and cautious approach to its military withdrawal, in case it was forced to re-establish its presence in Syria at some future point, Jatras observed.

"So I think the Russians will proceed cautiously."

Jatras also noted that he did not think Russia would make the mistake of George W. Bush who in 2004 prematurely declared "Mission Accomplished" for the United States in Iraq.
"The ground forces have a fairly high level of combat capability, despite their outdated weaponry. A significant number of anti-tank weapons and field artillery, combined with a well-developed network of fortifications would allow them to conduct an effective defensive campaign against a technologically superior enemy, even if the enemy had a 1.5-2 time numerical advantage and total air superiority."

"However, the offensive capabilities of its ground forces in the present circumstances would be very limited, due to its outdated tank fleet," Sivkov added.

At the same time, North Korea's "mountainous terrain, prepared shelters and weapons stockpiles would allow the country to conduct a massive guerrilla campaign that could last for years, forcing the aggressor to devote substantial ground forces to suppress insurgents. Based on the [US's recent] experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, the required forces might comprise 200,000 men or more."

The size of North Korea's special operations forces, Sivkov noted, would "allow them to deploy an effective diversionary campaign, with dozens of subversive groups in the enemy's operational or even strategic depth  that is, across almost the entire territory of South Korea."

The DPRK's operational-tactical and tactical missile systems, meanwhile, each armed with up to 50 missiles, "would allow them to strike at targets in tactical and operational depth."

Taking account of enemy countermeasures, Sivkov estimates that this firepower would allow the North's ground forces to at least temporarily incapacitate (disable or destroy) between 10-15 enemy objects, including airfields, command posts and communications centers. South Korea's small land area factually allows the North's operational-tactical systems to threaten the entire depth in which enemy operational groups are located.

The DPRK has a small number of Taepodong-1 and Taepodong-2 medium-range missiles. "Armed with conventional warheads, their limited accuracy would [likely] allow them to cause significant damage to a maximum of one American base. The believed reserves of nuclear weapons, meanwhile, mean that North Korea could launch between one and five strikes on military targets in South Korea, Japan, and the US, depending on the effectiveness of the US missile defense system."
"You had a sense that something was going to happen," said DeVega, "the Trump supporters, many from the suburbs or from out of state in rural Indiana, didnt seem to know that they really are not the silent majority, some seemed really shocked they werent in Kansas anymore."

DeVega remarked that the violence came not from the protesters, who peacefully sought to express dissent to the xenophobic rhetoric for which the boisterous real estate mogul is now known, but rather from "Trumps goons who jump on these people, it was Trump folks starting the fights."

The real blame, however, falls on Trump himself, according to DeVega, who believes that he orchestrated the entire event. "Trump wanted to have a victory lap in Barack Obamas backyard, but what he really wanted was chaos, those visual for his audience of racism and totalitarian control will get him votes."

DeVega warned that the "mainstream media needs to be very careful about this narrative about Trump protesters causing a disruption because, as Trump said to Politico, he loves having protesters at events and would love to admit more of them, he wants the controversy and to be able to rail like Nixon and Goldwater about protesters and outside agitators really being the problem."

Can Donald Trump really be President of the United States?

Brian Becker weighed in with his own assessment, that perhaps the Trump spectacle has now gone too far. "Along the inaugural parade route there would be hundreds of thousands of protesters who reject racism and this neo-fascist environment that is surrounding Trump," speculated Becker.
Russias withdrawal also makes it clear that Assad has been humbled, which is a good thing in the eyes of the Kurds, Xulam pointed out.

"The Kurds would love to have a balance of power in Syria. Meaning: no group should be strong enough to dominate others and each group would have enough strength to withstand the encroachments of their neighbors."

The alternative has always been Libya, and Libya is no place to be given what is transpiring on the ground, Xulam suggested.

Given Assads position, Xulam observed, Putin is correct in saying that Russia has accomplished its goal in Syria.

"The alternative has always been Libya and Libya is no place to be given what is transpiring on the ground," Xulam concluded.

The Russian Aerospace Forces have been conducting an aerial campaign against terrorist groups in Syria, particularly the Daesh, since September 2015 at Assad's request.
But that is not all. Pakhomov focuses on the fact that contrary to US President Obama's notion, Moscow has demonstrated that it is not a "regional" actor, but rather a "multi-regional" player that is able to "meaningfully project its military power."

The expert adds that the Russian leadership has also shown that its actions and decisions are based on political realism and national interests, not optimistic dreams and wishful thinking.

"These three cornerstones (a state and international law centered view of international relations, a capacity to project military power and a consideration of national interests) are essential to Russia's strategy in the Middle East," the expert underscores.

Undeniably, Moscow's realist approach and the clarity of its moves have attracted Middle Eastern regional players. It allowed Russia to accelerate its interactions (if not cooperation) with the countries of the Middle East, Pakhomov points out.

To illustrate his stance, the expert refers to the Russo-Kurdish collaboration on the ground in Syria, Russia's deepening partnership with Israel and the ongoing political dialogue with Saudi Arabia.

It goes without saying that Russia also continues to cooperate closely with Syria and Iran.

While the Middle East still remains a turbulent region, Moscow's strategy has proven to be efficient. It has revealed that a thoughtful and balanced foreign policy can bear its fruit and pave the way for a comprehensive political settlement.

"Russia's actions during the crises in Syria show both that the vigor and timing of these actions are effective and that the recipes of classical, realist diplomacy work in the twenty-first century," the expert stresses, adding that by announcing the withdrawal of Russia's military forces from Syria Putin "has shown, again, that he still calls the shots."
Russias relations with the United States deteriorated in early 2014 as Washington and its allies accused Moscow of meddling in the internal affairs of Ukraine after Crimea reunified with Russia via a popular referendum, and the crisis in eastern Ukraine escalated into a conflict.

Moscow has repeatedly refuted all allegations and warned that US and NATO expansion along Russias borders is provocative and contrary to previous agreements, as well as can affect regional and global stability.

Kerry Moscow Trip Not Tied to Russian Decision on Troops Pullout From Syria

The decision by US Secretary of State John Kerry to visit Moscow after completing his scheduled trip to Cuba was not influenced by Russias decision to pull out its air group from Syria, a US Department of State official told reporters on Tuesday.

"[Kerry's] trip to Moscow is not a result of Putin's [decision]" the official said. "This is a discussion he [Kerry] and Lavrov had been having for a while."

Earlier on Tuesday, the State Department announced that Kerry plans to travel to Moscow following his visit to Cuba as a member of the delegation of President Barack Obama that has been scheduled for March 21-22.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Moscow has consistently backed the promotion of intra-Syrian peace dialogue and along with Washington contributed to reaching a ceasefire deal between the government and opposition on February 22.

The cessation of hostilities has been ongoing against the backdrop of resumed "substantial" proximity talks between Syrian government and opposition delegates, mediated by UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.

"I think this is a historic contribution to the solution of the crisis in Syria. Russia shows a great sense of responsibility and will therefore definitely have a key role in the future of peace and regulation of this region so heavily burdened by conflict," Mario Borghezio of the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) political group in the European Parliament stressed.
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Putin made the comments on a busy day, which also included an official visit from the King of Morocco. The visit touched on reduced Russian imports of Moroccan produce amid Russia's economic situation, which has itself been hampered by corruption-related issues. On Wednesday, Putin is scheduled to discuss the economic development of Russia's Far East.

"Work on [reducing corruption] needs to be intensified, of course not for filing paperwork, but to improve the economic situation and increase overall trust in government," Putin said at the Interior Ministry meeting.

The Interior Ministry itself was not outside scrutiny. In Rostov, where Pirumov was detained, the chief of police was himself arrested during a routine traffic stop on March 7, while traveling with a large quantity of weapons in a Range Rover jeep driven by a high-ranking mafia figure. An inventory of the city's police armory showed 246 weapons missing, of which 80 have so far been located.

"If someone among law enforcement officials himself violates the law, shows arrogance, disrespect toward people, boorishness in everyday work, it is seen as a betrayal by ordinary people," Putin said,

Defeating domestic corruption could be a much more difficult challenge than stabilizing Syria, as some cases have a decades-long history, while others see perpetrators face lax punishments. In one of the most high-profile corruption cases in recent years, the head of the Defense Ministry's property department Evgeniya Vasilyeva was released from prison less than four months after starting her sentence for the embezzlement of some 200 million rubles ($6.7 million at the time), when the court judged that she returned the misallocated funds.
According to the English-language edition of the Chinese People's Daily , the People's Republic of China intends to place a new telescope into orbit. The unnamed telescope will be similar to Hubble, but with a field of view as much as 300 times larger. An official announcement was made by Zhang Yulin, Deputy to the National People's Congress and Deputy Minister of Central Military Commission Equipment Development Department.

The statement projects that within ten years of orbital observations, the telescope will be able to capture about 40 percent of known space, providing data that help China to "make breakthrough developments on the origin, development, and evolution of the universe".

The telescope will be able to dock with the Chinese Tiangong space station (presumably, Tiangong-3, given its modular design) in the event of maintenance or malfunction, allowing astronauts to perform repairs. NASA currently must launch a special mission to Hubble if maintenance is required. Using a space station as a maintenance dock for orbital telescopes is a first for China, and the world.
There is a lot to cut. Particular residents of Beverly Hills reportedly consume as much as 60 times what an average Los Angeles family consumes per day. Not that each and every household in Beverly Hills features 18 bathrooms, of course, but the picture is clear nonetheless. It's Beverly Hills, after all.

"The inference we're drawing is it's not the agency," said Cris Carrigan, the state water board's chief of enforcement. With remarkable understatement he suggested that, "The agency is providing the right tools to their customers. It's that the customers don't have the wherewithal to commit to conservation."

"I'm not sure why that is," he continued. "There are other affluent communities in the state where conservation is cool. In Beverly Hills, for whatever reason, people are not motivated."

The city of Beverly Hills resorted to monetary fines against the water wasters, sending notice letters to 86 single-family residential water customers, the highest users among those failing to meet the city's 30% reduction mandate. Profligate water wasters responded to the fines in various ways. Some, like Brett Ratner, said they were unaware of their excessive water use. Others, like Geoff Palmer, blamed local agriculture for misallocation of water.

"Wouldn't you be willing to pay a little more for walnuts and pistachios than see your lawn and landscaping go dead?" he said in a letter to the Los Angeles Times.

City officials believe the fines have worked. The city's total consumption has been cut up to 26% since 2015, a figure considered to be a significant achievement. However, as State Water Resources Control Board individual regulations require Beverly Hills to reduce its water consumption by 32% compared to 2013 figures, the most probable result is that the city will be fined again.
London newspaper The Guardian has named Google, Facebook and WhatsApp as firms looking to strengthen their encryption service while the FBI fights Apple for theirs. The article suggests Facebook will begin encryption on voice calls made with WhatsApp in a bid to prevent hackers and government agencies from listening in.

Apple has been served with a court order to develop new software to help the FBI hack into the iPhone belonging to the Syed Farook, who shot dead 14 people in December 2015. Apple is fighting the order, arguing that it would set a precedent for judges to make demands on tech companies that violate personal privacy.

An argument, concurred by a former US presidential adviser on cybersecurity Richard Clarke, who has suggested that the FBI could crack the iPhone themselves but just want to set "the precedent."
He is also accused of shooting Tiana Carruthers, 25, multiple times earlier in the evening.

I asked Dalton what was going through his mind tonight at Don Seelye Ford and he said he didnt want to say, Moorian wrote in his report. I informed Dalton that the entire incident is on video at Don Seelye. Dalton said that if we only knew, it would blow our mind.

Dalton then explains how when he opens up the Uber taxi app a symbol appeared and he recognized that symbol as the Eastern Star symbol. Dalton acknowledged that he recognized the Uber symbol as being that of the Eastern Star and a devil head popped up on his screen and when he pressed the button on the app, that is when all the problems started.

The police report was obtained by the Kalamazoo Gazette and MLive.com via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
He was echoed by political analyst John Wight, who told RT that the Russian air strikes on terrorists added significantly to boosting the Syrian Army's morale, which he said helped change the situation in favor of Syria's government troops.

"Now, all attention will be focused on Geneva, where a new round of the Syria peace talks will take place," he pointed out.

The resumption of these talks became possible only thanks to President Putin's decision to start pulling out Russia's Aerospace Forces from Syria, according to another political analyst, Catherine Shakdam.

Speaking to RT, she said that Putin's move is aimed to de-escalate the situation in the region.

"This is an attempt to again start resolving the Syrian conflict by political means. President Putin and Russia know full well that they should not be involved in a full-fledged war, especially if this war is not the ultimate goal," she said.

Bruno Gollnisch, a MEP from France's National Front party, stated that this decision underscores Putin's willingness to be engaged in a dialogue with the international community.

"I believe that Vladimir Putin is absolutely right that he decided to begin the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria. This only proves that the global community should conduct a dialogue with Putin rather than isolate him," Gollnisch said.
Last week, Moscow voiced its disappointment over the Netherlands formal and non-constructive approach to the investigation, pointing to the inconsistency and inaccuracy of many details on which it is based.

Flight MH17, with 298 people on board, crashed on July 17, 2014, in eastern Ukraine after being shot down while en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, leaving no survivors. Local militia and the Kiev-led forces were fighting in the region at the time of the crash, and traded blame for the incident.

Dutch investigators published a report last October saying that the airliner appeared to have been downed using a Russian-produced Buk surface-to-air missile system. It was unable to identify the exact location from where the missile was fired.

In a separate probe into the crash, Russian arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey said the missile had exploded near the left side of the ill-fated aircraft. Almaz-Antey considered this to be proof that the projectile could only be a missile from a Buk system launched from the region of Zaroshchenske, controlled by the Kiev forces at the time of the incident.
Jeff Cypher went from the 2015 U.S. Trotting Association Standardbred Driving School to the winners circle. Again and again and again.

The 74-year-old Cypher, who lives in Michigan, decided to become a groom following last years school and with the assistance of USTA Director and Driving School mentor Steve Oldford landed with the stable of Kevin and Marie Ginny St. Charles.

Cypher was nothing more than a harness racing fan when he attended last years Driving School, but thanks to his experiences in the program was able to start jogging horses in the St. Charles Stable from Day One.

What I learned at the school expanded into real-life experiences, said Cypher, who received his trip to Driving School as a Christmas gift from his daughter Becky. We had a great time at Driving School and I wanted to pick it up one more level. I dont think Im going to be a trainer, Im getting too old for that stuff, but this keeps me out of trouble. I have 12 or 13 win photos from last year, so were doing all right.

The 17th annual edition of the USTA Standardbred Driving School will be held at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, Delaware, Ohio, home of the Little Brown Jug, June 1-4. The school begins Wednesday evening, June 1, with a welcome reception/dinner and special keynote speaker.

Classroom and hands-on instruction will be conducted each day Thursday through Saturday.

In addition to offering basics for driving and training, the schools curriculum has been expanded to include information on ownership of Standardbreds. Registered students will also receive a sales rebate offered by select Standardbred breeders/consignors redeemable upon transfer of ownership of the horse into their name. More details will be made available at a later date.

Join the fun and excitement in this one of a kind opportunity for educational and hands-on experience. Participants must be at least 16 years of age. There is a registration fee of $350. Students must provide their own transportation and lodging. Most meals are furnished.

Recent editions of the Driving School were conducted at Goshen Historic Track, Mark Ford Training Center, Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. The Cyphers spent their time at the school in the stable of Mark Ford and received instruction from caretaker Christy Turner.

Becky, who lives in the state of Washington, also got a grooms license and helps her father when visiting Michigan.

Its nice to go to the track and work on the other side of it all; its kind of cool, she said. Dad just took off with it. Theyve been very good to him and hes enjoying it.

Added Jeff, I would highly recommend to anyone to take the school. It really helped me. I found each place you go, everybody kind of has their own style, but we blended pretty well with Ginny and Kevin. Im not getting paid, but I enjoy doing it. Im keeping out of trouble.

For more information about this years Driving School, or to enroll on line, click here. Those interested in attending should not delay; enrollment is limited.
Details of another fundraiser for Classy Lane fire relief have been announced, and organizers have said "the Classy Lane fire can only be described as horrific. None of us in this industry ever want to endure a tragedy like that. It's our worst fear.

The above quote comes courtesy of New England Amateur Harness Drivers Club President Billy Abdelnour, who has divulged details of the upcoming fundraiser in an article by The Sun Chronicle.

The March 26 event will take place at Plainridge Park Casino, specifically in the Boylston Room, which is located on the second floor.

The fundraiser is headlined by comedian Mike Petit, who has appeared throughout Las Vegas and on Comedy Central. The event has been organized by the New England Amateur Harness Drivers Club, along with the Harness Horseman's Association of New England, Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts and Plainridge.

The event will kick off at 7:00 p.m. and the show will begin at 8:00 p.m. Tickets, which are $20 each, can be obtained by contacting Plainridges racing services manager, Lenny Calderone, at 508-576-4482 or via email at [email protected].

"The New England harness racing community wants to do whatever we can to aid our brothers and sisters to the north," Abdelnour has said.

(With files from The Sun Chronicle)
Longtime horseman Norman 'Norm' Bayne of Rodney, Ontario, passed away on March 12, 2016, at the age of 84.

He was a horseman that will be remembered by many. Norm made history when he won the first race at Greenwood Raceway on July 1, 1961. That evening marked the first day that Canadian harness racing was conducted under the lights.

One of Norms favorite horses was Grand Patton, a bay gelding born fifty years ago in 1966. Originally from Australia, this horse earned Norm a whopping $71,558. His second favourite was the homebred Fiesty Baran, a horse that earned $258,878.

No funeral service is planned for Norm, but a graveside memorial service will be conducted in the future.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Norm Bayne.
Er is iets heel griezeligs aan de gang in Nederland. Dat wij geleidelijk aan in een totalitaire 'democratie' wegzinken wordt steeds ...
PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

How important is political party affiliation? Some people mistakenly believe only politicians need political affiliation, which they use for support to get elected. They contend the electorate or voters, do not need to be aligned with any Party. These same people often state they support the man, not the Party. But whether they recognize it or not, they are supporting a party when they support the man.

Most of the Founding Fathers had a negative view of political parties. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington warned about political parties saying, However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion. In spite of Washington's warning, political parties were formed anyway.

From 1796 to 1828 the first political parties were formed. Starting with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, two opposing factions arose. Each was concerned with how the new government was to be organized. The Federalists believed in a strong central government. Their philosophy and beliefs would closely mirror the Democrat Party today. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states. They would more closely align with Republicans today.

Since the mid 1800s, the Ds and Rs have been the two major political parties in our country. Political parties flourished in our government mainly for legislative organization and expediencies sake. Why is Party affiliation important for the average voter? Party affiliation is important for three very simples reasons.

First, party affiliation is the first vote a citizen casts. When a citizen registers as a Democrat, then they are aligning philosophically with the values, beliefs, tenets, and positions of the Democrats on the issues. Party affiliation defines you are and what you stand for. It should be taken as seriously as a vote for a specific candidate. Research what each Party stands for, their positions on issues, and then align with the Party that is closest to your values. Copies of both major Party platforms are available on-line or at the local library.

Second, legislatures organize themselves and conduct business using party affiliation. The legislative branch of government is the most powerful arm of the three branches of government. Legislative bodies hold closed meeting of party members, called a caucus to decide on questions of policy or leadership. The Republicans hold a caucus meeting and the Democrats hold a caucus meeting-both at the state and federal level. Unfortunately, conservative, moderate and liberal philosophies do not hold caucus meetings or control the legislative agendas- parties do. When someone says they vote for the man, not the party, they fail to understand the power and function of a caucus system in a legislative body. The Party in the majority controls appointments, Chairmanships, the agenda and countless other things through the caucus.

Third, party affiliation should be a matter of conviction, not convenience. Often, people align with a party so they can vote in primary elections or based on family tradition or geographies. Even candidates will align, file and run affiliated with a Party they have little philosophical agreement with. That decision is made out of convenience, not conviction. While no political party is perfect or has all the answers, there is a distinct difference between the two major parties and honest citizens should align with the Party that reflects their convictions.

The Democrat Party is more liberal than the Republican Party. Liberals believe in more government control of business, the environment and speech, using large bureaucratic programs to address real or perceived social ills and constant reinterpretation of the Constitution. Liberals are more inclined to trust government than the people themselves. They see the role of government as a great provider of goods and services and have little faith in the individual to solve his own problems.

Republicans are more conservative than Democrats. Conservatives believe in less government control of the environment and business. They want fewer and less comprehensive government programs to address real or perceived social ills. They believe in personal responsibility and trust individuals to make decisions for themselves. Republicans believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution. A person should find out which of these philosophies best fits their view if they wish to actively participate in the political process.

Party affiliation is important. Washingtons prophecy has come to past, and political parties have been used to empower unprincipled men, on both sides of the aisle, but like it or not, political parties are a reality in our system of government. Each concerned citizen should evaluate the philosophy, values, beliefs and tenets of each Party and align their party affiliation accordingly.


First official trip - to Asia. We are so proud of you! Beauty, brains, compassion, talent, and the sweetest disposition.
Tracie Driver and Linda Osborne have a bold stake in the county.

The couple calls their nonprofit tutoring service, Gateway Learning Center, the only preemptive social service in the county. By providing educational support for local students, Driver says Gateway helps drive down crime and dropout rates by boosting graduation rates and grades.

This is where my roots are. I really want to help make Cowlitz County a strong entity, said Driver, Osbornes wife and president of the three-member board. It all points back to education.  The end result (of doing well in school) is that our kids go onto college, theyre not living at the poverty level, and theres less chance of drug and alcohol addictions.

Gateways 10 teachers (five are fluent in Spanish) tutor in grades K-12 in reading, writing, math, science, SAT prep and Spanish. Theyre also aligned with Common Core reading, writing and math standards and tutor special education students.

In 2012, Driver and Osborne, a former special education teacher, took over the same space from then Sylvan Learning tutoring center and changed it to their for-profit tutoring business, also called Gateway Learning. Now, Osborne is executive director of the nonprofit and reports to its board.

Driver said the business became a nonprofit because Gateway couldnt offer scholarships or receive community donations and grants, and Driver said they were turning away families who couldnt afford their services.

We kept getting calls from people wanting to get kids tutoring, she said. We had to keep turning them away.  That was hard on my heart to turn them away.

The center lowered its hourly rate from $47 to $43, below the $55 state average, Driver said.

Its been scary, the couple said, turning the business into a nonprofit. When they transitioned the business in December, Driver and Osborne had to give all their assets to the nonprofit, meaning that when they retire, they have nothing to sell and make a profit off.

But they say its worth it. Eleven students currently receive scholarships. Without them, they may not have been able to get tutoring.

Driver said the centers students have a 98 percent success rate, measured as the ratio of kids per year who meet the goals Gateway sets for them.

Tutors connect regularly with school teachers to make sure students are on track with homework and grades. When they first get to Gateway, Osborne interviews students and their parents. Then students take a California state test so Gateway can understand their strengths and weaknesses. After every 36 hours of instruction, students are tested again.

Driver and Osborne said Gateway is successful particularly because it promotes parent-student collaboration, something Driver said she doesnt see happen enough in Cowlitz County. For example, the center is hosting a Fibre Federal Credit Union-sponsored money management class that invites parents to learn beside their children.

Additionally, Driver said Gateway gives the kind of individualized tutoring  they have a maximum teacher-student ratio of 1:2  schools arent able to squeeze in a six-hour day, cant afford or are restricted by their curriculum.

Their staff are already maxed out working 50, 60 hours a week, she said. You have a very creative teacher who can teach the fundamentals to students, but theyre lost in the confines.
Longview police responded to a robbery at Red Canoe Credit Union Monday afternoon, according to authorities.

A man  described as a "dirty" looking with stubble facial hair and a goatee, wearing a striped hat with red writing on it  robbed the credit union at 821 Washington Way at 2:28 p.m. The suspect is white, estimated to be in his late 30s, very thin and between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-3.

The man exited through the main doors and turned left toward Eighth Avenue. Police are searching for him with the help of a K-9.

In a Facebook post, police warned not to approach or confront the man if spotted. He is considered armed and dangerous, according to police.
Sam Valdez will spend almost 21 years in prison for conspiring to murder his former wife, burning down his neighbors house and other crimes.

Valdez, 64, was sentenced in Wahkiakum County Superior Court on Monday following his Feb. 26 conviction for first-degree conspiracy to murder ex-wife Beth Robbins, first-degree arson, delivery of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver or manufacture.

Robbins said the sentence was not enough.

Its still very alive, she said afterward. Theres no remorse on Sams part. Hes still delusional.

Deputy Prosecutor Sue Baur told the court that Valdez is a liar, to himself and to jurors.

She called him a vindictive, and petty, petty person who convinced himself and tried to convince jurors that he didnt want to hire a hitman to kill Robbins.

The case hinged largely on three taped conversations Valdez, a Rosburg resident, had with his neighbor and former friend Chris Horton last year. The tapes captured Valdezs anger toward Robbins and local judges because he lost money and property in their 2013 divorce.

In issuing the sentence, Cowlitz Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning said he wasnt sure what to make of the tapes, which he said were both juvenile  like two 13 year olds  and serious in nature.

In large part, the tapes sound like two young people trying to prove what rebels they are. It was a very strange conversation to listen to, he said. My problem in deciding what to do with it is resolved by the arson charge.  You decided to set fire to a house with two elderly people in it, one blind. As far as youre concerned, its perfectly OK for you to burn them out or burn them up.

Kathy Cantrell was inside her home with her then-fiance Fred Cantrell, who is blind, when a July 2014 fire burned up their home and killed their dogs. Baur said Valdez torched the house in retaliation for Cantrell siding with his ex-wife in their divorce.

My home, property, possessions and former life as I knew it were destroyed, she said at Mondays sentencing. I know if this man ever walks outside a prison again, he will have no remorse and will continue his goal of revenge and hatred against us.

Valdezs lawyer, Wayne Fricke, asked Warning for a 17-year sentence, the bottom of the standard range. He said that Valdez will appeal his conviction, a process that Fricke said takes two years.

Valdezs mother, Laurel Valdez, said she wasnt surprised that her son was convicted. In a small county like this, its very difficult to find an unbiased jury, she said after the sentencing.

Allowed to speak before sentencing, Valdez, clad in an orange jail jumpsuit and handcuffs, rose slowly from his seat, turned and scanned the packed courtroom.

Chris (Horton) is a con. Hes conned this court. Hes conned Ms. Baur, and hes conned me. Your honor, I have never in my life threatened or hurt. ... Ive been horrified at Ms. Baurs imaginaton. As wild as it is, its disheartening. Anyway your honor, it seems fruitless for me to try to say anything against this avalanche of character assassinations. Anyway, my hearts been broken.
tech2 News Staff

Dropbox VP of engineering, Aditya Agarwal announced today that the company has managed to finally break off from Amazon's cloud empire. They will be going forward using their very own super servers that have been built from scratch.

https://twitter.com/adityaag/status/709417445555974144

Dropbox, the cloud storage specialist that is said to be going through a tough phase, has somehow managed to muster the courage to give cloud computing giants like Amazon and Microsoft the boot and actually build its own cloud, with some added brains.

Aditya tells Wired that Dropbox has built a storage solution that is upwards of 500 petabytes in capacity! If you're unaware, 1 petabyte equals 1000TB or 1,000,000 GB of storage. And all of this works in sync with a new system called Magic Pocket.

To put these figures in perspective, Microsoft and Facebook are both estimated to have operated cloud servers totaling 300PB in capacity each. Amazon was hitting the one exabyte mark, or 1000PB. Bear in mind that this was in 2012, but even by that measure, Dropbox's 500PB of storage is a massive investment and speaks volumes about their plans for the platform.

Dropbox Storage Team Lead, James Cowling, puts things into perspective in his own way. He claims that the entire written works of mankind can be stored on 50 petabytes. He adds, "For us, that's just a couple of racks". This is keeping in mind that the complete system is capable of storing more than 500 petabytes of data which is roughly around 52,42,88,000 GB of storage, which is quite a lot and seems enough for humanity at the moment. What 4K, VR and 360 degree videos will do to that statement, we can't say for sure.

Dropbox claims that it is using the best technology available and is maxing things out to deliver the best experience to its customers.

The transition will not affect consumers in any way, say Dropbox. Their data will be safe and as accessible as it's always been. Dropbox will feel the pinch for now, however. Moving things off Amazon's cloud services to their own, custom built platform was expensive and time-consuming, but they feel that it's worth the investment.

You'll be surprised at the number of company's that use third party cloud services like Amazon's AWS or Microsoft's Azure. Apple, for example, relies entirely on AWS to power their iMessage platform as does, apparently, their iCloud service. Companies like Apple can afford to be this indulgent however.

For smaller companies like Dropbox it is indeed time to grow smarter as their companies scale and grow with time. DropBox has taken that step and for now it seems like a good move to be independent. Of course all of this did not just happen overnightit took about two and a half years to migrate. With Magic Pocket, Dropbox even built its own programming language, which was yet another feat of engineering.

Dropbox has obviously invested very heavily in this migration and have built a foundation that's capable of taking on giants like Microsoft and Amazon. Let's hope their bet pays off.
hidden

Social networking giant Facebook is using its artificial intelligence (AI) technology and resources to map the entire Earth and launch the world's most detailed population maps that will help it beam cheap Internet to remote areas.

To begin with, the Facebook AI team crunched 14.6 billion images of maps from across 20 countries, including India, covering 21.6 million sq kms to come up with the first detailed map of human settlement for these countries.

"This is an impressive project from our team developing solar-powered planes for beaming down Internet connectivity and our AI research team. Many people live in remote communities and accurate data on where people live doesn't always exist," wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a latest post.

The 20 countries mapped were Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

"We can't beam Internet connectivity to people if we don't know where communities are, so we built AI technology to analyse 15.6 billion satellite images to create much more accurate population maps across 21.6 million square kilometers of Earth," the 31-year-old billionaire added.

To create such maps, Facebook's Connectivity Lab teamed up with the company's AI group and data science team. It obtained over 14.6 billion images of maps from Columbia University and the World Bank.

It then employed its AI algorithm to identify objects, specifically things that would show humans are living in the area, like houses, shelter and roadways, the Next Web reported.

"We will share these maps openly with the community so other organisations can use them too. This should help with planning energy, health and transport infrastructure, as well as assisting people who need help in disasters," Zuckerberg noted.

According to Yael Maguire, the director and head of Facebook's Connectivity Lab, their goal is to figure out how to develop technologies and understanding to connect every person on the planet. Facebook has partnered with researchers at Columbia University to figure out how to make this vast pool of data available to all by the end of this year.

"We believe this data has many more impactful applications such as socio-economic research and risk assessment for natural disasters," the company said in a statement.

IANS
Naina Khedekar

When Google decided to sell Motorola to Lenovo, it kept behind one of the best divisions  Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP)  that includes the Project Ara modular phone concept. Last year, at IO 2015, Google demoed several interesting projects, which raised our hopes on all those weird phone concepts that we wished could be a reality in the future.

This time around, LG managed to beat Google with its big MWC 2016 modular smartphone surprise. The company didn't just manage to (arguably) introduce the first mainstream modular phone, but also grabbed the most eyeballs at the show. The G5 comes with a slide-out battery, taking the first step towards the modular world of phones.

Yes, the first step towards a world of modular phones. In the past couple of years, there's been significant development in smartphone hardware evolution. A few years ago it was said we're nearly hitting the fag end of hardware, and that it was time to focus on software. Modular design seems to have the potential to answer the 'what next' question that has been lingering on everyone's minds.

Around the same time next year, we will have a couple of entrants in the modular phone market. Yes, in one year, and we say that considering Google's modular phone is expected sometime this year, and going by the passionate fan following we've seen in the past couple of years, the entrants may grow by manifold.

Google has also showcased its project Tango at the CES this year. Though a real phone wasn't on display, Google and Lenovo had plenty to talk about its prototype. It is already out to 1000 testers. And, let's not forget about the Fairphone 2, which was out way before the G5. Fairphone is a social enterprise based in Amsterdam and recently released the Fairphone 2  an Android-powered 5-inch phone fitted with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel main camera, a 2,420 mAh battery and 32 GB of eMMc storage at $580. The Fairphone 2 allows users to change every part  camera, speakers, chip, display, and so on.

Besides, some other projects are cropping their heads alongside such as Phonebloks and PuzzlePhone. Phonebloks is a modular smartphone project designed by Dave Hakkens who was worried about the waste involved in throwing away a device, with just one unusable part that cannot be replaced. Similarly, Puzzlephone is from a company called Circular Devices, almost similar to Project Ara but said to be far more simpler.

There are many small unknown companies working in the background to further complement the modular range. For instance  a company called Lapka is specialising in design-forward sensor-driven hardware. It has teamed up with Google and working on its own Lapka x Project Ara product line that will allow Ara users to upgrade their smartphones cameras, screens, and batteries and other capabilities such as the option to plug in a CO2 monitor or a glucometer. The concept includes seven components  air quality sensor, a CO2 monitor, a light sensor, an EKG node, glucometer and breathalyzer.

Turns out, the modular smartphone era may arrive earlier than we expected. Foldable displays have been another fascination with smartphone designers. There has been a surge in news reports around foldable displays in recent times. Even companies of the likes of Nokia and Samsung have expressed keen interest in the foldable displays segment.

According to a patent by Samsung that emerged in December, the South Korean giant is working on a product category that implements a foldable display. The allows the device to switch from a smartphone form factor to a tablet! Last month at the Samsung Forum, the India chief of Samsung Mobile, Manu Sharma told tech2, "I cannot comment on the future technology yet and don't have the visibility of the new technology or when it would come."

But, given the active interest of a wide range of companies to specialise a different approach to smartphone design, it could certainly pave way to more exciting and modular smartphones that we could have only imagined till now.

Anshul Gupta, Research Director, Gartner believes that modular smartphone is the future, but a distant one. "The LG G5 has managed to create a hype in the market, and we can expect manufactures coming out with more and more modular phones. However, you cannot expect them to sell in millions or capture 50 percent of the market, as they will co-exist alongside our usual smartphones."

Citing an example of the PC market, he adds, "We have seen assembled PCs as well as branded systems. Both markets have been co-existing."

For now, this makes sense as the modular phone market has a long way to go and still faces a lot of challenges such as thickness of the device, good looks and feasibility of easily changing a component. "The challenge is how to effortlessly let consumers pick a screen, processor or battery from different companies. It would require a lot of co-ordination, the components have to be compatible, and would require easy plug-ins," Gupta adds. This may also mean limitations in terms of components that a company will let your replace. Moreover, how easily you could replace it. So, it is quite possible that in terms of component replaceability, there would be limitations initially, but slowly yet steadily an ecosystem could be created.

There is no denying that there is a long way to go in terms of acceptability, but devices like the G5 have already set a path for the future.
tech2 News Staff

While the current 'King of the ring' when it comes to hardware specifications is indeed the Vivo XPlay 5 Elite with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM, something bigger seems to be coming our way indeed. Rumours coming from Chinese website MyDrivers claim that Meizu is preparing a smartphone that not only packs in 6GB of RAM but a pressure-sensitive display as well.

Tagged as the Meizu Pro 6, the flagship smartphone is expected to come in two variants, one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage, and a pricier version sporting 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Oddly, the same report claims that Meizu will stick to a Full HD display similar to the one on the Meizu Pro 5. The processor once again is expected to come from Samsung, this time an Exynos 8890 that is also present on the Galaxy S7 models.

Other cool bits include Hi-Fi 3.0 sound and the mCharge (fast charge) 3.0 as well all powered by Meizu's custom Flyme 6.0 software.

Also mentioned in the source in the announcement of another smartphone before the launch of the Meizu Pro 6. In all probability, this would be the Meizu MX6 similar to the MX5 that was announced before the MX5 Pro. Currently, the MX5 is the best that Meizu fans in India can get.
tech2 News Staff

The recent attack on the Pathankhot air force base, resulting in at least 6 deaths, was carried out with a marked degree of foresight and knowledge of the air base and operations. It has just come to light that part of that intelligence gathered for that attack was due to an app called SmeshApp.

Although Google removed SmeshApp from the Play Store, the damage has already been done.

Honeytraps on Facebook

Pakistan intelligence apparently set up fake accounts on Facebook (at least 10, reportedly) and established a honeytrap. The account would be used to entice soldiers into installing SmeshApp on their phones (more on that later). Accounts related to Air Force, Navy, Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Forces were targeted.

These honeytraps apparently bore an air of patriotism and legitimacy by ensuring that the friends list was filled with retired soldiers. Basically, the more soldiers the account ensnared, the more legitimate the accounts seemed.

Once trapped and SmeshApp installed, Pakistani intelligence acquired full access to all the personal data related to that soldier. This includes real-time updates of his location and even the ability to record the environment via the microphone.

How does SmeshApp work?

On the surface, SmeshApp is nothing more than a clone of WhatsApp or Telegram. As with most apps on the Google Play Store, the app asks for permission to access your contacts, photos and other such personal information.

The app then sends requests to all members in the infected phone's contact list, building up a database of users and gathering information. This information can be in the form of photos, location data, messaging data, e-mail, browsing data, etc. Basically, everything you do on your phone is transmitted to an unknown server, which is now a slave to the app.

In the case of SmeshApp, the server was apparently hosted in Germany and was operated by someone from Karachi. Sadly, the information that was leaked contained vital information on troop movements and counter-terrorism operations.

If you really think about it, what SmeshApp did was nothing unusual. As mentioned earlier, most apps on the Play Store and App Store try to gather as much personal information as they can. Data, is after all, priceless. Services like Telegram and Whatsapp at least take the trouble to encrypt the data on their servers, at least, they claim they do. Can you know for sure?

SmeshApp had apparently been downloaded over 500 times and boasted of a rating of 4.0 at the time it was pulled from the store. Google issued a statement saying, "We remove applications that violate our policies, such as apps that are illegal, deceptive or that promote hate speech once notified. As a policy, we don't comment on individual applications."

What can the we do?

Apps like SmeshApp can and will flourish on app stores across platforms. Information is king and most app-makers depend on monetising your information to make money. If you really wanted to, even you could make an app like SmeshApp in record time and have it published.

As Pavan Duggal, an advocate specializing in the field of cyberlaw, pointed out to CNN-IBN, the only real defence is "individual due diligence." In other words, you need to exercise caution on a personal level.

The army itself doesn't seem to have any guidelines in place with regards to the online presence of their soldiers and it's high time that they did. Simple steps such as the use of recommended apps, guidelines limiting the sharing of sensitive information, etc., need to be implemented. Pavan Duggal also talks about a unified cyber command, which has been in the works since a great many years.

Over the years, mobile phones have transformed from a simple device for making calls to a portable camera, a computer, and now a full-fledged IOT device that has access to virtually every aspect of your life. Care must be taken when using it, especially in such sensitive cases as military operations.
BB Governor Atiur quits amid money heist criticism

Dr Atiur Rahman

Dhaka, Mar 15 (UNB) - Embattled Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman on Tuesday quit amid a huge row over the heist of $101 million from the Bangladesh Bank's account with the US Federal Reserve Bank. The Governor's resignation came following his meeting with the Prime Minister at her office, according the PMO's Press Wing. Earlier talking to reporters at his official residence at Gulshan in the city, Dr Atiur said he was ready to resign if the Prime Minister asked him to do so. He talked to the media first about the hacking out of $101 million from the Bangladesh Bank's account with the US Federal Reserve Bank since his return from India on Monday. Atiur said he would first go to the Prime Minister's Office to brief Sheikh Hasina about the whole incident. Defending himself for not informing the Finance Minister about the money heist, he said he took some time since it was like a "terrorist attack" on the country's banking sector after the ATM fraud. "But whatever I did, it was in the interest of the country as I didn't want the incident to create any panic in the banking sector," Atiur added. He said he would apologise to the people of the country if he did any mistake in this regard. Meanwhile, Finance Minister AMA Muhith moved his scheduled press conference to 2:30 pm from 11am today. The press conference on the evolving issue will be held at his ministry.
Project launched to upgrade airport-screening system

Economic Reporter :

The government has taken up a project to strengthen the country's airport security system to comply with the international standard, sources said.

The Tk 9.0 million cost project will ensure uninterrupted air connectivity with the globe, passenger and cargo facilities as well as screening checkpoint in the three major airports of the country.

"We've taken the project to introduce modern screening technology in line with the requirement of United States, European Union and other countries," Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said.

Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) is entrusted to implement the project in country's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport and Osmani International Airport by December this year.

Under the project, security personnel would be provided training and consultant would be hired to maintain the ultimate airport security.

In addition, different types of scanning and detective devices and system would also be procured to ensure international standard.

According to the Development Project Proforma (DPP), the government has adopted the project as per the recommendations passed by the experts of United Kingdom's Transportation Department after visiting the security measures of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport recently.

Earlier, on January 5 this year, a meeting of the Prime Minister office (PMO) decided to take the project to ensure overall security of country's airports.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom (UK) has put restriction of the direct air cargo. A web post on the UK government's website on March 8 said, "As part of a set of interim measures, cargo will not be allowed on direct flights from Dhaka to the UK until further notice."

Their recent assessments of the Hazrat Shahjalal airport found that some international security requirements were not being met, it added.

The UK has urged the government to inform it that what types of security measures are going to be taken by Bangladesh within March 31.

On the other hand, On December 19 last year, Australia banned air cargo from Bangladesh, citing the similar concerns.


Hydrographic confce ends





The 16th conference of the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission (NIOHC) has begun in the port city of Chittagong , highlighting "the importance and significance of hydrography" on Monday .

Bangladesh Navy, which is hosting the 3-day event that started from Monday in Hotel Radison Blu, Chittagong , said hydrographic work was "fundamental to develop and sustain a blue economy" in Bangladesh after the settlement of the maritime boundary with its neighbours The Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed inaugurated the conference as chief guest.

Egypt, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UK and associate member states Australia, France, Oman, Seychelles, and the US are taking part.

Bangladesh is the Chairman of the NIOHC for the year 2015-2016. The Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) and NIOHC Chair Rear Admiral M Makbul Hossain is presiding over the conference.The conference will discuss hydrographic activities and its achievements, mutual co-operation, technical assistance and training support.
Shipping Minister opens Indo-Bangla feeder service





Minister for Shipping Md. Shahjahan Khan MP formally inaugurated the feeder cargo service between Chittagong Port of Bangladesh and Krishnapattam Port of Chennai, India under Bangladesh-India Coastal Shipping Agreement.

The Minister inaugurated the first ever feeder container vessel MV Harbour in between the ports of Chittagong and KPP Chennai at Berth No.1 of Chittagong Port yesterday afternoon as Chief Guest.

The MV Harbour will depart Chitagong Port on March 17 (tomorrow) enroute to Chennai port which is expected to reach there on March 22 .

This vessel will depart Chennai Port for Pangaon river port via Chittagong on March 23 , sources said. Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Julfikar Aziz presided the inauguration ceremony duly attended by Madaripur-1 legislator Nure Alam chowdhury MP, Ctg-14 constituency lawmaker Nazrul Islam Chowdhury , Diplomats of Indian High Commission in Bangaldesh Harsha Bardan, Mr. Rakesh Barman, Secretary of Shipping Ministry Ashoke Madhab as special guests.

The chief guest in his brief deliberations said country is rapidly advancing under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and turned the country into middle income country.

He also blamed the role of the BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia against the country's ongoing development. He also earmarked the day (March 15) as historical day because the Father of the Nation Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed this Bangladesh India Coastal Shipping Agreement in 1972 which is going to be implemented from yesterday

The minister further said feeder cargo services with other ports of India will be introduced very shortly aimed at minimizing the transportation costs of imports and exports consignments. Minister also assured the Chittagong Port for all logistic facilities need in future to handle any sorts of bulk and container vessels and said Chittagong Port now is fully equipped with modern handling equipments.


Can womens leadership boost economy?

Lynn Taliento, Anu Madgavkar :

The economic and business case for gender equality is now overwhelming. Evidence is mounting that having more women in the boardroom and senior management positions is positive for the bottom line and for society.

While there has been progress toward increased educational opportunities and greater participation in the labor force for women, they remain underrepresented at the top of companies around the world. And it's not just in business that women are not rising to the top - the same is true in the nonprofit sector and in politics.

In 2012, most Asian countries had fewer than 10 percent female representation on executive committees and saw women making up fewer than 5 percent of CEOs, losing the majority of women in the mid-to-senior management level. In 2015, 45 percent of entry-level jobs in the United States were occupied by women, but women held only 17 percent of C-suite jobs.

In the nonprofit sector, women hold only 21 percent of leadership roles in organizations with budgets in excess of $25 million despite making up 75 percent of their workforces.

Globally, there are 22 women in ministerial and parliamentary roles for every 100 men. Even in developed economies - and democracies - such as the United Kingdom and the United States, there are only 24 and 34 women to every 100 men, respectively, in these top government roles.

The economic and social benefits of narrowing the gender gaps are clear. If women were to participate in the world of work identically to men, an additional $28 trillion, or 26 percent of incremental global GDP, could be achieved in 2025. That's roughly the combined size of the economies of the United States and China today.

Gender diversity has been shown to increase an organization's performance as well as improve morale, recruiting and external image. McKinsey's Women Matter research has found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above the average in their national industry.

The lack of women in positions of political power has a cost for society, too, because women often have different priorities and can be more effective where it matters. For instance, one cross-country study found that greater representation of women in parliaments led to higher expenditure on education as a share of GDP. In India, women's leadership in local politics has been found to reduce corruption. And in the social sector, research has shown that nonprofits with women in leadership positions are more successful in realizing their mission and reaching their goals.

Deeply-rooted attitudes stand in women's way. We analyzed data from the World Values Survey and found a strong link between attitudes that limit women's potential and actual gender equality outcomes in a given region. For instance, the survey asks respondents, both men and women, whether they agree with the following statement, "When a mother works for pay, her children suffer." We examined the responses against outcomes related to women in leadership positions and found strong negative correlations. This was true not only in developing countries, but in developed countries as well. More than half the respondents in South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa agreed with this statement - but so did 29 percent of respondents in nine developed countries.

A view that it is more difficult for women to balance family life and a top-level career persists. Across countries, the "double burden" of balancing work and domestic life was the barrier cited most often in our Women Matter research - by 45 percent of respondents in Asia-Pacific, 34 percent in Europe and 31 percent in North America. Another oft-cited barrier was the "anytime-anywhere" work model that requires employees to be available at all times and geographically mobile.

Tackling women's underrepresentation needs to take place on many levels. In companies, the CEO needs to drive change from the top. In France, Renault Nissan's CEO has made a clear commitment to gender diversity, and the company now publishes annual updates of female advancement.

Every company should consider policies that do not penalize flexibility and part-time work arrangements and that promote options for telecommuting, provide adequate paternity and maternity family leave, plan for onsite child-care provision for employees, address unconscious biases and revamp the 24/7 culture that especially harms women.

In political life, quotas for the number of women as candidates or in political office have been used by some countries such as Norway - where political parties adopted voluntary quotas for female candidates - and Rwanda, where 24 out of 80 seats in the lower house of parliament are reserved for women. Burkina Faso implemented an increase in public funding to political parties if 30 percent of candidates elected are female. But beyond quotas and financial assistance, women need to build leadership capabilities, and organizations in Ireland have invested in training women for political candidacy and office.

Even as other gender gaps have narrowed, women struggle to close the gap with men on taking the roles that lead and shape the world. Until that gap is closed, women cannot meet their full potential - and the world will be poorer as a result.



(Lynn Taliento leads McKinsey's Social Sector Practice in the Americas, which she also co-founded in 1999, five years after joining McKinsey. Anu Madgavkar is a partner with the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey's business and economics research arm).
Keep villages away from sectarian politics

NEWS reports in the national dailies on Tuesday said two villagers identified as members of Hizb-ut Tawhid, were killed in a clash with the same villagers at a Noakhali village in Sonaimuri upazila on Monday. The report quoting the local Superintendent of Police said the clash occurred as the Hizb-ut-Tawhid men in the village attempted to build a mosque. When the other villagers resisted it, the clash ensued. A tense situation is now prevailing in the area where police, BGB and RAB are patrolling to restore peace.

The fact is that Hizb-ut-Tawhid is known as a militant outfit and as per the media report the villagers are opposed to allow them to build the mosque. During the clash, several shops and houses were torched and vandalized which belong to both sides. In fact a dispute has been continuing over the construction of the mosque and the clash broke out as a sequel to previous enmity. On Sunday night some 100 to 150 villagers known as parties belonging to the religious outfits gathered at the house of a former UP member for a meeting. As an angry reaction, their opponents attacked the house early on Monday to cause the clash. Fire fighting units rushed to the spot to douse the fire.

What appears quite frightening is that the fights have ensued centering the construction of a mosque on what we must say based on a narrowly growing sectarian line down to the village level where peace and harmony has always prevailed so far over the generations. There is no doubt that militant Islam is causing tension and breaking social peace and harmony in many countries and we also know that civil wars and other devastation in many Muslim countries destroying their entire population. Muslims are killing Muslims in such situation and we can't afford to create such a situation and allow it to grow in our country.

While we are totally opposed to radicalization of the village community by fanatic groups and militant forces, we must also keep eyes on the fact that nobody is using the sensitive issue to malign the opponents and settle score by branding some people as criminals by capitalizing on the emotion of common people.

The countryside is highly tense now before the Union Parishad (UP) election and there is not enough information if the village politics is having any hand from behind to knock down the opponents of some candidates. We must keep our villages as the bastion of peace and harmony and let there be extra vigilance against the rise of militancy and also the spread of politics of hatred. We must let our people to live in safety.






Tareque's plea to scrap case rejected

UNB, Dhaka :

The High Court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by suspended RAB official Tareque Sayeed seeking scrapping of a case in connection with the Narayanganj 7-murder.

Son-in-law of slain lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker filed the case. The High court bench of Justice Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossian passed the order. Lawyer Golam Kibira stood for Tareque Sayeed while Deputy Attorney General AKM Maniruzzaman Kabir stood for the state.

Earlier on Sunday the bench fixed the date (yesterday) to pass the order on the petition after ending of hearing.

On March 7, the HC bench felt embarrassed to hear the petition, and the documents of the petition were sent to Chief Justice SK Sinha.

Later the Chief Justice made the bench for hearing the petition. On February 24, Tareque Sayeed filed the petition seeking cancellation of the case. On April 27, 2014, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates

and driver were abducted by miscreants from Fatullah area of Narayanganj.

Hours after their kidnap, senior lawyer at District Judge's Court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were also abducted on their way to capital Dhaka. Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, including those of Nazrul and Chandan Kumar, were recovered from the Shitalakhya River on April 30.

Besides, the following day, the body of Jahangir, car driver of Nazrul Islam, was recovered from the river.

After the murder of seven people, Selina Islam filed a case against six people while Advocate Chandan Sarkar's son-in-law filed another case. On April 8, 2015, detectives pressed charges against 35 people, including three sacked Rab officials and prime accused Nur Hossain, in connection with the 7- murder.
Full text of SC verdict released

Staff Reporter :

The Supreme Court has released full text of its verdict that upheld the death sentence given to war crimes convict and Jamaat-e-Islami's Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

The Appellate Division of the SC released the 153-page judgement on Tuesday after its four judges signed the verdict. The judges are Chief Justice SK Sinha, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.

A copy of the full verdict was sent to the Registrar Office of the International Crimes Tribunal in the evening, said SC Additional Registrar Arunav Chakraborty.

Hours after receiving the full verdict, the tribunal issued death warrant against the Jamaat leader.

Copies of the full verdict will be dispatched to the jail authorities and the Dhaka district magistrate. Home Ministry will also be informed.

However, Nizami will get the chance to file a review petition against the verdict within 15 days. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said that the Jamaat Chief could move a review petition with the Supreme Court within 15 days of receiving the copy of the full verdict.

If his review petition is rejected, he will get a chance to seek Presidential clemency. If Nizami decides not to seek clemency, his execution process will begin.

Meanwhile, defence lawyer Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain said that they would file a review petition for commuting the punishment.

Nizami is the third former minister after Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to get death penalty for their crimes during the war. He will be the second Al-Badr top leader after Mojaheed to walk to the gallows.

On January 6 last, the four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha upheld the death sentence of the Jamaat Ameer. The SC bench unanimously upheld the death penalty for masterminding the killing of intellectuals and involvement in two incidents of mass killing of over 500 people in Pabna in 1971, paving the way for his execution.

On October 29 in 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Nizami to death for committing crimes against humanity, including genocide and the murder of intellectuals, during the Liberation War.

The tribunal sentenced Nizami, the 1971 commander-in-chief of Al Badr, a secret killing squad of Jamaate-e-Islami, the capital punishment each on four counts of charges of war crimes, terming Al Badr a criminal outfit.

The Supreme Court upheld his death penalty for three of the four counts of charges while he was acquitted for one.

The SC upheld his life term imprisonment for two charges, out of four in connection with the arrest, detention, torture, and murder of three people, including Maulana Kasim Uddin of Pabna Zila School on June 4 in 1971, complicity in torture, murder and rape at Mohammadpur Physical Training Institute in Dhaka, and murder of Badi, Rumi Jewel and Azad at Old MP Hostel in Dhaka on August 30 in 1971. The apex court acquitted the Jamaat leader of two other charges.

Nizami filed an appeal with the Supreme Court on November 23 in 2014 challenging the death sentence and claimed himself innocent and sought to be cleared of the charges.




CID to probe BB heist

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police will investigate the heist of $101 million from Bangladesh Bank's account with the US Federal Reserve Bank.

A case filed with Motijheel Police Station on Tuesday in connection with the incident has been transferred to the CID. Contacted, officer-in-charge of Motijheel police station Omar Faruque said the case has already been transferred to the CID as the specialised police unit has the responsibility of investigating money-laundering related cases. Earlier at noon, BB joint director (Audit and Budget Department) Md Jubayer Bin Huda filed the case against unidentified people.

The case was filed under the Money Laundering Act, Information and Communication Technology Act and Bangladesh Penal Code. Hackers swindled $101 million out of Bangladesh Bank from its account with US Federal Reserve Bank in New York. The incident came to light after foreign media published news items on it on March 7.




SC now asks 2 Ministers to appear Mar 20

Staff Reporter :

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a contempt rule issued on Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq till March 20.

The Supreme Court ordered the two Ministers to appear in the apex court again on that day for their explanations for controversial comments about Chief Justice SK Sinha. A nine-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC led by the Chief Justice fixed the fresh date after hearing a time petition filed by Quamrul Islam. The Food Minister, now in Malaysia, filed the petition by his lawyer. The ministers were scheduled to submit their explanations yesterday. Mozammel Huq was present in the court in the morning, but Qamrul Islam did not appear, as he is now abroad.

Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq and Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder represented the two ministers in the court. They pleaded to the court to resume the hearing and fix fresh date. They told the court that Qamrul Islam had gone abroad. He would appear in the court after returning to the country. Fixing the date of next hearing on March 20, the Chief Justice said the two ministers must have to appear before the Appellate Division on that day and hearing would also take place. On Monday, Qamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq sought unconditional apology to the court for their remarks. They begged the pardon in separate applications submitted to the SC through their lawyers.

Earlier on March 8, the Supreme Court summoned the two ministers to appear in the court on March 15 for their statement about the Chief Justice's remarks about the prosecution team. During the hearing of arguments on Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali's appeal petition on February 23, the Chief Justice expressed dissatisfaction at the poor performance of the prosecution and the investigation agency.

Ministers Quamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq demanded resignation of the Chief Justice for his reported remarks.

Quamrul Islam had called for formation of a new bench excluding the Chief Justice to hear Mir Quasem's appeal. Mozammel had also criticised the Chief Justice at the same time.


Atiur resigns, Fazle Kabir new Governor

Two Dy Governors asked to go: Banking Secy made OSD

Staff Reporter :Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor resigned on Tuesday after hackers stole over $100 million from the bank's account maintained with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in one of the biggest cyber heists in history that has embarrassed the government.Atiur Rahman, 64, resigned after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.Former finance secretary Fazle Kabir will replace Atiur.Soon after resignation of BB governor, the government asked two Deputy Governors to resign over the cyber heist issue from the bank's account with Federal Reserve Bank of New York."Atiur tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and she had accepted it," Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told The New Nation on Tuesday noon.He said that Atiur Rahman met Sheikh Hasina in her office in the morning and handed over his resignation letter.Atiur was appointed the Governor of Bangladesh Bank seven years ago. His tenure was set to end in August this year. Earlier in the morning, an emotional and apparently distressed Atiur told the newsmen that he was ready to quit for the sake of the country.The ex-BB governor had been massively criticized for keeping the government in the dark about the cyber heist for more than a month.Questions were raised over Atiur's decision to travel to New Delhi to attend an event of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at a time when mysteries around the cyber theft were unfolding. The ex-BB governor went to the Indian capital on March 10 to attend a three-day meeting of the IMF and returned to Dhaka on Monday noon. Atiur was supposed to meet Finance Minister AMA Muhith immediately after his return. But the meeting didn't take place as the BB chief was "tired," said a BB official.On Monday, the BB governor faced criticism from government high-ups, including Muhith and a number of ruling party leaders for "incompetently handling" the cyber theft.Muhith was furious and hinted that the top management of the BB might witness changes because of the fallout of the theft."We are going to make a major decision," he told reporters on Monday in the secretariat when asked whether the government would take any action against the BB."I have asked him to resign and he has done it," Muhith told reporters, referring to the BB governor's resign.He said that the government on Tuesday decided to appoint former finance secretary and incumbent chairman of state-run Sonali Bank, Fazle Kabir, the new BB Governor."Fazle Kabir is now in New York. He will join as the central bank governor next week," the minister said.Earlier on Sunday, Muhith publicly vented his anger at the BB for keeping him in the dark for more than a month about the theft and said he would take action against the BB. "I am very unhappy about the handling of the matter by the Bangladesh Bank very incompetently," he said.The hacking took place on the night of February 4, using information stolen through the malware, which sent a total of 35 transfer orders to the NY Federal Reserve Bank where the BB maintains an account. Meanwhile, the government has asked two Bangladesh Bank's (BB's) Deputy Governors to resign over the cyber heist issue from the bank's account with Federal Reserve Bank of New York.Finance Minister AMA Muhith made the disclosure to the reporters at the Planning Commission on Tuesday afternoon hours into Atiur Rahman's resignation as the central bank governor.When asked, he said, the two Deputy Governors, who have been asked to resign, are Abul Quasem and Nazneen Sultana.When contacted, Abul Quasem told The New Nation on Tuesday night that he was unaware about the move. The other Deputy Governor, Nazneen Sultana, could not be reached over her mobile phone. In another move, the government the same day made the Banking and Financial Institution Division's Secretary M Aslam Alam an OSD, a status that leaves him without a portfolio.Earlier, Alam told reporters that he was unaware of the BB's cyber heist. Finance Minister on Monday said that major changes to central bank's management are waiting as the cyber heist created much displeasure to the government.
Govt must be needing many foreign firms to run its affairs

As per reliable media reports, the government has decided to hire a British firm to enhance airport security responding to the UK government's ban on direct cargo flights between Dhaka and London citing serious security lapses at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

In response to the UK Premier David Cameron's letter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina admitted the security lapse at the airport and decided to hire a suggested British firm from the UK recommended G4S, Redline and Control Risks, Restrata Pilgrims Group and Adam Smith International and Westminster Aviation Security Services Ltd.

Definitely, lapse of security at the airport is very alarming but our question is why we have to hire a UK firm to provide security? It is a disgraceful admission by the government that it has no competence to ensure security at the main international airport.

The government is degrading the whole nation in the sense that we lack competent people for managing an international airport of our own country. Then the question is how can we boast ourselves about our ability to run an independent country or are we not? Surely,our people have no reason to accept that we are as a nation so unqualified.

We have highly qualified men and women who can compete most favourably with qualified men and women of well developed countries. Our crisis lies in organised corruption of incompetent persons around the government which is out of touch of the people.

Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon said short-term measures would be put in place by March 31 in the light of the UK government's proposal for the 'sustainable improvement' of the airport security. The issue of speedily hiring the security firm was discussed by a steering committee. It is stated that initially, a foreign security firm would be appointed for six months to train security personnel and supervise their service at the airport.

Our fear is inviting foreign experts without appropriate changes at the top of the administration may lead to clashes and creation of obstacles within the system. It is an easy choice for a government unaccountable and detached from the people by appointing experts from Britain will please the British government and lift the ban.

The government must learn to put its own house in order. We need to create a country where people will not suffer fear from telling the truth. We also must have a government accountable to the people.

We have some long prevailing problems and some are becoming more chaotic like banking sector, economy, traffic problems, partially dysfunctional Chittagong and Mongla sea ports, unhealthy healthcare system, indisciplined educational sector, messy power sector, a nearly collapsed internal banking sector due to doctored documents and corrupt bank officials. It is for the government to tell us which sector is run properly.

Corruption in banking sector has exposed the extensive political culture of impunity that has grown in our country over the years.

Now our foreign reserve worth US$ 101 million has been stolen easily for the criminal laxity of the Finance Minister who is too old to be active for any serious responsibility. We came to know from Philippine sources that so much of our foreign exchange got transferred. The Philippine government should be praised for quick action to chase the money.

Many say that there was an attempt to hush up and the Finance Minister said brazenly a month later that he was not told by the state bank governor such a big heist had taken place. The Governor of Bangladesh Bank did not miss his trip to India keeping the whole thing secret. Such irresponsible men are placed in highly responsible positions. Political loyalty counted everything in such appointments.

Now the governor has lost job but the Finance Minister will be there as before to continue the mismanagement of the country's economy.

Next the government will need foreign expert firms to run our banking system. We must have foreign firms to regulate the traffic system of the capital city. It is relevant to ask the government how many more foreign expert firms will be necessary to manage the affairs of the state including pervading corruption in every area of the government.

The government cannot remain honest and efficient unless it is a people's government and not a government of the vested interests. By destroying the election process the government has created a vicious circle not good for its own or the good of the people. It is time for the government to realise its own shortsightedness.
The Elites Want Genocide This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a ...
(the Rah Men cometh)Ireland today...1. IRA mafia beancounter David Drumm has returned to Ireland to face trial for the manner in which he helped the IRA to loot the IRA owned Anglo Irish Bank where he was Chief Executive, through billion dollar loans to IRA fronts posing as businessmen. Irish courts are unlikely to be able to try or convict or sentence him to anything meaningful for the crime he committed, ie putting Ireland in the third world overnight in order to facilitate the IRA's burglarisation of its own bank. After collapsing the Irish economy single handedly Drumm fled with his progeny and moll to America using IRA rat lines and mob connections to secure entry visas and work in Boston. The only real sentence Drumm will serve is the few months during which a genuinely insightful and courageous American Judge remanded him in custody while Drumm was frivolously challenging extradition proceedings to Ireland. The Americans' insistence on holding Drumm in jail pending extradition led to Drumm abandoning his showboating attempts to delay the process further. So the little Drummer boy has come home. Oh joy.2. Judge Adrian Hardiman has died. His most famous clients were the IRA mafia parliamentary proxies Sinn Fein who memorably applauded him during one famous court appearance. Hardiman's associations with the IRA did not prevent him being appointed to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ireland. His marriage to now retired air hostess Yvonne Murphy was no impediment to Yvonne Murphy being appointed to the Circuit Court from which she is also now retired.3. A group of mobsters have announced that their skang gang (my words not theirs) will henceforth be called The New IRA (their words not mine), The main mafia groupings in Ireland are all IRA skang gangs. The Kinahan mob is styled the Real IRA. The Hutch mob style themselves the Continuity IRA. Collectively we might call all of them Scum Sucking IRA but that would be to libel single celled protozoan creatures which you find at the bottom of ponds.4. Ireland's police force has announced an offensive against the Kinahan mob this week trumpeting the seizure of fifteen souped up luxury automobiles. Yes. The Irish cops are gloating about the arrest of motor cars. Seriously though. they're doing a marvellous job.5. Ireland is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, a rebellion which laid waste the city of Dublin without the consent of the people of Dublin of course, and which led directly in 1919, 1920 and 1921 to the all out blood letting of the War of Independence this time laying waste much of the land of Ireland, again without the consent of the people of Ireland, and resulting in the partition of our country for the first time in recorded history, which in turn led to the even greater blood letting of the Civil War from 1921 to 1923, as per usual waged with no one's consent at all, which in turn led to the present day enslavement of Ireland by IRA mafia skang gangs (the principle of consent is meaningless to them) dealing in drugs, prostitution, people trafficking, child abuse (no less than 31 known IRA members are currently facing police investigation in child abuse cases according to the Irish Independent newspaper while ample evidence is emerging of IRA links to the abduction, rape, torture and murder of children and adults in Ireland over the past forty years, cf satanist Lorcan Bale's crucifixion of a child in Dublin in 1973, the disappearance of Philip Kearins in 1986, the disappearance of Annie McCarrick in 1993 (which former investigating officer Alan Bailey has asserted may have been perpetrated by an IRA hitman though I have suggested that that particular case is more likely to have involved serial killer Larry Murphy and his family coven), the Roscommon House of Horrors case in 2004, etc, all of which has led to what is before our eyes, the collapse of Irish civilisation into a culture of terror, viciousness and conformist self worshipping abortionist euthanasist servitude. Ireland's state controlled leftist television station RTE and its adjunct the Irish language TG4 continue to uncritically glorify the violence of the 1916 Rising. Their twee romanticising of mayhem and bloodshed is surely contributing to the current reinvention of IRA mobsters as freedom fighters. Your children will pay for this in blood, and drug addiction, and homelessness, and depravity. The lights are going out all over Ireland. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
A new national research report reveals the catalytic role that libraries and museums are playing in rebuilding troubled neighborhoods. These important "anchor institutions" are helping drive economic, educational, and social efforts to raise the standard of living in their surrounding neighborhoods.Published by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the research was recently shared at a meeting of Twin Cities community developers and museum and library professionals. The report captures the ways museums and libraries are leveraging their positions and resources to help fuel successful comprehensive community revitalization. It also offers best practice advice for other institutions.Nationally, theres a movement to look outside-in with our communities to understand how the organizational assets of museums and libraries can best be used to meet community needs. In the Twin Cities, we see what can be accomplished when museums and libraries act as true co-creators of community change, said Dr. Kathryn Matthew, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.The Twin Cities offer ample proof of the report's findings. One case in point is Payne Avenues New Arlington Hills Community Center, run jointly by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation and the Saint Paul Public Library. Offering an array of educational opportunities through its library branch, the Arlington Hills building also houses an affordable recreation center, a state-of-the-art digital learning lab for teens, and free rooms for community use. It serves everyone from toddlers who come for story time to seniors who want computer time to neighborhood groups that need a space to meet.Through our collaboration with other organizations, the Arlington Hills Community Center has become so much more than a library and a recreation center, says Katrina Hartz Taylor, the centers library manager. Weve become a community hub and a center for positive change.Arlington Hills opened in 2014, but two other branch libraries had already proved what powerful community renewal forces they can be. In the early 2000s, the renovation of Franklin Library was one of the cornerstones of revitalizing Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. Later that same decade, St. Paul's Rondo Community Library opened as the ground floor of an affordable housing complex. That innovative community development project has received national attention for the way it has embraced and served the surrounding community, including many immigrants and entrepreneurs.The Somali Museum of Minnesota on East Lake Street in Minneapolis illustrates how museums can contribute to community vitality. The museum's art exhibitions and educational programs offer everyone a chance to learn about traditional Somali culture--including young Somalis who have grown up here. The museum has become a popular community gathering place. For instance, a traditional Somali hut was recently imported from Africa and reconstructed as an exhibit as part of a community-wide celebration.Over the past 20 years, both the role of museums and libraries and the practice of revitalizing communities have undergone major changes. Many libraries and museums have embraced a broader range of social purposes than they did historically, and have invited their patrons to help shape their core activities.At the same time, community developers have moved toward comprehensivenesspromoting better quality of life across many fields such as housing, health, education, job training, arts and culture, and green space. Comprehensive community development also requires meaningful community engagement to be effective. These two parallel trends have helped pave the way for mutual collaboration.Its great to see how forward-looking and innovative museums, libraries, and community developers are becoming, says Erik Takeshita, portfolio manager for the Bush Foundations Community Creativity programming. Theyre partnering to harness the power of creativity to find new and exciting ways to help every-day people realize their hopes, dreams, and desires for both their families and their communities.Andriana Abariotes, executive director of Twin Cities LISC, hopes partnerships among libraries, museums and community developers will continue to flourish across the country and in our own region. Working with libraries and museums has been a growing and exciting part of community development. Were thrilled to be working alongside IMLS to bring the inspirational examples in this research report into the national spotlight.
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The S.P.D. Murder of John T. Williams

On a sunny, warm Seattle August day in 2010, Native American wood carver John T. Williams was murdered by the Seattle Police Department as he walked down the crowded downtown streets while on his normal daily routine of carving small totem poles with a small pen knife, then selling them to the tourists that flock by the Seattle Public Market.

Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk noticed Mr. Williams walking down the city streets and deemed him a threat, do in major part I believe - simply because he was Native American. Williams was one of many homeless Native Americans who roam downtown Seattle. These people are usually dismissed and overlooked by Seattles daily bustle of businessmen, the working class, and tourists.



When the officer approached Williams from behind, and then ordered him to freeze and drop his small carving knife and a stick of carving wood he was carrying, Williams was hard of hearing in one ear, and failed to hear the police officer over the traffic and pedestrians, thus did not immediately comply; officer Birk then instantly felt that this gave him the right to use lethal force against John T. Williams.

No threat was ever given by the homeless woodcarver. Officer Ian Birk coldly gunned down John T. Williams from behind, murdering him in the streets of Seattle, Wash, right in front of many horrified citizens who later professed that they felt no threat from the homeless Native American man whatsoever.



The officer was fired  thats it, and was allowed to live his life somewhere else, work a steady job, live in a nice house, somewhere out of media sight, and out of the publics mind; smug in the fact that he got away with legal murder with just a slap on the wrist. We must all remember that this type of legal homicide happens every day all over this nation of ours, by those sworn to Serve and Protect us. And that this violent tragedy can happen to anyone, or anybodys family members, especially if they are citizens of color. This makes it everybodys problem who believes in justice, personal safety from unwarranted persecution, and true American freedom in the society they live in. Let us still remember John T Williams, and never forget the fact that he was ruthlessly murdered by the S.P.D.






















































The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
To the Editor:

It is time to get it done. We have seen enough political posturing on the FY 2016 state budget. Nine months into the new fiscal year without a state budget is unacceptable. The budget impasse is hurting Illinois citizens. The lack of funding is creating hardship for social services, school capital construction, higher education, MAP grants for needy students, unpaid vendors, and the list goes on.

With the loss of 38% of the faculty from John A Logan College and the potential reductions at Southern Illinois University  Carbondale, we feel the impact locally. The lack of state budget support to higher education will cause further reductions in student enrollment, tuition support, and have long-term implications.

Thursday, March 3 the Illinois House of Representatives approved a $3.7 billion higher education and social services bill. However, some report this legislation is short about $3 billion in funding support and will likely be vetoed by Governor Rauner. Unfortunately, the Illinois House adjourned for a 30 day recess. I find it incredible that with all the issues facing our state that the House of Representatives is not scheduled to return to Springfield until April 4th. Their representation is seriously lacking as they walk away from their responsibilities, and the arrogance of the Speaker is noted.

The budget impasse is unprecedented and three elected leaders working together can solve this crisis Governor Bruce Rauner, House Speaker Mike Madigan, and Senate President John Cullerton. Our local legislators should insist they find a compromise solution. We have heard enough of the blame rhetoric. Now we need their action.

Ken Bolen

Thompsonville
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
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Fellow Blog Readers,

I am proud to be a friend and fan of our resident photographer: Tambako the Jaguar. Unless you have seen the full body of his work, you cannot know the excellence of his talent. Therefore, I encourage you to click on the following links, "like" his Facebook page, and get to know him better. He's not only one of the most talented animal photographers out there, but he is also one heck of a nice person. Enjoy!

Tambako's bio:

http://www.flickr.com/people/tambako/

More info and images:

http://greenbuzzz.net/environment/40-exceptional-and-breathtaking-big-cat-photographs-by-emmanuel-keller/

And... tambako.ch

Friend him here:

https://www.facebook.com/tambakophotography

>^..^<
Disclaimer!

THE TIMES OF AHMAD is NOT an organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, nor in any way associated with any of the community's official websites. Times of Ahmad is an independently run and privately managed news / contents archival website; and does not claim to speak for or represent the official views of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The Times of Ahmad assumes full responsibility for the contents of its web pages. The views expressed by the authors and sources of the news archives do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Times of Ahmad. All rights associated with any contents archived / stored on this website remain the property of the original owners.
Official exchange rate of manat, the Azerbaijani national currency, against the US dollar was set at 1.6322 manats for March 15, said the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) March 14.

The average rate of manat was set following the interbank transactions on the Azerbaijani currency market, said the CBA.

The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $11.9 million to nine local banks through the auction held by CBA March 14.
The new administrative building of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) was rated Good on the environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings (BREEAM) by the British BRE Global company, the SOFAZs message said March 15.

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology), is owned by BRE Global Ltd (part of the BRE Group), and the international provider of robust, independent, third party certification of fire, security and sustainability.

Assessments of the projects and constructions are performed based on the following technical standards: master planning, new construction, in-use international, refurbishment and fit-out.

Requirements defined by BREEAM were taken into account during the construction of SOFAZ, said the message.

SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million.

As of January 1, 2016, SOFAZ assets reduced by 9.5 percent compared to 2014 ($37.1 billion) and were estimated at $33.57 billion.

The opening ceremony of SOFAZs building was held Dec. 29, 2014.
Azerbaijans first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva has today met with German Ambassador to the country Heidrun Tempel.





The President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation hailed relations between the two countries in all fields, and highlighted the role of the Ambassador in expanding these ties.





As an ambassador you deliver detailed information about the country, said the first lady, praising this as an important contribution to the expansion of the fraternal relations between the two countries and peoples.





Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan was interested in developing its relationship with Germany, adding that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries was established on the basis of mutual interest.





The first lady noted that there was good potential for expanding relations in humanitarian field between Azerbaijan and Germany, and expressed the readiness of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to do more for this.

Mehriban Aliyeva recalled the Heydar Aliyev Foundation`s projects in Germany.





The President of the Foundation said there were great opportunities for the cooperation in humanitarian sphere.





The German Ambassador thanked the Azerbaijani first lady for attaching great attention to the bilateral ties between the two countries.





The Ambassador praised the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, saying it was well known outside Azerbaijan.





They also discussed educational and cultural projects.




Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has sent a letter to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu offering condolences over the March 13 terrorist attack in Ankara.

He also expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the terror attack and wished speedy recovery to those injured, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry told Trend March 14.

The minister said in the letter that Azerbaijan strongly condemns all the forms of terrorism.

A car bomb exploded in Ankara on March 13, near a crowded bus stop. The explosion killed as many as 37 people, 125 more got injured.



Preliminary reports said the two suicide bombers, one male and one female triggered the explosive device, while in the car. According to reports, the mentioned car was hijacked Feb. 10 in the Turkish south-eastern province of Sanliurfa.
/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

There is a great potential for further developing relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic.

Azerbaijans Prime Minister Artur Rasizade made the remark, as he met chairman of the House of Deputies of the Czech Parliament Jan Hamacek, who is on an official visit to Baku from March 13.

The sides discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries, hailing the great potential for the development of relations and offering to continue them at the level of strategic cooperation.

Rasizade emphasized that the Czech Republic is a reliable partner for Azerbaijan in several fields.

The Premier said the Central European country and Azerbaijan should widely operate in non-oil sector, adding there is fruitful condition for cooperation in machine engineering, military, banking, finance, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure fields.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Rasizade hailed the Czech Republic`s support to Azerbaijan.

The sides stressed the importance of solving the conflict within the norms of international law, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders.

Hamacek voiced readiness of Czech businessmen for overall cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Further, Hamacek met with Chairman of Azerbaijans Parliament Ogtay Asadov to mull cooperation of the legislative bodies.

Asadov stressed the role of reciprocal visits and meetings of heads of state in developing the bilateral ties. He noted that the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed between the two states would strengthen the legal base that would pave the way for closer cooperation between the two countries.

He hailed the role of friendship groups in the parliaments of the two countries, praising the Khojaly massacre resolution of the foreign relations committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic.

Talking about the economic cooperation, Asadov said the Czech Republic invested over $1 billion in Azerbaijan.

He added that the trade turnover between the two sides made up $610 million last year, noting that 31.5 percent of the Czech Republic's demand for oil is provided by Azerbaijan.

As part of the three-day visit to Baku, Czech entrepreneurs met Azerbaijani businessmen to eye prospects for establishing business relations in new areas.

The meeting, co-organized by the Economy Ministry and Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation, brought together more than 50 Azerbaijani and Czech businessmen from a variety of fields, including tourism, industry, logistics, banking, pharmacology and energy.

Later on this day, Azerbaijan`s Defense Industry Minister Yavar Jamalov received Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech republic, Chairman of the Defense Committee David Kadner to explore ways of developing the bilateral cooperation in defense industry.

Jamalov hailed the development of the ties between the two countries in a variety of fields.




/By Azernews/

By Nazrin Gadimova

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited Azerbaijani captives Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who were taken hostage by Armenian militaries in the occupied Azerbaijani territory.

The ICRC office in Baku announced about this while talking to Trend on March 15.

The visit was aimed at getting acquainted with their treatment and conditions of detention, as well as ensuring the exchange of information with their families.

During an operation conducted in the Shaplar village of Azerbaijans occupied Kalbajar region in July 2014, Armenian forces killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and detained Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov while they were attempting to visit the graves of their relatives.

A year later, the unrecognized courts of a separatist regime in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh illegally judged them. Following the decision of the so-called court, Asgarov was sentenced to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years.

Baku, as well as a number of international organizations, has repeatedly urged Yerevan to free the hostages, but the Armenian side remained deaf, ignoring all calls and violating the international rules and norms was subjecting the hostages to various tortures.

Armenian aggression against its neighboring country resulted in occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories. The large-scale hostilities resulted in death of over 20,000 Azerbaijanis while over 4,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis were taken captive, hostage, or went missing as a result of the war.

The majority of those captured during the hostilities are children, elderly people and women.

The Azerbaijani National Security Ministrys documents earlier revealed that Armenian vandals have set up six women- and children- only internment camps: Vardenis childrens camp (250 occupancy), Razdan children's camp (180 occupancy), Khankendi (Stepanakert) children's camp (180), Gechashen women's camp (320), Jermuk women's camp (250) and Kalbajar women's camp (150).

The available data shows that Armenians have grossly violated the rules and provisions of the conventions on captives and hostages. They subjected hostages to brutal forms of tortures and forced them into hard labor.
In 2015, Azerbaijan paid special attention to formation of its army and strengthening of the material and technical base of the countrys armed forces, said Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade at a plenary session in the countrys parliament on March 15.

He said these steps were taken due to the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict 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.

Rasizade added that the Armenian side, by dragging out time, is evading the problems solution, while international organizations have taken a position contrary to the international law on this issue.

With this in mind, special attention was paid to strengthening of the Azerbaijani armed forces, Rasizade said, adding this is proved by the response actions taken by the countrys armed forces to the Armenian sabotages.
Azerbaijan is very important for the EU and Italy, Giampaolo Cutillo, Italys ambassador to Azerbaijan, said March 15.

He made the remarks in Baku during the presentation of the twinning project financed by the EU.

We continue to strengthen our relations, said Cutillo adding that Italy and Azerbaijan have a lot in common.

Azerbaijan is a young country, and Italy is relatively young independent country in the EU, he added.

Azerbaijan made very important contribution to the preservation of Italys heritage, according to the envoy.

The presentation of the EU-funded twinning project for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism was held March 15 in Baku.

The projects aim is to modernize legal policy and management system in the culture sector, according to the ministry.

The cost of the project is 1.2 million euros and it will be implemented by Italys Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has completed his working visit to the Republic of Turkey.





A guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani President at the Esenboga Airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries.





President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw off President Ilham Aliyev.





Chief of the guard of honor reported to the head of state.





President Ilham Aliyev saluted the guard of honor.





Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan had tea together on-board the plane.





****

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hosted a reception in honor of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

****

Following a ceremony of signing documents, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan have made statements for the press.





****





16:58





The 5th session of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council has been held in Ankara with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.





****





16:21





Following the official welcoming ceremony, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan have held a one-on-one-meeting.





****





14:25





An official welcoming ceremony for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been held at the residence of the President of the Republic of Turkey.





Accompanied by the cavalry, President Ilham Aliyev arrived at the residence of the Turkish President.





A ceremonial guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani President at the square outside the residence.





Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.





State anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were played accompanied by gun salute in honor of the Azerbaijani President.





The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Ilham Aliyev.





The heads of state reviewed the guard of honor.





President Ilham Aliyev saluted the soldiers.





Turkish officials were introduced to President Ilham Aliyev, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.





The Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents then posed for photographs.





****





14:00





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today arrived in the Republic of Turkey on a working visit.





A guard of honor was arranged for Azerbaijani President at the Esenboga Airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries.





President Ilham Aliyev was welcomed by top-ranking state and government officials of Turkey.





/By Azertac/
Turkey will continue fighting terrorists until completely eliminating them, said the countrys foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu in a tweet posted March 14.

He said the terrorist attack in Ankara is aimed against Turkeys statehood.

Cavusoglu added that the terrorists wont be able to dictate their conditions to the strong and democratic Turkey.

A car bomb exploded in Ankara on March 13, near a crowded bus stop. The explosion killed as many as 37 people, 125 more got injured.



Preliminary reports said the two suicide bombers, one male and one female triggered the explosive device, while in the car. According to reports, the mentioned car was hijacked Feb. 10 in the Turkish south-eastern province of Sanliurfa.
Bangladesh's central bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned on Tuesday following demands of accountability from the government after $81 million was stolen from the bank's US account in one of the largest cyber heists ever.



Rahman, who returned to Dhaka late on Monday after attending a weekend International Monetary Fund conference in New Delhi, told Reuters that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had accepted his resignation.



The government also fired two deputy governors of the bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, days after blaming it for keeping the government in the dark about the theft.



Rahman, 65, said he resigned to set an example in a country where there is not much precedence of accountability and to uphold the image of the central bank.



"I took responsibility," Rahman said.



It wasn't immediately clear who would take his place at the bank.



Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which it uses for international settlements, between February 4 and 5.



They managed to transfer $81 million to entities in the Philippines, and the money was further diverted to casinos there.



More than $30 million of the money that was stolen was handed over in cash to an ethnic Chinese man in Manila, a Philippines senator looking into the suspected laundering scheme said.



Bangladesh Bank officials have said there is little hope of apprehending the perpetrators and recovering the money would be difficult and could take months.



Rahman's exit could be a blow to Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of 160 million. The country has been aspiring to reach middle-income status, and Rahman was seen as one of the driving forces helping Dhaka towards that goal.



A former development economics professor, Rahman took over as the central bank governor in May 2009, and was nearing the end of his second term.



One of his signature achievements has been shoring up the country's foreign exchange reserves, which have increased four-fold to $28 billion under his watch.



He also tried to ensure farmers and women entrepreneurs had better access to banking services and credit.



"He has set a good example by taking the responsibility for this incident," said Wahid Uddin Mahmud, a professor of economics at Dhaka University.



CONTROVERSY AT HOME



The pressure to remove Rahman built up over the weekend, after Muhith publicly expressed his annoyance that he learned about the heist only a month after the fact from the media.



The central bank had not informed him about the theft at the time, he said.



On Monday, the minister raised the issue at a cabinet meeting, where Hasina said that the central bank should be held responsible for the loss, an official who was the meeting said.



Rahman defended his record at the central bank, saying he was proud of his achievements there. He described the heist as an "earthquake" and said the bank had promptly informed intelligence agencies in Bangladesh and abroad and also brought in international experts to investigate.



FireEye Inc's Mandiant forensics division is helping investigate the cyber heist. The bank has also been in touch with the Fed and other US authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Justice.



"After doing all these measures and getting a clear picture, we informed the finance minister in writing," Rahman said. - Reuters
Saudi-based Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) said it had secured sharia compliant financing of up to SR3.6 billion ($959.4 million) from Alinma Bank for the development of the infrastructure for Phase One of its ambitious Jeddah Economic City project and construction of the Jeddah Tower, the world's tallest tower coming up in the kingdom.



Jeddah Economic City is a multipurpose project coming up in Obhur, just north of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast.

It has been designed to accommodate a comprehensive range of facilities supporting a modern lifestyle over its 5.3-sq-km development.



The first phase to be constructed over 1.5 sq km will accommodate more than 3.3 million sq m of modern and multipurpose structures, which will form the nucleus of northern Jeddahs downtown, bolstering the citys standing in the world, said a statement from JEC.



The funding has been provided by Saudi-based Alinma Bank to a fund which is 100 per cent owned by JEC.

The Alinma Jeddah Economic City Fund is a closed-end private, Capital Market Authority (CMA) approved, sharia compliant real-estate investment fund, established by the fund manager  Alinma Investment Company- with a value of SR8.4 billion ($2.23 billion).

The objective is to raise funds for the completion of the Jeddah Tower  previously known as Kingdom Tower  as well as a number of major real estate projects within the development owned by JEC, it added.



The construction of Jeddah Tower has now reached its 37th floor.



Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, the chairman of JEC and chairman of Alinma Jeddah Economic City Fund Board, said: "Securing the financing for the project from Alinma Bank is an important step forward for the project that guarantees its progress as per the companys plan."



"Additionally, it expresses the financial sectors trust in the real estate market in Saudi Arabia in general as well as in the Jeddah Economic City project and its development plans. The project represents a new era in private sector real estate development in Saudi Arabia and will contribute to the growth of the economic movement in Jeddah and to the kingdoms economy in general," he added.



Alinma Bank CEO Abdul Mohsen Al Faris said: "We have formulated a financial model based on a financing strategy that fulfils the project's needs in accordance with its business plan."



"Alinma is keen to finance and support exceptional national projects in all business sectors in Saudi Arabia," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
UAE-based Strata Manufacturing, a composite aero structures manufacturing facility, said that it was the platinum sponsor of the third annual UAE-UK Pioneers Forum held recently in London, UK.



Arranged by the UAE Embassy in the UK, the forum gave students studying in the UK and European Union a chance to interact with business leaders and understand the job opportunities available to them in the UAE, said a statement from the company wholly owned by Mubadala Development Co.



In line with Abu Dhabis Economic Vision 2030 to promote economic diversification, Strata is contributing to a diversified and sustainable knowledge-based economy, with a focus on developing Emirati talent  at home and abroad, it added.



During the event, Strata interacted with students to promote careers in the aerospace industry  explaining the high growth of manufacturing composite aircraft components and career development opportunities for Emiratis at Strata, it said.



Badr Al Olama, CEO of Strata, said: Developing a highly skilled Emirati workforce plays an important role in fuelling Stratas long-term growth, adding jobs and supporting the development of an aerospace hub in Abu Dhabi.



We were fortunate to meet many talented young minds at the forum and look forward to welcoming some to the Strata family soon, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Oman has won the Best Arabian Tourist Destination award at ITB Berlin, the worlds leading travel trade show, which concluded recently in the German capital.



Also, the German Market Based Representative of the Ministry of Tourism of Oman has won the third place in Marketing the country as a tourism destination for the German market, highlighting the streamlining efforts of both the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministrys MBRs.



The awards were given by Go Asia website and were received by Ahmed bin Nasser al Mahrizi, Minister of Tourism.



Bin Nasser also met different representatives of the GCC and Arab countries, as well as international tourism organizations at the ITB Berlin trade show, to discuss different investment opportunities for Oman, as well as opportunities to educate the different markets on the tourism industry in the Sultanate.



He encouraged the different organizations to consider the Sultanate as a prime destination, as it is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations around the world.



Bin Nasser also met the president of the tourism committee for the German Parliament, Hake Brehme. The delegates discussed the growing trend of German tourists visiting the Sultanate and the main tourism attractions which are of interest to these tourists in visiting Oman. German tourism has increased by 11.2 per cent to account for 66,044 tourists in 2015.



Samia Al Busaidi, a participant at ITB Berlin from Muscat Nature Tour, stated that ITB Berlin is one of the most successful and important trade shows, as it brings many benefits for the participants, such as meeting international representatives and discussing tourism in the Sultanate.



ITB Berlin is one of the largest international trade shows in the world and has been operating for 50 years. This year, 38 Omani organizations participated alongside over 10,000 participants from 180 countries.  TradeArabia News Service
Michelin, a global leader in manufacturing tyres and travel related services, has opened its 110th TyrePlus branch in the GCC, located in the Al Nakheel area of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.



The new branch is the companys 28th outlet in the UAE and its first in the emirate, the outlet is franchised to Central Trading Company (CTC) that operates a total of 10 TyrePlus branches across Dubai and the northern emirates, said a statement from the company.



The new branch comes at the backdrop of a strong sales performance last year. By the end of 2015, total turnover from the TyrePlus network grew at a sturdy 40 per cent across its GCC operations, when compared to the same period in 2014, it added.



The total volume sales growth for tyres was recorded at 20 per cent, whereas the car maintenance line witnessed a growth of 28 per cent in sales. It opened 16 more outlets for business by end of 2015, it said.



The launch event was attended by Manish Pandey, TyrePlus franchise manager; Mohamed Aqel, general manager of CTC an affiliate of Al Rostamani group and official importer of Michelin tyres in Dubai and northern emirates; Franck Barge, distribution manager for Michelin Africa India and Middle East; and Loubna Lafouri, TyrePlus consultant.



In line with its promise of delivering superior customer satisfaction through a comprehensive mix of products and services, the new branch will be equipped with Michelin certified experts to provide professional services and spare parts maintenance for high-end cars, said the statement.



Manish Pandey, TyrePlus franchise manager for Michelin AIM, said: UAE is an integral market for our regional success. Launching our first ever branch in Ras Al Khaimah reaffirms our commitment to cater to our valued customers in the northern emirates.



This is also in line with our strategy to serve a wider base of motorists in the UAE and to expand our network to reach 60 outlets in UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar by the end of 2016. Our vision for the GCC region is to reach 180 branches by 2018 and sustain long lasting relationships with our customers, he added.



Mohamed Aqel, general manager at CTC, said: We are very pleased with the opening of this new branch in Ras Al Khaima which will enable us to be closer to our customer in all northern emirates which falls under our territory of Michelin representation.



We are also glad to announce a promotion that will run from March 15 to April 15, during which customers will receive an instant discount Dh400 ($108.9) upon the purchase of Michelin or BF Goodrich tyres, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Royal Jordanian (RJ), the national carrier of the kingdom, registered a net profit before tax of JD21 million ($29.5 million) in 2015, while in 2014 it had registered JD49.5 million net losses before tax.



The net profit after tax reached JD16 million, while in 2014 the company had registered JD39.6 million in net losses.



Suleiman Hafez, chairman of RJ, attributed the growth to the efficiency and loyalty of the staff, and to the company's keenness to implement the companys business plan 2015-2019.



The plan focuses on constant renewal of the fleet and review of the route network, restructuring in all areas, taking measures to increase revenues and reduce operating costs, working to increase the companys market share, looking for available growth opportunities, all the while improving the quality of services and maintaining the airline's leading position in the Levant.



Hafez expressed satisfaction with the companys positive results that can be considered a quantum leap, particularly at this point in time when air transportation is strongly affected by the instability in Jordan's neighbouring countries which negatively influences travel and tourism both to the kingdom and the Middle East.



Hafez pointed out that in the first nine months of 2015 the company registered JD27 million profits before tax.



He added that the airline's policy of cost control resulted in reducing the operating cost in 2015 by 22 per cent, mentioning that operating costs amounted to JD715 million in 2014, against JD559 million in 2015.



The chairman said that the fall in fuel prices last year partially offset the drop in revenues; that was due to lower ticket prices imposed by fierce competition in the sector. The lower fuel prices also helped offset some of the JD12.3 million losses incurred due to suspending destinations like Sanaa and Aden for security reasons.



Hafez also pointed out that the operating efficiency had a role in reaching these positive results. RJ shut down a number of stations in light of their weak economic feasibility and, consequently, reduced the number of its aircraft.



The stations are Delhi, Mumbai, Colombo, Lagos, Accra, Milan, Alexandria and Al-Ain.



At the same time, RJ started reaching new destinations, like Tabuk, Najaf, Ankara, Jakarta and Guangzhou, the last to be launched next week.



Hafez added that last year, the company increased the frequency of flights to certain destinations in response to the greater demand for travel, particularly in the peak seasons.



For instance, the flights to Aqaba increased from 11 to 16 weekly, with changes to the flight schedules to meet passengers needs, Hafez explained.



Flights to eight destinations are still halted due to security reasons; they are Damascus, Aleppo, Mosul, Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Sanaa and Aden.  TradeArabia News Service
The lifting of sanctions against Iran has sent a wave of opportunities for the global aviation industry and companies are already lining up to make the most of one of the largest emerging markets since the fall of the Soviet Union.



On May 24 and 25, Istanbul will see overseas suppliers,maintenance, repair and overhaul (MROs) and original equipment manufacturer (OEMs), meet, network and engage with Iranian airlines including Aseman Airlines, Atrak Air, Safiran Airlines, Kish Airlines, Iranian Naft Airlines and more in a historic, first-of-a-kind event that will bridge the Iranian aviation sector to the international business community.



The Post-Sanctions Iran International Commercial Aviation Spare Parts & Maintenance Congress will hold up a magnifying glass to Iran's aviation sector, exposing the opportunities and limitations for suppliers and companies looking to work with Iranian airlines.



After close consultation with directors and senior decision-makers across key stakeholders in Iran and the MRO and OEM space globally, the event breaks down the challenge and will put companies in touch with experts and leaders in Iran's aviation sector to offer them a competitive advantage in the market.



This will be the first event since Implementation Day that answers the supplier industry's questions to help give companies a competitive advantage such as:



- What are Iranian airline requirements and what do they need?

- Export Control: What do the sanctions now mean and what is the best way to navigate the Iranian market?

- How will be the terms and conditions of contracts be in Iran and how will that affect my business?

- What can and can't we do in Iran?



At this sanctions compliant event, attendees will scope out opportunity and meet with managing directors of leading Iranian Airlines for capitalising in Iran's aviation sector and uncover the optimal routes to market and hear their development plans now and for the future including:



- Airline fleet projection for the future;

- How to remain sanctions compliant in post-sanctions Iran;

- Aircraft spare part demand and opportunities;

- The route to market: How do you export to Iran?;

- Offset obligations;

- Legal framework and working with Iranian business law;

- Close networking with Iranian Airlines. - TradeArabia News Service
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai, UAE, has launched new room categories to cater to the growing demands for family-friendly accommodation, especially from the GCC market.



The new room categories are the family one bedroom suite and the three-bedroom suite.



The family one-bedroom suite features a king-size bed and a convertible sofa bed, which can accommodate two adults and two kids, or as many as four adults. With an area of 100 sq m, the suite provides cost-effective options for families, as an alternative to a pricier two-bedroom suite.



The new three-bedroom suite connects a two-bedroom and a deluxe suite. The 160 sq m suite can accommodate up to six adults and two kids. The new room category also offers flexibility and can be booked as separate suites when there are no demands for a three-bedroom unit.



Both suites boast spacious living rooms, large bathrooms with separate shower and bath tub, and fully-equipped kitchenettes.



Samir Arora, general manager, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, said: As a prominent hotel at The Walk and in JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence) area, this offer will affirm our position as the preferred accommodation for family travellers, especially those from the GCC region. There a lot of significant developments planned for the property this year and we are positive that we are on the right track towards achieving our goal of targeting the right market, and boosting revenue.



The 188-key Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham offers deluxe, one-bedroom, and two bedroom suites also. The property boasts the highest inventory of one-bedroom suite among the hotels in JBR, with 76 units, the hotel said. - TradeArabia News Service
Clubs

Service, hobbies, etc.

Antique and collectors meet

The Casper Antique & Collectors' Club will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the WOGCC Basko Building, 2211 King Blvd. Business will include elections for a new vice president and secretary. Refreshments will be provided.

Genealogists meet Thursday

The Natrona County Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Casper Senior Citizens Center, 1831 E. Fourth St. Renea Vitto, Natrona County clerk, will be visiting with us. There are many records available in her office that can help us with our ancestral research. Guests are always welcome. For more information, please call Marcia Stroh 265-5568.

Photos on display

The Casper Photography Association is participating in an exhibit of photography at the Nicolaysen Art Museum through April 10. Members are sharing with the public some of their best photographs. They range from scenic to abstract to portraits and more.

This year's participants are Lyn Clark, Sam Sherman, Harry Buhler, Peter Ashbaugh, Marlene Sandri Ashbaugh, Nancy Patrick, Lolena Shambaugh, Dennis Shambaugh, Frank Neville, Rob Corbin, Jess Burgardt, Rose Fry, Sue Regennas, Neil Current and Bruce Nichols.

The purpose of the association is to further members knowledge and enjoyment of photography by sharing important concepts, new developments and personal experiences and by encouraging participation in group photographic activities.

The Casper Photography Association meets the first Monday of each month unless that Monday falls on a holiday, then it will be the following Monday. The meeting time is 7:30 p.m. at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building, 2211 King Blvd. Come through the east door. The public is welcome.

Sam Sherman -- 265-8437

Civil Air Patrol meets

Civil Air Patrol meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at Casper National Guard Armory, 5905 CY Ave. For more information, call 259-0855.

CAP Cadets meet

Civil Air Patrol Cadets (ages 12-18) meet from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at Casper National Guard Armory, 5905 CY Ave. For more information, call 259-0855.

Spring for Casper Charla

Would you like to practice conversational Spanish or help others learn? Come and join the Casper Charla! Te gustaria platicar en espanol? Ven y charla con nosotros! Todos son bienvenidos!

Come and join us from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month this spring. We meet at a different Mexican restaurant and partake in food, drink and conversation. All levels of Spanish are welcome, from beginning to native speakers.

Nos reunimos los miercoles en varios restaurantes mexicanos en Casper. Ven por una copa, un antojito o simplemente una charlita.

Wednesdays: Don Juans, April 13: Guadalajara, May 11: La Cocina.

For more information, call Eric Atkins at 268-3116 or Joanne Theobald at 268-2255.

Elks Casino Night March 19

It's time again for the Casper Elks Casino Night on Saturday in the ballroom of the Casper Elks Lodge. Members and guests are welcome to enjoy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and fun and games. You will have a chance to win $1,000 and other prizes throughout the evening. Only 200 tickets will be sold at $30 each. No tickets at the door. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Elk Charities. Tickets on sale now at the bar or call the Lodge at 234-4839 for more information.

History buffs meet March 24

This months Natrona County Historical Society meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 24 at the Oil & Gas Building. Our speaker will be Peggy Brooker, talking about the National Historic District in Casper, plus two more districts that will soon come to fruition!

Brooker has been the coordinator of the Casper Historic Preservation Commission since 1989. She is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in education and has worked for Kirkwood Oil and Gas since 1987. She has acquired numerous grants from the State Historic Preservation Office and completed many projects supporting history in Casper including interpretive signage, tour brochures, and many National Register nominations. She is also a member of the Natrona County Historical Society.

Gold prospectors meet March 24

The Casper Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America will hold its March meeting at 7 p.m. on March 24, at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building, 2211 King Blvd. Enter through the east door.

Our speaker this month will be Karl Osvald, senior geologist with the BLM's Wyoming State Office's reservoir management group. His presentation is "Meteorites: Starry Messengers, Poor Man's Space Program or Prospector's El Dorado?"

Everyone is invited, so come early to ensure a seat.

For more information about GPAA or the Casper chapter, or about prospecting in general, call Rick Messina at 234-0244.

Easter egg hunt March 26

Easter egg hunt at 11 a.m. March 26 in the City Park across from the Elks Lodge. For ages 1 or walking to 12 years of age. For more information, call 234-4839.

Easter Brunch at Elks

Easter brunch at the Elks from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 27. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, french toast, fried potatoes, baked ham, baron of beef, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, hard-boiled eggs, vegetable tray, tossed salad, fruit salad, crepes, coffee, tea and juice. Cost is adults $12, children 6 to 12 $6, 5 and under free with a paying adult. Please make reservations for parties larger than six people! Open to the public. For more information, call 234-4839.

Petroleum ladies meet March 29

The Ladies of the Petroleum Club will hold a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. March 29 in the Banquet Room. Cyd Grieve, Casper College instructor, will present a program about Ella Watson (Cattle Kate), who was accused of cattle rustling and was hanged on July 20, 1889, the only woman to be hanged in Wyoming. Grieve received a master's degree in social history from the University of Glasgow in Scotland after graduating from the University of Wyoming.

The telephone committee will call for reservations. If you have not been called and wish to attend, please contact Metta Martin at 235-1044 or Mary Walford at 237-8191.

Dems hold county convention April 9

The Natrona County Democratic Convention to choose our presidential candidate is to be held at 11 a.m. April 9 at the Gateway Building at Casper College. To be eligible, voters must be registered as a Democrat by March 25. Attendees can preregister for the convention at wyodems.org and can contact Eric Nelson (ericnelsonwyo@gmail.com) or Brett Governanti (bgovernanti@gmail.com) for more information.

Boy Scout, Cub Scout meetings

The River Bend District Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs in Casper are always eager to accept new members. Boys may join at any time of the year. Following is a list of Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops that meet weekly in Casper, along with leader names, phone numbers, meeting places and meeting times.

Cub Scout Packs:

Monday, 6 p.m., First Christian Church, Pack 1013, Scott Hawley, 258-4572

Tuesday, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Pack 1121, Lindy Schweda, 315-2390

Tuesday, 5 p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Pack 1094, Sarah Ann Feeney, 267-4505

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Elks Lodge, Pack 1167, Eric Nelson, 333-2796

Thursday, 7 p.m., Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Pack 1030, Brian Bridges, 262-5226

Thursday, 7 p.m., Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Pack 1002, Tom McCarthy, 277-1420

Boy Scout Troops:

Monday, 7 p.m., First Christian Church, Troop 1013, Steven Hollister, 337-1197

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Troop 1094, Gregg Novotny, 215-4490

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Elks Lodge, Troop 1167, Adam Sievers, 333-4575

Tuesday, 7 p.m., Christ United Methodist Church, Troop 1060, Nancy Engstrom, 237-2205

Information provided by Sarah (Sally) Binkley, 250-7290.
Grizzly bear hunts could come to Wyoming as soon as 2017 if the predators lose federal protections, but the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will have the final say on that and other details.

The Game and Fish Department released a draft of its grizzly bear management plan Tuesday afternoon. It comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its proposal to remove bears from the endangered species list.

Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are all required to have their own management plans under guidelines set by the feds.

The plan requires a framework for a possible hunting season, including a prohibition against taking females with cubs, said Brian Nesvik, Game and Fishs chief game warden.

The commission has the authority to decide if there will be a hunting season, and theyve been clear they dont want to decide until they hear from the public, Nesvik said. The commission hasnt articulated yet what their desires are for an immediate hunting season.

If a hunting season is approved, licenses would be $6,000 for nonresidents and $600 for residents, more than twice as much as a nonresident bull bison tag, the next most expensive.

Nesvik said licenses would likely be allocated in a limited quota draw like bighorn sheep or moose instead of sold over the counter as they were with wolves and are with mountain lions and black bears.

The federal plan uses three thresholds to ensure continued grizzly bear survival in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Roughly, it requires females with young distributed evenly across their range and a minimum of 600 bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Wyoming will manage bears primarily in the northwest corner of the state, in what Game and Fish considers suitable grizzly bear habitat. That area stretches down into the Absaroka Range, Owl Creek Mountains and southern Wind River Range. If they range outside of that area into, for example, the Big Horn Mountains or the Black Hills, they likely will not be able to establish themselves, Nesvik said.

They immediately get themselves into trouble and are either moved or killed, Nesvik said.

Much of the rest of the state lacks enough suitable habitat without people and livestock, he said. Bears in those areas will not be included in the necessary minimums set by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The federal plan to delist grizzly bears was met with a mixture of support and criticism from a number of conservation and environmental groups.

The National Wildlife Federation wants to make sure each of the state plans address the need for continued growth within and beyond the currently occupied area, said Tom France, regional executive director for the group.

We recognize that the Yellowstone grizzly conservation effort has been a wonderful success story for wildlife and that Wyoming Game and Fish has been a big part of that success, France said. But we think there is room for more success with grizzly bears in the northern Rockies.

The group wants to learn more, for example, about how bears will be managed in the Wind River and Wyoming ranges. They are asking Montana similar questions about expansion and also genetic connectivity, he said.

Deciphering Wyomings proposed plan at the same time as a proposed delisting rule and conservation strategy revision is a lot for the public to digest at one time, said Chris Colligan, wildlife program coordinator for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

Theres a lot of moving pieces, and this is a marathon and not a sprint to the finish, he added.

Colligan had not had a chance to review the plan by deadline, but said he would be looking to make sure Wyoming follows the conservation strategy outlined by the feds, and that it acknowledges an economic value for bears outside of hunting.

A series of eight public meetings will be held around the state between March 30 and April 7 to discuss the plan.

To read a copy of the proposal or comment, go to wgfd.wyo.gov.
Join me on my adventures around Poland and the rest of Europe as I explore the different sights, cultures, and perspectives it has to offer. Along the way I will attempt to find the best food, the most scenic views, and the interestingest people...all while trying not to make a fool of myself, get kidnapped, or fall off a cliff. I hope you enjoy!
There are certain moments in life worth capturing on film.

Hence the reason comic ventriloquist Jeff Dunham videotaped his show at Tucson Arena Sunday afternoon.

It wasn't for his upcoming NBC comedy special or even YouTube highlights; he wanted to preserve a moment for posterity  or until his 5-month-old twin boys become snarky teens.

During his 45-minute standup set before introducing his unruly cast of puppet misfits and malcontents, Dunham recounted his journey to Fatherhood, Take 2. He has three grown daughters from his first wife and in October he and his second wife Audrey welcomed twin sons Jack and Jeffrey.

Dunham recounted the pregnancy  the shocking moment he learned he was having twins ("F---!"), his wife turning up the air in their Las Vegas home to 38 degrees during the summer ("This is bull(expletive)! I'm going to lay on the sidewalk to warm up.") and juggling two babies ("If you're going to have twins, get help. If you are going to have triplets, send the runt of the litter (to a relative); they'll meet later. Just kidding, but not.").

But the video clip he wants his boys to pay special attention came during a particularly graphic recounting of changing poopy diapers. With boys, there's a lot more parts to clean than with girls. Plan on 20, 30 wipes and possibly a shower for yourself when it's done.

When his sons get to that glorious teen stage and start talking back and disrespecting their parents, Dunham plans to pull out this clip and give them the what's what when it comes to respecting Mom and Dad:

"No. 1, I'm your father and No. 2, I cleaned (poop) off your (testicles)," said the 53-year-old, prompting a roar from the audience. "Plus I know how old I am and pretty soon you're going to be cleaning (poop) off my (testicles)."

Dunham, who has been a regular to Tucson stages throughout his 30-plus-year career, also tested out new material Sunday  much of it unrehearsed and spontaneous  that might make it into his upcoming NBC special, set to air in early fall. Among the highlights:

 Flying Peanut: Dunham accidentally tossed Peanut the Purple Wozzle across the stage.

"What the (expletive) happened?" Peanut screamed as Dunham tried to apologize. "Not funny! I hate you."

 The miner in the front row: Peanut famously pokes fun at fans in the front row. On Sunday, he tapped Chad, a copper miner from Sahuarita, and Peanut had ... nothing.

"We get jobs for every profession  firefighter, police officer, lawyer  but the dude working at the copper mine? Nothing in our arsenal," he told Chad, before asking him to explain exactly what he did at the mine.

And don't tell me you mine at the mine, "or I will kick your (expletive)," Peanut threatened.

"How will you get down there?" Dunham asked him.

"Throw me. You did it before," he said.

 Bubba J for president: The southern bumpkin whose favorite pastime is drinking beer and watching Nascar is running for president.

"From what I can see you really don't have to do anything and they put you up in public housing," he said.

His stance on the immigration issue: "I would let more refugees in the country. We Americans drink so much we need more Uber drivers," he reasoned.

What does he think about Syria? "I don't have an iPhone."

"I'm talking about Syrians, not Siri," Dunham explained.

"Oh, I thought Syrians were people abandoning their iPhones."

 Curmudgeony Walter on Donald Trump: "You can vote with him if you want, but Jose Jalapeno on a Stick would be out of the show. You'd have to settle for an American Pickle on a Pole."

 Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Dunham on the joys of fatherhood:

Achmed: "I really love my kids, when they said their first 'I kill you!'"

Dunham: "My kids' favorite game was 'Got your nose.' Did you ever play that?"
The wait is finally over! Blake's Lotaburger, the New Mexico chain known for having the "best green chile cheeseburger in the world," opened on April 1.

The store at 2810 East Speedway will begin serving breakfast at 6 a.m. and remain open until 10 p.m.

Blake's is also planning to open a second store on Valencia Road near the I-19 freeway this summer. Judging by the interior of the first store, the Tucson locations will sport a more contemporary look with light earth tones.

The Tucson community has been incredibly welcoming to us and we are happy to offer employment to more than 80 local residents through the opening of this first location in the area, said manager Kevin McCaslin in a press release.
Environmental groups have taken the first step toward suing two federal agencies for failing to consult on a massive proposed developments potential to harm threatened species and their habitats in the San Pedro Valley.

On March 9, six groups, represented by nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice, sent a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The notice says the agencies should expect a lawsuit in 60 days unless they initiate consultation, as required by the Endangered Species Act, on the impact of the 28,000-home Villages at Vigneto master-planned community.

The notice of intent is required by the Endangered Species Act prior to legal action.

The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to look before they leap to ensure they arent putting any endangered or threatened species in jeopardy, Chris Eaton, an attorney with Earthjustice, said in a release. But here the Army Corps has chosen to turn a blind eye to the potentially serious effects this development could have on a number of at-risk species and their habitats.

The environmental groups who signed the notice of intent are the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Maricopa Audubon Society, Tucson Audubon Society, Cascabel Conservation Association and Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance.

Because of the impending lawsuit, wildlife service officials can no longer comment on the situation nor say whether the Corps has initiated consultation yet, said Jeff Humphrey, spokesman for the wildlife service.

The Corps also cant comment on whether the agency plans to initiate the consultation, nor whether the notice of intent has already prompted consultation, Dave Palmer, spokesman for the Corps, said in a Friday email.

I cant confirm consultation. That doesnt mean it hasnt happened or it is influenced by any outside action, he said.

If consultation is initiated, that could spell more delays for developer El Dorado Holdings LLC, who is behind the Villages at Vigneto project at the center of the controversy.

The residential and commercial development would cover 12,000 acres and could bring 70,000 people to Benson, which has a current population of 5,000. Among the concerns about the project, conservationists fear increased water use could dry up the nearby San Pedro River, with dire consequences for species that rely on it.

El Dorado spokesman Mike Reinbold declined last week to comment on the possibility of an Army Corps-wildlife service consultation.

The wildlife service has previously shown its on board with environmentalists demands to consult over whether a permit issued to Vignetos predecessor 10 years ago needs to be reconsidered, in light of new environmental concerns.

Last summer, the wildlife services Phoenix office sent a draft letter to the Army Corps of Engineers asking for a consultation to determine Vignetos potential impacts on two federally protected species: the western yellow-billed cuckoo and northern Mexican garter snake.

Conservation groups have been pushing for the consultation to re-evalute the Corps decision in 2006 that approved a Clean Water Act permit for Whetstone Ranch, an earlier  and smaller  version of the Vigneto development. Developer Whetstone Partners transferred its permit to El Dorado in 2014.

Environmental groups have noted Vigneto is 50 percent bigger than the earlier Whetstone project proposal. They also point out the cuckoo and garter snake have been listed as threatened species since the 2006 permit was issued. Critical habitats for the jaguar and the southwestern willow flycatcher could be directly or indirectly affected by the development, as well.
The Oak Flat campground area that will be destroyed by a proposed copper mine has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, based in part on the sites spiritual ties to Western Apache tribes.

But the listing of the site, about 100 miles north of Tucson, has prompted outrage from Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who insists it has no special significance to Native Americans.

Gosar backed legislation to privatize Oak Flat and surrounding lands, paving the way for the mine. He recently condemned the bogus designation from the National Park Service. The NPS deemed the Chichil Bildagoteel district, which includes Oak Flat, to be a traditional cultural property, following a nomination from the U.S. Forest Service in consultation with the San Carlos Apache tribe.

Reps. Gosar and Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., repeatedly asked the National Park Service to withdraw the nomination.

Rep. Gosar believes this deceptive behavior points to collaboration between environmental groups, hell-bent on sabotaging a mining project, and the Park Service, Steven Smith, Gosars communications director, said in an email last week.

But a tribal historian with the Yavapai-Apache Nation  one of the many Arizona tribes opposed to mining at Oak Flat  said lawmakers are both overreacting to the listing and are ignorant of the areas significance.

The historic designation wont stop efforts to mine the rich copper deposit beneath Oak Flat, said Apache Elder Vincent Randall, 75. The Yavapai-Apache Nation, comprising two distinct people, is in the Verde Valley, near Sedona.

It doesnt have any teeth, Randall said. Its a victory maybe in that more people will understand this is a special place.

But as far as the designation, its not stopping the mine.

The listing means that during the pre-mining environmental-review process, stakeholders will have to thoroughly evaluate the impact on the historic site, which could add delays to the mines timeline, said David Johnson, heritage manager for the U.S. Forest Services Southwestern region.

They have to consider and disclose the effects, but it doesnt stop it, he said.

The designation is important from a public-relations standpoint, said Curt Shannon, Arizona policy analyst for the Access Fund, a land-preservation group. Mine supporters have repeatedly denied the importance of Oak Flat, and thats harder to do now, he said.

There will be a lot more public opinion opposed to this, as a result of the designation, he said.

Resolution Copper Mining LLC respects both viewpoints regarding whether the site is sacred, spokesman Bill Tanner said in an email. Resolution is jointly owned by U.K.-based Rio Tinto Group and Australia-based BHP Billiton Ltd.

But he said the mines economic benefits are also worth consideration.

We have also heard from many Native American employees and contractors that work with Resolution Copper, who have told us of the desperate need for economic development and jobs in the Copper Triangle, he said.

SACRED SITE

Legislators who say the site isnt sacred are ill-informed, Randall said. Oak Flat is considered one of the sources of Gaan, or Mountain Spirits, for the Apache people. Its also the place of origin for the Apache group known as Dilzhee, from which a number of todays Apache clans are descended, Randall said.

Gosar and Kirkpatrick objected to the redaction of specific location details in Oak Flats nomination for the National Register, saying it made it harder for citizens to find and object to the nomination.

But Randall said the specific locations of holy places are a closely guarded secret  even among Native Americans. On the Yavapai-Apache reservation, Apache elders ask that members only speak of those sites in their own language, so tribal members without close ties to their heritage dont know exactly where they are, he said.

Elders fear if word got out, tourists, souvenir seekers or crystal people and vortex people would flock to sacred sites and inadvertently destroy them, Randall said.

Our elders have said if we share some of these most holy places, it gets desecrated, he said. That puts us out of harmony with our creator.

Tribes in Arizona and New Mexico have submitted letters to Congress and the Obama administration objecting to legislation that turned over 2,400 acres of the Tonto National Forest  including Oak Flat  to Resolution Copper, in exchange for 5,300 acres Resolution owns.

Those writing in protest of the land swap, first proposed in Congress in 2005, included the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the Fort McDowell Yavapai tribe, the San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache and Jicarilla Apache, and Tucsons closest tribes, the Tohono Oodham Nation and Pascua Yaqui. The Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona sent letters of opposition, representing its 20 member tribes.

Sir, I can not begin to express what this land means to the Yavapai People. It simply transcends words, Clinton Pattea, then-president of the Fort McDowell Yavapai tribe, wrote in a letter to President Obama, objecting to a 2009 version of the land swap.

After nearly a decade of failing to pass the land swap on its own, lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., quietly added the provision into a must-pass, military spending bill at the end of 2014  a move strongly condemned by mine opponents and Native American tribes.

SAN CARLOS APACHE

Resolution Coppers proposed mining method  block-cave mining  will extract a huge amount of rock from underneath Oak Flat, eventually resulting in a 2-mile-wide crater as the surface collapses into the underground void, Resolution says.

Members of the San Carlos Apache tribe are camped out at Oak Flat in protest of the mine. San Carlos Apache leaders say the tribes spiritual beings live within the Oak Flat, Gaan Canyon and the Queen Creek area. The Apache collect medicinal plants and acorns there, and conduct ceremonies including the Sunrise Ceremony, honoring girls entering womanhood.

Gosars office points to an opinion piece published last year by a former historian for the San Carlos Apache tribe arguing Oak Flat was not considered sacred until recent years.

There has not been a long history of ceremonial or cultural activities such as Sunrise or Holy Ground ceremonies taking place at Oak Flat, Dale Miles, former tribal historian for the San Carlos Apache, wrote for The Arizona Republic.

The Apache are not a monolithic group, especially in San Carlos, where Apache from various clans were brought forcibly in the 19th century, said Scott Wood, who retired last year as the Tonto National Forests archaeologist and heritage program manager. He spent 40 years at the Tonto National Forest, often working at Oak Flat.

Its true you could find an Apache from San Carlos who says, Oak Flat has no meaning to my family, Wood said, but as long as it has significance to some portion of that group, and that significance is recognized by the tribal government and by their appropriate religious practitioners, then its there.

ARCHaEOLOGICAL RECORD

But Oak Flats religious significance isnt the only reason why it qualifies as a traditional cultural site, Wood said.

Its got enough in the way of regular archaeological resources out there, particularly Apache archaeological resources, that its eligible for National Register, anyway, he said.

Forest Service and other archaeological surveys have uncovered evidence of Apache occupations from the 19th century, such as early villages, small agricultural settlements, rock shelters and roasting pits for processing agave, as well as relics from prehistoric occupation by the Hohokam people.
While Pat Lambs infant son was hospitalized at Phoenix Childrens Hospital, Lamb noticed the heartbreak of many parents who could not always stay with their ill child.

It was not for lack of desire. The families were desperate to be with their children.

But the expense is enormously high and almost always unexpected. Taking time off of work and losing income while trying to pay for insurance deductibles, copays and other related expenses often leaves families of hospitalized children with horrible choices.

Thats where the Care Fund comes in. Co-founded by Lamb in 2013, the fund has to date helped 280 Arizona families with seriously ill or injured children by granting them mortgage or rent relief for an average of three months. The fund was launched in Tucson last week.

The Care Fund gives out average grants of $2,200 with an aim of giving families a chance to make another plan, get back on their feet and keep a roof over their heads while dealing with a sick child.

It started out with donations from the real estate community, as Lamb is president of the Homeowners Financial Group in Scottsdale and his co-founder, Bill Rogers, is the companys CEO and founder.

The donation pool has grown to include a wide range of business partners and individual donors. Since its inception, $1.6 million has been raised to help kids and their families.

The nonprofit hopes to now raise money from the real estate community and others in Pima County. Lamb grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona.

No one should have to choose between staying in their home and caring for their child, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said during the Tucson launch.

Though the fund only just officially launched in Tucson, it has been quietly working in Pima County residents for the past 18 months. To date, the Care Fund has already helped 24 local families, among them the Koenigs of Tucson.

Sarah Koenig was diagnosed with a stage 4 metastatic Wilms tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer, in March of 2014 at the age of 16. She was a junior at Sahuaro High School at the time.

By the time the cancer was identified, it had already metastasized to both her lungs. Her left kidney was removed due to a large tumor and she also needed additional chemotherapy and radiation.

The Care Fund paid the Koenig familys mortgage for three months, said her dad, Mark Koenig, who is a systems administrator at the UA. Her mother, Mary Koenig, is a teacher. Sarah has one sibling, her older sister Jennifer Koenig.

Sarah was hospitalized too many times to count.

Not only was she sick from the cancer, the chemotherapy and radiation treatments put additional stress on her heart and liver. She caught a virus that led her to being hospitalized during the last few weeks of her senior year.

Since she was too sick to leave the hospital for her high school graduation, a ceremony was held at Diamond Childrens, which is part of Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, 1501 N. Campbell Ave.

Through it all, a family member was always by her side.

Even with insurance, which we have, it can pile up to be hundreds of dollars a week, Mark said. You are missing work, eating out, setting up another household at the hospital. The Care Fund allows you to keep your focus where it needs to be. What they do cant be measured by financial impact alone.

Sarah, now 18, is a freshman at the UA and hopes to become a pediatric oncology nurse one day. She is also working part-time as a restaurant hostess. She spoke at the Care Funds Tucson launch at the Arizona Inn last week, along with her dad.

Among business leaders who attended and encouraged Pima County donations were the Tucson Association of Realtors Realtor of the Year Pam Ruggeroli and Lea Marquez-Peterson, who is president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

More than 75 percent of the Tucson families that the Care Fund has helped to date are Hispanic.

Typically, Care Fund referrals come from partnerships with caseworkers at hospitals.

The Care Fund has supported Pima County with $64,081.92 in family grants and $95,479 overall to Southern Arizona counties, Care Fund leaders say.

They hope to be able to meet local demand. For some families, being by their childs side in the hospital is the last time they spend together.

Lamb knows that firsthand  his son, Apollo Lamb, died at the hospital on June 23, 2009, in his parents arms.

We put our lives on hold and didnt leave the hospital for seven weeks, Lamb said. The vast majority of people dont have that luxury and they have to make wrenching decisions.
OPINION: "While it is important to take on cutting edge programs for an institution, Best Practices would dictate a thorough analysis of the costs of a new program versus the proven effectiveness of that new program. After all, these are taxpayer funds we are dealing with," writes Nick Pierson, candidate for the Pima Community College Governing Board.
PHOENIX  So whats the most fun way to celebrate Americas independence?

Blowing things up, according to Gov. Doug Ducey.

But that doesnt mean hes ready to legalize firecrackers here.

The governors comments come as the House voted this past week to lift the ban that currently exists on things that explode. The same measure also would allow Arizonans to obtain a kind of mortar that shoots explosives into the air.

It is now up to the Senate to decide whether to send the measure to Ducey.

Im going to be more on the freedom side, the governor said last week when asked about the legislation. But it would be about safety first.

Ducey acknowledged that firecrackers already are legal in many other states. But the governor said he wants to see the specifics of whats in HB 2398 as well as listen to arguments before deciding whether to add Arizona to that list.

We have incredible fire concerns, he said. But the governor said he recognizes there also are issues of personal freedom.

I want people to have fun, Ducey said.

And theres nothing more fun than safely blowing things up on the Fourth of July, he continued. But I also want to make sure that people are protected.

The legislation awaiting Senate action keeps in place existing restrictions that allow communities to ban consumer fireworks for most of the year.
PHOENIX  Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed several pieces of legislation Monday, among them a bill that adds stiffer penalties for misusing food stamps and makes it illegal to buy fast food under the program.

The legislation adds tough penalties that can generally include more than one year in prison and a fine of up to $150,000 to sell, trade or redeem food stamps for cash or non-food items. It also outlaws fast-food purchases and limits where people can use their benefits under the state's food stamp program.

Ducey supports the legislation as a means to improve the state's ability to investigate and prosecute food stamp fraud, said Daniel Scarpinato, spokesman for the governor. "There's a reason this received a near-unanimous bipartisan vote. It clarifies that it is illegal to sell or trade food stamps for anything other than eligible food," he said.

The governor also signed two measures revising state law to get around a lawsuit over bans on plastic bags and disposable products.

The law passed last session prevents cities from banning disposable products and blocks cities from requiring business owners to report energy consumption. That legislation was part of a clash that has grown more intense as state lawmakers have taken an aggressive approach in recent years in curtailing the role of local government.

The bill Ducey signed breaks the legislation into two laws to avoid violating a state constitutional provision requiring each bill to have a single subject.

Tempe city Councilmember Lauren Kuby said she plans to re-file the lawsuit focusing on a provision that allows charter cities to pass laws without government oversight.
Unsung Heroes

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About Me turtlelearning Retired June 30, 2009 -- job was cut. Seemed better to agitate from without rather than from within. Are students inspired by books about real people? If so, I plan to write about people they have never heard about because the history books wouldn't allow it. View my complete profile
Help India!

New Delhi : The Congress on Monday approached the chief election commissioner complaining against BJP president Amit Shah and vice president Om Prakash Mathur for alleged violation of the model code of conduct.

The model code of conduct came into force after the schedule for assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry was announced by the Election Commission on March 4. Polls will be held between April 4 and May 16.

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In utter disregard to and violation of the model code of conduct, Amit Shah, while addressing a national convention of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on March 5 at Vrindavan, made totally false, baseless and distorted statement against Congress party and its vice president Rahul Gandhi, said the complaint by the Congress.

Amit Shah attacked the Congress vice president alleging that he (Gandhi) supported anti-national slogans in JNU.

Yet again, BJP vice president Om Mathur made distorted and malicious statement against Rahul Gandhi on March 10, which was published in Times Nation on March 12, 2016 and circulated throughout the country including the states where elections have been declared, it added.

The Congress said such malicious and defamatory statements were deliberately and intentionally made at a time when electoral exercise had commenced in five states.

Such misleading statements are not permissible and are antithesis to the level playing field, as enforced by the commission for conduct of fair polls, read the complaint.

It is a matter of record that neither Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party supported anti-national slogans in JNU rather in unequivocal terms condemned anti-national slogans. Rahul Gandhi on February 13, 2016 categorically stated anti-India statements are unquestionably unacceptable, it added.

The Congress also said statements made by both Shah and Mathur were clearly in violation of the model code of conduct.

It is prayed that stern action may be taken against them, apart from prosecution, it said.
Help India!

New Delhi: There were 418,536 prisoners in Indian jails at the end of 2014, against the capacity of 356,561, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that this, according to a National Crime Record Bureau report, amounted to overcrowding by 117.4 percent.

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The minister said prison administration was primarily the responsibility of state governments.

But the central government supported the states in this respect between 2002 and 2009.

However, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh were unable to utilise the funds to the tune of Rs.12.20 crore for various reasons, the minister said in a statement.

The reasons included non-acquisition of land, unsuitability of land and non-availability of matching share, he said.


Help India!

By Abu Saleh for Twocircles.net

Ever since the Narendra Modi government has taken charge, the students of this country have been in great trouble. Its not just because of the widely discussed issues like suicide of Rohith Vemula at UoH and the incarceration of Kanhaiya Kumar and his friends at JNU. Apart from these well publicised instances of regime-backed atrocities, a major issue that has been troubling the student community for a long time now has been the cuts in education budget and the delays in fellowship.

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The debates regarding UGC Non Net Fellowship and UGCs messing up with it is well known. After several protests throughout the country, the HRD Ministry did set up a committee. The report of the committee was supposed to come in December but researchers are still waiting for the same.

Further, many ongoing fellowship schemes are also in great danger since many of them are being mismanaged in the last two years. The late disbursement system and several months without any fellowships are plaguing the students.

Fellowship schemes like Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) and the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) have been dysfunctional for a long time. Last year, some students did visit the UGC and other concerned ministries and were promised that the schemes will run as per law thenceforth, but they remained mere promises. As of now, thousands of scholars in the country have not received their fellowship for many months. For example, scholars under the MANF scheme for minority students have been without fellowship since last October. Other schemes, like the RGNF SC, RGNF ST and the RGNF OBC are also late. The worst-hit have been the physically-challenged students, who have not received fellowship since last July. In these circumstances, research scholars are in great distress.

It is important to point out that most scholars solely depend on fellowship for their needs. Thus, if the fellowship amount is not credited on time, it becomes very difficult to sustain. Instead of focussing on their research, the students spend a substantial amount of time petitioning every month, for what they rightfully deserve as legal entitlements.

Who do we blame? Is the assigned Canara Bank responsible for this? Is it the bureaucracy of UGC responsible? Or is the government?

This is an appeal to stop punishing the students for choosing a career in academics. It must be pointed out that one of the significant reasons mentioned by Rohith Vemula in the tract going around as his suicide note for his fatal decision was monetary problems. His pending fellowship was disbursed only after his death. We would like to ask the Ministries, the UGC and the other powers that be whether they want mass suicides to occur across educational campuses of the country.

This is also a request to the concerned authorities at UGC, the various ministries involved and the power holders at the government to look into the situation and do the needful at the earliest to resolve the late disbursement of our fellowships.

The author is a PhD Research Scholar at the Centre for Comparative Literature (CCL), School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad (UoH) and is a part of the UGC Fellowship Forum (https://www.facebook.com/groups/manfcandidates/?fref=ts ) a social media platform for UGC scholars from all over the country.
> From: FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE < simonewills@yahoo.com >

> Sent: March 14, 2016 10:12 AM

> Subject: IF YOU FAIL TO SEND THE $75 00 THIS WEEK YOUR $2.500, 000.00 IS GONE,

>

> FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE NATIONAL HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY COMPLEX

> SENATE HOUSE - UPPER CHAMBERS WUSE DISTRICT, COTONOU BENIN

> Our Ref: FGN /SNT/STB

> E-mail:(ministryoffinacebenin@outlook.com)

>

> IF YOU FAIL TO SEND THE $75 00 THIS WEEK YOUR $2.500, 000.00 IS GONE,

>

> I have to inform you again, that we are not playing over this, I know my reason for the continuous sending of this notification to you, the fact is that you can't seem to trust any one again over this payment and we have now curt the prize of $350 to $75 for what you have been in cantered in many months ago, but I want you to trust me, I cannot scam you for $75 00 it is for bank processing of your payment, the fees is $350 but we have curt it to $75 00 so that you can be able to send it today, $75 is clearly written to you before, and the good part of this, is that you will never, ever be disturbed again over any kind of payment, this is final, and the forms from there becomes effective once we submit your payment application processing fee and pay the form fee of $75 I don't want you to loose this fund this time, because you may never get another such good opportunity, the federal government is keen and very determined to pay your overdue debts, this is not a fluke, I would not want you to loose this fund out of ignorance, I will send you all the documents as soon as bank payment processing fee is paid, you have to trust me, you will get your fund, find a way to get $75 00 you will not loose it,instead it will bring your financial breakthrough, find the money and send it to our bursary.

>

> The reason why am sending you this because I want you to receive your USD2.5M immediately we are trying to round up for this payment program.The processing charges which was initially on the high price has been cut down by the payout bank considering the poor economic situations that make it difficult for the middle class citizens to meet up with the processing charges of their entitlement. Upon the confirmation of your processing charges you will get your $2.500, 000.00 into your account within 15hrs.

>

> Here is the payment information through money gram money transfer finally my advice to you is not to abandon this transaction because of the requirement of ($75) Account Officer Info:Send the fee through Money Gram only.

>

> Receiver Name::::Frank Edu

> Country: ::::::::Benin Republic

> City:::::::::::::Cotonou

> Text Question::::Good

> Answer::::::::Today

> Amount required::::$75 00

> Sender's Name:::::

> MTCN Number:::::::

>

> As soon as the payment is received today, you will receive your $2.5M the same today without any delay.

>

> Best Regards

> Mr John France If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more....
According to Michael Salla of Ecopolitics, news reports have confirmed that the Russian army has captured the Ukrainian port city and region (oblast) of Kherson, where an ancient space ark is claimed to be buried. Two independent sources, the space ark is buried under Oleshky Sands National Nature Park, which is only 25 km (15 miles) east of Kherson. The space ark is said to be activating and predicted to eventually begin flying into the air. One source told Ecopolitics : "Dont be surprised if it starts activation and probably gets to be one of the first ships to go up in the air. Everybody sees. Now that the nations in the world [attention] is  on Ukraine, this is probably going to be one the first one thats going to go up, and everybody is going to see it. Everything is going to come to a halt. Everybody is going to be shocked because of this".
It was bound to happen. After decades of male domination in the action movie realm  from Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise  it was only a matter of time before a woman entered the fray and tried to create a character with as much style and staying power as James Bond and Jason Bourne. Well, who better to take a stab at crashing the boys club than Angelina Jolie? She's had some training, having walked a few miles in Indiana Jones' shoes as that sexy, intrepid tomb raider, Lara Croft, and kicked the skinny butts of both current squeeze Brad Pitt in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and James McAvoy in 'Wanted.' And let's face it, it doesn't hurt that she's arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet. So why not make the leap and measure her moxie against the big boys' egos and biceps? Flex those lips, Angelina, and show those macho men who's the boss!

Jolie walks the walk pretty damn well in Phillip Noyce's by-the-numbers 'Salt,' but has trouble talking the talk, thanks to a thankless screenplay by Kurt Wimmer (who asserted himself much better with the sleek, elegant 'Thomas Crown Affair' remake) that relies too heavily on action movie cliches and predictable plot twists. Though few actresses look as comfortable brandishing a weapon or engaging in hand-to-hand combat than Jolie, whose steely-eyed glare and feline agility make her a natural for this rough-and-tumble genre, her physical prowess can only take her so far. She may kick, punch, and fire away at the bad guys with ease, but can't overcome the clunky story and superhuman stunts that relentlessly sabotage her at every turn. If she (or the producers) hoped to spawn a franchise, I don't think they'll get their wish, because 'Salt' just doesn't possess the cachet that has distinguished other breakout formulas.

Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is a CIA operative who's fingered by a defector as a double agent intent on assassinating the Russian president, an act that would severely jeopardize U.S. security. Salt vehemently denies the charge, yet realizes her husband (August Diehl) could be a government target. In typical Hollywood fashion, she escapes the CIA's tight net and army of pursuers  led by Agent Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber)  and tries desperately to find and shelter him. Such a path, however, plunges her deeper into a web of violence, espionage, and double crosses that makes us question her patriotism and motives. The requisite array of twists and turns, flashbacks and ambiguity, along with a series of over-the-top action sequences, keep the plot's engine churning, but it's all still rather dull. No matter how hard the filmmakers strive to ramp up tension and action, 'Salt' remains largely a one-note affair, lacking the emotional highs and lows necessary to fully engage the audience and suspend our disbelief.

Noyce, who was forging quite a promising career with such relevant and weighty films as 'The Quiet American' and 'Rabbit-Proof Fence,' takes a step backward with his first "big studio" picture in many years. Though his style remains classy and he makes the most of what he's given, the material just isnt up to snuff. Noyce fashions some indelible images, but they're only memorable as snapshots, not key elements belonging to a greater whole. And while it's intriguing to see Jolie don a series of different guises to elude detection (the most outlandish  and creepy  of which is a male military officer), it's hard not to view her various looks as one big gimmick.

And then there are all those stunts. You gotta hand it to Jolie for having the guts to perform as many death-defying acts as she could, but the lion's share are so unrealistic they inspire not admiration but rather jaded head-shaking and cynical chuckles. Salt isn't supposed to be Spider-Woman (though her husband is an arachnologist and she carries one of his deadly specimens around with her, so who knows?!), but she certainly acts like her most of the time, leaping from a series of highway overpasses onto a succession of tractor-trailers, swooping multiple times across an elevator shaft, and emerging unscathed from a barrage of brutal collisions and confrontations. Unless she possesses the same instantaneous healing powers as Wolverine, it's impossible to explain her resiliency.

Jolie gives the role her all, yet despite her considerable talent and physical attributes, the character isn't interesting enough to sufficiently carry the film, let alone inspire a series of sequels. The first-rate supporting cast doesn't fare any better. Schreiber looks bored most of the time, and who can blame him? Add to that the fact that this Blu-ray includes two alternate versions of the film (an unrated director's cut and unrated extended cut) and it's pretty obvious no one involved with the production really had much of a clue as to how this assemblage of action scenes should turn out.

'Salt' is an enjoyable enough ride for fans of the genre, but it could use some pepper to spice itself up. Its preposterous plot ultimately turns silly, and the indestructible title character becomes more robotic as the film progresses. Though Jolie tries her best to break into the action movie boys club, I don't think she'll be getting a bid to that exclusive fraternity anytime soon.
An electrical fire in a Metro tunnel early Monday, which caused huge delays on three subway lines, involved the same type of track-based power cables that burned during last years fatal Yellow Line smoke incident in another tunnel, the transit agency said.



The fire, which broke out about 4:30 a.m. just west of the McPherson Square station, fouled the morning and evening commutes for thousands of riders on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines. While repair crews worked in the tunnel, the frequency of trains on the three lines was greatly reduced, and some stations were bypassed.

Metro can forget any new rail-expansion projects until it meets our safety standards. We may also require periodic closures of some Metro facilities to ensure safety measures are implemented. ...



Effective immediately, the FTA will conduct inspections, investigations, audits, examinations and testing of Metros equipment, facilities and operations. Safety failures we find must be corrected. There will be no new projects until Metro completes its punch list. This direct oversight will also focus on the 78 actions the FTA required Metro to complete as a result of the most comprehensive federal safety review conducted on a rail transit agency. The FTA will directly supervise Metros progress. The FTA has a significant enforcement tool through controlling Metros federal grants and will not allow federal dollars to go to Metro for any activity other than safety improvements.





Yesterday, a fire crippled travel on the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines of the DC Metrorail system (" Metro delays caused by cable problem similar to last year's fatal smoke incident ,"). From the article:This event combined with a power substation fire over the summer (" Temporary speed restriction in area of Stadium-Armory ," WMATA) which led to service reductions until repairs were effectuated has made me realize even more decidedly that the addition of the Silver Line to the Metrorail system without adding capacity in the core regularizes system failure on the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines, because it has increased operational complexity without adding slack resources.. I have to believe when the decision was made to allow the Silver Line to be constructed without adding an additional crossing between Rosslyn and DC, and without a separate alignment and adding additional capacity in the core of DC, there was a failure to recognize adequately how the Silver Line addition would unbalance and stress the system in ways that would lead to routine and regular operational failure.Adding a river crossing and creating a kind of parallel track in the core of DC were the major elements of the proposed "separated blue line" dating to around 2002. But these plans were dropped when WMATA experienced budget problems and devolved authority for expansion planning to the jurisdictions.-- " The "Downtown" Circulator and Rosslyn, Virginia ," August 2006-- " Blinking on urban design means you limit your chance for success ," September 2006-- " Winners and losers with the Dulles subway project ," June 2007. This conclusion about the Silver Line and system failure builds on previous writings about how the engineering of the Metrorail system and the inability of any transit system to be 100% in a state of good repair means that it is unlikely that the Metrorail system will ever be able to achieve its planned maximum usage of 1.1 million daily riders.I argue this results from how:- each line is only two tracks, so that when a train fails or one track is degraded or out of service system performance degrades extra-normally, not to mention that additional tracks would afford more and different types of service as well as redundancy- sharing of track between the Green/Yellow and Blue/Orange/Silver Lines reduces maximum capacity of each of the lines because of the time required for switching trains between lines; by comparison the Red Line can achieve almost 40,000 riders/hour in each direction because it doesn't share its track with other lines- as cars age they become less reliable, and it isn't possible for the transit system to keep buying new cars (not to mention that some manufacturers are better than others and some car series function better than others)- as the system ages, the need for maintenance and repair closes lines, and without track redundancy that means lines are shut down, which degrades service quality and leads to ridership losses.(There are other issues too such as platform widths, the way that the platforms are offset at Gallery Place, egress capacity of stairs and escalators, failure to have 4 doors on train cars, seating configurations, failure to "harden" the system for weather in the core so that the system can operate in severe weather conditions, etc.). People argue that the ridership levels of the Metrorail system aren't high enough to justify more than a two-track system, but I wonder if we have to change our assumptions about what makes sense engineering-wise for systems aiming for 1 million or more riders per day.Note this is a moot question because rebuilding the system to add tracks is out of the question for many reasons. But it is still worth discussing in terms of how it helps us understand transit system design and operation.First, there is the need for redundancy as discussed above, because real not theoretical capacity is the issue.Second, I wonder if we would have ridership increases from a more robust system, because riders would be attracted by reliability.Third, because a more robust transit system would support even more intensive development, thereby attracting more riders and more development proximate to the stations, taking advantage of that reliability.. In October 2015, US Department of Transportation Secretary Al Foxx said that Metrorail needs to focus on improving safety and reliability of the current system, rather than expansion planning (" We all want Metro fixed, and fast ," op-ed). From the article:While there is no question that jurisdictions, especially in Virginia, have been more interested in continuing to expand Metrorail outward rather than considering system reliability, I believe that Secretary Foxx fails to consider how "expansion" can be a solution to the system's safety and reliability problems, which result in part from lack of capacity in the core.. Many times I have written about how in, Steve Belmont argues that "polycentric" transit systems like DC's Metrorail system promote sprawl rather than land use concentration, and he contrasts Metrorail with systems that are monocentric in design.A monocentric system provides more and better service in a smaller area, and provides intra-district as well as inter-district transit, while a polycentric system is more focused on serving riders on longer trips, primarily to school or work.. We need to distinguish between extending the system outward, or intensifying the system by adding capacity in the core, because these types of extensions have different impact. It's the type of expansion that matters, not expansion generally.Adding capacity in the core improves reliability while extending service outward, especially without increasing core capacity, degrades service. Eliminating expansion in general limits the opportunity to improve system reliability.Note that in some instances, system extension serves important purposes (e.g., such as to Fair Oaks in Fairfax County, extending the Orange Line, or to Fort Belvoir, which could be reached by extending the Yellow Line) but it shouldn't occur without simultaneously addressing how extension impacts the core system.. Sadly, this is where my lack of ability with graphic design software shows. Many years ago David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington was kind enough to create a graphic of an idealized Metrorail system based on my thinking at that time.But my thinking has continued to evolve and this is what I would propose now:1. Instead of what used to be called the separated Blue Line, I would now term it a separated Silver Line. It could also be thought of as a "Downtown Relief Line."Instead of joining the Orange Line at East Falls Church Station, instead treating it as a transfer station, the Silver Line could continue south to Route 50/Arlington Boulevard then east to Rosslyn, crossing to Georgetown, continuing eastward to Union Station (this adds capacity to serve Amtrak's plans for expansion), and then further east to H Street NE. (The Arlington Boulevard alignment was suggested by commenter Ryan in a thread at GGW.)2. This would add stations in Northern Virginia and DC. At the very least it would add one crossing and at least 9 new stations in DC, with 3-4 more stations if an additional Silver Line leg was constructed up Bladensburg Avenue. It would serve key activity centers not currently served in Virginia (Arlington Boulevard/Seven Corners) and DC (Georgetown especially), providing additional capacity Downtown and at Union Station.3. In the vicinity of RFK Stadium, I would route the Separated Silver Line onto the Orange Line alignment from RFK Stadium to New Carrollton.4. Perhaps a separate intra-city leg could be added along Bladensburg Road from H Street to New York Avenue and Fort Lincoln.5. The current Orange Line alignment would remain the same from Vienna to Stadium-Armory. At Stadium-Armory it would assume the current Blue Line alignment to Largo Town Center.6. Perhaps a shuttle between the separated Silver Line and Orange Line could be created in the vicinity of RFK so that people could transfer between the lines. The current bridge from Stadium-Armory over the parking lots to the Minnesota Avenue station would be eliminated, replaced by a tunnelized alignment along Benning Road from H Street and Bladensburg. This would enable superior redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site.1. The map above shows a truncated Blue Line ending in Rosslyn, and a "Brown Line" starting in Georgetown, extending south to National Harbor in Prince George's County and then west to Alexandria.2. I would merge the two lines so that the Blue Line continues from Rosslyn across to Georgetown and then up Wisconsin Avenue, connecting to the western leg of the Red Line, and turning east at some point in Upper Northwest, providing an east-west high capacity transit connection in the upper city.3. The Brown Line concept merges some of my ideas with Internet blogger MV Jantzen. Now, I don't know what alignment I would propose to take the line south. The southern alignment shown in the map above is based on Michael's ideas.4. This would add a number of stations within DC serving areas currently not served by high capacity transit. Depending on the southern alignment, it would serve National Harbor, one of the area's leading new activity centers in Prince George's County, and would provide more transit stations in Prince George's County and an east-west connection to Alexandria, Virginia.It's not so relevant to this particular discussion, but I'd also propose a separated Yellow Line within DC ( this idea was first proposed in a blog entry by Dave Murphy ) and Montgomery County.Besides adding a station to serve Jefferson Memorial/The National Mall, the line would probably go north on Georgia Avenue from Howard University and extend outward from Fort Totten out New Hampshire Avenue to White Oak.The DC justification of extension out New Hampshire Avenue is to interdict commuter traffic to and from DC. Montgomery County would see additional intensification benefits also. The trick with a leg along New Hampshire is what to do with a Yellow Line between New Hampshire Avenue and Silver Spring and beyond via Georgia Avenue. It could be a two leg system on the north, just as I suggest a Bladensburg leg for a separated Silver Line.It is Virginia's issue, but probably the Yellow Line should be extended south from its terminus at Huntington Avenue station in Fairfax County to Fort Belvoir, also adding stations to Rte. 1. This should have happened anyway as a result of military base closures and the significant expansion of military activities at Fort Belvoir.. By separating the Silver and Orange Lines, each line would have the maximum capacity for 30 trains/hour, which is more than can be accommodated sharing the lines currently. At least one additional crossing between Rosslyn and DC would be added.Many more stations would be added in DC, as well as redundancy and more capacity in the core, increasing system reliability. New areas would be served in both Virginia and DC, increasingly the ability to capture automobile trips and shift them to transit.Note that adding legs, such as up Bladensburg Road on a separated Silver Line or both up Georgia Avenue and out New Hampshire Avenue on a separated Yellow Line would reduce capacity from the theoretical maximum because of time required to switch from the branch to the main line.. As I have discussed before, by increasing the allowable height at which buildings can be constructed in Downtown, DC's property tax base would increase significantly and become large enough to fund this kind of bold expansion and intensification of the transit system within DC.Ideally, a "transit withholding payroll tax" could also be assessed, but for this to be worthwhile, the the federal government has to be willing to pay it (unlikely in the current economic environment), therefore this revenue source may not be worth pursuing. In the US, certain jurisdictions in Oregon and in Greater New York have such a tax. In France, this type of tax, called the, provides a preponderance of funding for transit service in most cities.Funding for additions within Maryland and Virginia would be provided by those jurisdictions. But planning, design, engineering, construction, and financing should be coordinated, rather than discoordinated, as occurs at present.=====. The Purple Line will be a light rail line serving Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Suburban Maryland. Its western terminus will be at Bethesda Station on the western leg of the Red Line, and it will connect to the Red Line western leg at Silver Spring, to the Green Line at College Park, and to the Orange Line at New Carrollton, which is the eastern terminus for the line.The system won't interline with Metrorail so it won't impact system reliability in the way that the addition of the Silver Line has degraded service on the Orange and Blue Lines.You could argue that by adding riders to the current system, it could add stress because of the failure to add capacity in the core.However, by providing a missing east-west connection between the subway lines outside of Downtown DC, likely the Purple Line will "add capacity" by providing four new transfer points between subway lines, facilitating transfer between lines without requiring riders to go all the way to Downtown DC to do so, as is required today.

Labels: emergency management planning, fixed rail transit service, risk management and redundancy, systems engineering, transit design and engineering, transit infrastructure
There is a little known American safari that does more than just enjoy the wilderness of Mfuwe in Zambia. Dazzle Africa gives back to conservation and communities by harnessing the goodness of giving. The idea grew out of a safari trip taken by six American women. It was a life-changing trip to Mfuwe Lodge, says Stacy James, Executive Director of Dazzle Africa.

The award-winning Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luangwa is best known for the elephants that wander through the reception area in search of the wild mangoes in the back courtyard. It is operated by the Bushcamp Company, who is internationally recognized for their conservation efforts throughout the area.

Their charity arm, Charity Begins at Home, works to improve the lives of those communities that live in the Luangwa.

The first inspiration

That first experience of wild Africa drew the six women together. We were a mixed bag of women coming from various states throughout the USA, but all melded together with a common desire, Stacy said. We found the Mfuwe Lodge to be a magical place and our hearts were filled to the brim. We were extremely grateful to have had the experiences we did and we wanted to do something to give back.

There are many visitors to Africa who briefly feel the need to do something, but few of them follow through. Stacy and her newfound friends went back home and did do something: something good that is enduring.

They worked with the Bushcamp Company, the Charity Begins at Home organization and The South Luangwa Conservation Society to find out how to help.

We decided to focus on our passions, and those were children and wildlife. Once we had a focus for our passion, the partnership was up and away. Stacy explains that Mark, a close friend best described how they operate.

We should all do what's easy for us and hard for others."

Like-minded safari guests

Stacy explained that they hosted their first Safari in 2012. We believe that you need to fall in love with a project, and love grows out of experience. Their friends, Jada Fire and Alvin Tam joined them to host a yoga safari and the result was the discovery that they were quite good at running a safari that was personal, inspiring, and addictive.

Some guests return year after year.

The essence of the safari is to incorporate the aims of Dazzle Africa into the activities of each day. Guest involvement can be life changing for the community of Mfuwe and for themselves. Mike Paredes and his wife Nancy were incredibly inspired by Stacy and Ami Desai, safari coordinators, when they went on a Dazzle Safari. They witnessed these ladies at work discussing funding the full-time wildlife veterinarian who was de-snaring elephants, lions, wild dogs, and other animals. As often happens when exposed to industrious people, we were hooked: not only did we financially sponsor a student and return for the 2015 safari, but Nancy and I planned and are leading the 2016 safari for Dazzle Africa, said Mike.

Conservation benefits

The Dazzle Africa Safaris are not elitist in the way luxury travel is so often perceived to be. Dazzle wants potential guests to be like-minded. Dazzle Africa values kind, easy going, adventurous, and generous people. Donations are usually built into the total cost and guests receive a helpful tax receipt at year's end. Sometimes, guests will also raise money for projects prior to their trip.

In just five years, the conservation efforts of Dazzle Africa have helped reduce the poaching of wildlife in the area. A big win is that they are able to co-sponsor a full-time veterinarian to aid animals injured by gunshot wounds and snares. In addition, their efforts in providing scholarships for students has changed the lives of individuals living in the local community.
Foreign investment promising in China despite economic downturn Updated: 2016-03-15 09:48 (Xinhua)

FUZHOU - Foreign investment is still promising in China amid an economic slowdown with new opportunities emerging from consumption and service in the domestic market, a Xinhua investigation has found.

"The closure of low-end export-oriented OEM manufacturers has eliminated outdated capacity and offers room for more quality programs," said Fang Jianbo, deputy head of the commerce bureau of Dongguan, a southern Chinese city in Guangdong province dubbed as the "world's factory" and a barometer for the country's economic changes.

Some 362 foreign enterprises were shut down or relocated in 2015, accounting for 3.3 percent of the total number of foreign firms in the city. Most of the firms were labor-intensive manufacturers, said Fang.

Meanwhile, 440 new foreign-funded projects were signed last year in the city with a total investment of $5.06 billion, up 17 percent year on year, mainly in sectors of financing, logistics, medicine and high-end manufacturing, he said.

Eyeing the vast Chinese market, UMC, a global semiconductor foundry, started an integrated circuit manufacturing program in Xiamen city, east China's Fujian province last year with a total investment of $6.2 billion.

There is an obvious trend that the OEM firms that only take China as a production base are struggling for survival while those manufacturers that take China as a sales market are expanding their businesses, said Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

About 80 percent of its members provide products and services solely for the Chinese market, up from 23 percent in 2003, said Seyedin.

China attracted a total of $126 billion of foreign capital in 2015, up 5.6 percent over the previous year, with service and high-end manufacturing sectors attracting over 70 percent of the total, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Nanny blacklist adds first rejected caretakers Updated: 2016-03-15 13:38 By By Zhou Wenting in Shanghai(chinadaily.com.cn)

A nanny blacklist created by an alliance of 30 housekeeping service agencies in Shanghai to better regulate the market and drive out unsuitable caretakers has added the first names to its no-hire list.

Agencies in the alliance will refuse to consider nannies placed on the list, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the city.

One of the blacklisted nannies presented a fake health certificate while two others repeatedly failed to show up for interviews or scheduled jobs, said Xia Jun, president of the Shanghai Changning District Homemaking Service Association and an alliance founder.

"The 30 agencies in the alliance have roughly 1,000 chains in Shanghai and nearly 10,000 all over the country, including some doing service for foreign families. Any nanny that is found by any of the agencies to encroach on the seven taboos will be blacklisted, and their information will be shared by the persons in charge of the 30 agencies in a chat group on WeChat," Xia said.

Prohibited behavior includes fabricating identification or resumes, refusing to pay a brokerage fee to the agency, borrowing money from the employer, asking for higher pay in the middle of a contract or leaving the job if a pay hike is not granted.

"We have encountered such cases frequently. Some exaggerated their work years and experience and others borrowed money from the employer, but didn't repay. That's why we want to deter such people, and those with bad credit records, from the industry and protect the interest of our clients with our utmost efforts," Xia said.

Nannies are great demand in big cities. More than 20 percent of Shanghai families are using or plan to use nannies for at least several hours every day, according to a poll conducted by the Family Development Research Center of Fudan University. Results of the poll, which surveyed nearly 2,300 households, were published in December.

"As aging quickly gathers pace and more couples plan for another child, the nanny market will expand more rapidly," said Hu Zhan, an associate professor at the university's School of Social Development and Public Policy.

In one high-profile case, a nanny was accused of killing an older women she was hired to look after in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

The 45-year-old nanny, surnamed He, told a court in December that she was lured by the employer's promise of a full-month's pay should the women die in the middle of a month. On her fourth day on the job, she put poison in the woman's soup and then strangled her, prosecutors said. A verdict is pending.
From top student to delivering goods Updated: 2016-03-15 16:54 (chinadaily.com.cn)

Thousands of packages are sorted on the transmission belt in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, Nov 11, 2015. [Photo/IC]

A graduate of one of the top universities in the country left her high-paid job in Beijing to launch a courier company in her hometown Shifang, Southwest China's Sichuan province, reported Cheng Business Daily.

Xu Lu, 34, enrolled in journalism major at Peking University in 2000, and worked for a high-tech company after graduating and later for a property developer.

"The monthly income was 20,000 yuan ($3,074), but I still left the work and Beijing, a city where I spent 10 years," Xu said. Leaving Beijing was not an easy decision. She cried all the way to the airport as she bid goodbye to the city in 2010.

"All those things are in the past, and there's no need to mention them. Now, I am a common startup entrepreneur," Xu said while inputting delivery orders into computer.

Xu decided to return to her hometown after marriage. She said she went back to Shifang to stay with her husband and take care of their parents.

Xu got the idea to start her business after she rejected her parents' suggestion to become a civil servant because she disliked the routine life.

In 2013, Xu learned that a businessman was selling the franchise of a large company that had operations around the country. Although the then owner had already reached an agreement with another entrepreneur, Xu visited the company's office in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan, to convince its bosses to help change the owner's decision.

Xu finally won. She acquired the rights with 380,000 yuan, an amount she raised through bank loans by putting her house as collateral. She further invested about 120,000 yuan to hire more workers and open new offices.

Xu worked together with her employees and established regulations to better manage the team that increased from 10 to more than 20.

Liang Xiaolong, one of her employees, said: "Our manager is a tough woman." He said that Xu can drive a minivan and carry 50-kilogram packages on her shoulders.

"She has great sense of humor, working with her is a joy," Liang added.

"When the packages cannot be sent in time, I will call the clients and apologize," Xu said. "Fortunately, my friends pitch in after work to help me send the deliveries."

Because of her busy schedule, she has little time to be with her husband who now works in southwest China's Yunnan province. When her husband returns, he has to help Xu deliver the packages.

In March, Xu was honored as "March 8th Red Banner Holder" of Deyang city that governs Shifang. The honor is granted to those who are regarded as role models for women.
Finding the magic in his grapes Updated: 2016-03-15 07:56 By Mike Peters(China Daily)

Eduardo Chadwick has led a pioneering effort to make Chilean wines famous for quality as well as price, Mike Peters reports.

A Western meal is often served one course at a time, and you can match wines with them individually. But a Chinese meal can consist of myriad dishes, all served pretty much simultaneously. What to do?

When a Chinese journalist asks this question of Eduardo Chadwick, one of Chile's top winemakers, he says a light, simple wine "that goes with anything" is not the best answer.

Sena means "signal" in Spanish, and a series of blind tastings were designed to send a message to the world about Chile's best wines. Photos Provided to China Daily

"I would look for a more complex wine," he says, "one that has good fruit but also some spiciness and other flavor notes. When you do that, a savory dish will bring out certain flavors, but a spicy dish will bring out different flavors in the wine."

His answer is intriguing but no accident. The journalists gathered at the Chilean embassy in Beijing to meet Chadwick are about to sample just such a wine from his family of vineyards.

"We make a Bordeaux blend," Chadwick tells China Daily, "but with a Chilean soul". That soul has a name: Carmenere, a grape with a spicy edge that flourishes in the soils on the western side of the Andes. It gives Chilean wine blends their particular character.

Chadwick's signature wine, Sena, reflects a winemaker who shrugs off convention.

For most of Chile's 300 years of winemaking, the results were mostly consumed at home or in neighboring Brazil. However, the country has huge areas of agricultural land and a small population, which means Chile can produce a lot more wine than it can drink. Last century, the country's leaders got excited about exporting wine, but by the early 1990s, their vineyards were generating lots of bottles but not much respect. People saw and expected solid but inexpensive wines.

"Cheap and cheerful, you mean," laughs Chile's Ambassador to China, Jorge Heine. "That's been the reputation of our wines."

Chadwick and others, however, believed the country could produce vintages as good as any in the world. California's legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi visited Chile and agreed.

Two decades earlier, the California wine industry was in a similar position: Americans who knew wine, and had money to spend on a quality bottle, were buying European labels. In the 1970s, it was Mondavi who convinced Baron Phillipe de Rothschild that California, particularly the Napa Valley, could be the wine world's Next Big Thing, and the two men formed a joint venture to create an iconic brand there. The result, Opus One, made believers first of European connoisseurs and then Americans, and today the label commands a premium price on wine shelves around the world.

Mondavi, touring Chile's wine country with Chadwick in 1995, was convinced that the terroir, the expansive agricultural land and the legacy of winemaking handed down from early Spanish missionaries could produce wine that would do for Chile what Opus One had done for Napa Valley.

"We were determined to produce the best and get the recognition," says Chadwick.

The first proved easier than the second.

Proof in the bottle

Convinced of his wines' quality, in 2004 Chadwick organized what have come to be known as "The Berlin Tasting". Sommeliers, wine critics and other professionals compared his wines "blind" with the best of Bordeaux and Tuscany.

The big surprise: his Vinedo Chadwick 2000 and Sena 2001 were ranked first and second over the revered First Growths and Super Tuscans on the table.

"I would have been happy to place a wine in the top five," he says today. "So even I was shocked."

But the case still had to be made for the aging potential of Chile's wines. In 2011, in another blind-tasting format, Chadwick presented 10 years of his wines in a series of vertical tastings (2001 vs 2001, 2002 vs 2002, etc) in Asia. Experts in Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul consistently ranked Sena as their favorite. Over the next year, he got similar results at blind tastings in London, Zurich, Moscow and five key Chinese cities.

"The professionals can detect wines like the five top Bordeaux in a blind test and some will instinctively be influenced by that recognition," he says. "But the general wine lovers always gave us the highest marks."

Value for money

In the global market, Chadwick says Chile's wines overall continue to have a reputation for being "not expensive and easy to drink". While free-trade agreements have made Chile's wines very price-competitive around the world, winemaker Chadwick and Ambassador Heine agree that hasn't been a bad thing.

Whether you are buying a "table wine" or a mid-range wine or a premium wine, Chadwick says, his country's wines are recognized as good value for money. "That creates interest in Chilean wines, and then people discover that Chile's finest wines are produced to equal standards with Bordeaux."

Addressing the question of matching wines with Chinese food, Heine says your personal taste should always be your first guide.

"Let me tell you a story," he says. "One of our former presidents, Salvador Allende, was a great gourmet and a bit of a dandy. He loved seafood, especially oysters, and he always ate oysters with red wine.

"That shocked his wine-loving friends," Heine says, "and they often asked the president how he could do that.

"It's no problem," he quotes Allende as saying. "The oysters do not know that I am drinking red wine with them."

Contact the writer at michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn

Sipping by the book

She's published comprehensive books on the wines of Italy and France for Chinese readers, but Shanghai-based author Sophie Liu has a special place in her heart for the wine country of Chile.

That has led to her most recent book, Grandes Vinos de Chile: Legends of the Top 18, which was launched at a reception hosted by Chilean Ambassador to China Jorge Heine at the embassy in Beijing last week.

"People don't really know Chilean wine, its best wine, beyond the entry-level labels," she says. "While French wine is best-known in China, it's famous for five really great wines from Bordeaux. To know Chile's top wines, you have to learn about 18, so it's much more complicated."

That's changing some, thanks to visits to China by Eduardo Chadwick and other premium winemakers, classes and tastings hosted by wine professionals like Liu. "Sales of our highest quality wines were up 36 percent in China last year," says Julio Alonso, director of Wines of Chile Asia. "China will probably be Chile's biggest wine market in 2016."

Ambassador Heine saluted Liu as a true friend of Chile and its wines, adding that books like hers are important platforms for ideas.

"Sophie's book is not based simply on tastings and meeting our winemakers when they come to Asia," he says. "It's based on fieldwork - she has visited many times, done many interviews and conveys to the world vividly what Chile's wine industry is up to."

"I love the wine country of Chile, the laid-back but professional atmosphere and the friendliness of the people," she says. "When my work leaves me feeling stressed, it always feels good to be back in Chile."

The book is currently published only in Chinese, but Liu hopes to one day produce a translated edition.

(China Daily 03/15/2016 page19)
West's name-calling only intensifies contradictions Updated: 2016-03-15 07:37 (China Daily)

US Secretary of State John Kerry (second from left sitting in the roundtable) and Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai (second from right in roundtable) are among several dozen Chinese and US government officials attending the opening ceremony of the 19th round China US Human Rights Dialogue held in Washington on Aug 13-14, 2015.[Provided to China Daily]

Impatience to hear and eagerness to pass judgment are two things that ruin a dialogue. A case in point, unfortunately, is the disappointing image painted of China's human rights situation by 12 Western countries in Geneva last week.

In response to their joint allegation of China's "deteriorating" conditions, the Chinese government reminded the accusers to clean their own houses first, retorting that China is a sovereign "country of rule of law" whose internal affairs brook no interference from other powers.

A face-off like this forebodes a tough time ahead, and risks throwing the China-West dialogue on human rights back to its starting point.

The dialogue has always been a difficult one. At times, the two sides appear to disagree on whether sovereign concerns override human rights, especially civil rights, and whether the rights to subsistence and development precede the right to democracy, as China insists.

But this is only one side of the issue. On the other side, China's critics have seldom acknowledged the progress it has made in human rights society-wide.

With economic development, more formerly under-employed rural people have found jobs in cities, more women are earning pay equal to men, and more people have been provided social security. The general improvement in ordinary people's living and working conditions hardly needs specific documentation.

From a historical perspective, the legitimacy of the Chinese proposition should be even easier to understand judging from its complex legacy, especially its large, multiethnic population that includes adherents of nearly all the major religions. A collective agreement is needed as the anchor for rule of law and society.

The Chinese government also admits that, like in any other country, there are individual cases of contestable grounds and even of downright injustice.

In the last few years, as the country's leadership has engaged in an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign, its justice system has also been busier than ever in correcting the wrongful convictions of the past. As some officials who once wielded extensive power are brought down for investigation, other individuals who once were falsely tried have been judged innocent, and paid due compensation in the name of the Statealthough it would be premature to claim total success in either process.

These considered, the allegation that China's human rights condition has deteriorated is hard to accept on the Chinese side. Indeed, it can be taken as an outrageous insult to its anti-corruption campaign and efforts to redress the judicial wrongs in the past.
Swire Properties' Miami project welcomes first tenant Updated: 2016-03-15 06:03 By ZHENG XIN in Beijing(China Daily USA)

Hong Kong-headquartered Swire Properties' US subsidiary has welcomed its first lead tenant, Akerman LLP, one of America's leading law firms, to Three Brickell City Centre.

It marks the opening of the first component of Swire's HK$8 billion ($1.05 billion) Brickell City Centre development.

"As the most anticipated project in Brickell for years, the opening of our first office tower within our Brickell City Centre complex marks the beginning of an exciting new transformation for the city," said Stephen Owens, president of Swire Properties Inc.

"We believe our two office towers will set new standards for Miami's office space and further Brickell's growth as a leading business hub."

Brickell City Centre is a landmark 5.4 million square-foot, mixed-use development in downtown Miami.

The project's first phase includes a premium shopping center, two residential towers, a hotel with residences, and two mid-rise office towers.

It is another example of China's companies and large institutions looking to overseas real estate, investing their accumulated capital as China's economy slows.

According to a report by London-based real estate consultancy Knight Frank, real estate deals overseas by China's investors, mainly developers, last year doubled over the previous year, with total mainland outbound investment in 2015 hitting almost $30 billion.

New York, London, and Sydney and Melbourne in Australia are the top investment spots worldwide, attracting more than 40 percent of total investment, said Knight Frank.

Some 52.3 percent of mainland real-estate investment in the US last year was in Manhattan, it said, including the Bank of China's purchase of 7 Bryant Park, a 28-story building.

Chinese insurer Anbang Insurance purchased the high-end Heron Tower in London for $1.17 billion, after buying the Waldorf Astoria New York hotel for $1.95 billion, while another company, Taiping Life Insurance, bought into the 111 Murray Street project.

Outside the US, China Investment Corp bought the Meguro Gajoen commercial property complex in Tokyo, while China's Greenland Group bought the Tebrau Bay of Waterfront City in Malaysia as well.

Analysts said that of all the popular destinations, Chinese money prefers America, as some of China's property giants are seeking either residential or commercial investments in overseas markets like New York.

"The cases illustrate a bigger trend that Chinese builders and insurance firms are eager to invest large reserves of cash in the key gateway cities, diversifying their property portfolios while acquiring overseas properties to beef up investment returns," said Derek Dong, group account director of research agency Millward Brown, a global market-research firm based in New York.

China's overseas property investments will become more frequent and diversified, he said.

According to Knight Frank, the trend is also driven by a sluggish domestic housing market, a shrunken yuan and continued turbulence on the stock markets.

"The sluggish property market in second- and third-tier mainland cities has pushed domestic developers into tapping overseas markets," said David Ji Yanxun, Knight Frank's director and head of research and consultancy.

Property purchases abroad by mainland investors are expected to rise 10 to 20 percent in 2016, the advisory firm said.

Akerman LLP, the largest law group in Florida and one of top 100 US law firms, is the biggest lead office tenant committed to the project, taking up 110,500 square feet, or 80 percent, of the tower's Grade-A office space.

"The changing law business has an insatiable need for new ideas," said Andrew Smulian, Akerman chairman and CEO.

"There is real value in having our law firm surrounded by the Climate Ribbon, one of the most stunning and innovative pieces of environmental architecture in North America, which is the signature element of Brickell City Centre. It reminds us what is possible when you dare to design new solutions to old problems."

Designed by award-winning architectural firm Arquitectonica, the 12-story all-glass tower is the only office building in the Brickell area with a Metromover attached to its structure.

The second office tower, Two Brickell City Centre, is expected to open later this year.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn
Trump aims for big US primary wins, calls campaign 'a lovefest' Updated: 2016-03-15 15:54 (Agencies)

A supporter for US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up a sign during a campaign event in Hickory, North Carolina March 14, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

TAMPA, Fla. - US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump hunted for votes in three states on Monday before a crucial round of nominating contests, and dismissed outbreaks of violence at his campaign events as "a little disruption."

Trump, who made appearances in North Carolina, Florida and Ohio ahead of Tuesday's primaries, said the establishment Republicans who have labored to stop his outsider candidacy needed to recognize his strength and rally to his cause.

The billionaire businessman trained his fire on rival Republican candidate, Ohio Governor John Kasich, at an evening rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Kasich is running neck and neck with Trump in the state.

"Your coal industry is dead. Your steel industry is dead," Trump told Ohio voters. "Your governor is totally overrated. He hasn't done a thing."

Kasich is looking to win his home state and thwart Trump's progress toward securing the 1,237 delegates a candidate needs to win the nomination.

"I'm going to win Ohio, and it's going to be a whole new ballgame," Kasich said on Fox News on Monday. "We're not going to lose tomorrow."

Ohio, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri hold nominating contests on Tuesday for the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.

Trump could seize control of the Republican race with a sweep and possibly knock out two of his rivals, Kasich and US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Opinion polls show him leading in all five states except Ohio.

"If we win Ohio and we win Florida, then everybody agrees it's pretty much over," Trump told an afternoon rally in Tampa, Florida. "The Republican Party has to come together."

In Hickory, North Carolina, Trump rejected suggestions his combative campaign tone was to blame for recent clashes at his rallies, including one last week where a protester was punched and a Chicago rally that was canceled after fights between Trump supporters and opponents.

He said the level of violence was inflated by the media and "basically" no one had been hurt at his rallies, although "maybe somebody got hit once."

"It's a little disruption, but there's no violence," Trump said, describing his campaign as "a movement and a lovefest."

The Republican Party's anti-Trump forces, including a Super PAC formed to oppose him, kept up their assault on the brash New York real estate mogul. The Super PAC released an ad on Monday featuring demeaning quotes by Trump about women, and urged people to oppose him "if you believe America deserves better."

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who has delivered a furious attack on Trump, campaigned for Kasich in North Canton, Ohio, on Monday but refrained from criticizing Trump by name or explicitly endorsing Kasich.

"He has the kind of record you want in Washington," Romney said of Kasich.

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton also kept an eye on Trump, saying at a campaign event in Chicago that "I don't think the stakes have ever been higher, or the rhetoric on the other side ever been lower."
Chinese official urges Human Rights Council to avoid repeating past mistakes Updated: 2016-03-16 02:36 (Xinhua)

GENEVA-- Chinese diplomat Fu Cong urged certain Western countries on Tuesday to refrain from politicising the Human Rights Council (HRC) while warning that the forum risks facing the shortcomings experienced by the Commission for Human Rights which preceded it.

Fu made the remarks at the General Debate under Agenda Item 4 during the 31st Session of the Human Rights Council which ends on March 24.

"Certain western countries in the Council openly politicize human rights issues, through naming and shaming and plotting country-specific resolutions in order to serve their geopolitical needs," Fu explained.

"They on the one hand attack developing countries on their human rights situations and on the other hand adopt unilateral sanctions, and even take military actions against these countries without the authorization of the United Nations," he added.

The official deplored the fact that some countries launch unfounded accusations against developing nations and use the council as a tool to serve their political needs.

"If the Council continues down this path, it will unavoidably repeat the same mistakes and failures of the Commission. The international community should be on alert against this dangerous tendency," Fu cautioned.

The official also highlighted the fact that human rights cannot exist without sovereignty and development, and that external interventions in a number of developing countries have resulted in the destruction of peace, stability and ethnic harmony.

Fu also mentioned the crises affecting countries such as Iraq, Libya and Syria, but also the European Union.

"As a matter of fact, more and more people have come to realize that the root cause of the current humanitarian crisis is the policy of new interventionism carried out by certain western countries under the banner of human rights and humanitarianism," Fu reported.
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Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, head of Market research Department, Nielsen Vietnam, said that the survey of Viet Nam Best Places To Work 2015 was successful by attracting huge participants of 22,688 experienced employees and hundreds of leading enterprises from 24 industries nationwide.  VNS Photo Hoang Ha

HCM CITY (VNS)  Unilever, Vinamilk, Nestle, P&G, IBM, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Viettel, Suntory Pepsico and Abbott topped the list of Viet Nams 100 Best Places to Work 2015, which was announced last Friday in HCM City. Unilever continued its titleholder as Viet Nams Best Place To Work in three consecutive years.

There were 22 Vietnamese enterprises in the Top 100 of 2015 while the number was 17 for 2014. Some of the most outstanding were Novaland, Hoa Binh Corp and Bao Viet Insurance.

Several Vietnamese firms took big leaps in ranking, including Masan from 31st to 13th, Vingroup from 79th to 41st, Viettel from 14th to 8th, and FPT from 28th to 21st. By industry, the Viet Nam Best Places To Work 2015 honoured Prudential Viet Nam for Insurance, Nike Viet Nam for Apparel/Footwear, Abbott for Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Healthcare, Bosch Viet Nam for Engineering/Mechanicals, Mercedes-Benz Viet Nam for Automobiles/Components.

Meanwhile, Vietcombank topped employers in Banking/Financial Services, Microsoft in Software, Unilever in Fast-moving consumer goods, Samsung in Electronics/Electric Equipment.

The survey named the Most Attractive Employer Brands by key drivers such as Total Rewards, won by Vinamilk. Nestle had the best performance in Culture and Value.

Unilever won prizes in Leadership and Growth Opportunity; and Intel in Work, Life Quality and Company Reputation.The survey showed that good benefits were one of the most important factors which connect internal employees and attract external talents.

That is why FMCG and Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Healthcare companies providing the most type of rewards and benefits gained the highest company numbers in Top 100 and had the strongest leaps, said a press release from Anphabe.

Professional expectations

Expectations of Vietnamese professionals towards employers were spread through six groups  total rewards, leadership, company reputation, culture & value, work and life quality, and growth opportunity.

According to Thanh Nguyen, CEO of Anphabe, although Total Rewards remained the most important, it was becoming less and less demanding over the last three years.

Good Benefits reached the top desired driver when choosing an employer, while Competitive Base Salary has fallen gradually, landing seventh on the list of this year, she added.

The job-quitting rate this year is expected to be nine per cent. Males tend to have a higher job quitting rate than their female counterparts, while managers show a higher retention rate than non-management personnel.

Three industries that had the highest job quitting rate were Manufacturing/Chemicals, FMCG, Service/Consulting/Legal. The three areas of Purchasing/Planning, Production and Marketing also had a high job quitting rate.

The survey was jointly conducted online by Anphabe.com, a career network of management professionals in Viet Nam, and the global market research firm Nielsen from September to December 2015.

This year the survey was successful by attracting huge participants of 22,688 experienced employees and hundreds of leading enterprises from 24 industries nationwide, Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, head of Market research Department, Nielsen Vietnam, said.  VNS
A worker produces PVC pipe at Binh Minh Plastic JSCs production plant at Pho Noi A Industrial Zone in the northern province of Hung Yen. One-fifth of the companys capital is owned by Thai SCG Group.  VNA/VNS Photo Hong Ky

HCM CITY  Thai investors are increasingly investing in Viet Nams plastic industry, with many of them keen to fully acquire the Governments stakes in companies it plans to equitise.

Thai SCG Group alone has invested in 20 companies. Last year it acquired 80 per cent stakes in Tin Thanh Packing Joint Stock Company, one of the countrys top manufacturers of flexible plastic packaging.

It also has majority stakes in four other firms producing plastic household utensils and packaging, Viet-Thai Plastchem Joint Venture Company, TPC Vina  Plastic & Chemical Corp, Ltd, Chemtech, and Minh Thai Plastic Material Co, Ltd.

It has a 20 per cent stake in Binh Minh Plastic JSC and nearly 25 per cent stake in Tien Phong JSC, who together hold half the market share in the plastic building materials market.

SCG and many other Thai firms are continuing to acquire stakes in plastics companies.

Tran Viet Anh, chairman and general manager of Nam Thai Son Company and deputy chairman of the HCM City Rubber - Plastic Manufacturers Association, said the country has nearly 3,000 plastics companies, 99.8 per cent of them private.

Thai companies are primarily aiming at the top 100 firms, he said.

Lacking the confidence to take on the new rivals, in many cases showing signs of declining production and business capacity, many domestic firms agree to sell out when foreign investors offer high prices for their stakes, he said.

Ho uc Lam, chairman of the Viet Nam Plastics Association, said by increasing investment in the countrys plastic industry, Thai firms hope to both exploit the lucrative domestic market and take advantage of free trade agreements that Viet Nam has signed.

The plastics industry is one of the fastest growing in Viet Nam, expanding annually at 16-18 per cent in 2010-15, Lam, who is also chairman of Rang ong Plastic joint Stock Company, said.

But with the annual plastic consumption per capita in Viet Nam at just 41kg, much lower than in other countries, the prospects remain huge, he said.

Anh said Thai firms only pay one per cent or even zero per cent interest on bank loans for certain projects, while Vietnamese firms have to pay 6-7 per cent, making it hard for them to compete with the Thais.

The HCM City Rubber- Plastic Manufacturers Association urged domestic firms to strengthen co-operation among themselves.

To support domestic companies, it said HCM City should create an area exclusively for plastic firms and develop a production chain model to reduce costs.  VNS
Viet Nam's export value of shrimp to the US in 2015 reduced 38.3 per cent year-on-year to US$657 million..  Photo baocongthuong

HA NOI (VNS)  The United States (US) has levied higher anti-dumping duties on Vietnamese warm-water shrimp exports during the period of review from February 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015.

This decision was taken at the 10th administrative review (POR 10), according to a notice of the International Trade Administration (ITA) on March 10.

The POR10 was requested on 51 Vietnamese shrimp exporters, including two mandatory respondents, Minh Phu Group and Soc Trang Seafood JSC (Stapimex).

Mandatory respondents are exporters selected for individual investigation by the DOC as part of its countervailing duty review, whereas exporters that are not initially chosen for investigation but wish to participate, and are accepted by DOC, are voluntary respondents.

According to the preliminary results of the POR10, sales by Minh Phu Group and Stapimex to the US, the two mandatory respondents, were made below normal value, and, therefore, are subject to anti-dumping duties.

The duty on Minh Phu Group was initially set at 2.86 per cent, higher than the rate 1.39 per cent in POR9, while Stapimex was subject to a tariff at 4.78 per cent.

Anti-dumping duty on voluntary respondents was preliminarily established at 3.56 per cent, nearly four times higher than the official 0.91 per cent set in POR9.

The tariff on other Vietnamese firms, those exporters not examined as mandatory or voluntary respondents in the POR10, remains at 25.76 per cent, according to preliminary results.

The official duty at the POR 10 was scheduled to release in July.

In addition, in separate Federal Register notices published on March 1, the US Department of Commerce (DoC) and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) announced the initiation of Five-Year Sunset Reviews of the anti-dumping duty orders on certain frozen warm-water shrimps from Brazil, China, India, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Viet Nams General Department of Customs said Viet Nams export value of shrimp to the US in 2015 reduced 38.3 per cent year-on-year to US$657 million.  VNS
Photo of Dung Quat Oil Refinery in the central region province of Quang Ngai.- VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung

HA NOI (VNS)  The tax reduction for Dung Quat Oil Refinery is necessary and reasonable to ensure equal principles between local and imported products, o Hoang Anh Tuan, the deputy minister of finance, said.

The reduction would also follow the reasonable protection level under international commitments when Viet Nam joins the trade pacts, Tuan said.

Previously, the Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co (BSR), which operates and manages Dung Quat, was seeking approval to lower tax rates because of a lack of competitiveness against imported fuels as well as untie its difficulties.

The diesel and mazut import taxes from ASEAN countries were cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent since the beginning of this year in accordance with the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). However, products from Dung Quat are still subject to an import tax of 20 per cent, forcing a number of local businesses that bought petroleum from Dung Quat to choose other imported sources.

The deputy minister told the media last week that the consumption of the refinery has faced with difficulties due to the plunging price in the world oil market.

In addition, under the Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) with South Korea, which was signed in May 2015, Viet Nam reduced the import tariff on gasoline from South Korea to 10 per cent, from 20 per cent, effective December 20, 2015.

He said that there was a big difference between the normal imported taxes and preferential taxes under FTAs.

The preferential policies for the Dung Quat Oil Refinery including corporate income tax and investment are under the governments regulations.

This is the reason that there are no special favours for the refinery, but it is equal to other projects, he said.

The ministry would submit to the Government to review suitable financial mechanism in the market mechanism and ensuring equality between domestic and foreign businesses.

Specifically, the ministry would remove the cash subsidy mechanism for BSR if the imported tax is lower than 7 per cent.

Currently, under the finance ministrys instructions, the calculation for import duty of petroleum products is under most-favoured nation (MFN) status.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade yesterday sent a press release saying that it has co-operated with the finance ministry to have financial solutions to resolve the imported tax reduction under FTA road map following international integration commitments to ensure benefits of the government, businesses, petroleum production and consumers.

However, the ministry has not provided a road map to narrow down the difference of imported taxes between FTAs and MFN in the calculation of the basic price of petroleum.  VNS
Local history: The tunnel being inspected for renovation work.  Photo dantri.com.vn

HA NOI  The central province of Quang Tri will preserve a part of a war tunnel used during the American War for tourism purposes.

The Y-shaped tunnel, located in Vinh Linh District, is about 200m long, 1.2m high and 1m wide.

According to Hoang Van oi, 69, a local resident, the tunnels construction began in 1962 and was completed four years later. It collapsed after being hit by an American bomb in February 1968.

Local elders want a plaque to mark the historical site as well as to educate the youth about the war and the people who lost their lives in the tunnel during the bombing.

Local authorities will renovate a part of the tunnel for tourist purposes, while searching for the remains of the martyrs.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks to local authorities during his two-day work trip to the province.  VNA/VNS Photo Chu Quoc Hung

IEN BIEN (VNS)  Preparations for upcoming elections and measures for social and economic development are Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs top concerns, he announced during his visit to the northern province of ien Bien.

Speaking to local authorities during his two-day work trip to the province, which ended yesterday, Phuc asked authorities to complete the list of applicants nominated to deputy posts in the 14th National Assembly (NA) and to the Peoples Council as well as prepare for the second consultative conference and elections.

He requested thorough meetings with voters for comments, recommendations and complaints.

Regarding local social and economic development, the Deputy PM asked for detailed measures to solve current problems.

The province needs to have routine steps in administrative reform, create favourable conditions for businesses and investment, and encourage start-ups among local people and enterprises, Phuc said.

Hunger elimination and poverty reduction should be considered the top priority of the province, especially in poor districts, he said, adding that the province should also enhance the local quality human resources and eradicate obsolete practices.

The Government official urged ien Bien to select some infrastructure projects for investment and boost the local tourism industry.

Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Mua A Son reported that the province gained an economic growth of 10.02 per cent in 2015, and the average income reached VN23.2 million (more than US$1,000), which marked a 12.38 per cent year-on-year increase.

The number of poor households decreased by 4.56 per cent to 28.01 per cent, Son said.

Son said the province had been preparing for the upcoming elections in line with the law and quality requirements. The procedures were implemented safely and timely, he said.

The province has nominated 10 candidates for seats in the 14th NA, including both male and female candidates representing the ethnic groups of Mong, Thai and Kho Mu. There are also 91 candidates nominated for the provincial Peoples Councils, of whom 38 per cent are female and 61 per cent are ethnic minorities.

There has been no self-nominated or independent candidate in the province so far.

ien Bien will elect six candidates for seats at the National Assembly and 51 candidates for the provincial Peoples Council.

Applications announced

In related news, Ha Noi and HCM City yesterday announced the first-round results of deputies applications to the 14th NA and Peoples Councils at all levels for 2016-21.

The election council of Ha Noi received 87 applications for NA deputies between February 17 and March 13. Of those, 48 were self-nominated applicants while 40 others were nominated by organisations and individuals. There were 205 applications for the citys Peoples Council, including nine self-nominated applicants.

HCM City received 90 applications for NA seats, including 50 self-nominated applicants. Applications for the municipal Peoples Council reached 203, and 28 were self-nominated.

Ha Noi and HCM City will elect 30 deputies to the 14th NA, according to the allocation of the NA Standing Committee.

The central city of a Nang has also announced a total 15 applications for NA deputies and 98 for Peoples Council members. Of those, three and five were self-nominated, respectively.

Its neighbouring Quang Nam Province also had 15 NA deputy applications and 104 Peoples Council member applications, each with three self-nominated applications.

The central province of Nghe An announced it received 38 applications for NA deputies and 240 for Peoples Council members.

As regulated, Fatherland Front chapters at all levels will organise the second consultative conferences for elections on Friday. The list of candidates will be announced on April 27.

The election of deputies to the 14th NA and Peoples Councils at all levels of the 2016-21 tenure will convene on May 22.  VNS
ASEAN defence chiefs stressed the need for building a peaceful environment in the East Sea.  VNA/VNS Photo Pham Kien

VIENTIANE (VNS)  ASEAN defence chiefs stressed the need for building a peaceful environment in the East Sea to promote stability, growth and prosperity in the region at the closing ceremony of the 13th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM-13) in Vientiane, Laos, yesterday.

Participants said non-traditional security challenges such as natural disasters, climate change, cross-border crime, human and drug trafficking, cyber and navigation security, and terrorism had threatened regional peace, stability, security and prosperity.

To deal with them, it is necessary to enhance defence co-operation among ASEAN member states in the principle of respecting the sovereignty of each country. The defence chiefs called on the involved parties to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and reach a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Speaking at the function, General o Ba Ty, Chief of the General Staff of the Viet Nam Peoples Army and Deputy Defence Minister, said ASEAN was facing a number of challenges such as terrorism, racial conflicts, natural disasters, and illegal actions against international law.

He proposed countries further exchange information and experience to cope with the challenges, stressing that Viet Nam condemned terror attacks under any form and it was willing to co-operate with other nations to deal with the issue.

The head of the Vietnamese delegation also suggested increasing activities to build trust between law enforcement forces at sea and abiding by international law.

He asked these forces to support fishermen in distress and offer humanitarian treatment for them.

The Viet Nam Peoples Army had actively engaged in ASEANs activities such as sending forces to join peacekeeping operations and humanitarian mine clearance in India, and participating in the exercise of humanitarian aid and natural disaster relief within the ASEAN Regional Forum in Malaysia and the International Fleet Review in India, Ty said.

He noted that Viet Nam would dispatch forces to attend Komodo, the multilateral naval exercise in Indonesia, and also attend a navigation security and an anti-corruption exercise in Brunei and Singapore.

At the end of the conference, heads of delegations signed a joint statement of ACDFIM-13, which mentions numerous regional security issues, including the necessity of implementing fully and effectively the DOC and the completion of the COC to maintain peace in the East Sea.  VNS
Vietnamese Foreign Ministrys Vice Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang .  File Photo

HA NOI (VNS)  Viet Nam welcomed Chinas plan to release water from Jinghong Hydropower Station reservoir into lower Mekong River from March 15 to April 4 to deal with drought in Viet Nam.

The statement was made by Vietnamese Foreign Ministrys Vice Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang yesterday.

Earlier, Viet Nam proposed to China that they increase the outflow from the Jinghong Hydropower Station to the lower reaches of the Mekong River to cope with the drought and salt intrusion in a number of the Mekong Delta provinces in Viet Nam.

We held that the protection and sustainable use of water in the Mekong River is the responsibility shared by countries along the river to harmonise the interests of relevant nations and lives of regional people, the vice spokeswoman said.

Across the Mekong Delta region  Viet Nams largest rice producer  as many as 140,000 hectares (ha) of rice has been damaged so far, nearly 90,000ha of which has resulted in a 70 per cent loss of the crop.

In the 2015-2016 winter-spring crop, there are 339,200ha of rice in coastal Mekong Delta provinces prone to saltwater intrusion and drought, accounting for 21.9 per cent of the regions total rice area, 104,000ha of which have already been severely impacted.

If the drought continues till June, nearly 500,000ha of rice will have to remain unsown, equivalent to over 40 per cent of the total area of coastal provinces and 30 per cent of the overall cultivation acreage in the region.

More than 150,000 regional households comprising 600,000 people are lacking fresh water.

Barges to transport fresh water

In the Mekong Delta, Tien Giang Province plans to use barges to transport fresh water to people in Tan Phu ong Island District, bordering the East Sea, who are experiencing an alarming water shortage.

Tien Giang is among the provinces that have been the hardest-hit by saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta region.

Nguyen Thien Phap, head of the provincial sub-department of irrigation, flood, storm prevention and control, said the province would invest about VN13.5 billion (US$607,500) to buy four barges to carry 433,000cu.m of water from My Tho City to Tan Phu ong Island District.

The work will continue during the peak dry season months.

The barges will be anchored on the Cuu Tieu River and will pump water to the reservoirs of Phu Thanh Water Station to help nearly 2,800 households.

Phap said the province had opened 19 taps to supply free fresh water to local residents this early dry season. However, many people reportedly had to buy fresh water at a high cost.

He said the province was considering to invest VN68 billion ($3.06 million) in installing a 10km-long pipeline from the Cua Tieu River to the island district to ensure water supply.

If its approved, the project would begin this June, he said.

In Bac Lieu Province, more than 20,000ha of crops are facing water shortage.

Salt water has covered Phuoc Long and Hong Dan districts.

Farmers have been asked to dredge interior canals and build 476 dams with a total length of 14,770m to increase fresh water reserves.

Hydro power plants closed

Meanwhile, 15 of a total of 51 hydropower plants in the central region and Central Highlands provinces have had to stop operations because of severe drought.

According to the latest report from the National Electricity Grid Load Dispatch Centre, severe drought has forced hydropower plants from releasing water for agricultural production and daily consumption in downstream regions.

Since December, our three power plants on the Serepok river, including Buon Tua Srah, Buon Kuop and Serepok 3, have stopped operating, Van Thien Nhan, director of ak Lak Provinces Buon Kop Hydropower Plant, said on a government website.

Water flow into three reservoirs of these plants range from 19 to 70 cubic metres each second. If the plants were allowed to generate electricity, water would only last for two to three months.

In addition, the A Vuong hydropower plant in the central province of Quang Nam has not been operating for two months.

Our plant was told to generate 530 million kWh in 2016 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade but right now, we only have 3.9 million kWh, or 0.7 per cent of our yearly-plan, deputy director Le inh Ban said.

At the end of 2015, a decision was issued that allowed the chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee to decide whether hydropower plants can keep water to generate electricity or release water for agricultural production downstream.

Downstream residents were less angry about the situation after the decision was issued.

The A Vuong reservoir might generate electricity as the water level is over 2.5 m. We submitted two solutions: our hydropower plant would continue to generate electricity or the reservoir would close to preserve water. The final decision depends on the Peoples Committee decision, Ban added.

We have recognised that it is very difficult to ask hydropower plants to offer competitive prices for markets, but they have to decide to operate based on the drought situation, Truong Cong Hong, deputy director of the Central Highlands province of ak Lak, said.  VNS
President Truong Tan Sang (middle) and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani receive a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran.  VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang

TEHRAN (VNS)  President Truong Tan Sang and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani have agreed to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and meetings between the two countries.

The consensus was reached during the two leaders talks in the Iranian capital Tehran yesterday as part of President Sangs State visit to the Middle East country.

The host and the guest were unanimous in their stance on regional and international issues, especially at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, while supporting each other at international forums and organisations.

The Iranian President described President Sangs visit as a major event, particularly at a time when Iran is about to welcome its traditional New Year, saying that it opened up a new period of co-operation between the two countries.

Viet Nam and Iran had both experienced wars and embargoes, he said, suggesting the two countries make greater efforts to fulfil joint targets in the interests of their peoples.

The leaders held that historical similarities and the mutual support of the two countries peoples have served as fundamental foundations for bilateral ties to further develop.

They said both countries had enormous potential to boost socio-economic development and should strive to further co-operate in economy, trade and investment to raise two-way trade to US$2 billion in the next five years.

They hailed the State Bank of Viet Nam and the Central Bank of Iran for signing a co-operation agreement, which creates a foundation to enhance the trade and investment affiliation between the two nations.

The two sides pledged to create all favourable conditions for businesses to increase collaboration in high-potential fields such as agriculture, fisheries, industry, and energy, in addition to telecommunication, automobile manufacturing, electricity, and pharmaceutical products. The sectors of spare parts, machinery, garment and textiles, and mechanics, along with oil and gas, and tourism would also see favourable conditions being created for them.

President Sang proposed that Iran enable the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and the military-run telecom group Viettel to expand investment and provide telecom services to Iran.

The host promised to encourage Iranian enterprises to co-operate with Viet Nam in these fields.

The two leaders said they would ask relevant ministries and agencies to actively prepare for the organising of the 9th joint committee between the two countries in Tehran.

They expressed their hope that the businesses of the two countries would reach co-operation agreements at a business forum on March 15.

In addition to economy and investment, the presidents also stressed the need to expand affiliation to tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

They agreed to increase exchanges between students and experts. The Iranian President appreciated the Persian language department in Viet Nam and hopes the Southeast Asian country will open more courses on Iran.

Both, host and guest, were unanimous in pushing ahead with negotiations towards the early signing of co-operation agreements in finance, floral quarantine and protection, and information and communication.

They also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern such as terrorism, and border and territorial disputes in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific.

President Sang showed his support for The World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) initiated by Iran.

The two sides confirmed they would work closely together to make active contributions to maintaining peace in the world, adding that all disputes must be settled through dialogues and peaceful means based on respecting international law.

President Hassan Rouhani said he would make a Viet Nam visit in the near future.

President Sang is on State visits to Tanzania, Mozambique and Iran from March 9 to March 15.  VNS
Beloved scholar: Professor Ly Chanh Trung died on Sunday. He was 88.

HCM CITY  Professor Ly Chanh Trung has died at the age of 88 one month after contracting pneumonia at his house in HCM City.

State officials paid tribute to Trung on Sunday afternoon.

They included Nguyen Minh Triet, former State President; Le Thanh Hai, former HCM City Party Committee Secretary; inh La Thang, HCM City Party Committee Secretary; Nguyen Thien Nhan, chairman of the Central Committee of Viet Nam Fatherland Front; Huynh am, former chairman of the Central Committee of Viet Nam Fatherland Front; and Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, vice secretary of HCM City Party Committee.

Researcher Nguyen inh au, 96, a close friend of Trung, who also joined the ceremony, expressed sadness after hearing about his death.

Wed known each other since 1952 when Trung studied for a bachelors degree in Belgium, then travelled to France for a PhD while I was studying in France. We met at the National Library of France. We wrote some articles together about Viet Nam during this time, he said.

At the end of 1954, Trung returned to Sai Gon (now HCM City), and then Tra Vinh, his hometown. I returned to Sai Gon in 1954, he recalled.

In 1962, when they were part of a Catholic anti-war group in HCM City, they established a newspaper for parishioners, named Song ao (Live Religiously). Trung was the editor-in-chief.

Trung was an honest intellect. He was an expert in philosophy. He was also a sharp writer and reporter, he said.

After 1975, Trung was a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, vice chairman of the Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front in HCM City, and deputy of the 6th, 7th and 8th National Assembly.

Ly Chanh Trung made many contributions to the National Assembly. Former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet also highly appreciated Trung for his talents and contributions, according to au.

Professor Trung was born in 1928 in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tra Vinh. He was famous abroad as a Vietnamese intellect who opposed the French colonists.

His coffin is kept at his home on 17 Cong Ly Street, Binh Tho Ward, Thu uc District. He will be buried at the Hoa Vien Binh Duong Cemetery today.  VNS
Customers use 3G smart phones and tablets on trial at a Viettel shop on Ha Nois Ngoc Khanh Street. Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am said that the Vietnamese Government pays attention to putting forward policies that strongly encourage digital technologies development.  VNS Photo Truong Vi

HA NOI  While the Internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies are spreading rapidly throughout the developing world, the anticipated digital dividends of higher growth, more jobs, and better public services have fallen short of expectation.

The findings have been pointed out in a 2016 World Development Report on digital dividends compiled by the World Bank.

At the workshop launching the report in Ha Noi yesterday, Deepak Mishra, 2016 World Development Report Co-director, said that the benefits of rapid digital expansion had been skewed towards the wealthy, skilled, and influential around the world, who are better positioned to take advantage of the new technologies. In addition, though the number of Internet users worldwide has more than tripled since 2005, four billion people still lack access to the Internet.

The report authors suggested closing the digital divide by making the Internet universal, affordable, open and safe, in addition to strengthening regulations that ensure competition among business, adapting workers skills to the demands of the new economy, and fostering accountable institutions, which are called analog complements to digital investment in the report.

The workshop also created a platform for the Vietnamese Government, policy makers, organisations and businesses to discuss how to utilise digital technologies to promote the countrys growth.

Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, deputy head of the Department of Information Technology under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), said that the Vietnamese Government has paid great attention to IT education. By 2015, the number of high school students who had access to the Internet had reached 99.9 per cent. All schools, colleges and universities now had Internet access via fiber optic cables.

Two years ago, the MoIC issued a standard for IT skills based upon an international computer driving license. The ministry is working with the Ministry of Education and Training to implement the standard nationwide, Tuyen said.

Regarding the potential development of digital technologies in Viet Nam, Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of FPT Corporation said that Viet Nam has an advantage of having half a million people in the software industry.

He hoped that each university in Viet Nam would have international development assistance funds to support students to set up start-up businesses.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am said that there are no reasons to curb the development of digital technologies. Developing digital technologies is not the job of any single institution, but all, he said.

The Vietnamese Government pays attention to putting forward policies to strongly encourage the development of digital technologies. The State regards information technology (IT) as a special tool to help the country grow rapidly and sustainably, and to assist the underprivileged and those living in mountainous areas to have a chance to exercise their own rights.

He emphasised the core roles of enterprises, especially IT firms and multi-national corporations in upholding their responsibility to society, which are demonstrated through prices and service quality.  VNS
Youth is seeking job at a job fair in HMC City. Vietnamese youth are struggling to find jobs. Some have found jobs but their incomes are not high.  Photo thanhnien.com.vn

HA NOI  Vietnamese youth, including graduates, are struggling to find jobs. Some have found jobs but their incomes are not high, Nguyen ac Vinh, Politburo member, First Secretary of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) said while answering questions from Vietnamese youths in an online dialogue yesterday.

The dialogue formed part of the 2016 Youth Month (March) and to mark 86th HCMYU founding anniversary, falling on March 26.

It offered the chance for overseas Vietnamese students as well as students in Viet Nam to ask questions, express their thoughts and desires regarding Youth Union work, which aims to harness Viet Nams youths pioneer spirit and creativity in constructing and protecting the nation.

Among 250 questions asked of First Secretary, over 30 per cent related to career issues.

Careers are a hot button topic that attracts the attention of youths due to its importance. According to the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs, more than 178,000 graduates were unemployed last year, Vinh said.

To tackle the issue, he said that the Central Youth Union proposed the State invest in labour market research institutes.

He also urged students who have free time, especially those who have not found jobs, to enrich their knowledge, particularly English because language barriers prevent them from accessing a lot of knowledge.

The number of people who begin businesses in Viet Nam remains low, standing at 2.4 per cent over the whole population compared to world average rate of 12 per cent, Vinh said.

The 12th National Congress party aimed to develop start-up programmes. The HCMYU has compiled projects and programmes regarding this policy to soon submit to the Government.

During the question and answer session yesterday, Le Quang Tu Do, head of Commission for Communication and Education under the Central Youth Union said that the Youth Union has taken advantage of social networks by setting up Facebook pages for youth unions in provinces and cities nationwide, besides encouraging youth union members to take photos, make video clips and post them on Facebook while to spread information.  VNS
A mother lights incense at the grave of her son who was one of 64 Vietnamese soldiers killed while fighting to protect Gac Ma Island, part of the Truong Sa (Spartly) Archipelago, from Chinese invaders on March 14, 1988.  VNA/VNS Photo Manh Thanh

HA NOI  A memorial service for 64 Vietnamese soldiers who fought to protect Gac Ma Island, part of the Truong Sa (Spartly) Archipelago, from Chinese invaders on March 14, 1988 was held yesterday in the central a Nang City by the Liaison Committee for Marine Engineer Officers.

War veterans who used to work on the Truong Sa Archipelago, officials, soldiers whose comrades were sacrificed in the battle to safeguard the nations sovereignty and local people gathered at the Region II Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (a Nang MRCC)s quay to burn incense and pay homage to the fallen soldiers.

These days remind us of the soldiers, the comrades who sacrificed and devoted their youth to protect our nations sea and islands, former Party secretary and Second in Command of Regiment 83 (now Brigade 83 of the Viet Nam Peoples Navy), Hoang Van Hoan said.

You, the soldiers who lied down right at the heart of the national sea so that our generation and future generations will never forget the day March 14, Hoan said, facing an altar inscribed with the names of the 64 soldiers.

We will remember your service and pledge to follow by your glorious tradition in the cause of national sovereign defence.

A large wreath of fresh flowers bearing the words Forever remember martyrs who sacrificed their life at Gac Ma Island  Truong Sa on March 14, 1988 and flower-made lanterns were also released on the blue sea to commemorate the soldiers.

Memorial services for the 64 soldiers of the Gac Ma battle were also held by Vietnamese communities in France, Germany and India.  VNS
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Kotak Mahindra Group have inked pact for investing upto $ 525 million in stressed assets in India.

CPPIB would chip in up to $450 million while balance $ 75 million would come from Kotak Mahindra group.

S Sriniwasan, CEO, Kotak Special Situations Credit Fund, said the Kotak Mahindra Group, and its affiliate Phoenix Asset Reconstruction Company, has been an active player in the distressed and structured credit market for over a decade.

CPPIB will put patient capital to work, backed by strong and active asset management, to capitalise on the stressed assets market.

This investment will address the growing opportunity arising from the current stress in the Indian banking and corporate sectors. The fund has a flexible investment mandate providing bespoke financing solutions to companies. This was in addition mandate to invest in stressed asset sales by banks with the aim to restructure, recover and turnaround companies in distress.

Adam Vigna, Managing Director, Principal Credit Investments, CPPIB, said this investment is an important step in CPPIB's strategy to build a diversified credit business and will add to our direct credit investment capabilities in India.

Through this agreement, CPPIB will selectively invest in assets that will deliver value in line with our long-term investment mandate.

Eshwar Karra, CEO, Phoenix ARC Pvt. Ltd. Said ARC industry in India has limited capital and there is an urgent need for substantial capital to buy non-performing assets from banks, as and when these loans get sold at fair value.

This pool of capital with a flexible mandate, will work alongside the ARC, and positions us to comprehensively address the capital needs of both the borrowers and the selling lenders, he added.
Zelenskys diplomacy masterclass outpacing dour, grey Putin in battle for hearts and minds When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year, there was no room for jokes or play acting, and Zelensky needed to step up. He did.

Megyn Kelly fires up at Meghan Markle over her deceptive nature Sky News Australia contributor Megyn Kelly has slammed Meghan Markle over her "abject dishonesty" after the Duchess of Sussex took a swipe at Deal or No Deal in her latest podcast episode which featured Paris Hilton.

Boris Johnsons dad tight-lipped on sons potential return Speculation has begun on who could replace Liz Truss in the wake of her resignation, with her predecessor Boris Johnson expected to stand for the Conservative leadership again.
Snowmobile crash injures Todd Palin

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Todd Palin, whos married to Sarah Palin, suffered eight fractured ribs and other injuries in a snowmobile accident in Alaska, his father said.

Jim Palin said his son also had injuries to his collarbone and lungs. Todd Palin was scheduled for surgery Monday. He father said he expects his son to recover fully.

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, showed up at a Donald Trump rally in Tampa Bay, Fla., after his campaign had said earlier was returning home to be with her husband.

Sarah Palin called her husband the toughest guy she knows. She said Todd is our rock and that she was flying back home.

Study: Cold turkey best to quit smoking

LOS ANGELES (TNS)  For cigarette smokers trying to quit, a new study finds the all-in approach works best.

In a clinical trial of would-be quitters, those who went cold turkey were more likely than gradual taperers to succeed in quitting for four weeks and six months.

The differences werent overwhelming: at four weeks, 39.2 percent of the gradualists were no longer smoking, compared to 49 percent of the do-it-nowers. At six months 15.5 percent of the gradualists and 22 percent of those who stopped smoking on quit day were former smokers. But those differences are considered statistical proof quitting abruptly is a superior strategy to tiptoeing into the decision.

The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday.

Store patron kills man with hatchet

SEATTLE (AP)  A customer in a Washington state convenience store shot and killed a man who attacked him and a clerk with a hatchet.

The King County sheriffs office says the 58-year-old clerk at the 7-11 store suffered a minor injury during Sundays attack. The 60-year-old customer wasnt hurt.

Steven Blacktongue, 43, died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The clerk and customer told deputies a man wearing a mask and carrying a hatchet entered the store about 6 a.m. in the Boulevard Park retirement community south of Seattle. He didnt say anything before swinging the hatchet at the customer and then the clerk behind the counter.

The customer pulled out his pistol and shot the man. The sheriffs office says he has a valid concealed weapon license.

California rains replenish reservoirs

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Four straight days of rain have replenished several key reservoirs in Northern California, delighting a state in its fifth year of drought and raising hopes that water-use restrictions might be eased.

In Northern California, officials reported lakes Shasta and Oroville havent been as full since 2013. Lake Shasta, the states largest reservoir, was at 79 percent capacity and at 103 percent of its historical average for this time of year.

Amtrak train derails in Kansas; 32 hurt

CIMARRON, Kan. (AP)  An Amtrak train carrying more than 140 people derailed in rural Kansas early Monday, moments after an engineer noticed a significant bend in a rail and applied the emergency brakes.

At least 32 people were hurt, two of them critically.

The engineer of the train known as the Southwest Chief noticed the deformity in the rail and pulled the brakes, said the National Transportation Safety Board, putting the trains speed at the normal limit of 60 mph.
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WATERLOO  A narrowly approved city budget will lower the property tax rate but reduces public safety positions.

Waterloo City Council members voted 4-3 Monday to approve a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 which lowers the property tax rate from $17.76 to about $17.61 per $1,000 of taxable value.

The budget eliminates two firefighter positions instead of not filling three vacant positions as originally recommended by Mayor Quentin Hart.

Councilmen Pat Morrissey, David Jones, Jerome Amos Jr. and Ron Welper ultimately supported the budget, while Steve Schmitt, Tom Lind and Bruce Jacobs voted against it.

The vote came at 11:30 p.m. and followed a nearly two-hour delay for Chief Financial Officer Michelle Weidner to crunch numbers on a series of 11th-hour budget cuts Lind presented.

Those ideas  eliminating several more vacant positions, slashing the entire general fund overtime budget and leaving more than $125,000 in unidentified cuts to find  would have lowered the tax rate to $17.04 per $1,000.

Lind said the additional cuts would have saved more than $1.7 million, but Weidner said only $571,000 were from property tax sources.

Schmitt accused the other council members of engaging in a charade when they failed to support those deeper budget cuts after the break.

Hart objected to the characterization, noting staff took the time to calculate the tax impact of the proposals out of respect to those who presented it. Ultimately the cuts did not find support from the majority.

Morrissey called Schmitts comments offensive, noting council members werent required to support the budget cuts just because they were proposed and vetted.

Councilman Schmitt, some people dont agree with you, he said.

Some 18 residents voiced their opinion on the budget during a public hearing before the vote, with many suggesting Waterloo needed to do a better job of cutting its tax rate and others objecting to the planned cuts in the fire department.

If its my taxes versus my safety and the safety of my friends and family, I choose safety, said resident Robbie Hadaway, who was against cutting fire staffing levels.

But resident Steve Murphy said Waterloo must cut its tax rate or continue to watch residents and businesses choose to locate elsewhere.

The people are voting with their pocketbooks and voting with their feet, and theyre moving west, Murphy said.

The adopted tax rate is slightly higher than the one Hart proposed, which would have lowered the rate to $17.57 per $1,000 of taxable value, which includes absorbing a new 27-cent tax levy voters approved in November to support the Grout Museum District.

The adopted budget uses $500,000 from the citys general fund cash reserves and $576,000 in restricted health insurance reserves to help lower the tax rate. The city also shifted $250,000 forestry operations to the road use tax fund and $170,000 in animal control costs to the sanitation fund.
WATERLOO -- The Rose of Waterloo will host an open house 1 to 4 p.m. March 21 at its facility at 421 Oak Ave.

The housing project will celebrate its progress since a devastating 2007 fire.

The Rose of Waterloo is one of six similar Rose assisted living facilities in Iowa, each built with federal tax credits provided by the Iowa Finance Authority.

Each Rose community offers one and two bedroom apartments with full kitchen, bedroom and dressing area, bathroom, large storage room and free wireless Internet.

Building amenities include a two-story atrium dining area, community room for family and community celebrations, a theater/chapel with seating for fifty, craft and activity areas, computer room, library, beauty/barber shop, assisted bathing room and laundry areas.

"Our affordable rents complement the full range of ala carte home care services provided by the on-site, Medicare-certified home care provider, explained Pam Smith, executive director of the Rose Communities. We continually strive to better the lives of our senior residents," said Gladys Rainey, Rose of Waterloo Administrator.

One-bedroom apartments rent from $490 to $600 per month and two-bedroom apartments rent from $570 to $670 per month, all utilities included. Apartments are currently available to rent.

For information on the Rose of Waterloo, call Gladys Rainey at 232-6061, ext. 10, or email roseofwaterloo@qwestoffice.net. Rose communities are online at www.evergreenredc.com.
WATERLOO -- Action may be taken before years end to clean up what is believed to be some low-level chemical contamination under the old Waterloo Industries plant at 300 Ansborough Ave.

Representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday conducted a public information meeting on the remediation plan to be conducted by Waterloo Industries current parent company, Fortune Brands of Deerfield, Ill.

A company representative said the firm is cooperating with the EPA and paying for the plan. It calls for installation of a dual vapor extraction system, a vaccuum system to remove vapors from under the building, dissipate them into the air, evaporate the contamination over time and prevent the buildup of any hazardous vapors within the facility.

Were committed to following through to closure, said Dennis McKinney of Fortune Brands and Waterloo Industries.

Tests on the site revealed a concentration of tetrachloroethene under the plant, a solvent used in the metal fabricating operation of the 90-year-old firm, which operated a plant at 300 Ansborough from 1946 through 1997.

Dan Gravatt with the EPAs Lenexa, Kan. office said, The contamination remains, particularly in on-site soil beneath the buildings foundation, beneath the slab, in the groundwater on site and the air within the building itself.

The vapors from the contamination can permeate through any crack or hole in the building slab, which could pose a health risk to individuals working around those vapors in a confined space several hours a day for many years.

The vapor extraction system will be monitored regularly by Fortune Brands with EPA oversight.

The contamination is confined to the old WI plant site itself and monitoring wells indicate no contamination has spread to the surrounding properties or neighborhood, EPA officials said. Nor is residential drinking water affected. Vapors were found to accumulate in one small office within the building.

The remedy that we propose will clean up the actual contamination, Gravatt said. It will suck vapors from beneath that (building) slab and get the contaminated groundwater under the building to start to evaporate, over time.

An employee of a tenant business within the building, Roger Ciesielski of Green Line Polymers, said employees have largely been kept in the dark and want more information. Gravatt promised to follow up with him. The building is owned by JRL Holding Co. and houses Green Line Polymers , Bare Bones Gym and a self-storage operation.

Neighbors also were concerned about possible water and air contamination spreading to their areas.

Gravatt said the system will be monitored. This is not a one-shot deal where were just going to walk away and hope it works, he said. Were going to make sure it works, and if it needs to be modified we will do that.

Once completed, the vapor extraction system will be installed with no noticeable impact on the community or employees at the facility, Fortune Brands said in a prepared statement.

The EPA is still accepting public comments through Monday, which can be sent to Gravatt at EPA regional offices, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219. Additionally, Waterloo Industries/Fortune Brands has set a clean-up question line the public may call at (563) 594-6556 with any inquiries.

The plan also is available at the Waterloo Public Library.
Blue Zones schools

CARMEN ORTIZ

WATERLOO  My seventh-grade service learning class at Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School has been working with The Cedar Valley Blue Zones Project, and we want to encourage all Leader In Me schools to also become Blue Zones schools. Our mission is to promote well-being in the Cedar Valley.

A Leader In Me school practices seven habits that bring out the leader in each person. These habits are: Be Proactive, Begin With The End In Mind, Put First Things First, Think Win-Win, Seek First To Understand Then To Be Understood, Synergize and Sharpen The Saw.

Like us, Blue Zones is a project aimed at promoting well-being. We have learned if kids today keep living the lifestyle theyre living, then they will not outlive their parents. This worries us, so we are trying to make sure everyone in the Cedar Valley can live long healthy lives.

Blue Zones Project and Leader In Me tie together because it is a win-win situation. We get to help people and they become healthier. Learn more at bluezones.com, or like Cedar Valley Blue Zones Project on Facebook.

St. Pats profiling

JIM DOORLEY

HUDSON  The Iowa Department of Transportation electronic highway billboard read, Drink Green Beer and Jail is Near. It was just business as usual for the DOT; another year of profiling Irish-Americans on St. Patricks Day. Every March 17 the DOT has a statewide safety check enabling law enforcement officers all over Iowa to stop cars and inspect them without any reason. The DOT is engaging in character assassination for continuing the stereotype of the Irish being irresponsible drunkards.

On St. Patricks Day in Iowa innocent Irish-Americans are stopped, searched and harassed merely because they are wearing green clothes and presumed to be driving drunk. This obvious profiling disrespects the vast majority of Irish Iowans who celebrate St. Patricks Day but would never think of driving while intoxicated.

This profiling of the Irish on St. Patricks Day by using safety stops must be eliminated. An Irish-American lawyer or Irish law firm should sue the State of Iowa Department of Transportation to stop this harassment by stereotype.

If the DOT must have a yearly safety check. hold it on the all-American Fourth of July. The DOT electronic billboards can then read, Red, White and Blue and Harassment Too.

Pass legislation

AARON FULLER

TOLEDO  I urge you to support S. 271, Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2015, introduced by Sen. Harry Reid. Military members who serve our nation for a full career often suffer disabling health-care conditions that can impact their employability and quality of life. As a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association, which represents all current and former Air Force members, I feel these retired veterans should receive their full compensation of retirement and disability pay  no matter the disability rating.

Please do all you can do to help pass this legislation. Those who serve this nation and are impacted by that arduous service deserve no less. Additionally, I request a response to this request so I can know where you stand on this matter.
its a blog about my life. I can tell whatever I want to
Steak. Some people like it rare, some like it well done. You'll probably enjoy it either way to an extent, regardless of your preference, though you wouldn't go for the weaker choice again next time. The Walking Dead drifts from rapid-paced action to slow-burning tension, and while it's important to have some variety, Episode 13 feels like a roadblock for the momentum Season 6 had built up. It was an okay one-off episode, but the show needs to get back into the flow when the next installment rolls along. Carol was omitted from a couple of post-mid-season episodes, a strange move considering she's one of the show's finest characters, but 'The Same Boat' was arguably her greatest outing to date. Episode 13 dwelled on her capture alongside Maggie, and spun off in a completely different direction to what was anticipated. She displayed every side of Carol, showing glimpses of her old self blended with her new persona, though now her guilt is notching up a level with every kill. The culmination of Episode 12's thrilling raid resulted in Rick's group being told about the captured pair, and that seemed like it would be the gateway to Negan's main compound, as well as the big man himself. Instead, we were offered an episode that was cool to watch, but ultimately proved to be a damp squib as far as the story went. The new characters, the action, the location, everything was contained in a little bubble, and the events may never be mentioned again. They just add to the body count. That's disappointing. It was fascinating to see the Saviours on the back foot. We're told they're a formidable group yet they're seemingly rattled by Rick's marauding gang and that was interesting to watch, but quite simply, they were all dead inside 45 minutes. Paula was a great, twisted character, and her small group each demonstrated they had something to offer, but one by one they fell. What was the point? What relevance do they now have on the immense storyline that was simmering along in the last few episodes? The show had approached boiling point, but Episode 13 turned down the heat. Don't get me wrong, it was intense. Carol and Maggie's escape was lathered in blood, Paula's death was yet another horrifying brainchild of a disturbed writer (good job, gold star), and the calculated 'fire trap' went a long towards proving the survivors have become incredibly efficient throughout their time in the wilderness. But yet again the show is running the very real risk of over-extending its buildup to an event. Huge comic book storylines are coming, and while we heard snippets about how the Saviours "are all Negan," he's still out there, and he needs to come into the fold soon. This was above average for a filler episode, but ultimately it was just that. Episode 14 must regain the momentum and flow into the final episodes of Season 6 with the overarching story as the firm focus. For the weekly roundup of major talking points, we've pulled the episode apart like Paula on a stick with 10 Questions We're Asking After 'The Same Boat'

The Walking Dead, Mondays at 9pm on FOX (UK).
I have naked pictures of you: please give generously (or send more naked pictures)
Having lived and traveled in Serbia, it comes as no surprise to me that there might be people crazy and resourceful (if not particularly smart) enough to try to get a couple of missile into the U.S. by whatever means might be available. Just imagine the havoc one of those things could visit upon your morning commute, eh? This is precisely why I dont drive the local freeways to work.

Imagine my surprise to awaken yesterday to news that made me wonder if Serbia (or someone) hadnt for some reason declared war on the Rose City. Its not every day Puddletons caught up in the arms trade or possibly targeted for some sort of attack . Of course, no ones advocating that Portland needs to go on DEFCON-5 because Hellfire missiles are headed our way , but it does give one pause.

Serbias authorities are investigating reports that a cargo package bound for the U.S. containing two missiles with explosive warheads was found on a passenger flight from Lebanon to Serbia. N1 television said the package with two guided armor-piercing missiles was discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight from Beirut landed at Belgrade airport. Serbian media say documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland, Oregon. The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, sea or ground platforms.

nothere are Syria-related things ongoing in Bulgaria (open source) but even that can't answer this. Prob stolen. https://t.co/B8cCAGT8er

Serbian media say documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland. The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, sea or ground platforms against multiple targets. The Serbian state news agency Tanjug reported that the missiles had been packed in wooden coffins and unloaded at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, where they were inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs. This type of missile was originally designed to be fired from a helicopter and was named Helicopter Launched, Fire and Forget Missile  later shortened to Hellfire. The AGM-114 model is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrup Grumman. It weighs about 100 pounds and costs about $110,000 apiece. Most models use laser to home in on their targets, although one version of the AGM-114 relies on radar.

So far, no one here in Portland seems to be losing much sleep. Perhaps were just flattered that someone would think a sleepy metropolis at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers worthy of targeting. Perhaps the millennials here are more concerned with where the next IPA or bottle of kombucha might be coming from.

Or perhaps its just a publicity stunt to promote the new season of Portlandia?

As things developed yesterday, news came to light that the Hellfire missiles were inert rounds intended for training purposes. Later in the day, the FBI and State Department said the missiles were destined for the other Portland- in Maine. It appears the good citizens of the Rose City may once again rest easy.

Move along, people. Nothing to see here.
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NEW view various maps at Geohack: TinyURL.com/GreatSulfurPyramidsOfAlberta There are two ways to ship tar sands. One is by creating...
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

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Members of the House Oversight Committee grilled former Flint officials for more than three hours Tuesday morning. The exchanges were often heated between the members of Congress and the officials as they dodged blame and placed it on those sitting next to them.

Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia even told the panel that there is a special place in hell for actions like this."

Sitting in the center of it all, ten year old twins Broghan and Iain MacIntyre. Theyre residents of Flint and came to DC with their mom to get answers about what is happening in their home town. But, even these elementary schoolers could tell Congress was having a hard time getting anywhere with former Mayor Dayne Walling, former Emergency Manager Darnell Earley and former EPA Administrator Susan Hedman.

Earley said in his opening statement that he was being unjustly persecuted, by an uninformed public.

I dont like how they were lying in there, Broghan MacIntyre said. "How they werent in flint? How they didnt send that? How they didnt get that?

"They were lying that they didnt cause the problem, her brother, Iaian, added.

This is just the beginning for the MacIntyre family. Theyll be here all week to make their presence known, including at Thursdays testimony with Governor Rick Snyder. Their mom Laura, along with a group of parents, dropped off a jar of water from her home along with letter at Congressman Tim Walberg detailing a list of questions they hope are asked to the Governor Thursday morning.

Laura says she believes everyone from the Governor to the Mayor should be jailed for their involvement. Her son Iain says hes looking for the Governor to say the whole truth on Thursday.
Mar 15, 2016 | By Benedict

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, today announced the launch of the America Makes & ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC), an initiative that will serve to coordinate and advance the development of additive manufacturing standards across the industry.

When additive manufacturing is used for the purpose of rapid prototyping, manufacturers rightly have free reign over the level of care put into those prototypes. Manufacturers may 3D print parts in order to test their functionality, or simply to assess their fit or aesthetic within a larger structure. For these latter prototypes especially, it is of little consequence whether the part is strong, stable, and fit for purpose, if the end-use product is to be manufactured in an altogether different way.

Prototypes are one thing, but additive manufacturing is being used more and more frequently to produce end-use products. And when a product will eventually be sold to a customer, potentially for some critical application, it starts to matter a great deal whether the 3D printed part is fit for purpose. Until now, additive manufacturing firms have set their own, usually rigorous standards for 3D printed parts. Whilst this can certainly be effective for ensuring quality, it gives customers further down the supply chain little to no reassurance in the quality of a product, since the standards of individual manufacturers are largely incommensurable.

Over the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that the additive manufacturing industry requires an independent set of standards, hence the establishment of the newly announced AMSC. According to America Makes and ANSI, the AMSC will serve to coordinate and accelerate the development of industry-wide additive manufacturing standards and specifications consistent with stakeholder needs and thereby facilitate the growth of the additive manufacturing industry. With the inaugural AMSC meeting set to take place on March 31 in Philadelphia, an all-encompassing set of standards for the industry could be devised sooner rather than later.

Immediate priorities for the newly formed group include the identification of existing, disparate standards within the industry, the assessment of gaps between those existing standards, and the identification of priority areas where there is a notable lack of existing standardization. Many of these areas have already been highlighted by America Makes in its Additive Manufacturing Technology Roadmap.

America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and leads US additive manufacturing research, creation, and innovation. We are pleased to partner with ANSI given its reputation and experience in facilitating collaborative processes for coordinating standardization activities, said Edward Morris, vice president of NCDMM and director of America Makes.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private non-profit organization comprised of businesses, standards developers, government agencies, and other organizations, aims to enhance national quality of life by safeguarding the integrity of industry standardization. We welcome this partnership with America Makes on the important work of identifying standards needed to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies, said Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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shintashi wrote at 3/16/2016 7:44:49 AM:While it would be good to have some standards for material strength, unit tolerances, sheer, conductivity, and especially chemical reactions and toxicity, I see a future where this well meaning common sense policy turns into bloated regulation that robs 3D printing communities of everything that makes them what they are today.




Mar 15, 2016 | By Tess

While much is known about the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex in popular knowledge, such as its mammoth size, its dominant predatory capabilities, and its ability to scare the pants off of movie audiences, scientists have continued to puzzle over how the long-extinct species became such a dominant hunter during the late Cretaceous Period, around 70 million years ago. Now, however, scientists may have more insight into the Tyrannosaurus Rexs evolution, thanks to a recent and significant paleontological find.

For years, paleontologists and researchers have known that the tyrannosaur family of dinosaurs, of which the T. Rex was a part, evolved from small, dog-sized predators into the massive creatures we are more familiar with. This evolution occurred over the course of 70 million years, and many questions remained as to how the giant dinosaur got to where it did. Deep in the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan, newly discovered fossils of a previously unknown horse-sized dinosaur could offer some important clues, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Hans Sues

The newly discovered fossils, from a dinosaur called the Timurlengia euotica that lived about 90 million years ago, reveal some particularly important pieces of information about the T. Rex. Firstly, that the dinosaurs transition from an average-sized biter to the familiar colossal beast which adorns the Jurassic Park logo actually occurred very suddenly, towards the end of its 70-million-year evolutionary period. And secondly, the fossils of the horse-sized creature suggest that the tyrannosaur, prior to its sudden growth spurt, had developed keen senses and cognitive abilities, such as the ability to hear low-frequency sounds.

As Hans Sues, chair of the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History, explains of the newly found species, Timurlengia was a nimble pursuit hunter with slender, blade-like teeth suitable for slicing through meat. It probably preyed on the various large plant-eaters, especially early duck-billed dinosaurs, which shared its world. Clues from the life of Timurlengia allow us to fill in gaps and better understand the life and evolution of other related dinosaurs, like T. rex.

Steve Brusatte, who led the team of paleontologists studying the tyrannosaur fossils added, The ancestors of T. rex would have looked a whole lot like Timurlengia, a horse-sized hunter with a big brain and keen hearing that would put us to shame. Only after these ancestral tyrannosaurs evolved their clever brains and sharp senses did they grow into the colossal sizes of T. rex. Tyrannosaurs had to get smart before they got big.

Scientists were able to find out information about the dinosaurs enhanced cognitive capabilities thanks to the discovery of an astonishingly well-preserved Timurlengia euotica braincase. By using CT scanning and 3D printing technologies, researchers at the University of Edinburgh were able to recreate a model of the braincase in order to investigate the fossil in depth. Two holes in the braincase showed that the T. euotica had optic nerves that would have been connected to very large eyes, giving it a sharp sense of vision. Significantly, scientists also found that the dinosaur had a very long cochlea, the auditory portion of the inner ear, indicating that the dinosaur may have been able to hear low frequency sounds, such as the footsteps of prey or food approaching.

Amy Muir, an undergraduate who worked with geoscientist Ian Butler to analyze the CT scans of the fossil explains, I mainly worked on the computer using a program called Mimics to analyze the CT scans and create a 3D model of T. euoticas cranial anatomy. When you look at the model of T. euoticas cranial anatomy, the first thing you notice is that it has huge ears, with wide semicircular canals. This is unusual for a tyrannosaur  usually the semicircular canals are narrower and the inner ear is smaller. These keen senses may have helped the tyrannosaurs evolve from small predatorial dinosaurs into the hulking, top of the foodchain T.Rex by allowing them to expertly avoid pry while becoming more skilled hunters.

Thought the find is significant and has offered many clues into the only partially understood evolution of the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, there is still much left to be discovered. As the study concludes, "Timurlengia remains a single data point from a still murky interval in dinosaur history, and future discoveries from this gap will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of how tyrannosauroids rose from marginal creatures into some of the largest terrestrial predators in Earth history.

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Dr. Arv Edgeworth wrote at 3/17/2016 3:12:39 AM:Dinosaurs like most reptiles probably kept growing as long as they lived. Has anyone considered the possibility that the smaller fossils were possibly the younger ones and the larger fossils were much older. We could possibly be looking at younger and older fossils of the same dinosaur species, not separate species.




Mar 15, 2016 | By Tess

Dubai based architect and designer Ranim Orouk was recently awarded the 2016 Middle East Emergent Designer Prize at this years Design Days Dubai for her stunning lamp design, Glow, which was made with the help of 3D printing technologies.

The award was announced by French jewelry design brand Van Cleef & Arpels in collaboration with Tashkeel, and Design Days Dubai, the leading Middle-Eastern and South Asian expo dedicated to showcasing the latest in collectible furniture and design objects. The fair, which is running until March 18th in downtown Dubai, will exhibit Orouks winning piece at the Van Cleef & Arpels booth until that date.

Orouks design, in line with the fairs nature theme this year, was inspired by the glowing aesthetics of a school of jellyfish in water, which pulses and moves creating a phosphorescent and ethereal light. The design itself, which can be used as either a hanging chandelier or as a floor lamp, was created using a combination of techniques, including traditional glass-blowing and 3D printing technologies. The stunning piece of interior decor, which gives off the almost eerie feeling of being underwater yourself, consists of 3D printed and blown glass spheres which are fused and held up with curved acrylic rods, which mimic jellyfishs flowing tentacles.

Orouk, who has worked in a diverse range of fields including architecture, jewelry design, and now, object design, was awarded a prize of AED 30,000 (approximately USD 8,167) along with the title of Middle East Emergent Designer, as well as a 5 day long trip to Paris to take part in classes offered by LECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels to learn about the processes and mechanisms involved in jewelry and watchmaking.

I am so honored that Glow was selected at the design for this years Middle East Emergent Designer Prize, said Orouk. This Prize provides encouragement and support for designers, and I am proud that the design sector here in the UAE provides such opportunities. Id like to thank Design Days Dubai and Tashkeel and very much look forward to visiting LECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris for what will be a truly amazing experience.

Ranim Orouk is one of several young designers that has made a name for herself by combining traditional manufacturing processes, such as glass blowing, with contemporary technological techniques, such as 3D printing. Her winning piece Glow perfectly showcases the power and effectiveness of combining old and new through its luminous and evocative presence.

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Rebecca Solnit at Harper's Magazine:

In 1981, when he was nineteen years old, Jarvis Jay Masters given a long sentence for armed robbery, which he describes in his memoir That Bird Has My Wings.Back then, San Quentin was a violent and chaotic place, where prisoners joined gangs for protection; Masters joined one run by other black prisoners. In 1985, when Masters was twenty-three and on the fourth tier of his section of the prison, inmates two tiers below him stabbed to death a thirty-eight-year-old guard named Howell Burchfield. Despite there being no physical evidence linking Masters to the killing, despite the fact that guards found and proceeded to lose or throw away many possible murder weapons, the prosecution accused him of sharpening the weapon and participating in the plan organized by the gang to which he then belonged.

Though both the killer and prisoner who ordered the killing were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, Masters was sentenced to the death penalty at the end of a long, problematic trial. He has lived on death row since 1990. As I explain in my column for the magazines March issue (Bird in a Cage, Easy Chair) Masters has become a respected writer, a warm and engaging conversationalist with whom Ive now spoken many times and visited in person twice, and a devout Buddhist and friend to many in the Bay Area Buddhist community. They insist Masters is innocent and that the mountains of evidence amassed by his defense attorneys offer extensive andto my eye alsoconvincing support of this position.

more here.
Adam Goodheart at The American Scholar:

On December 31, 1857the last day of the last year before their world began to enda group of Andamanese went down to catch fish off the beach at South Reef Island, a tiny islet in the northern part of the archipelago. They brought with them bows and arrows, nets woven of bark fiber, and seven outrigger canoes, delicate little craft that they had made by laboriously hollowing out the trunks of fallen trees. (Many of the possessions they were carrying that day are now in the British Museum.) Before the fishermen had a chance to push their boats out into the surf, however, they saw something strange in the distance: an immense black shape, half ship and half sea monster, coughing out great exhalations of dark smoke as it moved across the ocean. It was coming toward them.

The vessel was a small East India Company steamer, inauspiciously named the Pluto, that had left Calcutta several weeks earlier on a mission to investigate the Andaman Islands, particularly their suitability as the site of a new penal colony. (On the Indian mainland, the Great Mutiny was in full blaze, and British jails were overflowing.) Despite the gravity of their assignment, the explorers had had a pleasant journey. Like many ships of its era, the Pluto was a kind of floating experiment in multiculturalismits crew and officers included not just Britons but Irishmen, Italians, Maltese, Scandinavians, Portuguese, Americans, Chinese, Africans, Bengalis, Burmese, Malaysians, a Frenchman, and an Araband in this case, the experiment turned out quite well. A Scottish sailor entertained his shipmates on the bagpipes; some Goan sailors formed an impromptu band; and the Arab boatswain strummed melancholy airs on his guitar. At Christmas, crewmen held sack races on the steamers deck and boat races around its hull. The government officials on boardmembers of a special Andaman Committee appointed by the East India Companys directorswere also in a good mood, because they had already found a splendid site for a penal settlement (the future Port Blair) and were headed back to Calcutta with this happy news.

more here.
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The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced settled disciplinary orders Tuesday sanctioning five audit firms for violating independence requirements in connection with audits of brokers and dealers.

All five firms agreed to orders imposing a censure, a $2,500 civil money penalty, and remedial measures. The five firms are Carnaghi & Schwark, PLLC in Roseville, Mich., Holt & Patterson, LLC in Chesterfield, Mo., Keiter, Stephens, Hurst, Gary & Shreaves, P.C. in Glen Allen, Va., Steven G. Hirshenson, Chartered in Rockville, Md., and WJB & Co., P.C., in Athens, Ga.

The five firms prepared financial statements that they also audited for broker-dealer clients. One of the five firms also maintained and prepared the client's accounting records.

Under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, maintenance and preparation of accounting records and preparation of the financial statements filed with the SEC are non-audit services that impair the auditor's independence from the audit client. SEC independence rules have long applied to audits of broker-dealers, and include restrictions on providing bookkeeping and other non-audit services related to the financial statements.

The PCAOB has a responsibility to serve the investing public by promoting high quality, independent audits, said PCAOB Chairman James R. Doty in a statement. These orders reflect the boards continued commitment to enforcing basic independence requirements that are critical to transparency, investor protection and the public interest.

The PCAOB also decided not to sanction an unnamed sixth audit firm based on its extraordinary cooperation, including timely and voluntary self-reporting to the PCAOB Tip Line after discovering that it had impaired its independence, along with timely, voluntary, and meaningful remedial actions.

The PCAOB has issued guidance on how extraordinary cooperation can be considered in determining the outcome of a board investigation. According to PCAOB policy, extraordinary cooperation means voluntary and timely action beyond compliance with legal or regulatory obligations. Cooperation that could result in credit includes self-reporting violations before the conduct comes to the attention of the board or another regulator.

The reaction of the firm that discovered its own violation of relevant independence standards is precisely what the boards extraordinary cooperation policy contemplated and, in this instance, the firm received the maximum benefit: no discipline by the board, said PCAOB director of enforcement and investigations Claudius B. Modesti.

The firms each consented to the respective orders without admitting or denying the PCAOBs findings. The investigations that resulted in the settlements originated with information obtained through the PCAOB inspection program.
By Joshua Krause

If youre reading this, then Im willing to bet that youve been called many different names throughout your life. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say they were names like kook, paranoid, conspiracy theorist, alarmist, insane, or gullible. And after this week, you can go by a new name: Vindicated.

Im of course talking about recent revelations from the NSA. Long before Edward Snowden came along, it was no secret that the NSA was spying on everyone without good cause. Anyone who believed that fact was called a conspiracy theorist, but their fears were eventually validated.

These same people also understood that the NSAs surveillance powers would never be used exclusively against terrorists and hostile governments. The power they have is just too tempting for any government. If various government agencies werent using the NSAs surveillance apparatus to solve domestic crimes, it was only a matter of time before it was used for just that.

And again, they called us conspiracy theorists for believing that. And again, we were right all long.

A while back, we noted a report showing that the sneak-and-peek provision of the Patriot Act that was alleged to be used only in national security and terrorism investigations has overwhelmingly been used in narcotics cases. Now the New York Times reports that National Security Agency data will be shared with other intelligence agencies like the FBI without first applying any screens for privacy. The ACLU of Massachusetts blog Privacy SOS explains why this is important: What does this rule change mean for you? In short, domestic law enforcement officials now have access to huge troves of American communications, obtained without warrants, that they can use to put people in cages. FBI agents dont need to have any national security related reason to plug your name, email address, phone number, or other selector into the NSAs gargantuan data trove. They can simply poke around in your private information in the course of totally routine investigations. And if they find something that suggests, say, involvement in illegal drug activity, they can send that information to local or state police. That means information the NSA collects for purposes of so-called national security will be used by police to lock up ordinary Americans for routine crimes.

Anybody who knows anything about how governments work, should not surprised. You cant give them any kind of power, and expect them to use it responsibly. You cant give them any stipulations. Eventually theyll find a legal loophole to work around any limitations that have been placed on them.

In other news, the Pentagon admitted this week that theyve been deploying military drones over the United States for domestic surveillance purposes. Much like the NSAs surveillance apparatus, we were assured that drones were for terrorists in faraway lands. Nothing so Orwellian would ever be used against ordinary American citizens at home. Yet here we are, with more to come.

Perhaps youre beginning to see a pattern. Everything our government uses against foreign enemies, eventually makes its way back home. Every war is an opportunity to try out new technologies, before turning around and using them against American citizens. It just goes to show, that war really is the health of the state.

Joshua Krause is a reporter, writer and researcher at The Daily Sheeple. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is a freelance writer and author. You can follow Joshuas reports at Facebook or on his personal Twitter. Joshuas website is Strange Danger.


Going overboard with home shopping decisions and repenting the same later is an angst every buyer can relate to. Be it buying the second hand rocking chair lying idle in the study room, or the lavish couch in the drawing room with no one to sit on it, one eventually ends up wondering about the futility of their purchase.



Taking cues from this insight, furniture-renting brand RentoMojo has recently released a quirky and smart digital campaign called #PappuNahiSmartBano which educates consumers about the horde of benefits that come with renting furniture as opposed to buying. The campaign creatively brought to life a very interesting character Pappu, who thinks hes smart by making certain lifestyle choices but soon realizes that he ends up spending a bomb, buying unappealing and expensive goods, eventually getting swindled. The quirky campaign transcended across various social media platforms to create awareness, encouraging people to get rid of their furnishing woes.



All of RentoMojos OOH and digital campaigns are conceptualized, designed and produced inhouse in a bid to showcase the work of a bunch of young talented creative enthusiasts in the team. In the past, the brand had done some extremely quirky and bold campaigns that had taken everyone by surprise. Apart from outdoor promotion, the campaigns had been supplemented with radio ads, social media, Google Display Network (GDN) and event activations in specific catchment areas for students and corporate employees.



Speaking on creating consumer awareness on the trend of furniture renting in India, Geetansh Bamania, CEO & Founder, RentoMojo, said, The advent of internet and ecommerce space has given way for millenials to cash in on the trend of renting and collaboration. Today a 25-30-year-old consumer is still not sure of what city he wants to settle down in or how long he would stick to one organization and city. Plus he doesnt view renting as a taboo anymore; instead for him it is a more convenient option and a move towards a smarter lifestyle. We, as a category-creator, aim to provide affordable and appropriate rental solutions for all. This is evident from the fact that we started in December 2014 and today, we are already seeing an active customer base of about 6000+ across major metros.



About the campaign, he adds, All our campaigns sport quirky visuals in order to attract consumers and educate them about the benefits of renting. The present digital campaign #PappuNahiSmartBano aimed to connect and empathize with all our consumers who want to have beautifully furnished houses but are unaware of affordable and smarter options. We hope through this campaign we have successfully reached out to all of these consumers and helped them actively, with their furnishing decisions.



Commenting on the campaign, Vaishali Singh, Head of Marketing, Rentomojo, said, Working on this creative campaign felt like one long party, sitting around with friends and talking about situations in our life when we might have felt like a Pappu. Each one of us brought their own exciting vibe to the table and we are happy to see how the creative has turned out. We received a lot of appreciation for our last campaign and are looking forward to receiving the same again.



The campaign saw an active participation of 2326+ Twitterattis who loved the hashtag #PappuNahiSmartBano and used it to share their imaginative versions of Pappus buffoonery in everyday life. The campaign on Twitter reached out to 4.5 million+ consumers and also had 14 million+ impressions on the platform.
Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI) announced the winners of the 7th edition of Flame Awards Asia and Flame Leadership Awards 2016, during a gala evening on March 11, 2016 in New Delhi. Over 300 Business leaders, corporate, GOI & leading rural marketing agency representatives attended the presentation ceremony.

Vritti Solutions bagged maximum six golds, followed by four by PHD Media and three by JWT. Impact Communications topped the charts with 14 awards including 2 golds. Other Gold winners are Accenture Services, Apollo Tele Health Services, Ayurvet Ltd, Coromandel International Ltd, Grey RC&M, ICAR, MART, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare, Netcore Solutions, OMD India, Smriti Television Media & Films Ltd.

Rural Development Academy of Bangladesh, Market Access Providers Ltd., Bangladesh and Lemon Pvt Ltd from Nepal won metals in overseas categories.

Commenting on the awards, S Siva Kumar, CEO ITC (ABD) and Jury Chair, Flame Awards Asia said It was good to see the way technology was leveraged innovatively by several companies to reach out the rural consumers, as well as the depth of engagement with them to build brands across different categories.

RMAI also felicitated Business leaders, industry professionals for their extraordinary contribution in Rural Marketing & development sector.

S Siva Kumar and RMAI office bearers presented Flame Leadership Awards 2016 to Arvind Sonmale, MD & CEO at SAFL; R S Sodhi, Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (AMUL); Ram Mudholkar, President, DuPont South Asia and Regional Business Director, DuPont Crop Protection; Dalveer Singh, Head Experiential Marketing, APAC at GroupM; K S Bhatia, Founder, CEO, Pumpkart.com; C S Sadasivan, Chief Executive Marketing, J K Lakshmi Cement Ltd; Osama Manzar, Founder & Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation; Bhushan Chandorkar, DGM Market Activations, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd; Sharad Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust; Muntasir Bhuiyan, COO, Market Access Providers Limited, Bangladesh and Venkat Ram Vasantavada, President-Agribusiness, Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemical Corporation Ltd.

In his welcome address, Sanjay Kaul, President RMAI spoke about the renewed direction that RMAI has taken in terms of being more relevant to the changing needs of the industry. He also highlighted that all major new knowledge initiatives undertaken by RMAI in last two years stemmed from this need of Rethinking Rural. Commenting on Flame Awards Asia he said, Flame Awards has now expanded its reach to immediate subcontinent thus enabling cross sharing of best practices among rural marketers operating in similar markets.

Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) paper developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and KPMG was released during the event. Rahul Saigal, Group COO, Geometry Global & Encompass Network and SAP Task Force leader said, RMAI is planning a voluntary accreditation process for members. This is directed towards ensuring further improve the quality of work we deliver as an industry.

Event was managed by Event Crafter and presented by JCB and powered by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The award ceremony was followed by a cocktail & dinner.
Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) today announced that its Global English News Channel, slated to be launched this summer, will be called WION - World is One News. The channel will report global news and issues from a South Asian perspective.

Commenting on the new channel, Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman, Essel Group & ZEE said, Zee Medias new Global English News Channel  WION, will look to offer a seamless experience to empower, educate and energise our discerning viewers. Inspired by the Groups motto, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-The World is My Family, WION aptly stands for World is One News and will give a global view of the world with a South Asian lens.

Sharing more details on the news network, Rohit Gandhi, Editor-in-Chief  English News Broadcast and Related Content said, With WION, we will meet the aspirations of 2 billion South Asians by delivering a global News network reflecting a South Asian world perspective. Its high time for South Asian reporting from front lines, war zones and prominent global capitals.

While a TV channel is the face of this mobile-first start-up, our newsgathering, reporting, production and publishing processes are an ambitious leap into a multiscreen future. We aim to disrupt conventional ways of thinking about news and set a new template for storytelling across platforms, Rohit Gandhi further added.

WIONs target audience is Generation Z, not in terms of age, but in terms of values, beliefs and attitude. A generation that is global, social, visual and tech savvy.

WION is a mobile/digital first platform and later will be an international television channel. The news content will be available to audiences at their convenience, on their preferred screens. The network will use technology to bring in user-generated content, it is the audiences voice that will define WION. Its newsgathering teams will be equipped with mobile technology for an anytime-anywhere live approach.

WION will have bureaus across the globe. Using a mix of young and seasoned journalists with diverse nationalities, WION will dare to be on the forefront of whats happening today in thought-provoking ways.
Trauma czar acts as lynchpin of care when patients clinging to life

With the whirl of activity rushing around her and the advice of nearly 20 specialists being presented, its the job of Maj. (Dr.) Valerie Sams to decide the medical treatment to go forward with that could ultimately decide whether the patient lives or dies.



As the 455th Expeditionary Medical Group trauma czar, her job is unique. The first responsibility is to coordinate all the care a patient will need for the variety of treatments. She also makes the final decision after hearing the advice of every specialty available to them, even when it is the hardest one to make.



As the trauma director for the Craig Joint Theater Hospital and medical director for the intensive care unit, I oversee the entire trauma patients medical care, Sams explained. I have my ER (emergency room) team, my resuscitation team, and five doctors who do inpatient medicine. We all come together and make a plan which will be best for the patient.



However, sometimes getting to that solution is a difficult one. With a multitude of medical backgrounds being brought together, finding a unified path for care takes a unified effort.



At the hospital, we do not control the specialties that we receive each rotation, Sams said. I know it is a lot to ask to have a physician step outside their comfort zone in medicine, and almost be a resident again. That is a hard thing for a doctor, but our team has done a wonderful job.



While Sams is not the highest in rank, her decision on how to treat a patient is the final word. Each of the 12 to 15 doctors in the rounds have practices that line up with their experience, and which procedure works best for them. For example, if a problem presents itself, a gastroenterologist might choose to use a scope first, while a surgeon may have had success with exploratory surgery in the same situation.



There are always some frustrations because everyone here is an expert and we all want to provide the best medicine for our patients, said Maj. (Dr.) Brock Miller, a 455th EMDG gastroenterologist. We all have experiences where we have been successful and those are what we lean on. But someone has to make the final say, and that is the trauma czar. Its not an easy job and Dr. Sams takes it very seriously.



Even at the end of a long day, the trauma czar still does not get to go home. Her office in the hospital doubles as her sleeping quarters, meaning that no matter what happens in the deployed theater of operations, she is less than 30 seconds away from the ER.



Sometimes I will get a knock on my door in the middle of the night and it is a nurse filling me in on something going on, said the trauma czar. This position needs to be immediately available to the teams. Sometimes I will go days on end without leaving the hospital and have to remind myself to step outside, take a walk, and get some fresh air.



With so much going on at any single time in the hospital, it is the trauma czars leadership that can guide a team to accomplish unbelievable tasks.



When the condition of a British national became critical, it was the trauma czar that made the call across the ocean to bring out a specialty team to try and save his life, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Robert Stankewitz, a 455th EMDG staff physician. Everybody wants to get the patient the best possible treatment. She was very cool under pressure and because of that, we were able to get him home to see his family one last time.



That intimate knowledge of patients and their treatments are critical to the role of the trauma czar. Knowing the progression of their care and when they are ready for release or evacuation, makes Sams job a constant balancing act that requires a lot of focus.



She is the most involved on all the patients in the hospital. She has to be, Miller said. She is very, very dedicated to the job and the patients.



Throughout the time spent at the hospital, a patient may experience a variety of treatments and transitions, but one thing will always remain constant. The trauma czar will be watching over them, acting as the lynchpin that brings decades of experience together to provide them with the best care available.
Louisiana guardsmen rescue thousands in floods

Louisiana National Guardsmen have rescued more than 4,000 people in the floods that have inundated the state over the past week, a state Guard spokesman said.



About 1,200 Louisiana Army and Air National Guard members have been mobilized and are working with local partners to support the mission, said Air Force Col. Pete Schneider, the state public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard.



Schneider, who spoke March 14 in a phone interview from New Orleans, said floodwaters following heavy rains have inundated neighborhoods, washed over roads and trapped residents. Soldiers and Airmen are searching neighborhoods and going door to door to rescue people, he said.



Working in their own neighborhoods



"A lot of these guardsmen are doing lifesaving in their own neighborhoods, so they're serving in the communities where they live," he said. "We are in every part of the state. We're actually in 33 parishes in the state."



The guardsmen, who have been working around the clock since last week, are performing search and rescue operations using almost every piece of equipment they have, including boats, trucks, Humvees and helicopters, the colonel said.



Boat crews and aircrews have rescued people stranded around dangerous, quickly moving floodwaters, he added.



At last tally, Schneider said, Louisiana guardsmen had rescued 4,255 people and 354 pets and had issued nearly 72,000 bottles of water, more than 1 million sandbags, 700 cots, and hundreds of packaged meals.



After the waters recede, Schneider said, the National Guard will support recovery efforts, a mission that could last for months.



In addition to fighting the nation's wars, guardsmen are proud to serve and protect their state and communities, the colonel said. "They're able to make an immediate difference by saving lives (and) protecting property," he said. "If you ask them, this is why they joined."



Pentagon kudos



At the Pentagon on March 14, a Defense Department spokesman commended the efforts of the men and women of the Louisiana National Guard.



"This is just another example of the outstanding efforts of our National Guard to help the people of their state in their greatest time of need," Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said.



President Barack Obama has declared that a major disaster exists in Louisiana, and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts.
The Air Force Information Technology Conference held annually in Montgomery, Alabama, which has been canceled since 2012 due to budget constraints, is returning to the state capital this year with an emphasis on cyberpower.The rebranded Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower Conference will be held at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center, Aug. 29-31. The theme for the conference is America: Living Free, Secure and Productive in a Cyber World.Historically, the conference was sponsored by the Air Force Program Executive Office-Business Enterprise Systems, an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center unit on Maxwells Gunter Annex.The rebranded conference is now sponsored by Air University, the Air Forces accredited education system that provides professional military and professional continuing education.Given the advances in technology and cyber operations in the years since the last conference, the commander of Air University decided to reinstate it and include strong cyber and academic elements, said Col. Michael Anderson, AFITC chair.The conference is one of the primary tools for keeping Air Force and private industry cyber leaders and experts current on the latest concepts, strategies, technologies and capabilities in both the military and civilian sectors. Attendees will get firsthand insights from leading government and industry experts on what challenges America is facing in the defense of the United States.The new Air Force Cyber College at Air University will lead the conference academic tracks that will jointly evolve the collaboration, concepts, methods, IT applications and strategies to ensure national security and economic vitality for America.The college will lead collaborative focus groups with the aim of building a network of professionals for public-private action to foster trusted partnerships between government and industry to drive the development of a plan geared toward policy changes to strengthen the countrys national and economic security.The purpose of the groups is to continue the cyber dialogue we began at the Cyberpower Conference series in 2011 and 2012 at Air University, said Dr. Pano Yannakogeorgos, dean of the Air Force Cyber College. AFITC offers a platform to reinvigorate this network. Cyber College will serve as the steward of a trusted collaborative process to identify problems, discover solutions and design strategies to inform recommendations to decision leaders.The cyber and academic elements will bring together cyber professionals, decision makers, commercial businesses, Air Force professionals and Air University students and academicians with the common goal of advancing the effectiveness, thought and discussion of the nations and Air Forces approach to the cyber domain.Air University understands that success in national cyber security requires an improved and robust digital relationship with private industry to combat the sophisticated cyber threats present today. Ideally, this conference will generate the whole of nation strategies and processes aimed at overcoming challenges and ambiguities of an increasing digital world.A major goal will be to help forge a path for future cyber strategies and initiatives that will help maintain the nations leadership in this critical domain, said Col. Ronald Banks, the vice commandant of Air War College and faculty member of Cyber College.The Air Force Program Executive Office-Business Enterprise Systems will offer tracks on information and operational technology, cyberspace defense, agile acquisition and continuing education.AFITC 2016 is expected to attract more than 150 vendors and more than 2,000 attendees.Registration is open to Defense Department personnel, military retirees, government contractors and local and state employees. The conference will also hold an education day for high school students focusing on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education.For more information and to register, visit the AFITC website here
Goldfein: Optimistic about future of airpower

Equals part challenge and opportunity -- thats how Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein described as the current state of the Air Force March 10 during a Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C.



As I stand here today, I could not be more optimistic about our future, Goldfein said to the defense industry audience. Your Air Force today is too small, too old, less ready and out of balance for the challenges that we as a nation are going to face for the next decade to two decades and what the Air Force brings to the joint team  but also, as I stand here today, we have unlimited opportunity right now.



Most of America, he said, still remembers the Air Force of Operation Desert Storm. It was a time when there were 134 fighter squadrons across the total force from which the Air Force deployed 33 squadrons to execute operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Now there are only 55 fighter squadrons, he added. The Air Force has nearly 240,000 less total force Airmen than during those operations.



Over the last 25 years the demand for airpower as the world has gotten more and more unstable has actually gone up, Goldfein said. So we have gotten smaller over time as the demand for what we bring to the joint fight has gone up  we are too small.



Goldfein said the challenges of an aging fleet also effect Air Force readiness.



When we went into Desert Storm, the average age of the aircraft was 17 years, he said. Today, the average age across the fleet of all of our aircraft is 27 years old.



With the force getting smaller and equipment getting older, the challenges around the world have begun to take their toll. Readiness is one of the most difficult obstacles for the Air Force, he said, because the service has so many mission requirements.



Our portfolio, of the four services, is clearly the broadest, Goldfein said. When we are asked, what is the state of your readiness? Its actually a complex answer because we really need to answer the question with a question, ready for what?



If you were to ask me, are we ready for the fight in the Middle East against violent extremism? The answer is absolutely yes, 100 percent.



But Goldfein isnt sure the service would be ready for every scenario. The Air Force has had to make tough choices over the past 15 years to meet the needs of combatant commanders and the changing battlefield environment.



If you have a fixed (budget) and its going down and the demand from the service is to increase your investments in space, ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), cyber and nuclear enterprise then youve got to find some way to pay those bills, Goldfein said.



The way the force has paid those bills, he said, is reductions to manpower and conventional airpower.



According to Goldfein, the Air Force flew zero combat air patrols 15 years ago. The Air Force is now flying 60, and that number is expected to increase. The Air Force has invested billions of dollars in creating the space mission force so America and its allies and partners can operate.



To defend the network and to operate in cyberspace, the Air Force is on track for 39 of its mission teams to contribute to cyber command by the end of 2018. The nuclear enterprise is critical to global deterrence and requires significant investment in not only reinvigorating, but modernizing the capability.



If you take a look at the demand signals in the United State Air Force, and knowing we had to balance against a decreasing budget topline, you can see why the only place we had to go was people and conventional air power, Goldfein said. Its not just about fighters and bombers, its command and control and its ranges and infrastructure. Were the service that actually fights from our bases, so when we talk about bases, they are part of how we employ airpower and how we present forces.



Over the past several years, the Air Force put together a vision that provided a path for where the service needs to be in 2030.



There was an inclusive dialogue that occurred with MAJCOM (major command) commanders, combatant commanders, think tanks, industry and academia, Goldfein said. We took two years to get it right ... we call it the Air Force Future Operating Concept. When we became a separate service in 1947 we were given five missions: air superiority, ISR, global mobility, global strike, and command and control. Those five missions have morphed, technology has changed, but we still have the same five missions that we do for the nation.



Goldfein also delivered remarks later in the day when he participated in a panel discussion during the Future of War Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.



During a panel discussion titled Where will the military innovation of the future come from, Goldfein responded to a question on how Airmen today can prepare themselves now for future warfare while optimizing their contributions to the Air Force and the military.



It all starts with character, Goldfein said. We are on a lifelong journey to develop our character. Sometimes we get focused on reputation. As we move through the ranks, we confuse character and reputation. Character is who we are every day and what we do when no one is watching. Reputation is what people think of us after watching us for a period of time. We need to focus on the first and the second will take care of itself.



(Editors note: Master Sgt. Lesley Waters contributed to the article)








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Several witnesses near Camp Pendleton, CA, reported groups of UFOs moving in and out of the ocean for more than an hour, according to testimony in one of the 94 cases logged in over Memorial Day weekend from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness reporting database.

The reporting witness in Case 56569 recalled events that occurred with three friends beginning about 8 p.m. on July 10, 2011, after they traveled Trestle's Trail leading to a cliff overlooking the beach and noticed lights in the water.

"We saw a red light turn on and it was just bobbing in the water," the witness stated. "In some time two more red lights appeared bobbing in the water. We continued to watch for about 45 minutes as the lights would turn off, turn green, and multiply until there were about 13 lights bobbing in the water."

The group decided to go home, but the reporting witness and one friend walked away together.

"About 30 minutes after we separated we were near home but decided to stop at a spot nicknamed 'the view,' next to San Onofre Middle School, to get a look at the lights again. We watched them bob for another 20 minutes before about half of them ascended and zoomed in formation into space without making a sound, as five to six others came into view from what I'd say to be a warp-speed capacity and gently stopped for half a second and then dove into the water and all of the lights in the water at that time disappeared as if diving down with the newly arrived ones."

The two continued to watch.

"So we stayed there for another 20 minutes fixated on the ocean before noticing there's a sort of stereotypical looking saucer-and-dome with a white light circling the diameter of the saucer. It was as high as a helicopter might fly. It was making slow, wide orbits around us overhead."

The two began walking toward their housing area, but kept an eye on the sky for the lights.

"We saw another fleet of the red/green light ships (they were all red at this time). They were moving fast, and low. I'd say only 50-60 feet in the air, and still not making a sound. The one in the lead of the formation did a loop while it passed us, quickly slowing speed and coming lower to us, about 30 feet, then within two seconds of that, it matched the speed of the fleet and continued in the lead. They were being pursued by what we thought were highly sophisticated, small, and quiet fighter jets, but upon reflection they must have been drones."

The group of objects then moved out over the ocean.

"The drones were in quick pursuit but without any sort of sound or light being emitted. They did not come out the other side of the cloud like the UFOs had. Then half the fleet of ships dove into the ocean and the other half zoomed out of sight towards the stars."

The witness got a good look at one of objects.

"They were of a smooth metal, like liquid mercury, and their shape was like a red blood cell, with the red half-sphere light atop in the middle. They were probably about six feet wide and about 12 feet long. It wasn't even higher than the telephone pole we were next to."

The two decided to return to "the view" area.

"At the same light pole we saw the blood-cell ship at we noticed the stereotypical dome ship was still observing us, following us overhead. So we stopped and I started waving my hands like you'd do in an S.O.S, and it started orbiting in a circle above us again and then descended to where he was probably only 10 feet higher than the telephone pole and hovered there for about a minute and then all of a sudden zoomed into space, just as fast and quiet as the rest."

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The image shows a silhouetted moon with what looks like its own mini-me moon orbiting it.

The surprising picture, which has a figure standing in the foreground, has been sent to global UFO investigation group the Mutaul UFO Network (MUFON) based in the US for investigation.

The unnamed man who reported it to MUFON claimed it was taken at Tanjung Pandan on Billiton Island, Indonesia, by a female friend, who is also anonymous.

But Express.co.uk can report how the alleged sighting as more a UF-NO than UFO and a blatant hoax.

We sent the image to seasoned UFO hoax exposer Italian Scott Brando, who runs website Ufoofinterest.org, and has spent years researching video and photographs of anomalies that have been touted as the real deal or proof of aliens online.

He established the image, in fact originated back to 2008, when it was created as a CGI digital 3D wallpaper by Ryan Bliss of the Digital Blasphemy.com website. For reasons unknown the hoaxer decided to post it on MUFON's sighting database for possible investigation, saying it had been snapped yesterday during the eclipse. The hoaxer wrote: "This photo comes from my friend when she took a picture of a total solar eclipse in Indonesia. "I saw something in conjunction with the position of the moon covering the sun as something that is round. "Is there anyone who can help me explain the phenomenon or whether a hot-air balloon or an anomaly UFO?"
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo is returning to Brussels Airport with 12 direct daytime freighter flights a week out of the Belgian airfreight hub, bound for Dubai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

In late 2015, the African combination carrier was forced to switch services to Maastricht-Aachen after it was not able to obtain the necessary traffic rights to enable it to continue its activities at Brussels Airport.

It now resume freighter flights from March 26.

In a statement, the airport said: "In recent weeks, the airport has been conducting intensive talks with the carrier about returning to Brussels Airport after the Federal Government had inked a new bilateral agreement with Ethiopia, enabling the carrier to undertake direct flights from Belgium to Dubai, Shanghai and Hong Kong."

Brussels Airport Companys chief executive, Arnaud Feist, said:I am delighted that Ethiopian Airlines Cargo has decided to return to our airport. The carriers return is a highly positive development, not just for Brussels Airport but also for the Belgian economy as a whole.

"This move will not only see the reinstatement of the jobs that were lost with the air carriers withdrawal in November, it will also create many new jobs as Ethiopian Airlines Cargo is planning to more than double the number of flights a week out of Brussels Airport compared against last year.

From January through October 2015, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo carried out four to six day-time flights a week to Dubai, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Although these flights still involved a stopover in Addis Ababa during the first few months, from August through to October Ethiopian Airlines Cargo was able to conduct these flights directly out of Brussels Airport thanks to traffic rights granted on a monthly basis.

Added the airport:"Since Ethiopian Airlines Cargos withdrawal, Brussels Airport stayed in touch with both the airline and the Belgian Federal Government.

"In the interests of the hundreds of employees who owed their jobs to Ethiopian Airlines Cargo, Brussels Airport had pleaded its case with the Federal Government to amend the bilateral agreement between the two countries to allow for direct flights to various key destinations in the Middle East and Asia."

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Anti-Israel activists no longer hide behind excuses to mask their discrimination. Theyre singling out Israel in the open with little fear of repercussion.

On university campuses across North America, there is a concerted effort to demonize Israel, Zionism, and by extension, Jews. Sometimes the discrimination is subtle, and sometimes the discrimination is so evident that it screams out for an answer loud and clear.

As the Canadian Director for Hasbara Fellowships, a leading pro-Israel campus advocacy organization launched by Aish HaTorah in 2001, its my job to work with the top pro-Israel student leaders on campuses across Canada. The least enjoyable part of my job is when I come into contact with people who are anti-Israel.

Recently, during the week of March 7, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), located in Oshawa, Ontario, about an hour east of Toronto, was host to a Social Justice Week. Some of the programs during this week included events railing against capitalism, white privilege, and of course, Israeli Apartheid.

When the universitys Student Association put out a call asking external organizations to have a table on campus during the week and showcase their materials and initiatives for students to see, it seemed like a no-brainer to ask that Hasbara Fellowships to present our materials for Israel Peace Week, which occurred at the same time.

Our organization, which seemed closely tied to the state of Israel, would not be allowed to participate.

But the Student Association had other plans. In response to my query, I received an e-mail telling me that due to the recent passing of a BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) vote, our organization which seemed closely tied to the state of Israel would not be allowed to participate.

Its hard to describe how I felt when I read that e-mail. Disappointment, sadness and anger, certainly. But also a certain degree of shock. Its no secret that anti-Israel and even anti-Jewish discrimination is not a rare occurrence on North American university campuses, but to be informed in such a bold way that we werent welcome specifically because of our ties to Israel? That signifies a new and worrying trend. No longer do anti-Israel activists feel it necessary to hide behind excuses to mask their anti-Israel discrimination. Rather, singling out Israel can now be done out in the open, with little fear of repercussion.

Shortly after this incident, the National Post, one of Canadas largest daily newspapers, covered the story and it became national news.

Since then, while I have since reached out to the universitys administration demanding a solution, the best silver lining is the kind that happens behind the scenes.

Hours after the National Post article was published, a Jewish student at UOIT read the article and reached out to me. We ended up speaking at length about the situation for Jewish students on campus, the outright hostility they face, and the incessant anti-Israel propaganda that is disseminated to impressionable young minds. Weve already begun discussions about how to educate the undecided majority of students about Israel on that campus.

This student was incredibly appreciative; this was the first time that they had ever really felt supported on their campus. We are now planning to bring this student on our acclaimed Israel activism training program this summer. There is no doubt that things will be changing soon at that university.

While the story is still unfolding at UOIT, this could be a game-changer for anti-Israel activists on university campuses. Perhaps for the first time ever in Canada, student leadership at a publicly-funded university has openly and unabashedly discriminated against Israel.

The upcoming holiday of Purim teaches us a timeless message: that no matter how dark and hopeless a situation may be, in the end Israel and the Jewish peoples right to safety and to self-determination will win the day.
March 15, 2016

CAIRO  The Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic churches share close historical relations. Their ties have prompted some in Egypt to try to capitalize on the Coptic community in Ethiopia and the strong relations between these two churches to work toward solving the Renaissance Dam crisis.

Bishop Beeman, the coordinator of relations between the Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic churches and chairman of the crisis management committee at the Coptic Holy Synod, told Al-Monitor that the church plays an indirect role in the Renaissance Dam crisis, explaining that the Ethiopian people will not allow Egypt to be harmed. Beeman talked about the churches attacked and burned after security forces broke up sit-ins being held by supporters of former President Mohammed Morsi at the Rabia al-Adawiya and Nahda Squares. He also addressed the latest efforts deployed by the armed forces to rebuild or renovate these churches. The text of the interview follows:

Al-Monitor: In your capacity as coordinator of relations between the Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic churches, do you think the Egyptian Coptic Church can play a role in resolving the Renaissance Dam crisis?

Beeman: Based on its historical and spiritual ties with the Ethiopian church, the Coptic Orthodox Church can play an indirect role. The church is the soft power trusted by Egypt and Ethiopia. The church is openly fulfilling its duties in an organized and orderly manner and is sending messages of love to the Ethiopian people. We seek to consolidate relations between the Ethiopian and Egyptian peoples in order to create a suitable climate for politicians and technicians so as to improve the dam negotiation.

Al-Monitor: You have said that the Ethiopian people and church will not allow Addis Ababa to harm the Egyptian people in terms of decreasing Nile water quotas. Did you mean that the Ethiopian people object to the governments stance on the Renaissance Dam issue?

Beeman: What I mean is that the Ethiopian people and church will not allow the government to harm the Egyptian people. This was confirmed by the Ethiopian church leaders in all of our meetings. They always asked the Egyptian people to help them in their development process. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has stressed that the development of Ethiopia is in Egypt's best interest, provided that Egypt's Nile water quota is not prejudiced.

Al-Monitor: Can the Ethiopian church play a role in solving the Renaissance Dam crisis?

Beeman: The Ethiopian church is the voice of the Ethiopian people, and an active government expresses the will of its people. Ethiopians are expressing their love for the Egyptian people and their keenness on supporting the Egyptians interests.

Al-Monitor: You have been present during President Sisis visits to Ethiopia. Do you think that such visits help in advancing toward a solution to the crisis?

Beeman: President Sisi visited Ethiopia twice. Presidential visits contribute to solving the crisis. It should be noted that the presidents speech before the Ethiopian parliament had a significant impact and was a clear message to the Ethiopian people that Egypt appreciates Ethiopia.

Al-Monitor: There is a dispute between the Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic churches concerning ownership of Deir es-Sultan, a monastery atop the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. What is the status of this dispute? Does it impact relations in general between the two branches of the church?

Beeman: The Deir Es-Sultan crisis is stagnant, but after the ordination of Anba Anthony as the new bishop of Jerusalem, the case will be revived. We do not mention this crisis during the meetings with the Ethiopian churchs leadership, as we are waiting for the right time to discuss it amicably with them.

Al-Monitor: In your capacity as the chairman of the Crises Council in the Holy Synod, how many of the churches burned following the breakup of the Rabia al-Adawiya sit-in have been restored?

Beeman: Sixty-two sites were attacked after the dispersion of the Rabia and Al-Nahda sit-ins. By "site" I mean both the churches and annexed buildings. The armed forces finished the first 10 sites, which constituted the first phase, while 10 other sites were renovated during the second phase. We now have 24 sites, including 14 sites that need to be demolished, rebuilt and partially renovated. The other sites only need to be repainted. The church handled some of the sites, amid facilitated renovation measures and the cooperation of the executive authorities in granting us permits.

Al-Monitor: How much does it cost to renovate the burned churches?

Beeman: The state has spent 89 million Egyptian pounds (about $11.3 million) in recent years on the renovation of burned churches.

Al-Monitor: Did the church incur any costs for renovating the burned churches?

Beeman: The church did not spend one dime on the renovation. The government handled the renovation of most of the burned churches.

Al-Monitor: Did businessmen contribute to these renovations?

Beeman: Church members helped renovate some sites that did not require a huge budget and that were only slightly damaged. The donations were not big, barely reaching 1 million pounds ($112,000), and we must thank them for this help.
March 14, 2016

Mansour al-Qurani never suspected that a small mistake  a mistake not even of his own making  would put his familys fate in danger. Yet last month, his 4-year-old son was sentenced to life in prison for supposedly participating in a deadly riot in 2014.

It took five days and the family's appearance on TV to convince the military a mistake had been made.

An official in charge of conducting criminal investigations accidentally included the little boy's name on a list of 116 alleged offenders. A military court in Cairo delivered his sentence Feb. 16.

The father told Al-Monitor that he found out about the ruling through the media and that security forces tried to carry out the judgment. He said he had to submit his childs birth certificate to prove that the investigators information was not true. The family was forced to leave their home.

My family and I were in danger until I went on TV to talk about this, he said, noting that the show shed light on the case. After the program aired, the family returned to their home, waiting for a decision ordering a retrial.

The armed forces spokesman admitted in an official statement issued Feb. 21 that the name of the child was mistakenly listed on the bill of indictment, and that a 16-year-old with a similar name should have been charged instead.

Investigators don't have to follow specific procedures to obtain information, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure. However, officials overseeing the investigations must approve of the methods used in writing, which makes it easier to find the people responsible when a mistake is discovered.

Eid Sayed Izz el-Din, the childs lawyer, told Al-Monitor he believes the officials in charge hired incompetent investigators. As a result, several mistakes were made, like the age and address of the child being recorded incorrectly. Nevertheless, when the investigation reached the national security apparatus, they approved it and referred the case to the military court, which also accepted it.

Ahmad Heshmat, a defense lawyer who has worked on several similar cases, told Al-Monitor, There are multiple agencies investigating and collecting information, most importantly the State Security Investigation Services affiliated with the Ministry of Interior. Regarding political cases, investigations are conducted by the national security apparatus.

He added that officials in charge of the investigations often do not care about the accuracy of the incoming information and refer the reports directly to the public prosecutor as verified facts. Heshmat, however, said this does not necessarily apply to investigations carried out by the intelligence services.

According to Heshmat, it is possible for a bill of indictment to include a whole family, based on wrong information resulting from lack of documentation or proof. Nevertheless, the military prosecution refers these investigations to the court without re-examining them.

Military trials are not governed by controls and standards that ensure justice. Sometimes, the defense attorneys are not allowed to examine the case documents or even meet with the accused, and they might not even be permitted to attend the hearings. The judge isnt obligated to listen to the defenses pleading, like in civilian trials, he added.

Heshmat explained that until the law governing military trials was amended in 2012, judgments were not even subject to appeal. The amendment introduced a higher level court to examine the appeals lodged against military judgments, except those issued specifically by the Military Criminal Court.

Under Article 204 of the current constitution, civilians shall face trial before a military court for crimes that constitute a direct assault against military facilities or armed forces personnel as they are performing their duties.

Raafat Fouda, head of the general department of law at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor that Article 204 expanded the scope of powers of the military judiciary to include military academies, civilian workers in military factories, intelligence officers and journalists in specific publication cases. Beginning in 2014, public and vital facilities  such as power stations, railways, roads and bridges  were deemed military facilities, and anyone who vandalizes them is referred to the military court.

Activist Sarah al-Sharif, a member of the No Military Trials for Civilians campaign, stressed to Al-Monitor the need for a constitutional provision that prevents civilians from appearing before military courts, which she said lack adequate protection for civilians' rights.

Sharif added that judges appointed by the defense minister are both the litigant and judge when a civilian appears before a military court. She cited many gross violations in the case of Quranis young son. She noted the boy's file was seen by a military investigator, a military prosecutor and a military judge  and none of them questioned it.

Rulings made by military courts  with the exception of death sentences  are deemed final once they are ratified by Egypt's president or an official authorized by the president. Before that time, however, the president or his appointee may cancel or modify the judgment or request a retrial. Heshmat said this is contrary to the principles of fair trials, and most military judgments are ratified by the head of the Central Military Region (which includes Cairo), who is not a legal specialist.

Heshmat stressed that the conditions under which judgments are ratified undermines trust in military rulings. He explained that civilian courts have developed an appeals system, but ratification by an officer who is not a law specialist is not based on any sound legal ground and must not be accepted.
March 15, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The Higher Sharia Court Council in the Gaza Strip issued a decision Feb. 7 granting a husband the right to file for divorce if his wife subjects him to verbal or physical abuse. The ruling has angered the feminist community, because it gives the husband the opportunity to divorce his wife while denying her rights to which she would otherwise be entitled in a divorce.

Prior to the decision, applying for a divorce based on verbal or physical abuse had been limited to women. This was so simply because men can divorce without providing a reason or even filing suit in court. If a wife filed for divorce and proved abuse, she did so with certain rights guaranteed  such as retention of the mahr (money and possessions paid by the groom or his family to the bride at the time of marriage), the right to obtain muakhar (money and possessions the groom is legally responsible for providing the wife, but not necessarily at the time of marriage) and receipt of the value of their furniture  as agreed upon in the marriage contract.

In 2015 in Gaza, 20,778 marriage contracts were concluded while 3,281 cases of divorce were registered, a rate of 15.8%, according to statistics published by the Sharia court Jan. 24.

Omar Nofal, chairman of the Sharia Appeals Court, told Al-Monitor that the new decision was issued to bring about equality between men and women" by ending the women's monopoly to lodge divorce proceedings for abuse. Nofal said the court issued the decision after it became clear in several abuse cases lodged by wives that the husbands were in fact the victims, not the women. He said there are no statistics on the number of husbands abused at the hands of their wives in Gaza.

He further explained the actions taken when a husband files for divorce because of abuse, stating, If the husband proved that he was subject to violence by his wife, the judge gives them a month to reconcile, and in case they fail, the judge appoints a representative from each family to reconcile. In case they also fail, the financial compensation that the husband must pay the wife will be determined depending on the amount of violence he was subjected to by his wife, which could reach the point of not giving her any of her due in case of severe and harmful abuse.

Amal Syam, director of the Women's Affairs Center in Gaza, denounced the decision for only serving mens interests. [It] does not achieve any equality between men and women, and it encourages divorce, she told Al-Monitor. The Palestinian personal status law is biased in favor of men, as a man can divorce his wife any time he wants, without any reasons given and without filing a lawsuit. In this case, he just has to respect the wife's financial rights. Yet, with the new decision, a man can lodge a divorce lawsuit without fulfilling his wife's rights.

Syam further noted, This is while in the case of a wife resorting to her right to divorce for this reason, she will face obstacles  [such as providing] proof that she was subjected to violence and witnesses. Such conditions are very difficult to meet for a Palestinian wife who lives in a closed social environment with her husband.

There are many loopholes in the personal status law, Syam explained, that allow husbands to avoid respecting a divorced wife's rights and can even force her to waive her rights in exchange for divorce. Syam said, This is why the judiciary needs to overturn this decision and make major amendments to the law, so that women receive their rights and are protected from violence, instead of issuing new decisions favoring men.

Iyad Shorbaji, a social psychology professor at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that the court decision points to increasing violence against men as a result of current economic conditions. There are growing cases of violence against men who reject their wives demands for divorce because they are unable to pay them their financial due. Moreover, there are wives who abuse their husbands as they are aware that the husbands will not divorce them because they are unable to manage the financial burden resulting from divorce.

Shorbaji claimed that the new decision was issued to support the husbands. He also remarked that some violence toward men can escalate to the point of murder, recalling that in January, a husband had been stabbed to death by his wife in Khan Yunis in what police said was a marital dispute.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Zeinab al-Ghonaimi, a human rights activist and director of the Center for Women's Legal Research and Consulting in the Gaza Strip, expressed her dissatisfaction with the decision. We are not denying that there are battered men, who represent a very small percentage compared to battered women. Yet, the problem is that the Sharia court rushes to give this small number rights, while it leaves battered women without any rights or laws to protect them. She, like Nofal and Shorbaji, noted that the decision basically allows men to obtain a divorce without having to provide the financial support his wife would otherwise receive.

Ghonaimi said that violence against women has increased in Gaza. Although the latest statistics on violence in the Palestinian territories was issued in 2011, positive changes have not come about since then. Rather, negative changes have occurred when it comes to violence against women. The 2011 figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2011 show that 51.1% of women in Gaza had been subjected to violence by their husbands.

Nofal offered another reason for the court's ruling, stating, This decision was based on the existing personal status law in the West Bank, and we decided to implement it as a measure to unify laws between Gaza and the West Bank. On this, Ghonaimi said, The Sharia court in Gaza selects laws applicable in the West Bank when serving mens interests, not all [the laws]. For instance, under the law in the West Bank, women retain custody of their children until the age of 15. This is while in Gaza, women retain custody of their children until the age of 9.

Despite the feminists efforts to improve women's lives and achieve equality between men and women in Gaza, steps like the court's decision on divorce takes matters in the opposite direction.
March 15, 2016

Iranian officials and analysts are speculating about why Russian President Vladimir Putin suddenly decided to begin withdrawing troops from Syria. Some wonder whether Russia won concessions from the United States and the Syrian opposition, but most seem to think that Russia's action is a positive sign, or at the least nothing to worry about.

Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke to Iranian reporters March 15 after holding a press conference with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Iran. According to the media, Velayati said that during his meeting with Mekdad, they discussed defending the territorial integrity of Syria and its April 13 parliamentary elections. When asked if Iranian troops would replace the Russian forces leaving Syria, Velayati said that Russia's action will not change the overall cooperation between Iran, Russia, Syria and allied forces such as Hezbollah.

Velayati noted that Russia still has an air base in Syria and, if necessary, would again up its effort against terrorists. Velayati added that at the moment, the Syrian government has the upper hand given recent gains by its allies, the cease-fires and the Geneva negotiations. In addition to its air base, Russia will also reportedly keep its maritime base in Syria operable, and nearly 1,000 military personnel will remain in the country.

The Iranian website Entekhab published similar comments made March 15 by Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi on Syrian television. As a result of the advancement of our armed forces in various areas of Syria, the suspension of conflict and the beginning of local cease-fires, Russia made this decision in complete cooperation and agreement with leaders of Russia and Syria, Zoubi said. No change has occurred in the political and military relationship between Russia and Syria.

At a press conference in Australia the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Russian withdrawal is a positive sign because it means Moscow may feel it no longer needs to immediately resort to a military option to preserve the cease-fire.

Mehdi Mohammadi, who was an adviser to the hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, believes that due to the high probability of the cease-fires being extended, Russia decided to pull some troops from Syria because of the costs of provisioning operational forces. He added that there are enough troops to carry out attacks against terrorist groups when needed.

Mohammadi wrote in Tansim March 15 that Russia had informed both Damascus and Tehran of the details of the withdrawal. The main question, according to Mohammadi, is, What concession has America and the opposition agreed to in exchange [for the Russian withdrawal]? Mohammadi, without specifying to whom he might be referring, added, Whatever it is, there is a great strategist standing behind these events.

Regardless of Russias announcement, Iranian analysts and media believe this is not the end of Russias military involvement in Syria. Ramin Hossein-Abadian wrote for the Mehr News Agency, Without a doubt, in the future, the Russian military air and sea support of Syrias military  will continue.

Irans support for Syria is also not in doubt. In a meeting with Mekdad March 15, parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said, The future for the people of Syria is bright, and added, We are hopeful that the resistance front, standing with Syria, will bring about calm and security soon, and be certain that the Islamic Republic will always back them.
March 15, 2016

BAGHDAD, Iraq  Today, the city of Najaf is a religious tourism hub for Shiites around the world. The city is home to the sacred shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi-Talib  the fourth of the Rashidun Caliphs  built nearly 700 years ago, and hosts the highest Shiite religious authority in the Muslim world. In this overwhelming Islamic presence, scarce other religious representation can be found in the city, as Muslim clerics ban non-Islamic symbols in holy cities like Najaf, including Mecca and Karbala, where the building of other kinds of places of worship such as Christian churches is prohibited. This is an old phenomenon that emerged with the rise of Islam during the seventh century forbidding the existence of multiple religions in the Arabian peninsula.

However, recent archaeological discoveries following excavation works in 2008 show that this conservative Islamic city so averse to churches is one of the oldest Christian cities in the world. The remains of a church and a monastery are believed to be the oldest Christian monuments in Iraq, dating back to the year 270.

Although Najaf province contains over 30 historic Christian sites excavated by American and German expeditions as well as the Najaf Antiquities Inspectorate between 2007 and 2011, for ideological reasons, this research has failed to promote any tolerance of non-Islamic religious rituals and events that celebrate its ancient history.

For example, in December, Sheikh Ibrahim Saffar, a professor at the Najaf seminary, demanded that a man who wore a Santa Claus costume in Najaf face criminal charges.

In contrast to this rejection of any non-Islamic culture in Najaf, historians highlight the presence of both Christianity and Islam in Najaf. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Najaf history teacher Abd-al-Husayn Ali explained, This kind of religious extremism toward other religions is limited to a minor social group, asserting, The discovery of Christian monuments in famous Islamic cities like Najaf is an example of the shared history of Iraqi Muslims and Christians, proving that Christianity is no stranger to Iraq and Iraqis conversion to Islam should not obscure the fact that many of their ancestors were Christians. This [recognition should] promote interactions between Muslims and Christians at a time when the country is facing a fierce sectarian conflict.

The predominance of Christianity in Najaf before Islam was further supported by the department of antiquities' discovery of the ruins of a 1,700-year-old monastery in 2012, linked to the Christian monk Abdul-Masih bin-Boqila. The monks tomb was found inside the monastery, with an epitaph written in ancient Arabic reading, May God have mercy on Abdul-Masih.

Al-Monitor visited the site with Makki Sultani, a writer and researcher specializing in Najafs history. During the tour, Sultani told Al-Monitor about a plan set up by civil activists, academics and volunteering researchers to form a popular committee with the aim of preserving the monuments and heritage of this ancient city, home to several Christian and Islamic sites.

While taking pictures of this Christian monument reduced to crumbling ruins, blown by the wind and disappearing under the sand, Sultani said, We rely on activists in the cultural and historical fields to save these important historical edifices that are gradually disappearing and constantly in danger of destruction due to official negligence and individuals ignorance of the historical significance of these sites.

According to Sultani, The most imminent danger to these historical ruins is the lack of funds to sustain them. And even when they are available, bribery results in corrupt contractors with no experience in preserving historical sites looking to embezzle the money allocated for the efforts through shoddy renovations.

While guiding the way around the ruins of the monastery, Sultani revealed, The monastery was turned into a gas station through negligence and corruption.

Sultani pointed out a Christian cemetery, surrounded by sand and groundwater and left vulnerable to pillagers. He said, People living in neighboring areas rummage these monuments looking for valuable collectibles like gold coins and ancient artifacts.

Sultani led us to a Babylonian temple, where he said, This was authenticated by an inscription that was traced back to Nebuchadnezzar [605-562 BCE]. It was carved in brick, which was stolen by the inhabitants of the area to use in building their houses.

In another example of the degree of negligence that has befallen these great monuments, Sultani guided our group to a barren area where the ancient city of Al-Hira is believed to have prospered. The site, dating back to the third century, is dotted with holes from illegal excavation work. There were dozens of graves in which dirt and garbage bags have piled up after looters dug into them and left them open.

Next to this lot stands a residential neighborhood. Sultani said, These houses were built on top of the ruins of the historic al-Sudair castle, erected by al-Numan ibn al-Mundhir between 403 and 430 CE. The area is covered with hills believed to be remnants of the surroundings of the Castle of Khawarnaq, which was excavated by a British expedition from Oxford University in 1931.

A notable example of Iraqs Christian religious heritage, this Christian historic site in Najaf is of even greater significance amid a wave of religious extremism fueling violence and threatening coexistence. Just as Muslims enjoy a strong presence in Iraq, these Christian monuments found in an Islamic city stand as an indisputable proof of the shared history of the people of Mesopotamia. Both Muslims and Christians have to work hand in hand to rebuild these sites and promote religious tourism that would attract Muslim and Christian pilgrims from around the world.

As part of a step to rehabilitate these religious and historic sites, in 2012, Iraq's Endowments of the Christian and Other Religions Divan unveiled a plan to reconstruct historic churches in Baghdad and other provinces. Although a long time has passed since this plan was announced, there are no signs of rehabilitation or reconstruction at Najaf's historic sites.
March 15, 2016

When the chairman of the Kulanu Party, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, first joined the coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked him  and justly so  as the weakest link.

But Kahlon got almost everything he asked for in exchange for joining the government, including, first and foremost, the prestigious Finance Ministry. At his request, the ministrys powers were expanded by granting it control traditionally given to other ministries and government agencies so that he could enact his housing and banking reforms. Never before was so much authority concentrated in the hands of a single finance minister. He wielded considerable political power, and with his 11 seats, he could act independently.

Ideologically, Kahlon was also the least committed partner in Netanyahus narrow, right-wing government of just 61 seats. While Naftali Bennetts HaBayit HaYehudi Party is an integral part of the right, and the ultra-Orthodox parties were waiting impatiently for their chance to return to power, Kahlon was perceived as something of an outsider who had a certain basic hostility toward Netanyahu. As the sole leader of his party, he could also pick up and leave the coalition  and the prime minister  whenever he wanted, forcing new elections.

Also contributing to the feeling that Kahlon was just a temporary guest was the fact that he refused to hide his disappointment over the way he was trapped in such a narrow, right-wing government. Shortly after the March 2015 elections, Kahlon was the first to sign a coalition agreement with Netanyahu, and he only did that because he was convinced that it would be a much larger coalition. Having no further say in the matter, Kahlon made do with a faint promise to his supporters that he would continue to pressure Netanyahu to expand the government in any way possible.

On the other hand, the finance minister also continued to maintain close political and personal ties with Avigdor Liberman, the chairman of Yisrael Beitenu, and with former Likud Minister Gideon Saar. It is worth noting that these two men are preoccupied on a regular basis by all sorts of political speculation and scenarios about how Netanyahu can be brought down. The relationship between them and Kahlon includes frequent meetings and discussions, which were never kept from the prime minister.

It is possible that this was why Liberman was so confident in his assessment, made just months after the coalition was formed, that this government would barely last a year. I can tell you with complete confidence that there will be new elections for the 21st Knesset sometime in 2016, Liberman announced at a party conference in August 2015. His friend and coalition colleague Yair Lapid, the chairman of Yesh Atid, offered a similar assessment around the same time, when the 2016 budget was submitted to the Knesset.

In a media interview at the time, Lapid, a former finance minister, explained that the new budget indicates that elections would take place within the coming year. The new budget will pass, but the next budget wont, Lapid said. Ive never been a successful pundit, but based on my familiarity with the budget, I can say that it is just like the 2012 budget. Its a budget that grants special benefits and handouts to the average citizen, because we are on our way to an election year.

It is still 2016, and Liberman and Lapid are growing stronger, even in the opposition. On the other hand, there are no elections on the horizon, and the chances of elections being called are slim. But even more importantly, their ace in the hole, their horse in the race, the very man who should have dismantled the coalition, is turning out to be its most stabilizing factor.

It seems as if their confident predictions about the next elections relied on the assumption that Kahlon would resign. He may even have instilled this hope in them during their private meetings and conversations. Netanyahus name inevitably came up, as an unfortunate circumstance that can and must be changed.

That is why it is safe to assume that neither Lapid nor Liberman was pleased with Kahlons statement on March 14. Nor was Saar, whose name is often mentioned together with theirs as part of a political effort to prevent Netanyahu from forming his fifth government.

At a press conference in the Knesset to mark the one-year anniversary of the last elections, Kahlon reviewed his achievements in the housing market. More apartments were made available for young couples, and he had plans to improve the situation even more over the coming years. But above all, he emphasized that he is in the Netanyahu government for the long haul, or, in his own words, The Kulanu Party is the most stable part of the coalition.

At the same event, Kahlon resolved any uncertainty over whether he would submit to Netanyahus demands and support a two-year budget, even though he initially opposed it. He responded that despite his misgivings, he would adopt the prime ministers position. There was something strange about the way that Kahlon explained his opposition, limiting it to the bottom line that he had no intention of coming into conflict with Netanyahu. He said that he opposed a two-year budget because it is difficult to anticipate income and outlays two years in advance, especially when it comes to economic variables such as tax income, budgetary expenses and the rate of growth. Doing so, he said is problematic professionally and is not done anywhere else in the world.

Nevertheless, while he explained why a two-year budget was a bad idea and promised to try and change it, in the same breath he also said that he has no choice but to accept the decree. After all, he was obligated to do so because of his coalition agreement with Netanyahu.

In an effort to prove that he had not succumbed entirely to the whims of the prime minister, the Kulanu chairman made it quite clear that a two-year budget does not guarantee government stability. Government stability can also be maintained with a single-year budget.  Linking the budget to the coalitions stability is the wrong thing to do.  It is not some insurance policy for government stability, he said.

Nevertheless, it is hard to ignore the fact that Kahlon is granting Netanyahu considerable breathing space and a stable coalition for two years, except in the unlikely event of a serious coalition crisis. It is easy to understand why Kahlon did that, too. He needs achievements to regain the Knesset seats he lost to Lapid in the polls since the last election, and for that he needs time.

As far as Netanyahu is concerned, a two-year budget is a major political achievement, since it lifts a cloud of uncertainty off his narrow government. At the same time, he is also leaving Liberman out to dry in the opposition for a while longer. Maybe this will force him to reconsider joining the government in exchange for the Foreign Ministry. After all, it is still waiting for him.
To Alabamians of a certain age, a little man made of lightning bolts with a bulb for a nose was a familiar character who taught them about the safety around electric power.

His name was Reddy Kilowatt and he came into existence 90 years ago this month. He was created in Birmingham in 1926 by Alabama Power Co. executive Ashton Collins, who was looking for a way to let rural residents know about electricity. While many cities had electric power by that time, rural residents typically didn't want the expense for something that was an unknown - and somewhat frightening - entity. So Collins and Reddy, just a rough sketch at the time, taught people how having power would change their lives. Collins had no idea at the time that Reddy Kilowatt would eventually be used by power companies worldwide, including at least one - Barbados Light and Power in the Caribbean - that still uses him for marketing today. The copyright remained in the family, owned by Ashton "Ash" Collins Jr. and his wife, Susan, until 1998.

"He's a wonderful character," Susan Collins said by phone from her home in New Mexico. "It was so early in the use of electric power that people were afraid of it and didn't understand electricity. Reddy was a friendly representative that would teach people about electricity in terms of safety and all kinds of usages."

Ready for Reddy

Susan Collins recounted the story of Reddy Kilowatts creation: The elder Collins was in his office at Alabama Power watching a storm from the window. He had been trying to think of ways to increase consumer demand when he saw lightning strike.

"He saw a bolt going out in four directions. It looked like a stick figure and he said, 'That's it,'" she said. He quickly made a prototype of his character using a fishing cork for the head, pipe cleaners for arms and legs and a tiny flashlight bulb for a nose. The Collins family would later donate that original figure to the Smithsonian, Susan said.

Collins Sr., the commercial manager at the time, took the creation to the engineering department, where it was turned into a rough version of the Reddy Kilowatt we know today. Alabama Power Co. copyrighted the character on March 6, 1926, and he appeared in his first print advertisement in The Birmingham News about a week later.

The world gets Reddy

During the Depression in the 1930s, power companies had an even tougher time marketing electricity to rural residents. According to agclassroom.org, only 13 percent of farms had electricity by 1930.

Collins decided Reddy could also be a representative for investor-owned utilities (IOUs), which he feared were being threatened by government-owned companies. In 1933, the IOUs created Edison Electric Institute and Alabama Power gave Collins Sr. the rights to Reddy for use in industry promotional materials. Collins Sr. sought a trademark for Reddy and licensed him to the other companies under his Reddy Kilowatt Program. Soon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee companies were using Reddy in promotional materials.

According to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian: "Common themes were the benefits of electrical appliances for farms and homes, safety, and holidays. The descriptions of electrical appliances emphasized gender roles in alluding to the potential new freedom for women from household chores. Farm-oriented advertisements underscored increased farm productivity through electrical innovations such as incubators and automated milking machines."

The museum's website said Collins Sr. aggressively marketed Reddy and he would eventually have trademarks in Canada (1934), Argentina (1937), Great Britain (1938), Mexico (1938), Australia, Barbados, Kenya, Mexico, South Korea, Venezuela, the Netherlands Antilles, South America and Australia.

Merchandising

In addition to his use on safety posters, billboards, print ads and the neon signs of power companies, Reddy was soon spotted on merchandise, including lapel buttons and pins, earrings, cufflinks, ashtrays, lighters, cookie cutters and figurines. The company published a series of promotional comic books in the 1950s and released a 45-record of the "Reddy Kilowatt Polka" in 1954.

Times changed and electric power was a different business by the 1960s. Reddy's used waned somewhat in the U.S. but continued to be popular elsewhere in the world. The company formed to license the character, Reddy Kilowatt Inc., became Reddy Kilowatt Communications, where Ash Jr. was named president in 1962. Collins Sr.'s other son, Beatty Collins, served on the board of directors. In 1998, Northern States Power Co. bought the company and its trademarks, Susan Collins said.

Today, Reddy Kilowatt merchandise is sought by collectors and can often be seen on sites like eBay or Etsy.

Alabama Power hasn't forgotten Reddy's beginnings and restored a neon Reddy Kilowatt sign that now hangs outside its building in Attalla. Zazzle.com began issuing new merchandise as part of a nostalgia line that includes coffee mugs, T-shirts, neckties and Christmas ornaments featuring Reddy Kilowatt.

Join al.com reporter Kelly Kazek on her weekly journey through Alabama to record the region's quirky history, strange roadside attractions and tales of colorful characters. Find her on Facebook or follow her Odd Travels and Real Alabama boards on Pinterest.
Lawyers for an Etowah County man convicted twice of beating a five-year-old boy to death argued today in a hearing that Alabama's capital punishment sentencing scheme is unconstitutional.

And though a circuit judge denied the motion, the hearing highlighted arguments currently going on in courtrooms throughout the state on the legality of the existing law.

An Etowah County jury in December found Kevin Andre Towles guilty of capital murder in the 2006 beating death of five-year-old Geontae Glass. He had previously been convicted in 2009 and was sentenced to die, but his verdict was overturned by the Alabama Supreme Court.

Towles is scheduled to be sentenced at 10 a.m. Tuesday. His lawyers, Dani and Sam Bone, argued that Alabama's capital punishment statute is similar to Florida's, which was struck down recently by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Florida and Alabama, along with Delaware, are the only three states that have judicial override - where judges can impose a death sentence over the wishes of juries that recommend life without parole sentences in capital murder cases.

A number of defense attorneys around the state have filed similar motions to bar the death penalty on behalf of their clients since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling nearly two months ago.

However, Towles' case is unique in that judicial override would benefit him. The same jury that convicted him voted unanimously to recommend the death penalty - a fact that both the defense and prosecutors mentioned during today's hearing.

However, Circuit Judge David Kimberley asked several questions of Towles' lawyers, indicating in part his reasoning for denying the motion. Kimberley cited the Supreme Court's ruling in the Florida case that judges were able to make overriding decisions based on information and facts that juries did not hear. In Alabama, however, juries are given the responsibility of determining aggravating circumstances - whether a crime was particularly cruel or heinous.

Kimberley said the Florida statute did not do so. And prosecutors pointed out that an appeal along similar lines was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Christopher Eugene Brooks. Brooks has been executed since the Florida decision.

"The jury has to make the finding that makes anybody eligible for the death penalty," Kimberly said. "I can't sentence somebody to death unless the jury specifically finds aggravating circumstances."

Earlier this month, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tracie Todd barred the death penalty in the cases of four men charged in three murders. Then last week, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced his office has filed a petition for a writ of mandamus asking the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to order Todd to vacate her March 3 order declaring Alabama's "capital sentencing scheme" to be facially unconstitutional.

Towles was accused of beating Geontae to death over a weekend following a conduct report at a Rainbow City elementary school. Then Towles and the child's mother, Shalinda Glass, staged a kidnapping in order to dispose of the body.

Shalinda told authorities Geontae had been asleep in the back seat of her car when the car was stolen from an Albertville service station. The boy was found later in the car, dead in the trunk, at another home owned by Towles. Authorities were able to discover the address when they found a utility bill bearing the address of the home when they conducted a search of another home Towles owned.
Kevin Andre Towles has been sentenced a second time to die by lethal injection.

Etowah County Circuit Judge David Kimberley sentenced Towles this morning at the Etowah County Judicial Center.

A jury in December found Towles guilty of capital murder in the 2006 beating death of five-year-old Geontae Glass. He had previously been convicted of the crime in 2009 and was sentenced to die, but his verdict was overturned by the Alabama Supreme Court.

The jury last year also unanimously recommended the death penalty for Towles.

Towles was accused of beating Geontae to death one weekend following a conduct report at a Rainbow City elementary school. Then Towles and the child's mother, Shalinda Glass, staged a kidnapping in order to dispose of the body.

Shalinda told authorities Geontae had been asleep in the back seat of her car when the car was stolen from an Albertville service station. The boy was found later in the car, dead in the trunk, at another home owned by Towles.

Authorities were able to discover the home when they found a utility bill bearing its address when they conducted a search of another home Towles owned.

Geontae Glass was found wrapped in a blanket in the trunk of a car in 2006. (Associated Press)

Shalinda later pleaded guilty to murder and is serving time in prison.

During the trial, Geontae's sister Shaliyah, now 16, testified she saw Towles and the boy walk outside the home one Sunday morning, with Towles saying the child "had to pay for something."

Later, Towles came back into the house carrying Geontae, she said, who she never saw move or talk for the rest of the weekend until the incident at the service station on Dec. 4, 2006.
Authorities today released the name of a teen shot to death Monday night in north Birmingham.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Maliek Lamare McBride. He was 18.

Birmingham police responded to a shooting call at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of 12th Court North shortly after 7:30 p.m. They found McBride fatally shot in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:12 p.m.

Several witnesses were taken to police headquarters for questioning, but police have not yet announced any arrests. McBride is Birmingham's 20th homicide this year.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said the preliminary investigation revealed McBride was in the process of conducting some sort of illegal transaction with another black male when something went terribly wrong during the transaction. A witness told police he heard gunshots and saw a black male run away from the scene.

"This case speaks to the outcome of a risky lifestyle,'' Edwards said. "The people we choose to associate with and the illegal behavior we participate in can literally contribute to the loss of life."

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Birmingham residents will have an opportunity to voice their opinions about proposed changes to the Mayor-Council Act during a public meeting Thursday.

The Mayor-Council Act of 1955 was adopted through a referendum to establish a different form of city governance during a time of upheaval.

Two weeks ago, council members learned that Mayor William Bell had submitted to state legislators, including Rep. Oliver Robinson, suggested changes to the Mayor-Council Act adopted in 1962.

The suggestions include making the mayor, not the council, responsible for appointments to the Birmingham Water Works Board and requiring the council to elect new leadership annually.

The proposals to transfer power from the Birmingham City Council to the mayor would upset checks and balances while giving the mayor a dangerous amount of authority, Council President Johnathan Austin said last week.

A meeting will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. in council chambers at Birmingham City Hall. Any member of the public who wishes to speak for or against the changes is welcome to attend.

For more information about what will be discussed, residents can call 205-254-2294.

During the public comment portion of Tuesday's city council meeting, several residents spoke about the proposed changes.

Brenda Dickerson, president of the Citizens' Coalition for a Better Birmingham, spoke on behalf of her group and was joined by a handful of others at the podium.

"We believe that proposed amendments to the Mayor-Council Act will harm our city government and the city of Birmingham in that it will destroy the system of checks and balances," she said.

Dickerson requested a response by March 22.

Another resident who spoke during Tuesday's meeting told the council that, though she may not agree with them all the time, she believes the act does not need to be rewritten.

Also last week, Dickerson and members of several citizens' groups traveled to Montgomery to tell legislators that they oppose the proposals.
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A victory in Ohio for Governor John Kasich could provide the momentum to win subsequent state primaries.

Polling is under way for Super Tuesday II. Thats when five states hold their presidential nominating contests  Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio.

It is the latter that is a must win for John Kasich, the Ohio governor.

The Republican presidential candidate is hoping this is the state where he will finally be able to gain the momentum needed to beat the frontrunner, Donald Trump.

The polls in Ohio in the run-up to voting day are in Kasichs favour.

Hes running ahead of Trump, but only slightly.

Without a win in his home state of Ohio, it is virtually impossible for Kasich to win the nomination.

Tough road ahead

Even with a victory in Ohio, Kasich has a tough road ahead.

Kasich is counting on the pool of Republican candidates narrowing on Tuesday.

Its his campaigns hope that rivals Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio, will do poorly in todays polls, and Kasich will emerge as the Republican establishment alternative to Trump.





A victory in Ohio for Kasich could provide the momentum to win subsequent state primaries, and lead to a contested convention in Cleveland, in July  once again in Kasichs home state.

The strategy is not impossible, but it is a long shot.

It hasnt happened in decades.

The Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is displaying similar optimism, in face of his rivals substantial lead in the delegate count.

Sanders defied expectation last week winning in Michigan, despite advance polling indicating he would lose the Michigan primary.

Sanders is hoping to pull off similar victories.

While his main challenger, Hillary Clinton, is polling ahead of Sanders nationally, some polls suggest he is closing in on that lead in Missouri, Illinois and, Ohio.

Voters I spoke to outside polling stations in Cleveland have told me that Sanders message of economic inequality is resonating.

Decline in manufacturing

Many living here in Americas so-called Rust Belt have felt the devastating effects of job loss due to a decline in manufacturing, globalisation and trade deals negotiated under Clintons husband, president Bill Clinton.

Another factor working in Sanders favour is the large number of unaffiliated voters showing up to vote according to those running the polls in Ohio.

One organiser, who wished to remain anonymous, told me that the number of absentee ballots requested in advance of todays vote is a positive sign for both Sanders  and Trump.





It suggests that those not typically involved in the political process are becoming engaged.

As seen by the large turnout at both Trump and Sanders rallies, Americans are frustrated with politics as usual in the US, and looking to alternative candidates on both the right and left for answers.

Still, here in Ohio, Kasich is undeterred by Trumps lead and is pressing on, campaigning with the 2012 Republican nominee, Mitt Romney.

Kasich is hopeful a win in Ohio is an investment in the future.

The state of Ohio has voted for the candidate who became president, every time, since 1964.

Thats why Kasich is working hard to woo voters here.

He hopes a win of the 66 delegates up for grabs in the Republican primary, will not only bring him closer to winning his partys nomination, but perhaps also the White House.
Over the past six months, Europes woes have intensified after a bloody attack in Paris last November, in which 130 people lost their lives, heightened security fears; and the inability to deal with the thousands of refugees who continue to arrive on European shores has raised economic and social concerns.

Despite having to manage these problems within Europe, a large group within the European Parliament is attempting to expand beyond Europes borders, adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to deepen engagement between European centre-right parties and their counterparts in emerging democracies in the Middle East and North Africa following the Arab Spring.

The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR), the third largest parliamentary group, is to hold its second summit in Turkey on March 19  having launched a summit in November in Tunisia  to continue spreading the values of centre-right political parties in Muslim-majority countries.

READ MORE: Summit in Tunis devolves into right-left heated debate

AECR encourages a free market, arguing that without inclusive growth, it is difficult to maintain the rule of law. It also tries to show how strong, centre-right principles such as pluralism go hand-in-hand with the principles of Islam.

Al Jazeera spoke with Syed Kamall, chairman of the ECR Group, United Kingdom, about the aim of the Antalya gathering, how a centre-right agenda is linked to Turkish politics, the influx of refugees into Europe, his response to accusations from leftists of neocolonialism, and other issues.

Al Jazeera: How does your initiative advance the values of centre-right political parties in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa?

Syed Kamall: From the EU perspective, there are many challenges across the region, from security and conflict, to youth unemployment and economic stagnation. We have been working so that EU support is tailored to the specific circumstances of individual countries.

READ MORE: European centre-rightists conclude summit in Tunis

We also want to support parties in developing the skills needed to operate in a democratic system. We stand for open and liberalised markets, which we believe offer the best chance for entrepreneurs to thrive and build a strong economy.

So we will do all that we can to help parties in the region to highlight the benefits in promoting economically liberal policies and reforms.

Al Jazeera: Many in the region believe that the Arab Spring has achieved little and that corruption and harassment are rife. How can centre-right policies help?

Kamall: I think the key to reducing corruption is building a small state in which all people feel they have the same opportunities, which is where centre-right policies of encouraging entrepreneurship and personal responsibility come in.

Rather than a few people ruling under a corrupt regime, everyone should have the same opportunities to take part in public life, and to open a business, to grow it, and to offer opportunities to others.

Al Jazeera: Some on the left in Tunisia accused you of neo-colonialism. How do you refute these accusations?

Kamall: I thought that those comments were ridiculous. Our interests were to help those parties and organisations that want to promote a pluralist and open society, and to start a dialogue. We believe it is to our mutual benefit to pursue common interests, including in trade, investment, culture, and security.

It is only through cooperation between the European Union, its member states, and the countries of the MENA region that we can ensure the aspirations of the Arab Spring uprising are fulfilled, guaranteed and cannot be reversed.

READ MORE: European centre-rightists reject accusations of neo-colonialism

I find it interesting that if I espouse freedom and liberal democracy I am accused by socialists of seeking to import Western ideas or meddling, while the left feel that they should be able to import their failed ideologies of socialism and Marxism from the West, which have led to misery for millions.

Unlike socialists, we do not seek to impose our views on people and tell them what to believe. We are conservatives, so we seek to encourage open debate and free speech so that the true spirit of the Arab Spring can be realised, and everybody can have a share in the open society that people were trying to create.

Al Jazeera: What do you hope to achieve in Turkey?

Kamall: Turkey is becoming one of the most central countries to solving so many crises, whether in Syria and Iraq, or the migrant crisis, or the ongoing debate about the future of secular Muslim countries  so it seems the right place to host this conference.

Quite honestly, I also intend to ask some questions of the Turkish government about their handling of some human rights and media freedom issues  I am concerned and will be looking to have a constructive discussion on these points.

Al Jazeera: And how can a centre-right agenda fit in with Turkish politics now?

Kamall: Lets face it. Turkey faces enormous challenges today  on its borders, with the refugee crisis, and in its internal security situation. I think it can sometimes be easy for us in Europe  sitting in our comfortable ivory towers  to fail to see the scale of Turkeys challenges.

In the face of those challenges, we believe it is more important than ever to hold fast to the values that have worked in the past: pluralism, respect for minorities, and a liberal market economy that spreads wealth to everyone.

Al Jazeera: Another development since your last meeting is the massive expansion of the refugee crisis. How do you propose solving this?

Firstly, we need to send out a strong signal that getting on a boat or paying a trafficker is not going to give you a better life in Europe. Only genuine refugees and those accepted through legal migration channels will be welcome to come. I believe that this is best achieved by having a system that resettles people directly from conflict zones under the UNHCRs supervision, rather than an open border that allows anyone to come and claim, and then have to go through the tough task of returning those irregular migrants.

We should ask how we can better secure our external borders, whether through greater coastguard resources under the EUs Frontex border agency, or using ships under a NATO operation that would also target and take out people traffickers.

READ MORE: Crisis looms as a new wave of refugees reach Europe

We are failing to get some of the basics right, such as immediately detaining people when they enter Europe, fingerprinting them, and swiftly processing their claim. If they have a right to stay, then we need to look at how we can accommodate them, give them housing and language lessons, and generally help with their integration into life here during their stay.

If they do not have a right to stay then they should be returned to their home country, and their home country should honour its agreements with the EU to accept them. We need to be clear that asylum seekers do not have freedom to move around Europe, but generally should be made to apply for asylum in the first safe country they come to.

When we finally start to implement some of these rules then we might start to stem the flow to more manageable levels. I believe that this is the best way to ensure that genuine refugees are not constantly pushed to the back of the queue by economic migrants.
This article previously stated that the name of the freelance designer is Ezrena Abdulla. This has been corrected to Ezrena Marwan.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  In 1968, the Atelier Populaires striking posters captured the mood of French students agitating for change. Nearly 50 years later, the movement has inspired a whole new generation of activists, thousands of kilometres eastward in Malaysia.

Decades before, on the streets of Paris, the Ateliers hand-drawn posters vividly conveyed the anger of people frustrated by increasing unemployment and the rising cost of living. In Malaysia, 38-year-old activist Fahmi Reza and the collective of artists who call themselves Grafik Rebel untuk Protes & Aktivisme (GRUPA), are motivated by outrage at a ballooning scandal over state investment firm, 1MDB, and hundreds of millions of dollars transferred into the private bank accounts of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The allegations are still under investigation in the United States, Switzerland and Singapore, but Malaysias own top prosecutor decided in January not to press charges because he said the money was a gift from Saudi Arabia, and the prime minister has denied any wrongdoing.

Weapons in the service of the struggle

Outraged by the decision, Reza was inspired to draw a caricature of the prime minister as a clown and shared it with his 7,500 followers on Twitter. The image, shared widely across social media, was accompanied by a caption that read: In a country full of corruption, we are all seditious.

I hope that my defiance and disobedience against authority will inspire others to do the same, Reza said. People need to have the courage to stand up against injustice, against corruption.

Like the Atelier Populaire, which saw its posters as weapons in the service of the struggle, Reza sees his art playing a vital role in raising awareness about political issues and agitating for change. The clown itself was inspired by Jamie Reids God Save the Queen artwork for the Sex Pistols, which showed Queen Elizabeth with a safety pin through her mouth, and was one of the defining images of the punk era.

His decision to depict Najib as an evil clown was designed to draw attention to the level of absurdity thats used to cover up the scandal and corruption, Reza said in an email to Al Jazeera from Thailand, where he is working. Our country is being governed by fools and crooks.

Social media taken too far

Social media has proved immensely popular in Malaysia, where mainstream media is owned and tightly controlled by the government or parties from the ruling coalition. Malaysians use Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to discuss the situation in their country, share stories from the media and chat with friends. Politicians are some of the most enthusiastic users.

But in recent months, authorities have issued warnings against those deemed to have gone too far, blocking websites, including Asia Sentinel and Sarawak Report, both of whom have been critical of the prime minister. Sarawak Report was among the first news sites to report the 1MDB scandal.

The blogging platform, Medium, was also blocked after the company refused to remove Sarawak Report from the site. The Malaysian Insider, a prominent news website, was also blocked and its editors questioned about a story related to the investigation into the allegations against the prime minister.

From a solely digital perspective, we are seeing things weve never seen before, said Malaysian digital culture analyst Niki Cheong, a PhD candidate and researcher of social media at Nottingham University in the UK. To my knowledge, this is the first time a platform has been banned as opposed to individual sites owned by particular individuals or organisations being targeted. This is a massive blow to all the freedoms  speech, press, expression  because there is so much more to Medium than just articles by Sarawak Report.

This is akin to banning Facebook and Twitter just because Fahmi chose to post those images there.

Things weve never seen before

Electronic media and social media were brought under the Sedition Act in 2015, according to Amnesty International, and a newly formed committee to monitor social media met this year for the first time. Chaired by the Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Salleh Said Keruak, its members also include the police and the attorney general.

Commenting on the Malaysian Insiders suspension, Keruak said Malaysians were still free to express their views. Theres freedom of speech in Malaysia. We can have different opinions; we can give our views, he was quoted as saying by Singapore broadcaster Channel News Asia. Its not a problem, but there are certain things we have to careful [with].

Keruak did not respond to Al Jazeeras requests for comment.

MALAYSIA: Crackdown on Freedom

Rezas clown drew a warning over Twitter from the Police Cyber Investigation response centre, which had apparently set up its own account on the platform. Shocked but undeterred, Reza followed up the sketch with a mock warning from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which included the original caricature, and a request for people to share it.

Meanwhile, a collective of more than 60 graphic artists known as GRUPA  Graphic Rebel for Protest and Activism  started drawing, and sharing, their own clown images.

If dissent is the highest form of patriotism, then our dissension had to be registered visually, GRUPA told Al Jazeera in a collective email.

Ezrena Marwan, a freelance designer and lecturer, has been developing an archive of Malaysian graphic design, charting its development under colonial rule, during the Japanese occupation and into the independence era, when graphic design was largely used by those in power.

I actually feel quite proud that designers are taking a stand over something that is beyond aesthetics, beyond their industry, to say something that is political, Marwan told Al Jazeera. It is good to see people trying to disrupt the narrative  what we consider to be the norm.

GRUPA first came to public attention at the Bersih rally last August, when it designed more than 100 eye-catching placards for demonstrators and made them available for download. Like the Atelier Populaire, they choose to remain anonymous.

We wanted to play our role in visualising the anger and outrage of regular citizens like us, who were taking the streets to make their voices heard, said GRUPA, which produced more than 90 new clown motifs and is looking to develop more.

READ MORE: Controlling the message in restive Malaysia

Gayathry Venkiteswaran, a Kuala Lumpur-based researcher and former executive director of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance, fears that the hardening digital climate might prompt some Malaysians to limit their social media activity. There are those who might retreat because of one incident, she said. Its quite insidious.

Reza, however  an activist for more than a decade who has been barred from university campuses and even the Borneo state of Sarawak  is not worried.

The man who calls himself a dissident designer and graphic rebel was recently questioned by the police and regulator last. Still, in the spirit of 1968 and the punks who inspired him, Reza continues to create  and broadly share  provocative images on Twitter and Facebook.

I am not afraid of being detained for speaking up, he said. I believe that in a country where artists and satirists have been censored, arrested and incarcerated for their art, it is important that this form of artistic expression  parody and satire as a form of political protest  continues to be practised and defended at all costs.
Idomeni, Greece  The refugee camp at the Greek village of Idomeni near the Greek border with Macedonia is slowly turning into a humanitarian catastrophe as more than 12,000 people have been stranded here by border closures.

The Untied Nations high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, has accused the European authorities of violating basic principles such as solidarity, dignity and human rights while applying restrictive measures by erecting fencing along their borders and refusing entry on the basis of nationality.

The high commissioner said the current situation in Greece is dramatic and the solution presented by European leaders wont do anything other than put further pressure on a country already in urgent need of assistance.

With overloaded boats daily crossing the Aegean Sea towards the shores of the Greek islands of Lesbos and Kos, the number of people venturing in the direction of Idomeni keeps growing.

Idomeni was originally established as a transit camp designed to hold no more than a few thousand people. The refugees and the aid organisations working at the camp report a shortage of blankets and tents which leaves people exposed to the elements, as well as sub-standard sanitary conditions with only cold water available for washing. There are no warm meals and refugees must wait for hours to receive food.

The camp is also lacking in availability of medical equipment and assistance. The tent set up by Doctors Without Borders is packed with young children receiving treatment for fever and infections caused by exposure to the cold weather and an environment lacking hygiene. The staff at the clinic say they feel overwhelmed.

While European politicians debate over how to deal with the situation, some refugees have taken matters into their own hands. On Monday, thousands of refugees marched away from the camp, looking for gaps in the razor-wire fence erected by Macedonia, and crossing the Crna Reka river by forming a human chain. Three people were reported to have drowned during the crossing.

READ MORE: Afghan refugees drown in river en route to Macedonia
If the pacification of the Syria conflict continues, the points of US-Russian convergence will come into sharper relief.

One of the positive and significant aspects of the Syria crisis is its effect on US-Russian relations. Russian President Vladimir Putins unexpected decision to withdraw forces from Syria is merely the latest chapter of this fast-moving engagement.

Highlighting this constructive and encouraging partnership is the intensive diplomatic cooperation that resulted in the Cessation of Hostilities agreement and the subsequent joint submission of UNSC Resolution 2268 for unanimous Council approval.

Most surprising of all, however, is the unlikely operational success of the ceasefires vague and imprecise monitoring and non-existent enforcement mechanisms. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has pronounced the implementation of the understandings as overwhelmingly positive.





The oppositions Higher Negotiations Council spokesman noted: The violations of the truce were great at the start, but [more recently] they were much fewer. There are perhaps some positive matters that we are seeing.

Acknowledging violations

Washington and Moscow, while acknowledging violations, have also taken pains to minimise their significance.

The system of identifying friends and foes, reporting violations of the ceasefire, and facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance to beleaguered communities, while far from perfect, has kept an uneasy peace far better than many expected.

READ MORE: Did Putin trump Obama in Syria?

Improvements on the battlefield are mirrored by a change in the language used to describe it. Washington no longer professes faith in changing Assads calculus by arming rebel factions. Nor are US-Russian interactions on Syria limited to mere deconfliction of military forces.

Improvements on the battlefield are mirrored by a change in the language used to describe it. by

ln this more hopeful environment there is simply no room for provocative assessments like the one declared by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in October, soon after the Russian offensive began, when he famously warned that Russia was painting a bulls-eye on themselves for everybody of all types who are opposed to Assad 

Without doubt, Washington continues to see Russia as a national security threat, especially in Eastern Europe. It believes that Iran maintains hegemonic ambitions and will continue to pose a threat to the region, according to testimony by General Lloyd Austin, outgoing head of the US Central Command.

And even as they endorse a negotiating process that includes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, US officials insistently declare that the Syrian president, in contrast to the system he leads, has no future.

Interests in Syria

Russia, for its part, has interests in Syria and elsewhere that challenge Washington. Yet on key elements of Syrias emerging diplomatic roadmap, Russia is demonstrating that while its interests in Syria are not identical to Washingtons, neither are they the same as Irans or Syrias.

And Washington too, in large part prompted by the new environment created by the Russian military offensive, is clarifying its own preferences on Syrias future in ways that are not necessarily incompatible with Moscows.

We are talking about keeping  Syria whole as a united nation, secular nation, protecting all minorities, in which the people of Syria can choose their future leadership, explained Secretary of State John Kerry in a March 9 interview. We want to preserve the institutions of the government. We dont want a complete implosion in Syria. We need to have some continuity. But Assad cannot stay at the head of that.

Washington is absolutely not prepared, as are some Russian officials, to describe this process of accommodation as an alliance.

READ MORE: Analysis  a reluctant Russia in the Middle East?

But on a number of critical fronts, the relationship forged between Washington and Moscow in recent months has for the first time in the five-year war offered the best opportunity for diplomats to begin to end the war, and in so doing establish a foundation that could resonate beyond Syria to other contentious issues on their joint agenda.

The Cessation of Hostilities agreement has been signed by almost 50 opposition groups, according to Russias reconciliation centre in Syria. As a consequence, they are meant to enjoy immunity from attack by the regime and its allies. The agreement has also quickened the pace and effectiveness of local reconciliation efforts managed by Damascus.

Map of the warring contestants

The important consequence of these achievements is that the Syrian battle space is becoming far more coherent, and therefore manageable both diplomatically and militarily.

Those who remain targets of the US and Russians, as well as their local allies, are being defined both politically and perhaps more importantly on the ground itself through maps that each side is drawing. The map of the warring contestants, which has long been all but incomprehensible, is slowly coming into clearer, agreed-upon focus.

The opposition, to be sure, is paying the biggest price for this achievement, on the battlefield as well as politically.

The opposition, to be sure, is paying the biggest price for this achievement, on the battlefield as well as politically. by

In both spheres, the lines separating those outside the new system of understandings from those protected by it is being clarified. This is the operational effect of dividing, and therefore weakening, the ranks of the non-ISIL opposition.

For Russia, this outcome represents a strategic achievement. This is far less the case for Washington and its uneasy allies in the Higher Negotiations Council, who are in effect dismantling the military coalition, including al-Nusra Front and others of its ilk, that has been constructed to challenge and defeat the regime.

What they may lose on the battlefield, Washington hopes, not without reason, to recoup with Moscows cooperation at the negotiating table.

A political solution between the parties is the only way to end the violence and give the Syrian people the chance they deserve to rebuild their country, explained Vice President Joe Biden in Abu Dhabi recently. To create a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian system, a new constitution and free and fair elections.

There is not much in this formula that Moscow will find objectionable. It would be a mistake to count Moscow as an uncritical patron of the Assad regime or of its allies in the region.

In important respects Moscows position on the need for a political as opposed to a military solution of the conflict, the vital role of the opposition in reconstructing a new political and social compact in Syria, and Syrias limited place in the resistance front arrayed against Israel  offer opportunities for dialogue and diplomatic progress.

If the pacification of the conflict  at least those bits not related to ISIL and others  continues, and the time for hard choices can no longer be avoided, the points of US-Russian convergence as well as those where views diverge can be expected to come into sharper relief.

Geoffrey Aronson writes about Middle Eastern affairs. He consults with a variety of public and private institutions dealing with regional political, security, and development issues.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Have you noticed how President Vladimir Putin does not prepare the political grounds or give any advance notice before he acts? Or how he seems not to give a damn about international public opinion?

True to brand Putin, the Russian leaders decision to withdraw forces from Syria this week was as much of a surprise as his decision to deploy them back in September.

He shocked and stunned his friends and foes alike. Well, except perhaps US President Barack Obama.





Putin, previously an officer in the former Soviet Unions main security agency, the KGB, has not given up on his style and demeanour. Old habits die hard, if at all.

Unpredictable or uncanny

He reveals little and maintains an element of surprise in much of what he does  as though he is trying to impress or awe; not exactly the way one would expect a superpower leader to act.

Yet, Putins decisions are not random, uncanny or eccentric. In fact, he demonstrated thus far that hes a calculating and savvy tactician and might even prove to be a successful strategist.

READ MORE: Analysis: A reluctant Russia in the Middle East?

In this regard, Putin claims to have achieved his goals after five months of aerial bombardment, which include taking on the terrorists in order to save the Syrian regime.

Putin claims to have achieved his goals after five months of aerial bombardment, which include taking on the 'terrorists' in order to save the Syrian regime. by

And while Russias mainly aerial military intervention did prevent the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, it proved insufficient to impose a Russian order in the country.

In any case, and regardless of whether Putins mission was indeed accomplished, the question remains: Did Putin prove Obama wrong on Syria? Or has he finally heeded Obamas advice?

Putins calculus in Syria

Obama has warned his Russian counterpart against getting bogged down in a second Afghanistan and urged him to work with and not against those trying to take on ISIL instead.

Contrary to the warnings of the Obama administration, Putin continued to support the Assad dictatorship at a great cost to Syria and the Syrian people.

His gamble in Syria did not backfire and the country did not turn into a Russian quagmire.

Putin, who seized on Obamas hesitation to deploy military force in Syria, had succeeded in pulling the rug from under the Obama administration to dictate the way towards a diplomatic solution, and to carve a new role for Russia in Syria and beyond.

Over the past five years, as Syria descended into a fully fledged civil war with tragic consequences to its people, Putin was steadfast in his support for the Syrian regime, while Obama has been reluctant, indecisive and weak.

Since he announced back in 2011 that Assad had to go, Obama did little  if anything at all  to make this happen. Syrians expected that when the leader of the worlds superpower made such an assertion, it would have more value than if Joe the Plumber uttered it.

The armchair general

Obama was even reluctant to use power against the Assad regimes use of chemical weapons against its people. Even his supporters were disappointed; and his vice president, Joe Biden, admitted: Big nations dont bluff.

READ MORE: Peace process in Syria: Talk, talk, kill, kill

Moreover, Obama rejected the idea of a no-fly zone in northern Syria to protect the refugees. His support for those whom Washington deems moderate has been terribly limited and inconsistent, just as his fight to degrade and defeat ISIL has been slow and unstrategic.

In short, unlike Putin, Obama has weighed all the angles and deliberated on the meaning and consequences of military actions after the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the military campaign in Libya. He examines all the scenarios, options and instruments available to him.

But unlike Putin, Obama did not act. His deliberation and consultation, like those of an armchair general, were mainly to spare and not to guide the US to take direct military action in Syria, other than against ISIL

One must not rush to a conclusion, as Russia will continue to maintain a serious military presence and bases in the future; it will continue to push for a friendly regime in Damascus. With oil prices dwindling, Putin doesnt have the surplus cash to fuel an open ended war in Syria.

The way forward

But the timing of the Russian decision to coincide with the opening of Syrian talks in Geneva this week underlines its political importance.

Putin's message to Assad may be read as follows: You can no longer bank on sustained Russian effort to defeat your enemies ... by

Putins message to Assad may be read as follows: You can no longer bank on sustained Russian effort to defeat your enemies; you must instead negotiate in good faith a way out of the deadly civil war.

If Assad tries to outsmart the Russians by betting on his allies in Tehran to support his exigent stance, I would not be surprised if the Russians lifted their protection, and Assad ended up in the Hague on war crimes charges sooner rather than later.

Assad denies that he has any differences with Putin, but he is probably too cautious to make any pronouncements at this stage that might trigger Russian anger and lead to closer Russian-US realignment.

There are increasing signs that perhaps Putin and Obama are heading towards a more accommodating phase of Russian-US relations.

After all, while the calculating Obama was complaining about the Russian intervention, he has been trying through his Secretary of State John Kerry to turn the challenge of Putins involvement into an opportunity that allows him to push forward with a co-chaired diplomatic process with better guarantees for success.

Putin might have played his cards right over the past six months, and his gamble could pay off diplomatically, but it will be Obama who will eventually cash in his chips, whether through sanctions relief, diplomatic empowerment or even cooperation in other areas of the region and the world.

Marwan Bishara is the senior political analyst at Al Jazeera. Follow him on Facebook.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The way out of this bloody quagmire would be to try to restore the peace talks between Turkey and the PKK.

What is the lesson from the March 13 terror attack in downtown Ankara, which killed 37 innocent souls, including a seven-month-old unborn baby?

For journalist David Lepeska, the lesson is that Turkey is now a failing state. For the Turkish government has proved unable to stop terrorists from attacking the heart of  the centre of its capital  three times in the past five months, and for some other reasons that are scrutinised in these pages.

But by that measure, wouldnt some of the developing or developed countries be almost failed states as well, for they could not stop terrorists from carrying out separate waves of massacres in their major cities or had to deal with similar incidents on different levels over the past few years?

Refugees, terrorist cells, decimating cities are not uncommon instances in some of them.

The question is not to whitewash Ankara from the various mistakes and shortcomings in its security measures and foreign policy  especially with regard to Syria.

We Turks have to discuss these failures openly, and those in power should be able to listen to us honestly, without branding its critics as traitors to the nation.

Religious vs nationalist zealotry

Yet, one should also see that modern-day terrorism, with its sophisticated weaponry, decentralised decision-making, and vast number of active terrorists and sleeping cells, is very hard to defuse for any government.

Especially if that country has its longest border with Syria  home of the world bloodiest civil war  and a few million of its own citizens sympathise with the terror group that it is fighting with, the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK), which seems to be behind last Sundays bloody attack.

The Syrian branch of the PKK may have emerged as an ally of both the United States and Russia against ISIL, but Turkey has to worry about its own peace and long-term stability, for which the PKK is nothing but an imminent threat. by

One should also see that, in the face of terror, citizens should indeed question authority for failing to prevent it, as Lepeska duly noted. But, alas, all of us should also question, and condemn, terror itself.

Of course, everybody has condemned the deadly car bomb in Ankara. But not everybody has admitted the political meaning of it: This incident, along with the previous car bombing in Ankara in February which killed 30 people, proves that Turkeys concerns about the Kurds are not unfounded.

I used the term the Kurds in quotation marks, for that is how the armed forces of the PYD, or the Democratic Union Party in Syria, and its mothership, the PKK, Turkeys biggest terrorist foe since the early 1980s, have often been referred to in Western media.

Numerous articles have been written lately on how these Kurds are the finest boots on the ground against ISIL, how progressive they are with their brave women in uniform, and questioning why in the world Turkey, a NATO ally, sees them as terrorists to fight rather than freedom fighters to support.

Well, the latest attack in Ankara gives a sad answer to that question: One of those supposedly modern, secular, progressive Kurdish women in arms was Seher Cagla Demir, the 24-year-old suicide bomber, who blew herself up in a bomb-laden car to kill dozens of innocent bystanders.

She was motivated not by the religious zealotry of ISIL, but the ethno-nationalist zealotry of the PKK  proving to us that the latter ideology is not always less lethal than the former.

Legitimate concerns

Turkey really cannot be blamed for being concerned with this ethno-nationalist threat, which is escalating from mere guerrilla warfare with security forces to wanton terror in Turkeys major cities.

The Syrian branch of the PKK may have emerged as an ally of both the United States and Russia against ISIL, but Turkey has to worry about its own peace and long-term stability, for which the PKK is nothing but an imminent threat  perhaps a threat bigger than ISIL, whose supporters inside Turkey are only minuscule compared with the supporters of the PKK.

OPINION: Ankara bombing and the failing Turkish state

The issue here, by the way, is not the Kurds.

The PKK does not represent all Kurds, but only a fraction of them.

It is also true that while the Turkish Republic has been unforgivably authoritarian on its Kurdish citizens for decades  with senseless bans on their language and culture  many reforms have taken place in the past decade that gave Kurds all the cultural freedoms they deserve.

Moreover, Turkey has developed good relations with Iraqi Kurdistan, whose leader, Massoud Barzani, has recently blamed the arrogant PKK for the failure of peace talks with the Turkish government.

OPINION: Turkey is not in bed with ISIL

Of course, had those peace talks worked, everything would be much better for all of us. Turkey would have secured its peace, the PKK could have given all its energy to fighting ISIL within Syria (and even Iraq), and Western capitals would not be pressed to choose between their longtime NATO ally and their new-found friends in Syria.

Therefore, the way out of this bloody quagmire is to try to restore those peace talks  and first a ceasefire between the Turkish government and the PKK.

Western governments, in particular the US, would be only wise to work for that end, by using their apparent leverage on the PYD to force the PKK to abandon its violent campaign inside Turkey.

And this work can only begin when it is understood that Ankaras concern with the Kurds is not a baseless obsession.

Mustafa Akyol is a Turkish journalist, regular opinion writer for Al-Monitor, and author of Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Rouba Mhaissen is founder and director of Sawa Foundation (UK), and Sawa for Development and Aid (Lebanon).

Yet another March 15 passes. Yet another commemoration of the birth of a peaceful protest in which Syrians took to the streets demanding their rights.

As the world watched, the revolution was slowly hijacked by a proxy war, which has now claimed the lives of almost half a million Syrian people and forced more than half of Syrias initial population to leave their homes.

Syrians now form the largest refugee population on earth  in UK terms, that is more than the entire population of Wales fleeing the country. But these incomprehensibly large figures tell nothing of the human suffering that I see daily in my work with Syrian refugee families.





Those numbers undervalue the extent of the suffering. They dont speak to those who have lost body parts, who are now sick, who have lost family members, the orphaned, the widowed, the jobless. Those numbers do not cater for the millions of broken dreams and the lost hope.

After five long years of watching the bombs rain down on their homes, schools and hospitals, the fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia over the past weeks has provided vital respite to Syrian civilians from the horrors of war.

Crucial sliver of hope

This is a crucial sliver of hope for people who felt long ago abandoned by the international community. The streets were filled again. And hope found its way to the hearts of Syrians around the world. We could be finally witnessing a real turning point in this bloody catastrophe.

READ MORE: Who is weaponising the Syrian refugees?

But if not nurtured, failure to see this deal through could actually lead to an intensification of the violence, forcing hundreds of thousands more to flee and sending a dangerous signal to all parties that the world is disturbingly tolerant of murder, torture and laying entire cities to siege.

While humanitarian assistance is desperately needed now, it cannot be a substitute for political progress ... by

Syrian people want and need an end to the violence, and the most basic support: hundreds of thousands of men and women, literally starving to death in besieged cities, need sustained deliveries of food, medicine and other vital aid, not isolated aid trucks and sporadic, failed attempts at air-drops.

For too long the international community has allowed warring parties to use starvation as a weapon of war, to veto aid deliveries, to condemn innocent Syrian civilians to death.

And while humanitarian assistance is desperately needed now, it cannot be a substitute for political progress, nor a smokescreen for Russian attacks against civilians to continue.

Failure to stop barrel bombs, and war crimes, the failure to secure safe skies under which people can lead normal lives, will only fuel more extremism, no matter how many bombs the US or Russia drop. Nor will it do anything to end the flow of refugees desperate to escape to safety.

Camerons push to aid Syrians

Last month in London I spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron and other world leaders at a global conference on the Syria crisis.

Cameron deserves praise for leading an increased push for aid to Syrians. But the UK cannot keep congratulating itself while innocent Syrian civilians continue to live in fear for their lives.

The support that Syrians really need now is a demonstration by David Cameron, Angela Merkel and other European leaders that they will not tolerate the carnage continuing to play out in slow motion in Syria. The violence must end.

World leaders must stand with ordinary Syrians and make it clear to all key parties to the conflict and their backers, including Russia, the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, that we have reached a tipping point: broker a genuine political solution for Syria now, or allow the deadly proxy-war to further entrench, with terrifying consequences for the region and the world, but most importantly for Syrians.

Against all odds, Syrians still hold out hope. Five years after Syrians took to the streets, after we lost family, friends, neighbours, and entire cities have been wiped from the map, we still dream of a peaceful, democratic Syria. We cannot accept a return to the status quo. We wont.

Dr Rouba Mhaissen is an economist, activist and development practitioner who works on development issues in the MENA region, particularly forced migration and the Syrian refugee crisis. She is the founder and director of Sawa Foundation (UK), and Sawa for Development and Aid (Lebanon), both civil society organisations working with Syrian refugees on an integrated approach to development.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
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Government : Parliamentary system, Unitary state, Constitutional monarchy.



: Parliamentary system, Unitary state, Constitutional monarchy.




Family members die in river as thousands try alternative route to Macedonia from Greece after border closure.

At least three refugees from Afghanistan have drowned while trying to reach Macedonia from Greece via a river, as they struggled with the alternative route following the closure of the main border.

The bodies of the victims were pulled out the Suva Reka river, which was swollen by rain, early on Monday.

Macedonia state news said they had drowned in the icy waters having crossed into our territory, finding a spot where the [razor wire border] fence ends.

About 23 others were later rescued from the river, and placed in a local refugee camp.

WATCH: Refugees from Greece camp cross into Macedonia

They were among more than 1,000 people who attempted to march to Macedonia using alternative routes in recent days, after the Balkan nation effectively blocked large numbers from continuing their journey on February 21 by imposing strict restrictions.

On Tuesday, Toni Angelovski, Macedonias interior ministry spokesman, told the AP news agency that the refugees have been returned to Greece, but did not elaborate.

Images from the border on Monday showed hundreds of refugees form a human chain as they helped others to cross the narrow river stream.

Macedonian officials said on Tuesday that about 700 refugees and migrants were sent back to Greece on trucks.

Deep despair in Idomeni

Ljubinka Brasnarska, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) field officer for Macedonia, was at the scene where the three refugees drowned.

I was there when they [Macedonian authorities] were taking out the third body, she told Al Jazeera on Tuesday, adding that the victims were from the same family  two sisters and one of their husbands.

A surviving relative told officials that one of the sisters was pregnant. It is not known exactly when the three attempted the crossing.





What is happening is that people in Idomeni are in really deep despair, added Brashnarska, referring to the Greek town where thousands of refugees have massed, hoping to cross into Macedonia on their way through to northern Europe.

They [refugees] are very frustrated, they are really desperate and fearful that they have come this far and will never be able to move on. That despair makes them do desperate things, like crossing a river that has a level. Many tried to cross. Some got stuck, some were carried by the water.

Brashnarska said the stream is  in normal weather conditions  very shallow.

In order to stop irregular crossings, countries need to provide legal pathways  People will not just stand still. They will want to cross, she said.

READ MORE: Crisis looms as a new wave of refugees reaches Europe

Jesper Frovin Jensen, emergency coordinator for the UN agency for children (UNICEF), said the situation in Macedonia on Tuesday had eased, with border police manning the dangerous crossing.

The level of water in the stream had also dropped, he said.

But, he added: This is a crisis for children, for children this is an emergency. We see more than 60 percent of people here in this region of Europe as women and children. This is a crisis for vulnerable people, and their vulnerability gets bigger and bigger.

The number of families arriving has risen since the start of the year, he said, while the number of single men had dropped.

We call upon everyone to ensure children have the best health possible, even if it is an abnormal situation for them [host countries].

Children were especially at risk, as most do not arrive with suitable clothing for cold European weather, which on Monday in Macedonia dropped to four degrees.

First and foremost, they [children] need to be provided with better [living] conditions, he said.

Safe passages urged

Border restrictions implemented on February 21 by Macedonian authorities included a crackdown on crossings by refugees from Afghanistan  a country where civilian casualties reached a record 11,000 in 2015.

That move created a build-up of refugees in Greece where more continue to arrive each day.

In the past few weeks, the border area has become severely overcrowded, with people forced to camp in cold, wet conditions at Idomeni  where at least 12,000 are now stranded.

As the refugee crisis intensifies, rights organisations have called for unity within Europe, with many warning of a looming humanitarian crisis on the continent amid border closures.

[We] have been calling for a long time on EU member states to facilitate safe passage, Gerry Simpson, refugee researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera.

These deaths are just the latest in a series of tragedies resulting from the failure to open land borders to asylum seekers, he said.

Nearly 500 refugees have died while making the perilous journey to Europe across the Mediterranean so far this year, as ongoing conflicts spur a massive jump in the number of arrivals.

As of Friday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said at least 455 refugees and migrants died in the Mediterranean in the first 70 days of the year, from January 1 to March 11. In the first three months of 2015, some 505 refugees and migrants died at sea.

In the same 70-day period, at least 146,652 refugees and migrants arrived In Europe, a huge jump from the 20,700 who made the journey in the first quarter of 2015.

With 3,771 deaths, 2015 was the deadliest year on record for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe, the IOM has said. By comparison, 3,279 deaths were recorded in the Mediterranean in 2014.

Follow Anealla Safdar on Twitter: @anealla
Mass killer Anders Breivik made a Nazi salute as he returned to court in an effort to improve his conditions inside the prison where he is held in isolation for massacring 77 people in bomb-and-gun attacks that shocked Norway in 2011.

Appearing in the public eye for the first time on Tuesday since his conviction nearly four years ago, the 37-year-old Norwegian and his lawyers tried to convince a judge that his prison conditions are inhuman and violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

The government has rejected his claims, saying he is being treated humanely and with dignity, despite the severity of his crimes.

PROFILE: Anders Behring Breivik

In a dark suit with a shaved head, Breivik was led into the gym-turned-courtroom in Skien prison, where the trial is being held for security reasons.

After prison guards removed his handcuffs, he turned to journalists covering the hearing and stretched out his right arm in a Nazi salute. Stony-faced, he remained there for a few seconds as guards stood idle and his lawyer Oystein Storrvik nervously took a sip of water.

Many survivors and families of victims have tried to ignore the trial, fearing it could reopen emotional wounds. They dont want Breivik to get any more attention. Still, some watched a retransmission of the proceedings from a court in Oslo.

A farce

Its pathetic, its a farce, said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter, Synne, was killed in Breiviks rampage on Utoya island. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

In violence that shocked Norway on July 22, 2011, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslos government district and then carried out the massacre at the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labor Partys youth organisation on Utoya.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, but his term can be extended as long as he is considered a danger to society. Even his lawyer said on Tuesday that means Breivik is likely to be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

During his criminal trial four years ago, Breivik entered the court with his own salute, using a clenched fist instead of the outstretched hand that the Nazis used to greet Adolf Hitler. At the time, Breivik described himself as a modern-day crusader, fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

READ MORE: Norwegian killer Breivik wins place at Oslo University

In letters sent to the media from prison, Breivik said he had abandoned his armed struggle and now wanted to create a fascist movement while serving his sentence.

Before the hearing started, Storrvik said the goal of the case was to improve Breiviks prison conditions, including allowing to him to interact with other prisoners and removing some restrictions on his mail correspondence.

That is what we want because the conditions are hard now, Storrvik told the Associated Press news agency.

Breivik is held as the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison, about 100km southwest of Oslo. He is allowed some mail correspondence, but it is strictly controlled and he is not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

The government said the restrictions were well within the human rights convention, and were needed to make sure Breivik wasnt able to build extremist networks from prison.

Breivik is set to address the court on Wednesday. Both sides will call witnesses to testify before closing arguments on Friday. The judgment is expected about a month later.
Activists did not know how to find a common ground, ultimately harming the uprising.

Syrian activist Ahed Zarzour reflects on five years of civil war and revolution.

When the revolution broke out in March 2011, I was an English language lecturer at Damascus University.

At the time, we knew something was brewing, but could not figure out what it was. Damascus had witnessed several signs of what was to come.

In 2000, when I was a 12-year-old pupil, Bashar al-Assad came to power. Shortly afterwards, Syria witnessed what was then called the Damascus Spring  the launch of a number of forums where all issues were discussed.

The problem was that while Assad gave the people some kind of freedom, it was followed by a strong, fatal blow. Political and cultural forums, where Syrians could debate freely for the first time in four decades, were shut down. Where we had once been full of hope and high expectations, we suddenly became terrified.

The years between 2005 and 2011 were very bad in Syria.

I come from a politically oriented family. Im used to having discussions on politics at home. My father is affiliated with the Socialist Union, an official opposition party, and my mother signed the Damascus Declaration.

I started university in 2005, a time of extreme repression. Though I was not affected by my familys political views, I tried to read more. I started reading books written by Syrian opposition figures. I had more questions than answers. I used to ask myself, Why are those young men held in prison? or Why was someone like Tal al-Mallouhi, a young Syrian blogger, imprisoned?

In 2009, I started my own blog, which I later named Nafas (Breeze). I created it in response to Mallouhis public trial; she was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison, triggering a major uproar. Mallouhi, who was only 17 when arrested, inspired me to become an activist.

Despite having political discussions at home, I dare not talk politics at the university. Everyone was afraid. Parents would never let their children express their views or even read about politics. The parents were more oppressive than the regime itself, because they themselves faced the regimes oppression.

My parents had always warned me that such activities must be carried out in secret. Nonetheless, I joined the March 15 protest in Damascus.

I saw how the youth were mobilised on Facebook and decided to join them. On social media, people posted a photo of a girl who was arrested by security forces. Another demonstration was held on March 16 in front of the Interior Ministry, but I did not join this one; I was too afraid.

On March 18, the Deraa incident took place, in which several residents were killed, prompting further protests. I could not believe what was happening.

There were protests in many other cities, including Damascus, Homs and Baniyas. In Baniyas, the protesters even stated their demands in public. To me, it was the most beautiful day ever. It was the real revolution I was dreaming about, because Syrians had never done this before.

I took a picture of the sky at the airport, knowing it was the last time I would look at the Damascus skyline. I was very sad, because I had to leave when my dream had finally started to come true.

After March 18, the Syrian people were silent again. For one week, only the people in Deraa continued to protest. The funeral processions for the murdered residents took place on Saturday and Sunday.

Others followed. The city was surrounded by security forces. The army committed massacres that week, yet people remained silent.

I despaired.

I did not expect people to stage protests the following Friday, but they did, in huge numbers. I cried a lot that day.

People were mesmerised by what had happened in Deraa. Protests were staged in many Syrian cities.

In Hama, the so-called Hama Spring took place. People held massive carnivals because the Hama governor allowed them to do so. He was different from other governors; he did not order the security forces to open fire at protesters. The most beautiful pictures of demonstrations came from Hama at that time.

But matters took a turn for the worse. I left Syria in May 2011 at my parents insistence, because my father knew I had joined the protest on March 15. He knew how those arrested, especially women, were tortured and abused in jail by intelligence agents.

He forced me to go to Saudi Arabia, where I had a residence permit. I went through a very difficult time and became deeply depressed. On the day I left Syria, I took a picture of the sky at the airport, knowing it was the last time I would look at the Damascus skyline. I was very sad, because I had to leave when my dream had finally started to come true.

Some of my friends were killed. I remember a very dear Palestinian friend, Anas Mushmush, who was killed after being tortured in Hama in September 2012. He had created a video blog. He only wanted to have his own business and live a good life.

After I left Syria, I had the chance to speak under my name. My father let me carry out these activities because he saw how enraged I was.

With friends, I started a blog. My group of friends used to write articles and post them on our groups only, not for the general public. I suggested the creation of a group blog under false names, and we created Kibrit, one of the first blogs that supported the revolution. Many people sent us articles for publication under false names. I was the editor-in-chief for three years.

I was engaged in revolution-related activities 24/7, organising events with people inside and outside Syria. I always felt I still needed to do more, especially as I saw people getting killed for that purpose.

We even created coordination groups for those living outside Syria, raising funds to send to those inside Syria. I focused on media work, as media organisations, including those backing the revolution, did not cover the events in a fair way.

Pro-revolution media personnel were either too elitist or too populist. On the other hand, the youth over-used social media networks, creating divisions and schisms that ultimately harmed the revolution by fostering sectarian divisions or pitting Islamists versus secularists.

The formation of the Free Syrian Army was the initial point after which social media groups and bloggers started to split into secular, Islamist, pro-armed-struggle and anti-armed-struggle groups. Those divisions planted the seeds of sectarianism, which we had previously avoided.

Our slogan was, Long live the revolution  a revolution of Sunnis, Druze and Alawites!. Some people did not see themselves as part of any of those rival camps, and I was one of them.

I did not know which side I supported. I felt this was all wrong. They did not know how to find a common ground for dialogue, ultimately harming the revolution.

In 2013, I went to Idlib, Syria, on the anniversary of the revolution. I went for three days and could not stay longer. When asked what I was going to do there, I said I wanted to stand under the barrel bombs being dropped on the city. I wanted to truly live through what other Syrians had been living.

I still dream about going back to Aleppo, though people advise against it because of the danger. I sometimes go to the Turkish city of Gaziantep, because it is close to Idlib and Aleppo.

I miss our house in Damascus. It was in Jobar, which has been destroyed. We have seen pictures of our house, partially damaged, although it was a new house.

Idlib has been liberated. Our house there is still standing. Some of our relatives, who have fled other areas, are staying there.

When we were in Jobar, the regime used to cut phone lines every weekend. The mosque facing our house used to announce the names of martyrs every Friday. I used to see armed intelligence agents pursuing young men in the streets.

I used to sing a song while talking with my friend on Skype:

What a shame! A hail of bullets aimed at unarmed civilians

How could you arrest little children!

How could you, the son of my country, kill my own children!

What a shame!

It is a sad song. We did not expect this to happen. We were really disappointed.

What hurts me the most is that I am not one of those people sacrificing their blood for Syria. But what makes me feel better is that the children of Syria may live a better, happier life in the future.

The image of the children of Syria reflected on the media, suffering and deprived of everything, is wrong. Children living through these difficult conditions will value life more. They will learn better than we did.
Journalists briefly held by police after attempting to question Malaysian prime minister about corruption allegations.

The two Australian journalists detained in Malaysia for attempting to interview the countrys prime minister about corruption allegations were deported on Tuesday after authorities decided not to charge them.

The decision came after the Australian government intervened and suggested the detention was part of a Malaysian crackdown on press freedom.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu had been told to appear in a Sarawak state court on Tuesday morning.



Najib Razak and the $700 million scandal

They were initially charged with obstructing a public servant from discharging his duties when they questioned Prime Minister Najib Razak as he entered a mosque on Saturday.

The state broadcaster reported that two hours after a press release was issued on Monday confirming the charges, the lawyer for the two was told they would not be prosecuted.

ABC said no explanation was given for the about-face.

On Monday, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the case would be raised at the highest levels within the Malaysian government.

She added there were concerns about a crackdown on freedom of speech.

Sarawak police said the pair were arrested after they crossed the security line and aggressively tried to approach Najib, accusations that the ABC denied.

Najib is engulfed in a scandal over $681m deposited into his bank account in early 2013. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In January, Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali decided not to prosecute the prime minister, saying the money was a personal donation from the Saudi royal family.

READ MORE: Malaysia slammed for arresting Australian journalists

Besser and Eroglu, on assignment for an investigative current affairs programme, had asked Najib as he entered a mosque why the money had been deposited into his account.

Najib did not respond and his security detail surrounded the two journalists.

Online reaction to the release was positive, with some tweeting pictures of the two journalists in Malaysias airport prior to departure.

.@4Corners staff Linton Besser & Louie Eroglu at Kuching airport about to get on a plane to Singapore  touch wood! pic.twitter.com/X8gTmhnz99  Sally Neighbour (@neighbour_s) March 15, 2016

Besser and Eroglu say goodbye Malaysia. Awaiting departure pic.twitter.com/JS6wYYqiw3  Adam Harvey (@adharves) March 15, 2016
Governor criticised after failing to inform officials about the massive cyber-theft, allegedly by hackers in Asia.

Dhaka, Bangladesh  The central bank governor resigned on Tuesday after hackers allegedly stole $81m of government money from a US account and he failed to inform the finance minister about the massive cyber-heist.

Central Bank Governor Atiur Rahman told reporters he was ready to resign from my post for the sake of the country.

Preliminary investigations suggest that hackers accessed Bangladesh Banks computer systems and stole key information in order to pull off the brazen electronic theft.

The US Federal Reserve Bank in New York transferred $81m from Bangladeshs bank account on February 4 into the accounts of four men in the Philippines, after receiving what appeared to be legitimate transfer orders.

The transfer of another $20m to a Sri Lankan bank was stopped after a routing bank became suspicious of a spelling mistake and sought clarification from Bangladesh Bank, officials said.

The hackers are reported to have sent dozens more false vouchers to the US Federal Reserve Bank, which could have resulted in the transfer of about $950m from the Bangladesh account.

The governor has been strongly criticised in recent days for failing to inform the finance minister about the huge loss, which only came to light following news reports in the Philippines  one month after the money was illegally transferred.

READ MORE: Bangladesh to sue US bank over $100m lost to hackers

I am very unhappy about the handling of the matter by Bangladesh Bank  very incompetent, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said on Sunday.

Bangladeshs government said last week it will sue the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for failing to prevent the theft.

But the bank announced on its Twitter account that there is no evidence of attempts to penetrate Federal Reserve systems and no evidence Fed systems were compromised.

Subhankar Saha, an executive director at the Bangladesh Bank, told Al Jazeera the governor resigned because some sort of mistake was done, and some people had accused the central bank for being responsible.

New cyber-attacks are happening, new types of viruses are being created, but what we can say is we have already strengthened our systems and instructed all commercial banks of the country to take measures to make their systems more robust and strong, Saha said.

He refused to comment when asked if Bangladesh Bank officials may have assisted the hackers, saying an ongoing investigation is keeping in mind whether inside people were or were not involved.

Rahman was only last year named central bank governor of the year for Asia by a financial newspaper to much acclaim in Bangladesh.

Fazle Kabir, a former finance ministry bureaucrat, and current chairman of a state-owned bank, has been named as his replacement.
Government confiscated more than 200 hectares of Palestinian land in the occupied territory near Jericho, group says.

Israel has grabbed one of the largest Palestinian land plots in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli watchdog has said in a statement following the revelation by the Israeli Army Radio.

The anti-settlement NGO Peace Now said on Tuesday that the Israeli government has seized 234 hectares of land in an area south of Jericho on March 10.

The group added that plans for expanding nearby Jewish settlements and building tourism and other commercial facilities in the area were already on Israels drawing board.

Instead of trying to clam the situation, the government is adding fuel to the fire and sending a clear message to Palestinians, as well as to Israelis, that it has no intention to work towards peace and two states, the Israeli organisation said.

Photos of a de facto Israeli confiscation notice were tweeted by the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The notice listed 2,342 dunams (234 hectares) and carried the signature of an official identified on the map as Israels supervisor of government property and abandoned property in Judea and Samaria, Hebrew terms for the West Bank.

Such an appropriation would be the largest since August 2014, and larger than the 154 hectares area that Israel first said in January it planned to designate as government property near the Dead Sea.

News of those plans drew international condemnation at the time.

The declaration, which is in fact a confiscation, was meant for the expansion of nearby settlements as well as for trade and tourism projects operated by the settlers, Peace Now said in the statement.

READ MORE: US sued over donations for illegal Israeli settlements

In October, Israel retroactively legalised about 800 homes in four settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to the interior ministry.

They included 377 homes in the Yakir settlement, 187 in Itamar and 94 in Shilo in the northern West Bank, as well as 97 more in Sansana in the south of the occupied Palestinian territory.

The international community regards all Jewish settlements in the West Bank as illegal. But the Israeli government makes a distinction between those it has authorised and those it has not.

Settlements and outposts are seen as major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land that Palestinians see as part of a future state.
Al-Qaeda branch claims it carried out Sundays attack, which left 18 dead, as revenge for Frances offensive in Sahel.

Ivory Coast has raised its security alert to the highest level and President Alassane Ouattara has pledged that the country would not be intimidated by terrorists following the attack on a beach town that killed 18 people.

Armed with grenades and assault rifles, the attackers stormed three hotels on Sunday and sprayed the beach with bullets in the resort of Grand Bassam, located 40km from the commercial capital Abidjan.

The Ivory Coast will not allow itself to be intimidated by terrorists, Ouattara said in a statement broadcast on radio and television.





Ivory Coast is standing up, standing up to fight the cowards and protect its people.

The attack was claimed by al-Qaedas North Africa branch Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which said that it was revenge for a French offensive against fighters in the Sahel region and called for its forces to withdraw.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, French foreign minister, and Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, arrived in Ivory Coast on Tuesday to reassure the large French community and boost the investigation into the attack which left four French civilians dead.

Three Ivorian special forces personnel were killed and three of the attackers were also among the dead.

We repeat our call to all countries involved in the French invasion of Mali to withdraw, said the AQIM statement.

Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, reporting from Grand Bassam, said that security forces were organising a re-enactment of the events that took place on Sunday.

They are asking those eye witnesses for as much information as possible, trying to find clues as to what the security lapses were to try to ensure that an attack like this doesnt happen again. he said.

France launched Operation Serval to defeat fighters from northern Mali and replaced it in 2014 with Operation Barkhane which targets them across the Sahel region.
Polls show Ohio governor either in a tie with or leading billionaire businessman in contest for states 66 delegates.

Despite sitting fourth in virtually every national poll, Ohio Governor John Kasich is shaping up as the man to potentially stop, or at least slow, Donald Trumps momentum as he surges towards becoming the Republican nominee for the United States presidency.

Ohio, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri hold nominating contests on Tuesday for the November 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.

All up, 367 delegates are up for grabs with Florida and Ohio holding the big prizes of 99 delegates and 66 delegates, respectively  which will be awarded on a winner-takes-all basis.





Elsewhere, North Carolinas delegates will be doled out proportionally, while Illinois and Missouri award their delegates at the congressional-district level. The territory of the Northern Mariana islands, near Guam in the Pacific Ocean, will also award nine delegates in caucuses.

Polls have consistently shown Trump enjoying a large lead in Florida, despite the candidacy of the states senator, Marco Rubio.

The latest average of major polls in the state, published by RealClearPolitics, shows Trump leading with 43 percent, ahead of Rubio at 24.4 percent.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz trails in third on 18.7 percent, with Kasich a distant last with 9.1 percent.

But in Ohio, the most recent polls  albeit with small sample sizes  show that Kasich is either in a tie with Trump, or leading by a few points.

Cruz and Rubio, meanwhile, barely factor into the equation, leaving a likely two-man race for the states 66 delegates.

If Trump wins Ohio, most analysts believe it will be difficult for any other candidate to win enough delegates to overtake him for the partys nomination, as many of the remaining states to vote award their delegates on a winner-takes-all basis.

To win the partys nomination, candidates need 1,237 delegates. To date, Trump leads the race with 460 delegates, ahead of Cruz on 370, Rubio on 163 and Kasich on 63.

But a Kasich victory in Ohio, and a split of delegates in other states voting on Tuesday, will make that job more difficult and potentially set up a contested Republican convention.

Trump used social media to go on the attack against Kasich on Monday, with a series of tweets questioning the governors candidacy and commitment to Ohio.

Kasich has helped decimate the coal and steel industries in Ohio. I will bring them back! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2016

Republicans back Kasich

Several senior Republicans have come out in support of Kasich in Ohio in recent days, including 2012 presidential contender Mitt Romney and former House Speaker John Boehner.





Ohio State University political scientist Vladimir Kogan told Al Jazeera that even though Kasich has struggled nationally, the popular governor has stayed in the race so he can contest his home state.

A lot of national republicans have been asking him to get out of the race. And, hes been saying, I cant do that. Im the only person who can win Ohio, and if dont win Ohio, Trumps got the nomination, Kogan said.

In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, hopes to pull away from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in Tuesdays voting.

Polls give her a big lead in Florida and North Carolina, but showed Sanders gaining ground in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri.

Sanders win last week in Michigan, where polls indicated he trailed by double-digit margins, showed his ability to pull off a surprise.
The Canadian author weighs in on US presidential election, backing Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination.

Canadian author and journalist Naomi Klein has weighed in on the United States presidential contest, criticising frontrunner Hillary Clinton and voicing her support for rival Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic nomination.

In an interview with Al Jazeeras UpFront programme, which will air on Friday night, Klein took issue with Clintons efforts to combat climate change.

The author of the best-selling books No Logo and This Changes Everything told host Mehdi Hasan that she does not trust the former secretary of state.

I dont trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didnt use the megaphone, Klein said.

She also criticised Clintons links to major donors, saying her ties to corporations made her hard to elect.

I think that Bernie Sanders could win in a general election. I actually think he is a significantly better candidate than Hillary Clinton, she said.

The power of the socialism smear [campaign against Sanders], I think has really lost a lot of its punch.

Klein also discussed the climate efforts in her own country, Canada, under new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

I think [Canada has] done some important things, but what theyre doing on climate is not nearly enough, she said.

I think Trudeau wants us to love him, she added. And because of that, that gives us more to work with.

Despite her passionate efforts to tackle climate change through her advocacy, books and films, Klein admitted that she leaves a substantial carbon footprint through her international travel.

My huge sin is flying, she said. You know, I wrote in a book that I finally lost my frequent flyer status and cut my flying by 10 percent, but even though I try to do as much as I can by Skype, Ive been flying way too much.

Mehdi Hasans interview with Naomi Klein will air on Al Jazeeras UpFront on Friday, March 18 at 1930GMT. It will be available at the same time online at www.aljazeera.com/upfront.
Scientist team up with the International Potato Centre in Peru for the experiment in the Atacama desert.

NASA has teamed up with the International Potato Centre in Peru to dish out a new project: Develop a potato that could be grown on Mars.

A patch of land on the worlds oldest desert, the Atacama, resembles the surface of the Red Planet.

And that is why scientists believe it is the perfect soil to breed a potato that could grow in extreme conditions, as on Mars.

Weve found here the closest similarity to the soil in Mars, Julio Valdivia, a NASA scientist, told Al Jazeera.

Weve done experiments like those done by missions that have gone to Mars. The potato is the ideal candidate because it has conquered all the ecosystems of this planet since the Spaniards took them from here in the 16th century.

Around 100 varieties of potatoes have been chosen for the experiment that will see scientists and university students collect data and test samples of the soil which will be transported to Lima, the capital of Peru.

The increased levels of carbon dioxide will benefit the crop, whose yield is two to four times that of a regular grain crop under normal Earth conditions. The Martian atmosphere is near 95 percent carbon dioxide, the International Potato Centre in Peru explained in a recent press release.
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Defiant leader Kim Jong-un promises further nuclear activity after UN sanctions were ramped up for similar violations.

Kim Jong-un says North Korea will soon conduct a nuclear warhead test and test-launch ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Such tests, reported in state media on Tuesday, would be in defiant violation of United Nations sanctions that were recently strengthened with the backing of China, North Koreas chief ally.

Kim made the comments as he supervised a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the thermodynamic structural stability of newly developed heat-resisting materials, the Norths official KCNA news agency reported.

Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he [Kim] instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail, the agency said.

South Korea doubts claim

In response, South Koreas defence ministry said it did not believe that North Korea had acquired missile re-entry technology.

It also noted there were no indications of activities at the Norths nuclear test site, or its long-range rocket station.

But South Koreas defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun warned: If North Korea puts this into action, it certainly violates the United Nations Security Council resolution, and it is a grave provocation against the Korean peninsula and the international community.

We once again urge North Korea to immediately stop this act which leads to its self-destruction.

PHOTOS: South Korea and US forces storm mock North Korea beach

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said the North would lead itself to self-destruction if it continued the confrontation with the international community.

The Norths report comes amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula as South Korean and American troops stage annual military exercises that Seoul has described as the largest ever.

In the apparent re-entry simulation, the official newspaper of North Koreas ruling Workers Party carried pictures on Tuesday of a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine and being blasted with flaming exhaust.

In separate images, Kim observed the object described by KCNA as a warhead tip.

The North has issued belligerent statements almost daily since coming under a new UN resolution adopted this month to tighten sanctions after a nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket last month.

Rights abuses questioned

In a separate development, the Norths human rights record once again came into question as a UN expert on Monday called for leader Kim to be prosecuted for human rights abuses, including starvation and slave-like conditions in the country.





It is now time for the international community to move on with the logical next step  which is pursuing accountability of the regime and those most responsible for violations of human rights in the country, said Marzuki Darusman, the UNs special rapporteur on North Koreas human rights, as he addressed the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Nothing happened anywhere in that country without the say-so of the highest supreme leader  Mr Kim Jong Un.

Speaking to the Reuters news agency, Darusman added: It may not be a full prosecutorial entity but lays down the initial prosecution process.

Darusman, a former foreign minister of Indonesia, said investigations could be pursued via the International Criminal Court but, failing any consensus among major powers, North Koreas leadership could be prosecuted in a third country.
One suspect neutralised after counterterrorism operation ends with injuries to three Belgian police officers.

At least three Belgian police officers have been injured in a shootout during a counterterrorism raid on a house in southern Brussels, according to a police spokesperson.

One of two suspected gunmen was neutralised during manhunt after Tuesdays incident in the neighbourhood of Forest, the Belga news agency reported.

It was not clear whether the second suspect was still on the run.

Al Jazeeras Jacky Rowland, reporting from Paris, said: Two suspects have escaped over the rooftops, according to eyewitnesses. Three police officers were injured in that exchange of fire.

One of them was shot in the head and is seriously wounded.

The area  located near a factory of German car manufacturer Audi  has been secured by the police, according to media reports.

The raid was related to last years deadly attacks in the French capital, Paris.

READ MORE: Paris attacks  Fear, mourning and indifference

The November 13 attacks in Paris had left 130 people dead and hundreds injured, after armed men and suicide bombers targeted the Stade de France stadium, the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and bars.

Several of the suspected attackers had links to neighbouring Belgium.

The Forest neighbourhood is close to Molenbeek, home to several people involved in the Paris attacks.

The suspected ringleader of the attacks was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighbourhood.
Putins surprise announcement coincides with resumption of talks between Syrian government and opposition in Geneva.

Russias defence ministry has announced that the first of its aircraft has departed Syria following the surprise pullout order from President Vladimir Putin.

The statement came just hours after Putin announced the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of Syria peace talks in Geneva.

The start of the negotiations in Switzerland on Monday offered Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the five-and-a-half-month Russian air campaign.



Syrian peace negotiations kick off in Geneva

The Russian involvement has allowed Syrian President Bashar al-Assads army to win back key ground and strengthen his positions before the talks.

Russia did not indicate when the first planes were scheduled to leave, nor how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn.

The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has never been revealed, but US estimates suggest it varies from 3,000 to 6,000 military personnel on the ground.

Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its airbase and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there.

Syrias state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but wont leave the country altogether.

READ MORE: The Syrian conflict does not end here

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr said Russias move should be viewed as a message to the West that it does not want open-ended involvement in the five-year conflict.

But she noted that Russias military presence remains significant.

We have to remember this is not an end to the military presence. The fact the S-400 defence system is still on the ground means Russia is still the main external player in Syria, she said.





Assads office said he and Putin spoke on the phone on Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria.

It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies, and said that the decision highlighted the successes the two armies have achieved during fighting in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

Putin said on Monday that he hoped the withdrawal of Russian troops from Tuesday would be a stimulus for a political resolution of the conflict.

I hope todays decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will sizeably increase trust of all participants in the process, he said.

Russian forces have killed more than 2,000 rebel fighters, including 17 rebel leaders, since the start of the operation in late September.

Those Russian soldiers who stay in Syria will be engaged in monitoring the ceasefire regime, Putin said.

READ MORE: My Arab Spring  Syrias revolution betrayed

Donald Jensen, a former US diplomat who worked in Moscow, told Al Jazeera that despite the pullout announcement, Russia still fully backs its ally Assad.

I think Russia is committed to keeping him in power. There are conceivably circumstances where theyd throw him under the bus. But in their own mind they are fighting for a principle, which is the sovereignty of nation states from outside intervention.

However, I think this action is also sending a message to Assad that you still depend on us, and I dont think the Russians have been particularly happy with Assads reluctance to talk to the opposition.

The Syrian conflict has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced almost half the countrys prewar population of 23 million since it began in March 2011.

A fragile ceasefire has largely held since February 27, and humanitarian aid deliveries have resumed in recent weeks.








UN special envoy says refugee crisis and battle against ISIL add sense of urgency for negotiators to back dialogue.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria has declared as a significant development Russias withdrawal of forces from the war-torn country, saying it adds to the momentum of the ongoing talks in Geneva.

Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday that the ongoing refugee crisis facing Europe and the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) also add some sense of urgency for government and rebel negotiators to support the peace process.

I do feel that there is a difference in this talks, he said when asked why he thinks the negotiations in Geneva would succeed.

READ MORE: Moscow and Washington are not that far apart on Syria

He said that the engagement of several countries, including the United States and Russia, and the unified Security Council led him to believe that while there will be rocky times ahead, the talks will produce a momentum.

Still, de Mistura said there are several major issues that could pose roadblocks to the process, including the release of opposition detainees in Syrian prisons, and the delivery of humanitarian help to residents of Daraya outside of Damascus.

At the beginning of the meeting, negotiators observed a minute of silence for the victims of the war, which marked its fifth year anniversary on Tuesday.

Constructive session

Bassma Kodmani, opposition negotiator and member of the High Negotiations Committee, also called the days session as constructive.

There was some joy and pride for what people believe as the beginning of the freedom of the Syrian people, Kodmani said.

But she also acknowledged that there are still no result on the issue of release of detainees, which she said is not up for negotiation.

She said daily executions of at least 50 detainees continue in different prisons in Syria.





As talks enter its second day in the Swiss city of Geneva, a Syrian opposition monitoring group is reporting intense air strikes in and around the historic town of Palmyra amid fighting between pro-government forces and ISIL.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that there were casualties on both sides in Tuesdays battles, without providing a precise figure.

Al Manar TV, run by Lebanons Hezbollah group, says Syrian troops and their allies captured Hill 900, which is the highest in the area and overlooks Palmyra.

Hezbollah is fighting alongside forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Palmyra, home to famous Roman ruins, has been under the firm control of ISIL since the armed group captured it in May last year.

ISIL and the al-Qaedas branch in Syria, known as al-Nusra Front, are not part of a ceasefire that was brokered by Russia and the US and went into effect on February 27.

The Syrian conflict has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced almost half the countrys prewar population of 23 million since it began in March 2011.

The war has also led to a wave of refugees in Europe.
As we enter the sixth year of the conflict, we are further away from a sustainable solution than at any other point.

Five years after protests began in Syria, the countrys political future remains even more uncertain.

A diffused yet continuously proliferating militarised movement has propelled a humanitarian catastrophe, contributed to the territorial fragmentation of the country, and given rise to a range of players, from strongmen to conflict entrepreneurs, who have a direct stake in the continuity of conflict.

Such realities demand thinking concretely about the overlapping layers of the Syrian conflict and what this means for the possibility of a political resolution to the conflict.

Unfortunately, current efforts towards resolving the conflict fail miserably in doing so insomuch as they have concentrated singularly on striking a political deal between the main regional players as the pretext for solving the crisis.

Notwithstanding Russias attempt to bomb a political process into existence, a grand solution to the Syrian crisis remains highly unlikely.

READ MORE: Syrias future shaped by Russian designs

The Russian strategy has involved exerting military pressure on rebel groups inside Syria to degrade their capacity, to create new material realities on the ground that reinforce a particular political vision, and to eliminate, politically and militarily, the zone between the regime and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

We should not be under any illusions that any grand bargain prefigured by the Russian intervention would plant the seeds of a sustainable political solution.

All of this has occurred under the political cover of Western states who have gravitated towards the Russian agenda. Yet, while the intervention has disrupted the military stalemate that defined the conflict for years, it has thus far not compelled regional states, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to immediately cede to Russian designs for post-conflict Syria.

This may change as rebel supply routes become more suffocated and potentially collapse but, in the meantime, the change in battlefield dynamics wrought by the Russian intervention did not yield a similar breakthrough in the political process.

Yet, even if it did, what would be the broad contours of a negotiated solution between the regional powers look like? We should not be under any illusions that any grand bargain prefigured by the Russian intervention would plant the seeds of a sustainable political solution.

On the one hand, such a bargain is premised on reducing the conflict to a regional issue to be negotiated between the main players. Such negotiations have concentrated on achieving regional consensus on key issues, such as a political transition, the political composition of a post-conflict government, and the main domestic players who are included or excluded from that political system.

International negotiations have become nothing more than discussions over how to divide the post-conflict Syrian pie. In the process, the fate of Syrians has been unwillingly ceded to regional actors.

On the other hand, consensus on these issues will simply produce a degraded and repackaged conflict, one in which violence, humanitarian crisis, political repression, and forms of insecurity persist throughout the country. This is not a solution, but, rather, a recipe for generational conflict that will persist in different forms, albeit forms more palatable to the regional architects of the solution.

OPINION: Has the West betrayed the Syrian people?

We should not be so naive as to accept that a grand bargain will reduce and ultimately end violence in Syria.

The only realistic way to chart a more peaceful path forward is to take seriously the micro-cleavages of the Syrian conflict and how any solution can begin to address these [cleavages] through a substantive, generational approach.





The Syrian war economy is perhaps one of the most overlooked and underemphasised drivers of the conflict.

The growing presence of strongmen throughout the country, the central role that armed groups commanders play in imposing and breaking humanitarian sieges on villages, and the continuous violence over control of key supply routes, border crossings, checkpoints and highways, suggest a very different conflict from the one presented to us at Geneva peace conferences.

And while most displacement has been driven by the horrors of regularised aerial bombardment and barrel bombing of civilian areas, Syrians have also had to endure the violence of armed groups vying for conflict spoils.

A political process that has no vision whatsoever for how to address the war economy and its contribution to the proliferation of violence betrays current Syrian realities. Similarly, the thousands of militias in Syria are not simple proxies who do the bidding of regional players.

They have their own localised interests and concerns, which likely supersede any material and political support they receive from outside players. Many of the fighters are not necessarily ideologically driven, as evidenced by the constant switching of allegiances between brigades, and after so many years of conflict, different armed groups have worked out how to materially reproduce without external support.

Perhaps most troubling, however, is the absence of any serious discussion on how to address the refugee crisis such as through the implementation of a repatriation plan. These are but a few of the pressing economic, security and political questions that future generations of Syrians will confront.

WATCH: Lakhdar Brahimi  No good guys in Syrian tragedy

As we enter the sixth year of the conflict, we are further away from a sustainable solution than at any other point. The micro-cleavages of the conflict are becoming more aggravated by the month, as violence, displacement, the rise of sectarianism, economic hardship, and widespread loss shape everyday Syrian experiences.





Paradoxically, we may be moving closer to a negotiated agreement that will allow violence to continue in different forms but with the blessing of regional states. Alas, such an agreement is made possible by the framing of the conflict as an uprising that descended into civil violence.

This neat, linear story may be convenient, but it is patently false. In the aftermath of the declaration of a ceasefire last month, thousands of Syrians returned to the streets in protest, not only against the regime but also against many of the armed groups that have so violently embedded themselves in their areas.

This is not to romanticise or valorise a protest movement that has indeed been stunted, but to identify and acknowledge the obvious, mainly, that the uprising did not neatly morph into a civil war.

Rather, overlapping patterns of civil violence, non-violent protest and external intervention have conflated to produce the worst humanitarian crisis of the century.

Such a complicated, interrelated problem requires an equally profound solution, one that is simply not on offer today.
Crowd gathered under Brandenburg Gate in Berlin called for removal of Syrian president.

Berlin, Germany  Syrian flags fluttered against the grey afternoon sky as a steady line of protesters gathered under Brandenburg Gate in the German capital to mark the fifth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assads government.

About 500 Syrian activists and refugees gathered on Tuesday chanting: Long live Syria and down with Assad.

Sitting on a fellow protesters shoulders, one man addressed the crowd in Arabic: Five years later and the revolution lives inside us stronger than ever.

From the square, the crowd marched in columns to the nearby Russian embassy, chanting in unison against Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Want to stop the refugee wave? Stop Assad and Putin in Syria, one banner read.

Birthday of revolution

A close ally of the Assad government, Russia expanded its role in the Syrian conflict when it began carrying out air strikes across the country five and a half months ago.

This is the birthday of the Syrian revolution, Loay Alhamedi, a 22-year-old Syrian who came to Germany a year ago, told Al Jazeera.

A member of the Syrian Activists in Berlin network, Alhamedi said that five years on and the Syrian people are still one.

Originally from Raqqa, he argued that protests would continue inside and outside Syria until the Assad government was gone.

Our revolution was peaceful from the beginning, Alhamedi said. We never wanted an armed revolution, but the regime made it an armed [conflict].

The Syrian conflict started as a largely unarmed uprising in March 2011 before launching into an armed conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 260,000 people, according to the UN.

Millions displaced

Throughout that period, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said more than 4.8 million Syrians have been displaced from their homeland.

Unfortunately, Syria became an international conflict in 2015 and not just a Syrian decision, Alhamedi said.

Since February 27, a ceasefire has stuck in most of Syria, though limited clashes have continued in many areas.

Alhamedi, however, does not believe it will last.

READ MORE: The Syrian conflict does not end here

The ceasefire was a loss for the regime. But at the same time, the warplanes continue to bomb Raqqa, Deir az-Zor and other places.

On Monday, the Russia announced start of withdrawal of the main part of its forces from Syria.

Sharif Nashashibi, a London-based writer and political analyst, said the ceasefire is doomed without diplomatic progress, which he argued is unlikely as long as Assad maintains the presidency.





If the talks are doomed, so is the cessation of hostilities  unless there is a sincere willingness to discuss Assads fate, Nashishibi told Al Jazeera.

Yet, the break in fighting witnessed renewed protests against the government across Syria.

On Friday, hundreds protested in Saqba, a town in the Eastern Ghouta region of the Damascus countryside, calling for Assads removal.

These protests show that the Syrian people, despite everything that has happened, still want nothing to do with the regime, Nashishibi said.

Islamist groups such as al-Nusra Front have tried to break up these protests. But whats important is that they show the principles on which the revolution was started still exist.

At Berlins Brandenburg Gate, meanwhile, Hamedi stood in front of the chanting crowd and explained that he is optimistic.

After five years of killing, slaughter, destruction and displacement, Syrian people have re-emerged with the same demands as the first protest.

Follow Patrick Strickland on Twitter: @P_Strickland_
Decision was expected since Pope Francis approved in December a second miracle attributed to the Calcutta-based nun.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on September 4.

The announcement on Tuesday was expected after Pope Francis approved in December a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresas intercession  the final hurdle to make her a saint.

The actual date falls on the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death.

Teresa, who was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia, became an international figure, but was also accused of trying to convert people to Christianity.

WATCH: The legacy of Mother Teresa

Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Churchs current Holy Year.

The Vatican said the ceremony would take place at the Vatican, dashing hopes of Indians that Francis would go to Kolkata, as Calcutta is now called, to perform the ritual.

I am waiting to get there because it has been absolutely jubilant news and I cant thank God enough that it is happening in my lifetime, said Sunita Kumar, spokesperson for the Missionaries of Charity, the order of nuns Mother Teresa founded.

Accelerated sainthood

Mother Teresa began the order in the 1950s to help the poor on the streets of Kolkata.

The religious order spread throughout the world. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.





The late Pope John Paul II bent Vatican rules to allow the procedure to establish her case for sainthood to be launched two years after her death instead of the usual five.

She was beatified in 2003, a mere six years after her death.

In the time since her death, some have accused Mother Teresa and the order of having ulterior motives in helping the destitute, saying their aim was to convert them to Christianity.

The order rejects that, saying, for example, that most of those helped in the Kalighat Home for Dying Destitutes in Kolkata were non-Christians with just a few days left to live, and noting that conversion is a lengthy process.

The Church defines saints as those believed to have been holy enough during their lives to now be in heaven and can intercede with God to perform miracles.

She has been credited in the Church with two miracles, both involving the healing of sick people.
Back Home, the debut recording by composer / arranger / musicologist Socrates Garcia's Latin Jazz Orchestra, combines the best of two worlds: ardent Latin jazz that never forswears its roots, and emphatic American-designed big-band swing that provides a solid framework for Garcia's picturesque Latin / American excursions. Garcia, who was born in the Dominican Republic, is director of Music Technology at the University of Northern Colorado, and Back Home, it seems, represents more a state of mind than any physical locale, even though there are brief stops at "Calle el Conde" and "From Across the Street" in Garcia's native land, the last a part of the three-movement "Dominican Suite for Jazz Orchestra."Garcia's compositions (he wrote and arranged every number on the album) are lively and effervescent, easily bridging whatever gap, real or imagined, that may exist between American jazz and the music of his homeland. While Latin rhythms predominate, the more well-known samba, bossa and tango are supplanted by Dominican cadences such as the bachata and merengue. As for Garcia's sidemen, most of whom call Colorado home, their mastery of his blueprint is such that they might easily be misread as emigres from Garcia's birthplace. An exception is the all-Dominican rhythm section, comprised of pianist Manuel Tejada, bassistand drummer(with an assist from percussionists Felix "Abuelo" Garcia, Rafael Almengod, Josue Reynoso and Otoniel Nicolas). Guitarist Steve Kovalchek is added on "Celebration of the Butterflies," and Garcia plays guitar on "Back Home."The album's centerpiece and inspiration is the colorful "Dominican Suite," which opens with a sharply drawn "Tribute to Tavito" (identified by Garcia as saxophonist Tavito Vasquez, known as "theof the Caribbean"). As SuperSax did for Parker, Garcia has embedded one of Vasquez's solos as part of the composition. The second movement, "Bachata for Two," akin to a Latin waltz, was written for Garcia's wife, Wanda, while the third, "From Across the Street," recalls folk musiccalled Palos or Atabalesperformed by a woman who lived across the street from Garcia's home in the Dominican Republic and is the only track on the album with vocals (by a suitably well-spoken quartet). The opening number, "Vantage Point," is a bracing merengue whose charming melody and addictive rhythms give way to canny solos by Tejada and baritone saxophonist Ryan Middagh. The vivacious "Calle el Conde a Las 8:00," whose bright solos are by soprano Wil Swindler and trumpeter Jordan Skomal, precedes the earnest "Celebration of the Butterflies," Garcia's homage to the three Mirabel sisters who were assassinated by dictator Rafael Trujillo's government for their opposition to his regime. Tenor Kenyon Brenner is showcased on "Butterflies," as he is on "Back Home." Another splendid soloist, trumpeter, is front and center on "Bachata for Two" and shares the spotlight with Tejada on "Homage to Tavito."Not only is Back Home a near-perfect blend of Dominican and American music, it stands tall on its own as a superlative example of big-band jazz at its best. Well done, Socrates.
UFs College of Education was awarded $400,000 to help elementary students learn to read.

The college earned the money from the state to update Winning Reading Boost, a program founded in the 1980s that helps third-, fourth- and fifth-graders with reading through music.

Students in the program have been found to remember more information when rap, contemporary, jazz and other types of music are used, said Shaunte Duggins, an early literacy and teacher development consultant for the Lastinger Center. The songs teach students how to say the words they will read.

The College of Educations Lastinger Center for Learning helped pilot the program last Fall for 28 days at an elementary school in St. Petersburg, Florida, Duggins said. It expanded the program to Melrose Elementary in St. Petersburg in January. Duggins said the college will update the program, though they havent determined what will be changed.

We would like to go to other schools and offer this program to other struggling third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students, she said.

This 90-day program teaches students to read through music, she said.

One of the things we know about kids is that if they dont catch up in the early grades, then theres little chance of them ever catching up, said Holly Lane, an associate professor of special education.

Dianne Fix, a retired elementary school teacher, said her students in the program love the program because of the music.

They are learning it by singing it and they dont realize thats whats happening, she said. Then they are able to apply those skills when they are reading the words in context and spelling the words.

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A UF group will be heading to Texas after its concrete canoe took first place last weekend.

UFs American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe team, which is made up of about 40 UF students, competed at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday and Sunday at the ASCE Southeast Regional Conference.

The 22-foot canoe cost $1,700 to build, excluding oars to row, said Teresa Lewis, a UF civil engineering senior and captain of the concrete canoe team. It took about three months to build.

The teams win earned them a spot at the national competition in Texas this June, the 22-year-old said. UF will compete against teams from across the world, including Canada, Puerto Rico and China.

Lewis said the concrete canoe contest is always competitive.

Its a team project, and if youre not always in communication with each other and always on the same page, it just wont happen, she said. I have a fantastic team.

Mayreliz Crespo-Seda, a UF civil engineering junior and member of the concrete canoe team, said she started working on a practice canoe in August. The team finished the practice model in December and started building for the competition in January.

The team tests different types of concrete to see which ones float, Crespo-Seda said. After they find one that does, canoe construction begins.

Captains of the team spend 30 or more hours a week on the canoe, the 20-year-old said.

Its hard work, but its a lot of fun, and its amazing when you see them race, Crespo-Seda said.

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Jim Konish

When Jim Konish was a UF freshman living in Hume Hall, the U.S. Congress passed an amendment to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.

I voted when I was 18, he said. I was so disappointed in the people that got elected I did not vote for 21 years.

When Konish was 42, he had his first child. He said his point of view changed when he became a father, and he got involved again.

For the last 20 years, I have been active in city government, he said.

Now, Konish hopes to win District 4s council seat in the upcoming municipal election. Konish continued to live in Gainesville after graduating from UFs undergraduate program and law school. The 61-year-old works as a legal publisher and landlord.

I think I am uniquely qualified, Konish said. There are no attorneys on the commission.

Konish thinks the City Commission could especially use his legal expertise when it comes to the controversial biomass contract that he feels has haunted Gainesville for the past five years.

Because our infrastructure is being neglected, we need to look at all failed political pet projects, he said, citing GRUs biomass contract as one.

For about two years, Konish has worked on drafting laws for the Florida Legislature regarding GRU governance.

Debbie Martinez worked with Konish on the Concerned Citizen Coalition.

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He continues to speak up for the $3.1 billion biomass contract, the registered retired nurse said. Mr. Jim Konish is highly qualified, highly informed.

Martinez feels the low-income population of Gainesville is worst off because of the contract. She said Alachua has more than twice the poverty rate for the state.

People like me can afford to get ripped off, she said. (Konish) defends the lower-income people.

Konish believes that voters should consider candidates they know wont vote as part of a bloc.

Not only am I not beholden to them, I have tried as hard as possible to shine a light on them, he said.

Martinez said she hoped the election would reflect where the candidates stand on issues rather than partisan views.

There is no purpose for partisanship in municipal elections, she said.

- Meryl Kornfield

Adrian Hayes-Santos

Adrian Hayes-Santos is the youngest candidate running in the Gainesville City Commission District 4 elections.

Hayes-Santos, 31, said age wont hold him back.

Ive been serving in city government since I was 18, he said. I served on the City Beautification Board and hosted an Arbor Day for the city. Ive always been involved, so its not like Im jumping out going, Here I am.

Hayes-Santos said he grew up in Alachua County, where he earned degrees from both Santa Fe College and UF.

Ive always had a passion for Gainesville  for who we are as a city and where were going, he said.

He is now working director for UFs Master of Science in Entrepreneurship program.

After a failed campaign in 2015, the candidate said he is using lessons from the experience to secure a seat in District 4 this year.

One week before this years election, Jim Konish filed a complaint against Hayes-Santos alleging that he has not lived in District 4 long enough to run.

There is absolutely no truth in this at all, Hayes-Santos said. Its a last-minute attempt at playing dirty politics.

He said last years loss brought him even closer to Gainesville.

I loved this city before, but when you get to know all these people, there really is an amazing community, he said.

Hayes-Santos hopes to make Gainesville a better place to live, work and play by protecting neighborhoods, promoting an economically vibrant downtown and preserving the citys natural environment.

Equal Internet access is also vital, he said. If left unresolved, the problem could become a generational problem in the decades to come.

Access to knowledge is a huge equalizer, he said.

Bryan Eastman, the campaigns senior adviser, said Hayes-Santos has a genuine connection with the community.

Adrian is crazy about Gainesville, he said. Hes never considered leaving as long as Ive known him.

In the end, Hayes-Santos said he wants to help Gainesville preserve its uniqueness.

We really have a great city, and I want everyone to be a part of that, he said.

- Molly Donovan
           2005     ..        




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TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day

THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies

AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance

CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida

SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World

PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground

VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day

REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies

FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum

SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies

ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008

AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World

STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special

SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum

TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt.  Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground

IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008

CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies

WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto

DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance

I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE]
Bank technology Digital Banker of the Year Niti Badarinath is pushing new mobile banking and mobile wallet concepts to market at U.S. Bank with a sense of urgency: he knows customers want more. Badarinath and six other digital banking executives made it to our Digital Banker of the Year list by moving new features to market quickly, overcoming institutional fear and inertia. June 2

In the early 2000s, a BBC show called Little Britain had a recurring sketch in which the main character, a man in drag playing a bank employee, would listen to a customer's request, pound on his (her?) computer keyboard for a few seconds, and then forlornly report, "Computer says no." No matter how much the customer pleaded her case and the employee queried the computer, the outcome was the same.

Computers have come a long way in the past decade, especially the really small ones people carry in their pockets. Depending on which survey you believe, almost half or more than half of American adults do their banking from a smartphone or tablet.

The rising importance of self-service banking by mobile device and PC has elevated the careers of executives overseeing digital channels.

In the past year, banks have been designating such bankers "chief digital officer" or a similar high-profile title and giving them control over all electronic banking channels, including online, mobile, ATM and in some cases branch and call center technology.

Capital One Bank named Mark Jamison chief digital officer last July. JPMorgan Chase made former Accenture CIO Gavin Michael its head of digital a year ago. USAA hired Christopher Cox away from Regions Financial to be its head of digital-experience delivery in January. In March, Citi named Heather Cox its chief client experience, digital and marketing officer for Global Consumer Banking. In May, BBVA hired two CDO-style executives: it brought Jeff Dennes over from SunTrust to be head of business development and digital transformation at its U.S. bank, and recruited Capital One's new CDO, Mark Jamison, as director of customer experience and business intelligence globally.

And our Digital Banker of the Year, Niti Badarinath, has been given sweeping charge over digital innovation for customer-facing technology.

These banks are part of a bigger trend in which companies in all industries (especially advertising, media and publishing) have been adopting the chief digital officer title. In 2005, there was exactly one CDO in the entire world: Jason Hirschhorn at MTV. In 2013, there were 488, according to the Chief Digital Officer Club. The group predicts that by the end of this year, there will be 1,000 CDOs worldwide. (As a side note, there's little diversity in this community so far: 91% of CDOs are Causasian and 80% are male. More than half, 57%, are in the Northeastern part of the U.S.)

About 4% of CDOs are in the financial services industry. These leaders are all looking to "humanize" the customer experience, remove friction and "pain points" in digital channels, and provide a somewhat similar set of features across channels.

As one chief digital officer at a large bank puts it, "Customers don't draw a distinction between what screen size they're on, they just want a consistent experience."
Less than a year after investing in MX Technologies, USAA has partnered with the startup to provide personal financial management tools to its 11.4 million members.

MX, in Silicon Slopes, Utah, announced Tuesday that it has struck a multiyear deal on data aggregation with USAA, a bank focused on members of the military and their families. Such services are intended to help customers improve their financial health by giving them better insights into their spending, saving and investing habits.

The $71 billion-asset USAA, in San Antonio, has made PFM a priority. In October it rolled out its Financial Readiness Score, which gauges financial health based on things like debt, retirement savings and budget. It also paired with Coinbase, a bitcoin exchange, to integrate its application program interface, which lets customers monitor their Coinbase wallet on USAA's digital platforms.

MX says its analytics tools would also give USAA the ability to better focus its sales efforts on advice and products.

The companies did not disclose financial terms of the deal. USAA led a $30 million funding round last year. At that time, USAA nodded to the possibility that the investment could lead to USAA offering the companys services.

"MX offers a technology platform that pulls online and mobile banking channels together in a way that simplifies and enhances the customer experience," said Vic Pascucci, then-head of corporate development at USAA, at the time of the investment. "We see an opportunity for MX's technologies to benefit our members, and our investment is one way we plan to explore that opportunity."


Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., has given its chief executive Bob Jones the added title of chairman.

Jones, 59, will become chairman of the $12-billion-asset company at its May 12 annual meeting in Evansville. Jones will succeed Larry Dunigan, who has decided not to stand for re-election, the company said in a Monday news release.

Dunigan, 73, has been chairman since 2004 and a director since 1982. Jones has been president and CEO since 2004, and he formerly worked at KeyCorp.

Old National on Monday also named Becky Skillman the board's lead independent director. Skillman, 65, has been a director since 2013 and is chief executive of Radius Indiana, an economic development regional partnership in southern Indiana. Skillman is also a former lieutenant governor of Indiana.


PacWest Bancorp in Los Angeles has named Stanley Ivie, a regional director for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., its chief risk officer and an executive vice president. He started Monday.

Ivie succeeds Suzanne Brennan, who will retire shortly, the $21 billion-asset company said in a regulatory filing this week.

Ivie had served as the FDIC's regional director in San Francisco since 2007. In that role, he led roughly 550 employees and directed the agency's supervision programs for risk management and depositor and consumer protection at more than 500 insured depository institutions.

Ivie previously served as the FDIC's regional director in Dallas, where his jurisdiction included the Gulf Coast area after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Before his work in Dallas, Ivie was deputy director for the division of resolutions and receiverships in Washington, where he was responsible for resolving failed banks nationwide in 2004 and 2005.

Brennan, who was PacWest's chief risk officer since 2011, according to her LinkedIn profile, will remain with the company through May 31 to assist with the transition of her responsibilities.


In Sweden, the headline goes, in the small town of Oestersund, Women are warned not to go out at night to avoid multiple sex attacks by foreigners.

As in most of Europe and a good chunk of America -- like the White House -- the honest word for Muslim sex attackers cannot be said.

It is taboo.

Jihadist attackers constantly look for signs of weakness, and nothing shows weakness more than failing to protect your women and children. Protecting the in-group may be the most basic role for human families, clans, tribes, and entire civilizations. But after decades of multicult self-indoctrination, Europe has managed to emasculate itself.

This is not just a metaphor. It is real, as you can see if you take a trip over there.

The Oestersund police chief is quoted in the news as saying that the local police simply did not have the resources to cope with roving gangs of Muslim teenagers looking for girls to rape.

But historically there were no police in places where people lived. ("Police" means man of the city). There were very few cities, and many villages and lonely farms. You couldnt call 911, and in any case, organized help had to come from miles away. There was the militia -- the one the Founders referred to in the U.S. Constitution. But for everyday purposes there were just male volunteers, the neighbors, who would respond to local dangers by defending the village. They were usually fathers or grown males, but everybody recognized a common duty to fight danger. Farm women were often very strong, and they would join in.

The police as an official force did not exist until a few centuries ago. Instead, every citizen, especially strong men and boys, would rush to defend a woman or child in danger. In every civilization before Multicultified Europe, it was the men who defended the women.

Apparently Sweden has totally lost one of the most important roles of men, seduced by PC propaganda.

Male gang attacks are the rule in Jihad warfare, just like the ancient warrior tribes of Mohammeds Arabia. The Vikings and the Mongols and Cossacks were the same. Go back in history, and that kind of piratical rapine is the norm, as we can see in Homers Iliad, which glorifies the war of revenge conducted by the Greeks after the beautiful Helen was raped and kidnapped by the Trojans.

Anthropologists like Napoleon Chagnon are now finally telling us the truth that early humans were not peaceful. Primitive tribes constantly attack each other, in order to rape and kidnap women. There is still debate about the exact numbers, but up to a third of grown men are killed in each generation in intergroup fights. This should not come as a surprise to modern Americans, because the same thing happens in our inner cities, wherever fathers have lost control over teenagers. When the fathers abandon their families, humans revert to ancient primitive conditions.

The growth of true civilization over thousands of years meant training men -- especially out-of-control teenagers -- not to give in to their raw sexual appetites. Long before the word police was invented, the grown males of every village would threaten young males with castration and worse, if they tried to have sex without community permission.

Even today, in many tribal cultures the ritual wounding of each male teenagers penis is the central rite of passage into manhood. If you want to be a man, you have to allow your penis to be circumcised in public, or even worse, to be sub-incised (cutting the urethra lengthwise). And if you scream or show fear you are disgraced as a coward.

(Traditional circumcision occurred around puberty, not infancy.)

Penile maiming as a condition of manhood is practiced in tribal societies. Nobody knows why it started, but there is a practical guess: the real purpose of penile scarification is to traumatize pubescent boys, to make sure they will never forget to control their sexual urges. If they do, their fate is a lot worse.

(Another practical result is to give grown males more control over the available females.)

Chagnon has studied the extremely violent Yanamamo of Venezuela, proposing that intergroup warfare has a biological purpose, namely to violate and steal girls and women from neighboring tribes. Like chimps, human bachelor gangs rarely rape in-group members (they would have to suffer inevitable revenge), but they do go out on raids to the neighboring clans to rape, loot, and kill.

Americans would know this if we actually taught history. The Sioux Indians were a fairly standard warrior tribe, and the young braves who managed to rush into an enemy village and simply touch another enemy brave, would boast about counting coup. They would notch their hatchets and spears to show how many times they had managed that feat.

The losers were killed or maimed by the enemy tribe. From an evolutionary point of view, those tests of bravery and skill removed the weak males from the gene pool, and over time, the winners began to look like the tall and powerful Sioux warriors of history.

I had a chance to go to Sweden a few times, and once, in Stockholm, I was shown around by a college professor. Three things stand out in my memory. First, my professor showed me an enormous funeral mound of a Viking chief, very impressive. Second, he told me that the Vikings were really not warriors -- a lie so blatant that he couldnt possibly believe it himself. And third, we had dinner in a lesbian cafe filled with gorgeous, almost-identical-looking blonde girls, making out with each other in public.

I asked him Where are the boys? but he wouldnt answer. On another trip to a college town in Denmark, I think I figured out the answer, in a part of town where the teenage boys and young men paraded along one of the main streets, seeming to check each other out. It was a very big gay scene.

These looked like the same teenagers and adolescents who are shown as rampant heterosexuals on the palace walls in Stockholm that were built during the time of Napoleon I, who appointed Count Bernadotte to be the reigning King of Sweden. It was a time of bare-bottomed heterosexuality. There may have been a gay scene, but it wasnt advertised in public.

The Royal Shield of Sweden shows two lions rampant, facing each other with swords and erect penises. Some years ago militant feminists won a campaign to remove the penises from the fierce lions in a local version of the Royal Shield.

The feminists won that campaign, and today we can see that symbolic castration has turned into reality.

Frau Merkels open surrender to Jihadist invasion shows how suicidal it has become.
Most of my friends were graduating that year, writes Barack Obama in Dreams from My Father. Hasan off to work with his family in London, Regina on her way to Andalusia to study Spanish Gypsies.

Ah yes, Andalusia! That, of course, is left-speak for Spain. For anti-colonialists like Obama, Andalusia is more than an historical place. It is a metaphor for a progressive golden age, one in which wisdom ruled and peace reigned. Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance, affirmed Obama at Cairo in 2009. We see it in the history of Andalusia.

True, after the invading Moors brutally ripped the Iberian Peninsula from its indigenous Latinos, peace of a sort did reign. It came at a price, specifically the jizya, a tax non-Muslims had to pay to secure their dhimmi status, the Islamic equivalent of Jim Crow.

The Moors arrived in the year 711. The Christians started reconquering their homeland in 721. It would take them seven centuries to finish the job. In all of Obamas musings about Andalusia, he has spared scarcely a word for the Reconquista, a Republican variation of which has hatched on his watch.

A few days ago, casually searching YouTube, I came across a short video I had not seen in five years called The Media Reaction to Jack Cashills Deconstructing Obama. In seven compact minutes producer Chris Kusnell sheds some unexpected light on the Republican Reconquista in embryo.

What makes the video particularly relevant is that it features on-screen appearances by some of the leading figures in this movement -- Rush Limbaugh, the late Andrew Breitbart, and, most intriguingly, Donald Trump.

Kusnells piece begins with a video of candidate Barack Obama boasting to a crowd of Virginia schoolteachers in July 2008, "I've written two books. I actually wrote them myself."

Obama was comfortable making this claim for one reason: the left dominates Americas culture as thoroughly as the Andalusian Muslims did the culture of Iberia. From experience, Obama knew that the nations cultural imams were willing to enable his fraud if it advanced a cause close to their hearts.

And a fraud it most certainly was. By September 2008, I was 100 percent certain Obama did not write Dreams from My Father or Audacity of Hope by himself, and I was 90 percent certain that terrorist emeritus Bill Ayers co-authored Dreams.

Knowing Obamas media allies would have zero interest in my evidence, I tried to find an influential forum on the right. Yet when I knocked on insider doors to advance my thesis, they remained firmly shut. Human Events punted on my research. The National Review did too. The FOX producers downstairs showed interest, but the suits upstairs did not.

The managing editor of the Weekly Standard referred me to the magazines literary editor, whose response was myopic to a fault: An interesting piece, but Im rather oversubscribed at the moment, the length is considerable, and cutting would not do it justice.

A Weekly Standard cover that read Who Wrote Dreams from My Father? might have changed the outcome of the election, but the editor, alas, was oversubscribed. Like the other high profile dhimmis, he had made his peace with the progressive establishment. Whether Obama won or lost, he still had his job and the grudging tolerance of his overlords. He was not about to risk either to advance an idea someone might call racist.

On October 9, 2008, the American Thinker gave me the space I needed to make my case. Rush Limbaugh amplified the American Thinker piece that same day. As the Kusnell video shows, he gave it a good airing.

To keep Limbaughs influence in check, the cultural imams fought back with the most potent weapon in their arsenal -- shame. This may not have been Limbaughs most racist insinuation of the campaign, said New Yorker editor David Remnick, citing others he liked less. He concluded, though, that our collective libel about Obamas memoir -- the denial of literacy, the denial of authorship -- had a particularly ugly pedigree.

During the next four weeks, despite Limbaughs overture and my best efforts, not a single respectable conservative, either in the media or in the McCain campaign, dared explore this issue. On the up side, no one called our respectable friends racist. On the down side, Obama was elected president.

When McCain lost, the dhimmis blamed Internet zanies like me for his defeat. The Wall Street Journals James Taranto singled me out by name as among those who engaged in irresponsible rumor-mongering and conspiracy-theorizing. The National Reviews Jonah Goldberg sniffed, I think trying to claim some sort of literary conspiracy is a bridge too far.

In the fall of 2009, without ever talking to me, bestselling celebrity biographer Christopher Andersen confirmed my thesis in his book, Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage. Although the apolitical Andersen spent six pages on Ayerss involvement with Dreams, the mainstream media simply pretended he didnt. And once again, the conservative media enabled the pretense.

In 2011, Simon & Schuster published my book, Deconstructing Obama. In it, I make a case for Ayerss role as Obamas muse so compelling that only a liberal or a dhimmi would deny it. As the Kusnell video shows, Andrew Breitbart was neither.

Lets get on to the racism of today, Bill Maher asked Breitbart on his HBO show. You do not believe Obama wrote his own book? Breitbart was not surprised by this line of attack. Martin Bashir had already tried to shame him for defending me on his MSNBC show.

Breitbart, however, did not offer the expected apologies. A true culture warrior, he was taking conservatism one step beyond Limbaugh, out of the Dhimmi ghetto and right into the pinkest of parlors, fully impervious to their ritual defamation. His unexpected death in March 2012 stalled the Reconquista and his left his heirs fighting over his legacy.

The Kusnell video held one more surprise for me. In 2011, as the video shows, the only other major figure to support my thesis publicly was Donald Trump. Said Trump about Obama to a gathered crowd, "His whole aura was caused by the genius of the first book which was written by Bill Ayers."

At the time, the media, Democrat and dhimmi, gleefully took Trump to task for questioning Obamas birth certificate, but they dared not question him on the authorship issue. By 2011, even if the major media refused to admit it, most of them sensed Obama was a fraud. True to form, our dhimmi friends refused to raise the authorship issue in 2012 and once again helped elect Obama president.

What Limbaugh, Breitbart and Trump have in common is less a shared belief system than a refusal to accept their dhimmi status. They want to take the culture back. If Trump has attacked the dhimmi establishment from outside, Ted Cruz has attacked it from within. Calling the Senate majority leader a liar on the Senate floor is a sure way to get its attention.

Ordinary Americans are mad as hell about political correctness and the havoc it has wreaked for 40 years -- havoc made worse by the flat refusal of most serious Republicans to confront it, writes David Gelertner in the Weekly Standard, a dhimmi publication hostile to Cruz and apoplectic about Trump. Yet Gelernter nails the issue.

In a June 10, 2015, column, I wrote, The Republican nominee for president will be that candidate who best learns that there is no future in apologizing. This was a week before Trump declared. I did not even know he was running.

Nine months later, Republican voters have rejected all the apologizers, all the collaborators, all the dhimmi candidates. Ready or not, they will be asked to join the first full scale battle in the Republican Reconquista behind either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, and the dhimmis are atwitter.

Shame has not stopped either candidate. Violence wont work either. The one force that will stop the Reconquista is division. There was much of that in Christian Iberia, so much of it, in fact, that it took seven centuries for the Christians to win their country back. Here is hoping the Republicans can do a little better.
The polls are tight in the Republican presidential primary race between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. This is no doubt one of the most interesting elections to date, and Trump is promising all sorts of changes if he gets the hot seat.

Opinions are still mixed on that outcome. Other politicians like Mitt Romney have spoken out about Donald Trump and what will happen if hes elected, but thousands remain loyal to Trumps campaign. Its still up in the air if hell really receive the nomination or not.

Since Trump is calling for some of the most radical changes in American history, its important not to ignore some of his key ideas for policy changes and how that will affect our nation. Lets look at some of the things that will probably happen if Donald J. Trump is elected president.

The Economy Will Probably Improve

If theres one thing Donald Trump has going for him, its his plan for the economy. Hes a businessman, after all, and hes not bad at what he does. Some of the finer points of his plan to improve the economy include a reduced-rate tax plan that will lessen the tax burden on everyday citizens and encourage major corporations to bring more money into the United States Treasury.

Hes also determined to bring more jobs to United States soil by limiting outsourcing to Japan, China, and Mexico. Hes been a big supporter of the American economy so far, and he understands many of the ins and outs of business that could help the government in legislation.

There is reason to call in the questions of Trumps four bankruptcies in the discussion about Trumps plan for the economy. Hes made a lot of money after gaining his inheritance, but he did manage to go bankrupt four times in his career. However, Trump argues that these issues make him more qualified to run the country, not worse. He stated in the most recent debate: I came out great, but I guess I'm supposed to come out great. That's what I'm supposed to do for the country. We owe $19 trillion. Boy, am I good at solving debt problems. Nobody can solve it like me."

The economy is already moving upward after the financial crisis of 2008, and Donald Trump may be able to ride that wave to increase the greatness of the economy.

Goodbye Obamacare

Another policy that will likely make its way to the forefront of his presidency is his determination to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Unlike his Democratic constituents, he doesnt plan to make big changes to enact free healthcare or to change the way we currently run Medicare and Social Security. As weve seen from countries like Canada and Sweden where welfare aid is abundant and healthcare is free, this is probably a good plan.

He has actively opposed socialist healthcare under the belief that it will cause our excellent healthcare system to lose its reputation and ultimately fail. He believes that a free-market oriented plan will work better to break up the insurance company monopolies and improve the prices of drugs and treatment.

He has also widely advocated that the Affordable Care Act could be the thing that takes down our nation. Its costing the government trillions, and raising taxes on the middle class. Its also taking away certain inalienable rights outlined in the Constitution, since it forces people to either pay a tax or purchase healthcare.

Instead of the current plan, Trump will likely propose one that will give the choice back to the buyer while still making health insurances and care more affordable. Hell do so by targeting the health company monopolies rather than the individual.

Hell Probably Offend Some Really Important People

If hes elected, Donald Trump will likely do some good things to our economy. But its not going to be a pretty picture, and we can safely argue that there are many, many things more important than money. He might make some much-needed changes to our current system, but at what cost? Could his actions and unchecked words actually send us to war?

Hes made jabs at the Pope, alienating the 60 million Catholic people in the country, not to mention making enemies of the millions of other members of Christian religions in the United States. The fact that he would attack a world leader of the Popes caliber is a little frightening.

But whats perhaps most disturbing of all is Trumps poor relations with the media. Its true that most presidents dont love the media, but for the good of the nation and its people, they keep a civil tongue. Hes cast a personal vendetta between himself and Fox Newss Megyn Kelly, which has transpired into some pretty bad media for the Republican contender. Its true the that media is always after its political candidates, but the more Trump criticizes them, the more hell cause a stir that will affect the turn of the medias gaze. The media often controls the level of panic or calm in a nation, and having the president at total odds with the media might turn out to be catastrophic when matters of state are at hand.

All in all, theres not any clear projection that can reveal the outcome if Donald Trump is elected president. Right now, the crystal ball is pretty muddy on that one, but theres no doubt, based on Trumps past behavior as both a businessman and a political candidate, that it will be a rocky road. There will be its benefits, but will the cons outweigh them?
Have you heard of the shocking and terrifying diaper gap that is now dividing this nation? It is said to be so dire that the White House is urging immediate government assistance to buy baby diapers. Philosophically, this puts disposable plastic consumer products in the category of inalienable rights guaranteed by the government: among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Diapers.

When I lived in the USSR, our Soviet Constitution also guaranteed that our basic needs be provided to us by the caring socialist government. As a result, most basic items were in shortage, let alone such luxury items as coffee or toilet paper. Needless to say, we never even heard of disposable diapers. For our three children, we used pieces of cloth which we washed regularly. We didn't complain or feel disadvantaged because -- I repeat -- we had no idea there was such a thing as disposable diapers. Those only existed in the decadent West, where greedy corporations created such a product to boost their capitalist profits. But we were blocked from this information by the Iron Curtain, and what we didn't know couldn't hurt us.

Now I live in America, where the decadent capitalist diapers are about to become a basic "human right" guaranteed by the federal government.

About twenty years ago no one used cell phones because they hadn't yet been created by greedy capitalist corporations, who have since covered the planet with a network of cellular towers. Now free cell phones -- known as Obamaphones -- have become a "human right" guaranteed by the government.

Internet service didn't exist either, until greedy capitalist corporations surrounded the world with cables and satellites. Now Internet service has become a "human right" provided by the U.S. government to the needy.

Condoms, birth control pills, and other modern contraceptives also didn't exist until they were invented, researched, and mass-produced by greedy capitalist corporations. Now they have become a basic "human right" guaranteed and provided by the government.

Vaccines for Ebola and other exotic diseases didn't exist until they were developed by greedy capitalist corporations and almost immediately declared a "human right" for anyone in the Third World.

Healthcare with all its modern diagnostic equipment, appliances, treatments, and a vast array of pharmaceuticals, from Tylenol to Viagra, also didn't exist until greedy capitalist corporations...

And so on and so forth.

Capitalism just keeps churning out all these new products, which our increasingly socialist government then declares "human rights" and taxes these very producers in order to provide their products to the people for free.

Some call it harmonious coexistence, but there's a catch. The more the socialist government expands its functions by guaranteeing an ever expanding number of "human rights," the more it needs to tax capitalist producers, which undercuts their ability to develop, manufacture, and market new products. Once they reach a tipping point when capitalism is no longer viable, this will also end the propagation of "human rights" in the form of new goods and services.

Socialism conserves the stage in which the society existed at the time it was overtaken. Cubans still drive American cars from the 1950s, North Koreans still dress in the fashions of the same bygone era, and in the USSR I grew up in a government-owned house that was taken from the rich and given to the needy in 1920s and remained without indoor plumbing or running water and with ancient electrical wiring until it was condemned and demolished in 1986.

A planned economy is mostly focused n providing the basic needs that have already been declared "human rights," and even then it struggles to keep up with the demand. The USSR had smart inventors and brilliant scientists, but the first personal computer was built in a Californian garage and not in a Siberian one -- because America had free enterprise and the USSR didn't. In the absence of free markets and competition, innovation becomes an almost insurmountable task. There is no time nor money for new products and services; that way it's also easier for the government to run the economy. And when the people don't know what they are missing, there's no reason to be unhappy.

That, however, works best when the rest of the world no longer has competing capitalist economies and no nation lives better than the rest. For example, if it weren't for capitalist America and Western Europe with their never ending innovation and higher living standards, it would have been a lot easier for Soviet citizens to remain content with their socialist government and thus the USSR would probably still exist.

But wouldn't it be great if the entire world lived like one socialist village -- even if it conserved some ancient technology -- and people wouldn't be missing any consumer products they knew nothing about anyway? Absolutely not -- and for a reason that is allegedly dear to every socialist in the West: environmental protection. Centrally planned economies of the Eastern Bloc, China, and other socialist states inevitably became some of the world's worst polluters.

On the one hand they were stuck with outdated technologies, and on the other they had no budgets for cleanup. Their grimy and polluting state-run factories had to meet their production quotas at any cost, for the glory of the Motherland -- even if it meant the destruction of the Motherland's environment and endangering the health of workers and local residents. Complaining to the state about the actions of the state would be pointless and often more dangerous than breathing bad air and drinking polluted water.

Having the entire world adhering to this model would have resulted in an environmental apocalypse and there would be no Greenpeace to bemoan it because that would mean economic sabotage and the activists would by default become enemies of the state.

Whatever innovations the Soviet planned economy introduced came from the West. The Soviet planners also learned from the West about the real cost of things in the modern world, since their own pricing mechanisms had been removed decades ago with the elimination of free markets.

Thus, socialists are better off with capitalism to invent new products that will be later declared "human rights," allowing expansion of government functions to new areas, as well as to generate wealth that pays for socialist programs. Likewise, socialists are better off having the rich to subsidize the creation and mass production of new goods and services, and later to pay taxes so that the government can provide these goods and services to others for free.

This leads us to the following conclusions, which socialists can't refute because it correlates with their own logic:

The longer socialists wait to take over the power, the more technologically advanced society they will get to conserve. It is more beneficial for the people of all classes, including socialists, to delay the socialist revolution indefinitely. To delay the socialist takeover is also better for the environment because only capitalism has the power of innovation and the resources to create less polluting technologies, materials, and alternative energy sources. To impose socialism right away would mean to put the planet at risk of never resolving the environmental problems we face today. Since capitalism generates goods and services that socialists later designate as "human rights," it is also in the interest of human rights to keep capitalism around indefinitely.

Socialists often describe the world as if it has always been as it exists today, leaving out the dimension of time. But time is a major factor because the world has never been static -- and that includes nations, cultures, ethnicities, technologies, sciences, and popular perceptions, such as human rights. The main question that needs to be answered, therefore, is not as much who, where, and how -- but "when?"

For example, switching to socialism directly from feudalism would have conserved the society at an early stage, without the host of various "human rights" that were unheard of at the time. According to Marx, humanity needed to go through the stage of capitalism in order to develop the necessary wealth, technologies, and educated populations before the socialists could take over.

But how do we know when the time is right for such a takeover? According to Marx and Lenin, a revolutionary situation exists when the upper classes no longer can, and the lower classes no longer want, to preserve the system, plus there exists a strong revolutionary party that can organize the masses.

Such a party, or rather a conglomerate of radical leftist movements, already exists -- and it has been flexing its muscles in Ferguson, Baltimore, and most recently in Chicago, disrupting capitalist Donald Trump's voter rally. But the first two preconditions for a socialist revolution in America simply do not exist because this country has never had natural static classes, such as the capitalist oppressors ruling over the oppressed workers and peasants. American society has always been dynamic, with unprecedented rates of upward mobility.

Socialists have been trying to update the Marxist formula by redefining "capitalist oppressors" as "heteronormative patriarchy" and "oppressed workers and peasants" as "sexual, racial, ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities," but all their efforts to artificially polarize and destabilize the system have failed to create a revolutionary situation, despite all the tangible damage they have done to the country and to the minds of the growing generation.

Showing the lack of delayed gratification, socialists chant, "When do we want it? Now!" But if they had taken over, for instance, in the 1960s, Americans would have never been able to enjoy such "human rights" as free Internet, free cell phones, or free disposable diapers. Americans would be living today the way we lived in the USSR around the 1980s. There would be no affordable personal computers, tablets, eBooks, iTunes, Google, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.

Now that all these capitalist wonders exist, is it finally time? What if we miss the next life-changing technological development that will happen in a year or two? What if it will be a new cheap and clean energy source that will make fossil fuels obsolete? What if it will become a new "human right" that will make all the previous "human rights" pale in comparison?

Speaking of which, how do we know when is a good time to declare the next consumer product a "human right"? If we are serious about it, there has to be a mathematical formula that allows us to calculate with precision the exact time when any given product is no longer a novelty but a "human right."

This is how the process happens today, time-wise.

When capitalist entrepreneurs create a new product or service, it is usually expensive and is only available to the rich. Once rich customers have parted with enough money to buy the new product, the entrepreneurs have accumulated enough capital to send it to mass production, making it affordable to the middle class. Once the market is saturated, the government steps in, declares the product a "human right," and provides it to the needy for free. All the costs are covered by the taxes extracted from the entrepreneurs who invented the product and from the rich who already paid for its mass production.

Therefore, THR (Time for Human Rights) = ?

I'm not a mathematician, so I will rely on the readers to help me create a sensible equation that includes timing, cost, saturation, taxation, etc. From this equation our politicians can derive time (T) when someone's consumer product (CP) becomes everyone's human right (HR).

Bernie Sanders recently declared categorically that healthcare is a "human right." He didn't mention when exactly it became a human right: at the dawn of civilization (when no one lived over thirty), during feudalism (when the village blacksmith was also the tooth surgeon), during the industrial revolution (when everything was treated with leeches), or just recently, when capital investments in R&D produced lasers and the MRI?

Is Bernie in possession of the above THR formula, which he won't share with the toiling masses? If not, we can only conclude that he simply throws around words without knowing what they really mean, whenever he feels like it.

Without a foolproof THR formula to calculate the exact time when a consumer product becomes a "human right," one can easily embarrass himself. Imagine if in the past the White House had expanded "human rights" to include the ownership of top hats, horse buggies, eight-track players, or VCRs. The only ones benefitting from it today would be standup comedians.

But judging by my Soviet experience, socialists are also in possession of a formula telling them when government-created "human rights" are due to expire -- which always happens as soon as they gain total control of any country.

Any government powerful enough to give the people all that they want (e.g., free phones, Internet, or disposable diapers) is also powerful enough to take from the people all that they have.

And that is no laughing matter.

Oleg Atbashian, a writer and graphic artist from the former USSR, is the author of Shakedown Socialism, of which David Horowitz said, "I hope everyone reads this book." In 1994 he moved to the U.S. with the hope of living in a country ruled by reason and common sense, appreciative of its freedoms and prosperity. To his dismay, he discovered a nation deeply infected by the leftist disease of "progressivism" that was arresting true societal progress. American movies, TV, and news media reminded him of his former occupation as a visual propaganda artist for the Communist Party. Oleg is the creator of a satirical website ThePeoplesCube.com, which Rush Limbaugh described on his show as "a Stalinist version of The Onion." His graphic work frequently appears in the American Thinker.
Last week, I discovered Frank Schnell when he wrote a comment on formaldehyde and said it was not a cancer-causing agent and that the EPA had lied about it. His comment was on an American Council on Science and Health posting by Josh Bloom, Ph.D. (organic chemistry), with a 20-year history of pharmaceutical research. Bloom busied himself in the post eviscerating a scare-monger on formaldehyde from the enviro-fanatic group National Resources Defense Council, and did a good job, but in the third or fourth comment, I saw a gem  a brief but insightful discussion by a man who described himself as a Ph.D. toxicologist retired from the Communicable Disease Center  Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for 20 years.

Katy, bar the door.

In his comment on the formaldehyde issues, Schnell displayed his expertise and his knowledge of EPA misconduct as a view from the belly of the beast. He outlined the science misconduct directed by the EPA and its agency allies, supported by fanatic environmentalists inside and outside the government.

I thought, This is like Whittaker Chambers exposing the ugly underbelly of commie infiltration of the American government, because not only was Schnell a Ph.D. toxicologist, but he knew how to explain how the EPA and other federal agencies promulgate junk science. I told Bloom I needed more from this man, and he asked for a more fleshed out discussion from Dr. Schnell on EPA misconduct. I was not disappointed.

I have a modest archive here at American Thinker that includes essays on EPA misconduct. Steve Milloy, proprietor of JunkScience.com, and I have written some articles on the same subject together for AT. We focus on EPA cheating on air pollution research but also human experimentation with air pollutants.

All of our efforts are intended to show that EPA sponsors scare-monger scientists who promote the idea that small particle and other air pollutants are deadly when they are not. We have written a number of essays about how the EPA cheats on science and creates false scares. Here is a guy who can confirm the nature of the deceit that we saw and understood from the outside, and he knows the how and why and even the motives. What a find.

Read this wonderful man's explanation in multiple articles that I admire and applaud from his ACSH archive, but also look at his archive at Science 2.0. For those who are interested in the politics, he is lucid; for those who are interested in getting into the scientific weeds, he is plenty smart and easy to understand.

Dr. Schnell is a man after my heart. He explains the way junk scientists can make anything a toxin or a carcinogen if they try hard enough, and he even gets into the unfortunately little known area of hormesis, where another colleague, Dr. Ed Calabrese, reigns supreme. Dr. Schnell is up to speed on hormesis and discusses the importance of dose and how all chemicals, toxics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, have to be evaluated based on effects at various dosages or exposures and how sometimes even notorious toxins can be beneficial at low ranges. At excess exposures above threshold for toxicity, most substances  even benign ones, and certainly toxic ones  can overwhelm a host and cause toxic effects or death.

As a physician, I always remind people that there is a sweet spot for all therapeutic drugs. Well, Schnell talks about sweet spots and more.

He fought the good fight for scientific integrity in the government but was harassed and marginalized by the agency leftists. See why and how they lie and cheat to scare the public.

I think that what he has to tell us is incredibly important  beginning with his first sentence in the essay he wrote as a bounce off his comment about the formaldehyde article by Bloom.

Dr. Schnell says, "In the last 15 years, EPA has invented three bogus human carcinogens (chemicals that cause cancer), all for political reasons or with a political not a scientific basis. The Carcinogens invented were, dioxin, because of the anti-Vietnam War crusade, formaldehyde because of the hysterical reaction to the 'toxic' trailer homes for the refugees of Katrina, and the last one, trichloroethylene, because of the noise about the contamination of water at Camp Lejeune."

None of these three chemicals passed any real scientific tests for proof of carcinogenicity, but politics is more important than science at the EPA. The complaints and scares were typical of these enviro-scares and the wheelchair brigades that form, encouraged by lawyers and enviro-advocates. Gulf War Syndrome was another example of a politically motivated toxin story.

Dr. Schnell explains in his writings how an agency can highjack science for political purposes. In this post-modern political environment, where the truth is not important and political points made are, is that such a surprise?

Please read the insightful and eloquent explanations of Dr. Schnell that deal with not only the scandals mentioned above, but how EPA research in epidemiology (study of populations) and toxicology (study of harmful substances) is poisoned by politics.

Dr. Schnell is an important find, and I sure would like to see what he could do to the EPA crackpots and their supporters in Congress at a few hearings on the Hill before a House or Senate committee chaired by someone with good sense who is well prepared and doesn't allow the deceit and obfuscation we see too often from the agency apparatchiks.
Common wisdom is that Ben Carson did something surprising when he endorsed Donald Trump for president. But if you've been paying attention to Ben Carson for any period of time, you won't have been surprised. It was a predictable act for one who has a track record of behaving in ways that belie his supposed commitment to personal integrity.

Here are just a few examples of how Carson has demonstrated himself to be more interested in his own advancement than in honesty.

1. Mannatech

In spite of a well-documented history with the company, a multi-level marketing organization that sells "scientifically proven health, weight and fitness and skin care products" and that has a history of legal trouble, Carson has continued to maintain that he and Mannatech had "no relationship." Considering that the record shows almost a decade of support in the form of paid speeches, video appearances, and personal testimony in support of Mannatech products, I have to question Dr. Carson's definition of the word "relationship." If this is what it looks like to not have a relationship, I would love to see what it means to have one.

2. Plagiarism

Carson has acknowledged and apologized for several instances of plagiarism of which he has been accused, both in college and as recently as his 2015 book America the Beautiful. Carson claims he had never heard of plagiarism and did not know what it was in college, something I find very hard to believe, as it was all my English teachers ever talked about. But allowing for the possibility that Carson's English teachers were cut from a different cloth from mine, I remain puzzled that a man who credits reading with turning his life around would not have a better understanding of the need to respect the words of others. His apology is cheapened by the refusal to take responsibility for his behavior, instead chalking his misdeeds up to ignorance.

3. Selective indignation

During the Carson-Cruz flap over the Cruz campaign's publicizing of Carson's supposed plan to drop out of the race, Cruz repeatedly apologized for his campaign staff's missteps. Also repeatedly, Carson accepted the apology but then went on to continue talking about the Cruz camp's "dirty tricks." For someone who is vocal about his Christian identity, that's an odd way to accept an apology. More in keeping with the Christian doctrine of forgiveness is the admonition to speak of the offense no more. But in this as in other areas of his campaign, Carson has shown his willingness to base decisions on political expediency rather than the Judeo-Christian values he claims as his moral compass. The readiness with which he has forgiven Donald Trump the far worse things Trump has said about Dr. Carson, even as Trump continues saying them after Carson's endorsement, suggests a double standard when it comes to Carson's practice of forgiveness.

4. Saying he wouldn't endorse someone and then doing so

As has been observed by many, on March 4, Ben Carson wrote on his Facebook page that he was "committed" to not endorsing anyone. One week later, he endorsed none other than Donald Trump. It would appear that not only does Carson have "relationship" trouble, but he also struggles with the definition of "commitment."

Ben Carson, like so many candidates this season, enjoys portraying himself as an outsider unfamiliar with the world of politics as usual. But if the definition of politics is doing what needs to be done to get ahead, it appears from where I'm sitting that Ben Carson figured it out long ago.
A vote of the House of Representatives has rebuked the Obama administrations obstinate refusal to acknowledge the horrifying genocide against Christians underway in the Middle Eastern territories controlled by ISIS. Bradford Richardson reports in the Washington Times:

The House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly approved a resolution declaring as genocide atrocities committed by the Islamic State against Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East. HR 75 passed without a single dissenting vote, 393-0, sending a strong signal to Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who has been deliberating for months whether to declare genocide. The House speaker said he wasnt optimistic about it.

There are important reasons why this blind-eyed stance of the Obama administration is destructive:

Doug Napier, senior counsel and executive director of the Alliance Defending Freedom International, said official recognition of genocide would trigger laws in United Nations to investigate and prosecute offenders, as well as oblige the U.S. to take measures to end the violence. He said it is irresponsible that the genocide has not already been declared in the face of overwhelming evidence that Christians and other minorities are being specifically persecuted. Religious and ethnic minority groups in the Middle East are deliberately targeted by ISIS for destruction, Mr. Napier said. The number of Christians has dropped from 2 million to under 1 million in Syria, and from 1.4 million to under 260,000 in Iraq in just a few years. The atrocities include assassinations of church leaders, torture, mass murders, kidnapping, sexual enslavement and systematic rape of Christian and Yazidi girls and women, destruction of churches, monasteries and cemeteries.

There is one person who could do more than anyone else to sway the Obama administration. U.N. ambassador Samantha Power should publicly resign her post and demand that the Obama administration act out of conscience. Power has achieved fame, fortune, honor, and position by writing a much honored (Pulitzer and others) book about genocide. Wikipedia summarizes its moral message:

Power observes that American policymakers have been consistently reluctant to condemn mass atrocities as genocide or take responsibility for leading an international military intervention. She argues that without significant pressure from the American public, policymakers avoid the term "genocide" altogether. Instead, they appeal to the priority of national interests or argue (without merit, she contends) that a U.S. response would be futile and accelerate violence as a justification for inaction.[1]

Powers silence reveals a craven lust for position and power over principle. History will not be kind to the Obama administrations silence on genocide, and Powers moral failure is the most prominent. She is nothing more than an empty poseur of the virtue-signaling type.
In 1765, she came with her family to the Waxhaw region on the border of the Carolinas. They were poor Scotch-Irish and couldn't afford good land, and her husband worked himself to death within two years, trying to scratch out a living. She was carrying his third son, whom she named for him. She moved in with her cousin Jane Crawford, who had eight children of her own. Jane was unwell, and she did the work of two women, taking care of the whole family.

When the Revolutionary War came to the Carolinas, her oldest boy, Hugh, rode with William Richardson Davie at the Battle of Stono Ferry. He died from exhaustion right after the fight. He was 16. Her remaining sons rode with Davie at the Battle of Hanging Rock, then became guerrillas, and were captured and imprisoned at Camden with 250 other men. They were dying of starvation and disease when she rode the 45 miles to see them. She pleaded with the British to let her boys go, and they were finally released in a prisoner exchange. When she got them home, they were in desperate condition, and after two days, her middle boy, Robert, died. He was 15. She nursed her youngest, 13, to a semblance of health, and then rode with two other ladies to Charleston to nurse and comfort the Americans being held on prison ships there. Some of them were her kin. She contracted cholera and, shortly after the great victory at Yorktown, died and was buried in an unmarked grave.

Her surviving son became a truly ferocious man, a lion. He was his mother's son. She gave birth to him on March 15, 1767, and in one year we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of that day. If she's not the mother of this country, I don't know who is. Let's all honor the life of Elizabeth Jackson on that day.

And, whats more, lets put Elizabeth Jackson on the $20 bill. Im sure her boy Andrew wouldnt mind.

Fritz Pettyjohn was the chairman of Reagan for President, Alaska in 1979-80 and is national field director of the National Tax Limitation Committee. He blogs daily at ReaganProject.com.
Donald Trump, who denies that his provocative and sometimes profane rhetoric (particularly against Muslims) has anything to do with violence and protests at his University of Illinois-Chicago rally, once blamed conservative activist Pamela Geller for provoking an attempted armed assault by  wait for it  unnecessarily provoking Muslims.

As Gideon Resnick noted last December in the Daily Beast, pre-candidate Trump was not as passionately concerned with Pamela Gellers First Amendment free speech rights as he now is with his own:

On May 4 of this year, Trump tweeted: The U.S. has enough problems without publicity seekers going out and openly mocking religion in order to provoke attacks and death. BE SMART. His declaration was in response to the news that two men attempted to shoot up the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, during a Draw the Prophet event organized by Gellers American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI). Geller and her group, which has been labeled by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-Muslim hate group, defended her First Amendment rights in the face of violence. Freedom of speech is under violent assault here, Geller defiantly said at the time. Donald Trump, the presidential candidate, would seemingly agreehes spoken a great deal about political correctness and his belief that free speech is under attack. But pre-candidate Donald Trump apparently felt otherwise. It looks like shes just taunting everybody. What is she doing? he told Fox & Friends. Drawing Mohammed and it looks like shes actually taunting people. You know, Im one that believes in free speech, probably more than she does. But whats the purpose of this?

Pamela Geller taunted Muslims, said the man who is himself accused of taunting Muslims by proposing to ban all immigration until he figures things out. The purpose of the Garland event, Mr. Trump, was to exercise her free speech rights, which, under the U.S. Constitution, if not sharia law, are not punishable by death. Trump, who openly and generically mocks Islam and has threatened protesters with physical violence, says he is innocent of incitement while Geller was guilty.

Geller merely sponsored a cartoon contest. Her supporter did not punch an African-American at her event, nor manhandle a female reporter, as his campaign manager is accused of doing to Michelle Fields.

Trumps protestations of innocence concerning protests and violence at his rallies ring hollow.

Geller has endorsed Cruz for president and will no doubt be attacked for that, too, just as Trump attacked her for exercising her free speech in protest of Islamist threats and tyranny Trump claims to oppose. Trump cannot invoke his free speech rights in defense of his inflammatory rhetoric when his interest in free speech seems to include only his own.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
Just off the coast of Sardinia, Italy, in the Gulf of Olbia, lies the lonely island of Tavolara, that rises out of the sea as a jagged mountain five kilometers long and one kilometer wide. Towards one end, facing the Italian coast, the mountain slopes down to form a narrow isthmus with a long, sandy beach. The isthmus is the only habitable part of the island. Its here that Giuseppe Bertoleonis family and descendants have been living for the past two hundred years.

Giuseppe Bertoleoni, a Genovese immigrant, arrived on the island in 1807, with the intention of living there with one of his two wives and their children, to escape bigamy charges. Upon arriving, Giuseppe proclaimed himself as the king of the island, a title Giuseppe claimed was verbally bestowed upon him by Carlo Alberto, King of Sardinia, while on a hunting trip to the island in 1836. Since then Giuseppes family has ruled over the island and its only inhabitants the family themselves for the last seven generations. They sustain themselves by goat farming and fishing, and selling souvenirs to tourists. They also run the islands two restaurants.

Photo credit: www.laglientu.com

Soon after arriving on the island, Giuseppe found that the island was inhabited by a rare species of wild goats whose teeth were dyed a golden-yellow color by the seaweed and lichen they ate. When word of the gilt-toothed goats reached Sardinias ruler, Carlo Alberto, he himself travelled to Tavolara in 1836 to hunt the animal. The story goes that Giuseppes 24-year-old son, Paolo, went out to greet the king and introduced himself as the King of Tavolara.

After spending three days on the island as Bertoleonis guest, Carlo Alberto was so delighted that he said, Paolo, you really are the King of Tavolara! before sailing off. A few years later, however, when the state property administration tried to expropriate the Bertoleoni family of their island, Paolo Bertoleoni went to Turin to see Carlo Alberto and obtained from King Alberto a scroll recognizing Paolo as king of Tavolara.

King Carlo I Bertoleoni and his family, which the Bertoleoni family claims was displayed in Buckingham Palace with the caption "The royal family of Tavolara, in the gulf of Terranova, the smallest kingdom in the world."

Paolo Bertoleoni returned to the island and created the Bertoleoni coat of arms and proudly painted it on the wall of his home. In the 1900s, Britain's Queen Victoria, who was collecting photographs of the leaders of the world at that time, sent her personal photographer to the island to shoot the royal family. This picture still hangs at the Buckingham Palace museum, in London, and on the wall of the islands restaurant.

In 1934, the Bertoleoni familys sovereignty officially came to an end when the island was annexed by Italy. Then in 1962, NATO established a base on the eastern half of the island making almost that entire half off-limits to its residents. Today, the family owns only 50 hectares of the island. Although no longer a ruler, they continue to serve their role as the protector of the island. The current King Tonino is trying hard to get his kingdom officially recognized, which would make Tavolara the smallest kingdom in the world.

Photo credit: ansmartie/Flickr

Photo credit: Simone Zucchelli/Flickr

Photo credit: Ross Huggett/Flickr

Sources: BBC / The Star / www.ristorantereditavolara.com / Wikipedia
Last week, Google announced Android N, and while its important to remember that this is still a Developer Preview, March is a lot different than May and for a lot of people this launch was perhaps a little early. For the past two years now, a Developer Preview has been released in May, during Google I/O and a final version is rolled out to Nexus devices, and then everyone else shortly thereafter. For the past couple of years, this has been expected, and its been something that people have become familiar with, and for the last three years, weve only seen three major versions of Android, marking a slowdown in terms of releases and updates. Thats arguably helped Android a lot more than it has hurt it, but announcing a new version of Android  even if it is only an early Alpha-esque release  5 months after the final release of the previous version is bound to raise some questions.

Whether or not a new release of Android is too early has been a question that the tech media, as well as well-informed users, have been asking themselves for years. I personally remember when I was first getting interested in Android  jumping onboard with version 2.1  I saw Android 2.2 FroYo launch soon after I bought my phone and then Android 2.3 Gingerbread launched towards the end of the same year. Obviously, things were different back then, and the platform was in its infancy just getting off the ground, but to a 19-year old customer having signed his first phone contract? I wanted updates and I wanted them quickly. As it happened, between them, O2 and HTC dragged their feet so much that it took what felt like forever to see Android 2.2 and Android 2.3 quickly became a pipedream.

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Android N has been released in the first stages of a Developer Preview, and you could consider this the equivalent of an Alpha release. Obviously, this release of Android N is designed for developers and those looking to put Android N on tomorrows devices, and its probably not Googles main intention to make too big a fuss about it, but in this day and age thats unavoidable. Theres a culture around these updates and people are always looking forward to whats next, otherwise I would be out of a job. Which puts Google in an awkward position; its better to give developers a heads-up on whats coming and how to best adapt their apps for new features such as multi-window but it upsets a lot of users that havent even been updated to the previous version of Android.

To be clear, these Developer Previews are an excellent idea. When they announced Android L  which of course became Android 5.0 Lollipop  they introduced a whole new user interface, and Material Design has been a massive breath of fresh air for Android. The way they introduced it however, in a Developer Preview, was a master stroke. Users were excited for the new version of Android and were eager to hear more about each new preview and couldnt wait for it to finally launch, but more importantly Developers were able to get onboard and ensure that their apps and games not only worked, but took advantage of new features. Android M  or Android 6.0 Marshmallow as we know it today  followed the same path, and it worked well.

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This focus on one solid major release of Android per year, with some helpful heads-up info for developers has worked really well for Android. While naysayers will continue to point and laugh at Googles monthly distribution figures and cry FRAGMENTATION!, Google has been very clever with their approach to major releases over the past few years. Key features of Android, such as Google Play Services are embedded into  and independently updated  across different versions of Android and the Play Store is updated with new features on its own as well. Core elements of Android dont need to be running on the absolute latest version of Android in order for them to add new features or feel fresh themselves, mostly negating the famous fragmentation that apparently plagued Android. Developer Previews and more structured and careful rollouts of major releases are working well for Android, but could announcing N this early in the year be a return to old for Google?

I own, and am very happy with, a OnePlus 2 and yet I still dont have Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Clearly, this is a total lack of effort on OnePlus part, but even big-name devices from Samsung and LG have only just gotten the update to Marshmallow. Devices on a 24-month contract from 2014, such as the Galaxy S5? Keep on waiting. Now, these users that are still waiting for Android 6.0 Marshmallow are hearing about a new version of Android. Granted, a lot of average users might not even put much thought into it beyond reading a few articles here and there, but knowing a software upgrade is on its way before youve even gotten the last one? Not a brilliant feeling, especially if your smartphone ended up costing you a lot of money.

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Theres also the Jelly Bean issue to think of here, too. From July 2012 through to July 2013, Google released Android 4.1, Android 4.2 and Android 4.3 all under the name of Jelly Bean. While its widely thought that Android Jelly Bean refers to all three releases  4.1 through to 4.3  they were three separately announced versions of Android, that required three separate major software updates. This essentially let carriers and networks off the hook to hustle and roll out Android 4.2 to a device running Android 4.1, why not just wait for Android 4.3? Speaking of which, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was a release that included a lot under-the-hood, and is the earliest version Android Wear smartwatches will work with, making that particular release of Android a fairly important one. Theres now talk that some devices will skip Android 6.0 Marshmallow and go straight to Android N.

While theres not much stock in such a rumor right now, its something that could end up happening. Lets take OnePlus for example. A small company thats obviously more occupied in the recent launch of the OnePlus X and development of the OnePlus 3. Updating OxygenOS to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is clearly not a priority of theirs, and with the arrival of Android N a small team is faced with a fairly simple question; do we focus on being ready for Android N in the Fall or release Android Marshmallow now to catch up with N once again? Its a tough question, and while this cant be levelled at larger firms like HTC (who, to their credit have been much better with updates), LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony and everyone else with larger development teams it does throw plans into question.

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As is so often the case with Android updates like N, were just going to have to wait and see how long it takes for the manufacturers to roll out their own updates. Google does appear to be doing all they can in helping their manufacturing partners roll out updates quicker, and Im of the opinion that device manufacturers and carriers need to work quicker, but theyre not exactly helping with N, either. With the industry talking about a new version of Android coming in Summer the conversation cant help but be steered to the slow, slow rollout of Android Marshmallow. Whether the launch of the N Preview was too early is up to you, and were sure developers and users will constantly differ here, but one thing is as clear in 2016 as it was back in 2012; Google has an update problem, and it seems unlikely theyre ever going to solve it completely.
Unlimited data has often been a bone of contention for the majority of carriers and their users across the US for many years. What used to be a bargaining chip for everyone has quickly become something only the smaller networks  such as Sprint and T-Mobile  can actually deliver on. The carriers often argue that there isnt enough spectrum to go around and networks quickly become congested. AT&T, to ease the pressures of congestion turned to throttling speeds of customers that were on unlimited data plans. These customers then took AT&T to court in a Class Action suit. Said suit has been going on for some time now, but AT&T has managed to defeat the Class Action in court just recently.

Judge Edward Chen of the US District Court in Northern California heard arguments from AT&T that customers contracts stated that they would need to work out disputes in arbitration, and a more appropriate place would be small claims courts. The Plaintiffs involved argued that a small claims court wouldnt give the right amount of exposure to such an issue, and that moving their claims to arbitration would forego their First Amendment rights to to petition a court for a redress of grievances. Judge Chen ultimately took AT&Ts side in the case, citing the precedent set by the US Supreme Court way back in 2011, which outlined the Federal Arbitration Act preempting a Californian Law that prevented firms forcing those with complaints into arbitration.

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AT&T got itself into a mess when they started throttling the speeds of customers on unlimited data plans once they had hit 3GB on 3G devices and 5GB on 4G devices. Arguably, such a practice renders an unlimited service no longer as such, and AT&T has been in trouble with Government Agencies in the past, and will continue to face fines. The Federal Trade Commission thought as much and sued the network for refunds on behalf of customers who paid for unlimited data plans, arguing that AT&T werent actually delivering such a service. Back in April 2015, Judge Chen did not side with AT&T in this case, despite Ma Bell claiming that the FTC had no business poking around in communications. The Federal Communications Commission however, fined AT&T $100 Million for their loose definition of the word unlimited as well.
Last week, Google surprised a number of us, and launched the Android N Developer Preview, well ahead of Google I/O  where this stuff normally happens. The Android N Developer Preview is a way for developers to get in on Android N before the public release and be sure that their apps and such are working with the update before it gets pushed out to everyone. Google has been doing this since the Android L announcement back in 2014. Well see 5 developer previews this year, equating to about once a month leading up to the August/September release.

Many people have the Android N developer preview on their Nexus device already, simply because they want to play around with the new version of Android. And who can blame them? Now, Chainfire has released his first test build of SuperSU for the Android N developer preview, so that those with the preview on their Nexus or Pixel devices can get root access right away. With these being Nexus devices, root is always pretty simple to get. But Super User or SuperSU in this case, was not built for Android N, and the binaries for Android Marshmallow werent working to well with the developer preview. But now you should be able to get some root access with this test build of SuperSU.

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Using SuperSU is pretty simple, and if you know what SuperSU actually is then you should be good to go. But if you dont know what SuperSU is, then its highly suggested to read up on it before using it on your device. As there is always the possibility of causing damage to your smartphone, tablet or even set-top box (in the Nexus Player). Which we wont be responsible for any damage done to your device. The Android N Developer Preview is being done via an over-the-air update, so you dont even need to flash the entire factory image. Making things much faster for everyone to get the update and play around with Android N. Internally, Google is calling this release New York Cheesecake. Itll likely change before release in Q3, as it typically does. Were still holding out hope for Nutella.
If you happen to be an art aficionado, youre likely already quite familiar with the work of Bruegel the Elder, a Flemish painter who is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. His art is known to contain details, layers and mysterious elements that are hard to spot, in some cases invisible to the naked eye. Museum goers where his pieces are featured can be seen leaning as close as the display cases will allow, appraising the entire length of the painting with looks of deep thought and scrutiny. Such a painting, as you may guess, would likely be one of the ripest out there for the Google Cultural Institutes special brand of virtual reality-enabled widespread availability, which includes compatibility with Googles own Cardboard headset.

For museum-goers at the main partner museum in this venture, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, Germany, a wholly more immersive new way of experiencing the painting is available. Ultra-high resolution imagery of the painting is projected all over a small, boxlike room. The result is museum goers finding themselves face to face and toe to toe with all manner of landscapes, peoples of old and even mythical creatures; if it was in the imagination of Bruegel, it can end up inside this room. Three paintings are available in this room, only one of which is housed inside the museum. For a tamer experience, a terminal is located in front of the painting provides an experience similar to what the folks at home can get.

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Viewable on YouTube, one of the paintings is featured on Googles announcement page. The painting, a fall with the Rebel Angels, takes you on a rotatable tour of the inside of the painting, showing a pitched angelic battle from an insiders perspective. As the video twists through the painting, users can use their mouse, touchscreen or head tracking-enabled VR device to scan their surroundings and watch the brawl unfold in the maelstrom from whatever angle they want. Check out the source link for the full announcement, or give the video below a look for a comprehensive view of the works of one of the worlds greatest artists, with or without VR equipment.
When looking for directions in Google Maps, from one place to another, you have a few different options. You can choose to go by public transit (subway, bus, etc), drive there or walk. But you also have a few ride-sharing services as well. Uber has been integrated in Google Maps for quite some time now. So if youre looking to see how long itd take you to get somewhere from your current location, Uber would show up and give you an estimate of how much it would cost you. It included UberX and UberBlack, and in other countries there would be Ubers other products like Peoples Uber in China. Today, Google announced it was expanding this feature to more ride-sharing companies.

Starting today, in the Google Maps app youll have the option for 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the UK and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain and finally Gett in the UK. This isnt all of the ride-sharing companies out there, not by a long shot. Especially considering Lyft isnt included, which is Ubers biggest competitor.

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In addition to getting the fare estimate from Google Maps, if the app is installed for the ride-sharing provider, you can tap on the result in Google Maps and be taken directly to the app. From there you will be able to complete your ride-sharing order. Its as easy as can be. This update is coming in the form of a new update to the Google Maps app, which Google says is rolling out to Android and iOS over the next few days. As usual, this appears to be a staged rollout from Google.

Google Maps has always been a pretty helpful navigation and mapping app. With todays update, it just got that much more helpful. Especially with more and more people relying on ride-sharing services like Uber, Gett, Hailo, 99taxis and others, it makes a ton of sense to add that into Google Maps when looking for directions. Itll be interesting to see if Lyft ever gets added in, seeing as Uber and Lyft have been playing dirty lately, with one leaving nasty, untrue reviews about the others service.
LG has already launched a few handsets as part of the K series device lineup which they initially announced earlier this year, including the K4, the K7, and the K10 smartphones. Today LG has announced two new devices that are joining the lineup as part of mid-range device set known as the K5 and the K8. Both devices hit the mid-tier and offer up compelling and familiar features already seen on other LG handsets, like the rear placement of the volume buttons and the power button just underneath the rear-facing camera on the LG K8 LTE.

Both devices feature a 5-inch display, although the LG K5 comes with the lower resolution of the two phones, sporting an FWVGA resolution while the LG K8 LTE comes with an HD display. Both phones come powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor on the inside, but thats about where the similarities end as far as hardware specifications go, as the LG K5 comes with 1GB of RAM while the LG K8 LTE bumps the RAM up to 1.5GB. The LG K8 LTE comes with an 8MP rear camera on the back while up front it carries a 5MP camera sensor, and on the LG K5 the cameras are 5MP on the back and 2MP on the front.

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Users will find a smaller battery inside of the K5, set at 1900mAh, while the battery inside of the LG K8 is a 2125mAh battery for just a little bit more life on a single charge. Both batteries are removable so either device will have the capability to swap out batteries should consumers have one extra and the one inside the device goes dead. Both devices support WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and USB 2.0, and both have Bluetooth although the K5 comes with Bluetooth 4.1 while LG has packed Bluetooth 4.2 inside of the K8. The K8 also comes with NFC support. As for the OS, both obviously run on Android, but the LG K8 will come with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box while the LG K5 will instead come running on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The K8 will be available in Gold, Indigo, and White, while the LG K5 will come in Gold, Silver, and Titan. LG doesnt give exact dates for the launches of these phones, but they do state that both will be introduced into key markets at some point this week, and they do list the regions for each device, with the LG K5 heading to Asia, Latin America, CIS, Africa, and the Middle East, while the LG K5 will be aimed at Europe, CIS, and Latin America. LG has not yet mentioned any details on cost as each market will likely announce their own pricing.
The debate surrounding encryption is one which is very much ongoing. While Apple continues its battle in the courts, the general public seems to be at odds as to where the line between privacy and security should be drawn. That said, in spite of this being such a divisive issue, it does seem that a number of the main tech companies are largely on the same page and in agreement that encryption should not be inhibited in any meaningful way. Those tech companies have already voiced their agreement in the courts with Apple by filing joint briefs which legally recognizes their collective support. However, it is now being reported that in the near future, some of those tech companies plan to voice further support behind the scenes and by upping their own levels of encryption.

In terms of specifics, the details on what these tech companies are planning to do is a little limited, however the report from The Guardian does make it clear that services from the likes of Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Google will see greater levels of encryption being adopted. We have already seen WhatsApp introduce greater end to end encryption as an update quite recently, although the report seems to work off the notion this will further be refined going forward, with greater levels of encryption being introduced for both voice calls and group messages. With (according to sources) a formal announcement expected In the coming weeks. In terms of Google, the report details that many of those behind the scenes are starting to look again at an encrypted email project which had been dubbed End-to-End. A project, which after being worked on over the last couple of years, seemed to be firmly on the back burner. However, it is now being said that the intensity of End-to-End could suddenly be picked up again. While Snapchat and Facebook are both said to be working on increasing the encryption abilities of their respective messenger services, details on these two specifically were more limited than the others, according to the report.

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It seems these might not be the extent to the companies who are now thought to be looking again at how they can improve their encryption stance as Twitter, among others, were also mentioned too. While this does collectively seem like a move which will be welcomed by privacy advocates, it does seem that it is not all for the greater good. Instead, the report highlights that many companies are now starting to see a greater selling value in even stronger encryption due to the high-profile nature of the Apple case. As a result, employing even more stringent levels of encryption is quickly being seen as a good marketing opportunity by tech companies and especially in regards to the business sector.
Earlier this morning at South by Southwest, Samsung was a company among a sea of many with things to show off in the technology realm. Among them was a new app called Hum On!, which lets users hum while recording to have the app take their melody and essentially produce it into music after transcribing it into music notes that could be played. Samsung also had two other products to show off at the event alongside the new application, one of which is another new app for a brand new social platform that Samsung is creating, called Waffle, and a pair of headphones called the Entrim 4D that are meant to enhance the experience of virtual reality.

The Entrim 4D as they are currently referred to, is a headset thats in development by Samsung as part of their C-Labs projects, which aims to enhance the experience of VR for the wearer as its meant to make it possible to feel the experience in addition to letting the wearer see and hear whats happening. Samsung explains that this is possible by sending electrical signals to the ear of the wearer which are able to correspond to the movement data of the VR content. This makes it possible for the wearer to feel like theyre part of the experience rather than just viewing it.

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The other new unveiling this morning was a brand new social platform Samsung is aiming to get off the ground called Waffle, which currently has a beta app available on Android. The idea behind Waffle according to Samsung is to allow users to create content that others can not only interact with by viewing it, but by also adding their own content and thereby expanding on the original content from the original poster. The name Samsung states, comes from the Waffle-like grid pattern of the user interface, and was designed to allow users to collaboratively create stuff together if they wish. While anyone can essentially add their own content to the stuff a user posts, that same user could in turn add their own content to stuff that was added by another user as well.

https://youtu.be/yZ_G_zbObWU

https://youtu.be/2U8c-7CnYrE
It is not exactly a secret Xiaomi has been growing incredibly fast. This China-based smartphone manufacturing company was founded back in 2010, and has managed to become Chinas number 1 smartphone manufacturer last year, in less than 5 years of existence. Xiaomi has also managed to persuade a lot of companies / people to invest in them at the end of 2014 (they raised $1.1 billion), which certainly helped the company push their limits even more.

That being said, Xiaomi has sold around 70 million smartphones last year, which is their record, but unfortunately that wasnt enough it seems, Xiaomi was expecting to ship between 80 and 100 million units in 2015. The company did not release their Mi 5 flagship last year, it was announced last month during MWC, and that quite probably influenced their sales quite a bit. Either way, Xiaomi has no plans for an IPO anytime soon, the companys exec more or less confirmed recently. He has also said that Xiaomi has plenty of cash at the moment (around $1.5 billion), though reports suggest that Xiaomi will have to turn to investors again soon. Now, investors started doubting Xiaomi after they failed to meet their sales goal in 2015, and considering the fact that the smartphone sales in China are slowing down, this will certainly going to be an interesting year for the company. Xiaomi will not only be required to re-assure investors, but also find a way how to expand to other markets and sell more devices.

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According to the latest report, Xiaomi is actually looking to raise about $110 million in equity investments (for a 0.45% stake in the company). Now, it is expected that the company will be valued at around $24.4 billion if that actually happens, which doesnt seem all that bad at first, but keep in mind Xiaomi was valued at $45 billion at the end of 2014. Now, as already mentioned, Xiaomi is not looking for financing rounds, at least according to the companys CEO, Lei Jun. Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens next for Xiaomi, things certainly dont seem as great as they were at the end of 2014, but Xiaomi is still growing, and well see if theyll be able to overcome the obstacles which are coming their way.
(ANSA) - Rome, March 15 - COPASIR parliamentary intelligence committee chairman Giacomo Stucchi denied earlier reports that Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni reported a child hostage was also killed in the firefight that claimed the lives of two kidnapped Italians in Libya earlier this month.

Gentiloni "did not report a child was also killed in the Libya raid in which Italian hostages Fausto Piano and Salvatore Failla died, nor has this information ever been in (COPASIR's) possession," said Giacomo Stucchi. "It was a baseless report".

The denial comes after earlier reports that Gentiloni told COPASIR in a hearing that the child hostage was the son of a prominent local family. This would support the theory that the Italian oil industry employees were kidnapped and held by criminals rather than an Islamist fundamentalist group such as ISIS, investigative sources said.

Failla and Piano were abducted along with colleagues Filippo Calcagno and Gino Pollicardo in Libya in July last year while on their way to work. The latter two managed to break out of a house where they were being held and escaped with their lives. The four worked for the Parma-based oil-sector construction firm Bonatti.


(ANSA) - Verona, March 15 - The Verona flying squad on Tuesday arrested 12 people on suspicion of robbing 17 Renaissance paintings from the city's Castelvecchio Museum last November. Three armed men broke into the museum just after closing time and before the alarm had been set for the night, stealing canvases worth an estimated 10-15 million euros.

The loot included Andrea Mantegna's Holy Family with a Saint, Pisanello's Madonna of the Quail, Peter Paul Rubens' Lady with Campions, and six Tintorettos, Castelvecchio Museum Director Paola Marini told ANSA at the time.

The 10 Moldovan and two Italian suspects include a suspected inside man. Nine arrests were carried out in Moldova and three in Verona, police said.

The Carabinieri art squad is tracking down the stolen paintings, which have reportedly been identified in the former Soviet republic.


(ANSA) - Rome, March 15 - No ransom was paid for the release of Libya hostages Filippo Calcagno and Gino Pollicardo, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told the parliamentary intelligence oversight committee COPASIR Tuesday. No money was handed over, either, for their two co-workers at the Bonatti oil construction firm who were killed in a firefight with militia, Salvatore Failla and Fausto Piano, he added. The four were taken hostage in July. Calcagno and Pollicardo broke out of the house they were being held in in the city of Sabratha a day after Failla and Piano were killed.


Angelina Jolie visits Syrian refugees in Lebanon UNHCR special envoy on Lesbos this evening

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MARCH 15 - The well-known actress Angelina Jolie visited Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon on Tuesday, on the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian uprising. The actress, who is also UNHCR special envoy, paid a visit to refugees in the Bekaa Valley near the country's border with Syria. Lebanon hosts over a million Syrian refugees, equal to a fourth of its population. About 4.3 million Syrians have fled their country since 2011 and most have sought refuge in Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan. In the evening, Jolie will be visiting the thousands of refugees on Greek island of Lesbos, local media reported on Tuesday. (ANSAmed).




Migrants:Macedonia rejects Suva Reka refugees back to Greece Foreign journalists expelled and fined

(ANSAmed) - SKOPJE, MARCH 15 - Police and the Macedonian army today started sending back to Greece the hundreds, possibly thousands of migrants and refugees who crossed into Macedonian territory through the Suva Reka river. Some 30 foreign journalists who had illegally crossed over into Macedonia while reporting on the migrants were also expelled to Greece and fined 250 euros each. Yesterday, Macedonian Foreign minister Nikola Poposki harshly criticized the illegal entry of the migrants, stressing that only a joint EU response can solve the crisis and avoid the proliferation of illegal migrant trafficking.



(ANSAmed).




New Valencia-Algeria maritime route inaugurated North African country top trade partner for Spanish port

(ANSAmed) - NAPLES, MARCH 15 - The El Djazair II ferry has arrived at the Valencia port, inaugurating a new route between the Spanish port and that of Algeria's Mostaganem.



Both passenger and vehicles will be transported on the ferry, which will run through the summer season until September. Valencia port authority chief Francesc Sanchez said that the importance of the route lay in the fact that ''southern Mediterranean countries, and especially Algeria, are strategic destinations due to both their large volumes of traffic and future potential''. ''The route,'' director general for Valencia transportation Carlos Domingo said, '' will foster an increase in commercial traffic and economic and cultural exchange between the two countries, enabling further economic development.'' Taking part in the ceremony of the first docking was also Temmar Abdelwahid, governor of the Algerian region Wilaya, who underscored the Algerian region's desire to diversify and increase relations with the Valencia region, including through cooperation. The new line of the National Company for Maritime Transport of Passengers (ENTMV) will run through September, and 17 stops in Valencia have been scheduled (once a week in July and August). The route, concluded the statement issued by the Valencia port authority, will lead to an increase in cargo traffic with Algeria - which has already in recent years grown significantly, to the point of becoming the main trade partner of the Valencia port. (ANSAmed).




Putin opens to peace in Syria. But caution on 'czar's' moves Belkovsky, talks with US on the background, it could be bluff

(by Mattia Bernardo Bagnoli) (ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, MARCH 15 - ''I hope that the withdrawal of our troops can give impulse to the peace process''. Vladimir Putin chose the day in which infra-Syrian peace talks resumed in Geneva to announce to the country - and the world - that the mission had been 'accomplished'. He launched his exit strategy from Syria's complex scenario, in spite of those who were predicting an Afghan scenario for Russia's first war venture outside its backyard since the era of the former Soviet Union.



However, since Putin is involved, the motto in Moscow just a few hours from the announcement is 'caution'. The risk, according to several observers, is that the Kremlin's leader is attempting yet another relaunch. ''It could be a bluff'', political analyst and Putin expert Stanislav Belkovsky told ANSA. ''Behind this announcement - he argued - we can very well imagine that negotiations were held with the US and Putin is expecting concessions, perhaps also on the Ukrainian front, and if there will be no concrete developments he can always reopen hostilities on the Syrian front''.



Some European diplomatic sources have also called for caution, recalling that the Russians will maintain ''the keys to the Syrian air space'' and therefore, although raids will certainly diminish, the balance of force on the ground, now that Assad's government troops can stand on their legs, will remain unchanged. Rather, they will be able to complete that ''expansive move'' in the key areas of Damascus and Aleppo.



''Moreover - a source stressed - we don't know what the Americans and Russians are telling each other in contact groups on Syria, so this announcement by Putin must certainly be taken with caution''.



The domestic front, in a way, could weigh more, with the economic situation in Russia still precarious and the high volatility of oil prices keeping State revenues low. So the first window of opportunity could have been used to show the people that 'veni vidi vici' (I came, I saw, I conquered) and hit the breaks on intense military operations, which, according to the latest approximate calculations, were costing tax payers at least eight million dollars a day. The economic motivation, however, does not persuade Belkovsky. ''Intervention in Syria, even if it lasted a year, would cost Russia one billion dollars: this is nothing for Putin's evaluation of money''.



The appeal of a kept promise remains: a short intervention, with a high impact on image and rich in its potential political impact - as well as military glory. ''Now Russia must intensify its participation in infra-Syrian talks'', Putin reportedly told his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In other words, the meaning is that political space has been assured and the time for diplomacy has come. It is no coincidence that the Kremlin said that Assad has stated he is ''ready'' to start the ''political process'' inside the country as soon as possible. Its future, stressed the Kremlin, has not obviously been at the center of the phone call between the Syrian and Russian presidents, as is usual. The Syria to come is the business of Syrians, as the Russians have been repeating for months. Now the ball is in the court of the 'sherpas' in Geneva. The Russian military will in the meantime make sure the truce is respected. The rest is yet to be seen. (ANSAmed).




Archaeology: focus in Tunis on Italy-Tunisia cooperation Experts from 2 countries March 18 at Italian Cultural Institute

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, MARCH 15 Perspectives of Tunisian-Italian cooperation in the archeological sector, an area in which the two countries are linked by deep and long-lasting ties, will be at the center of a congress in Tunis on March 18. The congress will gather top archaeology experts from the two countries exactly a year after the deadly terror attack on the Bardo Museum, a date symbolically chosen by organizers as demonstration of how culture can take a key role of civilization against barbaric acts.



At the event on ''Archaeology and the safeguard of the heritage of Carthage: state of the art and perspectives of Tunisian-Italian cooperation'' scheduled at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tunis, six ongoing Tunisian-Italian excavation campaigns will be presented. They are funded by the foreign ministry and International cooperation. The 20th volume of the ''Roman Africa'' series will also be presented. It will be dedicated to the victims of terror and the people of free and democratic Tunisia.



The volume gathers the Acts of the 20th international congress of Roman Africa, held in Alghero on September 26-29, 2013, and dedicated to ''Moments of continuity and rupture: analysis of 30 years of congresses, Roman Africa''.



''Even in the difficult and terrible conditions of these 30 years and in particular September 11, 2001, and the Arab Springs, we have continued our work in building bridges between the two shores of the Mediterranean, with the sense of attention and respect we want to express, wishing for closeness and hope'', explained to ANSAmed Professor Attilio Mastino of the department of history and human sciences of the University of Sassari.



During the day, the scientific society ''Italian archaeological school of Carthage'' will be presented, a project implemented in agreement with Italy's National Research Council CNR, which will pursue the preliminary aim of establishing strong contacts between Italians and Tunisian cultural institutions with a first phase represented by the creation of a library, based at the school, that can be used by Tunisians, in agreement with the Museum of Carthage and the Italian Cultural Institute in Tunis, and subsequently activities of cooperation and training in which academics and researchers from the two countries will be involved. (ANSAmed)
(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MARCH 15 - The well-known actress Angelina Jolie visited Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon on Tuesday, on the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian uprising. The actress, who is also UNHCR special envoy, paid a visit to refugees in the Bekaa Valley near the country's border with Syria. Lebanon hosts over a million Syrian refugees, equal to a fourth of its population. About 4.3 million Syrians have fled their country since 2011 and most have sought refuge in Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan. On Wednesday, Jolie will be visiting the thousands of refugees on Greek island of Lesbos, local media reported on Tuesday. (ANSAmed).
SKOPJE - Police and the Macedonian army today started sending back to Greece the hundreds, possibly thousands of migrants and refugees who crossed into Macedonian territory through the Suva Reka river. Some 30 foreign journalists who had illegally crossed over into Macedonia while reporting on the migrants were also expelled to Greece and fined 250 euros each. Yesterday, Macedonian Foreign minister Nikola Poposki harshly criticized the illegal entry of the migrants, stressing that only a joint EU response can solve the crisis and avoid the proliferation of illegal migrant trafficking.
PARIS - ''Keep migrants out of our neighborhood'', the 16th arrondissement of Paris, one of the most elegant in the French capital, is what associations and residents are saying against the creation of a center for refugees and asylum seekers that should open this summer.



Announced last fall by Socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo, the center can host 200 people in six two-floor pre-built and removable buildings. After the 'Jungle' of Calais, these wooden buildings should be set up across 150 meters between the green area of the Bois de Boulogne and the racetrack of Auteuil, not far from the Musee Marmottan-Monet.



The operation's cost is five million euros, of which four funded by the State and 800,000 by the city of Paris. But many don't agree with it. Reassurances that the structure is ''temporary'' and will be dismantled in three years maximum have been useless. Residents and associations have immediately opposed the decision, fearing the construction of a tent city similar to the ones in Calais or Grande-Synthe, in northern France, where thousands of people fleeing war and poverty live in desperate conditions.



Yesterday, at the Dauphine university nearby, a public debate was held between those in favor and against after another one held on February 8 with the participation of over 700 enraged residents. ''I live like a dog, residents are putting terrible pressure on me: they don't realize the difficulties, I can do anything, even roll on the ground, nothing would change'', deplored the mini-mayor of the area, Claude Goasquen. Although he backs the residents' battle, he doesn't have the means to block the project of solidarity of mayor Hidalgo. Associations and private citizens have thus unleashed a team of 30 lawyers.



''Sooner or later they will find a hitch'', was the wish expressed by Goasquen, although time is getting shorter and things are moving forward. At the end of January, the project received a green light from Environment Minister Segolene Royal.



Only one construction permit needs to be granted by the end of the month: ''The camp will be made, it will be handed over at the start of the summer'', was the assurance at the Hotel de Ville, the municipality of Paris. But the rich middle class of the 'seizieme' aren't giving up and have threatened a round of lawsuits.


ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 15 - These the main events scheduled to happen today in the Euro-mediterranean area. DAMASCUS - Anniversary of the start of the revolt against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.



BRUSSELS - EU, the Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and the High Representative of European Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, meet with UN Human Rights Commissioner, Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein.



BARCELONA - Unione for the Mediterranean (UfM), Anima Investment Network and iesMed present projects Edile (Economic Development through Inclusive and Local Empowerment) and Emipo (Euromed Invest Promotion & Observatory).



BRUSSELS - Meeting of 'Immigration policies, small and medium-sized firms, enterprises and opportunities for the EU'.



BEN AROUS (TUNISIA) - "Festival Mediterraneen du theatre pour Enfants", Mediterranean festival of theater for children (until the 19th).



(ANSAmed).




France: Valls, Saudi A. strategic partner, no more hypocrisy

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, MARCH 15 - It's time to ''end hypocrisies'' regarding ties between France and Saudi Arabia, admitting that there is a ''strategic relationship'', French Premier Manuel Valls told Rmc on Tuesday, discussing the controversial Legion of Honor awarded to heir prince Mohammed bin Nayef.



''We have a strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia. It is necessary to admit it. Does this mean we share the nature of the regime, its actions? Obviously not'', stated Valls, explaining that ''honoring leaders is a tradition, otherwise there is no discussion with anyone''. (ANSAmed).




Libya: Gentiloni, military meeting not mission announcement FM, there needs to be a legitimate government who asks for help

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 15 - ''A meeting of the military from over 30 countries held today in Ciampino is not the announcement of a mission about to kick off'' in Libya, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Tuesday on the sidelines of an event at the foreign ministry for the promotion of Italian cuisine abroad.



''The meeting is one of many planning initiatives - stressed the minister - the condition to be able to translate it into reality is the existence of a legitimate government asking for the assistance of the UN and the international community''.



(ANSAmed)
Putin withdraws troops from Syria, 'mission accomplished' Bases remain. Phone call with Obama as UN talks resume

(by Alberto Zanconato) (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MARCH 15 - In a surprise move, Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of the ''majority'' of Russian forces from Syria, explaining that the decision is aimed at easing talks between the government and oppositions that resumed yesterday in Geneva. UN special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, described the talks as a ''moment of truth'', while the ceasefire has unexpectedly entered its 17th day.



In the evening, Obama and Putin spoke on the phone, as stated by the White House, discussing the withdrawal and the ''upcoming necessary steps'' for the end of hostilities.



The Russian withdrawal will start today, the fifth anniversary of the terrifying spiraling violence that brought the country to its knees. The Kremlin chief was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that ''the objectives have been reached'', Russian forces have ''created the conditions to make the peace process begin'' and their withdrawal can be ''good motivation to begin political negotiations between the country's forces''.



Putin has informed of his decision Syrian President Bashar al Assad in a phone call. Assad, the Kremlin reports, allegedly assured him he is ''ready to start the political process as soon as possible''.



Damascus said the Russian decision was taken in total agreement between the two leaders, while representative of the Syrian opposition have opened to Putin's announcement, stating that ''if there is a will to pull out, this can give impulse to peace talks''.



The White House's statement, after the phone call between the two leaders, also spoke about the objective of pushing forward political negotiations on a solution to the conflict, stressing that Obama has highlighted the need for a political transition.



However, a few doubts remain over the 'czar's' decision. One reason is that Moscow has never admitted to deploying troops on the ground but only the air force that carried out raids since September 30 last year, in what has been presented as the operation's objective - the fight against terrorism. And ISIS, which has been excluded from the ceasefire in place since February 27, remains in charge of vast regions, including the area of Palmyra, where government forces are advancing thanks to the backing of Russian bombardments. Secondly, the Russian airport of Hemeimeem, in the province of Latakia, from which raids start, will remain operational, together with the naval base of Tartus.



A delegation of the Syrian regime met yesterday in Geneva with de Mistura, in the first day of the new round of talks.



Government and opposition representatives reached the Swiss city to resume separately with the UN envoy negotiations that had been suspended on February 3 due to a government offensive in the north, supported by massive Russian bombardments. ''There is no 'plan B''', warned de Mistura, adding that if talks fail there will be war and it will be worse than before. But the road ahead is long and difficult, he stressed, because the real issue to be confronted, the mother of all issues, is ''the political transition''. And positions remain distant on this topic.



Meanwhile efforts by humanitarian organizations continue to deliver aid to besieged populations by taking advantage of the cessation of hostilities.



But in a joint statement yesterday the main United Nations agencies and their partners said they have no succeeded so far in reaching even 20% of the civilians affected, while there are different opinions on the data.



According to the UN, about half a million people live in besieged areas, while Doctors Without Borders spoke today about 1.9 million people. Children are suffering the most, as highlighted by a UNICEF report: 8.4 million, about 80%, have in some way been affected by the conflict. (ANSAmed).




The article said to have been published this weekend in the German magazine Der Spiegel and which discredited President Klaus Iohannis is actually the "dirtiest lynching of pro Basescu people", according to the information presented Sunday during the Daily Summary show on Antena 3.

The text was published in the German Der Spiegel magazine wrote by Keno VERSECK. As a result, Mihai Gadea said he searched for him on the internet to see who he was.

Thus, he found that Keno VERSECK is not a journalist of the German publication, but a freelancer who publishes where he can to earn a living.

"An impostor funded by the Romanian Cultural Institute" a person who "wrote miserably about Romania too ", Mihai Gadea learned about Keno VERSECK.

The same test was taken over and published by the Evenimentul zilei or Hotnews.

The information was presented during the Daily Summary on Antena 3.





The ply of Basescu & Co.

Keno Verseck used to be a client of the Romanian Cultural institute since 2007. To be precise the freelancer was being paid by the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR).

 Why has he offended us un the Der Spiegel, Keno Verseck mocks Romania also in the publication Deutsche Welle, said Mihai Gadea.

Clarification from the ICR

As a result of the article Who is the journalist who discredited Iohannis in Spiegel: Freelancer who collaborated with ICR, published on the website stiripesurse.ro under the signature of journalist Florin Puscas and taken over by several online publications, we recall that the workshop held by ICR in Berlin in 2007, being referred to in the article, is one of the over ten thousand projects developed by the Romanian Cultural Institute in Berlin over the past decade .

These projects involved, on a regular basis, a consistent number of journalists, artists, artistic and cultural personalities. ICR did not have, during the term of the current leadership, collaborations with the journalist mentioned in the article. In this context, we reiterate that ICR does not interfere in political disputes or political partisanship and delineates firmly from involving the institution in any controversy in this sphere.




Mihai Gadea broadcast on the Daily Summary the full interview in which Alina Magureanu has made several shocking denunciations. One of them referred to the alleged influence peddling involving Crin Antonescu and his wife, Adina Valean. Antonescu had allegedly bought from the former head of SRI an apartment in a luxury area of Bucharest, at an undervalued price.

In turn, the former head of the Liberal party had intervened with the mayor of District 1 hall in favor of Florian Walter, owner of a sanitation company, for the latter to be awarded contracts with the Municipality.

Alina Magureanu has also denounced the NBR governor Mugur Isarescu , who, she claims had allegedly helped Virgil Magureanu and his wife to take money from the bank to build the apartments building in which Crin Antonescu now lives.

Alina Magureanu also says shes got information about the death of Codrut Marta, the former head of Sorin Blejnars cabinet office. The list of those against whom she filed complaints also includes businessmen Dragos Dobrescu and Elan Schwartzenberg.

She said he could support her charges with papers, written documents and witnesses.

Virgil Magureanu, fromer head of SRI between 1990-1997





 We are referring to the complaint filed with the DNA, not about an ongoing investigation

Mihai Gadea asked Ana Roman if she believed the former daughter in law of Virgil Magureanu, Alina Magureanu and she said that although he is skeptical by nature and not likely to accuse anyone until a final verdict , Alina Magureanu discusses issues already known in the media.




The Health Minister and the head of the National Health Insurance House attended this morning the fifth edition of the Health Forum debate organized every year by Intact Media Group.

The debate gathered around the same discussion table all the stakeholders within the health system, who have highlighted the main problems of the system and have tried to find solutions for patients. The debate topics ranged from the poor funding to the complete lack of some vital medication.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have warned again and stressed that in the near future 128 drugs might disappear from the market.



All of that because the state forces them to lower their prices by over 30%.








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On March 8 the European Parliament (EP) greenlighted a Ports Regulation imposing sea port autonomy in Spain, thus heeding a time-honoured demand by Catalonias ports. The new Regulation a European instruction which all member countries must abide by and literally incorporate into their domestic law was passed with 451 votes in favour, 243 against and 18 abstentions, despite all efforts by Spains diplomacy and the opposition of the main Spanish political parties (the PP, the PSOE and Ciudadanos).

Spain and Italy are the only European countries whose sea ports are not allowed to set their own charges. Instead, these are decided by the central government for all ports alike, which prevents competition on price within those countries. Likewise, profitable ports are expected to transfer some of their revenue to loss-making sea ports, a form of cross-subsidisation between a countrys ports that contravenes EU rules on state aid.

Ten years after Catalonias current Statute was passed a law that failed to grant the Catalan government devolved powers over ports the EU (the Commission, the EP and the Council) wants to extend the best sea port management practices to all member states, and to establish and guarantee a level playing field that will stimulate competition and complementarity between Mediterranean and Atlantic ports for the sake of all Europe. Due to the lack of railway links with the European markets, nowadays Mediterranean ports are merely local ports serving their own local hinterland: only Northern European ports are gateways for Europes trade. In the entire developed world and thanks to individual management be it public, private or PPM sea ports turn a profit and are a true workhorse for the local economy. Forty years ago it was the ports financial independence that allowed Germany to break the exceedingly inefficient railway monopoly on freight by Deutsche Bahn. Thanks to the investment capacity afforded to them by the management of their own profits, the ports of Hamburg and Bremen helped to set up alternative companies that were able to compete with Deutsche Bahn.

Thanks to its ports among other agents today Germany has 250 railway operators. It is the nation where the management of the railway network contributes the most to the economys competitiveness. Professor Kay Mitusch, from the University of Baden-Wurttemberg explained it in a lecture on ports and airports that I organised in 2013, since at the time I was the MEP tasked with drafting the EPs yearly report on Competition.

This new Regulation is of paramount importance for the Mediterranean railway corridor to achieve its full growth potential: if Catalonias ports are not allowed to set their own charges autonomously, how will they be able to compete with Rotterdam and Hamburg for Asian freight? If they are not allowed to manage their own profits and reinvest them, how will they ever manage to bypass the discretion of the incumbent Spanish government to make any necessary future investments?

This might be the reason why the Spanish government is privatising AENA, the state-owned company that manages airports in Spain: sooner or later, a new European Regulation will also ban all cross-subsidisation between Spanish airports and it will rule that they must be managed individually. A month ago, Ryanairs CEO Michael OLeary criticised this privatisation in the European Parliament: when I asked him what he thought of it, he replied that it was a bad move: a private monopoly will be worse than the current state one and recommended that airports be managed individually.

The current Dutch presidency Holland was one of the countries that promoted the Ports Regulation wishes to complete the final negotiations before July. The amendment that obliges Madrid to decentralise the management of sea ports (number 110, article 14.3: the structure and the level of port infrastructure charges shall be defined in an autonomous way by the managing body of the port") received over 500 favourable votes, as the Greens and some members of the ECR group voted in favour, even if ultimately they voted against the final draft for other reasons. Spain and Italy were left alone with the europhobic MEPs, and the grand Spanish coalition (the PP, the PSOE and Ciudadanos) suffered a clear defeat. This will make it difficult for Spain to muster a blocking minority in the final negotiations, as they announced they would attempt to do. It should be noted that the powerful European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) unanimously supports the new Regulation.

This new European Ports Regulation will put federalism and the third way (1) to the test: if the demand of a majority in Catalonia this time, overwhelmingly endorsed by Europes institutions is aborted because it contravenes the Spanish Constitution (PPs MEP Luis de Grandes said so during the parliamentary debate the day before the vote), it will be the best evidence that Catalonia cannot have a first class future in this century without independence: Madrid would rather see an impoverished Spain than a prosperous one, if prosperity is to arrive through Catalonias ports.

__________

(1) N.T. Some in Catalonia claim that a compromise with Spain, whereby further powers might be granted to Catalonia, is still possible. This notion is often referred to as the third way between the current status quo and outright independence.
BarcelonaLast Monday Catalonias Plataforma per la Llengua (Platform for Catalan(1)) unveiled a report entitled (in Spanish) If you talk to me in Catalan, Ill call this trial off. Language rights, dead on their tracks. It is a document that exposes several cases where Catalan speakers were discriminated against between 2013 and 2015. A copy of the report will be handed to the European Parliament.

The document was presented the same week that attacks on the Catalan language will be brought before the European Parliaments Civil Liberties Committee and not just before the Committee on Culture and Education, as used to be the case. Five Catalan MEPs were handed a copy of the report so that they may present it and follow it up: Marina Albiol (Esquerra Unida), Ramon Tremosa (CDC), Josep M. Terricabras (ERC), Francesc Gambus (Unio) and Ernest Urtasun (IC-EV).

Plataforma per la Llengua have picked five specific incidents in five different areas when the rights of Catalan speakers are most often infringed upon: the administration, justice, the Spanish police force and health care.

First case: the administration

A Chinese man who only spoke Catalan

In 2014 a man born in China was denied Spanish citizenship even though he was married to a Spaniard and had been living in Catalonia for eleven years because he could speak Catalan but not Spanish. Although the Spanish Constitution states that Catalan is also an official language in the regions where it is spoken, it was not enough for Spains National Court, which demands proficiency in Spanish and disregards any knowledge of other Spanish languages that also have official status.

Second case: justice

A mother loses custody of her child because she moved to Catalonia

In March 2014, a Tenerife judge took away the custody of a child from her mother because she had moved to Ripollet (Catalonia) and the judge believed that the Catalan language could pose a problem for the girl. The judge wrote that the childs adaptation to the language has not been substantiated and this circumstance might become a hurdle for her development.

Soon enough, the girls mother announced that she regarded the ruling as discriminatory and sexist and that she intended to appeal against it in Tenerife. Besides, she added that the latest school report from her daughters teachers in Ripollet showed that her daughter understood explanations in Catalan well.

Third case: Spains police force

Pop musician is beaten up

Miquel Girones, a dolcaina player in Valencian pop band Obrint Pas, reported two Spanish police officers for detaining him illegally and beating him up after he spoke to them in Catalan. In November 2015 a local Valencia court acquitted them both, arguing that both parties stated their story just as vehemently.

According to Plataforma per la Llengua, during the trial one of the police officers showed his bigotry and hostility towards the Catalan language when he stated that he felt it was fine for Miquel Girones to speak Valencian but not Catalan. They are, in fact, two words for the same language.

Fourth case: justice

The judge who couldnt understand Catalan

During a misdemeanour trial in March 2015, Mireia Fernandez asked to make her statement in Catalan, as she felt more confident speaking her language and would be able to express herself better. The judge replied rudely that she wasnt allowed to because I cant understand you and its me who needs to understand you and if you talk to me in Catalan, Ill call this trial off.

Given the circumstances, Fernandez chose to speak Spanish, as she dare not risk having to lose another whole day for a new trial (she lives 150 km from the town were the trial was being held). Nevertheless, she decided to lodge a complaint with Catalonias secretary general for Relations with the Justice Administration.

On April 9, Catalonias High Court gave the judge five days to explain why she wouldnt comply with article 231.5 of the Spanish law that governs the judiciary, which states that any person present may act as an ad hoc interpreter so long as they speak the language and take a veracity oath. By June 30 2015, the judge still hadnt given an explanation.

Fifth case: health care

The paediatrician who preferred English to Catalan

In July 2015, a patient spoke in Catalan to the paediatrician in Torellos primary care centre, who replied rudely urging her to speak Spanish: You must speak Spanish here. After all, were in Spain, arent we? I said this is Spain. Are we in England, perhaps? Very well, Ill let you choose. You can talk to me in Spanish or in English. Which do you prefer? were the doctors words, according to the account of Sandra Vaques, the Torello resident involved.

Following the incident, Catalonias Health Ministry announced an enquiry into the incident in question.

Besides these five incidents, in its report Plataforma per la Llengua has collected a further forty cases which occurred between 2013 and 2015.

_________

(1) N.T. Plataforma per la Llengua is a Catalan NGO that aims to expose incidents where Catalan speakers were discriminated against in Catalonia and other Catalan-speaking Spanish regions, such as Valencia and the Balearics.
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.
Le CBD, cette molecule active du cannabis a aujourdhui le vent en poupe. Et cela est en grande partie du au fait quil permet...
by Nirmala Carvalho

The archbishop of the metropolis during the soon-to-be-proclaimed Saints mission, Msgr. Henry Sebastian D'Souza, tells AsiaNews about the last days of Mother Teresa and her legacy for India and for the world: "The beauty of life and of Mother Teresa's mission is that she was able to transcend the barriers of race, language, culture, social status ... Whatever barrier. She was the image of Jesus, His face in the world".

Calcutta (AsiaNews) - Mother Teresa "was the face of Christ in the world, a person who spent her life to help us understand the nature of the divine. That's why she does not belong to only Calcutta or India, but to the whole world and ultimately to Jesus" says Mgr. Henry Sebastian D'Souza, archbishop emeritus who led Calcutta from 1986 to 2002, during the years of the soon-to-be-proclaimed Saints mission. Pope Francis has decided that her canonization will take place in Rome on September 4, 2016.

Your Grace, you were the Archbishop when Mother died. Share with us Mothers last days. How did she pass from this life to the next?

I was not present when Mother Teresa died. I was in Rome by invitation of Cardinal Ratzinger to present the Catechism of the Catholic Church to the Holy Father. I had been the Asian representative for the composition of this Catechism. On hearing of Mother Teresas death I returned immediately.

I was told that Fr. Hansel DSouza the Parish Priest of St. Marys Church anointed Mother Teresa before she died.

Can you share with the readers, the few days following her death, of the requests you received for Mothers process to be initiated.

After Mother Teresa died I had the responsibility of handling her funeral. I had been blessed with the assistance of Mr. Bill Canny of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). He had come to see me some months before Mother Teresa died. He asked me if I had any plans in place in case of her death. I had none. He advised me to make the plan.

Accordingly we sat together, discussed the various issues and visited several places where the body could lie in state until the actual funeral. We anticipated large number of dignitaries who would need to be met, accommodated as well as seated for the funeral. There were also details about how to preserve the body during the days after the death, on how to handle the crowds who would want to obtain a last blessing from her, on how to organize the liturgy with its music, etc. Mr. Bill Canny proved to be an excellent strategist. After several discussions he drew up a plan of several pages to cover all the details after her death. It was a very comprehensive document and excellently planned. I gave a copy to the Sister in Charge in Mother House and another to Fr. Valerian Nazareth the Parish Priest of St. Thomas Church where the body would lie in state; a third copy was with me. Mr. Bill Canny would be the CRS coordinator for all the anticipated events.

As a result of this planning, my absence from Calcutta when Mother died was not felt. The Vicar General, Mgr. Francis Gomes, took the copy of the plan and started all the arrangements along with Mr. Bill Canny and Fr. Valerian Nazareth. The meticulous planning had paid off. The required medical care for the preservation of Mothers body was attended to by the MC Sisters. Fr. Valerian organized arrangements in St. Thomas Church so as to allow the queues of people coming from far and wide to move in an orderly fashion, while they paid their respects. The hundreds of dignitaries were also suitably met and accommodated. I can only be grateful for the support I received at this crucial moment when Mother Teresa died.

Can you tell us about the opening of diocesan enquiry?

After the death and funeral of Mother Teresa I received innumerable letters requesting me to start the process of her canonization. Within a few months I wrote to the Congregation for the Canonization of Saints to give me the permission to begin the process. By Canon Law the process can only begin after five years. I needed an exemption. I cited the fact that many key witnesses were very old and may not survive the mandatory five years. The reply from the Prefect of the Congregation was that the rule had to be maintained. However he advised me to start collecting in an informal way such evidence that might become helpful. I must say I did not do anything in that line. However within a year I got another letter from the Prefect of the Congregation, stating that it had obtained the required permission for the process. I was requested to initiate the canonization process immediately.

I was lucky to have a qualified canonist in Bishop Salvador Lobo. He was my suffragan and neighbour in Calcutta. He resided within an hours drive from Archbishops House in Calcutta. Bishop Salvador Lobo agreed to head the Commission and to do the needful for gathering evidence for the Process. He identified suitable persons as the secretary and notary. Thus the Process began in a room in Archbishops House.

I am deeply grateful to Bishop Lobo. He was able to complete the work within a year and we were able to transship three dozen boxes of evidence to Rome. Fr. Brian Koloudowinsky was the person who took the documents and delivered them safely to the Congregation.

The Sunshine of the Darkness is Bright, can you explain this in Mothers Life, mission and now her Sainthood?

I have said enough about Mother Teresas life and mission. The aspect of her dark night was not known to me. She always met me with her radiant smile. After reading her life and struggle I realized how the darkness was bright.

Mother Teresa explained her life in a few sentences. I quote from The Spirituality of Mother Teresa & Catherine Doherty by Fr. Omar Tange:

That your heart must be simple and pure in order to live in the unconditional service of the poor for Jesus through Mary, she answered. Then she went on, Without this simplicity and purity you will reason the reality of Jesus and His Mother into a dead thing. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness and your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart, because God cannot fill what is already full. Its as simple as that. (Pg.102)

God doesnt ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithful. However beautiful our work may be, let us not become attached to it. Always remain prepared to give it up, without losing your peace. The work doesnt belong to you but to Jesus. (Pg.116)

God will take care of you, be not afraid,

He is your safeguard, through sunshine and shade.

Tenderly walking, wherever you go,

He will not leave you to wander alone. (Pg.118)

The three quotations explain her life and mission and give us the key to her sanctity in spite of the darkness in her soul.

Why did the Communist Government give a Catholic nun a State funeral?

The funeral of Mother Teresa was taken over by the Army. It was not just a State Funeral. It became a national event, The National Flag draped her coffin from St. Thomas Church to the Stadium where the funeral took place and then to the Mother House where she was laid to rest. The National Anthem was played with bugles as the body was lowered into the tomb. Mother Teresa had passed into history. She did not belong to her native country. She did not belong to Calcutta. She belonged to India and the World. But in fact she belonged to Jesus.

Was religious freedom an important tool in Mothers mission in India?

The beauty of Mother Teresas life and mission was that she was able to transcend the barriers and limitations of race, language, culture, status or whatever. She was the face of Jesus to the world. Those who met her recognized that she was a godly person who had lived a human life to help us to understand the nature of the divine.
by Bernardo Cervellera

The saint of Kolkata is a Jubilee icon, and can help promote corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The pope is praised but not understood. For Mother Teresa, as for Francis, the Church "is not an NGO". The Mother is also an example of how to reconcile contemplation and action, sacrament and mission, witness and commitment in the world, rectifying the discrepancies of those who are traditionalist and inward looking as well those who hold shapeless liberal views.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  The news of Mother Teresas canonisation Teresa was widely expected, as well as the date of the ceremony, 4 September, the day in which she was "born in Heaven" in 1997. However, what might still need to be understood is the meaning of this canonisation for Pope Francis ministry.

The pope has cited Mother Teresa several times in his speeches and messages. Although the Mother of Kolkata is not mentioned in the bull of indiction of the Jubilee of Mercy, she may well be taken as an example of a witness to corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

One can almost hear Mother Teresa in Misericordiae vultus when Francis speaks of the little ones in whom Christ himself is present. His flesh becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the malnourished, and the exiled . . . to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by us.

In many interviews, when she spoke as to why she and her sisters took care of the dying and abandoned, she always said, "We do it for Christ. We welcome Christ; we wash Christ; we take care of Christ."

Mother Teresas canonisation in the Jubilee year helps to make mercy effective and efficient in society. So far, the popes messages and gestures during this year to prisoners, the poor, and refugees have found little fulfilment.

Very often, Christians see the Jubilee as an opportunity for personal spiritual renewal, but one that does not translate immediately ("quickly", Mother Teresa would say) in acts and deeds that also influence society.

Just look at the resistance in Europe to the flow of migrants fleeing wars in the Middle East and hunger and gloom in Africa. All this is happening despite that fact that politicians from all sides continue to "appreciate" the popes words and want to have their pictures taken next to this "beacon" of the world's conscience.

Mother Teresas canonisation rectifies another flaw. Many people continue to praise the pope for his tenderness, kindness, openings to gays, remarried divorcees, reducing him to an iconic figure of the most sugary do-goodism, without listening deeply and completely to what the pope has to say.

Who, for example, cites Pope Francis for his commitment in favour of life from the womb to death? Who cites him when he defends the family constituted by a man, a woman and their children? Who remembers the accusation he has made several times against the "ideological plot" against the family? Or his social commitment in finding jobs for young and old people?

In a media world that resembles a supermarket, people take from him what helps the "show": hugs, bits of statements, complaints (but only those that appeal to us, and confirm our views), endearing things, greetings . . .

One is reminded of what John Paul II said in front of cheering and cheering crowds, when  faced with his own "success" - noted, "They do not understand. They do not understand!" The crowds did not understand that whatever he did, he did it to raise Jesus Christs visibility.

Even Pope Francis, when people shout "Fran-cis! Fran-cis!" sometimes said," You have to shout: Je-sus, Je-sus, Je-sus!"

Mother Teresa had similar problems, when people and officials paid attention to her only for her works. "We are not an NGO, she said. NGOs work on projects; we work for somebody." That someone is the person of Jesus Christ and the forlorn poor person whom we look in the eye and receive as a brother or sister.

The canonisation of Mother of Kolkata thus represents another step in Pope Francis plans to realise the goals of the Second Vatican Council. Since the end of the Council, the Church's mission has been impoverished by a split between conservatives and progressives, traditionalists and liberals, sacramentalisation in the sacristies and exhibitions in the world.

Mother Teresa and her community have always held together the two extremes: the sacrament and mission in the world; contemplation and action; dedication and efficiency. This way, the mission in the world did not become  as can happen sometimes to religious institutions  a way to drown in the world, but has been a way to bring to it the joy that Christ has won for us.

It is worth mentioning that Pope Francis cites Mother Teresa and Saint Francis of Assisi as "models" of Christian life in Evangelii Gaudium, the apostolic exhortation that lays out the plans of his ministry.

At n. 183, he says, Consequently, no one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society. Who would claim to lock up in a church and silence the message of Saint Francis of Assisi or Blessed Teresa of Calcutta? They themselves would have found this unacceptable. An authentic faith  which is never comfortable or completely personal  always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it.

Mother Teresa and Saint Francis, the saint who inspires this pope, are therefore crucial symbols of the joy of the Gospel that is communicated to the world and change it through ones faith and efforts. This is far from a Christianity that fears the world, entrenched behind the walls of "doctrine", or a carefree Christianity that interacts with the world and forgets the treasure it has to communicate.
Indiana Jones 5 Set For 2019; Harrison Ford To Star

Trending News: Harrison Ford Returning For Indiana Jones 5

Why Is This Important?

Because they can't let the franchise end the way it did.

Long Story Short

Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Harrison Ford will star in a 5th installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, set for release in July of 2019. Steven Spielberg will return to direct.

Long Story

Does anyone remember the dumpster fire that was Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Christ, what a disaster. It was up there with Batman and Robin in terms of "movies we omit when discussing a franchise," and an all-around lousy way to end the series. Luckily, it looks like it didn't end it after all. According to Deadline Hollywood, Harrison Ford will reprise the role yet again in a 5th installment, due for release in July of 2019. Steven Spielberg will also reclaim the director's chair, so things are already looking up.

Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we cant wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019, said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios in a statement. Its rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldnt be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.

This is, of course, very good news  or at least it should be. As a massive Indiana Jones fan, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it was a little saddening seeing a geriatric Harrison Ford swinging around from his whip as though little time had passed in Crystal Skull in 2008. Given that this 5th movie will come out three years from now, the idea of Harrison Ford Indiana Jones-ing around has to be out of the question, right? Please say yes.

After his portrayal in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I think it's safe to say that Ford is capable of playing older versions of his past characters. The question, then, is who would fill the role of the younger adventurer to make it a true Indiana Jones movie? Spielberg himself has said he'd love to direct Chris Pratt. Works for me!

Anyone but Lebeouf, honestly.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Are they trying to squeeze too much out of one franchise?

Disrupt Your Feed: It'll be hard to get this right, but I'll see it anyway.

Drop This Fact: Harrison Ford actually called for more jokes about Indy's age to remain in the Crystal Skull script, thinking it would lessen the discomfort.
Lawyers from community legal centres all around Australia will meet with members of parliament today calling for urgent action as part of a new campaign, Community Law Australia  Fund Equal Justice.



Community legal centres are facing a 30 per cent cut to Commonwealth funding next year, as new figures reveal that CLCs are already turning away more than 160,000 people each year due to a lack of resources.



Our first objective around the briefing is to make sure that people are aware about the work that we do, campaign spokesperson and NACLC chairperson Rosslyn Monro told Australasian Lawyer.



She said that the group is hopeful that raising awareness about the importance of CLCs will drive the desire to not implement the cuts under the National Partnership Agreement.



We would like to work with government to make sure that they dont happen, Monro said.



We remain cautiously optimistic but until that announcement is made, we will continue to lobby on behalf of the clients that we see.



The campaign is calling for an injection of $120m per year into the legal assistance sector and a commitment to developing sustainable, long-term funding contributions.



Monro said a 30 per cent cut would mean a further reduction in services to people who need these services.



Community Legal Centres do a range of different work and the top area where we provide the most amount of work is in family violence and family law, she said.



Were potentially turning away those people.


ICAC inspector David Levine is being questioned by a parliamentary inquiry over the commissions probe into crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen.



Levines report into ICACs decision to investigate Cunneen over allegations she had encouraged her sons girlfriend to fake chest pains to delay a breath test after a car accident, called the investigation into Cunneen a debacle among other things. The report sparked a bitter feud with ICAC commissioner Megan Latham, who last month told the inquiry that the report was so fundamentally flawed it should be disregarded.



But the ABC reported that Levine defended his appearance before the inquiry yesterday, in an opening statement that lasted nearly 40 minutes.



Let me make it perfectly clear that I warrant my report to this Parliament, Levine said.



He said that no one would have guessed that a simple car accident would have led to the most demeaning but nonetheless occasionally bemusing blood-letting war between the two major media groups in this country.



Despite saying he wouldnt engage in a debate over every disputed fact, he did dispute a number of statements made by Latham, including her denial that she had a personal history with Cunneen presenting a conflict of interest.



The Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday that Cunneen had launched an attack on ICAC, highlighting the impact of the media on government agencies during a speech to guests at a private lunch at NSW Parliament House yesterday.



There is much more vicious and vociferous attack on people shamed in the media by or because of the methods of these government agencies than there is on murderers, terrorists and paedophiles, she claimed.



She said that a damaging headline bringing carefully selected by as yet untested scrap of information released by such agencies to the public has only been made worse with the 24-hour news cycle.



The inquiry confirmed it had decided not to publically release phone tapes of conversations Cunneen had after the accident, but much of it has already been leaked to the media. Various media outlets have previously confirmed that Cunneen is heard telling a tow truck driver that she had sent a message to her sons girlfriend telling her to fake chest pains. Cunneen has denied any wrongdoing.



What was said in puffery after the event, [and] bore no relationship to what actually happened, she told the ABC.


Well, here we are, almost four decades later, with the Japanese carmaker looking to reinvent its Z mobile while crossover rumors related to the matter are getting stronger by the day.However, we don't want to discuss the sales- and eco-friendly future of Nissan's sportscar. Instead, we're here to discuss a Datsun 240Z that easily deserves the Unfairlady Z nickname.It's enough to check out the machine's power figure and you'll understand why we chose the nickname above for this wild ride. This Nissan packs almost ten times its original power, allowing the driver to control no less than 1,400 horses.The vehicle is run by a team in Qatar and you can see it in action in the video below. The crew over at Al Anabi Performance may have a thing for US metal, as we've shown you in the past, but they're no strangers to Toyota shenanigans, either.The heart of this 240Z is the infamous Z2J engine, with the US mechanics of the team massaging the mill to the sweet output mentioned above.The piece of footage bellow allows us to see the Unfairlady Z at work and you'll notice the beast is battling it out with another Nissan, one that happens to wear the same livery. We're talking about an R32 Nissan Skyline.Now, before you build any expectations for the battle, we'll have to remind you there's a massive gap between the level to which the tuning market has pushed these two platforms. Even so, the Datsun manages to grab plenty of attention. For instance, the lack of a wheelie bar means this is the kind of car that likes to go all romantic on its driver, showing them the stars with every possible occasion.
The small British company called Ariel Motors only has eight assembly technicians, and they are currently celebrating the manufacture of 1,500 Atom cars.It took them 16 years to build this number of vehicles, something a regular car factory makes in just a day, but they are proud of the result. Ariel claims no two Atoms are the same, as every car is made to order, and customers choose from thousands of possible configurations.Considering that this model provides a level of performance comparable to that of a supercar, it makes the production milestone even more impressive.Ariel Atom production began in 2000, but the first cars featured a 1.8-liter Rover K Series engine. Three years later, Ariel Motors signed an engine supply deal with Honda that provided them with the Honda K20A engine, used on the Civic Type R of the time.Ariel Motors eventually developed a supercharged version, but they also manufactured cars with standard specification engines. The British company even sells a V8 version of the Atom.Each Ariel model is built by a single technician from the beginning to the end, and the build engineer only puts his name on the car once he is happy with the result. Ariel prides itself on allowing customers to visit the factory and enabling them to be a part of the assembly process and talk to the people building their car.The Atom is not the only model manufactured by Ariel Motors, as the British company has introduced a motorcycle in its range in 2014, the Ariel Ace. Last year brought the Nomad to the lineup, a crossover with an exoskeleton.Ariel Motors prides itself on the small workshop it operates in the United Kingdom, as it allows them to attain a high level of quality and individualization. The British carmaker has explained that it considers its customers as a big family, no matter where they are and who they are, as the limited production numbers allow them to keep in touch and provide a personal level of after-sale care.
On March 10, a Suzuki GSX-R rider later identified as Gavin Collett started a pursuit that lasted for around three hours and which involved a massive force deployment. The motorcyclist rode at high speed through Sussex and finally managed to escape on foot in a commercial area in Brighton.The chase began at around 2:30 pm, after the GSX-R rider was spotted doing north of 100 mph (160 km/h) on the A24 highway. Just over one hour into the chase, the Suzuki rider crashed, but did not sustain injuries, being, in fact, able to get back on the bike and continue to flee the cops even without wearing a helmet.A second helicopter was deployed to replace the initial one, and the chase carried on. Mr. Collett headed for Brighton, running red lights and riding on the pavement, finally crashing again at the entrance to a shopping mall in Brighton.He escaped on foot into the mall, where he discarded his jacket and was, therefore, able to get lost in the crowd, escaping the police once more.The police searched the shopping center for an hour or so, visordown reports, and then an investigation was started locally. After analyzing video surveillance data, police managed to identify the culprit.He was later arrested in Fratton, some 50 miles (80 km) east of Brighton, also on the southern English coast. Unemployed Mr. Collett, 32, will appear in court today, facing "two counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance." The day doesn't look good for Mr. Collett, does it?
ABS

Such bikes have been missing from the manufacturers' line-ups for years, with only a handful of machines that could do off-road and almost decent on-road performance available in the last decade.On the other hand, Honda's middleweight dual-sport bikes have gathered a loyal following over the years, whether we're talking about the NX650 Dominator , the XL600V Transalp, or the XR750 Africa Twin. The lack of such bikes caused a lot of guys to refrain from selling their old machines because they could not find the right new ones, but this might just change.Even though the rumors indicate a successor of the Dominator, there is still plenty of guessing left as to what solution will Honda choose. Three options seem likely to be considered, with a thumper in either air/oil-cooled or liquid-cooled version and a liquid-cooled twin, perhaps a nimble parallel one.It will be exciting to see how much the new machine will resemble Oberdan Bezzi's rendering of the Dominator... in case Honda goes for the NX and not another bike. Obiboi's Dominator shows a tightly-packed liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, and to spice things up, he added a kick-starter as well.The digital version of the Dominator shows new, upside-down forks, dual-pot front calipers for the twin rotors, and. This particular rendering is, however, a bit old, and we should expect to see radial-mount calipers in the final product.Another thing that we're eager to find out is how much Honda will take long hauls into consideration. That is, among the middleweight dual-sport bikes, the Transalp was the one more travel-friendly, whereas the Dominator was the more off-road-prone model.Where the new Honda will slot between traveling and off-road fun is still a thing of mystery. If you ask us, we guess that Tokyo already has a lot of bikes that can do much better on tarmac than in the dirt, and the Honda range might need a bit of compensation.Looking at Oberdan Bezzi 's Dominator, this machine is surely a looker and we guess it could provide quite a lot of fun. And this goes both hauling a tent and other camping gear plus a passenger during the summer vacations and scrambling along muddy forest trails.Any other ideas about the upcoming middleweight Honda?
ECU

Well, how about a nine-second car that was built using minimal modifications and a relatively tight budget to start with? The answer comes in the form of the video below and it all has to do with the vehicle that currently holds the title of the world's fastest 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.While we don't know the current output of this blown 'Vette, we can talk about the mods the supercar was gifted with. The LT4 6.2-liter V8 under the hood received an IW Lower Pulley, an AFE-supplied cold air intake, a Corsa X-Pipe, as well as the obviousplay that keeps everything in check.The just-as-obvious drag radials were installed, with the Chevy then hitting the drag strip for a 1,320-foot shenanigan. The feat was captured in the video below, which allows us to get a good sample of this machine's performance.Speaking of which, this 2015 Z06 managed to play the quarter mile game in 9.814 seconds at 141 mph (that's 227 km/h for all you metric system followers out there).However, we can't help but pull a Captain Obvious move here, pointing out this is the kind of record that can easily fall overnight. Even so, given the reasonable financial side of the project, the title is quite an achievement.As for a less obvious observation, it's interesting how the 2016 Camaro SS has reached superior quarter mile performance in about three months from the time when deliveries commenced. This comes to confirm the kind of mind-bending influence cult cars that come with a mass appeal can have on the aftermarket world.
" " A group of endangered California condors hangs out in Big Sur, California. See more bird pictures. Karl Weatherly/ Getty Images

If you have ever visited the Grand Canyon, you may have been lucky enough to spot a California condor lazily circling the great chasm. Lucky might be an understatement -- California condors are an extremely endangered bird, and the Grand Canyon National Park is one of very few locations in the United States where you can spot one.

In prehistoric times, condors were abundant, with a habitat that took up significant parts of North America. Their numbers decreased drastically as large mammals like the mastodon and saber-tooth tiger became extinct. Condors feed almost exclusively on the carcasses of mammals (known as carrion), so the loss of these major food sources severely damaged their population.

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By the time Europeans arrived to settle North America, California condors were nearly exclusive to the Pacific coast. However, the settlement of the West led to a massive decline in the condor population -- from shooting, the synthetic pesticide DDT and egg collection -- and by 1982, their number had dwindled to only 22 birds [source: NPS].

Condors live for a long time, with an average life expectancy of 60 years. It takes about six years to reach sexual maturity, and the females usually lay only a single egg about every other year. Therefore, you can see why it didn't take much to nearly eradicate the species. Fortunately, when experts took drastic measures in the mid-1980s and decided to take all remaining condors into captivity, they found that condors breed well there. They were able to trick the females into laying more than one egg simply by taking eggs away as they laid them. The eggs were then incubated, and the resulting condor chicks were fed with a puppet resembling a female condor so that the chicks wouldn't become attached to humans. In These successful efforts led to the reintroduction of the condor into the wild in 1992.

As of December 2008, there are 327 California condors in existence. More than half of those birds live in the wild, in controlled locations of California, Arizona and Baja, Mexico [source: San Diego Zoo]. While it's not a huge number, that 327 represents a vast improvement from the population of a quarter-century ago [source: Defenders of Wildlife]. Although the future of the California condor isn't as dire as it once seemed, ongoing threats to the population include electrocution from power lines, choking on litter, accidental shootings, poaching and waste poisoning (antifreeze or crude oil are likely culprits).

Now you know why California condors are special. One thing we're pretty sure they're not, though, is pleasant to look at. California condors resemble vultures, feed on dead things and have no feathers on their heads. Why would a bird have a bald head? Read on to find out.


Photo: Daimler Trucks Asia

Daimler Trucks Asia and its Kenyan partners Simba Colt and Associated Vehicles Assemblers (AVA) have started production of the new FUSO range at the AVA assembly plant in Mombasa, Kenya.

"This start of production in Kenya underlines our commitment to further developing the African market as part of our global growth strategy," said Marc Llistosella, president and CEO of MFTBC and head of Daimler Trucks Asia.

This announcement arrives just weeks after the grand opening of the Daimler regional center in Nairobi. Prior to this, the company exported completely built-up FUSO vehicles from India for almost three years, according to the company.

The project to add the FUSO 2523C heavy-duty truck to the AVA assembly plants portfolio was completed in five months. Further models from the range will be added subsequently, according to Daimler.

Simba Colt Motors has been a partner of FUSO for 48 years. AVA has been the partner for the assembly of FUSO products imported from Japan since 1982.
Photo of BMW i3 self-driving car courtesy of BMW.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a study aimed at identifying potential legal barriers that todays federal vehicle safety standards might pose to the introduction of self-driving cars.

The report, prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportations Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, identifies key challenges to full deployment of autonomous vehicles as well as current safety standards requiring further review. The study stresses the need to develop standards that help ensure safe vehicle operation but dont create hurdles that could stifle future innovation.

Many standards, as currently written, are based on assumptions of conventional vehicle designs and thus pose challenges for certain design concepts, particularly for 'driverless' concepts where human occupants have no way of driving the vehicle, the report noted. Examples include safety standards addressing steering wheels and brake pedals.

NHTSA will also hold a pair of public meetings this spring to gather input as the agency develops safety guidelines for autonomous vehicle technology. The first meeting will be held April 8 in Washington, D.C. The second meeting is set for California.

Federal regulators are well aware that self-driving vehicle developers are in need of operational guidance. The report notes that in the past NHTSA has released safety guideline interpretations to BMW of North America and Google in response to questions about specific requirements in the context of automated vehicles.

We are witnessing a revolution in auto technology that has the potential to save thousands of lives, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. In order to achieve that potential, we need to establish guidelines for manufacturers that clearly outline how we expect automated vehicles to function  not only safely, but more safely  on our roads.

These operational guidelines represent one of five NHTSA initiatives Foxx announced in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The other four are:

President Obamas budget proposal for a 10-year, $3.9 billion investment in advancing autonomous vehicle technology, including large deployment pilots in communities around the country.

Working with states to develop model state policy.

Using NHTSAs existing authority to interpret current regulations, and offer limited exemptions from those regulations, in pursuit of advances that could increase safety.

Determining what new regulatory tools and authorities might be required to meet NHTSAs safety mission in an era of rapidly changing technology.

The Volpe Center report is a great first look at the current standards, and it highlights the need for the actions Secretary Foxx outlined in January, said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. It also shows there are few current restrictions on some automated vehicle concepts, which highlights the need to establish clear expectations for their safe operation. At the same time, for other vehicle designs, the agency has more work to do to ensure the safety of new innovations, and we look forward to learning more from stakeholders as we start that work.
Photo courtesy of Toyota.

Toyota will introduce a new Prius model at the New York International Auto Show, and has teased the announcement with a blacked-out image of the rear of the vehicle.

Toyota is promising "Intelligent Eco-Tech" and "stand-out style," which may suggest the announcement of the plug-in Prius. In September, when Toyota provided full details of its redesigned 2016 Prius, the automaker promised a Prius Eco model for 2016 that "will achieve an even greater achievement" in fuel economy beyond a 10% improvement in fuel economy.

Toyota will reveal its new Prius on March 23 during a Livestream event.
The Safe Rental Car Act has passed, and now its time for all of us in the industry to take on the challenge of compliance with the law. I am taking steps within my organization to ensure that our franchised and corporate-owned and operated locations are in full compliance. However, I have opposed this legislation from the outset because it is based on a recall system that is, to put it simply, broken.

I am very concerned about the implications of this bill on the health and welfare of both the public and the car rental companies attempting to comply with the law. This recent real-world example demonstrates how the recall system is broken:

In November 2015, my rental company was mailed 137 recall notices from Nissan about a Nissan Versa safety defect. Of the 137 notices received, I owned only 14 of the cars. Thats right, 90% of the recall notices were for Versas my company no longer owns  in many cases for years. While the 90% error rate is an extreme example, over the last two years our error rates have averaged 70% to 80%.

Since the beginning of 2014, recalls have been issued at a record pace. Conservative estimates are that one in every five vehicles registered in the U.S. is driven with open recalls.

The high error rate in the notification process begs the question: How many of these drivers are even aware of the recalls on their vehicles and the danger they pose to themselves, their passengers, and fellow motorists?



In our digital world, where complex data can be managed with amazing efficiency, we need the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to streamline notifications and create a more reliable process. Fleet owners should be notified as soon as a recall is issued. With so much on the line for public safety and our industry, a 10% to 30% notification success rate is a failure for the manufacturers and NHTSA, and by any reasonable measure simply unacceptable.



In another example of how the system is broken, in April 2015, Ford announced a recall involving a spring in the door latch mechanism on certain Fusion and Fiesta models. We immediately grounded 45 cars in our fleet covered by the recall. The recall notice said that there was no known repair and no repair parts available.

In October, after six months of grounding, our Ford dealer was authorized to start repairing the defect. Ford told the dealer to inspect the cars to see if the spring was broken. If it was broken, they were authorized to replace it. If it wasnt broken, we would be notified to bring the cars back when more parts were available. The limited supply of parts was being reserved for cars with broken springs. It would have made more sense to announce an inspection in April instead of grounding the cars for six months just to determine the springs werent broken.

My company incurred about $153,000 in direct vehicle expenses and about $360,000 in lost revenue before we were able to complete the repair of all 45 cars in late December 2015.

I have been renting cars to the public since 1969. I do not ever remember having so many recalls with no known repair time and no parts available. It should not take eight months to resolve a recall on 45 cars with a potential door latch problem.

The situation I just described is just not reasonable and quite frankly not sustainable for the many small operators in our industry, including many of my own franchise owners. The loss of use of 45 cars to a 100-car operator for eight months would likely put that operator out of business.

I urge NHTSA to send representatives to the International Car Rental Show in Las Vegas in April. Our industry needs guidance on the ambiguous areas of the law, and NHTSA needs to hear directly from our industry about the problems in the current recall system and the need for common sense fixes to allow our industry to fully comply and protect the public.
Q: How do I refuse to rent a car to someone and not get sued for it?

 Bruno Vargas, Speed Auto Rental, Miami

Answered by Bob Heller and Dennis Magnuson, Zurich Insurance:

From an insurance perspective, dont rent to someone who doesnt meet your qualifications, someone you know would be a violation of your minimum age requirements, and someone who is obviously intoxicated or impaired by drugs or alcohol.

If you are not comfortable with a prospective renter, you are not required to rent him or her a vehicle. However, you should never refuse to rent to someone based solely on their inclusion in a suspect class as defined by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The definition of suspect class currently includes race, religion, national origin, and alienage (McLaughlin v. Florida: race), but its subject to future expansion by the courts. If you discriminate on the basis of any of these categories, you may be subject to a lawsuit. As a result, if you refuse to rent to someone, you should always create an incident report with proper documentation as to why you refused to rent to that person.

At the end of the year, review the reports  that you created for the people to whom you refused to rent  and determine whether you see any trends. If there are trends you are not comfortable with because they appear to show discrimination, you should not use these reasons for refusal in your company guidelines. And you should take appropriate action to further train your counter employees to avoid even the appearance of discrimination.

Additionally, if you rent to someone who is under the influence and he or she is involved in an accident with your rental vehicle, you might be brought into the case for negligent entrustment (Drummond v. Walker). Your counter procedures may indicate that you dont rent to anyone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but without doing a drug or alcohol test, there is no way to know if someone is over the legal limit.

In this situation, it is best to err on the side of caution. If you feel a potential customer should not be operating a motor vehicle, you should refuse to rent to that individual.
The Graves Amendment provides that a motor vehicle rental or leasing company cannot be held liable under state or local law for damages or injuries that occur during the rental or lease simply because the rental company (or its affiliate) is the owner of the vehicle. Here, Congressman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) speaks at the 2012 Car Rental Show.

"Aug. 10, 2005 will go down in history as one of the most significant dates in the vehicle rental industry. On that day, President George W. Bush signed into law a bill popularly known as the highway bill. The legislation contained a section, known as the Graves Amendment, which effectively bars all states from forcing vicarious liability on rental and leasing companies.

When Michael LaPlaca penned those words for the Sept/Oct 2005 issue of Auto Rental News (What Does the End of Vicarious Liability Mean?), the impact of the Graves Amendment was only beginning to develop, and there were questions as to interpretation of the specifics of the law.

Previous to passage of the Graves Amendment, the doctrine of vicarious liability had a chilling effect, particularly in states that had no limits on damages awarded in vicarious liability cases involving rental vehicles. Vicarious liability imposes responsibility on one person (like a rental company) for the actions of another (like a renter), even if the first person was not negligent itself.

In New York, unlimited vicarious liability contributed to sky-high insurance rates that caused some companies to go out of business. Leasing  both consumer and commercial  came to a virtual standstill.



The Graves Amendment changed all that, though it has weathered challenges in the 10 years since its passage. Heres an update on the interpretation of the Graves Amendment today and how many of those initial questions have been answered.

Whats Covered, Whats Not

Essentially, the federal Graves Amendment provides that a motor vehicle rental or leasing company cannot be held liable under state or local law for damages or injuries that occur during the rental or lease simply because the rental company (or its affiliate) is the owner of the vehicle.

To benefit from the Graves Amendment, the owner must be engaged in the business of renting or leasing motor vehicles. A vehicle owner may be the titleholder, lessee, or bailee of the vehicle.

The Graves Amendment, however, does not protect a rental company from its own negligence or criminal wrongdoing. If an injury is caused by a rental companys negligent or criminal act, the rental company could still be directly liable for its actions or inactions  even if an accident occurs while a renter is driving the vehicle.

Direct negligence claims brought against rental companies typically take one of three forms: negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, or failure to supervise or train employees. In addition, a rental company may still be held vicariously liable for damages or injury to third persons caused by the rental companys employees, depending upon the state and circumstances.



Finally, the Graves Amendment does not affect state minimum financial responsibility (MFR) laws or laws that impose liability on rental companies for failure to meet MFRs or other insurance requirements.

Questions Answered

When Graves was enacted, a number of issues were raised regarding the new law. Today we have some answers, while some questions remain.

On whether Graves would be applied in states such as New York, which had imposed unlimited vicarious liability on rental car companies, a number of cases in New York courts confirmed the application of Graves, as have courts in other states.

The Graves Amendment applies to trucks, which are covered under the term motor vehicles.

There has not been a wholesale increase in state MFR levels, though some saw the potential at the time.

The application of Graves as it applies to auto dealer loaner cars was a good question in 2005 and still is today. The outcome  in particular circumstances  may depend on factors such as the terms of the loaner agreement and the practices of the auto dealer.

Implementing Graves to Limit Liability In a typical personal injury or property damage case involving a rental vehicle, the injured party (usually another motorist or a pedestrian) names the driver/renter and the rental car owner/operator in any action. If the rental company cannot convince the plaintiffs lawyer to either dismiss the rental company or limit its potential liability to the state MFR, the rental company can make the following arguments to the court: The Graves Amendment is a federal law that preempts any state court law. Preemption is a Constitutional law principle that requires states to follow federal law when the federal law encompasses an entire field of law or expressly preempts state law. As the owner of the vehicle, the rental companys liability is limited to the applicable state MFR. If the renter (the party potentially responsible for the accident) has insurance sufficient to cover the state MFR level, except in a few states, that insurance generally is primary to the rental companys MFR responsibility. Accordingly, the rental company should be dismissed from the lawsuit as its liability is limited to MFR levels, and the renters insurance covered the MFR levels.

New Business Models

Since business models and technology often evolve at a much faster pace than the law, courts frequently must apply existing law to technology unimagined by the legislatures at the time the law was written.

The Graves Amendment is no different, and the question of its applicability to newer business models typically turns on whether a business involves an owner engaged in the business or renting or leasing motor vehicles. The Graves Amendment does not define rent, lease, or engaged in the business, so the answer is not always clear.

Carsharing operators often market themselves as an alternative to car rental. At least one court has found this approach to be a distinction without a difference as far as the Graves Amendment is concerned.

In two cases involving Zipcar, a New York state court found that the commercial carsharing company was engaged in the business of rental for purposes of the Graves Amendment, because Zipcar permits its members to use cars in exchange for a fee.

As of this writing, we are unaware of any published cases analyzing whether the Graves Amendment applies to other business models, such as peer-to-peer carsharing or hybrid models combining elements of traditional car rental, carsharing, and newer mobility services.

As technology and the ingenuity of operators evolve, a court likely will need to address this issue. The outcome will depend on how well innovators can show that their model is really just a traditional rental company using technology to deliver services in a new way.

Attempts to Limit the Graves Amendment

Over the past 10 years, plaintiffs lawyers and legislators have sought to limit the Graves Amendment. For example, some plaintiffs lawyers have taken to including negligent entrustment claims as part of any claim in connection with an accident caused by a renter.

There are a wide variety of claims asserted, but they generally fall into three categories: The renter was impaired in some way at the time of the rental; the renter was not qualified to drive (by way of an expired or suspended license); or the renter had a poor driving record. This is sometimes a strategic move and may not ultimately have any basis in the facts of the case.

Defending these claims involves a number of tactics, but the key goal is to separate the negligent entrustment claim from any claim based simply on ownership (and thus subject to state MFR). This can be accomplished with focused discovery requests directed to the plaintiff. Confirming the basis for the claims may allow a rental company to pursue a motion with the court limiting its liability without the risk (and cost) of a full trial.

On the legislative side, in May 2010, Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) unsuccessfully sought to offer an amendment to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010, which would have repealed the Graves Amendment. Legislation to alter MFR limits and rules has also been introduced (but not passed) in states like Florida and New York.

A Constant Evolution

During its first 10 years, the Graves Amendment has survived several challenges, and courts have answered some of our initial questions.

Since the vehicle rental industry of 2016 is markedly different from that of 2005 and will continue to evolve, the application and interpretation of the Graves Amendment will continue to be critical for the industry. Stay tuned.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have come up with a new system for generating electricity that couldshow promise for powering small airplanes.The potential energy density of this power source is on the same scale with petrochemical energy sources, and it is orders of magnitude higher than commercial lithium ion batteries, Michael Strano, an MIT professor of chemical engineering, told AVweb this week. It definitely has the potential to power airplanes of any size, Strano said, especially after our continuous power output methodology (which is not included in this report) is worked out. The report on the teams experiments was published this week in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.

The new approach is based on a discovery announced in 2010 by Strano and his co-workers: A wire made from tiny cylinders of carbon, known as carbon nanotubes, can produce an electrical current when it is progressively heated from one end to the other, for example by coating it with a combustible material and then lighting one end to let it burn like a fuse. That discovery represented a previously unknown phenomenon. Strano and his team have increased the efficiency of the process more than a thousandfold and have produced devices that can put out power that is, pound for pound, in the same ballpark as what can be produced by todays best batteries, according to MIT.

Strano said an open flame is not the only way to make the technology work. The reaction wave can be triggered via multiple methods, such as a laser (demonstrated in the past), a joule heater (used in this report), etc., he told AVweb. More to the point though, even though in this report all of the electrical energy output was obtained with a combustion reaction wave (and hence a flaming yet controlled wave front), the theory of excess thermopower necessitates that energy can be generated without burning at all. In fact, our laboratory is currently working on a prototype that demonstrates this exact point, to great effect.

Strano added that his 2010 experiments with the technology demonstrated seven times the power density as compared to a commercial lithium ion battery. Even with the current numbers, we could sustain an engine that is seven times as powerful as before, which allows us to bring more fuels on board, he said. Given similar energy density of the device, it should not come as a surprise that it will sustain a longer flight time than the current battery technology. Exactly how much longer depends on the efficiency of the engine as well as the aerodynamics, in that how much more weight can an engine pull given it could generate seven times its original power.

The new technology would be much safer than lithium, MIT said, which is extremely flammable when exposed to the air. The fuel used in the new device is safer, and also is a renewable resource. It also can be stored indefinitely with no loss of power. The researchers said they have at least several years of work to do before the technology could be developed into a commercial product.

This video from June 2010 demonstrates the basic technology. It was produced byDaily Planet on Discovery Channel Canada.
Experts will examine three pieces of debris found over the last two weeks that might be from the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, Malaysias Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said today. One fragment was found by a South African family visiting in Mozambique. They took the item back home with them, and South African authorities plan to take custody of it and hold it until Malaysian investigators come to get it. The other two items were found on Reunion Island and on a sandbank in the Mozambique Channel. A piece of a flaperon found on Reunion in July has been confirmed as a part of the missing Boeing 777.

The three items will be sent to France and Australia for analysis. We are all waiting for the final verification result on the three pieces of debris  There is no verification if they are from MH370 or not, Liow Tiong Lai said. The 777 disappeared in March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijingwith 239 people on board. All are presumed dead. In January,the Malaysian government pronounced the airplanes loss an accident. Search teams are continuing to scour the Indian Ocean in search of the 777. Authorities have said that search will continue until June, but if no wreckage is found, the search will be concluded.
We can argue about a lot in aviation, but one thing we rarely dispute is the unwritten rule that your AME and your doctor shouldnt be the same person. Unpack the logic of that and two things become implicit: We dont trust the government with our medical data (rightfully) and, if were honest, we want to retain the option of a little duplicity. I might take the stink off that last word by calling it survival instinct instead, but by any other name, its still sophistry.

I doubt if many of us get our moral pants snagged on this, nor should we. But then along comes the Germanwings suicide/murder-by-airplane incident and the morality becomes more ambiguous. The fact is, medical certification is supposed to assure the unwashed flying public that the pilots operating their flight are medically fit to do so. Implied is that fit means mentally fit, too. Obviously, the German system spectacularly failed in this because privacy laws clashed with the regulators oversight efforts and privacy won. As a result, an Airbus A320 with 150 souls aboard was intentionally crashed into a mountain in France by Andreas Lubitz last March.

I originally thought that this would make for an interesting case demonstrating how lawmakers reset the balance between onerous government intrusion and the individuals right to privacy. Ive reconsidered. European regulators wont have any choice but to devise a way that medical personnel can short circuit privacy laws when public safety is at stake. Depending on how carefully such a law is written, this may saddle docs with an onerous burden of their own. Any reasonable man would agree that a psychotic airline pilot should have his privacy breached in the name of protecting the public. And maybe a bus driver or a ferry captain. But how about a UPS driver, a postal clerk or a grocery produce manager? Them, too? Do they threaten the public if they run off the rails a little mentally? I dont envy the docs making these calls because as sure as one doc diagnoses a benign neurosis, another will find a wild-eyed lunatic.

And should the same standard apply to airline pilots, private and sport pilots? How can this question be reasonably answered? With only a few incidents of psychotic behavior resulting in aviation accidents amidst galaxies of routine, safe flights, is the depressed pilot as a public menace really a thing in need of fixing? The answer is self-evident once such an event crosses into the political realm. And here, theres a direct corollary to the Third Class medical were trying to kill off. Just as no legislator would rise in the Bundestag to argue for the primacy of pilots privacy rights, no FAA bureaucrat would put his name on a document attesting to the utter fallacy of medical certification as an argument to eliminate it. Germanwings provides, if nothing else, a convenient I-told-you-so counterpoint.

Whether any of this has any impact on medical certification in the U.S. is an unknown. To a large degree, our system is based on honest self reporting that, de facto, waives privacy rights. The 8500-8 medical form asks about medications and about doctor visits, meaning if youre guzzling Zoloft and getting weekly electroshock treatments, youre supposed to tell the FAA. The 8500-8 is considered a legal instrument and lying on it carries a $250,000 fine and/or five years in jail. Do people lie anyway? I suspect they do, which is why I mentioned the reason for keeping AME and family doc separate. And once in awhile, someone gets busted for fraud.

But whether they do or they dont lie or whether they get caught or not doesnt much matter. We have more than a half century of data that shows that medical certification has done little or nothing to improve system safety. The kicker on that cocktail is a decade worth of drivers license certification for light sport flying that shows no correlation between accidents and medical incapacitation. But then you knew that and Ive said it here several thousand times. For some reason, I cant resist saying it again and the Germanwings story provides the opportunity. And also some ambiguity. Andreas Lubitz clearly needed to be cut from the pilot herd. But you and I are just fine.
15 March 2016 11:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Nazrin Gadimova

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited Azerbaijani captives Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who were taken hostage by Armenian militaries in the occupied Azerbaijani territory.

The ICRC office in Baku announced about this while talking to Trend on March 15.

The visit was aimed at getting acquainted with their treatment and conditions of detention, as well as ensuring the exchange of information with their families.

During an operation conducted in the Shaplar village of Azerbaijans occupied Kalbajar region in July 2014, Armenian forces killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and detained Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov while they were attempting to visit the graves of their relatives.

A year later, the unrecognized courts of a separatist regime in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh illegally judged them. Following the decision of the so-called court, Asgarov was sentenced to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years.

Baku, as well as a number of international organizations, has repeatedly urged Yerevan to free the hostages, but the Armenian side remained deaf, ignoring all calls and violating the international rules and norms was subjecting the hostages to various tortures.

Armenian aggression against its neighboring country resulted in occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories. The large-scale hostilities resulted in death of over 20,000 Azerbaijanis while over 4,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis were taken captive, hostage, or went missing as a result of the war.

The majority of those captured during the hostilities are children, elderly people and women.

The Azerbaijani National Security Ministrys documents earlier revealed that Armenian vandals have set up six women- and children- only internment camps: Vardenis childrens camp (250 occupancy), Razdan children's camp (180 occupancy), Khankendi (Stepanakert) children's camp (180), Gechashen women's camp (320), Jermuk women's camp (250) and Kalbajar women's camp (150).

The available data shows that Armenians have grossly violated the rules and provisions of the conventions on captives and hostages. They subjected hostages to brutal forms of tortures and forced them into hard labor.

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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

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15 March 2016 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Noelle Lenoir

The possibility that Britain may exit the European Union is undeniable. For decades, prominent British politicians have propounded their disdain for Europe; as a result, euroskepticism in the United Kingdom has become entrenched. When the country holds a referendum on its EU membership on June 23, many voters may be unwilling to vote to remain.

Several factors have conspired to make a British exit, or Brexit, possible. Foremost is the rise of populism. After the UK ratified the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the British politician Nigel Farage left the Conservative Party and founded the UK Independence Party. Since then, he has made leaving the EU his lifes work (even though he takes full advantage of all the perks and privileges of being a member of the European Parliament). The effectiveness of his nationalist rhetoric is proof that the UK is not immune to populist demagoguery.

Another reason for europhobias hold on the British psyche is the countrys EU-obsessed tabloid newspapers, which are read by millions of people. Few men have done more to fuel anti-European frenzy than the Australian-American media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, owner of several newspapers and the UKs most important private television news channel. In his book How Britain Will Leave Europe, former Minister for Europe Denis MacShane describes how former Prime Minister Tony Blair considered holding a referendum on adopting the euro, only to renounce the plan for fear that the shadowy figure of Rupert Murdoch would use his media empire to campaign against it.

Finally, Europes epochal migration crisis is not helping those trying to make the case for the EU. Farage has been quick to warn that our migration crisis will get worse should the UK remain in the union. He has also argued that the British people will be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks if the UK does not leave the EU and to take back control of our borders. (For France, which is currently struggling to do the UKs job of controlling the border at Calais, this element of Brexit would be appealing.)

To be sure, many in the UK have been skeptical of Europe since the idea of unification was first proposed in the 1950s. But those campaigning for Brexit overlook the fact that Europe has become a truly open free market, something that the UK has always wanted, and that the UK was one of the few EU member states not to limit the entry of workers after the EUs eastward expansion of 2004.

Much rides on Prime Minister David Camerons ability to persuade voters that stay in the EU is worth it. The most visible concession he was able to obtain in negotiations with the EUs other 27 member states is an agreement to limit access to social benefits for citizens residing in a country different from their own. He has also agreed to a type of non-aggression pact with the eurozone, which pledges to respect the rights and competences of the non-participating member States in exchange for a British promise not to oppose the deepening of the economic and monetary union.

Should voters choose to leave, negotiating the terms of Brexit could take years. Whether the UK can maintain its access to the European market  which accounted for 45% of its exports and 53% of its imports in 2014  remains an open question. And should Britains financial industry find its access to the EU curtailed, the City of Londons position as a global financial center could erode. Already, Douglas Flint, the chairman of HSBC, Europes biggest lender, has declared that the bank reserves its right to move people between London and Paris.

In a famous 1946 speech delivered at the University of Zurich, Winston Churchill called for the creation of a United States of Europe  but without the UK. In this urgent work, France and Germany must take the lead together, he said. Great Britain, the British Commonwealth of Nations, mighty America, [and the Soviet Union] must be the friends and sponsors of the new Europe and must champion its right to live.

Today, far from championing Europes right to live, the UK is putting it at risk. And, in doing so, it is putting its own economy in greater danger than any time since the end of World War II. As the continent faces the most difficult challenges it has seen in more than a generation, neither Europe nor the UK can afford such a self-defeating distraction.

Copyright: Project Syndicate:The Brexit Conspiracy

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15 March 2016 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Springtime brings Azerbaijan not only pleasantly warm breezes, deliciously longer days and the beautiful flowers, but also one of the most bright and happy holidays -- Novruz Bayram.

Celebrated on March 21, this holiday honors the arrival of spring and is loved by both children and adults. Novruz is one of the most popular holidays in Azerbaijan as this expresses the nations values and traditions; families gather together, bake pastries, play Novruz games, and enjoy many other activities.

Novruz has four symbols: water, fire, wind and land and each of these symbols is celebrated during four Tuesdays prior to Novruz. These Novruz Tuesdays are named Su Chershenbesi, Od Chershenbesi , Yel Chershenbesi and Akhir or Torpaq Chershenbesi.

Water purifies and stirs, fire, soil and wind awaken the nature, and trees begin to blossom, and all these symbolize the coming of spring.

March 15 celebrates the last Chershenbe before Novruz -- Land Tuesday, a symbol of awakening and e beginning of field work.

Earth is like a nurse to the entire world, and all the creatures of the Almighty, including humans, can find a place there. It feeds humans, and its awakening after a frosty winter means the awakening and rebirth of all living creatures.

In each of these Tuesdays or as its called here Chershenbe people light bonfires across the country. According to the popular belief, everyone from young to old should jump seven times over the fire to give all the hardships of winter to it.

Novruz is also full of curious and entertaining auguries. Divinations in the Last Chershenbe is another interesting tradition of the holiday. Although people do not take this tradition seriously, they're still keen to keep the ancient ceremony alive, a link to the country's rich history.

The divination on the ring is among the most popular traditions among young unmarried girls. Placing a glass or dish of water into the middle, girls gather around it. Then, each girl, in turn, tear off one hair from their head and put it on the ring. They knock three times on the bottom of the cup with the ring and then lift it on the surface of the glass. By the number of times the ring will be knocking on the glass wall, girls determine the age they will reach when they get married.

Another interesting tradition of the Last Chershenbe is when young girls and boys overhear their neighbors doors before the dark comes, a tradition also known as a Gulag faly. Before approaching the door they make a wish. If they hear something positive it means that their wishes will come true, if not -- they should wait a little longer to see their heart's desires fulfilled.

Novruz, associated with many traditions, is an old holiday reflecting the culture, national and spiritual values of Azerbaijani people. This most cherished holiday of the Azerbaijanis has an ancient history, which is linked to Zoroastrianism, the oldest of the monotheist religions.



The joyous 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.

The decoration of the festive table is khoncha, which includes a big tray with Semeni, freshly sprouted wheat and a symbol of hope for an abundant harvest in the coming year. The tray is placed in the center with candles and dyed eggs by the number of family members around it. The candles are lit and must not be blown out ahead of time.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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15 March 2016 10:11 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva met with German Ambassador to the country Heidrun Tempel on March 14, Azertac state news agency reported.

Mrs.Aliyeva hailed relations between the two countries in all fields, and highlighted the role of the ambassador in expanding these ties.

As an ambassador you deliver detailed information about the country, said the first lady, praising this as an important contribution to the expansion of the fraternal relations between the two countries and peoples.

Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan was interested in developing its relationship with Germany, adding that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries was established on the basis of mutual interest.

The first lady noted that there was good potential for expanding relations in humanitarian field between Azerbaijan and Germany, and expressed the readiness of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to do more for this.

Mehriban Aliyeva recalled the Heydar Aliyev Foundation`s projects in Germany.

She said there were great opportunities for the cooperation in humanitarian sphere.

The ambassador thanked the Azerbaijani first lady for attaching great attention to the bilateral ties between the two countries.

Tempel praised the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, saying it was well known outside Azerbaijan.

They also discussed educational and cultural projects.

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15 March 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

An Azerbaijani delegation will join the high-level conference on EU energy cooperation with the Eastern neighbourhood and Central Asia to be held in Brussels on Thursday.

The European Commission is marking 20 years of energy cooperation with its partner countries to the East by holding the conference. The conference will also herald the beginning of a new stage in the energy cooperation with the region.

The event will be hosted by EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The event will bring together 200 participants, including representatives from the EU, partner countries, international financial institutions, think tanks, the private sector and academia.

An exhibition area will display the latest activities and opportunities in the energy sectors of the partner countries.

Concluding remarks will be presented by Maros Sefcovic, European Commission Vice President of the Energy Union, Azertac state news agency reported.

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15 March 2016 11:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

There is a great potential for further developing relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic.

Azerbaijans Prime Minister Artur Rasizade made the remark, as he met chairman of the House of Deputies of the Czech Parliament Jan Hamacek, who is on an official visit to Baku from March 13.

The sides discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries, hailing the great potential for the development of relations and offering to continue them at the level of strategic cooperation.

Rasizade emphasized that the Czech Republic is a reliable partner for Azerbaijan in several fields.

The Premier said the Central European country and Azerbaijan should widely operate in non-oil sector, adding there is fruitful condition for cooperation in machine engineering, military, banking, finance, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure fields.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Rasizade hailed the Czech Republic`s support to Azerbaijan.

The sides stressed the importance of solving the conflict within the norms of international law, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders.

Hamacek voiced readiness of Czech businessmen for overall cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Further, Hamacek met with Chairman of Azerbaijans Parliament Ogtay Asadov to mull cooperation of the legislative bodies.

Asadov stressed the role of reciprocal visits and meetings of heads of state in developing the bilateral ties. He noted that the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed between the two states would strengthen the legal base that would pave the way for closer cooperation between the two countries.

He hailed the role of friendship groups in the parliaments of the two countries, praising the Khojaly massacre resolution of the foreign relations committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic.

Talking about the economic cooperation, Asadov said the Czech Republic invested over $1 billion in Azerbaijan.

He added that the trade turnover between the two sides made up $610 million last year, noting that 31.5 percent of the Czech Republic's demand for oil is provided by Azerbaijan.

As part of the three-day visit to Baku, Czech entrepreneurs met Azerbaijani businessmen to eye prospects for establishing business relations in new areas.

The meeting, co-organized by the Economy Ministry and Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation, brought together more than 50 Azerbaijani and Czech businessmen from a variety of fields, including tourism, industry, logistics, banking, pharmacology and energy.

Later on this day, Azerbaijan`s Defense Industry Minister Yavar Jamalov received Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech republic, Chairman of the Defense Committee David Kadner to explore ways of developing the bilateral cooperation in defense industry.

Jamalov hailed the development of the ties between the two countries in a variety of fields.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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15 March 2016 13:10 (UTC+04:00)

The relations between Azerbaijan and the UN was high on the agenda as Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee on Refugees and IDPs, Chairman of the Republican Commission on the International Humanitarian Aid, Ali Hasanov has met with the acting UNDP Resident Representative Erchan Murat.

Ali Hasanov , addressing the meeting, highly appreciated successful diplomatic activity of Ercan Murat in Azerbaijan, expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN, the practical implementation of various significant projects and wished the diplomat success in further activity.

The sides emphasized that relations between the government of Azerbaijan and UN agencies were established on good bases and have entered a new stage of development, the evidence of which is election of Azerbaijan as a full member of Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

They further noted that the Azerbaijani government has done a great job for solution of the problems of refugees and displaced persons in the country. All these were highly appreciated both by the UNHCR and other officials who consider that experience of Azerbaijan can be an example for the countries facing similar problems.

Ali Hasanov expressed gratitude to the international humanitarian organizations and the organizations of development operating in the country in connection with the Azerbaijani compatriots who were ousted from their native lands as a result of the conflict for the projects on humanitarian development realized by them.

As a result of the successful policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev, today Azerbaijan quickly develops and has turned into one of the authoritative countries of the world, he said.

In the UN documents Azerbaijan takes an important place among the quickly developing countries. Tolerance in Azerbaijan where in the goodwill conditions reside the representatives of various people and nations, is an example for the world. Today, Azerbaijan is recognized as a country realizing global projects and holding important events directed to the solution of universal problems.

Ali Hasanov with appreciation remembered meetings with resident coordinators of the UN in Azerbaijan, noting that UN agencies were the most authoritative structures among the international organizations functioning in the country within 20 years.

The sides also had comprehensive exchange of views on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the problem of refugees and IDPs, improvement of their plight.

Having noted that the UN always shows special attention to settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, to improvement of living conditions of the Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, the diplomat highly appreciated quick economic development in Azerbaijan, the high authority on the international arena gained by the Azerbaijani state for a short time, the done work on improvement of social conditions of refugees and displaced persons, Azertac state news agency reported.

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16 March 2016 10:16 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

President Ilham Aliyev, who embarked on a visit to neighboring Turkey, was officially welcomed in Ankara on March 15.

A guard of honor was lined up for the Azerbaijani president in Ankara. Turkish President Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed his Azerbaijani counterpart.

The national anthems of the two countries were played out. The head of the guard of honor reported to Azerbaijans president. Then the presidents passed by the guard of honor.

Turkish state and government representatives were introduced to President Aliyev, and the Azerbaijani delegation members were introduced to President Erdogan. The presidents also posed for photographs.

Following the official welcoming ceremony in Ankara, President Aliyev and Erdogan held a one-on-one meeting.

Later, the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was held in Ankara, March 15, with participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Azerbaijan and Turkey signed six documents after the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation.

Following the ceremony of signing documents, President Aliyev and President Erdogan made statements for the press.

The terror attacks on Turkey will have no effect, President Aliyev said at a press conference.

On behalf of Azerbaijan and its people, President Aliyev expressed condolences to the brotherly Turkish people over the recent terrorist attack in Ankara.

He added that Azerbaijan strongly condemns this terrorist attack and reiterates that the country stands by the people of Turkey.

President Aliyev stated that the unity of Azerbaijan and Turkey is eternal and unshakeable.

Azerbaijan has once again proved its brotherly relations to Turkey, the Turkish President said.

I am grateful to the president of Azerbaijan, said Erdogan.

Turkey has been proud of Azerbaijans success throughout 25 years since it gained independence, said Erdogan, adding that Turkey, as before, will support Azerbaijan in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

On the same day, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hosted a reception in honor of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

President Aliyev completed his working visit to the Republic of Turkey on March 15.

A guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani President at the Esenboga Airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw off President Ilham Aliyev.

Chief of the guard of honor reported to the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev saluted the guard of honor.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan had tea together on-board the plane.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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15 March 2016 15:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Nazrin Gadimova

Five Iranian citizens, serving sentences in Azerbaijan, were handed over to representatives of the Iranian judicial system on March 12.

The detainees were transferred at the Astara checkpoint on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border and will serve the rest of their sentences in the Iranian jails, the Penitentiary Service of the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry told Trend.

Furthermore, six citizens of Azerbaijan were extradited from Iran, according to the penitentiary service.

The two countries have exchanged prisoners on the basis of the dated February 21, 1998.

Azerbaijans Justice Ministry fulfills commitments on 30 bilateral agreements providing assistance in criminal and civil cases, including on extradition and transferring prisoners. Within the framework of the bilateral agreements, the ministry cooperates with 29 countries.

In 2015, the Justice Ministry received 17,500 requests on the international legal assistance.

Over the past five years, Azerbaijans Justice Ministry transferred 167 foreign prisoners, as well as secured the return of 240 Azerbaijani detainees, according to the ministry.

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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

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15 March 2016 15:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Italys Ambassador to Azerbaijan Giampaolo Cutillo stated that Azerbaijan is very important for the European Unions and his country.

The envoy made the remarks during the presentation of the EU-funded twinning project for the Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry in Baku on March 14.

We continue to strengthen our relations, Cutillo said, adding that Italy and Azerbaijan have a lot in common.

Azerbaijan is a young country, and Italy is relatively young independent country in the EU, he said, noting that Azerbaijan made very important contribution to the preservation of Italys heritage.

Being one of Azerbaijan's major partners in Europe, Italy has been Azerbaijan's number one trade partner for the past eight years. Azerbaijan is the largest supplier of oil to Italy, and with the launch of the Southern Gas Corridor will supply Shah Deniz gas to this country.

The EU twining project realized by Italys Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism will last two years. The project, which is aimed to modernize legal policy and management system in the culture sector, costs 1.2 million euros.

The project will be implemented in two main areas such as the overall development of the system, taking into account the legislation, structures and management, development of new effective model of management of the national cultural heritage and the protection of cultural heritage, the development of the Work Plan for the Protection and Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

Meanwhile, Head of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan, Malena Mard told journalists that the EU will continue to have exploratory talks on the new bilateral agreement with Azerbaijan.

She noted that the EU and Azerbaijan had exploratory talks during the Baku visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and agreed to continue to build on this agreement.

This is a precondition from the EU side to ask for a mandate from the EU Council to be able to start formal negotiations on the new bilateral agreement with Azerbaijan, Mard explained.

Currently, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of the partnership and cooperation agreement, signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

The new agreement envisages bringing Azerbaijans legislation and procedures closer to the most important international and trade standards of the EU. This process is meant to improve the access of Azerbaijani products to the EU markets.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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15 March 2016 18:56 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack committed in Ankara on March 13, which killed 37 people, and left over 120 injured and reiterated the country's support to the people of Turkey.

President Ilham Aliyev, who embarked on a working visit to Turkey to attend the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council on March 15, said that the terror attacks on Turkey will have no effect.

Speaking at a press conference held following the meeting, President Aliyev expressed condolences to the brotherly Turkish people on behalf of Azerbaijan and its people and said that the unity of the two countries is eternal and unshakeable.

We strongly condemn this dreadful terrorist attack and reiterate that today, we stand by the people of Turkey, the president said. We always stand by each other both in good and hard times. We, in Azerbaijan, are fully confident that the terrorist attacks on Turkey and its people, will have no effect. It cant shake Turkey, cant affect the will of Turkish people and cant derail Turkey from the right path.

President Aliyev noted that Turkey and Azerbaijan have been showing unity and solidarity for 25 years already.

We have successfully cooperated in all spheres over these years and today, Turkey and Azerbaijan are the closest countries to each other on a global scale, he added.

President Aliyev also said that Turkey has turned into a center of power on a global scale, and as a result of tireless activities of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has attained significant achievements in recent years.

Turkeys role in the world is increasing, its position is strengthening. The trust and sympathy to Turkey by the international community makes us happy, he said.

He went on to add that Azerbaijan and Turkey are together in all international issues.

"Turkey has always supported fair solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the international law and this support is being shown today," President Aliyev stated.

In his remarks, President Erdogan said that Azerbaijan has once again proved its brotherly relations to Turkey, and expressed his gratitude to the president of Azerbaijan.

Turkey has been proud of Azerbaijans success throughout 25 years since it gained independence, said Erdogan, adding that Turkey, as before, will support Azerbaijan in the settlement of the 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 bloody war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts in 1992.

Erdogan also said that a number of issues in the energy and defense fields, as well as the regional issues were discussed during the meeting with President Aliyev.

He went on to add that the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline is one of the most important projects implemented by Turkey and Azerbaijan.



Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Turkey implement the important project on the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which will link Europe and Asia, he noted.

The BTK is a priority project for Turkey in the sphere of cargo transportation, and the construction of the railway will be completed this December, Erdogan noted.

Erdogan believes that despite the decline in world oil prices slightly affected the trade turnover between Turkey and Azerbaijan, the two countries aim to increase the trade turnover up to $20 billion over the next five years.



"Turkey is also interested in goods import from Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic," Erdogan stressed.

As part of the visit to Ankara, President Aliyev and President Erdogan held a one-on-one meeting, and participated at the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.

Following the meeting, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed six documents with participation of the presidents of the two countries.

President Aliyev and President Erdogan signed the protocol of the fifth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Other signed documents include the protocol on exchange of the military/civilian personnel for social and cultural purposes between the two governments, an agreement on the paid employment of family members of employees of the diplomatic missions and consulates between the government of Azerbaijan and the government of Turkey, an agreement on the cooperation in the sphere of forensic examination between the Justice Ministry of Azerbaijan and the Interior Ministry of Turkey, an agreement on mutual recognition and replacement of driving licenses between the two governments and a protocol on technical cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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15 March 2016 12:03 (UTC+04:00)

British Airways company ceases flights on the route London-Baku and vice versa from May 1, 2016, the companys Baku office told Trend on March 15.

The last flight on the London-Baku-London route will be performed on April 29.

The company cited the fall in demand and commercial inexpediency as reasons for the suspension of the London-Baku flight.

Currently, British Airways carries out flights on the route London-Baku-London six times in a week.

The company did not exclude the possibility of resuming flights in the future.

British Airways flies to 199 destinations, 10 destinations in the UK, 106 in Europe and 83 in the rest of the world. The airline is one of the world's largest international airlines carrying approximately 40 million passengers around the world every year.

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15 March 2016 14:21 (UTC+04:00)

TransCaspian 2016, the 15th Anniversary International Transport, Transit and Logistics Exhibition, will take place from 11 - 13 May at Baku Expo Centre. This year, the exhibition is marking its 15th anniversary.

Over the years, the exhibition has established itself as the most important transport forum in the region, enabling innovative technologies and equipment for the transport industry to be presented, new representational offices to be opened, and new joint ventures to be created. The exhibition is considered by the industry as the years main event providing a true picture of the state of the transport market. Over 15 years, around 700 companies have exhibited at TransCaspian.

Since its inception, the exhibition has received official support from the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The exhibition also receives support from the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organisations of the Azerbaijan Republic (ASK). Transaspian 2016 is organised by Iteca Caspian and its partner ITE Group.

This year, the exhibition will present achievements in the transport industry and the best technologies and equipment from Azerbaijani and international companies. Sectors at the anniversary exhibition will include Rolling stock and rail infrastructure, Marine industry, Aviation, Commercial vehicles, and Transport and logistics services. A number of commercial companies and state transport bodies usually take part in the exhibition such as Azerbaijan Railways, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company, and the State Maritime Administration (Azerbaijan).

Major transport projects such as the North-South Transport Corridor, the Trans Caspian International Transport Route, and the multimodal Viking and Kars-Tbilisi-Baku projects are currently being implemented and will help turn Azerbaijan into the main link between Europe and Asia. Such prospects contribute to the exhibitions significance and the interest from both international and local transport companies. After all, TransCaspian 2016 is a unique opportunity to meet directors and professionals from state transport bodies in Azerbaijan and its neighbouring countries, as well as to present the latest developments in transport technologies, learn about prospective state infrastructure projects, find new sales channels, and share experience.

15th Anniversary International Transport, Transit and Logistics Exhibition TransCaspian 2016 will take place alongside Road&Traffic 2016, the Caspian International Road Infrastructure and Public Transport Exhibition and CIBS 2016, the 3rd Caspian International Boat and Yacht Show.

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15 March 2016 10:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Vienna International Centre (VIC) will host an exhibition titled Echo of the Colors by Azerbaijani artists Dilshad Imanova and Narmin Abdullayeva.

The event devoted to Novruz Holiday aims to inform guests about the rich and colorful traditions and culture of Azerbaijan, also known as the Land of Fire, Trend life reports.

The opening of the exhibition is scheduled for March 22, where President of the VIC Art Club, Raymond Nader will give an opening speech and introduce the artists and their works to the participants of the exhibition.

Both young artists, Narmin and Dilshad brought to Vienna a very rich collection of their paintings that would delight the audience and introduce them the homeland of the artists, its traditions and the art culture. The artworks are mainly devoted to Novruz.

Through an interaction with art, the young artists seek to serve as inspiration for young artists. The exhibition will turn into a great event for both the artists as well as the participants, where the people will exchange their opinions, provide their feedback and assess the artworks.

The exhibition will run until April 01, 2016.

The Vienna International Centre (VIC), colloquially also known as UNO City in Vienna, is the campus and building complex hosting United Nations organizations in Vienna, Austria.

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15 March 2016 13:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The Mardakan Palace of Culture has hosted an international festival of children and youth entitled The sun of future, aiming to promote friendship and cultural links between Azerbaijan and Georgia, Trend Life reports.

The event featured dance shows by choreography ensembles of the Association of Culture and Folklore of Caucasus, including Momovali, Eleoni, Funny notes, Art Studio Quarter, as well as "Laleler" and "Eagles of Azerbaijan" dance groups.

The Mardakan Palace of Culture has been operating since 1961. The palace was essentially repaired by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. In June 2007, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva attended the inauguration of the Mardakan Cultural Centre after reconstruction.

The palace features a 374-seat large hall and a 150-seat small hall, as well as lecture and dance halls. Over 10 study groups are functioning at the Centre. With a book fund of about 10,000 books, the library of the cultural centre can serve over 7,000 readers.

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15 March 2016 10:51 (UTC+04:00)

The South African Sasol Ltd intends to reconsider its strategic participation in the GTL plant construction in Uzbekistan by summer 2016, a representative of the company told Trend.

The representative said that this decision was taken by the management of the company in February 2016 because of the decline in hydrocarbon prices, including oil.

"A final decision about an equity decrease in the project or the complete withdrawal from this project will be taken until the middle of 2016," a Sasol representative said.

It was earlier reported that Uzbekneftegaz, South African Sasol Synfuels International (Pty) Ltd. and Malaysia's Petronas International Corporation Ltd. (Petronas) signed founding documents in November 2009 on the establishment Uzbekistan GTL joint venture for the production of synthetic liquid fuels at the base of Shurtan MCC (Kashkadarya).

In 2011, the share of Malaysian companies in the joint venture, on the proposal of Petronas, was reduced to 11 percent, and the share of Sasol and Uzbekneftegaz increased by 44.5 percent.

In summer 2013, Sasol also announced its intention to reduce its share from 44.5 to 25.5 percent in the joint venture due to increased portfolio and significant investment in its projects in South Africa.

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15 March 2016 11:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Russian energy giant Gazprom has canceled a gas contract with Turkmengaz State Concern of Turkmenistan citing "serious violations".

Interfax reports that the Russian side has accused the Turkmen partner of creating conditions for termination of the contract.

"In January 2016, following "a serious violation of the contract by the Turkmengaz State Concern, we informed Turkmengaz about termination of the contract and termination of the gas purchase from Turkmenistan," states a memorandum on new issuance of Eurobonds of Gazprom.

Russias purchase of natural gas from Turkmenistan is regulated by the intergovernmental agreement of 2003, which envisages the cooperation until 2028. The document envisages the supply of up to 80 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Russia via the Central Asia - Center and East - West pipelines.

Gazprom reports in the memorandum for the first time that it requires retroactive revision of prices of Turkmen gas from 2010 to 2015.

Since early 2008, Gazprom was trying to revise the price of the gas purchased from Turkmenistan.

Despite the contracted annual volumes of 70-80 billion cubic meters, firstly, the volumes were decreased to 10-11 billion cubic meters per year throughout five years. The annual volumes dropped by 2.5 times in 2015 and stood at 4 billion cubic meters.

Last year, Turkmenistans Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources reportedly said that Gazprom Export LLC (100-percent subsidiary of Gazprom) doesnt pay the remaining money for the actually delivered Turkmen natural gas, without explaining the reason.

In early 2015, Gazprom announced that it will purchase only 4 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan and was going to challenge the terms of the contract in the Stockholm arbitration.

In mid 2015 Gazprom filed a lawsuit in Stockholm Arbitration Court against Turkmengaz, demanding to revise the price in the gas supply contract.

Due to declining gas export prices in Europe, linked to the constantly falling oil prices, the previously set price for Turkmen gas at $240 per 1,000 cubic meters appeared unsatisfactory to the Russian side.

Bruce Pannier believes that there was a political motive in Russias decision to suspend purchases of Turkmen gas.

The expert on Central Asia, and the Senior Correspondent at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty told Azernews earlier that Moscow has not been able to find a political mean to put pressure on Turkmenistan, but halting gas imports, even the relatively meager amount Turkmenistan was sending, hurts Turkmenistan in a very public way.

Gas supply was one of the strategic areas of partnership between Turkmenistan and Russia until recently. Turkmenistan transports its gas to Russia via the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline that was constructed during the Soviet period and monopolized by Gazprom.

Turkmenistan, which produces about 70-80 billion cubic meters of gas a year, is actively implementing an energy strategy aimed at increasing exports of the blue fuel and diversifying its supply routes to the largest global markets, where the demand for energy resources is growing.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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15 March 2016 16:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

The Moscow-Tehran cooperation in the energy sphere, as well as the two countries' capabilities of swapping oil and gas was high on the agenda of talks held between Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Tehran on March 14.

At a meeting with Novak, the Iranian minister expressed his country's interest in expanding cooperation with Russia and said that Tehran is following up a sustainable policy, strategic and long-term cooperation with Moscow, SHANA news agency reported.

Zanganeh believes that there are proper chances for cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in the post-sanctions era. As two major suppliers of oil and gas, Iran and Russia can cooperate in the world energy market and be influential in this respect, according to him.

He also urged the Russian companies to cooperate with Iran in the development of the country's oil and gas fields.

Novak, in turn, said that Iran has the right to be exempted from crude output cuts to stabilize the market with an aim to remedy the losses inflicted on its economy from international sanctions.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting with Zanganeh, he said the idea of exempting Iran from global production and export freeze was raised in light of fluctuation in oil market and price falls in the last 18 months.

"Major oil producers will coordinate with each other, he said. However, since Irans production decreased under sanctions, we totally understand Irans position to increase production and revive its share in the global markets.

Novak believes that within the framework of major OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, Iran is liable to have an exclusive way for increasing its oil production.

The removal of the international sanctions on Iran and the recent improvement of Tehrans relations with the Western countries have tackled the competition among the energy companies for the vast Iranian market. Russia is among these states.

Russian companies are keen on participating in the development of oil and gas fields in Iran and eye projects for increasing Iranian oilfields recovery rate.

Furthermore, Tehran and Moscow have been in discussions on the swap of oil and gas over the past several years. Under a possible swap plan, Russia will supply oil and gas to northern Iran, and the Islamic Republic, in return, will be expected to deliver oil and gas on behalf of Russia to Moscows customers in the Persian Gulf.

Iran has a $4 billion worth project (11th cross-country pipeline) to deliver 110 million cubic meters of gas per day from South Pars gas field to the countrys north-eastern regions. On the other hand, the Islamic Republic has another $6 billion worth pipeline project to deliver the same amount of gas from South Pars to the north-western regions.

Iran also eyes boosting gas production from the current 700 million cubic meters per day to above 1.3 billion cubic meters per day by 2020-2021, enabling the country to export 200 million cubic meters per day of natural gas.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

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From: jovita gomez < jovitagomez80@hotmail.com >

Sent: Fri, Mar 11, 2016 4:43 pm

Subject: It is from my heart to compensate you with 20% of the total money



How are you doing presently, I hope this my mail will reach you in good condition of health, I will really like to have a good relationship with you and I have a special reason why I decided to contact you because of my situation here. My name is Miss Jovita Gomez. Am 23 years old girl from zimbabwe, the only daughter of Late Mr Gomez Sango. my late father Mr gomez Sango was an importer and exporter. my late father was killed by high killers, my late father business partner sent group of high killers to my parents, the high killers killed my father, killed my mother,and my only two brothers, am the only survivor in my family because i was not at home when the high killers came, i was in the school Hostel that is what save me.



i run away from zimbabwe my country because my father business partner want to kill me too, i run away because those killers still want to kill me by all means i decided to move out from zimbabwe for the sake of my life, Meanwhile,I wanted to escape to Europe but is very difficult to me because i do not have money at hand for traveling document. i manage to toke my Father's Files which contains important documents. So I decided to run to the refugee camp in senegal where I am presently seeking asylum under the United Nations High Commission for the Refugee here in Dakar senegal, I wish to contact you personally for a long term business relationship and investment assistance in your country. P lease, please, please, i really really need your honesty and trustworthiness,My father deposited the sum of US $ 5.700.000 ( Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in Finance Firm with my name as the next of kin. However, I shall forward to you the necessary information of the deposit on confirmation of your acceptance to assist me for the transfer and investment of the fund in your country. i want the bank to transfer the money to you in your country and i will join you in your country, i want you to help me in this transaction and i want you to help me to invest the money for me in your country immediately the bank transfer the money to you in your country, and I will like to complete my studies in your country because I was in my school before i decided to escaped to senegal to safe my life. According to the financial governing laws of this country senegal, people under refugees are not allowed to participate into monetary transaction or operate personal bank account with large sums international or locally.



It is from my heart to compensate you with 20% of the total money for your services and the balance will be my investment capital. This is the reason why I decided to contact you. Please all communications should be through this email address only for confidential purposes. As soon as I receive your positive response showing your interest I will put things into action immediately. In the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely. I am staying at the female refugee camp here in dakar senegal. Am waiting your urgent and positive response. Please keep this thing only to your self please I beg you do not tell anybody this thing till I come over to your country after the transfer. I hope my explanation is very clear but if you need further clarification then send in your questions. i will try to send you more pictures in my next mail. Thanks as i hope to receive from you soon.

Yours s incerely

Miss Jovita Gomez







From: jovita gomez < jovitagomez80@hotmail.com >

Sent: Tue, Mar 15, 2016 3:14 pm

Subject: I need your full information with love and trust





the most important thing i need from you right now is your honesty and trustworthiness as i told you before. I choose you in this transaction because of my situation based on my present situation here in senegal as a refugee under asylum. According to the financial governing laws of this country senegal, people under refugees are not allowed to participate into monetary transaction or operate personal bank account with large sums international or locally as i told you before. I want you to understand more about my situation here in the camp, I am e-mailing you from the office of the Reverend father David Mike who is Priest at the church in the refugee camp, I have explained to him a little about my life though not everything, i told the reverend father about my communication with you and he permitted me to access my e-mail in his office computer three times in a day here in the refugee camp, I don't have access to food here in the refugee camp, the food government give to us here is not good for health, life has not been easy for me. i told the reverend father about you and he permitted me to be receiving phone calls from you through his office telephone number; which is as follows : +221.769099374 Call me i don't have any money at hand here for now, when you call Reverend father David Mike tell him that you want to speak with Miss Jovita Gomez, the zimbabwe girl. D on't be surprised that i gave you this kind of trust that is how God want it anything that happened in this world is how God want it, only try to be honest and sincere with me. I will send you all the important documents of the money, the money is 100 percent genuine, only if you can promise me that you are not going to betray me or sit on my inheritance after the money transfer to your account in your country, please tell me more about yourself again in your next mail. Please understand that there is no illegality involvement in this transaction, you are going to deal with the holding bank directly. i am with important documents here. deposit certificate of the money and death certificate of my late father. all i need from you now is your sincerity, honest and seriousness about this transaction. try to send mail to me three times in a day. so that we will do this transaction with out any delay. Please reply my mail urgently with, your f ull name, your country name, your full address, your phone number, your photos, your occupation, your age. So that i will submit them to the bank to enable send mail about you for them to know that you are the one who will access to my father's deposited funds and then apply for it's claim and transfer directly on my behalf to your account. i will send you the bank contact in my next mail so that you will contact the bank for the transfer and the bank will transfer the money to you in your country and i will join you over there to continue new life. I have attached my photos in this mail and i will like to see yours too. I am really suffering in this refugee camp i want the money to be transfer to you in your country so that i will come out from this refugee camp and join you in your country.

I am waiting for your mail.

Yours sincer ely

Jovita Gomez



If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more....
PV Prepares for Semana Santa: March 16 Blood Drive

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - As we head into the Semana Santa holidays, there is always a huge increase in the need for blood! We will have a Blood Drive to help stock the Blood Bank on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 from 8 am until 2:00 pm at Hospital San Javier Marina (across from where the cruise ships dock).

Requirements: The donor rules have been substantially relaxed! Please see them HERE. If you have any specific questions to see if you are eligible to donate, please email pamela(at)healthcareresourcespv.com.

We are setting up appointment times (very flexible) for the Blood Drive so that we don't have everyone come at the same time. If you can donate, please email me for an appointment time and be sure to include your time preference! (You must be fasting for a minimum of 4 hours, maximum of 8 hours). It's important to eat a hearty meal the evening prior to your blood donation.

The Blood Bank is ALWAYS in need of blood but even more during these busy holiday times. ALL types are needed! Please, we hope that you are able to participate!

Donor blood is tested for: Hepatitis (all types), Brucella, HIV, CBC, Chagas, Blood Type and Sub-group, Syphilis, Gonorrhea (You will receive your results as well.)

Did you know that there are health benefits as well to you, as a donor?

Regular blood donations help to keep the levels of iron in the body in check, especially in males. This has shown to reduce heart disease. Though iron is an essential element for the proper functioning of the body, excessive iron build up can result in excessive oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is the major culprit implicated in accelerated ageing, heart attacks, strokes, etc.

One time blood donation helps you shed 650 Kcal. This can aid you in your body weight control measures. However, blood can be donated safely once in two or three months and not more frequently. This will depend on your health status and your blood hemoglobin and iron levels.

And of course  your donation can quite possibly save someone's life!

Please email me for questions relating to your donating blood. Perhaps you are taking a specific medication and you are not sure if that would be allowed. Please indicate a time that is convenient for you and we will do our best to accommodate this.

Thank you SO very much!Pamela Thompson
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money .

Our loans reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most  the different types of lending options, the best rates, the best lenders, how to pay off debt and more  so you can feel confident when investing your money.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that were putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy.

Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. Weve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next.

Bankrates editorial team writes on behalf of YOU  the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether youre reading an article or a review, you can trust that youre getting credible and dependable information.

We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information youre reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that were putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.

Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.

Were transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.

You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout lifes financial journey.

Consumers lost nearly $3.3 billion collectively to fraudulent practices in 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Potential fraudsters pounce on those who are most in need or the most likely to accept a fake offer. If youre not careful, you might find yourself on the receiving end of a personal loan scam where you could potentially lose money.

You can learn how to check if a loan company is legitimate and avoid being a victim of fraud. Here are common signs of a potential loan scam.

Get pre-qualified Answer a few questions to see which personal loans you pre-qualify for. The process is quick and easy, and it will not impact your credit score. Get Started

1. The lender guarantees approval

Truly reputable lenders make it clear that theyll need to look at your credit, sometimes getting reports from all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). Most lenders need to know whether you have a history of paying bills on time and in full to make sure youll be diligent about repaying a loan.

Fraudulent businesses arent interested in your creditworthiness. They tend to seek high-risk borrowers who are likely to fall behind on loan payments and incur excessively high late fees and penalties. Steer clear of any lender that guarantees approval or makes claims like:

Everyone is approved!

We dont care about your past. You deserve a loan!

Bad credit or no credit? No problem.

Some reputable lenders offer bad credit loans. These lenders consider more than your credit score when determining your eligibility. However, these lenders will still typically ask for your income, employment information and education background before offering you a loan.

Lightbulb Takeaway Make sure youre working with a lender interested in your previous financial history, even if it isnt all that great.





2. The lender isnt registered in your state

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires lenders and loan brokers to register in the states where they conduct business. Check the lenders website to verify the list of states where it legally conducts business. If a lender youre interested in does not list registered states, you could be dealing with a loan scam.

Checking registration is a key step to ensure that youre dealing with a reputable company, separating the frauds from legitimate businesses.

Lightbulb Takeaway Verify lenders are registered in your state before sending over banking and personal details. If they dont operate in your state, they dont have the authority to loan you money.

3. The lender demands a prepaid card or other payment upfront

Some scammers have been known to require prepaid debit cards, gift cards or banking information from borrowers. Generally, the scammers claim they need the information for insurance, collateral or fees. This is a scam. Legitimate financial institutions may charge a fee for your application, appraisal or credit report, but those charges are deducted from your loan.

A prepaid card is a big red flag. Its virtually as untraceable as cash, and you wont be able to report it as stolen if youve given it to a lender. If you provide your banking credentials, its possible to file a dispute with your bank or credit union, but it could take some time for your claim to be investigated. Furthermore, you may not recoup the funds that are stolen from you.

Lightbulb Takeaway A reputable lender wont require money upfront to receive your loan proceeds. When the loan is funded, you should accept a wire transfer, direct deposit, or a check you can deposit into your checking account.

4. The lender calls, writes or knocks

If you get a loan offer by phone, through the mail or even through a door-to-door solicitation, be on your guard. According to the FTC, its illegal for companies to offer a loan in the U.S. over the phone and ask you to pay before they deliver. Its a violation of The Telemarketing Sales Rule. However, its not illegal for lenders to send out general advertisements to consumers via email.

Some scammers go to great lengths to steal from consumers, including using a legitimate lenders name. Its also not uncommon for scammers to swap out the name and number that shows on your caller ID to trick you into believing theyre the real deal, the FTC notes.

You can protect yourself by ignoring solicitations and contacting the lender directly via their secured website or by calling the online customer service hotline. If the lender has no record of reaching out to you, thats your confirmation that you were dealing with a scam artist.

Lightbulb Takeaway A reputable lender will not target you over the phone, through direct mail or door-to-door solicitation. Look for lenders that advertise through traditional online and mass media.

5. The lender has no physical address

Every lender youre interested in should provide a physical location. Run it through Google Maps just in case. Some businesses running personal loan scams will list addresses that are actually vacant lots, so its important to verify this.

Avoid the lender if you dont find any sign of a physical address. Many fraudulent businesses are untraceable so they can avoid legal consequences.

Lightbulb Takeaway Dont do business with a company that cannot provide a physical address, and always verify that the address is legitimate before you proceed.

6. The lender pressures you to act immediately

Dont fall for the urgency plea. One of the hallmarks of personal loan scams is giving you an immediate deadline to sign on for a loan because the offer expires quickly  like within a day. Or the lender could communicate that something bad is about to happen, like revoking your drivers license or a lawsuit filing, if you hang up without acting fast.

Lenders that use such high-pressure tactics could be up to no good. It may be a ploy to get you to make a rash decision without having time to do your research to uncover the scam theyre running.

Lightbulb Takeaway Avoid offers with immediate deadlines for you to make a choice. You should have days and possibly weeks to accept a loan offer.

7. The lender is not transparent about its fees

Scammers will avoid posting their fees prominently on their websites or disclosing them when asked. They may also tell you that youve been approved for a loan and then demand a fee from you upfront. While some reputable lenders do not list their fees on their websites, fees should be disclosed during the application process and before you sign anything.

Hidden fees that are imposed after loan approval are a red flag. The FTC suggests that you walk away from any company that follows this practice, particularly if youre told that the up-front money is for such things as processing, insurance, or paperwork.

Lightbulb Takeaway Legitimate lenders may charge application, credit report or appraisal fees, which youll be aware of before you complete an application since real lenders make you aware of these fees. If there are surprise fees you werent aware of, it could be a scam.

8. It sounds too good to be true

The reality is if a personal loan offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate lenders wont just call you out of the blue with an irresistible loan offer. You likely wont qualify for a loan with an unbelievably low rate without having to apply and undergo a hard credit pull.

Lightbulb Takeaway No matter how good a personal loan offer sounds, if it sounds like a scam, it most likely is.

Common types of loan scams

Most types of loan scams seek to either extract money upfront or provide loan terms so unforgiving that borrowers will be subject to late fees or other charges. Some popular ones are:

Loan fee scam: Scammers may try to offer you a low-cost loan in exchange for hundreds or thousands of dollars of fees up front. After receiving these fees, they will cut off contact without providing any funds.

Scammers may try to offer you a low-cost loan in exchange for hundreds or thousands of dollars of fees up front. After receiving these fees, they will cut off contact without providing any funds. No-credit-check scam: Some legitimate personal loan lenders consider more than your credit score when approving you for a loan, but some scammers promise funds without a credit check. This is a red flag since your credit history is a major factor in assessing how risky of a borrower you are.

Some legitimate personal loan lenders consider more than your credit score when approving you for a loan, but some scammers promise funds without a credit check. This is a red flag since your credit history is a major factor in assessing how risky of a borrower you are. Private student loan forgiveness scam: The federal government offers student loan forgiveness programs for federal student loans. If a company approaches you promising to forgive your private student loans, its likely a scam.

The federal government offers student loan forgiveness programs for federal student loans. If a company approaches you promising to forgive your private student loans, its likely a scam. Debt consolidation scam: Debt consolidation can help you streamline the process of repaying your debt and can save you money in the long run. If a debt consolidation company is being pushy or tells you to cease contact with your creditors, chances are its trying to scam you.

Who is most at risk for a loan scam

Scammers target people who are unsuspecting or may have trouble getting a loan through conventional means. Borrowers with a lot of debt, the elderly and people with bad credit are most at risk for these scams.

For instance, no-credit-check and payday loans may be particularly attractive to people with poor credit, since bad-credit loans from reputable lenders may come with high interest rates. Unfortunately, some scammers purchase lists of individuals who have searched or applied for these types of loan products online as theyre an easy target.

If you fall into a high-risk category, stay vigilant about any company that advertises a loan product that seems too good to be true for your situation. If in doubt, check that the company is licensed in your state or contact your states attorney general.

What to do if you think youve been scammed

While no one wants to think that theyve been a victim of fraud, it can and does happen. The good news is that there are several steps you can take if youve been targeted, like:

Gather your documentation. If you have emails, screenshots or other documentation that will help your case, gather them to present to authorities when its time to contact them.

If you have emails, screenshots or other documentation that will help your case, gather them to present to authorities when its time to contact them. Contact your local law enforcement. By filling out a police report, youll have an official record.

By filling out a police report, youll have an official record. Contact agencies specializing in oversight. After calling law enforcement, its time to contact your state attorney generals office, the FBI, the FTC and the Better Business Bureau. With this information, these agencies can better serve and protect other consumers.

After calling law enforcement, its time to contact your state attorney generals office, the FBI, the FTC and the Better Business Bureau. With this information, these agencies can better serve and protect other consumers. Talk about it with family and friends. As scammers evolve their tactics, its important to help others stay informed.

As scammers evolve their tactics, its important to help others stay informed. Place a fraud alert with one of the major credit bureaus. If you place an alert with Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, the alert will be posted with all three. A fraud alert isnt a credit freeze; instead, it lets creditors know you may be a victim of fraud and that they should contact you to verify your identity before issuing new credit.

How to spot a legitimate loan company

Even if you have below-average credit, many companies offer legitimate loans you could be eligible for. When searching for a good lender, start with these steps:

Check for contact information. A lenders phone number, email address and physical address should be readily available on the website, even if its an online-only lender.

A lenders phone number, email address and physical address should be readily available on the website, even if its an online-only lender. Investigate online reviews. Customers posting on Google and Yelp will have the best insight into the experience of working with a lender.

Customers posting on Google and Yelp will have the best insight into the experience of working with a lender. Make sure its registered. Legitimate lenders must register with state agencies before giving out loans. Contact your states attorney general if youre unsure if a lender is safe.

The bottom line

If you need a personal loan, research and compare multiple lenders to ensure youre getting a good rate from a trusted source. Even if you dont have great credit, plenty of personal loan lenders offer loans to borrowers in need regardless of credit status. Dont be duped into falling for a scam. Instead, find a company willing to work with you where you are.

Get pre-qualified Answer a few questions to see which personal loans you pre-qualify for. The process is quick and easy, and it will not impact your credit score. Get Started

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The Affordable Care Act continues to be a source of political malice for the Republicans running for the White House.

That includes Senator Marco Rubio.

During the February 25th presidential debate in Houston, Senator Rubio said, When they passed Obamacare, they put a bailout fund in Obamacare.  We led the effort and wiped out that bailout fund.

That received a MOSTLY FALSE rating on the Truth-O-Meter.

PolitiFact Florida writer Joshua Gillin said Rubio is referring to a three year program known as risk corridors. Its designed to help insurance agencies adjust rates. Rubio did not support the program and attempted to derail it.

They actually included some language and Rubio has been credited with the language that was passed in a bill about this, Gillin said. But you know, there are some things that are really keeping it from being considered wiped out, namely the fact its a three year program.

Gillin went on to say the biggest reason Rubios claim is MOSTLY FALSE is because the issue surrounding the program isnt resolved.

SOURCES: Rubio claims alleged ACA bailout fund wiped out
A witness to the crash that killed Hillsborough Deputy John Kotfila Jr. Saturday is calling him a hero.

Sarah Geren said she and her boyfriend were driving home from work on the Selmon Expressway around 3 a.m. Saturday when they saw an SUV speeding towards them.

As I realized the car was coming at me faster and faster, I was flashing my lights crazily at him, like a strobe light, Geren said.

Geren said Kotfila was driving behind her and as she tried to pull over, he pulled around her and hit the SUV head on.

He saved my life, Geren said. If this deputy had not made a split-second decision to pull around me, that would have been me dying. Not only did he save my life, but he saved my boyfriends life as well.

The wrong-way driver, 31-year-old Erik McBeth from Hudson, died on scene.

Kotfila was rushed to Tampa General Hospital where he died from his injuries.

Investigators say its too early to determine if Kotfila knew there was a wrong-way driver ahead of him, but Geren said she believes he made the ultimate sacrifice.

"When I found out what kind of person he was, I felt certain in my heart that he knew exactly what was about to happen to me and that he sacrificed himself instead, Geren said.

Deputies who worked alongside Kotfila say that wouldnt be out of character for him.

John made us better, he made the program better, this sheriffs office better and hes going to be missed, Sgt. Jeff Massaro said.

Kotfila worked for the sheriffs office for the past six years. He was a traffic crash investigator and worked in the SafetyNet Program, which helps find missing adults and children with special needs.

"Thats who John was, he was always smiling, Sgt. Eric Powell said. We have a tough job to do and its hard to smile a lot, but he found it inside him to smile all of the time and that was contagious."

Investigators are waiting on toxicology results to determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash.




Clearwater police are joining forces with community groups to help victims of domestic violence.

The police department, along with The Haven of RCS and the non-profit Mustard Seed Bags of Courage, will be providing victims with basic items to get them through the first few days they leave home.

The Bags of Courage will be handed out any time a officer encounters a domestic violence victim in need of help.

Our goal is that the Bag of Courage will provide independence and self-worth, said Nancy Gonzalez of Mustard Seed Bags of Courage. We are committed to raising awareness and to providing support to the victims of domestic violence.

Officials say victims are scared and in hurry when leaving a domestic situation, and they often dont have time to gather basic items for them or their children.

The bag will include items such as toiletries, hygiene products, brushes, perfume, along with new or gently-used clothing.
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Gov. Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration in the Sabine River flood, which is a necessary step preceding a national declaration that makes federal assistance available, the governor's office said Monday.

The proclamation extends to Angelina, Erath, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Hood, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Newton, Orange, Parker, Sabine, San Augustine, and Tyler counties.

Rep. James White, R-Woodville, said the governor was awaiting certain thresholds to be reached for economic impact and affected population.

State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, whose district includes Orange County, said those thresholds would be met and surpassed once the flood water reaches Orange. Phelan said he isn't certain of the amount of economic impact or affected population. He said flood water could reach Interstate 10, causing the Texas Department of Transportation to divert traffic, possibly to the causeway that links the Louisiana side of Sabine Pass with the Texas side.

"I hope it doesn't get that bad," Phelan said.

A disaster declaration at the state level is a necessary step toward enabling President Obama to sign a national disaster declaration, which puts federal assistance into motion, like FEMA, the Small Business Administration and Housing and Urban Development help.

"This is an important milestone," White said. "The county and the state has met the threshold (for losses) and it will go to the president for a national disaster declaration. The we can start working with our federal partners. But I want to temper expectations. We still have a ways to go."

Water could reach 7.5 feet at Orange, more than twice the normal level as runoff from last week's 18-inch deluge reaches the lower river.

Orange County's emergency management office issued a mandatory evacuation at 12:45 p.m. Monday for residents north of Interstate 10 and east of Texas 87.

Officials said residents should expect to be displaced for several days.

Voluntary evacuations were called for areas south of Interstate 10, east of Bob Hall Road, east of 10th Street and all of the Cove.

In West Orange, the city issued a voluntary evacuation for residents living south of Western Street and east of Dayton Street. The city of Pinehurst declared an emergency for areas near MacArthur Drive at Adams Bayou, which was inundated by storm surge during Hurricane Ike.

Residents living along Allie Payne Road in Orange had water creep into their homes as early as Monday morning.

DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/dwallach
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Sabine River flooding that shut down westbound Interstate 10 traffic on Tuesday is "extremely inconvenient" to regional commerce, a noted Texas economist said, but likely isn't as costly as other disruptions, such as the 2008 storm surge from Hurricane Ike.

But it's early yet in what might be called a slow-motion disaster as floodwaters from Toledo Bend Reservoir move downriver toward Sabine Lake and the open Gulf of Mexico.

As of Tuesday evening, eastbound traffic could still cross into Louisiana, though Texas officials were prepared to barricade it if the swollen river crept onto its lanes. Westbound traffic to cross into Texas, meanwhile, was shunted north to Interstate 20 in Shreveport, Louisiana. That hours-long detour is expected to last through the weekend.

The Sabine River could crest where the states abut at 1 a.m. Thursday and won't recede to at least Tuesday's levels until Sunday, the National Weather Service predicted.

"The only thing I can say is I-10 westbound will be closed until the water has gone down and we check to make sure the roadway is safe," said Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Sarah Dupre. "We are prepared if that has to happen (to eastbound lanes). We can't say when or if."

To add to the misery, at least a half-inch more rain is expected Thursday and Friday, the weather service predicted. It's a drop in the bucket compared with last week's deluge, which dumped 18 inches directly over Toledo Bend. That rain was added to what coursed down the upper Sabine from Northeast Texas into the lake.

There is no record of whether Interstate 10 between Texas and Louisiana has ever been closed by flood for an extended period, though sporadic closures happened in the 1997 ice storm and during Hurricane Ike in 2008, which was mostly a storm-surge event as the storm pushed in water from the Gulf, swamping areas from Bridge City to downtown Orange.

Disrupted commerce

Closing the interstate because of this flood carries a potentially serious impact on commerce.

Union Pacific Railroad is noticing a "domino effect" across its network as it awaits floodwaters to recede from Southeast Texas. Railroad officials are already anticipating repairs to five down rail lines that connect Louisiana either to Texas or Arkansas.

"It presents a real challenge because we basically cannot get in or out of Louisiana right now," Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said. "Any issue in one area can produce a domino effect across our network."

The railroad company, which operates 8,500 locomotives across 23 states, is telling some customers to expect delays in excess of 48 hours, Espinoza said.

Truck traffic carrying perishables and other consumer goods will face additional expense, said M. Ray Perryman, a Waco-based economist who has performed several economic studies in Southeast Texas.

Rail traffic presents more of a challenge if there are extended delays or damage to tracks and bridges, he said.

"Cargo held up due to the flooding will still reach its destination, albeit a little later than expected," he said.

"It takes a really large disruption, such as the dock strike in Los Angeles-Long Beach about 15 years ago or the trackage issues at the Port of Houston during the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific merger, to really move the needle on overall growth," Perryman said.

"For example, a truck costs about $100 per hour to operate, not including fuel, so rerouting does lead to additional expense," he said.

Traffic count on Interstate 10 at Texas 62 in Orange County is about 62,000 vehicles per day, according to TxDOT.

The percentage of trucks in that vehicle count isn't known, Dupre said.

Rerouted traffic

Disruption is evident - north, south, east and west.

Because Interstate 10's passability is fragile - it was closed, then opened and closed again and could be blocked in both directions today - authorities re-routed eastbound interstate traffic to U.S. 69 northbound in an effort to usher motorists toward Interstate 20 in Northeast Texas near Marshall if they were Louisiana-bound.

State officials were aware of - but not promoting - possible detour travel on Texas 82, a narrow, two-lane highway connecting Port Arthur to Holly Beach, La.

"We are not encouraging this route," the Port Arthur Police Department said in a press release. "There will be heavy traffic and major delays."

Acme Trucking's Beaumont terminal was sending drivers along 82 when I-10 East closed Tuesday morning. If that option were not available, the company that transits oilfield equipment, pipes and other goods, would either suspend deliveries or charge customers for the additional 300-plus miles.

"It would be a long haul to go to Shreveport and then come around to Lake Charles," said Gail Cantu, manager of a terminal that sends and receives 20-25 trucks a day. The larger Acme operation, based in Gretna, Louisiana, sends up to 1,000 trucks a day across state lines, she said.

On the road to Lumberton, where motorists are being officially rerouted, traffic speeds decline from 75 mph to 45 mph. Fourteen traffic lights are spread along the two highways running north through the Hardin County town.

They may be configured to show green for longer periods of time to deal with the possible influx of drivers, police department Capt. Forrest Cobb said. That could be replicated throughout all the small towns expecting interstate-detour traffic.

"If it gets really bad on us, we're going to turn our lights non-stop go," said Paul Brister, chief of police in the small Jasper County town of Kirbyville, which closed classes Tuesday because of traffic concerns.

Extent of the problem

It's not just trucks and trains or even ships delayed by the interstate closure.

Marching bands from Port Neches-Groves High School and Lumberton were performing at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, during Spring Break and the PN-G Indian band is scheduled to return today, said PN-G's superintendent Rodney Cavness.

"It's the whole band and chaperones. A ton of people," he said. "We're going to do the safe thing and get them back safely."

Even if that's sending them up to Shreveport, across the river and back down to The Reservation that way, he said.

The flood also affected shipborne commerce Wednesday.

Local ports said the current in the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel is stronger and kept at least one oil tanker from entering the channel from offshore on Wednesday, the Sabine Pilots service said.

Also, barge tows, which normally require one tug, now need two to push against the current.

Perryman said most flood-related costs will remain fairly minimal in the overall economy if the disruption is short-lived.

An example of acute disruption is the January 2010 collision of two vessels in the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel that prevented crude oil deliveries for almost a week and left area refineries with dwindling supply.

Truck cargoes can run on alternate routes, but railroads don't have a choice, Perryman said.

"The Kansas City Southern railroad ships a variety of goods through the area and lengthy delays - if there is extensive damage to the rail lines - could lead to mounting costs," he said.

A longer disruption on Interstate 10 or for trains could loom costlier, particularly for shippers and for those awaiting cargoes, similar to delaying exit and entry from regional ports, Perryman said.

If major repairs are needed in the flood-affected areas, reconstruction spending will increase, and it's a high price to pay for that kind of recovery spending, he said.

EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.comDWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com
Port Arthur officials could determine as early as next month whether to green-light what would be the region's only commercial-scale slaughterhouse, a project originally proposed for Winnie but redirected amid expensive infrastructure problems and some community resistance.

The proposal, billed by supporters as a humane and state-of-the-art facility that could boost the economy and regional cattle ranchers, has drawn resistance from prospective neighbors worried about a possible stench and at least one person who will have a say in whether it moves forward.

Riceland Farms wants to buy 10 acres of Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation property and economic incentives to build a slaughterhouse that would process up to 800 cattle and 10,000 goats or sheep per week, three barns and an office building, according to a letter the company sent to the EDC earlier this year.

The EDC is awaiting Riceland's formal application and its board will then decide whether to approve the proposal, a vote that could be taken as early as next month, director Floyd Batiste said.

Batiste said the project would be located one mile away from the hub of the business park at Jade Avenue west of West Port Arthur Road, which he said has more than a dozen tenants.

The Port Arthur City Council would have to sign off on any deal the EDC reaches and approve a zoning change, Batiste said. The proposal would require state and local permits, and Riceland would have to pay the salary of a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector to be on site daily.

Backing

Riceland Farms said it would employ as many as 180-210, and the company has already spent $2.2 million on equipment and steel buildings, according to its letter of intent.

If approved, it would be the only USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in Southeast Texas. Of the more than 50 such facilities scattered throughout Texas, none are closer than Houston, according to a USDA database.

"It would be great for the local farmers around here, people who are raising their own goats and (cattle), to sell locally," said Melissa Davis, who has operated Nance Meat Processing, a small-scale slaughterhouse, for 35 years.

Former U.S. Congressman Nick Lampson, a Riceland Farms investor and the project's spokesman, said the facility would use a modern system to kill and slaughter the animals in a mostly humane manner - the animals will be killed one at a time, without being able to witness another animal's death, for example - and keeps the odor down.

It will also adhere to halal and kosher standards of the Islamic and Jewish faiths.

"This is a packing plant from the future," Lampson said.

Concerns

Langston Adams, an EDC board member, said he will oppose the project because of feedback from nearby tenants and residents in the Port Acres neighborhood, who believe it will be a "public nuisance," he said.

"Not one existing business wants it," Adams said. "The people in the neighborhood don't want it."

Adams also expressed concern over wastewater disposal.

The project was proposed for the Winnie area but that effort stalled because of community opposition and infrastructure problems that would have cost millions of dollars to fix, Lampson and Chambers County officials said.

"I think it was too expensive to start from scratch in the middle of nowhere," said Jerry Shadden, general manager of the area's water authority, the Trinity Bay Conservation District.

Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia said some in the community greeted the project with resistance, mainly over concerns about wastewater running off into Devil Bayou.

Tahir Javed, chief executive of Riceland Health Care in Winnie, is behind the project, Lampson said. Javed also owns Starco Implex, a national distributor of convenience store merchandise.

The bulk of the processed meat would be sold to a buyer in the Houston area, Lampson said. Once the facility increases production, the meat could be distributed nationally through Starco, he added. Supply could be met by ranchers in Texas and Louisiana, Lampson said.

EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/EricBesson_news
Flood water is sloshing onto the closed-down Interstate 10 roadway on the Texas side of the Sabine River bridge, a state highway department spokeswoman said.

The major east-west artery that carries about 62,000 vehicles a day across the river will remain closed until the water recedes and the department has a chance to check for damage, said Sarah Dupre of the Texas Department of Transportation's Beaumont District.

Electronic message signs as far west as El Paso and Odessa warn motorists and truck drivers to head toward Interstate 20 in Northeast Texas if their destination is Louisiana or farther eastward.

Louisiana transportation officials also are directing their westbound interstate traffic to head toward Shreveport, the area of the first devastation by last week's monumental rainfall up and down the Sabine's and Red River's watersheds.

Eighteen inches of rain fell over Toledo Bend Reservoir, which stores 172 feet of water behind its dam for generating hydroelectricity.

It is not a flood control dam. When the level rose past the full level, Toledo Bend's operators, the Sabine River Authority began releasing unprecedented flows from the dam, swamping river communities. The flood reached into the Orange area and began to overtop the interstate today.

Dupre said Interstate 10 eastbound traffic is being diverted to northbound U.S. 69.

Eastbound interstate traffic is accessible to motorists from 11th Street eastbound to Texas 62, about 7.5 miles west of the Sabine.

Vidor residents, for example, who work in Beaumont will be able to drive home on Interstate 10 today.

Local residents who are thinking about using Texas 82 at Pleasure Island to drive across into Louisiana are encouraged to avoid it, but Dupre said it is still open. Its causeway is low to the water so elevated levels in Sabine Lake could threaten it.

Dupre said the highway department is not recommending Texas 82 as an alternate use for interstate traffic because it is unsuitable for it.
The American Medical Association joined the Florida Medical Association and Florida Osteopathic Medical Association asking the Florida Attorney General to reject the Aetna/Humana merger.

Here are five key notes:

1. Aetna and Humana announced plans to merge in 2015, with Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini expecting to close the acquisition this year. The Department of Justice is currently reviewing the $37 billion acquisition, and 15 state attorney generals joined the probe for this as well as the Anthem-Cigna merger.

2. The AMA and affiliated organizations are concerned the Aetna-Humana merger promotes anti-competitive behavior and could negatively impact healthcare quality, access and affordability. The proposed Aetna-Humana merger currently runs "afoul of federal antitrust guidelines" for highly populated areas.

3. The Florida Office of Inspector Regulation issued a conditional consent order last month with documented anticompetitive effects of the merger from state insurance regulators. However, the opponents say the consent order relies on a flawed argument: regulators can substantiate for competition.

4. There is already a lack of competition in Florida, according to the AMA, in the health insurance market. Nineteen Florida metropolitan areas have two health insurers with at least 50 percent of the commercial health insurance market.

5. Florida officials have an obligation to enforce antitrust laws.

"Competition, not consolidation, is the right prescription for Florida's health insurance market," said AMA President-elect Andrew W. Gurman, MD. "Less competition already consolidated health insurance markets will lead to price increase, not to greater efficiency or lower healthcare costs. Given the negative long-term consequences of the proposed merger, any remedy short of rejection would not adequately protect 2.4 million people in Florida."
In February 2015, Anthem, Inc. announced its computer systems were hacked  a very sophisticated external cyber attack that sent shockwaves throughout the healthcare industry.

These attackers gained unauthorized access to Anthems IT system and have obtained personal information from our current and former members such as their names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data, Anthem President and CEO Joseph Swedish said in a statement. Anthems own associates personal information  including my own  was accessed during this security breach.

The threat of a catastrophic data breach has never been greater, or more potentially damaging, to providers, payers and other industry stakeholders. According to the accounting and consulting firm KPMG, 81 percent of healthcare providers in the United States experienced a cyberattack during 2014-15. The survey also found that healthcare companies often find themselves unprepared by modern threats: Only53 percent of providers and 66 percent of payers consider themselves ready to defend against a cyberattack.

Its a trend thats not difficult to spot when scanning news headlines:

MaineGeneral says computer breach included Social Security numbers (Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel, Jan. 15, 2016)

A months-long cyber-attack against the UCLA hospital system could jeopardize 4.5 million people's information (Associated Press, July 20, 2015)

Health Insurer Excellus Hacked: 10M Records Compromised (Tech Times, Sept 15, 2015)

The list goes on. A 2015 Raytheon|Websensestudy estimated that cyberattacks the previous year surged by 600 percent. The defense contractor also concluded that the healthcare industry is more than 200 percent more likely to encounter data theft and sees 340 percent more security incidents and attacks than the average industry. Data breaches involving protected health information (PHI) also can come with steep financial penalties. Since 2009, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has levied more than $28 million in fines under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Acts breach notice requirement.

Fines and HIPAA violations arent the only risk. On Feb. 12, 2016, it was reported that Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, in Los Angeles, was being held ransom for almost $3.7 million by a malicious software called ransomware. Ransomware encrypts all of the data it finds on a computer or network and holds it hostage by selling the decryption key for a price. Although a hospital spokesperson later confirmed the center paid $17,000 for the decryption key, a precedent has been set, and future ransoms are likely to increase in price. And healthcare devices may be next to fall prey to ransomware, according to Forresters 2015 report Predictions 2016: Cybersecurity Swings to Prevention.

As general rule, if a computer, tablet, smartphone or any other electronic device is connected to the internet, then it's vulnerable to a cyberattack. And with more and more patient information undergoing digitization, this threat will only become more acute for our industry in the coming years.By implementing best practices in the following areas, however, ambulatory surgery centers and other providers can begin to limit their exposure to such a breach, and avoid costly and labor-intensive clean-up efforts that are left in its wake.

Legal agreements

Providers should outsource their liabilities as much as possible. This starts with following a business associated agreement (BAA), a requirement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). BAAs ensure that electronic health records (EHR) and other data management vendors share the responsibility for keeping patient data safe. If a practice puts its health records into the hands of a hosted EHR, then it needs to make sure the EHR vendor, too, is liable for a possible HIPAA violation. This means that a practice will not be held exclusively liable in the event of a breach, especially if its a system the organization is not responsible for managing that is compromised.

Cloud computing

Offsite data storage is an additional tactic for outsourcing liability against a cyberattack. Big players like Amazon and Microsoft, as well as smaller industry-specific vendors, put leading information system security resources and expertise into the hands of even the smallest ASC. In fact, the federal government reportedly uses Amazons cloud-based services to host critical aspects of Healthcare.gov, the health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act.

External auditors

While the thought of someone outside of your organization rummaging through your computer files might not be appealing, external auditors can tell you where your current security efforts are lacking and what your practice can do to fix them. Auditors typically perform penetration tests and devise risk mitigation strategies. Though hiring such a firm is expensive, its no doubt cheaper than the cost of breach-related fines.

Staff training

One of the most common ways for hackers to penetrate a system is through social engineeringa non-technical method used by hackers to access sensitive information. An example of this would be someone calling an employee and saying they're from technical support or the back office and asking for passwords or IP addresses. Considering that social engineering is not a defined set of tactics, its recommended that organizations use reputable, established security firms that can provide comprehensive training against the latest threats.

HIPAA experts/consultants

At times, its necessary to bring in outside help. Hiring an experienced HIPAA security consultant will often provide an organization with the necessary expertise to reduce threats and avoid fines.

But not all HIPAA consultants are the same. There's an important distinction to be made between a legal HIPAA security expert and a technical HIPAA security expert, both of whom are trained in quite different aspects of the federal statute. For example, technical HIPAA security experts frequently write recovery plans in the event of national disasters, while legal HIPAA security experts often advise clients on exact language in a BAA. Both serve critical, albeit very different, roles.

Cybersecurity insurance

Whether its after a fire, flood or cyberattack, insurance offers businesses protection for unexpected financial loss. And as the incidence of data breaches increases, so, too, has the need for IT-specific insurance solutions.

As a result, many major insurance companies now offer cyber insurance, which helps organizations cover the cost of fines in the event of a breach. To issue a policy, insurance providers require that firms show they are being proactive and minimizing risk. Consistently documenting your ASCs efforts reduces the amount of time and effort necessary to complete the underwriting of these policies. And before they sign a new policy, provides should read all of the fine print, especially pertaining to the organizations exact exposure threat.

IT breaches not only exact an immediate financial toll for repairs and lost productivity, but they also may harm a practices reputation and can come with steep federal fines for violating HIPAA requirements. By incorporating cybersecurity best practices into a daily routine, you can limit the risk of a breach, keep data safe and increase your ASCs profitability.

T.J. Rock has been an IT professional for over 15 years, and previously served as a systems engineer at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC, and a security implementation engineer at SAIC and the Defense Information Systems Agency.

Sources:

http://www.kpmg.com/us/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/press-releases/pages/81-of-healthcare-organizations-have-been-compromised-by-cyber-attacks-in-past-2-years-kpmg-survey.aspx

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/anthem-insurance-hack-data-security/

http://www.businessinsider.com/cyber-attack-against-the-ucla-hospital-system-could-jeopardize-45-million-peoples-information-2015-7

https://www.websense.com/assets/reports/report-2015-industry-drill-down-healthcare-en.pdf

http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2014/06/06/healthcare-gov-floats-to-amazons-cloud-in-revamp/

http://www.antheminc.com/AboutAntheminc/Leadership/ExecutiveLeadership/PW_E191992.html

https://www.anthemfacts.com/ceo

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/anthem-insurance-hack-data-security/

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/84503/20150915/health-insurer-excellus-hacked-10m-records-compromised.htm

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/16/the-hospital-held-hostage-by-hackers.html

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hollywood-hospital-bitcoin-20160217-story.html
Key-Whitman Eye Centers is moving its central headquarters to a new facility in Central Dallas.

Here are five key notes:

1. The new center, LASIK Surgery Center, will offer patients general and specialty ophthalmic services.

2. The facility will house an optical center and corporate offices.

3. Equipped with four operating rooms, the surgical space is twice the size of the previous facility and has 25 examination rooms.

4. The center will continue to operate clinics in North Dallas, Mesquite, Plano, North Arlington and South Arlington.

5. Key-Whiteman Eye Centers is opting to move its headquarters based on market research on patient preferences. "It will be much faster and easier for most of our patients to come to our new headquarters," said Jeffrey Whitman, MD, Key-Whitman president and chief surgeon. "In choosing a more central location, we also are making it more convenient for our surgical patients both in the city of Dallas and suburbs like Plano, McKinney, Allen and Frisco."

More healthcare news:

Surgery Partners net revenue reaches $960M, Tenet's adjusted net income hits $208M & more  4 key notes on ASC companies

6 steps for ASCs to negotiate the lowest spinal implant prices

The after-effects of the ACA & Where investors should bet
The Food and Drug Administration cleared five gastroenterology-related devices in February.

1. Fujifilm Diathermic Slitter (FlushKnife), Diathermic Slitter (ClutchCutter) from FujiFilm Medical System.

2. EndoChoice Select Injection Needle from EndoChoice.

3. EndoChoice Water Bottle Cap System from EndoChoice.

4. Single Use Injector NM600/610 from Olympus Medical System.

5. FujiFilm Video Colonoscope Model EC-600WL V2 from FujiFilm Medical CSystems.
Almost 60 percent of U.S. hospital executives say their institutions must substantially change their business models in the near term if they are to survive, according to new research sponsored by Prudential Retirement, a business unit of Prudential Financial.

The research report, "Tipping Point: Hospital Resilience in a Perfect Storm," was authored by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the business research arm of The Economist Group.

For the report, the EIU surveyed more than 300 executives at rural, urban and suburban hospitals of all sizes across the nation about trends and challenges affecting the U.S. hospital sector.

Here are five findings from the survey.

1. The shift from fee-based to value-based payments is the single biggest challenge facing U.S. hospitals, survey respondents said.

2. Of those surveyed, 71 percent of hospital executives said that shift posed the most critical challenge, and 61 percent agreed the shift exacerbates pressures on the hospital value proposition. And 58 percent said hospitals must change their business models in order to survive financially. However, only half of the respondents said they were well prepared to address this challenge.

3. According to the EIU research, 60 percent of executives said big data is transforming patient-related opportunities; 57 percent called it a game changer for operational performance; and 63 percent said the value of data that hospitals hold remains largely untapped.

4. Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents said attracting and retaining workforce talent is a critical issue for the hospital sector as a whole. As far as their own hospitals are concerned, 69 percent said strategic talent management will be critical to staying competitive, and 74 percent believe their organization needs to pay more attention to retaining and attracting the best talent.

5. As consumers take on a greater burden of healthcare expenses, they are demanding more transparency in outcomes and the cost of care, according to 63 percent of survey respondents. In fact, changing patient demands about service are the second most likely challenge to be described as "extremely critical" (24 percent) by survey respondents, according to the EIU research.

"The findings of the EIU survey highlight an industry preparing to make substantial changes in the midst of diverse and pressing challenges. In particular, the Affordable Care Act and payers' desire to stem rising costs have necessitated a shift toward value-based payment models, which is unleashing disruption across the industry," the report concludes. "However, this is only one of a range of daunting market, talent, technological and patient-centered pain points. If hospitals fail to respond to these challenges, competitors will emerge, which will further unsettle the healthcare landscape. Established hospitals must act quickly and creatively to identify business models that will enable them to thrive in the new healthcare landscape."

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Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services announced Monday a new partnership with Institute for Systems Biology, a nonprofit biomedical research organization in Seattle, and the name of a new chief science officer.

Leroy "Lee" Hood, MD, PhD, a leading researcher in genomics and the president of ISB, will take on an additional role as senior vice president and CSO of Providence, a nonprofit system with locations in five states.

According to Rod Hochman, MD, president and CEO of Providence, Dr. Hood will lead the efforts of integrating ISB and Providence, and also advise Providence on the direction of its translational research and Providence Ventures  a fund Providence founded in 2014  on what investments to make in areas like bioinformatics and genomics.

"Having him on our team is going to make a tremendous difference in that whole area," Dr. Hochman says.

In addition to bringing on Dr. Hood, the partnership between Providence and ISB  which Dr. Hochman calls a "unique marriage of ascience lab with a health system"  will help develop research programs specific to breast cancer, Alzheimer's and glioblastoma, the brain tumor that took Vice President Joe Biden's son's life.

The two organizations also plan to examine the genomics of the elements that keep people well.

Providence also made a commitment to expand the number of researchers and scientists at ISB, according to Dr. Hochman.

The affiliation is through Western HealthConnect, a secular organization formed that allows Providence to remain Catholic and secular organizations to remain nonreligious. ISB will stay its own separate legal entity and set its own research agenda.

Overall, this new collaboration will help bring groundbreaking research to the bedside for Providence patients.
The American College of Healthcare Executives welcomed a new group of leaders Saturday at its 59th Congress on Healthcare Leadership, including four new members of its board of governors, a new chairman and a new chairman-elect.

Edward Lamb, president of IASIS Healthcare's South Jordan, Utah-based western division, assumed office as chairman of the college. This marks the second part of his three-year chairmanship duties, following his duties as chairman-elect.

Taking Mr. Lamb's place as chairman-elect is Charles Stokes, executive vice president and COO of Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System. He begins his three-year term, which includes the duties of chairman-elect, chairman and immediate past chairman.

The four new governors on the board will serve a three-year term as well, beginning March 12. These governors include:

John Botsko Jr., president and owner of BrightStar Care (Bonita Springs, Fla.)

Michael Fosina, president of New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital (Bronxville)

Carrie Owen Plietz, executive vice president and COO of Wellstar Health System's hospital division (Marietta, Ga.)

David Schreiner, president and CEO of Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital (Dixon, Ill.)

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At a rate of about 80 ads per hour, TV prescription drug ads are nearly unavoidable. This trend in direct-to-consumer advertising has many in the healthcare industry, including the American Medical Association, up in arms. Last November, the AMA targeted the ads for driving up the demand for expensive treatments and sought to ban them.

However, health economist Austin Frakt, PhD, provided a lesser-mentioned perspective in The New York Times Monday  that TV drug ads might actually be beneficial. Here are three reasons why.

1. More patients may seek treatment for stigmatized conditions that are normalized by drug ads. Dr. Frakt cites data that shows drug ads not only increase the sales of the drugs they promote, but also increase the sales of other drugs that treat the same condition. So, for conditions like depression, this may mean the ads have helped many seek treatment.

2. Drug ads have been shown to stimulate visits to the physician. In fact, every $28 spent on drug ads lead to one visit to a physician that results in a prescription, according to the report. Beyond that one prescription however, one can infer other visits were spurred by drug ads that did not result in a prescription, but some other course of treatment. This is often the case, according to Dr. Frakt. He cites a study that shows while physicians may often write prescriptions based on patient requests, drug requests for depression medications also frequently lead to more appropriate care, not always including medication.

3. The ads may even help increase medication adherence. Greater viewership of the direct-to-consumer ads has been shown to actually increase medication adherence for drugs patients are already prescribed, according to the report. Putting a drug on TV can be a positive reminder for those who are already taking it.

Read the full article by Dr. Frakt here.

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Denver Health Medical Center, the city's historic safety-net hospital and one of only a few Level I trauma centers in Colorado, is attempting to deal with a series of physician resignations, according to the Denver Post.

Most recently, three of Denver Health Medical Center's five neurosurgeons gave notice to leave the hospital by April 1. The hospital has also confirmed the head of emergency medicine and a top trauma surgeon will depart for other jobs.

Last year, physicians at the head of the departments of medicine and surgery left the hospital and have yet to be replaced. Additionally, the chiefs of ophthalmology and oral surgery resigned, along with six hospitalists, according to the report.

Some hospital staff have described the exodus of physicians as a crisis, voicing concerns regarding reduced operating room staffs, the hospital's ability to continue serving the poor and the condition of its partnership with University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, according to the report. At the same time, the community has questioned whether Denver Health Medical Center will be able to continue operating as a Level I trauma center.

Arthur Gonzalez, CEO of the Denver Health Medical Center, stated in a memo that the University of Colorado will provide neurosurgeons to the hospital to enable it to continue operating as a Level I trauma center. He acknowledged, however, that the medical center "is going through immense change" due to the Affordable Care Act.

Mr. Gonzalez also said the hospital administration has recently implemented other changes, such as the dismissal of its chief clinical officer and agreeing not to alter its system for compensating physicians.

The physicians that have resigned over the last year have cited different reasons for leaving, and "it would be inaccurate to paint all of these people with the same broad brush," said Mr. Gonzalez, according to the report.
Together with the American Medical Association, two Florida organizations  the Florida Medical Association and the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association  have asked Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to block the proposed merger between Humana and Aetna.

Just last month, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation conducted an analysis and approved Aetna's plan to purchase Humana.

But the AMA, FMA and FOMA wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi claiming the Florida OIR should not have done so.

"[T]he OIR appears to have been captured by Aetna's faulty arguments that existing state and federal regulation  MLR and staffing requirements  mostly solve the competitive concerns and justify very limited remedies that are largely illusory," the letter reads.
Registered nurses at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, represented by the California Nurses Association, will begin a seven-day strike March 15 as they push for their first contract as union members, according to a report published by the Los Angeles Daily News.

The walkout will affect 1,200 RNs who voted last summer to join the CNA, the union said. The union said it is seeking an agreement that resolves concerns about safe patient care staffing, as well as economic improvements to assure the hospital is able to retain experienced RNs and recruit new nurses.

"If Kaiser is planning on using this medical center as its teaching hospital for their medical school, it is critical to improve patient care conditions especially for our region's sickest babies and kids, end floating and provide for a fair contract for nurses," Aisha Ealey, a neonatal intensive care unit RN at the hospital, said in a statement.

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente recently announced plans to open a medical school in Pasadena, Calif., 10 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The system plans to break ground on the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine in 2017, and the first class of students is set to arrive in 2019.

In a statement, Kaiser Permanente called the union's planned strike "a disappointing tactic to try to influence the bargaining of a first time contract."

Kaiser Permanente went on to say it is "committed to preserving and strengthening the excellent relationships we have with our unions," and "believe that contract negotiations should take place directly at the bargaining table and not on the street."

"Actions such as these by the recently elected CNA union do nothing to further the progress of negotiations," Kaiser Permanente added. "Worse, this strike is completely unjustified, given the excellent offer we made in bargaining last month. We've proposed wages for these nurses that would keep them among the best paid nurses in Southern California  just like the rest of our nurses in our other hospitals. CNA's response to this significant increase was to call a strike  before we'd even had a chance to discuss the proposal at the bargaining table."

Kaiser Permanente officials said they have a plan in place to make sure patient care is not affected by the strike.

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A leading travel agent in Northern Ireland has said leaving the EU would have a "disastrous" impact on the industry here.

It comes as a report by travel organisation Abta has said foreign travel is "likely to become more expensive" if the UK exits.

But Doreen McKenzie, owner of Belfast-based travel agent Knock Travel, said leaving would end a period of confidence for the trade. "Confidence in travel is high, but if we leave the EU, there would be a prolonged period of uncertainty during any re-negotiation period and this could take several years," she said.

"The effect of this would most likely be more bureaucracy and increased travel costs, which in turn would impact negatively on consumer confidence.

"Combine this with the fact that many current EU regulations have been put in place to benefit and protect holidaymakers and business travellers - including reciprocal health arrangements, compensation for delayed flights, financial protection for package holidays, freedom of movement among others - and it becomes clear that for UK travellers, the benefits of remaining in the EU far outweigh any perceived negatives."

Those concerns have been reiterated by Delia Aston, managing director of Clubworld Travel, which has seven outlets across Northern Ireland. "The inevitable rise in operating costs and the likely devaluation of sterling would have a very negative effect on the holiday business and foreign travel in general," she said.

Holidaymakers and business travellers may face increased costs if an exit vote leads to a fall in the value of sterling.

Travel firms may also raise prices in order to recoup the cost of new taxes and levies being introduced, the research found.

Abta said another potential factor which could make travel dearer is consumers needing to cover additional health insurance costs if the UK leaves the European Health Insurance Card scheme.

The report follows concerns already raised by others within the travel and tourism industry.

Hotel boss Lord Rana told the Belfast Telegraph last week that a Brexit would have a disastrous impact on the industry here.

He said his plans to build more hotels here could be put on hold if the UK voted for a Brexit.

Indian-born Lord Rana (77) said it "will be the worst thing to happen for the Northern Ireland economy especially".

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary says there is "no upside" to Brexit.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said its assessment of the report is that "a vote to leave will lead to uncertainties and may lead to increased costs for travel businesses and the travelling public".

"We recognise that people will approach this referendum by considering many factors," he said.

"Abta has considered what a vote to leave the EU might mean purely from a travel perspective. Our view is that the potential risks and downsides are not matched by an equal upside for the traveller."
What the 156-bedroom student development on the Dublin Road could look like

Almost 600 new student rooms  including a controversial development which received dozens of complaints from residents  have been given the green light.

The 156-bedroom building on the Dublin Road was finally approved during last nights Belfast City Council planning committee.

Concerns were raised among residents over the scale and impact it would have on nearby Pakenham Street.

One of those also raising issue last night was SDLP councillor Declan Boyle, who is not a member of the committee.

He told the committee he was within the (student) rental business, but raised issue with overshadowing and a loss of light to neighbouring buildings.

However, Conor Hughes of planners Turley Associates, acting on behalf of Lacuna Developments and Welsh company Watkin Jones, said the scheme was within guidelines.

He also said residents had given up on the consultation process and refused to meet with us.

The application was approved by seven votes to six.

A spokesman for the developers said they were pleased that Belfast City Council has granted planning permission which they say forms part of a wider 40m investment in Belfast.

Meanwhile, a 407-bedroom development on York Street was also approved.

But one of the largest to go before the committee, a 740-room building by McAleer & Rushe at 78 College Avenue, was deferred, pending a visit to the site.

And a 14m 380-bedroom student development at Little Patrick Street, run by English firm UniCiti, was pulled from the agenda, after it was recommended for refusal by planners.

The latest planning approvals brings the total number of student rooms given the go ahead to more than 2,100.

Around 7,500 are at various different stages of development, with several projects under way.

And according to two studies, if all 7,500 beds were approved, it would account for just 23% of available student beds, a lower proportion than many other cities in the UK.
Michael believes more money is needed for the promotion of food

Michelin-starred Northern Ireland chef Michael Deane has returned from a one-man mission to bring the best of the region's cuisine to Thailand.

The Lisburn-based chef is just back from a week as a chef-in-residence at St Regis Bangkok, one of the country's top hotels.

Acclaimed by the five-star hotel as an "Irish culinary legend", Mr Deane cooked alongside a team of 95 top Bangkok chefs for five nights.

Using ingredients such as Glenarm salmon, Portavogie scallops, Lough Neagh eels, Young Buck cheese, Yardsman lager and Peter Hannon's sugar pit beef ribs, the team crafted a seven-course tasting menu in which guests were treated to the very best of Northern Ireland food.

Before service began, Michael asked diners, including 20 Thai food writers, what they knew about Northern Ireland food.

He said: "They didn't know a lot - basically the only thing they knew about here was Guinness and shellfish."

Michael said the event highlighted Northern Ireland food in a way which tourist boards couldn't.

He said: "I hate the thought of Northern Ireland food being promoted while holding up a picture of the Giant's Causeway, a pint of Guinness and a potato.

"I have been asked by quangos to cook for these people for 20 a head, yet the people who came were willing to pay up to 170 a head. You can't showcase Northern Ireland well if you are only going to give them one glass of wine and a 20 a head menu.

"I love Northern Ireland, the chefs and the restaurants and I think there definitely needs to be more money set aside for food promotion."

Mr Deane said the menu impressed the audience so much that one man who left Belfast 20 years ago was overcome with emotion when he saw how far Northern Ireland food had come.

"He remembered the gammon, the pineapple on top and the overcooked chips," he said. "I've got quite used to PR over the years, but I haven't seen people get that excited talking about salmon and rhubarb and potato bread and whiskey before.

"We cooked everything from scratch, right down to chopping the rhubarb and marinating the salmon, so it was quite a challenge."

Michael Deane is the latest in a series of Michelin-starred chefs to work in residence at the hotel. French chef Bruno Oger carried out a four-day residency last month.

Diners were charged 170 for the most expensive seven courses option, which included wine, while the cheapest menu set diners back around 90.

Mr Deane said he plans to return to Bangkok, where he will run a "farm to table experience". He also plans to travel to Dubai later this year, where he will cook at one of the most expensive luxury hotels in the world.

He said he was pleased by the response he had received in Thailand and said he plans to run similar events again.

However, he added that spending 18-20 hours a day in the kitchen was challenging and that he would need someone younger to go, perhaps hinting at young protegee Danni Barry, who won Deanes back its Michelin Star as head chef at Eipic.

He said he could not afford to send the young chef out for a full four month residency, but said he would consider her for a shorter period.

Deane hinted at the possibility of a Dubai restaurant in the future. However, he said he wanted to work on building his profile in the Middle East first.

Northern Ireland's longest standing Michelin starred chef runs several high-end restaurants in Belfast, including Eipic, Meat Locker, Love Fish, Deli Bistro, Deli Vincafe, Deanes at Queen's and Deane and Decano.
Facebook is one of the companies with offices in Dublin

Dublin is ranked the worlds third-best office and retail investment opportunity by global real estate investment group Hines.

Office and retail property investments in Dublin still offer significant upside, despite having already recovered value in recent years, says Hines Real Estate Irelands senior managing director, Brian Moran.

We track 122 cities globally and Dublin would be in the top three for attractive investments, Mr Moran said. Its not as liquid as New York or Paris, but for attractiveness, it is number three.

Its findings contradict some other commercial property experts, which warned that the Dublin market was overheating. Office rents for top areas of Dublin have grown by over 50% in two years.

Hines is behind plans for a brand new town in Cherrywood, on the outskirts of Dublin city, and the expansion of Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, which it part-owns.
Efforts are under way to revive the John Lewis project at Sprucefield near Lisburn - even though the company says it has "no current plans" to come to Northern Ireland.

Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson said he was confident a new planning application for the complex will include the major retailer.

The company yesterday held out the prospect of reversing its current plans by saying it will "monitor developments" in the Assembly's policies.

A statement from John Lewis made clear: "We do not have any current plans to open a shop in the province."

A spokeperson added: "We will continue to monitor developments in the evolution of the Assembly's policies."

A High Court verdict against Environment Minister Mark H Durkan last week appears to clear the way for a reconsideration of the John Lewis blueprint, which has already been delayed by more than 10 years.

Mr Durkan's department has attempted to persuade John Lewis to join the Royal Exchange scheme in central Belfast, but the company insists that is not a "viable opportunity".

A study commissioned by the DoE warned siting John Lewis at Sprucefield would cost already hard-hit Belfast city centre traders an estimated 70m in lost revenue.

Mr Durkan is considering a possible appeal against last week's verdict that he had no legal power to approve a planning framework for the greater Belfast area without the agreement of other Executive ministers.

A spokesman for Mr Durkan said: "The minister is currently considering the judgment of the Court."

Mr Donaldson, who has held meetings with the owners of the retail park, Intu, as well as the management of John Lewis, has already said a new planning application will be significantly different with "a much better prospect" of being approved.

It is understood the new plan will exclude the previous proposal for 19 additional shops, but could include a new hotel.
Artist's impression of the new development at the former King's Hall

The former King's Hall site in south Belfast is being transformed into a 100m healthcare and leisure development, which it claims will create 500 new jobs.

The huge 16-acre site on the Lisburn Road is being developed by Benmore Healthcare Developments. The firm wants to create a 'primary care centre', alongside a leisure park, residential care, gym, restaurants and a 160-bedroom hotel.

The move to create one large integrated medical facility was proposed under Transforming Your Care, which was a review into the health system in Northern Ireland.

David Burrows, chief executive of Benmore Group, said: "The King's Hall is a Belfast landmark synonymous for many years with the Balmoral agricultural show. Our plan for King's Hall is to create a landmark in healthcare. We will refurbish the art deco building, restoring it to its former glory. Alongside a new adjoining building, we will create a modern primary care centre.

"The overall development has a vision to create an integrated healthcare model which will be part of a wider lifestyle, leisure and well-being park. A space with care for the older people, hotel, gym, restaurants, creche, and modern public and private healthcare facilities all located on one site.

"It will be an example of the highest quality primary and community care, improving people's health and access to services, and create more than 500 sustainable jobs."

And former Health and Social Care Board chief executive John Compton, who is now a non-executive director of Benmore Healthcare Developments, said:

"King's Hall Primary Care Centre will create the opportunity for almost 50,000 people to access primary care services.

"Working directly alongside a range of more specialist services that might include district nursing, dentistry and occupational therapists, it will significantly improve patient outcomes.

"The site may also provide diagnostic services such as X-ray and patient testing."

Last year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed the site was being redeveloped. A tender proposal was issued to potential investors, inviting bids to rejuvenate and lease the huge plot.

The King's Hall once played host to the Balmoral Show, but the huge agricultural event has now been moved to the former Maze prison site near Lisburn.

Mr Compton added: "Delivering better healthcare outcomes and encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles require an improvement in access to better quality facilities and services. Development of King's Hall will meet this need. Such facilities will enable skilled practitioners to provide a modern service to their patients."

Developer Benmore will now begin a 12-week consultation process, taking views from the community in the surrounding area.
The An Post site in north Dublin, which will be managed by Lambert Smith Hampton

Commercial property agent Lambert Smith Hampton has been put in charge of four major portfolios in the UK and Ireland. The firm is now responsible for a further 2.5 million sq ft of floor space - bringing the total space under its management to 17. 5 million sq ft.

As part of its new duties, it will be managing a 192m logistics portfolio, made up of 18 distribution warehouse sites in 18 locations in England.

It's also been engaged to manage 12 mixed-use assets - from offices to shops - in Northern Ireland and England for a private investor.

It will also be managing the Pendle Rise Shopping Centre in the north of England, adding 135,000 sq ft of retail space to its portfolio.

In the Republic, it will be managing a major industrial site occupied by An Post in north Dublin, as well as a mixed-use development in Co Waterford and a primary care centre in Co Meath.

The agency was recently named Northern Ireland's most active property agent, and overall regional winner in the EGi Deals Competition for 2015. EGi is part of industry magazine Estates Gazette.

It is the ninth time Lambert Smith Hampton - or its predecessor BTW Shiells - has topped the list in Northern Ireland.

Gary Nesbitt, the agency's head of property management in Ireland, said: "We are delighted to be appointed as managing agents on such a sizeable and varied portfolio of properties.

"We believe that our success with the award of these significant instructions further asserts our position as a leading property consultancy in Ireland.

"These appointments demonstrate our property management strength and depth across all asset classes and reflect our client's confidence in our ability to manage large national portfolios."

The name Lambert Smith Hampton returned to Northern Ireland in 2014, when it bought the commercial section of BTW Shiells. BTW Shiells emerged in 2003 from a management buy-out of a business formerly run as Lambert Smith Hampton.
Northern Ireland's most successful acting export Liam Neeson has called on international firms to set up in here - especially in his beloved Ballymena.

After throwing his weight behind stricken factory workers in his home town who are to lose their jobs, Liam is now lending his support to an Invest NI campaign to attract international companies.

He says a decision to cut Northern Ireland's corporation tax - which will mean companies pay less tax on their profits - will transform the region.

Invest NI has made a TV ad being aired in the US, aimed at big investors who want to set up on this side of the Atlantic.

The actor said: "As a native of Ballymena, I'm backing the drive for jobs and investment in my home town.

"I firmly believe that the commitment of the Northern Ireland Executive to reduce the rate of corporation tax to 12.5% from April 2018 really is a potential game-changer for our economy."

He said the change of tax rate could create thousands of new jobs "and make Northern Ireland the most attractive investment location in Western Europe".

Those jobs were "seriously needed and... will help revitalise towns like Ballymena by encouraging investment in both the manufacturing and service sectors".

He sang the praises of the town's workforce, saying: "In Ballymena we have an abundance of highly skilled and educated workers plus a proud tradition of innovation, and a strong manufacturing and engineering heritage.

"When you are considering where next to invest in Western Europe, I would encourage you strongly to come and visit us, see the skills of our people and the value we can add to your business."

Last month a video clip was shown of Liam in Ballymena during a rally held in the town to highlight the pain caused by the departure of big companies JTI Gallaher and Michelin. In the clip he paid tribute to the town's "incredible craftspeople and skilled workers".

Cigarette company Gallahers will shut next year with the loss of around 870 jobs, while tyre manufacturer Michelin will pull down the shutters one year later, leading to 1,000 jobs being lost.

The closures are a major threat to Ballymena's economy. The TV ad is part of a push by the First and Deputy First Ministers to get big companies to set up here.

Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness are taking in New York, Washington and California's Silicon Valley on their trip, a tradition for Northern Ireland's leaders as the US marks St Patrick's Day.
Lagan Construction International has completed a major 8m defence contract to resurface the Royal Air Force base in Gibraltar.

The Belfast-based firm, which is part of the Lagan Construction Group, carried out the work on behalf of the UK Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

The four-month contract involved the replacement of some 15,000 tonnes of asphalt and 200 airfield lights. Work was completed during night-time shifts, while the base remained in operation throughout.

Resurfacing was completed with the help of Lagan's plant machinery, which was shipped in from the UK.

Works included the sealing of 200,000 sq m of the runway strip, and construction of a new pit and duct system.

Steve Turner, director of international operations at Lagan Construction International, said: "The entire team have been working together to overcome significant challenges such as logistics of moving plant and material from UK to Gibraltar to deliver a high quality project.

"Everyone at Lagan Construction International is extremely proud of what has been achieved on this challenging project."

David Graham, DIO programme and projects delivery international deputy head, said: "Investing in infrastructure to enable military capability is a huge part of what DIO delivers for defence, so I'm really pleased with how quickly and smoothly this project has progressed.

"This was only possible because of how closely DIO, Lagan Construction International, RAF Gibraltar and the government of Gibraltar worked together to mitigate any possible problems."

British Forces Gibraltar commander, Commodore Ian McGhie said that 74,000 man hours were dedicated to resurfacing the runway, all without a single reported accident, completed two weeks early and within budget.

In September last year, Lagan Construction International announced it had won three global military airport contracts worth a combined 40m. Aside from the Gibraltar work, it landed a similar deal for Cyprus, and is Florida-bound after winning a contract with the US Naval Facilities Engineering Command for runway repairs at Milton.

The contracts are the latest in a long line of big-money airfield and runway deals for the firm, now regarded as an international specialist in airport jobs.

Lagan Construction Group is currently behind some of Belfast's largest infrastructure projects, including a 150m joint venture with Somague for phase two of Ulster University's new Belfast campus. Lagan Construction has also been named as the preferred construction partner for a 407-bedroom student development nearby, at York Street.
Blumenthal hailed the feat of getting a bacon sandwich into space after encountering red tape surrounding the use of crumbly bread and problems with the preservation process

Heston Blumenthal has created the world's most expensive bacon sandwich, admitting the fuel alone to send the meal into space for Major Tim Peake cost "a couple of million pounds".

The Michelin-starred chef's bacon butty was among seven dishes - from red Thai curry to apple crumble - he created for Peake to take into space with him, to remind him of home during his sixth-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Blumenthal told Radio Times that he was incredulous that after all the billions of pounds invested in space travel, "this rocket is taking cans of my food into space!"

He said the feat of getting a bacon sandwich into space, with all the red tape surrounding the use of crumbly bread and problems with the preservation process, was his greatest triumph.

"Yes, I'm proud of that, of bringing that very British taste to Tim as he goes round Earth hundreds of time a day. It was supposed to be a treat for later, but he had it the first day!"

In regards to the cost of the dishes, there was no exact figure, but he divulged, "I heard the fuel alone was a couple of million pounds."

Despite two years of research and development and pathogen tests on sample cans, he feared giving Peake food poisoning.

The risk of a dodgy stomach in space would be "terrible".

"There's no hospital - if someone was really ill up there, what would happen?" he asked.

He picked a canning process for "partly safety" but also "texture and the taste, there was just no other way to do a bacon sandwich".

Watching Peake taste the food for the first time over a video link was "the most strange, wonderful, powerful and nerve-wracking thing".

"I had a lump in my throat," Blumenthal said, of watching Peake enjoy his Alaskan salmon dish from 220 miles above Earth.

Although he added black truffle to one of Peake's stews, Blumenthal confessed that he would eschew fancy food if the roles were reversed.

"It would be tea from a cup and an ordinary sandwich...I'd have ham and cheese."

Heston's Dinner In Space airs on March 20 on Channel 4 at 6pm.
Peter Capaldi turned the air blue with salty insults to the applause of the Letters Live audience

Peter Capaldi has proved politics never changes as he answered the question of what his famously foul-mouthed character Malcolm Tucker would sound like in the 17th century.

Performing Sultan Mehmed IV's demand for submission and the defiant Zaporozhian Cossacks' response with comedian Matt Berry, Capaldi turned the air blue with salty insults to the applause of the Letters Live audience.

Long before The Thick Of It's Tucker uttered the word "omnishambles", Zaporozhian invective from 1675 included: "What the devil kind of knight are you, that can't slay a hedgehog with your naked arse?"

It was a night of laughter as Ian Hislop paid tribute to the readers of Private Eye, "who proved much funnier than we are", noting a letter from Mark Piggott that condemned a cartoon, The Grand Bipolar Old Duke Of York.

Mr Piggott, who said he may be bipolar, found the cartoon "deeply unfunny and utterly insensitive".

"However, when I read it again a few days later, I thought it was hilarious," he added.

Hislop joined forces with comedian Jack Whitehall to perform Private Eye's response to a man demanding damages for defamation.

"Our reply is as follows, f*** off," Hislop read, before adding: "This letter was written by my predecessor and I've used this reply many times since."

Olivia Colman struggled to contain her giggles during a performance of Tina Fey's responses to online commentators, including defending her ability to guard a bridge to one who called her an "over-rated troll".

She also read a short and sweet note from Eric Idle to John Major sent before their shared 50th birthday.

"Has it ever occurred to you that, but for a twist of fate, I should be prime minister and you could have been the man in the Nudge Nudge sketch from Monty Python? I hope you don't feel too disappointed," Idle wrote.

Whitehall recited a coarse memo from South Park creator Matt Stone to a film certification board formed almost entirely of vetoed sex acts, quipping: "You can see why they got me to read this one, not (Liberty director) Shami Chakrabarti."

Poet Lemn Sissay read former slave Jourdon Anderson's passionate address to his ex-master, demanding 11,680 dollars for 32 years of unpaid wages as a goodwill gesture for his return to servitude.

Pianist James Rhodes recited a letter from a depressed Sergei Rachmaninoff, before performing one of the composer's pieces, saying he "expressed himself better in music".

Capaldi closed the show with a poignant letter from a captain on the Western Front describing to his wife the Christmas truce of 1914 and the knowledge the war was hours away from beginning again, bringing the audience to silence.

Chakrabarti, Jack Dee and Miriam Margolyes also performed historic letters at the event, which concludes on Tuesday.
Ross Kemp has said David Cameron is doing "an incredible job" as Prime Minister over the issue of the UK's membership of the EU.

During an interview with broadcaster Michael Buerk for the Radio Times, the former EastEnders actor discussed Ross Kemp's Britain, his new Sky One series.

Filmed in three parts, the show will see the 51-year-old explore three challenging problems facing contemporary Britain: immigration, child sexual exploitation and alcohol abuse.

On the subject of the EU deal announced last month which, among other things, gives the UK power to limit some EU migrants' benefits, Barking-born Kemp spoke positively about Mr Cameron.

"I think he's done an incredible job as Prime Minister," he said, "e specially over the EU."

The soap star-turned-documentary maker added: "People are knocking his deal, but in the past it would have been hailed as an overwhelming success."

Kemp has been an active supporter of the Labour Party, but he criticised successive governments for not doing enough to control the UK's borders.

He said the party he is associated with were most at fault.

"They just didn't check people, did they?" the star stated.

A Bafta-winner who picked up the 2007 best factual programme award for Ross Kemp On Gangs, the star also said he understands why some British people feel "outnumbered" by migrants.

He told Buerk: "If you find yourself being outnumbered in your village by immigrants, you're within your rights to verbalise your concerns."

The globe-trotting film maker's much-admired series include Ross Kemp In Afghanistan, broadcast in 2008, in which he shadowed the Royal Anglian Regiment while they were stationed in the country.

But even coming under attack from enemy fire was not as daunting as the prospect of his return to the BBC One soap that made him a household name.

"I've had sniper rounds go through the wall behind me, and I am quite cool under fire. I'm good at dealing with things like that," he said.

"But I'm wetting myself at the thought of going back to EastEnders."

Kemp will reprise his role as hardman Grant Mitchell for Dame Barbara Windsor's final scenes as Albert Square matriarch Peggy Mitchell.

The actor made his first appearance in the popular soap in 1990 before departing nine years later.

He was last seen on-screen as Mitchell in 2006.

Talking about playing Peggy's son once more, he said: "Barbara is a very close friend, so when I learned of the storyline it felt right that the Mitchell brothers are reunited with their mother for the last time."

Family is central to Walford's Mitchells, and it is also key for Kemp.

He was married to former newspaper editor Rebekah Brooks until their seven-year union ended in 2009.

He is now remarried to lawyer Renee O'Brien.

The couple have a nine-month-old son, while Kemp also has a five-year-old son from a previous relationship.

"I have had my family late in life, and my overwhelming urge is to look after them," he said.

:: Ross Kemp's Britain is broadcast on March 22 at 9pm on Sky One.
Top Gear was not given permission to perform stunts on Whitehall during filming for the new series, Westminster City Council has said.

"No discussion" had taken place with BBC producers about drivers performing wheel spins and the council was not aware the car would do anything "but drive down Whitehall", it said in a statement.

Co-host Matt LeBlanc and a professional driver performed stunts near the Cenotaph in London, but the motoring caper sparked an outcry.

The BBC has said footage filmed near the war memorial "will not appear" in the final film.

In a statement, Westminster City Council apologised for "any upset that had been caused" and said it took requests for filming on Whitehall "very seriously".

"In this case, permission was given for the Top Gear car to drive down Whitehall before moving to another location," it said.

"However, what the Top Gear team did on the day was not what had been agreed during the planning process.

"At no time had the BBC producers made Westminster City Council aware that the car was going to be doing anything but drive down Whitehall.

"There was no discussion between BBC producers and Westminster City Council about wheel spins and a 'donut' and permission would not have been given to do so."

The statement added: "We have spoken to the producers today to express our disappointment and we welcome the statement from Top Gear presenter Chris Evans who has said this footage will not be shown."

The BBC said it had "worked closely" with Metropolitan Police film unit and the special events unit of Westminster Council ahead of filming, with preparations spanning four months.

A statement released by the corporation said: "The Cenotaph was at no point intended to feature in the programme and therefore will not appear in the final film."

It added the driver of the car was "briefed by production prior to filming" to not do any manoeuvres close to the monument, "an instruction to which he fully adhered".

"We would like to make it absolutely clear that the Top Gear team has the utmost respect for the Cenotaph, what it stands for, and those heroic individuals whose memory it serves so fittingly," the statement concluded.

Earlier, Chris Evans said footage for the new Top Gear series filmed near the Cenotaph in London is "disrespectful" and should not be broadcast.

Speaking outside the BBC on Monday, Evans described the images as "terrible".

"They look so disrespectful," he said, before adding that there are "mitigating circumstances".

He continued: "I saw the images this morning for the first time and I felt the same as everybody else."

In response to a question as to whether it reflected positively on Top Gear, he said: "This is not a good story, no."

He added: "We're all mortified by it, so absolutely, 100%, it should not be shown."

Evans admitted he does not have the final say over the fate of the footage.

"But if it was my decision, then I would say, that particular scene shouldn't be shown and I think everyone will agree," he said.

LeBlanc was seen driving around Westminster as shooting took place for the new series of the BBC Two show, which is due to air in May, and photos show large tyre circles left on streets surrounding the war memorial after the stunt.

Speaking on his BBC Radio 2 show, Evans said he "completely understood the furore" around the photographs and admitted it had been "unwise" to film anywhere near the Cenotaph.

He said: "It doesn't matter what actually happened, it doesn't matter what the circumstances were that could explain this away. What is important about this is what these images look like, and they look entirely disrespectful which is not and would never be the intention of the Top Gear team or Matt (LeBlanc).

"On behalf of the Top Gear team and Matt, I would like to apologise unreservedly for what these images seem to portray.

"There have been some very incendiary comments written alongside these pictures and I completely understand this furore, but the Top Gear team would never ever do that.

"Retrospectively it was unwise to be anywhere near the Cenotaph with this motor car."

Evans said LeBlanc had been filming in a car called the Hoonicorn alongside racing driver Ken Block and filming could continue on Monday and Tuesday.

The stunt has been described as "gravely disrespectful" by retired Colonel Richard Kemp.

He told the Telegraph: "This is a sacred tribute to millions of people who have done far more for their country than Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc ever will."

He added: "Jeremy Clarkson was certainly no saint but I don't believe he would have ever performed a stunt in such bad taste."

The stunt was also criticised by peers in the House of Lords.

Speaking during a debate on Government plans to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme this year, Conservative Lord True described the display as "shameful".

"No-one can be immune to the horror and sacrifice of the Somme campaign," he said.

"I must say that standing on a bleak autumn evening watching the sun go down behind the Thiepval Memorial is one of the most moving episodes of my life.

"And Lutyens, in stone, captured the immensity of the thing but also the dignity and the space for contemplation that should inform remembrance this summer.

"I must say in passing, my lords, how different from the shameful display in Whitehall with the Cenotaph enveloped in fumes as a prop for tawdry stunts for BBC Top Gear."
Anyone old enough to have been around Dublin in the late 1960s will remember seeing Phil Lynott loping down Grafton Street on Saturday afternoons, the rocker flaneur. Whenever the boys were back in town, Philo would be there, meeting the Skid Row fans, chatting up the girls. Well before Thin Lizzy, he was already a star, with a stroll halfway between a saunter and a swagger.

Those were the days before Dublin became the multicultural city it is today and Philip cut an exotic figure. As Graeme Thomson puts it in his biography, the long, lean, coffee-skinned boy became a celebrity simply by existing.

Of course, there was the odd racial "joke", but mainly he was met with an admiring curiosity and it was like that here from the beginning. Sent back by his mother from England to live with his grandparents in Crumlin when he was seven, Philip went to the local Christian Brothers where, on his first day, the kids gathered round to touch his hair. Then, and later, he capitalised on being different. "Automatically, he was like a peacock," remembers one friend from the Skid Row days.

It's an early indication of how good this biography is that even though the author is Scottish, he perfectly captures the atmosphere in Dublin in the '60s and '70s.

But then, Thomson is one of the UK's best music writers, who has already written acclaimed biographies of Kate Bush and George Harrison. There have been other books on Philip but this is the definitive biography, authorised by the Lynott estate. And it is an outstanding piece of work.

Thomson grounds the book in Philip's childhood, the difficult early days in England, with his young single mother (two younger siblings were given up for adoption) and his boyhood in Crumlin. He may have been, as Thomson puts it, black, illegitimate and born in England, with a Guyanese father he rarely saw, but once here, he came to regard himself completely as Irish. "He was totally Irish, in every sense. He couldn't be more Irish," Bob Geldof says.

Yet, as Thomson suggests, he was marked by his difference and his early experiences. He had a deep-rooted sense of abandonment and loss that is evident in his many of his songs (it's no accident that one of the bands he formed was called Orphanage).

As one would expect from a music writer of Thomson's calibre, this book is excellent on Philip's journey in rock, from the early days and influences that shaped him to international stardom and the excesses that undermined him. But it's more about him than the music.

Thomson rightly points out that although Philip was Ireland's first global rock star - "a Dionysian study in leather trousers, studded wristband, clenched fist and gypsy earring" - he was more than that. Too often he was labelled heavy metal when his music and song writing were gentle and poetic as well as powerful. "Amid the swagger, there was always a lightness of touch," Thomson writes.

Thomson is good on Philip's involvement with the arts scene in Dublin at the time and with friends like the poet Peter Fallon and the artist Jim Fitzpatrick, an awareness that gave a Celtic feel to much of his writing. This was explicit in Whiskey in the Jar, the traditional standard that had become hackneyed from being belted out every night in the folk pubs.

Philip had started messing around with it as a joke, but Thomson says the song appealed to him because of its fatalistic account of the marauding highwayman. He was, however, more interested in developing a new Celtic sound than in the tired old ballads.

Thomson says that even if Philip had never written songs, his smoky voice, off-beat phrasing and melancholic undertone, which were closer to folk and jazz than rock, would have marked him out.

But of course it was his explosive rock performances that brought international success. Exactly how that came about and how the great albums were created is explored in great detail in this book. It's not only a fascinating insight into Philip's musical progression, but a behind-the-scenes look at the music business at the time.

Philip was a man who could not bear to be alone, his neighbour in Howth, Jim Fitzpatrick, remembers. And this is echoed in the rather sad afterword to the book written by Philip's widow, Caroline.

They could have had an idyllic life together in the fairytale house on the beach in Howth, but she says that "they spent so little time alone. Invariably one of his male friends/employees/coterie would be there, too".

He seemed to yearn for normality, going to church, walking the dog, joining in the life of the fishing village, but a lot of it was superficial. Caroline writes that "he was such a mass of contradictions - a man who loved to seduce women, but seemed afraid of intimacy."

Even at the height of his career, his inner demons were always there to haunt him and more than once in America, just when they were on the verge of success, he blew the chance.

Thomson does not minimise this destructive downside and the disabling toll of the drugs and the booze, nor does he dodge the reality that, as well as being generous and sensitive, Philip was not just difficult but at times cruel to those around him, including those who cared the most.

The final, tragic decline in his house in Kew outside London makes difficult reading. By then he was bloated, ill and frequently spent days in bed. Jim Fitzpatrick - one of several old friends who tried to talk him round - remembers "a scene of squalor in a very beautiful house".

The end, when it came on January 4, 1986, was by then predictable. Thomson writes tersely about the sequence of events at Kew that last Christmas and does not speculate about whether Philip might have been saved if he had been brought to hospital earlier. Given the way his system was shutting down, destroyed by years of abuse, it seems unlikely. He was just 36.

This book marks the 30th anniversary of his death. The long-legged black "orphan" is gone but the glorious songs like The Boys are Back in Town and Dancing in the Moonlight will raise a sad smile forever.

Cowboy Song: The Authorised Biography of Philip Lynott by Graeme Thomson Constable, 20
A determined move to empower people living with dementia in Northern Ireland is underway with the launch of a new charity, Dementia NI.

Dementia NI was set up in Antrim last year and plans are already in progress to roll out what are being referred to as 'Dementia Empowerment Groups' in each health trust area across Northern Ireland.

As well as offering support to people living with the disease, Dementia NI intends to lobby the Government in a bid to influence policy, practice and service delivery for patients.

The first of these new groups is currently being set up in Belfast and today the charity appeals for people living with dementia to join up.

Programme manager for the new groups, Tara Collins, explains: "Dementia Empowerment Groups are being set up in each health trust area across Northern Ireland. At present, we are encouraging individuals with a diagnosis of any type of dementia, who reside within the Belfast Trust catchment area, to join their local action group and become involved in this important area.

"We are delighted with our progress to date and have received huge support from professionals and MLAs, including Chris Lyttle of the Alliance Party in east Belfast, who has attended our launch and is a keen advocate for dementia.

"The purpose of the action groups is to challenge the stigma surrounding a diagnosis, raise awareness of dementia, as well as provide training and education to the public and other organisations on how to live well with dementia."

John McErlean, co-chair of Dementia NI, who is also living with dementia, says: "We have a very important job to do in challenging the stigma. While I have dementia, I can still do things for myself and make decisions; I just need society to allow me the time to do it in my way. I don't know how much time I have, but I do know that we need to be challenging the stigma of dementia and that is what we plan to do through Dementia NI."

Meanwhile, the formation of the Belfast group is being co-ordinated by Liz Cunningham (55), who has a rare form of dementia called Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA).

As she appealed for members to support the new group, Liz also opened her heart to share in her own words the emotive story of what it has been like for her to live with the disease.

A former IT teacher from Belfast, Liz was 47 when she was diagnosed with dementia. It was at work that her first symptoms developed, causing her extreme anxiety when she found she couldn't understand her texts or forgot details of students' progress. It took her three years to get a diagnosis and this is something she hopes working with the group will help to improve for others.

Liz is married to Philip (55) and they have two daughters, Lisa (34) and Nicola (30), and one grandson, Matthew, who is four.

Now, Liz says she has been given a new purpose through the charity and hopes to make a difference by campaigning for improved services as well as offering support to other people with dementia.

In what is a powerful insight into how this cruel disease impacts on an individual, she talks about the daily impact on the quality of her life and how she has learned to cope through hobbies and getting involved in the support group. She recalls: "I had to wait three years for all of my final results. I was made to feel I was mad and told I was going through the menopause.

"From the initial visit to the GP, I believe it should be easier for the doctor to provide assessments and strategies to start the initial assessment.

"Eventually, I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist who had been treating me. She had sent me for two previous scans which showed nothing. Then I had a Pet CT Scan which showed that I had Alzheimer's - I was 47."

Afterwards, Liz was passed over to the Dementia Elderly Services, where a consultant sent her for a 3D scan, which revealed that three parts of her brain were affected, including the back, left side and frontal left lobe.

"I was told I had Posterior Cortical Atrophy," she says.

"Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. The most common symptoms are consistent with damage to the posterior cortex of the brain, which is responsible for processing visual information. It is progressive and terminal - the brain tissue shrinks which causes loss of cells.

"The difference between Alzheimer's and PCA is that language and memory deteriorates more slowly. I have been told I'm at level six to seven, so I have been prepared for palliative care.

"It affects my skills such as literacy with recalling the exact spelling of words or using a word in the right context. Other symptoms are my ability to follow text while reading, losing a word, sentence or rows of text and writing and typing.

"Numeracy, too, is affected, so mental arithmetic is out of the question. I have major problems with money so I try to only use my card. Making movements or gestures is awkward, and doing most household tasks takes forever to do and I still have days when disasters happen."

Liz says visual perception causes problems trying to shower or using the correct shower gel instead of conditioner.

She adds: "At times I can't dress myself without help, as I don't know how to put my bra or pants on or button a shirt.

"The most difficult thing though is having visual problems, when the brain does not send the signals to my eyes.

"I was an IT teacher and I would have assessed people for adaptive technology. I began to get very disoriented going from my office to other offices or to the toilet. I remember one day I had to ask someone how to get to my office and they thought I was joking.

"I had to write substantial reports throughout the week and found I couldn't make a sentence or spell words correctly or find a word to use in the right context.

"I became emotionally distraught. I found it difficult to teach, as I could not follow instructions and forgot how to teach the software we were using.

"Basically, I was sitting at my computer just looking at the screen most of the day."

In an experience that echoes a scene in the movie Still Alice, about a university professor who develops Alzheimer's, Liz found herself lost for words in front of delegates at a conference.

She explains: "Having meetings was a nightmare, as I couldn't remember anything about the students or how far they had progressed. Just before I left due to ill health, I had to hold a conference for local employers, government bodies, the directors, staff and students.

"I had to inform them about all the adaptive technology we had, which I had designed for some students and how they could be applied in a local work environment.

"But the words did not come, I was making no sense at all. I could not understand what I was talking about and when I looked at everyone's faces they looked embarrassed.

"As I packed up my stuff, tears began to fall and I could not get them to stop. I eventually managed to ring my husband to pick me up at the hotel.

"When he got there, I got into the back of the car and just lay down and couldn't stop crying."

Now, having left work, run of the mill tasks are challenging for Liz. "On an everyday basis, life is difficult. I cannot go to the supermarket and look for a tin of beans - I have to check up and down each tin until I find the exact tin I want. It takes me hours to do the shopping.

"It is hard recognising objects, faces, judging speed or distance, using steps or stairs. I have difficulty seeing clearly when I'm having double vision, or sometimes feel like my eyes are jerking around in their sockets. I have to use Low Vision Clinic black glasses, as I have major sensitivity to bright lights or shiny objects.

"My spatial awareness has also been affected, so I have trouble locating objects or where I am in a room or working out how far I'm away from the door or furniture. I never see the full picture - you can look at an area and see everything, while I will miss out quite a few items."

However, Liz has discovered she can master some precise work despite her limited sight.

"In my spare time I try to make jewellery using beads, polymer clay and resin," she says.

"When my brain enables me to do this, I use a large lighted magnifier to help me see the things.

"What has amazed me is that when you get used to doing these tasks, it is quite easy to do things with little sight and just using your hands. I also love painting landscapes and using different types of media to create different images, and I love knitting and crocheting.

"Working now to set up the group in Belfast is so fulfilling, it has made me feel like I have a purpose in my life again, just like I had when I was working. I may have a form of dementia, but I am clearly still intelligent enough to make decisions, support others and provide training.

"Initially when I was diagnosed, I wanted to find people who I could relate to so that together we could try and understand what was happening to our bodies.

"I have met one of the co-founders of Dementia NI, John McErlean, and was then introduced to the rest of the group.

"It was exactly what I wanted - to be able to talk and to help others come to terms with their diagnosis. Being part of the group has been a breath of fresh air."

And the new charity's service is already in demand, with lots of groups asking for support with dementia training and how to communicate with people who have the disease.

Liz says: "I think it is good that it's people with dementia who are going out to speak to others, not paid staff who really don't understand what is happening in our bodies.

"I love being part of a group that respects the person with dementia and enables them to have a life after diagnosis."

Dementia NI is currently looking for a meeting room to accommodate the Belfast group. Liz adds: "As with the other group in Antrim, we will pay attention to the most prominent details, which are memory, difficulty with other problems such as cognitive functioning, including language, attention, problem solving, spatial skills, judgment, planning, or organisation.

"We will also develop training and provide information for new members to help improve their confidence."

And the group wants to attend workshops held by other groups to build on the support it can offer.

"I would love it if there was a cure, but there isn't. In order to give hope, individuals need to believe there is hope. There is no greater power. What I want to achieve through the group is to let people know that there is life after diagnosis. You do have to struggle with each day - and you just hope it is a good day."
Although the number of cot deaths has fallen, the rate is rising in infants born to mums under 20. The Lullaby Trust explains how it's sharing the Safer Sleep message.

Babies born to young parents have a four times greater risk of dying without a cause than babies born to older parents.

That's the shocking statistic revealed by the sudden infant death (SIDS) charity, The Lullaby Trust, which is using this year's Safer Sleep Week, which runs until March 20, to get the message across to all parents, and particularly those aged under 20, that the risk of SIDS can be reduced massively by following simple safer sleep advice.

Although cases of cot death or SIDS - the sudden and unexplained death of a baby where no cause is found - have reduced dramatically since the Eighties, it still claims the lives of around five babies every week in the UK.

There were 249 unexplained infant deaths in the UK in 2013, with the rate rising to 0.36 per 1,000 live births, up very slightly from 0.32 deaths per 1,000 in 2012.

However, the rate of infant deaths for mothers aged under 20 rose significantly, from 0.92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2012 to 1.27 in 2013.

And although over half of new mums with babies under six months of age say their greatest fear is that their baby will die in its sleep, a similar number admit they don't follow safer sleep advice.

The Lullaby Trust wants to bring the number of SIDS deaths down to below half the current number by 2020 and, as part of that drive, it is launching a new Safer Sleep for Babies animation film that can be shared on smartphones, in a bid to get the message across to younger parents.

Francine Bates, chief executive of The Lullaby Trust, says: "We believe the animation is a very effective way of getting our message across to young people, nearly all of whom use smartphones and are connected to social media."

The film, which is available now on The Lullaby Trust website (www.lullabytrust.org.uk) and will be shared across social media, focuses on the do's and don'ts of safer sleep, including always lying a baby on its back to sleep, not smoking, and not sleeping in the same bed as a baby if you smoke, drink, take drugs or are extremely tired.

Bates says younger parents' babies are thought to be more at risk of SIDS partly because of a lack of awareness, and partly because many young parents are more disadvantaged, with low incomes and little support.

"They're sometimes more vulnerable and dealing with difficult problems in their lives, and often safer sleep isn't at the top of their agenda," she says.

"We want them to understand the basics of safer sleep and how important it is to follow the advice because, clearly, there's a risk that a baby may die if they don't do it."

While the number of SIDS cases has been decreasing since 1989, the fall was most marked between 1991 and 1992 when the FSIDS (the former name for The Lullaby Trust) Reduce the Risk of Cot Death campaign was launched.

While there were 1,173 SIDS cases in 1991, the number plummeted to 647 in 1992.

"When cot death was at its height, the vast majority of babies were found to have died on their tummies, so it was clear that putting a baby to sleep on its back was much safer," explains Bates.

"Within five years of telling parents to put babies to sleep on their backs, the cot death rate had reduced by 70%."

Bates points out that while the latest, 2012-2013, figures show a very slight overall increase in SIDS deaths, it's thought this may be explained by a very cold spell during 2013 when there was a spike in SIDS deaths.

This may have been because parents were wrapping babies up more than usual to protect them from the cold, and they were overheating, which is a major SIDS risk.

"The fact is, though, that we don't really know because the reason for SIDS is still a mystery," Bates admits, which is why continual research into SIDS is vital.
When an aneurysm struck former teacher Jenny O'Neill, from Belfast, medics said there was little hope she would be left with any quality of life. Now, she tells Ivan Little how her husband's determination to save her has resulted in a miraculous recovery.

Jenny O'Neill doesn't remember anything about those lost 20 weeks. Her family have helped her piece together what happened to her in hospital as she teetered on the cusp between life and death after a brain haemorrhage that doctors thought was going to kill her.

But as for her own recollections, there's nothing. Nothing but a void. The last thing the former teacher recalls with any certainty is having a pleasant Sunday lunch with friends and relatives in Holywood at the start of January 2014, when she complained of having a severe headache before becoming violently ill.

The next day she underwent emergency surgery in the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast, and she was later moved to the geriatric wards of the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald where the prognosis was not good. "I was doolally. I was out of it," she says.

It wasn't until the end of May that Jenny came out of the mist after months in hospital where she somehow managed to confound the medics with her fight for life, even though she had no idea that she was doing it.

Jenny's now confined to a wheelchair and, as she talked to me about her remarkable recovery at her home in the Belmont area of east Belfast, the mid-morning light started to flood into her front room providing a perfect fit for the sunny disposition of this redoubtable battler who is planning a concert to thank the people who supported her through the missing months.

Yet the relentless positivity of the 69-year-old mother-of-four with the unbridled passion for English literature, which was encouraged by her Queen's University tutor Seamus Heaney, could hardly have been in more stark contrast to the dark days of her illness.

She says: "I can't remember a single thing of those five months. I didn't know who I was or what I was. I wasn't in a coma as such, but in many ways I was nothing more than a vegetable. And I was very lucky to come around again. Not everybody does. My recovery was not common by any means."

Jenny's family have no such difficulties recalling the dreadful time in hospitals which amounted to the most harrowing period of their lives as hope for their wife and mother almost evaporated with doctors preparing for the worst.

A number of the medics wrote in their notes that Jenny had no quality of life and no expectation of any quality of life.

But Jenny's husband Professor Kenneth O'Neill wasn't ready to let his beloved wife of over 40 years slip away.

"He was like a wee terrier," says Jenny. "He wouldn't let go."

Eventually a shunt was inserted to alleviate the problems in Jenny's brain and, though it had to be re-positioned, the procedure was viewed with cautious optimism.

As well as her family, Jenny's friends rallied round and at times they read poetry at her bedside in the hope it would help bolster her recovery.

Wordsworth was recited regularly and her best friend from schooldays kept insisting that Jenny was "in there somewhere" - a belief buoyed up by the fact that she thought she heard her pal chipping in with a few words from the poems.

Holiday photographs were also used by her family in a bid to trigger something that Jenny might recognise, but there was little or no communication from her.

In the event, Jenny's "re-awakening" in Musgrave Park Hospital wasn't exactly dramatic. But she's not sure what was and what wasn't part of a dream.

Bizarrely, the first word Jenny knows for sure that she heard in Musgrave Park was "gaiters".

"I think it was a nurse who talked about the splints and how they would be put on my legs and buckled like gaiters that people used to wear in the 19th century.

"I was coming back from fairyland and the word 'gaiters' just struck me as interesting."

The first thing Jenny's family can remember about her re-entry into the world of reality was a joke she made after hearing her daughter Louise asking her father to babysit for her.

Jenny says: "My friend who had made the comment about me being in there somewhere happened to be in the hospital at the time and she said, 'She's coming out'."

Seeing herself was a shock for Jenny who had lost so much weight during her time in hospital that she barely recognised herself when she looked in the mirror.

But it wasn't long before Jenny resolved to help the people who had helped her, with the aim of raising awareness of acquired brain injuries and raising money for charities involved in rehabilitation work.

She adds: "I was totally overwhelmed by the great care, kindness and friendship which I received from so many people and I wanted to show them my gratitude.

"Someone recently asked me how I was getting on. And I said I'd had the best year of my life and I really, really meant it.

"I realised I was in debt to the world and to charities like Brain Injury Matters and Reconnect.

"So, with the help of friends I'm holding a musical evening at Campbell College this Saturday, with Donaghadee Male Voice choir and leading musicians like the Patience Family and one of The Priests, Father Martin O'Hagan."

For Jenny, the aneurysm wasn't her first major health crisis. She had to give up her teaching career at the age of 52, in 2000, after the onset of Multiple Sclerosis.

"I knew I had to call a halt because of the exhaustion but I was still able to get on with my life and travel a lot with my husband to places like Syria and Lebanon in the days when you could go there before the Arab Spring."

Jenny has started travelling again and she had a strong vision of what she wants to do with her life.

"I've got a moral imperative now. If I can't do something useful with what has been given back to me, then I am not worth anything," adds Jenny, who insisted that she "doesn't give a hoot" about what the future holds for her now.

"Death doesn't worry me in the slightest, but pain? Who wants that? I don't have any of it at the minute and I have no reason whatsoever to feel sorry for myself.

"I have reached a total comfort zone and I am really quite independent. I can get myself in and out of the shower and I have a lift to take me up and down the stairs."

Jenny, who has an impish sense of humour, says: "At airports when everyone else is standing in line to board the plane, I sail past and a door will open before I am pushed through in my wheelchair ahead of the queues."

On a more serious note, she points out: "I also appreciate that, while I am not rich, I am not poor either.

"I am very aware that I am the lucky one and that is why I want to do something for somebody somehow."

Jenny says she has other plans up her sleeve for her charities as well as the Campbell College concert.

"I'm on a mission" she adds.

Aneurysm: what you need to know

An aneurysm is a localised blood filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel which can occur anywhere including the brain, heart vessels or the heart itself.

The risk of the blockage rupturing increases as its size increases, potentially leading to bleeding and hypovolemic shock, and then death.

The condition is caused by a weakened blood vessel wall which can be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease.

On song to help

Spring Concert in support of individuals with an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury), Campbell College this Saturday, (March 19). Wine and canapes, 6.45pm, prior to the concert at 7.30pm. Tickets are 15 (admission by ticket only) available from: Brain Injury Matters, tel: 028 9070 5125 or Reconnect, tel: 028 9079 0551 or visit https://getinvited.to/braininjurymatters/spring-concert-campbell-college-saturday-19th-march/
An Alliance councillor is to be reported to the Northern Ireland Ombudsman over a pamphlet that is allegedly "more scurrilous" than unionist leaflets which fed the flames of the flag protest.

The Belfast Telegraph can reveal that 31 Belfast councillors, including SDLP and unionist representatives, have signed a petition accusing Nuala McAllister of breaching the code of conduct for council members.

They claim she has made "grossly unfair and untrue" allegations of corruption by some councillors on planning issues.

However, the Alliance Party has hit back and claimed its critics are "bullying" a young politician who is standing up for "openness and transparency" at City Hall.

The row is due to surface at a planning committee meeting today.

Alliance councillor Michael Long strongly defended his colleague. "For the UUP and DUP to lecture anyone over leaflets is laughable. Those parties colluded to produce 40,000 leaflets that created an environment in which death threats were made against my wife (Naomi Long) and Alliance colleagues, not to mention attacks on our offices and protests throughout the country," he said.

It centres on an article in the Alliance Clarion newsletter headlined 'What have they got to hide?' in which Ms McAllister criticises those parties which opposed the audio-recording of planning committee meetings being made public. The accompanying photograph is of a jar stuffed with banknotes.

DUP councillor Brian Kingston said: "This disgraceful leaflet carries the innuendo of financial corruption and bribery. If Alliance has any allegations to make, they should go to the police.

"Otherwise, they should withdraw their claims and apologise to councillors who sit on the planning committee. This is gutter politics from the nasty party."

Belfast City Council passed an Alliance motion in December pledging that all future planning committee meetings are to be recorded on audio in order to ensure transparency. Sinn Fein supported the resolution but the DUP, SDLP and UUP opposed it.

UUP councillor Jim Rodgers said: "Nuala McAllister's leaflets make it look like the councillors who opposed her party's motion did so because they're getting backhanders.

"We believe she has broken the local government code of conduct with this despicable slur.

"We voted against the proposal because of legal advice warning of serious penalties for councillors if they made mistaken statements during planning discussions.

"In my 23 years as a councillor I've never seen more irresponsible and defamatory material. It's 100 times more scurrilous a leaflet than the one which Alliance so loudly complained about at the start of the flag protest."

Mr Rodgers said the petition would be sent to the Northern Ireland Ombudsman Tom Frawley.

Alliance is hoping Ms McAllister can win the party's first Stormont seat in North Belfast in May's election.

Mr Long claimed that Ms McAllister was being "bullied" for the "crime of highlighting that some political parties aren't as transparent as they would wish the public to believe".

He added: "Alliance won't be apologising for championing the need for openness in politics. And, unlike other parties, we put our names to our leaflets and openly stand by them."

Mr Long challenged the grounds on which the SDLP and unionists had opposed the audio-recording of meetings.

"Contrary to what they claim, there was no legal advice against putting recordings online for the public to access. They have now been online for three months without one issue," he said.

SDLP councillor Brian Heading, who sits on the planning committee, said he signed the petition complaining about Ms McAllister.

"The text of her article criticising us for opposing the audio-recording of planning committee meetings is fair comment but the accompanying photograph is not," he said.

"It calls into question our integrity. If Alliance admits it was wrong and publicly apologises, the issue is closed for me. If not, complaint procedures will be followed through."
Belfast businessman Gareth Graham is to regain control of companies as part of the settlement reached in his legal battle with US investment fund Cerberus, it was confirmed yesterday.

The High Court was told applications to put development firms STH 500 and Lehill Properties into administration are to be withdrawn.

Confirmation came as a judge was informed that a confidential resolution has been reached in the action.

Mr Graham had been locked in a legal fight with Cerberus over the right to appoint receivers and administrators to his companies which own commercial and residential premises in Belfast.

The firms' loans were among those transferred over to Nama, the Irish government's so-called 'bad bank'.

In 2014 Cerberus snapped up Nama's entire Northern Ireland portfolio, Project Eagle, in a deal worth more than 1bn.

Mr Graham had been challenging the fund's right to put his companies into administration, claiming the businesses were financially strong and never missed a repayment.

The court case was put back to May to allow attempts at mediation.

In a surprise development last week it emerged that an out-of-court settlement had been reached. Mr Graham took out advertisements in three newspapers to confirm the resolution and to express regret at any harm caused to the Cerberus brand by the litigation.

In a statement, the businessman said it was no longer possible to maintain his complaints about the fund, adding that he wanted to distance himself from "grave and serious allegations".

He also said that he had agreed to meet Cerberus' legal costs.

In court yesterday, lawyers disclosed little more as they formally announced the end to the proceedings.

Counsel for Cerberus did set out that two applications to appoint administrators to the companies were to be withdrawn.

He stressed: "The terms of the settlement are entirely confidential between the parties."

After studying the papers, Mr Justice Horner agreed to make a court order in the terms requested.
High-profile dissident republican Colin Duffy has launched High Court proceedings over a failure to confirm his legal consultations are not being bugged.

The 48-year-old Lurgan man is challenging the British Government for allegedly refusing to provide assurances that the security services are not subjecting his meetings with lawyers to covert surveillance.

He was granted leave to seek a judicial review of the Home Office stance at a hearing in Belfast on Tuesday.

Duffy, of Forest Glade in the Co Armagh town, is currently out on bail fighting attempts to have him stand trial on charges linked to an alleged bid to kill police in Belfast.

He is one of three men accused of belonging to an IRA grouping, and attempting to murder members of the PSNI.

They face further counts of possessing firearms and ammunition, and conspiring with to murder security force members.

The alleged offences are connected to a gun attack on a police convoy in the north of the city.

A PSNI Land Rover and two accompanying vehicles came under fire on the Crumlin Road in December 2013.

Duffy; 54-year-old Alex McCrory, from Sliabh Dubh View in Belfast; and 47-year-old Henry Fitzsimons, of no fixed address, are currently resisting prosecution attempts to have them returned for trial.

Separate legal proceedings are now underway in an effort to gain assurances that the security services are not listening in to Duffy's legal consultations.

In court today counsel for the Secretary of State acknowledged arguable points had been raised in the case.

On that basis Lord Justices Gillen, Weatherup and Weir granted leave to apply for a full judicial review.

They listed the case for a further hearing in May to decide if the issues should be dealt with by the court, or instead by an Investigatory Powers Tribunal set up to monitor surveillance authorised under the 2000 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).

Duffy's solicitor later set out the reasons for taking the action.

Paul Pierce, of KRW Law, said: "We want an assurance that if there's covert surveillance being conducted, and that involves monitoring a person's legal consultations, that it's being properly authorised under RIPA.

"We still have concerns about the whole process because it's shrouded in secrecy, with no way of knowing how that authorisation is sought and what information is put before the surveillance commissioner who ultimately has to make the decision to authorise bugging."
Police have seized a massive haul of illegal gaming machines and cash as part of their clampdown on illegal gambling.

The seizure included a significant number of illegal gaming machines, related technical equipment, documentation and a substantial amount of cash and criminal property.

Two men aged 39 and 69 were arrested as part of the major police investigation into alleged illegal gambling and money laundering by detectives from the Economic Crime Unit.

They were later released on police bail pending further investigation.

Officers swooped on eight separate spots across Northern Ireland yesterday including business and residential properties in the Lurgan, Dungannon, Antrim and Belfast areas.

DUP MLA for Lagan Valley Jonathan Craig, described the criminal gangs involved in the illegal gaming rooms as a "leech on our society".

The Policing Board member added: "It has been proved that in certain areas there is a very clear link between illegal gambling and paramilitary groupings using this to raise money for illegal purposes.

"I think this is another mechanism of closing down on these criminal gangs that are a leech on our society out there and it's welcome that police are doing that on a wide scale and taking away yet another means of extorting money from the innocent victims in Northern Ireland.

"It's one of many funding streams but I know it is one of the more lucrative mechanisms that these paramilitaries have of raising money so it's good that police are clamping down.

"There is a need to target other areas as well. I know that the cross-border task force is now looking at how to clampdown on smuggling across the border with fuel, cigarettes and all of those other commodities."

Detective chief inspector Ian Wilson, from the Economic Crime Unit said: "This is part of a major investigation into illegal gambling and money laundering.

"We believe there is a link between illegal gambling and money laundering which feeds other forms of crime in our community. This illegal gambling is often used by criminals as a means of laundering money obtained from organised criminal activity and plays an important role in other forms of acquisitive and organised crime. We are determined to tackle it. Our enquiries will continue for some time."
Basil McCrea back at the Mac yesterday, the venue where he launched his party three years ago

The NI21 leader Basil McCrea has told the Belfast Telegraph that he is quitting politics after nine years in the Assembly because he is disillusioned with the political process.

The Lagan Valley MLA has revealed that he won't fight the next Stormont election in May and is looking for a new career in business or public life.

The 56-year-old former Ulster Unionist has also spoken bitterly of his one-time colleague and friend, South Down MLA John McCallister, with whom he founded NI21.

He said: "I will never forgive him for ruining the party, for depriving Northern Ireland of hope and opportunity and for the personal distress that he has caused my family."

Mr McCrea's shock announcement comes less than two weeks after a report by the Assembly standards watchdog Douglas Bain cleared of him of wrongdoing following allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying, complaints passed on to the commissioner by Mr McCallister.

Mr McCrea has claimed that he is the victim of a criminal conspiracy, an allegation currently being examined by the PSNI.

In an exclusive interview at The Mac theatre in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter - the location for the launch of NI21 three years ago - Mr McCrea said that he made his final decision to step down from politics at the weekend. It followed extensive discussions with his family since the publication of the report by the Standards and Privileges Committee.

"Over the past 10 days or so, a number of family members were upset by the reality of politics in Northern Ireland and by the reaction to the report," he said.

"Personally, I can take the rough with the smooth but no man is an island and you have to take on board what family and friends are feeling.

"I am lucky to have such a wonderfully supportive family who will back me all the way. I think a number of them are pleased with my decision to leave politics. There's no doubt the pressure over the past two years was constant, and at times severe. It did have an effect on my health, my relationships and my general wellbeing."

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph two weeks ago, before the report was officially published, Mr McCrea revealed that the allegations made against him - including a claim that he had sexually assaulted a young party worker - had left him suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and had triggered the onset of type 2 diabetes.

He admitted that he felt bruised and exasperated by some of the media coverage of the more lurid aspects of the report.

"I was disappointed that certain parts of the report didn't get the attention they deserved, particularly the issue of conspiracy," he said.

"The report was unequivocal. Ridiculous allegations that were made two years ago have proven to be unfounded, but the entire experience, the delay and the worry, has had an impact on me and on my family.

"I'm not running away, complaining that it's too harsh. I was pleased to have been totally exonerated and I shall leave the Assembly with my head held high. I gave it my all and I'm pleased that I had the opportunity to do so."

Mr McCrea has held his seat in Lagan Valley for nine years. He was elected as an Ulster Unionist, but resigned from the party along with John McCallister, in February 2013. The two went on to set up NI21 later that year. This May's election would have been his first test as an NI21 candidate as well as a test of the electorate's appetite for a politician steeped in controversy. Mr McCrea, however, is confident that he would have retained his seat.

"The reaction on the doorsteps was not negative," he said, revealing that he was still distributing NI21 leaflets in his constituency as recently as last Friday.

"I honestly believe I would have kept my seat. I've worked long and hard and I think I tried to make a difference in politics and not too many politicians can say that.

"But even if I got re-elected I would have been ignored, I wouldn't even have been able to speak much in the Assembly. There's a hard political reality to this decision. It doesn't matter who stands for election because there will be no change of government or of policy. It will just be the two big parties, with the small parties sniping away on the sidelines. Independents are no more than an irritant and the structures are extremely frustrating and will not work.

"You are dead a long time. Why waste your career doing something that doesn't make a difference?" Mr McCrea said that he had no regrets about leaving "a safe political career" in the UUP to launch his own party.

"I'm proud I launched it, proud of what it stood for. It was attacked as a concept from the start, from within and without. Politics is not for the faint-hearted.

"I thought I was offering a fundamental change and a more inclusive, tolerant way forward, which I thought people wanted, but a lot of vested interests don't want change and none of the major parties want change.

"I'm proud of the stance that I took. I believed in NI21, I still believe in NI21.

"One of the greatest moments of my life was the launch of the party here in The Mac. It was seat of the pants stuff and it was fantastic."

Mr McCrea declined to discuss the individual party workers who had made serious allegations about his behaviour. These include Ashleigh Murray who claimed that the MLA had exposed himself and pulled down her tights in a hotel room in 2013, a claim denied by Mr McCrea who was cleared of this and other allegations after an 18-month investigation by Douglas Bain. But he said that he had been naive in his selection of party volunteers.

"There was a certain naivety in my approach to the adoption of party activists. It was probably my single biggest failing, driven by good intentions, to take all comers. My advice to anyone thinking of setting up a political party is to be very reticent about accepting volunteers."

Mr McCrea said that he was content and relaxed about his decision to leave politics and laughed loudly when asked if he would consider returning at a later date, but he is clearly bitter about the breakdown in his relationship with John McCallister who branded the party "dysfunctional" in a media interview the day before the European and council elections in May 2014.

"I didn't pick up the difficulties with John because we had been together as political allies for a very long time," said Mr McCrea. "There were arguments but that was OK because we were friends, but what I didn't realise was that there was a deeper undercurrent. I did my best to accommodate him, to the detriment of myself.

"He should not have destroyed the party and the electoral chances of the candidates on the eve of the election."

Mr McCrea said that he would do his best to help the five party workers affected by his decision to quit and that he would consult with the party executive about its future, although it may become "a pressure group or movement".

He added: "In addition to my family, I feel for the impact on my staff. It's testament to their loyalty and commitment that they have stayed. I'm moving on, I've done all I can."

Mr McCrea said that he now intended to pursue a new career outside of politics, but that he had no "plan B".

He said: "I have a continued interest in science, technology and the arts. I would like to think I can find something that will utilise my skills. I will have the opportunity to engage in a wider debate without being shackled by the politics of Stormont which is very constraining.

"None of us want to be chaff in the wind. We all want to make a difference. I still want to make a contribution, but not in politics because politics in Northern Ireland is not working."
Leaving the European Union would undermine the Northern Ireland peace process and increase the risk of renewed sectarian violence, Lord Mandelson has warned.

The Labour peer - who served both as a European Commissioner and Northern Ireland Secretary - said the reimposition of a "hard border" with the Republic would only bolster extremists.

The EU had been "an enabler of peace of Northern Ireland and a fundamentally stabilising presence in Ireland's recent history", he claimed - saying shared membership had help "underpin" the Good Friday Agreement.

"Why would we sacrifice such a steadying force for uncertainty and unknowns?" he asked in a speech to the British Irish Chamber of Commerce in the City of London.

He said: "The direction of policy for the last 30 years has been to make this border less prominent and less conspicuous for all the reasons we understand.

"For practical purposes it has all but disappeared.

"As a result there is greater political cooperation and indeed tentative steps now towards a much more prosperous and sustainable all-Ireland economy.

"It is unclear what the border arrangements would be in the unprecedented situation of the UK leaving Europe.

"Everyone would want to avoid border posts and elaborate checks but who knows what would have to be imposed, who knows what would have to be put in place on the recreation of that hard border?

"Certainly one thing is true: the reimposition of a formalised border would be a radical departure from the established strategy of the administrations in Dublin, London and Belfast.

"Anything in my view that strengthened a sense of separatism between Northern and Southern Ireland - physically, economically, psychologically - has the potential to upset the progress that has been made and serve as a potential source of renewed sectarianism that would always bear the risk of triggering further violence in Ireland, particularly in the North."

Lord Mandelson said Northern Ireland's GDP could drop by as much as 3% after Brexit - with 50,000 trade-related jobs "at risk".

"It would mean spending cuts, it would mean rising taxes, it would mean unemployment rising and it would mean investment falling."

"What we have created in Northern Ireland is something really incredible, terribly special but also fragile - and we should not be taking risks with what we have created," he said.

"We have achieved too much and gone too far simply to throw it away.

"Our cultural, economic and familial ties would not be severed but they would be impacted.

"This not only underlines the seismic nature of this decision but the scale of the risk if we leap in the wrong way."

Of the peace process, he said: "You start pulling threads in that and almost in unidentifiable ways, you will find the cement loosening in that wall of strength that we have created that keeps the peace process up and running."

In comments he denied were directed at the Democratic Unionist Party or any other group, he told the audience: "There will be people who say 'actually the more separatism we have the better, put that hard border back in place, let's make it more difficult to trade, more difficult to travel.

"It would keep people's identities apart they might think; it would keep them living apart they might say; it would keep them growing apart they might suggest.

"But in my view that sense of separatism that would emerge from the reimposition of that border would only serve the extremists, the sectarians."

Lord Mandelson said the referendum campaign would be "ferociously fought" and warned the pro-EU side had to make more effort to win the emotional as well as the practical arguments.

"There are many people in Britain who feel they are pulled one way by their heart and in the opposite direction by their head so there is going to be a battle royal for the hearts and minds."

He said the only world leader who backed Brexit was Russian president Vladimir Putin.

"Why? Because he isn't that interested in European unity, he's not actually all that interested in the European Union surviving."

Lord Mandelson - who as the party's communications chief was one of the architects of New Labour - issued one unexpected lament about the campaign: that Margaret Thatcher was not still alive to take part.

"Who made the central political argument that remaining in the European Community as it then was was absolutely vital for Britain because it would multiply our strengths and amplify our voice in the world? Yes, Margaret Thatcher made that argument in 1975.

"I wish she could come back," he said.

"This is not like any old ordinary Irish referendum; this is literally in or out. This is the real McCoy, no second chance"
Russia and Singapore have maintained vigorous and mutually beneficial cooperation in Arctic research, Artur Chilingarov, Special Representative of the Russian President on International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, said. He also said that Russia expects to continue to develop this cooperation.

According to RIA Novosti, Chilingarov discussed the issues of the Russian-Singaporean Arctic partnership during a meeting with Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and in the Ministry of Manpower, who is responsible for international cooperation in the Arctic. The meeting was held as part of Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev's visit to Singapore. On Monday Patrushev discussed the prospects for Russian-Singaporean cooperation in the Arctic with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean. Singapore is an observer state in the Arctic Council.

"Russian-Singaporean cooperation in Arctic research is gaining momentum. We are interested in this partnership. During the meeting, we gained support for all of our proposals and agreed on many issues for further cooperation," Chilingarov said, as quoted by the agency.

He noted that, as a growing maritime country, Singapore has its own interests in the Arctic.

"Singapore is seeking participation in Arctic research. It has cutting-edge technology for building drilling platforms on the shelf, including ice-class platforms, which are of interest to Russia. Talks on this are ongoing. I hope they'll be successful and less politicized, but more focused on economic and commercial interests," Chilingarov said.

Russia expects that Singapore will support Russia's submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for the extension of the boundaries of its continental shelf, Chilingarov said. "I hope that Singapore will support us," he said.

He also said that Singapore's representatives will be invited to the upcoming international meeting of top representatives of the Arctic Council member and observer states and the academic community, which is scheduled to take place in Russia in August.
Jon McCourt at Banbridge court house in County Down for the independent Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry

Lives have been shortened by abuse in residential homes, a survivor has said.

Many of the boys and girls are no longer alive today, Jon McCourt from Survivors North West added, claiming the defenceless children had a right to truth and justice.

Mr McCourt was a resident in St Joseph's Catholic home (Termonbacca) in Derry and said he was beaten by a nun for being left -handed.

"For many survivors, the effects of the abuse have been long-lasting and harm has been passed down the generations.

"We not only expect a full apology for what was done to us, but also an acknowledgement that government has a responsibility to right those wrongs."

Mr McCourt waived his right to anonymity to tell the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry how he was punished for being left-handed.

He also told the hearing that he did not realise two other boys from the home were his brothers.

The inquiry panel is investigating abuse claims against children's residential institutions in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995.

Victims gathered at Stormont to launch a report on redress ahead of the end of Sir Anthony Hart's lengthy Executive-ordered probe.

Mr McCourt added: "Many of the boys and girls who were in children's homes alongside us are no longer alive today. Lives have been foreshortened."

Margaret McGuckin, who represents the Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (SAVIA) group, said political leaders should focus on what sort of recompense system was required to respond to the suffering of generations of children.

"As in other countries where there was systemic abuse of children, victims have a right to expect the State to respond with an apology, with compensation and with other measures to deal with the effects of that cruelty.

"Our message to politicians today is: do what is right by victims and survivors. We have already been failed once. Don't fail us again."

Professor Patricia Lundy of Ulster University, who wrote the report on redress on behalf of an expert panel, said legal obligations underpinned their demands.

"The overall aim of this initiative is to ensure that an effective redress scheme is initiated without delay and that survivors play a central role in shaping such a scheme.

"We expect that survivors' voices will be heard by ministers and we are here at Stormont to ensure that they are."
The verdict came in a legal challenge mounted by Gerard Flannigan, who was remanded in custody at Roe House, the separated wing for republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail.

Northern Ireland Prison Service's policy of recording and retaining forced strip searches breaches human rights law, a High Court judge ruled today.

Mr Justice Treacy backed claims by an inmate that filming the process and keeping footage for up to six years violates his right to privacy.

He said: "In the absence of any proper basis in domestic law the recording of the search and its retention and the policy under which it was carried out are not in accordance with law."

The verdict came in a legal challenge mounted by Gerard Flannigan, who was remanded in custody at Roe House, the separated wing for republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail.

In October 2014 he was subjected to a full search by force after refusing to give his consent.

The court heard a video camera was used to record the events.

Mr Flannigan's legal action against the Prison Service was focused solely on the filming of a so-called strip search.

No footage is allowed to be taken of intimate body parts during a process which must be carried out by an officer of the same sex, and only when the prisoner will not co-operate.

A governor at the jail was said to have watched the tape and stated that it only consists of an introduction and an end section showing the prisoner finishing off dressing again.

The critical section of the footage is either no longer available or did not record, the court was told.

Counsel for Mr Flannigan claimed he was subjected to degrading treatment that breached his Article 8 privacy entitlements under the European Convention on Human Rights.

It was also alleged that the way filming is carried out unlawfully breached prison rules.

Lawyers representing the Prison Service insisted that in the footage Mr Flannigan showed no signs of either distress or having been subjected to any inappropriate interference.

It was also emphasised that safeguards are in place during the process.

Delivering judgment in the judicial review challenge today, Mr Justice Treacy held that the removal of clothes had been justified.

But dealing with the filming of the process, he said: "The loss of control over the use of the search subject's nakedness occurs at the time where there is an intention to record the search and all parties believe that the search is being recorded.

"This is an interference with the search subject's Article 8 rights in itself.

"The creation and retention of the record is a further and ongoing interference."

On that basis he allowed Mr Flannigan's application for judicial review.
The scene where a man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast. It happened around the Woodstock Road at about 07:10 GMT on Friday.

The van at the scene of the car bomb in East Belfast

A man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast.

A man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

The scene where a man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast. It happened around the Woodstock Road at about 07:10 GMT on Friday.

The scene where a man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast. It happened around the Woodstock Road at about 07:10 GMT on Friday.

A man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast.

Picture credit  Matt Mackey - Presseye.com Belfast - Northern Ireland - 4th March 2016 The scene where a man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast. It happened around the Woodstock Road at about 07:10 GMT on Friday.

A man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast.

A man, believed to be a prison officer, has been taken to hospital after a device exploded under a van in east Belfast. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

The scene at the top of Hillsborough Drive off the Woodstock Road in east Belfast where a device exploded under a van resulting in one man being hospitalised. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

A bomb disposal unit officer inspects the damaged van following a suspected car bomb attack on a prison officer at Hillsborough Drive on March 4, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

A bomb disposal unit officer at the scene following a suspected car bomb attack on a prison officer at Hillsborough Drive on March 4, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

A prison officer has died in hospital eleven days after a dissident republican bomb exploded under his van in east Belfast.

The 52-year-old married father of three required surgery after an explosive device partially detonated under the van he was driving on Hillsborough Drive off the Woodstock Road just after 7am on Friday March 4 - causing a loud explosion.

He had only driven a short distance from his home when the device detonated as he went over a speed ramp.

The long serving officer was based at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre in south Belfast and worked as a trainer for new recruits to the NI Prison Service.

The man was taken to hospital and had undergone surgery and was understood to be recovering well.

The BBC reports that the man was rushed back into hospital on Tuesday morning with a suspected heart attack.

In a statement police confirmed Mr Ismay died in hospital this morning.

Prime Minister David Cameron joined with First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in expressing their sympathies to the man's family.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Campbell said: Adrian was the father of three grown up daughters and had over 28 years service with the Prison Service. Our deepest sympathy is with Adrians family, friends and colleagues at this sad time.

One man has been charged with attempted murder and causing an explosion with intent to endanger life and the investigation is continuing. At this stage, we are working to establish the exact cause of Adrians death.

Deeply saddened to hear prison officer injured in bomb attack in Belfast on 4 March has died. Thoughts with father-of-threes family.  David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 15, 2016

I'm devastated. Can't believe the news. I was texting Adrian before we left for the US. He was doing well. My thoughts are with his family.  Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) March 15, 2016

SofS: I am shocked & saddened to hear of the death of this prison officer. My thoughts & deepest condolences are with his family.  NIO (@NIOPressOffice) March 15, 2016

Devastated to hear of the death of the prison officer. Thoughts and prayers with all who keep us safe and their families.  Mike Nesbitt (@mikenesbittni) March 15, 2016

Chief Constable George Hamilton said police would have to wait for medical evidence before confirming if his death would be treated as murder.

POLICE APPEAL FOR INFORMATION ON CAR USED TO PLANT BOMB

Police investigating the death believe a red Citroen C3 SkZ 6662 was used to plant the bomb at 2.20am on March 4.

Officers also released an image of a silver Skoda KFZ 2352 which is believed to have been used before and after the incident by those involved.

DCI Campbell said the attack demonstrates the ruthlessness of those opposed to peace  Deborah McAleese (@DeborahMcAleese) March 15, 2016

He warned anyone planning to involve themselves in future terror attacks that they will be prevented & they will be caught  Deborah McAleese (@DeborahMcAleese) March 15, 2016

Mr Campbell said: "In particular I am appealing for any sightings of this vehicle, on the move or parked up, between 7pm on the evening of Thursday 3 March and 4am during the early hours of Friday 4 March.

"It is my understanding that a male was dropped off in this vehicle in Pilot Street in the Docks area of Belfast at around 3am on Friday morning and I am appealing for anyone who saw this, or who knows the identity of this male to come forward to police."

Anyone who may have any information is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101 or on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

In a joint statement Justice Minister David Ford and Prison Service director-general Sue McAllister said: "Adrian Ismay gave over 28 years of service to prisons in Northern Ireland and he was greatly respected by all those who knew him.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time."

NEW IRA

A group calling itself the New IRA claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement to the BBC the dissident republican group reportedly said the officer was targeted because he was involved in training other guards at HMP Maghaberry, near Lisburn.

A spokesman said the officer was one of a number on a list of potential targets and the attack arose from a dispute over the treatment of dissident Republican inmates.

The group claimed to have used the plastic explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator in the attack.

In the wake of the attack Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris issued a stark warning from PSNI headquarters that more attacks are planned as the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising approaches.

REACTION

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said he was "deeply saddened".

He said "I am deeply saddened that this prison officer has lost his life. First and foremost thoughts and prayers with his wife and three daughters.

"These are futile acts which achieve absolutely nothing."

DUP East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has expressed his sympathies to the family of the prison officer who has died 11 days after a bomb attack on his vehicle as he travelled to work in east Belfast.

Mr Robinson said: "I am stunned and deeply saddened to learn that the prison officer from my constituency has passed away. It will not just be the people of east Belfast who share in this grief, but everyone in Northern Ireland.

"Mr Ismay has lost his life at the hands of terrorist murderers simply because he chose a career working in the service of our community. He was not just a brave and dedicated prison officer, but most importantly he was a loving husband and father. My thoughts and prayers, and those of the people of East Belfast are with his wife and three children today.

"There must be no place in our society for anyone who wants to advance their agenda through the bullet or the bomb. Such tactics have been used too many times in the past, achieving nothing except to create pain, grief and suffering. We must all stand united in opposition to terrorism and send out a united message of support to our prison officers who continue to operate in the face of this dissident republican threat."

Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA said: I am devastated to hear of the death of prison officer Adrian Ismay. My thoughts are with his family and friends and all who put on a uniform to keep us safe. Whatever the exact cause of death, I cannot accept he would be dead if it were not for the bomb.

Those with knowledge of the perpetrators must come forward. The news has brought a cloud to the St Patrick's celebrations in Washington. I was here 17 years ago when the news broke of the murder of Rosemary Nelson. This is a bitter throwback to dark days. The perpetrators have nothing to offer but a brake on progress. They may slow us down but they cannot stop the journey.

East Belfast MLA Andy Allen said: This is devastating news and my heartfelt sympathies are with the Prison Officers family. We must ensure that all necessary support and assistance is given to the family at this difficult time.

The people responsible for this despicable attack must be brought to justice.

I would again reiterate that the people responsible do not represent wider society. They cannot and will not be allowed to take this society back to the past.

Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has the "culture of terror will not be allowed to return".

He said: "My deepest sympathy is with the officers wife and loved ones, and my thoughts and prayers are with his colleagues following this devastating and tragic news

The entire community must show support for our prison officers and others who keep us safe. The vast majority of people will show revulsion for the actions of those behind the attack on this officer. We must redouble our efforts to ensure their culture of terror will not be allowed to return.

I would again urge anyone with information about the incident which has now claimed a life to contact police immediately and ensure these evil people are brought to justice.

Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney expressed his sympathy to the family and friends of Mr Ismay.

He said: "This attack was wrong, it will achieve nothing, and was condemned by all sections of society.

"Those responsible for this attack, regardless of what they choose to call themselves, do not speak for or act in the name of the Irish people.

"Their actions serve no purpose whatsoever and will not advance any political aim.

"They will not derail the progress that has been made in the peace process and they need to realise that and end these actions immediately.

"I would appeal for anyone with information on this incident to bring it forward to the PSNI.

The Police Federation of Northern Ireland - which represents rank and file PSNI officers - also expressed sympathy.

Chairman Mark Lindsay added: "Our hearts go out to Adrian Ismays family. They will be experiencing the dreadful pain of loss, and I know they will have the support of the extended family circle, Prison Service colleagues and the wider community.

He was doing an essential job for this entire community when dissident republicans singled him out. The plain and simple truth is that there can never be any justification for such cowardly actions.

A mans life is lost for a futile cause and a whole family is plunged into grief.

There are people who know where the components were sourced for this lethal device, how and where it was assembled and how the officer was targeted and I would appeal to them to help the police to bring the terrorists to justice.

The murder gang wanted to kill a member of the security forces to as their way of commemorating the Easter Rising, but all theyve achieved is uniting all right thinking people in their utter revulsion and disgust at their mindless and savage action.

I would like to renew my appeal to my colleagues in the police, and related services, to exercise maximum vigilance at this most dangerous time.

Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor said: "In consultation with the lead Catholic Chaplain and the prisons chaplaincy team, I was shocked upon receiving the tragic news earlier today of the death of Mr Adrian Ismay.

"I extend my deepest condolences and my prayerful support to his family in their grief and to his colleagues within the prison service at this extremely difficult time.

"As a society, let us be more determined than ever to work for peace and for the good of each other. The future of Northern Ireland can only find its foundation in community engagement and political dialogue rather than through the senseless and destructive pursuit of violence."

Irish President Michael D Higgins said his was a "travesty" and that Mr Ismay's family will feel his loss most acutely.

"His death is a travesty to all of us who are committed to the cause of peace in Ireland.

"On behalf of the people of Ireland, I extend my heartfelt sympathy to officer Ismay's family and colleagues."
The van (centre, top) under which a device exploded in east Belfast

A prison officer has died after he was injured in a bomb attack in Belfast.

Adrian Ismay, 52, was hurt when the booby trapped device exploded under the van he was driving on March 4. Dissident republican group the New IRA, which opposes the peace process, claimed responsibility.

Mr Ismay was said to be recovering well from surgery for leg injuries but was taken back into hospital on Tuesday morning and died. He may have suffered a heart attack and police will await medical evidence before confirming whether his death will be treated as murder.

One man has already been charged with attempted murder.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detective chief inspector Richard Campbell said: " Adrian's profession was simply to keep people safe and we will do everything possible to bring those responsible to justice."

Mr Ismay was a veteran officer, a married father of three grown up girls and trained other guards at HMP Maghaberry near Lisburn. He was based at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre in south Belfast and had more than 28 years service.

The attack happened in the Hillsborough Drive area, off Woodstock Road, a predominantly loyalist area in the east of the city, just after 7am. The New IRA claimed to have used the plastic explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator but police have released no details.

Mr Campbell added: "This was a completely senseless attack which only serves to demonstrate the ruthlessness and recklessness of those opposed to peace and who live for violence."

Detectives seized two vehicles during searches.

They include a red Citroen C3 SKZ6662 believed to have been used by those planting the device at approximately 2.20am during the early hours of Friday March 4.

The second is a silver Skoda Fabia KFZ2352 suspected to have been used before and after the incident by those involved.

Mr Campbell said a man was dropped off in this vehicle in Pilot Street in the Docks area of Belfast at around 3am on Friday morning and appealed for anybody who saw him to come forward.

Prison Officers Association (POA) Northern Ireland chairman Finlay Spratt said morale was low.

Although the exact circumstances of the death have yet to be fully established, Mr Spratt claimed the explosion was a contributing factor.

He said: "He was not a person that I knew had any sickness or ailments."

Detectives said they had prevented a number of murder bids since the attack.

They warned there could be more attacks by dissidents ahead of this month's centenary of the Easter Rising, which marked Irish rebellion against Britain. Senior officers have said there are several hundred active dissidents.

The threat to members of the security forces in Northern Ireland is severe from gunmen opposed to the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement which largely ended decades of the Troubles.

Warder David Black, 52, was gunned down on the M1 motorway as he drove to work at Maghaberry high security jail in Co Antrim in November 2012.

First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the latest victim was targeted by those who used the cover of darkness to try and create fear.

"We cannot and will not allow people who are wedded to the past to set the tone and direction of our shared future."

Prime Minister David Cameron said he was deeply saddened.

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he had warned repeatedly that such attacks can have no place in a civilised, inclusive society.

"We must continue to work at all levels to copper fasten a future for Northern Ireland that is committed to the democratic process and the rule of law and is free from violence and intimidation."
The inquest is being held into the death of Arlene Arkinson

A distraught sister of missing teenager Arlene Arkinson walked out of an inquest as police defended their handling of the case.

Kathleen Arkinson sobbed as a former senior detective, who was part of a team that searched her home and dug up her garden, gave evidence to Belfast Coroner's Court.

Paul Bennett, a retired Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detective constable described chaotic scenes as police and army acting on an anonymous tip-off arrived at Ms Arkinson's home in Castlederg, Co Tyrone in April 1996 - two years after the schoolgirl went missing.

Ms Arkinson became hysterical, the court was told.

"She was abusive and was shouting, she was not opening the door. She threw a vase and other items towards myself and other officers," according to a statement made by the officer in July 1996 which was read to the court.

"She was roaring and shouting. She had a knife and said she would stick it through the first person through the door," it was claimed.

When uniformed officers did gain entry, Ms Arkinson, whose crying children were also standing in the hallway, was handcuffed and taken into the living room.

Nothing was found during the search of the property at Drumnabey Park or in a second search which used radar equipment in 2002.

Throughout the officer's testimony, Ms Arkinson shook her head and at one point had to be comforted by her solicitor. She le ft the courtroom visibly upset.

Mr Bennett said officers had been working to unravel the truth about Arlene's disappearance and could not believe "everybody and everything".

He said: "I believe that the police did everything they could have in a timely manner.

"There were a lot of inconsistencies with the people we were dealing with in relation to the police being told lies, people with alcohol problems and people with criminal records.

"The police were probing from the very bottom to try and establish the truth."

Meanwhile, details of an interview with Robert Howard - the prime suspect in the Arkinson case - were also given to the court.

Mr Bennett, who conducted the interview in September 1994 said the convicted child killer was evasive, reluctant to answer and did not like to make eye contact.

Even though more than 20 years have passed, he could still vividly recall the paedophile's demeanour, it was claimed.

Fifteen-year-old Arlene, from Castlederg, vanished after a night out at a disco across the Irish border in Co Donegal on August 13 1994.

She was last seen being driven away down a country road late at night with Howard.

Although he was acquitted of her murder in 2005 by a jury which was unaware of his conviction for killing south London teenager Hannah Williams, he always remained the prime suspect until his death in prison last year, aged 71.

During the course of the interview, Howard told detectives he had let the teenager off near a bar in the centre of Castlederg. He said he had returned to Patricia Quinn's home, made tea, rolled a cigarette and went to bed.

He also told police he had seen her being driven about in a sky blue coloured car by a man in his 20s the following day.

Howard refused to sign his statement on the advice of his defence solicitor, the court heard.

Meanwhile, proceedings were adjourned after lawyers for the Arkinson family called for the disclosure of some confidential police documents which could identify individuals who provided the information that led to the search of Ms Arkinson's home.

The Arkinsons' legal team have declined to continue questioning Mr Bennett and his superior who was due to appear on Wednesday, because of the ongoing dispute over the PSNI's Public Interest Immunity application.

Grounds for PII applications include matters of national security.

While the Government has obtained such immunity on sensitive papers relating to legacy terrorist cases in Northern Ireland, doubt surrounds why such issues would be at play during an inquest into the death of a missing schoolgirl.

Kathleen Arkinson and her former partner Stephen Walsh have requested to know the persons, adding that they deserve to know who tried to ruin them.

However, during previous hearings it was claimed that police did not know the identity of the informant who provided the tip-off.

The coroner, District Judge Brian Sherrard, has yet to formally rule on the contentious PII issue.

The hearing has been adjourned until Wednesday.
Three men were rushed to hospital after a street fight in west Belfast yesterday

Three men were rushed to hospital after a street fight in west Belfast yesterday.

It is understood that a number of men confronted another group near the Whitefort bar and restaurant on the Andersonstown Road.

Two men were arrested following the fight shortly after 6pm.

A number of weapons including bats and hammers were thought to have been used in the brawl, which was reported to police at around 6.15pm.

Emergency services were called and three men were taken to hospital for treatment and were said to be in a stable condition last night.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

It is understood the men involved were all foreign nationals.

The scene outside the bar remained cordoned off last night.

Police have appealed for information.

One eyewitness described seeing a group of men holding other men on the ground while using a number of weapons, adding that there was "blood everywhere".
It feels like spring has finally sprung - and these happy pups were making the best of the good weather yesterday.

The delighted doggies were snapped dancing through the daffodils in east Belfast's Victoria Park.

In a welcome break from weather warnings for rain, snow and ice, Northern Ireland is experiencing a settled spell of uncharacteristic dry weather.

As sun-worshippers cast aside their winter woollies for another year, families headed out to parks, beaches and beauty spots.

Workers enjoyed a rare al fresco lunch as they sat outside Belfast City Hall enjoying the spring sunshine.

And after we enjoyed a rare glimpse of the big yellow disc yesterday, it looks as if it's keeping its hat on for most of the rest of the week. However, high pressure will mean chilly nights and mornings.

Temperatures hit 11C yesterday, but will get higher later this week, and the mercury could peak at 12 or 13C today.

Today will be another dry day with sunny spells, especially for western parts. It will be mild again with mainly light easterly winds, so it will feel warm in any prolonged sunshine.

The high tomorrow is predicted to be 9C.

It's a cooler story later in the week as temperatures drop a little further, with Thursday - St Patrick's Day - and Friday's expected to peak at 6C. It will be less mild and more cloudy, but still dry with some sunshine breaking through at times.

The temperature should start to rise again on Saturday and by Sunday temperatures could be back up to around 8C.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenpress news agency presents on the air of Lratvakan radio all that you will hear, read and see on todays news.

Azerbaijan continues keeping the border situation tense. In addition to attempts of subversive acts, it also carries out propaganda campaign. Political scientist Alexander Margarov will analyze the recent developments around Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement today, on March 15.

March 15 marks the 5th anniversary of the Syrian war. Expert of Turkish studies Hakob Chakryan will speak about Turkeys role in that conflict, the explosions in Ankara and possible developments.

March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day. It has been celebrated since 1961. On the occasion of the day representatives of NGOs will meet with journalists to introduce problems and achievements of the sphere.

Ex-Mayor of Goris city Samvel Harutyunyan will meet will journalists. What reforms does Syunik Province need for development? What problematic issues exist in the province? Samvel Harutyunyan will refer to these and other issues.

Education-21st century exhibition will be held from March 30-April 1, during which the Russian Centre of Science and Culture will select over 200 applicants on competitive basis for free education in higher educational institutions of the RF. Ahead of the exhibition director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Yerevan Mark Kalinin, Advisor to the Russian Embassy in Armenia Oleg Shapovalov, and Director General of Inter Expo company Adelina Kocharyan will meet with journalists to introduce details of the competition.

Award ceremony of the best documentary feature of 2016 will be held, headlined National unity as the warrant of collective strength and power. It is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the independence of Armenia. The organizers of the event will detail on the award ceremony today, on March 15.

French Embassy in Armenia organizes a conference headlined Revise the city for living better together on Francophonie Days. Minister of Urban Development of Armenia Narek Sargsyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to ArmeniaJean-Francois Charpentier, experts of the field of urban development, representatives of enterprises and financial institutions will attend the conference.

Screening of French films referring to the city is scheduled from March 1 to April 1. Master class will be conducted within the framework of Francophonie Days.

You can read more about these and other topics at armenpress.am and listen to the news on the air of Lratvakan radio. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
A woman has been raped in Belfast after a man dragged her into a car as she walked along a busy road in the east of the city

A woman has been raped in Belfast after a man dragged her into a car as she walked along a busy road in the east of the city.

The PSNI say the woman was attacked on the Sydenham Bypass on Saturday night between 10pm and 11pm.

The man approached the woman who was walking along the route towards Holywood between Dee Street and George Best Belfast City Airport.

The woman managed to get out of the car following the attack.

The man, who was driving a dark coloured car, then made off along the bypass in the direction of Holywood.

He was described as being aged in his 30s and was wearing a dark coloured hooded top with the hood up.

Detectives are now investigating the report of the serious sexual assault.

Detective Inspector Zoe McKee is appealing for anyone who noticed this vehicle or observed any suspicious activity on the country-bound lane of the bypass on Saturday night or anyone with any information to contact detectives at Ladas Drive on 101.
Over coffee in The Mac theatre in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, Basil McCrea revealed his intention to quit politics.

The location was significant: it was here, on June 6, 2013, that his ill-fated political party was launched with great fanfare, high hopes and big promises.

Less than three years later, the dream has died and the party appears to be finished, along with Mr McCrea's nine-year career in politics.

NI21 grew out of the friendship and shared ideals of Mr McCrea and the South Down MLA John McCallister. They both resigned from the Ulster Unionist Party in February 2013 and spent four months recruiting followers and brainstorming ideas for what they described as "a modern, inclusive party for the 21st century". It attracted many young members, from both sides of the community, who responded to NI21's approach of "fresh politics" and no sectarian labels.

West Belfast-born businesswoman Tina McKenzie, who comes from a republican background, was appointed chair before being unveiled as the party's candidate for the 2014 European election. Earlier this month, she told the Belfast Telegraph that behind the scenes, the relationship between leader Mr McCrea and his deputy Mr McCallister was "horrific". She revealed: "They could not work together... there was always underlying friction and it never got better."

Shortly before the May 2014 elections, the party started to implode, following allegations of sexual impropriety levelled at Mr McCrea. On the eve of voting, Mr McCallister branded the party "dysfunctional" after the leadership decided to abandon its "unionist" designation. He later resigned, as did Ms McKenzie.

NI21 failed to break the 2% barrier at the polls and only one candidate was elected - Johnny McCarthy for Lisburn and Castlereagh District Council. He resigned from the party last Christmas. An official inquiry into allegations of misconduct by Mr McCrea was launched in summer 2014 by the Assembly's Commissioner for Standards, Douglas Bain. The report, published two weeks ago, cleared the Lagan Valley MLA of any wrongdoing.

Mr McCrea said the party had not been collecting membership dues for some time and that it will be up to the party executive to decide its future, although it may continue to exist as a "pressure group".
A suspect in a murder in Northern Ireland has brought a challenge to his extradition to the High Court in Dublin

A suspect in a murder in Northern Ireland has brought a challenge to his extradition to the High Court in Dublin.

Francis Lanigan's extradition was ordered by the same court last September after he had opposed it on the basis that he faced a risk to his life from paramilitaries if he was handed over to face prosecution.

Mr Lanigan (49), with an address at Mulhuddart, Dublin, was arrested in January 2013, under an extradition warrant in connection with the murder of John Knocker.

Mr Knocker was shot dead in a hotel car park in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, on May 31, 1998. He was gunned down at the Exit 15 nightclub after travelling from west Belfast to pick up his girlfriend.

Mr Lanigan brought separate judicial review proceedings challenging the constitutionality of the 2003 extradition legislation because, he claimed, his right to life would be in jeopardy if he was extradited.

The Minister for Justice and the State, who have been waiting to hand him over to the UK authorities, then asked the High Court to dismiss his latest case claiming it was a "collateral attack" on the extradition order as well as an abuse of process. Mr Lanigan claims his life is in danger if sent to Northern Ireland, because of an INLA feud as well as threats from both the IRA and loyalists.

The former INLA man was previously jailed for 10 years for conspiracy to murder police officers.

At a previous extradition hearing, a court heard that he had been living under the assumed name of Kieran McCrory for a number of years before being arrested.
A ninth person has been jailed in connection with the interception of a yacht carrying cocaine with a street value of more than 160 million (205 million euro) off the south-west coast of Ireland.

The Makayabella was stopped in September 2014 by the Irish Navy which found more than a tonne of the drug aboard.

Wayne Bush , 45, formerly of Ormonde Avenue in Hull, pleaded guilty to conspiring to import class A drugs at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed.

He was sentenced to a six-year prison sentence to add to three-and-a-half years he is already serving in relation to unrelated offences, the NCA said.

Bush is the sixth person to be jailed by British courts in relation to the Makayabella incident.

Others convicted include ringleader Stephen Powell, 49, of Netherfield Road in Guiseley, Leeds, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Three men who were on the vessel when it was stopped have been handed sentences of between eight and 10 years by the Irish courts.

The NCA said Bush was part of a three-man crew which was due to sail out and meet the Makayabella to bring back the drugs.

Another attempt to meet the boat had previously failed after running out of fuel. The three men on board, including Powell, had to be towed back to port.

Two days later Powell and another gang member, James Hill, met with Bush and unsuccessfully attempted to buy another boat at a marina in Milford Haven, south Wales.

After learning that the Makayabella had been intercepted and the drugs seized, the three men dumped the car they were travelling in at Cardiff Airport.

When the car was searched, six drums containing red diesel for the planned boat trip were found in the boot.

A marina compliments slip with both Powell and Bush's fingerprints on it was also discovered.

David Norris, NCA regional commander, said: " Wayne Bush played an important role in this conspiracy. He was to have formed part of the crew who landed this huge haul of drugs in the UK after the crime group transported them across the Atlantic.

"His conviction means nine members of this organised crime network are now behind bars either here or in Ireland.

"During this operation we drew on support from law enforcement partners in France, Ireland and Venezuela. It shows that the NCA has the capability to disrupt and bring to justice those involved at the top end of international drug trafficking."

Tarryn McCaffrey, reviewing lawyer in the Organised Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Bush's role in this major drugs conspiracy was to assist in a second attempt to rescue the yacht when it broke down in order to transfer one tonne of cocaine to another boat out at sea.

"Thankfully, attempts to find another boat were unsuccessful. Had the plan succeeded, 164 million-worth of drugs would have landed on Britain's streets.

"This case shows that each and every member of a gang can be successfully prosecuted for their involvement in these crimes, even if they are part of a large organised crime group."
A Norwegian man who was given a wholly suspended sentence for raping his girlfriend multiple times while she slept has been resentenced to 15 months imprisonment following a finding by the Court of Appeal that his original term was unduly lenient.

Magnus Meyer Hustveit (26), had pleaded guilty at Dublin's Central Criminal Court to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault committed against his 28-year-old girlfriend between 2011 and 2012.

He was given a wholly suspended seven year sentence by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on July 13 2015.

Hustveit, whose former partner waived her right to anonymity so that his identity could be published, returned to his native Norway after sentencing.

The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully sought a review of Hustveit's sentence on grounds that it was unduly lenient.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the victim had woken to find herself covered in semen with no knowledge of having engaged in any sexual activity. A few days later she awoke to find she had been penetrated but again was unclear how.

Mr Justice Birmingham said it wasn't in dispute that this was an unusual case and "indeed an exceptional one".

Much of the offending behaviour occurred without the victim's knowledge and all of the offending was only known because of detailed admissions made by Hustviet in an email he sent to the victim following her request to find out what had happened to her.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the combination of a number of factors  Hustveit's cooperation, his voluntary return to Ireland to be charged, his previous good character, the positive life he was now leading in Norway  justified and required a sentence that would be appreciably less than would be normal in cases of multiple rapes.

However, Mr Justice Birmingham said the court could not agree that the case was wholly exceptional as to warrant entirely non-custodial disposal and the sentencing judge erred in this regard.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the court was required to resentence someone who had been told he wouldn't be serving time in jail, had returned to his native homeland and had then been told that his sentence was facing a review.

It had long been recognised, the judge said, that taking away from someone a chance they had been given must be particulary burdensome and difficult.

It had been confirmed that Norway did not extradite its own citizens and considerable significance could be attached to the fact that Hustveit had returned voluntarily to face the review.

Mr Justice Birmingham said it would not have been possible for the lower court to require Hustveit to serve less than two-and-a-half years but now, at this stage, he would be required by the Court of Appeal to serve half of that two-and-a-half year sentence.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the original seven year sentence would remain and all but 15 months of it would be suspended.

Hustveit made no reaction to the court's decision when it was read out.

He was told once again that he will be on the sex offenders register and there were certain implications he would be required to abide by.

He was required to enter into a good behaviour bond bor seven years. When asked if he undertook to be so bound, Hustveit said I do.

His victim Niamh Ni Domhnaill was present in court with a number of friends and supporters.

Counsel for the DPP, Mary Rose Gearty SC, had applied to submit an updated victim impact report by Ms Ni Domhnaill.

However, counsel for Hustveit, Caroline Biggs SC, objected on the basis that it contained references to memory loss, hearing loss, seizures and blackouts but her side had not been provided with medical reports to "substantiate these assertions".

Mr Justice Birmingham said it would be extremely unusual for the Court of Appeal to hear evidence as it was a review court and appeal court ordinarily operation on transcripts and documents.

He said the defence's contentions about being unable to probe the assertions contained in the updated victim impact report was not without substance.

He said the Central Criminal Court sentenced Hustveit on the basis that the victim had been harmed and damaged and that harm and damage would continue. The court proceeded to sentence on the basis of what was before the Central Criminal Court.

Irish Independent
Ecuador's ambassador in London has met a Foreign Office minister and expressed concern over the Government's position on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Carlos Abad spent over half an hour with Hugo Swire to discuss the case of the WikiLeaks founder, who has been staying at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for over three years.

He is wanted for questioning in Sweden over a sex allegation, which he denies, but believes, if he goes, he will be extradited to the United States over the activities of WikiLeaks.

Today's meeting was the first of its kind since a United Nations working group said it believed Mr Assange was being "arbitrarily detained".

Ecuador's ambassador said: "At the meeting with minister Hugo Swire, I made it clear that Ecuador wishes to resolve the situation of Julian Assange, within a framework of respect for the United Nation's International System of Human Rights.

"I expressed our concern, shared by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, that to act in contravention of the UN resolution on the Julian Assange case sets a negative precedent within the international community.

"I was also able to clarify that Ecuador has not stood in the way of the judicial proceedings requested by the Swedish prosecutor who, for her part, has not yet complied with the standard procedures for international judicial cooperation outlined in the recently signed bilateral agreement between Sweden and Ecuador."

Ecuador denounced the "human rights violations" against Julian Assange at a session of the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Ecuador's ambassador to the United Nations, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, said: "Since its creation, this Council has been the most representative forum for debate and international agreements on human rights around the world.

"However, when the transgressions of these rights are carried out by certain politically and economically influential countries, cases are generally not discussed or they are downplayed, which creates an asymmetry that needs to be rectified.

"Ecuador wishes to express its concern in relation to the arbitrary detention that the Australian citizen Julian Assange has been subjected to for over five years with the participation of the United Kingdom and the kingdom of Sweden.

"The countries that are involved in this violation are also in breach of the right to health. Mr Assange's physical and psychological integrity is impacted as he has not received adequate medical treatment since the commencement of his confinement at the embassy of Ecuador in London where he has asylum."
Philip Hammond said the withdrawal of some Russian troops from Syria could be "positive"

Russia will be judged by its actions following Vladimir Putin's surprise announcement that he will pull troops out of Syria, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said.

There was no independent evidence that the withdrawal had begun, Mr Hammond said, and it was "not terribly reassuring" that Russia's defence ministry had indicated air strikes could continue against "terrorists" - a term Moscow has used to include groups the West views as moderate opposition forces.

The Foreign Secretary sounded a cautious note, telling MPs that Russia had previously claimed it was withdrawing from the Ukraine when it was actually just a routine rotation of troops.

It was unclear what Mr Putin's intentions were as he is a "very difficult partner", the Foreign Secretary added.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said that the withdrawal would be "welcome" if it signalled a new commitment to a genuine political transition in the war-torn Middle Eastern state.

Mr Cameron spoke with Mr Putin about Syria less than a fortnight ago, in a conference call with other European leaders, but Number 10 left no doubt that the Russian president's decision to pull troops out took Britain by surprise.

Updating MPs on the situation, Mr Hammond appeared to acknowledge that Moscow's move had caught out the international community , with no members of the International Syria Support Group given advance notice of Mr Putin's intentions.

Mr Cameron had not yet spoken to Mr Putin since his announcement on Monday night that Russia would be withdrawing "the main part" of its forces, including some aircraft, from Syria.

Russia's defence ministry announced early on Tuesday that the first group of warplanes had left their air base in Syria although Mr Hammond said there "we do not yet have any independent evidence to verify Russia's claims that military withdrawals have already begun".

Moscow is still expected to maintain a naval base and air base, as well as some troops in the country.

Russia's intervention, which took the world by surprise when air strikes began in September, has tipped the military balance in favour of Moscow's protege Bashar Assad, with Western nations accusing Mr Putin of targeting not only the terrorists of Islamic State - also known as Daesh - but also more moderate groups opposed to the Damascus regime.

Moscow has suggested the Syrian president agreed with the decision to pull the bulk of Russian troops out.

Mr Putins's declaration that action to shore up Assad had been successful was seemingly timed to coincide with a fresh round of peace talks in Geneva led by United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Mr Hammond said: "No one would be more delighted than me if, after five months of relentless bombing, Russia is genuinely winding down its military support to the brutal Assad regime.

"But, as in all matters related to Russia, it is the actions rather than the words that count. We shall be watching carefully over the coming days to see if the potential promise of this announcement turns into reality."

He told the Commons it was " worth remembering" that Russia had previously announced the withdrawal of military assets from Ukraine "which later turned out merely to be routine rotation of forces".

Mr Hammond stressed the UK's stance remained that "there can be no peace in Syria while Assad remains in power" and Moscow must use its influence to advance the Geneva process following the partial ceasefire announced in February.

"We look to Russia as guarantor for the regime and its backers to use its unique influence to ensure compliance and to make very clear to the Assad regime that their expectation is that they must negotiate in good faith," he said.

"After investing so much in Assad, Mr Putin must show the world that he can exercise control over his protege."

Mr Hammond also expressed concern about reported remarks made by Russian defence minister Sergey Shoygu about continuing to strike terrorists "exactly the formula that the Russians have used in the past when attacking the moderate opposition".

"It's not terribly reassuring that a few hours after the announcement of a withdrawal of their military forces their defence minister is saying that they will continue to attack terrorists."

The Foreign Secretary said it was possible the Russian announcement was "intended as a message" to the Assad regime not to "overplay your hand" and to engage in negotiations, or a signal to the opposition groups "b ecause it has not been that easy to persuade them to attend the Geneva talks when Russian bombs are still raining down on their positions".

"But unfortunately none of us knows what the intent of Mr Putin is when he carries out any action, which is why he is a very difficult partner in any situation like this."

Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of a first wave of anti-Assad protests widely held to have signalled the start of the Syrian uprising.

The ensuing civil war has since claimed more than 250,000 lives, displaced half of Syria's population and flooded Europe with refugees. There have also been a number of British citizens who have travelled to the region to fight for terror groups including Islamic State.

US president Barack Obama spoke with the Russian leader on Monday about the next steps and ned "some progress" in providing access to humanitarian aid for Syrian civilians, the White House said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. On an official visit to Athens, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a private conversation with the President of Greece, Prokopis Pavlopoulos. As Armenpress reports, citing the Public Television of Greece, at the beginning of the meeting the President of Greece welcomed the visit of the Armenian President to Athens, and stressed that this visit will contribute to the convergence of traditionally good relations between the two nations.

"Today is an important period for our region, we need it," Pavlopoulos said.

Referring to the agenda issues, the President noted that it is necessary to achieve resolution of the Syrian crisis, firmly resist the terrorists who committed a crime against humanity in Syria.

"The second issue in this context is the issue of refugees, the response to which should be based on the principles of humanity, solidarity and justice. On this issue Greece must respond in cooperation with its partners in the EU ", the president of Greece said.

According to him, this issue will also be discussed at the March 17 meeting of the Council of Europe, during which leaders of Europe "should adopt a single European program, based on humanitarian principles."

"We must not allow some of the partners, who have some concerns on this issue, adversely affect the search for a solution of this matter on the basis of European democracy and political culture", Pavlopoulos said.

He also expressed condolences to the Turkish people and the Turkish President in connection with the terrorist attack in Ankara. "Despite all our differences, we are ready to fight together against terrorism. Our solidarity with the Turkish people in this tragic moment shows that when we, Armenians, and Greeks, recall the genocide of the Armenians, the Greeks of Pontus and Asia Minor, do not do this out of a sense of revenge to the Turkish people. Our job is always to remember and not to allow the repetition of such crimes against humanity in the future. This memory and the lessons of history unite us against the terrorists, who organized the terrorist attack yesterday in Ankara ", the president of Greece concluded.
The attacker who carried out a deadly suicide bombing in Ankara was a 24-year-old woman who allegedly joined the Kurdish rebels in 2013 and trained in Syria, Turkey's interior ministry has said.

The government statement identifies the bomber blamed for killing 37 people, including herself, as Seher Cagla Demir.

The statement says Demir joined the PKK rebels, crossed into Syria and received what it called "terror training" from a PKK-linked Syrian Kurdish militia.

A possible male accomplice, who was also killed, has not yet been identified.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia - known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG - as a terror organisation because of its affiliation with the PKK and has been pressing the United States to stop helping the group. Washington considers the PKK a terrorist organisation but has backed the YPG, which has been effective in fighting Islamic State.

Turkey had blamed the Syrian Kurdish militia force for a February 17 bombing in Ankara that killed 29 people, saying the group had acted in concert with the PKK. But a Turkey-based Kurdish militant group that is an off-shoot of the PKK later claimed that attack.

No group has yet claimed Sunday's attack in the capital.

The attack escalated tensions with the Kurds and further complicated Turkey's place in the region as it battles a host of enemies across its borders including the Syrian government, Kurdish rebels in both Iraq and Syria, and IS.

Turkey has also been forced to absorb 2.7 million refugees from the war in Syria, and Europe is pressing to return thousands more migrants back to Turkey.

Turkey's air force carried out retaliatory air strikes on Monday against suspected PKK targets in northern Iraq, including on the Qandil mountains where the group's leadership is based. On Tuesday, the military said those air strikes killed at least 45 Kurdish rebels - a claim that could not independently be verified.

Turkish authorities, meanwhile, imposed a round-the-clock curfew and entry ban in the low-income Baglar neighbourhood of Diyarbakir, the largest city in the country's mainly-Kurdish south east region. Kurdish militants there set cars on fire overnight, triggering clashes that left one police officer and three Kurdish militants dead.

Turkey this week also declared 24-hour curfews and launched large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the south east towns of Nusaybin and Yuksekova and in the city of Sirnak.

At the same time, Turkish police pressed ahead with a security sweep across the country, detaining 55 people suspected of being members of a group that is considered the youth wing of the PKK in six provinces, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the aim of the Ankara attack was to sow fear among the public and "deter Turkey from its aims, its path and aspirations".

"They will not be successful," Mr Erdogan said. "They will not bring Turkey to its knees; on the contrary they will be the ones kneeling."

He spoke at a joint news conference with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, who arrived in Ankara in a show of solidarity.

The PKK is fighting Turkey for Kurdish autonomy in the south east. The fragile two-year peace process collapsed in July, reigniting the conflict.
Macedonia has sent back hundreds of refugees to Greece, a day after they bypassed a border fence in a mass push to continue their journey north to Europe's prosperous heartland - a move Greece blamed on "criminal misinformation" possibly spread by volunteers working with them.

Interior ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski said the migrants "have been returned to Greece".

About 1,500 people, frustrated at being stuck for weeks in a waterlogged tent city outside the closed crossing of Idomeni, pushed their way into Macedonia on Monday through an unguarded section of the border. They walked about five kilometres (three miles) and crossed a swollen stream near the Greek village of Hamilo.

A Macedonian official said 700 migrants who had been detained overnight were deported to Greece through the same location they entered. The official also said about 50 journalists and volunteers detained with the migrants were released after paying fines of 250 euro (195) for illegally entering Macedonia.

Greek police said groups of migrants were seen coming back to Greece from unguarded sections of the border east and west of Idomeni - although Greece says it received no official notification or repatriation request from Macedonia. A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency in Idomeni, Babar Baloch, confirmed that many had returned to Idomeni.

About 200 people who had camped overnight near Hamilo went back to Idomeni on Tuesday, while Macedonian police guarded the area. It was not possible to account for all the migrants.

Despite repeated Greek appeals for them to move to available organised shelters, about 14,000 people are stuck in the Idomeni tent city in swampy conditions after days of heavy rain, and hundreds were queuing under a shelter on Tuesday for food handouts.

"As long as (refugees) still believe that there is a chance of getting through (to Macedonia), this will continue," immigration minister Ioannis Mouzalas said. "There is no way the border will open."

For months, hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East and Africa flowed through Idomeni, on their way to seek asylum in central Europe. But a tightening in border controls that started in Austria and extended down the Balkan migration route ended in a total border closure last week. Now, about 44,000 people are stranded in Greece, after crossing from nearby Turkey in flimsy smugglers' boats.

The European Union's commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos - a Greek politician - visited Idomeni on Tuesday and deplored the "tragic, unacceptable" conditions he saw.

"This tests the principles and values of the civilised world, and Europe," he said. "This situation must end immediately."

Mr Avramopoulos also appealed to EU countries to honour the bloc's commitments to share out asylum seekers.

Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras blamed Monday's mass move to circumvent the border fence on misleading leaflets distributed at Idomeni, which encouraged the refugees to make a concerted push north.

Mr Tsipras said "unknown people, perhaps groups that call themselves volunteers" handed out leaflets advising migrants to cross the border by bypassing the fence and warning that if migrants left the overflowing Idomeni camp for shelters in northern Greece, they would be imprisoned there.

"This is criminal behaviour towards people who face great hardship," Mr Tsipras said. "This must stop."

Greek police are investigating the incident.

Mr Tsipras urged the refugees to leave Idomeni for the shelters, and called on volunteers working with them to help scotch false rumours.

Macedonian foreign minister Nikola Poposki, in a statement, said only a "united and humane" response from the European Union can solve the continent's migration problem.

"More migrants in deteriorating tent cities at the border only encourages (people) smuggling," Poposki said.

Some migrants said they were beaten and attacked with stun guns by Macedonian forces, who drove them in military vehicles back to unguarded sections of the border and pushed them through.

"We were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers, who hit many of us," said Syrian Molham Masri, 21. "They hit me with a baton. Others were hit with Tasers."

Afghan Ghulam Haidar, 35, had a badly bruised face and blood on his clothes. He said he was sitting beside a camp fire with his wife and five-year-old son inside Macedonia when Macedonian police caught them and told them to get up.

"I had a bag on my shoulder and had difficulty getting up," he said. "As I was at it, a policeman took a stick out of the fire and hit me in the face. They hit my arm too, but luckily left my wife and child alone."

Asked for an explanation, Macedonian interior ministry spokeswoman Natalija Spirova Kordikj demanded proof of the reported attacks.

"Can they prove their claims?" Ms Spirova said. "Did they report that to anybody? If not, that would be only speculation that we strongly reject."
Mother Teresa will be made a saint on September 4.

Pope Francis set the canonisation date, paving the way for the nun who cared for the poorest of the poor to become the centrepiece of his year-long focus on the Catholic Church's merciful side.

The announcement was expected after Francis in December approved a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa's intercession - the final hurdle to make her a saint. The actual date falls on the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death.

In Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the eastern Indian city where Mother Teresa spent decades caring for the sick and homeless, there were joyous celebrations at a school and orphanage founded by her in 1949.

"The news of Mother's sainthood is a matter for joy. But Mother Teresa is already like God to us," said Jyotsna Patra, one of the early students of the school, now in her mid-fifties.

Archbishop Thomas D'Souza conducted a special Mass, while the nuns of her order, the Missionaries of Charity, held prayers at her tomb.

"Mother Teresa's canonisation means that the Mother's message will become better known," said Sister Christi, one of the senior nuns at the Kolkata headquarters of the order.

The Vatican ceremony will draw tens of thousands to honour the tiny, stooped nun who was fast-tracked for sainthood just a year after she died in 1997. St John Paul II, who was Mother Teresa's greatest champion, beatified her before a crowd of 300,000 in St Peter's Square in 2003.

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, Mother Teresa joined the Loreto order of nuns in 1928. In 1946, while travelling by train from Kolkata to Darjeeling, she was inspired to found the Missionaries of Charity order.

The order was established four years later and has since opened more than 130 houses worldwide to provide comfort and care for the needy, dying, sick and "poorest of the poor".

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work with Kolkata's destitute and ill - work which continued even after she herself became sick. She died on September 5 1997 aged 87. At the time, her Missionaries of Charity order had nearly 4,000 nuns and ran roughly 600 orphanages, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and clinics.

"She built an empire of charity," said the Rev Bernardo Cervellera, editor of the Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency AsiaNews. "She didn't have a plan to conquer the world. Her idea was to be obedient to God."
Citizens income, also known as Universal Basic Income (UBI), involves a basic, unconditional, fixed payment made to every person in the country

New Zealand could become one of the first developed countries to scrap benefits and introduce a basic citizens income.

Leader of the opposition Andrew Little said his Labour party was considering the idea as part of proposals to combat the "possibility of higher structural unemployment".

Citizens income, also known as Universal Basic Income (UBI), involves a basic, unconditional, fixed payment made to every person in the country by the state in lieu of benefits.

Mr Little confirmed his party would debate the idea at its conference on employment at the end of March.

He said significant changes to way people worked were "unavoidable" and "we expect that in the future world of work there will be at least a portion of the workforce that will rapidly move in and out of work".

He told New Zealand news website Stuff: "The question is whether you have an income support system that means every time you stop work you have to go through the palaver of stand-down periods, more bureaucracy, more form filling at the same time as you're trying to get into your next job.

"We are keen to have that debate about whether the time has arrived for us to have a system that is seamless, easy to pass through, [with a] guaranteed basic income and [where] you can move in and out of work on a regular basis."

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The debate does not mean the policy will be included in the partys manifesto at the next general election - which is likely to take place next year - or that the ruling National party will consider the proposals.

Other countries such as Finland and the Netherlands are due to launch similar programmes this year and Canada also recently debated the issue.

Switzerland is due to hold a referendum on introducing the measure later this year.

It comes after delegates at the SNP spring conference in Glasgow backed a motion to consider the proposal when designing the welfare system of an independent Scotland.

Independent
It is long overdue that we in the unionist community stopped allowing ourselves to be wound up about the Irish language by those unionist and republican politicians in search of some easy publicity.

Latin and Irish have both contributed to our current culture and neither is likely to ever replace English as the dominant language on any part of this island.

Councillor Timothy Gaston has gained much publicity (News, March 8) by asking for Ballymena manhole covers to be replaced simply because they bear the Irish word for water.

Yet he must be aware that his actions simply encourage nationalists to learn a few words of Irish just so that they can wind up people like him.

Is it not time that both unionists and nationalists moved away from this negative use of Irish? Surely we in the unionist community can accept and welcome the minor role of Irish in our British way of life?

Would it not be better for all if we taught our children not to be alarmed at the sight of a few ancient words from a language that forms a significant part of the names of our towns?

I am sure even councillor Gaston doesn't want the 'Baile' (town) removed from Ballymena, or Ballymoney.

SCHOOLTEACHER

By email
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. There are great prospects of developing economic relations between Armenia and South Korea, which remain unrealized. During a conversation with "Armenpress" such an opinion was expressed by RPA MP, Head of the Armenian delegation of Armenia- South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group Samvel Farmanyan, who was recently on a working visit in South Korea.

During the visit we presented the opportunities which were created after cancellation of international sanctions against Iran and the geopolitical changes, as well as the fact that Armenia has become a part of the Eurasian Economic Union. These new realities can be more attractive for the Armenian economy. When we say that there are great prospects, they still remain unrealized. Mostly we refer to the areas where the main resource is human capital. Information technology, mining, all areas where work is done through the involvement of high technology, are of great potential for cooperation. It is interesting to note that the representatives of the Armenian community in South Korea are mainly involved in the field of information technology. They are young people who work in the "Samsung" company. There are prospects of cooperation in the fields of education and culture as well. The Center of Korean Studies is active in the State Linguistic University of Yerevan. We also visited one of the most prestigious universities of Seoul, where we reached an agreement to deepen the cooperation with our university, Farmanyan explained.

He also informed that soon there will be a meeting with Armenian and Korean businessmen. "I am of the opinion that contact and cooperation between the two countries should continue. South Korea is the country that has advanced experience not only in terms of economic development, but also the establishment of democracy, therefore it is necessary to intensify relations with this country and, why not, apply their experience in making progress in various fields, the MP added.

Samvel Farmanyan gave details of his visit to South Korea. "We had meetings with the Korean National Assembly President, members of the Friendship Group. The discussions naturally included further expansion of cooperation between Parliaments, as an important component of interstate relations. We discussed the possibilities of further expansion of cooperation. An agreement was reached on this issue, given the fact that after the Constitutional Reforms of Armenia the role of the Parliament has changed, and the Parliament needs support in terms of good governance, "said Farmanyan.

Farmanyan said that they used the opportunity to present the situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "It was very impressive for us to hear that the Korean friendship group delegation shared our view that the core of the resolution should be the very essence of the conflict, the Nagorno-Karabakh people's right to live as they wish. It was also impressive to see that most of the members of the Korean Parliament were aware of one of the most tragic pages of our history, the Armenian Genocide. Moreover, every year on April 24 in the hall adjacent to the Session Hall of the Parliament of Korea photo exhibition dedicated to the Armenian Genocide victims is organized, the MP concluded.

Head of the National Assembly Armenia-South Korea Friendship Group Samvel Farmanyans delegation was on a four-day working visit to South Korea. The delegation included MPs Alexander Arzumanyan and Tevan Poghosyan. On March 10, the delegation met with the Speaker of the Korean National Assembly Chung Eui-hwa.

Shant Khlghatyan
Former Bangladesh central bank Gov. Atiur Rahman speaks to reporters at his home in Dhaka following his resignation, March 15, 2016.

Bangladeshs central bank governor resigned Tuesday and two of his deputies were sacked in a shake-up over the cyber-theft of U.S. $81 million from one of the banks overseas accounts.

Atiur Rahman, who served as governor of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) for seven years, resigned during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In accepting his resignation, she assured him that the government would investigate the probable involvement of other central bank officials in the Feb. 4 heist, her press secretary told BenarNews.

"In the context of the situation arising out of the 'undesired incident' at the Bangladesh Bank, the governor today tendered his resignation to the honorable Prime Minister," Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said, alluding to the largest bank robbery in Bangladeshs history.

The thieves tried to steal around U.S. $1 billion of BB money held in an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, but a typo in a payment order destined for Sri Lanka led to their more ambitious plot unraveling, Bangladeshi officials confirmed last week.

"The honorable prime minister has said Dr. Rahmans resignation demonstrates his moral courage and honesty," Karim added.

Two of Rahmans four deputies, Nazin Sultana and Abul Kashem, were removed from their positions as part of a post-robbery shuffle at the central bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told reporters later.

Bank officials had failed to notify him promptly about the robbery, Muhith said earlier this week. He said he only learned about the theft from reading a report in a Philippine newspaper, the People's Daily Inquirer, which broke the story on Feb. 29. A portion of the money that was stolen was wired from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to a bank in Manila.

Bangladeshi central bank officials went public about the theft on March 8.

On Tuesday, Muhith announced that former Finance Secretary Fazle Kabir would succeed Rahman as the banks governor.

In addition, Jamaludin Ahmed, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Economic Association, and Rushidan Islam Rahman, research director at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), were being appointed to replace Sultana and Kashem on the banks 10-member board of directors, Muhith said.

There were some delays: Rahman

The finance minister met with Rahman at Muhiths home in Dhaka on Monday night, after the bank governor had returned to the Bangladeshi capital from a trip to New Delhi.

"The finance minister suggested that it would be better if I resigned," Rahman told reporters at his official residence on Tuesday morning, after handing his resignation to the prime minister.

In responding to questions about why the bank was slow to notify the minister about the missing money, Rahman said the BB could not understand the theft immediately and it was also trying to get the stolen money back.

"We informed the government when the situation was under control and we saw the possibility of getting the money back. So, there were some delays, Rahman told reporters.

An expensive typo

The $81 million that was stolen on Feb. 4 (New York time) was among five tranches totaling U.S. $101 million that were wired from the banks account in New York to a Manila branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, some BB officials told BenarNews last week on condition of anonymity.

The New York Fed processed five payment orders placed by hackers who used a confidential code for money transfers known only to a handful of officials at the Bangladesh Bank, Mohammed Farashuddin, a former BB governor who is leading the investigation into the theft, told BenarNews.

Last week, he suggested in an interview with Benar that collusion must have taken place between the hackers and someone at the bank.

The thieves tried to transfer another $950 million out of the account in New York via 30 other tranches, but those transactions were blocked because of the misspelling of the word foundation in a payment order that was made out to a Sri Lankan NGO, the anonymous sources said.

This discrepancy raised the suspicion of officials at Sri Lankas central bank, who alerted both the New York Fed and Bangladesh Bank, which then blocked the subsequent payment orders.

The New York Fed said it was assisting Bangladeshs central bank in its investigation into the theft.

The payment instructions in question were fully authenticated by the SWIFT messaging system in accordance with standard authentication protocols, a New York Fed spokesperson said last week, adding there was no evidence that Fed systems were compromised.

The Sri Lankan central bank had now returned $20 million to the Bangladesh Bank account in New York, Abu Hena Md Razi Hasan, a deputy governor at the BB, told reporters Sunday.

A portion of the $81 million that was wired to the Philippines  $30 million  wound up being delivered in cash to an individual in Manila, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing testimony given to Philippine lawmakers.

The rest of the money went to two casinos in the Philippines, where anti-money laundering officials have frozen 44 bank accounts connected to the case, according to Reuters.
Police stand by during a funeral for Siyono, who died in custody, at his home village of Pogung, Klaten, Central Java, March 13, 2016.

A man arrested by Indonesias counterterrorism force in Central Java last week died in custody and his body bore signs of torture, his family says.

Siyono, 34, was buried at his home village of Pogung in Klaten regency before dawn Sunday, five days after his arrest on March 8.

Hundreds of mourners shouted Allahu Akbar as a vehicle carrying the corpse entered the village at 2:15 a.m. Sunday (below).

Villagers would not allow security personnel  toting guns and shields  to approach the home of the deceased.

Siyono was healthy when arrested, but his corpse bore injuries including two black eyes, a broken nose and bruises on the right side of his face, according to Sri Kalono, a lawyer for the family.

He was still bleeding from the back of his head and there were traces of dried blood. His legs were swollen and blackened, and one of his left toenails was almost detached, he said.

The family has not seen a warrant for Siyonos arrest and has no idea why he was taken away, the lawyer said.

Sri Kalono said he had reported the death to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), to a police body that monitors police conduct and professionalism, and to the Indonesian Child Protection Commission.

A fight took place

Siyono was arrested based on information from a terrorist suspect with initial T, alias W, police spokesman Agus Rianto told reporters in Jakarta.

Densus 88 officers took Siyono into custody to search for a weapon, but Agus did not say what kind of weapon or if Siyono was linked to terrorism, according to reports.

After about two hours of searching, the members brought the suspect back. But on the way, the suspect resisted the members and attacked the members guarding him, and a fight took place in the vehicle, SuaraMerdeka quoted the police spokesman as saying.

Authorities took Siyono to Bhayangkara Hospital in Yogyakarta, but he died there. His body was taken to the Kramatjati Police Hospital in Jakarta, Agus said.

Sri Kalono questioned the cause of death given by police, according to multiple media reports, that Siyono was weak after fighting with Densus 88 members.

It is very unlikely that Siyono would have had the nerve to resist and fight Densus 88, Sri Kalono told BenarNews.

Trips to Sulawesi

Siyono, a father of five, was arrested March 8, shortly after carrying out sunset prayers at a mosque near his house, witnesses said.

Three men led him away. Siyonos father Marso and brother Wagiyono, who were with him at the time, saw nothing unsual about it, thinking the men were Siyonos friends.

"They also went into the mosque, but before prayers finished one of them went out, Marso said.

The father said that over the past year his son had traveled to Sulawesi to try to make money in cocoa farming.

Siyono had came home the day before his arrest after receiving news that his father-in-law had died, Marso said. A month earlier, he had also come home to see his family.

The family realized Siyono had been arrested by Densus 88 on March 10 when armed police in face masks arrived at his home and searched it.

The search uncovered nothing, according to Marso. Police took photo copies of his identity card, his family identity card, and his motorcycle.

The place was packed with children at the time, according to Wagiyono.

Siyonos wife Suratmi, a kindergarten teacher, was teaching dozens of kids at her home while a new kindergarten building was being constructed.

The family learned Siyono had died Friday at midday when a police officer arrived at the house requesting a family representative to go to Jakarta.

They said it was for a visit, but I had a bad feeling about it, Marso said.
Police escort former army Lt. Gen. Manas Kongpaen, a key defendant in a major human trafficking case in Thailand, and other defendants to a courtroom at the Bangkok criminal courthouse, Nov. 13, 2015.

The largest human-trafficking trial in Thai history opened Tuesday with testimony from a Rohingya man who told a harrowing tale of deception and suffering at the hands of people-smugglers.

Former Thai army Lt. Gen. Manas Kongoaen and 89 other defendants went on trial in Bangkok on charges of being involved in a transnational human-trafficking ring stretching from Myanmar to Malaysia via Thailand.

Both hands were tied with rope and we were forced to board the vessel, walk down to the second deck and sit on a cramped floor, Roshiduila, the Rohingya witness and a trafficking victim, testified in describing the start of his five-day sea journey from Myanmar to Ranong  a port on Thailands Andaman Sea coast  early last year.

The trial of the defendants who include Manas and other army officers, policemen and government officials from several provinces in southern Thailand, is expected to last until mid-December.

Key charges against the defendants include human trafficking involving international crimes, illegally holding others and concealing bodies. The human trafficking charges carry a sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of up to 1 million baht ($28,469 USD), if convicted.

Manas and the scores of co-defendants were chained at the ankles as they sat together on benches in the courtroom during the first day of their trial.

Manas and the others were arrested last year as part of a Thai crackdown on illegal immigration. The crackdown was triggered in May 2015, when the bodies of 32 suspected undocumented migrants were discovered at traffickers camps abandoned in the jungle in Songkhla province, near Thailands border with Malaysia.

Southern Thailand has long been a transit point for Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar and Bangladeshi migrants trying to enter Malaysia illegally by sea and land.

The discovery of the graves also led to Thailand imposing a maritime blockade on smugglers boats trying to land on its shores. The blockade precipitated a humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia as thousands of desperate Rohingyas and Bangladeshis came ashore in nearby Malaysia and Indonesia.

Deceived

Roshiduila, a native of Hisuritha village in Myanmars Rakhine state, was the only witness to testify on Tuesday.

Through an interpreter he testified that a local constable, Hashimyuila, served as a major broker who lured Rohingya Muslims into the clutches of a human-trafficking ring.

According to Roshiduila, Hashimyuila promised people like him a better life in Malaysia, away from persecution in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

Hashimyuila told me and three other friends there were jobs in the construction sector, and each would earn 1,500 ringgit a month (U.S. $361), Roshiduila said, adding that the broker promised a journey in an air-conditioned cruiser.

Roshiduila said that he and some other villagers believed that the constable would not cheat them, so they decided to take a chance. One night early last year, he and 20 people from the village embarked on a small boat from a nearby pier.

The boat sailed to a rally point in the Andaman Sea, where many other victims of trafficking were forced to board fishing boats, he testified.

Some of them tried to resist, but they were kicked and forced to board the vessel by 10 Burmese-speaking men who were armed.

Roshiduila, who understands some Burmese, said he heard guards mention that the number of passengers had reached 270. The ship set sail the next evening.

He said guards told them they needed to keep quiet, that they would receive one meal a day along with a small portion of water twice daily, and could use a rest room once a day.

At the end of his testimony, Roshiduila identified photos of seven Thai and foreign traffickers whom he encountered at trafficking camps in Ranong. He referred to them as big bosses.

Testimony is scheduled to resume on Wednesday and go on through Friday.

During their arraignment in November, 88 suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges, as did two more suspects on Tuesday. Two other suspects are in custody but have not been charged. Investigators said another 61 suspects remain at-large.

Back in November, a judge said that the court expected to hear from more than 400 witnesses as well as defendants.

Trial concerns

Meanwhile, a U.S.-based human rights advocacy group warned that the trial could be flawed.

Amy Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights, cited the fact that a key potential witness, former Thai Police Maj. Gen. Paween Pongsirin, the policeman who had headed the investigation into the transnational ring, fled to Australia in December, saying he feared for his safety after Thai authorities ordered a stop to the probe.

Pongsirin is a key witness in this case, and the fact that he fled Thailand in advance of this trial, fearing for his life, is deeply concerning, Smith said.

Weve talked to other witnesses who are also afraid  and for good reason. Witnesses in this case are testifying against members of the Thai Army, Navy, Police, the Internal Security Operation Command and others, she added.

In addition, according to Fortify Rights, Thailand has failed to provide adequate protection to witnesses.

Of the hundreds of witnesses scheduled to testify, we are aware of only 12 that are receiving formal protection under the Ministry of Justice. If Thailand is genuine about seeing justice served in this case, protection of witnesses needs to be a top priority, Smith said.
Rebels in Thailands restive Deep South mounted a series of attacks that killed a defense volunteer and injured 11 other people on Sunday and Monday, authorities said.

The attacks brought to 20 the number of people killed in spurts of related violence across the region since Feb. 10, when Thai security forces raided a rebel hideout in Pattani province.

The latest attacks occurred around the 56th anniversary of the founding of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN)  which remains the largest and most powerful of the armed separatist groups in Thailands predominantly Muslim far southern region. The anniversary fell on Sunday.

The incidents also took place amid ongoing efforts by the Thai junta to persuade rebel groups and factions to resume formal peace talks for the first time since December 2013, when a civilian-led government was in office.

Rebel groups wanted to show their ability to launch attacks on BRNs anniversary, Gen. Chakthip Chaijinda, the national police chief, told reporters Monday.

Members of other rebel groups joined BRN members in mounting attacks in six or seven locations in Yala and Narathiwat provinces, he said.

Rebels infiltrate hospital

The attacks began when four rebels started shooting at a military base in Cho-i-rong district, Narathiwat province, on Sunday. No one was injured, police said.

Later, rebels launched a larger attack at an Army Ranger base camp 4816, officials said. After authorities responded, the rebel group entered a nearby hospital and fired on the soldiers before eventually fleeing into the woods. Authorities reported that seven soldiers were injured.

Security forces did not open fire on the hospital over concerns for staff members who were in the building. The army and National Human Rights Commission condemned the rebels infiltration of the hospital as inhumane.

Orawan Namkhan, a nurse at Cho-i-rong hospital who was six months pregnant, confirmed that rebels entered the hospital and shot at the military base next-door.

There were about 10 rebels who ran into the hospital to hide, and they tied my hands in the back. Luckily I was quiet, so I was safe. If I shouted, I would have been killed, she told reporters.

The fatality occurred Monday, when the defense volunteer was shot dead along the road in Narathiwats Muang district. Four others, including a civilian, were injured in separate attacks in the Deep South.

Following the attacks, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha ordered the army to increase security in the southern provinces, Reuters reported.

The government cant accept actions that are above the law, junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Sansern Kaewkumnerd told reporters, according to Reuters.

New wave of violence

The attacks on Sunday and Monday marked the third round of deadly violence this month.

On March 3, four people, including two civilians, were killed in separate shootings over a 24-hour period.

Five days later, three officials were shot dead in separate attacks. A woman who was shot and severely injured while traveling by road to a rubber plantation in Pattanis Tung Yang Dang district.

The bloodshed within the past five weeks has taken place against the backdrop of back-channel efforts by the Thai junta to try and get the BRN and other rebel groups to re-open formal peace talks and settle the regions long-running conflict. More than 6,000 have died in it since 2004.

Last year, the junta began holding meetings with MARA Patani, an umbrella group representing various rebel groups and faction, including the BRN, that were aimed at pointing both sides back on a track to peace talks.

But last month, Lt. Gen. Nakrob Boonbuathong, a member of Thailands negotiating team told reporters that the pre-peace talk process was still stuck in the mutual trust-building phase.

The government now set a June 2016 deadline for the signing of a peace deal, but Nakrob did not say what would happen if both sides failed to strike a deal by then.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. On the contact line of the Karabakh-Azerbaijan opposing forces on March 14 and early morning of March 15, the adversary fired more than 1500 shots towards Armenian positions from different caliber weapons.

As "Armenpress" was informed by the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry Press Service, the NKR Defense Army mostly refrained from response actions and took necessary steps for the confident protection of the military positions along the contact line.
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YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. As of March 15, 09:30, the Vardenyats Pass (Martuni) is partly covered with ice. As "Armenpress" was informed by the press service of the RA Ministry of Transport and Communications, there is snowfall in Maralik, Artik, Gyumri, Ashotsk and Aparan, Aragats, Spitak and Hrazdan, Gavar, Martuni, Vayk, Jermuk, and the Saravan pass.

All interstate highways are open.


For Immediate Release, March 15, 2016 Contact: Tara Easter, (971) 717-6408, teaster@biologicaldiversity.org Africas Two Elephant Species Move Closer to Endangered Species Protection WASHINGTON In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that Africas elephants may qualify for endangered status under the Endangered Species Act and may warrant reclassification as two separate species. These actions would highlight the plight of both species and strengthen protections. Savannah elephant courtesy Flickr/Bernard Dupont. This image is available for media use. African elephants currently are listed as one species under the less-protective threatened status. But recent genetic studies indicate that Africas elephants actually comprise two separate species  forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) and savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana). Africas elephants split into separate species at least 2 million years ago  about the same time Asian elephants diverged from mammoths. Both elephant species have experienced steep population declines in recent years due to the trade in their ivory tusks as well as habitat loss and human-elephant conflict. The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) recently released data from 2015 showing that poaching rates continue to drive declines in elephant populations, with West and Central African populations continuing to be hardest hit. Fewer than 100,000 forest elephants and 400,000 savannah elephants are thought to remain, down from a total of more than 1 million animals just 40 years ago. In just over a decade, forest elephant populations plummeted by 65 percent. Forest and savannah elephants are crucial to maintaining the health of their respective ecosystems, and they are important components of each of their home countries natural heritage, said Tara Easter, a scientist at the Center. But these incredible flagship species are rapidly disappearing, and they need and deserve the strongest protections available. Poaching elephants for their ivory tusks is the most immediate and significant threat to the species survival. The United States is one of the worlds largest markets for ivory, and the current rules governing the U.S. ivory trade are complex and confusing, leaving Africas elephants vulnerable to the illicit trade in their tusks. Protecting African elephants as endangered would tighten U.S. ivory trade regulations, prompt additional funding for elephant recovery and raise awareness of each species plight. The Fish and Wildlife Service has made substantial progress in combating ivory trade in the United States, said Easter. But an endangered listing would send a strong message to the international community that elephants need every protection to survive. Background

Forest elephants and savannah elephants, as their names suggest, evolved in different ecosystems, with forest elephants concentrated in the forests of Central and West Africa and savannah elephants generally occurring in more open terrain throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Forest elephants, which have declined by nearly two-thirds in just 11 years, are smaller than their savannah elephant counterparts and have straighter, thinner tusks and rounder ears. They live in the remnants of the regions rainforests and are keystone species that disperse seeds over larger ranges than any other mammal in the region, which is critical to maintaining the health of the worlds second-largest rainforest. But poaching, habitat loss and civil conflicts are decimating their populations. Savannah elephants -- the larger of the two species -- are also known for their impressively big tusks. Savannah elephants are found in savannah and plains ecosystems and are also keystone species in their habitat, maintaining the open canopies of savannahs and dispersing seeds over vast distances. Savannah elephant populations have dramatically declined throughout their range, with perhaps the most notable devastation observed in Tanzania, where one of the strongest populations of 109,000 elephants dropped 60 percent to 43,300 in just five years. 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.


For Immediate Release, March 15, 2016 Contact: Jay Lininger, (928) 853-9929, jlininger@biologicaldiversity.org New Mexico Jumping Mouse Gains 14,000 Acres of Critical Habitat Protecting Streamside Habitat Will Also Benefit Other Species, Water Quality ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. As part of an agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected 13,973 acres of critical habitat for the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse. The mouse only lives along streams. It was once found from southern Colorado to central New Mexico and eastern Arizona, but has been lost from the vast majority of its range due to loss and degradation of streamside habitat. Protection of the streamside habitat that the mouse needs to survive is long overdue, said Jay Lininger, a senior scientist at the Center. This is one of the most precariously endangered mammals in the country, and protecting its habitat will benefit a host of other species, too, and improve water quality. In 2014 the Service listed the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse as endangered following an agreement with the Center and other conservation groups under which more than 100 other species have also gained protection under the Endangered Species Act. The mouse, which is threatened primarily by livestock grazing in its riparian habitat, is unique in that it hibernates up to nine months. Each summer it must reproduce and gain enough weight to survive that long hibernation. It can only survive in areas with tall, dense growth of streamside grasses and sedges. The jumping mouse is known to exist at only a few sites, none of which offer enough habitat to ensure the animals long-term survival. Mice at 11 of the 29 sites may already have been extirpated due to drought, excessive grazing and post-fire flooding. The mouse is also threatened by the disappearance of beaver, residential and commercial development, coalbed methane extraction and unregulated recreation. The U.S. Forest Service has sought to forestall extinction of the jumping mouse by installing fences at certain sensitive sites in the Lincoln and Santa Fe national forests. Ranchers holding permits to graze on national forest land have sued the Forest Service in an effort to remove the fences that protect the jumping mouse, alleging violations of their property and water rights. However, a federal court denied their motion for a restraining order and allowed the fences to remain in place, finding that the ranchers allegations of harm to their business were grossly exaggerated. The jumping mouse was first recognized as being in need of federal protection in 1985. It was placed on the candidate waiting list for protection in 1991 and again in 2007. 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.


For Immediate Release, March 15, 2016 Contact: Miyoko Sakashita, (510) 844-7108, miyoko@biologicaldiversity.org Obama Plan Protects Atlantic Ocean But Opens Arctic, Gulf of Mexico to More Offshore Drilling Five-year Plan Continues to Sacrifice Climate, Wildlife for Industry Profit WASHINGTON The Obama administration today announced plans to prohibit new oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean but offer new lease sales in sensitive Arctic waters off Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico, which is still suffering the effects of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe nearly six years later. Ramping up offshore drilling risks more disastrous spills, puts wildlife in harms way, and deepens U.S. dependence on the fossil fuels driving the global climate crisis. Were thrilled that whales, dolphins and coastal communities will be protected from the dangers of drilling in the Atlantic, but prohibiting new leases off the East Coast isnt enough, said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. President Obama needs to follow his own climate rhetoric and stop allowing new oil and gas drilling in all of our oceans. The new five-year proposed plan, which follows a draft plan released in January 2015, schedules 13 offshore oil and gas lease sales in six planning areas from 2017 to 2022. Under the revised plan, there would be 10 sales in the Gulf of Mexico and three off the coast of Alaska. The Obama administrations proposal would take new drilling in the Atlantic off the table, where development has so far been off limits. But new leasing should also be halted in the Arctic, where an oil spill in remote areas would be impossible to clean up, and in the Gulf of Mexico, which has been treated as a sacrifice zone for far too long. The plan encourages further reliance on oil and threatens wildlife already in danger because of climate change, including polar bears and walruses. The Obama plan represents a long-term commitment to offshore oil drilling at a time when experts are sounding the alarm on further fossil fuel development. Leading climate scientists say atmospheric CO2 concentrations should be reduced to 350 parts per million to avoid catastrophic, irreversible impacts. And in order to reach this goal the vast majority of fossil fuels must stay in the ground. Arctic Ocean oil and gas pose a major climate threat. Producing and burning projected technically recoverable oil and gas reserves in the Arctic Ocean has the potential to release 15.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thats equivalent to the emissions from all forms of transportation in the United States over a nine-year period. Selling off parts of the Arctic and the Gulf to oil companies takes us in exactly the wrong direction when it comes to solving the climate crisis and protecting marine life from toxic spills, said Sakashita. President Obama needs to keep offshore oil in the ground to meet his climate promises, and that means ending, not expanding, offshore oil and gas leases. The proposed plan will be open for a 90-day comment period before the plan is finalized at the end of this year. 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.


For Immediate Release, March 15, 2016 Contact: Taylor McKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity, (801) 300-2414

John Weisheit, Living Rivers and Colorado Riverkeeper, (435) 259-1063

Matt Sandler, Rocky Mountain Wild, (303) 579-5162 Legal Protest Challenges Fossil Fuels Auction on 8,000 Acres in Colorado Fracking Threatens Climate, Endangered Fish, Roadless Forests DENVER Conservation groups filed a formal administrative protest on Monday against a Bureau of Land Management plan to auction off more than 8,000 acres of publicly owned oil and gas in the San Juan National Forest and Little Snake Field Office in western Colorado. Each new federal fossil fuel lease takes us closer to climate disaster, said Taylor McKinnon with the Center for Biological Diversity. Leaving a livable climate for future generations requires keeping fossil fuels in the ground now, and we should start with the public lands that President Obama controls. The protest, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Living Rivers, Utah Rivers Council, Rocky Mountain Wild and Sierra Club, calls on the BLM to abandon its auction plans and keep fossil fuels in the ground to protect the climate, wildlife and public lands. The protest identifies the plans failure to analyze climate impacts or consider an alternative that would suspend public lands fossil fuel development to protect the climate. The protest challenges the Bureaus failure to protect the endangered Colorado pikeminnow and its Colorado River and San Juan River Basin habitat from the impacts of water depletions caused by oil and gas development, toxic spills, climate change and corresponding declines in river flows. It also challenges leasing on four parcels located on U.S. Forest Service lands designated as roadless areas under the 2011 Colorado Roadless Rule. We understood that when Congress passed the 2005 Energy Policy Act, it was bad news for the Colorado River basin for this one fundamental reason: That water consumption by the energy corporations would increase the demand for water in an over-appropriated system, compounded by the impairment to the water cycle from greenhouse gas emissions, said John Weisheit with Living Rivers and Colorado Riverkeeper. The federal government must make the right choice and deny these permits so people and wildlife will have secure and clean water." Mondays protest is part of a rapidly growing national movement calling on President Obama to define his climate legacy by halting new federal fossil fuel leases on public lands and oceans  a step that would keep up to 450 billion tons of potential carbon pollution in the ground. Keep It in the Ground rallies opposed to federal fossil fuel auctions have been growing across the country, and have caused several of those auctions to be postponed. BLMs decision to lease thousands of acres within designated roadless areas undercuts the importance of this designation, said Matt Sandler with Rocky Mountain Wild. These undeveloped, contiguous areas are essential for many species like Canada lynx and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Download the protest here. Background

The American public owns nearly 650 million acres of federal public land and more than 1.7 billion acres of Outer Continental Shelf  and the fossil fuels beneath them. This includes federal public lands like national forests and wildlife refuges that make up about a third of the U.S. land area  and oceans like Alaskas Chukchi Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Seaboard. These places and fossil fuels beneath them are held in trust for the public by the federal government; federal fossil fuel leasing is administered by the Department of the Interior. Over the past decade, the combustion of federal fossil fuels has resulted in nearly a quarter of all U.S. energy-related emissions. An August report by EcoShift consulting, commissioned by the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth, found that remaining federal oil, gas, coal, oil shale and tar sands that has not been leased to industry contains up to 450 billion tons of potential greenhouse gas pollution. As of earlier this year, 67 million acres of federal fossil fuel were already leased to industry, an area more than 55 times larger than Grand Canyon National Park containing up to 43 billion tons of potential greenhouse gas pollution. Last year Sens. Merkley (D-Ore.), Sanders (D-Vt.) and others introduced legislation to end new federal fossil fuel leases and cancel non-producing federal fossil fuel leases. Days later President Obama canceled the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, saying, Because ultimately, if were going to prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, were going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them and release more dangerous pollution into the sky. Download a letter from more than 400 groups and climate leaders urging President Obama to halt new federal fossil fuel leasing. Download Grounded: The Presidents Power to Fight Climate Change, Protect Public Lands by Keeping Publicly Owned Fossil Fuels in the Ground (this report details the legal authorities with which a president can halt new federal fossil fuel leases). Download The Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions of U.S. Federal Fossil Fuels (this report quantifies the volume and potential greenhouse gas emissions of remaining federal fossil fuels). Download The Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions fact sheet. Download Public Lands, Private Profits (this report details the corporations profiting from climate-destroying fossil fuel extraction on public lands).


This image shows Yucca Brevifolia Tikaboo, June 2014. Scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have teamed up with researchers at Willamette University, a liberal arts college in Salem Oregon, to develop genetic tools that could save the Joshua tree from extinction. Together with scientists from The University of Georgia and the University of British Columbia, and with the support of several Mojave Desert conservation organizations, researchers are inviting members of the public to help get the project off the ground by making donations at the crowdfunding site Experiment.com. In the past two weeks, more than 100 backers have donated more than $4,000 to The Joshua Tree Genome Project. The project aims to raise $8,500 by March 24th.

Joshua trees are the iconic species of the Mojave Desert, the hottest and driest desert region of North America. This keystone species provides food and habitat for many other species, and numerous State and National Parks are dedicated to their conservation. However, emerging research suggests that Joshua trees are disappearing across much of the Mojave Desert, perhaps because of ongoing global warming. Some scientists predict that the trees may go extinct within the next 100 years.

The project, one of 17 projects that are participating in Experiment.com's Liberal Arts College Pilot Program. The pilot program at Experiment.com aims to bring the power of crowdfunding to research labs at small undergraduate institutions. To help support colleges participating in the program, Experiment will contribute an extra $2,000 to the project that receives the most donors by March 16th.

"Understanding the genome will help us make conservation plans that allow Joshua tree to adapt to changing climates and environments," said project scientist Christopher Irwin Smith, a biologist at Willamette University. "The genome could also answer many important questions about the evolutionary history of this iconic desert species."

"The data will provide our first detailed look into the Joshua tree genome," said Michael McKain, an evolutionary biologist working on the project and a post-doctoral associate at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. "It will allow us to untangle Joshua trees' diversity at the most basic level, and identify how major evolutionary events contributed to its unique form."

Ensuring that Joshua trees will flourish into the future means preserving the plants themselves and the genetic variation that will allow them to evolve in response to environmental changes. "Sequencing the Joshua tree genome is the first step to revealing the genetic basis of climate adaptations," said Jeremy Yoder, a post-doctoral fellow studying evolutionary biology at the University of British Columbia. "And from there we can identify gene variants that may allow Joshua trees to survive rising global temperatures."

Source: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
The Rarest Bird in the World: The Search for the Nechisar Nightjar

by Vernon R.L. Head

From Pegasus:

Part detective story, part love affair, and pure adventure storytelling at its best, a celebration of the thrill of exploration and the lure of wild places during the search for the elusive Nechisar Nightjar.

In 1990, a group of Cambridge scientists arrived at the Plains of Nechisar in Ethiopia. On that expedition, they collected more than two dozen specimens, saw more than three hundred species of birds, and a plethora of rare butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles, mammals, and plants. As they were gathering up their findings, a wing of an unidentified bird was packed into a brown paper bag. It was to become the most famous wing in the world.

This wing would set the world of science aflutter. Experts were mystified. The wing was entirely unique. It was like nothing they had ever seem before. Could a new species be named based on just one wing? After much discussion, a new species was announced: Nechisar Nightjar, or Camprimulgus Solala, which means only wing. And so birdwatchers like Vernon began to dream.

Twenty-two years later, he joins an expedition of four to find this rarest bird in the world. In this gem of nature writing, Vernon captivates and enchants as he recounts the searches by spotlight through the Ethiopian plains, and allows the reader to mediate on nature, exploration, our need for wild places, and the human compulsion to name things. Rarest Bird is a celebration of a certain way of seeing the world, and will bring out the explorer in in everyone who reads it.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian movie enthusiasts will have the opportunity to watch the world famous Armenian-Canadian director Atom Egoyan's film "Remember on the big screen."KinoPark director Vazgen Saghatelyan informed during a conversation with "Armenpress" that the movie will be available in theaters from March 24.

"Initially we decided to screen 2 sessions per day, one during prime-time.However, if the film succeeds among the Armenian audience we will surely increase the number of sessions," he said.

Remember is a 2015 Canadian-German drama thriller film directed by Atom Egoyan and written by Benjamin August. Starring Christopher Plummer, Bruno Ganz, Jurgen Prochnov, Heinz Lieven, Henry Czerny, Dean Norris, and Martin Landau, the film was released in Canada on October 23, 2015, in Germany on December 31, 2015.

The plot focuses on an elderly man with dementia, who with the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor and a hand-written letter goes in search of the person responsible for the death of his family.

Producer, film director and stage director Atom Egoyan was born in 1960 in Cairo.

In 1962 he moved to Canada along with his family. He studied international relations, music and Armenian History at the Toronto University, where he began filming.

His first movie, Next of Kin, filmed in 1984, was presented at an International Film Festival and received the Grand Prix.

In 2002 he directed the film Ararat, which tells about the Armenian Genocide. Ararat won in the Best Film category at the Canadian Genie Awards.

Egoyan has won multiple awards at the Cannes film festival and Toronto film festival. He has also been nominated for an Oscar.
A mercy flight, covering 15,935 kilometres across the airspace of 10 countries into war-torn Yemen, has saved the life of a month-old baby.

Medical evacuation from a war zone

One-month-old, Yazan Yousif Qade, was in dire need of surgery for a congenital heart defect, but to get to the doctors who could treat him, a team of South African medical aviation evacuation specialists had to find a way to safely fly him and his mother from his conflict-ravaged homeland of Yemen.

We were approached by Alliance International Medical Services (AIMS) to take on this medical evacuation, and despite the difficult and dangerous situation, Netcare 911 and its medical aviation partner, Medair, felt compelled to help as it was made clear to us that we were Yazans last hope, recalls Bruce Johnstone, chief executive of Medair.

Two-fold safety plan

The logistical aspect of the flight was twofold. Firstly, to negotiate safe passage through the airspace of several conflict zones, and, secondly, to ensure the wellbeing of the patient and medical staff involved.

As the patient was so young and had such compromised health, it was necessary for him to be monitored closely throughout the flight from Yemen to Johannesburg. While Netcare 911 is well placed to undertake mercy flights of this nature, this was clearly a mission with a difference that required meticulous planning and logistical support at every level. The safety and wellbeing of our staff, who needed to monitor the critically ill Yazan during the long flight, were of paramount importance throughout this operation, says Netcare 911 chief operating officer, Craig Grindell.

This case was further complicated by the fact that permission had to be sought from the Saudi Arabian authorities to cross their airspace, and we then had to wait for them to give us safe timeslots for the flights. We were fully cognisant of the political sensitivities that needed to be negotiated for us to conduct a mercy flight in that part of the world. The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation provided considerable assistance in this regard, Johnstone notes.

Life-saving surgery

The return trip went smoothly from a medical perspective, and the air ambulance landed at Lanseria International Airport just after 5am on Friday, 12 February. The baby was transported directly to Netcare Sunninghill Hospital for the heart surgery he so urgently needed, reports Grindell.

Yazan, who suffered coarctation of the aorta, which is the narrowing of the large blood vessel branching from the heart, underwent an emergency procedure that very afternoon. The procedure, performed by cardiothoracic surgeons, Dr Hendrik Mamorare and Dr Izak de Villiers Jonker, and paediatric cardiologist, Dr Raymond Dansky, was a success. Yazan, recovered well, and returned home to Yemen in early March.
Investment heavyweight Remgro hiked its interim dividend 9.5%, despite seeing its intrinsic net asset value dribble down, and being in the unfamiliar position of carrying a meaningful debt load on its balance sheet.



Photographer: Hetty ZantmanImage source: Jannie Durand, CEO of Remgro.Photographer: Hetty ZantmanImage source: BDlive

On Monday, Remgro reported a 0.7% decline in its intrinsic value to R286.96 per share at the end of December, compared with R288.89c per share at the end of June last year.

As an investment company, intrinsic value is the best measure to gauge Remgros performance. But the intrinsic value snapshot does show the devastating effects of the firing of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December, with Remgros substantial holdings in banking and financial stocks shedding marked value.

Remgros intrinsic value has since recovered, with CEO Jannie Durand disclosing that as at March 11, the intrinsic net asset value stood at R297.11 per share. This represents a 3% gain from the end-June figure.

The big drags on the intrinsic value number were banking investments FirstRand and RMBH, insurance hub RMI Holdings, and RCL Foods.

Remgros controlling stake in private hospitals group Mediclinic  now listed on the London Stock Exchange  increased markedly from R37bn to R49bn. But the Mediclinic investment is now tagged to debt of R3.36bn.

Lentus Asset Management chief investment officer Nic Norman-Smith said Remgros decision to increase the interim payout should be seen against a portfolio of high-quality, cash-generative investments.

"Directors must be comfortable the payout is not going to strain the balance sheet substantially," he said.

Remgros cash available from operations was close to R3bn for the interim period.

Cash from operations was significantly lower at R136m (previously R645m), but dividends from investments topped R2bn (previously R1.4bn).

The companys biggest unlisted investment, a 25.8% stake in household brands giant Unilever, increased in value from R8.7bn to R9.4bn.
Competition for the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) Sommelier Cup finals is heating up, with South Africa seen by tastemakers as one of the most innovating and exciting wine countries globally.

Luca Bertolli via 123RF

The triennial event is open to anyone currently working in the restaurant trade in nine of South Africa's key growth markets. These are the US, Canada, Asia, Germany, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Kenya and Ghana.

Identifiying wine ambassadors

Finalists will visit the Cape Winelands and Cape Town from September 18 to 24, hosted by WOSA. But first they will have to prove their in-depth knowledge of South African wines in a series of initial competition stages held in the participating countries.

As gatekeepers to consumers, these influencers are an important target group for WOSA in building the country's winemaking profile amongst international wine lovers. The idea is to expose finalists firsthand to the best in South African wines and winemaking, equipping them with the information and context to become de facto ambassadors.

Judges

This year's judges for the final round include Master Sommelier James Tidwell, who serves on the board of directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers - Americas and is the co-founder of TEXSOM, the annual Texas Sommelier Conference, as well as publisher of the magazine Sommelier.

He will be joined by Totte Steneby, one of Sweden's two most highly qualified sommeliers and a former winner of Best Sommelier of Sweden and Best Sommelier of the Nordic Countries. Steneby also judges for Decanter World Wine Awards and works closely with celebrity sommelier Rajat Parr.

Also on the panel will be the 2013 winner of the WOSA Sommelier Cup, Will Predhomme of Canada. A former Sommelier du Monde in Japan, he is now making wine in his native country and the US.

Will Predhomme, winner of the 2013 WOSA Sommelier Cup and a member of the 2016 judging panel

South Africa will be represented on the judging panel by three top local sommeliers, who are members of the SA Sommelier Association (SASA).

Imagination capturing trailblazers

WOSA CEO Siobhan Thompson says: "Now that the country's reputation for trailblazing, unusual and individualist winemaking has captured the wider public imagination, South Africa has become a 'hot' category and interest in competing in the 2016 Sommelier Cup is at an unprecedented high."

"Part of the attraction is undoubtedly the opportunity to spend time with a selection of the winemakers who are shaping this reputation. They're remarkably passionate, visionary but down-to-earth people who have found a voice that is unique and refreshing.

"Engaging with such original winemakers and encountering what must count as some of the world's most beautiful wine-growing spots will make this an experience of a lifetime."

For more information on how to enter and the various rounds entailed to reach the finals, go to WOSA Sommelier Cup.
Mauritian business representatives descended on Durban on Monday, and will be in Johannesburg later this week, to promote the country's trade opportunities in textile manufacturing, accessories, jewellery, and agricultural products.

The Enterprise Mauritius team said it was already talking to big chains, such as Mr Price, Ackermans and Reebok about manufacturing in the Indian Ocean country.

The same group was in Cape Town earlier this year to expand its manufacturing contracts with large retailers, such as Woolworths and The Foschini Group which are already sourcing some of their production in Mauritius. The country is already doing business with the likes of Edcon and major brand names, such as Calvin Klein, Puma, River Island and Levis.

Europe and the US account for more than 50% of Mauritian textile and clothing products, while SA accounts for about 24%, as the fourth-largest importer of apparel.

Enterprise Mauritius CE Arvind Radhakrishna said the trade missions sought to strengthen existing relationship, while seeking new buyers in different categories, such as boutique outlets.

"The timing of the mission is particularly opportune in light of the depreciation of the South African rand, since Mauritian manufacturers enjoy zero rate of duty when entering the South African market."

Radhakrishna encouraged South African companies, especially big fabric manufacturers, to set up their plants in Mauritius. The textile and apparel industry employs about 55,000 people on the island.
There are always two sides to a story and in the case of the South African power utility's plans for its coal baseload independent power producer procurement programme (CBLIPPPP), it's the greens versus the producers.

The environmentalists perspective

In a communique from a number of environmental groups, they say that that Medupi and Kusile  South Africas much delayed and over-budget, new coal-fired Eskom power stations are shifting the focus - with little public attention being given to the additional 2,500 mW of privately owned coal-fired electricity that the minister of energy has planned.

The new coal energy will be sold to Eskom by those independent coal-fired power producers (IPPs) that are successful bidders in terms of the Coal Baseload Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (CBLIPPPP).

To date, groundWork (gW) and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg (ELA), together with community partners in the Vaal, Mpumalanga Highveld, and KwaZulu-Natal have launched a legal challenge against three proposed new coal-fired power stations proposed under the CBLIPPPP. These are the 1,200 mW Thabametsi power station (near Lephalale in the Limpopo); the 600 mW KiPower power station (near Delmas, Mpumalanga); and the 1,050 mW Colenso Power station (near Colenso, KwaZulu-Natal).

They argue that there should be no new investment in coal power, and that resources should be redirected to renewable energy. gW director, Bobby Peek, says: Unlike dirty coal, renewable energy projects in South Africa have a track record of being built on time and within budget. Moreover, renewables do not damage the health of people and pollute water, or contribute to global warming that causes climate change.

From the coalface

Meanwhile, Botswana-listed junior coal miner, Shumba Energy, is pleased with the decision of the minister of energy, along with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), to formally determine the terms for cross-border electricity procurement.

The South African department of energy will be responsible for selecting and procuring IPP programmes targeting connection to the grid with a specific additional generation capacity of 3,750 mW from coal. The electricity must be purchased directly from IPPs by Eskom Holdings or by any successor entity to be nominated by the Minister of Energy.

The management and board of Shumba Energy have based the companys projects investment plan and associated project development programmes upon the key strategic understanding that cross-border energy demand would eventually become a reality within the southern region of Africa, says Mashale Phumaphi, managing director at Shumba Energy.

Shumba considers two of its advanced baseload coal-fired energy projects as suitable for cross-border energy procurement: the Mabesekwa Export IPP in the northeast of Botswana and the Sechaba Coal IPP near Palapye. These two projects are ideally positioned to handle the complete investment required to provide bankable energy to the cross-border grids of Southern Africa.
While international companies and governments continue to take definitive steps to address gender transformation in senior echelons, an expert says that locally the issue demands serious attention.

Debbie Goodman-Bhyat - CEO, Jack Hammer

Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, CEO of executive search firm Jack Hammer, says, The companys latest research indicates a decrease in the percentage of female CEOs in South Africas Top 40 companies in recent years and an ongoing conservative bias in hiring practices. This approach not only affects equality and transformation but also has a negative effect on the bottom line and competitiveness of a business.

Days before International Womens Day last week, Germany passed a law obligating some of Europes biggest companies to have women occupying 30% of their top jobs by next year. In doing so, Germany joined the ranks of several other countries introducing gender quotas in senior echelons.

This comes mere weeks after entrepreneur extraordinaire, Elon Musk, said he would be auditing employee salaries at his company to ensure gender pay parity, in line with principles of fairness and justice.

In South Africa, racial representation in boardrooms and executive teams rightfully gets an enormous amount of attention and is a source of countless debates and analyses. However we are in danger of losing sight of the fact that gender transformation is faring even worse, which should prompt some hard questions, continues Goodman-Bhyat.

According to the latest Jack Hammer Executive Report, Finding the Facts: South Africas Future Leaders, of the 334 executives in the JSEs Top 40 companies, only 17% of executives are female, compared to 21% who are black South Africans. Moreover, female CEOs decreased from 5% in 2012, to only 2.5% in 2015, when the research for the third report was conducted.

Once again, hiring practices in top jobs show a bias towards doing things as they have always been done, with tremendous conservativism. However, this approach no longer makes sense when research repeatedly shows that increased diversity  including on the gender front  leads to improved company performance.

According to a 2011 Catalyst Analysis of the financial results at Fortune 500 companies, a high representation of women board members led to companies significantly outperforming those with no female directors.

While it is true that women in South Africa are increasingly being appointed to senior positions, too many of these appointments remain in support or corporate services roles. While these roles are certainly important, they do not lead to the top jobs.

It is therefore imperative that more women be actively sourced and appointed to the critical profit-and-loss jobs, the core business roles, which will enable greater gender transformation at CEO and executive levels in years to come.

According to the groundbreaking research on gender transformation, conducted by the non-profit organisation Lean In and McKinsey & Company, women continue to face greater barriers to advancement and a steeper path to senior leadership. Yet despite female leadership being an imperative for organisations that want to perform at the highest levels, the current slow rate of progress means that it will take 25 years for gender parity to be reached at senior executive levels, and more than 100 years to reach equality in the C-Suite.

It is time for businesses to address the unconscious biases which not only impact on equality and transformation but also have a negative effect on bottom line and competitiveness. Companies must become consciously strategic about transformation and focus on appointing black and female professionals into core business roles, in order to start shifting the seat of influence sustainably, concludes Goodman-Bhyat.
South Africa's government is taking cybercrime seriously. The revised version of its Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill , which was published in August 2015, is set to be released during 2016.

Andriy Popov via 123RF

The bill is a crucial and welcome step in the fight against phishers, hackers and online identity thieves. It defines various offences that relate to data, messages, computers and networks. It makes it criminal for anyone to acquire, possess, provide or use personal or financial information to commit an offence. Unlawfully acquiring, possessing, providing, receiving or using passwords, access codes or similar data also constitutes an offence.

It doesnt stop there. The bill provides for the ministers of police, defence, telecommunications and postal services to set up various new structures and positions to improve computer security. For instance, the government will be empowered to establish a Cyber Response Committee, a National Cybercrime Centre, Incident Response Teams and other mechanisms for reporting and investigating cybercrime. Importantly, the legislation also grants extensive powers to the police and the State Security Agency to search, access and seize anything related to investigating such matters.

But legislation alone cannot stop cybercrime. Education is key so that individual computer users learn not to respond to phishing emails. This bill does not force computer users to do or not do something: it simply cannot influence human behaviour on its own. A number of studies globally have indicated that individual computer users remain a weak link in the online security chain.

South Africans hugely at risk

User education is more important than ever. Research suggests that South Africans are being increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. In January 2016, the country jumped from 67th to 22nd position on cybersecurity firm Check Points live Cyber Attack Threat Map. Doros Hadjizenonos, Check Points country manager in South Africa, told a news website that the company had seen an increase in phishing attacks targeting video-on-demand users, who are tricked into handing over their passwords under the guise that their accounts need to be updated.

Meanwhile, internet security company Trend Micros latest report shows that unsolicited bulk email or spam, a popular method used to launch email phishing attacks, peaked at 2,269,039 in December 2015. The company also reported that 6,185 personal computers in South Africa protected by their technology had banking malware installed on them during 2015. This is software thats downloaded onto a computer without the users knowledge to perform a malicious act  such as stealing passwords and account numbers.

Phishing remains an extremely popular method of identity theft. Cybercriminals try to trick computer users into divulging personal financial information. This can then be used to steal money or commit fraud. Victims can lose enormous amounts of money. Computer network and security firm RSAs Online Fraud Resource Centre estimates the global cost of phishing attacks for December 2014 at US$4.5 billion. In South Africa alone, about $49 million was lost to phishing during 2015.

Educating computer users

This evolving and growing threat certainly requires legislation that defines offences and establishes structures for reporting and investigating cybercrime. But, as weve outlined, user education is equally important.

It is essential that computer users be educated about the risks that cyberattacks pose. This includes developing training and awareness about how to prevent and detect such attacks. These initiatives could range from placing relevant information on financial institutions websites to generating media awareness through newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. More formal training sessions and education could also play a role.

Our research group at Stellenbosch University is currently examining ways to improve online security in South Africa. This involves gauging peoples understanding of the threat of phishing and the steps they take to avoid falling victim to such attacks. Whether you think youre vulnerable to phishing, believe youre well protected or genuinely have no idea, you can contribute to this research by clicking here to complete the survey.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
As smartphone penetration across the continent increases, African travellers are increasingly looking for agents offering online and mobile services. This according to an independent research study commissioned by Amadeus and run by strategy consultancy, Inquisition.

fabio formaggio via 123RF

The Africa mobile travel research explored existing mobile usage behaviour within the travel experience across the African continent. Over 2,500 people were surveyed through mobile phones across seven countries: Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. These were people who had travelled up to 12 months prior to the study and in the 18 to 44 age bracket.

Travel in the digital era

Key findings of this research revealed that African travellers are booking online and directly with service providers like hotels and airlines. If travel agencies want to remain relevant for the African traveller, they will need to offer online booking and management services.

In the digital era, buyers are increasingly shopping through their laptops, desktops and mobile devices and travel is no exception. Travel agents who embrace this trend and evolve by ramping up their omnichannel retail technology will, therefore, benefit greatly.

Andrew Shaw, online manager, Africa, Amadeus says: Mobile phones provide near ubiquitous access to internet across much of the continent and data collected across all markets show that African travellers are ready and willing to transact on mobile and online platforms.

Key findings from the report have shown:

Travellers increasingly take control of their bookings using online tools

 16% of travellers book with online travel agencies

 34% still prefer the High Street travel agent

 36% of travellers book directly with the service provider, such as the airline or the hotel

Travel Management Booking shows geographical and demographic differences

 In Ghana, 41% of travellers book through an agency that has a website

 In Nigeria, 25% of travellers opt to book through travel agencies who are operating exclusively online

 49% of South African travellers book directly with the provider

Travel planning happens in a relatively short time

 61% of male travellers book less than one month in advance, as opposed to 52% of female travellers.

 36% of female travellers prefer to book between one and three months in advance

 South African travellers plan further ahead as compared to their Ivory Coast and Kenyan counterparts

 38% of South African travellers book between one and three months in advance, as compared to 9% of Kenyan travellers and 8% of Ivory Coast travellers

Travellers want to manage travel themselves

 Move towards self-management of travel services across the travel experience: pre-booking travel research, through to booking, and managing a travel experience.

 46% of those polled say they would go online to book and confirm their hotel

 47% would happily change their hotel booking

 55% would share their trip on social media

 45% would rate and review a hotel, activity, airline or travel agency.

Travel app usage

 African travellers share similar requirements from mobile travel apps, with demand across the board for itinerary management, booking management, social network integration and rating and review services.

Preferred payment methods

 Mobile payments still represent a small proportion of payment for travel services booked, with direct deposits to a travel agency still the bulk at 36% of those polled, and 25% directly with the supplier.

 Compared with other African markets, Angola, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Senegal lag in terms of paying for services with a smartphone.

 46% of travellers who have not paid for services using a smartphone cite security concerns as the main barrier for adoption.

For detailed results of the study per market visit the Amadeus Africa Blog.
It's estimated that there are 23 million smartphone users in South Africa . If you're one of them, there's a good chance that you can contribute to Google's Mzansi experience.

The Mzansi Experience  Discover South Africa on Google Maps gives local and international tourists the opportunity to explore some of South Africas most beautiful locations with 360-degree imagery from the comfort of their armchair.

Some of the Google Street View locations featured the Mzansi Experience include the Kruger National Park, Table Mountain, and the Cape of Good Hope.

Explore the Kruger National Park with Googles Mzansi Experience

How to contribute to Google Street View using a smartphone

Users of Googles Street View app can create and publish photo spheres which are 360-degree images.

Android and Apple users can download the latest version of the Street View app here:

 Android

 iOS

Once youve downloaded the app, the process of creating and publishing a photo sphere can be done in seven easy steps:

1. Open the Street View app.

2. In the bottom right corner of your phone, tap the orange menu and touch the camera icon.

3. Point the camera at the dot.

4. Continue to centre the orange dots in the provided circle.

5. Once of youve centred all the orange dots, tap the green tick at the bottom of the screen

6. Googles Street View app will process the image and find your current location.

7. Once processing is completed, you can publish the photo sphere.

Other ways to contribute to Google Street View

Its also possible to create a photo sphere by using a spherical camera. Google recommends using these cameras which work with Street View:

 Ricoh Theta S

 Iris360

Andre Van Kets, co-founder and digital director of online travel company Discover Africa Safaris, used the Ricoh Theta S at the launch of Mzansi Experience in the Cape Point Nature Reserve earlier this week.

#360selfie in the Cape Point funicular with members of the Google Nigeria team and other media attending the Google Maps event at Cape Point Nature Reserve.

#360selfie in the Cape Point funicular with members of the Google Nigeria team and other media attending the Google Maps event at Cape Point Nature Reserve. #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

View from Cape Point upper lighthouse in 360

View from Cape Point upper lighthouse in 360 #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Clementine Mbatha (SANPARKs), Paddy Gordon (TMNP), Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom, Luke McKend (Google South Africa), Sven Tresp (Google Streetview), Mich Atagana (Google South Africa) address the media after the #ExploreMzansi launch. 360-Photo by Andre Van Kets (Discover Africa Safaris)

Clementine Mbatha (SANPARKs), Paddy Gordon (TMNP), Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom, Luke McKend (Google South Africa), Sven Tresp (Google Streetview), Mich Atagana (Google South Africa) address the media after the #ExploreMzansi launch #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

360 Cameras becoming more accessible

360 cameras like the Ricoh Theta S are retailing for between $200 and $400 dollars. This may seem pricey now, but expect the prices to drop as more competitors enter the market this year.

The photo spheres you see here were taken using Ricoh's first generation camera, the Theta M15. It is a consumer-level camera, retailing at $250. Their latest model, the "Theta S" has many enhanced features and currently retails for $350. Whilst $300+ might seem a lot for the average traveller or snapshot photographer, we can definitely expect prices of these cameras to drop over the next few months. said Van Kets.

Manufacturers like Samsung, GoPro and others are expected to enter the market in 2016.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the crisis in Syria and Putin's announcement of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces, the White House said in a statement. Armenpress reports, citing Reuters.

Obama welcomed the reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation of hostilities, but he stressed that continuing offensive actions by Syrian government forces risk undermining peace efforts, the statement said.

Obama also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria and emphasized the need for Syrian government forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance, the White House said.
Wolfgang Bernhard, global boss of Daimler Trucks and Buses and a member of the management board of Daimler, was in SA recently to announce the brand's new regional centre

Image via Quickpic

Africa is a region that Bernhard and his colleagues are watching closely, particularly with a view to future growth for the business. However, it is also a region that provides many challenges. He points out that developments, not least of the all the volatility following the firing of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, are being watched.

Investment requires stability

"Every political decision has seen and unseen reactions. We anxiously watch and are hopeful that government will ensure a good business environment," he says. "We are ready with investment, commitment, education and community support," he says.

But he cautions government "not to restrain business so much that we will not be able to go forward anymore". While his comments might be directed towards the South African government, challenges apply across the continent. "The level of corruption is unbearable. We have to get rid of it," he says. "I know it is Africa, but things have to change."

Bernhard also does not see governments in central Africa following through on commitments to plans such as a central Africa automotive hub, as championed by former South African trade and industry minister Alec Erwin. "The plans will not give the customs break," he says. "We do not see governments following through on their commitment. So why should we invest? "We need to have a reliable environment," he says.

Investment could also see an increase in the number of models produced at the company's plant in East London. Bernhard says the company is looking at complete knock-down production of the Indian-built Bharat-Benz models which could provide a solution for those looking for sturdy, reliable and affordable vehicles. "They are high quality, but simple," he says. "We cannot allow only the Chinese to have these type of products."

At the other end of the scale, Bernhard says there is great potential for the autonomous or self-driving truck in SA. Daimler has already showcased its Future Truck 2025 which is now being tested in a live environment on German roads, while the company's Freightliner division is also testing autonomous trucks in the US.

Autonomous opportunity

He says there is the potential for autonomous trucks in a number of applications in SA. One of these is mining, which he says would be very simple to do, but Bernhard says it is a niche industry. "We believe that long haul is the holy grail of autonomous driving. I do not see why this isn't an enormous opportunity for SA."

However, he says that the legislation will take years. This is a frustrating issue for Bernhard and others in the truck industry. The industry is moving ahead with technological advances much faster than legislators and there have been numerous calls for governments to fast-track their legislation and infrastructure.

It is clear though that Daimler is focused on providing product at both ends of the spectrum and all areas in between as it aims to satisfy the very diverse needs of the African market.

Source: Business Day
The third annual African regional round of the ELSA Moot Court Competition, a simulation of a World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel proceeding, will take place at Rhodes University in Grahamstown from 29 March to 1 April 2016.

The competition, organised annually by the European Law Students Association (ELSA), in cooperation with the WTO, is designed to enhance students knowledge of international trade law and WTO dispute settlement procedures, with a view to enhancing capacity for meaningful engagement in multilateral trade in the long term. It has a global reach and its participants come from every continent.

This year, 10 universities from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda will gather to compete against each other, with the best three teams qualifying for the world finals, taking place at the WTO headquarters in Geneva in June 2016. The African Trade Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as other local, regional and international donors, sponsor the participation of the teams in the African Regional Round.

The purpose of this initiative is to support the continuing participation of African universities in a student competition designed to enhance knowledge of international trade law and WTO dispute settlement procedures, with a view to enhancing capacity in Africa in the long term.

Through this competition, the participants will gain invaluable experience as a supplement to their university degree. By practicing and seeing how the WTO dispute mechanism works, they will have a great insight and advantage for later career purposes.

Through the organisation of the African Regional Round, ELSA is fulfilling its social responsibility to students worldwide, providing them with lifetime chance to make their dreams about an international career come true, says Ada Gawrysiak, VP for Moot Court Competitions, ELSA International.

For more information, go to http://emc2.elsa.org.
Five American teachers, selected to be part of Rotary's Vocational Training Team, have just completed a three week teaching exchange programme where they visited Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres around Cape Town, sharing their experience about curriculum and classroom structure.

The Injongo Educare Project is a comprehensive ECD initiative by the Rotary Club of Claremont that has addressed a variety of needs at 47 Educare centres in the Philippi area. The main intention is that the centres become self-sustaining beacons of hope in the communities. The whole-centre approach includes equipping teachers with the necessary skills, providing on-site mentoring support and educational resources, upgrading buildings and ultimately enabling children to flourish during a critical stage of their development before they reach primary school.

International partnership

The teaching exchange programme with the American teachers is the start of what Rotary hopes to be a long international partnership. The project will be driven by two international Rotary districts, namely Rotary District 9350 (including South Africa, Namibia and Angola) and Rotary District 7890 (including the four shoreline counties of Connecticut, United States of America).

By working closely with the Department of Social Development and Department of Education of the Western Cape government, the project aims to create a platform where innovative methods in ECD are shared, fosters new approaches and betters the overall quality of development for each child.

The teaching team from Connecticut spent a week working with staff and children at two ECD centres in the Injongo Project - Albertina Sisulu and Khululeka Educare centres, both in Philippi. As part of the programme, we are excited that five of our local ECD teachers from the Western Cape will travel to Connecticut in April for a four week visit as part of the exchange, says Tom Bergmann-Harris, president of the Rotary Club of Claremont.

The teachers have already met each other in Cape Town, so the information sharing relationships have begun, the idea is for knowledge and best practice to be shared so that the best teaching methods can ensure optimal development for all the children attending ECD centres, he says.

Passionate teachers

In every classroom we entered, we were welcomed so warmly. The children and staff were so excited to learn and while we have shared from our experience in the US, we feel just as fortunate to have learnt so much from the incredibly strong women here who are such passionate teachers, Elizabeth Cannone, one of American teachers shares.

Bergmann-Harris explains the importance of working closely with child and child care workers during a key stage of their development - the first 1,000 days of their lives. Research has shown how a child can truly flourish with the best possible outcomes when their early development is prioritised. All young people should be able to benefit from a world class standard of education.

"This teaching exchange has injected a new level of interest into the programme and its goals. We have enjoyed every part of this programme so far and new relationships have been established at a number of different levels, he concludes.
As BBC World News celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, Africa Business Report presenter Lerato Mbele exclusively shares her favourite BBC story she's covered, as well as top media trends to watch out for in 2016.

Back in 1991, World Service Television (known as BBC World News today) launches with its first half-hour bulletin across Europe. The original news team comprised six journalists from the World Service team and six from television news. Today, BBC World News has access to the expertise of thousands of journalists based in over a hundred cities and state-of-the-art studios across the world. One of these is Lerato Mbele, Johannesburg-based presenter of the Africa Business Report show on BBC World News. I chatted to her about one of the most significant news stories shes covered in her BBC career and her daily on-the-job stresses

1. Tell us more about the specific story featured in these images.

Mbele: I couldn't choose between two pictures. The first picture is of me, the cameraman and producer shortly before we went underground at a Tanzanite mine in northern Tanzania. That story really sensitised me to the risks taken by mineworkers when doing their job. Below ground its dark, humid, the ground is bumpy, the pulley is a basic metal container and the workers still use shovels and spades. After that experience in Tanzania, I have a newfound sympathy for mineworkers.

The second picture is myself with the other crew from Africa Business Report. We took the picture after an interview with the Emir of Kano. He is arguably Nigeria's most powerful man outside of politics and business. Previously he was the governor of the central bank of Nigeria, and by blood he's also royalty. He has used his title as king to lobby the government to do better in managing the economy and improving the security situation undermined by Boko Haram. Besides what he represents, he is clearly a sight to behold in his royal robes. On this day he was wearing all his regalia, plus gold sandals with sequins... fabulocity!

2. Thats for sure. Give us a brief overview of your personal story  your studies and career highlights package so far.

Mbele: My academic background is in development studies, with majors in politics and economics. As a student I was particularly interested in issues that affected Africa and the emerging markets. I wanted to know why this part of the world was poorer, less developed and susceptible to conflict. After my studies at SOAS, University of London, I worked in the research and policy space. However, I felt a strong pull towards journalism. From where I stood, it seemed to me like the media were asking our leaders all the tough questions. Also through their lens, the media were capturing the suffering and hardship that ordinary people endured. I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to have conversations that raised important issues that challenged authority, to give a voice to those who couldnt speak for themselves. In later years, as Africa started picking itself up and economies began growing, I wanted to be part of the solution. I wanted to be part of a generation of Africans rewriting our history by showcasing the growth innovation, alongside the horrible stuff. In essence, to bring out good with the bad.

3. What else do you enjoy most about your daily duties, and which aspects cause you the most stress?

Mbele: The travel  it's both amazing and stressful. As the presenter of Africa Business Report and correspondent responsible for analysing the economies of 54 countries, there are lots of travel demands. The beauty is that is that you get to see first-hand the changes unfolding in modern-day Africa.

However, the difficulty is that we are a small team of five, and being able to cover the regions of east, west, south and central Africa regularly is difficult. It has created a gruelling travel schedule. We spend a lot of time in hotels and airplanes. We miss a lot of family birthdays and christenings. We eat a lot of exotic foods that dont agree with our tummies.

Yet in it all, our appreciation of Africa has deepened; our knowledge has widened and our stereotypes have been completely challenged. That has been the best part.

4. Little wonder the continents definitely first and foremost for business development. Elaborate on the specific journalism/media trends you're most looking forward to in the industry this year.

Mbele: The analysis of big economic stories that I've done through blogs on BBC online and Africa Live has spurred good debate about markets.

I'd like to do more vlogging so that our packages can give the visual sense of where we are and what we are doing. My colleagues use Periscope, which enables them to bring audiences closer to their daily workspace. I experienced that in Kenya during President Obama's visit; we could feel the audience around us and with us all the time. More importantly, I simply love the relationship I'm building with ordinary people through Twitter. They support me and they challenge me in equal measure, through those 140-character discussions, I see different viewpoints and learn something new every day.

You can join in the discussion by following Mbeles Twitter feed. Also

click here for more of Mbeles back story and click here for more on BBC World News, or visit their website and follow their @Twitter feed.
Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Police used water cannons and rubber bullets against demonstrators who gathered to condemn the Ankara terror attacks. "Armenpress" reports, citing the Turkish Demokrathaber.net.

During the demonstration, the crowd shouted "thief, murderer Erdogan" and called on the government to resign. Istanbul Workers and Democratic forces wanted to carry out a march, but the police used brutal force without warning. Arrests were made.

The last terrorist attack in Ankara took place on the evening of March 13. As a result, 37 people were killed and more than a hundred were wounded, 15 of whom are in critical condition.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who is currently in Greece on an official visit, met with representatives of Armenian community in Greece on the evening of March 14. As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia Presidents office, at the beginning of the meeting the President thanked for the opportunity to again interact in a cordial and free atmosphere, informed the present about the saturated agenda of his visit to Greece, the results of the negotiations with President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos, and also answered the questions of the present.

Serzh Sargsyan documented with satisfaction that centuries-old friendly relations between Armenia and Greece have not only been preserved but have entered the phase of official and political relations, a process in which, to the Presidents conviction, the Armenian community in Greece has a vital role. I live moments of undisguised pride when our Greek partners refer to the contribution of the Armenian community to the development of the Hellenic state, when the diligence and devotion of Armenians, and the organized manner of the community are touched upon with special warmth, the President said.

Apart from Armenian-Greek relations, the President also touched upon the domestic and foreign policies of our country, marking its 25th anniversary of independence this year, as well as the development pace of Armenia, trend and priority directions, issues of key importance facing Armenia and the Diaspora, current regional and international challenges, Armenia-Diaspora coordinated works in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and the events that took place in the framework of the centennial. Greece is one the first country that not only recognized the Armenian Genocide (1996) and officially declared April 24 as the memorial day of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, but also legally criminalized the denial of the Genocide of the Pontian Greeks and the Armenian Genocide.

We will never forget the priceless support of Greece and the Greek people to Armenians during the Genocide and the years following it, the President said, once again emphasizing that Greece and its top officials support Armenias initiatives in relation with the Genocide commemoration. Serzh Sargsyan also thanked the Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, its supporters, all structures and individuals for organizing the events on such a high level, stating that the 100th anniversary is a threshold from where our struggle will take a new momentum.

We really have two lasting values: Armenia and the Armenian people. Everything else derives from these two values. Therefore, having an organized and strong Diaspora is among our strategic goals, President Sargsyan said, adding that the Armenia and the Diaspora must work together to preserve the Armenian identity.

The President also talked about the approaching 25th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia, indicating the problems and achievements of our country. Despite difficulties, we have recorded many achievements during these 25 years. We have established democratic institutions, civil society, and key prerequisites for economic development. Our country became a full member of the international community during these years, making its modest contribution to the preservation of international peace and stability. Thank to balanced, transparent and consistent foreign policy, we managed to avoid serious geopolitical turbulences, setting mutually beneficial cooperation with different forces present in our region, Serzh Sargsyan said.

The President of Armenia also touched upon the Constitutional changes, expressing conviction that those changes will ensure faster development of our Motherland.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. American lawmakers voted on March 14 to label ISIS atrocities in Syria and Iraq "genocide," and called for setting up Syrian war crimes tribunal under United Nations authority, Armenpress reports, citing The Daily Star.

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a non-binding resolution pressuring President Barack Obama's administration to call attacks against Christians, Yezidis and other minorities "war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."

The State Department has so far declined to use that label.

"What is happening in Iraq and Syria is a deliberate, systematic targeting of religious and ethnic minorities," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican.

"Today, the House unanimously voted to call ISIS's atrocities what they are: a genocide."

Congress has set a March 17 deadline for the State Department to formally decide whether to issue a comprehensive genocide designation, although it is expected to miss that date.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Secretary of State John Kerry would reach a determination "soon."

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a Republican from California, urged the White House not to "drag out" a decision.

"ISIS is guilty of genocide," he said.

"It has been using mass murder, beheadings, crucifixions, rape, torture and enslavement in its deliberate campaign to eliminate religious minorities and bulldoze their history."

During the debate, representatives called for establishing an ad-hoc or regional tribunal as opposed to one at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Past courts, including for Sierra Leone, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia "have made a significant difference holding some of the worst mass murders to account with successful prosecutions followed by long jail sentences," Republican Representative Chris Smith said.

"The ICC has operated since 2002 but boasts only two convictions."

The U.N. is set to host a new round of peace talks over Syria's conflict in Geneva on Tuesday, which marks the fifth anniversary of Syria's war.

It will be the latest effort to end violence that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The 21st session of the Heads of CIS State News Agencies Council (CIS Inform Council) was launched in Dushanbe on March 15, the agenda of which included the creative expansion in the cooperation area. Director of Armenpress news agency Aram Ananyan also participates in the session.

The session is taking place in the National Library of Tajikistan, and the participants are discussing the development of informational cooperation and are planning to sign an agreement on the exchange of photo information. The activities of CIS Executive Committee and other CIS bodies will be discussed, the events in the CIS in the current year and the implementation of projects in the framework of the CIS Information Council and the Association of National News Agencies of the CIS member states, joint projects dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the CIS.

The participants will meet with students of journalistic faculties of leading Universities of Tajikistan and will visit sightseeing parts of Dushanbe.

The CIS Inform Council was founded in November 1995. Its members are heads of state news agencies of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Tajikistan.

The CIS Inform Council is aimed at ensuring cooperation in the field of information between CIS states, dissemination of information, effective exchange of experience and creation of favorable conditions for strengthening media corporations.
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WASHINGTON  The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board on Tuesday released a regulatory notice detailing new core conduct requirements for municipal advisors.

The MSRB also plans to hold a webinar to discuss Rule G-42's requirements on April 28 before they are implemented in June.

Rule G-42 was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Dec. 23. The MSRB first proposed Rule G-42 in January 2014 and, after making several changes, filed it with the SEC for approval in April 2015. The SEC twice extended the time to consider the rule and the MSRB filed two amendments -- one tightening and clarifying language contained in the rule and the second allowing for a limited exception to a controversial principal transaction ban for MAs.

A central portion of the rule defines the fiduciary duty MAs owe their clients to include both a "duty of care" and a "duty of loyalty."

The duty of loyalty is owed to an MA's municipal issuer clients and requires the advisor "without limitation  to deal honestly and with the upmost good faith with a municipal entity and act in the client's best interests without regard to [its] financial or other interests." The duty prevents an MA from engaging with municipal issuer clients if the MA cannot manage or prevent conflicts of interest.

The duty of care is owed to all clients and requires MAs to: exercise due care in their work; be qualified to provide advisor services; make a "reasonable inquiry" into the facts relevant to a client's request before deciding whether to proceed; and undertake a "reasonable investigation" to determine their advice is not based on bad information.

Whether providing direct advice to a client or reviewing a third party's recommendation to a client, the MA has to show that it has a reasonable basis for the conclusions it shares with its client. To fulfill the obligation, the MA must tell its client about: the evaluation of material risks, potential benefits, structure and other characteristics of the recommended muni transaction or financial product; the basis for the advisor's belief that the transaction or product is suitable for the client; and whether the MA has investigated or considered other alternatives for the client. The MA must take into account such things as the client's financial situation and needs, objectives, tax status, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs, according to the notice.

Another part of the rule requires MAs to document their advisory relationships in writing before, at the start, or promptly after the start of their advisory activities with a client. The documentation portion of the rule requires seven pieces of information, including a description of the scope of municipal advisory activities and any conflicts of interest, the disclosure of which is described in a different section of the rule.

The rule does not provide an exhaustive list of reportable conflicts of interest, which must be reported before or at the start of the relationship, but lays out several examples, including: MA payments to be made to an issuer official to obtain an engagement for services; any advice an affiliate of the MA provides to the client that is directly related to the municipal advisory activities of the MA and; any fee-splitting arrangements involving the MA and a provider of investments or services to the client.

Conflicts of interest that are disclosed in writing must be detailed enough to tell the client the nature, implications, and potential consequences of each conflict and must include an explanation of how the MA plans to address each instance, the MSRB said.

If an MA uses "reasonable diligence" to conclude it does not have any conflicts of interest, it must inform its issuer client or other borrower in writing that it came to that conclusion.

Additionally, if an MA gives advice to a client inadvertently, it does not have to follow the disclosure and documentation requirements. Instead, the MA could give its client a document that includes a disclaimer explaining and identifying the inadvertent advice and stating the MA is no longer giving that client advice. The MA must also review its supervisory procedures to better prevent inadvertent advice in the future.

The rule includes a list of specified prohibitions on MA activity, including excessive compensation in relation to the advice given, inaccurate invoices for advisory work, and false or materially misleading representations of an MA's expertise. MAs also cannot enter into fee-splitting arrangements with an underwriter on a transaction for which the MA is providing advice or with regard to an undisclosed relationship with an investment or service provider for a municipal entity or obligated person client of the MA.

A final and controversial portion of the rule bans MAs from acting as a principal in a transaction with a muni issuer client that is directly related to a transaction on which the MA is providing advice. The transaction would include any bank loan if its amount exceeds $1 million.

The proposed rule contained an outright ban on principal transactions for most of the time it was considered and drew strong criticism from dealer and issuer groups. They claimed the ban was overly burdensome and would drive up costs for issuers.

Rule G-42 now includes a narrow exception to the ban for registered broker-dealers on sales to, or purchases from, a municipal client of U.S. Treasury securities, agency debt securities, or corporate debt securities. The exception allows MAs to either make written disclosure on a transaction-by-transaction basis and receive the issuer's written or oral consent or meet several additional procedural requirements so that the MA could make oral rather than written disclosure.
PHOENIX - Overzealous regulators are a big problem for middle-market broker-dealers, according to Warren Stephens, chief executive officer of Stephens, Inc. and a founding member of the Bond Dealers of America.

Stephens, who since 1986 has headed the Little Rock, Ark.-based firm that his family founded during the Great Depression, described the challenges of the industry in a wide-ranging interview with The Bond Buyer.

Chief among his concerns are the significant new rules and enforcement initiatives from federal regulators in recent years, which Stephens said have demonstrated a lack of understanding of the municipal bond business landscape.

"The challenges are numerous," Stephens said, honing in on the Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation initiative, which the Securities and Exchange Commission launched in March 2014. The MCDC program allowed underwriters and issuers to receive lenient settlement terms if they self-reported any instances during the previous five years in which issuers falsely claimed in official statements that they were in compliance with their self-imposed continuing disclosure agreements.

As of Feb. 2, the SEC had completed its underwriter settlements, having ordered a total of 72 firms representing 96% of the market share for muni underwriting to pay a total of $18 million for selling municipal bonds using offering documents that falsely stated issuers had filed timely disclosure in compliance with their continuing disclosure obligations.

A key priority for the Bond Dealers of America, which represents middle-market firms like Stephens, has been to point out what it feels is the disproportionate impact of regulation and enforcement on firms much smaller than the major Wall Street fixtures.

Stephens, who said nobody lost any money as a result of the instances his firm self-reported, strongly agrees.

"The whole MCDC thing is just a perfect example of that," Stephens said. His firm was fined $400,000, Stephens said, a mere $100,000 less than the maximum $500,000 fine levied against some of the largest investment banks in the world.

But Stephens also has a more general sense that regulators' efforts have been misguided.

The SEC's municipal advisor rule, for example, imposes a fiduciary duty on anyone who gives bond-related advice to a state or local issuer. It also prevents anyone who has given such advice from underwriting a resulting bond issuance.

Many municipal advisors do not have to worry about this because they are non-dealer advisors who do not have an underwriting business, and some issuers have expressed a preference for non-dealer advisors in the wake of the MA rule's adoption. But Stephens said the presence of such advisors is generally not any help to the deal team.

"I don't think they add any value," he said, because an advisor who doesn't have any experience going out in the market with securities is less likely to understand how best to serve the issuer client.

Stephens further added that he doesn't put much stock in the idea that issuers need a third party muni advisor at all.

"We consider ourselves an advisor to all our clients," he said.

He said much recent regulation of the municipal securities arena is pointless.

"It's hurting the efficiency of the market," he said. "We're complying with rules that don't really matter. It's not useful. We're just pushing paper around."

Stephens said that regulators were generally more receptive to industry input in the past. While the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and the SEC have frequently invited market participants to comment or reach out to them as needed, Stephens is not alone in feeling that his concerns have been ignored.

Issuer officials such as Florida's bond finance director, Ben Watkins, have leveled similar charges.

Stephens is less concerned by the market landscape in the wake of the Detroit bankruptcy and the ongoing Puerto Rico crisis.

The treatment of bondholders in Detroit and elsewhere where investors were forced to take steep haircuts on their securities have caused some bond lawyers and analysts to question basic market assumptions about the security of the general obligation pledge and the willingness of municipalities to use bankruptcy to restructure their debts. Stephens said he is concerned that courts would side with other creditors over bondholders, but said he doesn't sense any seismic shift in the landscape.

"From our firm's perspective, nothing has changed in the marketplace," he said. "I think we've always placed a high premium on financially sound issuers. A credit is only as good as the financials behind it."
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. Since the Armenian Independence, the Armenia-Cyprus relations have been characterized by a high level of political dialogue and developing cooperation in various fields. As in the case of the Armenian-Greek relations, Armenia-Cyprus relations are based on friendship and close historical ties and similar interests between the two nations.

As "Armenpress" reports, active official visits between Armenia and Cyprus speak to the high level of Armenia-Cyprus relations. From the Armenian side visits were made by President Robert Kocharyan (2006) and President Serzh Sargsyan (2011), as well as visits of the Foreign Minister and NA Presidents. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias arrived in Armenia on a state visit in 2009. In different years there have also been high-ranking official visits by the President of the Cypriot House of Representatives.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades arrived in Yerevan to participate in the commemoration events of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in 2015.

Speaking at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex on April 24, he stressed that both Armenia and Cyprus are the victims of impunity. "We are here to pay tribute to the Armenian people who managed to survive by their strength at the expense of their ancestors millions of lives. Remembrance of The Great Crime, tribute to the survivors' strength is very important, and all mankind is obliged to do so. We remember and demand, "The President of Cyprus said.

On July 6,2009 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Cypriot President Demetris Christofias, who was on a state visit to Armenia, issued a joint statement in Yerevan, noting that the strong historic relations of peoples and Armenian-Cypriot friendship anchored on a solid foundation of shared cultural values, contribute to development of multilateral cooperation. It was specially underlined that the Republic of Cyprus will contribute to the further development of the dialogue between Armenia and the European Union. The sides also agreed to intensify cooperation in international organizations and properly consider each other's viewpoints.

A new level of development of the Armenian-Cypriot relations was reached in 2011 by a joint declaration on Armenia-Cyprus bilateral relations. The Declaration, signed during the state visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Cyprus, taking into consideration the deep-rooted brotherly relations between Armenia and Cyprus, proclaimed readiness to expand bilateral political and economic as well as military-technical cooperation. In particular, expressing mutual assistance, Armenia and Cyprus declared their support to the peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue and the Karabakh conflict, in accordance to the constructive efforts of relevant parties.

The Republic of Cyprus, welcoming the efforts of rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, especially Armenia, expressed regret that the ratification of the 2009 two protocols on establishing diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations stopped because of Turkish preconditions.

Armenia and Cyprus expressed their commitment to bring to a new qualitative level the existing brotherly relations of mutual trust and respect by signing the Declaration. It was stressed that in the near future, the sides will undertake practical steps for effective implementation of the abovementioned provisions.

The high level Parliamentary dialogue between the two countries speak to the specific content of the Armenian-Cypriot interstate relations.

The President of the Cypriot House of Representatives Marios Garoyan arrived in Armenia in 2008 on a state visit.

In 2008 Cyprus House President Marios Garoyan, Armenian by descent, arrived in Armenia on an official visit. He reaffirmed the excellent relations that exist between the two parliaments. In 2010 the delegation led by Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan departed for Cyprus. During the meeting with Hovik Abrahamyan , Marios Garoyan stressed that Armenia can count on support from Cyprus in international organizations.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Myanmar's parliament has elected Htin Kyaw as the country's next president, the first civilian leader after more than 50 years of military rule.Armenpress reports, citing BBC.

Htin Kyaw is a close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi, whos National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept to victory in historic elections in November.

He said his appointment was "Aung San Suu Kyi's victory".

Ms Suu Kyi is barred from the post by the constitution, but has said she will lead the country anyway.

Htin Kyaw won with 360 of the 652 votes cast in the two houses of parliament.

In second place was Myint Swe, who was nominated by the military and received 213 votes, followed by the other NLD candidate, Henry Van Thio, who got 79 votes.

They will serve as first vice-president and second vice-president respectively.

"Victory! This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi's victory. Thank you," Htin Kyaw said after winning.

Htin Kyaw, 70, is Ms Suu Kyi's close aide. He is said to be a quietly spoken man who attended university in the UK. He has a reputation for honesty and loyalty, and has kept a low profile. His father, the writer and poet Min Thu Wun, won a seat for the party at the 1990 election. His wife, Su Su Lwin, is the daughter of an NLD founder, as well as being a sitting MP, and a prominent party member.

He has played a senior role at the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, the charity founded in honor of Suu Kyi's late mother, and has been frequently seen at the NLD leader's side, serving as her driver from time to time.

The NLD has a huge majority in both houses of parliament, despite the military occupying 25% of seats, so the candidate it backed was all but guaranteed to win.

Despite her popularity and prominence in Myanmar - also known as Burma - Ms Suu Kyi could not take the presidency herself.

A clause in the constitution widely seen as being tailored against her says anyone whose children have another nationality cannot become president. Her children hold British passports.

Despite weeks of negotiation prior to the vote, the NLD were unable to persuade the military of Myanmar to remove or suspend the clause to allow Ms Suu Kyi to take office.

But she has always said that she would be "above the president" anyway, with the president effectively acting as a proxy.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Supported by Armenia Development Fund (ADF) 8 Armenian companies introduce their products at MosShoes 2016 international exhibition from March 15 to 18. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of ADF, this is the 67th exhibition and is held 4 times a year, in January, March, June and September.

During the previous exhibition of MosShoes 66 the companies representing Armenia reached export agreements of about 15 thousand pairs of shoes and a number of other transactions are in the negotiation phase.

Armenia Development Fund supported the participation of Armenian companies considering the positive results of the previous exhibition. The Fund makes consistent steps to promote exports and we hope that the signed contracts will be reinforced in the future by contracts of longer-term and larger-scale exports, Executive Director of ADF Arman Khachatryan mentioned.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Russia's involvement in the Syrian conflict solved several problems. Firstly, Russia supported through its actions the strengthening of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's positions. Definitely, the international community considers Russia's presence in Syria, and it is clear that the official Moscow becomes a player with whom cooperation on the Syrian issue is possible. Political scientist Alexander Margarov noted this at a press conference in "Armenpress", commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to withdraw the main part of forces from Syria.

"Russia's move also shows that by being involved in Syria, it does not show a dramatic stance by saying that Russia is here and only Russia decides what will happen in Syria. It shows that Russia is ready to act as one of the parties who is involved in the Syrian developments and has its own interests in the region, the political scientist said.

Alexander Margarov noted that two main approaches are circulated in connection with the decision of the Russian president. First, Russia is spending about $ 2.5 million per day, liberated an area of 10 thousand square kilometers and danger significantly decreased in around 200 communities. Now the Russian side is ready to step back, to some extent, and to contribute to the negotiation process in Switzerland in order to bring concrete results for various parties of Syria, and Syria will remain a unified state.

The next approach is that Russia cannot continue to fight two fronts in Syria and Ukraine. It is a difficult financial situation, the sanctions by the West have negative impacts on Russia, and therefore it retreats.

According to Alexander Margarov, in reality, Russia will not withdraw its troops completely. It will maintain both the Tartus base and the local air base. This means that in case of necessity, expanding its military presence in Syria is a matter of time.
The first group of Russian planes has left the Hmeimim air base in Syria for their permanent locations, Armenpress reports, citing TASS, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

"The group consists of the leader plane - a Tupolev-154 liner and multi-role Sukhoi-34 bombers," the ministry specified.

The planes will be leaving Hmeimim for Russia in groups.

"Each group consists of the leader - a military transport jet (a Tupolev-154 or Ilyushin-76) carrying engineering personnel and material assets and equipment, followed by Russian combat planes of different types," the defense ministry explained.

After crossing the Russian border the planes will head for their respective bases, making stops for refueling and maintenance, if need be, the ministry said.

The Kremlin press service released a statement on Monday evening that the Russian and Syrian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad, agreed to start withdrawing the main part of the Russian aviation task force from Syria because the Russian Aerospace Forces had fulfilled the fundamental tasks assigned to them. Russia will leave an air flight control center in the Syrian territory that will monitor the observation of the Syrian ceasefire.

The first group of Russian planes has left the Hmeimim air base in Syria for their permanent locations, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

"The group consists of the leader plane - a Tupolev-154 liner and multi-role Sukhoi-34 bombers," the ministry specified.

The planes will be leaving Hmeimim for Russia in groups.

"Each group consists of the leader - a military transport jet (a Tupolev-154 or Ilyushin-76) carrying engineering personnel and material assets and equipment, followed by Russian combat planes of different types," the defense ministry explained.

After crossing the Russian border the planes will head for their respective bases, making stops for refueling and maintenance, if need be, the ministry said.

The Kremlin press service released a statement on Monday evening that the Russian and Syrian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad, agreed to start withdrawing the main part of the Russian aviation task force from Syria because the Russian Aerospace Forces had fulfilled the fundamental tasks assigned to them. Russia will leave an air flight control center in the Syrian territory that will monitor the observation of the Syrian ceasefire.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Macedonia has sent about 600 migrants who crossed the border on March 14 back to Greece, a Macedonian police official said. Armenpress reports, citing Reuters.

Most of the migrants were taken back to Greece on March 14 or overnight on trucks, the official said.

Hundreds of migrants marched out of a Greek transit camp, hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river on March 14 to get around a border fence and cross into Macedonia, where they were detained.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. National Assembly ARF faction head Armen Rustamyan holds the opinion that it is necessary to make signed voter lists more available for the public after elections. In an interview with journalist at the National Assembly, the head of the faction informed that he will raise the issue during the meeting with the experts of the Venice Commission.

There is much to say to the members of the Venice Commission, but the first thing we plan to tell our honorable partners is that the ban on the promulgation of the signed voter lists came into existence by their efforts. We must remind them that back in 2003 the Venice Commission came up with a legal position banning promulgation of those lists, as it is a violation of the principle of confidentiality. Everything started from there. Even if you observe the respective decision of the Constitutional Court, you will note that there is a reference to the ill-fated decision of the Venice Commission, which is a very serious obstacle for all of us, Armenpress reports Rustamyan mentioning.

He reminded that they have always insisted on promulgation of the signed lists after elections, adding that their stance has not change regarding this issue.

The MP stated that the legal position of the Venice Commission and the decision of the Constitutional Court are not in contradiction with expanding the availability of the voter lists. If they are not promulgated, they can become more available. It is possible to create such mechanisms that will make them more available for the public. This issue must find a solution and we will introduce our opinion at the meeting with the experts of the Venice Commission, Armen Rustamyan concluded.

Representatives of the Venice Commission and the OSCE / ODIHR arrived in Armenia on March 14 and will remain here till March 17. The goal is to discuss the Electoral Code with the authorities and the opposition.




NEW DELHI (PTI): European defence major Airbus Group on Monday cautioned that 49 per cent FDI limit in defence sector cannot fetch India the industry or the right original equipment manufacturer that it is eying under the 'Make in India' initiative.



The firm, which is in negotiations with India for several defence projects worth billions of dollars, also made it clear that they would be able to invest in the domestic defence sector only if they get contracts as it takes "two to tango".



The group also admitted that the nearly US$ 1.4 billion project of the Indian government to acquire six Airbus mid-air refuellers has "stagnated" even as it offered to transfer the final assembly line of Panther helicopters if it gets an order from the Navy for the same.



"..forget about 49 per cent. It is not going to get an industry and it is not going to get OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) of quality. You may get a few but not the right ones," Pierre de Bausset, President and Managing Director of Airbus Group India, said.



Pitching for "fair business", he said that in the beginning, their Indian partners will need them a lot before they become the real champions that India has in mind.



"And when they need us a lot in the beginning, I want fair business. Fair business means that we need to have levels of controls that are appropriate for the risks that we are taking.



"So setting the limit at 49 per cent or whatever amount is not... you have to think in terms of how do you attract us, how do you attract talent, how do you make it a good win-win partnership and not a very straight-jacket in the beginning," he said addressing reporters in New Delhi ahead of the Defence Expo later this month.



He said that if an OEM is bringing in investment or if they are bringing a product which is part of their own product line worldwide, "you do understand that we want to have some control over it".



He added that 49 per cent is not a "good limit" and that it is "at odds" with the policy that has been stated by the government "recently".



"But we are faced with a moving environment," he said.



He mentioned about his company's focus on Make in India and said if the contracts come in, they can make investment as high as Rs 5,000 crore in India.



He spoke about the industrial development works undertaken by the firm in other countries.



"We are ready to do the same but it takes two to tango. We need the government to actually give is contract," he said.



There is a cap of 49 per cent holding for foreign companies involved in defence equipment manufacturing. This means 51 per cent stake has to be held by an Indian company.



The FDI cap was raised from 26 per cent to 49 per cent in August 2014, months after the BJP-led NDA coalition was voted to power in May that year.



Talking about the "stagnated" deal for buying six A330 refuelers, Venkat Katkuri, President of Airbus Defence and Space Division in New Delhi, said they are awaiting "guidance" from the Defence Ministry about the next step to be taken.



Meanwhile, Pierre pointed out that 'Make in India' does "not just mean a plant in India with Airbus written over it".



"People want us to have our very own plant with Airbus written over it," he said, adding that its partnerships with various domestic companies like companies TATA and Mahindra is also part of 'Make in India'.



Pierre said that every Airbus commercial aircraft produced today is partly 'Made in India' as they are procuring from India.



He underlined that in 2015, the company had exceeded the US$ 500 million annual procurement mark and the plan was to cross US$ 2 billion by 2020. He made it clear that this figure is mostly driver on the commercial side and not the defence.



Talking about the Airbus-Tata bid to replace India's aging Avro transport planes with C295 aircraft, the top Airbus executive said field evaluation trials will take place in the future.



He said the Group will set up a final assembly line for C295 and process is on to identify the state where it would be based.



The government had in last May cleared the lone bid of Airbus-Tata consortium for replacing Avro transport aircraft fleet for Rs 11,930 crore.



As per the tender, while 40 aircraft would be manufactured in India, 16 would be bought off-the-shelf.




ExoMars 2016 lifts off from the Baikonur cosmodrome. An ESA photo

BAIKANUR, KAZAKHSTAN (AFP): A joint European-Russian mission aiming to search for traces of life on Mars blasted off Monday for the start of a seven-month unmanned space journey to the Red Planet.



A Proton rocket carrying the Trace Gas Orbiter to examine Mars's atmosphere and a descent module that will conduct a test landing on its surface launched into an overcast sky at the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in the Kazakh steppe at 0931 GMT (1501 IST).



The spacecraft carried out a series of engine burns to get it onto the right trajectory to Mars. It was then released from the Briz-M rocket booster at 20:13 GMT to begin its 496-million-kilometre voyage through the cosmos.



The ExoMars 2016 mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and its Russian equivalent Roscosmos, is the first part of a two-phase exploration aiming to answer questions about the existence of life on Earth's neighbour.



The Trace Gas Orbiter will examine methane around Mars while a lander dubbed Schiaparelli will detach and descend to the surface of the fourth planet from the Sun.



The landing of the module on Mars is designed as a trial run ahead of the planned second stage of the mission in 2018 that will see the first European rover land on the surface to drill for signs of life, although problems with financing mean it could be delayed.



One key goal of the Trace Gas Orbiter is to analyse methane, a gas which on Earth is created in large part by living microbes, and traces of which were observed by previous Mars missions.



"TGO will be like a big nose in space," said Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist.



Methane, the ESA said, is normally destroyed by ultraviolet radiation within a few hundred years, which implied that in Mars' case "it must still be produced today".



TGO will analyse Mars' methane in more detail than any previous mission, said ESA, in order to try to determine its likely origin.



One component of TGO, a neuron detector called FREND, can help provide improved mapping of potential water resources on Mars, amid growing evidence the planet once had as much if more water than earth.



A better insight into water on Mars could aid scientists' understanding of how the Earth might cope in conditions of increased drought.



Schiaparelli, in turn, will spend several days measuring climatic conditions including seasonal dust storms on the Red Planet while serving as a test lander ahead of the rover's anticipated arrival.






HYDERABAD (PTI): Global civil aviation majors will take part in a mega expo which is likely to be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee in Hyderabad on March 16.



The fifth edition of 'India Aviation 2016' is to be held at Begumpet Airport and the five-day event has been organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).



The theme of this year's show is 'Indian Civil Aviation Sector: Potential As Global Manufacturing and MRO Hub'.



More than 200 major participants, including aircraft and helicopter makers, are expected at the show. Leading players associated with aviation and related businesses like Boeing, Airbus, Textron, Embraer, Gulfstream, Dassault, Agusta Westland, Bell Helicopters and Russian Helicopters will also take part in the expo.



"Some well-known engine manufacturers like CFM, UTC, GE Aviation, Rolls Royce and Pratt and Whitney will showcase their products and expertise," a statement from FICCI said.



The event is supported by Air India, Airports Authority of India, Director General Civil Aviation, Pawan Hans, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Farnborough International, SP Guide Publications, Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries and Business Aircraft Operators Association, it added.




The Light Combat Helicopter. A HAL photo

BENGALURU (PTI): The indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) has achieved yet another milestone by satisfactory firing of rockets (70 mm) from its prototype, TD-3 in weaponized configuration, its maker HAL said on Monday.



This comes after successful completion of basic performance flight testing and outstation trials for cold weather, hot weather and hot and high altitude testing in 2015, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said.



"The initial rocket firing trials have been carried out at Jaisalmer, establishing satisfactory integration of hardware and software, structural integrity and safe separation of rocket ammunition," the Defence PSU said in a statement.



Integration of weapons such as Rocket, Turret Gun (20 mm) and Air to Air Missile on LCH will further continue, HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju said.



"These trials give us confidence for carrying out certification firing trials planned during April-May 2016," he said.



LCH is a 5.5-tonne class combat helicopter designed and developed by HAL.



Its features include sleek and narrow fuselage, tri-cycle crash worthy landing gear, crash worthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, Armour protection, nuclear and low visibility features which makes the LCH lethal, agile and survivable, HAL said.


YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The publication of signed electoral lists after the election is a human rights violation, in regard to which the Constitutional Court presented its clear stance, in line with the Venice Commission and OSCE / ODIHR expertise conclusions. This opinion was expressed by the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Vigen Sargsyan at a press event in the National Assembly. "The authorities will present their views on the issue during the course of the upcoming discussions, and if you want to know my personal opinion, I think that the publication of signed electoral lists is a human rights violation. The Constitutional Court presented its concrete stance on this issue , which is in line with the Venice Commission and OSCE / ODIHR experts report, not only regarding Armenia, but generally referring to publication of signed electoral lists", Armenpress " reports Sargsyan saying.

Asked what the negative consequences of the publication of the signed electoral lists might be, Vigen Sargsyan said: "It may create pressure for people who do not want to publicize their participation or non-participation in the voting."

Referring to the observation that an atmosphere of distrust is being created, Vigen Sargsyan stressed the need to fight the atmosphere of distrust. "We must fight so that everyone is sure that the elections will be free, fair and transparent," the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office said.

To a journalist's remark that the opposition and public are skeptical and require to publish the electoral lists, Vigen Sargsyan said that skepticism is not the best friend. "The lists are published, they are available on the Internet for a long time now, and the registry is open to everyone. Systems that have been implemented over the years are quite powerful mechanisms for revisions. Of course, those political forces that do not have enough people, even for having a representative at electoral precincts, naturally find it difficult to perform quality work with this list, but this cannot be left entirely to the authorities, "he said.

Vigen Sargsyan added that regarding the lists it is necessary to look at the dynamics."We always had problems with the lists, however in 2012-2013 elections all observers stated that the lists have qualitatively changed and are in much better shape. Then, during the next election, a new formulation started circulating that there is a perception that there are problems with the lists. It is more difficult to fight against perceptions than facts. That is, if there is evidence that there are people on the list, who should not be there, if there are any voting repetition cases, each case should be studied. It is the responsibility of the political forces and civil society. There are members of the committee, representatives, and this work should be done in a regulated way. Guided by assumptions and perceptions we cannot go a very long way, Sargsyan said.

The Venice Commission and OSCE / ODIHR representatives are in Armenia from March 14-17 to discuss the draft electoral code with political forces and the government.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Municipalities of Burgas, Haskovo and Svilengrad will not receive EU funding, which is carried out within the framework of cross-border cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkey. The reason of this is Turkey's position regarding the stance of these cities on the Armenian Genocide recognition. As "Armenpress" reports, this was announced by bTV television. However, authorities of these cities are convinced of the rightness of their actions, not allowing anyone to interfere in their internal affairs.

Prohibition of funding comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, which prohibits work with cities, which recognize the Armenian Genocide. Since Bulgarian cities could not find Turkish counterparts to carry out joint projects with EU funding, they will lose several million Euros. The most important initiatives are related to the environment, to the prevention of natural disasters.

Mayor of the Turkish city of Edirne Recep Gyurkan, who had previously collaborated with Haskovo, noted that the Turkish Foreign Ministrys decision is final.We worked very well with Haskovo previously, but now there is the Foreign Ministrys ban. The reason of the ban is the Haskovo City Councils last years decision, which named a city park in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, said Gyurkan.

Relations with Burgas and Svilengrad worsened when the Bulgarian cities adopted declarations condemning the Armenian Genocide. In an interview with bTV, Gyurkan advised to stand back from the decision for cooperation with Turkey.

No one can interfere as to how we name our streets or parks, said Haskovo city Mayor Dobri Belivanov.

Given the fact that funding from the EU is carried out only in case of availability of a partner in neighboring countries, it is likely that the Bulgarian cities will in fact lose the money provided by the European Union.

Recently, Turkish-Bulgarian relations have deteriorated. Bulgaria declared a Turk diplomat of the Consulate General of Turkey a 'persona non grata'. "A government representative said that the Turkish diplomat engaged in activities in the country which violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Moreover, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov recently said that Ankara must decide whether they want to keep in place its ambassador in Sofia.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide will take place in Yerevan on April 23, 2016. Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Vigen Sargsyan told the journalists about this at the National Assembly.

Armenpress reports the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration discussed issues referring the organization of the Forum with members of the Republican Party of Armenia. We discussed issues referring to the organization of the Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide, which will take place on April 23 with the RPA faction, Sargsyan said.

The Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide was also organized in Yerevan in April 23, 2015, prior to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Nearly 73% of Irish employees work longer than their contracted hours.

New claims from Morgan McKinley also show around one in five work an extra 10 hours per week, with four out of five workers not compensated for working overtime.

A total of 62% of workers felt they had no choice but to work overtime, and 43% said they felt they were more productive in the 'extra' hours as there were fewer distractions at those times.

Their study includes a variety of sectors including finance, tech and engineering.

Director of Morgan McKinley's Inward Investment Tracey Keevans said the research proved people need to work smarter not harder.

She said: "Employees are looking for more flexible working solutions - there's a need for these to improve productivity during the contracted working hours."

Meanwhile, Irish workers are the fourth happiest in the world and the happiest in the EU, according to a study by Indeed.

The study reviewed 35 countries and found Columbia ranked top for job happiness and China ranked the lowest.

In a city-by-city study, Dublin came top in Europe, beating London, Stockholm and Rome.

Ranked in order of importance were: work-life balance, quality of management, office culture, job security and benefits.
The locals in Wicklow town love their fish, so a seal trying to steal any has no chance.

The town has a plethora of eateries dedicated to seafood and it's not only the humans who flock there to taste the delicacies.
Former Anglo Irish Bank boss David Drumm has been granted bail in Ireland after his parents-in-law stumped up a 150,000 surety.

The 49-year-old ex-banker was released from custody after spending his first night back in Dublin on Monday in prison following his extradition from the US charged with 33 fraud-related offences.

Ex Anglo Irish Bank chief David Drumm walks out of court on bail release in Ireland after months in custody in US. pic.twitter.com/mhDLLfN87C  Brian Hutton (@magicbathtub) March 15, 2016

The one-time chief executive left Ireland for Boston in 2009 after Anglo collapsed costing Irish citizens 29bn.

He is not expected to stand trial for two years.

VIDEO David Drumm leaving court after his bail package was approved pic.twitter.com/L8fTg195LW  Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) March 15, 2016

Ex Anglo Irish Bank chief David Drumm released on bail in Ireland after parents-in-law stump up 100k surety. @PA pic.twitter.com/aRNN2ZdNpL  Brian Hutton (@magicbathtub) March 15, 2016

Parents-in-law Danny and Georgina Farrell both agreed to a 100,000 independent surety from their joint bank account to satisfy the bail conditions.

Half of it is to be handed to the court and the other half frozen in their bank account.

Both were warned before Dublin District Court that they should track their son-in-law's movements and contact police immediately if they have any concerns about his whereabouts.

The father of two daughters has also surrendered his passport, will provide a 50,000 cash surety of his own, will sign on twice a day at Balbriggan Garda Station and remain in Ireland as part of the bail terms.

He will live at Shenick Avenue in Skerries, Co Dublin, as he awaits his trial.

David Drumm leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice today. Pic: Sam Boal / Rolling News

Judge Michael Walsh put the case back for mention again at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 8.

Drumm is charged with conspiracy to defraud and false accounting relating to 7.2bn deposits placed in Anglo accounts by the then Irish Life and Permanent between March and September 2008.

He faces a maximum sentence of an unlimited jail term if convicted of the conspiracy charge.

Drumm is also charged under the Companies Act over alleged unlawful lending to members of the Quinn family and the so-called Maple 10 investors to unwind a secret 28% shareholding in Anglo built up by tycoon Sean Quinn.

Those 16 charges could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in jail.

Drumm is also charged with seven offences under the Companies Act of being privy to falsifying documents which could lead to a maximum five years in jail if convicted, and seven offences of creating false documents under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Offences Act which could lead to a maximum of 10 years in jail if found guilty.

He is charged with breaching European rules on making company reports.
A Dublin man who raped his younger sister with a screwdriver has been jailed for 11 years.

In a moving victim impact statement, the woman described how her life at age 10 had been filled with a black hole of uncertainty, fear and terror when her brother started sexually abusing her.

The man (aged 33), who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, was convicted by a jury earlier this year.

He had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 48 counts, including rape and sexual assault, at two Dublin locations between 2000 and 2005.

He has no previous convictions.

The woman, reading from her statement, revealed how she'd thought she had the perfect life before the abuse.

She said her family had changed forever and that her parents were shadows of themselves since the court proceedings.

She said her father had told her: I thought I had to protect you from the monsters in the street, not the monster in my home.

She described suffering from anxiety, depression and ill health and that at school she had found it easier to hide in groups than hold individual friendships.

I don't know why he put me through this, I didn't deserve to be abused, the woman said.

She said the fact her brother had showed no remorse for his offending would stay with her till the day I die.

She revealed that after the guilty verdicts, she had looked out the window of the court building into the Phoenix Park and remembered thinking that the grass looked greener.

She described herself as now free since the conviction, saying: My life is no longer monotone.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy jailed the man for 11 years having previously adjourned the case last week to consider the evidence.

Garda Sinead Tyrrell said the abuse began with touching, oral sex and use of a screwdriver shortly after the victim had received a love bite from her brother when she was aged 10 years.

Gda Tyrrell told John O'Kelly SC, prosecuting, that the abuse then progressed to rape.

The garda agreed with Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, that his client had worked hard all his life from when he was a teenager and that he had never been in trouble before with the law.

Mr Hartnett handed in testimonials and letters to the court on the man's behalf and asked Ms Justice Kennedy to take into account his client's employment history.

Mr Hartnett said the man had started studying while in custody and that he had faced family difficulties since the trial.
The Taoiseach is in Washington for the traditional exchange of the shamrock at the White House later today.

Enda Kenny is only spending one day in the United States in his capacity as caretaker Taoiseach and will return to Ireland for talks on forming a Government before heading to Brussels for a summit.
By David Raleigh

A father and son have appeared in court charged in connection with a violent burglary and false imprisonment of three elderly siblings, and a separate aggravated robbery on a family of six.

Patrick Roche, (aged 51), of Kilcornan Close, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, and Philip Roche, (aged 23), of the same address, were each charged with one count of aggravated burglary, and three counts of false imprisonment, at the Creed family home in Ballyluddy, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, on May 31, 2012.

Willie Creed, (aged 77), and his sisters, Nora, (aged 75), and Chrissie, (aged 69), were assaulted by an armed gang who broke into their isolated home at Ballyluddy, Pallasgreen, the court heard.

Patrick Roche was also charged with handling a stolen VW Touraeg, allegedly used in the Creed robbery, and with handling a Toyota Landcruiser, stolen in Cork on May 30, 2012.

During a bail hearing for Philip Roche, Detective Garda Michael Reidy, stationed in Bruff, alleged two masked raiders "burst into" the Creed's home, armed with a knife and an iron bar.

"Chrissie (Creed) recalls one of the men hitting her on the head with an iron bar. Willie (Creed) received numerous stitches to his head," Det Reidy told Kilmallock District Court.

Patrick Roche was further charged with aggravated burglary, and with false imprisonment of the Garvey family at their home at Sunville House, Pallasgreen, on April 16, 2012.

Philip Roche was charged with aiding and abetting his father carry out the burglary at the Garvey home and with possession of a stolen BMW car, which gardai allege was used in the burglary.

The 23-year old was also charged with possession of, and with intent to sell, nearly 7,000 worth of cannabis.

Det Reidy said four masked men entered the home of Gerry and Ann Garvey and their four young teenage children, "armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a sledgehammer, and a baseball bat".

Det Reidy alleged Gerry Garvey was handcuffed and threatened he would be shot if he didn't hand over keys to a safe.

A sum of cash was stolen by the raiders who, Det Reidy alleged, fled in a BMW car, which was stolen during another aggravated burglary at a house at Killuragh, Cappamore, Co Limerick, on April 13, 2012, the court heard.

Alan Freeman, (aged 35), of Pearse Park, Tipperary Town, appeared before the court, charged with aggravated burglary at the house in Killuragh.

Mr Freeman was also charged with the false imprisonment of the occupant, Ian Cruise, and, with handling a stolen Toyota Landcruiser.

Det Reidy alleged Philip Roche is a "leading member of the Roche-Freeman criminal organisation", which has "links across Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Dublin".

Det Reidy said he believed Philip Roche would "interfere with witnesses", "commit further aggravated burglaries", and "not show up for his trial", if he was granted bail.

Defence barrister, Mark Lynam, acting for Connelly Ryan Solicitors, Dublin, described the claims as "unsubstantiated".

Judge Marian O'Leary refused bail for Philip Roche.

She remanded him, his father and Mr Freeman, in custody, to appear before Limerick District Court, via video link, on March 21 next.
The former Minister for Education Dick Burke has died.

He passed away peacefully at his home this morning, at the age of 83.

Burke served as Education Minister in the Fine Gael government led by Liam Cosgrave from 1973 until 1976.

During his time in office, he removed the requirement for students to pass Irish to pass their Leaving Cert and introduced Transition Year in 2nd level schools.

Burke was twice appointed as the EU Commissioner, and was responsible for Fine Gael joining the Christian democrats in the European Parliament.

He is survived by his wife Mary, and 5 their children.

John Bruton, former Taoiseach has paid the following tribute.

"I was really shocked to learn this evening of the death of my friend, Dick Burke.

"Dick Burke was a very successful, reforming, Minister for Education, with concrete achievements to his name. He introduced the Transition Year and School Management Boards. To have persuaded the various establishments, that dominated education in Ireland at the time, to accept, and to successfully operate, these major reforms was a big negotiating achievement.

"He was able to do this because he won the trust of existing institutional interests. While he wanted change, he was able to make it happen because he also showed respect for what the existing institutions had achieved for the children of Ireland in times when resources were more scarce.

"He relaxed the compulsory Irish system in education, and introduced Irish Studies, as a way of promoting a more inclusive understanding of what it is to be Irish. His thinking on this was ahead of his time.

"He was a pleasure to work for. He delegated responsibility, but was always accessible for advice. He was supportive without being intrusive. I can never recollect him being angry, although he would have had reason to be sometimes!

"We were elected to the Dail on the same day in 1969. My first political responsibility was to act (with Dr Hugh Byrne) as one of his two Assistant Whips, when Dick was appointed to be Chief Whip of the Fine Gael Party by Liam Cosgrave. I was subsequently his Parliamentary Secretary when he was appointed as Minister for Education in 1973.

"In ideological terms, Dick Burke was proud to be a Christian Democrat. As a student of Christian and Catholic Social teaching, he fully understood this political tradition.

"When Ireland joined the European Common Market, he was particularly happy to have been one of those who persuaded the Fine Gael party to associate itself with the European Christian Democratic movement, now the European Peoples Party. This was a far seeing decision that continues to enhance Irelands influence in Europe to this day.

He served two terms as a European Commissioner. After the first of these, he was able to return to win a Dail seat for Fine Gael, in a completely different constituency to the one he had first represented. This was a remarkable and almost unique political achievement.

"To the end of his life, he continued to take a deep interest in the Fine Gael party and attended party

events to show support for current leaders of the party. I extend to Mary, and his entire family, to whom he was deeply devoted, my heartfelt sympathy."
Sinn Fein has today called for emergency laws to give tenants more notice before their homes are sold.

The call comes in the wake of notices to quit being served on 103 homes in the Cruise Park estate in Tyrrelstown.

Currently the law allows any tenant's lease to be terminated if the owner wants to sell the property.

Sinn Fein TD Eoin O'Broin said that emergency laws could be quickly passed to deal with those issues.

"Last week, 208 families in Tyrrelstown were informed that their rented accommodation had been bought en masse and that Goldman Sachs required vacant possession of their homes," he said.

"Some of these families had spent a decade living in these homes and a letter through the door is all it takes to throw them into homelessness.

"Vulture funds are the new absentee landlords of centuries past.

"We have seen similar behaviour right across the city and country in past months but not on the scale seen in Tyrrelstown.

"We need emergency legislation creating a compulsory code of conduct for banks and funds, where they are selling buy-to-let properties that are rented.

"The code of conduct needs to give sitting tenants an extended notice-to-quit period of up to 12 months and first option on becoming tenants in the property if is bought by a new landlord.

"We also need a legislative change to the mortgage to rent scheme to make it easy for local authorities and housing associations to keep people in family homes facing repossession by banks and property funds."
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. President Serzh Sargsyan, who is on an official visit to the Hellenic Republic, put a wreath at the memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide at Nea Smyrni Square of Athena on March 15 and paid tribute to their memory together with the representatives of Greek-Armenian community and Armenian cadets receiving military education in Greece. As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia Presidents Office, the President had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras afterwards.

Serzh Sargsyan and Alexis Tsipras mutually highlighted the necessity to further deepen cooperation in a number of spheres of mutual interest, such as trade and economy, agriculture, culture, education, healthcare, tourism and so on, as well as bilateral investments and interactions between business circles of the two countries attaching great importance to the works of intergovernmental commission for that task.

Prime Minister Tsipras considered Iran-Armenia-Greece trilateral cooperation as prospective, considering the cordial and friendly relations of the Republic of Armenia with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The PM also mentioned that he sees opportunities in terms of EU-EAEU cooperation and wishes to assist that process in case of necessity. The Prime Minister of Greece expressed readiness to support the development of Armenia-EU relations.

The Armenian President and the Greek PM also exchanged ideas over the current international issues and challenges, as well as regional developments.

Alexis Tsipras stated that Greece support the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict through negotiations within the framework of the Minsk Group format.

After the private conversation between the Armenian President and the Greek PM, negotiations in an expanded format with the participation of official delegations took place. A number of documents aimed at fostering Armenian-Greek cooperation in a number of areas were signed.

President Serzh Sargsyan and PM Alexis Tsipras briefed the results of the negotiations for media representatives, during which President Sargsyan expressed gratitude to PM Alexis Tsipras, President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the friendly Greek people for the cordial reception, which, to the conviction of the President, is explained by the centuries-old friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

I have to mention with satisfaction that I had very open and constructive discussions with my Greek colleagues, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and PM Alexis Tsipras. We discussed the entire Armenian-Greek agenda and the prospects for cooperation. We were happy to record that we had mainly identical positions on both bilateral and multilateral issues, as well as on international ones. At the same time we agreed that we must do more to give new quality and dynamics to both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, President Sargsyan said. In the words of the President, the weakest aspect of the bilateral relations is trade and economy, which, undoubtedly, is conditioned also by objective factors. I told Mr. Tsipras that we carefully follow the efforts made by the Greek Government to overcome the existing problems, and we are sure that your country will manage to overcome all the challenges. Armenia is deeply interested in political and economic stability and achievements of friendly Greece, Serzh Sargsyan said. The president also said that the military sphere has become a traditional direction of cooperation. The President also spoke about the role of Greece in Armenia-EU relations and attached great importance to the balanced position of Greece over Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. Serzh Sargsyan thanked the Greek people for their support to Armenian Genocide survivors and the opportunities they gave Armenians in their new country. I also highly appreciate the firm position of Greece on recognizing and condemning that that heaviest crime. Ahead of the 100th anniversary of our national tragedy Greece reconfirmed its commitment to that issue, adopting the bill against racism and xenophobia (September 9, 2014), which criminalized the denial of the Armenian Genocide as well, sending an exemplary message to the global civilization. In 2015 the National Assembly of Armenia unanimously adopted the declaration condemning the genocide of Greeks and Assyrians perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire. This is a brilliant proof that the spirit of solidarity has consolidated our peoples for centuries and will consolidate further on, President Sargsyan said.

At the end of the briefing Serzh Sargsyan once again thanked for the cordial reception.
Update 10pm: Sinn Fein councillor Paul Donnelly has tonight hosted a meeting with the residents of Cruise Park in Tyrrelstown.

The meeting was organised to hear the concerns of the residents after they were notified of their pending evictions.

Up to a hundred families face losing their homes in the west Dublin housing estate - with 40 families have already been sent notice to quit their rented homes.

Cllr Donnelly says they are committed to stand with the residents through the process.

"It was very clear from the meeting that they want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, and they want the community at large to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

"If it comes to the situation that they have no alternative accommodation and they have to stay in that accommodation, we gave an absolute commitment that we (SF) would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them."

Earlier: The chair of housing organisation Threshold has advised families under threat of being thrown out of their homes in a west Dublin housing estate to stay put.

At least 40 families have been sent notice to quit their rented homes in Cruise Park estate in Tyrrelstown after the owner - an investment fund - sold the homes.

Threshold is holding a meeting tonight in Tyrrelstown for concerned families.

Threshold chairperson Senator Aideen Hayden described the situation as a "mass eviction".

"People will find very quickly that there's nowhere else to go," she said.

"I've never suggested in my whole life that people should disobey the law, but in situations like this my advice to people would be to stay where you are."
By Daniel McConnell, Political Editor, in Washington DC

US Vice President Joe Biden has told acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny that he would have been elected by 80% of the electorate had he run for office in America.

Speaking at a breakfast for members of the Irish-American community, hosted by Mr Biden, Mr Kenny promised that Ireland would see a stable Government formed in the coming weeks.

My belief is that in our country over the next short period ahead, we will be able to put together a stable Government that will last the time and do the business in the interests of the country, he said.

In some very political remarks, Mr Kenny was highly critical of the anti-austerity parties who he said have had an effect on Ireland.

Mr Kenny referenced the impact of hard left groups in Europe who he said seek to run away from responsible Government and do not have the courage to do what is right for their people.

Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny pays tribute to Joe Bidens late son Beau #iestaff pic.twitter.com/UqaZbfNOjD  Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) March 15, 2016

In reference to the recent General Election in Ireland, Mr Biden paid tribute to Mr Kenny despite the fact he lost the election.

He is the most popular guy in the State and he lost, Mr Biden said.

I can assure you if you ran in America you would get 80% of the vote, he said to warm applause from those present.

Mr Biden quoted renowned Irish writer WB Yeats' Easter 1916 in his remarks about how the world is changed, changed utterly. A terrible beauty is born.

Mr Kenny is in Washington for a truncated programme of St Patrick's Day celebrations and will later today meet President Barack Obama at the White House.

He will also meet the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, before returning to Dublin late tonight
Three equine fatalities marred the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival as The Govaness, Pont Alexandre and Rezorbi all lost their lives.

Pont Alexandre was trained by Willie Mullins for owner Rich Ricci, who had an otherwise unparalleled day of success winning the Champion Hurdle with Annie Power, the Arkle with Douvan and the Mares' Hurdle with Vroum Vroum Mag.

Since finishing third to The New One in the 2013 Neptune Hurdle, Pont Alexandre had been off the track for two years but had managed three races this season and was well fancied for the four-mile National Hunt Chase.

He still seemed to be travelling well within himself when he was pulled up quickly before the 20th fence.

Mullins said: "It is a sad loss for the owner on what has been a great day. We never got to see the true extent of what he could do.

"He was a lovely big, old fashioned chaser and the type that had a laid-back personality. I thought I had him back this season and he will be sorely missed at the yard."

The Govaness was in the process of running an excellent race in the OLBG Mares' Hurdle for Dr Richard Newland, looking sure to be placed when she suffered a fatal fall at the last flight.

Jonjo O'Neill's Rezorbi was having just his second run for new connections in the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase since joining from France when he fell two out and was humanely destroyed.

Jenny Hall, chief veterinary officer for the British Horseracing Authority, said: "We are sad to hear of the fatal injuries received today by The Govaness, Pont Alexandre and Rezorbi. Our thoughts are with the owners, trainers and all the staff who have cared for these horses.

"The BHA works closely with Cheltenham, and indeed all British racecourses, to ensure that the highest possible standards of welfare are in place at all fixtures. Each of the horses injured today were attended to promptly and received a high standard of professional veterinary care from the team at Cheltenham Racecourse.

"We record and monitor all injuries and fatalities that occur on the racecourse to provide a benchmark from which the industry continually strives to reduce injury rates. Over the last 20 years, the equine fatality rate has fallen by a third - and in 2015 was the lowest on record, falling to just 0.18 per cent of runners."

One animal rights group criticised Channel 4's coverage of the injured horses.

Animal Aid's Dene Strensall said: "It was particularly sickening that Channel 4 conspicuously failed to mention, as they finished broadcasting, that at least one serious injury had happened. Any self-respecting human being should condemn the use of animals in this way."

In response, a Channel 4 spokesperson underlined the nature of the injuries to The Govaness were not confirmed until its afternoon show was off air, while the other two races were not covered live, saying: "We extend our sympathies to all connections.

"We weren't given confirmation until we were off air and it is not our protocol to speculate.

"The other two incidents happened off air and we again extend our condolences to connections.

"Our highlights programme has taken into account the incidents of the day with care and consideration."
Annie Power made it third time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival as she romped home in the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

It's third time lucky for Annie Power at #TheFestival who jumped brilliantly to win the Champion Hurdle https://t.co/swMxEyY4WQ

A dramatic last-flight faller in the Mares' Hurdle 12 months ago and second in the World Hurdle in 2014, she justified being supplemented for the two-mile showpiece.

The decision was made due an injury to last year's winner Faugheen for the same connections of owner Rich Ricci, trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh.

Annie Power (5-2 favourite) pulled her way to the front at the first obstacle and went on to dictate affairs, becoming only the fourth mare to win the Champion Hurdle and the first since Flakey Dove in 1994.

My Tent Or Yours (10-1) put in a strong bid in his first race for 703 days, running a gallant race to take the runner-up spot, four and a half lengths behind the winner.

Nichols Canyon (15-2) was a head back in third to give Mullins a one-three.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Economy of the Republic Armenia Artsvik Minasyan received the delegation headed by the Head of the Unit of Neighborhood East, Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission Mathieu Bousquet on March 14.



As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Ministry of Economy, greeting the guests, Minister Minasyan highlighted the cooperation development between Armenia and the European Union in all possible fields. The Minister expressed gratitude to the European Union for its support to Armenia and stressed that the European Union is a very important partner for the Republic of Armenia.



Artsvik Minasyan also expressed willingness of the Ministry of Economy to continue the active cooperation with the European Union on implementation of support programs in Armenia.



Congratulating the newly appointed Minister, Mathieu Bousquet spoke about review of the European Neighbourhood Policy by the European Union, the cooperation under the Neighbourhood Investment Facility and support planned to be provided to Armenia in 2017-2020.



Then the extended working group meeting took place, co-chaired by the First Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Garegin Melkonyan and the Head of the Unit of Neighbourhood East, Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission Mathieu Bousquet.
Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011, has arrived in court for his human rights case against the Norwegian government.

As soon as prison guards removed his handcuffs, the 37-year-old turned to journalists and stretched out his right arm in a Nazi salute.

Breivik is suing the government, alleging it has violated the European Convention on Human Rights by holding him in isolation in Skien prison, about 100km south-west of Oslo.

The trial is being held in a gym inside the prison for security reasons.

Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo's government district and then carried out a shooting massacre at the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth organisation.

It is the first time shaven-headed Breivik has been seen in public since he was convicted of terrorism and mass murder in 2012 over the massacres on July 22, 2011.

The government has rejected his claims, saying he is being treated humanely and with dignity despite the severity of his crimes.

During his criminal trial four years ago, Breivik entered the court with his own salute, using a clenched fist instead of the outstretched hand that the Nazis used to greet Adolf Hitler. At the time Breivik described himself as a modern-day crusader, fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

In letters sent to media from prison, Breivik said he has abandoned his armed struggle and now wants to create a fascist movement while serving his sentence.

Before the hearing started on Tuesday, his lawyer, Oystein Storrvik, said the goal of the human rights case is to improve Breivik's prison conditions, including interaction with other prisoners and fewer restrictions on his mail correspondence.

Breivik is being held as the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison. He is allowed some mail correspondence but it is strictly controlled and he is not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

The government says the restrictions are well within the European Convention of Human Rights and are needed to make sure Breivik is not able to build militant extremist networks from prison.
Three police officers were slightly injured when shots were fired during an anti-terror raid in the Belgian capital Brussels, an official has said.

The exact circumstances of the incident, and whether the police officers were struck by bullets or injured in another way, were still unclear, the police official said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Artsvik Minasyan received the delegation led by the head of the World Bank (WB) Yerevan Office, Laura Bailey on March 14. As Armenpress was informed by the Public Relations and Information Department of the Ministry, welcoming the guests and highlighting the cooperation with the World Bank, Artsvik Minasyan expressed gratitude for support and effective partnership for implementation of Armenia's economic development and reforms.



The Minister particularly referred to the results and projects supported by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Economy of RA.



He pointed out the "E-Society and Innovation for Competitiveness (EIC) " project ,by the implementation of which tangible achievements have been registered, particularly WiFi connectivity in a number of rural communities, establishment and development of Venture Fund and Technological Center (Technopark) in Gyumri , which can be a model for development of many regional and international technology centers.



Artsvik Minasyan referred to two other projects implemented in cooperation with the Bank "Trade Promotion and Quality Infrastructure" and "Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project" emphasizing the critical importance of increasing the level of competitiveness of the country, improving the investment climate for foreign trade and development opportunities of territorial expansion.



The Minister outlined the importance of increasing the effectiveness of cooperation with donor organizations and ensuring the necessity of systemization of program implementation, awareness of society and transparent governance, monitoring of programs, evaluation of results, as well as accountability.



Laura Bailey expressed gratitude to the newly appointed Minister sharing his positive impression for being so deeply familiar with the agenda of cooperation and activities carried out in a short period.

Subject of separate discussion was the investment policy, issues related to corporate social responsibility, the problems associated with the competitive environment and the necessity of new legislative regulations of the field, which is also a requirement stipulated by constitutional amendments.



The sides discussed the necessity of ensuring sustainability of the results of programs implemented, which has a principal role in strengthening the achievements, turning to development potential. In this regard the sides exchanged views on a number of cooperation programs and possible directions.



At the end of the meeting Artsvik Minasyan and Laura Bailey mutually committed to invest joint efforts and create effective working relationships to ensure maximum efficiency in the implementation of current programs and future initiatives.
PARIS: Former world number one Simona Halep said Friday she will fight until the end to prove she did not...
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited the "ArmTab, "ArmPhone" tablet and phone producing "Technology and Science Dynamics company, which is also involved in research projects Company. The company operates in the "Alliance" free economic zone.

As "Armenpress" was informed by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Government, the Prime Minister toured the company and observed the production processes and development programs. It was noted that the tablets are not inferior to world famous brands in terms of quality. They are equipped with modern systems and applications, and are more affordable.

Since last year, "Technology and Science Dynamics" started to invest "ArmTab" tablets in Armenian schools. During 2015 it had already provided schools with 700 tablets. The program will continue this year also. It was reported that the company's products are sold both in Armenia and abroad. Negotiations are underway with other companies operating in the telecommunications industry, to launch the sales of the products in the retail market of the country. "Technology and Science Dynamics" cooperates with foreign partners to develop research projects. Currently the company employs 117 people. It is expected to gradually increase this number.

Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Abrahamyan stressed the importance of the activity of the company and was pleased to note that it is developing and has a great future. Hovik Abrahamyan said that the government will continue to support the great potential of the IT sector, considering it a priority. The Prime Minister noted that the Ministry of Economy commissioned to discuss each program in this sector and, if needed, provide continuous support. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the development of the IT sector in our country has a great future and added that it will be the focus of the governments attention.

In order to recruit highly qualified professionals in the IT sector, the Government undertook the creation of robotics and engineering workshops and laboratories in schools.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. On March 15 Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan met with President of the Parliament of the Republic of Greece Nikos Voutsis. Armenpress was informed from the Department of Mass Media and Public Relations of the Armenian Presidents Staff that Sargsyan and Voutsis stressed the importance of the role of parliamentary ties in strengthening the inter-state relations and expansion of cooperation agenda.

Noting that the National Assembly of Armenia established a tradition of friendly relations with the parliaments of many European countries, President Serzh Sargsyan in this respect stressed the importance of revision of the Friendship Group with Armenia in Hellenic Parliament, which, in his opinion, is a serious impetus to the development of bilateral parliamentary ties. Armenia President underlined the importance of the principled positions of the two countries' parliaments in sensitive issues for each other. In this context, President Sargsyan expressed gratitude to Nikos Voutsis and the Greek parliament, which was among the first to recognize the Armenian Genocide, and before last year passed a law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide.Serh Sargsyan noted that during the meeting with him the representatives of Armenian traditional organizations in Greece and Greek-Armenian community also asked to convey their gratitude to the chairman of the Greek Parliament and MPs, recalling that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Armenian Genocide by Greece.

Serzh Sargsyan spoke with satisfaction about his productive meetings with Greek President Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Tsipras within the framework of his official visit, during which the two sides stressed the importance of regular political dialogue, the achievements in the sectors of cultural, economic and scientific cooperation, as well as the necessity to deepen parliamentary ties.

Armenian President highlighted the personal contribution of the Chairman of Hellenic Parliament Nikos Voutsis in strengthening the Parliamentary ties and noted that he expects continued active steps aimed at strengthening the Armenian-Greek friendly ties.

President Sarsgyan met with the representatives of local organizations of Armenian national parties in the last day of his visit to the Hellenic Republic, before the working dinner with the President of the Greek Parliament Nikos Voutsis.
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YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian petrol market is under constant surveillance of the State Commission on the Protection of Economic Competition of Armenia (SCPEC). SCPEC President Artak Shaboyan announced about this at the National Assembly answering the question of ANC faction member Nikol Pashinyan. Our Commission conducts regular pricing calculations to find out if the major import companies have a dominating position or there are unjustified prize increases, Armenpress reports Shaboyan saying.

He added that as a result of the observation of the Commission it became clear that since the beginning of 2014, when drop of prices started worldwide, petrol price significantly had decreased in Armenia by the end of 2015. The prices reduced from 480 drams to 380. I talk about the regular type petrol. Petrol is among the important goods that we sell by money but import by foreign currencies. Therefore, the exchange rate of the AMD has a vital impact on the final prize. Now, if we exclude the impact of the AMD and calculate the sales prices in terms of dollar, we will see that petrol price dropped by 32% during two years, Shaboyan said.

He also referred to the question referring to the price difference between Armenia and Georgia. We are concerned over that issue a swell, and we have conducted an observation. We got in touch with our Georgian partners and tried to receive some information over pricing in Georgia. We found out that there are two main factors that explain the difference in the price. Previously, petrol prices were always higher than in Armenia. The first main factor is high transport costs. We observed the petrol transportation costs from Poti port to Airum station which is done by the Georgian railways. I cannot say to what extent the transportation prices are justified by they are rather high, Shaboyan said, adding that the second factor is the tax policy. In his words, both in Armenia and Georgia petrol imports are taxed by VAT and excise tax. Our observations revealed that our tax burden is heavier than that of Georgia, he said, adding that there is also another reason for the price difference. Georgia imports petrol from the same distributors as Armenia, with the exception that recently it started imports from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Our Georgian colleagues informed us that petrol from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan is imported at lower prices, Artak Shaboyan clarified.
Keep your heads, Canberrans  Versailles is coming to the capital next summer.

But will we be eating cake?

The Sun King gate at the Palace of Versailles. Credit:

The National Gallery of Australia has announced its next summer blockbuster, Treasures from Versailles, an exclusive exhibition that's being developed in partnership with the French Government and the Palace of Versailles.

The show will involve items never before seen outside France, but beyond this, no other information is available.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Ruled by a dizzying array of kingdoms and empires over the centuries  from the Byzantines to the Ottomans  the city of Ani once housed many thousands of people, becoming a cultural hub and regional power under the medieval Bagratid Armenian dynasty. Today, its an eerie, abandoned city of ghosts that stands alone on a plateau in the remote highlands of northeast Turkey, 45km away from the Turkish border city of Kars. As you walk among the many ruins, left to deteriorate for over 90 years, the only sound is the wind howling through a ravine that marks the border between Turkey and Armenia, BBC writes in the article entitled The Empire the world forgot, Armenpress reports.

Visitors who pass through Anis city walls are greeted with a panoramic view of ruins that span three centuries and five empires  including the Bagratid Armenians, Byzantines, Seljuk Turks, Georgians and Ottomans. The Ani plateau was ceded to Russia once the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War. The site changed hands for the last time after the nascent Turkish Republic captured it in 1920.

The ruins of an ancient bridge over the Akhurian River, which winds its way at the bottom of the ravine to create a natural border, are fitting given the vexed state of Turkish-Armenian relations. The two countries have long disagreed over the mass killings of Armenians that took place under the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and Turkey officially closed its land border with Armenia in 1993 in response to a territorial conflict between Armenia and Turkeys ally Azerbaijan.

Although the focus on Turkish-Armenian tension preoccupies most discussion of Ani, theres an ongoing effort by archaeologists and activists to save the ruins, which have been abandoned in favour of more accessible and less historically contested sites from classical antiquity. Historians have long argued for Anis importance as a forgotten medieval nexus, and as a result, Ani is now on a tentative list for recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site. With some luck and careful restoration work, which has begun in 2011, they may be able to forestall the hands of time.

At its height during the 11th Century, scholars estimate that Anis population reached as high as 100,000 people. Artistic renderings based on the sites archaeological findings show a bustling medieval centre crowded with myriad homes, artisanal workshops and impressive churches scattered throughout.

Known as The City of 1,001 Churches, Anis Armenian rulers and city merchants funded an extraordinary number of places of worship, all designed by the greatest architectural and artistic minds in their milieu. Although the nickname was hyperbole, archaeologists have discovered evidence of at least 40 churches, chapels and mausoleums to date.

The author of the article describes the Cathedral of Ani, the Church of St. Gregory of of the Abughamrentsis, The Church of of Tigran Honents, refers to Anis underground structures and gates.

A rust-coloured brick redoubt, the Cathedral of Ani looms over the now-abandoned city. Although its dome collapsed in an earthquake in 1319  and, centuries later, another earthquake destroyed its northwest corner  it is still imposing in scale. It was completed in 1001 under the reign of Armenian King Gagik I, when the wealth and population of Ani was at its peak. Trdat, the renowned Armenian architect who designed it, also served the Byzantines by helping them repair the dome of the Hagia Sophia.

Built sometime in the late 10th Century, the Church of St Gregory of the Abughamrentsis a stoic-looking, 12-sided chapel that has a dome carved with blind arcades: arches that are purely for embellishment instead of leading to a portal. In the early 1900s, a mausoleum was discovered buried under the churchs north side, likely containing the remains of the churchs patron, Prince Grigor Pahlavuni of the Bagratid Armenians, and his kin. Unfortunately, like many of the sites at Ani, the princes sepulchre was looted in the 1990s.

Opposite the Church of St Gregory of the Abughamrentsare a series of caves dug out of the rock, which some historians speculate may predate Ani. The caves are sometimes described as Anis underground city and signs point to their use as tombs and churches. In the early 20th Century, some of these caves were still used as dwellings.

The Church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents stands vigilant over the ravine that separates Turkey and Armenia. Commissioned by a wealthy merchant and built in 1215, it was constructed when the then-controlling Kingdom of Georgia granted Ani as a fiefdom to a bloodline of Armenian rulers, the Zakarians. During the winter, the lonely church makes for a striking sight against the endless, snow-covered Armenian steppe in the distance.

The Church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents is one of Anis best preserved buildings, adorned with remnants of paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ and St Gregory the Illuminator. Detailed fresco cycles did not ordinarily appear in Armenian art of the era, leading scholars to believe the artists were most likely Georgian.

The author writes that Anis city walls may seem ready to crumble, but when they were constructed in the 10th Century, they made for a formidable defence. The Bagratid family of kings built them in order to fortify their new capital and, over the centuries, they protected the citys occupants against siege after siege by various armies. These ramparts, along with Anis inhabitants, witnessed bloody conflicts between the Bagratids and the Byzantines, and the Byzantines and the Seljuks.

Despite Anis history as a field of warfare, the ruins also represent many periods throughout history where the city saw a remarkable interchange of cultures, religions and artistic motifs.
The Giants could be tempted to throw Jonathon Patton into the deep end for round one after forward Jeremy Cameron was suspended for four weeks for an illegal bump on Brisbane's Rhys Mathieson in a preseason match on Sunday.

The Tribunal decided Cameron's fate swiftly after the Match Review Panel had graded his hit on Mathieson as careless with severe impact to the head. Cameron flew to Melbourne for the hearing on Tuesday, pleaded guilty and was told he would miss his side's opening matches, against Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney and Port Adelaide.

Jeremy Cameron was cited after this incident. Credit:Fox Footy

Cameron expressed remorse for the incident. He had shown concern immediately after the collision and had texted Mathieson afterward to check on his welfare. The Lions defender underwent surgery on Monday to help repair a fractured right cheekbone and will miss up to six matches.

"Obviously, I accept the sanction they handed down to me - I just hope Rhys Mathieson is OK and I just want to move on with my season now," Cameron said after the hearing.
AFL umpire Dean Margetts will probably chuckle the next time he gets abused by footy fans after he almost died after bursting an ulcer on a flight back to Perth over the weekend.

Margetts had only just finished umpiring the Melbourne and St Kilda NAB Challenge game at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, when he suddenly felt ill on a Virgin flight from Melbourne back to Perth.

AFL umpire Dean Margetts in hospital after an ulcer burst. Credit:Facebook

The next thing the Perth-based umpire knew, the flight was getting diverted to Adelaide and he was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital with a hole in his abdomen, which required laparotomy surgery.

"When I got to the hospital and they told me if it burst it could've been fatal, it was pretty overwhelming when I heard that," Margetts told Radio 6PR.
Non-profit superannuation funds must embrace the "fintech" boom in new technologies reshaping the financial services sector or face annihilation.

"Innovation is the buzz word for 2016 and yes, it's in danger of becoming a cliche, but there is no escaping its relevance to our industry," Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees chief executive Tom Garcia said.

Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees chief Tom Garcia has urged non-profit funds to embrace technology. Credit:Josh Robenstone

In his address to the non-profit super lobby group's annual conference of major super funds in Adelaide on Wednesday, Mr Garcia will issue a rallying call for funds to work with new technology providers.

Australia's big four banks, the main emerging competitors to the union-aligned super sector, have all committed to increasing their investment in technology to defend their market share in the face of an onslaught of competition from new market entrants.
Japanese clothing giant UNIQLO is set to open its doors in the Queen Street Mall on March 22nd.

Situated next to Country Road, the three-level store will be the chain's 10th in Australia, and will stock a full line-up of UNIQLO's apparel and showcase its Autumn/Winter collection.

UNIQLO's Australian sales rose 47 per cent to $175 million last year but losses blew out to $7 million.

"We're looking forward to opening our second Brisbane store and making the brand more accessible to local customers. Our wide range of every-day products and innovative fabric technology is perfect for the versatile lifestyles of those living in the sunshine state," Shoichi Miyasaka, CEO of UNIQLO Australia said.

In conjunction with the Indooroopilly store, the establishment is set to generate more than 200 jobs.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The agreement signed by the heads of state news agencies of the CIS countries on cooperation in photo information exchange sector will contribute to the development of joint cooperation of information agencies, Director of "Armenpress" News Agency Aram Ananyan said in the interview with National Information Agency of Tajikistan Khovar. We help each other in our work and support by information materials. By signing of the agreement we will enrich our partnership, Aram Ananyan said.

Touching on the exchange of information between Armenpress and Tajikstans Khovar, Ananyan noted that the 2 agencies are collaborating for a long time, which helps in everyday work.

In response to the question about the cooperation of agencies on terrorism and extremism, climate changes and on coverage of other global issues, Aram Ananyan noted that media plays an important role in the coverage of significant agenda for all countries of the world. Speaking of the challenges, I can say that, elucidating the processes taking place in the modern world, we help to overcome these challenges, the Director of Armenpress added.

The 21st session of the CIS Information Council was held in Dushanbe on March 15. The participants discussed the development of informational cooperation, the activities of CIS Executive Committee and other CIS bodies and the events in the CIS in the current year.

It was decided to implement projects in the framework of the CIS Information Council and the Association of National News Agencies of the CIS member states and joint projects dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the CIS.
Online furniture retailer Temple & Webster has shaken up its board and management after a recent profit warning that sent its shares down 70 per cent just months after its sharemarket debut.

Temple & Webster has appointed former Fantastic Holdings chief executive Stephen Heath  who left the bricks and mortar furniture retailer last month after a dispute over bonuses  as a non-executive director and adviser to senior management.

Temple & Webster chairwoman Carol Schwartz said the new team would focus on making the business EBITDA positive. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Mr Heath, a former Harvey Norman franchisee, ran vacuum cleaner chain Godfreys and Rebel Group before taking the helm at Fantastic in 2012 and restoring the company to growth.

Arden Point principal Mark Coulter, one of the four co-founders of Temple & Webster, has been appointed chief operating officer and will take responsibility for day-to-day operations.
The eastern suburbs and Ryde district are among Sydney's youth unemployment "hotspots" in a new analysis of jobless data.

The latest national snapshot from the anti-poverty organisation the Brotherhood of St Laurence shows the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs is 12.48 per cent, behind Blacktown with a rate of 14.19 per cent. In Ryde, the rate is 11.4 per cent in the 12 months to January this year.

In NSW, youth unemployment rates are still as high as 16.54 per cent on the central coast and 15.59 per cent in Sydney's inner south-west, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures collated by the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

NSW Business Chamber Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cartwright said young people from wealthier backgrounds who had university degrees were not guaranteed a job. He said the new figures "make sobering reading".
A fired Volkswagen Group of America employee has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the German automaker, accusing it of deleting documents and obstructing justice in the ongoing diesel emissions investigations.

Daniel Donovan, who worked as an information technology employee in VW's general counsel office since 2008, claims in the suit filed in Oakland County Circuit Court in Michigan last week that he was fired in December "because of his refusal to participate in a course of action" that would destroy evidence and obstruct justice.

VW has said previously it was considering buybacks as part of a settlement, a move that could cost it billions. Credit:Bloomberg

Donovan alleges he was fired because he refused to participate in destroying evidence in ongoing probes of VW by the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency over software that allowed diesel vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution in real world driving.

Donovan's suit also claims he was fired because he was about to report the destruction of evidence to federal officials.
NRL players are often subject to such assumptions of guilt. Former NRL star Hazem El Masri is an example. Despite an unblemished record as a player, and a long history of community service, many were ready to assume that allegations of domestic violence were well-founded.

The likelihood of prejudgment is increased when the accused fits the profile of a person expected to be involved in illegal activity. Such stereotypes are reinforced by media reporting, and can be compounded by politicians willing to echo, rather than question, community preconceptions.

Australia has a problem with the presumption of innocence. It is being displaced by a rush to judgment. The reasons for this are understandable, but problematic. People want to believe that the perpetrator of a violent act has been found and arrested. They want to see someone punished for the crime.

As El Masri has said: "A lot of people branded me guilty without even a presumption of innocence beforehand  Everyone wants to jump on that bandwagon". The result was "probably  the toughest thing in my whole life". The episode has come at a great personal cost, even though he has now been vindicated. The allegations against him have been shown to be false, and the charges withdrawn by the police.

Hazem El Masri after appearing at Bankstown court where all charges against him were dropped. Credit:Nick Moir

His case raises questions about how well we respect the notion that a person must be treated as innocent until proven guilty. Known as "the golden thread" of the criminal law, the presumption means that the prosecution must prove the guilt of a person beyond reasonable doubt. This enables our society to be underpinned by justice and fair treatment. It acts as a crucial counterweight to the tendency to prejudge.

The law must reflect this principle. Unfortunately, and increasingly, it does not. For many years, parliaments around Australia have enacted new statutes that erode the presumption of innocence. This in turn has contributed to a growing community culture in which it has become more acceptable to judge a person based upon media coverage and political commentary, rather than on the basis of evidence assessed by a judge or jury.

This problem is now so widespread that it was the subject of a speech last month by the Chief Justice of NSW, Tom Bathurst. His survey of the NSW statute book threw up more than just a few instances here and there. The results were shocking in showing that breaches of the presumption have become a routine part of the legislative process. His conservative estimate was that there are at least 52 laws in the state that encroach upon the principle. It is being whittled away, piece by piece.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. On March 12 municipal authorities of French city Lille paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims in Armenian Genocide Martyrs Square.

Armenpress was informed from the Press, Information and Public Relations Department of the Armenian MFA that the memorial ceremony, initiated by the mayor of Lille and French-Armenian Ani organization, was attended by Armenia's ambassador to France Vigen Chitechyan and the President of the French National Assembly Claude Bartolone, who is a resident of Lille and previously served as community head.

French NA President, mayor of Lille and Ambassador Chitechyan made speeches during the ceremony. Armenian ambassador expressed his gratitude to the mayor of Lille for opening the square commemorating the Armenian victims within the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and greeted French NA President Claude Bartolones honorable presence at the event.

In his speech the ambassador highlighted the importance of conveying memory of the Armenian Genocide in the context of current geopolitical realities, emphasizing Turkish authorities inability to face up to the past after 100 years and the ongoing negative consequences of the mentioned above in the form of prosecutions against groups of people, based on national and religious affiliation, in the same areas, where the Armenian Genocide was carried out.

After the speeches, wreaths were placed near the memorial stone of the square on behalf of Armenia, France and Lille city. The memorial ceremony was followed by a reception at the municipality of Lille.
Royal Commission begins

Last week "the Premier Mr Cahill ordered a Royal Commission into Mr David Edward Studley-Ruxton's allegation that seven police officers had assaulted him at Darlinghurst police station on February 25. The hearing formally began yesterday when council announced their appearances to the Royal Commissioner, Mr. Justice Dovey." Evidence would be heard from next Monday, the Herald reported.

Editorial cartoon regarding the Studley-Ruxton Royal Commission. Credit:Harry Eyre

Queen sidesteps lizard

Rockhampton: "As the Queen descended the gangway from the plane, she almost trod on a lizard basking in the sun on one of the steps. She looked down, hesitated, then smiled and stepped to one side. The Duke stepped likewise." After the formal greetings at the foot of the stairway "Alderman Pilbeam walked over to the steps, picked up the lizard and showed it to the Queen and the Duke".
He shared the prize with Alvin Roth, who teaches economics at Harvard and Stanford.

Shapley was 89 and professor emeritus at UCLA when he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work half a century earlier that analysed match-making in markets.

Lloyd Shapley was an American researcher of strategic decision-making called game theory who shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in economics.

Shapley came up with formulas to match supply and demand in markets where prices don't do the job; Roth put Shapley's maths to work in the real world.

"For example, students have to be matched with schools, and donors of human organs with patients in need of a transplant," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. "How can such matching be accomplished as efficiently as possible? What methods are beneficial to what groups?"

The academy said the two prize winners' work sparked a "flourishing field of research" and helped improve the performance of many markets.

"I consider myself a mathematician, and the award is for economics," Shapley said after learning of the honour. "I never, never in my life took a course in economics."

The son of renowned astronomer Harlow Shapley, who helped estimate the size of the Milky Way galaxy, Shapley noted: "Now, I'm ahead of my father. He got other prizes  But he did not get a Nobel Prize."
It appears no one wants to be held accountable for Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi's outlandish behaviour  not even Ms Scaffidi herself.

Her bizarre Facebook attack on Nine journalist Liam Bartlett is the latest in a series of peculiar acts from the lord mayor, who has been feeling the heat since October, when the Corruption and Crime Commission found she failed in her duties by not disclosing gifts and hospitality packages.

Since then, she has remained tight-lipped and has continually refused to answer questions about the travel rort saga or the ongoing local government investigation into them.

Since May, WAtoday has bombarded the City of Perth about allegations of more undeclared travel claims, but every time the shutters would slam down.
JOHN CLEESE AND ERIC IDLE: TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAST ... FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME

State Theatre, March 14. Until March 16.

John Cleese and Eric Idle Together Again At Last ... For the Very First Time. Credit:Rod Millington

It is a strange time to be making "racial" jokes when the world is a hotbed of Islamophobia, the US is awash with battles over diversity and equality and its next potential leader is so rabidly xenophobic that he's been compared to Hitler.

But that's where John Cleese takes the audience during a solo segment on stage. It's a monologue that begins with his declaration of a love for "hard-edged humour" but then shifts into trotting out tired old stereotypes about Mexicans, Jews, the Irish and more.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot provide any new information on the cancellation of the Russian-Turkish Treaty, signed in Moscow on March 16, 1921. This was reported in the Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting by the request of Armenpress on the shared information of Armenian-Russian news agency whether the Russian Foreign Ministry considers it impossible the cancelation of the mentioned agreement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry informed only that Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the last comment on the mentioned issue on February 10. "We do not have a new position on the mentioned issue, our last position was presented by Maria Zakharova on February 10", Russian Federation MFA says.

In particular, on February 10 Zakharova confirmed: "I can say that the Russian Foreign Ministry received a request from a number of MPs of the State Duma of Russia with a proposal to terminate the mentioned agreement. At this point I would say that the request should be evaluated to determine what exactly is offered there. Accordingly, everything will be done according to the order. We need to examine this initiative so far.
Labor will launch a major review of the troubled vocational education sector - equivalent to the landmark Gonski review into school funding - if it wins office at the next election.

The review, to be announced on Wednesday, would be the first comprehensive investigation into the vocational education and training (VET) sector since 1974. With an election looming, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is aiming to put education, traditionally perceived as one of Labor's policy strengths, at the centre of political debate.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is aiming to put education, traditionally perceived as one of Labor's policy strengths, at the centre of political debate. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The 2011 Gonski review triggered major changes to school funding while the 2008 Bradley review into higher education led to the uncapping of undergraduate student places, allowing universities to enrol as many students as they like.

"The vocational education and training sector deserves a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to policy-making to ensure it is fit for the critical task of preparing Australians for the jobs of the future," Labor vocational education spokeswoman Sharon Bird said.
Ben Affleck says ex-wife Jennifer Garner is "allowed" to open up about their marriage split, his alleged affair with their younger nanny and the fact she is not a fan of his colourful phoenix tattoo that covers his entire back.

Speaking to The New York Times as he promotes his new movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the 43-year-old initially said he wouldn't speak about his highly publicised marriage breakdown for the sake of his three children, but then ended up addressing Garner's candid chat with Vanity Fair.

Billed on the magazine cover as "Jennifer Garner on the rebound", the 43-year-old actress addressed the nanny scandal, claiming Christine Ouzounian, 28, was not the cause of their divorce after 10 years of marriage. She described him as the "love of [her] life" but also as a "complicated" character that could make her feel "cold".
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. A well-known human rights organization Amnesty International launched a campaign demanding the release of Azerbaijani spouses Arif and Leyla Yunus for treatment.

Armenpress reports, citing Contact.az, that the press release of the organization said that the Azerbaijani authorities in every way interfere with the departure abroad for emergency treatment of spouses Yunus - known human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience.

After the insistent demands of the international community the couple has been finally provisionally released, but criminal sanctions against them has not been lifted. They are still considered convicted on trumped up charges, the report said.

Amnesty International urged everyone to support spouses to write to the e-mail of the Azerbaijani President and the Attorney General with a call to remove from the spouses all trumped-up charges and release the couple for treatment abroad, as their treatment in Azerbaijan is not possible.

The head of "Institute of Peace and Democracy" Leyla Yunus was detained on 30 July, 2014 and charged with serious crimes, including treason. In August 2015 she was sentenced to 8.5 years of imprisonment. In December of the same year, this term was replaced by a suspended sentence.
One of three men wanted by police over a vicious attack in Sydney's west has handed himself at the behest of his mother.

The 29-year-old man presented himself to officers at Windsor Police Station on Tuesday afternoon after graphic CCTV footage of an attack on a young man was publicly released.

Police released the footage in a bid to identify the three men who brutally punched a man and repeatedly kicked him as he lay on a footpath in Parramatta in January.

It is understood the man's mother saw the footage aired on TV and pushed him to hand himself into police.
The first 95 new prisoners to a new-look Borallon prison near Ipswich next month will be encouraged to "earn and learn" to turn their lives around.

The 26-year-old Borallon Prison near Ipswich is going to be progressively re-opened as a "dedicated training" prison from April, the Queensland Government announced on Tuesday.

Borallon Correctional Centre will reopen in 2016 with a training focus. Credit:Queensland Times

Queensland's Law Society described it as "a positive step", but warned further progressive steps were needed.

The aim is to make it a training facility for young male prisoners.
Lord Mayor Rod Harding.

That could well be something the good burghers of Brisbane will have to get used to reading from next week.

The fact is, just three days out from Saturday's Brisbane City Council election, a Labor upset is a distinct possibility and it has many asking  can the ALP achieve its second unlikely election victory in as many years?

The short answer is: Yes.
While the Palaszczuk Government spent the first parliament sitting since Rob Pyne's defection presenting a somewhat subdued, if focussed front, it didn't take long to reveal there was still trouble in the ranks.

Former Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller took to Facebook to criticise the recently released Infrastructure plan and how it relates to Ipswich.

Former police minister Jo-ann Miller

Ms Miller, who has not been granted a parliamentary speaking spot since she resigned from the ministry, put up a 1308 word post detailing what she "would have said", if she was able to speak in the House.

"Whilst I was pleased to read that some $200 million have been allocated to another Ipswich Motorway upgrade dependent on like funding from the federal government, it is clear to me that simply adding lanes is not good enough," she said.
The Gold Coast's 235,000 ratepayers have paid $28 million over three years through a levy to buy bushland for conservation, but not one hectare of bush has been bought since 2012.

This was confirmed by Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate after Fairfax Media asked what land had been bought since 2012 using the Gold Coast's $38 "open space levy" paid annually by each ratepayer.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate confirms no bushland has been bought with the millions raised in the past three years.

Conservationist Lois Levy, AO, who has run Gold Coast conservation group GECKO, raised questions on Tuesday suggesting money was diverted to cover Commonwealth Games' costs.

"Up until 2012 it was used by council to purchase land to add to our conservation state and also to our recreation areas," Ms Levy said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Over 200 Armenian students will study at universities in Russia for free, director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Yerevan Mark Kalinin said, Armenpress reports.

According to Kalinin, the session of the working group on the organization of admission to Russian universities will be held at the end of March,in which representatives of the Russian Embassy in Armenia, the Ministry of Culture, Science and Education of Armenia, organizations of Russian compatriots in Armenia, as well as representatives of the leading Russian universities are included . "Working Group on a competitive basis should select 223 people from the Armenian students who submitted an application for admission to Russian universities", Kalinin said.

Currently 389 applicants have submitted applications. According to Kalinin, Armenian entrants are very interested in getting a free education in Russia. The organizers are confident that they will receive about 500 applications before the end of the reception of documents on March 18.

Every year, 150 entrants from Armenia enter the most complex departments of the best technical universities in Russia. Kalinin is convinced that this year will be no exception as well.
A habitual criminal who raped a five-year-old girl less than a fortnight after his 14th birthday will remain behind bars indefinitely.

Joel George Currie was due to be released from jail on Sunday after serving more than 18 years for a string of sexual and other offences, which began when he was just 11 years old.

Joel George Currie will remain behind bars indefinitely.

The five-year-old girl, who he raped in the late 1990s, was so badly injured she needed treatment for vaginal lacerations, according to a court judgment released Friday.

Currie, now 32, went on to sexually assault another child in October 2004.
To the left of the steering column, there's a button to enable the car's autonomous drive, and a button that Google calls its "speed rocker"  a vertical bar that lets the driver manually accelerate the car to match the speed of traffic while autonomous mode is turned on. Push up to go faster; push down to go slower. On the steering wheel, there's an "on" button and an "off" button. Nastor pressed the "on" button, and away we went.

As we glided into a left turn and onto West Anderson Lane, a bustling four-lane thoroughfare, one thing became immediately clear: The car brilliantly grasps the basic mechanics of driving, but it hasn't yet mastered the art of it. It's got a bit of a lead foot, so your head gets thrown back a bit as it accelerates like a teenager with a new license. Same with the braking: Where experienced drivers know to lift their foot off the pedal slightly at the end to avoid giving themselves whiplash, Google's car brakes rather aggressively.

Google expects these quirks to be ironed out in the long run. Part of the reason why the car accelerates so quickly is because it tends to wait a second after a light turns green to allow any red-light runners or crossing pedestrians to clear out. Safety first, human-like later, Nastor said.

You may notice that the car I rode in isn't the pod-like prototype car that Google has also been working on. (Nastor said other testers have likened the prototype to toasters, koala bears and marshmallows.) But although Google's long-term vision is to make the steering wheel obsolete  it's safer to do so, company officials have argued, because humans are fallible  realistically there may need to be some intermediate step that eases people into that future. And if so, then the modified Lexus would represent a reasonable first stab at it.

Other than that slight choppiness, the rest of the ride went remarkably smoothly. We tooled around small residential streets  which represent some of the toughest conditions for Google's computer because of all the random events that can occur in those zones  and the Lexus glided around parked cars, yielded for pedestrians and even did the equivalent of nodding to oncoming cyclists. They couldn't see that, of course, but a laptop hooked up to the car showed that it acknowledged two green squares on the other side of the street.
Another Melbourne Catholic Church historically linked with a prominent paedophile priest has been targeted in an attempted arson attack.

St Bede's Church in Balwyn North was broken into about 4.30am on Sunday morning, but the intruder is understood to have fled the Severn Street property after an alarm was activated.

St Bedes church in North Balwyn.

Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne spokesman, Shane Healy confirmed that a window had been broken and accelerant poured around the alter, but no fire had been lit.

Mass on Sunday morning was relocated to an adjoining building following the failed arson attempt.
The long-delayed promise to rebuild The Stokehouse in St Kilda may finally be delivered, after the Andrews government signed a 30-year lease extension with operator Frank Van Haandel.

But a former mayor for the area said Mr Van Haandel had been given far too generous a deal.

The design for the new Stokehouse in St Kilda.

The Stokehouse burnt down two years ago and, after lengthy debate about what should replace the building, a pledge was made that a replacement venue would be in operation by September last year.

Preparatory work has begun on the site, but Mr Van Haandel - who has had issues securing finance for the $12 million rebuild - pleaded with the state government to extend his 21-year lease over the site to 35 years.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. On 15 March Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received a group of Flemish parliamentarians of the Kingdom of Belgium at the head of deputy chairman of the Belgian Senate Karl Vanlouwe to discuss a range of issues related to the development of bilateral relations.

Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Artsakh Presidents office that President Sahakyan highlighted deepening the Artsakh-Flanders ties from economic, political and humanitarian perspectives, pointing to the presence of favorable conditions for expanding them.

During the meeting President Sahakyan awarded Heghine Evinyan, EU officer of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy with the ''Gratitude'' medal, rating high her patriotic activity.

Deputy Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Vahram Balayan, foreign minister Karen Mirzoyan, head of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy Gaspar Karapetyan and other officials attended the meeting.
The intersection that catches more motorists running a red light than any other in Melbourne will be modified to give drivers fairer warning, after The Age published concerns that its design made traffic signals difficult to see.

But the RACV, which called for design changes at the intersection in December, wants the state government to go further and reassess tens of thousands of infringement notices issued to drivers, at a cost of more than $10 million.

The red light camera in Parkville has come under fire. Credit:Justin McManus

More than 30,000 motorists have been penalised for making an illegal right-hand turn at the corner of Cemetery Road West and Royal Parade in Parkville, since the red-light camera was switched on in October 2011.

The most recent figures from the Department of Justice show 1519 motorists were penalised between July and September last year, and fined $581,765.
Betting companies that breach a proposed new advertising code could be financially penalised in an effort to reduce the number of "irresponsible" ads being shown to vulnerable people, such as children.

The Australian Association of National Advertisers is pushing for a code that would be specific to wagering businesses such as William Hill and Sportsbet.com.

Wagering companies that breach the new code could face financial penalties.

The association says the voluntary code would include all advertising platforms including print, television, radio and online and help promote responsible advertising that reflected community standards.
Senator Ludlam told WAtoday that on three occasions he asked for the federal government's target for reducing homelessness. Each time he was refused an answer. Credit:Giovanni Torre The consequence of not finding a place to stay is death Anna Scott, team leader at Kambarang Place, a refuge for Aboriginal women, told WAtoday women fleeing domestic violence often must wait years for long-term accommodation. "We run crisis accommodation so people only stay eight weeks. It is very hard to find people long-term accommodation. A lot of housing providers have a wait list of two or three years. "For the Department of Housing, the priority wait list is seven years," she said.

"I have worked for Kambarang Place for two-and-a-half years and in that time I have seen one person housed by the Department of Housing." Ms Scott said the lack of suitable accommodation was a serious danger to domestic violence victims. "The harsh reality is that in extreme cases the consequence of not finding a place to stay is death. "After going through years of abuse a woman will get to a refuge, but sometimes they return because there is no hope of a long-term place to stay. Sometimes they return and they lose their lives. Ms Scott said one cruel irony is that an eviction on a victim's record, often a result of police being frequently called to their home in response to domestic violence incidents, make options "even more limited".

The tip of the iceberg The new report showed only part of the problem, according to Alison Evans, executive officer of the Women's Community Health Network WA. "It's important to remember that the figures only show the women who have accessed those particular services while looking for housing," she said. "There are a lot of women without a place to live after escaping domestic violence who don't access those services. The data is showing just part of the problem." Ms Evans said a significant amount of women with children, especially with young children who were afraid of leaving a domestic violence situation because they felt they had nowhere to go.

"There is huge demand for refuges and it is only temporary accommodation. Transitional housing is also in very short supply because there is such high demand," she said. Domestic violence often impaired women's employment, making it difficult to afford a private rental. The Safe At Home program, which involved women staying in their homes and the perpetrator leaving, was "very resource intensive" and cannot be used in high-risk cases. "What's your legacy in housing?" In February, WA Senator Scott Ludlam confronted the federal government in a senate estimates hearing over cuts to housing and homelessness services.

"Tony Abbott's first budget cut $592 million in housing affordability programs," he told Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, representing the Minister for Social Services. He listed a string of programs which had been abolished, including: The Housing Supply Council

National Rental Affordability Scheme

First Home Savers Account

Housing Help for Seniors

Homelessness Australia

The Prime Minister's Homelessness Council

National Shelter

The Major Cities Unit

The COAG Housing Reform Council His question to Senator Fierravanti-Wells was a direct: "What's your legacy in housing?" Senator Ludlam said more than a third of the 520,000 Australians who sought help from homelessness services between 2011 and 2014, did so because of domestic violence and only nine per cent of family and domestic violence clients were able to be provided with long-term accommodation when first requested.

Senator Ludlam told WAtoday that on three occasions he had asked Senator Fierravanti-Wells for the federal government's target for reducing homelessness. Each time she refused to answer. He said she also refused to answer questions on the rate at which people are turned away from homeless services. Senator Ludlam said Prime Minister Turnbull's Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook "failed to provide any new funding for services or prevention to solve our domestic violence crisis, and locked in Tony Abbott's $44 million cut to crisis shelters and his $12 million cut to community legal centres to take effect in 2017". "Women are being turned away on a daily basis from women's refuges because they're already full," Senator Ludlam said. "Overall, almost 400 people are turned away from homeless shelters in Australia every day."

Current WA government initiatives include: The National Domestic Violence Order Scheme and the Information Sharing Scheme

The Freedom from Fear action plan

The Kimberley Joint Response

The Youth Say No Campaign WA Minister for Child Protection Helen Morton said the state government welcomed the focus the 'Safe Systems campaign will bring to the ongoing effort to keep victims of domestic violence safe "Violence against women and children has been and remains a priority for the Barnett government. With few exceptions, the initiatives identified by the coalition of organisations have been implemented or are in the process of being implemented," she said. "Funding for family and domestic violence services in WA has increased from $21 million in 2008/09 to $34 million in 2015/16," she said. Rental rights for victims of domestic violence

Tenancy WA, the legal centre for tenants, has called for reforms that protect the victims of domestic violence, including those who have evictions on their record. Legislation analysis across Australia and New Zealand found that every state, except WA, has legislation affording victims of domestic violence (with a restraining order) some form of tenancy rights. "We are concerned that women and children are being evicted from public housing under the three strikes policy, where the strikes relate to disturbances from domestic violence the Housing Authority unfortunately struggles to distinguish domestic violence from disruptive behaviour," said Principal Solicitor Kate Davis. The reforms proposed by Tenancy WA: Systems for ending a tenant's interest in a lease after a Violence Restraining Order and for dealing with bonds and other financial matters

Streamlining the process for domestic violence victim to change locks

Providing procedural protections in domestic violence related applications

The centre's submission to the Law Reform Commission's inquiry stated that new laws in every other Australian state "are in keeping with national and international policy changes, moving away from the historical requirement for the victim - often with children - to leave the home whilst the perpetrator remained", while WA lagged behind. But for how long? Opposition spokesman for child protection, Labor MP Stephen Dawson, said he welcomed the establishment of the coalition and "a renewed focus on domestic violence policy". "There's no doubt that existing policies are not working and there needs to be a proper dialogue on how best to prevent violence against women and their children," he said. Greens spokesperson Lynn MacLaren MLC said a program like this was "long overdue".

"For too long, women and children recovering from the trauma of domestic violence have been falling through the cracks of a system that fails to recognise their specific vulnerabilities. The framework set out by the Safe Systems Coalition represents a true shake-up of that system," she said. WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin said, however, that amendments to the Act were currently being developed by the Department of Commerce that will allow a person to break a lease where they need to leave a tenancy to escape domestic violence. "The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 allows for a person not on the lease to be recognised, which assists a tenant retaining their lease in situations where a violent partner leaves," he said. What is Safe Systems calling for? A designated minister for the prevention of violence against women

A new office for the prevention of violence against women and their children

A committee of cabinet on the prevention of violence against women and their children

A high level and adequately resourced advisory group, skilled in the area of domestic and family violence, to work meaningfully with the government to effectively implement reforms and existing frameworks and strategies

The creation of an assistant commissioner of police with a designated portfolio on the prevention of violence against women

Revision of the WA Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy
Two months on from catastrophic bushfires that tore through Yarloop five horses seriously burned in the blaze have been given the all clear to finally return home.

The horses had been trapped on a property for three days while the fire swept through the area in early January and due to the severity of their injuries were transferred to Murdoch University Veterinary Clinic in Perth.

Anne Marie Moyles, Dr Rachael Smith , Dr Mona Hoerdemann, Mikaela Deetman, Ginny Philips and Dr David Byrne with recovered horses Patrick, Snoopy, Secret and August. Credit:Dr Rachael Smith

Owner Debbie Byett said it had been an emotional rollercoaster but it was a miracle they had survived.

After losing her trail riding business to the fires Ms Byett has since had to re-home the injured horses, but praised the Equine Centre for their dedication and care.
1. Mega Tuesday

Wasn't that just a few weeks ago? That was Super Tuesday. Mega Tuesday is under way in the States and Donald Trump is hoping this is the day he all but seals the republican nomination.

So far it seems John Kasich, the man The Economist dubbed the "adult" of the republican field, looks like he will prolong Trump's run to the nomination.
London: Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris is set to front a London court on a further seven counts of indecent assault against girls and women.

The 85-year-old Australian-born artist and musician is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, 84, is to be tried on seven further counts of indecent assault against girls and women. Credit:AP

He is serving a term of nearly six years in Stafford Prison after being convicted in July 2014 of indecently assaulting four girls in Britain between 1968 and 1986.

Last month the Crown Prosecution Service said there was sufficient evidence to charge Harris with a further seven counts of indecent assault dating between 1971 and 2004, relating to seven complainants aged between 12 and 27 at the time.
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenia President's visit to Greece is evidence of the high-level relations between the two countries. As Armenpress reports, citing the official website of the Greek Parliament, the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras made the mentioned statement during the joint conference with Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan.

Our relations are based on historical, cultural, spiritual and friendly ties between our peoples. Our relationship was built on hard times and the histories of our peoples have numerous parallels. The history of sufferings and repressions was separated by the Genocide of Armenians and Pontus Greeks. Our history gives us confidence to protect our sovereign rights and to build partnership and development with our neighbors. Relations based on mutual trust secure us from the recurrence of such tragedies, Alexis Tsipras said.

Armenia President and Greek PM discussed the issues of agenda related to the bilateral relations and exchanged views on the further development of the cooperation. We focused on the financial sector, where there are opportunities for more rapid development, which will reflect the high level of our relations. We signed cooperation agreements on health, education and culture sectors. Significant steps have already been taken with regard to cooperation between universities. We want to further strengthen this trend, Tsipras noted.

According to him, a number of international challenges, which our wider region faces up, were also been discussed. In this context, we stressed the importance of strengthening peace and stability at the regional level. We expressed fully support to the ceasefire agreement in terms of Syrian crisis. The end of war in Syria and restoration of stability is the key point in managing the unprecedented flows of refuges from Syria to Europe, Greek PM noted.

Tsipras informed Serzh Sargsyan about the huge efforts of Greek government and people which are taken every day to receive thousands of refugees.

We emphasized the need to protect multiculturalism, especially in terms of protecting religious minorities from extremism and terrorism in the Middle East. Armenian and Greek Orthodox communities have a significant historical presence in this region, which we must maintain in this hard historical moment, Tsipras said.
Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers

Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market

ASX-listed aggregator AFG has partnered with credit analysis company Veda to give brokers greater access to credit history information and better match borrowers with appropriate credit products.



The partnership will see AFG integrate VedaScore Apply Credit Reports into their proprietary platform, Flex. Brokers will now be able to leverage the application data already in their Flex platform to request a VedaScore Apply Credit Report, eliminating the need to re-enter client details in a separate interface.



As a result of the integration, AFG brokers can view credit reports with the latest Comprehensive Credit Reporting (CCR) data as well as traditional negative data on behalf of their customers.



AFG general manager, sales and operations, Mark Hewitt says access to CCR data will allow brokers to better service clients.



I think over time [CCR] is going to evolve and become a key way of determining someones credit worthiness. I think it is a good way for people to rehabilitate themselves as well, Hewitt told Australian Broker.



Someone might have had problems four or five years ago but with CCR, it can be shown that in the interim that they have made all their payments on time. I think it can help consumers overcome their problems.



Going forward, I think as more and more lenders buy into the comprehensive scheme they can provide a better service for everyone. The more information that lenders and brokers are armed with then the more chance they have of placing consumers with a loan that is most suitable to their needs.



In addition to CCR data, Hewitt told Australian Broker that enquiries via VedaScore Apply Credit Reports will let brokers access the customers credit history without any negative impact on their credit profile.



Productivity is becoming more and more important for brokers and also ensuring customers are placed in the right loan and introduced to the right lender the first time.



Brokers can actually look at the customers score and look at their history without it impacting their credit profile, and can then make a decision on what might be the most appropriate lender to this customer.



The capability is currently being rolled out to AFGs 2,600 brokers nationwide and, according to Hewitt, is an industry first.



We believe we are the first major aggregator to integrate Veda into our system and thats an important part of it. We don't partner with people unless it is going to add value so to actually have it within Flex as part of the application process, we believe it is an industry first, Hewitt told Australian Broker.



This year is really going to be the year of people making the most of opportunities and this is one small way we can help our brokers capitalise on the opportunity and make sure they put the client in the right place the first time.


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This show is all washed up!

A washing machine will take center stage during a Williamsburg concert on March 19. The members of experimental electronic music duo Matmos will fill their personal washer with water and fabric and set it off on a 38-minute cleaning cycle during their show at National Sawdust. But they are not worried about getting the laundry done  it is all about the sound, says the band.

If you just run it empty, it sounds like someone urinating, and its not a good water sound, said Drew Daniel, one half of Matmos. We are filling the machine with water pumped from a garbage can, so its not exactly making it all that clean.

The sounds from the machines cycle are part of the new Matmos album Ultimate Care II, a catchy compilation of swishes, thumps, and beeps recorded as the washer ran its course in the couples basement.

During the performance, as the suds swirl around on stage, Daniel will run a pair of laptops with sequences and rhythms while his musical and domestic partner, Martin Schmidt, bangs on the machine as if it were a drum, using jazz brushes, drumsticks, and his hands.

The two have made music together ever since Daniel, 44, and Schmidt, 51, met at the Uranus Bar in San Francisco in the early 1990s. Daniel, wearing a jockstrap made of plastic fish, was shimmying as a go-go dancer atop the bar, they recall.

Martin came and put a dollar in my jockstrap, said Daniel, and Schmidt added: I asked a friend of mine who was at the bar and he said Oh you know, he makes electronic music. 

It has been an electronic-musical match made in heaven since then, said Schmidt.

The duo now live in Baltimore, and when Daniel is not teaching his English literature classes at Johns Hopkins University, he and Schmidt find unusual objects from which to create their electronic music. The washing machine may be the most conventional instrument Matmos has played. For a previous album, they used a cows reproductive system  vagina, uterus, and all.

We inflated the uterus with our vacuum cleaner  so it blew instead of sucked  and played it like a bagpipe, said Schmidt. So I sort of choked off the neck of it if you will, and it made the loudest queef you can imagine. Being a gay man, I only know about these things from hearsay.

The duo know that their radical work is not for everyone, Schmidt said.

I figured that we will not play in Peoria with our washing machine and reproductive tract, he said.

But Williamsburg is open to all sorts of original music ideas, and the band is excited to break out the washing machine at National Sawdust on March 19.

We stick with one crazy idea at a time. This time were just bringing the washing machine, said Schmidt. Weve played in Brooklyn many times and have had the honor of playing at National Sawdust once before. Its nice to know that this is a space with really good sound and that the people are super sweet. Theyve just opened their space and they arent jaded yet.

Matmos at National Sawdust [80 N. Sixth St. at Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, (646) 7798455, www.natio nalsa wdust.org ]. March 19 at 10 pm. $25.

Reach reporter Julianne Cuba at (718) 2604577 or by e-mail at jcuba @cngl ocal.com . Follow her on Twitter @julcuba.
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It is good for what jails you!

The proposed closure of scandal-plagued Rikers Island would be a boon for the borough, says one prisoner advocate, allowing Brooklynites awaiting trial to stay in safer local facilities that are much closer to their loved ones and the courts. Locals are already objecting to housing more inmates or new jails in their backyard, but they should stop being so selfish, he said.

Its almost obnoxious to hear people in Brooklyn push back on the idea of building a new, safer jail or rehabbing an old jail, said Glenn Martin, an ex-con who was born and raised in Bedford-Stuvyvesant and is now president of Just Leadership USA, whose goal is to cut the countrys prison population in half by 2030.

A growing chorus of pols are demanding the city close the notoriously brutal jail complex, but that would require it to find somewhere else to house the approximately 7,200 inmates behind bars there  which means building new facilities, expanding existing ones, or dramatically reducing the number of inmates in the system.

Currently, there are only around 3,000 other jail beds around New York  800 of which are at Boerum Hills Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue, the boroughs only city-run jail, which usually houses around 600 at any given time, according to Corrections Department statistics.

The city already floated the idea of making Brooklyns big house even bigger in 2010. It scrapped that proposal amidst massive community opposition, expanding Rikers instead, and neighbors say they would fight any attempts to put it back on the table.

We would continue to be against any expansion at the site, said Howard Kolins, president of civic group Boerum Hill Association, though he says the current facility is a good neighbor and he supports overhauling Rikers in general. We think it becomes a burden on the community.

But Martin  who spent a year in Rikers for armed robbery  says moving more Brooklyn yardbirds to their home borough would take them out of the toxic environment at Rikers and give them the chance to be closer to support services and court houses, which can help speed up trials.

Community-based jails create opportunities for people to be closer to their families, social services, lawyers, he said.

However, Martin says the city wont necessarily need larger  or more  slammers if the city can shrink the number of people awaiting trials behind bars.

He believes it can be done by decriminalizing minor and non-violent offenses such as public urination and littering that often lead to jail time when people fail to show up to court dates, eliminating cash bail that many low-income residents cant afford, and speeding up trials so inmates spend less time languishing  Martin claims that reducing the average wait from 150200 days to 100 days would cut the citys inmate population by 1,000 people.

Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito has now formed a commission to study strategies to reduce Rikers population, which will look at the impact of these reforms, in addition to supervised release, raising the age of criminal responsibility, and using community justice centers instead of courts.

The year-long study will need to work out a way to prune Rikers residents down to at least 5,000 to make closure a reality, according to Councilman Brad Lander (DPark Slope), who is sitting on the panel.
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There is no room for the inn!

Industry City honchos have nixed a plan to build college dormitories in the massive Sunset Park campus after locals and pols complained that it would eat up much-needed industrial space. But local activists say they must also scrap hotels and retail stores planned for the site if they are serious about preserving the blue-collar area.

Hotels are exactly the same thing, said Elizabeth Yeampierre, the head of the Sunset Park advocacy group Uprose. Its just one of those things theyre going to use to say hey, were doing what the community wants. We wont really know if they mean that or not until they start moving away from commercializing an industrial area that is vital to New York City.

Industry City announced the change of plan to Crains New York on March 10, claiming it scrapped the dorms in response to local opposition  but that it still needs the hotel and stores to help pay for the $1 billion it invested in the sprawling complex last year.

One of the strong pieces of feedback we have gotten on our plans is that people dont like the dorm component, Industry City chief executive officer Andrew Kimball told Crains.

Bigwigs had planned to house college students studying tech, manufacturing, and engineering programs in the dorms.

The New York City College of Technology  part of the City University of New York  announced in September that it would offer job training at Industry Citys so-called Innovation Lab, an on-site employment center.

Industry City did not return requests for comment.
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Family members who have been fighting the hasty eviction of their loved ones from a notorious Park Slope old-folks now owe the owner $50 million for dragging his name through the mud, the landlord claims in a new lawsuit.

Prospect Park Residence owner Haysha Deitsch is suing five of the people he has been fighting in court since he tried to boot their wizened kin out of his tony Grand Army Plaza building two years ago so he could sell it for $76 million, claiming they have maliciously smeared his name and are really just trying to get their hands on the money he stands to earn from the sale.

The Defendants have willingly and intentionally become part and parcel of a plan and scheme to bring numerous lawsuits, reads the suit filed late last month, with the purpose to interfere and prevent any sale of the Prospect Park Residence going forward unless they shared in the profits of any such sale, and to cause mental anguish and harm to Deitsch.

The suit specifically singles out the daughter of a late Holocaust survivor, who recently filed a wrongful death suit claiming her dad died after the residence barred him from bringing his oxygen tank into the home and he had to leave.

Deitschs suit calls the claim outrageously false and baseless, but her lawyer maintains the eviction contributed to his demise.

This guy, who was a Holocaust survivor, had to choose between going home and breathing, said lawyer John OHara, who also represented the family of the late Kung Fu Judge John Phillips after he died at the facility, and has seven other wrongful death actions pending against Deitsch. He perished because he was sad  he died of a broken heart.

The high-profile court battles have been going on since Deitsch announced he was closing the home in March 2014 due to financial hardship and gave his 120-odd residents 90 days to leave  though this paper later revealed he had inked a multi-million-dollar deal to sell the building months earlier.

Most of the seniors did leave, but a handful refused to go, and their families sued Deitsch and the state  which rubber-stamped the scheme  claiming they werent given enough time or assistance to relocate their frail relatives.

The court ordered him to keep the place up and running for the holdouts, but the case became mired in sideshow battles after the residents claimed Deitsch was trying to force them out by hiking their rent and cutting amenities  depriving them of air-conditioning during the summer heat and serving up moldy food  and he and the state then refused to pay for a court-mandated temporary caretaker to step in.

But Deitschs lawsuit claims he is the real victim, and the stubborn family members should pay for ruining his big pay day and slamming him with false and derogatory allegations in the court room and the media.

Deitschs name certainly has taken a beating  Councilman Brad Lander (DPark Slope) publicly called him evil while the judge ripped into him for crying poor when he secretly stood to make millions.

An attorney for the surviving tenants relatives says the claims in the suit are completely false, and the defendants rep will issue a response by April 15.

We believe it is meritless, said lawyer Jason Johnson. The fact of the matter is, there is no basis for anything he has in there.

Deitschs attorney did not return a request for comment.
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HUNGRY BENGAL

War, Famine and the End of Empire

Janam Mukherjee

HarperCollins India

344 pages; Rs 308



There are various ways in which one can describe history. One view holds that history is nothing but the same story repeated in different voices. Movements, dynasties and people would be cast and recast into moulds more suitable to the changing times. Inevitably, "neglected chapters" will also be retold, mostly because they remain neglected but also because they need another telling. Bengal (which includes the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent state of Bangladesh), too, has had its share of retellings - histories that track its journey from a land of abundance to a land of famines brought upon it by the British Raj. Madhushree Mukherjee painted a tragic picture in Churchill's Secret War, where the United Kingdom was made the central villain. Janam Mukherjee revisits that tragedy of 1943 in Hungry Bengal: War, Famine and the End of Empire, this time determined to refocus the chronological lens.

An assistant professor of history at Ryerson University in Toronto, Dr Mukherjee is out to trace every thread in the tangle. The book's comprehensive collection of facts, dates, mind-scapes and social realities is what hits you first. The author is visibly at pains to leave no stone unturned. He has visited everyone from the then-editor of The Statesman to shop-owners, and ailing mothers. He has met famine victims and bureaucrats alike, and much of his story comes from the first-hand accounts. The author keeps the quotes light, peppered with colloquial words, and refreshingly intimate so that the narrator never loses his voice though his is only one of the many that crowds the book. There is no point at which the narrator's deductions can best the observations and experiences of those who have seen or heard it all. However, it is the narrator who pieces together newspaper clippings and books and radio archives, among other documents, and carries the weight of the story on his shoulders.

"Starvation is the characteristic of some people not having enough to eat. It is not the characteristic of there being not enough to eat," wrote Amartya Sen in Poverty and Famine. Although the former may be caused by the latter, he added, it is just one of many possible causes. Establishing the fact that famines are never simply the scarcity of food, but an engineered social condition where certain sections are deprived of their rightful portion of nutrition, the author goes on to claim that there might be more players behind the scene, than just Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet, who would have stood to gain from the 1943 Bengal Famine.

Dr Mukherjee believes that India's Independence has long stayed confined to a nationalistic narrative, where the majority of blame is diverted to the foreign rulers, and the terrible violence of Partition is posited as the ultimate tragic outcome. Churchill's Secret War traces a similar trajectory of this blame game from 1757 to 1947, framing Bengal as a mini India, the loss of whose wealth and prosperity was to be blamed upon the British alone. The Bengal Famine, then, becomes just another incident in the long series of injustices done to the Indian subcontinent by its colonial masters.

Dr Mukherjee disagrees. He believes that there were many practical and self-serving reasons that would have encouraged the native elites of Bengal to fuel the fire of famine. It is this theory that he pursues in the course of the book.

In his repertoire of culprit elites, you will find the political, the social as well as the intellectual elite. Dr Mukherjee enters Gandhi's Congress, Jinnah's Muslim League, the rajbaris of Bengali zamindars, reading through their letters, account books and even documenting their household staff. It is from here that he brings out the micro picture, placing it within the established macro framework.

Above all, Dr Mukherjee, as he disagrees with Madhushree Mukherjee, underlines the need of reviewing history. He makes it clear, that any perspective, no matter how well researched, popular and prominent in the annals of criticism and scholarship, needs to be reviewed from time to time. That is because, with every review and counterpoint, the proliferation of perspective means deeper research and more knowledge. Dr Mukherjee's study, for example, provides insight into not only the causes and politics behind one of the worst famines in the subcontinent but also how the most powerful political men in the nation lost the plot for gains often bordering on the personal.

Hungry Bengal might raise eyebrows for connecting famine with communal violence, lack of nutrition, a hunger for revenge and thirst for blood. But that is not the only problematic arguments that the book raises. There are more. And it is only after the book is read that one understands that in a society in turmoil, everything is indeed connected to everything else.
Taxi aggregator Uber has suspended its bike-taxi pilot in India within 10 days of its launch after the Karnataka government said the app-based taxi-hailing company had not obtained the permission of local authorities to run the service in Bengaluru. With Uber failing to heed to the ban on bike-taxis, more than 80-odd two-wheelers operated by private individuals on its platform, were seized by the Bengaluru traffic police since its launch. The transport department came cracking down on bike-taxis as there was no provision for two-wheeler taxis in the Motor Vehicles Act. The Karnataka government, however, said that once cab aggregators get the necessary approvals, it will consider offering them licences on a case-by-case basis. Following the success of its first bike-taxi service in Bangkok, which was launched a week ahead of introducing it in Bengaluru, Uber was hopeful of the service becoming a hit in the Karnataka capital. Ola, which began the pilot for its bike-taxi service in Bengaluru on the same day as Uber, also suspended its service within a day following a warning from the government. Following Karnataka's move to curb bike taxis without proper permits, Maharashtra too is exerting more control on app-based taxi aggregators.

Source : BS Motoring
With an order backlog of over 500 planes, Airbus has secured dominant position in India's civil aviation market. Airbus executive vice-president (marketing and strategy) Kiran Rao tells Aneesh Phadnis that the company will set up a pilot training centre in India, and it expects issues around A320neo engine to be resolved by June. Edited excerpts:



How is Airbus supporting its customers in resolution of A320neo engine issue? When can we expect complete resolution of the problem?



First of all, I have to say that we have delivered an excellent aircraft to IndiGo. It consumes less fuel and is quieter. This is important for India as taxes on fuel here are high. We delayed the deliveries because we were waiting for the engine software upgrade and that has now been done. Pratt & Whitney said engine software and hardware issues would all be ironed out by June 2016.

There is a view that cheap fuel can impact the demand and lease premium for A320neo. Do you agree with this?



Fuel costs are an important component of an airline's operating costs. Airlines are keen to save on fuel expenses irrespective of whether crude oil is at $100 or $40 (a barrel) and with 15 per cent less fuel burn, A320neo helps them to do that. We are not seeing any shortage of demand for the aircraft. In fact, customers are requesting us to advance the deliveries.

Public sector banks are saying Airbus should return pre-delivery payments it took for Kingfisher aircraft (Kingfisher did not take delivery of the planes and there is dispute over advances given to Airbus). How is Airbus addressing the issue?



Airbus does not comment on ongoing legal disputes.

Can you tell us more about Airbus plans to set up a flight training centre in India?



We support IndiGo's and CAE's flight training centre at Delhi and Bengaluru. However, we plan to have our own flight training centre in India. Within this year, we will finalise the location and the plan for the centre.

The centre would be for A320-type aircraft to begin with, given the fact that over 70 per cent of our market share in India is in this segment.

What is the status of Airbus plans to develop a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) hub in India?



We expect the Indian government to ease the tax structure for MROs. It has been promised on several occasions. We remain committed to develop an MRO in India and are waiting for the tax situation in India to change.

Airbus has not been successful in selling its wide body aircraft in India. Why so?



India is mainly a market for single aisle planes and we have a market share of 70 per cent in that segment. With SpiceJet wet leasing A320 planes, all airlines in India now fly Airbus aircraft. We feel the market for wide body planes is still to evolve in India. Once that happens, I see a greater demand for Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft. In fact, Airbus A350 aircraft will burn 25 per cent less fuel compared to Boeing 777 on India-US non-stop flights. The wide body planes sold by Boeing to Air India and Jet Airways have been a cause of headache for them.

Airbus' flagship product - the A380 - has suffered from a lack of orders in the last couple of years. There are demands from customers for an upgraded version. What are your plans with regard to the aircraft?



It's not correct that we have not received orders. Recently, we received order for A380 from Iran. Since December 2013, we have booked orders for 73 A380s and have delivered 63 aircraft. So our backlog of A380s today is higher today than two years ago - and that's before we count the 12 aircraft ordered by Iran Air.
American e-commerce and cloud computing firm Web Services (AWS) managing director Peter Moore along with a team of officials today met with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Moore explained to the chief minister the scope and stretch of Web Services to provide large computing capacity more quickly and efficiently and said most entrepreneurs use AWS as a reliable tool to build start-ups, according to a statement issued by the government.

The Amzaon official was also hopeful of collaborating with the state government to encourage start-ups from the state."It is a great opportunity to experiment and contribute to your vision,"Moore added. Read more from our special coverage on "AMAZON" Amazon leases 20 Boeing 767 aircraft for air deliveries across US

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The chief minister explained the opportunities and advantages of Andhra Pradesh state and asked the delegation to come up with specific proposals to work up on, the government said.
A few days before Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his Budget this year, Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy Plc got a Rs 29,000 crore-plus tax demand that includes Rs 18,800 crore in interest.

Cairn Energy disclosed the figures in its preliminary results declaration on Tuesday. While this has led to a situation where the interest amount is 84 per cent higher than the principal, almost doubling the tax liability, it explains why Jaitley in his Budget speech offered a one-time scheme of Dispute Resolution, wherein a company needs to pay only the tax arrears and the interest liability and penalty are waived.

The Budget announcement was clearly done with a view to pressure companies like Cairn Energy into accepting the scheme, since interest liability had exceeded the principal. UK-based Vodafone is also facing a tax demand of Rs 7,990 crore with the total amount rising to Rs 20,000 crore after interest and penalty.

Finance ministry officials said the demand was not a fresh one, but a routine reminder of outstanding demand. They said Cairn has an opportunity to utilise the one-time settlement. The company, however, is unlikely to take the offer. In its statement, Cairn made it clear that any tax recovery by the government would be limited to about Rs 3,216 crore ($477.5 million) assets of its subsidiary Cairn UK Holdings Ltd (CUHL). Stating that it strongly contests the basis of the attempt to retrospectively tax the group for an internal restructuring, the company said, The total assets of CUHL have a current value of $477.5 million (comprising principally the groups 9.8 per cent shareholding in Cairn India) and any recovery by the Indian authorities would be limited to such assets.



CUHL, a direct subsidiary of Cairn Energy PLC, received the assessment order from the Indian income tax department relating to the intra-group restructuring undertaken in 2006 before the initial public offering of Cairn India. The order sent just days before the Budget cited a retrospective amendment to the tax law introduced in 2012 by the United Progressive Alliance government.

Jaitley had said the resolution scheme was subject to the company concerned agreeing to withdraw any pending case lying in courts or tribunals or any proceeding for arbitration, mediation etc. under Bilateral Trade and Promotion Agreements (BIPA). Cairn has already initiated international arbitration proceedings and has claimed full compensation for the $1 billion erosion in shareholder value, Simon Thomson, chief executive, Cairn Energy PLC, said in his post-result statement. It has alleged that the Indian government expropriated its property "without adequate and just compensation", denied fair and equitable treatment in respect of its investments and restricted Cairn's right to freely transfer funds in connection with its investment.

The company said CUHL was pursuing its rights under Indian law to appeal the assessment, both in respect of the basis of taxation and the quantum assessed. CUHL's shareholding in Cairn India was originally attached by the tax department in January 2014 and CUHL continues to be restricted from selling such shares.

CASE HISTORY
If you are like me, at this point in the 2016 election year, you have officially flipped the switch and turned off every candidate from both sides of the aisle. The reason for this system-induced apathy is that no candidate is saying anything different than they said in September. This is especially true with the campaign issue of health care.

Hillary Clinton is doubling down on Obamacare. So, essentially, she is happy with the current system and, if you are in the current system on any side, you know it doesnt work. Bernie Sanders wants Medicare for all." If you have used the Medicare system, you also know that it cant handle the volume that it is currently processing. What would happen to the Medicare system if we quadruple the volume of plan participants? Putting the government in control of your health care is not the answer. More than 90 percent of the U.S. population doesnt trust the government, so why would you put them in charge of your health?

All of the current Republican candidates continue to talk about free trade in health insurance. The problem is that they cant give us an answer about how they plan to stimulate free trade. Regardless of the candidate on either side of the aisle, not one of them talks about the true underlying issues that have created the debacle of a system that we currently have.

We cannot develop a system of true competition by selling insurance across state lines. This only allows the insurance industry to sell the same plans, in multiple states, without changing the underlying problem. Nothing will change unless we can dismantle the provider networks that the insurance industry has developed. The only cost that provider networks lower is how much they pay to providers. It does nothing to lower premiums. Can you remember the last time your health insurance premiums went down? No, you cant, because they never go down. Obamacare has only caused insurance premiums to escalate. Having the government subsidize insurance plans for low-income families doesnt lower costs; it only puts more money in the pocket of the insurance industry. The insurance and pharmaceutical industries are the enemy, and this is where the attack needs to be focused.

It is the provider networks that prevent competition, not state borders. Coupled with provider networks are the antitrust laws that prevent groups of providers from getting together and negotiating with insurance carriers about reimbursement. If the American Medical Association was able to tell its members to withdraw from UnitedHealthcare plans tomorrow, you would see UnitedHealthcare panic because its product is not the insurance, it is the provider network. At that point, it would not have a product. Two things would have to happen: It would have to (1) lower premiums and (2) negotiate reasonable reimbursement levels. However, antitrust laws currently prevent this type of free market negotiation.

Obamacare also mandates that everyone have insurance. Mandates do not equal freedom. Freedom means we get to choose. Obamacare eliminates our freedom of choice. Secondly, mandates only put more money in the hands of big insurance."

The insurance industry has abused the employer-based insurance system. Employers are a captive audience and, instead of negotiating lower premiums, the insurance industry actually raises the premiums. As Ted Cruz has proposed, there needs to be a de-linking of health insurance from the place of employment. If individuals had to purchase health insurance at current rates, it couldnt be done. Eliminating the employer-based plan forces the industry to lower premiums in order to compete, because the cash cow is eliminated.

John Kasich wants to reward value instead of volume. First of all, this is insurance code for denying benefits if you dont get well fast enough. This is a tactic made most famous by UnitedHealthcare. This idea also fails to recognize that 90 percent of health care claims come from 10 percent of the population. Patients with multiple comorbidities do not get well fast; therefore, the provider and patient would both be penalized because the patient is either very sick or noncompliant. Kasichs plan continues to put the insurance carrier in control, not the doctor and patient.

Donald Trump wants cost transparency for providers. This is a good idea, but it is again misplaced. Mr. Trump obviously does not manage his health insurance bills. It doesnt matter what the provider charges, because the reimbursement is fixed by whom? The insurance industry, by virtue of the provider networks. It is the insurance company that should have to post the cost of all its premiums online and in its ads. His idea on Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs, and tax deductions is on target. The HSAs however, should be in the area of $10,000 individual and $20,000 family. Anything less is insufficient.

Remember to ask how as this election season progresses!
Cairn Energy Plc on Tuesday said it has taken impairment on account of its holding in Cairn India Ltd. The decline in the market value of Carin India resulted in an impairment charge of $319 million for 2015 ($194m in 2014), the Edinburgh-based company said in its preliminary result statement.

Cairn Energy holds 9.8 per cent in the Indian company after it sold off its majority stake to Anil Agarwal-promoted Vedanta Group. As on December 31, 2015, the value of the investment in Cairn India had fallen to $384 million.

The accumulated deficit during 2015 of $318.6 million ($194.3 million in 2014 - the cumulative deficit from July 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014) was recycled to the income statement and recorded as impairment, the company said.
Most doctors seem to agree with grandma that you can live without cough syrups. Yet, the market currently has at least 2,000 brands of cough syrups, with almost every pharma company in India manufacturing it. Quick conclusion: Even if the government bans one or two cough syrups, the market is just too big to fail.

" is one of the easiest and most profitable things to manufacture. Even you can do it in a 10X20 room and some accessories," says a senior pharma company executive. "This is one of the reasons why it is impossible to know its exact market size as there are just too many players."



The government on Thursday banned a formulation (Chlopheniramine Maleate + Codeine) where the leading market players are Pfizer and Abbott. Both the have gone to Delhi High Court. Pfizer got an interim stay on Monday. Abbott's hearing would take place today.

"The consumer has numerous options even if this ban is enforced. This market is saturated. You will even find some regional and sub-regional manufacturing it and doing really well in their market," says a senior Mumbai-based pulmonologist.

On Tuesday, FMCG major Procter & Gamble stopped production and sale of its popular brand Vicks Action 500 Extra, which is also a mixed combination drug to treat fever and common cold, as part of the same ban.

On cough syrup, though, there isnt a single study to date that proves that a actually helps in dealing with cough problems. Yet, doctors believe patients prefer taking it because of placebo effect  a beneficial effect produced not by the drug but because of the patient's belief in that treatment.

"You can just drink hot water for 2-3 days and your cough will be alright. Yet, the patients find it easier and comforting to purchase a cough syrup and gulp it down to their fulfilment," adds the Mumbai-based pulmonologist quoted earlier. "One factor which works in its favour is its alcohol like properties  it helps people suffering from cough go to sleep."



Drug abuse using cough syrup is rampant across India, too. Codeine-based cough syrups are globally known for their addictive properties. It is an opiate  the same as morphine and heroin  and its regular use can cause both mental and physical damage.

In several countries, including USA, its sale is regulated under narcotic control laws. (Rapper 'Pimp C' died in 2008 due to an overdose; he often rapped about his love for codeine). However, in India, its over-the-counter sale is common.

"It will be difficult for the government to enforce this ban. The multinational and large domestic may stop the sale of this syrup but the regional players will just change the name and keep the production going on. It is just too profitable," said a senior executive of a Gujarat-based pharma company.

However, a large number of health experts commended the government's step. "Enforcing the ban will always be an issue. But the fact that government has shown its intention of banning drugs  without coming under pressure from pharmaceutical companies  which are known to be harmful all across the world is praiseworthy," said a health expert from a leading consulting firm.
Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, the country's third largest two-wheeler maker chose Delhi to unveil his company's new motorcycle V15 last month. Ironically, the bike cannot be sold in New Delhi because the transport authorities have not given their approval. The Delhi transport department is not permitting registration of new models of two-wheelers that comply with Bharat Stage (BS) III emission norms, affecting companies like Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield and Suzuki.

India follows the BS-III norms for two-wheelers and BS-III and IV for passenger vehicles. Beginning April 1, 2016, all new models of two-wheelers need to comply with BS-IV norms. Existing models that are launched till March 31 need to upgrade to BS-IV from April 1, 2017. BS-III two-wheelers are more polluting than BS-IV.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi had exempted two-wheeler during its experiment with vehicle use restrictions for fifteen days in January. But it has now stopped allowing new two-wheeler models from being registered without an official order. When contacted, a Delhi-based Bajaj dealer suggested buyers could book the V15 in Haryana. Bajaj Auto did not respond to email queries.

Suresh Babu, national head (marketing and product planning) at Suzuki Motorcycle, said two new models of the company (Access and Hayate) were awaiting approval from the authorities. "No valid reason has been given to us. Under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, registration cannot be stopped like this," he said.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) has raised the matter with the office of the transport commissioner in the Delhi government, but it did not receive a response.

Siam's request for an appointment was also not granted.

"The stoppage of registration of new models of BS-III two-wheelers is causing financial loss to manufacturers in the absence of any clarity from the transport department," Siam said in a letter last Friday. BS-IV comes into effect from April 1 and registering BS-III models may become next to impossible then.

The industry is seeking approval for registration of BS-III two-wheelers till BS-IV is notified. Officials said request for approvals to register BS-III scooters and motorcycles were pending with the Delhi transport department since December.

Royal Enfield's Himalayan is being launched on Wednesday but it is understood that the motorcycle does not have an approval to sell in Delhi. A company spokesperson did not comment.

Delhi is a growing market for two wheelers. A total of 378,862 two-wheelers were sold in the city in the year ended March 31, 2015. While this is just about two per cent of the country's total two-wheeler sales, Delhi is a market where companies mostly sell premium products.

SLIPPERY RIDE
Gulf airlines led by the big three  Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are showcasing their modern aircraft at the air show in Hyderabad signifying the importance of the Indian market to the carriers. The air show begins on Wednesday.

Emirates is the biggest of the Gulf and foreign carriers operating in India with 185 flights per week and commands a market share of 11.4 per cent (next only to Jet Airways and Air India) of country's foreign air traffic. Etihad and Qatar Airways have a market share of around 4.5 per cent with onward traffic contributing 60-70 per cent of their passenger volumes.

Qatar Airways is displaying an Airbus A350 the latest aircraft in its fleet which it inducted last January. The airline has seven aircraft of the type in its fleet and 73 more on order.

Qatar Airways, which expressed repeated interest to invest in IndiGo, has grown its operations in India from four cities in 2004 to 13 cities at present and flies 102 flights per week.

But with weekly seats between India and Doha capped at 24,000 the airline is at a disadvantage in comparison to its peers.

Except Delhi and Kochi where it flies double daily and eleven times a week respectively all its services are once a day. And obviously the airline is keen to impress the government to enhance its entitlements.

We are proud to showcase our A350 for the first time in the Indian market, giving prospective clients and visitors a glimpse of what to expect when they fly on board. We recently celebrated the first anniversary of our A350 operations which demonstrates our technologically-advanced and fast-growing young fleet, the airline's chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said in a statement last week while announcing its participation in the air show.

Emirates is showcasing its Airbus A380 aircraft while Etihad is displaying its Boeing 787 passenger and a Boeing 777 freighter aircraft.

Dubai is seeking an additional 50,000 seats for its carriers two years after the government granted 11,000 seats on India-Dubai route. Currently Dubai's seat entitlement is 65,000 seats per week and an equivalent number of seats are available to Indian carriers on a reciprocal basis. Abu Dhabi which is hub of Etihad is entitled to 50,000 seats per week. The increase in traffic rights coincided with Etihad's investment in Jet Airways.

According to Airline Network News and Analysis website, UAE is India's largest market with Indian and UAE carriers collectively offered ten million seats one way annually between the two countries in 2015. This is four times the capacity on India-Singapore route which is the second biggest market with 2.2 million annual seats.

"India is the biggest market for all the three big Gulf carriers and India-US market is a key segment. The participation of the Gulf carriers indicates growing closeness between India and these states. The relations extend beyond aviation and are shaped by energy and foreign direct investment in India," said Devesh Agarwal, editor of aviation blog Bangalore Aviation. Passengers from India account for account for a third of Gulf airlines US traffic.

"While domestically, the choices of a resurgent SpiceJet and IndiGo make sense over a poorly run Air India, on international travel, the big 3 Gulf airlines are keen to tap into India's growing affluent income earner market and grab market share. While Emirates would ideally love to fly an A380 on every Indian city it can, arguably, the best positioned player here is Etihad, thanks to its strong bond with Jet Airways. The Gulf airlines will jostle for market share - that they are all displaying their jets at the Hyderabad air show demonstrates just how keen they are to publicise and inform the Indian customers," said aviation analyst Saj Ahmad.
Smartphone sales have overtaken personal computers and laptops business of in India. With Rs 8,075-crore sales, smartphone business is driving Lenovo's revenue by high double digits, according to CyberMedia Research.

(India), which grabbed the third spot in smartphone sales from home-grown Intex in the December quarter last year, currently holds 11.6 per cent market share. While the Chinese company is also topping the chart when it comes to PC and laptop sales in India, a surge in smartphone sales last year helped it achieve such a feat, say experts.

"Smartphone business is very important part of our portfolio now. It is already bigger than PC sales by volume," Sudhin Mathur, director, mobile business group, (India), said.

According to Anshul Gupta, research director, Gartner Inc, Lenovo holds about 22 per cent share in the domestic PC market. Its share in the PC space was 18.1 per cent during the June quarter last year. However, size of the PC market in India (10 million units annually) is less than a 10th of the smartphones market, which touched 103.6 million units in 2015. "In 2015, Lenovo came up with new models and has become relevant in the highly competitive Indian smartphone market," Gupta said.

The rise of Lenovo in the smartphone space, from less than five per cent market share in 2014 to 11.6 per cent in December 2015, got reflected in its revenue as well. While Lenovo India posted Rs 5,667 crore revenue in 2014-15, in calendar year 2015 its revenue - from smartphones business alone - is estimated to cross Rs 8,000 crore. Lenovo chief executive Yuangqing Yang had set a target of becoming one of the top 20 in India with annual revenue of Rs 40,000 crore by 2018.

Indian smartphone market, fastest growing in the world, has changed revenue mix for major players who were originally known for other electronic products. Samsung India currently generates 70 per cent of its Rs 40,000 crore-plus revenue from mobile handsets business.

Last month, Lenovo reshuffled its mobile business under two brands - Lenovo Vibe and Moto - catering to affordable price segment and premium segment, respectively. The move was aimed at consolidating Lenovo's portfolio for better product management and positioning. While the share of smartphone sales (in terms of volume) from Vibe and Moto is 60 and 40 per cent respectively, both the brands generate equal revenues now," Mathur said.

Lenovo has launched four smartphones since January. "And given the shorter lifespan a new model now has, we will be launching handsets frequently this year," Mathur added.
Nagpur-based is Indias largest manufacturer of industrial explosives and explosives initiating systems. It is the largest supplier to Coal India, the state-owned mining behemoth. It counts among major clients major clients Tata Steels, Hindustan Zinc and Singareni Collieries Limited. The group has recently forayed into defence by signing a Rs 1,550 crore memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government.



Under this project, Solar will install facilities to produce bi-modular charge systems (BMCS) -- a vital artillery requirement that propels shells to distances of over 30 km, fully integrated rockets and new generation of hand grenades. In an interview, Nilesh Panpaliya, chief financial officer, Solar Industries India talks to N Sundaresha Subramanian about the companys growth plans and the recent controversy around its exports:

What are your plans under Make in India? What is the timeline for these investments to materialise?

Our company has recently signed an MoU with the Maharashtra government in the recently held Make in India program. Through this, our company will start the said project only after it gets all the clearances from the various statutory authorities. After that it will take 24 months to install the facilities and thereafter another one year for various tests. However, the capex will happen over a period of time and in phasewise manner. This may typically take another 3-4 years before BMCS project starts contributing to the revenue.

Do you have any plans to raise capital from the market for this project?

No, we do not have any plans to raise capital from the market.

What are the key growth areas for the group in the future?

The key growth areas for the group in future is domestic explosives market arising from increase in production of Coal India Limited, opening of private sector mines, growth in road construction and housing sector. We have a new plant to be commissioned in South Africa.The company is also seeing revenue inflows from the defence sector.

What is the contribution of exports to the revenues of

The export contribution to the revenues of is six per cent of the gross sales.

What is your reaction to the findings of the Conflict Armament Research (CAR) report, which said some of your exports to countries like Lebanon had found their way to Islamic State?

We have nothing to react on the findings of the CAR report as it clearly mentions --Under Indian Law, transfer of material requires a license. All components documented by CAR were legally exported under government issued licenses from India to entities in Lebanon and Turkey. We would like to clarify that our Company is in strict compliance with various laws governing the explosive production, sales and exports. The same is done under licenses issued by The Chief Controller of Explosives, Government of India (CCE). We also confirm that our group has not exported to Iraq and Syria.

Following queries from controller of explosives in this regard, has there been any change in exports?

We fail to understand why the queries from controller of explosives will have change in the exports. If there has to be any judgment to be drawn then our exports for the year has grown compared to last year.
Consumer goods major Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Healthcare has discontinued manufacture and sale of Extra, after a ban by the central government on 344 fixed-dose combination drugs.

In a statement to the stock exchanges on Tuesday, the firm said Extra had the same fixed dose combination of paracetamol, phenylephrine and caffeine as indicated by the government in its gazette notification dated March 10, 2016. The product gets covered under this notification and accordingly we have discontinued manufacture and sale of all SKUs (stock-keeping units) with immediate effect, the company said.

But, in response to a mail sent by Business Standard,the company said it was evaluating all options to challenge the notification. The health, safety and well-being of our consumers is our number one priority. Vicks products, including Extra, are backed by research to support their safety, quality and efficacy. It has products approved by government regulators in around 60 countries, and enjoys an excellent safety record, a company spokesperson said.

The Vicks portfolio, a legacy brand, cumulatively, according to analysts, contributes about Rs 500-600 crore in terms of turnover to P&G Hygiene and Healthcare. The other brand Whisper is a bigger contributor at over Rs 1,500 crore, while Old Spice, the latest addition to the portfolio, is estimated to be small.

The stock of P&G Hygiene and Healthcare was down two per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Tuesday following announcement of the discontinuation of manufacture and sale of Vicks Action 500 Extra.The stock closed at Rs 6,067 a share on Tuesday on the BSE.

P&Gs move, incidentally, comes after drug makers Pfizer and Abbott stopped sale of their popular cough syrups Corex and Phensedyl respectively following the ban.

The two companies, however, said they were exploring all options to counter the impact of ban. The Delhi High Court, for the record, has granted temporary relief to Pfizer on the cough syrup ban.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, Britain's largest government-owned lender, will eliminate 448 UK trading-support roles at its investment bank and move some functions to India to help cut costs at the division, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The job reductions communicated to staff Tuesday will come from transaction management and operations, as well as some technology functions, said the person who asked not to be identified because the details are private. About 300 roles will be set up in India to replace the U.K.-based positions, the person added. Chief Executive ...
Raipur, Solan and Motihari are not what come to mind when one thinks of start-ups. But 800 start-ups have come up in the past year in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, creating technology hubs in unlikely towns.

Even as e-retail, health, education and payments start-ups are funded by marquee international investors, states are pushing entrepreneurs from smaller towns. Many state governments are ready with policies to promote entrepreneurs, backed by funding plans.

The Bihar government has allocated Rs 500 crore for a start-up fund to be used over the next five years. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) is allocating another Rs 500 crore for the state. The state government is set to table a start-up policy prepared after studying models in eight states. Bihar has produced at least 300 start-ups in the past year.

We have taken the idea of entrepreneurship to such places as Purnia and Motihari. We have two incubators, but after the policy is in place we will have more, said Abhishek Kumar, secretary-general, Bihar Entrepreneurs Association (BEA).

To encourage new enterprises in the state, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced a start-up scheme in the recent budget.

New enterprises in the state will be required to submit self-certified documents online or manually for registration. Provisional registration will come within 15 days of submission of documents. The department of industries will provide cheap land to units providing employment to 100 naturalised residents.

Himachal Pradeshs chief secretary P Mitra said, We are targeting areas like Baddi, Barotiwala, Una and Paonta Sahib to be developed as start-up hubs.



The Chhattisgarh government is trying to push the culture of start-ups to unemployed youth as well as professionals migrating to other states. The government is working on a start-up hub in Naya Raipur and has made an initial allocation of Rs 45 crore.

Industry bodies are helping start-ups understand business and also connecting them with investors.

In Chhattisgarh, awareness is important. That is what we are doing with road shows. The government has made a number of changes in its policies to help upcoming companies, said Mahendra Agrawal, chairman, Chhattisgarh Council, Confederation of Indian Industry.

NURTURING THE START-UP ECOSYSTEM

Allocated Rs 500 crore for next five years

To table start-up policy in Assembly

300 start-ups nurtured in past year

To create a start-up hub in Naya Raipur

Allocated Rs 45 crore
Aldi Australia ad complaint dismissed by Ad Standards

A complaint over a radio advertisement promoting Aldi Australias whisky brand has been dismissed by the Australian Advertising Standards Board.

According to the Advertising Standards Board (Ad Standards), the advertisement begins with the sound of bagpipes before a man with a Scottish accent introduces himself as the Head Distiller of Aldis Highland Earl Scotch Whisky. A women with an English accent then speaks over him translating his words despite the man complaining that he is speaking English.

A complaint was submitted to the Advertising Standards Board by a member of the public claiming the advertisement was racist towards Scottish people.

This advert is racist towards Scottish people, as a Scotsman I am offended by the racist implications that I do not speak clearly and cannot be understood, he said.

Advertisements like this perpetuate the stereotype that as a nation we cannot be understood, the complainants submission stated.

The complainant further submitted that if a similar advertisement were to be made with an Aboriginal person in place of the Scottish person it would not be considered acceptable and that the same standard should be in place for Scottish people.

Aldi Australias response

Aldi Australia however told the Advertising Standards Board it did not believe it had discriminated against Scottish people in the advertisement.

The radio ad in question is part of a series of advertisements that seek to highlight the provenance of Aldis liquor range through highly distinctive accents of the producing region: France for Aldis Mosinee Champagne, New Zealand for Aldis Fraser Briggs Premium Lager; and in this case, Scotland for Aldis Highland Earl Whisky, Aldi told the Advertising Standards Board.

In each instance, the campaign intends to be light-hearted and humorous, while also demonstrating the products authenticity, Aldi said.

Aldi denied that it was abusive or disparaging to any race, and said it was simply saying that it had translated a language.

Why was the complaint dismissed?

The Advertising Standards Board ruled in Aldis favour saying the translator is presented as silly for thinking she needs to translate, and therefore there was no discrimination.

The Board acknowledged that making fun of a persons accent is not necessarily acceptable regardless of their nationality but considered that in this instance the advertisement is not making fun of a Scottish accent but rather playing on a common scenario whereby a strong accent, in this case Scottish, can be difficult for some people to understand despite the same language being spoken, the Board said.
At a time when Tata Motors' Sanand plant is getting ready to roll out a new car on a completely new platform, the Tiago hatchback, the site is hit by a strike for the past three weeks, with no resolution in sight yet. To continue with the production plan, the company has brought in around 250 workers from its Pune plant, according to sources in the know.

There has been some impact on production though not significantly especially with our major focus on quality to ensure delivery of flawless products to our customers. Our plant continues to remain in production every day and as part of project related activities, employees do travel across plants based on requirements from time to time, said a company spokesperson in an email response.

Bookings for the Tiago opened on March 10.

Even senior engineers are working on the shop floor and the assembly line to ensure the plant continues to roll out cars and that the production target is maintained. However, it would be difficult for them to bring back the rhythm that the existing team had achieved, said a worker on condition of anonymity.

Tata Motors' Sanand plant has an installed capacity of 250,000 cars a year, most of which has remained idle over the years owing to the muted demand for the Nano.

The plant was earlier dedicated to Nano, and according to Gujarat government's response to a query in the Assembly in February this year, the plant produced 42,561 Nano cars between January 2014 and December 2015. The plant started producing the new hatchback from December and in January, production had reached 100 cars a day. The plan was to scale that up to 250-cars per day by March.

However, 422 permanent workers at the site went on a flash strike from February 22.

Since then, the production of the Tiago has waned.

Around 50 Tiagos are being made every day, said workers. And, there is an inventory of 1,400 cars. The plant is also making Nanos, at 60-70 a day.

The state government is trying to mediate between the workers and the management to find a resolution. The workers demand that all the 28 workmen who had been suspended by the company be taken back, while the company is firm that all workmen except those suspended can resume duty.

The labour department had prohibited the strike on March 2, after which the company set a deadline of March 11 for the striking workers to join back. It has, however, not yet taken any legal action against the striking workers. The workers, on the other hand, have garnered support from 22 trade unions across the state, and plan to continue their agitation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Reserve Bank of India have launched a probe into the transfer of Rs 4,000 crore from United Spirits Ltd (USL) to the British Virgin Islands in early 2007 by the company before it was taken over by Diageo in 2012.

A probe into the transfer was first ordered by a division Bench of the Karnataka High Court on December 20, 2013, but there was no follow up by the agencies. With the Narendra Modi government taking an aggressive stand on defaulters, the ED and RBI have been asked to look into USL's transactions and call for relevant papers from the company and Diageo, its new owner, said an official close to the development. Under Diageo, USL now has a new management with its former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) P A Murali quitting on April 23, 2015.

A mail sent to Diageo did not elicit any response, while a UB Group spokesperson declined to comment.

During the hearing in the high court, lenders had argued that the money was transferred to the tax haven without proper documentation and these needed to be probed. But USL had argued that the money was transferred for the acquisition of Whyte & Mackay in May 2007, in a deal worth around $1.2 billion. After Diageo took over USL, it sold Whyte & Mackay in 2014 at a 25 per cent discount to the 2007 acquisition price. The proceeds of the sale were not brought to India and were used to repay foreign loans. Interestingly, the proceeds of the 2012 sale of USL by Mallya to Diageo were also not brought to India and were parked in Mallya's offshore accounts.

Corporate lawyers said while non-disclosure or wrong disclosures by UB Group can be investigated by RBI, ED will look into the money laundering aspect.

The investigation will involve calling of annual reports since the transaction, auditor reports, company filings with RBI and from foreign banks.

Citibank was the financier of the Whyte & Mackay acquisition and the bank was also USL's lender in India. Corporate lawyers said as annual reports between 2010 and 2013 are disputed and, according to Diageo, were cooked by Mallya, it would be difficult for the agencies to rely on these.

The ED is already investigating how funds from Kingfisher Airlines vanished overseas. It is questioning top officials, including UB group CFO Ravi Nedungadi and Kingfisher Airlines CFO A Raghunathan. The ED also summoned UB group Chairman Vijay Mallya on Friday to participate in investigations. USL was formed in 2006 by merging McDowell & Co, Shaw Wallace & Co, Herbertsons Ltd and other liquor companies in the UB group to become India's largest liquor company.

RS probe



Meanwhile, the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha headed by Congress veteran Karan Singh on Monday took cognisance of Vijay Mallya's alleged default on around Rs 9,000 crore of bank loans.

Acting on the notices given by Opposition members, Chairman of the Upper House Hamid Ansari referred the matter to the panel.

"The question regarding Mallya was earlier raised in the House in the morning. The Chairman referred the matter to the Ethics Committee. Our meeting was decided earlier. There were two more issues. Now we have taken up this third issue as well," Singh told reporters after the panel meeting.

Second summons if Mallya misses first date



The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will issue a second summons to liquor baron Vijay Mallya if he fails to depose before the agency on Friday. The ED wants to question him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Mallya, however, has the option of seeking a change in the date, said an ED official.
Reports of the latest incident of honour killing in Tamil Nadu have quickly triggered more serious media coverage and debate than perhaps the devastating floods that claimed hundreds of lives in December.

The number of such killings is growing despite the two major Dravidian parties, which have ruled the state alternately for more than five decades since 1967, promising to curb crimes, especially against women and minorities, especially Dalits, who form a major vote bank.

While there is no separate classification for honour killings in official records, caste related murders have been on the rise. The Policy Note on Police Department (which comes under Chief Minister of the state) for 2015-2016, tabled in the Assembly during the recent Budget session, shows number of murders owing to casteism was 12 in 2012, 7 in 2013 and 18 in 2014. The number of murders over love affairs/sexual causes, was 321 in 2012, rose to 351 in 2013 and came down to 320 in 2015.

The killing of 22-year-old Shankar on Sunday in the town of Udumalaipettai near to the textile town of Tiruppur, allegedly for marrying Kausalya, an upper caste Hindu is the most recent one. The girl belongs to the Thevar caste, which according to reports is a community that, along with Vanniyars and Gounders, has a history of committing atrocities against Dalits.

In 2015 Gokulraj, another Dalit man was allegedly killed by members of the Gounder community for speaking to a Gounder woman at a temple, according to reports.

In 2012, more than 200 Dalit houses were torched by an angry upper-caste mob after a Dalit boy, E Ilavarasan, had eloped with a girl from their community, N Divya, and married her.

Ilavarasan committed suicide after caste-related violence and strong-arming put a strain on their Hindu-Dalit marriage. Divya's upper caste Vanniyar community also enjoys great political clout through the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Divya, too, decided to give up the fight against people in her village who had earlier stormed Ilavarasanas colony, torching and destroying property. This was after her father committed suicide to protest the marriage.

Earlier, there has been the murder of a 21-year-old pregnant woman in Ramnad, who married outside her community, and the retaliatory killing of a 23-year-old upper caste Hindu girl from Madurai who dared to elope with a Dalit boy she met during her post-graduate studies.

Despite higher literacy levels, there seems to be no end for honour killings or threat for such marriage, said a Chennai-based psychiatrist, who attributed the violence to emotional problems rather than merely caste.

A Chennai-based IT professional, who hails from a small village 600 kms from the state capital, said on condition of anonymity that while her parents support her working away from home, she has always been warned and threatened with dire consequences against doing anything that could disgrace the family.

A media reported quoting Chennai-based social commentator and activist Raakhee Suryaprakash said that honour killings is the outcome of a complex mix of factors.

They are a blot on our collective conscience as they feed on the lakshman rekha mentality and so-called societal norms. Unfortunately, violence against women in many instances is perpetrated by the women of the family too. Its a vicious cycle fed by patriarchal, communal and religious passions that dispenses with all sense of right and wrong, the report quoted Suryaprakash as saying.

Honour killings not only carried out by the family or community members against a member, who they believe has brought shame to them, mostly through sex- or marriage-related offences, katta or village panchayats also play a major role.

Protection against such violence is guaranteed in the Indian Penal Code, the Constitution as well as the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, but many of the cases related to honour killings rarely lead to prosecution, largely because of the influence the moral police exerts over the community, say legal experts.

In August 2012, the Law Commission of India had prepared a draft legislation known as the Prohibition of Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances Bill, which was designed to target the unlawful activities of so-called khap panchayats in Haryana and punish honour killings. However, the draft has not been presented before Parliament, and the future of the proposed bill looks uncertain.

A few months earlier, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Panneerselvam (when he was holding the Chief Minister's office for a brief period last year) denied any incidents of honour killings in the state and also dismissed the need for a separate legislation to prevent such murders.

There was no incidence of honour killing in the state. Rarely does suicide or suspicious deaths involving inter-caste couples occur. The police are taking firm action in these matters against culprits under the Indian Penal Code. To prevent caste clashes and murders caused by them, there is no need for enacting a new legislation, he said, intervening in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governors address in the Assembly.

He was replying to Puthiya Tamizhagam member Dr S Krishnaswamy, who raised apprehensions of increasing caste-related tensions and honour killings of inter caste couples recalling the history of the social justice movement in the state.
Madras High Court has directed the district court of Kancheepuram to dispose of the pending dispute between Ashok Leyland and Renault-Nissan regarding their light commercial vehicle joint venture in two weeks from receiving the order. The Court has also asked both the parties to maintain status quo till the district court issues the order.

The order comes in an application filed by Renault-Nissan automotive against Ashok Leyland-Nissan, the joint venture (JV) company, seeking stay of all proceedings in the district court pending constitution of arbitration.

When the matter came up on Tuesday, Justice K Ravichandra Baabu, without going into the merits of the matter, issued the order directing that the district court has to hear the matter and issue an order including on maintainability of the petition, in two weeks from receiving the order.

Nissan official said that the company do not want to respond since the matter is sub-judice.

It may be noted that the business relationship between Ashok Leyland and its JV partner Japanese auto major Nissan has turned sour of late, and the Chennai-based commercial vehicle major raising a series of allegations against its Japanese partner, and moving court for a legal remedy.

In 2007, Ashok Leyland and Nissan announced a JV to develop and manufacture LCVs under both the Ashok Leyland and Nissan brands, in the 2.5-7.5 tonne segment.

The JV was named as Ashok Leyland-Nissan Vehicles, in which Ashok Leyland held 51%. However, the JV had a rough ride in the Indian market.

The partners have formed three companies include Ashok Leyland, Nissan Vehicles Pvt Ltd, the vehicle manufacturing company in which Ashok Leyland has 51% Nissan has 49% stake in, Nissan Ashok Leyland Powertrain Pvt Ltd, the powertrain manufacturing company owned 51% by Nissan and 49% by Ashok Leyland and Nissan Ashok Leyland Technologies Pvt Ltd, the technology development company owned 50:50 by the two partners
Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, mired in a controversy for leaving India in the middle of a massive loan default probe, today appeared to distance himself from an interview that quoted him as having said that time was not "right" to return to the country.

"Shocked to see media statements that I gave an interview to Sunday Guardian without verification. I have not given any statement to anyone," Mallya tweeted tonight on his official Twitter page. He did not elaborate further on the contents of the said interview.

Under fire over dues totalling over Rs 9,000 crore of long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines in unpaid loans and interest, Mallya left the country on March 2, triggering a political row with Congress and BJP trading charges.

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) has summoned the liquor baron to appear before it in Mumbai on March 18 as part of its money laundering probe in the alleged default in payment of Rs 900 crore dues to IDBI bank by Kingfisher Airlines.

While it has been widely reported that he had left for London, Mallya himself has been silent about his whereabouts but has been tweeting occasionally including to say he was not an "absconder" and he would comply with the "law of the land".

Yesterday, the 'The Sunday Guardian' quoted him as having said in an e-mail interview, "I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But I am not sure I'll get a fair chance to present my side. I've already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is right."



Mallya, however, did not respond to repeated emailed queries from PTI as also to the messages sent to his phone.

No immediate comments could be obtained from the weekly newspaper and the phone calls made to its office did not elicit any response regarding the interview.

Yesterday, Mallya had tweeted, "I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts.

Later, a journalist from the Sunday Guardian newspaper tweeted, "We stand by the interview in the @SundayGuardian and we will be putting up the email trail that culminated in his interview.
There is concern among Corporate India on uncertainty around Britain's coming referendum on membership of the European Union (EU). Sarah Green, director, member relations, regions and nations, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), allays fears of India Inc, in an interaction with Sudipto Dey. Leading a British delegation to India, Green explains British industry is in favour of remaining in the EU. Excerpts:



On Brexit:



We have a very clear mandate from our membership. They represent two-thirds of private sector workforce in the UK - around seven million employees. We just conducted a poll, where eight of 10 members believe it is better to do business in a reformed Europe. Only five per cent of our membership did not feel that way. It is pretty clear that the message from (British) business is positive about the common market that Europe creates.

We want to encourage (British) industry to export to Europe, and to go beyond. It is not a trade-off. The EU's ability to negotiate trade deals is very important for the future of British exports. The bargaining power as part of the European block is important for us to create trade relationships.

On possible impact of uncertainty around Brexit on Indo-British trade and investment



British business' position is clear. We want investments to continue from India to the UK throughout the process. We will work very hard with those businesses that have invested in the UK, in order to create a stable political environment for investments to come. There has been lot of focus on India in Britain after (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's visit. The Make-in-India piece is of interest to a lot of businesses in the UK. There is demand from British industry to understand more of what is happening in India.

Key concerns of British business about India



Shehla Hasan, country head, India, CBI: We are very happy the government is looking at improving the country's ranking in Ease of Doing Business from 130th place to 50th position.

The idea of competitive federalism is very good. But everybody is waiting for GST to be implemented. That would give a standardised taxation structure across the entire country. We generally advice our British investors that India is not a single market, but many markets - ever state is a market in itself. So in that regard, GST will be a huge plus once that comes in.
The Delhi High Court (HC) has refused to stop the Competition Commission of India (CCI) probe against Monsanto. The court has asked CCI not to pass any final order till the court's next hearing on July 18.

On February 10, the CCI had ordered a detailed probe against Monsanto as it prima-facie found the company to be violating competition law in the market of Bt cotton technology in India. The move followed a complaint filed by the agriculture ministry and three Indian seed companies.

Subsequently, Monsanto appealed to Delhi HC asking it to refrain CCI from investigating as the issue lay outside its jurisdiction. The court passed its order recently.

The company's senior counsel has said the CCI has no jurisdiction in respect of any matter relating to intellectual property rights, including the rights pertaining to licensing of patents and trademarks. According to him, the issue falls within "the exclusive jurisdiction of the authority, civil courts as provided under the Patents Act, 1970 and the Trade Marks Act, 1999". The court also asked CCI to not pass temporary injunctions, without its approval, against any company involved in the case.
Indias merchandise exports fell for the 15th straight month by 5.7 per cent to $20.7 billion in February this year, against $22 billion in February 2015, according to data released by the commerce ministry on Tuesday. Compared to this, during the 2008-09 global financial meltdown, the decline was for nine months on the trot.

The rate of decline in February, however, decelerated from 13.60 per cent in January and was, in fact, the second lowest since the outbound shipments started contracting since December 2014. It was in the last month of 2014 that exports had declined 3.77 per cent.

However, experts cautioned that the small fall in February was no indication of any revival in exports as global conditions were sluggish and commodity prices depressed. They dont see revival happening before the last quarter of 2016.

The country exported goods worth $238 billion during the first 11 months of FY16, 16.7 per cent lower than $286 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year. The government had earlier set a $300 billion target for 2015-16, but Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia recently said such a target needed to be revised downwards to $260 billion. As much as $22 billion worth of goods need to be exported in March to meet even the truncated target. If this target is met, it would be almost $50 billion lower than the previous years realisation and contraction for the second year in a row.

Besides a global slowdown, the severe fall is attributed to a decline in global commodity prices. China also posted the steepest fall of around 25 per cent in merchandise exports in February since May 2009.

Imports, too, declined five per cent to $27.3 billion in February, compared to the year-ago period, when it was $28.7 billion.

The oil import bill dropped 29 per cent in February to $4.76 billion, following global cues of plunging crude oil prices. Compared to this, $6.10 billion was the comparative cost a year-ago.

As such, non-oil imports in February this year were estimated at $22.5 billion, which was 0.47 per cent lower than non-oil imports of $22.6 billion in February last year.

Gold imports declined 29.5 per cent to $1.4 billion, down from $1.9 billion a year-ago. As such, non-oil, non-gold imports, taken as a proxy for indicator of industrial demand in an economy, rose 1.9 per cent to $21.1 billion in February this year from $20.7 billion a year-ago. This might mean a small industrial recovery in February after three months of continuous decline in the index of industrial production. Non-oil, non-gold imports went down 7.43 per cent in January, much more than the two per cent registered in December.

Trade deficit narrowed to $6.6 billion in February this year, compared to $7.6 billion in January.

The cumulative imports till February FY16 stood at $351 billion, a 14.7 per cent drop from $412 billion a year-ago, which was the cumulative figure for the same period last year.

As a result, trade deficit narrowed to $113 billion for the first 11 months of FY16, compared to $126 billion in the year-ago period. This will augur well for the current account deficit.
Three months after India committed to an ambitious set of targets under the global climate change the government is working in fits and starts to put the architecture, policy and regulations in place to achieve what it promised to the global community.

India promised a 30-35 per cent reduction in the carbon intensity of its economy by 2030 from 2005 levels with two sectoral components defined as well. India promised that 40 per cent of its installed power capacity would come from non-fossil fuel energy resources by 2030 and that the country would build an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

The targets, called Intended National Determined Contributions or INDCs, came about as part of a top-down approach by the Union government after three modelling studies it commissioned. But now it is required to break down these targets to specific sectors, set up regulations and regulators to achieve and monitor the achievement of targets, besides finding the financial resources to do so.

Retrofitting and parallel processing

Speaking at a function organised by TERI on Monday to map out the challenges of implementing the Paris agreement, special secretary in the environment ministry Susheel Kumar said the government was now looking to retrofit the existing national action plans on climate change, build up new ones that were approved before December, as well as see what needed to be done with the state action plans.

The latter were developed much before the in what an official of the Union government admits was to a large extent a donor-driven activity. It took more than two years to put them together and the pieces of the state plans to achieve reduction in emissions did not add up to provide the national picture even then. Since then all targets have been revised by the Union government and now the environment ministry is looking at pilot projects on emission reduction and adaptation in states to help build their capacities. Separately it commissioned experts for an adaptation index to review its work in the area periodically.

The largest emissions in the Indian economy arise from the power sector, transport and buildings. It is relatively easy to regulate the centralised power sector, but transport and buildings require not just engaging state governments but also municipal bodies  a move that has had minimal result previously when the Union government tried to push through energy efficiency in building bye-laws.

In the meanwhile the Niti Aayog has finalised the first draft of a new national energy policy, which would also have to integrate the climate commitments of the country. The draft is in circulation. Roughly, we know the energy map for 2030 because of the exercise done in the government on climate targets. What the policy should be telling us is the financial and regulatory policies to be put in place to achieve these goals, said a senior government official. But he said he was disappointed with the disengagement of the power ministry in the development of the policy.

In a parallel process, the environment ministry has asked all ministries concerned to say what and how they can contribute to the achievement of the international commitment. Not many ministries had responded yet, Kumar admitted. Similarly, states have been asked separately to say how they can revise their plans to fit into the obligations.

The act of setting sector-specific targets is bound to be marred by the failure of the government to launch the Green India mission to afforest lands as a sink to capture carbon emissions. Additionally, the sector is globally plagued by having unclear benchmarks and methodologies to measure how different kind of forests really operate as carbon sinks. In India, the mission will eventually face the competing demand of millions of forest-dependent families against large-scale plantation programmes that will be needed to meet the targets.

In comparison, the energy efficiency programme has secured a first-generation of changes that it is to substantially upscale to cover a larger percentage of the fossil economy in the coming years. The solar and wind mission, which now has been handed down overly-ambitious targets--100 GW of solar by 2022 and 60 GW of wind power alongside--too, is dealing with the challenges. Speaking at the dialogue organised by TERI on Monday, the new and renewable energy secretary, Upendra Tripathi, noted the initial concerns in the government over the ambitious target that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested. Now the ministry is tackling the challenge of finding low-cost finance to achieve its targets.

Murmurs are already audible that India may soon be under global pressure to move these targets higher as the time approaches to operationalise the Paris agreement from 2020. The existing global commitments do not match up to what science requires to keep temperature rise within safe levels.

Finding the money

Finding finance for the existing targets remains a challenge. India estimated it would cost it $2.5 trillion by 2030 to achieve the targets. It is yet to assess how this sum breaks down by sectors and map out the domestic and international resources. The likelihood of global public finance being available has dimmed after the Paris agreement. Kumar accepted that a large part of this would have to be mopped up domestically.

Tripathi suggested that multilateral funding agencies be asked to block a higher percentage of their portfolio for renewable energy, besides lowering the cost of finance by finding a method to fund the hedging costs of dollar-denominated loans. But how that will impact Indias insistence that global funds for climate change also be brought to back clean coal projects remains an unanswered question.

Ajay Mathur, who till recently was a top negotiator for India at climate talks, in his new avatar as director-general of TERI noted, There is a short-term question of finding the right business models, the low-cost finance and a longer-term question of fixing the economics of balancing power for the renewable energy. He did not forget to emphasise the role that the private sector would have to play in achieving the targets India had set out.

Transparency and accounting

The private sector also faces a regulatory risk from the Paris agreement. India committed to a new transparency mechanism that would evolve over the next five years to which different sectors of the economy would have to adhere. Without prior consultation with industry, the government has already set a high benchmark for the level of disclosure and scrutiny it will permit through a document called the Biennial Annual Update which it submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The ministry is now exploring the possibility of a legally mandated reporting mechanism for industry to build the annual inventory of carbon emissions. Doing so in the unorganised sector though could be yet another challenge.

A senior manager in the India office of a top global consultancy said, Indian industry has no clue of the real consequences of the Paris agreement, besides thinking of climate change as branding exercise. It will have to come to terms with an emerging regulatory regime and the risks involved. The government will have to also find a way to engage industry rather than just hold stakeholder meetings for the sake of it.



Several private sector players came up with SWOT analyses after Paris agreement to map out risks and opportunities. The sustainability division heads of two top private companies, one in the transport sector and the other in the power sector, that Business Standard spoke to noted that Indian industry had traditionally invested very little intellectual capital in the area. I read the paragraph on common transparency standards in the Paris agreement and I said, hey, that is a whole new animal, one of the two said.

At the moment, the attempt by different arms of the government to deal with the fallout of the Paris agreement, too, seems like grappling with a new animal in the jungle of policy making. Multiple sources confirm the government at the highest level is consulting internally to put a coordination system in place. Under the previous United Progressive Alliance regime, the Prime Ministers office worked as the coordination point for all national action plans on climate change. At the moment, the government is considering the possibility of housing such a coordination team in the cabinet secretariat.

Anil Kumar Jain, energy adviser in the Niti Aayog, speaking at the TERI function on Monday said it might not be wise to follow the UK or US model of energy and climate change departments being stitched into one, considering Indias energy-related ministries would remain strongly supply-oriented.
The central government is in the process of developing a framework for public-private partnership (PPP) in improving the service level of district hospitals. And, the framework could be developed in consultation with the NITI Aayog, the Aayog said in a recent presentation on the outcomes in the health and education sectors.

vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya and chief executive Amitabh Kant were present during the presentation made before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the Aayog said India was on track to meeting the 12th Plan targets in total fertility rate and under-five mortality by 2017.

Modi directed the officials in the ministry of health and family welfare to focus on reducing infant and maternal mortality rates. He also directed the officials to measure and improve the outcome in public health facilities.

Meanwhile, the Aayog has come out with a report on the efficacy of minimum support price for farmers.

The report said although 81 per cent of the farmers knew about MSP, 79 per cent of them were not satisfied with the support prices declared every year.

It also showed that only 10 per cent of the farmers came to know about MSP before the sowing season, which prohibited them from making informed choices.

The report, which was prepared based on inputs received from different states, also showed that only seven per cent of the farmers came to know of MSP through official sources. Around 40 per cent of farmers received their support price through cheques, it added.
Casella does Europe on its own, for Australias global wine best-known

The family business behind one of Australias top selling exported wine brands, Yellow Tail, is establishing UK branch to market its wine across Europe.

Casella Family Brands is a wine company based at Yenda in the NSW Riverina. It had been using Percy Fox & Co as its UK distributor of its popular Yellow Tail wine. However, Casella will take over its own distribution from 1 May 2016.

Casella says it has a two-part expansion plan with Phase One focusing on ensuring it can sell Yellow Tail wine to customers in Great Britain. The second phase will involve introducing Casella Family Brands across Europe. Apart from Yellow Tail, Casellas wine brands include Peter Lehmann, Brands Laira, Casella and Young Brute.

The General Manager for Casella Family Brands Europe, Simon Lawson, said the UK has already delivered solid growth for Yellow Tail.

Yellow Tail wine currently the 3rd biggest Australian wine brand and the fastest growing top 20 wine brand, Lawson said.

Our vision is to leverage this position of strength and continue to drive growth within our portfolio for the benefit of our customers, suppliers and employees, Lawson stated.

Casella Family Brands Europe will be headquartered in Cambridgeshire in England. Its Peter Lehmann wines are already distributed throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland by UK wine company, Liberty Wines. This distribution partnership will still continue.

Managing Director Casella Family Brands, John Casella, said he believes now is the right time to set up a European subsidiary.

My vision is for Casella Family Brands Europe to be an entrepreneurial business that will work closely with like-minded partners to build a portfolio of brands that bring joy to consumers, value to the category and create new and exciting opportunities for us all, Casella said.
The issues related to implementation of policy has become a dampner for the plans of to establish more solar power generation facilities, say experts. In terms of implementation of roof-top solar, while it is easy to implement, it would require some attractive incentives and policies to be in place to attract more building owners though it would not be difficult to achieve a target of 1000 Mw of roof-top facility by 2019 in South India, they said.

In the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) --- Southern Region is organising a conference on 'Roof Top Solar' with the theme - Driving 1,000 Mw by 2019 in Southern Region: Issues & Challenges, S Nagalsamy, retired member of Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) said that various issues related to the implementation of the policy, including the fixing of tariff has affected the implementation of solar power facilities in the State.

While the cost of production in solar power facilities has come even below than that of the conventional power resources, the tariff has been kept on higher side. The incentives has also been offered to those who set up captive facility. However, various decisions including that of a Solar Purchase Obligation (SPO) has dragged the government to the court and this has affected the implementation. As a result, could only achieve 200 Mw out of its set target of 3,000 Mw in three years, he added.

Experts, who commented on the development of roof-top solar power faciltiies said that it would require proper action in terms of policy and implementation if the country need to achieve the ambitious target of 40 Gw of solar roof-top segment by 2019. The central and state governments have been working on initiatives such as exploring PPP framework for roof-top solar projects on government buildings, providing government support through incentives and capital subsidies, the policy initiatives could also focus on enhancing energy access throuh solar powered off-grid solutions, they said.

S Chandrasekhar, managing director of Bhoruka Power Corporation Ltd, who is also the chairman of CII-SR Energy Sub-Committee, said that there are challenges in terms of higher capital cost, aggregation of power from solar facilities, an expected grid congession and arranging finance for the projects, which the government and the industry has to address.

V Namasivayam, partner-consulting, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP said that the tariff related issues, utility economics and adoption, and the policy and regulations would pose a challenge in achieving the target. He added that having a proper business model is very critical and the readiness of the utility to connect with the roof top solar facility, including the net metering and other details, is also important. The taxation regime and subsidy administration also has to be supportive to the stake holders, which would help them to improve rapidly in terms of expansion.
The department of posts is leaving no stone unturned to ride on the e-commerce boom across the country. From making dedicated corridors for delivery to training postmen to handle big volumes, besides connecting all postal products through technology, the department has chalked a strategy to overcome the shift in their functioning. Secretary of Department of Posts, Kavery Banerjee, tells Mansi Taneja the plan for e-commerce and the payments bank venture. Excerpts:



E-commerce has come as a boon for the postal department. What is the long-term strategy to boost revenues?



We have been focusing on our strategy and how to move forward for the past one year. E- commerce has emerged as a key opportunity. Our revenue and parcel revenues have grown by 120 per cent. We are grappling with a paradigm shift. A fresh look is being given to ways of processing, transmission, and delivery. We have set up 48 dedicated processing centres for handling parcels.

The maximum orders are coming from smaller places where aspirations are high - Tier-II and -III cities and small villages such as in Leh and Ladakh and north-eastern regions.

India Post is a natural partner for e-commerce companies because of our reach and network. We are looking at 100 per cent year-on-year growth and by March we will generate revenues of Rs 250 crore from parcels and speed post. Through cash-on-delivery, we reached Rs 1,200 crore.

How are you coping up with huge volumes from the e-commerce sector? Do you plan to purchase your own vehicles for a better delivery mechanism?



We are struggling with huge volumes in e-commerce. We are struggling with airlines, that have their own capacity constraints.

Planning to set up dedicated routes through roads for delivery. We are also in the process of aggregating delivery centres and booking offices. It will be vehicle-driven.

We are exploring how to incentivise postmen to use their vehicles for delivery where possible. In hilly and difficult terrains, the mode has to be on foot.

For major areas, we plan to outsource vehicles.

What kind of incentives?



We want to make it more attractive to postmen/delivery agents for using their own vehicles and considering various options. We have set up a committee to look into the compensation of rural officers, mainly who work part-time and plan to restructure accordingly. This happens every time the Pay Commission is announced.

The committee's report will be out in sometime, after which we have to look at the financial implications and take finance ministry's approval for it.

There have been issues with last-mile delivery. Many e-commerce firms have been complaining about delays in delivery and loss of items.

We have put in a place a track-and-trace system. Technology has not reached smaller post offices, which is why it takes time to upload information.

We have explained this to all our e-commerce partners about timings in smaller towns and villages. One can't expect a delivery in a village within a day.

We have made arrangements to deliver outside office hours and even, on holidays now.

Also, we will be connecting all our postal products - letters, parcels and other - through technology, which will enable immediate uploading of information - booking, delivery and timings. Currently, the trials are going on and we plan to roll it out by end of this year. We have also rolled out solar powered handheld devices through which one can send money orders/remittances and also make payments for various government run schemes. The department is looking to roll out 20,000 such devices by end of this month and 130,000 by end of March 2017.

How are you training your existing staff with this change in the functioning of the department? Are you concerned over the age profile?



E-commerce in India has suddenly taken off, in the last two years, while in the West, they moved towards it gradually over 15 years. It has taken us by surprise as well.

There are many rounds of training going on for the staff all over the country. Courses are available online as well with a focus on e-commerce.

We are working on their skills - how to interact with people. Age profile is shifting, we have inducted a lot of young people recently. Many of them are engineers. For instance, for 800 vacancies in Delhi, we got some 30 lakh applications and most of them were doctors, engineers, paramedics. These people come with a certain background and are comfortable using technology. We are also rotating people in different sections.

What is the update on your Payments Bank venture. Will it be first step towards a full-fledged bank?



We have selected a consultant for this venture. We have to submit the plan to RBI March 2017. We want to leverage our reach and network. Every post office will be a point of access. We also plan to set up white labeled ATMs.

We will have various tie-ups for the venture, will mix use of delivery staff to facilitate doorstep banking. Our 2.8 lakh network of small saving agents will also be used. We can also partner with banks to offer credit products. We will launch products which will not be in direct competition to our existing portfolio.

Money order might be hived off and make way for remittances through Payments bank riding on technology. It will be much cheaper, we have seen traffic coming down in money orders because it is expensive.We will also look at last mile delivery of payments. We will hire set of professionals for running banking operations of Payments Bank.

The plan is to set up a full bank, Payments bank is the first step. Banks consider us to be a serious threat and there is serious resistance against us getting into banking space.
Disagreement has surfaced within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the size of pictorial warning on . While the health ministry wants the warning on all tobacco products to cover 85 per cent of the principal display area on both sides, the ministries of labour and commerce have opposed the move.

The differences have come out clearly in the latest parliamentary committee report on 'The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2014', which recommended that the warning must cover 50 per cent of one side of a pack. The panel said the health ministry's proposal was too harsh and might result in flooding of illicit cigarettes in the market.

The current rules - which came into force in 2008 - mandate a warning on 40 per cent display area on one side of a pack. "The committee observes that whereas it is a standard practice to undertake a consultation process with various stakeholders before carrying out any important policy decision, unfortunately the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare did not appear to have followed this practice while coming out with the amendment Rules of 2014," says the report.

According to the ministry of labour and employment, if the government implements warning on 85 per cent display area of tobacco products, it would have adverse effect on livelihood of millions of people. "The Ministry of Labour has, therefore, come to the conclusion that this issue requires detailed study," says the report.

WHAT MINISTRIES SAID The labour ministry said livelihood of millions of people involved in tobacco production and sale would be affected

The commerce ministry said tobacco consumption had increased even after the 40% pictorial warning rule was imposed in 2008

The agriculture ministry said no other crop was as remunerative as tobacco, and it was very difficult to persuade tobacco growers to switch to other cash crops

The finance ministry said cigarette smuggling  through cargo, passenger baggage and courier modes - had increased considerably

Similarly, Rita Teaotia, secretary, ministry of commerce, told the committee that after the introduction of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages in 2008-09, the consumption of domestic tobacco has not witnessed any decline. Consequently, the commerce ministry told the parliamentary panel that health ministry's step might lead to increase in the illicit trade of cigarettes, besides adversely affecting local growers and manufacturers of tobacco products. The health ministry is planning to impose the new rule from April 1, 2016.

"The recommendations of the committee are excessive and do not appear to have cognised for the devastating consequences of large warnings on the livelihood of millions that are dependent on the tobacco industry," said a spokesperson of Tobacco Institute of India. Agriculture ministry also pointed out that no single crop is as remunerative as tobacco and it is very difficult to persuade tobacco growers to switch to alternate cash crops.
The Akali-BJP Government in today presented budget for FY 2016-17 proposing sops for Industry and agriculture and imposed no new taxes.The Finance Minister of Punjab, Parminder Singh Dhindsa announced a VAT relief from 6.05% to 3.63% to the spinning sector. has close to 165 spinning mills having 4.25 million active spindles with a capacity to consume 6.5 million to 7 million bales annually. This reduction in VAT will help the Punjab's spinning sector to compete in the national market.

The Finance Minister also proposed to set up a High Tech Cycle valley in Ludhiana with a state-of-the-art Common Facility Centre in an area of 300 acre. Ludhiana is the largest cluster of cycle industry in country with over 90% of country's demand of cycles I met from here. The industry has been in the doldrums due to lack of up gradation, the budget proposal aims to rejuvenate the sector dominated by MEME units.

The total budget size for the year 2016-17 is Rs 86,387 cr that includes Rs 19,500 cr towards ways and means transactions.

Dhindsa informed the house that revival of real estate was also a priority area and it would boost the demand on many fronts. The budget proposed to slash the collector rates used for assessing stamp duty all over the state by 15%. He also proposed a rebate of 25% on CLU (Change of land use), EDC (External Development Charges and license fee on all new housing projects.A higher rebate of 50% on CLU, EDC and licence fee was proposed for affordable housing projects.

Among the major announcements for the farming sector, the budget contains the proposal of interest free loan of Rs 50,000 per acre to the farmers with a land holding of less than 5 acre. The small farmers have been paying a 4% interest on Rs 50,000 loan under the current schemes.Tax exemptions for agriculture allied activities like bee farming and pig feed have also been incorporated in the budget proposals.

The Minister informed the media that the tax concessions would entail an annual extra burden of Rs 1,200 cr on the state exchequer. He added that a 7% increase in state's own tax revenue and 13%-14% increase in the devolution of funds from centre would help meet the increased expenditure.He did not explain about the additional resource mobilisation of Government.The accumulated debt of in FY 2015-16 is pegged at 1,24,553 cr and is projected to be revised at 1,30,000 cr in FY 2016-17, told Dhindsa.

No new taxes are announced in the 2016-17 budget of Punjab. The state is in the lection mode as the assembly elections are expected in January/February 2017.The Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal are eyeing a third successive tenure.The revival of SYL (Satluj Yamuna Link) Canal issue has been dominating the budget session. Punjab legislature has passed the resolution to de-notify about 4000 acre of land acquired for SYL and return it to the land owners. The matter is also pending in the Supreme for hearing under Presidential reference.
The Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab on Tuesday presented the 2016-17 budget with sops for industry and agriculture. No new taxes were announced.

Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Punjab finance minister, announced a value-added tax (VAT) relief from 6.05 per cent to 3.63 per cent to the spinning sector. Punjab has close to 165 spinning mills with 4.25 million active spindles with a consumption capacity of 6.5 million to 7 million bales annually. This reduction in VAT will help Punjab's spinning sector compete in the national market.

The finance minister also proposed to set up a high-tech cycle valley in Ludhiana with a state-of-the-art common facility centre on 300 acres. Ludhiana has the largest cluster of cycle factories in the country. More than 90 per cent of the country's demand for cycles is met from here. The budget proposes to rejuvenate the sector dominated by micro, small and medium units.

The total budget size for 2016-17 was Rs 86,387 cr, including Rs 19,500 cr towards ways and means transactions.

Dhindsa informed the Assembly that the revival of real estate was also a priority area and it would boost demand on many fronts. The budget has proposed to slash the collector rates used for assessing stamp duty all over the state by 15 per cent. Dhindsa also proposed a rebate of 25 per cent on change of land use (CLU), external development charges (EDC) and licence fee on all new housing projects. A higher rebate of 50 per cent on CLU, EDC and licence fee was proposed for affordable housing projects.

Among major announcements for the farming sector, the budget proposed interest-free loans of Rs 50,000 an acre to farmers with landholding of less than five acres. Small farmers have been paying four per cent interest on a loan of Rs 50,000 under the current schemes. Tax exemptions for agriculture-allied activities like bee farming and pig feed have also been incorporated in the budget.

The minister informed the media that the tax concessions would entail an annual extra burden of Rs 1,200 cr on the state exchequer. He added that a 7 per cent increase in the state's own tax revenue and 13-14 per cent increase in the devolution of funds from the Centre would help meet the increased expenditure. He did not explain about the additional resource mobilisation of the government. The accumulated debt of Punjab in 2015-16 was pegged at Rs 1,24,553 cr and was projected to be revised at Rs 1,30,000 cr in 2016-17, Dhindsa said.

The state is in election mode as Assembly polls are expected to be held in January or February 2017.
The Forest Advisory Committee, the statutory authority of the environment ministry, is slated to appraise the Rs 2,200-crore diamond mine project of Rio Tinto in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday for forest clearance.

The mine falls in a tiger corridor connecting two protected parks and has been identified by the government as an inviolate area  a forest too dense and valuable to be mined. At least one village in the region has also rejected the proposal to mine their traditional forestlands falling in the mine area under the Forest Rights Act.

The Bunder Diamond mining project requires 971 hectares of forest land in Chhattarpur forest division of Madhya Pradesh. The estimated deposit of kimberlitic ore at the site, the environment ministry records say is 53.7 million ton and that of diamond is 34.2 million carat. The mineral value is estimated to be Rs 20,520 crore. The royalty and taxes to be generated to state exchequer are estimated at Rs 2,052 crore and Rs 208 crore respectively.

Documents reviewed by the Business Standard show that the project has reached all the way up for appraisal before the Forest Advisory Committee despite several written reports by state forest officers and the regional office of the environment ministry that the area falls in an identified tiger movement corridor which the state has not legally notified as such while prospecting for diamond continued. Under the wildlife law identified tiger corridors are to be separately notified and given higher grade of protection. The officers have also gone on record to state that the forest is of very good quality and that at least one of the villages has explicitly refused consent which is mandatory under the Forest Rights Act.

Rio Tinto Exploration India Limited had signed an agreement with Madhya Pradesh government in 2010 subsequent to exploration activity. Under the agreement Rio Tinto was to run the entire operations and Madhya Pradesh government is to facilitate all clearances for the mining and the linked dam project in addition to providing incentives and tax concessions, documents of the union environment ministry record.

The state government has supported the project and sent it to the Centre despite its forest officials highlighting that the area is an important wildlife corridor, and too dense to mine. A report of the Union environment ministry notes, The ecological importance of this forest can be understood from the fact that this forest area is a corridor between the Panna Tiger Reserve and the Navardehi Wildlife Sanctuary for the movement of wildlife including tiger. However, the state government has not notified this forest as wildlife corridor. The governments Forest Research Institute has also identified several schedule I wildlife animals in the area including tigers.

The report also records, Resolutions of Triyamar, Jara, and Shehpura Gram Sabhas (under FRA) are not n legible form moreover, the Shehpura Gram Sabha has resolved against the proposal and in their resolution it is recorded that Gram Sabha is not willing to provide their land to the company and has accordingly not consented to the proposal. The non-concurrence of the proposal by the Shehpura Gram Sabha has not been reported by any of the authority in the State Forest Department and State Government. Shehpura village will lose 150 hectares to the mines, the second largest parcel of land among all the villages impacted.

The report adds, It was evident that the area falls in the proposed inviolate category as per the draft criteria of environment ministry for classifying forest areas as inviolate. The policy for inviolate areas has been repeatedly pared down over last two years to leave out considerable part of the forests and yet this particular patch, the ministry notes is very dense and should be left untouched  inviolate in the environment ministry jargon. But at the state level discrepancy has been reported in the applications with one officer claiming that the forest has a density of 0.3 to 0.6 while the field level officer claimed that the canopy density was 0.6. Density refers to the percentage of land that was found covered by green canopy when snapped from a birds perspective. The regional office of the ministry in its inspection report has said, Ten compartments are involved in the forest lands proposed for diversion and eight of them have density upon 0.5, a fact which cannot be wished away.



Discrepancy has also been noted in the forest area the state government wants to allocate to the international diamond firm. While the signed mining lease is for 954.0 ha the forest clearance proposal is marked for diversion of 971.595 ha.

While acknowledging that several forest officials of the state government and the Union environment ministrys regional office have pointed out the value of the forests to be mined, Madhya Pradeshs second senior most forest official has advocated for the project stating, It is therefore recommended that the proposal may be considered for approval subject to the condition that all the concern about the forest and the wildlife raised by DFO and CCF in their site inspection notes and Chief Wildlife Warden of the State are adequately addressed.



This is not the first time the Forest Advisory Committee is considering the proposal. Previously it has repeatedly asked for more information from different agencies on the matter and not rejected it. The committee is advisory in nature and the final say lies with the environment minister though its appraisal in favour of a project is rarely rejected at the ministerial stage.

THE MINE
The governments aim of 100,000 Mw solar power generation by 2022 hinges on the success of 33 solar energy parks with 19,900 Mw capacity being planned across 21 states.

Till recently, the upcoming 750 Mw park at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh was being touted as the biggest in the world. Now, say officials, Karnataka would have the biggest one, with 2,000 Mw capacity being planned at Pavagada in Tumakuru (earlier Tumkur) district. Some 3,000 Mw of solar park capacity has been implemented or is in the process of being tendered.

The term describes an area earmarked for development of solar power generation projects. It is generally expected to offer 500 Mw and above in capacity; officials said hilly states have been allowed to set up smaller parks, since getting contiguous land is a problem there.

The solar park is a novel concept out of India. It can be replicated elsewhere through the International Solar Alliance, said Ashvini Kumar, managing director, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). It is the Union governments nodal agency for developing this form of energy.

He says these are being set up under four models. One, the state government declares a designated agency for implementation. Two, a project is done in a joint venture with SECI. Three, implemented entirely by SECI. Four, states join hands with private developers.

SECI is involved with five of 33 solar parks, including the one coming up at Rewa. Maharashtra has two being implemented by private companies, KP Power and Pragat Akshay Urja. The Rajasthan government has decided on a tie-up with IL&FS Energy for development of 5,000 Mw of parks through an equal joint venture.

All long lead contracts are under finalisation. The company is in advanced discussion with many customers for development of power projects in the solar park. It would enable generation of 500 Mw by March 31, 2017, and a further 500 Mw by December 31, 2017, said Sunil Wadhwa, chief executive officer, IL&FS Energy, Based on progress achieved in the first park, the JV would develop other parks in Rajasthan over the next four to five years, he said. The company is also in discussion with some other states to develop solar parks in multiples of 500 Mw capacity.

Solar parks help in advance action on two key enablers for solar power development -- land and power evacuation. Once these risk factors are taken care, what remains for project development and commissioning is more manageable. These are clearly the long lead items and putting these in place means project developers are able to move from investment to power generation in six to nine months, as compared to around 15 months for standalone projects and with uncertainties related to land acquisition. The results are visible in the low tariffs (rates) recently bid for such projects to be set up in solar parks in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, said Wadhwa.

Under the solar park policy, land is provided by the state governments. Around 5 acres are required for one megawatt capacity, so Kumar said around 1 lakh acres would be required for the 33 solar parks all together. If land is assured, the transmission network can be developed fast. Power is evacuated by state agencies, said Kumar. Besides, wheeling charges for a line transmitting power till the central transmission line is not levied.

The land cost in solar parks, however, is higher than elsewhere, as project operators are offered developed infrastructure. Analysts fear this could lead to increase in final tariffs.

The Union government giving developers Rs 2 lakh for every Mw capacity as viability gap funding if being developed under the solar park policy. The developer recovers the remaining cost from project operators.

The Union government provides the guidelines for development, sets benchmarks and provides incentives. The ministry of new and renewable energy handles the other key area of coordination required for power evacuation, where Power Grid Corporation has been required to play a lead role in grid connectivity, said Wadhwa. Kumar said states want more parks to be developed and the Centre might look at expanding the programme.
The sting operation  showing ministers, members of Parliament (MPs) and members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) allegedly taking cash for favours  kept the party and the Opposition busy in West Bengal on Tuesday.

While most of the alleged people in the video footage refrained from making comments on the sting, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chose to respond to the allegations at a rally in North Bengal's Kurseong, where she has been campaigning for the past few days. "Let the Opposition hatch as many conspiracies as they want. We are not afraid. We work for the people. We do not believe in fear tactics," Banerjee said without mentioning the sting operation.

"We are ready to give a fitting reply to the Opposition politically. People will bowl them out in elections," she said, apparently keeping her faith in the electorate.

Sources close to the development said the ruling party was in a dilemma. The party's parliamentary committee was believed to have met on Tuesday to discuss its strategy to counter the sting. Some of them said the party should have been proactive in investigating the issue. Some felt the party should move court to obtain a stay on airing the footage till its veracity was proved but others were sceptical of the outcome.

The release of the footage came at a time when the ruling party was worried about an alliance between the Left Front and the Congress. The Left Front and Congress, in fact, held joint rallies on Tuesday to raise issues, including the sting operation against the TMC.

Left Front-affiliated students' organisations, including the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held protest marches in Kolkata against the TMC.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also took to the streets. Party workers blocked roads and a delegation marched to Raj Bhavan demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter and dismissal of the TMC government.

"We met the Governor and said that the TMC government, whose ministers, MPs and other leaders were seen taking bribes, had no right to govern the state. We demand immediate dismissal of the government. Free and fair elections is not possible with the TMC at the helm of affairs in the state," BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said. Assembly polls in the state would be conducted in April-May, over six phases.

In Parliament, MPs from the BJP, Left Front and Congress demanded an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the full bench of the Election Commission, which was visiting the state to review poll preparedness, said in response to questions that it had received complaints from the Opposition on the sting and appropriate authorities had been informed.

This is the second time that allegations of corruption have surfaced against the TTMC, the first time being when the Saradha chit fund scam came to light. The CBI had questioned many of the Trinamool leaders in connection with the scam. Then transport minister Madan Mitra was forced to resign and is still in custody.

However, the Saradha scam failed to have any impact on the TMC electorally in the 2014 general elections. The next month will tell whether Narada will be any different.
The Government of India has accorded high priority to the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country and is implementing several schemes/programmes through State Governments/UT Administrations to improve food security situation in the country. These include Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Wheat Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP) for providing Supplementary Nutrition, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme for pre-school children and pregnant and lactating mothers through the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Mid-Day-Meal Scheme (MDM) for primary and upper primary children through Ministry of Human Resource Development, Annapurna Scheme for the senior citizens, Nutritional Programme for Adolescent Girls, Emergency Feeding Programme, etc. This information was given by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today. .

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The Minister said that National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving foodgrains (rice, wheat & coarsegrains) at highly subzided rates. Thus, 81.35 crore persons which constitute about two-thirds of the population is covered under NFSA. This coverage has been delinked from poverty estimates. The eligible families under NFSA comprise of priority households and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families. Priority households are entitled to receive 5 Kg of foodgrains per person per month at highly subsidized price of Rs.3, 2 & 1 per Kg. for rice, wheat & coarsegrains respectively. The existing AAY households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kg. of foodgrains per household per month.

The Act also provides that in case annual allocation of foodgrains to any State under the Act is less than the average annual offtake of foodgrains for the last three years under normal TPDS, the same shall be protected. Implementation of the Act has started in 30 States/Union Territories (UTs), covering about 68 crore persons. Foodgrains allocation under erstwhile TPDS is being continued in remaining States/UTs. .

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He said that Government of India has provisionally allocated 289.46 lakh tonnes under NFSA and 207.31 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under erstwhile TPDS during current year. Further, an additional 50.01 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have also been allocated during the current year for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families to the States/UTs where NFSA has not been implemented. In addition, during the current year, 11.70 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been allocated to the States for festival, calamities and other additional requirements. The Government has also allocated 52.18 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under Other Welfare Schemes such as Mid Day Meal Scheme, Annapurna Scheme, SC/ST/OBC Hostel Scheme, Welfare Institutions Scheme, SABLA Scheme and Wheat Based Nutrition Programme Scheme. .

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Shri Paswan said that the Act also has a special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to meals as per nutritional norms as well as to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs.6,000. Children upto 14 years of age are entitled to meals as per the prescribed nutritional standards. Higher nutritional standards have been fixed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age. In case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries will receive food security allowance. .

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Action is taken on all such cases for which action was contemplated by Government for the disposal of investor complaints. Investors complaints received in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and its field offices are forwarded to the concerned companies for remedial action.

In case the company fails to redress the grievance of the complainant and/or is found to be in violation of the provisions of the Companies Act, suitable action under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013/1956 is initiated. Further, in the meetings of the Investors Complaints Resolution Forum held in offices of Registrar of companies from time to time, complainants and representatives of companies meet and discuss to resolve investor grievances. .

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On receiving information about alleged illegal activities of Companies, inspections, investigations and where necessary prosecutions are carried out. Prosecution related to investors complaints has been launched against 73 companies in 2012-13, 66 companies in 2013-14 and 102 companies in 2014-15. .

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This was stated by Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of Corporate Affairs in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. .

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African countries would benefit immensely by joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) that is headquartered in New Delhi. While delivering special address at valedictory session of 11th CII India Africa Project Partnership Conclave, here today, Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy said that India and Africa should deepen partnerships for development of micro grids and off grids. He also said that India and Africa should deepen the cooperation for realisation of UNs Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) well before year 2030. .

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Mr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, Republic of Ghana, said that India could play a key part in creating solar energy development capacity across the vast Sahara desert where land is not arable. Mr Garbrah identified infrastructure development, healthcare and agriculture as three focus areas that call for deeper India-Africa partnerships. He assured that Ghana could extend expertise in growing cocoa in India. .

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Mr James Wani Igga, Vice President, Republic of South Sudan, said that Indian investments in Africa must be directed toward areas where Africa enjoys comparative advantage. He underscored Indias role in capacity building in Africa, as well as in initiatives for womens empowerment. Mr Igga invited Indian investments in South Sudan in agriculture, mining, oil exploration, infrastructure development and social services. .

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Earlier, Dr Naushad Forbes, President Designate, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) & Co-Chairman, Forbes Marshall, in his introductory address said that CII would play a key part in capacity building in Africa in areas like green building, agriculture and quality standards. He also mentioned that an India Business Forum is coming up to address issues faced by Indian companies doing business in Africa. .

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Mr Yaduvendra Mathur, Chairman and Managing Director, EXIM Bank of India, stated that due efforts will be made to engage the best of Indian companies to participate in the most critical projects in Africa through the LoC route. .

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The two day Conclave drew the participation of over 500 delegates from Africa, around 500 delegates from Africa. Some 300 B2B meetings were held during the course of the conclave. .

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RM/PS
1. Indian Navys Annual Refit Conference (ARC) and Annual Infrastructure Review (AIR) Meeting concluded today at Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command. The two-day conference was chaired by Vice Admiral AV Subhedar, Chief of Material, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) and attended by all the stake-holders representing the Naval Headquarters, three Naval Commands, the Tri-Services Command at Port Blair, Dockyards, Repair Yards and Material Organisations of the Navy. .

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2. Addressing the participants of the Conference, Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command appreciated the role of Naval Dockyards and Repair Yards in maintaining and refitting the ships and submarines of Navy.

He further highlighted the growing role of Indian Navy with extended deployment of ships away from base port, which calls for greater reliance on refitting authorities. Within the next few years, he said, several strategic platforms fitted with highly advanced and longer range weapon systems, would be based at Visakhapatnam. He concluded by highlighting the successful conduct of IFR-16 at Visakhapatnam which demonstrated Navys capability to host and manage events of international repute. All arms of the Navy and Civil Administration came together and seamlessly integrated to form a cohesive and effective team that resulted in successful conduct of the mega event that has brought laurels to our country. .

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The process has started. The Cabinet in its meeting held on 7th October 2015 has approved the proposal for construction of National War Memorial at C Hexagon of India Gate and the National War Museum either at Princess Park Complex in Delhi or any other suitable site in the vicinity. A dedicated Project Management Team has been constituted for planning and executing the project from conception till completion working under the guidance / direction of Empowered Apex Steering Committee chaired by the Defence Secretary. .

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The tentative time-frame for the project completion is five years. .

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This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Rajeev Chandra Sekhar in Rajya Sabha today. .

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DM/NAMPI/RAJ ?
The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 17.02.2016 approved the signing of Agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Agreement, however, is yet to be signed. As per Cabinet approval, as a first step in the long term collaboration, India would assign to WHO activities for development of the following WHO Technical documents/publications which will help in better international acceptability of Indian Systems of Medicine: .

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i) Benchmarks for training in Yoga .

ii) Benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda .

iii) Benchmarks for practice in Unani Medicine .

iv) Benchmarks for practice in Panchakarma .

The WHO will extend only the technical assistance. .

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This information was given by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health & Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. .

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Comments and suggestions are invited by WCD Ministry on the Draft National Plan of Action for Children 2016 .

The National Policy for Children 2013 identifies rights of Children under four key priority areas namely Survival, Health and Nutrition; Education and Development, Protection and Participation. .

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The Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India has recently drafted the National Plan of Action for Children 2016, which provides a roadmap that links the Policy objectives to actionable strategies under the four key priority areas.

It aims at establishing effective coordination and convergence among all stakeholders, including Ministries and Departments of Government of India and Civil Society organizations to address key issues pertaining to rights of children. .

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A copy of the revised draft National Plan for Action for Children 2016 is placed on the website of the Ministry for comments and suggestions from Governments of States/UTs, line Ministries concerned, civil society organizations, media and individuals who are encouraged to review the action plan and send their comments to Ministry at e-mail ids anand.prakash62@nic.in and nirmala.suman@gmail.com latest by 28th March, 2016 till 6:00 pm. The title of the e-mail must mention the subject given as above. .

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Military Service Pay (MSP) is being paid to the Armed Forces Personnel w.e.f. 1st September, 2008. It is a compensation paid to the Armed Forces personnel as a recognition for the intangible aspects linked to the special conditions of their service. On recommendation of 6th Central Pay Commission, MSP was introduced for the first time in respect of Armed Forces. .

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The MSP being paid to Armed Forces Personnel is in two slabs:- .

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(i) For Officers - Rs.6,000 per month .

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(ii) For JCOs/OR - Rs.2,000 per month. .

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However, Government has separately provided a number of allowances based on risks and hardships involved at a location / in an operation, such as High Altitude Allowances, Field Area / Modified Area Allowances, Counter Insurgency Allowance etc. .

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This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Mahendra Singh Mahra in Rajya Sabha today. .

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DM/NAMPI/RAJ ?
Shri Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) emphasized on the need for using information technology for good governance and employment generation in MSME. While addressing the meeting of Senior Officers of the Ministry of MSME in New Delhi today, he expressed satisfaction that Udyog Aadhaar enabled Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM) is getting momentum among entrepreneurs and over 4000 UAMs are being filed every day. .

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Shri Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister of MSME and Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for MSME met Senior Officers of Ministry of MSME today in continuation with Prime Ministers remarks in concluding session of interaction with Group of Secretaries held on 21.01.2016. The Group of Secretary reports plan of action for Ministry of MSME shall be based on following presentations: .

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I. Good Governance - Challenges and Opportunities.

II. Employment Generation Strategies.

III. Farmer-Centric Initiatives in Agriculture and Allied Sectors.

IV. Education and Health Universal Access and Quality .

V. Innovative Budgeting and Effective Implementation.

VI. Accelerated Growth with Inclusion and Equity.

VII. Swachchh Bharat and Ganga Rejuvenation Peoples Involvement and Sustainability.

VIII. Energy Efficiency and Conservation. .

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Keeping in view the importance of Action Plan for high speed broadband connectivity on optical cable to all Gram Panchayats, proposed to be implemented by December, 2018, the Union Minister of MSME expressed desire to understand all the steps required for the implementation at ground level. Giving his concluding remarks during the presentation, Shri Mishra said that Information, Education and Communication plan of the Ministry should be finalized quickly so that entrepreneurs are aware of various norms and procedures of the Ministry. .

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AK
A meeting was held on 02.07.2014 with representatives of State Government of Gujarat regarding creation of Marine Immigration check posts in the State of Gujarat. In this connection, a joint team comprising Officers of Ministry of Home Affairs/Bureau of Immigration/National Informatics Centre visited all the 17 Immigration Sea Check-posts(ICPs) in Gujarat in April, 2015 to assess the working of the 06 existing ICPs and to assess the traffic of ships/dhows, infrastructure and manpower availability at the remaining 11 Sea posts. The recommendations of the Joint Team have been conveyed to the State Government for providing necessary space, infrastructure, manpower, etc. .

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This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply to question by Shri D.

S. Rathod and Smt. Darshana Vikram Jardosh in the Lok Sabha today. .

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As per Global Youth Tobacco Survey, a school-based survey of students in grades 8, 9, and 10 conducted in 2009, one in five students live in homes where others smoke, and more than one-third of the students are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; one-quarter of the students have at least one parent who smokes. .

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Exposure to second hand smoke results in lung cancer and heart diseases among adults, and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), chronic respiratory infections, exacerbation/worsening of asthma, reduced lung function growth, middle ear diseases, and acute respiratory illnesses among children.

Smoking in the home affects babies and young children as well as the elderly and other adults, especially women. .

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The Government has taken measures including, inter alia, the following to curb smoking: (i) Enactment of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, (COTPA) 2003". .

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(ii) Ratification of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. .

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(iii) Launch of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in the year 2007-08, with the objectives to (a) create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, (b) reduce the production and supply of tobacco products, (c) ensure effective implementation of the anti-tobacco laws and (d) help the people quit tobacco use through Tobacco Cessation Centres. .

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(iv) Notification of rules to ban smoking in public places. .

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(v) Notification of rules to regulate depiction of tobacco products or their use in films and TV programmes. .

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(vi) Notification of rules on new pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packages. .

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(vii) Launch of public awareness campaigns through a variety of media. v Government of India has banned certain kinds of smokeless tobacco products like gutkha and chewing tobacco through the notification issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Other tobacco products are regulated by the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA 2003), which contain provisions, inter alia, relating to ban on sale of tobacco products by/to minors, ban on sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions, ban on promotions/advertisements of tobacco products, etc. .

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The State Governments/UTs of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Mizoram, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand have issued orders/notifications banning the sale of loose cigarettes. .

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The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today. .

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Government regularly reviews the threat perception from time to time and takes appropriate measures to safeguard the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the country. It includes review by National Committee on Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security against threats from the sea (NCSMCS). The last meeting of NCSMCS under chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary was held on 14.03.2016. Besides this, Raksha Mantri periodically holds meeting to review the Maritime and Coastal Security. .

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Government has been deploying one Indian Naval Warship in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy patrol since October 2008. Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard substantially increased anti-piracy deployment and surveillance in the East Arabian Sea since November 2010. India is represented in the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) which has brought together Countries and International Agencies working towards prevention of piracy. Indian Navy also participates in the Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE) meetings for exchange of information with other navies operating in the Gulf of Aden. .

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This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shrimati Ambika Soni and Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy in Rajya Sabha today. .

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DM/NAMPI/RAJ
Since health is a State subject, it is the responsibility of the respective State Government/UT Administration to take action for setting up of such wards in the Hospitals in their States. .

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As far as three Central Government hospitals viz. Safdarjung Hospital, Dr.

RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College are concerned, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has set up One Stop Centre in each of these hospitals. The concept of One Stop Centre emanates from the fact that the sexual assault survivor is not required to move from one department to other department and all facilities such as medical treatment, collection of forensic evidence, psycho-social support, etc. are available under one roof. This Centre is functional in above mentioned Hospitals. .

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The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today. .

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Several Public Health initiatives based on Homoeopathy taken up by the Government: Shri Shripad Naik .

The Central Government has constituted Central Council of Homoeopathy under the provisions of Homeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 to regulate education and practice of Homoeopathy. The Central Government has also established Homeopathy Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for standardization of Homoeopathic Drugs, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy to carry out research activities in different aspects in Homoeopathy, and National Institute of Homoeopathy at Kolkata having 100 bed hospital, which conducts Degree and Post Graduate Degree Courses. .

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The Central Government has constituted Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia committee which is responsible for making of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India. .

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One new Institution namely, North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy, Shillong is in advance stage of construction.

The objective of the Institute is to provide better medical, clinical facilities to the people of North Eastern region. .

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The Central Government has provided treatment facilities in Homeopathy under its CGHS Scheme in seventeen (17) different towns and cities. .

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Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) through its network of 22 research centres and 04 Homoeopathic treatment centres and is carrying out intramural research including collaboration with institutes of excellence and promoting and popularizing Homoeopathy. .

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For promotion of homoeopathy, CCRH is also participating in national/ state level Arogya Melas/ Health camps/ exhibition to promote homoeopathy amongst general masses. .

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Council has undertaken following Public Health Initiative programmes: .

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? Integration of Homoeopathy for healthy child with Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) launched by Govt. of India. .

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? The programme Homoeopathy for Healthy teething which is a component of Homoeopathy for healthy child was launched in the month of January 2015 at 6 identified districts (Goutam Budh Nagar, Palghar, Gorakhpur, Kamrup, Cuttack and Delhi) .

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? Integrating of AYUSH systems (Homoeopathy) in National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS) at two districts Krishna, Andhra Pradesh and Darjeeling, West Bengal, wherein life style disorder clinics are set up at 16 CHCs. .

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? Swasthya Rakshan program has been launched which is being undertaken through 11 institutes adopting 55 villages under the Council. Local population is being provided health care at their door step. .

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This information was given by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health & Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. .

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The Capital Procurement of defence equipment is made as per Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). During last six months, 28 contracts have been signed with Indian and Foreign vendors for capital procurement of defence equipment. .

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The 28 contracts signed include 18 contracts signed with Indian vendors and 10 contracts signed with vendors from foreign countries such as USA, Sweden, Russia and Israel with a total value of Rs.36944.48 crores. .

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A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Government of France in January 2016 for the purchase of Rafale Aircraft. An agreement has been signed in December 2015 with the Government of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the field of Helicopter Engineering. .

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This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Shanti Ram Naik in Rajya Sabha today. .

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DM/NAMPI/RAJ ?
Around two years ago, the Group, an insurer then little known outside of China, announced that it would buy the fabled Waldorf Astoria for $1.95 billion.

Now, the Chinese insurer hopes to expand its hotel empire with an unsolicited bid to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, the operator of the hotel brands Westin, W and Sheraton, for $76 a share in cash, or $12.8 billion in total.

A consortium of investors, led by Anbang, is hoping to derail Starwood's $10.8 billion cash-and-stock merger with Marriott that is set to be considered by shareholders of both hotel operators this month. The other bidders in the competing consortium, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions, include J. Christopher Flowers' buyout firm, JC. Flowers & Company, and the Primavera Capital Group, whose chairman, Fred Hu, is the former chairman of Goldman Sachs for China.

The cash offer by Anbang and its investment partners is the latest in a wave of overseas deal-making by Chinese . So far this year, Chinese have announced $81.9 billion worth of foreign deals, compared with just $10.55 billion in the same period a year ago, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Anbang's pursuit of Starwood follows fast on the heels of reports that the Chinese company has agreed to acquire Strategic Hotels and Resorts from the Blackstone Group in a deal valued at $6.5 billion just months after Blackstone bought the company. Strategic Hotels owns the Four Seasons hotels and resorts in Silicon Valley, Washington and Jackson Hole, Wyo., the Fairmont and Intercontinental hotels in Chicago and the JW Marriott Essex House hotel in Manhattan. Anbang, led by its chairman, Wu Xiaohui, has been an aggressive deal maker in recent years. Wu is married to the granddaughter of Deng Xiaoping, China's former top leader who oversaw the opening of the Chinese economy to capitalism and investment from foreign .

In addition to its deal for Waldorf Astoria, Anbang, which is based in Beijing, has also bought an American insurer, Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance, for nearly $1.6 billion, and a controlling stake in a South Korean life insurer. Last year, it also unsuccessfully offered to buy a Portuguese lender. Anbang got its start as a car insurer supported in part by the SAIC Motor Corporation, China's largest automaker. A decade ago, it was a small operator compared with China's big state-owned insurance companies.

But the company broadened its operations to sell investment products and other services and has increasingly made aggressive bets. It was helped by the Chinese government's move in recent years to give Chinese insurers greater freedom to invest their money, making them major players in real estate and other areas in China.

The consortium's cash offer, which was made on March 10 and announced publicly by Starwood on Monday, represents a significant premium to Marriott's deal, which has been affected by a decline in the hotel operator's stock price since it was announced in November.

Starwood said on Monday that its board had not changed its recommendation in support of the Marriott deal, but that it would carefully consider the outcome of its discussions with the consortium led by Anbang to determine the course of action that is in the "best interest of Starwood and its stockholders."



Starwood said that it had received a waiver from Marriott to allow it to engage in discussions and due diligence with the consortium. The waiver expires on Thursday.

Marriott described the rival takeover approach to Starwood as "highly conditional and nonbinding."



"Marriott will monitor this development as it and Starwood continue to work toward the closing of its transaction and the successful integration of the two companies," Marriott said in a news release.

Shareholders of Starwood and Marriott are set to vote on whether to approve the merger on March 28. Marriott would receive a termination fee of $400 million if Starwood were to back out of the deal.

The deal with Marriott would create the world's largest hotel company, with more than 5,500 owned or franchised hotels, for a total of 1.1 million rooms around the world.

Based on the 20-day volume weighted average of Marriott's stock, the merger would be valued at $63.74 a Starwood share, including a cash consideration of $2 a share, Starwood said on Monday.

Starwood shareholders would also receive $5.50 a share from the spinoff of its time-share business, Vistana Signature Experiences, and the business's merger with a subsidiary of the Interval Leisure Group.

Anbang is widely seen as benefiting from good relations with leaders in Beijing.

Late last year, it also struck an alliance with China Vanke, a Chinese property developer in the middle of a rare corporate takeover battle. The deal, which Vanke said it welcomed, was widely seen as a friendly effort that allowed Vanke management to remain at the helm of the company, China's largest property developer.

It is not just Anbang that is increasingly looking abroad.

China's slowing economy has led companies and individuals to take money out of the country and invest it elsewhere. This turnabout from the days when China soaked up much of the world's money flows has led investors to believe that China's currency - already weakened in recent months after two sets of devaluations - could fall further. Foreign deals allow Chinese companies to move money abroad with the blessing of Chinese officials while avoiding potentially painful devaluations.

Those dynamics help explain why Chinese companies are redoubling their efforts to invest abroad despite growing efforts by the Chinese government to keep money at home. China's foreign currency reserves have fallen to $3.2 trillion in recent months, prompting Beijing to intensify its already tight limits on money flowing across its borders.

Still, major deals continue to be struck. In the biggest potential Chinese deal for a foreign company, the Swiss agribusiness Syngenta has agreed to be acquired by a state-owned Chinese chemical company, known as ChemChina, for $43 billion.



2016 the New York Times News Service
Russia's decision to begin withdrawing from will help Moscow's push to reach a political settlement, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations said today.

"Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on .

"We are in the political mode now, in the cessation of hostilities mode."President Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal that will begin tomorrow just as a new round of peace talks got under way in Geneva to try to end the five-year war.

"We think that our forces have operated very effectively," said Churkin.

"Our military presence will continue to be there. It will be directed mostly at making sure that the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities is maintained," he added.

Russia launched the air strikes in September to root out the Islamic State group that controls part of Syria, but the military campaign mostly propped up Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Churkin declined to specify whether Moscow would halt all air strikes, saying instead that the forces staying behind will enforce the ceasefire that began in late February.

Russia has gained the upper hand in with its military intervention, but diplomats say it remains unclear whether they can impose a settlement on Assad.

Churkin said he would inform the Security Council on Russia's withdrawal plan during a closed-door meeting called to hear UN envoy Staffan de Mistura report on the latest round of talks.

The UN-hosted negotiations in Geneva, which began on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict, are the latest effort to end violence that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.
Russian President has ordered a partial pullout of the Russian military from Syria, voicing hope that the move will contribute to the success of Syria peace talks that began today.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia's foreign and defense ministries, the president said the Russian air campaign has allowed Syrian President Bashar Assad's military to turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

"With the tasks set before the Defense Ministry and the military largely fulfilled, I'm ordering the Defense Minister to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces in Syria, beginning tomorrow," Putin said.

He didn't specify how many planes and troops should be withdrawn.

He emphasized that the Russian airbase in Hemeimeem in Syria's coastal province of Latakia and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous will continue to operate.

The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed.

The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who restarted peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva on today, said he had no comment on Putin's announcement when contacted by The Associated Press.

Earlier in the day, he warned that the only alternative to the negotiations is a return to war, and described political transition in the country as "the mother of all issues."



The Russian- and US-brokered cease-fire that began on February 27 has largely held, but both the Syrian government and its foes have accused one another of violations.

The Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, are excluded from the cease-fire.

Putin said today's move would send a "good signal" to the parties to the conflict, help raise trust and help serve as a stimulus for Syria's political talks.

The Kremlin said the president coordinated the move with Assad.

Putin added that the Russian troops will continue to oversee the observance of the Russian- and US-brokered cease-fire.

Moments before meeting with a Syrian government envoy, in Geneva, de Mistura laid out both high stakes and low expectations for what is shaping up as the most promising initiative in years to end the conflict that moves into its sixth year tomorrow.

At least a quarter of a million people have been killed and half of Syria's population has been displaced, flooding Europe with refugees.

The Geneva talks come as the truce helped vastly reduce the bloodshed and allowed the recent resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to thousands of Syrians in 'besieged areas' - zones surrounded by fighters and generally cut off from the outside world.
To speed up the liquidation of attached properties of defaulters of National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL), the sessions court has appointed Knight Frank India as a global consultant to bring in buyers.

In 2014, NSEL had made a similar attempt and finalised two global consultants  Knight Frank and Colliers International  to identify competent buyers to dispose of immovable properties of Mohan India, the largest borrower defaulter of NSEL. In first such instance, Mohan India had agreed in 2014 to empower the competent authority to liquidate their immovable properties to recover their dues.

The sessions court order assumes significance as it would expedite liquidation of NSEL defaulters properties and pay dues of the trading clients (investors). Being a global real estate consultant, Knight Frank is expected to bring individual and corporate clients with high bid amount.

After the lengthy discussion, the court is of the view that allowing private broker Knight Frank to bring their clients or proposed buyers and to allow them to participate in the auction process will not cause any hurdle in the auction process. On the contrary, it will facilitate in realising maximum amount of the properties subject to liquidation, said D P Surana, special judge of MPID (Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors) Act Court and additional sessions judge of City Civil & Sessions Court, Mumbai.

The court, however, ordered the competent authority to pay brokerages along with taxes to Knight Frank within 30 days in case its bids are approved with the highest quotes. Ajit Sakhare, deputy collector, government of Maharashtra, is the competent authority appointed by the Bombay High Court for the NSEL case.

Meanwhile, the competent authority had put for auction properties of Mohan India with its 14,000 sq yard of land in New Delhi and 500 acres of land at Bikaner in Rajasthan. The auction was scheduled to take place on Tuesday. According to sources, New Delhi-based Mittal Co has bid for Mohan Indias Delhi-based property with an offer price of Rs 140 crore, while its property in Bikaner attracted no buyers.

We have to approach the court for the next move. We have not received any bid for some of the properties put for auction, said Sakhare.
Williams resident Jose Perez, of Basque ancestry, was 67 years old on the night of Feb. 1, 1965. He was a retired sheepherder who lived alone.

The body of Perez was found the next day. He had been murdered -- beaten with his own cane, his throat cut and with 36 stab wounds to the left side of his chest.

The right front pocket of his pants was turned out, but his wallet and $160 in cash were not touched. Investigators found a zipper pull at the scene with the marking CSC, from a tanker or flight jacket sold in Los Angeles in the early 1960s.

His case is still listed with the Coconino County Sheriffs Office as unsolved.

But there is a suspect in the case, according to sheriffs office cold case squad investigator Joe Sumner. His name is Vaughn Orrin Greenwood, and he is known by the nickname of Skid Row Slasher.

Convicted of killing nine middle-aged to elderly men who were down on their luck, Greenwood is still alive and serving a life sentence in prison in California.

Thats who were looking at now, Sumner said. Hes considered a strong suspect.

The cold case unit is currently trying to solve nearly 40 cases in the county like Perezs. Sumner, who retired from the National Park Service in 2007 as a criminal investigator, came onto the cold case unit in 2008.

1964 LA MURDERS

According to media reports of the time, Greenwood was born in 1944 in Pennsylvania and was raised in foster care. He left school in the seventh grade and spent most of his adult life traveling by jumping rail cars. He made a living as a migrant worker.

Greenwoods name came to the attention of Coconino County investigators in March 1965 after sending out a teletype to other law enforcement agencies describing the Perez murder. The Los Angeles Police Department responded.

The LAPD response stated Perezs murder reflected, ... a similarity of (modus operandi), and the probability of the same perpetrator as two murders that occurred in LA on Nov. 13 an 14, 1964.

Greenwood was the suspect. He had a history of carrying a concealed weapon (knives).

At the time, though, the initial investigation into the Perez murder focused on a number of Williams locals. No viable suspect was ever developed in the case, Sumner said.

In the intervening years, several murders attributed to Greenwood, and the methods of killing and the ages of the victims bore a striking resemblance to the Perez murder, Sumner said. (see related timeline)

NO CONFESSION

He and fellow cold case unit investigator Chuck Jones went to California to interview Greenwood about the Perez murder in the summer of 2010. They went prepared with information provided by FBI profilers, who compiled all of the known cases likely associated with Greenwood. FBI experts witnessed the interview.

We were the first ones to talk to him in 35 years, Sumner said. At first he was irritated.

Sumner and Jones did all the talking. Greenwood talked very little, and the most interesting reaction the two got from Greenwood was when they showed an exterior photo of the Perez residence in Williams.

He said, Where is it? Sumner said.

They told him Williams area. Sumner said Greenwood looked up, away, smiled and said, Oh, yeah. I dont want to talk about anything in the past.

They interviewed him for three hours.

Added Sumner: He never copped to anything. He denies everything.

The next day, they tried to talk with him again, but he refused. After that interview they did get though, Sumner said he left with the a solid impression.

We felt he was definitely involved. The FBI profilers who witnessed the interview agreed.

The zipper pull seized at the scene was checked for DNA and fingerprints, but neither DNA nor fingerprints were found on the zipper pull to tie Greenwood to the Perez murder, Sumner said.

STILL IN CONTACT

Greenwood is in the California Department of Corrections Mens Colony in San Luis Obispo. He has been in prison for the last 38 years and is now 70 years old.

Sumner said Greenwood gets no visitors. He receives no mail. He does not have a cell mate because of previous assaults hes committed on cellmates.

Sumner said he still keeps in contact with Greenwood through writing. Greenwood doesnt answer, but Sumner said he knows Greenwood reads the notes he sends.

We would like to try an interview again, Sumner said.

He added: At this point, it almost has to be a confession.
Shares of were up nearly 3% at Rs 340 after the company said that it has received orders worth Rs 147.36 crore for projects in Andhra Pradesh.

The company in a release said it has received Letter of Acceptance for executing Comprehensive Water Supply Service Improvements in Anantapuramu Municipal Corporation (Package - I) under Andhra Pradesh Municipal Development Project (ADMDP) for the contract price of Rs 147.36 crore from Anantapuramu Municipal Corporation, Andhra Pradesh.

The stock opened at Rs 340 and touched a high of Rs 345. At 12:50pm, over 10,000 shares were traded on both the stock exchanges.
Jeera prices are expected to move up as the supply of quality produce is low. Traders estimate prices will rise 10 per cent this month to touch Rs 160-170 per kg.

High demand from stockists has pushed up jeera prices by 10 per cent so far this month. Muted export demand has capped prices but traders expect it to revive soon.

There was fear that unseasonal rain in March had damaged the jeera crop. Prices are ruling at Rs 145-153 per kg bag at the Unjha mandi in Gujarat, one of the largest jeera trading hubs in India. Prices at the beginning of the month were around Rs 120-130 per kg bag.

Jeera prices moved up almost 10 per cent in 10-12 days on strong demand from stockists. Prices jumped after the damage to the standing jeera crop from unseasonal rain and hailstorms. We see the market remaining firm in the coming days and prices may go beyond Rs 160-170 per kg, said Ajay Kumar Kedia of Kedia Commodity Comtrade Private Limited.

Daily arrivals are 35,000 bags (a bag of 40 kg) at Unjha. Arrivals have improved in the past week but the quality is dull. If export demand starts  it usually picks up from April  it will push up jeera prices further.

An Unjha-based trader said, Arrival will increase, but the issue with the current supply is quality. Stockists are buying mostly to fulfill upcoming seasonal demand. Export demand has not yet begun, but enquiries have already started.



Historically the jeera futures market has witnessed volatility at this time. Participation at the time of the new season has made jeera futures volatile over the last couple of years. Prediction of crop size and weather news increases participation, which makes the market unstable, said Kishore Nanre, associate director and head of commodity and currency at Motilal Oswal.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) jeera was traded at Rs 139.50 per kg in February and at Rs 147 on March 15, a gain of 5.37 per cent, month on month. Similarly in February 2015, it was quoted at Rs 148 and reached Rs 180 a kg in April.

Export demand is nominal but we are hopeful that it will come soon as the price in the domestic market is low, said Girish Brahmbhatt, director of the Indian Spices and Foodstuff Exporters Association.

A fall in international stocks and decline in exports from Turkey and Syria are likely to favour Indian exports. A falling rupee is also beneficial. Once exports resume, the impact of the falling rupee will start affecting the price movement strongly.
prices fell for a second day on Tuesday, as concerns emerged that a six-week rally may have fizzled after OPEC doused hopes for a speedy erosion of a global overhang of unwanted crude.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said on Monday demand for its crude would be less than previously thought in 2016 as supply from rivals proves more resilient to low prices, increasing excess supply in the market.

To tackle the surplus, Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia, the world's two largest exporters, along with Qatar and Venezuela have proposed major producers freeze output at January levels.

Even with the proposed freeze, continuously high production means global output still exceeds demand by at least 1 million barrels per day (bpd).

"We ran into $40 a barrel the idea OPEC was going to be able to at least freeze production and was along the right tracks has unravelled a bit," CMC strategist Jasper Lawler said.

Brent crude futures were down 92 cents at $38.61 a barrel, while US crude futures were 83 cents lower at $36.35.

While Russian and Saudi production remains stable, analysts say Iran has trebled its output to around 3.1 million bpd, from close to 1 million bpd in January.

demand could also slow. Morgan Stanley said there was a 30% probability of a global recession this year.

In spite of uncertainty about whether a production freeze will occur, and over its effectiveness given concerns about the global economy, investors have turned more friendly towards oil.

Speculators have added to their bets on a sustained rise in crude futures and the ratio of bullish bets to bearish in the Brent market has risen to its highest since last May, consultancy JBC said.

"I'd be very surprised if we just tanked down here and made fresh lows below $27 and the impression I get is I'm not the only one. Futures sentiment and futures positioning has switched around and is looking a lot more bullish," CMC's Lawler said.
Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, who tendered his resignation on Tuesday morning, said that he opted to quit out of moral responsibility over the heist of US$101 million from the central bank's account with the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Rahman disclosed his opinion at a press conference, hours after submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

As the governor of the central bank, he drew criticism for not informing the government for more than a month about the heist which made headlines across the .

"I am leaving as a hero. I did not want my institution, the Bangladesh Bank, and my country facing any controversy over the issue," the Daily Star quoted him as saying.

On February 4, the hacking took place using information stolen through the malware, which sent a total of 35 transfer orders to the New York Federal Reserve Bank where the Bangladesh Bank have an account.

The malware not only hacked the system, but also destroyed the system on the computers itself, which are used by the officials to make transfer orders.

With the late disclosure about the matter, the Bangladesh Bank drew displeasure from Hasina, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith and other government officials.

He clarified that it took some time to disclose the matter but it was done according to protocol, adding that the cyber attack was a very high-tech incident.

Rahman said that nothing was understandable at the first place and this incident has a lot of positive sides and the crises can be turned into an opportunity.

He demanded proper investigation of the incident.
First time since he parted his ways with Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck has opened up about his divorce.

During a recent interview with The New York Times, the 43-year-old actor said that he understood why Garner got so candid about her marriage meltdown in an interview last month, reports News.com.au.

Affleck said that his former wife felt like she wanted to discuss it and get it out there and get it over; she is allowed to talk about it.

The 'Gone Girl' star added that Garner is a great person and they are on good terms.

The estranged couple announced their shock separation last year, just a day after celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.

Affleck was accused in the tabloids of having an affair with the family nanny, 28-year-old Christine Ouzounian, but has always denied it. Garner in her interview also said that nanny was not the reason for their separation.
A Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Tuesday sent Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal to two-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED earlier sought a three-day custody of Bhujbal, saying his investments as alleged in the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) chargesheet need to be found out.

The former Maharashtra deputy chief minister, who was arrested last evening, was produced before a Mumbai Special Court today.

Earlier, the Maharashtra ACB filed a chargesheet in the Mumbai Sessions Court against Bhujbal and his family members in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam.

The Enforcement Directorate had on February 1 arrested former lawmaker Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of Chhagan Bhujbal, in a money laundering case in Mumbai after the agency conducted multiple searches in connection with the probe against Bhujbals and others.

The Maharashtra ACB had earlier filed two FIRs against the Bhujbals and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday ridiculed former union home minister P. Chidambaram's remarks with regard to tweaking content of the second affidavit in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case and accused the later of betraying the nation.

BJP spokesperson M J Akbar snubbed the Congress' statement and accused it of fabricating tales.

"Editorial change means that you remove a comma or add a semicolon. Mr. Chidambaram is trying to fool us as he has omitted the name of a terrorist from the document, we don't call it editorial change we call it betraying the nation," said M.J. Akbar.

Earlier in the day, Chidambaram said that then home secretary G. K.Pillai went through affidavits related to the Ishrat Jahan encounter case thrice, and added that as minister, he only made 'editorial' changes to them as is a compulsive habit with lawyers like him.

He asked, "Tell me which part of the (second) affidavit is wrong, which sentence of the affidavit is wrong?"

"What does that paragraph in the second affidavit say? The second affidavit says: 'The first affidavit has been misinterpreted. Intelligence Bureau only shares intelligence with the state government, intelligence information is not conclusive proof; it is for the investigation agency to gather evidence and present it to a court'," Chidambaram told media on the sidelines of a book release function here.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier ordered an 'internal inquiry' to probe how files concerning the affidavits filed in the Ishrat Jahan case have gone missing.

Former home secretary G K Pillai had also claimed that there was "political interference" in the case which led to the deletion of reference to Lashkar-e-Taiba from the revised affidavit filed in 2009.

Ishrat Jahan was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004.

The first affidavit was filed on the basis of inputs from Maharashtra and Gujarat Police besides the Intelligence Bureau where it was said that the 19-year-old girl from Mumbai outskirts was a Lashkar-e-Taiba activist but it was ignored in the second affidavit.

The second affidavit, claimed to have been drafted by Chidambaram, said there was no conclusive evidence to prove that Ishrat was a terrorist.
The Congress on Tuesday released its first list of 65 candidates for the upcoming Assam assembly elections.

In Assam, polling for the first phase of polls will be held on April 4 in 65 seats.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on March 19, while March 21 is the last date of withdrawal of nominations.

Assam has a total of 1 crore 98 lakh voters. Boats, buses, elephants and helicopters will be pressed into service to ferry men and materials during polls.

The Election Commission has announced two-phase voting for the 14th Assam assembly elections on April 4 and 11, while the votes will be counted on May19.

The tenure of the Tarun Gogoi government comes to an end in June.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking direction for a probe by the Intelligence Bureau against Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar for his seditious remark.

Dismissing the plea, Justice Pratibha Rani Saud said, "Our law and order system can take care of itself.your type of social activist is not needed. The investigation is under process, I am not entertaining it."

The court also questioned about the locus standi of the petitioner.

The petitioner demanded an SIT probe, stating that Kanhaiya's speech on the Indian Army falls under 'sedition'.

Speaking at a student's gathering on International Women's Day, Kanhaiya alleged that the Indian Army personnel have committed atrocities against women in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, a petition was filed in the High Court against Kanhaiya seeking an IB probe in connection with the February 9 incident where 'anti-national' slogans were allegedly raised in the campus.

Last week, the JNU had revoked the suspension of eight students after the high-level probe panel submitted its report on the February 9 incident.

Besides Kanhaiya, the eight suspended students include Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Anant Kumar, Shweta Raj and Aishwarya Adhikari.

They were suspended on February 12 for their alleged involvement in organising an event to protest against the hanging of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Her skeletal remains were found Oct. 31, 1958, on a little hillside off a dirt road on Skinner Ridge south of Grand Canyon National Park.

Her body was unclothed, prone. The body had been there for nine to 14 months.

The coroners inquest, conducted while Cecil Richardson was Coconino County sheriff, has been lost to time. The name on her case file is Little Miss X.

But it was investigated as a homicide the whole time, said Joe Sumner, volunteer investigator for the Coconino County Sheriffs Office cold case unit.

The cold case unit is currently working on trying to solve nearly 40 cold cases in the county like the Little Miss Xs. Sumner, who retired from the National Park Service in 2007 as a criminal investigator, came onto the cold case unit in 2008.

Shes never been identified, Sumner said. This is our oldest case thats considered a homicide.

Complicating the investigation, clothes were found near the body a short time after Little Miss Xs body was discovered. There was also a comb and a nail file case. The clothes did not appear to fit and the nail file case could have belonged to a young woman who went missing the same year out of Southern California named Donis Pinky Redman. Redman was eventually excluded. She was 15 and didn't match the physical characteristics of Little Miss X. The car of her boyfriend, Michael Griffin, was found abandoned in Williams.

Bones found in the old Flagstaff Mortuary several years ago from Williams dating back to the 1960s were thought to belong to Griffin. The bones were exhumed by the Flagstaff Police Department recently, but they were determined not to belong to Griffin.

Sumner, who said Little Miss Xs case has been popular on the Internet with amateur sleuths, discovered that several young girls were reported missing at the time. Lots of hard work has gone into trying to get Little Miss X identified.

Excluded from the investigation was the case of Mary M. Begay, 20, who went missing at the South Rim in August 1957. Also excluded was the case of Connie Smith, a 10-year-old girl who went missing in Connecticut in 1952. The body, when it was exhumed in 1962, ruled out that it belonged to Smith.

To make the investigation more difficult for the cold case unit, theres a bit of a problem with securing DNA samples for a comparison in the FBI national database.

We dont know where her body is buried, Sumner said. After the 1962 exhumation, there is no record of where Little Miss X was reburied. He said he believes it is likely back at Citizens Cemetery.

Weve combed over the old burial records of the time and havent been able to figure out where she might be, Sumner said.

So, whats the key to the case?

The key, of course, is getting her identified, Sumner said. Its frustrating, It could be a case that if we do get her identified, everything else might fall into place.

The investigation, although stuck when it comes to securing a DNA sample, is still not dead. There are still detailed dental records, but they are 55 years old.

She was well cared for, Sumner said. Somebody was missing her at the time.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the Centre's notification banning drugs manufactured by the Abbott India and Macleods Pharma till March 21.

During the hearing, the Centre justified the notification of banning the drugs, saying that the government empowered under Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The Centre would be filing its affidavit by Friday.

The court also made an observation, saying that how come 344 drugs, out of which some drugs have been in the market for 28 years, suddenly became harmful.

The government had banned 344 drug combinations over the weekend, including Abbott's codeine-based cough syrup, after a government panel of experts found they had "no therapeutic justification.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Specialised Agencies on Tuesday forwarded four reports for discussion at the 52nd Programming Committee Meeting of the SAARC that began in Pokhara yesterday.

Mani Sharma Bhattarai, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who is leading the Nepali delegation to the meeting, said that reports were submitted by chiefs of Saarc University, Saarc Development Fund, Saarc Arbitration Centre and Regional Standard Organisation, reports the Kathmandu Post.

Nepal, the current chair of the regional bloc, has faced a lot of criticism for inadequate efforts to steer the Saarc's progress.

The earthquakes last year, sustained political standoff in the country and the border blockage are the reasons behind the lack of progress are what the officials say.

Meanwhile, an official said that the mini Saarc summit will discuss all the progress made in the past and will chart out the future roadmap where the grouping needs to be headed reports the Kathmandu Post.

The official added that there were complaints and grievances among the members about the Saarc's lacklustre progress and focus on how to provide momentum and finalising the calendar of events, setting the date for the new summit were discussed.

The agenda of education, trade, arbitration and other aspects of regional cooperation, which would also be discussed by the foreign secretaries and the foreign ministers later, were also discussed.

The programming committee's decision and recommendations will be forwarded to the SAARC Standing Committee involving the foreign secretaries, which begins on Wednesday.
Pakistani actor Fawad Khan recently revealed that he turned down Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK' because of his commitment with his upcoming flick 'Kapoor and Sons.'

The 34-year-old actor said, "When I was approached by the filmmaker, I completely lost my mind because I got such a good opportunity. But unfortunately I could not commit as I had already given my commitment to 'Kapoor and Sons,' reports the Express Tribune.

The 'Khoobsurat' star added, "I only let any opportunities go when I am aware of all the aspects, but I regret it when I have to leave an opportunity due to commitment issues, which is in the case of 'PK'."

Fawad was offered the role of the Pakistani character in the film, who falls in love with Anushka Sharma's character. The role was later given to Sushant Singh Rajput.

Directed by Shakun Batra, 'Kapoor and Sons' that also stars starring Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra in key role will hit the theatres on March 18.
Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who will be soon seen in Karan Johar's 'Kapoor and Sons', seems to be a fan of Sunny Deol.

While addressing the media, when the 34-year-old actor was asked which movie remake he would like to be a part of, he said, "I would love to star in the remake of 'Ghayal'."

Further, the 'Khoobsurat' star also cleared the rumours of rejecting Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK' for his current venture and that the flick was never offered to him so there isn't any question of rejecting it.

Directed by Shakun Batra, 'Kapoor and Sons' that also stars starring Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra in key role will hit the theatres on March 18.
Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who will be soon seen in Karan Johar's 'Kapoor and Sons', seems to be a fan of late Bollywood veteran actor Dev Anand.

While addressing the media, when the 34-year-old actor was asked which movie remake he would like to be a part of, he said, "I would love to star in the remake of 'Guide'."

Further, the 'Khoobsurat' star also cleared the rumours of rejecting Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK' for his current venture and that the flick was never offered to him so there isn't any question of rejecting it.

Directed by Shakun Batra, 'Kapoor and Sons' that also stars starring Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra in key role will hit the theatres on March 18.
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will meet the Nepalese leadership and the madheshi leaders here today before departing for 37th SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in Pokhara.

Pokhara is all set to host the meeting between March 16 -18 with the ministerial meeting scheduled to be held on March 17.

The Foreign Secretary will leave for Pokhara this evening, while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will arrive tomorrow morning for the meet.

Meanwhile, Swaraj will be meeting Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of the SAARC meeting.

Aziz is also likely to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the SAARC Summit in Islamabad.

The meeting comes as a major breakthrough as the two sides have been on extremely strained terms since the Pathankot attack earlier this year which had derailed the Foreign Secretary-level talks in Islamabad in January.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi later this month on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said India is optimistic about the incumbent Nepal Government's addressing the "genuine" demands of the agitating Madhesis.

During a meeting with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Jaishankar told him that India is willing to implement bilateral projects.

According to Prime Minister Oli's foreign affairs' advisor Gopal Khanal, the Nepalese Prime Minister told the Foreign Secretary that he was confident that Nepal would not face another round of blockade, and that India would continue its support for the economic development of the country.

Prime Minister Oli also stressed that his government was ready to conclude all the issues related to Madhesis and delineation of the federal states.

Meanwhile, leaders of Madhesi parties met Jaishankar at Dwarika Hotel around 9:30 a.m here. During the meeting, leader of the Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party Sarvendra Nath Shukla accused the Nepal Government of not addressing the demands of the Madhesi agitators.

"'If our demands remain unaddressed, we will soon launch another round of agitation," Madhesi leaders reportedly told Jaishankar.

In response, Jaishankar assured them that he would discuss the issue with the leaders of major parties of Nepal.

The meeting was attended by senior leader of Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal Ashok Rai, Chairman of Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party Mahendra Yadav, leader of Sadbhawana Party, Laxman Lal Karna, Chairman of Nepal Sadbhawana Party Anil Jha and Chairman of Forum Ganatantrik, Raj Kishowr Yadav among others.

The Foreign Secretary is in Nepal to attend the Foreign Ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) which kicked off on Monday.
The Government of India has great confidence in the decision-making abilities of Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, visiting Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar told the latter during their meeting here on Tuesday.

Foreign Secretary Jaishankar, who is here to attend a SAARC ministerial meeting in Pokhara, said India wished to be of assistance for Nepal's stability and development, and added that New Delhi would also benefit positively as a result.

On his part, Prime Minister Oli said Nepal expected India's cooperation in its development endeavours as it was entering into a economic development phase.

The meeting, according to the Himalayan Times, took place in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Oli also opined that the bilateral relations between the two countries have been further strengthened by his official visit to India last month.

Foreign Secretary Jaishankar also separately called on Nepali Congress top leader and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at the latter's residence in Budhanilakantha to congratulate him on his election to the post of Nepali Congress's president.

Earlier in the day, he met several Madhesi leaders who briefed him about the prevailing situation in the Terai region of Nepal and urged him to use his influence to convince the Oli-led government to take steps to meet the demands of the former.
The Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Tuesday slammed Islamabad for inviting Hurriyat leaders to their embassy in New Delhi on the occasion of 'Pakistan Day', saying whenever Pakistan has invited the Hurriyat and the separatist it has resulted in escalation of seditious activity in Kashmir.

"Pakistan cannot directly invite those people who have been waging a war against India, who has been involved in seditions activity. whenever the Pakistan has invited the Hurriyat and the separatist it has resulted in escalation of seditious activity in Kashmir and this element have been embolden so we believe that such kind of meeting should not be permitted," JKNPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh told ANI here.

Singh said that Pakistan should talk straight to Indian leadership rather than encouraging the fringe elements in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Pakistan is still not mending its ways and it has once again called the Hurriyat and other separatist leaders to participate in the 'Pakistan day' to be held in New Delhi. India has been always opposing such kind of meetings because we believe in bilateral dialogue with Pakistan. It is between India and Pakistan and there is no role for any third party mediation," he added.

Even as SAARC Council of Ministers are slated to meet on March 17 in Nepal, Pakistan has invited Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to attend a function organised to commemorate 'Pakistan Day' at the Pakistan High Commission here on March 23.

A Hurriyat statement said, "Umar Farooq will lead a delegation of dozens of leaders to the Pakistan High Commission following an invitation for a function on 'Pakistan Day'."

"Besides Mirwaiz, we have received invitation for 35 leaders, including 20 from the Hurriyat and rest from the Awami Action Committee (AAC)," said media advisor to Mirwaiz, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam.

Earlier, Sartaj Aziz had called off his visit to India after New Delhi protested against the scheduled meeting between Aziz and Hurriyat leaders.
Author-activist Arundhati Roy and All India Progressive Women's Association Secretary Kavita Krishnan on Tuesday joined the protest by the All India Students' Association's (AISA), a Left-wing students' organisation, at the Mandi House here demanding withdrawal of sedition charges slapped on Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.

The protest will be led by JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar from the Mandi House to Parliament Street.

The protesters are also demanding immediate release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya from the jail and a transparent probe into the allegations against them.

Though the protest march was to be commenced at 2.30 p.m, it was delayed as Kanhaiya is yet to join the protesters comprising students and teachers of the university and other intellectuals, besides Roy and Krishnan.

Roy is likely to address the protesters at Parliament Street.

Meanwhile, Kanhaiya told ANI, "I appeal to everyone to join us as we are fighting to save democracy. We want support from outside Delhi as well in our march for freedom."

"We demand certain things such as implementation of a Rohith Vemula Act and the students who have arrested should be released," he said.

"A show-cause notice has been issued, which seeks my response on certain issues by 5 p.m. on March 16. We will hold a meeting on the notice, and decide what to do in this regard," he added.
Mary Margaret Begay was 20 years old when she left her home in Leupp to go work at Grand Canyon National Park.

The year was 1957. Begay worked at the Bright Angel Lodge.

One day in August, she and three friends walked from their employee housing dorm to the Grand Canyon Inn to do some drinking. According to one of the friends, Begay got into a vehicle with two unknown Hopi men.

She was never heard from again, said Joe Sumner, volunteer investigator for the Coconino County Sheriffs Office cold case unit.

The cold case unit is currently trying to solve more than 40 missing persons and cold cases in the county like Begays. Sumner, who retired from the National Park Service in 2007 as a criminal investigator, came onto the cold case unit in 2008.

Its a classic case of fall between the cracks, Sumner said.

The company Begay worked for at the Canyon fired her when she did not show back up for work and boxed up all of her personal belongings. Her family came for a visit and discovered she was gone. They reported Begay missing to Navajo authorities.

But it wasnt until the discovery in October 1958 of a skeleton near Grand Canyon that Begays missing person case became known to then-Sheriff Cecil Richardson. It was believed at the time that the bones may belong to Begay because clothing found near the bones were consistent with the clothing  white sweater and pedal-pusher pants  Begay was last seen wearing, said Lt. Tim Cornelius of the sheriffs office.

The bones, it turned out, belonged to a much younger female who was not of Native American descent. That case, too, is cold, and is known as Little Miss X.

By 1959, Richardson was looking elsewhere for Begay. He had authorities in Los Angeles interview one of the women Begay had been friends with at the Grand Canyon job. The woman told authorities that she believed Begay had fled her life and was living in Los Angeles, too, and did not want her family to know her whereabouts. Another acquaintance heard that Begay had married, had a child and was living in Oregon.

Neither of those angles have panned out, Sumner said. And as to the idea that she left her family and moved to Los Angeles or Oregon to start a new life, Sumner said he was doubtful.

Begay had been in constant touch with her family, and she was not estranged from them.

There is no evidence shes still alive, Sumner said.

Meanwhile, more than 50 years later, many of Begays family members have gone to their graves not knowing what happened to her. If Begay were still alive, she would be 74 years old. The Grand Canyon Inn no longer exists; it was torn down in the 1960s.

Sumner said that DNA samples have been taken from Begays surviving sister. The idea was to test the sample against the hair follicles from Little Miss X to definitively rule her out as being Begay. The hair follicles did not provide a DNA profile when tested, so no comparison could be made.

The bones, after being exhumed in 1962, were reburied, but there is no record of where, other than at Citizens Cemetery. The search continues to find the remains of Little Miss X.

Regardless, Sumner said there is possible DNA evidence that still remains on a necklace found with the bones that is currently undergoing processing for a profile.

The samples taken from Begays family will be entered into a national DNA database for possible future comparisons.

Cornelius said Begays family still calls at regular intervals for an update on the case. They live relatively traditional lives in the Tolani Lake area of the Navajo Nation.

Hopefully, we can solved this and find out where she is, Cornelius said. It sure would be nice to give the family closure on that.
The Malaysian Government today said that it would soon be deporting two Australian journalists, both reporters, for allegedly breaching security protocol while trying to interview Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Police said Australian journalists Eroglu Levent and Linton Joshua Besser, both working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), were arrested during the weekend after trying to approach Najib for an interview in an event held in Malaysia's Sarawak state on North Borneo.

The two were investigated for obstructing a public servant while he was discharging his public functions, but prosecutors decided not to charge them, reported official news agency Bernama, citing a police statement.

Instead, the two would be deported, police said. They were earlier released on police bail after having their statements recorded.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has expressed concern over the arrest.

Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however, insisted that all media must abide by the laws of his country.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said her party does not believe in fear tactics, adding that it wants to work for the people.

"There should be no black money involved during the election. We formed the GTA (Gorkha Territorial Authority), allocated crores of rupees for development and formed several development boards for different communities. We do not support politics over development. We do not believe in fear tactics. We want to work for the people," Mamata said while campaigning for the upcoming Assembly elections here.

"I came here during landslide and earthquake. You are very close to my heart. I love the people of the hills. I say the same thing in the hills and in the plains. I don't say fake things. I want development for the hills," she added.

Expressing confidence of emerging victorious in the assembly polls, Mamata said the TMC is not scared of any conspiracy.

"There is a voice in Bengal.to bring the TMC. No one else will win the election. We are not scared of any conspiracy. Some people do not want me to come to the hills. Who are they to stop me? This is my motherland," she said.

The West Bengal polls will be held in six phases. Polling for the first phase will take place on April 4 and 11, polling for the second phase will be held on April 17, the third phase on April 21, fourth on April 25 and the fifth and six phases on April 30 and May 5 respectively.

The counting of votes will take place on May 19.
Has Mariah Carey's manager Stella Bulochnikov turned into Joseph Stalin?

According to the insiders, the 45-year-old songstress' manager's 'Russian dictator' attitude is ruining her brand, reports News.com.au.

Sources revealed that the 'Hero' hit-maker is being controlled by her "Russian dictator" manager Bulochnikov and they're concerned she's ruining Carey's brand.

Reportedly, Bulochnikov has moved in with Carey and "she has so much stuff on her that she can get her to do anything."

The 'We belong Together' crooner fired several longtime staffers when she hired Bulochnikov a year ago and the duo have been inseparable ever since.
Kim Kardashian breaking the internet with her nude selfie wasn't enough, now there is a nine meter tall mural of her latest selfie plastered on the side of a print shop in Gwynne Street in Cremorne, Melbourne.

Sources revealed that the mural is made by a street artist name lushsux, reports News.com.au.

Lushsux revealed it to an online portal Mashable that they felt the instant need to paint the massive mural after seeing the 36-year-old reality star's nude selfie.

The artist said that it was quite hard to turn an archived screenshot from the phone into a three-storey nude figure painting.

Kardashian posted her nude selfie on her Twitter handle on March 7 with the caption: "When you're like I have nothing to wear LOL.
The top brass of the Pakistan Army has said that its security forces is about to conclude the military offensive in tribal areas.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, chairing a corps commanders meeting at the General Headquarters yesterday, called for ensuring that terrorists do not get a foothold in the region again.

"COAS emphasised, as we move towards conclusion of large-scale kinetic operations in Fata, there is a need to look ahead and consolidate the gains for long-term stability," the Dawn quoted an ISPR statement.

The military operations which began in June 2014 in North Waziristan, also named Zarb-i-Azb, are now in its final phase with troops consolidating control of the Shawal Valley.

Sharif asked his commanders to ensure that terrorists don't get a foothold in the region again.

Military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said that while operations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas(FATA) were drawing to a close, Zarb-i-Azb as a strategy would continue with intensified intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country targeting terrorist infrastructure, reports the Dawn.

Bajwa added that troops had gained control of all major heights and passes in Shawal and are now engaged in sanitising operations.

As per the figures provided by the army 207 terrorists were killed in Shawal and five soldiers lost their lives in this phase.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by former deputy chief minister R. Ashok met Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara here today over the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) worker in Mysuru, which led to widespread protests in the city.

Home Minister Parameshwara dubbed the incident as 'unfortunate' and assured the BJP delegation that the state government would initiate apt and timely action in this regard.

"It is an unfortunate incident. We have taken it very seriously. We will nab the culprits as early as possible. Mysuru has now become peaceful. I have appealed to the people to maintain law and order," he said.

BJP leader Suresh Kumar earlier urged the state government to act swiftly on this case and nab the culprits at the earliest.

"These things are repeatedly happening in Karnataka. It happened in Dakshina Kannada (South Canara), it happened in Kodagu (Coorg) and now it is happening in Mysuru. The appeasement policy practiced by this government is the root cause of all this," he told ANI here.

"The Karnataka Government should now come to senses and take necessary action. the state and the police should show their intolerance against these events," he added.

The BJP's Mysuru unit had yesterday called for a shutdown in the city following the murder of VHP worker Raju.

The BJP and VHP activists staged protests and raised slogans demanding the culprits' arrest.

The Mysuru Police had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC after the activist was murdered on M.G. Road in Udayagiri Police station limits on Sunday.

The security has been beefed up in Udayagiri and the surrounding areas of Kyathmaranhalli in anticipation of a communal flare up.
The first look of Nargis Fakhri in the upcoming flick 'Banjo' is out. The 'Rockstar' actress will be seen playing the role of a New York-based DJ who comes to Mumbai in search of rhythm.

Taking to her Twitter handle, the 36-year-old Fakhri shared a pic of her look alongside caption, "My first look from #Banjo. where I play a Dj from New York City who is in Mumbai! #dj #film #firstlook."

In the pic Nargis looked ravishing in a sexy lavender crop top and blue denims with a red jacket tied to her waist.

Last month, the makers have unveiled the first look of Riteish Deshmukh, who will be seen playing a street musician in Ravi Jadhav's musical film.

Notably, the upcoming flick, which will mark the Bollywood debut of famous Marathi director Ravi Jadhav, is based on the banjo players from Maharashtra.
Asserting that they trust the judicial system of the country, Senior NCP leader D.P. Tripathi expressed hope that Bhujbal would emerge clean from all the allegations.

"All this is being done with the aim of taking revenge. Chhagan Bhujbal is innocent and we know it. We knew that this government would undertake such negative actions. We trust in the judiciary, and we are confident that he will emerge innocent," Tripathi told ANI.

Bhujbal was on Monday arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the scam.

The former deputy chief minister was interrogated for more than nine hours today by a team of ED officials. He will be produced before a court today.

The ED had summoned Bhujbal on March 8 following a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) MP Kirit Somaiya in connection with cases lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Foreign Exchange Management Act pertaining to alleged irregularities in the construction of a new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, worth several hundred crores of rupees.

The ED had on February 1 arrested Bhujbal's nephew Sameer Bhujbal. Later last month, it questioned Bhujbal's son Pankaj Bhujbal, a legislator.
Asserting that there was nothing 'surprising' in Pakistan High Commission inviting separatist leaders for 'Pakistan Day' celebrations, Conference (NC) leader Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said that such meetings would go on till the Hurriyat exists as Islamabad considers them representatives of the state.

"This inviting of separatists from Kashmir to Delhi by the Pakistan High Commissioner for Pakistan Day has been happening every year, there is nothing surprising in it. Regarding the talks between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, which were to take place an year back, were postponed because a day earlier the Pakistan High Commission thought it would be prudent to call the separatists, making it appear that they were consulting them before going into the talks. New Delhi rightly objected to it as it sent a very wrong signal," Kamal told ANI.

"But this is a routine affair and will go on as long as the Hurriyat is there. Pakistan has already made it clear that Umar Farooq faction of the Hurriyat is the representatives of J and K," he added.

Pakistan has invited Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to attend a function organised to commemorate 'Pakistan Day' at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on March 23.

"Umar Farooq will lead a delegation of dozens of leaders to the Pakistan High Commission following an invitation for a function on 'Pakistan Day'," said a statement issued by the Hurriyat.

The invitation comes at a time when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to meet Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs, on the sidelines of a SAARC ministerial meeting in Nepal on March 17.

Earlier, Sartaj Aziz had called off his visit to India after New Delhi protested against the scheduled meeting between him and the Hurriyat leaders.
In the wake of increasing Chinese transgression in Pangong Tso Lake area in Tibet, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has directed the India Army to take up this issue with the Chinese authorities during their flag meeting.

Sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has directed the India Army to take up this issue with the Chinese authorities.

Sources said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) transgressed in the Chumar area in southern Ladakh 16 times this year, which is more than the incidents of transgression reported last year.

The Defence Minister is likely to visit China next month during which the two sides will finalise hotline services at the army headquarters as well as local commanders' level, they said.

Earlier, PLA troops were spotted at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir.
Terry Lee Arnold left Fort Huachuca on July 21, 1972. In the U.S. Army, he was going to make a stop to visit his parents in Kanab, Utah on July 22 or 23.

He had just received a reassignment, said Joe Sumner, volunteer for the Coconino County Sheriffs Office cold case unit.  He was going to be a recruiter in the Salt Lake City area.

On July 23 or 24, his truck was spotted on the Bill Williams Lookout Road.

On July 27, his body was found 100 miles from his truck north of Cameron, near where the old produce inspection station had been. Hed been murdered.

Multiple stab wounds was the cause of death, Sumner said.

The cold case unit is currently trying to solve nearly 40 cold cases in the county like Arnolds. Sumner, who retired from the National Park Service in 2007 as a criminal investigator, came onto the cold case unit in 2008.

GAS RECEIPTS

During the course of the original investigation, county detectives discovered that Arnold had been in Flagstaff on July 21, the same day he left Sierra Vista, based on a gas-card receipt. But, there was also a receipt from July 19, and April 21, also in Flagstaff. Sumner said it is unknown why he was here the previous two visits.

When the truck was impounded on July 25 by the sheriffs office, detectives found gay pornographic magazines in the truck. Arnold apparently lived a closeted homosexual life. Views on homosexuality in the 1970s were different in many respects than they are now. Dont Ask, Dont Tell didnt even exist in the military back in 1972. The war in Vietnam was still going on. People who knew him in the Army denied knowing that Arnold was gay.

People at Fort Huachuca denied ever seeing any kind of magazines or material like the ones that were found in the truck at the time it was impounded. Whether or not Arnolds homosexuality had any bearing on his death is unknown.

Were looking into it, Sumner said.

As for other theories, Sumner added, Its hard to say.

Several items, including a stereo and mechanic tools, were missing from the truck, according to witnesses.

Its possible Arnold knew somebody in Flagstaff because he came through Flagstaff on a regular basis.

And the nature of the stab wounds suggests the possibility of a male attacker.

Whoever did this was very strong, Sumner said. There was evidence from the stab wounds that it was a very strong person who did it based on the damage to the bones.

The unit has other suspect information that Sumner said he did not think would be best to share at this time.

EVIDENCE LOST

Most of the evidence in the case has been lost over the last 41 years.

But theres still latent fingerprints from the truck, Sumner said, adding that the fingerprints have been compared to specific people, including one person who claimed (then recanted) to have driven Arnolds truck from Cameron to the location near Williams. There have been no matches.

Also, there are some people listed in the investigative reports who are still alive in various parts of the country Sumner is interested in finding and interviewing.

We want to see if people mentioned in the file are people he maybe knew and maybe came to visit, Sumner said.

Plans are in the works to resubmit the fingerprints. Technological advances have grown with regard to fingerprint evidence and the database of fingerprints has grown as well.

I bet there are some people still in town interviewed in this case about some of the suspects, Sumner said. And if they read about this, Id like for them to give me a call.
Hinting out at the political vendetta by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state over the Maharashtra Sadan scam, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday defended his party colleague Chhagan Bhujbal and expressed hope that an appropriate decision would be taken in this case as per the law.

"I am confident that we will fight the legal action and we are hopeful that appropriate decision will be there," Pawar told the media here.

"I don't want to comment whether it is (a political vendetta). One should understand because the ruling party MP is making statement on television, he and the Chief Minister, we are waiting on that," he added.

Asserting that he was not surprised over the latest development in this case, Pawar claimed that the decision over the construction of Maharashtra Sadan was not taken by Bhujbal alone.

"There was a piece of land in Mumbai which was enclosed so that land was allotted to company who constructed this Maharashtra Sadan. This decision was not taken by Mr. Bhujbal alone. In Maharashtra, there is a committee headed by chief minister of Cabinet where the major construction project, including infrastructures, is approved and cleared by that Cabinet Committee," Pawar told the media here.

The NCP supremo further said that Cabinet Committee has cleared this allocation of the piece of land which was enclosed to one construction company.

"In lieu of that, the company was supposed to construct the Maharashtra Sadan. Secondly, the state guest house in Mumbai and another building. So, all these things without spending a single penny from the government treasury, just the land that was enclosed by certain people has been exhibited and anybody who will visit the new Maharashtra Sadan, I am sure that he will come to conclusion that this is one of the best Sadan which has been constructed by any state government," he added.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last night arrested Chhagan Bhujbal, a former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra and senior NCP leader, in connection with an investigation into government contracts he awarded as public works department minister during the previous Congress-NCP regime in Maharashtra.

He was arrested last night after the ED officials questioned him for more than eleven hours at its Mumbai office.

The move comes after the arrest of Bhujbal's nephew Sameer by the ED last month. Sameer is currently lodged in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail. Bhujbal's son Pankaj has also been questioned in the case.

The ED has filed two FIRs against the Bhujbals' and others under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

The ED has also ordered attachment of three properties with an estimated worth of over Rs. 280 crore.
A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court against Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar seeking an Intelligence Bureau (IB) probe in the February 9 incident where 'anti-national' slogans were allegedly raised in the campus.

In the petition, the petitioner demanded an SIT probe stating that Kanhaiya's speech on the Indian Army falls under 'sedition'.

Speaking at a student's gathering on International Women's Day, Kanhaiya alleged that the Indian Army personnel have committed atrocities against women in Jammu and Kashmir.

"No matter how much you try to stop us, we will speak up against human rights violations. We will raise our voice against AFSPA. While we have a lot of respect for our soldiers, we will still talk about the fact that in Kashmir women are raped by security personnel," Kanhaiya said on March 8.

The petitioner alleged that Kanhaiya had violated the terms and conditions on which he was granted a six-month interim bail by the court.

Last week, the JNU had revoked the suspension of eight students after the high-level probe panel submitted its report on the February 9 incident.

Besides Kanhaiya Kumar, the eight suspended students include Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Anant Kumar, Shweta Raj and Aishwarya Adhikari.

They were suspended on February 12 for their alleged involvement in organising an event to protest the hanging of the parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on his third death anniversary.
Dubbing Hurriyat leaders as "traitors", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament and former Union home secretary R.K. Singh on Tuesday asked as to what would be Islamabad's reaction if New Delhi starts inviting Baloch rebels.

"Pakistan must think that if India starts inviting Baloch rebels, who are fighting for their freedom, how they would feel," Singh told ANI while commenting on the Pakistan High Commissioner's invitation to the Hurriyat leaders on 'Pakistan Day'

The Pakistan High Commission on Monday invited Hurriyat leaders and others to attend the Pakistan Day function here, even as there are chances of a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushama Swaraj and Sartaz Aziz, Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting in Kathmandu.

The meeting comes as a major breakthrough as the two sides have been on extremely strained terms since the Pathankot attack earlier this year which had derailed the Foreign Secretary-level talks in Islamabad in January.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi later this month on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz will be meeting India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ministerial meeting in Kathmandu.

Aziz will be meeting other foreign ministers as well on Thursday, where he will extend Sharif's formal invitation to their respective Heads of State for the 19th SAARC Summit, being hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad this year, confirmed Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its official website.

However, there has been no confirmation that New Delhi and Islamabad will discuss anything on the resumption of composite dialogue.

The meeting comes as a major breakthrough as the two sides have been on extremely strained terms since the Pathankot attack earlier this year which had derailed the Foreign Secretary-level talks in Islamabad in January.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi later this month on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday slammed Islamabad for inviting Hurriyat leaders to their embassy on the occasion of 'Pakistan Day', and asked whether the neighbouring country deserves the goodwill shown by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government.

"Our Prime Minister and the Government should look into it. We want to have good relations witht tham, but do they deserve it. Look what is happening (Pakistan meeting Hurriyat)," SHiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.

Even as SAARC Council of Ministers are slated to meet on March 17 in Nepal, Pakistan has invited Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to attend a function organised to commemorate 'Pakistan Day' at the Pakistan High Commission here on March 23.

A Hurriyat statement said, "Umar Farooq will lead a delegation of dozens of leaders to the Pakistan High Commission following an invitation for a function on 'Pakistan Day'."

"Besides Mirwaiz, we have received invitation for 35 leaders, including 20 from the Hurriyat and rest from the Awami Action Committee (AAC)," said media advisor to Mirwaiz, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam.

Earlier, Sartaj Aziz had called off his visit to India after New Delhi protested against the scheduled meeting between Aziz and Hurriyat leaders.
India's best price comparison shopping portal, Smartprix.com announced its successful target meet of one million download mark on Google Play Store.

The Android app offers the simple and efficient experience of the desktop site on a relatively smaller mobile phone display and enjoys a high rating of 4.3 stars.

The milestone was reached in just nine months and by the next financial year, the company aims to add five million more users to the platform. The app lists over 10 million products ranging from mobile phones, tablets, consumer electronics items, etc. neatly organized in various categories and segregated by proper filters. The simple interface saves you precious time and money while you zero in on the best available product suited to your needs.

"We have achieved this success in a very short span of time, which gives us great confidence moving ahead. We are grateful to the million users who appreciate our services and the hard work our awesome employees' put-in every day," said Director and Co-founder of Smartprix, Abinav Choudhary.

"To save one's time and money is the core belief behind every new feature that we bring for our users in India. We will keep updating and improving our app zealously in the future to meet this objective," he further added.

The Smartprix app allows you to check product reviews and features, compare prices across all major online stores (Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, Shopclues, Paytm, etc), find info regarding valid discount coupons and then make your purchase - all at one place.

A separate deals tab allows you to conveniently check out the latest deals across different categories listed under featured deals and top deals. You can also click on a particular store to check store-specific deals.

Besides the Android app, Smartprix is also working on an application for iOS users, which is expected to launch by the end of next month. The app can be downloaded from Google Playstore.
Following the chargesheet against 35 FTII students and an internal inquiry committee of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) recommending rustication of five varsity students over their alleged role in a controversial event last month, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday likened Union Ministries to 'Police Thanas'.

Tewari took to micro-blogging site Twitter to express his views.

"Naked face of #NDA/BJPFascism- suspend students of JNU,charge sheet scholars of FTII Pune.HRD/I&B Ministries functioning like Police Thana," he tweeted.

Thirty-five FTII students were yesterday listed in a chargesheet for allegedly gheraoing and illegally confining the institute's director Prashant Pathrabe last year. 30 of the students were later granted bail.

A high-level internal committee of the JNU has found 21 students guilty of holding a controversial event on the campus last month, which had led to the arrest of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others.

The committee, in its unanimous report submitted to Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar, accused the students of violating university norms and rules by organising an event in the memory of Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru.
Maruti Suzuki launched its highly anticipated compact SUV, the Vitara Brezza, at Rs 6.99 lakhs on 8 February. The car has registered 5,600 bookings in the first 48 hours. Based on Suzuki's global C platform, Vitara Brezza has been engineered in India with 98 per cent localization. The Vitara Brezza competes directly with the Mahindra TUV300 and the Ford EcoSport in the compact SUV segment. However, in the price bracket of Rs 510 lakh, you also have cross hatches like the Hyundai i20 Active which you can consider buying.

So heres a list of cross hatchbacks that you can compare with the Maruti Vitara Brezza in our market:

Hyundai i20 Active

Price: Rs. 6.7  9.5 Lakh

Hyundai i20 Active is based on the Hyundai Elite i20 and has been doing fairly well for Hyundai in our market. Powering the i20 Active is a 1.4-litre diesel engine and a 1.2-litre petrol engine which produce 88.7bhp and 81.86bhp of power respectively. It has a ground clearance of 190mm. Hyundai added standard dual airbags and a 7-inch touchscreen Audio Video Navigation system in the i20 Active recently, which now makes this hatch rich in features.

Fiat Avventura

Price: Rs. 6.6  8.7 Lakh

Fiat Avventura Cross is based on the Fiat Punto Evo. It is powered by a 1.3-litre diesel engine which puts out 91bhp of power and a 1.4-litre petrol engine which churns out 88bhp of power. It has 205mm of ground clearance. Fiat also introduced a performance version of the Avventura last year, called the Avventura Powered by Abarth. It is powered by a 1.4-litre T-jet petrol engine which produces 140bhp of power and can reach the 100kmph mark in under 10 seconds, making it the fastest cross hatch you can buy in India.

Toyota Etios Cross

Price: Rs. 6.4  8.0 Lakh

Toyota Etios Cross is based on the Toyota Etios hatchback. It is powered by a 1.4-litre diesel engine which produces 67bhp of power, a 1.2-litre petrol engine which produces 78.8bhp of power and a 1.5-litre petrol engine which produces 88.7bhp of power. The car has spacious interiors with decent shoulder and head space, and carries forward Toyotas fuss-free ownership experience.

Volkswagen Cross Polo

Price: Rs. 7.2  8.5 Lakh

Volkswagen Cross Polo is based on the Volkswagen Polo hatch. It comes with a 1.5-litre diesel motor which puts out 88bhp of power and a 1.2-litre petrol motor which produces 74bhp of power. The Cross Polo is very identical to its hatchback sibling and the only differentiating factors are the added cladding, different front bumper, front grille and different alloys.

Read More: India-made Maruti Baleno exported to Japan

Read More on : Vitara Brezza 2016

Source : CarDekho
Automobile is a branch of engineering that has brought drastic transformation in the history of humankind. Today, as the competition in every field is at its zenith, manufacturers too are not immune from this transformation. They are moulding their vehicles in line with the preferences of prospective customers. When we talk about India, which has one of the fastest growing industries of the world, preferences of the consumers are seen to be changing every 45 years.

Today, Indian car-buying youth are inclined towards SUVs and see the cars in the category as their next vehicle of choice. Reasons? These cars make a style statement, and when style is combined with a reasonable price tag, the brilliant combination is sure to lure the young. Maruti Vitara Brezza which was launched recently, is one such car.

Although the compact SUV segment has been really hot for quite some time, the advent of the Brezza has severely inconvenienced its rivals such as the Ford EcoSport and the TUV300, as is evident from the fact that within 48 hours of its official launch, the car has grabbed more than 5,600 bookings, forcing the Ford to drop the price of the EcoSport by a huge margin. However, the doors of challenge are still open and we would see some breathtaking vehicles taking this competition to a new high. So lets roll down to read about the upcoming rivals of the Brezza and gauge for how long it is likely to relish its success in this segment.

Hyundai Carlino

The Korean automaker is known to give Maruti Suzuki tough competition in every segment. In recent times, Hyundai has gained an incredible response for its cars such as the Elite i20 and Creta, which have satisfied the masses with their stylish design and upscale quality for which the company is known. But the moment we talk about a Maruti car, one is sure to think of a similar Hyundai vehicle to draw a contrast between the two offerings. Hyundai might have started planning a sub-4 metre SUV before or instantly upon hearing about the Vitara Brezza, but we saw a glimpse of this intriguing approach at the 2016 Expo when the carmaker first unveiled the Carlino Concept which was of course, a blueprint of the upcoming compact SUV.

The Concept model has certainly kept fellow carmakers on tenterhooks with its muscular looks. And as the Brezza has come along with an array of eye-catching features and specs, Hyundai will undoubtedly make this upcoming sub-4 metre product a unique combination of quality and performance. Hyundai might also debut its ISG (Intelligent Stop & Go) Blue Drive against Marutis SHVS technology. This would give the Korean automaker an upper hand against rivals since it would be a first-in-class feature and also a new beginning from the company in terms of fuel efficient/environment-friendly vehicles.

When it comes to the style, features and engines, one can rest assured since we are accustomed to Hyundais craftsmanship in all these areas. The new Carlino would get a 1.4-litre diesel and 1.2-litre petrol engines taken from the Elite i20 while, inside and out, we are sure there would be some new features to drag the Brezzas customers to its side. As for the price, it is too early to predict anything, but we can expect the car to be competitively priced so that it gets a fair chance against the burgeoning competition.

Tata Nexon

There might be some reasons for Tata avoiding this segment for a long time, although it has a good presence in the Indian market. But, as we said earlier, more and more youngsters are leaning towards compact crossovers/SUVs, which makes it a great opportunity for carmakers to show their dexterity in the respective segments. The automaker has already demonstrated its production-spec Nexon compact SUV  along with its siblings Kite 5 and Zica  at the Auto Expo. Recent reports also suggest that the car will be launched ahead of the Kite 5 sedan this year.

With Tata's new design language incorporating projector headlamps with LEDs, 16-inch alloys, ground clearance of 200mm that is ahead of the TUV300 and Brezza, and the price that is expected to undercut its rivals, Nexon is sure to give something special to first-time buyers. In terms of powertrains, Nexon will get 1.2-litre turbocharged Revotron and 1.5-litre Revotorq units that are brand-new engines, designed and developed in-house. The former would generates 100 PS, while the latter procures power output of 110 PS. We might also see the car coming with AMT gearbox, which is one of the technologies to have caught the fancy of comfort-seeking car buyers.

Feature wise, the Tata Nexon comes equipped with 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system designed by Harman, with smart like voice control and command recognition. We would also see similar aspects that we know the Tiago hatchback will come equipped with as well.

Datsun GO Cross

The 80-year-old brand revived by Nissan is leaving no stone unturned to make its presence felt in the Indian automotive industry. Two years ago, we saw the Japanese brand launching its first car in India in the form of the GO hatchback, followed by GO+, which is an MPV based on the same platform. The carmaker, though, has received a lukewarm response so far, but the possibilities are still open as Datsun is planning to go on the offensive with its GO Crossover.

The swanky concept caught the instant attention of the enthusiasts from around the world when it was first revealed at the Tokyo Auto Show 2015. Then the rendezvous with the Indian masses at the Auto Expo further solidified our belief that the car has the potential to fetch a fair share of the pie from the hot compact SUV/crossover segment. Talking about the design, Datsun GO Cross will be similar to the Concept version showcased at the motor shows, with aggressive front profile and stylish set of alloys and roof rails on the side. There is no information on the interiors, but we are likely to see modern-day cabin design with a whole lot of creature-comfort features.

As the Crossover is based on GO+ MPV, it is expected to incorporate the same 1.2-litre petrol unit. Datsun is known for pricing its products aptly; so, expect this new kid on the block to come at a starting price tag of around Rs. 6 lakh.

Watch First Drive of Maruti Vitara Brezza

Also Read: Vitara Brezza Vs Ford EcoSport Vs Mahindra TUV 300

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Source : CarDekho
Aspire to turn India into the food factory for the world in the next few years: Minister

Inaugurating the International Food and Hospitality Fair 2016, Union Food Processing Industries Minister, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, said that the Budget decision to allow 100% FDI in multi-brand retail for food products produced and processed in India will play a catalytic role in leapfrogging Indian economy. She underlined that the decision pertains to FDI in 100% swadeshi and home-grown food.

The average Indian spends 40% of his income on eatables, and only 10% of what we grow is processed in India. Recalling these facts, the Minister pointed to the huge opportunity that beckons investors. She said that the FDI decision would give a boost to the sector, and would contribute to the the eventual aim of uplifting farmers and doubling farmers' income by 2022.

Recalling the big market access challenge that India's farmers face, Smt. Badal said that she is looking at a market that goes to the farmer's doorsteps, an industry that chases the farmer. She said that the 100% FDI decision would usher in a partnership between industry and farmers, play a huge role in creating backward infrastructure linkages and plugging wastages, thereby improving the farmers' prospects.

The Minister spoke also of the e-marketing platform that is slated to be launched in April 2016, hailing it as a revolutionary initiative by the Prime Minister. She said that the digital platform will integrate 585 regulated markets, providing farmers and traders with access to opportunities for purchase/ sale of agri-commodities at optimal prices in a transparent manner. Smt. Badal spoke also of the Government's vision to tap the potential for organic farming in North East India.

Stating that 42 Mega Food Parks are coming up, the Minister said that foreign players can tie up with these parks in pursuing 'Make In India', even for specific nations of their choice. This would be facilitated by the plug-and-play model under which these parks would operate, wherein common infrastructural facilities would be provided. Smt. Badal said that she aspires to turn India into the food factory for the world in the next few years.

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Two ranch hands were following a truckload of pigs out by Meteor Crater.

The area is open desert where big skies prevail.

The two men went to round up a wayward pig and, in doing so, stumbled across a skeleton. They called authorities.

That was April 19, 1975. The identity of the man, likely murdered, is still unknown.

He was actually kind of mummified, said Joe Sumner, volunteer for the Coconino County Sheriffs Office cold case unit.

The cold case unit is trying to solve nearly 40 cold cases in the county like the case of White Male Adult from 1975. Sumner, who retired from the National Park Service in 2007 as a criminal investigator, came onto the cold case unit in 2008.

Sumner added that although most of the mans body was just bones, a leg and a foot remained intact.

It was always treated as a homicide because of the circumstances, Sumner said.

There was no evidence to indicate how he got there. The scene had nothing other than bones, a shirt and a pair of boxer shorts.

The body looks as if it had been dumped, or the man had died right there.

SERIAL KILLING?

The case had an interesting development. A serial killer named Thomas Eugene Creech, who is in prison in Idaho, confessed to killing a man in the general area. He made statements that were inconsistent with the evidence, Sumner said, and was ruled out as a suspect in the mans death. Although he said he had shot a man in a T-shirt and boxer shorts about the age of the victim, Creechs girlfriend, who testified against him at trial, denied Creech committed a murder in Arizona.

Although a few cases to which Creech confessed were confirmed, a majority of them were not, Sumner said.

The general consensus among the law enforcement agencies was that he was bragging, Sumner added.

MISSING PERSON

The case is at the top of the cold case units list right now because the unit was recently contacted by the St. Claire County Sheriffs Office out of Port Huron, Mich. Sumner said the mother of a man missing since Christmas 1974 asked that her sons case be reopened.

Kenneth Dean Smith went missing in Arizona. He had sent a letter to his mother, who is now 96, from the Grand Canyon. He was looking for work in Arizona and was planning to head south.

Sumner said that in going through the files, Smith was ruled out as a possible victim in the 1970s, but a DNA sample from the body was booked into evidence. Smiths mother and sister have provided DNA samples for comparison.

We want to confirm with the DNA, Sumner said, adding that it will probably be a couple of months until the results are available.

Sumner has a photo of Smith, and he said that although the body, when it was found, had longer hair than Smiths photo, Smith is wearing a shirt in the photo similar to the shirt the victim was wearing when the ranchhands found the body.

DNA EVIDENCE

What it shows needs to be done in these old cases, and is extremely difficult to do, is get DNA from these remains, Sumner said.

Additionally, DNA samples from surviving family members need to be secured and placed into national databases for comparisons with DNA samples from missing people.

Problematic, Sumner added, is that people who went missing in the 1970s and 80s typically dont have DNA samples in the databases.

Thats the problem we have with these old cases, Sumner said.
Sets Rs 360-432 per share price band for the IPO

Infibeam Incorporation becomes India's first e-commerce company to tap the capital market through an initial public offer (IPO) next week. The company's Rs 450 crore IPO opens for bidding through the book-building route on 21 March 2016. The issue closes on 23 March 2016. The company has set Rs 360-432 per share price band for the IPO. The proceeds of the IPO will be used for expansion of business, which includes setting up a cloud data center, setting up 75 additional logistics centres, purchase of software and purchase of property for shifting of the registered and corporate offices of the company.

Promoted by Ajit Mehta, Jayshree Mehta, Vishal Mehta and Malav Mehta, Infibeam Incorporation is an e-commerce company focused on developing an integrated and synergistic e-commerce business model. It owns and operates the Infibeam BuildaBazaar e-commerce marketplace, which provides cloud-based, modular and customizable digital solutions and other value added services to enable merchants to set up online storefronts. The BaB Marketplace enables merchants to access customers across multiple sales channels and provide cost-effective marketing and distribution solutions. As of 31 December 2015, the BaB Marketplace had 48,724 registered merchants, which increased at a CAGR of 272.95% from 350 registered merchants as of 31 March 2012.

Infibeam Incorporation also operates Infibeam.com, a multi-category e-retail website primarily focused on fast moving product categories. The e-retail business strategically follows an asset light inventory model.

From the net proceeds of the IPO, the company has earmarked Rs 235.20 crore for setting up a Tier III data center and for purchase of property for shifting of the registered and corporate offices of the company at the location of the proposed Tier III data center in Ahmedabad. The company proposes to invest Rs 37.50 crore from the net proceeds of the IPO for setting up additional 75 logistics centres in 70 cities in India. Infibeam currently has 12 logistics centres strategically located in 11 cities across the country.

The company proposes to spend Rs 67 crore from the net proceeds of the IPO for purchase of certain software from third parties for setting up a software platform for providing mobile ad framework which includes customer targeting based on mobile criteria such as device, operating system, carrier or features of the device.

Based on consolidated financial performance, Infibeam Incorporation reported net profit of Rs 6.57 crore on revenue from operations of Rs 171.26 crore for six months ended 30 September 2015. The company reported a net loss of Rs 9.78 crore on revenue from operations of Rs 288.27 crore for the year ended 31 March 2015.

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ICICI Bank rose 0.99% to Rs 223.90 at 9:24 IST on BSE after the bank through its DIFC (Dubai) branch, priced an issuance of 10 year fixed rate notes of an aggregate principal amount of $700 million.

The announcement was made before market hours today, 15 March 2016.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 82.91 points or 0.33% at 24,721.37.

On BSE, so far 78,000 shares were traded in the counter as against average daily volume of 21.29 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock hit a high of Rs 224 and a low of Rs 221.80 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 342 on 19 March 2015. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 180.80 on 26 February 2016.

The large-bank bank has equity capital of Rs 1162.74 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

The notes were sold under the rule 144A/RegS format. The notes carry a coupon of 4% and were offered at an issue price of 99.592, ICICI Bank said.

ICICI Bank's net profit rose 4.5% to Rs 3018.13 crore on 13.1% growth in total income to Rs 17562.95 crore in Q3 December 2015 over Q3 December 2014.

ICICI Bank is one of the leading private sector banks in India.

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The iron ore mine auction bids appear aggressive at the current price levels but if the prices of the iron ore were to revive over the long-term the bids will provide a sufficient cushion to the winner, believes India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). The iron ore price to be paid by the successful bidder (based on Essar Steel's recent win) for the mine is 20% higher than the average sale price of iron ore. However if prices revert to the FY15 levels, the benefit of owning a mine versus procuring iron ore will be seen.

The first iron ore mine auction won by Essar Steel Limited with the bidding price at a premium of 44.35% over the base price, paves the way for the auctioning of the mines. Leasing will ensure raw material security for steel players which were hitherto relying on iron ore procurement from domestic merchant miners like NMDC Limited. The successful bidder can be partially self-reliant on one of the key raw materials used in the manufacturing process of steel.

Seven steel companies, including Tata Steel ('IND AA'/Negative), Jindal Steel & Power, Bhushan Power and Steel, JSW Steel ('IND AA'/Stable)and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam ('IND AA-'/Stable), participated in the auction. The iron ore price to be paid by the successful bidder for the mine works out to be higher by 20% compared to the average sale price set by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) at INR1860/(tonnes) t, assuming an extraction cost of INR1000/t-1100/t and loading the premium (44.35%), Royalty (15%), district mineral foundation contribution (10%) and NMET contribution (2%), the iron ore price to be paid by the successful bidder for the mine would be around INR2237/t. However, the situation will change if the prices of iron ore reverses to INR3800/t the average price as notified by the IBM over FY15.

In such a scenario, the price to be paid by the successful bidder would be INR3424/t, a discount of 10%. The discount reflects the extraction costs which tend to remain fixed even when the prices of the IBM increase. Higher the price increase of iron ore, greater the benefit enjoyed by the successful winner.

Based on Ind-Ra's calculation, at a 44.35% of a premium to royalty and extraction cost of INR1100/t, the successful winner will be better off having the mine at IBM prices greater than INR2800/t. However, if the players through the use of highly mechanised methods of extraction are able to lower their extraction cost, the benefit of owning the mine despite the aggressive bidding over the long term can be healthy.

Ind-Ra notes that post the successful commencement of production from the mines and auctions in the future, the volume off-take from NMDC Limited and imported iron ore volumes may decline, if most of the large steel players who currently rely on merchant iron-ore procurement are successful in winning the mines. India produced 127mt in FY15 and imported 7.5mt in FY15, with NMDC's production at 30.5mt in FY15 and 25.9mt in 11mFY16.

In line with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act 2015, the successful bidder is required to make an upfront payment equal to 0.5% of the product of quantity to be mined and average price per unit. The first instalment is to be paid is 10% of the upfront payment to be made within 15 days of being declared the winner. The second instalment of 10% is to be provided on the day the mining lease is granted and the balance 80% is to be granted after 50 days from the date of signing the mining lease.

Ind-Ra additionally notes, the quantum of upfront payment in case of iron ore would not be substantial and it will work out to be nearly INR920m, which Ind-Ra believes is unlikely to stress the leverage profiles of the steel producers materially.

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Lupin tumbled 6.68% at Rs 1,743.65 at 14:02 IST on BSE after the company clarified that the United States Food and Drug Administration inspected its Goa facility last week and cited 9 observations.

The company issued the clarification during trading hours today, 15 March 2016.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 254.64 points or 1.03% at 24,549.64.

On BSE, so far 2.46 lakh shares were traded in the counter as against average daily volume of 2.41 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 1,800 and a low of Rs 1,736.50 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 1,589.40 on 14 May 2015. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 2,127 on 6 October 2015. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 14 March 2016, advancing 6.71% compared with Sensex's 7.91% rise. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market in past one quarter, surging 6.93% as against Sensex's 1.38% fall.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 90.11 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Lupin said that the observations by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) are on aspects such as inadequacy and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Lupin said that it is in the midst of putting together a response to address the USFDA's observations. The company issued the clarification after media reports suggested that the USFDA cited nine observations in its inspection of the company's Goa facility last week.

On consolidated basis, Lupin's net profit fell 11.9% to Rs 529.75 crore on 6.8% growth in net sales to Rs 3357.66 crore in Q3 December 2015 over Q3 December 2014.

Lupin is a pharmaceutical company producing and developing a wide range of branded & generic formulations, biotechnology products and APIs globally. The company is a significant player in the cardiovascular, diabetology, asthma, pediatric, CNS, GI, anti-infective and NSAID space and holds global leadership positions in the anti-TB and cephalosporin segment.

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The retirement of 12 elected Rajya Sabha members in April is unlikely to bring any significant change in complexion of the upper house of parliament with the government continuing to be in minority.

Five nominated members will also be retiring this month and this is expected to increase the comfort zone of the government as nominated members tend to vote with the ruling side. Two nominated members had retired in November last year.

The Election Commission had last month announced biennial election to 13 seats for Rajya Sabha. A seat had fallen vacant in Nagaland in November following death of K. Zhimomi.

The term of seven of the 12 outgoing members ends on April 2 and of the others on April 9. Two of the retiring members are from Assam, one from Himachal Pradesh, three from Kerala, one from Tripura and five from Punjab.

Of the five seats in Punjab, the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have retained two seats each while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has retained its lone seat. In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress has gained a seat as the outgoing member Bimla Kashyap Sood was from the BJP, while the Nagaland People's Front-led alliance candidate has been elected unopposed in Nagaland.

In Kerala, a seat each has gone to the Congress, the Janata Dal-United and the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

In Assam, three candidates are in fray for two seats, both held by the Congress. The election will be held on March 21.

The BJP has 48 members in the upper house while the Congress has 66. A total of 74 Rajya Sabha members will be retiring in 2016.
Twelve spies were arrested in Rajasthan since 2013, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that five arrests took place in the border state in 2013, three in 2015 and four so far this year.

He said in a statement that the government was pursuing a well-coordinated and multi-pronged approach to tackle cross-border espionage.

He said measures taken by the government include strengthening vigilance along the India-Pakistan border and gearing up intelligence machinery to interdict Pakistani agents.
A total of 47 sedition cases were registered in the country in 2014 but only one person was convicted of the crime, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that Jharkhand accounted for 18 cases followed by Bihar (16), Kerala (5), Odisha and West Bengal (2 each) and Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh (1 each).

The lone conviction took place in Jharkhand, the minister said.
Sixty-nine NGOs have been barred from receiving foreign funds since May 2011, the government told parliament on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju told the Lok Sabha in a written statement that records and accounts of associations or NGOs were inspected in the event of complaints that they violated the law.

On the basis of verification and after following due process, charges were framed and penal action was decided under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011.

"So far, on account of serious violations, 32 cases have been referred to the CBI and 10 cases have been referred to state police for further investigation and necessary action," he added.

The number of organisations prohibited from getting foreign funds include 14 from Andhra Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, five each Odisha and Gujarat, four each from Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, three each from Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, two each from Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, and one each from Manipur, Haryana and Chandigarh.
Air India is expected to record an operating profit of Rs.8 crore in the current fiscal, the first time in eight years for the national carrier since the erstwhile Indian Airlines merged into Air India, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

"Air India is expected to earn operating profit of Rs.8 crore as compared to the operating loss of Rs.2,636.18 crore in the previous year. This is the first time that the company is going to achieve operating profit since its merger in 2007-08," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

He said that, as per the revised estimates of 2015-16, Air India expects to "post substantial improvements", in comparision to the previous financial year.

As part of a turnaround plan stretching over nine years from 2012, the government has provided Air India assistance worth Rs.30,231 crore.

In a separate reply, Sharma said Air India provides lifetime free air travel facility to Bharat Ratna awardees and living members of the Constituent Assembly of India, among others.
Al-Shabaab militants have captured Garacad town in Somalia and raised their flag in the city centre, officials said on Tuesday.

The mayor of the town said the coastal town was seized by dozens of Al-Shabaab militants who stormed the town on Monday, Xinhua reported.

The insurgents included foreign jihadis, he added.

Al-Shabaab controls several key areas in Mudug and Galgaduud regions of Somalia.

"Al-Shabaab insurgents, who were armed, entered the town from the shores and they immediately raised their black flag. Some of them were masked and some among them were foreigners," said one of the residents.
Arizona cities and towns are close to losing their ability to restrict homeowners from renting out their properties on a short-term basis.

Over the objections of city officials and homeowner associations, the House Ways and Means Committee voted 8-1 on Monday to bar local governments from restricting the use of vacation rentals or other short-term rentals. SB 1350 covers not just people renting out rooms in their own homes but also those who rent out houses and condo units in which they do not live.

The measure is largely designed to help property owners who advertise their properties on Airbnb and similar services.

People want local experiences, Laura Spanjian, lobbyist for Airbnb, said of those who look for rentals through her service. She said there are about 5,000 hosts in Arizona who list properties through her company, saying they earn an average of $4,000 a year.

Sedona City Attorney Robert Pickels said the legislation would overturn an ordinance in his community which specifically prohibits renting private homes for temporary occupancy because of the potential for increased traffic and noise in residential neighborhoods.

Representatives of other cities also expressed their objections.

But Rep. Jeff Weninger, R-Chandler, said its not like the measure allows any type of home-based business.

People are going there and truly doing what the structure was truly meant for, which is recreating around inside the house just like a normal homeowner would and sleeping in it, he said. I just dont see how thats ultimately disruptive.

The measure, which already has been approved by the Senate, now need a vote of the full House.

Battery deposits

Arizonans who purchase new batteries for their cars, trucks and boats could soon be hit with huge deposits.

Current law permits retailers to charge a $15 deposit if someone buys a new battery but does not immediately have another one to return. HB 2132 removes that cap.

Mondays preliminary voice vote in the Senate came over the objections of Sen. David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, who pointed out that the maximum deposit just six years ago was only $5. He said removing the cap would be a mistake.

It just allows big businesses to charge any amount they want, he said.

Farnsworth acknowledged battery buyers can get back the deposit by returning an old old. But he said not everyone who gets a new battery returns an old one.

So youre just adding on more and more to a person who is struggling financially, he said. Farnsworth predicted that if the measure is signed into law the deposit will go up to $50.

No one spoke in favor of the House-passed measure which needs a final roll-call vote before going to the governor.

Voter registration

State senators voted Monday to require state health officials to provide a list of deaths regularly to the secretary of states office.

HB 2084 is aimed at scrubbing voter registration records of those who have died. But Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said giving the full list to the secretary of state on a regular basis will also help prevent against identity theft.

A final roll-call vote will send the measure back to the House which already has approved a slightly different version of the bill.

Food stamps

Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Monday to impose prison terms and a potential $150,000 fine on those who misuse food stamps.

Current law makes it a misdemeanor, with a six-month jail term and $2,500 fine for those who fraudulently use, transfer, possess or redeem up to $100 worth of food stamps; above that, there is a presumptive term of a year in prison. The new law makes all violations subject to 18 months behind bars.

The change also expands what is covered by that new penalty to the purchase of ineligible items with food stamps.

Israel boycott

The House voted 42-16 to forbid the state and local governments from doing business with any firm that refuses to do business with Israel.

HB 2617 says contracts can be executed only if there is written certification that the company is not engaged in a boycott of Israel. The measure, which now goes to the governor, also requires public funds to sell off their holdings in such firms within three months of being told they are on a list of boycotters.

The measure is sponsored by House Speaker David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, who is running for Congress. He said HB 2617 is about standing with our dear friend in the Middle East.

Rep. Bruce Wheeler, D-Tucson, said hes supports Israel unconditionally.

But if this is about politics, Im not going there, Wheeler said in voting against the measure.

Rep. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, said the subject of how Israel deals with settlements in what Palestinians claim as their land on the West Bank is a topic on which reasonable people can disagree. But he said the state should not be lashing out financially at those who seek to pressure the government of Israel to make concessions.

Arizonans should be able to endorse the boycott without being punished or losing business opportunities, he said. It is our right and we deserve no less.
Alibaba reached an agreement on Tuesday with the China Communist Youth League, a CPC reserve force, to train one million teenagers to take e-commerce to rural areas.

The agreement, sealed in China's Guizhou province, means Alibaba will help the rural youth to jumpstart online businesses offering training, funds and partnerships, Xinhua reported.

Alibaba's internet finance arm Ant Financial will earmark 1 billion yuan ($154 million) to support college graduates who want to return to their hometowns to start businesses.

E-commerce is developing quickly in rural China with farmers selling products online.

Service stations have been set up in villages to help those who lack the necessary skills to buy and sell online. Villagers can order goods at the stations and return a few days later to collect their packages.

The number of these village hubs has risen from three in 2009 to 780, with plans in place to build another 100,000 village stations and 1,000 county stations by 2019 at a cost of around 10 billion yuan.

China's online sales remained strong in 2015, jumping 33.3 percent to 3.88 trillion yuan.

Online sales in rural areas grew at double the pace of urban areas. Rural shoppers, who account for nearly one-third of the total, spent 195 million yuan online last year.
After shooting in cold conditions in Iceland for international film "Kung Fu Yoga", Indian actress Amyra Dastur got a warm goodbye gesture from legendary actor Jackie Chan.

Jackie got a cake for the whole team of the film on the last day of the Iceland schedule.

According to a source, the martial arts movie star was impressed with Amyra's professionalism.

"On the last day of the Iceland schedule, Jackie Chan got a cake for Amyra and the team as they were shooting in extremely difficult weather conditions and he was impressed with Amyra's professionalism. The team was shooting in cold conditions and they did glacier climbing too. Hence, this was his way of thanking them," said the source.

The shooting was taking place at Glacier Lagoon.

"Kung Fu Yoga" is a part of the three-film agreement signed between the two countries during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India.

It also stars Sonu Sood and it said that the Indian stars have performed some adrenalin-pumping action sequences.

Directed by Stanley Tong, the action comedy film is shot in Dubai and Beijing. It will also be partly shot in India.
The suicide bomber who carried out the deadly attack in Ankara on Sunday was identified as a member of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

The PKK member was Seher Cagla Demir and she was born in 1992 in the province of Kars in eastern Turkey, the ministry was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Demir joined the PKK in 2013 and later received training with the People's Protection Units in Syria.

The car bomb in Ankara's central Kizilay neighbourhood on Sunday evening hit a major public transportation hub, killing 37 people and injuring over 100 others.

Since a ceasefire between the government and the PKK collapsed last July, Turkish security forces have been conducting a major campaign against the group in the southeast of the country.

More than 260 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will contest from the Congress bastion of Titabar, according to the list of the first 65 candidates released by the party high command here on Tuesday.

The party is fielding former union minister Pawan Ghatowar from Moran, while sitting member Rajib Lochan Pegu will take on BJP's chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal from Majuli, a reserved seat for tribals.

In the list released on Tuesday, the party is fielding Bithika Dev, wife of party veteran Santosh Mohan Dev, from Silchar.

The first and second phase of the Assam assembly elections will be held on April 4 and 11, respectively. Assam has a total of 126 assembly constituencies.

Sitting legislator from Margherita Pradyut Bordoloi will contest from the same place while Arun Phukan is being fielded from Bokakhat constituency.
Attacks by Maoists on economic targets rose to 127 in 2015, up from 100 the previous year, parliament was told on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that attacks on economic infrastructure included mobile towers, mines, railway property, government buildings, roads and bridges.

The number of such attacks totalled 169 in 2013. These fell to 100 in 2014 but went up to 127 in 2015. There have been 24 such attacks so far this year, a statement laid in the house said.

The minister said Leftwing extremists, as the Maoists are officially known, reportedly forced money out of industrialists, businessmen and contractors.

He said cases related to extortion and damage to economic infrastructure were registered and investigated by state governments.

The minister said the number of abductions by Maoists totalled 136 in 2013, with 49 deaths. This stood at 138 and 48 respectively in 2014 and 115 and 62 last year.

There have been 17 such incidents this year, with five deaths, he said.
Hours after Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Atiur Rahman resigned on Tuesday, a former finance secretary was appointed as the new central bank chief.

The country's Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith announced former finance secretary Fazle Kabir's appointment as the new chief, bdnews24.com reported.

Atiur Rahman on Tuesday resigned from his post as the country's account at the US Federal Reserve had been hacked and some $101 million was stolen.

"Everything has been finalised to appoint Fazle Kabir as the new Bangladesh Bank governor," he said.

Muhith said Kabir is all set to join as the new governor of the central bank after he returns home from the US next week.

Apart from this, the Bangladeshi government also appointed two new directors to the Bangladesh Bank board.

BB spokesman AFM Asaduzzaman said a meeting of the board of directors with its two new members would be held soon to discuss the entire situation.

The heist came to light in Bangladesh only a couple of days ago following a media report in the Philippines though it occurred early last month.

Rahman has been criticized by keeping the Bangladeshi government in the dark for more than a month about the stealing that made headlines in the country and beyond.

The malware reportedly not merely hacked into the Bangladesh Bank system, but also destroyed the system on the computers itself, which are used by its officials to make transfer orders.

Muhith has come down hard on the central bank top officials as they did not timely inform the government about the matter.

He said action will be taken against the central bank top officials.

Muhith said that the government will form a three-member high-powered committee with Mohammed Farashuddin, a former governor of the central bank, to investigate the heist.

In a press briefing later in the day, Rahman said: "I've resigned as the Bangladesh Bank governor with immediate effect."

Some $101 million worth of foreign reserves of the Bangladesh Bank, deposited with the US central bank, was on February 5 stolen by hackers and transferred to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Some $20 million of the total stolen money has so far been recovered, sources close to central bank of Bangladesh had earlier said.
Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday, with members of the opposition NCP and Congress protesting the arrest of former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, resulting in the legislative assembly as well as council being adjourned four times.

While the Opposition accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena of pursuing " of vendetta", Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected outright the charges, saying Bhujbal -- a legislator from Yeola in Nashik -- was nabbed on the basis of evidence found in the Enforcement Directorate cases against him.

The day's proceedings in the assembly started with the opposition members raising slogans condemning the arrest of the Nationalist Congress Party leader, leading to an adjournment for 10 minutes.

Later, as the house met again, noisy scenes continued followed by a walkout by the opposition, and finally leading to three more adjournments.

Rejecting opposition allegations, Fadnavis emphatically said the ED was an independent body and acted only after gathering "concrete proof" against Bhujbal.

Similar noisy scenes were witnessed in the council where the NCP's Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde moved an adjournment motion calling for setting aside the day's business to discuss Bhujbal's arrest.

Munde said Bhujbal, a legislator, was also a former deputy chief minister, a former leader of opposition and an ex-member of the upper house whose arrest had vast repercussions in the state, with protests and public anger.

Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar said the house generally conducts the Question Hour followed by adjournment motion, but the dissatisfied opposition members rushed near the podium and shouted slogans, leading to a 30-minute adjournment.

The ruckus continued even as the government insisted on conducting the question hour as per schedule and rules of the house before considering the opposition demand, leading to two more adjournments and finally for the day.
A court on Tuesday sent former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who was arrested on corruption charges, to two days custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED had interrogated the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader for nearly 11 hours on Monday in the various corruption cases against him and arrested late night.

Charged under provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), he was produced by the ED before a Special PMLA Court on Tuesday evening which granted the agency two days custody to interrogate him further.

Seeking his remand, ED counsel Hiten Vengaonkar said that Bhujbal failed to cooperate when his statement was being recorded by the agency on Monday.

For most questions put to Bhujbal, the response was 'he did not know', he said.

An emotional Bhujbal pleaded innocence and said that he had cooperated.

"I have not done any wrong. I have cooperated and am being framed as part of a conspiracy. When some questions were put (by the ED), I genuinely said I did not know and yet I was arrested," he said, his eyes moist.

He added that he did not grant the contract (of constructing the Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi), but had only obeyed the directives of the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

He claimed that it was some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET) run by his family who created the story against him, referring to its founder-trustee Sunil Karve who had lodged a complaint of financial misappropriation against the Bhujbal family with the charity commissioner and the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police.

Bhujbal argued what was the need for the ED to arrest him when they could summon him anytime for interrogation in the matter.

Following the Mumbai Police case and complaints by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya the ED has filed two FIRs against his son Pankaj and nephew Samir and 14 others under the PMLA to probe the Maharashtra Sadan scam in New Delhi and the Kalina land grabbing scam in Mumbai.

While Samir was interrogated and arrested by the ED last month, later Pankaj was questioned and allowed to go, followed by Bhujbal's arrest and subsequent remand.

The ED's probe follows a Bombay High Court ruling in January when it sought progress reports from Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau and the ED within four weeks on their investigations against the Bhujbals.

The ED had conducted searches twice at nine premises belonging to the Bhujbal trio and others, and subsequently served attachment orders on three prime properties linked to the Bhujbal family members worth over Rs.280 crore in Mumbai.

Simultaneously, the State Anti-Corruption Bureau had lodged a charge-sheet against the three Bhujbals and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan case.

The Maharashtra Sadan, a state government guest house in New Delhi, was constructed at a cost of Rs.100 crore during the tenure of the erstwhile Congress-NCP government.
Two suspected terrorists of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were arrested from West Bengal on Tuesday in connection with the Burdwan blast in which two suspected terrorists of the outfit were killed and another was injured, the NIA said.

Habibul Hoque, 30, and Enamul Molla, 25 -- both residents of North and South 24 Parganas, respectively -- were arrested for having close association with the accused arrested and absconding in the blast, an official said.

The blast took place on October 2, 2014 in a two-storeyed building in Khagragarh locality of Burdwan.

Police seized 55 improvised explosive devices and some other explosives along with wristwatch dials and some mobile SIM cards.

The National Investigation Agency, which took up the probe on October 10, 2014, has so far arrested 18 people and filed its second supplementary charge sheet on December 14, 2015, slapping fresh charges against 28 accused for waging war against Bangladesh -- an Asiatic power which is in alliance and peace with India.

The NIA filed its first charge sheet before a designated special court on March 30, 2015 naming 21 people, including four Bangladeshi nationals, for their involvement in the JMB conspiracy to overthrow the existing democratic government in Bangladesh through violent terrorist acts and replace it with a hardline Sharia based Islamic rule.

It lodged a supplementary charge sheet on July 23, 2015 against six accused -- including one Bangladeshi national -- for their involvement in the JMB conspiracy.

All of the accused have been booked under the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Passports Act and Foreigners Act.

The NIA in its charge sheet showed that the JMB had established its network in many districts -- particularly Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Birbhum and Burdwan in Bengal; Barpeta in Assam; and Sahibganj and Pakur in Jharkhand.
British oil major Cairn Energy said on Tuesday that Indian tax authorities have slapped a tax demand notice of over Rs.29,000 crore, including Rs.18,800 crore in back interest, on it.

"The assessment order is in the amount of Rs.10,247 crore (approximately $1.6 billion) plus interest back dated to 2007 totalling Rs.18,800 crore (approximately $2.8 billion)," Cairn Energy said while announcing its earnings for 2015.

The income tax department last month issued a final assessment order of Rs.10,247 crore on alleged capital gains made by Cairn Energy in a 2006 reorganisation of its India business.

"Cairn strongly contests the basis of this attempt to retrospectively tax the group for an internal restructuring," the company said adding it has initiated international arbitration to settle the tax dispute.

"The total assets of the Cairn subsidiary against which the tax authorities are seeking to pursue a tax claim are $477 million (including principally the group's near 10 percent shareholding in Cairn India Ltd) and any recovery by the Indian authorities would be limited to such assets," it said.

The notice was issued before Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Budget 2016-17 last month, where he made a one-time offer to waive interest and penalty if the companies paid the principal amount to settle their retrospective tax disputes.

Cairn is seeking damages for losses resulting from the tax department's attachment of its stake in Cairn India.

Cairn Energy, which in 2011 sold majority stake in Cairn India to mining major Vedanta Resources, has said it had to scale back on investments as it was barred by the income tax department from selling its residual 9.8 percent stake.

The demand relates to alleged Rs.24,500 crore capital gains it made in 2006 when it transferred all its India assets to new company, Cairn India, which got listed on the stock exchanges.

"Correspondence received from the income tax department indicates that the assessment stems from amendments introduced in the 2012 Finance Act which seek to tax prior year transactions under retrospective legislation," Cairn had said in a statement on receipt of the tax demand.

Cairn Energy is the second company to have received a retrospective tax demand this year after another British firm, the Vodafone Group.
WASHINGTON  Opponents of a proposed copper mine at the Oak Flat campground scored a point when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places this month  but while they won the battle, they havent won the war.

While Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Prescott, said in a prepared statement that the designation is aimed at sabotaging an important mining effort, a National Register official said Monday that the listing is a label that yes, it (Oak Flat) is in fact a historic resource, but it doesnt necessarily prevent mining at the site.

Paul Lusignan, a historian for the National Register, said the mines owners, Resolution Copper, would have had to determine whether the site had historical significance as part of the National Environmental Policy Act review of the project.

The governments March 4 determination that Oak Flat is historic removes that step from NEPA, he said, but adds another layer of review because there are now historic resources that must be taken into account.

Before a federal agency can take any actions, they have to evaluate effects on any property listed on the National Register or eligible for it, he said.

The historic resources at Oak Flat include sites that the San Carlos Apache consider sacred, said Wendsler Nosie Sr., a former chairman of the San Carlos Apache tribe and a member of the group Apache Stronghold which has been fighting the mine.

Nosie acknowledged that the historic listing for the site  identified by the National Register as the Chichil Bildagoteel Historic District  will not stop the mine, but he welcomed it as a validation of his groups claims.

To the rest of Congress and the rest of the doubters, it proves that this place is unique for a lot of reasons, Nosie said Monday. We know its not a victory, we know its a stepping stone for us to step up.

Nosie said he hopes the listing will bring national attention to the issue and boost support for bills in the House and Senate to reverse the land exchange that cleared the way for the Resolution Copper project.

After years of failing to pass the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act, the House and Senate slipped the language through in December 2014 as an amendment to a defense funding bill.

The act calls for the government to give about 2,400 acres of copper-rich federally owned land, including Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper in exchange for another 5,000 acres of land owned by the company in southeast Arizona.

The mining company has said the move will create thousands of jobs in southeast Arizona and would add billions of dollars to the states economy over its proposed 60-year lifespan. But critics have charged that it would damage environmental and historic sites in the process.

Calls seeking comment from Resolution Copper on the historic designation were not immediately returned Monday. But Gosar made no secret of his opinion in a statement released last week.

Oak Flat has never been a sacred site, as confirmed by the local tribes own former historian, he said, referring to an opinion written by San Carlos Apache Dale Miles.

Yet, Obamas minions are hell-bent on sabotaging an important mining effort by listing a small, public campground 20 miles away from the nearest tribes reservation as a historic site, Gosars statement said.

Nosie called Gosars statements attacks on his tribes spirituality.

Robin Silver, co-founder of the Center for Biological Diversity, said the historic listing is embarrassing for mine supporters because it undermines their argument that the site has no spiritual significance.

Most importantly, it confirms the central sacred importance to the Apache, Silver said. Their (opponents) whole thing is its not important to the Apache, its fake  well its not.

Nosie said he hopes the attention can boost support for bills by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, and Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, that would reverse the land-exchange deal.

Neither Grijalvas bill, introduced in June, nor Sanders, which was introduced in November, has received a hearing yet. But Jane Sanders, wife of the Democratic presidential hopeful, assured tribal leaders during a visit to Oak Flat on Sunday that she and her husband would continue to fight to conserve the land.
Virgin mountains, lush green rice fields, accessible jungle, green rolling hills, waterscapes, the world famed Angkor Wat temple, low-cost skilled movie workforce and fast permissions are on offer in Cambodia for Indian movie makers, said a top official of Cambodia Film Commission.

"Every year around 50-60 movie projects come to Cambodia. Most of them are from Europe, the US and Asia. Indian movie industry is very big and we would like to attract film makers to shoot here," Cedric Eloy, CEO, Cambodia Film Commission, told IANS here on Monday.

The Cambodia Film Commission for the first time is participating in the annual Asia's largest movie market FILMART organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the past 20 years.

According to Eloy, everything is possible in Cambodia and the country is also ideal for shooting TV's adventure game shows.

When cited competing shooting locations Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and others, Eloy said the costs for the film producer will be higher there as compared to Cambodia.

He said in terms of cost, Cambodia works out cheaper as compared to filming in other countries.

Further, the natural location - jungles, hills, beaches, rivers, rice fields - have not been explored much, Eloy said.

He said the crew has gained experience working with the foreign film units and can speak in English.

On the government side, Eloy said there will not be any import duties on the equipments, and permissions are granted fast.

According to him, the colonial buildings offer filmmakers to shoot their period films.

Eloy said foreign crews can work in the country without any required paperwork, and local labour regulation offer the flexibility that film production needs.

Talking about the Cambodian movie industry, he said there are around 15 screens and the number of movies produced are also small.

(The writer's visit is at the invitation of Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
The CBI on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against then Noida authority chief engineer Yadav Singh and 13 others, including his wife and former officials, on charges of corruption that caused a loss of Rs.19 crore to the government exchequer.

The Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet filed in the court of Special Judge for CBI cases named Yadav Singh, then project engineer Ramendra, assistant project engineers Devi Ram Arya and Jai Pal Singh, junior engineers Rajeev Kumar, R.D. Sharma and Ompal Singh, Yadav Singh's wife Kusum Lata, Tirupati Constructions managing partner V.K. Goel, JSP Constructions partner Pankaj Jain, NKG Infrastructures managing director Pradeep Garg and the three companies under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the CBI, the investigation revealed that the allotment of work was allegedly pre-decided, tender formalities were wilfully violated, estimate was highly inflated to cause undue gain to the contractor -- all of which caused a loss of Rs.19 crore to the government exchequer.

The CBI had registered a case on July 30, 2015 over alleged corrupt practices in the laying of underground cables worth Rs.9,202 lakh and other allegations in pursuance of the orders of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Uttar Pradesh Police had earlier registered an FIR in Noida in June 2012 that said the then chief engineer of Noida/Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities had entered into a criminal conspiracy with private people/firms and awarded various contracts without following the laid down procedures.

The CBI had earlier conducted searches in August 2015 at 14 places -- one each at Agra and Ferozabad and 12 in Noida and Greater Noida -- which led to recovery of documents of 38 immovable properties/houses in Noida and Agra and other incriminating documents.

The CBI arrested Yadav Singh on February 3, 2016.

Further investigation on the allotment of 1,280 projects amounting to Rs.959 crore is on.
China on Tuesday congratulated Myanmar on the election of U Htin Kyaw as president.

"China looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Myanmar's new government," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.

He said China will continue to support Myanmar's efforts towards stability, development and ethnic reconciliation, and described the two countries as "friendly neighbours", Xinua reported.

"We believe that with common efforts, the China-Myanmar partnership will be consolidated and enhanced," the spokesperson said.
The government will honour the commitments made to Andhra Pradesh when Telengana was carved out of it, union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha.

"There is no question of going back on the promises made to Andhra Pradesh post its bifurcation. The government has fulfilled majority of promises made to the state," the urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation minister told the Lok Sabha.

"One-sided bifurcation has been done by the previous government. We will treat both the states as equal and there would not be any partiality," he added.

The issue was raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge during the Zero Hour.

Kharge sought to know from the government the status of the demand for "special status" to the state in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

The minister said the previous government did not mention the special status to the state in the act.

"You never bothered to bring it (special status) into the act. I have been demanding the special status for the state since we were in the opposition," Naidu said.

He added that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government will fulfill all the promises made to the state of Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress on Tuesday released its first list of 43 candidates for the coming assembly polls in West Bengal amid efforts to work out an alliance with the Left Front.

Among the candidates cleared by the Congress central election committee, former state party chief and sitting legislator Manas Bhunia would contest from his pocket borough of Sabong in West Midnapore district.

State legislative party leader Mohammad Sohrab would be in the fray from Jangipur in Murshidabad district.

The party has selected Mohit Sengupta for the prestigious Raiganj seat in North Dinajpur district, while sitting MLA and bureaucrat-turned-politician Sukhbilas Barma would try his luck from hs old constituency of Jalpaiguri.

Bengal will see balloting on seven dates -- April 4, 11, 17, 21, 25 and 30 and May 5.

Even as there were some problems in the tie-up between the Congress and the Left Front, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has claimed there was no dispute with the Leftists.

Chowdhury on March 13 claimed an understanding with the Left Front in all but seven constituencies for polls to the 294-seat assembly.

He said three seats of Murshidabad (Domkol, Hariharpara and Bharatpur), two in Malda district (Harishchandrapur and Malatipur), one each in South Dinajpur (Tapan) and Kolkata (Belaighata) will see friendly fights between the Congress and the Left Front.
Accusing the CPI-M of injuring 26 of its activists, the BJP said on Tuesday that the Marxists were indulging in violence ahead of assembly elections in Kerala.

The way the Communist Party of India-Marxist was approaching the polls due in May "speaks the language of violence and arrogance", BJP spokesman V.V. Rajesh told the media.

He said CPI-M activists attacked former Kerala state president V. Muraleedharan at Kazhakootam on the suburbs on Thiruvananthapuram on Monday night.

The attack "left 26 of our workers injured" and they were now in hospital, said Rajesh, adding Muraleedharan too had been admitted to a hospital.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is desperately trying to win a seat in the assembly polls, has called a district shutdown.

But it has exempted educational institutions and transport in view of the ongoing school exams.
The crucial meeting of the State Advisory Council (SAC), headed by Governor N.N. Vohra, to finalise budget proposals for 2016-2017 in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled on Tuesday, has been postponed.

Although there was no word on whether the postponement of the crucial meeting had any connection with the formation of government by the Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP.

The decision came on a day when PDP president Mehbooba Mufti left for New Delhi ostensibly to attend the Lok Sabha.

There were renewed speculations that the former ruling alliance partners, PDP and BJP, could be close to reaching an agreement on government formation within the next four-to-five days.

Former state finance minister Haseeb Drabu said on Monday that even if the governor's administration passed a full fledged budget or vote on account for the new fiscal in the state, any elected government would have the power to change those proposals.

The state was placed under governor's rule on January 8, a day after then chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away following a brief illness.
Taiwan's President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), on Tuesday appointed Lin Chuan, a former finance minister, as the nation's future prime minister.

In a press conference, Tsai said Lin is a person "with strong communication and problem solving skills" and promised that with the help of Lin "the people's trust in the government will recover", EFE news reported.

Lin does not belong to any political party, although he was finance minister between late 2002 and early 2006 during the presidency of Chen Shui-bian, also of the DPP.

He is currently executive director of the New Frontier Foundation, composed of experts and chaired by Tsai, and played an important role in the campaign of the president-elect.

The appointment of Lin has been expected since Tsai and the DPP won in the presidential and legislative elections on January 16.

It has also been interpreted as a sign of the incoming government's commitment to ideological moderation and an emphasis on the economy.
A case has been registered against a woman and three others on the charge of keeping two officials of Chhattisgarh hostage at a farmhouse in Indore for two days, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

Police got the two officials, Srinivas Rao and Mukesh, released from illegal custody after raiding a resort in Dalip Nagar area after a tip-off on Monday night, Additional Superintendent of Police Rupesh Dwivedi told the media.

The police official said the two officials were kept hostage as the accused woman Sapna Sahu, who ran a non-governmental organisation, wanted Srinivas to give her Rs.2 lakh as she had visited Chhattisgarh at Srinivas' bidding but did not get a project for her NGO.

All the four accused are absconding, police said.
Quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel was on Tuesday denied bail by the court of principal district and sessions judge of Surat.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader has been in jail since October last year on charges of sedition and his alleged role in instigating a supporter to kill a few policeman instead of committing suicide.

The police crime branch in Surat had in January filed a 370-page chargesheet in the case.

The same court had earlier rejected the bail plea of the two co-accused -- Chirag Desai and Vipul Desai, whom Hardik was supposed to have advised to kill policemen.

On March 8, another court in Ahmedabad had rejected Hardik's bail plea in yet another case of sedition filed by the Ahmedabad crime branch unit against him and five others for their role in the quota stir turning violent.

Rejecting the bail plea, the court also observed that his behaviour inside the jail was not good.

Meanwhile, a day after the sessions court served notice to the Lajpore jail authorities asking them why the letters written by Hardik were not allowed to be sent outside, the jail authorities on Tuesday moved court with a request to transfer him to any other prison.

A petition was filed by deputy jail superintendent V.D. Patil in the court of principal district and session judge Geetaben Gopi on Tuesday.

Jail superintendent R.M. Pandey said they initiated the petition mainly because of Hardik's "ill behaviour".

The petition mentioned five points as the grounds for Hardik's transfer to another jail, including alleged misbehaviour with the jail authorities and the doctor, recovery of mobile equipment and Rs.1,000 currency notes from his barrack and his baseless allegations against the jail authorities.

On the allegation by Hardik's lawyer Yaswantsinh Vala that the leader was not allowed to wear slippers by the jail authorities and was brought barefoot to the court earlier, the officials said they were just checking his footwear routinely to see if something was hidden in it or not.

"This angered him. It is not fair to say that the jail authorities barred him from wearing footwear," the superintendent said.
Hosting Bollywood extravaganza, International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) celebrations, in Madrid is likely to lure Indian filmmakers to explore the destination's picturesque locales, says Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena.

"The fact that the Bollywood awards will be celebrated in Madrid is very important for the City Hall. It is another step forward in our goal of placing our city in the international picture. The whole combination of activities that are happening during the Awards weekend will make easier the plan of having Bollywood sets in Madrid in the near future," Carmena said in a statement.

"On one hand, that will generate jobs and, on the other hand, we will start building bridges between Indian film industry and the Spanish and Latin America ones. At the same time, it is an unbeatable chance of promoting Madrid on a huge touristic market as the Indian is," she added.

Madrid was officially announced the host of the 17th edition of the IIFA gala, which will be held from June 23-26.

Bollywood stars Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Sonakshi Sinha, along with officials of Wizcraft International were in Madrid for a meet and greet, during which they joined in a Bollywood flashmob too.

IIFA will celebrate IIFA Rocks Fest; IIFA Stomp, an exhibition of urban trends; and the magnificent IIFA Awards. During the Weekend, The Global Business Forum will also be held organised by Ficci and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce,

In order to get IIFA 2016 to Spain, Madrid City Council has worked along with the support of Comunidad de Madrid, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Education Ministry and the Indian embassy.

This is the fourth time that IIFA will be held in Europe. Earlier, it was hosted in London, Yorkshire and Amsterdam.

Anil, who is known internationally for starring in "Slumdog Millionaire", "24" and "Mission Impossible 2", said: "I know the importance of bridging cultural divides."

Hrithik applauded IIFA's vision of "overcoming boundaries and reaching out to an international audience for Indian films".

"I have some very fond memories attached to Spain while we were filming for 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'. I am thrilled to come back to Spain," he said.

Sonakshi shared that the event is "an excellent opportunity for us, the film community, to connect with fans and take our cinema across the globe. Madrid is a thrilling city, and I am looking forward to experiencing another spectacular IIFA in another amazing destination."

The 17th IIFA Weekend will play host to some of the most celebrated stars of the Indian film industry, notable guests, and dignitaries from India and the region, world media and Indian cinema fans from across the globe.

Andre Timmins, director, Wizcraft International, said: "Over the years, the journey of IIFA has evolved from the film industry celebrations of Bollywood to such a multi-faceted event of music, art, culture and business. This year our excitement for Spain is strongly focused in the opportunity to address CSR and environmental issues.

"IIFA aims to support and benefit the awareness of matters that can inspire people for change. IIFA Yorkshire was the year that IIFA truly established its commitment toward the environment with the world's first green carpet... It is fulfilling to be able to give back to our host destinations and this year in Madrid we are working on some very interesting subjects to take a stand toward sustainability and a greener tomorrow."
Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said New Delhi has great confidence in Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's decision power.

Jaishankar urged Oli to carry ahead the works upon which Nepal and India have agreed in the past but which remain stalled, The Himalayan Times reported.

India wishes to assist Nepal in stability and development as New Delhi would also benefit from the country's development, he said.

The Indian foreign secretary is on official visit to Nepal to attend the Saarc foreign ministers' meeting taking place in Pokhara.

On his part, Oli said Nepal expects India's cooperation in its development endeavours as Kathmandu enters into the economic development phase.

Oli reiterated that the Nepal government was committed to not allowing its territory be used against any neighbouring country.

Bilateral relations have further strengthened between India and Nepal as a result of his visit to New Delhi last month, the prime minister said.

Oli said there was no political problem in the country at present, and that the government was committed to seeking out solution through dialogue even if there were any problems.
The increasing trend of urban flooding in India poses a great challenge, resulting in cities being inundated from a few hours to several days, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that there has been a rising trend of urban flood disasters in the country over the past several years.

He said in a statement that cities such as Mumbai (2005), Surat (2006), Guwahati (2010), Srinagar (2014) and Chennai (2015) had witnessed major urban floods.

The minister said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had underlined the importance of early warning system, flood forecasting and reservoir management as well as drainage issues to tackle the problem.
India has requested Britain to extradite 15 fugitives, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that India was in constant touch with the British government to facilitate the extradition of the fugitives.

He said in a statement that a British minister visiting New Delhi took the stand that these matters were sub-judice in British courts.

But the British minister promised cooperation "on a case-to-case basis", Chaudhary said, without giving details.
There were 418,536 prisoners in Indian jails at the end of 2014, against the capacity of 356,561, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that this, according to a National Crime Record Bureau report, amounted to overcrowding by 117.4 percent.

The minister said prison administration was primarily the responsibility of state governments.

But the central government supported the states in this respect between 2002 and 2009.

However, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh "were unable to utilise the funds to the tune of Rs.12.20 crore for various reasons", the minister said in a statement.

The reasons included non-acquisition of land, unsuitability of land and non-availability of matching share, he said.
In the latest controversy over the implementation of its Safety Check tool, users are questioning social giant Facebook why it failed to turn on the feature after an attack in Cote d'Ivoire on March 14.

Built in the wake of the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the Safety Check location tool allows users to "check-in" and assure their contacts that they are safe in a disaster area.

Dozens of people were killed in two separate terror attacks on March 14. While Turkey's capital Ankara was hit by a car explosion in which 37 people died, in Cote d'Ivoire, a gunmen killed 12 beachgoers in Grand Bassam -- a resort town near the country's capital city Abidjan.

Although Facebook activated its Safety Check feature for users in Ankara, it did not activate the tool for people in Abidjan, Quartz reported.

Users started questioning Facebook after company COO Sheryl Sandberg posted that the tool had been activated for people in Ankara.

People asked whether the social company turned on the feature for people stuck in Grand Bassam.

Facebook, however, did not respond to questions regarding the non-activation of Safety Check feature in Cote d'Ivoire.

This is not the first time the company has come under fire for their selective use of the Safety Check tool.

Last November, the networking site activated the feature for attacks in Paris in which more than 130 people died, the first time it did so for a terrorist event.

But some questioned why the tool had been used for Paris and not Lebanon's capital city Beirut, which had been hit by suicide bombings the previous day that killed 43 people.
Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met the agitating Madhesi leaders here in connection with their dialogue with the Nepal government.

Jaishankar arrived in the capital on Monday night to attend the Saarc Ministerial Meeting in Pokhara, some 200 km west of Kathmandu.

Madhesi leader Raj Kishor Yadav said Jaishankar inquired about the progress made in talks between the Nepal government and the agitating Madhesi groups.

Talks between the government and the Madhesi leaders remains in limbo since they have rejected the political mechanism formed to re-address the demarcation of the seven-province model. They are seeking a review of the demarcation.

Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and newly-elected Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba later in the day after which he will travel to Pokhara to attend the Saarc ministerial meet.
Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday denied media reports that a high-level inquiry committee had recommended the rustication of five students from the university.

"It is not true. Not at all...," Chief Proctor Ashok Dimri told IANS when asked if the media reports were correct.

"What the panel has recommended is a different issue. I've just received the report and will review it when the time comes. The students have been issued show-cause notices in which there are different clauses. But the media reports are not true," Dimri said.

"The quantum of punishment will be decided once I receive the responses to the show cause (notices)," he added.

On Monday, media reports said the panel had recommended the rustication of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and two other students for their alleged role in raising anti-national slogans on the campus on February 9.

Meanwhile, the JNU Teachers Association also said the media reports on rustication were false.

"These reports are completely false. The teaching community is going to demand from the JNU administration to set up an inquiry and find out who leaked the rumours in media. We want the media organisations which carried the report to disclose the name of the person who said this," JNUTA general secretary Professor Bikramaditya Chaudhury told IANS.

The committee - formed on February 10 - submitted its report last week. It comprises Professor Rakesh Bhatnagar, Professor Himadri Bohidar, Professor Suman K. Dhar, Professor Ummu Salma Bawa and Professor G.J.V. Prasad.

On Monday, 21 students were issued the show-cause notices.

"I am not authorised to speak on this matter (rustication). Speak to the vice chancellor or the public relations officer. They are the right people (to talk). A lot has been published wrongly in the newspapers... One should check their facts and do their homework before publishing anything...," Bhatnagar said earlier in the day.
A court here on Tuesday extended, till March 29, the judicial custody of JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, facing sedition charges for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans, court sources said.

Both the accused were presented before a magistrate via video conferencing due to security concerns after expiry of their earlier remand of judicial custody, sources said.

Both the students surrendered before police last month outside a gate of the university.

A case against Khalid and Bhattacharya was registered at Vasant Kunj police station, soon after JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested under the same charges on February 12 after the event held on the university campus against the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He is out on bail.
Virtually all domestic airlines owe money to the state-run Airports Authority of India. But Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines, now inoperational, accounts for over 40 percent of that amount, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

As per details provided by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati, the total dues of the Airports Authority is Rs.710.14 crore. Of that, Rs.294.57 crore is owed by Kingfisher. Next on the list is IndiGo with Rs.71.81 crore, GoAir (Rs.64.09 crore) and SpiceJet (Rs.63.28 crore).

In the case of Kingfisher, the amount due also includes interest of Rs.121.88 crore. A recovery suit has been filed in the court for the whole amount, the minister said.

In another annexure, the minister said while Jet Airways owes as much as Rs.857.47 crore to the state-run Indian Oil Corp, GoAir's dues to the oil retailer was Rs.76.34 crore towards aviation turbine fuel.

In the case of Hindustan Petroleum, another public sector company, the amount due from airlines was Rs.66.72 crore from Kingfisher, Rs.19.28 crore from regional carrier Paramount and a small sum of Rs.100,000 from Jet Airways.
The Left Front was confident of forming the governments in West Bengal and Kerala this time, CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said here on Tuesday.

He said the Left would defeat the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal with the "united support of the people" and also comfortably overcome the previous thin margin in Kerala.

"The Left parties with the united support of the people would defeat the ruling Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal assembly elections," Karat said at a public gathering.

"In the 2011 assembly elections in Kerala, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI-M could not come to power after a shortage of just three seats. This time, the LDF would comfortably overcome the previous election's thin shortage."

The public gathering was organised by the Tripura state committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in connection with the birth centenary of party leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet.

"Massive corruption in Kerala, the Trinamool Congress' atrocities and misrule in West Bengal would be befittingly answered by the people in the ensuing assembly elections," said Karat, who was the previous CPI-M general secretary.

Coming down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 21-month rule has only proved that the government's policies were aimed to make India a "Hindu Rashtra".

Slamming this aim of the BJP, backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he said RSS and BJP leaders played no role in India's independence.

Referring to incidents in various educational institutions in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Delhi and other places, he said BJP cadres backed by RSS were trying to control all the institutions in the country.

"The CPI-M has been struggling for economic and social equality of all people. That's why a strong Left movement is essential in the country. The RSS does not want reservation for the downtrodden people," he said.

Hitting out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, he said the increase in taxes in the budget only affected the common people, and the union government was giving tax benefits to millionaires.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and the party's central committee member Bijan Dhar also spoke at the public meeting.
A total of 131,666 people committed suicide in India in 2014, with Maharashtra accounting for 16,307 of the deaths, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha in a written statement that 89,129 men and 42,521 women took their own lives in 2014. Transgenders accounted for 16 deaths.

The minister said Maharashtra was followed by Tamil Nadu (16,122 suicides), West Bengal (14,310), Karnataka (10,945), Telangana (9,623) and Madhya Pradesh (9,039).

Among union territories, Delhi accounted for 2,095 suicides.
Two Australian reporters who crossed the security line at an event to interview the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak were deported, police said on Tuesday.

Eroglu Levent and Linton Joshua Besser from Australian Broadcasting Corporation were arrested on Saturday after trying to approach Najib for an interview at an event held in Malaysia's Sarawak state.

The two were investigated for obstructing a public servant in discharging his public functions, but prosecutors decided not to charge them, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two journalists can return to Malaysia as tourists, the country's Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters.

"If they come back as tourists, there is no problem. But if they come back and break laws, there will be a problem," Nur Jazlan said.

They were earlier released on police bail after having their statements recorded.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expressed concern over the arrest.
Malaysia will deport two Australian journalists on Tuesday who were detained in Sarawak state for asking Prime Minister Najib Razak about corruption allegations.

The two reporters, Liston Besser and Louie Eroglu from the Australian Broadcasting Channel (ABC), were detained for attempting to interview Najib on Saturday over the $681 million deposited into his bank accounts, which was allegedly transferred from a state fund, EFE news reported.

The police chief of Sarawak, Dev Kumar, said in a statement that Besser and Eroglu will not be charged for obstructing a public servant.

"Police investigation papers were submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor on Monday. The next day the police received instructions from the DPP that no charges will be filed against the two," Kumar said.

"Instead they will be deported from the country," he added.

The scandal involving Najib and state investment fund 1MDB (Malaysia Development Bhd) was uncovered by international last year.

Najib and 1MDB initially denied that such a transfer had occurred.

The government later admitted the existence of the millions in their private accounts but said that they were donation from the Saudi royal family.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Thounaojam Brinda has tendered her resignation, causing much embarrassment to the ruling Congress party in Manipur.

"I had submitted my resignation to L.M. Khoute, the Director General of Police on January 26, 2016, citing personal reasons. Instead of accepting it, the government constituted an inquiry committee to look into it. The committee has summoned me three times. I have refused to attend it since I think it is not neutral," Brinda said.

Talking to reporters on Monday evening, Brinda said that apart from harassment, she was always looked at with suspicion in the department since "I am the daughter-in-law of R.K. Meghen, the then chairman of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) insurgent group."

Brinda had appeared in the Manipur Public Service Commission examination in 2012. Although her name was cleared and recommended, no appointment letter was issued.

She had to approach the Supreme Court to seek justice.

Later, she was informed that the government suspected that classified and other sensitive information may be leaked through her.

In 2013, the state high court ordered the Manipur government to give her the appointment letter. She was serving in the 9 IRB Mahila Battalion when she tendered resignation.

Brinda said, "There is no question of withdrawing my resignation letter."

She regretted that her resignation seems to be tendentiously linked to the confession of Thounaojam Herojit, the police head constable who reportedly shot dead an unarmed former insurgent on the orders of a superior officer on July 23, 2009.

"I am fed up with the irregularities and the present system," Brinda added.

Meanwhile, the government has not explained why it constituted an inquiry committee although it is first of its kind that a ranking police officer has tendered resignation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said that Tehran's recent ballistic missile tests were only for self defence and did not violate the historic nuclear deal.

Zarif made the comments during a joint press conference in Canberra with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, EFE news reported.

Zarif confirmed that Bishop had questioned him about the missiles tested last week, which drew international concern, but maintained that they had not violated the nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers that saw international sanctions on the nation lifted in January.

"Iran will never use any means to attack any country, including our missiles. These are only for our defence," he said.

"I challenge those who are complaining about Iran's missile programme, taking photographs and making slide shows and all of that in front of the Security Council to make the same statement."

However, Bishop said Australia would support a UN investigation into the tests.

Zarif's visit to Australia comes as part of his six-nation Asia-Pacific tour.

It is the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to the country since 2002.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Belgium on March 30 to attend the European Union-India Summit being held after four years.

The first visit of an Indian prime minister to Brussels in six years will reinvigorate EU-India ties and inject new momentum into the relationship, Manjeev Singh Puri, Indian ambassador to the EU, said.

"We hope to use this summit to ensure that whatever may have happened, a few little slip ups here and there, we are back on the rails for bilateral meaning and collaborations which is for global good," Puri said at an event on EU-India relations, organised by the think tank 'Friends of Europe'.

"We are the world's two largest democracies, we encompass diversity. We have 22 official languages in India. You, in the EU, have 24. We have 29 federal states, you have 28 member states. This itself should give you the idea why there is a sense of comfort which should be driven by far greater invigoration," he said.

"We hope to see a vastly invigorated modern relationship," he added.

On her part, Shada Islam, director of policy at the Friends of Europe in her introductory remarks said: "If both sides play their cards right, the summit could pave the way for a more ambitious, dynamic and adventurous EU-India relationship."

"India and EU need a new conversation, a new focus on shared interests as well as new goals and ambitions. Above all, they need to take a fresh look at each other, replacing tired misperceptions and cliches. The summit should come up with a new EU-India action plan which is short, snappy and action-oriented," she suggested.

The event, organised with the support of Tata Consultancy Services, was attended by senior officials from the EU and international institutions, diplomats, business and NGO representatives, academics and other key stakeholders.

Addressing the issue of the ongoing negotiations on the EU-India trade and investment agreement, other speakers on the occasion discussed sectors which are ripe for increased EU-India synergies.

The last was organised in 2012 in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh twice in April to participate in programmes organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an official said on Tuesday.

Modi will take part in an event on April 14 marking the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar.

A series of programmes and events have been lined up in April that will start on the birth anniversary of Ambedkar and conclude on April 24, with a programme in Agra, party spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak told IANS.

After a series of political reverses, the party has decided to go all out to woo the Dalits in the upcoming assembly elections.

-- Indo-Asian News Service

md/ksk/mr
A seventh of the 28,356 foreigners found to be overstaying in India at the end of 2014 were Pakistanis, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju also told the Lok Sabha that the maximum number of foreigners deported from a single country in 2014 were from Nigeria.

The minister said in a written statement that 4,335 Pakistanis were found to be overstaying in India at the end of 2014, followed by Sri Lankans (3,857), South Koreans (1,772), Iraqis (1,625) and Americans (1,291).

Also in 2014, a total of 1,010 Nigerians, 989 Bangladeshis and 101 Pakistanis were deported, the minister said. The total number deported in 2014 was 2,847.

At the end of 2014, Tamil Nadu hosted the maximum number of overstaying foreigners -- 20,539. This was followed by Maharashtra (3,300). The total for the country stood at 28,356.

The minister said the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh was regularly taken up with Dhaka.

He said steps had been taken for coordinated patrolling, identification of vulnerable gaps and strengthening of riverine patrolling.

Bangladesh had also been urged to take effective steps to check the illegal movement of their nationals into India, he added.
The Pope during consistory of cardinals on Tuesday announced September 4 as the date for Mother Teresa's canonisation, the media reported.

After months of anticipation, the date for Mother Teresa's canonisation was announced as September 4, which this year will also mark a special jubilee for workers and volunteers of mercy, Catholic News Agency cited Pope Francis as saying.

The Pope had cleared the way in December for sainthood for the Nobel peace laureate, who died in 1997 aged 87.

The Albania-born nun and missionary was by far the most high-profile of the five candidates for sainthood considered by the Vatican panel on Tuesday.

It is not clear whether the Pope will bow to appeals from the Catholic church in India and travel to Calcutta for the ceremony or, as Vatican sources say is more likely, preside over one in Rome, the Guardian reported.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. After joining the Sisters of Loretto at the age of 17, she was sent to Calcutta, where she later contracted tuberculosis, and was sent to rest in Darjeeling.

On the way, she felt what she called an order from God to leave the convent and live among the poor.

After she left her convent, Mother Teresa began working in the slums, teaching poor children, and treating the sick in their homes.

Known across the world as the Mother, Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor, sick, old and lonely in the slums of Kolkata.

She died on September 5, 1997, and was beatified just six years later by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 2003.

More than 300,000 pilgrims went to Rome in 2003 for Teresa's beatification -- the first step towards sainthood.
Myanmar on Tuesday elected U Htin Kyaw of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party as its new president, the first civilian to lead the country after over 50 years of military rule, media reports said.

"Today's result is a triumph for (NLD leader) Aung San Suu Kyi," The Myanmar Times quoted U Htin Kyaw, a 69-year-old academic and long-time aide of the Nobel laureate, as saying after the results were declared.

U Htin Kyaw was elected with 360 votes while U Myint Swe from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), who was directly assigned by the military, was elected first vice president with 213 votes.

The appointed military bloc in parliament holds 166 seats, 25 percent of the total, while the military-backed USDP has 41 seats in the two houses. U Henry Van Thio, an NLD upper house member and an ethnic Chin Christian, was elected second vice president with 79 votes.

The new government will be sworn-in on March 30 and will assume office from April 1.

U Htin Kyaw, a year younger than Suu Kyi, attended school with her at Dagon township's Basic Education High School Number 1.

According to sources, he received a bachelor's and then a master's degree in economics from Yangon University.

In 1971, he became the first scholar to be sent abroad by the university's fledgling computer department. He studied at the now-defunct University of London Institute of Computer Science at the same time that Aung San Suu Kyi lived in London.

She later became a student at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, while U Htin Kyaw returned to socialist-era Mynamar, ruled by General Ne Win.

Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide victory in last year's November 8 general elections after decades of often brutal rule by Myanmar's generals.

Suu Kyi nominated U Htin Kyaw "obviously to show that he is the most trusted person for her", Al Jazeera quoted Zaw Min, 48, a former NLD member as saying.

"If this kind of person leads the country ... it will also affect positively on the people of this country," he said.
The Nagaland government will continue to take active part in facilitating the peace process among the various stakeholders, Governor P.B. Acharya said on Tuesday.

Addressing members of the legislative assembly on the first day of the budget session, the governor appealed to all sections of the society to be "large-hearted" and supportive of the peace process for the sake of the future generations.

Acharya said the abrogation of the ceasefire by the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) in March 2015 has caused much anxiety among the people, and the state government along with the civil society has been appealing to the central government and NSCN-K to resume the ceasefire.

The governor informed the assembly that a consultation process among the various stakeholders was also going on, following the signing of the framework agreement by the government of India and the NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015.

On the unfortunate murder of an innocent couple near Shamator on February 6 which led to problems in Kiphire, Pungro and Shamator areas, Acharya said the situation has been brought under control.

Stating that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a deputy inspector general of police has been set up, he appealed to the people to cooperate with the SIT in apprehending the culprits.

He said the safety of the minority community in any area should be the prime concern of the majority community, and the tendency to take revenge must be avoided and the law be allowed to take its own course.

He said a 240-strong State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was launched on Republic Day.

The SDRF personnel will be deployed at eight strategic district headquarters, with the objective to respond quickly to natural calamities across the state, he added.

Video conferencing facility with all district courts and district jails has been installed and the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court has been provided with Wi-Fi connectivity.

Acharya announced that financial assistance to World War II veterans has been enhanced from Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000 per month with effect from 2015-16.

He said the power department completed and commissioned the one MW Tehok mini hydro electric project on January 29 in Chen in Mon district.

The new and renewable energy department also commissioned the Mayemong hydro-electric project in May 2015, which was supplying power to Choklangan and Wui villages in Noklak sub-division, he added.
Drug and narcotics related offences are on the rise in the country, with 1,699 deaths reported in 2014, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that the total number of cases reported under narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances rose from 29,247 in 2012 to 46,923 in 2014.

This "shows a rising trend", the minister said in a written statement.

The statement said the maximum deaths in 2014 occurred in Maharashtra (359), followed by Madhya Pradesh (188), Chhattisgarh (156), Punjab (118) and Haryana (117).

Among union territories, Puducherry accounted for 95 deaths, followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands (31) and Delhi (19).
An NSCN(IM) delegation met senior officials of the home ministry, including Naga talks interlocuter R.N. Ravi, on Tuesday to discuss crucial details of the peace accord inked on August 3, last year.

"Today's meeting is very crucial as both the government and NSCN(IM) will take decisions on several important issues. We have held several rounds of talks with the government over the accord and its final outcome. A lot of things will be clear after this meeting," a senior National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) [NSCN(IM)] leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

Sources said some of the important issues, which might be discussed, include a separate flag for the Nagaland.

The meeting is the first after senior rebel leader General Kholi Konyak, initialy with the NSCN (Khaplang) and then the Unification faction, joined the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) on Sunday.

The government is trying to bring on board other NSCN factions before the Naga Peace Accord is finalised.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is said to have attended the meeting, refused to comment on the issue when contacted.
Oil prices dropped as market expected that global supply exceeded the demand.

The West Texas Intermediate for April delivery on Tuesday moved down 84 cents to settle at $36.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for May delivery decreased 79 cents to close at $38.74 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hopes faded that major crude producers would freeze output levels to ease a global glut as Iran reportedly said Monday that it intended to ramp its production level back up to the 4 million barrels a day.

Saudi Arabia and Russia announced in mid-February that they would halt production increases as long as other major producers followed suit.

A meeting proposed by the two countries to discuss the production freeze has been postponed to April from March 20.

In February, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' crude production decreased by 175,000 barrels to average 32.28 million barrels per day, the cartel said in a report released on Monday.
Mumbai is India's best-run city, followed by Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Pune and Bhopal, according to a new survey. Also called India's commercial capital, Mumbai scored five of a possible 10 points on financial sustainability and 6.7 for skilled human resource, said the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems 2015 by Janaagraha, an advocacy, which examined 11 parameters, including powers for raising resources, investment and expenditure.

The main concern, according to the Janaagraha study, is that most Indian cities fail to reach anywhere close to 10.

"These scores imply that Indian cities are grossly under-prepared to deliver a high quality of life that is sustainable in the long term," a Janaagraha statement said.

"This is particularly worrisome, given the rapid pace of urbanisation in India coupled with the huge backlog in public service delivery. Only robust City-Systems can prepare Indian cities to surmount both these challenges. The scores in this survey do not, by and large, show any significant improvements over the last edition."

Municipal corporations have limited management capabilities, IndiaSpend had reported earlier, crippling many urban programmes. No more than six of 21 cities (Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Mumbai, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram) considered for the study can generate enough money -- mostly through property and other taxes -- to sustain themselves. The others require handouts from either the state or central government.

Only five states in India -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Punjab -- have the financial and administrative ability to manage urbanisation at the present pace, according to this IndiaSpend analysis. Hyderabad and Pune score 8.6 of 10 in financial sustainability.

London and New York score a perfect 10 when it comes to revenue and urban capacities, while Mumbai is India's best with a score of five, followed by Delhi with 4.7 and Pune with 4.6, the ASICS study said. Municipal revenues account for barely 0.75 percent of India's GDP, as compared to China where the top eight cities contribute to 21 percent of the GDP.

Lack of human resources is another key issue faced by municipal corporations: Patna has only 35 percent positions filled, followed by Bengaluru with 48.4 percent positions. In skilled human resources, Mumbai, as we said, scores the highest with 6.7, followed by Kolkata with 6 and Pune with 5.6. To run a city efficiently, it is essential to empower municipal corporations, which, currently, is not the case.

For instance, mayors in Indian cities have limited powers and are mostly figureheads. In many other countries, mayors run cities as chief ministers do the Indian states -- perhaps, with even more power. Their track records often propel them into national politics. The former mayors of Istanbul (Turkey), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Buenos Aires (Argentina) now run their respective countries.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform, where Prachi Salve is a policy analyst. The views expressed are those of India Spend. The author can be contacted at respond@indiaspend.org)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday announced that the Palestinians were ready to cooperate with France on holding an international conference for achieving peace in the Middle East.

Abbas's reiteration was made in a meeting held at his office in Ramallah with France's special peace envoy Pierre Vimont, who is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, Xinhua reported.

According to the Palestinian official, Abbas explained to Vimont the Palestinians appreciation to France's backing role in the peace process and the ideas that Paris presented for a peace solution.

"The Palestinian leadership fully backs these important ideas," Abbas was quoted as saying, referring the French ideas of pushing forward the stalled peace process and find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The French diplomat previewed to Abbas in details his country's ideas, mainly the point related to holding an international conference for peace in the Middle East, and the contacts with the international community.

"Palestine is also holding intensive and deep contacts with various international parties to ear enough support for holding the conference and find a mechanism to resolve the Palestinian question," said Abbas.

He also said "resolving the Palestinian question has to be based on the principle of the two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative and the international resolutions, as well as a time schedule for ending the Israeli occupation."

Meanwhile, a well-informed Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Vimont told Abbas that he did not find any Israeli enthusiasm to the French ideas.

"Israel still believes that resuming the bilateral negotiations between the two sides is the main solution," said the official, adding that Vimont told Abbas that France holds contacts with the US and Russia to examine their positions.

The official went on saying that Abbas explained to Vimont that the Palestinians "are very much enthusiastic" for the French ideas and that he contacted many parties to gain their support mainly the Arab League.

Before Vimont meeting with Abbas, Secretary General of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday that the Palestinians are ready to fully cooperate with France in succeeding its ideas.
Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra, who is prepping to co-host the second edition of the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) along with actor Riteish Deshmukh later this week, says she loves how funny and impromptu he is as a person.

"Riteish is an amazing host, but I have also been hosting (shows) a lot. Actually I have hosted more than I have performed (at events). I have done a couple of segments for random shows with Riteish, but this time I am hosting a whole lot of the show," Parineeti told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Excited about the TOIFA experience, which will happen in Dubai, the 27-year-old said: "Riteish is one of the most impromptu, funniest and genuine person. So I think we will have a great time and a lot of fun on stage."

The "Ishaqzaade" actress says she and Riteish have decided on the gags, but have not got a chance to sit together and practice.

In fact, just on Sunday, Parineeti was in Dubai for The Global Teacher Prize event, where teachers from around the world were being honoured. But she had to return to India due to some work. For TOIFA, she will be flying back to Dubai on March 17, in time for the gala the next day.

"It is always fun to do shows in Dubai because there are so many Indians there. Every time we go there for a show, we have a great experience," she said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to start withdrawing the "main part" of its forces in Syria from Tuesday.

He said the Russian intervention had largely achieved its objectives, BBC reported.

"I consider the mission set for the defence ministry and the armed forces on the whole has been accomplished," Putin said on Monday night in a meeting at the Kremlin.

"I am therefore ordering the defence ministry to begin the withdrawal of the main part of our military force from the Syrian Arab Republic from tomorrow (Tuesday)."

Russia began its campaign of air strikes in Syria last September.

Putin's decision comes amid fresh peace talks which started in Geneva on Monday aimed at resolving the five-year Syrian conflict.

Putin said that Russia's Hmeimim air base in Latakia province and its Mediterranean naval base at Tartus would continue to operate as normal. He said both must be protected "from land, air and sea".

The move was welcomed by the US and also the Syrian opposition.

However, US officials said Washington had received no advance warning of Putin's statement.

"We will have to see exactly what Russia's intentions are," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

In the latest fighting, Syrian government forces are reported to have advanced on so-called Islamic State's (IS) positions near the world heritage site of Palmyra.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien on Tuesday snubbed Congress member Jairam Ramesh for suggesting to the chair to let Janata Dal (United) member Pawan Varma complete his remarks on the general budget in the upper house.

"I will decide! Why are you doing it? I will decide on whether to let him complete or not! This kind of intervention is not good!" Kurien told Ramesh, a former union minister.

Ramesh said something in response, which was not audible.

The exchange happened when Varma was about to complete his statement but the deputy chairman said the JD-U member could do it tomorrow and asked him to sit down.
Bollywood's livewire star Ranveer Singh will light up the stage at the Times Of India Film Awards (TOIFA) in Dubai later this week in a tribute to megastar Amitabh Bachchan, revealed Shiamak Davar, who is choreographing the performances for the event.

"Ranveer is doing the most beautiful tribute to Amitabh Bachchan," Davar told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The "Band Baaja Baaraat" actor, with his flexible dancing moves, will be grooving to multiple songs that have defined Amitabh's over four-decade-long career in Hindi films.

And Davar said the performance will give Ranveer a chance to show his acting prowess too.

"Ranveer is an actor, so these songs do not require too much of dance... They require elements of 'how Amitabh would react to these songs', because he is a great actor. The songs will not only be just a dance, but have a lot of acting as well," added the 54-year-old choreographer.

Talking about the songs the "Bajirao Masatni" actor will be performing on, Davar said: "Ranveer has chosen all songs, which he thinks signify Mr. Bachchan."

Meanwhile, Davar is also choreographing dance steps for a string of A-listers like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Salman Khan among others for the event, which will be held on March 18 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Isn't it exhausting to choreograph for so many stars on different songs for a celebration as grand as TOIFA?

"I never find myself tired in any of these things. I just find myself challenged because every award show for the same year has the same songs. So, I would keep on showing the songs differently," he said.

"I can't do the same songs that have the same hook moves... We keep on changing it. So it is fun and new," Davar added.

Shah Rukh will be performing on "songs from his most popular films from the beginning (of his career) till now".

However, for those who may be hoping to see the two Khans -- Shah Rukh and Salman -- dance together at the event, Davar said nothing is planned so far.

But another star attraction would be popular rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh.

"I have been teaching hip-hop for the last 20 years and I don't really do the general hip-hop. I do something called 'Shiamak hip-hop', which is very different," he said, promising that something new will come out of Honey Singh's performance.

Will the audience get a chance to see Davar shake a leg at the event?

"No, not this time. There were too many award ceremonies. It has got so hectic that I had to forget about myself and just concentrate on the stars."
The real estate bill pending before parliament since 2013 was finally passed on Tuesday with the Lok Sabha giving its nod as members cutting across party lines backed it. Terming the development "historic", Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu asserted the new law will help bring down property prices.

Members rising above party lines including from the Congress, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Indian Union Muslim League supported the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill, which had been passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 10.

Replying to the debate on the bill in the lower house, Naidu assured that the government is also open to discuss with the builders if they have any issue with the bill.

"We are not against builders. If there are problem with the builders, I am ready to discuss it with them anytime," he said, adding the speedy land clearances for the real estate projects will help in bringing down prices of the houses.

"I say you will get more investment, you will get early clearances and the property prices will come down."

Naidu said the bill was brought in the house after consultation with several stake holders including the ministries of defence, civil aviation, environment and consumer affairs.

Expressing satisfaction after members expressed their support to the bill, he said: "It is a historic moment for the country as we are fulfilling the aspirations of the people who wish to own a house, giving them the needed protection. The bill will be giving credibility to real estate sector also."

During the debate, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Malikarjun Kharge extended his party's support, saying: "We want to pass the bill."

RSP member N.K. Premchandran and RJD's Jaiprakash Narain Yadav also supported it.

BJD's Kalikesh Singh Deo complimented the government for bringing the bill.

"There was an absolute screaming need for regulation to be brought in. Under the previous avatar, many laws and many authorities regulated different aspects of the real estate business environment. The excesses caused by the imbalance of power during negotiations between consumers and sellers were indeed extreme," he said.

IUML's E.T Mohammad Basheer also called it "a very good piece of legislation" but wondered whether there will be clash with the central law as various states also have legislation in this regard.

In his reply, Naidu stressed that the builders should fulfill the promises they make to the flat buyers.

"The builders will have to do their duty. Parliament is not interested in interfering with their activity. What you (builders) are committing, what you are promising, fulfill that. This is the only purpose of this real estate bill," he said.

The minister also said that he will write to all the chief ministers requesting them to give speedy clearances to the real estate projects in their states.

A major benefit for consumers proposed in the bill is that builders will have to quote prices based on carpet area and not super built-up area, while carpet area has been clearly defined in the bill to include usable spaces like kitchen and toilets.

The bill makes it mandatory for all commercial and residential real estate projects where the land is over 500 square metres, or eight apartments, to register with the regulator for launching a project.

For failure to register, it proposes a penalty of up to 10 percent of the project cost or three years' imprisonment.

Naidu said the main purpose of the bill is to protect consumers' interest.

"Sometimes we are called pro-business, I do not mind being called that. After all business and industry (people) are also Indians," he said, adding the interests of farmers and consumers will be protected.
Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on Tuesday said that the rival fronts led by the ruling Congress and opposition CPI-M in Kerala were evenly poised ahead of the May 16 assembly polls.

"As things stand now, Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress-led United Democratic Front are equally poised. Now, selection of candidates will hold the key. The youth and new faces will get more chances this time," said the former defence minister.

Antony, re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala on Monday for the third successive term, told reporters at the state Congress headquarters here that should the Congress retain power in Kerala, more caution would be exercised in governance.
Congress workers in Allahabad have announced a Rs.10 lakh bounty on liquor baron and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Mallya after allegations surfaced about his leaving the country despite huge debts last week.

Carrying placards, posters and banners, the Allahabad district unit workers of the Congress on Monday strutted around Subhash roundabout and other places in the Sangam city, portraying the UB Group chairman as a bandit with an award on his head.

On Tuesday, the Congress workers plastered the Civil Lines with similar posters and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of helping Mallya to flee the country.

Raising anti-government slogans, the party workers said they would rake up the matter in other places too to expose the double-speak of the prime minister on black money, an issue on which he stormed to power in the 2014 Lok Sahba polls.

Sources in the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee said they would be taking up the issue further among the people and try to put the Modi government on the backfoot.
The Russian defence ministry on Tuesday announced that its airbase in was preparing aircraft to return home following a surprise withdrawal order by President Vladimir Putin, media reports said.

Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu gave the order to withdraw from the Hmeimim base, in Latakia province and aircraft are being loaded up for long-range flights back to Russia, BBC reported.

Aircraft from the base would make the flight to Russia -- more than 5,000 km -- in small groups accompanied by the Il-76 transport planes with fuel stops at other Russian bases along the way, it added.

Su-24 tactical bombers, Su-25 attack fighters, Su-34 strike fighters and helicopters were returning home, Russian TV said.

The statement came a day after Putin announced the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of peace talks in Geneva.

Russia began its campaign of air strikes in last September.

However, Russia did not indicate when the first planes were scheduled to leave nor how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn, Al Jazeera reported.

The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has never been revealed, but US estimates suggest it varies from 3,000 to 6,000 military personnel on the ground.

The Syrian presidency said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Putin spoke on the phone on Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria.

Putin said on Monday he hoped the withdrawal of Russian troops from Tuesday will be a stimulus for a political resolution of the conflict.

"I hope the decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will sizeably increase trust of all participants in the process," he said.

Russian forces have killed more than 2,000 rebel fighters, including 17 rebel leaders, since the start of the operation.

Those Russian soldiers who remain in Syria will be engaged in monitoring the ceasefire regime, Putin added.
Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who walked a free man 23 years after his legal problems began over his possessing an assault rifle, will open up on the 'hard road to freedom' at the India Today Conclave 2016 here later this week.

"The conclave will welcome Sanjay Dutt to his first official appearance in almost three years, where he will give a hard hitting narrative on the topic 'Resurrection and Redemption - the hard road to freedom'," the organisers shared in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The "Munnabhai M.B.B.S." star was last month set free from a Pune jail where he served the remaining 42 months of his five-year rigorous imprisonment, and he was accorded a hero's welcome. On reaching Mumbai, he addressed the media and shared his sentiments on being free. However, he is likely to disclose a lot more about his ordeal at the conclave here.

Among other prominent celebrities at the two-day conclave, which begins on Thursday, will be celebrity lawyer-activist Amal Clooney, wife of Hollywood star George Clooney.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will deliver the opening keynote address, speaking on whether the economy could achieve a growth rate running into double digits; while BJP national president Amit Shah will be speaking on the issue of the politics of patriotism, in his closing keynote address.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari too will be brainstorming at the conclave, with Minister for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal highlighting the possibility of India having 24-hour uninterrupted power supply.

There will be a list of thought leaders and experts to comment on urgent issues related to politics, religion, ideologies and the future forecast for growth in the country.

The Conclave will also feature a number of famous sportspersons, including Abhinav Bindra, MC Mary Kom and Gopichand Pullela, while from the cinema world, famed poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar and his wife, renowned actor Shabana Azmi, as well as comedian-writer Varun Grover will delve on various issues.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to tell it if the scheduled private airlines were strictly adhering to policy of operating 10 percent of their flights in the northeastern region, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

Asking the DGCA to file an affidavit stating if the 10 percent of the total flights of scheduled private airlines were operating in these regions and other places, a bench of Chief Justice T.S.Thakur and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit also sought information on the monitoring of the implementation of this policy.

The bench which had in the last hearing of the matter asked the government why private airlines were being allowed to operate on lucrative routes and allowing them to escape from flying on less profitable destinations, on Tuesday said: "There has to be a uniform policy requiring these (scheduled private airlines) airlines to fly to uneconomical routes."

The court sought details on the enforcing of its policy in the course of the hearing of a petition by national carrier Air India challenging the Himachal Pradesh High Court's December 7 order asking it to commence flights on trial basis to connect Shimla with Delhi by air.

It brushed aside the arguments by Additional Solicitor Gewneral P.S.Patwalia that the national carrier will have to operate smaller aircraft as the airstrip at Shimla airport was small.

Appearing for the Air India, Patwalia said that if they operate 42 seat aircraft that they are using at Kulu airport, then half of the seats had to be kept vacant as the aircraft with full passenger capacity becomes too heavy and can't take-off.

"It will not be possible for us to accept the argument that airlines don't have aircraft that can land or take off from Shimla airport," Chief Justice Thakur told Patwalia as court directed the next hearing of the matter on April 13.

Besides other issues, ASG Patwalia also told the court that like other states in northeast, the Himachal Pradesh government too will have to give Air India some subsidy to meet the gap in the revenue earning and actual operational cost.

The national carrier had earlier told the court that the flight connecting Shimla with Delhi was not economical as there were 12 to 15 one-way passengers only.

The apex court had on December 16, 2015, ordered status quo thereby putting on hold the December 7 high court direction.
The dissidence in the Congress in Manipur assumed a serious aspect on Tuesday when both Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and his deputy Gaikhangam Gangmei left for New Delhi following party president Sonia Gandhi's summons to them.

Gandhi last week met the representatives of the 25 dissident Congress legislators and later decided that the situation in Manipur should be prevented from becoming a repeat of Arunachal Pradesh where rebellion by Congress lawmakers brought down the Nabam Tuki government, said sources.

The dissidents have made it known that they would change loyalty, either by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or forming a new party of their own, if their demands are not met, said the sources.

Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Gangmei, who is also Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president, refused to make any comment on the political developments in the state before leaving for New Delhi.

The dissidents are reported to have made two major demands in their meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

"First, we demanded dropping of those ministers who have failed to maintain transparency and whose performances are below the mark. Secondly, one man one post policy should be there. Gaikhangam should remain either as a minister or the PCC president," said one dissident legislator who declined to be named.

Gangmei has been holding the two posts for a long time. There are indications that he would be allowed to continue in the two posts till the next state assembly elections.

The dissidents have also made known their desire to be given a shot at a ministry before Manipur goes to the polls in February 2017.

Under the statutory provisions, in a 60-member assembly the chief minister is allowed to have a ministry of 12. To circumvent this rule, some prominent legislators have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries with cabinet rank.

"That is obviously not good enough for them. Almost all of them want ministerial berths," said sources.

At the time of forming his ministry in 2012 for the third consecutive term, Chief Minister Ibobi Singh assured the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) members that at the end of two and a half years, there would be a major reshuffle to accommodate some of them.

Ibobi Singh found that it was easier said than done.

"That promise was never kept," said one of the dissidents.

The incumbent ministers have been fire-fighting by promising sops to the dissident leaders.

The president of Manipur unit of the BJP, Thounaojam Chaoba, has been saying that a large number of Congress members are seeking admission in his party.

A dissident Congress member of the assembly told IANS after returning from New Delhi that he was very hopeful that the party president would do justice this time.

"It is now a question of the political survival of the majority of the CLP members," he added.
Sri Lanka's ruling United National Party (UNP) held a protest here on Tuesday against the Joint Opposition which groups former president Mahinda Rajapakse.

Several parliamentarians and members of the UNP gathered at the Town Hall in Colombo and held a protest march, Xinhua reported.

Hundreds of UNP supporters also took part, voicing criticism against the opposition.

The Joint Opposition, which consists of opposition parliamentarians loyal to Rajapakse, said that it will hold a series of protests this month against the united government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sirisena defeated Rajapakse in a presidential election in January last year and in August, the United National Party led by Wickremesinghe won a parliamentary election.

In September, Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Wickremesinghe's ruling UNP joined hands to form a united government.

However, members of the Joint Opposition blame the government for a high cost of living and a sluggish economy.
The stage is set for fifth edition of India Aviation 2016, country's biggest civil aviation show, beginning here on Wednesday.

The five day biennial aviation show, comprising a three day conference for businesses and two day exhibition of various aircraft for people, will be formally inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee at Begumpet Airport, the old airport located in the heart of the city.

The theme of this edition is "Indian civil aviation sector: Potential as global manufacturing and MRO hub."

Industry leaders, foreign delegates including ministers and ambassadors, officials, representatives of industry associations and other stakeholders will attend the event, being organised by the civil aviation ministry jointly with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Civil Aviation Secretary R. N. Choubey will address the conference.

The inaugural session will also be attended by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E. S. L. Naraismhan, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Joint Secretary, Civil Aviation, Anil Srivastava pointed out that the theme this year is significant as India is on the journey to become the third largest aviation market in the world by 2020 after the US and China.

India is one the fastest growing aviation markets and currently the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world. More than 85 international airlines operate to India and 5 Indian carriers connect over 40 countries.

It is also one of the least-penetrated air markets in the world with 0.04 trips per capita per annum as compared to 0.3 in China and more than 2 in the US.

The civil aviation industry is on a high growth path, having registered an impressive growth of 13 percent and 10 percent CAGR for passenger and cargo throughput respectively for the period 2003-2013, noted Srivastava.

By 2020, passenger traffic at Indian airports is expected to increase to 450 million from 159.3 million in 2012-2013. The aviation sector is likely to see investments totalling $12.1 billion during 12th five year plan, out of which $9.3 billion is expected to come from the private sector.

Srivastav said 200 low-cost airports are planned to be built in the next 20 years to connect tier-II and tire-III cities and $1.3 billion is planned to be spent on non-metro projects during 2013-17 mainly focusing on the modernisation and upgradation of airports, he added.

More than 200 exhibitors from 12 countries will be participating in the event. There will be 200 stalls, 14 chalets with 20,000 square meters area for the event. There will be demonstration flights, business center, lounge and other facilities. The aviation show includes Conference, CEO's Forum, exhibition, flying and static display of a aircrafts and B2B meetings.

Leading aircraft and helicopter manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Textron,AAEmbraer, Gulfstream, Dassault, Agusta Westland, Bell Helicopters, Russian Helicopters will take part in the show.

The first three days will be only for business visitors while on the last two days it will be thrown open to general public.

As many as 30 aircrafts ranging from small business jets to big aircrafts will be on display. These include B777 by Air India, Dornier by HAL, TAC-003 by Thrust Aircraft Co., MI-172 by Pawan Hans, A 350 by Qatar Airways; A0330-300 by Air Asia; Legacy 500, 650, Phenom 200 and 300) by Embraer, B-787 by Etihad, A380 by Emirates.

IndiGo will display A320 Neo, which recently made its debut in India. The first eco-friendly aircraft built by European aircraft major Airbus was delivered to budget carrier IndiGo. Airbus claims it to be fuel efficient by 15 percent.
PHOENIX  Deciding the astronomy industry was too important to endanger, a Senate panel on Monday killed legislation to expand the areas in the state where illuminated billboards would be allowed.

The 6-3 vote by the Committee on Commerce and Workforce Development came after Lori Allen, director of Kitt Peak National Observatory, read off a list of financial impacts that having some world-class telescopes brings to the state. That includes $250 million in annual economic activity, $12 million in tax revenues each year, $1.2 billion in capital investments and more than 3,300 jobs.

These are high tech jobs, she said. These are the kind of jobs we want.

Mondays vote came despite a last-ditch effort by Tim LaSota, lobbyist for Lamar Advertising, to salvage the measure by agreeing to cut the area where the billboards would be allowed by about half of what he had initially requested.

But Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, who chairs the panel, said if Lamar were truly interested in a compromise it would have actually come to her committee on Monday with an actual proposal, in writing. Instead, the offer amounted to little more than LaSota, after hearing objections, taking out a marker and drawing new lines on a map.

That, said Yee, was too little, too late.

Mondays vote is a significant victory for astronomers, who insisted that the proposal amounted to the industry going back on a deal negotiated in 2012.

That deal was the result of an appellate court ruling that concluded that internally illuminated billboards with changing messages were illegal along state highways.

A bid by lawmakers to simply override that ruling was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer amid her concerns about damaging the states dark skies reputation. That resulted in the deal Brewer did approve: Allow these signs along a wedge from the Phoenix area along I-8 and I-10 to the state line.

HB 2507, as pushed through the House by Rep. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu, would have added all of Mohave County to the acceptable area.

Borrelli said the signs would be subject to the same restrictions as the other areas where they are allowed. These include illumination limits and a requirement they go dark at 11 p.m.

And he said it would still allow individual cities and counties to opt out.

Anyway, Borrelli argued, its not like Mohave County is near the major observatories.

But Angela Cotera, a research scientist, said that ignores physics.

She showed lawmakers photos of how much light pollution there already is from Phoenix at Kitt Peak, which is more than 100 miles away.

Cotera acknowledged that regular billboards also cause light pollution, with lights on the bottom. But she said that illumination goes straight up.

By contrast, she said, light from these internally illuminated signs goes out straight for a long ways.

And then it scatters, Cotera said. This light is particularly egregious as far as light pollution goes.

Cotera also told lawmakers there are only two states that have the three ideal conditions for observatories, meaning high mountains, clear weather and dark skies: Arizona and Hawaii.

We cant do anything about the first two, she said. So we have to protect the third.

LaSotas last-minute offer would have narrowed the area where the illuminated billboards would be allowed to essentially the western half of Mohave County. That, however, still left a majority of senators unimpressed.

One exception was Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa. He said he wanted to give people who own property in the affected area where billboards could go the right to make some money on their land.

These are high tech jobs. These are the kind of jobs we want. Lori Allen, Kitt Peak National Observatory
The Himachal Pradesh government is taking steps for the extradition from Nepal of a man suspected to have stolen a centuries-old idol of Lord Raghunath, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh told the assembly on Tuesday.

Nar Prashad Jaisi, the 30-year-old suspect, was arrested on January 22 last year in Banke district of Nepal, 45 days after the theft of the idol of Lord Raghunath from an ancient temple in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.

Lord Raghunath is the chief deity of the Kullu Valley.

Since the accused belonged to Nepal, the state government took up the issue regarding his extradition with the union ministry of home affairs, said Virbhadra Singh.

He also informed the house that the revised draft of an extradition treaty between India and Nepal is ready for signing.

The accused broke into the temple on December 9, 2014, and took away the idol of Lord Raghunath, an idol of Hanuman, a stone statue of Narsingh Shila (covered with gold), a silver Ganesh idol, a pair of Charan Paduka, and some ornaments.

He then moved around the country for some days before fleeing to Nepal where he was subsequently arrested.

The stolen articles had been recovered, the chief minister told the assembly during Question Hour.

"The government of India has clarified that the cases that required immediate attention should be taken up with the legal cell of the department of internal security," the chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio, said.

Following his arrest in Nepal in January last year, Jaisi's interrogation revealed that he was in contact with a monk in China to pass on the idols.

He revealed that he abandoned his plans for the time being to take the stolen idols and valuables out of the state as the police had sealed the inter-state borders.

The idols were dumped at a place close to Bajaura on the Kullu-Mandi border.

Idols of Lord Raghunath and Hanuman are made of 'ashtadhatu', a very valuable composite of eight metals.

The Lord Raghunath idol has historical value. Raja Jagat Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Kullu, had brought it from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. It was then installed in the 17th century temple.

In a written reply, the chief minister said in the last three years eights cases of theft of antiques were reported in the state. Out of these, four cases are unsolved and three are pending in courts.
Three police officers were injured in a shooting in the US city of Chicago, the media reported on Tuesday.

The officers were responding to drug-related complaints in the city and suspected two people in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The suspects opened fire when the officers confronted them on Monday night. Three officers were wounded and taken to the hospital, according to the police.

The office of Chicago mayor also released a statement commending the bravery of the police officers.

One of the two suspects was shot and killed, while the other fled.
Two men responsible for starting violent riot in the Australian city of Melbourne during a festival have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

Victoria Police's Special Operations Group arrested the pair -- part of the Sudanese-dominated Apex street gang -- on Monday night, Xinhua news agency reported.

A police spokeswoman said in a statement on Tuesday: "It is believed the men are affiliated with the Apex gang, alleged to be involved in a recent spate of serious offences including aggravated burglary, car jackings and armed robberies."

On Saturday, almost 150 young men from rival gangs - Apex and Islander 23 - clashed in Melbourne's Federation Square in the midst of the family-friendly Moomba festival, sending bystanders fleeing in panic.

Police managed to disperse the crowd with batons and capsicum spray, but the rioters continued to rush through other parts of the city throwing metal chairs, among other objects, as they ran amok.

It is believed the gangs coordinated the gathering via social media.

Apex is a multicultural gang made up of youths of Sudanese, Pacific Islander, Maori, Afghani and Middle Eastern descent, while members of the Islander 23 gang predominately hail from the Pacific Islands.

Only four members of the two gangs were arrested on the night.

Since being founded in Melbourne's south-east 18 months ago, the Apex gang has marred multiple public events in Melbourne such as New Year's Eve and White Night and been linked to a rise in serious crime in the region.

A special police force, known as Taskforce Tense, was set up to crackdown on Apex members and has already made 33 arrests.
A young student in a Ghaziabad college was stabbed in the neck here on Tuesday. The alleged attacker later tried to kill himself, police said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday inside SD Post Graduate College under Kotwali police station of this city.

According to police, when Pratibha Yadav (22), a B.A. first year student, reached college at about 11 a.m., a student of the same college, of M.A. Ist year, stabbed her in her neck. As she collapsed and thinking she was dead the student, who was identified as Prashant, tried to stab himself. But he was overpowered and handed over to police by other students.

"We have registered the case and investigation is being conducted. Primarily it seems a case of love affair. But the final outcome could be revealed only after the completion of the investigation," said Superintendent of Police, City, Salman Taj Patil.
Parineeti Chopra, who was the only Indian actress at a prestigious event in Dubai where teachers were honoured, says she was "starstruck" upon meeting Hollywood talents Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek there.

Parineeti attended the Global Teacher Prize event in Dubai on Sunday, and even made time for a selfie moment with McConaughey -- a picture perfect moment which was photobombed by actors Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar.

"I was starstruck. It's not like everyday that you meet these amazing great performers," Parineeti told IANS over phone from Mumbai, when asked about her meeting with the Hollywood stars.

For the 27-year-old actress, it was a "proud moment" to be a part of an event, which also saw the participation of former US President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis.

"The fun and game is on its own, but it was very proud moment for me that I was a part of this," she said, adding that she, Akshay, Abhishek and even Ali Zafar got ample personal time with "Interstellar" star McConaughey and "Desperado" actress Hayek.

"We actually got a lot of time to spend with them. We were in Akshay's room just taking pictures, chilling and talking about everything. We all went down to the beach, where the event was being held. The dinner was at the beach, so we just ate together. We got to spend the whole evening with them," Parineeti said in a tone which exuded excitement.

"I am so glad that they were humble and grateful enough to just spend time with us," she added.

Parineeti even shared that she told McConaughey about her liking for "Interstellar", while she was surprised when Hayek told her that she has seen some of her work.

Together, they even danced to Bollywood songs like "Khaike paan Banaras wala" and "Jumma chumma".

Describing the moment, Parineeti said: "Ali was singing when he came down and took Abhishek and me on the stage. We started singing and dancing, and then we got Mathew to come on stage with us and I started him teaching him the steps."

"We even got a lot of time to spend with his wife... So I tried to make her dance. We ended up dancing on Mr. Bachchan's songs 'Khaike paan', a little bit of 'Jumma chumma' and a lot of other old Bollywood songs."
China's southern city of Shenzhen is planning to build three waste incineration power plants including the one which will be the world's largest in the next three years, the media reported on Tuesday.

According to Wang Guobin, the director of Shenzhen City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau, the biggest plant alone can handle one third of Shenzhen's garbage and will be put into use in 2018, the People's Daily reported.

"The projects have got its Environmental Impact Assessment approval and have finished the leveling construction. The main body construction will start by the end of this year," said Wang.

By 2018, the three plants in total will be able to dispose 10,300 tonnes of waste every day, he added.

In the past ten years, Shenzhen garbage saw a growth of 6.1 percent every year.

The waste produced by the city reached 5.51 million tonnes and is estimated to exceed 5.33 million in 2020.

The four landfills of the city have all been overloaded.
The Real Estate Bill, which Parliament passed into law on Tuesday, contains several provisions which aim to protect homebuyers from unscrupulous builders. At the moment, there is great opacity in the sector. Buyers suffer because they often don't know the relevant details of the project, including the state of various government approvals and the legal status of the land. Under the new law, builders will have to register all projects with the authorities and disclose all details. And they can start construction only after they have got all the approvals. Builders will have to deposit 70 per cent of the money received from buyers in an escrow account which can be used only for the project for which money has been raised. In the past, builders have used money raised from buyers to buy land for new projects. As the market turned sluggish, and cash flows got constrained, this led to a lot of projects getting stuck, which put the buyers in a spot. The new rule should end this malpractice.
About a fortnight ago, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his government's third Budget to the nation. It is, therefore, a good occasion to look a little more closely at the implications of his proposals in the light of the various reactions to them and the government response. Sifting through these various strands, one can easily list six broad takeaways from the Union Budget for 2016-17.
Lok Sabha member Ch Malla Reddy wanted to know if the government had examined the suggestions to provide buttermilk as part of the Mid Day Meal Scheme to school students.

In a written reply, Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said, "The idea of distributing buttermilk to all schools under the Mid Day Meal Scheme was examined by the ministry but was not found feasible, as it was felt that the provision of (distributing) buttermilk uniformly to all schools across the country presented several challenges in terms of logistics, food safety and the additional funds required." She, however, said that states were free to add additional items to the menu from their own resources.
On the 150th anniversary of the Allahabad High Court, its chief justice quoted Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's theory of justice. Sen, in his book The Idea of Justice, argues that there have been two approaches to justice: a transcendentalist one focusing on institutions, behaviour and processes to ensure a just society; and a comparativist one seeking the actual realisation of justice by evaluating social injustice prevailing then.

The first approach can be compared with ancient Indian niti (law), the second with nyaya (justice). While the former promises a perfectly just society, the latter reduces injustice prevailing at a given time.

Sen contends that the nyaya aspect has been neglected the world over. He believes that the common man does not seek a perfectly just society so much as he wants injustice to diminish. Thus, we should strive to remove the prevalent injustices first; this would eventually entail a perfectly just society.

Sachin K Jadhav, Washim



Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
Published by an old curmudgeon who came to America in 1936 as a refugee from Nazi Germany and proudly served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He is a former law enforcement officer and a retired professor of criminal justice who, in 1970, founded the Texas Narcotic Officers Association. BarkGrowlBite refuses to be politically correct. (Copyrighted articles are reproduced in accordance with the copyright laws of the U.S. Code, Title 17, Section 107.)
An exasperated President Harry Truman famously asked that he be sent a one- armed economistsomeone who could take a stand on issues and didnt caveat every argument with "On the one hand, this" and "on the other hand, that".
Viacom's independent shareholders have given up their bark. According to the media company, a "substantial majority" of them voted to re-elect the board, including boss Philippe Dauman, at its annual shareholder meeting on Monday. That's despite the hand-wringing over strategy, poor returns and questions surrounding the health of owner Sumner Redstone. It's a pity: even minority investors can sometimes force changes.

Only a fifth of Viacom's voting shares are in the hands of outsiders. The ailing 92-year-old Redstone controls the rest though an 80 per cent stake officially held by his company National Amusements. Holders of Viacom's B shares, meanwhile, get no vote. Several of its peers, including sister broadcaster CBS, are structured in a similar way, with two classes of stock, that affords extra power to insiders.

Read more from our special coverage on "BREAKINGVIEWS" Jitterbugs

Personalities matter

Five red stars

Pretty much all of them are suffering from the same forces wrenching media companies, but Viacom is especially challenged. Its cable networks like MTV and Nickelodeon are crawling out from poor ratings. The stock is down more than 40 per cent over the past year and it's trading at a lower enterprise valuation than CBS, Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox and Time Warner.

Adding to Viacom's woes is a highly public lawsuit filed by one of Redstone's former girlfriends claiming the nonagenarian is no longer fit to make decisions. The appointment of Dauman as chairman earlier this year was equally fraught as Redstone's daughter Shari, also a director, publicly opposed the move. The drama included tweets from Mario Gabelli, who owns 10 per cent of voting stock, asking Viacom to disclose more information about Redstone's health.

Investors have long understood that buying Viacom means going along for the Redstone ride. Yet minority voters are capable of sending strong messages of rebuke. In 2014, for example, independent owners voted overwhelming against Rupert Murdoch's sons Lachlan and James as Fox directors. As a result the company invited ValueAct's Jeffrey Ubben to join the board. Murdoch's sons then met with investors and secured their backing the following year.

Perhaps Dauman and his executives are trying to smooth things over as well. Viacom agreed in February to put a minority stake in film studio Paramount Pictures up for sale, after investors including Gabelli pushed for more action. But independent shareholders could and should have sunk their teeth in further.
As the debate on what defines nationalism continues in the country, workers on strike at Tata Motors' Sanand plant were heard shouting slogans of "Hindustan hamara hai (India belongs to us)". The workers were protesting outside the district collector's office in Ahmedabad though they did not have the necessary police permission to do so.

When they were being taken away by the police, they boarded the police vans with smiling faces even as television crew recorded the episode. Some of them perhaps thought it would be pertinent to introduce the "nationalism angle" for better "coverage".

One of the policemen around was amused by all that. He asked: "Arey bhai, kyun chilla rahey ho? Kaun yahan bol raha hai Hindustan tumhara nahi hai (Why are you shouting when no one around is saying that the country isn't yours too)?"
Fashion choices are a reflection of a society's outlook. For example, the widespread adoption of western wear in south-east Asia and China mirrors those countries' engagement with global supply chains and the inevitable social changes that accompany such shifts in economic policy. The decision by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to replace its trademark wide-bodied khaki shorts in favour of the relative sophistication of long brown trousers last weekend appears to have had a similar impact on this nonagenarian right-wing organisation's thought processes. The end of the "knickers era" - which earned members the derisive label of knicker-wala among detractors - coincided with two statements, about women and caste reservations, both so contrarian to conservative Hindutva thinking of which the RSS is the self-appointed defender as to deserve attention.
Shiv Sena leader-turned-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) veteran was caught in the multi-crore Telgi stamp paper scam in 2003-04. However, he came out unharmed after a high-profile Central Bureau of Investigation probe.

He made a successful comeback in the Congress-NCP government as the public works minister and for a short stint as the deputy chief minister for the second time since 1999. This was on account of the confidence shown by his mentor and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

However, Bhujbal, who rose from a vegetable vendor to a high-profile politician, perhaps failed to realise the pitfalls of his passion to take bigger bets.

He relied heavily on his nephew Sameer Bhujbal that only often landed him in fresh controversies.

Bhujbal, who was elected Mumbai Mayor twice during his days in the Shiv Sena, preferred to retain the lucrative public works department (PWD). Sameer had allegedly played a key role in recommending the names of aspirants on key posts and reinstatement of some suspended officers. The decision to award a major construction contract of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi to a private builder and an NCP supporter brought Bhujbal back under scanner.

Besides, he is alleged to have put pressure on the officers of the regional transport department for the development of a new facility in northwest Mumbai. The builder struck a deal with another and sold the development rights for Rs 850 crore. Bhujbal allegedly received kickbacks in the deal.

Undeterred by the burgeoning criticism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, which were in the Opposition, and also by NGOs, Bhujbal went on the defensive saying the decision was a collective one by the Cabinet sub-committee and that he alone couldnt be blamed. Further, Bhujbal-led PWD struck a Rs 124-crore deal with a leading business house involved in real estate, infra to build a library for the Mumbai University at Kalina, allowing the same company to build flats on the rest of the plot. In return, the same company donated Rs 2.5 crore to the Bhujbal Foundation.

Bhujbal continued to hit the headlines because of various allegations against him and his nephew. Despite the rising chorus against him and demand by the Opposition and NGOs, the Congress-NCP government preferred not to act fast. The BJP and the Shiv Sena, ahead of the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections in 2014, promised to take action. Upon assuming power, they gave full freedom to investigative agencies to put all cases involving the Bhujbals on fast track. The ED alleged that a dozen companies based out of Kolkata bought shares in companies fully owned by the Bhujbals on unrealistic premia, which was subsequently channelled through several other companies to launch projects such as the Hex World housing project in Navi Mumbai.

The allegation against the Bhujbals, including son Pankaj and nephew Sameer, was that the Kolkata-based companies were floated to re-route the bribes taken while awarding the contracts. Meanwhile, Bhujbal tried to put up a brave front arguing there was nothing wrong in various contracts awarded and the formation of shell companies.

However, Bhujbal, who had dared to arrest his God and the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in 2000 in connection with a case against the Sena mouthpiece for inciting the 1992-93 riots, had come to the realisation that tough days were ahead. It was too late as ED had filed two first information reports on June 17, 2015 against him, Pankaj and Sameer for alleged money laundering. This was after the state Anti-Corruption Bureau searched 26 properties.

His critics claim that Bhujbals rise and fall provide a readymade script for a Bollywood potboiler. Will he come out clean or will the image of a scamster finally stick? It will depend on how the political leadership in Maharashtra decides to take this case forward.
The Opposition and the government are likely to wage a battle of wits on the Aadhaar Bill on Wednesday, the last day of the first half of the Budget session.The Opposition, upset that the government pushed the Aadhaar Bill as a money Bill to bypass the scrutiny of the Rajya Sabha, hopes to put the government on the mat by recommending amendments to the Bill when the Upper House takes it up for consideration and return (to Lok Sabha) on Wednesday.The Aadhaar Bill is a money bill and the Rajya Sabha cannot vote on the Bill. The Bill will be considered passed if the Rajya Sabha doesnt return the Bill within 14 days of it being transmitted to the House. It was transmitted to the Upper House on Monday. However, the Rajya Sabha can still discuss the Bill and recommend amendments to it by a majority vote. In such a scenario, the Lok Sabha will need to have a sitting to reject the amendments.The Opposition, which wants to put its amendments to the Bill on record, suspects that the treasury benches will try disrupting the proceedings on account of the sting operation that has allegedly caught several Trinamool leaders accepting cash. It will be a fixed match between the government and Trinamool, said a Left MP. Adjournments will ensure that the Bill is not taken up for discussion and sent for Presidential assent after the lapse of 14 days.But the government is prepared to make the Lok Sabha work until midnight if the Rajya Sabha indeed recommends amendments. Anticipating such a scenario, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked all its Lok Sabha members to be prepared to sit in the House until midnight.

The government is also mulling extending the first half of the session by a couple of days. According to the current plan, the Budget session goes into a 40-day recess on Wednesday. The second half of the session is scheduled from April 25 to May 13. Independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar is one of those to have moved amendments to the Bill. The amendments seek to strengthen clauses that relate to privacy and confidentiality of the data. His amendments  the Unique Identification Authority of India shouldnt have the discretion to collect more data than necessary; the authority should be made responsible for the veracity of data it is collecting; only citizens should be enrolled; the Aadhaar number should be used as proof of identity only for receiving subsidies and for no other purpose; the authority should be made responsible for the data integrity and privacy of the identity information and also held responsible for negligent handling of data.

MMDR Act amendments in LS on Wednesday

For Wednesday, the government has listed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016, in the Lok Sabha. The amendments to the Act were approved by the union cabinet last week. It was earlier amended in 2015.

The chairman of the joint committee of parliament SS Ahluwalia will also seek time until the last day of the first week of the Monsoon session of Parliament for it to submit its report. Today, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu appealed to all parties to develop consensus on the Land Bill to facilitate 'Housing for All'.

The Rajya Sabha today sent the Enemy Property Bill to a select committee.
Is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the repository of aggressive Brahminism and champion of its own version of Hindu tradition, turning a new leaf?

The statement at the end of the three day consultations of its Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, its top decision making body, in Nagaur in Rajasthan has surprised many for its relatively modern outlook on the entry of women into temples and its efforts to reach out to Other Backward Castes and Dalits. This is not to mention its near revolutionary change  by its own standards  in dropping its khaki shorts for brown trousers.

Here is a look at why the is keen to showcase that it can be modernist in its outlook. A closer study of the three resolutions would also show how the change for the 90-year-old outfit is more in words than deeds.

1) Youth and khaki shorts:

The has been unable to attract the youth. The RSS claims to have increased its number of shakhas from 40,000-odd in 2014 to nearly 57,000 now. But this is based on its own claims. The ground reality is quite different.

Fewer younger men, particularly in urban areas, frequent these shakhas. The RSS constitution allows only Hindu males above 18-years of age to become Sangh volunteers. These volunteers have to attend morning shakhas, which comprise drills and discussions on current affairs in neighbourhood parks. But there are hundreds of shakhas where no more than half dozen young men, at times not even that, are in attendance.

The embarrassment of wearing unseemly baggy khaki shorts in the midst of a park full of young men and women in their smart track suits is one reason for the dwindling attendance. Other is the changing lifestyles, which involve working late into the night. This has meant that sons from families that have traditionally owed allegiance to the RSS, mostly from upper castes, are not keen to attend morning shakhas. The RSS tried to change this by organizing IT milans for those savvy with social media as well as shakhas only for professionals, where the dress code is not rigid and the timing of the shakha is flexible.

But the RSS gives a lot of importance to having numbers on the ground. The switching to brown trousers over khaki shorts could help in getting more youth to shakhas in smaller towns and cities but would still be anachronistic for an ever aspirational India.

2) RSS and caste

In Nagaur, the RSS passed a resolution that appealed to all to observe social harmony and work towards ending caste discrimination and untouchability. It also minced no words in criticizing affluent castes for demanding the reservation benefit. Along with its founder KB Hedgewar, the meeting started by invoking Dalit icon BR Ambedkar.

But caste continues to remain an albatross around the RSS neck. It continues to remain a Brahmin-Thakur-Bania dominated outfit, although it has tried to change that in recent years.

Many young men, particularly from among castes known as OBC and Scheduled Castes, showed interest in joining the RSS because of the rise of Narendra Modi. These young men were inspired that Modi, an OBC and an RSS pracharak, has risen to become the prime minister of India.

However, some of the recent controversies have yet again betrayed the RSSs upper caste bias. Repeated statements by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calling for a review of the caste based reservation policy were slammed even by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members. The BJP and the larger Sangh Pariavars mishandling of the suicide of Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula, where its leaders questioned the genuineness of Vemulas claims of having been a Dalit and even his mental balance, lost them goodwill among the Dalits.

For the RSS, it is important that OBCs and Dalits join the organization if it is to become champion of the interests of all Hindus and not just the upper castes. It will also likely to increasingly get its cadre from the OBCs and Dalits. Can its deeply Brahminical leadership convinced of the superiority of the upper castes change itself to accommodate OBCs and Dalits in its leadership?

3) Temple entry for women

The most surprising for some was RSS number two Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi criticizing those temples where the entry of women is banned. The RSS said mindsets needed to be changed through dialogue, but spoke against street action of women trying to barge into the temples. It said the issue should not be politicized.

Unfortunately, the RSS has been halfhearted in its approach towards empowerment of women. The RSS doesnt allow women in its shakhas and is yet to learn to look at them beyond the image of mother, wife and daughter. All its affiliates, as well as those championing Hindu interests within the Congress, had opposed the Hindu Code Bill in the 1950s that had sought to give Hindu women equal status to men in the eyes of the law, particularly in property rights.

The RSS is coming to terms with the aspirations of a younger India. Cadre of RSS affiliates like the Bajrang Dal and Durga Vahini have somewhat ceased to attack young men and women on Valentines Day, but still aggressively disapprove of the event. However, there is also an effort to reach out to the mainstream media and RSS cadres are active on social media. But it is mostly to convince the other of the RSS viewpoint instead of engaging in discussions to understand and empathize with the other point of view. Increasingly, the RSS has also tried to strengthen its affiliated organizations to reach out to a cross section of the Hindu society.

It remains to be seen how long does the RSS take to change the world view of its core support base of predominantly upper caste Hindu male who lives in smaller towns and cities.
As many as 1,735 Hindus in Gujarat sought state government's permission to convert to another religion in the last five years, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel told the Legislative Assembly here today.

Chief Minister, who also handles the state Home department, also informed the House that total 1,838 people from different parts of the state had applied for conversion in last five years.

"Out of these, the Home Department gave its consent to 878 applicants of different religions during that period," Patel added.

The Chief Minister was replying to a Congress MLA Tejashree Patel's written query seeking details of applications received by the state Home Department from citizens, who wish to embrace another religion, in the last five years (till October 2015).

Out of total 1,838 applicants, the highest number of applications- 1,735 - came from Hindus, followed by Muslims (57), Christians (42) and Parsis (4). No one from Sikh and Buddhist community applied for conversion during that period, Patel said in her written reply.

Highest number of applications from Hindus were received from Surat district (515), followed by Rajkot (388) and Porbandar (325).

Talking to reporters after the session, the Congress MLA told reporters that government should form a committee to find out the reasons behind such a high number of Hindu applicants.

"The state government should take this matter seriously and conduct a survey through a committee to find out why Hindus want to change their religion," Tejashree said.

Newly-elected state BJP chief Vijay Rupani demanded that the state government should act tough against conversion activities in the state.

"BJP firmly believes that religious conversion (of Hindus) must be stopped in the state. I request the government to take strict action against those who are involved in conversion activities," said Rupani, who is also the Road Transport Minister in Gujarat Government.
Chhattisgarh government today said 2,112 posts of principal and 11,658 positions of lecturer are lying vacant in high schools and higher secondary schools of the state.

In a written reply to the question of BJP MLA from Jagdalpur constituency Santosh Bafna, School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap informed the Assembly, "A total of 3,966 high schools and higher secondary schools are operational in Chhattisgarh."



"Out of the 3,966 sanctioned posts of principals in these schools, 2,112 posts are still vacant. Similarly, of 36,220 posts of lecturers, 11,658 are lying vacant," he said, adding "Efforts are underway to fill the vacant posts."



According to the minister, maximum vacancies (175) for the post of principal are in higher secondary schools of Balodabazar district, followed by Rajnandgaon (145), Kanker (144), Bastar (125), Bemetara (123), Kabirdham (122), Kondagaon (114), Mahasamund (111), Raigarh (97), Koriya (93), Surajpur (89) and 88 each in Jashpur and Dhamtari.

Likewise, 1,038 posts of lecturers are vacant in Rajnandgaon, followed by Bastar (859), Kondagaon (826), Balodabazar (797), Jashpur (684), Koriya (677), Bilaspur (483) and Kanker (589), he said.
Sixteen people were arrested during a major demonstration by Bogota taxi drivers against ride-sharing app Uber, authorities said.

Thousands of taxi drivers, shouting slogans such as "Uber out" and "Down with piracy" brought traffic to a near standstill in the congested Colombian capital.

Authorities arrested 16 people and issued 189 fines. Four police officers were injured.

"This protest wouldn't have happened if the government wasn't so permissive and had forced Uber out of the country," said Freddy Contreras, a spokesman for the taxi drivers.

As in other major cities in the world, cabbies in Bogota are opposed to Uber, the California-based company that operates in 59 countries and is valued at more than $50 billion.

Last week, the authority overseeing public transportation in Colombia fined Uber 450 million pesos (about $142,000) for providing "unauthorized" transportation services.

Colombia is a major Latin American market for Uber.
Two persons were today arrested from Rabindranagar in South 24 Parganas district in connection with the October 2 twin blast at Khagragarh in Burdwan district in 2014.

A top district police officer said an NIA team rounded up Enamul Mollah and Abdulla Mollah from Rabindranagar area in the district.

The NIA team, assisted by state police, took away the duo to Rabindranagar police station.

The officer said the duo were accused of giving logistical support to one of the main accused Bin Amin Seikh in renting the residence in Burdwan district and establishing contact with other members of a terror group.

Sheikh had been arrested last year from Baliadanga in Malda district.

Two suspected terrorists of the said group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh were killed in the blast on October 2, 2014.
Delhi government has announced a compensation of Rs 2,00,000 for family of the two labourers who died on Match 9 when earth caved-in at a construction site on AIIMS premises.

Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai convened a meeting to discuss the report submitted by a two-member committee which was formed to enquire into the accident.

The committee was directed to examine and recommend the compensation and other benefits if any, to injured workers and dependents of deceased workers.

"After detailed deliberations it was decided that an amount of Rs 2,00,000 will be paid to the dependents of the deceased workers as accidental death compensation amount.

"The legal heirs will also receive Rs 10,000 each as provided under Rule-277 of Delhi Rules-2002 as funeral assistance from cess funds of Delhi Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board," said a senior government official.

Besides, each of the three workers who had been injured in the mishap will be given Rs 10,000.

The Board also suggested that these three workers should be registered under Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board (DBOCWWB).

The Board directed that a policy on these lines may be drafted so that immediate relief in cases of accidents resulting into death or injury of a worker, who may not be registered with the board for whatever reasons, may be provided, the official said.
Two militants wanted in attacks on security forces and carrying a bounty of one million rupees each have been arrested in an anti-terror raid in Pakistan's northwestern city here.

The militants were wanted in various cases including attacks on security forces and other terrorist activities, said District Police Officer Khalid Mehmud Hamdani.

The terrorists carried Rs 1 million each as bounty. They were shifted to undisclosed location for further interrogation, Hamdani said.
Security agencies have killed three of the 10 suspected Pakistani terrorists who had allegedly entered Gujarat recently to carry out attacks on high-value targets.

Top official sources said the three were neutralised in a western state last Friday before they could carry out any attack in the country.

The remaining seven terrorists have also been zeroed in their hideouts and operation is on to neutralise them, the sources said.

As the operation is still ongoing, security agencies were not ready to give the details, the sources said.

The group, all suspected to be Pakistani terrorists belonging to LeT and JeM, had planned to attack the Somnath temple in Gujarat during Shivratri on March 7 besides other targets, they said.

Immediately after the intelligence input about the infiltration of the terrorists was received, the Centre had dispatched four NSG teams to Gujarat and they were put in different locations in the state.

An alert was sounded in Gujarat and all metros by central security agencies following reports about infiltration of the terrorists.

An advisory was issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists had entered Gujarat taking the sea route.

A similar alert was also sent to Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh.
Gangs from across the country targeted visitors at three-day World Culture Festival in the national capital amid high security and made away with valuable articles like laptops, jewellery and cash, leading to at least 70 FIRs and the police apprehending about 30 persons.

Of the gangs busted, some were found to have come from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Also, many of the gang members were women. It has come to light that their arrival at the event was well-planned, a senior official said today.

Police registered around 70 FIRs under IPC section 379 (theft) and a few under section 392 (robbery) which is applied in cases of chain snatching, the official said.

The gangs targeted not only visitors, including several from foreign nations, but also the makeshift stalls which were set up inside the premises.

While about 20 cases were reported on the day of inauguration, which was done by the Prime Minister, the highest were reported on Sunday (day three), the official said.

Almost all the 30 persons apprehended, were nabbed from the venue itself. Some of them were also held by visitors and handed over to police officials present at the spot. One such case was of a foreign national whose mobile phone was allegedly fished out of his pocket.

Some of the pickpocket gangs comprised only women, of which the police apprehended a few, the official added.

There was heavy security arrangements, involving deployment of about 12,000 police personnel, for the cultural extravaganza organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation at the Yamuna floodplains here.

Apart from local police and personnel from Security Unit, specialised units like that of PM Security, Intelligence, Special Cell, Crime Branch and Economic Offences Wing were also roped in and a separate control room was set up.
As many as 362 Indian fishermen, mostly hailing from Gujarat and captured in the recent past, are lodged in Pakistan jail, the state government informed the Legislative Assembly here today.

Gujarat Fisheries Minister Babu Bokhiria, who gave this information while replying to a query raised by Congress MLA Punjabhai Vansh during the session, also said that of these 362 fishermen, Pakistan would be releasing 86 on March 21.

Vansh sought details of action taken by Gujarat government to bring back fishermen and their boats captured by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in the recent past.

In his response, Bokhiria said that out of the total 448 fishermen from Gujarat lodged in jail in the neighbouring country, 86 have come back.

"As of now, 362 are still there in the jail. Out of them, another batch of 86 will be freed on March 21," Bokhiria said.

Giving details about the status of boats seized by PMSA, the minister said that there is no hope to get back all the 702 boats captured by Pakistani authorities between 2004-05 to 2013-14, as they have disposed off these boats, Bokhiria said.

"However, out of 124 boats captured during last two years, Pakistan have returned 57 boats recently and agreed to release another 22 boats which are in working condition," the minister said.

The Congress MLA further requested the government to expedite the process of bringing back bodies of two fishermen, who died in the Pak jail few months back.

Vansh also claimed that one fishermen in Pak jail is in coma, while another is suffering from paralysis. He urged the minister to do something quickly to bring them back to India.

"Gujarat government has already written a letter to Centre to bring back dead bodies here at the earliest," Bokhiria said.
More than 15,800 posts are lying vacant at state-run FCI, which is also facing shortage of more than 8,600 workers, Parliament was informed today.

"Against sanctioned strength of 36,982 employees, only 21,139 regular employees are in position as on December 31, 2015 and hence at present there are 15,843 vacancies," Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The minister said 256 posts are vacant in Category-1, followed by 2,057 and 14,783 in second and third categories, respectively.

However, there is surplus of 1,253 in the fourth category, he added.

Therefore, the effective vacancies in the corporation are 15,843.

"Food Corporation of India (FCI) is in the process of filling up 5,596 vacancies across all cadres by the way of competitive recruitment process," Paswan added.

Advertisement for the above was published during the February-July period last year.

The FCI also has three types of departmental workers -- regular departmental, under direct payment system (DPS) and under no-work-no-pay system (NWNP).

There is shortfall of 3,241 departmental workers, 5,008 DPS workers and 438 NWNP workers, Paswan said.

Out of the total required strength of 58,480 workers, the FCI's current strength on December 31, 2015 was 48,793.

In view of high level committee recommendations and High Court directions, there is presently no plan to induct any labour in FCI, the minister added.
More than one-third of the total sanctioned posts at fair trade watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) are lying vacant, Parliament was informed today.

As against total 197 sanctioned posts, 125 have been filled, Minister of Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley said in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

As on date, 72 posts are vacant, he said, adding that vacancies are existing due to non-availability of candidates fulfilling the eligibility criteria.

CCI has advertised for filling up 65 posts at various levels.

In addition, the fair trade regulator has engaged 38 experts and research associates in the streams of economics, law and financial analysis.

CCI keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors and has clamped down on various anti-competitive ways. It comes under the administrative control of the Corporate Affairs Ministry.

Last year, the regulator had raised the pay packet for experts and professionals hired by it. Now, they are eligible for 10 per cent increment after completing one year.

For experts and professionals, the regulator had hiked monthly remuneration by Rs 10,000 at all levels. They are classified into five categories based on their experience.
Indian mining giant Adani's plan to build one of the world's largest coal mines in Australia got a major boost today with Queensland's Parliament declaring that "all state government approvals" be given to the 21.7 billion dollars controversy-hit project.

The Queensland Parliament has supported moves to approve Adani's Carmichael Mine project in the Galilee Basin, Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said.

Lynham said his government has been working with Adani to get the 21.7 billion dollars coalmine project off the ground.

He said the Parliament backed a motion today that "all state government approvals be provided to help create jobs in north and central Queensland".

Government and opposition speakers, including Lynham and Treasurer Curtis Pitt, told the Parliament that the project potentially offered thousands of jobs and much-needed economic development.

"The Government strongly supports the sustainable development of the Galilee Basin for the jobs and economic development it could provide for regional Queensland," Lynham told the House.

"For that reason the Government and the independent Coordinator General have been working closely with Adani to facilitate their approvals in accordance with statutory obligations," he said.

Lynham told Parliament that the projects' mining leases could only be approved when compensation agreements were reached.

"Statutory assessments and decision-making process must be robust and comprehensive to minimise any risk of legal challenge. I can assure the people of Queensland, particularly those who want the jobs and economic development that this project could offer: I will only make decisions armed with all of the relevant facts, and with careful and detailed consideration," he said.

Lynham said the government would continue to hold to its election commitments which promised to protect the nationally- significant Caley Valley Wetlands and prohibit the sea-based disposal of capital dredge spoil within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

The commitments also stated that infrastructure will not be funded by Queensland taxpayers and that dredging for Adani's coal terminal at Abbot Point not proceed until Adani demonstrates it has the necessary finance in place for the full mine, rail and port project.

Last month, Queensland state'sDepartment of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP)issued a final environmental authority (EA) for Adani's Carmichael Mine project but with about 140 conditions. The project is located near the fragile Great Barrier Reef.

Adani's plan to build one of the world's largest coal mines in Australia has been hampered time and again. A federal court in August last year had revoked the original approval due toenvironmental concerns.

In October last year, the project got a new lease of life after the Australian government gave its re-approval.
Ever wanted to be in charge? Well, in my own little world I will be, one day. Just not quite yet. I'm a bit tired at the moment... maybe I'll take over after I've had my little nap. (Sign up to get updates direct to email or follow @IamBattsby on Twitter)
Afghanistan's president declared today that Islamic State militants are "on the run" in his country, following a massive military operation that included elite commando units which drove the insurgents out of remote districts on the border with Pakistan.

Ashraf Ghani attributed the success in dislodging IS loyalists to ground operations, combined with close air support and the participation of retired commanders who had joined an elite commando division of the army to take on the extremists in districts of eastern Nangarhar province.

Over the past six months, IS fighters -- mostly disenchanted Taliban insurgents -- had dug in across Nangarhar. The Unites States largely provides air support in the anti-militant struggle in Afghanistan.

IS gunmen had fought for control of some remote districts on the Nangarhar border with Taliban, who had previously had a foothold in the region.

Initially, Afghan security forces let the two groups fight each other, as their assets were spread thin fighting insurgents elsewhere.

The valleys and mountains of the border region provide perfect cover for trafficking of mean, weapons, drugs, minerals and other contraband that provide millions of dollars in funding for the insurgency.

Officials have said most militants claiming loyalty to IS are former Taliban fighters disillusioned with a lack of progress toward their goal of overthrowing the Kabul government. The Taliban's war is now in its 15th year.

"I promised the people of Nangarhar that no quarter would be given to Daesh, and none has been given," Ghani said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group. "In Nangarhar, Daesh is on the run."



With Afghan forces under pressure since the end of the US-NATO combat mission in 2014, concerns have risen that they are struggling against the insurgency alone.

The Taliban intensified and spread their fight last year, testing the resolve and capacity of the Afghan forces. With the training and backup of the pared-down US-NATO mission, the Afghan army and police, who also fight on the front lines, are slowly developing a defensive capability.

Ghani was speaking at a joint press conference with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, who is visiting Afghanistan for two days.
Air India will introduce new flights and increase frequencies in both domestic as well as international routes in its summer schedule starting from March 27.

On the international route, the airline would launch Delhi-Vienna flights thrice a week from April 6 apart from increasing the flight from Delhi to Milan to four per week.

The summer schedule would have "increased frequencies and new routes," Air India said in a release today.

Announcing its summer schedule starting from March 27, the national carrier said it would add a daily return flight on the Mumbai-Bhopal sector.

Besides, the carrier would deploy A321 for a daily return flight from Bengaluru to Trivandrum.

"Frequency on the Delhi-Pune sector is being enhanced with number of flights added to and from Pune," it said.

There would be a fourth frequency with return flights on Delhi-Amritsar sector.

The airline would offer new routes to Vijaywada from Bengaluru with five return flights a week on ATR 42. Kolkata would be connected to Agartala by an ATR 42 with five return flights per week.

"Tourists to Himachal have a daily frequency from Delhi to Kullu in lieu of the existing six days a week. The Delhi-Kullu vv (vice versa) route will be operated by ATR 72 aircraft," the release said.

According to Air India, the existing thrice a week flight from Delhi to Milan has been increased to four flights per week. Also, there would be a third frequency on the Delhi-Moscow vv sector.

B787 aircraft would be used on the Mumbai-Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul/ Osaka route and back. The same plane would operate on the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Mumbai leg of AI 310/ 314 and AI 315/317.
Finance Minister Tuesday assured Rajya Sabha that the Centre will fullfil all commitments made towards Andhra Pradesh in 'letter and spirit', following protests by some Congress members.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said two years ago when the state of Telengana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh, the biggest issue among the two was of capital Hyderabad.

Hyderabad went to Telengana, leading to a revenue loss to Andhra Pradesh, he said, adding then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on the floor of Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014 announced measures to mitigate the hardship of Andhra Pradesh including formation of new capital.

Some Congress members including J D Seelam, Renuka Chowdhury and K V P Ramachandra Rao trooped into the Well raising slogans and demanding reply from the government.

In his response, Jaitley said Centre is fully committed to help Andhra Pradesh.

"Centre is fully committed to helping the newly created state after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh...There are several commitments which are involved in the AP Reorganisation Act. Centre is going to honour each one of those commitments in letter and spirit," the Finance Minister said.

Referring to the revenue deficit, Jaitley said "each paisa or rupee of this revenue deficit is being paid to Andhra Pradesh...We will continue to pay that".

He said institutions have to be set up in Andhra Pradesh. Foundation stones have been laid, funds have been sanctioned and in some cases work is also in an advance stage, he said.

On the new capital, Jaitley said the state is making considerable "headway" towards it. Funds have been sanctioned and more would be released towards it, he added.

Keeping the limitations of the 14th Finance Commission and resources, "whatever commitment have been made is going to be honoured", the Minister said.

However, the agitating Congress remained unsatisfied and kept raising slogan.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien kept asking agitating Congress members to return to their seats. "You are becoming laughing stocks," he told them.

However, as slogan shouting continued, Kurien adjourned the House for few minutes.

While raising the issue, Azad wanted to know from the government what happened to the special category status for Andhra Pradesh and went on to remind that Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu as opposition MP in Rajya Sabha had demanded special category status for 10 years.

Digvijaya Singh (Cong) said it was a commitment of the Government and a Cabinet decision.

Arun Jailtey, as the leader of the opposition in 2014, had supported special status for Andhra Pradesh for 10 years, he said.

Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said the government should abide by the commitment made on the floor of the House, while K V P Ramachandra Rao (Cong) said Andhra Pradesh faced revenue loss due to formation of Telengana and Hyderabad going to it.

The promise of special status by the previous UPA government which was supported by the BJP as opposition must be fulfilled, he said. "People of Andhra Pradesh are in great distress."



Taking potshot at Congress, C M Ramesh (TDP) said the main opposition was doing the "drama" for political mileage. "After two years they (Congress) realised that state's bifurcation was wrong," he said, adding the party was wiped out from AP in the elections held after the bifurcation.

Some members wanted to raise the issue of sting operation relating to TMC in West Bengal, but Kurien did not allow them. Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) insisted that government should respond on the issue.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said special category status to Andhra Pradesh was proposed to be given for five years as well as fiscal measures and tax incentives on lines of ones given to Himachal Pradesh were announced. The Centre had promised to compensate the state for revenue loss.

He wanted to know from the government what happened to the special category status for Andhra Pradesh and went on to remind that Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu as opposition MP in Rajya Sabha had demanded special category status for 10 years.
Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawaltodayannounced that Amit Jogi, who has been expelled from Congress, would be henceforth allowed to function as a free (independent) legislator.

Giving his rulingon the constitutional position of Marwahi MLA, the Speaker said the Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo had informed that Jogi had been expelled from the primary membership of the party,following which he ceased to be a part of Congress Legislative Party.

Singhdeo had urged the Speaker to keep Amit Jogi "unattached" from the Congress Legislative Party during the House proceedings and also provided a copy of Congress constitution, the Speaker said.

These documents established that Jogi was expelled by a "competent authority" of the party as per Congress constitution, Agrawal said.

However, quoting various past decisions of the Supreme Court, the Speaker said that "unattached" status cannot be granted. Termination of Amit Jogi's membership from Congress does not make him unattached member, and his position as member of the party from which he was elected cannot be changed.

Jogi can participate in the proceedings as a free member, the Speaker said.

Chhattisgarh Congress expelled AmitJogi for six years over an audio tape released by an English daily purportedly revealing fixing of Antagarhbypollheld in 2014.
Angelina Jolie, the Hollywood actress and special envoy for the UN's refugee agency, said today that the international community must address the root causes of the global refugee crisis.

"We cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions," she said under the pouring rain at a press conference in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have sought refuge in the Bekaa. Lebanon hosts well over a million Syrian refugees, who now account for nearly a fifth of its population.

Jolie said she had hoped to be in Syria helping victims return to their homes on the fifth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar Assad. She said it's "tragic and shameful that we seem to be so far from that point."



There are now more people displaced through conflict around the globe than during World War II, according to the UN.

The war in Syria between Assad's government, rebels and foreign jihadis has drawn in world powers and generated what the UN says is the largest humanitarian catastrophe in a generation.

Half of Syria's prewar population of some 23 million has been displaced, with around 5 million having fled their homeland, mainly to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

The international relief organization OXFAM warned Tuesday that Lebanese municipalities are running out of space to bury deceased refugees.

"We should never forget that for all the focus on the refugee situation in Europe at this time, the greatest pressure is still being felt in the Middle East and North Africa, as it has for each of the last five years," Jolie said.

After a tidal wave of refugees poured into Europe last year, some countries began erecting political and physical barriers to migration, which have left tens of thousands of refugees stuck in squalid conditions in the Balkans this spring.

Jolie called on such countries to adhere to their international obligations to aid refugees.

"The reason we have laws and binding international agreements is precisely because of the temptation to deviate from them in times of pressure," she said.
Bangladesh's central bank chief resigned today after hackers stole over USD 100 million from the nation's foreign reserves in what is believed to be the world's biggest ever bank theft that embarrassed the government.

Atiur Rahman, 64, resigned over after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"He (Rahman) has tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister," a Premier's office spokesman told PTI.

Prime Minister's press secretary Ihsanul Karim said Rahman met Hasina at her office in the morning and handed over his resignation, seven years after he was appointed as the Governor of Bangladesh Bank.

During his tenure, Rahman, a development economist, launched a series of populist policies to take bank services to the doorstep of millions of rural people in Bangladesh.

Earlier in the morning, an emotional and apparently distressed Rahman told newsmen he was ready to quit for the sake of the country.

His resignation came weeks after the central bank confirmed that the huge amount was stolen from its account in Federal Reserve Bank of New York, sparking a worldwide uproar.

Bank spokesman had said that unknown hackers had stolen USD 101 million of which USD 81 million entered the Philippines and the rest went to Sri Lanka to be used in casino business.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith had earlier said he was kept in the dark about the heist for weeks, adding that the central bank management must explain its "audacity".

"He (Rahman) called me yesterday when I asked him to resign...And he has resigned today," Muhith briefly told newsmen.

He said that the government today decided to appoint former finance secretary and incumbent chairman of state-run Sonali Bank, Fazle Kabir, as the new Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB).

"Fazle Kabir is now in New York...He will join as the central bank governor office next week," the minister said.

The heist took place on the night of February 4, using information stolen through the malware, which sent a total of 35 transfer orders to the New York Federal Reserve Bank where the Bangladesh's central bank has an account.

Reports said the hackers misspelled the name of a Sri Lankan non-governmental organisation, triggering a check of the request which raised the alarm.

Bangladesh Bank had earlier launched an internal probe



into the heist and campaign to return the stolen money.

The government today formed a three-member "high-powered" committee with former central bank governor Farash Uddin as its chairman to investigate the matter and identify the people responsible for the security breach.

The Bangladesh Bank officials said the hackers tried to stole a further USD 850 million, but the bank's security systems and typing errors in some requests thwarted the full theft.

The US Reserve Bank, which manages the Bangladesh Bank reserve account, denied its own systems were breached.

Filipino authorities have recovered some of the stolen money and launched an extensive investigation into the fraud by hackers suspected to be Chinese Pilipino.
A Bahraini court jailed three people for 15 years each in two separate trials for attacking policemen, the prosecution said in a statement.

Two of the convicts, one of whom was tried in absentia, were jailed for carrying out a bomb attack targeting police in a Shiite village near Manama two years ago, said prosecutor Ahmed al-Hammadi.

The attack had caused damages but left no casualties, he said in a statement carried by the official BNA agency.

In the second trial the same criminal court jailed a third defendant of opening fire at policemen last year in another Shiite town wounding one of them, Hammadi said.

He said that his citizenship would also be revoked.

The defendants were not identified but dozens of Shiites have been put on trial and handed lengthy jail terms in the Sunni-ruled kingdom during the past five years.

The criminal court yesterday sentenced three people to life in prison for possessing weapons which they planned to use to carry out a "terrorist" plot.

Bahrain had been shaken by unrest since it quelled a month-long Shiite-led uprising demanding reforms which erupted on February 14, 2011.

Tiny but strategic, the kingdom is connected to regional Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia by a causeway, lies across the Gulf from Shiite Iran and is home to the US Fifth Fleet.

Despite the crackdown on the 2011 uprising, protesters frequently attack police in Shiite villages outside the capital Manama.
The announcement of withdrawal of Moscow's forces from Syria will increase the pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to negotiate a "political transition", Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said.

"If the announcement of a withdrawal of Russian troops materialises, this increases the pressure on President Assad to finally negotiate in a serious way in Geneva a political transition which maintains the stability of the Syrian state and the interests of all populations," Steinmeier said in a statement yesterday.

A temporary ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents in the country introduced on February 27 has largely held, but it does not cover the IS and Nusra front groups.

Fresh peace talks began in Geneva started on Monday with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over the future of Assad on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the conflict.

"If the ceasefire can be the sign that after five years of war, the parties in conflict are finally tired of war and admit that no one can militarily win the conflict, then there is a hope that after five years... A political solution can work," Steinmeier added.
Police today detained more than 150 workers of NCP from over half a dozen places here when they were staging "rasta roko" to protest the arrest of their leader Chhagan Bhujbal in a money laundering case.

The NCP workers blocked road traffic at different places in the metropolis as part of their "rasta roko" protest.

They were detained from Bhandup, Vikhroli, Deonar, Goregaon, Worli, Bandra, Kurar and Chembur areas, said police.

More than 150 NCP activists were detained and later released, they said.

Bhujbal, a former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested last night by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after 10 hours of questioning here in connection with its probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others.

NCP has alleged Bhujbal's arrest was an act of "political vendetta" by the ruling BJP, which has rejected the charge.
The arrest of veteran NCP leader by the ED in connection with its probe in a money laundering case rocked Maharashtra Legislature Tuesday with protesting opposition Congress and NCP members alleging it was "vendetta politics" of the BJP-led Government.

A day after Bhujbal's arrest in connection with the alleged scam in construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi Monday, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court sent the 68-year-old former Deputy Chief Minister in Enforcement Directorate(ED) custody till March 17.

Bhujbal was produced before the court where ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar said the former PWD minister did not cooperate when his statement was recorded by the agency yesterday.

"For most of the questions put to him, his answer was 'he doesn't know'," Venegaonkar told the court.

Bhujbal became emotional while pleading innocence and his eyes became misty.

He told the court that he had not done anything wrong and that he was being framed as part of a conspiracy.

"I have not done anything wrong. I have cooperated. I have been into social service for the past 50 years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I genuinely said that I did not know, but still I was arrested," he said.

Rejecting the opposition charge, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Assembly that Bhujbal's arrest was not an act of vendetta and the ED had acted "only after concrete proof" and that the state government has nothing to do with it.

"Should ED keep quiet if there has been corruption?" he asked.

"We will not help those seeking to suppress scams," he said, adding, "it is unfortunate that discussion in the House, instead of centring on drought situation, should be on this issue".

The Assembly was adjourned four times and the opposition members walked out of the house while the Council was adjourned for the day following ruckus over the issue.

As the proceedings began in the House, opposition members started shouting slogans condemning the arrest of the senior NCP leader, a sitting MLA from Yeola in Nashik district.

The House was initially adjourned for 10 minutes and later three more times as the noisy scenes continued.

The Opposition members later staged a walkout from the House for the day, protesting the "vendetta politics" of the government.

In Legislative Council, the Congress and NCP forced the adjournment of the House for the day over the issue.

As the Upper House assembled, the opposition members, via an adjournment motion, called for the House to set aside the day's business and discuss the arrest.

Opposition Leader Dhananjay Munde, who moved the motion, held that Bhujbal was a former Deputy Chief Minister, a former LoP, an ex-member of the Council, and his arrest has had repercussions across the state.

"People across the state are angry and are protesting over the manner in which he was arrested despite cooperating with the investigation agencies. It is thus imperative that all other business must be set aside and the House discuss the issue," Munde said.
RJD president Lalu Prasad's son and Bihar health minister Tej Pratap Yadav blamed former BJP minister Ashwani Choubey for the alleged medicine scam in the state, triggering an altercation between Treasury and Opposition benches in the Legislative Council today.

The altercation ensued while the minister was replying to a question of BJP member Mangal Pandey regarding availability of medicine in hospitals.

When Leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi intervened and alleged medicines were not supplied to hospitals for free distribution among patients for the past two years due to the alleged medicine scam, Tej Pratap retorted that the scam took place when BJP's Ashwami Choubey was heading the Health department during the NDA rule in the state.

This provoked the BJP members who rose from their seat in protest and created a din.

Sushil Modi, former Deputy Chief Minister, alleged the scam took place when Health Ministry was under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after BJP had quit the ministry in June 2013.

JD(U) members Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar and others strongly protested Sushil Modi accusing the CM.

The verbal slugfest continued for some time till Chairperson Awdesh Narayan Singh intervened, following which the Question Hour ran smoothly.

Sushil Modi and other BJP leaders had raised the alleged medicine scam issue, which they claimed was worth Rs 100 crore, before the Bihar Assembly elections alleging expired medicines were purchased from some black-listed companies and in some cases at exorbitant prices.

Earlier, during his reply, the minister accepted that 13 civil surgeons have informed the Health department about shortage of 33 medicines, which were to be provided to patients free in OPD and 112 for indoor patients in government hospitals.

The minister said supply of medicines would be ensured within two months.
A bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha which envisages to amend 91-year-old Sikh Gurdwaras Act to exclude Sahajdhari Sikhs from voting in the elections to Sikh religious bodies.

The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Bill proposes to remove the exception given to Sahajdhari Sikhs in 1944 to vote in the elections to select the members of the Board and the Committees constituted under the Act.

The Union Cabinet had recently approved the proposal of the Home Ministry to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, with effect from October 8, 2003.

The said amendment was also carried out by a Home Ministry notification dated October 8, 2003, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Parliament under Section 72 of the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966.

However, the notification was quashed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana on December 20, 2011, leaving it to the appropriate and competent legislature to decide as to whether or not to amend the Act to that effect.
BJP and CPI(M) are observing a hartal here today to protest against the last night's attack on their workers at Kattayikonam in the district, which had left at least 16 injured.

The clash took place at a time when Kerala is gearing up for the May 16 polls, which is expected to see the BJP, which is yet to open its account in the state, giving a tough fight to both ruling Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF.

At least 16 persons sustained injuries, including former BJP state president, V Muraleedharan and some police personnel in the clash last night.

Shops and commercial establishments in various parts of the district have downed shutters, with vehicles being exempted from the hartal's purview in view of the SSLC, CBSE and various other examinations.

Trouble started after a group of BJP workers took out a procession on a local issue which was allegedly attacked by DYFI-CPI(M) workers at Kazhakootam.

Later at night, the workers of both the parties again clashed at Kattayikonam.

Police jeeps and shops were damaged in stone pelting.

While the BJP has called for a 12 hour hartal from 9 AM to 6 PM in Thiruvananthapuram district, the CPI(M) hartal is restricted to Kazhakootam and Kattayikonam.
The manifesto of BJP for the May 16 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu would be released on March 31, party National Secretary H Raja said today.

Policy about the prohibition will find a prominent place in the manifesto, Raja, who is heading the manifesto committee, told reporters here.

Some of the other features would be the plans to extract ethanol from sugarcane and upgrading standard of education in state board schools to that of CBSE level, he said.

On the alleged honour killing of a Dalit youth at Udumalpet, Raja said about 70 per cent of the assailants evaded punishment due to some loopholes while registering cases against them.

Stating that there was no role for the Centre in such cases, he said the state government can directly approach CBI for a fair probe in such crimes.

(REOPENS MES15)



State BJP President Tamilisai Soundarajan said BJP was ready to go it alone in all the 234 constituencies if no party was coming forward to forge an alliance.

Talking to reporters here separately, she said a two-day special party meeting had been convened in Delhi from March 19 to discuss the coming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal.

She also said BJP was gaining support from various sections of the society after the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city.

On the 'honour' killing, she alleged it was a clear indication of deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

She wanted the Election Commission to take a special note of the situation.
Opposition BJP today attacked the state government for "poor" performance and "failure" to deliver which led to heated exchanges between Agriculture Minister Sujan Singh Pathania and BJP MLA Rajiv Bindal on alleged irregularities in purchase of land by HP Power Corporation for Renuka Project in Sirmaur district.

While Bindal was speaking on the budget, Agriculture Minister Pathaniaaccused him of alleged role in irregular land purchases at Renuka dam site during the BJP regime, inviting a strong reaction from Bindal, who dared the state government to order a probe into the charges and claimed that he was not involved in it.

Hitting back at the government, Bindal said that the government was not serious in probing thealleged irregularities in land purchases for Renuka dam which "proves that government functionaries" are mixed up with those involved in these land deals.

"You should probe the irregularities and take action against those having role instead of raising fingers at me," he retorted.

At this juncture, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh came in defense of the minister, claiming that it may not he (Bindal) but lot of people known to him were allegedlyinvolved in it andthe government was enquiring intothe matter.

Bindal also sought a probe into sale of power by the HPSEB to outsiders maintaining that while the power was sold at higher states to some state governments including UP, Haryana and Punjab, the same was sold at lower rates to a company of retired IAS officers.

Bindal also raised questions on proposal to set-up of a corporation to sell liquor under the Excise and Taxation department.

Later participating in the debate IPH Minister Vidya Stokes outlined the development priorities of the government and rejected the oppositions charge against the government .
Air conditioner maker Blue Star today said it is eyeing revenue of Rs 1200 crore from room AC segment in financial year 2016-17, at a growth of 25 per cent.

"We expect to have a turnover of Rs 1200 crore from this segment in FY17. Right now, our revenue from room AC should be around Rs 1,000 crore," Blue Star Executive Director and President, AC and Refrigeration Products, B Thiagarajan told PTI.

The total AC market is estimated to be around Rs 15,500 crore, of which the room AC market is Rs 11,500 core. The room AC industry is growing at 10 per cent and is expected to grow by 15 per cent in FY 17.

"We have grown from 3.5 per cent market share in 2011 to 10.5 per cent in 2015. We aim to have a market share of 12 per cent in the room AC category," he added.

Thiagarajan said that more than 50 per cent of the sales comes from the tier III, tier IV and tier V cities.

Almost 40 per cent of the sales generally happens in the summer and Blue Star expects the prices of ACs to remain stable.

The company plans to invest about Rs 40 crore in marketing in the forthcoming summer season and Rs 30 crore in new product development as well as its research and development initiatives in FY17.

Presently, the company has nearly 70 exclusive product stores in the country and plans to increase it to 100 stores by the end of FY17.

"The company, which currently has five manufacturing facilities, would set up two more manufacturing units, one in Jammu and the other at Sri City near Tada in Andhra Pradesh, by investing Rs 215 crore, Thiagarajan said.

"The Jammu facility would be commissioned by March 2018, while Sri City unit is expected to get commissioned by March, 2017," he said.

Blue Star witnessed around 5 per cent of the festive season sale from e-commerce and he said by 2020, 20-30 per cent of the sales will be driven through e-commerce.

Thiagarajan expects the share of the inverter ACs to grow



rapidly in the coming years.

"Inverter ACs currently constitutes 10 per cent of the total market. It will keep growing rapidly. In 2018, it will be 30 per cent of the total market and by 2020, it should be 50 per cent of the market," he said, adding that he expects all ACs to be wi-fi enabled by 2020.

The company recently forayed into the air cooler and air purifier categories and is expecting a market share of 10 per cent in the Rs 1,800 crore air cooler segment in FY17.

The air purifier market is estimated to be around Rs 275 crore, which is expected to grow to Rs 1,500 crore in 2020 and Blue Star aims to have 20 per cent market share in FY17 in the category.

The firm, which mainly sells a range of air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration products, clocked a revenue of Rs 3,080.79 crore in fiscal 2015 and exports contribute Rs 150 crore to the total turnover.

"We have an aim that once our turnover doubles, Rs 500 crore should come from exports," he said.

The first Blue Star Platinum Store, with display of the company's entire product range, would open in New Delhi in June or July this year.
In a departure from sparring and clashes, political parties in Rajya Sabha today presented a picture of bonhomie as the House bade farewell to 17 members who spoke about their experiences and reinforced the message of strength of India's deep-rooted democracy despite divergent views on issues.

Chairman Hamid Ansari led the House of Elders in appreciating the rich and significant contribution of the retiring members, saying their unique association will be cherised.

He was followed by Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in paying accolades, irrespective of party lines, to their fellow members whose membership is coming to an end during the recess of Budget session from March 17 to April 25.

Subsequently, the retiring members narrated their experiences, with some of them becoming emotional.

Among those retiring are Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu (BJP), Balchand Mungekar (Nom), Ashwani Kumar (Cong), M S Gill (Cong), Mani Shankar Aiyar (Cong), Avinash Rai Khanna (BJP), Javed Akhtar (Nom), Jaishree (Nom), K Balagopalan (CPI-M) and T N Seema (CPI-M).

Leading the way, Ansari wished "happiness and all success" in the future endeavours of five nominated members and 12 members from Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tripura and Punjab.

He said the House will miss those who are not re-elected and the experience at Rajya Sabha has been "intimately personal and intensely political."



Kurien said, "change is unchangeable thing" but added that since "every member is this House is a politician", no one was retiring as no politician retires.

Terming it an occasion to celebrate, Kurien said the members' "contribution in the annals of Rajya Sabha history will be painted in golden words". He wished luck to members.

Jaitley, the Finance Minister, said membership of the House is an honour as the members are part of 'history in the making'.

Members of this House bring wisdom with them and are not carried away with impulses, he said, adding the Upper House has high quality of debate and "despite political differences, the atmosphere has always been of mutual respect."



Azad equated the clashes and sparring among members in the House to 'saas-bahu' (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) fights.

"Often people ask me that 'in the House you (ruling and opposition party members) fight but outside you are seen hobnobbing'. I reply that you should not take our fights seriously. It is like 'Saas-Bahu' who fight but live in the same House...," Azad said drawing laughter from members.

Thanking the retiring members, Parliamentary Affairs



Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "I can only say they have retired but not tired. They will be active in local sabhas. I hope respective parties will renominate them and hope friends who have retired will come back."



Javed Akhtar, noted film personality-turned-MP, made an eloquent speech, saying that "adjournaments" and "polarisation" will not take the country forward as he pleaded with both the government and Opposition to work together without thinking about the next elections.

Hailing the essence of India's deep-rooted democracy, he said it must be preserved at any cost while learning from the fate of those countries where one religion was given importance, an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Underlining that there cannot be democracy without secularism, Akhtar said protecting secularism is not about protecting one community or the other. "We need to protect secularism because there cannot be democracy without it. I believe this is our greatest achievement."



On religious freedom, he said, "These days, they call fringe, it is growing day by day. This is not required."



Akhtar, who was nominated during the UPA tenure, said there are capable leaders in the Modi government who can do good work but those making extremist comments, including some ministers, need to be reined in.

He also slammed, in a veiled manner, AIMIM leader Asaddudin Owaisi for saying he will not chant 'Bharat mata ki jai' because the Constitution does not ask him to do so.

Taking objection to Owaisi's remark, Akhtar said, "the Constitution even does not ask him to wear sherwani (dress) and topi (cap)... I don't care to know whether saying 'Bharat mata ki jai' is my duty or not, it is my right."



He then chanted 'Bharat mata ki jai' a number of times.

At the same time, he condemned those right-wing extremists also who say Muslims should go to Pakistan.
A Chhattisgarh government officer and his aide were today rescued from a resort here where they had been allegedly held captive and tortured by a woman and her accomplice for the last three days, police said.

54-year-old G Sriniwas Rao, government information officer posted at Kondagaon district in Chhattisgarh, and his aide Mukesh Aditya (41) were rescued from Big Boss Resort in Dilip Nagar area on receiving information, an officer of the Aerodrome Police Station here said.

Rao and Aditya told police that a woman named Sapna Sahu held them captive at the resort with the help of her three friends and tortured them.

The information officer who knew Sahu told her some time ago that if she started an NGO, he can give some government work to her, he said.

Sahu invested Rs one lakh to start an NGO, but it didn't get any work, the police officer said.

Infuriated by this, Sahu allegedly invited him to the resort three days ago and held him and his aide captive, demanding Rs two lakh.

When he refused, the two were stripped and tortured by Sahu and her three accomplices who are now absconding, police said.
A federal judge has sentenced a Syrian-American man living in San Diego to eight years in prison for lying to US officials when questioned about knowing a member of the Islamic State group and for participating in combat against the Syrian regime.

Mohamad Saeed Kodaimati, 25, appeared in federal court in San Diego where he was given the maximum sentence for making false statements involving international terrorism.

Kodaimati denied knowing anyone in the extremist group or taking up arms when he was stopped in March 2015 on his way back from Syria and interviewed by FBI and State Department officials at the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. He was arrested in April at his California home.

Kodaimati later pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement involving international terrorism.

In his plea agreement, he admitted to knowing a member of the Islamic State group in Iraq and fighting alongside Al Nusrah, an al-Qaida-affiliated organization in Syria. After his arrest, prosecutors released photos of him allegedly holding an AK-47 in Syria.

His lawyer, Barbara Donovan, said her client made poor choices after getting caught up in a difficult, complex situation in his war-torn country, where he had gone to see his mother and try to help his family there. The Islamic State member he knew was someone he had known from living there and he approached the person to ask about friends who had gone missing, Donovan said.

"He's not an extremist. He's not a jihadist or a terrorist," she said. "He's just a kid. We don't understand that the political situation over there is about alliances and if you live in that neighborhood, you're kind of expected to help out."



Kodaimati lied to US officials in Turkey because he feared if he told the truth, it would delay his return to the United States and he needed to get back to earn money to send to his mother, Donovan said.

US District Judge Anthony Battaglia told the court that an eight-year sentence was necessary to deter others from lying.

US Attorney Laura Duffy said in a statement that "this is an appropriately severe sentence that underscores the very serious nature of a crime that has the potential to jeopardize our national security."



Kodaimati was born in Syria and became a naturalized US citizen in September 2008. He left San Diego in December 2012 and traveled to Turkey and Syria until his return to the United States in 2015.
Capital Local Area Bank, which has been given in-principle approval by RBI to start a small finance bank, today said it plans to raise up to Rs 30 crore through private placement of non-convertible debentures.

"...Company's intention to raise funds through upper tier II non-convertible bonds in the nature of unsecured non convertible debentures to the tune of Rs 25 crore including green shoe option of Rs 5 crore on private placement basis", it said in a BSE filing.

It also said the Board of Directors of will meet on March 19 to consider the said proposal of raising the amount.

Jalandhar-based Capital Local Area Bank along-with nine others was given in-principle approval by the Reserve Bank in September 2015 to function as small finance bank in the private sector.
The maths paper in CBSE exam for Class 12 was "tough" and "very lengthy", two members said in Lok Sabha today and urged the government to look into the matter.

The issue was raised by K C Venugopal (Cong) who said the the paper have reportedly left students on tears.

"It was very lengthy. Maximum questions were from outside the syllabus. It was reported that questions were tricky...Students found it difficult to complete the exam on time," he said during Zero Hour.

This sort of tough paper should be avoided and "I urge the government to look into the exam and take necessary steps", Venugopal said.

Joining him, S R Vijayakumar (AIADMK) too said a number of students felt that the paper was lengthy and they could not complete it.

"I request the Human Resource Minister to look at the issue" and tell the CBSE to be liberal in valuation, he said.

Chandrakant Khaire (Shiv Sena) raised the issue of killings of Hindus including the gruesome murder of a Hindu head priest in Bangladesh.

He urged the Minister for External Affairs and Home Minister to take up the matter with the Bangladesh government and register their serious concern.

They should take steps to protect Hindus in Bangladesh, he added.

Few members including Rajiv Satav (Congress) raised the issue of levy of one per cent excise duty on the jewellery sector and asked the government to withdraw the levy.

Satav said that due to the ongoing strike of jewellers, people are facing problem in arranging marriages.

Some MPs from UP, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh raised the issue of damage caused by recent hailstorm to the standing crops in their states and demanded that central team should visit their respective constituencies to assess the extent of damage.

Among the members who raised the issue were Pushpendra Singh Chandel (BJP) and Janardan Mishra (BJP).
With the help of local police, Chennai police today arrested a person from Bihar's East Champran district in connection with the theft of watches worth Rs 2.09 crore from a showroom in Chennai.

In a joint operation, Chennai police, led by M Satyasilan, and East Champaran police raided Virta Chowk under Ghorasahan police station and arrested a person identified as Manoj alias Chilphorwa, police said here.

Two Tissot brand watches worth Rs 40,000 were recovered from his possession.

Police said thieves had stolen 480 watches of various brands worth Rs 2.09 crore from a showroom located under Royapettah police station of Chennai on February 29.

Following investigation and watching CCTV footage, Chennai police contacted East Champaran police and conducted joint operation.

Manoj has admitted his involvement in the crime and revealed the names of his 10 accomplices who are the residents of Ghorasahan and Sitamarhi district, police said.

On the basis of information available from Manoj, Chennai police are conducting raids to nab the other suspected thieves.

Manoj had earlier served one year of imprisonment for a theft he had committed eight years ago in Pune.
Amid a spate of arrests of lawyers, Chinese advocates have sought greater protection of their rights especially when meeting with their clients and speaking up in court.

Guaranteeing lawyers' rights is an important part of developing the rule of law in China, several delegates of the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) said.

"Lawyers are sometimes a vulnerable group in society, whose rights require better protection, as the group faces both new and old problems," CPPCC member Liu Hongyu, also a Beijing-based lawyer, was quoted by the state-run Global Times as saying at the symposium.

According to the Procuratorial Daily, old problems include restrictions in meeting with their clients and obstacles in collecting evidence and conducting investigations, while the new ones include limited debates at court hearings.

Several lawyers have been detained or questioned by police in recent months.

A report in the New York Times early this year said over the last six months, the Chinese authorities have detained or summoned for questioning more than 200 legal practitioners who had worked on civil rights cases.

While some have been released, several prominent lawyers now face criminal charges, including subverting state power, which can carry a sentence of up to life in prison, the NYT report said.

Such problems were echoed by Heilongjiang-based lawyer Li Yalan, who is also an NPC delegate.

There is no specific government body authorised to deal with those problems even if a regulation on protecting lawyers' rights issued last September has, for the first time, provided for the establishment of such a body, Li said.

In her bills, Li called for an amendment to the current law on lawyers which she said is "outdated" and "too general," stressing that the amendment should be made by an independent organisation, not judicial authorities, the report said.

Li Dajin, another Beijing-based NPC delegate and lawyer, told the symposium that he has proposed a nationwide inspection of the implementation of the law on lawyers, since the law has been in effect for 20 years.

As China deepens judicial reform to better guarantee justice, lawyers must be actively involved in the process, for their expertise in legal affairs can make them better supervisors in courts and procuratorates, the lawmakers and advisers said.
Rising temperatures worldwide are changing not only weather systems but also the distribution of water around the globe, thereby affecting the availability of potable water, a new study has found.

Researchers analysed more than 40 years of water samples archived at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in the US and found how the sources of precipitation have changed.

Over the years, there has been a dramatic increase, especially during the winter, of the amount of water that originated far to the north, researchers said.

"In the later years, we saw more water derived from evaporation of the Arctic and the North Atlantic oceans," said Tamir Puntsag from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in New York.

The study marked the first time scientists have used specific measurements to demonstrate how water sources are changing, especially in northeastern US.

"Climate change has an important relationship to the water cycle. It goes beyond temperature effects," said Myron Mitchell, an ESF biogeochemist.

"This study shows how climate change is altering the spatial patterns and amounts of precipitation - where it comes from and where it falls. Such effects can drastically affect the availability of potable water and also contribute to the massive flooding we have seen in recent years," Mitchell said.

As record warmer temperatures in the Arctic cause dramatic decreases in the depth and coverage of sea ice, the Arctic vortex (often called the polar vortex) has become less stable, occasionally spilling frigid air onto the eastern US, such as occurred in October last year and February this year, when areas from New York to Miami experienced record cold, researchers said.

The findings of the study will help scientists understand changes that are likely to affect global water resources, Mitchell said.

With 85 per cent of the world's population living in the driest half of the planet and 783 million people living without access to clean water, according to the United Nations, it is vital for scientists and policymakers to understand how a changing climate affects water resources, researchers said.

"Our research helps our understanding of the sources of rain and snow and how these precipitation patterns have changed. Our study also sheds light on what is going to happen to water resources in the future," said Mitchell.

Researchers used isotopic analysis (identification of the structure of the atoms that make up a substance, such as water) to develop a story of the water's travels.

Water always contains two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen but its isotopic composition can vary from one water source to another.

They also used mathematical models to trace the sources of these water sources in precipitation.

The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Cochin Shipyard Ltd, which is looking at building an international ship repair facility, has said that it is estimated to cost Rs 960 crore initially.

"We are seeking necessary approvals for setting up an International Ship Repair Facility at Cochin Shipyard," Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar told PTI.

He said the facility would be set up at an initial cost of Rs 960 crore.

The state-owned company is also building cryogenic carriers that transport natural gas frozen in liquid form. The shipyard is also making its maiden foray into catamaran manufacturing.

The government last year had approved a proposal for initial public offering of the Shipyard and the funds are proposed to be utilised for infrastructure expansion of CSL including projects such as International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) and New Dry Dock project for building larger vessels /LNG Carriers.

The IPO of over 3.39 crore equity shares would include issuance of over 2.26 crore fresh equity shares and sale of 10 per cent of government stake or over 1.13 crore shares to public.

Miniratna PSU Cochin Shipyard, incorporated in 1972, is under the administrative control of the Shipping Ministry.

The Shipyard has the capacity to build ships up to 1.10 lakh Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) and undertake repairs to ships of up to 1.25 lakh DWT.

CSL has built the biggest ships in India.
Taking weak cues from global market, copper futures traded 0.19 per cent lower at Rs 334.40 per kg today as speculators offloaded bets.

Furthermore, subdued demand at domestic spot market pushed down metal prices.

At the Multi Commodity Exchange, copper for delivery in April shed 65 paise, or 0.19 per cent, to Rs 334.40 per kg, in a business turnover of 1,040 lots.

Also, metal for delivery in far-month June was trading down 40 paise, or 0.18 per cent, at Rs 338.85 per kg in 19 lots.

Analysts attributed the fall to a mixed trend in base metals at the London Metal Exchange (LME) as investors weighed growth slowdown in China, the world's biggest commodities consumer, against possible stimulus action from the central government.

Meanwhile, copper dropped 0.2 per cent at the LME.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has vowed that the country would not be "intimidated by terrorists", as the death toll in the country's first jihadist attack climbed to 18.

Armed with grenades and assault rifles, gunmen on Sunday stormed three hotels and sprayed the beach with bullets in the resort of Grand-Bassam, a sleepy town popular with expats just a short 40 kilometre drive from the commercial capital Abidjan.

The attack claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) left 15 civilians dead, including a German woman, as well as killing three special forces troops, the government said. A total of 33 people were injured, 26 of whom are still in hospital.

France said four of its nationals were among the dead.

AQIM's real target was France, analysts said, punished both as Ivory Coast's former colonial master and for hunting down jihadists in Mali and elsewhere.

"The Ivory Coast will not allow itself to be intimidated by terrorists", Ouattara yesterday said in a statement broadcast on radio and television.

"Ivory Coast is standing up, standing up to fight the cowards and protect its people."



He vowed to work with countries in the sub-region, on the continent and with our "other international partners to reinforce our cooperation to fight these terrorists".

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said "three terrorists were killed" in the assault.

Asked whether more gunmen were involved -- some witnesses had reported several attackers -- the minister said "we're still looking. We don't suspect more but we're making sure we carry out the widest possible sweep."



Along with a three-day national mourning period starting Monday, he said the West African nation would boost security at "strategic sites and in public places... (such as) schools, embassies, international institutions... And the borders."



In the latest such jihadist assault in West Africa, witnesses described the panic as gunfire rang out across the sand and an assailant shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- Arabic for "God is greatest".

Condemnation came from around the world with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pledging to help government "efforts to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice."



French President Francois Hollande's office said his country will support Ivory Coast "to fight terrorism and considers that cooperation between all the states threatened by terrorist groups, particularly in West Africa, must intensify more than ever".
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today dubbed the Punjab budget as "most hopeless and disappointing" which has actually exposed the "financial and economic bankruptcy" of the state under Akali-BJP government.

"Debt, deficit and deceit are the hallmarks of this budget", Amarinder said in a statement issued here.

He claimed that the state does not have any funds to finance the populist schemes announced in the budget with an eye on the elections.

"Rather they cannot even meet their routine expenses, what to speak of providing populist sops", he added, while referring to the Rs 1,200 crores populist schemes in budget.

Referring to the estimated debt of Rs 1.38 lakh crore, the former Chief Minister claimed, viewed in the backdrop of revelations made by the Principal Accountant General, Punjab, the state was fast walking into a debt trap, it will find difficult to come out from.

The Punjab Congress president took a jibe at the government for "incentivising the farmers' suicides by keeping a provision of Rs 10 crores for those farmers who (will) commit suicide".

Besides, he added, there was "nothing" in the budget to offer any hope to the industrial sector which is reeling under severe crisis with the result industry was moving out of the state.

Meanwhile, industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) welcomed the "growth-oriented and balanced" Punjab State Budget 2016-17.

"The allocation of Rs 223 crore for the industry with Rs 100 crore for start-ups and Rs 10 crore for the construction of the working women hostels is an encouragement for all industrial players in Punjab.

However, we would request the government to extend the facility to all working groups irrespective of gender which would enable all citizens of the state to maintain healthy living conditions. This will also be in line with PM's Swach Bharat Mission," said Sandeep Jain, Chairman, CII Punjab State Council and Executive Director, Monte Carlo Fashions Ltd.

"Setting up an Industrial manufacturing cluster in 200 acres in Rajpura, development of two Mega Food Parks near Ludhiana and Phagwara and a High Tech Cycle Valley in Ludhiana will not only boost local industries but will also bring in new investments in the state, said Gurmeet Singh Bhatia, Vice-Chairman, Punjab State Council and Managing Director, Ajooni Biotech.
Delhi BJP leaders today visited farmers in several villages in the north-west part of the national capital for assessing crop damage in unseasonal rain and hailstorms in the last few days and promised them help in dealing with their losses.

The Narendra Modi government has directed the setting up of a disaster relief fund for the Union Territories and crop insurance has been extended to Delhi, which will make it easier for relief to be extended to the farmers, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay said.

BJP spokesman Praveen Kapoor said farmers in most villages complained that they have not received the relief promised to them by Delhi government after crop failure last year.

"Even those farmers who got relief did not get the amount that was announced by the Arvind Kejriwal government," Kapoor claimed, adding that Upadhyay had promised the farmers he would take up the matter with Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.

Last year, Delhi government had announced compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre to farmers who faced losses due to crop damage.

Kejriwal had yesterday directed Divisional Commissioner A Ambarasu to assess the damage to crops due to the untimely rain and hailstorm.

Delhi BJP leaders have demanded that the AAP government pay compensation of Rs 50,000-70,000 to the affected farmers and also sought a special package for them from the Centre.


India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni



today blamed his side's famed batting line-up for the shocking loss to New Zealand in their opening match of the ICC World T20, saying they erred in "shot selection".

Title favourites India capitulated to a shocking 47-run defeat against a spirited New Zealand in a low-scoring game to launch their ICC World Twenty20 campaign in the most ignominious manner.

After restricting New Zealand 126 for seven, India put up a pathetic batting display to be bundled out 79 in 18.1 overs, their second lowest Twenty20 total, on a turning track at a jam-packed VCA Stadium in Jamtha.

"I think it was a low scoring wicket. I thought we restricted them to a good total, but the batting let us down. The shot selection kept putting pressure on the batsmen coming in," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

It was a horrendous performance from India, ranked world no 1 in the Twenty20 format, as the famed batting line-up showed poor skills and application to lose their fifth successive match against the Kiwis.

"They (New Zealand) bowled well, exploited the conditions, but we lacked adaptability, we could have applied ourselves a little more. The batting let us down," a disappointed Dhoni said.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was mighty pleased with the fighting performance from his side.

"I am very pleased. It was a tough surface. With the bat whatever score was going to be tough, we would have liked to have a few more. We wanted to be aggressive at the start, the format dictates that, we may reflect on that though and try and do it better (on selection)," he said.

"The message to the bowling attack was to be patient and apply pressure and we did that well.
Rajya Sabha today referred to a Select Committee of the House a bill to amend a 48-year-old law aimed at guarding against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after the wars.

The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, which amends the Enemy Property Act, 1968 was referred to a 23 member Committee headed by Bhupender Yadav.

It was not known why the Bill was referred to the Select Committee.

The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on March 9 with the government there overruling demands by some opposition parties for sending it to the Standing Committee of Parliament.

In the wake of the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971, there was migration of people from India to Pakistan and under the Defence of India Rules framed under the Defence of India Act, the Government of India took over the properties and companies of such persons who had taken Pakistani nationality.

These 'enemy properties' were vested by the Central Government in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.

The amendments include that once an enemy property is vested in the Custodian, it shall continue to be vested in him as enemy property irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has ceased to be an enemy due to reasons such as death etc.

The new bill also ensures that the law of succession does not apply to enemy property; that there cannot be transfer of any property vested in the Custodian by an enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm and that the Custodian shall preserve the enemy property till it is disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The amendments are aimed at plugging the loopholes in the Act to ensure that the enemy properties that have been vested in the Custodian remain so and they do not revert back to the enemy subject or enemy firm.

The Enemy Property Act was enacted in the year 1968 by the Government of India, which provided for the continuous vesting of enemy property in the Custodian.

The Central Government through the Custodian of Enemy Property for India is in possession of enemy properties spread across many states in the country. In addition, there are also movable properties categorized as enemy properties.
Environmental intervention can raise general intelligence in young children but the effects are not permanent, a new study has found.

John Protzko from University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) analysed an existing study to determine whether and how environmental interventions impacted the intelligence levels of low birth weight children.

The findings showed that interventions did raise intelligence levels, but not permanently. When the interventions ended, their effects diminished over time in what psychologists describe as "the fadeout effect."



"Certain environmental interventions can raise general intelligence. It is not just pushing scores around on a test; it is deep changes to underlying general intelligence. The fadeout effect, however, applies the same way," said Protzko.

Scientists make a distinction between Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores, a quantitative measure of intelligence, and general intelligence, which reflects underlying cognitive abilities.

Protzko reviewed the results of the Infant Health and Development Programme involving 985 children, all of whom experienced an intense and cognitively demanding environment during the first three years of their lives.

Three main interventions had been employed to reduce the negative effects of being born at low birth weight.

At age three, the children were given the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales as a baseline measure of their intelligence.

At ages five and eight - at least two years after the interventions had ended - they were again given intelligence tests.

The results showed that the interventions had raised the children's general intelligence at age three.

However, by age five the increases were no longer evident. According to Protzko, this demonstrates that the fadeout effect applies to general intelligence.

One theory regarding the development of intelligence suggests that the trait can be correlated between two ages because there is a causal connection - intelligence at one age causes intelligence at another age.

"However, my analysis starts to bring evidence to the idea that intelligence may not be the causal factor we suppose it to be from the correlation work - at least not in children," said Protzko.

"It is unlikely that given an increase in intelligence, I would live my life any differently than I do right now. This work will have to be done in adults to really pull that apart, but I think that this analysis starts to bring evidence against that idea of causality," he said.

"Raising IQ is not an instance of raising test scores with no concomitant effects on the latent underlying intelligence," said Protzko.

"While both IQ scores and general intelligence can be raised through targeted environmental interventions, any gains are not permanent and fade over time," he said.

The findings were published in the journal Intelligence.
Eurostar, the high-speed rail service between Britain and mainland Europe, said today that passenger numbers dropped sharply after the Paris attacks, but that a recovery was underway.

"Whilst the business saw a sharp drop in passenger numbers in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks in November, trading has started to pick up over the first two months of the year and forward bookings for the summer are looking positive," it said in a statement.

The impact of the November attacks kept passenger numbers for all of 2015 flat compared to the previous year, at 10.4 million.

Sales fell by five per cent as sterling strength meant that revenue in other currencies translated into fewer pounds. Stripping out currency factors, sales were flat.

Operating profit fell to 34 million pounds from 55 million pounds because of the adverse currency movements, but also because of the cost relating to disruptions, it said.

Eurostar also said it will boost the deployment of its new e320 trains with increased seat capacity, allowing it to cut fares.
An expert committee has been constituted by the Union Health Ministry to address the grievances of nurses employed in private hospitals and nursing homes across the country.

The decision has been taken after the Supreme Court had recently asked the Centre to set up an expert panel within four weeks.

The committee will make its recommendations within six months from its constitution to the Centre, the Ministry said.

"In compliance with the Supreme Court's judgement dated January 29 this year, it has been decided to constitute a committee to look into the grievances raised by the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) in respect of nurses who are working in private hospitals and nursing homes."



The Director General Health Services (DGHS) has been named the chairman of the committee while the other members include joint secretary, Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, secretary, TNAI, two members from private hospitals (Fortis, North Delhi and Narayana Health, Bangalore and Director (Nursing) of the Ministry amongst others.

The Union Health Ministry said that the terms of reference (ToR) of the committee include looking into the grievances raised by TNAI, to examine the factual situation, to see whether enactment of new legislation for regulating pay, perquisites and services conditions of nurses working in private hospitals and nursing homes is required.

It will also consider the fact that there are already many Acts such as Wages Act, Labour Act and Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 and others to regulate wages and service conditions.

The committee will also make recommendations on the basis of which the state may formulate legislations to regulate pay and



service conditions of the nurses, the Ministry said.

The PIL filed by the nurses' body had alleged that various hospitals have been continuously violating the fundamental rights of nurses.

One of the PILs, filed by another nurses' body, had alleged that nurses were also compelled to sign in vouchers for inflated amounts but paid very meagre amounts and exploited by private hospitals.
Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) today said even though India has positives such as high growth rate and forex reserves, factors like higher fiscal deficit and weakness in exports constrain its sovereign rating.

"On exports, India is not doing as much as it can. The biggest constraint is ease of doing business, infrastructure, financial intermediation, land and labour, and supply side factors," JCR's Special Representative for Asia, Satoshi Nakagawa, told reporters here.

Even though Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has promised to adhere to the fiscal consolidation targets, the overall deficit figure, including that of states and public debt, is high, he said.

"It (deficit) is still very high, which actually strains further room for the government in case they need to do fiscal stimulus," he said.

JCR has a BBB+ rating on the country. The agency upgraded the outlook on it to stable in February, when the last review was done.

Nakagawa said his company has a two-member dedicated analyst team tracking the developments in India and the agency's annual review of the rating is due anytime now.

Nakagawa said the country's exports are not up to the mark and identified difficulties in ease of doing business as one of the biggest impediments.

The government has already identified this as a focus area and the country has moved up on the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking.

On the positives, he said a high GDP growth of over 7 per cent, successes in reducing macroeconomic imbalances and high forex reserves, which can help fight any issue on the balance of payments side, are important influencing factors.

He said the JCR's rating is two notches above that of the global agencies, which reflects its confidence in Asia's third largest economy.

JCR today also announced a strategic tie-up with domestic credit rating agency Care Ratings in backdrop of the growing Indo-Japanese trade and finance ties.

Asked if JCR would like to take an equity stake in Care Ratings in the future, Nakagawa said, "Anything is possible. The first thing we are doing is trying to start a close relationship with Care Ratings. We are seeing how we can go further."



At present, each of Care Ratings' rivals in the domestic ratings space, including Icra, India Ratings and Crisil, are backed by global rating majors Moody's, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, respectively.
A Parliamentary panel has observed that if the issue of marital rape is brought under law, the entire family system will be under great stress.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Chaudhury said in Lok Sabha that the department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs presented its 167th report on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 in the Rajya Sabha on March 1, 2013.

While giving its report, the Committee considered both the 172nd report on review of rape laws given by the Law Commission of India and the report of the Justice J S Verma Committee.

"The Committee deliberated the amendments to section 375 of IPC, including the issue of marital rape, and observed that if marital rape is brought under the law, the entire family system will be under great stress and the Committee may perhaps be doing more injustice," he said replying to a written question today.

The Law Commission, while making its 172nd report on 'Review of Rape Laws' in March 2000, did not recommend criminalisation of marital rape.

However, the Justice J S Verma Committee, while giving its report on 'Amendments to Criminal Law' in January 2013, recommended that law ought to be amended to delete the marital rape exception.

"This (Home) Ministry has requested the Law Commission to deliberate upon the matter during the course of its comprehensive review of Criminal Justice System," Chaudhary said.
Farmers of 22 villages in Dholera taluka have called for the scrapping of the Special Investment Region (SIR) planned there and decided to hold a protest rally to press their demand.

Under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Koli Samaj (ABKS), the Gujarat chapter of which is headed by Congress leader and former MP Kunvarji Bavaliya, the farmers will hold a rally at Dholera on April 24 demanding denotification of Dholera SIR.

Nearly one lakh farmers are expected to participate in the protest, organisers claimed.

"The Dholera SIR covers 920sq.Km of land which includes agricultural land belonging to farmers in 22 villages. The Gujarat SIR Act of 2009 provides power to the state government to acquire land from farmers without due compensation, and we are protesting against that," Bavaliya told reporters here.

He claimed that under the Act, the state government acquires half of a farmer's land for free and then sells it to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) at a much higher price.

The Act also empowers the government to acquire the remaining land belonging to the farmer by offering negligible compensation, he further said.

"Farmers are not getting compensation for their land that was acquired for the SIR. We have no objection to selling the land to a private party with mutually agreed compensation, but we do not want any government interference," said Sagar Rabari, president of Gujarat Khedut Samaj, which will join the protest.

"But under the Act, government acquires land without offering any compensation and then sells it off to private parties at a much higher price, which is a policy that goes against the farmers. The government sold its own land falling under the region to the SIR authority for Rs 20 per square metre. The authority in turn sold the same piece of land to the SPV for Rs 600 per square metre," claimed Rabari.

Calls against the Act were issued after the state government declared the region an "SIR area" through a notification in 2009, he said, adding that the protest is now being intensified.

The Land Acquisition Act, 2013, does not apply to the area marked under the SIR, he said.

According to Rabari, the 920sq.Km of land falling under the Dholera SIR includes government land, village habitat, forest and saline land. He alleged that agricultural land owned by farmers in the region has not been provided water from Narmada dam despite the government having promised the same.

"We also demand that the government bring the agricultural land under Narmada canal command area as farmers have to depend on monsoon for cultivation," he said.

The state government was pushed on to the backfoot in 2014 after farmers protested against land acquisition and denotified Hazira SIR, which included villages in Olpad and Chorasi talukas of Surat district.

Before that, the government was forced to denotify Mandal -Becharji SIR in North Gujarat in August, 2013.
DMK today criticised the Jayalalitha government, alleging that it was not exerting pressure on the Centre to find a proper solution to the issue of fishermen's arrest.

"When compared to India, Sri Lanka is a small country. Should not the big country India put an end to the atrocities of the Sri Lankan navy. Where there is a will, there is a way," DMK President M Karunanidhi said.

Hitting out at Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for taking up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through letters, he asked if that was enough and whether such an approach had redressed the problems of fishermen.

"Should not the Chief Minister or senior ministers or the minister concerned take up the matter in Delhi (with the Centre)," he asked in a statement.

Karunanidhi said that AIADMK had 37 Lok Sabha MPs, its help was "required" by the BJP government (in Parliament) and AIADMK could have "exerted pressure" on the Centre for fishermen's welfare.

"How much the AIADMK government is protecting fishermen through letters," he said.

Citing the latest incident of the arrest of 28 fishermen, the DMK chief said "the Centre should make "genuine efforts" and intervene in the issue immediately.
Tens of thousands of foreign maids in Hong Kong are in "forced labour", according to a new report that fuels growing criticism of the city's treatment of its army of domestic workers.

The study by the Justice Centre estimates that one in six, or 50,000 of Hong Kong's more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers -- mainly from Indonesia and the Philippines -- fell into the "forced labour" category.

Its findings come after a report by the UN Committee Against Torture in December urged Hong Kong authorities to reform laws in order to protect victims of forced labour and trafficking.

The plight of the city's domestic workers was also thrown into the international spotlight by the high-profile abuse case of Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, whose Hong Kong employer received a six-year jail sentence last year.

The new report defined forced labour as employment for which the worker had not been recruited freely, was not doing the job freely, or could not walk away from work.

Fourteen per cent of those in forced labour had been trafficked into the city, it said.

"Hong Kong must come clean and acknowledge these problems. It can no longer afford to sweep them under the carpet," said Piya Muqit, executive director of Justice Centre, a non-profit rights group.

"Current regulations can actually increase the vulnerability of workers to exploitation and victims face very real barriers in seeking assistance and justice," she said.

Debt incurred by unscrupulous employment agencies both in Hong Kong and the workers' home countries also played a major role in trapping workers in their jobs, the report found.

"Forced labour does not always involve physical violence, there are many tools of coercion and deception," said Victoria Wisniewski Otero, co-author of the study that interviewed more than 1,000 workers.

One Indonesian maid named as Indah told researchers she felt she had no choice but to continue working because of the debt she had incurred.

She also said she had no access to her passport, which was being held by her employer.

The study found migrant domestic labourers worked an average 70-hour week and more than a third were not given the full 24-hour rest period required under Hong Kong law.

The report called on the Hong Kong government to review legislation, improve workers' living and working conditions, and penalise agencies that overcharge.
Palestinian leaders expressed hope for a new French push for peace efforts in talks with a Paris envoy today, after he faced skepticism in meetings with Israel.

Pierre Vimont, France's point man on efforts to hold an international peace conference by the summer, held talks today in Ramallah with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, foreign minister Riad al-Malki and top negotiator Saeb Erekat.

"The French ideas are timely, the French ideas are realistic and the French ideas are the only thing in town, and those who care about peace between Palestinians and Israelis must fully support the French ideas," Erekat said.

France launched the effort earlier this year to host an international conference to revive peace talks. It initially vowed to recognise a Palestinian state if talks failed, but French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault later said the recognition would not be automatic.

Vimont yesterday met Israeli foreign ministry director general Dore Gold, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said Israel wants direct negotiations with the Palestinians and sought to "understand the initiative's logic" during talks with Vimont.

"The Israeli side emphasised the importance of direct, bilateral negotiations, with no prior conditions between the parties," he said.

The French initiative comes amid a wave of violence since October that has killed 193 Palestinians and 28 Israelis.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to the Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air raids in the Gaza Strip.
With spring gearing up, producers once again are sidling up to Mother Natures poker table.

As they size up the odds, many are paying attention to what the weakening of the Godzilla-sized El Nino in the Pacific will mean for the Corn Belt.

With current U.S. and world corn supplies in some surplus, the size of the 2016 U.S crop will be very important in determining the direction of corn prices over the next year or more, Scott Irwin and Darrel Good of the University of Illinois wrote in the publication Farmdoc Daily in early March.

There is considerable discussion about the potential impact of the current El Nino episode on U.S. summer weather and the resulting effect on corn yields.

The ag economists looked back at the national average yields from years past to see whether the corn crop will be bursting bins again this year or be more of a bust.

While yields have increased on average by 1.82 bushels per acre since 1960, there can be substantial variation, up or down, from year to year.

Over the past 56 years, the national average yield was above the trend in 61 percent of annual harvests.

Ag economists found the pattern of average corn harvests for years following a strong El Nino painted a mixed picture but did point to an elevated risk of the average yield being below the trend. The average yield for years following an El Nino was four to five bushels below trend, but the deviation for any given year ranged from 28.6 bushels below to 11 bushels above.

In sum, we believe it is prudent to give serious consideration to managing the elevated risk of below-trend corn yields in 2016, despite the current market structure of prices, they noted.

AccuWeather Chief Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok in a March article predicted the diminishing El Nino points to hot, dry days this summer in the central U.S. that could mean moderate drought conditions stressing crops, including corn.

Nebraska associate climatologist Al Dutcher says its pretty early to be making drought predictions and noted current soil profiles are still packed with moisture.

Lets be realistic here, were just entering March, he said in an interview. The big question is when we transition from an El Nino to a La Nina type pattern. That will dictate whether it is a dry year.

The transition happens when above-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, called El Nino, give way to colder temperatures, the La Nina, which often translate to drier conditions and warmer temps in Nebraska.

Its most likely the switch will happen over the second half of the growing season, Dutcher said.

Very similar to the type of conditions that developed last year. Wet and cool before the Fourth of July, and we turn warm and dry after, he said.

The recent stretch of rain-free days has been good for farmers, helping to dry up fields so they can get out to spread fertilizer and prepare for planting, said Dutcher. But meteorologists are predicting that will change.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Centers three-month outlook says its likely the region will experience both above-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures.

While the top few inches of ground may have dried out, deeper down its still saturated from winter rain and snow, which means a good probability of localized flooding this spring. Dutcher recommended homeowners keep their gutters clean and water away from foundations.
A French policewoman was wounded during a major Franco-Belgian anti-terror operation in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks, Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens has said.

"It appears the French policewoman who was slightly wounded was here as part of a joint investigation team set up by Belgian and French prosecutors," Geens yesterday told a press conference after a dramatic day which saw one suspect shot dead.

Officials said earlier that four police had been hurt in the operation and it was not immediately clear if that included the French officer.
Population of Ganga river dolphins has declined considerably and they are on the verge of extinction, Parliament was informed today.

"As reported by the Ministry of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the Ganga river Dolphin .. is distributed in the Gangetic-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and the population has declined considerably and that they are on the verge of extinction," Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan said.

The Water Resource Ministry has informed that the total population of the Ganga river dolphin is estimated to be between 2,500-3,000 in its entire distribution range, out of which more than 80 per cent is within the Indian territory, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

According to the Wild Life Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, this species is facing series of threats for survival in recent years, the Minister said.

Various organisations like WII and the Environment Ministry has informed that activities like construction of dams and barrages, embankments etc besides unsustainable obstruction of river water and sand mining among others are mainly responsible for shrinking of habitat and decline of Ganga river dolphins.

Ganga river dolphins are listed in Schedule-1 of the wild life protection act and thereby according them the highest degree of protection during hunting.
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told the state Legislative Assembly today that he would seek the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to keep the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) out of the purview of the proposed inter-state river water dispute body.

"I will be meeting the Prime Minister next week with a request to exclude MWDT from the ambit of Inter-state River Water Dispute Tribunal which is in the formation stage," Parsekar said.

Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka are locked in a dispute over diversion of Mhadei water which is before the tribunal. Goa's contention is that diversion of water would adversely affect the state's ecology.

"It is a very serious issue and considering that Goa is about to get justice on the dispute, it is necessary to exclude this case from the amendment," the Chief Minister said responding to a calling attention motion of the Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane.

"If our request is not considered, then we will take a all-party delegation (to Delhi) with our demand," he said.

State Water Resources Minister Dayanand Mandrekar said Goa had already made its submission before the Centre to exclude Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal from the ambit of new body.
In a move designed to protect the domestic industry, the government today imposed anti-dumping duty of up to 44.7 per cent on import of plastic-processing machines from Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam for five years.

The duty will be levied on imports of all kinds of plastic-processing or injection-moulding machines, also known as injection presses.

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) said the safeguard duty covers imports from the countries in question and has been imposed after the domestic industry took a beating from such dumping.

"The anti-dumping duty imposed shall be levied for five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier) from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette and shall be payable in Indian currency," CBEC said in a notification.

Plastic-processing or injection-moulding machines are used for processing or moulding plastic materials.

CBEC has found that import of these goods has led to deterioration of performance of the domestic industry and the injury is significant and material.

A notification of the Revenue Department said anti-dumping duty of 27.98 per cent has been imposed on plastic-processing machines imported from Chinese Taipei.

Further, a safeguard duty of 44.74 per cent and 30.85 per cent has been imposed for the same products imported from Malaysia and the Philippines. Also, imports from Vietnam will attract a levy of 23.15 per cent.

Countries initiate an anti-dumping probe to determine if the domestic industry has been hurt by a surge in below-cost imports.

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. They are not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in cost of products.
The government today told Lok Sabha that it would work in a "mission mode" to end naxalism while noting that the casualties in the extremist violence had come down substantially.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the multi-pronged strategy being implemented by the Centre is helping in addressing the problem and maximum possible assistance is being provided to the affected states.

There are incidents of extortion and killing in naxal-affected areas, he said while replying to questions.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said the government would work in a "mission mode" to address the problem and end naxalism.

Insisting that the government strategy is showing results, Rajnath Singh said the number of deaths of civilians and security personnel due to naxal and maoist activities came down last year to 226 compared to 1,005 in 2010.

In 2015, 168 civilians and 58 security personnel were killed whereas 720 civilians and 285 security personnel died in 2010, Singh said.

There were 2,230 incidents related to naxals and Maoists in 2010, he added.

"According to reports, Left Wing Extremists groups, particularly the CPI (Maoist), reportedly resort to extortion from industrialists, businessmen and contractors," Chaudhary said.

The details of cases of extortion by LWE groups and the number of persons arrested/killed in the cases of abductions and extortions are not centrally maintained, he added.

As many as 17 incidents of kidnapping, including abduction and resultant killing by Left Wing Extremists (LWE) and death of five people have been reported up to February 29 this year. In 2015, there were 115 such incidents and 62 deaths.

Up to February 29 this year, there have been 24 attacks on economic targets by LWE groups.

The quantum of damage to economic infrastructure and persons arrested in these incidents are not centrally maintained, Chaudhary said.

"The central government closely monitors the situation and has a multi-pronged strategy towards combating LWE including security related measures; development related interventions; and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities," he noted.

Noting that police and public order are state subjects, the Minister said cases related to extortion and damage to property/economic infrastructure are registered, investigated and prosecuted by the state governments concerned.
The row over sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters between Punjab and Haryana and the Jat stir issue dominated the proceedings during discussion on the Governor's Address in the Haryana Assembly here today.

Senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala also demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge to probe the incidents of violence during the agitation and added if any member of his party was found involved in any way, strict action should be taken against them.

Chautala also accused the state government of not putting enough pressure on the Centre to stop Punjab from passing the Bill which was against Haryana's interest.

Chautala, who is also the Leader of Opposition, noted BJP was ally of the Punjab government led by Akali Dal and they were in power in Haryana and at the Centre and said, "your party members should have stopped them (the Akalis)".

"Punjab is going to assembly polls which is why you are not putting enough pressure on them (Akalis)," Chautala said.

However, Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu and state BJP President Subhash Barala said Haryana BJP leaders had initiated appropriate steps in this regard, including an appeal to the Governor not to sign the Bill passed by Punjab Assembly.

Punjab Assembly had yesterday passed a bill against construction of contentious Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, sparking an immediate adoption of a resolution by Haryana Assembly condemning the move as "unconstitutional".

Talking to reporters today, Chief Minister Khattar termed the bill as "unconstitutional" and said, "We appeal to the Governor not to sign it".

In the assembly, Abhimanyu also asked Chautala to make clear his party's stand about alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal, to which the INLD leader said they were in alliance in Haryana as well but it did not mean the party would compromise the state's interests.

The minister also reminded him that the lone SAD MLA in Haryana, Balkar Singh, had left the House yesterday, minutes before the resolution against the Punjab Bill was moved.

However, Chautala, who spoke for about 90 minutes, said, Balkar Singh needs to be congratulated as despite being a SAD MLA he had signed a memorandum and accompanied the all-party delegation led by the chief minister which met the Governor on SYL and other issues.

Abhimanyu said BJP leaders from Haryana had always been in the forefront of protecting the state's interests and reminded that in 2004 all its six legislators had resigned from Assembly, nine months ahead of their term, when Punjab had passed an act terminating the water-sharing agreements.

On the Jat agitation issue, Chautala blamed the BJP



government for not effectively handling the situation.

"Had government effectively dealt with the situation, Haryana would not have burned," he said.

Attacking BJP's Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for his alleged remarks against the Jat community, Chautala alleged that BJP had given a long rope to its parliamentarian and his statements were aimed at breeding hatred and creating a wedge between Jats and other communities.

Chautala claimed BJP MLA Randhir Kapriwas and some other party leaders had admitted to the government's failure in controlling the situation during the stir.

He alleged that INLD office in Bhiwani and a petrol pump were damaged by BJP workers. "Attempts were also made to break the statue of former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal," he claimed.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the figure being quoted of Rs 35,000 crore loss to property during the Jat agitation was incorrect and added that the government had not reported any such figure.

On the recent investor summit held in Gurgaon, Chautala said out of Rs 5.84 lakh crore of promised investment accruing from signing of 357 MoUs for various projects, Rs 4 lakh crore were to come from the real estate sector and these would remain limited to areas like Gurgaon and Faridabad.

He also alleged that one company which had signed MoU worth thousands of crore of rupees was a bank defaulter.
Haryana traders today called off the proposed March 17 strike after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured full compensation to the owners of commercial establishments which were damaged during Jat agitation.

A decision to this effect was taken at a state-level meeting of Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal (HPBM) held at Bhiwani today, presided over by its president Bajrang Dass Garg.

According to Garg, a delegation of traders had met Khattar in Chandigarh on March 13 and discussed about the compensation to the affected traders.

Chief Minister gave assurance and agreed to waive the interest on bank loan for three months to the affected traders following which the proposed Haryana bandh has been withdrawn, he said.
The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra Government to come out with a comprehensive policy to rehabilitate child beggars in the city.

Expressing concern over the rising number of child beggars in the city, a bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka asked the government to rescue them and provide facilities for their accommodation and education.

The bench was suo motu hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) stating that there was an urgent need for the State to address this problem.

The HC had earlier asked the government to find out the number of children begging on the city streets and how many of them are orphans and whether others have parents or guardians.

In this regard, the HC had asked the government to refer to a census of child beggars conducted in 2013 by Asha Mukundan, a professor of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and various other NGOs.

The government must find out how many children have taken to begging either forcibly or voluntarily, the petition stated.

The PIL stated that children are the future of the country and should be imparted education. It is the duty of the state to ensure that they are not asked to beg under any circumstances.

"The government has a responsibility to take care of destitute children, who either do not have parents or are forced by their elders to take to begging to earn a living," the PIL stated.
The Allahabad High Court has criticized Uttar Pradesh Commercial Tax Department for withdrawing nearly Rs 50 crore from the bank account of e-commerce giant Flipkart "through dubious means by passing ex-parte assessment orders" and directed it to pay a cost of Rs 2 lakh to the company and refund the withdrawn amount with interest.

Passing the order on February 29 last, a division bench, comprising Justice Tarun Agarwala and Justice Vinod Kumar Mishra, observed that "if in this cavalier fashion the commercial tax department functions and withdraws huge sums of money without valid service (of notice), it would be difficult for big business houses to carry on their businesses.

Such business houses will be forced to shift their business outside the state, it said.

Terming as "wholly illegal and without any authority of law" a notice dated 27.01.2016, which was followed by withdrawal of Rs 49.82 crore from the company's bank account, the court quashed the same besides setting aside another order passed by the department on 11.2.2016 whereby a recall application filed by Flipkart had been rejected.

The court also directed the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax to refund the amount with interest "within two weeks of from the date of production of a certified copy of this order", observing that "since a huge amount" had been withdrawn from the petitioner's bank account "the respondents are not justified to retain this amount any further".

The court, however, added "it would be open to the assessing authority to make a fresh assessment in accordance with law after proper service of the notice upon the petitioner and after giving them an opportunity of hearing".

The court also said "it would be open to the Commercial Tax Commissioner, Lucknow, to institute an inquiry and fix responsibility on the erring officer".
The Delhi High Court today reserved for April 25 its order on a petition seeking enforcement of existing laws on call drops and waiver of full amount of a call when it is dropped.

"We will consider it and will pass an order," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.

As soon as the hearing commenced, the counsel representing telecom operators told the bench that the Supreme Court is hearing the petitions against the high court's order upholding the notification of Telelcom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the call drop issue.

However, the counsel appearing for the petitioner argued that almost 50 per cent of the issue raised in his plea was different from the matter being heard by the apex court.

The lawyer argued that telecom companies are not supposed to charge the customers if there is any call drop.

Earlier, the high court had dismissed the pleas filed by cellular operators against the TRAI regulation mandating them to compensate consumers for call drops.

The petition alleged that telecom regulator has failed to take action against cellular operators despite the increasing number of call drops.

"Mobile companies are continuing to charge for dropped calls even when calls are not complete and service is not given, but TRAI failed to take action against them as per law.

"Due to inaction on part of TRAI, telecom service providers (TSPs) too have become lackadaisical, especially with respect to quality of services," the petition, filed through advocate Virag Gupta, has claimed.

The petition has contended while the telecom companies continue to spend crores of rupees in advertising and readily compete against each other, in the present instance they were protesting against a "very mild" maximum penalty of Rs 3 a day per customer for call drops.

It has also alleged that Department of Telecommunication and TRAI "have extended many out of turn favours such as allowing of sharing of spectrum" and installation of towers on government buildings to assist the telecom service providers in curbing call drops "but it has failed to stop the call drop menace".

Apart from enforcement of existing laws and waiver of full amount on dropping of calls, the PIL has also sought payment of compensation to both caller and receiver as well as crediting of "previous year's illegal gains because of undue charging of dropped calls by the TSPs in the Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund".

It has also sought a direction to the telecom companies to provide details of dropped calls to the consumers by way of SMS and in telephone bill.
The head of one of Nebraskas largest foster care services says if faith-based child placing agencies lose government funding for refusing to work with same-sex couples, his organization and others could fill the void.

Its not about the number of agencies, its about what those agencies do to recruit, encourage and support a diverse foster parent team for the kids, so the right placement can be made, said Jim Blue, CEO of Lincoln-based Cedars.

A coalition of four faith-based child placing agencies is backing a measure sponsored by state Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward which would protect them from losing state money if they turn away potential parents, including same-sex couples, who violate their religious beliefs.

Those agencies contend they offer an irreplaceable service: recruiting and assisting devout Christians to provide homes for children.

Nebraska cant afford to lose one safe and loving foster family, and it cant afford to lose one child-placing agency, Kolterman said during a Feb. 17 public hearing on the bill (LB975).

The state has about 3,400 children living in foster care, 31 licensed child-placing agencies and about 2,954 licensed foster or kinship homes, although not all those homes are currently housing children.

Blue says the same number of children could be served without the four agencies supporting Koltermans bill.

But Karen Authier, CEO of Nebraska Childrens Home Society, another child-placing agency, said the answer is not so clear.

Nebraska Childrens Home has placed children with gay people and doesnt rule out parents based on sexual orientation or religion, but the agency is officially neutral on LB975.

Its like drawing a line in the sand, and I just dont think its that simple, she said.

Permanent adoptions in which biological parents relinquish rights to infant children would probably continue with minimal interruption if faith-based agencies lost funding, she said: Theres no doubt in my mind that theres adequate coverage for that.

However, she said, foster parents have loyalty to their agencies. ... They often have strong preferences as to what agency they want to be part of.

If Nebraska Childrens Home ceased providing temporary foster care placements, some of their parents would probably begin working with different agencies  but others might stop fostering entirely, she said.

The state of Nebraska hasnt threatened to pull funding from faith-based agencies that wont serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. But a handful of other states have.

In Illinois, Catholic Charities chose to terminate their child welfare services in 2011 rather than work with same-sex couples.

Caseloads in that state were transferred to other adoption and foster care agencies, and at least two dioceses spun off their own staff and caseloads into new agencies, severing their direct ties with the Roman Catholic Church.

Veronica Resa, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, described the transition as a nonissue five years later and said it had no negative impact on the states ability to find homes for children.

The situation is different in Nebraska, where state health officials actually support Koltermans bill to protect faith-based agencies funding.

In fact, the first public criticism of the agencies came in reaction to LB975.

During the February hearing and in follow-up letters to the state Department of Health and Human Services, Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld called for an investigation into whether the agencies are violating restrictions on the use of federal funds by discriminating based on religion or sexual orientation.

Kolterman has requested a legal opinion on the matter from Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson.

All of the legal arguments aside, we should not be using federal or state funds to discriminate against people, Morfeld said.

Five national child welfare organizations have also opposed Koltermans bill.

Child Welfare League of America warned in a letter last month that the measure could have devastating effects for the children in Nebraskas foster care system by allowing agencies to turn away prospective parents.

In a separate letter, four other groups pointed to studies suggesting gay and lesbian parents are more likely to adopt older, special needs and minority children than heterosexual adults. The letter was signed by leaders of the Donaldson Adoption Institute, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Voice for Adoption, and National Center on Adoption and Permanency.

LB975 has yet to emerge from the Legislatures Judiciary Committee, and just 19 working days remain until state lawmakers adjourn for the summer.

Three senators have cosigned the measure: Colby Coash of Lincoln, Laura Ebke of Crete and Bill Kintner of Papillion. Coash and Ebke sit on the Judiciary Committee.
The Bombay High Court today said it would like to peruse the charge sheet in a criminal case pertaining to Maval taluka near Pune in which a police officer is accused of opening fire at a mob of protesters in 2011.

A bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka asked police and the state government to produce the charge sheet if it has been filed in the trial court.

The judges posted to April 18 a public interest litigation seeking CBI probe against senior police officer Sandeep Karnik, accused of opening fire at a mob in Maval in which one woman was killed.

Social activist I G Khandelwal filed the petition seeking CBI probe, after the high court refused to interfere with the state government's decision to give a clean chit to Karnik.

Khandelwal challenged the state government's decision to give a clean chit to Karnik and sought a probe by CBI.

According to the petition, Karnik, who was then Superintendent of Police, Pune rural, had opened fire at the mob and it was his bullet that killed the woman.

The government had earlier informed the court in an affidavit that explanation was sought from four officers, and after perusal of their replies a warning was issued to Karnik and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against three police officers - inspectors Ashok Patil and Yashwant Gawari and assistant inspector Ganesh Mane.

According to the government, Karnik had fired two bullets in the air to disperse the crowd and had later fired rubber bullets.

On August 8, 2011, police had opened fire on villagers protesting against the government's decision to lay a closed pipeline to supply water from the Pavna dam to the limits of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Agriculturists had claimed that they would not get water for their crops if the closed pipeline was laid.
A ceremonial flypast, pilots tossed in the air in celebration and dozens of cheering supporters - the first Russian warplanes today returned home to a hero's welcome as part of the withdrawal of armed forces from Syria.

Several Su-34 strike fighters landed at an airbase outside the city of Voronezh located some 580 kilometres (360 miles) southeast of Moscow after performing a fly-past for top commanders, relatives and supporters.

After pilots disembarked from the aircraft they were tossed in the air in celebration as cheering supporters clutched flags, flowers and balloons, national television showed in a live broadcast.

Critics say that after the start of Russia's aerial campaign in Syria in September, Moscow's powerful propaganda machine shifted its attention from the nearly non-stop coverage of the Ukraine conflict to Syria, the country's first major military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979.

After Putin's surprise order to start pulling back troops the start of the withdrawal of forces from Syria is now being presented on Russian television as nothing short of a victory.

"The Syrian army received a huge support," said Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, praising the work of the country's air force in Syria.

"Thanks to your work in Syria, international terrorism sustained significant losses," he told the pilots in televised remarks.

He indicated that Russia's full-scale military presence was no longer needed, adding that the Syrian army, the opposition and other forces would be able to crush the remaining "terrorist gangs" - apparently referring to the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front - by themselves.

He also appeared to address claims by rights groups and monitors that accused Russian armed forces of targeting civilians, saying that not a single Russian warplane in Syria missed its target and that civilians would "not hold grudges" against Moscow.

After the official greeting ceremony, the pilots received flowers from women who chanted "congratulations."



Putin launched a bombing campaign in Syria on September 30, saying Moscow needed to target Islamic State jihadists before they cross into Russia.

Yesterday, the Russian strongman said the country's military goal was "on the whole" completed after a campaign of five-and-a-half months and 9,000 sorties.

Many analysts said the danger of a costly protracted war similar to the Soviet Union's 10-year involvement in Afghanistan was not lost on the Kremlin, with Putin deciding to pull the forces out amid a relative lull in fighting and peace talks.
A habitual criminal was murdered by unidentified persons near Zilla Parishad area under MR Peta police station limits in the city last night, police said.

B Narasimha Murthy (40) was found dead with his head smashed with a stone this morning.

Murthy was one of the accused in the case related to murder of T Anil Kumar, another history-sheeter.

His family said he went for a booze party yesterday evening and didn't return.

DCP Dr CM Thrivikrama Varma said Murthy was apparently attacked with sticks and rods and later his head was smashed with a stone.

Maharanipeta police are conducting further probe.
Home Ministry has provided a fresh list of three candidates for appointment to the post of civil aviation security agency BCAS chief, which has been lying vacant for over three years, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said today.

The post of Commissioner of Security (Civil Aviation) at the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has been lying vacant since November 2012.

"A fresh panel of suitable officers was requested from the Ministry of Home Affairs and based on the request of Ministry of Civil Aviation, MHA has provided a panel of three IPS officers (on March 11, 2016) for the post of Commissioner of Security (Civil Aviation) in the BCAS," Sharma said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation said the competent authority had decided to seek the fresh panel of officers after considering the earlier panels provided by the Home Ministry.

"The civil aviation security is paramount for India. Accordingly, the Joint Commissioner of Security (Civil Aviation) had been handling the additional charge of the post of Commissioner of Security (Civil Aviation), BCAS," the Minister said.

The Bureau was set up in 1978 as part of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in the wake of the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Lahore in September 1976.

Later it was upgraded as an independent body after the 1985 bombing of the Air India Boeing 747 Kanishka plane.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) carries out periodic audits of member countries and assesses implementation of norms/standards prescribed by them, Sharma added.

In such an audit carried out recently, ICAO observed very high degree of compliance to its standards by India, he said.
In a major reversal, the Obama administration said today it will not allow oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell made the announcement on Twitter, declaring that the administration's next five-year offshore drilling plan "protects the Atlantic for future generations."



A formal announcement is expected later in the day.

The decision to block Atlantic drilling reverses a proposal made last year in which the administration floated a plan that would have opened up a broad swath of the Atlantic Coast to drilling.

The January 2015 proposal would have opened up sites more than 80 kilometers off Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia to oil drilling no earlier than 2021.

The Interior Department said the latest decision responds to strong local opposition and conflicts with competing commercial and military ocean uses.

The Pentagon said Atlantic offshore drilling could hurt military maneuvers and interfere with missile tests the Navy relies on to protect the East Coast.

Environmental groups also opposed Atlantic drilling and had organized protests and petitions in affected states. "President Obama has taken a giant step for our oceans, for coastal economies and for mitigating climate change," said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of Oceana, an environmental group.

"This is a victory for people over politics and shows the importance of old-fashioned grassroots organizing," Jacqueline said.
Title favourites India capitulated to a shocking 47-run defeat against a spirited New Zealand in a low-scoring game as the hosts launched their ICC World Twenty20 campaign in the most ignominious manner, here tonight.

After restricting New Zealand 126 for seven, India put up a pathetic batting display to be bundled out 79 in 18.1 overs, their second lowest Twenty20 total, on a turning track at a jam-packed VCA Stadium in Jamtha.

It was a horrendous performance from India, ranked world no 1 in the Twenty20 format, as the famed batting line-up showed poor skills and application to lose their fifth successive match against the Kiwis.

With impressive figures of 4-0-11-4, young left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner turned out to be the star performer with the ball for New Zealand, recording the best bowling figures by a Kiwi tweaker in India.

The home team now proceed to Kolkata to take on arch-foes Pakistan in their second game on March 19 while New Zealand travel to Dharamsala to clash against Trans-Tasman rivals Australia a day earlier.

India's jinx in the T20 format against the Kiwis, thus, continued as the home team's batting department came a cropper against the Kiwi spin trio of Nathan McCullum, Santner and Ish Sodhi.

Among the top five batsmen, only Virat Kohli reached double figures by making 23 off 22 balls with two fours while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made a run-a-ball 30 with one six and as many four, and Ravichandran Ashwin (10) were the only others to do so.

Dhoni prolonged India's innings which looked a totally lost cause with the hosts staggering at 43 for seven that improved marginally to 61 for seven after the 15th over and was ninth batsmen to be dismissed, caught at long on off Santner after striking Sodhi for a huge straight six a little while earlier.

Nine of India's 10 wickets fell to the Kiwi spin trio while last man Ashish Nehra was castled by pacer Adam Milne to complete the rout.

Santner captured a stunning 4 for 11, Sodhi grabbed 3 for 18 while McCullum, the senior-most spinner, took 2 for 15.

India commenced their modest chase on a shocking note by losing four wickets for 26 inside the powerplay and then lost their most in-form batsman Kohli at 39 in the ninth over.

The procession started when Shikhar Dhawan tried a sweep a McCullum delivery and was trapped plumb in front off the fifth ball.
An Indian-origin Sikh has become the Police Commissioner of Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, the first Sikh to achieve the top police post in the Muslim-majority country.

Amar Singh, 58, succeeded Tajuddin Mohamed as the Kuala Lumpur Police Commissioner yesterday.

In his speech during the ceremony at the city police headquarters, Amar said that his appointment was an honour to the minority races in Malaysia, especially Sikhs who make up only 0.16 per cent of the police force's manpower, New Straits Times reported.

"This also proves that the force's leadership are colourblind in promoting its officers as well as in executing our duties," he said.

"This shows that our leadership does not discriminate against anyone, regardless of their race or background," Amar, who was former Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief for several years, said at the handing over of duties ceremony.

He commended his predecessor Tajuddin for bringing the crime index down by 17.6 per cent during his tenure as the city police chief.

Amar's appointment was announced last month.

A third-generation policeman from his family, he achieved the highest ever rank by a Malaysian Sikh. His father and maternal grandfather were both policemen.

Amar's father Ishar Singh joined the Federated Malay States Police in 1939, a year after coming to Malaya from Punjab and was a pioneer member of the police jungle squad established during the Emergency.

His maternal grandfather Bachan Singh was a constable who joined the force in the early 1900s.

Amar graduated in B.Sc from University of Malaya here and did his LLB from the University of Buckingham, the UK. He has a Diploma in Sharia Law.
Infosys Foundation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NGO Sahakara Mitra Samstha to enhance livelihood of the farming community in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The philanthropic arm of Infosys has pledged Rs 5 crore to the NGO, also known as Center for Collective Development (CCD), to work on increasing revenue and profits of farmers and create awareness about sustainable agricultural practices by adopting efficient business models.

CCD will also aim to build sustainable farmer co-operative societies and facilitate pooling, processing as well as the sale of produce in two districts of Andhra Pradesh (Anantapur and Chittoor) and one district in Telangana (Adilabad), a company statement said.

It will also work towards bringing in new co-operatives from different areas to strengthen the federation activities of its association, set up new processing units and enable the creation of a district level forum where farmers can voice their issues, the statement added.

As part of its ongoing efforts towards rural development, the foundation intends to influence the livelihood of more than 15,000 small and marginal farmers through the work done by co-operatives under the CCD, it said.

The company said it has appointed Mohit Joshi, Ravi Kumar



S and Sandeep Dadlani as presidents with effective immediate effect.

Cash and cash equivalents, available-for-sale financial assets, certificates of deposits and government bonds were Rs 34,468 crore as of March 31, 2016.

"Our growth trajectory improved in FY16 and we navigated the external business environment well. We will continue to focus on leveraging operational efficiency levers for consistent profitable growth," Infosys CFO MD Ranganath said.

During the quarter, cash generation was strong and Infosys managed a volatile currency environment effectively, he added.

Infosys said its quarterly annualised attrition rate has declined to 17.3 per cent in January-March of 2016.

For the March quarter, Infosys' total headcount stood at 1,94,044 as against 1,76,187 a year ago.

Net additions in the March quarter stood at 661 people.

"Employee attrition reduced further in Q4, and is reflective of increased engagement with our people all through the year, and our steps to make Infosys an exciting place for the world's best talent. We continue to reimagine our internal processes to increase organisational agility," Infosys COO U B Pravin Rao said.

The momentum of large deal wins continued this quarter and bookings were strong, he added.

Infosys Board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 14.25 per equity share for the financial year ended March 2016.

In fiscal 2016, over Rs 216 crore (USD 33 million) contributed by Infosys was utilised across projects related to healthcare, education, culture, destitute care and rural development, it said.

In addition, the company has spent Rs 86 crore (USD 13 million) crore on multiple initiatives including Chennai flood disaster relief, environment sustainability and conservation of natural resources aimed at long-term sustainability of ecosystem.
Nepal's "internal problem" will be resolved soon as talks with the agitating Madhesi parties were heading towards a "positive direction", Prime Minister K P Oli said today as he sought India's support in achieving economic prosperity.

Giving a commitment on providing protection to Indian investments in Nepal, Oli, in his meeting with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, called for more investments from India.

Nepal attaches high priority to Indian investments, he told Jaishankar.

"Nepal's internal problem will be resolved soon and the government's talks with the agitating Madhesi parties were heading towards positive direction," Oli said.

Jaishankar, who arrived here last night to take part in the SAARC meetings, called on Prime Minister Oli at his office at Singhdurbar here before flying to the picturesque Pokhara valley to attend the Foreign Secretary-level SAARC meeting.

"After promulgating the new Constitution, Nepal is now ready to embark towards economic prosperity and we need India's support and assistance," Oli said in his meeting with Jaishankar.

Jaishankar, on his part, said India wants to see political stability and development in Nepal.

"We want to see political stability and development of Nepal as India's security is linked to the prosperity of Nepal," Jaishankar was quoted as saying by Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Gopal Khanal.

Jaishankar also appreciated the Prime Minister for playing a "decisive role" in the current situation as the country was facing a crisis.

He said the Indian government has confidence in the Nepalese government and India is ready to help Nepal in whatever way it can.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar also met leaders of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front and discussed the current political situation and the Madhesi problems.

During the meeting, Jaishankar told the Madhesi leaders that India wants to see Nepal's internal problem resolved internally and cautioned that any problem arising in the southern plains bordering India will have a negative impact on India's security.

Madhesi leaders briefed Jaishankar about the current situation in Terai and reviewed the Madhesi agitation, said Laxman Lal Karna, Vice President of the Sadbhavana Party, one of the members of the Madhesi Front.

He said the Madhsei Front will be forced to re-launch its agitation if the government did not take an initiative towards fulfilling their demands.
A top Islamic State group commander known as "Omar the Chechen" is dead after suffering injuries in a US-led coalition strike in northeastern Syria, the Pentagon has confirmed.

Yesterday's announcement would appear to clear up the fate of the notorious Omar al-Shishani, a week after a US official said the most-wanted militant had been targeted in a March 4 attack on the jihadist's convoy.

"We believe he subsequently died of his injuries," Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Shishani had been 'clinically dead' for several days.

Shishani, the nom de guerre of Tarkhan Batirashvili, was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington, which put a $5 million bounty on his head.
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts declined to weigh in on the Republican presidential race Tuesday while suggesting that Nebraska might yet emerge as a key player in a contest that could be undecided two months from now.

Nebraska Republicans participate in a winner-take-all presidential primary election on May 10.

I have not made a decision on any of the candidates yet, Ricketts said during a news conference called to highlight the importance of colon cancer screening for Nebraskans over the age of 50.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Nebraska, the governor said.

Dr. Alan Thorson, a colon and rectal surgeon, said the disease is preventable for most Nebraskans.

A healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, physical activity and avoidance of tobacco products should be combined with colon screening, he said.

Courtney Phillips, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, also centered on the importance of screening.

On the day when voters in the key states of Florida and Ohio were casting ballots expressing their Republican and Democratic presidential preferences, questioning turned to political topics after the colon cancer screening presentation.

Ricketts said he would like to see Republican candidates follow the example of Ronald Reagan, who offered an uplifting vision (to) bring people together.

On other matters, the governor said structural property tax relief remains his No. 1 priority during the current legislative session and said controlled state spending is the only way we can have sustainable tax relief in the future.
The Israeli parliament has approved a tough new law to keep out Palestinian workers, as part of measures to quell a five-month wave of violence.

The Knesset yesterday said on its website that the bill sponsored by internal security minister Gilad Erdan passed its third reading "by a large majority".

While the workers themselves are already subject to arrest and imprisonment, the new legislation strikes at Israelis who employ them and those who transport them.

Erdan said in a statement that with the passage of the new law "the police can be expected to mount large-scale operations to seize illegal entrants and those who assist them."



Among its provisos are that the Israeli employer of a Palestinian who has entered the Jewish state without the obligatory -- and hard to come by -- permit, will face up to two years in prison.

That is in the case of one worker for a single day.

"Those who employ more than one illegal worker, or hire an illegal worker for more than 24 hours, will face up to four years of incarceration," the site said.

In the case of companies who regularly take on unlicensed Palestinian staff, they face fines of between 40,000 and 452,000 shekels (USD 10,550 and USD 119,000).

Since October 1, a wave of violence has killed 193 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations, while some were killed in air strikes on Gaza.

Many analysts say young Palestinians are fed up with Israeli occupation, while Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence.

A government adviser told a Knesset committee on Sunday that of the attacks carried out in Israel, including Jerusalem, 44 percent were carried out by Palestinians in the Jewish state illegally.

Israeli police say the security forces are engaged in a two-pronged campaign to shut down underground West Bank arms makers and to keep out Palestinians who have not undergone the rigorous security checks carried out on applicants for entry and work permits.

Last Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on a package of measures to quell the violence, including completion of the unfinished security barrier between Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Actor Ben Affleck says he is "fine" with his ex Jennifer Garner's recent tell-all interview about their split, in which she also addressed his rumoured affair with their nanny.

Affleck, 43, and Garner announced their split a day after their 10-year anniversary in June 2015.

It was reported that Affleck had an affair with the family's 28-year-old nanny Christine Ouzounian.

In the interview, Garner, 43, had called Affleck the love of her life, and tagged the nanny incident as "bad judgment" on the part of her husband.

When asked about his view on Garner's interview, Affleck said, "It's fine. She's allowed to talk about it. She felt like she wanted to discuss it and get it out there and get it over with, so she could say, 'Look, I already talked about it - I don't want to do it again'."



This is the first time that Affleck has spoken about their much-publicised and shocking separation.

The actor was all praise for Garner.

"Jen's great. She's a great person... We're on great terms. I just saw her this morning, so that's the reality that I live in," Affleck told New York Times in an interview.

The 43-year-old star, however, refused to discuss his family life or the details of his divorce from former "Daredevil" co-star.

"Because it ends up being in the record somewhere, in the great miasma of junk on the internet."



The father of three also responded to Ricky Gervais' Golden Globe joke in which the comedian called Matt Damon as "the only person who Ben Affleck hasn't been unfaithful to."



The actor laughed, "It's the way Ricky Gervais perceives me, I suppose. Whatever. I've had jokes made at my expense before. It's part of the deal.
Jammu and Kashmir government has threatened to sack doctors who remain absent from their duty without authorization, an official spokesman said today.

"The Governor reviewed the functioning of the Health department today and directed the Health Secretary to ensure speedy and strict action, including termination of services, against doctors who remain unauthorizedly absent from duty at any point of time", an official spokesman said.

Governor N N Vohra directed the Health Secretary to issue orders for withdrawing doctors who have been attached at any station, including Delhi, without availability of posts or are superfluous without any actual requirement or availability of posts.

Vohra also gave directions to take immediate action for ensuring that all doctors who are appointed to government services join duty within the prescribed period and take action immediately against every defaulter.

"Evolve a policy for incentivizing doctors who serve in difficult areas by providing them avenues for dedicated post graduation slots as departmental candidates,rotation in postings depending upon their period of service in such areas and preferential postings at home stations or other convenient locations etc," the Governor said.

He also directed Health Secretary to follow a policy for filling up the posts of medical officers to be posted in medical colleges and other departments like police, prisons, by ensuring a systematic rotation.

Under National Health Mission, around 5500 MBBS and ISM doctors, para-medics have been engaged for providing health care services, besides assisting in creation and upgradation of physical health infrastructure in the state, the spokesman said.

An amount of Rs 4,900 crore has been allocated under the Prime Minister's package to the Health department for setting up of two AIIMS (Rs 4,000 crore) and for completion of pending infrastructure projects and augmenting machinery and equipment required in health institutions, he said.
Weeks after their stir for quotas in jobs and education plunged Haryana into a welter of violence leaving 30 dead, Jat leaders have threatened to resume their agitation if the state's BJP government does not meet their demands by March 17.

The influential Jat community leaders are demanding 10 per cent quotas, besides withdrawal of FIRs registered against the protesters, compensation to those killed during the stir and action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini for his anti-Jat reservation stand.

"On March 17, we will decide on the next mode of action on whether to block roads, railway tracks or any other type of agitation," All India Jat Mahasabha chief Yashpal Malik told PTI over phone today.

The state government must bring a Bill in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly to ensure reservation for Jats, he said.

Jat leaders from across the state have decided that community members will hit the streets again if the state government does not act, he said, adding that dharnas this time would also cover the rural areas.

"The state government has time till March 17. So far the government has not responded to any of our demands," said Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha president, Hawa Singh Sangwan.

Yesterday, members of the Jat community held demonstrations across the state.

Malik said the "government is keen to crush the members of Jat community even though their protest was peaceful". He also said the government should control its ministers from issuing statements against the Jat community.

He claimed that the Jat agitation has continued since 2005-06 in 13 states, including Uttar Pardesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Madhya Pardesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, in a "peaceful manner".

Political outfits in Haryana have for their vested interests given the Jat community a bad name, he said and sought a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into incidents of violence during the quota stir in Haryana.

"Those who fired upon peaceful protesters in Haryana recently must be dealt with sternly," he said, adding that those killed during the agitation must be compensated by the Khattar government through award of jobs to their next of kin.

As the Jat quota agitation spread fast, engulfing town after town in Haryana, with protesters burning railway stations, schools, hospitals and shops, the M L Khattar government buckled under pressure and announced last month that a bill for giving OBC status to Jats will be brought in the coming assembly session and a high-powered committee will be set up to examine the quota demand for the community in central jobs.

BJP has accused Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of fanning the agitation. Hooda's former political adviser Virender has been booked under several charges, including sedition, in connection with the violence.
Two naxals, one of them allegedly involvedin 2013 JiramValleyattack in which 31 people, including many Congress leaders, lost their lives were arrestedin Bastar district today, police said.

"Piso Kadkami (32) and Aayta Vetti (33) were apprehended from the forests of Darbha police station limits following a specific input," Bastar SP RN Dash told PTI.

Based on the information that some suspects were spotted in Kakalgur and Bhadrimahu forests, located around 350 kms away from the state capital, a team of local police was dispatched towards the spot.

"Around 5 kms away from Kakalgur, the team spotted two men trying to hide near a rivulet following which they were nabbed," the SP said.

He said a 5 kg IED (improvised explosive device), ten gelatin rods and five detonators were recovered from the ultras.

During interrogation, the duo admitted that they were active in Darbha Division Committee of Maoists and arrived there to plant the IED to harm security forces during their operation in the region, the officer said.

According to police, Aayta was involvedin the Jiram valley massacre on May 25, 2013 wherein prominent Congress leaders were killed.

The SP said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which is probing the incident, will be informed about the arrests.

In a dastardly attack, naxals had ambushed the Congress' "Parivartan Rally" convoy in Darbha region when it was on its way towards Jagdalpur from Sukma.

A total of 31 people, including state unit Congress president Nandkumar Patel, his son Dinesh, former Union minister Vidayacharan Shukla, former opposition leader Mahendra Karma, and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar, were killed and several others were injuredin the incident.
"Star Wars" actor John Boyega surprised kids with toys from the franchise at a hospital.

The 23-year-old actor, who was dressed as Finn from "The Force Awakens," delivered toys on behalf of the Rays of Sunshine children's charity, for sick children at The Royal London Hospital, reported People magazine.

Boyega was joined by a very special fan, 5-year-old Daniel Bell, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and wished to to meet Boyega's "Star Wars" character.

"This little stormtrooper Daniel had a wonderful wish after seeing 'The Force Awakens'. Daniel currently lives with a brain tumour and rather than having Finn to himself he wanted Finn to meet the kids at the Royal London hospital and give them some toys.

"I stayed in character while I was with this brave boy asking him what a car was. He taught Finn about everything earth related! Really thankful for the opportunity this child granted me and I'm just humbled! I hope I played a little part in making you smile young stormtrooper," Boyega captioned the picture collage featuring him and Bell.

A young girl dressed in as Rey joined them while delivering the toys to multiple kids at the hospital.
A Delhi-based journalist was today questioned by police for his report claiming that the government had been discriminating against Muslims in appointment as yoga instructors in Ayush Ministry.

Journalist Pushp Sharma of Milli Gazette, where the story was published, was questioned at Kotla Mubarakpur police station in south Delhi on a complaint by a senior Ayush Ministry official, police said.

A senior police officer said that Sharma had earlier been arrested in 2009 on the charge of extorting government officials by threatening sting operations on them.

There were also allegations that Sharma even tried to extort police officers, the officer said.

The Ministry had earlier condemned the "misreporting" which it claimed was aimed at causing a "chasm" between different sections of society and "promoting disharmony and mistrust with ulterior motives".

"The Ministry of AYUSH has noted with anguish certain mischievous misinformation being spread in certain section of media and social media quoting a reply to an RTI by mentioning a fabricated draft as Annexure I to that letter, which has never been issued by the Ministry of AYUSH or any of its agencies.

"The Ministry strongly condemns this piece of misreporting, clearly aimed at causing chasm between different sections of society and promoting disharmony and mistrust with ulterior motives," the Ministry had said in a statement.

The Milli Gazette issued a statement on its Facebook page, saying "a police force claiming to be from Kotla Mubarakpur police station in New Delhi picked up journalist Pushp Sharma from his home in Lajpat Nagar at around 6:30 pm today."



It also claimed that Sharma has been arrested. However, police did not confirm report of his arrest.
JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, out on bail in a sedition case, today led a march of students and launched a blistering attack on HRD Minister Smriti Irani, demanding her resignation for "targeting" academic institutions.

"She calls us her children, but has she ever spoken to my mother or Rohith Vemula's mother. I refused to be called her child. We demand that she resign for the way academic institutions are being attacked," Kanhaiya said addressing the protestors at near Jantar Mantar.

The JNU students were marching from Mandi House to Parliament demanding release of PhD scholars Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, currently in judicial custody on sedition charges. The protesters were stopped near Jantar Mantar by police.

"Smriti Irani says she is the mother of school children. Okay Mata ji, did you call the mother of Rohith Vemula or my mother and say, 'Your sons may have done something, but I am standing with you.'



"With me, my mother has also been made a traitor. Rohith Vemula's mother has also been made a traitor. You shed tears. Your cry is fake, your laughter is fake, your speech is false," Kanhaiya said.

The JNUSU president also demanded release of fellowships of JNU research scholars.

"A minister said if you are a student then study. We want to study. You're a minister, release our fellowships, give us jobs. None of us is interested in coming to Jantar Mantar or going to jail or committing suicide. You have driven us to suicide," he said.

He also attacked RSS and said the students are protesting against the outfit.

"It is being said traitors are living in JNU. Modiji we are not traitors. We are fighting against RSS. (Wo kehte hain JNU mein deshdrohi rehte hain, hum kehna chahte hain Modiji hum deshdrohi nahi, RSS ke khilaf droh kar rahe hain".

Four attempts were made by different persons during the speech to attack Kanhaiya which were foiled by students and police, which detained four people.

The student leader also said he was not interested in joining politics and that he was a 'man of movement'.

"I won't join any political party. I am a man of movement and I will continue to fight in movements," he said.

Kanhaiya said RSS cannot protect Indian culture as it



hardly knew anything about it.

"What is happening in JNU, at AMU, at Allahabad is an attack on democracy and we won't tolerate it".

After the attempt to attack him, Kanhaiya said,"People try to hit me when I talk about the nation. It is time the country understood the difference between deshbhakti and Modi bhakti".

"They try to attack us again and again because we are not afraid of them. What happened in Gujarat, we won't let that happen in UP."



Kanhaiya said the march was for protecting democracy and ensuring social justice.

"This march is not to save one Umar or Kanhaiya, it is for democracy and social justice. When dictatorship comes to a country, educational institutions are affected first. If you talk in favour of JNU and education, you are talking about making sense.

"There are some people who want to spread anarchy. But don't be afraid of them. You have to tell them that you cannot do all this. We will not tolerate any attack like this," Kanhaiya said.

The student leader who was granted bail on March 3 by the Delhi High Court, said, "We are not anti-national. We are anti RSS. We do not agree with your nationalism. Women should get out of their homes. We cannot do politics with regard to Army. People who work on footpath are the biggest risk takers".

He said the Prime Minister calls himself a tea seller's son "but what is he doing for the poor?



"People who take years to get out of half pant and put on a full pant can only divide the country like this. Everyone is a part of India. Be it minorities, dalits.

"Everybody is attacking JNU saying it runs on tax-payers' money but about Vijay Mallya, who also used tax-payer's money and fled to London. What did they (govt) do about it," he said.

CPI's D Raja and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury were also present at the march and expressed solidarity with the agitating students.

Author-activist Arundhati Roy also addressed the gathering saying, "We are looking at revolutionary politics. We are at the beginning of a battle between those who know how to play and those who don't. People who are called anti- national are nature lovers. People who call themselves national are the ones ruining things".

Umar Khalid's family was also present during the march.
JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar who is out on bail in a sedition case today led a march by university students to Parliament demanding release of two varsity students and resignation of Union Minister Smriti Irani for alleged attack on academic institutions.

"She calls us her children, but has she ever spoken to my mother or Rohith Vemula's mother. I refused to be called her child. We demand that she should resign for the way academic institutions are being attacked," Kanhaiya said while addressing a gathering at Parliament Street here.

The third in the series of "People's march to save democracy" was be in solidarity with Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya who are facing sedition charges in connection with an event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

"This march is not to save one Umar or Kanhaiya, it is for democracy and social justice. When dictatorship comes to a country, education institutions are affected first. If you talk in favour of JNU and education, you are talking about making sense.

"If universities are being attacked, I want to tell you all that trust your children. There are some people who want to spread anarchy. But don't be afraid of them. You have to tell them that you cannot do all this. We will not tolerate any attack like this," Kanhaiya said.

The students leader who was granted bail on March 3 by a Delhi High Court, said, "we are not anti-national. We are anti RSS. We do not agree to your nationalism. Women should get out of their homes. We cannot do politics on Army. People who work on footpath are the biggest risk takers".

He alleged that the Prime Minister calls himself a tea-seller's son but what is he doing for the poor?



"People who take years in getting from half pant to full pant can only divide the country like this. Everyone is a part of India. Be it minorities, dalits.

"Everybody is attacking JNU saying it runs on tax-payers money but about Vijay Mallya who also used tax-payer's money and eloped to London. What did they (govt) do about it," he said.

Left party leaders D Raja and Sitaram Yechury were also present at the march and expressed solidarity with the agitating students.

Author-activist Arundhati Roy also addressed the gathering saying, "we are looking at revolutionary politics. We are at the beginning of a battle between those who know how to play and those who don't. People who are called anti national are nature lovers. People who call themselves national are the ones ruining things".

Meanwhile, during his speech four persons tried to attack Kanhaiya at frequent intervals following which they were detained.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Parliamentary Secretary Govindaraju was among three MLCs whose residences were raided by sleuths of Income TaxDepartment here today.

"The raids were conducted at three MLCs' residences in the morning," IT Department sources said.

Several documents were seized during the searches conducted over alleged amassing of assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, they said.

Besides, Govindaraju, the houses of JDS MLC C R Manohar, who is making a Kannada film with a huge budget, and D U Mallikarjun (Independent) were also searched, the officials said.
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With the death of Nancy Reagan, America mourns the loss of yet another champion of conservatism. This exemplary First Lady and her husband, President Ronald Reagan, inspired the world through their love and devotion to one another and to their country.

Nancy Reagan was an influential woman in her own right, but the impact made by the Reagans together helped to shape the future of America. They truly believed our country was a shining city on a hill, and this conviction pushed them to empower the American people, rather than government, to address the countrys challenges. After the tumultuous 1970s, the Reagans created a new era of freedom, opportunity and prosperity.

The death of Nancy Reagan comes only a few weeks after the passing of another influential conservative, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Reagan. Justice Scalia was a brilliant jurist and a tireless defender of our Constitution. His decisions on the court led to important conservative victories, and the respect he commanded from jurists across the political spectrum is a testament to his lasting impact.

These recent deaths are enormous losses to our country, and I am deeply saddened by the passing of such steadfast, bold leaders. My own interest in politics grew out of conversations with my grandfather and my parents about President Jimmy Carter and his challenger, Ronald Reagan. Nancy Reagans passing marks the end of an era for our country and conservatism.

America looks much different today than it did during the Reagan years. Nearly eight years of President Obamas divisive policies have led to rapid growth in government, an endless flow of regulatory burdens, and an ongoing failure to address the growing threats to our security posed by ISIS, Iran and North Korea.

There is much at stake for our country, and I remain concerned about the expanding power of the executive branch eroding the division of powers and threatening our system of representative democracy. I am hopeful our next president will work to bring Americans together while promoting conservative values and demonstrating a genuine commitment to the legacies of those who devoted their lives to preserving them.

Nancy Reagan told us to open your eyes to life  and to make it count. As we carry the mantle of freedom and opportunity in America, I will keep working to ensure Congress enacts policies which uphold Nebraska common sense and defend the values enshrined in our Constitution.
Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits in Singapore celebrated the festival of Herath, or Shivratri, here singing the traditional Kashmiri hymns of Lord Shiva and reliving the memories of the days they spent in the scenic Valley.

"Together, they relived the joyful memories of Kashmir," Nomita Dhar, a Singapore-based businesswoman said.

"During our time in Kashmir, we took over a month to prepare for the Herath festival and celebrated for 15 days," she said adding that they sang Kashmiri hymns of Shiva to mark the festival over the weekend.

"Children, many of whom have been born and brought up in Singapore, took the opportunity to showcase their skills in Kashmiri poetry, or singing Kashmiri songs," she said and pointed out the challenges of keeping up with the tradition and culture in a multi-racial Singapore.

"A unique addition to this year's celebration was the chance for many to 'dress-up'. Traditional Kashmiri wear such as pheran, dejhoor, taranga and dastaar, were there for the guests to try on, giving them a quaint photo-op," she said.

The celebration, attended by over 100 people with their familymembers,was held onMarch 12.

"My heart swells with pride to see our youngsters keeping the tradition alive and celebrating with such fervor. These values are our legacy and we are happy to see their continuity," said Girdhari Lal Jalali -- an 84-year-old author whose books include 'Untold Story - Jihad in Kashmir'.

Herath is a festival of great significance to Kashmiri Pandits, over 200 of whom live in Singapore. During the 1989 migration, a small number of Kashmiri Pandits moved to Singapore.

"Since then the community has thrived and made Singapore their home," Dhar said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today demanded Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram whom he described him as a great visionary.

Addressing a public meeting at Prithipur Bunga village, 25 km from here, the birthplace of BSP founder Kanshi Ram on his 82nd birthday, Kejriwal demanded Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram whom he described as a great visionary and only leader of Dalit samaj after B R Ambedkar.

Earlier, Kejriwal on reaching the memorial of Kanshi Ram at Prithipur Bunga village was accorded a warm welcome by Swaran Kaur sister of Kanshi Ram and other family members besides large number of AAP supporters.

He garlanded the statue of Kanshi Ram. Kejriwal was presented a 'Siropa' (ward of honour) by the Kanshi Ram Charitable Foundation headed by sister of BSP founder.

Kejriwal said that when voted to power (in Punjab) the AAP government would fulfill the dreams which Kanshi Ram had seen for the Dalit community.

Kejriwal said he was stunned to know about the recent incident of severing of limbs of a Dalit youth in Abohar and police failed to arrest real culprit who is alleged to be close to ruling SAD.

There are incidents of rape and burning of Dalit women, he alleged adding that youth who are forming clubs in the name of Dr B R Ambedkar are being harassed.

Kejriwal alleged that if Akalis are committing atrocities on Dalits in Punjab, BJP is doing it in other states.

He alleged that two central ministers were involved in the suicide of Hyderabad Dalit student Rohith Vemula but no action was taken against them.

Kejriwal invited Swaran Kaur sister of Kanshi Ram and other members of Kanshi Ram Charitable Foundation to Delhi to discuss the problems of Dalits of Punjab.

Kejriwal claimed that the people of Punjab have made up their mind to vote for AAP government in the state assembly elections due early next year.

He alleged said that law and order in Punjab was worst in the country where nobody feels safe.

"Drugs ruined youth of Punjab, the education system has collapsed," he added.

Kejriwal later went to Takht Keshgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib to pay obeisance where he was presented 'Siropa'.

He was accompanied by Sanjay Singh in charge of Punjab, Sucha Singh Chhotepur AAP convener for Punjab, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, R R Bharadwaj head of intellectual wing and Baljinder Kaur youth wing leader.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said today he will meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia next week on the crisis in Syria, after Moscow announced the partial withdrawal of its forces.

"I will be traveling next week to Moscow to meet with President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in order to discuss how we can effectively move the political process forward and try to take advantage of this moment," Kerry said.

In Moscow, Lavrov's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed to the Russian agency Interfax that the foreign ministry was making plans for a possible visit by Kerry to Moscow.

Kerry did not give a date for the planned visit, but his spokesman John Kirby later told reporters that it would be after Tuesday next week, when the US envoy returns from a trip to Cuba with President Barack Obama.

Earlier, the White House said "earliest indications" suggest Russia has begun an announced withdrawal of its forces from Syria, where they have been supporting Bashar al-Assad's forces against opposition rebels.

Kerry said that this, along with the opening of indirect UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva, opened a window of possibility to find a negotiated solution to the five-year-old conflict.

"As we mark the fifth anniversary of the start of this horrific war, we may face the best opportunity that we've had in years to end it," he said, ahead of a meeting with Georgia's Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze.

"The cessation of hostilities has obviously not been perfect. I don't know one that ever has been. And we have raised and we will continue to raise our serious concerns about violations when they occur.

"But with the cessation of hostilities largely holding, Russia's announcement yesterday that it will remove half of its forces immediately and more perhaps from Syria and with the political negotiations reconvening this week in Geneva, we have reached a very important phase in this process.
Two US-bound missiles found on a passenger flight from Lebanon to Serbia were used for training and did not contain any explosives, the Lebanese army said today.

Serbian investigators remain unconvinced, saying police found traces of suspected explosive materials on the cargo.

The Lebanese army said the missiles were being sent from Beirut to the American company that produced them.

It said the return was in accordance "with administrative and legal measures after the training ended."



But the Serbian public prosecutors' office said today in a statement emailed to The Associated Press it was investigating findings by border police that the packages "are suspected to contain explosive materials."



It said the investigation also focused on where the missiles came from and what was their final destination.

"We hope that our expertise will be finished this week," prosecution spokesman Ivan Markovic said, adding that the final report could take time "because some of the information is located in foreign countries."



Serbia's N1 television has said the packages, with two guided armour-piercing missiles, were discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight landed at Belgrade airport from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Serbian media said documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland, Oregon, with a stopover in London.

The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, sea or ground platforms.

They are also launched from drones in the US fight against terrorism.

The practice version of Hellfire is fitted with an inert warhead without explosives.

A US official familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the case, said the missiles are "inert training dummies."



"There was no explosive residue, no warhead and no engine," he said.

These are formally called "captive air training missiles" and they had been sent to Lebanon by their manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, for the Lebanese armed forces to practice mounting them on their Cessna planes, according to the official.

He said it is not clear how the Serbs picked up explosive residue on the crates, but added it was possible that it was a mistake or that someone who loaded them in Lebanon may have gotten some residue on them.
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes as opposition Congress and NCP members protested against the arrest of former state Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, leading the session to be adjourned for 10 minutes.

As soon as the House proceedings began, the opposition members started shouting slogans against Bhujbal's arrest.

Speaker Haribhau Bagade tried to pacify them but as the din increased, he announced that the House was being adjourned for 10 minutes.

He said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had informed him that Bhujbal has been arrested.

Earlier, the Congress and NCP legislators staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhawan's main entrance, against Bhujbal's arrest.

They carried placards decrying the "fascist government" for arresting the senior NCP leader and shouted slogans condemning the "vendetta politics".

Bhujbal was last night arrested by the ED here after 10 hours of questioning in connection with its probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others.

According to an ED official, the arrest of the former PWD minister was effected under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he allegedly refused to cooperate during questioning. The agency also recorded his statement in the case.

The agency has filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

(Reopens BOM5)



Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress and NCP forced the adjournment of Maharashtra Legislative Council for the day over the issue of Bhujbal's arrest.

As the Upper House assembled today, the members of the Opposition parties, via an adjournment motion, called for the House to set aside the day's business and discuss the issue of arrest of the senior NCP leader.

Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde, who moved the motion, contended that Bhujbal was a former Deputy Chief Minister, a former LoP, an ex-member of the Council, and his arrest has had repercussions across the state.

"People across the state are angry and are indulging in protests and 'rasta roko' over the manner in which he was arrested despite cooperating with the investigation agencies. It is thus imperative that all other business must be set aside and the House discuss the issue," Munde said.

Responding to Munde's contention, Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar said the House usually conducts the Question Hour first and then an adjournment motion is considered.

Dissatisfied with the Chairman's reply, the Opposition members rushed to the Well and shouted slogans against the government. A ruckus then ensued and the House was initially adjourned for 30 minutes.

However, sloganeering against the government continued as the House assembled again, amid the government's call for conducting the Question Hour as per schedule.

"We should follow the rules of the House and thus conduct the Question Hour first. Once that is over, we can listen to what the Opposition has to say," state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat said, amid vociferous protests by the Opposition.

The protests forced the House adjournment again for 20 minutes.

As the slogan shouting against the government did not stop when the members assembled again, the House was adjourned for a third time for 10 minutes.

Following this, Deputy Chirman Vasant Davkhare said that the Opposition was in no mood to let the House conduct business, and thus ordered the House to be adjourned for the day.
A man fatally wounded during a shootout with Chicago police was identified as a gang member and convicted felon with more than 40 arrests.

Lamar Harris, 29, was killed late Monday after he fired on several police officers investigating alleged drug activity in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood on the city's west side, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. Three officers were wounded.

Officers at the scene with first aid kits and bandages were able to apply preliminary care to Harris while they waited for Chicago Fire Department emergency crews, Guglielmi said.

"The officers were trained by CPD in LEMART Law Enforcement Medical AND Rescue Training which is designed to render life-saving aid following tactical and emergency situations," he said yesterday in a statement.

The shootout occurred after officers observed a man and a woman acting suspiciously and decided to investigate, Guglielmi said. The pair fled, the officers gave chase and the man opened fire, hitting three of them multiple times. One of the officers returned fire, fatally injuring Harris.

One officer was shot in the back, another in the foot and a third in the chest, authorities said, adding his body armor likely deflected the bullet.

A gun used by the dead suspect was recovered at the scene, authorities said.

In a statement, police officials said Harris has 43 arrests on his record, 11 of them felonies. He was convicted of five felony charges, the latest being aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting a peace officer, causing injury, in January 2012.

The woman was arrested Monday night but has not been charged, Guglielmi said.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante visited the officers and their families at the hospital. The shooting follows the mortal wounding of an undercover narcotics officer in Maryland who was shot by a colleague as a gunman attacked a police station Sunday night.

Police said in a statement that the city's Independent Police Review Authorities will investigate the shooting. The officers involved will be put on administrative duties for 30 days.
A postgraduate student today allegedly slit a 22-year-old female student's throat before consuming poison at their college premises here, police said.

The victim was a second-year BA at Shambhu Dayal Post Graduate College and allegedly in a relationship with the accused, Prashant, Superintendent of police (city) Salman Taj Patil said.

Hearing the girl's screams, college students rushed to help her and apprehended Prashant. He was beaten by them and handed over to police, he said.

Victim was taken to the nearby MMG government hospital, from where she has been relieved after a surgery, police said.

Prashant was taken to the hospital, in an unconscious state, by the police after it was discovered that he had taken poison before the attack, the SP said.

He has been further referred to GTB hospital in East Delhi, he said adding, if he survives legal action will be taken against him.
Belgian police launched a manhunt in a Brussels neighborhood today after at least one gunman opened fire on officers during an anti-terror raid linked to last year's Paris attacks, officials said. Three police officers were slightly injured during the operation.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that "a team composed of Belgian and French police came under fire, apparently from assault weapons, during a raid."



Two hours after the first shots were fired, a big swathe of the Forest neighborhood was in lockdown as special police units in body armor and balaclava hoods moved in, several with their guns drawn. A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still hunting for at least one suspect.

"Two individuals, apparently barricaded themselves inside a home," Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels told local media.

It wasn't immediately clear if the two people escaped, or whether police were searching for more people.

A police official, who requested anonymity because the operation was still ongoing, also said it wasn't clear if the police officers were struck by bullets or injured in another way.

Another official said that the anti-terror raid in the Forest neighborhood was linked to the Paris attacks on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.

The lockdown in the area continued more than an hour after the first shots were fired and is close to Molenbeek, home to several people involved in the Paris attacks.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter around the area where the shots were heard to keep the many bystanders at a safe distance. A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still looking for at least one suspect.

Several hundred spectators were trying to get a closer look at the operation in the multicultural neighborhood, which has a big Audi car factory nearby. Audi asked its personnel to stay at the plant while the police raid was going on.

Several hooded officers wearing body armor milled around the neighborhood and ambulances were on standby.

Four months on, Belgian police and magistrates have been still piecing together the role Belgian nationals played in aiding the Paris attackers, as well as trying to track down missing suspects including international fugitive Salah Abdeslam, whose brother Brahim was one of the suicide bombers.

The suspected ringleader of the attacks was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighborhood.

Belgian authorities have stepped up their counterterror efforts since a lone gunman killed four people at the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014. The small Western European country has also been prime recruiting ground for the Islamic State group, and officials freely acknowledge their concerns about what radicalized recruits might do after returning home from the battlefields of Syria or Iraq.
BSP supremo Mayawati today ruled out alliance with any political party in the Punjab assembly election scheduled for early next year.

Addressing a state-level rally organized here at Dana Mandi to celebrate the birth anniversary of party founder Kanshi Ram, she said "the party would go all alone during the poll."



The BSP supremo said she would personally supervise the distribution of tickets so that only right candidates capable of winning the election are given the tickets.

She said that in order to prepare a second line of leadership well-versed in BSP ideology, she had decided to reserve 50 per cent of seats for the youth at all levels in the party set up.

Mayawati told the Dalit voters to "not to sell themselves and their votes" by falling prey to various kinds of allurements offered by other political outfits during the polls as only BSP was capable of safeguarding their interests in Punjab.

"You can form a government on your own in Punjab without entering into alliance with any party as you have the requisite population here," she exhorted the Dalits.

"Neither a government headed by a Jat nor that headed by a Bania (trader) will serve your interests in the long run," she said.

Referring to Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Punjab today, she said a leader from Bania community was trying to get their votes by colluding with some of the relatives of late Kanshi Ram and by visiting religious deras in the state.

Coming down heavily on Kejriwal, she said Dalits should never forget that he always spoke "against" reservation when he was not in power.

"As against superior caste mentality shown by Jat CMs in Punjab, my party in UP during its four stints always worked for all sections of society," she claimed.

Badal led SAD-BJP government too came under criticism from BSP supremo who maintained that even FIR was not lodged in the Abohar incident in which atrocious treatment was meted out to two Dalits until she raised the issue in Parliament.

Mayawati, in her 75 minute long speech, lambasted both



the Congress and NDA government at the Centre on "reservation in promotions" issue saying in the Supreme Court both pursued the case in such a manner that it "resulted" in the "dilution" of the case in "favour" of reserved categories.

Further, the present trend of promoting private sector in the country was also leading to an end in reservations in jobs, she warned.

She further hit out at the present dispensation in the Centre saying like the previous Congress-led regimes Modi government was too "siding with corrupt" elements.

In this context she cited the cases of Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallaya and how they were allowed to flee the country after allegedly misappropriating hundreds of crores of rupees.

Earlier, Mayawati on her arrival on the stage offered floral tributes to the picture of BSP founder Kanshi Ram and disclosed that before coming to Nawanshahr today she had demanded bestowing of Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram in view of his outstanding contribution for the uplift of poor and downtrodden sections in the country.

On the occasion, Mayawati gave details on how Kanshi Ram had formed BSP as a political outfit on the lines spelled out by Ambedkar.

She hit out the present NDA government for its lip sympathy in celebrating 125th anniversary of the great scholar and Dalit leader.
A minor boy, who was living with his 23-year old woman teacher since both of them went missing last year, was today produced by police in the Madras High Court bench here and opted to go with his mother.

The boy, who was recently traced to Tirupur where he and the teacher were working in a mill, was produced in the court in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by his mother.

A bench, comprising Justices A.Selvam and M Chockalingam, closed the petition after the boy opted to go with his mother when the judges asked him whether he wanted to go with his parents or live in a children's home.

The boy, a class X student of the government-aided school in Kadayanallur in Tirunvelveli District, and the teacher had allgedly run away from the town together last year.

On a complaint from the parents, police had registered a case of kidnap and sexual harassment against the teacher and arrested her last week.
The Appropriations Committee submitted their budget recommendations this past week to the full Legislature by the 40th legislative day, as required by legislative rule. The appropriations bills must be passed by the 50th day, which falls on March 29 this year. The appropriations bills presented this year are mid-biennium adjustments to the two-year budget passed last year for fiscal years 2015/16 and 2016/17, resulting in a net increase of $4.2 million.

Although the financial status at the end of the current biennium remains similar to what it was at the end of the last years session, it has fluctuated greatly during the past year. The projected status went from a positive $2.3 million to a negative $110 million after the Nebraska Economic Forecast Advisory Board reduced revenue projections by $154 million last October.

This was partially offset by a lapse of unexpended appropriations, reductions in Medicaid, and a $13 million net gain when the Forecast Advisory Board met again in February, resulting in the current positive financial status of $10.1 million.

However, the projected status for the following biennium shows a $106 million shortfall. This volatility shows the necessity for keeping a sufficient balance in the cash reserve fund.

The $10.1 million figure is the amount of revenue above the required 3 percent minimum reserve, which is available to fund legislation with a fiscal impact. The reality of this figure makes it apparent that any substantial tax relief will require a tax shift or significant cuts in spending.

Due to significant opposition from cities and counties, the governors proposal for property tax relief will most likely not advance from the Revenue Committee as introduced. The intent of LB 958 was to slow down the increase in agricultural land valuation by limiting the state-wide increase to 3 percent per year and to slow the growth of property taxes levied by political subdivisions.

A related bill, LB 959, sought to slow the growth of spending and property taxes levied by school districts. Likewise, it has not been advanced by the Education Committee at this time.

The Appropriations Committee recommended funding three one-time projects from the cash reserve, reducing the balance by $91 million to $655 million. The transfers include $27.3 million to the Department of Corrections for adding capacity to the Lincoln Community Corrections Center, $13.7 million for the modification of two federal levee systems that impact the Offutt Air Force base, in an effort to help secure federal funding to rebuild Offutts deteriorating runway and keep the 55th Wing in Nebraska, and under LB 960, $50 million to fund the newly created Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

LB 960, as amended by the Appropriations Committee, creates three new programs funded by the $50 million transfer from the cash reserve fund. It also commits $400 million in additional fuel tax revenue generated by LB 610, passed by the Legislature last year.

The Accelerated State Highway Capital Improvement Program will provide up-front money for major highway projects, including the completion of the expressway system. The County Bridge Match Program will promote innovative solutions and provide additional funding to accelerate the repair and replacement of county bridges. Finally, the Economic Opportunity Program will finance transportation improvements to attract and support new businesses and business expansions.

Included in the budget recommendations are amended versions of two of my bills. The first would provide a one-time $1.5 million appropriation to help with recruitment and retention of correctional staff, particularly at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. The other extended the current appropriations for deferred maintenance, repair, renovation and facility replacement construction projects at the three state colleges, thereby allowing for a Theater/Event Center project at Peru State College to proceed.

As legislators discuss the budget and other priority bills, I encourage your input. I can be reached at District #1, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509. My email address is dwatermeier@leg.ne.gov and my telephone number is (402) 471-2733.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the 125th birth anniversary celebration of B R Ambedkar at his birth place Mhow in Indore on April 14.

"Prime Minister will attend a grand function marking the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar at Ambedkar Nagar, Mhow on April 14," an official release said.

"Like every year, this year also the state government will organise Ambedkar Mahakumbh at the birth place of Dr Ambedkar," it said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan yesterday reviewed the preparations for the Prime Minister's proposed visit.

People from all over the state will attend the function, the release said.
Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal was today remanded in custody of Enforcement Directorate till March 17 by a special court here, a day after he was arrested by the agency in a money laundering case in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam.

Bhujbal, a former deputy chief minister, was produced before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court where ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar said he did not cooperate when his statement was recorded by the agency yesterday.

"For most of the questions put to him, his answer was 'he doesn't know'," Venegaonkar told the court.

The court then remanded Bhujbal in ED custody till Thursday.

Bhujbal was put under arrest last night after 10-hour questioning by ED at its Ballard Pier office in South Mumbai.

Bhujbal became emotional while pleading innocence and his eyes became misty.

He told the court he had not done anything wrong and he was being framed as part of a conspiracy.

"I have not done anything wrong. I have cooperated. I have been into social service for the past 50 years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I genuinely said that I did not know, but still I was arrested," he said.

Bhujbal said he did not grant the contract in question and merely followed the directions of then Chief Minister (late) Vilasrao Deshmukh.

"CM Vilasrao Deshmukh told me to take meetings and I followed that. I did not grant contract," he said.

Bhujbal said some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET), a trust run by him, cooked up the story against him.

MET founder trustee Sunil Karve had lodged a complaint of alleged misappropriation of funds with the EOW and the charity commissioner against Bhujbal and his family.

"Why am I arrested when they can call me again and again to ED. It's a conspiracy to frame me," he told the court.

ED filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at the cost of Rs 100 crore when Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.

The senior NCP leader had alleged political vendetta behind his arrest.

The ED had registered a PMLA case involving the Bhujbals and some of their associates and has already arrested the ex-minister's nephew Samir last month in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has already filed a charge sheet against Chhagan Bhujbal, Pankaj, Sameer and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case.

The ACB officials had earlier said that the original cost



estimate for Maharashtra Sadan was Rs 13.5 crore, but later it was increased to Rs 50 crore. The Bhujbals got Rs 13.5 crore in kickbacks from the Chamankars who earned a profit of about Rs 190 crore from Maharashtra Sadan and other PWD works.

The ACB had in June last year registered two FIRs against Chhagan Bhujbal. The first one was related to alleged irregularities in allotment of a prime plot at Kalina in Mumbai to a developer.

The second case was for alleged rampant corruption and large-scale irregularities in the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan, the state government's guest house in New Delhi.

The Public Works Department (PWD) under Bhujbal had then allegedly awarded sub-contracts to firms, in blatant violation of rules, in the Maharashtra Sadan case. The FIR named the Bhujbal trio and 14 others.

The state ACB had initiated the probe against Bhujbals following a complaint lodged by former AAP leader and social activist Anjali Damania.
A teenaged boy and his mother were allegedly stabbed to death by an unidentified youth who tried to end his own life after the act today that sparked a hue and cry in southwest Delhi's Raj Nagar locality, police said.

The mother-son duo have been identified as Anju Devi (37) and Prashant (16). Anju's husband, Raman Chaudhary, who has a computer repair shop nearby, was not at home when the alleged incident took place, police said.

Locals told police they heard Anju screaming in the afternoon that somebody was attacking her son with a knife.

But when locals surrounded the house, the accused locked himself inside, police said.

"It is a suspected case of personal rivalry. The weapon used in the offence has been recovered from the spot. The accused apparently slit his own throat after locking himself inside a room," a senior official said.

While Anju was declared dead at the hospital, Prashant is believed to have died on the spot, police said.

The accused, who is as yet unidentified, is currently admitted in hospital where his condition is said to be critical, they added.

A case of murder has been registered in connection with the incident, police said.
Mozambique LNG, Africa's largest energy development group, is in talks with Indian companies to supply Liquefied Natural Gas to the country, a senior executive said here today.

"We are working together with them (the Indian partners) and discussing markets in India,"said Steve W Hoyle, vice president LNG Marketing & Shipping at Anadarko Petroleum Corp of the US, a leading proponent of the project.

"We will be excited to sell LNG to India,"he said, pointing out that Oil and Natural Gas Corp, Bharat Petroleum and ONGC Overseas Ltd, together holds 30 per cent equity in the project.

"They are the largest (energy) players in India," said Hoyle when asked about LNG marketing plan for the Indian market.

Hoyle, who addressed 200 delegates at the "LNG Supplies for the Asian Markets 2016" conference, leads the LNG marketing of the multi-party owned concession with a large deposit of natural gas reserves to support 50 million tons a year of LNG production at peak.

Mozambique LNG is strategically located close to India in terms of gas shipments, with one-way ship journey of to Northern India in seven days compared to 17 days trip to Japan, the world's largest LNG import market.

The mega project, in various stages of developments, is expected to seek sales and purchase agreements (SPAs) with Asian LNG importers, including India.

"We can expect at least five-to-10 year LNG import contracts into the Indian market, as such long-term SPAs are required to secure financing support for the project's USD 20 billion development cost," said an industry source.

"It isstill early to indicate the total volume of LNG shipments to India," the source added.

The project is expected to ship out first cargo from 2020, according to the source.

Mozambique LNG project will need strong support from its stake holders to work on the massive multi-billion dollar financing based on long-term SPAs with the Indian and Japanese markets, the source said.

"LNG markets have become very challenging, given that leading buyers are opting for spot cargoes from the large number of exporters globally," the source said.

Anadarko leads Asian investors in the project in the Offshore Area 1 Block with 26.5 per cent interest.

The partners include Mitsui, PTTEP along with the three Indian energy groups as well as National Oil Company Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos of Mozambique.
Mumbai police have arrested a 28-year-old lawyer from Patna for allegedly sending obscene text messages to a city-based woman.

The woman had lodged a complaint with Gamdevi police station in south Mumbai that she was receiving obscene messages from an unknown person on her cell phone.

Police tracked down the mobile number from where the messages originated and arrested yesterday arrested the accused, identified as Kumar Karan, and brought him here today.

He was booked under section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC and also under the Information Technology Act.

He was later released on bail.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned of impending tests of a nuclear warhead explosion and ballistic missiles capable of carrying atomic warheads, state media reported today, in an escalation of threats against Seoul and Washington.

The warning came as North Korea said it had made a breakthrough in its pursuit of a long-range missile capable of striking the US mainland. South Korea says the North has yet to develop a functioning inter-continental ballistic missile.

Kim issued the order for the tests "in a short time," according to the Korean Central Agency. The KCNA report did not say if Kim gave specific dates for the tests.

It is not clear if the tests would happen soon, given that any tests would likely invite harsher international sanctions after the country was hit by the toughest UN Security Council sanctions in two decades in early March for a nuclear test and long-range rocket launch conducted earlier this year.

Some of the North's recent rhetoric was seen intended for a domestic audience to display government strength ahead of a major meeting of the ruling party in May.

In the past, North Korea has typically conducted nuclear tests and rocket launches every three to four years.

Even if the tests happen, analysts in Seoul said the nuclear warhead explosion that Kim referred to will likely be just a test of a warhead containing only a trigger device but lacking plutonium or uranium. They said the North could also launch shorter-range missiles, but not one with an intercontinental range.

Pyongyang, known for its trademark fiery rhetoric in times of tension with the outside world, has been stepping up its threats after Washington and Seoul last week began annual military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.

The drills, set to run until late April, are the largest ever.

Last Wednesday, North Korea's main newspaper printed photos of what appeared to be a mock-up of nuclear warhead. State media on Friday quoted Kim as having ordered more nuclear explosion tests but again didn't say when they would occur.

Kim said "a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of the nuclear-attack capability," KCNA reported.

He made the comments while guiding a successful simulated test of a re-entry vehicle, which is needed to return a warhead safely back into the Earth's atmosphere from a long-range missile launch.

Information from secretive, authoritarian North Korea is often impossible to confirm and there is virtually no way to check how genuine its claims are on developing re-entry vehicle technology.

Seoul's Defense Ministry described North Korea's claims as "unilateral," saying the country has not developed re-entry vehicle technology. Spokesman Moon Sang Gyun said the assessment is based on an analysis of South Korean and US intelligence. He declined to elaborate.

Analyst Lee Choon Geun at South Korea's state-funded Science and Technology Policy Institute said the North might put an empty warhead on a rocket and test-fire it to see if the warhead survives the re-entry and detonates as planned.

While the North might test-fire shorter-range missiles with ranges of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) or less, it is unlikely that it would test a rocket with intercontinental range as that would probably have to fly over neighboring countries, said Jin Moo Kim, an analyst at the government-funded Korea Institute for Defense Analysis in Seoul.
Nagaland Governor P B Acharya today said that the state government would continue to take active part in facilitating the ongoing peace process between the union government and the Naga underground groups.

"The state government shall continue to take active part in facilitating the peace process," the governor said in his address on the first day of the five-day budget session of the state Assembly here.

The governor also appealed to all sections of the society to be large hearted and supportive of the peace process for the sake of the future generation.

"The consultation process among the various stake holder groups is going on actively after the signing of the Framework Agreement by the Government of India and the NSCN(IM) on August 3, 2015," Acharya said.

However, he regretted that the unilateral abrogation of ceasefire by NSCN(K) in March 2015 had caused much anxiety among the Naga people, because of which the state government and the civil society had been appealing to the Centre and NSCN(K) to resume the ceasefire.

"My government appreciates the joint efforts of the apex tribal organisations -- Naga Hoho and Eastern Naga People's Organisation, who, on the request of the Parliamentary Working Committee (PWC) of the Nagaland Legislators Forum, went to Myanmar in the month of February and conveyed to the authorised representatives of NSCN(K) the desire of the state government and the people for resumption of ceasefire," he said.

Acharya also lauded the efforts of PWC in meeting the Central leaders of various political parties in July last year and February this year seeking their support for an early political settlement.

Claiming that while the law and order situation in the State has been largely peaceful during the period, the governor decried the unfortunate murder of an innocent couple near Shamator in Tuensang district on February 6 last, which led to problems in Kiphire, Pungro and Shamtor areas.

"Safety of the minority community in any area should be the prime concern of the majority community of that area," he said, adding that the tendency of exacting revenge must be avoided and the law should be allowed to take its own course.

(REOP CES9)



The governor said the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement looked after the welfare of 2,560 registered ex-servicemen in Nagaland, 63 World War-II veterans and 1,800 widows.

Stating that agriculture being the mainstay, he said the strategy of the government was to increase production and productivity with suitable technologies in the farming sector.

During 2015-16, he said the aim was to achieve 6.81 lakh metric tons of foodgrains production with productivity level of 2,270 kg per hectare, which had been surpassed.

A comprehensive plan had been prepared to develop 5,000 hectares of coffee plantation in the next five years under Integrated Watershed Management Programme in collaboration with Coffee Board of India.

He said that the Fisheries Department was implementing an innovative project titled 'Conservation and Promotion of Aquatic species of stream fisheries and enhancement of fish production", initiated under National Fisheries Development Board in all the districts to replenish depletion of indigenous fish species in streams and riverine system due to unethical fishing methods.

The Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, with the support of various stakeholders, had successfully promoted the concept of community based wildlife protection, he said.

Under MGNREGS employment of 127.05 lakh man-days had also been generated during 2015-16 till now, he said.

The governor also announced that with a view to safeguard the rights of backward tribes the government would table the Nagaland Backward tribes Commission Bill, 2016 during the current session.

He said that the Department of Public Health Engineering would provide drinking water to 92 habitations and water treatment units to 32 habitations having water quality problems.

In the power sector, Acharya said the Department had completed and commissioned 1 MW Tehok Mini Hydro Electric Project in Chen area under Mon district while construction of 66/11 KV, 20 MVA Sub-Station at Sovima, Dimapur and an additional 25 MVA, 132/33 KV Sub-Station at Kohima would be commissioned during the current year.

The Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation had taken up Zipu to Moke road and Laluri to Mimi road, which would facilitate establishment of Mega Cement Plant at Mimi under Kiphire district, he said.

In the Education sector, the governor said all efforts



were being made to improve the quality of education in government schools. Currently, he said, rationalisation of schools and teachers was in good progress. The process of streamlining of personnel management in the department and budget monitoring in the Directorate had drastically brought down expenditure on salaries which was a good development.

For improvement in quality education, 47 Science and 68 Maths teachers had been selected through open interview and posted in Government Middle Schools, especially in the far flung areas of the State. Another 200 Primary Teachers have been selected through open interview to be posted in the districts of Mon, Tuensang and Kiphire, which will greatly mitigate the issue of deficit teachers in GPS of these districts, he said.

He said that the State Council for Educational Research & Training (SCERT) had developed a textbook on Naga Heritage to be used in lieu of Alternative English. The main trust of SCERT during 2016-17 will be on the setting up of the new DIETs at Peren, Longleng and Kiphire, including the 3 new BITEs at Sechu, Longkhim and Chuchuyimlang, he said. In the field of Higher Education, he said, establishment of new Polytechnics in the remaining district are in good progress.

In the Health sector, he said that laboratories enabling rapid DNA diagnosis of multi-drug resistant TB in Paediatric TB, TB in people living with HIV and extra pulmonary TB will be set up in the State.

The governor maintained that the government was committed to address gender issues and adopted Gender Responsive Budgeting as a key strategy to achieve gender issues mainstreaming.

Highlighting some of the policies and programs, achievements and plans of the state government, Acharya said the past year had seen many positive developments.
Apex IT industry body Nasscom will set up a warehouse in port city Visakhapatnam under its 10,000 Startups initiative to nurture technology entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.

The entrepreneurs will be mentored and funded by venture capitalists and other investors under the Nasscom initiative.

The industry body signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard with Andhra Pradesh Government in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here today.

The warehouse will provide a co-working space for start-ups to be housed for 6-month incubation terms, create a co-working space for entrepreneurs to use on a daily/weekly basis.

There will also be well-equipped community events for meeting with investors and venture capitalists.

State Information Technology Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy, Nasscom President R Chandrasekhar, IT advisor to the AP Government J Satyanarayana, IT Advisor to the CM J A Chowdary, IT Secretary Phani Kishore and others were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said AP would emerge as a hotspot for startup and incubation culture in the country.

He wanted Nasscom to create awareness among students and youngsters on startups and becoming an entrepreneur.

"Bring in Non-Resident Telugus, Non-Resident Indians, foreigners and entrepreneurs to inspire students. The Government will provide all necessary assistance to encourage startups," Naidu added.

An event would soon be organised in Visakhapatnam with nearly 2,000 people to facilitate matchmaking between venture capitalists and young students with innovative ideas.

Invitations to participate in the event will be sent to all reputed educational institutions across India, NRTs, NRIs and entrepreneurs across the world, a release from the Chief Minister's Office said.

Nasscom's ambitious initiative aims to enable funding, acceleration and incubation support to 10,000 technology startups in India over the next 10 years.
Scientists have proposed a new model for what the elusive dark matter might be and how the presence of this mysterious material can be tested.

Dark matter is all around us. Though no one has ever seen it, and no one knows what it really is, indisputable physical calculations state that approximately 27 per cent of the universe is dark matter, researchers said.

Only five per cent is the matter of which all known materials consist, they said.

Several types of devices have been put up on Earth and in space to capture the particles that dark matter is supposed to consist of, and experiments have attempted to create a dark matter particle by colliding ordinary matter particles at very high temperatures.

Even if such a collision succeeds, we would not be able to directly see the produced dark matter particle.

It would immediately pass on and fly away from the detectors - but it will take some energy with it, and this energy loss will be recorded and indicate that a dark particle had been produced.

Despite all these initiatives no dark particle has yet been detected.

"Maybe dark matter is of a different character and needs to be looked for in a different way," said Martin Sloth, associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark.

Dark matter is light and therefore interacts weakly with ordinary matter. This means that the particles are capable of being produced in colliders, researchers said.

This theory's dark particles are called weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs), and are thought to have been created in an inconceivably large number shortly after the birth of the universe 13.7 billion years ago.

"But since no experiments have ever seen even a trace of a WIMP, it could be that we should look for a heavier dark particle that interacts only by gravity and thus would be impossible to detect directly," said Sloth.

Researchers call their version of such a heavy particle a PIDM particle (Planckian Interacting Dark Matter).

In their new model, they calculated how the required number of PIDM particles could have been created in the early universe.

"It was possible, if it was extremely hot. To be more precise the temperatures in the early universe must have been the highest possible in the Big Bang theory," said Sloth.

"If the universe indeed was as hot as calculated in our model, several gravitational waves from the very early childhood of the universe would have been created. We might be able to find out in the near future," he said.

"If these experiments do not detect such signals, then our model will be falsified. Thus gravitational waves can be used to test our model," he said.

Dark matter is thought to be the gravitational "glue" that binds the galaxies together. No one knows what dark matter actually is.

The study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Authorities in North Carolina have decided there is not enough evidence to charge Donald Trump with incitement after one of his supporters punched a protester in the face at a campaign rally there last week.

Police launched an investigation into whether the Republican frontrunner in the White House race could be charged with "inciting a riot" after a chaotic rally in the city of Fayetteville, where a white Trump supporter sucker- punched an African-American protester.

Critics say the billionaire businessman's inflammatory rhetoric and barely-veiled threats directed at protesters have been fueling an increasingly toxic atmosphere surrounding his rallies.

But law enforcement officials said the violence in Fayetteville could not be blamed on Trump.

"The evidence does not meet the requisites of the law... to support a conviction of the crime of inciting a riot," read a statement late Monday from the Cumberland County sheriff's department.

"Accordingly, we will not be seeking a warrant or indictment against Mr. Trump or his campaign for these offenses," read the statement, which comes after a few days of particularly violent clashes and protests at Trump events.

"While other aspects of our investigation are continuing, the investigation with regard to Mr. Trump and his campaign has been concluded, and no charges are anticipated."



Violence erupted at a Trump rally in Chicago Friday that was called off in the face of mass protests, marking a sharp escalation in the tensions trailing the bombastic candidate who has called Mexicans rapists and urged a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The Trump supporter who struck the protester, John McGraw, 78, has been charged with assault, battery and disorderly conduct.

McGraw, who later said that next time "we might have to kill him," is due in court on April 6.

Trump said over the weekend he had told his campaign to "look into" paying McGraw's legal fees, but sought to disown his comments today.

"I don't condone violence," Trump told ABC television.

"Nobody has asked me for fees and I haven't even seen it, so I never said I would."



The Republican frontrunner -- along with the other remaining Democratic and Republican presidential contenders -- faces another round of caucus and primary votes Tuesday which are expected to further pare down the field ahead of November's general election.

The so-called "Super Tuesday 2" voting is being held in the states of Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.
The Tri County Public Schools superintendent and elementary principal took pie to the face on Monday.

The pie throwing is a five-year-old tradition within the Tri County sixth grade class and one of the ways it celebrates Pi Day on March 14. (The first numbers of the mathematical constant, pi, are 3.14).

What a way for kids to have fun and to see us as adults in the building as people who also have fun, Superintendent Randy Schlueter said after the fact, as he saw and removed a bit of whipped cream from his shoe.

Monday was the first time Schlueter joined in on the mess. Sixth graders threw the pies.

We develop that relationship with them, Schlueter said. Also, its a way to get them to have fun with math and celebrate the importance and significance of math.

Elementary Principal Jesse Gronemeyer said his experience Monday was better than last years.

Last year, they hid mustard in the whipped cream because they know I hate mustard, Gronemeyer said. This year it was just whipped cream and M&Ms.

Shortly after 3:14 p.m., the pies flew. Gronemeyer said he wasnt quite ready for it.

I was putting on a trash bag (over my shirt), and all of the sudden  bam!  there was pie in my face, Gronemeyer said. Its fun. The kids enjoy it. Thats whats most important.

Sixth graders activities relating to Pi Day on Monday extended far beyond the five minutes spent outdoors making a mess of the grass and the administrators faces.

We had activities all day long, said sixth grader Gracin Hahn. As he walked away, he said: Have an irrational day.

The 30 sixth graders share a classroom all day, led by teacher Ginger Pittman and paraeducator Crystal Dike. Every subject throughout the day had their own ties to Pi Day, the educators said.

In reading, we read Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, and gave a quiz on that, Pittman said.

In social studies, Pittman taught the history of pi. In language class, the students learned about idioms, such as Easy as pie, Pittman said. They also made piku poems, a play on haikus.

Its a three stanza poem, but the first line as three syllables, the next has one syllable and the next has four, Pittman said.

The sixth graders wore pi-themed T-shirts as participation in a contest. Most were hand-crafted in some way. Gavin Weichels winning T-shirt said, My pin is the last four digits of pi (with pi written as the Greek letter).

The students also competed in making posters that incorporated the pi symbol. Natalie Bartas winning poster was titled Pivot and showed inside of the pi symbol a portion of a pivot over a farm.

In math, weve been doing pi activities since the beginning of the school year, Pittman said. Weve been computing the circumference of a circle using pi and calculating the area of a circle using pi.

The students also had an opportunity to make pi necklaces using color-coded beads representing numbers zero through nine. Among a few other activities, the students also illustrated Pi City landscapes by formatting the first several digits of pi into bar graphs.

The enthusiasm that the kids show with the T-shirts and posters and everything is so much appreciated, Pittman said. Its good to see them motivated to work on their projects. ... With all of the preparation we do for state testing, its nice to let them express their artistic abilities.

Sixth grader Gracin Hahn held the class record on Monday for reciting the first 51 digits of pi.
Britain has no plans to extend bombing or send troops to Libya, the defence ministry said in a statement today, after a committee of lawmakers said the nation could deploy a force of 1,000.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee had said that Britain could be part of a 6,000-strong international force in Libya, which has been riven with unrest since the fall of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was expected to agree Britain's contribution to the force at a conference in Europe this week, the committee added.

But a government spokeswoman said that the Foreign Affairs Committee was "wrong on a number of counts."



"There are no plans to extend airstrikes to Libya nor are there plans to send British troops to provide security on the ground in Libya," the spokeswoman said.

"It is therefore also wrong to suggest the Defence Secretary will agree any UK contribution this week."



Western countries have agreed that action is needed to dislodge Islamic State (IS) jihadists from Libya but world powers say they want a national unity government to request help before formally intervening.

On Saturday, Libya's UN-backed unity government said it was taking office despite lacking parliamentary approval, with its US and European allies urging it to move to Tripoli and begin governing.

The allies also warned they would impose sanctions on anyone who acted to "undermine" Libya's political process.

The British committee had said that the interim Libyan Government of National Accord's "likely first formal action will be to request that the UK and its allies conduct airstrikes against ISIL (IS) targets in Libya."



The international force would seek to train the Libyan army and protect the newly-formed government, it said.

Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 ouster of Kadhafi allowed extremist organisations, including IS, to gain significant ground.

Italy has agreed to lead a UN-mandated international stabilisation force into its troubled former colony, but the sticking point has been getting credible cover from a national authority.
US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have discussed Russia's planned military drawdown from Syria and "next steps" to fully implement the cessation of hostilities in the war-ravaged country, the White House said today.

"They discussed President Putin's announcement of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities with the goal of advancing the political negotiations on resolution of the conflict," the White House said in a statement after a phone call between the two leaders.

The two leaders spoke shortly after Putin announced the partial withdrawal from Syria. For nearly six months, Russia has mounted an air campaign backing up the Syria President Bashar Assad's battle against opposition forces.

Obama and Putin discussed progress on the implementation of the nationwide cessation of hostilities between the Syrian regime and its allies on the one hand and the armed opposition on the other.

According to the White House, Obama welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation, but stressed that continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the cessation of hostilities and the UN-led political process.

"The President also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria but emphasised the need for regime forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance delivery to the agreed-upon locations...," the statement said.

Obama underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria, it said.

Earlier the State Department Spokesman John Kirby said the US has seen a change in Russian military activity and Russian air operations since the cessation.

"Just mathematically, it's beyond dispute that they have made an effort to abide by the cessation of hostilities. In this period of the last two weeks, we have seen them take some strikes against Daesh (ISIS) targets," he said.

"We have also seen and continue to see allegations and claims of violations of the cessation, predominantly against the regime," he said in response to a question.
Police shot dead one suspect today during a major Belgian-French anti-terror operation in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks, after gunmen opened fire and wounded four officers.

The dead person had not been identified but prosecutors said it was not Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November Paris massacre which killed 130 people, and who fled to Brussels after the attacks.

Armed police came under fire as they carried out a search on a property in the Forest suburb in the south of the Belgian capital, sparking a series of gun battles in which one suspect was killed, prosecutors said.

"Police were fired at," Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor, told AFP, adding that the search was "linked to the Paris attacks investigation".

"A body was found during a search of a house ... His identity has not been established yet but whatever the case, it is not Salah Abdeslam," Van Der Sypt was later quoted as saying by the Belga agency.

Three Belgian police officers were wounded by gunfire during the initial search of the property, while a fourth was hit by gunfire during the huge police mobilisation afterwards.

Dozens of security forces in balaclavas armed with submachine guns cordoned off the scene, while police vehicles with flashing lights rushed into the search area, AFP reporters said.

A police helicopter hovered overhead checking reports that other suspects might have escaped over the roofs.

The local mayor said that two people were believed to be holed up in a house, but as the operation appeared to be winding down, authorities later only mentioned the suspect who was killed, without saying if they were searching for more.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed earlier that French police were also involved and said the attackers used assault rifles.

"A team made up of Belgian and French police came under fire, apparently from assault weapons, during a raid," he said after arriving in the Ivory Coast capital following a weekend shooting rampage by jihadists there that killed 18.

People in two schools and two nurseries near the scene were asked to remain indoors and the security cordon around the area was extended, the local mayor's office said.

Parents at the cordon line became increasingly distressed as they were unable to get to their children, before they were eventually let out one by one, accompanied by armed police.

Police also started letting people back into their homes.

The incident took place across the street from an Audi auto factory and the train lines leading to the Gare du Midi railway station from where Eurostar trains run to London and Thalys trains to Paris.
One person was killed and 10 others were injured when a tempo collided with a truck coming from opposite direction on Muzaffarpur-Motihari NH 28 in Bihar's East Champaran district today, police said.

The occupants of the tempo were on way to a 'Mahayagna' at Chakia (in East Champaran) when the three-wheeler collided with a truck coming from opposite direction, Piprakothi SHO Shashi Bhushan Kumar said.

The deceased has been identified as Wakil Mahto (58), he said adding that 10 persons were injured in the accident including a woman who received serious injuries.

The injured have been admitted to Sadar hospital.

The truck driver managed to escape from the scene, SHO said adding that police have impounded the truck.
Police shot dead one suspect today during a major Belgian-French anti-terror operation in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks, Belgian media reports said, citing the federal prosecutor's office.

The prosecutor's office could not be immediately reached to confirm the reports but a spokesman told AFP earlier that four police were wounded in the massive security operation in the south of the city.
City based Sri Ramakrishna Hospital is organising a massive organ donation drive on March 19, to create awareness about the importance of organ donation among the public and students.

At least 15,000 organ donor pledgers are expected to participate in the event, which would create worldwide awareness about such noble cause, Chief Operating Officer of SNR Sons Charitable Trust, running the hospital, told reporters here today.

This will be also be a record attempt for 'most people to sign as organ donors in eight hours,' beginning from eight AM on the day, as adjudicators from Guinness Book of Records will monitor the event, he said.

The event will gain importance since five lakh people die every year in India, due to the non-availability of vital organis, which was growing at 15 per cent year on year, Swathi Rohit, Chief Business Officer of the Trust said.

Of the 5,000 transplant happening in India per year, Tamil Nadu is in number one place Swathi said.

The trust has started the ground work some three months ago and roped in various educational institutions, industrial houses and NGOs, Ramakrishna said.

All the participants will be issued a donor card form the Government of Tamil Nadu and with a check list, the family will also be informed, he said.
Pakistan today announced that 25 international NGOs have been formally allowed to operate in the country in various fields after re-registering themselves.

The decision in this regard was taken during a high-level meeting here chaired by the Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan.

Interestingly, 'Save the Children' charity, banned last year, is not among the list of NGOs allowed to operate.

The Interior ministry had set up a committee to re- register all international NGOs operating in the country.

Khan in his address to the international NGOs Committee had directed to further expedite the process of registration in consultation with all stakeholders.

He said that the new policy is aimed at facilitating NGOs and to regulate their affairs, thus making the entire system more transparent and work-friendly and to build a strong partnership of governmental and non-governmental organisations in all areas of development.

Khan said that the Interior Ministry is ready to assist the provinces in putting in place a similar mechanism for the registration of NGOs in the provinces and thus regulating their affairs.

Quoting a letter from Pakistan Humanitarian Forum wherein the international NGOs representative body appreciated the Interior Ministry for its support and commitment to make the new system a success story, Khan observed that it was encouraging to see the response of the non-governmental bodies towards the efforts aimed at regulating the system.

The NGOs allowed to work include among others Kokyo naki Kodomotachi (KnK) Japan, Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Operational Centre Brussels, Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind UK, Qatar Charity, Jhpiego Corporation USA, Oxfam Great Britan UK, Helpage International UK and American Refugee Committee International.
Pakistan and Turkmenistan will discuss the security of the TAPI gas pipeline through war-torn Afghanistan besides reviewing the progress made on the USD 10 billion project that will also provide gas to India.

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project will be discussed during the upcoming visit of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Malikgulyyewic Berdimuhamedov. He will embark on a two-day visit to Pakistan starting tomorrow.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will hold talks with Berdimuhamedov on bilateral relations and cooperation in diverse fields besides regional and international matters of mutual interests.

The two sides will review progress on multi-billion dollar TAPI gas pipeline project. They will also discuss security of TAPI gas pipeline through Afghanistan, media report said.

The ground breaking for the 1,814 kilometre-long TAPI pipeline, a project aimed at easing the energy deficit in South Asia, was performed in December last year in Turkmenistan.

The TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry 90 million standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) gas for 30 years and is planned to become operational in 2018. India and Pakistan were originally to get 38 mmscmd each while the remaining 14 mmscmd was to be supplied to Afghanistan.

TAPI will carry gas from Turkmenistan's Galkynysh field, better known by its previous name South Yolotan Osman, that holds gas reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet.

On December 13, Turkmenistan began work on the 214 km section of the pipeline in its territory. The pipeline will travel 773 km in Afghanistan and 827 km in Pakistan before ending at Fazilka (Punjab) in India.

The agreement to operate the gas pipeline was signed last month in the Turkish capital Istanbul by representatives of the four nations.

It was reported that already a company was registered in November 2014 in which Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have 5 per cent shareholding each and the remaining 85 per cent stake are held by Turkmenistan.
Pakistan's army chief Gen Raheel Sharif today confirmed the death sentences handed down to 13 hardcore terrorists by military courts for terror-related offences, including killing of foreign tourists and an attack on an airport.

The 13 condemned terrorists were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including killing of foreign tourists at Nanga Parbat, attack on Saidu Sharif Airport, destruction of schools, attacks on armed forces, law enforcement agencies and civilians, the army said in a statement.

The convicts described as "hardcore terrorists" by the the army were sentenced to death by military courts.

The condemned terrorists included Irfan Ullah, an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan who was involved in killing of 10 foreign tourists near Nanga Parbat Base Camp.

Another terrorist was Mushtaq Ahmed, who was involved in attacking Saidu Sharif Airport, killing employees of Meteorological Department and destruction of an educational institution which resulted in death of civilians and injuries to soldiers.

The military courts were set up in Pakistan to expedite the trial process for terror-related offences following the December 2014 Talibans massacre at an army-run school in Peshawar in which over 150 people, mostly school children, were killed.

Following the attack, the government had lifted the moratorium on the death penalty and the Parliament passed the 21st amendment which established military courts which was challenged in the Supreme Court.

The apex court ruled in favour of setting up of the courts in August last year.
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and Asiya Andrabi among others have been invited by Pakistan to attend 'Pakistan Day' function at its High Commission here.

Besides them, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and Hurriyat's moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have also been called to attend the event, official sources said.

Pakistan's envoy Abdul Basit has invited Hurriyat leaders including Geelani, Andrabi, Malik, Farooq and others to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function on March 23, they said.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has also been invited to the function. However, sources said it is unlikely that he will attend the function.

Pakistan has been inviting separatist leaders every year to attend the 'Pakistan Day' function at its High Commission in the national capital.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had represented the government at the Pakistan National Day reception last year.

The meetings of Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders with Pakistani establishments have always raised eyebrows here. In August last year, a controversy had erupted over the proposed meeting between former Pakistan's National Security Adviser Sartaz Aziz and Hurriyat leaders ahead of NSA-level talks in India.

India had then advised Pakistan that it would not be appropriate for Sartaz Aziz to meet with the Hurriyat representatives. Pakistan had then called off the NSA talks between the two nations.

The two NSAs were scheduled to meet in New Delhi for talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23.
For the first time, minority communities in Pakistan will have public holidays on Holi, Diwali and Easter festivals after the country's parliament today adopted a resolution to this effect.

The National Assembly adopted the resolution that paves the way for the government to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as public holidays for the country's Hindu and Christian minorities.

Hindu lawmaker Ramesh Kumar Vankwani of PML-N moved the resolution that said the "government should take steps to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as closed holidays for minorities".

State Minister for Religious Affairs, Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah, speaking in the house, said that Interior Ministry has already given permission to heads of government institutions to grant leave to minorities on their religious festivals.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that Pakistan has more public holidays than any country in the world, therefore there is need to revisit the number of holidays.

He said he had no objection over holidays being observed on the religious festivals of minorities adding that no discrimination was meted out to the followers of different faiths and that the people share their grief and happiness regardless of the religion they are practicing, Pakistan Today reported.
A Parliamentary Committee today suggested setting up of mini urban haats to facilitate poor artisans and weavers in showcasing and marketing their products directly.

In its report, the Standing Committee on Labour urged that "some kind of motivation and encouragement be considered and given to the implementing agencies to identify and make available land at strategic locations for setting up of mini urban haats so that poor artisans/weavers are able to avail the opportunity of showcasing and directly marketing their products".

It also said that since the states are promoting tourism, the concept of these haats would be an added interest for the tourists, especially foreign tourists besides being a source of income for artisans residing in small towns.

The committee, however, said that it is not convinced with the reply of the Textiles Ministry that even if the states are being requested by them from time to time, "not a single mini urban haat has been set up so far in the country defeating the very purpose of the joint strategy evolved in January 2015 between the Textiles and Tourism ministries.

The committee would also like to be informed of the progress made in setting of these haats in Jammu and Kashmir which has evinced interest in this regard, it said.

Further, pulling up the Textiles Ministry, the committee expressed concern that out of the 38.46 lakh adult handloom weavers and allied workers, photo I-card have been issued to only 31.13 lakh.

It urged the ministry to take up the matter with appropriate authorities so that I-cards are issued to the remaining 7.33 lakh weavers at an early date.

The committee also suggested for setting up of a dedicated helpline number on the lines of the "Kisan Helpline" so that the professional queries of artisans/weavers can be appropriately attended to by experts.

Further, it added that the committee does not subscribe to the reasoning offered by the ministry, as the rates of stipend for semi-skilled workers may differ from state to state which amounts to discrimination towards the weavers residing in states where stipend amount may be comparatively lower.

It recommended that "the rate of stipend should be made uniform all over India and be fixed by the DC (Handicraft) who has pan-India jurisdiction".
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will be travelling to China next month on a three-day official visit during which matters related to deepening of bilateral ties, especially in the defence sector, would be discussed.

Issues related to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and setting up of a hotline between the Army headquarters on both sides, besides other military matters are likely to be discussed.

Parrikar is likely to travel on April 18, Defence sources said, adding that final dates are being worked out.

Incidentally, Parrikar's visit to China will come after his talks with US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter here.

The US, which is in the process of a "re-balance" to Asia Pacific, has been nudging India for a greater role in the Indian Ocean.

Americans are keen that India carries out joint patrol in the Indian Ocean, a move which will rile China.

India has ruled out prospects of joint patrolling for the time being.

US experts argue that the strategic alliance between China and Pakistan is primarily driven by their "rivalry" with India.
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has said that he had once turned down an invitation by beleaguered liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya to attend his birthday celebrations in the state.

"He (Mallya) had invited me for his birthday. He had sent his officer who had said there is a room booked for me," Parsekar told reporters here last evening.

"I folded my hands and told him that I am better off in my home," the Chief Minister said.

On allowing banks to confiscate Mallya's mansion - Kingfisher Villa - Parsekar said law will take its own course.

"I have heard that he has a property in Goa somewhere. If it is to be attached then law will take its own course," Parsekar said.

Under fire over dues running to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore of long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines in unpaid loans and interest, Mallya left the country on March 2, triggering a political row with Congress and BJP trading charges.

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) has summoned the liquor baron to appear before it in Mumbai on March 18 as part of its money laundering probe over the alleged default of payment of dues to IDBI bank by Kingfisher Airlines.
Shares of Pfizer and Procter and Gamble (P&G) today fell by about 3 per cent amid concerns over ban on their popular drug products.

Stock prices of a number of pharma companies were also down, leading to overall decline of more than 3 per cent in the sectoral index.

Pfizer's scrip went down by 3.15 per cent to close at Rs 1,705.30 on BSE as the company has discontinued manufacture and sale of popular cough syrup Corex with immediate effect.

During the day, it had slipped 3.81 per cent to Rs 1,693.60 - its 52-week low.

Shares of Pfizer had slumped 9 per cent in the previous session also.

P&G's scrip fell by 0.99 per cent to settle at Rs 6,067.85 as the company discontinued manufacture and sale of its popular brand 'Vicks Action 500 Extra' with immediate effect after the government banned fixed dose combination drugs. Intra-day, the stock lost 2.49 per cent to Rs 5,975.35.

The Delhi High Court yesterday granted interim stay of notification restraining sale of pharma major Pfizer's cough syrup 'Corex' and directed the government not to take coercive steps against the company.

Reflecting overall weak sentiment for the sector, selling was also seen in other pharma stocks where Anuh Pharma tanked 9.84 per cent, Marksans Pharma dived 5.59 per cent, Nectar Lifesciences (5.40 per cent), Unichem Lab (5.08 per cent), Divis Lab (5.06 per cent), Dishman Pharma (4.76 per cent) and Jubilant Life Sciences (4.55 per cent).

Led by the sharp decline in these stocks, the BSE healthcare index slumped 3.01 per cent to end at 15,541.47.

In broader market, the BSE index, Sensex, was down over 253 points at 24,551.17.
Toronto police are looking into whether a double stabbing at a military recruitment center might be terror related.

Police Chief Mark Saunders said a man walked into the center in the northern part of Toronto around 3:30 p.M. (local time) yesterday, pulled out a knife and attacked a uniformed Canadian Forces member at the front desk.

Saunders said others were able to take down the suspect but a second Canadian Forces member was stabbed in the process. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. He said the suspect made unspecified comments that led police to look into a possible terror connection.

"Certain comments were made by this gentleman while he was held in custody before the police arrived which has caused some concern. This has caused us to look at the motive beyond the attack," Saunders said.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada's intelligence service have also been contacted. Saunders said charges against the 27-year-old man are pending. He said it could have been worse.

"We're very fortunate that the Canadian Forces, through their training, responded and as a result had they not reacted it would have been much more serious," he said.

RCMP spokesman Harold Pfleiderer said they are working with Toronto police to determine the circumstances surrounding the stabbing.

"The information we have at this point leads us to believe this is an isolated incident and we wish to reassure the public that there is no imminent threat to public safety at this time," Pfleiderer said in an email.

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan tweeted that his thoughts are with the injured soldiers and with those who responded bravely in the face of danger.

In 2014 a gunman killed a Canadian soldier at the war memorial in Ottawa and then stormed Parliament before being shot dead. The man had taken issue with Canada's involvement in war in Afghanistan and against the Islamic State.

The attack came two days after a man described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in a parking lot in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other before being shot to death by police.

The man had been under surveillance by Canadian authorities, who feared he had jihadist ambitions and seized his passport when he tried to travel to Turkey.

Canada's new Liberal government has ended airstrikes against the Islamic State group but has tripled the number of soldiers that train Kurdish soldiers in Northern Iraq.
: In fresh escalation of political violence in poll-bound Kerala, a 28-year-old Youth Congress worker was hacked to death allegedly by DYFI workers at Evoor in Alapuzha early today even as BJP and CPI(M) workers clashed in Thiruvananthapuram district leaving at least 30 injured.

Police sources said Youth Congress worker Sunil Kumar was woken up from sleep at 2 AM this morning by eight activists of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPI(M), and attacked as he ran out of the house.

Kumar suffered serious injuries on his hands and legs and later succumbed to his wounds, police said. The victim was said to have been a DYFI activist earlier.

Four DYFI workers have been arrested, police said and added that a hunt is on for others.

Last night, BJP and CPI(M) workers had clashed at Kattayikonam in Thiruvananthapuram district, leaving at least 30 injured. One of them is reportedly in serious condition.

Former BJP state President V Muraleedharan was among those injured in stone throwing, allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

Demanding the arrest of the accused, BJP observed a hartal in the district today.

CPI-M had also called for a hartal today in Kattayikonam.

Vehicles have been exempted from the hartal's purview to prevent inconvenience to students appearing for exams.

As the political heat over the May 16 elections is slowly rising, reports of rival party workers clashing in various parts of the state, especially northern Kannur district, are also increasing.

An RSS worker was recently hacked to death in Pappinesseri and a BJP worker escaped with serious injuries in Panur, both in Kannur district after they were attacked allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

It's a do or die battle this time for BJP, which has so far not opened its account in the Kerala assembly and is going all out to woo voters across the state.

BJP has entered into an alliance with the newly floated Bharat Dharma Jana Seva (BDJS), an organisation of the numerically strong Ezhava community.

The fact that the saffron party had performed well in the local body polls in November has also given the party a glimmer of hope.

Both the ruling Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF, which have ruled the state alternatively all these years, are also leaving nothing to chance.
Supporters of NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal today blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra National Highway in Nashik district and staged a protest against his arrest even as several commercial establishments remained closed in some areas in the city.

Bhujbal, the MLA from Yeola constituency in Nashik district, was arrested last night by Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai after 10 hours of questioning in connection with a probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others.

Protesting his arrest, the former Deputy Chief Minister's supporters and NCP activists shouted anti-government slogans and blocked the highway near Ojhar, about 21 kms from here, affecting the movement of vehicular traffic, an officer at rural police control room said.

Later, police rounded up the protestors and cleared the highway, he said.

The party activists also staged a 'rasta-roko' in the busy Central Bus Stand locality of the city. However, police rushed to the spot and cleared the road.

Besides, all commercial establishments and shops were closed in Yeola, Lasalgaon and Nandgaon tehsil towns in the district after a bandh call was given by NCP activists to protest the arrest of their leader.

Both the city and rural police have beefed up security by deploying extra force on highways, near Bhujbal's farm and NCP office in the city, as a precautionary measure.

(REOPENS BES24)



Speaking to reporters outside the Maharashtra Assembly, BJP MLA Anil Gote said, "I am pleased that Bhujbal has been arrested. When I was implicated in the Telgi scam, NCP workers had removed their shirts and danced in front of my house. Now my cadres are rejoicing.
Pure maple syrup extract may help protect brain cells against the kind of damage found in Alzheimer's disease, researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have claimed.

A study by Dr Donald Weaver, from the University of Toronto, found that an extract of maple syrup may help prevent the misfolding and clumping of two types of proteins found in brain cells - beta amyloid and tau peptide.

When cellular proteins fold improperly and clump together, they accumulate and form the plaque that is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's and other brain diseases.

Another study conducted by the University of Rhode Island, in collaboration with researchers at Texas State University, showed that a pure maple syrup extract prevented the fibrillation (tangling) of beta amyloid proteins and exerted neuroprotective effects in rodent's microglial brain cells.

Scientists have found that a decrease in microglial brain cell function is associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurological problems.

The maple syrup extract also prolonged the lifespan of an Alzheimer's roundworm model in vivo, researchers said.

"Natural food products such as green tea, red wine, berries, curcumin and pomegranates continue to be studied for their potential benefits in combating Alzheimer's disease," said Navindra P Seeram from the University of Rhode Island, who led the second study.

"And now, in preliminary laboratory-based Alzheimer's disease studies, phenolic-enriched extracts of maple syrup from Canada showed neuroprotective effects, similar to resveratrol, a compound found in red wine," said Seeram.

"However, further animal and eventually human studies would be required to confirm these initial findings," he said.

These preliminary findings help support discoveries made over the past few years on the inherent properties of pure maple syrup that comes directly from the sap of the maple tree, making it an all-natural product with unique health benefits, researchers said.

"We already know that maple has more than 100 bioactive compounds, some of which have anti-inflammatory properties. Brain health is the latest topic of exploration and we look forward to learning more about the potential benefits that maple syrup might have in this area," said Serge Beaulieu, President of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that impairs daily functioning through gradual loss of memory.

The studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, US.
Members of Rabha community in Goasaihat area of Jalpaiguri district today announced they would be boycotting the assembly polls for lack of development for decades in their area.

"We have been deprived even of the basic facilities like drinking water and road communication," the Rabha panchayat samity leader said.

He said there was scarce healthcare facilities in the area.

A district official said they would be discussing the issue with the community leaders and request them not to fritter their democratic right.
Beatrice summer school registration opened online Tuesday afternoon, as announced at the Beatrice Public Schools Board of Education meeting Monday night.

BPS Director of Curriculum Jackie Nielsen gave the board and audience a brief overview of this years Best Summer Possible, the districts summer programming for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The programs run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday, June 6 to June 30, at Paddock Lane Elementary and Southeast Community College.

Each day of programming holds enough space for 175 to 300 students total, depending on the session.

Each week of programming costs $25, including breakfast and lunch. If students attend 12 days, families will receive their money back.

Online registration for the program can be accessed by following this link: tinyurl.com/hue7osl. A link will also be shared later this week on the BPS website and Facebook page. Families who want to register but do not have Internet service can call the BPS Student Programs office at 402-223-1512.

Also at the meeting, the board unanimously approved changes to district policies and regulations. The measures were read twice at previous board meetings. The changes go into effect immediately.

One policy and its paired regulation are updates of the School Wellness Policy. The policy further addresses healthy eating and physical activity and other school activities to promote student wellness and is aligned with a section of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act.

A second policy update is an amendment to the districts graduation requirements, as outlined in Nebraska statute 79-770. Special education students who are 17 or older and have not completed their Individualized Education Programs will be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony, receive certificates of attendance and continue with their IEPs through the school. The students may only participate in one graduation ceremony.

An entirely new policy puts into writing anti-discrimination of pupil rules. BPS Superintendent Pat Nauroth said the district already practices these rules, but the Office of Civil Rights requires they be in writing.

Nauroth said the same for a new policy called the Annual Emergency Safety Plan. The district practices the measures relating to fire, safety and health codes, but an official plan is mandated by a section of Rule 10 by the Nebraska Department of Education.

Nauroth also announced a change in how dual credit courses are taught in the high school. Starting Sept. 1, 2017, instructors teaching courses to high school students for high school and college credit must have completed a minimum of 18 graduate hours in the discipline or subfield or must obtain a masters degree in the discipline. The requirements come from the Higher Learning Commission. BHS offers dual-credit courses in topics including English, math and Spanish that apply toward students credit at Southeast Community College.

In the update of the School Community and Staff Relations Committee, board member Janet Byars summed up the topics discussed at past community meetings. The next community meeting is April 14 at the Beatrice Senior Center.

The March employee of the month is Joan Doyle-Workman, who teaches social studies and a leadership class at the high school. Her anonymous nominator described her as a leader in the school whom students and staff look up to, and said that she teaches students qualities that make a good leader, including care and kindness.

Steve Winter, a past BPS board member who filed for a spot again this year, spoke in the public forum portion of the meeting. In a statement he prepared, Winter urged the public to Stake a Claim, referring to the citys branding campaign, and complimented the district for staking its claim and setting good examples.

Regular BPS board meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month in the board room. Committee of the Whole meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of every month at the same location.
Rubbing salt into their wounds, a district Collector in Rajasthan allegedly warned farmers against "speaking too much" when they approached him for compensation for damage to their crops by unseasonal rain and hailstorm.

"Zyada bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai...Ab tak jail mein daal deta tumko. (Don't speak too much. By now I would have put you behind bars)," the Collector of Sri Ganganagar, P C Kishan, was caught saying on camera when a group of farmers met him to seek compensation in his chamber yesterday.

The farmers wanted to submit a represention to Kishan, a 2005 batch IAS officer.

When contacted the top district official admitted damage to crops in the districts of Rajasthan and said a large number of farmers were submitting memoranda to him for compensation.

He, however, denied he had misbehaved with any farmer who came to seek compensation.

"Many farmers are coming to me and demanding compensation. I am treating them nicely and did not threaten any farmer," he told PTI by phone.

When told about the video clip in which he is seen warning a farmer "not to speak much", the officer cut short the conversation, saying he was on law and order duty in Suratgarh and had nothing more to say.
A senior scientist at India's premier ocean research centre is facing charge of submitting fake expense bills amounting to Rs 1.44 lakh.

National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) filed a police complaint against Chief ScientistV K Bankar in this regard.

According to the complaint, Bankar submitted fake bills of Rs 1.44 lakh in May 2012 related to expense incurred on a field trip by students.

The original expense on the tour was only Rs 35,000 but the Chief Scientist prepared fake bills of higher amount and submitted them to NIO authorities for reimbursement, police said, quoting the complaint.

Based on the complaint, submitted by NIO Director S W A Naqvi, a case of cheating and forgery has been registered against Bankar, police said today.

Bankar's motive was to cheat the institute, said the complainant.
A retired engineer's desire to educate his domestic help's son has three decades later materialised into a school, which today teaches over 400 children with the help of professional volunteers.

70 year-old J D Khurana and his wife, who founded the government approved NGO, 'Guru Nanak Sewa Sansthan' say that it pained them to see young children work as domestic servants and rag-pickers at an age when they should be going to schools and thus took upon themselves the responsibility of building them a bright future.

"During my days of service, my wife and I would feel uncomfortable seeing small children help as maids or rag-pickers rather than going to school. We both started keeping a part of our salary separately to help the needy," says Khurana.

While it began with individual stories of the couple funding the education, first of their driver's son and then of a blind girl student of the college where his wife was a principal, it soon took shape of a school called 'Nai Kiran Universal School.'



The school, which initially started with four children in the parking area of Ardee City has now grown into a full-fledged institution, where classes from pre-nursery to the ninth grade are held in make-shift tents.

"We provide books, textbooks, mid-day meals and a winter and summer uniform free of cost. We instruct our students in English and follow the Delhi Public School curriculum. There is also a weekly visit by a physician and the children have been immunized," says the retired engineer.

According to Hardeep Malhotra, a retired principal and a key member of the school, the tents are dismantled regularly after school due to previous incidents of destruction when a concrete room that was used for teaching was raised to ground after the land was sold.

"We had constructed a concrete room with electricity, drinking water and a toilet. Later the land was sold to the Haryana Urban Development Authority and the room was demolished without notifying us," says Malhotra.

The school was rebuilt by the then district commissioner who said that the demolition was "done mistakenly." However, after the commissioner's term ended, the room's walls came crashing down yet again under the new authorities. Since then it has been running under tents.

"One of the government officials asked us to participate in auction for the land. That is indeed sad to hear when you are doing some selfless work," he says.

Malhotra says that they have written to various



dignitaries including the chief minister and the education minister to get a space for the school.

"We also provided compulsory free computer education from nursery onwards but due to lack of proper space it has been discontinued for more than a year," says Khurana.

Braving the harsh weather conditions, children are always present in full strength in their school. They start their day with a couple of exercises and prayer.

"If you talk to them you'll know how bright they are. Some of them are extremely good in art. Others are good with numbers. But all are so dedicated and have a hunger to learn something new every day," says Dr Renu Singh, a dentist by profession but who volunteers to teach the children every morning.

Students of Nai Kiran have been recognised as 'MENSA Scholars' by MENSA an international organisation that has a system to check the IQ of students.

Around 200 students of the school have cleared the tests of some reputed schools of Gurgaon and are continuing their education after class 9 from these schools.

"40 of our students have got admission in Delhi Public School run Shiksha Kendra, 55 of them are in Shalom Hills International School, 6 in Atul Memorial School and some others in other renowned schools," says Khurana.

Sharing a story about one of his students, Malhotra says in 1977 he saw a girl begging at the Jammu railway station and convinced her parents to let her study and promised to take care of her meals.

"That girl was so bright that later she became one of the toppers of class 10 board exams. She then went to complete her studies in England through sheer hard work and dedication. After that she came back to India, purchased a land and gave her parents a roof to stay it. The girl is now married and a mother of two," he says.

Urging others to join similar causes, Malhotra says if everyone does the same, India can eradicate poverty because education is key to most of the social evils.

While International Federation of Social Workers is celebrating March 15 as World Social Work Day, an effort by Guru Nanak Sewa Sansthan promotes dignity of individual through right to education.
Scientists have developed a furry, brightly coloured robot that serves as peer learner to encourage students in a classroom and can create a personalised motivational strategy by interpreting emotional responses of a child.

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in US and Tel Aviv University in Israel developed the socially assistive robot called Tega that is designed to serve as a one-on-one peer learner in or outside of the classroom.

Testing the setup in a preschool classroom, the researchers showed that the system can learn and improve itself in response to the unique characteristics of the students it worked with.

It proved to be more effective at increasing students' positive attitude towards the robot and activity than a non-personalised robot assistant.

The researchers piloted the system with 38 students aged three to five in a Boston-area school last year. Each student worked individually with Tega for 15 minutes per session over the course of eight weeks.

Tega uses an Android device to process movement, perception and thinking and can respond appropriately to children's behaviours.

It is equipped with a second Android phone containing custom software that can interpret the emotional content of facial expressions, a method known as "affective computing."



The students in the trial learned Spanish vocabulary from a tablet computer loaded with a custom-made learning game.

Tega served not as a teacher but as a peer learner, encouraging students, providing hints when necessary and even sharing in students' annoyance or boredom when appropriate.

The system began by mirroring the emotional response of students - getting excited when they were excited, and distracted when the students lost focus.

It also tracked the impact of each of these cues on the student. Over time, it learned how the cues influenced a student's engagement, happiness and learning successes.

As the sessions continued, it ceased to simply mirror the child's mood and began to personalise its responses in a way that would optimise each student's experience and achievement.

"We started with a very high-quality approach, and what is amazing is that we were able to show that we could do even better," said Goren Gordon, from Tel Aviv University.

Over the eight weeks, the personalisation continued to increase. Compared with a control group that received only the mirroring reaction, students with the personalised response were more engaged by the activity, the researchers found.

"We know that learning from peers is an important way that children learn not only skills and knowledge, but also attitudes and approaches to learning such as curiosity and resilience to challenge," said Cynthia Breazeal, associate professor at MIT.

"Children appear to interact with Tega as a peer-like companion in a way that opens up new opportunities to develop next-generation learning technologies that not only address the cognitive aspects of learning, like learning vocabulary, but the social and affective aspects of learning as well," Breazeal said.
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants hit neighbouring Israel last night without apparent casualties, the Israeli army said.

"A rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel," a military statement said.

"Initial reports indicate that the rocket hit an open area... No injuries have been reported."



Since the end of the devastating war in summer 2014 between Israel and Gaza militants, dozens of projectiles fired from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian coastal strip have hit the Jewish state, military data shows.

Sunni militants claiming links to the Islamic State jihadist group have said they were behind rocket fire in recent months, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such incidents.

After four rockets hit Israel on Friday night Israel struck back with air raids on four Hamas bases, killing a six-year-old girl and her 10 year-old-brother living near one of the targets, Gaza medical sources said.
Moscow will begin withdrawing its forces from Syria today, ending its controversial bombing campaign, as a new round of UN-backed peace talks seek to end the conflict now in its sixth year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called long-standing ally Bashar al-Assad on Monday to inform him that Moscow will pull out the bulk of its forces from Syria, a move hailed by the United Nations Security Council as a "positive step" for the fraught peace negotiations.

But hopes for a breakthrough at the Geneva talks remained remote with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over the future of the Syrian president.

"The task that was set before our defence ministry and armed forces has as a whole been completed and so I order the defence ministry to from tomorrow (Tuesday) start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingents from the Syrian Arab Republic," Putin told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in televised comments.

The withdrawal of the Russian troops -- which began airstrikes in support of the regime in September, sparking condemnation from Western powers -- is expected to put more pressure on Assad to negotiate during the Geneva talks.

As the meeting enters its second day, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was expected to hold his first official meeting with the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), who have repeatedly said that Assad could not be part of Syria's political future.

"The decision just announced today by the Russian president -- that's a positive step," said Angolan Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who holds the Security Council's rotating presidency this month.

"That's what we like to see."



The Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also said the Kremlin's move would boost chances of a diplomatic solution to the conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

The White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to Putin following Russia's surprise withdrawal announcement, and discussed the "next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities".

But US officials offered a more cautious initial assessment of the Kremlin's decision.

"At this point, we are going to see how things play out over the next few days," a senior administration official told AFP.

Russia began its airstrikes in support of Assad's forces in September, a move that helped shore up the regime's crumbling forces and allow them to go on the offensive.
The first of Russia's warplanes to leave Syria received a hero's welcome back home today, starting a surprise withdrawal the West hopes could boost peace talks by pressuring Damascus.

Despite the initial pullout, a monitoring group said Russian helicopters -- and likely warplanes -- which are still in Syria had pounded Islamic State group positions as regime troops pressed an advance.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura described the withdrawal announcement as a "significant development" for negotiations that began in Geneva yesterday in the latest push to end the brutal conflict as it enters its sixth year.

"We hope (this) will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations," he said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the "main part" of Russia's forces out of the war-torn nation, but the Kremlin denied it was trying to pressure its long-time ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia will, however, keep a contingent at its air and naval bases in Syria and a senior official said strikes against "terrorist targets" would continue.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that "Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian" had struck IS targets around the ancient city of Palmyra. There was no official confirmation from Moscow.

Meanwhile, one Al-Qaeda linked group branded the withdrawal a "defeat" and vowed to launch a new offensive in Syria.

Putin said yesterday that Moscow's military goal had been "on the whole" completed some five-and-a-half months and 9,000 combat sorties after the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of Assad.

State media broadcast live footage of flag-waving crowds and priests greeting returning pilots at a military base in southwest Russia as a brass band played.

The West reacted cautiously to the announcement, since Moscow is yet to specify a timeframe for completing the withdrawal, and a Kremlin official said Russia will keep advanced air defence systems in Syria.

Some governments expressed hope the Russian move could push Assad to negotiate, but in Geneva both sides remained locked in a bitter dispute over his fate.

The talks opened after a temporary ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents went into force on February 27 and has largely held, although it does not cover IS jihadists and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate the Al-Nusra Front.
The first of Moscow's warplanes landed back in Russia from Syria today at the start of a surprise withdrawal that diplomats hope will boost a new round of peace talks by pressuring the Damascus regime.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura described the pullout as a "significant development" for the talks that began in Geneva yesterday in the latest push to end the five-year conflict, but Western leaders were more cautious.

"We hope (this) will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations," de Mistura said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the "main part" of his forces out of the war-torn nation but the Kremlin denied it was trying to pressure its long-time ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Putin said yesterday that Moscow's military goal had been "on the whole" completed some five-and-a-half months and 9,000 combat sorties after the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of Assad.

State media broadcast live footage of flag-waving crowds greeting pilots out of their aircraft at a military base in southwest Russia as a brass band played.

Russia will, however, keep a contingent at its air and naval bases in Syria and a senior military official suggested Moscow's planes could continue striking targets.

"It is still too early to speak of victory over terrorism. The Russian air group has a task of continuing to strike terrorist targets," deputy defence minister Nikolai Pankov was quoted as saying by Russian agencies at the Hmeimim base in Syria.

Western leaders reacted cautiously, with Moscow yet to specify a timeframe for completing the withdrawal and a Kremlin official insisting Russia will also keep advanced air defence systems in Syria.

Hopes for a breakthrough in Geneva remained remote, with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over Assad's future as the conflict entered its sixth year.

De Mistura was expected to hold his first official meeting with the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which has repeatedly said that Assad cannot be part of Syria's political future.

The regime insists his removal is a "red line".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "not possible" to infer that the Kremlin was angered by Assad's perceived inflexibility.
The UN envoy for Syria today hailed Russia's partial military withdrawal from the war-ravaged country as a "significant development" and voiced hope it could positively influence peace talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday made a shock announcement that he had ordered the withdrawal of "the main part" of Russia's forces after talks with long-standing ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"The announcement by President Putin on the very day of the beginning of this round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva is a significant development," Staffan de Mistura said in a statement read by his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi.

"We hope (this) will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva aimed at achieving a political solution of the Syrian conflict and a peaceful political transition in the country," he added.

Fawzi told reporters that de Mistura had been informed of the Russian decision last evening, shortly before he briefed the UN Security Council via video-link about progress made on the first day of a new round of Syria peace talks in the Swiss city.

Putin's announcement came ahead of the fifth anniversary of the start of Syria's brutal conflict, which has left more than 270,000 dead and forced millions to flee their homes.

"Today is an important day," Fawzi said.

He pointed out that it was not only the fifth anniversary of the start of Syria's "tragedy" but also the 18th day of a partial truce, which he said was "fragile, vulnerable, but holding by and large."



Western leaders meanwhile reacted cautiously to the Russian announcement, with Moscow yet to specify a timeframe for the withdrawal and set to maintain its air and naval base and advanced air defence systems in Syria.

And hopes for a breakthrough at the Geneva talks remained remote, with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over Assad's future.
Russia and fragile ex-Soviet ally Tajikistan have begun large-scale military drills close to the Central Asian state's restless border with Afghanistan, a Tajik military official confirmed today.

A spokesman for Tajikistan's defence ministry said the drills involving around 50,000 Tajik troops and 2,000 Russian troops, including paratroopers flown in from Russia.

"The manoeuvres involve around a thousand armoured vehicles, artillery, and 32 combat and transport aircraft," spokesman Faridun Makhmadalizoda told AFP, adding that they would continue until the end of the week.

This is the first time troops from Russia's Central Military District have been involved in exercises in Tajikistan, highlighting Moscow's growing unease over chaos in Afghanistan's northern provinces.

The other Russian troops engaged in the exercises are from Moscow's 201st military base in Tajikistan, the spokesman confirmed.

Last year a contingent of 2,500 troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a military bloc led by Russia and including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, also staged military exercises in the country.

Afghanistan's northern provinces have been rattled by militancy amid government infighting in Kabul and the drawdown of the US-led military presence.

Skirmishes along the porous 1300-kilometre (810 mile) frontier Afghanistan shares with Tajikistan occur frequently.

Earlier this month the Tajik border service confirmed that one of its officers and a militant had been killed in a shootout after an armed group crossed into Tajikistan from Afghanistan.
Russian helicopters pounded jihadist positions around the ancient city of Palmyra today as Syrian troops pressed a ground advance, a monitoring group said.

"Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian, are bombarding Islamic State group positions near Palmyra," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"These strikes have allowed regime troops to advance, and they are now four kilometres (2.5 miles) south and west of Palmyra," he told AFP.

The strikes came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the pullout of the "main part" of his forces from the war-torn country.

A security source in Syria confirmed the monitor's report.

"The Syrian army, backed by Russian warplane and helicopter strikes, have taken control of a hilltop to the west of Palmyra after a fierce battle against IS, which still holds the city," he said.

Should the regime retake Palmyra, "it would be an important victory because it would open the way towards the Iraqi border", he added.

IS seized Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Syria known as the "Pearl of the Desert", last May, sending shockwaves across the world.

In September, satellite images confirmed that the Temple of Bel, the main one at Palmyra, had been targeted by IS as part of a campaign to destroy pre-Islamic monuments, tombs and statues it considers idolatrous.

UN experts said the main building of the temple plus a row of columns had been destroyed.
Russian media today hailed as a political victory President Vladimir Putin's surprise decision to start withdrawing armed forces from Syria as UN-backed peace talks resumed in Geneva.

"Russia is setting an example of a peaceful approach to settling conflict," the pro-Kremlin Izvestia daily said on its front page.

"By announcing the withdrawal, Moscow has serious grounds to present the Syrian campaign as (a) victory," Kommersant newspaper said.

Citing several high-ranking sources at the defence ministry, Kommersant said Putin's decision to announce the partial withdrawal of troops after a five-and-a-half-month aerial campaign was not "spontaneous."



Helping ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to win back the whole of his war-ravaged country could have taken years, it said, adding "there were no guarantees whatsoever that this would have worked out."



The brutal five-year conflict in Syria that has already cost some 270,000 lives.

Kommersant said by continuing to play an aggressive role, Russia would have alienated key regional players such as Turkey and the Gulf states.

Liberal business daily Vedomosti said Moscow could have been caught in a lengthy conflict.

"It appears the Kremlin took into account the risk of a repeat of Vietnam and Afghanistan when military campaigns which initially were planned to be short-term stretched over many years," Vedomosti said.

Political analyst Georgy Bovt, speaking on Business FM radio, said Russia never planned to save the Assad regime "at all costs."



"If we are honest, the task was to overcome (Russia's) international isolation over the Ukraine crisis," he said, referring to a separatist war in eastern Ukraine between government troops and pro-Russian insurgents that the Krenlin is accused of fuelling.

"And this has been implemented in full. Our return to big geopolitics has taken place."



But the media also stressed that nothing prevented Putin from sending Russia's armed forces back to Syria if needed.

"Russia leaves but also stays," said online newspaper Gazeta.Ru, pointing out that its military bases in Hmeimim and Tartus will keep operating.

But the opposition Novaya Gazeta said the withdrawal could not be termed a victory, with the campaign costing ruptured ties with Turkey and the lives of 224 civilians killed when a Russian plane was bombed over the Sinai Peninsula in October.

Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was revenge for Moscow's campaign in Syria.

"The most worrying question is, what next?" said Novaya Gazeta, adding that Russians over the past months have grown used to massive television propaganda extolling Moscow's military victories.
The South African appeal court today accused the government of "disgraceful conduct" in allowing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to leave the country despite an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Bashir was not arrested while attending an African Union summit in Johannesburg last year as the South African government claimed he had immunity as the head of a member state.

When an emergency order was obtained from the High Court during the summit ordering Bashir's arrest, government lawyers admitted he had flown out of the country just a few hours earlier.

The government subsequently filed a plea against the arrest order at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

"The assurances that he was still in the country given to the (High) Court at the commencement and during the course of argument were false," the SCA judges said.

"It was disgraceful conduct."



SCA ruled that the failure to arrest Bashir was unlawful and dismissed the government's appeal.

South Africa is a signatory of the Hague-based ICC, which wants Bashir arrested for alleged war crimes related to the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The South African Litigation Centre (SALC) hailed the court ruling, saying it meant Bashir must be arrested if he returned to South Africa.

"The government should seek to uphold the rule of law instead of shielding suspected war criminals and the Supreme Court of Appeal has made this clear today," SALC director Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh said.

The decision by South Africa not to arrest Bashir sparked international condemnation, which was met with a threat from Pretoria to withdraw its membership with the ICC.

The Sudanese leader has evaded justice since his indictment in 2009 for alleged crimes in the Darfur conflict in which 300,000 people were killed and two million forced to flee their homes.

The South African government made no immediate announcement on whether it would appeal against today's ruling.
The meeting of Jammu and Kashmir State Administrative Council (SAC), headed by Governor N N Vohra, was today postponed amid signs of thaw between the BJP and the PDP over government formation in the state.

"The SAC meeting scheduled to be held today has been postponed," an official spokesman said without assigning any reason for the move.

As the political deadlock in Jammu and Kashmir continued over government formation, the SAC meeting was scheduled to consider the Budget Proposals for the state for the financial year 2016-17.

The postponing of the SAC meeting comes a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament that the Centre was willing to walk the extra mile for Jammu and Kashmir, fuelling speculations that the PDP and the BJP might be closer to forming the government in the state which is under Governor's rule since January 8.

Jaitley said the Government stood by its commitment to equitable development of all the three regions of the state- Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Governor's rule was imposed in the state a day after the demise of the then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

The PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has asked New Delhi to announce state-specific measures, both on the political and economical fronts, ahead of any forward movement by her party on forming the government with the BJP in the state.

The PDP, among other demands, has been seeking return of two power projects from National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) to the State.
Pop star Sam Smith has reportedly bought a collection of Egyptian artefacts.

The "Stay With Me" hitmaker stopped by the Barakat Gallery in London's Mayfair, which specialises in ancient art, last week to buy some historic objects after being inspired by Adam Lambert, who has always been obsessed with Egyptian culture, following their meeting in New York, reported Female First.

"Adam's passion has rubbed off on Sam. His first tattoo was the Egyptian Eye of Horus, which he got right before 'American Idol' to "protect" hit on the show. The first thing Sam did when he got back to the UK was check out the pieces in the gallery," a source said.
The Supreme Court today said it would refer to a five-judge constitution bench a plea seeking setting up of National Court of Appeal with regional benches in major cities for deciding cases arising from high courts.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice U U Lalit asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and senior advocate K K Venugopal, who has been appointed amicus curiae to assist it, to formulate "suggestions and points" for its consideration.

"All possible suggestions and points be given to us. A three-judge bench will frame questions to be considered by a constitution bench," the bench said.

Referring to some examples, Venugopal said, "Ireland established the National Court of Appeal after a debate spanning six years and moreover, state after state is doing it."



However, the Attorney General did not prima facie endorse the idea and said Pakistan Supreme Court tried this, but could not succeed and it is not possible here.

During the hearing, Venugopal suggested that all lawyers concerned should file written submissions, containing details on the issue and the court should examine them.

He referred to the fact that most of the appeals to the apex court come from the Delhi High Court and it shows that the physical proximity has a key role in access to justice.

The bench said the arrears of cases are getting "bigger and bigger" and the judges should focus on disposing and deciding cases besides issuing notices on the petitions.

"We cannot establish the court of appeal. We will examine it. We will pronounce on the legal point," the bench said.

Rohatgi said the setting up of the court of appeal would be in violation of Article 136 which says the Supreme Court, in exercise of its discretion, may grant leave to appeal against any judgment, decree determination, sentence or order in any cause or matter passed or made by any court or tribunal in the territory of India.

He also said that Article 136 cannot be altered as it formed part of the basic structure of the constitution.

Venugopal, who favoured the idea, however said that out of every ten cases, coming to the apex court, 9.5 cases come from states like Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as they are close to it.
Thane police today claimed to have foiled a conspiracy to murder a BJP leader from Murbad in the district with the arrest of three men.

DCP (crime) Parag Manere said the accused had hatched a conspiracy to kill BJP leader and sitting corporator of the Murbad Civic Council Niteen Telavane.

Telavane had been arrested eight years back for the murder of Bhaskar Chandane, but was acquitted in the case.

Arjun Shelke, a local Shiv Sena leader, wanted to avenge the murder, so he hatched a conspiracy with Bhalchandra Nanu Birhade to kill Telavane, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided a farm house at Mhasa village in Murbad tehsil, and seized foreign-made and country-made revolvers, cartridges, choppers and swords, and arrested Bhalchandra Birhade, Sanjay Thorat and Anil Jadhavar. Two others escaped.

Police were looking for Shelake and two others.

The arrested were produced before a magistrate today and remanded in police custody till March 18.
To ramp up its manpower, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) plans to hire 15 consultants from various fields, including law and financial analysis.

SFIO, which comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry, is probing many cases, such as alleged fund diversion at defunct Kingfisher Airlines, even as it grapples with staff shortage.

Out of 15 consultants, 11 would be hired for law (advocates) and financial analysis at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Besides, three consultants would be hired for banking area and one for law at its office here, SFIO said in a public notice.

Initially, these consultants would be hired for six months on contractual basis.

Those roped in for financial analysis would have to "critically analyse the corporate announcements made by the corporate entities and prepare research reports".

They would also study financial reports of the companies under investigation and make complex financial analysis and prepare reports.

Consultants in the area of law would be required to draft various documents, including complaints, petitions and affidavits, besides providing all assistance to SFIO officers during investigation and prosecution.

Recently, the white collar crime probe agency empanelled 91 chartered accountant firms to carry out forensic audit and analysis of financial statements on a case to case basis.

In December last year, the Corporate Affairs Ministry had said it was in the process of notifying 20 recruitment rules for various posts at SFIO.

Of the 130 sanctioned positions, 57 posts were vacant, it had said.

In the last four years, SFIO was ordered to investigate 258 companies for alleged fraud. Of them, probes have been completed in 116 cases and reports are submitted to the ministry.
Six pilgrims from Bengaluru, including four women, were killed on the spot and eight others were injured in a collision between a van and a lorry at Royalavari Peta near here today.

The van driver was among those killed, while the lorry driver got injured.

Police said the van with 13 pilgrims was proceeding from



Bengaluru to Tirumala, the hill abode of Lord Venkateswara, to offer prayers when it collided with the lorry.

Police suspect that the over-speeding by the van driver



resulted in the accident.

All the injured have been hospitalised.
The 17-year-old Somali refugee who was critically wounded in a police shooting in Salt Lake City is awake and talking, his cousin has said.

Abdi Mohamed, who came to the US with his family in 2004, was shot twice in the torso last month when officers tried to stop him and another person from beating a man, police said yesterday.

His cousin Muslima Weledi said he has woken from his medically induced coma but remains on painkillers.

Police have said Mohamed and a second person were beating a man with metal sticks when officers intervened February 27.

Officers fired after he moved menacingly toward the man who was beaten instead of immediately obeying a command to drop the stick, police said.

The teen's friends dispute the police account. Friend Selam Mohammad said the fight started after a stranger made a comment about Abdi Mohamed's girlfriend, and the other man was also armed with a stick.

Unified Police Detective Chuck Malm declined to say if police have interviewed Mohamed, citing the ongoing investigation.

Police have refused to release video from the incident until the investigation into the shooting is complete. Salt Lake County Attorney Sim Gill said his office is still reviewing the case and that he hopes the process will be finished in the next few weeks.
Some private importers attempted to form cartels and hoard pulses overseas in order to delay their arrival in India and increase domestic prices, Parliament was informed today.

"There have been reports that some private importers did attempt forming cartels and cornering stocks of certain pulses in producer countries with an objective of delaying their arrival in India, thereby increasing its prices," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

"Domestic searches and surveys have been conducted on a number of importers, traders and financiers engaged in pulses trade," he added.

Paswan also informed that a group of officers has been set up for regular monitoring and exchange of information on hoarding, cartelisation etc, to facilitate coordinated action.

The minister also placed data of pulses production, demand and imports.

Pulses imports increased to 5.55 million tonnes till March 1, this fiscal as against 4.58 million tonnes in the entire 2014-15.

Pulses production is estimated at 17.33 million tonnes while demand is pegged at 23.66 million tonnes in 2015-16, according to the data placed by Paswan in the Lok Sabha.

"The government has taken a decision to create a buffer stock of 1.5 million tonnes of pulses through both domestic procurement and imports to improve domestic availability and stabilise prices," Paswan said.

The government has imported 5,000 ton of tur dal from Malawi/ Mozambique and allocated it to states for retail sale to consumers to improve availability and moderate prices.

As per Agriculture Ministry's second estimate, pulses production is estimated at 17.33 million tonnes in 2015-16 crop year (July-June), marginally higher than the previous year's production of 17.15 million tonnes.

India is the world's largest producer of pulses, but domestic demand outstrips production and the shortfall is met from imports.
A South African woman has been arrested for allegedly trying to bring into the country cocaine worth Rs five crore at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.

The accused was intercepted by the Customs officials after her arrival from Dubai on Friday. The detailed examination of her baggage and personal search resulted in recovery of a white crystalline powder, believed to be cocaine, which was concealed in a false cavity made in the upper part of a trolley bag carried by her, a press release issued today by the Customs said.

The weight of the recovered cocaine is one kg and its estimated market value is Rs five crore, it said, adding that the woman has been arrested.
Alleging irregularities in admission in B.Ed course by Agra University administration, a member of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha today attempted to jump from an overhead tank in a bid to commit suicide.

A group of six student leaders affiliated to Samajwadi Party's student wing, have been on hunger strike at the Dr B R Ambedkar University's gate for the past seven days.

Sabha's district president Alok Yadav said that to highlight these problems the Chhatra Sabha was staging an indefinite sit-in since March 1 and started hunger strike from March 8.

A member, identified as Manvendra, climbed the tank and attempted to jump, Yadav said in a statement issued here.

He shouted slogans and threatened to jump if the university did not act against the persons involved in the alleged B.Ed admissions scam and opened a single window for solutions of all pending problems of the students, Yadav said.

After much cajoling Manvendra came down, he said.

Yadav alleged that instead of coming to the university, the officers were running offices from their homes as a result of which a number of students could not get their marksheets.

No case was lodged in the matter till the filing of this report.
Congress today made a strong pitch for a probe in the wake of the sting operation purportedly showing several Trinamool leaders accepting money to help a fictitious private firm in poll-bound West Bengal.

"An impartial probe should be held in the matter. It could be a House Committee or CBI probe," party spokesman Pramod Tewari told reporters.

Insisting that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee owed an explanation to the nation on the issue, he dismissed TMC's claim that the whole thing was a "political conspiracy".

"When Saradha chitfund scam had broken, they had spoken in a similar vein," he said, adding that BJP too talks of such conspiracies when faced with such controversies.

He suggested that there was no need for an investigation if the sting was a genuine operation.

Dubbing the sting operation by a portal as "manufactured", TMC is accusing its detractors of hatching a "political conspiracy" ahead of the Assembly elections.

Asked about Enforcement Directorate taking into custody NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal who was Deputy Chief Minister in Congress-led coalition in Maharashtra, Tewari said "the law should be allowed to take its own course".
Islamist radicals born and educated in Muslim countries are 17 times more likely to have an engineering qualification than the general population in these countries, according to a new study that challenges a widely-held view that many terrorists are poor and ignorant.

The finding published in a new book 'Engineers of Jihad', being launched at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), relies on a study of over 800 members of violent Islamist groups.

The book challenges a widely-held view that many terrorists are "poor, ignorant and have nothing to lose," according to its authors, LSE academic Dr Steffen Hertog and European University Institute Professor Diego Gambetta.

"There is little doubt that violent Islamist radicals are vastly more educated than the general population born and educated in the Muslim world, and engineers are dramatically over-represented," Hertog said.

The authors claim that the strong presence of graduates among Islamist radicals is due to economic development failures in core Muslim countries.

"Ambitious young graduates, particularly engineers and to a lesser extent, newly-trained doctors, were frustrated by a lack of job opportunities when their economies turned south in the 1970s," the authors said.

"Unlike Western-educated graduates who enjoyed good economic opportunities, their counterparts - educated in Muslim countries - were disaffected and ripe for recruitment by radical Islamic networks," they said.

Engineers are over-represented because they represent "the most talented and ambitious graduates at the sharp end of frustrated expectations," according to the authors.

The book shows that the over-representation of engineers extends to Islamist radicals born and bred in Asian and Western countries, where labour market opportunities have been much better than in Muslim countries.

Out of 71 Western-based cases with known higher education credentials, 45 per cent have at some point been enrolled in an engineering degree compared to 16.2 per cent in the general population of Western graduates.

There is no evidence that the technical skills of engineering graduates are the reason they are so well represented among jihadists, the authors claim.

"Bomb-making skills are not a pre-requisite in the recruiting process," Hertog said.

"An al-Qaeda training manual instead instructs members to look for individuals who are at once inquisitive and intelligent with the ability to observe and analyse, but who are also disciplined and obedient. If anything, it is these traits that radical groups look for in engineers," he said.

The other striking finding in the book is that engineers are also significantly represented among far right groups, while the far left is dominated by humanities and social science graduates.

This is consistent with the fact that the ideology of Islamist radicals, stripped of its religious components, overlaps far more with that of extreme right-wingers than with that of radical left-wingers, the authors said.
The only surviving play script including William Shakespeare's handwriting, and containing a passionate speech against xenophobia, is being put online to mark the 400th anniversary of the bard's death, the British Library announced today.

The script is a section from a controversial play that revolves around how statesman Sir Thomas More quelled a 1517 anti-foreigner uprising in London by asking the rioters to imagine themselves being banished to live abroad.

The 164-line scene has been attributed to Shakespeare, one of several writers brought in to rework "The Book Of Sir Thomas More".

In challenging rioters, More says: "Alas, alas! Say now the King/ As he is clement if th'offender mourn,/ Should so much come too short of your great trespass/ As but to banish you: whither would you go?/What country, by the nature of your error,/ Should give you harbour?



"Go you to France or Flanders,/ To any German province, Spain or Portugal,/ Nay, anywhere that not adheres to England:/ Why, you must needs be strangers."



The play was originally written by Anthony Munday between 1596 and 1601, but other writers were later brought in to revise the script.

One of the six hands involved has been identified as Shakespeare's, based on handwriting, spelling, vocabulary and the images and ideas expressed.

"More relies on human empathy to make his point: if the rioters were suddenly banished to a foreign land, they would become 'wretched strangers' too, and equally vulnerable to attack," the British Library said.

There is no evidence that the play was ultimately ever performed or published.

The manuscript will be available at www.Bl.Uk/shakespeare and will also be on display at the British Library in London from April 15.

Shakespeare died aged 52 on April 23, 1616.
Belgian and French police have launched a vast manhunt for more possible suspects after a Kalashnikov-wielding assailant was killed and four officers were wounded during an anti-terror operation in Brussels linked to the November 13 Paris attacks.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel yesterday said operations were continuing after the gun battle in the southern Brussels suburb of Forest, and that the national security council would meet today.

Armed police came under fire as they carried out a daylight search on a property in the quiet suburb, sparking a series of gun battles that left children trapped in nearby schools.

"During what was believed to be a routine search, security forces were fired on. That was followed by police operations which are ongoing," Michel told a press conference, adding that it was "linked to the attacks in Paris".

A French policewoman was among three officers wounded in the initial attack, while a fourth was hurt in an exchange of fire.

Michel thanked residents for their "composure" as bursts of gunfire erupted in the streets and dozens of heavily-armed police with balaclavas and sub-machineguns sealed off the area.

The dead person had not been identified but prosecutors said it was not Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Paris massacre claimed by the Islamic State jihadi group which killed 130 people and left 350 wounded.

"In this operation, one or several people opened fire on the police as they came through the door" of the property in an initial search, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement late last night.

"One suspect armed with a Kalashnikov-type assault rifle was killed in an assault" by police about three hours later, it said.

Police were "actively pursuing investigations, day and night", the statement said.

Eric Van Der Sypt, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, was quoted by the Belga agency as saying: "A body was found during a search of a house... His identity has not been established yet but whatever the case, it is not Salah Abdeslam."



French police sources confirmed Abdeslam was not targeted in the raid.
Japanese automobile major Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) is looking to sell one million two-wheelers annually in India, a key market under its new mid-term management plan.

The company, which today launched an all-new version of flagship scooter model Suzuki Access 125 priced at Rs 53,887 (ex-showroom Delhi), will be focussing on premium scooters and motorcycles to achieve its target.

"India is one of the most important markets for Suzuki's two-wheeler business. We are looking to sell one million units annually by 2020," SMC's subsidiary Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) outgoing Managing Director Masayoshi Ito told reporters here.

In the ongoing fiscal, the company looks to sell 3.2 lakh units in India as against 3.45 lakh units in the previous fiscal, down 7.24 per cent.

"This decline was mainly because we adjusted production of the Access ahead of the launch of the new version," he said.

Bullish on the Indian market, Ito, who will take over as global head of Suzuki's motorcycles business, further said "although the target for 2020 is stiff, we are confident we will be able to do it as the scooter segment is fast growing in India".

"Our focus will be on premium scooters and motorcycles as there is stiff competition in mass market segment," he added.

The company plans to launch new models in the 125cc and above category in scooters, while in bikes its focus will be in the 150cc and above category.

"It is difficult to say how many models we will launch by 2020 but we will consider launching even 200-250cc scooters if there is demand but it will take time," Ito said.

When asked if the company, which has an installed capacity of producing 5.4 lakh units from plant in Gurgaon, Ito said: "Yes, to meet the one million units target we will need to but we haven't decided on it yet. As such we can stretch the current capacity to 7 lakh units annually."



On the new Access 125, SMIPL General Manager (Export, Sales and Dealer Development) Kenzi Hirozawa said: "We are looking to sell around 2 lakh units of the model annually."



Launched in 2007 in India, the Access 125 has sold 2 million units in total so far. The updated model comes with various new features including front pocket, easy start system and an optional front disc brake and alloy wheels.
In a significant decision, the Punjab Cabinet today approved to return the entire money which it had received from Haryana in respect of SYL to the neighbouring state immediately.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Punjab Bhawan, this evening, an official spokesman said.

The Cabinet reiterated the SAD-BJP alliance government's firm commitment not to allow even a single drop of its rightful river waters to Haryana.

"Since water is the lifeline of Punjab so the question of sharing it with anyone does not arise at all and any decision against injustice to river waters of Punjab would never be accepted at any cost," the cabinet observed.

The Punjab government had yesterday passed a bill in the State Assembly seeking to re-vest property rights to the owners of nearly 4000 acres of land from whom it was acquired to construct the main Satluj Yamuna Link canal, with generous provisions for returning the compensation.

It was Haryana that had paid compensation to the owners of this chunk of land at the time of acquisition of the land in Punjab.

The land earmarked for return was acquired for Rs 35 crore, an official said, and paid by Haryana.
The Syrian presidency has said Moscow will keep up its support for the regime's "anti-terrorist" battle, following the surprise announcement of a pullout of Russian forces from the war-torn country.

"The Syrian and Russian parties agreed in a telephone call between Presidents Bashar al-Assad and (Russia's) Vladimir Putin to reduce the number of Russian air force personnel in Syria," the president's office said on its Facebook page.

"The Russian side said it will continue to support Syria in its battle against terrorism," it said.

The presidency said the Russian announcement follows "the success registered by the Syrian army with the cooperation of the Russian air force and with the restoration of security in several regions of Syria".

Putin earlier ordered the Russian defence ministry to begin the troop withdrawal from today.

"The task that was set before our defence ministry and armed forces has as a whole been completed and so I order the defence ministry to from tomorrow start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingents" from Syria, Putin said.

The Kremlin said Putin called Assad to inform Moscow's long-standing ally of the move that appears to end the main part of its intervention in Syria's conflict that began in September.
encourage and assist more students to obtain a baccalaureate degree within a shorter time period; to provide students with a college education at significantly lower costs for both the student and the State; to help decrease the amount of debt resulting from loans that a student may owe upon graduation; to provide a student with an interim degree that may increase a student's job opportunities if the student chooses not to continue postsecondary education; and to provide easier access to academic counseling that will assist a student in selecting coursework that reflects the student's educational and career goals and helps the student succeed academically.

UNC President Margaret Spellings has said that the North Carolina legislature's proposed Guaranteed Admissions Program (NC GAP) has identified the right problem, but has come up with the wrong solution. Her vision is of a UNC system accessible to everyone and educating everyone-not just elites.That vision, however, should include NC GAP, which focuses on access - through the community college system - and success at many educational levels.The program works by identifying students who satisfy UNC institutions' official admissions criteria, but who are academically weaker than their peers. These students would be given a promise of admission to the UNC schools to which they applied-if they complete an associate degree at a North Carolina community college within three years.According to legislation, NC GAP is designed to:NC GAP creates realistic pathways to education most suited to students' preparation. It directs students who are academically much weaker than their peers into community colleges-where remedial education is more readily available and where courses are more tailored for students who are not quite prepared for university work.NC GAP is an alternative path that will work for North Carolina. Studies show that transferring from community college is a successful and economical way for students to succeed. For instance, in March 2014, researchers at the American Education Research Association (AERA) published a study showing that community college transfers are as likely to earn a BA as four-year students, despite credit transfer roadblocks.As AERA noted,Despite those findings, UNC system officials have reached different conclusions. A report recently approved by the UNC Board of Governors (available here, scroll down) predicts that NCGAP will "probably not increase the number of baccalaureate degrees obtained." System analysts likely come to this conclusion because they do not take into account the fact that the system already laid the groundwork to reduce the very roadblocks that make transfer difficult. The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement, which UNC and the Community College system worked for years to perfect, now makes transfer much more seamless than the report's data indicate.Besides, the system's report itself points out that students who participate in NC GAP might have more commitment to completing a four-year degree than those who are in its 2009 sample. It also shows that NC GAP will likely lower the cost of college education to students and the state, decrease debt from student loans, and provide a credential for students who complete an associate's but fail to complete a BA or BS.On net, NC GAP has far more potential benefits than costs. It would especially benefit the many students who are admitted to a UNC school, but subsequently drop out with no degree. At some UNC schools, roughly half of all students do not graduate. It would be better for these students to have an associate's degree (and less debt) than no degree at all.NC GAP is not a silver bullet, but it is a real step towards improving North Carolina's many pathways to higher education.
A 45-year-old Syrian man with a Swedish residency permit has been arrested for alleged war crimes in northern Syria, officials said today.

Haisam Omar Sakhanh, was arrested on Friday and remanded in custody in Orebro, some 200 kilometres west of Stockholm.

He was detained on Monday night as part of an investigation into acts committed in the province of Idlib but the prosecutor gave no details of the alleged crimes.

The Swedish daily Expressen said he is suspected of having participated in the execution-style murder of seven men in Idlib in April 2012.

A video, originally published by The New York Times in 2013, graphically shows the execution of the men with their hands tied behind their backs. It is alleged that Sakhanh was one of the executioners.

The video, which was also posted by Expressen, shows a man suspected of being Sakhanh holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

The men are bent forward on the ground and at the request of a leader, they were executed.

"During war you have the right to kill in a way that you wouldn't have the right to do when you're not in war," said Kristina Lindhoff Carleson, the prosecutor handling the case, told AFP.

"Still, there are rules that must be followed according to international law. You can't just do any destructive or murderous thing."



Sakhanh was granted official residency in Sweden on October 30, 2013. Before moving to Sweden, he had lived in Milan, Italy since 2002, where he worked as an electrician, according to Italian media reports.

After the civil war in Syria broke out in 2011, Sakhanh became a leading opposition figure who actively protested against the Syrian regime's abuses, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

In February 2012, he was arrested by Italian police after a demonstration at the Syrian embassy turned into a riot. Exiled Syrians stormed the embassy and guards were beaten, according to the newspaper.

Sakhanh was released by police after questioning and then disappeared.
Tata Motors has surprised a South African student who won a promotional contest but turned down the prize of a vehicle and job with the automobile giant for cash to finish studies by giving her the money along with the car as reward.

Casey Hornsby was the winner in a national promotional run by Tata Motors' South African subsidiary that offered the winner not only a new Bolt hatchback but also a job with the company.

However, Hornsby opted for cash instead of a job with Tata Motors as she first wants to complete her studies before starting work.

Tata Motors decided to not only contribute the Rand 25,000 (about USD 1,600) needed by the second year Bachelor of Commerce student Hornsby but gave her the car as well.

Besides the generous contribution towards her studies, Hornsby has also been offered an interview with the possibility of an internship at Tata Motors when her studies are completed.

The four-month competition required entrants to create their own Bolt advertisement highlighting their love for the small hatchback, a new entrant in the South African market.

All the entries of the finalists were posted on Facebook for a final round of public voting in which the advertisement with the most votes was declared the winner.

"We were delighted at the response to this competition which required all the entrants to try and think out of the box," said Kyri Michael, the CEO of Accordian Investments, which markets Tata cars in South Africa.

"What was particularly encouraging was the high number of younger people and those looking tobuy their first new car which entered the competition as this is our target market for the Bolt," he said.
Thailand today invited Indian pharma and information technology companies to invest in the South-East Asian country.

"We are a leading economy in ASEAN and invite Indian companies to invest in pharma and IT sector for our growth. We are also looking at Thai companies to invest in India," Thailand Board of Investment Director and Consul (Investment) Kanokporn Chotipal told reporters here.

Several Indian companies like Apollo, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Polaris, Aditya Birla Group, 3i Infotech and Tech Tree have operations in Thailand, she said.

There is a lot of scope for increasing trade volume between the two Asian countries, she added.

"We export polymer, chemical products, motor cars, iron and steel products, air condition machines and precious stones and jewellery to India. We import chemical products, machinery parts, jewellery including silver bars and gold, vehicle parts and vegetable products from India," Chotipal said.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand is on the rise and it ranked first among Asean countries, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia, she said.

A recent survey by the Board of Investment (BOI) proves Thailand's continued attractiveness as a promising investment destination for foreign investors. The BOI assessed foreign investors' confidence levels and their investment plans for the year 2015-2016, she said.

Government's expenditure on infrastructure investment and transportation development are some of the key factors driving the growth of Thailand's economy, Chotipal added.
Three persons were today arrested in connection with theft of flag rods on the government vehicles in Panjagutta area here, police said.

Rajesh Khanna, D Srinivas and N Sudhakar were arrested during the course of investigation, a police release said.

On March 2, Rajesh and Sudhakar stole at least eight flag rods attached to government vehicles of IAS officers parked in Officers Colony here and sold them to Sudhakar for Rs 200 apiece, it said. Further probe is on.
In a hit-and-run incident, three persons were killed and two others seriously injured when they were hit by an SUV allegedly being driven by son of a Dubai- based industrialist in Gandhidham in Kutch district, police said today.

Pankil Mohatta (25), son of Dubai-based Sunil Mohatta, was allegedly behind the wheel when the SUV rammed into seven persons, some of them waiting at a bus stand and other pedestrians, near main gate of IFFCO Colony on Gandhidham- Kandla road at around 11:30 PM yesterday, police said.

While three persons were killed in the mishap, four others were injured, two of them seriously, police said.

The deceased, included a middle-aged woman from Ahmedabad and her son-in-law who were waiting for a bus, and a person riding a scooty, police said.

The four injured, included two sisters who were walking on the sideway along with their parents, when the incident occurred.

Police are not ruling out drunk driving and are looking out for Mohatta, trying to trace him through location of his mobile phone.

"Police have seized passport of Mohatta and issued an immigration alert to prevent him from escaping the country as his father lives in Dubai. Mohatta lives with his grandparents in Gandhidham," Kutch (East) SP G V Barot said, adding that the passport was seized from his residence in Gandhidham.

Police have registered an FIR against Mohatta under various sections of IPC including 304 (causing death by rash or negligent act).

"We have lodged an FIR against the accused under section 304 of the IPC among other sections and are looking out for him. We are also trying to trace him through his mobile phone," Barot said.

Sunil Mohatta has an export-import business and owns Lakshmi Marine in Kandla.
A top Shia preacher and homeopathic doctor has been stabbed to death in southwestern Bangladesh in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of killings by the dreaded outfit.

Abdur Razzak, 48, was hacked to death by unidentified men last night when he was returning home from his shop in Kaliganj town in Jhenaidah district.

He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, said Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station.

The IS claimed responsibility for the killing, the DailyStar reported. But police rejected the IS claim.

Razzak was a loyal Shia preacher, said Feroz Hossain, headmaster of nearby Bejpara Higher Secondary School. "He was an honest man, often preached religion."



Razzak's wife Shahnaj Parvin said a few months back her husband received an anonymous extortion call for Tk 2 lakh (USD 2,550).

"He had no enemy. He was a doctor and Shia follower."



Bangladesh has witnessed several incidents of violence and targeted killings of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners in the past three years.

Systematic assaults in Bangladesh over the past six months have killed at least nine persons including two foreigners and wounded more than 100.

A Hindu head priest was on February 21 hacked to death by gun-and-cleaver wielding Islamists at a temple in northern Panchagarh district's Debiganj Upazila.

In September last, Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella was murdered by unidentified assailants in Dhaka, and within five days of that incident Japanese farmer Kunio Hoshi was killed. Both attacks were claimed by IS-affiliated militants.

Also, moderate Sufi saint Khizir Khan, progressive book publisher Faisal Arefin Dipon, and a Sufi shrine worker were murdered while two Christian pastors, one an Italian doctor, narrowly escaped attacks.

The IS has claimed a series of attacks against religious minorities in the Sunni-majority Bangladesh, which was declared officially secular after a deadly liberation struggle against Pakistan in 1971.
Turkey's military says at least 45 Kurdish rebels were killed in the air strikes it conducted in northern Iraq following the suicide car bombing in Ankara.

Turkish F-16 and F4 jets raided Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, positions across the border in Iraq yesterday, a day after the attack which killed 37 people. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says authorities are "almost certain" that the attack was the work of the PKK.

A military statement today said the air strikes killed 45 PKK rebels and destroyed two arms depots and two rocket launcher positions.

The military claim could not immediately be verified.
A female suicide car bomber who killed at least 35 people in Ankara had links to Syrian Kurdish rebels, Turkey's interior ministry said in a statement today.

The ministry, which identified the bomber as Seher Cagla Demir, born in 1992, said she had been affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since 2013 and then "crossed into Syria and received terror training in the YPG terrorist organisation".

The People's Protection Units or YPG is a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara regards as a terror outfit with links to the PKK.

Nobody has claimed the attack yet that struck the heart of the capital but the Turkish government said "almost certain" evidence pointed to Kurdish rebels.

The interior ministry said a thorough investigation was under way and offered condolences to relatives of civilians who lost their lives in the attack carried out by the "separatist terrorist organisation."



Yesterday's bombing is the second major blast in Ankara in less than a month.

In February, a car bombing targeted military personnel in a nearby area of Ankara, killing 29 people. That was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), which has ties to the PKK, in revenge for Turkish military operations in the southeast.

The government described that attack as a joint operation of the PKK in cooperation with the YPG.
TVS Motor Company expects its domestic sales of two-wheelers to grow by 10 per cent in the coming fiscal.

The company is set to log domestic two-wheeler sales of 1.85 lakh units per month by the end of 2015-16, a growth of about 8 per cent, its Vice-President, Sales & Service, J S Srinivasan told PTI here.

"Next year (2016-17) we expect the industry to grow by 5 to 6 per cent... That's what is being estimated by various analysts. We should be growing at 10 per cent over the current financial year," he said.

The country's third-largest two-wheeler player today rolled out its all-new TVS Victor in Telangana.

Srinivasan recalled that the success of Victor, first launched in 2002, laid the foundation for TVS Motor in India.

"We believe that TVS Victor is a world-class product as it takes a big step forward in terms of performance with ride and handling so as to deliver complete rider control and comfort," he said.

With this launch, the company expects to increase market share in executive class motorbike segment by 2 per cent.
A local court here today sent two policemen to judicial custody after they surrendered before it in connection with the alleged murder of a youth during a raid in 2002.

A court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) (West) S K Jha sent them to judicial custody after the policemen surrendered before it following their failure to get any relief from the Patna High Court in the matter.

At present, Mishra is posted as inspector in Madhubani while Nageshwar Rai is posted as officer-in-charge of Wajitpur Out Post in Darbhanga district.

Awadhesh Mishra and Nageshwar Rai, who were posted as SHO and ASI at Baruraj police station of the district respectively at the time of the incident in 2002, had raided the house of one Hem Narain Singh at Andaul village to interrogate his son Birendra Kumar in connection with a case.

The two policemen along with three to four constables had raided the house of Singh around 1 AM to catch his son, sources said, adding that the policemen asked him to open the door of his house failing which he would have to face dire consequences.

The youth was allegedly beaten to death by the two policemen.

The deceased's father Hem Naraian Singh had lodged an FIR with Baruraj police station against the policemen in connection with the killing of his son.

Senior policemen did not corroborate the allegations against the two policemen.

Aggrieved with the report of senior police officials who exonerated both the policemen of the charge, Singh, the deceased's father, moved the Patna High Court against the decision of the senior policeman.

The High Court asked the SSPs of Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga and SP of Madhubani to arrest both the policemen and produce them before the concerned local court by March 18.

The two policemen challenged Singh's plea in the High Court which did not give them any relief and asked them to surrender before the local court.
Causey, McLaughlin, and Pierce want to unseat Democrat Goodwin, infuse free-market principles in state insurance market

RALEIGH North Carolina has never had a Republican insurance commissioner, but three candidates running in the GOP primary hope to change that - citing consumer welfare rather than their own ambitions as a reason for campaigning.The primary is a three-way race between state Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway coordinator Mike Causey, Charlotte general contractor Ronald Pierce, and Onslow County insurance agency owner Joe McLaughlin.In separate phone interviews, Causey, Pierce, and McLaughlin stress they want to wrest the office away from incumbent Democratic Commissioner Wayne Goodwin in order to make the Department of Insurance friendlier to the needs of North Carolina consumers by integrating free-market principles in the insurance industry.said Causey , who ran against Goodwin in the 2012 election and garnered more than 2 million votes.Causey also ran in 2014 for the 6th Congressional District seat formerly held by the late Rep. Howard Coble, but came in seventh of nine GOP primary candidates.Causey wants the state insurance industry to operate under more free market principles, which would encourage more insurance companies to do business in North Carolina, thus creating new jobs, and helping the state and local economy.An insurance industry based more on market principles would give consumers more choice, which is sorely lacking now, Causey said.Causey said.Causey cites Obamacare as an example of government distorting the marketplace.Causey said.Causey added, referring to Goodwin's recent letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell warning that the Affordable Care Act has destabilized the state's insurance market.North Carolina's Rate Bureau , which allows private insurers to set their rates collectively, also runs counter to free-market principles, Causey said.Causey said.That said, Causey believes to abolish the Rate Bureau would further destabilize the insurance market, so he calls for an "opt-out."On the other hand, Pierce would abolish the Rate Bureau outright."It would be gone," Pierce told Carolina Journal.Pierce agrees that free-market principles should dictate the insurance market in North Carolina, but the bigger issue for him is the industry's coziness with the department that is supposed to be regulating it.Pierce said.The problem, Pierce said, is the department and the industry serve as a revolving door for executives, who use private information on consumers gained from their time in the department to use against consumers when they return to work for an insurance company.Pierce said. If elected, he would reduce the number of deputy commissioners, and deputy commissioners would not be allowed to go back to an insurance company for a period of two years if they came to the department from an insurance company.Another issue Pierce would tackle is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina's nonprofit status - by abolishing it.But Pierce's main goal is making the Insurance Department more consumer friendly. His experience as a general contractor dealing with insurance claims is what inspired him to make the run for insurance commissioner.he said.Although McLaughlin has previous political experience as a member of the Onslow County Board of Commissioners, he believesDuring his career as an army officer, licensed insurance agent and certified financial planner, McLaughlin not only spent countless hours involved in "tabletop insurance discussions" but also has the experience of being involved in the public arena and solving public policy problems.McLaughlin described Goodwin's letter to the Health and Human Services department as anMcLaughlin said he's not worried about BCBSNC pulling out of North Carolina because it has a significant share of the market.Such concentration, he said, is not a good thing.McLaughlin said.By the same token, McLaughlin said it's not surprising that insurance companies are experiencing real problems in the wake of Obamacare. Repeal is the answer, and although Obamacare is a federal law, state insurance commissioners are not without lobbying influence with their congressional delegations, he said.As for the state's Rate Bureau, McLaughlin saidAs for North Carolina being the only state with a Rate Bureau, McLaughlin said thatMcLaughlin believes it's time for a fundamental review of the Rate Bureau, after which it'she said.McLaughlin said. He specifically cited some insurance companies' desire to lower automobile insurance rates for soldiers deployed overseas.McLaughlin said the insurance industry will work better for everyone - company and consumer - with a return to basic conservative principles.are the path to improvement, he said.
The UGC has set up a committee to look into all aspects of off-campus centres established by some institutions deemed to be universities without its prior approval or that of the HRD ministry.

The committee would comprise UGC members Prof H Devaraj, Prof Mohammad Miyan, Prof Sanjay Govind Dhande and Dr K N Shanti apart from a Member Convener, as per the minutes of a meeting held last month.

Several leading institutions, which are deemed universities had set up off campus centres without prior approvals, for which they have been issued notices by the UGC.

As per the minutes of the meeting held last month, another decision taken was to set up Chairs in various Universities in Indian classical languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia.

(REOPENS DEL 93)



In another significant decision, the UGC has also decided that in the research dimension of API scores, writing policy documents of Centre, State and local bodies has also been included.

Referring to another issue related to API, Oberoi said that the UGC shall maintain a 'List of Journals' for calculating these scores.

Inclusions in this list will be made on the basis of a Standing Committee recommendations furnished by Universities. The Standing Committee will make its recommendations within 60 days when such a list is furnished by a University, Oberoi said.

The Standing Committee will also be able to recommend journals suo motu, he said. The prime concern in this regard is quality, he said.

When asked whether he was confident that the teachers' agitations would end now as these changes had been made, Oberoi responded by saying that he felt most demands had been met.

The Higher Education secretary also said that another decision taken in the UGC meeting has been that an 'External Peer Review' will be taken into account by Selection Committees, while considering a second term for a Principal of a college.

Oberoi was also asked by reporters regarding UGC practice related to reservation for OBCs to which he said that DoPT guidelines and norms are followed.
Britain could be set to deploy 1,000 troops as part of a 6,000-strong international force in Libya, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said today.

The committee said in a letter to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond that it had heard on a visit to Egypt and Tunisia this month that "the UK plans to contribute 1,000 ground troops to a 6,000-strong international force which will be deployed to Libya in the near future".

Western countries have agreed that military action is needed to dislodge the Islamic State group from Libya, but world powers have said they want a national unity government installed to request help before formally intervening.

On Saturday, a unity government in Libya announced it was taking office despite lacking parliamentary approval.

The force would aim to train the Libyan army and protect the newly-formed government in Libya, the committee added in the letter, urging Hammond to make a statement on the issue.

Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, allowing extremist organisations including IS to gain significant ground.

The committee's letter added that Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was expected to agree Britain's contribution to the force at a conference in Europe this week.
Britain has not yet acted upon 15 extradition requests sent by India, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said that India has made 15 extradition requests to the United Kingdom government and it is in constant touch with the UK for facilitating the extradition of the fugitives.

Chaudhary said in a meeting held on February 15 in New Delhi between MoS Home and Minister of State for Migration, UK, the issue of pending extradition requests was raised.

"The UK Minister clarified that these matters are sub-judice in the British courts. On the part of the government, the UK Minister assured cooperation on the pending issues on case-to-case basis," he said replying a written question.

Both the Ministers also briefly discussed about the immigration issues, E-Tourist Visa and exploring the possibilities for greater cooperation on exchanging information on criminals.

"The government of India shares information with the UK with regard to criminals and vice-versa as and when a request for investigation is received from investigating agency," he said.

On March 1, a special court here issued an order allowing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to begin extradition proceedings against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi in connection with its money laundering probe against him and others.

The agency had placed a request in this regard before the special court for extraditing Modi from the United Kingdom (UK) as its Interpol notice against the ex-IPL boss was yielding no results.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel today to reverse its confiscation of land in the Palestinian West Bank, describing the decision as "an impediment to the two-state solution" in the Middle East.

The appeal came after Israel declared 234 hectares of West Bank territory to be state land, fueling concerns of a new spike in tensions with the Palestinians.

"Such actions appear to point toward an increase in settlement activities and demonstrate that Israel is continuing to push forward in the consolidation of its control of the West Bank," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"Settlements are illegal under international law and the secretary-general urges the government of Israel to halt and reverse such actions in the interest of a just and comprehensive peace and a just final status agreement," he said.

The United Nations has repeatedly called on Israel to halt the expansion of Jewish settlements, which it views as an attempt to scuttle plans for a future Palestinian state by absorbing land that would be part of the new country.

Earlier this month, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Robert Piper, said Israel was razing Palestinian homes at an "alarming" rate in the West Bank.

Peace Now, an organization that monitors settlements, said the order to seize the land was signed on March 10 as US Vice President Joe Biden wrapped up a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Peace Now said the land could help link up and potentially expand local Jewish settlements.

"This declaration is a de-facto confiscation of Palestinian lands for the purpose of settlement," it said in a statement.

"Instead of trying to calm the situation, the government is adding fuel to the fire."



There has been a wave of violence including a shooting attack and a car-ramming on Israelis in the West Bank this week.

The three Palestinians who carried out the attacks yesterday were shot dead by Israeli soldiers.
The UN Security Council views Russia's decision to begin withdrawing from Syria as a positive step, the body's president has said.

The council discussed the surprise Russian announcement during a closed-door meeting, when it also heard a report from UN envoy Staffan de Mistura on a new round of peace talks that opened in Geneva.

"The decision just announced today by the Russian president -- that's a positive step," said Angolan Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who holds the council's rotating presidency this month.

"That's what we like to see."



President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will begin withdrawing the bulk of its forces from Syria starting on Tuesday.

The Kremlin leader said his forces had achieved their military goals and expressed hope that peace talks will yield a settlement to end the five-year war.

Gaspar Martins said council ambassadors understood that the withdrawal would take place "gradually but surely" and that air strikes would be reduced in intensity as the forces pull out.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said following the meeting that "finally" all the components of Syria's peace process were in place, including a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian aid deliveries and negotiations.

He added that some council members understood that the Russian decision to begin withdrawing "shows our deep commitment to the political process" to end Syria's war.

"I think this is a proper interpretation of this decision," Churkin said in comments released by the Russian mission to the United Nations.

Russia launched the air strikes in September saying it wanted to root out the Islamic State group that controls part of Syria, but the military campaign mostly propped up Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Although Russia has gained the upper hand in Syria with its military intervention, diplomats say it remains unclear whether the Kremlin can impose a settlement on Assad.

In his report to council members, De Mistura stressed that the ceasefire was fragile, saying the 17-day truce must be protected, diplomats said.

Too many "incidents" threaten to erode the cessation of hostilities, the envoy said, according to diplomats.

The UN-hosted negotiations in Geneva, which began on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the conflict's outbreak, are the latest effort to end violence that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.
A French cardinal today denied accusations he covered up the sexual abuse of children amid a growing scandal that has deeply embarrassed the Catholic Church in France.

Even the fiercely secular French government weighed in, with Prime Minister Manuel Valls urging Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, to "take responsibility" in the case.

"I have never, never, never covered up acts of paedophilia," Barbarin retorted during a conference in Lourdes, a major Catholic pilgrimage site in southwestern France where the country's bishops were meeting.

Barbarin has been caught up in the scandal over abuses that took place 25 years ago, long before he became archbishop of Lyon in 2002.

A priest in his diocese, Bernard Preynat, was charged in January after victims came forward with claims he had sexually abused Scouts between 1986 and 1991.

Prosecutors say Preynat has admitted the charges.

The victims have filed complaints against several senior diocesan officials, including Barbarin, accusing them of failing to report the priest or remove him from duty despite being aware of his past.

Barbarin said that when learned of the priest's past in 2007, he immediately called a meeting with him.

"Firstly I said 'How is such a thing possible?'. He said, 'There's no point explaining it, you wouldn't understand," Barbarin told journalists.

He then asked Preynat if he had committed further abuses since 1991 and the priest swore he had not.

Barbarin said no accusations had been made since.

"You can reproach me for having believed him... But covering up means knowing and letting it happen. Absolutely never," he said.

Accusations were made against Preynat only when a victim who was allegedly abused in the 1980s realised in 2015 that the priest was still in service.

The diocese removed Preynat in May 2015. When complaints were first made against him in the 1980s, he was merely suspended for a few months.

The case recalls the recent Oscar-winning film "Spotlight", which highlighted how the Church would transfer deviant priests between parishes in Boston in the United States.

While this practice is no longer commonplace, the French case raises the question of how deep Church authorities should dig into abuse cases lurking in their past.

"I know what must be done on current cases. But what to do with these old cases?" Barbarin asked during the conference.
The US further eased travel and trade restrictions with Cuba today, just days before a historic visit to the communist-ruled island by President Barack Obama.

The US Treasury said the rule changes will make it easier for Americans to travel to the island for "educational" purposes, for US banks to provide more services in the Caribbean country, and US businesses to work more freely there.

The various steps were mostly minor but add up to the continuing erosion of Congress-mandated restrictions on interactions with Cuba and Cubans as the Obama administration seeks to end the decades-old embargo on the country.

"Today's steps build on the actions of the last 15 months as we continue to break down economic barriers, empower the Cuban people and advance their financial freedoms, and chart a new course in US-Cuba relations," said Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew in a statement.

Obama will visit Cuba on March 21-22 in a symbolically charged capstone to the rapprochement that he and President Raul Castro announced in December 2014.

From the 1960s until a just over a year ago Americans were mostly banned from tourist visits, trade and investment with the island barely 145 kilometres south of Florida.
Congress member Pramod Tiwari today raised in Rajya Sabha the supply of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan by the US and asked the government to impress upon Washington not to go ahead with the deal saying it was a "serious danger" to India.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour amid din, Tiwari said India's relations with all neighbouring countries, be it Nepal, China or Pakistan, have worsened.

Supply of F-16 planes to Pakistan will be "a serious danger and challenge" for India, he said.

Tiwari said the government has "failed" to convince the US that Pakistan would not use the planes against terror activities but against India.

"This is a matter concerning the security of the country...Government should strongly put its side before the US," he said.

He expressed concern that the Chinese army has entered the Pak-Occupied Kashmir and Pakistan and China were jointly making constructions there.

"This is a big threat for India," he said. He also said the Chinese army entered five and half kilometers in India.

He further said India's boundaries have been encroached upon 1400 times. India's image has emerged as "weak" nation with a "weak" foreign policy.

Praveen Rashtrapal (Cong) demanded more special courts in the wake of "increase" in atrocities against SC and STs.

Citing examples, he said 14,268 cases are pending in Madhya Pradesh and 13,678 in Rajasthan.

Husain Dalwai of Congress raised the issue of deaths in road accidents. In the last decade, road crashes in India have killed over 12 lakh people and seriously injured or left permanently disabled another 55 lakh, he said.

Sanjay Sinh (Cong) talked about "serious irregularities" in payment of compensation to farmers for land acquired for construction of Varanasi-Lucknow National Highway No 56.

He demanded an inquiry by a central team into land acquired from farmers of Sultanpur block.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour has asked the Labour Ministry to use its database of beneficiaries and coordinate with other agencies for issuance of Aadhaar cards to over 40 crore unorganised workers.

The panel also suggested to the ministry to facilitate Aadhaar linked platform for prompt delivery of various services and social security schemes to unorganised workers.

The panel noted that the work related to issuance of unorganised workers identification (U-WIN) smart card has been withheld by Labour Ministry as the Union Government is preparing an IT-based Aadhaar linked platform for delivery of various public services without issuance of the card.

It further observed that Department of Electronics and Information Technology has been asked to develop a new policy for delivery of various social security schemes using Aadhaar, Jan Dhan Policy Account and existing platforms.

The panel said, "Once it is finally decided that all the benefits would be extended to the unorganised workers through Aadhaar, Jan Dhan Account etc., the ministry should undertake an awareness campaign amongst the beneficiaries through the print and electronic media as well as the implementing agencies involved right from Panchayat level so as to educate them about the new means for avialing various services and social security schemes."



It further asked the ministry to expedite the provision of penalty clause in the agreements/tender documents so as to prevent further time overrun and the consequential cost escalation in the upgradation of the existing ITIs and setting up of new ITIs in the North-Eastern region.

The panel also asked the Labour Ministry to fill 74 vacant post of education officers in the Central Board for Workers Education (CBWE).
The offices of Vice Chancellor and Registrar of Bilaspur University here were today allegedly ransacked by college students, after an examination scheduled for today, was suddenly cancelled by the authorities following a question paper leak.

Exam for English subject of FY BSc, which was scheduled to take place today, was cancelled by the university authorities after reports of the question paper leak.

"The university management came to know about the question paper leak in the wee hours. During the verification process, it was found that questions in the photocopy of the question paper were identical to the original," Bilaspur University Vice Chancellor G D Sharma said.

Subsequently, all the 83 examination centers in five districts - Bilaspur, Mungeli, Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa and Korba, which comes under the purview of Bilaspur University were asked to cancel the exam with immediate effect, he said.

After getting to know about the cancellation of exam, students from some colleges affiliated to the university and some students' organisations, stormed into the university campus and ransacked the office of the Vice Chancellor and Registrar Dr Arun Kumar Singh in their absence.

The students damaged tables, chairs and other articles besides threw away some files inside their offices following which the university management informed the police, an official said.

A police team immediately came to the spot and pacified the protesting students, he added.

"Based on the complaints, a case was later registered against the students for ransacking the VC and Registrar offices. Besides, a separate case has also been filed in connection with the leak of exam question paper," he said.

According to the protesting students, Maths question paper for SY BSc and Hindi of FYBA exams, held on March 10 and March 12 respectively as part of annual examination of the university were also allegedly leaked.

Students said they had even complained to the varsity management, but no action was taken on their part.

Over a query in this regard, the VC said, he had not received any information regarding the leak of question paper for the BSc Maths exam held on March 10.

"We had got reports of BA Hindi question paper leak on March 12 evening. Hence, there was no possibility to take any action on that," he said.

According to the VC, the new date of the exam will be announced within next couple of days.
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A Vatican monsignor has said he never felt threatened by two journalists to whom he passed confidential documents but did fear the colleague who introduced them.

Monsignor Angelo Lucio Vallejo Balda, a former high-ranking official in the Vatican's finance office, made the concession during cross-examination yesterday in the Vatican's leaks case.

Italian journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi wrote blockbuster books last year about Vatican waste, mismanagement and greed. Key documents came from a papal reform commission that Vallejo directed.

Vatican prosecutors have accused the journalists of illegally "soliciting and exerting pressure" on Vallejo to obtain the documents and of publishing them, itself a crime under Vatican City State law. Prosecutors have cited threats Vallejo said he received from the journalists.

Vallejo admitted he gave documents to the journalists. But he said he did so because he felt pressured by the woman who introduced them: Francesca Chaouqui, a flamboyant communications expert and a member of the reform commission.

Nuzzi and Fittipaldi face up to eight years in prison if convicted of putting pressure on Vallejo to obtain the documents and publish them.

Vallejo, Chaouqui and Vallejo's assistant Nicola Maio are accused of forming a criminal organization and providing the documents.

Vallejo testified that the only threats he experienced came from Chaouqui, whom he believed to be a high-ranking official in Italy's secret services with connections to powerful Italians, including a brother of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

"I will destroy you in all the newspapers and you know I can do it," read one WhatsApp message from Chaouqui to Vallejo that was read in court.

While Vallejo said Nuzzi once told him that "Francesca can hurt you," he conceded that neither journalist directly threatened him.

Nuzzi's attorney Roberto Paolombi pressed him on the point: "Did you feel threatened, or were you threatened?" "I felt threatened," Vallejo said.

Fittipaldi, meanwhile, testified that he received only 20 pages from Vallejo and found them of such "little journalistic value" that he used them for just seven lines in his book. He said the book was nearly finished before he even met Vallejo.

Fittipaldi challenged the prosecutor to specify the offense he supposedly committed, given it's a journalist's job to ask sources for information.
The White House has condemned violence against an Indian-origin journalist during a campaign rally by Donald Trump in Chicago that was cancelled after a clash between supporters and opponents of the Republican front-runner.

"We condemn any violence that's perpetrated against a professional journalist who's just trying to cover a political event," the White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest, told reporters.

He was responding to a question on Sopan Deb, who was on assignment with CBS to cover the Trump Campaign, who was not only heckled by pro-Trump supporters but also grounded, handcuffed and briefly detained by the police at a Chicago rally on Friday.

The rally had to be cancelled because of clash between supporters and opponents of the Republican front-runner.

"Obviously, the kind of situation that erupted at this rally was rather chaotic. I don't have any specific information about the actions of local law enforcement and steps that they took to try to restore order, but obviously we condemn any violence that's perpetrated against a professional journalist who's just trying to cover a political event," he said.

Deb was covering the clash between protesters and the Republican front-runner's supporters when he was detained.

"And that's why the willingness of Trump to direct so much antagonism and invective at independent journalists is totally inappropriate and totally worthy of condemnation on the part of Democrats and Republicans," he said.

"For Trump just to use independent journalists who are just trying to do their job as a ploy to further incite the crowd is deeply disturbing," Earnest said.
The White House has mocked Boris Johnson's accusations of "exorbitant hypocrisy," saying the United States had every right to weigh in on Britain's Brexit debate.

"Mayor Johnson has a well-established reputation for rhetorical flourishes," joked White House spokesman Josh Earnest yesterday, responding to an outburst from the loquacious London mayor.

"I think that's one of the reasons that many people in the United States have such a positive impression of him," he added sarcastically.

Johnson, who was born in New York, had said President Barack Obama's reported plan to visit Britain ahead of its June referendum on European Union membership was rich given America's "hysterical vigilance" about its own sovereignty.

Earnest countered that "the United States, because of our special relationship with the United Kingdom, benefits from a strong UK being a part of the European Union."



"That's an entirely reasonable observation for any US official to make about our own international national security interests."



Obama will visit Germany in April. The White House has yet to announce details of any additional stops.
Maharashtra Congress today said beleaguered NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest in a money laundering case was unwarranted and took potshots at the Centre for "letting" debt-laden businessman Vijay Mallya leave the country when he was facing loan default proceedings.

Stating that standing by Bhujbal was its "alliance dharma", the Opposition maintained the investigation agency (ED) could have avoided putting the leader behind bars as he was cooperating in probe.

The 68-year-old NCP leader has held important portfolios in governments headed by Congress, which was in power in the state from 1999 to 2014.

"At the end of the day, we are allies. Congress is not against inquiries that are being conducted (against Bhujbal and his kin). BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state may inquire as much as they want.

"But arresting (Bhujbal) without prior notice is not how you go about it," Leader of Opposition in Assembly and Congress member Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said while speaking to a select group of media persons here.

The ex-Deputy Chief Minister had been cooperating in investigation and thus his arrest was not warranted, he said.

"If the government can let Vijay Mallya, accused of defaulting on bank loans running into thousands of crore, leave the country, they could have avoided Bhujbal's arrest as well," Vikhe-Patil said.

Vikhe-Patil, however, did not respond when asked to comment on the NCP's submission that all decisions taken by Bhujbal during his tenure as the PWD minister were a collective decision of the state Cabinet headed by the then Congress Chief Minister.

He said Congress and NCP legislators will hold an "informal meeting" tomorrow morning and decide on the next course of action on the issue.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking in the Assembly, justified Bhujbal's arrest, saying it was effected on the basis of "concrete proof" collected by ED.

Fadnavis also rejected the NCP's vendetta politics charge in the matter.

Bhujbal was arrested late last night by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after 10 hours of questioning in connection with the alleged scam in construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi filed against him and others.
Saudi-led warplanes today launched two airstrikes on a busy market in a northern Yemeni region controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels, killing and wounding dozens of people, witnesses said.

The state-run agency SABA, which is controlled by the Houthis, said at least 65 people were killed and 55 wounded. A nearby hospital received dozens of wounded people, but no bodies, perhaps because families buried them. Three witnesses described a scene of carnage, with dozens wounded or killed, but had no precise figures.

The market in the city of Mastaba, in Hajja province, serves tens of thousands of people and was struck during a busy time. Witnesses said there were no military targets nearby. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis on behalf of the internationally recognized government for a year now.

Doctors Without Borders spokeswoman Malak Shaher told The Associated Press that at least 40 of the wounded were transferred to a nearby hospital, three of whom were in critical condition.

The Houthis' TV network al-Masirah showed graphic footage of dead children and charred bodies next to sacks of flour and twisted metal. Witnesses said houses, shops and restaurants were also damaged, while cars caught on fire.

"The scene was terrifying," Showei Hamoud told The Associated Press by phone from Mastaba. "Blood and body parts everywhere." Many of the dead are children who work stalls or carry goods in return for tips, he said.

"People collected the torn limbs in bags and blankets," he said, adding that he could count up to 40 motionless bodies.

A second witness, Mazahem Khedr, said "dozens were killed" and that he saw wounded people screaming for help. Mohammed Mustafa said people were afraid to help the wounded, fearing a third airstrike.

Hajja is northwest of the capital, Sanaa, which fell to the Houthis in September 2014.

The conflict pits the rebels and military units loyal to a former president against the internationally-led government, which is largely confined to the southern city of Aden. The fighting has killed more than 6,200 civilians, displaced millions and pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine.
A 28-year-old Youth Congress worker was hacked to death allegedly by CPI(M) workers at Evoor early today, police said.

The reason for the attack is not yet known. The accused are said to have entered Sunil's house at 2 AM and hacked him to death, they said.

Further details are awaited.
A day after it lost the motion of no-confidence against the Andhra Pradesh government, the opposition YSR Congress today issued a notice to move a similar motion against Legislative Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao.

YSRC MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and others were signatories to the notice seeking to move the no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

The notice was handed over to the Legislature Secretary (in-charge) K Satyanarayana Rao ahead of the start of the day's proceedings.

At least 50 legislators are required to support the motion when it is moved for the leave of the House for the no-confidence motion to be admitted.

The YSRC, which technically has 67 members in the 175-member AP Assembly, lost the motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers yesterday.

The motion was defeated by voice vote at the end of a nearly nine-hour acrimonious debate in the House late last night.

YSRC President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy admitted in the House that they moved the no-confidence motion against the government only to get eight of their party MLAs, who recently crossed over to the ruling Telugu Desam, disqualified.
By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS - Apple, Google, McDonald's and IKEA will be asked about their European tax deals on Wednesday as EU lawmakers ratchet up the pressure on multinationals to pay more tax on their profits locally.

The hearing, organised by the European Parliament's tax committee, follows a similar event in November last year when Anheuser-Busch InBev, HSBC, Google and eight other companies were quizzed on the same subject.

While the committee has no power to order changes, the hearing reflects the political concerns over multinationals avoiding local tax liabilities.

The European Commission is also investigating several cases to see if they breach the bloc's state aid rules which prohibit EU countries from giving some companies an unfair advantage by making special deals on tax.

Starbucks declined to take part because it has challenged a European Commission order to the Dutch authorities to recover up to 30 million euros in back taxes, the European Parliament said in a statement.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which is also appealing against an EU finding against its tax deal with Luxembourg, also turned down the invitation.

The head of Inter IKEA Group, Soren Hansen, will argue the Swedish furniture retailer's case. Inter IKEA Group owns the intellectual property rights under which its retailers operate.

The Parliament's Green party last month accused IKEA of avoided paying some 1 billion euros in taxes from 2009 to 2014 because it channelled royalty income through a Dutch company and possibly through Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. [nL8N15R51E]

All the companies have previously said they comply with EU tax rules.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
By Eric Onstad, Yuka Obayashi and Reem Shamseddine

LONDON/TOKYO/JUBAIL (Reuters) - Manufacturers are abandoning copper for its lighter and cheaper rival aluminium after a decade of technological innovation that is saving some companies hundreds of millions of dollars.

Japanese auto giant Toyota and Saudi's power company are among those making the switch while Sapa, a supplier of aluminium components, said it has seen a pickup in demand.

Some sectors including shipbuilding, building construction and electric circuitry will still need copper's high conductivity, flexibility and durability.

But developments in aluminium wiring that compensate for lower conductivity and less flexibility, new ways to stop corrosion and more efficient conductors, mean there is more scope to replace copper in power grid cables, auto wiring, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Saudi Electricity Co. said it has already saved 2.4 billion riyals ($640.09 million) by shifting from copper to aluminium in its medium voltage distribution network.

"We started more than a year ago and we plan to continue," SEC's Chief Executive Ziyad Alshiha told .

A push for innovation to overcome the obstacles to substituting the two metals gathered speed in 2011 when copper prices spiked to $10,000 a tonne while aluminium, suffering from a supply glut, was $2,525.

The price gap has more than halved, but aluminium is still around $3,400 cheaper than its rival.

"Ten years of high (copper) prices incentivised many players involved throughout the supply chain to invest in the R&D and make more substitution possible," said analyst Patrick Jones at Nomura in London.

"Now we're starting to see some results on this front."

POWER GRIDS, CAR WIRES

The biggest potential for switching from copper is in the power sector, where aluminium is already widely used in overhead high-voltage cables from power stations but is now attractive for wiring branching off from substations.

Japan's Kansai Electric Power last year began replacing 50-year-old copper distribution cabling in Osaka prefecture with aluminium. A spokesman said its plans to replace some 140,000 km of copper cabling over 30 years would save tens of billions of yen.

Their new aluminium wires compensated for the downside of being thicker with a dimpled design that reduces wind pressure and helps repel snow meaning they can use existing electric poles and lower the risk of cables snapping, the spokesman said.

The automotive sector also has benefited from innovations, boosting the potential for further use of lightweight aluminium to help the industry cut vehicle weight to help meet stricter emission standards.

Having already switched to aluminium radiators from copper, it had been cautious of expanding the use to wiring, partly because aluminium is more susceptible to corrosion.

But Japan's Furukawa Automotive Systems, a unit of Furukawa Electric Co, has developed new corrosion-proof terminals for aluminium wires in a harness, the backbone of a car's electrical system, a spokesman said.

Furukawa has been supplying aluminium wire harness systems to Honda's light vehicles and Toyota's luxury vehicles.

"We expect aluminium wire harnesses for use in vehicles will grow and make up about 30 percent of the market in Japan by 2025, compared to only a few percent now," he said.

A spokesman for Toyota Motor Corp, the world's biggest selling automaker, confirmed the use of aluminium harnesses in its Land Cruiser, but declined to reveal plans for other models.

Germany's Leoni started supplying aluminium cables for luxury cars about five years ago, and is expecting to expand to mass-market autos, spokesman Sven Schmidt said.

A car can be about 1 kg lighter if aluminium cables are used instead of copper and this difference is expected to climb to 4 kg within five years, he said.

Air conditioning and refrigeration is another area of competition for the two metals. Sapa supplies aluminium components to air conditioner makers and said in a presentation it expects sales growth after improvements in aluminium tubing made them more competitive as a replacement for copper tubes.

COPPER MARKET

As more companies make the switch, the impact on the copper and aluminium markets could be substantial.

Benchmark copper prices on the London Metal Exchange slumped by about a quarter last year on fears that a slower economy could lead to lower demand from China, the world's biggest consumer of metals.

And China is likely to need 100,000-250,000 tonnes less copper this year, Goldman Sachs has estimated, because the authorities released quality standards for low-voltage aluminium alloy power cables, giving industrial users more confidence to replace copper ones.

"Substitution could pose a significant threat to copper demand over the next decade, which could add up to 2-3 million tonnes a year of total demand destruction," Nomura's Jones said in a note.

The copper industry plays down the threat, saying many industrial users are still wary of a switch. Global copper demand will rise to 22.2 million tonnes this year from 21.9 million in 2015, according to Thomson data.

"In the automotive sector, there's risk of possible technical failure, warranty claims and the unknown aspect of using aluminium with all of its technical issues," said Colin Bennett, global market analyst with the European Copper Institute.

"In the overall market, the actual loss from substitution is really a blip because the larger market for copper is growing."

($1 = 3.7495 riyals)

(Editing by Veronica Brown and Anna Willard)
By Serajul Quadir

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned on Tuesday following demands of accountability from the government after $81 million was stolen from the bank's U.S. account in one of the largest cyber heists ever.

Rahman, who returned to Dhaka late on Monday after attending a weekend International Monetary Fund conference in New Delhi, told that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had accepted his resignation.

The government also fired two deputy governors of the bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, days after blaming it for keeping the government in the dark about the theft.

Rahman, 65, said he resigned to set an example in a country where there is not much precedence of accountability and to uphold the image of the central bank.

"I took responsibility," Rahman said.

It wasn't immediately clear who would take his place at the bank.

Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which it uses for international settlements, between Feb. 4 and Feb. 5.

They managed to transfer $81 million to entities in the Philippines, and the money was further diverted to casinos there.

More than $30 million of the money that was stolen was handed over in cash to an ethnic Chinese man in Manila, a Philippines senator looking into the suspected laundering scheme said.

Bangladesh Bank officials have said there is little hope of apprehending the perpetrators and recovering the money would be difficult and could take months.

Rahman's exit could be a blow to Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of 160 million. The country has been aspiring to reach middle-income status, and Rahman was seen as one of the driving forces helping Dhaka towards that goal.

A former development economics professor, Rahman took over as the central bank governor in May 2009, and was nearing the end of his second term.

One of his signature achievements has been shoring up the country's foreign exchange reserves, which have increased four-fold to $28 billion under his watch.

He also tried to ensure farmers and women entrepreneurs had better access to banking services and credit.

"He has set a good example by taking the responsibility for this incident," said Wahid Uddin Mahmud, a professor of economics at Dhaka University.

CONTROVERSY AT HOME

The pressure to remove Rahman built up over the weekend, after Muhith publicly expressed his annoyance that he learned about the heist only a month after the fact from the media.

The central bank had not informed him about the theft at the time, he said.

On Monday, the minister raised the issue at a cabinet meeting, where Hasina said that the central bank should be held responsible for the loss, an official who was the meeting said.

Rahman defended his record at the central bank, saying he was proud of his achievements there. He described the heist as an "earthquake" and said the bank had promptly informed intelligence agencies in Bangladesh and abroad and also brought in international experts to investigate.

FireEye Inc's Mandiant forensics division is helping investigate the cyber heist. The bank has also been in touch with the Fed and other U.S. authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Justice.

"After doing all these measures and getting a clear picture, we informed the finance minister in writing," Rahman said.

(Additional reporting by Ruma Paul; Writing by Paritosh Bansal and Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Rosalba O'Brien and Rod Nickel

SANTIAGO/TORONTO (Reuters) - Far from the soy and cattle that dominate its vast fertile pampas, Argentina harbors another valuable commodity that is rocketing in price and demand and luring newly welcomed foreign investors.

Lithium, the so-called "white petroleum", drives much of the modern world. It forms a small but essentially irreplaceable component of rechargeable batteries, used in consumer devices like mobile phones and electric cars. It also has pharmaceutical and other applications.

Over half of the earth's identified resources of the mineral are found in South America's "lithium triangle", an otherworldly landscape of high-altitude lakes and bright white salt flats that straddles Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.

Until recently, that was not great for investors. Argentina and Bolivia lacked predictability and a friendly business environment, while Chile kept strict control over lithium output.

But that may be all about to change.

In Chile, a sale of state lithium deposits and a shake-up in the way the country manages its resources has awakened interest from everyone from early-stage mining companies to electric carmakers like Tesla.

In Argentina, already the world's no. 3 lithium producer after Chile and Australia, investors are hopeful that the new Mauricio Macri government that took over in December will herald a brighter future.

Business-friendly Macri has begun making sweeping changes in a bid to return the country to economic orthodoxy, removing onerous capital controls and sending a message that the country is open for business again after more than a decade of protectionism.

"For 10 or 12 years, (Argentina) was a do-not-invest zone. The tone of doing business has just swung 180 degrees," said Tom Hodgson, the chief executive of Western Lithium, which is developing a project in the country due to begin production next year.

Argentina now has a "major opportunity" to build a lithium export business, Hodgson told earlier this month at a mining conference in Toronto.

Western Lithium is working with Korean steelmaker POSCO, whose chairman was in Argentina last month to meet with Macri and begin the construction of a new lithium plant, due to begin commercial production within a year. The exploratory mining company Orocobre is also developing a project.

But the company perhaps best set to benefit from an Argentine lithium revolution is U.S. agricultural and chemical conglomerate FMC Corp.

FMC is already producing lithium from the Salar de Hombre Muerto salt flat in northern Argentina. Lithium provides a small but growing part of FMC's revenues, with forecast sales of around $250 million this year.

"Now the (Argentine) administration is starting to change policy, it's giving us even more confidence that it will be a predictable and cost-effective operation," FMC Lithium Vice-President Tom Schneberger said.

"We expect significant year-over-year improvement for lithium in 2016 and we see that going clear to 2020."

Demand for lithium is set to outstrip supply by 2023, according to specialist consultants Stormcrow Capital, with the lion's share coming from rechargeable batteries.

CHILE CLIMATE 'PERFECT'

Bolivia has more identified lithium resources than any other country, but commercially it's likely to be "shunted to the side for an extended period", says Jon Hykawy, Stormcrow's president. Bolivia has natural challenges - too much rain, other chemicals in the mix - as well as a prickly investment environment.

Chile, though, is popular with investors for its free market credentials, while the dry desert climate is "perfect" for lithium production, said Brian Jaskula, a U.S. Geological Survey mineral commodity specialist.

The key lithium site in Chile is the vast Salar de Atacama salt flat, where local firm SQM and foreign-owned Rockwood have operations.

SQM was privatized in the 1980s during General Augusto Pinochet's regime and a former son-in-law of the late dictator owns a controlling stake.

But it is on uneasy terms with the current leftist government. In the last two years, it has run afoul of authorities over market manipulation and dubious tax invoices, and is in arbitration with economic development agency Corfo over royalties.

Now U.S. specialty chemicals firm Albemarle Corp is muscling in on SQM's turf. Having spent $6 billion last year to buy Rockwood, it then signed a deal with Corfo in its drive to triple lithium output in Chile..

Chile's government said it sees public-private partnerships as the way forward and is planning to put more deposits up for tender..

It denies favoring any particular company.

"Chile is willing to work with anybody who wants to explore and produce ore, provided they comply with Chile's requirements and standards," Mining Minister Aurora Williams told .

However, Corfo head Eduardo Bitran insisted private lithium investment must be "sustainable" and in the interests of Chileans.

Albemarle and SQM declined to be interviewed for this story. But SQM said in an investor conference call this month that it wanted to increase lithium output in Chile, as well as look at unspecified "opportunities around the world".

SECURING SUPPLIES

Industry insiders warn that, no matter how friendly the government, the process of ramping up output is a complex one.

That leaves battery makers and other end users of lithium largely at the mercy of the big providers.

In addition to Tesla, traditional car companies including Nissan and BMW operate in the burgeoning electric vehicle industry. Germany's Daimler recently announced that it would build a new lithium-ion battery factory, while technology firms like Samsung and Foxconn are also key users.

As prices rise, they are keen to lock in deals. Lithium carbonate is selling for $6,400 per kilo, up from $5,180 in 2011. Prices in the opaque Chinese market are reportedly higher.

Tesla and other car manufacturers have been to Chile to see if they could ensure future lithium supplies, according to Ignacio Moreno, Chile's deputy mining minister.

Tesla declined to comment on talks, but said it has signed three deals with exploratory companies outside Chile that would "not provide all" its lithium.

Battery makers "are looking for any source across the world that they can establish joint ventures with, no matter how risky they are," said Jaskula.

(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien in Santiago and Rod Nickel in Toronto, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Christian Plumb and Mary Milliken)
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted interim injunction to US Abbott's India unit, and domestic Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Macleods Pharmaceuticals, on the prohibition on sale of several combination drugs.

India banned 344 drug combinations over the weekend, including Abbott's codeine-based cough syrup, after a government panel of experts found they had "no therapeutic justification."

The judge in the court granted an interim stay to the pharmaceutical and said regulators should take "no coercive steps" against them. The case will now be heard on March 21.

The Indian unit of US Pfizer had on Monday won a similar reprieve on a ban on its popular cough syrup Corex.
By Manoj Kumar

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's trade deficit narrowed in February to its lowest since Sept. 2013 as exports contracted at a slower pace, with demand remaining weak from Europe, the country's biggest market.

India has been struggling with weak global demand although the blow has been softened by a collapse in its oil import bill and curbs on gold imports.

Cheaper Chinese exports have undercut India's engineering exports, which constitute around a quarter of total goods exports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to impose curbs and raise tax on steel imports to protect domestic steel makers has also had the adverse impact of raising costs and sapping the ability of Indian producers of engineering goods to compete.

Merchandise exports, equivalent to about 15 percent of India's $2 trillion economy, contracted for the 15th straight month in February. They fell 5.66 percent from a year earlier to $20.74 billion, data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday showed.

February imports, fell 5.03 percent from a year earlier to $27.28 billion, compared with $28.71 billion in the previous month.

The trade deficit for February narrowed to $6.54 billion, mainly due to soft demand for crude oil and falling commodity prices, compared with $7.64 billion a month ago.

Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has rejected calls to devalue the currency, saying last week that the central bank would not target the rupee's exchange rate and would only intervene to curb volatility.

Exporters said the outlook remained bleak, mainly due to the global slowdown, and annual exports could fall to near $260 billion in the current fiscal year, compared with $310 billion in the previous year.

"We will be lucky if my exports could touch even 80 million rupees compared with 120 million rupees last year," said Arun Kumar Garodia, an engineering-goods exporter from Kolkata.

He said a rising import price for steel had hit his margins, forcing him to fire one-third of labour force.

India's economy is estimated to grow at 7.6 percent in the current fiscal year ending March.

($1 = 67.39 00 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Douglas Busvine/Jeremy Gaunt)
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian state-owned energy company Pertamina hopes to seal a deal this year with an Indian refiner to process around 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil each month, its chief executive said.

"It is better if we purchase the crude and then utilize a refinery overseas," Pertamina CEO Dwi Soetjipto told reporters late on Monday.

"Why India? Because its geographic location is good," he said. Any crude shipments from Iraq would pass several Indian oil ports on the way to Indonesia.

Soetjipto declined to say which Indian refiner Pertamina was talking to on the oil processing deal.

Pertamina's monthly Iraqi oil shipments to the Indian refiner would consist of 290,000 barrels from a stake in the West Qurna block and another 700,000 barrels it would purchase from other Iraqi oilfields, he said.

Pertamina has about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of domestic refining capacity, which meets only about two-thirds of Indonesia's daily oil consumption.

(Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Tom Hogue)
By Serajul Quadir and Karen Lema

DHAKA/MANILA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank governor resigned on Tuesday over the theft of $81 million from the bank's U.S. account, as details emerged in the Philippines that $30 million of the money was delivered in cash to a casino junket operator in Manila.

The rest of the money hackers stole from the Bangladesh Bank's account at the New York Federal Reserve, one of the largest cyber heists in history, went to two casinos, officials told a Philippines Senate hearing into the scandal.

They said a mix of dollars and Philippine pesos was sent by a foreign exchange broker to the ethnic Chinese junket operator over several days, a haul that would have been made up of at least 780,000 banknotes.

Unknown hackers last month breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its Fed account, which it uses for international settlements. They managed to transfer $81 million to entities in the Philippines.

Bangladesh Bank officials have said there is little hope of apprehending the perpetrators and recovering the money would be difficult and could take months.

In Dhaka, central bank governor Atiur Rahman said he had resigned to set an example in a country where there is little precedence of accountability and to uphold the image of the institution.

The government also fired two deputy governors of the bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, days after blaming it for keeping the government in the dark about the theft.

Rahman's exit could be a blow to Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of 160 million. The country has been aspiring to reach middle-income status, and Rahman was seen as one of the driving forces helping Dhaka towards that goal.

Under the former development economics professor, the country's foreign exchange reserves have increased four-fold to $28 billion and he also sought to ensure farmers and women entrepreneurs had better access to banking services and credit.

Rahman defended his record at the central bank, saying he was proud of his achievements there.

He described the heist as an "earthquake" and said the bank had promptly informed intelligence agencies in Bangladesh and abroad and also brought in international experts to investigate.

FireEye Inc's Mandiant forensics division is helping investigate the cyber heist. The bank has also been in touch with the Fed and other U.S. authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice.

TRAIL ENDS AT CASINOS

Bangladesh Bank is also working with anti-money laundering authorities in the Philippines, where it suspects the stolen $81 million arrived in four tranches.

The Philippines' Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) said last week it was investigating deposits amounting to just that sum, which were made at one of its branches.

Teofisto Guingona, head of the Philippines Senate's anti-corruption committee, told the transfers into RCBC were subsequently consolidated into one account and some of the money was converted to pesos.

CCTV cameras at the branch were not functioning when the money was withdrawn, RCBC's anti-money laundering head, Laurinda Rogero, told the Senate hearing.

The president of a foreign exchange broker called Philrem Service Corp, Salud Bautista, told the Senate that her firm was instructed by the bank branch to transfer the funds to a man named Weikang Xu and two casinos.

She said that $30 million went to Xu in cash. Guingona has said Xu was ethnic Chinese and a foreigner, but he was not sure if he was a Chinese national.

A tranche of $29 million ended up in an account of Solaire, a casino resort owned and operated by Bloomberry Resorts Corp. Bloomberry is controlled by Enrique Razon, the Philippines' fifth-richest man in 2015, according to Forbes.

Silverio Benny Tan, corporate secretary of Bloomberry Resorts, told the hearing that the $29 million was transferred into a casino account under Xu's name in exchange for 'dead chips' that can only be cashed in from winnings.

Bautista said a further $21 million went to an account of Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co., a gaming firm in northern Philippines. tried several phone numbers to seek comment from Eastern Hawaii officials but was unable to reach any.

"Our money trail ended up at the casinos," Julia Bacay Abad, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, told the open hearing.

She said her agency had frozen 44 accounts connected to the case and had requested assistance from the FBI.

Senator Guingona said that because casinos are not covered by the country's anti-money laundering laws it was not clear if the stolen funds could ever be recovered.

"The paper trail ends there. That is the problem," he said. "Right now we are at a dead end."

(Additional reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA and by Neil Jerome Morales, Enrico Dela Cruz and Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Aaron Sheldrick

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices fell in Asian trade on Tuesday, extending losses from the session before as concerns start to take hold that a six-week recovery will peter out as markets remain oversupplied.

Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia, the world's two largest oil exporters, along with Qatar and Venezuela said last month they would freeze output at January levels to prop up prices if other oil-producing nations agreed to join the first global oil pact in 15 years.

But with U.S. crude stockpiles continuing to build and Iran showing little interest in joining major producers in freezing production, oil prices may have gained too much too soon in recent weeks.

"With the focus still on an output agreement, oil markets are likely to remain susceptible to further sell-offs as producers baulk at cutting production," ANZ said in a note on Tuesday.

U.S. crude futures were 14 cents lower at $37.04 a barrel at 0229 GMT. On Monday, they settled down 3.4 percent at $37.18 a barrel.

Brent was down 20 cents at $39.33, after finishing the last session at $39.53.

Crude inventories across the United States likely hit record highs for a fifth straight week last week, rising 3.3 million barrels, a poll of analysts said.

Saudi Arabia kept its crude oil production steady in February at just above 10 million barrels per day (bpd), suggesting the world's biggest oil exporter is keeping to its preliminary deal with other producers to freeze output.

Meanwhile, with sanctions on Iran removed in January, Tehran is keen to increase its production of crude to levels before the restrictions hit exports.

Iran currently produces around 3.1 million bpd of oil. The sanctions also cut crude exports from a peak of 2.5 million bpd before 2011 to just over 1 million bpd in recent years.

(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Michael Perry and Joseph Radford)
prices fell over half a dollar on Tuesday, extending losses from the previous session as concerns took hold that a six-week recovery may have petered out due to ongoing oversupply.

The drops came after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said that global demand for its crude would be less than previously thought in 2016 as supply from rivals proves more resilient to low prices, increasing the excess supply in the market this year.

OPEC expects global demand for its crude to average 31.52 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2016, down 90,000 bpd from last month's forecast.

The group said it pumped 32.28 million bpd in February, down about 175,000 bpd from January, mainly due to outages in Iraq and Nigeria.

But continuously high production figures mean that global output still exceeds demand by at least 1 million bpd, weighing on .

benchmark Brent crude futures were trading at $38.91 per barrel, down 62 cents from their last settlement.

US crude futures were 67 cents lower at $36.51 a barrel.

To rein in the glut, Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia, the world's two largest exporters, along with Qatar and Venezuela have proposed major producers should freeze output at January levels.

But with US crude stockpiles continuing to hit new records and Iran showing little interest in joining such a freeze, analysts expect no fundamental change to the glut in the near future.

"With the focus still on an output agreement, are likely to remain susceptible to further sell-offs as producers baulk at cutting production," ANZ said.

Crude inventories across the United States likely hit record highs for a fifth straight week last week, rising 3.3 million barrels, a Reuters poll of analysts said.

While Russian and Saudi Arabian production remains stable above 10 million bpd, analysts say that Iran has upped its production from little more than 1 million bpd in January, when it was still under western sanctions, to 3.1 million bpd of oil currently.

Adding to the global glut are economic worries that could hit oil demand, with Morgan Stanley "no longer looking for an acceleration in 2016 GDP growth" and instead seeing a 30% probability of a global recession this year.
Vicks Action 500 Extra is a fixed-dose combination of paracetamol, phenylephrine and caffeine, which was banned by India's health ministry in a notice issued over the weekend.

The product was one of 344 drug combinations, including several antibiotics and analgesics, that India ordered to be prohibited, saying that a government-appointed panel of experts had found the combinations lacked "therapeutic justification".

P&G said that all its products, including Vicks Action 500 Extra, were backed by research to support their quality, safety and efficacy.

It wasn't immediately clear how much the product contributed to P&G's sales.

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier and David Goodman)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's non-oil domestic exports likely declined in February, a poll showed, underscoring the headwinds the city-state's economy faces from sluggish global demand.

Non-oil domestic exports in February fell 2.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the median forecast in the survey of 13 economists.

The year-on-year fall in exports is likely to moderate compared with January, helped by a comparison against weak export figures recorded in February 2015, analysts said.

In January, exports slid 9.9 percent, as sales to major market China collapsed.

On a month-on-month and seasonally adjusted basis, exports were seen down 1.3 percent, after rising 0.7 percent in January, the poll found.

A poll published in early March showed that the risk of monetary easing by Singapore's central bank is seen as having risen recently as global headwinds buffet the city-state's trade-reliant economy.

Most analysts, however, expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore to keep policy unchanged at its next meeting in April, barring a sharper slowdown in China and steeper jobs losses.

(Reporting Masayuki Kitano; Editing by Sam Holmes)
(Reuters) - Japanese industrial conglomerate Toshiba Corp <6502.T> said it is in late-stage talks to sell its white goods business to Chinese household appliance giant Midea Group Co Ltd <000333.SZ>, Nikkei reported on Monday.

The deal is expected to fetch tens of billions of yen, the Japanese business daily reported.

Toshiba granted Canon Inc <7751.T> exclusive negotiating rights for its medical equipment unit, earlier this month, after a hotly contested auction, with a report putting Canon's offer at more than $6 billion.

(Reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
Doctors Without Borders challenges Pfizer's pneumonia vaccine patent in India

With this, MSF or Doctors Without Borders, which claims Pfizer vaccine is highly priced, has become the first medical organisation to challenge a vaccine (biosimilar) patent in India

With this, MSF or Doctors Without Borders, which claims Pfizer vaccine is highly priced, has become the first medical organisation to challenge a vaccine (biosimilar) patent in India

The international medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, on March 11, 2016 filed a patent opposition in India to prevent US pharmaceutical company Pfizer from getting a patent on the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), marketed as Prevenar, so more affordable versions can become available to developing countries and humanitarian organisations.



This is the first time a vaccine (biosimilar) patent has been challenged in India by a medical organisation.



Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death, killing almost one million children each year. Currently, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are the only two manufacturers of the vaccine, which could prevent a large number of these deaths. MSF claims that Pfizer has priced PCV13 (Prevenar) out of reach of many developing countries and humanitarian organisations. It is now 68 times more expensive to vaccinate a child than in 2001, according to a 2015 MSF report, The right shot: Bringing down barriers to affordable and adapted vaccines. The pneumonia vaccine accounts for almost half the price of vaccinating a child in the poorest countries.



An equivalent patent to the one opposed by MSF in India was already revoked by the European Patent Office (EPO) and is currently being challenged in South Korea. Pfizers patent application involves the methods of conjugating 13 serotypes of streptococcus pneumonia into a single carrier. The pre-grant opposition - a form of citizen review at the patent examination stage - submits technical grounds before the patent office to show that claims that cover a certain aspect of a drug or vaccine do not merit patenting under Indias Patents Act.



Our pre-grant opposition shows that the method Pfizer is trying to patent is too obvious to deserve a patent under Indian law, and is just a way to guarantee a market monopoly for Pfizer for many years to come. India must rebuff demands from pharmaceutical companies, which are backed by diplomatic pressure tactics of the US and other governments, that India change its patentability standards to restrict generic competition. Pfizers unmerited patent application on the pneumonia vaccine should be rejected, opening the door to more affordable versions of the vaccines being produced, said Leena Menghaney, head of MSFs Access Campaign in South Asia.



After years of fruitless negotiations with Pfizer to lower the vaccines price for use in its projects, MSF is challenging this patent application in India to ensure that manufacturers who are planning to produce the pneumonia vaccine do not face key patent barriers at the time of launching a more affordable version.



In fact MSF launched its A Fair Shot campaign in 2015 to push for pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GSK to reduce the price of the pneumonia vaccine to $ 5 per child for all three doses.



The pneumonia vaccine is the worlds best-selling vaccine, and last year alone Pfizer brought in more than $ 6 billion dollars in sales just for this product - meanwhile many developing countries, where millions of children risk getting pneumonia, simply cannot afford it. To make sure children everywhere can be protected from deadly pneumonia, other companies need to enter the market to supply this vaccine for a much lower price than what Pfizer charges, said Dr Manica Balasegaram, executive director of MSFs Access Campaign.



One vaccine producer in India has already announced that it could supply the pneumonia vaccine for $ 6 dollars per child (for all three doses) to public health programmes and humanitarian organisations like MSF. This is almost half the current lowest global price of $ 10 dollars per child, which is only available to a limited number of developing countries via donor funding through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.



In 2015, all 193 countries at the World Health Assembly passed a landmark resolution demanding more affordable vaccines and increased transparency around vaccine prices. Last year, more than 50 countries spoke out against high vaccine prices and about the difficulties of introducing new vaccines, including Indonesia, Jordan and Tunisia. We cannot wait any longer for all countries to be able to afford this vaccine, said Balasegaram.



BS B2B Bureau
It was announced this week that Bord Bia is coordinating over 100 worldwide promotional activities and events aimed at consumers, retailers, trade and foodservice operators for St. Patrick's Day.



Irish food and drink exports reached over 175 countries around the world last year and were worth 10.8bn for the first time ever. Ireland is the 4th largest net exporter of beef in the world

and produces 50% of all global cream liqueur. Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirit category in the world



In the UK, Irelands largest export market, Bord Bia is coordinating major in-store Irish food promotions across 100 retail stores. Products such as prime Irish beef, Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese, Irish pork sausages, Cully & Sully and Irish drinks will be given prime positioning.

The in-store activities will be boosted by an online promotion and social media campaign featuring chef Paul Foster from GreatBritishChefs.com, the fastest growing food website in the UK.



On Sunday, over 80,000 Londoners sampled dishes ranging from slow cooked Irish beef stew to Irish farmhouse cheeses at Bord Bia Londons Irish Food Market. The market was a central part of the Mayors St. Patricks Day Festival which took place on Trafalgar Square. In addition, almost 1 million UK consumers tuned into Channel 4s Sunday Brunch programme to hear more about Irish food and drink, most notably Poitin.



An Taoiseach Enda Kenny will today present a hamper of Irish food and drink products to the Obamas and Dr. Jill Biden during his visit to the White House. The Bord Bia hampers represent Ireland's food and drink exports to the US including Irish beef, confectionary, oatmeal, tea, coffee, seafood, butter, whiskey, relishes and preserves, craft beer, crackers, bread and farmhouse cheese.



Furthermore, in Paris, the Chefs Irish Beef Club, Bord Bias international initiative that unites Michelin star and award-winning chefs who use and endorse Irish beef, will host an event to welcome its newest member, Claude Colliot.

Irish Hereford beef features on the menu of Claudes high-end restaurant in Paris. Bord Bia has also secured an Irish beef promotion with Monoprix, the leading premium multiple retailer in France. The promotion will take place in over 100 stores and will be supported by in-store tastings.



Over 30,000 German consumers enjoyed Irish food during the St. Patricks Day Parade in Munich on Sunday. Bord Bia also hosted a German media and trade event at the esteemed Scholss Elmau restaurant in Munich. Mario Corti, a Michelin Star chef and a Chefs Irish Beef Club member, served Irish Hereford and Black Angus beef and briefed local media on the premium quality of Irish beef.

Irish food and drink will also take centre stage in Swedens top three restaurants based in Stockholm. Bord Bia has joined forces with the Irish Embassy in Sweden to organise an event allowing several Irish food and drink companies, including Tullamore, Jameson, Burren Smokehouse, Kellys Oysters and Dawn Meats to name but a few, to showcase their products to key trade buyers.



In Moscow, Bord Bia will host a trade reception for 90 targeted drink buyers and distributors, highlighting Irish whiskey and craft beers in particular. Although import sanctions are in place, Bord Bia continues to maintain and develop relationships with key buyers in this market.



Bord Bias Chief Executive, Aidan Cotter says, "St. Patricks Day provides Bord Bia, and the Irish food and drink industry, with an invaluable opportunity to highlight the quality and sustainability credentials of our produce.

"Events and promotional campaigns allow us engage with new and existing customers to tell the story of Origin Green, our industry and its producers, on a scale unmatched by the national day of any other country."



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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An Irish appeals court today quashed the convictions of two former officials of Anglo Irish Bank who last year became the first bankers to be sent to prison since the country's financial crash.

Former chief operations officer Tiarnan O'Mahoney, 56, and former company secretary Bernard Daly, 67, had been jailed for three and two years respectively for conspiring to delete bank accounts and furnishing false information to tax authorities.

They both appealed and the three judge court quashed their convictions on Tuesday, saying crucial documentary evidence was wrongly admitted before the jury.

"The evidence available to the prosecution was thin, was tenuous and in those circumstances the court finds itself in disagreement with the trial judge," the 57-page judgment stated.

The court also said the charges against Daly were not brought in time and he was released from custody. O'Mahoney is due to be released on bail while a decision on whether he will be retried is made.

A third Anglo official, who was given an 18 month sentence, was freed last year following an appeal when her original sentence was quashed.

The charges related to conspiring to hide accounts connected to the brother-in-law of former Anglo Chariman Sean Fitzpatrick and of conspiring to defraud the tax authorities.

The bank's failure, which became synonymous with the casino-style lending practices that drove Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" boom and subsequent bust, cost the state 30 billion euros, equivalent to around 15% of Ireland's annual economic output.

The former head of the bank, David Drumm, was charged on Monday on 33 counts relating to its collapse following his extradition from the United States. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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US Tech Company Ipswitch, which develops IT Monitoring and Security software, today announced it will establish an EMEA (Europe Middle East and Africa) support and operations centre in Galway, expecting to create about 60 jobs over five years.

Ipswitchs new office will contain R&D operations, sales and technical support teams, to provide capability specific to the EMEA region.

The move will enable Ipswitch to greatly increase its support for its channel partners and customers across Europe in local languages and time zones.

The development is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation through IDA Ireland.

Ipswitch IT Management software provides secure control over business transactions, applications and infrastructure. The companys software has been installed on more than 150,000 networks in 168 countries, with customers including Hamleys, NHS Wales, Cambridgeshire County Council and Community Integrated Care.

The privately owned company which has its headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts, employs over 300 people in offices in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Richard Bruton TD welcomed todays announcement saying:  This highlights once again the potential of different regional centres to attract companies based on that region's talented local workforce and strong supportive environment for business. I wish Ipswitch Inc. and their workforce all the best for their future in Ireland.

Ipswitch Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President Worldwide Sales Diane Albano added, We are very excited to take this next step in our companys growth by creating a full-service Ipswitch office in Europe. From this headquarters and with all the crucial necessary functions including Sales, R&D and post-sales services, we will increase the competitive advantage for both our partners and Ipswitch, and most importantly we will develop a better understanding and higher degree of support for our most valuable asset: our customers.

Source; www.businessworld.ie

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The Irish Independent reported last week that Caffe Nero is planning to invest 20m in Ireland by opening 40 stores and creating up to 350 new jobs.



Caffe Nero is the largest independent coffee retailer in Europe and last year operated 571 stores in 247 UK and Irish towns generating revenues of 306m. The Irish arm of Nero believes that there are strong prospects for the growth of branded coffee in Ireland as start-up costs contributed to the firm recording a loss of 430,000 last year.



Caffe Nero currently operates six outlets in Ireland - five in Dublin and one recently opened in Drogheda.

The company's second set of accounts lodged with the Companies Office show that the business increased its revenues nearly nine fold going from 77,000 to 687,000 in the 12 months to the end of May last.



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Rents nationwide were up 9.8% across 2015 compared to 2014, with rents in the capital 0.4% higher than they were at their 2007 peak. Outside Dublin, rents are now 14.5% off their 2007 peak.

This data comes from the latest Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) Quarterly Rent Index which is compiled by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) for the PRTB. The rent report is based on 27,316 new tenancies which commenced in October, November and December 2015, and is calculated on actual rents being paid, as distinct from the asking or advertised rent.

Annual growth in the Dublin market was also strong, up by 9%, with Dublin house rents up 9.5% and Dublin apartment rents up 8.7%. Annual growth in rents for the market outside Dublin was similar, recording growth of 9.9% when compared to Q4, 2014.

Monthly rent for houses outside Dublin increased by 9.7%, while apartments outside Dublin increased by 10.5%.

The rent for apartments nationally was 977 (compared to 883 a year earlier), and for a house it was 892 (813 a year earlier). In Dublin, the rent in Q4, 2015, was 1,431 for a house and 1,314 for an apartment. A year earlier, Q4, 2014, the rent for a house in Dublin was 1,307, and for an apartment it was 1,209. This represents a monthly increase in Dublin rent of 124 for a house and 105 for an apartment over the course of the 12 month period from Q4, 2014, to Q4, 2015.

The Rent Index shows that, nationally, rents peaked in Q4 of 2007 before declining by 25.7% to their trough in the first quarter of 2012. By Q4, 2015 rents nationally were 9.1% lower than their peak.

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Irelands most successful independent multinational financial services provider, FEXCO, have today announced their fifth and largest ever corporate transaction in the UK with the acquisition of London based specialist foreign exchange company, CEC.



The new deal will see CECs 36 London branches become part of FEXCOs No.1 Retail Foreign Exchange operation that trades in the UK and Ireland.



FEXCOs Retail Foreign Exchange business is the original and fastest growing business unit in the FEXCO Group today and is on track this year to serve 1.5million customers and handle foreign currency volumes approaching 1bn.



Currently 80% of FEXCOs No.1 Currency branches are in prominent high street locations with the remainder located in shopping centres. In addition to expanding its high street presence, FEXCO Group is investing significantly in its online proposition, operating the only Travel Money Home Delivery Service in Ireland as well as online Click & Collect and Click & Sell services, which allow customers to pre-order and pre-sell their currency online and collect at their local branch.



Since the acquisition of Edinburgh-headquartered, No.1 Currency by FEXCO in 2012, a further 39 locations have been added to the UK network through a combination of acquisition and organic growth. An additional 20 new branch openings are planned this year. The acquisition of CEC will see the network grow to 110 branches by the end 2016 with staff numbers set to increase to 400.



MD of Foreign Exchange Services at FEXCO, Joe Redmond says, "Todays news marks another significant milestone for FEXCO as we continue our expansion into the UK. This acquisition positions FEXCO as owners of the largest independent Retail Foreign Exchange business in the UK, quite an achievement in such a short period of time.

He added, "The UK foreign exchange market is still the most attractive in the world with approximately 9billion worth of foreign currency changed by FX operators annually on behalf of customers. CEC has developed a prominent position in the London market and a very strong reputation amongst customers based on value and service, two core values which are also very important to FEXCO making this acquisition a natural fit for us."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Apple, Google, McDonald's and IKEA will be asked about their European tax deals on Wednesday as EU lawmakers ratchet up the pressure on multinationals to pay more tax on their profits locally.

The hearing, organised by the European Parliament's tax committee, follows a similar event in November last year when Anheuser-Busch InBev, HSBC, Google and eight other companies were quizzed on the same subject.

While the committee has no power to order changes, the hearing reflects the political concerns over multinationals avoiding local tax liabilities.

The European Commission is also investigating several cases to see if they breach the bloc's state aid rules which prohibit EU countries from giving some companies an unfair advantage by making special deals on tax.

Starbucks declined to take part because it has challenged a European Commission order to the Dutch authorities to recover up to 30 million in back taxes, the European Parliament said in a statement.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which is also appealing against an EU finding against its tax deal with Luxembourg, also turned down the invitation.

The head of Inter IKEA Group, Soren Hansen, will argue the Swedish furniture retailer's case. Inter IKEA Group owns the intellectual property rights under which its retailers operate.

The Parliament's Green party last month accused IKEA of avoided paying some 1 billion in taxes from 2009 to 2014 because it channelled royalty income through a Dutch company and possibly through Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.

All the companies have previously said they comply with EU tax rules. (Reuters)

Source; www.businessworld.ie

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The United States on Tuesday announced it would further loosen travel restrictions on Cuba and ease limits on the use of U.S. dollars in trade transactions there just days ahead of President Barack Obama's historic visit to the former Cold War enemy.

The new rules reinforce Obama's move away from the long-standing U.S. economic embargo against Cuba by using his executive powers to sidestep U.S. lawmakers who so far have refused to lift sanctions toward the Communist-ruled country.

The changes allow Cubans to open U.S. bank accounts and authorize those living in the United States to earn a salary or compensation, the U.S. government said. They also allow individuals to visit the island for "people-to-people educational travel," instead of requiring them to go in group tours.

The easing comes as Obama prepares to travel on March 20-22 to Cuba, 90 miles (145 km) from Florida's coast. No sitting U.S. president has visited Cuba in the last 88 years.

The latest package marks one of the most significant changes since Obama announced this historic opening to Cuba in December 2014 after decades of hostility between the two countries.

"Today's steps build on the actions of the last 15 months as we continue to break down economic barriers, empower the Cuban people and advance their financial freedoms, and chart a new course in U.S.-Cuba relations," U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in a statement.

Although as many as 20 members of Congress are set to travel with the president starting on Sunday, the Republican-led body has not moved to support Obama's policy shift by lifting sanctions.

Instead, the U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments said in a statement they would enact a range of changes to provide access to U.S. financial transactions for Cubans as well as broaden access to the island for others.

The new rules will increase ability of Cubans in United States to earn stipends and salaries beyond living expenses, the departments said. The changes also allow humanitarian and other entities supporting the Cuban people to establish a presence there, they said.

The administration earlier eased rules to allow scheduled air service between the two countries. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Entrepreneurship has always been a hallmark of keeping the American economy strong. The spirit of starting new businesses is alive and well in the state of Utah, and Chase Anderson wants to see that spirit flourish in Logan and Cache Valley. Anderson, an entrepreneur himself, has seen how young businesses can grow in other parts of the state when they get together and share ideas.

He attended a meeting in Provo called 1 Million Cups where start-ups, founders, investors, mentors and other business owners hear about new businesses.

I wanted to live in a community where people valued new ideas and really wanted to start new businesses while also giving back to the community, says Anderson, and I wanted that community feel here. So I got with a friend of mine, Ty Mortenson, who started Mortys by campus. We set out to build a start-up community here in Logan.

In October, the Rendezvous Startup Series was born. They began by highlighting some of the successes that businesses have had, some of the businesses that have been built from the ground up and have been successful while also highlighting other movers and shakers in the community. Approximately 20-30 people attend each meeting. They meet at 8:30 a.m. every first and third Wednesday of the month at Strata, 255 S. Main in Logan.

We feature two entrepreneurs, give them five minutes, then let the community give feedback, ask questions, Anderson explains. Then the greatest thing about our meetings is after the two individuals have presented people can mingle and talk and exchange ideas after., and that is where the magic has been happening.

Anderson says that while Strata is a think tank, focusing on environmental policy, they consider themselves a start-up and employ over 60 students from Utah State University. They also have a large space they let the group use. Additionally, Zions Bank has provided some funding to keep the meetings going.

The next Rendezvous Startup Series is Wednesday, March 16. The two that will be presenting are Adam Winger and Tate Tullis. Winger is not a traditional founder of a business, but is the director of the North Logan Library.

Adam has done something really innovative and interesting at the North Logan Library that I think needs to be recognized. He has created a MakerSpace in the library. Its a community space that has the resources that people may not have access to to create things.

Winger will speak about what libraries can do for new businesses and what the MakerSpace can do to provide resources for people to engage in entrepreneurial activities.

Tullis, meanwhile, is a student at USU and has recently started his own company.

He is actually the founder and CEO of a company called SignWise, Anderson says. They are one of the bigger players in the sign industry. People actually place orders with them to buy road signs, of all things. I just thought that was interesting that you can take really anything and find a need. It proves that you can run a business like that from anywhere.

Anderson says it has been a bit of a challenge to spread the word and see others in the community to catch the vision of what the bi-weekly meetings can achieve.

I think some people are afraid of new businesses because they dont want Cache Valley to get too big, or grow too much. I love the small town feel of Cache Valley but I think creative businesses, or tech businesses or start-ups, can really do a lot to raise the quality of life even more in the valley while maintaining the small town feel, he explains. It seems like start-ups love downtown areas. I know our downtown in Logan is struggling at the moment, but I believe embracing start-ups, embracing entrepreneurs and helping them succeed could revitalize the downtown area. For some reason, entrepreneurs love old brick buildings.

Anderson says there is tremendous value in making connections, in learning about new, innovative ways of doing business and recognizing the entrepreneurial spirit of others. And, he says, the valley has some tremendous examples of successful entrepreneurs who changed the community, notably Scott Watterson and Gary Stevenson (founders of ICON) and Sam Malouf (founder of Malouf Sleep).

I think we should be looking for those individuals who are going to build the next ICON or the next Malouf for the next 30 years or so. I think this is a great opportunity to do that. Our meetings provide an environment for founders and investors and mentors to find each other at these meetings, find whats new and what is coming up next in the valley.

Anderson says, in the beginning, he used his own network to find speakers like Winger and Tullis. But he would love to have other entrepreneurs reach out to him to participate.

Anytime an entrepreneur speaks I ask them if they know anyone. They usually have their own circle of friends who enjoy similar things. A lot of it has been organic growth. Eventually Id love for them to reach out to me, he chuckles.

More information can be found on the organizations <a href=http://www.rndzvs.co/ target=_blank>website</a>, or <a href=https://www.facebook.com/rndzvs.co/ target=_blank>Facebook page</a>.
Courtyard between the George S. Eccles Building and Jon M. Huntsman Hall

Dare Mighty Things. These words are displayed prominently in the newly-completed Huntsman Hall at Utah State University. It is a motto that not only provides direction for the students who will be walking its halls, collaborating in its study halls, or learning in its classrooms. It is a motto that inspired the buildings design and purpose.

Huntsman Hall offers dramatic, sweeping views of the Cache Valley and adds 147,000 square feet of teaching and learning space. Very little of the modern, state-of-the-art building is designated as office space for professors or staff.

The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled in front of the new $50 million addition to the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The schools namesake, Jon M. Huntsman, provided the lead gift to get the building started and a total of 70% of the buildings cost came from private donors and friends of the university. The state of Utah contributed an additional $14 million to the facility that will house 21 classrooms, 29 study rooms, a cafe, outdoor space and multiple common areas throughout the building.

The Jon M. Huntsman Hall is emblematic of our vision and values and promotes interaction just through its very design, says Associate Dean Dave Patel. It is a place for people to be involved with others, for active learning, for interaction, collaboration, for teamwork. It is a space that promotes community.

After the ribbon cutting on Wednesday, March 16 at 3:30 p.m., the building will be open to the public. Several dignitaries are expected to be in attendance for the dedication and ribbon cutting, including Jon M. Huntsman, USU President Stan Albrecht, Utah Governor Gary Herbert and others. The American Festival Chorus will also perform America the Beautiful.

The school of business at USU is the oldest continuously operating business school west of the Mississippi River, having its origins in 1889 as the Commercial Department of the Agricultural College of Utah. The program has steadily grown and become nationally recognized and ranked.

While we celebrate the opening of a beautiful new building, our purpose remains to be a career accelerator for our students and an engine of growth for our community, our state, our nation, and the world, says Associate Dean Patel. Our aim is to bring together our amazing faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to create incredible opportunities for our students.

That is how we answer Jon Huntsmans challenge to produce students who can compete with the best anywhere in the world. That is how we are Building Huntsman.

Parking for Wednesdays ribbon cutting and open house is available at the Parking Terrace or at the parking lot of east of Maverik Stadium. A courtesy shuttle will be available to transport people to and from Huntsman Hall.
FILE PHOTO

LOGAN  A recently-completed Utah State University clinical trial based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy produced encouraging results in treating problematic pornography viewing, but because it is not recognized as a medical or mental disorder, continued funding for research and implementation may be a problem.

Utah State University professor Michael Twohig, who is not originally from Utah, noticed a difference in culture and attitude to pornography after arriving in the state. It was he and his former student Jesse Crosby who carried out the study.

Twohig, who said he has spent his career researching Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, set out with Crosby to do a study on Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Searching for participants, they put up fliers mentioning unwanted, repetitive thoughts that could include immoral thoughts. It wasnt much later that people began responding wanting help with pornography.

I wasnt really familiar with it, the communities Ive been in havent really talked about it much, Twohig said. So it seemed interesting and worthwhile and something we would probably be decent at.

Twohig applied the same treatment normally used for OCD and saw big results. According to the USU press release, of the 28 participants, 92 percent reduced the amount of viewing while 35 percent stopped completely after three months. At least a 70 percent in reduction was reported by 74 percent of the participants. The pre-treatment amount of viewing varied greatly between participants. Of the 28, 27 were members of the LDS church.

They are just a population who are incredibly motivated to get this under control, Twohig said.

According to Twohig, other researchers have done work in the area of problematic pornography viewing, but no one has done Treatment Outcome Research, which makes this study the first of its kind.

Weve looked in the literature, there are no treatment studies out there, he said. People are just sort of doing what they understand to be the most logical and the best thing.

There is the issue of funding. Twohig said problematic pornography viewing isnt listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the National institute of Health wont get into it.

This one is not like that, he said. You cant write a grant to the National Institute of Mental Health to get money to pursue this line of work. You really almost have to do it out of the goodness of your heart. I think that is the reason there is no work done. If this was in the DSM, I think there would be a lot of people working on it.

But Twohig has noticed it is different in Utah. He said many people in the state, especially those of the LDS culture, want to find an answer to it.

If we really do want to further this work, we has a group are going to have to find other means to do this, he said. Its an issue that is outside of the medical, psychological world in the sense that no one is ever going to pick it up. I get funding all the time for anxiety disorders, but I cant get any for this. Its a weird thing. Its a big social problem, but nobody wants to touch it. Its a weird place to be. We put up a flier and we get tons of people, but we cant get a nickel through any funding organization.

According to the press release, Twohig and Crosby said the benefits could extend outside LDS and religious communities and recommended continuing the study with women, as well as different races, regions and beliefs.
For years, Moscow has fulminated against the Taliban as a terrorist force that represented a threat not only to Afghanistans security but also to Central Asia and even to Russia itself. Yet news surfaced in December that Russia is sharing intelligence with the Taliban and apparently has been in discussions with it since 2013. According to U.S. intelligence sources, these discussions have also been accompanied by weapons transfers. Thus, while Russia is constantly, along with Central Asian leaders, playing up the ISIS threat and selling weapons to the Afghan government, it also shares intelligence and possibly sells weapons to its Taliban adversaries. These contradictions expose some of the problems in Russias regional policies in Central Asia and in its approach to terrorism.

BACKGROUND: Russia has been beating the drums that terrorists are threatening Afghanistan and Central Asia, and that Afghanistans government is incapable of prevailing in its war with the terrorists. The terrorist organization calling itself the Islamic State (ISIS) has now replaced the Taliban as the focus and rationale for Russian defense policy in Afghanistan as Moscow estimates that 5,000-7,000 recruits from Russia and Central Asia have flocked to ISIS banners.

Meanwhile, it is clear that terrorists in Afghanistan, belonging to both the Taliban and ISIS, have enjoyed sanctuary in Pakistan, mainly due to the influence of Pakistans armed forces. Moscow, however, is seeking to increase its arms sales to Pakistan and is now conducting joint military exercises with the Pakistani army. This is substantially the same contradiction as in Russias relationship with the government in Kabul.

Zamir Kabulov, Russias special envoy to Afghanistan, argues that Taliban interests objectively coincide with ours. This is allegedly because the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban have said they dont recognize [Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi as the caliph; that is very important. Yet Kabulov omitted to mention that ISIS also pays two to three times better than does the Taliban.

Despite being a victim of terrorism, Russia is perfectly willing to abet foreign terrorists or to commit what can only be labeled as terrorist acts abroad. Indeed, Russian law sanctions hits abroad on opponents of the regime, as demonstrated by the British investigation of the Litvinenko case. In Ukraine, Russian-backed forces have not only conducted, by their own admission, acts of terrorism in Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, but also sponsored terrorist bombings in Odessa and Kharkiv. Russian arms are also known to flow freely, either directly or through Syrian and Iranian middlemen, to Hamas and Hezbollah. Nevertheless, Russia claims these organizations are not really terrorists because they were elected in the case of Hamas, or because they are allies of Russias allies in the region. Domestically, Russian forces are guilty of regularly conducting abductions and similar actions against innocent residents of the North Caucasus in order to extort money from them.

Russia therefore follows a well-established practice of taking a wholly instrumental view of terrorism as a legitimate tool of military operations and/or state interest. It should come as no surprise that its collaboration with the Taliban has evidently been ongoing for 2-3 years and is based on the pure consideration of expediency and state interest. This begs the question of how Russia can justify collaborating with terrorists as well as their enemies at the same time and credibly claim to lead an anti-terrorist campaign in Syria and Central Asia as well as the North Caucasus. Russia tries to do so even as this latest revelation of intelligence sharing with the Taliban highlights Russias purely instrumental attitude towards terrorism.

IMPLICATIONS: In Syria and elsewhere, Russia states that it wants to lead (or, in the Middle East, share leadership with the U.S.) in the anti-terrorist coalition even as it insists on having a free and lone hand in Central Asia and the North Caucasus. In Syria, at any rate, Moscow wants to proceed without preconditions, i.e. nobody questioning Moscows policies, practices, or modus operandi. Given the record sketched out above (and it is by no means the whole story) this is obviously a shaky claim to leadership. But Russia will not have it any other way. It clearly used its influence to keep Central Asian states from responding favorably to a Saudi call for an anti-terrorist coalition. And it is equally clearly determined to check Turkeys participation in any coalition in which it takes a leading role and block Turkish influence in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Russias announcement of its long-standing collaboration with the Taliban will also surely have repercussions in Central Asia. The Afghan government will be extremely loath to collaborate on anything with Russia after this. Even if the Taliban has splintered into quarreling factions, they remain mortal enemies of the government in Kabul and now Afghan officials cannot be sure that anything they say to Moscow will not be forwarded to the Taliban. Russias behavior also suggests that should circumstances warrant doing so, Moscow would cooperate with ISIS. After all, most of Russias attacks in Syria are not against ISIS, whom Assad also refrains from attacking, but against Assads pro-Western and pro-Turkish adversaries.

Indeed, taken in tandem with Russias new-found collaboration with Pakistan, those two governments have possibly reached some sort of secret but shared understanding about what the future outline of Afghanistans politics and territory should look like. This is of concern to New Delhi, and particularly to Central Asian capitals who have presumably counted on Russian security guarantees for a generation.

Tajikistan was aware of the fact of the Russo-Taliban discussions, if not their content, because it has hosted them since 2013. But did other Central Asian states know about them? That seems quite unlikely. They must now consider to what degree they can count on the reliability and fidelity of their Russian guarantors to long-standing agreements if trouble breaks out in their homelands. Inasmuch as this is becoming a time of severe economic and hence political challenges for Central Asia, this is not an idle question. Clearly it is not beyond Russia to do in Central Asia what the Obama Administration did to Hosni Mubarak in 2011, namely pull the rug out from under them in the event of a major upheaval or insurgency at home.

By the same token, to what degree is Russias commitment to the defense of Central Asia against terrorism to be taken seriously? Russia has also just downgraded the status of its forces on the Tajik-Afghan border to that of a brigade although it appears not to have diminished its capabilities. Nonetheless, Russia has consistently been hyping the terrorist threat, first form the Taliban and now from ISIS, as the primary rationale for these forces. Yet even as Moscow invokes ISIS as the greatest threat to its own security, as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Director of the Security council Nikolai Patrushev respectively did in 2015, the recent revelations seems to show that in fact Moscow is less concerned than its rhetoric might otherwise indicate.

Moscows tactical flexibility and willingness to entertain collaboration with terrorists certainly manifests itself once again in practice, rhetoric to the contrary notwithstanding. Could Moscow be willing to countenance or even covertly support terrorist organizations operating within Central Asia, including Afghanistan, against these governments? Russias credibility as a leading provider of anti-terrorist security must now come under renewed scrutiny. The same can be said of the belief held by other governments, not least in the U.S., that there is or was a community of interest with Russia in Afghanistan and Central Asia on the basis of fighting terrorism.

Moscow wants to decide for itself who are the terrorists so that it can leave open the option of collaborating with them at any time if its interests so dictate. This fact casts a shadow over Russias security policy across Eurasia, for it goes to the heart of the credibility of Russian commitments to Eurasian and other foreign governments.

CONCLUSIONS: Moscows opportunism and unprincipled behavior is perfectly consonant with its overall foreign and defense policies but it makes collaboration with Russia on the basis of anti-terrorism a decidedly more risky affair than was previously thought. Importantly, this makes the U.S. and allied mission in Afghanistan much harder than it was before. Among other things, it displays Russias lack of faith both in the NATO operation there, which it has not criticized as severely as it has NATOs other activities, and in the Afghan government.

Finally, together with the reorientation towards Pakistan, what does this revelation tell us about the future trajectory of Russian foreign policy in Central Asia? While it is too early to see the specific consequences of the highly dynamic situation there, it should be clear to dispassionate observers that thanks to Russias opportunism, Central as well as South Asia will live in interesting times for even longer than we might have expected.

AUTHORS BIO: Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow with the American Foreign Policy Council.

Image Attribution: img.rt.com, accessed on March 9, 2016
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By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

Well builder C&J Energy Services is shedding 87 jobs in Robstown, state officials announced on Monday, as oil prices continued to show anemic growth.

News of the layoffs was released Monday in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification from the Texas Workforce Commission.

Layoff notices were issued March 7.

C&J Energy Services, a Houston company, does well construction and well completions, while also providing well support and other complementary oil field services to oil and gas exploration and production companies.

While company operates in most of the major oil and natural gas producing regions of North America, it also has an office in Dubai and is working to establish an operational presence in key countries in the Middle East.

Last month, C&J Energy Services announced plans to lay off about 78 workers at its facility in Pleasanton.

Also on Monday, the company announced the appointment of Randy McMullen as its new chief executive officer. He succeeds Josh Comstock, the company's founder and former chief executive officer and chairman, who died Friday. He was 47.

West Texas Intermediate crude on Monday traded for $37 a barrel. That represents a $6 increase from in January, but is down from $102.92 just two years ago.

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times Rosetta Holmes (left) and Stephen Holmes ride down the Momentum Slide at Hurricane Alley Waterpark on Monday.

By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

Braulio Garza and Patsy Guerrero know exactly what they need to enjoy a stress-free spring break.

The couple along with their children, nieces, nephews and their friends head to Hurricane Alley every year.

"The water park is perfect we have everything where we need it," Garza said. "I don't have to worry about the sand. There's music, food and I can keep a close eye on the kids."

The family was among hundreds who spent Monday at water parks or the beach.

Guerrero is always sure to pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and enjoys knowing it won't take more than an hour to get home.

"After we have swam and eaten we are worn out and we just want to be home," Guerrero said. "I like how close this place is to home and we know we won't have to deal with the traffic."

Hurricane Alley officials said the park will be open through March 20 and cost during spring break is $10 per person.

Although Garza and Guerrero try to avoid the crowds at the beaches, Ray and Michelle Perez said they like to do both.

"We decided to check out Schlitterbahn today. It was nice and fun but now we are headed to the beach," Ray Perez, of Boerne, said. "We don't care about the crazy crowds. We are the crazy crowd."

While construction is done, some Schlitterbahn rides and slides won't open until the park's inaugural launch April 30, officials said.

Michelle Perez said they were in town visiting family in Rockport and they visit Coastal Bend beaches about twice every year.

"My mom, my dad, my brother and my sister are here with us," Michelle Perez said. "Some of them are from the area and some are from San Marcos. It's good to just all be together."

Laura Delgado and Noelia Lucio, of Portland, took their kids and nephews to Hurricane Alley on Monday and said they look forward to spending some time out of town.

"We avoid the beach as much as we can during this time of year," Delgado said.

Noelia Lucio said she'd like to go to San Antonio.

"I want to catch a Spurs game while we can."

Richard Miller and his family tried Schlitterbahn for the first time Monday.

His family lives in San Antonio and said they stay in Port Aransas and spend time on Padre Island every three months.

"These beaches are just close to home," Miller said. "The trip is easy and the feel of this places is very much like an island, its quiet and not always crowded. We like it."

Twitter: @CallerNatalia

IF YOU GO

What: Hurricane Alley Waterpark

When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through March 20

Where: 702 E. Port Ave.

Cost: $10 per person through March 20

Information: 361-883-9283 or www.hurricanealleycc.com

What: Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi

When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through March 20

Where: 14353 Commodores Drive

Cost: $15 at gate

Information: 361-589-4200 or www.schlitterbahn.com/corpus-christi
Caller-Times file The Corpus Christi Cathedral will host its Celtic Meets Classical! Musicians of Riverdance Fame St. Patrick's Day Celebration at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

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WEDNESDAY

LECTURE: Dr. Liz Smith of the International Crane Foundation will host a lecture series at 7 p.m. at the Aquarium Education Center of the Aquarium at Rockport Harbor, 706 Navigation Circle, Rockport. Cost: Free. Information: www.rockportaquarium.com.

THURSDAY MEETING: The National Alliance on Mental Illness will host its first open general meeting of the affiliate chapter in Corpus Christi at 6:30 p.m. at Bayview Behavioral Health Center, 6629 Wooldridge Road. Cost: Free. Information: www.namitexas.org/nami-greater-corpus-christi.

PERFORMING ARTS: The Cathedral Concert Series presents its Celtic Meets Classical! Musicians of Riverdance Fame St. Patrick's Day Celebration at 7:30 p.m. The event will be at Corpus Christi Cathedral, 505 N. Upper Broadway St. Cost: Free. Information: 361-888-7444.

HOLIDAY: South Shore Christian Church will host a St. Patrick's Day celebration with performances by Glor Na Daire Irish dancers and music by Irish Sessions. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at 4710 S. Alameda St. There will also be green pancakes and sausage. Cost: $8. Information: 361-992-6391.

For more events check Caller.com/vivacc
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By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

Energy Transfer Partners on Tuesday denied a report it was in discussions with other companies to sell Sunoco LP, the chief supplier of fuel for Stripes convenience stores in South Texas. Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners issued a statement disputing a story by the Reuters news agency that said it had held talks early this year with interested parties.

The story was distributed widely among news organizations and energy trade websites.

Sunoco president/CEO Bob Owens sent a letter Tuesday to employees to deny the report and said the company has no intention to sell. The Caller-Times obtained a copy of the letter.

"The facts stated in the article are not accurate. No such discussions have been held. (Sister company) Energy Transfer Equity has no intention to sell the (general partner) of Sunoco LP."

The prospect of selling Sunoco would be an enormous source of frustration for Corpus Christi, which lost its sole Fortune 500 company when Energy Transfer Partners bought locally run Susser Holdings for $1.8 billion.

Shareholders approved the deal in August 2014.

The purchase gave Energy Transfer Partners general partner interest and incentive distribution rights in Susser, as well as retail operations that include more than 600 convenience stores in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Energy Transfer Partners owns 35,000 miles of natural gas pipelines and purchased fuel giant Sunoco's 5,000 gas stations in 2012.

Owens wrote in his letter to employees that Energy Transfer Partners has received many unsolicited calls from parties interested in Sunoco assets over the years, but that the company isn't entertaining offers.

"This level of interest, which we should all find flattering, is reflective of both the value of our assets, including the iconic Sunoco brand, and the performance of our enterprise," he wrote.

"I hope this will allay any concerns about rumors swirling in the media. Unfortunately we can't prevent the rumors, but we can stay focused on continuing the remarkable growth of our company."

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
Why is Trump coming to Robstown? Here's what political experts think.

Trump will appear at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds on Saturday to "advance the MAGA agenda," according to his Save America PAC.
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES

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By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times

A man found dead outside a Southside apartment has been identified.

Scott Carson, 39, was found Saturday in the 2300 block of Capitan Drive by a neighbor. He was found unconscious near the stairs. When Corpus Christi Fire Department medics arrived, they determined he was dead.

Police said the man did not appear to have a medical condition that would have contributed to the death.

Pending the outcome of an autopsy and toxicology report from the Nueces County Medical Examiners Office, police will continue to investigate the cause of the man's death. Police are investigating the incident as an unattended death, which means the person died without observation by a medical physician, the release states.

Staff writer Natalia Contreras contributed to this report. Twitter: @Caller_Jules
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES

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By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

A man tried to threaten restaurant employees Monday with a BB gun he pulled out of a zebra print makeup bag and take money, but he failed, police said.

Employees told officers about 7:10 p.m. the man whispered "give me all the money" to a cashier at the restaurant in the 4900 block of Gollihar Road, a Corpus Christi police news release states.

The man then pulled out the BB gun he had hidden in a zebra print makeup bag and leaned over the counter, the release states. When the employee confronted him about the gun not being real the man got upset and acted like he cocked the slide back on the gun.

When employees refused to give him the money, the man left, the release states.

The man was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt, a white hat, and he had some paint on his face. Employees also saw him get into a newer model four-door vehicle with paper plates and leave the area.

No suspects have been identified Tuesday, police said.

Twitter: @CallerNatalia
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By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times

An Austin man is in jail after police said he drove a U-Haul into the back of his girlfriend's car.

About 9:20 p.m. Sunday, witnesses called Corpus Christi police after they saw the driver of a U-Haul vehicle hit the rear of a Nissan Altima in a parking lot in the 1100 block of Waldron Road in Flour Bluff.

The 20-year-old woman driving the Altima told police her 24-year-old boyfriend had just moved from Austin to Corpus Christi and brought the U-Haul. The woman met up with the man at his new residence on Laguna Shores Road when they started arguing, police said.

The woman left and drove to a nearby grocery store, but the man followed her in the U-Haul. The woman was not injured, police said.

Zachary Murray, 24, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault to a family or house member with a weapon. He was at Nueces County Jail on Monday with bail set at $25,000.

Twitter: @Caller_Jules
SHARE Contributed photo Cecilia Garcia Akers, seen here with her father Dr. Hector P. Garcia during a birthday party, has penned a book titled "The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia" that will be released April 4. The book will feature previously unpublished family photos. Contributed photo A book by Cecilia Garcia Akers about her father, Dr. Hector P. Garcia, will feature previously unpublished family photos. Garcia Akers is pictured during her wedding with her father and mother, Wanda Garcia. Contributed photo Cecilia Garcia Akers, pictured here with her father, Dr. Hector P. Garcia, and mother, Wanda Garcia, has penned a book titled "The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia" that will be released April 4 by The History Press. Contributed photo Cecilia Garcia Akers' book "The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia" will be released April 4 by The History Press.

By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times

With hundreds of photographs snapped over decades and enough memories to fill a library, Cecilia Garcia Akers had the content for a book.

Then, about a year ago, she was approached by a publishing company and a book is about to be reality.

"I laughed and said I had never done one," Garcia Akers said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's an opportunity for people to understand what Papa was really like as a human being: his struggles and his family's struggles. I thought that I had to do it and make whatever sacrifices we have to make."

On April 4, The History Press will release "The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia," written by Garcia Akers, the daughter of the American GI Forum founder and president of the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation.

There will be a book signing at 1:30 p.m. April 13 at Mary and Jeff Bell Library on the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi campus. This is the same library where the Hector P. Garcia Papers are archived, said Cate Rudowsky, director of Bell Library.

By October 2015, Garcia Akers made her deadline to submit a 33,000-word manuscript and about 80 photos to the publisher. She said her mother, Wanda Garcia, had left her the photographs, and those along with her own were used in the book.

As she is a full-time physical therapist in San Antonio and foundation president, Garcia Akers' husband, Jimmy Akers, questioned when she would have the time to write the book. It turned out to be a team effort, she said.

"I would work on one of the chapters, sit on a Sunday with a legal-size pad and write and write and write," she said. "I would think it up when I was alone in the car, and take notes and think about things I wanted to look at again. I would hand (Jimmy Akers) a chapter, and he would type it for me. On the computer, I could look at it and refine it some more."

Though a physical therapist since the late 1970s, Garcia Akers' first major in college was journalism. She referred to writing as her first love.

"I think this helped me write my book. I could sit there and write chapters and chapters at one time," she said.

The book delves into Garcia Akers' perspective on her father's life, legacy, and memories and events not everyone knows about.

"Talking about a man of my father's magnitude between 30,000-40,000 words was a hard task because of all his accomplishments. I selected certain events in his life that I felt impacted him into the direction he went, which was 50 years of advocacy," Garcia Akers said.

The late doctor's immigration to the state, his educational history and the years he was in the Army are included in the book with the help of Ignacio M. Garcia's "Hector P. Garcia: In Relentless Pursuit of Justice," which was published in 2002. However, the family stories are what Garcia Akers said will help people understand her father.

"The death of my brother, how he met and married my mother, and my own perspective about the hatred people felt toward us as a family. I wrote about my experiences in these events," she said. "I talked about when soldiers would come back from Vietnam, and he would go to the naval air station and meet them every morning."

Rudowsky petitioned for the book signing to be in the library as soon as she heard Garcia Akers was coming to campus.

"There's a strong relationship between the Garcia Papers and the library," Rudowsky said. "A lot of times he's presented in medical doctor mode or political activist mode. This will portray him as a family man; show a softer side of him. It will humanize him a little more."

The doctor's legacy in Corpus Christi is a source of pride for the area, Rudowsky said.

"He was a champion for Mexican-American rights, veterans, and it's important that we don't forget and take that for granted  someone had to lead the way," she said. "As a medical doctor he strove to serve everybody and made sure health care was affordable. Compassionate and a sense of humanity, people like this exist and have led the way."

Twitter: @Caller_Jules

IF YOU GO

What: Reception and book signing for "The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia"

When: 1:30 p.m. April 13

Where: Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Special Guest: Cecilia Garcia Akers, author
CALLER-TIMES FILE The Good Samaritan Rescue Mission has about 200 beds available for residents at its facility on South Alameda Street in Corpus Christi. Executive Director Carole Murphrey said this week the shelter may be on the verge of closing.

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By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times

Corpus Christi's largest homeless shelter is on the verge of closing, according to its executive director.

The shelter, in operation for 63 years, is in financial trouble, said Carole Murphrey, executive director of Good Samaritan Rescue Mission.

Although there are a number of factors at work, the biggest financial blows have been renovations to correct Code Enforcement violations, coupled with a drop in donations, she said.

Without a cash infusion, the mission will likely shutter its doors by the end of the month, Murphrey said.

"It's the worst it's ever been," she said. "It's not that we mismanaged, it was all the unbudgeted extras."

The shelter, which houses 200 beds for the homeless, has recently seen donated materials and services  and in the past few weeks, about $11,000 in donations.

About $43,000 in outstanding bills remain, Murphrey said.

In addition to payment of the pending bills, there is a question about covering the shelter's operating costs next month, Murphrey said. On Monday afternoon, she didn't have an exact figure available yet of what would be needed, but noted that the shelter's annual budget is $1.6 million.

Officials had anticipated moving into new accommodations so there had been limited investment in the existing building, but a focus on keeping it clean and functioning, Murphrey said.

The shelter was visited by a Code Enforcement officer in August, and since then, building improvements to correct violations have amounted to $100,000 in unforeseen bills, she said.

In all, Code Enforcement found about 10 code violations, said Police Cmdr. David Blackmon.

A full list of the infractions was not immediately available, but Blackmon said the violations included some health and safety issues, such as problems with the electrical system and spots of rotted flooring. Some of the violations  beds blocking fire escapes and interior doors  were resolved immediately, he added.

The major issues, including health and safety issues, have been addressed, Blackmon said. The department is continuing to work with the shelter to reconcile any remaining problems, he added.

"She provides a valuable service in the community," Blackmon said.

At the same time the shelter is working to improve the building, there has been drop in donations as regular donors have passed away or are now living on fixed incomes, Murphrey said. The faltering economy has also played a role.

"We have a lot of donors who are in the oil industry," she said. "Some of them are struggling to keep their own businesses open."

Good Samaritan is the only shelter in Corpus Christi that offers large-scale temporary shelter to the homeless.

If the shelter were cease operations, "it would set Corpus Christi way back," said Jesse Elizondo, chairman of the Homeless Issues Partnership and director of social services at The Salvation Army.

"If they were to close, there would be a lot of homeless on the street," he said. "The remaining shelters would not have enough space or availability for those individuals to stay."

Twitter: @CallerCrow

HOW TO DONATE

Online: www.goodsamcc.orgc

Mail: Good Samaritan Rescue Mission, P.O. Box 65, Corpus Christi, Texas, 78403

In person: 210 S. Alameda St.
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By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times

Nueces County Sheriff James T. Hickey wanted to regain privacy when he left the post in the early 1990s.

Before becoming sheriff, Hickey was known to be relaxed, easy going and soft-spoken. So much so, his campaign slogans dubbed him "The Quiet Man."

In the latter years of his life, Hickey got some of the privacy back, his son Michael Hickey said.

Hickey, 79, died Sunday afternoon in the Corpus Christi home he bought about 50 years ago, across the street from where his sons, James and Michael, went to school at Incarnate Word Academy.

Hickey first became sheriff in 1982 when the Nueces County Commissioners Court tapped him to replace then-sheriff Solomon Ortiz, who left to run for Congress. Hickey was elected twice after that  first as a Democrat and then as a Republican.

He changed political parties to run for re-election as a Republican at a time when it was unpopular to run on the GOP ticket in Nueces County, current Sheriff Jim Kaelin said. A motivating factor, Kaelin said, was that his beliefs about abortion matched the Republican's stance.

Hickey made a controversial decision to not police protests at abortion clinics. While anti-abortionists honored him at banquets, civil rights and women's rights groups called for his resignation.

The Rev. Mark Chamberlain said Hickey wasn't forceful with his beliefs, but described Hickey's attitude as one that said, "I'm not going to compromise for the sake of votes." Now the pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Portland, Chamberlain was an associate pastor at St. Patrick Catholic Church, where Hickey was a member about 50 years.

"He wasn't one to say morality doesn't count when it comes to political life," Chamberlain said.

The greatest prides of his career, Michael Hickey said, were leading the local anti-abortion movement and co-founding the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Hickey called his work with the national center his greatest achievement in a 1991 Caller-Times article. But he didn't want to be a politician, said Michael Hickey, 49. He wanted to serve his community in law enforcement.

When Hickey prepared to leave office, he told the Caller-Times he wanted to see what it felt like to be a private person again.

In his retirement, Hickey built a woodworking shop in his quiet backyard and built antique furniture, Michael Hickey said. Still, he couldn't make a grocery store run without someone recognizing him, Michael Hickey said.

Hickey also took great pride in being a husband and father, said Chamberlain, who remembers Hickey for being a strong family man.

Michael Hickey said some of his fondest childhood memories are of family trips to White Point Ranch in San Patricio County, where his family has owned land for generations. His father made time for ranch visits, fishing trips and family barbecues even when the demands of being sheriff tugged at him and television trucks perched outside their house with reporters angling for interviews.

"One way or another he was always there for us," Michael Hickey said.

And his sons were there for him. Both men resigned from their jobs  James Hickey was a Nueces County Sheriff's deputy under Kaelin  when their father's health started declining.

Now, the sheriff's office will provide an honor guard for Hickey's services and perform the 21-gun salute, Kaelin said. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Seaside Memorial Park.

Hickey is preceded in death by his first wife, Sylvia, who died in 1986, and his second wife Jan, who died in 2012.

Twitter: @CallerKMT
Natalia Contreras/Caller-Times Jerry Leal speaks to a class of about 18 nursing students at Kaplan College on Friday about his experience growing up with the help of CASA of the Coastal Bend advocates.

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By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

Nursing students sat in a classroom at Kaplan College, they listened attentively, and they asked several questions. But the lesson had nothing to do with medicine.

Still, it had everything to do with improving the lives of others.

Jerry Leal, a volunteer for CASA of the Coastal Bend, talked the organization that helped him get to where he is today and how the nursing students can help as well with their class's community service and outreach project they took on to help CASA.

Leal told the nurses about his experience as a 12-year-old boy, having to care for his younger siblings when his mother wouldn't. He told them about going online and finding out about law and what he could do to get himself and his siblings out of that situation.

He told them he called Child Protective Services himself. He told them about a court-appointed special advocate finally coming into his life and how it helped him change his life around.

Mental health class instructor Cathy Claveria said it is important for the nurses to not only learn what's in the books but to connect with the community and their future patients. Hearing Leal's story and doing the class community service project for CASA helps the nursing students learn how to impact other lives. The students are collecting school supplies for the next week to donate to CASA.

"Nursing is a wonderful profession and they need to know that I am trying to teach them how important it is to connect with the community and their patients and make a difference," Claveria said. "I asked them to come up with a community service project and they chose to help out CASA of the Coastal Bend," she said.

This project will influence her career by helping to better interact with future patients, nursing student Melanie Ovalle said.

"You have to understand and create relationships with people just like CASA of the Coastal Bend advocates do," Ovalle said.

CASA caseworkers become the best advocate for the child.

"These children we are hearing about are affected, physically, emotionally and mentally and we will have to deal with individuals with those issues, too. We are learning that we can make a difference even with what we say and how we say it," she said.

Jerry Leal is now a student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He wants to also go to law school and focus on juvenile and family law. He said he wants to share his story in hope that people volunteer and help kids in the same way he was helped.

"There are so many kids out there that should have a CASA advocate that don't. Those kids need someone to be there, focus on them and tell them that it will be OK and that there's hope," Leal said.

Twitter: @CallerNatalia

HOW TO HELP

Kaplan College Nursing students will be collecting school supplies, toiletries, clothes or monetary contributions for CASA of the Coastal Bend foster children as part of the Packing for the Future project.

Donations can be dropped off at Kaplan College, 1620 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 600 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday or directly to CASA of the Coastal Bend, 2602 Prescott St.

Information: 361-904-6311.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO James "Jimmy" Dodson

By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times

A Robstown farmer has received attention all the way from Washington, D.C.

Farm Credit, a company that provides agricultural communities with financial services, honored Robstown cotton producer James "Jimmy" Dodson through Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives at the National Press Club Tuesday. Dodson was honored as a leader in agriculture and rural enterprise, according to a news release.

Dodson is a third-generation farmer who grows cotton, corn and grain on more than 12,000 acres. Dodson has previously received the Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award from the National Cotton Council of America.

Locally, he serves on the boards of the Texas Agricultural Cooperative and Gulf Coast Cooperative. Dodson has been a Farm Credit member since 1974.

The 100 honorees were chosen by a panel of experts on rural matters in the agriculture industry, according to the news release.
Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times Albert Martinez searches along the coast at Cole Park for signs of a 36-year-old man and a 13-year-old girl that are still missing after their boat capsized on Sunday. Martinez was one of several volunteers to search the shoreline at the park and along North Beach.

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We join with the family of the father and daughter who died in Corpus Christi Bay in thanking the volunteer rescuers who didn't give up until they found the victims. They showed a special responsibility to their fellow human beings that reminds us of the volunteer efforts to find the victims of the Wimberley flood.

Deepest condolences to the family of 13-year-old Odry Lilieth Leon and her father, Mario Alberto Leon Rangel, who were found Friday not far from each other. They had been on an 18-foot boat with six other people when it capsized a week ago Sunday. Two swam to safety. The other four were rescued but 4-year-old Patrick Watson died at a hospital. The Coast Guard suspended the search for Odry and her father Wednesday.

But volunteers continued to search, including the volunteer rescue group Texas EquuSearch. As the name implies, Texas EquuSearch is a mounted search group  but not exclusively via horseback. Members of the group in an EquuSearch-owned boat equipped with sonar found and recovered the bodies after extending the search beyond the parameters of the previous effort.

Texas EquuSearch members know the pain felt by the family of these two victims and by the families of the Wimberley victims. The captain of the boat, Tim Miller, founded the group after his own daughter went missing and was found murdered in 1984. Not enough can be said in gratitude for what this group does for people.

But grieving family members made a good effort, singling out Miller, Texas EquuSearch volunteer Kevin Cotter and Henri Garcia, who fishes in the bay regularly and felt compelled to contribute his knowledge of the bay to the effort.

The bay can be deceptive  small enough for those who venture into it to be within sight of the shore always, shallow enough in many places to wade to safety  but big enough, deep enough and choppy enough to serve up grim reminders that Mother Nature is still our boss.

Thanks, again, to the people who stepped up and came to the family's aid in this dark time. The family was far from home  Saltillo, Mexico. "We felt not alone," one of them said about the response to their plight. They were not. Volunteers walked the shoreline in foul weather hoping to find those missing. That kind of love and care for people they didn't know speaks volumes about this community.
Apologies for the rather scatological start, but this must be the best client demand I have ever heard in an agency credentials meeting.

It happened recently, and despite the phraseology, I think it is a remarkably savvy request.

Any agency can show you some tricked-up effectiveness awards case-study videos, but what of their day-to-day work?

The stuff that forms their daily grind?

Rather like the fashion category (where it's all cheap as chips or super deluxe now), I suspect the middle ground of the commercial communications landscape is being hollowed out.

It's less about self-contained traditional advertising campaigns and more about 'tent-pole' brand communications piecescombined with an ongoing 24/7 mass of everything else. The retail ads, the social postings, the activations, etc. etc.

In this context, as an agency you've got to be able to flex from one extreme to the other.

And half of this is about caring about the quality of the everydaythe potentially mundane that the agency needs to make the best of for the sake of the business and the brand.

And as per that client's credentials request, it's in the everyday that agencies are most likely to show their true colours. Just as with individuals, it's how they behave when they think no one is watching that really reveals character.

So while your agency's worst work will say a lot about your current client line up, it will also say a lot about you.

How much do you care about the business entrusted to you overall? How persistent are you? How much of a fight will you put up? What, ultimately, is your line in the sand?

It's a very revealing request indeed.

Charles Wigley is chairman of BBH Asia Pacific
Thats the reason for the launch of Discovery Adventures Park, said Nicolas Bonard, senior vice president of The Studios Group at Discovery Communications.

Subscribers in more than 200 countries follow Discovery's documentaries, reality shows and educational programs, and more audiences in front of these pay-TV screens are now looking forward to adventures in real life, he said.

The company picked a location in Moganshan for its impressive natural scenery. Developed by Apax Group, the branded park will integrate extreme sports, outdoor survival programs and eco-tourism when it officially opens on 26 April.

These activities are a true reflection of Discovery's core DNA: adventure, exploration and curiosity, said Bonard. Also, the park has gotten the nod from Chinese authorities since it will contribute to growth in Zhejiang province.

While adventurers are tackling approximately 1 million square metres of rock-climbing walls, ziplines, mountain-bike courses, hiking routes, obstacle challenges and other adventures, hotel rooms in the park will feature Discovery content on each TVtrue to the nature of the media brand.


| BY Ricki Green |

Experiential marketing agency BEcause has launched a series of brand experience masterclasses in Sydney at Doltone House Hyde Park on Tuesday the 19th of April and in Melbourne at The Blackman on Wednesday, May 11th.

The complimentary sessions, follows the format successfully used by their UK head office, provide innovative solutions to the biggest experiential challenges marketers face when planning and evaluating campaigns.

Content is designed for client-side brand marketers and will showcase some of the most exciting and effective campaigns from around the world. The sessions will also showcase tools that help demonstrate how to effectively implement successful live campaigns and gain a clear understanding of how to determine campaign impact.

Speakers include BEcause Australia founder and managing director Meredith Cranmer, client development director Gareth Brock and Chris Parker from Awaken Media. Past masterclass attendees include Heineken, Red Bull, Unilever and LOreal.
| BY Ricki Green |

Local and international designers are invited to reimagine Sydney at Christmas with a callout for creative agencies to help shape the design of Sydney Christmases yet to come. Expressions of interest are open from Tuesday 15 March until Tuesday 10 May 2016.

Designs include a stunning new Christmas tree for Martin Place and decorations, artworks and events that will transform the new pedestrian sections of George Street and attract thousands more families and shoppers to the city centre.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the callout was a fantastic opportunity for artists, creative agencies, designers and architects to reimagine Sydneys Christmas and create an exciting, festive atmosphere in the heart of the city.

Says Moore: With colourful lights, projections, carols, performances and interactive treats, our Sydney Christmas program entertains and delights thousands of visitors during one of the most celebrated times of the year.

This is a great opportunity to make the most of our citys stunning landscape and climate and create a unique Sydney Christmas experience with lights, decorations and installations that shoppers, families and locals will enjoy.

The City is looking for ideas for 2017-2022 that propose an array of visual technologies or techniques in various Sydney locations that will attract and delight audiences and passers-by.

Locations for Sydney Christmas events include Martin Place, Hyde Park, Customs House Square, Town Hall, Taylor Square, Kings Cross and Pyrmont.

Expressions of interest will be assessed on ideas that:

-Create a visual, festive impact throughout the city;

 Include shapes, colour and/or concepts that are of scale and world-leading in design;

 Capture international attention;

 Are interactive and participatory;

 Consider contemporary and traditional elements of Christmas;

 Have equal impact during the day and at night; and

 Incorporate new or existing technology.

The schedule for the Citys new five-year program will involve Martin Place Christmas tree, George Street and Taylor Square, Pitt Street Mall, Green Square, Village locations and other activities, expansion of the decorative program and expansion of creative elements at all locations.

The Citys Sydney Christmas program runs for five weeks during November and December and includes:

 Concerts, installations, lighting, projections, decorations and shopping promotions

 Corporate and partnership activations in the public domain such as Pitt Street Mall, Martin Place or George Street.

 Ten City-produced events including concerts and choir performances

 A program of more than 100 associated Christmas events presented by city retailers, cultural institution and other event producers.
| BY Ricki Green |

Exactly one week on from International Womens Day a new film has launched which reveals the reality of gender stereotyping amongst primary school children for

The pro-bono film has been made for the Inspiring the Future charity by leading creative agency MullenLowe London.

The two minute film was shot on location at Whitstable Junior School in Kent with 20 children between the ages of 5 and 7.

When asked to draw a firefighter, surgeon and a fighter pilot, 61 pictures were drawn of men and only 5 were female.

The Redraw The Balance video provocatively captures how, early on in their education, children already define career opportunities as male and female.

The charity is urging people to share with friends and colleagues and raise awareness of how much needs to be done to tackle gender stereotyping.

To make a difference volunteers can sign up here: www.inspiringthefuture.org and pledge just one hour to chat to children about their career.

Says Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT): Inspiring the Futures primary programme is transforming the way children connect their learning in primary school with the many opportunities that lie ahead. The project opens up the world of work to the children  right at the age where they are beginning to develop their aspirations and ambitions. It helps to break down gender stereotypes and preconceptions, improving life chances, especially for those living in areas of deprivation. I would wholeheartedly encourage every employer to support this scheme by becoming volunteers and every school to take advantage by joining us on this exciting journey.

In the film Redraw The Balance we meet three female teachers asking a typical classroom of children to draw people with exciting and aspirational careers; a firefighter, a surgeon, and a fighter pilot. The children drew 66 pictures in total with only 5 depicting women. They are asked if they would like to meet real-life versions of these drawings and return to the classroom in their uniforms, revealing themselves not to be teachers, but NHS surgeon Tamzin, firefighter Lucy of the London Fire Brigade, and Lauren, an active RAF pilot.

Says Richard Denney, ECD, MullenLowe London: Its our responsibility as working professionals, as well educators, to encourage and inspire young minds that the majority of jobs and roles today are available for women, and not just men. These young minds are our future.

The film was directed by Matt Huntley for Burger Films and is supported by three further pieces of content, each giving an insight into the three professional womens experiences in doing what many perceive as a mans job, the barriers they overcame and the challenges they still face.
"If there is a company ... that has been taken through the Fair Work Commission or the ACT Magistrates Court or another tribunal and they've got a record of ripping off workers or breaking some other kind of law, the memorandum of understanding gives us the right to inform the procurement officers in the various directorates."
"The other thing I want to reveal is, after we drafted a letter to Julia Gillard, saying we wanted confidential arbitration in relation to the espionage, it was the Labor government that authorised clandestine monitoring and other devices to be installed in my chambers, offices and witness K's home."
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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.

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Launched in Europe as the Tipo (Egea in Turkey) last year, the new Fiat compact vehicle will cross the Atlantic to reach Mexico, where it will receive a new set of badges.



According to WardsAuto, the car will be sold as the Dodge Neon just south of the U.S. border, as Cengiz Eroldu, CEO of Turkish vehicle manufacturer Tofas, confirmed during the 2016 Geneva Motor Show: We will start exporting the Egea sedan to Mexico this year.

The new Dodge Neon will be imported from Turkey, where it is assembled by Tofas, a joint venture between Fiat and Turkish conglomerate, Koc Holding. Out of the 580,000 sedans that will be produced between 2015 and 2013, one-third will be exported.

Details on its powertrain lineup have not been released yet, but in the Old Continent, the Tipo can be ordered with two naturally aspirated gasoline units, and two MultiJet II turbodiesels, with outputs ranging between 95 PS (95 HP) and 120 PS (118 HP), mated to five- and six-speed manual gearboxes or a six-speed automatic.

The Fiat Tipo / Egea / Dodge Neon wont be the only Tofas-made vehicle to be exported to North America, as the joint venture is already in charge of manufacturing the Ram ProMaster City, which is basically a rebadged Fiat Doblo.

Thanks to Carnews and Autocarindia for the Dodge Tipo presentation screenshots!

PHOTO GALLERY
General Motors and ride-sharing company Lyft announced the launch of an exclusive short-term rental program called Express Drive.



The new rental program will be available exclusively to Lyft drivers at affordable rates, including insurance and maintenance costs.

Starting from Chicago, GM will offer a fleet of 125 Chevrolet Equinoxes to the platforms drivers for up to eight weeks, and the cost depends upon how many rides the driver completes per week.

Prices start at $99 per week and 20 cents a mile for drivers that complete fewer than 40 rides. Drivers who offer 40 to 64 rides per week will get the mileage fee deducted from the total cost of the rental while those who complete 65 or more rides get the car for free.

This new short-term rental program comes two months after GM entered a strategic alliance with the popular ride-sharing company in order to develop an integrated on-demand network of autonomous vehicles.

Launching Express Drive is another way we treat drivers better, in addition to Power Driver Bonus, tips and same day payouts, said John Zimmer, Lyfts president and co-founder. Were making sure everyone who wants to be a Lyft driver can be, by providing ultimate flexibility at incredible rates.

GM President Dan Ammann said, Were very pleased with how quickly the GM and Lyft team collaborated to create the Express Drive program, which we will be implementing using our Maven mobility infrastructure.

The Express Drive program will soon roll out to additional cities including Boston, Washington D.C., Baltimore and others.

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PSAs officials are currently weighing in the possibility of the groups launch on the North American market.



There is nothing official at this point, but speaking to Automobilwoche at the Geneva Motor Show, the firms chiefs have suggested such a possibility, which seems more feasible as PSA is now profitable.

PSAs international growth strategy will be detailed on April 5, but the DS brand might lead the firms export efforts: Our restructuring program, Back in the Race, has been successfully completed, and the subject of the United States comes on the table, commented the brands chief, Yves Bonnefont.

However, the companys North American introduction will be complex as it lacks both a manufacturing base and a dealer network. Pricing is an issue. Everyone else  Audi, BMW, Mercedes, has manufacturing there, added PSAs chief, Richard Lucki, according to AutoNews.

Citroens brand CEO, Linda Jackson, is optimistic when it comes to the North American market: I want to make Citroen a more international brand. North America is a growth region, and therefore, we look at the resources that may arise there.

The last time Citroen sold a car in the United States was back in 1974, but while the firm backed away, Peugeot managed to deliver vehicles on the market for another 17 years, until 1991.

This is not the only market that sparked the interest of PSA Peugeot Citroen, as the company is has also entered Iran, where DS already has opened its first store.

Note: DS E-Tense Concept pictured

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Mazdas newest crossover, the CX-4, is set to debut at the Beijing Show, but dont get your hopes up just yet, as a company official has said that it will remain exclusively for the Chinese market for now.



Previewed by the Koeru concept-car, the CX-4 will be Mazdas latest addition to their crossover line-up, offering a low-roof, fastback sporty appearance with emphasis on driving pleasure (in contrast with its other models), described by Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai thusly:

Its a totally new car. Its a lower, sporty SUV. Its close to a wagon.

It should resemble the original concept, proportional-wise, which means it will have around 4.6 meters (181 inches) long and 1.9 meters (74.8 inches) wide, with a 2.7 meter (106 inches) wheelbase.

If this all sound enticing, youd might be disappointed to find out the CX-4 wont be available in the U.S. anytime soon, as it will be initially manufactured in China and sold only in that country, as spokeswoman Michiko Terashima told Automotive News. Sure, the company is considering to release the automobile in other markets, but at this point, nothing has been decided, according to Terashima.

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BMWs centenary wont steal Rolls thunder this year, as the British car manufacturer has commissioned a sculpture for the Rolls-Royce Art Program.



Art is a very important part of BMW groups curriculum, as the company is closely working with various artists to express the automotive world through human creativity. Renowned Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem was selected to take part in the program and be responsible for the sculpture, joining artists around the world who have been commissioned by the prestigious marque to create unique construction.

The carving will be presented in late 2016 alongside a bespoke motor car which will be inspired by it. The latter could very well be the rumored Rolls Royce Grand Sanctuary.

Rolls Royce says that both the sculpture and the automobile are expected to demonstrate Mohammed Kazems particular interest in using latitude and longitude coordinates in his work, as the artist uses GPS as a tool for drawing shapes and recording a seemingly unimportant items location.

Having visited Goodwood, Kazem mapped out the localities of craftspeople who worked on the car, and used these data points as a recurring motif in both designs. The result will be a sculpture, made of metal, which will comprise a stack of these data points melted together to form an abstract shape  or so Rolls Royce says.

It gives me great pride to be the first ever Emirati artist selected by such an historic and iconic brand as Rolls-Royce to be a part of their Art Programme. As an artist, a big part of my work is finding the right inspiration that can develop into an artistic expression, and Rolls-Royce is a brand that is full of inspiration from its rich heritage to the Bespoke craftsmanship throughout its build process. We are looking forward to creating something truly memorable and unique, commented Kazem.

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The Japanese brand has just released an obscure new teaser image concerning an addition to its hybrids range .



The press release was laconic: Toyota is rolling out the next mechanical marvel in the Prius lineup at 9:10 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, March 23.

What we see are just the taillights that not have anything in common with those on the current Prius. since they are a long LED strip running the width of the rear end, instead of the vertical lighting units of the current Prius.

So what could it be? A new Prius Plug-In Hybrid, a Prius V Wagon or the replacement of the Prius C hatch? Toyota wont say, but since the 2016 New York Auto Show will open its gates for the Press next week, it wont be that long until we will find out what it has in store.

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The RAV4 will become the Toyotas second vehicle assembled in St Petersburg, Russia, joining the Camry, which is built for the local market plus Kazakhstan and Belarus.



The manufacturers European division said it wants to build cars closer to where customers are, to facilitate even timelier delivery of vehicles.

RAV4s production will start in St. Petersburg this August and it follows an investment of 7.1 billion Rubles (90.1 million / $100 million), bringing the total investment in the plant to 18.2 billion Rubles (233 million / $259 million).

Preparations included enlargement of manufacturing shops, automation of body welding line, expansion of production lines, and installation of new equipment, which led to doubling the facilitys capacity from 50,000 to 100,000 cars per year.

We have successfully completed the expansion project at the plant. All preparatory work is carried out according to the plan. We will keep producing cars of the highest quality for our customers, said Yoshinori Matsunaga, Executive Production Director of Toyota Motors.

The Japanese manufacturer has confidence in the Russian market, as the groups share in the country has continued to grow steadily and reached a historical record of 7.5 percent in 2015, up 0.1 percent.

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Photo: Contributed - A Wrangler "But I know I was parked here. . . ."

The woes and tows of parking in the wrong spot

Picture leaving your car in the parking lot at the mall, only to discover that it is no longer where you left it when you return15 minutes later. I know Id be thinking that my car had been stolen.

This was not the case for a woman in Kelowna. She parked in a stall designated, with a sign, for one business, but she shopped at another business. As a result, her vehicle was towed, and she faced a significant towing bill, plus the inconvenience of having to recover her car, stored about 4 km away.

Needless to say, the woman was irate. The bill was $187, and she was having some difficulty dealing with both the business owner and the towing company. She had two questions for me: Was the tow legal in the first place? Was the bill unreasonable?

Parking lots such as this are a bit of an oddity. They are private property, and within reason and the law, the property owner may use the property as they see fit.

However, because the public has been invited to park there, the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) sees it as being a highway, and normal driving rules apply as well.

The MVA gives the property owner authority to immediately remove any vehicle left parked on their property without consent. In this case, the business responsible for the parking space said they chose to remove her vehicle because she failed to obtain their consent to park there. The business offers use of the space for customers only.

If you look at the situation through the eyes of the business owner, you can see that it can be a difficult decision. If your customers don't find a convenient place to park, they will not shop at your business. You are paying for the spaces as part of your lease, or because you own the property. If you have an abuser towed, though, you can be almost certain they will no longer be your customer. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The towing company is not the villain either, as long as their towing rate is a reasonable one. They are operating a business within the law, and if they are satisfied that a request for tow is a proper one, they should carry out the tow.

One towing company with whom I spoke requires that a business submit information on letterhead, outlining their authority over the designated parking area. They also require the names of employees authorized to request a tow. Unless that employee is present during the removal of the offending vehicle, they will refuse the tow.

Is the fee reasonable? Due to the nature of the call, the towing company will generally make it a high priority, placing other pending work on hold. This justifies a higher fee than situations where the removal could be conducted at the towing company's discretion.

Municipalities may choose to regulate towing rates through a bylaw, however if they do not, towing companies generally follow industry standard rates. Currently, towing rates for ICBC related work suggests that a fee of at least $100, plus any taxes, would be appropriate for this situation. If dollies are needed because the tow truck cannot lift the drive wheel end, or the vehicle is four or all wheel drive, additional fees would apply. ICBC rates tend to be lower than industry standard.

As we have seen here, before you park in any parking lot, it is wise to know what you are agreeing to before you lock your vehicle and walk away. You are there as a guest. Failing to fulfil your end of the bargain may come at a price.

Questions or comments, email [email protected]

Photo: Jo Slade - Using build-a-sign

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: The Canadian Press Russian S-400 long-range air defence missile systems at Hemeimeem air base in Syria.

Russian warplanes and troops stationed at Russia's air base in Syria started leaving for home on Tuesday after a partial pullout order from President Vladimir Putin the previous day, a step that raises hopes for progress at newly reconvened UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria called Putin's announcement a "significant development." Staffan de Mistura said in a statement that his team hoped the Russian drawdown would have a "positive impact" on the negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to Syria's war and "a peaceful political transition in the country."

Putin announced the withdrawal of most of the Russian forces from Syria on Monday, just hours after de Mistura had reconvened indirect peace talks between representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and those of the so-called moderate opposition. After meeting with a government delegation on Monday, the envoy was to meet with opposition representatives on Tuesday.

Later Tuesday, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia's decision was prompted by Kremlin's displeasure with the Syrian government's tough position in the negotiations  or that it was intended to put pressure on Assad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif Zarif welcomed Russia's decision to begin withdrawing forces from Syria, saying it indicated that Moscow doesn't see an imminent need to use force for maintaining the cease-fire, which is fragile but holding.

"That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see," Zarif said during a visit to Australia.

Russia's Defence Ministry said a group of Su-34 bombers was the first to depart on Tuesday, accompanied by a military transport aircraft. The planes would be making stops at airfields in Russia for refuelling and technical checks since some of them are stationed more than 5,000 kilometres away from the Syria base, the ministry said.

Russian state television showed video of the three warplanes taking off and flying in formation behind a larger transport aircraft, and also reported that two more groups had subsequently set off for home. A later report showed the Su-34 pilots receiving a hero's welcome at an air base near the Russian city Voronezh.

Putin didn't specify how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn. Russia has not revealed how many soldiers it has deployed to Syria, where it maintains a naval facility as well as an air base, but U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia had deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syria's coastal province of Latakia. The number of sorties had been drastically reduced since the cease-fire went into effect on Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, a Russian deputy defence minister said Russia would continue striking Islamic State militants and Syria's al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front, as well as other militant factions that the UN Security Council has designated as terrorist organizations. The Syrian army has said it also would continue its operations against these groups "with the same tempo."

While the Russian air campaign had brought positive results, it was too early to speak about victory over terrorism and the Russian forces remaining in Syria "have the task of continuing to strike terrorist targets," Nikolai Pankov said during a ceremony at the Syria base honouring the departing Russian pilots.

The head of the defence committee in Russia's upper house of parliament, Viktor Ozerov, said Tuesday that he estimated about 1,000 Russian military personnel would remain in Syria at the two bases, the Interfax news agency reported.

Ozerov said Russia would need a minimum of two battalions, a total of 800 troops, to protect the two bases. In addition, Russia would continue to conduct air reconnaissance, requiring some of the plane crews to remain, and the military specialists advising the Syrian army also would stay, he said.

He said Russia would keep its long-range S-400 air defence missiles at the base. Russia deployed the powerful system in November after Turkey downed a Russian jet along the Syrian border.
Photo: Contributed - Lavington LIFE

Residents in Lavington worried about air quality due to the Pinnacle pellet plant complain that noise and light pollution are problems, too.

This is noise that is being generated by Tolko and Pinnacle, said Stephanie Hoffman, spokesperson for Lavington LIFE, in a presentation to Coldstream council on Monday. Under the current noise bylaw, there should be no exceptions for this disruption during the evening hours.

The pellet plant was built near Tolko's planer mill.

The lighting was an issue brought up by our previous delegation (to council), for which we have had no follow up or relief provided, Hoffman said.

Another member of the delegation said large piles of sawdust are also left uncovered outside the pellet plant.

In an interview Tuesday, Hoffman complained of unnecessary lighting at Tolko during the evenings, including open face floodlights, and noise that left her waking up at 2 a.m.

"Why is industrial activity not regulated within the bylaws as written?" asked Hoffman. "I want council to respect our concerns and not just brush us off."

For months, the group has demanded action from the District of Coldstream, claiming there is no scientific evidence of air quality improvement since the opening of the pellet plant last September, despite private testing by the company.

A report by McCall Environment released in December showed air emissions 83.1 per cent below previously permitted levels.

Still, residents have complained of a strong odour from Pinnacle during inversion or stagnant air conditions, greater light pollution and continuing noise concerns.

"We are working on those issues. Trying to pinpoint them has been challenging," said Trevor Seibel, chief administrative officer for the District of Coldstream.

Council has ordered staff to look into the issues, including the bright night lighting and overnight noise, said Seibel.

Three members of the group are appealing Pinnacle's air discharge permit. A hearing before the environmental appeal board is scheduled for next month.
Photo: Contributed

By Dermod Travis

News this month that the Interior Health Authority had reached a 20-year agreement to outsource laundry services to Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service is the latest in a long string of odd coincidences involving companies that donate to the B.C. Liberal party and companies that do well by the B.C. government.

Ecotex has donated more than $125,000 to the B.C. Liberals, since 2005.

Its billings to the Fraser Health Authority  where it has a similar contract  have risen from $5.44 million in 2007 to $7.7 million in 2015, an increase of 41.6 per cent.

Truth be told, similar coincidences have been happening between campaign contributors and political parties since time immemorial, but the B.C. government may have refined it to an art form.

Maximum political benefit, minimal political blowback.

Just thumb through the party's 2009 donor list for a sense of how widespread the practice of awarding contracts to friends has become.

Back then, someone must have woke up on New Year's Day with one hell of a hangover  not from the night before  but from the bank balance in the B.C. Liberal party's account.

According to the party's audited financial statements, it had $826,594 in cash. It also had $1.26 million in accounts payable.

A far cry from where it was in 2005, when the party boasted $2.9 million in cash and $487,470 in accounts payable.

Not the best of times to raise bucks either. B.C. was in the midst of the recession.

The start of the 2009 campaign was weeks away, so the party hit up its close friends first and friends-to-be next.

In three months, it raised $5.2 million, more than they had pulled-in for all of 2006.

Who came to the rescue?

On February 18, the party reported 240 donations totalling $827,178, including 36 cheques  each in the amount of $5,000  from 30 companies and four individuals.

At the time, Partnerships B.C. was in the short-list phase on four public infrastructure projects valued at $4.45 billion, among them the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the Port Mann bridge

Eleven of the 30 companies stood to benefit through the proponents short-listed on those projects.

In a remarkable coincidence, all 11 won. They included Kiewit, Flatiron, Ledcor, PCL Constructors and Plenary Group.

Of the 19 companies that walked away empty-handed from all four deals, only two made donations over a 10-year period, totalling $3,050.

Two of the 30 companies  French-based construction firm Bouygues and Kasian Architecture  were part of a partnership shortlisted to build the new RCMP E Division headquarters in Surrey.

They won.

PBC had been hired as a P3 advisor in the early stages of that project.

Seven of the companies were on BC Hydro's shortlist for independent energy purchase agreements. Four won.

Of the three that didn't, one was in the midst of an environmental assessment. Their certificate came through ten months later.

The other two stopped donating within months.

SNC-Lavalin  another of the $5,000 donors  was finishing off the Canada Line and would go on to win the contract for the Evergreen Line.

The 16 successful companies donated $343,188 to the Liberals in 2009.

There were other contributors.

Between January 1 and March 31, the party received 2,173 donations, including 932 cheques for a $1,000 or more, totalling $4.7 million.

They didn't come from 932 unique donors, however. And when all the cheques are assigned to the right donor, some were quite generous.

Seventeen companies gave a total of $1.7 million, more than a third of the $4.7 million haul.

Onni Contracting wrote out the largest cheque ($150,000), but it wasn't the largest contributor. That honour goes to Teck Resources ($231,139).

One vaulted from 57th place to third, when donations from 20 of his other companies are added in, for a grand total of $139,500.

There were MLAs on the list: Dr. Moira Stilwell gave $1,200 and John Yap $1,000, but much of it reads like a government procurement directory: KPMG ($8,500), Bombardier ($1,000), CN Rail ($3,500), Seaspan ($4,700) and Imperial Parking ($1,800).

Other names read like a who's who of those hoping for a friendly ear.

Hassan Khosrowshahi of Burke Mountain fame donated $24,500, the B.C. Lions ($3,500), Northern Gateway Pipelines ($11,500) and lobbyist Patrick Kinsella ($4,900).

Three provincial environment assessments were underway at the time.

Naikun Wind Development ($5,700) had its assessment approved by December 2009.

Certificates for Encana's ($104,500) Cabin Gas Plant project and Belkorp's ($3,000) Cache Creek landfill extension project came through a month later.

Who's missing from the list? Unhappy campers.

The party wears the coincidences proudly, though.

At a November 2013 Rich Coleman fundraising event, the banner summed it up: We won. It's Christmas every day.

Dermod Travis is the executive director of IntegrityBC.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Police are crediting an Okanagan mother and daughter with the arrest of a scammer who sold fake tickets to Justin Bieber's concert last week.

"For many, Friday nights Justin Bieber concert in Vancouver was a once in a lifetime experience that they will never forget," said Coquitlam RCMP Const. Jamie Phillipson.

"For others, anger and disappointment after they unknowingly spent hundreds of dollars on counterfeit tickets, some who travelled a considerable distance to see the performance."

Phillipson said a mother and daughter from West Kelowna paid more than $600 for tickets from an individual on Kijiji, only to find out that the tickets were fake.

With help from the "mother daughter duo," police said they were able to identify and arrest a 38-year-old Port Coquitlam man.

Giuseppe Farinella is facing one count of fraud and possessing identity documents and is scheduled to appear in court on March 21.

Police said they have reason to believe that the suspect may have sold more fraudulent Justin Bieber tickets prior to the concert. Anyone who purchased tickets online from Giuseppe Farinella, who also went by Joey or Troy, is asked to call the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550.

"We want the public to be aware of the risks when purchasing tickets from online re-sellers and to take every precaution to ensure the tickets they buy are in fact real," said Phillipson.
Press Release Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 1:00 p.m. ET

Contact: Media Relations

(404) 639-3286

As part of the U.S. governments urgent response to the epidemic of overdose deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today is issuing new recommendations for prescribing opioid medications for chronic pain, excluding cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care. The CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, United States, 2016 will help primary care providers ensure the safest and most effective treatment for their patients.

The United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of prescription opioid overdose. Increased prescribing and sales of opioidsa quadrupling since 1999 helped create and fuel this epidemic.

More than 40 Americans die each day from prescription opioid overdoses, we must act now, said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. Overprescribing opioidslargely for chronic painis a key driver of Americas drug-overdose epidemic. The guideline will give physicians and patients the information they need to make more informed decisions about treatment.

The guideline provides recommendations on the use of opioids in treating chronic pain (that is, pain lasting longer than three months or past the time of normal tissue healing). Chronic pain is a public health concern in the United States, and patients with chronic pain deserve safe and effective pain management. This new guideline is for primary care providerswho account for prescribing nearly half of all opioid prescriptionstreating adult patients for chronic pain in outpatient settings. It is not intended for guiding treatment of patients in active cancer treatment, palliative care, or end-of-life care.

While prescription opioids can be part of pain management, they have serious risks. The new guideline aims to improve the safety of prescribing and curtail the harms associated with opioid use, including opioid use disorder and overdose. The guideline also focuses on increasing the use of other effective treatments available for chronic pain, such as nonopioid medications or non-pharmacologic therapies.

By using the guideline, primary care physicians can determine if and when to start opioids to treat chronic pain. The guideline also offers specific information on medication selection, dosage, duration, and when and how to reassess progress and discontinue medication if needed. Using this guideline, providers and patients can work together to assess the benefits and risks of opioid use.

Among the 12 recommendations in the guideline, three principles are key to improving patient care:

Nonopioid therapy is preferred for chronic pain outside of active cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care.

When opioids are used, the lowest possible effective dosage should be prescribed to reduce risks of opioid use disorder and overdose.

Providers should always exercise caution when prescribing opioids and monitor all patients closely.

Doctors want to help patients in pain and are worried about opioid misuse and addiction, said Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDCs National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. This guideline will help equip them with the knowledge and guidance needed to talk with their patients about how to manage pain in the safest, most effective manner.

In developing the guideline, CDC followed a rigorous scientific process using the best available scientific evidence, consulting with experts, and listening to comments from the public and partner organizations. CDC is dedicated to working with partners to improve the evidence base and will refine the recommendations as new research becomes available.

CDC developed user-friendly materials to assist providers with implementing the recommendations, including a decision checklist. These materials, as well as information for patients, are available at www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/guideline.html .

CDC will continue to work with states, communities, and prescribers to prevent opioid misuse and overdose by tracking and monitoring the epidemic and helping states scale up effective prevention and treatment programs. CDC also continues to improve patient safety by equipping health care providers with data, tools, and guidance so they can make informed treatment decisions.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell has made addressing opioid misuse, dependence, and overdose a priority. Other work on this important issue is underway within HHS. The evidence-based HHS-wide opioid initiative focuses on three priority areas: informing opioid prescribing practices, increasing the use of naloxone (a rescue medication that can prevent death from overdose), and expanding access to and the use of Medication-Assisted Treatment to treat opioid use disorder.

These efforts build on work that began in 2010, when the President released his first National Drug Control Strategy, which emphasized the need for action to address opioid misuse and overdose, while ensuring that individuals with pain receive safe, effective treatment. Also in 2010, the Affordable Care Act improved access to substance use disorder treatment options by requiring coverage of substance use disorder services in the Health Insurance Marketplace and establishing important parity protections to ensure that substance use disorder coverage is comparable to medical and surgical care coverage. The next year, the White House released its national Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan to outline goals for addressing prescription drug misuse and overdose. Since then, the Administration has supported and expanded community-based efforts to prevent drug use and pursue smart on crime approaches to drug enforcement, as well as efforts to improve prescribing practices for pain medication and increase access to treatment, to reduce overdose deaths and support the millions of Americans in recovery.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESexternal icon
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U.S. Senator David Perdue, the son of two school teachers and an advocate for less federal control of education, released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of John B. King, Jr. as Department of Education Secretary:

After making some progress on stopping the federal government from mandating one-size-fits-all education standards, we cannot turn back the clock by empowering one of Common Core's biggest supporters," said Sen. Perdue. "Instead, Georgians want to see Washington's involvement in state and local education decisions scaled back dramatically, and I will continue to fight to empower parents and teachers to help all students succeed.

Last year, Senator Perdue voted to "get Washington out of our classrooms, end Common Core, and significantly reduce federal control of education by consolidating 49 federal programs." This legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act, was ultimately signed into law.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander on Monday made the following statement after the Senate voted to approve the nomination of Dr. John King Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education:

We need an education secretary confirmed by and accountable to the United States Senate so that the law fixing No Child Left Behind will be implemented the way Congress wrote it," said Senator Alexander.

This is such an important year for our nations 100,000 public schools. We are working to implement a new law that reverses the trend toward a national school board and restores to those closest to children the responsibility for their well-being and academic success. Thats why, in December, I urged the president to send to the Senate a nominee for education secretaryand Im glad theres now someone confirmed and accountable to Congress as we implement this new bipartisan law that represents such a dramatic and important change in direction for federal education policy for 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers in 100,000 public schools.

Chairman Alexander has said that the Senates education committee will hold at least six oversight hearings on implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act this year, saying, A law is not worth the paper it is printed on unless it is implemented the way Congress wrote it.
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....
AUSTIN, Texas  The global surge of data is transforming our world. Some may fear it, others may believe it to be trivial. But for the homeless District of Columbia woman or the Haitian man needing to feed his children, big data represents a powerful tool to connect those in need with those able to help.

This week at South by Southwest in Austin, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation teamed up with three innovators in the business of battling hunger and the social challenges at its core. They see a problem that is not simply about a lack of resources. Rather, it is about ineffective processes that lead to a lack of access to those resources  in this case, food for those in need.

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Maria Belding's MEANS Database connects food donors to pantries and kitchens. Her entrepreneurial team of college students believes that excess food needs to find the right home at the right time to feed the right person, and they're using advanced algorithms to make that possible.

For Alex Moore's DC Central Kitchen, hunger is one of many symptoms of poverty. Not only do they turn leftover food into meals, but they help the incarcerated, homeless and addicted become chefs themselves. Their kitchen is a social enterprise that functions much like a business. Data and innovation help them address underserved markets and more quickly scale their operations.

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Brian MacNair's World Central Kitchen (an effort cooked up with world-renowned chef Jose Andres) focuses on smart, sustainable solutions to fight hunger and poverty around the world. Education and food resources are scarce in the mountains of Haiti, yet every day World Central Kitchen helps find these resources while also building smart kitchens and smart schools.

MacNair, Moore and Belding aren't alone, nor are hunger and poverty the only areas where innovators are tackling civic and social challenges using big data and big ideas. Others are using data and innovation to, for instance, bring energy and electricity to remote parts of the world, expand access to clean water in developing countries, and create more affordable health care solutions. The Innovation That Matters project, a joint initiative between our team and global startup incubator 1776, supports ambitious entrepreneurs who are creating businesses based on such solutions.

Our world is becoming increasingly digital and connected, and while that creates a number of new challenges, it also provides new opportunities to address some of the most important and longstanding problems in the world, including hunger. One person out of eight worldwide goes to bed hungry every night. We must find sustainable solutions for every one of them. Through innovative uses of data and the hard work of entrepreneurs such as these, we stand a chance.
Silicon Valley venture capitalist Michael Goguen denies in court papers he kept a sex slave. He says the woman accusing him, a former girlfriend, is "a woman scorned." (LinkedIn)

In a case that's almost too strange to be true, even for far-out Silicon Valley, venture capitalist Michael Goguen admitted in court papers Monday that, yes, he paid the first $10 million of a $40 million contract to the woman he had a sexual relationship with for 13 years and who was not his wife; but, no, she was never his "sexual slave" and he only agreed to sign the unusual contract because he worried about a "shakedown" featuring "false and libelous claims" of abuse.

But then Goguen failed to pay up. Some $30 million remains on the contract today. Both sides agree on that, at least.

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And so now his former paramour, Amber Laurel Baptiste, has gone to court  unleashing both a hard-to-read dispute and a wealth of tawdry details that has shocked the hard-to-shock tech community and had Goguen's former employer, Sequoia Capital, taking to Twitter this weekend to gamely send their managing partner packing: "We understand the allegations about Michael Goguen are unproven and unrelated to Sequoia. Still, we decided his departure was appropriate."

Baptiste's breach of contract lawsuit, filed last week in San Mateo County District Court in California, accused Goguen of "sexually, physically and emotionally" abusing her. She alleged that she endured the treatment because Goguen promised to free her from the human traffickers holding her in perpetual debt. The contract, according to Baptiste's lawsuit, was intended to compensate her for the years of abuse.

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Goguen, in his countersuit, denied any wrongdoing and, in turn, accused Baptiste of extortion  describing her as "a woman scorned."

Reading the two filings side-by-side, Baptiste and Goguen agree on the outlines of many incidents. It's in the details and interpretations that they clash.

Goguen admitted that they had an unusual sex life, but he claims it was entirely consensual. His lawsuit features many snippets of texts purporting to show Baptiste's adoration for him throughout the relationship. His lawsuit even includes color photographs of Baptiste posing in her underwear, like something out of a Victoria's Secret catalog, which Goguen claimed she emailed to him at what was allegedly the heights of her abuse.

But Baptiste painted a much starker picture of their relationship. She described a life of being required to participate in "increasingly demeaning sexual acts." According to her lawsuit, Baptiste also was required to grovel and refer to Goguen as a king and emperor.

Both parties pointed to one night in a London hotel in 2012, when Goguen and Bapiste engaged in anal sex.

She claimed in her suit that she suffered a tear that left her "nearly hemorrhaging to death" and requiring emergency aid. Later, she had a surgical repair.

But Goguen, in his court filing, wrote that "the supposed anal tear was so minor that Mr. Goguen was unaware of it until Ms. Bapiste emailed him after the fact gushing about how wonderful the night was and noting she was scheduled to have a 'small surgery' that was 'not a big deal.' "

Goguen alleged that Baptiste was motivated by jealousy of Goguen's wife. He claimed he agreed to the $40 million contract only to avoid the lawsuit he now finds himself in.

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Goguen, who grew up outside Boston, is a well-known investor and philanthropist. His specialty is identifying companies in computer infrastructure and security. He was part of the Sequoia team that took cybersecurity firm FireEye public in 2013. He was on the 2015 Forbes Magazine's Midas List of the world's top tech investors.

In Whitefish, Montana, where he keeps a home, he was lauded for spending $10 million to buy two helicopters for area law enforcement and search and rescue teams, according to The Flathead Beacon. He also has set up a land trust to protect land from development.

Prior to the Baptiste lawsuit, Goguen sat on the board of about 10 companies. According to news reports, he has stepped down from at least one board as of Monday.
Reporting from West Palm Beach, Fla.  Hillary Clinton won primaries in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, the night's most contested prize, as her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, struggled to get the boost he needed to try to close the gap in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Clinton also won a close contest in Illinois and was holding an extremely small margin in Missouri, with nearly all of the votes counted. With those contests so close, neither candidate will gain a significant edge from them in the race for delegates to the Democratic nominating convention this summer. Clinton's three big victories, by contrast, will give her a major gain.

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"We are moving closer to securing the Democratic Party nomination and winning this election in November," Clinton told supporters here, and she quickly moved to an attack on the Republican she expects to face in that election, Donald Trump, whom she accused of offering "bluster and bigotry."

"Our next commander in chief has to be able to defend our country, not embarrass it; engage our allies, not alienate them," she said.

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"When we hear a candidate for president call for rounding up 12 million immigrants, barring all Muslims from entering the United States, when he embraces torture, that doesn't make him strong  it makes him wrong."

Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | March 15 election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter

Clinton barely mentioned Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, except to briefly congratulate him for running a "vigorous campaign."

If Sanders was chastened by the results, he didn't let it show while speaking to rapturous supporters in Phoenix.

"Do not settle for the status quo when the status quo is broken," he said in a speech in which he showed no sign of easing up on Clinton. He once again attacked her vote in favor of the war in Iraq and demanded she release the transcripts of lucrative speeches to Wall Street firms.

Sanders had worked aggressively over the last week to expand a beachhead in the nation's industrial states after his upset victory in Michigan last week exposed new vulnerabilities for Clinton.

That set up Ohio as a key contest, where both candidates campaigned extensively and spent large amounts on television advertising. Clinton's victory there will go a long way toward solidifying her margin in the delegate race and reassuring her supporters.

Clinton's victory in North Carolina continued her sweep through the South, where black voters make up a big share of the Democratic electorate. And her decisive win in Florida, where she took nearly two-thirds of the vote, will net her a large majority of the state's 246 delegates to the Democratic convention  the third-largest delegation after California and New York.

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The wins mean Clinton will significantly expand her already large lead among delegates to this summer's convention, building a margin of roughly 300 delegates over Sanders, without counting the roughly 400 so-called superdelegates who back her  party leaders and elected officials who automatically get convention votes.

After Tuesday, the math looks increasingly daunting for her rival, who now would need a series of very big victories in big states to catch up with Clinton's growing lead in the delegate race.

That does not, however, mean she has clinched the nomination. Under the Democrats' rules, which allocate delegates proportionately to each candidate's vote, Clinton probably won't be able to do that until the primary season ends in California in June.

In the Michigan upset last week, frustration among Midwestern Democrats with some of the free-trade policies Clinton has backed over the years, as well as with the Wall Street institutions whose recklessness helped push the nation into recession in 2007, emerged as a significant liability for the former secretary of State.

That anger shaped the campaigns in the three Midwestern states. Polls had indicated that all three could have close contests, and after the big miss by pollsters in Michigan, all of whom predicted a Clinton victory, both campaigns were wary of predictions.

Sanders' attacks on corporate America, particularly on trade, clearly connected with many voters.

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"I believe in his change," said Sanders supporter Mark Russell, 59, who stopped to vote in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, near Ohio State University, on his way to work at Goodwill Industries.

"I believe that right now we're run by corporations," he said. "It's not an even playing field, and it counts against us. I believe that he can do something about that. He's the only one that's really talking in that direction."

Yet Sanders' effort to translate that sort of sentiment into votes came up short this time.

Clinton continues to do well with voters like Tampa resident Zachary Hines, 26, who value her years of preparation.

"She's the most prepared and experienced candidate to run for president in modern history," said Hines, who works as a marketing director for a theater company. "I'm very excited to vote for the first woman president."

Exit polls suggested voters were more confident in Clinton's agenda, with 77% in Ohio saying her policies were realistic, as opposed to 58% saying the same about Sanders' proposals. The divide was even bigger in Florida, where only 46% of voters expressed confidence that the Sanders agenda was realistic, according to exit polling conducted for the major television networks and the Associated Press.

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Female voters came out in force for Clinton on Tuesday. She won 67% of them in Florida and 58% of them in Ohio, according to the exit poll. She also dominated with nonwhite voters in both states, winning 73% of them in Florida and 63% in Ohio. Seniors supported her by a margin of nearly 4 to 1 in both states.

Clinton had been eager to avenge a Michigan loss that some operatives attributed to poor strategic decisions and resource deployment by a campaign that had grown complacent after public polls that proved wildly misleading.

To ensure she did not repeat that defeat, Clinton redoubled her focus on the Midwest.

The former secretary of State, who has locked up almost every major national union endorsement, mobilized her labor supporters and stepped up her opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership, the trade deal negotiated by President Obama that is reviled by unions.

She boasted of having voted for the bailout bill that in part saved U.S. car companies from collapse, and vigorously defended herself against Sanders' attacks.

"We have like less than 5% of the world's population," she said Monday at a town hall hosted by MSNBC in Springfield, Ill. "We have to trade with the other 95%. His position is so 'anti.' He is against things before they are even finished, before they are read," she added. "He just is reflexively against anything that has any international implication."

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Earlier that day, Clinton expressed outrage that a heavily subsidized Nabisco factory in the Chicago area was in the process of laying off workers and moving jobs out of state. She scolded Nabisco for not working harder to keep the plant intact, and she said firms like Nabisco that get tax breaks and then leave anyway "should have to pay that money back."

The funds should "be used to reinvest in the community and the workers," she said.

In the process of winning over Democrats in the Rust Belt, Clinton began to sound a lot like her more progressive rival  so much so that activists who often agree with him declared victory Tuesday night.

"Hillary Clinton won Ohio and had a Super Tuesday by riding the economic populist tide instead of fighting it," said a statement from Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. "That was almost unimaginable a year ago."

"The primary continues  but no matter who wins, the center of gravity has fundamentally shifted in the Democratic Party," Green wrote.

But Sanders is not going away. His impressive fundraising machine continues to churn, and there is every indication it will do so until every state has voted. Even as winning the nomination becomes increasingly unlikely, the Vermonter will be there to push Clinton leftward.

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Sanders put considerable energy over the last week into criticizing Clinton over her centrist record, warning voters that she only recently had adopted some of the progressive economic positions he has embraced his entire career. Clinton can expect a continuation of Sanders' attacks on the millions of dollars in speaking fees and campaign contributions that she and the super PAC supporting her have accepted from Wall Street firms.

"She's now on my side on many issues," Sanders said Monday night at a separate MSNBC town hall at Ohio State. "But the question is, where were you when it mattered?"

Halper reported from Washington and Mason from West Palm Beach. Times staff writer Mark Z. Barabak contributed to this report from Columbus, Ohio.

For more on Campaign 2016, follow @evanhalper

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BURLINGTON, Vt.  Addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin has grown so deadly that the Obama administration wants to spend more than $1 billion over the next two years fighting it. Nearly all of the money would go to making anti-addiction medications, including buprenorphine, more available.

Yet in the midst of the worst epidemic of unintentional drug overdose in U.S. history - mortality rates are four to fives times as high as in the mid-1970s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - it can be harder to get drugs to treat an addiction than it is to get the drugs that feed it.

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More than 28,000 Americans died from heroin and painkiller overdoses in 2014, according to the CDC. But fewer than half of the 2.2 million people who need treatment for opioid addiction are receiving it, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said as President Obama's latest budget was released last month.

Peter Shumlin, D-Vt., was among the first governors to address the opioid epidemic, devoting his entire State of the State address to the crisis in 2014. Since then, his administration and many of Vermont's private-practice doctors have made treatment more available than it is in most of the country.

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Despite that, almost 500 addicts in this state of 626,000 people are on waiting lists to receive medication for opioid dependence. More than half will wait close to a year.

Nationwide, a shortage of doctors willing to prescribe buprenorphine, which reduces drug cravings, and a federal limit on the number of patients each doctor can treat, prevents many who could benefit from the medication from getting it.

Nearly every U.S. physician - there are more than 900,000 of them - can write prescriptions for opioid painkillers such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin by simply signing on to a federal registry. In most states, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can also prescribe opioids.

But to prescribe buprenorphine to people addicted to opioids and heroin, doctors must take an eight-hour course and apply for a special license. So far, fewer than 32,000 doctors have received the license, and the vast majority who have one seldom if ever use it.

Vermont has 248 doctors licensed to prescribe buprenorphine to addicts, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is part of HHS. Few of them accept new patients who are addicted to opioids.

In the weeks ahead, HHS is expected to propose a change that would probably increase the number of patients a doctor can treat with buprenorphine, possibly with the addition of new licensing requirements.

But many who work in the field of addiction question whether allowing the specially licensed doctors to treat more addicts would do much good. As in Vermont, very few doctors across the country come anywhere close to maxing out on the number of such patients they are allowed to have.

The solution, they say, is for more doctors to prescribe the medication. But that's a long-term solution that involves teaching newly minted doctors about addiction during their residencies and trying to change the hearts and minds of physicians already in private practice, said John Brooklyn, the medical director at the Howard Center, an opioid treatment program in Vermont's Chittenden County. "We're making progress," he said. "But it will take time."

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Advocates for greater access to buprenorphine also support a bipartisan bill in Congress - the Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act, or TREAT - that would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe it.

Without legislation, HHS has authority only to adjust the patient limit and licensing rules for physicians. Melinda Campopiano, chief medical officer at HHS's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, agreed that patients with opioid addiction would be better served if more doctors offered addiction screening and treatment.

"What is a concern to me is that more physicians don't feel the responsibility to step up" and get a license to provide buprenorphine, she said.

When approved in 2002, buprenorphine was the first opioid-addiction medication that could be prescribed by doctors. The only alternative at the time was methadone, which had to be dispensed daily at highly regulated clinics. (A third addiction medication, Vivitrol, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010, but it is expensive and not widely used for opioid addiction in much of the country.)

Although buprenorphine does not produce the euphoric effects of heroin or OxyContin, many drug users purchase it on the street to tide themselves over until they can score the real thing.

Clinical research shows that all three opioid-addiction medicines offer a far greater chance of recovery than treatments that do not involve medication, such as 12-step programs and residential care. Staying in recovery and avoiding relapse for at least a year is more than twice as likely with medications as without them. Medications also lower the risk of a fatal overdose.

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Buprenorphine was developed with the idea that family doctors could assess patients with an opioid addiction to make sure the daily oral medication was appropriate and prescribe a monthly supply to be picked up at a drugstore.

Like methadone, buprenorphine is a long-acting opioid that relieves drug cravings and physical withdrawal symptoms with fewer of the side effects of other opioids. It presents a very low risk of overdose unless taken in combination with benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded buprenorphine's development, has urged doctors everywhere to start prescribing it to their patients with opioid addiction. That way, people who respond well would no longer have to travel to a methadone clinic every morning. They could get help the same way people with other diseases do - at their local doctor's office.

So far, that hasn't happened.

In anticipation of buprenorphine's approval by the FDA, a 2000 federal law required doctors to seek a special license from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe it. Without that law, a 1914 federal narcotics law would have precluded doctors from prescribing the drug, and it would have been subject to the same kind of regulation as methadone.

Because buprenorphine is much safer than methadone, Congress wanted to make sure patients didn't have to disrupt their lives by traveling to one of only 1,200 methadone clinics scattered across the country to take the daily medication under strict supervision.

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In addition to requiring training, the buprenorphine law limited licensed doctors to 30 patients in the first year and 100 patients in subsequent years. The restriction was meant to discourage what are called pill mills, in which doctors prescribe addiction medications for a cash fee without ensuring that patients are actually using it to recover and not selling it on the street.

Since then, the law has been criticized for contributing to a shortage of prescribers and unfairly singling out addicts and the doctors who treat them. No other medication requires a special license, and no other disease is subject to a patient limit, argued Kelly J. Clark, president-elect of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She said the rules are symptomatic of the nation's long-standing prejudice against the disease of addiction.

But others argue that the rules are warranted to keep buprenorphine off the streets and to ensure quality treatment.

"Treating opioid addiction with medications has to be more than just medication management," said Mark Parrino, president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, which represents methadone clinic operators.

If buprenorphine were deregulated, Parrino says there would be no guarantee that patients would get the counseling and regular urine tests that major medical associations agree they should have. Under current rules, the DEA routinely audits physicians to make sure they are keeping records as required and providing adequate treatment.

Here in Burlington, Tom Dalton, director of a publicly funded needle exchange center, agrees that buprenorphine coupled with counseling is ideal. But if that's not available, he said, "we should at least give them a prescription."

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When people make the decision to get clean, they should be able to get into treatment immediately. Otherwise, there's a good chance they will disappear, die of an overdose or get arrested, Dalton said. At a minimum, their addiction will escalate, he said. Many who are smoking or snorting opioids start injecting, which spreads diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

In October, the average wait time to get into the opioid treatment program in Chittenden County was 358 days. But because the waiting list includes pregnant women who by federal law must be treated within 48 hours and intravenous drug users, who must be treated within 14 days, the wait is much longer for everyone else.

This article was produced by Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Peru: Tourists have once again been misbehaving at the ancient site of Machu Picchu  a British and a French traveler were detained after guards said they took nude photos at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two men were arrested and had to appear at Paz Letrado Courthouse. Security has tightened at the site in recent years after others have also been caught stripping down.

Ireland: Many churches that double as tourist sites in Dublin will be closed Easter Sunday, March 27, as events marking the centenary of the Easter Rising draw up to half a million people to the city. Christ Church Cathedral Dublin and six other churches will remain closed that day as a parade winds through the streets. Tourists should expect major crowds in Dublin throughout the weekend. The Easter Rising was the first major armed uprising against British rule and eventually led the country to independence.

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Japan: The Japan Tourism Agency has provided a comprehensive guide for international tourists seeking medical assistance while visiting the country. The guide is available on the organization's website and lists 326 facilities that travelers can visit for medical attention, along with consultation centers with multilingual staff. The guide also provides translations so tourists can describe their symptoms to medical professionals.

United Kingdom: Health officials reported a significant increase in scarlet fever cases around the country this year and have urged parents of children under 10 to be cautious. Scarlet fever is highly contagious and mostly affects children, causing sore throat, headache, high fever and itchy rash across the torso. Cases tend to spike in March and April but can be treated with antibiotics.

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Compiled from news services and travel sources. For updates, check with the State Department at 888-407-4747, www.travel.state.gov.

Larry Habegger and Dani Burlison are freelance reporters.
The Turkish government has begun an unusual campaign aimed at undercutting support for a popular Michigan restaurant owner whose fight against a deportation order has won the backing of legislators and even the frontman of the Chicago-based band Wilco.

Two members of Congress, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials, journalists and Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy's management have received letters from Turkish officials alleging that Ibrahim Parlak, a Kurdish immigrant who came to the U.S. 25 years ago, shot and killed two Turkish soldiers, escaped prison and dodged U.S. authorities. The Turkish officials are pressing the U.S. to deport Parlak.

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The Turkish Consulate of Chicago sent the letters to U.S. Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., last month; both had written Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson supporting Parlak. Tweedy's management received an email before he played a benefit concert for Parlak in Three Oaks, Mich., last month. A Tribune reporter and the Tribune's editor also received emails from the Turkish Consulate.

"The facts of Parlak's crime are gruesome and alarming, particularly given that he has managed to evade the U.S. authorities, open and operate a restaurant in Michigan, and lead a secret life for so long," states the letter, which is signed by Umut Acar, the Turkish consul general in Chicago.

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Parlak and his lawyer, Robert Carpenter, say the allegations are untrue. Carpenter said Parlak was cleared of murder but convicted of the political offense of separatism for his membership in the PKK, an organization considered a terrorist group by officials in Turkey and the U.S.

Parlak has submitted documents that show he did not escape from prison but was simply released.

"They want to finish him off," Upton said.

Although a reprieve of a deportation order expires later this month, U.S. officials have said Parlak's deportation is not imminent.

Parlak and his supporters fear he will be tortured if he is sent back to Turkey, and so Parlak is seeking relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. That agreement, which the U.S. has signed, prevents the deportation of a person to a country where they are likely to be tortured.

According to a February court filing from Parlak, police in Turkey kept Parlak in a "cage" for almost a month after his 1988 arrest, and strung him up by the arms, forced him to eat bread smeared with his own feces, shocked his genitals and raped him with a police baton.

Medical evaluations show Parlak still suffers from his injuries and has signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, Carpenter said.

Family and supporters hold a vigil on Dec. 23, 2015, in support of restaurateur Ibrahim Parlak of Harbert, Mich., who was facing a Christmas Eve deadline to be deported back to Turkey, at his restaurant, Cafe Gulistan. He is now receiving congressional help in his bid to stay in the U.S. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Parlak came to the U.S. in 1991, seeking political asylum. Since 1994, he has run the popular Kurdish restaurant Cafe Gulistan in Harbert, Mich., and has become a beloved member of the community. His troubles began in 2004, when Homeland Security agents arrested Parlak for lying on immigration documents about whether he had served prison time in Turkey and had ties to a terrorist group. That same year, he was given the order of deportation he has continued to fight.

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The Turkish government letters said Parlak led a PKK unit from Syria to Turkey in 1988 that shot and killed two Turkish soldiers. After serving 16 months of a reduced six-year sentence for the crime, the letters said, he escaped and entered the U.S. as a fugitive who lied about his identity to U.S. authorities.

"At this time he is a fugitive for violation of his parole of his release. We think the ability of someone with this kind of a background to do what he did in the United States is noteworthy," said Gunay Evinch, a lawyer representing the Turkish government in Parlak's case.

Homeland Security said the letter largely corresponds with evidence introduced at a hearing.

To get his deportation order lifted, Parlak must prove that Turkey has become more dangerous and that he likely would be tortured if sent back. Homeland Security cannot comment on ongoing litigation but has claimed life for Kurds in Turkey has improved since Parlak's case was first litigated.

Experts on Turkey disagree.

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David Phillips, a former senior adviser to the State Department who submitted a report in Parlak's case, called the U.S. government claims about Turkey "a load of crap." Amnesty International officials have also raised concerns about the plight of Kurds in Turkey, particularly those who have opposed the government.

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"Turkey is on a path to full-scale civil war and it seems to be a course of events that the government desires," said Phillips, now the director of the Peace-building and Human Rights Program at Columbia University. "Turkey is more divided than any time in recent memory."

Homeland Security called Phillips' report hyperbolic.

For Parlak, being deported means leaving behind a daughter who is in college, friends and a life in the U.S., his home for 24 years.

"I spent most of my adult life here in America to build all this," he said. "The fight is not about me trying to get something. The fight here is that I earned it, and the government is trying to take it away."

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Liam Kelly, 7, a Winnetka first grader, volunteers March 12 at the Kids Against Hunger-Fox Valley/Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield food packaging event at the Winnetka Community House in Winnetka. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Several hundred people assembled 100,000 meals inside the gymnasium of the Winnetka Community House on Saturday for hungry children in Nicaragua.

Several hundred people assembled 100,000 meals inside the gymnasium of the Winnetka Community House on Saturday for hungry children in Nicaragua.

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It was the sixth year the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield and Kids Against Hunger-Fox Valley have teamed up for the food packaging rally, the largest annual event for both groups, organizers said.

Volunteers stood in assembly lines and wore hairnets as they worked in shifts throughout the morning and afternoon, carefully measuring out soy, rice, freeze-dried vegetables and powdered vitamins and minerals before placing all the ingredients into vacuum-sealed bags. Music blared over speakers as the volunteers - a mix of children, high school students, parents, business owners, employees and Rotary Club members from across the North Shore - worked.

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Approximately 400 volunteers packaged the meals in 7.5 hours, according to Rich Lalley, former president of the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield.

Darrel and Karen Malcom of Carol Stream started Kids Against Hunger-Fox Valley in 2007. The affiliate is part of the larger Kids Against Hunger nonprofit organization, headquartered in Omaha, Neb., which works to decrease the number of starving children worldwide.

World Missions Outreach distributes the food in Nicaragua.

"The need is very great there," Karen Malcom said.

The food is sent to one of a number of distribution centers in Nicaragua, where it is usually cooked outdoors over an open flame, said Darrel Malcom, a former pastor. He said for many children who come to receive the meals, it's the only food they'll get all day.

He said Nicaragua is the second-poorest nation in the Western hemisphere behind Haiti, and education is key to breaking the hunger cycle there. But children will have a much easier time concentrating in school on a full stomach than on an empty one, he said.

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"I tell you, when you look into the eyes of these kids, you realize what you're doing is the difference between life and death," he said. "That's what keeps me going."

Each meal costs about 25 cents. This year, Lalley said, the Rotary Club raised nearly $30,000 to pay for the food, packaging materials and shipping costs.

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Each volunteer pays about $25 to participate, which covers about a third of the costs, and the remainder is funded through Rotary Club donations and sponsorships from local businesses, Lalley said.

Evanston resident Michele Berg took part in Saturday's event, along with her husband and their two daughters.

Berg, deputy general secretary for Rotary International, said it's a hands-on activity children can take part in and know they're making a positive difference in the world.

"My 9-year-old is here, and she's smiling from ear to ear," she said.

Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Mayor Rahm Emanel, left, shakes hands with members of the Chicago Police Department outside Stronger Hospital after three officers were shot and an attacker was killed in the 3700 block of West Polk Street in the Homan Square neighborhood March 14, 2016. The officers were being treated at Stroger Hospital. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's hand-picked Police Board plans to announce its three finalists for Chicago's next top cop at a Thursday night meeting, two sources familiar with the panel's decision-making process said.

On Tuesday, the board posted the agenda for its regular monthly meeting and listed its top item as an "update on the superintendent search."

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The announcement comes after a three-month search and at one of the most tumultuous times in Chicago policing history.

Former Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who held the post for more than 4 1/2 years, was fired Dec. 1 in the fallout over the release of a disturbing video showing a white police officer shoot Laquan McDonald, a black teen, 16 times. Emanuel fought the release of the police dashboard-camera video for more than a year until a judge last November ordered him to make it public.

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The video's release roiled the city, resulting in weeks of street protests, a U.S. Justice Department probe into the Police Department's use of excessive force and calls for the resignations of Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Emanuel has since been scrambling to carry out reforms, announcing mandatory officer training and appointing a task force to examine other issues such as community relations and transparency within the department.

The next superintendent will be expected to take a leadership role in that process and also help oversee the implementation of any additional reforms called for by the Justice Department.

Given that climate and the continuing violence plaguing impoverished pockets of the West and South sides, the mayor could face pressure to appoint an African-American as the top cop of the 12,000-strong force. The last three superintendents have been white  and two of those were hired from outside the Chicago Police Department.

The Chicago Police Board sought applications from around the country, asking applicants to write eight essays on issues ranging from reducing violence to fostering a culture of integrity among officers and ending bias-based policing.

At a hearing before the Police Board in January, some speakers said they wanted a police superintendent who could operate independently of the mayor, while others expressed concern that the board was itself a "puppet" of Emanuel.

Lori Lightfoot, the Police Board chairwoman, has said 39 people applied for the post.

The Tribune previously has reported that one of the candidates in the mix was Cedric Alexander, the public safety director of DeKalb County, Ga., a suburban area outside Atlanta. He is also former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

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The mayor named John Escalante, who had only recently been appointed McCarthy's top deputy, to be interim superintendent until a successor can be named and take office. Escalante said he would seek the permanent post.

Chicago Tribune's Annie Sweeney contributed.

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Vivian Turton, second from right, fills out paperwork before casting her vote March 15, 2016, at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in the 1600 block of West Foster Avenue in Chicago. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)

One of the most unusual primaries in Illinois history comes to an end Tuesday, when voters get their say after active presidential campaigns on both sides, millions of dollars spent on individual legislative races and the White House making an endorsement in a lowly state House contest.

Much is at stake on Democratic and Republican ballots. Republicans will weigh in on an unsettled presidential nominating field. Democrats face the same choice at the top of the ticket, and also get to decide nominating contests for U.S. Senate, three U.S. House races and battles for Cook County state's attorney and circuit court clerk.

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The weather may not be the voters' friend. While temperatures are predicted to be in the 60s, forecasts call for scattered morning showers with the possibility of severe afternoon thunderstorms and high winds, according to the WGN Weather Center. Many people, however, already have cast ballots  city and suburban Cook set records for early voting in a primary. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

In years past, both political parties usually have wrapped up their primary contests by the time Illinois voted. Not this time. Underscoring Illinois' role on the national stage, Democratic contender Hillary Clinton campaigned Monday in Chicago and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders scheduled a late night visit. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz flew throughout the state as he looks to stop front-runner Donald Trump, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio campaigned in their home states, which also vote Tuesday.

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With Sanders' campaign sensing momentum in Illinois, Clinton has worked to shore up her support among African-American and Latino voters who have backed her over Sanders in other early states.

She began the day at an immigration workshop in Pilsen hosted by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who lauded the role "peaceful protests" played in canceling a Trump rally Friday night in Chicago. Clinton emphasized the importance of the effort to sign up more immigrants who are eligible for citizenship.

"I will work very hard when I am president, if you join with us and help me become president, to be sure we immediately begin working for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship," Clinton said to a standing ovation.

She also delivered a line seemingly aimed at the Republican front-runner. "Please tell everyone that we have to have a good vote tomorrow to send a strong message that love trumps hate."

Later, at the Plumbers Hall on the West Side, Clinton urged union workers to turn out the vote.

"Do not rest," Clinton told the crowd. "If there is an L stop you can go to, if there is a phone call you can make, if there is a door you can knock on, if there is a person you can convince, please do everything you can in the next 24-plus hours so we can come out of these elections with a wind at our backs so we can start talking about unifying the Democratic party and unifying our country."

In heavily Republican DuPage County, Cruz told a crowd of hundreds of supporters he was "neck and neck" with Trump in Illinois and was the only one of the two who could beat Clinton in a general election contest.

"There are right now today only two candidates who have any plausible path toward winning the Republican nomination," Cruz said at a Glen Ellyn banquet hall. "Today, 65 to 70 percent of Republicans in Illinois and nationwide recognize that Donald Trump is not the best candidate to go head to head with Hillary. If we nominate Donald Trump, Hillary wins."

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Cruz noted Trump had contributed $7,000 to now-imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, $12,500 to the Cook County Democratic Party and $50,000 to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"While y'all have been suffering under big-government, liberal Democratic policies, you know who has been funding them? Donald Trump," Cruz said.

Much is at stake for the presidential contenders, who also have contests in Florida, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina on Tuesday.

For Republicans, 367 delegates are available, including 69 from Illinois. The popular vote winner here will get 15 delegates, while the remaining 54 are decided directly by voters, three from each of the state's 18 congressional districts.

Heading into Tuesday, Trump led with 460 delegates to 369 for Cruz. Rubio had 163 and Kasich had 63, with 1,237 needed to win the nomination on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Kasich and Rubio have made their home states, which award delegates on a winner-take-all basis, must-wins.

For Democrats, 792 delegates are at stake, including 182 from Illinois. Of that total, 102 delegates here will be awarded proportionally and are decided by how each candidate fares in individual congressional districts. A presidential candidate must get at least 15 percent of the popular vote in a district to earn a delegate.

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A New York Times estimate had Clinton with 1,231 delegates, including party officials and elected leaders who are known as superdelegates. Sanders had 576 delegates, with 2,383 needed to win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

The presidential activity in Illinois has drawn attention from several down-ballot contests.

Democrats and Republicans will make their nominations for the U.S. Senate. On the GOP side, a Sen. Mark Kirk faces a nominal primary challenge from Oswego businessman James Marter.

But Democrats, sensing opportunity in a presidential election year, have three candidates seeking the party's nomination: U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, of Hoffman Estates; former Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp; and state Sen. Napoleon Harris, of Harvey.

With Duckworth's departure for a Senate bid, her northwest and west suburban seat will be open, and three Democrats are vying for the nomination to replace her: businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg; state Sen. Mike Noland, of Elgin; and Villa Park Village President Deb Bullwinkel.

In the North Side 10th Congressional District, former U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, of Deerfield, is vying for the Democratic nomination against Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. The winner faces Republican Rep. Robert Dold, of Kenilworth.

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In Chicago, veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush faces a primary challenge from 21st Ward Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. in the 1st Congressional District, which covers portions of the South Side and south suburbs.

Also trying to round up the votes of late-deciders and traditional Tuesday election-goers are candidates for Cook County state's attorney and circuit court clerk.

Two-term county prosecutor Anita Alvarez is facing a challenge from Kim Foxx, the former chief of staff to County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Donna More, an attorney with a background in the gambling industry. Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, elected 16 years ago, faces a challenge from 8th Ward Ald. Michele Harris and attorney Jacob Meister.

Many voters already cast ballots. Early voting in Chicago surpassed 130,000 by Sunday night. That's about 37 percent more than the previous high for a primary, the 81,690 votes cast before Election Day in 2008, when Barack Obama and Clinton were vying for the Democratic presidential nomination and John McCain and Mitt Romney were the headliners on the Republican side.

As people continued to vote early Monday, the numbers showed several wards with big early voting increases, compared with 2008, are ones with big Hispanic populations that could help Alvarez in her tough re-election fight.

The Southwest Side fiefdoms of House Speaker Michael Madigan and powerhouse Ald. Edward Burke are often high-turnout wards. But Madigan's 13th Ward has had a 258 percent increase in early votes cast compared with 2008  to 4,396 by the end of the day Sunday. That's the second-most of any Chicago ward, and a likely reflection of the fact Madigan has drawn a rare primary challenger, Jason Gonzales, who is being funded by forces aligned by Gov. Bruce Rauner.

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A sample ballot Madigan campaign workers distributed outside an early voting center last week did not list the state's attorney race. In the 14th Ward, where Burke is backing Alvarez, the early votes are up 169 percent from 2008, to 1,334. And in Ald. George Cardenas' heavily Hispanic 12th Ward, another possible area of strong support for Alvarez, early voting is up 321 percent to 1,552, according to data provided by the Chicago Board of Elections.

But early voting is up almost everywhere, with big increases in overwhelmingly African-American wards that could prove to be areas of strength for challenger Foxx. Ald. Carrie Austin's Far South Side 34th Ward is up 47 percent over 2008, to 3,999 votes. On the West Side, the 37th Ward is up 46 percent and the 28th Ward is up 69 percent.

Only five of 50 Chicago wards have had lower early voting turnouts this year than in 2008. And 14 wards have had increases greater than 100 percent.

Throughout the state, there are several intraparty battles to settle legislative contests that could provide a pulse-taking of the public's view of the partisan stalemate that has kept Illinois government without a budget.

The one that's gotten the most attention is a Chicago House race that amounts to a proxy battle between Madigan, the veteran Democratic speaker, and first-term Republican Gov. Rauner. The stalemate has centered on the governor's push for his pro-business, union-weakening agenda against a legislature in which union-allied Democrats hold super-majorities.

But Madigan's 71-vote veto-proof majority in the House effectively has been lost due to Chicago Democratic state Rep. Ken Dunkin's decision to side with Rauner over Madigan on several key votes. As a result, a record-breaking multimillion-dollar contest has ensued. It finds forces allied with Madigan, including unions, fielding primary challenger Juliana Stratton to take on the Rauner-allied funding of Dunkin's re-nomination bid.

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Beyond the money, a record of more than $5 million in a single legislative primary, the contest featured President Obama issuing an unusual endorsement of a statehouse candidate: Stratton.

Tribune reporter John Byrne contributed.

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Donald Trump's advance toward winning the Republican presidential nomination hits a crucial milestone Tuesday as voters in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina cast ballots in the first big primaries since violent clashes erupted last week at his campaign rallies.

For Hillary Clinton, Tuesday's test will be whether she has sewn up the Democratic nomination tightly enough that she can turn more fully to the general election, or if she will need to rededicate herself to beating back her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

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Here are some of the things we'll be watching:

Can Trump be stopped?

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The contests Tuesday will be the first to gauge the effect of millions of dollars in advertising against Trump. The scathing ads attacking his business record, personal temperament and liberal past were funded by wealthy Republicans who cringe at the prospect of Trump leading the party's ticket in November.

The assault could be too late. Trump has already won 460 of the 1,237 delegates he would need to clinch the nomination before the party's Cleveland convention in July.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 Republican businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president on June 16, 2015. (Scott Olson, Getty Images)

Tuesday's winner-take-all contests offer the biggest delegate prizes: 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio. Polls have found Trump a strong favorite in Florida and just behind Gov. John Kasich in Ohio. Trump is also running well ahead of rivals in Illinois, where 69 delegates are at stake.

Trump will also be hard to beat in North Carolina, where 72 delegates will be divvied up. Missouri, with 52, is the least predictable.

What's the effect of violence at Trump rallies?

The biggest unknown Tuesday is how voters react to racially charged fistfights that broke out Friday in a Chicago arena where Trump was going to hold a rally before thousands of protesters showed up and he canceled it.

The disturbing images played repeatedly on television over the weekend, along with video of a white Trump supporter hitting a black protester in the face a few days earlier in North Carolina, then threatening to kill him. The white man was arrested and charged with assault, and Trump said he might pay his legal bills.

The violence in North Carolina and Chicago led news organizations to string together video of Trump repeatedly condoning violence against protesters ("I'd like to punch him in the face," he said of one in Las Vegas), even as he stated over the weekend that he does not condone violence.

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In previous contests over the last six weeks, voters who made up their minds in the last few days before an election had tended to reject Trump, polls have found.

Will Marco Rubio drop out?

After losing nearly two dozen contests, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida must win his home state to remain a viable contender for the nomination.

But that would require a sudden Trump collapse in Florida. Polls have found him running far ahead of Rubio.

A Florida loss would leave Rubio with no feasible path to overtake Trump in the chase for delegates, making it all but impossible to raise enough money to sustain his campaign.

Could Democrats see a Michigan repeat?

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Clinton's surprise defeat in Michigan on March 8 didn't dramatically alter the math required for her to win the nomination  thanks to her big win in Mississippi, she won more delegates on the night  but it nonetheless scrambled the race. For starters, the result showed that public polls, which had Clinton up by double digits, were way off, raising questions about the accuracy of surveys showing her leading in other states as well.

Michigan also proved Sanders' strength in a Midwestern industrial state. His strategy was to sharply criticize trade policies that he says have cost manufacturing jobs.

Sanders will try for repeat performances in Ohio and Illinois, where voters indicate some of the same anxieties about trade.

For her part, Clinton has announced new proposals intended to protect car manufacturers under the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership global trade deal in the works. But it's unclear whether that will be enough in Ohio, a state that was among the slowest to recover from the Great Recession.

What will happen in Chicago?

Clinton has been able to count on strong support from black voters, winning their votes by big margins in Southern states like South Carolina and Mississippi. However, her advantage among black voters wasn't as wide in Michigan, and now Sanders has set his sights set on Chicago.

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The city has been riven by protests over police violence, especially the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, and much of the anger has been directed at Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In his appeals to activists, including black residents angry at the mayor, Sanders has called on Emanuel to resign. Clinton, whose ties to Emanuel date to his work in her husband's presidential administration, has been more circumspect in her comments.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

chris.megerian@latimes.com
Police secure an area after an apartment raid in Brussels. Belgian police launched an anti-terror raid linked to last year's Paris attacks in a Brussels neighborhood on Tuesday. A police official, who requested anonymity because the operation was still ongoing, said the exact circumstances of the incident were still unclear, and that several police officers were injured. (Thierry Monasse / AP)

BRUSSELS  Belgian and French police investigating a suspected link with the November attacks in Paris stormed a Brussels house Tuesday after being fired upon, and killed a suspect armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, authorities said.

Three Belgian and one French police officer were slightly wounded in the operation.

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"We had a lot of luck," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said. "It could have been a drama."

One police officer was wounded on his ear right under his helmet, and another was injured when his service weapon was struck by a bullet.

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The major anti-terror operation, which lasted more than three hours, paralyzed an entire neighborhood of the Belgian capital, with schools and a day care center placed on lockdown and autoworkers at a nearby Audi plant instructed not to leave by management.

The operation brought back memories of the anxious days the Belgian capital lived through in November and December, when the subway and schools were closed for a time, and the New Year's Eve fireworks display was cancelled because of the threat of extremist violence.

Police secure the area in Brussels after police launched an anti-terror raid linked to last year's Paris attacks in a Brussels neighborhood and three police officers were slightly injured when shots were fired, officials said. (Thierry Monasse / AP)

Since it was unclear whether other extremist suspects remained at large late Tuesday, police operations were continuing.

"The investigation is actively proceeding night and day," the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. It said additional details of the Franco-Belgian operation would be made public at a news conference Wednesday morning. It said efforts were still underway to identify the slain suspect.

Prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt said when gunshots rang out that many people fled, and it was too early to say if some were suspects or all were innocent bystanders simply trying to escape.

The anti-terror raid in the Forest neighborhood was linked to the Nov. 13 gun and suicide bombing attacks on a stadium, cafes and a concert hall in Paris that left 130 people dead. Yet police didn't expect violent resistance Tuesday, the prosecutor said. That indicated they weren't targeting a major suspect like Salah Abdeslam, who fled Paris and remains on the run. Most of the Paris attackers died that night, including Abdeslam's brother Brahim, who blew himself up.

More than four months on, Belgian police and magistrates are still piecing together the role Belgian nationals and others living in this country played in aiding the Paris attackers.

The suspected ringleader of the November bloodbath was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighborhood. Hadfi blew himself up outside a stadium in the northern Paris suburbs and Abaaoud was killed in a police raid on a nearby house days later.

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On Tuesday, the Forest neighborhood was locked down for five hours after the initial burst of gunfire. Three of the police officers, including a French police woman, were wounded when they were fired upon after opening the door of the apartment in the Rue du Dries they had come to search. The fourth officer was wounded in a later exchange of gunfire.

After the first gunshots, police sealed off a wide perimeter around the multicultural neighborhood to keep journalists and curious residents at a safe distance. A helicopter hovered overhead as officers looked for at least one other suspect they believed might have escaped. Several hundred spectators gathered, hooded officers wearing body armor milled about and ambulances stood at the ready.

Belgian authorities have stepped up their counterterror efforts since a lone gunman killed four people at the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014. The small western European country has also been prime recruiting ground for the Islamic State extremist group, and officials freely acknowledge their concerns about what radicalized recruits might do after returning home from the battlefields of Syria or Iraq.

Associated Press
In the Land of the Falling Moms, every obstacle beckons with a kind of gravity. The curled corner of a rug. The slightly raised entryway. The uneven sidewalk. The slick tile.

In the Land of the Falling Moms, the difference between upright and upended is measured in inches, but the consequences are calculated in months.

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One morning, my mother awakes more or less fully intact, or at least unbroken. She gets out of bed, loses her balance and falls into a wall. She rights herself, somehow dresses and shuffles with her walker to the assisted-living dining room for breakfast. Because she has fractured her collarbone, pubis and sacrum, the pain must be excruciating. Yet she tells no one.

She finally calls me that night. "I fell," she tells me. The ambulance is on its way. She cannot say where it will take her. She doesn't know what time it is. Or what day. Or what year.

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At the emergency room, she complains that the surfaces are all too cold and hard. That the attending staff is too rough as they twist and turn her damaged body for X-rays. Don't they know she hurts? The doctor discovers that she also has a urinary tract infection. She gets morphine.

So long ago that it does not seem real, when my mother was a single working mom, healthy and whole, she took me to a makeshift outdoor skating rink. We wore corduroy coats, mittens and knit caps. The cold wind off Lake Michigan took our breath away. I tired and wanted to return to our apartment and wrap my arms around the radiator. She wanted to skate just one more time. I whined and begged, but she won out, promising hot cocoa. On her last time around the rink, she fell and broke her arm. We did not own a car. We walked back to the apartment, her arm hanging unnaturally. Once home, she called a taxi, a luxury for us, and we rode to the hospital. I read comic books while they set her arm in a wet, bulky cast. Then we took the bus home. She made me my cocoa, and the next morning she went to work. She never mentioned the pain. To me, she was invincible.

Now, after four days at the hospital, my mother is transferred to a nursing home in the same building as her assisted-living apartment. Here she will receive physical and occupational therapy. Her senior complex provides the entire "continuum of care," as though the last years of life are "not perceptibly different from each other," as the community's definition states, instead of a series of anguishing setbacks, each event stripping away another layer of confidence from the ones we love.

When Mom arrived at her apartment five years ago, she was in independent living. A year later, as her dementia worsened and she was too confused to take her pills or operate a coffeemaker, she was moved to assisted living. Now, nearer the end of the continuum, she sits in a wheelchair, her arm in a loose sling, her hair in a long braid, wearing nubby, no-slip hospital socks. She is confused but not withdrawn.

I remind her of the last time she was here, following a fall in the bathroom, when she cut her head on the shower door and ended up in an intensive care unit with bleeding in her brain. "I did? I don't remember that," she says, looking past me out the window. "How are things in Iowa?" she asks. I live in Illinois.

I go upstairs to my mother's one-room apartment. Since her fall nothing has been touched. Her purse is half hidden under a pillow. Her bed is unmade. A cup of cold coffee and various papers are scattered on a table. I select an armful of blouses, pants, underwear and a couple of family pictures. Before I close the door I take one last look. I doubt she will return to this room.

Washington Post Writers Group

Stephen J. Lyons' most recent book is "Going Driftless: Life Lessons from the Heartland for Unraveling Times."
I received my graduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago later in life. I planned on attending the Donald Trump rally for the purpose of "seeing what was going down," to say it in colloquial terms.

I never did get inside, but what I did see going on outside the pavilion has never made me happier to be a UIC grad, nor prouder of the young people of Chicago. Those kids would not let the reputation of their school be tarnished by what they saw as racist and intolerant beliefs, at a time when there is talk going around the state about making public institutions for higher education obsolete. They defended the honor of a school that taught me how to express myself as I am now, with a conscience and without vitriol, simply stating what I believe to be right.

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Young adults like the protesters on Friday night give me hope for the future and faith that Chicago and our nation will pull through these tough times. There are better things on the horizon, and the kids proved it. Many of the protesters should know that our national and local governments have endured bad candidates in the past and will again this time. Other than that, thank you for sticking up for me.

 Sam Stephan, Chicago
The Easter bunny is already hippity hopping on his way, so head to Village Crossing to prepare for the holiday that arrives early on March 27 this year.

Start your springtime look with a session at Palm Beach Tan for a better shade of you. Consider trying the cocktail tan, which starts with sunbed tanning followed by sunless spray tanning for a deeper even tan that lasts longer.

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Then round up the whole family and head over to Supercuts for precision cuts to welcome Spring with style. Get ready for Easter morning with a stop at Party City where there is an array of Easter basket designs, plus all the Easter grass, butterfly pens, plush bunnies, fillable eggs and chocolates needed to create a basket sure to bring a smile to your young one's face.

Get started planning your spring feast at Half Price Books where there are rows of cookbooks filled with tempting recipes. After you plan the menu, stop in at Jewel Osco for everything on your shopping list from the appetizers to the main course of lamb, ham or turkey.

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Bring something extra to the table with spectacular serving ware from Pier One Imports, where dinnerware is on sale through March. Choose from plates featuring bunnies, botanicals or shades of springtime pastels. Tuesday Morning also offers many stunning serving pieces, including whimsical cabbage stoneware from Portugal.

Once the eggs are dyed, the baskets hidden and the meal planned, reward yourself with a massage or facial at Massage Envy where they believe "it feels good to feel good."

Welcoming spring is a breeze at Village Crossing on West Touhy Avenue near Central Avenue in Niles. For more information, visit www.villagecrossingniles.com.
Dolores Huerta has heard plenty of what she calls "hate rhetoric" through the years.

The national Latino leader and union organizer says there is plenty of it these days  against Latinos, against unions, against women and against the middle class.

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But she says such rhetoric, when espoused by national figures , could have a positive result. It did in California, she said, after voters made it illegal to hire illegal immigrants.

"Because of what happened, more people became citizens, registered to vote, and it transformed California," she said. "There are so many Latino legislators now. Donald Trump coming out with all this hate rhetoric can cause, I don't call it a revolution, but an evolution ... a political evolution of people who are going to get involved ..."

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Huerta gave her message Monday in a last-minute, get-out-the-vote speech for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the Painters Union District Council 30 Hall in Aurora. Huerta was a long-time union organizer herself, going back to the days of organizing farm workers in California with Cesar Chavez. For her years of leadership, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Obama.

She called Clinton's primary opponent Tuesday in Illinois, Bernie Sanders, "a nice man."

"But Bernie's been in the Congress for 26 years, and what has he done?" she said. "Hillary Clinton has the capacity to make things happen."

In particular, she criticized Sanders for failing to support immigration reform fashioned in 2007 by a Senate coalition that included such Democrats as Richard Durbin, Edward Kennedy and Clinton, as well as Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

"And here we are, almost 10 years later, and we still don't have immigration reform," she said.

Sanders has said he opposed it because of guest-worker program contained in the legislation.

Huerta also chastised what she called the "war against labor unions."

"It's an attack on the middle class of America, and an attack on the middle class is an attack on democracy, right?" she said. "We have to continue organizing. It's the only way we can fend off this attack on labor unions."

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Introducing Huerta was former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who also served as U.N. Ambassador, also in town stumping for Clinton. He said the vote "is going to be tight in Illinois, although I feel good about it."

"Something's wrong with the campaign if we don't win in Illinois," he said. "It's a very critical part of the country. Illinois is a barometer for the rest of the country."

Huerta pointed out that the Latino vote in Illinois can be decisive. She pointed to Virginia, which elected a governor by 53,000 votes. Some 63,000 Latinos voted in the election, she said, in a state with only about 7 percent to 8 percent Latinos.

"Si, se puede," she said, which the largely Latino crowd repeated back. It means, yes, we can.
(Third from left) Tony Stallone, vice president of merchandising for Peapod, Ji Suk Yi, of Windy City Live, and Eudell Watts III (fifth from left), and Eudell Watts IV of Evanston (sixth from left) get together after Old Arthur's Barbecue Sauce was announced as the winner in Peapod's Next Best product competition. (Windy City Live / Handout)

An Evanston man, owner of a family barbecue recipe passed down five generations, had all the right ingredients, including a compelling story of perseverance, to win top prize last week in a contest looking for the Chicago area's next best edible product.

Judges in Peapod's promotional Next Best competition announced Old Arthur's Barbecue Sauce as the winner from a field of more than 150 entries. The announcement was made on ABC 7's Windy City LIVE.

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Recognition by the online grocery service provides the product, which has had limited exposure until now, with a one year distribution deal from Peapod.

"We're very excited about it," said Eudell Watts IV, who was at the March 7 announcement ceremony along with his father, Eudell Watts III.

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Their ancestor, Arthur Watts, the "Old Arthur" in the brand name, was born a slave in 1837, the Watts family said, and perfected the barbecue recipe and an open pit technique at the estate that bonded him.

When freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, they said, Arthur's recipes became the only possessions of value that he took with him out of bondage.

To date, Watts IV said he and his father, both with demanding full-time jobs, have been careful about the product and family story behind it.

"It's been a labor of love," Watts IV said.

He said the product has been selectively stocked with a group of grocers, butcher and bar and grills, mostly in central Illinois. Locally, it can be found at Al's Meat Market, 1165 Wilmette Ave., in Wilmette.

Watts IV, an executive in the pharmaceutical industry, said he and his father, a chef and caterer in Rock Island, have moved cautiously while still learning the ins and outs of the commercial food market.

Recognition by Peapod "is a confidence booster that helps us pick up our pace and move a little quicker," he said.

Peapod, based in Skokie after starting in Evanston in 1989, now operates in more than 24 U.S. markets, according to its website.

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The contest kicked off Feb. 1 and featured competition from some of Chicago's best and brightest food and beverage talent, said Tony Stallone, Peapod's vice president of merchandising.

Entrants pitched their products to Stallone and three celebrity judges  Alpana Singh, restaurateur and former host of "Check, Please!" food writer and former Chicago Tribune reporter Kevin Pang and chef Ina Pinkney.

Watts IV said his father barbecued a variety of meats for the judging team, smearing on some of the sauce.

"We were told to be prepared for one or two questions, they actually asked us more than a dozen," he said of the initial meeting.

In the competition, entries are a graded on a product's taste, packaging, marketability, innovation and product strategy.

Many of the contestants bring a passion for their products, Stallone said, and the history behind "Old Arthur's" spoke to great perseverance.

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"After the show I went home and told my family about the story," he said. "It's incredible."

The recognition entitles Old Arthur's to a one year distribution deal from Peapod across its Chicagoland, Indianapolis and Milwaukee markets, Peapod said in their announcement.

In addition, the Watts family product will receive promotion on Peapod's website, email, social media campaigns as well as on fliers.

The family has accumulated information about Arthur's life from old Census reports, including his, parentage, travels and family lineage, said Watts IV.

Arthur Watts would live to age 108 in the little town of Kewanee, Illinois, said Watts III, in an interview and also in an essay based on his research which appeared in History Channel Magazine in July 2009.

He was born in the spring of 1837 in Randolph County, Mo., wrote Watts III in the article.

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Starting at age 5 or 6, one of Arthur's responsibilities was tending the cooking fires on the large production farm, according to the family history.

"His formula for a delicious red barbecue sauce came with him from Missouri to Kewanee, Illinois," Watts III wrote in the magazine article. "He instructed his sons, including my grandfather Eudell, as well as his nephews in preparing gargantuan amounts of smoked pork shoulder for the annual Pork Capital of the World celebration, which survives today, along with his famous barbecue sauce, in Kewanee."

Arthur died in 1945, from injuries suffered in an accident at a railroad crossing, wrote Watts III in the article.

The recipe passed down from Arthur Watts has a greater number of ingredients than most popular brands, the family says.

Eudell Watts IV remembers hearing about the special sauce as a young boy.

He also remembers the stories about "Old Arthur," and the thrill that went along with making a sauce "pretty close to the way it came from Arthur's hand."

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bseidenberg@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @evanstonscribe
Valerie Starr, 39, of Libertyville, was one of many voters in Libertyville Precinct 183. An election official said voting is up in the precinct as of Tuesday afternoon. (By Frank Abderholden / Lake County News-Sun)

Many Lake County residents who hit the polls Tuesday afternoon cited controversial Republican candidate Donald Trump as one reason they voted.

Ballot Box Judge Paulette Peters said precinct 183 at the Crosslife Evangelical Church at 431 W. Austin Ave. in Libertyville had 950 voters by 1 p.m.

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"This is a big turnout for us," the longtime judge said. "Usually we have a quiet time, but not today."

Democrat Valerie Starr, 39, said, "My heart is with Bernie (Sanders). Anybody but Trump and I will survive."

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Former U.S. Marine Steven Hagstrim, 61, of Libertyville, said he does not like Trump after the candidate made controversial remarks about one of Hagstrom's heroes: Sen. John McCain.

"I fought for the right of people to have the right of free speech," Hagstrim said."I meet McCain, talked to him, you can't find a more real hero. He refused to leave the prison camp until all his men left."

Hagstrim, who said he likes both U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth, does not think Cruz should be allowed to run for president.

"He was born in Canada, I don't care if his mother was a U.S. citizen," Hagstrim said.

Mark Sennett, 24, of Libertyville, said the Republican race has been just a "popularity contest." He noted he was not a Trump supporter.

"I feel (Trump) is doing it for the publicity and promotion," Sennett said. "I'm more of a conservative with core values, such as being pro-life. ...Trump has been disappointing. I hope some other candidates can emerge."

First time voter Jack Meyer, 18, of Libertyville said he is a Libertarian even though some people believe a vote for a third party is a wasted vote.

"I come from a very political family and it's your duty to vote," Meyer said.

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He said he had friends at Friday's canceled Trump rally in Chicago.

"I didn't like my choices (on the Republican ballot), but I chose," Meyer said. "I'm not a big Trump guy."

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
I should begin this with a disclaimer  I am the Chairman of the firm that produced An Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2016. That said, I had nothing to do with its creation  the content has come purely from professionals within the firms Hong Kong office, and I hadnt seen the text until very recently. What I will suggest, however, is that it makes for important reading when one considers the position the territory has found itself in as concerns mainland China.

While the report focuses on the foreign investment and tax aspects of doing business in Hong Kong  which frankly is what Dezan Shira & Associates does best and has done since 1992  I have been a bit wary of the direction Hong Kong has been taking over the past few years. Its population doesnt quite see eye to eye with Beijing, and calls from the CCP for Hong Kong residents to love China have been greeted in some quarters with a certain amount of ridicule. Hong Kong has recently been inundated with millions of mainland tourists, who while encouraged by the tourism and retail industries, have also stripped local supermarket shelves bare of hard to come by products in China  incidents of Hong Kong mothers not having baby milk to purchase in local shops due to mainlanders buying all imported products up created a barrier between local Hong Kongese and mainland Chinese. Beijings reaction to these tensions caused it to reference Hong Kong locals as splittists, while the local government wisely stepped away from that rhetoric and named such complainants as localists. The upshot of all this is that, socially, Hong Kongs citizens are not enjoying the best of relations with China right now. Understandably, it is this aspect that has garnered much media attention.

But stepping aside from those issues, where does Hong Kong really fit in with global, and mainland China, business? How can it assist international companies that do business in China?

Firstly, Hong Kong is the worlds eighth largest trading economy. Thats pretty impressive for what is essentially a city with a population of about 7 million. Also, Hong Kong handles a significant portion of mainland Chinas external trade  about 12 percent of the total, valued at some US$278 billion. Just that trade alone is equivalent to the entire annual GDP of Pakistan. On top of that, it handles 13 percent of all Chinas imports, valued at US$ 251 billion, and these figures are just for mainland China trade.

Part of this is due to the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a trade deal between Hong Kong  which maintains its own currency, business laws, taxes and import-export system  and Mainland China, which the Dezan Shira report comments on. Basically put, the CEPA agreement gives Hong Kong registered companies priority and preferred status when trading with mainland China. As Hong Kong incorporations can be wholly owned by foreign nationals, this means there are significant benefits in using a local Hong Kong incorporation to handle your China trade than a company based in your country of origin. We originally commented on the CEPA Rules of Origin regulations here.

So far, so good. Hong Kong is also a Free Port, meaning zero import taxes on many items being brought into the territory. With no VAT either, it can be cheaper to source products in Hong Kong, then reship to many other jurisdictions, including Mainland China.

Yet Hong Kong has also been developing infrastructure ties with Southeast Asian nations as well, mainly to support Beijings Maritime Silk Road initiative. Hong Kong can do this through its status as the worlds fourth largest container port.

Hong Kong has an upcoming Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN, and investment is already underway to improve port links between Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East and Africa. In this sense, Hong Kong has finally regained an initiative over Singapore after years of purely concentrating on China trade. With Beijings political and financial clout, Hong Kong is set to emerge rather more strongly as an axis between China and Southeast Asia than it has in the past. That is good news for China based manufacturers and exporters looking to sell to new, developing markets such as India and beyond. It means that Hong Kong remains a core destination for handling goods into and out of China  and increasingly to other Asian and international destinations. It remains the only true gateway into China, and businesses both looking to sell into the Chinese market and export from it should be looking at Hong Kong very seriously as a services base.

The Dezan Shira & Associates Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2016 contains a wealth of practical information concerning corporate set up, the tax regime  including updates from the recent Hong Kong budget  and how to operate a business trading with China and Asia from the territory.

The guide has also been endorsed by Mike Rowse, the Former Head of Invest HK, the Hong Kong government agency responsible for attracting investment into the territory. He states: The Dezan Shira & Associates 2016 Hong Kong Guide is the most comprehensive document of its kind I have ever seen. It begins with an overview of Hong Kongs political and economic situation since China took the city back from British administration in 1997, and in the process corrects many misperceptions. This is followed by a realistic assessment of economic prospects in 2016. Then down to all the practical ins and outs of setting up and operating a business. How to establish a company (including what kind of structure to adopt), then a detailed section on tax and accounting including information on Hong Kongs many Double Taxation Agreements. The section on employing staff is comprehensive and HR departments everywhere will be grateful for its detail. Finally there are informative assessments of three industries (retail, offices and logistics) which would be of general interest. I can strongly recommend this guide as a definitive introduction to Hong Kong.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2016 can be downloaded for free here.



Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Founding Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates  a specialist foreign direct investment practice providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia. Since its establishment in 1992, the firm has grown into one of Asias most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam, in addition to alliances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, as well as liaison offices in Italy, Germany and the United States. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Chris can be followed on Twitter at @CDE_Asia. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight.



An Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2016

An Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2016 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in Hong Kong. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Hong Kong market, but also for companies that already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.



Hong Kong and Singapore Holding Companies

Hong Kong and Singapore both offer very similar tax incentives for foreign companies, but there are differences between the two and tax rates differ, as do the strategic nuances and their use of various double tax treaties.

Trading with China

In this issue of China Briefing, we focus on the minutiae of trading with China  regardless of whether your business has a presence in the country or not. Of special interest to the global small and medium-sized enterprises, this issue explains in detail the licensing framework concerning trading with the most populous nation on Earth  plus the inevitable tax, customs and administrative matters that go with this.


File photo taken on June 8, 2011 shows the logo of Alibaba.com in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. [Xinhua]

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's logistics offshoot Cainiao has attracted investment from Malaysia and Singapore, including Temasek Holdings Pte, in its first round of external fundraising since being created in 2013.

Zhejiang Cainiao Supply Chain Management Co, to give its full name, also gained funding from global investment firm GIC Pte and sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd which is expected to bankroll its expansion, according to a statement on Monday.

The company declined to specify the amounts raised or the stakes sold, although Caixin reported that its delivery network is now valued at about 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) as a result of the funding round.

Cainiao facilitates the delivery of 70 percent of China's express packages using a network spanning 2,800 counties at home, and in 224 countries and regions globally.

Chief Executive Officer Tong Wenhong said the company is now angling toward a public offering to bankroll further expansion.

"If e-commerce was the focus of China's economy in the past 10 years, logistics will be the focus for the next 10," Tong said in the statement.

In an interview with Sina.com on Monday, she said most of China's e-commerce firms have built their own logistics networks to deliver goods, including huge and expensive investment in warehouses and delivery teams, and led to losses in many cases.

"But in fact, the logistics industry can use big data and collaboration to reduce costs and increase efficiency," she said.

Founded by Alibaba with a consortium of logistics companies, however, Cainiao is different in that rather than expanding its own network it operates a proprietary logistics information platform, that links a network of providers, warehouses and distribution centers, which offers efficiency and cost savings.

The new investment, Tong said, will be used to build up Cainiao's core businesses, including its own warehouses and cross-border delivery services, expand its rural delivery abilities and support its business partners.

Alibaba initially had a 48 percent stake in Cainiao after creating it with department store chain Intime Retail Group Co and industrial conglomerate Fosun International Ltd. The business had 700 employees in June last year.

China's logistic cost accounted for 16 percent of the country's GDP in 2015, creating 30 million jobs, according to the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing.

The sector's dramatic growth has been largely driven by China's rapidly expanding online retail market, which itself was worth 3.83 trillion yuan in 2015.

Statistics from China Express Association show that as many as 20.6 billion parcels were delivered last year, a 48 percent increase.
A social worker checks an old man's blood pressure at a residential community in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China has set a target of training 1.45 million social workers by 2020 to promote the country's social services, a social work administration official said on Monday, one day before World Social Work Day.

"To fill the gap, we are going to work with educational departments to encourage more universities to open social work programs and to recruit more students," said Huang Shengwei, deputy director-general of the Department of Social Work at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Training more young professionals will strengthen the foundation of social work in China, Huang added.

Premier Li Keqiang said while delivering the Government Work Report that the government will support the development of professional social work, volunteer service and philanthropy.

By the end of last year, China had about 500,000 social workers, but it needs more experienced and professional social workers. For example, the new law against domestic violence, which took effect on March 1, stresses the important role of professional social workers.

Nearly 30,000 college students graduate from social work programs every year in China. About 70 senior vocational colleges provide degrees, 321 universities provide a bachelor's degree, and 104 universities and research institutes provide degrees above master's level.

"It is a big leap from 10 years ago, but we hope the number of college graduates (majoring in social work) will rise to 40,000 and even 50,000 each year," Huang said.

Another strategy is to encourage current unlicensed social workers to take the national social workers' exam to gain a professional license, Huang said.
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Restoration work has begun on a section of the Great Wall that has been under water since the 1970s following the construction of a reservoir in north China's Hebei Province, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

Only a small part of the section  called Xifengkou, a fortress built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)  was left above the surface in Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County after the Panjiakou Reservoir was built.

The main part of the structure can be seen in times of drought when the water level in the reservoir drops.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage gave the go-ahead to a restoration plan in 2014, China News Service reported.

Workers are using original materials and following ancient techniques to restore the wall to its original appearance, said Liu Yunquan, curator of the county museum.
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Chen Man (L) hugs his mother at home after his release on Feb. 2, 2016 in southwest China's Sichuan Province. [Photo/China News Service]

A court in South China on Monday accepted a compensation request from a man who spent 23 years in prison after he was wrongly found guilty of murder and arson.

Chen Man was released last month at the age of 53 and filed his claim last week with the Higher People's Court of Hainan Province, seeking 9.66 million yuan (about 1.48 million U.S. dollars) in compensation.

According to his attorney, the demand includes 1.85 million yuan for deprivation of personal freedom, 3.71 million yuan for loss of work, 3 million yuan for psychological trauma, 1 million to cover legal costs of the past two decades, and 100,000 yuan for medical costs.

Court president Dong Zhiliang said a collegiate bench will be formed to handle the case.

Chen was arrested at the end of 1992 and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by Haikou Intermediate People's Court in November 1994.

The local procuratorate deemed the sentence "too light" and called for Chen to be executed. The request was rejected by Hainan Higher People's Court in 1999, beginning Chen's 16-year appeal ordeal.
The Mozambican police announced on Monday that they have seized more than 76 kg of rhino horns at Maputo International Airport.

Speaking at a news conference in Maputo, the spokesperson for the Maputo City Police Command, Orlando Mudumane, told reporters that the consignment, worth about 4.6 million U.S. dollars, was discovered in two suitcases, as they were being put on a flight to Kenya Friday.

"The owner of the suitcases and their illicit contents has not yet been identified", he said.

Since both white and black rhinos are believed to be nearly extinct in southern Mozambique, it is more likely that the rhinos, from which these horns were taken, were poached in the Kruger National Park in South Africa neighboring Mozambique, according to Mudumane.

Poaching is a serious headache for the southern African country, with the number of elephants fell over 50 percent from 2009 to 2014, according to an official research.

It also shows that rhinos, lions and leopards are facing serious threat of extinction in Mozambique.

Mozambicans are also accused of poaching in the Kruger National Park, with Mozambicans list as the most among foreign prisoners in South Africa committed poaching.
Australia's chief scientist has warned the planet is losing the battle against climate change after February set a "completely unprecedented" record for the hottest month since global records began.

Australia's chief scientist Alan Finkel told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC's) Q&A program late Monday that it was probably too early to suggest there was a climate emergency, but "there is genuine reason for concern".

Earlier Monday a NASA climate report revealed temperatures were the warmest in more than a century of record keeping, while the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have risen to unprecedented levels following the largest annual increase in 50-years of record keeping last year.

"For all the effort we are putting into trying to avoid increases of emission, we are losing," Finkel told the audience.

"What we are doing with solar, wind, changing practices, behavioural practices and things like that, we're not winning the battle."

The absolute hottest month in the world was July 2015, however July and August tend to be four degrees Celsius hotter than January and February due to the Northern Hemisphere's large land mass cooling the planet during the northern winter.
Rendering of the largest one of the three plants. [Photo/People's Daily Online]

The city of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province plans to build three waste incineration power plants in the next three years. One of them will be the world's largest, which is able to dispose 5,000 tonnes of garbage daily.

According to Wang Guobin, the director of Shenzhen City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau, the biggest plant alone can handle one third of Shenzhen's garbage and will be put into use in 2018.

In the meantime, Shenzhen is to upgrade its current garbage incineration plants. The emission performance will excel the EU standards after the improvement.

"The projects have got its EIA approval and have finished the leveling construction. The main body construction will start by the end of this year," said Wang. By 2018, the three plants in total will be able to dispose 10,300 tonnes of waste every day, he added.

In the past ten years, Shenzhen garbage saw a growth of 6.1 percent every year. The waste produced by the city reached 5.51 million tonnes and is estimated to exceed 5.33 million in 2020. The four landfills of the city have all been overloaded for the time being.
The Japanese government on Tuesday committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by endorsing a plan to achieve its goal of reducing emissions by more than a quarter with 15 years.

The initial plan backed Tuesday is to cut emissions by 26 percent in 2030 from 2013 levels and thereafter to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, as per a new global deal on climate change brokered at a conference on the matter in Paris in December.

"Measures to deal with global warming are a top priority issue for the Cabinet. We will do our utmost to work on the issue," Abe said during a meeting on the matter Tuesday, during which the prime minister also called for more attention to be given to the research and development of clean energy batteries.

The plan seeks to set limitations on emissions from power plants that burn fossil fuels, a mainstay while the nation's nuclear plants are offline for safety checks in the wake of the Fukushima meltdowns which were triggered by a tsunami five years ago, and private residences and office buildings will be called on to reduce power consumption and adopt eco-friendly technologies.

Prior to being approved by the Cabinet ahead of the Group of Seven industrialized nations' summit to be held here in May, the public will be polled for their opinions on Japan's energy goals.
People witness the raising of the Cuban flag over Cuba's embassy in Washington,D.C. on July 20, 2015, the first time it has flown there since the ties were served 54 years ago (XINHUA)

U.S.-Cuba relations will take another significant step toward reconciliation this spring when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Havana. He will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit the island nation since Calvin Coolidge did so in 1928.

The two sides restored diplomatic ties just last summer after 54 years without formal communication. President Obama announced the March 21-22 visit, tweeting on February 17, "I'll travel to Cuba to advance our progress and efforts that can improve the lives of the Cuban people."

The United States and Cuba severed relations in the 1960s during the Cold War following two high-profile international incidents. The first was a military invasion called the Bay of Pigs in 1961, when a group of Cubans funded and trained by the American Central Intelligence Agency tried to overthrow Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro's government, but were embarrassingly unsuccessful. The second and better-known incident is the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, in which nuclear war was barely avoided.

Trade restrictions between the two countries had begun in 1959 after Castro's communist party came to power and took over private businesses. Strict trade embargoes were put into place following the Cuban Missile Crisis, when all U.S. trade with Cuba was banned, with the exception of non-subsidized food and medicine. Americans were also no longer allowed to travel to the nation, and all two-way commercial flights were stopped.

Still, over the last 50 years, hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled to the United States seeking asylum. In 1994, President Bill Clinton's administration enacted the "Wet-Foot, Dry-Foot" policy to deal with the increasing number of Cubans seeking refuge. If a Cuban was caught in the water between the countries - with "wet feet" - they would be repatriated home or sent to a third country. But if they were on American soil - with "dry feet" - they would be allowed to stay in the United States.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Monday called on participants of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to avoid making radical statements.

"We urge everyone to avoid fanning tensions and confrontation in media space, and to sit down at the negotiating table honestly in search of an agreement," Lavrov said at a live press conference with the visiting Tunisian counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui.

"Any radical approaches, ultimatums or attempts to determine the outcome of the intra-Syrian dialogue do not help to create an atmosphere needed for reaching an accord," Lavrov said.

Media reported recently that Syrian opposition groups intended to create a transitional government without the participation of the country's President Bashar al-Assad.

In regard to such claims, Lavrov said that political settlement in Syria must take into account the interests of the whole spectrum of the country's political forces, while the final results of this process should be based on the mutual consent of the government of Syria and all opposition parties.

According to Lavrov, "the statements that someone will be excluded from political process contradict the position of the UN Security Council."

Meanwhile, Lavrov expressed Russia's readiness to support any agreement reached on Syria's future state system between the government and all the opposition groups.

The new round of reconciliation talks between the Syrian government and opposition in Geneva is scheduled on March 14-24.

The previous round of talks ended last month with no tangible results, but intensified international efforts have managed to establish a cessation of hostilities in Syria, which started from midnight of Feb. 26.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said on Monday that his country wants to boost economic cooperation and "increase interaction in international affairs" with Japan.

Morgulov said this in an interview ahead of the visit of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Japan, scheduled for mid-April.

"In general, our position is that Russian-Japanese relations need to be freed as soon as possible from unrelated factors and artificial build-ups," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Morgulov as saying.

He said Lavrov planned to discuss with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida "the full range of issues of bilateral relations and to exchange views on major regional and international issues."

He said one of the issues to be discussed during Lavrov's visit would be preparation for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Russia, the date of which he declined to disclose.

Abe's top spokesperson Yoshihide Suga said on Feb. 24 that Abe planned to pay "an official visit" to Russia and discuss a long-standing territorial dispute between Tokyo and Moscow.

Tokyo has been keen to resolve its territorial dispute with Moscow over four Pacific islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, which has prevented both sides from inking a peace treaty after World War II.
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The death toll of the bomb attack in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday has increased to 37, said Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu on Monday.

At least one of the dead was a terrorist, Muezzinoglu said, adding that there could be a second terrorist among killed.

Nineteen out of the 71 wounded remained in critical condition, he said.

The blast took place in Kizilay district in the heart of Ankara at 18:35 local time (GMT 1635), according to a statement released on Sunday.

Private news broadcaster NTV said Sunday that a bomb-loaded car exploded near a bus stop where many people were waiting. A number of vehicles, including a bus carrying passengers, were set on fire near Guven Park, a major transportation hub. The wounded were rushed to 10 different hospitals for treatment.

"Turkey has become a target of terror attacks due to the instabilities in the region," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in late Sunday.

Turkey will continue its determined fight against terrorism, he said.

The attack came two days after the U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warning of a "potential terrorist plot" to attack Turkish government buildings and housing located in the Bahcelievler area of Ankara.

This was the third major blast to hit the Turkish capital since last October.

On Oct. 10, 2015, suspected Islamic State (IS) militants bombed a peace rally near Ankara Railway Station near a major city thoroughfare, killing 103 people.

On Feb. 17, a suicide car bomb targeted military shuttles in the capital city, killing 29 and injuring 81 others. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, a Kurdish militant group linked to the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), claimed responsibility.

Since a cease-fire between the government and the PKK collapsed last July, Turkish security forces have been conducting a major campaign against the group in the southeast of the country.

More than 260 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed since then in confrontations inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.
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Kenya's security agents in the northeastern country of Mandera are engaging the Somalia administration in Bula Hawo to help curb cross-border incursions by the Islamist militants.

The Kenyan government officials said on Monday they have been holding security meeting with Somalia authorities where they have resolved that common entry and exit points will be established along the porous border.

Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said both governments agreed to share information related to terrorism as well as step up efforts to restore peace in the border region.

"Suspects arrested on either country will be handed to their country of origin for prosecution," Shisia told journalists in Mandera town.

Mandera town is situated at the Somalia border and stretches for about 20 kilometres from Border Point One, making it prone to frequent terrorist attacks.

Under the new measures, according to the government administrator, people visiting either country will be screened with police increasing patrols along the common border.

Kenya closed the common frontier over security concerns after it emerged that terrorists have been crossing over to commit crime in Mandera town with contraband goods being sneaked into the country.

Shisia claimed that Mandera security agents were suspecting their Somalia counterparts working with the Al-Shabaab especially in replenishing their food supplies, something he said leaders from neighbouring Somalia denied.

He said security agencies have intensified border patrols to deter infiltration of the militants into the country at a time of increased threats by the terrorists' network.

Early January, two UN World Food Program (WFP) trucks were seized by Mandera police over suspicion that they were ferrying food items to the Al-Shabaab.

The new move will help in curbing Kenyans from closing the border to join the Al-Shabaab.

Mandera law courts early March slapped a 10-year jail sentence on five men who went to Somalia to join the Al-Qaida linked terror group, the Al-Shabaab.

Work on the security wall that would have prevented free entry of goods and persons into the country however is stalling.

The wall which is expected to run from Mandera to Lamu was designed to have designated exit and entry points.

According to the government, the building of the 700 kilometre wall on the Kenya - Somalia border from Mandera in northeast Kenya to Kiunga in the coast will keep out the Al-Shabaab elements from infiltrating the county from Somalia.

Kenyan officials say the security wall will provide a long term security efforts to secure the border, adding that once the wall's construction is completed, it will only be crossed by entering through the appropriate border points.

The Islamist group has carried series of deadly attacks in northeast Kenya and other towns, including the capital city of Nairobi since the East African country sent its military into Somalia in 2011 to fight the Al-Qaida inspired group.
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The UN Security Council on Monday held a closed-door meeting on Iran's recent missile launch, with the United States and Russia having different positions on the issue.

The 15-nation UN body met behind closed doors at the request of the United States, which is seeking a council response to the March 9 launch of two missiles.

"This merits a council response," Samantha Power, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, told reporters after the council meeting. Currently, Washington is pushing for council action on Iran's missile launch, which Power described as "provocative and destabilizing."

However, Vitaly Churkin, the Russian UN ambassador, told reporters that Iran's launch did not violate relevant Security Council resolutions.

"A call is different from a ban, so legally you cannot violate a call, you can comply with a call or you can ignore the call, but you cannot violate a call," Churkin said. "The legal distinction is there."

Defiant against the U.S. threats over the development of ballistic missiles by Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on March 9 "successfully" test-fired two ballistic missiles in ongoing military drills across the country.

The missiles Qadr-H and Qadr-F were fired from East Alborz heights in northern Iran and could hit the targets in Makran Coasts southeast of the country. The missiles have a range of 1,700 km and 2,000 km respectively.

Earlier this month, the United States said although Iran's recent ballistic missile tests did not violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the issue could be the source of concern for the West and that it might be raised at the Security Council.

JCPOA is an agreement reached in July between Iran and six world powers, including the United States and Russia, after long nuclear negotiations.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said if it was determined that Iran's ballistic missile tests were in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Tehran could face "some consequences."
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Macedonian Ministry of Interior Monday announced that the police force with the support of the army are trying to stop several hundred migrants who have entered Macedonia illegally and make them return to Greece.

According the security forces, around 700 migrants from the transition camp at Idomeni in Greece managed to go around the fence at the Macedonian-Greek border and enter the country without being registered.

The group entered the Macedonian territory near the village Moin and hid in the yards of the local houses.

Macedonian police and the army are taking forced measures to secure the border, especially in the areas where bigger groups of illegal migrants are spotted.

Along with the migrants, 28 foreign journalists were detained because they also entered in Macedonia illegally, following the group of migrants, Macedonian police reported. They are facing charges for violating the country border.

The patience of the migrants who were trapped for days in the transition camp at Idomeni ran out on Monday, once the news was spread that three migrants drowned trying to cross the Suva Reka river into Macedonia illegally.

Although the Balkan route has been closed as a result of the agreement between the EU and Turkey, many migrants coming mainly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries refuse to turn back and give up reaching Europe through illegal channels.

In the past 24 hours not a single permit for transition of a migrant was issued in Macedonia, Macedonian Ministry of Interior reported. Since the beginning of 2016 almost 90,000 permits were issued, and half of them were for citizens of Syria.
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Military operations in Iraq's Anbar Governorate have displaced around 35,000 people since March 11, a UN spokesman told reporters Monday.

People are fleeing areas in the center of the governorate, including Kabissa, Heet, Al-Asriya village and Al-Saghriya village, and moving to areas west of Ramadi, in search of safety, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing.

"The (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that most people have reportedly fled with few belongings and need shelter, basic household items, food and water. More than 12,000 of those people have received humanitarian aid as of yesterday," he added.

Overall, approximately 53,500 people have been displaced in Anbar since military operations escalated at the end of December, said the spokesman. "With funding insufficient to meet more than the basic needs of people, most of the displaced are being hosted in overcrowded camps and temporary settlements in eastern Anbar locations."

The United Nations and its partners have appealed for 861 million U.S. dollars to provide emergency relief in 2016, of which only 9 percent, 74 million U.S. dollars in total, has so far been received.

The Iraqi military operations in Anbar, Iraq's largest province recently recaptured by Iraqi army from the Islamic State, is intended to build on gains in the west of the country.

Last month, Iraqi and coalition forces declared the western city of Ramadi fully-liberated. Afterward, Iraqi forces continued to clear villages in the area, most recently Zangura and Qariya Asriya northwest of the provincial capital, Ar Ramadi. This week, Iraqi forces evacuated more than a thousand people from the two villages being held as hostages by the Islamic State.

Anbar Governorate shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
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Syria on Monday denied any dispute or problem between Moscow and Damascus, against rumors following Russia's decision to withdraw forces from Syria.

Syria's presidential media office completely denied the claims on some opposition websites, saying the Russian decision came after complete coordination with the Syrian side.

"It's a step that has been carefully and precisely studied a while ago and came against the backdrop of the developments on ground, the latest of which was the cessation of hostilities," an official statement said.

It stressed that "Syria and Russia are still committed, as always, to fighting terrorism jointly anywhere in Syria."

An hour earlier, state news agency SANA said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed Monday on scaling down presence of Russian air force in Syria, according to state news agency SANA.

In a phone conversation, both leaders agreed to reduce the number of Russian air force in Syria in light of the "current developments on ground," SANA said.

The report said the decision was made based on the success of the Syrian army and the Russian air force in fighting terrorism and restoring peace and security to many Syrian areas.

It added that the Russian side asserted their continuous support to Syria in the face of terrorism.

Syria Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi stressed that anti-terror coordination between Moscow and Damascus is still on its highest levels, and will remain so.

In an interview with a Syrian TV channel, the minister said "the Russian friends are still completely committed to countering terrorism."

He added that the Russian decision came in coordination and understandings between Moscow and Damascus.

Al-Zoubi attributed the decision to the progress of the Syrian army against the terror groups, the progress on the national reconciliation, and the currently established cessation of hostilities.

He reaffirmed that "there is no change in the political and military relation between Syria and Russia."

Russia has intervened with its air force in Syria since last September, which, alongside efforts of the Syrian government forces, has largely helped restore several key areas from the rebels' hands.
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Israeli and Palestinian security officials have met in secret recently to discuss the restoration of the Palestinian security forces' control over major West Bank Palestinian cities, the Ha'aretz daily reported on Monday.

The daily said in its exclusive report that the talks, initiated by officials in the Israeli military and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, were aimed at restoring the ties between the Israeli and Palestinian security establishment and try to stabilize the situation in the West Bank, amid an ongoing wave of violence that erupted in October.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency have held frequent operations in those areas and others in the West Bank, as Palestinian stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks claimed the lives of 28 Israelis in the past month, with more than 175 Palestinians being killed over the months.

The Israeli security officials reportedly suggested that the IDF will end its frequent operations in Area A. The area, a fifth of the West Bank consisting of large Palestinian cities and their environs, was granted civilian and security control in the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

However, in the past two decades, especially during the period of the second Palestinian Intifada (armed uprising) of the early 2000s, the Israeli army and other security forces have operated in these territories, despite the Oslo Accords, amid waves of deadly terror attacks against the Israelis.

According to the proposal, Israeli security forces would be at liberty to operate in those territories, nonetheless, in the cases of "ticking-bombs," to prevent an attack from taking place, the daily reported.

The first town to be relinquished from the Israeli security forces' grip would be Ramallah and Jericho, with more West Bank towns to be added later on.

As for the status of the talks at present time, the Israeli official told the daily the talks are currently "stuck" but not at a dead end and could be resumed. The report said that both sides are waiting for more assurance and are facing political challenges that may threaten the fate of the talks.
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Turkish security forces have arrested 18 suspects following a car bomb attack that killed at least 37 people in the capital city of Ankara, private Dogan news agency reported on Monday.

The arrests were made in simultaneous operations in the northwestern province of Eskisehir and the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, Eskisehir Governor Gungoz Azmi Tuna was quoted as saying.

"The suspects were involved in terrorist propaganda and tried to embrace terrorists. They were involved in various actions," the governor said.

Documents related to "illegal organizations" were seized during the raids, he added.

Sunday's blast took place in Kizilay district in the heart of Ankara near a bus stop where many people were waiting, leaving 37 dead and several others wounded.

"Turkey has become a target of terror attacks due to the instability in the region," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on Sunday.

He vowed to continue fighting against terrorism.

It was the third major blast to hit the Turkish capital since last October.

On Oct. 10, 2015, suspected Islamic State (IS) militants bombed a peace rally near Ankara railway station, killing 103 people.

On Feb. 17, a suicide car bomb targeted military shuttles in the capital city, killing 29 and injuring 81 others, in an attack claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, a Kurdish militant group linked to the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

Since a cease-fire between the government and the PKK collapsed last July, Turkish security forces have been conducting a major campaign against the group in the southeast of the country.

More than 260 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed since then in confrontations inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.
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Iraqi security forces repelled attacks by Islamic State (IS) militants Monday in the western province of Anbar, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

Dozens of IS militants along with some suicide bombers prepared for the attack, carried mortar fusillade towards security posts in the villages of al-Hessi and Albu Aasi in the northern government-controlled town of Ameriyat al-Fallujah, about 40 km west of Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Security troops and allied Sunni tribal paramilitary units repelled the attack, forcing a withdrawal following the death of 11 IS militants, including three suicide bombers, while two security members were killed and five others were injured, added the source.

A second IS attack took place as a suicide bomber drove his explosive-filled vehicle into the troops and allied tribal units posts in the area of Zankoura, northwest of Ramadi and about 110 km west of Baghdad.

Eight soldiers were killed and 14 others were injured, and five military vehicles were wrecked, the source said.

The attack comes a week following the flushing out of IS militants by security forces from Zankoura and the raising of the Iraqi flag atop an area building.

Iraqi security forces have been battling IS militants to repossess control of large territories in northern and western Iraq, seized by IS since June 2014.

Security forces have so far recovered Ramadi, the provincial capital of the country's largest province of Anbar in December of last year.

Currently Iraqi security forces are fighting to regain the rest of the province of Anbar whilst simultaneously preparing a major offensive against the IS-controlled city of Mosul, northern Iraq's second largest city.
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Tens of thousands of Turks took to the streets on Monday to protest against the government's failure to prevent more terror attacks, after a latest one in the capital Ankara claimed at least 37 lives.

Protesters present a banner at Istiklal Street in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 14, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

In Istanbul, hundreds of protesters gathered in the bustling Istiklal Street to voice their displeasure at inadequate security measures.

"We are here today to mourn the people who lost their lives in Ankara," said a representative of a leftist group named "Halkevleri."

A bomb-laden car exploded on Sunday near a bus stop in the heart of Ankara, marking the third deadly attack in the city in less than five months.

"We do not want to die after school or after work," said a woman protester in Istanbul.

The protesters blamed the government for a poor intelligence system which has failed to prevent terror attacks at the center of Ankara.

Riot police dispersed the protesters with water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets before they started their march.

"Do not attack your people," shouted a woman in the crowd. "Try to find the suicide bombers."

In his latest statement, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a total of 11 suspects have been detained over the Ankara bombing in operations across the country.
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South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to come to a path for change amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Park told a Cabinet meeting that if Pyongyang continues unreasonable provocations and strong confrontations with the international community while refraining from coming to a path for change, the DPRK will walk a path of destroying itself.

The president said that despite strong sanctions from the international society and South Korea, the DPRK continued its provocative remarks like a pre-emptive nuclear strike, expressed its willingness to conduct another nuclear test and continued reckless threats such as the launch of short-range missiles.

Her comments came after top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un warned of impending tests of nuclear warheads and ballistic rockets.

According to the DPRK's KCNA news agency, Kim said a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of ballistic rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to enhance the reliance of its nuclear attack capability.

Kim made the remarks when he guided the successful simulated test of re-entry technology needed to return a long-range missile's warhead back into atmosphere. Seoul's defense ministry said the DPRK has yet to secure such technology.

Last week, Kim said that Pyongyang has succeeded in miniaturizing nuclear warheads to fit on ballistic missiles while stressing the need for continued tests of nuclear explosions to improve nuclear attack capability. Seoul's defense ministry refuted the claims, saying that the DPRK has yet to secure such technology.

Such nuclear threats showed the DPRK has a strong sense of crisis toward anti-DPRK sanctions by South Korea and the international community, President Park said, emphasizing the significance of implementing the sanctions properly.

Park instructed the military to maintain defense preparedness in order to immediately retaliate against any DPRK provocations, while ordering officials to strengthen strategic communications with relevant countries such as the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
Associated Press

Mar. 10, 2016 11:46 pm EST

 Geneva (AP)  The United States and 11 other Western countries are criticizing Chinas deteriorating human rights record, saying its extraterritorial actions are unacceptable.

The call at the Human Rights Council follows recent disappearances of five Hong Kong residents associated with a publisher of books banned in China. They include a Swedish national who disappeared from his holiday home in Thailand and later made a tearful appearance on Chinese state TV to say he surrendered over a 12-year-old fatal drunk driving case.

The Western countries denounced the unexplained recent disappearances and apparent coerced returns of Chinese citizens and foreigners to China.

U.S. ambassador Keith Harper told the council state broadcasts of confessions before any judicial process violates international conventions and Chinese laws.

___

This story has been corrected to delete reference to Swedish man accused of training unlicensed lawyers to avoid confusion with Swedish citizen who disappeared from Thailand.

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The Conservative Party Human Rights Commission

Press Release

16 March 2016





Miss World Canada Anastasia Lin and Chinese Dissident Bob Fu to Testify at a Hearing on Chinas Human Rights in UK Parliament on 23 March





 Anastasia Lin, a Chinese-Canadian actress and winner of last years Miss World Canada, will join Bob Fu, a Chinese dissident, and other China experts at a hearing held by the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission in Committee Room 18, House of Commons, from 5pm-7pm on Wednesday 23 March. The hearing is open to the media and public.

The hearing is part of an inquiry into Chinas deteriorating human rights situation, held by the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, chaired by Fiona Bruce MP.

The inquiry focuses on the situation in China over the past three years since Xi Jinping became President, and will include hearing evidence of the crackdown on lawyers in the last year, the abduction of booksellers from Hong Kong and dissidents from other countries, the destruction of crosses in Zhejiang Province, the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang, and the continuing persecution of Falun Gong, as well as media censorship and propaganda and the new legislation restricting Non-Governmental Organisations, among other issues.

Other speakers at the hearing on 23 March include Nicola Macbean, Director of the Rights Practice and Dr Eva Pils, a China scholar and Reader in Transitional Law at Kings College, London.

The inquiry follows on from an Urgent Question raised by Fiona Bruce MP in the House of Commons on 22 October, several written Parliamentary Questions tabled subsequently, and recent articles by Fiona Bruce on CapX and PoliticsHome.com, and by the Commissions Deputy Chairman, Benedict Rogers, on Huffington Post.

Fiona Bruce MP, Chair of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, said: We are deeply concerned about the serious deterioration in human rights in China over the past three years. In light of the closer relationship between the United Kingdom and China that is developing, we believe it is vital that we examine the evidence on a range of human rights issues in China, so that we can provide recommendations to the governments of both countries. We are delighted that Anastasia Lin, Bob Fu and a number of key China specialists are willing to share their evidence and expertise with us. This hearing is the beginning of our inquiry, which will conclude with the release of a report summarising the evidence, our conclusions and the recommendations we wish to make.

Media and the public are welcome at the hearing. Please enter the House of Commons through the Cromwell Green Entrance, allowing at least half an hour due to queues.

For further information please contact Gerard Miles on [email protected] or Johnny Monro on [email protected], or call the office of Fiona Bruce MP on 020 7 219 2969, or contact Benedict Rogers on [email protected] or 07823329664.

Notes to the Editor:

Anastasia Lin: Determined to be a voice for the voiceless, Anastasia Lin has dedicated her life to freedom of conscience. As Miss World Canada, Anastasia planned to continue on the path that had won her the title and much national acclaim at the international Miss World pageant. In a surprising turn of events, however, she was barred from participating in the event because the Chinese government took issue with her outspoken support of freedom of belief in her native country.

Since beginning acting at the age of seven, Anastasia has appeared in over 20 films and television productions. She attended the University of Toronto where she double majored in International Relations and Theatre/Acting. She has now earned both notoriety and respect as an international film star, sought-after model, and human rights activist. Her films had received awards including Mexico International Film Festivals Golden Palm Award and Californias Indie Fest Award of Merit. As often as possible, she works at the confluence of her activism and acting, playing roles in films and television productions that carry messages of freedom, morality, and openness. As a model, she has made appearances on runways around from New York, to Toronto including New York Fashion Week show at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria.

Along with her acting and participation in pageants, she is known for her public position against human rights abuses in China. Canadian television reports attributed her victory in the 2015 Miss World Canada Pageant in part to her passion for human rights. Anastasia was invited to testify before U.S. Congress, and Taiwan Legislative Yuan, addressing the topic of freedom of conscience in China. She has published articles on the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Globe and Mail, and other major newspapers around the world. Last month she spoke in a debate on China at the Oxford Union.

Bob (Xiqiu) Fu is one of the leading voices in the world for persecuted faith communities in China. Born and raised in mainland China, he was a student leader during the Tiananmen Square demonstrating for freedom and democracy in 1989. 

Bob graduated from the School of International Relations at the Peoples (Renmin) University in Beijing and taught English to Communist Party officials at the Beijing Administrative College and Beijing Party School of the Chinese Communist Party from 1993-1996. Fu was also a house church leader in Beijing until he and his wife, Heidi, were imprisoned for two months for illegal evangelism in 1996. Bob and Heidi fled to the United States as religious refugees in 1997, and subsequently founded China Aid in 2002 to bring international attention to Chinas gross human rights violations and to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China. Click here for Bob Fus story and how he escaped from Chinese authorities.

As president of China Aid, Bob has testified before the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (USCHR), the Foreign Press Association, and the European Commission and European Union Parliament. He also regularly briefs the State Department and Members of Congress, including Members of the International Religious Freedom Caucus on the status of religious freedom and rule of law in China. In 2008, Bob was invited to the White House to brief President George W. Bush on religious freedom and human rights in China, and in 2011, the Nobel Prize Committee recognized his efforts with an invitation to attend the award ceremony for Nobel Laureate Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Bob Fu is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Durham University, U.K., graduated from the Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree on Global Christian Leadership from Midwest University, where he has served as a distinguished professor on religion and public policy. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Law and Religion Monitor, a journal on religious freedom and the rule of law in China, and as a guest editor for Chinese Law and Government, a journal by University of California, Los Angles.

Bob received the 2007 John Leland Religious Liberty Award from the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). In 2013, Bob Fus autobiography Gods Double Agent was released by the Baker Publishing Group. Bob Fus life story is also included in the George W. Bush Institutes Freedom Collection: http://www.bushcenter.org/human-freedom/freedom-collection

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 Epoch Times

By Jack Phillips

February 23, 2016

Last Updated: February 24, 2016 5:37 pm

 Chen Shuxian beaten because of adherence to Falun Gong

A comatose elderly woman from China has died after suffering years of abuse at the hands of Chinese Communist Party officials, according to a report published on Feb. 23.

Chen Shuxian (Minghui.org)

Chen Shuxian, 76, of Liquan County in Shaanxi Province was tortured and beaten by Chinese regime officials from 2000 to 2011, which ultimately left her paralyzed and unable to care for herself, according toMinghui.org, a clearinghouse for information about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Last year, she fell into a coma after fighting for her life over the course of the next few years, the site said.

The reason why, according to Minghui, is because Chen is an adherent of Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, which is a traditional Chinese self-improvement practice that consists of moral teachings combined with a sitting meditation and four slow-moving, Qigong-style exercises.

By the time she was released, she was paralyzed and unable to care for herself, the website stated. She fought for her life over the course of the next few years, only to slip into a coma last September, and died on February 1 of this year, it added.

Chen Shuxian in a coma

(Minghui.org)

Since around 2000, Chen had been arrested five times for continuing to practice Falun Gong. In that period, she was sentenced twice to forced labor in 2001 and 2008, when she was around 68 years old.

Minghui elaborated on Chens case:

She was forced to work for more than 14 hours a day. The guards often verbally and physically abused her. They also forced her to take unknown pills or injected her with unknown drugs. As a result, her blood pressure shot up to 200. Only then did the labor camp release her on medical parole, but not before forcing her family to pay 20,000 yuan (about $3,000).

A demonstration of form of torture used

on Falun Gong practitioners in

China (Minghui)

Chen had stated that after she started practicing in 1997, it restored her health. She says she suffered from a number of health issues, including migraines and high blood pressure.

Since the persecution was launched by the Chinese Communist Party in 1999, common abuses suffered by practitioners include brainwashing, severe beating, electric shock, burning, removal of fingernails, forcible injection of harmful drugs, sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme weather, as well as forced labor.

Whats more, researchers say that Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience have been systematically killed for their organs, effectively being used as a live organ donor bank for transplant surgeries. At least tens of thousands of practitioners are believed to have been killed for their organs, said Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, a Washington, D.C.-based medical ethics advocacy group.

The official press office for Falun Gong, Falun Dafa Information Center, has estimated that millions of Falun Gong adherents have been detained over the past 17 years.

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 logo of Alibaba Group is seen inside the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province early November 11, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's logistics offshoot Cainiao has attracted investment from Malaysia and Singapore, including Temasek Holdings Pte, in its first round of external fundraising since being created in 2013.

Zhejiang Cainiao Supply Chain Management Co, to give its full name, also gained funding from global investment firm GIC Pte and sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd which is expected to bankroll its expansion, according to a statement on Monday.

The company declined to specify the amounts raised or the stakes sold, although Caixin reported that its delivery network is now valued at about 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) as a result of the funding round.

Cainiao facilitates the delivery of 70 percent of China's express packages using a network spanning 2,800 counties at home, and in 224 countries and regions globally.

Chief Executive Officer Tong Wenhong said the company is now angling toward a public offering to bankroll further expansion.

"If e-commerce was the focus of China's economy in the past 10 years, logistics will be the focus for the next 10," Tong said in the statement.

In an interview with Sina.com on Monday, she said most of China's e-commerce firms have built their own logistics networks to deliver goods, including huge and expensive investment in warehouses and delivery teams, and led to losses in many cases.

"But in fact, the logistics industry can use big data and collaboration to reduce costs and increase efficiency," she said.

Founded by Alibaba with a consortium of logistics companies, however, Cainiao is different in that rather than expanding its own network it operates a proprietary logistics information platform, that links a network of providers, warehouses and distribution centers, which offers efficiency and cost savings.

The new investment, Tong said, will be used to build up Cainiao's core businesses, including its own warehouses and cross-border delivery services, expand its rural delivery abilities and support its business partners.

Alibaba initially had a 48 percent stake in Cainiao after creating it with department store chain Intime Retail Group Co and industrial conglomerate Fosun International Ltd. The business had 700 employees in June last year.

China's logistic cost accounted for 16 percent of the country's GDP in 2015, creating 30 million jobs, according to the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing.

The sector's dramatic growth has been largely driven by China's rapidly expanding online retail market, which itself was worth 3.83 trillion yuan in 2015.

Statistics from China Express Association show that as many as 20.6 billion parcels were delivered last year, a 48 percent increase.

Meng Jing contributed to this story
A group of Chinese tourists takes a selfie in front of the staircase leading into the Dolby Theater during preparations leading up to the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 27, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The Chinese urge to travel overseas is spreading deeper into the second- and third-tier cities, according to industry experts, with more firms now wooing customers with customized and cheaper packages.

Online travel service platform Mafengwo, for instance, has been targeting cities including Hunan province's capital city Changsha, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, and Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan.

The upcoming Qingming festival (April 4), the May Day holiday, and the summer are all prime times for travel companies.

On March 15 to 18, Mafengwo is to offer a series of "four-days-only" promotions, including trips from Changsha to the United States for 2,599 yuan ($400), a package from Chengdu to Nha Trang in Vietnam for 1,999 yuan, and a return ticket from Tianjin to Osaka in Japan for just 999 yuan.

"It is becoming more apparent that people from China's smaller cities are catching up quickly in venturing abroad as their incomes rise," said Jin Peng, Mafengwo's product manager of independent travel packages.

"Many travel agencies from across the world are also starting to tap into the trend by wooing Chinese visitors from smaller cities directly with more promotions, convenient flights and simplified visa applications, while budget airlines are also opening up routes from across the globe to the Chinese smaller cities."

The company's promotion includes 100 destinations in Japan, South Korea, as well as countries in Southeastern Asia, the US and Europe, with various travel options like flight plus hotel, visa application, local leisure activities and cruises.

Jiang Yiyi, a researcher from the China Tourism Academy, said outbound tourism was no longer a privilege of the rich, and expects the lower-tier cities to continue contributing higher shares of bookings.

According to the recent Market Research Report on Chinese Outbound Tourist Consumption released by the Beijing-based World Tourism Cities Federation, China will continue to see an increasing number of trips being made by its citizens abroad, and increased levels of spending.
China's top banking regulator has vowed to crack down on illegal fundraising activities by unscrupulous online brokers and warned investors to be wary of their schemes.

Shang Fulin, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, said at a news conference on Saturday: "The CBRC will strengthen regulation, intensify on-site inspections and step up administrative penalties."

Shang said illegal fundraising cases have become so common and the perpetrators are finding new ways to commit their crimes.

The online peer-to-peer lending broker Ezubao, for instance, has been accused by police of collecting more than 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) illegally from about 900,000 nonspecific investors through fake projects.

The company allegedly lured its victims into the scheme under the guise of P2P lending, which is the practice of lending money to individuals or businesses through online services that match lenders directly with borrowers.

"Relevant government departments have put the case on file for investigation. They are seeking asset recovery to recoup as much losses as they can," Shang said.

Caixin Media earlier reported that according to its calculation, the amount of money collected via illegal fundraising reached a staggering 200 billion yuan last year.

By the end of March 2015, investigators had filed 14,000 financial criminal cases, up nearly 38 percent year-on-year, reported the Beijing-based media group specializing in business news.

Shang said: "The CBRC will also step up oversight of P2P lending and launch special projects along with other government departments to address problems arisen from Internet finance."

He reminded investors they have to be extremely cautious about participating in financial investment schemes.

"They should pay special attention to three elements before making investment decisions: First, whether or not a P2P lending platform is raising funds from nonspecific investors. Second, whether or not it has promised to offer abnormally high returns on investment. Third, whether or not it advertises publicly for fundraising," he said.

By the end of February, a total of 2,519 P2P lending platforms operated in the country without any problems, according to wangdaizhijia.com, a Web portal that tracks the industry.
Gary Dickerson, CEO of Applied Materials Inc. [Photo/CFP]

Applied Materials Inc, world's largest semiconductor materials engineering solutions provider, is planning to expand in the China market through investments and other projects with a combined value of 4 billion yuan ($616 million) in the next few years, said its President and CEO Gary Dickerson.

"China's pro-innovation environment for high-tech industries has given the semiconductor and display industries tremendous opportunities for companies such as Applied Materials," said Dickerson.

Dickerson made the statement in an interview on Monday in Shanghai, adding that he is optimistic about market demand in China for semiconductor and display products as technologies evolve and consumers are trading up amid nationwide trends requiring more products for big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Although the semiconductor industry has been experiencing difficulties in the past year amid slowing growth in demands and shrinking profit margins, Applied Materials is confident that demand will recover and profit margins will expand through a series of changes, including more technologies requiring better memory storage, and industry efforts to further reduce costs, said Dickerson.

In China, Applied Materials is also an unsung hero that supplies chips to many of China's local electronic products, such as the Xiaomi mobile phone.

According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, global sales revenue of semiconductors, a key component for many electronic appliances including smartphone, tablet computer, audio and video appliances and robotics, grew 0.2 percent year-on-year by the end of 2015, which stood at $336 billion.

The WSTS forecasts that growth of the industry may recover to 1.4 percent year-on-year in 2016, and 3.1 percent year-on-year in 2017.

China's market demand for semiconductors has been increasing at a fast pace, as it consumes 50 percent of the world's sensors, 41 percent of the world's simulators, and 40 percent of discrete components.

According to a research report from market research firm IC Insights, market demand for semiconductors has been experiencing significant changes as end consumers are requiring products with uniqueness, and brands and manufacturers of handsets have been developing their own chips to meet the demand, which requires semiconductor suppliers to rethink their strategies.

Market experts said that China is playing a role in the semiconductor industry that is different from a decade ago.

Shanghai-based semiconductor expert Mo Dakang said that China is now not only one of the largest consumers but also one of the biggest producers of semiconductor products.

The world's largest handsets and laptop producers such as Samsung Electronic Co Ltd and Intel Corp are all expanding their capacity in the Chinese mainland through investing in manufacturing lines, according to Mo's latest research note.
A China Vanke Co Ltd stand at a property fair in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Leading property developer China Vanke Co Ltd is positively bringing in strategic partners and undertaking personnel changes to participate in urban rail construction and explore new business opportunities, experts said.

Vanke signed a memorandum of understanding with Shenzhen Metro Group Co to acquire a stake in a unit of the urban rail transit company for an estimated 40 billion yuan ($6.16 billion) to 60 billion yuan, the firm said in a statement to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Sunday.

Vanke plans to fund the acquisition mainly by selling new shares to Shenzhen Metro, and pay cash to make up for a potential shortfall.

The size of the share sale and the stake to be acquired have yet to be decided, with no formal or binding agreement signed, China Business News reported.

"Bringing in strategic partner Shenzhen Metro Group Co can help China Vanke Co Ltd obtain more land in Shenzhen and participate in constructing Shenzhen's city circle based on rail transit," said Zhu Jin, chief property analyst at Orient Securities Co Ltd.

Zhu said the urbanization of Chinese first-tier cites such as Shenzhen has entered a new stage and rail transit will play an important role in the new city circle. Vanke can join hands with Shenzhen Metro to develop commercial properties along the metro lines in the city.

Vanke's plan to buy assets from Shenzhen's urban rail operator is also a move to fend off unwelcome suitor Baoneng Group and make its equity more diversified.

Little-known Baoneng emerged as Vanke's largest shareholder in December. The developer's management questioned the credibility of Baoneng and labeled its approach a "hostile takeover".

Vanke also announced several personnel changes, according to its statement on Sunday. The firm's board secretary Tan Huajie would serve as senior vice-president in charge of studying and carrying out new businesses and models. Zhu Xu will become the new board secretary in Vanke, after resigning on March 5 from his last employer Grandland Decoration, a listed construction company.

"Mr. Tan has strong research capabilities, and his new appointment also shows Vanke's focus on new business exploration," said Zhu Jin.

Pu Dongjun, an analyst at Chang Jiang Securities Co, said Vanke pays attention to business transformation and innovation.

Vanke's net profit reached 18.12 billion yuan in 2015, increasing 15.8 percent year-on-year, according to its annual report published on Monday. It posted sales revenue of 195.55 billion yuan in 2015, up 33.58 percent year-on-year.

The company's Hong Kong-traded shares jumped 10 percent to close at HK$20.15 ($2.59) on Monday, the biggest increase since January 2015. Vanke's Shenzhen-traded shares have been suspended from Dec 19 last year.

Jing Shuiyu contributed to this story.
FUZHOU - Foreign investment is still promising in China amid an economic slowdown with new opportunities emerging from consumption and service in the domestic market, a Xinhua investigation has found.

"The closure of low-end export-oriented OEM manufacturers has eliminated outdated capacity and offers room for more quality programs," said Fang Jianbo, deputy head of the commerce bureau of Dongguan, a southern Chinese city in Guangdong province dubbed as the "world's factory" and a barometer for the country's economic changes.

Some 362 foreign enterprises were shut down or relocated in 2015, accounting for 3.3 percent of the total number of foreign firms in the city. Most of the firms were labor-intensive manufacturers, said Fang.

Meanwhile, 440 new foreign-funded projects were signed last year in the city with a total investment of $5.06 billion, up 17 percent year on year, mainly in sectors of financing, logistics, medicine and high-end manufacturing, he said.

Eyeing the vast Chinese market, UMC, a global semiconductor foundry, started an integrated circuit manufacturing program in Xiamen city, east China's Fujian province last year with a total investment of $6.2 billion.

There is an obvious trend that the OEM firms that only take China as a production base are struggling for survival while those manufacturers that take China as a sales market are expanding their businesses, said Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

About 80 percent of its members provide products and services solely for the Chinese market, up from 23 percent in 2003, said Seyedin.

China attracted a total of $126 billion of foreign capital in 2015, up 5.6 percent over the previous year, with service and high-end manufacturing sectors attracting over 70 percent of the total, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The acquisition of US hotel chain operator Starwood by Chinese insurance conglomerate Anbang Insurance Group, if successful, will increase the hotel group's global market share and ensure the continuity of its operation and brand, analysts said on Tuesday.

The consortium led by Anbang has offered $12.8 billion in cash for the hotel operator, compared with an earlier offer by Marriott of $12.2 billion.

If completed, the transaction will be the largest acquisition made by a Chinese company in the US, according to financial data provider Dealogic.

Analysts said the combination of Starwood's extensive global hotel chain network and the purchasing power of affluent Chinese tourists will likely produce a successful deal.

"It will have a very positive impact on Starwood's global market share given the rapid growth of China's outbound tourism. Chinese tourists will naturally select hotel brands that are owned by the Chinese," said Michael Chin, executive chairman of WT Global Hospitality Investment Co in Hong Kong.

A source close to the Chinese insurer said Anbang intends to ensure the stability of the management team without any layoffs. Anbang will also keep Starwood's headquarters in the US.

"This could be an attractive factor for Starwood because it is very likely that Marriott will implement substantial adjustments, including firing members of the management team in the overlapping business if it takes over Starwood," Chin said.

"Anbang will also boost the advertising campaign for Starwood's hotels in China," he added.

News of Anbang's bid for Starwood came just days after it agreed to acquire Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc from US private equity firm Blackstone Group for $6.5 billion.

Anbang's latest mega merger deal underscores an overseas buying spree by cash-rich Chinese companies.

An insurance analyst at a global investment bank, who declined to be named, said it demonstrates Anbang's desire to diversify its investment portfolios and to hedge the potential risk of a weaker yuan. "The deal is unlikely to place pressure on Anbang's capital position, as most of its liabilities are long-term," he said.

While it is unclear how Anbang will fund its cash offer, some analysts said that forming a consortium with two private equity firms, JC Flowers & Co in the United States and Primavera Capital Group in China, would help Anbang avoid domestic regulatory hurdles.

The Chinese insurance regulator stipulates that the outstanding value of overseas assets owned by a Chinese insurer cannot exceed 15 percent of its total assets of the previous year.

Analysts said uncertainties remain over how the deal will unfold. Margaret Taylor, a senior analyst at credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service, said, "There is a high risk that Marriott may ultimately choose to increase its offer.

"We believe Marriott views the acquisition of Starwood as important as it would solidly position the combined company as the world's largest hotel chain and increase its brand and geographic diversification," she said.
Shijiazhuang Shuanghuan Automobile Co displays its pure electric car at an exhibition in 2010. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently stripped 13 passenger vehicle makers, including Shuanghuan Auto, of their production qualifications in an aim to overhaul the auto industry. [Photo/China Daily]

China's recent revocation of some passenger vehicle makers' production qualifications is its latest effort to invigorate its automaking industry, said government officials and industry insiders.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released on its website on Feb 29 a list of 13 makers of passenger cars that have been banned from production because they did not apply for or failed to pass mandatory evaluations for two consecutive years.

Some of them were once famous in China, including Shuanghuan Auto. Based in Hebei province, the automaker was sued for copying the designs of international brands. The 13 carmakers have all long stopped production or gone defunct, according to Chinese reports.

The cleanup of "zombie" automakers, which began in earnest after the MIIT's suspension of 14 automakers' qualifications in November, is one of many steps the central government has taken to overhaul the auto industry.

Carmakers in China, most of them State-owned, were meant to hold lifelong qualifications, a hangover from the country's once planned economic system, before the ministry released plans in July 2012 to establish a system that removes those who cease production and allows new companies to join the sector.

The move encourages troubled companies to undergo upgrades or seek mergers, said MIIT Minister Miao Wei at a news conference in November.

"We have been the largest car-producing country and the largest car market for several years but our auto industry is far from strong."

Wang Liusheng, an auto analyst at China Merchants Securities, said the revocations will improve the sector as inefficiencies are removed. He added that removing outdated, excessive capacity is part of China's reforms to cut down on oversupply.

Zhang Zhiyong, a Beijing-based independent auto analyst, believes the move will facilitate mergers and acquisitions within the country.

"Some of those automakers once asked exorbitant prices because they held qualifications. It will not happen again now that their qualifications are revoked. In a sense, their withdrawal is helpful to the rational use of resources and growth of Chinese brands."

New forces

Experts believe that what is equally important, if not more important, is to allow new members to join the sector.

"If the government does not open the door for new forces to come in, it is hopeless that China will have a strong auto industry," said Fu Yuwu, president of the Society of Automotive Engineers of China at a recent forum held by ifeng.com on building a powerful auto industry.

In recent years, China has not granted any new carmaking qualifications.

"I would like to quote Liu Shijin, former vice-director of the Development Research Center of the State Council, who said that 'the history of applying for qualifications is a history of tears'," said Fu.
Guardians of people suffering serious mental disorders in Beijing may be eligible for a 2,400 yuan ($370) annual subsidy from the municipal government if they have delivered proper care, the city's Commission of Health and Family Planning said on Monday.

The subsidy is expected to encourage good care of the estimated 58,000 people with serious mental disorders in Beijing and reduce accidents, said Gao Xiaojun, the commission's spokesman.

The measure, which was introduced at the end of last year, has been carried out in some areas of Beijing since February and will eventually go citywide, according to the commission.

Beijing is the first provincial-level area in China to adopt such a subsidy in its entirety, the commission said.

Gao said guardians must apply for the subsidies with the local subdistrict offices or the township government where they are living, and can get the money after inspection and approval procedures certifying conditions have been met. These include ensuring mentally ill people are properly taken care of and have not inflicted harm to others over a one-year period.

A major reason for accidents involving people with serious mental disorders in Beijing in the past several years has been a lack of oversight by guardians, said Li Zhibo, an official with Beijing's General Social Security Management Office.

"We hope such accidents can be reduced with the implementation of the policy," he said.

Wang Xuezhi, a 53-year-old man, was sentenced to life in prison by a Beijing court last year for stabbing four people with a knife at a supermarket in 2013. One person reportedly died.

The court gave Wang a light sentence in light of his mental illness, saying he was suffering delusions when he committed the crime, according to a report in Beijing Evening News.

Zhang Shouzi, a psychiatrist at Beijing Geriatric Hospital, said those suffering serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, cannot control their behavior and can do physical harm to themselves or others.

"Many accidents could have been avoided if such individuals had been properly taken care of," he said. "The issue deserves attention from the whole society."

It is not feasible to rely solely on individual families to take care of people with serious mental illnesses, he said.

"The whole society, including the government, are more powerful and should join together to cope with the mentally disordered."
Nannies learn how to take care of babies at a training center in Jimo, Shandong province. [Photo/Xinhua]

A nanny blacklist created by an alliance of 30 housekeeping service agencies in Shanghai to better regulate the market and drive out unsuitable caretakers has added the first names to its no-hire list.

Agencies in the alliance will refuse to consider nannies placed on the list, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the city.

One of the blacklisted nannies presented a fake health certificate while two others repeatedly failed to show up for interviews or scheduled jobs, said Xia Jun, president of the Shanghai Changning District Homemaking Service Association and an alliance founder.

"The 30 agencies in the alliance have roughly 1,000 chains in Shanghai and nearly 10,000 all over the country, including some doing service for foreign families. Any nanny that is found by any of the agencies to encroach on the seven taboos will be blacklisted, and their information will be shared by the persons in charge of the 30 agencies in a chat group on WeChat," Xia said.

Prohibited behavior includes fabricating identification or resumes, refusing to pay a brokerage fee to the agency, borrowing money from the employer, asking for higher pay in the middle of a contract or leaving the job if a pay hike is not granted.

"We have encountered such cases frequently. Some exaggerated their work years and experience and others borrowed money from the employer, but didn't repay. That's why we want to deter such people, and those with bad credit records, from the industry and protect the interest of our clients with our utmost efforts," Xia said.

Nannies are great demand in big cities. More than 20 percent of Shanghai families are using or plan to use nannies for at least several hours every day, according to a poll conducted by the Family Development Research Center of Fudan University. Results of the poll, which surveyed nearly 2,300 households, were published in December.

"As aging quickly gathers pace and more couples plan for another child, the nanny market will expand more rapidly," said Hu Zhan, an associate professor at the university's School of Social Development and Public Policy.

In one high-profile case, a nanny was accused of killing an older women she was hired to look after in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

The 45-year-old nanny, surnamed He, told a court in December that she was lured by the employer's promise of a full-month's pay should the women die in the middle of a month. On her fourth day on the job, she put poison in the woman's soup and then strangled her, prosecutors said. A verdict is pending.
China will promote the development of social workers as its aims to lift millions out of poverty over the next five years, senior officials said on Tuesday as the country marked the 10th annual World Social Work Day.

"Helping people in poverty and in need is one of the core duties of professional social workers. It is China's social workers' responsibility to devote themselves to the anti-poverty battle in this era," Li Liguo, the minister of civil affairs, said on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the weeklong celebration of World Social Work Day.

By the end of last year, China had about 500,000 social workers, including 206,183 licensed professionals, an increase of nearly 30 percent from 2014. Last year, more than 300,000 people took licensing exams, a record number.

Poverty alleviation is one of the central government's core missions in the next Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). The country says about 70 million people still live in poverty.
The quality of the environment in Shaanxi, an inland province in Northwest China, has been continuously improving thanks to efforts made by the provincial government in the past five years.

The average annual discharge of four major pollutant emissions, including chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, decreased in 2015, compared to 2014, according to preliminary calculation results issued recently by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said Hao Yanwei, spokesman and deputy director of Shaanxi provincial Environmental Protection Department.

"We completed the tasks issued by the central government for decreasing the discharge of the four major pollutant emissions by 186%, 139%, 284% and 183% respectively, for the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015)," Hao said.

The province's 10 cities and prefectures enjoyed between 251 and 306 days of quality weather in 2015, each an increase from 2014, Hao said.

And PM10 air pollution in Xi'an, the province's capital, which suffers worse air pollution, decreased by 14.3 percent. The city's PM2.5 air pollution decreased by 23.7 in 2015, compared with that in 2014, Hao said.

In addition to the air quality improvement, the spokesman said, water quality in the province's rivers was reported as stable to good in 2015.
A tourism education organization in Macao is seeking more prospective students from the mainland.

The Institute for Tourism Studies has prepared scholarships and internship opportunities for the arrival of students from the mainland, said Fanny Vong, president of the Institute at a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.

In recent years, tourism has been a booming industry in China, with the country receiving more than 4.1 billion tourists from home and abroad and revenue from tourism reaching 4.13 trillion yuan ($634 billion) in 2015.

Against such a backdrop, Vong said the boom is expected to continue and the need for tourism talent, especially those with international vision and professional ability, will remain strong.

The institute, established in 1995, is a public body for higher education open to students across the globe. It now has about 1,500 students from 22 countries and regions, among them 182 from the mainland.

The institute offers six four-year Bachelor Degree programs, including culinary arts management, heritage management, hotel management and tourism business management. All courses are delivered in English.

"A crucial criterion for us to recruit students from the mainland, apart from their good results in the national college exams, is that they should have good English ability," said Vong.

Students can choose to, for example, spend about two-and-a-half years studying at the Macao campus, then a six-month internship abroad and finally the last year in another country finishing their studies for a double degree.

"We are cooperating with 85 education institutes and 500 tourism and service enterprises, which means our students will have a large number of opportunities and choices in their study or internship," she said.
The Jinghong Hydropower Station will increase water discharges to ease effects of a regional drought. [Photo by Yang Zheng/China Daily]

China will provide an emergency water supply to countries along the Mekong River to help deal with drought, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

A hydropower station in South China's Yunnan province will make the emergency supply available to the lower reaches of the river through April 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang announced at a news conference in Beijing.

China and countries along the river on the Indochinese Peninsula are "friendly neighbors", and they should help each other to cope with difficulties, said Lu, referring to the drought that countries along the river have faced since the end of last year.

Reports quoted the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam as saying the country, which is in the lower reaches of the Mekong River, has requested that China increase water discharges by the Jinghong Hydropower Station to help ease the drought.

The Mekong River, whose upper part is known in China as the Lancang River, is an important water source for the five countries on the Indochinese PeninsulaLaos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Lu said China has decided to "overcome its own difficulties" and to provide the emergency water supply to benefit the five countries.

China is willing to strengthen communication and practical cooperation with its neighbors on the management of water resources and disaster response under the Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation Mechanism, he added.

China and the five countries set up the cooperation mechanism when their foreign ministers met in Yunnan in November. In a joint statement, all the foreign ministers promised to promote cooperation on water resources.

Li Zhifei, a researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the move to provide an emergency water supply "is a good indication" that China has always taken on the responsibility of a large country by considering and protecting the interests of the countries on the lower reaches of the Mekong River.

Xu Wei contributed to this story.
'Zombie companies' adjust to new reality By Du Juan (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-15 07:19:14

As overproducing and unprofitable businesses in the ship building, mining, steel and cement industries are forced to close or downsize, employees come to terms with the change and look toward the future. Xinhua News Agency and Du Juan report.

After a career spent building and repairing ships, Bao Hongyi (a pseudonym) never expected the shipping industry to sink so fast.

A month ago, the State-owned Wuzhou Shipyard, where 48-year-old Bao began work as a technician in 2001, filed for bankruptcy.

"I used to think that day would never come to a State-owned company," said Bao as he sadly surveyed the shipyard on Wukuishan Island, in Zhoushan city within East China's Zhejiang province.

Wuzhou Shipyard is one of the scores of so-called "zombie companies" that are economically inviable and which China has decided to phase out.

Pulling the plug on such enterprises became a priority when Premier Li Keqiang delivered the government work report on March 5 and explained why it is no longer in China's interests to subsidize poor performers.

Zombie companies are economically inviable businesses, often in industries that have severe overcapacity, and have been kept alive long after they should have died thanks to money poured in by governments and banks.

Local authorities and financial institutions typically propped up such industries to protect local economies and jobs.

In addition to the shipbuilding sector where Bao worked, other industries undergoing massive change include steel, coal and cement, where there have been heavy financial losses in recent years because of huge overcapacity.

China's producer price index, a weighted listing of prices measured at the wholesale or producer level, fell for 47 months, largely because of the unsustainable situation.

Bao said things at Wuzhou Shipyard started to go sour during the global financial crisis of 2008.

"At its peak, in around 2007, there were so manymore than 3,000employees working here that there were not enough dormitories to house them all," recalled Bao.

But shipbuilding started its downward spiral when shipping rates fell during the global recession. A 64,000-metric-ton bulk carrier that would have once sold for 320 million yuan ($48 million) now has a price tag of 120 million yuan.
Abbot seeks Life-Cherishing Day to protect wildlife By Zhao Huanxin (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-15 07:51:21

Shenghui, abbot of Changsha Lushan Temple.

Abbot Shenghui may be hundreds of kilometers from his monastery in Central China's Hunan province, but as a deputy to the National People's Congress, he retains his special role as teacher to the people.

During his trip to Beijing as a national legislator, the leader of the Changsha Lushan Temple is advocating that all Chinese people, religious or secular, revere nature by taking better care of its wildlife.

"I call for the government to set up a 'Life-Cherishing Day' to enhance the nation's awareness of wildlife protection," Shenghui said.

He submitted a motion to the country's top legislature proposing May 6 as the "Life-Cherishing Day" as it is the last day of the last month of spring in the Chinese lunar calendar.

"On such a day, everyone is encouraged to abstain from eating meat and reflect on their misdeeds in killing animals," he said.

The 65-year-old abbot, who was born Sheng Qinghui, said his proposal, if realized, would contribute to enhancing an "ecological civilization", a signature priority of the central authorities.

Cherishing life, he said, is a long-held tradition. In ancient times, people were told not to eat carp in late spring, as the fish may bear thousands of spawn, nor to shoot a bird in late spring, for it might have fledglings in the nest.

According to Chinese law, any motion submitted by a lawmaker must receive a response, though it may take months, depending on the subject's complexity.

In his proposal, the abbot said wildlife play an irreplaceable part in maintaining an eco-balance and diversity.

"That's their core value, but most of us see beasts, birds and fish, only as sources of food, fun or medicine," he said.

"They see only the value to their personal interests."

Shenghui, who is the only religious deputy among the 117-member Hunan delegation attending the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress, said there have been misunderstandings and even arrogance among some people when it comes to wildlife.

"Human beings plant crops and harvest, but can they alone make this happen?" Shenghui asked. "In the ecosystem, men have thousands of partners. Some eat insects that would have devoured all the crops. Others help spread pollens. They toil in obscurity."

In addition, the well-being of wildlife is a clear indicator of whether the environment is healthy, he said.

"I've been relieved to see the country's central authorities have begun to mean what they've pledged in environmental protection," he said.

But there are some warped conceptions among some government agencies and average people, he said. He gave examples concerning freeing captive animals.

"Some pious adherents of Buddhism, as well as lay-supporters buy captive birds and fish and set them free, but they sometimes release them in the wrong places, for example, releasing sea fish to a pond," he said. "We call for rational actions when freeing captive animals."
Craftsmanship ethos takes root at Chinese firms By Xu Jingxi (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-15 08:48:01

I didn't expect "electric cooker" to become a buzzword at the two sessions this year, given that "toilet seat" aroused heated discussions with Premier Li Keqiang at last year's event.

Perhaps it's because Chinese tourists to Japan haven't stopped their shopping spree.

It made news headlines during Spring Festival holiday last year that Chinese tourists flew several thousand kilometers to buy Japanese brand toilet seats and electric rice cookers.

The phenomenon is embarrassing to Chinese companies. As Dong Mingzhu, president of Gree Electric Appliances Inc and a deputy to the National People's Congress, put it: "There is no excuse, with so many manufacturers in China, for not making a good electric cooker."

Gree released a new model electric cooker using inductive heat technology on Tuesday and conducted a blind taste test, inviting about 100 guests to compare rice made in its cooker with that produced by foreign branded appliances.

Lei Jun, an NPC deputy and CEO of Xiaomi Corp, also brought up the same topic in his speech to the delegation from Guangdong province.

"At first I thought Chinese people had blind faith in the quality of foreign products. But later I discovered, after research, that Japanese makers do have a technological edge," Lei said. "While Chinese models can cook rice thoroughly, Japanese models can cook rice beautifully, making the rice dance."

According to the Ministry of Commerce, Chinese tourists spent about 1.2 trillion yuan ($185 billion) overseas in 2015.

Lei said the reason behind Chinese shopping sprees overseas is that the quality of many products made in China fails to meet the expectations of consumers with greater spending power.

"As China's economy develops, Chinese people's spending power has been greatly elevated. However, we are oversupplying shoddy goods now, and there is a critical shortage of refined goods that Chinese consumers need," he said.

"To keep consumers home, Chinese manufacturers need to improve the design and quality of their products and increase efficiency to offer great buys," he added.

Providing a solution, Premier Li noted "the spirit of craftsmanship" in his Government Work Report to top legislators and advisers on March 5.

He said the country will encourage enterprises to foster a spirit of striving for the best, so that more high-quality products will be made.

It was the first time the spirit of craftsmanship was mentioned in a work report, although in recent years it has often been heard from the lips of manufacturers in Guangdong province, the country's manufacturing base and foreign trade hub. Yuan Liqun, an NPC deputy and vice-president of Midea Group, mentioned it during an interview the day before.

The household goods giant, based in Foshan, Guangdong, introduced a high-end IH rice cooker in Japan in April last year, challenging Japanese competitors in their own country.

Yuan said that to find the best water-to-rice proportion, an R & D technician spent one year cooking a total of 2 metric tons of rice, enough to feed a family of four for eight years.

Nine types of rice were tested and a different cooking mode designed for each, Yuan said.

"The manufacturing industry should advocate the spirit of craftsmanship," she said. "Only when we are willing to endure the loneliness of burying ourselves in the taskto work out the best design and production modelscan we make products that are widely praised by consumers."

I have worked as a correspondent in Guangdong for four years and written a lot about the manufacturing sector there. I have seen modern factories that wowed me with robots like Transformers and showrooms filled with patent certificates.

But I'm so happy to have heard about the electric cooker that showcases Chinese manufacturers' pursuit of craftsmanship.

There may be a long way to go for made-in-China products to earn a new image in the world, but we're on our way.

Contact the writer at xujingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
What overseas academics would ask Premier Li Keqiang (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-15 11:57:10

Editor's note: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will hold a press conference to wrap up this year's session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top parliamentary body, on March 16.

China Daily website asked scholars from around the world what they would like to ask and suggest if they had a chance to talk with Premier Li face to face.

Alan Barrell, Professor and entrepreneur in residence at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

If I had the chance to meet with Premier Li, I would ask him to enable the flow of young people to and from China  as we have seen it in the past decade  with an open-minded approach to international education and collaboration  and to keep the pressure on the higher education system and industry to encourage imagination, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship as key elements in the development of people.

Also to find ways to apply these kinds of principles to earlier stages in the education process  as I saw it happen on my last visit to Beijing where a pilot study looking at encouraging greater creativity in primary education is being undertaken.

China during the past several centuries has provided so many of the great inventions which have benefited the world and humanity. Education and the release of creative energy could lead to a new age of super inventiveness for China.

I would like to convince Premier Li about that.





Bill Jones, Washington bureau chief of Executive Intelligence Review.

If I had the opportunity to speak with Premier Li, I would tell him that he should look to the policies which Franklin Roosevelt utilized during the Great Depression to bring a population then thrust into the mire of economic misery back to a decent standard of living.

It was also an era in which the "free market" had failed in its mission and had to be brought under control before progress could be made.

Roosevelt, like Lincoln before him, had turned to an economic policy as had been expressed by economists such as Alexander Hamilton and the German economist, Friedrich List, and earlier by the great Jean-Baptiste Colbert, rather than to the "invisible hand" of Adam Smith - a hand which is often in your pocket stealing your wallet.

While economic "orthodoxy" these days has made the "market" sacrosanct, the real development of nations has been accomplished on the basis of a dirigisme policy, in which a controlled market may also play an important, but subordinate role.





Christopher Bovis, Professor of European and International Business Law, University of Hull, United Kingdom.

If I had the chance to speak with Premier Li, I would suggest the transition of Chinese investment strategy from traditional industries, energy and infrastructure which have been served through sovereign funds to services and high-value interests which are served primarily through private capital.

The modality of such transition is the role of private equity and of institutional investors. This appears to be one of the most prolific trends for years to come and reveals the private sector influence on investment decisions and outcomes.
Overseas academics share their thoughts on China's reform policies (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-15 15:55:25

Editor's note: Scholars around the world share their views about China's reform policies which have impressed them the most over the past year.

Alan Barrell, Professor and entrepreneur in residence at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK.

The continued focus on innovation and entrepreneurship  in the economy, business, and especially within the education system.



I had the privilege late in 2015 to work at a major National University Teachers Conference in Beijing  where government, academics and business focused on the critical importance of entrepreneurial education and the successful start-up and scale-up of new companies, as well as the invigoration of existing enterprises with new ideas, creativity and education.

I have been particularly impressed with the support given by the Chinese government in the higher education sectors to entrepreneurial education  including the work of ET China (Entrepreneur Training China)  an organization some of us are collaborating with from UK.

Bill Jones, Washington bureau chief of Executive Intelligence Review.

There have been a number of reforms which China has introduced over the past year or so that have impressed me.



For instance, the Yangtze River Belt proposal and the creation of a new Beijing-Hebei-Tianjin cluster.



But I have to say that the most far-reaching and decisive reform is no doubt the change in one-child policy.

Of all the factors determining economic growth, the human factor is the most important as it is the source of those creative ideas which allow a human economy to advance to new technologies and to the utilization of new material resources.

The human being, in contrast to all other "factors of production", is absolutely unique in that it provides far more than it consumes in his or her utilization, if given the means to develop his or her creative faculties.

Charles Foster, Chairman of US-China Partnerships and board member of Asia Society Texas Center.

The policy initiative of President Xi Jinping that I have been most impressed with over the past year has been his willingness to take major steps to end corruption. This is most critical for China as large-scale corruption undermines the best of programs and morale in society in general. Thus, I think it was a critical decision for Xi to root out corruption not only at the rural level but also at high level in order to establish a mindset that corruption cannot be business as usual.

Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London.

Making the commercial environment in China more predictable by ensuring that rules are being followed both by Chinese and non-Chinese companies is important, and I think that is being implemented with quite a bit of resolution.

A lawyer told me in China last year that it was far less about guanxi and connections now, and more about making sure rules were followed. That surely is a positive thing.

Douglas Kivoi, Governance Division at Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research & Analysis.

The ability of the Chinese economy to withstand external shocks despite the world economy depreciating due to a drop in oil prices and the greed of American and European stock markets.
Court cites boom in verdict enforcement By Cao Yin (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-15 17:52:45

Court cases relating to verdict enforcement have boomed over the past three years, resulting in improved judgments and better protection of litigants' rights, China's top court reported on Tuesday.

From 2013 to 2015, Chinese courts filed 10.13 million cases relating to verdict implementation, and 9.44 million were adjudicated, according to the report issued by the Supreme People's Court.

The number of cases filed in the three-year period increased by 40 percent over the previous period of 2010 to 2012, the report said.

In an effort to prompt those who had refused to implement verdicts, the top court disclosed information on 3.38 million people to the public as of Feb 29, it said.

Those who failed to comply with verdicts, including debtors, can be barred from buying train and plane tickets, and applying for bank loans. The number of travelers barred from taking trains reached 782,400 visits, the court said, while the number of defaulters who were banned from taking flights totaled 3.89 million visits.

The top court also connected with more than 200 banks and financial institutions across the country, and was sharing defaulters' judgments and freezing bank accounts in a move to enforce verdicts, the report said.

In addition, the number of court staff specializing in verdict implementation has been increased, the report said. By the end of 2015, 38,000 judicial officers were working on verdict enforcement for the courts.
Soybean province wants protection from GM crops By Zhao Huanxin and Zhou Huiying (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-15 18:02:24

Heilongjiang calling for exclusion zone and incentives to avoid "possible contamination"



National legislators from Heilongjiang province, which is China's principal producer of non-genetically-modified soybeans, are calling for a law to set up a special zone where the planting and processing of GM plants is prohibited.

Deputies to the country's top legislature hope such a law would preserve ecological diversity, benefit farmers who plant non-GM soybeans and avoid "possible contamination" of the soybean crop by GM plants.

The size of the proposed special zone would restore the province's soybean growing acreage to its 2010 level of about 4.3 million hectares, said national lawmaker Tan Zhijuan.

Tan said schools and universities in Heilongjiang and beyond should have first call on the non-GM soybean products coming out of the special zone.

"Heilongjiang, China's largest producer of non-GM soybeans, has seen its planting acreage downsize to a tipping point of 1.4 million hectares," said Tan, who is a veteran agricultural specialist. "This represents a drop of a staggering 66 percent in five years following the influx of much cheaper GM imports."

The per-ton CIF (cost, insurance and freight) price of foreign GM soybeans tends to be around 500 yuan ($77) to 1,000 yuan cheaper than domestic soybeans, according to Tan.

Using her hometown, Nehe, as an example, Tan said the city reserved 60 percent of its 333,000-hectares of arable land for soybeans back in the 1980s. That 220,000-hectare area has now shrunk to 66,000 hectares, or around one-fifth of the former area.

Nationwide, China imported 81.7 million tons of soybeans  mostly GM ones  last year, which meant more than 80 percent of its soybean consumption was met by imports, said Tan and five other deputies in their proposal submitted to the National People's Congress.

Many botanists believe the soybean plant to have derived from a legume native to China.

"China has the world's most diversified wild soybean resources. As a responsible country, it must protect germplasm resources (living genetic material including seeds and tissue used for plant breeding, preservation and research) of the crop," Tan said.

With the except of cotton and papaya, China has prohibited GM farm produce, including staple foods, from being grown commercially in the country, according to Chen Xiwen, director of the office of the central agricultural work leading team.

Although the planting of GM soybeans has not been detected so far in Heilongjiang, there are risks that GM seeds might find their way to the fields, for example, through leakage from road transportation, Tan warned.

She said the key to establishing the non-GM soybean protection zone would be to build up an industrial chain that streamlines the planting, processing and sales of non-GM soybeans.

This non-GM industrial chain will differentiate itself from that for GM products and improve the competitive edge of the domestic soybean industry to target its niche market, Tan said.

Supporters would like to see a provincial soybean planting association and a processing industrial association in the zone to coordinate and advise on soybean procurement and oversee the growing acreage.

Sun Bing, another legislator from Heilongjiang, said that if the province retreated from or gave up on growing non-GM soybeans, the foreign monopoly of China's soybean market would intensify and more soybean enterprises would fail.

Sun proposed developing a soybean futures market to help farmers buffer the price fluctuations in the global market.

Liu Zhongtang, a retired specialist with the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences who has studied soybeans for 55 years, said that while the safety of GM food is a controversial issue, there is no question that green, non-GM food is good for people's health.

"Even without a protection zone, we still need to install a stringent management mechanism to put an end to production and processing of any GM soybeans (in Heilongjiang)," Liu said. "Heilongjiang soybeans themselves are a brand that has advantages in quality and price in the domestic market and for export and it will win an increasing endorsement from consumers."
Guang'an aims to lift more than 280,000 out of poverty By Huang Zhiling (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-15 21:36:56

Guang'an in eastern Sichuan province has vowed to lift more than 280,000 people out of poverty by 2018, a senior official said.

Hou Xiaochun, Party chief of Guang'an, made the comment in Beijing while attending the annual session of the National People's Congress.

Guang'an is best known as the birthplace of the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping who lived there for 15 years before attending a preparatory course in neighboring Chongqing in 1919 before studying in France the next year.

All of its two districts, three counties and one city are mountainous. Statistics compiled in 2015 found that 283,000 people were below the poverty line set at an annual income of 2,300 yuan ($354).

The Guang'an municipal government has resorted to building roads, planting cash crops and developing rural tourism to help farmers.

Luziyan is a village at the junction of Wusheng and Yuechitwo counties under the administration of Guang'an.

Because it had no road leading to the outside, fruits such as the plum had to rot in the fields and fresh vegetables would be used to feed pigs.

"The Guang'an municipal government has invested money to build a road 5.2 kilometers long to link our village to the outside. Now fruits and vegetables can be sold outside," said Zhang Chunlai, a local resident who makes a living by planting fruit trees.

"It has led villagers to build more than 15,000 pear and more than 10,000 sweet orange trees. More than 200 villagers can find jobs at home instead of working as migrant workers," he said.

Lei Changyuan, a 63-year-old farmer in Qujiadian village in Yuechi, is handicapped because one of his legs was injured when he was young. His wife broke one of her legs and can only do housework.

The couple used to be very poor because they had to rely solely on their fields to eke out a living.

With the help of local officials in charge of poverty alleviation, they received an assistance of some 2,000 yuan to buy chickens, ducks and rabbits. The officials also arranged technicians to offer the Leis technical guidance in raising the domestic animals. By selling ducks and rabbits, the couple has made a profit of nearly 4,000 yuan.

Villages in Guang'an have beautiful natural scenery. Decision-makers in the city plan to turn 30 percent of its poor villages into rural tourism destinations to raise villagers' incomes.
An activist blogger has been ordered to pay $109,000 in libel damages to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in installments over the next 17 years, his lawyer said on Monday.

Roy Ngerng, 34, a former government employee, was found guilty in November of defaming Lee after accusing him in a blog of misappropriating state pension funds.

Ngerng's lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said that under an agreement with the prime minister, his client would pay $21,826 by Wednesday to cover the costs of an assessment hearing.
Sena means "signal" in Spanish, and a series of blind tastings were designed to send a message to the world about Chile's best wines. Photos provided to China Daily

Eduardo Chadwick has led a pioneering effort to make Chilean wines famous for quality as well as price, Mike Peters reports.

A Western meal is often served one course at a time, and you can match wines with them individually. But a Chinese meal can consist of myriad dishes, all served pretty much simultaneously. What to do?

When a Chinese journalist asks this question of Eduardo Chadwick, one of Chile's top winemakers, he says a light, simple wine "that goes with anything" is not the best answer.

"I would look for a more complex wine," he says, "one that has good fruit but also some spiciness and other flavor notes. When you do that, a savory dish will bring out certain flavors, but a spicy dish will bring out different flavors in the wine."

His answer is intriguing but no accident. The journalists gathered at the Chilean embassy in Beijing to meet Chadwick are about to sample just such a wine from his family of vineyards.

"We make a Bordeaux blend," Chadwick tells China Daily, "but with a Chilean soul". That soul has a name: Carmenere, a grape with a spicy edge that flourishes in the soils on the western side of the Andes. It gives Chilean wine blends their particular character.

Chadwick's signature wine, Sena, reflects a winemaker who shrugs off convention.

For most of Chile's 300 years of winemaking, the results were mostly consumed at home or in neighboring Brazil. However, the country has huge areas of agricultural land and a small population, which means Chile can produce a lot more wine than it can drink. Last century, the country's leaders got excited about exporting wine, but by the early 1990s, their vineyards were generating lots of bottles but not much respect. People saw and expected solid but inexpensive wines.

"Cheap and cheerful, you mean," laughs Chile's Ambassador to China, Jorge Heine. "That's been the reputation of our wines."
The young boy shows off the scars on his back from alleged abuse by his adoptive parents. [Photo/IC]

Li Zhengqin, after serving six months in prison for abusing her adoptive son, was welcomed by the boy and his biological mother at the gates of the prison in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, when she was released on Sunday. Rednet.cn said on Monday:

The case of child abuse has come to an end with the abused child's mother apologizing to her cousin, who abused the boy. However, the case deserves more reflection.

Even though child abuse is a serious crime, the biological mother knelt down and apologized to her cousin because she feared her cousin wouldn't look after her son any more, and her cousin's situation is far better than her own.

The most important issue is how to take care of the child and protect him from being hurt again in the future.

Therefore, we should reflect on the adoption system in China, and learn from the experience of some foreign countries that deal with such cases efficiently, with the government stepping in to take care of children abused by their adoptive parents.

We should also take into account the personalities and characters of the adopting parents when evaluating whether they are suitable to be foster parents.

But above all, there should be zero tolerance for abuse of children.
A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC]

The annual work report of the Supreme People's Court said that 54,249 officials at all levels were investigated for duty-related offenses last year, including 8,217 who were accused of taking bribes, of whom 2,495 were punished. Beijing Times commented on Monday:

China's criminal law tends to impose harsher punishments on officials who take bribes than those who offer the bribes. According to statistics, only about 20 percent of bribery cases involved the persons who offered bribes.

To some extent, keeping a tighter rein on the bribe-takers can expedite the country's anti-graft campaign, but allowing some who have given bribes to walk away with impunity deals a heavy blow to the spirit of the law in the long run.

That explains why the ninth amendment to the Criminal Law, which took effect on Nov 1, only exempts or alleviates the punishments for those guilty of offering bribes for minor offenses who play a key role in solving a major criminal case. The harsher exemption criteria indicate the country is strengthening its judicial efforts to fight corruption.

Of course, that less than 2,500 people who gave bribes received their due punishments does not guarantee that justice has been done in all cases involving bribery. The Chinese justice system tried 34,000 cases of corruption in 2015, involving 49,000 suspects (including some former high-ranking officials), with a considerable number of them being convicted of taking bribes, meaning that there are still a lot of people who offered bribes still at large.

It is fair to say, though, that punishing more than 2,000 people for giving bribes is a promising start for China's promotion of anti-corruption mechanism, in which all parties involved in bribery are held accountable.
A stevedore works at Qingdao port in Shandong province, July 1, 2015. [Photo/IC]

China has worked out a greener economic development blueprint for the years up to 2020. Investors and businesses in China and the European Union should keep this bigger picture in mind when they look for new opportunities that the ongoing annual sessions of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, China's top advisory body, and the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, may throw up.

China has already vowed to build a moderately well-off society by 2020, lifting the rest of the country's poor out of poverty by offering education, training, jobs and social welfare, as well as granting many migrant workers hukou (household registration) in the cities they work. Since China has already lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, this target seems achievable.

The task of making economic development greener seems a greater challenge, because it will not be easy to ensure more days with blue skies, and provide clean water, air and soil to all. But China will make every effort to make this dream a reality by 2020.

The secret of success may be sharing of information and benefits. For instance, before delivering his speech at a seminar in London recently, a senior Chinese diplomat started clicking photographs of the audience and took a selfie as well. He said he would share the photographs and the outcome of the seminar on social media. Such was the impact of his action that the rest of the four speakers, all from the United Kingdom, followed his example.

Sharing information on social media has become a phenomenon in China. Millions of Chinese people "hold meetings", discuss business and exchange ideas on different social media platforms every day. They even "compete" with each other to see who jogs or walks longer to spread health awareness among Internet users.
At the 31st convention of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 12 Western countries led by the United States recently claimed there have been human rights violations in China and expressed concern over the country's "worsening" human rights record. This is the most provocative move by Western countries in the name of human rights in a decade.

Ignoring the great strides China has taken in protecting human rights, the US has termed China's judicial actions as infringements of human rights. This is blatant interference in the internal affairs of China and a violation of China's judicial sovereignty.

In fact, although the US considers itself the greatest defender of human rights, it has serious human rights problems of its own and, as such, does not have the right to criticize China's human rights record.

The easy availability of firearms and gun-related violence in the US seriously threaten US citizens' safety. Every year, more than 30,000 people are shot, murdered, or commit suicide using guns, and over 200,000 people are wounded in gun-related violence. The US government has not addressed any of these issues because of the power exercised by the gun lobby.

Moreover, racial discrimination is deeply rooted in the US, and racial equality exists only on paper. Ethnic minorities in the US do not have proportionate representation in politics or the judiciary, and their voting rights have long been suppressed. Black people are usually the scapegoats or wrongly targeted by law enforcement officers, who rarely face the judiciary for killing blacks.

The US' flagrant violation of international human rights laws is evident in its organized, systemic and large-scale abuse of prisoners no matter whether they are Americans or foreigners. The Central Intelligence Agency has used the worst torture methods on prisoners. Some of the brutal corporal and mental tortures are devised by CIA-funded so-called experts, and their level of cruelty is limitless. The brutal torture inflicted on prisoners extends to humiliation. And even senior US officials who have approved brutal torture programs have found the interrogation reports "disgusting".

Therefore, the US should first take care of the skeletons in its open human rights cupboard before pointing the finger at other countries. And before demonizing other countries for their human rights records, the US should better look itself in the mirror.

Li Yunlong is a professor of international studies at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
In 2015, tourism revenue in Tibetan regions of Sichuan totaled 39 billion yuan (about six billion US dollars), up 20 percent year on year.[Photo/Xinhua]

Yang Zhonghuo must be one of China's busiest officials.

The tourism chief in Aba, a county with a high concentration of Tibetan and Qiang people in Sichuan province, often finds his office crowded.

With authorities promising to direct money earned from developing tourism back into such ethnic communities, monks show up asking for funds to repair their monasteries. Herdsmen come for advice on how to profit from the tourism boom. Village officials, hotel owners, logistics company executives and even foreign tourists are no stranger to Yang's office.

"I have never seen anything like this -- tourism is truly changing lives here," he said.

In 2015, tourism revenue in Tibetan regions of Sichuan totaled 39 billion yuan (about six billion US dollars), up 20 percent year on year.

Attracting tourists is becoming a bigger and bigger part of local government strategy. A dozen tourism-related bills, rather than the usual two or three, were submitted during Aba's legislative sessions this year.

Last year, Aba's government invested 24 million yuan to develop tourist attractions and infrastructure like roads and parking lots.

Local officials are hungry for more financing from central government. Sichuan deputies to the annual session of the National People's Congress are hoping to submit a bill on developing eco- and cultural tours in Tibetan areas of the province.

"We do not want to miss the opportunity to develop. More financing is critical for improving people's lives," said Yang.

People in Shenzuo village of Aba have traditionally made a living herding cattle. In 2015, 23 local families opened guest houses, and small hoteliers now outnumber herders in Shenzuo.

"Urban folk just love the simple life here; the wetland, forests, lake and monasteries," said villager Angtang.

Local officials hope Aba will be attracting a million tourists per year and making a billion yuan from tourism by 2020.

In Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Gannan of Sichuan's neighboring Gansu province, efforts to develop tourism is also in full swing. The prefecture will get a loan of 6.5 billion yuan from the Gansu branch of the Agricultural Bank of China from 2015 to 2019 to boost tourism.

The fund will be used to improve facilities such as road, water, electricity and hotels.

Tibet autonomous region is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. It received a record 20 million tourists in 2015, nearly twice that of 2010, and earned 28 billion yuan in tourism revenue, nearly three times the figure five years ago.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 14, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW -- The Russian air forces deployed in Syria would start withdrawal from March 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

Putin said the decision was discussed and coordinated with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a phone conversation earlier in the day, adding that "the fundamental tasks set for the Russian armed forced in Syria were resolved."

"It was agreed to withdraw main body of the Russian air forces. At the same time Russia would preserve an air flight control center in Syrian territory to monitor the ceasefire regime," according to an online Kremlin press release.

According to Putin, Russia's naval base in Syria's coastal city of Tartus, as well as the Hmeimim airbase southeast of Syria's Latakia city, would continue operation in a routine mode.

"A part of our military group has been traditionally deployed in Syria for many years and now it will be tasked to fulfill a very important job of monitoring the ceasefire regime and creating conditions for peace process," Putin added.

"I hope today's decision (of withdrawal) will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will considerably increase trust of all participants in the process," Putin said during a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Putin also ordered the foreign ministry to intensify efforts to push forward the Syrian peace process, while praising the Russian air forces in Syria for the efficient work that "created conditions for the start of a peace process."

Both Putin and Assad hoped the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, which starts Monday under the UN auspices, could bring concrete results, while the latter stressed his readiness to start political process in Syria as soon as possible.

Assad also expressed gratitude to Russia for the substantial help in the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian aid delivery to Syrian civilians.
HAVANA - Cuban and US telecom firms have signed an agreement to establish direct international voice traffic, basically in incoming and outgoing calls, Cuban official daily Granma reported on Monday.

Cuba's state telecommunications company Etecsa signed the interconnection accord with New York-based Verizon Partner Solutions, a division of Verizon Communications Inc, the report said.

The deal paves the way for direct telephone communication between the two countries, but Etecsa said in a statement the service won't be available until "the period of implementation and technical testing both operators are undertaking is complete." It did not provide a date.

One of the four big US telecom firms, along with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, Verizon in September 2015 became the first US-based wireless company to offer travelers roaming service in Cuba, the company said on its website.

This latest deal is the third of its kind signed between Cuba and the United States since Havana and Washington announced in December 2014 their decision to restore diplomatic ties after half a century of animosity.

In February 2015, Etecsa signed a similar accord with IDT Domestic Telecom, and in November it signed a roaming agreement with Sprint.

US President Barack Obama is set to travel to Cuba for a visit, the first by a sitting US head of state since 1928.
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that the results of state elections in Germany on Sunday "make her party think."

German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Angela Merkel attends a news conference at the CDU party headquarters in Berlin, Germany March 14, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Eligible German voters cast their ballots on Sunday in the southwestern states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as eastern Saxony-Anhalt to elect three new regional parliaments.Anti-migration party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), recorded remarkable gains in the elections and was able to break into all three state parliaments. Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) took a beating and lost voter support in all three states.Reviewing the vote results together with her party's top candidates, Merkel acknowledged that it was a "difficult day for the CDU."According to Merkel, insecurity among the German population and the poll results of the AfD had increased significantly after the Cologne assaults on New Year's Eve this year, adding the CDU would continue discussions with the upstart party in a bid to find suggestions for dealing with the current refugee issue.The "Super Sunday" vote was the biggest in Germany since a record number of refugees came to the country, and was largely billed as a mood test for Merkel's open door policy towards refugees.The surge of the AfD in the elections was widely seen as the result of a "protest vote." Many AfD supporters said they were not being taken seriously by the main parties and believed the AfD understood them best on the issue of refugees.However, the majority of people questioned also suspected that the AfD was a protest party which was good at identifying problems but wouldn't provide viable solutions over the long term.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 14, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW/GENEVA - President Vladimir Putin announced out of the blue on Monday that "the main part" of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw, telling his diplomats to step up the push for peace as UN-mediated talks resumed on ending the five-year-old war.

Damascus rejected any suggestion of a rift with Moscow, saying President Bashar al-Assad had agreed on the "reduction" of Russian forces in a telephone call with Putin.

Western diplomats speculated that Putin may be trying to press Assad into accepting a political settlement to the war, which has killed 250,000 people, although US officials saw no sign yet of Russian forces preparing to pull out.

The anti-Assad opposition expressed bafflement, with a spokesman saying, "Nobody knows what is in Putin's mind".

Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped to turn the tide of war in Assad's favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies including US-made anti-tank missiles.

Putin made his surprise announcement, that came with no advance word to the United States, at a meeting with his defence and foreign ministers.

Russian forces had largely fulfilled their objectives in Syria, Putin said. But he gave no deadline for the completion of the withdrawal and said forces would remain at a seaport and airbase in Syria's Latakia province.

In Geneva, United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura told the warring parties there was no "Plan B" other than a resumption of conflict if the first of three rounds of talks that aim to agree a "clear roadmap" for Syria failed to make progress.

Putin and US President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday about Syria, with the Kremlin saying the two leaders "called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement" to the conflict.

The White House said Obama welcomed the reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation of hostilities but "underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria."

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was encouraged by Putin's announcement but that it was too early to say what it means, whether he will carry it out and what may have motivated it.

Putin said at the Kremlin meeting that he was ordering the withdrawal from Tuesday of "the main part of our military contingent" from the country.

"The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process," he said. "I believe that the task put before the defence ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled."

With the participation of the Russian military, Syrian armed forces "have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism", he added.
DUBAI - Dubai and Shanghai Monday agreed to collaborate in design knowledge exchange and increase inter-city relations.

The agreement was made during UNESCO's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Creative City Shanghai and Dubai's annual art fair Art.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Liu Boying, Vice President of UNESCO Creative City Shanghai and Art Dubai Chief Executive, Benedict Floyd.

"The MoU's purpose is to closely collaborate with Shanghai's Creative and Design Scene and Art Dubai," Floyd told Xinhua.

"We are working on several fronts and this is a major one," he added.

Liu was joined by a delegation of 34 Chinese designers, art promoters and artists who arrived in Dubai on Saturday.

"This is the first time a delegation of Shanghai artists and designers participates at the fifth edition of Design Days Dubai," said Pan Jin, Vice Secretary of the Shanghai promotion office.

Design Days Dubai is under the Art Dubai umbrella, an exhibit of design products, paintings, sculptures, art tours and auctions taking place this week across Dubai.

Dillion Zhang, a Shanghai multimedia designer from the delegation said he was very excited about Dubai and the MoU.

"This is my first visit to Dubai and I hope to meet Arab designers and artists to exchange know-how and develop business ties with them," he said.

The MoU involves regular networking between both parties, exchanging design know-how, encouraging local Shanghai and Dubai designers to join exchange programs and exhibitions and to attend events in each other's city.

China's mega city of Shanghai joined UNESCO's Creative City Network as "City of Design," in 2010 when the metropolitan entertained global visitors to the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

The Gulf Arab metropolis and the Chinese port and business city have been sister cities since the year 2000.

"We expect 14,000 visitors, buyers, art aficionados and intellectuals this year from around the world," said Fair Director, Cyril Zammit.
New York state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky on Monday called on Judge Danny Chun to issue a lenient sentence for Peter Liang, the former New York police officer convicted of manslaughter in the death of Akai Gurley.

In a letter to Chun, released by her office on Monday, Stavisky, a Democrat who represents Flushing,Queens, pointed to inadequate training and the partnering of two rookie officers on a so-called vertical patrol in a Brooklyn public housing project as contributing to the incident.

Liang, whose sentencing is scheduled for April 14, faces 15 years in prison, a sentence Stavisky said is too harsh, given the circumstances.

Liang and his partner were conducting the patrol on Nov 20, 2014, inside the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York. Liang opened a door into an unlighted stairwell and his gun went off. The bullet glanced off a wall and hit Gurley, 28, who was walking down the stairs with his girlfriend, and pierced his heart.

Stavisky said her thoughts and prayers are with Gurley's loved ones, "but Akai Gurley wasn't the only victim here''. Liang and his partner were inexperienced, inadequately trained and, as rookies, had no business conducting a vertical patrol in a darkened staircase, she said in her letter.

"`We cannot scapegoat these two officers and ignore the NYPD protocols set in place. I am requesting Judge Chun to consider all the circumstances when he issues a sentence for Peter Liang," she wrote.

Stavisky told China Daily that nobody had requested she write the letter, but that she had done so because she felt that justice would not be served if Liang were sentenced to a long prison sentence on the second-degree count.

"I just didn't think it'd be in the interest of justice," she said. "There were no winners here  everybody was a victim, whether it be Gurley and his family, or Officer Liang and his family. This is a very sad situation."

Stavisky's letter to the Kings County Supreme Court judge is one of many that have been written seeking leniency for Liang.

The Committee of 100 sent a letter last month saying that Liang "does not appear to be a danger to society" and that it trusts that Chun "will decide on a fair and just outcome commensurate with the applicable law and the circumstances of the case".

Contact the writers at amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
Kent Krul (R) and Julie Kavanagh attend a press conference to introduce the EVUS in the US Embassy in Beijing, March 15, 2016. [Photo by Liu Xiaozhuo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Chinese nationals holding 10-year US visas will be required to complete an online form to update certain biographical information to enter America from November, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Tuesday.

Kent Krul of the CBP, said Chinese travelers will need to have a valid Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) enrollment prior to traveling to the US. An EVUS enrollment is valid for two years or until the traveler obtains a new passport.

Krul also said EVUS is a new platform under development designed to enhance border security in accordance with the bilateral arrangement between the US and China to issue 10-year validity tourist and business visas. A nominal fee will be charged at the time of the EVUS enrollment and subsequent updates.

"We are committed to making the travel process for Chinese travelers as smooth as possible," Krul added.

Julie Kavanagh, the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs of the US Embassy in Beijing, said that the 10-year visa is to stay and EVUS is a fast and convenient system that will help Chinese travelers to enter America quickly.
KUALA LUMPUR -- Two Australian reporters who allegedly breached security when trying to interview Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak would be deported, police said.

Eroglu Levent and Linton Joshua Besser from Australian Broadcasting Corporation were arrested during the weekend after trying to approach Najib for an interview in an event held in Malaysia's Sarawak state on North Borneo.

The two were investigated for obstructing a public servant in discharging his public functions, but prosecutors decided not to charge them, reported official news agency Bernama, citing a police statement.

Instead, the two would be deported, police said. They were earlier released on police bail after having their statements recorded.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expressed concern over the arrest, but Malaysian deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi insisted that all media must abide by the law.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea launches a long range rocket launched into the air in this file still image taken from KRT video footage, released by Yonhap on February 7, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING -- China called for caution in both word and deed from all sides, to avoid escalating tension on the Korean peninsula, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday in Beijing.

Kim Jong Un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said that the country plans to test a nuclear warhead and several ballistic rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to media reports on Tuesday.

"China's position on that issue is clear. We urge all sides to fulfill requirements of the UN security council, be prudent with their words and actions, and not take any action that would worsen tensions on the Korean peninsula," foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said at a press briefing.

He reaffirmed China's willingness to implement the UN Security Council's resolutions concerning sanctions against the DPRK, saying that the government would inform those affected in a timely manner.

Related:

Kim Jong Un says nuclear warhead test to be conducted 'in short time'

Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un said his country will conduct a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads "in a short time," the official KCNA news agency reported Tuesday.

Kim made the remarks when he guided an environmental simulation for reentry into atmosphere of the warhead tip of a ballistic missile, the report said.

The simulation was conducted to "verify the thermodynamic structural stability of newly-developed heat-resisting materials under the high pressure and thermal flow caused by aerodynamic heating" when a ballistic rocket reenters the atmosphere, the KCNA said, adding that the test results met all technical parameters.
A relative of Zeynep Basak Gulsoy, one of the victims of Sunday's suicide bomb attack, mourns next to her coffin during a funeral ceremony in Ankara, Turkey March 15, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA -- The suicide bomber who carried out the deadly attack in Ankara on Sunday was identified as a member of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

The PKK member was Seher Cagla Demir and she was born in 1992 in the province of Kars in eastern Turkey, said the ministry.

Demir joined the PKK in 2013 and later received training with the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria.

The car bomb in Ankara's central Kizilay neighborhood on Sunday evening hit a major public transportation hub, killing 37 people and injuring over 100 others.

It was the third major blast to hit the Turkish capital since last October.

On Oct. 10, 2015, suspected Islamic State (IS) militants bombed a peace rally near Ankara Railway Station, killing 103 people.

On Feb. 17, a suicide car bomb targeted military shuttles in the capital city, killing 29 and injuring 81 others. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, a Kurdish militant group linked to the PKK, claimed responsibility.

Since a cease-fire between the government and the PKK collapsed last July, Turkish security forces have been conducting a major campaign against the group in the southeast of the country.

More than 260 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.
GENEVA -- Swiss Union of Arts and Crafts (USAM) director Hans-Ulrich Bigler told Xinhua recently in an exclusive interview that China is playing an increasingly crucial role for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Switzerland.

"We want to build favourable conditions for economic development. For instance, we worked very hard towards establishing the bilateral accord between Switzerland and China," said Bigler, whose union represents 99 percent of all businesses in the confederation.

"Since the free trade agreement came into force, I am pleased to notice that turnover has increased," he added.

The Sino-Swiss free trade agreement, considered to be a pivotal asset for Swiss businesses which are otherwise unable to physically access the Chinese market, was implemented in July 2014.

"Thanks to the agreement, we have recently opened a new market together with new opportunities which will benefit us in the coming years by creating new dynamics both on the economic and political front," Bigler continued.

China set this year's growth target in the range of 6.5 to 7 percent, following 6.9-percent economic growth in 2015. Though China's economy is expected to slow down, Bigler said that it is still sufficiently high to cater to Swiss needs.

Economic growth in Switzerland is forecast to reach 1.5 percent this year, up from 0.8 percent in 2015.

The Swiss director also highlighted the importance of branching out economic relations, since 70 percent of Swiss trade takes place with the European Union.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea launches a long range rocket launched into the air in this file still image taken from KRT video footage, released by Yonhap on February 7, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Beijing called on Tuesday for a prudent approach to the situation on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang warned of an impending nuclear warhead test and launch of several ballistic missiles.

China also reaffirmed that United Nations resolutions should be fully implemented.

"We urge all sides to conscientiously carry out the UN Security Council resolutions, speak and act cautiously, and not take any action that would exacerbate tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular news briefing.

Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said a nuclear warhead test and the launch of "several kinds" of ballistic missiles would be carried out shortly, the DPRK's official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Republic of Korea President Park Geun-hye told a Cabinet meeting that if the DPRK "continues its provocations ... and does not walk the path of change, it will walk the path of self-destruction", Agence France-Presse reported.

China intensified its diplomatic efforts, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterating that provocations "in word or deed" should cease.

He has also called for new talks with the DPRK on nuclear disarmament during a series of fresh talks and meetings with his counterparts from the United States, ROK, Russia and Japan.

Wang, who met his Russian counterpart on Friday, had telephone conversations with his counterparts from the ROK and Japan on Monday.

According to the Foreign Ministry's website, they agreed it was important to implement UN resolutions "in a complete and comprehensive manner".

Reaffirming Beijing's stance against Pyongyang carrying out a nuclear test and missile launches, Lu said China is committed to the full implementation of UN sanctions against the DPRK. The government has always strictly implemented UN resolutions and will ensure Chinese enterprises and related authorities honor their implementation, he said.

Zuo Xiying, an international studies specialist at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China, said Beijing's commitment to UN resolutions sends a clear signal to the DPRK that conducting nuclear tests and missile launches jeopardizes regional peace and stability.

Beijing, on the one hand, has to ask the US and the ROK to exercise restraint and, on the other, persuade Pyongyang to stop using bellicose words, he added.
GENEVA-- Chinese diplomat Fu Cong urged certain Western countries on Tuesday to refrain from politicising the Human Rights Council (HRC) while warning that the forum risks facing the shortcomings experienced by the Commission for Human Rights which preceded it.

Fu made the remarks at the General Debate under Agenda Item 4 during the 31st Session of the Human Rights Council which ends on March 24.

"Certain western countries in the Council openly politicize human rights issues, through naming and shaming and plotting country-specific resolutions in order to serve their geopolitical needs," Fu explained.

"They on the one hand attack developing countries on their human rights situations and on the other hand adopt unilateral sanctions, and even take military actions against these countries without the authorization of the United Nations," he added.

The official deplored the fact that some countries launch unfounded accusations against developing nations and use the council as a tool to serve their political needs.

"If the Council continues down this path, it will unavoidably repeat the same mistakes and failures of the Commission. The international community should be on alert against this dangerous tendency," Fu cautioned.

The official also highlighted the fact that human rights cannot exist without sovereignty and development, and that external interventions in a number of developing countries have resulted in the destruction of peace, stability and ethnic harmony.

Fu also mentioned the crises affecting countries such as Iraq, Libya and Syria, but also the European Union.

"As a matter of fact, more and more people have come to realize that the root cause of the current humanitarian crisis is the policy of new interventionism carried out by certain western countries under the banner of human rights and humanitarianism," Fu reported.
US Secretary of State John Kerry listens to US President Barack Obama speak at the Chief of Missions Conference at the State Department in Washington March 14, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that he will go to Russia next week to meet President Vladimir Putin, discussing the crisis on Syria.

"I will be traveling next week to Moscow to meet with President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in order to discuss how we can effectively move the political process forward and try to take advantage of this moment," Kerry said before a meeting with Georgia's Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the date to Moscow will be after Tuesday next week, when Kerry returns from a trip to Cuba with President Barack Obama.

Putin on Monday announced that the Russia would withdraw its air forces deployed in Syria starting from Tuesday.

The decision was discussed and coordinated with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a phone call earlier in the day, Putin said, adding that "the fundamental tasks set for the Russian armed forced in Syria were resolved."

The White House said on Tuesday Russia so far appears to begin pulling its troops out of Syria.

"The earliest indications are that the Russians are following through," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

He also cautioned that "it is still too early at this point to determine the impact that might have on the broader situation."

"With the cessation of hostilities largely holding, Russia's announcement yesterday that it will remove half of its forces immediately and more perhaps from Syria and with the political negotiations reconvening this week in Geneva, we have reached a very important phase in this process," Kerry said.

"So this is a time to seize, not waste," he said. "We have at this moment the ability to finally take a step towards ending this war and the bloodshed."
(Photo : Weibo: chaotingbanrixian )

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An abusive mother in Jiangsu province who made headlines last year for maltreating his adopted son was released on Sunday after a six-month prison sentence.



Li Zhengqin repeatedly beat his adopted son, 10-year-old Shi, for lying and not doing his homework, with the netizens dubbing her as a "tiger mom." Li adopted Shi from her cousin who lived in a rural area.



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The situation outside the prison gates was alike to a drama scene, with Li's cousin (Shi's biological mother), kneeling down the ground, crying, and shouted, "My cousin, I'm sorry for what you suffered."



Shi also ran into Li's arm.



"My boy, mama is home," Li tearfully told her son.



Abused child



Photos of Shi with raw marks from apparent numerous whipping circulated online last year. Shi had bloodied marks on his hands, back, and feet. Li was later detained while the boy was returned to his biological parents.



"I've tried in vain for three years to help him stop lying. I was afraid that he might develop other bad habits in the future. I wanted to educate him and didn't mean to hurt him. I did beat him that night, but I didn't beat him hard," Li said during the trial.



Bu after an investigation showed that 10 percent of the boy's body had minor wounds, Nanjing's local court ruled that Li had gone "too far" when he beat her son with a back scratcher and a skipping rope. She was sentenced to six months of jailtime.



"I'm not a bad mother. I was just trying to discipline my child," Li insisted.



Li's lawyer hired two forensic experts who said that the Shi's injuries were not serious enough to be identified as minor injuries.



Parents' side



But Shi's biological parents, one of them Li's cousin, was not happy with the ruling. They believe that Li loved the boy but had dealt with the issue in an "overzealous fashion."



Shi was adopted when he was six years old, as his biological parents believe that he will have a better life in the city. Besides, the adoptive parents are a lawyer and a journalist, ensuring a comfortable life for the child.



Zhang, the boy's biological mother, even sued the person who originally posted the photos on Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social media network. Zhang claims that the teacher who uploaded the photos infringed on their family's "privacy, reputation, and the right of portrait," especially as the poster revealed that the child was adopted.



The child, meanwhile, seems to be also longing for Li. According to Zhang, the boy's school grades started to fall when Li was taken into custody. A video of created by the boy where he said that he wanted Li to return was shown during the trial.



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Tagstiger mom, mother in China abuse parents, Asian parents, Child abuse
(Photo : Getty Images) Malaysia is concerned about China's military build-up in the South China Sea.

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Malaysia's Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters on Monday that he will hold meeting with Australia's Defence Minister next week to discuss China's military buildup in the South China Sea.



We want to ensure efforts are made to "hold China to their promise of not placing military assets in the area", Hussein said as he set forth the agenda of next week's meeting.



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"If the reports we've received from various sources regarding the buildup and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true - this forces us in a pushback against China," he told the media.



Malaysia's Defence Minister stated that he also plans to meet officials in Vietnam and the Philippines and called for support from other ASEAN countries, adding that Malaysia "cannot act alone in stopping the aggressive actions."



"We need the support of other ASEAN countries, and I will continue to (seek that support)," Hussein said. "This is important for us to maintain balance, and to curb the actions by superpowers, whether it is China or the United States."



Hussein's statement comes just weeks after reports emerged that China has placed missiles and fighter jets on Woody Island. Following the report, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and other neighboring countries with competing claims in South China Sea region accused China of militarizing the region.



The U.S. also accused China of backtracking from its commitment of 'not militarizing South China Sea region.' Washington responded by sending several ships and aircrafts to patrol the region.



Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who paid a official visit to Beijing last month, also expressed displeasure over China's recent military buildup in the contested maritime territory.



Australia and New Zealand have issued a stern warning to China that soaring tensions in the South China Sea threatened peace and prosperity in Asia-Pacific region.



Unperturbed by these actions and accusations, last week China announced that it will start civilian flight operation to the South China Sea within a year. A move that expectedly drew sharp criticism from Washington and other claimants.



On Sunday, China made another big announcement relating to South China Sea. The country's Chief Justice announced that China plans to setup an 'international maritime judicial center' to protect country's national sovereignty. The announcement came just days after Beijing firmly refused to participate in an arbitration case filed by Philippines in Hague court to settle conflicting maritime claims in South China Sea.



Several foreign policy experts claim that China's recent assertive actions in South China Sea is aimed more at domestic consumption. Experts say that Beijing is under tremendous public pressure to respond to America's 'freedom of navigation' operation.



The energy rich South China Sea is the site of one of the most contentious territorial disputes in the world.



The region has proven oil reserves of 7.7 billion barrels and is also home to vast amount of marine biodiversity. The South China Sea's importance is equally huge in terms of trade, as world's one third of trading ships sail through its water.



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Tagschina, South China Sea, China and Malaysia, China and Australia, Malaysia and Australia
Staffs of State Forest Administration and police of General Administration of Customs destroy about 662 kilograms of illegal ivory and ivory products at Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on May 29, 2015 in Beijing, China. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images)

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Customs authorities in China seized a total of 705 kilograms of banned plant Khat, which can be used as stimulant, from Ethiopia.



Khat was banned in China 2014, which makes it a criminal offense to plant hold, transport, traffic or eat the leafy shrub.



The first parcel full that contained 14 kilos of khat, a leafy shrub grown in the Arabian Peninsula was discovered in Shenyang last December.



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Customs agents believed there were more parcels coming from Ethiopia that possibly contain the banned plant so they conducted thorough investigation.



According to the official Xinhua news agency, custom agents found more parcels containing Khat from Ethiopia in Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen.



At least three people have already been arrested for receiving the parcels of Khat from Ethiopia. The three have been officially charged in a Chinese court.



According to Shenyang customs officials, China was only used a transit point for the smuggling of Khat as the suspects reportedly were planning to send the banned plant to other countries for profit.



Khat can be brewed as tea, smoked or chewed. It is a leafy green plant that contains a monoamine alkaloid called cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant, which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite and euphoria.



It is a controlled substance in some countries, such as Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, while its production, sale, and consumption are legal in other nations, including Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.



Earlier customs agents in Xiamen seized 57 elephant tusks smuggled into China from Africa. The tusks weigh around 119 kilograms and are worth nearly 8.2 million yuan, or about US$1.3 million.



The smuggled tusks were place in three bags and hidden in a container filled with timber from Uganda.



"It is the largest confiscation of smuggled elephant tusks by Chinese customs this year," said a spokesperson from Xiamen customs.



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Christian population in Syria's ISIS controlled regions non-existent after 5 years 15 March, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

The Syrian civil war has "irrevocably damaged" the country's religious diversity, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a statement on the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict March 15.

According to the Commission, which monitors religious freedom  or the lack thereoft  worldwide and works within friendly governments to promote religious liberty, the conflict between the Baathist administration of Bashar Al-Assad, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Al-Qaeda's Al-Nusra Front, and the Islamic State has claimed as many as 470,000 lives, most of them civilian. The Commission also said as many as 4.7 million Syrians have fled the country and are now international refugees.

his brutal conflict has become sectarian in nature, with Syria now an overwhelmingly hostile place for all ethno-religious groups, including Alawites, Christians, Druze, Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, and Turkmen.

Another 6.5 million Syrians were described as "internally displaced."

"This brutal conflict has become sectarian in nature, with Syria now an overwhelmingly hostile place for all ethno-religious groups, including Alawites, Christians, Druze, Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, and Turkmen," the USCIRF statement said.

USCIRF Chairman Robert George said the needs for humanitarian assistant are on a scale generally unprecedented.

USCIRF labeled Syria a "Country of Particular Concern" in 2014, meaning the conditions favorable for the open exchange of religious ideas and freedom of religion were non-existent. The presence of ISIS there, along with other militants, such as Hezbollah fighters working to preserve Assad's rule, makes ending the conflict near impossible.

That isn't stopping the USCIRF from trying. In its statement, the Commission called on the U.S. government to "work with our international partners to prioritize the protection of and assistance to all non-combatant Syrians, especially vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities, and help ensure that issues related to religious freedom and human rights are included in any political negotiations that seek to end this devastating crisis."

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Paris that the Islamic State's "campaign of evil" has now spilled over from Iraq and Syria, "and all of us have come here united in our deep belief that the Syrian civil war must end."

"Against all odds, against most predictions, we have been able to sustain for two weeks now a cessation of hostilities  which we all acknowledge has tensions here and there, but which has nevertheless been able to produce 80 to a 90 percent reduction in the level of violence  and we are all well aware of the record numbers of migrants who are seeking refuge not just in the Middle East, but now pushing into a Europe that is already facing challenges," Kerry said.

Kerry was in Paris meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-March Ayrault, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammon, European High Representative Federica Mogherini, and Italian Foreign Minister Pailo Gentiloni.

Syria's Christian population in areas controlled by ISIS is now viritually non-existent.
Mother Teresa soon a 'saint' in the Catholic Church 15 March, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

ROME (Christian Examiner)  Pope Francis announced March 15 that the Catholic Church will declare Mother Teresa and four others saints in canonization ceremonies later this year.

The pontiff made the announcement after midmorning prayers in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace, Vatican Radio reported.

Mother Teresa, who founded the order known as Missionaries of Charity, worked for decades among the poor in the slums of Calcutta, India. Many of the nuns in the order are expected to attend the canonization ceremony in September 2016.

Born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Albania in 1910, Mother Teresa left home at age 18 to pursue work as a missionary. She taught school in Calcutta for several years, and it was during India's 1943 famine  in the midst of World War II  that she took on her work with the poor. It became her singular focus. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

In Catholic theology, two miracles must have been attributed to a man or woman in order for them to be canonized.

One miracle attributed to Teresa occurred in 2003 when a non-Christian woman was suffering from a tumor. The members of the Missionaries of Charity reportedly sought intercession from Mother Teresa, who died in 1997, and the next morning the woman's tumor was said to be gone. That miracle led to Teresa's beatification.

In December 2015, Pope Francis attributed a second miracle to Mother Teresa  the healing of a man with brain lesions, also long after her death. Others also had reportedly interceded for him in the name of the nun from Calcutta.

In addition to Mother Teresa, Pope Francis will also canonize:

 Jan Papczynski, known as Blessed Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary, who founded the order Marians of the Immaculate Conception.

 Blessed Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad of Sweden, who prayed for unity among Lutheran and Catholic Christians. She was a convert to Catholicism from Lutheranism.

 Blessed Jose Gabriel del Rosario, the "gaucho priest," who traveled throughout his parish in Argentina on the back of a mule to do the work of the church. He will canonized in October.

 Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio of Mexico, reportedly "martyred" by the Mexican government in the Cristeros War for refusing to deny the church.

Protestant Christians reject the idea of intercession through any person other than Jesus Christ. Critics also argue that the Roman Catholic legion of saints is a vestige of paganism, where heroes of old achieved divine status  a process called apotheosis or deification.
Faithinspires.org Invites All Christians to Partner in its Ministry to the World



KATY, Texas, March 15, 2016 /



For less than a dollar per day anyone, anywhere with a checking account, credit card or debit card can partner with FaithInspires.Org to bring Christian news and information to everywhere the internet can reach! The site is edited by minister and Christian writer Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield. Crutchfield or his work have been seen at ChristianHeadlines.Com, SelfGrowth.Com, Katy Christian Magazine, and many others.



Crutchfield even served as chaplain to his local fire department for three and a half years. This gives him a unique perspective on events in and out of the church. Best Selling Christian Author Loree Lough even used him as inspiration behind the 1890's minster Rev. Robert Crutchfield in her book Guardians of the Heart. Before that she featured his First Responders Prayer in all three of her First Responders Series of novels.



FaithInspires.Org also features a keyword searchable archive of over 1,200 previous articles covering dozens of topics. This makes it an incredible resource for education and research. More funding is needed on a regular basis to build this resource further and make as many people as possible aware of its existence.



Every person who donates just $25 per month is considered a vital partner in this ministry! Crutchfield explains, "Our partners are vital to our ministry because they give critical stability to our finances, which allows us to make plans on more than a month to month basis like we do now."



Joining their partner program is as easy as filling out the form at:



Crutchfield also said "I don't want to be misunderstood, we appreciate every donation of whatever kind or size. However at this stage of our growth we are desperately in need of the kind of consistent funding that our partner program will provide."

Share Tweet Contact: Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield, 281-660-4294KATY, Texas, March 15, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- FaithInspires.Org is a Christian news and information blog that has grown to the point where it was read in 195 countries in 2015! Up until now it has done its work with almost no budget, meaning its potential to reach people around the world has barely been tapped. It can only spend money as it comes in. Which is why they are reaching out to their fellow Christians to power the ministry's future growth.For less than a dollar per day anyone, anywhere with a checking account, credit card or debit card can partner with FaithInspires.Org to bring Christian news and information to everywhere the internet can reach! The site is edited by minister and Christian writer Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield. Crutchfield or his work have been seen at ChristianHeadlines.Com, SelfGrowth.Com, Katy Christian Magazine, and many others.Crutchfield even served as chaplain to his local fire department for three and a half years. This gives him a unique perspective on events in and out of the church. Best Selling Christian Author Loree Lough even used him as inspiration behind the 1890's minster Rev. Robert Crutchfield in her book Guardians of the Heart. Before that she featured his First Responders Prayer in all three of her First Responders Series of novels.FaithInspires.Org also features a keyword searchable archive of over 1,200 previous articles covering dozens of topics. This makes it an incredible resource for education and research. More funding is needed on a regular basis to build this resource further and make as many people as possible aware of its existence.Every person who donates just $25 per month is considered a vital partner in this ministry! Crutchfield explains, "Our partners are vital to our ministry because they give critical stability to our finances, which allows us to make plans on more than a month to month basis like we do now."Joining their partner program is as easy as filling out the form at: tinyurl.com/FIPartners Crutchfield also said "I don't want to be misunderstood, we appreciate every donation of whatever kind or size. However at this stage of our growth we are desperately in need of the kind of consistent funding that our partner program will provide."
home World Dubai man faces blasphemy accusations for mocking Christianity

A security officer at a five-star hotel in Dubai has been tried for alleged blasphemy and acting indecently in public when he reportedly insulted Christianity last year.

After a Christmas party at the five-star hotel in Dubai, the security officer allegedly made mocking statements pertaining to Christianity. His comments were recorded in a video which went viral on social media, according to Gulf Business.

The incident gained the attention of authorities when the Emirati security officer went to the Bur Dubai police station on Dec. 29 and reported that the video has been circulating online. He claimed that his Egyptian colleague recorded the clip without his consent and posted it on social media, the Khaleej Times reports.

During the trial at the Dubai Criminal Court, a policeman who interrogated the Emirati relayed what the defendant told him. The officer said the defendant felt embarrassed after the clip went viral on social media.

"He told us that after the Christmas party was over, he was just having fun and stood behind the microphone saying, 'Merry Christmas and wishing you the best,' before he said, 'You are all doomed to hell, and evil is such a destination,'" the policeman told the court. "He then pointed at his private parts in a gesture of degradation."

The Emirati defendant, however, has denied the accusations against him.

Meanwhile, two other individuals also face accusations related to the viral video of the Emirati insulting Christianity. His Egyptian colleague is accused of violating his privacy by circulating the video on WhatsApp. A Sudanese suspect is also set to face trial for forwarding the video to other people without the Emirati's consent.

Both the Egyptian and Sudanese suspects have pleaded not guilty to the charges, the report adds.

The United Arab Emirates strictly implements rules on social media usage. Recently, many people have stood trial for violating the said rules.

The next hearing is set to take place on Mar. 27.
home World U.S. admitted only 2 Christian refugees out of 281 from Syria in first two months of 2016

The U.S. State Department reportedly admitted only two Syrian Christians out of 281 refugees from January to February 2016.

Barnabas Aid says the figures reflect the UN referral system's injustice towards Syrian Christians. Instead of staying at UN refugee camps, the Syrian Christians seek shelter in schools and churches, fearing Islamist refugees in the camps, according to Worthy News.

The situation of Syrian Christian refugees prevent them from taking advantage of the UN resettlement programs because only those registered in UN refugee camps are qualified. For this reason, they are in need of special assistance in seeking aid and asylum, the report details.

Last fall, President Barack Obama vowed to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees within the fiscal year of 2016. However, Congress and other state capitals opposed the plan after ISIS launched deadly attacks in Paris, CNS News reports.

Concerns about the extremist group using the refugee program to smuggle ISIS militants into Western countries saw many oppose Obama's plan. Two of the suspects in the Paris attacks possessed fake Syrian passports, the report notes.

Based on a survey conducted among Americans days after the Paris attacks, 53 percent of the respondents did not want the U.S. to go through with the resettlement of 10,000 Syrian refugees. Among the respondents in the American public opinion poll, 28 percent agreed with Obama's plan, while 11 percent said the U.S. should conduct religious screening and only admit Christian refugees.

Looking at the longer period from the start of the 2016 fiscal year, only 1,067 out of the pledged 10,000 Syrian refugees entered the U.S. The admitted asylum seekers were comprised of 97.9 percent Sunni Muslims, and only 8 percent Christians and 2 with no denomination. The Christian refugees include three Catholics, two Orthodox, and one Greek Orthodox.

Meanwhile, Worthy News points out that 98 percent of the Syrian refugees who entered the U.S. in 2015 in total were Muslims.

Barnabas Aid used Operation Safe Havens to help relocated 157 Syrian Christian refugees to Poland. The group is now working to relocate 153 Iraqi Christian refugees into the Czech Republic.
Budget 2016: 'Don't hide impact on poor families', George Osborne told

Christian campaigners have challenged the Chancellor not to hide how his upcoming budget will affect poorer families.

The director of Church Action on Poverty, Niall Cooper, and the general secretary of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, Helen Drewery, were among the signatories of a letter that urged the government to "provide a transparent account" of the effect of its budget tomorrow.

In last summer's emergency budget George Osborne removed the obligation to provide a "distributional analysis" which details the implications of its policies on households of all incomes.

In a letter to the Guardian Cooper and Drewery, alongside six other campaigners including chair of The Equality Trust, Sean Baine, and chief executive of Church Poverty Action Group, Alison Garnham, called this a "serious mistake".

They accused the government of hiding a "vital function".

"In order to tackle poverty, inequality, and other social ills, it is important that government publishes its most robust data to provide an accurate account of the scale of these problems," they wrote.

"This includes data on whether government policies effectively alleviate or exacerbate them.

"We therefore call on the government to reinstate its publication of a distributional analysis at the forthcoming budget, to provide a transparent account of how it will affect different households throughout the UK.

"This is matter of both clarity and good governance."

Osborne will announce his new budget on Wednesday amid gloomy economic forecasts and instability in global markets. Christian campaigners have suggested 600,000 people could be affected by upcoming cuts to disability benefits.
Civil war in Syria: Five years on and millions remain in peril

The war in Syria has today entered its sixth year. In half a decade, it has triggered what has been branded the greatest humanitarian crisis of a generation, and the worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, an estimated 11 million Syrians, half its total population, have fled their homes. Around 4.8 million have taken refuge in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan or even further afield. The rest have been displaced internally. At least 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance within Syria itself, and 320,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, including nearly 12,000 children.

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad continue to battle rebels opposed to his rule, in addition to ISIS militants and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front. A ceasefire that came into effect on February 26, and that does not even include the latter two groups, is fragile. Daily reports of brutality are still emerging, and no end appears to be in sight. Syria is a country on its knees.

Aid agencies are battling the staggering consequences of a conflict few believed would last this long. A recent report by World Vision estimated that if the war continues for another five years, its true cost will spiral to almost 1 trillion (1000 billion) in lost growth.

Millions of children will have lost years of access to education and even once a truce is eventually reached, it will take decades for the country to recover.

Peace talks began yesterday in Geneva, the first serious diplomatic intervention since Russia began air strikes in Syria last September, and the atmosphere is already said to be tense. Assad's delegation will not meet with the main opposition alliance face-to-face.

Instead, UN delegates are holding negotiations individually. Neither side has indicated they are prepared to compromise on their position on Assad as remaining president of Syria. The UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has declared the talks a "moment of truth".

But as delegates battle it out in Switzerland, life in the Middle East remains as desperate as ever for millions of civilians caught up in the crisis.

Inside Syria

There are no accurate figures regarding the amount of Syria that is actually controlled by each of the warring groups, though large swathes, including the strategic cities of Aleppo and Raqqa, are under ISIS control, and the Syrian regime has maintained its grip along the Western border.

Christian international development charity Tearfund and its partners are working primarily to give emergency relief within Syria through the distribution of food parcels, blankets and stoves for heating. "There's a physical danger of being there, but also an economic hardship," explained Thomas Stocker, Tearfund's Middle East response manager.

Even relatively well-off families who had savings when war broke out five years ago are now struggling to survive. "Most people have depleted everything, and have had to sell their jewellery to get something to eat," Stocker said. "It's very unfortunate this war has dragged on this long and is still continuing. We hope and pray it ends soon, and peace will come."

Refugees fleeing to Jordan

As millions flee Syria's borders, its neighbours have responded generously. Officially, Jordan has taken in more than 600,000 Syrian refugees, though the true figure is believed to be much higher, probably more than one million, once unregistered people are taken into account. They now make up nearly 20 per cent of the total population, and the country is on the brink of a serious struggle. The influx has caused an immense strain on education, health and other social services, as well as the economy and infrastructure. King Abdullah said last month Jordan was "at boiling point". "Sooner or later, I think, the dam is going to burst," he told the BBC.

Stocker said there is no sign of the crisis abating in Jordan, where he lives with his wife and family. He shared stories of Syrian refugees he has met who have little hope of ever returning home. "It's a very difficult situation, people are stranded and don't know if they can go back, or go somewhere else," Stocker said. "I think many of them would like to go back, but they really don't know if it's possible. There is nobody to predict the future."

The cost to the government in terms of expenditure and infrastructure has been "very heavy", he added. "When the population increases by one million people, it definitely takes a heavy toll on all government systems and structures. That's why his majesty the King has appealed to the international community to increase its support to cope with all these costs."

Moving forward: the international response

In February more than 7 billion was raised at a donor conference for Syria held in London; the largest amount of money ever raised in a single day in response to a humanitarian crisis. Prime Minister David Cameron said the conference received pledges of more than 4.2billion for 2016, and a further 3.5 billion to cover the following four years. "It means millions of people will now receive life-saving food, medical care and shelter in Syria and beyond," Cameron said at the time.

However, more than a month later and that money has "not yet been translated into any real change on the ground," according to Frances Guy, Christian Aid's head of Middle East. She urged all parties involved in the conflict to work towards a peaceful solution and help ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need. "Shattered lives deserve to hope."

Signs of hope

But despite the brutality of the conflict, there are signs of hope in the Middle East. In Lebanon, which is hosting at least one million refugees from Syria, Pastor Wissam has begun a school for Syrian children, supported by Tearfund. He takes in traumatised children who have missed school as a result of the conflict, and offers lessons centred on ensuring students are shown love, and taught about the importance of reconciliation. "The pupils who have come to the school are not the same pupils as when they came in the beginning," Pastor Wissam said. "The thing that most touches people is: love your enemy. They can see it in us. It's God's work, it's God's hand."

Camille Melki, director of Tearfund's partner organisation Heart4Lebanon, said: "We have a role to set an example for the wider community. In doing so, we can counter prejudicial views and ill-treatment of the refugee population".

"How we treat these refugees is a great testament to God's calling to forgive and care for our neighbour," she added. "The people God places around us are not put there by accident. Our responsibility is to care for the refugees God has put in our midst."

Churches within Syria itself have also become places of refuge in the midst of crisis. Speaking to Christian Today earlier this month, Pastor Edward Awabdeh, who leads the Alliance Church in Damascus and oversees more than 20 churches across Syria, said the Church is "more active than any time before" in the country.

"The Lord is really touching hearts at this time of crisis. People are learning how to come humbly to Him, and we thank God," he said. "It's the time for the Church to stay there and be more active and reach out to people and this gives us joy more than anything else in life."

Raya (name changed) who manages aid distribution through a network of Syrian churches, said they are seen as a place of sanctuary by people suffering the devastating consequences of the war. "Churches are filled in times of disaster, because people are clinging to God," she said. "They need both physical and spiritual support. There is rarely a church not doing this kind of work.

"We are all actively waiting, doing the work, and praying. We are lucky that we have faith that keeps us going. Our hope is in Jesus. I don't know myself how I am still keeping on. We feel that God accompanies us."

Stocker said he's unsurprised that people are turning to faith in their turmoil. "When a country is going through an enormous crisis, people will always ask why this is allowed to happen. And we don't know, but often we see it is a big trigger for change," he said.

"People's lives have been turned upside down and transformed; everything they held on to for security in their lives has been taken away, so many people are turning to God to help and crying out to him to find meaning and comfort."

Syria occupied Lebanon for almost three decades between 1976 and 2005, and the Lebanese people suffered severley under Syrian rule. Now that the country is opening itself up to refugees, it's sending a powerful message, Stocker added.

"For Lebanese churches to reach out to Syrians now has profoundly impacted the people  both Syrian and Lebanese, in terms of reconciliation and showing love and welcoming them into the community," he said.

There is a long way to go, however. Tearfund, along with many other organisations, is calling for a political solution to the conflict, but even if the current talks end in a peace deal, it will be decades before Syria recovers.

"More than a million homes have been completely destroyed, infrastructure has been destroyed, this will require lots of money, time and effort to rebuild the country," Stocker said.

"And to bring reconciliation and healing, to bring peace and forgiveness to the people, this is really where the Church comes in. It will take time; the healing of emotions, of the hurt and the anger... that will take many years."
Georgia governor rejects bill to protect religious leaders who oppose gay marriage

Republican Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia, who is a Southern Baptist, has criticised a bill that would protect ministers, clerics or religious leaders from being compelled to solemnise same-sex marriage in the state, saying it is un-Christian.

Deal vowed on March 3 that he would reject any bill that would allow "discrimination in our state in order to protect people of faith," the Christian News Network reported.

The governor is referring to H.B. 757 or the Pastor Protection Act and S.B. 284 or the First Amendment Defense Act of Georgia, which lawmakers are working to combine. H.B. 757 already passed the state House.

It provides that "no minister of the gospel or cleric or religious practitioner ordained or authorized to solemnize marriages, perform rites, or administer sacraments according to the usages of the denomination, when acting in his or her official religious capacity, shall be required to solemnize any marriage, perform any rite, or administer any sacrament in violation of his or her right to free exercise of religion under the Constitution of this state or of the United States."

S.B. 284 will mandate that the "government shall not take any discriminatory action against wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes, speaks or acts in accordance with a sincerely-held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage."

But Deal sees that two bills as against Christian ways.

"I think what the New Testament teaches us is that Jesus reached out to those who were considered the outcasts, the ones that did not conform to the religious societies' view of the world and said to those of belief, 'This is what I want you to do,'" he said.

He added, "We do not have a beliefin my way of looking at religionthat says we have to discriminate against anybody. If you were to apply those standards to the teaching of Jesus, I don't think they fit."

Deal said, "We have a belief in forgiveness and that we do not have to discriminate unduly against anyone on the basis of our own religious beliefs."

The governor, who believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, said those who do not agree are not threats to Christians.

"We are not jeopardized, in my opinion, by those who believe differently from us," Deal said. "We are not, in my opinion, put in jeopardy by virtue of those who might hold different beliefs or who may not even agree with what our Supreme Court said the law of the land is on the issue of same-sex marriage. I do not feel threatened by the fact that people who might choose same-sex marriages pursue that route."

Deal hopes that there will be a compromise in protecting fundamental religious beliefs but not discriminating against other people.

The office of Georgia House Speaker David Ralston has released a statement to say that "Speaker Ralston appreciates and shares Governor Deal's sincere commitment to protecting religious liberties while ensuring that Georgia continues to welcome everyone with genuine Southern hospitality."

"Productive conversations continue with the Governor's staff as well as other members of House leadership regarding HB 757 and the Speaker is confident that we can find a way to move forward together," it said.
Global indifference to refugees deserves 'vengeance' from God - Italian cardinal

An Italian cardinal has lamented the plight of refugees seeking to enter Europe, comparing their situation to that of Lazarus in Luke 16.

Speaking to the permanent council of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa compared the migrants and refugees seeking to enter Europe to Lazarus, and the rich countries to the damned rich man.

They are "like Lazarus knocking at the door of the rich countries... Can Europe, the cradle of civilisation and rights, build walls and dig ditches?"

The comparison to Lazarus refers to an account in Luke 16:19-31 of the interaction between a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus, who hoped "to eaat what fell from the rich man's table". The rich man was indifferent to his plight and refused to help him. Eventually, they both died. Lazarus went to heaven, and the rich man went to hell. Asking "Father Abraham" in heaven, the rich man asked that Lazarus be sent to cool his tongue with a drop of water to lessen his "agony in this fire". He also asked that Lazarus be sent back to warn his brothers to repent. Both requests were denied.

"We repeat that the global indifference is something that cries out for vengeance before God," Bagnasco said, noting that Italian Catholic institutions are sheltering 45,000 refugees.

1.01 million refugees entered Europe in 2015, with a further 131,847 having arrived before March 7 this year. European countries are tightening border restrictions, leaving refugees stranded, and effectively converting Greece "into a refugee camp indefinitely," according to the Catholic Church's relief and development agency, Caritas.

The situation was catalysed by Austria stating it would only accept a handful of asylum seekers and refugees each day, sparking a "domino effect of borders being closed to the vast majority of those people fleeing war and poverty from the Middle East, Asia and Africa," the agency said.

On March 9, Slovenia and Croatia refused to allow refugees through their territory. Serbia and Macedonia have said they will do the same.
Hidden notes in rare Christian Bible show subversive use of Latin

For centuries, the Reformation has been regarded as a "clean break" of the Protestant Church of England with Rome.

Secret texts discovered in a rare Bible at the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury reveal that it took far longer and was a more complex process than many imagine.

Using the latest scientific techniques, researchers have found notes that had remained hidden for nearly 500 years between the pages of England's oldest printed Bible.

The Bible, published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer, is one of just seven surviving copies and is housed in Lambeth Palace Library, London.

Dr Eyal Poleg, a historian from Queen Mary University of London, said: "We know virtually nothing about this unique Bible, whose preface was written by Henry himself, outside of the surviving copies.

"At first, the Lambeth copy appeared completely 'clean'. But upon closer inspection I noticed that heavy paper had been pasted over blank parts of the book. The challenge was how to uncover the annotations without damaging the book."

The Bible was X-rayed using the latest 3D density techniques, allowing researchers to see the pages with and without the annotations, and then showing only the annotations.

The notes were written between 1539 and 1549 and covered with thick paper. They are apparently there to point readers to Latin texts of Bible readings to use in services, indicating one way parishes were attempting to get around King Henry VIII's ban on Latin in the liturgy.

Poleg said: "Until recently, it was widely assumed that the Reformation caused a complete break, a Rubicon moment when people stopped being Catholics and accepted Protestantism, rejected saints, and replaced Latin with English. This Bible is a unique witness to a time when the conservative Latin and the reformist English were used together, showing that the Reformation was a slow, complex, and gradual process."

The annotations were written during the most tumultuous years of Henry's reign when the English Church moved away from Rome, the Act of Supremacy was passed, along with the suppression of the monasteries and the executions of Anne Boleyn, Thomas More and John Fisher, as well as the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Dr Poleg was also able to trace the subsequent life of the book, after Latin Bibles had been completely superseded. On the back page he found a hidden, handwritten transaction between two men, William Cheffyn of Calais and James Elys Cutpurse of London.

Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, meant pickpocket.

The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, a notorious prison in Southwark.

Dr Poleg found that Cutpurse was indeed hanged in Tybourn in July 1552.

Dr Poleg said: "Beyond Mr Cutpurse's illustrious occupation, the fact that we know when he died is significant. It allows us to date and trace the journey of the book with remarkable accuracy  the transaction obviously couldn't have taken place after his death.

"The book is a unique witness to the course of Henry's Reformation. Printed in 1535 by the King's printer and with Henry's preface, within a few short years the situation had shifted dramatically. The Latin Bible was altered to accommodate reformist English, and the book became a testimony to the greyscale between English and Latin in that murky period between 1539 and 1549.

"Just three years later things were more certain. Monastic libraries were dissolved, and Latin liturgy was irrelevant. Our Bible found its way to lay hands, completing a remarkably swift descent in prominence from Royal text to recorder of thievery."
Is anti-semitism on the rise in the Labour party?

Anti-semitism has made a rather ugly re-emergence among the British Labour party.

First Oxford University's Labour Club was investigated after its chair resigned in February alleging a "large proportion" of the club had "some kind of problem with Jews". It is understood this investigation has been extended to other complaints among Labour students.

Then in March it emerged Gerry Downing had been readmitted as a Labour party member, albeit briefly. This is a man who has repeatedly called for the "Jewish question" to be addressed.

Finally on Tuesday Vicki Kirby, a former parliamentary candidate, was suspended for a second time after it emerged she had been readmitted and was vice-chair of the Labour constituency party in Woking. Kirby was initially barred after a string of abusive tweets where she said Jews had "big noses" and said Hitler was the "Zionist God".

She also suggested ISIS should attack Israel whom she described as the "real oppressors".

This came after John Mann, a senior Labour MP, said the party had a problem with anti-semitism.

If Mann is correct then these aren't "one off" incidents and the problem is much more widespread. So why does anti-semitism seem to rear its ugly head comparatively often in the Labour party?

The first thing to note is bigotry is found in all political parties. The difference is those on the right tend to be accused Islamophobia more often than those on the left. For example it was the UKIP peer Lord Pearson who said: "The Muslims are breeding quicker than us" and the assertion that Muslim migrants are "coming here to take us over" has been repeated by UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

However there is no doubt that while Islamophobia is more commonly associated with the right, anti-semitism is more often found on the left.

There are a number of explanations for this.

The most obvious is that left-wingers tend to be more sympathetic to Palestine rather than Israel. In more impassioned cases this boils over into hatred of Israel. This seems to be the case for Gerry Downing who said Israel's "heinous crimes" needed to be held to account.

Clearly a distaste for the policies of the state of Israel should not lead to a distaste for Jewish people in general. As the left-wing commentator Owen Jones wrote, "it is possible to raise the issue of prejudice towards and hatred of Jewish people without immediately invoking the actions of the Israeli government." But you can see how the link is made when the issue is as toxic and polemic as it has become.

One other reason why anti-semitism seems to have lodged itself within the Labour party is the left's instinctive distrust of western intervention overseas. History taught from a broadly left-wing viewpoint will paint a much more damning picture of the British empire, for example, than if taught from a right-wing perspective. Generally speaking, ring-wing people tend to have a more sympathetic view of interventionist foreign policy.

In line with this, those on the left are much more likely to view the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 as unwanted and unnecessary western intervention. This leads on to form a broadly pro-Palestinian consensus on the left. But it also adds to an underlying perception that the state of Israel does not really have the right to exist. Clearly none of these assertions are universal but broadly speaking you are much more likely to find these views on the left than the right.

What is obvious as one delves behind Labour's troubled relationship with anti-semitism is that in most cases, it is more an anti-Zionist sentiment than an anti-Jewish sentiment. This is a crucial distinction to make. It is quite reasonable to be supportive of Palestine. What is not reasonable or acceptable is when this boils over to become anti-Jewish.

And in cases where that does happen, Jeremy Corbyn would do well to listen to his own MP John Mann and not his friends in Hamas.
Islamic State's senior military commander confirmed dead

A man thought to be ISIS' most senior military commander has been confirmed dead, after being injured in a US air strike last week in Syria, the Pentagon confirmed yesterday.

Abu Omar al-Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, was wounded in a targeted attack near the town of al-Shadadi, Syria on March 4. He was not immediately killed, but was moved to Islamic State's base of operations in Raqqa for treatment having been wounded, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)

"We believe he subsequently died of his injuries," Navy Capt Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.

The SOHR announced Shishani had been "clinically dead" for several days, on Sunday, and had been kept alive by machines.

Shishani was one of the most wanted ISIS leaders by Washington, who had put a $5 million bounty on his head. Although his exact rank was unknown, Richard Barret, of the US-based Soufan group, described him as ISIS' "most senior military commander."

Originally from Pankisi Gorge, a Chechen region of the former Soviet state of Georgia, Shishani was appointed ISIS' military commander for Northern Syria as early as May 2013, just as the group was emerging in Syria.
Mass murderer Anders Breivik gives Nazi salute in court

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik made a Nazi salute when he returned to court today to argue that his isolation breaches human rights.

The right-wing extremist, who considered himself "to be 100 per cent Christian", killed 77 people in 2011 when he bombed central Oslo, killing ten people, before shooting 69 others on an island nearby, many of them teenagers attending a Labour youth camp.

The far right militant appeared in public for the first time since his 2012 trial, where he was sentenced to the maximum term of 21 years in prison, with possibility for extension.

In that time, he has had just one visitor, his mother, who was allowed into prison and gave him a hug shortly before she died of cancer in 2013.

Wearing a black suit, white shirt and golden tie, the 37-year-old raised his right arm in a Nazi salute as he arrived.

Breivik will argue that his isolation in Skien jail violates a ban on "inhuman and degrading treatment" under the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as depriving him of a right to family life.

"He wants contact with other people," his lawyer, Oeystein Storrvik, told reporters before the trial.

The Attorney General of Oslo said there is no case to answer, saying in pre-trial documents: "there is no evidence that the plaintiff has physical or mental problems as a result of prison conditions".

In prison he has a three-room cell with a television and a computer but no Internet access. He is allowed out into a yard for exercise.

In a letter to Norwegian and Swedish media outlets, Breivik said he was kep in almost total isolation, only able to leave his cell for an hour a day. He said these conditions had forced him to drop out of a political science course he had been studying at the University of Oslo.

Norwegian authorities note that in a manifesto about his anti-Muslim views, Breivik wrote that "prisons are considered an ideal arena for which to recruit for political purposes."

Storrvik might take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if he fails in Norwegian courts.

Breivik considers himself a Christian, most explicitly described in the 1,500-page online manifesto he compiled over several months before his arrest.

"At the age of 15 I chose to be baptised [sic] and confirmed in the Norwegian State Church," the 32-year-old Breivik wrote. "I consider myself to be 100 percent Christian."

He identified as a cultural Christian, likening himself to a modern-day crusader, defending against "multiculturalism" and "Islamisation".

"Regarding my personal relationship with God, I guess I'm not an excessively religious man," he writes. "I am first and foremost a man of logic. However, I am a supporter of a monocultural Christian Europe."

Additional reporting by Reuters.
Nigeria pleads for 'special status' for conservative Anglican Christians over homosexuality

The Anglican Church of Nigeria has pleaded for "special status" in the worldwide church to allow it to maintain its stance on homosexuality.

Nigeria has also announced it is to boycott the next meeting of Anglican Church leaders, further deepening the split over homosexuality.

The Nigerian primate, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, said the province, the largest in the worldwide Anglican Communion, will boycott next month's Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Lusaka, Zambia.

The Nigerians are angry that delegates from The Episcopal Church plan to attend the meeting and vote, in spite of having "consequences" imposed by the recent Primates Meeting over their approval of gay marriage and consecration of gay bishops.

In his strongly-worded statement, Archbishop Okoh pleads for a "special status" within the Anglican Communion for provinces that continue to uphold the traditional biblical standard on marriage and homosexuality.

He compares it to Prime Minister David Cameron's request for "special status" in the European Union for the United Kingdom.

And he accuses liberal provinces of using "subtle blackmail" to "coerce" conservative provinces such as his into joining the "straitjacket of the revisionists". He says: "Somehow, they are succeeding!"

Nigeria was one of the provinces that protested against the consecration of the gay American bishop Gene Robinson, that boycotted the 2008 Lambeth Conference and helped set up the Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem that same year.

Nigeria has also broken communion with Canada and the United States over the issue, but attended the January Primates meeting in Canterbury in the hope of seeing discipline imposed on liberal provinces.

However, although some voting rights were withdrawn from the US church, Archbishop Okoh says the restrictions had turned out to be "hollow".

He says in the statement: "During the Canterbury meeting itself, the way and manner in which those who hold the orthodox view of human sexuality and marriage were spoken of by the authorities, and denounced as 'homophobic', left noone in doubt that we were in the wrong place. In fact, the authorities believe that patience was being exercised to enable the communion to bring up the scripture-believers gradually to embrace the homosexual doctrine."

He said the future for the orthodox was as a result uncertain.

"In summary, as long as we are now candidates for whom every opportunity in the Anglican Communion should be explored to gradually teach us to embrace the new sex culture, it will be unwise to deliberately walk into a well-prepared camp of recruitment, blackmail, indoctrination and toxic relationship."
Predominantly Catholic Dominican Republic pushes recall of openly gay U.S. ambassador

Saying they are fed up with the diplomat's gay agenda, the people of Dominican Republic are demanding President Barack Obama to recall U.S Ambassador James "Wally" Brewster, who is an LGBT advocate.

Church leaders, politicians and education officials in the Caribbean island nation lodged a petition at the White House last week, accusing Brewster of promoting an "LGBT agenda inconsistent with the Christian cultural values and tradition of the Dominican Republic," CNS News reported.

The White House "We the People" petition received more than 25,000 signatures within three days of being posted this weekmore than a quarter of the 100,000 required in a 30-day period to earn a formal response from the administration, according to the report.

The petition mentioned other concerns, including the formation last week of an LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and the fact that the ambassador "involves his spouse" in official duties, such as school visits.

According to reports, Brewster and long-time partner Bob Satawake frequently appear at social events together, acts that Dominican citizens deem improper.

"Though we have proved to be a tolerant country, we deem this agenda disrespectful to the culture and traditions of most Dominican families," according to the petition.

Church leaders also want the government to declare the U.S. diplomat ''persona non grata," stressing that he violated Article 55 of the Dominican Republic's Constitution, which upholds marriage as a union between a man and woman.

"We ask the government, which is responsible for complying with and enforcing Dominican Republic's laws and the constitution, to expel and declare the U.S. diplomat persona non grata," Rev. Osvaldo Torres, head of a federation of pastors in the northern Cibao region, was quoted as saying on Tuesday last week.

Torres said promoting same sex relationships was a "humiliation to our homeland."

The Dominican Teachers Association likewise asked the country's education ministry to bar Brewster from visiting public or private schools with his husband, saying "the rights of children should be protected."

The overwhelming calls from different groups to recall Brewster was fuelled by the envoy's latest move to launch an LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which according to the U.S. Agency for International Development's mission director for the Dominican Republic would be funded some $1 million "to bolster" the LGBT community in the country.

Brewster is not the first openly gay man appointed as a U.S. ambassador  President Obama nominated no fewer than five in 2013 alone.

But while others were accredited to Western countries with liberal views on homosexuality, he was named envoy to a developing nation, 95 percent of whose 10 million people are Roman Catholic.

Prior to Brewster's confirmation as a new ambassador, a Catholic bishop on the island has already blasted the Obama administration for appointing the former National LGBT co-chair for the Democratic National Committee, saying the move demonstrated "a lack of sensitivity, of respect by the United States."
The promise of Easter: After the wilderness comes a new beginning

I know a girl who aspired to become a classical pianist. She had natural talent. She spent hours in practice. Then one night a man broke into her house and attacked her with a knife, badly disfiguring her hands. Today her piano sits silent.

I know a man who had a promising career in publishing. He had a gift for words. He was rising through the ranks. Then a religious cult persuaded him to quit his job to preach in the streets because the world would soon end. The world didn't end. And the publishing world never opened to him again.

I know men and women who dream of marrying but remain single. A friend of mine dreamed of her brother's recovery from cancer, but that dream was laid to rest last August. To dream is to be human, but to be human in this world is to experience a dream broken. And as the years stretch on with our dreams unfulfilled, it can feel like we're lost in the wilderness.

Broken Dreams in the Wilderness

During this season of Lent we remember Jesus' 40 days in the desert  itself a re-enactment of the Jews' 40 years in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-7; Deuteronomy 8:1-9). Both experiences hold a profound lesson about recovering from broken dreams with God.

To the Jews the wilderness was a place of trial  a wasteland of confusion where one walked in circles, a desert of frustration where one's dream was denied.

After their momentous liberation from Egyptian slavery and their divine encounter on Mount Sinai, the Jews had set out for a Promised Land of plenty. But what started as adventure soon became adversity, with an 11-day trek becoming 40 years of wandering (Exodus 12:31-20:21; Numbers 10-36).

The Jews felt vulnerable in the wilderness. It was a place of dry stones and fruitless ground, blazing sun and weariness. It was a place of wild animals, circling vultures and shadowy forces that whispered in the winds. It was a place of seeking and searching, ever on the move and never content. The wilderness was a place of restlessness.

The Jews felt tempted in the wilderness  tempted to renounce their God, or at least question his goodness; tempted to scuttle back to the world that enslaved them. When Jesus the Jew had his own wilderness experience he too heard the Tempter's voice  to turn the stones around him into tasty bread, misusing his power to fulfil hunger; to leap from the temple and be caught by angels, proving his 'specialness' to others, and to bow to the Devil and gain worldly power, avoiding the pain of his future.

But the Wilderness is a Place of New Beginnings

The wilderness feels like a place of desertion. Our souls are dry, there's sand in our eyes and we feel vulnerable, tempted and restless. But as the Jews reflected on their wilderness wanderings they saw more in the experience than suffering:

As much as the wilderness was a place of vulnerability, it was also a place of provision  with manna and quail and clothes that didn't wear out coming from God's hand for their need (Deuteronomy 8:3-4).

As much as it was a place of temptation, it was also a place of testing  God testing their hearts to reveal their devotion and teaching their hearts to trust him (Deuteronomy 8:2).

And while they felt restless and insecure in the desert place, they end up becoming someone new  God revealing himself as a 'father' to them there for the very first time, and describing them as his 'children' (Deuteronomy 1:31; 8:5).

For as much as the wilderness is a place of trial, it is also a place of transition (Deuteronomy 8:7-9)  where slavery becomes freedom and immaturity becomes wisdom, where our proud demands are humbled and our insecure selves become children of God. In the wilderness we become people we could never have become, and move into the next phase of our lives.

After 40 years in the wilderness, the Jews entered their Promised Land.

After 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus launched his world-changing mission.

An Easter Reflection

So, what if this wilderness season of ours  with its silent pianos and lost careers, with its sadness, singleness and loneliness; with its crushing diagnoses and hospital wards and its doubts and tears and brokenness  was leading us to become someone we couldn't become without its trials and testings? What if God was using it to test our faithfulness to him, and through it affirm us as his 'child'? What if it was the transition point to a new Promised Land, a new phase of life, a new mission?

God has a habit of making the wilderness a place of new beginnings.

Sheridan Voysey is a writer, speaker and broadcaster, frequently contributing to faith programmes on BBC Radio 2. His books include Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings and Resilient: Your Invitation to a Jesus-Shaped Life. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter, and get his free ebook Five Practices for a Resilient Life.
US lawmakers unanimously declare ISIS atrocities against Christians to be 'genocide'

US lawmakers voted unanimously last night to approve a motion which declared ISIS' treatment of Christians and other religious minorities is "genocide".

The House of Representatives voted by 393 to zero that "the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against Christians, Yezidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide."

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who tabled the motion, said: "When ISIS systematically targets Christians, Yezidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities for extermination, this is not only a grave injustice  it is a threat to civilization itself.

"We must call the violence by its proper name: genocide."

He was supported by the Republican leadership in the House as Speaker Paul Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy backed the motion.

The vote will put further pressure on the White House to declare a genocide. If Secretary of State John Kerry took the unusual move of declaring an ongoing conflict a genocide, it would place significant obligations on the US to step up its intervention in the Middle East.

When asked why the administration has yet to use the term, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said the word "involves a very specific legal determination that has, at this point, not been reached."

However ahead of the vote, State Department spokesman John Kirby said he did not expect any resolution voted on in the House to be a factor in the decision.

Most of ISIS' opponents are Muslim but the militant group has been accused of particularly targeting religious minorities, including Yazidis and Christians.

The European Parliament has already passed a motion which labelled the atrocities a genocide but the UK Parliament has yet to do so, despite significant pressure from parliamentarians and campaign groups.

In addition to the vote on genocide, on Monday the House also voted by 392-3 to endorse a separate resolution which accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of war crimes. The motion declared the House "strongly condemns the continued use of unlawful and indiscriminate violence against civilian population by the Government of Syria, its allies, and other parties to the conflict."

Monday's vote came after the release of a detailed report which documented the persecution faced by Christians in Syria and Iraq at the hands of ISIS. The 278-page report from Knights of Columbus and In Defence of Christians was compiled after fears were raised Kerry would declare crimes against Yazidis a genocide but not those against Christians.

The State Department has until Thursday to formally decide whether ISIS' crimes amount to genocide but it is believed the deadline imposed by Congress will be missed. However Steve Oshana, director of campaign group Demand for Action, told Christian Today he believed the Obama administration had already made a decision.

"If I were to guess I think they have already made their determination at this point and it is just a question of when they will come out with it," he said.

"I cannot imagine there are still deliberations given all the evidence that has already come out."
When is Pentecost 2016? 9 key facts about the birth of the Church

Pentecost falls on Sunday, May 15. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on to the remaining 11 disciples after Jesus had ascended to heaven. They transformed from frightened and confused people to men who would face martyrdom for what they believed.

It is celebrated seven weeks or 50 days (hence its name) after Easter Sunday. In the UK especially, it's often known as Whitsun or Whit Sunday.

Pentecost is one of the great festivals of the Church. In modern popular culture it isn't nearly as well known as Christmas or Easter, but for Christians it's profoundly significant.

1. Pentecost means '50'.

Pentecost is from the Greek word 'Pentekostos', which means 'fifty'. It's the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week and in Judaism is called the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:16).

2. It's traditionally celebrated as Whitsun.

A representation of Pentecost by Soichi Watanabe.

The word Pentecost has become more common in the UK, but traditionally the Church celebrated it as Whitsun  'White Sunday'. It's believed that this is because it was a day for baptisms and those being baptised would wear white. Another explanation is that it derives from the Anglo-Saxon word 'wit', which we still use for verbal cleverness but which meant 'understanding'  Pentecost was when God poured out the wisdom of the Spirit.

3. There's debate about speaking in tongues.

Luke tells the story in Acts 2:1-13. Some scholars think he was referring to an experience of 'glossalalia' or speaking in tongues, an ecstatic outpouring of praise in an unknown language. Others point out that what the disciples said seems to have been understood by their hearers.

4. Pentecost is the fulfilment of two promises.

One promise is in the Old Testament  Joel 2:28, which says "I will pour out my Spirit on all people", and one in the New, where Jesus says he will send another Counsellor, the Spirit of truth (John 16: 5-15).

5. Modern day Pentecostals emphasise the gifts of the Spirit.

Pentecostals are so called because of the emphasis they place on the gifts of the Spirit, particularly speaking in tongues. They stress the possibility of a direct personal experience of God, like the first disciples, which  just as it was then  is often manifested in dramatic ways. Modern Pentecostals trace their origins to the Azusa Street Revival in 1906 Los Angeles.

6. There was wind...

Luke tells of three distinct experiences. A violent wind filled the house: breath or wind is a symbol of the Spirit of God. Ezekiel 37 tells the story of the prophet's vision of a valley of dry bones which come together: when the 'breath' of God enters them, they come to life and stand on their feet. The Pentecost wind represents the power of God to bring life to the 'dry bones' of faith.

7. ...and tongues of fire...

Tongues of fire separate and come to rest on each of them. Jesus told his disciples, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). In John 8:12 he says, "I am the light of the world." The picture in Acts seems to be of a single flame that separates and symbolically rests on each of them; the disciples will do what Jesus did.

8. ..and other languages.

The nature of the original experience has been queried, but in Luke's telling of it the point is that it breaks down barriers between people. The story links back to one of the earliest of the Old Testament stories, in Genesis 11, when the people begin to build the huge Tower of Babel. God confuses their language so they can no longer understand each other. At Pentecost, this Babel confusion is reversed.

9. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church.

It marks the beginning of Christianity as a purposeful movement and a new community. When Peter preached immediately afterwards, around 3,000 people believed and were baptised.

Follow @RevMarkWoods on Twitter.
The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles returns with Part II of snuff bottles from one of the most well-known and respected collectors in this category. An active, engaged and discerning collector, Mr. Barron amassed an impressive collection in a period of over 20 years. Possibly best known for its faceted glass and overlay glass bottles, the diverse offerings highlights include a rare five-color overlay bubble-suffused glass snuff bottle, probably Imperial (1760-1850) a Guangzhou enamel snuff bottle, bearing a Qianlong blue-enamel four-character mark of the period, and a green-overlay glass snuff bottle (1770-1850). In 2008, the celebrated collection was featured in a symposium held at the ICSBS convention in Boston, where a selection of highlights was exhibited.
After nearly a decade with KPRC-TV, Courtney Gilmore is leaving the Bayou City for KXAS-TV in Dallas.

Gilmore confirmed as much on her personal Twitter page on Saturday. Her last day will be March 30 and her first day at the Dallas NBC station will be May 1.
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The North Main strip center where Foreign Correspondents Northeastern Thai restaurant opened last fall is about to become even more interesting.

Leslie Ross, the drinks whiz for the Treadsack group, has been working night and day to put the finishing touches on her Canard bar in the space next to Foreign Correspondents. In mid-week she'll do a friends-and-family trial service. Then, if all goes according to plan, she'll swing open the doors for real sometime this weekend.

"It's French-y and it's green," joked Ross on Saturday, as paint dried and furniture stood akimbo in the dark seafoam-hued room. "Just try to pick up one of these bar chairs," she suggested. (It must have weighed a hundred pounds or more.) "We won't be having any bar fights with one of those."

With a space abutting the kitchen of Foreign Correspondents -- another Treadsack operation -- Ross plans to have that restaurant's chef PJ Stoops supply a special bar menu of Franco-Asian snacks eventually.

From Stoops to Ross to coffee guru David Buehrer, who'll open Morningstar coffee and doughnuts shop with Ecky Prabanto just a few doors down, there's a formidable amount of food and beverage talent crammed into less than a city block. It's an exciting sign of the times in this developing neighborhood on the northeast fringe of the Heights.

Morningstar's sapced, with a Zen-tinged design of slate, cedar and concrete by local architectural icon John Zemanek, filled with drifts of fine white dust on Saturday as a craftsman sanded down a countertop. In the kitchen, where a new range equipped with a convection oven stood ready to be installed, Buehrer showed off his huge new water filtration tank, swaddled in crinkly blue plastic.

This custom setup works though reverse osmosis to filter city water, to which Buehrer then adds magnesium to balance the mineral content.

"City water has plenty of calcium, which highlights chocolate flavors and deeper, heavier-bodied tones in coffee," explained Buehrer. "But it needs the magnesium to bring out the fruit flavors and juicy qualities."

As to the doughnuts that will be a signature of Morningstar's breakfast service, Buehrer said they'll not only be fried -- they'll be baked and steamed as well. "As long as it's round and has a hole in it, it's a doughnut," Buehrer philosophized. "I love mango and sticky rice. It's the greatest dessert ever. Why can't you have a doughnut that tastes like that?"

Why not, indeed? Buehrer is readying the facility for final inspection and hopes to be open by May 1, following the spring coffee competition season.
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One man died Monday night in a southwest Houston shooting.

The gunfire erupted about 9:30 p.m. near the 7000 block of Chimney Rock near Edgemoor, said Alexander Vinogradov, a homicide investigator with the Houston Police Department.

Vinogradov said when patrol officers arrived at the scene they found a car that had crashed into a pole and a wounded man inside. He was rushed to Ben Taub General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Vinogradov said a male passenger in the car ran away after the crash and has not been found. Another man who also was a passenger was detained at the scene.

The gunshot man, Vinogradov said, was a documented gang member and one of the passengers also was known to be in a gang.

The trio was apparently involved in an altercation that led to the gunfire, Vinogradov said. The driver was wounded but drove away and then crashed into the pole. It appears someone who was outside the car opened fire on the men. Investigators found a great deal of blood inside the car.

No description of a suspect was available.

Police were investigating the case.
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As designer for wigs and costumes for Pearl Theater's Civil War-era show "Little Women: The Musical," Lynne Fredrichsen knows she has a crucial role in the production.

The stakes are high - "If you don't have good costumes in a play that's set during the Civil War, the magic isn't there," said Kathleen Hart, who portrays Marmee in the production through March 20. "It distracts you from the storyline.

"She did a fantastic job," Hart said. "She also does the laundry. Things get wrinkled; so she comes in before performances and fluffs things up so that we look fabulous."

Fredrichsen, a Pearland resident, also works as coordinator of payroll and benefits for Theatre Under the Stars in Houston.

More Information Want to go? What: "Little Women: The Musical" Where: Pearl Theater, 14803 Park Almeda Drive, Houston When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, March 18-19, 3 p.m. Sunday, March 20 Tickets: $15-$18 Information: 832-459-4674, www.pearl-theater.com See More Collapse

"I work in musical theater; so of course I think a musical version of 'Little Women' is a clever idea," she said.

The show is based on the beloved classic by Louisa May Alcott. Like the semiautobiographical 1869 novel, the 2005 Broadway musical follows the adventures of Jo, who weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experiences growing up in Civil War America, said director Brennan Blankenship.

"I enjoy the story and I've always been intrigued by 19th-century fashion," Fredrichsen said. "It is very feminine. I love the curves and the textures and colors of the fabrics."

Hart said that her favorite costume is "a traveling dress" that Marmie wears before boarding a train headed from her home in Concord, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C., to care for her husband, a Union Army chaplain who gets injured.

"It's made to look like 50 buttons down the front, but clever Lynne, she puts snaps behind them so I wouldn't have to spend 20 minutes buttoning and unbuttoning," said Hart.

Fredrichsen hand-sewed some of the costumes but borrowed others from area theaters.

Sarah Berggren of Friendswood, who plays Meg, wears a silk skirt Lynne obtained from the Alley Theatre in Houston after it was worn by the character of Cecily, the "country girl," in a production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."

"Lynne also put me in a really long red, curly wig," said Berggren. "When I put it on, it's the final detail and changes the way I look. I wear a hoop skirt, then I pull the dress over my wig and gown before I secure the front. I step into it, and I button it and close it."

Fredrichsen graduated from Dobie High School in Pasadena in 1982, where she was the features editor for the school newspaper.

She spent five years at the University of Texas, mostly toiling in the theater department's costume shop once it was learned that her grandmother had taught her to sew when Fredrichsen was young.

At TUTS, Fredrichsen first put her wardrobe talents to use in a musical version of the 1959 movie classic "Some Like it Hot."

A highlight of her career was doing hair for actress Holland Taylor in the pre-Broadway tour of "Ann," a biography of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards.
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Cypress artist Thomas Cleveland knows the stories behind most of the collectible coins created by the U.S. Mint.

He was there as collectible quarters and gold coins were designed, spending 10 years behind the scenes as one of a dozen artists selected for the Mint's Artist Infusion Program in 2003.

Now he shares his skills at the drawing board with students of all ages at his art academy, The Artist Within Studio School, 12802 McSwain Road.

More Information Fast facts What: The Artist Within Studio School Where: 12802 McSwain Road in Cypress, 77429 Call: 281-370-9336 Visit: www.artistwithin.net For more information about Zombucks and Provident Metals: visit www.providentmetals.com See More Collapse

"I can teach anyone how to draw," he said. "You just have to want to learn. It's a skill everyone has, but not everyone develops."

Cleveland, 55, has loved to draw for as long as he can remember.

"I've been an artist since I was in kindergarten," he said.

He grew up in southern Oklahoma and received his degree in advertising and illustrative design, with a minor in fine art painting, from East Texas State University, which has since become Texas A&M University Commerce.

In 1984, he moved to Houston and began working as a graphic designer.

"I went freelance in 1986 and have done that ever since," he said.

One of Cleveland's projects was designing the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority token with the star cut out in the middle.

"I wanted it to be distinguishable," he said. "If you put your hand in your pocket, you can feel the star."

Cleveland applied for the Mint program after reading an article about the opportunity.

He put together a slide sheet and a resume for the Mint and wrote an essay describing why he was qualified for the position. He explained his love for history and illustration and that he wanted to do something to leave a mark.

"That's why I'm an artist," he said. "I wanted to do something indelible. There's no better way to do that than to make a coin."

Cleveland was selected from about 250 applicants. He and the other 12 designers traveled to Philadelphia where they toured the mint and visited the White House.

Then they got to work.

"It was hugely inspiring," Cleveland said. "We got to be a part of history."

After his stint at the U.S. Mint, Cleveland went to work designing coins of a radically different sort.

His next client was Provident Metals, and the assignment was designing "Zombucks: Currency of the Apocalypse."

"I went from doing these pretty coins for the Mint to designing zombie versions," he said.

Josh Merrick, creative director of the private mint located in Dallas, met Cleveland through another artist and picked him to do the job.

"Thomas was the right fit," he said. "The detail he puts into his work is just insane."

Merrick said that the coin series was inspired by "The Walking Dead." The company wanted to create something edgy to draw a younger generation to coin collecting.

"It's kind of a dying thing," he said. "We wanted to make it more fun and more young. We're making compelling designs, and people are getting into it. Thomas has been an integral part of all of that."

Merrick said more than a million coins have sold from the series. He added that Cleveland's contributions helped the project move forward smoothly.

"Thomas is superpositive about everything he does," Merrick said.

In the midst of his design projects, Cleveland was also developing a curriculum for young artists.

He taught at the Houston School of Art and Design for seven years and wanted to bring a similar program to the Cypress area.

In 2004, he set up The Artist Within Studio School.

"What I tell my students is that it all starts with a pencil and some imagination," he said. "I went to art school and learned a lot of tricks, and now I'm going to teach it to you."

He moved the school about a year ago to McSwain Road, where it is part of the Purple Elephant Gallery and Iron Butterfly Studio complex.

Cleveland offers afterschool classes, summer art camps and painting parties for children and adults.

He hopes to offer courses online to reach an even wider audience and inspire even more students to pick up a pencil or paintbrush.

"Creativity is contagious," he said. "That's what I'm all about."
Though Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District's mentor program has grown some 20 percent this school year over last, district officials say a great need remains for additional volunteers.

The district is offering regular training sessions through the rest of the school year for would-be mentors who have an hour or so a week to spare to be an encourager, cheerleader and friend while experiencing the rewards of seeing a needy student blossom.

"One of the things we always say is the investment of time is something you'll never regret in a student's life," said Leslie Francis, the district's director of marketing and business relations, who oversees the program, which has about 600 mentors serving about 675 students at campuses across the district.

Two mentors, Tracie Barton and Stephanie Wade, said volunteering to help students is the most rewarding thing they've ever done, and encourage others to try it.

"I know that I am not the sole reason my student has been successful in school and in life, but it has given me such great joy to witness his success," said Barton of the high school senior she has mentored for seven years and who is headed to the University of Houston on a full scholarship.

Barton said her student was shy, lacking in organizational skills, failing classes and didn't participate in extracurricular activities when she started mentoring him.

But over the years, they forged a strong relationship and talked freely over board games about his grades, social life, college and goals.

Barton said he gained confidence, joined the school wrestling team, lost more than 50 pounds and thrived academically.

"Since our first meeting, I have always instilled in him that he is very special and any goals he set for himself are obtainable through hard work," she said. "I am very proud of him."

Mentor through work

Wade became a mentor through her company, EagleBurgmann, which adopted Kirk Elementary School in 2014.

Wade, who mentors two students and helped two last year, said both her current students, a 7-year-old girl who is repeating kindergarten and a fifth-grade boy who had difficulty fitting in, are doing well.

She said the girl has more self-confidence and cares about her school work now, and that the fifth-grader is making friends and learning to solve his problems.

"I encourage them to do their best and help them set short-term and long-term goals so they strive for excellence in all that they do," Wade said. "Mostly, I am one of their biggest cheerleaders."

Anthony Middle School counselor and mentor coordinator Melissa Laroussini said people like Barton and Wade have a profound impact on students.

"I have seen the grades of students who struggle academically improve dramatically, a lot of which I credit to the weekly meetings with their mentor who kept tabs on their grades, motivated them to do their best and encouraged them to take advantage of all the resources the school offers," Laroussini said.

A volunteer effort

The program is a community volunteer effort designed to encourage students from elementary through high school to finish school and focus on education and career goals. Francis credited the growth to the flexible and more frequent training sessions and an aggressive social media campaign.

But she said she wants to ensure every student who needs or wants a mentor has one.

Mentors are required to be age 18 or older, undergo a criminal background check, attend an hour-long training session and make at least a weekly 45-minute commitment. Mentors can choose the school where they want to serve.

The district also offers on-site training to businesses and organizations that have groups of volunteers.

The next training session is from noon to 1 p.m. April 6. To find out more, visit www.cfisd.net/en/community-involvement and then click "Mentor." Prospective mentors also may contact Francis at 281-894-3950.
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FBI investigators have joined the search for a 14-year-old girl who went missing this weekend as her father was found dead in an apparent homicide. Investigators believe the girl may have been with her father at the time of his death and that she is in grave danger.

Adriana Coronado was last seen about 1 a.m. Saturday, according to the Department of Public Safety.
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It's a recent weekday afternoon, and Manuel Vega, owner of Budare Arepa Express in Katy, rests on a wooden restaurant chair after attending to a lunchtime rush of a couple dozen people, most of whom are Venezuelan.

"About 70 percent of our customers' background is from there," he says.

His three-member staff begins preparing for evening clients. Pounds of shredded beef steams in a cast-iron pot. A beef "Sancocho" stew bubbles in a tall pot. And arepas - corn pancakes popular in Venezuela - sizzle on a large square grill.

Based on receipt records, Vega, 56, sees about 2,800 customers every month at Budare, 402 West Grand Parkway South.

"I moved from Venezuela to Katy in 2010 with my wife, and we bought this restaurant in 2011," Vega said. "I knew it would work because I knew there was a lot of Venezuelan people moving here to the Katy area. People call it 'Katy-zuela.' "

The name "Katy-zuela" has been branded for years by those in real estate and business and among local Hispanic families.

Many of Venezuelan heritage live in Cinco Ranch, according to Jackie Cuellar, a real estate agent at Keller Williams Premium Realty, which is based near the neighborhood.

"When I came to Katy 18 years ago, the main Hispanic population here was Mexican. But now, Venezuelans are the No. 1 Latin population here in Katy," said Cuellar, who lives in Cinco Ranch. "Records on how many Venezuelans we sell to are not possible. We don't keep records like that. We just know through talking, through seeing."

A "Viva Venezuela" festival has been hosted each fall since 2011 at Katy's Great Southwest Equestrian Center, growing to crowds ranging from 12,000 to 15,000, many from the surrounding Venezuelan community.

Two weeks ago, Studio 80 Katy, new to the area on Mason Road, hosted a "Back to the '80s Venezuela" concert performed by Venezuelan artists Pedro Castillo and Alexis Pena. More than 120 attended.

Place a phone call to other local Venezuelan restaurants such as Deli's Cafe, and those on the other line will likely respond in Spanish. Walk inside those eateries, and you'll find Venezuelans in groups, talking in their native language while dining on traditional food, with Spanish music piercing through speakers on the ceiling.

Then there's the online-based Catholic community named "Parroquia Virtual Venezolana." It operates for Venezuelans in Houston to congregate at various religious gatherings throughout the year in churches across the region.

One of the church's focal events, named "La Chinita," is organized in Katy, said Vicki Ramos, a key figure in the church's operation.

Of the thousands of Venezuelans who attend attend "La Chinita," Ramos said, most live in the Katy area.

When asked why so many Venezuelans are in Katy, more than 2,000 miles from their homeland, Cuellar and others indicate two reasons: oil and education.

Venezuela holds the world's largest crude oil reserve at almost 300 billion barrels, according to a 2015 report by Business Insider.

Many immigrants, including those fleeing an ongoing political and economic crisis in their native land, are in the oil industry. Katy is a landing spot for those who work in the nearby Energy Corridor, said both Cuellar and Gustavo Fernandez, a Venezuelan who lives in Cinco Ranch with his wife.

"First, many Venezuelans arrive here because of the oil jobs, but many of them that have kids also want them to have a very good education," Fernandez said. "So, they hear it is a good location because of Katy ISD.

"A snowball effect has happened here. Venezuelans hear from their friends and family that Katy is a good place to go, that there is a community for them here, and so they come. And that's how Katy-zuela has happened over time."

The owner of Studio 80 Katy, Humberto Tancrevi, said he is launching a nonprofit named "Apoyate Venezuela," which means "Lean on Me, Venezuela," to aid incoming Venezuelan immigrants who might need money, materials or just support as they arrive in Houston.

Tancrevi says he already has 1,500 volunteers, many of whom are Venezuelans from theKaty area.

In addition to the Venezuelans, there is a sizable Colombian population, with several Colombian restaurants in the area. Katy also has residents from Mexico and other nations. At Katy ISD, 34.4 percent of students are Hispanic.

"I think it's fair to say Katy does have the most Venezuelans in all of Houston," said Laura Murillo, president of Houston's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

"We have Venezuelan folks in our organization from Katy that are oil and gas (personnel), but the truth is there are also people from the health-care industry or business or a variety of other sectors. Some of them live in Katy because they find a connection there and work all over Houston."

But with the persistent oil downturn that has overwhelmed Houston's western region, Venezuelan growth in Katy is threatened, according to Cuellar.

"I've seen the moving (of Venezuelans to Katy) has slowed down because of the oil," Cuellar said. "They're not moving here as much. That's happening in general, though, with the (housing) market."

At Budare, Vega is not concerned about the oil slump. He has other thoughts in mind, like preparing for another fast weekend. Saturdays and Sundays are prime time at most restaurants, Budare being no exception.

He'll greet customers in Spanish as they cram into the 1,550-square-foot building.

"People in Venezuela know about Katy," Vega said. "Before I came, friends here told me about it. Venezuelans will move to Houston, and some of them will go to Cypress, or The Woodlands, or other places. But Katy? Everyone talks about Katy. There is a community for us here."
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After reopening for several hours, Louisiana Department of Transportation officials shut down Interstate 10 westbound at the state's border with Texas.

The highway was shut down for much of Tuesday morning by officials in both states due to the threat of flooding from a rising Sabine River. It was reopened later, was closed again.

The closure had traffic backed up for miles and motorists were encouraged to use alternate routes. Long-haul travelers have been encouraged to take the I-20 route, according to TxDOT.

TxDOT officials said other bridges across the Sabine River remained closed on State Highways 12 and 63 as well as on U.S. 190. These are the three southernmost crossings north of I-10.

The bridge over the river on State Highway 82 was open Tuesday but officials advised travelers against using it because floodwaters threatened the area and the bridge was not built for large amounts of traffic.

It was not known when the bridges would reopen. Once flood waters recede, crews will have to inspect bridges to determine if they are safe to use.

Rising flood water forced Orange County officials to call for a mandatory evacuation at 1 p.m. Tuesday in some spots. Officials said several people have been rescued from low-lying areas along the river and cautioned those nearby to move to higher ground away from the rising waters. They also asked people not to use boats to inspect flooded spots.

Officials said the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the area throughout the early-morning hours. Heavy rain has pounded the area for days. More rain may hit areas near Orange later this week

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday declared 17 counties in east and southeast Texas disaster areas due to the impact of high water from last week's storms.

U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring flooding in the Sulphur River, Cypress River and Sabine River basins, according to the Associated Press.

Motorists, officials said, should use Interstate 20 while traveling in Louisiana.

Although it is not advisable to travel during inclement weather, the suggested detour routes for I-10 are as follows:

Those people traveling westbound can take I-49 to I-20 and cross into Texas and then pick up I-10 later.

Those traveling eastbound can use I-20 into Louisiana, enter I-49 and then pick up I-10.

Travelers headed east from Texas into Louisiana can avoid the I-10 closure and the bridge closures on the following routes:

From El Paso, take I-20 East of Van Horn

From San Antonio, take I-35 North to I-20 East to Shreveport

From Houston, take U.S. 59 North to I-20 East to Shreveport

From Beaumont, take U.S. 96 North to U.S. 69 North to U.S. 59 North to I-20 East to Shreveport.

Meanwhile, with the Sabine River forecasted to continue rising until late tomorrow night, authorities have ordered a mandatory evacuation of a swath of Orange and the entire Cove area.

The evacuation area stretches east from the railroad tracks running parallel to 16th street until the Sabine River and parts of the Cove near Adams Bayou, according to Orange County Emergency Management.

A mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for areas north of Interstate 10 and be-tween Texas 87 and the river.

City of Pinehurst Mayor Pete Runnels has issued a mandatory evacuation for areas of Pinehurst previously notified of impending floods, according to a release from the city.

This includes residents and businesses near Macarthur Drive at Adams Bayou, 29th, 30th, 31st and 33rd Streets as well as areas of Camelot, Lancelot, Peacock, Somerset, Enchanted Oaks and Concord previously affected by Hurricane Ike.

City workers are currently going door to door to make contact with residents and businesses who may be affected to make sure everyone is aware of the mandatory order.

Chronicle reporter Dug Begley contributed to this report.
Because of flooding, officials in Texas and Louisiana may close Interstate 10 at the states' border.

The closure could happen as early as Tuesday morning, Houston's KHOU and Lake Charles' KPLC reported on Monday.
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If you have driven down our state highways lately you have probably seen the state flower, the bluebonnet, dotting roadsides and grassy expanses.

Yes, Lupinus texensis has returned, along with warmer temperatures. It was a warm winter that led to the little blue icons coming back a tad earlier than usual.

The flowers should be around until early May, though some stragglers may remain longer. Consider your window to see them about six to eight weeks maximum.

Andrea DeLong-Amaya, Director of Horticulture at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, says that Central Texas is still a few weeks out from its peak bluebonnet season.

RELATED: Do you know these Texas wildflowers?

The recent rains followed by plenty of sunlight is helping bring the bluebonnets out to play.

Its all about the weather. Having a warmer winter helped it. Some parts of the state were nearly back in drought conditions earlier this year, she says.

When it comes to Texas wildflowers, fanatics would be well-advised to also take in the Indian Blankets, Wine Cups, Mealy Blue Sage and White Prickly Poppy flowers while they can, says DeLong-Amaya.

Posing for photos among bluebonnets is a Texas tradition in full swing right now, and since the state flowers began making their annual spring cameos its quite normal to see roadsides from Austin to Houston full of people posing among the patches.

RELATED: Fall, winter rains brighten outlook for Texas wildflowers

It's a seasonal tradition, but you should still proceed with caution.

Lying around in bluebonnets can come with hazards that you may not think about. Remember to check the ground for fire ant mounds, bees, snakes and even jagged road debris.

Don't forget that if you're on the side of a busy highway you could be subjecting yourself to any number of roadway dangers. Keep an eye on small children as well with traffic nearby.

There are other options to see bluebonnets without risking life and limb.

RELATED: 40 photos that will fill you with Texas pride

DeLong-Amaya notes that the Lady Bird center has plenty of flowers to gaze at and photograph without dealing with traffic whizzing by at a dangerous clip.

The Mercer Arboretum in Humble has a few beds of bluebonnets that people can stand in front of and pathways they can use to get shots of bluebonnets without disturbing them.

Most people prefer capturing the flowers in front of an idyllic Texas backdrop complete with a big sky and a big red barn behind, but when you trample them they're damaged for the rest of us.

There is a common misconception that its illegal to pick them and take them with you. There is no specific law on the books in the Lone Star State regarding bluebonnets, but if you damage state property (rights-of-way) you could be in trouble with the law. Make sure that you arent on someones private property, either.

DeLong-Amaya has heard of some people digging up patches to take home. Thats a no-no.

Its not illegal to pick them, as they dont have any special state protections. If you are just picking them up a few at a time you should be OK, DeLong-Amaya says.

Leave them be so other Texans can enjoy them, we say. You can always buy a package of seeds for planting in the fall to have your bluebonnet in your yard.
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AUSTIN  Former gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis announced a new initiative called "Deeds Not Words" on Monday, aiming to create an online network of millennial women to collectively address ways to achieve gender equality.

Her speech, which was delivered to a crowd of mostly women, was a part of SXgood, a faction of South By Southwest highlighting purpose-driven speakers, startups and programs. The former state senator invoked the legacies of many female activists from the early 20th century, particularly those who fought for women's suffrage.

"Let me propose a new wave of action  of feminist action. In the next few weeks, I will be launching a new initiative, "Deeds Not Words," inspired by Alice Paul's motto," Davis said.

"Through it, we will work to convene the 38 million millennial women in our country, and provide them with the tools they need to transform their passion for women's rights and social progress."

Paul is regarded as one of the leaders of the early 20th century women's suffrage movement, and organized a number of marches and public disruptions, leading to the 19th amendment being passed in 1920.

Davis, the one-time Democratic nominee for Texas governor, called young women to honor Paul and other female activists by using the rights that these women fought for.

"Please vote. Please organize your friends to vote. Though young women and men are more active than ever sharing their opinions online, only 23 percent of millennials voted in the 2014 midterm election," Davis said.

"By 2020, millennials will be the largest voting demographic in the country  40 percent of the total voting population. Imagine what might happen if that force for change showed up at the polls and spoke."

Davis hopes Deeds Not Words will galvanize what she said is a voting base with untapped potential. She said this campaign will be fully inclusive of women from all races and backgrounds.

"We will be an interactive hub, connecting young women with each other, with existing allies and resources, and provide a community where young women can exchange research and ideas," Davis said.

Davis shot to fame after she filibustered for more than 10 hours in June 2013 to combat Senate Bill 5, an anti-abortion measure. Despite her filibuster, the bill was passed later.

"We all know how good it felt to stand up and win that small battle for women's rights in June of 2013," Davis said. "But we also know that awful bill passed with a majority of votes, just a few days later. Permanent change can only come when we make it happen, at the ballot box."

Davis said her initiative will target sexual assault on campus, reproductive justice, equal pay, living wage, paid family leave, women's health care and affordable education. She ended her speech emphasizing that the next push for women's rights will be led by the next generation of women.




As the GOP primary inches toward a historic contested convention, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is adapting accordingly.

According to media reports from the campaign trail, Cruz has expanded his stump plea, asking voters to vote not just for him, but for delegates likely to support him in the event of a re-vote at the Republican convention in July.

RELATED: Ted Cruz: 'contested' convention OK, 'brokered' convention not

He faces a critical juncture Tuesday night in his already yearlong campaign; sweeping wins by frontrunner Donald Trump would push Cruz from the race. But a strong showing for Cruz would stake out the Texas senator's spot at his party's convention if Trump never wins an outright majority nationwide. That's where delegates come in.

"Vote not just for me, but also for your delegates  to vote for every delegate that's a delegate for me," Cruz told a crowd in Illinois Monday, according to the Washington Post.

If no candidates wins more than half of the 2,472 GOP delegates before the convention in July, then the delegates will re-vote when they meet. That would be historic.

According to the rules of the 2012 Republican convention, "If no candidate shall have received such majority, the chairman of the convention shall direct the roll [vote] of the states [delegates] be called again and shall repeat the calling of the roll until a candidate shall have received a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the convention."

If an initial re-vote doesn't yield results  which it almost certainly wouldn't  then most delegates would be free to vote according to their personal preference, not according to the mandate with which they were delegated. That's why Cruz needs delegates friendly to him.

RELATED: Tuesday primaries could shuffle the deck for GOP hopefuls

A spokesperson for the 2016 GOP convention would not offer any specifics of the process beyond what was written in the 2012 rules.

In recent weeks, Cruz has warmed up to the idea of a contested convention, changing his tone from swiftly dismissive to welcoming. The contested convention has emerged as a weapon of choice for GOP leadership determined to keep Trump from bearing the party flag in the general election.

If it happened, it would be an almost certain benefit to Cruz  the current runner-up in delegates. Clearly he's preparing for the possibility.
13201

FREMONT, CA: Rompetrol Downstream, a part of KMG International Group, has announced the widespread launch of OpenTAS an integral administrative and dispatch system for the oil, gas and chemicals industry, which includes complete SAP integration.

The project is launched with the financial support and experience of Implico, a software and consulting company, at several sites in Romania. The Zarnesti site was the fourth tank farm to go operational, which was launched last week.

Rolling out the OpenTAS standard solution and introducing SAP integration enables Rompetrol Downstream to comprehensively automate supply chain processes across all forms of transportation. The new solution also provides for comprehensive access control by automatic identification of truck and driver. The automatic preparation of delivery documents including the respective approvals creates the foundation for the trouble-free road transport of oil products.

To document all of the sites process solutions, Implico has worked with the KMG International Group team in the planning phase to draw up a comprehensive set of requirements. The solution design resulting from this process is based on the OpenTAS software suite and will also include custom functionality. The next project steps will see Implico implementing all process areas (including rail, truck and ship loading, stock management and LPG) and putting them into operation with Rompetrol Downstream.

This project is challenging as we deliver a central, fully automated supply chain system and create a seamless integration from terminal and refinery field equipment into Rompetrols corporate processes. We are certain that the new, optimized processes will ideally support the goals of KMG Rompetrols downstream business, states Michael Martens, Managing Partner of Implico.

Moreover, with the countrywide rollout of OpenTAS, Rompetrol is creating a fully automated supply chain for its downstream business. A tightly integrated system architecture consisting of OpenTAS, SAP ERP and SAP OGSD will then manage the entire end-to-end process  from the order document in SAP and tank terminal requirements planning and loading to billing at head 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
Look past the 2016 campaigns gaudier elements, and youll notice a less sexy development across political media: Digital behavior is being quantified. The Associated Press has launched a real-time dashboard charting out political conversation and searches on Twitter and Google, while USA Today has partnered on a similar venture with Facebook. Outlets like The Washington Post and Politico now frequently cite the number of mentions candidates receive on social and traditional media during debates or leading up to votes. And forecasters have begun analyzing Google results as yet another data point in the ongoing quest to predict elections accurately.

Scroll through live coverage of debatesor of voters going to the polls, as they will in a handful of primary contests todayto see this new breed of information in the wild. Such digital metrics offer media a seemingly unprecedented ability to make birds-eye observations of wide swaths of Americans. Often published by internet giants or broken down by analytics firms, these data are increasingly accessible, easily digestible, and highly shareablean enticing cocktail for news organizations constantly craving new content. But they should be handled with care.

Even FiveThirtyEight, the numbers-driven site that often taps the brakes on others use of data, ran a Facebook primary last month. A series of interactive maps showed what proportion of users Liked candidates pages in zip codes nationwide. But the short writeup that accompanied the project included an important caveat: Anything seems possible this year, but, still, be careful how you interpret these numbers: Facebook likes are not votes. (Emphasis theirs.)

Such is the inherent challenge of using this type of information in political coverage. The data is interesting, certainly, though it remains unclear how far it can be extrapolated to comment on real-world behavior. Academic research on these metrics is still in its infancy. And gravitation toward top-line numbers is a common habit among journalists with limited time or resources. The combination presents fertile ground for misusing these new data streams.

Among the success stories so far: the use of search trends to predict GOP primary outcomes. When news organizations began crowning winners and losers from four contests last Tuesday, they seemed to confirm what Google search activity the day before had suggested. Ted Cruz led queries for candidates in Idaho, John Kasich saw unexpectedly high interest from users in Michigan, and Marco Rubio posted lackluster Google numbers across all states in play. The final vote tallies would mirror those trends.

Google activitys accuracy last week came after it similarly helped forecast outcomes in earlier GOP primaries, as economist Justin Wolfers pointed out in a March 1 piece for The New York Times.

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My latest: Wonder whats happening on Super Tuesday? Google can tell you if you know how.https://t.co/CLcXRxkEWJ pic.twitter.com/cqQkZdvlLP  Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) March 1, 2016

But Wolfers and others have also warned of the limitations of this data. National search activity, for example, will show Donald Trump piquing Google users interest by large margins. But the real estate mogul draws more ambient interest than his GOP competitorsHave you heard what Trump said this time? To cut through this noise, former Google analyst Seth Stephens-Davidowitz says, prudent observers can compare national data against information from specific states. If its a statewide bump, its more likely to be people voting for him, not just people interested in a news story, he writes in an email.

Localized trend lines, then, are key in analyzing this data. Proximity to voting is another important qualifier. On the day of the election, [Google searches] turn out to be a pretty close match to the results, says Patrick Ruffini, co-founder of the opinion research firm Echelon Insights. Farther out, theres sort of a decoupling of the Google trends data from the results. But theres still a correlation.

Search activitys predictive accuracy, though, hasnt necessarily held across partisan lines. In the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders campaign has been fueled by millennial backing, while Hillary Clinton culls a greater share of support from older generations. If some of those populations arent using Google as much, Ruffini says, those numbers could be skewed. On the Republican side, you dont see as many demographic differences in the vote.

Other uses of Google trends would seem to carry fewer risks. Take coverage of the explosion in How to move to Canada searches after Trumps Super Tuesday victoriesit made for compelling coverage of a particular public sentiment. Still, without absolute numbers readily available, journalists observations were limited to the relative growth of such searchesnot their prevalence nationwide. How serious those users might be is even more difficult to gauge.

Whereas search activity sheds light on Americans private curiosities, social media conversation is public by definition. But academics are likewise still learning how to measure and analyze that political speech. A 2013 study by then-Indiana University researcher Joseph DiGrazia suggested that the share of Twitter attention received by nearly 800 congressional candidates in 2010 and 2012 was a statistically significant indicator of their eventual vote shares.

This holds true even when most of the sentiment is negative, DiGrazia, now at Dartmouth College, adds in an interview. Youre not going to go on Twitter to bash someone whos unlikely to win.

Still, he cautions against drawing conclusions from Twitter data rather than more traditional polling. There havent been many presidential candidates since weve had Twitter, so the sample size [for research] is incredibly small, DiGrazia says.

For Ruffini, a former digital strategist for the Republican National Committee, Twitter can be a useful comparison of interest between groups. He recalls the first GOP primary debate in August, when Beltway media tweeted relatively sparingly about Ben Carson. At the same time, however, the neurosurgeon drew a huge share of both Google searches and chatter across Twitter. August would be the month Carson began his steady ascent in national polls.

We use that as an example of elite-public disconnect, Ruffini says. If you can isolate who political reporters talked about, and who is talked about more broadly, you can kind of isolate whether a candidate is getting more attention [from voters] than traditional media.

Of course, such comparisons are difficult for journalists to pull off in real time. Many instead parrot top-line numbers passed around by the social network itself, often in easily embeddable graphics.

Sharing such data is no great harm, as long as there are caveats. Social media conversations provide a small window into which issues people are concerned about at particular moments in time. But user bases arent representative of the American public. Whats more, news organizations go a step too far when they portray quantitative measures of Twitter or Facebook reach as evidence that candidates are driving home their message.

While Trump has dominated social media conversation for much of the campaign, early findings by George Washington University researchers suggest Cruz has more efficiently leveraged it for tangible engagement. The latters most widely shared tweet was the announcement of his campaign, which included a video that presented his message clearly. Trump, meanwhile, often draws thousands of retweets with naked insults of his competitors or shallow criticisms of individual journalistsscattershot exclamations with the punctuation to prove it. Jeb Bush, meanwhile, drew tens of thousands of retweets by apologizing to his mother for smoking weed.

Volume is surely going to mean somethingyou dont want to be a tree that falls and nobody hears it, says Lara Brown, one of the George Washington professors who heads the project. At the same time, volume cant be everything, especially when volume is off-message.

Then again, perhaps Trumps sheer dominance of Twitter conversation overcomes negative sentiment from hordes of critics, or his lack of coherent messaging. That may also be the case with news media mentions, which have similarly begun to find their way into meta analyses in recent months. Trump draws a huge amount of negative attention from the press en route to dominating its attention overall. Its hard to say which is more important.

Journalists shouldnt over-promise when they cite such data in stories. The known unknowns of these metrics call for a measure of caution, even if the political media environment doesnt often reward it.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

David Uberti is a writer in New York. He was previously a media reporter for Gizmodo Media Group and a staff writer for CJR. Follow him on Twitter @DavidUberti.
When reports first surfaced that a Republican PAC was spending money on his behalf, Chris Harris wasnt happy. Harris, a Democrat running to unseat an incumbent in todays primary for a state legislative district just west of Chicago, put out a statement disavowing the support and distancing himself from Bruce Rauner, the states Republican governor, who has backed the PAC.

But when the fruit of some of the PACs spending became apparent, Harris didnt seem to mind. The West Cook News, a new local newspaper in western Cook County, offers short stories on school boards, pet safety, and infrastructure reportsoh, and front-page editorials blasting his opponent, Chris Welch, along with lengthy looks at years-old accusations against Welch. The papers print version is funded by Liberty Principles PAC, which is run by Dan Proft, a conservative radio personality and Rauner ally.

Harris, though, doesnt see a problem with it. The coverage of this race is just a small component of that paper, he told me, adding that the PAC-funded paper was no opinion rag. (Welch did not return telephone calls seeking comment.)

Not everyone agrees. But whatever you make of it, if the paper and a group of others launched at the same time do stay aroundand Proft said they willthey seem like a notable development: the revival, at the hyperlocal level, of the partisan press. Or maybe we should call it the PAC press now.

In many ways, the papers function as standard election mailers. They are delivered by mail to registered voters and left in high traffic areas for people to pick up; support for Harris notwithstanding, the favored candidates are largely Republicans.

In addition to coverage of the campaign, they provide standard community news (such as an adult-themed Easter Egg Hunt) and updates on the minutiae of library boards and zoning boards. They have also published stories on local pensions and property taxessome bland, and others more pointed or one-sided, with an emphasis on runaway spending.

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Proft, who once ran for governor himself, is upfront that he has an agenda. He said the papers are designed to cover issues ignored by other media and also to influence policy and elections. In an interview, he defended the integrity of the content in the publications, even as he argued against the basic idea that journalism could be objective or disinterested.

You tell me if those are slanted or unfair stories or stories not properly sourced, he said. If you think because Im a conservative that its right-wing propaganda, I will let the work product speak for itself.

Mainstream news outlets pretend that they are just objective scribes detailing the passing scene, and theyre not, he continued. Everybody has a perspective. Everybody has an agenda. Im transparent about mine. (And, as he told the Daily Herald, the leading daily devoted to the region: If another candidate doesnt like our newspaper, they can start their own.)

If Profts motives are clear, the source of the content is a little less so. The About Us section of the online version of the papers credits Locality Labs, which according to Bloomberg publishes Blockshopper, an online real estate and data news site. A web search for Locality Labs leads to the site for LocalLabs, the corporate descendant of the troubled hyperlocal content creator Journatic, which is owned by the media entrepreneur Brian Timpone.

Some content on the websites is directly attributed to LocalLabs News Service, including a story in the McHenry Times that describes government pensions as at best, despicably exorbitant. But Ben Ashkar, chief operating officer for LocalLabs and a former account executive with Journatic, said the PAC is not a client of the company. (He didnt reply to a follow-up questions about why the sites cite Locality Labs.)

Meanwhile, Proft told me that a separate company, Newsinator, is responsible for the content. Little is known about Newsinator, whose registered agent in Illinois is Andrew J. McKenna Jr., the former chairman of the state Republican Party.

In another wrinkle, the publications have recently been the subject of complaints to the state board of elections. At a hearing Monday, the board did not find that the PAC had engaged in illegal coordination with the candidates it is supporting. But it did find that better attribution of the connection between the PAC and the newspapers was needed, said James Tenuto, assistant executive director of the election board.

Scott L. Althaus, a political science professor and director of the Cline Center for Democracy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said its hard to know how effective the papers might be in achieving their goals. Mainstream media outlets, after all, know all too well the declining influence of print, and its hard to see the digital version of West Cook News catching on in a big way.

On the other hand, there is not a lot of coverage of individual local legislators from other sources, and people tend not to know much about these campaigns. There may be an opening to reach some voters.

Madeleine Doubek, chief operating officer for ReBoot Illinois, worries that most readers will not make the connection between the PAC and what they are reading.

This looks to me like very questionable and not professional journalism, Doubek said. Im not seeing any bylines. Theres not the balance there in the stories that Ive seen or all sides of the story. It looks to me like a piece of campaign literature masquerading as a newspaper.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jackie Spinner is CJRs correspondent for Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is an associate journalism professor at Columbia College Chicago and a former staff writer for The Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter @jackiespinner.
Japanese gathered in Tokyo and along the countrys ravaged northeast coast to observe a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. Friday, exactly five years after a magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck offshore, triggering a devastating tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people and sent reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant into meltdown.

Some teared up as they held hands or bowed their heads in prayer as sirens sounded on a chilly afternoon in northern Japan. Japanese Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, all in formal wear, led a ceremony in Tokyo attended by officials and survivors.

Many of the people affected by the disaster are aging, and I worry that some of them may be suffering alone in places where our eyes and attention dont reach, Akihito said. It is important that all the people keep their hearts together so that not a single person still in difficulty is overlooked and they can return to normal life as soon as possible.

Five years on, the most heavily damaged communities have yet to be rebuilt. About 180,000 people are still displaced, including those reluctant to return to homes in Fukushima. Much of the disaster-hit Tohoku coast remains empty except for huge mounds of dirt that are raising the ground to minimize the risk of future tsunami before any rebuilding.

Abe acknowledged that many people are still struggling, but said reconstruction is steadily making progress, step by step, with housing being rebuilt and jobs regained.

His Cabinet approved on Friday a new 6.5 trillion yen ($57 billion) five-year reconstruction plan through 2020 to speed up construction of public housing for evacuees, and for medical care, infrastructure, tourism promotion and other projects.

At a Buddhist temple in the tsunami-ravaged city of Rikuzentakata, memorial prayers were offered for the more than 1,700 residents who perished, including about 200 whose bodies were never recovered.

The best thing would be for things to go back as they were, but of course thats not how the world works, said 37-year-old Tadayuki Kumagai, who lost his parents. He considers himself fortunate, because their bodies were found.

Even if its impossible to go back to the way things were before the disaster, everyone hopes that living standards will at least come closer to what they were, he said. I think thats what rebuilding means.

Housing is an acute problem, with some still in temporary quarters, said Zuishu Sugawara, the temples chief monk. Forty-seven members of the temple are among the missing.

In form, perhaps reconstruction might happen, but in terms of recovering from the scars of the heart he said, pausing. I think there are some who might never heal.

Early in the day, a handful of people paid respects in the town of Minamisanriku at the skeletal remains of the former disaster prevention center, where 43 workers died as tsunami waves engulfed the three-story building.

Masaki Kamei, a doctor from Tokyo who has been visiting the disaster areas every year, said he senses a change.

Whats different this year compared to last year is fishermen have already gone out fishing by dawn  and towns are already bustling about going on with their business, he said. There is an expression: the hammering sound of reconstruction. Thats how I feel, I sense the emphasis has shifted.

Still, it seems a long road ahead before the streets of coastal communities will be lined with homes and shops again.

(Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
As the Leaf River rose north of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 26-year-old Rebecca Bruce and her fiance grabbed what they could and left the shed where they live. The water was more than 2 feet deep indoors when they left, she said.

We lost everything, Bruce said Saturday. Ive got a book bag full of dirty clothes, and I was lucky to get that.

Bruce was among about 20 people in a Red Cross shelter in the Forrest County Community Center on Saturday, as creeks and rivers continued to rise after torrential rains pounded the Deep South. It was one of nine shelters open in Mississippi and 24 in Louisiana.

Downpours  part of a system affecting Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama  submerged roads and cars, washed out bridges and forced residents to flee homes.

At least three people have died in Louisiana alone. Mississippi officials were still looking for two missing fishermen, but had no reports of injuries or deaths, said Lee Smithson, head of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, or MEMA. A Hancock County sheriffs deputy was hospitalized after his patrol car skidded into a ditch Friday night, but is now recovering at home, Chief Deputy Don Bass told the Sun Herald.

MEMA reported major damage to 95 homes, minor damage to 277 others, with reports still coming in from 41 of the states 82 counties.

Smithson said Mississippi is dealing with the most widespread flooding since Hurricane Isaac dumped more than two feet of rain throughout the state.

However, he said, It has not been quite as rough a day as we thought it was going to be today.  It looks as if the significant rainstorms for the Mississippi Gulf Coast have not materialized.

Officials had been afraid that as many as 1,000 homes might flood in Forrest County, where the Leaf River is expected to crest Sunday at 29.5 feet. But on Saturday, Smithson said, the number likely to be affected was looking more like 100 to 150. About 75 raised fishing camps in Pearl River County, across from Slidell, were likely to be surrounded by water, he said.

Its the most widespread non-hurricane flooding the Louisiana National Guard has ever dealt with, said Col. Pete Schneider, a guard spokesman. He said about 1,000 soldiers and air crews were at work in 25 of Louisianas 64 parishes.

By Saturday morning, he said, National Guard crews in 160 high-water vehicles and 44 boats had rescued more than 2,100 people and nearly 190 pets. Others had given out 582,000 sandbags. Floods closed highways across north Louisiana, along its western edge and across the southeast, according to a map on the state Department of Transportation and Development website.

We have seen flood events in this state but never from one tip of the state to the next, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser told WDSU-TV.

(Reporter Janet McConnaughey contributed to this report from New Orleans.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
In certification from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in Heidi Kroeber v. GEICO Ins. Co., 2016 WL 166528 (Wash. Ct. App., decided Jan. 14, 2016), the Washington Supreme Court, answered the District Courts certified question regarding what constituted vehicle use for purposes of underinsured motorist UIM coverage. The case in question involved a shooting episode where the shooter was driving an uninsured truck belonging to a friend at the time he opened fire on the plaintiff. The shooter claimed that he did not intend to injure anyone when he fired the gun and further asserted that he did not know that he was shooting where people were standing.

The Washington Supreme Court acknowledged that the Washington cases had not yet established what constituted vehicle use for purposes of UIM coverage. The Washington Supreme Court, en banc, found that an injury arises out of vehicle use for purposes of UIM coverage if some causal connection exists between a condition of, an attachment to, or some aspect of the vehicles use and the resulting injury. Conversely, an injury does not arise out of vehicle use when the vehicle is merely the situs of the accident.

The test adopted by the Washington Court is very broad. Under this test, but for causation is not necessary nor is proximate causation. What the Court meant by some causal connection is unclear. How remote can the causal connection be? As the question implies, the boundary line for causation in the state of Washington will depend upon the orientation of the trial court and its proclivity to reach a result oriented decision. There is ample case law imposing boundary lines for but for causation and proximate causation. Unfortunately, the test used in the state of Washington is not tethered to either of these well-known concepts.
Brazilian Jazz Percussionist Nana Vasconcelos Dead at 71

Caption:RECIFE. BRAZIL. MARCH 04: Musician Nana Vasconcelos performs during the opening of the carnival on March 4, 2011 in Recife, Brazil. (Photo by Otavio de Souza / LatinContent / Getty Images) (Photo : Photo by Otavio de Souza / LatinContent / Getty Images))

Famed Jazz percussionist Nana Vasconcelos has died of lung cancer in his hometown of Recife, Brazil. The acclaimed percussionist and master of the single-stringed native Brazilian instrument berimbau died on March 9. He was 71 years old and was actually born in the town of Recife. Vasconcelos found a fair measure of fame in attention in the United States as well as Brazil.

From 1983 until 1991, Vanconcelos was at his peak both creatively and professionally. According to Downbeat Online, "Vasconcelos won the Percussionist category in the DownBeat Critics Poll every one of those years. Additionally, he won the Percussionist category in the DownBeat Readers Poll in 1983, 1984 and 1987." As well, the percussionist was well represented on the jazz scene in South America. He worked with a number of prominent figures of the day and was a major creative force on the scene. Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri and guitarist Pat Methany also number as collaborators of the talented Vasconcelos.

Mr. Vansconcelos' talent, however, extended far beyond his ability to craft music out of banging on things. As the New York Times obiturary points out, "Mr. Vasconcelos became prominent in Brazil in the 1960s as a master of the berimbau, a bow with a steel string and resonating gourd that is played by striking the string with a baton." His big break came when the aforementioned Gato Barbieri saw him play and invited Mr. Vasconcelos to join him on tour. The exposure made the percussionist an international star.

Born August 2 1944, Juvenal de Holanda Vasconcelos was given his nickname Nana by his grandmother. Born into a musical family, Nana was performing at the age of 12 in a band with his father who played guitar, as well as doing duties in his home town's marching band. According to the New York Times obit, "he recorded his first album as a leader, "Africadeus," in Paris, where he lived after touring with Mr. Barbieri. He often performed his music for patients at a children's psychiatric hospital in Paris as a form of therapy."

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsNana Vanconselos, Jazz, Gato Barbieri, 71, Brazilian Percussionist
Esa-Pekka Salonen Discusses 'Karawane' at New York Phil's Insights March 16

LA Phil's Conductor Essa-Pekka Salonen and composer John Williams bow at the Walt Disney Concert Hall opening gala, day three of three, October 25, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. Tonight, 'Soundstage LA: An Inaugural Gala for Walt Disney Concert Hall,' celebrates Hollywood as a creative state of mind. (Photo : Carlo Allegri/Getty Images for LAPA)

Next on the docket for the New York Philharmonic's Insights series, composer-in-residence Esa-Pekka Salonen discusses his most recent major work, Karawane. As always the series is free and takes place at the David Rubenstein Atrium, dubbing the segment Insights at the Atrium.

The piece was co-commissioned by the New York Phil and is Salonen's first major work in years. If you don't know, the title and piece are an homage to Hugo Ball's poem of the same name. That is, if you know Hugo Ball, then you can see the production carries in that same, anti-institutional spirit.

The work was described in the L.A. Times when it premiered two years ago in 2014:

"Karawane is a mischievous, madcap 30-minute work for orchestra and chorus based on a gibberish text by a Dada founder, Hugo Ball. It is Salonen's first big work since leaving the L.A. Phil ... (after 17 years as music director) to devote more time to composing.

"The main thing is that Karawane, completed this summer after Salonen and his family moved back to Santa Monica from London, is a hit. It bodes well not just for the continuing spirit of Dada and, in a thrilling performance, for Bringuier's rising career (about which there will be much more next Sunday in The Times) but also for a long-awaited Salonen opera said to be gestating.

But there's more to be said by Mr. Salonen himself, who will engage an audience at the Atrium for a special evening on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. Seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis but can be reserved for Friends at the Fellow level and up.

Patrons can file requests at AdultEd@nyphil.org.

Be sure to bring all queries about Dada and its 100-year existence to the Atrium tomorrow and discover Salonen's perspective on meaning in music. But for now, get up with Salonen in a video of the composer below.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsEsa-Pekka Salonen, New York Philharmonic, Insights at the Atrium
Music of Remembrance Out of Darkness Opera Focuses on Krystyna Zywulska & LGBT Victims

Seattles Holocaust remembrance and educational organization, Music of Remembrance (MOR) is getting ready to premiere their all new opera, Out of Darkness this May. The new production by Composer Jake Heggie & Librettist Gene Scheer, will be performed in both Seattle and San Francisco. The opera's first act will focus on Aushcwitz prisoner Krystyna Zywulska, with the second act focusing on LGBT Holocaust victims.

Out of Darkness will be performed in two acts. The first act is titled Krystyna, and is based on the true story Auschwitz prisoner turned inspirational poet Krystyna Zywulska.

The second act is titled Gad and deals with the cruel treatment of homosexuals during the Holocaust.

Composer Jake Heggie discussed his motivations for writing about these atrocities in a press release which reads:

Im particularly inspired by stories of social justice and the inequities of life, and how we are all connected as human beings despite those inequities.

Members of MORs Out of Darkness include:

Caitlin Lynch, soprano,

Ava Pine, soprano;

Catherine Cook, mezzo soprano;

Michael Mayes, baritone;

Robert Orth, baritone.

Zart Dombourian-Eby, flute;

Laura DeLuca, clarinet;

Mikhail Shmidt, violin;

Walter Gray, cello;

Jonathan Green,

double bass;

Jessica Choe, piano.

The creative team for the production include:

Jake Heggie, Composer

Gene Scheer, Librettist

Mina Miller, Artistic Director

Erich Parce, Stage Director

Matthew Antaky, Lighting & Scenic Designer

David Murakami, Media Designer

Laura Anderson, Production & Stage Manager

The world premiere of Out of Darkness on May 22, 2016,4:00 p.m.at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Seattles Benaroya Hall. Seattle Concert Ticket Information

Tickets for this performance are priced at $45 and can be ordered by calling 1-206 365-7770 or by visiting www.musicofremembrance.org/~musicofr/concert/spring-concert-out-darkness-premiere-seattle.

The world premiere will be followed by further performances on May 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.at the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Tickets for these performances cost between $60 - $75 and be purchased by calling 1-206 365-7770 or by visiting www.musicofremembrance.org/~musicofr/concert/out-darkness-premiere-san-francisco.

For addition information please vist www.musicofremembrance.org

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsSeattle, Music of Remembrance, MOR, Out of Darkness, Opera, Premieres, Focus, Holocaust, Victims, LGBT, Victims
AKRON, Ohio -- A rescue team on Monday pulled a dead man's body from Summit Lake.

A worker at Summit Lake Community Center noticed the body floating in the lake about 3 p.m. Monday. The Akron Fire Department found the body in the lake.

The man has not been identified. Akron police detectives and crime scene investigators are documenting the scene.

Police said the body was found about 10 feet from the shore. The depth of the water at that point of the lake is about 4 feet, officials said.

Police said they are unsure how long the body was in the lake before it was found. They said it appeared he'd been there several weeks.

The Summit County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to see how the man died. The medical examiner will identify him after his family is notified.

The autopsy will give investigators a more complete understanding of how long the body was in the lake.

Neighborhood residents expressed concern Monday the man found in the lake could be Jasaun Johnson, a 35-year-old man who lives in the Summit Lake apartment complex adjacent to the lake.

Johnson was reported missing on Feb. 12. Fliers were posted across the neighborhood. The medical examiner has not officially identified the person found in the lake.

It's the second time in four weeks that a body was pulled from the lake. The body of Heather Meyers, 41, was pulled from the lake about 8 a.m. on Feb. 22.

She was pronounced dead about four hours later at Akron General Medical Center.
HUNTING VALLEY, Ohio -- When Lt. Barry Hendricks joined the village police department in 1988, they didn't even have radar.

Twenty-nine years later, some motorists may get a little nostalgic about those bygone days.

But as the department's second-in-command finished up his last day on the job March 10, Hendricks had a new assignment on his radar.

Hendricks was sworn in as the new police chief in Kirtland Hills on Monday (March 14).

And those aren't the only changes in store for the Hunting Valley Police Department, with Chief David Maine set to retire in April.

Taking over day-to-day operations in the department will be Ben Stankewicz, a 16-year veteran who was sworn in as sergeant last December after the retirement of Tim DiPadova.

That was right around the time Hendricks got the first call from Kirtland Hills officials, whose department has dealt with a great deal of controversy, leading to an interim chief in recent years.

"Kirtland Hills needs to move on," Hendricks said of the previous shakeup, declining to elaborate on any immediate plans for the department.

Hendricks quipped that one of the things he would miss about working in Hunting Valley was "the short commute."

A graduate of Warrensville Heights High School and Kent State University with two daughters in college, Hendricks noted that the makeup of the respective villages and their police departments is very similar.

"There are nine full-time officers, counting the chief, and some part-timers," Hendricks. "And, while it's a quiet community, we share borders with Mentor and Kirtland," as well as Concord Township and Geauga County.

"And right now, I'm looking to move the department forward," he added.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A reserve officer for the Linndale Police Department was one of three people arrested Tuesday as part of an investigation into dealing marijuana and MDMA drugs that came from Canada and were sold in the Cleveland area.

Jonida Alicka, 28, and her sister Denisa, 26, both of Rocky River, face charges for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute schedule I drugs. Both were arrested by the FBI and made their first appearances in federal court on Tuesday.

They are charged as part of a scheme that included smuggling large amounts of drugs over the U.S.-Canada border. State and federal authorities have been investigating the conspiracy for at least a year and have used multiple cooperating witnesses who recorded phone calls, wore wires and purchased drugs, according to a criminal complaint.

Rinald "Chuck" Turhani, 37, a trucking business owner and Denisa's boyfriend, was also arrested Tuesday in his home state of Michigan. He is accused of bringing the drugs over the border. Leka Konini, who is accused of being Turhani's partner, is still at large.

The Alickas are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A detention hearing for the sisters is scheduled for Friday. Turhani will appear in front of a judge in Detroit on Wednesday.

The criminal complaint says that Jonida Alicka is a student at Cleveland State University and has worked one day a week for Linndale police since 2013. Her attorney did not return a phone call Tuesday, and a message left for the department was not returned.

Joe Dubyak, an attorney representing Denisa Alicka, said he was still reviewing the accusations.

According to the complaint:

Cooperating sources told the FBI that Jonida Alicka brings between 15 and 20 pounds of high-quality marijuana to Cleveland once a month. She transports the marijuana from Michigan, where she gets it from Turhani.

Her boyfriend, identified in the filing as "F.M.", is also known as a drug trafficker and is currently wanted for a federal parole violation. He is believed to be in Toronto.

She once told a confidential source, whom she was with while she was transporting marijuana, that she "plans to use her badge and ask for a courtesy from law enforcement if she is ever stopped while transporting narcotics." She also used a law-enforcement database in 2014 to see if her boyfriend had any outstanding warrants.

Denisa transported and sold MDMA and marijuana, sometimes out of her upscale apartment complex.

Agents facilitated multiple buys with cooperating witnesses. They also trailed all four defendants as they traveled between Michigan, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Denisa, Turhani and Konini were arrested in Los Angeles in December. However, the FBI convinced state prosecutors there to drop the charges as it continued an investigation.

Updated with information from the criminal complaint and photos of the Alicka sisters.
Apple Encryption Protests

A man holds up his iPhone during a rally in support of data privacy outside the Apple store in San Francisco. Protesters assembled in more than 30 cities to lash out at the FBI for obtaining a court order that requires Apple to make it easier to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by a gunman in December's mass murders in California.

(The Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - In a Cleveland conference room, police and prosecutors studied some of the same issues raging in the FBI's fight over a terrorist's iPhone: how to legally gain access to cell phones and laptops of criminal suspects.

From search warrants to subpoenas, experts detailed how best to deal with a digital side of crime that has festered for years in the underbelly of the Internet.

As the U.S. Justice Department's legal assault to gain access to terrorist Syed Farook's Apple iPhone has made headlines nationally, a similar debate has emerged locally and across the state.

"The criminals are well aware of Apple's policies, and they appreciate them,'' said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty. "The drug dealers and the pimps are fully aware of this.''

McGinty made the statements moments before a session at the inaugural Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Prosecutors' Conference that his office hosted last week at the First Merit Convention Center of Cleveland. The conference drew hundreds of police officers and prosecutors. It highlighted encryption and the sensitive line between police and the public's right to privacy. It also underscored the growing confidence felons have in online devices.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty on the FBI's push to unlock a terrorist's phone: "This is a federal case, but it affects us, too.''

One of its messages: The heated debate over law enforcement's attempt to obtain information from online sources has simmered for years, and it goes well beyond just terrorism cases.

Authorities said the spike in child pornography obtained through online sources has been stunning. Those who obtain it often keep it on several devices, whether laptop, tablet or cell phone, much of it protected by encryption programs.

For law enforcement, gaining access to those devices has been a struggle, no matter the crime.

In a high-profile corruption case, McGinty's office lost a legal fight to obtain the password of a portion of an encrypted personal laptop from former Bedford Municipal Judge Harry Jacob.

In 2014, prosecutors asked Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Brian Corrigan to compel Jacob to turn over the password that would unlock an encryption program. Prosecutors said in documents that Jacob searched for prostitutes and had relationships with them.

Jacob refused give up the password, saying the move would violate his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

"Very few cases have addressed the issue squarely in front of this Court: whether (Jacob) must disclose the password that will decrypt his laptop's hard drive,'' Corrigan wrote in his decision.

Corrigan, citing the Fifth Amendment, ruled that Jacob did not have to turn over the password. Jacob was later convicted of soliciting and falsifying records and left the bench.

The FBI case with Apple is a bit different.

The FBI wants to gain information off Farook's locked iPhone, which had been given to him by his former employer, the San Bernardino County Health Department. Federal agents have sought Apple's help in getting that information, according to court documents and published reports.

To do that, the company must create a piece of software that would unlock the phone. The company balked, citing privacy concerns.

"The government and the community need to know that is on the terrorist's phone, and the government needs Apple's assistance to find out,'' federal prosecutors wrote in a brief last week.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center countered in support of Apple. It said security features on phones are vital to consumers, who often store sensitive information on the devices.

"The security features on mobile devices, such as the Apple iPhone, limit the opportunities for crime that has caused enormous financial, reputational and emotional harm to consumers across the country,'' the public interest research center in Washington, D.C., said in court documents.

"If these safeguards are weakened, consumers will suffer, crime will increase and the work of law enforcement will be made more difficult.''

At the Cleveland conference last week, Farook's iPhone was part of a discussion on privacy and encryption. Next week, a federal judge in California will listen to arguments from the Justice Department and the company.

"We're watching this case with much interest. It is an important issue,'' said Rick Bell, an assistant county prosecutor in charge of investigations. (Encrypted material) hasn't thwarted us, but it has hindered us.''

Consumers and privacy advocates also will be watching. Authorities fear a few predators also will take notice.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - For nearly 50 years, Steggie has greeted visitors to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The 18-foot-long and 8-foot-tall Stegosaurus has been climbed on by three generations of Clevelanders - and posed for pictures with even more.

Now the iconic Stegosaurus sculpture at Wade Oval is going on hiatus. The museum is calling it spring break.

"He's been loved to death!" says Wendy Wasman, museum librarian and archivist, with a laugh. "He just needs some R and R."

To that end, Steggie will be removed from his longtime home in front of the museum on Friday, March 25, and be returned to University Circle in mid-April.

"The biggest change will be the paint job," says Glenda Bogar, CMNH director of communications. "Steggie will be getting a full and complete repainting, which will be as scientifically accurate as current knowledge allows. Our Exhibits staff is working with our Vertebrate Paleontology staff to come up with a paint plan which includes some new colors."

"This

new color scheme for Steggie is meant to reflect a modern understanding of

dinosaur evolutionary relationships and paleobiology: dinosaurs were

highly visual and colorful social animals, just like their living

descendants - birds," says Lee Hall, Vertebrate Paleontology Preparator.

He will be removed from Wade Oval by Wood-Lee International Art Handlers, who will be using a boom truck to rig Steggie. The Exhibits staff will then cut the metal pipes that support the sculpture from below. Wood-Lee will lift Steggie onto a low flatbed truck and drive it out to Creative Mold & Machine in Newbury, where they will again use a boom to rig the statue and take it off the truck.

Steggie was installed at the museum in 1968. He was created by Louis Paul Jonas Studios of Hudson, New York, who made a name for themselves at the 1964 New York World's Fair with their dinosaur sculptures. Museum director William E. Scheele saw the statues and commissioned one for Cleveland, says Wasman.

The current Steggie is actually the second Steggie. He was replaced in 1997 by an exact replica using the original mold. The site to the left of the main entrance - when facing the museum - is also the second home for Steggie. He was moved from the other side of the entrance when construction began on the Planetarium in 2001.

Steggie won't be sitting still while he's on spring break. The museum is using the time as an opportunity for people to share their own Steggie photos with the #SteggieSelfie campaign. Photos can also be emailed to

.

They are also taking Steggie on a virtual trip around the world to visit their scientists' field research sites. People will be able to follow Steggie's travels by searching #WhereisSteggie on Twitter and Instagram, and following the museum's Facebook page.

"We're putting him in the field around the world with our scientists at the research sites," says Patrick Evans, director of marketing. "It's a nice opportunity to keep people engaged with Steggie and also highlight our scientists around the world."

"In a lot of ways, Steggie is the public face of the museum. He's one of the first things people see when they come to the door. Kids run up to Steggie right away when they see him, and maybe their parents, and even grandparents, did the same when they were kids."
Parade

Bud McElwain, left, John Taylor, and Phyllis Anderson, all West Siders, watch the parade along Superior at the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Cleveland on Tuesday, March 17, 2014.

(Thomas Ondrey)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If you think Cleveland has one of the most exciting St. Patrick's Day parades in the country, you're not just a homer.

Cheapism.com, a products and services deal website, ranks Cleveland's parade one of the 10 most "festive" in the country. Cleveland joins major cities like Boston, Chicago and New York on the list, which is in no particular order.

"Cleveland knows how to throw an excellent St. Paddy's Day bash," writer Elizabeth King writes, referencing the parade's 10,000-plus participants. "That's no small potatoes."

Cleveland's annual St. Patrick's Day parade begins around 1 p.m. on Thursday, at East 18th Street down Superior Ave. Temperatures are expected to be in the 50s, so expect a decent turnout.
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Record fans will find plenty to browse at the Happy Dog on Sunday.

(Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - You can judge a person by their record collection. And their preferred format says a lot about them, too. Do they collect vinyl, CDs, mp3s, just listen on Spotify? Take a look at someone's music collection, and you can tell what they're into, if they're cool, and most importantly, whether you're compatible.

The vinyl junkies who founded the Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club are most definitely compatible.

"I think we started the group with three people. Myself, Jeanette [Burchaski] and Dan Grossman. We would see these people at shows, or at the local shops, but didn't know their names," says founder Jason Burchaski. "There had to be more people than us that had that passion for vinyl and collecting. We wanted to build a local community that gets excited about finding vinyl at everywhere from a dusty bin at Goodwill to a rack at one of the local shops. It could be Slayer or it could be Herb Alpert."

There are currently more than 600 members in the club. They want to spread the love for vinyl and collectors, too. This weekend, the group will host the Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club Swap Social at the Happy Dog, 5801 Detroit Ave., from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The free event will enable local vinyl and music fans to swap, buy and sell vinyl records. But this is not a record show, says Burchaski.

"We have been to these shows. What we have is not a show. This is a social event. We encourage swapping or trading. We wanted to take away the transactional nature of the record show.

"At those shows, you go up to a booth or table, you look at a bunch of the same stuff over and over, you hand the vendor their money and walk away. We wanted people to talk about their passion for collecting. We didn't want a show. We wanted an event."

In addition to the vinyl swapping and, of course, hot-dog eating on Sunday afternoon, Brent Kirby will perform. DJ Kris Koch will spin a mix of world, classic rock, '80s and "other space oddities" from 2 to 3 p.m. And Bridget Daryl Ginley from WRUW FM/91.1 ("The Erie Effusion Show") will spin an '80s alternative set from 3 to 4 p.m.

There will also be door prizes including a $150 gift certificate to A Separate Reality (Donated by A Separate Reality Records.); a $100 Record Store Day shopping spree at A Separate Reality Records, including a killer original rock poster (valid April 14, 2016); a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame prize pack (donated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum); a $50 gift certificate to The Vinyl Groove in Bedford; original art from Bridget Ginley (donated by Bridget); and more.

To learn more about the club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NortheastOhioVinylClub/?pnref=lhc.
crime tape

Desmond Dunning, 47, of Maple Heights was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 480 in Fairview Park when he crashed into two cars, leaving one driving with a head injury, police said.

(File photo)

FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- A Maple Heights man was driving the wrong way on Interstate 480 near the West 227th Street overpass when he crashed into two cars, leaving one driver with a head injury, police said.

Desmond Dunning, 47, was westbound in a Honda Accord Saturday morning in the eastbound lane when he ran into a Toyota Corolla. The impact caused the Corolla to spin out and it was struck by a Jeep Compass, Fairview Park Lt. Paul Shepard said.

A 22-year-old woman driving the Corolla suffered a concussion. A condition of a passenger in the Corolla was not available. The 28-year-old man in the Jeep was not hurt.

Dunning's blood-alcohol level was .105 percent, police said. That's above the .08 percent legal threshold to drive in Ohio.

Dunning is charged with aggravated vehicular assault, operating a vehicle under the influence, and willful/wanton disregard to safety. His case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury, according to police.

Police responded to several 911 calls reporting the crash just after 3 a.m. Saturday. Dunning was trying to leave the scene, Fairview Park Police Chief Erich Upperman said.

An Ohio Department of Public Safety Officer who saw the crash stopped the vehicle and detained Dunning until officers arrived.

The crash comes amid a string of wrong-way crashes in Northeast Ohio.

A 48-year-old Brooklyn man was charged with murder March 8 in a Valentine's Day crash on I-480 that killed a 20-year-old woman near the Tiedeman Road exit.

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GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Five children were inside a Garfield Heights home where a man was shot in the leg.

Police are still searching for the man who shot the 34-year-old victim early Friday at a house on East in the incident that happened on East 93rd Street near Reed Avenue.

The man was taken to Marymount Hospital for treatment following the shooting.

A Garfield Heights woman called police at 2:49 a.m. to report that her boyfriend was shot. None of the children in the house were harmed, and both the woman and the victim said none of the children witnessed the shooting.

The victim said he and a friend were drinking in the basement and got into an argument. The friend pulled out a handgun and fired one shot that grazed the victim's calf, the victim told police.

The victim provided little additional information. Detectives are still interviewing the victim and the friend, police said Tuesday.

The woman who reported the shooting provided several conflicting stories and refused to provide a written statement. Officers determined she was drunk, according to the police report.

Detectives found a spent round and a bullet casing in the basement. Both were collected as evidence.
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Mayfield Heights City Council voted Monday to pass a $23.7-million budget for 2016.

(Jeff Piorkowski/Special to cleveland.com)

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The city is planning to do more than $2 million in road work this year, necessitating a dip into its cash reserve to pay for the improved streets.

Finance Director Robert Tribby said that, even after using $1.9 million of its reserve, the city will retain a balance of about $9.5 million. Tribby spoke Monday night as City Council approved a budget for 2016.

"It's like using money you saved to put a new roof on the house," Tribby said of council's decision to use its savings to fix roads. "We're transferring money for road repairs, so we technically have an operating balance."

Council's Finance and Audit Committee met four hours on March 8 to hammer out the 2016 budget, which is annually due to the state by the end of March.

General fund revenues for 2016 are projected at $21.8 million, and expenses at $23.7 million.

In 2015, the figures were $21,938,000 taken in, and $21,907,000 spent.

Tribby said the increase in spending is due to the capital expenditures to take place this year. The city is set to spend well over $2 million on road repairs, and $200,000 on buying city vehicles and equipment.

Helping the city carry out its road repairs are a $950,000 ODOT grant, and a $150,000 federal community development block grant money the city will receive.

Councilman Joseph Mercurio, who chairs council's Public Works and Services Committee, said work will be done this spring and summer on a portion of Mayfield Road and West Miner Road, and on Kingswood Drive and Woodhurst Avenue. In addition, more than 20 streets will receive crack sealing improvements.

In other council news:

-- Council confirmed a Planning Commission decision to allow a 1,530-square-foot addition and parking lot alterations for the multi-tenant retail building at 1314 SOM Center Road, in Eastgate Shopping Center.

The building, just off Indiana Avenue, is home to Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. At the end of the building is a former bank. At the former bank building, plans call for enclosing the drive-through area and extending the building 18 feet to the west into what is now parking lot space.

-- Councilman Robert DeJohn, who chairs council's Building Committee, as he did at council's Feb. 22 meeting, discussed the 1997 settlement agreement that allowed the Ford dealership, now known as Nick Mayer Marshall Ford, and fellow Mayfield Road business Ferrara's Imported Foods, to keep their pole signs. Council, in 1993, had disallowed the use of pole signs and DeJohn would like to see all businesses conform.

Nick Mayer Marshall Ford's recent ownership/name change means that the business is seeking to change information on its sign.

Law Director Paul Murphy issued the opinion that the Ford dealership, based on the settlement, should be permitted to make the sign information change. DeJohn disagrees that a change should be allowed.

Murphy advised against discussing the matter in public at a council meeting since it involved a court-sanctioned agreement. Following Monday's meeting, council adjourned into closed-door, executive session to further talk about the matter.

-- Council voted 6-0 (Councilwoman Diane Snider was not present) not to pay a bill pertaining to the recently completed renovation of the city's police station.

The city had received a bill from URS Corporation pertaining to work done by an architect. Council's parameters first set when entering the agreement with the company had the city paying $95 per hour for the work. The bill came in at $157 per hour for 32 hours work.

"I think this is on the excessive side," Mercurio said of the bill, which totaled just over $5,000.

-- At its March 28 meeting, council will host a speaker who will talk about Mayfield Heights potentially becoming a participant in Ohio's Online Checkbook.

Ohio's Online Checkbook, started by State Treasurer Josh Mandel in late 2014, makes available budgets information for Ohio governmental entities.
merle gorden calendar 2013

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost concluded the city of Beachwood improperly redacted appointments from Mayor Merle Gorden's calendar before publicly releasing it.

(City of Beachwood )

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Beachwood broke Ohio public records law when it redacted portions of Mayor Merle Gorden's calendar released to the public, Ohio Auditor Dave Yost concluded.

After years of scrutiny over Gorden's pay and vacation time, Beachwood citizens requested copies of the mayor's day planner. The city released records with hundreds of redactions, which officials said were made to exclude names and phone numbers of residents, personal notes, and trade secrets.

The city -- where council members have complained about time and money spent fulfilling public records requests -- backed up many of those redactions but couldn't legally support the trade secret exemption to Yost, according to a Sunshine Audit released Monday.

Beachwood Law Director Brian Reali said going forward, the city will be more specific regarding the citations that support their position.



"We take very seriously at the City of Beachwood our responsibility to be open and transparent to the public," Reali said in an email Tuesday. "The city spends a great deal of time, for example, responding to public records requests. We are very diligent about this."

In the past year, Yost received 16 complaints against cities, school districts, and state agencies through the sunshine audit program that helps citizens resolve public records disputes without going to court.

Ohio's Public Records and Open Meetings laws, collectively known as sunshine laws, give Ohioans access to government meetings and records.

Beachwood was one of three government entities Yost issued a finding of noncompliance, and state auditors will consider the finding when conducting the city's annual financial audit. A Yost spokeswoman said Beachwood officials did not respond to the letter of noncompliance.

Gorden, who has been mayor of the 12,000-resident east-side suburb since 2001, is the highest paid elected official in Ohio. He has been scrutinized for more than two years for his pay, including receiving gratuities for performing weddings and spending more than $500 in taxpayer money to travel to a five-hour conference in Columbus.

When a group of citizens requested the day planner, the city released a document with hundreds of redactions, thick black lines where scheduled events and notes had been written. A citizen calling himself "the Beachwood sleuth" anonymously filed the complaint with Yost's office.

Citizens filed a second complaint with Yost against Beachwood over access to the mayor's key card records for 2013 and 2014. The city asserted that the requested records were prohibited from disclosure as "security records" under state law. Yost's review found the city to have complied with state public records law.

Mobile readers, click here to read the auditor's report.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 55-year-old man who was shot Friday at a downtown Cleveland strip club has died, police said.

James Hennings died Saturday at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center from injuries suffered during the shooting at the Alibi Inn, Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Hennings was one of three men hurt in incident on Rockwell Avenue near East 22nd Street.

The unidentified shooter is still at large.

Gunfire erupted about 2:30 a.m. during an argument inside the bar, police said.

Hennings was struck in the leg. Officers gave him first aid until paramedics arrived and rushed him to MetroHealth.

Another man, 31, who had been shot in the hand, was dropped off about 2:40 a.m. at MetroHealth in a private vehicle, police said. A 36-year-old man injured his shoulder as he ran from the gunfire.

Detectives described the shooter as black man standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds with face tattoos. He was wearing gray clothes and a red cap at the time of the shooting, spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Third District detectives at 216-623-5318.
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Cleveland police are investigating after a man was struck by stray gunfire while he stood inside his house.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 61-year-old Cleveland man was struck in the shoulder by a stray bullet from a gunfight outside his East Side home, police said.

The shooting happened about 7:40 p.m. Monday on East 109th Street near Navarre Court, Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

A 23-year-old man involved in the fight was also shot, police said.

No arrests were made.

The 23-year-old man told investigators that he was standing outside when an armed man walked up and tried to rob him, police said. The man pulled out his own gun and began wrestling with the robber.

The robber shot the man in the leg and ran toward East 110th Street, police reported. The victim shot at the robber as he ran away.

The 61-year-old man told police that he was sitting in his living room watching TV when he heard a commotion outside. He got up to look out his window and saw two men wrestling and shooting at each other.

A bullet came through the window and pierced his shoulder.

Police arrived and saw the 23-year-old man holding a semiautomatic handgun, Ciaccia said. They held him at gunpoint until they seized his gun.

Officers found the 61-year-old man at a house across the street.

Paramedics took both victims to University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

Officers at the scene heard a 22-year-old woman yelling, "Don't tell them anything" to the 23-year-old man, Ciaccia said. The woman told investigators who interviewed her that she was inside her house and heard gunfire but didn't see anything.

An investigation is ongoing.
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A Cuyahoga County Sheriff's cruiser sits outside Louisa May Alcott Elementary School on Baltic Road. It was there that police said a poll worker pulled out a gun during an argument inside the polling place. He was arrested nearby.

(Chanda Neely, cleveland.com)

Cleveland police took a poll worker into custody Tuesday after witnesses said that he pulled out a handgun at a polling station at Louisa May Alcott Elementary School on Baltic Road.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Police arrested an armed worker Tuesday at a Cleveland polling station.

Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said that police took a man into custody about noon at the Louisa May Alcott School in the 10000 block of Baltic Road.

He faces charges of aggravated menacing, carrying concealed weapon and having weapons under a disability. He also faces a marijuana possession charge as police found a small amount of marijuana in his pocket when he was arrested, Ciaccia said.

The man has not been formally charged with a crime. Cleveland.com does not name criminal suspects who have not been charged.

The man got into an argument with a fellow poll worker and pulled a .380 pistol out of his backpack, Ciaccia said. He didn't point the gun at anyone, but verbally threatened people, she added.

There were no injuries reported.

The man ran away and was taken into custody at West 107th Street and Detroit Avenue.

Mike West of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections said that the polling station remains open, but officials have not said whether the incident disrupted voting as the man was taken into custody.

"We want to assure everybody that voting is being conducted as usual," he said. "It's safe to go and vote."

The Board of Elections released a statement later in the afternoon saying the worker was fired.
When a crowd of Republican presidential aspirants descended on Cleveland last summer for their first candidates' debate, cleveland.com took to Twitter to solicit feedback on their performances from some of our undecided readers.

A half-dozen adventurous Northeast Ohio Republicans provided us with their real-time reactions to the candidates during that initial debate, and five members of the original group were able to do it again and again during subsequent debates.

The above video discusses their impressions of the candidates during some of those debates. Which candidates did they ultimately decide to support after watching all the debates?

for their decisions.
As much as the products could stink up a room, the stocks have been proven winners within the vice group. Selling one of the most addictive products out there certainly helps for a business model, Cramer said.

"A lot of people have been asking about the tobacco plays lately since there has been so much consolidation talk in the industry," the " Mad Money " host said.

Jim Cramer has not recommended tobacco stocks for a while, partially because he is concerned that the rise of electronic cigarettes could impact the industry, and partially because he's just not a fan of smoking.

That is why Cramer decided to take a look at the charts of Vector Group , Altria Group , Philip Morris , and Reynolds American to see which ones are worth owning. To gain further insight, he spoke with Suz Smith, a technician, portfolio manager with Strategic Portfolio Solutions, co-founder of ExplosiveOptions.net and colleague of Cramer's at RealMoney.com.

Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer

Cramer Remix: Your trade of the week

Cramer: Oil's biggest worry now off the table

Cramer game plan: Oil could impact Fed decision

Smith found that it may be worth it to circle back to the tobacco stocks at their current levels, with Philip Morris, Altria and Vector Group as the winners.

However, she advised to proceed with caution for Reynolds American.

For his part, Cramer likes that Altria is the No. 2 U.S. tobacco company, with its biggest brand Marlboro controlling 40 percent of the domestic market for cigarettes. This is important because regulators will not allow tobacco companies to advertise  thus the industry is basically frozen in time.

Altria has always been the top player because there effectively isn't another way for anyone else to take away market share. So even though rates of smoking have declined in the U.S., Altria has an unchallenged position and its branding power allows it to continue to raise prices.

Additionally, Smith found that from a technical perspective, Altria has been steadily climbing higher since last November. With the stock trading at $61 on Monday, Smith thinks it could be close to a perfect entry point.

As for Reynolds American, Smith said that the stock had a stellar run recently. She thinks the stock is due for a rest before it can resume its run higher and recommended to wait for a pullback to the 50-day moving average around $48. That stock dipped modestly on Monday, closing around $51.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell Tuesday: Chipotle Mexican Grill shares slid after hours after the restaurant chain reported its same-store sales fell more than 20 percent the second week of March. Chipotle saw comparable store sales drop 27.3 percent in the second week of March, it said in a statement Tuesday, after a Boston-area restaurant was closed when employees fell ill. The fast-casual chain trimmed earnings expectations for the first quarter, saying Tuesday it expects a loss of $1 per share or more.



Shares of enterprise technology firm Oracle popped in extended trading after it posted earnings that beat analysts' expectations Tuesday, though revenues fell short. The company, which has turned to focus on more cloud-based offerings, reported earnings of 64 cents per share on $9.01 billion in revenue, versus the 62 cents per share on $9.12 billion in revenue expected by Thomson Reuters consensus estimates. Fellow tech company Pure Storage also saw shares rise. The flash-data storage provider debuted new products that caught the eye of analysts and were at the center of a New York Times article Monday featuring innovative approaches to data storage.
Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will accept a position in his successor's cabinet, according to a national newspaper, in order to protect himself from prosecution in a corruption case involving the state-run oil company, Petrobras . Rio-based O Globo newspaper reported on Tuesday that Lula had told several close advisers that he would rejoin the cabinet, citing no sources. "The rumors have been around for the last two weeks, but gained a lot of strength yesterday (Monday) when Lula traveled to Brasilia to meet with Rousseff," Jimena Blanco, head of Americas at Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC by phone Tuesday.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff with former president, Lula Da Silva. Mario Tama | Getty Image

Lula will meet with his successor as president, Dilma Rousseff, on Tuesday, according to O Globo. Like Rousseff, Lula is under investigation for his involvement in the Petrobras scandal. He was briefly detained last week. He is accused of money laundering for concealing ownership of a beachfront condo, a charge he denies, according to Reuters. If he is made minister by Rousseff, Lula could only be tried by the country's Supreme Court. This would put him out of the reach of the judge in the southern city of Curitiba who is leading the inquiry, according to the BBC. Amid the country's worst recession in decades, the investigation into Lula has strengthened calls for Rousseff to step down. Over one million protesters took to the streets of Brazil on Sunday, calling for her to resign or be impeached.

Markets react negatively

Brazil's real declined 1.9 percent against the U.S. during Tuesday's trading following the report that Lula would rejoin the cabinet. The main stock index, the Bovespa , fell by 3.8 percent early in the trading session. Worst could be to come  Verisk Maplecroft's Blanco said markets would react "very negatively," if the rumors proved true. Brazil was recently hit with a two-notch downgrade by U.S. ratings agency Moody's, the third agency to strip the country of its investment grade. "Giving Lula an appointment that gives immunity from prosecution gives the wrong signal to markets  the course of justice has been prevented," Blanco added. Handing Lula a ministerial position would show "that the Rousseff government is clutching at straws," Blanco told CNBC.

"[This] sends the signal that the president is willing to resort to every possible means at their disposable to prevent the judicial investigation of Lula. It really sends the message that Rousseff is not as committed to cleaning the house as she claimed at the beginning of her first term," said Blanco.



Political and personal

Blanco told CNBC that Rousseff, who was handpicked by Lula to succeed him in 2010, was most likely considering making the appointment for both "political and personal reasons." "Rousseff has never had the charisma Lula had," said Blanco. "There's a clear shift in the Lula rhetoric, he's taken a more confrontational position recently and has repeatedly come out in support of Dilma."

Lula has previously stated that he had not ruled out running again in Brazil's next presidential elections of 2018.

"They either sink or swim together," said Blanco.

"The bottom line is if they don't get their acts together, this is the end of both their political careers," Blanco told CNBC.




The presidential candidates may talk about combating high drug prices, but Express Scripts' Dr. Steve Miller said it takes more than tough talk to make it work. He should know. He helped Express Scripts clients save more than $1 billion on hepatitis C drugs in 2015.

"We can reward companies that are willing to give us lower prices," said Miller, chief medical officer at the nation's largest pharmacy benefit manger, which manages drug benefits for 85 million Americans.

Express Scripts excluded Gilead Sciences' $1,000-a-pill hepatitis drug Sovaldi from its approved drug list last year. By going with a rival brand exclusively, Express Scripts was able to secure a steep discount, cutting the cost of therapy in half.



"We now are a year into it, we've treated over 50,000 patients with hepatitis C," said Miller, the company's chief medical officer. "We've treated more people than ever and had more people cured than ever, at a tremendous savings."



Those measures helped clients hold down overall drug spending growth to 5.2 percent last year, about half the growth rate in 2014 when Sovaldi was the only new hep C drug on the market.



Much of the growth in spending was due to double-digit price increases in high-cost specialty drugs, according to new data in Express Scripts 20th annual drug-trend report. Spending on specialty medications to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis topped the list for the first time, as prices spiked nearly 20 percent.

Two of the top rheumatoid brands face competition from non-branded biosimilars in 2017, said Dr. Glen Stettin, chief innovation officer at Express Scripts.

"They're doing what we typically see brand manufacturers do when they face the potential of generic competition, and that's raise the price ahead of the new drugs coming to market," he said.
"We've become a simpler and smaller company," CEO Michael Corbat said on the bank's most recent earnings call. "We've made the tough decisions regarding what businesses couldn't generate the returns our shareholders expect and deserve. ... We're going to continue to be mindful and to make sure that we are scaling and sizing our company to what we think the opportunities are."

The moves to trim staff are the latest in a series of cuts from Citigroup , which substantially reduced head count in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Cuts are expected to impact fixed income and equities trading positions as well as investment bankers, according to the source. The person told CNBC.com that, should the bank's quarterly performance to begin 2016 surprise to the upside, overall head count reductions may be less than what Wall Street expected.

Citigroup is projected to soon begin layoffs of some Wall Street staffers, a source with knowledge of the bank's plans said.

In late 2015, reports surfaced saying that Citigroup would cut up to 2,000 staffers; to date the bank has made no official announcements. So far this year its shares are down nearly 18 percent.

Employment on Wall Street rebounded in the years after the financial crisis, hitting a post-crisis high as of the end of 2015, with more than 172,000 jobs, according to a report from the New York State Department of Labor earlier this month. Still, facing pressure in a volatile market this year, a number of big banks have been forced to contemplate layoffs and trim staff in the face of disappointing performance and plunging share prices.

Read MoreThink the financial crisis is over? Not for these jobs

Wall Street banks have made cuts to various businesses to end 2015 and begin the current year. The same goes for international banks including Royal Bank of Scotland , which announced this week it would cut hundreds of jobs as part of a plan to automate investing advice services.

At Barclays , CEO Jes Staley said Tuesday at an industry event in London that head count was reduced from 145,000 to about 142,000 from 2012 through 2015. Since Staley assumed the leadership role at the bank, however, cuts have accelerated. He said 6,000 more jobs have been culled in the time since he took over in late 2015.

"That's double the last four years [worth of cuts] in the last four months," he told attendees of the Morgan Stanley Financials Conference in London. "In order to work through what has happened to this bank since the financial crisis, we must significantly simplify Barclays."

Wells Fargo has trimmed head count outside of Wall Street, in places including Minnesota and North Carolina. A bank spokesman confirmed 570 cuts in the month of February and said it is looking to retain some in other positions. Morgan Stanley said late last year it would set aside $150 million for layoffs and associated costs; the bank cut 1,200 positions primarily in fixed income and back-office roles. A spokesman for Morgan Stanley declined to comment.

Bank of America also set aside $130 million for severance expenses, its chief executive said on the company's most recent earnings call.

"[W]e did reduce head count in the business, the markets businesses and the related capital markets business," BofA CEO Brian Moynihan said on the call, adding, "We didn't make big announcements, but that led to the $130 million in severance in the fourth-quarter numbers."
Days after Donald Trump called members of the Club for Growth "stupid" and "extortionists," the head of the free-enterprise advocacy group called the GOP front-runner "challenged" when it comes to the truth.

In comments Thursday on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Trump accused the Club for Growth of coming out against his candidacy, when he refused to give the group $1 million.

"We all know how challenged Donald Trump is with the truth," Club for Growth President David McIntosh told "Squawk Box" on Tuesday. "The reality is, he invited me to his office, and said, 'What are you doing? What can I do to help?'"



"[Trump] was telling me he's changed," continued McIntosh, a congressman from Indiana from 1995-2001. McIntosh said New York real estate tycoon told him that Trump is "more free trade" than he used to be and he doesn't want to raise taxes. "Well, maybe the guy is a conservative," McIntosh said he thought. "[It] turns out he's not."



McIntosh said he did solicit money from Trump to elect "good candidates" for office. "We did send him a letter, and never heard back from him."



In the CNBC interview last week, Trump called out the Club for Growth: "These stupid people, like Club for Growth. They come to my office ask for $1 million and I say for what? They said it's, this and that, and they gave me an explanation which didn't make any sense. They wrote me a letter and asked for a million dollars. I very nicely said no. Then all of a sudden they became hostile and they're doing ads all over the place. They are extortionists. They are terrible people."

Club for Growth would still be against Trump even if the candidate did provide money, McIntosh said Tuesday. "I told him that in the meeting. I don't agree with you on trade and taxes. If you still want to send us money, you can."

McIntosh said the group analyzed Trump's public comments over the years about public policy. "Over 10 [or] 12 years, he's consistently been for a big government solution. He hates the idea of free trade. He thinks that he can negotiate better trade agreements. And if not, he'll slap tariffs on."
watch now

There's a rash of diaper debate going on nationwide. President Barack Obama wants to change the nation's "diaper divide" by helping low-income families cope with the cost of diapers. At the same time, efforts are underway in at least three legislatures  California, Connecticut and Tennessee  to exempt baby diapers from state sales taxes, while a similar effort in Utah failed. "Diapers are really expensive," Obama said Friday at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, while outlining a private effort aimed at getting diapers to low-income parents. A White House blog, called "The Diaper Divide," said nearly 1 in 3 American families struggle with affording enough disposable diapers for their babies. The blog, referring to "the diaper disparity," said low-income families sometimes are paying 14 percent of their entire incomes just for disposable diapers. The administration estimates disposable diapers cost about $936 per child a year. In some cases, lower-income families are paying double what higher-income families pay because diapers can sometimes be cheaper at warehouse stores, but those stores are not always available to the poor due to transportation issues or membership fees.

Sarah Monte | Getty Images

The lack of diapers for infants and toddlers can be a serious health issue for poor families, Cecilia Munoz, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council, wrote in the White House blog.

"Young children can end up hospitalized with problems like urinary tract or staph infections," she added. "There is also no federal assistance for purchasing diapers, unlike other essentials like food or health insurance." The president's proposed 2017 budget sets aside $10 million to test a pilot program with government agencies and nonprofits on how to best get baby diapers to struggling families. "But unless Congress acts, we don't have a program to help struggling families buy diapers for their children," Munoz said. "So, we're getting creative and using every tool we have to help solve this problem." The White House's diaper effort involves harnessing social media and the Internet. Also, nonprofits such as Covenant House will be able to make bulk purchases of diapers, saving 25 percent on their cost, and distribute them to needy moms and families.

Online retailer Jet.com, for example, will assist nonprofits in buying, receiving and storing the diaper orders. First Quality, the maker of the Cuties-brand diapers, offered to design new lower-cost packaging and pass along the savings to nonprofit groups. Kimberly-Clark's Huggies brand plans to donate an additional 2 million free diapers to the National Diaper Bank Network, and will match any public donations, up to 1 million diapers, provided through a Huggies' rewards program. Donations from Huggies are in addition to the 20 million diapers it already committed to the network.

"If you think about this, it is probably one of those areas that falls through the cracks," said Aric Melzl, Kimberly-Clark's Huggies brand director and a board member of the network.


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As Ohio voters cast ballots in Tuesday's presidential primary, the economy  specifically manufacturing jobs  will be front and center on many voters' minds. "We have to have a strong manufacturing base for this country to survive," said Brandon Lamoncha, sales manager and solution provider at Humtown, a third-generation, family owned manufacturer in Columbiana, Ohio. "I have to vote later today and I'm still undecided. I really don't know," said Lamoncha, who is a registered Republican and has supported Gov. John Kasich in past local races. And it is precisely this wariness about the state's economic prospects that Donald Trump has mined. The contest in the Buckeye State is crucial, as a victory by Kasich could stall Trump's march to secure a majority of delegates needed for his party's nomination. Ohio is among five states holding primary elections Tuesday along with Florida, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.

Lamoncha and other regional manufacturers have worked hard to anchor jobs in the area despite offshoring trends and lower wages in China and elsewhere. "Our customer base has shrunk almost 50 percent since my grandfather founded the company" in a garage in 1959, he said.

Brandon Lamoncha of Humtown Products in Columbiana, Ohio, works with University of Northern Iowa students to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing. Source: Cynthia Rogers

The region's decline in manufacturing work has been in step with national trends. U.S. manufacturing employment has trended downward since 1980, and those job losses have been especially severe during the past decade. Between 2000 and 2009, the nation lost 31.2 percent of its manufacturing jobs, and the sector fell from 13.1 percent of total employment to 9.1 percent, as noted in an American manufacturing report co-authored by Susan Helper, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

The nation's manufacturing output grew by only 11 percent during the same period, while GDP increased by 15.7 percent. As a result, manufacturing's share of GDP fell from 14.2 percent to 11 percent.

Not surprisingly, manufacturing job declines have been especially severe in the Great Lakes region, where auto assembly and parts manufacturing underpin much of the local economies. Manufacturing employment fell by a greater percentage in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois than nationwide between 2000 and 2009, according to Helper's research.

Broadly Ohio's employment numbers peaked around 2000 with a little more than 5.6 million jobs  and have not recovered to those levels, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. But unemployment in the state was at 4.9 percent in January, in line with the national rate, as workers have shifted to jobs in nonmanufacturing sectors like education, health service, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality over time.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and John Kasich Getty Images

"We've been through two or three of the worst economic downturns," said Lamoncha, reflecting on his company's history.

Humtown specializes in metal cast parts that end up in many consumer-facing applications. Think parts for cars, trucks and airplanes including engine blocks and household fixtures like door handles. The company during the last recession was reduced to a dozen employees from around 200 workers.

Metal parts traditionally have been made with conventional tooling methods. Now with computers and additive manufacturing techniques, the metal parts process can be quicker and cheaper, given fewer upfront costs. Plus, metal parts and related tools can literally be made to order.

Humtown, which now employs about 65 workers, began incorporating additive manufacturing about five years ago. "We can be an agile supply chain now to our clients," said Lamoncha. "We've always had to adapt." The company got support for its push into new technology from the Youngstown Business Incubator.

Sprawled across 110,000 square feet and four buildings, the incubator is on Federal Street, Youngstown's Main Street. The incubator includes 30 companies that span business software, information technology and a growing portfolio of additive manufacturing companies.
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Real estate magnate Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted strong results Tuesday night as voters in five states cast ballots in a make or break moment for several presidential campaigns. Both candidates, already their parties' front-runners, were projected to notch "significant" wins in the Florida primaries, according to NBC News. Trump was also projected to win primaries in North Carolina and Illinois, and he was the apparent winner in Missouri. Elsewhere on the Republican side, Ohio Gov. John Kasich secured a key win in his home state, NBC projected. Clinton, meanwhile, swept the night with apparent wins in Illinois and Missouri and projected victories in the Democratic North Carolina and Ohio contests, NBC News reported. "This is another super Tuesday for our campaign," Clinton said in an address after news of the Ohio projections. "We are moving closer to securing the Democratic party nomination and winning this election in November."

Trump entered the day's competitions  in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio  as the GOP front-runner in both delegates and national poll numbers. But as the New York businessman was looking to cement that status, his competitors were fighting for survival.

Republican home-state winner-take-all primaries for Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida were always slated to serve as defining moments for both campaigns. Recent polls indicated Kasich could win on his turf, but Rubio trailed Trump by about 20 percentage points in recent statewide surveys.

Soon after news of Trump's projected Florida win, Rubio announced that he would suspend his campaign. For his part, Kasich promised in his Tuesday night address that "the campaign goes on."

Supporters of Donald Trump, president and chief executive of Trump Organization Inc. and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, and Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and 2016 presidential candidate, hold campaign signs before a campaign stop by Rubio at Ron's Barbecue in Hudson, Florid Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was unlikely to face an existential threat on Tuesday  he's beaten Trump in seven states so far this race, and firmly holds a second-place position. Still, a strong Tuesday showing for Trump could make the New York businessman a virtually unstoppable force on the way to the 1,237 delegates needed to secure a nomination.

On the Democratic side, Clinton entered Tuesday leading Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in delegates and recent national polls. But the self-described democratic socialist pulled off an upset victory in Michigan last week, so Clinton's camp was hoping to reestablish momentum with a strong Tuesday showing.

Clinton has held a commanding lead in Florida polls leading up to the primary, but Ohio could present more of a challenge for the former U.S. senator from New York: She averaged an 8 percentage point lead over Sanders in recent surveys there, according to RealClearPolitics.

NBC News reported exit polls showing that 51 percent of Sanders voters in Tuesday's contests would be dissatisfied if Clinton became the Democrats' nominee. On the other hand, 46 percent of Clinton voters said they'd be dissatisfied if the senator from Vermont wins. Meet the Press tweet. Early exit polls of Tuesday Republican primary voters showed that white evangelicals numbered at 47 percent in Ohio, 40 percent in Illinois, and 36 percent in Florida, NBC News reported. GOP voters in today's contests also said they are overwhelmingly unhappy about Washington: 39 percent said they were angry, 51 percent that they are dissatisfied, and only 1 percent said they're enthusiastic about the nation's capital.
The decision on Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin the process of pulling the "main part" of Russian troops out of Syria surprised many Russian experts and analysts. But it's more short-term political maneuvering by Putin, experts said, and it wouldn't take much to place Putin and the Russian military right back in the middle of the Syrian conflict.



In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, guards walk past a lineup of troops during a welcome ceremony for Russian military personnel who returned from Syria at an airbase near the Russian city Voronezh, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Source: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Putin said that Russia had achieved its goals in Syria since the airstrikes began almost six months ago. Experts don't disagree.

"Putin got his immediate goals, which is stabilizing Assad, and he got the U.S. to treat Russia as an equal in negotiations," said Donald Jensen, senior fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins. But Jensen said the announcement signals a halt to bombing and there's still no change regarding the buildup of Russia's bases there. "Russians will be there for many years in terms of military presence, so Putin has nothing to lose, really," he said. Russia does plan to continue to operate its air base in Latakia, as well as its naval facility in Tartus. On Tuesday, Russia's deputy defense minister said that the country's air force would continue airstrikes against "terrorists in Syria," RIA Novosti reported, according to Reuters, prompting confusion over the extent of Russia's withdrawal.



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Experts pointed to Putin's broader positioning of Russia on the geopolitical stage as a factor that helps explain the sudden Syria policy shift, but one that also suggests it may not signal anything near a long-term change in military policy.

Matthew Rojansky, director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, said from the beginning of the operation the Russian president saw Russia's actions in Syria as bolstering its own position with Europe and the West. The Russian intervention turned the tide in Assad's favor and "allowed the Kremlin to cut a favorable deal with the West," Rojansky said. He added, "Putin can always order the troops back into Syria (in a single dramatic gesture or gradually) in response to an alleged breach of the deal by the West or its allies."

Robert Legvold, the Marshall D. Shulman professor emeritus of political science at Columbia University, said, "To a degree that Americans don't recognize, Putin sees his effort to put Russia again front and center on the diplomacy in the Middle East (as a quasi-partner and co-equal of the United States) on the line, and Assad's contrary statements over the last several weeks have been hampering that." He added, "If the situation for the Syrian regime again collapses, Putin can quickly send his air force back in. It will have the facilities already in place."

President of Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer, said that this decision presents Putin as a constructive force in peace talks without undermining Russia's leverage on the ground.

"Putin knows there's no return to a unitary Syria (despite that being Assad's stated aim). Similarly, there's no ability of domestic or international forces to displace the existing Assad regime, and that's a perfectly acceptable place for Russia to be," Bremmer told CNBC. Legvold said Putin wants to demonstrate to the world that he knows how to swiftly and efficiently use his forces and then get out, in contrast to the United States and other countries engaged in messy interventions  a message he does not mind conveying to states in his immediate neighborhood. Putin knows Russia could be stuck with an open-ended commitment in an ongoing quagmire, wasting a lot of money and at some point left with the choice of cutting and running. By moving now, he can claim "mission (deftly) accomplished."



Putin can always order the troops back into Syria (in a single dramatic gesture or gradually) in response to an alleged breach of the deal by the West or its allies. Matthew Rojansky director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center
Buying the Swiss franc may be the best hedge against the United Kingdom voting to quit the European Union (EU), according to HSBC  but not everybody agrees. The British bank said the Swiss currency would likely rally strongly on a "Brexit," but would not weaken if the U.K. chose to remain in the 28-country political union.

Fotog | Getty Images

The U.K. will hold a referendum on June 23, in which the electorate will vote on whether the country should remain in the EU or go its own way  the so-called Brexit. "The CHF would likely rally on Brexit, given the political and European-centric nature of the crisis ," HSBC currency strategists, David Bloom, Daragh Maher and Mark McDonald, said in a report. "The Swiss National Bank may intervene, but we believe it would only, at best, be able to slow the move rather than reverse it.

"However, were Brexit rejected, we would not expect maintenance of the status quo to provoke much CHF weakness. There is little evidence that CHF has priced in much Brexit risk, which means there is little risk premium to disappear. This asymmetry makes the CHF the best choice as a hedge." Going long is when a currency or other security is bought in the expectation that it will rise in value and the investor will profit. A hedge is an investment taken to offset the risk of adverse movements in asset prices. (CNBC Explains.)

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Unlike the U.K., Switzerland has never been part of the EU. The Swiss franc has gained over 5 percent against sterling this year and roughly 1.5 percent against the U.S. dollar.

HSBC said some investors might be tempted to short sterling  sell it in the anticipation that its value will fall  as a Brexit hedge. However, this would prove an expensive bet if the U.K. remained in the EU and sterling then rallied strongly  a likely possibility, according to Chandler. However, Marc Chandler, head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, said the Swiss franc could benefit from a "kneejerk reaction" in a Brexit, but that the effect would probably be short-lived. "The best hedge is probably more direct  using options, including the knock-in variety, on the currency and rates may be a cleaner way to express view," he told CNBC on Monday.
Three American International Group advisory firms have settled federal civil charges that they levied unnecessary fees on at least 1,000 mutual fund clients, the Securities and Exchange Commission says.

The dually registered broker-dealer and investment advisory firms  Royal Alliance Associates, SagePoint Financial and FSC Securities Corp.  are required by law to act in the best interests of their clients. Instead, the SEC asserted Monday, the advisors acted negligently by steering customers into higher-fee fund share classes and keeping them in accounts with gratuitous "wrap fees," which cover trading charges even when a client's trading is minimal.

"Investment advisers must be vigilant about conflicts of interest when selecting mutual fund share classes because the choice may improperly benefit them at the expense of their clients," Marshall S. Sprung, co-chief of the SEC Enforcement Division's asset management unit, said in a statement.

Specifically, the SEC said the firms sold clients mutual fund share classes that included what are called 12b1 fees  marketing charges that benefit the advisor or broker who sells the fund  even when cheaper share classes were available. As a result, the SEC said, the firms collected about $2 million in superfluous fees.
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Russia has shocked the world twice in the last 24 hours  first, by announcing that it was to withdraw most of its forces from Syria and second, by appearing to implement such a move. However many have been left scratching their heads as to why Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin, are suddenly appearing so co-operative. After months of sparking protests from the West and bolstering the Syrian regime with its military action in Syria  ostensibly aimed at combating the militant group that calls itself Islamic State but mainly seen as a bid to protect President Bashar Assad  Russia announced on Monday that it was withdrawing most of its forces from the country.



Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 14, 2016. Mikhail Klimentyev | Sputnik/Kremlin | Reuters

Just hours after making the surprise announcement, on Tuesday morning Russia's defense ministry said the country had begun the withdrawal of military equipment from the war-torn country, News agency RIA Novosti reported. When contacted by CNBC, the ministry of defense was unable to comment on the withdrawal, however.

Later on Tuesday, Russia's deputy defense minister said that the country's air force would continue airstrikes against "terrorists in Syria," Ria Novosti reported, according to Reuters, prompting confusion over the extent of Russia's withdrawal.

Putin playing ball?

The announcement  seen as a bolt from the blue by analysts  by came as United Nations-led peace talks aimed at resolving the five-year civil war in Syria -- a complex fight between troops loyal to Assad, ISIS militants and rebel groups all vying for control of the country  resumed in Geneva.

Analysts were quick to assess not just the timing of the announcement but just why Russia, a country left out in the cold following international sanctions for its annexation of Crimea and role in a pro-Russian uprising in east Ukraine  and not winning many friends for supporting Assad militarily either -- had effectively abandoned its long-standing ally, at least in a military sense. Cliff Kupchan, Ayham Kamel and Alexander Klimetnt from Eurasia Group said in a note late on Monday that Putin had a number of motives for making the announcement and the main factor was Russia's desire to improve its negative image on the global stage. "First, Putin has achieved a key goal of bolstering Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and ending the discussion of his removal by force. Second, it is certainly no coincidence that Putin played this card on the very day that UN-sponsored peace talks resumed," they said. Putin was also pressuring Assad to "meaningfully engage in talks with the goal of reaching a near-term power-sharing arrangement and longer-term constitutional reform and elections. The abrupt Russian move suggests Assad was resisting at least some of these goals," the Eurasia group said. "Also, the Russian elite strongly wants to "come in from the cold" globally in the aftermath of the Ukraine conflict and resulting sanctions," the analysts said, with the announcement indicating that the Kremlin "seeks an improved image  particularly with its major trading partner, the EU."

Wait and see
After Russia has promised to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, it remains unclear why President Vladmir Putin has made such a move.

Wesley Clark, a retired four-star general and former NATO supreme allied commander, told CNBC's "Power Lunch" on Tuesday that there are several possible reasons why Putin may have promised a withdrawal.

"One reason to do it is because, frankly, Russia's economy is short on funds and maybe wants the defense money to go somewhere else," Clark suggested. "Another reason to do it is maybe this pleases the Europeans and he's making efforts to get sanctions relieved."

Clark also said that Putin may have use for these forces elsewhere.

"Maybe there's a role for these Russian forces returning to reinforce Putin's hand in Ukraine," Clark added, "We don't know all his motives at this point."
Voters in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio cast crucial ballots in the race for the presidency on Tuesday. Here are some of the things we will be watching. The end or the beginning? The Republican presidential campaign will not end next week, or even next month. But voters in the five states casting ballots on Tuesday will go a long way toward determining whether Donald J. Trump can win the 1,237 delegates necessary to claim the party's nomination. More from The New York Times:

Front-Runners Find That Their Words Can Be Weapons

A Crucial Day for Candidates Trying to Halt Trump

CruzCourts an Old Adversary: The G.O.P. Establishment If Mr. Trump loses Ohio (possible) or Florida (less likely) and wins less-than-commanding victories in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina, he would face the strong possibility of falling short of a delegate majority and entering a contested Republican convention this summer. But with victories in the home states of two of his rivals, he could end the campaigns of Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, leaving Senator Ted Cruz of Texas as the only candidate still standing in his way.



GOP presidential candidates Senator Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. Pete Marovich | Bloomberg | Getty Images

As go Ohio and Florida No two states loom larger on the general election map than Florida and Ohio, and the results there could offer clues to the mood of the bellwether voters going into the fall campaign.

If Mr. Trump dispatches Ohio's two-term governor and Florida's young senator, it would suggest that he is close to wresting the Republican nomination. And that would quickly force other elected Republicans there to decide how tightly they want to embrace a candidate who, even with his victories in the primary, could prove repellent to the sort of up-for-grabs voters most coveted in these pre-eminent swing states. This calculation could also prove consequential in the Senate campaign, as both states have Republican-held seats at stake that could determine the balance of power in that chamber.

Even as Ohio's economy has recovered since the Great Recession, manufacturing jobs have continued to vanish. Should Mr. Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the Democratic side win Ohio, it will be in part because of their ferocious assault on the United States' international trade agreements  a line of attack that also lifted them in Michigan. The economic conditions in the state have undermined support for free trade among voters and leaders in both parties. That augurs for a general election where the eventual party nominees will confront immense pressure to abandon the bipartisan free-trade consensus that has shaped every modern presidential administration.

Forget them not

Illinois and Missouri have a lot in common (besides being Midwestern states that share the Mississippi River). Both have been obscured by the action in Florida and Ohio, which are winner-take-all contests for Republicans and elimination races for Mr. Kasich and Mr. Rubio.

But Illinois and Missouri, which allocate a handful of delegates to the statewide winner and the rest to the top vote-getter in each of their congressional districts, could be just as important. If Mr. Trump overwhelms his competition in each, capturing every congressional district, he could effectively turn them into winner-take-all states. But Mr. Kasich has aggressively campaigned in the Chicago area, and Mr. Cruz has stumped in nearly every corner of both the states. If together they can win a substantial number of the combined 26 congressional districts in both contests, it would limit Mr. Trump's haul and mitigate the impact of his winning Florida, Ohio or both. The biggest wild card may be the heavily black congressional districts in Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City: They offer the same number of delegates as the most conservative Republican districts in the rural reaches of each state. Mr. Rubio has fared best in cities so far, but his collapse offers opportunities to the other Republican hopefuls.

The end Mr. Rubio entered Super Tuesday with high hopes after a wave of high-profile endorsements. Two weeks later, he is on the verge of a decisive defeat in his home state.

He trails Mr. Trump in every survey, and often by a wide margin, with the latest polls showing him down by nearly 20 percentage points.

Florida's 99 delegates are enough to cover an eighth of those Mr. Trump needs to reach the majority count, but there is a silver lining for Mr. Trump's opponents: Mr. Rubio's decline, and the possibility that he could withdraw after Florida, is good news for them elsewhere.

Mr. Cruz has picked up a lot of Mr. Rubio's former supporters in firmly red states like Louisiana and Mississippi. Mr. Cruz lost states like these by a wide margin on Super Tuesday, but he nearly won in states where Mr. Rubio's support was reduced to the single digits. The same phenomenon has given Mr. Cruz a chance to squeak out wins in Missouri and North Carolina.

Farther north, Mr. Rubio's weakness helps Mr. Cruz and Mr. Kasich, but perhaps not by enough to allow either to overtake Mr. Trump. That seemed to happen in Michigan, where Mr. Trump won a much smaller share of the vote than he did in Louisiana or Mississippi but, because his opposition was more divided, still won by a larger margin. The same phenomenon might help Mr. Trump win Illinois.

Sanders in the Midwest

Mr. Sanders can prove his upset victory in Michigan last week was not a fluke.

He has a real chance of winning in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, where the polls show a much tighter race than they did before Michigan. Like Michigan, the three states might be particularly receptive to his message on trade, and they are less diverse than the nation.

A few more wins in the Midwest would strengthen the case for Mr. Sanders to stay in the race and compete in the delegate-rich blue states that dominate the final two months of the primary season.

But the challenge for Mr. Sanders is not simply to win in the region, it is to win big. Hillary Clinton could win Florida and North Carolina by more than 20 percentage points, making her likely to add to her big pledged delegate lead. Narrow victories by Mr. Sanders will not do much to cut into Mrs. Clinton's growing edge.

Open primaries One advantage for Mr. Sanders is that the Midwestern states hold open primaries, where voters of any political affiliation can cast their ballots.

Mr. Sanders tends to fare best among independents, especially because younger voters are likely to identify that way. Exit polls in Michigan found that Mrs. Clinton won self-identified Democrats by 18 percentage points, but she lost the state nonetheless because of a 43-point disadvantage among independents.

There is a flip side to open primaries: Democrats can vote in the Republican contest. That might help Mr. Sanders, too. It has been argued that Mrs. Clinton was hurt because some of her supporters voted to stop Mr. Trump in Michigan. Self-described Democrats represented 7 percent of the Michigan Republican primary electorate, according to the exit polls.
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Total compensation for Chipotle Mexican Grill 's co-chief executive officers for 2015 was cut in half after the company dealt with multiple food safety scares. Chipotle said executive compensation will be tied to the fast-casual chain's stock performance. But is that fair? Steve Odland, president and CEO of the Committee for Economic Development, would contend that the pay reductions are fair, saying Tuesday on CNBC's "Power Lunch" that the stock price is the outcome of the business performance. Odland, also a former Office Depot CEO, applauded Chipotle's board for taking action in light of the numerous food safety issues.

Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells,was paid $13,8 million, 52 percent less than the previous year, according to a regulatory filing. Co-CEO Monty Moran's yearly pay fell 51 percent to $13.6 million.

Steve Ells, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images

"I think the bigger issue is they need to fix the underlying food safety issues ... which caused the stock price hit," said Odland. So what's the right answer? Compensation should not be based on stock price alone, said Odland. "I think at this point in time given the severity of the issues, and the whole brand and the whole company is at risk, I would tie to it food safety and I would say nobody gets any of these stock options for three years until you prove that you have got the food safety issues addressed. You have got to put the customers first," said Odland.

Chipotle's lack of transparency about the origin of its ingredients, the company's uncontrolled growth, underprepared employees and poor management are to blame for the health scares, said Jeff Sonnenfeld, Yale School of Management senior associate dean for leadership studies, also on "Power Lunch."

Multiple contamination scares are dangerous, but so is putting too much emphasis on the stock price, according to Sonnenfeld, leading to "reckless" fire sale prices or selling pieces quickly for a stock top. Odland echoed his concerns, saying that the ability for stock prices to be engineered has the potential to destroy the brand. Through slashing costs or buying back shares, the stock price can rise without any of the food safety issues being addressed.
Reports that China is to introduce a new Tobin tax on foreign currency transactions is raising questions among investors over the country's willingness to move to a more open economy.

The yuan is set to be included in the International Monetary Fund's reserve-currency basket from October this year. Chris Weston of IG markets argues that imposing such a Tobin tax - a levy on a spot currency conversion - won't please the organization.

"This will not be taken kindly by the IMF if it eventuates, and if Chinese officials broaden this to other markets, like swaps, then speculators may pile into proxy currencies like the Hong Kong dollar," he said Tuesday.

According to the report from Bloomberg Business, the initial rate of any tax may be kept at zero. This, the report suggested, is to allow authorities time to tweak the rules and to deter speculators by letting them know that there is a tax ready to be introduced.

There was no official PBOC comment, although Deputy Governor Yi Gang had raised the possibility of the measure in October 2105 in an article written for China Finance magazine

In a statement Tuesday, Natixis Asia research, said in the event of such a tax, the two main criteria for joining the IMF basket should not be affected.

"The Tobin tax would not change the size of China trade. The second criterion is 'freely usable currency'. In this respect, a Tobin tax should not change the RMB's inclusion, unless it will significantly decrease the trading volume of the RMB," read the statement.
SYRACUSE, N.Y.  The Hayner Hoyt Corporation has agreed to pay $5 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in conduct designed to exploit contracting opportunities reserved for service-disabled veterans.

The allegations involve Gary Thurston, CEO of Syracusebased Hayner Hoyt; Jeremy Thurston, company president; employees Ralph Bennett and Steve Benedict; and Hayner Hoyt affiliates LeMoyne Interiors and Doyner Inc., the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a news release issued Monday.

The settlement resolves allegations that the accused orchestrated a scheme designed to take advantage of the service-disabled, veteran-owned, small-business program to secure government contracts for 229 Constructors LLC, a company that no longer operates.

The firm 229 Constructors is an entity that Gary and Jeremy Thurston created, controlled, and subcontracted for Hayner Hoyt and its affiliates, the DOJ said.

A whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act triggered the federal governments investigation.

One of the laws provisions allows private persons, known as relators, to file civil actions on behalf of the U.S. and share in any recovery.

The relator in this case will receive $875,000 of the settlement proceeds, the DOJ said.

Company response

Hayner Hoyt never intended to violate the False Claims Act, Jeremy Thurston said in a statement that the company issued Monday afternoon.

When 229 Constructors was formed, a former official from the Small Business Administration, accountants, attorneys and a local [Veterans Administration] contracting officer provided guidance to ensure that the business was not violating any rules, Thurston contended.

Hayner Hoyt decided to settle to avoid a prolonged investigation, business distractions and additional legal expenses, Thurston added. He called the settlement significant, but noted it wont impact the companys ability to continue business operations.

Allegations

The Thurstons exerted significant influence over 229 Constructors decision-making during the bid, award, and performance of these contracts in various ways. They included staffing the company entirely with then-current and former Hayner Hoyt employees and their spouses, the DOJ said.

Neither Thurston is a veteran, according to the department.

The Thurstons also provided 229 Constructors with considerable resources, which provided it with a competitive advantage over legitimate, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses neither affiliated with nor controlled by a larger, non-veteran owned corporation.

Hayner Hoyt officials caused false certifications and statements to be made to the government indicating that 229 Constructors met all requirements to be a service-disabled veteran-owned small business.

The DOJ said the company knew, or should have known, that 229 Constructors did not meet such requirements.

By diverting contracts and benefits intended for the nations service-disabled veterans to Hayner Hoyt and its affiliates, the company undercut Congresss intent of encouraging contract awards to legitimate, service-disabled, veteran-owned, small businesses.

The investigation revealed that Bennett was not involved in making important business decisions for the company.

Bennett is a service-disabled veteran who allegedly ran 229 Constructors, served as its president, and oversaw its $14.4 million government-contracts portfolio.

He was instead responsible for overseeing Hayner Hoyts tool inventory and plowing snow from Hayner Hoyts property, according to the DOJ.

The department said Jeremy Thurston set up an email account in Bennetts name in such a way that all emails received by the veteran were automatically forwarded to him.

After the government began to question 229 Constructors affiliation with Hayner Hoyt, Gary Thurston wrote others that he and Jeremy Thurston would likely terminate operations of 229 Constructors.

A few months later, service-disabled veteran Bennett and Benedict, who was simultaneously the co-owner of 229 Constructors and listed on Hayner Hoyts website as one of its five key officials, transferred a total of $52,000 to Gary Thurstons personal bank account allegedly to show their appreciation for the assistance he had provided.

The accused made various admissions in the settlement agreement, the DOJ said.

They admitted that their conduct violated federal regulations designed to encourage contract awards to legitimate, service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses.

They also admitted that 229 Constructors provided more than $1.3 million in service-disabled veteran-owned small business subcontracts to Hayner Hoyt, LeMoyne Interiors and Doyner and that those companies generated $296,819 in gross profits as a result.

Those who do business with the federal government must do so honestly, Richard Hartunian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, said in the news release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
SYRACUSE, N.Y.  Mackenzie Hughes LLP announced it has hired Ben Walsh as the law firms business-development director.

In this role, Walsh will develop, coordinate, and execute strategies to support and expand existing client relationships and attract new clients.

Walsh will guide the Syracusebased firms government and community relations efforts and provide policy and project-management consulting services, Mackenzie Hughes said in a news release.

Walsh joins Mackenzie Hughes from the City of Syracuse government, where he served as deputy commissioner in the Department of Neighborhood & Business Development under Mayor Stephanie Miner since 2010, and concurrently worked as executive director of the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (or SIDA).

Before that, Walsh worked as the director of urban initiatives at the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York, now CenterState CEO.

Walsh, the son of former area Congressman James Walsh, has a masters of public administration (MPA) degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a bachelors degree from Ithaca College.

He currently serves as president of the board of trustees at the Gifford Foundation.

Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com
March 15, 2016

 Yuri Gagarin, the first person to fly into space, will be joining the three-member crew launching to the International Space Station this week, in the form of his smiling face decorating the side of their rocket.



The cosmonaut's image was added to the booster to mark the Russian space agency's year-long commemoration of Gagarin's historic April 12, 1961 flight. The blue and white portrait was applied to the fairing  or launch shroud  that will shield the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft as it ascends to space on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday (March 18).



The launch, scheduled for 5:26 p.m. EDT (2126 GMT; 3:26 a.m. Kazakh time), will bring cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronaut Jeff Williams to the space station for a planned docking later that night at 11:12 p.m. EDT (0312 GMT March 19).



Ovchinin, the commander and only rookie flier aboard the Soyuz, will be the 544th person to follow Gagarin into orbit. Ovchinin, Skripochka and Williams will fly from "Gagarin's Start," the same launch pad that the first cosmonaut used to begin his Vostok 1 mission 55 years ago.







Workers affix the Year of Yuri Gagarin logo to the Soyuz-FG rocket that will launch Soyuz TMA-20M on March 18, 2016. (RSC Energia)

The Soyuz rocket's decoration reproduces the logo for the "Year of Yuri Gagarin," a jubilee celebration announced by Roscosmos in late February.



"To commemorate this milestone in human [space] history, Roscosmos proclaims 2016 to be the Year of Yuri Gagarin and plans a number of interesting events," Russian space officials stated in a release. "Let's remember together how it was and dream about the future  because it is just the beginning!"



The cosmonauts already onboard the space station helped to launch the celebration, holding a sign reading "Gagarin. Lift-Off!" in Cyrillic.



"Dear friends, we declare that the jubilee for the 55th year of manned flight into space is the 'Year of Gagarin,'" said Mikhail Kornienko, who with astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth on March 1, ending a record 340-day mission.



"Our new motto is 'Lift Your Head Up!' because every time we [do], we can see the stars," added Yuri Malenchenko, who will welcome Ovchinin, Skripochka and Williams onto the space station.







"Year of Yuri Gagarin" logo reads "POYEKHALI! 55." (Roscosmos)

According to Roscosmos, additional events and exhibitions are planned to mark the "Year of Yuri Gagarin."



"We invite all those who are interested in space, dream of distant planets and for who Russia's space activities are a part of life to join us," stated the space agency.



Gagarin, who would have turned 82 on March 9, died in a training jet crash on March 27, 1968. Vostok 1 was his only flight into space.



The fairing displaying Gagarin's portrait will be jettisoned from the Soyuz rocket about two minutes and 40 seconds into Friday's launch.
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Storytime: What the pine and the elm can teach us
Go Eat If you want personality, you gotta #GoMemphis SHARE

By Jennifer Biggs of The Commercial Appeal

I took the day off yesterday and found myself on Summer Avenue, running errands with my mom and daughter. Edo used to be a favorite family place, so I suggested we give Queen of Sheba, the new Middle-Eastern restaurant tucked between Charlie's Meat Market and Jerusalem Market on Summer.

I figured it would be good--I like Middle-Eastern food. But it FAR exceeded my expectations. The menu was a little difficult to figure out, some because of the language/spelling issues and some because of two prices on some of the dishes (and I never figured out why).

But I talked to the server, explained we wanted to try a few things, told him what we liked and from then, it was great. Service was friendly and prompt and the food was delicious. The bread, tannour, was out of this world. They make it in the kitchen by slapping flat pieces of dough on a hot oven and peeling it off when done. The result is a big round of bread that's crisp in places, chewy in others, airy and light.

We dipped it in hummus, in baba ganoush, wrapped chopped vegetables (we didn't order, but it came to the table as a starter) in it, slathered it with the thick garlic spread I've known as toum but isn't listed that way on the menu, dipped it in a hot pepper puree, and ate it with our lamb stew.

I will DEFINITELY be back soon. I asked if I could bring wine for dinner and was told "Sure, bring anytime," but I'll double check that before I take it. There was a bit of a language barrier and I'll be sure first.

One thing that amused us was seeing the repurposed Edo dishes. Olive oil came to us in a soy sauce bottle; the toum was in an old tempura sauce bowl.

Queen of Sheba, 4792 Summer, 901-207-4174.
Evidence-collection envelopes from a rape kit at the Rape Crisis Center show the steps for examining sexual assault victims. (William DeShazer/The Commercial Appeal files)

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By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A woman referred to in court documents as Janet Doe reported she was attacked in her sleep in her apartment by a burglar, who robbed and raped her.

Law enforcement responded immediately after the rape in June 1997, but "inquiries focused largely on her and tended to presuppose the falsity of her story," her attorney Daniel Lofton wrote.

She was taken to the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center and told that a forensic examination of her body would help police catch the suspect.

"It was never imagined that the City and County had no effective system in place of any kind whatsoever whereby the evidence being submitted could be put to good use," Lofton said.

Janet Doe is one of three plaintiffs suing the city and county, arguing the city failed to handle rape kits responsibly and the county did not properly prioritize testing kits. On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Gina C. Higgins heard arguments for and against motions from the city and county to dismiss the case.

The women reported sexual assaults and had fluid taken from their bodies for rape kits. Then in August 2013, former Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong disclosed that there were more than 2,000 backlogged rape kits, causing severe emotional disturbance for the women, Lofton wrote.

Later that year, Armstrong disclosed that there were actually over 12,000 unprocessed rape kits.

"The gross inaccuracy of the City's prior admission  a mere 2,000 unutilized kits  made the second admission to 12,000 unutilized kits all the more outrageous and shocking to these particular persons," Lofton said.

In court Tuesday, Virginia Bozeman, attorney for the county, argued that the county is immune because the people involved were not county employees. She said no county employee is alleged to have committed a negligent act that caused injury.

Robert Meyers, attorney for the city, wrote that the plaintiff's claims are barred by protections of the First Amendment and similar protections under the state Constitution. He said the city had a duty to tell the truth about the rape kits and did.

After the hearing, Lofton said the case is simple.

"We're suing saying that the city was negligent in that it caused emotional distress ... I don't think anyone in the city right now doubts the fact that they were negligent," he said. "You don't accumulate 12,000 rape kits without there being a measure of negligence."

Lofton said the county also had a direct involvement in the processing of rape kits. According to a October 2011 letter from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that references the "serology/DNA backlog at the TBI Memphis Crime Lab," the district attorney or an assistant district attorney who knows about the case must draft a letter with all requests for DNA examination.

"Any exhibits that are delivered to the lab for examination without the letter from the District Attorney's Office, will not be accepted," the letter states.

Higgins said Tuesday she would rule at a later date on motions from the city and county to dismiss the case.

In February, the numbers on current efforts to ship and test the rape kits showed that 5,555, or 45 percent, had completed analysis, 3,557, or 29 percent, were at laboratory awaiting analysis and 3,262, or 26 percent, needed additional analysis.
March 15, 2016 - Council member Reid Hedgepeth listens to Mayor Jim Strickland during a Memphis city council meeting in the city council committee room Tuesday following a conversation about de-annexation. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal

The city could raise its property tax rate between 30 and 70 cents if some parts of the city de-annex themselves, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Tuesday.

The Tennessee House approved a bill Monday that would allow 10 percent of people living in areas annexed since 1998 in five cities, including Memphis, to petition for a referendum to de-annex themselves. The bill now goes to the state Senate.

The city's current tax rate is $3.40 per $100 of value. An increase would bump up the rate  which is already one of the highest in the state  to between $3.70 and $4.10. City residents also pay the county's rate of $4.37, which Strickland said would also go up because of de-annexations.

Strickland told City Council members that de-annexations would result in a minimum cost to the city of $27.7 million, and up to about $79.1 million if all 10 eligible residential areas in the city voted to de-annex.

"Bottom line is, this action by the state would result in a property tax increase of 30 cents to 60 or 70 cents," he said.

Council attorney Allan Wade said there are a couple of legal options for the city if the Senate also approves its version of the bill, including challenging that its annexations were "egregious" and that the state has the ability to absolve residents from paying their share of the city's pension and other post-employment benefits costs.

"I don't think due diligence has been done to vet out all of the consequences of the bill," he said.

Wade declined to elaborate on legal strategies, he said, because he didn't want legislators to plug the legal holes.

Council member Edmund Ford Jr. said he thought the other cities affected by the bill  Knoxville, Chattanooga, Kingsport and tiny Cornersville in Marshall County  would join Memphis in a legal challenge.

A common argument for de-annexation is that the city would save money because it wouldn't need as many police officers, firefighters and Public Works employees. Strickland said there may be reduced costs for fire and Public Works, but no short-term savings to police.

"There might be one police station we would no longer have to maintain, but the savings would be negligible," he said.

Several council members had strong words for the House, which approved the bill in a 68-25 vote.

"It's just another reminder of what the eastern part of the state thinks of us," said Janis Fullilove, who represents Super District 8-2.

"The wolves are after the city of Memphis," Joe Brown, who represents Super District 8-1, said in another committee meeting earlier in the day.

"It's like they're trying to get us one way or the other," said Berlin Boyd of District 7.

Martavius Jones, who represents Super District 8-3, encouraged citizens to call their state senators and ask them to vote against the bill.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell said he was in meetings with county officials to prepare for the possibility of some areas de-annexing from the city. He said the county is "very resilient" and would be able to offer services such as fire and law enforcement to any area that decided to separate from Memphis.

Luttrell acknowledged the possibility that de-annexation could have an impact on the countys tax rate but said the county would need to study the matter further. We really need to kind of move slow before we go out before the public with that, he said.

If the current bill becomes law, Luttrell said the county would set up town halls to educate the public on their options and the impact de-annexation could have on them.

We want to certainly measure the impact on the city, measure the impact on the county and measure the impact on citizens, and then let citizens make their own decision based on that, Luttrell said.

Citizens have a right to make a decision. I support the right of the people to be involved in that decision-making process.

Staff editor David Royer contributed to this report.

BELOW: Areas potentially affected by the de-annexation bill. Property and sales tax data from the city of Memphis.
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By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal

Parents and students alleging discriminatory disciplinary practices by DeSoto County Schools are hoping for changes in the near future now that the U.S. Department of Education has agreed to investigate complaints.

Those initiating the charges discussed the case during a conference call Tuesday morning. According to the Washington-based Advancement Project, the education department's Office of Civil Rights confirmed last Thursday it would proceed with a formal investigation.

"For years, African-American students have been disproportionately suspended, pushed out of school and denied valuable time in the classroom due to racially discriminatory policies," James Mathis, chairman of the local DeSoto County Parents and Students for Justice group, said. "The Department of Education's decision to investigate DeSoto County Schools affirms the lived experiences of African-American students and their families, who have been unfairly marginalized by DeSoto County's school-to-prison pipeline."

School system officials said through a statement Tuesday afternoon they have fully cooperated with the civil rights office for more than a year, and have not heard from the office since December. They were aware of no new action.

"The DeSoto County School District offers a fair and equitable education for all students," the statement said.

Department of Education officials have not commented on the matter, but Advancement Project representatives said Tuesday they hope for a "swift resolution." A March 10 letter from the education department's Office of Civil Rights in Dallas confirms it has evaluated the complaints and will open an investigation, but notes the action "in no way implies that (the civil rights office) has made a determination with regard to its merits."

Local parents, primarily African-American, initiated the complaint nearly a year ago, announcing last April with backing from Advancement Project attorneys they would provide statistics and anecdotal evidence to the Department of Education in hopes of a formal investigation. Since then, education officials have looked into the matter to decide whether to proceed. The process included a local visit in December in which stories of alleged unequal treatment were collected to supplement information provided as part of the complaint.

Several parents have related stories of children who they say received harsh punishments for minor offenses, resulting in lost classroom time and, in some cases, reassignment to alternative schools or legal action.

Cassandra Norwood, the mother of a 9-year-old third-grader at DeSoto Central Elementary in Southaven, said her son was charged with vandalism, suspended for three days, then sent to an alternative school for five days with further probation after a bathroom stall door fell off when he pushed it open.

"This is incredible news," she said Tuesday of the latest action by education officials. "It provides validation. It's also a great opportunity to objectively examine that we are part of a flawed system."

Jadine Johnson, an Advancement Project attorney, said the process will involve a review of data and interviews of school district officials. She said the most recent data available shows the district has about a 60 percent white enrollment and about 35 percent African-American. The data, according to Johnson, indicates African-American students are 2.5 times more likely to be suspended and that the suspension rates for African-Americans is "much higher" at all but one school.

She said students of color with disabilities are particularly at risk of inequitable treatment.

"These disparities do not reflect isolated incidents, but a pattern," Johnson said. "We believe the opening of our complaint represents the ongoing nature of these problems."

Such alleged disparities have been dubbed the "school-to-prison" pipeline because they often take students out of class and onto a path that leads to imprisonment. Similar disparities in suspension rates in the Meridian, Mississippi, school system led to a consent decree between the school district and the Department of Justice in 2013 to address practices.

Asked Tuesday if parents and attorneys would be satisfied with tweaks to the DeSoto district's current policies, they said they didn't feel that would be enough. They said the problems "run deeper and would require more extensive changes."

"We have asked that we be a part of developing a code of conduct," Mathis said, noting his group has been trying for three years to get changes in the district's disciplinary code. "We just want to make sure we have input."

The groups Tuesday said they hope new Superintendent Cory Uselton will be cooperative in resolving the matter. Uselton took office in January after being elected last November to replace retired Superintendent Milton Kuykendall.

DeSoto County Schools, with about 33,000 students in 42 schools countywide, is Mississippi's largest public school district.
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By Clay Bailey of The Commercial Appeal

This just in to the Outside the Loop (Not really Breaking, but rather Slightly Crackin') News, Happenin' Now, Bulletin News Desk:

Construction of the signalized crossing of the Greenline on Germantown Parkway will begin Sunday about 7 a.m. The work will cause some traffic disruptions on the parkway. All six lanes should reopen by 5 p.m. Sunday.

We now return you to our regularly-scheduled Outside the Loop column.

We have written a bunch about de-annexation in recent days, from editorials to columns to news stories all the way through Mondays approval by the state House of Representatives and the governor questioning the potential laws constitutionality.

And, I assure you, this debate will go on a LONG time.

Memphis officials continue to paint a picture about the potential impact if all 10 areas eligible for de-annexation took advantage of the opportunity. And opponents in Mondays debate of the bill relied on those figures to portray the devastation to the city if de-annexation is approved.

Those figures of losing more than 100,000 residents, along with $79 million in property tax and sales tax revenues are based on every section eligible seceding from Memphis. It would take a perfect storm of organizations forming in all of those neighborhoods and then the groups successfully passing all the tests for de-annexation.

The only groups organized are South Cordova and Windyke and (Southwind), Patricia Possel, one of those active in the South Cordova effort, said in an email.

I highly doubt that even North Cordova gets an army together in order to (de-annex) themselves. Most of the hostile people took losses on their houses and left for Germantown and Collierville.

Meanwhile, the bills sponsor, Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, challenged the $15 million in lost sales taxes -- based on the Strickland administrations figures -- noting cities will decide whether commercial and industrial property is allowed to de-annex.

One interesting development out of Mondays legislative action  Johnson City was dropped from the list of cities in the bill. Last week, Johnson City officials agreed that a community annexed in 2012 could leave the city  a move involving about 80 houses.

Do you and anyone really think other areas of the city that have been in for years and years are going to spend their free time and go door to door getting the necessary signatures? Possel wrote. Again, I believe the mayor is playing how can we (incite) the crowds and poor, poor city of Memphis.

BARTLETT

A SIDE NOTE TO DE-ANNEXATION: While annexation opposition is common with Memphis moves, there are only a few people who have balked about a suburb wrapping its boundary around their property.

One of the most vocal was Murphy Farley (above with his wife, Sharon), whose property, along Billy Maher Road south of Old Brownsville was absorbed by Bartlett in late 2012. Last summer, more than two years later, Farley announced he wasnt happy about Bartlett annexing his property. Farley sought de-annexation of the area, but Bartlett officials rejected the request.

The resident and Mayor Keith McDonald both vowed to monitor the de-annexation legislation when it came before the General Assembly this session.

By all evidence, Farleys de-annexation desire is a moot issue. The bill only deals with annexations by a handful of cities. And, while Memphis is one of them, Bartlett is not.

Yeah, Im pretty well on top of it, Farley said when asked about the law not applying to Bartlett.  ... Thats the way I see it too.

Farley may present a petition of his neighbors asking the city again to de-annex him by ordinance, but acknowledged there is little, if any, chance of that happening.

Its just the same ol story, he said.

GERMANTOWN

THROWING OUT THE TRASH: To no ones surprise, Germantown changed sanitation contractors Monday night. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved a new five-year agreement with Waste Pro of Tennessee, cutting ties with Inland Waste Solutions.

The new Waste Pro contract begins July 1, which means more than three months with a lame duck sanitation collector. City leaders anticipate the monthly fee for service to increase, but the exact number will emerge from budget discussions.

Given the complaints that have plagued Inland and contributed to officials switching contractors, it will be interesting to see the level of Inlands service for the final months, since the company officially knows they are simply finishing out their time with no hope of returning.

SHORT TRIPS:

TOP OF SHELBY FARMS: The Parkside at Shelby Farms development off Mullins Station overlooking the north side of the urban park starts its review through the City Council today. The actual public hearing on the matter is set for April 5, but nearby residents already are voicing their opposition to the development with 21 buildings stretching over 55 acres.

As business reporter Tom Bailey noted opponents have established an online petition with more than 700 signatures of people opposing Parkside as of Monday afternoon. They also have established a Facebook page and made numerous calls to City Hall to express their displeasure with the plan.

SADDLE CREEK: Tom Bailey also told readers last week, Saddle Creek is planning another expansion  this one to the tune of about $1 million.

The work is focused on Saddle Creek North  the original phase of the upscale shopping center  to bring its design in tune with recent improvements to Saddle Creek South on the southwest corner of Poplar and West Street.

COLLIERVILLE EXIT: Reporter Daniel Connolly told the story over the weekend about Collierville High senior Evan Crafts new duties as student liaison to the towns Board of Education.

FINAL WORD: If you haven't looked at our new morning column -- The 9:01 -- I suggest you call it up. Chris Herrington, who wears a heckuva lot of hats at this place, is crafting the daily look at things around the city.


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By Clive Crook

Donald Trump's critics are making two kinds of mistakes when they call him a fascist, or a proto-fascist, or a kind of fascist, or complain that his rallies evoke images of Nazi Germany and so forth. The first mistake is that he isn't any kind of fascist. The second is that this line of attack at best serves no purpose, and at worst makes him stronger.

Trump, to be clear, is grossly ill-suited to be president. He's a divisive, dishonest, bullying, flamboyantly uninformed man, whose ambition is an expression of pure vanity. The kindest thing I'll say about him is that he at least seems to know when he's talking nonsense, which is most of the time: The more vapid the statement, the more careful he is to repeat it for emphasis. He'll repeat that vapid statement. Believe me, he'll repeat it.

Moreover, ridiculous as Trump may be, the thought of the damage he might do with the presidency is genuinely scary. The country has strong constitutional protections  he couldn't make laws  but he certainly isn't to be trusted with the military power the president commands. Even putting military adventures aside, the harm he might do to the country's alliances and global standing hardly bears thinking about. President Trump would be a disaster.

But none of that makes him a fascist. I'll grant that there are intimations  "echoes," as the historian Robert Paxton calls them. Most obviously, he affects the demeanor of the strongman, ready to cut through the nonsense of politics as usual. But essential components of the ideology are missing.

Trump isn't opposing democracy or promising to scrap the Constitution. He isn't calling for an expansion of state power. He isn't summoning the nation's collective will to purge imaginary enemies at home or abroad. (He's opposed to illegal immigration, not to immigrants as such. His demand to block Muslim immigrants "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on" was a dumb and damaging response to a deadly mass shooting, not a declaration of war on Islam.) He doesn't idolize the military (ask John McCain). He isn't demanding noble sacrifice to right historic wrongs. Could anything be less Trumpist than sacrifice?

If Trump believes in anything, it's deals. Adolf Hitler never promised to make great deals.

Now, you might say, Hitler was dismissed as absurd rather than dangerous in his early days  and see how that ended up. Nothing is impossible, I suppose. But even if President Trump did decide to become a fascist dictator, he'd have his work cut out. I don't doubt he'd be a disaster, but surely in the farcical mold of Silvio Berlusconi, not Benito Mussolini.

In any event, the problem with calling out Trump's supposed fascist tendencies isn't just that the charge is hysterical: What's more important is that it doesn't hurt him. It may very well help him. The accusation is a calculated insult not just to Trump, but to his many supporters. Your views aren't just wrong, it says, they're vile and illegitimate: How evil or stupid must you be to support an American Hitler?

This approach is unlikely to change their minds. As I've previously argued, support for Trump, though misguided, is intelligible. And that isn't because his supporters are all racists, bigots or morons. The desire to send a message of protest to America's political elite is by no means unreasonable. There's plenty to protest about. If, instead of paying attention, America's political elite then calls you a would-be Nazi in return, you might be all the more determined to send the message.

In a democracy, it's better to address discontented citizens on the substance of their complaints than to call them disgusting and hope they go away.

Clive Crook is a member of the Bloomberg View editorial board.
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By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON  Desperate times call for desperate measures. The organized protest in Chicago that led Donald Trump to cancel a planned rally Friday may someday be remembered as the Dawn of the Resistance.

Trump has fueled his campaign's rise with the angriest and most divisive political rhetoric this nation has heard since the days of George Wallace. No one should be surprised if some of those Trump has slandered or outraged respond with raised voices.

The Constitution's guarantee of free speech applies to everyone, Trumpistas and protesters alike. Trump said over the weekend that he wants demonstrators who gatecrash his rallies to be arrested, not just ejected; he vows that "we're pressing charges" against them.

Someone should educate him: Peacefully disapproving of a politician and his dangerous ideas is not a crime.

Trump seems not to understand that demonstrators have the legal right to protest  and that a candidate for president of the United States has no countervailing right not to be protested. I'm talking about nonviolent demonstrations, of course  but nonviolent does not necessarily mean quiet, timid or small.

On Friday, thousands of Trumpistas gathered in the University of Illinois at Chicago arena for one of the candidate's set-piece rallies. They knew what to expect from Trump  the bragging about the size of his lead in various polls, the dissing of rivals "Little Marco" Rubio and "Lyin' Ted" Cruz, the ranting about immigration, the repeated vow to "make America great again." They might have anticipated that a few demonstrators would briefly interrupt the proceedings, giving Trump the opportunity to strut in alpha-male splendor as he ordered security to "get 'em outta here."

What no one fully realized until too late was that the crowd had been infiltrated by hundreds of highly organized protesters. As this circumstance became clear to Trump's supporters, tension mounted. The demonstrators held their ground, knowing they had as much right to be there as anyone else.

Aware that the demonstrators would do something but unsure of what that might be, Trump canceled the event. Announcement of the decision drew a big cheer from the protesters  and a howl of frustration from Trump supporters, who expressed their displeasure with epithets and shoving. Three people were injured in the skirmishes that ensued.

Trump later groused that "troublemakers" and "thugs" had violated his free-speech rights. But consider what he tells his audiences: Mexican immigrants are rapists, foreign Muslims should be barred from the country, the United States should reinstitute torture for terrorism suspects and "go after" their families.

He has the absolute right to say these things. But those who believe in the hallowed American values of openness, tolerance, decency and the rule of law have the absolute right to say "No!"

Earlier Friday, there were 32 arrests in demonstrations against a Trump rally in St. Louis. At almost every Trump event these days, in fact, at least a few individuals rise to protest  and face the rage of the crowds, which Trump stokes rather than soothes.

There is a school of thought that says, in effect, do not push back against the bully. Those who take this position argue that protests only heighten the sense of persecution and victimhood that Trump encourages among his supporters. And the net effect may be to win him more primary votes and make it more likely he gets the nomination.

I understand this view, but disagree. I believe it is important to show that those who reject Trumpism are as passionate and multitudinous as those who welcome it. Passivity is what got the Republican Party into this predicament in the first place; imagine how different the campaign might be if so many Republicans who abhor Trump hadn't meekly promised to support him if he became the nominee.

Protests show the growing strength of popular opposition to Trump. They may not embolden Republicans to take their party back at their convention in Cleveland. But vivid displays of outrage might help energize voters to come out and reject Trump in November. That might be the last line of defense.

Contact Eugene Robinson at eugenerobinson@washpost.com.
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By Noah Feldman

The melee at the Donald Trump rally Friday night in Chicago raises a fundamental First Amendment question: When a speaker, such as the Republican presidential candidate, is confronting angry protesters, whose speech rights come first  the speaker's or the protesters'?

The U.S. Supreme Court's answer to this question has evolved over the years. At one time, the court was ambivalent, sometimes favoring the speaker and sometimes willing to shut down the speaker to avoid public disorder.

Today, however, the norm is clear: Protesters who disrupt a rally can be removed by police so that they don't exercise what's called a heckler's veto over the rally's organizer. It shouldn't matter whether it's the Ku Klux Klan interrupting a civil-rights speaker or civil-rights protesters interrupting a racist diatribe. The law considers the speaker's rights as paramount.

The first important Supreme Court case on the issue involved a rally that took place in 1946, by coincidence in Chicago. Arthur Terminiello, sometimes called the Father Charles Coughlin of the South, was a Boston-born Catholic priest who combined anti-Communism with anti-Semitism. He rented an auditorium in Albany Park, then a Jewish neighborhood, and announced a speech titled "Christ or Chaos  Christian Nationalism or World Communism  Which?"

A crowd of angry protesters met Terminiello and tried to block access to the auditorium. When he began speaking, he referred to the people outside as "slimy scum." According to some reports, shouts of "kill the Jews" rang out inside the building. The crowd outside threw rocks, bricks and ice picks, breaking windows in the auditorium. A group of boys rushed at the police. There were many injuries, and 19 protesters were arrested at the event. Later that night, the Chicago police arrested Terminiello for breach of the peace.

The Supreme Court reversed his conviction in a 1949 decision by Justice William O. Douglas. The essence of the holding was that the First Amendment doesn't allow a conviction for breach of the peace when the speaker offends a crowd of protesters. "Speech is often provocative and challenging," Douglas wrote. "It may strike at prejudices and preconceptions and have profound unsettling effects as it presses for acceptance of an idea."

Justice Robert Jackson, recently returned from a stint as chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg war-crimes trials, wrote a frustrated dissent in which he argued that the police must be able to arrest a speaker to achieve control over potential violence. He explained that Hitler had announced before his rise to power that the Nazis would advance by "the conquest of the streets." Hitler's idea was "laughed at," Jackson wrote, but his "battle for the streets became a tragic reality" and helped the Nazis to power.

Jackson's perspective prevailed a couple of years later in a case called Feiner v. New York, in which a white student agitator was arrested for breach of the peace after provoking a mixed-race crowd in Syracuse by urging blacks to demand their rights by force of arms. The justices sustained the conviction over a ringing dissent by Justice Hugo Black. Deeply committed to the freedom of speech, Black wrote that "if, in the name of preserving order, [police] ever can interfere with a lawful public speaker, they first must make all reasonable efforts to protect him."

In 1969, the pendulum swung back, and Black's dissent is now treated as the rule. The police have a constitutional duty to protect that speech right against protesters who would interrupt a speaker.

After the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago (again!), the Supreme Court struck down the convictions of comedian Dick Gregory and other peaceful protesters. Black noted in his concurrence that the police had arrested Gregory and his colleagues only when hecklers "were dangerously close to rioting and that the demonstrators and others were likely to be engulfed in that riot." His point was that the police should've made all reasonable efforts to protect the peaceful speakers.

The best reading of the law today is that ordinarily, a speaker cannot be silenced to avoid counterprotests. Applied to Friday's Trump rally or future such rallies, that means the police must remove protesters who interrupt. Otherwise those protesters would be exercising a heckler's veto over Trump's speech.

To be sure, silent, peaceful protest that doesn't interrupt the speaker or the rally is a different, more complicated legal issue. Under Supreme Court precedent, the organizers of a parade have the absolute right to choose who gets to speak as part of their event. A rally is similar, and so it may be that the organizers would have the right to seek the removal of even silent, peaceful protesters if their presence were judged to detract from the event's meaning. But that removal couldn't be accomplished by violence or intimidation, which would itself be unlawful. And the circumstances might be different in a public park than they would be in a private venue.

The bottom line is that speaker's rights narrowly prevail today, even one whose speech is as distasteful as Donald Trump's.

Bloomberg View columnist Noah Feldman is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard University.
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Uncle Sam wants your brain power, technical expertise and imagination to help defend the U.S. No enlistment required.

The Department of Defense says it needs to understand how everyday objects and available technologies can be used by terrorists.

The range of technologies is so vast that the military's main scientific agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), says it needs input from as many technical people as possible.

The agency has put out an open call for anyone from a credentialed professional to "skilled hobbyist" in all technical areas, including IT.

DARPA, in its announcement, wants people to show it "how easily-accessed hardware, software, processes and methods might be used to create products or systems that could pose a future threat."

This effort is being called "Improv" by DARPA.

"The U.S. government is concerned about the use of new technologies, which may threaten the safety and security of our citizens," said Darren Hayes, an assistant professor and director of cybersecurity at Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems in New York.

Examples include the release of blueprints for manufacturing a gun using a 3D printer, said Hayes. A drone has been used to transport drugs across the border, and hacking Internet of Things technologies such as medical devices and thermostats is now commonplace, said Hayes.

Websites such as a Shodan, which can expose IoT connections, "clearly demonstrate how vulnerable many of these devices" are, said Hayes.

"It's important to encourage young, tech-savvy people to identify how the latest technologies may be misused," said Hayes.

In an earlier time, DARPA pulled together small groups of technical experts to help it see how potential adversaries might use available technology.

But today, "the easy availability in today's world of an enormous range of powerful technologies means that any group of experts only covers a small slice of the available possibilities," said John Main, who is heading the program for DARPA, in a statement.

"In Improv we are reaching out to the full range of technical experts to involve them in a critical national security issue," said Main.

DARPA is scheduling a "Proposers Day" webcast on March 29. The government is seeking ideas that may lead to projects it can fund.

The need to use wide-ranging expertise and imagination to safeguard the U.S. been cited time and again, particularly since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We need to imagine the worst in order to prevent it," wrote U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), in his recently released book, Failures of Imagination (Crown Forum, 2016). The novel describes events such as a strike to knock out leadership at the U.S. Capitol and the impact of a cyber-attack on financial systems, among other major terror incidents.

Criminal syndicates are also relying more on technology, writes Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Brookings Institution security researcher. She warns that "new radical remote-warfare" is on the way, not only to smuggle drugs but "to deliver lethal action against their enemies."

This story, "Defense Dept. wants your help in imagining the worst" was originally published by Computerworld .
In a rare confluence of events, all three branches of the federal government are weighing changes that would affect when and how personal data is accessed.

The approaches are somewhat contradictory: Some moves would protect citizen privacy, while others could result in more access by government agencies to records kept by businesses and smartphone users about personal information. Encryption technology is usually at the center of the discussions, with intelligence officials eager to find ways to detect communications on smartphones used by criminals and terrorists.

Various actions are taking place in the federal judiciary, before Congress, as well as the executive branch.

FCC and ISP privacy

In the latest proposal made last week, the Federal Communications Commission wants Internet service providers to receive customer permission before their personal data is shared for marketing and other purposes.

The FCC will debate the proposal at its March 31 meeting. The proposal quickly won an endorsement from nearly 60 privacy and digital rights groups, including Free Press.

Meanwhile, opponents also have emerged, including the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, which said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's oversight of broadband providers already protects broadband customer privacy while balancing privacy with industry costs and innovations.

Both FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez appeared together at the CES trade show in January to urge tech companies to expand their efforts to protect consumer privacy.

Apple and the FBI

Also receiving big headlines is the FBI's attempt to force Apple to write new software that would override password protections on the iPhone of a mass shooter in last year's deadly San Bernardino, Calif., attacks.

Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym on Feb. 16 ordered Apple to comply, but the company is appealing the decision on constitutional and other legal grounds. A hearing on the appeal is set for Tuesday. Many experts expect the case will end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.

A series of affidavits by both parties in the case have been filed almost daily. Last week, the FBI described how it tried to access content on the work-issued iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook.

Congressional action

Legislation expected to pass in Congress calls for creating a 16-member commission on security and technology challenges. The commission, drawn from a broad base of security and privacy advocates, would have a year to issue a final report.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), one of the commission's co-sponsors, said the group can "strike an appropriate balance that protects American's privacy, American security and American competitiveness."

A big issue for backers of the commission is ensuring that Congress not pass knee-jerk legislation seeking backdoors or other workarounds of encryption used on smartphones and other devices. The concern is that since many encryption apps are available from foreign companies out of reach of U.S. laws, any U.S. regulation would only hurt U.S.-based companies. Furthermore, terrorists could resort to using apps developed in other countries, or build their own.

Timing matters

While much of the concern over encryption and privacy rose out of the mass shooting attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the recent deliberations before all the major branches of government can also be tied to the election calendar, analysts noted.

FCC commissioners and officials at the Department of Justice, the FBI and other security agencies are appointed by the president, and Barack Obama's term ends in January. The same goes for 435 members of the House and one third of the members of the Senate.

In the judiciary branch, the Apple-FBI case -- and others -- could drag on well past January. If the case heads to the Supreme Court, the appointment and confirmation of a ninth justice to replace recently deceased conservative Antonin Scalia, could have bearing on the outcome.

In June 2014, the high court ruled unanimously in favor of civil liberties and personal privacy in the landmark Riley v. California case. That ruling held that police may not search digital information on a cell phone without a warrant, even if the phone was seized from an arrested person. Some legal scholars see that case as having a bearing on smartphone privacy cases, since there is so much personal data, such as financial and health information, contained on a smartphone.

Potential contradictions

While the FBI and other agencies are pushing for access to a smartphone that was specifically designed by Apple to protect personal information, other government actions, like the one before the FCC, are heading in the other direction.

"The FCC plan is right on the mark for protecting consumer privacy  but it is also in direct contradiction in spirit to what the FBI is asking for from technology companies," said Avivah Litan, a longtime security analyst at Gartner, in an email.

"There is a ton of rich data at ISPs that can be used to identify and track terrorists and criminals. In fact, this data is more fertile than what is on a personal smartphone because it reveals networks and connections that involve crime or terrorist rings," Litan added.

Given that a terrorist or a criminal could easily resort to using a prepaid burner phone, (a phone briefly used and then disposed and replaced)  as happened with two other phones in the San Bernardino attack  Litan suggested that going after smartphones protected with encryption might not be the most effective course for the FBI.

"The government should accept that encryption advances are well underway, so trying to force Apple and Google to open backdoors for them is a futile exercise," Litan said. "The cat is already out of the bag," she wrote in a recent blog.

"The government needs to master new techniques for gathering intelligence and finding perpetrators instead of bullying technology and phone companies to open backdoors for them," she said in another blog.

"The government should stick to principals and stay away from technology details," she said. "And they need to accept that we are no longer living in the 20th century. The world has moved forward, as has technology. They should make the best of it and take advantage of all the information that is indeed out there, instead of sticking to old ways of doing business and blaming others for their ineptitude."

This story, "Privacy issues hit all branches of government at once" was originally published by Computerworld .
Emeritus professor awarded $225K grant for Kierkegaard translation

Connecticut College has been awarded $225,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in support of the translation project, Sren Kierkegaards Journals and Notebooks, directed by Bruce Kirmmse, professor emeritus of history at Connecticut College.

Kirmmse, an internationally known expert on the Danish theologian and philosopher Sren Kierkegaard (18131855), has led a decade-long effort to produce a definitive English-language edition of Kierkegaards unpublished writings, now being published in 11 volumes by Princeton University Press. In recognition of his work, Denmark awarded Kirmmse a knighthood in 2013 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Kierkegaards birth.

The first eight volumes have already been published. The NEH grant will support Kirmmse and a team of consultant-translators based at Boston College, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Oslo, and Oxford University over a three-year period, during which the team plans to complete volumes 9 and 10 and the first half of volume 11.

The project is 52 percent federally funded; 39 percent funded with $168,000 from the Kierkegaard Centre at the University of Copenhagen, including funds provided by the Ministry of Culture of the Danish government; and 9 percent funded with a $40,500 cost share from Connecticut College.

Kirmmse retired from Connecticut College in 2007. He served as chair of the History Department from 1989-1993 and, in 2001, was awarded the Nancy Batson Nisbet Rash Faculty Research Award, presented annually to an outstanding and highly regarded faculty member.

March 15, 2016
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.
Cllr John Moss is a councillor in Waltham Forest and Political Deputy Chairman in Chingford & Woodford Green

Remember  all politics is local  so its time to go local.

In January, I said that Zac Goldsmith needed to do more of the same on Housing and Transport. So here is a quick update on whats been going on locally.

We know from thousands of surveys returned by local residents that continuing to invest in public transport is one of the key things people want to see from the next London Mayor. Hammering home the risks from Sadiq Khans fare-freeze gimmick is one part of this and Zac and his team have certainly done that.

A visit to Waltham Forest in February saw him at Chingford station with Sam Malik, our London Assembly candidate, and Iain Duncan Smith MP  plus a couple of dozen local councillors and activists  greeting returning commuters. The message is getting across because it is linked to specific local improvements which are under threat.

That perhaps is how best to play this across London. 1.95 billion of cuts is a headline which might not be believed by a public sceptical of all political pronouncements. Highlighting the specific local projects which might be under threat, and guaranteeing they will go ahead under a Goldsmith Mayoralty, is a second level of detail which can be delivered locally by GLA candidates in the local media and by councillors and activists on the doorstep.

The big battleground remains housing. Almost everybody agrees we need more homes to provide for a growing London population, but few see the developments of the Livingstone and Johnson eras as the sort of homes they want to see built near them. Too many high-rise apartment buildings and too few family homes have been built and prices and rents are rising inexorably on the back of Londons economic success.

Now is the time for some detail. Set out where homes will be built under a Goldsmith London Plan and what they will look like. Zac is a big fan of the work of Create Streets who have done something remarkable. Theyve demonstrated that development can be popular if it is well designed and appropriate for the area where is it to be built. That is the key to delivering more homes, not just pledges of double ham and eggs where people are not really that enamoured with the ham and eggs already on offer.

And here again, Khan has boxed himself in with a populist pledge aimed at Labour voters. His opposition to re-building post-war council estates effectively cuts him off from a significant source of more homes, more affordable homes, and improved homes for those who live there now. There are a lot of proposals coming down the line from councils of all political colours. Will Khan really stop them, leaving the supporters he purports to be protecting living on poorly designed estates in expensive to heat homes where crime is higher and they know their kids have poorer life chances?

That second level local message: telling people Labour wont give you that new home; wont remove that blight from your community; and because they wont do that will have to build higher elsewhere  or out in to the Green Belt  to make their numbers stack up; is another strong message for us on the doorsteps. But again it needs to be localised. It is your estate regeneration that youve been working on for years thats being abandoned, it is this piece of locally loved green space which is under threat.

So, work with local councillors, activists and GLA candidates, identify the local hooks for the core messages and get those messages out there!
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What do these episodes have in common? In their own way, they're all symptomatic of an enduring crisis in civil-military relations that afflicts the United States.

Item : The Pentagon elects not to reduce General David Petraeus in rank, thereby ensuring that he receives full, four-star retirement pay, after previously being sentenced on misdemeanor charges to two years' probation and a $100,000 fine for illegally passing highly classified material (a criminal offense) to his mistress (adultery, ordinarily punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice) and lying to FBI officials (a criminal offense). Meanwhile, Private Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning continues to serve a 35-year prison sentence, having been reduced to the Army's lowest rank and given a dishonorable discharge for providing classified documents to WikiLeaks that included incriminating on-board videos of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed up to 18 civilians, including two Reuters journalists, and wounded two children, and of a 2009 massacre in Afghanistan in which a B-1 bomber killed as many as 147 civilians, reportedly including some 93 children.

Item : The Pentagon, according to a Reuters expose, has been consciously and systematically engaged in thwarting White House efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and release cleared detainees. Pentagon officials have repeatedly refused to provide basic documentation to foreign governments willing to take those detainees and have made it increasingly difficult for foreign delegations to visit Guantanamo to assess them. Ninety-one of the 779 detainees held there over the years remain, 34 of whom have been cleared for release.

Item : Two U.S. Navy patrol boats, with 10 sailors aboard, stray into Iranian territorial waters, and are apprehended and held by Iranian revolutionary guards, precipitating a 24-hour international incident involving negotiations at the highest levels of government to secure their release. The Pentagon offers conflicting reports on why this happened: navigational error, mechanical breakdown, fuel depletion -- but not intelligence-gathering, intentional provocation, or hormonally induced hot-dogging.

Hyperbolic though it may sound, it is a crisis, though not like the Flint water crisis, or the international refugee crisis, or the ISIS crisis, or the Zika crisis. It's more like the climate crisis, or a lymphoma or termite infestation that destroys from within, unrecognized and unattended. And yes, it's an enduring crisis, a state of affairs that has been with us, unbeknownst to the public and barely acknowledged by purported experts on the subject of civil-military relations, for the past two decades or more.

The essence of the situation begins, but doesn't end, with civilian control of the military, where direction, oversight, and final decision-making authority reside with duly elected and appointed civil officials. That's a minimalist precondition for democracy. A more ideal version of the relationship would be civilian supremacy, where there is civically engaged public oversight of strategically competent legislative oversight of strategically competent executive oversight of a willingly accountable, self-policing military.

What we have today, instead, is the polar opposite: not civilian supremacy over, nor even civilian control of the military, but what could be characterized as civilian subjugation to the military, where civilian officials are largely militarily illiterate, more militaristic than the military itself, advocates for -- rather than overseers of -- the institution, and running scared politically (lest they be labeled weak on defense and security).

That, then, is our lot today. Civilian authorities are almost unequivocally deferential to established military preferences, practices, and ways of thinking. The military itself, as the three items above suggest, sets its own standards, makes and produces its own news, and appropriates policy and policymaking for its own ends, whatever civilian leadership may think or want. It is a demonstrably massive, self-propelled institution increasingly central to American life, and what it says and wants and does matters in striking ways. We would do well to consider the many faces of civil-military relations today, especially in light of the role the military has arrogated to itself.

A Crisis Appears and Disappears

University of North Carolina historian Richard Kohn raised the specter of a civil-military crisis in a 1994 National Interest article titled Out of Control: The Crisis in Civil-Military Relations. He focused on the ill-disguised disdain of many in uniform for Commander-in-Chief Bill Clinton, highlighting the particularly politicized behavior of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell, who had spoken out in opposition to two prime items on the Clinton agenda: intervention in the Balkans and gays in the military. Typical of how the bounds of propriety had been crossed, Kohn also alluded to the example of the Air Force major general who, at a military gathering, contemptuously characterized the president as gay-loving, pot-smoking, draft-dodging, and womanizing.

Too alarmist for many pundits, Kohn's claim of a growing crisis gave way to the milder thought, advocated most forcefully by journalist Tom Ricks, that there was simply an increasing cultural, experiential, and ideological gap between the military and society, a thesis that itself then went dormant when George W. Bush entered office.

Those who profess expertise on civil-military relations have tended to focus almost exclusively on civilian control and the associated issue of the military's political neutrality. That's why so much attention and controversy were generated over President Obama's highly publicized firing of General Stanley McChrystal for the climate he created that led to the disparagement of senior Obama officials by his subordinates (as reported in the 2010 Rolling Stone article The Runaway General). Yet far bigger and more fundamental matters have gone largely unnoticed.

Civil-military relations are built on a tacit but binding social contract of mutual rights, obligations, and expectations among the military, its civilian overseers (executive and legislative), and society. Four things are expected of the military as part of this compact: operational competence, sound advice, political neutrality, and social responsibility. Operational competence and social responsibility are rarely even part of the discussion and yet they go to the heart of the crisis that exists, pointing both to the outsized presence of the military in American life and statecraft, and to a disturbingly pervasive pattern of misconduct over time among those in uniform.

The Failure of Operational Competence

If we enjoyed a truly healthy state of civil-military relations, it would be characterized by a strategically -- not just a militarily -- effective force. By implication, such a military would be capable of successfully accomplishing whatever it is called upon to do. The military we have today is, arguably, ineffective not only militarily but demonstrably strategically as well. It doesn't prevent wars; it doesn't win wars; and it certainly doesn't secure and preserve the peace.

No, the military doesn't prevent wars. At any given time over the past quarter century, on average roughly 40 violent conflicts a year have been underway around the world. The U.S. military has had virtually no discernible influence on lessening the outbreak of such conflicts. It isn't even clear that its size, configuration, and positioning, no less the staggering sums invested in it, have had any appreciable deterrent effect on the warring propensities of our so-called peer competitors (Russia and China). That they have not sought war with us is due far less to simplistic Washington assumptions about deterrence than to factors we don't even grasp.

And no, the military doesn't win wars anymore. It hasn't won one of note in 70 years. The dirty wars in the shadows it now regularly fights are intrinsically unwinnable, especially given our preferred American Way of War: killing people and breaking things as lethally, destructively, and overwhelmingly as possible. It's an approach -- a state of mind -- still largely geared to a different type of conflict from an era now long since past and to those classic generals who are always preparing for the last war. That's why today's principal adversaries have been so uniformly effective in employing asymmetric methods as a form of strategic jujitsu to turn our presumed strengths into crippling weaknesses.

Instead of a strategically effective military, what we have is quite the opposite: heavy, disproportionately destructive, indiscriminately lethal, single-mindedly combat-oriented, technology-dominant, exorbitantly expensive, unsustainably consumptive, and increasingly alienated from the rest of society. Just as important, wherever it goes, it provokes and antagonizes where it should reassure and thereby invariably fathers the mirror image of itself in others.

Not surprisingly, the military today doesn't secure and preserve peace, a concept no longer evident in Washington's store of know-how. Those in uniform and in positions of civilian authority who employ the military subscribe almost universally and uncritically to the inherently illogical maxim that if you want peace, you had best prepare for war. The result is that the force being prepared (even engorged) feeds and nurtures pervasive militarism -- the primacy of, preference for, and deference to military solutions in the conduct of statecraft. Where it should provide security, it instead produces only self-defeating insecurity.

Consider just five key areas where military preferences override civilian ones and accentuate all manner of insecurity in the process.

Rapacious defense spending: The U.S. military budget exceeds that of the next 10 countries combined, as well as of the gross domestic products of all but 20 countries. At 54% of federal discretionary spending, it surpasses all other discretionary accounts combined, including government, education, Medicare, veterans' benefits, housing, international affairs, energy and the environment, transportation, and agriculture. Thanks to the calculations of the National Priorities Project, we know that the total cost of American war since 2001 -- $1.6 trillion -- would have gotten us 19.5 million Head Start slots for 10 years or paid for 2.2 million elementary school teachers for a decade. A mere 1% of the defense budget for one year -- just over $5 billion -- would pay for 152,000 four-year university scholarships or 6,342 police officers for 10 years. What we spend on nuclear weapons alone each year -- $19.3 billion -- would cover a decade of low-income healthcare for 825,000 children or 549,000 adults.

Promiscuous arms sales: The United States remains by far the world's leading proliferator of conventional arms, accounting for some 50% of all global sales and 48% of all sales to the developing world. During the 2011-2014 period alone, U.S. weapons deliveries included a wide array of advanced weapons technologies: 104 tanks and self-propelled guns, 230 artillery pieces, 419 armored personnel vehicles, 48 supersonic aircraft and 58 other aircraft, 835 surface-to-air missiles, and 144 anti-ship missiles, much of that to the volatile Middle East. Skeptics would say that such transactions are motivated less by an urge to enable recipient countries to defend themselves than by the desire to buy influence abroad while aiding and abetting arms manufacturers at home. The result of such massive sales is, of course, the creation of yet more instability where stability should be.

Garrisoning the planet: The military maintains up to 800 bases in more than 70 countries and stations more than 200,000 active-duty personnel in some 150 countries. This global presence represents the geostrategic equivalent of Parkinson's law: operational and social entanglements expanding exponentially to fill the space created by these far-flung outposts.

The nuclear black hole: The military remains the permanent keeper and executor of the world's largest nuclear arsenal: an estimated 4,700 nuclear warheads on some 800 delivery systems, as well as another 2,340 retired but still intact and presumably usable warheads. A three-decade, trillion-dollar upgrade of this already monstrous arsenal is now underway. The Economist has called this Washington's unkicked addiction. It should be clear, but apparently isn't, that these are weapons of disuse. Other than for destroying the planet if used, their only value is as a measure of muscularity against mirror-image peers. They deter nothing at other levels of muscle-flexing but do feed an insatiable thirst for emulation among jealous non-possessors of such weaponry.

Spurning the rule of law: Though the U.S. regularly espouses and pretends to practice the rule of law, administration after administration has chosen to forswear important international agreements for parochial, largely military reasons. Among those not even signed are the 1969 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, the 2002 Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, the 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Among those Washington has signed but not ratified are the 1977 Protocols I and II to the Geneva Conventions, the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Add to this list the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, ratified in 1972, from which the U.S. withdrew in 2002. Then there are agreements to which the U.S. is a party, but which we nonetheless choose to ignore or circumvent, wholly or in part. These include the 1928 Kellogg-Briand General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy; the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Article VI of which states: Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control); and the United Nations Convention against Torture and selected provisions of the Geneva Conventions. (We don't do prisoners of war; we do unlawful enemy combatants. We don't do torture; we do enhanced interrogation. And of course we don't engage in other illegalities, like extraordinary rendition or targeted killing or the use of black sites where hostile parties can be disappeared.)

Militarizing America's World -- At Home and Abroad

Added to the foregoing excesses are many examples of what we might call organizational hypertrophy. Institutions like the military are, by nature, self-selecting, self-fulfilling, self-perpetuating constellations of values and practices that generate their own realities and can rarely be disestablished once born. As at Hotel California, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Of particular note in the post-9/11 world is our bloated intelligence apparatus of 16 separate agencies, nine of which are military organizations (if you count Coast Guard Intelligence). Most notably, there is the National Security Agency (NSA), always commanded by a general or admiral who now also heads up the U.S. Cyber Command. NSA's massive surveillance culture and capabilities foreshadow a totalizing new-age cyber warfare regime guaranteed to completely redefine traditional notions of aggression, self-defense, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in hair-trigger terms.

The military itself has nine combatant commands, six of which are regional and divvy up the planet accordingly. Except for NATO, there are no regional ambassadors, so the face we show to the world, region by region, is military -- and combatant -- not diplomatic. Even the homeland now has its own combatant command, the U.S. Northern Command. In tandem with the civilian Department of Homeland Security, it has produced the militarization of the domestic front, dispensed with historical border sensitivities vis-a-vis Canada and Mexico, magnified concerns about civil liberties, and fed a permanent state of paranoia and alarm among the public about both illegal immigration and terrorism.

Special attention also must be given to the massive expansion of U.S. Special Operations Command, once a modest cohort of elite specialists, into a force now larger than the militaries of many countries. Its ostensible raison d'etre is waging permanent war against terrorism. The growing presence of and preference for using special operations forces globally ought to command the attention of anyone concerned with civil-military relations. Each armed service has a special operations command, as does each combatant command, including Northern Command. Estimates are that special operations personnel already number or are expected to number around 70,000 (roughly the equivalent of four and a half Army divisions). This provides an almost infinite amount of potential space for meddling and mission creep abroad and at home due, in part, to the increasingly blurred lines between military, intelligence, police, and internal security functions.

Of the various ways the military could be configured -- for warfighting; peacekeeping, nation-building, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response; or covert special operations -- the last poses by far the greatest threat to effective civilian control of the military. An increasing reliance on and reverence for Special Operations forces (SOFs) only exacerbates already existing civilian deference to military preferences, practices, and mindsets. Conducting a range of operations, from low-profile assignments unknown to most Americans to secret missions beyond the bounds of stringent congressional oversight, the very nature of SOF missions fosters a military culture that is particularly destructive to accountability and proper lines of responsibility. Especially in times of divided government, as at present, when working around Congress is a preferred norm for getting things done, the temptation to employ forces that can circumvent oversight without objection is almost irresistible.

The Failure of Social Responsibility

As an institution, the military is accorded carte blanche authority to possess and wield violence on behalf of the state. It is also a mammoth social institution that reaches deep into American society and many other societies worldwide. It thus is tacitly expected to comport itself in a socially responsible manner and its members to demonstrate professionalism in their conduct. And yet the pervasive, long-term misbehavior of those in uniform is striking, even alarming. This is where civilian subjugation to the military manifests itself most glaringly, and where the lack of a willingly accountable, self-policing military comes most clearly into view.

Each year for at least the past two decades, literally hundreds of incidents have occurred that undermine any claims the military might make to moral superiority: atrocities, corruption and bribery, fraud and waste, sexual misconduct, cover-ups, racial and religious persecution, and acts of cultural intolerance. Moral arrogance is in abundant supply among those in uniform, genuine moral superiority in short supply. To cite just a small sample of such incidents from the recent past:

* The continuing Fat Leonard scandal that involved an exchange of bribes, gifts, and prostitutes for classified information on ship movements, implicating at least seven officers and officials and leading to the censure of three rear admirals.

* The ongoing Army National Guard recruiting fraud and kickback scandal involving thousands of soldiers and tens of millions of dollars in illegal payments.

* The four-star former head of U.S. Africa Command, reduced in rank and forced to pay restitution for lavish spending of public funds on private business; the three-star former deputy nuclear force commander who used counterfeit poker chips at a casino; the two-star commander of the ICBM force who went on a drunken binge and insulted Russian counterparts at a joint exercise; the one-star commander of Fort Jackson, South Carolina, relieved of duty for adultery and physically assaulting his mistress; the one-star assistant division commander of the elite 82nd Airborne Division, fined $20,000 and reduced in rank for multiple affairs and other sexual misconduct; and the one-star commander of special operations forces in Latin America, relieved of command and reduced in rank for drunken altercations.

* The forced resignation of the under secretary of the Navy over a scandal in which the brother of a naval intelligence official billed the military $1.6 million for weapons silencers that cost only $8,000 to manufacture.

* The proficiency exam cheating scandals that implicated several dozen Air Force and Navy nuclear weapons personnel.

* The Army staff sergeant, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering 16 civilians and wounding six others in Afghanistan.

* The Army staff sergeant, also sentenced to life imprisonment, and five other soldiers who, as part of a thrill kill unit, murdered three Afghan civilians for sport and took their body parts as trophies.

* The Rolling Stone expose of the Special Forces A-Team that allegedly disappeared 10 men and murdered eight others in Afghanistan.

* The video of four Marines urinating on dead Afghan bodies, alleged to be Taliban fighters.

* The photos of 82nd Airborne Division soldiers posing with body parts of dead Afghan insurgents.

* The burning of as many as 100 Korans and other religious texts by American troops in Afghanistan.

* The unceasing surfeit of sexual assault reports in the military (22,000 between 2010 and 2014).

Such episodes aren't, of course, only of recent vintage. Walking the calendar back a few years reminds us of many other similar examples:

* 2011: the suicides of Marine Lance Corporal Harry Lew and Army Private Danny Chen after hazing and harassment by fellow soldiers.

* 2010: the Khataba raid in Afghanistan in which Army Rangers killed five civilians, including two pregnant women and a teenage girl.

* 2009: the massive sex scandal at Lackland Air Force Base, in which 43 female trainees were subjected to sexual predation by instructors.

* 2008: revelations about a Pentagon military analyst program in which retired senior officers working as news commentators received special access to insider briefings and information in return for publicly promoting Bush administration policies.

* 2007: a U.S. Naval Academy scandal involving a Navy doctor secretly videotaping midshipmen engaged in sex acts; a Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal involving extensive patient neglect and execrable living conditions; and revelations concerning massive Iraq War contracting fraud, bribery, and kickbacks totaling $15 million.

* 2006: the rape and killing of a 14-year-old girl and the murder of her family by five Army soldiers in Mahmudiyah, Iraq; the murder of an Iraqi man in Hamdania, Iraq, with associated kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy, by seven Marines and a Navy corpsman; and the relief of the USS Enterprise captain for producing and showing sexually explicit and offensive videos on board.

* 2005: the massacre of 24 Iraqi men, women and children by Marines in Haditha, Iraq, and the associated cover-up in which all criminal charges were dismissed; and the Pentagon's planting of stories favorable to the war effort in the Iraqi press.

* 2004: the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman and the tragedy's associated cover-up, extending up the chain of command to the Pentagon.

* 2003: massive acts of prisoner sexual abuse, torture, rape, sodomy, and murder by Army personnel at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

* 2002: the deaths of two unarmed civilian Afghan prisoners, who had been chained to the ceiling and beaten by U.S. troops, at the Bagram internment facility in Afghanistan.

All of this is but the tiniest tip of the military misbehavior iceberg, a sample of countless incidents that have regularly occurred over an extended period of time. Remember the Tailhook sexual assault scandal, the Aberdeen sex scandal, the Camp Lejeune water contamination scandal, the Cavalese cable car disaster, the firing and reduction in rank of the sergeant major of the Army for sexual misconduct, the murder of Private First Class Barry Winchell, the discharge of Air Force Lieutenant Kelly Flinn?

Such a tidal wave of ethical breakdowns can't be dismissed as mere exceptions to the rule or deviations from the norm. Institutional defenders nonetheless persist in claiming that such incidents represent the actions of a few bad apples in an otherwise healthy cultural barrel. In this, they are simply wrong, yet their positions are eternally bolstered by the fact that annual opinion polls of public trust and confidence in society's institutions invariably place the military at or near the top of the list.

What Is to Be Done?

To this question -- What is to be done? -- there is no easy answer, perhaps no answer at all. Part of the reason is that the underlying crisis in civil-military relations has gone largely unrecognized, unacknowledged, and unaddressed for decades now. A first step, therefore, might simply be to break the bonds of denial and admit that there is a problem.

A second step -- admittedly a far march onto an unknown planet -- would be to encourage serious, thoroughgoing institutional self-reflection from both the military and civilian authorities. This would, of course, mean facing up to those facets of military culture that warrant reengineering: aggression, intolerance, authoritarianism, parochialism, congenital secrecy, and pronounced anti-intellectualism among them. It would also mean acknowledging the numerous myths that have come to define the institution over time -- for example, that the military nurtures and rewards leadership (rather than dutiful followership); that it instills discipline (rather than indiscipline); that it exemplifies competence and efficiency (rather than incompetence and inefficiency); that it is committed to accountability (rather than cover-ups and secrecy); and that its members, especially at senior levels, regularly demonstrate moral courage (rather than moral cowardice).

A third step would involve a concerted educational effort, inside and outside the institution, to enhance strategic thinking, ethical thinking, and civic literacy (especially, but not exclusively, among those in uniform).

A fourth step -- ultimately the most fundamental and paradigm-shattering, as well as the least likely to occur -- would be to reconsider the very purpose and function of the military and to reorient it accordingly. That would mean transforming a cumbersome, stagnant, obsolescent, irrelevant warfighting force -- with its own inbuilt self-corrupting qualities -- into a peacekeeping, nation-building, humanitarian-assistance, disaster-response force far more attuned to a future it helps shape and far more strategically effective than what we now have. Translated, counterintuitive as it might sound, this would mean seeking to demilitarize the military, an overarching strategic imperative if bona fide lasting peace is ever to be achieved on this planet.

Humpty Dumpty posed the question to Alice in Through the Looking Glass of whether words are to be the masters of men or men the masters of words by determining their meaning. Similarly must we ask whether an institution, the military, supposedly endowed with supernal character by objective circumstances, is to master us, or we to master it by determining for ourselves what it properly is and does.

Gregory D. Foster is a professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., a West Point graduate, and a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War.

Copyright 2016 Gregory D. Foster
After Gauhar Raza And Nivedita Menon: Who Next?

By Subhash Gatade

15 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Tree Wants to be Calm

But Wind Will Not Stop ! -Jose Maria Sison

( Filipino Revolutionary and Poet)

Whether all the leading public intellectuals of our times have suddenly decided to go for a break  now that Kanhaiya Kumar is out of jail  or are thinking that the impending storm would peter away on its own. Anyone who has closely followed the public hounding of two of the finest human beings of our times  Prof Nivedita Menon and Gauhar Raza  and the silence which has followed with it ( barring a statement signed by many and few articles here and there on some webmagazines ) would understand what does that mean. While Prof Menon is being targetted because of airing of selective quotes from one of her lectures, Gauhar has been put under the scanner because of his participation in Indo-Pak mushaira. It is clear that one of his poems  focussing on the dangerous cocktail of religion and politics  which he recited there, has infuriated them.

Here also the same TV channel is in focus which neither has any qualms in exhibiting its proximity with the ruling establishment nor has ever faced any moral dilemma in presenting doctored videos in painting JNU as a den of anti-nationals.

It is a dreary scenario but as things are unfolding before us, in this neoliberal times, all talk of media being a watchdog of democracy have started appearing unbelievable. ( Let me emphasise that there are few noble exceptions also.) Perhaps we seem to be entering a period where the boundaries between media and the ruling elite have suddenly started appearing fuzzy or seem to be crumbling to say the least.

Neither Prof Menon nor Gauhar Raza need any introduction but looking at the fact that a conscious attempt is on to pigeonhole them in a particular way and deny their work as writers, scholars, activists, documentary makers it is important to state a few things.

Leading academic and activist Prof Menon, teaches Political Thought at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and her major publications include Seeing Like a Feminist, Power and Contestation: India since 1989 (co-authored with Aditya Nigam), Recovering Subversion: Feminist Politics Beyond The Law (2004), Gender and Politics in India, (ed.). She has been an active commentator on the blog kafila.org, and has been active with citizens forums in Delhi around secularism, workers and womens rights, sexuality and in opposition to the nuclear bomb. Scientist by profession and a Urdu poet by choice Gauhar is a long time social activist and documentary filmmaker. Known for his films like Jung-e-Azadi and Inqilaab  based on Bhagat Singh, Gauhar is working to popularize the understanding of science among general public.

As any impartial observer can see both of them rightly suit the self-proclaimed nationalist brigade who are ready to go to any extent to paint someone as anti-national. Prof Menon belongs to JNU whereas Gauhar is married to Shabnam Hashmi, who has been a leading voice of the anti-communal movement.

The storm troopers presume that it is rather a smart way of sanitising their own past, especially procrastination of their political forefathers before the Britishers during anti-colonial struggle, and keeping themselves aloof from the mass upsurge then. It is their rather naive understanding that by unleashing their muscle power against such anti-nationals they can even lay claim over the moral halo of the real freedom fighters.

Commenting on this targetting, an editorial in The Tribune titled The Enemy Within underlines how the rightwing wants to shape discourse of the future. It says (http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/editorials/the-enemy-within/208363.html)

The RSS annual stock taking session has now revealed the primary reason for the serial framing of secularists. Under the guise of demanding strict action in universities against anti-national forces and slogans calling for destruction of the nation, it wishes to close down the primary channel of creative and reasoned opposition against its saffron agenda. The RSS has laid down its agenda in plain view.

The planned and mischievous manner in which Prof Menon and Gauhar have been selectively targeted  one by one  makes one thing very clear that anyone can become their target if it suits them. Anyone who still retains the capacity to think independently and is courageous enough to raise uncomfortable, incovenient questions before them in whatever capacity need be prepared to face their wrath.

We need to understand that you need not be a card holding Commie or an Islamist to attract their undue attention.

Golwalkar, the second Supremo of RSS might have included Communists, Muslims and Christians in his list of internal enemies, today when the proponents of Hindu Rashtra are having a field day, your mere refusal to toe their line in academics or your sticking to constitutional principles  may be as a government servant against their machinations to the contrary  can invite their wrath.

It was not for nothing that some time ago Ramchandra Guha has rightly said that the present dispensation is the most anti-intellectual government in post independence times. And leading historian Sanjay Subramanyam in an interview with Sagarika Ghose had commented on the worrying public discourse where.

.. Real people have the right to say nothing, anonymous people have a right to say everything. So we are becoming a society of cowards. Its a terrifying idea...(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/all-that-matters/Real-people-are-censored-the-anonymous-say-what-they-want-Sanjay-Subrahmanyam/articleshow/50224623.cms)

Famous Hindi Poet Rajesh Joshi, in one of his memorable poems written in early 90 s, when preparations for demolition of Babri Mosque were on, had rightly said :

Jo Is Pagalpan Me Shamil Nahin Honge, Mare Jayenge

(Those who are not ready to join the frenzy, Beware of Death)

Nobody had expected that the poem would look still relevant a quarter of century afterwards also.

Subhash Gatade is the author of Pahad Se Uncha Aadmi (2010) Godse's Children: Hindutva Terror in India,(2011) and The Saffron Condition: The Politics of Repression and Exclusion in Neoliberal India(2011). He is also the Convener of New Socialist Initiative (NSI) Email : subhash.gatade@gmail.com




Malice Is Not Critique: A Rejoinder To Suhas Munshi

By Mithilesh Kumar

15 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Kis harf pet u ne gosha-e-lab ae jaan-e-jahan ghammaz kiya

Elaan-e-junoon dil walon ne ab ke ba-hazar-andaz kiya



Faiz Ahmad Faiz

Suhas Munshi in an article on Catch News(Left Drops Kashmir: Did Kanhaiya Kumar leave his Azadi in jail?) has purportedly critiqued the alleged betrayal by Kanhaiya Kumar, the JNUSU president. According to Munshi, the student leader has betrayed those political causes which made him the poster boy of the entire liberal spectrum. He has betrayed the cause of Kashmir and Manipur; to the slogan of Azadi and the rest of it. Munshi does not seek the causes of this betrayal in the personality of Kumar which is a very sound method. If a leader overwhelms a movement by his/her persona it is not good news. The columnist discovers the roots of his betrayal in the ideology that Kumar espouses. Such, in a nutshell, is the political voyage and discovery of Munshi. We want to demonstrate that he got his compass wrong.

Critique, as the first class of either literature or philosophy will tell you, is a very careful analysis of what is correct and incorrect in a text or system of thought. It is negative in the sense that it demonstrates the weakness but it is positive not only that it shows the strength of a text or thought but it also goes on to give possible methods of making it better. Marxs Contribution to a critique of Political Economy is precisely that. Smith and Ricardo had achieved the best results in political economy but it was also deeply flawed hence Marx puts it on its feet. No one expects Munshi, or anyone for that matter, to attempt a Marx. Also, no one expects him to give advises on how the movement has to be carried. The leaders and the rank and file are more than capable to do that. He has every right to be only criticizing the movement bringing out its flaws rather than its unique and novel way of doing and organizing politics. However, what he cannot do or should not do is to enter into a diatribe with mala fide intentions. Munshis intervention is precisely that; an attempt to discredit an ideology and a movement through discrediting a man.

Let us begin with Munshis history lessons which should take no more than a few lines of rebuttal. Once Dipesh Chakrabarty, in a conference, said that history is complex and whatever you say and interpret about history (and this include historians) it is pretty much more complex than you are asserting. Chakrabarty was saying this to practitioners of historiography. One cannot bring that accusation against Munshi. Whatever he writes about communism and communist party of India in its several phases is cliches that have been bandied about for generations now. The nuances do not matter and it is all based on a scholarship that is distinctly dubious and overtly hostile to communism. Even if we grant that there is something to the charges one has to take into account a whole lot of issues before one can definitely say that communism and states based on that ideology were monsters. No such luck for Munshi. In fact, he goes wrong in giving us lessons in communist history.

Munshi alleges that Indian communists bought the party line that British Imperialism was a bigger enemy than Fascism. We will be generous to Munshi and put the blame on the editor who put the history upside down. In any case shifting blames is what the entire exercise is about. It is no ones case that the communist movement in India and the world, in general, had a lot of problems and there have been severe critique of them within the movement. Maybe, Munshi will care to have a look into that and we are also aware that there is no guarantee that the communist movement will not make mistakes in the future. If Munshi can indeed find a system which guarantees the ideal world, well, good luck and more power to you. Enroll me in your project.

So much for history but Munshi is not disturbed by the spectre of history he is disturbed by the sociology and political science of the present. He has a lot of space in his heart and his heart is full of kindness, love and friendliness towards Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Chaatisgarh, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya. His heart experiences tremor, quite high on the Richter scale, when he realizes that Kanhaiya Kumar has gone silent on these issues. Maybe it is because of this agitation Munshi has lost all sense of perspective on politics. He alleges that Kumar Kashmir has not said anything to reassure them and to bring them back. Munshi is talking about those students who have fled the university fearing attacks following the events. Munshi should have also included those Kashmiri students who had to flee from places outside the university campus like Munirka. But that is not the problem. The problem is that this is a clever ruse to displace what is the responsibility of the university authorities and the state onto the shoulders of the student-leader. Protecting students, especially students of minority communities, is the responsibility of the state not only because it has the means and wherewithal to do so but also that is its moral duty. Since, when the responsibility of giving protection fell on a student union president. Let us imagine a situation that the student union president did provide security to the Kashmiri students by mobilizing other students in the campus and going out in numbers, making cordons, hell, even raising barricades. What will be the response of the state in that case? Certainly, the state will not thank the students for taking up its role and responsibility for who knows tomorrow they might say that they want to run the country on their own.

Munshis heart suffers more lacerations on the issue of self-determination. He should know that this particular political demand has been discussed, debated and acted upon since at least a century. One should get this straight that right to self-determination means the right to secession. Nothing more, nothing less. It came about during Lenin-Rosa Luxemburg debate and Lenin vociferously took a stand against federalism. There are several currents in left thought, as it is for everything else, on this point. Some left groups celebrated making of Telangana as a success of right to self-determination. Do I think it was the case of self-determination? No. Do some other groups think so? Yes. That does not make me more correct than them. There might or might not be the case that self-determination question has been discussed during the movement and a certain understanding arrived. It might or might not be the case that Kumar does not believe in secession but autonomy. None of this makes either Kumar or the movement rub shoulders with RSS as alleged by Munshi. This is an argument of a Philistine.

The question of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya has been raised with fervor by Munshi. He alleges that there has not been much enthusiasm in support of them or SAR Geelani. He is a journalist so he should know. Has he covered those instances when vociferous demand for their release have been made? There were several forms that has been and is being used. Maybe it does not buzz enough. Also, Kanhaiya Kumar was great news when he was news. Whatever had to be gained from him has been squeezed out. This too shall pass. And so do the bit of interest in media about Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and SAR Geelani. But I can assure Mr. Munshi that people who have raised the banner against state repression will continue to do so. If you come with a camera we will take a selfie.

Mithilesh Kumar is a PhD Candidate at Western Sydney University, Australia. His interest is in the issues of logistics, migration and labour, political philosophy and theory. He wants to work on the nature, evolution and innovation of the Indian state with respect to social and political movements in India. Email: kmithilesh@hotmail.com






Frivolity, Indian Judiciarys Real Crisis, Not Backlog

By Samar

15 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

The Indian Judiciary is facing a crisis of credibility, which is a challenge from within. These are the words of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, delivered on March 13 at an event marking the 150th anniversary of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. In his speech, the Chief Justice went on to blame this crisis on the backlog of cases in Indian courts.

No doubt, the numbers are a horror story.

As many as 59,468 cases are pending before the Supreme Court, as of 19 February 2016, as per the Courts own data. Of these, 1,216 date back over 10 years. The high courts have a collective pendency of 4,153,957 cases, with 777,630 of them pending for more than a decade. And, the lower judiciary, comprising district and subordinate courts, has 26,488,405 cases pending, with 2,043,737 of them pending for over a decade. In other words, around 2% of total cases pending with the Supreme Court are a decade old, with the corresponding percentage for high courts being 5.34% and district and subordinate courts being 7.71%.

Despite these numbers, is pendency the cause of a crisis of credibility in the Judiciary?A closer analysis would show that thinking so would be akin to missing the forest for the trees. Certainly, having such a vast backlog can by itself create a sense of lethargy or futility in some. However, the pendency is a symptom, not the cause of the malaise that plagues Indian judicial institutions. The learned judge is mistaken.

Behind the bloated statistics of backlog is the story of both wilful criminal mismanagement and of rank inequality in society. The numbers are testament to sheer impunity and delays allowed for the rich and powerful, false or frivolous cases to enmesh the marginalised, unfortunate, or political opposition, and the sheer waste of human life in order to maintain status quo. Such a gargantuan backlog persists because the judicial system allows itself to be abused by those with the means of doing so, and shuts its doors to the poor and marginalised seeking redress.

This was the nature of the judicial system introduced under the East India Company to serve its growing financial transactions, and it remains so unto this day. Dependence or independence, poor judgements or quality jurisprudence, makes no difference. The fundamental core of the institution has remained the same: vested interests with the means have been allowed to keep Indian judicial institutions as a cruel joke. And, they have kept these institutions ticking-over with their pranks, while ensuring denial of justice to the needy.

Examples from any time period in the last 200 years would showcase this.

Lets consider some recent ones.

Last month, Janardhan Goud, a lawyer, got a Metropolitan magistrate in Hyderabad to instruct the police to file a sedition case against 9 people and to place the matter for hearing in less than a fortnight. His argument was simple. According to Mr. Goud, these nine men had taken part in seditious activity because they had visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus in New Delhi  a place that is thousands of kilometres from Hyderabad despite being aware that the Delhi Police had registered a case against the UniversitysStudents Union President on the charge of sedition. They had knowingly supported him and hence it amounted to sedition by association.

The 9 people include Indian National Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Communist Party of India leader and Member of Parliament D. Raja, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Member of Parliament Sitaram Yechury, and the JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar.

That the Supreme Court of India has repeatedly held that even shouting anti-India slogans does not amount to sedition until it is accompanied by incitement to violence or violence, means nothing to this court. How could a metropolitan magistrate let such distant legalities come in the way of his quest to deliver justice to an aggrieved Mr. Goud? How could the learned judge also let the vast number of cases likely pending in the judges court, come in the way of delaying justice in such an important and urgent issue when political opposition is roaming free, meeting students? After all, justice delayed is justice denied.

Such cases, based on 5 minutes of fame petitions, are not aberrations. They are routine. Just to get an idea of the nature and scale of this routine madness, consider that, another court, this time in Allahabad, 700 kilometres away from JNU, accepted another similar petition seeking the trial of Rahul Gandhi. Again, Mr. Gandhi was argued to be guilty of treason by virtue of extending support to jailed JNU students, and thus liable to be tried under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. Undeterred by whatever pendency he might have in his court, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sushil Kumar admitted the petition and ordered quick recording of statements under Section 200 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Alas, it is not only alleged anti-national acts that cause the tender sentiments of Indians to be hurt and have them rushing to the nearest court across the country to find remedy. In 2005, Tamil actress Khushboo found herself facing 22 criminal cases in various courts of Tamil Nadu, and in one as far as Indore, Madhya Pradesh. And, what was her alleged offence? In an interview, speaking about premarital sex, she had advised safety and precaution.

The cases were ultimately all scrapped by the Supreme Court in a historic judgement asserting that one of the paramount duties of the Judiciary is to ensure that no innocent person should be subject to prosecution and humiliation on the basis of false and wholly untenable complaints. But, what Supreme Court verdict could deter learned judges across the land?

Painting the entire judiciary with one brush would be a mistake, however. There are notable exceptions. A Chief Judicial Magistrate in Sitamarhi, Bihar, clearly decided to follow the Supreme Court Order to save innocent persons with religious zeal. He saw it in fact as a go ahead to even accept cases against non-persons, deities. Recently, the Magistrate duly accepted a petition against Lord Rama for ill-treating Goddess Sita, by banishing her to live in exile in a forest with no suitable justification for doing so! Whether the Magistrates Court is bursting at the seam with a backlog or not, at least he does have the will to address past injustices.

In all seriousness, is this not closer to the cause of the malaise that plagues Indian justice institutions on a daily basis? That those with the means to fool around with the courts are being allowed to do so with no check is the bane of the Judiciary, and thereby the nation. There is a flip side of this same coin as well. And, this is about how the same courts shut their doors to poor people seeking redress and justice.

There is no dearth in examples of cases involving disputes of small parcels of land running on for decades through episodic and piecemeal trials. These cases can make the person wronged spend much more on the court case than even the price of the land. What is not as well known is how the Indian justice system treats those who do not even have the means to survive.

The withdrawal of over one-lakh cases slapped on tribal people by the government of Jharkhand in 2009 is a telling example. The withdrawal was ostensibly to win the confidence of the tribal people lest they join the Maoists. Not many batted an eyelid at this withdrawal, even those well aware of the backlog problem in the Indian Judiciary. If these over one-lakh cases were so unimportant that they could be so easily withdrawn in a government order, why were they even filed against tribal people in the first case?

A majority of these withdrawn cases fall into two categories: stealing wood and other minor forest produce and encroaching on forest land. Yes, the tribal populations were booked for stealing what is legitimately theirs for generations and for encroaching on forest lands, on which they have lived for millennia, with the help of colonial laws that are still in the books, once promulgated so the colonialists could harvest Indias forests. In such cases, poor tribals have languished in jails following arrest, unable to afford a lawyer or pay the meager bail amounts, or even communicate with the outside world once in jail.

Indias jails are packed with such unfortunate under-trials. Poor people arrested on the smallest misdemeanour who do not have the political connections or money who can languish for years, for longer than the longest possible sentences for their alleged crimes; for the fortunate, on the other hand, there are innumerable ways out of jail, even post conviction.

Each of the criminal justice institutions  the police, prosecutions, judiciary, and prisons  have been kept Janus faced, and allows for the entire judicial apparatus to be used and abused depending on the power of the persons involved.

It is this maintenance of the status quo, i.e. maintenance of rank inequality that the Judiciary does expertly, with total impunity. There is no check on frivolous petitions that get converted into cases, by those close to the Court or judge in question or by departments of the State, or by those seeking to please the Executive by harassing the opposition.

There is a crisis of credibility for sure. But, the crisis is not in the numbers. It is in what the numbers represent about the past, and about what continues in routine today. The Chief Justice would do well to stop frivolous cases from accumulating now. However, nothing short of a radical re-engineering of Indias justice institutions will solve the crisis, to create a system where the Judiciary itself stops violating the rights and dignity of the people, and equality before law can be enforced and followed.

Samar, Programme Coordinator, Right to Food, AHRC, Hong Kong.






By Susan Orr of the Courier and Press

If you've driven on Fulton Avenue just north of the Lloyd Expressway, you've probably seen that huge copper kettle.

For the last year and a half or so, the 7,000-pound behemoth has occupied the corner of the old Sterling Brewery site. While workers transformed the old buildings into new office space, the kettle lay in the grass, surrounded by orange fencing.

Now the old beer brewing kettle has found a new purpose. It's now a decorative landmark on the rooftop of one of the old brewery complex's rehabbed buildings. The building, which now serves as a garage, sits at the Illinois Street entrance to the property.

On Monday, workers from Powers Welding and Cranes and Odyssey Construction moved the kettle to its new spot.

Workers first moved the kettle to Illinois Street. From that point, it took about an hour-and-a-half to get the kettle into position on the roof, where they bolted it into a specially built frame. The frame is supported by a structure that extends to the ground inside the building, so that the roof doesn't have to support the kettle's weight.

Property owner/developer Jack Rogers pulled the kettle out of one of the buildings in 2014, when he began to redevelop the site.

That work is now essentially complete. Financial services company SS&C occupies the four-story building that used to serve as Sterling's bottling plant. A separate, smaller building on the property houses an insurance firm and a medical office.

Scrappers had already cut a large piece out of the kettle's top. So Rogers placed the kettle on a prominent corner of his property, figuring the visibility would deter future vandalism.

That high visibility also generated a lot of interest in the battered old kettle.

Rogers said he received many offers from people who wanted to haul off the kettle for scrap. But he wanted to save it as a way to celebrate the property's history.

"There are vestiges of what used to happen here, all over the place. And this is one of them," he said, gesturing to the rooftop kettle.
SHARE Jessy Suttle

By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press

The man who was injured during a fatal shootout inside an Evansville motel room earlier this month is now out of the hospital  and in jail.

Jessy D. Suttle, 31, was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail just after noon on Monday, according to jail records. The Evansville Police Department log released Tuesday morning indicated that Suttle was arrested at St. Mary's Medical Center for a parole violation. Suttle had been at the Evansville hospital since the March 3 incident, during which he was shot multiple times, according to authorities.

Police have said that two men came into a room that Suttle and three other people occupied at the Home Life Studios on South Green River Road and demanded that one of the people inside the room pay them back for an alleged drug debt.

During the confrontation, Suttle is believed to have shown a gun and then exchange gunfire with one or both of the men. One of the two alleged intruders  38-year-old Jerome Wilkins  was killed, while the other, Baron J. Lights, 40, was arrested and charged in the case. No one else was injured during the incident.

Lights, who is due in court again on Thursday, is charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery, criminal confinement, intimidation and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to Indiana Department of Correction, Suttle was convicted on two counts of criminal recklessness in September 2014 and sentenced to almost 18 months in jail. He was released from prison on March 11, 2015, but was on parole until June 17 of this year.

Suttle has not been charged in connection with the May 3 incident, but that investigation remains open, said Sgt. Jason Cullum, a spokesman for the Evansville Police Department.
SHARE

By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com

INDIANAPOLIS  Despite coming up short in the 2016 legislative session, groups pushing for statewide LGBT civil rights remain optimistic as they move forward.

Pro-LGBT groups Indiana Competes and Freedom Indiana had a joint news conference Tuesday to recap the 2016 session and look forward to the coming months as they continue to work for civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers.

Peter Hanscom, of Indiana Competes, pointed to ordinances passed recently in Evansville and Kokomo as evidence the push for civil rights is not slowing down.

"Moving forward, the momentum is on our side on this issue," Hanscom said. "Public perception is on our side. We're in a position of strength locally."

Indiana Competes is a collection of Indiana businesses pushing for LGBT rights. In addition to a strong group of names in Indianapolis, including Eli Lily, Cummings and the NCAA, membership also includes businesses in cities throughout the state, including Evansville, where LGBT rights were recently extended.

Both Hanscom and Kris Paulsen, of Freedom Indiana, said there is still work to do when it comes to educating legislators on the LGBT issue. Paulsen said lawmakers from both sides of the aisle continue to reach out to her organization for information and to arrange meetings with members of the LGBT community. Paulsen said they have made a lot of progress, especially for transgender Hoosiers.

CANVASS PODCAST: Does our community protect LGBT?

Sen. David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said on Friday that the "T" aspect of LGBT rights continued to be the biggest stumbling block for his caucus. Paulsen said that mirrored what she was hearing, but that positions were starting to change.

"I think the thing I'm proudest of this session is the work we've done in the transgender community," Paulsen said.

Despite the push-back on Senate Bill 344 coming mostly from Republicans, Hanscom said LGBT rights can be a non-partisan issue. He used Evansville as an example.

"Look at what we saw in Evansville, bi-partisan decision, Republican mayor," Hanscom said. "This is not a partisan issue and business leaders agree."

Both organizations will continue to work locally during the summer and fall to encourage other municipalities to adopt their own human rights ordinances before pushing for statewide legislation in 2017.
War clouds gather

US President Barack Obama, in a recent interview with the Atlantic magazine, threatened there is potential for conflict with China if it continues to antagonise its neighbours. The antagonise tag is a reference to Chinas reclamation and use of hotly disputed islands in the South East China Sea. In terms of traditional great-state relationships, I do believe that the relationship between the United States and China is going to be the most critical, Obama said. (The Atlantic The Obama Doctrine, April 2016)

Australias 2016 Defence White Paper (DWP), which was released towards the end of February, reads along similar lines: The roles of the United States and China and the relationship between them will continue to be the most strategically important factors in the Indo-Pacific region.

I think we have to be firm where Chinas actions are undermining international interests, and if you look at how weve operated in the South China Sea, we have been able to mobilise most of Asia to isolate China in ways that have surprised China, frankly, and have very much served our interest in strengthening our alliances, Obama continued.

Australia as a loyal deputy has facilitated the US in its efforts to isolate and surround China. The United States will remain the pre-eminent global military power and will continue to be Australias most important strategic partner, the DWP says as though the US has some arbitrary, self-anointed role as global cop.

Militarisation of region

The US, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, has militarised the Asia Pacific region. Apart from its bases, training and other facilities in Australia, the US has in:

South Korea  more than 27,000 troops and plans for a missile defence system

Japan  more than 48,000 troops

Philippines  more troops and weapons

Guam  the small island has more than 6,000 military personnel

Western Pacific  US Pacific Fleet which include six core battle groups and eight destroyer squadrons

Singapore  naval base, key logistics and maintenance hub for Navy and Air Force

South China Sea  flights and ships provocatively ignoring Chinas warnings

Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean also plays an important strategic role.

Military domination serves three key purposes.

The first is to feed the corrupt and bloated military industrial complex and its insatiable appetite for super profits which can only be made from wars.

The second is to maintain its economic domination, where this cannot be achieved by other means.

The third is to halt and stifle the development of progressive political alternatives and other independent, sovereign forces that reject its imperialist domination.

In other words, the US is not prepared to countenance any power that challenges its global economic, political or military hegemony. It is prepared to go to any lengths to ensure that, including war  even nuclear war.

The DWPs main focus is on the Asia-Pacific region where China has extended its influence or may do so in the future.

For some years, the US has had a policy of containment and the aim of breaking up China into smaller states and ending the rule of the Communist Party of China.

Sovereignty for sale

The DWP sets out to deepen and accelerate the integration of Australian military in the US war machine. The most recent announcement is for US long range, heavy bombers to be stationed in Darwin. US forces and air force bomber planes already use Australias Bradshaw Military Base near Darwin for exercises and reconnaissance.

In early April 2015, US Lieutenant Colonel Dougherty proclaimed Australia to be an empty place: You guys have opened up your homes to us. Were living in your guesthouse. The outback truly is out back, with vast wide-open spaces. Theres things we can do here we cannot do back in the States. [In the US] its very restricted; you have to worry about safety considerations like not shooting other units as you train. Here you dont have those issues. Its a blank slate.

Terra nullius is alive and well, with no recognition of Aboriginal communities or Aboriginal land.

Apart from a few patrol boats, the massive 10-year program for $195 billion additional spending on expanding Australias war capability has little to do with the defence of Australia. It is offensive in nature. The main focus is on maritime and long distance warfare, far from our shores. The target is China.

Profits of war

The government is purchasing 72 F-35A long range, joint strike fighters from Lockheed-Martin at a cost of $17 billion  that is before the blow-outs. Production was commenced prior to testing and the planes may require retrofits at even more cost (See transcript, ABCs Background Briefing program, Radio National 06-03-2016). The first are expected to be operational by 2018. BAE Systems is part of the team building them.

According to Lockheed-Martin, the F-35A is characterised by a low profile design; internal weapons and fuel carriage; advanced radar; electro-optical and infrared sensors with advanced voice and data link communications; and the ability to employ a wide range of air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons.

The seven high altitude MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft on Defence Minister Marise Paynes shopping list are unarmed, long-range, remotely piloted aircraft which will undertake other intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. The supplier is Northrop Grumman.

The manufacturer for the seven long range, high altitude MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft are also from Northrop Grumman.

The six E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and air-to-air refuelling aircraft, the 12 carrier-based EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack aircraft, the eight P-8 Poseidon for anti-submarine warfare, are amongst the purchases from Boeing.

These companies are part of the corrupt military complex, that through its lobbyists and swinging doors with the Pentagon ensure that the US never runs out of wars.

Even before the US announced its US Pivot into Asia-Pacific in 2011, more than 320,000 US troops and marines were already stationed in the Asia-Pacific. This number will grow much higher over the next five years with the announcement that 60 percent of the US military, naval, air and ground forces will be shifted to Asia-Pacific by 2020.

Mysterious 2% of GDP

There has been media speculation over the source of Australias defence budget target of two percent of GDP. It appears the two percent of GDP target comes from the US and has been incorporated as a NATO directive.

In March 2012, President Obama told British Prime Minister David: We meet to reaffirm one of the greatest alliances the world has ever known. Almost four years later he warned Cameron that special relationship might end if Britain did not spend at least two percent of its GDP on defence. Obama apparently has no time for free riders.

When visiting Australia in mid-November 2011, Obama said, The United States of America has no stronger ally than Australia.

At the same time Obama and former PM Julia Gillard announced plans for the USs pivot in Asia and the permanent presence of 2,500 US forces in Australia. The budgets that followed saw rapid hikes in military spending. The DWP commits to military spending reaching the US-set target of two percent within five years.

It is absolute madness for Australia to spend billions of dollars to wage war. It makes even less sense to wage war against our major trading partner. The idea that such a war will be confined to distant seas or shores is simply a lie.

Australians are already feeling the impact of its participation in the military build-up being led by the US. It is being funded by cuts to health, education, social security and other important services.

Only this week, the government was again considering how to reduce the age pension, this time by including the value of the home in the assets test.

In war, the only winners are the military industrial complex and big banks. An end to all wars and war preparations, mutual respect of sovereignty and independence is the only way forward.
Concern over prison rates

An alarming rise in the number of Aboriginal people being sent to jail since the 1987 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, is according to the chief numbers man in NSW, a matter of real concern.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research chief Dr Don Weatherburn told the Koori Mail that the number of Aboriginal people incarcerated was now 45 percent higher than when the royal commission examined high imprisonment rates of Indigenous people back in the late 1980s.

And according to the latest figures released by the bureau, coupled with the NSW governments tough-on-crime approach, the situation is unlikely to get better any time soon.

Back in March 2011, there were 2,250 Aboriginal people in jail in a total jail population of 10,000, Weatherburn said.

Thats now up to 2,900 in December 2015, of a total population of 12,000.

Weatherburn described the latest figures as a worrying result.

There wouldnt be too many Aboriginal people who dont know someone who has been to jail. Its become an ingrained way of life, he said. Aboriginal people are just two percent of the population yet they make up 20 percent of the prison population (in NSW).

Weatherburn believes a reason the prison population is rising is because the left hand (of government) doesnt know what the right hand is doing.

We create alternatives like suspended sentences or community service, meanwhile government introduces mandatory sentencing and a tough-on-crime approach, he said.

Police notice

Weatherburn said Aboriginal people appeared more likely to come under police notice for two reasons. There is still a big problem with violence and substance abuse in some Aboriginal communities, but they also get picked up more regularly for minor offences like public order offences, he said.

This creates a vicious cycle.

Weatherburn said a rising prison population, Indigenous or non-Indigenous, was an area of great concern. According to its latest report, Why is the NSW prison population still growing?, BOCSAR (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research) found that between June 2011 and September 2015, the number of people in prison rose from 10,000 to 11,801, an increase of 18 percent.

The increase since November 2014 has been particularly marked, with an additional 1,421 prisoners added to the population in just 10 months, the report says.

Weatherburn said the figures showed that current strategies to reduce prison rates were not working, and a new strategy was needed. People massively overestimate the effect that jail has in controlling crime, he said.

If you get a 10 percent increase in prison numbers you maybe get a 1.5 percent reduction in crime. You are better off trying to get that reduction with treatment options, and creating jobs for people.

The Americans have realised this and theyve been trying to empty their prisons because theyve woken up to the fact that the system is not working.

It costs around $230 a day to keep a person in prison. A far less expensive option would be things like community service orders, or supporting people to real employment.

Its certainly something worth exploring.

Koori Mail
Halt the erosion of Australias democracy

Australias political parties must stop eroding many of the vital foundations of Australias democracy, the Human Rights Law Centre said in a new report launched in Canberra last month. Civil society leaders joined the launch to highlight the critical role that civil society plays in a healthy and robust democracy.

Open government, a free press, a strong and diverse civil society and the rule of law are some of the vital foundations of our democracy. Yet we are witnessing an unmistakeable trend in Australia of governments eroding these foundations with new laws and practices that entrench secrecy and stifle criticism and accountability, said Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre.

We need to stop this corrosive trend and strengthen our democracy. This report outlines a way forward. With an election later this year, its time for our politicians to commit to upholding our democracy, said Mr de Kretser.

The Safeguarding Democracy report documents how federal and state governments are adopting new laws and practices that undermine critical components of Australias democracy like press freedom, the rule of law, protest rights, NGO advocacy and courts and other institutions. It outlines 38 recommendations to stop the erosion and strengthen our democracy.

Whistleblowers

The report documents increasing government secrecy, particularly in the areas of asylum seeker policy and national security. The Australian government has responded to whistleblowers with aggressive reprisals. New metadata laws give law enforcement agencies more tools to expose journalists confidential sources.

Australia is going backwards on press freedom at a time when we need it more than ever. Governments are restricting access to information, fortifying secrecy laws, stifling whistleblowers and undermining the confidentiality of journalists sources. A free press is essential to underpin a free and open democracy. We must reverse this trend as a matter of urgency, said Professor David Weisbrot, Chair of the Australian Press Council.

A free media is a fundamental part of a functioning democracy. Anything that degrades that freedom also damages the system that has made Australia one of the most peaceful, stable, prosperous places on the planet. The government has been using national security as an excuse to erode the space that journalists are able to work in, without any apparent tangible gain in our safety, or enough vigorous public debate about the tradeoffs, said journalist Peter Greste.

Transparency is vital to prevent and respond to misconduct and abuse. Where secrecy flourishes, human rights abuses become more likely. The secrecy surrounding our offshore processing regime means that the Australian people are forced to judge the merits of acts done in their name without all of the facts on the table, forcing whistleblowers to take matters into their own hands. We urgently need to wind back our secrecy laws and increase the transparency and accountability of this regime, said Mat Tinkler, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Save the Children.

Attacks on advocacy

The report outlines ways that federal and state governments are increasingly using funding levers, ranging from gag clauses in funding agreements to targeted funding cuts, to suppress advocacy and criticism from community organisations.

Community organisations make a vital contribution to our society and economy, from running homeless shelters to supporting people with disabilities to engage in the decisions that affect them. Advocacy is a key element of this contribution, said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service.

It improves laws and policies and ensures the voices of vulnerable groups are heard in policy debates. Yet savage cuts through the last two Federal Budgets have eroded the contribution of many of these organisations. Instead of removing support for advocacy by community organisations, governments should welcome and encourage it, even when its uncomfortable for them. The health of our democracy relies on it.

From the Franklin River to the Great Barrier Reef, conservation groups have played a vital role in protecting Australias special places, said Kelly OShanassy, CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Instead of trying to silence conservation groups through political attacks on charity tax concessions, the government should encourage them to speak out. Its in all of our interests.

The Australian government has de-funded a range of peak organisations that represented the views of their sectors and constituencies including the representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the National Congress of Australias First Peoples.

Our organisation provides a national voice for our people. It provides leadership, advocacy, advice and expertise, said Congress Co-Chair Jackie Huggins. Our board is directly elected by our membership which is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations. The government has cut our funding and appointed its own hand-picked advisory group. Its a huge backward step for self-determination, reconciliation and our peoples future. Its a huge backward step for our democracy.

Attacks on peaceful protest

State governments in Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland have enacted or proposed far-reaching anti-protest laws that undermine rights to peaceful protest.

Australians know the fundamental importance of democratic rights to gather, associate and protest. From the eight hour day to Indigenous land rights, protests have played a vital role in securing many of the rights, laws and policies Australians now enjoy and often take for granted. Governments must abandon laws that favour government and vested business interests at the expense of the democratic right to protest, said Ged Kearney, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Sidelining the courts

The Australian government has sought to undermine the capacity and independence of the Australian Human Rights Commission, slashing its funding and engaging in belligerent political attacks on its President in response to her investigation into human rights abuses against children in immigration detention. The government has also sought to limit the ability of courts to review government conduct and publicly vilified groups who challenge it in court.

The unprecedented attacks on the Australian Human Rights Commission are symptomatic of the trend of the Australian government trying to remove limits on its own power, said Mr de Kretser. Our independent court system provides a vital check on government yet the Australian government is trying to sideline the courts in critical areas like immigration detention and national security. Groups that challenge government action in the courts are being vilified. Governments should promote the rule of law, not undermine it.

The right to scrutinise decision making under environmental protection laws is an important accountability mechanism that the Australian government wants to restrict. Instead of limiting the ability of environmental groups to ensure government complies with these laws, we should be expanding it. We need to remove barriers to public interest legal action, not erect new ones, said Brendan Sydes, CEO of Environmental Justice Australia.

Reversing the regression

The report welcomes the repeal of excessive move on powers by the Victorian government and the removal of gag clauses from funding contracts by the Queensland government. It outlines a range of further steps needed at both federal and state level to reverse the trend of eroding our democracy and safeguard our democracy.
The new contours of Latin Americas right

Recent electoral successes by right-wing parties in Argentina and Venezuela have raised the question of whether the decade-long ascendancy of left-leaning parties in Latin America is coming to an end. While the issue of whether the pink tide is being reversed is still in the balance, what is clear is that in its attempt to claw back power, the right has switched tactics to mobilise support.

As Gustavo Fuchs explains in this following piece written before the lefts recent electoral setbacks, the right is shifting its rhetoric to the more appealing language of justice, human rights and anti-corruption rather than the neo-liberal staple of slashing public spending, reducing taxes and privatisation.

It has been over a decade since a new wave of left-leaning governments won presidential elections throughout Latin America, on the tail-end of post-Cold War triumphalism and the so-called end of ideologies.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos: domestic policies have not turned back from the neo-liberal program of his predecessors.

The progress made by these governments in transforming their countries is indisputable  although some would say that, as of now, even more should have been done  and the popularity of these leaders has remained strong through the years. As the Belgian political theorist Chantal Mouffe recently told the teleSUR Latin American television network, one of the rights biggest challenges is to oust governments through democratic elections, although they havent been very successful at it.

Nevertheless, right-wing forces are gaining momentum across the region, attempting diverse tactics to delegitimise, destabilise or overthrow progressive governments in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela and even Chile. They are also shifting their rhetoric. The right has understood that in Latin America promoting the privatisation of state-owned assets and calling for lower taxes are no longer platforms that move voters. They are learning their lessons.

Understanding how their tactics have changed is key to recognising the new contours of Latin Americas right.

Right-wing tactics to take power

Three distinguishable tactics have characterised the rights strategy throughout this period of time. The first  as a natural backlash to the progressive regional gains  is the rights attempt to delegitimise the electoral triumphs of the left, accompanied by a challenge to democratic institutionalism.

With the help of the US government, the Venezuelan opposition confronted President Hugo Chavez as early as 1999, after less than a year in office, rallying against a new constitution and deeming it illegitimate since before its birth, and despite the constituent assembly that drafted it and its passage in a nationwide popular vote. In the following years the opposition would continue to reject electoral results, despite the elections being consistently recognised internationally as free and fair.

In Bolivia, the far right organised independence referendums in four provinces that led to violent clashes as early as 2008, two years after Evo Morales took office. These regions argued that they did not recognise the legitimacy of the Bolivian Electoral Tribunal.

A second tactic can be identified by the radicalisation of the right and steps towards destabilisation. As the progressive governments solidified important transformations, the rights desperation has led them to openly call for, and attempt, coups detat.

From the 2002 coup against Venezuelas Chavez to the coup against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the parliamentary coup that ousted Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo in 2012, extreme levels of polarisation have accompanied these tactics and periods.

In Brazil, Congress is using its powers to frustrate the government of President Dilma Rousseff, as the right-wing opposition continues to call for the presidents impeachment.

We are now seeing a third tactic in which the right is altering its rhetoric to assimilate to what they would rather avoid: that the electorate wants a strong state that will intervene in favour of its citizens well-being, including the passage of social programs and poverty alleviation programs, very much like the welfare state that predominated in Europe throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Instead of questioning the legitimacy of governments and institutions, and instead of promoting individual rights (for example, taxes, privatisations and freedom of the press), the right has shifted its rhetoric to collective issues that appeal to a much larger audience.

Mobilisations and lobbying

Lets take, for example, the case of Leopoldo Lopez and the Venezuelan opposition. Despite the politicians personal history and the violent credentials of those who surround him, his case is not presented as being about the political leader himself, but about justice, human rights and what is portrayed as a corrupt judicial system.

In Brazil, calls for the impeachment of President Rousseff are usually accompanied by the notion that corruption has increased during the Workers Party governments and that the fight is not against Dilma but against a corrupt party that wants to continue to govern.

In Ecuador, the opposition and the mainstream media led thousands to believe that the governments proposed inherited wealth tax was going to affect all of the population and not only the richest few. These groups quickly shifted their attention from the tax to a proposed government reform that would eliminate term limits on elected officials. In other words, the opposition focused their struggle on supposedly defending democracy. Their battle gained the legitimacy of incorporating those who they had marginalised in the past, when they were joined by a sector of the indigenous movement, giving a fresh appearance of something new.

Perhaps the most striking example can be seen in Argentina. After Attorney Alberto Nisman died, the opposition leader and Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri renamed a metro stop after the AMIA Jewish Centre which was bombed in 1994. He decorated the station with a mural and called for truth and justice. Nisman had been the chief investigator of the bombing of the Jewish centre. When he was found dead in his home in January, the right wing attempted to pin the blame on President Cristina Fernandez, saying that he had been bumped off because he had found incriminating evidence against powerful people in her government.

However, Macris call for truth and justice was selective. That same slogan had been a demand of Argentine human rights groups since the last right-wing military dictatorship, which forcefully disappeared thousands of Argentinians in the 1970s and 1980s. When a law was put forward for approval in Congress to investigate businesses linked to the dictatorship, Macris party voted against it without giving any explanation.

Mobilisations are also part of this new strategy. As the Chilean political scientist Cristobal Rovira explains, demonstrations have become a growing element in the rights agenda, specifically to block reforms that dont cohere with their ideological principles.

By moving hundreds to the streets, the right seeks to legitimise itself as a serious political force, in an attempt to regain public trust after years of being tagged as anti-democratic and traditional. The last time some of these right-wing groups and individuals took to the streets was in the 1970s, when they marched in support of the right-wing military dictatorships and against communism.

Political lobbying, through think-tanks and other organisations, is also playing a role in exerting pressure on the left governments. As Rovira points out, these groups are increasingly involved in shaping public policy nationally and internationally.

In countries such as Argentina and El Salvador, right-wing forces from within the judicial system have also taken part in the efforts to block progressive governments.

After they lost the elections, they called for a coup detat. But the Salvadoran army is now much more institutionalised, explained Salvadoran lawmaker Nidia Diaz in an interview with teleSUR, referring to the armys place as a legitimate institution in El Salvadors democracy. It is not the same armed forces that used to stage coups.

When this strategy failed, they began looking for a way to destabilise. And they found a powerful ally in the Constitutional Court, which now blocks everything related to government funding to asphyxiate the government, she added.

A similar case occurred when the Argentine Congress and Senate approved a landmark media law in 2009. Due to a ruling by a local court in Mendoza, the law could not be fully implemented until 2012.

All of these efforts have counted on consistent backing from highly concentrated media outlets that hold historical prestige in each country.

Colombias Juan Manuel Santos

Maybe the best example of the future of Latin Americas right is Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. The former defence minister swiftly launched a historic peace process to end an armed conflict with the FARC guerrilla group. Peace talks were made possible with the cooperation of nations such as Cuba and Venezuela, giving him international recognition and popularity.

However, internally, Santos has embraced Tony Blairs Third Way, which promotes a benign view of neo-liberal capitalism under the attractive ideal of a new political option that is neither left nor right.

Santos has maintained diplomacy as a guiding principle for his relations with Colombias two left-leaning neighbours Ecuador and Venezuela. But within the country little has changed for human rights activists, union leaders and left-wing politicians, who are still victims of selective murder.

Santos domestic policies have not turned back from the neo-liberal program of his predecessors. During his government, concessions to foreign investors have been the rule, as the government has given away Colombias mines and oilfields.

This does not mean that all of the right has moved uniformly towards these new strategies. Instead, the fragmentation of right-wing parties and movements has led them to try different coexisting strategies.

This is why, for example, former Colombian president and now Senator Alvaro Uribe continues to oppose the Santos administration and is constantly featured in mainstream media calling for confrontation as the solution.

What we have seen from former president Uribe is an attitude of confrontation, of permanent attack against peace in Colombia, Colombian Senator Ivan Cepeda told teleSUR.

Despite Uribes outrageous allegations, he is not considered an isolated player in Colombian politics. In fact, President Santos has reached out to Uribe, seeking to neutralise the political strength of his former ally.

Venezuelan opposition

In Venezuela, the international medias attempt to whitewash Leopoldo Lopez through a dichotomous good versus evil narrative has been stained by political murders and paramilitary links inside Lopezs Popular Will party.

It is no coincidence that Henrique Capriles, the former presidential candidate of the opposition coalition, has backed away from marches in favour of Lopez. The opposition Movement of Democratic Unity (MUD) has made deals with the government while respecting the countrys constitution, and Lopez is not happy about it.

Lopez was jailed after he and the opposition leader and former National Assembly member Maria Corina Machado launched a campaign dubbed The Exit to oust President Nicolas Maduro. The campaign led to increasingly violent demonstrations. Capriles stayed away from his long-time ally and criticised him for creating unreal expectations.

Capriles 2013 presidential campaign was characterised by his use of clothing similar to that of the late president Chavez (wearing a jumpsuit, a hat with the Venezuelan flag, etc) and the promise of maintaining social welfare programs initiated during the Chavez era.

Challenging the neo-liberal legacy

The political discourse has certainly moved towards the left, though it hasnt necessarily translated into a cultural change in the population.

This can help explain why the right is turning once again to the benevolent rhetoric that presents capitalism with a human face. Rarely has a right-wing candidate over the last five years argued that social welfare programs should be cut or that state companies should be privatised.

Right-wing campaigns are now focusing on corruption, human rights, security and other issues that affect society as a whole, and in which the left has failed to deliver long-term solutions.

Of course, 10 or 15 years of left-leaning governments will not solve the problems that decades of neo-liberal policies caused. But the average citizen is looking for the quickest solution to his or her problems, and the Latin American right has no time to lose.

Neo-liberalism is not only a set of economic policies in action through the mindset of financial speculation, but it is also a cultural guideline, revolutionary in the sense that it has penetrated global society, explains Argentine philosopher Ricardo Forster.

The task ahead for progressive movements and parties in Latin America is, more than ever, to win the battle of ideas, to create a notion of commonly shared ideals and values in society, to fight back against the cultural legacy of the neo-liberal experiments in the region.

As Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera explains, There cannot be a rise to power ... without a previous transformation of the cultural parameters [in society].

Although a lot has improved over these years, deeply rooted neo-liberal values will always surface in times of crisis and the lefts success will depend on challenging and dismantling the premises on which they are based.

Third World Resurgence
Killing asylum

Bribing officials. Relaying and returning migrants to poor countries without adequate scrutiny or screening. Closing borders. Setting up camps with appalling conditions. Barbed wire and armed guards. Europe now faces the most profound test on the refugee crisis so far: to persist in processing arrivals within its borders, or return them with indifference into unsafe territories.

This is the Australian model of border control writ large. It enlists and politicises defence forces and border protection behind a veil of military grade secrecy. It shifts the burden of processing asylum seekers and refugees from wealthier states to poorer ones. It effectively suspends the application of the Refugee Convention and does a good bit of demonising of refugees along the way.

In October last year, before an audience attending the Margaret Thatcher gala dinner, the sniping and aggressive former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott warned European leaders that embracing his own turn back the boats policy was essential for continental stability and the protection of European civilisation. The only way to stop people by trying to gain entry is firmly and unambiguously to deny it.

Critics laughed it off as irrelevant, a political product of a paranoid island continent and a clownish ex-leader. Landlocked countries, in particular, could hardly impose a return policy en masse given the sprawling trails of humanity coming in. It would entail massive border closures and expulsions, not of boats with dozens of human occupants but convoys of tens of thousands.

Turning back refugees, and cutting off the lines through the Balkans, is exactly what is happening in the pursuit of a rather venal plan of mass deportation with Turkey. The outlines of it were made at a summit on March 7, where European leaders met the Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglou.

The Turkish proposal involves accepting the return of all migrants and refugees who cross the Aegean to Greece in return of a resettlement of asylum seekers in EU countries from Turkey itself. This effectively constitutes a mass removal of individuals, a plan of questionable legality. Under international refugee law, Turkey would have to be designated a safe haven for asylum seekers.

The summit has invariably spurred countries to close the Balkan route. Macedonia has closed the border with Greece, resulting in the stranding of 15,000 individuals. Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia have tightened controls, putting on the brakes with heavy feet. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, has expressed confidence in this new collective response to the refugee crisis, claiming that irregular flows of migrants along western Balkans route have come to an end.

Some of the press analysis on this sees the European-Turkish deal as messy but necessary. The Economist editorial on this subject is even more chilling in admitting what Turkey has become in this entire farce of human misery. Throughout the Cold War, Turkey was one of Europes bastions against Soviet armies. Now it is being turned into Europes barrier against the huddled masses of the Middle East.

This was geographic reality  Turkey being the bridging country between two landmasses. But, argued The Economist, order had to return, with borders opened, to a certain extent; the only alternative to chaos is a fair and orderly migration system. Human flesh has become a measure of grand political bargaining.

The consequence of this haggling has been a trafficking and bartering over human matter in favour of new political realities Turkey wishes to change. There is the issue of visa liberalisation, which Ankara has been pursuing with some vigour.

The largest matter, one that never goes away, is that of Turkish accession to the EU. Most striking of all is the refusal on the part of the EU to raise the issue of Ankaras latest, and very aggressive, assault on press freedoms. President Recep Erdogan has every reason to be pleased, crushing dissent and scrutiny while pretending to be Europes broom of order.

Despite any reservations on the part of the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, his government still signed a readmission agreement for migrants crossing the Aegean to be returned. This further builds in a regime that promises to be more cruel than fair.

The strong message from Davutoglou in discussions with Tsipras indicated the determination to shut out third countries and transit points for those using the route through Turkey and effectively the Balkans, to get to EU countries. The agreements, he argued, sent a clear message to migrants coming from third countries, rather than countries at war  that there is neither the political will [to allow their passage] nor the ability to cross to Europe.

Supposedly, that aspect of the deal will cover those migrants who are not deemed to fall within the international regime of protection. This re-admission into Turkey is problematic on several levels, assuming an orderly and expeditious processing of individual claims. I am deeply worried, expressed a concerned UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, about any arrangement that would involve the blanket return of anyone from one country to another without spelling out the refugee safeguards under international law.

Such fairness is evidently missing to those who are huddled before the closed borders. Refugees chant German Chancellor Angela Merkels name in desperation and hope. Merkel in turn had regarded the Balkan closure as an unsustainable travesty, an outcome of a failed approach to the issue of dealing with refugees. But she is wrong to assume that Europe is not acting collectively on this. A disunified position is rapidly forming into a hardened, brutal stance of vicious unity.

globalresearch.ca
Standing up for safety is not a racket

Steven Wyatt was a husband, a father, a brother, and a friend. Just 15 months prior to his death, in late 2014, another worker, Jorge Castillo-Riffo was also killed on that site in similar circumstances. Both tragedies involved a fatal crush injury when the men were in the scissor lift.

Both accidents were utterly preventable.

Castillo-Riffos widow, Pam Gurner-Hall has spent the last 14 months calling for a coroners inquest into his death so that  in her words  this could be prevented. In this, she has been joined by the CFMEU. South Australian secretary Aaron Cartledge has once again called for an inquest into this latest tragedy.

At the time of Castillo-Riffos death, SafeWork South Australia laid charges against the contractors who were building the Royal Adelaide Hospital, for failing to comply with health and safety regulations to provide a safe working environment.

Its interesting to note, then, that this site which has been plagued by safety has been one of intense scrutiny by the Fair Work Building Commission (FWBC). In fact, taxpayers might be interested to know that an estimated $750,000 has been expended by the FWBC persecuting and prosecuting workers on the health precinct site in Adelaide.

In 2014, 23 workers were charged with fines of over $10,000 each for walking off the job over safety 12 months before. At the time, the water supply had been turned off, the toilets werent working, there was no drinking water and the emergency showers werent functioning for several hours. The workers faced a choice: either take action and get the problem resolved or put their health at risk. They took the former route and were punished for doing so.

This year alone, there have been eight fatalities and while eight families are mourning the passing of a loved one, the Turnbull government has been threatening the country with a double dissolution election if the Senate does not pass the ABCC bill.

The government has been running the line for some time that the ABCC is needed to be a tough cop on the beat to address crime and corruption in the industry, but the truth is that the ABCC is only an industrial regulator. It wont and cant look at criminal matters, but what it can and most certainly will do is curb the rights of workers and make it even harder for them to stand up for their health and safety.

If anyone is in doubt about this, they simply need to recall the ABCCs prosecution of rigger Ark Tribe. In 2008, Tribe was facing six months jail for failing to front an ABCC interrogation where he would have been required to report on who had spoken up at a site meeting about a safety matter.

At the end of 2015, two young men died on a construction site in Perth, and while the whole of West Australia went into mourning, many of us in the CFMEU were angry.

We were angry that our union was prevented a total of 16 times from entering that site. One wonders what it was that the company didnt want us to see.

Perhaps it was dodgy work practices  perhaps commonplace but nevertheless lethal safety breaches. Perhaps we would have found a lack of appropriate training and induction for people new to the construction industry.

These are the issues that cause arguments with employers who are always in a rush to get things done, always in a rush to cut a corner here or there in order to make a bigger profit. These are the things that a lot of employers dont want to concern themselves with and regard us as pests for interfering in their work, calling on the Fair Work Building Commission to remove us from sites.

Everyone talks safety and everyones sorry when people are killed on the job. While I accept that their sorrow is genuine, the fatalities are happening too often in our industry and employers, the MBA and the government authorities should abandon their cavalier and often hostile attitude to the union and sit down and cooperate with us to improve safety standards.

Construction sites are dangerous places. Workers need proper training and induction. Safety standards exist for a reason and must be implemented. To us, none of these things are negotiable. Its not something to address when you can get around to it, or when you have the time.

Unfortunately, it seems the CFMEU is the only party reminding employers that its their legal obligation to address safety issues. Its not an optional thing. And for that, we get labelled troublemakers and lawbreakers, are hounded by the FWBC and smeared by the federal government in order to justify passing a set of laws that will make it even worse for workers and unions in the industry.

Recently, someone called talkback radio and in line with the rhetoric coming out of Canberra, labelled the CFMEU a protection racket.

Its hard to know what they mean by that, what were protecting. But if fighting every day to protect the lives of people whose friends and families expect them home at the end of each day is considered a racket, then throw me in jail.

Peoples lives matter. They matter more than making an even bigger profit margin for some developer.

Just ask the families of those who were killed. Thats whose side were on. Thats who were protecting. And all those clamouring for the return of the ABCC want to stand in our way.

Dave Noonan is National Secretary of the CFMEU. Written in conjunction with Brad Parker, CFMEU Construction Assistant National Secretary.
Culture & Life

The business of forgetting

I was watching Antiques Roadshow last week, and two members of the public were explaining how the jewels they had brought along to show the programs experts had been smuggled out of Russia after the Revolution by their grandparents. The expert they were talking to was full of admiration for their grandparents ingenuity in sewing the jewels into the hem of their garment, and also full of sympathy for the plight of the poor emigres.

Muammar Gaddafi turned Libya from an Italian colony into the most progressive and prosperous country in Africa, a tower of strength.

No one commented that the jewels they smuggled out were the property of the Russian people or that at the time of the Revolution, the bulk of the Russian population lived in extreme poverty. Smuggling jewels out of the country was actually stealing from the Russian people. Nor did anyone point out that emigres who fled the new Soviet state with quantities of jewels concealed in their baggage or about their person must have obtained those jewels by exploiting the labour of poverty-stricken serfs, poor peasants or workers in mines and factories!

Of course, one would be naive to expect Antiques Roadshow to sympathise with the poor anywhere. By definition, the programs focus is on how valuable antiques can be, and the luxurious houses they originally came from. However, only a few years ago there was a much greater awareness of the crushing poverty that afflicted the bulk of the Russian people before the Revolution. The contrast between the living conditions of the Tsarist aristocracy and the workers and peasantry whose labour created their wealth was extreme and most of the world knew it.

With the help of programs like Antiques Roadshow, however, history is being re-written. Peoples understanding of modern historical events is being reshaped in the interests of the well to do. The Russian workers and peasants are now the oppressors of the suffering aristocracy! But it is not only Russia that is getting this new look. Just observe the way the Second World War, the war against fascism, is presented on television. If modern TV coverage is to be believed, all the victims of fascist terror were Jewish, all the fighting against Hitler was carried out by Britain and the USA, the Resistance in Europe was run by London and the underground groups who fought the Nazis were made up of middle class democrats. It is all nonsense, but what else are people to believe if that is the only information they are given? Which is the whole idea, of course.

Also being swept under the carpet is the fact that it was members of the ruling class  British, European and American  that actively supported the rise of the Nazis. Especially the people who owned the big houses so beloved of Antiques Roadshow. After all, Hitler was going to save them from the Bolsheviks, whose influence among the workers was far too high for comfort in the 1930s.

Even more resolutely swept under the carpet is the overwhelming popularity of Socialism among working people in the past. So popular was Socialism that the ruling class had to adopt social democratic parties into their own arsenal, subtly remoulding social democracys class position and allegiances to convert social democratic parties into parties for the workers provided by the ruling class. They have presented no threat to capitalism ever since, being committed instead to reforming the system not replacing it.

After WW2 however, the popularity of revolutionary Socialism surged. Colonial peoples across the globe demanded their independence and usually opted for Socialism at the same time. Capitalism fought back with decades of neo-colonial war, coups, concentration camps and massacres. It was a heroic stage in the history of numerous countries of the so-called Third World, but with the overthrow of many progressive regimes in those countries, its a history that has been buried to ensure it too is forgotten. Capitalisms control of the mass media in so many countries enables it to manipulate the collective memory in the interests of wealth and privilege, which it does with vigour and determination.

Also assiduously buried and expunged from the capitalist medias public memory has been the historic role of the trade union movement. The many benefits that were won for working people by the trade unions, including everything from recognised meal breaks to paid holidays, are now thought of by many workers as something that simply happened, probably by government decision. That these things were gained only after bitter struggle by the organised working class has also been buried. The ruling class wants people to forget class struggle altogether. Unfortunately, life itself  and the greed that is the hallmark of capitalism  constantly throws up situations and conditions that force people to take a stand for their rights as workers and human beings.

More recently, we have had the murder of Muammar Gaddafi, who turned Libya from an Italian colony into the most progressive and prosperous country in Africa, a tower of strength in the non-aligned movement, a murder that was and still is presented as the overthrow of a dictator. Similarly misrepresented, of course, have been the coups, wars and destabilisations in Moldova, Ukraine and Syria, all of which imperialism would also like to sweep under the carpet and have everyone forget how they came about. If Russia had not forced its way into the issue, the US would have tried to utterly destroy Syria while laying down a smokescreen of lies to obfuscate what really is happening there.

One thing we can be sure of, as we move away in time from the immediacy of the numerous atrocities committed by capitalism in its relentless pursuit of profit, they too will inevitably become subject to the systems selective memory, to the business of forgetting, designed as it is to protect capitalisms class interest above all else. This makes it all the more important for the working class and its organisations to ensure that the true history of the modern era is recognised and recorded, preserved and protected, and capitalisms falsification of it is exposed and rejected.
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Google has doubled the reward on offer to anyone who can compromise the security of a Chromebook in guest mode from US$50,000 to US$100,000.

The IT giant introduced the reward last year and is yet to have any successful submissions, according to Googles Nathan Parker and Tim Willis.

"That said, great research deserves great awards, so were putting up a standing six-figure sum, available all year round with no quotas and no maximum reward pool," said the pair in a blog post on Monday US time.

The company is also extending the reward program to include anyone that can bypass Chromes safe browsing download protection features.

Google typically offers between US$500 and US$15,000 for reported bugs depending on the quality of reporting. So far, Google has handed out more than US$2 million to hackers for bug reporting.
Networking News

Dell Aims To Grab Share From Cisco, HPE, Juniper With Aggressive New Rebate

Matt Brown

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Dell is after big game in the enterprise IT jungle, and it has armed itself with an aggressive new rebate for partners that win new business for Dell storage and networking gear.



The Round Rock, Texas-based company introduced a 15 percent back-end rebate that effectively more than doubles similar existing rebates and encourages partners to take market share from Cisco Systems, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, according to Cheryl Cook, Dell's vice president of global channels and alliances.



Mark McKeever, principal of Tempe, Ariz.-based Dell Premier partner MicroAge, said Dell is on target with the way it has arranged its incentives around networking and storage. The challenge, he said, is differentiating Dell's networking business from other vendors and, so far, McKeever said he has seen success with Dell based almost entirely on product performance and price.



[Related: Dell Doubles Down On Premier Partners, Adds 60 Percent More To 'Elite' Tier]



"I have a lot of faith in Dell to dial in their incentives and to price their products to win in the market," McKeever said, adding that salespeople are seeing success with Dell networking gear because "it works great and is priced right."



Calling the new rebate program "disruptive and attractive," Dell's Cook told CRN that the company is intensifying its efforts to take market share away from Cisco. "We have share gain aspirations in that part of the portfolio that we want to gain at others' expense," she said.



"Cisco owns the biggest part of the market share," Cook said, "but I'm indiscriminate. There's more market share that they have, but if it's Juniper or if it's HP, what I'm most interested in is that I'm creating an environment of enablement [so] that these partners [will] want to continue to invest in Dell versus others.



"We're certainly putting in the incentive structure to tell them where we'd like to see it," Cook said. "We're going to reward you for bringing us new customers and new incremental business, so it's win-win. When it's win-win for both of us, we'll certainly make it very worth their while."

The rebates extend into the hot market for converged infrastructure solutions, where Dell has a relationship with startup Nutanix. Cook said she'd like to see partners that work with Dell servers expand into selling converged infrastructure and winning new customers.

"If they're doing servers and they're data center players, you can continue to drive that business, but we want to see growth in new logos in our storage and networking business. Our converged infrastructure systems live under our server business, so they're eligible for incentives as well."



The rebate is not only a dramatic increase from existing storage and networking rebates, but it also marks the first time Dell has organized an incentive around winning new business rather than revenue, Cook said.



Dell's pending acquisition of EMC also will help ramp up Dell's push into enterprise networking and storage, according to Cook, who said the company is "making such great strides in our server business, it's a natural attach motion for our partners that we want to make sure they're taking advantage of, either expanding line-of-business or driving new logos for us. Profitability is important for our partners, but bringing new share gains and new logos is important to Dell."
Industry leaders gathered in Ft. Lauderdale on Tuesday for the State of the Industry panel, discussing topics ranging from global expansion to new ships, and challenges and issues facing the global cruise business.

With a record orderbook and a record 24 million set to cruise in 2016, oncoming supply continues to be a discussion point.

Innovation was on topic to start the panel out, as new ideas have driven ship development to exceed guest expectations.

"They have to have a memorable, deep, emotional experience," said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation. "To create that transformative guest experience and ship design is part of that."

"I think we would argue the (ships) aren't a destination by themselves," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, underscoring destinations are still key.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, MSC Cruises, pointed to his 2017 newbuild, the MSC Seaside, as an innovation in the guest experience arena, bringing more deck and "sun" space per passenger. The ship will make its debut in Miami in late 2017.

"There has to be a balance between crazy white-lab coat innovation for the sake of innovation and innovative that has return," added Frank del Rio, president and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Capacity Concerns

Ongoing newbuilding programs were brought up for a brief period in a tightly controlled panel discussion.

"I think you have to have a balance, you have to build new vessels because the industry is growing and there is new demand," said Del Rio. "The investors in the industry and analysts that cover the industry have made the mistake over the years (saying) that only new ships that can command yield growth. In my company, the smallest oldest ship commands the highest yields."

Vago added: "Newbuilds drive yield and improve profitability. The 24 million passengers ... it is nothing. In Europe in the last five years the industry has grown 50 percent, while land-based experiences grew by zero."

China

Donald said China growth is being limited by shipyard capacity, adding that returns in China were above average.

"There is a huge demand, a great positive for everybody," Donald explained.

Carnival Corporation currently has three new ships on order being designed for the Chinese market. The Majestic Princess will be delivered in 2017, followed by two prototype Costa ships.

Fain underscored tonnage in Asia was not be positioned to the gambling market.

"If you took a cruise with 100 percent Chinese guests it would not look that much different than it would in the United States," added Fain.

Cuba

Among the discussion points on Cuba, Vago confirmed that MSC would have a year-round ship out of Havana in 2017, previously reported by Cruise Industry News.

Fain called Cuba a terrific destination, noting he had seen a MSC ship when he was in Havana (i.e. recently), telling Vago to prepare to see one of Royal Caribbean's ships there soon.

Fain said Cuba would bring a halo effect to the Caribbean, driving demand for the region to the tune of 10 to 20 percent.

"Cuba is a great opportunity for us in the cruise business," Fain said.

Geopolitical Issues

"Every year those things happen, fuel prices go up, they go down," Donald said. "As long as it happens every year as it's been happening, we're fine, we grew in all those years."

Fain said the industry has shown a responsiveness over its history.

"We have proven over and over again our ability to deal with these problem as they come up," Fain added.
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BRIDGEPORT  The city school board, arguing its way through another contentious late-night, five-hour meeting, opted not to ask the state for a second time if the employment contract it has with its interim superintendent is valid.

The debate, however, left some board members openly wondering what kind of permanent schools chief would want to come to a district where the board is frequently at odds.

I think that this issue has the very real potential to dissuade any future superintendent from coming to Bridgeport to be the superintendent, Kevin McSpirit, a freshman school board member said. As far as I am concerned, I want our present interim superintendent to be completely focused on the children and learning. Issues like this can prove to be a great distraction.

No superintendent worth their salt will want to come to the district, suggested board member Joe Larcheveque.

For months three board members led by Maria Pereira have pressed to get state officials to weigh in on the contract of Interim Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz. Pereira insists the contract is not supported by state law.

Technically retired, Rabinowitz was granted permission by the state Teachers Retirement Board last summer to serve a second year at full salary as is allowed under state statues. After that, she must go on 45 percent salary, unless the law changes through the end of her contract in June 2017.

The state attorney general told the board last month that he would not offer an opinion on the issue. The boards attorney has already determined the contract is valid.

In the meantime, dozens of community members, parents, labor leaders and others have asked the board to stop what they see as an effort to prematurely remove the superintendent.

Eight award-winning teachers, led by Shaun Mitchell, a Central English teacher and finalist for 2016 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, have also weighed in, imploring the board in an open letter to stop its constant fighting.

If I wasnt teaching, Id be there, Mitchell tweeted about Mondays meeting.

He would have seen the panel kick up the discord a notch.

At the outset of the meeting, board member Ben Walker, flanked by Pereira, Sauda Baraka and Howard Gardner, approached the microphone during public comment to confront Dennis Bradley, the board chair, for failing to attend committee meetings. Walker asked Bradley to step down if he could not fulfill his obligations.

Bradley said his attendance at full board meetings is perfect.

Much later in the meeting, after McSpirit suggested the board was semi-dysfunctional, Pereira countered: I will take messy democracy over a tidy dictatorship any day of the week.

Pereira maintains the request of the retirement board was not authorized by the full school board even though it came after the board voted to extend Rabinowitzs contract. She also said the board didnt adequately search for a replacement as she said it should and shouldnt be giving the superintendent benefits or use of a car and laptop on top of a salary.

If you are so confident, Pereira said, I would think you want to uphold the law.

Board members Gardner and Baraka also pushed the issue. Despite how one might feel about Rabinowitz, Gardner said he has a frustration with the way things get done in the city.

There are always two sets of rules, Gardner said. We have to stop being deferential to people.

Baraka balked at the notion that following the letter of the law would dissuade potential superintendent candidates. She maintains they would see the district as a challenge.

The effort to send the letter failed on a 4-to-4 tie.

Larcheveque called the issue divisive and distracting.

The contract is secure, he said. What the board needs to do, he added, is turn its attention to the search for a permanent superintendent which will apparently start with a meeting on Friday, April 8.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; @lclambeck
BRIDGEPORT  St. Vincents College will hold a Financing Your Education information session from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, at St. Vincents Medical Centers Hawley Conference Center, 4th Floor, Room 2.

The program is free and complimentary parking will be provided. The program will explain the institutional scholarships offered at the college which offers associate degrees in nursing, medical assisting, radiography and general studies. Three online bachelors degree completion programs are also offered. For more information, call (800) 873-1013
BRIDGEPORT  The new mayoral aide suspended for owing over $55,000 in real estate taxes has paid his debt.

But it is unclear whether Danny Pizarro will be allowed back in City Hall by Mayor Joe Ganim.

Pizarro  who manages several properties, including low-income housing  said and Tax Collector Veronica Jones confirmed Tuesday that he paid an outstanding bill.

Jones she could not immediately state whether that amount included taxes forwarded to collection agencies.

As a landlord, I share a commitment to ensure that our neighborhoods become places where family may thrive, Pizarro said in a statement. It is my endeavor to change the iniquities that impact current dwelling conditions and sustain improvement over time. The $55,387.45 has been paid in full, as I am committed to improve my neighborhood.

Pizarro seemed to hardly leave Ganims side when the ex-mayor was pursuing his comeback last year.

After Ganim was sworn in on Dec. 1, Pizarro continued to hang out with the mayor. And by early February he was hired as a $75,000-a-year, mayor-appointed aide in charge of blight issues, updating the downtown parking meters and other unnamed projects.

Last Thursday, the Connecticut Post contacted the mayors office about Pizarros tax debts. Ganim said he was unaware of Pizarros debt and suspended him without pay pending further review of the situation.

Pizarro pledged to pay his taxes this week. But Av Harris, Ganims communications director, on Monday said that might not make a difference in terms of Pizarros job.

None of this is conditional, Harris said. Its completely at the discretion of the mayor.

According to Harris, Ganim asked all appointees to be up front about anything that could prove an embarrassment  back taxes, parking tickets, etc.

They need to have that cleared up before the administration takes over, Harris said. Although Pizarro was a recent hire, Harris said that same talk was held with everybody.

Pizarros City Hall gig proved controversial, given Ganim has laid off dozens of employees, union and non-union, arguing he must close an inherited $20 million budget gap.

He has literally no experience in anything governmental, one ex-city staffer said of Pizarro. People were kind of stunned, to say the least, that he was hired for a position like that. Seventy-five grand a year to do what? Thats a lot of money. People who were actually doing a job were let go.

But one union head, Cory Bromley, does not begrudge Pizarro.

Hes a very nice guy; hes very helpful, Bromley said, adding she has known Pizarro for many years. He worked really hard on the campaign. Hes obviously somebody that Ganim is comfortable with. Anybody I know thinks Dannys a great guy.
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BRIDGEPORT  Mario Testa breaks more sweat in the kitchens of his Italian and pizza restaurants than he did during his re-election Monday as Democratic chairman.

The vote against political newcomer Angel Figueroa was not even close, at 81-6, with two abstentions.

Give us one second just to count it up, moderator Thomas McCarthy, Bridgeports City Council president, told the crowd in the ballroom at Testos catering facility, which Testa owns, in the North End.

Whether McCarthy meant to be funny or not, the diverse crowd laughed, given how clear the victory was.

It was a far cry from last Septembers divisive mayoral convention, in which then-Mayor Bill Finch squeaked out a win over Testa ally, ex-Mayor Joe Ganim, only to fall to Ganim in Septembers primary.

And when Ganim handily won Novembers general election over a Finch-backed petition candidate, Testa boasted to the Connecticut Post of having planned it all for two years

If Bill Finch would have respect for the chairman, he would still be the mayor, Testa said at the time.

Victory celebration

Monday was a night for showing that respect. Former Bridgeport Mayor John Fabrizi, for example, who angered Testa by voting for Finch at the convention, cast one of those 81 votes that kept him as chairman of the Democratic Town Committee.

And Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, made time to witness Testas victory.

That was an honor for Bridgeport to have a majority leader from the Senate come down to pay homage to us, Testa said after forgoing a victory speech.

Homage was a good word, given the kind of power Testa seems to wield in Connecticuts largest city, and beyond its borders. Really, Monday was more of a re-coronation than a contest.

The only people who dared challenge Testa were Maria Pereira and a few other new members elected to the committee earlier this month from the Upper East Side.

Pereira, a school board member who backed, then soured on Ganim, nominated Figueroa, who moved to the city from New York three years ago and has been battling poor living conditions at his Success Village Apartments.

Angel represents a new breed of Democrats in our beloved city, Pereira said, one where those in leadership care more about the well-being of their neighbors and community rather than themselves. ... Angel didnt organize over 300 unit owners to oust the Success Village Board because he sought compensation, political power or employment. He did it because he genuinely cares about the living and safety standards of his community. Angel represents a fresh new breeze blowing.

In an interview prior to Mondays vote, Figueroa admitted he had not expected to win.

But theres a point Im trying to convey ... that we are independent thinkers, he said, that we are not run or puppeted by the city.

Testa was nominated by Town Clerk Lydia Martinez, activist and frequent mayoral candidate Charlie Coviello, Councilwoman Mary McBride-Lee and ex-state Sen. Ernest Newton.

He's always kept his word, Coviello said of Testa.

Newton said Testa has done a yeomans job to try and keep the party together.

Focus on elections, Legislature

The local Democrats last big split came after Finch fell to Ganim, then, rather than embracing the nominee, urged his supporters to instead vote for petition candidate Mary-Jane Foster in Novembers general election. What at first seemed like a potentially close race, with some of Finchs advisers joining Fosters campaign, was, like Testas re-election Monday, a blowout.

Back in charge, one of Testas priorities will be delivering a big victory locally for the Democratic presidential candidate in November. Ganim, after congratulating Testa, took a shot in a speech at the GOP contenders, one of whom  businessman and reality television star Donald Trump  had planned to build a casino in Bridgeport in the mid-1990s, when Ganim was last mayor.

We cant allow the progress of the last eight years (under President Barack Obama) to fall to some crazy on the Republican side, Ganim said.

Testa will also work with Ganim to ensure that whatever state lawmakers do to address Connecticuts budget deficit does not harm Bridgeport.

On his way out the door Monday, Duff noted the city can continue to count on an already-passed cut to the automobile tax and sharing in a portion of sales tax revenues.

Even with all the financial challenges the state has had, we have not cut municipal or education aid, Duff said. Everythings still in conversation, but thats been our record so far.

Testa said he met with Duff Monday morning on the same topic  state aid.

He stopped by to see me. He said he will do his best to take care of Bridgeport and the rest of the large cities, Testa said. Ive known him for many years. He will work hard for it.
Dairy Queen is getting ahead of the summer season by giving away free ice cream Tuesday.

Connecticut residents can stop by Dairy Queen on March 15 to grab a free ice cream cone for DQ's Free Cone Day, aimed at drumming up donations for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. The promotion is running all-day Tuesday, except at DQ locations within malls, and is limited to one per customer.
FAIRFIELD  A mail carrier, a landscaper, a Sturges Highway jogger and a Sycamore Lane resident out for a walk are among the growing number of town residents reporting attacks by hawks over the past week and a half.

The reports to police about aggressive raptors started last Friday and continued this week, prompting animal control officials to call in the Fire Department to help dislodge the birds nests.

The attacks, most of them in the Mill Plain Road area, revived memories of similar incidents four years ago, when five people, including students at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, were targeted by dive-bombing hawks. Several people suffered bloody head wounds from the attacks.

While two of the recent incidents occurred near Sturges Highway, the rest have been centered around Sycamore Lane and Old Mill Road, not far from the Mill River to the west and Sturges Park to the east. Those hawks have apparently been nesting in trees on Sycamore Lane.

Town Animal Control Officer Paul Miller said a different hawk is believed to be responsible for attacks near Sturges Highway, which runs through the Greenfield Hill section of town. Police received a call around 12:30 p.m. last Friday from a Sturges Highway resident, who said her husband had been attacked by a hawk in front of their home. Her husband suffered a cut to his scalp inflicted by the bird, according to the report. Also on Friday, a Redding Road resident said she was jogging on Sturges Highway around 8:30 a.m. when something struck the back of her head. She never saw the bird, but ended up with an egg-sized lump on her head, according to the report.

Since news began spreading about the series of hawk attacks, several other residents have called to report that they, too, have been attacked recently.

An Unquowa Road resident said she was walking on Sycamore Lane around noon Thursday of last week, when something hit the back of her head. The woman suffered a cut to her head in the encounter, although she said she never saw the stealthy bird that apparently inflicted the wound.

Sycamore Lane resident Jane McDonald was walking through her neighborhood Saturday about 8:30 a.m. when a hawk, which she saw perched in a low tree, flew at her, striking her head and knocking off her hat. It felt as though a person punched me in the head, she said of the incident.

McDonald added she was not seriously injured, but said she has since seen the hawk sitting in a birch tree in her front yard, looking directly into her picture window.

I love to garden, McDonald said, but now admits shes a bit nervous about going outdoors. Weve seen them for a few weeks now, she said, and would see the raptors circling high above while walking her dog outdoors.

Another Sycamore Lane resident, Allison Cleary, pointed out the hawk nest, high up in a thin tree near her backyard. The birds built a new nest, she said, after a nest on property next door was removed.

Cleary said she has had no run-ins with the hawks, which she said are not uncommon for the neighborhood. She said about two years ago, a nest had to be removed from the area because the hawks were diving at, but apparently not attacking, children waiting for the school bus.

On Tuesday, a landscaper was working in a backyard on Old Mill Road about 1:15 p.m., and while picking up branches, he saw a hawk in a tree. At the same time, he told animal control officers, a second hawk then flew from behind, striking him in the head.

The landscaper went to a local walk-in clinic for treatment of what he estimated were about 10 head wounds.

The neighborhood mail carrier said he, too, has been attacked by a hawk while making deliveries. Now, he scans the sky before getting out of his truck, and if he has a package to deliver, he carries it above his head like a shield to ward off possible attacks.

Animal control officers searched the area last week, and located a pair of hawks beginning to build a nest nearby. One of the hawks flew directly at an officer, at about eye level, but the officer was not struck.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been notified about the incidents, and Miller said his officers have been trying to get photos of the birds to determine if one of them has been banded for identification. One of two aggressive red-shouldered hawks removed from Barlow Road in 2012 was banded.

Miller said the officers can dislodge the hawk nests as long as they hold no eggs, and they did so Wednesday with help from firefighters, who use a high-pressure spray to sweep the nests from trees. Three nests were removed, Miller said, who added that no special permission from state or federal agencies was needed.

While officials think the birds are either red-tailed or red-shouldered hawks, a Sycamore Lane resident said the hawk that sits in a tree on the edge of his property every day just before sunset appears to be a broad-winged hawk.

In 2012, hawk attacks in the general Mill Plain area began in January, and the incidents included injuries inflicted on a student leaving the Fairfield Ludlowe campus and a woman knocked off her bicycle. In March of that year, a falconer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came to town to remove one of two red-shouldered hawks that had built a nest on Barlow Road.

The red-shouldered hawk is a common forest-dwelling bird that can be found in the eastern U.S. and California, according to Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology. The bird can grow to 2 feet in length, weigh as much as 27 ounces and have a 42-inch wing span.

This particular bird of prey, perhaps the most vocal American hawk, is known to eat small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and crayfish. Its nest, often assembled in the main crotch of a tree near water, is usually a "large bowl" of sticks, dried leaves, strips of bark, Spanish moss, lichens and live conifer twigs.
Thumbs up to the drop in pedestrian deaths last year from the year before, according to the Governors Highway Association. The group compared data from the first half of 2015, to the same period in 2014 to show that the fatalities had decreased from 16 to 15. Although Connecticut is not among the 26 states in the country to see an increase, the numbers are still too high. That is why we support a bill, passed by the Judiciary Committee last week, to fine $500 to drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. More education is needed, both for drivers and walkers, about the proper use of crosswalks and walk lights.

Thumbs up to the 8 percent decline in personal and business bankruptcy filings last year in Fairfield County and the state. From a post-recession high of 11,518 bankruptcies in Connecticut in 2010, the numbers have steadily  though slowly  dipped to 6,294 in 2015. In Fairfield County last year, more than 1,450 filed, which is 130 fewer than the previous year. May the numbers keep going lower as the sluggish economy improves in the months ahead.
Somerset jury finds two of three defendants guilty of murder

Now in its fifth day of testimony and seventh day overall, the double murder trial taking place in Somerset County is now over. The jury decided.
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The number of students at the University of Memphis has hit a seven-year low. This comes despite early indications that the school would retain more students this semester than in the previous spring.

The drop has a major effect on U of Mas bottom line.

Thatas because a majority Memphisas funding comes from tuition, mandatory and non-mandatory student fees, said David Zettergren, vice president for business and finance for the university.

This semester has 19,433 students, the lowest number of students since spring 2009, when there were just 19,343 students.

Enrollment is a acriticala part of how the school funds itself, Zettergren wrote in an email sent to The Daily Helmsman.

Tuition and student fees make up about 62 percent of the universityas revenue, Zettergren said.

Tennesseeas state government contributes less than 33 percent of the U of Mas operating budget. The remaining funding comes from donations and grants the university wins.

Consistent declining enrollment has forced the U of M to reduce costs, dip into acarry forward funds from prior yearsa and limit awhat is allocated to departments,a Zettergren wrote.

Enrollment appeared to be on an upshot in January when M. David Rudd, university president, shared early enrollment data with the campus community in an email.

aFor the first time in many years, our spring enrollment has grown,a Rudd wrote in the email dated Jan 27.

At that time, the numbers indicated that the U of Mas spring enrollment had increased by 1.6 percent or 321 students, according to the email sent by the president. However, those numbers have changed.

Data released in March by the U of Mas Office of Institutional Research indicates spring enrollment decreased by a little more than 2 percent a a drop of 405 students.

The difference between Ruddas numbers, and the recently released data is likely the natural aebb and flowa of a university semester, said Steve McKellips, vice provost of Enrollment Services.

aThere is still a lot of decision making going on, at the individual student level, right up to the end of the semester,a McKellips said.

McKellips said there isnat a single reason to explain why Memphisas enrollment is down. aIf there were really an easy target we would address it,a McKellips said.

aIt really comes down to students and families making decisions on an individual level.a

While overall enrollment dropped, the U of M saw gains in specific areas. When compared to last spring, the university saw a 7 percent gain in transfer students, and a 40 percent increase in first-time freshmen.

Memphis also seems to be whittling away at the number of students who leave between fall and spring. The school lost 5.6 percent of students between fall and spring, which is the lowest percent drop since 2010.
Two state legislators have filed a bill that would increase the number of courses that Tennessees full-time state employees may enroll in without paying tuition charges, maintenance fees, student activity fees, registration fees or online course fees from one to four.

Senate Bill 1625/House Bill 1699, filed by state Sen. Paul Bailey and state Rep. Joe Pitts, would also make full-time employees of the state of Tennessee eligible for enrollment in up to four courses per academic year at any state supported college or university, college of applied technology, or the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute.

Among other changes, the bill is seeking to clarify that state employees shall be eligible to enroll in up to four courses per academic year, rather than one course per term.

There are currently four distinct terms, including two minisemesters, which would allow a state employee student to take four courses in a year under current law, according to a fiscal note drafted by the Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee.

The proposed bill would affect full-time state employees who also enroll in courses as soon as the 2016-2017 academic year.

However, the full-time state employees course of choice can neither be more than four credit hours nor 120 clock hours, and the tuition fee waiver can only be used for one course at a time.

Those who want to apply a tuition waiver towards enrollment in online courses through the Regents Online Degree Program will be limited each year, and availability will be determined by the amount of funds allotted to such online course fee waivers.

Since the bill proposes no increase in the number of courses taken by eligible state employees, no increase in the number of waivers that will be given to state employees and no increase in the amount of the tuition and fee waiver, the state does not anticipate an increase in spending.

This act shall take effect June 1, 2016, the public welfare requiring it, and shall apply to the 2016-2017 academic year and academic years thereafter, according to Senate Bill 1625.
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As a piece of crisp political analysis, Andy Burnhams description of the EU as remote, arrogant, and anti-democratic was faultless. Indeed, we couldnt have put it better ourselves.

So having accurately identified the evils of Brussels, the Mail has one question for the shadow Home Secretary. Why is he so desperate to remain?

In a remarkably candid speech, Mr Burnham admitted to Cambridge students that the Leave campaign was winning the argument and that his working class constituents in Greater Manchester were in the mood to pull out.

Andy Burnham admitted to Cambridge students that the Leave campaign was winning the argument. So why is he so desperate to remain?

If he had to lay money on the outcome of the referendum, he said he would bet on a win for Brexit.

But instead of conceding that those who elected him might have a point, he believes they are misguided and should change their minds. In the patronising language of the political class  who, of course, always know best  he described their concerns as petty frustrations.

Now whos being remote, arrogant and undemocratic?

Mr Burnhams constituents are at the sharp end of migration in a way that the Euro-elite clearly doesnt understand. Its their schools and hospitals which are being stretched to breaking point, their children who will suffer from the chronic housing shortage and their GP surgeries which are hugely oversubscribed.

And the situation worsens by the day. Annual net migration is already running at over 330,000 and with up to two million people expected to enter the EU from the Middle East this year, that total is certain to rise.

Only by securing our own borders can the tide be stemmed and that cant be achieved until we wrest back sovereignty from Brussels.

As we have repeatedly warned in this column, the consequence of a remote political class foisting uncontrolled mass immigration on the public without consultation is the rise of the ugly far-Right. If the people feel ignored, they are attracted to extreme parties.

Anyone who doubts that should ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose ruling Christian Democrats were humiliated in regional elections on Sunday by Alternative for Germany  a party so xenophobic that its leader thinks border guards should be allowed to shoot illegal migrants.

Osborne committed British business to a minimum wage of 9 an hour by 2020

Cost of a living wage

After George Osborne committed British business to a minimum wage of 9 an hour (the living wage) by 2020 in last years Budget, the Mail expressed fears that the extra expense could lead to some firms employing fewer staff.

As we report today, those fears are now being realised, as some of Britains biggest companies cut back on recruiting and reduce hours of existing staff.

Everyone deserves decent wages, of course, but employers must also be able to afford them.

We sincerely hope the Chancellor will be careful to ensure that measures in tomorrows Budget will increase job prospects rather than hamper them.

Cherish old friends

It was good to see the Prime Minister attending yesterdays Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, an event he missed last year.

With so much focus on the EU, its important that we dont forget some of our oldest friends and allies  and not just for sentimental reasons. Two billion people live in Britains former colonies, nearly a third of the worlds population.
When historians look back at the early 21st century, one woman will surely stand out.

For the past ten years, Angela Merkel has been the most powerful woman in the world, her skills undisputed and her position unassailable.

As Chancellor of Germany since 2005, she has wielded far more influence than any other European leader.

In the aftermath of the regional elections in three German states this weekend, the Iron Chancellor suddenly looks shockingly vulnerable

When the euro tottered a few years ago, it was Mrs Merkel who led the campaign to defend it.

When more than a million migrants poured into Turkey and Greece last year, it was Mrs Merkel who demanded the EU let them in.

No wonder her admirers call her the Iron Chancellor, 'the indispensable European'.

Yet now, in the aftermath of the regional elections in three German states this weekend, the Iron Chancellor suddenly looks shockingly vulnerable.

Gambled

Like so many titanic figures before her, she's become haughty, ossified and increasingly remote from the people she leads.

And when Merkel gambled that the German people would happily welcome more than a million refugees  a vast exercise to show off how virtuous she is that has steadily gone horribly wrong  she may well have signed her political death warrant.

That is the obvious conclusion from Sunday's election results.

In the wealthy western states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Rhineland Palatinate, Mrs Merkel's Christian Democratic party lost considerable ground, while in Saxony-Anhalt, formerly part of her native East Germany, her party only just managed to cling on to power.

But the big story is the surge in support for the xenophobic far Right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), which, after an aggressive anti-immigrant campaign, won a staggering 24 per cent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt.

It is worth reflecting on just how unprecedented this is. In Britain, where memories of World War II remain unusually vivid, we are often tempted to think of the Germans as particularly prone to Right-wing populism, as though inside every Munich middle manager a Nazi stormtrooper is just itching to click his heels and salute the Fuhrer.

When Merkel gambled that the German people would happily welcome more than a million refugees, she may well have signed her political death warrant

The reality, however, could hardly be more different. In fact, no European country since 1945 has so completely rejected the appeals of the far Right.

As the German commentator Wolfgang Merkel  no relation  recently remarked, his country's bloody history has meant that, for years, 'Right-wing populist or extreme-Right parties have been considered taboo . . . like aliens in the political sphere'.

Thus there has never been a serious German equivalent of the French Front National, let alone Hungary's thuggish Jobbik party or Greece's Golden Dawn, and no German rabble-rouser has ever come even vaguely close to matching the appeal of Marine Le Pen, who seems likely to attract millions of votes at the French presidential election.

Instead, most German politicians have been boringly moderate and supremely competent, rather like Mrs Merkel herself. As a result, their recent history has been a model of economic prudence and political responsibility.

Indeed, if our own politicians had been half as good as their German equivalents, you wonder just how much more prosperous and better governed Britain might be today.

Yet thanks, in large part, to Mrs Merkel's stunning naivety, the old taboos have begun to crumble. Founded in 2013, the AfD makes no secret of its hostility to migrants, even encouraging policemen to shoot them dead at the border.

Equally worryingly, its support is no longer concentrated merely in the poorer, formerly Communist East, where voters have tended to be hostile to outsiders.

In both Baden-Wurttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, the AfD won more than 10 per cent of the vote, picking up seats in the regional parliaments.

Founded in 2013, the AfD makes no secret of its hostility to migrants, even encouraging policemen to shoot them dead at the border

By the end of 2017, many observers expect it will have won several seats in the national parliament, the Bundestag, too. That would turn this virulently anti-immigrant Right-wing party into a national vehicle for opposition to Mrs Merkel's governing 'grand coalition', run by her Christian Democrats in alliance with the centre-Left Social Democrats.

It is true, of course, that after more than ten years at the top, Mrs Merkel's halo was always likely to slip eventually.

It was at precisely this point in her own political career, for example, that another Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, became isolated from public opinion in her Downing Street bunker, sliding slowly but inexorably towards her own political downfall.

Some observers have long wondered whether Mrs Merkel's defining traits  her caution, remoteness and secretiveness  would one day undermine her.

As one profile even argued this weekend, she has 'a political style that comes out of the authoritarian culture of the German Democratic Republic [i.e. Communist East Germany]', where she grew up.

Crisis

The grim irony, though, is that Mrs Merkel's determination to avoid the worst horrors of the Communist regime may have played a central part in her eventual downfall.

Remember she grew up in a haunted, paranoid world of walls and watchtowers, border guards and surveillance stations.

Mrs Merkel's determination to avoid the worst horrors of the Communist regime may have played a central part in her eventual downfall

When the migrant crisis began, more than a year ago, she told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban she was determined to avoid the mistakes of the past. 'I lived behind a fence too long,' she reportedly said, 'for me to now wish for those times to return.'

Hence her decision to throw open Germany's borders, inviting an estimated 1.1 million migrants, most North African and Middle Eastern, to settle in 2015 alone.

Nobody doubts that Mrs Merkel was acting with the very best of intentions. But as surely anyone with an ounce of common sense could have told her, such a rapid influx of outsiders was bound to end in disaster.

There could, for example, hardly have been a more potent advertisement for the anti-immigrant far Right than the appalling scenes in Cologne on New Year's Eve, when roving mobs of predominantly North African men reportedly attacked and sexually assaulted a staggering 1,000 women.

And what made matters worse is that the German authorities initially tried to cover it up.

Devastating

In the short term, at least, Mrs Merkel's position seems safe, not least since her own party has no serious candidate to replace her.

Yet as the example of Margaret Thatcher shows, when a previously impregnable politician begins to lose support, a trickle of opposition can very quickly turn into a devastating flood.

Although far Right parties in countries such as Hungary and Greece do not really pose an existential threat to peace in Europe, the prospect of the extreme Right gaining ground in Germany is altogether more disturbing

There is also a lesson here for Britain's politicians. Noble intentions can all too easily have corrosive consequences.

Of course, Britain has a proud record of helping those in dire need. Yet, at a time when public anxiety about immigration is running high, our political elite must take care not to stretch voters' patience too far  for none of us wants to see a party like the AfD thriving here.

The bigger question, though, concerns the future of German politics itself.

For the truth is that, although far Right parties in countries such as Hungary and Greece do not really pose an existential threat to peace in Europe, the prospect of the extreme Right gaining ground in Germany is altogether more disturbing.

For more than 70 years, Germany has been a model of post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation, banishing memories of the Third Reich to become a beacon of peace and prosperity, and a model to the rest of Europe.

Yet now, thanks to the most toxic issue of our age  migration  the demons of nativism, xenophobia and racial hatred have been let loose at the heart of Europe's richest and most powerful nation.
Getting hold of the latest cult beauty product that everyone's talking about doesn't come cheaply.

But is it really worth parting with upwards of 20 to get your hands on the latest luxury product, when the high street is awash with purse-friendly alternatives?

FEMAIL writer Rebecca Cox, 29, pitted some of the beauty world's favourite luxury buys against their bargain rivals, to see if there is a difference between the high end and the high street.

Scroll down for video

Rebecca Cox made applied 200 of high end, cult beauty products (left) to see how they measured up to high street alternatives (right). The cheaper make-up cost Rebecca 43

With the average British woman reportedly spending 2,000 a year on cosmetics, keeping up with the latest trends can be an expensive habit.

For example, Urban Decay's much-loved Naked Palette has inspired a host of penny-pinching alternatives.

So is it still worth handing over the 38 asking price for the original, when you can buy an almost identical shadow collection for 4 in your local Superdrug?

I chose eight iconic high-end products ranging in price from 18.50 to 49, including brands like MAC and Charlotte Tilbury, and matched them to high street alternatives, all under 8.

I used the products to create the same subtle smoky eye look with contoured cheeks and a pink glossy lip, trends all spotted across the SS16 catwalks.

So with one look costing over 200 for all the products and the other under 50, can you tell the difference?

MAC Studio Fix Fluid (22) VS Rimmel's Lasting Finish Foundation (7.99)

MAC's Studio Fix Fluid is used at dozens of fashion shows every season by professional make-up artists, and is a firm favourite among beauty editors and industry experts.I applied it using Benefit's foundation brush and it applied smoothly and evenly, and it sits on top of skin to create an even tone to skin that is great if you like a flawless-looking finish.

I compared it to Rimmel's Lasting Finish Foundation, also using Benefit's foundation brush, which promises to stay put for 25 hours. The finish given by Rimmel's product was similar, it providing the promised full, even coverage.

Rimmel's product feels a little lighter, with added serum to give a slightly more glowing finish, which feels more natural than show-ready-flawless.

Both products give a long-lasting coverage, but MAC's Studio Fix Fluid keeps all your make-up set in place for longer.

Best buy: MAC's Studio Fix Fluid

Rebecca tested MAC Studio Fix Fluid, 22, (left) against Rimmel's Lasting Finish Foundation, 7.99, (right)

The Mac foundation (left) sat on top of Rebecca's skin to create an even tone and a flawless-looking finish. Rimmel's Lasting Finish Foundation (right) also gave full, even coerage and added serum provided a glowing finish

MAC's 22 Studio Fix Fluid (left) is used at dozens of fashion shows every season by professional make-up artists. Rimmel's 7.99 Lasting Finish Foundation (right) promises to stay put for 25 hours

Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze & Glow (49) VS Barry M's Chisel Cheeks three-colour palette (6.49)

Contour kits have been a new addition to most brands' offering over the last two years thanks to the Kardashian-back make-up trend.

One of the most luxurious versions is Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze & Glow (49).

The two-colour kit gives a luxe, glossy finish to the cheeks, and for part of that 49 price tag you're paying for the beautiful rose-gold mirrored compact and Charlotte's A-list artistry expertise.

I used a Bobbi Brown blush brush to apply the two powders underneath and along the top of my cheekbones. I was really impressed with the glowing, contoured finish it gave in just a few strokes.

Barry M's Chisel Cheeks three-colour palette (6.49) was the brand's best-selling product of 2015, and an instant sell-out when it launched.

While the packaging is nowhere near as luxurious, I found the results of this bargain product were great.

I applied using the same Bobbi Brown blush brush and while it needed a few more strokes than the Charlotte Tilbury kit, the same chiselled finish was achieved. Although in this case it was a matte look rather than luminous.

Best buy: Barry M's Chisel Cheeks

Rebecca contoured with Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze & Glow (left) and Barry M's Chisel Cheeks (right)

The make up fan was impressed with the glowing, contoured finish the Charlotte Tilbury product (left) gave in just a few strokes. She achieved the same chiselled finish with the Barry M kit (right) although it took a few more strokes to get it right

Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze & Glow, 49, is one of the most luxurious contouring kits on the market

Barry M Chisel Cheeks is a rival for Charlotte Tilbury's 49 contouring kit and costs just 6.49

Clinique's Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder (23.50) VS Maybelline's Matte Maker Powder (3.99)

Clinique's Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder (23.50) provided a great finishing touch to the luxury make-up look.

I used the included sponge applicator to banish shine from the T-zone and chin, and found that the powder went on finely avoiding dry patches.

The chic green compact is a great handbag accessory for touching up on the go, too.

Maybelline's Matte Maker Powder is a snip at 3.99 and gives an equally smooth finish.

However it doesn't come with an applicator or mirror, so I had to use a powder brush to apply.

It gave just as smooth a finish, but without an applicator or mirror it's not much use for touching up on the go.

Best buy: Clinique's Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder

Clinique's Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder, costing 23.50, comes in a chic green compact (left) and is great for touching up on the go. Maybelline's Matte Maker Powder doesn't come with an applicator or mirror so Rebecca needed a separate brush to apply (right)

The Clinique powder (left) banished shine from Rebecca's T-zone and chin, and she found that the powder went on finely avoiding dry patches. Maybelline's Matte Maker Powder gave an equally smooth finish (right)

Maybelline's Matte Maker Powder (left) is a snip at 3.99 and gives a smooth finish to rival Clinique's Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder, which costs 23.50 (right)

Urban Decay's Naked Palette (38) VS Make-up Revolution's Redemption Palette (4)

On the eyes I compared Urban Decay's Naked Palette (38) to Make-up Revolution's Redemption Palette (4).

The shades on offer are nearly identical, with a mixture of metallic and matte shades ranging from cream to black.

Some of the 34 price difference is evident in the packaging, with the Urban Decay palette hosting a built in mirror and super-soft double-ended brush, which I used to apply the shadows with.

The shadows are highly pigmented, meaning you don't need much to create a strong look, and the colours blend easily into each other to create a smoky effect using your fingertip.

The Make-up Revolution's Redemption Palette provides a double-ended bud to apply the shadow, which I found to be less effective than a fingertip to apply the shadows.

The product was much less pigmented than the Urban Decay palette meaning that multiple applications are necessary to build up a noticeable colour. The shades, once on, are quite similar however.

Best buy: Urban Decay's Naked Palette

On the eyes Rebecca compared Urban Decay's Naked Palette (left) to Make-up Revolution's Redemption Palette (right)

The Urban Decay shadows (left) are highly pigmented, meaning you don't need much to create a strong look. The shades in Make-up Revolution's Redemption Palette (right) were less pigmented, meaning Rebecca needed more applications to build a noticeable colour

The Urban Decay Naked palette, costs 38, and comes with a built in mirror and super-soft double-ended brush, which Rebecca used to apply the shadows with

The Make-up Revolution's Redemption Palette, costing 4.00, provides a double-ended bud to apply the shadow, which Rebecca found to be less effective than a fingertip to apply the shadows

Burberry's Effortless Liquid Liner (24) VS L'Oreal's Super Liner Superstar (6.99)

For the luxury brand of liquid eyeliners, I chose Burberry's Effortless Liquid Liner (24), which is a felt-tip style pen with a long, super-fine nib.

L'Oreal's Super Liner Superstar (6.99) is almost identical. I applied both along the upper lash line to create a feline flick, and found them both easy to use.

However, the finer nib on the Burberry product made mistakes easier to correct.

Best buy: L'Oreal's Super Liner Superstar

To test a luxury brand liquid eyeliners, Rebecca chose Burberry's Effortless Liquid Liner (left), which is a felt-tip style pen with a long, super-fine nib. She found L'Oreal's Super Liner Superstar equally easy to apply and created feline flicks with both

Rebecca found both products easy to apply but the finer nib on the Burberry product (left) made mistakes easier to correct

Burberry's Effortless Liquid Liner (24) was pitted against L'Oreal's Super Liner Superstar (6.99)

Eyeko's Eye Do Mascara (20) VS Maybelline's Great Lash Very Black Mascara (4.99)

For the mascara, I compared a 20 luxury brand to a 4.99 high street option.

Eyeko's Eye Do Mascara (20) is a great high end product, but Maybelline's classic Great Lash Very Black Mascara gives a near identical finish at only 4.99.

The main difference I found in application was the quality of the brush on Eyeko's product, which was bigger with finer bristles, allowing a more precise, clump-free application.

To get around this I'd save by buying the Maybelline mascara and invest in some disposable wands to use when applying.

Best buy: Maybelline's Great Lash Very Black Mascara

Eyeko's Eye Do Mascara (left) has a quality brush which was bigger with finer bristles, allowing a more precise, clump-free application. Rebecca says she'd buy the Maybelline Great Lash Very Black Mascara (right) and use it with disposable wands

Eyeko's Eye Do Mascara is a great high end product, according to Rebecca. But Maybelline's classic Great Lash Very Black Mascara (right) gives a near identical finish

Eyeko's Eye Do Mascara costs 20, but Maybelline's classic Great Lash Very Black Mascara gives a near identical finish at only 4.99

Benefit's Gimme Brow (18.50) VS Rimmel's Brow This Way Styling Gel (3.99)

Benefit's brow products are the UK's number one and two best-sellers in the UK, with the American beauty brand leading the way when it comes to brow grooming.

I compared their easy-to-use Gimme Brow (18.50) to Rimmel's budget Brow This Way Styling Gel (3.99).

Both apply easily to the brows with their mascara-style wands. Both products gave a fuller, more groomed brow in just a few strokes.

Rimmel's version giving a bolder, more smoky finish while Benefit's smaller, harder brush allows for a more precise application.

Best buy: Benefit's Gimme Brow

Rebecca found that both Benefit's Gimme Brow (left) and Rimmel's Brow This Way Styling Gel (right) boosted her brows

Benefit's smaller, harder brush allows for a more precise application (left) while Rimmel's version (right) gives a bolder, more smoky finish

Rebecca compared Benefit's easy-to-use Gimme Brow (18.50) with to Rimmel's budget Brow This Way Styling Gel (3.99)

Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine (26.50) VS Barry M's Lip Boss (4.99)

To finish my spring make-up look I compared Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine in Hollywood (26.50) to Barry M's Lip Boss (4.99) in At The End Of The Day.

The main difference in the products is the comfort; both gave a glossy finish but Dior's product is not sticky at all, and has a slightly higher pink pigment.

I found Barry M's gloss looked really glossy but felt a little sticky on the lips. Just add a gust of wind and a loose strand of hair for a genuine beauty crisis.

Best buy: Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine

Rebecca applied Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine (left) in Hollywood and Barry M's Lip Boss (right) in At The End Of The Day

Both gave a glossy finish but Dior's product (left) was not sticky at all, and has a slightly higher pink pigment, while Barry M's (right) was a lot more sticky

Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine in Hollywood (26.50)

Barry M's Lip Boss (4.99) in At The End Of The Day

THE VERDICT

The bargain beauty brands created a look that was comparable to the luxury brands in terms of colour and ease of use. However they were just falling short in several categories like pigment and durability.

I was expecting there to be a much bigger difference between the end result using the budget brands as compared to the luxury products; I use some of the more expensive products every day and hadn't considered trading them for cheaper versions.

In nearly every instance the luxury brands were quicker to achieve results with, but the final look was quite similar. While I preferred the feel and application of nearly all the high-end products, I think the end result of the budget brands is just as good, if not even better.

Rebecca preferred the feel of the luxury products (left), which cost a total of 221.50 as she applied them, but thought the end result with budget products (right) worth 43.43 was just as impressive if not better

The cost of the budget products added up to 43.43, while it would cost 221.50 to splash out on all the luxury products I used.

I'll definitely be keeping the high end products as my go-tos in most cases, but will definitely top up my beauty bag with some of these great budget options.

I think it's worth choosing budget options when it comes to trend-led purchases like seasonal lip colours and some staples like mascara.
She wants to move as she's still haunted by the revolting incident

A mother-of two reveals how she is still traumatised after her home was flooded with raw sewage which overflowed from her toilet, sink and bath due to blocked pipes at housing association flats.

Michelle Madigan, 47, had her house cleaned twice and all the carpet and laminate flooring taken up following the nightmare incident but said she still feels like her home in Poplar, East London, is 'contaminated'.

'I am constantly seeing sewage throughout the house, filling up my toilet and bathroom. The walls still smell to me. I am still living in sewage,' she said on the latest episode of Channel 5's Britain's Horror Homes.

Michelle Madigan, 47, from Poplar, East London wants to move after her flat was flooded with raw sewage last July. She appears on the latest episode of Channel 5's Britain's Horror Homes

The flat in Poplar is in a block owned by East Thames, pictured, who said the incident was caused by unflushable items blocking the pipes, leading to Michelle's home being flooded with sewage

'The floor is stained where it has been contaminated and I can smell it.'

Michelle has lived in the housing association property, owned by East Thames, with her two children since 2005 and was initially very happy there.

'When I first moved in it was quite nice, a new build. I could cook for the kids, have visitors, my family are nearby so it was a nice place to call home,' she said.

However, her happiness was shattered one morning in July 2015 when she was awoken by the sound of running water and was horrified to discover raw sewage overflowing from her toilet bowl and filling up her sink and bath tub.

On the show, she recalls: 'I woke up at 4am to the sounds of bubbling like a Jacuzzi, then the smell started to hit me of human sewage.

'I jumped up and opened the bathroom door and the toilet was over flowing with human sewage. It was all over the floor.

Michelle's bathroom has been thoroughly cleaned and the floor taken up but she said she can still smell the sewage which came up through her toilet and bath

'The sink was full and the bath was full of urine and faeces. It looked disgusting, it smelt disgusting. The flow was like a waterfall, it just kept coming over.

'All I could think was "Oh My God how am I going to cope with this?"

'The flow was that fast I was putting blankets and towels down but they were getting soaked up too quick.

'I got buckets and tried mopping it up for hours. I felt physically sick I was gagging on several occasions. I just had to close my eyes and keep filling buckets.'

After Michelle rang the housing association and 'begged for help', Thames Water arrived on the scene to help Michelle deal with the problem.

The mother was awoken by the sound of the water flowing into her bathroom and found her bath full of raw sewage which she said looked and smelt disgusting

Michelle's sinks were backed up with sewage and she battled with buckets to try and stop it overflowing. She said: 'I felt physically sick I was gagging on several occasions'

However despite her best efforts Michelle was unable to contain the sewage to the bathroom and it flowed onto her her landing and into her bedroom.

Thames Water was able to stop the flow by clearing the main drains but Michelle's home was deemed unfit for human habitation until it could be thoroughly cleaned.

East Thames put the family up in a hotel for two and a half weeks while they cleared the sewage and cleaned the property, removing the stained carpets and laminate flooring.

The housing association said they were unaware of issues with drainage in the building until a flood was reported in June 2015.

It was said to have been caused by a build up of nappies, wet wipes and other unflushable items that had blocked the sewage pipes.

Michelle said: 'I just had to close my eyes and keep filling buckets' as she tried to contain the sewage overflowing from her toilet

Michelle was helped by Thames Water but her flat wasn't fit for habitation for more than a fortnight. She now says she wants to move as she is no longer happy at the property

Michelle said she now feels 'heartbroken and sad' living in the flat, where she is still haunted by the sight and smell of the sewage that invading her home.

She said she is desperate to move and has asked the housing association if she can be given a new home.

'I don't feel like this is my home any more, I don't want to be here, I feel like it is contaminated,' she said. 'My aim is to get out of this property and move on in life and be able to settle again.'

A spokesman for East Thames told FEMAIL: 'Ms Madigan has not yet been rehoused but we are working with her to help her find somewhere else to live.'
Men have taken to Reddit to share their most harrowing tales of sexual harassment.

After one user named JohnMyers17 asked: 'Men of Reddit, have you been sexually harassed and if so what did you do?' hundreds of people rushed to share their stories.

The post was marked as 'serious' meaning that jokes or puns were off the cards, with men recalling incidents that had happened in bars, clubs and, in some cases, even in the workplace.

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Hundreds of men have taken to Reddit to share their disturbing stories of sexual harassment - from inappropriate comments in the workplace from female co-workers, to being groped on the dancefloor

A lot of respondents, still shaken by their ordeal, were quick to suggest that, if the gender roles had been reversed, the attacks may well have resulted in a conviction.

Anonymous user workonspace recalled: 'When I was an IT intern at 22, I worked with a middle aged woman who would constantly harass me.

'If I was fixing her computer, she'd say stuff like "while you're down there..." She would do this at company outings too, and it made me incredibly uncomfortable.

'I didn't do anything except laugh uncomfortably and try to avoid her at every opportunity.'

Another user recounted a chillingly similar tale, saying: 'I was on my knees fixing a door handle. Some of the women walked by and said, "That's where men need to be."

'I did nothing, but I knew had the situation been reversed, I would have lost my job.'

'When I was working in a pub a hen party had a list of dares. One of them had a dare that said "Touch a random guy's penis". 'She ran up to me as I was collecting glasses and shoved her hand down my trousers,' one said

Wanderlustian shared an even more disturbing tale about a colleague who, he claimed, got away with her behaviour because she was the manager's daughter.

'(She)would routinely spank my butt while walking by when nobody else was around, talk about how since I'm tall I would really ravage her the way she needs, would cup the area of my server apron over my d***, lots of other low key creeper stuff like that,' he recalled.

'I was also young and didn't know how to stand up for myself the way I do now.'

Many of the respondents' anecdotes happened in bars and clubs. One man recalled: 'When I was working in a pub a hen party had a list of dares.

'One of them had a dare that said "Touch a random guy's penis."

One Reddit user, known only as iworkonspace, recalled: 'If I was fixing her computer, she'd say stuff like "while you're down there..." She would do this at company outings too, and it made me incredibly uncomfortable'

'She ran up to me as I was collecting glasses and shoved her hand down my trousers. She also had very long and very sharp nails.

'I remember her screaming "But you're a man!!" when I told her to leave the building before I called the police. The rest of the party turned on me and called me every homophobic name under the sun and left.'

Raskoln1kov recalled a similar experience. He said: 'Was at a bar in New Orleans a few months ago when a waitress randomly grabbed my D (over the pants) because she "wanted to know what I was working with".

'I just laughed but I cant even imagine this happening if genders were reversed.'

Clockworkblk agreed, saying: 'Yep working in a bar as a male leaves you pretty damn open to sexual assault/harassment. Lots of random groping/hugs/kisses etc on a very regular basis.'

Another wrote: 'I got groped at a bar once by a 30-something year old lady. Like full on palmed my crotch. Before that she kept asking to feel my arms, I declined and moved away from her and she followed me.

'When I was a little younger, I think 18, I got this girl's number on the beach and texted her for weeks. She admits to being 16 and I immediately end things. She cyber stalked me for a little.

'Fast forward a few months and she saw me on a fishing pier. We talked for about ten minutes and she kissed me mid conversation. I backed away and she kicked my tackle box off the pier. It was a bad day.'

Another was celebrating turning 18 when he felt someone 'thoroughly grab my asscheek and I hear a slightly slurred "ARE YOU REALLY ALLOWED IN HERE" (in a joking manner but still) I turn around and see a 50 or so year old lady looking at me.
A man who posed as a Donald Trump campaign worker urging people to hand out identification badges to help 'track' Muslims has warned of the dangers of failing to speak out against discrimination.

In a 'public experiment', which has been watched nearly 70,000 times on YouTube, presenter Dustin Wynn approaches people in San Diego and offers them $40 to hand out badges to Muslims and record their name and contact details.

The Republican front-runner has made numerous controversial comments about Muslims so far in his campaign - including calls for a 'total and complete shutdown' of Muslims coming to the US, 'surveillance' of mosques and the introduction of a Muslim database which will enable the government to 'track' all Muslim people.

Social experiment: Dustin Wynn, pictured above, posed as a Donald Trump campaign worker and approached people about helping to 'track' Muslims for money by handing out a badge, pictured

Controversy: Trump, pictured in Tampa, Florida, on Monday, has made numerous negative comments about the religion and has previously called for a Muslim database

In the video, which is titled Forcing Muslims to Wear Badges - Public Experiment, a clip of Trump answering questions about his controversial suggestion is played, with the presidential candidate readily defending his policy suggestion, saying: 'There should be a lot of systems beyond databases.

'We should have a lot of systems, and today you can do it.'

Dustin is first shown approaching non Muslims - who seem disturbingly welcoming of his approaches - and later Muslims who are hurt and angered by the suggestion of wearing a badge.

Approaching one man he says: 'We're trying to stop terrorism in this country so we have these badges which we give to you for free. Each one you give out is $40...

'So I work for the Donald Trump presidential campaign and we're just trying to you know keep a surveillance of everything because of everything that's been happening with Isis and San Bernardino and all that.

'You get their name, phone number, we call them, we verify they're Muslim and then ask them for their information and everything.

'Once we verify that we'll just send you the check.'

Shocking: A video of Dustin's experiment, pictured, right, approaching a member of the public, left, above, has been watched nearly 70,000 times on YouTube

Signing up: Many of the people that Dustin approaches readily agree to his request, and happily offer up their information, before taking the badges off his hands

Rather than saying no or questioning the ethics of the idea, the man sounds positive and interested.

Indeed, for the most part that seems to be the theme of the video, during which not one person makes a negative comment about what Dustin is doing - people either readily agree to his request, or they simply walk on, without a second thought.

One man initially responds by saying 'no thank you' but then comes back after realizing that he will get paid, saying 'wait I get $40, does it cost money or anything?'

Once the concept behind it has been explained he says: 'Yeah sure that's pretty easy...sure.'

Another man enthusiastically tells Dustin that the concept of the badges and 'keeping track of terrorists' is a 'good thing', before saying: 'I'm down with that. I hate those guys, I'm Christian myself.

'My dad is going to vote for Donald Trump and I might vote for him too. I like him, I've always liked Donald Trump.'

Hurt: One Muslim woman he approached, pictured above, was moved to tears by his comments

Offensive: The woman, pictured above talking to Dustin, is appalled by his suggestion of wearing a badge

Hateful: One Muslim man, pictured above, compared Dustin's suggestion to Hitler's treatment of Jews

Appalled: Dustin said not one of the non-Muslims he spoke to confronted him about what he was doing

He then adds: 'Thank you for what you're doing, if you talk to Trump, you tell him that the homies are with him.'

Most of the non-Muslims filmed seem totally unperturbed by the absurdity of Dustin's suggestion and he claims that after three days of filming the experiment, 'not one person confronted me for Nazi-like discrimination'.

He claims they all either 'kept on walking...or accepted the job'.

But when he approaches Muslims with the suggestion their response is the polar opposite.

'Are you guys Muslim?' he asks one group of men as he approaches them in a parking lot. 'I'm working for the Donald Trump presidential campaign and I was hired to go around and give these badges to all Muslims so that we can keep track of who all the terrorists are.

'So would you guys like to have them?'

The men are stunned into silence by his request, before one simply asks: 'What?'

Acceptance: He said all non-Muslim people he spoke to either 'kept on walking...or accepted the job'

Action: The powerful video calls on people to take action rather than act as 'bystanders'

Another man says: 'So you give these to a Muslim person, and you keep track of that person... Why would you want to keep track of that person?

'You cannot put the blame, or categorize people by religion, and call them terrorists.'

One Muslim woman is even moved to tears by Dustin's advances.

When asked whether she is a Muslim, she says: 'Yeah, why? You got a problem?'

After hearing his Why should I? I am a Muslim and I am not a terrorist. I'm not going to wear this.'

A Muslim man responds with astonishment saying: 'Oh so he's trying to do a Hitler kind of thing?

'It looks like he's trying to put a symbol on everyone just like Hitler did with all the Jews.'

He later warns Dustin: 'You should just be aware of what you're doing too.'
She can eat six burritos in 12 minutes, 22 Big Macs in less than an hour and a fried breakfast including 20 large eggs, a kilogram of bacon, six sausages, four muffins, mushrooms and tomato chutney, in 42 minutes.

But while you might think that this would mean that the New Zealand model and competitive eater, Nela Zisser, 23, would starve herself before she faces a big competition, in fact she eats as much as she can, in order to stretch her stomach.

Speaking on The Morning Show in Australia on March 15, Ms Zisser explained how the best preparation for an eating competition is to stuff her stomach as full as she can in advance.

National appearance: Competitive eater Nela Zisser appeared on The Morning Show in Australia on March 15

Competition prep: During the clip, the 23-year-old says she tries to stretch her stomach before a competition

Basically you just need to eat enough the day before to kind of get your stomach stretched, and then you just go into it with a good technique and hope you win, she said on The Morning Show.

[When youre doing a competition] you just have to zone out a little bit and just try to eat it as quickly as possible so you just put yourself into a kind of zone where youre trying to get it down as fast as you can.

Later on, the unlikely professional eater confessed that she is not worried about whether doctors think there will be any long-term effects from her competitive eating:

Usual routine: She explained that 'you have to zone out and eat as quickly as possible' during a competition

Healthy and happy: The former model also said that doctors are not concerned by her professional eating

In one of our labs we tested our blood pressure and our lung capacity, and I actually had the best one in the class so I think Im okay.

The 23-year-old former Miss Earth and current model also said that she doesnt do much after a big competition, saying that she doesnt really feel like moving around very much.

She also revealed that there is one thing she hates  olives:

Not to her taste: While she says she doesn't like olives, Ms Zisser says she would eat them if she had to

Huge hopes: She is about to go to Houston and Texas to compete against some of the world's best eaters

If I had to eat them in a competition I probably would, but I wouldnt like them very much.

Ms Zisser is off to the Houston and Texas in the United States this year to compete against some of the biggest competitive eaters in the world.

And with a record that currently includes a dozen doughnuts in 98 seconds, a kilo of bananas in just over a minute and 10,000 calories of ice cream in about 11 minutes, this is certainly unlikely to be the last youll hear from Nela Zisser.

Record holder: Nela Zisser's records include being able to eat 10,000 calories of ice cream in 11 minutes
While hurrying around the shops last week, I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by a shocking sight.

Two women in their 30s were walking towards me, so horrifically thin that the skin on their faces stretched like parchment when they smiled.

Their limbs were stick-like and their posture stooped with coat-hanger shoulders. It would be a disturbing sight for anyone to see, but for me the shock was immeasurable.

These were my twin daughters, Katy and Maria. It was only when Katy said Hello, Mum that I recognised my own flesh and blood.

Clare Campbell pictured with twin daughters Maria, left, and Katy, right, aged six, before they became ill

The pain and fury at seeing what anorexia has done to my once-beautiful girls made me choke. I will never, ever get used to it.

I challenge anyone  Joan Bakewell included  to witness what I saw and say anorexia is an act of vanity.

No one who has experienced the devastation it causes to a young womans looks could possibly believe this illness has anything to do with vanity. It withers and corrupts any normal idea of beauty.

So it was with shock and anger that I read the comments of Baroness Bakewell, a woman whose opinions I have previously admired, which made clear she believes anorexia is caused by young peoples preoccupation with becoming beautiful and healthy and thin.

She also seems to think this cruel disease is something that has only come into existence as a result of modern societys over-introspection and over-indulgence of young people.

Other commentators have blamed social media. To them all I say: what utter nonsense.

My daughters are now 37; theirs was the generation before Facebook and Instagram.

Their illness wasnt fuelled by a constant bombardment of images of female perfection or the taking of attention-hungry selfies.

Also, they are educated high-achievers  both trained doctors  and certainly not the emotionally volatile teens one usually associates with poor body image, yet they still cannot shake anorexias grip on them.

Its roots, I believe, lie much deeper than vanity or introspection. I believe a predisposition to it was wired into them. Anything could have sparked it. In the end, anything did.

When I ask my daughters what triggered their illness, they cite fairly normal childhood incidents that other children have navigated without succumbing to anorexia.

Both sensitive girls, they talk about their distress at having their weight and height compared to one anothers at school, as well as the pressure of having to stay thin to compete at gymnastics.

But vain? Narcissistic? Desperate to fit into a pair of size 6 jeans or look terrific in a bikini?

These are not characteristics you could attribute to either of them.

Back at home, proudly displayed on the wall above my desk, I have a photo of two lovely children dressed like angels in white Laura Ashley, playing on a beach in Holland aged ten.

Then, they were happy and as normal as the next child. A year later, anorexia began to creep insidiously into our home.

Clare (left) said the pain and fury at seeing what anorexia did to her once-beautiful daughters made her choke and hit out at Dame Joan Bakewell (right) over her comments

Another set of twins arrived at their new school, and my daughters made a pact to stop eating so they could be thinner than them.

On our first trip to the GP I was told not to worry, that it was probably just a phase.

It wasnt. Taking them to see various psychologists seemed to make no difference, either.

For the next three years my husband and I watched helplessly as our daughters wasted away before our eyes.

Mealtimes became a nightmare. Family holidays, Christmases especially, were the worst of all.

Over time, a pattern slowly developed where I would plead with the girls, or find myself defending them against an exasperated husband who wanted to fix them but had no idea how.

They became increasingly withdrawn, not wanting to go to parties or see their friends.

Over and over again I found them hiding food from me, lying about what they had actually eaten and trying in vain to reassure me there was nothing seriously wrong. Finally, in 1997, when they were 18, they accepted they needed  and, crucially, wanted  help.

I took them to see Professor Lacey at St Georges Hospital in London, the first of a long line of consultants, both private and NHS, who have tried to help the girls over the years.

They were immediately hospitalised for several months. So began a series of admissions to various hospitals that was to last for the next 15 years.

It was almost as if they took turns. Either Katy or Maria would be an inpatient, while her temporarily recovered sister returned to her studies.

Sometimes one twins weight would go up, and then, just as the familys hopes were also rising, we would be brought crashing down to Earth as the other plunged back into illness.

In the meantime, my husband and I lurched from one family crisis to another, somehow managing to work and bring up our 19-year-old son at the same time.

Friends and colleagues would ask: How are the girls? And Id quickly change the subject. I knew people wanted to hear that they were getting better, but the truth was they were not.

If anything, their anorexia had got worse, prematurely ageing my beautiful daughters.

After all, they should now be women  yet here they are still trapped in the waiting room to life, unable to work full-time or to have families of their own. My one solace is that they are still alive and may one day truly recover.

But my faith is always being tested. Seeing the horror on my face when we met last week, Maria asked: What is it, Mum? Whats wrong?

She genuinely does not know why I am distressed because she cannot see what she really looks like. The condition is called body dysmorphia and is a common symptom of anorexia.

What it is definitely not, is what Baroness Bakewell so muddle-headedly dismisses as self-regard.

Over the past three years, Maria and Katy have at last shown signs of some psychological change. For the first time they say that they really do want to get better.

I just hope with all my heart that one day, when they are fully recovered, I will meet my daughters in the street and be able to tell them how beautiful they look.

I can only dream of the day they can be as narcissistic as they like.
Fans of the hit BBC police drama Happy Valley are so gripped by the thought of tonight's final episode that they're already discussing it on Twitter.

As Sally Wainwright's thrilling plot - which centres around the quest to bring a prostitute-murdering serial killer to justice - reaches its crescendo this evening, hooked viewers have been discussing their excitement.

With a dramatic episode five setting up a potentially explosive final hour of the show, which has Sarah Lancashire as its lead in the role of Sergeant Catherine Cawood, fans are already on the edge of their seats...with hours to go.

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Cometh the hour, cometh the Sergeant...Will Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) emerge from the Happy Valley finale unscathed tonight?

Or will Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) manage to orchestrate her murder from his prison cell?

All morning Happy Valley obsessives have been posting on Twitter about how they've scrubbed any plans from their diaries in favour of tuning into the BAFTA award-winning drama.

@zoysii posted: '*whispers* it's the Happy Valley finale tonight' while @CharlottePugh added: 'so, so excited for Happy Valley tonight.'

Others were bracing themselves for what promises to be a nerve-jangler.

@sheelajoy wrote that she didn't think she was 'adequately emotionally prepared' for a brutal sixty minutes of television.

Meanwhile @SianHarris1980 said the 'ability to concentrate at work' has been severely affected by the thought of tonight's drama looming.

The good news for those already mourning the end of this series is that the BBC has announced it has commissioned a third to be filmed later this year.

No chance of second series syndrome: the BBC police drama has hooked viewers in with its emotional - and often brutal - plotlines with Frances Drummond (Shirley Henderson) set to play key role in tonight's drama

Is Sarah Lancashire's character Catherine Cawood set to come a cropper at the hands of Frances who's under the spell of Cawood's nemesis Tommy Lee Royce?

And for those who been bypassed by the Happy Valley train, there's the chance to catch up on Netflix; the video-streaming service has confirmed that it will screen the second series in its entirety.

The penultimate episode of Sally Wainwright's drama last week left viewers reeling after a particularly gruesome final scene which saw a mother shoot her murder-suspect son dead.

Alison Garrs (Susan Lynch) reach for the shotgun and shoot Daryl (Robert Emms), who'd earlier confessed in the dead of night to 'doing bad things'.

The dramatic scene, which ended with the sound of a gun firing and the sight of a blood-splattered window puts the matter of who's killed five women in Calder Valley to bed...except anyone who's ever watched an episode will know nothing is certain until the final scene.

Elsewhere, there are other unresolved matters at bay.

HOW THE NATION FELL FOR SALLY WAINWRIGHT'S FAULTLESS SCRIPT Will they spot the sheep in wolf's clothing: Andy Shepherd (Vincent Franklin), left, and Jodie Shackleton (Katherine Kelly), right, have yet to discover Detective John Wadsworth's guilt (Kevin Doyle) The second series of the drama, which follows the trials and tribulations of Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) in the West Yorkshire community of Sowerby Bridge has been as brutal - physically and emotionally - as the first with terminal illness, trafficking, alcohol abuse and rape and murder all par for the course. Add in a dash of northern wit, plenty of cups of tea and you're somewhere near. The current murder count for the show is seven with just one edge-of-the-sofa episode left and although the BBC has faced continuous complaints about the sound quality, there has been nothing but praise for Wainwright's watertight plot. Sean Balmford (Matthew Lewis) was charged with the murders...before another body was found A star cast has helped with Sarah Lancashire and James Norton leading a flurry of familiar faces from British television including Shirley Henderson, Kevin Doyle and Matthew Lewis. Norton - fresh from War and Peace and Grantchester - has reprised his role as the fearsome Tommy Lee Royce, who has spent the entire series casting a spell over madly-in-love Frances Drummond (Shirley Henderson). There have been technical glitches though; the BBC has had to respond to ongoing sound issues saying it has 'worked very hard to ensure everything was audible while keeping the sense of reality and the rawness of the performances'. A blinking corpse in episode three also didn't add ease the BBC's production woes. Advertisement

Pressure is mounting on murdering detective John Wadsworth (Kevin Doyle) after he murdered ex-lover Vicky Fleming (Amelia Bullmore) and tried to frame Calder Valley's serial killer...but his plans have gone awry and the sweat on his brow is getting heavier.

Viewers will also be captivated by how psychopath Tommy Lee Royce's spellbound girlfriend Frances Drummond (Shirley Henderson) will enact revenge on his behalf on his nemesis Sgt Cawood.

The second series of the drama, which follows the trials and tribulations of Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) in the West Yorkshire community of Sowerby Bridge has been as brutal - physically and emotionally - as the first with terminal illness, trafficking, alcohol abuse and rape and murder all par for the course.

Add in a dash of northern wit, plenty of cups of tea and you're somewhere near.

Anything but Happy: While talking about a winsome road trip across America Alison Garrs (Susan Lynch) reached for the shotgun in last night's gripping episode of Happy Valley

Better than a life in jail: Convinced of her son's guilt, Alison Garrs takes matters into her own hands
Tess Holliday has hit out at body shamers once again by proudly showing off an offensive Photoshop image created by a critic and then showing off her body in a revealing bathing suit.

The 30-year-old model and body positivity advocate shared a pair of images on Instagram on Monday showing her poolside in Palm Springs sporting a blue swimsuit with skin-exposing cut outs down the front and a sheer leopard robe on top.

'Finally got to wear my vintage wrap made by a Versace couturier,' she wrote. 'Pregnancy glam because I can.'

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Baring all: Tess Holliday, 30, who is currently six months pregnant with her second child, shared images of herself posing poolside in a cutaway swimsuit in Palm Springs

Accessorizing: Tess completed the look with a shiny headscarf tied into a bow, large sunglasses and bamboo-shaped hoop earrings

Not bothered: Tess also shared this image that an online troll she said had created 'trying to offend me', but the only thing about it that bother her was that 'McDonald's sucks'

She complimented the ensemble with a shiny headscarf tied into a neat bow, a pair of large, round shades and a set of hoop earrings shaped like bamboo.

She also casually sips from a watermelon-colored drink container through a crazy straw.

Tess is currently six-months pregnant with her second child and has continued speaking out against those who would attempt to body shame her online throughout her pregnancy.

Most recently, Tess shared an image that appeared to show her face Photoshopped onto the body of Disney villain Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

Next to the tentacled body in the image is a cartoon thought bubble full of burgers, fries, chicken nuggets and soda from McDonald's.

Looking glam: Tess also wrote that 'Ursula is amazing' and comforted her troll with a sarcastic 'Nice try'

Stretching out: Tess recently shared a picture of herself in the gym wearing a Hogwarts T-shirt in North Hollywood

But as with the scores of other cruel taunts that have been ushered her way, Tess brushed it off.

'Some internet troll made this trying to offend me I guess, but the only thing I'm mad at is McDonald's sucks,' she wrote as she shared the image.

'In & Out is clearly better. Also, #Ursula is amazing. Nice try tho,' she added.

The size-22 model has deflected many a insult during her time in the limelight, but most recently has faced criticism over her body shape while she is pregnant.

Many have accused her of putting the unborn baby at risk of health complications that some believe could be caused by her weight.

However, to prove that she is remaining active and in shape, she has also uploaded a picture and video of herself working out at a gym in North Hollywood.

Stretch it out: Tess shows her flexibility in a video of her stretching as part of a workout which she says has been specially created for her 'growing tummy'

The images show Tess doing leg swings and stretches while wearing a Howarts T-shirt, but in the captions of the photos, she emphasized that her posting them was 'not about proving anything or trying to lose weight'.

'Post workout stretches w/ my amazing trainer...I stay active for me, and only me. It's not about proving anything or trying to lose weight, it's about what makes ME happy!' she said.

She also told fans that her workouts have been designed by her trainer specifically for her 'growing tummy'.

'Our society is so ingrained to think that all bodies (especially bigger ones) shouldn't be respected and appreciated, it's heartbreaking,' she added.

Tess went on to say that all women 'deserve to be treated with dignity' no matter what their size, gender, sexual orientation race or ability is.

Showing off: Tess posted this bikini shot just weeks after she announced she was expecting baby no. 2

Taking the heat: Tess has been experiencing a large amount of criticism after becoming pregnant at size 22

Expecting: While Tess already has a 10-year-old son Riley, this this will be her first with fiance Nick Holliday, whose name she has already adopted

'When people criticize or belittle us it says more about them than us, remember that,' she said. 'Don't let anyone dull your shine or underestimate what you are capable of.'

As with most of her posts, she ended it with her signature hashtag #Fyourbeautystandards.

The baby Tess is currently expecting will be her second after giving birth to her 10-year-old son Rylee when she was 20 years old.

Among those most critical of Tess and her size has been Ashy Bines, an Australian fitness blogger who shared a photo of Tess next to an extremely thin model and labelled both as bad role models.

Pro: Tess, pictured on set for her new clothing collection, was today on her way to Canada for the launch

Top critic: Ashy Bines, an Australian fitness blogger, has been one of Tess' most vocal critics when it comes to her weight and the effect it could have on her baby

Making a point: The blonde blogger shared this image of Tess, comparing her to a very thin model and claiming that they were both bad role models for women

In a Facebook live broadcast, she also directed comments at Tess, saying: 'Now that you are pregnant also, the risk of birth complications and providing your baby with the nutrients that it needs to have the best start in life, I just don't think you're doing a very good job and you're putting this out to your 1.1 million followers.'

In response, Tess accused her of saying she was 'doing an injustice' to her baby.

'She basically said I was doing an injustice to my [unborn] child by being fat and pregnant and unhealthy,' she told US Weekly.

Tess has previously said that her pregnancy - her first child with fiance Nick Holliday - was 'definitely not planned' but that now she is excited.
Sophia also praised Meryl Streep, calling her 'one of the greatest actresses'

She attributes her good looks to her mom, who won a won a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract but never perused acting

The Oscar winner laughed as she discussed how well she's aged, saying the people who tell her so are 'very convincing'

So many actresses worry about aging in Hollywood, but not Sophia Loren  and that's because aged so well. Just ask her.

The 81-year-old silver screen star was hailed as one of the great beauties in her heyday, and as far as she's concerned, nothing's changed.

'I look very well. I look fantastic,' she told W Magazine with a laugh. 'Im laughing, but everybody says so. Everybody says so! Sometimes I dont believe them anymore, but they are very convincing.'

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You go girl! Sophia Loren, 81, who is pictured in Atlantic City earlier this month, said she looks 'fantastic' these days and 'everybody says so'

Feeling good! The Italian Oscar winner, pictured in October 2015, once said that women don't just become sex symbols  they have to be born that way

Beauty queen: Last year, she starred in a campaign for a shade of Dolce & Gabanna lipstick named after her

People certainly do still talk about the octogenarian actress' timeless beauty, and earning senior citizen status hasn't exactly stopped her from working.

Though she's not making movies at the same rate she used to  she was in 11 in 1954 alone, and starred in several a year through the '60s and '70s  she keeps busy enough.

In September, in honor of her 80th birthday, she starred in a glamorous Dolce & Gabanna lipstick campaign, having a new shade of red named after her  Sophia Loren N1, a limited-edition color that sold for $37.

'Sophia Loren N1 is our way of saying, "Thank you, Sophia!"' the designers, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, said at the time. '"Thank you for [your] beauty, thank you for being a world favorite, thank you for being an icon of the big screen and of Italian beauty."

'She has been a constant source of inspiration for us and today we celebrate her with the gift of her very own lipstick.'

She's got fans: Sophia (pictured in 1960) is often called one of the sexist women to ever live

Prolific: The star (pictured in 1953) made several movies a year in the '50s, '60s, and '70s

Happy to take it off: She said performing this strip tease scene for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow in 1963 was a lot of fun

In January, she starred in a second campaign for the Italian designers, this time for the their new Dolce Rosa Excelsa fragrance.

And she's continued to nab roles, though she admits they've shifted direction over the years.

'Actually, when I was 20, I didnt think that one day I would live to 80, but you do. You think, "My god, all this time went by? I cant believe it." Of course, the roles change  you cannot at my age do the story of a woman of 30 or 40 years old. Its impossible,' she told W.

Being so in-demand, it's no big shock that Sophia's not too fussed about getting older  though she attributes the fact that she's remained a stunner for so long to good genes.

'Its because, I think, of my mother,' she told W of her ability to age well, and gracefully. 'She was the most beautiful woman in the world when I was born. She looked exactly like Greta Garbo, and she won a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contest to get a contract, but my grandmother didnt want to let her go to America because she said it was too far away.'

Sophia clearly inherited her mom's good looks, which explains why she once was able to proclaim so confidently: 'You have to be born a sex symbol.

Long career: 1960's Two Women and 1993's Grumpy Old Men were also favorites for Sophia (pictured in 1957)

Good genes: The screen siren (center, in the 1960s) attributes her good looks to her mother, who she said looked like Greta Garbo as a young woman (right)

Living in the moment: Sofia (pictured in 1959) admitted that when she was younger, she never thought she'd live to age 80

Never retire: She has continued to work into old age, scoring roles in the '80s (pictured), '90s, and today

'You don't become one. If you're born with it, you'll have it even when you're 100 years old.'

Speaking to W, the star also reflected on her past, naming the times she had the most fun on set. She loved working with Jack Lemmon in 1993's Grumpy Old Men, director Vittorio De Sica on Two Women in 1960, and Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni  for whom she did a strip tease in 1963's Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.

She said she had such a great time because Marcello would scream whenever she took off and article of clothing, and it would made the whole crew laugh.

As for her favorite actresses, Sophia favors another iconic star who's had plenty of years in the business: 66-year-old Meryl Streep
The Viscountess of Weymouth pulled out all the stops in a plunging gold dress as she attended a charity auction tonight.

Emma McQuiston, 29, designed a chair for the Sitting Pretty auction at Bonhams, in London, in support of Chiva Africa.

The mother-of-one created a lion-themed design, since she splits her time between London and the Longleat estate in Wiltshire - the only drive-through safari outside of Africa.

The Viscountess of Weymouth pulled out all the stops in a plunging gold dress as she attended a charity auction tonight

The Sitting Pretty auction at Bonhams saw famous faces design their own chairs. Emma McQuiston is pictured sitting in Made In Chelsea's Mark-Francis Vandelli's design

The Viscountess - who married Ceawlin Thynn, 41, the Viscount of Weymouth and the son of the Marquess and Marchioness of Bath in June 2013 - made sure to match her outfit to her regal gold design, wearing a Seventies-inspired number and snakeskin-print gold heels.

Emma wore her hair in a bouncy blowdry and complimented her glamorous outfit with a smoky eye and rose-tinted lips.

The winning bid for her chair was 1,000 in the auction which also saw designs by singer Sinitta, actress Maureen Lipman and Arsenal Football Club go on sale.

A chair designed by former England rugby player Johnny Wilkinson went for 2,300 and appeared to be made up of the player's old shirts.

The Viscountess made sure her regal gold design, which sold for 1,000, matched her outfit perfectly on the night and dazzled in the Seventies-inspired number and snakeskin-print gold heels

Artist Daniel Lismore also coordinated with his chair too in an Aztec-style cape and horn headpiece, pictured with Emma

The collection of unique one-off painted and upholstered chairs were on sale to raise funds for Chiva Africa, an organisation which provides prevention, treatment and care services for children and adolescents living with HIV. Pictured artist Daniel and Emma

Made In Chelsea's Mark-Francis Vandelli created a penny-covered throne, which Emma appeared to be rather taken with as she posed with the reality star for pictures.

Mark-Francis matched the navy velvet upholstery of his creation and donned a midnight-blue suit for the occasion.

While artist Daniel Lismore also coordinated with his furniture in an Aztec-style cape and horn headpiece.

The collection of unique one-off painted and upholstered chairs by artists, designers and celebrities were on sale to raise funds for Chiva Africa, an organisation which provides prevention, treatment and care services for children and adolescents living with HIV.

Emma, whose father is Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon Ladi Jadesimi, will one day become Britain's first black marchioness - although this is thought to have been a bone of contention in the family.

Emma posed for photographs on her lion-themed chair beside Mark-Francis, a fitting design as she divides her time between London and Longleat safari park

Ceawlin's mother, Hungarian-born, French-raised Anna Gael, apparently described her son's marriage to Emma - who he has known since she was four (and he was 17) - as a disruption to '400 years' of English 'bloodline'.

The family feud was so great that neither Ceawlin's mother or father, erotic artist Alexander Thynn, attended their wedding.

Only now the couple have a one-year-old son, the Hon John Thynn, are the new grandparents reportedly attempting to 'patch things up'.

Although Lady Bath has accused her son of exaggerating the family feud as a 'publicity gimmick'.
I have a painful burning sensation at the base of my third toe on the ball of the foot when walking in my normal shoes, but not when wearing trainers that have an arch support. Can you advise me on what causes this?

Roger Jones, St Albans.

Your diagnosis is fairly clear. You have metatarsalgia, the medical term for pain in the ball of the foot.

You have already found a way to ease the pain - wearing your trainers - but to get the full benefit, you will have to wear them for several months, whenever you are on your feet.

Metatarsalgia is the medical term for pain in the ball of the foot, which occurs when a nerve supplying one of the toes becomes pinched between the joints on either side. This can cause it to swell or thicken

First, let me explain a bit more about the condition.

The pain in the ball of the foot (also known as the forefoot) occurs when a nerve supplying one of the toes becomes pinched between the joints on either side.

Taking the weight off your feet will usually relieve the pain.

However, prolonged irritation of the nerve can cause it to swell or thicken at the point where it is being compressed all the time.

This swelling, known as a neuroma, can sometimes be seen on ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging scans.

Treatment involves reducing the pressure on the heads, or top, of the metatarsal bones - the five long bones in the feet that connect to the toes

Sometimes the problem is triggered simply by being very active - we see it in people who exercise intensely, for example.

But the condition can also be the result of wearing tight shoes which squeeze the forefoot and push the joints together.

And later in life, a degree of arthritic change in the joints may result in a swelling that reduces the space available for the nerve to pass through.

Treatment involves reducing the pressure on the heads, or top, of the metatarsal bones - the five long bones in the feet that connect to the toes.

You can use a padded insert in the shoe, called a metatarsal pad - these can be bought from a chemist or online.

This will spread the metatarsal heads apart, allowing space for the irritated nerve to heal.

Your trainers, which have the added arch support, will have the same effect.

Wear them continuously for four to six weeks and then revert to normal shoes. By then you may find that the problem has been completely resolved.

But if there is no improvement at that time, talk to your GP about the possibility of a referral to an orthopaedic consultant, with a view to having a steroid injection into the affected area, under local anaesthetic and guided by an ultrasound scan, to ease the swelling around the nerve.

I have read many reports on the side-effects of statins, such as muscle pains and weakness, but have never heard about the feelings I experienced. Some years ago, I was prescribed simvastatin, later atorvastatin, and gradually started to experience giddiness. It spoilt my enjoyment of watching television and affected my going out and about - fast moving images and even passing traffic could set me off. My doctor said it was probably vertigo, but I did not want to take statins any longer. The feelings gradually subsided and now I feel like my old self again. I am 74.

Mrs J.M., Gillingham.

This was an unfortunate experience as you have lost the potential benefit of taking a statin.

These drugs are not only the most powerful medicines for lowering cholesterol, but adverse reactions are actually less common with statins than with most other types of drugs used for lowering blood fat levels.

We started prescribing statins in my practice some 25 years ago. It is true that there are some patients who have to stop treatment because of side-effects, typically muscle pain.

Indeed, in everyday practice it is quite common to come across people who seem to be intolerant to statins (although clinical trials suggest that few people have side-effects that are severe enough for them to have to discontinue treatment). However, many of these patients find that if they start taking the statin again, or a different one, they will no longer have the side-effect - one explanation is that middle-aged and older people get all sorts of aches and pains at times, and it is easy to misattribute pain to the statin when in fact it is just part of life.

Between 2 and 10 per cent of patients taking statins will have muscle pain and weakness (known as myalgia and myopathy), while severe muscle problems (such as rhabdomyolysis, when muscle tissue dies and can lead to kidney failure) are much more rare, affecting just 0.1 to 0.5 per cent of patients.

Muscle symptoms usually begin within weeks of starting a statin, although the exact mechanism by which these drugs affect the muscles is not yet understood.

One of the other main side-effects we see is dysfunction of the liver. Studies show up to 3 per cent of those taking statins have a slight elevation of liver enzymes in blood tests (it is common practice to check liver function when measuring cholesterol levels).

The statin is stopped only if an enzyme called alanine aminotransferase is more than three times the upper limit of the usual normal range, indicating a degree of inflammation of the liver cells, but severe liver damage is rare.

Other potential side-effects are abnormalities of kidney function - there have been reports of a protein being found in the urine in some patients, but this is thought to be harmless.

There have also been reports about changes in behaviour or cognition, but many of us in practice remain sceptical.

In fact, some studies even suggest that statins may have a role in the prevention of dementia.

However, there is no convincing evidence that statins increase or reduce the risk of cancer.

We do know, though, that the treatment carries a small risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but all the medical studies suggest that the beneficial effects in terms of reducing heart disease and stroke outweigh any increased risk from mild diabetes.

However, I have never come across a patient suffering from the symptom you have described.

Vertigo is typically due to a problem with the balance mechanism in your inner ear. And, searching the literature, I can find no reports about a causative relationship between statins and vertigo due to an upset of this balance mechanism.

Dr Scurr suggests the possibility of starting back on the statin to see whether the vertigo returns

Vertigo linked to an inner ear problem, such as an infection, can often resolve spontaneously and it is possible that this is what happened in your case and that coming off the statin coincided with this recovery.

However, the correct thing to do - and I am, of course, aware that you may well be averse to this - is to discuss with your doctor the possibility of starting back on the statin to see whether the vertigo returns.

Whether or not you do this will depend on the severity of the condition for which you were given the statins in the first place.

By the way ... Don't believe the male HRT hype

The phrase 'all that glitters is not gold' springs to mind when looking more closely at the research about testosterone that recently caused much excitement.

The suggestion is that testosterone supplements for older men can boost their sex lives, as well as offering small benefits for their mood and physical fitness.

But a closer look at the details of the research makes me ask whether the findings are sufficient to support prescription of testosterone supplements - male HRT, if you will - to older men.

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

The participants were chosen on the basis of strict criteria which included age (over 65) and low testosterone levels based on three tests - their levels had to be below the normal range for men aged 19 to 40 years old (in other words, much younger than the participants themselves, but more on that in a moment).

More than 50,000 men were considered, yet only about 800 were found to be eligible to join the study.

However, most of those were obese (62 per cent), most had high blood pressure (71 per cent), a third were diabetic, and a fifth had obstructive sleep apnoea - a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. It's worth noting that these are largely conditions related to poor lifestyle. It may well be that testosterone supplements helped these men.

However, before we start giving pills to the over-65s to boost testosterone levels to those of younger men, should we not ask whether some lifestyle changes - to deal with obesity, hypertension and diabetes - might not achieve equally good outcomes?

Not only that, but the same men might also have a greater sense of wellbeing from sleeping better, have more energy, and be physically fitter, even live longer - additional benefits that were not observed in the testosterone supplementation studies.
These are the faces of just five of the 1,500 children who have died from sepsis in the 14 months since the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt promised to consider a national campaign to alert parents to the dangers of the condition.

Had such a campaign been put in place back then, at least 500 of those children might still be alive today, says charity The UK Sepsis Trust. But still there is no campaign, and every day of delay costs the life of another three children and 120 adults.

'It's not about saying "We'll do something", it's about something actually being done,' former Olympic sprinter Allyn Condon told Good Health.

Ben Condon: Eight weeks old, the son of former Olympic sprinter Allyn, from Weston-super-Mare, died April 2015. His father Allyn believes if an awareness campaign had existed the family would have spotted a tell-tale sign, and Ben wouldn't be among the hundreds of children lost to sepsis in the past year

Allyn and Jenny Condon's eight-week-old baby Ben was among the hundreds of children lost to sepsis in the past year. Allyn believes if an awareness campaign had existed, the family would have spotted Ben had a tell-tale sign doctors tragically dismissed: an unusually low temperature. 'Parents need this information urgently,' he says simply.

Sepsis is an over-reaction of the body's immune system to infection. Instead of attacking the invading bug, it turns on the body itself, shutting down vital organs.

If caught early enough, it's easily treated with intravenous antibiotics and fluids, but these must be given as soon as sepsis is suspected - it strikes with frightening speed and, for every hour of delay, a patient's chance of dying increases 8 per cent.

The problem, as case after tragic case has shown, is that even doctors struggle to recognise sepsis before it's too late.

As for parents, most have never heard of it, let alone have any idea what to watch out for.

This is why the Mail, with the support of bereaved parents such as Melissa and Paul Mead - whose one-year-old son William died of sepsis after doctors and NHS 111 failed to spot it - has been calling for a national public awareness campaign.

On April 10 last year, when Ben Condon went off his food and developed a little cough, his parents took his temperature and were concerned to see that it was 33.7 degrees.

William Cerrone: Gloucester lad, four, died in Feb 2015 (L) and Marc Poole, six, of Doncaster, died in May 2015

A temperature of 36 degrees or less is a sepsis red flag, although the Condons didn't know this at the time - nor, it seems, did hospital doctors recognise its significance. 'We're always told with children to look out for a high temperature, and I think people believe a low temperature is normal,' says Allyn. 'Now we know it's not.'

Ben was diagnosed with human metapneumovirus, described to the family as just 'a common cold'. In fact, he was also suffering from an undiagnosed bacterial infection, which had triggered sepsis.

Sepsis was eventually diagnosed when it was far too late - and, to compound the error, another six hours passed before Ben was given antibiotics, just minutes before his death.

It's not about saying 'We'll do something', it's about something actually being done

On April 17, a week after first developing his cough, Ben suffered two cardiac arrests, dying after the second. In December, the Mail revealed how doctors had tried to cover up their blunders.

'You look back as a parent and think: "What could I have done differently?" ' Allyn told Good Health.

'But at one point, we were told: "You need to stop worrying about his temperature, he's got more important things to worry about." '

In all, says The UK Sepsis Trust, 55,000 adults and children have died of sepsis since Mr Hunt pledged to act, of whom at least 16,000 could still be alive today if loved ones had known what to look for.

Mr Hunt repeated his promise to act in January this year, when he apologised to the parents of William Mead, from Truro, Cornwall, who died from sepsis after a series of missed opportunities to save his life. Mr Hunt told the House of Commons his department would 'look urgently' into whether an awareness campaign might save lives.

But, despite repeated promises by Mr Hunt to improve public awareness of sepsis, the Department of Health has shamefully dragged its feet.

In fact, it's two-and-a-half years since the health service was first asked to take action. In September 2013, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman urged the health service to 'support the development of a public awareness campaign [about sepsis] among vulnerable groups'. A year later, in September 2014, the same ombudsman said the 'pace and scale of change' remained 'concerning' and challenged the health service to sort it out.

Charlie Jermyn: Died in Penryn, Cornwall, May 2015, at one day old

In January 2015, Mr Hunt announced 'new action to reduce sepsis' and said Public Health England would be asked to 'look at the benefits of a new public awareness campaign'. This, he added, was 'in part a response' to the death of Sam Morrish, a three-year-old from Newton Abbott, Devon, who died in December 2010 as a result of a 'catalogue of errors' in diagnosis and treatment.

Then, in January this year, Mr Hunt addressed Parliament over the death of William Mead, yet another child who had been let down by the health service 'in the worst possible way', as he put it. During his apology to the family, Mr Hunt could only say the Department of Health was still 'talking to Public Health England about a public awareness campaign'.

In fact, Public Health England told us it had not formally been requested to 'make recommendations on the scope for a public-facing campaign to raise awareness of Sepsis' until March 25, 2015.

Work began in May 2015 'and our advice was provided in early February 2016' - ten months later.

But at least things are happening now, you might think. In fact, campaigners including William Mead's mother, Melissa, fear the Health Secretary is about to renege on this commitment, and is instead planning a broader campaign about childhood conditions in which the vital sepsis message will be lost.

I want to see something where, if there is another mother in the same position I was in, they can look and say: 'Oh my goodness, this is sepsis.' Anything less is not acceptable

If this goes ahead, according to The UK Sepsis Trust, it will cost the lives of 'hundreds of children and thousands of adults'. For, a few weeks ago, in 'late February' 2016 - after Mr Hunt had met with Melissa Mead - Public Health England was given another brief by ministers, 'to consider how to raise parental awareness of childhood illnesses associated with fever, including meningococcal disease and sepsis'. This work was 'in hand', they told us.

Yet then, last week, Mr Hunt told the Commons that, although he was now looking at setting up a campaign, 'we need to establish whether that should be about just sepsis, or whether it should be a more general public information campaign to help parents to understand when they need to worry about a fever, which is very common among small children and might be due to reasons other than sepsis, with meningitis being an obvious one'.

For Melissa Mead - and medics who fear the sepsis message is about to be sidelined, with tragic consequences - the news was a shock.

A few weeks earlier, she'd met Mr Hunt and was reassured a campaign targeted on sepsis was in the works.

Euan Harbottle: The four-year-old died in January 2015. His family are now raising money to have the local play park turned into a memorial play space in memory of him

Now, she fears the vital message is in danger of being lost. 'When William was ill, we checked him all over for signs and symptoms of meningitis,' she said. 'Parents already know what meningitis is. People now need to know what sepsis is.' Dr Ron Daniels, head of The UK Sepsis Trust, which has long had all the expertise necessary for a public awareness campaign but, as a small charity is thwarted by lack of funding, said he was horrified to learn consideration was being given to packaging sepsis and meningitis in one campaign.

'Sepsis is much bigger than meningitis: ten times more children die every year from non-meningococcal sepsis than from meningococcal disease and there are almost 1,000 times more deaths in adults.'

To combine public messages about the two would be 'an astonishingly naive, predictably convenient travesty of public hoodwinking', he said.

Jeremy Hunt declined to tell us why, 14 months on from his vow to consider a sepsis campaign, no initiative had been launched.

However, two days before his statement in the Commons that has so alarmed campaigners, he told Good Health: 'We have already made progress to improve awareness of sepsis among health professionals, but there is still much more that can be done.

'That is why I will be working with the Mead family and The UK Sepsis Trust to put in place a series of measures to improve information and awareness both among the public and health professionals and drive down the number of lives needlessly lost from this condition.'

Melissa Mead has no doubt a sepsis awareness campaign will make a difference. At a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Sepsis group on February 23, attended by Mr Hunt, she'd read out a moving letter from a woman who had heard her talking about sepsis on the radio and recognised the signs in her one-year-old child just in time.

'I wanted you to know that hearing William's story may have saved my own daughter's life,' the woman wrote. 'It was because of you, and because of William's story, that I decided to ring for an ambulance.'

Nothing could have made the case for a national awareness campaign more powerfully. After she read the letter 'I cried a lot', admits Melissa. 'It was so heartwarming to know we had had that effect on her and her life. It makes it a little bit easier to deal with the agony knowing that, because of William, a child has lived.'

Cheryl Gillan, MP for Chesham and Amersham and chair of the all-party sepsis group, told Good Health: 'One of the things that frustrates me is the processes that take so long when we're dealing with health matters that require swift action.'

She added: 'And let us not forget that people continue to die.'

Melissa Mead, who is due to meet Mr Hunt again in May, is emphatic.

'I want to see something where, if there is another mother in the same position I was in, they can look and say: "Oh my goodness, this is sepsis." '

'Anything less is not acceptable. They've been given years and ample opportunity to sort something out.
Your saliva is possibly not something you have given much thought to - but it plays a vital role in maintaining good health, says Gordon Proctor, a professor in salivary biology at King's College, London.

'Saliva is a remarkable substance. It might be 99 per cent water, but it is far more than that,' he says.

In fact, saliva carries the same bacteria found in your gut, as well as powerful substances that fight germs and promote wound healing - which might be why we instinctively pop our finger in our mouth if we cut or graze it.

Saliva has been used to detect occurences of human papilloma virus - and now, to detect serious disease

Now, it is being used to detect serious disease. The University of California, Los Angeles recently announced that it had developed a 15 saliva test to spot early-stage lung cancer before it can be detected with a blood test.

The test looks for fragments of tumour DNA in a single drop of saliva, and can give a result in less than ten minutes.

Saliva is already used to see if someone has had an infection such as human papilloma virus (linked to cervical cancer), and scientists are developing ways of using it to monitor such conditions as diabetes, which would be cheaper and easier than urine or blood tests.

Here, we look at the sometimes surprising significance of saliva...

YOUR SPIT CONTAINS TESTOSTERONE

Saliva contains hormones including testosterone. It's not known what physiological function they have in saliva

Men and women's saliva contains hormones including testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone, cortisone and melatonin.

'Hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen are fat-soluble, so easily pass through cells walls into the salivary glands,' says Professor Proctor.

It's not known what, if any, physiological function they have in saliva.

It also contains calcium, antibacterial compounds and human cells shed from the mouth lining, which is why a swab saliva test can analyse DNA.

'Without it, you would be prone to nasty infections such as oral thrush, ulcers and gum disease,' says Professor Proctor.

YOU MAKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALIVA

Saliva is produced by the salivary glands. There are three pairs of them: in the cheeks (the parotid glands), the jaw (submandibular) and under the tongue (sublingual), which send saliva through ducts into the mouth. Each produces a slightly different formula.

'The parotid glands produce watery saliva, which helps moisten food when you chew,' says Professor Proctor.

Without saliva, you would be prone to nasty infections such as oral thrush, ulcers and gum disease

Saliva from under the tongue is much stickier and is the special 'protective layer' that coats the inside of the mouth when you are not eating.

We produce less saliva at night because we're effectively fasting, so there's no chewing action to stimulate the flow -that's why we can wake up wanting water.

When we see and smell food, the brain signals the salivary glands to produce more saliva. 'Even more is produced when we start chewing,' says Professor Proctor.

This is because mechanoreceptors (sense cells that register touch or sound) in the lining of the mouth and in the gums register the pressure of chewing and pass signals to the brain.

TEETH WOULD ROT WITHOUT IT

There are potent antibacterial compounds in saliva, which help to eliminate plaque-causing bacteria

Saliva is also vital in helping to prevent tooth decay and erosion. 'Saliva contains a buffer that neutralises acidity,' explains Dr Mervyn Druian, a London-based dentist.

There are also potent antibacterial compounds in saliva, which help to eliminate plaque-causing bacteria.

Most importantly, the constant flow of saliva washes away excess bacteria, so they cannot get a foothold.

Saliva even helps to harden teeth because it contains calcium, which is absorbed into the dentine, the pulpy layer beneath the enamel.

DRY MOUTH? YOU COULD BE ILL

The average person produces between 1 and 2 litres of saliva each day, around the same as your urine output.

Lack of saliva may be a sign of a health problem.

Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder, causes gradual damage to the salivary glands, which can cease production altogether.

'This is not life-threatening, but it can damage quality of life,' says Professor Proctor.

Sjogren's Syndrome causes gradual damage to the salivary glands, which can cease saliva production

It affects nine times as many women as men and tends to strike in middle-age. People who have undergone radiation treatment or chemotherapy may produce lower levels of saliva, or none at all.

'Radiation treatment for head and neck cancers can damage salivary glands,' says Dr Guy Carpenter, an oral biologist at King's College London Dental Institute.

Sometimes, the glands heal, but some patients may be left permanently affected.

Lack of saliva is also linked to the menopause - falling oestrogen levels can, in turn, reduce moisture in mouth and nose mucus membranes.

IT CAN PREDICT YOUR DEATH

A study published last December in the journal PLOS One, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science, found that levels of a particular antibody found in saliva falls as death approaches.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham measured levels of an antibody known as A (IgA) in 639 adults and tracked them for 19 years.

The antibody is secreted by white blood cells, which fight infection in the body.

Dr Anna Phillips, a health psychologist at the University of Birmingham, who led the research, explained: 'How saliva could be used in check-ups remains to be seen.
The parents of children struck down by meningitis today urged MPs to vaccinate all children up to age 11.

They appeared before MPs this afternoon after a petition backing the move became the most signed in Downing Street history.

This was the first of two 'evidence' sessions, with the second to be held next week.

Supporters argue extending the vaccination programme would be cost effective, because treating survivors left with life-long disabilities more than outweighs the 75 vaccine price.

Currently, the meningitis B vaccine is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months.

But the parents appearing before politicians pleaded for the programme to be extended to include all children up to secondary school age.

Support for the campaign rocketed after shocking pictures of tragic toddler Faye Burdett showed her covered in a rash, lying in a hospital bed shortly before she died.

More than 800,000 people signed a petition calling on the Government to provide the Meningitis B vaccine for all children following the death of two-year-old Faye Burdett who died on Valentine's Day

Two-year-old Faye Burdett's parents, Neil and Jenny, said they felt 'pushed aside' by a hospital worker after raising concerns about their daughter

Her devastated parents Neil and Jenny told politicians they had shared the picture to try and prevent others from suffering the same fate.

'That was just to raise awareness, if nothing else, to stop other families and other children from going through the two weeks we had just had,' her father said today.

He gave evidence to the Petitions Committee alongside Lee Booth - who set up the petition after one of his daughters was refused the vaccine on age grounds.

More than 823,000 people signed the petition after Faye's death sparked a wave of stories about the deadly infection, with other parents sharing their children's battles.

But earlier this month the Government rejected calls for the vaccine to be given to children of all ages, saying it would not be cost effective for the NHS.

Responding to the petition, the Department of Health said its priority was to vaccinate those children considered most at risk from meningitis B.

It pointed out it was following guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the Government on the cost-effectiveness of vaccinations.

'With this programme, our priority is to protect those children most at risk of Men B, in line with JCVI's recommendation,' the statement said.

The petition gathered momentum after Faye Burdett's harrowing pictures were share by her parents. It was signed by 823,341 people - the most in Parliament history

Former England rugby captain Matt Dawson, whose son Sam survived meningitis C, also spoke at today's hearing - and told MPs there needs to be more awareness of the condition.

He joined the campaign following his two-year-old son's battle with meningitis, which he survived, in February this year.

'The campaign was bought to my attention after reading stories about Faye and the time period mirrored where Sam was,' he said.

'It was really being inspired by what the family had done and I thought it was a great opportunity to spread awareness.'

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Dawson said he hoped the Government would listen because meningitis is a 'real concern for parents'.

'It's always going to be a tricky topic,' he said.

'Cost effectiveness gets mentioned numerous times in the response from the Government so you know it's high on their agenda but what are the ramifications of these children that are maimed by this disease? The cost of that to the tax payers is absolutely enormous.

'I would like to think that it would be slightly more cost effective to have the vaccine rather than treat it and having to go through the pain and emotion that these families have.'

Ex-England rugby captain and BBC presenter Matt Dawson speaks as the Health and Petitions committee hear evidence from bereaved parents following a mass petition on the meningitis B vaccine

Mr Dawson tweeted images of his youngest son Sam at Great Ormond Street, who had been battling with meningitis. He is also pictured in the first photograph on the left with brother Alex

The former England rugby player spoke to the media after attending a Petitions Committee at Portcullis House

The blunders that led to Faye Burdett's tragic death

Faye Burdett's parents today also recalled the chain of events that led to their daughter's tragic death.

She explained Faye had barely seen a doctor in the first two years of her life - but they felt compelled to take her to the family GP at the beginning of February, when she appeared under the weather.

'When we got there he looked over and and he trusted that I knew that something was not right,'said Mrs Burdett.

'Our failing, we believe, is when we got to the hospital. We were, I wouldn't say pushed aside...'

Mr Burdett said the family doctor was not taken seriously and dismissed as an 'over-cautious GP'.

Parents are unable to vaccinate their children against the most deadly form of meningitis due to a worldwide shortage of the jab. Pictured is the Bexsero vaccine

'We are believers in our health care system. It is amazing. We have seen the best of it in one sense.

'But it only takes one person to make a mistake and the whole things falls apart,' he said.

Mr Burdett described how they were to their family doctor who rang a clinic at the local hospital and sent her straight down.

'We were there for two hours and discharged with a viral infection. Six hours later we were back there and she was critically ill. So we do obviously have issues with diagnosing it,' he said.

WHAT IS MENINGITIS B AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE? Meningitis B is a bacterial infection, most often striking in children under one year old. Symptoms include a high temperature with cold hands and feet, confusion, vomiting and headaches. If caught early and treated with antibiotics, most people will make a full recovery. There are about 1,200 cases each year in the UK. In 2014, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the expert body which advises the government on vaccinations, recommended that babies be given the meningitis B vaccine, from two months of age. The committee had previously ruled that the vaccine should not be introduced - because, it said, it was not cost-effective. It was announced in June that the vaccine would be given to all babies when they reached two months of age. Booster jabs are also given at four months and 12 months as part of the childhood immunisation programme from September 2015. The idea was to protect those most at risk - with cases of meningitis B peaking in infants at around five or six months of age. The JCVI did advise a catch-up programme for slightly older babies who were three or four months old in September 2015 - but not for any other age group. Advertisement

'What doesn't help is that they tell you to give them Calpol before you go to hospital - well you are just masking the symptoms by doing that. You should take them in ill - the doctor needs to see them ill.

'There is definitely a difficulty with diagnosing it, either that or they don't want to jump to that but I would say that there is an issue there.'

Mrs Burdett said she called the NHS 111 number to give details of Faye's symptoms, and they sent a paramedic.

'The paramedic said our GP would know better than him. That if it was out of character he would have a better idea.'

Mr Burdett went on: 'As it turned out, as our GP had not seen her since she was six weeks old, because she had never been ill, he did not.

'But he could tell by Jen and he could tell by just looking at Faye something was not right.

'She was seriously ill. She had a very high temperature, cold hands, cold feet, she had a rash mottling on the skin.

'Something was not right, he knew that. As a doctor with 40 years he could tell something was not right.'

Mr Burdett said they were referred to a clinic and Faye was given Calpol, which partially 'masked' some of her symptoms.

'They didn't even take a blood sample,' he said. 'They took a urine sample and said it would be 48 hours to culture, and if she needed antibiotics they would contact us.'

The devastated couple were later told that had Faye received an antibiotic at that stage, it could have slowed the progress of the illness.

'That opportunity was missed,' he said. 'For us, and certainly for me, you can never forget that ... seven hours we just basically sat with her while she was getting worse.

'As far as we were concerned three doctors had looked at her and we had been sent home. That is not right.'

Mr Burdett said: 'It is almost like hospitals are too scared to keep hold of them. It is like, 'do they have to be here? If they don't, send them home.'

'It is very political but it is that attitude ... they wanted us to go. It is a viral infection, 50-50, go home.'
New guidelines to limit the prescribing of painkillers have today been announced amid an ongoing opioid 'epidemic' - that has seen a surge in addiction and overdose deaths, in the US.

The recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seek to reverse almost two decades of rising painkiller use - which has been linked to a more than four-fold increase in overdose deaths tied to the drugs

In 2014 alone, US doctors wrote nearly 200 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers, including OxyContin and Vicodin.

Last year also saw nearly 19,000 deaths linked to the drugs - the highest number on record.

Under the new guidelines, the CDC advised doctors to avoid prescribing painkillers as a first-choice for common ailments, such as back pain and arthritis.

Instead, primary care doctors are urged to try physical therapy, exercise and over-the-counter medications before turning to opioids for chronic pain.

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New guidelines issued by the CDC seek to limit the prescribing of painkillers amid the ongoing opioid epidemic. Doctors are advised to turn to physical therapy, exercise and non-addictive drugs to treat patients before turning to prescription painkillers

CDC director Dr Tom Frieden said: 'More than 40 Americans die each day from prescription opioid overdoses, we must act now.

'Ove-prescribing opioids - largely for chronic pain - is a key driver of Americas drug-overdose epidemic.

'The guideline will give physicians and patients the information they need to make more informed decisions about treatment.'

Doctors should only prescribe painkillers after considering non-addictive pain relievers, behavioral changes and other options, the guidelines advise.

But if doctors feel prescription opioids are the best option, the CDC asked doctors to prescribe the lowest effective dose possible.

Changing medical practice isn't quick and it isn't easy. But we think the pendulum on pain management swung way too far toward the ready use of opioids Dr Tom Frieden, of the CDC

And, doctors should only continue prescribing the drugs if the patients show significant improvement.

Furthermore, for short-term pain, the CDC recommended that doctors limit painkillers to three days of treatment, if possible.

The guidelines are voluntary, so individual doctors are not obligated to follow them.

Yet, they could be widely adopted by hospitals, insurers and state and federal guideline systems.

However, the guidelines do not apply to doctors who specialize in treating severe pain, stemming from cancer or other debilitating diseases.

Dr Debra Houry, director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control said: 'Doctors want to help patients in pain and are worried about opioid misuse and addiction.

'This guideline will help equip them with the knowledge and guidance needed to talk with their patients about how to manage pain in the safest, most effective manner.'

The CDC does not typically advise doctors on how to prescribe medications.

That role is usually delegated to professional societies and drug regulators.

In 2014 alone, doctors in the US wrote nearly 200 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers - which contributed to the record 19,000 deaths linked to the drugs that year

But, the new guidelines have come after government officials tried several approaches to tackle painkiller abuse.

The Food and Drug Administration restricted some of the most commonly prescribed painkillers to limit refills.

Furthermore, some states - including Florida and New York - cracked down on so-called 'pill mills' that use databases to monitor what doctors are prescribing.

Additionally, for the first time in the US, the state of Massachusetts signed into law a seven-day limit on on first-time prescriptions for painkillers just last week.

Dr Frieden told the Associated Press: 'Changing medical practice isn't quick and it isn't easy.

'But we think the pendulum on pain management swung way too far toward the ready use of opioids.'

The CDC guidelines also seek to alter the labeling for prescription painkillers.

FDA labeling for the drugs is broad - saying that the drugs should be used for 'relief of moderate to severe pain.'

Pain specialists' guidelines include more detail, but have less focus on the risks.

However, the CDC guidelines put strong warnings up front, such as the agency's first recommendation: 'Opioids are not first-line therapy.'
Scientists are bracing for a potential outbreak of a new SARS-like virus.

Experts warn the new virus, called WIV1-CoV, may induce the same results in humans as SARS - starting out with flu-like symptoms and accelerating rapidly to pneumonia.

The SARS outbreak of 2003 infected 8,000 people - and claimed nearly 800 lives.

More recently, the Ebola epidemic that swept through West Africa in 2014, infecting nearly 29,000 people and killing 11,300, serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact an outbreak can have.

And, the ongoing Zika crisis in South America, though not on the same scale as Ebola, is yet another example of how a virus can quickly spread.

Each of the outbreaks affected thousands of people - and cost billions in lost economic growth.

Now, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill experts caution, WIV1-CoV could have a similar scope.

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Scientists have discovered a new virus, called WIV1-CoV, which could have the same results in humans as was seen during the SARS epidemic of 2003 (pictured here, a patient with SARS)

Dr Vineet Menachery said: This virus may never jump to humans, but if it does, WIV1-CoV has the potential to seed a new outbreak with significant consequences for both public health and the global economy.

The 2003 outbreak SARS started in Asia - but soon spread to two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

The new virus is very similar to SARS - as it originates from the same Chinese horseshoe bats as SARS and also binds to the same receptor inside the human body.

SARS, which is short for severe acute respiratory syndrome, begins with a high fever, headache and body aches.

People infected with the virus develop a dry cough after two to seven days - which most frequently turned into pneumonia, according to the CDC.

The virus spreads through close person-to-person contact by respiratory droplets produced when a person sneezes or coughs.

But, during the 2003 outbreak, some scientists hypothesized it may also have spread more broadly through the air.

The finding comes on the heels of the recent Ebola outbreak - which infected nearly 29,000 and killed 11,300 - as well as the ongoing Zika outbreak, which has been linked to a surge of in babies being born with abnormally small heads and malformed brains (pictured)

The new virus was found to bound to the same human receptors as SARS - suggesting that it could have similar results as the virus that caused the earlier outbreak. (Pictured here, health workers fumigating to attempt to eradicate the mosquito that transmits the Zika virus in Brazil)

In a new study, a team of scientists analyzed SARS-like coronavirus sequences isolated from Chinese horseshoe bats.

They then reconstructed the viruses to measure their potential to infect human cells and mice.

The scientists discovered that the newly identified virus  WIV1-CoV  could bind to the same receptors as SARS-CoV.

The capacity of this group of viruses to jump into humans is greater than we originally thought Dr Vineet Menachery, of UNC

They also found that the virus readily and efficiently replicated in cultured human airway tissues  which signified an ability to jump directly to humans'.

Dr Menchery said: The capacity of this group of viruses to jump into humans is greater than we originally thought.

While other adaptations may be required to produce an epidemic, several viral strains circulating in bat populations have already overcome the barrier of replication of human cells and suggest reemergence as a distinct possibility.

The team additionally determined that antibodies developed to treat SARS were effective in human and animal tissue samples against the new virus.

That finding suggests a potent treatment option if an outbreak were to occur.

However, treating WIV1-CoV with antibodies could lead to the same problem that arose with ZMapp  the antibody therapy used for Ebola.

Experts warn that an outbreak of WIV1-CoV could have similar effects as that of Zika, SARS and Ebola (pictured here) - affecting thousands of people and costing billions in lost economic gains

As with ZMapp, producing the WIV1-CoV antibodies at a large enough scale to treat many people may prove difficult, the scientists found.

Problematically, the scientists also noted that when it comes to prevention, existing SARS vaccines wouldn't provide enough protection against the new virus.

That's because the new virus has slight differences in its viral sequence from SARS - which would render the SARS vaccine largely ineffective.

Dr Ralph Baric, who also worked on the study, said: This type of work generates information about novel viruses circulating in animal populations and develops resources to help define the threat these pathogens may pose to human populations.

It's important to note that it's not an approach that's limited to SARS or SARS-like viruses.

It can be applied to other emerging pathogens to helping us prepare for the next emergent virus, whether it be MERS, the Zika virus or something we haven't even heard of yet.
An experimental blood test may one day be able to detect multiple diseases, including pancreatic cancer, illustrated, and multiple sclerosis

An experimental blood test may one day be able to detect a range of diseases including cancer and multiple sclerosis, based on signatures of DNA from dying cells, researchers said Monday.

The work, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal, is still in its early stages, but opens up vast possibilities, the study authors said.

'We view this is as a breakthrough with huge potential, but it will not be realized very soon,' said co-author Yuval Dor, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

'We are working hard on this but this is far from clinical use,' Professor Dor told AFP.

So far, the method has been tested on 320 patients and controls, and has shown success in finding diseases such as pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, diabetes, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis.

When cells die, it can mean a disease is just beginning to take hold in the body - perhaps a tumor is forming, or an autoimmune or neurodegenerative illness.

Scientists have already known for some time that dying cells release fragmented DNA into the circulating blood.

The new method can identify a unique chemical modification called methylation.

These methylation patterns reveal the specific identity of cells.

'Our work demonstrates that the tissue origins of circulating DNA can be measured in humans,' said co-author Ruth Shemer of the Hebrew University.

'This represents a new method for sensitive detection of cell death in specific tissues, and an exciting approach for diagnostic medicine,' she said.

Researchers stressed that far more work is needed before the test can be brought to the public.

Also, the range of diseases that can be detected is small, so far.

And it remains unclear how much the testing might cost.

Professor Dor said the technology is based on next-generation DNA sequencing, which is becoming less expensive every year.

'I expect the cost will not be a major factor,' Professpr Dor said.

'There are still technical improvements needed, and more testing on larger populations, in particular in a setting that can actually predict disease.'
Women who have already had one C-section can have a second without worrying they are harming their baby, doctors have said.

An analysis of tens of thousands of British births found children whose mothers had a second planned Caesarean section were just as healthy as those who opted for a natural delivery.

The finding is important because it had been feared that Caesarean sections raised the risk of a host of health problems, including obesity, bowel problems and asthma.

And, while doctors say that most women who have a C-section for the first baby could deliver naturally the next time, the majority choose to have a second operation.

Women who have already had one C-section can have a second without worrying they are harming their baby, according to a new study (file photo)

Aberdeen University researchers scrutinised health data on the second children born to more than 40,000 women who had their first child by C-section.

The data covered all such babies born in Scotland between 1993 and 2007 and included whether they were born naturally, or through a planned or emergency Caesarean.

Reasons for planning C-sections in advance range from known concerns about the mother or childs health to requests from women who are too posh to push.

Babies born by planned C-sections were no less healthy than those whose mother had a natural birth, apart a very slightly increased chance of asthma, the journal PLOS Medicine reports.

The studys authors said: Women may be somewhat reassured by the apparent lack of risk to long-term offspring health followed planned repeat Caesarean section.

Researcher Siladitya Bhattacharya said that if a woman is only having a small family, a repeat C-section also poses an extra few risks to her health.

He added: The bottom line is that if someone is wishing to decide how to deliver after one Caesarean, it very much depends on their own preferences and views.

The study did find that if a woman had an emergency C-section the second time round, her child was at higher risk of learning disabilities and of dying.

The finding is important as it had been feared that Caesarean sections raised the risk of a host of health problems, including obesity and asthma, researchers said (file photo)

It isnt know why this is but it may because the most sickly babies were delivered last-minute operations.

Others said that when other research is taken into account, a natural birth is the safest option after a C-section.

Professor Alan Cameron, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: Overall, existing evidence suggests that for women who have had a previous Caesarean section, a vaginal birth in the next pregnancy has fewer complications than a repeat Caesarean section for both mother and baby.
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Bathed in a ultraviolet light, this tiny baby is being kept alive by the expertise of Britains world-class medics.

Born prematurely, its small body not yet developed enough to keep it alive, the infant is suffering from severe jaundice.

With a special machine providing oxygen to the babys lungs, and tubes feeding fluid and drugs into its veins, a powerful UV lamp is used to break down the harmful toxins building in the skin - doing the job the babys undeveloped liver has failed to achieve.

The picture, taken in the Starlight Neonatal Unit for premature babies at Barnet Hospital in north London, has been awarded the Julie Dorrington prize for outstanding clinical photography.

The prize was one of two Wellcome Image Awards given tonight for medical and scientific pictures.

David Bishop's photo of a baby being kept alive by a UV lamp was selected as one of two winners of Wellcome Image Awards. Pictured is the photograph, taken at Starlight Neonatal Unit for premature babies at Barnet Hospital in north London

THE PLIGHT OF PREMATURE BABIES Some 60,000 children are born prematurely in Britain each year - roughly one in 13 of all live births. While babies some suffer severe disabilities as a result, medical advances mean many now go on to live full and healthy lives. Specialist neonatal units have vastly improved in recent years  with the best hospitals regularly delivering babies as early as 23 weeks into pregnancy. More than 1,000 babies are born before their 25th week of pregnancy each year. Infants born this early have highly specialised needs, spending an average of three months in intensive care. They usually weigh only a few ounces, their organs are underdeveloped and sometimes they cannot breathe unaided. Because their digestive system is underdeveloped, feeding is often done by a tube with nutrients fed directly into the babys bloodstream. Parents will sometimes go several weeks without even picking up their child. Yet against all the odds, after weeks plugged with tubes and wires, many babies survive. According to the latest official statistics, 10 per cent of babies born 23 weeks survive, rising to 30 per cent at 24 weeks, 60 per cent at 25 weeks and 76 per cent at 26 weeks. Advertisement

David Bishop, photography services manager at University College London, who took the image, said: It is a fascinating environment to work in. Its my job but its also my passion.

Mr Bishop, who also lectures in medical photography at the University of Westminster worked as a photographer for the Ministry of Defence before he took his current job.

He said: The things the doctors and nurses achieve is phenomenal.

The Starlight unit provides intensive care for 30 babies at a time, most of them born prematurely.

The 20 shortlisted images for the Wellcome Image Awards will now make up an exhibition to tour across the UK and globally.

The tour starts at the Science Museum in London, where they are now on display.

The other winner is a watercolour and ink painting of the Ebola virus by David Goodsell, which showed in minute detail the internal structure of this tiny, notoriously lethal virus.

Awards judge Fergus Walsh, BBC Medical Correspondent, who presented the awards, said: The Wellcome Image Awards consistently uncover a stunning range of images that not only capture the imagination but help bring complex concepts to life.

From otherworldly pictures to intricate close ups, these spectacular images draw you in and tell important stories about medical research today.

Describing Mr Bishops image, he said: The whole image is cast in a beautiful blue light  the judges felt it perfectly captured the vulnerability of a newborn, whilst keeping a respectful and discreet distance from the subject.

Catherine Draycott, head of Wellcome Images and chair of the judging panel said: David Bishop combines his skill and sensitivity to show a newborn baby cradled in a pool of therapeutic light emanating from sophisticated equipment.

The photographs are among 20 shortlisted images selected from hundreds of entries.

From a photo detailing the inner workings of a cow's heart or to a shot conveying the complex network of tunnels in someone's eye, each have the ability to intrigue and excite.

An extreme close up shot of a swallowtail butterfly, which has two big round eyes for seeing quick movements and two antennae for smelling, represents nature in the exhibition.

The picture, taken by Daniel Saftner, offers people the rare chance to glimpse the creature's long feeding tube, which is curled up like a spring in the photo but unrolls so the butterfly can use it like a straw to drink nectar from flowers.

Medical conditions and the human body feature heavily in this year's winners and in particular a condition that has had a devastating effect in Africa, the Ebola virus.

A shot of a medical ward in London's Royal Free Hospital, for patients suffering from the disease, cordoned off by a mass of plastic sheets and with quarantine suits hanging from the ceiling, is particularly striking.

Another photo which perhaps is arguably simpler than the others, but still draws the eye, is of a young girl's arm blistering from a henna tattoo.

Her skin has been covered in the bulging sores at various points across the pattern due to an allergic reaction she has suffered from the henna ink.

The Wellcome Image Awards exhibition will tour across the UK. The other shortlisted photographs are pictured below.

The other winner was a watercolour and ink painting of the Ebola virus by David Goodsell, which showed in minute detail the internal structure of this tiny, notoriously lethal virus. The Ebola virus can spread between people when they touch body fluids which have the virus in them, such as blood or spit

Raynaud's Disease taken by Matthew Clavey from Thermal Vision Research. The hand on the left is from a healthy person, with its bright red colour conveying how it is much hotter than the hand on the right, which is from someone with Raynaud's disease. Sufferers of the diseases have small-blood vessels over-sensitive to changes in temperature

Bone Development by Frank Acquaah. Each circle shows bone from a baby or child at a different age. The youngest (three months before birth) is on the left and the oldest ( two and a half years old) is on the right. These historical bones all come from the skeletons of children who died in the 19th century

Cow Heart by Michael Frank. Windows have been cut into the heart to show the intricate nature of the valves and tubes inside. The cow's organ is 27cm from top to bottom and is about four times the size of a human heart.

Inside the human eye by Peter Maloca. Tunnels like these carry blood to the eye to help it work properly. Pictures such as this are used by doctors to help them spot early signs of disease

Swallowtail Butterfly by Daniel Saftner. These Butterflies have two round eyes for seeing quick movements and two antennae for smelling. They also have a long feeding tube, which is curled up like a spring here, but it unrolls so the butterfly can use it like a straw to drink nectar from flowers

Moth Scales by Mark R Smith. This captivating photo is a close-up look at scales on a Madagascan sunset moth. The large moth sparkles with colour in the light and is often mistaken for a butterfly. But the colour is an illusion. It comes from light bouncing off these curved scales, and the wings themselves have very little colour

Human stem cell by Silvia A Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman. This stem cell was taken from inside a person's hip bone and was then put in a mixture of chemicals to simulate the conditions in a human body

Blood vessels in the eye by Kim Baxter. This network of white spidery lines are blood vessels inside a person's eye. If one of these tubes gets blocked or starts to leak, it may affect how well someone can see

Toxoplasmosis-causing parasites by Leandro Lemgruber. These are parasites which live inside another living thing, using it for food and shelter, these bugs are sometimes found in meat that has not been cooked properly

Detecting Stroke by Nicholas Evans. This is a medical scan showing a blocked blood vessel (highlighted in green) inside someone's neck. The blood vessel carries blood to the brain and when it gets blocked, parts of the brain can get damaged and stop working properly - causing a stroke

Infectious disease containment unit by David Bishop. This special see-through tent surrounds a bed in the Royal Free Hospital in London, where patients are treated for dangerous infectious diseases, like Ebola

Bacteria on graphene oxide by Izzat Suffian, Kuo-Ching Mei, Houmam Kafa and Khuloud T Al-Jamal. This photo shows two bacteria sitting on an extremely thin sheet of carbon. Researchers are trying to stick different medicines to it so they can be carried to the right place in the body when needed

Black henna allergy by Nicola Kelley. This photo shows a black henna tattoo on the arm of a young girl. She has blisters on her arm because she is allergic to the dye. The blisters will heal but sadly they may leave marks on her skin

Maize Leaves by Fernan Federici. Each curled leaf from this young maize plant is made up of lots of small cells (the small green, square and rectangle shapes)

Wiring the human brain by Alfred Anwander. This photo maps the pathways inside a person's brain, with the links between the left and right sides of brain in red, the links between front and back in green, and the links between the brain and the rest of the body in blue

Clathrin Cage by Maria Voigt. These tiny cages are like baskets that carry matter inside a cell from one place to another. When the cage is not being used it breaks up into smaller pieces, which get recycled. The cage can then be put back together again when it is next needed

Dividing stem cell in the brain by Paula Alexandre. This circle of pictures shows different stages of a stem cell splitting in two inside the brain of a zebrafish before it hatches
A revolutionary technique that harnesses the power of stem cell therapy promises to restore the sight of millions.

Taking as little as 45 minutes, the procedure offers hope to those with age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults globally.

It affects more than 600,000 adults in the UK, blighting the lives of a quarter of the over-60s.

In the breakthrough developed at University College London, doctors inserted a patch of stem cells into the retina of a woman who has lost her central vision.

Scroll down for video

A new technique that harnesses the power of stem cell therapy promises to restore the sight of millions, offering a new treatment for the leading cause of blindness, macular degeneration

They hope the procedure, carried out at Moorfields Eye Hospital in the capital, will restore the 60-year-olds sight.

But six months on and the opthalmologist spearheading the new treatment, said he is hesitant to declare the procedure a success.

Professor Pete Coffey, told CNN: 'We're assessing her vision, we need more information to make conclusions.

'I'm pleasantly surprised the cells are surviving to this stage given how nasty (bloody) the environment was.'

Doctors said in the immediate aftermath of the operation last September, that their patient had suffered no complications and that her eye was recovering well from the procedure.

This first operation has begun a clinical trial involving 10 patients. If successful, the technique could be available on the NHS within two-and-a-half years.

The procedure, which has attracted the support of medical giant Pfizer, is carried out under local anaesthetic.

It involves taking a single embryonic stem cell and growing it into a 6mm patch of 100,000 retinal pigment cells.

That patch is then rolled into a thin tube, which is injected through a tiny slit in the eye.

Once unfurled, it is placed behind the retina where scientists hope it will replace the faulty cells.

The operation is a milestone in the London Project to Cure Blindness established ten years ago with the aim of curing vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

The first step has been carried out on the wet form of the condition when a patient bleeds at the back of the eye. But scientists are confident it could also be used for the more common dry AMD, which affects 85 per cent of British sufferers.

Retinal surgeon Professor Lyndon Da Cruz, who conducted the operation, said at the time: There is real potential that people with wet age-related macular degeneration will benefit in the future from transplantation of these cells.

The treatment offers hope for those who suffer from macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults globally. So far one patient has undergone the procedure, developed by scientists at University College London

The reason we are very excited is that we have been able to create these very specific cells and been able to transfer them to the patient. Its the combination of being able to create the cells that are missing and demonstrate that we can safely transplant them.

Professor Coffey, of UCL, who developed the science behind the technology, said that if the procedure gains accelerated approval then the patch could be available on the NHS within two-and-a-half years.

We are tremendously pleased to have reached this stage in the research, he said.

We are tremendously pleased to have reached this stage in the research Professor Pete Coffey, of UCL

There are nearly 700,000 patients with AMD in the UK. Thats a huge population which could benefit  it is the same number with Alzheimers.

The condition occurs when the cells at the middle of the retina become damaged, resulting in a loss of central vision. Stem cells are blank cells capable of being reprogrammed to transform into any cell in the body, meaning they can replace damaged tissue.

In this case, the stem cells were taken from donated embryos created during IVF treatment but never used.

In 2014, American doctors published results of a study in which they injected loose stem cells into the eye.

But that project only aimed to show the technique was safe and was not aimed at reversing sight loss.

Experts welcomed the breakthrough. Professor Anthony Hollander, of Liverpool University, said: The UK should be very proud of its long-term investment in stem cell research and the benefits are starting to come through.

The start of a trial using cells derived from embryonic stem cells for wet AMD is an important landmark and in time will help to establish the true potential of this type of therapy.
Indian security forces claim to have killed three Pakistani terrorists believed to be part of a 10-member fidayeen group that entered India from the border areas of Gujarat recently, to carry out terror strikes across the country.

Working on the intelligence Pakistan National Security Adviser Naseer Janjua shared with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the possibility of 10 terrorists infiltrating India from Pakistan, security agencies launched a nationwide manhunt and succeeded in tracking down three of them.

A top official in the security establishment said agencies have still not verified the identities of those killed.

Pakistan National Security Adviser Naseer Janjua (right) and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval

Operations were conducted to hunt down the terrorists immediately after the information was received. While three have been killed, agencies are close to hunting down the others as the operation is still on, the officer said.

Without giving specifics of the operation, the official said the three terrorists were killed in a western state some time last week.

We are yet to ascertain the identities of those killed. Their nationality has not been established yet, the official added.

Sources said there is a possibility that the 10 terrorists split into smaller groups of two or three and travelled to other states.

A top official in the security establishment said agencies have still not verified the identities of those killed

Officials in the security establishment said that after being tipped off by Pakistan NSA Janjua, Indian intelligence agencies were alerted and several teams, including officials from state governments, were put on the job.

Even though a formal dialogue between Pakistan and India remains stalled, the two NSAs have been communicating with each other regularly.

The terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed had planned to carry out multiple attacks, according to intelligence inputs.

Somnath temple in Gujarat was a prime target during Shivratri on March 7. Following the inputs, Gujarat was put on high alert.

Fearing strikes on important installations, public places, and places of worship, intelligence agencies had alerted state authorities across the country.

Immediately after the intelligence input on infiltration was received, the Centre had dispatched four teams of National Security Guard (NSG) to Gujarat and they were deployed at different locations in the state.

A specific alert was also sent to Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh.

In Gujarat, there were widespread raids soon after the input was received since the terrorists were suspected of entering India from the Gujarat border and a youth was reportedly injured in police firing as he tried to escape the police checkpoint at Kheda district.

Security was also beefed up in the national Capital as intelligence inputs indicated that a group of terrorists could also target Delhi.

The NSG teams rushed to Gujarat to secure vulnerable spots like Somnath temple, Sardar Sarovar dam, and other vital installations. The cultural events organised during Shivratri were also cancelled in the wake of security concerns.

Following inputs on more infiltration attempts, the home ministry also decided to restrict the number of Pakistani fans coming to India to watch the World T20.

Fearing that Pakistan-based terrorists could use the opportunity to sneak in, intelligence agencies suggested a stringent mechanism for issuing visas. It was decided that not more than 250 visas would be issued for Pakistani fans per match.

After the attack by Pakistan-based terrorists on the air force base in Pathankot earlier this year, India had handed over evidence to Pakistan stating that JeM was responsible for the planning and execution of the attack.

There have been a series of infiltrations from Pakistan in the last two years, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir where the terrorists targeted security forces.

Last year, Pakistan-based terrorists also carried out an attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab, after infiltrating through the states border.

'Six terrorists had attacked IAF base'

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

A forensic examination has confirmed that security forces killed six terrorists who attacked the Pathankot airbase. There had been a controversy regarding the number of terrorists, with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) claiming there were four terrorists based on the bodies seized from there.

But the National Security Guards (NSG) had concluded that there were six terrorists and all were gunned down.

Top government sources said a detailed forensic examination was concluded on the remains collected by the NIA from two different locations of the strategic airbase.

Seven security personnel were killed and several others injured when six terrorists stormed the Pathankot airbase

The forensic test has come to the conclusion that traces of two human beings were found in the remains collected from Pathankot airbase, the official said.

The bodies of four terrorists were recovered immediately after the anti-terror operation was over at the airbase.

There have been varying reports over the number of terrorists, who are suspected of being part of Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

While NSG, which had carried out the operation against the terrorists, has said there were six terrorists, NIA, which is probing the case, maintained that they found the bodies of four terrorists and no conclusive evidence was found about any more terrorists involvement in the attack.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that charred remains, apart from four bodies of terrorists, were found at the debris after security forces searched the spot when the operation ended.

Charred remains were found and sent for forensic examination. We are awaiting reports, the home minister had said on March 4.

The NIA probe suggests Pakistani terrorists who attacked the Pathankot Air Force base infiltrated from Bamial in Punjab carrying heavy ammunition and weapons. Earlier investigators were working on leads that the weapons were smuggled in separately, and also the possibility of insiders providing the ammunition consignment to the terrorists after they infiltrated.

Seven security personnel were killed and several others injured when six terrorists stormed the Pathankot air base.

The terrorists who carried out the Pathankot attack are also suspected to be from the Afzal Guru Squad.
Last week there were two interesting incidents involving artificial intelligence (AI). In both cases the company behind the innovations was Google.

In Seoul, AlphaGo, an AI system created by Google, crushed Lee Sedol, an 18-time world champion regarded as this decades top player of Go. And this was not just one of those AI-calculated-faster-than-a-human types of victory.

Go is an ancient game, invented by humans over 2,000 years ago. It is vastly more complex than Chess, and requires intuition.

AlphaGo, an AI system created by Google, crushed 18-time world Go champion Lee Sedol in Seoul

Meanwhile in San Francisco, Googles self-driving cars are currently doing the rounds. The cars are already very good at driving themselves, following the rules, but now they are trying to figure out the intuitive traffic moves that humans make - like making eye contact with a fellow driver and yielding to a car on a broken traffic light.

On Wednesday, one of the Google cars crashed into a public bus, apparently because it thought it was ahead of the bus and hence had the right of way, just like a human driver would have.

The two incidents show that AI is out of the purely arithmetic realm and is now moving into a space that until now only humans have occupied on the earth.

Google's self-driving cars are learning how to think more like a human

The car is calculating, learning, and then creating moves that are its own.

No one knows how the future is going to unfold when we have machines capable of making many more complex and unique decisions, which would not be limited to drawing pictures of cats like the Google computers do now.

This will surely change the world in untold ways, making it more efficient and creating a better earth.

But as Bill Gates, Tesla founder Elon Musk, and scientist Stephen Hawking warn, it could also mean the end of humans.
Leftover chawal (rice), namkeen, cardboard and stray plastic lay strewn at the World Culture Festival site, near the Yamuna River, on Monday.

The lofty 40-ft stage was being dismantled, piece by piece. The carpet and furniture still sat on the ground as AOL (Art of Living) began a brisk cleaning up effort.

A dozen-odd volunteers were seen aiding at least two professional waste management agencies hired to tidy up the place.

An estimated two lakh people visited on each day of the three-day festival. A dozen-odd volunteers were seen aiding two professional waste management agencies hired to tidy up.

At least 200 truckloads of garbage were removed from the site from 8am to 4pm. They were then transported to the Okhla Waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in south-east Delhi.

The cultural show of jaw-dropping dimensions took place from 5pm to 9pm every day between 11-13 March.

An estimated two lakh people visited every day - from volunteers to devotees - travelling from as far as France, the UK and US.

There was no figure available on the liquid waste collected in tankers from the 650 bio-toilets installed by host NGO, Art of Living (AOL).

A spokesperson, Atika Dhandhia, said: The sewage from the three days will be taken to a treatment plant belonging to Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

However, she was unsure of the location of the plant or STP.

Atika added: We have hired two agencies: Pom Pom and BVG. Pom Pom specialises in segregating wet and dry waste. BVG has expertise in cleaning hospitals, offices and ITPO events like the World Trade Fair (WTF).

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to give detailed guidelines to AOL on cleaning the site after the event

When asked how much time would be required to erase the footprints of AOL from the venue, she said: It took us around one and a half months to construct the stage. We should be given at least two to three weeks to dismantle it. And, a couple of more weeks to clear the site of stray plastic and debris.

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to give detailed guidelines to AOL on cleaning the site after the event.

A scientific panel has already advised a restoration fee of Rs 120 crore for damaging the Yamuna floodplains, its ecology and biodiversity.

When Mail Today visited the site at 4pm, a brisk trash collection exercise was ongoing - small MCD dumpers were doing the rounds, labourers were picking up trash, tossing it into black bags and flinging them on dumpers.

Soran Singh, driver of a dumper, said: We did it from 12am to 5am on Sunday. Then we went to sleep for three hours, and were back to work by 8am. All the small trucks are emptying into five big 10-wheeler trucks, all headed to the Okhla WTE plant.

Some non-resident Indian (NRI) followers of Sri Sri Ravishankar were seen volunteering for the job.

Alisha Arora, a software engineer with Yahoo in California, US, said: My family has gone back to Punjab after attending the event. However, I am overstaying for few hours to help with the cleaning up process.

Guruji has asked us, she said.

However, the inadequacy of the dozen-odd volunteers was apparent in the face of 24.4 hectares of land waiting to be tidied up.

A broom-wielding labourer explained the challenges. Kirpal Singh said: Itna paani jama hai yahan pe, jhadoo bhi nahi chala pa rahe. (There is so much stagnant water, even brooms are proving useless).
The odds-on betting is that Sir Martin Sorrells heroic pay and bonus package at WPP will be unveiled tomorrow under cover of George Osbornes latest Budget.

But will WPP be alone in choosing Budget Day for a contentious announcement? There must be a possibility that the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse will do the same.

As opposition to the merger has grown, along with the threat that the Atlanta based ICE group, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, will put in a rival bid the two European exchanges have been adjusting their plans.

The prospect of a bidding war for the LSE has sent its shares soaring over the last month by 35 per cent.

The prospect of a bidding war for the LSE has sent its shares soaring over the last month by 35 per cent

A nil premium deal with Deutsche Boerse grabbing control of 56 per cent its London rival shares no longer looks like a winning position.

Similarly all the indications are that DBs chief executive Carsten Kengeter will have to concede that LCH.

Clearnet, the swap clearing house that is the LSEs crown jewel, will have to stay in London. That is causing its own reverberations in Frankfurt where there are fears the German exchange is selling the pass.

Without the merger of the two clearing houses and with the doubling up of headquarters in London, where the top company is meant to be based, there also are serious questions as to whether up to 400million of cost savings being mooted can be delivered without savage cuts that will undermine future IT investment.

The latest tack of the hidden persuaders is to argue that swapping Xavier Rolet, who is stepping down, for Kengeter will make no difference because the DB chief is an honorary Brit.

He lives in South West London and his kids attend Osbornes old school St Pauls.

What that has to do with the price of fish when the future of Britains 17th Century exchange, one of the pillars of the City of London, is at stake I have no idea.

By allowing the idea of this deal to run Rolet and the LSEs chairman Donald Brydon are engaged in a great betrayal of the Square Mile.

Even if the DB deal fails, which is entirely possible, they will have made the ghastly mistake of putting the London Stock Exchange in play. Shameful.

Brazil nuts

Investors in Shell have good reason to feel nervous about unfolding events in Brazil where three million people took to the streets at the weekend.

One of the primary goals of Shells 36billion takeover of BG Group was to gain control of the companys Brazilian operations in the Santos Basin where BG has stakes in five fields, three of which already are producing oil.

As an oil major Shell has plenty of experience working in some of the most difficult geographies in the world from Nigeria to Libya and the Arctic.

But one of the principle reasons Shell was willing to pay so much for BG was that it wanted to move from areas of high risk production such as Nigeria, where staff kidnappings, guerrilla activity and stealing directly from pipelines is rife, to nicer neighbourhoods.

This, it was argued, made sense for the long term despite the dramatic fall in the oil price.

Oil and gas extraction in Brazil is conducted in conjunction with the state oil company Pertrobas which finds itself caught up in the biggest and most damaging corruption scandal in the countrys recent history.

Not only does it threaten to sweep the current president Dilma Rousseff from office but her much revered predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been dragged into the controversy and is under threat of arrest on corruption charges.

The protests are particularly potent because Brazil is deep in recession with output tumbling 3.8 per cent last year. Moodys has accorded the countrys debt junk status.

Petrobas made big write-offs, some 1.8billion in 2014, because of the scandal and there could be much worse ahead. BGs last report and accounts warned of the potential cost of corruption allegations affecting Petrobas. Lawyers leading the anti-corruption movement say Brazil has been looted and robbed for too long.

It maybe that Shell will be seen as an unimpeachable partner for Petrobas that can only contribute to the clean-up.

Shareholders may come to regret that they were not better informed of the potential for a Brazilian catastrophe when finance director Simon Henry and chief executive Ben van Beurden bulldozed through the BG takeover.

Rings true

We should be shocked that in the second decade of the 21st Century the New Criterion restaurant in the heart of Londons West End has to wait four months to get the landline and broadband connection needed to function in a modern service economy.

When it comes to BT service nothing surprises. The shoddy treatment of the New Criterion has been costly. But recent family experience suggests it is not untypical.

BT questions why Money Mail recently awarded it the annual wooden spoon award and why we advocate separation and sell-off of networks company Openreach.
National Living Wage: Workers aged 25 or older will be entitled to 7.20 an hour from 1 April 2016

From April 1 2016, all workers aged 25 or above will be entitled to earn a minimum of 7.20 - a 50p increase on the national minimum wage.

The rules will be strictly enforced as failure to pay a worker what they are legally entitled to is a criminal offence and can result in an employer being fined and named and shamed by HM Revenue and Customs.

They have been controversial, as although this boosts the incomes of the low-paid, critics claim that firms will cut back on recruitment and this plan could harm the jobs market.

Here's This is Money's guide to the national living wage for workers and employers.

FOR WORKERS

Who's eligible for the national living wage?

All workers aged 25 or over, excluding those in the first year of an apprenticeship.

Self-employed people and volunteers are also excluded.

All workers under the age of 25 will continue to be paid at least the national minimum wage, which will also rise from 1 October 2016 (see table below).

How much is it?

7.20 per hour, which is a 50p increase on the current 6.70 hourly rate for workers aged 21 and above that applies under the national minimum wage until 31 March 2016 and 25p more than what it will rise to on 1 October.

The annual salary of a full-time worker doing 35 hours a week is 13,104 under the national living wage, which is 910 more than the 12,194 annual salary under the current maximum national minimum wage rate and 455 more than what it will be as of 1 October.

When Chancellor George Osborne announced the national living wage in the Summer Budget 2015, he said the Government was committed to increasing the national living wage each year and pledged it would reach 9 per hour by 2020.

That would result in a full-time working doing 35 hours a week earning 16,380 over the course of a year.

I'm under 25, how much will I get?

Workers under the age of 25 will be entitled to the national minimum wage, which is also going up for all age groups and apprentices from 1 October.

Workers aged 21 to 24 will be entitled to at least 6.95 an hour, 18 to 20-year-olds 5.55 an hour, under-18s 4 and apprentices 3.40.

UNDER 25? HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO EARN PER HOUR Year 21 and over 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice 2016* 6.95 5.55 4 3.40 2015 6.70 5.30 3.87 3.30 2014 6.50 5.13 3.79 2.73 2013 6.31 5.03 3.72 2.68 2012 6.19 4.98 3.68 2.65 2011 6.08 4.98 3.68 2.60 2010 5.93 4.92 3.64 2.50 *From 1 October 2016

When will I start to receive the National Living Wage?

From 1 April 2016.

The Government says it is committed to increasing the national living wage every year

How can I check I'm paid what I'm entitled?

You can check whether you'll be eligible for the national living wage and you have been paid the national minimum wage or your employer owes you past payments by using the Government's calculator here.

What do I do if my employer fails to pay me what I'm owed?

Complain directly to your employer in the first instance.

If it fails to respond and reimburse you, you must give them a formal written complaint.

If it still fails to put things right, you can complain to HMRC - which has the power to issue a notice of arrears and a penalty to your employer.

It can also publicly name and shame employers failing to abide by the rules. .

FOR EMPLOYERS

I run a small business, do I still have to pay the national living wage?

Yes. All employers have to pay the national living wage or national minimum wage depending on the age of the employee.

How can I find out who's eligible?

Employees over the age of 25 must be paid the national living wage from 1 April 2016, unless they are in their first year of an apprenticeship.

There are some other exclusions such as company directors and family members, or people living in your family home who carry out household tasks.

You can find out more information about employment status here.

What happens if I don't pay?

Employees can report you to HMRC, which has the power to issue you with notice of arrears and a penalty fine.

And it could name and shame employers. In October 2015 it named 113 employers that hadn't been paying workers fairly. As well as many small businesses, they included national fashion chain Monsoon Accessorize Ltd and London outlets of sandwich chain Subway.




When George Osborne delivered his first Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer in June 2010 he promised to balance the books within five years.

When he returns to the House of Commons for his eighth Budget tomorrow he will be forced to admit that government borrowing will still be somewhere close to 80billion this year.

Many see this complete failure to hit his Budget targets as the hallmark of Osbornes time in office.

Even the forecasts set out in the Autumn Statement and Spending Review less than four months ago have been torn up and rewritten for tomorrows statement.

> Budget 2016 as it happens: Follow the This is Money Budget live blog

George Osborne will be forced to admit that government borrowing will still be somewhere close to 80billion this year when he returns to the House of Commons for his eighth Budget tomorrow

That is not to say there has not been progress. Borrowing is down from a record of nearly 155billion under Labour in 2009-10.

But Osborne faces an uphill struggle to reach the two goals set out in his new fiscal rules. One states that the national debt  now approaching 1.6trillion having nearly tripled in less than a decade  must fall as a share of national income this year and every year in future.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, says it is almost impossible to hit this target given the slowdown in the economy.

The decision to suspend the sale of around 6billion of shares in Lloyds Banking Group amid wobbles on financial markets has also left the Treasury short of cash earmarked to pay down the national debt.

The other fiscal rule states that the Chancellor must run a surplus from 2019-20  meaning that the Government earns more in tax than it spends.

That Osborne is struggling to hit this target should perhaps come as no surprise  particularly given the turmoil in the global economy.

The UK has rarely run a surplus  as the graph shows  with the last coming at the turn of the century before the spending taps were turned on by New Labour.

But Osborne remains resolute in his determination to drag Britain back into the black  setting the scene for yet more unpopular choices in the Budget.

He this weekend said there will be additional savings equivalent to 50p in every 100 the Government spends by the end of the decade.

This, he pointed out, was not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things. However, it amounts to 4billion of cuts a year on top of those already outlined over the past six years.

Even before these extra reductions, total public spending in 2019-20 was due to reach its lowest share of national income for over 60 years with the exception of 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

Spending on public services other than health is heading for its lowest level as a fraction of national income since at least 1948-49, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

But for all the talk of austerity, and shrinking the size of the state, government spending continues to rise.

The Government spent 669.3billion in 2009-10  Labours last year in power. Spending hit 749billion last year and is due to reach 857.2billion in 2020-21.

While many of the Chancellors fiscally conservative critics would like to see far more spending restraint, this is not the reason why Osborne has missed his targets. Indeed, the 2010 Budget forecast spending of 757.5billion this year.

The Autumn Statement in November put the figure at 755.7billion.

The big problem for the Chancellor has been tax receipts.

When Osborne became the first Conservative MP to deliver a Budget for more than a decade in 2010 he pencilled in a rise in tax receipts from 514.6billion in 2009-10 to 737billion in 2015-16.

By the time the Autumn Statement came long at the end of last year, that number had been downgraded to 682.2billion.

Instead of raking in 208.5billion from income tax, the Treasury now expects to get 171.8billion.

Projected national insurance receipts are down from 127.7billion to 114.6billion while the outlook for corporation tax has been cut from 59.7billion to 44.3billion.

In 2010, the Chancellor pencilled in 9.7billion of revenues from the UK oil and gas industry for this year. Now he is expecting just 100million.

But even the latest forecasts for tax receipts now look optimistic with disappointing wage growth set to take another chunk out of income tax and national insurance receipts.

Against this backdrop, Osborne needs to find some money to press ahead with the tax cuts promised in the Tory manifesto.

The personal allowance  the point at which people start paying income tax  is due to rise from 10,600 to 11,000 from April before gradually rising to 12,500 by 2020.

The higher rate threshold, which is when 40p income tax kicks in, is due to go up from 42,385 to 43,000 next month and 50,000 by the end of the decade.

Osborne may be tempted to accelerate these plans as he bids to burnish his leadership credentials with voters and Tory MPs.

But there could also be a string of stealth tax hikes to help him balance the books  with drivers and smokers among those likely to be hit.

The Chancellor could also target insurance premium tax, pushing up the price of cover for homes and cars as well as medical and vet bills, having already raised the levy from 6 per cent to 9.5 per cent.

Businesses are also braced for bad news and have spent the last few days begging the Treasury to give them a break.

The British Chambers of Commerce argues that pensions auto-enrolment, the national living wage, the apprenticeship levy and higher dividend taxes have already significantly increased up-front burdens for business.

In an increasingly uncertain economic environment, the Chancellor should avoid any and all moves that could damage business confidence, says the BCCs Adam Marshall.
Lloyds is vulnerable to a housing crash and is not worth investing in, one of the UKs most influential fund managers claimed yesterday.

Neil Woodford runs more than 14billion in funds and backs a string of blue-chip companies including BT and drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline, as well as tobacco companies. He has long shunned the banking sector.

Speaking with investors he conceded that Lloyds was much improved and arguably more investable that at any stage since the financial crisis.

Steer clear: Neil Woodford is advising investorsnot to invest in Lloyds

But the 55 year old  who attracted an army of loyal investors after leaving Invesco Perpetual and setting up his own fund management company  said he is still not convinced.

He said Lloyds is still not sufficiently attractive to warrant a place in the funds, adding: One thing that continues to concern me is the exposure to the UK housing market.

Any correction here would shatter the consensual view that its balance sheet is rock solid.

Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, is the High Streets biggest lender, with around a 25 per cent share of the mortgage market.

The comments are deeply unhelpful for the Chancellor ahead of tomorrows Budget. George Osborne is hoping to persuade the public to snap up 2billion of Lloyds shares.

The sale was expected to take place in the spring but was delayed due to the market turmoil which hammered Lloyds shares.

They have rebounded strongly and are trading hands at 70.3p  not far from the break even price of 73.6p at which the Chancellor would consider selling.

Lloyds dismissed Woodfords claims and pointed out its average mortgage customer has equity of 54 per cent in their property.

Rejected claims: Lloyds dismissed Woodfords claims and pointed out its average mortgage customer has equity of 54 per cent in their property

The comments on Lloyds formed part of an online question and answer session, with Woodford covering topics from shares with tobacco firms, the potential impact of a Brexit and Donald Trump.

On the impact of a Brexit on the broader EU economy, Woodford said: 'The debate in the UK has been very parochial hitherto.

'Brexit could indeed be existential for the eurozone project as it is currently constructed. Not least because the refugee crisis and economic stagnation are already fundamentally stressing the organisation.

'The elections in Germany over the weekend are ample evidence of this. If we did vote to leave, there would be a period of economic uncertainty, coincident with currency volatility for the UK and the eurozone. I dont think this would result in an economic meltdown, however.'

Debate: On the impact of a Brexit on the broader EU economy, Woodford said: 'The debate in the UK has been very parochial hitherto'

On Donald Trump, Woodford said: 'Trumps more extreme political views on the campaign trail are likely to moderate significantly, if he were elected.

'In addition, the checks and balances in the US political system would clearly make some of his more extreme policy choices unlikely to prevail.

'My conclusion is, if he were elected, it would have a very limited impact on the US economy.'

Going back to more specific queries regarding his investments, Woodford also explained why he continues to invest in tobacco companies: 'As long as the share prices continue to undervalue the intrinsic worth of the businesses, I will remain a holder of these companies.
Millions of motorists face a triple whammy of higher fuel duty, a hike in a stealth tax and soaring premiums.

One of Britains biggest motor insurers LV= yesterday warned the price of motor insurance could jump by 10 per cent this year, claiming firms had slashed rates too aggressively in recent years.

There are also fears George Osborne intends to increase fuel duty as well as pushing up the Insurance Premium Tax  described as a stealth tax on motorists  when he unveils his Budget tomorrow.

No respite: Drivers face a triple whammy of higher fuel duty, a hike in a stealth tax and soaring premiums

Insurers have cut motor insurance premiums in recent years in a desperate attempt to attract customers.

But LV= chief executive Mike Rogers said insurers overestimated the benefits of a government crackdown designed to prevent fraudulent whiplash claims, which had driven up costs for honest motorists.

This caused firms to cut premiums aggressively in the hope that whiplash claims would fall more sharply than they actually have.

The average insurance premium soared by a fifth last year to 625.70  the biggest annual increase since 2011  according to the AA.

LV= said the insurance remains under priced and will need further rate increases in 2016. It reckons premiums could rise 10 per cent, equating to another 60 to the annual premium of a typical motorist.

But the Chancellor is also considering plans to increase the Insurance Premium Tax from 9.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent as he desperately tries to plug a huge shortfall in the UKs finances.

It would be the second increase in just six months, after IPT was hiked by 50 per cent on November 1.

The Treasury has claimed this is a tax on insurance companies, not motorists. But rather than bear the extra cost themselves, insurers have simply passed on the burden on to customers in the form of higher premiums.

The Association of British Insurers has claimed the tax rise has added around 100 to the annual costs for a family with two cars combined contents and building cover, pet and health insurance.

LV=s Rogers said hiking IPT  which also applies to home, medical and pet cover  would increase the financial burden for millions of responsible households.

He added: IPT is not a tax on insurance companies, its a tax on insurance products which is paid directly by customers, effectively penalising them for doing the right thing and protecting the things they value most.
EDF's boss has warned that Hinkley Point nuclear plant will not go ahead without fresh financial support from the French government.

Jean-Bernard Levy wrote to employees to say that EDF was in talks with officials to get the government to commit to funding and help the energy company to secure its position.

'It is clear that I will not engage in this project as long as these conditions are not met,' Levy wrote, without outlining EDF's demands.

Plea: EDF's boss has warned that Hinkley Point nuclear plant will not go ahead without fresh financial support from the French government

Plans for the 18billion power station have been underway since 2010 but the technology has suffered numerous delays and sprialling costs.

Project leader Chris Bakken resigned in February, and last week its chief financial officer Thomas Piquemal left too.

EDF agreed a subsidy deal over Hinkley Point in 2013 and has a 66.5 per cent stake in the project, after Chinese utility company CGN took a 33.5 per cent stake last October.

It had been hoped an agreement would follow the October deal but EDF still finds itself 11billion short of what it needs for Hinkley to go ahead  having already spent 2billion.

In a bid to find the funds needed EDF is pressuring France, which owns 85 per cent of EDF, to take some of its stake in Hinkley.

In a note to staff, the CGT union said management could push for a final investment decision on Hinkley at a board meeting on March 30. It warned: '[Hinkley] could deal a fatal blow to the company.'
Workers and employers could lose a nice little earner if the Government decides to claw back an estimated 5billion-plus a year by targeting salary sacrifice schemes in tomorrow's Budget.

Such arrangements are essentially a legal way to dodge National Insurance payments. Employers allow staff to take a supposed 'pay cut', but the money gets ploughed into their pension or put towards some other benefit like childcare instead, and both sides pay less NI as a result.

But Chancellor George Osborne is thought to be scrabbling around for new ways to raise money after being forced to ditch controversial pension tax reforms to keep voters on side ahead of the Brexit referendum.

Nice little earner: Salary sacrifice schemes are essentially a legal way for workers and employers to dodge National Insurance payments

Banning the creation of any more salary sacrifice schemes, or slapping on tax penalties which neutralise their benefits, would be a stealthier move than scrapping or reducing pensions tax relief.

The advantages of salary sacrifice schemes are not widely understood by the public, although pension expert Tom McPhail from Hargreaves Lansdown says such schemes are used by nearly 70 per cent of employers to reduce the cost of workplace pensions.

That means that any attack on salary sacrifice could end up causing an administrative nightmare for companies and pension providers.

Another low-profile ploy could be to end employers' exemption from paying NI on pension contributions, which costs the Treasury an estimated 13.8billion a year.

This could deter employers from setting up more salary sacrifice schemes as they wouldn't benefit any more.

How did 'salary sacrifice' become popular?

Salary sacrifice was never an official Government policy involving a 'giveaway' to workers.

It's grown up ad hoc over the past 20 years as a result of employers looking for ways to cut their NI bill and co-opting their workers into the process.

HOW DOES 'SALARY SACRIFICE' WORK? 'Salary sacrifice' allows employers and their staff to cut their National Insurance payments. Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at Hargreaves Lansdown, explains it as follows: 'If you are being paid 1,000 (for example) by your employer and you want to pay 100 into your company pension, your tax liability would be calculated on just 900 of your pay, meaning you only pay 180 in tax rather than 200 (assuming you are a basic rate taxpayer). 'However your National Insurance is calculated on the whole 1,000 at a rate of 12 per cent, costing you 120. In addition your employer has to pay 13.8 per cent National Insurance, costing them an additional 138. 'If instead of paying you 1,000, your employer pays you 900 and makes an employer contribution into your pension of 100, you both save some money. 'You still end up with the same amount in your pension (100) and you still pay the same amount of tax (180) but youve both avoided the NI costs. 'You now only pay 108 NI on your 900 pay, saving you 12. The money saved can be used to boost your pension contribution, increasing it to 112. In some cases generous employers will even add their NI saving on to your pension contribution, boosting it even further.'

Low and middle-earners save the 12 per cent that they would otherwise pay in NI on the income they have 'sacrificed'.

It's not so beneficial for higher earners, because once wages go over the upper earnings limit, NI on income above this threshold is just 2 per cent.

Employers save some 13.8 per cent in NI on the sacrificed income for any worker on 8,000-plus a year. There is no cut-off point limiting their NI contributions for higher earners.

Bigger employers are most likely to go to the trouble of setting up salary sacrifice schemes, because the more staff are involved the more they reduce their potential NI bill.

Salary sacrifice schemes operated in something of a legal grey area for a long time, but HMRC recognised the practice some years ago and effectively let employers get on with it.

From workers' point of view, there's another benefit worth noting when it comes to the pension-boosting aspect of the schemes.

Pension tax relief means you get a rebate on the tax you pay on contributions deducted from your salary.

But you don't get any rebate on the NI taken from pension contributions, so salary sacrifice is quite a valuable way of getting something back.

However, salary sacrifice schemes aren't just used to boost pensions. You can use them for the official childcare vouchers system, if your employer allows this.

Cutting your salary can also help you put off repaying student loans, or allow you to carry on receiving child benefit which is now means-tested for higher earning couples.

Practically speaking, it's possible to sacrifice salary for almost anything, including mobile phones and laptops.

Why might Osborne target salary sacrifice schemes?

Aside from the need to drum up money to meet his deficit reduction target, Osborne could feel justified in trying to protect the National Insurance Fund, which is mostly used to pay state pensions.

The more popular salary sacrifice gets the more it will cost, and the less NI will be raised.

In fact, some 4.6billion was transferred from a general income tax fund to the NI Fund in 2014-15  the first time a transfer had been made since 1997-1998, and possibly a sign that salary sacrifice is taking its toll.

The Chancellor is thought to be scrabbling around for new ways to raise money after being forced to ditch controversial pension tax reforms

What else might Osborne do with NI?

The Chancellor pledged during last May's general election campaign not to increase NI, or other big money-raisers like income tax or VAT.

But axing employers' exemption from paying NI on pension contributions wouldn't be breaking any promises, and some industry experts regard it as a likely target in the Budget.

Patrick Bloomfield, partner at Hymans Robertson, said: 'Ending employers NI wouldnt directly affect the voting public. Politically it would be much easier to pull off than pension Isas or capping tax relief.

'But it would be a "tax on jobs" to the tune of about 2 per cent of pensioned pay. This would be another example of passing cost from central government onto employers, much like the national living wage.'

Jon Greer, pensions expert at Old Mutual Wealth, said: 'Today, many peoples pensions are topped up by their employer and those pension contributions are made "gross" of tax.

'The employer pension contribution is also exempt from employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions, which are paid at a rate of 13.8 per cent.'

He said losing the exemption would be a significant additional cost for employers, adding: 'Employers may react by passing on the cost to its employees through slower pay rises or lower pension contributions, or by passing it onto its customers through higher prices.'
An EU spokesperson said its actions were illegal because they were 'humanitarian'

But the EU is claiming diplomatic immunity to avoid being taken to court, MailOnline has learnt

The EU has built more than 1,000 buildings on the West Bank without planning permission, as well as roads and other infrastructure

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The EU is claiming diplomatic immunity after using taxpayers' money to build unauthorised settlements and roads on Israeli parts of the West Bank, MailOnline can reveal.

An Israeli NGO launched legal action after photographing EU flags flying above buildings on land placed under Israeli jurisdiction by the Oslo Accords, to which the EU is a signatory. EU bureaucrats are avoiding court by citing diplomatic rules.

The buildings, which are given to Palestinians, are intended to 'pave the way' for more land to be brought under Palestinian control, according to official EU papers. Many are bulldozed by Israel only for the EU to repeatedly rebuild them, generating more costs for the taxpayer.

Leaked documents obtained by MailOnline show that the EU  which receives 350million per week from Britain  is using diplomatic rules to place officials above the law, foiling attempts to hold bureaucrats accountable.

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Outrage: This Palestinian settlement in the Adumim area is covered in EU flags and also has mocking, anti-Semitic graffiti daubed on the buildings by residents

Construction: The EU symbol is clearly visible beneath a Palestinian flag on the side of an unauthorised building

Proud: The EU flag can be seen flying over a Palestinian building built in an area of the West Bank placed under Israeli jurisdiction under the internationally-recognised Oslo Accords

Planning: Dutch diplomats sit down with Palestinian officials on the West Bank to go through maps of the region

Aid donor: Peter Mollema, Holland's Head of Mission, surveys Palestinian buildings on the West Bank

Leaked: This document, obtained by MailOnline, shows the EU avoided court by claiming diplomatic immunity

MPs have expressed outrage that the EU is using aid money to 'meddle' in a foreign territorial dispute, and branded its actions 'dodgy'.

'It is deeply concerning that the EU falls back on diplomatic immunity after breaking planning regulations,' Jacob Rees-Mogg MP told MailOnline. 'The UK Government would take a very dim view of a friendly state doing that to us.

'Diplomatic immunity is there to protect envoys from unjust treatment, not to protect the high-handed behaviour of arrogant bureaucracies.'

He added: 'The EU maintains that it is based on fundamental principles of rule of law and support for democracy. But when this clashes with its bureaucratic bungling, neither rule of law nor democracy seem important.'

Diplomatic immunity is there to protect envoys from unjust treatment, not to protect the high-handed behaviour of arrogant bureaucracies Jacob Rees-Mogg MP

The projects come at a cost of tens of millions of Euros in aid money, a proportion of which comes from the British taxpayer. Construction is also funded by international charities, including Oxfam.

EU flags are mounted on the buildings, leading them to become known locally as the 'EU settlements'.

'The EU should comply with the law. It should not be meddling in the Middle East, then hiding behind some dodgy use of diplomatic immunity,' Andrew Percy MP told MailOnline.

'This is a gross waste of taxpayers' money. It's another example of money given to the EU over which Parliament has no real oversight.

'The British electorate is contributing to this but we are completely unaware of how it's being spent. We don't know who is spending this, and we can't vote them out.'

He added: 'No wonder the EU think they're above the law. They are untouchable.'

Mr Percy also expressed serious concerns that the EU is 'undermining the Oslo Accords' and 'damaging attempts at peace' in the Middle East. 'Not only is it a waste of taxpayers' money, it is morally questionable,' he said.

This month, the EU approved a further 193million of aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Professor Eugene Kontorovich, an international lawyer from the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, said: Theres no question, the EU is openly in violation of international law.'

But an EU spokeswoman argued that the construction was legal 'in accordance with the humanitarian imperative', and said the EU believed that Area C would be 'part of any viable future Palestinian state'.

'All EU activity in the West Bank is fully in line with international humanitarian law,' the spokeswoman said. 'Under international law Israel also has the obligation to protect and facilitate development for the local population, and to grant unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance.'

She would not say whether or not the EU's actions breached the Oslo Accords.

A map of the West Bank produced by Regavim, an Israeli group, shows the EU-funded Palestinian settlements represented by stars. The yellow part is Area C, which was placed under Israeli control during the Oslo Accords. The pink and red parts are Areas A and B, which are Palestinian

Brazen: The EU flag flies above an unauthorised building erected for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank

Cash: A Palestinian boy holds a Euro note outside his home, which was built by the EU on Area C of the West Bank

The Oslo Accords are a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, made in the Nineties, which divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C.

Area C was placed under Israeli control, while Areas A and B were Palestinian. The agreements were ratified by the international community, including the EU, and intended as a step towards the two-state solution.

More than 1,000 EU-funded Palestinian homes, as well as roads and other infrastructure, have been erected in the Israeli Area C of the West Bank, without permits from Israel.

Not only is it a waste of taxpayers' money, it is morally questionable Andrew Percy MP

But the EU says that international humanitarian legislation, coupled with their belief that Area C will end up in Palestinian hands, allows them to proceed with construction.

Regavim, a right-wing Israeli NGO, has brought a number of law suits against the EU, accusing it of undermining international agreements. On each occasion, the EU avoided court by claiming diplomatic immunity, MailOnline has learnt.

The NGO has questioned whether diplomatic immunity should be applied in this case, as Article 41 of the Vienna Convention states that in return for immunity, diplomats must not 'interfere in the internal affairs of that State'.

A Brussels-based EU spokesperson said: 'Any attempt by local courts to serve or deliver judicial acts to EU Delegations in third countries... may violate the EU's immunity from jurisdiction.'

In recent months, Israel has demolished some of the unauthorised EU buildings, leading to a game of cat-and-mouse and a further waste of aid money. Local witnesses say that earlier this month, the EU constructed a rudimentary school on a Friday, and Israel bulldozed it on Saturday.

In another example of wastage, the EU funded the development of an unauthorised road that bisects Area C from east to west. It was originally a dirt path, but last year the EU widened it with heavy equipment.

Israeli authorities halted the construction in October, before asphalt was laid, and work has been sporadic since. EU-funded drainage and irrigation continues in the area, preparing the ground for future Palestinian settlement.

'It is the most outrageous waste of our aid money at a time when many countries are looking to make difficult savings at home,' Andrew Percy MP said.

Speaking to the foreign media, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, said: 'When we take down these illegal constructions, we are then again condemned, so it's a Catch-22... This is a clear attempt to create political realities... I think we need to re-set our relationship with the EU.'

Forbidden: A Palestinian man points out that entry to the unauthorised EU building site is not allowed

Established: An unauthorised Palestinian settlement which was built on Israeli land with EU funding

Relations between Israel and the EU are already strained after the EU issued guidelines that goods produced in the occupied territories should be labelled as such.

Tzipy Hotovely, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, told Israel's parliament that although Israel was keen to strengthen ties with Europe, it could not overlook actions that undermine its sovereignty.

Improved relations between the EU and Israel will not come at the expense of enforcing the law Tzipy Hotovely, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister

'Improved relations between the EU and Israel will not come at the expense of enforcing the law in Area C,' she said. 'The government of Israel has no intention of giving a green light to the building of illegal structures in a political effort to decide the borders of Israel.'

The EU Settlements, can be found in more than 40 locations around the West Bank.

The largest is Wadi Abu Hindi, which is about five miles away from Jerusalem. It is comprised of more than 100 houses, of which about 30 display EU signs.

Another, Khan Al Amar, is located one kilometre north of Highway One, which bisects the West Bank. It is comprised of about 50 houses, all of which displaying EU signs.

A third, Mak-Hul, in the northern West Bank near Nablus, is located on an Israeli military firing range. A fourth is Susia, in the south near Hebron.

Ari Briggs, International Director of Regavim, said: 'The EU is attempting to establish a de-facto Palestinian State on Israeli territory, with mountains of European taxpayers' money.

'They act as if they are above the law and are now attempting to hide behind diplomatic immunity. These actions would not be acceptable anywhere else on Earth, and the EU must be held accountable.'

But other groups disagree. Sarit Michaeli, spokesperson for B'Tselem, the left-wing Israeli human rights group, said:

'Area C is part of the occupied West Bank, and Israel, the occupying power, is legally obligated to manage the area for the benefit of the Palestinian population.

'However, it does the exact opposite, and restricts the capacity of Palestinians to develop... Under these circumstances, EU and member state humanitarian assistance is the least the international community can do.'

Highway: A road through the West Bank which, according to Regavim, was constructed without permits using money from the EU

Construction: Palestinians take EU representatives to see the building sites on 'Israeli land'

Shacks: These rudimentary homes may act as the forerunner of more permanent dwellings

Expansion: Unauthorised EU construction is taking place at more than 40 locations across the West Bank

An Oxfam spokesperson said: 'In recent years, more than 98 percent of Palestinian permit applications for building in Area C of the West Bank have been rejected by the Israeli Government, according to their own statistics.

'This means many Palestinian communities in Area C, which is under the full control of Israel, are being prevented from building basic, essential structures such as homes and schools.

'Palestinian communities in Area C are some of the poorest in the West Bank. The international community has a responsibility to support vital projects for marginalised communities in Area C, which are legal under international humanitarian law.'

A European Commission spokesman confirmed that Britain  which is the seventh-largest financial contributor to the EU  is likely to have 'full knowledge' of any Palestinian settlement project, as aid priorities are agreed by British ministers.

And according to a Dfid spokesman, although Britain is not 'directly funding' the Palestinian settlements, the British taxpayer is contributing as a percentage of the 'core EU budget'.
A priest at the centre of a controversial Vatican leaks trial admitted to leaking classified documents to the Italian press, but insisted he had been 'emotionally blackmailed' by a female colleague.

Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda claimed he had been romantically involved with Italian PR expert Francesca Chaouqui, who had threatened to expose their relationship.

The Spanish Vatican official said he had not been 'fully lucid' when he leaked the documents and had since been treated by a psychiatrist for depression and stress.

Confession: Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda (right) admitted in a Vatican court that he leaked classified documents but claimed he had been 'blackmailed' by ex-colleague Francesca Chaouqui (pictured left)

'Yes, I sent documents to journalists, I handed over a list of five pages with 87 passwords,' Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda told a Holy See court.

Vallejo Balda described Ms Chaouqui as a dangerous and manipulative woman who had coerced him into leaking the documents by threatening to reveal an intense relationship between them.

'I was certain that there were illegitimate interests behind Chaouqui,' he told the court, revealing that he believed his colleague and her husband to have been working for the Italian secret services.

Listening to her estranged former colleague give evidence, married Chaouqui, who is pregnant, appeared highly agitated, repeatedly whispering to her lawyer from her seat on the accused bench.

Under repeated questioning from the chief prosecutor and the tribunal president, Vallejo confessed that he passed documents to journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi.

PR expert Francesca Chaouqui, right, arrives for the audience of the so-called Vatileaks 2 trial, Vatican City, on Monday, where she is on trial alongside journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi, Monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda and his former assistant Nicola Maio for allegedly leaking confidential Holy See documents

Vallejo confessed that he passed documents to journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi (pictured)

Fittipaldi's book 'Avarice,' and Nuzzi's book 'Merchants in the Temple,' detailed millions of euros in lost potential rental income from the Vatican's real estate holdings, millions in missing inventory from the Vatican's tax-free stores, the exorbitant costs for getting someone declared a saint and the greed of bishops and cardinals lusting after huge apartments.

The books were based on documents produced by a reform commission Pope Francis appointed in 2013 to get a handle on the Vatican's financial holdings and propose reforms so that more money could be devoted to the poor.

Vallejo was the commission's No. 2; Francesca Chaouqui was a member and outside public relations expert; and the fifth defendant, Nicola Maio, was Vallejo's assistant.

Vallejo admitted that he gave Nuzzi a five-page list of some 87 passwords to access the reform commission's password-protected emails.

But he said he did so after becoming certain that his email account had already been entered and that Nuzzi had already obtained the documents.

He also admitted to exchanging text messages with Fittipaldi about providing him with other documents.

Chaouqui introduced him to both journalists, he said.

Sitting on the bench from left, Italian journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi, Ms Chaouqui and Monsignor Angelo Lucio Vallejo Balda attend their trial inside the Vatican in November

Vallejo acknowledged that he had somewhat fallen for Chaouqui, saying he felt 'compromised' as a priest after one evening when she entered his hotel room in Florence. Vallejo's lawyer said Chaouqui had a 'seductive personality.'

But over three hours of testimony in his native Spanish, Vallejo explained how he increasingly became terrorized by Chaouqui, saying she and her husband sent increasingly aggressive and threatening text messages especially after the reform commission wrapped up in 2015 and Chaouqui was left without work.

Vallejo said he ascertained with 'moral certainty' that Chaouqui mingled in a 'dangerous world' of Italian power brokers and had ulterior interests. He testified that she repeatedly told him she worked for Italy's secret services and once claimed to be arranging a meeting for a visiting U.S. President Barack Obama.

Vallejo said when he decided to cut her off, 'I felt as if my physical safety was in danger.'

Chaouqui is now pregnant, and attended the court session sitting against a fluffy pillow and frequently getting up to stretch.

Nuzzi and Fittipaldi face up to eight years in prison if convicted of putting pressure on Vallejo to obtain the documents and publish them. Vallejo, Chaouqui and Maio are accused of forming a criminal organization and providing the documents.
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The progress of the Allied bombing campaign which helped to win the Second World War has been graphically illustrated in an extraordinary animation.

The map pinpoints the exact location of every bombing raid by either the Royal Air Force or the United States Army Air Forces from the start of the conflict in 1939 until its end six years later.

It vividly demonstrates the importance of the 1.6million tonnes of explosive deployed against the Nazis and their allies - and the way Britain and America collaborated in the war.

Beginnings: This image shows how the Allied bombing campaign against Germany was initially limited to just a few raids

Allies: In December 1941, the US joined the Second World War; their raids are shown on the IWM map with red dots

The animation was created by researchers from the Imperial War Museum in order to mark the re-opening of the American Air Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

It is the first time the full extent of the Allies' strategic bombing campaign against Hitler has been documented in this graphic format.

The video shows how in the early years of the war bombing raids were deployed relatively seldom, becoming more important as the conflict went on.

The US joined the war in December 1941, and from then on the RAF and the USAAF worked together to defeat the Axis threat in Europe.

Turning point: Around the time of D-Day in 1944, the volume of bombing attacks by the RAF and USAAF began to increase

Destruction: The two air forces jointly shouldered the burden of attacking the Nazis, as shown by the mixture of blue and red dots here

Toll: This final image shows the location of every Allied bomb dropped on Western Europe from 1939 to 1945

The IWM graphic depicts RAF raids in blue and USAAF ones in red, demonstrating how the burden which was initially shouldered by Britain became increasingly shared by both air forces.

More than 80 per cent of bombing raids took place in the final 18 months of the war as the Allies advanced against Germany, recapturing France and then moving eastwards towards Hitler's capital of Berlin.

A sudden flurry of bombs can be seen in the map in June 1944 - marking D-Day, when the air forces worked to support ground troops who landed on the beaches of Normandy in the action which decisively turned the tide of the war.

The bombing campaign is often credited with winning the Second World War for the Allies - but the tactics were also controversial because they led to hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, with British commander 'Bomber' Harris eschewing precision targeting in favour of area bombing

Aircraft: Many of the bombing raids were carried out by the Lancaster Bomber, pictured here at a British airfield in 1942

Damage: This picture shows the city of Dresden in February 1945 after a campaign of bombing by the Allies

AIR CAMPAIGN THAT WON THE WAR In the first few months of the war the British strategic bombing avoided targeting civilians and private property, as it was believed to be unjustifiable. But by 1945, entire German cities were being obliterated overnight. No major German city avoided being bombed during the war and many were half-destroyed, including Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Dresden. The RAF Bomber Command had dropped nearly one million tonnes of bombs in the course of 390,000 operations. The US Army Air Forces dropped more than 600,000 tonnes between 1942 and 1945. The USAAF would carry out 'round the clock' raids with its RAF counterparts - the American attacked by day and the British by night. German civilian deaths are estimated in the region of 400,000. Advertisement

The animation project was spearheaded by researcher Emily Charles, who pored over RAF and USAAF records to chronicle every single Second World War raid.

She told MailOnline that existing books which describe the raids often fail to give their exact targets, so she had to go back to the original documents to rediscover details of the missions.

Describing how the bombing raids ended up affecting most of Western Europe, she added: 'You look at the map and there's not much that's not covered in colour.'

The animation chronicles how the bombing started in France, spreading east towards the Netherlands and Germany before pausing in 1944 as the Allies prepared for D-Day, and then returning with a vengeance and sweeping in to Hitler's heartland.

An interactive version of the video as well as other animations will be available to visitors at the American Air Museum once it reopens on Saturday.

The museum, part of IWM Duxford, tells the story of collaboration between Britain and the US from 1918 until the present day.

Among its other displays are aircraft used in the Gulf War and in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as older planes from the Second World War.

Around 30,000 US airmen were killed while serving in Europe during the war against Hitler.

Diane Lees, director-general of IWM, said: 'The transformed American Air Museum will tell the story of the relationship between Britain and America in very human terms.

'Personal stories come to the fore, vividly demonstrating the consequences of war in the 20th and 21st centuries.'
A new study has found that report cards that tell students if they need to lose weight do not work.

New York City public schools began giving students body mass index report cards a decade ago  with officials hoping the information would help fight an obesity epidemic in the nation's largest school system.

But a new study has found that being labeled fat doesn't spur weight loss, at least among students near the threshold for being flagged.

The study, released on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to the debate over the effects of the weight reports now issued in many schools nationwide.

New York City public schools began giving students report cards on their weight in 2005-2006. A new study finds being labeled fat does not spur weight loss. Pictured above, students enter MS88 in Brooklyn

'It's not enough just to get the information out there,' said one of the authors, Syracuse University education and economics professor Amy Ellen Schwartz.

'You have to get it to people in a way that's actionable.'

After weighing and measuring its 1.1 million students, the school system gave each reports including a BMI number, weight percentile and, until last year, a designation: 'underweight,' 'healthy weight,' 'overweight' or 'obese.'

Those outside 'healthy weight' were advised to consult a health professional.

After the study ended, the school district tweaked the language, substituting 'needs improvement' for 'overweight' or 'obese.'

The reports aim 'to spark conversations about eating habits and levels of physical activity needed for good health,' spokeswoman Toya Holness said in a statement.

Using four years of measurements for all New York public school students, Schwartz, Columbia University economist Douglas Almond and Columbia graduate student Ajin Lee compared boys and girls just over the 'overweight' or 'obese' threshold for their age.

The researchers found no indication that those over the lines lost weight.

In fact, the average overweight girl gained a bit more than did her cohort just below the threshold.

One of the study's authors, Syracuse professor Amy Ellen Schwartz (pictured) says 'it's not enough just to get the information out there'

Although U.S. childhood obesity rates have leveled off in recent years, even declining among preschoolers, more than one-third of children and adolescents nationwide were overweight or obese as of 2012, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Institute of Medicine has recommended in-school BMI screenings, which debuted in Arkansas in 2003.

At least 19 states now have instituted them, though only some require reporting the information to parents.

Proponents see the readouts as inexpensive, relatively unobtrusive tools to apply to a major public health problem.

Critics feel the approach stigmatizes children and fuels unhealthy anxieties about weight, based on a measurement that can mistake a muscular kid for a flabby one.

Massachusetts abandoned its BMI-reporting requirement in 2013, though parents still can request the information.

Research has found mixed results.

Child obesity rates leveled off in Arkansas in the first four years of school screenings, but they were implemented alongside other anti-obesity measures.

A study published last year in the Journal of Adolescent Health found the BMI reports alone had no impact on Arkansas juniors and seniors, who had already learned their measurements in earlier grades.

Studies in California, Massachusetts and Mexico also have found school BMI reports don't have significant effects on students' waistlines.

Kevin Gee, a University of California at Davis education professor who conducted the recent Arkansas study, said the New York City study provides 'the strongest evidence so far' because of its size and ability to track individual students anonymously.

Overweight students might have dismissed the information as nothing they didn't know, suggested Schwartz, who plans to study how to make the reports more effective.
last October claims the prosecutor in his case

Owen Labrie has violated his curfew eight times since being convicted of sexual

A New Hampshire prep school graduate convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old classmate has violated curfew at least eight times according to a prosecutor who asked that his bail be revoked on Monday.

Owen Labrie has been living with his mother in Tunbridge, Vermont, as he appeals his one-year jail sentence and the requirement that he register as a sex offender. He is supposed to be home between 5pm and 8am each night.

In court papers Monday, prosecutor Catherine Ruffle said that on or about February 29, a journalist spoke with the 20-year-old Labrie on a train in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That prompted an investigation into Labrie's travels.

Labrie's attorney, Jaye Rancourt, declined to comment Monday.

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Trouble: Owen Labrie (above on October 29) has violated his curfew eight times since being convicted of sexual misconduct last October claims the prosecutor in his case

Susan Zalkind, a reporter for Vice who covered Labrie's trial, wrote a story about seeing Labrie on a train from Boston to Cambridge.

In the article Zalkind said Labrie told her that he was visiting his girlfriend, a Harvard student, and had taken her out to brunch.

He talked about emotional 'ups and downs' and having his life 'torn apart' in the media. Labrie also said that his girlfriend had quietly supported him during the trial according to the interview.

Labrie was in a rush to get home Zalkind wrote on Twitter.

Labrie was 18 at the time of the 2014 encounter with the girl at St. Paul's School in Concord. He claims the two only dry humped and that the encounter was consensual. She maintains that he penetrated her with his finger, tongue and genitals despite her protests.

His DNA was later found on her underwear.

What he did to me made me feel like I didnt belong on this planet like I would be better off dead, the victim said in a prepared statement that aired before Labrie's sentencing.

He was ultimately found innocent on charges of felony sexual assault but guilty of sexual misconduct.

The judge said to Labrie at his sentencing; 'You are a very good liar.'

The convictions centered around the fact that he used a computer to contact his victim and the fact that he had engaged in sex with minor.

'If he had merely called the 15-year-old on the telephone or spoken to her in person, there would be no additional crime,' his lawyers wrote in their appeal to the judge in hopes of having him not have to register as a sex offender.

'Yet because he prearranged the encounter through email and Facebook, he will be subjected to the scrutiny and humiliation of sex offender registration for the rest of his life.'

Punishment: In court papers Monday, prosecutor Catherine Ruffle asked that Labrie's bail be revoked (Labrie his lawyer J.W. Carney on October 29 above)

Jurors reached their verdict in the case after seven hours of deliberations in August and Labrie was seen sobbing in court as the guilty verdicts were read by the forewoman.

Prosecutors claimed he raped the 15-year-old as part of a practice at St. Paul's School known as Senior Salute in which seniors try to romance and have sex with underclassmen.

The prosecution also produced a number of Labrie's friends who testified that he told them the two did have sex.

Labrie - who was the sole defense witness in the case - said that he stopped short of sleeping with the girl because he did not want to have sex with her.

His victim had to leave the courtroom after becoming upset during his testimony, crying as Labrie began to read aloud emails the two exchanged.

As for the testimony of his friends, Labrie's lawyer said that his client had simply been bragging to the young men and embellishing his story.

Labrie stared down the victim and her family as he entered the courtroom the day the verdict was announced by jurors.

Prior to the incident with the victim he had dated her older sister.
Donald Trump spoke for an hour on Monday, uninterrupted by protesters, in a rust-belt speech that may signal a cease-fire on the part of leftist activists who have sabotaged his events in recent weeks.

Despite the presence of Youngstown State University just a 20-minute drive away, there were none of the youthful, cause-driven disruptions that have become a staple of Trump rallies.

The past 72 hours have seen fistfights, vulgar shouting matches and near riots in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, three of the five states where primary voters will head to the polls on Tuesday.

But in an airport hangar hosting close to 10,000 people, Trump made his final appeal to Ohioans without having to compete with Black Lives Matter, MoveOn.org or advocates for illegal immigrants.

He took his message of home-grown industrial revolution to the heart of the rust belt, speaking a short drive away from disintegrating factories that once hummed with the vitality of middle America.

SATISFIED: Donald Trump spoke for an hour straight on Monday without a single protester interrupting him

BUCKEYE BRAWL: Trump walloped Ohio Gov. John Kasich in a wide-ranging speech in Youngstown  the tw omen are neck-and-neck headed into Tuesday's primary election

TRUMP FORCE ONE: The Donald spoke at the mouth of a giant airplane hangar in Ohio's rust belt

Lamenting the flight of industry  and its jobs  to Mexico, Trump noted that Eaton Corporation and Ford were both outsourcing work that used to be done in Ohio.

'With me  not gonna happen anymore,' he said. 'We're not gonna be the dummies anymore.'

'You're losing your jobs, you're losing your incomes, you're losing your industries!' he said, laying part of the blame at the feet of Gov. John Kasich.

And in a twist from his normal reliance on Mexico as his employment whipping boy, he pointed one figer south while another stretchedto the east.

'It's Vietnam, it's India, it's everybody!' he said.

'Kasich cannot make America great again. Can't do it,' Trump said as boos erupted at the mention of the moderate Republican's name.

Trump has frequently cited blind luck and an oil strike as the main reason for reductions in Ohio's budget deficits.

'If you didn't hit oil  that wasn't because of him, believe me  you would have had a disaster,' he said Monday night.

Trump hammered Kasich as an 'absentee' governor who never left New Hampshire during the primary season there, neglecting his responsibilities in Columbus.

'I still work. I have a job,' he boasted.

'He goes to New Hampshire, he's living there! ... He loses badly, he gets killed, I win in a landslide.'

Trump finds himself in a tighter race than anticipated for Ohio's 66 Republican National Convention delegates.

Late-breaking polls put him in a statistical dead heat with Kasich.

In one poll released Monday morning, Kasich leads him by 5 percentage points  which is still within the poll's margin of error.

In Florida the situation is dramatically different: Trump leads the pack by approximately 20 points and is expected to win in a laugher over Sunshine State sen. Marco Rubio, who has dropped into third place.

Both Ohio and Florida are so-called 'winner take all' states that will award delegates all at to a single first-place victor instead of splitting them up according to how many votes each candidate received.

Florida's 99 delegates will likely go to Trump. The other states holding Republican primaries on Tuesday are Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.

With Florida practically in the bag, Trump's campaign decided at the last minute to invest more time in the Buckeye State, scheduling the Youngstown-area rally over the weekend and calling off an event near Miami.

'We had a change of plan,' he told his audience in Ohio as he surveyed their numbers from behind a podium.

'We set this up, what? 15 hours ago? And look -- this is the place I want to win. This is the place that's gonna do it.'

NEW VOTERS: Trump asked his crowd to raise their hands if their vote for him would be their first ever  and hundreds of hands shot skyward

FAMILY AFFAIR: Thousands packed the hangar including children seated on parents' shoulders trying to get a glimpse of the billionaire who would be presidnet

'You've gotta beat Kasich,' he told his crowd. 'He's not going to be a great president. He's not going to be strong.'

In a new twist Monday on his regular routine about his power to draw new, first-time voters to the Republican Party, Trump asked for a show of hands.

'Every twentieth person says to me, "You know, Mr. Trump, I've never, ever voted before",' he claimed.

'Who's never voted before, at this rally?' he asked.

About 200 hands went up  some reaching from youthful hoodies and others showing the signs of middle and old age.

'So many people!' Trump marveled. 'They say to me: "I never wanted to vote because I never saw somebody I wanted to vote for".'

Grinning broadly, Trump watched the hands shot up, and saw that it was good.
Stuart Dunnings, a Democrat who first assumed office in 1996, is highest-paid elected official in the county, earning annual salary of $132,000

Disgraced: Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III, 63, is pictured in his mugshot after being arrested on prostitution charges Monday

A prosecutor who has been the top law enforcer in Michigan's capital area for nearly 20 years has been charged with hiring prostitutes hundreds of times and paying for sex with a woman who wanted help in a child custody dispute.

According to a police affidavit released on Monday, Stuart Dunnings III, 63, met prostitutes through websites and told some of the women he was the county prosecutor.

He paid one woman for sex as many as three or four times a week over five years, while another prostitute had sex with him more than 200 times, the complaint said.

The case against Dunnings, the elected Democratic prosecutor in Ingham County since 1996, developed from tips during a federal human-trafficking investigation that was carried out by the FBI last year, state Attorney General Bill Schuette said.

Dunnings, a married father-of-three, was charged with pandering  enticing a woman to become a prostitute, a 20-year felony  and willful neglect of duty. He also was charged with using the services of prostitutes, a misdemeanor, in Ingham, Clinton and Ionia counties hundreds of times between 2010 and 2015.

He was arrested while leaving a coffee shop on Monday, lodged at the Ingham County jail, arraigned on a total of 15 charges and released on $5,000 bond later that day.

Dunnings, shown handcuffed at the Ingham County jail on video, appears for an arraignment at a courtroom in Lansing, Michigan, on Monday

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, left, and Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth announce prostitution charges against Dunnings, which Schuette described as stomach-turning

One of his lawyers, Michael Hocking, declined to comment on the charges while leaving the courtroom. At the arraignment, he said Dunnings had been aware of the investigation for several weeks.

Allegations against Dunnings first came to light last year during a federal human-trafficking investigation, which led the arrest of Tyorne Smith (pictured)

Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth said there had been chatter about Dunnings' activities but never any proof. The county's role in the investigation began about a year ago, and the sheriff notified the attorney general in late summer.

'This is a huge betrayal of his trust, his oath of office, his service to the people of this county,' Wriggelsworth said.

Also charged in the prostitution scandal was Dunnings' brother Steven, a Lansing attorney, who is facing two counts of engaging in the services of a prostitute, reported the Lansing State Journal.

According to the affidavit filed by Ingham County Detective Amber Kenny-Hinojosa, one woman sent an email to Stuart Dunnings, telling him she had been the victim of domestic violence and asking for his help in a custody fight.

After discussing the matter, he invited her to a lunch  at which he told her he was aware she was struggling financially and proposed paying her for a sexual relationship.

The woman, identified as 'Witness 6' or 'W-6' in the court filing, told investigators she initially was shocked but ultimately felt she had no choice but to accept, hoping it would help in her custody dispute and fearing he might cause her problems if she refused.

'W-6 asserts that she would not have gone along with the commercial sex if Dunnings III had not been the prosecutor,' the affidavit states.

According to the document, Dunnings paid the woman $600 every two weeks or sexual encounters, which took place in her home at a local trailer park and in area hotels. The prosecutor also presented her with gifts and helped pay some of her bills.

Schuette, a Republican, called on Dunnings to resign and said 'it turns your stomach' that Dunnings never intervened to help victims he said were 'brutalized, assaulted, manipulated, provided drugs, imprisoned.'

'A member of law enforcement was using the services of women who were being trafficked,' Schuette said at a news conference.

The human trafficking ring leader, Tyrone Smith, pleaded guilty in November to three counts of sex trafficking and awaits sentencing, Schuette said.

Court records show Dunnings, the top law enforcer in Michigan's capital area for nearly 20 years, is charged with engaging the services of prostitutes hundreds of times between 2010 and 2015

A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Dunnings was first elected Ingham County prosecutor in 1996 after serving for 16 years as a partner in the law firm founded by his father, Dunnings and Frawley. He was re-elected to his fifth four-year term in 2012.

Drawing an annual salary of more than $132,000, Dunnings is the highest paid elected official in Ingham County.

During his time in office, Dunnings has repeatedly cracked down on prostitution, charging sex workers and johns with felonies and impounding the clients' vehicles.

At the end of his first year in office, Dunnings was named one of the 12 Lawyers of the Year of 1997 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Gangland lawyer and gelato bar owner Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro has been shot dead in a 'targeted attack' as he left his Melbourne business at around 12.40am.

His body was found by garbage collectors on the footpath behind his popular gelati bar Gelobar around 2.30am on Tuesday.

Mr Acquaro, 55, had allegedly been the subject of a $200,000 underworld murder, contract according to court documents reported The Age.

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Forensic police are pictured next to a body lying in St Phillip Street in Brunswick East and a black Mercedes owned by Mr Acquaro, who was shot dead behind Gelobar on Tuesday morning

Images of criminal lawyer and gelati bar owner Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro pictured leaving court, from 9 News file footage

The crime scene cordoned off with police tape on the corner of Lygon Street and St Phillip Street in Melbourne suburb Brunswick East

Two bunches of roses outside Gelobar on Lygon Street, close to where Mr Acquaro was shot early on Tuesday morning

Police had warned Mr Acquaro that his life was in danger and told him to take measures to protect himself, but Mr Acquaro is said to have refused.

Police are investigating if the incident is linked to a suspicious fire at Gelobar in January, that destroyed part of the upper level of the building.

Mr Acquaro was representing Rocco Arico, who appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last Friday charged with six counts of extortion, three counts of assault, possessing a firearm, drugs, ammunition and dealing in suspected proceeds of crime.

Mr Acquaro also represented Francesco Madafferi, who was jailed after being convicted of large-scale drug trafficking for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007.

Police confirmed Mr Acquaro suffered a gunshot wound, after they were called to the scene in Brunswick East, near the corner of Lygon and St Phillips streets.

Forensic police collected evidence at the scene in Brunswick East as they opened a murder investigation

An image shows a smashed mobile phone on the ground beneath a car, as police officers investigate the circumstances behind the murder of Mr Acquaro

Mr Acquaro represented Francesco Madafferi (left) who was jailed for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007. He was also representing Rocco Arico (right), who appeared in court last Friday charged with six counts of extortion, three counts of assault, possessing a firearm, drugs, ammunition and dealing in suspected proceeds of crime

Mr Acquaro was found shot dead behind his business Gelobar, a popular gelato bar in Brunswick East in Melbourne

WHO IS JOSEPH ACQUARO? Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro was a 55 year-old criminal lawyer and owner of popular gelato bar, Gelobar, located on Lygon Street in Melbourne suburb Brunswick East. Mr Acquaro was allegedly the subject of a $200,000 underworld murder contract. It is understood Mr Acquaro had been warned by police that his life was in danger and told that he should take measures to protect his safety, but he refused. LIFE AND COMMUNITY WORK Mr Acquaro had Calabrian heritage and was involved in Brunswick's Reggio Calabria club. He was also the former president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and is said to have represented interests of Calabrian businesses internationally. He was also said to have facilitated business affairs of Calabrian community members in the 'Ndrangheta or Honoured Society. Mr Acquaro was a father of three sons and was said to be a passionate advocate of Calabrian culture and business in Melbourne. He had operated Gelobar for the past five years, after previous owner Salvatore Scullino, who owned the business with his wife Rita, passed away. CRIMINAL LAWYER Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland figures and Calabrian crime figures. In 2007 he represented accused mafia don Frank Madafferi, from one of Australia's 31 Calabrian mafia families that control 60 per cent of the Australian drug trade. Mr Madafferi threatened to chop fellow criminal Pino Varallo 'into little pieces' and eat 'one bite at a time'. Mr Madafferi was jailed for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007. Mr Acquaro was currently representing Rocco Arico, who appeared in court last Friday charged with six counts of extortion, three counts of assault, possessing a firearm, drugs, ammunition and dealing in suspected proceeds of crime. Advertisement

Detective Inspector Michael Hughes said Mr Acquaro had closed his business about 12.40am and was walking to his car when he was attacked.

'We have an early report that a witness has heard a car travelling down that street (St Phillip Street) away from Lygon at reasonably high speed,' he said.

'So if anyone has seen cars in the area prior to the shooting, or just after the shooting please contact Crime Stoppers.'

Detective Inspector Hughes would not say how many gunshot wounds the man suffered or what type of gun was used, preferring to leave that to an autopsy report.

He said it appeared to be a targeted attack.

'He (Mr Acquaro) is certainly known to police but he is certainly not a convicted person. He is known to police through other associations,' he said.

'It's always a concern when someone meets their death in a public place.'

Police also found a mobile phone under a car in St Phillip Street not far from the body just after 11am.

A woman was at the scene on Tuesday morning and was visibly distressed, reported 9 News.

She was ushered into the back of a police car where she spoke with detectives.

Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures, reported The Age.

Detective Inspector Mick Hughes told the ABC Mr Acquaro was shot while walking to his car after shutting his business about 12:40am

Police said they have an early report that a witness heard a car travelling down St Phillip Street away from Lygon Street at reasonably high speed

He was a past president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and represented Calabrian businesses in Melbourne overseas.

Italian community figure Dr Dominic Barbaro, from the Dante Alighieir Society, said he was shocked by what had happened.

He described Mr Acquaro as a 'nice guy' who was 'very well regarded in the Italian community.'

'I've known him for a few years now, we didn't meet regularly,' Dr Barbaro told Daily Mail Australia.

'He was president of the [Reggio] Calabria Club for awhile, then he opened his Gelato Bar in Lygon Street.

'I have used him a couple of times and he was very good to us and we had functions every now and then.

'I've heard him speak in the past in the Italian community about how to proceed with maintaining the Italian culture and language and he was very encouraging of young people to get involved.

Mr Acquaro had allegedly been the subject of a $200,000 underworld murder contract and police had warned him to take measures for his own safety

Police would not say how many gunshot wounds the man suffered or what type of gun was suspected in the murder, but Detective Inspector Hughes said it appeared to be a targeted attack

Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures and was also a past president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce

Dr Barbaro said he was a 'very pleasant lawyer', but he was unsure whether he was both working at the dessert destination and as a lawyer at the same time.

Rocco Careri, who has also been president of the Reggio Calabria society, told Daily Mail Australia the community was very upset it had lost a very nice person.

Mr Careri got to know him when he was the president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, but was a regular visitor to his gelato bar.

He said he often brought his family to the bar to have lunch or an ice cream and always he tried to take care of you.

You can approach him, you need something. He was always very, very open,' Mr Careri said.

He was a very, very kind person. I hear the news this morning (and we are) very upset we lost a very nice person.

(Theres) not many people like that.

I know him as a gentleman and very honest person.'

Mr Acquaro was a former lawyer of Francesco Madafferi, a mafia figure and drug dealer convicted of importing 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy in tomato tins in 2007

Police are appealing for any witnesses, or people who have more information about the incident, to contact Crime Stoppers

Neighbouring restaurateur Teresa Bruno was devastated to hear about the man's death.

'He was such a beautiful person,' she told AAP.

'I knew him since he started his business five years ago. He used to come here every week for dinner.

'Whenever he saw me he would offer me coffee.'

Ms Bruno heard sirens about 3am on Tuesday morning but then fell asleep.

When she woke up she was told by her niece that the business owner and lawyer had been killed.

'All of the neighbours - we're shocked,' Ms Bruno said.

Luca Paone, who works at Gelobar, told 9 News reporters early this morning that he 'was surprised it had happened' and said 'nothing like this has happened before'.

Gelobar was damaged by a suspicious fire in January, with the blaze destroying part of the upper level of the building.

Police are investigating if the two incidents are linked.

The garbage truck on St Phillip Street next to Mr Acquaro's body which was found on the footpath by a garbage collector

Police cordoned off St Phillip Street in Brunswick East early this morning after Mr Acquaro's body was found behind Gelobar at about 2.30am
The Staten Island mother, who threw her newborn baby girl in the trash, has been charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse, after she told investigators that the baby was alive and moving before she cut the umbilical cord.

Nausheen Rahman, 28, did not get bail because her attorney declined to request it after prosecutors described the case as 'so horrendous and reprehensible, it's mind-blowing', according to PIX 11.

She was not aware that the sex of the baby was a girl because she threw the baby in a trash bag so quickly that she didn't take the time to look at the child and assumed it was a boy, according to the district attorney.

Rahman allegedly lied to her parents and family about being pregnant and they said they were unaware.

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Nausheen Rahman, 28, who threw he newborn baby in the trash, allegedly hid her pregnancy from her parents and family

Rahman originally told investigators that the baby was alive and moving before she cut the umbilical cord, but after she cut it herself it stopped moving. A man who is apparently her father said 'this is just a minor case'

Rahman was given no bail and her lawyer didn't ask for it. The baby was found by cops 'with her thumb next to her mouth' outside her condominium, where she disposed of it. Pictured is the scene where the newborn's body was discovered

A man, who appeared to be Rahman's father refused to comment when asked about the mother's condition, but then he told PIX 11 that 'it's a minor case anyway'.

The man was in court with a woman who was similar in age to show support for Rahman, and it's thought that they were her parents.

A judge ordered her to remain behind bars until her trial for murder.

Rahman was given no bail and her lawyer didn't ask for it. The baby was found by cops 'with her thumb next to her mouth', according to PIX 11.

She was initially charged with concealment of a human corpse before the body of the dead newborn baby was found outside her condominium around 11.30am on Saturday, but prosecutors upped the charge when the medical examiner confirmed the baby had been alive.

A medical examiner determined that the baby was alive and did have air in its lungs before it was thrown in the trash.

A medical examiner determined that the baby was alive before it was thrown in the trash

Neighbors said Rahman has lived with her family for several years at the condominium

Though Rahman kept her pregnancy a secret, she did visit a doctor at least once during her pregnancy.

The New York Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call at the home on Richmond Hill Road in the New Springville neighborhood.

The condominium is just a few blocks from the Staten Island Mall. Police found the newborn baby unconscious and unresponsive.

Emergency crews pronounced the child dead at the scene.

Rahman went to Staten Island University Hospital Friday evening and told staff that she was bleeding as a result of giving birth, police said.

The hospital had no record of her birth and she explained that the infant was born at home and that she had disposed of it.

After hours of questioning, Rahman said she gave birth but the baby had died and she admitted to throwing the child in the trash before going to the hospital.

Neighbors said Rahman has lived with her family for several years at the condominium.

Officers found the unconscious infant at about 11.30am on Saturday outside her apartment in the Honey Bee Condominiums

She originally told hospital staff that she gave birth five days prior and 'threw away' the baby, but she later changed her story and said she gave birth Thursday. Rahman is pictured being arrested by police




Frustrations have resulted in sub par food and poor service for customers

Employees have taken to Reddit to vent their frustration at the menu

Customers may have the convenience of ordering a Bacon and Egg McMuffin at any time of the day, but McDonalds new All-Day breakfast menu is causing headaches in the kitchen.

McDonalds staff have taken to Reddit to vent their frustration.

Basically it creates a lot more work for people out back in terms of preparation and cleaning. It sucks, one employee commented.

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Confessions from McDonald's (pictured) workers reveal they are struggling to cope with the demands of the new All-Day breakfast menu

The new menu (pictured) creates a lot more work for people out back in terms of preparation and cleaning one employee said

An ex McDonalds employee posed the question- Current employees at All-Day breakfast Maccas stores: How do you manage it without falling behind?

It seems they don't, with extra preparation time, and switching between cooking eggs and meat the biggest problems.

'I'm currently on my lunch break (while at Maccas) and All-Day breakfast f***ing sucks,' one user commented in reply.

An ex McDonalds employee posed the question- Current employees at All-Day breakfast (pictured) Maccas stores: How do you manage it without falling behind?

It seems employees can't cope with the demand for the new menu (pictured), with extra preparation time, and switching between cooking eggs and meat the biggest problems

'After about 3 pm we do cook-to-order breakfast which takes up so much time.'

'I work at a new store that opened up four months ago so space isn't really an issue but cleaning the grills to put down sausage is a b***h.'

'Plus sometimes you get lazy c***s that just cook a bunch of egg and then use that for the next five hours, in my opinion do not order all day breakfast after 3 pm because you don't know what you're going to get, some of my co-workers disgust me.'

'Also it's a massive pain in the ass,' the employee added.

Customers may have the convenience of ordering a Bacon and Egg McMuffin (pictured) at any time of the day, but McDonalds new All-Day breakfast menu is causing headaches in the kitchen

This comes after all-day breakfast trials in a handful of stores egged McDonalds to make brekkie available 24/7 at all 940 stores in Australia in February.

After seeing the trial results, McDonalds chief marketing officer for Australia, Mark Lollback said the decision was a no-brainer.

We know Aussies love out brekkie menu, and have long wanted to be able to enjoy it at any time of the day, he said.

Breakfast trials (pictured) in a handful of stores egged McDonalds to make brekkie available 24/7 at all 940 stores in Australia (pictured)

Not everyone has been lovin it and franchisees across the US said the all-day breakfast trials have just created more traffic and disorganization at Mcdonalds (pictured)

Not everyone has been lovin it and franchisees across the US said the all-day breakfast trials have just created more traffic and disorganization and has traded customer down from regular menu to lower-priced breakfast items.

According to Reddit, this seems to be the happening now in Australia.

'Doesn't seem to be working in the US. In both countries they have gone upscale, but the Americans don't seem to like paying more for it. I think the markets are too different. We are willing to pay extra for better quality and for the cafe experience,' one Reddit user said.

Employee frustration is being passed onto customers who have experienced poor service and sub-par food (pictured)

However employee frustration is being passed onto customers who have experienced poor service and sub-par food.

'I don't work at Maccas, but I do consume it. Last night my cheeseburger was made with a McMuffin patty and I didn't enjoy it,' one customer said.

Another customer said that hash browns used to be a treat for getting there early in the day.

'They were always hot and crispy, now they're warm and soggy and crap and ruined,' they commented.

In regards to the All-Day breakfast menu a McDonald's spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that with any new product launch they work closely with their restaurants and crew to ensure they have the training and support needed.
Mr Justice Baker, pictured, ruled on the futures of an Estonian and Hungarian child and whether they can be adopted in the UK

Eastern European migrant mothers are surrendering their newborn children to be adopted in Britain, a High Court judge said yesterday.

They want their babies to be brought up by parents in this country so the children can enjoy the better life that drew the mothers here in the first place.

In a High Court test case, Mr Justice Baker ruled on the requests of mothers from Estonia and Hungary who hid their pregnancies from their families at home and asked for their babies to be adopted and raised in England.

The judge said: It is notable that both cases involve mothers from other countries.

'I understand from other judges that there have been other examples of babies born to mothers from other countries being relinquished for adoption.

The Eastern European adoptions mark a return to British practices before the 1970s, when single mothers routinely offered up babies for adoption.

The traditional practice of voluntary adoption, which led to the adoption of 25,000 babies in 1968, died out as a result of the spread of contraception and abortion, a decline in public disapproval of single mothers and the provision of state benefits to single parents.

The new wave of adoptions has led to a deepening legal tangle because some Eastern European governments have demanded the return of babies they consider to be their citizens, while parents who have given up their children insist that they grow up in Britain.

The two mothers in the test cases are a 23-year-old Estonian catering worker and a 21-year-old Hungarian, who worked as a hotel chambermaid.

Both arrived in Britain in the second half of 2014 and neither wanted to raise their child. Neither told their families at home about their pregnancy.

The Estonian mother told no-one she was pregnant until she arrived at St Georges Hospital in Tooting, South London, on March 23 last year  the day her son was born.

Mr Justice Baker said: She received no antenatal care and concealed her pregnancy from her employers, taking two weeks leave at the time of the birth.

He added that she did not want any family member caring for the baby, nor did she agree to the Estonian childrens services becoming involved.

The mother expressed a clear wish that he should not be placed with a family member but, rather, should be adopted in this country.

The High Court ruled the Estonian child could be raised in the UK but said social workers should decide where a Hungarian baby should be adopted after its native country demanded it be returned

The Hungarian mother and her babys father  who was working at the same hotel  said their families should know nothing and they did not want their daughter, born on October 16 last year, to know about her origins.

The judge said: They stated that they had come to England to better themselves, that they were not in a position to bring up the baby themselves, that they wanted the baby adopted in England.

The mother said she did not want skin-to-skin contact with the baby after birth. The parents said they did not even want to know the gender of the baby, and neither wanted any form of involvement after birth.

Neither mother can be named and the local authorities whose social workers are dealing with the cases have also been kept secret by the court.

The Estonian mothers family have said they cannot bring up the child, the judge said. In this case, he said, no court order was needed and the adoption of the child in England can go ahead.

However, Hungarian authorities say the child of the hotel worker is a citizen of their country and should be returned to Hungary to be adopted there.

THE EASTERN EUROPEAN MIGRANT MOTHER WHO WANTED HER BABY BACK The difficulties of Eastern European migrant mothers who give birth in Britain burst into public view last summer in the case of Slovakian Bibiana Stranska and her baby Benjamin. Miss Stranska, 25, who was working as a waitress in Liverpool, handed her baby to social workers straight after she gave birth, saying she was unable to look after him. Benjamin was declared by a judge to be a national of Slovakia, and was ordered to be returned there. Bibiana Stranska, 25, pictured with her baby son Benjamin whom she initially gave up but eventually regained after a court in Slovakia agreed to return the child to her He was pictured in the Daily Mail at the age of six months when he was handed to Slovakian social workers at Bratislava airport by two Merseyside social workers. Miss Stranska began to reconsider her decision, and after telling her parents about Benjamins existence, asked for her baby back. A court in Slovakia agreed that her child could be returned to her. The case highlighted the growing dilemma over the fate of children born to mothers from overseas. Courts and social workers have been divided over whether the babies should be returned to their mothers home countries or whether they should be raised here. Advertisement

Social workers agreed because the baby girl has a connection with her mothers country and the childs cultural heritage is vitally important.

Authorities in EU countries are automatically informed when their citizens are involved in the Family Court in Britain.

Mr Justice Baker said the Hungarian baby should be considered a resident of Britain rather than of a country where she had never been.

He said social workers in charge of the future of the baby should rethink their plans and come back to court for a decision on whether she should be adopted in Hungary or in England.

The Department for Education said: Every single child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving home, no matter their background.
Heavy rain has ended Sydney's three-week dry spell with parts of the city being battered by 25 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours.

The CBD copped 11 millimetres of rain in just one hour from 4am on Tuesday before easing to a constant drizzle.

The rain is expected to hang around until at least Sunday with possible thunderstorms on Friday as temperatures remain above 25 degrees for the rest of the week.

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Heavy rain has ended Sydney's three-week dry spell with parts of the city being battered by 25 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours and the rain set to continue throughout the week

Vehicles drive through a flooded intersection in Marrickville, in Sydney's inner west, on Tuesday

While thunderstorms bypassed the city on Monday night, it battered parts of western Sydney and the Blue Mountains with power cut to some households.

It comes after a 21-day dry spell that saw Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane experience the driest January and February in more than half a century.

The heat also smashed records for the start of March, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Across the rest of Australia, rain is also soaking parts of the Northern Territory and Queensland with flood warnings in place for north-west Queensland.

The rain is expected to hang around Sydney until at least Sunday with possible thunderstorms on Friday as temperatures remain above 25 degrees for the rest of the week.

Some parts of Sydney were hit worse by the heavy rains. Pictured is a flooding street in Marrickville

The CBD copped 11 millimetres of rain in just one hour from 4am on Tuesday before easing to a constant drizzle

While thunderstorms bypassed Sydney city on Monday night, it battered parts of western Sydney and the Blue Mountains with power cut to some households

Canberra and Hobart are also due for some rain on Tuesday, while Melbourne won't see any wet weather until the end of the week.

Western Australia will remain hot with Beaufort, south-west of Perth, being issued a severe fire danger warning from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Adelaide will experience rollercoaster weather, with temperatures expected to remain warm all week, along with possible rain, light winds and dark clouds sweeping through the city.

Temperatures in Brisbane are expected to remain at 31 degrees until Thursday before reaching its peak at 34 degrees by Saturday.

But residents of Brisbane are also set for a week of wet weather, with possible showers and dark clouds sweeping through despite the warm temperatures.

Possible showers are expected to take over the weekend in Brisbane from Friday - and will roll through to Sunday
Onion production will be down 10% to 5.4million tonnes, said analysts

Its enough to bring shoppers out in tears - onions prices could soar within weeks.

Experts forecast on Monday that wholesale prices of onions could rocket by up to 60 per cent this spring.

Last years heatwave across mainland Europe and a wet growing season in the UK has severely hit supplies of onions.

Onion production is down by 10 per cent to 5.4million tonnes after a hot summer and very wet growing seasons, according to analysts

Onion production last year and in 2016 is forecast to be down nearly 10 per cent to 5.4 million tonnes, said analysts Mintec.

Europes biggest suppliers in Spain and Holland suffered a hot, dry summer and problems have been compounded by wet weather during the UK growing season, which delayed farmers harvesting crops.

The European drought was especially hard on Spanish onions, which are popular with both shoppers and food processors because of their large size and quality of their skins.

The arid weather meant they were smaller and prone to rotting, said experts.

Andrew Holding, chairman of the British Growers Association, said: There is a shortage of large, good quality onions across Europe.

Prices will be further hit by Dutch growers exporting further afield to countries such as South Africa.

Supermarkets are hoping to cushion shoppers from the worst price rises due to pre-agreed contracts with suppliers.

But they admit there will be a challenge getting enough supplies of big premium quality onions, such as the ones sold in packs of three in a net bag, Mr Holding told The Grocer trade magazine.
Sarah Palin said protesters at Donald Trump's rallies were committing 'punk-ass little thuggery' as she campaigned with him in Florida.

'We don't have time for all that petty, punk-ass little thuggery stuff that's been going on with these quote-unquote "protesters" who are doing nothing but wasting your time and trying to take away your First Amendment rights, your rights to assemble peacefully,' she told the crowd in Tampa on Monday.

'And the media being on the thugs' side - what the heck are you guys thinking, media? It doesn't make sense,' she added as the crowd booed.

Palin, who endorsed Trump in January, spoke at his town hall in Tampa on Monday afternoon before catching a flight back to Alaska to be with her husband Todd, 51, who got in a serious snowmobile accident the night before.

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Sarah Palin said protesters at Donald Trump's rallies were responsible for 'punk-ass little thuggery' as she campaigned for him in Tampa, Florida, on Monday (pictured)

Palin, who endorsed Trump in January, shook hands with him (pictured) and spoke at his town hall event in Tampa on Monday afternoon before flying back to Alaska to be with her husband Todd, who was injured the previous night in a snowmobile accident

At the rally, Palin thanked Trump's supporters for their prayers for her husband, before launching into a pitch for the Republican front-runner.

'Thank you guys for your prayers for my husband who is recovering in ICU right now after a little wreck on a snow machine - big wreck,' Palin said.

'When real life happens, when somebody is sick in your family, there is an accident that happens...all of these real life issues that happen it really puts thing in perspective doesn't it?

'And doesn't it make you so appreciate your time? Time is our most valuable resource. It makes me appreciate the time that we have to spend in doing something so worthy and that's to get Donald J Trump elected president,' she continued.

The Florida primaries take place on Tuesday, and polls show Trump winning the state by a large margin ahead of Marco Rubio.

Todd Palin, a champion snowmobile racer, was being treated in the ICU while his wife spoke. He suffered broken ribs in the accident and is expected to recover fully.

Trump called his rallies 'love-fests' with 'no violence' as he spoke in Hickory, North Carolina, on Monday.

Yet, several of his events degenerated last week as supporters and anti-Trump protesters clashed.

On Wednesday, 78-year-old white supporter John McGraw sucker-punched black protester Rakeem Jones at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Trump later said he was looking into paying for McGraw's legal fees.

Two days later, Trump had to cancel a rally in Chicago after protesters took over the UIC Pavilion, where he was supposed to speak.

Supporters and protesters clashed on the streets following Trump's announcement on Friday evening.

A man rushed to the stage as the Republican frontrunner spoke to the crowd in Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday.

Thomas Dimassimo, 32, was escorted out by Secret Service agents.

Trump managed to speak for an hour without disruption during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio.

Trump, pictured speaking at his town hall in Tampa on Monday, said his rallies were 'love-fests' with 'no violence' even though several of them degenerated in the past few days as protesters and supporters clashed
Hard-working grandparents can struggle to find the time to help care for their grandchildren. But a revolutionary new scheme means they can now take paid leave after a grandchild is born.

One of the countrys biggest banks is offering staff the opportunity to take up to 16 weeks leave on full pay to care for a new baby in the family.

Santander, which has 20,000 employees in the UK, is understood to be the first major company in Britain to offer grandparental leave to staff.

The leave is shared, meaning the 16 weeks can be split between mothers, fathers and grandparents as they wish. For example, after two weeks compulsory maternity leave for mothers, a mother could then take eight weeks followed by a grandmother taking eight weeks.

Santander, which has 20,000 employees in the UK, is understood to be the first major company in Britain to offer grandparental leave to staff

Currently, shared leave for grandparents is only open to families where both parents and grandparents work for Santander. But more companies are expected to follow suit, meaning any families who work for firms who sign up to the scheme will benefit.

The Government announced plans in October to roll out grandparental leave nationally from 2018, but the proposals are still under consultation.

With the rising state pension age meaning older people are working for longer, the plans aim to give grandparents the flexibility to take time off work if they need to after the birth of a grandchild.

It follows the introduction of shared parental leave in April last year, which enables mothers and fathers to choose to divide up to 50 weeks of parental leave between them. The scheme is open to all parents, including same-sex couples and adopters.

Linda Rolph, general secretary of Santanders union Advance, said: It is vital that todays employers do all they can to enable their workforce to balance their commitments in and out of the workplace and it is very positive to see Santander leading the way in this area.

Vicky Wallis, of Santander UK, said: To enable new mothers to share their maternity leave with a grandparent ahead of new legislation is a real landmark. It is the result of positive discussions and commitment from across the organisation and our trade unions.

Currently, shared leave for grandparents is only open to families where both parents and grandparents work for Santander

She said the bank would work to ensure parents and grandparents who took part in the scheme found returning to work went as smoothly as possible.

A study of employers published last October found just two per cent of businesses had seen significant uptake from fathers taking shared parental leave in the six months following its introduction.

Most fathers felt taking an extended period of leave would be frowned upon or career limiting and six out of ten employers had received just a handful or no requests from fathers to take it, research by My Family Care and law firm Hogan Lovells found.
Big firms are slashing overtime, cutting recruitment and axeing staff perks to pay for the new national living wage.

Tesco, B&Q and Whitbread are among employers trying to reduce costs ahead of the 50p-an-hour pay rise next month.

Cleaning firms and care homes are also seeking to trim budgets in preparation for the Governments legal move to raise wages to at least 7.20 an hour for staff aged 25 and over.

Chancellor George Osborne is implementing a national living wage ensuring those aged 25-and-over get paid at least 7.20 an hour

George Osborne, who will deliver his latest Budget tomorrow, triumphantly unveiled the national living wage last July, saying it would help two and a half million workers.

To cheers in the House of Commons, the Chancellor declared: Britain deserves a pay rise, and Britain is getting a pay rise.

But Ryan Bourne, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, warned some of the supposed beneficiaries would lose out.

It will reduce job opportunities for many low-skilled workers by squeezing businesses in industries such as cleaning, retail and hospitality, he said.

Mr Osborne has faced a raft of warnings about the cost of the living wage to business. And now firms have been revealing how they are preparing to pay for it.

Whitbread, which employs 38,000 staff in pubs and cafes including Costa, says it faces a bill of 20million a year.

It suggests it will no longer be able to afford to take on the full 3,500 workers it typically recruits each year.

Tesco is one of the major firms cutting costs after pledging to pay its 500,000 staff at least 7.62 per hour

Retailer Next says it plans to charge customers more to cover the estimated 27million cost of giving many of its 29,000 staff a pay rise.

And Tesco, which employs more than half a million workers, has promised to pay all of them at least 7.62 an hour.

But this pledge of a 3.1 per cent pay rise came with the announcement that overtime and night working wages would be axed.

The supermarket chain is also reported to have put in place plans to cut its workforce  as many as one in six jobs could go.

B&Q, which is owned by Kingfisher and employs 20,500 workers, is raising its wage level to 7.66 an hour.

But this comes with the scrapping of double pay on Sundays and bank holidays. Drivers of fork lifts and other dangerous machinery have lost their right to additional pay, as have a number of long-serving staff.

B&Q is another big name company raising its wage level to 7.66 per hour for its 20,500 workers

A spokesman for the DIY chain said: Our people are very important to us and B&Q is committed to being a good payer and remaining so in future. The majority of our employees will be unaffected or better off.

Interserve, a contract cleaning and services firm, has estimated it will have to find 15million a year to implement the minimum wage.

Mears Group, which employs care workers, puts its figure at 5million.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility believes 60,000 retail jobs could go, with company profits falling by 1 per cent.

The living wage will reduce job opportunities. Many of those it purports to support will suffer - Ryan Bourne, Institute of Economic Affairs

Buried in budget documents were even bleaker warnings from the OBR. It said the national living wage could force down the number of hours existing employees are offered, cut headcounts and see firms recruit more under-25s because they do not qualify for the hike. Customers could also expect to see higher prices.

The British Retail Consortium has claimed that new technology and the minimum wage could cost almost a million retail jobs over the next decade.

The CBI said last month that firms face a 9billion annual bill from the national living wage, the apprenticeship levy and the Governments failure to ease business rates.

It warned that the mounting burden  estimated at 29billion over this parliament  could derail the recovery, threatening jobs and investment.

In a survey of more than 2,000 leading employers, recruitment firm ManpowerGroup said companies were already sidestepping the new rules by taking on under-25s.

It said firms were changing their overall pay structures to keep costs under control.

Tactics include reducing pay for overtime and bank holidays, and reducing the number of better-paid supervisory roles.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: Britain deserves a pay rise and our new national living wage will give a direct boost to over a million people.
The creator of Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton, has written an open letter to Donald Trump, describing him as hateful and racist

The creator of Humans of New York has written an open letter to Donald Trump, describing him as hateful and racist.

Photographer and blogger Brandon Stanton, who uploads uplifting pictures and stories of strangers he meets to the popular Facebook page, wrote a scathing post about the Republican frontrunner on the social media site.

Admitting that he had never been one to wade into politics, he said he was taking a 'moral stand' against the billionaire mogul, whose campaign events have been blighted with violence and protests in recent days.

He called out offensive retweets he has made - many of which are racist images of 'lies' - and slammed his incitements for violence.

One of the examples he used was the quote by the fascist Italian leader Benito Mussolini he shared, which read: 'It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.'

Trump said: 'It's a very good quote.'

Stanton also condemned his advocation of torture and the murder of terrorists families.

In the post, he wrote: I try my hardest not to be political. Ive refused to interview several of your fellow candidates. I didnt want to risk any personal goodwill by appearing to take sides in a contentious election. I thought: "Maybe the timing is not right."

'But I realize now that there is no correct time to oppose violence and prejudice. The time is always now. Because along with millions of Americans, Ive come to realize that opposing you is no longer a political decision. It is a moral one.

'Ive watched you retweet racist images. Ive watched you retweet racist lies. Ive watched you take 48 hours to disavow white supremacy. Ive watched you joyfully encourage violence, and promise to pay the legal fees of those who commit violence on your behalf.

'Ive watched you advocate the use of torture and the murder of terrorists families. Ive watched you gleefully tell stories of executing Muslims with bullets dipped in pig blood. Ive watched you compare refugees to snakes, and claim that Islam hates us.

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He called out offensive retweets he has made - many of which are racist images of 'lies' - and slammed his incitements for violence

One of the examples he used was the quote by Benito Mussolini he shared, which read: ' It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.' Trump said: 'It's a very good quote.'

'I am a journalist, Mr Trump. And over the last two years I have conducted extensive interviews with hundreds of Muslims, chosen at random, on the streets of Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan.

'Ive also interviewed hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi refugees across seven different countries. And I can confirm - the hateful one is you.

'Those of us who have been paying attention will not allow you to rebrand yourself. You are not a "unifier."

'You are not "presidential." You are not a "victim" of the very anger that youve joyfully enflamed for months.

'You are a man who has encouraged prejudice and violence in the pursuit of personal power. And though your words will no doubt change over the next few months, you will always remain who you are.'
Forget the pipe and slippers - most people in their 60s view retirement as an opportunity for new adventures.

Two in five sexagenarians think old age does not begin until 85 and most are planning to use their retirement to take up new hobbies, polling reveals.

The Royal Voluntary Service, which commissioned the study, found that people no longer dread their 70s.

Very few see themselves as 'old' - with two-thirds planning to learn or do something new in their retirement.

Actress Alison Steadman, who will celebrate her 70th birthday in August, said: 'When I was 17 I remember thinking 35 was very old!

The charity asked 2,000 people aged 60 to 69 what they had planned for their 70s.

Some 38 per cent said they planned to travel to new countries, 28 per cent wanted to get fit, 18 per cent were to start volunteering and 9 per cent planned to learn a practical skill.

A third said they intended to embrace their 70s - and 18 per cent said they felt proud of their age.

Official statistics published last month revealed that men who live to 65 can now expect to survive for another 19 years, while women can expect another 21.

But, critically, much of this extra time is spent in poor health  unless people take action to keep fit much earlier in life.

A growing body of evidence suggests that exercising and eating well in middle age can have a dramatic impact on quality of life 20 or 30 years later.

Professor John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England said last month: 'Even during mid-life, it is not too late to improve your health.

Other celebrities to hit 70 this year or last include Hollywood stars Helen Mirren (left) and musician Van Morrison (right)

'People in England are living longer than ever and that makes achieving a good quality of life in later years even more important.

'Our current evidence shows that people are living longer but many are doing so in poor health.'

Despite this, people tend to be happier once they have retired than they were when they were younger.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that people aged 65 to 79 years enjoy the highest satisfaction levels  far higher than those in their 40s and 50s.

Life expectancy has shot up to its highest ever level in recent years.

The Royal Voluntary Service today publishes a roll-call of famous people who turned 70 last year or will turn 70 by the end of 2016.

David McCullough, chief executive of the charity, said: 'Our roll call of 70 year olds will hopefully make people reassess their view of old age.

'Most of the people on our list are still working and are at the top of their profession.

'They are proof that later life is to be celebrated.'

Celebrity chef Brian Turner, who will celebrate his birthday in May, said: 'Approaching 70 is as exciting as I remember approaching 20 years of age'

Some 41 per cent of those polled said they believed older age began at 85, with 11 per cent saying older age would be when they hit 90.

Actress Alison Steadman, who will celebrate her 70th birthday in August, said: 'When I was 17 I remember thinking 35 was very old!

'How we change, grow and learn. Life is for living and to be 70 now seems exciting to me. I've grown in confidence over the years and learned that every day is precious.'

Other celebrities to hit 70 this year or last include Hollywood stars Helen Mirren, Tommy Lee Jones and Goldie Hawn; musicians Van Morrison, Neil Young and Cher; newsreader Michael Burke; and politicians Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Edwina Currie.

Celebrity chef Brian Turner, who will celebrate his birthday in May, said: 'Approaching 70 is as exciting as I remember approaching 20 years of age, so much to look forward to and now with a lot more experience of life!
Teen says she was abducted by an Hispanic man in his 20s or 30s, dressed all in black

She says she has 'no idea' how she got there and is still being interviewed by police

The 15-year-old called police five hours later from a Walmart phone

A 15-year-old girl who claims she was abducted says she has 'no idea' how she ended up at a Walmart Supercenter five hours later.

The teen was reported missing by her mother at 7am Monday morning outside her house in Kent Knutson Park, Denver, Lakewood police told DailyMail.com.

Angelina V. San Andreas had gone outside to prepare for school and when she did not return after several minutes, her mother found Andreas' backpack near the garage and contacted the Lakewood Police Department.

Angelina V. San Andreas (left and right) says she was abducted from outside her Denver home at 7am Monday. Her backpack and cell phone were found nearby to her house as police escalated the search

Andreas then called police from a Walmart phone (the store is pictured) five hours later and said she had 'no idea how she got there'

Lakewood Police Department were assisted by several other agencies as they began a search of the area and door-to-door interviews, looking for any tips that would assist them.

The search for the missing girl was escalated after a cell phone belonging to Andreas was found in a park area approximately 300 yards north of her house.

Then, at around 12:40pm, Lakewood police received a call from Andreas, who told officers she was at the Walmart store at 440 Wadsworth Blvd.

Andreas was then taken into police custody for interviews.

Andreas is a student at Lakewood High School (pictured) but she did not arrive there as intended Monday morning

The teen told police she had been abducted by 'a white or Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s' who was dressed entirely in black.

She told detectives she was not sure how she ended up at the Walmart location.

At the time of the disappearance, Sgt. Randy McNitt, Lakewood police spokesman said of Andreas: 'We are concerned about her safety. She is missing and we found property that we would expect her to have with her.'

McNitt added that Andreas does not have a history of running away from home.
A woman who was hired by Donald Trump in the 1980s as the chief engineer on Trump towers has said she certainly would not vote for him for president.

Barbara Res, who has been mentioned in Republican presidential candidate Trumps speeches as an example of how great hes going to be for women, said that Trump is not who want to be president of the United States.

She called his policies, specifically mentioning him banning Muslims and opposing the Affordable Care Act, abhorrent.

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Barbara Res (pictured left Recently and right at her graduation) was hired by Donald Trump in the 1980s as the chief engineer on Trump towers. He often mentions her in speeches as an example of how great hes going to be for women, Res says

Res worked for Trump for approximately 18 years. She and Trump had a falling out after she wrote a book about about her time as an employee of the real estate mogul

As far as being qualified, in my own opinion of him, I don't think he has the temperament to be president, she told BBC. I think he's very impatient. I don't think he takes advice from people.

I'm not sure that he'll surround himself with the best people. I think he may surround himself with people that follow his ideologies and I think that would be a bad thing.

I certainly don't think Donald, with the way he carries on, and he's "kicking A" and "beating the S out of people"...

That's not presidential. That's a hooligan. That's a bully from the neighborhood. That's not who you want to be president of the United States.'

Res said that though she doesnt have an ax to grind against him, she does not support his campaign.

Im not in favor of his candidacy, she told BBC. I certainly would not vote for him as president.

Though Trump often references Res in speeches, she said that she is never mentioned by name and that he never asked for her permission to bring up her story.

'He didn't call me and worse than that he never gave my name, she said.

Res, pictured here while on a construction site in earlier years, said that though she doesn't have an 'ax to grind' with Trum', he's not who want to be president of the United States

Res, pictured above right in earlier years, called many of Trump's suggested policies 'abhorrent' and said he's 'not who you want to be president'

Res said in a World Service documentary, Donald Trump: The People's Billionaire, that she and Trump had a falling out after she wrote a book about about her time as an employee of the real estate mogul.

She said that before the book, they had a good relationship and that he was a smart guy.

She had been hired by Trump in September of 1980 - a time when female executives in the construction business were few and far between - to be in charge of building the 68-story Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Trump put his faith in her and told her he wanted her to 'treat everything as if it were my project and my money and I would be his final word, Res has said.

Res worked for Trump for approximately 18 years, from 1978 to 1996, she said in an op-ed in the New York Daily News.

She started out as an employee with the company that built the Hyatt Hotel. She then moved into the position of vice president in charge of construction of Trump Tower. Eventually she became the executive vice president in charge of development and finally as a consultant.
The Pentagon has said US airstrikes killed the red-bearded ISIS minister of war.

Officials confirmed Abu Omar al-Shishani - also known as 'Omar the Chechen' - has died from injuries sustained in an attack on March 4.

A vehicle convoy believed to be carrying the jihadist was targeted by a coalition bombing raid near al-Shadadi

Red-bearded Shishani - known as 'Omar the Chechen' - is among the most wanted terrorists in the world and the U.S. had offered a $5million reward for information leading to his capture.

Abu Omar al-Shishani was killed in a coalition bombing raid near the town of al-Shadadi on Friday, but his fate is not yet known, several U.S. officials revealed today

Red-bearded Shishani - known as 'Omar the Chechen' - was among the most wanted terrorists in the world and had a $5million bounty on his head

'We believe he subsequently died of his injuries,' Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Shishani had been 'clinically dead' for several days.

Two U.S. military officials were optimistic that Shishani had been killed but admitted it was not certain. A third source said Shishani was targeted but gave no further information.

The reports now appear to confirm the target is dead.

The town of al-Shadadi recently fell to U.S.-backed forces from the Syrian Arab Coalition after months of ISIS control.

Shishani had previously been pictured with ISIS butcher Jihadi John - who was taken out in another airstrike last year - and is believed to have originally recruited him.

The Georgian is also a close military adviser to the terror group's commander Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Shishani (right) has previously been pictured with ISIS butcher Jihadi John (believed to be center) - who was taken out in another airstrike last year - and is believed to have originally recruited him

In January 2015, the barbaric militant appeared in a chilling set of images that showed him smiling in front of a burning Big Ben in London

Infamous: Abu Omar al-Shishani (right) is pictured here with Ibrahim al-Mazwagi (center), the first British jihadi known to have died in Syria

Shishani, 30, leads a brigade of foreign fighters responsible for a series of beheadings and operations involving suicide bombers in northern Syria.

Some estimates suggest he commands an army of more than 1,000 Islamists.

Shishani - real name Takhan Tayumurazoch Batirashvili - had been targeted in a number of strikes.

On more than once occasion, he had been reported dead or captured before re-appearing in ISIS propaganda videos.

In January 2015, the barbaric militant appeared in a chilling set of images that showed different landmarks across the Western world burning while flying the black flag of ISIS.

One showed the Capitol in Washington, DC, ablaze as ISIS militant marched through the city.

Another, featuring Shishani, showed the red-bearded terrorist smiling in front of a burning Big Ben in London.
Thirty five winters ago I was working as a dustman in Oxfordshire, reporting before dawn to a council depot to jump on a dustcart and empty the bins in Bicester and nearby villages.

Homeowners still had metal dustbins in those days. When filled with ash they were heavy and  cough, splutter  dusty. In order to finish our round early we ran from house to house, chasing our lorry as it made its pongy progress through the housing estates.

I only did a few weeks as a temporary worker but enjoyed it, though my work clothes stank so strongly of vegetable peelings I later had to burn them.

From refuse collector to Fleet Street journalist  a short journey, you say, ho ho. Actually, there is truth in that. Some facets of life as a dustman were good training for my later life. I learned to rise early, beware flying bottles and to hold my nose when certain over-ripe matter was in the air.

Into the bargain I became an aficionado of page three of The Sun, my workmates favourite newspaper and discovered a few things about human nature, many of them good.

I was, at the time, on my gap year between school and university, or wasting my time, as Sir Martin Sorrell might put it. Global tycoon Sir Martin was in the headlines yesterday after asserting he does not believe in gap years.

He seems to regard them as a middle-class indulgence, when youngsters called Tarquin or Hortensia (or even Quentin) wander off to Thailand or Goa to smoke exotic substances on palm-fringed beaches after doing a few hours teaching a week in a local orphanage.

Gap years tend to be ill-organised and ill-directed, grumbled Sir Martin, striking a tone better suited to a stovepipe-hatted Cromwellian than an optimistic mogul, and said companies employing gap-year youngsters found it hard to find them something useful to do. In the Sorrell ideal universe, gap years would become much more organised.

Global tycoon Sir Martin Sorrell (pictured) was in the headlines yesterday after asserting he does not believe in gap years. 'What poverty of thought Sir Martin reflects, what lack of imagination, what joylessness,' writes Quentin Letts

I hesitate to say this about a captain of industry who takes home some 70 million a year in emoluments, but what poverty of thought Sir Martin reflects, what lack of imagination, what joylessness.

There may be some spoilt brats whose parents will pay for them to have a year-long glorified holiday between school and college but they are a minority.

Most of the gappies I have known learned a lot during those 12 months  rather more, dare one suggest, than they did at school.

Ranch hand in Australia, hospital porter in the Midlands, ice-cream van driver in Cornwall, mortuary trolley-wallah in Bristol, chalet girl in Switzerland, busker in Paris, shop assistant in Ledbury  these are just some of the jobs done by acquaintances, old and new.

My son Claud, 18, is currently on his gap year. For four months he went off to help at an English school in Chengdu, China. He left England as a slightly gauche (but charming) young man. He came back more worldly and even better company.

Now he is working in a hotel in Herefordshire as a barman, waiter and general skivvy. He is being paid the minimum wage but is rightly proud of himself when he discusses his pay slips and National Insurance contributions.

He is learning about work discipline, work relationships and the challenges of dealing with customers. He finds himself working alongside men and women of different ages, and suddenly he has a different perspective, both on his own inexperience but also on his membership as a full citizen of our society.

I was so keen on my gap year that I actually took two. Sorry, Sir Martin! I left school not long after my 17th birthday and needed to grow up a little before university. I spent the first year in Kentucky, USA, on an educational exchange.

I was able to go through a rebellious period well away from my parents gaze. What a relief for all concerned Quentin Letts

Several thousand miles from home, I had to adapt to a different culture, climate and, lets face it, language.

There was no email in those days. Nor did one make transatlantic telephone calls (far too expensive). From time to time my mother would write on a blue aerogram but otherwise I was left to my own devices.

I was able to go through a rebellious period well away from my parents gaze. What a relief for all concerned.

For my second gap year I lived in Oxford, working as a warehouseman, club steward, factory grunt, Father Christmas, barman, van driver and, yes, dustman.

I signed on to a temporary labour agency and it threw all manner of jobs at me. In 1981 there was high unemployment and you took what you could get.

Not that I was fussy. My parents had told me they did not care what work I did, so long as I did it to the best of my ability.

Towards the end of the year I went to Spain to work for three months in a restaurant. It was owned by my late uncle but I was shown no favours.

When I arrived half an hour late one evening I was given the most almighty rocket. It was a lesson for life.

Sir Martin Sorrells remarks come as many A-level pupils and their parents will be pondering gap-year options. Should youngsters go straight from school to college, as Sir Martin says his children did?

Should they try to find some form of work experience, an unpaid internship, or even pay a specialist gap-year company which promises to look after teenagers as they roam the globe?

Quentin Letts with his wife, Lois, who 'did a stint in a supermarket dressed as a dairymaid, promoting Milka chocolate'

Without hesitation I would urge them to take a gap year  but to do none of the above. Instead, go and grab whatever job is available, be it flipping burgers, working in a call centre or (as my wife once did) singing geisha-girl songs in a seedy Sydney nightclub for sweaty businessmen. She also did a stint in a supermarket dressed as a dairymaid, promoting Milka chocolate.

She nearly made herself sick, she ate so much free chocolate. If you think that was bad, her friend had to dress as a cow.

Gap years are a brief window on that paradoxical mix of dreary routine and worrying insecurity that blights so many workers lives.

Most gap-year students are going to go on to more privileged existences these college kids will become tomorrows professionals and executives  but it is an excellent idea for them to be given a taste of work at the bottom of the pile. It is all very well for Sir Martin Sorrell, now at the top of commerce, to demand greater structure to gap years but surely the whole point of them is their unpredictability. In this era of zero-hours contracts it is good for tomorrows managers and business owners to gain a taste of life on the shop floor.

And let us not forget the monetary practicalities. My son may not be earning much at present but he is managing to put some savings aside for his first year at university.

Sir Martin complains about the lack of structure to gap years. For me, that is one their great strengths Quentin Letts

He is looking at his pay slip, inspecting closely the deductions, and learning the facts of life as a tax-payer.

When he starts at the University of East Anglia in September, might he not be a little more alive to political reality than students who have arrived straight from school? And might a dose of low-paid work not make him study harder?

Sir Martin complains about the lack of structure to gap years. For me, that is one their great strengths. I remember arriving once in California for a two-month spell. I had a temporary work permit and a couple of hundred dollars in my pocket, but that was it.

I knew that I had to find a job, and fast. I became a kitchen porter in Palo Alto by day and a door-to-door salesman in San Jose by night. Self-sufficiency was an imperative and a great spur.

Pocketing a pay packet, no matter how modest, is important for youngsters about to spend three years at university. What is wrong with taking pride in your earnings?

There is particular pleasure to be had in spending your own, hard-earned cash. It feels much sweeter than spending money given by your parents.

In California one evening I had to walk back to my lodgings after a long day at my two jobs. I had missed the last bus and tried to hitch-hike. Getta job! yelled a passing car-load of cackling oafs.

Two hours later I made it home by foot, tired and hot  but determined to work all the harder to prove the bastards wrong.
The #RideForOlivia hashtag has topped 20 million as family of tragic teenage equestrian Olivia Inglis return home after burying their beloved daughter.

The mosaic made in Olivia's image from thousands of tiny images of #RideForOlivia posts on social media in the week following the 17-year-old's death in a riding accident was presented to Arthur and Charlotte Inglis on Monday at their daughter's wake.

In a brave and moving tribute to his 'gorgeous girl' at her funeral service, Arthur Inglis reassured organisers of the fatal event at Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley on March 6 that no-one was to blame and 'Olivia would wish you all strength and solace at this time'.

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This mosaic (above) of Olivia riding her horse Coriolanus, who she called Toga, made from thousands of tiny images of #RideForOlivia posts on social media in the week following the 17-year-old's death in a riding accident was presented to Arthur and Charlotte Inglis on Monday at their daughter's wake

Charlotte Inglis and her youngest daughter Alexandra at Olivia Inglis's wake holding the moasic made in her daughter's image from thousands of tiny images of the #RideForOlivia social media posts which have topped 20 million

Olivia Inglis, pictured riding in an eventing competition, in a poster mounted outside the church where she was farewelled on Monday by family, school friends and a crowd of 80 mourners

Charlotte and Arthur Inglish with family members leave the church in Randwick in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Monday after giving moving and tearful tributes to their 'gorgeous girl'

Olivia Inglis, pictured wearing the same colour as her casket and the ribbons that adorned the church for her funeral, died after she was fatally crushed by her favourite horse Coriolanus which she called Toga

The mosaic was presented to Arthur and Charlotte Inglis on Monday at their daughter's wake

Olivia Inglis's teal blue coffin in the hearse at St Jude's Church in Sydney on Monday before the 17-year-old made her final journey to the private family cremation where the 'kind, loving' teenager was farewelled

Olivia Inglis (pictured in the mosaic riding her beloved Toga) was regarded as a potential future Olympian

Olivia was farewelled in a teal-coloured casked at St Jude's Church at Randwick in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, where every pew was adorned with flowers and teal-coloured ribbons.

Following the wake which the historic bloodstock auctioneering family held at the historic Inglis Newmarket stables, Olivia Inglis made her final journey to a private family cremation.

Charlotte Inglis told 800 mourners packed into the church where Olivia's grandparents are buried in the grounds that 'we will continue to ride for Olivia. Her memory will continue to live on.'

'Some time you don't have to be on Earth for a long time to achieve your goals,' Mrs Inglis said.

Arthur Inglis thanked 'the equestrian and equine world and said 'the messages and gestures have been absolutely astonishing'.

'Horse lovers the world over, no matter their discipline or level of involvement, seem to have so profoundly and accurately empathised with the driving force within Olivia.

'To put it succinctly, they just got her,' he said.

Arthur Inglis thanked 'the equestrian and equine world and said 'the messages and gestures have been absolutely astonishing'

Friends and family carry Olivia Inglis from the church following a heartfelt tribute to the late 17-year-old at her funeral in Sydney eight days after her beloved horse Toga tragically crushed during a competition

Four time Olympic medallist Andrew Hoy posted this message online, one of many posts by world champions and Olympians in eventing, the sport which Olivia Inglis hoped to compete in at an international level

Australian Olympic medallist equestrian Andrew Hoy (pictured) posted online 'My thoughts and prayers are with the Inglis family. May the memory of Olivia live in our hearts forever'

Friends embrace in the grounds of St Jude's Church at Randwick in Sydney's East on Monday, where they had gathered amid portraits of Olivia Inglis to farewell the 17-year-old equestrian

This image created for Olvia Inglis by artist Allira Fontana, which shows the 17-year-old riding her beloved mount Toga through the clouds with the words 'Fly free, fly high' was displayed outside the church on Monday

Among the thousands of posts with the #Ride For Olivia hashtag are messages from the world's top eventing riders such as the world number one, German Michael Jung and Australia's Olympic gold medallist, Andrew Hoy.

An article in the sport's major US publication Eventing Nation, which singled out the most famous #RideForOlivia posters was tagged on the Facebook page of Sophia Estigneev, Olivia Inglis's best friend and fellow equestrian.

Sophia, called the 'fourth daughter' by Arthur Inglis because of her closeness with Olivia and her younger sisters Antoinette and Alexandra, posted Michael Jung's photo on Facebook with the message 'World #1 is riding for Liv'.

U.S. equestrian author and commentator Jenni Autry posted a #rideforolivia message on Instagram

Four time German equestrian Olympian Ingrid Klimke wrote 'Soooo sad! Our thoughts are with her family!'

After Olympic gold medallist equestrians posted the #RideForOlivia hashtag from around the world, Olivia's best friend Sophia Estigneev posted online 'I don't think Liv would believe me if I told her our biggest idols said they will be riding for her'

With the Eventing Nation story, Ms Estigneev posted 'I don't think Liv would believe me if I told her our biggest idols said they will be riding for her'.

Olivia Inglis, whose upright seat and gliding style made her a stand-out among junior competitors, was regarded as a potential future Olympian.

Charlotte Inglis told mourners about Olivi's special relationship with her horse Toga - the name Olivia gave to her mount Coriolanus which had to be put down following the fatal accident.

'One of Olivia's greatest honours was to be selected by the NSW state Development Squad and to ride for New South Wales.

Andrew Hoy, who has won four Olympic equestrian medals for Australia and competed at his seventh Olympic Games in London in 2012, posted on Facebook 'My thoughts and prayers are with the Inglis family.

'May the memory of Olivia live in our hearts forever'.

William Inglis & Co bloodstock auctioneers CEO Mark Webster posted on Twitter that the #Ride For Olivia hashtag had surpassed 20 million engagements and encouraged people to donate to the scholarship that has been established in Olivia Inglis's name

Swedish Olympian Ludwig Svennerstal posted '#rideforolivia So sad to hear of the tragic loss of this young Eventer... Share you horsey memories for her'.

Australian-born Olympic silver medallist Lucinda Fredericks encouraged fellow eventing competitors to post pictures to become part of the mosaic of Olivia to make up 'a global tribute to this young lady'

Dual Olympic equestrian gold medallist Phillip Dutton posted the hashtag and four time Olympian, German Ingrid Klimke wrote 'Soooo sad! Our thoughts are with her family!'.
Iconic Cargo Bar is on the market, following two years of lockout laws

Yet another iconic Sydney bar is being sold at a time when famous bars and pubs are being forced to close as a result of New South Wales' controversial lockout laws.

The Keystone Group, who own almost 20 high-profile venues in Sydney, have announced they would be selling their first asset, the waterfront hotspot Cargo Bar.

The group said in a statement the iconic bar will be put back on the market to enable the company to invest elsewhere, including Melbourne.

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The Keystone Group, who own almost 20 high-profile venues in Sydney, have announced they would be selling their first asset, the waterfront hotspot Cargo Bar

'As a result of our recent strategic review,the decision was made by the board of The Keystone Group to release some of the significant capital we have invested in the King Street Wharf precinct and to reinvest that capital into new growth opportunities,' Keystone Group executive chairman Richard Facioni told Daily Mail Australia.

'The group is being presented with a number of exciting opportunities across the country, including Melbourne where we currently have no presence. The sale of Cargo would allow us to accelerate some of those growth plans.'

NINE SYDNEY BARS CLOSED SINCE THE LOCKOUT LAWS - Bar Century (February 2016) - Goodgod Small Club (December 2015) - Hugo Bar and Lounge (August 2015) - Exchange Hotel (August 2015) - Lansdowne Hotel (August 2015) - The Goldfish Bar (July 2015) - The Soho (June 2015) - Flinders Hotel (January 2015) - The Back Room (October 2014) Advertisement

Andrew Joliffe, of Ray White Hotels, is managing the sale and said it was unknown if the Cargo Bar business would continue.

'Entirely a matter for the successful purchaser,' Mr Jolliffe said in an email to Daily Mail Australia.

'However, the considerable goodwill Keystone have generated at the property since 2000 is hugely valuable and therefor lends itself to a continued hospitality function of some high quality application or another.'

Nevertheless, he said the bar was a guaranteed sale that would sell for seven times the bar's earning capacity, but he would not provide a dollar range.

'The King St Wharf/Bangaroo precinct is awash with high quality development and this means the traffic flow of new patrons to the immediate area,' he said.

Cargo Bar has been in operation since August 2000 and was the Keystone Group's flagship asset.

Keystone said the recent sale of the Newtown Hotel through an unsolicited approach, was also made as part of a long term strategy plan.

Andrew Joliffe, of Ray White Hotels, is managing the sale and said it was unknown if the Cargo Bar business would continue

Cargo Bar has been in operation since August 2000 and was the Keystone Group's flagship asset

Last month, musicians, business owners, patrons and politicians lambasted the NSW lockout laws introduced by the O'Farrell government in March 2014 to counteract the escalation of alcohol-fuelled violence.

Business owner Matt Barrie penned an essay titled 'Would the last person in Sydney turn the lights out?' and pointed to politicians for 'destroying the soul of the city'.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also joined the assault against the NSW government, in a tweet referencing the essay with the line: 'Sydney has lockout laws. Melbourne has 24 hour public transport on weekends.'

Australian music artist Flight Facilities also wrote a passionate letter last month that questioned whether they could pursue their career as DJs the same way if they started over again today.

'We've been fortunate enough to explore the world through our music, and while our influences have reached us from every corner of the globe, our cultural and musical incubator is, and was, Sydney,' the post read.

'Such nights shaped our musical tastes, understanding, and kick started our careers. Most of our first club gigs didn't begin until 3am, and yet those parties were still heaving.

'How do we know that the next Flight Facilities, Nina Las Vegas, Whatsonot, Alison Wonderland or Yolanda Be Cool aren't choking on the creative stranglehold these laws have created?
Lord Howell, president of the RCS, has called on the Government to remove the obstacles preventing Commonwealth citizens from moving here

Voters would prefer Britain to have open borders with other Commonwealth countries than free movement with the EU, according to a poll hailed by George Osbornes father-in-law.

Almost six in ten Britons support freedom of movement between the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, according to findings from the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Lord Howell, who is president of the RCS, has now called on the Government to remove the obstacles which are preventing Commonwealth citizens from moving here.

He stopped short of discussing the EU referendum debate. But Leave campaigners pointed out that, if Britain quit the Brussels club, it would be able to issue more visas to people from the Commonwealth.

Currently, they face strict rules on who can come in  while EU nationals are free to come and go as they please.

The RCS findings, released to mark Commonwealth Day, follow an idea by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who called for a free labour mobility zone between the UK and Australia.

An additional YouGov question published by RCS also found that more Britons favoured free mobility with these nations over those in the EU  with support standing at only 46 per cent. Some 35 per cent were against.

In response, Lord Howell of Guildford said: We need to welcome our friends with open arms when they visit us, and in doing so, work to ensure as much free mobility as is workable.

Between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom this flow and interchange of talented people is especially vital. This polling is invaluable as it shows the views and wishes of these fellow Commonwealth friends in strong support of closer ties. Governments must find ways to build them and to remove the obstacles that stand in their way.

Leave campaigners point out that the polls findings back their own position.

Last month Justice Secretary Mr Gove said the right of all EU citizens to come to the UK was tying this countrys hands.

Britain is forced to turn away non-EU migrants with skills the country wants and is left with less room to let in genuine refugees. EU nationals are adding 180,000 to the population every year.

The RCS findings, released to mark Commonwealth Day, follow an idea by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who called for a free labour mobility zone between the UK and Australia

Mr Gove said: Our immigration policy means that we have some people who can come into this country who we might want to say no to and others, who we might want to attract, who cant currently come in. So its not for me a matter of numbers, its a matter of the type of people that we want in this country.

Lord Howell has not made any direct comments on whether Britain should be a member of the EU.

In a letter published by the FT last year, he said: The bugbear of the old Eurosceptics used to be a federal European superstate, but todays much more relevant concern is different.

It is how to avoid tying ourselves to an outdated 20th-century EU model facing multiple 21st century crises and threats, some unforeseen.
She will this week publish a children's book about bullying, Bully Ben

'It ruined my confidence and I started to ask myself who I was'

Fashion photographers have called her too fat - when she's only 57kg

Natalia Siam, now 16, broke her leg in a bullying incident in Year 6

Teen model has faced bullying at school and in the fashion industry

A teen model who is one of the faces of major fashion retailer Forever 21 in Australia has revealed the savage bullying she has faced at school and in the cut-throat fashion industry.

Natalia Siam, 16, was in sixth grade at a Dubai international school when bullies jealous of her role on a TV pilot pushed her over, breaking her leg and forcing her into a wheelchair for six months.

Fashion magazine photographers have told her she is too 'chunky' or 'fluffy', that her eyes are too close together or face too round.

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Natalia Siam (pictured) has written a book about bullying based on her experiences at school...

But she has also faced bullying in the workplace as a teen model, particularly from fashion mag photographers

At age 11, schoolyard bullies - apparently jealous of Ms Siam's role in a TV pilot - pushed her over leaving her in a wheelchair for six months

'I was modelling for a major fashion magazine and the photographer told my agent I was too fat,' said Ms Siam. She was just 57kgs and 175cm tall at the time.

'When some students at my school heard about this they repeatedly laughed at me, called me fat and too big to model.

'I questioned if I should be doing modelling at all. It ruined my confidence and I started to ask myself who I was and how I felt about myself. It was not a great time in my life.

'I can now understand why some teenagers suicide.'

Ms Siam, who has now become an anti-bullying advocate, told Daily Mail Australia a lot of people in the industry were 'really wonderful'.

But others, she said, 'aren't as nice and blame you for the reason why you didn't get into the magazine.

Ms Siam (left), a Brand Ambassador for Forever 21, said she tries to tell friends all the time to eat and to only work with 'good people'

Ms Siam has faced bullies both at school and in the workplace - and she is only just about to turn 17

While she said most of the time the industry was positive, 'sometimes... the photographer comes back and (says), you're a little chunky or fluffy'.

'Usually it's around weight most of the time and sometimes my eyes too close together - things you can't change.

'I'm a teenager and still going to continue growing, this is not my final form'.

She said she tries to tell friends in the industry all the time that it is not their fault photographers pick on their looks.

'(I say) it's not your fault, you're very beautiful, you can continue doing it and work with people (with) a good atmosphere not a toxic atmosphere'.

Her mother Carmen McMillen said she was furious when she heard what photographers said about her daughter.

'If they don't want to book her, don't book her,' Ms McMillen fumed.

'Don't book her and tell her she's fat. That's not OK as a mother... And it can hurt young girls.

'And I'm worried - a lot of girls I saw, they have trouble. They have anorexia and Natalia will never be that...

'The teenage girls shouldn't have this pressure.'

Her mother Carmen McMillen said she was furious when she heard what photographers said about her daughter

Ms Siam has written a book about bullying for infants based upon her own life experiences

She said the time her daughter spent in a wheelchair as a youngster was a 'traumatic time for the family'.

But she 'bounced back' and on Friday will publish a children's book, Bully Ben: How to Deal With Bullying at School, on Apple's iTunes store.

Ms Siam said her message to the bullies was: 'Do not let other people influence the way you think about yourself or distort your image.

'You can make a decision about whether you're going to be a Bully Ben or a Brave Ben,' she said, referring to a character in the book.

All the proceeds of the book will go to the Fred Hollows Foundation, an aid organisation which works to prevent blindness.
A large mural of Kim Kardashian's naked body that was plastered on the wall of an inner-Melbourne suburb on Monday was defaced just a couple of hours later.

White and brown paint was thrown onto the 10 metre tall mural that mirrors a controversial selfie posted on social media by the blonde reality star last week, causing a heated online debate, according to Pedestrian.tv.

The word 's**t' is scrawled in black paint just above the bottom of two black bars strategically placed on the mother-of-two's naked body.

It first appeared on the side of a building in Gwynne Street in Cremorne, an inner suburb of Melbourne, with local street artist Lushsux taking responsibility for the on-trend work of art.

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A large mural of Kim Kardashian 's naked body that was plastered on the wall of an inner- Melbourne suburb on Monday was defaced just a couple of hours later (pictured)

White and brown paint was thrown onto the 10 metre tall mural that mirrors a controversial selfie posted on social media by the blonde reality star last week

It first appeared on the side of a building in Gwynne Street in Cremorne, an inner suburb of Melbourne, with local street artist Lushsux taking responsibility for the on-trend work of art

The artist said that he is disappointed that his mural was defaced but that it was inevitable.

'[I'm] pretty bummed, but it was a given considering the subject matter,' Lushsux told Pedestrian.

Alex Mitchell, from Backwards Gallery in Collingwood, has represented the artist, who prefers to maintain his anonymity, for four years and said Lushsux has done extensive work around the Melbourne area.

'The Kim Kardashian mural was done on Saturday and the Donald Trump one was last weekend,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

He is a pretty prolific street artist and does non-stop work on topical subjects like Kim's photo - once it got a few million likes he thought it would be pretty appropriate.'

The mural is a reproduction of a selfie Mrs Kardashian-West uploaded last week which attracted 1.6 million likes and hundreds of thousands of comments.

The mural is a reproduction of a selfie Mrs Kardashian-West uploaded last week which attracted 1.6 million likes and hundreds of thousands of comments

'The Kim Kardashian mural was done on Saturday and the Donald Trump one was last weekend,' Lushsux manager said

The photo appears to be from 2015, with Ms Kardashian-West's hair peroxide blonde hair giving a strong indication the photo is a throwback from her stint at Paris Fashion Week.

Following the controversy that surrounded the censored image, Mrs Kardashian-West penned an essay hitting back at critics like Bette Midler, Chloe Moretz and Piers Morgan who 'body shamed' the self proclaimed 'selfie queen' for exposing herself online.

She called for an end to 'slut-shaming' and said people need to get over her old sex tape.

Mrs Kardashian-West said she wouldn't apologize for being 'empowered' by her sexuality on International Women's day - one day after her nude selfie sparked a social media uproar.

'It always seems to come back around to my sex tape,' wrote Kim of the critics. 'Yes, a sex tape that was made 13 years ago. 13 YEARS AGO. Literally that lonnng ago. And people still want to talk about it?!?!'
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Her thoughts on the European Union might be the subject of febrile speculation by Kremlinologists on either side of the referendum debate.

But the Queens views on our membership of another vast multi-national organisation were an open book yesterday as she marked Commonwealth Day in style at Westminster Abbey.

Ahead of her arrival, accompanied by the biggest royal turnout anyone could recall for this event  including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry  the Queen had written a message which could hardly have been clearer.

This was a day to celebrate what she called the essential ingredient of her beloved Commonwealth: The willingness to share, exchange and to act for the common good.'

The Commonwealth Day service, the UK's largest annual inter-faith gathering, celebrated the 2016 theme of inclusivity and was broadcast live on BBC One for the first time in celebration of Her Majesty's lifetime commitment to the 'family' in the year of her 90th Birthday

Both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry (pictured) joined the monarch and her husband Prince Philip for one of the highlights of her calendar, the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey

The Queen (pictured left and right arriving at Westminster Abbey) remains sovereign of 15 realms in addition to the UK and enjoys close links with the other member states

Three generations of the Royal Family pictured on the procession through Westminster Abbey at the Commonwealth Day service

The 2,000-strong congregation, pictured, at Westminster Abbey included several prominent dignitaries and around 1,000 school children

She seemed visibly moved as the former head of the United Nations applauded her for her unwavering and steadfast devotion to the organisation.

Before yesterdays service, this annual gathering was given an overhaul. It certainly attracted greater attention than in recent years. Billed as the first formal event of a three-month celebration of Her Majestys 90th birthday, it was broadcast live on national television for the first time  and on BBC1, no less.

The Prime Minister David Cameron turned up in person, a marked improvement on recent years when successive British governments have often failed to send even a Cabinet minister.

Even so, mystery surrounded the absence of the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday. A seat had been reserved for him in the Choir, but it was occupied by the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Hilary Benn. A Corbyn aide blamed an ongoing muscle injury.

As a result, Mr Corbyn was denied another opportunity to not sing the national anthem  in this case, a belting rendition with extra oomph from the Band of the Irish Guards. One party leader who did turn up, but was parked back in row seven, was the Ukip leader Nigel Farage.

The Commonwealth service is always an unusual one in the Abbey calendar. It is, after all, a celebration of an organisation that spans two billion people  of whom more are non-Christian than Christian.

The Queen, left and, right singing hymns with her family and other invited guests, said 'working together for the common good was an essential ingredient of belonging to the family of nations'

Prince William, far right, and Prince Harry pictured talking to choristers and church leaders as they leave the service in London

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured, have their hands full with toddler son Prince George and his toy scooter, according to Kate

Theres always a certain informality, too. Children form a large part of the congregation, in recognition of the fact that a large majority of citizens in the 53 Commonwealth nations are under 30.

And yesterday the Queen found herself being serenaded by pop star Ellie Goulding as well as poet Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh.

The star turn, however was Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General, who introduced himself as a Ghanaian who feels very much part of the Commonwealth.

He addressed his words directly to the head of the organisation  who many believe has been the key to the Commonwealths longevity. No individual has made a greater contribution to its achievements than your majesty, said Mr Annan. You have shown an unwavering and steadfast devotion to this project  we are deeply grateful.

There was also a special musical performance by pop singer Ellie Goulding (left), who performed at William and Kate's wedding reception, who gave a pared down performance of the Sting hit Fields Of Gold (right)

The principal reflection of the service was given by Mr Kofi Annan (left), former Secretary-General of the United Nations. Lord Steel (right) was also among the attendees





The Queen, pictured after receiving a bouquet of flowers from schoolchildren, was praised by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who said 'nobody had made a greater contribution to the Commonwealth' than the monarch

Prince Philip, pictured, has been married to The Queen since 1947 and been at her side for the entire length of her reign

The Queen smiled at the choir as she left the Commonwealth Day Service, held in the union's 67th year, with some of the clerics

Seated just below the sacrarium steps, Her Majesty blinked hard. Mr Annans sentiments were echoed by the outgoing Commonwealth secretary general, Kamalesh Sharma. The creation of the modern Commonwealth was one of the greatest acts of statesmanship of the 20th century, he said. Its credo of unity in diversity makes it a template for the world.

This, surely, was overdoing things a bit. The Commonwealth still boasts an assortment of dictators and kleptomaniacs on its books.

But compared to the meltdown within the EU, this organisation is going from strength to strength. It has a new secretary general, a new momentum and plenty of countries queuing up to join.

New branches of its fan club, the Royal Commonwealth Society, are also opening up all over the world. Not only has the RCS been revived in Ireland  a brief, early member of the Commonwealth  but it is preparing to open a branch in Belgium, too.

A Royal Commonwealth Society in Brussels? Now, theres one for the Kremlinologists to ponder.

Later this evening, the Queen, accompanied by her husband, will be guests of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, at the annual Reception which traditionally takes place on Commonwealth Day at Marlborough House, the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat

The Queen meets Africa Regional Winner of the Commonwealth Youth Awards Achaleke Christian Leke (second from left) and Caribbean Regional Winner Shamoy Hajare (third from left)
Joan Bakewell yesterday apologised for the enormous upset she caused by blaming eating disorders on narcissism  just as support for her comments was growing.

The veteran broadcaster had been accused of insulting anorexics by saying the rise of the illness may stem from an obsession with being beautiful, healthy and thin.

She claimed eating disorders did not exist in places where there is not enough food such as Syrian refugee camps.

Dame Joan Bakewell, pictured, apologised for her comments blaming eating disorders on narcissism

The Labour peer, 82, used her platform as chairman of the Wellcome Book Prize  which focuses on books with medicine, health or illness as themes  to apologise.

But it came as supporters said she had been right. Comedienne Jenny Eclair, 55, said her own battle with anorexia, in the late Seventies and early Eighties, had been down to self-obsession and sheer panic.

And Dr Christian Jessen, who presents Channel 4 shows, including Supersize vs Superskinny, claimed studies showed a number of eating-disorder sufferers do display elements of narcissism.

He added: [Joan Bakewell] was a victim of the usual Twitter Offended. She was actually right. Im amazed no one said so.

'I posted a study showing up to 15 per cent do [display such signs]. So clearly she wasnt completely wrong.

Its a fact. Im merely pointing out the evidence. Its not all, but it is some. If she was guilty of anything then it was oversimplifying and making generalisations.

Supersize vs Superskinny presenter Dr Christian Jessen, pictured, backed the Labour peer and said her views were right

I strongly suspect much of the indignation came from a lack of understanding of the word narcissism. I also think that to many narcissism equals vanity.

I use it in the psychiatric sense of narcissistic personality disorder. Please show me research showing that narcissistic personality types play no part in anorexia. Then you can call me an idiot.

Historian Mary Beard said she thought Baroness Bakewell was a woman of compassion who had been misunderstood on anorexia.

Baroness Bakewell said: I naively participated in a speculative conversation, expressing off-the-cuff remarks, without reference to evidence or current thinking.

Now that has caused enormous upset and I am deeply distressed that it should have caused so much pain.

When asked if she had changed her mind, she replied: Im withholding my opinion . . . Im keeping it to myself until I know more.

She added: Some people were saying: You are right, I have suffered and I know and it is like this. I did have quite a number of tweets saying: You are on the right track and I know this because of my daughter, and so on.

She had been accused of adding to the stigma surrounding anorexia by blaming victims in her comments to a newspaper.

Comedienne Jenny Eclair, pictured, who has battled anorexia, said it was down to self-obsession and sheer panic

She had said: To be unhappy because you are the wrong weight is a sign of the overindulgence of our society, over-introspection, narcissism really.

No one has anorexia in societies where there is not enough food. They do not have anorexia in the camps in Syria. I think its possible anorexia could be about narcissism.

She added: It disturbs me that for young girls now, if you get a little bit fat it is a trauma. Lots of young people worry about what shape they are; no one did when I was growing up.

She also said anorexia was called hunger when we were young, adding: You sat and ate until your plate was clean. I sat at my mums table and my mum said: You are not leaving this table till you have finished.

But her apology was not enough for some. One wrote on Twitter: Joan Bakewell sorry. More like sorry she had a backlash because of her ignorance.
Plans to hike up taxes on insurance premiums sparked fury last night as it emerged the average family could see the cost of their premiums rise by up to 190 a year.

At last years Budget, George Osborne increased by half the rate of Insurance Premium Tax, which is levied on home, motor, medical and pet insurance.

Insurers fear a second rise tomorrow could mean tax on premiums effectively doubling in less than a year.

Critics say the rises are a tax on prudence and discourage people from protecting themselves.

At last years Budget, George Osborne increased by half the rate of Insurance Premium Tax, which is levied on home, motor, medical and pet insurance

They also complain that insurance policies for car users are compulsory, making it impossible to avoid the hikes.

Research carried out by the Association of British Insurers suggests families could be paying up to 190 a year more once all their insurance premiums and all their different premiums are included.

James Dalton, ABIs Director of General Insurance Policy, said: Increasing IPT is no way to recognise the millions of families and firms who are protecting themselves against many of lifes uncertainties through insurance. Insurance is not a luxury and should not be taxed as such.

John ORoarke, managing director of general insurance at the insurer LV also condemned the possible rise.

He told Insurance Age: I think it would be outrageous. One of the governments stated aims is to reduce the cost of living for ordinary people.

Motor insurance is a significant part of most peoples annual expenditure. Potentially putting six to seven per cent on top of that, if they were to put through the same scale of increase as last time, goes against everything they have argued for.

A spokesman for the British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba) said: A rise in IPT would discourage customers from taking out policies.

The ABI figures calculate the increase since before last years Budget, if Mr Osborne increases the tax again.

They are based on insurance costs for a family of four with two cars, a dog and home and medical insurance.

The biggest single increase would be of 148 - 37 per person  on private medical insurance.

Rising insurance costs: Research carried out by the Association of British Insurers suggests families could be paying up to 190 a year more

Motor insurance would rise by another 24, home insurance by 9 and pet insurance by 9.

Insurance Premium Tax is paid on around 50million insurance policies in the UK, including motor, home contents and building, pet insurance and breakdown cover.

In July last year Mr Osborne announced the rate was to increase from six to 9.5 per cent, to come into force from November 1. That is expected to raise some 8billion over five years.

Last week the AA warned ministers are considering a second rise of three per cent in tomorrows Budget. They accused the Chancellor of treating motorists like wallets on wheels.

A Treasury minister has claimed IPT is not a tax on consumers but on insurance companies.

Economic Secretary Harriett Baldwin made the claim in a letter to the AA at the time of the last hike in IPT last year.
Party announced today she has been suspended pending an investigation

But Kirby has now been reported to Surrey Police for 'breaking race laws'

Jewish Labour members have written to party bosses explaining how they are fed up and 'sickened' by its handling of anti-Semitic allegations that have rocked the party, MailOnline can reveal.

Today Labour suspended a candidate for a second time after she was reported to police over a series of tweets attacking Israel - but questions were raised over how she was readmitted to the party.

Vicky Kirby was suspended in 2014, when she was the party's candidate for Woking, for a Twitter tirade in which she described Israel as 'evil'.

Earlier, Mr Corbyn spoke out after shadow cabinet minister Luciana Berger was subjected to a volley of hate messages on Twitter after posting that she was attending a global anti-Semitism conference in Berlin

Her re-admittance emerged just minutes after Jeremy Corbyn said 'vile' anti-Semitic abuse had 'no place in our society'.

It plunged the party into yet another race row as it investigates separate allegations of anti-Semitism at Oxford University's Labour Club last month.

And last week the party was forced to expel a controversial left-wing socialist whose website posted an article headlined: 'Why Marxists must address the Jewish Question', which went on claim that 'Zionists' pursued a 'witch-hunt against Jeremy Corbyn's Labour leadership campaign'.

Today the party received more official complaints over anti-Semitism in the party.

MailOnline has seen the letter that led to the suspension of Miss Kirby, who has been reported to Surrey Police over allegations she has breached race relations and public order laws.

The letter says: 'As a British Jew and as a party member I'm sickened to find out that Kirby was re-admitted, considering her antisemitic views.

'We haven't yet recovered from last week's 'Jewish Question' views of Gerry Downing, and we still wait for outcome of investigation into Oxford Labour Club (I've spoken to Tom about this at the CST dinner earlier this month).'

Vicky Kirby was initially suspended from the party for sending a series of anti-Semitic posts on Twitter, in which she described Israel as 'evil'. But she was readmitted to the party and elected to a key local party role

Miss Kirby's posts on Twitter are the latest anti-Semitism scandal to hit the party.

She suggested that Adolf Hitler might be the 'Zionist God', said Jews had 'big noses', and questioned why Islamic State has had not yet attacked Israel.

A Labour party spokesperson said today: 'Vicki Kirby has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.'

In an official response to the letter complaining about Labour's handling of anti-Semitism in the party, General Secretary Iain McNicol insisted the party takes 'any allegation of racism or prejudice, including anti-Semitism, very seriously'.

He confirmed he had suspended Miss Kirby and launched a full investigation.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, who had questioned how those sentiments fitted with the re-admittance to the party of Miss Kirby, welcomed her suspension today, saying: 'Better late than never. Well done to everyone who spoke out'

Vicky Kirby was reported to Surrey Police by Kevin McKeever, Labour's candidate for Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner

Kevin McKeever suggested Kirby had broken race relations and public order laws with her anti-Israel tirade

'Please be assured I personally and the Labour Party as a whole take these matters very seriously, and we will do what we can to root out any forms of prejudice from our organisation,' he added in his reply.

It emerged yesterday that she had been elected the local party's vice-chair after being readmitted following the offence.

But responding last night, Labour said it would only take action to expel her if 'new evidence' came to light.

Shadow cabinet minister Luciana Berger was subjected to a volley of hate messages on Twitter

Earlier, Mr Corbyn spoke out after shadow cabinet minister Luciana Berger was subjected to a volley of hate messages on Twitter after posting that she was attending a global anti-Semitism conference in Berlin.

Miss Berger  previously the subject of a 2014 campaign of abuse that led to one man being jailed  posted examples of the latest messages as 'a reminder of why it's necessary'.

Mr Corbyn said: 'The vile anti-Semitic abuse being directed at Luciana Berger is completely unacceptable. It has no place in our society.'

Labour MP Wes Streeting, who had questioned how those sentiments fitted with the re-admittance to the party of Miss Kirby, welcomed her suspension today, saying: 'Better late than never. Well done to everyone who spoke out.'

A Labour spokeswoman said: 'Following her resignation as a parliamentary candidate she received a warning from the NEC on her future conduct and the suspension was then lifted.

'If new evidence comes to light, the Labour Party will review that evidence and make sure the rules of the party are upheld.'

Mr Streeting responded: 'This can't be right because Jeremy Corbyn has said there is 'no place' for antisemitism in our society. Minutes ago!,' he tweeted.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: 'A decision was taken in 2014 to warn her but leave her in membership. Jeremy Corbyn has no involvement in the process.'

Miss Kirby was expelled after it emerged she had written a series of tweets, including: 'We invented Israel when saving them from Hitler, who now seems to be their teacher.'

She also wrote: 'I will never forget and I will make sure my kids teach their children how evil Israel is!'

And she said: 'Apparently you can ask IS/ISIS/ISIL questions on ask.fm. Anyone thought of asking them why they're not attacking the real oppressors, Israel?'

Other tweets included the comment: 'What do you know about Jews? They've got big noses and support Spurs lol.'

She wrote: 'The point about Jews is that they occupy Palestine. Used to live together, now slaughter the oppressed'; and said: 'Who is the Zionist God? I am starting to think it may be Hitler.'

At the weekend Labour MP John Mann said there is resurging problem with anti-Semitism within the party, which must be stamped out.

He said the recent growth of the party membership, sparked by left-winger Mr Corbyn's leadership win, has brought with it some people with 'out-dated and prejudiced' views.
The first lady of Ohio and possible future first lady of America, Karen Kasich, has not been a regular fixture on her husband's campaign trail so far.

She told The Circus on Showtime that the campaign is 'fun for me because I come on and off the trail.... I don't do this day in and day out.'

Karen has been pictured at Kasich's rallies just a handful of times, but the former public relations guru has been prominent in other ways.

She's been married to John Kasich for nearly 20 years but is known in her own right for her passion and commitment to health, fitness and helping young people.

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Karen Kasich, wife of presidential hopeful John, is known in her own right for her passion and commitment to health and fitness

She is not a regular fixture on the campaign trail and told The Circus on Showtime that the campaign is 'fun for me because I come on and off the trail.... I don't do this day in and day out'. Pictured, a rare appearance on the trail on March 14

Karen (left) became first lady of Ohio in 2010 after John (right) won the gubernatorial election in 2010 over Ted Strickland and then won re-election in a 2014 landslide

After losing family members to heart disease, it became a particular point of interest and she is now a dedicated runner, swimmer and weightlifter.

Karen told Cleveland.com: 'If I can shine a light on anything as first lady in Ohio, health would be what I'd focus on.

'I've seen the effect of wellness on people's lives, so I'm pretty passionate about it.'

She has also passionate about young people and has taken on leadership positions for after school programs and an anti-drug program for youths, and created a program that featured local artists at the governor's residence.

If she were to become the nation's first lady, Kasich said her interests and efforts would remain largely unchanged and told the Intelligencer: 'What I have been focused on in Ohio would continue, no matter where we were living.

'I'm all about young people. I believe they are our most precious natural resource, and we need to grow and develop that resource.'

She co-founded the Start Talking! initiative with her husband, which is aimed at improving communication between parents and children in an effort to reduce drug and alcohol use in Ohio.

Karen met John, 12 years her senior through a work project back in 1989. They married in 1997 (wedding pictured above) and John, who was divorced, described his new wife as his 'anchor' and his 'light', while Karen described them as 'kindred spirits'

Karen (left) left her position as president at GSW Worldwide shortly after she gave birth to twin girls, Emma (center right) and Reese (right)

John was a congressman when Karen first met him and her mother apparently advised her to buy a copy of Newsweek to prepare for the first date, which eventually led to an eight-year courtship, she told The Columbus Dispatch

Karen, now 52, was born and raised in Upper Arlington Ohio and received a bachelor's degree in communications from Ohio State University.

She worked in public relations, health care and marketing for nearly 20 years and rose to vice president at GSW Worldwide, but left the position shortly after she gave birth to twin girls, Emma and Reese.

She told the Dispatch in 2010: 'I felt I was half as good as I was at work and half as good as I could be at home.

'I wanted the focus to be on my kids; I'm only going to have them for a short while.'

Karen became first lady of Ohio in 2010 after John won the gubernatorial election in 2010 over Ted Strickland and then won re-election in a 2014 landslide.

Karen (left and right) told Cleveland.com: 'If I can shine a light on anything as first lady in Ohio, health would be what I'd focus on'

Karen said: 'I'm all about young people. I believe they are our most precious natural resource, and we need to grow and develop that resource'

He tried and failed for presidential bid in 2000, so the family should be well versed in the process.

But she said of his re-entry into politics back in 2010: 'He tells everybody I told him he'd be sleeping outside; I didn't go quite that far. I can't stop him.'

Kasich told the Dispatch that his wife and daughters - now freshman in high school - are 'fine' with him running again.

But she has attending just handful of his rallies

Karen met John, 12 years her senior through a work project back in 1989.

John was a congressman at the time and her mother apparently advised her to buy a copy of Newsweek to prepare for the first date, which eventually led to an eight-year courtship, she told The Columbus Dispatch.

They married in 1997 and John, who was divorced, described his new wife as his 'anchor' and his 'light', while Karen described them as 'kindred spirits'.




Caitlyn Jenner posted a photo of herself and Hillary Clinton the day after she attacked the presidential hopeful during an episode of her reality show, I Am Cait.

Jenner said of Clinton on Sunday's episode of her show; 'What has she done in her life? What has she done? What has she done? She was horrible. Look at all of the things that are going on in the Middle East because of what she did. Look at Benghazi. She lied to us, she is a f***ing liar.'

She then added; 'She is a political hack, that's all she is, she has done nothing.'

It was a surprise therefore to see Jenner with her arm around Clinton in the photo she posted Monday.

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I'm with her: Caitlyn Jenner posted a photo Monday with her arm wrapped around Hillary Clinton (above with l to r: Candis Cayne, Clinton, Jenner, friend, Zackary Drucker)

Angry: On Sunday's episode of I Am Cait, Jenner (above) attacked Clinton much to the shock of many of her friends

Also in Jenner's photo with Clinton were her friends Zackary Drucker and Candis Cayne. Jenner included the hashtags '#learningfrommygirls' and '#willingtolisten.'

On Sunday's episode of I Am Cait Jenner's friends took issue with her inability to have a conversation about politics and listen to others, including Cayne who is a vocal supporter of Clinton.

The conservative Jenner meanwhile spoke about how much she liked Trump, and has previously said she supported Ted Cruz.

'I think he would be very good for women's issues,' Jenner said of Trump on Sunday's episode.

'I don't think he is out there to destroy women or take things away or do any of that kind of stuff.'

As for Cruz, Jenner told the Advocate just a few weeks ago; 'I think hes very conservative, and a great constitutionalist, and a very articulate man.'

She then added she would like to be his 'trans ambassador' if he were elected president.

Endorsement: Jenner's stepdaughter Kim Kardashian is a longtime supporter of Clinton (above with Kanye West)

Caitlyn chose a white minidress and black knee high boots to meet the would-be president

Jenner's family appears to be at odds with her political leanings as well, with Kim Kardashian having posed for a selfie with Clinton last year at a fundraiser.

And it seems this season of I Am Cait will include more fierce debates, with Cayne recently telling People; 'We really need to work together and I get into it with Cait  some of the other girls do too  and we just start to talk.

'We start with fireworks and then it turns into an actual conversation about what each other believes and how we can make a difference in this world.'

It is not clear when exactly the photo of Jenner and Cayne with Clinton was taken, and if she might make an appearance on the reality show this season.
A devastated mother has spoken out after a neighbour left an anonymous note in her letterbox demanding she 'close all the doors and windows' in her house during her baby daughter's tantrums.

Restaurant manager Sarah Singh, who lives in a packed residential street in Truganina, west of Melbourne, was shocked to find the note just two days after her daughter was rushed to hospital.

Mrs Singh told Daily Mail Australia that her beloved 16-month-old daughter Jasmine spent the night in hospital after she began convulsing from a nasty case of tonsillitis.

'My daughter honestly doesn't cry much, she did a couple of days before and not too much that day but she was so sick!,' she wrote online in frustration.

A Melbourne mother was left feeling deflated after she found an anonymous note from a neighbour asking her to close the windows of her house during her 16-month-old daughter Jasmine's tantrums (pictured)

The anonymous neighbours said they were 'extremely concerned' for the well being of her child

Ms Singh shared that her little daughter had been raced to hospital with a bad case of tonsillitis just two days before the narky note was delivered

'I know my daughter cries - all kids do, but she is loved and well looked after ... She is my absolute world and the thought that we would do anything to hurt her makes me feel physically sick!'

But the author of the note insisted that the toddler's noise was 'not acceptable.'

'We have been advised to inform you in writing, we are extremely concerned for the wellbeing of a child,' the note begins.

'The frequent screaming and crying has become increasingly disturbing and more constant.'

'Please have the courtesy to close all windows and doors during these difficult moments. After all, they are your moments.'

'Under advisement, this is the one and only notice.'

Mrs Singh admitted the sound of her daughter's tantrums could likely travel across the six backyards surrounding her property, but wished the author of the note had confronted her personally about it.

'I also agree I hate listening to it myself so I get that but you know what come and talk to us!,' she wrote.

The note was posted to an online parenting page where it was met with varying levels of criticism and support

'I know my daughter cries - all kids do, but she is loved and well looked after': Mrs Singh defended her daughter's tantrums

Many parents questioned whether the neighbour was genuinely concerned about the child's welfare or simply was after peace and quiet

The anonymous note was posted to The Perils of Parenthood Facebook page with her permission, where it was met with varying level of support and criticism from other parents.

'So are they concerned for the child's welfare or annoyed at the noise? If they were concerned they wouldn't be saying "just close the doors and windows" would they?,' wrote one woman.

'This letter is completely ridiculous and unreasonable! ... They should move to the country or outback if they can't handle living so close to other people's every day noise,' said another.

Others sided with the irritated neighbour, defending the note.

'I'm on the fence with this. It comes across as rude but in all honesty who WANTS to listen to other people's kids having a tantrum? Hell i dont even wanna listen to my own kids,' one woman penned.

Ms Singh chimed in on the online debate by reasoning that a crowded residential street was likely to attract all sorts of noises.

'The area we live in there are so many houses packed together when we moved in we knew there would be noise from neighbours, if this isn't acceptable, maybe don't live there,' she wrote.

'There are neighbours with far noisier children than her, also people that have parties till all hours in the morning and I never complain, it's part of us all living so close you're going to hear people!'
An Italian hunter and his son have been killed in a 'friendly fire' incident as they took part in an anti-poaching operation in Zimbabwe.

Claudio Chiarelli, 65 and his son Max, 28, were members of the volunteer anti-poaching organisation Zambezi Society and were conducting patrols in Mana Pools National Park, northern Zimbabwe, at the weekend.

The two men had been with a group sent out to relieve a team of rangers who had been deployed to follow suspected elephant poachers.

The rangers were said to have been alarmed by movement in the trees and heard voices. They opened fire and killed the pair, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority confirmed.

Claudio Chiarelli (right), 65 and his son Max (left), 28, were members of the volunteer anti-poaching organisation Zambezi Society

Claudio, originally from Padua in Italy, also had a daughter, Virginia, who lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with her British husband. She reportedly travelled to the African country yesterday

The park agency released a statement, which read: 'The rangers ... saw movement in the thicket, heard voices and opened fire, accidentally shooting and killing on the spot the pair,' the parks agency said in a statement.

'Unbeknown to them these were fresh deployments who had come to replace the rangers and had stopped to attend to a mechanical problem on their vehicle.'

An investigation has been launched by the authorities to fully determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, which happened on Sunday.

A wildlife expert to The Telegraph: 'There is a lot of anxiety about this, and everyone in wildlife and in Parks is very worried as this was friendly fire.'

An official from the Italian embassy in Harare confirmed the deaths and said Claudio, who is a professional hunter, had been taking eight park rangers in his vehicle to relieve the group from which the shots were fired.

'It seems like an accident. We are in contact with Foreign Affairs to get an official report,' the official said, referring to the Zimbabwean government department.

The official said Claudio (left) had lived in Zimbabwe since 1982 and his son Max (right) had been born in the southern African country

The official said Claudio had lived in Zimbabwe since 1982 and his son Max had been born in the southern African country.

Claudio, originally from Padua in Italy, also had a daughter, Virginia, who lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with her British husband. She reportedly travelled to the African country yesterday.

Mana Pools adjoins the Zambezi River, which runs along Zimbabwe's border with Zambia. Authorities have for years been battling poachers, most of whom come from Zambia and who have recently been using cyanide to kill elephants.

Poachers cut off the dead animals' tusks and sell them to dealers for up to 46,000 ($65,000) a kilogram, according to conservationists.
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An apartment structure that has teetered on the edge of a rapidly eroding cliffside in Pacifica, has been demolished.

The 20-unit apartment complex that used to stand on the ledge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was destroyed by Monday after a demolition crew started taking down the structure over the weekend.

Pacifica officials red-tagged and evacuated the apartment complex in 2010, as the cliff began to erode and part of the apartment complex teetered on the edge, according to NBC.

The 20-unit apartment complex (pictured) used to stand on the ledge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, but has been demolished after the structure started teetering toward the edge of a rapidly eroding cliffside in Pacifica

Pacifica officials red-tagged and evacuated the apartment complex in 2010, as the cliff began to erode and part of the apartment complex teetered on the edge. Demolition (pictured) began on the structure over the weekend

The property was supposed to be demolished sooner but its owner, Millard Tong, declared bankruptcy. The demolition crew will have to use a large crane to retrieve some debris that fell onto the beach below (pictured)

The demolition crew will leave the concrete foundation in place to help stabilize the cliff, until the city can find a permanent solution

The property was supposed to be demolished sooner but its owner, Millard Tong, declared bankruptcy.

Tong, who filed for bankruptcy in March, pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years probation. Hes now on the hook to reimburse the city about $200,000 for the cost of tearing down the building, according to SFGate.

Pacifica city manager, Lorie Tinfow told NBC: 'He's had an opportunity to shore up the cliff, like his neighbors have done, or to demolish the building.

She said since Tong has done neither demolish the building or shore up the cliff, 'the city started taking action last summer to hold him accountable'.

The city is paying $200,000 in demolition costs which it hopes to regain on behalf of taxpayers.

In the past few years, a combination of storms, fierce waves and rising sea levels have caused the coastal bluffs to recede. As the apartments located at 320 Esplanade Avenue teetered toward the edge, some of its patios split off and fell into the ocean, according to SFGate.

Tinfow said if the apartment building was left to deteriorate, it could have sent lead, asbestos and other debris into the surrounding neighborhood about 15 miles south of San Francisco.

The demolition crew will leave the concrete foundation in place to help stabilize the cliff, until the city can find a permanent solution.

Tinfow said the city is talking with the Army Corps of Engineers about the possibility of 'shoring up the cliff edge' because of concerns that after the buildings are demolished, 'the street could be the next at risk-asset'.

The demolition crew will also use a large crane to retrieve some debris that fell onto the beach below.

The apartments at were among the last affordable housing options in the region.

In the past few years, a combination of storms, fierce waves and rising sea levels has caused the coastal bluffs to recede. As the structure teetered toward the edge, some of its patios split off and fell into the ocean

Pacifica city manager, Lorie Tinfow said the city is talking with the Army Corps of Engineers about the possibility of 'shoring up the cliff edge' because of concerns that after the buildings are demolished, 'the street could be the next at risk asset'

Tinfow said the city is talking with the Army Corps of Engineers about the possibility of 'shoring up the cliff edge' because of concerns that after the buildings are demolished, 'the street could be the next at-risk asset'
The partner of a young mother discovered slain in a home just after moving to Australia from Sudan has appeared in court.

Law student and mother-of-two Jackie Deng's body was discovered at a home in Melton in Melbourne's outer-west on Sunday just one month after the 20-year-old had moved to the house with her two-year-old son.

Her boyfriend of three years Makeny Banek, also known as Nelson Makeny, 24, has been charged with one count of murder over her death, the Herald Sun reported.

Just two months earlier Ms Deng posted a photo posing with her accused killer, alongside the caption 'with babe' and a series of love hearts.

Law student Jackie Deng's (pictured) body was discovered at a home in Melton in Melbourne's outer-west on Sunday

Her boyfriend of three years Makeny Banek, also known as Nelson Makeny, 24, has been charged with her murder

Appearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief filing hearing on Tuesday morning, Banek sat in the dock with his head down. He is due to appear again on July 19.

Earlier it was revealed Ms Deng, also known as Abuk Akek, had fled Sudan for a safer life in Australia.

A friend, who wished not to be named, told the Herald Sun that both their families fled Sudan due to the 'horrific' violence in the country which has seen a rise in the number of rapes and murders.

'It is still happening in our family,' she said.

The close friend described Ms Deng as 'kind' and said her two-year-old son will be taken care of by his grandmother with the support of friends and family.

The young mother-of-two was killed at her home, and had fled from Sudan to escape the violence

Banek appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief filing hearing on Tuesday morning

Ms Deng has two young children and tributes from friends have poured in for the 20-year-old

'God is looking after her now. She will rest in peace. She is in a better place now,' she said.

Her cousin, Azeew Maccoyy, wrote on Facebook saying: 'I don't know how horrible will this world be I have never been shocked like this in my life.

'We grew up playing under same mango tree n now I can't believe she is gone (sic).'

She later posted: 'I always tell myself that God gives and takes but this is too painful to handle. My sister, My best friend with the most beautiful soul I ever met.

'How do I remain myself with all our beautiful childhood memories. It's really hurt because I thought we would grow old together.'

Ms Deng had moved to Melbourne just one month before for the safety of her young family

Banek is pictured here after martial arts training

The 20-year-old's body in Melton in Melbourne's outer-west




He revealed the incestuous relationship on Facebook after they had a fight

The Mackay man had sex with his daughter between the ages of 14 and 18

A man who had sex with his daughter for five years has faced sentencing

A man who used Facebook to reveal he was having sex with his teenage daughter had been preying on the 'vulnerable' girl for five years before coming clean, a court has heard.

A man from Mackay, Queensland's east coast, has pleaded guilty to 30 counts of incest and one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with his biological daughter in Queensland District Court.

The 50-year-old man, who can not be named for legal reasons, confessed that he had been in a sexual relationship with his daughter from the age of 14 up to the time she was 18.

A Mackay man who used Facebook to reveal he was having sex with his teenage daughter had been preying on the 'vulnerable' girl for five years before coming clean (Stock image)

Prosecutor Nigel Rees told the court the man revealed the sexual nature of their relationship on Facebook - admitting that he had been having sex with her for five years - after the pair got in a fight, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

'He said he knew it was wrong, he was sorry, and he wanted to end his life,' Mr Rees said.

He reportedly went on to tell the court that the man had used sex to control his daughter who was too afraid to come forward during the years of abuse, which escalated after her sixteenth birthday.

'[She] said she was petrified of him, she said he was a controlling, overbearing man, with whom she felt powerless to refuse his advances,' Mr Rees said.

The prosecution said the man had been suicidal when he posted a Facebook status update that revealed he had been sleeping with his daughter for five years (Stock image)

During her father's sentencing, the girl, now 19, 'courageously' delivered a victim impact statement where she revealed the abuse continued to affect her mental state and caused her to suffer from nightmares, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

Judge Brian Harrison commended her for speaking and said that it was clear her father had tried to normalised their incestuous relationship while she was still young and vulnerable.

He said he would consider that the man had confessed to police and entered a guilty plea which at least 'minimised the impact of the whole legal process' on his daughter.

The man was sentenced to eight years in jail but will be eligible for parole in August next year as he has already served a year behind bars.
Melbourne gangland killing victim Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro was a prominent criminal defence lawyer, an Italian community powerbroker, a father-of-three and a kind soul, friends said.

In a shock killing that brought fears of a new age of bloodshed on the city's streets, the 55-year-old's body was found by a garbage worker on a city footpath around 2.30am.

His death was thought to be the result of a professional hit, with court documents reportedly saying he was aware a $200,000 murder contract had been placed on his life.

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Lawyer, commmunity powerbroker and father-of-three: Friends are mourning Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro

Flowers mounted out the front of Gelobar on Tuesday afternoon, paying tribute to Mr Acquaro (pictured right)

Body on the concrete: Mr Acquaro was shot dead behind Gelobar on Tuesday morning

Throughout his career, Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne and Calabrian crime figures, including accused mafia boss Frank Madafferi.

Prior to his death he was representing alleged crime boss Rocco Arico, who last appeared in court on Friday facing extortion, assault, firearm and drugs charges.

Mr Acquaro had Calabrian heritage and was the president of Brunswick's Reggio Calabria club. He was also former president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

For the past five years he has ran Gelobar, after the previous owner passed away.

A regular at the gelato shop, Mary Marcuccio, told Daily Mail Australia Mr Acquaro seemed in a fine mood when she popped in to get an ice cream on Monday.

'No, not at all. He was very hospitable. We just exchanged "hi, how are you" and he just asked if there was anything else I can help you with.... He didn't look disturbed or anything.'

Dr Dominic Barbaro, president of the Dante Alighieir Society, said he was shocked that a 'nice guy' who was 'very well regarded in the Italian community' had been killed.

'He was president of the [Reggio] Calabria Club for awhile, then he opened his Gelato Bar in Lygon Street.

'I have used him a couple of times and he was very good to us and we had functions every now and then.

'I've heard him speak in the past in the Italian community about how to proceed with maintaining the Italian culture and language and he was very encouraging of young people to get involved.'

The crime scene cordoned off with police tape on the corner of Lygon Street and St Phillip Street in Melbourne suburb Brunswick East

Mr Acquaro represented Francesco Madafferi (left) who was jailed for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007. He was also representing Rocco Arico (right), who appeared in court last Friday charged with six counts of extortion, three counts of assault, possessing a firearm, drugs, ammunition and dealing in suspected proceeds of crime

Mr Acquaro was a former lawyer of Francesco Madafferi, a mafia figure and drug dealer convicted of importing 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy in tomato tins in 2007

Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures and was also a past president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce

Rocco Careri, who has also been president of the Reggio Calabria society, said the community was very upset it had lost a very nice person.

Mr Careri got to know him when he was the president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and was a regular visitor to his gelato bar.

He said he often brought his family to the bar to have lunch or an ice cream and Mr Acquaro always tried to take care of you.

He was a very, very kind person. I hear the news this morning (and we are) very upset we lost a very nice person.
Authorities in New Jersey say a fire that erupted early Monday has killed three people. Family members of the victims say they were a man and two young children.

Though police have not released the victims names, family members say two-year-old Na'shaun May, seven-year-old Nayon May and their adult relative, 51-year-old Maurice May died in the Orange house fire. The three had been asleep on the homes third floor.

The boys mother was able to save her teenage daughter, but could not rescue her sons.

Family member Iminah May said that about that ten people lived in the home, and everyone made it out except for her uncle and the two boys.

A fire that erupted early Monday in Orange, New Jersey, killed two young boys and their adult relative, authorities said

Two-year-old Na'shaun May and his brother seven-year-old Nayon May were killed in the blaze as they slept on the home's third floor

The boys' adult relative, 51-year-old Maurice May (right) also died in the house fire. It is unclear if May is the boys' father or uncle

It is unclear if Maurice May - also known as Mustafa - was the boys' father or uncle.

Five members of the May family were hospitalized with severe burns after trying to run into the burning home, according to NBC New York.

Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said her office is continuing to investigate the blaze.

The Essex County coroner's office referred calls to the state attorney general's office, which referred calls back to the county prosecutor's office.

Iminah May lives in Newark, about five miles from Orange, and rushed to the scene after getting calls from family members at about 5.30.

She said the boys' mother was badly burned in the blaze and is being treated in the intensive care unit of a hospital.

About ten relatives spanning four generations lived at the home, and everyone made it out except for May and the two young boys

The family's great grandmother woke up at about 5am, saw flames and tried to get everyone out of the house. Several family members suffered severe burns trying to return into the home

May declined to speculate on a possible cause of the fire.

Family members say that the residents of the home were notified of the blaze when their great grandmother woke up, saw flames and tried to get everyone out of the house.

She was yelling, Fire, fire, Chante May, a granddaughter told WABC.

Another family member, Quadirah May, said she was in the house when the fire erupted at around 5am, and she ran out with two of her children.

It took a neighbor to go inside and get my grandmother, not the fire department, Chante May told WABC.

She said that the fire department should have done more to try to save everyone from inside the home.

I asked them if they attempted to go in. He said no because the fire was too bad. I said a two-year-old and a seven-year-old were in there, she said.

Iminah May reacts as firefighters look through the wreckage of her family members' home on Monday morning

Family and neighbors look on from across the street as firefighters look through the wreckage of a house destroyed by fire in Orange

They were little kids and had no chance at life, Iminah May added.

The neighborhood in which the fire occurred is made up of two-story wooden homes, many with vinyl siding, that sit closely together.

Family members outside the charred house could be seen throughout the day crying and embracing.

The Red Cross told WPIX TV in New York City that 21 people were displaced by the fire and three homes sustained damage.

The home is known as Miss Mays house to many in the community, according to CBS New York.

Cookouts, birthday parties, celebrations - my great grandmother was good to everyone, Chante May told CBS. Miss May made sure she gave anybody - anybody a place to stay.

The family lived on the block for more than 40 years.
by his behavior and apologized to his wife, children and younger supporters at a rally in West Palm Beach, Florida

Marco Rubio made it clear he has regrets about the campaign he's run on the eve of the Florida Primary.

The Sunshine State senator said he realizes he is a role model and that his behavior during debates, making comments about Donald Trump's anatomy and letting digs get to him, have caused him to act childishly.

At a rally in West Palm Beach, Florida, he ran through the list of people he embarrassed with his feud with Trump, including his children, his wife, his young supporters.

Marco Rubio apologized to his young fans, his children and his wife during a rally on Monday night in Florida for his childish behavior with rival GOP candidate Donald Trump

'The fact that I'm here now in front of those cameras comes with responsibility, and I'll confess, I've learned that myself.

'A few weeks ago, in response to some attacks about the size of my ears and something else, I responded in kind with an attack about -- I'm not going to repeat it -- stuff.'

'I felt terrible about it. I realized that win or lose, there are people out there that see what I'm doing and follow it as a role model,' Rubio said according to CNN.

Rubio spoke during his last stop of the day and what could be his last stop on the campaign trail if he doesn't clinch Florida on the Tuesday primary.

Rubio and Trump have gone after each other with verbal attacks based on the other's physical appearance

Down and out: Rubio seemed to be defeated during the Monday rally. If Rubio loses Florida the race is over for him

'Leadership is not about going to angry and frustrated people and saying, "You should be even angrier and more frustrated, and you should be angry and frustrated at each other",' Rubio said.

'That is not leadership. You know what that is? That's called demagoguery, and it is dangerous.'

Although Rubio mentioned his regrets about letting Trump get to him, he still denounced the GOP front-runner.

Rubio mentioned Trump's willingness to pay for his supporter's legal fee's and his use of profanity at rallies as a reason the Donald is not a viable presidential candidate.

Florida's primary is on March 15. Ohio and Florida will be the deciding states to see if Donald Trump clinches the Republican presidential nomination. If another candidate claims those states it could shake up the race

Rubio's rally at Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Christian school in South Florida, drew the kind of crowd establishment Republicans have hoped to build into a general election coalition, CNN reported.

Monday night was Rubio's last stand as he pleaded with supporters to come out and vote for him in Florida's primary on March 15.

If Trump takes Florida and Ohio on Tuesday, it's the end of the road - Trump wins the nomination.

'No matter where I'll go or where I'll be, I will always be a son of this community.
He is calling for more emphasis on teacher development and creativity

Says Australia has seen a significant drop in results of student rankings

Andreas Schleicher spoke at Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai

Leading global education expert Andreas Schleicher has criticised the Australian education system for falling behind international standards at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.

Mr Schleicher, the education director of the Organisation for Economic Development attended the forum on March 12 and 13.

He said that Australia has seen a significant drop in the results of students ranking at the top of PISA testing in the past year, Fairfax reported.

Leading global education expert Andreas Schleicher (pictured) has criticised the Australian education system for falling behind international standards at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai

He said that Australia has seen a significant drop in the results of students (pictured) ranking at the top of PISA (Programme for International Student Assesment) testing in the past year

'Australia has lost a lot of students with very good results, it's very significant this round and I think that's something to really think about,' he said.

PISA (The Programme for International Student Assessment) is an international survey taken every three years that scores the worlds education systems against each other.

Its conducted by testing the performance of 15-year-old students.

In OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) rankings Australia (pictured) sits 14th behind Poland (11th), Vietnam (12th) and Germany (13th)

Australia's results have declined over the past decade.

In OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) rankings Australia sits 14th behind Poland (11th), Vietnam (12th) and Germany (13th).

Australia's emphasis on having teachers in front of students outweighing teachers own personal development was an issue that needed to be addressed Mr Schleicher said.

Australia's emphasis on having teachers in front of students (pictured) outweighing teachers own personal development was an issue that needed to be addressed Mr Schleicher said

'Australia more or less defines teachers by the number of hours that [they] teach in front of students,' he said.

'That is part of the problem.'

'We treat teachers as interchangeable widgets on the frontline - they are just there to implement prefabricated knowledge.'

He explained that many countries around the world found it hard to keep teachers in the profession because of curriculums that restrict creativity.

Mr Schleicher, the education director of the Organisation for Economic Development attended the forum on March 12 and 13

'There really is a complete lack of intellectual attractiveness to the teaching profession once you have that very industrial work organisation behind you,' he said.

According to Mr Schleicher, top education systems such as Finland have introduced selective teacher training, prioritised teacher and principal development, and allowed teachers to be more creative in their delivery of the curriculum , Fairfax reported.
Russia has pounded jihadist with airstrikes just hours after Vladimir Putin ordered a military withdrawal from Syria.

Helicopters targeted positions around the ancient city of Palmyra as Syrian troops pressed a ground advance.

The strikes came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the pullout of the 'main part' of his forces from the war-torn country.

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The first group of planes has already flown out of Russia's airbase in Syria in line with Vladimir Putin's orders

A Russian SU-34 bomber is pictured taking off from the Syrian airbase, outside Latakia, Syria today

Pilots received a hero's welcome and were tossed in the air in celebration infront of dozens of cheering supporters when they returned home today

Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses an annual expanded meeting of the Russian Interior Ministry's Board today

Russia did, however, choose to keep a contingent at its air and naval bases in Syria and a senior official said strikes against 'terrorists' would continue.

'Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian, are bombarding Islamic State group positions near Palmyra,' said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Earlier today, it emerged that Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch Al-Nusra Front said it was preparing a new offensive in Syria within 48 hours after insisting it was 'clear that Russia has suffered defeat'.

Russian military personnel have been seen loading equipment and boxes at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Latakia province, Syria and the first group of planes has already flown out in line with Putin's orders.

But Al-Nusra said it was now plotting a new offensive just as the Kremlin announced plans to pull out.

'It is clear that Russia has suffered defeat, and within the next 48 hours Al-Nusra will launch an offensive in Syria,' a commander of the group told AFP via Skype.

'The Russians withdrew for one reason, and it is because while they were backing the regime, the regime was unable to hold onto the territories that it took over,' he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Al-Nusra says it is plotting a new offensive just as the Kremlin announced plans to pull out. Planes are pictured taking off from the Russian base

Flying home: A Russian TU-154 plane which transports engineering and technical personnel flies ahead of a group of Russian SU-34 multidimensional bombers as they make their way home

Military personnel have been seen loading equipment and boxes onto aircraft at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Latakia province, Syria

'Had it not been for the Russian warplanes, we would have been in Latakia (city),' he said, referring to the provincial capital of the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect.

'The (Syrian) army let down the Russians. It is a cowardly army,' he said.

Russia 'will not make any more sacrifices for a regime that has basically collapsed.'

Moscow began its air strikes in support of Assad's army in September, a move that helped regime forces to seize back territory from rebels.

A temporary ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents has largely held since February 27, but it does not cover Al-Nusra Front and the ISIS.

The Kremlin has used Hmeymim air base, which Putin said Russia would keep along with a naval facility at Tartous, to mount a five-month campaign of air strikes to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an intervention that has tipped the balance of power in the Syrian leader's favour.

Putin announced on Monday that 'the main part' of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw, telling his diplomats to step up the push for peace as UN-mediated talks resumed on ending the five-year-old war.

Putin announced on Monday that 'the main part' of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw

Russian fighter jets are seen on the tarmac at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, Syria, as military personnel begin their withdrawal

The Russian Defence Ministry said today that the first group of Russian planes had already flown out of Syria in Russia in line with Putin's orders.

Pilots received a hero's welcome and were tossed in the air in celebration infront of dozens of cheering supporters when they returned home today.

Several Su-34 strike fighters landed at an airbase outside the city of Voronezh located 360 miles southeast of Moscow after performing a fly-past for top commanders, relatives and supporters.

After pilots disembarked from the aircraft they were tossed in the air in celebration as cheering supporters clutched flags, flowers and balloons, national television showed in a live broadcast.

The withdrawal of forces from Syria is now being presented on Russian television as nothing short of a victory.

'The Syrian army received a huge support,' said Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, praising the work of the country's air force in Syria.

'Thanks to your work in Syria, international terrorism sustained significant losses,' he told the pilots in televised remarks.

OBAMA AND PUTIN HOLD TALKS AS WHITE HOUSE REMAINS CAUTIOUS The White House said Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed Russia's planned military drawdown in Syria on Monday, hours after a shock announcement that could signal a new phase in the five-year-old conflict. 'They discussed President Putin's announcement today of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities,' the White House said in a statement. US officials offered a cautious initial assessment of Putin's decision to withdraw 'the main part' of its military contingent from Tuesday. 'At this point, we are going to see how things play out over the next few days,' a senior administration official said. Putin launched air strikes against rebel positions in September followed by a massive troop deployment. The White House said Presidents Barack Obama (pictured) and Vladimir Putin discussed Russia's planned military drawdown in Syria on Monday That turned the tide of a long and brutal war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favor, rescuing his regime from the brink of collapse. Putin's announcement appeared timed to coincide with peace talks in Geneva that have been dominated by a disagreement over Assad's fate. The timing and the suddenness of the announcement will raise questions about whether Russia remains steadfast in its support for Assad. Moscow has long refused calls from opposition groups, the United States and key European countries for Assad to go as part of a negotiated transition. 'A political transition is required to end the violence in Syria,' Obama said. A recent 'cessation of hostilities' has been frequently breached but, Obama said, led to a 'much-needed reduction in violence.' The White House sought to turn the screws on Assad, just as his backing from Russia was called into question. 'Continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the Cessation of Hostilities and the UN-led political process,' the White House cited Obama as saying. 'The president also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria, but emphasised the need for regime forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance delivery to the agreed-upon locations, notably Daraya.' Advertisement

Russia's air campaign has allowed Assad's army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks.

With Russia's main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscow's military action.

Syria's state news agency quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but won't leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria.

It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the 'successes' the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian military to start withdrawing the 'main part' of his forces in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) meets with Moroccan King Mohammed VI (left) in the Kremlin in Moscow today

The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against ISIS, al-Qaida's Syria branch known as the Nusra Front and other militant factions in Syria that have been designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations 'with the same tempo.'

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia's foreign and defense ministries, Putin said Monday that the Russian air campaign has allowed Assad's military to 'radically' turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

Putin didn't specify how many planes and troops would be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed. U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel in Syria vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia has deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syria's coastal province of Latakia.

The situation in Syria where more than 270,000 people have been killed in nearly five years of civil war

Earlier today, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said there was not yet any independent evidence that Russia had begun pulling out of Syria and Moscow should be judged by its actions rather than its words.

Updating MPs on the situation, he said no members of the International Syria Support Group were given advance notice of Mr Putin's announcement and 'we do not yet have any independent evidence to verify Russia's claims that military withdrawals have already begun'.

He added: 'No one would be more delighted than me if, after five months of relentless bombing, Russia is genuinely winding down its military support to the brutal Assad regime.

'But, as in all matters related to Russia, it is the actions rather than the words that count. We shall be watching carefully over the coming days to see if the potential promise of this announcement turns into reality.'

He also likened Putin to a man who beats his wife, urging people not to give the Russian leader praise for withdrawing from the war-torn country.

Mr Hammond Russia should not be given 'any credit' by the West for pulling out pointing to the bombing of hospitals and schools.

He said in the Common today: 'Somebody goes in to another country, starts bombing civilian populations, destroying hospitals and schools.

'If they decide they have done enough, let's not give them too much praise. It's a bit like "did he stop beating his wife".'
Vigilantes have scrawled the words 'pedo' and smashed the windscreen of a car owned by a man found with a vast cache of 100,000 child pornography images on his laptop.

Allan Darrell Blake's Mitsubishi was covered with abusive graffiti labelling him a 'pedo' and a 'dog' just days after he was arrested at his home in Albury, south-west of Canberra.

Police have warned that people should 'leave policing to the police' and not take the law into their own hands after the car was vandalised and had all four tyres slashed.

Detective Sergeant Chris Wallace told the Border Mail: 'I'd hate to see decent members of the community put before the courts in relation to their stupidity.

Vigilantes have scrawled the words 'pedo' and smashed the windscreen of a car owned by a man found with a vast cache of 100,000 child pornography images on his laptop

'People should leave policing to the police.'

He said he was not aware that the graffiti had been reported to police. It is not yet known when the car was covered in white paint.

The front windscreen of the green Mitsubishi Magna has been smashed, leaving shards of glass embedded into the front seats of the vehicle.

The roof of the car was also covered in paint and the word 'dog' was written on the front passenger side of the car.

Allan Darrell Blake's Mitsubishi was covered with abusive graffiti labelling him a 'pedo' and a 'dog' just days after he was arrested at his home in Albury, south-west of Canberra

Police have warned that people should 'leave policing to the police' and not take the law into their own hands after the car was vandalised and had all four tyres slashed

Blake, 56, has been in custody since he was arrested at his home on March 4 and charged with producing, disseminating or possessing child abuse material.

Albury Local Court previously heard that 100,000 child abuse images were found on his computer and that they fit 'all categories' of abuse.

He was due to appear again via a video link from Junee jail on Monday, but defence solicitor Tim Hemsley said the 56-year-old did not want to appear on screen.
The young girl who recited Pi on live television has said she began learning the mathematical party trick from the age of six and doesn't practice recounting the ratio.

Jacinta Rees, 10, wowed the audience and panel of science experts during ABCs QandA on Monday night by reciting Pi to 88 decimal points.

The schoolgirl at Balmain Public School in Sydney's inner-west told Daily Mail Australia she began learning the mathematical ratio from the age of six by finding patterns in the stream of numbers  and plans on learning more.

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Jacinta Rees (pictured), 10, wowed the audience and panel of science experts during ABCs QandA on Monday night by reciting Pi to 88 decimal points

I find it quite easy, the 10-year-old said. I just like learning numbers. I like maths.

She said she practices the new Pi decimal points shes learned for just five minutes.

Then I just kind of know it, she said.

Jacinta began learning to recite the decimal points of Pi when she was six-years-old, when she began learning the cello. She later picked up the oboe, sings with the Sydney Children's Choir, and plays netball.

She plans on either being an architect or teacher when she grows up.

My mums a teacher and my dads a scientist, Jacinta told Daily Mail Australia.

Jacinta began learning to recite the decimal points of Pi when she was six-years-old, when she began learning the cello (left playing at the Opera House in the Arts Unit Festival of Instrumental Music). She later began playing oboe (right)

Her father Martin Rees said he was previously a research scientist and now is a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry.

The year five student started at Balmain Public School this year, having moved from Leichhardt Public School to attend the Opportunity Class.

Mr Rees said Jacinta does well at school and that her 'best mate', Ben, also likes reciting Pi.

QandA host Tony Jones was joined by panellists including a molecular biologist, chief scientist, astrophysicist and marine ecologist when he queried Jacinta on her skill.

'We met you at the beginning of this show and I heard you do something remarkable, which is to recite Pi,' Mr Jones said on the ABC program.

'I know you can recite Pi to quite a lot of decimals. How many?'

Young Jacinta responded: 'I can do it to 88,' to which Mr Jones asked: 'Yes, 88. Can you just give us, like, a dozen?'

She told Daily Mail Australia she also plays cello (pictured with cello), oboe, sings in the Sydney Children's Choir, and also plays netball

Much to the audience's delight, Jacinta said: '3.141592653589793238462643383279502,' shortly before she stopped to catch a breath.

The crowd broke out into warm laughter before the young girl quickly added: '8841971', followed by a round of applause.

Pi is the constant used to calculate the area of a circle, as in Pi times the radius squared, but it appears through other parts of mathematics.

Before showcasing her talent, curious Jacinta was among those allowed to ask the panel a question.

'How do baby sea turtles find the beach where they were born when they grow up?' Jacinta asked.

Marine ecologist Emma Johnston, who was one of the panellists, then proceeded to answer Jacintas question: 'That's a beautiful question because baby turtles are gorgeous.

'When they first hatch out, they're actually using light to find the ocean, so they're looking for the reflectance of the moon on the oceans,' she continued.

Jacinta Rees told ABC's QandA on Monday that she can recite the first 88 digits of the mathematical ratio Pi

WHAT IS PI DAY? Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 (14/3) around the world. Pi (Greek letter '') is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant  the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter  which is approximately 3.14159. Advertisement

'So when they hit the waves, they actually use the angle of the waves to direct themselves out to sea. So how do they find themselves all the way back home?

'Maybe, 13, 15 years later to breed because they do take a long time to become reproductively mature - and that's been a really big question.

'We now know they use a magnetic field - it's another cool way of seeing the world - and lot's of animals do use magnetic field to navigate.

'... It's sad but magnetic south has wondered into the ocean so it confuses baby turtles. They can actually show that turtles will end up in a slightly different spot because of the movement of the magnetic field, depending on how long it takes for them to get home.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Q&A for comment.

Prompting a round of applause from the audience, QandA host Tony Jones was impressed by the girl's talent

Jacinta asked the panel about how baby sea turtles find their way back to where they were born on the beach
Mother of one of the alleged offenders recognised son on CCTV footage

He was walking along Victoria Road about 11pm on

The mother of a man who was allegedly involved in a violent bus stop bashing urged her son to turn himself in after recognising him in CCTV footage.

On Monday 25 January about 11pm a 20-year-old man was attacked as he was walking along Victoria Road in Parramatta, in Sydney's west.

Police released shocking CCTV footage of the incident, appearing to show two men kicking the victim as he lay on the ground, before they walked off together leaving the victim sprawled on the pavement.

A 29-year-old man handed himself in to Windsor Police Station on Tuesday afternoon at his mother's behest after she identified him in the footage, 7News reported.

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The mother of a man who was allegedly involved in a violent bus stop bashing 'dobbed' on her son after recognising him in CCTV footage (pictured)

No charges have yet been laid and the man remains in custody, according to Nine News.

NSW Police said the victim noticed he was being followed, before he was attacked a number of times. They also said the three offenders had 'British or Irish accents.'

A witness tried to help the injured man and the 20-year-old was taken to Westmead Hospital.

Police released the footage and images of three men they want to speak to in regards to the investigation on Tuesday. It is believed only one man has been arrested over the attack at this stage.

'One of the men is depicted in the images as being of Caucasian appearance, of slim build, believed to be aged in his 20s, with very short dark-blond hair,' NSW Police said in a statement.

NSW Police released these images of the men they want to speak to over the attack

Officers want to speak to three men with 'British or Irish accents' over the alleged attack of a 20-year-old

'He is seen wearing a black t-shirt with a green alien-type figure on the front, khaki knee-length shorts, and an army-patterned jacket.

'The second man is depicted in the images as being of Caucasian appearance, of slim build, with a tattoo on his right upper arm.

He is shown wearing a black shirt with a green motif on the front and white stripes on the shoulders, a black cap with a green pattern on it, and black long pants.

The men are believed to have visited the Rose and Crown Hotel on Victoria Road that night

The third man is also described as Caucasian, with a slim build and dark blonde hair. He was wearing a black t-shirt, knee-length grey pants and black sneakers.

The men are believed to have been in the area of Prince Alfred Park and the Parramatta CBD between 9pm and 11pm on Monday 25 January 2016.
The Right Reverend Nick Baines, who is the Bishop of Leeds, said he felt 'a bit sorry' for Judas Iscariot

For 2,000 years he's been cursed, called a traitor and a villain.

His name is often used in sporting terms to describe someone who has left a team for their rivals.

But now a leading cleric has argued that Judas may have been given a bad press and that his betrayal may be more complicated than the Bible suggests.

The Right Reverend Nick Baines, who is the Bishop of Leeds, said he felt 'a bit sorry' for Judas Iscariot.

And despite the Bible pinning the blame firmly on the rogue disciple, he said Judas was given 'a lousy press'.

He said: 'I feel a bit sorry for Judas. He's not just another one of those characters in the well-known story of the crucifixion of Jesus; rather, he has gone down in history as the ultimate traitor, the cheap and nasty greed-merchant who sells his friend and his soul for a few quid.

'Whether he is a traitor or a scapegoat, he's had a lousy press.'

In the Bible, Judas is said to have betrayed Jesus by telling the authorities of his whereabouts in return for 30 pieces of silver.

Judas kissed Jesus to identify him to the Roman soldiers. As Jesus was led away for crucifixion, Judas hanged himself.

Rt Rev Baines was speaking in the Radio Times ahead of a new documentary, In The Footsteps of Judas, which will be broadcast on March 25 on BBC One.

The programme stars Church of England vicar Rev Kate Bottley, who also believes there may be more to the story than the Bible suggests.

One of the theories suggested is that Judas thought handing in Jesus would trigger an uprising against Roman rule.

Bishop Baines added: 'Judas had invested himself in the revolutionary leadership of Jesus of Nazareth, only to find himself let down.

'Trying to force the hand of the Messiah didn't work and, instead of provoking the ultimate uprising against Roman rule, the glorious leader simply let himself get nailed without resistance.

'No wonder Judas got upset. Judas kiss': the apostle identifies Jesus to a detachment of soldiers

'I guess it's up to the observer to decide what was really going on with Judas  whether he is a traitor or a scapegoat.

'People would lean in and say 'I actually feel a bit sorry for Judas' - they look both ways as if they are not allowed to say it.'

Judas kissed Jesus to identify him to the Roman soldiers. As Jesus was led away for crucifixion, Judas hanged himself

Rev Bottley, who appears on Channel 4 show Gogglebox, echoed Bishop Baines' views and described Judas as 'a shadowy figure'.

She said: 'Up until that moment of betrayal, Judas seems no better or worse than any of the other disciples.

'But he has been defined by the worst thing he did.'
The Islamic society at a top university has come under fire for holding a gala dinner where men and women were segregated from one another by a screen running down the middle of the room.

Muslim students from the London School of Economics had to buy separate tickets to the society's annual dinner depending on whether they were a 'brother' or a 'sister'.

When they turned up at the event, held at a banqueting hall in Central London, there was a large screen separating the men's tables from the women's ones, stopping the attendees from even looking at each other.

Tickets to the Islamic society dinner at Grand Connaught Rooms, near the university in Holborn, sold out after being advertised online for 20 each.

This pictured from the LSE Islamic society's annual dinner shows how the room was divided with a large screen separating men and women. There is no suggestion that anyone attending the event was an extremist

One attendee posted this photograph of a man and woman talking to each other around the screen with the caption, 'Hello from the brothers side', a reference to Adele's song Hello. There is no suggestion that either person photographed is an extremist

The tickets were sold separately to 'brothers' and 'sisters', with two different phone numbers to call for men and for women.

At the dinner on Sunday night, each table was either male-only or female-only, and a 7ft screen divided the two groups of tables from one another.

Photographs taken at the event and posted online by the society showed only the men's side, with the all-male crowd laughing and smiling for the camera.

One attendee even made a joke of the segregation, posting a picture of himself peering round the screen to talk to a female friend with the caption, 'Hello from the brothers side' - a reference to Adele's hit Hello.

Nona Buckley-Irvine, the head of LSE's student union and a self-professed feminist, attended the dinner and insisted that the atmosphere was 'comfortable and relaxed' despite the gender divide.

One of the pictures taken on the male side of the curtain during the party on Sunday night: There is no suggestion that anyone who attended the event on Sunday night was an extremist

'I had a lovely time at the dinner and barely noticed the separation between men and women,' she told MailOnline.

'The event was hosted by both the brothers and sisters and I welcomed the opportunity to dine with my colleagues and friends in an environment that felt comfortable and relaxed.'

She added: 'Where groups would like to organise themselves in a way that fits with their religious, cultural and personal beliefs, both genders consent, and there is no issue I have no problem.

'It is not for me to decide what is right or wrong with our Islamic society and they are one of the most inclusive societies I have ever worked with.'

However, other students have spoken out against the segregation - saying it has 'intimidated' some Muslims who want to celebrate their faith without the strict gender divide.

Row: The London School of Economics is one of the most highly rated universities in Britain

'It's been going on for quite a while,' one LSE undergraduate said. 'I don't think it's ever been brought to the university's attention.

'I have a friend who says she's really intimidated because she doesn't believe in gender segregation at all so she stopped going.'

The Islamic society said in a statement: 'Our annual dinner was checked and approved by all necessary staff within the student union.'

One of the students attending the dinner, Rayhan Uddin, was recently embroiled in an anti-semitism row after he claimed that 'leading Zionists' were trying to take control of an election.

Mr Uddin, vice-chair of LSE's Labour society, urged another candidate to withdraw in order to avoid handing power to students who 'want to win back LSE and make it right wing and Zio again'.

The word 'Zio' is short for Zionist, and is often used as an anti-semitic slur. Mr Uddin apologised for his use of the term.

The incident is the latest in the string of controversies relating to Islamic societies at universities in London and elsewhere in the UK.

Last year students at Goldsmiths tried to shut down a talk by a human rights activist because of her 'bigoted' views, while a number of institutions have hosted speakers who have expressed extremist beliefs.

In addition, concerns have been raised about how several London students, including the ISIS executioner known as 'Jihadi John', apparently became radicalised during their time at university.

The segregated dinner at LSE could be a violation of the university's policy on gender equality, which states that any form of segregation must be 'entirely voluntary'.

The policy says: 'We regard gender segregation at events organised in or by LSE or the LSE community as contrary to the law, except for certain exceptions such as occasions of religious worship or where segregation is entirely voluntary.'

The Islamic society, which is funded by a number of outside organisations promoting Islamic-oriented education and Arabic learning, claims to have hundreds of members at LSE.

Members attend lectures, social events and sporting gatherings, including a recent conference debating the rise of ISIS in the Middle East.

LSE, whose alumni include Mick Jagger, Ed Miliband, Stelios Haji-Ioannou and 16 Nobel Prize winners, is considered one of the leading universities in Britain, and was recently ranked as the best in the country other than Oxford and Cambridge.

The university has come under fire in recent years for allegedly restricting its students' free speech - the rugby society was disbanded for being sexist, some tabloid newspapers were banned from the campus, and the atheist society was reprimanded for wearing T-shirts showing Jesus holding hands with Muhammad.

A spokesman for LSE said today: 'This dinner was a private function, off-campus and organised by a society of the Students' Union, which itself is a legally separate body to LSE. The School is raising this issue with the society and Students' Union.'

The company which runs Grand Connaught Rooms declined to comment.
Supporters of leaving the European Union are more motivated to turn out on referendum day and could give Brexit the edge, Sir Lynton Crosby has said.

The Australian analyst, who steered the Conservatives to election victory last year, said the Leave campaign had a lead in the most recent poll but said data on turn out was more important.

He said Brexit backers were more likely to turn out on June 23 - turning a knife edge two point lead for Leave into a much more significant seven point advantage.

Normal voter intention data suggests only a narrow lead, pictured using today's ORB data, for the Leave campaign but Sir Lynton Crosby has said this is not the best indicator

In analysis for the Daily Telegraph, Sir Lynton said the final result remained 'in the balance'.

David Cameron has marked 100 days until the referendum with a new warning about the risks of quitting the EU.

The Prime Minister, in a video for the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, urged voters to 'play their part' in securing 'lower prices in the shops, more jobs and safer streets'.

The new poll, by ORB, showed that both sides were almost neck and neck, with Remain on 47 per cent and Leave on 49 per cent.

However, when likelihood to turn out was taken into account, the Leave campaign had the edge, on 52 per cent, while Remain trailed with 45 per cent.

A third of undecided voters (31 per cent) said fear of uncontrolled immigration was their main reason for not immediately backing Remain.

Sir Lynton warned that the government's Project Fear campaign could fail as voters viewed staying in the EU as risky as leaving.

Sir Lynton, who has refused to run either side of the campaign, said: 'Those voters who are undecided or likely to change their minds believe risks of both leave and remain to be real and locked in deadlock.'

The Australian election mastermind said turn out data was key - and the ORB data shows a seven point lead for Leave if only those certain to turn out and vote are included

Both sides could point to the potential impact on public services to make their case, Sir Lynton added.

'The truth is that it is only with a strong economy you can pay for a good NHS, better schools and more police. But it is also true that the more pressure you put on the NHS, schools and the emergency services through greater use, the more they will suffer.'

Mr Cameron said: 'In a hundred days you'll have your say - whether Britain remains in a reformed Europe enjoying all the benefits that brings, like lower prices in the shops, more jobs and safer streets,' he said. 'Or whether those benefits are put at risk by leaving.

'We have a hundred days left to secure our future. It is a decision that will affect your future, your family's future and the lives of everyone in our country.'

The Tory leader added: 'Britain is stronger, safer and better off in Europe. Families across the country have more security and greater opportunity as part of the European Union.'

The latest ORB poll shows little change from one carried out by the same pollsters at the end of February, involving 2,000 people, for The Independent.

As with the Daily Telegraph poll, it found a 52-48 per cent split in favour of Leave, which widened to 54-46 per cent in favour of Brexit when people's likelihood of voting was taken into account.
Mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik raised his right arm in a Nazi salute as he arrived for the first day of the lawsuit he is bringing against the Norwegian state over his prison conditions.

The 37-year-old, who killed 77 people in 2011, did not say a word as he entered the makeshift courtroom; the first time he has been seen in public since his conviction.

Breivik claims he is a 'victim of cruel and inhuman treatment' in Skien prison, 87 miles south-west of Oslo, where he has an entire cellblock to himself and access to a computer and a PlayStation.

Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik raises his arm in a Nazi salute as he enters the gym-turned-courtroom in Skien prison, 87 miles south-west of Oslo, Norway

Wearing a black suit, white shirt and golden tie, Breivik made a Nazi salute after having his handcuffs removed, making the offensive gesture without speaking.

It was considered too dangerous to hear the case in an Oslo court, and proceedings are instead being held inside Skien prison's gymnasium, which has been turned into a courtroom for the day.

Breivik's lawsuit is widely seen as a test of Norway's legal system, and may reopen painful wounds for victims' families in a country that has tried hard to forget the perpetrator of the country's deadliest attacks since World War II.

Breivik 'got what he wanted', Utoya survivor Viljar Hanssen, who was shot four times, tweeted on Monday. 'He is adored in extreme-right circles and can spread hate from his cell.'

'Proud and happy however to live in a robust state of law that applies to everyone. It's the cornerstone of a modern democracy,' he wrote.

Murderer: Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in 2011, is suing Norway, claiming his solitary confinement in Skien prison, south of Oslo, is 'cruel and inhuman treatment'

'Cruel and inhuman'?: Breivik has an entire cellblock to himself at Skien prison, with three cells, access to a computer and a PlayStation, as well as a yard and permission to cook his own food

Breivik's suit is being heard in Skien prison's gymnasium, which has been turned into a courtroom for the day

Survivor Dag Andre Anderssen, deputy leader of a support group for survivors and the bereaved, called Breivik a 'unique' inmate in Norway's prison system, which is focused on rehabilitating rather than punishing criminals.

'They say that every society is measured by how they treat their prisoners so we will allow him to use the system, to try to use the system against us,' Anderssen said.

'But I think the system will say that his conditions are as good as they can be.'

While many survivors and families of victims are trying to ignore this new trial, some watched a re-transmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo.

'It's pathetic. It's a farce,' said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter, Synne, was killed in Breivik's shooting massacre. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

Breivik murdered 77 people and injured more than 300 - many of them teenagers - in July 2011, by detonating a bomb in downtown Oslo and carrying out a mass shooting on Utoya Island.

The Norwegian Correctional Service denies Breivik is held in solitary confinement, preferring the phrase 'excluded from the company of other prisoners' - as he disposes of an entire block.

At Skien prison, Breivik lives in three different cells - for living, study and exercise - between which he can move freely.

He also access to a computer, which is not connected to the internet, as well as his own television and a PlayStation.

Breivik has his handcuffs removed after entering the 'courtroom' in Skien prison

The Norwegian Correctional Service denies Breivik is held in solitary confinement, preferring the phrase 'excluded from the company of other prisoners' - as he disposes of an entire block

While many survivors and families of victims are trying to ignore this new trial, some watched a re-transmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik sits next to his lawyer Oystein Storrvik, right, at a makeshift court in Skien prisons gym

The right-wing anti-muslim extremist is also free to take walks in a yard at his leisure and he can cook his own food and do his laundry should he so wish.

'There is no evidence that the plaintiff has physical or mental problems as a result of prison conditions,' the Office of the Attorney General, the Norwegian state's legal office in civil lawsuits, wrote in a document sent to the Oslo District Court and released on Wednesday.

Breivik was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment with preventive detention in 2012, and has been kept in isolation since his arrest.

There is no maximum time for how long he can be held in such 'extra high security', a Norwegian prison service official said.

Breivik, whose case will be heard at Skien in two weeks time, argues the regime is degrading and is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Breivik's lawyer says his client only has had contacts with professionals, such as prison staff, his lawyers and his mother, when she was alive, according to a separate court document published late on Tuesday.

'According to the information available, they (Breivik and his mother) only had five minutes together when they could hug each other,' it said. Breivik's mother died from cancer in 2013.

The Norwegian Attorney General has denied Breivik's claims, saying there is no evidence of the murderer suffering from the conditions under which he is being held at Skien (pictured)

Making statements: This is not the first time the extreme right-wing mass killer had made Nazi or facists salutes in court, seen here in 2012

The document also said Breivik's mail was being monitored to a degree where 'he doesn't feel he could form relationships through letters'.

He considers this a breach of 'his right to respect for his private life and his correspondence', also part of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Norway says control over prisoners' communication is not in itself a violation, because it could uncover information about the planning or commission of criminal offences.

Breivik wrote in his extreme right-wing manifesto discovered after the killings that prisons were considered ideal recruitment places, the Attorney General's document said.

His 21-year sentence, the maximum in Norway. The term can be extended if he is still considered a threat.

Before the hearing started Tuesday, lawyer Oystein Storrvik said the goal of the case was to improve Breivik's prison conditions, including allowing to him to interact with other prisoners and removing some restrictions on his mail correspondence.

The government says the restrictions are well within the European Convention of Human Rights and are needed to make sure Breivik isn't able to build militant extremist networks from prison.

"The plaintiff has not shown any sign of remorse," government attorney Marius Emberland said in his opening remarks. "Breivik is a very dangerous man."
Porters from one of the most famous auction houses in Paris who are all part of a secretive society have gone on trial accused of systematically stealing antiques, jewels and artworks worth almost 2million.

Around 40 'Col Rouge' (red collars), named after their uniforms, along with six auctioneers from the Hotel Drouot auction house are facing charges of gang-related theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and handling stolen goods.

The case against the employees was launched in 2009 after an anonymous tip alerted investigators to a Gustave Courbet painting, which disappeared while being transported in 2003.

A picture showing one of the 'Col Rouge' porters who worked at the Hotel Drouot auction house in Paris. Around 40 have now gone on trial accused of stealing antiques, jewels and art worth almost 2million

Around 40 'Col Rouge' (red collars), named after their uniforms, along with six auctioneers from the Hotel Drouot auction house are facing charges of gang-related theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and handling stolen goods

Among the stolen goods were a gouache by Marc Chagall, lithographs by Henri Matisse, a 2.08 carat diamond, along with costumes and jewels belonging to famous mime artist Marcel Marceau.

Investigators allege that the thefts, which took place between 2006 and 2009, were part of an institutionalised 'mafia-style' crime ring by the porters - known as 'Les Savoyards' - members of the secretive group came from the Alpine region of Savoie.

According to the prosecution, the practice - known as 'la yape', which means theft in Savoie slang - was endemic and profits were shared among the group.

The money made from the scam was so much that one porter allegedly drove both a Porsche 911 and a new BMW cabriolet, while another is thought to have bought a Paris bar.

Visitors stroll around one of the rooms at the Drouot Hotel auction house in Paris. Investigators allege that the thefts, which took place between 2006 and 2009, were part of an institutionalised 'mafia-style' crime ring by the porters

Visitors stand at the front desk of the Drouot auction house in Paris. The porters are accused of carrying out the thefts by pilfering objects sent by the auction house to clear the homes of the wealthy after their deaths

The porters are accused of carrying out the thefts by pilfering objects sent by the auction house to clear the homes of the wealthy after their deaths, then taking items that weren't listed on the inventory.

Some items were then apparently sold at auction.

But the defendants claim that they weren't doing anything wrong as they were 'stealing from the dead.'

The 'Col Rouge' who wear black uniforms with red collars, have monopolised the transport and handling of valuables at the Hotel Drouot auction house since 1860. Membership of the union is tightly controlled and limited to 110.

Several dozen victims of the alleged scam are seeking damages in the trial, including the Hotel Drouot, pictured, which no longer uses the porters' services

Each new member was apparently brought into the fold by an exisiting members, and according to some testimonies, the initiation process involved stealing something and sharing the proceeds with other members.

Several dozen victims of the alleged scam are seeking damages in the trial, including the Hotel Drouot, which no longer uses the porters' services.

The auction house's lawyer Karim Beylouni said: 'These thefts committed on such a large scale have shamed the institution.
A doctor paid a prostitute to sneak into a maternity hospital and have sex with him for 40 minutes while he was on duty.

Rupert Pemsel  a father of two young children whose wife is a GP  arranged the liaison between bouts of helping with emergency caesareans.

A tribunal heard he was wearing scrubs when he buzzed the escort girl into a secure area of his hospital. He had texted her to say: This is naughty on my part so discretion would really be appreciated.

Dr Rupert Pemsel (pictured, right, outside a hearing yesterday) booked sex with a prostitute in between treating mothers and babies at a maternity hospital, a medical tribunal heard. Pictured (left) is Leanne Kennedy, the prostitute

The 32-year-old trainee anaesthetist landed himself in more hot water when  during the subsequent investigation  he revealed he kept a photo of a patients intimate X-ray on his mobile phone.

Pemsel, who was reported to the General Medical Council, appeared before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester yesterday accused of misconduct.

He faces being struck off if he is found guilty.

The hearing was told yesterday that Pemsel had been working at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton on the day in question: December 29, 2013.

Dr Rupert Pemsel (pictured back row, second from left, during a trip to the Gambia) had sex with the woman in a side room after texting her before he started work saying: 'This is naughty on my part so discretion would really be appreciated'

The father of one (pictured during a trip to the Gambia)

Whilst on a night duty shift from 8pm that evening, Dr Pemsel arranged by telephone for a prostitute to attend at the hospital, said Paul Wakerley, for the GMC.

The prostitute attended and he took her to one of the on-call rooms which involved him passing through a key coded door. The doctor was wearing hospital scrubs. He walked ahead of her going down the main corridor. He then led her through a key coded door and checked there were no members of staff in there. There were a number of rooms, one which was a bedroom for the on-call anaesthetist, the pair went in there and locked the door behind them.

He spent approximately 40 minutes in the room, during which time he engaged in sexual activity.

In the run-up to the liaison, the doctor had sent a series of texts to the prostitute telling her he might have to call it off.

Pemsel inexplicably showed investigators a radiograph picture of a patient with a bottle inserted into their rectum, which he had kept on his mobile phone

Pemsel said: If theres an emergency and I have to go Ill give you the money and its up to you whether you wait for the emergency to finish. Likewise, if an emergency happens before you get here, Ill come out and give you the money.

Pemsel later revealed to investigators an indiscreet photo, a radiograph of a bottle in the rectum of a patient.

There was no identification detail on that radiograph.

Dr Pemsel appeared to find that amusing.

The doctors telephone was seized, the image was found on it. He accepts by his own admissions that the image was not taken with the consent of the patient. A full investigation was launched.

Mr Wakerley said Pemsel was asked in interview what had made him think he could take a prostitute into the hospital. He replied: I dont think it was reasonable to do it, I thought it was spontaneous.

Pemsel said he was troubled that he had not given the consequences a thought.

The tribunal was told the doctor was highly respected among colleagues and patients.

He is also known for helping raise money for Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulance and for his voluntary work helping the poor and sick in the Gambia.

The doctor - who worked at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton - had been been highly respected amongst colleagues and patients for helping raise money for Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulance and for his voluntary work helping the poor and sick in the Gambia

Yesterday his wife, who is off from her work at a GP surgery caring for their youngest child, said: Im sorry I have no comment to make.

Bosses at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust suspended Pemsel while they launched their own investigation.

The doctor, from Compton, Winchester, admits misconduct and could now be struck off if the panel finds his fitness to practise has been impaired.
North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-Un has ordered an imminent nuclear warhead test, escalating his face-off with the international community just days after being slapped with tough UN sanctions.

The order came after Kim monitored what was described as the successful simulated test of the warhead re-entry technology required for a long-range nuclear strike on the U.S. mainland.

However, his announcement was met with warnings from the South, where President Park Geun-Hye said the country will 'walk the path of self-destruction' if it did not curb its nuclear ambitions.

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Pictured is the test conducted to simulate the atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile. Kim Jong-Un has ordered another nuclear warhead test despite warnings from the South it will only lead to his 'self-destruction'

Kim Jong-Un ordered the test after viewing the rocket warhead tip (pictured) following the simulated test of re-entry of the ballistic missile

Military tensions have soared on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a disguised ballistic missile test.

The UN Security Council responded earlier this month by imposing its toughest sanctions on North Korea to date.

Pyongyang, known for its trademark fiery rhetoric in times of tension with the outside world, has also been stepping up its threats after Washington and Seoul last week began annual military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. The drills, set to run until late April, are the largest ever.

In order to boost the reliability of the nation's nuclear deterrent still further, Kim said 'a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of the nuclear-attack capability'.

'He instructed the relevant section to make pre-arrangement for them to the last detail,' official news agency KCNA said.

The order came days after state media released photos of Kim posing with what was claimed to be a miniaturised nuclear warhead capable of fitting on a ballistic missile.

Meeting with her cabinet ministers on Tuesday, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said North Korea's endless threats reflected a 'sense of crisis' in Pyongyang at its increasing diplomatic and economic isolation.

'If North Korea continues its provocations and confrontation with the international community and does not walk the path of change, it will walk the path of self-destruction,' Park said.

While North Korea is known to have a small stockpile of nuclear weapons, its ability to deliver them accurately to a chosen target on the tip of a ballistic missile has been a subject of heated debate.

There are numerous question marks over the North's weapons delivery systems, with many experts believing it is still years from developing a working inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could strike the U.S.

His increasingly dangerous rhetoric comes as joint U.S.-South Korea military drills take place in the south of the peninsula. Pictured are South Korean soldiers passing by a TV screen showing Kim Jong-Un

Military tensions have soared in the area since Kim conducted the country's fourth nuclear test in January

South Korean soldiers participate in a mock chemical attack anti-terror raid on Seoul yesterday

The soldiers carried out the training drill amid concerns over an attack from the North

Emergency services personnel wearing protective clothing participate in the mock chemical attack drill

Yesterday's KCNA report was accompanied by photos of Kim personally monitoring a test simulating the intense heat a nuclear warhead would experience during atmospheric re-entry.

Protected by 'newly developed heat-resisting material', the warhead was reportedly subjected to thermal flows five times hotter than those associated with ICBM flight.

The test was a complete success, the agency said, and provided a 'sure guarantee' of the warhead's ability to withstand re-entry - a major step in the North's push towards a genuine ICBM nuclear strike capability.

South Korea's defence ministry said it was sceptical of the claim.

'According to our military analysis, North Korea has not yet secured re-entry technology,' ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun told reporters.

North Korea has never tested an ICBM, although it has displayed such a missile, known as the KN-08, during recent mass military parades in Pyongyang.

'It seems highly likely that North Korea is on the verge of conducting a long-range ballistic missile test, involving re-entry,' said Chang Yong-Seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University

'It wants to show that sanctions are not effective and to boost the credibility of its deterrent,' Chang said.

Melissa Hanham, an expert on North Korea's WMD programme at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, voiced concerns over just how far the North would go to 'prove' its technical abilities.

China tested a medium-range ballistic missile with a 12-kiloton nuclear warhead in 1966, the only time a country has flight-tested a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile over populated areas.

'I don't know how North Korea's neighbours could distinguish testing a nuclear-tipped KN-08 from an attack. It would be very dangerous, very destabilising,' Hanham said.

North Korea has never tested an ICBM, although it has displayed such a missile, known as the KN-08, during recent parades. Pictured are a group of police officers taking part in yesterday's training drills
A teenage girl has been charged with biting the ear off a fellow student during a fight on a school bus in Wake County, North Carolina.

Amber Romero, 18, had reportedly been attacked by another student on her way home from school, which sparked a brawl on the bus.

During the fight, Romero bit off a large portion of the earlobe of Emiyah Lane Brown, 16, forcing her to be taken to hospital.

'Miss Tyson': Amber Romero, 18, became involved in a fight on her way home from school in Wendell, North Carolina, during which she bit the earlobe off fellow student Emiyah Lane Brown, 16

The fight took place as the students were travelling home from East Wake High School in Wendell, 20 miles east of Romero's home in Raleigh.

Romero was hit with a lunch bag, which started a fight, during which Romero bit off a part of Miss Lane Brown's right ear, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison told WDTV.

Romero charged with 'inflicting serious bodily injury'

The incident has similarities with Mike Tyson's infamous 1997 fight with Evander Holyfield, leading to some U.S. news sources branding Romero 'Miss Tyson'.

Miss Lane Brown required surgery on her earlobe, and Romero has now been charged with 'inflicting serious bodily injury'.

The teenager appeared in court on Friday, asking to have her $15,000 bond reduced.

A Wake County judge refused as Romero still has another outstanding assault charge.

Her mother told the local television channel that the teenager regrets the attack, saying that Romero is a victim of bullying at her high school.

'I really truly feel sorry for the family and we, me and my daughter, sincerely apologize and we both hate it that this happened to her,' Rynee Romero said.

'We really did.

'You know, I'm sorry that this happened.

'I just want to apologize to her and the family on the behalf of me and my daughter,'
The four al Qaeda gunmen who killed at least 18 people in Ivory Coast were seen drinking beer at a beachside bar just moments before going on their deadly shooting rampage.

Witness Christian Eddy said four men arrived in a car at the beachside bar where he works around noon on Sunday.

While two of the men remained outside, the other two entered the bar and drank beers for around a half hour before carrying out the terror attack, which was later claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM).

The attack raised questions about Ivory Coast's preparedness for such an attack, with some asking why such a sensitive target was left so vulnerable.

Scroll down for video:

Security forces and members of the Ivorian Red Cross were pictured dragging the dead bodies from the blood stained sand earlier today

Fifteen civilians and three members of the special forces were killed and 33 people were wounded in the attack in Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with Ivorians and westerners about 25 miles east of the commercial capital Abidjan.

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said another 26 wounded were still receiving medical attention on Monday, as President Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning for the country, which has never before been hit by al Qaeda.

Three militants also died in the attack on the resort town, a UNESCO heritage site of crumbling colonial-era buildings.

'They didn't speak French. They spoke Arabic. We communicated with them in English .... The guys who were still outside started shooting and the two seated at the table yelled 'Allahu Akbar' and flipped over the table,' he told Reuters.

He said the first victim was a boy who was made to kneel before he was shot. Bar staff tried to warn a deaf boy who was playing nearby.

'People were yelling 'Come over here!' But he didn't know what was happening and just went down to the water. They shot him in the water,' Eddy said.

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara said the 'toll could have been much heavier' (pictured, the Ivorian Red Cross carry a dead body from the beach)

Locals help a badly injured victim on to the back of a backup truck following the sudden terror attack

Among the 18 people killed in Bassam were civilians, including a five-year-old boy, and several special forces soldiers

People carry the body of a victim following after gunmen went on a shooting rampage in the Ivory Coast resort of Grand-Bassam

The gunmen then moved up the beach, continuing their killing spree and entering several seaside hotels.

Surveillance footage from Hotel Etoile du Sud - one of the attackers' first targets where two people including a German woman and a Lebanese man were gunned down - showed the initial panic in the hotel bar as the first shots rang out.

Staff crouched and then fled along with customers, among them parents carrying babies or leading young children by the hand.

A man, apparently disguised as a waiter in a red waistcoat over a white dress shirt, entered with a rifle, fired at the empty bar and disappeared behind it, where the Lebanese man had been hiding. More gunshots were then heard.

The first police officers arrived on the scene around 15 minutes after the shooting began, witnesses said. It would be another half hour before special units from the security forces arrived from Abidjan.

The victims included foreign citizens from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Germany and Mali.

Among the dead was Henrike Grohs, 51, head of the Abidjan branch of Germany's Goethe Institut cultural body.

Tributes: Henrike Grohs, the director of the Goethe-Institut in Ivory Coast was killed in the terrorist attack on Sunday. A friend said she 'dedicated her life to the world a better place though art and culture'

Friend: Virginia Ryan (centre) wrote on Facebook: 'Words cannot express the horror and waste, that she could be killed in a place she loved so much.' Henrike Grohs (right) died alongside 15 others, including three other Europeans

Ivorian special forces race to the scene of the devastating attack in the town of Grand Bassam

Survivors comfort each other near the beach where balaclava clad shooters opened fire on helpless tourists

Grand Bassam was once the colonial capital of Ivory Coast and remains a popular site for ex-pats relaxing from city life in Abidjan

France's President Francois Hollande confirmed that four French nationals were killed in the attack. The French government had earlier said just one of its citizens had died.

The attack is a heavy blow for Ivory Coast, which has recovered from more than a decade of political turmoil and a 2011 civil war to become one of the world's fastest growing economies.

President Ouattara won a landslide election victory in October, promising to attract foreign investment to the largest economy in French-speaking West Africa which is also the world's top cocoa producer.

'Ivory Coast will not let itself be intimidated by terrorists,' Ouattara said in a televised address late on Monday. 'Yes, Ivory Coast is on its feet. Yes, on its feet to combat the cowards and protect its people.'

Al-Qaeda's North African branch has threatened France and its allies fighting against jihadists in the volatile region, in a statement boasting about the group's deadly attack in Ivory Coast

AQIM said the shooting rampage at the Grand-Bassam resort on Sunday that left 18 people dead was one of a series of operations 'targeting dens of espionage and conspiracies'.

It warned that those nations involved in the regional anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane and the 2013 French-led Operation Serval in Mali would 'receive a response', with their 'criminal leaders' and interests targeted, according to the SITE group which monitors extremist organisations.

AQIM has spread across the Sahara from Algeria and now operates in much of western and northern Africa.

The heavily armed, balaclava clad shooters opened fired on guests at the L'Etoile du Sud [Southern Star] hotel (pictured) which was full of expats

Unconfirmed reports have emerged that several French nationals may have been killed in the deadly attack

An AFP journalist saw around a dozen people, including an injured Western woman, being evacuated in a military truck

One of the victims from the shocking attack in Bassam, where gunmen opened fire on the beach

In January, gunmen killed dozens of people in a cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, and also attacked a hotel. Militants attacked another hotel in the Malian capital Bamako late last year, killing 20.

Since those attacks, Ivorian authorities have increased security around hotels and shopping malls in Abidjan, a city of around five million inhabitants. But there were few signs that was the case in Grand Bassam ahead of Sunday's attack.

'Attacking Bassam was the easiest thing for them to do. Bassam is where all the expatriates and middle class from Abidjan gather on the weekends,' said one longtime resident, who said he had seen no sign of recent security improvements.

'We don't understand why this wasn't considered a priority for protection. It would be easy,' he said, asking not to be named.

The recent attacks in the region are generally viewed as targeting France and its allies after Paris intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to drive out al Qaeda-linked militants who had seized the desert north a year earlier.

The attack in Grand Bassam, thousands of kilometres from al Qaeda's traditional operational zones, raises fears over where they might strike next. It poses serious security questions for former regional colonial power France, which has thousands of citizens and troops in the region.

While some 18,000 French citizens live in Ivory Coast, over 20,000 reside in Senegal.

France has 3,500 troops in the region, from Senegal in the far west to Chad. A French military base in Abidjan, manned by around 800 soldiers, serves as a logistical hub for regional operations against Islamist militancy in the Sahel.
For more of the latest Russian news visit www.dailymail.co.uk/russia

They allegedly used 'special photo and video recording equipment'

They are accused of illegally

Air Force attache Carl Scott (pictured) has been named as one of the men 'caught spying' in Russia

Two British diplomats in Russia have been 'caught' filming a Russian military airbase in the Caucasus, it was reported in Moscow today.

The pair, based at the British Embassy in Moscow, were named as Air Force attache Carl Scott and Assistant Naval Attache Ryan Coatalen-Hodgson.

At the beginning of March, they ' illegally watched Mozdok military airport' in North Ossetia, said a report from a state-owned news agency.

They were accused of 'secret observation' and using 'special photo and video recording equipment', according to a Russian secret services source.

They entered the region without 'appropriate permission', it was claimed.

'At the beginning of March the air force attache of the embassy Scott and the assistant naval attache Coatalen-Hodgson have visited the Mozdok district of the Northern Ossetia-Alania Republic.

'This area is included in a list of territories with special regulation for attendance by foreign citizens,' said the source.

Russin secret services 'registered the fact of secret observation of the territory of the military airport Mozdok in the Northern Ossetia-Alania Republic (pictured) by the British diplomats who used special photo and video recording equipment'

Russin secret services 'registered the fact of secret observation of the territory of the military airport Mozdok by the British diplomats who used special photo and video recording equipment'.

He admitted that the British people did not deny having photographed some parts of the military airport.

They refused to demonstrate the material, citing diplomatic immunity.

The diplomats were held to be guilty of an 'administrative crime'. The pair were told to leave territory closed to foreigners.

Reports suggested that in 2012 Scott and a technical worker from the UK embassy were detained by police in North Ossetia after 'illegal access'.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: 'It is routine for Defence Attaches to travel around their host countries in the course of their diplomatic duties.'

'This is no different in Russia. The Defence Attaches from the British Embassy in Moscow submitted to all relevant checks requested by the Russian authorities.'

The news comes Russia also accused an American citizen of snooping on another airfield.

Paul Brian Filmer was detained near Chkalovsky military airport in Moscow region for using a radio scanner logged into the flight centre's frequency.

He is also accused of photographing 'military and special task aircraft'.

The American - who arrived in Russian on a tourist visa, was later released.

He was warned of the 'inadmissibility of such actions' and a complained was lodged with the US embassy.
A man who escaped a massacre in a Sikh temple because his daughter had forgotten her notebook has revealed how he has forgiven the white supremacist gunman who murdered his father.

Wade Michael Page, 40, shot dead six people and wounded three others in a mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek in August 2012.

Pardeep Kaleka's father Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, of Milwaukee was one of the six murdered as Page opened fire.

Pardeep Kaleka, who has revealed he has forgiven the white supremacist gunman, who shot dead his father at a temple in Wisconsin in 2012

It was only because Mr Kaleka's daughter Amaris, now 11, had forgotten her notebook for Sunday school and they were running late that the family - including his pregnant wife Jaspreet, now 36 - were not caught up in the shooting themselves.

Now, he has revealed he has forgiven his father's murderer, who was shot dead by armed police at the scene.

The former police officer, who is now a counsellor, aged 39, said: 'I do not feel bad towards Wade Page. I'm going to assume he was desperate and suffering, and in his desperation, that's what he did.

Kaleka's father Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, top left, of Milwaukee and pictured with his family was one of the six murdered in the massacre at the temple

'If I could have met him, I would honestly not have been mad at him. I can separate the act from the person.

'After the initial emotional trauma, the screaming, anger, frustration, and crying I have chosen forgiveness and optimism.

'What made me forgive was post-traumatic growth. After this happened, I started to care more about the little things in life. I hug my kids for longer.

'I knew my life wouldn't be the same again.'

According to witness statements given to Mr Kaleka, Page stormed into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin at about 10am, shooting two victims outside first in the parking lot, and then another in the hallway, before making his way into the prayer room where he shot his fourth victim.

As people scattered around the temple trying to find hiding spots, he shot his final two victims.

Meanwhile, a group of worshippers - including Mr Kaleka's mother - hid in a closet.

Mr Kaleka added: 'Page was part of the Hammerskins organisation, which is one of the most violent divisions within the white supremacist movement.

'They believe that white people are superior to any other race and will use history to show which countries they have conquered.'

Page shot dead six victims including Suveg Singh Khattra, 84, Ranjit Singh, 49, Sita Singh, 41, Paramjit Kaur, 41, and Prakash Singh, 39.

Reliving the day of the shooting, Mr Kaleka said: 'We were on the freeway and noticed a lot of police cars driving past really fast; they were going to our temple.

Mr Singh Kaleka with his two grandsons. He was shot dead when a gunman stormed the temple he was worshipping in

Mr Singh Kaleka doted on his grandchildren. His son believes he died so he could help rehabilitate white supremacists

' When we arrived and I asked a police officer what had happened, he told me there'd been a shooting.

"I was thinking about mum and dad, but also about Amaris forgetting her notebook, and how we could have been in there too if she hadn't.

'A lot of things were going on in my head at the same time.

Mr Kaleka was also supposed to be at the temple at the time of the shooting but was late as his daughter, pictured, went back to retrieve her forgotten notebook

'I was getting phone calls from my mum Satpal, 60, and dad's numbers  but obviously my dad was not at the end of his phone.

'It was a priest calling me from inside, saying, "Hurry up and call an ambulance, your dad has been shot."

'I was angry, confused, frustrated. I was thinking, "Why? Who did this?"

'When my mum called me she was panicked. She was whispering for help from a closet inside the temple where she was hiding. I tried to calm her down.

'An hour later, I saw my mum across the street. She asked if I'd found my dad, not knowing what had happened.

'I sent her home while I waited around for news.'

It was about 10pm when police finally confirmed that Satwant Kaleka was dead.

'Driving to my parent's house to break the news to my mum, I screamed for the whole journey,' Mr Kaleka, also father to Jai, seven, Rohan, three, and Taran, one, recalled.

'Then when I got there, I composed myself. I wanted to be strong for everybody.

'When mum saw me, I didn't have to say anything, she knew from my face.

'She broke down, sobbing and wailing.'

To help his forgiveness, Mr Kaleka contacted former white supremacist, Arno Michaelis, 43, of Milwaukee, US, to try and understand what happened and why.

Now the unlikely pair are as 'close as brothers.'

This is despite Mr Michaelis being one of the original founding members of the Hammerskins organisation, a sub division within the white supremacist movement, which Page had been a follower of.

Mr Kaleka with his family after his father's death. He used to be a police officer but now has retrained to become a counsellor

'They would target young and impressionable white youths through music, by getting them involved in rock bands.

'Arno would be the one to brawl with potential supremacists to see if they had what it took to join the movement,' Mr Kaleka revealed.

'After a couple of his friends died, he decided he didn't want to be involved in the organisation anymore.

'When we met three months after my father's death, together we wanted to create kids who were resilient and take away their vulnerability.

Wade Michael Page, who carried out the shooting. He was shot dead by police after the massacre

'We also wanted to take away the ammunition from people recruiting them.'

Speaking of how he felt after the attack which killed his father, Mr Kaleka continued: 'I saw an opportunity to be optimistic.

'I know some people wonder how I can see so much optimism, but it's a choice whether you choose to see the good or the bad.

'If we are not relentlessly optimistic, we are doing exactly what that perpetrator wanted, and that puts the community in danger.

'Forgiveness is like vengeance. It's taking the control and power back from the person you lost it to, and it's the best thing you can do.'

Mr Kaleka said for any survivor of a traumatic event, it helps to understand there is always a purpose behind what has happened.

He believes his father died to help him rehabilitate white supremacists.

'Because Page did this, we are going to be better, and because we are going to be better, we are going to prevent the next person from doing something like this,' he explained.

'After what happened, I noticed I started to care more about the little things in life.

"Whereas I took my kids for granted before, now I watch them sleep. When I hug them, they say, "Dad let me go" because I hold on for so long.

'I enjoy every day because I know life can be taken at any time.'

To help his forgiveness, Mr Kaleka contacted former white supremacist, Arno Michaelis, left, and the pair have now become friends

The pair have now started the Serve 2 Unite rehabilitation programme to help former white supremacists

Explaining about his and Mr Michaelis' rehabilitation programme, Serve 2 Unite he said: 'We wanted to get our community out into the broader community  a lot of people do not know about Sikhs.

'We realised quickly we were not the only segregated group and thought we needed to do something to minimise differences in society.
A student claims her 125-a-week halls of residence is so dangerous, drug-ridden and filthy that even cleaners refuse to go inside.

Lauren McAuliffe moved into her room on Manchester Metropolitan University's Birley campus last year but she says she cannot get a decent night's sleep and fears for her safety.

The 21-year-old, who is doing a foundation year in science and engineering, claims she often finds strangers loitering in her room and that there is a constant smell of drugs wafting through the corridors.

Lauren McAuliffe claims her 125-a-week halls of residence in Manchester are so dangerous, drug-ridden and filthy that even cleaners refuse to go inside. Pictured: The overflowing bins (right) and the messy kitchen (left)

The 21-year-old, who shares a communal kitchen and bathroom with fellow residents, said that cleaners have refused to enter the block because of the extent of the mess (pictured above)

ARE YOUR STUDENT DIGS WORSE? Email pictures to steph.cockroft@mailonline.co.uk or pictures@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

She also claims fire alarms have been dangerously covered up by smoking students and that cleaners have refused to enter the block because of the extent of the mess.

She said: 'It is disgusting and the smell around the place is disrespectful. There is a smell of drugs. The smoke alarms have been covered up too.'

Ms McAuliffe said there is always music blaring through the building which makes it difficult to study.

'There are lots of people, so it is not going to be quiet, but you can't concentrate because of the music, which is sometimes still bouncing at 10am or 11am,' she said.

'You wake up at 7am and there are people still doing drugs. I'm not a party pooper - I like going out. But these people are not normal.'

Ms McAuliffe said there is always music blaring through the building which makes it difficult to study. Pictured are bin and recycling bags in the halls

Ms McAuliffe claims she is worried about security because the front door is often propped open to allow people to come and go through the building.

The student, who shares a bathroom and kitchen with her fellow residents, said she has often found strangers using the facilities.

She said: 'I've spoken to the residential officers and been on the phone to the university, but not one thing has changed. They are not doing anything about it.

'It's put me off living in halls of residence. I will be living on my own in a studio flat next year.'

Her stepfather Peter Hill said: 'I spent 22 years with the Fire Service, 10 of them in Manchester, and taping up up fire alarms is a complete no no.'

The swish 139m campus in Hulme opened two years ago, with 967 rooms for students.

A spokesman for Manchester Metropolitan University said: 'We received a complaint about the cleanliness of the flat and are currently investigating.

'We are working with the students involved to resolve the situation. We take any allegations of drug use very seriously and have robust drugs procedures in place.

'Any student found to be in breach of these will be dealt with in accordance with our disciplinary procedures.'

Are your student digs worse than this? Email steph.cockroft@mailonline.co.uk or pictures@mailonline.co.uk

The student lives on the Birley campus. The swish 139m set-up in Hulme opened two years ago, with 967 rooms for students. The main building is pictured above
Dr Brad McKay has dismissed the idea there is an 'Australian Lyme conspiracy', saying there is 'no proof' the disease is occurring in the country

A doctor has dismissed the idea that there is a 'great Australian Lyme conspiracy', saying there is 'no scientific proof' the disease is occurring in the country.

Dr Brad McKay said thousands of patients wrongly believe doctors and the government have covered up the existence of Lyme because they do not think the tick-borne disease is real.

But the host of Embarrassing Bodies Down Under, who is based in Sydney, said the 'real' cover-up is the fact that U.S. labs use 'expensive' bogus tests to trick people into thinking they have Lyme.

He said that unaccredited labs often 'confirm patients' fears' and hand out untruthful diagnoses, prescribing 'inappropriate and bogus treatments' which endanger the lives of already unwell people.

A Senate Inquiry is currently underway into the 'growing evidence of an emerging tick-borne disease that causes a Lyme like illness for many Australian patients'.

Dr McKay told news.com.au: 'I'm hopeful that the Senate will uncover the actual 'Great Australian Lyme Conspiracy'.

'This is where vulnerable patients are being scammed with expensive unaccredited tests, where unscientific and untruthful diagnoses are handed out, and where inappropriate and bogus treatments are endangering the lives of already unwell people.'

He said Lyme disease is 'real', but there is 'no scientific proof that it's occurring in Australia'.

The Sydney-based family doctor said more research needs to be done on the 'mysterious tick-borne disease' that is affecting so many Australians.

In 2014 the Clinical Advisory Committee on Lyme disease (CACLD) concluded that there was 'no routine finding of Borrelia in ticks in Australia'.

Rebecca Vary from Perth said she was diagnosed with Lyme disease after 26 years of suffering debilitating symptoms

Borrelia is the type of bacteria that causes the infectious disease, which is also know as Lyme borreliosis.

The committee recommended that further research was necessary to find a cause of this mysterious illness affecting Australians.

An updated statement was released in February 2016 by the Department of Health, saying that 'so far there is no conclusive evidence of a causative agent in Australia'.

Dr McKay used an example of one of his patients who hold him: 'I've been diagnosed with Lyme disease but no one believes me.'

He said she diagnosed herself with Lyme on Google after suffering months of fatigue, muscle pain and headaches.

Maddie Bridgman (pictured), from North Sydney, said she was repeatedly turned away by medical practitioners who insisted her sudden seizures and inability to walk were due to a psychological problem

Both Ms Bridgman and Ms Vary were forced to travel to Germany to be treated. Both women attended Klinik St George hospital in Bad Aibling where they received scientifically unproven hypothermia treatment (pictured)

She read about a 'Great Australian Lyme Conspiracy' and contacted an overseas, unaccredited lab where she paid more than a thousand dollars to receive a positive diagnosis of Lyme disease.

But after a six-month course of high-dose antibiotics she was left feeling worse than before.

Dr McKay pointed out that pathology labs in Australia comply with strict guidelines and are closely monitored and accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).

He said that so far no patients who have been bitten by ticks in Australia have come back positive for infection.

It has previously been reported that the Lyme Disease Association of Australia estimates that about 300,000 Australians are currently living with the bacteria borne illness.

Rebecca Vary from Perth said she was diagnosed with Lyme disease after 26 years of suffering debilitating symptoms.

Maddie Bridgman, from North Sydney, told Channel Seven she was repeatedly turned away by medical practitioners who insisted her sudden seizures and inability to walk were due to a psychological problem.

'The top neurologist in Sydney said 'it's all in your head, go away',' Mr Bridgman said.
They were pictured smiling and laughing as they shared a warm embrace while paying their respects at the funeral of former first lady Nancy Reagan.

But despite their seemingly friendly relationship, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has slammed former president George W Bush while blasting her Republican rivals and the 'mess' he left in the White House.

A picture of both Bush and Clinton sharing a hug went viral over the weekend after it was snapped at Mrs Reagan's funeral in California on Friday.

A picture that was snapped at the funeral of former first lady Nancy Reagan, showing Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush enjoying a warm embrace

It showed Bush pulling Clinton in close with his left arm while hold a tea cup in his other hand.

Clinton can then be seen laughing as Bush but his head down on top of hers.

The pair seemed to be enjoying each other's company as they chatted following the memorial service, with Clinton serving as governor of New York while Bush was president.

But just days later with Clinton back on the campaign trail in Chicago, she was asked about the GOP presidential field's plans for the economy.

But just days later Clinton appeared to slam Bush when she was back out on the campaign trial in Chicago

She told supporters that the current GOP presidential field's policy on the economy was like 'George W. Bush on steroids.'

And according to the New York Post, Mrs Clinton said: 'Folks who get excited by the rhetoric and demagoguery on the Republic side need to be reminded that they are George W. Bush on steroids.

'Their plan - each and every one of them - would throw us back into the mess that President Obama was able to dig us out of.'

'The facts show the economy does better when we have a Democrat in the White House, she added, claiming Bush ruined the economic gains achieved by her husband Bill.

Her comments come as more states go to the polls in primary elections today.

And although Clinton as front-runner can't win enough delegates to wrap up the Democratic nomination today, she can take a big step forward.

Owing to her big primary wins in the South, Clinton has 214 more pledged delegates than rival Bernie Sanders.

Clinton also claimed that Bush, left, ruined the economic gains that the United States made under her husband Bill, right, when he was president

Her lead is even larger when superdelegates - party insiders who can support any candidate they wish - are included in the tally.

With them, Sanders has just 580 delegates to Clinton's 1,235, or more than half the number needed to win her party's nomination.

With 691 delegates at stake, Tuesday's contests offer Clinton an opportunity to net a big chunk of delegates, putting her on an unobstructed path to the nomination.

Voters head to the polls in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, and by night's end she stands to be at least two-thirds of the way toward reaching the general election.
Judge at Newport Crown Court said Fong had a 'gambling addiction'

Was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for 18 months

A takeaway owner secretly fiddled more than 68,000 in benefits to fund his gambling habit - while his wife had more than 200,000 sitting in the bank.

Chung Fong, 75, wrongly claimed 68,000 worth of benefits for ten years to fund his gambling addiction without telling his wife, who had 200,000 in her own bank account

Chung Fong, 75, wrongly claimed benefits for ten years to fund his gambling addiction without telling his wife.

Newport Crown Court heard his wife had more than 200,000 savings stored in numerous bank accounts while her husband cheated the benefits system.

But she did not tell him about how much money she had stashed away - and he gambled away the benefits cash.

Chinese national Fong was sentenced to ten months in prison suspended for 18 moths yesterday.

Gareth Williams, defending, said: 'They have been living a separate type of marriage in terms of money because of Mr Fong's gambling problem.

'He knew that his wife had money but he tells me he wasn't sure exactly how much.

'His family didn't allow him access to these accounts for these reasons. The monies referred to are not in his name but his wife's name and he can't get to it for obvious reasons.'

Fong was arrested in 2014 and claimed in a police interview he did not know his wifes financial affairs.

He told police he had sold his takeaway business but the money had been gambled away.

The benefits he claimed included 64,451 in pension credit and 4,328 in council tax benefit, according to Wales Online.

Speaking through a Cantonese interpreter, Judge Daniel Williams told Fong he would avoid jail because of his early guilty plea.

Fong, pictured leaving Newport Crown Court, was told by a judge that he has a 'severe gambling addiction'

The judge said: 'You had a severe gambling addiction at the time which is where no doubt the monies went.'

Fong, of Newport, Gwent, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months after admitting fraud.
Boris Johnson today compared David Cameron's EU referendum campaign to the 'millennium bug-style scare story'.

Speaking on his regular LBC radio show, the London Mayor dismissed the In campaign's protests about threats to jobs and businesses from quitting the EU.

Elsewhere, Mr Cameron accused Mr Johnson and the Brexit camp of 'literally making it up as they go along' at a speech in Felixstowe.

Boris Johnson, left today, has hit out again at the Remain campaign's tactics but David Cameron, right today on a campaign visit, said the Brexit group was making up its ideas as they went along

Mr Johnson said: 'The thing that matters to me is getting the arguments out in front of the British people.

'I think that's what they want, they want to hear a strong compelling story about what's going wrong in Europe, why Project Fear is a load of old cobblers and basically a kind of Millennium Bug-style scare story frankly, I think.'

He added: 'It does remind me very much - do you remember everybody running around and saying that when the millennium [bug strikes] planes will fall out of the sky, bank accounts will get wiped - it's all wildly, wildly over-done.'

Mr Johnson also became embroiled in a row with Labour's Chuka Umunna over how much British law is based on EU diktats and was told to 'man up'.

The referendum debate in recent days has focused on whether Britain could or should secure a free trade deal with the EU similar to that recently negotiated by Canada.

Mr Johnson today repeated his insistence the deal was a model which provided a good example but that Britain would strike its own deal.

He said: 'I think there are elements of the Canada deal I like.

'We should do a British deal ... There are elements of the Canadian deal that show, in my view, that the Remain campaign are, as usual, trying to panic people.'

At his own speech today, Mr Cameron said: 'A Canada-style free trade deal means you do not have full access for your financial services, you have to pay tariffs on your cars, you don't have full access for your farmers' produce. So it's not a great deal for Britain.

'Canada is a country 4,000 miles away from the continent of Europe that does 10% of its trade with the European Union. We are a country just 20-odd miles from the continent of Europe and we do 50% of our trade with the European Union. So a Canada deal is not the right deal for us.

'Now today the leaders of the Leave campaign are saying they don't really want a Canada deal at all, that they were not right about that.

'They are literally making it up as they go along. They are rolling the dice. They are taking a risk.

'And they are taking a risk with people's jobs, taking a risk with families' finances, and I don't think that is good enough for the British people.'

Mr Cameron took his EU referendum campaign to Felixstowe today to meet with workers at Britain's biggest container port

Mr Johnson got into a row over the EU with Mr Umunna who called into Mr Johnson's radio show today.

Mr Umunna said: 'What you need to understand, this isn't about you. This is about our city.'

But Mr Johnson retorted: 'Nor is it about you, quite frankly. This is about the prospects of the British people and about their democracy.

'It is very sad that people are being invited to remain is a system which I think is less and less democratic.

'We have a huge opportunity now to strike out for freedom and all you hear from the Remain campaign is gloom and negativity about our chances.'

Mr Johnson claimed that the Labour MP had claimed half of new laws in this country are made in Brussels, something that he denied.

Boris urged Chuka to 'man up', to which the response was 'No, you man up.'

Brexit could restart the Northern Ireland troubles because it would create a 'hard border' with the Republic, Peter Mandelson warns

Peter Mandelson today warned against reinstating a 'hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic

A Brexit vote on June 23 risked re-igniting sectarian tension in Northern Ireland because it would close a border that has in practice disappeared, Peter Mandelson warned today.

The former Northern Ireland Secretary made his latest intervention on the referendum campaign to warn leaving the EU could 'irrevocably reorder our United Kingdom'.

Lord Mandelson's speech came on the same day as Boris Johnson blasted the In campaign for running 'millennium bug-style scare stories'.

Lord Mandelson said: 'Those campaigning for the UK to leave Europe often say that the reason is we need to ''take back control of our borders''.

'What they say less about are the implications for the UK's only land border  its Irish one - which could become a hard border between the EU and a non-member state.'

Speaking at the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce, Lord Mandelson added: 'It is unclear what the border arrangements would be in the unprecedented situation of the UK leaving Europe... but the re-imposition of a formalised border would be a radical departure from the established strategy of administrations in Dublin, Belfast and London.

'Anything, in my view, that strengthened a sense of separation between Northern and Southern Ireland  physically, economically, psychologically  has the potential to upset the progress that has been made and serve as a potential source of renewed sectarianism.'

Lord Mandelson said the Good Friday Agreement, which founded the peace in Northern Ireland, specifically referenced the European Union as it recognised both nations as 'close partners'.

And he said the EU provided a 2.4 billion euro funding project between 2007 and 2013 to help Northern Ireland overcome the challenges left by the Troubles.

The Labour peer said: 'The EU has been, as it is elsewhere in the world, an enabler of peace in Northern Ireland and a fundamentally stabilising presence in Ireland's recent history.'

Britain quitting the EU would undermine the Nato alliance, US Army commander in Europe warns

Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, head of the US Army in Europe, said he was worried by Brexit

Lieutenant-General Ben Hodges, head of the US Army in Europe, has admitted he is worried about the damage a Brexit could do to the Nato alliance.

He said what happens in Europe was of 'strategic interest' to the United States.

The intervention comes a day after Boris Johnson criticised suggestions US President Barack Obama would back David Cameron's Remain campaign on a visit to Britain in the spring.

Mr Johnson's claims prompted a rebuke from the White House.

Lt-General Hodges said: 'The UK is such an important member of the alliance.

'It is a leader in the alliance. It is a leader in Europe. The most reliable trusted friends and allies we have are all European countries and so what goes on here is of strategic interest to us

'Anything that undermines the effectiveness of the alliance has an impact on us, and so if the EU begins to become unravelled there can't help but be a knock-on effect for the alliance also.'

Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: 'The twin pillars of a strong United States and a united Europe have underpinned American foreign policy for decades.

'The Commander of the US Army in Europe is right to say Britain leaving Europe would weaken NATO  making our country and our continent less secure and less influential in the world.

'It could not come at a more dangerous time for Europe. To our South conflicts are driving a migration crisis that is destabilising European politics, while to our East, Putin's Russia is intent on forcibly re-establishing a sphere of influence.'

But Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin rejected the claim.

He said: 'General Hodges seems to have forgotten that most of EU talks the talk about European defence, but they spend too little to be capable of doing much.

'Only two EU member states actually spend over the NATO per cent of GDP target, and one of them is the UK.
Locals say a planned addition to skate park has an uncanny resemblance to a male sex organ - and they're complaining to the council in droves.

The phallic extension to Rangiora Skate Park on New Zealand's North Island has been in development since 2013, but the council is now set to begin constructing the suggestively-shaped bowl.

Local skaters and the wider community were consulted for the plans  but after they rejected the first two proposals the local council opted for the embarrassing design, reports Stuff NZ.

This phallic extension to Rangiora Skate Park has caused a stir with the local community

The plan has been in development since 2013, but the council is now set to erect the suggestively-shaped bowl

Local skater Mark Pijnenburg, who designed the original park twenty years ago, said locals have already dubbed it 'the d**k bowl.'

'To roll with the pun, it's been a bit of a c**k-up,' he said.

'It's an environment where young people congregate. It could become a mockery of the process if everyone's referring to the park... as that one down the road with the penis shaped bowl.'

A sign out the front of the of the site has been vandalised to highlight the embarrassing resemblance.

Others have contacted the council with calling for the design to be changed because it 'looks like a giant doodle.'

Waimakariri District Council claimed the resemblance will not be as evident with the final design, but opposition to the plan remains strong.

Rangiora Skate Park local's have dubbed the design 'd**k bowl' and vandalised signs outlining the plan

Transit Cloud, which was constructed 8m above New Lynn train station in Auckland last year

Its not the first time a New Zealand council has commissioned a phallic construction: last year, Auckland council paid artist Gregor Kregar to build a penis-like sculpture.

Transit Cloud, constructed in part by mesh cloud forms, was displayed above New Lynn train station in Auckland last February.

Locals took jabs at the sculpture, deeming it inappropriate for such a prominent location.

In a video with 3 News, a trio of giggling teenagers said: 'it looks like a giant private part.'
Mother Kylee says family will never give up hope she'll one day walk again

Eden who dreamed of becoming a ballerina is now confined to a wheelchair

Family learned that at just 5, their daughter was paralyzed from the waist down

Youngster was rushed to hospital after she said she couldn't feel her feet

A little girl who dreamed of becoming a ballerina has been paralyzed from the waist down in a freak accident.

Eden Hoelscher, 5, had been playing in the living room of her California home last December, and had performed a simple backbend when she collapsed in pain.

Her mother, Kylee Hoelscher, says she gathered her crying daughter up in her arms and rocked her to calm her down, but had not initially believed the injury was serious.

She described the horrific moment that all changed - forever.

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Eden Hoelschehad been playing in the living room and had performed a simple backbend when she collapsed in pain on December 23 last year

No-one knew it at that moment but the five-year-old had hyper-extended her spine resulting in a devastating stroke which would confine her to a wheelchair

'Thirty minutes after she started crying, she stopped,' she wrote on the family's Go Fund Me page. Her face changedit kind of filled with wonderand she told me, 'Mom, I feel like my feet are sleeping.'

'I looked at her body, which seemed to be posed awkwardly on the bed, and told her to move her leg. She stared at it, saying, 'I can't, Mom.'

Hoelscher rushed her daughter to hospital where they would later learn the tragic news - Eden was paralyzed.

Doctors told the family that the backbend, also known as a 'bridge', had hyper-extended their daughter's spine and caused the artery that feeds her spinal cord to stop pumping blood.

It resulted in a devastating stroke in her spinal cord causing 'unheard of damage.'

Her mother Kylee Hoelscher rushed her daughter (pictured before the accident, left) to hospital (right) where they would later learn the tragic news - Eden was paralyzed

At just five-years-old, Eden (pictured in her wheelchair) may never walk again doctors warned her family

At just five-years-old, Eden - who had dreams of becoming a ballerina - may never walk again.

'In one instant, that backbend altered our lives forever,' her mother wrote on her fundraising page which has already raised more than $17,000 towards medical bills.'

The youngster - known as a the family's little daredevil - was to spend the next 52 days in hospital to receive intense treatment before she was finally allowed home last month.

Now the family are coming to terms with their daughter's disability.

'Eden is now in a wheelchair,' said Hoelscher. 'She lost the ability to sit up on her own.

'Her bowels and bladder do not work. We have to wake up twice a night to move her so she won't get pressure sores from sleeping in one position too long.

'She also must remember to do pressure relief exercises every fifteen minutes she is in her wheelchair to protect her skin. She cannot regulate her temperature so we have to watch her for signs of her getting too hot or too cold.

Hoelscher, says she had not initially believed the injury was serious but rushed her daughter to hospital after she complained of not being able to feel her feet

Kylee and husband Nicholas Hoelscher said that because of Eden`s spirit and resiliency, the family have never lost hope in her full recovery

'The list of what she now cannot do could span pages.'

But if there was one thing the tragic accident could not rob Eden of, it is her incredible spirit.

Within two days of attending rehabilitation, she'd earned the nickname 'Daredevil Eden' and was even doing wheelies in her wheelchair before she left.

'Because of Eden`s spirit and resiliency, we have never lost hope in her full recovery,' her mother said.

'Anyone who encounters Eden, including doctors, nurses and therapists always have the same response: 'If anyone can recover from this, it`s Eden.'

Eden, who started back at school just a week after leaving hospital - less than two months after the accident - is due to start an intense physical therapy course in April.

Her family say that while 'walking is our ultimate goal' they are hopeful the treatments may bring back some sensation and prevent further serious medical issues such as osteoporosis or scoliosis.
Caroline Wootton-Thomas, 49, forged colleague's signatures on cheques and transferred cash to a bank account she set up in her mother's name

A Cardiff council worker who stole 35,000 from a children's fund to pay for luxury holidays has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Caroline Wootton-Thomas, 49, forged colleague's signatures on cheques and transferred cash to a bank account she set up in her mother's name.

She used the council's Child Protection Unit petty cash fund - that should have been spent on expenses for staff who been taking vulnerable children on trips - to pay off debts, send her son to private school and jet off on exotic getaways.

The trial, which lasted more than two weeks, heard how the petty cash account kept in the department responsible for the safeguarding of children typically paid out amounts of between 100 and 150 a month.

But Wootton-Thomas, a married mother-of-two, started taking out 500 a time and forged each cheque and handed it in to a post office in St Mellons.

She told staff there the amounts had risen because she was withdrawing wages.

In fact, she was transferring the cash into a bank account in her mother's name.

Judge Neil Bidder QC described how she had 'tested the waters' with one forged cheque and when that worked without her getting caught, went on to pocket more than 35,000 over the following two years.

She used the money to pay off her mounting debts, buy gifts for friends, treat her family to holidays in Florida, pay for her son to attend private school and purchase horses for her daughter.

She even boasted to colleagues about her extravagant lifestyle.

One commented: 'I wondered how she could afford it. But I never thought she could be stealing from our department.'

The 49-year-old used the money stolen from the children's fund to pay for exotic holidays and a luxury lifestyle

Colleagues recalled how Wootton-Thomas bragged about her enviable lifestyle and extravagant trips abroad

Wootton-Thomas's mother, 80, was cleared of money laundering last month after it was found she knew nothing about the stolen money, some of which was spent on preventing her house being repossessed

The 49-year-old grandmother was caught out when a bank statement was sent to the wrong department and the account was overdrawn by 42,309.

When confronted and charged with theft, Wootton-Thomas challenged police and prosecutors to show where the stolen money had gone.

They did so by investigating the bank accounts of family members and discovered two sums of 6,000 and 10,200 had been paid into her mother's bank in a month when a similar amount went missing from the council account.

She then tried to pin the blame on her colleagues and accused them of stealing the money.

During the trial, they detailed the devastating impact this had on them, with one saying the defendant's dishonesty had ended her career prematurely.

Wootton-Thomas said she was 'absolutely horrified' her mother had been 'dragged into it' by the police

Judge Bidder told the defendant the evidence against her had been 'overwhelming'.

He said: 'During your trial I saw fake tears and not a jot of remorse.

'I noticed you were even holding your mother's hand in order to gain the sympathy of the jury.'

He accused Wootton-Thomas of telling 'lie after lie' to the court while keeping a 'completely straight face'.

He added: 'One of the really serious aspects of this case is the way people have had suspicion cast on them, utterly unjustifiably.'

The 49-year-old, of Rogerstone, near Newport, was jailed for two years and six months.

Her mother, 80, had been cleared of money laundering last month after it was found she knew nothing about the money, which saved her house from being repossessed.

Judge Bidder blamed Wootton-Thomas for manipulating her mother in the first place into taking out a loan which put her home at risk and had promised to make the repayments.
Iran has claimed they have retrieved thousands of pages of information from electronic devices used by 10 U.S. Navy sailors who were briefly detained in January.

State TV reports General Ali Razmjou, a naval commander in the Revolutionary Guard, as saying the information was retrieved from laptops, GPS devices and maps.

He added that the move falls within Iran's rights under international regulations and the information fills 13,000 pages.

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Iranian soldiers held the nine American men and one woman (pictured) at gunpoint and had a 'verbal exchange' before they were released, according to the account released by U.S. Central Command

The only items missing from their recovered boats were SIM cards for two satellite phones, the account said

The nine men and one woman were detained in January after they drifted into Iranian waters off Farsi Island, an outpost in the middle of the Persian Gulf that has been used as a base for Revolutionary Guard speedboats since the 1980s.

The boat seizure happened just hours before President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address and just days before implementation of the Iran nuclear deal with the West. The implementation triggered the end of crippling international sanctions on Iran and a U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange.

Armed Iranian military personnel then boarded the U.S. boats while other Iranian personnel aboard other armed vessels monitored the situation.

At gunpoint the U.S. boats and their crews were escorted to a small port facility on Farsi Island, where the Americans went ashore and were detained, the account said.

The sailors were released the following morning aboard their boats.

In its first official account of Iran's seizure and subsequent release of the sailors, the military said the only items found missing from their recovered boats were SIM cards for two satellite phones.

According to the Navy Code of Conduct, prisoners are required to give their name, rank, service number and date of birth, but should 'evade answering further questions to the utmost of [their] ability'

Navy officials have so far been vague on why the boat strayed into occupied waters, saying they 'misnavigated'.

The account also omits any details about the verbal exchange between the sailors and Iranians.

And there is no word on whether charges will be brought against the sailor who apologized for the incident on Iranian TV - a move which violates U.S. military protocol.

US Central Command officials insist more details will emerge once a more in-depth investigation has been completed.

The investigation will focus on the U.S. sailors' treatment while in custody, including any interrogation by Iranian personnel, the command said.
The University of Missouri is braced for a sharp decline in new student enrollment this year after a series of alleged racist abuse and subsequent protests on campus.

Overall applications for the coming year are down five per cent while student deposits are down by almost 25 per cent, prompting both wages and hiring to be frozen at the college.

The sharpest decline in applications from prospective students has been among those identifying as African-Americans, with a 19 per cent drop compared to the same time last year.

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The University of Missouri has projected a sharp decline in student numbers for fall 2016, particularly among African-Americans, following months of racial tension and protests on campus (file image)

Tim Wolf (pictured) the former president of Mizzou, resigned from his job last year after he was accused of failing to appropriately respond to a series of alleged racist incidents on campus

According to a memorandum from the Mizzzou Office of Enrollment, seen by ABC 17, other big falls were recorded in graduate applications, those from non-Mizzou residents, and transfer students.

The figures are preliminary, based on early applications to the college, but can often give a good indication on enrollment for the coming year.

While early deposits can provide a good indicator of final enrollment, Interim Vice Provost Barbara Rupp pointed out the early deposits and final enrollment have not coincided in recent years.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the university is forecasting a $32million shortfall in tuition revenue next year, with council Chairman Ben Trachtenberg describing the situation as 'grim'.

Cancelling staff pay rises, freezing hiring and reducing general spending by five per cent is expected to cover $22million of that budget hole, while the rest will be drawn from college reserves.

But those cuts do not take into account an almost $1million cut in state funding for the University's Columbia campus, and another $7.6million trimmed from its overall administration budget.

Figures show Mizzou received 19,318 freshmen applications in 2015, up from 18,254 the previous year. Current projections for 2016 enrollment put the figure at just 18,377, the St Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Campus-wide enrollment, across all years, is expected to drop by 1,500. In total Mizzou has a student population of around 35,000.

The sharp decline in student numbers comes after a seemingly-endless series of scandals and protests on campus, that started with a series of alleged racist abuse in fall last year.

Back in September the student government president, who is black, said racist slurs were shouted at him by men in a pickup truck on campus, before members of a black student organization complained of similar treatment.

During an ensuing protest communications assistant professor Melissa Click generated further controversy after she was filmed asking for 'muscle' to remove journalists from a 'safe space'

While falling enrollment has not been directly attributed to the protests, it does buck a three-year trend of increases, and defies numbers from other Missouri colleges which saw an enrollment increase this year

Students began criticizing the reaction to the protests by then-president Tim Wolf, who refused to get out of his car and speak to black protesters at a homecoming parade in October when they attempted to blockade him in.

Wolf subsequently resigned from his position, along with the chancellor, leading to a large rally being held by largely black student demonstrators, calling their group Concerned Student 1950 on campus in a temporary tent-city.

During that protest communications professor Melissa Click, who is now suspended from her position, was filmed shouting at journalists trying to cover the demonstration, asking for 'muscle' to remove them.

While the fall in enrollment has not been directly attributed to the disorder, nearby colleges including Missouri State, which have not garnered the same attention for tensions on campus, are seeing an increase in student numbers.

The decline also bucks a three-year trend which saw Mizzou enrollment gradually expanding, jumping by almost 2,000 students from 2012 to 2015.
A Romanian man whose wife ripped off his testicle when he did not get her flowers on International Women's Day says they are back together after he forgave her.

Ionel Popa, 39, from Vaslui County in the north east of the country, was rushed to hospital with his scrotum torn open after his wife Marinela Benea, 40, launched a vicious attack.

The mother-of-one grabbed hold of her husband's testicles and pulled violently during the argument.

Ionel Popa (right) whose wife (centre) ripped off his testicle when he did not get her flowers on International Women's Day says they are back together after he forgave her

Ionel Popa (right), 39, from Vaslui County in the north east of the country, was rushed to hospital with his scrotum torn open after his wife Marinela Benea (left), 40, launched a vicious attack

But now they have been filmed laughing and joking together as they told their story to local television Kanal D during an evening show called WowBiz.

The wife Marinela Benea, 40, said: 'Ionel had been given a bottle of wine for a day's work instead of getting paid, and had arrived home drunk. When he gets drunk, he changes.

'All night he made me keep the fire on because he was cold and I did it to avoid having an argument.

'In the morning I opened the curtains and told him to go out and do some work, or at least to help with the household chores, but he shouted that I'm not entitled to give him orders.

'I told him he was not any kind of man and I grabbed his testicles. It was not my fault that he pulled away, and that's when it happened.

They have been filmed laughing and joking together as they told their story to local television Kanal D during an evening show called WowBiz

'I thought maybe that some ice would solve the problem, but he insisted on calling an ambulance. He was pretty annoyed.'

But she added: 'His face changed when he felt something rip, but he didn't scream, he didn't utter a sound at first.'

Popa was rushed to hospital with a ripped scrotum and one testicle but is now recovering well after an operation.

He said: 'I'm ok, we all make mistakes; the main thing is I forgive my wife.'

He even laughed about the situation as he described what happened, saying: 'I was supposed to get some flowers. I should have woken-up earlier.'
Coroner said at inquest that it was possible Mrs Masson was bipolar

A mother-of-two who was convinced she had the first stages of dementia threw herself under a train after writing messages to friends and relatives apologising for her suicide.

Anna Masson, 67, died in November last year after jumping under the train at Micheldever Station in Hampshire, an inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court heard.

Retired doctor Mrs Masson, who had been married to husband Gordon for 40 years, had booked an appointment to discuss her worries about dementia with her GP.

Anna Masson threw herself under a train because she was worried she had dementia (file picture)

However, she ended her life the day before the appointment was due to take place.

She drove to the station on November 17 after telling her husband she was going to meet a friend, and crashed her Volkswagen Beetle with another car in her haste to park the vehicle. She left several typed suicide notes on the passenger seat of the car, before throwing herself under the train.

The train driver, Stephen Lang, recalled Mrs Masson's final movement.

In a statement read by the coroner, he said: 'As I approached the station I saw a woman wearing a bright red coat on platform number one. I believed she was around 50 to 60 years old, with blonde hair and of medium build.

'As the train approached I saw her move to the edge of the platform and jump down between the rails. I didn't even have enough time to sound my horn.

Although the contents of Mrs Masson's suicide notes were not revealed, coroner Grahame Short confirmed she had apologised to her husband and asked for his forgiveness.

The couple, of Sutton Scotney in Winchester, had celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary just weeks before her death and her partner described how the doctor had spent '30 years putting on a brave face' while dealing with recurring mental health issues.

Retired doctor Mrs Masson travelled to Micheldever train station in Hampshire and left suicide notes for her friends and family in her car

Mr Masson said: 'She suffered post-natal depression and was depressed again when she had a hip replacement. This was a bad re-occurrence.

'But she was very old school. She was a very private person and for her to seek assistance said a lot because for her there was a lot of stigma attached to mental health and she felt she should be able to deal with it on her own. For 25 years we dealt with it just between us.

'We had talked about her dementia worries as a family but we thought lack of sleep and her medication were important in this.

'Her writing those letters to us, that was all part of the preparations she went through. That morning she gave me a big hug and said goodbye, more than I would normally expect and that was the end of it.'

Mrs Masson had two children, Isla, 31, and Hamish, 39.

Mrs Masson had been referred to NHS Foundation Trust Southern Health's mental health team and just one day after her death received a letter inviting her to book a consultation.

However Mr Masson criticised the measures in place for those seeking psychological help from the trust and said it was 'unacceptable' that Mrs Masson had not had a direct appointment booked for her.

He told the coroner: 'When I was a GP we were taught if you make a mistake you put your hands up and admit it. This report made by the trust is utter hogwash, I am concerned that they are target-driven and not patient-driven.

'I must say even if the referral process had been deployed I don't think it would have helped Anna but they should reflect on the way in which they go about things because it might save more people.'

Coroner Mr Short confirmed that he would write to Southern Health following the inquest in order to inquire further about their referral processes.

He said: 'She suffered depression and while not diagnosed, bipolar is something which should be considered.

'She believed she had discovered signs of dementia and had arranged a further appointment with her doctor the next day. However she never attended.

'She made an excuse to her husband, drove to Micheldever railway station, which she did in haste. I am satisfied she deliberately jumped in front of the train. She died of multiple injuries at around 09.42am on November 17 2015.'

He recorded a verdict of suicide.

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457909090.




A prison officer injured in a bomb attack in Belfast earlier this month has died.

Adrian Ismay, 52, was seriously hurt when a booby-trap device exploded under his van in the east of the city on Friday, March 4.

He needed surgery for severe leg injuries but was released from hospital last week.

It is understood the father-of-three died from a heart attack after being rushed back to hospital this morning.

Chief Constable George Hamilton said police would have to wait for medical evidence before confirming if his death would be treated as murder.

Prison officer Adrian Ismay has died after a bomb went off underneath the blue van he was driving on March 4

Mr Ismay was driving through east Belfast when the bomb exploded - it went off as he drove over a speed bump

Police were called at around 7.10am to the Woodstock Road area in the east of Belfast, a predominantly Unionist area after the bomb went off on Friday, March 4

The attack happened in the Hillsborough Drive area, off Woodstock Road, a predominantly loyalist area in the east of the city, at around 7.10am.

He had only driven a short distance from his home when the device detonated as he went over a speed bump.

The man was a long-serving officer based at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre in south Belfast, who worked as a trainer for new recruits to the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

He had served for 28 years and is married with three grown up daughters.

Finlay Spratt, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, which represents the rank and file, said the 52-year-old's death was a complete shock.

He said: 'It was thought that he was making a good recovery.

'I don't know what he suffered but, he's dead and it is very hard to come to terms with.'

First Minister Arlene Foster said she was 'personally devastated' by the news and her thoughts were with the man's family. She had been in contact with Mr Ismay prior to his death.

She tweeted: 'Can't believe the news. I was texting Adrian before we left for the US. He was doing well. My thoughts are with his family.'

Mrs Foster's father, a police officer, survived being shot by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the 1970s during the violent period known as 'The Troubles'.

The van (centre, top) under which a device exploded in east Belfast, which has left a prison officer dead

The suspected republican attack has been described as a 'sickening echo of the past' and Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster has called it 'disgraceful and despicable'

A dissident republican group, referred to as the new IRA, claimed responsibility for this month's bomb attack.

The group said the officer was targeted for training officers at Maghaberry Prison near Lisburn, County Antrim.

A spokesman told the BBC the officer was one of a number on a list of potential targets and the attack arose from a dispute over the treatment of dissident Republican inmates.

One NI Assembly member has claimed they are trying to return the country's high-security prison to conditions similar to the old Maze Prison, where republicans won a series of concessions and famously went on hunger strike.

The group claimed to have used the plastic explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator in the attack.

In the wake of the attack, Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris issued a stark warning that more attacks are planned as the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising approaches.

Last week, Christopher Robinson, 45, from Dunmurry, County Antrim, appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with the attempted murder.

He was also charged with possessing an improvised explosive device with intent to endanger life.

Mr Robinson was remanded in custody to appear again on April 1 via video-link.

Mr Ismay is the second prison officer to be targeted by violent dissident republicans opposed to the peace process since 2012.

David Black, 52, was gunned down on the M1 motorway as he drove to work at Maghaberry high security jail in Co Antrim in November 2012.

Attacks, hoax threats and police discoveries of bombs still happen periodically despite the peace process started by the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who once commanded the IRA, said: 'I am deeply saddened that this prison officer has lost his life. First and foremost thoughts and prayers with his wife and three daughters.

'These are futile acts which achieve absolutely nothing.'
A picturesque market town has been left looking 'like a construction site' after council bosses chopped down 18 trees they said were posing health and safety threats.

Councillors said they decided to remove the row of London Plane Trees after receiving complaints that their roots had been causing pavement stones to shift and causing pedestrians to trip.

Their stumps have been surrounded by garish orange barriers used to mark road works until a more 'appropriate species' of tree is planted in their place.

Residents in Pershore, Worcestershire, have complained that the council's decision to chop down trees lining its streets and surround its stumps with garish orange bollards has left it looking like a construction site

Residents slammed the move, complaining that it created even more of an obstruction to the pavement than the trees ever did.

'It's health and safety gone mad,' said 73-year-old Rose Timmins who has lived in the town all her life.

'They have chopped down these beautiful trees and replaced them with road works, which are actually more in the way than the roots.

'Im 73 and managed to walk along those pavements OK. They are citing health and safety reasons but they have actually created more of a trip hazard.'

The most recent set of trees was planted in 2002 as part of a 200,000 regeneration scheme to make the area feel more green.

Council bosses chopped down the trees after receiving complaints they were a safety hazard because their roots were causing the pavement blocks to move

The street was previously lined with London Plane trees whose roots were raising block work on the pavement, the council said

Some local people argued the bollards and cones surrounding the stumps pose more of a hazard than the trees ever did

There have long been trees adorning Broad Street, however, until recently following the council's decision.

Last year an application was submitted to Worcestershire County Council in which it was recommended the trees by replaced by the 'more suitable' Malus trilobata.

Objectors tried to apply for a Tree Preservation Order but had their request rejected.

Now the stumps are enclosed by unsightly orange bollards until the new trees are planted, which have been described as a 'real eyesore'.

Thomas Wells, a student who lives in the area, said the barriers pose more of a threat to by-passers.

The trees are to be replaced with the more 'suitable' Malus trilobata after consideration from the council

Councillors argued that the safety of residents came 'first' and revealed some had complained about injuring themselves because of the old trees

'I was walking past on the weekend and ironically it looks more like a trip hazard now with the stumps there than it did when it was the proper trees.'

Despite local outcry, councillors have stood by their decision. Conservative councillor Val Wood said the safety of residents 'has to come first', adding: 'Trees can be replaced but people cant and its a miracle someone hasnt drastically hurt themselves by breaking a hip or something similar.'

Tony Rowley, Mayor of Pershore, said the trees canopies had also been affecting buildings on the street.

Worcestershire County Council said it consulted members of the public before taking the decision to chop down the trees.

Its insurers are still grappling with four ongoing injury claims relating to the trees, a spokesman said.

The London Plane Trees were planted in 2002 as part of a 200,000 regeneration scheme to make the town more green

A photograph of the town taken decades ago reveals it has long boasted tree-lined streets
Russell Laight from Stourport, Worcester, was flying from Heathrow to Halifax, Canada, on March 2 when his flight was diverted to St. John's International Airport in Newfoundland - he was then arrested

A grieving British man who was arrested and spent five nights in a Canadian jail after border control mistook his dead friend's ashes for ketamine has been released and reunited with the remains.

Russell Laight from Stourport, Worcester, was flying from Heathrow to Halifax, Canada, on March 2 when his flight was diverted to St. John's International Airport in Newfoundland due to bad weather.

Mr Laight, 41, was due to meet a friend in Nova Scotia where they were planning to scatter the ashes of a mutual friend, Simon Darby, who died of cancer in December.

But as he went through customs his bag, which was torn during the flight, was searched by border agents who suspected the ashes in his bag were Class B drug ketamine.

Mr Laight said: 'I'm really cheesed off this happened in the first place. I was treated like a criminal.

'Being locked up for five days and unable to prove your own innocence was so surreal - it was like being in a film.'

He said that when he came off the plane he was tired and confused from the long journey.

He said: 'I had CDs and presents from little Ellie, Simon's six-year-old daughter, in my bag.

'When they looked through my bag and were suspicious of something in there I was convinced that someone had put something in there.

'Then I realised, "it's got to be my buddy's ashes."'

Although he tried to explain the situation to border staff he was locked up for five days and was initially told to expect to be held for a couple of months due to it being a federal charge.

Mr Laight said: 'At this point I thought "I'm in trouble here". You can't argue with forensics.'

Mr Laight, 41, was due to meet a friend in Nova Scotia where they were planning to scatter the ashes of a mutual friend, Simon Darby (pictured with his wife Sheralynne), who died of cancer in December

Mr Laight his friend Richard Croft (both pictured) finally picked up the ashes of their friend last night

But further tests revealed that the ashes didn't contain the banned substance and he was freed on March 7.

Mr Laight his friend Richard Croft finally picked up the ashes of their friend from the Canadian airport in Halifax last night.

He said he was relieved to finally have the ashes in his possession.

He added: 'I feel a lot more relaxed now I've got the ashes back, I didn't think we would get them to be honest.'

Mr Laight said he found the whole experience upsetting and is now seeking compensation

Mr Laight, who suffers from arthritis and IBS, said he found the whole experience upsetting and is now seeking compensation.

He said: 'It was very emotional talking to my family. I'd like some compensation for the fact I was locked up for five days but there has been no mention of it.'

Despite his ordeal, his love of the country hasn't waned. He has extended his trip to mid-April and plans to fulfil Simon's dying wish while he's out there.

Mr Laight said: 'He came over a few months before he died - I knew he would love it. He loved camping and having huge log fires. He was a proper outdoorsman.
Darryl Hunt, 51, died Sunday. He spent 19 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit

A man who spent 19 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a Winston-Salem newspaper editor was found dead inside a car Sunday.

Darryl Hunt, who was exonerated in 2004, was 51.

Police in Winston-Salem, North Carolina said Hunt was found unresponsive inside a car on University Parkway near the College Plaza shopping center early Sunday morning after he was reported missing the previous day.

Hunt was 20 when he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Deborah Sykes, a copy editor at the Sentinel, a former afternoon newspaper.

Sykes was found dead in 1984 on a grassy slope close to her office with 16 stab wounds to her body.

Hunt barely escaped the death penalty, and was convicted again at a second trial in 1990.

In February 2004, DNA evidence led police to Willard Brown, who confessed to the killing.

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1984 and 1986 police mug shots of wrongfully convicted Darryl Hunt (left) and murderer Willard Brown (right)

Following his release, Hunt was awarded more than $1.6 million from the city of Winston-Salem, and dedicated the remainder of his life to fighting for justice for the wrongfully convicted.

Hunt worked with the Innocence Project and started his own organization, The Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice Inc.

Deborah Sykes, who was killed in 1984, pictured when she began working at the Sentinel newspaper

'[Hunt] was very determined to do his best to right wrongs and to help those leaving prisons have a better life with his project,' said the Reverend Carlton Eversley of Dellabrook Presbyterian Church.

'He emerged from prison a man of grace and forgiveness with a remarkable lack of anger and bitterness,' Jim O'Neill, district attorney of Forsyth county, told the Winston-Salem Journal.

The cause of Hunt's death has not been determined and an investigation is ongoing, police said.

A person who knew Hunt told the newspaper he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer about 18 months ago.

'The burdens he had had become more intensified recently; they were constantly with him. He had been through so much,' said Jet Hollander, an activist who worked with Hunt.

A close friend of Hunt's told the Journal he was struggling with depression and that he was hurt by the 2014 separation from his wife April, whom he married in 2000.

'Darryl had a lot of pride, dignity and didn't put himself out there for his own care,' said the Reverend John Mendez of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

'He was trying to make some sense out of his life.'
A mother-of-two who lost an eight-year custody battle over her children killed herself because she couldn't face Christmas without her children.

Jessica Linehan hanged herself in her father Charles's home just before last Christmas because she was unable to see her son and daughter - who were in Zambia with their father, an inquest heard.

The 36-year-old recovering heroin addict left no suicide note but had bought Christmas presents for her children, Ashiana, 11, and nine-year-old Daniel.

Jessica Linehan, pictured with her daughter Ashiana, took her own life after losing custody of her children

Jessica was prevented from seeing her children by her lawyer ex-husband, who retained sole custody using the Zambian court system.

Her inquest heard she became hooked on heroin while being treated for depression at the clinic in Maidstone, Kent.

Her mother Caroline said she had a breakdown while in Zambia in 2010 and was brought back to Britain.

She added: 'She went to Pathways in Maidstone who ascertained she was not an addict. She used when she couldn't cope with losing her children.

'She was an amazing mother who lived for her children and through no fault of her own was not allowed to be that person.'

Ms Lineham had originally moved to Zambia from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, when she was seven.

Ms Lineham's mother said she 'lived for her children' and couldn't cope with being unable to see them

In July, she travelled back to Africa, where her children lived with her ex-husband, to see them for the final time.

She had hoped to make plans to see them both at Christmas.

However, an agreement could not be reached with her ex-husband and when her mother spoke to her in November she was resigned to spending another Christmas alone.

The following day she hanged herself.

Mrs Lineham said: 'Her mental health deteriorated each time she had to leave the children. She was self-harming and had taken an overdose. She couldn't see a life without them in it.'

At an inquest at Gravesend Old Town Hall last month, coroner Roger Hatch recorded a verdict of suicide.
Angelina Jolie has called it 'tragic and shameful' that peace in Syria still so far away, as she called on the international community to take action to stop the war.

Speaking during a visit to a refugee camp in Lebanon on Tuesday, Jolie said it is the responsibility of the international community to address the root cause of the refugee crisis - war in the Middle East.

The actress and special envoy for the U.N.'s refugee agency, braved winds and pouring rain to visit to a camp in Zahleh, Lebanon's Bekaa Valley where hundreds of thousands of Syrians live.

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Humanitarian hero: Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, speaks during a press conference at a Syrian refugee camp, in the eastern city of Zahleh, Lebanon

The actress said it is responsibility of the international community to urgently address the root causes of the refugee crisis currently blighting Europe and the Middle East

Pouring rain: Jolie braved bad weather conditions to hold the press conference in the refuge camp

Lebanon hosts well over a million Syrians who have fled the war, with the refugees now accounting for nearly a fifth of its population.

'We cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions,' she said under the pouring rain at a press conference in Bekaa Valley on Tuesday.

Jolie said she had hoped to be in Syria helping victims return to their homes on the fifth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

She said it's 'tragic and shameful that we seem to be so far from that point.'

There are now more people displaced through conflict around the globe than during World War II, according to the U.N.n.

The Hollywood superstar was then given a tour thorough the camp, home to thousands of Syrian refuges

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have sought refuge in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon

Jolie said she had hoped to be in Syria helping victims return to their homes on the fifth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar Assad

The UN envoy and mother-of-six called it 'tragic and shameful' that peace in Syria is so far away

The war in Syria between Assad's government, rebels and foreign jihadis has drawn in world powers and generated what the U.N. says is the largest humanitarian catastrophe in a generatio

Half of Syria's prewar population of some 23 million has been displaced, with around 5 million having fled their homeland, mainly to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

The international relief organization OXFAM warned Tuesday that Lebanese municipalities are running out of space to bury deceased refugees.

'We should never forget that for all the focus on the refugee situation in Europe at this time, the greatest pressure is still being felt in the Middle East and North Africa, as it has for each of the last five years,' Jolie said.

After a tidal wave of refugees poured into Europe last year, some countries began erecting political and physical barriers to migration, which have left tens of thousands of refugees stuck in squalid conditions in the Balkans this spring.
Dispute: Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck (right) is being sued by his ex-wife Nathalie (left) who claims he has failed to pay $2.5million in child support

The heir to one of Europe's most well-known aristocratic families failed to appear in Manhattan Family Court on Tuesday as his ex-wife battles for $2.5 million in child support.

Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck has allegedly missed every $50,000-a-month payment to Countess Nathalie von Bismarck since they separated in 2011.

The Count, 51, is the great grandson of Prince Otto von Bismarck, the patriarch of his family who was known as the Iron Chancellor as he created modern Germany in the 19th century.

The Countess, 45, is a celebrated Canada-born designer, mother to the Count's two children Alexei, nine, and six-year-old Grace.

However, she claims their divorce agreement ensured that she was 'not obliged to care for her own needs by taking up gainful employment'.

A New York judge had given the Count until Monday March 14 to provide proof of his income and assets.

But according to the New York Post's court reporter, he did not show up - and instead filed a last-minute request to carry out the hearing over Skype.

Dismissing the request, support magistrate Lewis A Borofsky set a new hearing for March 28, when the couple's lawyers will debate whether he had a reason to miss the deadline.

Last month, one of his lawyers said he was considering filing a petition to take his case to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

Outside court on Monday, the Countess was enraged.

'So far, hes paid zero, zero, zero,' the Countess told the Post.

The Countess, 45, a Canadian born designer, fled Europe for the US over the summer and got an order of protection preventing her ex-husband from contacting her or their children, son Alexei, nine, and daughter Grace, six

Previously based in Germany, the Countess fled Europe for the US over the summer and got an order of protection preventing her ex-husband from contacting her or their children.

Their divorce was finalized in 2014 and under the agreement the Countess is given sole access to the residential rooms at the von Bismarck family castle in Friedrichsruh, Germany.

The couple had met on the Caribbean island of St Barths and dated while splitting their time between New York, London and St Moritz.

They married in a Jewish ceremony in the Hamptons in 2004.

The marriage was the Count's third, having previously married actress Laura Harring and heiress Celia Demaurex.

After they wed, they spent most of their time in Germany, at Friedrichsruh Castle near Hamburg, however, after the birth of their children they moved to New York.

The Count was a banker until he became a member of British parliament in 2005 - but failed and became dubbed the laziest member of the government.

He has battled addiction and his drunken exploits have been mocked in the German media.

The protective order states that the Count must undergo twice-daily breathalyzers during visits with the children and quarterly drug testing.

The Countess (pictured with the Count in 2010) claims their divorce agreement ensured that she was 'not obliged to care for her own needs by taking up gainful employment'

Their divorce was finalised in 2014 and under the agreement the Countess is given sole access to the residential rooms at the von Bismarck family castle in Friedrichsruh, Germany, pictured

The Count, 51, is the great grandson of Prince Otto von Bismarck, the patriarch of his family who was known as the Iron Chancellor and created modern Germany in the 19th century

In 2013 he told Bild, Germanys biggest tabloid, that the von Bismarcks had descended into a family war over money.

In an article headlined: Booze, debt, hatred - the downfall of the House of Bismarck, the Count claimed that his mother, Princess Elisabeth had an alcohol habit and frequently insulted his ex-wife when they were together.

The Countess declined to comment and the Count did not respond to messages for comment.

The great-great-grandfather of the Count, was the legendary 'Iron Chancellor' Otto von Bismarck who lived on five hours sleep a night.

In the 1860s, von Bismarck forged a united Germany from several smaller states. His chief aim was to ensure the power of the Prussian state, and his victory over France in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 broke Frances dominance over Europe.

In power, von Bismarck was a conservative monarchist who attempted to curb the influence of the Roman Catholic Church and stem the growing power of Germanys socialist movement.
Parents of boys spoke of 'betrayal' by their friend and neighbor Castillo

Included masturbation and oral sex with boys - one of whom was under 11

One alleged victim says he was tied up as Castillo performed sexual acts

A church volunteer allegedly abused two young brothers in his 'secret sex chamber' in his attic, a court has heard.

Julio Andres Castillo, 34, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, was arrested last month after allegations he had sexually assaulted one of the brothers on four occasions when he between the ages of 7 and 11, Charlotte Observer reports.

He is also charged with sexual conduct with a minor aged between 11 and 14, and carrying out a lewd act on a child between the ages of 14 and 16.

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Julio Andres Castillo (pictured in court with his attorney Phil Jamieson) was arrested last month after allegations he had sexually assaulted two brothers

Prosecutor Erin Joyner said Castillo had preyed on the young boys - using his friendship with their parents to gain access to the children.

He would then perform oral sex and masturbation with the boys in his secret sex attic, court documents allege.

The families had become close after meeting through the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Rock Hill, where Castillo had been a youth volunteer.

He had also volunteered at York Place, now closed down, where troubled children received counseling.

The church volunteer allegedly abused two young brothers in his 'secret sex chamber' in his attic, a court has heard

Joyner said that authorities discovered Castillo's attic, which was only accessible by a ladder in one of his rooms, included a bed with rings underneath it which would be used to tie ropes to. Rope was also found in a nearby drawer.

'Sometimes (Castillo) would tie up his (the older boy) arms and legs during sexual abuse,' he said.

The court heard allegations that Castillo had tied up one of the brothers during sexual acts, which included oral sex - the night before he was due to marry his now-wife Katheryn.

But Katheryn, who is expected to give birth to their second child any day now, has pledged to stand by her husband, telling the court: 'I need him - I love him and I trust him.'

Castillo, who described as a gun lover who kept a stash of weapons and carried a pistol, was even found in bed with the brothers by the boys parents during a trip to the coast together.

But the family, who admitted it was 'odd' dismissed the behavior as Castillo's 'loneliness' before he was married.

They have since spoken out about the 'betrayal' and violation they feel by neighbor Castillo who they believed was a friend.

'They were children,' the father said. 'They did not ask for this. They did not deserve this.'

The mother and father of the boys, now 18 and 20, called on the judge to remand Castillo who they branded a threat to the community's children.

But defense lawyer Phil Jamieson refuted the idea his client, who lived on Pinecrest Drive, in Rock Hill, South Carolina at the time of the allegations, was a threat to anyone and said Castillo was looking forward to 'defending his good name.'

Castillo, who lived on Pinecrest Drive, in Rock Hill, South Carolina at the time of the allegations, refutes the allegations he abused the boys in a 'sex den attic'

The court heard allegations that on one occasion, Castillo had tied up one of the brothers during sex acts which included oral sex - the night before he was due to marry his now-wife Katheryn (pictured in court with Castillo and Jamieson)

The alleged victims finally came forward in January this year - more than a decade after the abuse is said to have begun. Castillo, a web developer, was arrested a month later on February 29.

One of the brothers told the court they had waited so long to report the alleged abuse because he had believed it was normal behavior at the time, The Herald reports. Only as he became an adult did he realize he had been abused.

South Carolina does not have a statute of limitations on sex offenses.

Castillo, who had more than two dozen supports in court, posted $80,000 bond with conditions he have no contact with any children other than his own.

He was also ordered to hand over his weapons and passport.

No trial date has yet been set.
Hillary Clinton claimed during a town hall that its unfair to compare her vote for the Iraq War to her support for forced regime change in Libya because 'we didn't lose a single person' in the latter country.

The statement ignores the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012 that killed four Americans, including American Ambassador Chris Stevens, while she was secretary of state.

Clinton's regime change record came up during an interview with Chris Matthews yesterday evening on MSNBC in the context of the Democratic presidential race and Bernie Sanders' opposition to U.S. involvement in both conflicts.

The former secretary of state said Iraq was a 'mistake' but said Matthews was wrong to conflate the two as he pressed her on her to explain why she believes its OK for America to overthrow other countries' leaders.

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Hillary Clinton claimed during a town hall that its unfair to compare her vote for the Iraq War to her support for forced regime change in Libya because 'we didn't lose a single person' in the latter country

Clinton voted for the Iraq War in 2002. Sanders did not. He's used it as a cudgel against her on the campaign trail and said that while she has more foreign policy experience than he does, it's not the right kind of experience.

She also at the forefront of the United States' military involvement in the Libya and the ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi as secretary of state.

'Why do you keep wanting to do these things of regime change?' Matthews asked her last night. 'What's in your thinking that says the United States has some right and duty to go to Middle Eastern countries and knock off their leadership?'

Saddam Hussein, Gaddaffi - she wanted to get Bashar al-Assad out of Syria, too, he said.

'I've said Iraq was a mistake,' Clinton told him after a lengthy discussion about the war.

CIA operative Glen Doherty, left, was killed in Benghazi alongside diplomat John Christopher Stevens, right

U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, left, was also killed as was former Navy Seal and embassy security officer Tyrone Woods

'I've said that what I thought the strategy was, which was to let the inspectors finish and to find out [about weapons of mass destruction ]and if necessary to be able to the put pressure of a different kind on Saddam Hussein.'

Clinton said, 'Libya was very different. I think conflating the two does a disservice completely.'

Matthews again accused her of 'constantly trying to knock off their leaders.'

'That is just an overstatement that doesn't really reflect the situation,' she angrily told him.

As for Syrian dictator Assad, who is still at the top of the country but the United States would like to see peacefully removed, Clinton said, 'I think that given the bloodshed he has spilled, that would be a good outcome, but Americans aren't going to do it. That's not us doing it.'

Libya had a dictator who 'had American blood on his hands,' she said.

Clinton's seen here greeting Rev. Jesse Jackson yesterday in Chicago. While in Illinois she taped the town hall with Matthews. He pressed her on her support for military involvement in Libya and Iraq

European and Arab countries came to the United States and asked for help because they feared an 'out of control' civil war like what is happening in Syria right now, she asserted.

'Is the United States supposed to say, 'You know what, that's not our problem?" she asked.

Well, Afghanistan was not their problem, Clinton argued, and they helped the United States because that's what allies do.

'Is Libya perfect? It isn't.' But they had two free and fair elections, she said, and democracy and good governance 'doesn't happen overnight.'

The U.S. 'has to continue to support the Libyan people' so that it doesn't go the way of Syria, with millions of people flooding out and more than 250,000 people dead and terrorist groups like ISIS taking up state-sized pieces of land, Clinton argued.

'Libya was a different kind of calculation, and we didn't lose a single person, we didn't have a problem in supporting our European and Arab allies in working with NATO, and now we've gotta support the Libyan people.'
See more of the latest Melbourne news at www.dailymail.co.uk/melbourne

He has a $200,000 bounty on his head which was increased to $500,000

The gangland lawyer shot dead in a 'contract execution' was stripped naked, pistol-whipped and beaten 14 years ago over suspicions that he was a police informer.

Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro, 55, who was shot up to five times as he left his Melbourne gelato bar to walk to his Mercedes early on Tuesday, was involved in a bitter feud with a local mafia boss.

It has emerged that the lawyer, who had aspirations to be Melbourne's 'godfather', was attacked in a pizza restaurant in 2002 over fears he tipped police off about a money laundering scam.

Police documents seen by the Herald Sun detail how mafia 'money man' Mario Condello blamed Mr Acquaro after police became aware of an attempt to launder proceeds through an estate agency.

Forensic police are pictured next to a body lying in St Phillip Street in Brunswick East and a black Mercedes owned by Mr Acquaro, who was shot dead behind Gelobar on Tuesday morning

Images of criminal lawyer and gelati bar owner Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro pictured leaving court, from 9 News file footage

Mr Acquaro was beaten at gunpoint, but was later freed after convincing Condello, who was later executed outside his luxury Brighton East home in 2006, that he was not to blame.

In recent months, the lawyer was told he was the subject of a $200,000 underworld murder contract - a sum later increased to $500,000, according to court documents seen by The Age.

He was also aware that a foreign hitman had recently entered Australia and believed he was the man's target.

But despite this, the former president of the Reggio Calabria Club did not think his life was in danger.

'I've got nothing to lose,' Mr Acquaro told the Herald Sun regarding the contract taken out on him.

'I'm isolated. They can't physically harm me. They are trying to destroy my reputation, my family. I'm not afraid of dying. They are not men of honour,' he said.

One underworld source said: 'He didn't give a f***, but this (the execution) was a matter of time.'

Police had warned Mr Acquaro that his life was in danger and invited him to join a witness protection program, but Mr Acquaro is said to have refused.

The crime scene cordoned off with police tape on the corner of Lygon Street and St Phillip Street in Melbourne suburb Brunswick East

Two bunches of roses outside Gelobar on Lygon Street, close to where Mr Acquaro was shot early on Tuesday morning

Sources within the Calabrian community have claimed that Mr Acquaro wanted to be Melbournes 'godfather' and saw himself at the front of a 'new wave' within the Honoured Society.

He was reportedly regarded as a link between the mafia and politicians.

Mr Acquaro is believed to have felt isolated after a falling out with the Madafferi brothers, Tony and Frank, with whom he had been lifelong friends.

Detectives reportedly spoke to Tony Madafferi after it emerged that a contract was placed on Mr Acquaro and warned they would speak to him again if anything happened to the lawyer.

Mr Acquaro's body was found by garbage collectors on the footpath behind his popular gelati bar Gelobar around 2.30am on Tuesday.

Police are investigating if the incident is linked to a suspicious fire at Gelobar in January, that destroyed part of the upper level of the building.

Mr Acquaro was representing Rocco Arico, who appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last Friday charged with six counts of extortion, three counts of assault, possessing a firearm, drugs, ammunition and dealing in suspected proceeds of crime.

He also represented Francesco Madafferi, who was jailed after being convicted of large-scale drug trafficking for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007.

Police confirmed Mr Acquaro suffered a gunshot wound, after they were called to the scene in Brunswick East, near the corner of Lygon and St Phillips streets.

Forensic police collected evidence at the scene in Brunswick East as they opened a murder investigation

An image shows a smashed mobile phone on the ground beneath a car, as police officers investigate the circumstances behind the murder of Mr Acquaro

Mr Acquaro represented Francesco Madafferi (left) who was jailed for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007. He was also representing Rocco Arico (right)

Mr Acquaro was found shot dead behind his business Gelobar, a popular gelato bar in Brunswick East in Melbourne

WHO IS JOSEPH ACQUARO? Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro was a 55 year-old criminal lawyer and owner of popular gelato bar, Gelobar, located on Lygon Street in Melbourne suburb Brunswick East. Mr Acquaro was allegedly the subject of a $200,000 underworld murder contract. It is understood Mr Acquaro had been warned by police that his life was in danger and told that he should take measures to protect his safety, but he refused. LIFE AND COMMUNITY WORK Mr Acquaro had Calabrian heritage and was involved in Brunswick's Reggio Calabria club. He was also the former president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and is said to have represented interests of Calabrian businesses internationally. He was also said to have facilitated business affairs of Calabrian community members in the 'Ndrangheta or Honoured Society. Mr Acquaro was a father of three sons and was said to be a passionate advocate of Calabrian culture and business in Melbourne. He had operated Gelobar for the past five years, after previous owner Salvatore Scullino, who owned the business with his wife Rita, passed away. CRIMINAL LAWYER Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland figures and Calabrian crime figures. In 2007 he represented accused mafia don Frank Madafferi, from one of Australia's 31 Calabrian mafia families that control 60 per cent of the Australian drug trade. Mr Madafferi threatened to chop fellow criminal Pino Varallo 'into little pieces' and eat 'one bite at a time'. Mr Madafferi was jailed for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007. Mr Acquaro was currently representing Rocco Arico, who appeared in court last Friday charged with six counts of extortion, three counts of assault, possessing a firearm, drugs, ammunition and dealing in suspected proceeds of crime. Advertisement

Detective Inspector Michael Hughes said Mr Acquaro had closed his business about 12.40am and was walking to his car when he was attacked.

'We have an early report that a witness has heard a car travelling down that street (St Phillip Street) away from Lygon at reasonably high speed,' he said.

'So if anyone has seen cars in the area prior to the shooting, or just after the shooting please contact Crime Stoppers.'

Detective Inspector Hughes would not say how many gunshot wounds the man suffered or what type of gun was used, preferring to leave that to an autopsy report.

He said it appeared to be a targeted attack.

'He (Mr Acquaro) is certainly known to police but he is certainly not a convicted person. He is known to police through other associations,' he said.

'It's always a concern when someone meets their death in a public place.'

Police also found a mobile phone under a car in St Phillip Street not far from the body just after 11am.

A woman was at the scene on Tuesday morning and was visibly distressed, reported 9 News.

She was ushered into the back of a police car where she spoke with detectives.

Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures, reported The Age.

Detective Inspector Mick Hughes told the ABC Mr Acquaro was shot while walking to his car after shutting his business about 12:40am

Police said they have an early report that a witness heard a car travelling down St Phillip Street away from Lygon Street at reasonably high speed

He was a past president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and represented Calabrian businesses in Melbourne overseas.

Italian community figure Dr Dominic Barbaro, from the Dante Alighieir Society, said he was shocked by what had happened.

He described Mr Acquaro as a 'nice guy' who was 'very well regarded in the Italian community.'

'I've known him for a few years now, we didn't meet regularly,' Dr Barbaro told Daily Mail Australia.

'He was president of the [Reggio] Calabria Club for awhile, then he opened his Gelato Bar in Lygon Street.

'I have used him a couple of times and he was very good to us and we had functions every now and then.

'I've heard him speak in the past in the Italian community about how to proceed with maintaining the Italian culture and language and he was very encouraging of young people to get involved.

Mr Acquaro had allegedly been the subject of a $200,000 underworld murder contract and police had warned him to take measures for his own safety

Police would not say how many gunshot wounds the man suffered or what type of gun was suspected in the murder, but Detective Inspector Hughes said it appeared to be a targeted attack

Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures and was also a past president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce

Dr Barbaro said he was a 'very pleasant lawyer', but he was unsure whether he was both working at the dessert destination and as a lawyer at the same time.

Rocco Careri, who has also been president of the Reggio Calabria society, told Daily Mail Australia the community was 'very upset' it had lost a 'very nice person'.

Mr Careri got to know him when he was the president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, but was a regular visitor to his gelato bar.

He said he often brought his family to the bar to have lunch or an ice cream and 'always he tried to take care of you'.

'You can approach him, you need something. He was always very, very open,' Mr Careri said.

'He was a very, very kind person. I hear the news this morning (and we are) very upset we lost a very nice person.

'(There's) not many people like that.

'I know him as a gentleman and very honest person.'

Mr Acquaro was a former lawyer of Francesco Madafferi, a mafia figure and drug dealer convicted of importing 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy in tomato tins in 2007

Police are appealing for any witnesses, or people who have more information about the incident, to contact Crime Stoppers

Neighbouring restaurateur Teresa Bruno was devastated to hear about the man's death.

'He was such a beautiful person,' she told AAP.

'I knew him since he started his business five years ago. He used to come here every week for dinner.

'Whenever he saw me he would offer me coffee.'

Ms Bruno heard sirens about 3am on Tuesday morning but then fell asleep.

When she woke up she was told by her niece that the business owner and lawyer had been killed.

'All of the neighbours - we're shocked,' Ms Bruno said.

Luca Paone, who works at Gelobar, told 9 News reporters early this morning that he 'was surprised it had happened' and said 'nothing like this has happened before'.

Gelobar was damaged by a suspicious fire in January, with the blaze destroying part of the upper level of the building.

Police are investigating if the two incidents are linked.

The garbage truck on St Phillip Street next to Mr Acquaro's body which was found on the footpath by a garbage collector

Police cordoned off St Phillip Street in Brunswick East early this morning after Mr Acquaro's body was found behind Gelobar at about 2.30am
A pair of newlyweds in San Antonio, Texas are dead after the husband shot dead his wife before turning the gun on himself while her two elementary school aged children were at school.

Police were called to the Ross household around 7:30am, after wife Casey Ross called 911 from a closet of the home after being shot in the head.

When police arrived at the scene, they found 46-year-old David Ross dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the hallway of the home.

Casey Ross, 43, was rushed to the hospital where she died later that day.

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Finance executive David Ross shot dead his wife Casey Ross before turning the gun on himself Friday morning at their home in a quiet San Antonio, Texas neighborhood

Casey's two children from a previously relationship were already at school at the time of the shooting

The Rosses had been married for about a year, and lived in the home with Casey's two children from a previous relationship. The home originally belonged to Casey Ross and her husband moved in after they were married. The four bedroom, five bathroom home has an estimated value of $666,737 according to Zillow.

Her seven-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter were luckily at school by the time of the shooting.

David Ross worked at Dallas investment company Tolleson Wealth Management, as director of philanthropy services. His wife was an anesthesiologist who also worked part-time as a professor at the University of Texas School of Medicine.

Casey initially survived being shot in the head, and called 911 from a closet inside her home. She later died at the hospital

Casey Ross lived in the home alone with her children before her new husband moved in after they were married

Police have not revealed why David Ross carried out the murder-suicide. The Rosses had been married for about a year

Neighbors say that the couple seemed happy, and were active in both their church and other philanthropic activities. Pictured above together

In the wake of the shooting, David's company issued a statement reading: 'We have been stunned to learn of the tragic deaths of David and Casey Ross. The entire firm wishes to express our profound sorrow and deepest sympathy to the families and all others that may be impacted.'

Police are still not certain what led to the shootings. Neighbors have spoken out to say that the couple seemed happy, and were active in both their church and other philanthropic activities.

'I was walking here only a week or so ago, and I saw a man playing basketball with a little girl, and I saw a woman in the garage taking groceries out of the back of the car,' neighbor Jack Verhagen told Fox San Antonio. 'And a week later, I am standing in front of a murder scene. I can't believe it.'
Police in Wisconsin are searching for a mother-of-two who has been missing since leaving a friend's house in the early hours of Saturday.

Marya Christiansen, 23, was last seen at around 2.30am with friends at a house in Red Wing before heading home to her boyfriend Christopher Johnson, who lives in Hager City, around 10 miles away.

Relatives say Christiansen never arrived home and has not been heard from since. Her car, a white 2006 Dodge Caravan, with licence plate 443 VPF, has also vanished.

Marya Christiansen, 23, a mother-of-two from Wisconsin (left and right), has not been seen since 2.30am on Saturday when she left a friend's house following a night out

Red Wing police, who are involved in search efforts, say Christiansen has not posted to social media or carried out any credit card transactions since she was last seen, the Star Tribune reports.

Officers have scoured the area around where she was last seen, including the Mississippi River, by air and boat but have uncovered no trace of her.

Family members say Christiansen headed out on Friday night for drinks with her girl friends at a bar in Mississippi, across the river from her home in Wisconsin, CBS reports.

Following those drinks, she headed back to a friend's house where she stayed until the early hours of Saturday before deciding to head home to see her boyfriend and father of her two children.

Despite police searches and repeated efforts by family members and concerned friends to find Marya, no trace of her has been uncovered.

Christiansen (left, and right with boyfriend and father of her children Christopher Johnson) was driving from Red Wing Mississippi to her home in Wisconsin around 10 miles away when she vanished

Christiansen was driving a white 2006 Dodge Caravan (pictured) with licence plate 443 VPF when she vanished. Searches by police and relatives have not turned up any trace of her

Her father, Steven Christiansen, told CBS: 'This is something that never ever crossed my mind. That my daughter would be missing and I need to find out where she is.'

Christiansen is described as being 5ft 2ins tall, weighing 150lbs, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

She also has two distinctive tattoos on her arms, a tiger's head on her right forearm and a curled ribbon with wings, a halo and the word 'Grandma' written on her left.

The Dodge Caravan has a large amount of rust below both sliding doors, large dents in the front drivers side fender and rear passenger taillight area, and a pink magnetic ribbon over the rear overhead door, police said.

Family members have also set up a GoFundMe page in an attempt to raise funds to help in their search efforts.

Anyone with information that could lead to Christiansen or her vehicle being found should contact Red Wing police at 651-385-3155 or call 911
Seattle police are looking to bust a masked masturbator who has been terrorizing a local home by pleasuring himself outside the front door wearing a ninja suit and toe shoes.

The naughty ninja has been making his nighttime visits to the home near NE 52nd Street and 12th Avenue NE on as many as four occasions since November last year, police said.

The residence is home to students of the nearby University of Washington.

A masked pervert was caught on surveillance camera making a nighttime visit to the student residence

Seattle police are looking for information on the suspect, who masturbated in public wearing a ninja suit

The man was covered from head to toe - except for his eyes, hands, and genitals, which were left exposed

A woman first reported she had witnessed the suspect masturbating outside the home on January 10, police said.

On February 7, the pervert struck again, and this time he was caught on surveillance camera.

Snapshots from the surveillance tape show a man wearing tight, dark clothing that covered his entire body expect for his eyes, hands, and genitals.

The suspect was wearing toe shoes and his face covered by what looks like a tied-up t-shirt.

Though his get-up was described as dark, it appears white in the night-vision footage.

Inverting the black-and-white night-vision footage reveals a closer approximation of what the cloaked pervert might look like
Morgan Huelin, 16, died after taking at least four different drugs at a house party on Jersey

A public schoolboy killed by a cocktail of drugs at a house party was dumped unconscious in a country lane by five friends who were trying to stop police from finding class A drugs and child porn, a court has heard.

Morgan Huelin, 16, died after taking at least four different drugs at a house party on Jersey, in the Channel Islands, where he was a pupil at the 4,800-a-year Victoria College.

After the party he went to the home of one of five friends for a sleepover but collapsed in the garage as the others stripped for a hot tub party, a court heard.

The following morning he was found unconscious with blood and saliva running from his mouth.

But instead of calling an ambulance, it is alleged the five boys carried him away from the house and left him in a lane about 160 metres away.

A female jogger saw three of them - just wearing their underwear or a towel - and said they seemed 'like rabbits in headlights'.

Prosecutors say what they did was an attempt to stop police finding a stash of class A substances and child pornography at the house.

Officers later discovered class A drugs MDMA and LSD, evidence of the class C drug etizolam and four indecent images of children at the property, a youth court heard.

The Crown allege that the drugs and images belonged to one of the teenagers known as Defendant One, who lived at the property.

He denies drugs charges and possessing indecent images.

All five boys, two aged 17 and three aged 16, also deny charges of perverting the course of justice by moving Mr Huelin's body.

None of them can be identified because of their ages.

Advocate Howard Sharp told Jersey Youth Court how the defendants and Mr Huelin had all been at a house party in the Trinity district on the night of 4 July.

He said two of the boys - Mr Huelin and Defendant One - had 'an interest in drugs'.

He told the court: 'All the boys are of good character and are doing well at school.

'But there was one problem: Morgan's and [Defendant One's] interest in drugs.'

He said the LSD, MDMA and packaging from a class C drug known as etizomal were found in the home where the boys had been staying and belonged to Defendant One.

He added that police recovered a cannabis bong which also belonged to Defendant One, and evidence he had visited the internet drugs website Silk Road.

The bright student was a pupil at the prestigious 4,800-a-year Victoria College (pictured)

One witness who stayed overnight at the house but left before the alleged cover up told the court that Mr Huelin was clearly heavily intoxicated as he was 'struggling to walk'.

The witness said that once back at Defendant One's house, the boys put on their swimming trunks and got into a hot tub to continue the party, except Mr Huelin.

The witness, who cannot be named, told the court: 'Morgan, I believe, was in the garage.'

The boy told the court that the others discussed Mr Huelin's condition but were not worried as 'he had been like this before'.

The prosecution say that Mr Huelin passed out in the garage while the boys were in the hot tub and the witness said that Defendant One was 'looking after him.'

The court heard that the next morning - Sunday 5 July - the witness was the first to leave the house at about 6am as he had to go to work.

He went into the garage, where he claims Morgan was lying, to retrieve his bike.

'I tapped him and asked if he was OK and I got a response that you would expect from someone whose sleep had been disturbed,' he said. 'It was not audible words, but a grunt.

'I remember moving his shoulder so I could see his chest so I could see if he was breathing.'

Advocate Sharp said the next person to enter the garage was Defendant One who found Mr Huelin in an even worse state.

After the party he went to the home of one of five friends for a sleepover but collapsed in the garage as the others stripped for a hot tub party, court heard. The following morning it is alleged the five boys carried him away from the house and left him in a lane about 160 metres away

'Morgan was lying on the garage floor,' Advocate Sharp told the court. 'He was unconscious.

'There was blood and saliva coming out of his mouth. His airway was blocked.

'He either had a very weak pulse or no discernible pulse at all. Morgan's condition was critical, and obviously so.

'An ambulance was urgenly required. [Defendant One] decided not to call the emergency services.

'We say that he feared, quite correctly, that calling an ambulance would trigger a chain of events that would result in the police attending the home and searching the property.

'It was decided to move Morgan far away from the home so that the police would not come there.'

He added that the other four defendants then became involved after Defendant One woke them up.

'On seeing him unconscious in the garage, and at [Defendant One's] suggestion they all agreed to carry Morgan out onto the road. They managed to move him 160 metres,' he said.

He said two of the boys were picked up by their parents but the other three were confronted by two women - one walking her dog and a second, jogger Linda Allo.

Mrs Allo told the court she gently rubbed Mr Huelin's back because she knew he was gravely ill.

Tributes left at the scene in Jersey where Morgan Huelin was found unconscious in the road by a dog walker

She added that dog-walker Carly Lockhart called an ambulance around 9.23 am.

Advocate Sharp said that one of the two defendants who had already left the scene told his girlfriend in a text message that Mr Huelin had been moved.

'That way [by moving him] [Defendant One] would not get done for a guy dying in his house,' the court was told the message read.

Footage from a body-worn camera worn by a police officer who carried out interviews at the scene showed two of the boys being questioned.

One of them said it was Defendant One who called the ambulance, and both told the officer that they had found Mr Huelin in the road.

Defendant One was recorded as saying: 'I woke up to take the bins out and found him in the road and he was frothing [at the mouth].'

Mr Huelin was taken to hospital by ambulance just after 9.30am but later suffered cardiac arrest and died.

A post-mortem found evidence of at least four different drugs in his system - the painkiller morphine, prescription drugs promethazine and codeine and the class C drug etizolam.

Advocate Sharp said that the court must answer two questions - did the defendants move Morgan? And second, why?

'We say that the evidence suggests they did move him. It is difficult to see what dispute there would be to that. Why did these five defendants choose to move an unconscious Morgan Huelin 160 metres up the road?

'It was all done to protect Defendant One, and that became the priority to the expulsion of everything else.'

Victoria College, in Jersey's capital of St Helier, is a selective boys school with 4,800-a-year fees which says it offers 'an educational environment of the highest order'.

Founded in 1852, it stands on an impressive site overlooking the town and is a very traditional school with about 730 boys aged seven to 19.

Famous former pupils include horse racing pundit John McCririck and British actor Kenneth More.
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Top secret plans showing the designs for the Royal Navy ships which fought in the First World War have come to light a century after the only major sea battle of the war.

The detailed documents, showing the capital ships of the Grand Fleet, were found in a cardboard box lying in a corner of an attic in Sussex.

They are now set to be auctioned off as a historical curiosity - but at the time they were made they were incredibly sensitive, and could have spelled disaster if they had fallen into the hands of the Germans.

Plans: This document showing the interior of HMS Neptune was found in an attic in Sussex, hidden in a cardboard box

Secret: The cache of documents dating back to before the start of the First World War would once have been extremely sensitive

Historic: The plans cast light on ships involved in the Battle of Jutland, including Admiral Jellicoe's flagship Iron Duke

The eight draughtsman's drawings pre-date the Battle of Jutland, and reveal how ships' systems were built, including the mechanical weapons and torpedo bays.

They were discovered by chance when a couple were clearing out an elderly relative's loft at a home in Billingshurst, West Sussex.

Admiral Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, called for the plans to be saved for the nation because they could be our last link to the design of the vessels.

He said: 'I would have to study them in detail, but these plans could be of national importance and should therefore be in a museum.

'It's possible that they could be the only plans that still survive from these great ships.'

Detail: The 'fire control' plans for HMS Hercules and HMS Colossus would have helped seamen at the time

Unique: Admiral Lord West suggested that there may be no other documents which cast as much light on the ships as these

Weapons: This sketch gives details of how the deadly torpedoes were stored on board the Iron Duke

The sketches show the insides of the steam-powered ships involved at Jutland - including HMS Indefatigable, which was sunk minutes into the battle of the coast of Denmark in May 1916.

There are also designs for The Iron Duke, the flag ship of Admiral John Jellicoe, who was widely criticised for the heavy losses sustained at Jutland.

Britain lost more than 6,000 sailors and 14 ships, while just 2,500 Germans were killed - but the battle was later seen as a British victory because it set the stage for the country's ongoing naval supremacy.

Shipyards across the country would have used the top secret plans to build components, and the pictures bear stamps that date them to before the start of the war in 1914.

The hand annotated plans are for sections of the battleships Iron Duke, Hercules, Colossus, Indefatigable, Glorious, Dreadnought, Neptune and Bellerophon.

Helpful: Pictured are instructions to be followed during construction, left, and a pile of documents, right, concerning key ships

Finish product: This page of the plans shows photographs of Colossus and Hercules after their construction

Deadly: HMS Dreadnought's 12-inch guns are detailed in these documents found in the secret stash

Denise Kelly, of Bellmans Auctioneers of West Sussex, said: 'We don't really know where these documents came from and where they have been for so long, they were definitely not for public consumption.

'These scale drawings were top secret and were a huge part of history.

'As soon as we saw the names of the ships we knew they were very important, particularly with the links to the Battle of Jutland.

'It's a huge piece of history. You just don't see these things very often and they have appeared on the centenary of the battle of Jutland.

'To have one or two of these ships would be nice, but to have so many is just great.'

The Iron Duke plans are expected to fetch 100 and the other documents 200 when they go up for auction tomorrow in two separate lots.
They hope to make her a therapy dog and visit amputees in hospitals

Chi Chi smelled grass for the first time at the Howell's home in Phoenix

She underwent a quadruple amputation and two months of rehabilitation

A Korean animal welfare group rescued her after finding her in a trash bag

Chi Chi's paws were reduced to bone from an infection at the meat farm

She was left for dead and thrown away in a garbage bag, but now this adorable golden retriever mix is getting another chance at life - 6,000 miles away from where she almost lost it.

Chi Chi was found outside a dog meat farm in South Korea, where she had been strung up by her paws and stuffed with food to prepare her for slaughter.

The bindings ate away at her flesh and soon it was only bone that Chi Chi was hanging from. The farmers deemed her meat unworthy and she was disposed of, all four paws rendered useless.

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Chi Chi is smiling again after she was rescued from a dog meat farm in South Korea, where she lost all four paws after being strung up and stuffed with food in preparation for slaughter

Chi Chi was found outside in a trash bag by a South Korean animal welfare group, and underwent a quadruple amputation

She is now living with the Richard and Elizabeth Howell, and their daughter Kristen, (pictured all together) at her new forever home in Phoenix, Arizona

But that wasn't the end for Chi Chi. She was found by animal welfare group Nabiya Irion Hope Project, and her story began to spread.

Chi Chi underwent a quadruple amputation, and amazed everyone when she was trying to walk just days later.

'We weren't even sure she was going to live,' Shannon Keith, the president of Animal Rescue, Media & Education (ARME), told The Dodo.

'She was smiling and wagging her tail. Then, a couple days later, she even started walking on her little stumps.'

As she underwent rehabilitation and began learning how to use prosthetic paws in Seoul, a loving family from Phoenix was following Chi Chi's journey to recovery online.

Although they originally only planned to donate money, the Howells soon realized they wanted to be Chi Chi's forever home.

'I think ultimately, as we progressed with her story, we just felt a connection with her,' Richard Howell told the Associated Press.

Although they originally only planned to donate money, the Howells soon realized they felt a deeper connection to the golden retriever mix with the big smile

Chi Chi has come a long way from the garbage bag (right) that she was found. Chi Chi's legs had to be amputated because the wire bindings ate away at her flesh, leaving only bone behind

'Chi Chi is different. She might actually change the world.'

ARME flew Chi Chi to Los Angeles, where she was greeted by Keith. The pair then drove her to Phoenix, where the Howells were waiting for the newest addition to their family.

They were immediately taken by the joyful and fiery dog, who got the chance to sniff grass for the first time in her life in the Howells front yard.

'She has a will to live,' Megan Howell, the family's daughter, told CBS 5 AZ. 'She just loves people and she's just so happy despite what happened to her in the past.'

Chi Chi is now spending her days walking and running around that backyard as she awaits her new prosthetic limbs, and surprising everyone with how little her past holds her back.

'I was sitting on a ledge, and she jumped up on it,' Keith told The Dodo. 'I was like, "What! This dog is amazing!'

Chi Chi underwent two months of rehabilitation in Seoul before getting ready to move to her forever home

Shannon Keith, the president of Animal Rescue, Media & Education (pictured left with Chi Chi) flew her to Los Angeles before driving the pup to Phoenix to meet the Howells

The Howells, who have two other rescue dogs, are hoping to make Chi Chi a therapy dog once she completes her rehabilitation.

They plan to take her to hospitals to visit soldiers and children who also had to undergo amputations.

'We want to use her story to make the lives of humans better,' Richard Howell told the Associated Press.

'I think if we do that, we're doing something positive in the world.'

Meat farmers scare dogs because they believe the fear makes them taste better, but Chi Chi's past life has proven to those around her the power of forgiveness - and resilience.

'She loves people and she loves being around people despite what she's been through,' Elizabeth Howell said. 'She's happy, she's loving, and we're just so excited to have her be a part of our family.'

'She has an amazing will to live.'
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Residents have spoken out to poke fun at a 114ft Ferris wheel costing 4.50 a ride which has been erected in the town of Dudley.

The attraction has been labelled the 'worst in Britain' by embarrassed local people who fear it will turn their town into a laughing stock.

The 10,000 wheel, which was previously in Birmingham, promises to offer a bird's-eye view of recent 'regeneration' that has taken place in the area.

A single adult ticket costs 4.50 and councillors believe the attraction will promote the area to 'shoppers and tourists'.

Residents have told of their embarassment after a 114ft Ferris wheel was erected in Dudley with investors hopeful it will put the town 'back on the map'

Dudley Borough Council spent 3,300 on building it, with the rest of the 10,000 it cost donated by local businesses and investors. All profits from the sale of tickets will not be reinvested in the area but rather go directly to Jan de Koning, a private fun fair operator.

Residents have questioned the need for the structure, which took three days to put in place, in the town which is little known for its scenery.

'You can see the grey concrete buildings perfectly well from the ground, you don't need a birds-eye view of them as well,' said Vincent Parry.

'There's a million and one things that needs looking at in the town without money being spent on a giant Ferris wheel. It has got to be the worst tourist attraction in Britain,' the 21-year-old student added.

Barry Fletcher, a lorry driver from nearby Coseley, said the community would be made 'a laughing stock'.

'Who would want to spend 4.50 to go and get an elevated view of some old office buildings, an abandoned bingo hall and a shopping centre? Well be a laughing stock.'

Twitter users were also quick to question the attraction, which has been named the Dudl-Eye', poking fun at the decision to offer views of the little known skyline.

Red-faced locals questioned the need for the structure in an area with such a little known skyline, arguing that the money could have been put to better use elsewhere

Critics said there was little in the West Midlands town's skyline that was worth taking a 4.50 Ferris wheel ride to view

Investors said they were hopeful the wheel would generate shopping and tourism, describing it as the biggest attraction the town had ever seen

Twitter users were quick to question the attraction, sharing their doubts on the site as locals bemoaned the wheel

'Dudley is a sh***hole, the roads are terrible, schools are being shut down due to no funding but hey at least we have a Ferris wheel,' said Alex Price.

'Dudley is so run down but thank god they invested in a Ferris wheel to put in the middle,' said another while one asked: 'Who decided that Dudley needed a Ferris wheel?'.

The wheel was a joint venture between Dudley Business Group , Dudley Market Traders Ltd and Dudley Council and was paid for by local radio station Free Radio and a collection of sponsors.

It's not clear how much it has cost Dudley Borough Council to install it in its town centre or whether the profits from rides will be invested in local facilities.

Despite criticism some remain enthusiastic about its arrival and are hopeful that it will 'put Dudley back on the map'.

'I'm hoping it will be a fantastic attraction for people to come to Dudley. It will be the first time we will have an attraction this big in the Black Country,' said Len Lenihan, Managing Director of Dudley Market Traders Association.

'It will be able to showcase the regeneration of what has gone on in the town over the last few years. People will stand back and think "wow, maybe we should come back here more often,"' he said.

Labour Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for planning and economic development, added: 'Dudley council is committed to investing in and rejuvenating our town centres and as a community council we will continue to work in partnership to get the best results.'

The wheel opened on Monday and will stay open from 9am until 5pm on Sunday.

Some locals argued that unlike other UK cities, Dudley did not boast a particularly attractive skyline. Above, the big wheel in Edinburgh

In France the Roue de Paris beams in the night sky with the Eiffel Tower and Obelisque de Luxor also visible
On the fifth anniversary of the Syrian revolution, George and Amal Clooney have drawn on their migrant roots in discussing the mass crisis after hearing the testimonies of several Syrian migrants.

George Clooney reflected on the difficulties faced by his family when they first arrived in America after moving from Ireland, calling on America to remember its migrant roots.

'It is what our country is, it is a country of immigrants. We have not recently done a very good job of remembering who we are,' he poignantly said at the meeting in Germany, organised last month byInternational Rescue Committee and led by its president David Miliband.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney also spoke of her own family's experience of fleeing Lebanon during the civil war and arriving into Europe in 1982 and her hopes for a free Syria.

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Amal Clooney spoke of her own family's experience of fleeing Lebanon during the civil war and arriving into Europe in 1982

George Clooney also reflected on the difficulties faced by his family when they first arrived in America after migrating from Ireland, calling on America to remember its migrant roots.

'My own family is from Lebanon ... they also ran away from a war and was lucky enough to be expected by a European country in 1982 when the violence there was really bad,' she told the Syrian refugees.

'I hope you will be able to go back to a safe and free Syria,' the human rights lawyer said.

George Clooney reflected on his family's Irish heritage and called for America to think of its roots.

His ancestor, Nicholas Clooney, was forced out of his home in Windgap, County Kilkenny, in 1853, in the wake of the potato famine, and that year moved along with his siblings to Kentucky, research reported in the Sunday Independent of Ireland has found.

However Clooney highlighted the difficulties Irish arrivals found in integrating into American life in the 19th century as he spoke

'My family were treated terribly and were not accepted and America learned to accept all these idea.'

'Being here talking with you is important to remind them of who we are and who we have always been which is you,' he said.

'You forget that these are people who didn't just leave their country for no reason at all. These are people who left because a terrible tragedy,' the actor said.

'We always look around at the end of these tragedies and say if we knew, we would have done something and the reality is, of course we know,' Mr Clooney said in the video.

'What is shocking to me is not that it happened but its continuing to happen for five years.'

'It's actually easy to dismiss giant numbers but it's very hard to dismiss a young child sitting on the ground crying as her mother said, 'If we die. I rather we die by a bullet because it would be quicker,'' Clooney said while meeting with refugees.

'We always look around at the end of these tragedies and say if we knew, we would have done something and the reality is, of course we know,' Clooney said in the video

Before her marriage to Mr Clooney in September 2014, Lebanese-born barrister Mrs Clooney had forged a highly successful career in her own right, specialising in human rights and international law

The Hollywood star opened up about his family's history and called on America to think about its past

International Rescue Committee's powerful video features the Clooneys and International Rescue Committee president David Miliband as they hear the stories of Syrians in Germany.

The mother, who was one of three Syrian families the couple met, also told them the reasons she felt she needed to uproot her family and move to Germany.

She described the daily battle to survive the bombings and snipers before it became too much and they were forced to flee the country.

The Clooneys met another Syrian man, who described how he was locked up and tortured by the Assad regime.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Clooney said: 'It was an honour to meet three Syrian families whose lives have been shattered by war and inspiring to learn that the people of Germany are helping them put their lives back together.'

The Hollywood star said he would also meet a group of asylum seekers 'to talk about and ask what messages and what things we can do... to help'

The war in Syria has been raging for the past five years, with Russia announcing yesterday that it will be withdrawing some of their forces

George Clooney listens as he hears about the daily battle in Syria to survive the bombings and snipers

The Clooneys met another Syrian man, who described how he was locked up and tortured by the Assad regime

The Hollywood star said he would also meet a group of asylum seekers 'to talk about and ask what messages and what things we can do... to help'

Thousands of migrants have been risking their lives by crossing the water from Turkey into Greece

Before her marriage to Mr Clooney in September 2014, Lebanese-born barrister Mrs Clooney had forged a highly successful career in her own right, specialising in human rights and international law.
Guards at the jail complain Breivik is a drain on resources - adding: 'Anders Breivik always gets the first priority'

Far-Right fanatic is being held Skien prison, 87 miles south-west of Oslo, where he has entire cellblock to himself

Neo-Nazi Breivik, 37, has flatscreen TV, PlayStation, internet, his own gym and a study for letter writing and to think

But photos show the cushy conditions in which the monster who murdered 77 people and injured 300 is being held

Mass murderer Breivik is suing the Norwegian authorities, claiming his jail conditions are 'cruel' and 'inhuman'

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With a private television, a PlayStation and even use of his own gym - this is the luxury jail mass murderer Anders Breivik moans infringes his human rights.

The mass killer claims his life behind bars is 'torture' - and his conditions behind bars are 'cruel' and 'inhuman'.

The far-Right neo-Nazi is serving 21 years' jail, the maximum sentence in Norway, for the massacre of 77 innocent young people.

Giving no thought his victims' human rights, Breivik claims he is a 'victim of cruel and inhuman treatment' in Skien prison, 87 miles south-west of Oslo, where he has an entire cellblock to himself

The spacious block has rooms for letter writing, sleep and exercise, which he can move freely between, and he is allowed to walk in the yard at his leisure.

The murderer can also do his own laundry and cook his own food as he wishes.

Photographs taken inside the comfy jail show spotless, well-maintained rooms, which are more than adequate for killer many argue should never be released.

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Comfortable: Photographs taken inside Skien prison in Norway show well-maintained modern rooms. Anders Breivik occupies three cells - for living, study and exercise - and can walk in a yard at his leisure

Cushy: Anders Breivik occupies three cells and has his own television and Playstation at the prison in Norway. The country's jails were once named the 'most humane' in the world

Crazed: Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik raises his arm in a Nazi salute as he enters the gym-turned-courtroom in Skien prison, 87 miles south-west of Oslo, Norway

They are equipped with flat screen televisions and modern bathrooms, as well as large windows flooding the rooms with light.

However, last year, prison officers at Skien complained that Breivik was such a demanding prisoner that both staff and other detainees were feeling drained, their trade union magazine claimed.

Ole Martin Aanensen, from the Norwegian Prison and Probation Officers Union at the prison, told FriFagbevegelse: 'Both staff and inmates are experiencing the strain.

'Anders Breivik always gets the first priority. Everything else being pushed down the list. It makes us vulnerable.'

Breivik, 37, was killed eight people by setting off a van bomb in Oslo on July 22, 2011. He then dressed as a police officer and murdered 69 members of a Workers' Youth League (AUF) at a summer camp on the island of Utya. A further 319 were injured in the attack.

Gym: Norway's prisons are considered some of the world's best, but Breivik says his human rights are being breached. Pictured: The gym at Skien prison

Cell: The murderer can also do his own laundry and cook his own food should he so wish at Skien prison, Norway. He has his own PlayStation and television and can walk in the yard when he likes

Prison conditions: Photographs taken inside Skien prison in Norway (pictured), 87 miles south-west of Oslo, show spotless, well-maintained rooms

The killer was at Ila prison until 2013, where he had had access to a bedroom with a television and DVDs, a separate living room with a computer, and a third containing a home gym.

When he arrived for the first day of the lawsuit he is bringing against the Norwegian state over his prison conditions, he raised his right arm in a Nazi salute.

This goading gesture proves he wants another moment in the spotlight to rub salt in the wounds of the victims' families and the survivors of the attacks.

Now he is bringing a lawsuit against the Norwegian state over his prison conditions. He argues the regime is degrading and is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Wearing a black suit, white shirt and golden tie, Breivik made a Nazi salute after having his handcuffs removed, making the offensive gesture without speaking.

It was considered too dangerous to hear the case in an Oslo court, and proceedings are instead being held inside Skien prison's gymnasium, which has been turned into a courtroom for the day.

While many survivors and families of victims are trying to ignore this new trial, some watched a re-transmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo.

'It's pathetic. It's a farce,' said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter, Synne, was killed in Breivik's shooting massacre. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

Viljar Hanssen, who was shot four times on Utoya tweeted Breivik has 'got what he wanted' - adding 'He is adored in extreme-right circles and can spread hate from his cell.'

'Proud and happy however to live in a robust state of law that applies to everyone. It's the cornerstone of a modern democracy,' he wrote.

Modern: At Ila prison (pictured), Breivik had had access to a bedroom with his own television and DVDs and was able to play computer games on a console

Well-maintained: The killer was at Ila prison until 2013, where he had access to a bedroom a separate living room a third containing a home gym

Ila prison: A laptop is bolted to the table in this photo from Ila prison, where the killer was held until 2013. It is from here Breivik was able to correspond

Shower room: Breivik moans about his treatment in Norway's prisons even though he has never apologised to the families of his 77 victims Pictured Ila prison shower room

Survivor Dag Andre Anderssen, deputy leader of a support group for survivors and the bereaved, called Breivik a 'unique' inmate in Norway's prison system, which is focused on rehabilitating rather than punishing criminals.

'They say that every society is measured by how they treat their prisoners so we will allow him to use the system, to try to use the system against us,' Anderssen said.

'But I think the system will say that his conditions are as good as they can be.'

His appearance in the makeshift courtroom in the gym in Skien is the first time he had been seen in public since his conviction.

There is no maximum time for how long he can be held in such 'extra high security', a Norwegian prison service official said.

Rampage: Breivik detonated a bomb in downtown Oslo, which killed eight people and carried out a mass shooting on Utoya Island (pictured), killing 69

Breivik's lawyer says his client only has had contacts with professionals, such as prison staff, his lawyers and his mother, when she was alive, according to a separate court document published late on Tuesday.

The document also said Breivik's mail was being monitored to a degree where 'he doesn't feel he could form relationships through letters'.
Ali has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault

Soldiers were injured but their injuries are not considered life threatening

Ayanle Hassan Ali walked into a Toronto military recruitment center on Monday, and began slashing at soldiers with a knife, authorities say

A Canadian man claimed has was on a mission to kill from Allah when he stabbed two soldiers at a military center, according to police.

Ayanle Hassan Ali, 27, walked into a Toronto military recruitment center on Monday, and began slashing at soldiers with a knife, authorities say.

'Allah told me to do this,' he told officers. 'Allah told me to come here and kill people.

Two soldiers, Ryan Kong and Jesus Castillo, were hurt in the fray although their injuries are not considered life threatening, according to Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders.

Ali has now been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and several other counts, according to court documents.

Authorities are investigating whether the attack may have been linked to terrorism or a potential lone wolf attack.

However, the police chief said that so far, their investigation had not found anything to link the Montreal-born man to a terror organization.

Ali, who had no previous criminal record, made a brief court appearance on Tuesday.

A justice of the peace imposed a publication ban on his preliminary hearing following a request from his lawyer. His case will be back in court Friday.

'He just seems very scared right now and very unhappy to be in the situation he finds himself in right now,' his lawyer David Burke said outside court. 'He seems like an intelligent enough man.'

Burke declined to say what Ali does for a living or detail his living arrangements.

Two soldiers were hurt in the fray although their injuries are not considered life threatening, according to Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders (pictured)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that Canadians and the Canadian Forces 'will not be intimidated by terror & hate.' He also wished those injured a full recovery.

General Jonathan Vance, Chief of Canada's Defense Staff, expressed gratitude to the victim's fellow soldiers who bravely detained the attacker.

'The initial investigation would appear to indicate that this was a singular, lone wolf type of behavior but the investigation is not complete,' Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said.

'Events of this kind bring back some pretty terrible memories.'

Goodale said the investigation remains ongoing and terror charges are possible.

In 2014, a man authorities described as an 'ISIL-inspired terrorist' ran over two soldiers in a parking lot in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other before being shot to death by police.

Authorities are investigating whether the attack may have been linked to terrorism or a potential lone wolf attack at the recruitment center in Toronto

The man had been under surveillance by Canadian authorities, who feared he had jihadist ambitions and seized his passport when he tried to travel to Turkey.

Two days later, a gunman killed a Canadian soldier at the war memorial in Ottawa and then stormed Parliament before being shot dead. The man had taken issue with Canada's involvement in the war in Afghanistan and the fight against the Islamic State group.
Last week Ben Carson buried the hatchet with his rival Donald Trump and endorsed him  this week he shed some more light on why.

'Even if Donald Trump turns out not to be such a great president, which I don't think is the case, I think he's going to surround himself with really good people, but even if he didn't, we're only looking at four years as opposed to multiple generations and perhaps the loss of the American dream forever,' Carson explained during an interview with Newsmax TV.

Carson, who appeared alongside Trump at the billionaire's Palm Beach estate on Friday, explained to Newsmax that he was a 'big picture guy' and part of that was ensuring the Democrats didn't recapture the White House.

He suggested he would at least serve in a future Trump administration in an 'advisory capacity.'

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Ben Carson explained that even if Donald Trump was a bad president - which he doubted - the Republican would still be better than any Democrat having the job

On Friday, the former foes gathered in Florida with Ben Carson (left) officially endorsing Donald Trump (right) at the Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach

Carson was in agreement with Trump  who has called his outsider run 'one of the biggest political events anywhere in the world'  that the Republican party should embrace this momentum.

'I recognize that he's bringing in [to the Republican Party] a lot of people who were not interested in coming in before,' Carson told Newsmax, adding 'A lot of those people were coming with me as well.'

Carson was indeed the other unconventional candidate on the Republican side, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon who riveted the political right with his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013, taking on President Obama's policies to the president's face.

But Carson, after topping the Iowa polls in late October, made a number of comments, especially on the topic of foreign policy, that showed his political inexperience and those numbers came quickly tumbling down.

A major campaign shake-up before the new year, along with some caucus-night shenanigans courtesy of volunteers for Sen. Ted Cruz, who told swaths of Iowa voters that the neurosurgeon was about to drop out, derailed Carson's campaign.

The day after Super Tuesday he released a statement saying he saw no path forward to the nomination and during a speech he delivered at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this month he officially dropped out.

Ben Carson (left) and Donald Trump (right) aimed plenty of attacks at each other over the course of the campaign, but since Friday they've attributed it to politics as usual

In a new interview, Ben Carson (left) said he would at least serve the Trump administration in an 'advisory capacity' if Donald Trump (right) is successful in getting elected

On Friday, he and Trump credited their criticism of each other to politics as usual.

'It's politics. it is politics. It's tough stuff. It's a tough business,' Trump said at the presser, giving a 'yeah, yeah' when asked by a Daillymail.com reporter if he had apologized to Carson for some of the harsher attacks.

Trump complimented Carson's quiet 'dignity' in the face of fire.

'I started going after Ben' when he leapfrogged me in the Iowa polls', Trump said. 'I was really impressed with the way he fought back, because he fought back with silence and strength.'

Carson had warned the country about Trump's rhetoric of 'anger and fear' in the run-up to Super Tuesday, which spelled only loss for the candidate in the face of many Trump wins.

'We buried the hatchet,' Carson said in Florida. 'That was political stuff. And that happens in American politics.'

'The politics of personal destruction, all that, it's not something that I personally believe in or anything that I get involved in,' Carson continued.

'But I do recognize that it's part of the process. But we move on.'

While floating the idea of a one-term Trump presidency with Newsmax, not something a frontrunning presidential candidate wants bubbling around the political conversation, Carson also praised the billionaire's character.
EU leaders in Brussels are to blame for the influx of migrants and are bent on creating a United States of Europe which will swallow up nation states, Hungary's prime minister said today.

Viktor Orban said that 'the time has come to ring the alarm bells and gather allies' to reject the alleged Brussels scheme.

'If we want to stop the mass migration, first we must put the brakes on Brussels,' he said during commemorations of Hungary's 1848 revolution against Austria's Habsburgs.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claims EU leaders in Brussels are to blame for the influx of migrants and are bent on creating a United States of Europe which will swallow up nation states

Orban staunchly opposes taking in Muslims, is organising a national referendum opposing any EU decision to resettle migrants among members states, and Hungary is suing the EU at the European Court of Justice to avoid participating in a resettlement scheme.

He has equated migration with terrorism and brought in tougher immigration and asylum rules which have been criticised by the U.N. refugee agency.

Promising asylum to 'real refugees,' Hungary granted some sort of international protection to just 508 people last year.

Critics accuse Orban, whose popularity has risen during the migrant crisis, with fomenting anti-migrant sentiment in Central Europe and of using the issue as a distraction from domestic issues.

Orban has equated migration with terrorism and brought in tougher immigration and asylum rules which have been criticised by the U.N. refugee agency.

He has said that Europe is not free because 'the truth is not allowed to be said.'

'It is forbidden to say that immigration brings crime and terror to our countries,' Orban said. 'It is forbidden to say that the arriving masses from other cultures are a threat to our way of life, our culture, our habits and our Christian traditions.'

Before closing off its southern borders with Serbia and Croatia with fences and razor wire beginning in mid-September, Hungary allowed nearly 400,000 migrants to pass through on their way to Germany and other western European destinations.
She pleaded guilty today and was warned she may face jail sentence

Podiatrist Anuradha Megpara pestered former colleague Dr Darryll Baker with love letters for four years

An infatuated foot doctor who bombarded a married surgeon with 400 love letters and greetings cards only to accuse him of harassment is facing jail.

Podiatrist Anuradha Megpara, 53, pestered former colleague Dr Darryll Baker for four years with hand-delivered messages about their supposed marriage, her wedding dress and their future home.

Dr Baker, a vascular expert at the private Wellington Hospital in St John's Wood, northwest London, at first tried to ignore the cards and got his secretary to file them away.

He finally decided to go to police after Megpara bizarrely tried to take out a non-molestation order against him in early 2015.

Megpara, of Haverstock Hill in Camden, north London, pleaded guilty to harassment at City of London Magistrates Court today.

Dr Baker told the court: 'The persistence of the letters and cards over several years were not themselves a major upset.

'There was no threat to my family, my main concern was whether this was going to be escalated and affect my professional integrity.

'It really became serious when she took out the restraining order against me - it was only at that stage I thought I had to do something about this. I just want it to stop.'

Megpara was given an official harassment warning in June last year and stopped sending messages for around six weeks.

But she sent another 30 cards and letters before being charged with harassment in September last year.

Prosecutor Sue Obeney told the court: 'They are mostly professions of love for him although there are mentions of his mother and one card says: "I hate your mother".

'The cards came to him by post or hand delivery so she has visited his place of work.

'This is a matter which has caused considerable stress to the complainant and this lady has been a nuisance to him over four years or more.'

Dr Baker first met Megpara when they both worked at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, northwest London, and occasionally referred patients to her, the court heard.

Miss Obeney said: 'She took it upon herself to correspond with him on subjects through cards and by virtue of the number and continuing nature of them they had become extremely worrying.'

Dr Baker said some of the cards referred to their supposed relationship and her wedding dress.

Darryll Baker said that Megpara had referenced the pair getting married and living together in the infatuated notes

He added: 'I started to get more concerned when I started getting household records sent through because we were apparently moving in together.

'She sent her passport and I forwarded it to the passport office.'

Megpara admitted a charge of harassment before her trial was due to start.

She attended court with her family and did not appear to show any emotion in the dock.

Chair Catherine Harris ordered a probation report and said: 'This wasn't a small number of incidents, this was an extensive number of communications sent over an extensive period of time.

'The communications continued after a harassment warning was put in place.'

Adjourning sentencing until 5 April, Ms Harris told Megpara: 'All options are open. The court needs to understand more about you.'
Parents are being urged to stop giving children painkillers for a fever and doctors advised to avoid giving youngsters antibiotics for ear infections as part of a crackdown on 'unnecessary' medication.

The Choosing Wisely Australia campaign has released 61 recommendations for X-rays, use of antibiotics and palliative care in a bid to rein in health costs and avoid bacterial resistance.

One of the recommendations included that doctors should not routinely give antibiotics to children aged between two and 12 who are suffering with an ear infection.

Dr Frank R Jones from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said: 'Middle ear infection is a common reason for children aged 2 to 12 years to present to their GP, and we recommend against routine use of antibiotics for this age group.

Parents are being urged to stop giving children painkillers for a fever as part of a crackdown on 'unnecessary' medication (stock image)

'Regardless of whether one or both eardrums are red or bulging, antibiotics do not reduce pain at 24 hours. The small benefits of antibiotic use must be weighed up against the risk and potential side-effects such as rash, diarrhoea, or vomiting.

'We are reminding doctors and parents that it is also safe to not use antibiotics in routine situations where the evidence suggests it won't help the child.'

He said that antibiotics 'promote bacterial resistance' both in the individual and community.

The doctor said the guidelines differ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and for infants under six-months-old.

Fourteen prestigious medical colleges, societies and associations have suggested areas they believe could be changed to reduce 'unnecessary care' as part of the campaign.

The Australian College of Nursing urged parents not to give children paracetamol or ibuprofen to bring down their temperature when they are ill.

One of the recommendations included that doctors should not routinely give antibiotics to children aged between two and 12 who are suffering with an ear infection (stock image)

Fourteen prestigious medical colleges, societies and associations have suggested areas they believe could be changed to reduce 'unnecessary care' as part of the campaign

'The benefits of fever in slowing the growth and replication of bacteria and viruses are well documented,' the college said.

The college said medicine should only be used to reduce fever if the child is uncomfortable or distressed.

The campaign also suggested that the number of scans and X-rays should be cut down because of the unnecessary exposure to radiation.

They called for a stop to X-rays of most foot and ankle injuries, uncomplicated acute bronchitis as well as ultrasounds for groin hernias and endoscopy for gastric band patients.

End-of-life care also formed a focus for the campaign which suggested that decisions should be considered early by clinicians, families and patients.

Dr Simon Allan from The Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine says, 'It's important not to delay conversations around end of life and palliative care.

'One of our recommendations is to not delay discussion of and referral to palliative care for a patient with serious illness.
of around 2,000 refugees, who left the Idomeni camp and crossed a deadly river

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Leaflet: Instructions in Arabic tell refugees how to make to Macedonia, pinpointing where there would be no barbed wire fence

A leaflet telling refugees how to cross the closed Macedonia border - and promising awaiting buses to take them to Germany - is blamed for Monday's mass exodus from the squalid Idomeni camp on the Greece border.

The piece of paper giving instructions in Arabic on how to make it from Greece to Macedonia, pinpointing where there is no barbed wire fence, was handed out to refugees at the camp.

It falsely promises that there are 'buses or trains on the other side to take you to Germany', while claiming that those who stay in Greece would be deported to Turkey.

Some 2,000 refugees, including women, young children and even a person in a wheelchair, made the perilous crossing through a swollen river near the border on Monday, a journey which ended up claiming three lives, including that of a pregnant woman.

The leaflet outlines 'problems' and 'solutions', stating that: 'There shall be put buses or trains on the other side to take you to Germany.

'Those who remain in Greece will be deported to Turkey. Anyone who managed to arrive in the countries of Central / Eastern Europe will be able to stay.'

'If we move in small groups or alone, the border police or the army will stop you in Greece. But if you collect thousands of people at once, the police can not stop us and take us back.'

The leaflets had been signed off 'Kommando Norbert Blum', using the name of a prominent German politician and former Employment Minister, who denied any involvement in the leaflets.

Mr Blum, a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and German Secretary of State for Employment between 1982 and 1998, spent one night in Idomeni earlier this month to highlight the plight of refugees.

However, the 80-year-old politician told German media that while he 'has compassion for this act of desperation, I didn't initiate it.'

One refugee told the MailOnline: 'The leaflets say that if we can get over the river and into Macedonia, we can then go into Germany.

'They said Macedonia was 500m on the other side of the river. They were signed by a German politician.'

The march started off as a gathering of around 200, a few of whom seem to have been given a leaflet in Arabic with a map showing them where they could cross the border and avoid the fences.

Many of the refuges living in Idomeni fear that they will be moved to other camps elsewhere in Greece, believing this to be the first step in being sent back to Turkey by Greek authorities.

The mass-exodus on Monday was initiated by some 200 people, but when others saw them leave, they grabbed their possessions and rushed to join them, and soon some 2,000 people were marching for the border.

Once the cortege had reached the Suva Reka river, Greek police tried to stop them, but were unable to control the masses of people.

A child cries as migrants cross a river while attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence, mapped out on the leaflet handed out in Idomeni camp

The leaflet falsely promises that there are 'buses or trains on the other side to take you to Germany', while claiming that those who stay in Greece would be deported to Turkey, sparking a mass exodus of refugees from Idomeni

The leaflet outlines 'problems' and 'solutions', stating that those who made it across would be put on buses or trains to Germany, and claiming that those who stayed behind in Greece would be deported back to Turkey

Dangerous: Fathers hold on to their babies as they make the dangerous journey across the river in Greece with hundreds of others

False promises: The leaflet also claims that 'Anyone who manage to arrive in the countries of Central / Eastern Europe will be able to stay'

Some 2,000 refugees, including women, young children, made the perilous crossing through a swollen river near the border on Monday, a journey which ended up claiming three lives, including that of a pregnant woman

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CROSSING THE MACEDONIAN BORDER HANDED OUT TO REFUGEES IN IDOMENI These are the instructions on the leaflet, translated from Arabic. PROBLEMS: 1. Greek-Macedonian borders are closed and remain closed. 2. There shall be put buses or trains on the other side to take you to Germany. 3. Those who remain in Greece will be deported to Turkey. 4. Anyone who managed to arrive in the countries of Central / Eastern Europe will be able to stay. (Germany still cares for refugees). 5. The camp Idomeni likely to be evacuated in the coming days. You will be directed to the Greek government bodies, from where you will later be returned to Turkey. SOLUTION: 1. The fence in front of us stands to disorient us and think that the borders are closed. The fence ends after five kilometers from here, and still no fence that would prevent us to enter Macedonia. We can walk from here (see map). 2. If we move in small groups or alone, the border police or the army will stop you in Greece. 3. But if you collect thousands of people at once, the police can not stop us and take us back. We should collect all we can Monday in front of the camp and cross the border together. See the map to learn the route and collection point. Advertisement

Arabic-speaking police used loudspeakers to tell the refuges that the leaflets were not true, and there was no access to Germany, but once some started crossing the river, others followed.

Unfortunately for the hundreds of migrants who made it across river and the border, they were immediately rounded up by Macedonian military and sent straight back to Greece.

The migrants found a break in the border fence near the Greek village of Chamilo and crossed into Macedonia in the hope of heading further north to wealthier European countries such as Germany - however, they were soon surrounded by soldiers and put on military trucks.

Macedonian police and military, backed up by Czech, Serbian and Croat police, questioned migrants on how they had managed to cross the border and where they got the leaflet from.

It emerged that while many had not seen the leaflet, word had spread in Idomeni and many had simply opted to join in the crowd, hoping that someone knew where to cross the border.

As the refugees were being loaded onto the military vehicles, many begged to be taken to a camp in Macedonia, but the drivers had reportedly been given instructions to take them back across the border to Greece.

A Syrian man, who had carried his young child across the river, told MailOnline: 'I don't want to be in Europe, but I don't have any choice, my home is a war zone, and you can't avoid the bombs forever.

'I have been trapped for 20 days in Idomeni in appalling conditions, and I can't stand it any longer. I almost feel that I have no hope, but even with no hope you still go on.

'I don't have anything waiting for me in Europe, we will be like fish out of water but with no other hope where else is there to go.

A Macedonian official said 700 migrants who had been detained overnight were returned to Greece through the same location they entered.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, also said about 50 journalists and volunteers detained with the migrants were released after paying fines of 250 euros ($280) for illegally entering Macedonia.

Greek police said groups of migrants were seen coming back from unguarded sections of the border east and west of Idomeni  although Greece says it received no official notification or repatriation request from Macedonia.

A spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency in Idomeni, Babar Baloch, confirmed that many had returned to Idomeni.

But some migrants said they were beaten and attacked with stun guns by Macedonian forces, who drove them in military vehicles back to unguarded sections of the border and pushed them through.

'We were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers, who hit many of us,' said Syrian Molham al-Masri, 21.

'They hit me with a baton. Others were hit with Tasers.'

Macedonian soldiers escort migrants who have crossed the border illegally from Greece into army trucks in the village of Moini

Futile journey: A Macedonian police official said the 'police and army had began returning migrants'

Around 1,000 migrants including women and children trekked for 6km to the river after being told there was no fence on the other side

A disabled child is wheeled through a Macedonian border village where soldiers and police rounded up hundreds of refugees and migrants who had made it across the border

Hundreds of desperate migrants were stopped by Macedonian troops after wading thigh-deep through a surging river to cross the border

Perilous: Desperate migrants heading to Macedonia, after leaving the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece, are forced to cross a river while clutching their belongings and young children

A father carried his terrified child after making the crossing to Macedonia, from where hundreds were deported back to Greece

Afghan Ghulam Haidar, 35, had a badly bruised face and blood on his clothes. He said he was sitting beside a camp fire with his wife and 5-year-old son inside Macedonia when Macedonian police caught them and told them to get up.

'I had a bag on my shoulder and had difficulty getting up,' he said. 'As I was at it, a policeman took a stick out of the fire and hit me in the face. They hit my arm too, but luckily left my wife and child alone.'

Macedonia stopped allowing any migrants through last week, forcing them to take extreme measures to escape the muddy, disease-ridden camp near the northern Greek village of Idomeni where some 14,000 refugees are stranded.

Earlier, police said the bodies of a pregnant woman, her teenage sister, and one man were pulled from the Suva Reka river after apparently attempting the same journey.

Another 19 Afghans who tried to cross with them were taken to a nearby reception centre by Macedonian authorities and four, who were injured.

Natalija Spirova Kordic, a spokeswoman for the Macedonian interior ministry, said: 'The case is under investigation, but so far it looks like they drowned while trying to enter Macedonia illegally.'

News of the deaths comes after several days of heavy rain in the border area which has swelled rivers and led officials to instigate anti-flooding measures.

More than 12,000 people are stuck on the Greek side of the border in an overcrowded camp after the main migrant route to western Europe through the Balkans was effectively shut down last week.

Officials said the closures are forcing migrants to resort to 'desperate actions' which are making them attempt more dangerous crossings.

No one is left behind in the struggle for a better life as a group of migrants and volunteers lift a man in a wheel chair across the icy water

Migrants help people in wheelchairs across the river after the decision to close its border left thousands stranded at the Greek transit camp

The decision by Macedonia to close its borders to migrants has left many seeking alternative routes to the promised land of Northern Europe. Pictured, a man, presumably screaming in relief, reaches the other side of the river while clutching on to his belongings

Many of the migrants were seen clutching on to their children as they carefully negotiated their way across the river and pictured, a small child wrapped up in a shawl, hangs from the fabric - just a short drop from the icy water below

The journey across the river has already cost the lives of three people and pictured, migrants rush to the aid of a man who has lost his balance while holding on to a small child
Dozens of residents were evacuated from their block of flats this morning after an explosion.

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson this afternoon following the blast at 10.20am, which caused extensive damage to the top floor of the block in Northfield, Birmingham.

Three fire engines were sent to the scene as families were led to safety from the top two floors by firefighters, housing officials helped rehome them and surrounding roads were cordoned off.

Explosion: Three fire engines were sent to the scene in the Northfield area of Birmingham following the blast in this block of flats (right, file picture) at about 10.30am today, which caused extensive damage to the top floor

Nobody was injured, but West Midlands Police said that the man had been detained on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life - and confirmed an investigation with the fire brigade is ongoing.

Mother-of-three Ying Dang, 34, who lives on the fifth floor of the tower, told the Birmingham Mail: I heard a huge boom coming from upstairs and the whole building shook.

I was worried for my children and my family, it was really scary. I think two years ago there was a fire downstairs. I dont feel safe. This isnt a safe block to live in.

Initial reports suggested a gas leak could have been to blame, but this has now been ruled out along with terrorism by West Midlands Fire Service  and the cause of the explosion is still unknown.

Some of the families were later allowed to return to their homes, but those on the eighth floor could not. The occupant of the flat thought to be at the centre of the explosion has been accounted for.

Birmingham City Council distributed a letter to local residents saying: You will probably be aware that this morning there was an incident that has caused some damage to this flat.

Aerial view: Families have been led to safety from the top two floors of the block of flats (centre) in Birmingham by firefighters and housing officials are on site helping rehome them

The council and the fire brigade have looked at the damage and feel that there is no immediate danger to the residents of the block.

If you live on the top floor and you do have concerns then please do not hesitate to discuss these with the fire brigade in the first instance.

I heard a huge 'boom' coming from upstairs and the whole building shook. I was worried for my children and my family, it was really scary Ying Dang, local resident

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: We received a 999 call at 10.20am. The caller reported what was believed to be an explosion from near the top of the building and that some windows had apparently blown out.

It was confirmed an incident had taken place on the eighth floor of an eight-storey block of flats."

We requested the gas board attend as a precautionary measure, and the property was vented and a cordon set up. Flats on the top two floors were evacuated as a precaution, and structural checks were made.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: Police have cordoned off part of Cressage Avenue at Willetts Road in Northfield after an explosion at a flat just before 10.30am this morning.
accused of forging documents so that he could sell Shumway's home for more than $100,000

A former Texas newspaper photographer has been charged with murder after police say he confessed to killing his neighbor, burying the body in his backyard and then posing as the victim for financial gain.

The suspect, 43-year-old Christopher Brian Colbert, was arrested earlier this month in Los Angeles and initially charged with money laundering, tampering with a governmental record and securing execution of a document by deception.

According to police, Colbert had passed himself off for months as his slain neighbor, 57-year-old bus river Ronald Shumway, selling the victims house and spending thousands of dollars using his debit card.

Confession: Christopher Brian Colbert, 43 (left), has been charged with murder after police say he admitted to strangling to death his neighbor, Dallas bus driver Ronald Shumway, 57, last spring

Macabre: Shumway's murdered corpse was found encased in cement in the backyard of Shumway's home (pictured), which Colbert sold for more than $100,000 while posing as the victim

Colbert's ruse came to an end last September when the new owner of Shumway's property discovered the man's remains encased in a slab of concrete in the backyard.

Investigators from Dallas have recently traveled to Los Angeles to conduct an interview with Colbert, during which they say the suspect confessed to killing Shumway.

The 43-year-old former Dallas Voice photographer reportedly told police he and Shumway came to blows sometime in April after a night of drinking, and that he ended up choking the man to death in self-defense.

Colberts arrest warrant, cited by the station KHOU, states that Shumway came at him and tried to strangle him, and that he thought the 57-year-old man might tie him up and kill him.

Colbert told police that Shumway struck his head against the wall and that he could not breathe. He said he ended up choking Shumway with his hands.

Afterwards, Colbert said he decided to dispose of the victims body by stuffing it inside two black garbage bags, interring it in the backyard and pouring cement over it.

Colbert later sold Shumways' home on Winnetka Avenue, which the DART bus driver had owned since 1984, for more than $100,000.

A real estate broker told police he got an email from Ronald Shumway's address and later met with Colbert who introduced himself as Robert Shumway.

Tragedy: Shumway, a DART bus driver, owned his property for over 30 years before he mysteriously disappeared and was later found to be the victim of a 'violent homicide'

In May, Shumways house was put up for sale and it sold in June. During the summer it was flipped.

Colbert initially wanted to sell the home for $145,000 but he later dropped the price so he could sell the home more quickly, according to WFAA.

The home went through a few more deed transfers before people began to smell 'a strong odor of decomposition.'

The new owner of the home, who has not been identified, found a 'cement rectangular structure' with a black plastic bag inside on September 24.

When authorities opened the bag, Shumway's body was found inside. The DNA results confirming the body was the missing DART bus driver came back on February 12.

Colbert is also accused of using the 57-year-old's debit card to go on a $40,000 shopping spree.
Hillary Clinton let her guard down, talking about the election last night with MSNBC host Chris Matthews, in a moment that was caught on hot mic.

The duo discussed Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and his most meme-worthy surrogate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The conversation was captured by Washington Post reporter Abby Phillip.

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and MSNBC host Chris Matthews were caught on hot mic yesterday chatting about the state of the race

A Washington Post reporter captured the dialogue between Hillary Clinton and Chris Matthews during a commercial break as they were filming yesterday's MSNBC town hall with the Democratic candidate

First, Clinton dinged Matthews and his media colleagues for covering Trump's cat nip-like candidacy, as Matthews told her about a Christie and Trump campaign stop that was aired on CNN earlier in the day.

'Man, you guys can't stop covering him,' she said.

'He is a dangerous presence,' she warned. 'And you know, it's just like candy by the bushel.'

Matthews explained that his own network, will dip in and out of Trump coverage and noted its 'progressive audience.'

'But nobody can tell what works, what people want to watch,' Matthews said.

'People must think they want to watch him,' Clinton replied.

'You can laugh at him,' Matthews pointed out.

Turning to Christie, Clinton seemed confused about the governor's Trump endorsement.

'Why would, why did he support him?' she mused.

Matthews suggested that Christie joined the Trump bandwagon because he wanted a political future.

Hillary Clinton was critical of the media's saturating coverage of Donald Trump saying that he was a 'dangerous presence' and likening it to 'candy by the bushel'

'Did he have a debt or something?' Clinton wondered.

As for what Christie could run for next after his presidential ambitions failed, Matthews pointed out that Sen. Cory Booker, a popular Democrat in the state, wasn't going anywhere.

Christie could try and take Sen. Bob Menendez's senate seat.

Menendez was indicted last year. He still serves in Congress.

'There's nowhere Christie can go,' Matthews said. 'Unless Menendez has to go.'

Clinton questioned the governor's electability right now.

Christie received a lot of criticism back home when he was spending so much time on the campaign trail, mainly up north in New Hampshire before the Granite State primary.

Backing Trump and now stumping for the Republican frontrunner  and again leaving New Jersey governor-less  hasn't helped matters for Christie.

Six newspapers even demanded that he resign.

'I don't think he could win right now,' Clinton said.

'Not in Jersey, no,' Matthews echoed. 'I don't think he could win as a Senate candidate either. A Republican Senate candidate in New Jersey, it's a long time ago.'

Turning to the other ex-candidate endorsement, Ben Carson's appearance with Trump on Friday, Matthews noted how he's known the retired neurosurgeon for years.

They traveled internationally together in the past and Matthews got to know his wife.

'He was very soft-spoken. He never said a thing,' Mathews said. 'And then all the sudden.'

'I mean he was a brilliant surgeon by all accounts,' Clinton noted.

Matthews likened his demeanor to the old-timey comedian Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers, which made Clinton laugh.

'It's so funny when I talk about things like that with my staff that are so young,' she said, laughing, thinking about how the 20-somethings and 30-somethings wouldn't understand the reference.
A pest controller claims to have found a foot-long brown rat - less than a week after council workers in London said they had discovered a monster rodent measuring 4ft.

Luke Pomfret, of Grimsby Pest Control which is based in Lincolnshire claims to have found a foot-long rat in a property in central Grimsby yesterday.

He said the rodent was one of five large common brown rats discovered in the house.

Exterminator Luke Pomfret (pictured with the vermin) of Grimsby Pest Control which is based in Lincolnshire claims to have found a foot-long rat after being called to a property in central Grimsby yesterday

The landlord discovered the nest of rats had chewed their way through the floor board and skirting board of the home and called Mr Pomfret in.

The pest controller said he is expecting to find a few more at the property and said: 'The damage they did was something like you see on Tom and Jerry.

'Normally a cold winter will kill most off, but because it has been mild the population has not died down and it is having a massive effect. I am expecting a very busy summer.

'They breed like mad.'

Mr Pomfret, who served in the army for six years, said: 'When I saw it, I just thought 'That's a big 'un.''

He added: 'It is more fun catching rats.'

Gas worker James Green with a rat he found near Hackney Downs, east London. The perspective of the photo makes it difficult to see the rat's exact size, although the workers say it was four-foot in length

He advised residents to ensure there is no food source readily available for the vermin and added the area round the River Freshney in Grimsby is where the rat population is highest.

Meanwhile the man behind the picture of the 'four foot' Hackney rat which went viral last week has defended the image.

Tony Smith, 46, said he was completely overwhelmed at the reaction to the picture of the giant beast, which saw it dubbed the Hackney Rat King.

The boiler engineer from Dagenham, east London, said he wish he'd frozen the pest to prove how large it was.

The image was taken at an odd angle, sparking debate over how large it truly was.

But Mr Smith has said he stands by his original estimate that the rat could have been four-foot long.

He said: 'If only I'd realised how it would blow up, I would have taken more pictures.

'Some of the cynics were really having a go at the picture.

'I wish I'd kept it and froze it or took a picture against a measuring tape, it really was huge.'

The picture was taken by Mr Smith last week and shows his electrician friend James Green holding up the rat with a litter picker.

Experts wondered if the larger rat could have been a discarded pet.

Doctor Dougie Clarke of the University of Huddersfield said that the giant rat may be an African pouch rat, which can grow between three and four-foot long.

Mr Smith said: 'It could have been one of them pouch rats, I'm no expert I'm just a boiler mechanic.

'I didn't physically handle it, it was just a big fat rat.'

He said he was being inundated with messages from friends and family who spotted him in the news.

Mr Smith added: 'I was getting phone calls all over the place, it was on the news, it was on the telly, I couldn't believe it.'
Hillary Clinton owes Iowa police thousands of dollars for provided security at a Katy Perry-headlined event and two rallies.

Despite raising more than $130 million for her presidential campaign, the former Secretary of State has yet to pay Des Moines police $1,800 for manning the concert on October 24, the force claims.

Meanwhile, officers in the neighboring city of Marshalltown claim the Democrat frontrunner owes them $2,700 for working overtime at a January 15 event with Bill Clinton and a January 24 event with Hillary.

Clinton's campaign claimed they had not received an invoice from Des Moines. However, WHO-TV reports seeing a copy dated November 19. The campaign did not comment on the Marshalltown bill.

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Despite raising more than $130 million for her presidential campaign, the former Secretary of State has yet to pay Des Moines police $1,800 for manning the Katy Perry concert (pictured) on October 24, the force claims

Marshalltown police chief Michael Tupper even wrote to Clinton about the overdue fee on February 3 - but more than a month later, he claims, he has yet to hear back.

On Monday, he tried again.

'I think the most frustrating part is these events cost a lot of money for our communities and it's not just law enforcement that's impacted by these events, but they're very costly, especially for a small town like Marshalltown, [with] a small police force,' Tupper told WHO-TV.

They distract us from the other duties of the day and we`re happy to help out, but we don`t have unlimited financial resources that can cover all these security requests.'

Bernie Sanders is the only candidate that arranged to pay the force up front, Tupper said.

Trump paid his $3,600 fee on Monday, a day after news outlets reported Hillary Clinton's was overdue.

Lashing out at Clinton, Tupper said he has even reduced the fee to only request overtime payment.

'That doesn't cover the costs that I incurred with captains and lieutenants and supervisors planning the event or detectives getting ready for the event, pre-event,' Tupper told WHO-TV.

'I just ask for my expenses in overtime for the day of the event.

'We have limited resources here.

'This money is coming out of the City of Marshalltown general fund, the taxpayers of Marshalltown are covering these expenses and we just don't have the kind of unlimited resources that one might expect to cover these unexpected events.'
Lack of training and manning shortages within the military in Afghanistan contributed to the fireball crash of a helicopter which killed five servicemen, an inquest has heard.

Warrant Officer Class 2 Spencer Faulkner died alongside Captain Thomas Clarke, Corporal James Walters, Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas, and Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan when their Lynx aircraft crashed in a valley in the Kandahar province on April 26 2014.

Decorated WO Faulkner was flying his last operation before retiring on his forthcoming 40th birthday when he died in the crash, the inquest in Oxford was told.

Capt Clarke was flying the helicopter, but WO2 Faulkner was the most experienced pilot and in overall control.

Lack of training and manning shortages within the military in Afghanistan contributed to the fireball crash of a helicopter which killed five servicemen, an inquest has heard. Warrant Officer Class 2 Spencer Faulkner (right) died alongside Captain Thomas Clarke (left)

Corporal James Walters, 36, and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas, 26, also lost their lives in the training incident

An inquest has found that the pilot could have been suffering from 'cumulative fatigue due to operational burdens put on him that could have contributed to the accident' after the coroner ruled that military personnel had been put under strain from the lack of training and staff available to carry out tasks.

Speaking after the verdict, families of those killed in the crash said they felt 'let down' by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and that 'significant question marks' remain over what caused the accident.

Coroner Darren Salter has now recommended the MoD reviews manning levels and the impact this has on strain for service personnel as he delivered a narrative conclusion at Oxford Coroner's Court.

RAF Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan, 29, died in the tragedy on April 26, 2015

Ms Salter confirmed that the accident had occurred when the helicopter had gone into a descent from which they were unable to recover. The helicopter crashed into the edge of a dried up river bed in the Chaghray Ghar Valley target range known as 'the bowling alley' near the Afghan border with Pakistan on April 26 2014.

The possibility that the pilot had been attempting to create a feeling of weightlessness as the helicopter plunged out of the sky was ruled out at the inquest and he was described as a 'consummate and diligent professional.'

However he confirmed that WO Faulkner could have been suffering from 'cumulative fatigue due to operational burdens put on him that could have contributed to the accident.'

Mr Salter said: 'The evidence is that mechanical failure is discounted. There was no evidence of mechanical failure. Added to this WO2 Faulkner is humming a tune for several seconds before impact, something I do not believe he would have done if he had detected a problem with the aircraft.

'This was controlled flight into terrain due to lack of situational awareness and misjudgment of height.'

Mr Salter said: 'The undermanning of qualified helicopter instructors was a problem because the pilots were needed to cover tasks it was difficult for them to carry out their training role

'On Saturday April 26 2014 at 10.30 Lynx helicopter ZF540 took part in a training exercise 20 km south in the Chaghray Ghar Valley, Afghanistan.

'Five were on board, three crew and two passengers died as a result of multiple injuries affected by fire.

'The accident occurred on the sixth series of a track like pattern of the bowling alley. The pilot was instructed to carry a left turn at a higher rate of decent than previous serials. The other Lynx was ahead and maintained a separation.

'Because of the lack of situational awareness and misjudgement of the rate of closure of the ground, it led to the helicopter making impact to the ridge of the dried river bed.

'A contributory factor to the accident was undermanning and unsatisfactory level of training resulting in cumulative fatigue and skill fade.'

The coroner also said that flight data recorders should be put into newer aircraft after concerns were raised that a safety alarm had not sounded as the helicopter plummeted to the ground.

In a statement read out on the court steps, the family of Lance Corporal Thomas said: 'The Ministry of Defence, and those involved, had a duty of care to their employees and passengers, and in our opinion they did not provide Oliver with this by their failure to adhere to the rules and procedures set out, and as a family we feel very let down.'

Paying tribute to Lance Corporal Thomas they said: 'The last two years have been extremely difficult since the loss of Oliver, who was loving what he was doing in Afghanistan.

'He was highly respected by his colleagues and described as the 'go to man' doing an extremely difficult job for his country.

'His future was tragically taken away from him and us.

'As the coroner said, this was a case of controlled flight into terrain, due to lack of situational awareness and misjudgement of height.'

The family of Captain Thomas Clarke said: 'The tragic loss of Tom has left a hole in our lives which we will never be able to fill.

Capt Thomas Clarke's family stands outside Oxford Coroner's Court as Clarke's brother Simon gives a statement. They said they felt 'let down' by the Ministry of Defence

'Words cannot do justice to how much he meant to his family, friends and colleagues.

'Tom left a lasting impression on anyone who came into contact with him. His bravery, integrity and kindness were a mark of the man he was.'

The family said they will never know for certain what caused the tragedy.

They said: 'We recognised that his role in the Army Air Corps, as a helicopter pilot, could be dangerous, but he was always the consummate professional, whose flying and leadership skills were held in high regard by his peers and senior officers.

'There are still significant question marks over how this accident happened. Expert opinion has differed quite widely so we will never be certain as to the cause.'

But they said they were satisfied that all that could be done to ascertain the cause had been done.

And they welcomed the coroner's recommendation that all military aircraft should be fitted with flight data recorders 'to ensure lessons can be learned and future tragedies prevented'.

The inquest, which lasted a week, had heard that decorated serviceman WO Faulkner was flying his last operation before retiring on his forthcoming 40th birthday when he died in the crash.

WO Faulkner, who had 22 years service with the military, left behind his widow Cally and two young children.

In a statement after the inquest, his widow said: 'We just wanted answers about what happened and what went wrong to cause the crash. It has been very difficult hearing evidence, but we are thankful to the coroner for investigating the events of that tragic day.

'Nothing can ever bring Spencer back to us but we hope that lessons will be learned from this incident to reduce the risk of similar accidents in future.

'Throughout this Inquest I and the other families have heard all the witnesses speak about the true professionalism of each of the men killed in this incident. Spencer was always committed to doing his very best for the Armed Forces, but he was also a family man who was loved by everyone.'

Andrew Buckham, who represented WO Faulkner's family, said Mrs Faulkner supported all of the coroner's recommendations.

He said: 'We know some things have changed already, but obviously we want to see as much change as possible to ensure that accidents like this don't happen again.

'Our service personnel are under a lot of stresses and strains, and we expect them to do a fantastic job, but to do that they must be given the right tools, the right procedures and the right equipment to do that.'

A coroner has found that the pilot of the Lynx helicopter (pictured) could have been suffering from 'cumulative fatigue due to operational burdens put on him that could have contributed to the accident'

The inquest, which lasted a week, had heard that decorated serviceman WO Faulkner was flying his last operation before retiring on his forthcoming 40th birthday when he died in the crash.

Asked if he had faith these would be taken forward, he said: 'The MoD is a big organisation, I appreciate that sometimes these things take a little bit of time, but fingers crossed.

'This is the second investigation following the serious inquiry, so let's hope that the MoD is listening.'

Kesh Chauhan, brother to Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan said: 'We have been comforted by all that we have heard, that Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan was held in such high regard by colleagues and superiors alike. He was doing an important job for his country, a job that he was committed to doing to the best of his ability.

'Everyone who gave evidence at the inquest said that he performed that important role with dedication and professionalism. We are proud of him and he will be sorely missed.'

Tracey Walters, widow of Corporal James Walters said: 'The MOD and MAA have not been supportive and have often failed to answer our questions or provide the information that we needed, to understand what happened.

'The MAA's service inquiry did not address or answer a number of important areas. Following the inquest, it remains clear to us that many senior officers failed to obey the regulations and follow the correct procedures.

'If those senior officers had fulfilled their duty and specifically if they had ensured that appropriately qualifified personnel had planned this training flight as was mandatory, then this accident would never have happened.'

Mr Salter also confirmed he would be writing to the Secretary of State for Defence to ask for a review into the mximum weight for the Lynx helicopters be tested again against their centre of gravity, ruling that although it didn't have an effect in this instance, it could do for others.

The five men died from multiple injuries 'due to the effect of fire' when the Lynx helicopter crashed into a dried river bed in Afghanistan.
A seven-year-old girl who died from sepsis after being wrongly diagnosed could have survived if she had not been 'failed' by the ambulance service and 111 call handlers, a coroner has said.

Malaika Adam was told she had a stomach bug when her mother took her to an out-of-hours doctor - who had completed his training just ten days earlier - at Thurrock Hospital, Essex.

But the little girl was actually suffering from a burst appendix and continued to deteriorate. The following day, when her mother called 111 for help, an ambulance did not arrive for two hours.

She was then taken to Basildon Hospital where she died after contracting sepsis.

Malaika Adam (left and right with her mother Donna Howe) who died from sepsis after being wrongly diagnosed could have survived if she had not been 'failed' by the ambulance and 111 call handlers, an inquest heard

At an inquest into her death, coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said communications failings by call handlers and ambulance delays may have contributed to Malaika's death.

Calls to the East of England Ambulance Service Trust are handed by company IC24 in Ashford, Kent.

The coroner said: 'Malaika Adam died of natural causes. There were failings in the service provided by both IC24 and the East of England Ambulance Service.

'It is possible that care might have made a difference to the outcome.'

After the hearing, Malaika's mother Donna Howe said she hoped lessons would be learned from her daughter's death.

She said: 'There was some responsibility recognised in the conclusion, which we were hoping to hear because the system hadn't worked 100 per cent for Malaika, which is really sad.

'It's not brought our little girl back, but at least we've been able to make some sort of a difference and hopefully no one will have to go through what we've just been through.'

The seven-year-old (left and right) was told she had a stomach bug when her mother took her to an out-of-hours doctor at Thurrock Hospital, Essex. She was suffering with a burst appendix and died the following day

The hearing was told how Malaika was taken to the out-of-hours clinic in May last year.

She was examined by Dr Suren Sivakumar, who was working for South Essex Emergency Doctors. who misdiagnosed the little girl with gastroenteritis.

It is now known Malaika was suffering from pelvic appendicitis, where the appendix is lower in the abdomen than usual.

During an earlier hearing, Dr Sivakumar said he had only completed his training ten days before he saw Malaika.

THE DEADLY ERRORS THAT COST MALAIKA HER LIFE An ambulance was called but Malaika was given a 'Green Two' priority rather than a more urgent 'Red Two' priority, meaning there were delays May 13, 2015: Malaika leaves school feeling unwell. She looks pale and struggles to walk, and begins vomiting later that evening. May 14, 1pm: Her mother calls the GP surgery, but discovers that it is closed for the afternoon. 4pm: They arrive at the out-of-hours clinic at Thurrock Hospital. Malaika is sent home after a short consultation. May 15, 6.43pm: The NHS 111 helpline is contacted. The IC24 call handler notes symptoms and says that someone will call back. 7.49pm: A clinician calls back and decides to notify the ambulance service. 8.47pm: Para-medics arrive. Malaika goes into cardiac arrest. 9.45pm: Malaika arrives at Basildon Hospital. 10.15pm: Hospital staff take over from paramedics. 10.40pm: Malaika is pronounced dead by doctors. Advertisement

He said he had not taken her temperature before sending her home because he 'did not feel at the time there was any clinical indication to refer her to hospital'.

The schoolgirl's condition grew worse and the following afternoon her condition rapidly deteriorated, prompting her 38-year-old mother to call the non-emergency NHS number at 5.30pm.

But Ms Howe but did not receive a call back from a clinician until more than one hour later.

An ambulance was then called but Malaika was given a 'Green Two' priority rather than a more urgent 'Red Two' priority.

It meant paramedics did not arrive at the family home until 8.47pm - more than two hours after Ms Howe called 111. Moments later, the young girl went into cardiac arrest.

The inquest previously heard from a paediatric surgeon, who said these delays in her care would have been 'critical'.

Joanna O'Brien said she had been given so little information by IC24 that she did not even know her patient was a child, causing further delays when paediatric equipment was needed.

Ms O'Brien said: 'Her blood sugar levels were 1.8, which is very low for a child, and her skin was warm to the touch.

'She looked so fragile to the point where if I had moved her, from my past experience, without blood pressure my thoughts were that she would pass away as soon as we sat her up because she had no radial pulse or blood pressure.'

Malaika was eventually stabilised and taken to Basildon Hospital, where the handover from the ambulance service to hospital staff took twice as long as the target 15 minutes.

But she again deteriorated and was pronounced dead at 10.40pm.

Ms Beasley-Murray accepted the cause of death as natural causes from peritonitis due to acute appendicitis with perforation.

Jane Reeves, of IC24, admitted there had been failings but said since Malaika's death, the company had retrained its staff with information from the Sepsis Trust.

The East of England Ambulance Service Trust has been contacted for comment.
Praising Vladimir Putin for withdrawing Russia's bombing campaign in Syria would be like praising a man who has stopped beating his wife, Philip Hammond has said.

The Foreign Secretary suggested Russia had bombed civilians and hospitals during its five-month campaign in the war-torn country.

And he told MPs Russia's previous pledge to pull forces out of Ukraine later turned out to be 'merely routine rotation'.

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Praising Vladimir Putin (pictured) for withdrawing Russia's bombing campaign in Syria would be like praising a man who has stopped beating his wife, Philip Hammond has said

The Foreign Secretary (pictured) suggested Russia had bombed civilians and hospitals during its five-month campaign in the war-torn country

The remarks come a day after Putin ordered the pullout of the 'main part' of his forces from Syria.

Speaking in the Commons today, Mr Hammond said: 'Somebody goes into another country, starts bombing civilian populations, destroying hospitals and schools.

'If - and it's still a big if - they do decide five months later that they have done enough, let's not give them too much praise.

'It's a bit like, 'Did he stop beating his wife?'

'The fact that they are there in the first place is something that we have to continually protest about and we certainly should not give them any credit for simply withdrawing from these illegal activities.'

The Foreign Secretary warned the proposed withdrawal should be viewed against the backdrop of the country's actions in Ukraine.

He also said he understood no members of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) had received advance notice of Russia's announcement regarding Syria and no detailed plans have been seen.

Al-Nusra says it is plotting a new offensive just as the Kremlin announced plans to pull out. Planes are pictured taking off from the Russian base

Mr Hammond was urged by Richard Benyon, Tory MP for Newbury, to treat the announcement with 'huge caution' as the Foreign Secretary responded to an urgent question from Labour on the subject.

Mr Benyon raised concerns about claims Russia may have bombed a hospital during its operations and that the country must be held responsible 'for any war crimes that they have committed'.

Mr Hammond also told the Commons that Russian air strikes in Syria have grown steadily since an initial lull after a ceasefire was declared, noting on March 10 they were assessed to be 'at the same level as pre-cessation of hostilities'.

He added there is evidence the Russians had been 'more convincingly' targeted against ISIS and the Al Nusra Front targets.

Russian president Vladimir Putin's decision to withdraw most of his country's forces from Syria appeared to surprise the international community at a time when fresh talks also began in Geneva.

Mr Hammond said: 'We do not yet have any independent evidence to verify Russia's claims that military withdrawals have already begun.

'We're monitoring developments closely. It will be important to judge Russia by its actions.

A Russian SU-34 bomber is pictured taking off from the Syrian airbase, outside Latakia, Syria today

'It is worth remembering that Russia announced withdrawal of forces in Ukraine which later turned out to be merely routine rotation of forces.

'So, if this announcement represents a genuine decision by Russia to continue to de-escalate the military conflict to ensure compliance with the cessation of hostilities and to encourage the Syrian regime to participate in peace negotiations in good faith, then it would be welcome.'

Mr Hammond said Russia has 'unique influence' over the Assad regime and that 'after investing so much in Assad, Mr Putin must show the world that he can exercise control over his protege'.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn agreed Russia's announcement 'will be cautiously welcomed', adding it 'needs to be carried through' if it is going to support the ceasefire and de-escalate tensions.

Mr Benn asked what discussions have taken place with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and if the RAF's missions in Syria will change as a result of Russia's decision.

Mr Hammond confirmed he has had no discussions with Mr Lavrov since the announcement.

He added: 'The UK's mission in Syria will not change as a result of withdrawal of Russian forces.'

The first group of planes has already flown out of Russia's airbase in Syria in line with Vladimir Putin's orders

Hammond's comment came as Russia pounded jihadists in Syria with airstrikes despite Putin's pullout order.

Helicopters targeted positions around the ancient city of Palmyra as Syrian troops pressed a ground advance.

Russia has kept a contingent at its air and naval bases in Syria and a senior official said strikes against 'terrorists' would continue.

'Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian, are bombarding Islamic State group positions near Palmyra,' said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Earlier today, it emerged that Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch Al-Nusra Front said it was preparing a new offensive in Syria within 48 hours after insisting it was 'clear that Russia has suffered defeat'.

Russian military personnel have been seen loading equipment and boxes at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Latakia province, Syria and the first group of planes has already flown out in line with Putin's orders.

Military personnel have been seen loading equipment and boxes onto aircraft at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Latakia province, Syria

But Al-Nusra said it was now plotting a new offensive just as the Kremlin announced plans to pull out.

'It is clear that Russia has suffered defeat, and within the next 48 hours Al-Nusra will launch an offensive in Syria,' a commander of the group told AFP via Skype.

'The Russians withdrew for one reason, and it is because while they were backing the regime, the regime was unable to hold onto the territories that it took over,' he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

'Had it not been for the Russian warplanes, we would have been in Latakia (city),' he said, referring to the provincial capital of the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect.

'The (Syrian) army let down the Russians. It is a cowardly army,' he said.

Russia 'will not make any more sacrifices for a regime that has basically collapsed.'

Moscow began its air strikes in support of Assad's army in September, a move that helped regime forces to seize back territory from rebels.

A temporary ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents has largely held since February 27, but it does not cover Al-Nusra Front and the ISIS.

Pilots received a hero's welcome and were tossed in the air in celebration infront of dozens of cheering supporters when they returned home today

The Kremlin has used Hmeymim air base, which Putin said Russia would keep along with a naval facility at Tartous, to mount a five-month campaign of air strikes to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an intervention that has tipped the balance of power in the Syrian leader's favour.

Putin announced on Monday that 'the main part' of Russian armed forces in Syria would start to withdraw, telling his diplomats to step up the push for peace as UN-mediated talks resumed on ending the five-year-old war.

The Russian Defence Ministry said today that the first group of Russian planes had already flown out of Syria in Russia in line with Putin's orders.

Pilots received a hero's welcome and were tossed in the air in celebration infront of dozens of cheering supporters when they returned home today.

Several Su-34 strike fighters landed at an airbase outside the city of Voronezh located 360 miles southeast of Moscow after performing a fly-past for top commanders, relatives and supporters.

After pilots disembarked from the aircraft they were tossed in the air in celebration as cheering supporters clutched flags, flowers and balloons, national television showed in a live broadcast.

The withdrawal of forces from Syria is now being presented on Russian television as nothing short of a victory.

'The Syrian army received a huge support,' said Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, praising the work of the country's air force in Syria.

'Thanks to your work in Syria, international terrorism sustained significant losses,' he told the pilots in televised remarks.

Military personnel have been seen loading equipment and boxes onto aircraft at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Latakia province, Syria

Russia's air campaign has allowed Assad's army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks.

With Russia's main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscow's military action.

Syria's state news agency quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but won't leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria.

It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the 'successes' the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against ISIS, al-Qaida's Syria branch known as the Nusra Front and other militant factions in Syria that have been designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations 'with the same tempo.'

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia's foreign and defense ministries, Putin said Monday that the Russian air campaign has allowed Assad's military to 'radically' turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

Putin didn't specify how many planes and troops would be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed. U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel in Syria vary from 3,000 to 6,000.
Dan J. Popp, who has been charged with gunning down Jesus Manso Perez, 40, Mai Vue, 32, and Phia Vue, 36, in their apartment building in Milwaukee

A man accused of shooting dead three of his neighbors after learning one was from Puerto Rico allegedly told them 'you guys got to go' before murdering them.

Dan J. Popp, 39, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after allegedly gunning down Jesus Manso Perez, 40, Mai Vue, 32, and Phia Vue, 36, in their apartment building in Milwaukee.

The tragedy unfolded on March when Mr Manso-Perez and his son Jesus Manso-Carrasquillo, 18, walked by Popp's apartment and turned down the offer of a beer.

According to a criminal complaint, the pair when the attacked as they walked back to their apartment after doing their laundry.

Before they went to the basement, the document states that Popp had asked where they were from, to which they replied Puerto Rico.

The suspect then allegedly said 'Oh, that's why you don't speak English.

When they pair walked past and refused the beer, Popp is then accused of producing a long gun and told the father and son 'you guys got to go' before shooting Mr Manso-Perez.

His son then ran downstairs and outside, where he alerted the authorities.

But shortly afterwards, according to the criminal complaint, Popp burst into the Vues' apartment.

The family had fled into bedrooms when they heard the shooting, but Popp forced his way inside, led Phia Vue out and killed him, police say.

Popp then started to drag Mai Vue and her two young daughters out of the apartment, the document states. Authorities found Mai Vue dead in Popp's apartment.

Police, responding to an active shooter call, took Popp into custody without a struggle.

Members of the Vue family lay floral tributes and pictures outside the apartment building where Phia and Mai Vue were gunned down by Popp

A man lays a candle in tribute to the victims. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said his office was 'aware of concerns about the people who were targeted.'

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said his office was 'aware of concerns about the people who were targeted.'

He added: 'We'll continue to evaluate those issues as the case moves forward.'

A cluster of flowers adorned the small, concrete doorstep of the apartment building in a blue-collar neighborhood as relatives remembered three people shot and killed there as hardworking and family-oriented.

Xiomara Manso, said her brother, Mr Manso-Perez, put his family first and moved to Milwaukee six years ago from Puerto Rico to give his two children 'a better future.'

All he ever did, she said, 'was work and go home.'

Meanwhile the Vues were members of Milwaukee's Hmong community.

Mr Vue's sister True said: This has been really hard for all of us.'

The apartment building in Milwaukee where Popp allegedly murdered his victims. Crowds gathered outside for a memorial after the killings

She said her 89-year-old father, Seng Vue, couldn't believe his son died. 'All he did was cry. He couldn't believe it happened.'

True Vue said her brother was a 'Mr. Mom' who took care of the family's four children.
An exhumation in Spain has uncovered the bodies of more than 100 men and women executed over a four month period during the country's bloody civil war.

The human remains were unearthed after an excavation at the San Roque cemetery in Puerto Real, near Cadiz, in south west Spain.

It comes after a government funded project that revealed how hundreds of men and women had been executed over the months of July, August, September and October of 1936.

An exhumation in Spain has uncovered the bodies of more than 100 men and women executed over a four month period during the country's bloody civil war

The human remains were unearthed after an excavation at the San Roque cemetery in Puerto Real, near Cadiz, in south west Spain

It comes after a government funded project that revealed how hundreds of men and women had been executed over the months of July, August, September and October of 1936

The exhumation project ran by the Historical Memory of Puerto Real and funded by the region of Andalusia began in June 2014 and is expected to be completed this year.

So far 121 bodies have reportedly been found in the mass grave - but experts expect to find more.

Experts say 90 per cent of the bodies exhumed showed evidence of being subjected to 'violent episodes' while ammunition lies next to the bones along with lime used to decompose the bodies faster.

The bodies are of people aged between 17 and 62, according to the Huffington Post.

It is thought the victims were transported to the cemetery before being shot and dumped among pathways in the area as a warning to workers in the nearby fields. Their bodies were later tossed into the mass grave.

The exhumation project ran by the Historical Memory of Puerto Real and funded by the region of Andalusia began in June 2014 and is expected to be completed this year

So far 121 bodies have reportedly been found in the mass grave - but experts expect to find more

Experts say 90 per cent of the bodies exhumed showed evidence of being subjected to 'violent episodes'

Two years ago it was reported how across Spain volunteer teams of archeologists, anthropologists and forensic scientists were heading out every year on expeditions to dig for suspected mass graves - a legacy of Spain's fascist past.

Frequently watching them are the elderly sons and daughters who have long suspected they know locations of their loved ones who died many decades ago.

Some were killed during the 1936-1939 civil war but many, primarily from the left, were summarily executed after the victory of the forces loyal to General Francisco Franco.

Spain's government in 2007 passed a Historic Memory Law condemning atrocities committed during Franco's regime, which lasted until 1975.

Many exhumations have been financed through local and international donations or crowd-funding.
The two New Mexico prisoners who escaped a fortified transport van picked the locks on their handcuffs with some sort of wire, but it's still unclear how they could have slipped away without two prison guards noticing, officials said Monday.

The escape of inmates Joseph Cruz and Lionel Clah last week has raised concerns about security within the state's financially strapped corrections system, and questions linger over how the two escaped and began fleeing about 200 miles toward Albuquerque before authorities knew they were missing.

Both men were apprehended and taken back into custody over the weekend  with authorities arresting Cruz early Friday evening near the University of New Mexico and Clah surrendering outside an Albuquerque apartment complex a day later.

Clah, 29, told NBC News when asked how he managed to get out of his shackles: 'Spend 10 years in prison, and you'll figure that out.'

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Finally found: Escaped inmate Lionel Clah is recaptured in Albuquerque on Saturday March 12 after escaping from a prison van in Artesia on March 9

On the run: Imate Lionel Clah (left) and Joseph Cruz (right) from a prisoner transport van on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in the Roswell area, during a prison transfer. They used to wear to get out of their shackles

Captured: Just hours after the escape, the two were seen on security footage inside a hotel in Albuquerque in plain clothes. Cruz was apprehended Friday while Clah was captured on Saturday

At a news conference Monday, state officials said an investigation was ongoing into missteps that allowed for the inmates' escape and who helped them during their time on the run.

'They took advantages of weaknesses,' State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said.

'They waited for the right time, and everything lined up for them.'

Kassetas said he expected to make more arrests in the case this week, but he left some questions about the escape unanswered, citing the ongoing investigation.

Cruz and Clah were being transported to Las Cruces when they fled the prison van during a fuel stop in the small desert town of Artesia around 8:30pm Wednesday, KRQE reported.

Authorities discovered the men were missing around 12:30am Thursday.

Investigators believe the men picked their handcuffs, but it's still not known how they broke free from their leg irons, ditched their white prison jumpsuits and changed clothes, and got a ride headed north to Albuquerque, a roughly three-hour drive.

The two made it to an Albuquerque hotel by 2:30am, authorities said.

Lionel Clah is taken into custody by Albuquerque police Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Albuquerque. He was the second of two New Mexico convicts who escaped from a fortified prison transport van Wednesday

Scene: Clah was arrested at about 3 p.m. local time Saturday at an apartment in Albuquerque (pictured)

Murderer: Joseph Cruz was sentenced in 2006 for murder in the first degree, attempted murder and child abuse

Kassetas wouldn't say what investigators know about that trip to Albuquerque.

He also declined to say what surveillance video from the gas station may have revealed, indicating that disclosing the details could hamper the investigation.

Authorities believe the escape was planned and that the men received assistance, although Cruz and Clah told reporters as they were cuffed and marched into a police station that they didn't get help.

A look into whether missteps by corrections staff were involved in allowing for the escape is a part of the state police probe, but Kassetas said there hasn't been a decision to bring charges against the guards.

Authorities have been looking into who helped the men in their time on the run, and they expect arrests this week in the case, Kassetas said.

He also confirmed that Cruz met his family members while free.

Standard precautions require guards to search inmates and the transport vehicle at each stop for clandestine tools or weapons, said Gary Klugiewicz, a former inmate transport trainer with security consultant Vistelar in Wisconsin. He said officer fatigue and complacency can undermine security at the end of long trip.

New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas, left, and Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel discuss the escape and capture of two inmates at a news conference in Albuquerque

State Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel declined to answer whether the guards who were in charge of transporting Cruz and Clah followed the department's specific protocols and procedures, saying the information was privy to the state police investigation.

What's known is that the guards  a man and woman  worked 18 hours the day Cruz and Clah escaped.

The two guards have been placed on administrative leave. Marcantel also has suspended all prisoner transports since the escape.

State police say Cruz's two days of freedom included visits with family and his girlfriend before he was caught near a busy Albuquerque intersection Friday. At least twice, police responded to possible sightings of Clah in Albuquerque before a woman reported he was hiding in her apartment. Clah said he 'had fun' during his days on the run.

All of the state's prisons remain on lockdown as authorities investigate the escape, Marcantel said.

Cruz and Clah have been interviewed by investigators and have been returned to the state penitentiary, where they are being held in a maximum security unit. State police will consult with prosecutors about additional charges for Cruz and Clah once their investigation is complete.

Cruz was sentenced in 2006 for murder in the first degree, attempted murder and child abuse.
The leader of a British political party dedicated to EU membership has claimed the ballot paper for the referendum is worse than one drawn up by Adolf Hitler.

In 1938, the Nazis created a blatantly biased ballot paper intended to rig a referendum to approve the German annexation of Austria.

It featured the 'Ja' option in the centre, twice as large as 'nein', which was hidden in one corner.

But Dirk Hazell, leader of the 4 Freedoms Party, which is the official British arm of the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, claimed the ballot which millions of voters will receive on June 23 was even worse.

The Electoral Commission recommended how the ballot paper be drawn up by the Government on the basis of best practice and its design was adopted in the law for the referendum.

Hitler's infamous 1938 ballot paper to 'authorise' the annexation of Austria is less biased than Britain's EU referendum ballot, the leader of the 4Freedoms Party has claimed

Using a series of coloured lines, Dirk Hazell illustrated how he felt the Leave option was being unfairly highlighted to voters who will turn out in their millions on June 23. The word 'leave' is in the centre of the ballot paper while the word 'remain' is far to the left - design which could influence undecided voters, he claimed

He claimed the layout of Britain's ballot placed the word 'Leave' in the centre of voters' eyeline, while the word 'Remain' was far to one side.

Mr Hazell told European news site EurActice: 'That 1938 ballot paper goes down in infamy as how not to do it.

'But I think in one way the referendum paper is worse than the Hitler ballot paper in that it is subliminal.'

He added: 'People who are undecided could be influenced.

'What we want is the British people to have an honest ballot paper.'

Mr Hazell demanded key members of the Electoral Commission, which was responsible for designing the ballot, resign over the issue.

Dirk Hazell, a former Tory pictured in 2008, has claimed the referendum ballot paper is biased

He said the Scottish independence referendum ballot paper had been a much better example because it used fewer words and had a simpler, more balanced layout.

The Electoral Commission said: 'We made clear recommendations about the question that should appear on the ballot paper for the EU referendum, which was based on the now well-established approach we have used at other recent referendums and includes research conducted with voters.

'We welcome the fact that the UK Parliament accepted our recommendation.'

EPP spokesman Siegfried Muresan said: 'The EPP believes this is an unacceptable comparison given the UK is a fully-fledged democracy.

'The EPP will not interfere in the UK referendum.

'It is completely up to the people of the UK to make their choice and we trust that the referendum [] will fully comply with the highest democratic standards.'

The EPP is the largest group in the European Parliament and counts members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk.

David Cameron withdrew the Conservative Party from the grouping early in his Tory leadership to ease concerns of his eurosceptic backbenchers.

It was that move which led Mr Hazell to create his 4 Freedoms Party, which stood in London at the 2014 European Parliament elections but secured no MEPs.
Trial: Anastasia James, 37, pictured outside Leicester Crown Court, hit a tree after allegedly taking the unforgivable decision to smoke cannabis

A drug-driver killed her 14-year-old daughter and another teenage passenger by crashing off a motorway at 70mph while under the influence of cannabis, a court heard today.

Anastasia James, 37, hit a tree after allegedly taking the unforgivable decision to smoke cannabis either during a journey home from her nephew's birthday party or before she set off.

Her daughter Destiny James-Keeling, and her son's girlfriend, Megan Marchant, 18, both died within minutes of the accident on the M1 near Shawell in Leicestershire two years ago.

Self-employed James, of Braunstone, Leicester, denies two charges of causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs following the fatal crash on January 4, 2014.

Opening the case against James at the start of her trial at Leicester Crown Court today, prosecutor Michael Evans QC said visibility was good when James's Vauxhall Astra convertible veered into the central reservation.

Prosecutors claim the car then travelled back across all three northbound lanes of the M1, plunged down a verge, became airborne and struck a tree at up to 50mph, crushing its passenger side roof.

Describing the deaths as unintended but avoidable, Mr Evans told the jury: You will hear from an experienced collision investigator.

'He subsequently analysed the vehicle in painstaking detail. [He] came to the certain and uncontradicted conclusion that there were no mechanical defects that could have contributed to the crash. His expert conclusion is that the crash was due to the driver.

After the crash at about 7pm, a police officer is alleged to have detected the unmistakable aroma of cannabis, which increased as he neared the wrecked car.

James - who was returning home from her nephews first birthday party in Islington, North London, and also had son Wade Keeling, 18, in the car - gave a negative breath test in hospital.

Both dead: James's daughter Destiny James-Keeling (left), 14, and her son's girlfriend, Megan Marchant (right), 18, both died within minutes of the accident on the M1 near Shawell in Leicestershire two years ago

But, the Crown alleges, a blood test conducted around six hours after the accident resulted in findings consistent with cannabis use within the previous six to eight hours.

Around seven weeks after the crash, James was interviewed by police and told officers thought her loss of control of the car may been caused by a defect, possibly a tyre blow-out.

Self-employed: James, from Leicester, denies two charges of causing death by careless driving

The court heard James said she claimed it was ages since she had last used cannabis, and when asked if she had ever driven after taking it, had answered: No, especially driving with kids as well. I would not go on the motorway if I was high.

Summing up the prosecution case, Mr Evans said: This is a tragic case. There is no way that Miss James wanted this to happen.

But the QC went on: We know that cannabis can and will affect a person's driving abilities. The defendant in this case knew she was to drive that day to London and back.

She knew that in her care were three teenagers. Miss James knew, as she confirmed in interview, that cannabis has a dangerous effect on driving ability and that she should not - and nor should anyone else for that matter - drive after smoking it.

She chose to take cannabis, either shortly before leaving London or during the journey. She was willing to take that risk.

Claiming the reason for James's carelessness - as confirmed by experts - was cannabis, Mr Evans concluded: She did not want this to happen and you will have sympathy for her.

But she had the care of children and to make the choice that she did is simply unforgivable.
One of the world's leading BASE jumpers has died after he attempted a stunt during foggy conditions in Switzerland at the weekend.

Patrick Kerber, 35, whose stunts include leaping from mountains in the dark while illuminated by flares, died when he crashed at 120mph during a jump from the 10,000ft high Titlus Mountain.

He had apparently jumped in the early afternoon on Sunday, but due to the heavy fog it was not until midday yesterday that his body was found.

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Patrick Kerber (pictured), 35, has been named as the BASE jumper who died in Switzerland at the weekend

Due to heavy fog, rescuers were not able to locate Mr Kerber's body until yesterday, a day after he crashed

The daredevil was one of the world's leading BASE jumpers but died attempting a stunt during heavy fog

Medics say Mr Kerber died instantly after hitting the ground at 120mph after jumping from Titlus Mountain, in Engelberg (pictured), Switzerland

Mr Kerber pictured during one of his trademark jumps in the Swiss Alps, while another photographer captures the moment from below

Medics said he was killed instantly after hitting the ground at an approximate speed of 120mph - suffering massive injuries, Luzernerzeitung.ch reported.

This was the same place where he made his famous red-light descent down to the resort town of Engelberg.

He made headlines last year for the astonishing nighttime flight, which was filmed using cameras attached to his wingsuit.

At the time, he said: 'I wanted to do a wingsuit BASE flight at night during winter for a very long time. But somehow I never really managed to do it.

'The feeling was very intense and amazing. It is much harder to orientate yourself, as you can't see as well.

'It feels much more intense because you fly with more feeling and awareness of your body and movements.'

It is unclear whether Sunday's attempt to do a BASE jump in the fog was a similar attempt to notch up a world first.

Mr Kerber, 35, found fame for a stunt last year in which he leaped from a mountain illuminated by flares
'It's clear to everybody that a mother can't do that job,' Berlusconi claimed

But rival Northern League endorsing Giorgia Meloni, who recently announced she was pregnant

Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked outrage after suggesting a pregnant politician could not be the mayor of Rome.

It came amid a spat between the rival Forza Italia and Northern League parties, who are deciding who to endorse for the upcoming mayoral election.

'It's clear to everybody that a mother can't do that job,' said Berlusconi, in what was seen as a reference to the favourite candidate, Giorgia Meloni, who recently announced she was pregnant.

Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi (right, in 2009) has sparked outrage after suggesting mayoral candidate Giorgia Meloni, who recently announced she was pregnant, could not do the job

It prompted an angry reaction from Italy's Constitutional Reform Minister, Maria Boschi, who asked whether a male candidate would be asked to withdraw if he 'needs to be a father', the Local reported.

Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is backing Guido Bertolaso, 56, who currently heads up the country's Civil Protection Unit.

He backed the controversial figure's inflammatory comments by saying Meloni should 'focus on being a mum'.

Meloni, who served under Berlusconi as Youth Minister as She now leads the nationalistic Brothers of Italy party.

Berlusconi added: 'The city is in a terrible state... Being mayor of Rome means spending 14 hours a day between travelling around the city and your office.'

He also attacked the Northern League for trying to 'force' her into joining the race to become Rome's next mayor.

The controversial comments have been held up as evidence of sexism in Italy, where female employment is among the lowest in the 34-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Lower house speaker Laura Boldrini called the remark 'unacceptable misogyny. A former education minister, Maristella Gelmini, recalled an editorial in the Italian bishops' conference newspaper, Avvenire, advising her to spend more time at home after she gave birth while in office.

'It's clear to everybody that a mother can't do that job,' said Berlusconi of Meloni, who served under Berlusconi as Youth Minister

Meloni, 39, has been tapped by the Northern League leader Matteo Salvini to challenge Bertolaso, Silvio Berlusconi's candidate, as the two conservative leaders tussle for political dominance.

Berlusconi on Tuesday said Meloni shouldn't run, describing the campaign as 'difficult and challenging.'

Bertolaso, the former head of Italy's civil protection agency, said he intended no offense  then dug himself deeper by contending he was speaking to Meloni 'as if she were my wife.'
Sonia Witton, 48 (pictured), who dressed in a black balaclava before launching a 'frenzied' attack on her father, has been jailed for 14 years

An evil daughter who dressed in a black balaclava before stabbing her own father 22 times as she shouted 'die, die' has been jailed for 14 years.

Sonia Witton launched a 'frenzied' attack against her 77-year-old father Jeffrey Witton after turning up on his doorstep dressed head-to-toe in black, with her face covered by a balaclava.

The 48-year-old then stabbed him repeatedly in the stomach, neck, chest and arms, at one point kneeling over her victim and continuing to plunge the knife into his body.

The incident was witnessed by Mr Witton's grandson, who desperately shouted 'leave him alone' as the onslaught continued.

Incredibly, Mr Witton survived the attack. Despite being drenched in blood, the victim managed to alert a neighbour outside his home in Burntwood, Staffordshire, who called 999.

He was then taken to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital by air ambulance where he underwent life-saving colon surgery.

Witton, of Rugeley, Staffordshire, has now been jailed for 14 years after admitting attempted murder.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: 'This was a frenzied attack on your father. You armed yourself with a knife that day with the intention to kill your father.'

After the case Mr Witton, a retired builder and plasterer, described the moment he was attacked by his own daughter.

He said he was sat in the kitchen having a cup of tea with his grandson when he heard a knock on the door.

He said: 'I didn't see anyone but I went and answered the door, then I felt an almighty "woosh" in my stomach.

'Blood was bursting out everywhere and my grandson saw the whole thing, bless him. He was shouting "don't do that to my grandad, leave him alone". I was stabbed over and over again, all over my stomach, legs and neck.

'It fell to the ground and hurt my wrist, and I struggled to get back onto my feet to push my attacked out of the door. It was only when they spoke that I thought to myself "oh my God it's my daughter".'

Incredibly, Mr Witton survived the attack. Despite being drenched in blood, the victim managed to alert a neighbour outside his home in Burntwood, Staffordshire (pictured), who called 999

He described his daughter as going 'crazy'.

'To this day I don't understand why she did it,' he said. 'She went bezerk, she was going crazy. I still feel horrendous. I'm 77 years old, so how I managed to survive that, I will never know.

'I can't believe she got the sentence she did. I thought she would have got much longer. It was a horrific experience and I'm still struggling now.'

It was only when they spoke that I thought to myself "oh my God it's my daughter" Jeffrey Witton

The court was told how Ms Witton had turned up at her father's property after taking a 'cocktail' of drink and drugs.

Prosecutor Robert Price said at one point Witton knelt over her father and continued to stab him.

The court heard Witton fled then scene and headed to a nearby park, where she disposed of the knife.

She was walking into the lake to commit suicide when she was stopped my members of the public.

She had text a friend and her ex-partner telling them what she had done and where she was, the court was told. She was arrested at the park that day.

After being taken to hospital, Mr Witton spent 12 days in intensive care. He was left with two ten-inch stab wounds to his neck, a six-wound on his shoulder and three stab wounds in stomach, as well as several cuts.
Lord Mandelson today claimed he had never supported unconditional euro membership

Labour grandee Peter Mandelson today insisted he had never unconditionally supported joining the euro.

Amid claims from Boris Johnson and others that those who support British membership of the EU had been wrong on the single currency a decade ago and were wrong now, Lord Mandelson insisted he only ever backed keeping the option open.

But on many occasions in the past 16 years, Lord Mandelson is on record making a strident defence of the euro and warning Britain faced disaster by staying out.

The former business secretary told the BBC: 'What I and others said at the time was that we should keep open the option for Britain joining the single currency if the system worked.

'This was at the end of the 1990s, at the beginning of the 2000s when the single currency was getting underway.

'What I was in favour of was keeping the option open and deciding if it was in Britain's interest to join.

'In the event the Labour government at the time decided it wouldn't be in our interest to do so. We shut the door and nobody I know is seeking to open it again.'

In May 2003, Lord Mandelson reportedly said: 'Staying out of the Euro would prove a disaster The price we would pay in lost investment and trade and jobs would be incalculable.'

in January of the same year, he said: 'Euro membership offers the opportunity to transform UK productivity, because of the benefits of being part of an integrated single market.'

As recently as May 2012, Lord Mandelson said: 'The economic logic for staying outside the Eurozone can, and probably will, change.'

Lord Mandelson made his claim as he endorsed David Cameron's view that Mr Johnson was making up his campaign as he goes along.

The Labour peer said: 'The problem here is I don't really think Boris knows what he's talking about. I don't think he knows about how the single market operates, what the rules of trade are or what the alternatives are.

'He's talking off the top of his head and he's doing so not because he cares about the economics, he's playing politics with this issue without thinking through the economic consequences for our investment and jobs in this country, that's the problem with Boris.'

Mr Johnson has repeatedly campaigned on the record of those advocating Britain's continued EU membership.

Of backers of the single currency, he said: 'They were wrong then and they are wrong now.'

Boris Johnson has insisted many backers of the euro who now say Britain should stay in the EU were 'wrong then and are wrong now'

Brexit could restart the Northern Ireland troubles because it would create a 'hard border' with the Republic, Peter Mandelson warns

Peter Mandelson today warned against reinstating a 'hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic

A Brexit vote on June 23 risked re-igniting sectarian tension in Northern Ireland because it would close a border that has in practice disappeared, Peter Mandelson warned today.

The former Northern Ireland Secretary made his latest intervention on the referendum campaign to warn leaving the EU could 'irrevocably reorder our United Kingdom'.

Lord Mandelson's speech came on the same day as Boris Johnson blasted the In campaign for running 'millennium bug-style scare stories'.

Lord Mandelson said: 'Those campaigning for the UK to leave Europe often say that the reason is we need to ''take back control of our borders''.

'What they say less about are the implications for the UK's only land border  its Irish one - which could become a hard border between the EU and a non-member state.'

Speaking at the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce, Lord Mandelson added: 'It is unclear what the border arrangements would be in the unprecedented situation of the UK leaving Europe... but the re-imposition of a formalised border would be a radical departure from the established strategy of administrations in Dublin, Belfast and London.

'Anything, in my view, that strengthened a sense of separation between Northern and Southern Ireland  physically, economically, psychologically  has the potential to upset the progress that has been made and serve as a potential source of renewed sectarianism.'

Lord Mandelson said the Good Friday Agreement, which founded the peace in Northern Ireland, specifically referenced the European Union as it recognised both nations as 'close partners'.

And he said the EU provided a 2.4 billion euro funding project between 2007 and 2013 to help Northern Ireland overcome the challenges left by the Troubles.
capture everything from the euphoria of the swinging 60s

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From a Chilean's portrayal of a crowded tube station to a Dutchman's take on Oxford students in 1962, these are the beguiling images of Britain - told through the eyes of foreign photographers.

Curated by iconic British photographer Martin Parr, a new exhibition at London's Barbican Art Gallery shows how international photographers have captured the UK - from the euphoria of the swinging 60s to the anti-War movement.

A snap of a woman sitting proudly atop two men's shoulders in Trafalgar Square for King George VI's coronation parade in 1937 jostles alongside a shot of two girls next to a bombed-out house in 1970s Northern Ireland.

The Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers brings together a stellar cast of photographers offering an outsider's view on Britain - hailing from Chile, USA, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria and Italy.

Edith-Tudor Hart lends her expert eye to the 1930s while Dutch photographer Cas Oorthuys showcases a moment of frivolity as a man blows bubbles on a London street in 1953.

And among the 23 unique snaps being showcased at the gallery from March 16 to June 19 there is no class discrimination.

Black and white street photography hangs comfortably next to American photographer Tina Barney's sumptuous colour portraits, which offer a unique window into the British upper classes.

A woman sits proudly atop two men's shoulders in Trafalgar Square for King George VI's coronation parade on 12 May 1937

American photographer Tina Barney's The Red Sheath offers a window into the life of a British upper class woman in 2001

Japanese photojournalist Akihiko Okamura depicts two women putting on a brave face amidst the conflict in Northern Ireland in the 1970s

Akihiko Okamura captures two young girls in smart dress standing next to a tribute erected next to a bombed-out house in 1970s Northern Ireland

Dutch photographer Cas Oorthuys showcases a moment of frivolity as a man blows bubbles with vigour on a London street in 1953

One shot offers a close-up of a harried-looking man as he descends an escalator in London's crowded Baker Street station, taken by Chilean photographer Sergio Larrain in 1958-59

A candid snap of idle window-shopping in London, 1953, is captured to perfection by Dutch photographer Cas Oorthuys

Two young men playing football on an empty field in Mytholmroyd, a village in West Yorkshire in 2004 is depicted by Dutch photographer Hans van der Meer

Austrian-British photographer and spy Edith Tudor-Hart shows a group of women bearing babies jostling in a back garden in Gee Street, Finsbury, London in 1936

German-born Candida Hofer showcases a boat tearing through the Liverpudlian waters in 1968 in stark black and white clarity

Hofer turns her deft hand to street photography, depicting the facade of a derelict self-service shop in Liverpool in 1968
More than 17.4milllion of EU taxpayers' money has been blown on giving people bargain getaways to Brussels and Strasbourg, an official report into the extravagance of the European Parliament has revealed.

British MEPs have been handed thousands of pounds to arrange the visits to the Parliament's buildings that also double as short-breaks to enjoy the Christmas markets or to sample Belgian beer.

The so-called 'study visits' are widely seen by MEPs as an opportunity to reward the work of their political activists with a free break at the taxpayers' expense.

British MEPs have been handed thousands of pounds to arranges hort-breaks to enjoy the Christmas markets

The review of the Parliament's 1.3billion-a-year spending by its budgetary control committee said it was 'deeply worried' about the generous subsidies that are paid cash-in-hand without the need for receipts.

But the MEPs who authored the report at the same time moaned about 'excessive' cost cutting on coffee and paper they claimed was harming their 'working environment'. The report also exposed how:

MEPs spent 1million in one year on jollies around the world including trips to Mauritius, New York, Mexico and Cambodia.

Interpreters employed full-time by the Parliament earn the equivalent of up to 500 an hour because they have so little work to do.

More than 700,000 was lavished on an award ceremony for European cinema modelled on the Oscars.

The Parliament spent 1million promoting itself on Facebook and 3.9million on an online TV channel watched only 9.9million times.

Concerns have been raised that a 40million new museum to 'promote awareness of European identity' will replicate exhibitions in an existing visitor centre.

Thirty British MEPs took advantage of the scheme to organise subsidised trips in the first seven months after they were elected in May 2014, claiming a total of 149,324 for 863 visitors - around 173 per person.

The report into the Parliament's spending in 2014 reveals how its own auditors have condemned the cash payments as a 'high risk concern' that pose a 'high reputational risk'.

The so-called 'study visits' are widely seen by MEPs as an opportunity to reward the work of their political activists with a free break at the taxpayers' expense

Visitors get 60 (47) towards accommodation and 40 (31) for a meal with extra money on top towards travel expenses, but only have to spend a fraction of their time at the European Parliament on a tour that takes as little as one-and-a-half hours.

One subsidised trip to Brussels was advertised to members of the youth-wing of the Conservative Party in London as a 'chance to have a tour of the European Parliament, enjoy the fine array of beers that Belgium is renowned for and have dinner with Syed Kamall MEP'.

'Given that we are also there at the same time as the Christmas markets, we'll have the chance to buy gifts and enjoy some mulled wine! In addition to this, the whole thing is free,' it added.

MEPs are allowed to sponsor up to 110 people a year to go on the trips that have been done in groups of 10 or more.

The report also revealed that MEPs spent 1.1million in 2014 on visits around the world including a 103,000 four-day trip to Mauritius that included a cocktail party with politicians from the Pacific.

Twelve MEPs attended climate talks in Lima, Peru at a cost of around 5,900 each, with other far-flung destinations including Jordan, Qatar, Thailand and Israel.

Documents submitted to the committee by the European Parliament's secretary-general showed how 26million was spent on interpretation in 2014.

MEPs spent 1million in one year on jollies around the world including trips to Mauritius (pictured), New York, Mexico and Cambodia.

However, the interpreters employed full-time only spend on an average 10.7 hours a week in their booths and in some weeks just two hours meaning they can be earning the equivalent of more than 500.

Records showed how those translating Danish were getting 515 per hour worked, those working in Finnish 503 and those in Portuguese 492.

MEPs who authored the report criticised the 711,000 spent on the Parliament's Lux film prize, which was more than double the year before.

The award is supposedly given to a film that 'sheds light on the process of European integration' with nominees in 2014 including a French work on a young woman who joined an all-girl gang in Paris.

The report criticised the Parliament for refusing to release a survey on whether European voters knew anything about the prize that they promoted by sending MEPs to film festivals in Cannes, Berlin and Venice.

MEPs also voiced concerns about the 'House of European History', a museum being built in Brussels at the cost of 40.9million.

The exhibition due to open later this year is intended to celebrate the EU's 'historical memory' and 'promote awareness of European identity' but has been repeatedly dismissed as a 'vanity project'.

The report noted that 'the works should have been completed by the end of 2014' and called for a 'strict separation with the contents of information provided in the already existing Parlamentarium' - an exhibition just down the road already costing 3.7million a year to run for just 340,000 visitors.
A man on death row for killing two undercover New York City police officers cannot be put to death because he meets the legal standard to be considered intellectually disabled, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

In his 76-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis vacated a prior order that sentenced Ronell Wilson, 33, to death and instead sentenced him to life in federal prison without parole.

Wilson was a young gang member on Staten Island when he was charged in the March 10, 2003, point-blank shootings of undercover detectives James Nemorin and Rodney Andrews in an illegal gun sting gone awry.

The officers were shot in the backs of their heads.

Ronell Wilson is escorted past a heavily armed corrections officer after appearing in court to face charges in the shooting death of two undercover police officers in this July 30, 2003 file photo

Rodney Andrews (left) and James Nemorin (right) were shot to death during an undercover sting operation in which they posed as gun buyers

During court proceedings in 2006, a prosecutor said Wilson was a member of a gang known as the Stapleton Crew and that he may have been trying to steal $1,200 from the undercover detectives.

Nemorin and Andrews posed as prospective buyers of a Tec-9 pistol, the New York Times reported.

Ronell Wilson, 33, killed two cops and later got a corrections officer pregnant

A jury convicted Wilson and sentenced him to die by lethal injection, making him the first federal defendant to receive a death sentence in New York City since the 1950s.

But an appeals court threw out the sentence in 2010 because of an error in jury instructions.

Prosecutors chose to repeat the penalty phase rather than let Wilson serve an automatic life term, and a second jury re-sentenced him to death in 2013.

Since then, Wilson has been on death row at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

While Wilson was incarcerated in New York City in 2012, he impregnated a guard at a federal lockup.

Their child, Justus, was born shortly after the guard, Nancy Gonzalez, was arrested.

She was sentenced in 2014 to serve one year and one day in prison for the relationship.

Judge Garaufis conducted a hearing in 2012 and found that Wilson's IQ scores seemed to show he had sufficient intellectual functioning.

However, the judge did not consider other evidence of deficits in his 'adaptive functioning,' or how well he interacts with society or cares for himself.

In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a judge could not rely solely on a person's IQ score to determine whether they are intellectually disabled, and an appeals court ruled that Garaufis should to review his finding.

Former corrections officer Nancy Gonzalez. Left, Gonzalez pictured pregnant with Wilson's child. Right, Gonzalez arrives at Federal Court for a hearing in 2013

In his recent ruling, the judge found Wilson developed intellectual and adaptive deficits before he was 18.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment on the judge's ruling.

Last week, police held a memorial service marking the 13th anniversary of the detectives' deaths.

Michael Palladino, the president of the New York City Detectives Endowment Association, called the ruling disappointing and said it means 'justice was denied' for the slain detectives' relatives.

'An awful lot of calculated thought went into Wilson's cold-blooded actions, as well as his attempts to avoid capture,' he said.
In that style of bullfighting, animal is not killed after confrontation

The Spanish city of Valencia is considering adopting a style of bullfighting in which the bull is not killed by the matador in the ring.

Joan Ribo, mayor from the left-wing Coalicio Compromis party, suggested that Valencia take on the Portuguese form of corrida, which ends the fight between man and beast before the matador kills the bull.

The mayor said the move would preserve the cultural traditions of the fiesta yet still respect the animal's life, The Local reported.

Joan Ribo, mayor from the left-wing Coalicio Compromis party, suggested that Valencia take on the Portuguese form of corrida

'There are more and more people understanding that mistreating animals is a practice that must be eradicated from our society,' Ribo said.

'I think it could be interesting if we in Spain could find a way in which the bulls did not get that final treatment (in the ring),' he said.

But aimal rights activists reacted to his comments claiming that even the Portoguese style of bullfighting was cruel and just protracted the 'agony and torture' of the bulls, which are usually slaughtered outside the bullring after the fight.

Rubo's words came after thousands of Spaniards took part in a protest rally in favour of the controversial tradition. The protesters marched through the streets of Valencia to rally against a local authority ban in some part of the country.

Well-known matadors such as Enrique Ponce and Julian Lopz 'El Juli 'Escobar took part to the demonstration.

Ponce addressed the crowd, saying 'we cannot allow our traditions to be branded evil and cruel' because of 'spurious economic interests.'
Cosmetics firm Avon announced it was moving its headquarters to the UK, which was hailed as proof the UK could thrive outside the EU by Brexit campaigners

Brexit campaigners have hailed the decision by cosmetic firm Avon to move its headquarters to the UK, claiming it is proof that Britain can thrive outside the European Union.

The multibillion-dollar firm, which sells products in 70 countries around the world, announced it was relocating to Britain from New York after 130 years despite the prospect of it leaving the EU in June's In/Out referendum.

Avon, which employs 28,300 people across the world, said moving to the UK will help it maximise its global connections.

Campaigners supporting Britain's exit from the EU said the announcement 'flies in the face' of David Cameron's 'Armageddon' warnings of leaving the Brussels club.

The Prime Minister and fellow pro-EU campaigners have been accused of running a campaign of 'Project Fear' after claiming unemployment could rise to 4 million as multi-nationals flee the UK following a Brexit.

Today's announcement, which will embolden the Out campaign's accusations of 'scaremongering', follows last week's intervention from the head of the 590billion Norwegian Sovereign Wealth fund who said they will be investing in Britain regardless of the outcome of June's EU vote.

However Avon said it would cut around 2,500 jobs worldwide and refused to give any details on investment or job creation in Britain.

The change comes after Avon sold a portion of its North American business to a private investment firm.

It said it would transfer its headquarters from New York to the UK 'over time' and the move is part of a three-year plan to turn the company around after struggling with sales in North America.

The company sells beauty, personal care and household products products door-to-door.

Campaigners supporting Britain's exit from the EU said the announcement that Avon was relocating to the UK 'flies in the face' of David Cameron's 'Armageddon' warnings of leaving the Brussels club

Liz Bilney, chief executive of the Leave.EU campaign, said today: 'The more David Cameron says that Brexit will trigger some sort of economic Armageddon, the more developments in the business world fly in his face.

'First the 600 billion Norwegian Sovereign Wealth fund said Brexit was 'not a significant risk' and would not change its investment plans.

'Then Deutsche Bourse announced a bid for the London Stock Exchange. Next, a CNBC poll saw 73% of global Chief Financial Officers saying Brexit would make 'no difference' or even a positive difference to their chances of doing business with the UK.'

Jane Collins MEP, Ukip's employment spokesperson, said: 'We've had companies defy Mr Cameron and his team of letter writers in 10 Downing Street by saying they will remain in the UK if we vote to leave the EU but this is a new step as it's a company moving jobs here showing this country can thrive as an independent nation.

'Rather than this nonsense about needing to be governed by Brussels for jobs and to attract inward investment this is direct proof that it's over regulation companies are leaving behind as Avon quit Obama's high tax country.

'Which means that freed from the shackles of the EU and its rules and regulations as well as the drive for a corporate tax base, we will see a thriving economy and real pull factors to companies to base themselves in Britain: a death knell to this lie of three million jobs being at risk should we govern ourselves.'

Announcing the decision to relocate to the UK, Avon's chief executive Sheri McCoy said: 'We are taking another important step forward in the execution of Avon's transformation plan.

'With the recent completion of the sale of the North American business, our commercial operations are now fully outside of the United States, allowing us to dramatically rethink our operating model.
The founder of Gawker was today ordered to read extracts from the gossip site's explicit account of Hulk Hogan's sex tape.

Nick Denton, a British businessman who has written for the Financial Times, admitted parts of the Hulk Hogan sex tape story made him uncomfortable.

But overall, he told the jury on Tuesday, he found the piece to be 'sweet', 'perfectly judged', and 'humanizing'.

Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, is seeking $100 million from the site as he claims their article and publication of his sex tape was an invasion of privacy.

To give a flavor of the material that was published, Denton was ordered to read out extracts.

One read: 'Then we watch Hulk stand up and clumsily attempt to roll a condom on to his erect penis which, even if it has been ravaged by steroids and middle-age, still appears to be the size of a thermos you'd find in a child's lunchbox.'

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'It was sweet': Nick Denton (left), a British businessman who has written for the Financial Times, admitted parts of the Hulk Hogan sex tape story made him uncomfortable. But overall, he told the jury, 'it was sweet'

Other parts described the 'slow, dutiful b*** job' Hogan allegedly received from his friend's ex-wife, how Hogan was 'thrusting himself in her mouth' amid 'lots of squealing and moaning from her'.

The piece added that Hogan was 'making quick, loud Tony Soprano wheezes' after it ended.

Denton and Gawker claim they had a right to publish the tape under the 1st Amendment allowing freedom of speech. The New York-based media company could be forced out of business by an unfavorable verdict in a civil trial testing the limits of freedom of the press.

The lawsuit centers on the one-minute, 41-seconds of video that Gawker excerpted from the sex tape of unknown origin. The video has not yet been shown to the jury in St. Petersburg, Florida, near Hogan's home.

The video shows his tryst with the wife of his then-best friend, radio 'shock jock' personality Bubba the Love Sponge. Hogan says their consensual encounter was recorded without his knowledge five years before Gawker's posting.

When asked by a juror how the posting fit into Gawker's goal to produce 'true and interesting' journalism, he stood by the piece.

'We are talking about it now,' he said. 'I don't think anyone would dispute that it has been an interesting piece.'

He added that he felt it 'stood the test of time'.

Asked by his lawyer if he played any part in its publication in October 2012 the Oxford-educated media chief said he had not viewed the tape prior to it being uploaded to his site.

He said the decision to publish one minute and 41 seconds of the sex tape featuring Hogan and Heather Clem was down to his editor in chief AJ Daulerio.

But he said he thought the story was 'newsworthy', of 'interest to our readers', and that it fitted the profile of the website as they were 'getting to the truth'.

Denton said he did not get involved in the day to day publishing of stories on the Gawker website but would have become involved if it had turned out to be false.

He added the public's right to know trumps the celebrity's right to privacy.

The media chief's attorney Michael Sullivan highlighted a congratulatory email sent by Denton to his staff after a 'spike' in web traffic following the publication of the Hogan sex tape and the Duchess of Cambridge being photographed topless while on holiday in France.

The email sent on October 12th and given the subject 'Phew' said: 'Gawker scored with royal breasts and [this month] Hulk sex.'

Denton said he wanted to let editors and staff know the various websites in his media empire had performed well during the month of October 2012.

He told the court that despite a greater number of people viewing the site it did not result in any increase in sales of advertising.

Denton said advertisers did not like to have their adverts placed along sex tapes and had paid for advertising space in advance.

Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, (pictured on Monday) is seeking $100 million from the site as he claims their article and publication of his sex tape was an invasion of privacy

'Any spike in traffic cannot be monetized because of advertisers lead time. There is no commercial value.

Attorneys for Hogan have claimed Gawker published the sex tape to boost visitors to their site and profited from the extra number of visitors.

The court had earlier heard that Daulerio received a $2,000 bonus due to the extra increase in web traffic to the site.

Other staff were also awarded bonuses based on the number of visitors to their stories.

However, the site's former Chief Operating Officer took to the stand later on Tuesday to say the company did not make any money from publishing the Hulk Hogan sex tape.

Scott Kidder said as there was no advertising to accompany the story and video published in October 2012, it did not generate any revenue.

Kidder said Gawker took just over $54,000 in advertising revenue in the month the story and excerpts from the sex tape were published.

Despite the large spike in the number of visitors to the Gawker site to watch the video Kidder few of those would ever come back.

He said other sites within Dentons media empire were more profitable, with the technology site Gizmodo the most popular.

Gawker accounted for about 10 per cent of the annual $2.7m revenue in 2012.

But later, the jury heard revenue for Gawker Media went up to $35m in 2013 from $26m in the 2012.

The six jurors viewed a graph that showed 5.4million people clicked on the story before the video was taken down.

Kidder said 2.5m of those who visited the story actually viewed the one minute 41 second excerpt of the former wrestler having sex with Heather Clem.

Cross examined by Hogans attorney Kidder, who said his annual salary was $325,000 a year, told the court the Hogan sex tape story accounted for one tenth of all the traffic to the Gawker site in 2012.

Jurors at the court in St Petersburg, Florida, later watched a video taped deposition from Hogans publicist Jules Wortman.

Questioned on tape by lawyers she said Hogan had ignored her advice not to talk about the sex tape when he undertook a media tour.

A short clip from the Howard Stern show was played where Hogan talked about being aggressive in bed.

Earlier Mia Libby, the head of global sales at Gawker Media, told the court they could not sell advertising on a story featuring a sex tape.

She said advertising rates went up from 2012 to 2013 as they company had expanded its sales team.

Under cross-examination by Hogan's lawyer Denton told the jury he had owned a website called 'Fleshpot' that reported pornography and the adult film industry.

The site was sold eight months before publication of the Hogan sex tape.

Denton completed his evidence by answering several questions from the jury.

He insisted his editor had made the right call in publishing an extract from the sex tape and said writing about sex was one of half a dozen popular topics on the Gawker site.

'Sex is part of our branding. We write about what people are interested in.'

Asked if non celebrities had a right to privacy in their own bedroom, he replied 'yes'.
A radical preacher who sent a young Muslim father to his death in jihad and then asked his young wife to join his harem has been jailed for six years for terrorism.

A court in the southern Austrian city of Graz heard that the 42-year-old imam, originally from Chechnya, persuaded several young men to head to Syria to join in the jihad including the woman's husband.

The court heard that three of those had lasted only a few days after they ended up fighting on the frontline, including the husband of the young woman who the preacher had then offered to accept as his third wife. He also agreed to adopt her three children whose father he had sent to his death.

The imam had convinced a number of men in Graz, Austria to travel to Syria to join ISIS, file photograph

Austrian police believe that dozens of their citizens have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIS

The woman was also on trial after the court heard that she had been inspired by his offer, and had attempted to head to Syria with her three children. She was jailed for 15 months.

Her new husband was not a qualified imam but had been preaching at a mosque in the southern Austrian city.

The court heard that his young wife was only stopped at the border after her family complained that she was going there to join ISIS.

They later admitted that they had no proof, and acted out of desperation to stop her taking the three children out of the country.

Also on trial was a man who had been to Syria to shoot a propaganda film and a third who actually fought for ISIS, who had been identified by a former fighter now taken into the Austrian witness protection programme. They were both jailed for five years.

The three men and the woman were all convicted of membership of a terrorist organisation.

The prosecutor said that all three men deserved the toughest sentence, saying: 'Austria seems to be ideal for people from Chechnya. From here the men go to Syria to fight while they leave their women behind to be cared for and protected by the state, which keeps them safe. In Syria, what they are doing in ISIS has nothing to do with fighting against Assad, it is about robbery, murder and modern-day slavery.'

He added that ISIS was nothing more than fascism and no different from National Socialism or Communism under Stalin.

He said: 'These men only think they're big when they have a machine gun in their hands, and if not then they are very cowardly and hide behind the women they use to tell lies.'

As well as the three men and the young woman, the other two on trial were tragically the sister and mother of the Imam's third wife, who stopped her travelling to ISIS by reporting them to authorities claiming she was going to fight for ISIS, when in fact they had no evidence and only wanted to stop her leaving the country with the three children.

The prosecutor accepted that they had acted out of desperation, and asked for the court to take that into consideration. As a result they mother and sister were given three month and five month suspended sentences respectively.

The mother told the court that her daughter who used to dye her hair and was a happy child, had changed completely after visiting the mosque. The girl, herself the woman's oldest daughter, said that she wanted to travel to Syria, to live as a proper Muslim, which was not possible in Austria, and to have her children raised under Sharia law.

All three men said they plan to appeal the verdict, and the woman appealed for time to consider.
A respected priest and theologian accused of molesting a boy more than 30 years ago has killed himself at his home in Texas.

Father Virgilio Elizondo, 80, a Roman Catholic priest and professor at the University of Notre Dame, was found dead inside his San Antonio home on Monday at around 2.05pm, police said.

Elizondo died after suffering a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and his cause of death has been listed as suicide, the Bexar County Medical Examiner confirmed to Dailymail.com.

Father Virgilio Elizondo, 80 (left and right, in 1998), a Roman Catholic priest and professor at the University of Notre Dame, died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in his Texas home on Monday

He had been mired in scandal since May last year after being named in a lawsuit by an orphan known only as 'john Doe' who accused Elizondo of molesting and trying to kiss him when he tried to report abuse by another priest.

Elizondo had denied the allegations, saying: 'The allegations made against me are not true and have absolutely no basis in fact. I deny all the claims which have been asserted against me.'

According to MySA.com, officers received a call from Elizondo's property at 2027 West French Place at around 1.55pm on Monday saying there had been a shooting.

Officers attended the property, and Elizondo's time of death was listed as ten minutes after the call was placed.

The San Antonio Police Department had refused to release any details regarding Elizondo's death, and a call by the Dailymail.com on Tuesday went unanswered.

Born to Mexican parents in a poor neighborhood in Texas in 1935, Elizondo trained as a priest before serving in the the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Elizondo was known as the 'father of U.S. Latino religious thought' for his scholarly articles on Christianity and Mexican-American culture.

In 1997 he was awarded Notre Dames highest honor, the Laetare Medal, before becoming part of a faculty there in 2002.

Elizondo founded the Mexican American Catholic College, a research and training center at Notre Dame, while the colleges library is named after him.

Police say a call was placed from Elizondo's house in San Antonio (pictured) to report a shooting at 1.55pm Monday. Officers attended the scene, and his time of death was listed as ten minutes later

He was named by Time Magazine as one of America's most influential spiritual leaders, while he was also co-winner of the 2007 Community of Christ International Peace Award.

However, last year he was named in a lawsuit by a man named only as 'John Doe' who accused him of molesting him back in 1983.

In a lawsuit published by WNDU.com, the plaintiff accused another priest, Father Jesus Armando Dominguez, of abusing him while training for the priesthood in San Antonio.

According to the lawsuit, Dominguez mentored the boy at a local orphanage, becoming like a 'father-figure' to him, before starting to molest and perform sex acts on him.

He alleges that the abuse started sometime in 1980, and continued for two years until he confronted Dominguez, who he claims threatened to kill them both.

After Dominguez left for California in 1983 to be ordained, the plaintiff claims, he tried to report the abuse to Elizondo, then serving at San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio.

But when the boy told Elizondo what had happened to him, the lawsuit states: 'Father Elizondo began to fondle the Plaintiffs genitals, taking advantage of the same sexual liberties Plaintiff complained of with Father Dominguez.

'As Father Elizondo reached over, kissed him, and began to fondle him, the Plaintiff immediately became angry, frustrated, scared, and confused because Plaintiff thought that he would help.
The trials were carried out for 75 companies from 16 countries

Researchers were unsure whether participants were always willing in trials

Drug companies from Germany, France, the US and the UK carried out hundreds of tests on East Germans during the Cold War, according to a new report.

At least 900 medical experiments were conducted in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) between 1961 and 1989, using drugs made by Western pharmaceutical firms.

Tests were managed with the co-operation of the GDR's communist government and the Stasi secret police, a report by the Institute of Medical History and Ethics in Berlin revealed on Tuesday.

Drug companies from Germany, France, the US and the UK carried out some 900 clinical trials on East Germans during the Cold War before selling their products at home, according to a new report

The experiments were carried out for 75 companies from 16 countries.

While the majority of the companies were from West Germany, there were also experiments for companies from Switzerland, France, America and Britain.

Major names in the industry like Bayer, Pfizer and Roche were said to be involved. The companies have been approached for comment but were unavailable to provide a statement at the time.

Berlin's Charite university hospital found that in the 1980s 320 clinical trials were carried out on people in the GDR.

In a trial run by the firm Hochst AG between 1987 and 1989, patients received a medication that was already available in the West, while a control group was given a less effective East German medication.

The experiment was to determine the new medication's efficiency and wouldnt have been possible in the west - where medication that was already on the market could not be withheld from a patient, according to Die Welt .

Researchers could not determine whether participants always took part in the trials by choice.

However the tests do seem to have complied with international standards of the time and did not have 'any systematic breaches', the report states.

The scheme was developed to provide currency to the cash-strapped regime as well as drug shortage, a research team reported.

Tests were conducted with the co-operation of the GDR's communist government and the Stasi secret police, a report by the Institute of Medical History and Ethics in Berlin revealed on Tuesday

'The GDR authorities gave their country's health system over to Western companies and a research laboratory, in order to finance their highly indebted planned economy,' Volker Hess, head of the team, told The Local.

'The decisive competitive advantage for the Western companies was not the low costs, but the considerable time and efficiency bonus which the dictatorial GDR regime could offer.

'What appears dubious to us today was not specific to the GDR, even though some of it appears ethically dubious now.'

The report confirmed some allegations made in a 2013 article by news magazine Der Spiegel.
A Virginia mother whose child died after being left alone for hours in an RV cried in court Tuesday as a prosecutor read the charges against her and denied her bond.

Sabrina Malick and her husband Walter Newton were charged last week with second-degree murder and felony child neglect after their son Brendon was found wedged between the driver's seat and a couch in the family's recreational vehicle last September.

Brendon Newton was six months and 16 days old, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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Brendon Newton was a little less than seven months old when he was found unconscious in his parents' RV last September. He was pronounced dead in hospital

Sabrina Malick, 29, and Walter Newton, 46, were charged with second-degree murder and felony child neglect

Prosecutors said the parents left their child alone for seven hours in the RV parked on Jefferson Davis Highway in Richmond, Virginia on September 2.

The child died of asphyxiation after being left on a couch with pillows propped up to hold a bottle to his mouth, prosecutors said.

A cousin of Malick's husband told WTVR the couple lived in the RV at the time of the boy's death, and that the mobile home was parked in a lot outside a mechanic shop.

The father, who did not appear in court Tuesday, was working in the mechanic shop before he found the boy lifeless and called 911, the cousin said.

The man also claimed there was a second child in the RV and that that child is now in the hands of Child Protective Services.

Malick's attorney, John McGarvey, said Malick, 29, wasn't there when the child was found and that she'd left Brendon in the care of her husband.

'She was not there when the baby was found deceased, like I said, seven hours later,' said Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Langer, according to the Times-Dispatch.

Brendon Newton's death was ruled a second-degree homicide. His parents were accused of leaving him alone in an RV for seven hours

The infant's parents left him alone in an RV last September, according to prosecutors

A family friend said Malick was 'hysterical' when she learned her son was dead, via a phone call.

'She jumped out of my car. She just took off. She was saying, 'Oh my God, it's Brendon. It's Brendon. My baby, he's gone,' said Linda Gonzales, who had spent the day shopping with Malick at a Goodwill store.

'She's not at fault. Maybe child neglect because of the conditions they were in. Murder, no. She loved her children. She tried her best,' Gonzales said.

Langer said Malick was a flight risk and denied bond. She also said Malick had tested positive for drugs at two different custody hearings for one of her other children.
Donald Trump heard an earful on Tuesday from three of the most powerful people in Washington about his tone on the campaign trail and the violence that some Americans  both his detractors and his supporters  have brought to his rallies.

President Barack Obama fired a rhetorical shot at Trump without naming him, saying during a 'Friends of Ireland' luncheon in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day that 'I'm not the only one in this room who may be more than a little dismayed about what's happening on the campaign trail lately.'

'We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities  at Americans who don't look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do,' he said.

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KEEP CALM AND ... JUST KEEP CALM! Barack Obama said American politicians  meaning Donald Trump  should tone down rhetoric that inspires violence

A LOVER, NOT A FIGHTER: Trump insists his rallies are 'love-fests' and won't accept responsibility for brawls and mini-riots that have broken out when left-wing protesters show up in large numbers at his events

But he also seemed to condemn left-wing efforts to stifle Trump, such as the quasi-riot that erupted in Obama's adopted hometown of Chicago last Friday before and after Trump canceled a rally there.

'We've seen misguided attempts to shut down that speech, however offensive it may be,' the president said.

'We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold.'

Trump insisted Monday in North Carolina that his rallies are, largely, 'love-fests,' not slugfests.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke up during a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday to say that he had spoken with the Republican presidential front-runner, and advised him to put some distance between himself and the viciousness of some in his audiences.

'I mentioned to him that I thought it would be a good idea for him  no matter who starts these violent episodes  to condemn it,' McConnell told reporters.

Trump called McConnell in the morning as voters in five states went to the poll, all as part of an effort to romance the Republican party's so-called 'establishment' wing to support his White House bid if he emerges as the GOP nominee.

The billionaire has emphasized party unity lately, saying that he aims to bring the entire party under his tent, including those who recoil at his brash style.

CHICAGO RULES: Friday's fights that led Trump to cancel a rally are cited as Exhibit A

IS IT WORKING? Trump's no-nonsense, politically incorrect style heats up passions but leaves a trickle of arrests in its wake

Earlier in the day, House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters that american politicians should foster a peaceful climate whenever they appear in public.

'It's pretty clear there is a concerted effort by people on the left to disrupt these rallies and there needs to be condemnation of that,' Ryan said.

'But all candidates have an obligation to do what they can do to provide an atmosphere of harmony, to reduce violence and not incite violence.'

Ryan had said on Monday that 'some on the left' had tried 'to shut down these rallies and to stir unrest.'

But 'there is never an excuse for condoning violence, or even a culture that presupposes it,' he lectured.

The comments from the men atop two of the three branches of America's government came as Trump is fighting the perception that his rallies are places where fights can break out at any moment.

Last Wednesday an elderly Trump supporter sucker-punched a protester as police led the dissenter out of a North Carolina arena.

THE DONALD-WHISPERER? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he has spoken with Trump about the need to cool things off

THEY AGREE ON ONLY ONE THING: Obama and House Speaker Paul Ryan (right) are both calling on Trump to hold his fire and inspire a kinder, gentler election

The county sheriff's office there briefly considered filing charges against Trump or his aides for inciting a riot, but later said it would take no such action.

Trump also floated the idea of paying for the puncher's legal defense, later walking that notion back.

Speaking with 'Good Morning America' on Tuesday, he insisted that 'I never said I was going to pay for fees.'

But challenged with his own words  he had said he and his 'people' would 'look into it'  Trump conceded that he may have encouraged others to follow in the man's footsteps.

'Maybe so,' he said. 'Maybe that's why I wouldn't do it.'

Those kinds of violent incidents, often sparked by chip-shouldered progressive activists, seem to have subsided.
The Duggar family returns to television on Tuesday night with the premiere of Jill and Jessa: Counting On.

The new show will follow Josh's oldest siblings as they deal with life after his scandal and as sisters Jill and Jessa raise their newborn sons.

The family sat down for an interview with ABC News ahead of the show's premiere during which John-David revealed the family had moved on following his older brother's sex scandals, saying: 'The devil took his best shot. And he tried to take our whole family down, but God has really used this to - instead of tearing us apart as a family, he's using it to draw us together.'

He then added: 'We've forgiven, and we're moving on, and we're looking to the future.'

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Moving on: The Duggar family's new reality show Jill and Jessa: Counting On premieres on TLC Tuesday night (l to r: Ben, Spurgeon and Jessa Seewald, John-David, Jinger, Josiah, Joy Anna, Joseph and Janna Duggar)

Making moves: baby israel is seen taking his first steps in a preview of the new show (above)

Friends: Josh's son Michael is seen enjoying some chocolate milk with one of his aunts

John-David was later asked what viewers can expect this season on the show, to which he replied: 'You're just going to have to watch.

'You know... we're moving on with our lives, and we're really looking forward to the future. And so we wanted to kind of share that with our fans, the folks that have followed us for years.'

His sister Jessa also chimed in when asked why, after everything the family had been through, they even wanted to be on television.

'If we can encourage even one other person out there who's struggling, then that needs to be our goal,' said Jessa.

'We've had a lot of healing in our family these past few months and we're ready to move forward and share our lives.'

A new preview for the show shows Jill and husband Derrick in Central America with their son Israel, revealing that the young boy is walking on his own.

The parents talk about how difficult it is being away from the rest of the family and their safety concerns, especially after seeing wild animals, such a cougars, near their home.

Another preview, released last week, appears to show Anna Duggar and daughter Meredith as they prepare to visit Josh in rehab.

Anna is seen leaving the Duggar home with a suitcase and then driving off with her daughter.

She also speaks about her recent troubles in the preview, saying; 'I don't know what I'm stepping into. I don't know how to handle each situation.

'It's not anything I ever would have thought I would walk through. Just do the next right thing. Have the next right response for the next 15 minutes.'

Speaking out: 'The devil took his best shot. And he tried to take our whole family down,' said brother John-David, who noted the family is now closer than ever (l to r: John-David, Josiah and Joseph)

Away: The new series will show Jill and her husband Derrick (above) doing mission work in Central America

Reason: 'If we can encourage even one other person out there who's struggling, then that needs to be our goal,' said Jessa of the reason for the new show (above with husband Ben and son Spurgeon)

That preview also seems to suggest that Jinger Duggar may in fact be courting family friend Lawson Bates as she refuses to talk about who she might court next when asked by producers on the show.

Most shocking of all however is the revelation that Ben Seewald may be recording a Christian hip-hop album.

TLC announced in February that a full season of Jill and Jessa: Counting On will premiere this month following many of the older Duggar children and 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 suggested 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 his extramarital affairs and a porn addiction.

'With all our family's gone through, I've grown up a lot,' says Joy Ann.

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.

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.

Opening up: Anna also speaks about her recent troubles in the preview, saying; 'I don't know what I'm stepping into. I don't know how to handle each situation'

Big day: Anna Duggar appears to be going to visit her husband Josh with daughter Meredith in a new preview for Jill and Jessa: Counting On (above)

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.'

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.
The entire Washington, DC, subway system will shut down for at least 29 hours to inspect electrical components on the tracks following a fire near one of the system's tunnels, officials said on Tuesday.

The shutdown comes after a fire broke out on Monday about 4.30am in the tunnel outside the McPherson Square station in downtown Washington. The fire led to delays on the orange, blue and silver lines, which go through the station.

The Metro subway system will shut down at midnight on Tuesday and remain closed until at least 5am Thursday, which is the regularly scheduled opening time, an official said.

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The entire Metro subway system in Washington, DC, will shut down at midnight on Tuesday and remain closed until at least 5am Thursday (file photo)

The shutdown, which was announced with almost no notice, poses a potentially disastrous commute for hundreds of thousands of workers in the federal government and private sector alike.

Metro head Paul J Wiedefeld said the system would be shut down all of Wednesday. He made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the agency's headquarters.

'While the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life safety issue here, and that is why we must take this action immediately,' Wiedefeld said

A fire on the tracks led to major delays throughout the system on Monday.

The fire was caused by the same kind of electrical component that malfunctioned last year and caused a train to fill with smoke inside a downtown Washington tunnel, killing one passenger and sickening dozens.

During the shutdown, Wiedefeld said that about 600 so-called jumper cables will be inspected throughout the system, adding that those cables were inspected after the L'Enfant Plaza fire and deficient ones replaced.

Metro is the nation's second-busiest transit network, serving more than 700,000 riders daily, and a vital link for federal workers and other commuters to Washington from Maryland and Virginia.

Rep Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, called on the US Office of Personnel Management to allow federal workers to take unscheduled leave or telework on Wednesday, calling the decision to shut down 'a gut punch to the hundreds of thousands of commuters who depend on the system.'

The shutdown comes after a fire broke out on Monday about 4.30am in the tunnel outside the McPherson Square station in downtown Washington (file photo)

'While I am extremely frustrated with this news, safety must be our No 1 priority,' Connolly said in a statement. 'This dramatic action highlights the need for long-term safety and reliability improvements throughout the system.'

DC Councilman Jack Evans, the chairman of Metro's board said that while the system had previously been closed for days for weather, including earlier this year, it was believed to be the first time the system had shut down for mechanical reasons.

Commuters have already began expressing their dread for a day without their Metro.

Justice Department intern Atlee Ahern said the system is used by virtually everyone to get to their jobs. When Metro is shut down, she said the whole city shuts down.

Ahern, who rides Metro from her home in Bethesda, Maryland, said she did not see how it would be possible for her to get to the office.

She was hoping the federal government would grant unscheduled leave or telework, as two congressmen have suggested.

Metro's closure is likely to be a boon for taxi and ridesharing companies.
A battle between two of Australia's most venomous creatures has unfolded in a woman's backyard shed, and ended in an unlikely outcome.

West Australian mother-of-three Jamii-Leigh Marwick said her son Eamon found a deadly eastern brown snake caught in the web of a dangerous red back spider on Sunday.

Footage shows the juvenile snake - one of the most venomous in Australia - whipping back and forth as it tried to free itself from the strong web of its opponent.

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A woman has captured the 'most Australian thing ever' - a battle between a spider and a snake in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia

'So what we have here is a little snake and a red back,' Ms Marwick can be heard commentating on the vision, posted to her Facebook page.

Her children can be heard speaking in the background, and the Kalgoorlie woman remains calm despite the snake rearing its head at her while trying to escape.

Ms Marwick said she initially tried to rescue the snake, but 'if he's been bitten he's screwed anyway, he may as well be dinner'.

'He's angry, he's cranky, the woman can be heard saying before telling her kids 'we're going to leave him alone guys'.

Ms Marwick said in the end while she was trying to rescue the reptile, before she realised how dangerous it was, she actually killed it.

'In my attempt to save him... I accidentally dropped a jar on the poor bloke and he didn't survive,' she wrote online.

Jamii-Leigh Marwick's son Eamon found the venomous eastern brown snake (right) caught in the web of a dangerous red back spider (left)

'He's angry, he's cranky, the woman can be heard saying in the footage

The reptile flailed around as it tried to escape the clutches of the spider's web

'The spider is now also no longer a threat.'

The video has attracted more than 6000 views, and dozens of comments from friends and family marvelling at the battle.

'That's the most Australian thing I've ever seen. Google snake caught in spider Web. This is SO common is scary,' one woman posted.

'My two pet hates snake and spider,' another wrote

'You are a better person than me, I would not have got that close to both of them I would have run and I say to that I would not of gone back to the shed.'

This is not the first time a battle between a snake and spider has taken place. And despite the difference in size and strength, it seems the reptiles don't often come out on top.

Last March a Victorian farmer was astonished to find an enormous red-back spider had lifted an eastern brown snake off the ground and 'hurled it' into its web under one of the family's car.

'It's just mindboggling,' Neale Postlethwaite, a farmer of 20 years from Gooroc, north of Melbourne, said at the time.

The eastern brown snake is known for its potent venom, which can cause sudden death, neurotoxity, coagulation disturbances and nephrotoxicity, according to researchers.
President Barack Obama has made his choice between his party's two nominees for president - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders - but he's keeping his selection secret for now.

'I can tell you that both the president and the first lady voted absentee in the Illinois Democratic primary,' his spokesman, Josh Earnest told reporters today.

Earnest said: 'I'll let them decide if they want to disclose who they voted for.'

President Barack Obama has made his choice between his party's two nominees for president - but he's keeping his selection secret for now

President Barack Obama has made his choice between his party's two nominees for president - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders - but he's keeping his selection secret for now

Obama signaled last month that he could choose sides.

'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,' he said of the intra-party fight to replace him.

But he said, 'For now, I think it's important for Democratic voters to express themselves and for the candidates to be run through the paces.'

His spokesman said after the fact that the president was referring to his own vote in the March 15 Illinois primary.

'Right now our plan is not to make that public,' the White House official said, 'but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he may decide to make that public at some point in the future.'

The president has since indicated his intention to stay above the fray until Democratic voters across the nation have had their say.

In addition to the president's home state Florida, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina vote today.

Obama also voted absentee in Illinois in the 2010 mid-term election. He cast his vote in person in the 2014 mid-term and in the 2012 general election.

Today he's in Washington, participating in an annual St. Patrick's Day festival with Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Ireland.

The leaders went to a bipartisan luncheon together on Capitol Hill.

There, Obama lamented the rhetoric he's hearing on the campaign trail from their top presidential candidates, mainly Donald Trump.

'In my State of the Union address, I remarked that many of you have told me youd like to see more cooperation and a more elevated debate in Washington, but everyone sometimes feels trapped by their politics.'

Today he's in Washington, participating in an annual St. Patrick's Day festival with Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Ireland. The leaders went to a bipartisan luncheon together on Capitol Hill where Obama lamented the rhetoric he's hearing on the campaign trail from their top presidential candidates, mainly Donald Trump

Obama said, 'I understand that feeling. I served with many of you in Congress. And so I know that Im not the only one in this room who may be more than a little dismayed about whats happening on the campaign trail lately.

'We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities -- at Americans who dont look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do.

Continuing he said, 'Weve seen misguided attempts to shut down that speech, however offensive it may be. We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold'.

Obama scolded lawmakers for not taking a stronger stance against violence at Trump rallies as he said, 'Too often weve accepted this as somehow the new normal.'

'Its worth asking ourselves what each of us may have done to contribute to this kind of vicious atmosphere in our politics. I suspect that all of us can recall some intemperate words that we regret.

'Certainly, I can. And while some may be more to blame than others for the current climate, all of us are responsible for reversing it.'

Obama said it is 'not an accurate reflection of America. And it has to stop.'
A Istanbul prosecutor accused Stephenson of 'making PKK propaganda'

A British academic has been detained in Turkey on suspicion of 'making terrorist propaganda' for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) after distributing leaflets inviting people to Kurdish New Year celebrations (Newroz).

Christ Stephenson, a computer science lecturer at Istanbul's Bilgi University, was held after he went to the city's police department in a show of support for three Turkish academics detained after they signed a letter denouncing military operations against the Kurds.

A Istanbul prosecutor accused Stephenson of 'making PKK propaganda', according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

The arrest comes after the Turkish government confirmed a female member of the PKK was responsible for the bus stop car bomb in Ankara that killed 37 people and injured 125 others.

The interior ministry said Seher Cagla Demir, a Kurdish guerrilla fighter, has been trained by the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militant group fighting against ISIS in Syria.

The Foreign Office confirmed Stephenson's arrest and said it was providing 'assistance to a British national who was arrested in Istanbul on 15 March 2016, and will remain in close contact with the local authorities'.

The leaflets allegedly contained a bilingual Newroz celebration invitation with the signature of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) provincial presidency.

A friend of Mr Stephenson told the Telegraph that the academic was arrested because of the invitation and he should be released Wednesday.

Mr Stephenson tweeted about his arrest real-time saying 'I am in custody. I am in Vatan for the night'. An hour later, he added: 'Shortly I will be offline. Stubbornly I wish for peace'.

His last tweet was that he was 'off to the cells'.

Christ Stephenson, a computer science lecturer at Istanbul's Bilgi University, was held after he went to the city's police department in a show of support for three Turkish academics detained after they signed a letter denouncing military operations against the Kurds

His detention comes after president Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a redefinition of terrorism in the aftermath of the Ankara bombings. He said supporters helped terrorists 'achieve their goals'.

'It might be the terrorist who pulls the trigger and detonates the bomb, but it is these supporters and accomplices who allow that attack to achieve its goal,' he said in a speech in his palace late on Monday.

'The fact their title is politician, academic, writer, journalist or head of a civil society group doesn't change the fact that individual is a terrorist... We should redefine terror and terrorist as soon as possible and put it in our penal code.'

The petition that caused the arrest of the three Turkish academics was signed by 1,128 academics from 89 different universities, including Noam Chomsky, David Harvey and Immanuel Wallerstein. It called on the Turkish government to end the 'massacre and slaughter' in southeastern Turkey.
A Florida deputy has been praised for saving a woman's life after driving in front of her car as it was about to be hit by a man going the wrong way up a highway.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy John Robert Kotfila Jr., 30, was remembered by his fellow officers today after helping to save the life of Sarah Geren, 42, on Saturday.

Geren said she was about to be hit by a man driving the wrong way up the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, in Tampa, when Kotfila accelerated past her, crashing into the oncoming car head-on.

Both Kotfila, a six-year veteran of the Hillsborough department and the third generation in his family to serve in the police, and driver Erik Thomas McBeth, 31, died in the collision.

Sheriff's Deputy John Robert Kotfila Jr., 30 (center, alongside father, left, and brother, right, who are also cops) died on Saturday after driving into a motorist going the wrong way up a highway

Sarah Geren, 42 (pictured), said Kotfila used himself as a human shield after driving past her vehicle to hit the oncoming car, saving her life in the process

Speaking at a memorial event for Kotfila, Geren said: 'He saved my life. If he had not made that split-second decision, not only would my life be lost, but my boyfriends life as well.

She told The Tampa Tribune: 'I never got an opportunity to meet the deputy, but I think he is the most amazing man. He died a hero.

Geren praised Kotfila (pictured) as a hero, saying he is an 'amazing man' and lamenting the fact that she will never meet him

'I was a random person on a random road at a random time. He saved me.'

Geren told WFLA-TV that she saw the car accelerating towards her at around 2.45am and began flashing her lights to warn the driver, but could not react fast enough.

She added: 'I started to pull over to the side of the road, but that hadnt even occurred all the way when the officer rushed around me.

'One or two seconds after he passed me, he hit the car, instead of me. This man put himself in front of us as a human shield.'

She said she wasn't even aware that Kotfila was driving behind her until he accelerated past, smashing into McBeth's car.

The force of the impact spewed debris across the highway, and images of Kotfila's patrol car show the front end and engine block have crumpled backward into the driver's seat.

Geren said she was able to stop her car against the central crash barrier and ran to check on both Kotfila and McBeth, but could find no sign of life in either vehicle.

McBeth was pronounced dead at the scene while Kotfila was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Kotfila had been traveling along the road after visiting a nearby hospital as part of a case he was working on, police said.

Video courtesy WFLA

Motorist Erik Thomas McBeth, 31, who struck Kotfila's car (pictured) was pronounced dead at the scene while Kotfila was transported to hospital, but later died of his injuries

Officers say it is unclear why McBeth was driving the wrong way up the highway, but confirmed they are carrying out tests to see if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Deputies paid tribute to Kotfila today, describing him as a bundle of energy and always smiling as flags flew at half staff to honor him.

Kotfila was also praised for his work founding the Safety Net team, helping to find people with special needs who have wandered away from home.

Kotfila comes from a long line of police officers including father John Robert Kotfila Sr. and brother Michael Kotfila, both police officers in Massachusetts.

His uncle is a deputy in Pinellas County, with both of his grandparents were also in the police.
A Pennsylvania man has agreed to plead guilty to hacking into email and online accounts of several female celebrities and stealing private information including nude photos and videos.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles announced Tuesday that Ryan Collins of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of gaining unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.

Prosecutors say the 36-year-old was charged as part of an investigation into the posting of nude photos of numerous celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and model Kate Upton, but he is not suspected of being involved in releasing those images.

Prosecutors stated they do not have any evidence Collins posted any of the images he stole from more than 100 Google and Apple accounts.

He faces a maximum of five years in prison, but prosecutors will recommend he get just 18 months behind bars.

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Jail time: Ryan Collins has agreed to plead guilty to one count of gaining unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information after hundreds of personal photos of celebrities were stolen including some of Jennifer Lawrence (above in February)

'Today, people store important private information in their online accounts and in their digital devices,' said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker.

'Lawless unauthorized access to such private information is a criminal offense. My office remains committed to protecting sensitive and personal information from the malicious actions of sophisticated hackers and cyber criminals.'

Collins took the images of the celebrities, whose names have not been revealed, from November 2012 through September 2014.

Collins accessed at least 50 iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts, most of which belonged to female celebrities.

He would send emails to the victims that appeared to be from Apple or Google, asking for their usernames and passwords, and then access their accounts after they responded with the information.

He would then access their email and, in some cases, download the entire contents of their iCloud backup.

'By illegally accessing intimate details of his victims' personal lives, Mr. Collins violated their privacy and left many to contend with lasting emotional distress, embarrassment and feelings of insecurity,' said David Bowdich of the FBI.

'We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information.'
NBC host Chris Matthews' lack of impartiality has been called into question for a second time this week, as the scandal surrounding his failure to maintain 'fair coverage' takes an unexpected twist.

It was revealed Tuesday that he promoted the new Star Wars film just two months after The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams and his wife donated $2,000 to Kathleen Matthews' congressional campaign.

This is the second scandal to hit the host in a week after it was reported Friday that guests on his long-running cable-news show - mainly current and former prominent politicians - contributed at least $79,050 to his wife's campaign.

Chris Matthews' (main) impartiality on his Hardball show has been called into question again after it was revealed he twice promoted the new Star Wars film (above) just two months after The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams and his wife donated $2,000 to Kathleen Matthews' congressional campaign

J.J. Abrams (left) and wife Katie McGrath (right) - who both live far from the Maryland district Kathleen is seeking to represent - each gave Matthews campaign $1,000 on October 20, 2015

When Kathleen Matthews announced her run for Congress this summer, her husband and MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews assured his viewers he would maintain transparency and balance

Despite saying last June that he would be 'transparent and fair in our coverage' when his wife announced she was running as a Democrat for the open seat in Maryland's 8th District, it seems the Hardball host has gone back on his word on both counts.

And The Daily Caller today reported J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath - who both live far from the Maryland district Kathleen is seeking to represent - each gave Matthews campaign $1,000 on October 20, 2015.

Less than two months later, Matthews went out of his way to work The Force Awakens into his show.

On December 21, he opened his Hardball show with spoof of Star Wars' iconic opening credits and then began his opening monologue with: 'I'm Chris Matthews in Washington, obviously, coming off what you might call or must call a 'Star Wars' weekend.'

Then two days later, as Hardball was heading into a commercial break, the host said he would 'have some fun' by talking about movies, then added: 'And I'm not talking about the long line at Star Wars. This is the place for politics.'

And then after the commercial break he said: 'When it comes to Hollywood hits this year, Star Wars is the king of the galaxy. The latest episode in the space epic broke records last weekend.'

Then added: 'And in just days, it's earned $700 million worldwide. Movies make  $700 million is just beyond anything.'

On December 21, Matthews opened his Hardball show with spoof of Star Wars' iconic opening credits (pictured) and then began his opening monologue with: 'I'm Chris Matthews in Washington, obviously, coming off what you might call or must call a 'Star Wars' weekend'

Forty-eight frequent guests of the show, their spouses or their PACs donated a total of $79,050 to Kathleen's campaign as of December 31, 2015. Eleven of the show's guests appeared on Hardball after Kathleen (right) announced her campaign without any disclosure of their donations

But despite facing calls to suspend his show, there was no immediate comment from either Matthews or MSNBC.

And on Friday The Intercept reported that 48 frequent guests of the show, their spouses or their PACs donated a total of $79,050 to Kathleen's campaign as of December 31, 2015.

Although 11 guests appeared on the show after Kathleen announced her run without any acknowledgement of their donations, they did not violate Federal Communications Commission guidelines.

In a couple of cases, the donations occurred within days of the guests' Hardball appearances.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's PAC contributed $10,000 on June 20, 2015, just two days before the Democrat appeared on the MSNBC show to address sexual assault on college campuses.

A spokesperson for the PAC said Gillibrand had already been asked to appear on the show before the donation was made, the Intercept reported.

While the guests who contributedto Kathleen's campaign did not actually violate any guidelines, the report shows the Matthews' political connections. Others have said it is sexist to suggest Kathleen is dependent on her husband's connections

The day before California Senator Barbara Boxer was interviewed on Hardball in January, she gave $1,000 to Kathleen's campaign.

According to the NY Post, Kathleen's campaign manager Ethan Susseles said: 'Working women know it is possible to have their own career and not depend on their spouse for success.'

Media consultant Steve McMahon, a regular guest on Hardball, donated $2,700 to her campaign but refuted any allegations that Kathleen was dependent on her husband's connections, calling it sexist.

The FCC prohibits program hosts from exchanging money for appearances on broadcast stations, which does not apply to MSNBC, a cable channel. The money was also given to Kathleen's campaign, and not Chris Matthews himself.

MSNBC issued a statement that said booking guests on the basis of political contributions 'would violate not only our ethical obligation as journalists, but also violate the standards of NBC News.'

The controversy comes after NBC anchor Brian Williams was suspended for six months after he fabricated details of his coverage in Iraq.
To add to the stress of Super Tuesday 2.0, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio's Washington, DC, campaign office was evacuated after a suspicious white powder was found in an envelope, a spokesman said.

The staff was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon through the roof of the DC office building as hazmat crews inspected the building, spokesman Alex Conant told ABC News.

Employees were later allowed back into the office after the inspection was finished, according to a tweet from Rubio aide Jahan Wilcox.

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Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio's Washington, DC, campaign office was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon after an aide discovered an envelope containing a suspicious white powder

'FYI - All is clear at @MarcoRubio's HQ office. We're heading back into our office,' he wrote on Twitter.

Rubio aides said it is too early to determine what the substance that was found is, but it is not hazardous, according to WVSN.

FBI and the fire department responded to the scene.

No further information about the incident has been released to the public.

Rubio tweeted about the incident after his staff was able to return the building, saying he is glad everyone is safe.

'Glad campaign staff in DC is all safe! Thanks to DC emergency personnel,' he wrote as he retweeted a CNN post about the evacuation.

The scary evacuation comes on the same day that Republican and Democratic primaries are taking place all over the country for Mega Tuesday.

Florida Sen Rubio and Ohio Gov John Kasich are fighting for home-state victories to stay alive in the 2016 campaign, the governor seeming to have better odds than the senator, as Donald Trump hopes to crush his rivals.

Ted Cruz, No 2 in the GOP race, hopes to become the last man standing against Trump.

Both parties held contests in Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina; the Ohio and Florida primaries were especially crucial for Republicans because all GOP delegates in those big states go to the winner.

Trump already triumphed earlier Tuesday in the winner-take-all contest for nine GOP delegates in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory.
A Melbourne gangland lawyer who was gunned down outside his gelato parlour apparently had a bounty on his head that had been increased to $500,000 before his death.

Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro's body was found on a footpath in East Brunswick by a rubbish-truck driver about 2.30am on Tuesday.

The 55-year-old was executed in an apparent professional hit as he walked to his car after closing his Gelobar cafe about 12.40am, police say.

It has also emerged Mr Acquaro was stripped naked, pistol-whipped and beaten in a pizza restaurant 14 years ago over suspicions that he was a police informer.

Shot dead: Criminal lawyer Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro was killed in what is believed to have been a professional hit

The bounty on Mr Acquaro's life had reportedly ballooned from $200k to $500k in recent months

Garbage workers discovered Mr Acquaro's body on the footpath behind Gelobar around 2.30am Tuesday

Floral tributes lay out the front of the ice cream parlour on Tuesday afternoon

The homicide squad is waiting for an autopsy report to confirm how many times Mr Acquaro was shot

The lawyer - who once had aspirations to be Melbourne's 'godfather' - was attacked in a pizza restaurant in 2002 over fears he tipped police off about a money laundering scam.

Police documents seen by the Herald Sun detailed how mafia 'money man' Mario Condello blamed Mr Acquaro after police became aware of an attempt to launder proceeds through an estate agency.

But Mr Acquaro was later freed after convincing Condello, who was later killed, that he was not to blame, the newspaper said.

Mr Acquaro's murderer remains on the loose and police want to speak to any witnesses who heard shots or a car travelling fast the wrong way up the one-way street where his body was found.

The homicide squad is waiting for an autopsy report to confirm how many times Mr Acquaro was shot, or what type of gun was used.

The father-of-three had strong ties within the Calabrian community and had been president of Melbourne's Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Reggio Calabria Club.

He was also a criminal lawyer who had represented a raft of prominent gangland figures in Victoria.

Court documents show there was a $200,000 contract on his head, and he had been warned by police his life was in danger.

The Herald Sun reports this bounty was increased to $500,000 in recent months. Mr Acquaro was aware of the threat against him but was not worried, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.

'I'm isolated. They can't physically harm me,' he told the newspaper recently. 'I'm not afraid of dying.'

Mr Acquaro was a former lawyer of Francesco Madafferi, a mafia figure and drug dealer convicted of importing 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy in tomato tins in 2007

Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures and was also a past president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce

Mr Acquaro represented Francesco Madafferi (left) who was jailed for his connection to the importation of 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy tables hidden in tomato tins in 2007. He was also representing Rocco Arico (right), who appeared in court last Friday charged with extortion, assault and possessing a firearm

Mr Acquaro took over the popular gelateria and cafe on Lygon Street about five years ago.

Throughout his career, Mr Acquaro represented several prominent Melbourne and Calabrian crime figures, including accused mafia boss Frank Madafferi and recently, alleged crime boss Rocco Arico.

A regular at the gelato shop, Mary Marcuccio, told Daily Mail Australia Mr Acquaro seemed in a fine mood when she popped in to get an ice cream on Monday.

'No, not at all. He was very hospitable.

'We just exchanged 'hi, how are you' and he just asked if there was anything else I can help you with.... He didn't look disturbed or anything.'

Dr Dominic Barbaro, president of the Dante Alighieir Society, said he was shocked that a 'nice guy' who was 'very well regarded in the Italian community' had been killed.

Rocco Careri, who has also been president of the Reggio Calabria society, said the community was 'very upset' it had lost a 'very nice person'.

'He was a very, very kind person. I hear the news this morning (and we are) very upset we lost a very nice person.
A fisherman in south-east China was left baffled when he caught a fish that looked like something out of a horror movie.

Mr Leung from the city of Jiangmen in Guangdong Province was working on the West River with friends on Tuesday when he caught the monster fish, reported Huanqiu.com, an affiliation of the Peoples Daily Online.

He described the 30-inch-long creature as ferocious with a bite like a crocodile. Mr Leung didnt dare to eat it, instead he has put it in a fish tank so visitors can see it.

Monster: A fisherman in south-east China was shocked when he caught a rare fish with razor sharp teeth

Creature from the deep: Mr Leung was working on the West River with friends today when he caught the fish

Talking to reporters, Mr Leung said he has been working as a fisherman for more than 20 years and in all that time he has never seen a fish like this before.

He said: I suddenly felt my net become really heavy and then I saw the large fish.

'It had a slender head and its whole body looked black with a white belly.

He held its mouth open and revealed two full rows of fang-like teeth.

Mr Leung added because he didnt know what it was he didnt dare to eat it for fear of being poisoned.

Scary: He was uncertain about eating the fish because he didn't know what it was so he put it in a fish tank

Giant: The creature measured 30-inches with a ferocious biter and two layers of razor sharp teeth in its mouth

The fish has been temporarily placed in a fish tank in a restaurant in the village for guest to enjoy.

Although Mr Leung said he had never seen anything like it before, the fish does look similar to a gar (Lepisosteiformes) but it also resembles a paddlefish.

Gar is a heavily armoured fish that dates back to the Cretaceous period.

According to Encyclopedia.com, they are usually found in North and Central America.

Paddlefish is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature it is critically endangered due to historical overfishing and habitat degradation.

Unusual: Mr Leung said he has been fishing in the same spot for 20 years and has never seen anything like it

Pre-historic: The gar (above) is a heavily armoured fish with a 'beak' that dates back to the Cretaceous period
A shocking video has emerged from China of the moment an angry car owner drove his vehicle straight through the front of a dealership completely trashing the shop.

At 1pm on March 11 Mr Bai crashed his white Volkswagen into the Beijing 4S store because he was unhappy with his recent purchase, reported the Peoples Daily Online.

Fortunately no one was injured, but the shop was destroyed. Mr Bai had managed to cause an estimated 200,000 Yuans worth of damage (about 20,000). He was taken into custody and the police are investigating the incident.

Madness: A man was angry at a recent car purchase in Beijing so he drove his car through the shop window

Carnage: Mr Bai recently bought a car from a dealership in China, he then used it to smash the same store

The dealership is located in Daxing Yizhuang Development Zone in the Chinese capital.

In the 70-second video - captured on the stores security camera - Mr Bai can be seen driving straight through the front windows of the showroom, smashing everything in his path.

It doesnt stop once he is inside. Mr Bai then drives his car inside the shop, crashing into displayed vehicles and counters; anything that is in his path is destroyed.

Store workers try helplessly to stop him as he is smashing the shop up, but they are unable to.

Instead of driving off Mr Bai gets out of the car inside the store and goes on a massive tirade, accusing the staff of intimidation, he shouted: 4S staff came to threaten me at my house and threatened my family members. I dont want to live anymore.

I called you. I didnt want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to ruin your reputation. They gave me a deadline and told me to withdraw my complaint.

I didnt withdraw my complaint and they came to threaten me at my home. They said they would get ten people to rape my wife.

Destruction: A parked display car was hit when Mr Bai crashed into the store angry at the owners inside

Smashed: He left no part of the store untouched after crashing in straight through the front display windows

Tirade: Mr Bai got out of his car and shouted in front of shocked bystanders: 'I didnt want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to ruin your reputation'

Mr Bai purchased the 2015 white Volkswagen Sagitar from the store, which costs around 90,000 Yuan (9,000) in China.

He was then offered a number of accessories for the vehicle including body paint coating, a navigation system and windshield glass film, plus extended warranty, adding up to a total of 16,100 Yuan (1,600).

But the vehicle reportedly had a number of problems and Mr Bai later drove back to the store three times for complementary repairs within the warranty period.

However, the car owner remained unhappy and tried to sue the store for refunds for his upgrades.

The store claims that the demands were unreasonable and the case later went to court. Both parties then decided to settle the matter privately.

Just as things looked like they were smoothed over, Mr Bai claims his wife told him that she felt threatened in the negotiation process - leading to his rash reaction on March 11.

Expensive: Mr Bai had managed to cause an estimated 200,000 Yuans worth of damage (20,000) to the store

Mr Bai crashed his white Volkwagen into the Beijing 4S store because he was unhappy with his purchase

The store denies any threatening behaviour.

A member of staff told WenXueCity: Currently the shop has been destroyed and items including German automatic glass doors, the front desk are ruined. The preliminary estimate of direct economic losses to the store is 200,000 Yuan (20,000).

The car dealership was left completely ruined and the business has temporarily been suspended until the damage has been fixed.

A gap left by the broken doors has been blocked up with plastic sheeting. Broken glass litters the ground and Mr Bais vehicle is still parked in the central hall, waiting for the police department, who are still investigating the incident.
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Dramatic pictures have shown a rickety 90-year-old residential building in China close to collapse and held together only by precarious wooden stilts.

The old block of flats on Yongnian Road in the Huangpu district of Shanghai, east China, was built in the 1920s and is now riddled with severe cracks according to Huanqiu.com, an affliation of People's Daily Online.

The safety-hazard construction is now propped up by a series of narrow wooden beams and wall reinforcements, keeping it from toppling into the road.

Barely held up: The old block of flats on Yongnian Road in the Huangpu district of Shanghai, east China, was constructed in the 1920s

In jeopardy: Should the building collapse at last, dozens of residents would be affected, with many households located within the building

Odd: The beams, alongside the chipboard hoardings, give the impression to passers-by that the building is constantly under construction

The beams, alongside the chipboard hoardings, give the impression to passers-by that the building is constantly under construction.

Meanwhile, the residents of the block have spoken out about their worry that the aged building may not last too much longer given the bad state it is in.

Should the building collapse at last, the number of residents affected would run into the dozens, with many households located within the building.

The deep cracks also run through the interiors of the flats, creating ugly lesions on the walls of people's living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.

While it is a spectacular sight, the residents of the building are understandably worried and want the situation resolved before the building collapses.

The issue is reportedly caused by aggressive construction on a neighbouring road.

However, despite the danger placed on the residents, it's not clear whether the construction companies will be taking action to rectify the problem.

Last month the tops and sides of two seven-storey blocks of flats in Hubei, east China ended up touching after ground subsidence led them to tilt over.
the child, the 30-year-old was unable to get himself down

A man who heroically climbed five storeys to rescue a two-year-old boy in China found himself in a spot of bother when he became stuck and needed to be rescued.

In the afternoon of March 14, 30-year-old Wang Yong scaled up to the windowsill where the boy was hanging from his home in Sichuan Province, reports the Peoples Daily Online.

He saved the child but then found himself trapped between the security bars outside the window. The emergency services were quickly called to the scene to safely get him down.

Heroic: Wang Yong scaled five storeys to rescue a child but became stuck himself in China on March 14

Embarrasing: He saved the child but then found himself trapped between the security bars outside the window

According to the report, Wang is a construction worker from Anyue County. He successfully saved the child but was unable to descend the face of the building afterwards.

The childs parents were not at home when he climbed onto the balcony but soon returned to see Wang hanging from the bars.

They gathered some bed sheets and tied them around his waist and onto the bars so that he didnt fall.

After the fire department arrived at the scene, they put a safety helmet on his head to protect him and tied some rope around him.

It took them half an hour to cut the bars and rescue Wang.

Throughout the whole ordeal a woman, believed to be his wife, was standing by holding his hand tightly.

Speaking to the Peoples Daily, one of the firemen said he saw the woman entered the room with the childs parents, after that she didnt let go of Wang's hands.

Wang was said to have been very embarrassed that he had to be rescued and went home with his wife after he reached safety.

Security: A woman believed to be Wang's wife held onto his hand throughout the whole ordeal on March 14
China has plans to build a new space telescope that could outperform Hubble.

According to reports, the new telescope will be similar to Hubble, but will have a field of view that is 300 times larger.

It is expected to capture 40 per cent of space, with the same precision as Nasa's telescope, within ten years.

China has plans to build a new space telescope which could outperform Hubble. The new telescope, which has not been named yet, will have the ability to dock with China's modular space station the Tiangong-3, expected to launch in 2020. A drawing of Tiangong-1, which launched in 2011, is pictured

The claims were first reported by Chinese English Language Daily.

The new telescope, which has not been named yet, will have the ability to dock with China's modular space station, the Tiangong.

This means it will not face the same problems as the Hubble space telescope, which requires a shuttle mission to reach it any time it needs repair or maintenance.

The Tiangong 3's two 49ft-long (15 metre) robotic arms would be very helpful in servicing the space telescope.

The telescope will have a wide field of view in order to capture higher precision images, to search for dark matter, dark energy and exoplanets, like this one taken by Hubble of Mars and a starry sky

The new telescope, which has not been named yet, will have the ability to dock with China's modular space station, the Tiangong. This means it will not face the same problems as the Hubble space telescope (pictured), which requires a shuttle mission to reach it any time it needs repair or maintenance

Nasa's Hubble telescope launched into orbit in 1990.

It wasn't the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and was named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble.

The idea of using a space station as a permanent support base for satellites, like China's proposed space telescope, has never been done before.

Nasa's Hubble telescope (pictured) launched into orbit in 1990. It wasn't the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and was named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble

No date has been given for the launch of this new telescope, but it must be made with plans for the modular Tiangong-3 space station in mind, which is not expected to launch until 2020. When the telescope is launched, it will capture 40 per cent of the sky in ten years, capturing images similar to this one taken by Hubble

WHAT IS DARK MATTER? Dark matter surrounds galaxies across the universe, and is invisible because it does not reflect light. It can't be seen directly with telescopes, but astronomers know it to exist because of the gravitational effects it has on matter we see. Scientists are fairly sure it exists and is crucial to the universe, but they do not know what it looks like or where to find it. Advertisement

The telescope will have a wide field of view in order to capture higher precision images, to search for dark matter, dark energy and exoplanets.

No date has been given for the launch of this new telescope, but its plans must be made with proposals for the modular Tiangong-3 space station in mind.

Tiangong-3 is not expected to launch until sometime in the 2020s, so the space telescope is expected to be after this date.

Tiangong-1 was launched in 2011 and has served as a crewed laboratory and a technological test-bed.
Hanger has tubes branching out to other buildings to get

While some alien hunters investigate Nasa photos for extraterrestrials, one Martian researcher claims to have found a UFO inside a climate controlled hanger near Area 51 using Google Maps.

A recent video illustrates how to 'travel back in time' on the platform - and one user now says he has located a 30-meter UFO at Area S4 - a 'top-secrete facility' an ex-Area 51 employee claims housed UFOs in 1989.

The conspiracy theorist claims the saucer is located in a 'climate controlled hanger' near the 'third dry lake left of Area 51', which looks similar to the 'Millennium Falcon'.

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A recent video illustrates how to 'travel back in time' on the platform to located a 30-meter UFO at Area S4 - a 'top-secrete facility' an ex-Area 51 employee claims housed UFOs in 1989. The conspiracy theorist claims the saucer is located in a 'climate controlled hanger' near the 'third dry lake left of Area 51'

In 2010, Scott Waring, founder of UFO Sightings Daily, reported on several UFO sightings, including a 30-meter UFO, which was stored in the hanger and found at 3655'35.30N 116 0'25.41W.

He spotted the UFO hovering over a location with the Area 51 about 35.3 miles from Area S4.

In a post dated May 25, 2010, Waring gave detailed instructions about how to find the UFO using Google Maps and urged his followers to see for themselves  before Google deletes them.

'It will be a matter of about 3 months or less before Google sees this video and deletes the UFOs from their satellite mapping system,' he wrote at the time.

WHAT DOES BOB LAZAR CLAIM TO HAVE SEEN AT AREA S4? Bob Lazar stepped forward on a local Las Vegas new program to tell the world about his experience at S4 and Area 51. He was also highlighted in an article about a jet car he claimed to have worked with Nasa to build, which was made from a jet engine modified and placed on an existing car frame. The article stated that Lazar was 'a physicist at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility'. In November 1989, Lazar appeared in an interview with investigative reporter George Knapp on Las Vegas TV station KLAS to talk about his experience while employed at 'S4', which he claims atop-secret part of Area 51. In his interview with Knapp, Lazar said he encountered several flying saucers. He says he first thought the saucers were secret terrestrial aircraft whose test flights must have been responsible for many UFO reports. On closer examination and from having been shown multiple briefing documents, Lazar came to the conclusion that the discs were of extraterrestrial origin. During his filed testimony, Lazar explains how this impression first hit him after he boarded one craft being studied and examined its interior. Advertisement

Waring made a special appearance in the video this week, as he gives detailed instructions on how to find the alien craft at the top-secret location on Google Maps, reports Inquisitr.

'I made a video back in 2010, but since then apparently you put these coordinates in, you copy and paste them, it won't take you there,' Waring says in the clip.

'What the hell? That's not supposed to be happening.'

While some alien hunters investigate Nasa photos for extraterrestrials, one Martian researcher found a 'UFO inside a climate controlled hanger near Area 51' using Google Maps. He claimed the government was hiding Martian vehicles at the 'third dry lake bed from Area 51', which is believed to be close to the Papoose Lake

Waring explains other Martian researchers will not be able to locate the UFO on their own, and he will give 'instructions of how to turn the clock back on the google photos'.

'The UFO is parked under a hanger,' he said.

'This is supposed to be Area S4 and I have been calling it Area S4 ever since I heard of stories from Bob Lazar about the area, about Area S4 and the UFOs they have over there.'

Scott Waring, founder of UFO Sightings Daily, says the image shows the back of a machine that 'looks like the Millennium Falcon'

'He said he worked on one, one of eight UFOs.'

Bob Lazar was a government scientist and engineer who allegedly worked to reverse-engineer alien technology.

He claimed the government was hiding Martian vehicles at the 'third dry lake bed from Area 51', which is believed to be close to the Papoose Lake range.

Lazar went public in 1989, claiming he had worked for the government as a physicist at the site dealing with a 'highly classified government project' that involved reverse-engineering alien UFO spacecraft propulsion technology.

'I am sure of what I saw,' Lazar explained in his testimony.

'I know what mainstream science is like, I know where physics stands  I know all of that  and this is an extraterrestrial craft, this technology is hundreds and hundreds of years in advance of us, and that's the end of that story.' 'NSA tried to debunk Bob Lazar and failed miserably,' Waring writes.

'He was a scientist who worked on back engineering one of several UFO disks in Area S4 back in the 1990s.'

Waring says only 30 percent of the UFO is sticking out of the hanger, while they continue to build around it. There are supposedly air condition hoses branching out of the hanger and connecting with other facilities around it

Waring made a special appearance in the video this week, as he gives detailed instructions on how to find the alien craft at the top-secret location on Google Maps. This discovery has sparked some excitement among the extraterrestrial enthusiasts, as finding new information is always a win for their community

'Don't believe the propaganda that the NSA and CIA try to spread about Bob being debunked.'

'He has Area 51 ID, documents, even his tax forms saying he worked there.'

Waring says only 30 percent of the UFO is sticking out of the hanger, while they continue to build around it.

There are supposedly air condition hoses branching out of the hanger and connecting with other facilities around it.

WHAT HAPPENED DURING ONE OF THE MANY UFO SIGHTINGS AT GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE? The testimony was filed as Case 74794 in the archives of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON. Ex-Marine remembers seeing a UFO that looked like a 'big beautiful cloud with a blue and white pulsating light' quietly hovering over their heads. Most of the sightings were near the fence line of the base Former Marine gave a testimony about what he and his comrades experienced in 1968 to 1969 while station at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base. Although the dates he put down 'are a shot in the dark', he recalls 'heavy UFO traffic over and around the base' that were '50 feet to 100 feet across'. And one experience he suggests to be the most exciting. 'It was approximately 7p.m. (dark) when I stepped out of the guard shack and looked across the fence at the deserted Cuban guard house when something caught my eye,' the former Marine said, who remains anonymous. 'Behind the Cuban guard shack near the ground was a huge white cloud with a blue/white, baby blue pulsating light in the middle of it.' Bewildered by the sighting, he asked of his comrades what they were seeing as it passed over the shack in their direction. He remembers seeing the UFO that looked like a 'big beautiful cloud with a blue and white pulsating light' quietly hovering over their heads. A few minutes later the silence was broken by someone yelling 'get the hell out of there'. A sergeant was yelling from the observation tower, ordering them to vacate the area. The Marine and other soldier walked towards the barracks just 200 feet away, which allowed them to observe the action from a safe distance. They saw Intelligence officers pull up to the scene with what looked like a film crew that recorded the alien vehicle while it hovered for about three hours before shooting off into the west. 'The UFO traveled about quarter of a mile, stopped for a moment, then like a bullet, shot straight up in the air until it disappeared,' he said. Advertisement

He also points out circular objects just underneath the hanger.

'You can see a little circular object right here, it looks like they parked the Millennium Falcon right there is what it looks like to me,' Warning says.

This discovery has sparked some excitement among the extraterrestrial enthusiasts, as finding new information is always a win for their community.

One loyal follower of Waring's writes: 'WOW, I have looked there before and never found anything.'

'We clearly have had some help developing [advanced technology].

'My father was in naval intelligence for 30 years and always told me we have had these secret programs using alien tech and this just confirms it.'




A tall, thin slice of California has come to Cornwall.

Forty redwood trees cloned from the tallest living things on Earth have been planted in the south-west of England.

Despite being some 5,000 miles from home, it is believed Cornwalls warm, damp climate will suit them perfectly, allowing them to grow up to 400ft high and live for 4,000 years.

The plantation, Europes first, is designed to protect the trees genetics for future generations, as well as provide an imposing entrance to the Eden Project.

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Forty redwood trees cloned from the tallest living things on Earth have been planted in the south-west of England. It is believed Cornwalls warm, damp climate will suit them perfectly, allowing them to grow up to 400ft high and live for 4,000 years

Sir Tim Smit, the tourist attractions co-founder, said: This will become a unique collection of the tallest living things on Earth.

The redwoods will stand at Eden we hope, for thousands of years to come.

The first sapling to be planted was propagated from the Fieldwood stump, a 3,500-year-old redwood that towered 30 storeys high before it was felled in 1890 on the orders of Lord Astor, a wealthy American living in Britain.

It is said that if it had not been cut down it would be the worlds tallest tree.

All that remains in California today is a 35ft-wide stump but, remarkably, this still produces shoots that scientists are able to cultivate.

Clare Semple, deputy head of Lanlivery CP School, whose pupils helped with the planting said: Its amazing to be part of something with such a long history.

The plantation, Europes first, is designed to protect the trees genetics for future generations, as well as provide an imposing entrance to the Eden Project (pictured)

THE ENDANGERED COLOSSUS Redwoods are the largest and tallest trees in the world. The largest is the General Sherman, located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California. It is it is the largest known living single stem tree on Earth and stands at 83.8 metres (275 ft), with a diameter of 7.7 metres (25 ft). It is estimated to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old. There are three main species: The Sequoia and Sequoiadendron of California and Oregon and the Metasequoia in China. The redwood is endangered due to habitat losses from fire, ecology suppression, development, and pollution. Advertisement

Pupil, Loveday Varcoe, ten, said: I think its really good what the Eden Project has done for the environment. Planting these trees is good for the environment and good for nature.

David Milarch, of the US-based Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, which provided the saplings, said: Tim, the schoolchildren and the Eden apprentices are planting an eternal forest  a first, not just for the UK, but for Europe.

This is a unique archive, a living library of genetics that can be utilised for our generation and for hundreds of generations into the future to rebuild and replace what weve damaged.

Coast redwoods were chosen because they face threats from drought to forest fires in their native US.
The future of high speed transport in America could also be heading for Europe.

The Hyperloop transportation system, dreamed up by Elon Musk in 2013, is set to be installed in Bratislava as soon as 2020.

Slovakia is planning to build a system to create routes from Bratislava to Vienna and Budapest and is designed to cut four-hour journeys to just 25 minutes.

The superfast Hyperloop transportation system that was dreamed up by Elon Musk in 2013 might be coming to Europe. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) met with Slovakian government officials last week to finalise and sign an agreement. Concept of Hyperloop in Las Vegas is shown

Hyperloop is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum.

The removal of air in a tube allows for the passage of capsules at high speeds. The system maintains passenger comfort whilst accelerating capsules safely to 760mph (1,225km/h).

The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes and passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets.

The cost of building a line from LA to San Francisco has previously been estimated at $16 billion (10 billion) although critics said it would be nearer $100 billion (65 billion).

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) met with Slovakian government officials last week to finalise and sign an agreement to bring the system to Europe.

A Bratislava to Vienna route that would normally take around an hour to drive, could take eight minutes at Hyperloop's full speed. From Bratislava to Budapest, which takes about two hours to drive or five hours on trains, would take 10 minutes on Hyperloop. To Kosice, a distance of 250 miles, would take only 25 minutes

In particular, they are looking to build a local Hyperloop system with the vision of creating future routes connecting Bratislava with Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary.

'Slovakia is a technological leader in the automotive, material science, and energy industries, many of the areas that are integral to the Hyperloop system,' said Dirk Ahlborn, HTT's boss.

According to Wired, Mr Ahlborn wants the first stage to be complete by 2020.

But the company has not secured funding yet, and the project is expected to cost $200 to 300 million (141 to 211 million).

Hyperloop is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. Passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets

WHAT IS HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at 745mph (1,200km/h) between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. Passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets. The superfast Hyperloop transportation system, CGI pictured, was dreamed up by Elon Musk in 2013 and it might be coming to Europe Advertisement

'Having a European Hyperloop presence will incentivise collaboration and innovation within Slovakia and throughout Europe,' said Mr Ahlborn.

'With our project in Quay Valley, this agreement with Slovakia, and future developments with other regions of the world, HTT truly has become a global movement.'

A Bratislava to Vienna route that would normally take around an hour to drive, could take about eight minutes at Hyperloop's full speed.

Pictures show what the inside of a Hyperloop capsule will look like. Its maximum acceleration is approximately 1G and the experience is similar to a performance car. Hyperloop uses a combination of alternative energy and conservation techniques

From Bratislava to Budapest, which takes about two hours to drive or five hours on trains, would take 10 minutes on Hyperloop.

HYPERLOOP IN EUROPE Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) met with Slovakian government officials last week to finalise and sign an agreement. They are looking to build a local Hyperloop system, with the vision of creating future routes connecting Bratislava with Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. According to Wired, Mr Ahlborn wants the first stage to be complete by 2020. But the company has not secured funding yet, and the project is expected to cost $200-300 million (141  211 million). Advertisement

A route between Bratislava and Kosice, a distance of 250 miles (450 kilometres), could also be considered.

This would connect the eastern and western sides of Slovakia with a short trip of only 25 minutes, reducing the typical 4.5-hour car ride dramatically.

'Hyperloop in Europe would cut distances substantially and network cities in unprecedented ways,' said Vazil Hudak, Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic.

'A transportation system of this kind would redefine the concept of commuting and boost cross-border cooperation in Europe.'

'The expansion of Hyperloop will lead to an increased demand for the creation of new innovation hubs, in Slovakia and all over Europe.'

'In 1896 the first electric underground railway system was built in Budapest and already in 1914 the first electric trainline between Bratislava and Vienna was created,' said Bibop Gresta, HTT's COO.

'Slovakia continues to confirm its position as one of the most forward thinking countries by embracing innovations like the Hyperloop transportation system.'

The expansion of Hyperloop will lead to an increased demand for the creation of new innovation hubs, in Slovakia and all over Europe according to Vazil Hudak, Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies expects the first stage of the European system by 2020

The speed of sound is 767mph, while Hyperloop would travel at 760mph (1,223km/h). Musk had previously suggested a functional Hyperloop system in the US could cost $6 billion (4 billion), although others suggest the figure will be much higher

Hyperloop is a tube-based transportation system for inter and intra city transport.

Its maximum acceleration is approximately 1G and the experience is similar to a performance car.

Hyperloop uses a combination of alternative energy and conservation techniques such as photovoltaics, wind, kinetic, regenerative braking, and geothermal power to ensure sustainability and low cost.

This suite of energy sources combined with an accelerated, low-cost build, enables Hyperloop to develop rapidly.

Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at 745mph (1,200km/h) between distant locations.

It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane.

Hyperloop is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. Passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets. Capsules carry six to eight people

According to Hyperloop Technologies boss Rob Lloyd, a test site in Last Vegas where a concept originated by Tesla's Elon Musk, is becoming a viable option for high speed transportation.

The team is planning a prototype of Hyperloop there later this year.

Three Southern California companies are also building separate test tracks to see how well the 'hyperloop' transportation concept works in the real world.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk breathed life into the hyperloop in 2013, when he proposed a network of elevated tubes to transport specially designed capsules over long distances.
Theories for what causes them include UFOs, termites and toxic gases

But scientists have found similar circles in the western Australian outback

barren patches up to 22 feet across in grassland

Some local legends claim they are created by the footsteps of the gods, while there are others who believe they are marks left by visiting UFOs.

But now the mysterious 'fairy circles' that pockmark the grassy Namib desert in Namibia have sprung up in another part of the world thousands of miles away.

Scientists have discovered the circular, barren patches of land in a remote uninhabited part of the Australian outback.

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Strange barren patches of land, known as fairy circles, have been spotted in a remote area of the outback in Western Australia (pictured). Previously the circles have only been seen across the grassy expanse of the Namib desert in Namibia, southern Africa. The circles are around 13ft across but can be up to 22ft wide

Hundreds of the circles, which are around 13ft (4 metres) across but can be up to 22ft (7 metres), are spread across the barren landscape.

But researchers claim the discovery in Western Australia's Pilbara region may have helped them unravel what is causing the weird phenomenon.

WHAT ARE FAIRY CIRCLES? Fairy circles are barren patches of land which can be found across the Namib Desert in southern Africa. They can be 6 to 40ft (2 to 12 metres) in diameter, are found in the regions arid grassland on sandy soils. A ring of vegetation around the edge of the ring is taller than the surrounding grassland. The mystery of how they got there, or why they stay there, has stumped scientists for decades. Theories have included grass-killing gas, termites and even UFOs while local myth holds that a dragon lives beneath the Earth and his fiery breath burns the vegetation. Advertisement

Scientists have been baffled by what causes the fairy circles in Namibia, which are found in hotspots along a 1,242 mile (1,998km) stretch of desert between Angola and South Africa.

Some theories have suggested termites may nibble away the roots of grasses causing them to die, while others propose a build-up of toxic gases may be causing the vegetation to die off.

Recent research has also suggested they could be caused by competition among the plants themselves for precious water.

Local legends suggest they may be the footsteps of gods, burn marks left by dragons, or the sleeping spots of Namibia's national animal the oryx.

There are also suggestions they could be landing spots of UFOs.

Dr Stephan Getzin, an ecologist at the Helmhotlz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig in Germany and an expert on fairy circles, described the discovery of the features in Australia as 'exciting'.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he and his colleagues said: 'Vegetation gap patterns in arid grasslands, such as the "fairy circles" of Namibia, are one of nature's greatest mysteries and subject to a lively debate on their origin.

Scientists have described the discovery of the fairy circles in Australia (pictured) as 'exciting'. They were able to visit the area and analyse the soil, temperature and moisture in the patterns. They say it appears the circles may be caused by self-organisation of plants as they fight for water in the soil

The newly discovered fairy circles were spotted from an aircraft flying over a remote uninhabited part of the outback about nine miles to the east of Newman in Pilbara, western Australia (shown in map above)

'They are characterised by small-scale hexagonal ordering of circular bare-soil gaps that persists uniformly in the landscape scale to form a homogeneous distribution.

'We report here the exciting discovery of fairy circle patterns in the remote outback of Australia.'

They say the discovery of the patterns more than 6,200 miles (10,000km) apart has helped them discount some of the theories for how fairy circle's form.

The new circles were spotted by an aircraft passing overhead about 9 miles (15km) to the east of Newman in Pilbara, western Australia.

Dr Getzin and his team analysed the temperature, took water samples and charted signs of animal activity around the fairy circles in Australia.

They said they could find no evidence of ants or termite nests in the circles.

Fairy circles have become a popular attraction for people flying over the Namib desert in southern Africa (pictured), but the patterns have puzzled scientists for years leading to several theories for how they form

Dr Getzin said this suggests the barren patches are not formed by animal activity but instead by the way the plants organise themselves.

'We found in the majority of cases no nests in the circles and unlike in Namibia, cryptic sand termites do not exist in Australia,' he explained.

'And the ones we did find have a completely different distribution pattern to the fairy circles.'

Instead Dr Getzin claims the barren patches may be formed by the way plants organise themselves.

Grasses of the Triodia genus are usually found growing around fairy circles and are often associated with strange patterns like stripes, labyrinths and spots during droughts.

Stripe and labyrinth patterns tend to form on hard soil layers with overland water flow. They are commonly observed with trees as they line up along mountain slopes too.

The fairy circles tend to be found in hotspots in the Namib desert down the east coast of Namibia, as highlighted in the map above

Dr Getzin and his colleagues said the fairy circles in Australia seem to form because of a similar the interaction between the soil and the plants.

The loamy soil in Australia is backed to a hard crust if it is not protected by vegetation, meaning water struggles to penetrate into the ground.

Instead, it flows away over the surface, leaving patches where plants struggle to germinate.

However, Dr Getzin said it seems likely that while plant self-organisation may also be causing the fairy circles in Namibia, different processes may be responsible.

There reservoirs of water form under the barren areas but diffusion means they supply moisture to the surrounding grasses.

Plants jostling for water and nutrients create bare batches as stronger plants around the edge suck up the moisture and food in the middle.

He said: 'In Namibia, the sandy soils of the fairy circles are much more permeable and precipitation can drain away with ease.

'The details of this mechanism are different to that in Australia.

'But it produces the same vegetation pattern because both systems of gaps are triggered by the same instability.'
More than 500 years after the Esmeralda sank during a violent storm in the Indian Ocean, the wreckage has reportedly been found.

The storm and subsequent sinking in 1503 killed all on board, and its pilot was the uncle of famous explorer Vasco da Gama.

The ship was part of da Gama's second voyage to India and the discovery of the wreckage makes it the oldest ship ever found from Europe's Golden Age of Discovery.

More than 500 years since the Esmeralda sank during a violent storm in the Indian Ocean, the wreckage (shown) has been found. The sinking in 1503 killed all on board, and its pilot was the uncle of famous explorer Vasco da Gama. The wreckage is the oldest ship ever found from Europe's Golden Age of Discovery

A team from British company Blue Water Recoveries and the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture first explored a site in the Al Hallaniyah Island, off the coast of Oman, in 2013.

They have now determined the debris found there came from a long-missing ship, one of two lost in the storm from da Gama's second voyage to India.

Divers also uncovered an incredibly rare coin in the wreckage - so rare that only one other is known to exist today.

The coin was found among the stone shot, ceramics, a bell and other debris.

A team from British company Blue Water Recoveries and the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture first explored a site in the Al Hallaniyah Island, off the coast of Oman in 2013. They have now determined the debris found came from a long-missing ship, one of two lost in the storm from da Gama's second voyage to India

This rare silver coin, called an Indio, was discovered among the stone shot, ceramics, a bell and other debris. The coins were forged in 1499 after da Gama's first voyage to India, which helps date the wreckage

WHO WAS VASCO DA GAMA? Vasco Da Gama (illustrated) was a Portuguese explorer and navigator Vasco Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator. He was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India, from 1497 to 1499 and this linked Europe to Asia by sea for the first time. Da Gama's journey opened the way for an age of global imperialism and for the Portuguese to establish a long-lasting colonial empire in Asia. In his second voyage, his uncle Vicente Sodre piloted the Esmeralda which sunk on its return. In February 1503, Vasco da Gama returned with the 4th Armada to Lisbon. He ordered his uncles not to follow him, but instead to keep up the patrol. However, as soon as Gama left, Vicente Sodre ordered the patrol to leave India and follow him to the Red Sea. Around 20 April 1503, the patrol anchored in at Kuria Muria islands, off the coast of Oman. The local inhabitants warned them that a seasonal storm was forming and they should move their ships to a safer shelter. Vicente Sodre refused but as the locals predicted, the storm came on April 30, and sunk the exposed ships. Advertisement

The coins were forged in 1499 after da Gama's first voyage to India, which helps date the wreckage.

'That was an amazing discovery,' David Mearns from Blue Water Recoveries said.

'It was like a thing you read about in a Hollywood story.'

The archaeologists announced their findings in an article published Tuesday by The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology.

The 4th Armada was composed of 20 ships and between 800 and 1800 men.

The Armada was originally envisaged as two squadrons - 15 ships under the admiral to head to India, 5 under the vice-admiral designated to patrol the mouth of the Red Sea.

Vasco Da Gama was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India, from 1497 to 1499 and this linked Europe to Asia by sea for the first time. Alfredo's Roque painting showing the fleet on its voyage in 1498 is illustrated

A diver searches at the wreck site of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's ship, Esmeralda. The 4th Armada was composed of 20 ships and between 800 and 1800 men sailed on the fleet

But not all ships were ready by the launch date, so the armada was re-arranged into three squadrons, the first two squadrons 10 under admiral Vasco da Gama, 5 under his uncle Vicente Sodre, vice-admiral went out at once.

The five remaining ships went out a little while later as a third squadron under Gama's cousin, with instructions to catch up to the main fleet along the way.

Ayoub al-Busaidi, the supervisor of marine archaeology at the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture, said this marked the first underwater excavation carried out by his country.

He said it inspired officials to continue to explore the waters around the sultanate for other finds.

'Oman is now looking at outside archives to read about the relationships and trade between Oman and the outside' world, al-Busaidi said.

The full details of the wreckage and its discovery feature in National Geographic.

In 1503 the local inhabitants warned Sodre that a seasonal tempest was forming and that they should move their ships to a safer shelter on the southern side of the island. Sodre refused, and the storm sunk the exposed ships. The expedition ship at the Ghubbat ar Rahib bay, the excavation area of the wreck site is pictured
Artificially intelligent robots are tipped to our steal office jobs in just five years' time and even inventors' jobs are at risk, an entrepreneur has warned.

The creator of Apple's digital assistant, Siri, made the claim as well as predicting we will get information from a 'giant brain in the sky.'

Dag Kittlaus is working on one such brain, known as 'Viv', and believes it's one step up from the assistants in our phones, as it will be able to make 'mental leaps'.

Artificially intelligent robots are tipped to our steal office jobs in just five years' time and even inventors' jobs are at risk, an entrepreneur has warned. The creator of Apple's Siri, Dag Kittlaus, made the claim as well as predicting we will get information from a 'giant brain in the sky' called 'Viv' (promotional shot pictured)

Speaking at SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas, he said it is a good idea for scientists to monitor the development of AI machines, echoing the fears of Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, who have both warned AI has the potential to destroy humanity.

When asked by author Steve Levy whether super computers will replace entrepreneurs, Kittlaus said: 'Yes, it will happen. It's just a matter of when.'

However, he took to Twitter to add: 'It'll all be over soon. (Not anytime soon, though).'

Interestingly, Siri's inventor may be playing a part in making himself redundant, with the advent of Viv  a cloud-based personal assistant more sophisticated than the iPhone's helper.

Viv, which gets its name from the Latin for 'live,' can analyse the nouns in a sentence to provide more helpful answers. It is also able to teach itself, unlike Siri (stock image pictured) for example which only performs actions programmed by Apple's engineers

When asked by author Steve Levy whether super computers will replace entrepreneurs, Kittlaus said: 'Yes, it will happen. It's just a matter of when.' More than 60 per cent of Britons polled in a recent survey fear that robots will lead to there being fewer jobs in the next ten years

HOW DOES VIV WORK? Viv analyses the nouns in a sentence when a person speaks into a smartphone. For example, if someone told Siri that they are on their way to their brother's house and need to pick up cheap wine to go with lasagne, they would probably get no response, or at best would see one useful place marked on a map. But Viv would isolate the words 'lasagne', 'wine,' 'brother' and 'house' to formulate an answer, perhaps offering maps of the house and shops, as well as wine suggestions. It learns as it goes, generating code and could one day anticipate people's needs. Viv is an open system so businesses and apps will be able to become part of its 'brain'. Advertisement

'The more you ask of Viv, the more it will get to know you,' he explained.

'Siri was chapter one, and now it's almost like a new internet age is coming. Viv will be a giant brain in the sky,' USA Today reported.

Kittlaus first talked about Viv in 2014, when he announced that he, Adam Cheyer and Chris Brigham were working on an AI assistant able to make 'mental leaps' unlike Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon's Echo, for example.

Viv, which gets its name from the Latin for 'live,' can analyse the nouns in a sentence to provide more helpful answers.

It is also able to teach itself, unlike Siri for example which only performs actions programmed by Apple's engineers.

The computer scientists envisage that its capacity to learn and provide help to users is limitless.

This means it will be able to answer users' complicated queries using its cloud-based 'brain' when it launches later this year.

WILL ROBOTS STEAL YOUR JOB? Claims made by an expert in artificial intelligence predict that in less than five years, office jobs will disappear completely to the point where machines will replace humans. The idea that robots will one day be able to do all low-skilled jobs is not new, but Andrew Anderson from UK artificial intelligence company, Celaton, said the pace of advance is much faster than originally thought. AI, for example, can carry out labour intensive clerical tasks quickly and automatically, while the latest models are also capable of making decisions traditionally made by humans. 'The fact that a machine can not only carry out these tasks, but constantly learn how to do it better and faster, means clerical workers are no longer needed in the vast quantities they once were,' Mr Anderson said. For example, a machine can recognise duplicate insurance claims by knowing it has seen a phone number or an address before. Advertisement

It will do this by analysing different nouns in a sentence to formulate an answer, creating code as it goes along without the need for any programmers.

For example, if someone was to ask Viv what the weather will be like at the Super Bowl, Viv would write some code to find the answer including where the event is and what the weather will be like there.

Asked whether Viv would be able to call a ca for someone stumbling out of a bar drunk, Kitlaus said: 'It might, or it might order you another drink.'

Unlike Siri, Viv is an open system and will let businesses and apps become part of its 'brain' after it launches.

Its creators hope that Viv could one day be embedded in all sorts of everyday objects that are connected to the internet  as well as smartphones.

While Viv sounds predominantly helpful and not hell-bent on world domination, people scared of AI may fear it may come to control humans.

Ironically Kitlaus is also working on a novel featuring evil AI, or what he describes as an out-of-control Siri scenario.

There are mounting fears among the public about the threat posed by artificial intelligence. A recent survey has revealed that one in three people now believe the rise of AI computing will pose a serious threat to humanity. A stock image of The Terminator is pictured above
It is a controversial technology that some scientists claim will help to tackle the problem of feeding the growing number of mouths on planet Earth.

But it appears genetic engineering may be far older than previously realised as ancient farmers may have been doing it accidentally for millennia.

A series of studies have suggested that the practice of grafting, where one part of a plant is fused to another where it continues to grow, can allow the two plants to swap genes.

Grafting is a common technique in horticulture and agriculture, often being used to produce fruit such as apples on smaller trees that are easier to harvest (apple tree graft pictured). Scientists have discovered, however, that plants exchange genetic material when grafted, in a natural form of genetic modification

FEARS ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS One reason many people are concerned about genetically modified foods is that it can trigger an allergy in humans. Some of the genes used during the process may have been taken from other foods that people are allergic to and they have no way of knowing about it. Another issues is other organisms in the ecosystem could be harmed, which could be followed by a lower level of biodiversity. Some genetically modified foods use bacteria and virus, so there is a fear a new disease will emerge. Advertisement

The research suggests this can even occur between plants that are distantly related to each other.

Farmers have been using grafting to help improve the growth of crops for thousands of years to combine the benefits of two plants together.

For example in apple orchards, fruit bearing branches are grafted onto dwarf trees to produce more crops in a given space and also to reduce the need for ladders during harvesting.

Grafting can also be used to protect plants from soilborne pests by allowing them to use the roots of another species that is resistant.

It is known to have been used by the Chinese more than 3,000 years ago before spreading to other parts of Asia while farmers in ancient Greece are also known to have used the technique.

According to New Scientist, researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have now shown that the practice allows all three types of genetic material found in plants to be swapped.

Grafting is a technique that has been used for thousands of years by framers as a way of getting plants that struggle in certain soils to grow by exploiting the roots of another more tolerant plant (a painting of a farmer inserting a graft onto a cut tree stump is pictured)

WILD CORN VS. MODERN CORN Wild maize, or corn, has been a staple for human agriculture and has been altered since the beginning of its time. The domestication of corn began with ancient farmers in Mexico, who pinked kernels to plant and noticed not all the plants were the same. For western civilisation, the story of corn began in 1492 when Columbus's men discovered this new grain in Cuba. An American native, it was exported to Europe rather than being imported, as were other major grains. Like most early history, there is some uncertainty as to when corn first went to Europe. Some say it went back with Columbus to Spain, while others report that it was not returned to Spain until the second visit of Columbus. Modification has changed the types and amounts of starch it produces, where it can be grown and the length, size and shape of the entire vegetable. Advertisement

They showed that mitochondria - the tiny power stations found in living cells - of one plant in the graft can exchange places with those of the other plant.

Once swapped, the mitochondria, which have their own small genomes, then mix their DNA.

Another piece of research by the same researchers in 2009 also showed plants can exchange chloroplasts  the tiny solar powered units in each cell that carry out photosynthesis.

Much like mitochondria, these too have their own small genome.

A study in 2014 by a different group also showed the entire nucleus of cells, which contains the main genome, can be transferred across grafts where they can fuse with the existing nuclear and DNA.

Professor Ralph Bock, a molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany, who led the 2014 study, the findings suggest many crops used today may be the result of graft induced genetic engineering.

He told New Scientist: 'It's genetic engineering done by mother nature,'

'It is quite shocking to people. It blurs the boundaries between man-made and natural genetic engineering.'

Grafting can occur naturally in the wild, but it is most commonly seen in agricultural and horticultural plants.

Professor Bock said the exchange of genetic material between grafted plants could explain why many crops have two sets of chromosomes in their cells compared to the usual one.

While this polyploidy, as it is known, usually occurs due to genome duplication, it could also have occurred due to the exchange of genetic material in grafted plants.

Wild corn (pictured). Wild maize, or corn, has been a staple for human agriculture and has been altered since the beginning of its time. The domestication of corn began with ancient farmers in Mexico, who pinked kernels to plant and noticed not all the plants were the same

Dr Pal Maliga, a plant geneticist at Rutgers University who led the research on choloplasts and mitochondria exchange, said more work needs to be done to see how grafting may have modified the crops we eat today.

In his recent study, which is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he and his colleagues grafted two species of tobacco plants together.

One of the plants had a mutation in its mitochondrial DNA that prevented the male part of flowers from developing properly.

When cuttings from this plant were grafted to the other species, some produced flowers with normal male parts.

This suggests mitochondrial DNA had transferred between the two species, repairing the error seen in the genome of the grafted plant.

It built on similar work his team had done previously looking at chloroplasts.

While the genome swapping only takes place close to the site of the graft, new shoots from this point could be used to produce cuttings for new plants.

This would mean the new plants would have mixed genomes.

Dr Maliga said the findings could allow plant scientists to use the technique to produce new variants of plants with a technique that has been refined over thousands of years.

He said: 'Cell-to-cell movement of mitochondrial DNA reported here provides an alternative to transformation of mitochondria by naked DNA that has thus far remained elusive.'
The UN aviation agency called on Tuesday for regulations on space travel to be enacted within five years in order to bolster a burgeoning space tourism and transportation sector.

The International Civil Aviation Organization 'recognizes that sub-orbital and outer space flights will foster new tourism and transport markets, and that investments in related research and development remain at a very healthy level,' ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu said.

'Personally, as an engineer, I am very excited to see the dream and theory of normalized space flight now becoming such a tangible reality,' he told an aerospace symposium in Abu Dhabi.

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The UN aviation agency called on Tuesday for regulations on space travel to be enacted within five years in order to bolster a burgeoning space tourism and transportation sector.

In making its case, the agency noted an uptick in the number of spacecraft designs that have made the leap from concept to reality, saying more will follow.

The ICAO also cited a steady increase in rocket ship launches, and commercial spaceports are now becoming 'operational realities,' the Montreal-based agency said in a statement.

Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, last month unveiled a new commercial spaceship 16 months after its predecessor crashed, killing a pilot during a test flight.

The company's SpaceShipOne was the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004.

Meanwhile, SpaceX, owned by another billionaire, Elon Musk, has successfully launched a communications satellite into a distant orbit, but failed to land the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean platform earlier this month.

Rules must be put in place soon to ensure safety and security in space, as well as prevent the creation of a patchwork of regulations by individual states, the ICAO said.

Virgin's six-passenger, two-pilot winged space plane has been designed to take passengers on five-minute voyages into suborbital space, and will reach altitudes of about 62 miles (100 km).

The agency suggested adapting the existing regulatory framework for aviation, for which the ICAO and national governments are responsible.

Last month Professor Stephen Hawking unveiled Virgin Galactic's new SpaceShipTwo craft, called VSS Unity.

'We are entering a new space age, and I hope this will help to create a new unity,' he said, launching the craft via a video message of behalf of Virgin boss Richard Branson.

THE BILLIONAIRE RACE FOR SPACE TOURISM In 1995, the St. Louis-based X Prize Foundation conceived the idea of a $10 million reward for development of a privately financed, reusable spaceship capable of carrying three people to an altitude of 62 miles twice within two weeks. The X Prize announcement the following year was timed to an anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's nonstop flight from New York to Paris aboard the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927. He won the aviator the $25,000 Orteig Prize offered in 1919 for the trans-Atlantic flight. On 21 June, 2004 SpaceShipOne - designed by Rutan and funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen - soared more than 62 miles above the California desert and then glided to a landing at Mojave Airport as crowds cheered. It launched again on 29 September, reaching the required altitude and after launching on 4 October, X Prize founder Peter Diamandis announced the altitude was official and the SpaceShipOne team clinched the prize. Since then , three billionaires have been pitted against each other - Jeff Bezos with Blue Origin, Elon Musk with SpaceX and Richard Brandon with Virgin Galactic. Other competitors include Xcor with its spaceplane. XCOR Aerospace is based at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Its Lynx spacecraft, illustration pictured, seats two people - the passenger and a pilot - and tickets cost $95,000 (57,000). This is almost two thirds the price of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Advertisement

'If I am able to go & if Richard will still take me, I would be very proud to fly on this spaceship,' he said.

The six-passenger, two-pilot winged space plane has been designed to take passengers on five-minute voyages into suborbital space, and will reach altitudes of about 62 miles (100 km).

It replaces the craft Virgin lost following 2014's fatal crash, when Pilot Michael Alsbury was killed in the accident, which dashed Virgin Galactic's plans to start commercial operations as early as this year.

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos stands next to a copper exhaust nozzle to be used on a space ship engine during a media tour of Blue Origin, the space venture he founded. The private space company opened its doors to the media for the first time to give a glimpse of how Blue Origin is creating the next generation rockets

With a hefty price tag of $250,000 (175,000) a ticket, it is aimed at super rich thrill-seekers and celebrities, as well as researchers and commercial customers.

Virgin Galactic's own manufacturing arm, The Spaceship Company, already was well into construction of the second SpaceShipTwo of the fleet when the accident occurred.

The biggest difference between the two vehicles is the addition of a pin to prevent a pilot from unlocking the ship's rotating tail section too soon before descent, which is what triggered the breakup of the first spaceship, said Galactic Chief Executive George Whitesides.

Other changes include a device to prevent pilots from releasing the ship's landing gear too early and a variety of switch changes to make them more distinct.

Elon Musk (pictured) heads up SpaceX, the most advanced of the firms. It already has several satellite launches - and failures - under its belt. Its Dragon capsule is set to begin ferrying astronauts to the International Space station in 2017

'We learned a lot from the accident, and we made a lot of changes,' said Mike Moses, a former NASA shuttle manager who now oversees spaceflight operations for Galactic.

Private space firm Blue Origin expects its first test flights with people to take off in 2017, the company's founder Jeff Bezos has revealed.

During a tour of the venture's research and development site outside Seattle, Bezos said thousands of people have expressed interest in eventually paying for a trip on a suborbital craft.
The Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history with advances in science and medicine as well as the flourishing of poetry, literature and beautiful artwork.

Now, a tomb dating from the time of the grand dynasty has been discovered on a building site in a suburb of Beijing.

As well as its humble location in modern times, the burial is disappointingly devoid of treasures.

A tomb (pictured) dating from the Han Dynasty, which ruled between 206 BC to 220 AD has been found during building work on a site in a subrub of Beijing, China

That may not come as a surprise as the tomb dates from between 206 BC to 220 AD.

Archaeologists suspect the tomb was robbed and security measures have been bolstered as the excavation carries on.

It is not thought the tomb belonged to a member of the Han Dynasty royal family.

This is because they were typically buried near the capital of Changan (modern Xi'an), which lay at the beginning of the important Silk Road trade route, or near the Han family's home town of Xuhou.

As well as its humble location on a building site in modern times, the burial is disappointingly devoid of treasures, unlike some of the final resting places of several members of the Han royal family

It is not thought the tomb (pictured) belonged to a member of the Han Dynasty royal family, however, because they were typically buried near the capital of Changan (modern Xi'an), which lay at the beginning of the important Silk Road trade route

THE 'GOLDEN' HAN DYNASTY The Han Dynasty began in 206 BC and ended in 220 AD, making it one of China's most enduring dynasties. The Han Dynasty rivalled its almost contemporary Roman Empire in the West in terms of power. It was considered a golden age of arts, politics and technology. For example, pulleys and wheelbarrows were made to move goods, bellows used to aid furnaces and water-powered hammers to smash grain. Notably, a eunuch called Cai Lun, is credited with inventing paper in 105 AD, by raising a screen of rice straw and tree bark that was pressed and dried to form a sheet. However, it was mostly used to wrap goods, with written documents inscribed on wooden tablets and bamboo. Advertisement

However, excavations at the site are continuing.

A handful of Han burials, such as those of the Kings of Chu, yielded gold and jades, including an incredible jade suits and stone-inlaid coffins.

Jade was believed to protect the body from decay and demons.

Tombs were typically filled with provisions for the afterlife, such as jewellery, furniture, weapons and sometimes even cooks and servants who were sacrificed to serve their master for eternity.

Another two-storey tomb contained a small army of terracotta warriors and distinctive jades.

Most of the royal tombs containing a number of tombs were cut horizontally into the hillside - another suggestion this one did not hold a king.

Other types of Han tombs featured archways, vaulted cambers and domed roofs, with underground vaults held in place by earthen pits.

It is not clear from the photos released whether the newly discovered tomb is one of this type.

The 'new' tomb was found beneath the construction site of Beijing's second administrative centre in suburban Tongzhou.

Beijing is building a subsidiary centre in the suburb in a bid to cure urban ills including overpopulation, traffic congestion and smog.

It is expected to relocate about 400,000 residents from the city centre to the suburban district.

Royal Han Dynasty tombs were typically filled with provisions for the afterlife, such as jewellery, furniture, weapons and sometimes even cooks and servants who were sacrificed to serve their master for eternity. A painting of a Royal entourage from the first emperor of the Han Dynasty is shown above

The 'new' tomb was found beneath the construction site of Beijing's second administrative centre in suburban Tongzhou. Beijing is building a subsidiary centre in the suburb in a bid to cure urban ills including overpopulation, traffic congestion and smog
See more news on ISIS going against Islam at www.dailymail.co.uk/isis

'Muslims shall hold themselves in duty bound to aid and care for [Christians]' one of the previously

Isis' persecution of Christians is not justified by Prophet Muhammed's teachings, according to a new study of his previously untranslated writings.

Dr Craig Considine, a Professor at Rice University and the study author, says they indicate that Christians living within the 'ummah' - Arabic for community - were protected and defended.

He said they could be viewed 'as a kind of medicine to cure the diseases of Islamic extremism and Islamophobia'.

Isis' persecution of Christians is not justified by Prophet Muhammed's teachings, according to a study of his previously untranslated writings. Dr Craig Considine, at Rice University and the study author, says they indicate that Christians living within the 'ummah'  Arabic for community  were protected and defended

WHERE DID THE TEXTS COME FROM? The study looked into the works of the Muslim prophet written between 622 and 632 AD. It focused on 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Monks of Mount Sinai'; 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of Najran'; 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of Persia'; and 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of the World' The documents were located in monasteries around the world and in books which have been out of print for centuries. He says that in many cases they were never translated for a wider audience. Advertisement

Dr Considine, a lecturer in Rice's Department of Sociology in Texas, looked at texts written by the Muslim prophet written between 622 and 632 AD.

'These covenants were designed to protect and even defend peaceful Christian communities, not attack them,' Considine said.

'The research clearly shows that contemporary Islamic states that mistreat and discriminate against Christians cannot be justified in light of Prophet Muhammad's covenants.'

Considine said it is assumed they were written because of Prophet Muhammad's desire to build alliances to bolster his new community and because of his positive interactions with members of the Christian faith.

The paper explores the prophet's covenants with the monks of Mount Sinai, the Christians of Najran, the Christians of Persia and the Christians of the World.

In 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of Persia,' the prophet was emphatic on the issue of complete religious freedom.

He wrote: 'Even as they honor and respect me, so shall Muslims care for that people as being under our protection and whensoever any distress or discomfort shall overtake (Christians), Muslims shall hold themselves in duty bound to aid and care for them, for they are a people subject to my Nation, obedient to their word, whose helpers also they are,' the prophet wrote.

ISIS has been persecuting Shiite Muslims, Christians and the Yazidis. Pictured is a Yazidi refugee from Iraq. The latest texts could be viewed 'as a kind of medicine to cure the diseases of Islamic extremism and Islamophobia', researchers at Rice University claim

PROPHET MUHAMMED'S TEACHINGS ON HOW TO TREAT CHRISTIANS Extract from 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of Persia' 'Even as they honor and respect me, so shall Muslims care for that people as being under our protection and whensoever any distress or discomfort shall overtake (Christians), Muslims shall hold themselves in duty bound to aid and care for them, for they are a people subject to my Nation, obedient to their word, whose helpers also they are. 'It therefore is proper for my sake to attend to their comfort, protection and aid, in face of all opposition and distress, suppressing everything that becomes a means to their spoliation.' Extract from 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of the World' 'The covenant of Allah is that I should protect their land, their monasteries, with my power, my horses, my men, my strength and my Muslim followers in any region, far away or close by, and that I should protect their businesses. 'I grant security to them, their churches, their businesses, their houses of worship, the places of their monks, the places of their pilgrims, wherever they may be found'. Advertisement

'It therefore is proper for my sake to attend to their comfort, protection and aid, in face of all opposition and distress, suppressing everything that becomes a means to their spoliation.'

Considine said a similar  if not identical  passage is found in the three other covenants addressed in this paper.

'Prophet Muhammad made it clear that freedom of religion is an inherent right for Christians living in a Muslim nation,' he said.

'His cordial relations with Christians were not due merely to political expediency or personal aspirations, but rather they resulted from his belief that Christians should be able to freely practice their own faith in accordance with their own will.

'Christian Persians were under no compulsion whatsoever to accept or reject Islam.'

Considine also noted that Prophet Muhammad believed that a Muslim nation must also extend civic rights to Christian religious leaders, as discussed in 'The Covenant of the Prophet with the Christians of the World.'

'The covenant of Allah is that I should protect their land, their monasteries, with my power, my horses, my men, my strength and my Muslim followers in any region, far away or close by, and that I should protect their businesses,' he wrote.

'I grant security to them, their churches, their businesses, their houses of worship, the places of their monks, the places of their pilgrims, wherever they may be found,' the prophet wrote.

'The Prophet Muhammad did not want to inflict harm on Christians, nor interfere or encroach on their privacy or private property,' Considine said.

The extremist group, ISIS, is going against the teaching of Islam, according to a new study by Rice University

'For the state to give preference to one or more groups means devaluating citizens based upon their ethnic or cultural backgrounds.'

Considine said documents have been located in obscure monasteries around the world and books that have been out of print for centuries.

'In some cases they were never translated to distribute to a wider audience,' he said.

'Scholars and believers are turning to them now because of the widespread violence against Christians in places like Iraq and Syria.'

Considine said the rediscovery of these documents provides an opportunity to give new birth to Islam and regenerate the essence of Islamic teachings.

He hopes that the findings will have a positive impact on the impressions of Muslims in today's society and will combat anti-Muslim sentiments.

'His message radiates compassion and peace. This is what American society  and indeed the world  needs now more than ever,' he said.

'Religious Pluralism and Civic Rights in a 'Muslim Nation': An Analysis of Prophet Muhammad's Covenants with Christians' appeared in the February edition of the journal Religions.
Google is disclosing how much of the traffic to its search engine and other services is being protected from hackers as part of its push to encrypt all online activity.

Encryption shields 77 percent of the requests sent from around the world to Google's data centers, up from 52 percent at the end of 2013, according to company statistics released Tuesday.

The numbers cover all Google services expect its YouTube video site, which has more than 1 billion users.

Google plans to add YouTube to its encryption breakdown by the end of this year.

Encryption shields 77 percent of the requests sent from around the world to Google's data centers, up from 52 percent at the end of 2013, according to company statistics.

WHAT IS ENCRYPTED? Google's Gmail service is completely encrypted as long as the correspondence remains confined to Gmail. Google's next most frequently encrypted services are maps (83 percent of traffic) and advertising (77 percent, up from just 9 percent at the end of 2013). Encryption frequency falls off for Google's news service (60 percent) and finance (58 percent). Advertisement

Encryption is a security measure that scrambles transmitted information so it's unintelligible if it's intercepted by a third party.

Google began emphasizing the need to encrypt people's online activities after confidential documents leaked in 2013 by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the U.S. government had been vacuuming up personal data transferred over the Internet.

The surveillance programs exploited gaping holes in unencrypted websites.

While rolling out more encryption on its services, Google has been trying to use the clout of its influential search engine to prod other websites to strengthen their security.

In August 2014, Google revised its secret formula for ranking websites in its search order to boost those that automatically encrypted their services.

The change meant websites risked being demoted in Google's search results and losing visitors if they didn't embrace encryption.

Google is highlighting its own progress on digital security while the FBI and Apple Inc. are locked in a court battle over access to an encrypted iPhone used by one of the two extremist killers behind the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, in December.

Google joined several other major technology companies to back Apple in its refusal to honor a court order to unlock the iPhone, arguing that it would require special software that could be exploited by hackers and governments to pry their way into other encrypted devices.

In its encryption crusade, Google's is trying to make it nearly impossible for government spies and other snoops from deciphering personal information seized while in transit over the Internet.

The FBI and Apple are locked in a court battle over access to an encrypted iPhone used by one of the two extremist killers behind the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, in December.

'Our aim with this project is to hold ourselves accountable and encourage others to encrypt so we can make the web even safer for everyone,' Google encryption 'evangelists' Rutledge Chin Feman and Tim Willis wrote in a blog post .

The statistics show that Google's Gmail service is completely encrypted as long as the correspondence remains confined to Gmail. Mail exchanges between Gmail and other email services aren't necessarily encrypted.

Google's next most frequently encrypted services are maps (83 percent of traffic) and advertising (77 percent, up from just 9 percent at the end of 2013).

Encryption frequency falls off for Google's news service (60 percent) and finance (58 percent).

Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., says it's still trying to overcome some of the technical problems that have made it more difficult to encrypt some of its services. Some older devices are also unable to handle modern encryption standards, according to Google.
Astounding signs of a hidden giant planet on the fringes of the solar system was uncovered by scientists back in January.

The mysterious world, nicknamed Planet Nine, is thought to be about 10 times more massive than the Earth, gaseous, and similar to Uranus or Neptune.

While no conclusive evidence of its existence has emerged so far, a number of researchers have undertaken their own studies on the possible planet, which is also referred to as or Planet X.

The most convincing so far is a recent study by scientists at the University of Arizona, who looked at the high eccentricity of distant Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs).

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Astounding signs of a hidden giant planet on the fringes of the solar system was uncovered by scientists back in January. The mysterious world, nicknamed Planet Nine, is thought to be about 10 times more massive than the Earth, gaseous, and similar to Uranus or Neptune

They suggest their strange orbital paths reveal that these objects crossed paths with Planet Nine at some point.

Scientists believe Planet Nine traces a highly elongated orbit and takes between 10,000 and 20,000 years to make just one journey around the sun.

Planet Nine is, on average, about 20 times further from the sun than Neptune, which orbits at a distance of about 2.8 billion miles.

Back in January, its existence was inferred from the gravitational influence it has on several Kuiper Belt objects with highly unusual orbits.

The clinching evidence came from a prediction that a ninth planet would result in Kuiper Belt objects having orbits inclined perpendicularly to the plane of the planets.

The six most distant known objects in the solar system with orbits exclusively beyond Neptune (magenta) all mysteriously line up in a single direction. Such an orbital alignment can only be maintained by some outside force, Batygin and Brown say. The January paper argues that a planet with 10 times the mass of the earth in a distant eccentric orbit anti-aligned with the other six objects (orange) is required to maintain this configuration

In the last three years, four objects were found that behaved in this way.

'We plotted up the positions of those objects and their orbits, and they matched the simulations exactly,' said Professor Mike Brown, from Caltech, one of the astronomers who announced the discovery.

Caltech colleague Dr Konstantin Batygin said: 'Although we were initially quite sceptical that this planet could exist, as we continued to investigate its orbit and what it would mean for the outer solar system, we became increasingly convinced that it is out there.

'For the first time in over 150 years, there is solid evidence that the solar system's planetary census is incomplete.'

The latest study by Arizona University proposes an alternative explanations, according to Universe Today.

NASA WARNS ITS TOO EARLY TO CONFIRM IF PLANET NINE REALLY EXISTS In January, Nasa warned that claims of a new planet lurking in our solar system are premature. The space agency said that the controversial Caltech paper claiming a ninth planet exists beyond Pluto was 'just a prediction'. It called for caution - but pledged 'if it's there, we'll find it.' In a YouTube video, Jim Green, director of planetary science at Nasa addressed the new findings. 'The January 20 paper in the Astronomical Journal is fueling our interest in planetary exploration,' Green said. 'Stimulating a healthy debate that's part of the scientific process. 'It is not, however, the detection of a new planet. It's too early to say with certainty that there's a so-called 'Planet X' out there. He pledged Nasa experts would take part in the process to try and find it. 'It's all about starting the process that could lead to an exiting result. 'If Planet X is out there, we'll find it together. Alan Stern, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute who is the principal investigator for NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond, was also sceptical. 'This is about the fifth or 10th prediction like this.  Not one has panned out,' he said 'If they do find it, it'll be more like Number 19, not Number 9,' he told GeekWire in an email. Advertisement

It suggests that if Planet Nine were crossing paths with high-eccentricity Kuiper Belt objects, there was a good change it was in resonance with these objects.

'We have these six observed objects whose orbits are currently fairly unaffected by the known planets in our solar system,' the researchers told Universe today in an email.

'But if there's another, as yet unobserved planet located a few hundred AU from the sun, these six objects would be affected by that planet.'

Their findings could help to pin down Planet Nine's possible location.

But the researchers admit several unknowns remain, and further studies of these objects need to be undertaken before they can come to any conclusion.

'There are a lot of uncertainties here,' they told Universe today.

'The orbits of these extreme Kuiper belt objects are not very well known because they move very slowly on the sky and we've only observed very small portions of their orbital motion.
A United Airlines plane was forced to turn around over concerns about a strong odor on board.

The Boeing 737-900 was flying from Newark, New Jersey, to Austin, Texas, when crew noticed the smell.

Flight 1704 had just left Newark Liberty International Airport and it was forced to return about 20 minutes after takeoff, said the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737-900 turned around about 20 minutes after it took off from Newark Liberty airport

As a precaution, the plane was met by emergency crews when it landed safely at about 6:30am.

The aircraft was inspected by United Airlines mechanics.

An investigation into yesterdays incident was underway and officials not reveal what caused the smell on board.

A spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told Patch that control tower staff received a report from the pilot that there was a smell of smoke in the cockpit.

Smoke was not seen inside the plane, the spokesman added.

A Port Authority spokesman said there was a report of a smell of smoke in the plane's cockpit (file photo)

Several passengers on board the flight were travelling to Austin for the South by Southwest festival

Passengers hailed the pilots and flight attendants who kept them 'safe and calm' during the diversion

Several passengers were en route to Austin to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival for music, film and media.

A Twitter user named itsedgito wrote: 'Well this is a first. Midair on a flight to #SXSW plane gets turned back Newark due to a smell. Everyone is OK, pilot's a pro!'

Another Twitter user, Katherine Zimoulis, added: 'Big shoutout to the crew on flight 1704, who kept us safe and calm today.'

Data from FlightAware indicates the journey normally takes about three-and-a-half hours, and yesterday's flight arrived at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport about three hours behind schedule.
Holidaymakers are not alone in their disgust for airports where they have to endure everything from long queues and confusing signage to flight delays and boredom.

Commercial pilots and flight attendants who jet around the world aren't fans of them, either.

They were asked which airports they hate the most on an internet forum, with LaGuardia in New York, London's Gatwick and Mexico City coming in for heavy criticism. One pilot even said he'd rather have a hemorrhoidectomy than fly into the latter. Here MailOnline Travel reveals their ranting.

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Pilots complained about congestion, constant ground delays and boredom at their least favourite airports

LaGuardia Airport

New Yorks ageing LaGuardia Airport bore the brunt of a lot of anger from flight crew and passengers on the thread, on Reddit, thanks to its outdated layout and frustrating congestion on the tarmac and surrounding roads.

A Reddit user named CPL_593H rattled off reasons why LaGuardia is awful, writing: Crossing runways (one to take off, one to land), constant ground delays to take off and to get to the gate. Cramped terminal and just looks outdated.

Another user, ans933, added: LaGuardia is by far my least favorite airport. The southwest terminal is essentially a skinny hallway with a couple dinky food shops shoved alongside the wall.

The rows of chairs are just dropped wherever theres a random space and theres no outlets or personal space to be found.

Plus it somehow manages to feel dark and dirty regardless of the time of day. I typically try to time my arrival to allow for no extra time between walking into the terminal and onto the plane. Otherwise its just depressing.

There is some good news for fed-up crew and passengers, however, as LaGuardia is set to undergo a $4 billion facelift with a single terminal and people mover, bringing it into the 21st century.

London Gatwick Airport

London Gatwick, which operates as a single-runway airport, is the least favourite airport for a Redditor named Munkyspyder, who complained about flight delays.

They wrote: From an operational point of view it is just plain s***. If you see LGW on your roster, you know youre going to be late. Gatwick is hugely congested.

One pilot complained that London Gatwick Airport is 'hugely congested' with delays for passengers

Los Angeles International Airport

With nearly 6,000 comments on the thread, Redditors had equally harsh words for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), complaining that it is too small, congested and the location is inconvenient.

A user named HeroOfTime_99 wrote: Theres construction everywhere, its always a mess to taxi around.

Chicago OHare International Airport

Pilotguy44, who works for a major US airline, listed Chicago OHare among his most hated airports.

He added: Chicago OScare is awful because theres a lack of any real food courts and youll probably burn anywhere between 10 and 16,000 calories walking to your connecting flight.

Newark Liberty International Airport

The same pilot didnt have any nice words for this New Jersey airport.

He wrote: Newark is terrible because everything is overpriced and it takes roughly four months to travel between terminals.

Charles de Gaulle Airport

Crew and passengers shared horror stories from their travels through Charles de Gaulle Airport, near Paris.

A user named moaningpilot warned: Don't ever go in if you want to leave within a week.

It was also described as a concrete nightmare by another user.

JFK International Airport

Another pilot, who uses the Reddit handle Pastarockets, said they despise New Yorks JFK Airport, one of the busiest in the US.

They wrote: Im embarrassed that this is the first thing people see when they arrive in the US. Getting from one terminal to the other requires actual miles of walking.

Mexico City International Airport

Mexico City airport (pictured in the centre of this image) was described as being a 'pain in the rump' by one pilot

Reddit user uber_maddog had a blunt assessment of Mexicos busiest airport.

He wrote: I am a pilot and would rather have a hemorrhoidectomy than fly into Mexico City. Language barrier with the controllers, confusing terminal and customs is just a pain in the rump.

Melbourne Airport

Australias second-largest airport didnt get any love from Leo2931, who identified himself as a flight attendant.

He wrote: As an Australian, Melbourne Airport honestly does my head in. Have been stuck there (in uniform) for four hours after going through immigration  45 [minutes] on bag wait and the rest for baggage screening.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Manilas main airport  named for Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr, who was assassinated at the airport in 1983  was declared a mess by Redditors.

One called it a national embarrassment.

User gbinasia wrote: You have to take a cab between terminals. And count at least an hour to get to the city because the streets are always jammed.

Redditor jimsensei added: Its hard because all the other airport in Asia are palaces, but MNL remains trapped in a time warp.

Tribhuvan International Airport

It may be Nepals only international airport, but Redditors said it is nothing to boast about.

One named buildabeast wrote: Kathmandu is the worst airport in the world by far. A glorified by station running at 600% capacity with no amenities and confusing security. Has some nice couches now though.




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Racing through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people of the Altai Region in Western Mongolia practise their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles.

Only around 70 Kazakh eagle hunters take part in the annual Golden Eagle festival and the following set of breathtaking images display the 4,000-year-old art in all of its glory.

Professional photographer Massimo Rumi captured the series of pictures when he travelled to the region to witness the occasion first-hand and to experience the nomadic lifestyle of the Kazakh people.

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Racing through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people of the Altai Region in Western Mongolia practise their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles

The tradition of hunting with golden eagles is said to have been started by the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China around 940AD

Surviving the harsh winter is challenging, with permanent freezing conditions of up to -40 C , and to the outside world the Kazakh lifestyle may seem to be a very hard way of living

Only around 70 Kazakh eagle hunters take part in the annual festival and this set of breathtaking images display the 4,000-year-old art in all of its glory

Eagle hunting is today practised by very few Kazakhs. It's a tradition that can be traced back to central Asia and represents one of their highest expression of their cultural heritage

The Sydney-based photographer said: 'The pictures capture the nomadic life of the Kazakh and their unique culture and the century-old tradition of riding with golden eagles to hunt for foxes and marmots.

'Their difficult lifestyle is one that's gone unchanged for centuries. As nomads, Kazakhs eagle hunters live in ger tents and they move three times a year, along with the family's livestock, which usually includes goats, yaks, horses and sheep.'

The Golden Eagle festival sees golden eagles soaring through the air at speeds of up to 200mph as well as horse racing, archery and Bushkashi, which is a goatskin tug of war on horseback.

Other pictures show the hunters wearing their traditional costumes, complete with fur coats made of marmot, fox or wolf skins, which have been caught by their eagles.

A Kazakh on horseback keeps an eye on his herd of sheep in snowy conditions

A huge eagle wing partially covers the face of a young Kazakh. The eagles used for hunting are eventually returned to the wild

The hunters could use rifles - but they opt to use eagles instead, as it is seen as the highest form of art and dedication

Though the benefits of eagle hunting have decreased in the ever-modernising world, the Kazakhs living in Western Mongolia have preserved the tradition, due to their physical isolation.

The hunters could hunt with rifles - but they opt to use eagles instead, as it is seen as the highest form of art and dedication.

Surviving the harsh winter is challenging, with permanent freezing conditions of up to -40 C , and to the outside world their lifestyle may seem to be a very hard way of living.

However, the Kazakhs have developed a resilience for living in these conditions over the centuries.

Though the benefits of eagle hunting have decreased in the ever-modernising world, the Kazakhs living in Western Mongolia have preserved the tradition, due to their physical isolation

The Kazakhs have developed a resilience for living in these conditions over the centuries

Other activities held during the Golden Eagle festival include horse racing, archery and Bushkashi, which is a goatskin tug of war on horseback

Massimo said: 'The Kazakhs of the Altai mountain range in western Mongolia are the only people that hunt with golden eagles.'

The tradition of hunting with golden eagles is said to have been started by the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China around 940AD.

Massimo said: 'My desire to experience a different way of life and a unique culture is what took me to Mongolia. I read about the Kazakh people and their ancient tradition of eagle hunting and I wanted to learn about their nomadic lifestyle.

'I was lucky to find Jess, an English lady, who operates a small independent company called Eternal Landscapes with a Mongolian Team. Their love for Mongolia is genuine rather than a business decision.

'Their focus is to provide experiences that support the local community and provide a real insight into Mongolia in the 21st century.'

Although all the men in the family are allowed to handle the eagle only the one that took the bird from the nest can take the eagle on a hunting trip

Once the hunter spots the prey, he charges toward it causing it to flee into the open. The eagle is then released for the kill

Photographer Rumi said that hunters don't keep the eagle with them forever. After years of service, the eagle is released into the wild

During Massimo's trip in the Altai Region he learnt that it takes the hunters around five years to finish their training.

Massimo said: 'During this period the eagle must be treated with respect and gentleness or it might fly away and never come back. The trainer constantly sings and speaks to his bird to imprint his voice in its memory.

'The hunter does not keep the eagle with him forever. After years of service, the eagle is released into the wild.

'During my stay with eagle hunters, I felt great respect for the way they care and treat the eagle like a child. They have an extraordinary bond with the bird and it is very hard for them to let the eagle go back into the wild.'

To take a look at more of Massimo's incredible photography and adventures visit his website.

As nomads, Kazakhs eagle hunters live in ger tents and they move three times per year, along with the family's livestock, which usually includes goats, yaks, horses and sheep

Two Kazakhs on horseback engage in a tug-of-war competition with a wolf skin

During hunting trips man and eagle can spend days together, further strengthening their relationship and creating a special bond

During Massimo's trip in the Altai Region he learnt that it takes the hunters around five years to finish their training

A young Kazakh boy wearing a red jumper has his head stroked lovingly by an elder in Altai, Mongolia

A Kazakh hunter takes a rest on a boulder with his hooded golden eagle, which is perched on his tough glove

The eagles' hunting grounds are vast plains surrounded by rocky mountains. This trainer appears to be contemplating his next move

A female chick is always chosen for training - they are believed to be more aggressive than their male counterparts

The festival also sees awards handed out for Best Turned Out Eagle And Owner, Best Eagle At Hunting Prey and Best Eagle At Locating Its Owner From A Distance

Before training can begin, the eagle chick needs to accept food from the hunter and trust needs to be established

The golden eagles take pride of place in the hunter's homes and grow to feel comfortable with the hunter's family

Professional photographer Massimo Rumi (right) captured the series of pictures when he travelled to the region to witness the occasion first-hand and to experience the lifestyle of the Kazakh people

Kazakh eagle hunters ride with their eagles on the vast landscape in a scene that would be perfect for a postcard

The pictures capture the nomadic life of the Kazakh and their unique culture. Pictured here is a hospitable woman serving some food and tea
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A travel firm is advertising the world's best work experience - four weekends of all expenses paid trips to Europe's top cities to simply party as if you are on a stag do.

The successful applicant will jet off in June and spend every weekend enjoying stag do activities such as clubbing, boozy bar crawls, adrenaline sports, visiting strip clubs and shooting trips.

Each of the cities the lucky intern will be flown out to is renowned for being a top party destination - Prague in the Czech Republic, Slovakia's Bratislava, Budapest in Hungary and the UK's Brighton.

The Stag Company, which organises trips for future grooms and their friends, is offering the dream work experience to young talented travel writers

But perhaps the best part for the intern is that they won't have to fork out a penny for the four consecutive weekends - as the travel firm will completely fund travel, accommodation and activities.

The UK travel firm, The Stag Company, will even give the intern cash to spend while immersing themselves in the stag lifestyle.

The Stag Company, which organises trips for future grooms, is offering the dream work experience to young talented travel writers who will be able to document their trips.

The intern will create a written blog as well as a video blog to document their trips.

The Stag Company, based in Brighton, East Sussex, also require their future stag travel writer intern to help create destination guides to each of the cities and provide insights for social media.

The firm says this job is 'perfect for students and recent graduates' and applicants are expected to be over 18 years old.

Hungary's stunning capital, Budapest, is popular with stag dos because it offers value-for-money and has a number of bars, nightclubs and strip clubs.

Seaside destination Brighton features a number of bars and clubs as a well as unique cultural offerings throughout the city

Prague is not only full of thriving bars, it also provides holidaymakers with the chance to explore stunning scenery including Gothic architecture and its famous castle which dates back to the ninth century.

Seaside destination Brighton features a number of bars and clubs as a well as unique cultural offerings throughout the city.

Bratislava is also proving a popular choice for stags - a group of men travelling to the Slovakian capital for a stag do last month hit the headlines when their plane had to be diverted after their alleged drunken antics on board the aircraft.

In the advert, the company says: 'The successful candidate will get a unique all-expenses paid for experience of travelling to four top stag do destinations (Prague, Budapest, Bratislava & Brighton)

'They will take part in popular stag do activities such as adrenaline sports, bar crawls, lap dancing, shooting and more.

Each of the cities the lucky intern will be flown out to is renowned for being a top party destination - Prague in the Czech Republic, Slovakia's Bratislava, Budapest in Hungary (above) and the UK's Brighton

'The Stag Company are looking for somebody who has a genuine passion for travel and documenting their new experiences with words and images, as they will be required to create content in blog and vlog formats that showcase stag activities and destinations.'

Abi Jacks, from the company, said: 'We came up with the dream internship because we wanted to give somebody who is passionate about travel an amazing opportunity.
We've all been caught in a moment of regret - and no one knows this more than a poor giraffe who got its long neck stuck in a fake tree in Japan.

Footage shows the panicked creature trapped between two branches in its enclosure.

As the desperate giraffe struggles to ease its head from the rigid feature, keepers hurry to its aid.

Footage shows a panicked giraffe trapped between two branches and a leaf of a fake tree in its enclosure

Clearly stressed by the situation, the panicked animal rears up on its hind legs, desperate to get free

Helping hand: Keepers hurry to aid it in its mission to free itself

Climbing up a ladder, one carer tries to wriggle its large head back through the gap that it came through.

When this doesn't work, more rush to the scene to start unbolting the tree's components in a bid to release it.

Clearly stressed by the situation, the panicked animal rears up on its hind legs, desperate to break free.

When this doesn't work, more helpers rush to the scene to start unbolting the tree's components

Freedom: The long-necked animal can be seen afterwards enjoying wandering around its snow-covered enclosure

Eventually keepers are able to release the giraffe from the tree and the long-necked animal can be seen enjoying wandering around its snow-covered enclosure.

It is not the only time a giraffe has found itself in a sticky situation.

Last year images emerged of Safari rangers in South Africa's Greater Kruger National Park looping thick rope around a giraffe's lengthy neck to pull it out of a waterhole he'd become inadvertently stuck in.

The animal could be seen writhing on the ground, its legs in a tangle as it was pulled out.

An anesthetic was given to the giraffe shortly after the rescue operation to help the creature with the shock of his ordeal.

Last year images emerged of Safari rangers in South Africa's Greater Kruger National Park looping thick rope around a giraffe's lengthy neck to pull it out of a waterhole

The animal could be seen writhing on the ground, tangling its legs as it struggles being pulled out of the well

An aesthetic was given to the giraffe shortly after the rescue operation to help the creature with the shock of his ordeal








A British passenger was removed by police from an easyJet plane in France after a knife was found in his hand luggage and he allegedly claimed that he could bring the plane down.

The unnamed man was escorted from the Toulouse-Blagnac to Bristol flight on Friday March 11 after officers discovered he was in possession of a 6cm butterfly knife .

However, that wasnt the end of the drama, because 30 minutes later he was allowed back on.

A British passenger was removed by police from an easyJet plane in France after a knife was found in his hand luggage

The passengers, at this point, reportedly became extremely agitated and told staff that the man had said before boarding that he could bring down the plane if he wanted, The Local reported.

The news site said that according to La Depeche newspaper, to calm them down, the captain called the police and asked them to take the man off again.

Police agreed, despite the passenger not technically having broken any rules, because knives up to 6cm-long are permitted on aircraft.

A border police spokesman told La Depeche: The airports security teams, who checked the mans hand luggage, did not commit any fault, given that the Leatherman knife (a Swiss penknife variant) that they found is authorized on planes.

An unnamed man was escorted from a Toulouse-Blagnac to Bristol flight on Friday March 11 after he was found to have boarded with a butterfly knife - but it was within permitted specifications

The border police reportedly claimed that the passengers threat to bring the plane down was a misunderstanding.

He was released without charge and the flight took off two hours late. It's not known if he was on it.

Easyjet told MailOnline in a statement: EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY6142 from Toulouse to Bristol on 11 March 2016 was delayed due to additional security checks before departure. A passenger was found carrying a small pocketknife, which was subsequently examined and cleared by the authorities.

The safety and security of its passengers and crew is our highest priority. We apologise for the delay and for the inconvenience caused.'

The drama follows an easyJet flight from Geneva being aborted moments before take-off after a passenger spotted a spanner still attached to the wing.

The packed passenger jet had already taxied to the runway when a 25-year-old Swiss man saw the tool wedged between the flaps which are raised or lowered to alter the lift of the aircraft.

He alerted cabin crew and the pilot immediately returned to the terminal so the adjustable monkey wrench could be removed.

The passenger, named only as Christophe, said: 'I realised straight away that what I was seeing was not normal. There was a spanner attached to the wing.'

An EasyJet spokesman said: 'The captain returned to the plane's departure point and a spanner was discovered.
A controversial new reality show which has already sent shock-waves in the States is set to hit shores Down Under.

Seven Year Switch, which airs Tuesday night at 9pm on Channel Seven, will see four couples in crisis temporarily swap partners to test their real feelings for each other.

An American version of the show caused a stir last year after a spouse-swapping married couple divorced in the series finale over the wife's affair.

Opposites attract? Fitness business owners Tim (L) and Jackie (R) have agreed to temporarily swap partners to see if they're better suited with someone else in a televised social experiment

The show explores the concept of 'switch therapy' - where couples on the verge of breaking up change partners with someone more 'like-minded' in an experimental marriage.

The switch-up is supposed to show the participants if they'd rather be with someone more like them, or stay with their current spouse.

Religious groups in the U.S. blasted Seven Year Switch for threatening the sanctity of marriage - and Channel Seven have gleefully used their outrage for publicity.

A promotional trailer for the show includes shock reactions from several news outlets, decrying the experiment as 'immoral', 'sinful' and 'radical'.

Meanwhile, the four couples - Tim and Jackie, Ryan and Cassie, Brad and Tallena, and Jason and Michelle - are each at a crossroads in their relationship.

For the show, they will each live as a couple with somebody else - and are encouraged to share the same bed - while receiving counselling by relationship experts Jo Lamble and Peter Charleston.

Meet the experts: Relationship counselors Jo Lamble (right) and Peter Charleston (left) will offer the Seven Year Switch's participants support during the spouse-swapping process

At the end of the experiment, the real-life couples will reunite and make a commitment to part ways or rebuild their relationship.

The couple featured in the trailer is fitness enthusiasts Tim and Jackie - described as 'the Larrakin' and 'the Workaholic'.

They first met while working at the same gym - and their relationship started with fireworks as they secretly started dating each other.

Trouble in paradise? Behind the smiles, fitness enthusiast Jackie (left) is disappointed her boyfriend of three-and-a-half years Tim (right) isn't more affectionate - and says the couple have a poor work-life balance

But three-and-a-half years on, Jackie admits she wishes Tim was more loving.

'He doesn't like public affection, he's not very romantic,' the 31-year-old complains.

Tim, however, reckons that holding hands 'is pointless'.

The fitness training business they started together has also put a strain on their relationship, as Tim has taken a step back while Jackie has transformed into a workaholic to get it off the ground.

Couple in crisis: Tallena, 28, (right) admits that she hasn't been intimate with fiance Brad (left) for 11 months - as she swaps partners with Tim in an experiment that could make or break their troubled relationship

Too close for comfort? Tim affectionately rubs the shoulder of his new 'partner' Tallena, as they enjoy the breathtaking views of their temporary home

Jackie admits: 'The other biggest problem in our relationship would be the business. There's no separation... (It) has affected our romantic relationship.'

Even happy-go-lucky Tim, 28, has admitted the couple are in dire straits, saying: 'We can't keep going on like this.'

However, Jackie has set strict rules on what her partner is allowed to do with his new 'spouse' during the experimental relationship.

'No nudity and no sleeping in the same bed... and a spa is a deal-breaker for me,' she insists.

Getting to know each other better: Tallena - who is engaged to Brad, whom she met online two years ago - gives Tim a massage in the show's teaser

'I hope my hands don't go wondering': Tim admits his temptation the trailer, as he gives Tallena a back rub

However, a quick glimpse at the teaser for tonight's show would seem to suggest Tim may break his girlfriend's rules.

He is seen getting up-close-and-personal with participant Tallena, 28 - who is engaged to Brad - in the luxury house they are sharing.

They enjoy a cheeky game of Twister together, share doe-eyed glances on the sofa and give each other full body massages.

And violating one of Jackie's guidelines, the pair are seen sharing a Jacuzzi together - and Tim even pulls off his swimming trunks.

Just fun and games? Tim and Tallena are seen playing Twister together in the trailer

And they're off! Cheeky Tim appears to remove his swimming trunks as he shares a spa with Tallena

Two in a bed: Clearly enjoying one another's company, Tim and Tallena leap on their shared bed

Meanwhile, Tallena is engaged to Brad, 28, but their relationship is also on the rocks.

She admits that the couple haven't been intimate for 11 months, adding: 'It is more of a friendship at the moment.'

They currently have a date set for their wedding, and are in a hurry to fix their relationship.

'If this experiment doesn't work, it will just crush both of us,' she confesses.

Flirtation: Despite being engaged to another man, Tallena appeared very attracted to Tim

The third couple taking part in the series is Ryan and Cassie - dubbed 'the Man Child' and 'the Realist'.

Both aged 33, they dated briefly in high school before rekindling their love 10 years later.

They're now married with an 11-month-old daughter - and Cassie also has a nine-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

But the stay-at-home mum reckons that Ryan needs to take on more responsibility, adding: 'I'm his wife, not his mother.'

The couple have faced further strain after losing their baby son at 37 weeks gestation, with Cassie admitting: 'A lot of things fell apart from there.'

Speaking of the outcome of the experiment, she concluded: 'I can't live unhappy. If that means we're going to have to separate then that's what's going to happen.'

Breaking point: Two months ago, Cassie (right) told partner Ryan (left) that she wanted out of their relationship, and hopes that switch therapy will finally give an answer to their dilemma

Finally, Jason and Michelle are engaged to wed but essentially lead separate lives.

Michelle is a stay-at-home mum and Jason works two separate jobs to provide for the family and save to buy a house.

But his sacrifices are taking a toll on their relationship, as they hardly spend any quality time together.

With no intimacy or affection left, the couple are at breaking point. Jason adds: 'There's heaps at stake because if things don't change I don't think we'll make it.'

'It's a very real possibility that Jason and I could separate and the kids will grow up in two households instead of one,' says Michelle.

The Seven Year Switch airs Tuesday night at 9pm on Channel Seven.
He was roundly slated after revealing his character would be 'bringing somebody back' in a special one-off appearance on Game Of Thrones.

And Ian McShane has hit back by telling fans of the show to 'get a f***ing life' after they attacked him for giving away too much ahead of the start of season six at the end of April.

The Lovejoy legend had a brilliantly blunt way of trying to reason with his critics over his loose-lipped ways.

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No Lovejoy lost: Ian McShane has told Game Of Thrones fans to 'get a f***ing life' after he was slated for revealing he would be

Ian, 73, told the Telegraph: 'You say the slightest thing and the Internet goes ape.

'I was accused of giving the plot away, but I just think get a f***ing life. It's only t**s and dragons.'

Whether fans will appreciate his refreshingly brutal honesty remains to be seen, however it can not be argued the show has pulled off yet another casting coup by having the Deadwood star agree to appear on the HBO show.

Ian also explained how he was thrilled at having the chance to work with some fellow old thespians, only to discover they had all already been bumped off.

He said: 'They asked me if I wanted to do Game of Thrones and I said, "Sure, I'll be able to see my old pals Charlie Dance and Stephen Dillane," and they said, 'No, we've killed them off,'"

Snow very likely: Initially Kit Harington's character seemed the obvious candidate for resurrection

'I wasn't sure whether I could commit, but then they said it would only be for one episode, so I said, "So that means I must die at the end of it. Great, I'm in."'

The latter was surely a boon for the star, especially after his near 10-year run in iconic BBC show Lovejoy, in which he played a loveable but roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia.

The furore was sparked back in November when he revealed his character would not be sticking around long, saying: 'I am responsible for bringing somebody back that you think youre never going to see again. Ill leave it at that.

'[Its] a one-off episode, thats why I did it. But I cant reveal anything, otherwise I will never work again.'

Fans of the show have put their thinking caps on in an attempt to determine the identity of his mystery beneficiary, the most superficially obvious candidate would be Jon Snow.

Stark warning: Some thought he could be reviving Michelle Fairley's character in her Lady Stoneheart persona but the actress previously said she would not be coming back to the show

While fans of the books also suggested he could bring back Catelyn Stark in her Lady Stoneheart persona, the strongest contender seems to be Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane.

The character was last seen seemingly being left to die by his travelling companion Arya Stark, who opted to let him die a slow death after he fell off a cliff while battling Brienne Of Tarth.

He was already weakened after being infected with a virus after being bitten during an earlier battle,

It is thought Ian signed up to play a character identified in a casting call as 'a man in his 40s or 50s. A gruff ex-soldier who found religion.

'Now a no-nonsense rural priest who ministers to the poor of the countryside. Hes salt-of-the-earth man who has weathered many battles.'

Arya kidding me? Stark will be shocked if The Hound is alive after seemingly leaving her companion for dead

If this is correct it would appear he is playing a composite of two characters. The first is Septon Meribald, a Feast Of Crows character who just happens to have lost all of his brothers when fighting in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, and who now ministers for the smallfolk of the riverlands.

The second is the Elder Brother the leader of the religious community on the Quiet Isle reputed to have powers as a healer.

In the book he tells Brienne he personally buried Sandor, however at his monastery she sees a hulking gravedigger who has a healing injury similar to the one the fearsome warrior received at the Inn at the Crossroads, and who hides his face underneath a scarf.

Jocks wahay: Scottish beefcake Rory McCann has become a big favourite with fans of the show

But perhaps the biggest clue of all is the fact Scots beefcake Rory McCann, who plays the popular character, has been spotted sauntering around on set in recent times, perhaps so he could make an appearance in his gravedigger's garb.

The actor himself had previously said he hoped to be coming back at some point, saying: 'It wasn't looking good, was it?

'If he opens his mouth, and 'blubbbb', the blood comes out, that's not looking good. There's always hope, but, I don't know.'
Peter Capaldi managed to turn the air blue during his Letters Live performance held at the Freemasons Hall in London on Monday night.

The 57-year-old proved politics never changes as he answered the question of what his famously foul-mouthed character Malcolm Tucker would sound like in the 17th century.

Performing Sultan Mehmed IV's demand for submission and the defiant Zaporozhian Cossacks' response with comedian Matt Berry, Capaldi turned the air blue with salty insults to the applause of the Letters Live audience.

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Cheeky! Peter Capaldi managed to turn the air blue during his Letters Live performance held at the Freemasons Hall in London on Monday night

Loving it: Meanwhile, Olivia Colman, 42, struggled to contain her giggles during a performance of Tina Fey's responses to online commentators

Long before The Thick Of It's Tucker uttered the word 'omnishambles', Zaporozhian invective from 1675 included:

'What the devil kind of knight are you, that can't slay a hedgehog with your naked a**e?'

Meanwhile, Olivia Colman, 42, struggled to contain her giggles during a performance of Tina Fey's responses to online commentators, including defending her ability to guard a bridge to one who called her an 'over-rated troll'.

Animated: 57-year-old Peter proved politics never changes as he answered the question of what his famously foul-mouthed character Malcolm Tucker would sound like in the 17th century

Strong words: Long before The Thick Of It's Tucker uttered the word 'omnishambles', Zaporozhian invective from 1675 included: 'What the devil kind of knight are you, that can't slay a hedgehog with your naked a**e?'

She also read a short and sweet note from Eric Idle to John Major sent before their shared 50th birthday.

'Has it ever occurred to you that, but for a twist of fate, I should be prime minister and you could have been the man in the Nudge Nudge sketch from Monty Python? I hope you don't feel too disappointed,' Idle wrote.

Whitehall recited a coarse memo from South Park creator Matt Stone to a film certification board formed almost entirely of vetoed sex acts, quipping: 'You can see why they got me to read this one, not (Liberty director) Shami Chakrabarti.'

Capaldi closed the show with a poignant letter from a captain on the Western Front describing to his wife the Christmas truce of 1914 and the knowledge the war was hours away from beginning again, bringing the audience to silence.

Chakrabarti, Jack Dee and Miriam Margolyes also performed historic letters at the event, which concludes on Tuesday.

Star attractions: Peter and OIivia were more than happy to pose for snaps ahead of the event

There he is: Funnyman and actor Matt Berry was also a part of the event
Farmer Wants A Wife star Lachlan McAleer has denounced claims by his ex Natalie Cepeniuk that he still loves her as 'pure lies.'

The 37-year-old cattle farmer says he regrets dating the horse trainer for six months last year telling Daily Mail Australia: 'It was a big regret.'

Lachlan, from New South Wales, added: 'I wish I had never gone out with her, it was only a few months, but what a mistake.

Furious: Farmer Wants A Wife star Lachlan McAleer has denounced claims by his ex Natalie Cepeniuk that he still loved her when he chose naturopath Belinda Reid on the show as 'pure lies'

Former flame: Horse trainer Natalie, who dated the New South Wales farmer for six months last year, says the 37-year-old picked his winner 'when he was still in love' with her

'What she says about me are pure, unstantiated, lies told to magazines for a quick buck.

'You only have to look at the criminal charges she faces to realise she should not be believed.'

Natalie has appeared at three different courts since September on five charges ranging from possessing ammunition without a licence, assault, entering enclosed land without permission, using a carriage service to menace and being in possession of stolen goods.

Revelations: Natalie dated the New South Wales farmer for six months last year. She faces five criminal charges including possessing ammunition without a licence, assault and using a carriage service to menace

She was arrested on 17 September 2015 in Goulburn for possessing ammunition without holding a licence and the case is scheduled for hearing on Friday at the local court.

Also on Friday at Goulburn local court she will face charges of being in custody of good suspected of being stolen.

She was also charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend and the case was heard Picton local court but no plea was entered on 29 March.

At Picton, she was granted bail charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on 29 March.

Regrets: The cattle farmer, known as Lachie, says he only dated the horse trainer for several months last year

She told the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday that Lachlan was still in love with her when he chose naturopath Belinda Reid, 35, to be his girlfriend in the FWAW show finale which aired on Monday.

'He was with her [the show winner] when he loved me,' she said, claiming that the new romance with Belinda has already collapsed.

Love at last: After appearing on Married At First, Lachlan appeared to find love with blonde beauty Belinda Reid on Farmer Wants A Wife but Natalie says the pair no longer date

She also told the publication that he and Belinda have since broken up and that she had since contacted her for support through Facebook, saying the farmer made her 'skin crawl.'

She said: 'Belinda contacted me to see if Id encountered the same problems with him as she had, and she wanted to find closure,' she claimed.

On Tuesday she stood by her claims telling Daily Mail Australia: 'Yes I am no angel when it comes to getting in trouble but I don't make things up.

Together: Natalie shared this photo of Lachlan last year, captioning it: 'With the superstar today lol. Lachlan from married at first sight'

'Lachlan doesn't like anyone knowing what he is like which is why he is now so defensive.'

Lachlan told Daily Mail Australia: 'Everything she says about me are unsubstantiated lies...I wish I had never gone out with her. I can't comment in Belinda and I.'

In the final episode, the stubbly farmer opens up to the show's host Sam McClymont about his decision to choose his blonde winner from Victoria.

Hunting: Natalie shared this image on her Myspace account

'At the end of the day I think it's quite simple what I need in a woman and that's someone who is loving and caring with a bit of a sense of humour,' Lachlan explained.

'There was definitely chemistry there,' he continued, gushing about the strong connection and sense of attraction the pair share.

For her part Belinda says she loves his funny side, saying: 'For me, one of the biggest things with people is a sense of humour and Lachy has a great sense of humour.'

She went on: 'I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed my time on the farm,' she added, no doubt suggesting she could easily adapt to Lachlan's rural lifestyle.

But keen not to rush into things, Belinda added: 'We're taking our time. If this fairytale progresses the way I'd like it to then I can see myself on the farm'.

Natalie has previously claimed that Lachlan is 'fame hungry'.

The busty pig shooter told Woman's Day magazine: 'Laid-back Lachie on TV is all an act'.

After having met Lachlan back in 2014, Natalie didn't actually begin dating the reality star until early 2015, six months after he split from Clare Tamas who he met on Channel Nine's Married At First Sight. '

'Things were going great at first, but I quickly learned that he had a short fuse,' she told the magazine.

Previous reality show: For Lachlan, The Farmer Wants A Wife was his second chance at finding love, after a highly publicized failed marriage to Claire Tamas during his appearance on Married At First Sight

Revealing she 'felt like I was walking on eggshells' for the duration of their romance, Natalie also says she believes Lachlan's recent nose job was purely for cosmetic purposes despite his claims the procedure was for medical reasons.

Natalie has since moved on with a new man, but no doubt her familiarity with the farm and animals would have provided her and Lachlan with a shared interest during their time together.

On her Facebook page the the New South Wales resident proudly flaunts a photo of herself with a dead pig, the brunette crouching on the ground next to the deceased animal while making a thumb-up hand gesture.

He's pleased: It appears he has finally found that special someone with whom he can settle down with, after it was revealed in last week's episode that he chose Belinda as his final lady

According to The Gympie Times, Natalie won the pig women's event at the region's big boar hunt in July last year.

Meanwhile, horse training is another passion of hers, with many images splashed across her social media of the animals in the stables or training rings.

For Lachlan, The Farmer Wants A Wife was his second chance at finding love, after a highly publicized failed marriage to Claire Tamas during his appearance on Married At First Sight.
Jennifer Hawkins has come out to praise Republican candidate Donald Trump as a 'brilliant businessman'.

As the owner of the Miss Universe pageant when Hawkins won it back in 2004, the model described the controversial politician as 'charming'.

Speaking with Today Extra on Tuesday, the 32-year-old said she's generally steered clear of commenting on his policies.

'He is charming': Jennifer Hawkins praised Republican candidate Donald Trump when speaking on Today Extra on Tuesday

'He is charming. He has presence,' she said.

When asked by host David Campbell whether she thought 'if anyone could do this it is Donald Trump?' she answered: 'Yeah,' although she tip-toed around anything more specific than that.

'Sorry, I am sitting on the fence there,' Hawkins said.

'You want to be careful what you say out there because it can be turned and... I don't know,' she finished.

Hawkins herself has managed to grow an impressive, multi-million-dollar company, J Group, which she operates with her husband Jake Wall.

'I don't know': Hawkins dodged questions to whether she thought Trump could make President

Rubbing shoulders: Hawkins got to know the billionaire in 2004 when she was crowned Miss Universe, the beauty pageant he owned until 2015

Their $10 million portfolio ranges from beauty products such as J Bronze, swimwear in the form of COZI by Jennifer Hawkins, and property development.

As the US Presidential election draws closer, Trump has made headlines for his policies, which include building a wall between America and Mexico to combat 'illegal' border crossings.

'A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border,' his official website reads, adding that Mexico, not the US, must pay for it.

He has also proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering America 'until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.'

Trump's rallies have come under scrutiny for becoming 'increasingly violent'.

Perhaps most infamously, a 78-year-old Trump supporter John McGraw was arrested after assaulting a black protester Rakeem Jones last Thursday.

'He has presence': Hawkins posing with Trump at the New York Australian consulate in 2004

'Sorry, I am sitting on the fence there': The 32-year-old model deflected comments about Trump's (pictured) controversial policies

As good as they say? Some finance journalists have questioned Trump's business successes

'Next time, we might have to kill him,' bragged McGraw to Inside Edition shortly after.

Politics aside, while Trump may still be worth an estimated $2 billion, his successes in business are debatable.

In 2015, political journalist and commentator Kevin Drum estimated that over the course of the past four decades, Trump has lost anywhere between $1 billion and $6 billion.

Many finance critics also argue that Trump would be 'much richer' if he'd invested his 1970s inheritance back into the stock market.

Trump's businesses have also filed for corporate bankruptcy four times: in 1991, 1992, 2004 and 2009.
She first captivated viewers 16 years ago on her saucy cookery show Nigella Bites, where she seemed to spend as much time licking utensils as chopping carrots, but has Nigella Lawson finally fallen out of love with TV?

For I can disclose that the 56-year-old is shutting her television company, Pabulum Productions.

The move comes after Nigellas U.S. cookery series The Taste was axed last year following a dramatic drop in viewing figures, while her most recent BBC effort, Simply Nigella, was mocked by fans after it featured the television cook demonstrating how to make avocado on toast.

Now she has placed Pabulum Productions into voluntary liquidation, meaning the company will be closed and its assets liquidated. It was first incorporated in 2001, shortly after Nigella Bites launched to great acclaim. Its name, Pabulum, is derived from the Latin term for food.

Nigella might be closing her television company Pabulum Productions, but instead of retiring from our screens the domestic goddess might just be executing a canny tax-planning move, says Sebastian Shakespeare

As the sole director of the company, Nigella will get an estimated windfall of 2,244,987, which is the amount liquidators expect to be left in the business after it settles outstanding payments, including debts of 320,918 and a tax bill of 20,923.

However, a source says shes unlikely to be retiring from our screens just yet. Instead Nigella, whose father is former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson, may just be executing a canny tax-planning manoeuvre.

The current Chancellor, George Osborne, is said to be planning a tax raid on one-man companies across the public sector, which will include highly paid BBC stars.

Although Nigella has three other companies registered at Companies House, they are all dormant.

A move to operating as a sole trader would also mean she is not under obligation to file public accounts at Companies House.

The former Domestic Goddess is no doubt still trying to get her finances in order after splitting from art dealer Charles Saatchi in 2013 on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour, following a row at a restaurant in Mayfair where he was seen tweaking her nose and holding his hands around her throat.

Nigella is said to have walked away from the marriage with no higher financial settlement than her cooking appliances, and last month I disclosed shed even had to take out a mortgage on her new bachelorette pad.

A spokesman for Nigella refuses to be drawn in, however, only saying: We wouldnt comment on financial matters.

Stone Keith: 'I look good in women's clothing'

Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who was the model for Johnny Depps camped-up Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean, reveals that he owes his sartorial inspiration to the women in his life.

The reason I look like I do is that I steal most of these clothes from my old ladies, says the guitarist.

When Richards, 72, was in a relationship with actress Anita Pallenberg, the mother of three of his children, he admits that they used to swap clothes regularly.

We just used to buy something and, say, not for one or the other, because itll fit either of us. Style is unconscious. Its like that other word, cool. If you want to be cool, if you have to think about it, then you aint!

Also, Ive got a frame that fits just about anything. Even if its too big, it looks good.

Dont kid yourself, Keef.

Viewers might be lapping up the trend of naked men on TV, but historian Dan Jones is not among them.

Im very aware of this sort of reverse sexism in TV shows now  before, it was the women who had to get their kit off, and now its the men.

Lets just say, I dont tune into a show just to watch a man get naked.

Nikesh Patel's character Aafrin Dalal in Channel 4's Indian Summers had a topless Poldark moment, but historian Dan Jones wasn't as keen on the current trend for naked men on TV

Tory MP Craig Tracey was a-whooping and hollering at a festival of Nashvilles country music at the O2 Arena.

He even tweeted the band Little Big Town who blew me away, adding: If you want a tour of Parliament before you go home, very welcome! How appropriate.

The groups big hit about boozing is the ideal soundtrack to the Commons 24-hour bar culture: Dont want to wait till the suns sinking, Why dont we do a little day drinking?

Is food guru Ella in hot water with her new fashion sponsor?

When food blogger Ella Woodward was cast as the new face of fashion brand Amanda Wakeley, there was no doubt it hoped that 24-year-old Ella, the daughter of former Labour MP Shaun Woodward and supermarket heiress Camilla Sainsbury, would expose the label to her 772,000 Instagram followers.

Apparently, she didnt get the memo. For over the weekend Ella published a picture of herself (alongside her fiance, dashing banker Matthew Mills) in a pretty floral outfit  but not one element of it was from Amanda Wakeley.

No wonder she didnt respond to fans queries about where her ensemble was from.
He may have died almost 40 years ago but Elvis Presley is set to tour the UK once again

He may have died almost 40 years ago but Elvis Presley is set to tour the UK once again.

A series of arena shows will take part in which the voice of The King of Rock and Roll will be backed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

It follows the success of the album, If I Can Dream, released last year, which used archive recordings of Presleys voice featuring new orchestral arrangements of some of his biggest hits.

The album, which was the second biggest released in 2015, gave Elvis a record-equaling 12th UK Number One album.

Presley, best known for tracks including Hound Dog, Viva Las Vegas and Jailhouse Rock, continued performing until shortly before his tragic death in 1997 and in total has had 76 UK Top 10 singles, and 50 Top 10 UK albums.

The six one-off UK performances will commence on November 17th this year at Glasgow SSE Hydro before playing at Leeds First Direct Arena the following day.

Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Birmingham Genting Arena, the London O2 Arena and Manchester Arena will also be visited by the tour, ending on November 24th.

His former wife, Priscilla Presley will be also be making an appearance at the shows. What an honour for me to present to you songs from what has become a very prestigious and beloved album with a full symphony orchestra, she said.
Lachlan McAleer has confirmed he has already split from his Farmer Wants A Wife girlfriend Belinda Reid.

Less than 24 hours after the show finale aired on Monday night, it emerged the couple have already gone their separate ways, with Lachlan citing long distance as the reason for their split.

But in an interview with A Current Affair on Tuesday night, Lachlan insisted there are no hard feelings between the pair, saying: 'We gave it our best shot, it didn't work out.'

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It's over: Lachlan McAleer opened up about his break-up with Belinda Reid in the time since filming wrapped on Farmer Wants A Wife in a television interview with A Current Affair on Tuesday

'It was an amicable break-up,' he went on to add.

He also addressed claims made by his ex-girlfriend Natalie Cepeniuk that he had been dating her and Belinda at the same time.

Lachie said: 'At the end of the day, I was with her briefly... I made a big mistake.'

It comes after the reality star claimed in interview with TV Week published on Tuesday that the long distance between the couple was to blame for their break-up in the months since filming wrapped up.

He told the publication: 'We were trying back and forth and spoke on the phone all the time, but the distance makes it really hard.'

'We gave it our best shot, it didn't work out': The 37-year-old from New South Wales confessed in the television interview

Belinda, 35, is based in Victoria while Lachlan's farm is in New South Wales, meaning the pair faced a flight or 10 hour drive drive every time they wanted to see each other.

The 37-year-old cattle farmer went on to say that it began to get hard planning meet-ups so far in advance when he had to take care of his property.

Lachie went on to add that in the months between the finale airing on Monday night and filming wrapping, they had to keep their relationship out of the public, which again made things difficult.

'It was very tricky because you couldnt just go out for dinner in case someone spotted you,' he went on to explain.

The cattle farmer told the magazine: 'It was tricky because when she did come and visit, Id have to balance the farm and workload as well as seeing her.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Lachlan and the Nine Network for further comment.

A lot to handle: Lachie went on to add that in the months between the finale airing on Monday night and filming wrapping, they had to keep their relationship out of the public, which again made things difficult

Still smiling: After the final episode went to air the 35-year-old took to Instagram to share a picture from the finale with the McClymont Sisters and made no reference to Lachlan

As the final of Farmer Wants A Wife went to air on Monday night, Belinda took to Instagram to share a picture from the episode.

The blonde beauty posed alongside the host of the show Sam McClymont and her sisters Brooke and Mollie who performed on the night.

She captioned the image: 'FINALE! So many awesome peeps, So many mind boggling moments!' but made no reference to Lachlan.

The cattle farmer also took to social media as the final episode went to air, and chose to share an image of himself alongside the other farmers.

Lachlan has also come under fire from his ex-girlfriend Natalie since the show went to air.

Boy's time: Lachie also took to social media as the final episode went to air, and chose to share an image of himself alongside the other farmers

Scorned: He has also come under fire from his ex-girlfriend Natalie Cepeniuk since the show went to air

The horse trainer told the Courier Mail on Tuesday that he was 'with her [the show winner] when he loved me.'

Natalie went on to reveal that the pair had broken-up since the show ended and that Belinda had reached out to her for some advice and moral support.

She said: 'Belinda contacted me to see if Id encountered the same problems with him as she had, and she wanted to find closure,' she claimed.

Lachlan told Daily Mail Australia: 'Everything she says about me are unsubstantiated lies...I wish I had never gone out with her.'
She jetted to Europe on the weekend ahead of an upcoming Radio Conference where she is a key note speaker.

And Jackie 'O' Henderson appeared to be making the most of her time in the fashionable city of Paris as she was spotted shopping up a storm on Monday afternoon.

The 41-year-old stepped out after indulging in some retail therapy with overloaded bags draped over her arm.

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Shopping up a storm! Jackie 'O' Henderson looked great as she enjoyed a shopping spree in Paris, France on Monday afternoon

Jackie cut a relatively casual figure for her day out, wrapping herself up in an oversize khaki green coat, which featured leather-sleeved detail.

She layered her chic jacket over a simple white blouse and added to her look with a pair of black fitted jeans.

The mother-of-one draped a Chanel bag over her shoulder and opted for some comfort by wearing white-soled black sneakers.

A success? The 41-year-old stepped out after indulging in some retail therapy with overloaded bags draped over her arm

City chic: She cut a casual figure for her day out, wrapping herself up in an oversize khaki green coat, which featured leather-sleeved detail

For make-up, Jackie went with a natural look and wore her long blonde locks loose around her shoulders.

The radio personality had shopped at Costes, which is part of a lavish hotel within the French city.

The place is known for their luxury items, which range from body and beauty products to scented candles - which are all signature collections for the hotel.

Jackie looked pleased with her purchases as she strolled along the Parisian streets with a KIIS 106.FM show producer.

Covered up! She layered her chic jacket over a simple white blouse and added to her look with a pair of black fitted jeans

A beauty: For makeup, Jackie went with a natural look and wore her blonde locks loose over her shoulders

Attention to detail: The mother-of-one draped a Chanel bag over her shoulder and opted for some comfort by wearing white-soled black sneakers

Although she was spotted out and about with the producer, the Australian star is also in Paris with her KIIS 106.5 FM breakfast co-host Kyle Sandilands.

The outspoken pair are keynote speakers at the Radio Days European Radio Conference in France, where they have been asked to talk about their 2013 move from 2DayFM to KIIS.

The long-time co-stars had been at 2DayFM for more than a decade before they turned their attention to their newly re-branded rival and took all of their listeners with them.

Not alone: Jackie looked pleased with her purchases as she strolled along the Parisian streets with a KIIS 106.FM show producer

Chilled vibes: The pair appeared to be in great spirits during the day's proceedings

Since then there has been much speculation that they are being poached back to their old haunt, but 2DayFM have denied that.

Kyle and Jackie O regularly emerge at the top of the radio ratings ladder where they continually battle for the number one spot with GOLD hosts Amanda Keller and Brendan 'Jonesy' Jones.

The last survey taken this month saw them hold a 12.5 percent share of the breakfast market ahead of new 2DayFm team Rove McManus and Sam Frost who only command a 3 percent share.

A break from work: Jackie was in Paris with KIIS 106.5 FM breakfast co-host Kyle Sandilands, the pair are keynote speakers at the Radio Days European Radio Conference
She may be due to give birth to her and Adam Shulman's first child this Spring.

But healthy mother-to-be Anne Hathaway couldn't resist keeping to her workout regime, and squeezed in a visit to the gym in Los Angeles, on Tuesday.

Braving the a downpour of rain in the usually sunny city, the 33-year-old actress cut a sporty figure in her jazzy gym leggings, while she also took care to keep her bump wrapped up warm in the wet weather.

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Healthy mother-to-be: Healthy mother-to-be Anne Hathaway couldn't resist keeping to her workout regime, and squeezed in a visit to the gym in Los Angeles, on Tuesday

The Princess Diaries star cut a laid-back figure as she made her way out of the gym and through the rain, making sure to keep herself dry for the most part thanks to a turquoise umbrella.

And while The Dark Knight Rises actress had donned an array of tight-fitting sportswear for her trip to the gym, Anne made sure to keep her baby bump dry and warm with the aid of a longline, wraparound hoodie.

However underneath her cosy top, the outline of Anne's tummy was clearly visible in the purple vest she'd worn for the workout.

Wrapping up warm: Braving a downpour of rain in the usually sunny city, the actress, 33, cut a sporty figure in her jazzy gym leggings, while she also took care to keep her bump wrapped up warm in the wet weather

She teamed the garment with an equally sporty pair of monochrome leggings, which showcased the actress' toned calves and thighs.

She rounded her ensemble off with a practical and comfy pair of multicoloured trainers.

And never one to embrace unnecessary faff, the New York-born star only carried a grey clutch in one hand and her umbrella in the other.

However she did make one A-List exception with her accessories, donning a pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses.

Shelter from the elements: The Princess Diaries star cut a laid-back figure as she made her way out of the gym and through the rain, making sure to keep herself dry for the most part thanks to a turquoise umbrella

Cosy bump: While The Dark Knight Rises actress had donned an array of tight-fitting sportswear for her trip to the gym, Anne made sure to keep her baby bump dry and warm with the aid of a longline, wraparound hoodie

Keeping to her practical theme, the sporty star wore her brunette locks scraped up off of her face into a tight topknot - ensuring they wouldn't fall in her eyes during the workout.

Anne let her naturally striking features shine through, as she wore a minimal amount of make-up after her training session.

Meanwhile it seems the actress is already planning her next big screen project following the birth, as director Garry Marshall broke the news of a possible new Princess Diaries movie to People earlier this week.

'I was with Anne Hathaway a couple weeks ago, it looks like we want to do Princess Diaries 3 in Manhattan,' he told the publication.

The filmmaker then added: 'Anne Hathaway is very pregnant, so we have to wait until she has the baby and then I think we're going to do it.'
She's famous for her star turns on the silver screen.

But on Monday Isla Fisher slipped into her natural role as a doting mother of three children when she took her young brood out to the farmer's market in Los Angeles.

The actress, 40, looked delighted to be spending some quality downtime with her two daughters Olive and Elula, eight and five, whilst she also looked after her 12-month-old son, Montgomery.

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Playing the doting mother: Isla Fisher slipped into her natural role as a doting mother of three children when she took her young brood out to the farmer's market in Los Angeles, on Monday

The flame-haired beauty, who has been married to her children's father Sash Baron Cohen since 2010, cut a casual and laid-back figure as she and the kids wandered around the sunny market.

And the doting mother couldn't resist spoiling her two eldest children with a treat, as she let her two eldest try their hand at a children's climbing wall.

Taking a moment to relax as her daughters scaled the inflatable wall, the proud mother looked on with a smile on her face whilst she sipped on a coffee - with her infant son happily snuggling into her back from his baby carrier.

Fun at the farmer's market: The actress, 40, looked delighted to be spending some quality downtime with her two daughters Olive and Elula, eight and five, whilst she also looked after her 12-month-old son, Montgomery

Obviously prepared for the knocks and scuffs that come with looking after three youngsters, the Wedding Crashers star opted for a casual and dressed down ensemble.

But even whilst on mothering duties the Australian silver screen siren managed to look effortlessly stylish - radiating a relaxed glamour.

Isla opted to wear a lightweight purple and red flannel shirt, which she wore with the sleeves rolled-up - possibly signalling the hands-on nature of her outing with the kids.

And keeping to her sartorial practical parenting theme, the Confessions of a Shopahollic star teamed the top with a pair of skinny-fit grey jeans.

Some quality time: The flame-haired beauty, who has been married to her children's father Sash Baron Cohen since 2010, cut a casual and laid-back figure as she and her children wandered around the sunny market

Climbing the walls: And the doting mother couldn't resist spoiling her two eldest children with a treat, as she let her two eldest try their hand at a children's climbing wall

Fun with mum: Gathering her daughters close for a quick word before they embarked on their climb Isla was clearly at ease corralling and guiding her children on her own

A moments respite: Taking a moment to relax as her daughters scaled the inflatable wall, Isla looked on with a smile on her face whilst she sipped on a coffee

Her little man: While her two eldest children scaled the wall, Isla took a moment to check on her infant son - who was happily snuggled into her back

She rounded her ensemble in a comfy manner with a pair of black leather pumps.

Isla kept her accessories equally simple and practical with a small black leather handbag, a pair of sunglasses and a yellow trucker hat; while she also sported her wedding ring too.

The A-List mother also wore a black baby carrier strapped to her back, where her youngest was wa able to cling to her and nuzzle into her back.

She wore her strawberry blonde locks loose in a carefree style, with her tress tumbling down past her shoulders in gentle waves.

Keeping it casual: Obviously prepared for the knocks and scuffs that come with looking after three youngsters, the Wedding Crashers star opted for a casual and dressed down ensemble

Practical styling: Isla opted to wear purple and red flannel shirt, which she wore with the sleeves rolled-up - possibly signalling the hands-on nature of her outing with the kids - and a pair of ripped grey skinny jeans

Ready for action: Isla kept her accessories equally practical with a small black leather handbag, a pair of sunglasses and a yellow trucker hat while she also sported her wedding ring too - and of course a baby carrier

Isla kept her make-up to a bare minimum for the outing, and her naturally striking features were clearly visible.

Her outing with the children comes after the actress and her devoted husband, comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen, have all but wrapped up the promotional tour for his latest cinema effort, Grimsby (also known as The Brothers Grimsby).

And even though the film starred plenty of A-List talent including Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson, Penelope Cruz, as well as, Sasha and Isla the film has been a commercial flop in the US - taking just $3.2 million following its North American release on March 11.
He's flexed his bulging biceps in a myriad of action-packed roles.

And Vin Diesel, 48, paraded his beefy frame while filming scenes for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage on a beach in Miami, Florida, on Saturday.

The gravelly-voiced star peeled his black vest top down to reveal his impressive pecs and muscular shoulders as he strolled along the shoreline in between takes.

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Bulging biceps: Vin Diesel, 48, paraded his beefy frame while filming scenes for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage on a beach in Miami, Florida, on Saturday

Stood in the shallows while waves crashed over him, the actor had a blast shooting in the choppy surf.

Surrounded by crew members to ensure he was kept safe, Vin couldn't stop smiling as the sun beat down on the close-knit team.

He was nearly knocked over at one stage but managed to keep his balance as the ocean's waves lashed against him with force.

The actor didn't have the luxury of a pair a pair of goggles, unlike one member of the team, and was forced to squint he raised his hands to communicate with the onshore crew.

Beefcake: The gravelly-voiced star peeled his black vest top down to reveal his impressive pecs and muscular shoulders as he strolled along the shoreline in between takes

Making waves: He was nearly knocked over at one stage but managed to keep his balance as the ocean's waves lashed against him with force

In it together: No one was safe from a soaking, with an array of men enveloped by water

Over here: He signalled back to shore just as another waves was about to roll over him

Having fun: Surrounded by crew members, Vin couldn't stop smiling as the sun beat down on them

His trousers were sodden as he trudged back on to the sandy beach to regroup following the energy-sapping scene.

The star was helped out of his costume, with his tattooed arms drying quickly in the warm climate.

The third film in the xXx franchise sees extreme sportsman Xander Cage return from a near death experience to take on another tough mission.

Helping hand: The star was helped out of his costume with his tattooed arms drying quickly in the warm climate

Sun-soaked: Vin looked to be developing a nice tan through his time in the sun

Wet through: Vin's trousers were sodden as he trudged back on to the sandy beach to regroup following the energy-sapping scene

Outfit change: The actor slipped on some dry slipped on a dry vest back on the beach

The movie also stars Ruby Rose, Toni Collette, Nina Dobrev, Samuel L. Jackson and Deepika Padukone, and is due for release next January.

While he is renowned for his muscular physique, Vin has previously stated that he is willing to adapt his body to the nature of the role.

He told Complex: 'I was a bouncer at 17. I play fat roles sometimes. Jackie DiNorscio [from 2006s Find Me Guilty] was a character that was dealing with obesity in some ways and the whole fun of that character was to play fat Jack and play this man. So I would rather have the type of body that can comply to a certain role.'

In safe hands: There were plenty of crew members on hand to ensure everything ran smoothly

Draining: The star's sopping wet outfit must have added plenty of weight to his sizeable shoulders

Hard work: The star took a breather with his hands on his hips while stood knee-deep in water
Their Bachelor finale only aired on Monday evening.

Later that night, Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell were playing a Newlywed Game on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The pretty 26-year-old flight attendant showed off her assets in a plunging black dress that gave a good view of her decolletage.

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Laughs: Their Bachelor finale only aired on Monday evening. And already later that night, Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell were playing a Newlywed Game on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Dressing like a star: The pretty 26-year-old flight attendant showed off her assets in a plunging black dress that gave a good view of her decolletage

Lovely: The TV darling wore her long blonde locks down in soft waves

Va-voom: Though the stunner looked like a 10, she did seem a little nervous during her sit down

Jimmy said they were going to play 'a version of the Newlywed Game called Fiance My Name. For each question you get right you get a prize, a dinnerware set with coordinating flatware,' said the host.

The first question was to list each other's name middle name. They both got it right. He said Grace, she said Edward.

The next one was to name the siblings. He writes Bryant, Brett and Mollie, while she scrolls a zero. They are both correct.

They know each other well: The first question was to list each other's name middle name. They both got it right. He said Grace, she said Edward

Well, not really: Now they are asked to name the maiden names of each other's mothers. He writes Beautiful. She writes Smith. Kimmel said he was very smart. She made up Smith because it's such a common name

Now they are asked to name the maiden names of each other's mothers.

He writes Beautiful. She writes Smith. Kimmel said he was very smart. She made up Smith because it's such a common name.

Next they were asked to list an uncle. She writes Dan. He writes John. 'There is an uncle John, but no uncle Dan,' says Ben.

It's love: They are then asked to come up with the name of childhood pet. He wrote Tessa. 'This is a huge part of her life,' says Ben. She wrote Black Lab. Ben tells her the name was Zoe. Then he kisses her on the lips

They are then asked to come up with the name of childhood pet. He wrote Tessa. 'This is a huge part of her life,' says Ben. She wrote Black Lab. Ben tells her the name was Zoe. Then he kisses her on the lips.

This interview came just before UsWeekly reported her bauble is worth $100,000. And the Neil Lane designed masterpiece has a total of 4.5 carats with the center stone being 3 carats.

The lucky recipient showed off the gem on the cover of People magazine on Tuesday and also when she stopped by Good Morning America with Ben. While on the program, the two said they were looking forward to getting back to a 'normal' life.

On the east coast now: Lauren showed off her $100,000 engagement ring when she went to Good Morning America with Ben on Tuesday morning following their Bachelor finale

Just the two of us: The 27-year-old flight attendant wore a blue lace minidress

Bling time: According to UsWeekly, the bauble is worth $100,000. And the Neil Lane designed masterpiece has a total of 4.5 carats with the center stone being 3 carats

He put a ring on it: The businessman slipped the ring on not once but twice - he proposed on the show and then on the finale

Only the best will do: The Bachelor picked out a stunning engagement ring for his bride-to-be

That's the one: After much back and forth about who to choose throughout the finale, Ben said he was 'really, fully in love with one woman' while picking out an engagement ring for his future wife

Bushnell wore a blue lace minidress that showed off her legs while Ben modeled a light grey suit.

The two kissed for New York fans to see right there on the streets before heading into the show. He also presented his future wife with a bouquet of red roses.

'Everything that happened led me to Lauren,' the 27-year-old business analyst told People. 'I couldn't be happier.'

Now the pretty blonde flight attendant is moving to Denver to be with her man.

'It was all worth it. I appreciate him more every day,' the 26-year-old said.

As far as Ben telling the two final contestants he loved them both, he says it was the right thing to do. 'I can't apologize for being honest or expressing what I thought was best to express at the time. But I could never picture my life without Lauren,' he remarked.

The two also said they have plans to wed 'soon.'

Smitten: 'It was all worth it. I appreciate him more every day,' the 26-year-old said to People

She is packing up: Now the pretty blonde flight attendant is moving to Denver to be with her man. She will move into his home, it was reported

I only have eyes for you: The stunner shot Higgins a loving look as they held onto red roses

And there's the kiss: Ben planted a smooch on his bride to be. They told People they would wed 'soon'

Ben's runner up was Joelle JoJo Fletcher, 24.

During his sweet proposal, Ben told Lauren: 'I came into this honestly feeling unlovable - that I couldn't be loved or that I was never going to find that person to love me fully. And then we go through this experience - a journey that's full of goodbyes.

'Lauren, I never want to say goodbye to you. I want to wake up every morning and kiss you on the face. I want to go to bed at night and know that in the morning I'm going to wake up to the most beautiful woman that I've ever laid eyes on.

Popping the question: Ben Higgins got engaged to Lauren Bushnell on Monday's season finale of The Bachelor

'My desire from here on out is to live for you, commit to you, love you, hold you, kiss you a lot. Lauren I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?'

Crying as he placed a stunning diamond ring on her finger, Lauren said: 'Ben! Yes, of course! This is the happiest day of my whole life.'

See more of the latest The Bachelor updates as Ben Higgins gets engaged

Sealed with a kiss: The software salesman got down on bended knee in Jamaica

She said yes: When Ben asked Lauren to marry him, she replied: 'Ben! Yes, Of course!'

I love you fiancee, Ben then told her as he picked her up and carried her to the waiting helicopter.

As she arrived for the final rose ceremony, Lauren told Ben: 'Coming into this whole thing I didn't know that love like this existed, and standing here now I get it. You're the person I want to spend my whole life with. You're my person. I love you.'

She added to the cameras: 'I want to hear Ben tell me that he loves me, not just one more time but for the rest of my life.'

'You're my person': After Lauren confessed that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Ben, he said that he felt the same way

Tears all around: After a heart-wrenching break-up, it was a moving proposal for the couple

Ben called Lauren's father before the proposal to ask for her hand in marriage, and he said that software salesman 'definitely' had his blessing.

'I could have married JoJo and been very happy, but I love Lauren with all my heart, and it's a love that I can't lose,' he said beforehand.

As JoJo - who was immediately named the new Bachelorette after the show - was seen being driven away in tears, Ben was shown looking overwhelmed at having to dump her, still admitting: Im about to get down on one knee and ask a woman to marry me, and I was confused about that because of JoJo. Because thats how much I love her.

'This is the happiest day of my whole life': Lauren couldn't believe it when she saw the extravagant Neil Lane ring that Ben had picked out for her

So happy: The pair couldn't stop smiling as they expressed their love for one another

Before dumping JoJo, Ben said that he made his decision because he 'couldn't picture his life' without Lauren.

He insisted: I love Lauren so much that saying goodbye to JoJo had to happen. I love Lauren with all of my heart and its a love that I cant lose.

'Ben has always promised he won't blindside me,' JoJo said, convinced that he wasn't about to break her heart.

Saying goodbye: Ben sent Joelle 'JoJo' Fletcher home, and the real estate developer said she was 'blindsided'

Confused: JoJo had been 'confident' that she was about to get engaged to the Bachelor

'From the moment I met you you instantly intrigued me,' she told him during the final rose ceremony. 'I know that I've struggled and I've been really scared, I remember you telling me that love isn't supposed to be easy, it's supposed to be worth it.

'And to me, this is worth it, you are worth it. You have not only become my best friend but a man I have fallen completely in love with.'

Ben replied: 'I came into this not knowing if I was going to find love. With you, it was real. Always. I didn't know if I could find love. I found it with you, but I found it with somebody else more.

'And I don't want to let go because I don't want to say goodbye. JoJo even on a day like today, I still don't question that I do love you. But you asked me to be honest, and I've tried to be.'

Shocked, JoJo replied: 'I don't even know what to say right now. I'm so confused and blindsided. You told me you were in love with me, that I was your best friend and you couldn't imagine your life without me. So where did it go wrong?'

Ben said that it 'never' went wrong, trying to explain to JoJo that he had fallen in love with two people, as they both sobbed.

Asking for her hand: Ben called up Lauren's father to ask for his permission before popping the question

'Woo!': The 27-year-old punched the air as the time approached to tell Lauren she was the one

Ben told the cameras: 'JoJo gets the raw end of this deal. I don't deserve JoJo. Every single time when something would be tough, she would be the first to sit down next to me and say, "You got this."'

As she was taken home in the limo, a tearful JoJo said: 'I feel so confused. I feel speechless. I walked into today thinking that it could be the happiest day of my life. He said that he would never blindside me but I feel so blindsided right now.

'I wish I could hate him or be mad at him but I can't. I was getting my heart broken and I still didn't want to see him cry. I just want the kind of love that I can count on. That when someone says they love me they really mean it, that they're not going anywhere. It sucks.'

The final rose ceremony: It was bittersweet for Ben, who was in tears after his split from JoJo

Nervous: After sharing her feelings, Lauren wasn't sure whether Ben was about to propose or break up with her

After much back and forth about who to choose throughout the finale, Ben said he was 'really, fully in love with one woman' while picking out an engagement ring for his future wife.

Lauren got along great with Ben's parents, and told him after their meeting that she was 'so ready' to get engaged.

'I want to be a part of the Higgins family,' she added to the camera.

That will do nicely!: Lauren clearly adores the exquisite diamond ring Ben picked out for her

Starting the rest of their life together: After she accepted his proposal, Ben wrapped Lauren in a big hug

Ben's dad could see how smitten with Lauren he was, and said: 'I see a twinkle in Ben's eye that I have not seen.'

JoJo was feeling emotional as she finally got to meet the Bachelor's family, and broke down in tears before she too said that she absolutely hopes to marry him.

Ben said that he was hoping to have more 'clarity' about his decision after speaking to his parents, but just like him, they loved both of the girls.

Tough time: Ben was feeling emotional after having to say goodbye to JoJo

'I still don't question that I do love you': The Bachelor told JoJo that he had fallen for her as well as Lauren

At the start of the show, Ben admitted that he wasn't sure who he was going to pick.

'How am I supposed to get down on one knee and propose to a woman when I'm in love with someone else?' he said during an interview.

During his final date with Lauren, Ben was having a hard time, having been unable to sleep with the impending decision 'tearing him apart'.

Broken hearted: JoJo sobbed in the limo home after being told that Ben loved Lauren more than her

'I still didn't want to see him cry': JoJo said that she wished she could hate Ben, but she couldn't

The software salesman said that everything with Lauren was 'perfect', and that they had never experienced a tough time with her.

'With JoJo, we have been through those rough things,' he explained, saying that his flawless relationship with Lauren was now causing him to question things.

'When things get too good to be true, I get really nervous. I knew I loved you right away and I don't even know why,' Ben said candidly to Lauren.

Their final date: The happy couple enjoyed a ride on a catamaran together before heading to dinner

Saying goodbye: While on their final date, Ben didn't know that he would be sending home JoJo

Before they went for dinner together, Lauren told the camera: 'I didn't feel like Ben was Ben. He obviously has a lot of doubt. That makes me nervous.'

The flight attendant cried over her fears that Ben is also in love with JoJo and feels his relationship with her is stronger, adding: 'I can't picture my life without Ben.

'If tonight was the last time that I heard Ben say that he loved me, I don't really know what I would do.'

Feeling the nerves: Lauren looked worried as she landed in her helicopter ahead of the final rose ceremony

Up in the air: JoJo was seen deep in thought during her helicopter ride, before being dumped by Ben

JoJo on the other hand said that she was feeling 'confident', telling Ben: 'I have so much faith about you and I.'

But she was shocked to hear the Bachelor say he was confused, revealing that it was casting doubt in her mind for the first time.

'I hope I don't end up looking like a fool,' she said during their date in Jamaica.

Dressed to impress: The two women looked stunning for the big day

I say a little prayer for you: Lauren put her hands together before it was time to get ready for the ceremony

When she confronted Ben about it, he said: 'The way I'm feeling about you, I've never felt.'

He added: 'Somehow in two months, you became my best friend. And not only as a friend, but just the passion between us, and the intimacy, makes me more into what we have. There's not a concern in that. '

But JoJo wasn't comforted when Ben couldn't hint that she was the one he would end up with. 'I wanted him to give me a sign and he hasn't given that to me,' she said.

In need of some comfort: JoJo and Ben had a deep conversation in a bathroom, with their microphones still on

'I just want it to be me and you': JoJo asked Ben if he loved Lauren too, and he said that he did

The pair were then caught on microphone with JoJo telling Ben: 'I need something from you. I'm losing my mind.'

He replied: 'Look at me, I'm sitting here on a bathroom floor with you tonight. Being as open with you as I possibly can be. I love you. And I know right now that doesn't feel like it should when I tell you that. What I'm telling you tonight is exactly where I'm at, but it doesn't make it any easier.'

JoJo interjected: 'But you love her too. Am I right?' When he said he does, she added: 'And you said that to her?'

Part of the family: Lauren got along great with Ben's parents when she met them in Jamaica

He has a tough choice: Ben was left even more confused when his parents said that they liked JoJo too

As she broke down in tears, Ben replied: 'Yes. I don't know. Do you not want me to tell you this?'

JoJo said: 'No, I do. I just feel foolish, I feel like when I think about you it's something so special. I just want it to be me and you. I feel like I always have to compete with people and I'm so tired of competing.'

She added to the camera: 'I walked away knowing he loves two people at one time. I thought that was something so special that he said that to me.'

Facing reality: It was only on their final date that JoJo's confidence was knocked

Taking his bind off the big decision: Ben and JoJo swung from a rope and into the gorgeous water below

Show host Chris Harrison teased fans that Lauren and Ben would actually get married during the live After The Final Rose show, revealing that all their family were there and repeatedly showing how Bens pastor Denny Wilson from his hometown of Warsaw, Indiana, on hand ready for the ceremony.

Ben told us last week that he was ready to get married right away, right now, Chris insisted. Were going to put his promise to the test.

Lauren further raised the tension by coming out wearing a white lace dress that would be perfect for a wedding.

Life's a beach: Meanwhile Lauren and Ben also stripped to swimwear for a boat ride and beach day

'I can't picture my life without Ben': The flight attendant was feeling the nerves during their evening together

But when the big moment came, Ben nervously insisted they owe it to each other to do a wedding with our friends and our family and a big wedding, a celebration to cap off this craziness.

Instead, he grabbed Laurens hand to propose to her a second time, this time in front of both of their families, saying: 'I didnt get to do it in the way that I wouldve liked to.

However Lauren did say that she doesn't 'want a long engagement', adding: 'I know I am ready to marry him, but we also want to date a little bit.'

Making their debut: The audience cheered when Ben and Lauren came out on stage during the After The Final Rose special

Happy together: Host Chris Harrison couldn't help but gush over what a cute couple they make

Meanwhile Ben sweetly added: 'I just want to show her off.'

As well as JoJo being named the new seasons Bachelorette, she got to finally confront Ben for dumping her despite his declarations of love - but had nothing but kind words.

She even insisted that watching the show helped her because she could tell there was a very big difference between the way he looked at Lauren and the way he looked at me.

Twice as nice: Ben surprised Lauren by proposing to her for a second time at the studio

Romantic: The Bachelor wanted to propose again when Lauren's family were there

Im good friends with Lauren, I think shes an amazing person, and I think the world of you, JoJo told Ben.

I think everything happened for a reason and Im really happy for you guys.

She also took clear joy in how gut-wrenching he found dumping her, admitting: It helped me, seeing that it was hard for you too.

Surprise!: The couple were treated to a surprise guest in the form of Jimmy Kimmel

'If you could show me on the dolls where you touched each other?': The comedian cracked plenty of jokes about what happened in the fantasy suite

Asked if he still loved her, Ben insisted: Do I care for her? Yes. But Im in a place in my life right now that that experience is distant because Im now committed to one person.

Easily the most surreal moment came when late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel - due to have the couple on his show later that night - interrupted pretending to be a reporter.

After asking a series of silly questions - such as where do babies come from? and will there be a cake at the wedding - he finally asked: What exactly happens in the fantasy suite?

All together: Lauren's parents and siblings and Ben's parents were there, discussing how thrilled they are to be joining their families together

Teasing fans: Chris spoke about a live wedding and even brought Ben's pastor to the studio, but the couple decided to wait a bit longer

As the audience whooped with joy, he then brought out Barbie and Ken dolls, asking if the fantasy suite action was with them dressed or fully nude.

If you could show me on the dolls where you touched each other? he asked straight-faced to laughter.

I never take off a suit so the first one is more correct, Ben finally answered, with Jimmy then pulling out the dressed Ken and putting him up against the naked Barbie.

Coming face to face: JoJo got the chance to ask Ben any lingering questions she had to get closure

The perfect choice: The 25-year-old was also announced as the next Bachelorette

So it would be this? he asked, with Ben smiling: Very close.

He then asked if they would be watching JoJo on The Bachelorette, telling them after they said they would: Thats weird.

Lauren also explained that Ben made sure to tell her right away that he had also said 'I love you' to JoJo.

'Right after we got engaged actually he just laid it all out there,' she said. 'So anything I might be surprised by or might be hurtful, he told me right then.

He's got a rose!: The newly engaged couple appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live later in the evening

Undercover: Lauren was shielded from view by a large umbrella so as not to reveal the result of the show

'Nothing was a surprise  I wasnt blindsided by anything. I knew there were obviously strong feelings there.'

She added: 'I really am more in love with him today than I even was then. I feel more in love with him every day.'

The couple later appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where they answered the standard questions thrown at Bachelor couples - stating that Lauren had watched 'some' of the episodes, and they weren't concerned about the low success rate for engagements from the show.

Suave star: Ben looked handsome for the show, during which he and Lauren played a version of The Newlyweds Game

They can't get enough!: Now that they have gone public with their romance, Ben and Lauren can't stop kissing

Lauren said she had received kind comments from fans of the show through her job as a flight attendant, but found it frustrating that she couldn't reveal anything to them.

And when Jimmy promised them that they would argue over Ben telling JoJo he loved her at some point, Lauren laughed: 'It may or may not have already happened.'

The couple - who played a version of The Newlywed Game - also said that they had been spending weekends in secret houses together, hiding from the public eye.

Jet set couple: The pair were seen catching a red-eye flight out of LAX while dressed down in casual clothing
They famously dated for six years and broke up in 2008 but Simon Cowell and Terri Seymour are still close friends.

So much so that Simon's little boy Eric, two, went along to the first birthday party of Terri's daughter, Coco's birthday party, along with his current girlfriend Lauren Silverman.

Terri shared an adorable picture of Eric giving Coco a birthday kiss, writing: 'A little #kiss for the #birthday girl #Eric & #Coco #BirthdayKisses #FirstBirthdayParty.'

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Firm friends: Two-year-old Eric, whose father is SImon Cowell gave his best friend Coco (Terri Seymour's daughter) a birthday kiss at her first party

Former flame: Simon and Terri - pictured in 2006, dated for six years but split in 2008

Meanwhile, Terri looked as though she is still basking in the initial joy of motherhood as she spent a glorious day at the Coldwater Park in Beverly Hills with her tot.

The 42-year-old TV presenter looked casual and stylish for her trip to the park as she sported a flirty monochrome top with tight skinny jeans.

Terri looked stunning for her trip to the park as she flaunted her incredibly long legs in the chic look.

See Simon Cowell updates as his son Eric gives Terri Seymour's daughter Coco a kiss

Swinging away: Terri Seymour looks as though she is still basking in the initial joy of motherhood as she spent a glorious day at the Coldwater Park in Beverly Hills with her tot

Her baggy fitting top featured a ditzy pattern in black and white and the loose-fitting nature of the garment acted to highlight her slender legs even further.

While the dark nature of her ensemble did not fit into the sunny climes of California, her flip-flops were perfect for the hot weather and the sandy play area.

With her trademark flowing brunette locks cascading over her shoulders, Terri looked simply stunning in the beaming sunshine, which she shielded with designer sunglasses.

Quality time: The 42-year-old TV presenter looked casual and stylish for her trip to the park as she sported a flirty monochrome top with tight skinny jeans

Coco, whose father is model Clark Mallon, looked super happy on the swings and on the slide as she sported a cute pink get-up.

On Monday, Terri littered her Instagram feed with pictures of Coco's first birthday - where Simon's son with Lauren Silverman was present.

Terri and Simon remain close, and back in September the British television personality told Hello! magazine how the former American Idol judge reacted to the news.

Sliding along! Coco, whose father is model Clark Mallon, looked super happy on the swings and on the slide as she sported a cute pink get-up

Congratulations! On Monday, Terri littered her Instagram feed with pictures of Coco's first birthday - where Simon's son with Lauren Silverman was present

'He's so thrilled for us,' she said. 'We were having dinner in LA and I told him and he was over the moon. Actually, immediately after congratulating me the first thing he said was he had to be the godfather.

'Then he said it was perfect timing with his son Eric being so young and he hoped I would have a baby girl so he could set her up with Eric and they could date.

'"How perfect would that be," he said. Typical Simon.'
She's currently travelling around the world performing hits from her latest album, Delirium.

But making time to see the sites in every city, Ellie Goulding was delighted to find a young busker in Sheffield singing one of her songs on Saturday.

Stopping to say hello, the little girl, also named Ellie, was lost for words as the 29-year-old paused to hear her rendition of On My Mind.

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'Her name is Ellie too': Ellie Goulding surprised a young superfan on Saturday in Sheffield City Centre as she stopped by her busking session to say hello

Goulding shared a video of the chance meeting on both her Instagram and Twitter account.

She captioned the footage: 'Heard this little delight singing on my mind as we drove by'.

In the short clip Ellie is seen crouching down to have a chat with her very shy supporter.

Impressed: The 29-year-old singer stood at a distance as she watched the little girl perform On My Mind

'Nice to meet you': The little girl was truly starstruck as Ellie crouched down to speak with her

'Do you like my songs then?': Goulding gave the adorable girl a hug as they struck up a conversation

The little girl's father then says: 'You know what's her name? Her name is Ellie too.'

Amazed, Goulding exclaims: 'Oh really? Hi! Can I have a hug? Let's have a hug.'

Not saying much apart from smiling and nodding her head, the little girl embraces the popstar.

Continuing to strike up a conversation, Ellie added: 'Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you. You ok? Do you like my songs then?'

Giving it her all: Ellie recently revealed that after years of being on the road she will be taking a hiatus soon

'Leg day destroyed': Enjoying some free time in between shows, Goulding opted to squeeze in a work out

Taxi! Following her gym session, the Burn singer was pictured hailing down a taxi in the capital

Meanwhile, Ellie recently revealed plans to take a break from music after her current tour wraps, explaining that she's not looking to write or release any new material for at least a year.

'My plan is to have a month off in August and do more of my charity stuff and then next year I need to live a bit. Who knows? My situation has changed,' she has explained to The Sun, pointing out she's been touring constantly for the past seven years.

Goulding is in the midst of her world tour which sees her play dates all over Europe in March, including 11 in the UK, before heading to North America in April for three months.

Looking the part: Goulding showed off her toned legs as she rocked a pair of shorts with a hooded jacket
Alex Jones went up in the world on Tuesday, as she traded The One Show for 10 Downing Street.

The television presenter cut a suitably sophisticated figure as she arrived for the Sports Relief drinks reception, hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron in London.

Chic in a monochrome palette, Alex, 38, picked out a ladylike dress and simple white overcoat as she matched Julia Bradbury on one of Britain's most-photographed doorsteps.

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Dressed to impress: Alex Jones looked suitably sophisticated as she arrived for a drinks reception at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday night, to celebrate Sports Relief

Alex was classically turned out with her glossy tresses left straight and her make-up applied with a simple finish, so that she achieved the perfect balance of dressy and natural.

The BBC One star brushed off her sporty image with ease and scrubbed up a treat after taking part in one of this year's most talked about charity fundraisers.

She was just one of the stars to compete in the Hell On The High Seas Challenge in which she sailed from Belfast to London.

Monochrome: TV host Alex sported a more demure style in a chic dress which was comprised of a navy fabric around the torso and a tweed skirt

Two's company! The 38-year-old beauty attended the event with Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury (right), with the two happily posing outside of Britain's most famous door

Upping the fashion ante! Julia rocked a more daring style in a ruched black dress and grey, heel shoe-boots

The physical, mental and emotional feat was Jones' second time taking part in a Sport Relief appeal, the first of which being in 2014 where she scaled the Moonlight Buttress in Zion, National Park, Utah.

The challenge which was sponsored by BT, was held in a Volvo Ocean 65 which did not feature any fridges and microwaves, forcing the media personalities to eat vacuum-packed food.

The carbon-fibre speed machine, which has been optimised for maximum performance, is the length of two and a half volleyball courts and weighs the equivalent of 12 great white sharks.

Those big black doors: The television duo were invited in on behalf of the British Prime Minister David Cameron

Sporty star: Alex was just one of the stars to compete in the Hell On The High Seas Challenge in which she sailed from Belfast to London for Sport Relief this month

This year's Sports Relief will run from 18 to March 20, 2016, though Tuesday night was reserved for this year's biggest fundraisers.

Countryfile presenter and new mum Julia Bradbury was in attendance with the TV star on Tuesday and cut a simple figure in a charcoal dress with tights with matching ankle boots.

The pair contrasted in black and white coats and they united in front of the famous black door with arms wrapped around each other.

Loved-up: Rochelle Humes and Marvin Humes looked beyond smitten at they attended the Sports Relief reception, hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street, on Tuesday evening

His leading lady: Standing together outside the famous No. 10, Marvin put a protective arm around his wife's waist as they posed for snaps ahead of the event

Glamorous: The pretty brunette highlighted her svelte waist in high-waisted cigarette pants, that boasted a sprayed on fit

Alex and Julia weren't the only stars invited through those special doors on Tuesday night, because TV double act Rochelle and Marvin Humes were in attendance.

Just back from a romantic getaway to Venice, Italy, the couple were looking smitten as they put in a dual appearance for the night.

Marvin put a protective arm around his wife's waist as they posed for snaps ahead of the event, Rochelle looking typically stylish in a peach duster jacket.

Geek chic: Kimberley Wyatt opted for a preppy style in a pink ribbed sweater with button detailing and billowing navy trousers and a cream wool coat

Finishing touches: The Celebrity Masterchef champion added to her preppy look with thick-rimmed black specs

A dream in cream! The Gadget Show host Suzi Perry looked particularly glamorous in a belted cream jacket and matching flares

The host: Prime Minister David Cameron stopped to pose for a star-studded snap outside of his famous London residence

Buoyant: David had a beaming smile on his face mingled with the celebrity guests

The event was also attended by the likes of former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and Made in Chelsea's Jamie Laing.

Kimberley opted for a preppy style in a pink ribbed sweater with button detailing and billowing navy trousers and a cream wool coat.

The stars stopped for a photo outside the big black doors and smiled as the British Prime Minister took time out of his hectic schedule to honour them.

Stylish display: McFly's Danny Jones dressed down his black suit with a printed shirt and pendant chain

Sharp-suited: Made in Chelsea's Jamie Laing kept it suave in a navy suit, emblazoned with polka dots, which he offset with a partially unbuttoned white shirt

Ever the entertainer: Radio 1 DJ Greg James - who has been doing the Gregathalon for Sports Relief - was typically sprightly as he playfully knocked at No. 10
She's the busty model who has graced the pages of adult magazines Maxim, Zoo Weekly and Penthouse.

But following her US cover girl debut for Girls and Corpses this month, Gabi Grecko is up to her usual tricks by posting racy selfies on Instagram.

The ex-wife of Melbourne businessman Geoffrey Edelsten shared yet another topless snap with her 38,000 followers on the social media site on Tuesday.

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Naked ambition: Reality TV personality Gabi Grecko, 26 - the ex-wife of Melbourne businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, 72 - shared this topless selfie on her Instagram account earlier this week

The Celebrity Apprentice star, 26, barely concealed her modesty with the 'hand bra' pose popular among glamour models.

Her left arm covered up her rumoured-to-be surgically enhanced breasts - however, Miami-born Gabi has previously denied going under the knife.

The only thing she wore across her bare chest was an impressive collection of jewellery which fell between her impressive 'under-boob' cleavage.

Scary and sexy: While barely concealing her ample curves behind her left arm, she glared at the camera wearing a pair of vampiric, light blue cosmetic contact lenses

Meanwhile, she debuted a bold new purple hair colour, which also featured several blonde highlights.

She opted for natural-look makeup with subtle red lipstick - and notably seemed to be wearing vampiric, light blue contact lenses.

In the past, she has been known to mix-up her eye colour with cosmetic lenses - but according to an online professional modelling profile that may belong to Gabi, she has naturally green eyes.

What will Geoffrey say? Gabi features on the cover of U.S. cult magazine Girls and Corpses, posing alongside a made-up corpse dubbed 'Dr Deadelsten'

Her latest bizarre look may have been inspired by her beyond-the-grave themed photo shoot with cult magazine Girls and Corpses earlier this month.

The reality TV personality stripped down to lacy lingerie and posed in a graveyard with a made-up corpse dubbed 'Dr Deadlesten' - a reference to her older ex-husband Geoffrey, 72.

And earlier this week she teased her X-rated film debut - several months after signing on to the same management agency as porn stars Farrah Abraham and Jenna Jameson.

X-rated: Miami-born Gabi hinted that she was about to launch an adult film career on Instagram this week

Following a similar theme to her recent pictorial, she announced on Instagram on Monday night: 'Guess what?! I'm making a sex tape with a fake corpse'.

Gabi first made headlines Down Under after going public about her relationship with medical entrepreneur Geoffrey - who is 46 years her senior.

The former couple first met in New York City and later became engaged in Australia. They married in Melbourne in June last year - just hours before her visa was due to expire.

But three months after their Las Vegas-style wedding, she announced on Instagram the pair had split up and she was moving back to New York.
In the least surprising finale to any drama series in the history of television, there was no happy ending in Happy Valley. Except that is, for the one character we didnt want  the villain of the piece.

Well one of them. The rural villages of West Yorkshire where it was set were full of nasty specimens, sexual deviants, and malicious psychotics. And that was just the women

Yes it was grim up North, so bitterly relentless that Unhappy Valley would have been a more appropriate name.

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Unhappy Valley: All the valiant endeavours of sergeant Catherine Cawood and the actress who played her (Saint Sarah Lancashire) couldnt prevent Happy Valleys second series proving an anti-climax on Tuesday

It was a horribly miserable, deeply unsatisfying, last episode  for the heroine and the viewers.

All the valiant endeavours of sergeant Catherine Cawood and the actress who played her (Saint Sarah Lancashire) couldnt prevent Happy Valleys second series proving an anti-climax, concluding with a denouement that was disappointingly tame, flawed, and far-fetched.

Tommy Lee Royce and his devoted, demented, groupie Frances Drummond got off annoying lightly and their hate campaign against Catherine and her family (which had originally been so enjoyably gripping and harrowing) just petered out.

As for the identity of the serial killer who had been plaguing North Halifax, there was no clever, dramatic, twist following the end of last weeks episode.

Exhausted: As seemingly the only capable copper in North Halifax (a one-woman force, like Dirty Harriet), inevitably it fell to Sgt Cawood to chase Wadsworth

Were we really meant to think it plausible that the culprit had been Daryl Garrs? And believe that the seemingly slow-witted young farmer had brutally murdered several local prostitutes without being seen, leave any evidence, or create a trace of suspicion from Cawood or her colleagues, even though he was known to them? Even though he had lost control and attacked three male persecutors with a hammer in broad daylight?

Apparently so

The explanation of exactly HOW he had committed the murders never was forthcoming though when he muttered a vague confession and his mother swiftly (and conveniently) put Daryl shot him in the back of the head with a rifle, like a sick sheep.

Disappointingly, the revelation that he had meant something else or someone else was also involved didnt materialise. This left the finale concentrating on the plots other loose ends, namely the fate of Detective John Wadsworth and whether Sergeant Cawood would survive the vendetta of Tommy Lee Royce (the man who had raped her daughter and driven her to suicide) and Frances Drummond (his disturbed, disturbing, acolyte).

Were we really meant to find it convincing that Wadsworth (an experienced, dedicated, policeman who had inadvertently killed his lover Vicky Fleming after she had started blackmailing him) had tried to pass her death off as the work of the serial killer, rather than just report it?

Again, apparently so...

Disappointment: An aberration was Cawoods kindly description after she found out Garrs had strangled and butchered several women

Survive? The finale concentrated on the plots other loose ends, namely the fate of Detective John Wadsworth

Asking us to believe that the rather mundane family man was capable of violating Flemings dead body with a broken bottle (to replicate the signature of Garrs crimes) was too much though. Writer Sally Wainwright wanted it both ways  justifying Wadsworths actions by painting him as desperate, but not so much that he couldnt calmly work on the investigation without any unease or the other detectives thinking he was acting strangely.

As seemingly the only capable copper in North Halifax (a one-woman force, like Dirty Harriet), inevitably it fell to Sgt Cawood to chase Wadsworth when he was finally rumbled and talk him out of jumping from a railway bridge. Or try to..

You were blackmailed. It was provocation, mitigating circumstances... Cawood told him, although it really wasnt given what he had done to Flemings corpse.

There was a feeling that we were meant to feel sorry for him when he wailed: I didnt mean to kill her. I didnt go in there to kill her. Im not a monster.

His final words  the plaintive cry I love my kids  confirmed he had been afforded the status of Victim.

Compassion: She was seen with stalker Frances Drummond

The same  incredibly  applied to Catherines stalker Frances Drummond and even Daryl Garrs, the bullied misfit whose very existence had been a product of his mother being abused by her own father.

An aberration was Cawoods kindly description after she found out Garrs had strangled and butchered several women.

Bizarrely  and frankly annoyingly - she was equally sympathetic towards Frances Drummond.

Ultimately the promisingly bonkers scenes showing her standing outside the Cawoods home in the pouring rain, giving Catherines grandson Ryan creepy reading lessons, and the fleeting threat of her homemade petrol bombs came to nothing. She never came close to fulfilling Tommy Lees pleas and ploys to exact retribution on his behalf.

In the end the worst thing Frances did was to send Ryan a Scalextric for his birthday  with a note from Tommy acting as the loving father.

Annoyingly, Catherine ended up being nice to her, even after she found out that Frances had been grooming Ryan, whispering in the boys ear in that eerie way of hers that his father was not the violent psychopath Cawood said he was and persuading Ryan to write to Tommy Lee in prison.

Quite a fright: Frances had the chance to give us one thrilling fright when Catherine  implausibly - turned up at her house in the middle of the night

Frances had the chance to give us one thrilling fright when Catherine  implausibly - turned up at her house in the middle of the night.

Youre not a bad person. Far from it. You believe what youve done is for the best, Cawood told her, taking sainthood too far, and frankly asking to at least be stabbed with a knitting needle.

Instead, Frances just debated Tommy Lees case, insisting he was not a rapist or a killer and had the right to be in contact with Ryan.

He isnt evil, she trembled. Hes a product of his childhood. We condemn the sin not sinner. Good and kind and gentle and thoughtful. Thats what I see when I look into his eyes.

If anything this was scarier than the knitting needle attack.

When Frances found out that she was just one of several deluded, respectable, admirers that Tommy Lee Royce was engaged to, she was also presented as another victim we were meant to feel sorry for.

And so any hopes of Tommy Lee escaping from prison and coming after his nemesis were foiled. The expected showdown between the two lead characters (and the actors James Norton and Sarah Lancashire who gave such brilliant performances) never happened.

Dreary: The rural villages of West Yorkshire where it was set were full of nasty specimens, sexual deviants, and malicious psychotics. And that was just the women

This was a cop-out and a disappointment compared to the first season finale when Royce had kicked Cawood half to death and threatened to kill his son, pouring petrol over Ryan. A sense of misery rather than excitement or catharsis prevailed as Cawood concluded Series Two watching Wadsworth jump to his death, seeing her son facing a divorce, and her sister re-united with the violent fellow alcoholic Neil.

As for Ryan, Catherine now saw him the same way as Allison Garrs had seen her son: he was a child who she loved and hated, would always be detached from, and already feared - because (like Daryl Garrs) of his biological father and the (vile) circumstances of his origins, and what (violent) effect they might have in the future.

Having learnt about his manipulation of Frances, the prison had stopped Tommy Lee Royces visits but was, implausibly, still not opening his post.

The series ended with him in his cell, receiving the letter that Drummond had persuaded Ryan to write thanking him for the Scalextric.

The slightest smile of satisfaction spelt out the prospect of Tommy Lee continuing his obsession with getting closer to Ryan and Catherine Cawood (for differing purposes) in one more series, confirming this one had been an anti-climax.

The fact it gave Tommy Lee Royce even a modicum of a happy ending was the final straw.
IS commander 'Omar the Chechen' dead, US confirms

A top Islamic State group commander known as "Omar the Chechen" is dead after suffering injuries in a US-led coalition strike in northeastern Syria, the Pentagon confirmed Monday.

The announcement would appear to clear up the fate of the notorious Omar al-Shishani, a week after a US official said the most-wanted militant had been targeted in a March 4 attack on the jihadist's convoy.

"We believe he subsequently died of his injuries," Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.

An image made available by Jihadist media outlet al-Itisam Media on June 29, 2014, allegedly shows members of the Islamic state including military leader Abu Omar al-Shishani (C-L), speaking at an unknown location

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Shishani had been "clinically dead" for several days.
Obama, Putin discuss Russia's 'partial withdrawal' from Syria

The White House said Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed Russia's planned military drawdown in Syria on Monday, hours after a shock announcement that could signal a new phase in the five-year-old conflict.

"They discussed President Putin's announcement today of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities," the White House said in a statement.

US officials offered a cautious initial assessment of Putin's decision to withdraw "the main part" of its military contingent from Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with US President Barack Obama on November 30, 2015 at Le Bourget, France Mikhail Kilmentyev (Sputnik/AFP/File)

"At this point, we are going to see how things play out over the next few days," a senior administration official told AFP.

Putin launched air strikes against rebel positions in September followed by a massive troop deployment.

That turned the tide of a long and brutal war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favor, rescuing his regime from the brink of collapse.

Putin's announcement appeared timed to coincide with peace talks in Geneva that have been dominated by a disagreement over Assad's fate.

The timing and the suddenness of the announcement will raise questions about whether Russia remains steadfast in its support for Assad.

Moscow has long refused calls from opposition groups, the United States and key European countries for Assad to go as part of a negotiated transition.

"A political transition is required to end the violence in Syria," Obama said.

A recent "cessation of hostilities" has been frequently breached but, Obama said, led to a "much-needed reduction in violence."

The White House sought to turn the screws on Assad, just as his backing from Russia was called into question.

"Continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the Cessation of Hostilities and the UN-led political process," the White House cited Obama as saying.
Uber driver blames app for Michigan shooting spree: report

Police in Michigan say an Uber driver who carried out a shooting spree last month told investigators that the ride-sharing app forced him to commit murder, US media reported Monday.

Police charged Jason Dalton, 45, with killing six people and wounding two during his rampage in the city of Kalamazoo, 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Detroit.

Dalton confessed to the murders, saying the smartphone app instructed him where to go to shoot victims after taking over his "mind and body," the Detroit Free Press reported, citing police reports obtained through a public records request.

his photo released by the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office on February 21, 2016, shows Jason Brian Dalton, 45, suspected of killing six people in a shooting spree in the northern US state of Michigan HO (Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office/AFP/File)

City officials did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation.

Dalton told police that upon opening the Uber app, he saw a symbol resembling a devil's head and "that's when all the problems started," the newspaper reported.

The app "would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body," investigators reported Dalton as saying, the paper said.

Dalton carried out the shootings outside an apartment complex, a restaurant and a car dealership between driving customers for Uber during a five-hour period.

The police reports also said that after the car Dalton had planned to use failed to start, he took another that left his wife without transportation.

Speaking to her at his parents' house after the first shooting, he warned she would not be able to return to work and that their children could not go back to school -- and that she would understand why by watching television news, the paper reported.

Investigators say they are still trying to determine a motive.

A judge has ordered Dalton, a former insurance adjuster, to undergo a mental competency exam, prosecutors said earlier this month.

He faces a mandatory life sentence in prison without parole.

Mass shootings -- in which at least four people are killed or injured -- take place almost daily in the United States, with 330 deaths recorded last year.

The Kalamazoo shooting spree prompted President Barack Obama to urge governors to fight gun violence.
Avon to cut 2,500 jobs, move headquarters to Britain

Struggling cosmetics company Avon Products, Inc. said it was eliminating 2,500 jobs and moving its headquarters to Great Britain, its latest restructuring after selling off its North American business.

The changes were expected to cost $60 million before taxes in mostly employee-related charges in the first quarter of 2016, but headcount reduction will result in $30 million in savings this year, the company said in a statement, released on Monday.

Savings were expected to reach up to $70 million in 2017.

Avon products are seen displayed inside the US headquarters for Avon Products Inc. in New York Mario Tama (Getty/AFP/File)

Avon has "significant commercial operations" in Great Britain and the move would happen "over time," the statement said, without giving a specific timeline.

"With the recent completion of the sale of the North American business, our commercial operations are now fully outside of the United States, allowing us to dramatically rethink our operating model," Avon CEO Sheri McCoy said in the statement.

The company will maintain two facilities in New York state, continue to be incorporated in New York and trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Shares of Avon (AVP) were up two percent in after-market trading.

As of late last year, Avon employed 28,300 people outside of North America.

In December, hedge fund Cerberus Capital Management bought a 16.6 percent stake in Avon and 80.1 percent of its North American business, in a deal worth $605 million.

Avon products are sold door-to-door through 6 million independent representatives in about 70 countries. The company has struggled amid competition from online and traditional retailers, as well as niche brands.

Avon's departure comes as other corporations leave the US for more tax-friendly bases, a trend dubbed "tax inversion" that President Barack Obama has condemned as "unpatriotic."
Iran FM says Russian pullout of Syria 'positive' for ceasefire

Russia's move to begin withdrawing from Syria should be seen as a positive sign for the ceasefire, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday.

Speaking in Canberra after meeting with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, Zarif underlined Iran's stance on the need for a ceasefire and a political solution in Syria.

"The fact that a semi-ceasefire has been holding in Syria is welcome news, it's something that we've been asking for at least two-and-a-half, three years," he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (L) speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif before a meeting at Parliament House in Canberra on March 15, 2016 Mark Graham (AFP)

"The fact that Russia announced that it's withdrawing part of its forces indicates that they don't see an imminent need for resort to force in maintaining the ceasefire.

"That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see."

Zarif said while the ceasefire did not include Daesh, the so-called Islamic State group, and the Al-Qaeda linked extremist group Al-Nusra Front or their collaborators, the international community was united against them.

"The message that the international community has been sending to Daesh, and should be sending to Daesh and other extremist organisations, is that our fight against them is relentless," Zarif said.

"We will not stop and I believe the entire international community is united in that."

Zarif said he did not think anybody should consider Daesh or other extremist organisations as a leverage "even for temporary political gains".

"And I hope that message can be driven home everywhere in the region, particularly as we see more and more instances of carnage in terrorism in our region carried out by Daesh," he said.

President Vladimir Putin called long-standing ally Bashar al-Assad on Monday to inform him that Moscow will withdraw the bulk of its forces from Syria, a move hailed by the United Nations Security Council as a "positive step" for the fraught peace negotiations.
US Congress calls IS atrocities genocide

American lawmakers have voted to label Islamic State group atrocities in Syria and Iraq "genocide," and called for setting up Syrian war crimes tribunal under United Nations authority.

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a non-binding resolution pressuring President Barack Obama's administration to call attacks against Christians, Yezidis and other minorities "war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."

The State Department has so far declined to use that label.

American lawmakers have voted to label Islamic State group atrocities in Syria and Iraq "genocide," and called for setting up Syrian war crimes tribunal under United Nations authority

In a second measure, representatives voted 392 to 3 for a resolution urging the White House to urge the UN Security Council to immediately establish a Syrian war crimes tribunal, calling actions by the Syria's government and others "gross violations of international law amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

"What is happening in Iraq and Syria is a deliberate, systematic targeting of religious and ethnic minorities," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican.

"Today, the House unanimously voted to call ISIS's atrocities what they are: a genocide."

Congress has set a March 17 deadline for the State Department to formally decide whether to issue a comprehensive genocide designation, although it is expected to miss that date.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Secretary of State John Kerry would reach a determination "soon."

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a Republican from California, urged the White House not to "drag out" a decision.

"ISIS is guilty of genocide," he said.

"It has been using mass murder, beheadings, crucifixions, rape, torture and enslavement in its deliberate campaign to eliminate religious minorities and bulldoze their history."

He pressed the Obama administration to "seek accountability for Bashar al-Assad's heinous war crimes against his own people," noting that more than 18,500 children are among the hundreds of thousands of people killed in the brutal conflict.

During the debate, representatives called for establishing an ad-hoc or regional tribunal as opposed to one at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Past courts, including for Sierra Leone, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia "have made a significant difference holding some of the worst mass murders to account with successful prosecutions followed by long jail sentences," Republican Representative Chris Smith said.

"The ICC has operated since 2002 but boasts only two convictions."

The UN is set to host a new round of peace talks over Syria's conflict in Geneva on Tuesday, which marks the fifth anniversary of Syria's war.
Two Thai executives charged over fatal fire extinguisher accident

Two Thai executives were charged with negligence Tuesday over a chemical leak that killed eight people as workers upgraded a fire extinguisher system in a bank vault.

The accident occurred late Sunday in the basement of the headquarters of Siam Commercial Bank, one of the country's largest financial institutions.

The bank said the contractors mistakenly set the system off, releasing a chemical retardant designed to starve any fire of oxygen.

Siam Commercial Bank is one of Thailand's largest financial institutions

Seven of those killed were contractors while the eighth victim was a bank security guard.

On Tuesday police charged two executives from Megaplanet, a company contracted by the bank that outsourced the work to a third outfit.

"Police explained the charge of negligence resulting in deaths to both suspects," Bangkok's city police commander Sanit Mahathavorn said.

The executives, Adisorn Phoka and Napong Suksa-nguan, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Both appeared in court Tuesday to hear the charges and apply for bail.

Sanit said police are still investigating how the system was triggered and why victims were seemingly unable to escape the thick cloud of chemicals.

Photos published by local media showed rescue workers battling a smoky haze to reach the victims, five of whom were killed at the scene.

Bodies were brought out wrapped in white blankets while paramedics could be seen trying to resuscitate victims on the pavement.

Seven injured are still receiving medical attention at a hospital, according to Bangkok's Erawan emergency medical centre on Tuesday.
Pope Francis approves sainthood for Mother Teresa

Pope Francis on Tuesday approved sainthood for Mother Teresa, the missionary nun who became a global if controversial symbol of compassion for her care of the sick and destitute.

The pontiff set September 4 as the date for her canonisation, elevating the Nobel peace laureate to an official icon for the Catholic faith.

The move comes 19 years after the death of the Albanian nun who dedicated much of her adult life to working with the poor in the slums of Kolkata, India.

Mother Teresa was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her work among the poorest people in India

Officials said the canonisation ceremony would take place at the Vatican -- an announcement which had been expected but nevertheless disappointed Indian Catholics who had hoped for a visit by Francis.

On Tuesday, hundreds attended a prayer meeting at Mother House in Kolkata, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity where Mother Teresa is buried.

Sushmita Roy, a housewife who was one of those attending, said Teresa had long been a saint in the eyes of Indian believers.

"I came here today to pay homage to her," Roy said. "It would have been great if the canonisation of Mother Teresa would have been held in this city where she spent her life."

- 'Saint of the Gutters' -

Teresa, who was 87 when she died in 1997, was revered by Catholics and and many others around the world.

Known as the "Angel of Mercy" or "Saint of the Gutters", she won the 1979 Nobel peace prize for her work with the poor.

But she was also a controversial and divisive figure with critics branding her a religious imperialist whose fervent opposition to birth control and abortion ran contrary to the interests of the communities she claimed to serve.

Despite posthumously published letters revealing that she suffered crises of faith throughout her life, Teresa has been fast-tracked to canonisation in unusually quick time, underlining her status as a modern-day icon of Catholicism.

Teresa took the first step to sainthood in 2003 when she was beatified by Pope John Paul II following the recognition of a claim she had posthumously inspired the 1998 healing of a critically-ill Bengali tribal woman.

Last year she was credited by Vatican experts with inspiring the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours, thus meeting the Church's standard requirement for sainthood of having been involved in two certifiable miracles.

- Gentle eye that 'sees' -

Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in 1910 in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia.

She started her life as a nun as a teenager with a missionary order in Ireland and arrived in India in 1929. She founded her own Missionaries of Charity order in 1950 and was granted Indian citizenship a year later.

Francis, who regards Teresa as the incarnation of the kind of Church he wants to lead, met the by-then internationally famous nun three years before her death, when he was still a bishop in Argentina.

He later joked that she had seemed so formidable he "would have been scared if she had been my mother superior".

Others were much harsher in their judgement, with the likes of Australian-born feminist writer Germaine Greer and British polemicist Christopher Hitchens accusing her of contributing to the misery of the poor with what they saw as her dogmatic views.

In her Nobel acceptance speech Teresa described terminations of pregnancies as "direct murder by the mother herself".

Critics also raised questions about the Missionaries of Charity's finances and the often insalubrious conditions in the order's hospices.

The late Italian film director and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini was among those who fell under her spell, in his case when he met her during a trip to India in the early 1960s.

"She has an almost virile jaw and a gentle eye that in its gaze 'sees', he wrote, describing Teresa as a a combination of "goodness without sentimentality, someone with no expectations who is both calm and calming, powerfully practical."

India granted her a state funeral after her death and her grave has since become a pilgrimage site.

Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II in Calcutta in February 1986 Jean-Claude Delmas (AFP/File)

An Indian nun leaves after taking part in a mass to commemorate the 105th birthday of Mother Teresa in Kolkata on August 26, 2015 Dibyangshu Sarkar (AFP/File)

Pope approves canonisation of Mother Teresa Kun Tian (AFP)

A gun carriage carrying the body of Mother Teresa makes it way through Calcutta on September 13, 1997 Sebastian D'Souza (AFP/File)
Thai junta sets August 7 for referendum on charter

Thailand's military government on Tuesday set August 7 as the date for a referendum on a controversial constitution it has drafted since seizing power in a coup two years ago.

The referendum will be the country's first return to the ballot box since junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha toppled an elected government and suspended democracy in May 2014.

"The cabinet has approved the referendum bill proposed by the election committee," junta spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkumnerd told reporters after announcing the August 7 date.

Thailand's junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha Christophe Archambault (AFP/File)

Constitution rewrites have done little to end the kingdom's seemingly endless cycle of coups and political turbulence -- this is the twentieth charter since absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932.

Prayut insists this version will help him deliver on his vow to rid the country of corruption and bring stability once and for all.

But civilian politicians on both sides of Thailand's divide have already shot down drafts of the charter as undemocratic, a rare show of unity.

In the past week two high-profile rival ex-premiers, Thaksin Shinawatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva, have slammed the constitution, saying it is unlikely to resolve bitter political disputes.

The past decade since Thaksin was toppled by a coup has been marked by a series of mass street protests and changes of government, as rural-based supporters of Thaksin struggle to wrest power from a Bangkok-centric network of business and military elite.

The constitutions have tended to flip-flop between authoritarian documents that empower the wealthy establishment and non-elected bodies, and more progressive democratic charters.

The junta's latest version has yet to be finalised but appears to be in the former category, with proposals including an appointed senate and a powerful constitutional court that critics say would hobble civilian politicians.

Prayut has kept a firm lid on free speech since the coup, barring protests, debates and academic seminars that touch on sensitive political issues including the new charter.

The junta leader has promised to hold elections in mid-2017, though he has not specified what will happen if the constitution is rejected.

The referendum date came as Prayut congratulated neighbouring Myanmar on the historic election of its first civilian leader in more than half a century.

"Thai-Myanmar relations are always good regardless of a civilian or military government," he added.

For decades Myanmar was considered the more authoritarian of the two.
US opens door wide to Cuba travel ahead of Obama visit

The White House on Tuesday opened the door wide for Americans to visit Cuba, even as tourism remains officially banned on the eve of President Barack Obama's historic visit to the communist island.

The Obama administration declared that Americans could visit the island freely for "individual people-to-people educational travel," chipping away at the nation's five-decade-old embargo on Cuba, which Congress has refused to repeal.

No longer will travelers have to go with an organized group, as required under recent rules. New guidelines issued by the Treasury Department are broad enough to permit many kinds of tourism. They mainly require "meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba" and "support for the Cuban people."

The United States has further eased travel and trade restrictions with Cuba Yamil Lage (AFP/File)

- Access to 'meaningful' Cuba travel -

"There are many different ways that Americans can engage the Cuban people in meaningful exchanges while they are traveling to Cuba," Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security advisor, told journalists.

"There's no shortage of opportunities for Americans to build that type of meaningful schedule of people-to-people engagement while they go to Cuba."

Andrea Gacki, acting deputy director of the Treasury's sanctions-enforcing Office of Foreign Assets Control, said the government had laid down broad recommendations for how people can meet the requirement of "a full-time schedule of meaningful activities."

But, she added: "We do have confidence that individuals will be able to come up with ways to engage with the Cuban people in ways that are more affordable and less expensive than having to rely on an organization to put together a program."

The move, along with other actions to open up opportunities for more business and "non-tourism" engagement with the island, came ahead of President Obama's trip to Cuba on March 20-22, a momentous capstone to the rapprochement that he and President Raul Castro announced in December 2014.

- More investment, banking -

The new actions will allow US banks to provide more services for business and investment with Cuba, and US companies to work more freely there.

They also will allow US companies to hire Cubans for work inside the United States, which could pave the way for the rich US Major League Baseball league to hire Cuban baseball stars directly.

In the past, many Cubans wanting to play in the United States had to abandon their homeland.

"This is going to give important benefits to Cuban nationals looking to live and work in the United States without forcing them to make the decision to defect," said Gacki.

The various steps announced by the Treasury add up to the continuing erosion of Congress-mandated restrictions on interactions with Cuba and Cubans as the Obama administration seeks to end the decades-old embargo on the country.

"Consistent with existing law, we are doing what we can to support a greater engagement," said Rhodes.

"At the same time, we believe that the best way to support a better life for the Cuban people would be through lifting the embargo and the travel ban that have not succeeded bringing change to the lives of the Cuban people."

From the 1960s until a just over a year ago, Americans were mostly banned from tourism, trade and investment with the island barely 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Florida.

Underpinning the expected expansion of travel was the signing in February of a bilateral agreement authorizing daily US commercial flights to the island for the first time in more than 50 years.

Several leading US airlines which already operate charter flights to Cuba say they are ready to start up scheduled services.

In another landmark, US-Cuba direct mail service will be reestablished Wednesday for the first time in more than a half-century, with the first direct mail flight, the Cuban postal service announced.

Since the 1960s, mail has moved through third countries.

Tourists as they visit the Old Havana on December 16, 2015 Yamil Lage (AFP/File)
Civilians flee Iraq town as battle looms

Terrified residents were fleeing the Iraqi town of Hit as security forces closed in Tuesday and jihadist fighters hunkered down to defend one of their main bastions in Anbar province.

After regaining control of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi from the Islamic State group earlier this year, Iraqi forces have been advancing up the Euphrates Valley in recent weeks.

Officials are vowing to launch a final operation to retake Hit, a key hub along the Euphrates, in the coming days.

After regaining control of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi from the Islamic State group earlier this year, Iraqi forces have been advancing up the Euphrates Valley in recent weeks Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP/File)

Police colonel Fadhel al-Nimrawi said thousands of families had recently fled Hit to Al-Baghdadi, a town to the northwest, and other locations in Anbar where displaced civilians are gathered.

"At least 120 families arrived in Al-Baghdadi yesterday but there are thousands of families still in there," he told AFP.

He said most of the civilians had gathered in the Jamaiya and Al-Omal neighbourhoods near the main market of Hit, a city that lies around 145 kilometres (90 miles) west of Baghdad.

Some IS fighters fled the town on Saturday and Sunday, including some top foreign leaders who had been based in Hit, according to several senior security officials.

"It is clear however that some of them remain, they are mostly deployed in defensive positions around the city," Nimrawi said.

Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Operations Command coordinating the fight against IS in Iraq, said an operation in Hit would come soon.

"Unfortunately, Hit is still under Daesh control but it will be retaken in the coming days," he told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

- 'Inhabitants are scared' -

Hit residents had hoped when IS fighters pulled out on Sunday that government forces and allied tribal fighters would swoop in to seal the recapture of the city.

But while some IS fighters left, others rotated in and civilians in Hit fear being trapped in the town for the final battle.

"So far, there are no security forces in Hit, the inhabitants are scared because they know there will be a big military operation," said Naim al-Kaoud, the leader of the Nimr tribe.

Over the weekend, IS fighters also abandoned the town of Rutba -- deep in the Anbar desert -- only to move back in 24 hours later, according to security officials.

They still control Rutba but their foreign leaders did not return and are believed to have moved towards Al-Qaim, a town on the border with Syria.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have been battling to regain ground from IS since the jihadists seized control of large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in mid-2014.

Adhal al-Fahdawi, a member of the Anbar provincial council, said many families had also fled Hit and nearby Kubaysa to areas on the outskirts of Ramadi.

"Various NGOs and government institutions, assisted by the Iraqi security forces, are trying to give them shelter and food," he told AFP.

Hit has been under jihadist control since October 2014.

IS fighters still control Fallujah, which lies only 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad but is almost completely cut off from the rest of their self-proclaimed "caliphate".
Ex-VW employee's suit says automaker hid diesel scam

A former Volkswagen employee has filed a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the German automaker's US unit of deleting data to cover up emissions cheating on its diesel cars.

Daniel Donovan said he was fired by Volkswagen Group of America after reporting within the company the intentional destruction of evidence potentially related to its use of illegal software to trick emissions tests.

Donovan, who was responsible for personal injury and product liability cases in the information technology department, said in his Michigan lawsuit last week that he was fired in December because the company believed he was about to report the destruction of evidence to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other authorities investigating the emissions cheating.

Daniel Donovan said he was fired by Volkswagen Group of America after reporting within the company the intentional destruction of evidence potentially related to its use of illegal software to trick emissions tests Paul J. Richards (AFP/File)

Donovan, who joined the company in 2008, said that his firing violated legal protections accorded whistleblowers who object to and refuse to participate in illegal activities.

He is seeking damages and interest; the amounts were not specified in the suit.

Contacted by AFP, Volkswagen's US unit denied his dismissed was for the reason claimed.

"The circumstances of Mr. Donovan's departure were unrelated to the diesel emissions issue. We believe his claim of wrongful termination is without merit," it said in a statement.

The "Dieselgate" scandal emerged in mid-September, when the EPA charged Volkswagen with violations of the Clean Air Act for using software in its diesel-engine cars that reduced emissions to a legal limit under testing but switched off afterward, allowing the cars to spew nitrogen oxides up to 40 times the standard.

The scandal has spread, with VW admitting 11 million of its vehicles worldwide have been installed with the so-called "defeat device" that circumvents standards tests.
White House hails election of Myanmar's new president

President Barack Obama's White House on Tuesday welcomed Htin Kyaw's election as Myanmar's first civilian president in half a century, saying it was "an important step" in the country's democratization.

Senior Obama advisor Ben Rhodes hailed the move and noted that the 69-year-old was a "close associate" of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi, a popular Nobel laureate, is herself barred from becoming president by the military drafted constitution. She is widely expected to wield power behind in an unofficial capacity.

Htin Kyaw talks to reporters after he was elected president in Naypyidaw, on March 15, 2016

Rhodes, who has led rapprochement with Myanmar, said Htin Kyaw's appointment was "an important step forward in Burma's democratic transition."

"We look forward to working with his govt," he wrote on Twitter.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at elections in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar's two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution which bars her from the presidency.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule "above" the next leader. Her choice of Htin Kyaw is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

Htin Kyaw will be sworn in on March 30, replacing incumbent Thein Sein.
41 civilians dead in coalition raids on Yemen market: medics

At least 41 Yemeni civilians were killed when Saudi-led coalition warplanes hit a market Tuesday in the rebel-held northern Hajja province, medics and tribal sources said.

An official at a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the facility had received the bodies of 41 people killed in the raids, along with 35 people who were wounded.

A health official in Hajja said the casualties were civilians and included children, adding that "the toll could rise".

A Yemeni man checks the ruins of buildings destroyed in an air-strike by the Saudi-led coalition on February 25, 2016 in the capital Sanaa Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)

Local officials and tribal sources told AFP that coalition warplanes carried out several raids on the market in the town of Mustabaa.

The rebel-run sabanews.net website said that the coalition carried out two raids targeting the market and a restaurant in the area and gave a toll of 65 civilians dead and 55 wounded.

It quoted an unnamed source as saying that health facilities in Mustabaa and the neighbouring town of Abs were receiving the casualties but were short on medical supplies.

The coalition launched its campaign against Iran-backed rebels in support of the Yemen's internationally-recognised government on March 26 last year.

Rights groups have repeatedly urged the coalition to avoid causing civilian casualties.

Last month, Human Rights Watch accused the coalition of using US-supplied cluster bombs.

The coalition has said that an independent inquiry would examine charges of possible abuses against civilians in the conflict.

A panel of UN experts says the coalition has carried out 119 sorties that violated humanitarian law, and called for an international probe.

In February, a coalition air strike on a market northeast of rebel-held capital Sanaa killed at least 30 rebels and civilians, according to witnesses.

It targeted three rebel vehicles as they entered the market.

But it was not immediately clear why the coalition targeted the market in Mustabaa and there was no word yet from the Arab alliance led by Yemen's neighbour Saudi Arabia on the raids.

The Shiite Huthi rebels advanced from their northern strongholds seizing Sanaa in September 2014 before expanding further towards the south.

They forced President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee with members of his government to Saudi Arabia before later declaring main southern city Aden as the temporary capital.

But Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are becoming increasingly active in Aden, where they have carried out deadly attacks.

Last week, the coalition launched air strikes against jihadists in Aden, for the first time since it started its campaigns last year against the rebels.
Google, Lyft and industry executives are urging lawmakers to help create a 'regulatory fast lane' to help push through the development of self-driving cars - as experts warn they will kill.

At a Senate hearing, representatives of General Motors and Delphi touted numerous safety and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles.

However, Mary Cummings, who heads the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University, warned 'There is no question that someone is going to die in this technology.

'The question is when and what can we do to minimize that.'

At a Senate hearing, representatives of General Motors and Delphi touted numerous safety and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles. Chris Urmson, who heads the Google self-driving car project (pictured right), added a consistent framework is important to implementing those technologies

Chris Urmson, who heads the Google self-driving car project, said that a consistent regulatory framework is important to implementing those technologies, and that conflicting rules could limit innovation.

'The leadership of the federal government is critically important given the growing patchwork of state laws and regulations on self-driving cars,' he said.

In the past two years, 23 states have introduced legislation that affect self-driving cars, 'all of which include different approaches and concepts,' he noted.

Five states have passed such legislation, all with different rules, Urmson said.

'If every state is left to go its own way without a unified approach, operating self-driving cars across state boundaries would be an unworkable situation and one that will significantly hinder safety, innovation, interstate commerce, national competitiveness and the eventual deployment of autonomous vehicles,' Urmson said in his prepared testimony.

THE CURRENT RULES In January, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it may waive some vehicle safety rules to allow more driverless cars to operate on US roads. This was part of a broader effort to speed up development of self-driving vehicles. NHTSA said Friday in a report there are significant legal hurdles to allowing fully autonomous vehicles without steering wheels. NHTSA will write guidelines for self-driving cars within six months, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in January. Advertisement

He also cited government statistics showing 38,000 people were killed last year in US road accidents and that '94 percent of those accidents involve human error.'

Joseph Okpaku, vice president of government relations for the ridesharing group Lyft, echoed those comments, saying consistent rules would be important for the planned deployment of self-driving cars by Lyft and GM.

'We are on the doorstep of another evolutionary leap in transportation and technology, where concepts that once could only be imagined in science fiction are on the verge of becoming a reality,' he said.

'The worst possible scenario for the growth of autonomous vehicles is an inconsistent and conflicting patchwork of local, municipal and county laws that will hamper efforts to bring AV (autonomous vehicle) technology to market,' Okpaku added.

'Regulations are necessary, but regulatory restraint and consistency is equally as important if we are going to allow this industry to reach its full potential.'

GM vice president Michael Ableson said the auto giant 'enthusiastically supports policy initiatives to accelerate the development and adoption of safe, high-level vehicle automation.'

Delphi vice president Glen De Vos added that 'uniform rules that allow for the safe operation of driverless vehicles in all 50 states will be critical.'

In the past two years, 23 states have introduced legislation that affect self-driving cars, all of which include different approaches and concepts. Urmson said these conflicting rules could limit innovation

But the panel was told to exercise caution by Mary Cummings from Duke University. She said it's not clear the cars can safely operate in all situations

But the Senate panel was told to exercise caution by Mary Cummings, who heads the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University.

'There is no question that someone is going to die in this technology,' she said

'The question is when and what can we do to minimize that.'

Cummings said it's not yet clear that self-driving cars can safely operate in all situations.

'We know that many of the sensors on self-driving cars are not effective in bad weather, we know people will try to hack into these systems,' she told the panel.

Cummings said it is possible to 'spoof' a car's GPS to send it off course, or to use laser devices to trick a vehicle into sensing objects which are not there.

She said a Rand Corporation study said that self-driving cars would need to drive 275 million miles (442 million kilometers) to show they are as safe as human-operated vehicles.

Cummings said the federal government needs to ensure that testing is done in a rigorous way to ensure safety.

'I am wholeheartedly in support of the research and development of self-driving cars,' she said.

'But these systems will not be ready for fielding until we move away from superficial demonstrations to principled, evidenced-based tests and evaluations.'

The activist group Consumer Watchdog warned meanwhile that the federal government should not take shortcuts on safety by 'rushing new technology to the roads.'

'Federal regulators have a process for writing rules to keep the public safe,' Consumer Watchdog's John Simpson said in a statement.
Argentinian forces opened fire on and sank a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the South Atlantic after it attempted to ram a coast guard vessel, officials said Tuesday.

The coast guard said the ship named Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 was fishing without permission off Puerto Madryn, 900 miles south of Buenos Aires, inside Argentina's exclusive economic zone.

The ship refused requests in Spanish and English to be boarded, turning off its lights and attempting to flee towards international waters and ramming a coast guard boat, the statement added.

The Argentinian coast guard said the ship named Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 was fishing without permission off Puerto Madryn, 900 miles south of Buenos Aires, inside Argentina's exclusive economic zone

'To protect our fishing resources, and given the (Chinese) boat's refusal to be boarded, warning shots were fired,' it said.

'The offending vessel carried out manoeuvres to collide with the coast guard patrol... Thus the order was given to fire on different sections of the vessel, damaging it'.

All 32 Chinese sailors were saved, four were picked up by the Argentines and 28 more were rescued by a nearby Chinese vessel.

The boat's captain was due to be handed over to police and appear before a judge.

In Beijing, Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, posted a statement on the ministry's website saying the boat had been fishing in Argentine waters and was chased for several hours before Argentine naval fire holed the vessel.

The ship refused requests in Spanish and English to be boarded, turning off its lights and attempting to flee towards international waters and ramming a coast guard boat

All 32 Chinese sailors were saved, four were picked up by the Argentines and 28 more were rescued by a nearby Chinese vessel

The statement did not directly address the question of whether the boat was fishing illegally or tried to ram the Argentine navy vessel.

'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy to Argentina have lodged urgent representations with Argentina, expressing serious concern, urging Argentina to carry out a full investigation immediately and to inform China of the details, to protect the safety and lawful rights of Chinese sailors, and to take effective measures to avoid similar incidents,' the statement said.

Poaching of fish is a perennial problem in the Atlantic and Southern Ocean, and has sometimes seen law enforcement agencies pursue violators for weeks on end at sea, but it is highly unusual for such incidents to end with a vessel being sent to the sea floor.

The sinking comes as China expands its long-distance fishing fleet to meet surging demand for seafood.

China is a key export market for Argentinian agriculture and raw materials, and President Xi Jinping visited in 2014, when he said the two countries' relationship was poised to reach unprecedented 'new horizons'.

Illegal fishing is common in the waters of the South Atlantic, reportedly often involving Chinese or Russian vessels.

China is the world's largest market for seafood and has the biggest overseas fishing fleet.

It has grown rapidly in recent decades to reach more than 2,460 vessels, which do most of their fishing off west Africa, according to research at Nanyang Technological University.

Last year Greenpeace said that at least 74 fishing vessels owned and operated by four Chinese distant water fishing companies had been exposed for fishing illegally off west Africa.

Beijing's neighbours Seoul and Hanoi often accuse Chinese vessels of illegally entering their waters.

Argentina in 2012 said it captured two Chinese fishing vessels illegally fishing for squid in its exclusive economic zone, after firing warning shots.
Brazil has its 3rd justice minister in 2 weeks

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Embattled President Dilma Rousseff appointed a new justice minister Monday, the country's third in only two weeks. The decision was made a day after Brazilians joined in mammoth nationwide street demonstrations criticizing her administration and the governing Worker's Party.

Rousseff's office confirmed that Eugenio Aragao took over the job following the resignation of Wellington Cesar. Cesar stepped down after 11 days on the job because a Supreme Court ruling made him choose between the Cabinet position and his 25-year career as prosecutor in the state of Bahia.

Cesar got the job after long-time Rousseff ally Jose Eduardo Cardozo quit two weeks ago to become solicitor-general. Cardozo had held the position for more than five years and was facing mounting pressure from politicians affected by the widespread corruption investigation at state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Brazil's justice minister is also the head of the country's federal police, which is a key part of the Petrobras probe alongside federal prosecutors and federal Judge Sergio Moro.

Rousseff faces impeachment proceedings in Congress for allegedly breaking fiscal rules.
Things to know about Atlantic City casino expansion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey voters will be asked in November whether to approve two new casinos in the northern part of the state under a ballot question that's has been authorized by the state Legislature.

The state Senate and Assembly voted Monday to approve a bill that would authorize the ballot question to ask voters whether they want to approve two casinos in separate counties at least 72 miles from Atlantic City.

Here are some of the key details of the proposal:

WHY?

New Jersey's Constitution allows casino gambling only in Atlantic City. A constitutional amendment would be required to change this. A similar statewide referendum in 1976 authorized casino gambling in Atlantic City. Resorts, the nation's first casino outside Nevada, opened there in 1978.

____

WHERE?

The ballot question does not specify where the casinos would be located. That and other key details, such as the tax rate that the new casinos would pay, would be left to so-called "enabling legislation" to be passed by state lawmakers, either before or after the November referendum. State Senate President Steve Sweeney will not commit to setting a tax rate before the public votes on the ballot question.

____

WHO?

Owners of existing Atlantic City casinos would have first crack at the new casino licenses. If they fail to apply within 60 days, the new licenses would be thrown open to anyone. The new casinos would have to cost at least $1 billion apiece.

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WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

Tax revenue from the two new casinos would be split between a fund to revitalize Atlantic City and for programs and tax relief for senior citizens and the disabled. Two percent would go to the state's horse racing industry and to municipalities and counties that host the new casinos.

As years go by, the amount going to Atlantic City would decrease as the amount going to the other programs increases.

____

WHO WINS?

Winners would include casino companies who get access to one of the world's most lucrative gambling markets, construction trades whose workers would build the casinos, employees who would staff them, and local governments that will receive host community benefits. The horse racing industry has long wanted to be able to offer gambling at tracks as neighboring states do; the 2 percent subsidy would help the industry. Atlantic City revitalization aid would probably be administered by a nonprofit board, but could not be used to help the city's budget or debt.

____

WHO LOSES?

Atlantic City will undoubtedly be hurt if there are suddenly new casinos within the state's borders. Elected officials, business leaders and some analysts say from two to four of Atlantic City's eight remaining casinos could close when faced with in-state competition. And without knowing what tax rate the state would impose, it is impossible to calculate whether the money coming to help Atlantic City would be more than the amount its casinos would lose to their new competitors, or shut down altogether.

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THE BALLOT QUESTION:

"Do you approve amending the Constitution to permit casino gambling in two additional counties in this State? At present, casino gambling is allowed only in Atlantic City in Atlantic County. Only one casino in each of the two counties would be permitted. Each casino is to be located in a town that is at least 72 miles from Atlantic City. The amendment would allow certain persons to apply first for a casino license."
House passes resolution condemning IS atrocities as genocide

WASHINGTON (AP)  Ratcheting up the pressure on the Obama administration, the House has overwhelmingly approved a resolution that condemns as genocide the atrocities committed by the Islamic State group against Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria.

The non-binding measure, passed Monday by a vote of 393-0, illustrated the heavy bipartisan support for action on Capitol Hill. Secretary of State John Kerry is leaning toward making a genocide determination against the Islamic State and could do so as early as this week, when a congressional deadline for a decision has been set.

But the Obama administration officials have cautioned that a legal review is still under way and said it is likely Kerry will not meet Thursday's deadline. House Speaker Paul Ryan chided the White House for the anticipated delay.

FIL - In this March 9, 2016, file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to reporters at the State Department in Washington. The Obama administration is nearing a decision on whether to formally declare that Islamic State group atrocities against religious minorities, including Christians, constitute "genocide." Kerry is leaning toward making the determination and could do so as early as next week, when a congressional deadline for action has been set, according to several administration officials. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

"As the administration waffles on this issue and doubles-down on its failed strategy to defeat (the Islamic State), the American people are speaking loudly and clearly on this issue," the Wisconsin Republican said.

The House resolution identifies the Islamic State's actions against Christians, Yazidis and other groups, including the Kurds, as "genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., who said his congressional district includes the highest concentration of Yazidis in the U.S. Many of them received visas in return for working as translators for American military forces and brought their families with them.

An executive branch determination of genocide, however, would be different from the House measure and fraught with moral and potential legal consequences. It would also mark only the second time a U.S. administration has reached that conclusion while a conflict is ongoing. The first was in 2004 when Secretary of State Colin Powell determined that atrocities being committed in Sudan's Darfur region constituted genocide.

Powell reached that determination amid much lobbying from human rights groups but only after State Department lawyers advised him that it would not, contrary to legal advice offered to previous administrations, obligate the United States to take action to stop it.

In that case, the lawyers decided that the 1948 U.N. Convention against genocide did not impose a legal obligation on states to prevent genocide from taking place outside of their territory. Powell instead called for the U.N. Security Council to appoint a commission to investigate and take appropriate legal action if it agreed with the genocide determination.

Kerry faces similar issues. Although the United States is already involved in military strikes against the Islamic State and has helped prevent some incidents of ethnic cleansing, notably of Yazidis, some argue that a genocide determination could require additional U.S. action. At the least, a determination would probably be accompanied by a referral to the Security Council for possible prosecution by either the International Criminal Court or some other tribunal that might be set up specifically for Syria and Iraq.

Kerry must also weigh whether the Islamic State group's targeting of Christians and other minorities meets the legal definition of "genocide," which is "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group," according to the U.N. Convention.

"This has to be done on the basis of the legal standard with respect to genocide and the legal standard with respect to crimes against humanity," Kerry said in congressional testimony late last month. "I have asked for further evaluation based on what I've heard in order to test against the law some of my own perceptions and evaluations and see where we come out."

Kerry denied reports that his legal advisers were reluctant to support a determination of genocide but suggested he was not satisfied with their initial opinions.

"I have asked our legal department to evaluate, to re-evaluate actually, several observations that were circulating as part of the vetting process of this issue," he said, adding that he would act "very, very soon."

In a bid to push the process, several groups including the Catholic organization Knights of Columbus released reports documenting what they said is clear evidence that the legal standard has been met.

Knights of Columbus chief Carl Anderson applauded the resolution Monday, saying the measure makes clear "that the United States is not afraid to call the horror these innocents have faced by its proper name."

A 280-page report by the Knights of Columbus identifies by name more than 1,100 Christians who have been killed by Islamic State militants. It also details numerous instances of people kidnapped, raped, sold into slavery and driven from their homes, along with the destruction of churches.

The House also on Monday passed a separate non-binding resolution by a vote of 392-3 that accuses Syrian President Bashar Assad and his main allies, Russia and Iran, of war crimes. The resolution calls on President Barack Obama to support the formation by the United Nations of a war crimes tribunal to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
The Latest: Prisons remain locked down in wake of escape

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The Latest on the investigation into the escape of two New Mexico prisoners (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

New Mexico's state prisons remain locked down and all non-emergency inmate transports are still suspended as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding last week's escape of two convicts.

Escaped inmate Lionel Clah is escorted into the State Police office in Albuquerque after being captured Saturday afternoon, March 12, 2016. Police say Clah, the second of two convicts who escaped a prison transport van, surrendered peacefully after being found in an Albuquerque apartment. The other inmate was found on Friday. (Roberto E. Rosales/The Albuquerque Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

State Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel said during a news conference Monday that the investigation is ongoing and all inmates are being questioned.

Marcantel says the department is looking closely at the conditions that led to the escape, and that includes the choices made by the two guards on the night of March 9.

Marcantel says a thorough review must be completed and all of the department's transport guards will have to undergo remedial training before the lockdowns will be lifting and the transports resumed.

Authorities also said they expect to make arrests as they uncover details about who may have helped the prisoners after their escape.

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4:50 p.m.

Authorities say the two New Mexico prisoners who escaped last week from a fortified transport van picked their handcuffs with some sort of wire.

New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas and Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel provided more details about the March 9 escape during a news conference Monday in Albuquerque.

Authorities believe the prisoners  convicted murdered Joseph Cruz and fellow inmate Lionel Clah  fled when the van stopped to refuel in the southeastern New Mexico community of Artesia.

But it's still unclear how they slipped out of the van without the two guards noticing.

Authorities acknowledged the guards had already worked a significant amount of overtime by the time they stopped in Artesia that night.

The guards have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. But Kassetas said there are still questions, and he's not comfortable saying there was any direct involvement in the escape.

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1 p.m.

The escape of two violent inmates has raised concerns about security in the New Mexico corrections system, with questions lingering about how the men broke free from a prison van and fled hundreds of miles before anyone reported them missing.

The manhunt ended this weekend for convicted murderer Joseph Cruz and Lionel Clah, who was serving time for armed robbery and shooting at an officer. Cruz was captured Friday in Albuquerque, and Clah surrendered outside an apartment in the city the next day.

The men bolted from the prison van along a remote stretch of southern New Mexico highway Wednesday night. Surveillance video placed them in Albuquerque early the next day.

Authorities have remained tight-lipped about their investigation, declining to identify any missteps that could have allowed for the escape.

This photo provided by the Albuquerque Police Department shows Lionel Clah being taken into custody by Albuquerque police Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Albuquerque, N.M. Clah was the second of two New Mexico convicts who escaped from a fortified prison transport van Wednesday. (Albuquerque Police Department via AP)

This photo provided by the New Mexico Corrections Department shows shows inmate Joseph Cruz. The Department of Corrections says Cruz and inmate Lionel Clah escaped from a prisoner transport van on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in the Roswell area. (New Mexico Corrections Department via AP)
White House: Obama and Putin talk 'next steps' in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP)  As peace talks opened in Geneva, President Barack Obama on Monday spoke with President Vladimir Putin about the Russian leader's decision to begin withdrawing forces from war-ravaged Syria, and discussed "next steps" in upholding the fragile truce that has quieted the country's civil war, the White House said.

In a statement about the phone call, the White House said Obama told Putin he welcomed the "much-needed reduction in violence" since the cease-fire took effect late last month. But the president also noted the Syrian regime's continued "offensive actions" threaten to break the deal and could undermine plans for a United Nations-led political process.

"The President underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria," the White House said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listens to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 14, 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the start of the pullout of the Russian military from Syria starting Tuesday. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The two leaders spoke shortly after Putin announced the partial withdrawal. For nearly six months, Russia has mounted an air campaign backing up the Syria President Bashar Assad's battle against opposition forces. The White House statement did not offer the president's reaction to Putin's move and instead focused on what else Russians could do to use its influence with the Assad regime.

The White House said Obama noted "some progress" on getting humanitarian aid to Syrians, but added that regime forces continue to impede access to some areas, particularly Daraya.

In announcing the withdrawal, Putin credited the campaign with helping Assad retake territory, turn the tide in the war and create the conditions for peace talks between Assad and opposition groups.

A Kremlin statement on the leaders' call said the move "will undoubtedly serve as a good signal for all conflicting parties and create conditions for the launch of a real peace process."

It added that "the presidents spoke in favor of stepping up the process of political settlement of the Syrian conflict and voiced support for the talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva, in which the Syrians themselves must determine the future structure of their state."

The statement said the conversation was "business-like and frank."

Obama also urged Russian-backed forces to adhere to another ceasefire deal  the one in eastern Ukraine. Obama urged Putin to allow international monitors access to separatist-controlled regions along the Russia-Ukraine border, the White House said.

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Tuesday, March 22

Today is Tuesday, March 22, the 82nd day of 2016. There are 284 days left in the year.

Highlights in history on this date.

1594 - Paris opens its gates to King Henry VI, newly converted to Catholicism. He is said to have uttered "Paris is well worth a Mass!"

1622 - About 35 Virginians are killed in first massacre by Native Americans of European colonists in North America.

1794 - U.S. Congress passes law prohibiting American ships from supplying slaves to other countries.

1882 - U.S. Congress outlaws polygamy.

1895 - Auguste and Louis Lumiere show their first movie to an invited audience in Paris; this is generally regarded as the first public display of a movie projected onto a screen.

1917 - United States becomes first nation to recognize new provisional government in Russia.

1945 - Arab League is founded in Cairo, Egypt.

1962 - Right-wing French terrorists attack government forces in Algiers.

1963 - United States attempts to mediate political dispute that threatens civil war in South Vietnam.

1978 - Karl Wallenda, the 73-year-old patriarch of The Flying Wallendas high-wire act, falls to his death while attempting to walk a cable strung between two buildings of a hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1987 - Chadian soldiers seize major Libyan ground and air base at Ouadi Doum in northern Chad after heavy fighting.

1990 - A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, finds former tanker captain Joseph Hazelwood innocent of three major charges in connection with the Exxon Valdez oil spill, but convicts him of a minor charge of negligent discharge of oil.

1991 - Police fire on pro-democracy protesters in Bamako, Mali, killing 30, in violence that leads to the overthrow of dictator Gen. Moussa Traore.

1993 - Khmer Rouge guerrillas in Cambodia attack an ethnic Vietnamese fishing village, killing 35.

1994 - A Russian Airbus A-310 crashes in Siberia en route to Hong Kong after the pilot's teenage son takes the controls. All 75 people aboard die.

1996 - U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia issues the first indictments for crimes against Serbs, charging three Bosnian Muslims and a Bosnian Croat with murder, torture and rape.

1999 - U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke meets with Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in a last-ditch attempt to gain concessions on Kosovo, while Yugoslav police and army troops burn villages in the rebel province.

2001 - The United States orders the ouster of more than 50 Russian diplomats suspected of undercover intelligence activities.

2008 - Taiwan's opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou crushes his rival in presidential elections, promising a China policy that would defuse decades of tension with the island's missile-wielding neighbor.

2009 - A group of Saudi clerics urges the kingdom's new information minister to ban women from appearing on TV or in newspapers and magazines, making clear the country's hard-line religious establishment is skeptical of a new push toward modernization.

2011 - Yemen's U.S.-backed president, his support crumbling among political allies and the army, warns that the country could slide into a civil war as the opposition rejects his offer to step down by the end of the year.

2013 - Israel and Turkey agree to restore full diplomatic relations after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologizes in a phone call for a deadly naval raid against a Gaza-bound international flotilla in a dramatic turnaround partly brokered by President Barack Obama.

2014 - Pope Francis names the initial members of a commission to advise him on sex abuse policy and half of them are women, including one who was assaulted by a priest as a child.

2015  French Prime Minister Manuel Valls hails the defeat of the far-right National Front in first-round local elections, while minimizing the third-place finish of his Socialist party.

Today's Birthdays:

Anthony van Dyck, Dutch artist (1599-1641); Robert Andress Millikan, U.S. scientist (1868-1953); Marcel Marceau, French mime (1923-2007); Karl Malden, U.S. actor (1912-2009); Stephen Sondheim, U.S. composer (1930--); William Shatner, Canadian-born actor (1931--); Andrew Lloyd Webber, British composer (1948--); Reese Witherspoon, U.S. actress (1976--).

Thought For Today:
UN chief angry at huge Morocco protest over Western Sahara

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply disappointed and angry at the huge demonstration in Morocco against him over his remarks about the contested territory of Western Sahara  and astonished at the government's reaction, the United Nations said Monday.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. chief told Morocco's Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar during a meeting here that "such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations."

Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought a local independence movement called the Polisario Front. The U.N. brokered a ceasefire in 1991, pending a referendum over the territory's fate that has never taken place primarily because of disputes over voter lists.

Morocco considers the vast mineral-rich Western Sahara as its "southern provinces" and has proposed wide-ranging autonomy for the region, but the Polisario Front insists on self-determination through a referendum for the local population.

The dispute arose over Ban's use of the term "occupation" in describing the territorial status of the Western Sahara during his first visit to refugee camps in Algeria for the Sahrawis, as the region's native inhabitants are known.

Dujarric said the secretary-general "took note of the misunderstanding related to his use of the word 'occupation' as his personal reaction to the deplorable humanitarian conditions in which the Sahrawi refugees have lived in for far too long."

Morocco accused Ban of "abandoning neutrality, objectivity and impartiality," of giving in "to the blackmail" and "spurious claims" of the Polisario Front and of insulting the government and its people.

Up to 1 million Moroccans marched through their capital Rabat on Sunday, encouraged by leading political parties, to protest Ban's remarks. Some chanted, "The Sahara is ours." The government said more than 3 million people participated in the march "to denounce the verbal slippage of the secretary-general."

Dujarric said Ban requested "a clarification" from the foreign minister regarding the reported presence of several members of the government among the demonstrators.

"The secretary-general asked the foreign minister to ensure that the United Nations enjoys respect in Morocco," he said.

Dujarric said that "in choosing to misrepresent the purpose and progression of the secretary-general's trip to the region, the demonstrators, and their sponsors, deliberately chose to ignore that at every stop on his trip he underlined his personal commitment to encouraging genuine negotiations between the parties" to achieve what the U.N. Security Council has repeatedly requested  "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara."
Former finance minister named Taiwan future premier

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday named a former finance minister as Taiwan's next premier, tasked with reinvigorating the island's slowing high-tech economy and stabilizing relations with neighbor China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Introduced by Tsai at a news conference Tuesday, Lin Chuan said his would not be just an "economics and finance Cabinet," since challenges come from all sides. Lin and Tsai will take office on May 20.

China has responded skeptically to Tsai's January landslide election that also saw her independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party gain a decisive parliamentary majority.

Taiwan's President-elect Tsai Ing-wen poses with former Finance Minister Lin Chuan  her choice for premier  at the Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday named former Finance Minister Lin as Taiwans next premier, tasked with reinvigorating the islands slowing high-tech economy and stabilizing relations with neighbor China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Lin and Tsai will take office on May 20. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Tsai has pledged no change to the status quo of tense-but-stable peace and robust economic exchanges between the sides. However, China says it isn't satisfied with that stance and insists she endorse Beijing's claim that the two are part of a single Chinese nation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said earlier this month that China won't budge on that demand, regardless of political changes on the island of 23 million. China would "resolutely contain Taiwan independence secessionist activities in any form," Xi told delegates to China's ceremonial legislature on March 5.

Tsai takes over from China-friendly Nationalist Party President Ma Ying-jeou, who oversaw the signing of a series of agreements during his eight years in power establishing closer economic ties between the sides. Her election was seen as a rejection of closer economic ties between the sides that many younger Taiwanese see as threatening their economic futures.

A Japanese colony for 50 years, Taiwan was reabsorbed by China in 1945. It then split away again after Chiang Kai-shek's defeated Nationalists moved their government to the island in 1949 after the Communist seizure of power on the mainland.

Apart from occasional criticism in state media, China has largely held its fire over Tsai's election.

Wearing a black turtleneck and dark jacket, Lin promised to respond to all questions from the island's freewheeling media, in keeping with the accessible and down-to-earth image of Taiwanese politicians that contrasts starkly with the secrecy and aloofness of China's communist leadership. However, Lin asked for some degree of privacy, saying: "If you all call me at home, I'll never get any sleep."

Taiwan's President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, right, walks away after naming former Finance Minister Lin Chuan her choice for premier at the Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday named former Finance Minister Lin as Taiwans next premier, tasked with reinvigorating the islands slowing high-tech economy and stabilizing relations with neighbor China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Lin and Tsai will take office on May 20. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Taiwan's President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, right, poses with her choice for Premier Lin Chuan at their Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Tsai on Tuesday named former Finance Minister Lin as Taiwans next premier, tasked with reinvigorating the islands slowing high-tech economy and stabilizing relations with neighbor China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Lin and Tsai will take office on May 20. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Taiwan's newly-named Premier Lin Chuan speaks to media at the Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday named former Finance Minister Lin as Taiwans next premier, tasked with reinvigorating the islands slowing high-tech economy and stabilizing relations with neighbor China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Lin and Tsai will take office on May 20. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Taiwan's President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, announces that Lin Chuan is her choice for premier at their Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Tsai on Tuesday named former finance minister Lin as Taiwans next premier, tasked with reinvigorating the islands slowing high-tech economy and stabilizing relations with neighbor China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Lin and Tsai will take office on May 20. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
Chicago police: 3 officers hurt in shootout, suspect killed

CHICAGO (AP)  A shootout between Chicago police and a suspect in drug activity on the city's West Side late Monday left one man dead and three police officers wounded.

The officers were rushed to Stroger Hospital for treatment of injuries that are not life-threatening, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

The shooting occurred as several police officers were investigating reported drug activity in a residential area of the Homan Square neighborhood, Guglielmi said. The officers observed a man and a woman acting suspiciously and decided to investigate further, announcing their presence, he said.

Members of the Chicago Police Department investigate the scene of a police involved shooting in the 3700 block of West Polk Street in the Homan Square neighborhood in Chicago on Monday, March 14, 2016. Three officers were shot and one suspect was killed at the scene. The officers were rushed to Stroger Hospital for treatment of injuries that are not life-threatening, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES OUT, DAILY HERALD OUT, NORTHWEST HERALD OUT, DAILY CHRONICLE OUT, THE HERALD-NEWS OUT, THE TIMES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA OUT, TV OUT, MAGS OUT, NO SALES

The pair fled, with police giving chase. The man ran into a gangway between two buildings and opened fire in the direction of the officers, hitting three of them multiple times, Guglielmi said.

He said one of the officers returned fire, fatally injuring the suspect. Guglielmi says the woman was arrested after a chase and was being questioned in connection with the shooting.

Neither suspect was identified by authorities, who added a gun used by the dead suspect was recovered at the scene.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante visited the officers and their families at the hospital.

The shooting comes a day after authorities say an undercover narcotics officer in Maryland was mortally wounded by one of his colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman.

"Every day the dedicated men and women of the Chicago Police Department put themselves in danger so the rest of us can be safe," Emanuel said in a statement. "Tonight we were reminded of the dangers that our police face, and the bravery that they routinely display as three of our officers were shot in line of duty."

Talking to reporters after visiting the officers, Escalante thanked the Illinois State Police for closing an expressway to allow the wounded officers quick transport to the hospital. Dozens of police officers met the ambulances at the hospital.

"I want to thank Chicago Fire Department paramedics for their quick response in getting our officers here safely," he said. "Again, a thanks to the staff here at county hospital for taking care of our injured officers."

Escalante said the officers have 10 to 12 years of experience and suffered "lowered body injuries."

Police said in a statement that the city's Independent Police Review Authorities will investigate. The officers involved will be put on standard administrative duties for 30 days.

Chicago police officers on the scene where three officers were shot in the 3700 block of West Polk Street in the Homan Square neighborhood of Chicago on Monday, March 14, 2016. A shootout between Chicago police and a suspect in drug activity on the city's West Side late Monday left one man dead and three police officers wounded. The officers were rushed to Stroger Hospital for treatment of injuries that are not life-threatening, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES OUT, DAILY HERALD OUT, NORTHWEST HERALD OUT, DAILY CHRONICLE OUT, THE HERALD-NEWS OUT, THE TIMES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA OUT, TV OUT, MAGS OUT, NO SALES

A member of the Chicago Police Department stands with his dog at the scene where three Chicago police officers were shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries and a suspect was shot to death in the 3700 block of West Polk Street in the Homan Square neighborhood Monday, March 14, 2016, in Chicago. The officers were being treated at Stroger Hospital. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES OUT, DAILY HERALD OUT, NORTHWEST HERALD OUT, DAILY CHRONICLE OUT, THE HERALD-NEWS OUT, THE TIMES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA OUT, TV OUT, MAGS OUT, NO SALES

Chicago police officers on the scene where three officers were shot in the 3700 block of West Polk Street in the Homan Square neighborhood of Chicago on Monday, March 14, 2016. The police officers sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, according to a police spokesman. Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that the officers were taken to a hospital Monday night. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES OUT, DAILY HERALD OUT, NORTHWEST HERALD OUT, DAILY CHRONICLE OUT, THE HERALD-NEWS OUT, THE TIMES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA OUT, TV OUT, MAGS OUT, NO SALES
Suu Kyi loyalist and friend elected Myanmar's president

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP)  Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the country's new president Tuesday in a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule.

The joint session of the two houses of parliament broke into thundering applause as the speaker Mann Win Khaing Than announced the result: "I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes." Immediately, the state-run Myanmar TV's camera zoomed in from above on a beaming Suu Kyi, sitting in the front row, clapping excitedly, for a live nationwide audience.

The 70-year-old Htin Kyaw, a longtime confidant of Suu Kyi, will take office April 1 but questions remain about his position and power.

Htin Kyaw, left, newly elected president of Myanmar, walks with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, at Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Rightfully, the job belonged to Suu Kyi, who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement and who endured decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her non-violent campaign to unseat them. But a constitutional provision barred Suu Kyi from becoming president, and she made it clear that whoever sits in that chair will be her proxy.

Still, Htin Kyaw will be remembered by history as the first civilian president for Myanmar and the head of its first government to be elected in free and fair polls. After the parliament session ended, Suu Kyi did not comment as she exited, leaving the new president to deliver the first reaction.

"This is a victory for the people of this country," Htin Kyaw said in a brief comment to reporters.

He secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in the bicameral parliament, where the vote count was read aloud and announced by a parliament official.

The military's nominee, Myint Swe, won 213 votes and will become the first vice president. Htin Kyaw's running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, won 79 votes and will take the post of second vice president.

"We are very satisfied with the result of the presidential election," said Tun Win, a legislator from the Arakan National Party. "He really should be the leader. I hope he can lead this country to peace and stability, equality and implement the rule of law in this country."

The United States congratulated Htin Kyaw on his election.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the election marked "yet another important step forward in Burma's democratic transition." He said the formation of a democratically elected, civilian-led government and the peaceful transfer of power "mark an extraordinary moment" in Myanmar's history. Earnest said additional democratic reforms must be implemented.

The NLD, and indeed Suu Kyi, came into prominence in 1988 when popular protests started against the military that had ruled in different incarnations since taking power in a 1962 coup. After crushing anti-government riots in which thousands of people were killed, the junta placed Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989.

It called elections in 1990, which the NLD swept. But the military ignored the results and stayed in power. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a year later, and it was around this time that Htin Kyaw  then a computer programmer-turned-bureaucrat  became involved in party work. His father-in-law was already a prominent NLD leader and his wife a member.

Htin Kyaw, who had known Suu Kyi since grade school, became her confidant and adviser on foreign relations. As Myanmar lurched from one political crisis to another, Suu Kyi was released and re-arrested several times. The junta finally started loosening its grip on power in 2010, allowing elections that were won by a military-allied party after the NLD boycotted the polls as unfair.

After more reforms, another general election was held on Nov. 8 that was swept by the NLD, a reflection of Suu Kyi's widespread public support. The constitutional clause that denied her the presidency excludes anyone from the job who has a foreign spouse or children. Suu Kyi's two sons are British, as was her late husband. The clause is widely seen as having been written by the military with Suu Kyi in mind.

The military reserved for itself 25 percent of the seats in parliament, ensuring no government, current or future, can amend the constitution without its approval.

Myint Swe is seen as a close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe and remains on a U.S. Treasury Department blacklist that bars American companies from doing business with several tycoons and senior military figures connected with the former junta.

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This story has been corrected to show Treasury Department, not State Department, maintains U.S. blacklist.

Htin Kyaw, left, newly elected president of Myanmar, walks with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, at Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Htin Kyaw, left, newly elected president of Myanmar, walks with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Htin Kyaw, left, newly elected president of Myanmar, walks with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, second left, at Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. Others unidentified. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Htin Kyaw, right, the newly elected president of Myanmar and his wife, lawmaker Su Su Lwin, left, wave as they leave the parliament building in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Htin Kyaw, center, newly elected president of Myanmar, walks with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, at Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. Man left is unidentified. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

FILE - In this combination of file photos shows Htin Kyaw, left, Henry Van Hti Yu, right, candidates for president from the National League for Democracy party, and Myint Swe, center, the military's candidate for president. After Myanmar's parliament voted on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president, ushering the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. The military's nominee, Myint Swe, will become the first vice president. Htin Kyaw's running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, will take the post of second vice president. (AP Photo/Files)

In this image made from video provided by Myanmar Parliament Television, National League for Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi casts her ballots for the country's new president in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as Myanmar's new president Tuesday, a watershed moment that ushers the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (Myanmar Parliament Television via AP Video) MYANMAR OUT, NO SALES

Military officers, appointed members of Manama's parliament stand in lines to mark attendance registry in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, ahead of a parliamentary session on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament voted Tuesday to elect the country's new president, a watershed moment that will usher the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Military officers, appointed members of Manama's parliament stand in lines to mark attendance registry in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, ahead of a parliamentary session on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament voted Tuesday to elect the country's new president, a watershed moment that will usher the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

In this image made from video provided by Myanmar Parliament Television, members of parliament cast their ballots for the country's new president in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament votes Tuesday to pick the country's next president from a group of three final candidates, including a front runner who is a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. (Myanmar Parliament Television via AP Video) MYANMAR OUT, NO SALES
Is Myanmar's new president just a puppet for Suu Kyi?

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP)  Myanmar's parliament elects a new president on Tuesday to head the country's first democratically elected government, but it won't be Aung San Suu Kyi, the face of the nation's decades-long struggle against military rule. Here's why:

WHAT PREVENTED SUU KYI?

The military has been in power in this Southeast Asian nation since 1962. Faced with unrelenting international pressure and a democracy campaign led by Suu Kyi, the junta began to pave the way toward a civilian government in 2011. Suu Kyi's nonviolent campaign won her the Nobel Peace Prize. But such was the antipathy of some generals toward Suu Kyi that they inserted a clause in the constitution to stymie her. The clause forbids anyone with a foreign spouse or child from becoming president. Suu Kyi's two sons are British, as was her late husband.

National League for Democracy party (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament votes Tuesday to pick the country's next president from a group of three final candidates, including a front runner who is a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

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WHAT DID SUU KYI DO?

Her National League for Democracy party won the Nov. 8 parliamentary elections by a landslide. At that point, she had still hoped to convince the generals to allow the constitutional clause to be scrapped. The military, which controls a quarter of the seats in parliament, refused to relent during several rounds of negotiations with her. So the NLD had to nominate someone else as its candidate for president, who is chosen by members of parliament.

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WHO DID SHE CHOOSE?

Foreseeing such an eventuality, Suu Kyi told the media before and after the election that she would be the real power in the government, and whoever becomes president would do her bidding. While her statement may sound undemocratic, she could argue that she was only reflecting the will of the people who voted for the party because of her. So she chose a trusted friend she has known for more than 60 years, a confidant who has been by her side for decades and an astute adviser all these years: Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old former computer programmer and bureaucrat.

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WHAT ARE THE PITFALLS?

Experts say that Suu Kyi's position on being the real power will ensure that Htin Kyaw will be seen as a seat warmer, and therefore an easy target for military leaders keen to reassert control. It gives him little clout in making policy decisions, even among his own colleagues. Experts also warn that it is possible that foreign leaders and governments will bypass him and go directly to Suu Kyi, making him less relevant.

Military officers, appointed members of Manama's parliament stand in lines to mark attendance registry in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, ahead of a parliamentary session on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament voted Tuesday to elect the country's new president, a watershed moment that will usher the longtime opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi into government. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

In this image made from video provided by Myanmar Parliament Television, members of parliament cast their ballots for the country's new president in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament votes Tuesday to pick the country's next president from a group of three final candidates, including a front runner who is a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. (Myanmar Parliament Television via AP Video) MYANMAR OUT, NO SALES

In this image made from video provided by Myanmar Parliament Television, members of parliament line up to receive ballots and vote for the country's new president in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament votes Tuesday to pick the country's next president from a group of three final candidates, including a front runner who is a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. (Myanmar Parliament Television via AP Video) MYANMAR OUT, NO SALES

National League for Democracy party (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, center, arrives in Manama's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament votes Tuesday to pick the country's next president from a group of three final candidates, including a front runner who is a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)
Trump wins Florida, loses Ohio; Rubio drops out

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump scored victories Tuesday in three states, including the big-prize Florida, but lost Ohio to the state's governor, John Kasich, as the billionaire continued to move ahead in his stunning campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Hillary Clinton won at least three states, dealing a severe blow to Bernie Sanders' bid to slow her march toward the Democratic nomination.

Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who staked his once-promising campaign on winning in his home state, dropped out of the presidential race shortly after the polls closed. That leaves Kasich as the last true establishment candidate running against Trump and arch-conservative Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Trump, the brash and controversial reality TV star, has upended Republican politics by winning most of the state-by-state competitions for delegates who will choose the party's nominee. He has seized on Americans' anger with Washington politicians, discomfort with immigration and fears of terrorism, attracting voters with his blunt talk and simply worded promise to make America great again.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton acknowledges the crowd during an election night event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Tuesday's votes in five states had been viewed as a pivotal moment in the Republican presidential campaign. For the first time, two states  Ohio and Florida  had winner-take-all contests. A Trump sweep could have given him an insurmountable lead in the delegate count.

Trump won the biggest prize  all 99 Florida delegates  as well as winning North Carolina and Illinois, and was locked in a tight race with Cruz in Missouri. He told a victory rally in Florida, "This was an amazing night."

But Kasich's win, capturing all of Ohio's 66 delegates, was crucial to keeping alive the hopes of mainstream Republicans trying to stop Trump.

While Trump had amassed the most delegates going into Tuesday, he's won fewer than 50 percent of them. If that pace continues, he would fall short of the majority that he would need to assure him the nomination at the party's convention in July. The result could be a contested convention, creating an unpredictable outcome.

This was the first victory for Kasich, whose upbeat message and long record of government service has had little resonance as his rivals seized on voters' anxiety and disdain for Washington. While he could benefit from Rubio dropping out, he remains an extreme longshot for the nomination, though he could help keep Trump below the 50 percent threshold.

Cruz said at a Houston rally that the battle for the Republican presidential nomination battle was a "two-person race" between himself and Trump. He did not mention Kasich by name.

Trump now has 619 delegates. Cruz has 394, Kasich 136 and Rubio left the race with 167. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

In the Democratic race, Clinton's victories in Florida and North Carolina were expected, but Sanders, a Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist, had hoped to take the industrial state of Ohio, which Clinton won. He has criticized the former secretary of state for her past support for trade deals. Sanders is unlikely to overtake Clinton in the delegate count, but his victory last week in Michigan underscored the unease that many party voters have about her candidacy.

Clinton narrowly led in Illinois, while Sanders was slightly ahead in Missouri.

With her wins Tuesday, Clinton put herself in a commanding position to become the first woman in U.S. history to win a major party nomination.

Overall, Clinton has at least 1,488 total delegates including superdelegates, who are elected officials and party leaders free to support the candidate of their choice. Sanders has at least 704 delegates when the count includes superdelegates. It takes 2,383 to win the Democratic nomination.

At a victory rally in West Palm Beach, Florida, Clinton pivoted quickly to the November election by assailing Trump's hardline immigration positions and support for torture. "Our commander-in-chief has to be able to defend our country, not embarrass it," she declared.

Trump has alienated many Republicans and Democrats alike with his disparaging remarks about Mexicans, Muslims and women, among others. He entered Tuesday's primaries embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his contentious campaign. He has encouraged supporters to confront protesters at his events and is now facing accusations of encouraging violence after skirmishes at a rally last week in Chicago that he ended up cancelling.

"I don't think I should be toning it down because I've had the biggest rallies of anybody probably ever," Trump said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." ''We have had very, very little difficultly."

Rubio and Kasich have suggested they might not be able to support Trump if he's the nominee, an extraordinary stance for intraparty rivals. All of the Republican candidates had earlier pledged to support the nominee.

Rubio implicitly rebuked Trump throughout a speech in Miami announcing he was dropping out of the race, imploring Americans to "not give in to the fear, do not give in to the frustration."

Now thrust into the center of a campaign that has been bitingly personal, Kasich vowed to cheering supporters in Berea, Ohio, that he would "not take the low road to the highest office in the land."

Trump has been the target of millions of dollars in negative advertising in recent weeks, including one ad campaign that highlights his statements that appear to encourage violence  among them, "I'd like to punch him in the face."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his primary election night event at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Republican presidential candidate Ohio Gov. John Kasich shakes hands with his supporters after speaking at his presidential primary election rally in Berea, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Kasich won the Ohio primary. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during a Republican primary night celebration rally at Florida International University in Miami, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Rubio is ending his campaign for the Republican nomination for president after a humiliating loss in his home state of Florida. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, speaks with members of the media after voting in the primary election Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Westerville, Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, appears and speaks at a rally at Abbington Banquets, Monday, March 14, 2016, in Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Bob Chwedyk/Daily Herald via AP)
Iran foreign minister denies missile test breached UN rules

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday that he had deliberately negotiated the wording of the latest United Nations resolution restraining his country's nuclear program to ensure that the test-firing of nuclear-capable Iranian missiles would be legal.

Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a speech at the Australian National University that Security Council Resolution 2231, which was adopted after the Iranian nuclear deal was signed last year, did not bar Iran from testing the type of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that it launched last week.

"It doesn't call upon Iran not to test ballistic missiles, or ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads ... it calls upon Iran not to test ballistic missiles that were 'designed' to be capable," Zarif said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gives a speech Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Canberra, Australia. Zarif said Tuesday that he had deliberately negotiated the wording of the latest United Nations resolution restraining his country's nuclear program to ensure that the test-firing of nuclear-capable Iranian missiles would be legal. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)

"That word took me about seven months to negotiate, so everybody knew what it meant," he said, referring to "designed."

Zarif added that under the international nuclear agreement that resulted in the lifting of U.N. sanctions, which he had also negotiated, Iran would never develop nuclear weapons.

Last Wednesday's missile test was aimed at demonstrating that Iran will push ahead with its ballistic program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year with the U.S. and other world powers.

The United States called a Security Council meeting on Monday to protest the launches, which Secretary of State John Kerry called a violation of U.N. resolutions that "could invite additional sanctions."

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said after Monday's closed meeting that the ballistic missiles "were designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons," and called the launches "dangerous, destabilizing, and provocative."

But Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters that Moscow had no information that the missiles could carry nuclear weapons and that there was no violation of the resolution.

Zarif on Tuesday became the first Iranian foreign minister to visit Australia since 2002. He was welcomed by key Australian officials, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Zarif had a detailed conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop about legal and technical issues surrounding last week's missile test.

Bishop did not express an opinion on whether the test had breached Resolution 2231.

"Having heard the foreign minister's explanation, it is Australia's position that should the U.N. Security Council wish to investigate this matter, then that would be the proper legal process for it to do so," Bishop said.

Power said that the missile test merits a response from the Security Council, but that Russia's contention that the launches did not violate Resolution 2231 all but rule out any council action.

Zarif, meanwhile, welcomed Russia's decision to begin withdrawing forces from Syria, where a fragile cease-fire is holding.

"The fact that Russia announced that it's withdrawing part of its forces indicates that they don't see an imminent need to resort to force in maintaining the cease-fire," Zarif said. "That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see."

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gives a speech Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Canberra, Australia. Zarif said Tuesday that he had deliberately negotiated the wording of the latest United Nations resolution restraining his country's nuclear program to ensure that the test-firing of nuclear-capable Iranian missiles would be legal. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gives a speech Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Canberra, Australia. Zarif said Tuesday that he had deliberately negotiated the wording of the latest United Nations resolution restraining his country's nuclear program to ensure that the test-firing of nuclear-capable Iranian missiles would be legal. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)
Syrian refugees fear a never-ending exile in a sprawling Jordan camp which is so big that the 80,000 residents have been given addresses for their make-shift homes.

The Zaatari camp, near Syria's southern border with Jordan, has been transformed into an organised community since its chaotic beginnings in 2012.

As the devastating civil war in Syria enters its sixth year this month, many of those living in the encampment of pre-fab trailers say they are facing an open-ended exile from their home land.

Syrian refugees fear a never-ending exile in a sprawling Jordan camp (pictured) which is so big that the 80,000 residents have been given addresses for their make-shift homes

Teachers atthe camp say they try to instill a Syrian identity by talking to children about their villages in Syria's southern Daraa province

ASyrian refugee child sits on the window of his family's trailer home painted by refugee artists with a mural in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, near Mafraq, Jordan

Aid workers are trying to boost morale at Zaatari by encouraging residents to paint murals of forests, seaside cities and beaches on homes.

But the bright paintings also reinforce a painful message to the displaced: a return home is a long way off.

Memories of Syria are fading, roots in the camp of 80,000 people are growing deeper and resettlement to the West, though a long shot for most, is seen as a more realistic option than going back to Syria.

'I live on hope, but hope is far away,' said Rasha Ali, 30, who fled a Damascus suburb four years ago. She now teaches in a camp kindergarten where most of the children were born after the March 2011 outbreak of the conflict, a popular uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad that escalated into civil war.

Zaatari's transformation is continuing at pace. Residents now have proper addresses, with numbers assigned to each pre-fab trailer on streets given names like 'hope' or 'dignity.'

Syrian refugee artists prepare to paint trailer homes in the Zaatari Refugee Camp. Colourful murals of beaches, forests and cities are meant to boost the morale of residents in the desert camp

More than 4.8million Syrians have fled their homeland, including some 640,000 now living in Jordan. Children are pictured at a school in the camp

A 12.35million German-funded solar power plant is to be completed by 2017, replacing a makeshift electricity grid. Work on water and sewage networks moves forward.

Camp director Hovig Etyemezian said the UN refugee agency tries to make Zaatari as livable as possible.

'From our perspective, the camp will continue being a temporary settlement until the last day of its existence,' he said. 'We are really hopeful that the conflict will end and that the refugees will return. For us, it will be a calamity if the conflict continues for another few years.'

More than 4.8million Syrians have fled their homeland, including some 640,000 now living in Jordan.

The fifth anniversary of the Syria conflict comes amid guarded hopes for a political solution after repeated failures. A limited truce has largely held since February 27, and the UN-brokered indirect peace talks, which collapsed last month, resumed in Geneva on Monday.

But this month's milestone also caps the 'worst year yet' for civilians in Syria, including a rise in attacks on medical facilities and destruction of homes, according to a recent report by 30 aid agencies, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, or NRC, and Britain's Oxfam.

Russia, the United States, Britain and France  all permanent U.N. Security Council members pledged to a political solution  have 'added fuel to the fire' to varying degrees, either through inadequate diplomatic pressure on the war's players, political and military support to their allies in Syria or direct military action, the report said.

The Zaatari camp, just over Syria's southern border with Jordan, has been transformed into an organised community since its chaotic beginnings in 2012

More than 4.8million Syrians have fled their homeland, including some 640,000 now living in Jordan

'This is the kind of schizophrenic situation we are now facing,' said Karl Schembri of the NRC.

'We are now at a really important juncture where they (world powers) have shown some sort of commitment to this badly needed cessation of hostilities, and we have to cling to this moment of hope,' he said. 'They can't let Syrians down again.'

In Zaatari, residents greet news of renewed peace talks largely with indifference.

'Empty words,' said Emad Mansour, 31, as he watched the outside of his family's two trailers being painted by Syrian artists, all fellow refugees.

Unlike the peace talks, the new murals have injected a sense of excitement, if briefly.

The situation in Syria where more than 270,000 people have been killed in nearly five years of civil war

'It's a nice change from white,' Mansour, a father of five, said of the color that has long predominated in the camp. The Mansours got two paintings, a forest on one wall and fish swimming in a deep blue sea on the other.

The murals are meant to deepen a sense of neighborhood in the camp's 12 districts. Each area has a base color and a theme, such as education, the Arabic language, history or the sea. For the past three months, the artists have been painting trailers along the camp's ring road. Next, it's the turn of the homes lining each district inside the camp, said Etyemezian.

Anything political is off limits in the project, funded by the refugee agency and implemented by the NRC.

Head artist Mohammed Jokhadar, 30, said he gets a sense of fulfilment because the murals brighten the mood.

'People want green, water or something that reminds them of the community where they lived,' said Jokhadar, who also runs a barber shop and a portrait studio in the camp's bustling market.

Uplifting graffiti accompanies some paintings.

The fifth anniversary of the Syria conflict comes amid guarded hopes for a political solution after repeated failures

'Knowledge can raise people to the highest levels, while ignorance can lower the noblest people to the bottom,' reads a slogan in the education-themed district. There, murals depict books, computers and college students in cap and gown celebrating graduation.

The street art and permanent addresses aren't the only reminders that Zaatari is home.

At one of the camp's kindergartens, 5-year-olds  as old as the conflict  don't know much about where they came from.

Asked what he remembers, Alaa Sweidani said he used to have a bicycle back home. 'We also had trees,' he added shyly. Julie Hariri, also five, said she remembers a baby duck and a teddy bear.

Teachers said they try to instill a Syrian identity by talking to the children about their villages in Syria's southern Daraa province.

'We tell them, Syria is beautiful, and God willing, you will return,' said Ali, one of the teachers.

Yet Ali has drastically lowered her own expectations of returning to Saida Zeinab, a Damascus suburb she fled four years ago with her husband and three children after their apartment was destroyed.

Her only realistic hope now is to travel to Europe with her children. Her husband Ahmed is in the Netherlands as an asylum seeker, after reaching Europe with the help of smugglers, along with tens of thousands of other Syrians. If he is granted legal stay, the family can attempt to join him, she said.
A look at the cost of 5 years of conflict in Syria

As the war in Syria enters its sixth year with no clear end in sight, here is a glance on what has been the cost of the war:

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DEAD AND WOUNDED  There are no reliably precise statistics on the number of people killed in Syria's war due to an inability to monitor on the ground. According to the U.N., over 250,000 people have been killed and well over a million wounded. But officials acknowledge that figure has not been updated in months. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition group that monitors the war, puts the death toll at more than 270,000, while a recent report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, an independent think tank, said 470,000 deaths have been caused by the conflict, either directly or indirectly.

FILE - This image made from an AP video posted on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013 shows a volunteer adjusting a students gas mask and protective suit during a session on reacting to a chemical weapons attack, in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo via AP video, File)

THE DISPLACED  Almost half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million has been displaced by the war. The U.N. refugee agency says there are 6.5 million displaced within Syria and 4.8 million refugees outside Syria. Much of the remaining population is in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The refugees have mostly fled to neighboring countries  Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq  and have flooded Europe, where most arrive after a treacherous sea journey from Turkey.

THE CITIES  Historic Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center, has been devastated. Its ancient souks and the famed Umayyad Mosque complex have been trashed, its 11th century minaret toppled. The city of Homs, Syria's third largest, lies in ruins, entire blocks reduced to rubble or uninhabitable husks of housing. Rebel-held towns around the capital of Damascus such as Jobar, Douma and Harasta are now a vista of collapsed buildings and rubble. A preliminary World Bank-led assessment in six cities in Syria  Aleppo, Daraa, Hama, Homs, Idlib, and Latakia  released in January showed an estimated $3.6-4.5 billion in damage as of the end of 2014.

LOST HERITAGE  Almost all of Syria's UNESCO World Heritage sites have been either damaged or destroyed, including Aleppo in the north, the ancient town of Bosra in the south, the Crac des Chevaliers  one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world  and the Palmyra archaeological site. Some have been damaged by fighting and shelling, others intentionally blown up or pillaged. The Islamic State group, which took control of Palmyra last year, destroyed many of its Roman-era relics, including the 2000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph. Numerous archaeological sites in Syria are being systematically targeted for excavation by criminals and armed groups. These include the Apamea archaeological site in Hama, the Tell Merdikh archaeological site in the Idlib region, and the Dura-Europos and Mari sites in Deir el-Zour.

ECONOMY  There is no accurate estimate for the economic cost of the ongoing war. A recent report by the charity group World Vision and the consultant group Frontier Economics estimated that the conflict has so far cost Syria $275 billion in lost growth opportunities  150 times more than pre-war Syria's health budget. If the conflict ends in 2020, the cost of the conflict will grow to $1.3 trillion, it estimated. A World Bank report estimates the damage to the capital stock in Syria as of mid-2014 to be $70-80 billion. The situation has deteriorated greatly since then.

THE COSTS TO OTHERS  Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq have borne the brunt of the economic impact of the war. Already in fragile situations, many of them are facing tremendous budgetary pressure. The World Bank estimates, for instance, that the influx of more than 630,000 Syrian refugees has cost Jordan over $2.5 billion a year. This amounts to 6 percent of GDP and one-fourth of government's annual revenue. Cash-strapped Lebanon is also stretched to a breaking point and Turkey says it can no longer afford to take in refugees.

FILE - In this file photo taken on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, Russian air force pilots assisted by ground crew climb into their fighter jet at Hemeimeem airbase, Syria. (AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov, File)

FILE - This undated photo released Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015, file photo, on a social media site used by Islamic State militants, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, shows smoke from the detonation of the 2,000-year-old temple of Baalshamin in Syria's ancient caravan city of Palmyra. (Islamic State social media account via AP, File)

FILE - This undated photo released Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015 on a social media site used by Islamic State militants, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, shows the 2,000-year-old temple of Baalshamin in Syria's ancient caravan city of Palmyra rigged with explosives. (Islamic State social media account via AP, File)

FILE- In this November 29, 2015, file photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Ariha Today, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a Syrian man tries to identify victims after airstrikes believed to be carried out by Russian warplanes in the center of Ariha town in the northwestern province of Idlib. (Ariha Today via AP, File)

FILE - This Wednesday, April 24, 2013 photo, provided by the Aleppo Media Center, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows the 12th century Umayyad mosque and the remains of its minaret in the background right corner, after it was destroyed by shelling in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center, AMC, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 file photo, provided by Aleppo Media Center (AMC), an anti-Bashar Assad activist group, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrian citizens inspect an unexploded barrel of explosives which was dropped from a Syrian forces helicopter, on a street in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center, AMC, File)

FILE - In this undated file photo released online in the summer of 2014 on a militant social media account, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, militants of the Islamic State group hold up their weapons and wave its flags on their vehicles in a convoy on a road leading to Iraq, in Raqqa, Syria. (Militant photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2013, file photo, a man walks past dead bodies in front of a river in the neighborhood of Bustan al-Qasr in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin, File)

FILE -- In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, file photo, a Lebanese policeman stands guard as Syrian citizens line up to apply for visas, outside the German embassy, in Rabieh, north Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

FILE - This file photo provided on Sunday Feb. 15, 2015 by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center (AMC), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian rebels firing locally made shells against the Syrian government forces, in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center, AMC, File)
As Florida votes, there's a difference between north, south

BONIFAY, Fla. (AP)  There's a big difference between north Florida and South Florida. As different as Alabama and New England.

And on Tuesday, those distinctions will likely play out as Florida voters decide who to give 99 Republican delegates to in the race for president. The Florida GOP primary is considered a pivotal moment in the campaign: The winner-takes-all contest could mean a huge boost for Donald Trump, or the death of Marco Rubio's campaign in his home state.

But the Florida primary isn't easy to predict. The differences between residents in Bonifay in north Florida and those in Broward County in south Florida are about as stark as voters in Birmingham, Alabama, with those in Boston, Massachusetts.

FILE - In this Feb. 29, 2016, file photo, David Labrie prepares to cast his ballot during early voting in Miami. Theres a big difference between north Florida and South Florida. As different as Alabama and New England. And on March 15, those distinctions will likely play out as Florida voters decide who to give 99 Republican delegates to in the race for president.(AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

In Bonifay in Holmes County in the north, there's a sign pointing to a bait shop three miles down the road intermingled with campaign signs for sheriff, school superintendent and property appraiser. They don't like Democrats even if they are Democrats (because they are Dixiecrats). Nobody blinks if a Confederate battle flag waves in front of a home and people driving off Interstate 10 might think they're in Alabama, which borders the largely rural community.

A day's drive south is Broward County. Broward is a place where it can take hours to get off Interstate 95 during rush hour, people speak with New York accents and President Barack Obama won enough support to cancel out dozens of places like Bonifay to carry Florida and win two terms as president.

In north Florida, boiled peanuts are commonplace. In South Florida, you're more likely to find boiled yucca, a staple in Cuban restaurants.

And on Tuesday, when Florida awards 99 delegates to either Donald Trump, favorite son Sen. Marco Rubio or, much more unlikely, Sen. Ted Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich, there's a good chance there will be a difference in who north Florida supports and who prevails in the three-county area known as South Florida.

"We're more in line with south Alabama, frankly, than we are below the I-4 corridor," Dan Smith, chairman of the Holmes County Republican Party, said about the highway that divides Florida in half from Tampa to Daytona Beach. "It comes from our roots. Conservative values and family values."

Holmes County in the north, which includes Bonifay, actually has more Democrats than Republicans, but many are Dixiecrats  Southerners who register as Democrats but vote Republican. Despite the party advantage, Barack Obama earned only 15.2 percent of the vote in 2012.

Smith takes pride in saying Holmes County gave more support to Marco Rubio's 2010 Senate campaign than any other Florida county. But this year, he said the vote in the Republican primary will be close. He agrees that the primary results in Georgia and Alabama, which Trump easily won, could indicate the businessman and reality TV star will do well in north Florida.

Exactly why a New Yorker is winning the hearts of Southern voters is something of a mystery.

"You've got me there," Smith said. "It's like a Trump phenomenon."

Rubio will probably do better in South Florida, the state's most populous region, with more than 800,000 Republicans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Rubio is from Miami, where the population in his home county outnumbers Holmes by a better than 131-to-1 ratio. Even throw in conservative strongholds like Jacksonville and Pensacola and South Florida votes dominate the state, and tend to be a bit more liberal even among Republicans.

Maria Penton-Oliver, of Davie, a city southwest of Fort Lauderdale in Broward County, has already voted for Rubio. She's no fan of Trump.

She said she has "100 reasons" not to vote for the billionaire. She thinks Trump speaks "from both sides of his mouth," saying that the billionaire businessman talks tough about immigration but takes advantage of the H1-B program to hire foreign workers at his Mar-A-Lago resort in nearby Palm Beach County.

"I don't think he understands our country," she said. "I do not think he's an honest man. And I think, like Rubio says, he's a con artist."

Not that Rubio won't get any support up north. Jerre Richter stood on her porch in Bonifay and said she's voting for him because she thinks that's who God would think makes the best president. She said her faith plays a large part in casting her vote.

But the 83-year-old former teacher and current pastor said there are plenty of others willing to cancel out her vote.

"Somebody said to me the other day, 'Who are you voting for?' And I said my current plan was to vote for Rubio. And they said some junk about him not being from the United States. I don't remember the term they used, but like he was a foreigner. I said, 'What difference does that make? It's more the man, what he stands for, what he is and what's he going to do,'" Richter said.

She said one neighbor pleaded with her: "'You must be for Trump! You must be for Trump!' She was talking like he was God sent to resurrect the nation."

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AP News Guide: Trump drives Rubio from race; 3 Clinton wins

WASHINGTON (AP)  The front-runners are even farther out front after presidential primary contests Tuesday delivered Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton big wins and a hefty cache of delegates, bringing them closer to their party nominations.

Trump won Republican races in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina; Clinton took Democratic contests in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio. The largest prize of the night was Florida for Trump, who collected all 99 GOP delegates in that winner-take-all election and chased home-state Sen. Marco Rubio from the race.

The once-overflowing pack of GOP primary contenders is now down to three. John Kasich, another endangered rival, stayed alive by winning Ohio, where he's governor, but he has no plausible path to the nomination in what's left of the primary season. Only Texas Sen. Ted Cruz does, and that's a distinct longshot. The prime suspense among Republicans now is whether the brutal fight will go all the way to an extraordinary contested convention in the summer.

Supporters cheer for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as results come in during an election night event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

On her side, Clinton built on her already significant delegate lead, even more lopsided when the party insiders known as superdelegates are added to the equation.

Both races in Missouri remained unsettled early Wednesday.

Florida was Rubio's last chance to turn the race around, and his loss closed the book on a campaign that had held much promise but repeatedly underperformed. In withdrawing from the race, Rubio said the forces of disaffection that have propelled Trump are a "tsunami" and "we should have seen this coming."

SURVEYS SAY...

Republican voters were on board with Trump's call for a temporary ban on non-U.S.-citizen Muslims coming into the country, according to early surveys of voters as they left polling stations. Two in three GOP voters in all five states supported that position. But majorities in all five said people in the U.S. illegally should be given a chance to stay  not all deported as Trump proposes.

Democratic voters in all five states see Clinton as the candidate with the better chance to beat Trump if he is the Republican nominee, the exit polling found.

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VOTERS SAY...

 "I'm hoping Trump, with his big rubber lips, will say 'Look, there's a way around this.'"  Joe Herzog, a 76-year-old retired carpenter from Boonville, Missouri, who hopes Trump will keep the U.S. out of foreign entanglements. Herzog, a two-time voter for President Barack Obama, voted for Trump.

"Seems the least evil, I think. Maybe." John Flynn, a registered Republican and software developer in Raleigh, North Carolina, on why he voted for Ted Cruz.

"It was very close between them. I just don't think Bernie has the experience at that top level of government to have as much clout as Hillary. Plus his plan is still a little foggy. He has never really come out and, y'know, his numbers don't seem to add up all the time."  James Barber, 46, a car salesman from Boonville, Missouri, on why he backed Clinton.

"I pray to God that she beats him because I can't stand him. I will go back to Africa  and I've never been."  Sharon Schaffer, 65, in South Side Chicago, voted for Clinton, hoping she's the Democrat who can defeat Trump.

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FLORIDA (99 GOP delegates, 214 Dem delegates)

It wasn't supposed to be this way. It was supposed to be Rubio and Jeb Bush at the top of the pack in a mighty struggle for their home state's big delegate prize.

Instead both are gone, and the sun just seems to keep shining on Trump, who won all 99 delegates.

In the Democratic campaign, the stars always appeared aligned for Clinton, with Florida's older population a counterweight to the youth vote that has propelled Sanders elsewhere. All 2016 Democratic races are proportional  as all Republican ones have been until now  so each candidate will come away with delegates based generally on how well they do.

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OHIO (66 GOP delegates, 143 Dem delegates)

A governor winning his home state is ordinarily nothing to roil the waters, but what's ordinary in 2016?

This is swing-state Ohio, after all, and a state with another big cache of delegates all going to the winner, Kasich.

Looking strong in Florida, Trump added late events in Ohio to try to fend off Kasich and avoid complications on his path to the nomination  namely, a contested convention. Kasich badly trails in the delegate race and his path to the nomination, absent a protracted fight into the convention, remains improbable if not impossible.

Clinton prevailed despite Sanders' pointed message about the hazards of free trade, which she generally supported in the past.

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NORTH CAROLINA (72 GOP delegates, 107 Dem delegates), ILLINOIS (69 GOP, 156 Dem), MISSOURI (52 GOP, 71 Dem)

The candidates divided up the delegates in each of these states. Trump and Clinton got the most in North Carolina and Illinois, but Missouri was too close to call.

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POINTED PERCENTAGES

Coming into Tuesday, Trump had been winning 43 percent of delegates, thus needing to up his game to clinch a majority before the convention.

Cruz had been winning 34 percent of delegates. His only path to primary-season victory is to have a strong Tuesday night, see the contest turn into a one-on-one against Trump and score commanding victories against him in a hurry.

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DARK TURNS

The melee between Trump supporters and protesters at his aborted rally in Chicago on Friday night and trouble at some events after that have rung louder alarms among Republicans who already saw him as a divisive figure who could not win in November. Said Rubio on CNN, "I think that all the gates of civility have been blown apart."

Do Trump-leaning voters care?

Time and again they have kept the faith through incendiary turns. Hundreds of thousands had already cast early votes, and the limited amount of opinion polling conducted post-Chicago did not point to a mass defection.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., hugs his family at a Republican primary night celebration rally at Florida International University in Miami, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Rubio is ending his campaign for the Republican nomination for president after a humiliating loss in his home state of Florida. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, waves as he departs his polling place after he cast his ballot in the primary election Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Westerville, Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets people as she visits a polling place at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Clinton faces Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in primary contests in five states on Tuesday: North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

FILE - In this Monday, March 14, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump holds a plane-side rally in a hanger at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, Ohio. Fear of a changing America is fueling some of the anger playing out publicly around Trump's bid for the GOP presidential nomination, historians Ken Burns and Henry Louis Gates Jr. said Monday. Trump is "speaking to a need and a deep set of fears within a large segment of the American community," added Gates, a Harvard University scholar and host of a genealogy show on PBS. "Those fears need to be assuaged, and policies formulated to meet the needs of those worried about their future," he said. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Nancy Grogan, right, assistant supervisor of voting at Bernard School in St. Louis, Mo., demonstrates how to use the electronic voting machine to 77-year old Gilbert English. Voters in Missouri, as well as Illinois, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina are casting their ballots in primary elections Tuesday. (Cristina M. Fletes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Nelofer Ahmed votes at the Mahatma Gandhi Cultural Center, Tuesday, March 15, 2016 in Ballwin. Voters in Missouri, as well as Illinois, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina are casting their ballots in primary elections Tuesday.(Huy Mach/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Oscar Espinoza takes his time to think before casting his vote during the primary elections at St. Agnus Bishop Manz Hall in Chicago, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Voters in Illinois, as well as Missouri, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina are casting their ballots in primary elections Tuesday. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP)

County Judges Andrew S. Hague, left, and Shelley J. Kravitz, right, of the Canvassing Board, check a presumed invalid absentee ballot at the Miami-Dade Election Department in Miami, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Voters in Florida, as well as Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina are casting their ballots in primary elections Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
Turkey IDs Ankara bomber as PKK rebel who trained in Syria

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey on Tuesday identified the attacker who carried out a deadly suicide bombing in Ankara as a 24-year-old woman who allegedly became a Kurdish rebel in 2013 and had trained in Syria.

An Interior Ministry statement identified the suicide car bomber blamed for killing 37 people, including herself, on Sunday as Seher Cagla Demir. A possible male accomplice, who was also killed, has not yet been identified.

The statement said Demir joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, then crossed into Syria and received what it called "terror training" from an allied Syrian Kurdish militia.

Hacer Parlak, mother of Destina Peri Parlak, 16, hugs the bridal veil-draped body of her daughter, one of the victims of Sunday's explosion, during the funeral procession in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Ankara attack, which authorities say was carried out by a female bomber and a possible male accomplice. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were "almost certain" indications that the attack was the work of the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia  known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG  as a terror organization because of its affiliation with the PKK and has been pressing the United States to stop helping the group. Washington considers the PKK a terrorist organization but has backed the YPG, which has been effective in fighting the Islamic State group.

Turkey had blamed the Syrian Kurdish militia force for a Feb. 17 bombing in Ankara that killed 29 people, saying the group had acted in concert with the PKK. But a Turkey-based Kurdish militant group that is an off-shoot of the PKK later claimed that attack.

No group has yet claimed Sunday's attack in the capital.

The attack escalated tensions with the Kurds and further complicated Turkey's place in the region as it battles a host of enemies across its borders including the Syrian government, Kurdish rebels in both Iraq and Syria, and the Islamic State group.

Turkey also has been forced to absorb 2.7 million refugees from the war in Syria, and Europe is pressing to return thousands more migrants back to Turkey.

Turkey's Air Force carried out retaliatory airstrikes Monday against suspected PKK targets in northern Iraq, including on the Qandil mountains where the group's leadership is based. On Tuesday, the military said those airstrikes killed at least 45 Kurdish rebels  a claim that could not independently be verified.

Turkish authorities, meanwhile, imposed a round-the-clock curfew and entry ban in the low-income Baglar neighborhood of Diyarbakir, the largest city in the country's mainly-Kurdish southeast region. Kurdish militants there set cars on fire overnight, triggering clashes that left one police officer and three Kurdish militants dead.

Turkey this week also declared 24-hour curfews and launched large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the southeast towns of Nusaybin and Yuksekova and in the city of Sirnak.

At the same time, Turkish police pressed ahead with a security sweep across the country, detaining 55 people suspected of being members of a group that is considered the youth wing of the PKK in six provinces, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the aim of the Ankara attack was to sow fear among the public and "deter Turkey from its aims, its path and aspirations."

"They will not be successful," Erdogan said. "They will not bring Turkey to its knees; on the contrary they will be the ones kneeling." He spoke at a joint news conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who arrived in Ankara in a show of solidarity.

The PKK is fighting Turkey for Kurdish autonomy in the southeast. The fragile two-year peace process collapsed in July, re-igniting the conflict.

The Turkish military also denied a claim by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said Turkey's military was entrenched a few hundred meters (yards) inside Syria to prevent Kurdish groups from strengthening their positions. A brief military statement said: "The claims are untrue."

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An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the suicide bomber was blamed for causing at least 45 deaths, but the correct number is 37.

Hacer Parlak, mother of Destina Peri Parlak, 16, hugs the bridal veil-draped body of her daughter, one of the victims of Sunday's explosion, during the funeral procession in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Ankara attack, which authorities say was carried out by a female bomber and a possible male accomplice. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were "almost certain" indications that the attack was the work of the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Hacer Parlak, mother of Destina Peri Parlak, 16, hugs the bridal veil-draped body of her daughter, one of the victims of Sunday's explosion, during the funeral procession in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Ankara attack, which authorities say was carried out by a female bomber and a possible male accomplice. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were "almost certain" indications that the attack was the work of the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

A friend of Mehmet Alan, 29, killed at Sunday's explosion in Ankara, cries over his Turkish flag-draped coffin, during the funeral procession at Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The blast which killed dozens of people and wounded scores of others, was the second deadly attack blamed on Kurdish militants in the capital in the past month. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Key events in Myanmar's political history

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP)  Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. The key political events in Myanmar's recent history:

 March 1962: Gen. Ne Win leads a military coup to oust U Nu as prime minister and initiate half a century of military rule that isolates Myanmar and turns it into one of the poorest countries in the world.

 April 1988: Aung San Suu Kyi returns home from Britain to attend to her ailing mother just as pro-democracy protests erupt against the military junta. Thousands are estimated killed by a military crackdown.

FILE - This Dec. 1, 1962, file photo shows Gen. Ne Win, right, chairman of the Burmese Revolutionary Council, in Rangoon, Burma, now known as Yangon, Myanmar. In March 1962, Gen. Ne Win led a military coup and initiated half a century of military rule that isolated Myanmar, turning it into one of the poorest countries in the world. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 16, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo, File)

 September 1988: Suu Kyi helps found opposition party, the National League for Democracy.

 July 1989: Suu Kyi, an increasingly outspoken critic of the junta, is put under house arrest, which continues on-and-off for 15 of the next 22 years.

 1990: National League for Democracy wins landslide victory in general election, but the result is ignored by the military.

 1991: Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful struggle against the regime. Suu Kyi is still under house arrest; her son Alexander, then 18, gives Oslo acceptance speech on her behalf.

 1992: Gen. Than Shwe replaces Saw Maung as junta leader, prime minister and defense minister. Several political prisoners are freed in bid to improve Myanmar's international image.

 2008: Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar's low-lying Irrawaddy delta, killing an estimated 134,000 people. Soon after, junta holds referendum on new military-drafted constitution that it claims won 92 percent support.

 Nov. 7, 2010: Military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party wins victory in first election in 20 years. NLD boycotts the polls, which are widely seen as neither free nor fair. Opposition groups allege widespread fraud.

 Nov. 13, 2010: Suu Kyi is released from house arrest.

 2011: Former junta official Thein Sein is sworn in as president of a new, nominally civilian government.

 April 1, 2012: Suu Kyi wins seat in parliament, marking her first elected office after two decades as a symbolic opposition leader.

 Nov. 8, 2015: Opposition NLD party, led by Suu Kyi, wins general election and enough seats in both houses of parliament to form a government.

 March 11, 2014: Suu Kyi's party names two nominees for president, her longtime confidant Htin Kyaw and another NLD lawmaker, Henry Van Tio. Suu Kyi is barred from becoming president because of a constitutional clause that excludes anyone with a foreign spouse or child. Suu Kyi's two sons are British, as was her late husband.

 March 15, 2016: Parliament elects Htin Kyaw as president, the country's first democratically elected leader in more than a half century.

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This timeline has been corrected to show that parliament elected Htin Kyaw as president on March 15, 2016, not March 14.

FILE - In this Aug. 27, 1988, file photo, people gather to listen to Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of slain national hero Aung San, speak in Rangoon, Burma, now known as Yangon, Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi founded the National League for Democracy party in Sept. 1988. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 16, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1991, file photo, Alexander and Kim Aris, center, the sons of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, shown in poster at right, accepts the Nobel Peace Prize "in the name of all the people of Burma," from the head of the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Francis Sejersted, left, during the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway. At right is Suu Kyi's other son, Kim. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo/Bjoern Sigurdsoen, File)

FILE - In this Friday July 12, 1996, file photo, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during an interview at her home in Rangoon, Burma, now known as Yangon, Myanmar, marking the one-year anniversary of her release from house arrest. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 16, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

FILE - In this Friday, May 24, 1996, file photo, Gen. Than Shwe attends a trade fair in Rangoon, Burma, now known as Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 16, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

FILE - In this May 7, 2008, file photo, a man stands at the broken pier following devastating Cyclone Nargis in Yangon, Myanmar. Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar's low-lying Irrawaddy delta, killing an estimated 134,000 people. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2010, file photo, Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, center behind the gate, addresses her supporters from her house compound after her release from house arrest in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 16, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

In this March 24, 2012, file photo, Myanmar pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to her supporters during her election campaign in Myeik, Myanmar. Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday, March 16, 2016, elected Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian leader in more than half a century. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, file photo, Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi greets supporters before delivering a speech during a campaign rally of her National League for Democracy party in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmars general elections are scheduled for November 8, 2015, the first since a nominally civilian government was installed in 2011. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)
Breivik sought contact from Norway with Aryan Brotherhood

SKIEN, Norway (AP)  Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb-and-gun massacres in Norway, has tried to establish contacts with the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang in the U.S. and neo-Nazis in Russia, government lawyers told a court Tuesday, defending the restrictions he faces in solitary confinement.

Breivik, 37, has sued the government for human rights violations, saying it is "inhuman" to keep him isolated from other prisoners and prevent him from sending and receiving letters to sympathizers.

For security reasons, the case is being tried in the gym of the Skien prison where he is serving a 21-year-sentence, which can be extended for the rest of his life, for the 2011 attacks.

Anders Behring Breivik has his handcuffs removed after entering the courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 has arrived in court for his human rights case against the Norwegian government. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT

Government lawyers said Breivik, who made a Nazi salute as he entered the courtroom, remains a dangerous extremist who must be stopped from using his prison time to spread his "poisonous" ideology to sympathizers in and outside of prison.

"Among them there could be a new Breivik," said Adele Matheson Mestad, an attorney representing the government.

Breivik is the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison, 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Oslo. He has three cells at his disposal, one for sleeping, one for studying and one for working out, and daily access to an exercise yard.

While Breivik's complaint includes allegations of degrading treatment, such as frequent use of nude body searches, a core part of his case is focused on his inability to communicate with whom he wants.

"Like anyone else he is primarily interested in speaking to people who agree with him, rather than those who don't agree with him," his lawyer, Ostein Storrvik, told The Associated Press.

The government says prison officials have registered 4,000 letters sent by Breivik or addressed to him. Of those, 600 were stopped, Mestad said in her opening remarks. She said they included letters Breivik wrote to imprisoned white supremacists, including Aryan Brotherhood members Barry Mills, Thomas Silverstein and Tyler Bingham, and a letter sent to Breivik by a Russian neo-Nazi convicted of terrorism.

"It's important not to allow him to network with other criminals in other prisons around the world," Mestad said, after calling Breivik the "worst terrorist and killer of our time."

In violence that stunned Norway on July 22, 2011, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo's government district and then carried out a shooting massacre at the summer camp of the left-wing Labor Party's youth organization on Utoya island. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, but his term can be extended as long as he's considered a danger to society.

Many survivors and families of victims were trying to ignore the new trial, fearing it could reopen emotional wounds and give Breivik the attention he apparently desires. Still, some watched a retransmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo.

"It's pathetic. It's a farce," said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter, Synne, was killed in Breivik's shooting massacre. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

The government says Breivik can play video games, watch TV and read newspapers in prison. He has an electronic typewriter and regular contacts with prison staff, his lawyers, a priest and health personnel. But Storrvik told the court Breivk should be allowed to see people who aren't there in a professional role.

"Guards, lawyers and health care personnel all have legal and ethical obligations that keep them from building relationships," he said.

Government attorney Marius Emberland said prison officials are trying to mitigate Breivik's isolation by having him take part in activities with prison staff such as playing chess. Breivik has declined many of those offers, though he did build a gingerbread house as part of a prison competition, he said.

Norwegian authorities, who take pride in having a humanitarian prison system, say the restrictions imposed on Breivik are well within the European Convention on Human Rights. Still, they stress that he has the same rights as any other inmate to challenge his imprisonment conditions.

"He is a citizen of Norway and even though he is convicted for a horrible crime, he hasn't lost his human rights," said Ina Stromstad, a judge serving as a spokeswoman for the Olso district court.

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AP video journalist David Keyton in Oslo contributed to this report.

Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he enters a courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 arrived in court on Tuesday for his human rights case against the Norwegian government. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT

Anders Behring Breivik, sits with his lawyer Oystein Storrvik, right, in a courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 arrived in court on Tuesday for his human rights case against the Norwegian government. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT

Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he enters a courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 arrived in court on Tuesday for his human rights case against the Norwegian government. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
The Latest: Syrian opposition raises detainees at talks

MOSCOW (AP)  The latest developments on ongoing Syria peace talks and the pullout of Russian forces from the country (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

The U.N. envoy to Syria says opposition officials have raised the issue of detainees in government jails at indirect peace talks being held in Geneva.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 14, 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the start of the pullout of the Russian military from Syria starting Tuesday. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Staffan De Mistura told reporters Tuesday after meeting the opposition delegation that progress has been made on humanitarian aid and the reduction of violence but not on the issue of detainees.

The release of detainees was a key opposition demand ahead of the indirect peace talks.

Senior opposition official George Sabra says tens of thousands of detainees are being held by the Syrian government. He says government prisons are not places "to hold prisoners but to kill them."

Another opposition official, Basma Kodmani, says an average of 50 detainees are killed in Syrian custody every day.

De Mistura and Sabra say they spoke about aid reaching the besieged Damascus suburb of Daraya.

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8:30 p.m.

Secretary of State John Kerry says he will travel to Moscow next week to discuss Russia's withdrawal of forces from Syria and the political transition process in the war-torn country.

Kerry said Tuesday he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin with an eye toward pushing peace talks forward in light of the new development, saying "we have reached a very important phase in this process."

Earlier Tuesday, warplanes and troops stationed at Russia's air base in Syria started leaving for home after a partial pullout order from Putin the previous day, a step that raised hopes for progress at newly reconvened U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

Putin's announcement took the U.S. and many of its allies by surprise. U.S. officials have said they are cautiously optimistic about what the withdrawal may mean.

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8 p.m.

U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has rounded out his team of top advisers with a Russian expert on the Middle East.

U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Tuesday that Vitaly Naumkin became a senior adviser to de Mistura a day earlier. A fluent Arabic speaker, Naumkin heads the Moscow-based Institute of Oriental Studies and chaired several rounds of Syrian talks in Moscow last year.

Naumkin joins three other top advisers: Germany's Volker Perthes, who heads a task force on monitoring a two-week old cease-fire in Syria; Jan Egeland, who is leading a task force on humanitarian aid, and Swiss legal expert Nicolas Michel.

De Mistura on Monday restarted indirect peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and the opposition.

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7:50 p.m.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria has started a meeting with the opposition after holding a moment of silence to mark the five-year anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

Staffan de Mistura asked for a minute of silence as he convened envoys from the High Negotiations Committee on Tuesday. Several attendees folded their arms, and some appeared to pray.

De Mistura restarted indirect Syrian peace talks in Geneva a day earlier by meeting with envoys from Assad's government.

Many observers say the peace talks offer the best chance in years to end Syria's conflict, which has left at least 250,000 people dead and displaced millions.

The uprising began with mostly peaceful protests. A brutal government crackdown fueled the rise of an armed insurgency, plunging the country into a full-blown civil war that has sucked in regional and global powers.

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7 p.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is appealing to all parties in the Syria conflict to make the current negotiations successful, warning that the consequences of failure "are too frightening to contemplate."

Marking the fifth anniversary of the Syrian uprising on Tuesday, Ban said President Bashar Assad's government could have responded to the demands of protesters "with genuine dialogue and reform."

He said other states in the region and elsewhere could have united to help stabilize Syria rather than use it as a battlefield.

Instead, Ban said, over 250,000 people have been killed, nearly half the population has been forced from their homes, and the world has been confronted "with an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe."

Ban said those responsible for using chemical weapons, siege and starvation as a tool of war, torture and indiscriminate bombing of civilians "must be held to account." He again urged the U.N. Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

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6:20 p.m.

A Syrian opposition monitoring group is reporting intense airstrikes in and around the historic town of Palmyra amid fighting between pro-government forces and the Islamic State group.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were casualties on both sides in Tuesday's battles, without providing a precise figure.

Al-Manar TV, run by Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, says Syrian troops and their allies captured "Hill 900," which is the highest in the area and overlooks Palmyra.

Hezbollah is fighting alongside forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Palmyra, home to famed Roman ruins, has been under the firm control of IS since the extremists captured it in May last year.

IS and al-Qaida's branch in Syria, known as the Nusra Front, are not part of a cease-fire that was brokered by Russia and the U.S. and went into effect on Feb. 27.

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6:15 p.m.

A senior U.N. official says Russia's decision to withdraw military forces from Syria is an "encouraging sign" that the international community is united behind peace efforts.

U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said Tuesday that a recent cease-fire has allowed for greater deliveries of humanitarian aid and "significantly" reduced violence.

President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the planned withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, hours after indirect peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition began in Geneva.

Russia launched an air campaign last year in support of Assad's forces that allowed them to make significant advances across the country.

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6 p.m.

The head of a U.N. commission investigating human rights abuses in Syria says Russia's decision to begin withdrawing forces shows a commitment by President Vladimir Putin to support peace talks.

Paulo Pinheiro declined to characterize the impact of Russia's air campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces, which began in September. He told reporters Tuesday that his commission of inquiry does not "distribute grades for the performance of states."

The head of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria said "it would be fair to recognize" that Putin's surprise announcement a day earlier of the Russian drawdown showed "a very clear commitment" to the need to support U.N.-mediated indirect peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and the opposition.

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4:40 p.m.

Britain's foreign minister says he is skeptical about Russia's announced military withdrawal from Syria.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Russia had made past pledges to pull its troops out of Ukraine, "which later turned out to be merely routine rotation of forces."

He says that "because Russia is completely un-transparent about its motives and its plans, we can only speculate."

Hammond says a genuine de-escalation by Russia "would be welcome," and urges Moscow to use its influence on President Bashar Assad's government to seriously engage with the opposition.

Hammond said that "Russia has unique influence to help make these negotiations succeed and we sincerely hope that they will use it."

2:50 p.m.

The head of Russia's Air Force says that in more than five months of Russian airstrikes in Syria, not a single bomb missed its target.

Col.-Gen. Viktor Bondarev made the claim on Tuesday in ceremony near Voronezh, welcoming the first contingent of warplanes to return from Syria a day after the surprise announcement of a Russian pullback. Voronezh is 500 kilometers or 300 miles south of Moscow.

During Russia's airstrikes, which Moscow said were aimed against extremist groups such as the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, there were claims from Syrian groups that Russian bombs had hit civilians and that many of the attacks were aimed not against extremists but at more moderate forces fighting Syrian government troops.

But Bondarev said that "there was not one bombing that was not on target, not one bombing of sensitive objects," according to Russian news agencies.

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2:30 p.m.

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader has told visiting Syrian deputy foreign minister that Iran hopes Syria peace talks in Geneva will be a success and that the Damascus government will be "victorious against enemies."

The official IRNA news agency cited Ali Akbar Velayati as telling Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Tuesday that Tehran officials "are hopeful that you succeed in the talks as you were successful in war and defending Syrian territory."

Velayati, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says that "despite plenty of damages to Syria, the country resisted against serious attacks, equivalent to a little world war, and became victorious."

He says that Iran, as well as Shiite-led Iraqi Cabinet and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, played a key role in helping Damascus' government.

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1:40 p.m.

A Russian deputy defense minister says Russian warplanes based in Syria will continue striking militants from the Islamic State group and Syria's al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front, as well as other militant factions which the U.N. Security Council has designated as terrorist organizations.

Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov took part in a ceremony at Russia's air base in Syria on Tuesday honoring the departing Russian pilots.

He says that while the Russian air campaign had brought positive results, it was too early to speak about victory over terrorism and the Russian forces remaining in Syria "have the task of continuing to strike terrorist targets."

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1:30 p.m.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is welcoming Russia's decision to begin withdrawing forces from Syria, where a fragile cease-fire is holding.

"The fact that Russia announced that it's withdrawing part of its forces indicates that they don't see an imminent need to resort to force in maintaining the cease-fire," Zarif said during a speech at the Australian National University, in Canberra. "That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see."

Zarif is first Iranian foreign minister to visit Australia since 2002.

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11:05 a.m.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria is calling Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of the partial pullout of Russian troops from the Mideast country a "significant development."

According to a statement Tuesday in Geneva, Staffan de Mistura said his team hopes the Russian drawdown will have a "positive impact" on the negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to Syria's war and "a peaceful political transition in the country."

De Mistura reconvened indirect peace talks between Syrian government representatives and those of the so-called moderate opposition a day earlier, just hours before Putin's announcement.

After meeting with a government delegation on Monday, he was to meet with opposition representatives on Tuesday.

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10:50 a.m.

The head of the defense committee in Russia's upper house of parliament has estimated that about 1,000 Russian military personnel will remain in Syria at Russia's two bases.

The head of the parliamentary defense committee, Viktor Ozerov, said Tuesday that he estimated about 1,000 Russian military personnel would remain in Syria at the two bases. That's according to the Interfax news agency.

Ozerov says Russia would need a minimum of two battalions, a total of 800 troops, to protect the two bases. He says it will continue to conduct air reconnaissance, requiring some of the plane crews to remain, and the military specialists advising the Syrian army also would stay.

The estimate follows President Vladimir Putin's announcement Monday that some of the Russian aircraft and troops would be withdrawn. Russia has not revealed how many soldiers it has deployed to Syria, where it maintains a naval facility as well as an air base, but U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel varies from 3,000 to 6,000.

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10:30 a.m.

Russia's defense ministry says the first group of warplanes has left the Russian air base in Syria.

Tuesday's departure follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement the previous night that Russia would be withdrawing most of its forces from Syria, including some of the aircraft.

The defense ministry says the first group has left Syria, including an unspecified number of Su-34 warplanes.

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9:15 am.

Russia's defense ministry says its military at the Russian air base in Syria is preparing for some of the planes and fighter jets to leave and return home.

Tuesday's statement comes a day after President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of Syria peace talks in Geneva.

The ministry says Russian personnel are currently loading equipment and materiel on cargo planes and getting ready for the withdrawal, which marks an end to Russia's five-and-a-half-month air campaign.

Russian air strikes have allowed Syrian President Bashar Assad's army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the Geneva talks.

The ministry did not indicate when the first planes are scheduled to leave.
Europe's migration deal faces hurdle in Turkish foe Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  European Union leaders seek a mutually binding deal with Turkey to stem the flow of migrants by sea to Greece. But several nations stand in the way of such a pact  and tiny Cyprus could pose the greatest diplomatic challenge of all.

Leaders of the EU's 28 divided nations plan to reconvene in Brussels this week in hopes of ironing out disagreements on a proposed agreement with Turkey. Their tentative agreement struck March 7 would allow Greece to return migrants to Turkey as Europe opens new routes for pre-screened migrants to seek asylum legally.

But Turkey demands big concessions from Europe in return, particularly on its long-held dream of joining the EU, an idea viewed with trepidation by many Europeans. Nowhere does mistrust run higher than in neighboring Cyprus, which has been divided into a Greek Cypriot south and militarized Turkish Cypriot north since 1974.

In this Friday, March 11, 2016 photo, a UN guard post is seen through the barbed wires at the United Nations controlled area between the Greek south and the Turkish Cypriot north controlled areas at the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Tiny Cyprus heads into this weeks European Union-Turkey summit facing intense pressure to unblock rival Turkeys EU membership talks and pave the way for a crucial deal to control the inflow of migrants and preserve the fractured blocs unity. But the stakes are high for the ethnically-split island nation too; giving in without clinching substantial trade-offs could undermine reunification talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots and damage the presidency of Nicos Anastasiades. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Cyprus announced Tuesday it has no intention of permitting full negotiations for Turkey's EU membership  a position that could scuttle the whole deal. Each EU member must consent to any deal.

European Council President Donald Tusk arrived in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, seeking to soothe government nerves over a proposed package that would include renewed negotiations on Turkish EU membership.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades told Tusk his government would not concede on this key point. He called EU pressure seeking Cypriot acquiescence on the matter "unwarranted, counterproductive and not to mention unacceptable."

Those seeking a deal hope to end the humanitarian crisis on Greece's closed northern border with non-EU member Macedonia, where hundreds of thousands crossed last year but many thousands today remain stuck, often in squalid camps, their progress north blocked by barbed wire and club-wielding police.

Negotiators fear that permitting another year of poorly controlled mass migration could undermine the EU's own free movement of citizens and goods and trigger a rise in political extremism already being felt in many countries.

Indeed, diplomats of several EU countries express their own private reservations about Turkey's ability to deliver its end of the agreement  and question other parts of what the Turks seek in return, particularly visa-free travel for its more than 75 million citizens within the bloc.

An expert on the migration crisis based in Athens, Apostolis Fotiadis, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others seeking an EU-Turkey agreement must "convince too many people."

Cyprus says it would drop its veto if Turkey granted it diplomatic recognition, a commitment refused despite Cyprus' international recognition and 2004 admission to the EU. Turkey maintains 35,000 troops in the north, with the island's capital still divided.

Fotiadis said more hurdles lurked in other European capitals, with EU heavyweight France concerned about granting Turks freer travel in Europe and many expressing doubts that some proposals were even legal.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote to EU leaders Tuesday arguing that that three planks of proposals  to permit summary deportations from Greece, to impose quotas on Europe-bound asylum seekers, and to create a supposed "safe zone" within Syria that would allow Turkey to refuse entry to refugees  were all "legally, morally and politically wrong."

He said if government sanctioned those moves, it "would signal a stark repudiation of international law and the very values on which the European Union was founded."

Those currently stranded in Greece express worries that any new EU-Turkey agreement would render their expensive, grueling efforts to reach Western Europe futile.

More than 8,500 newcomers sailed last week from Turkey to nearby Greek islands despite the Balkan gridlock.

Some 1,500 people stranded in northern Greece staged a dramatic effort Monday to breach border security and reach Macedonia. They carried children and belongings as they waded across a river to seek a break in the fence along the rugged 235-kilometer (145-mile) frontier.

Macedonian police and soldiers caught most and sent them back Tuesday. Some of those forced back told The Associated Press they had been beaten and attacked with Tasers. Macedonia rejected this.

One of the thousands of blocked Syrians, Abdul Mahammad, said he felt that Europe was telling him that the muddy fields of northern Greece must be his new home.

"You feel that your dream is broken," he said. "You can't go to finish your trip, to have work, to have a good life."

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Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Associated Press reporters Nicholas Paphitis in Athens; Konstantin Testorides in Skopje, Macedonia; and Costas Kantouris, Amer Cohadzic and Mstyslav Chernov in Idomeni, Greece, contributed to this report.

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Follow Hadjicostis at http://www.twitter.com/MenHad and Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

A Syrian man carries a child as migrants and refugees who just arrived with a ferry from Greek island prepare to get on busses with destination a transit camp at the port of Piraeus near Athens, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The government says nearly 44,000 people are stranded in Greece following border restrictions and closures by Austria and several Balkan countries.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A woman pose on a dock at the port of Piraeus where some 4000 refugees and migrants are temporary hosted, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The government says nearly 44,000 people are stranded in Greece following border restrictions and closures by Austria and several Balkan countries.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Child's clothing is placed on old railway tracks to dry, as migrants strive to cope with their own plight and it continues to rain at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Some hundreds of migrants walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, in an effort to circumnavigate border controls and travel north toward central Europe, but were returned to Greece. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Migrants walk on a road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Some hundreds of migrants walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, in an effort to circumnavigate border controls and travel north toward central Europe, but were returned to Greece. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A migrant girl looks out from a bus window streaked with rain, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Some hundreds of migrants walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, in an effort to circumnavigate border controls and travel north toward central Europe, but were returned to Greece. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A migrant leans on a baby stroller loaded with belongings while others sit on the road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Some hundreds of migrants walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, in an effort to circumnavigate border controls and travel north toward central Europe, but were returned to Greece. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A migrant carries a baby on the road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north but were returned to Greece.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Migrants get a ride in a Greek villager's truck up a muddy road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north but were returned to Greece.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

European Council President Donald Tusk, left, talks with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace before their meeting in the ethnically divided island's capital Nicosia on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Tusk is in Cyprus to sound out the Cypriot president on unblocking Turkey's EU accession negotiations in order to clinch a sought-after deal with Ankara on stemming the flow of migrants into the continent. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Migrants sit under a plastic sheet after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north but were returned to Greece.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Macedonian army armored vehicle patrols between two-line fence, along the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonia's town of Gevgelija, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

In this Thursday, March 10, 2016 photo, two men sit on a bench and talk as a sign read "Peace" near the Ledras checkpoint in divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Tiny Cyprus heads into this weeks European Union-Turkey summit facing intense pressure to unblock rival Turkeys EU membership talks and pave the way for a crucial deal to control the inflow of migrants and preserve the fractured blocs unity. But the stakes are high for the ethnically-split island nation too; giving in without clinching substantial trade-offs could undermine reunification talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots and damage the presidency of Nicos Anastasiades. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
The Latest: Turkey says deal with EU has humanitarian factor

VIENNA (AP)  The latest developments on the mass migration into Europe (all times local):

9 p.m.

Turkey's prime minister says a proposed deal with the European Union has a "humanitarian dimension" that aims to curb, and eventually prevent, the loss of more lives in the Aegean Sea.

Migrants get a ride in a Greek villager's truck up a muddy road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north but were returned to Greece.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Speaking after a meeting with EU Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday, Ahmet Davutoglu said the deal would also prevent Turkey from becoming a transit country for irregular migration.

He said Turkey wasn't engaged in any kind of bargaining with the EU over the amount of money the country would receive to help improve the conditions of Syrian refugees.

Davutoglu said: "We never saw this issue as a financial issue. This is a humanitarian issue."

Tusk reiterated that more work needed to be done on the deal to make it acceptable to all 28 EU nations and to Turkey during a summit later this week.

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6:15 p.m.

Romanian authorities say they need to adopt urgent measures to handle possible mass migration.

The huge influx of migrants to Europe has largely bypassed Romania, which is a member of the European Union but not the passport-free Schengen zone. Still, authorities believe that Romania may become a new route for some migrants due to border closures elsewhere.

President Klaus Iohannis chaired a five-hour meeting of the country's top defense body on Tuesday where officials discussed migration and instability in the Mideast and North Africa.

The president's office said Romania should reach out to other countries to figure out how to manage migration and integrate refugees.

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4:45 p.m.

Refugees who bypassed a border fence to enter Macedonia say Macedonian forces beat and gave them electric shocks before driving them back to Greece.

Syrian Molham al-Masri, 21, says he was among the hundreds of people from the congested Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek side of the border who entered Macedonia after walking through the countryside on Monday.

He said Tuesday that after entering Macedonia, his group was surrounded by Macedonian soldiers, who attacked them.

He tells the Associated Press "they hit me with a baton ... others were hit with Tasers."

Al-Masri said the Macedonian army then forced them into a military vehicle, took them back to the Greek border and smashed through the border fence before sending them back to Greece.

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3:10 p.m.

European Union leaders will boost support to Greece so that thousands of migrants can be sent from there back to Turkey under a planned deal being thrashed out with Ankara.

In a draft text prepared for their summit, seen Tuesday by The Associated Press, EU leaders promise to use "all means to support the capacity of Greece for the return of irregular migrants to Turkey."

The agreement with Turkey is likely to be sealed by Friday. Under it, migrants who do not apply for asylum in Greece or whose application is "inadmissible" will be sent back to Turkey. For every migrant returned, the EU will accept one Syrian refugee from Turkey.

Rights groups fear the plan breaks international law. The U.N. refugee agency has also highlighted flaws in Turkey's asylum system.

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2:55 p.m.

Angelina Jolie, the actress and special envoy for the U.N.'s refugee agency, says the international community must address the root causes of the global refugee crisis.

Speaking in the rain in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, Jolie says "we cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions."

Half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million has been displaced, with around 5 million having fled their homeland, mainly to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. Lebanon alone hosts well over a million Syrian refugees, who now account for nearly a fifth of its population.

Jolie says "for all the focus on the refugee situation in Europe at this time, the greatest pressure is still being felt in the Middle East and North Africa."

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2:45 p.m.

Albania has asked for Italy's help to prepare for a possible influx of refugees.

Albania has not been on the main Balkan migrant transit route so far, but Macedonia and Serbia have closed their borders with Greece, which could prompt refugees to seek other routes into Western Europe.

Albanian Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri says Tirana has asked for help because it cannot cope with any influx of migrants without assistance.

The bilateral deal, expected to be concluded next week when his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano comes to Tirana, will offer equipment and personnel to register refugees and monitor land and sea borders.

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1:30 p.m.

Hungary's prime minister says leaders in Brussels are to blame for the influx of migrants and accused them of trying to create a United States of Europe which would swallow up nation states.

Viktor Orban said Tuesday during commemorations of Hungary's 1848 revolution against Austria's Habsburgs that "the time has come to ring the alarm bells and gather allies" to reject the Brussels scheme.

Orban, who staunchly opposes taking in Muslims, says Europe is not free because "the truth is not allowed to be said." For example, he says that people arriving are not refugees but a mass migration threatening the continent.

Orban, speaking under a steady rainfall, said that while earlier "opponents of freedom" like the Soviet system resorted to prisons, camps and tanks to impose their will, "today the muzzle flashes of the international press, stigmatization, threats and extortion are sufficient."

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12:35 p.m.

Cyprus' president says he won't agree to lifting a veto on Turkey's EU membership talks unless it recognizes Cyprus as a state.

Speaking Tuesday after talks with EU Council President Donald Tusk, Nicos Anastasiades said unblocking Turkey's path to EU membership at this time would also undermine ongoing talks aimed at reunifying the ethnically divided country.

Anastasiades said it's "unwarranted, counterproductive and not to mention unacceptable" to shift the burden of Europe's massive migration crisis to Cyprus.

Turkey has demanded that Cyprus lifts its veto on five of 35 policy areas in its EU accession talks in order to agree to a deal with the European Union to take back thousands of migrants.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup aiming at union with Greece.

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12:25 p.m.

The European Union's president says more work needs to be done on a tentative deal with Turkey so all 28 nations can sign off on it during a two-day summit on migration starting Thursday.

EU President Donald Tusk said in Nicosia that last week's outline deal "still needs to be rebalanced so as to be accepted by all 28 member states and the EU institutions."

He says more work is needed to make the agreement legally watertight and said that the EU must be able to ensure individual assessments in Greece for the decision to return migrants to Turkey. He added that there must also be legal guarantees so that legitimate refugees receive appropriate protection in Turkey.

He also said that Turkey must make sure that no other smuggling routes are set up toward places like EU member state Bulgaria.

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11:25 a.m.

Austria's chancellor is urging his German counterpart to follow his country's example and set a limit on the number of asylum seekers Berlin is prepared to accept.

The appeal from Werner Faymann appears aimed at increasing pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of Thursday's EU refugee summit.

In an interview published Tuesday by the Kurier newspaper, Faymann says that "Germany too needs a point of reference," and urged Merkel "to say clearly and openly" that there cannot be uncontrolled migration into Europe.

Austria capped the number of asylum-seekers it will accept this year at 37,500 after nearly 90,000 applied for that status in 2015.

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11 a.m.

Macedonian authorities said Tuesday they have sent back hundreds of refugees and migrants to Greece, a day after they bypassed a fence at a closed section of the border in a mass push to continue their journey north to Europe's prosperous heartland  a move Greece blamed on "criminal misinformation" potentially spread by volunteers working with migrants.

Interior ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski told The Associated Press that the migrants "have been returned to Greece."

About 700 people pushed their way into Macedonia Monday through an unguarded section of the border, frustrated at being stuck for weeks in a waterlogged tent city outside the closed crossing of Idomeni. More than 1,000 men, women and children are believed to have entered Macedonia after walking about 5 kilometers (3 miles) across country, and fording a swollen stream near the Greek village of Hamilo.

A migrant carries a baby on the road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north but were returned to Greece.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman is assisted while crossing the river along with other migrants, north of Idomeni, Greece, attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence, Monday, March 14, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A woman tries to grab a rope while crossing the river along with other migrants, north of Idomeni, Greece, attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence, Monday, March 14, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north(AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A woman is assisted while crossing the river along with other migrants, north of Idomeni, Greece, attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence, Monday, March 14, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north(AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

European Council President Donald Tusk, left, talks with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace before their meeting in the ethnically divided island's capital Nicosia on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Tusk is in Cyprus to sound out the Cypriot president on unblocking Turkey's EU accession negotiations in order to clinch a sought-after deal with Ankara on stemming the flow of migrants into the continent. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Greek police officers secure the railway tracks as a train is passing through a makeshift camp at Idomeni border station on the Greek side of the border with Macedonia, photographed from the Macedonian side of the border line, near southern Macedonia's town of Gevgelija, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

A Greek police officer tries to secure the railway tracks as a train is passing through a makeshift camp at Idomeni border station on the Greek side of the border with Macedonia, photographed from the Macedonian side of the border line, near southern Macedonia's town of Gevgelija, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

A migrant from Iran, who was one of 19 rescued from drowning in a river after entering Monday illegally in Macedonia, shows her injuries while resting in a tent in the transit center for refugees near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Some hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, in an effort to circumnavigate border controls and travel north toward central Europe. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Migrants sit under a plastic sheet after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out Monday of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north but were returned to Greece.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Valeant reports 4Q loss

LAVAL, Quebec (AP)  Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX) on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $336.4 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.

The Laval, Quebec-based company said it had a loss of 98 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were $2.50 per share.

The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.64 per share.

FILE - This May 27, 2013, file photo shows signage at Valeant Pharmaceutical's headquarters in Montreal. Valeant reports financial results Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT

The drugmaker posted revenue of $2.79 billion in the period, topping Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.74 billion.

For the current quarter ending in April, Valeant expects its per-share earnings to range from $1.30 to $1.55. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had forecast adjusted earnings per share of $2.66.

The company said it expects revenue in the range of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion for the fiscal first quarter. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $2.85 billion.

Valeant expects full-year earnings in the range of $9.50 to $10.50 per share, with revenue ranging from $11 billion to $11.2 billion.

Valeant shares have declined 32 percent since the beginning of the year. The stock has declined 64 percent in the last 12 months.

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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on VRX at http://www.zacks.com/ap/VRX

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Questions to answer about the EU's migrant deal with Turkey

BRUSSELS (AP)  It's being hailed as a breakthrough, but the European Union's tentative deal with Ankara to send back thousands of migrants is fraught with legal complexities.

EU lawyers say the final agreement can, and will, comply with international and European law. Rights groups want to know how.

The U.N. refugee agency has doubts about Turkey's asylum standards. It insists that Ankara should "ensure that all people seeking international protection can have a fair and efficient determination of their claims by a competent authority within a reasonable time."

Macedonian police officer secures the area where a few bodies of drowned migrants lie on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Here are just some of the questions legal experts are still grappling with before EU leaders gather again in Brussels on Thursday to endorse the agreement.

WHO WILL BE SENT BACK TO TURKEY?

The draft deal says all "new irregular migrants" crossing from Turkey into Greece would be sent back. That rules out people already in Greece. The first challenge is to establish whether a migrant came from Turkey. If that person does not want to apply for asylum, or the application is judged "inadmissible", the person could be sent back on EU-funded transport. The international principle of "non-refoulement"  not to chase away people who have a right to protection  suggests that those plucked from boats in Greek waters could not just be sent back. EU experts and the UNHCR say any mass deportation would be illegal, meaning applications must be examined on a case-by-case basis.

WHAT IF THEY'VE APPLIED FOR ASYLUM IN GREECE?

If someone has applied for asylum, their application must run its course, probably over several months. In the event the request is rejected, applicants should have the right to appeal. The issue for legal experts is whether a person could be sent to Turkey while an appeal is pending. Rights groups think not.

WHO WOULD COME TO EUROPE?

For every irregular migrant sent back to Turkey, the EU agrees to take one Syrian refugee from the country. Turkey hosts some 2.7 million Syrians, only 10 percent of whom are sheltered in camps. Resettlement is the act of accepting refugees from outside the EU rather than sharing those who've already arrived. The UNHCR supervises resettlement and despite reservations about the plan would oversee the process in Turkey, with European officials monitoring.

WHAT OTHER LEGAL ISSUES ARE THERE?

The main aim is to bring the deal into line with European law and the Geneva Convention on refugees, the key international text on people's right to protection. But Turkey applies the convention only to European citizens because it has not ratified protocols extending the accord to other countries. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said it could "easily be that both in Greece and in Turkey some pieces of legislation would have to be brought through parliaments." This could take some time.

BUT SURELY, TURKEY ISN'T SAFE, IS IT?

The EU regards Turkey as vital to resolving a migrant conundrum that has raised troubling questions about solidarity and refugee burden-sharing; issues that are undermining the future of the entire European project. Even a string of extremist attacks in Turkey, including the weekend suicide car-bombing in Ankara which killed at least 37 people, is unlikely to have any impact on these EU-Turkey talks. Greece and Germany consider Turkey to be a safe destination for migrants, and they are not alone. Other nations remain to be convinced because significant numbers of Turkish citizens are granted asylum in Europe each year, and no EU-wide readmission agreement with Turkey exists yet. If Turkey is officially deemed a safe country, potential asylum seekers in Greece could told to apply in Turkey.

HOW COULD THE DEAL ATTRACT MORE MIGRANTS TO TURKEY?

EU officials are wary that the agreement might further destabilize the fragile Middle East. Lebanon and Jordan are home to more than 2 million Syrian refugees, and people in those countries could try to flee to Turkey if they believe it could boost their chances of finding homes in Europe. It's worth noting that Jordan's King Abdullah II arrives in Brussels for a two-day visit on the eve of the EU-Turkey talks.

A boy covered in a plastic garbage bag steps on a log to cross a pool of water with donated tea at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Monday, March 14, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Afghan president: IS group is 'on the run' in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Afghanistan's president said Tuesday that Islamic State militants are "on the run" following a massive military operation that included elite commando units in remote districts on the border with Pakistan.

Ashraf Ghani attributed the success in dislodging IS loyalists to ground operations, close air support and the participation of retired commanders who had joined the commandos in taking on the extremists in the eastern Nangarhar province.

The local IS affiliate is mainly made up of former Taliban fighters disillusioned by the group's failure to overthrow the government despite a 15-year insurgency. Over the past six months IS had battled the Taliban in Nangarhar and gained a foothold in the region.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, right, speaks as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, listens during a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Afghanistans president says the Islamic State group is on the run in an eastern border province where in recent months they had taken over a number of remote districts. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

The region's proximity to the porous border, along with its steep valleys, provides protection for insurgents and allows them to smuggle fighters, weapons, poppies and other contraband.

Afghanistan's overwhelmed security forces initially held back, content to see the insurgents fighting among themselves. Once winter set in up north and fighting stopped, the Afghan forces began to concentrate their efforts on the warmer southern regions like Nangarhar, which did not see any seasonal slowdown in violence.

"I promised the people of Nangarhar that no quarter would be given to Daesh, and none has been given," Ghani said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group. "In Nangarhar, Daesh is on the run."

Ghani spoke at a joint press conference with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, who is visiting Afghanistan for two days. Stoltenberg pledged further support to Afghan forces, emphasizing funding ahead of a NATO summit in the Polish capital Warsaw in July.

NATO and the United States officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, but still maintain some 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly engaged in training and support for Afghan forces. They also maintain an anti-terrorism mandate against the Taliban, al-Qaida and IS.

Political analyst Said Khalid Sadat, who lives near Nangarhar's provincial capital Jalalabad, disputed Ghani's upbeat assessment, saying the IS militants had merely been driven further north.

"We see and hear about their presence in Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz even Nuristan provinces  this means they are expanding their foothold to the north and other parts of country," Sadat told The Associated Press.

In Kunduz province bordering Tajikistan, an official confirmed that IS militants had moved into Chahar Dara district, which was a base for Taliban fighters who last year stormed the provincial capital and held it for three days.

District governor Zulmi Farooqi said he had "confirmed the physical presence of Daesh in the district," but could not estimate their numbers.

"They came last year but failed to make any headway and left. Now they've started their activities here again," he said.

Hundreds of IS loyalists are also believed to have moved into central provinces after being forced out of Pakistan's tribal areas by a military operation last year.

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Associated Press writer Humayoon Babur in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this story.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Afghanistans president says the Islamic State group is on the run in an eastern border province where in recent months they had taken over a number of remote districts. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, right, shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, after a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Afghanistans president says the Islamic State group is on the run in an eastern border province where in recent months they had taken over a number of remote districts. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaks during a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Afghanistans president says the Islamic State group is on the run in an eastern border province where in recent months they had taken over a number of remote districts. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left, speaks as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, listens during a joint press conference at the Presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Afghanistans president says the Islamic State group is on the run in an eastern border province where in recent months they had taken over a number of remote districts. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Dallas Seavey has knack for winning Iditarod with few dogs

NOME, Alaska (AP)  Dallas Seavey did more with less this year at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

He set a record pace early Tuesday morning when he won his third straight Iditarod and fourth race in the last five years. And he did it with just six dogs, after starting the race nearly 1,000 miles across Alaska with 16.

No other musher this year has fewer dogs.

Dallas Seavey talks to officials after finishing the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Nome, Alaska. Seavey won his third straight Iditarod, for his fourth overall title in the last five years. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

And the record Seavey beat? It was the one he set in 2014, when he brought only seven dogs into Nome.

"The key is always to run the dogs you have, on the trail you have, the best way you can moving forward," Seavey said.

This year a virus hit two of his dogs hard, and he said it was apparent on the first day of the race he'd have to drop them. One, a dog named Hero who led him to Nome last year, hurt the most, he said.

Worry set in when he lost two more dogs.

"Then you try to formulate a plan using those elements that might be able to get you to Nome quickly," he said. "It was a concern, but not a showstopper."

Seavey completed the nearly 1,000-mile race in a record time of 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes, 16 seconds. He arrived in Nome at 2:20 a.m.

He said at the finish that he spent the first two-thirds of the race "dead on my feet" and had never been so tired.

"This was a heck of a trip, all the way from the start. It was up and down," said Seavey, who picked up $75,000 and a new pickup for winning the race.

The Iditarod started March 6 in Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage, and took mushers across two mountain ranges, down the mighty Yukon River and along the wind-scoured Bering Sea coast.

Eighty-five mushers began the race, but 12 have so far scratched, including four-time champion Lance Mackey. He dropped out Monday, citing personal health concerns.

Seavey's record time beat his previous record set in 2014 of 8 days, 13 hours, 4 minutes, 19 seconds. His only loss during the past five years was to his father, Mitch Seavey, who won in 2013.

Mitch Seavey took second place in this year's race, coming in just after his son early Tuesday morning.

The Seaveys are close, but also competitive.

"Win or lose the race or not doesn't change the fundamentals of our relationship  that as family and friends," Mitch Seavey said, reiterating how proud he is of his son's accomplishments.

"It's an interesting dynamic to be the biggest competitors and best friends at the same time," he said.

Dallas Seavey said his record breaking run had to have three elements, a phenomenal dog team, a very good trail and the final element was a nod to his father.

"It requires stiff competition. Without that competition, you're not going to push the team that will allow them to break the record," he said. If his father wasn't within minutes of his team, he said he wouldn't have urged them along as hard as he did.

The 2016 Iditarod will partly be remembered for an attack on two mushers on the trail near the checkpoint in Nulato. Arnold Demoski is accused of intentionally driving a snowmobile into musher Aliy Zirkle's team and then the team of four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King. One of King's dogs was killed, and at least two other dogs were injured.

Zirkle finished in third place Tuesday morning, and King was running in 10th place.

Demoski has said he was returning home from a night of drinking when he struck the teams. He was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and reckless driving. Demoski's attorney, Bill Satterberg, declined comment to The Associated Press on Monday.

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This story has been corrected to show Dallas Seavey's loss to his father was in the past five years.

Dallas Seavey approaches the finish of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Nome, Alaska. Seavey won his third straight Iditarod, for his fourth overall title in the last five years. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
VW sued by big investors over handling of emissions scandal

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)  Institutional investors are suing Volkswagen for 3.25 billion euros ($3.57 billion) in damages over the company's handling of its emissions scandal, which has so far seen the share price fall by about a third.

Attorney Andreas Tilp said Tuesday that the suit in the German regional court in Braunschweig was joined by investors from 14 countries, including the U.S., Australia, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and the U.K. Among the plaintiffs is CalPERS, the giant pension fund for government employees in California.

Volkswagen had no immediate comment on the suit, but has said that shareholder lawsuits in Germany are without merit.

FILE - This Sept. 22, 2015, file photo, shows the Volkswagen logo on a car during the Car Show in Frankfurt, Germany. Volkswagen deleted documents and obstructed justice after the U.S. Environmental Protection accused the company of cheating on emissions tests, a former employee alleges in a lawsuit. Daniel Donovan says in a whistleblower case that he was wrongfully fired Dec. 6, 2015, after refusing to participate in the deletions and reporting them to a supervisor. The lawsuit says that the evidence deletion continued for three days after the Sept. 18 allegations from the EPA and despite a hold order from the Justice Department. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

Tilp has already filed a suit on behalf of individual investors, claiming Volkswagen didn't inform investors in a timely way about the troubles with diesel cars.

Marc Schiefer, an attorney with Tilp's firm, said Volkswagen did not live up to legal requirements that it inform investors of troubles with diesel engines between 2008 and 2015. "They should have told the markets that something was not working with their diesel technology," Schiefer said.

German securities law requires that companies tell investors when they have information that could substantially affect the share price. If the negative information had been made public, investors could have either decided not to buy the stock or would have been able to purchase it at a lower price.

Volkswagen is being sued by U.S. authorities over 600,000 cars equipped with software that defeated diesel emissions tests. The company has apologized and said it will fix the cars. Some 11 million cars worldwide are affected.

The company's preference shares have fallen 33 percent since Sept. 17, the day before the scandal became public, and were trading at 112.80 euros per share Tuesday.

So far, Volkswagen has set aside 6.7 billion euros ($7.4 billion) to cover the cost of recalling cars, but analysts say the final bill from lawsuits and lost sales could be several times higher.

The company potentially faces more than $20 billion in fines from state and federal regulators, on top of hundreds of class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of angry vehicle owners. The Justice Department is also conducting a criminal investigation.
Brazil Supreme Court accepts plea deal by key lawmaker

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  The Supreme Court said Tuesday it accepted a plea agreement with the former Senate leader for the governing Workers' Party, whose testimony in the sprawling Petrobras corruption case includes incendiary allegations against Brazil's president, her predecessor and other prominent public figures across the political spectrum.

Sen. Delcidio do Amaral was detained late last year on allegations of obstructing the "Car Wash" investigation into corruption at Brazil's state-run oil giant, Petrobras. He was released in February, but news reports emerged last week saying he had struck a plea deal in exchange for leniency.

Supreme Court officials on Tuesday confirmed to the Associated Press that Amaral's deal had been accepted and made public. The court sent a link to the 400-plus page document.

FILE - In this Friday, March 4, 2016, file photo, Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is surrounded by supporters as he leaves the Worker's Party building in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Newspapers reported Tuesday, March 15, that the former president will soon be appointed to a Cabinet position. Such an appointment would afford Silva "privileged jurisdiction," making it more difficult for Silva to be detained in the short term. Lula da Silva was hauled in by police for questioning earlier in the month, in a sprawling corruption case involving the country's oil giant Petrobras. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine, File)

In the document, Amaral detailed accusations against President Dilma Rousseff including that she knew about a scheme to buy a refinery in the United States at an inflated price.

It also alleges Rousseff and former Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo appointed a justice to a high court in a bid to secure the release of some people detained in the Petrobras probe. The justice, Marcelo Navarro, was approved by the Senate, but he didn't release anyone detained in the case.

Amaral's accusations are the first directly implicating Rousseff herself in the corruption scheme. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

His testimony is considered only a starting point in the investigation, with its contents to be verified. If it was found he lied, the plea agreement would be annulled.

The document also alleges that Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante, a close confident of Rousseff who had been her chief of staff until recently, warned Amaral to "remain calm and think about the tack he would take" following his Nov. 25 detention.

The message, a recording of which was part of the plea deal, was transmitted to Amaral during his time in jail through an aide, who said Mercadante offered money to help pay legal fees "probably through companies linked with the Workers' Party," according to the document. Amaral said he assumed Mercadante was acting as Rousseff's "emissary."

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Mercadante acknowledged speaking with Amaral's aide, but categorically denied offering any payment or trying to interfere in the investigation. He said that he felt sorry for Amaral's family following his detention and that "human generosity" motivated his conversation with the aide. He insisted Rousseff was not aware of the conversation.

In a brief statement, Rousseff's office said she "rejected with vehemence and indignation the attempt to connect her with the personal initiative by Minister Aloizio Mercadante."

Amaral's plea deal also includes accusations against Rousseff's predecessor and mentor, Inacio Lula da Silva, a once wildly popular president who governed Brazil in 2003-2011. Amaral alleges Silva ordered him to make payouts to another key operator of the Petrobras scheme to protect a close friend.

Silva has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The document also contains dozens of other accusations against prominent officials, including Vice President Michel Temer, former and current Cabinet members, leaders of political parties, senators, high court justices, Petrobras top brass and businessmen.

It includes allegations that the president of the Senate, Renan Calheiros, and other senators from the PMDB party, which is allied with the Workers' Party, strong-armed the administration into appointing their candidates to government agencies from which bribes were extracted.

The document also alleges that Aecio Neves, who narrowly lost to Rousseff in the 2014 presidential run-off, received bribes from a corruption scheme at the state-run Furnas electric company. Charismatic Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes is mentioned in connection with a separate alleged corruption scheme. Amaral said Paes had a role in erasing bank records belonging to Neves.

Under the deal, Amaral will have to return 1.5 million reais ($402,000) to the public coffers.

Amaral's office said that only Amaral or his adviser could comment on the plea deal, but neither was immediately available.

In a brief letter Tuesday to regional Workers' Party leadership, Amaral announced he was leaving the party after more than a decade of membership. He is still facing procedures in the Senate that could strip him of his seat, but for the moment he remains a senator.

The announcement of the plea deal comes amid widespread rumors suggesting Rousseff was on the verge of appointing Silva to a Cabinet position.

Critics have blasted such a move, saying it would be transparently aimed at helping shield the former leader from possible detention during the corruption investigations. Members of the Workers' Party counter that Silva's appointment would be aimed at helping Rousseff fight impeachment proceedings over allegations of fiscal mismanagement.

Rumors of Silva's possible appointment surfaced after the former leader was spirited to a police station earlier this month to answer questions in the Petrobras investigation. Such an appointment would afford Silva "privileged jurisdiction" as only Brazil's Supreme Court can authorize the investigation, imprisonment and trial of Cabinet members.

Tuesday's revelations came on the heels of nationwide protests against Rousseff and the Workers' Party that brought an estimated 3 million people onto the streets Sunday. Newspapers called them the biggest political demonstrations in Brazilian history.

Rousseff has been beset not only by fallout from the Petrobras scandal, but also by rising unemployment and the worst recession in decades.

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Associated Press writer Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.

Brazils Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante, speaks during a press conference in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Brazil's Supreme Court said it accepted a plea agreement by the governing Workers' Party's former leader in the Senate, Sen. Delcidio do Amaral, whose testimony in the sprawling Petrobras corruption probe included incendiary allegations against President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor, ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as other prominent public figures from across the political spectrum. The document also alleges that Mercadante, a close confident of Rousseff, warned Amaral to "remain calm and think about the tack he would take" following his Nov. 25, 2015, detention. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
The Latest: Founder of Gawker Media testifies in Hogan case

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  The Latest on the trial of wrestler Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against the New York-based website Gawker (all times local):

10:55 a.m.:

The founder of Gawker Media underwent a bruising cross-examination by a lawyer for former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan as trial continued for a second week in Hogan's lawsuit over a sex video.

Hulk Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, enters a Pinellas County courtroom, Monday, March 14, 2016, in St Petersburg, Fla. Hogan is suing Gawker Media for $100 million for posting an edited video showing him having sex with his then-best friend's wife. Lawyers for Gawker Media began presenting their case on Monday. (Stephen Yang/ New York Post via AP, Pool)

At one point Tuesday morning, attorney Kenneth Terkel had Nick Denton read aloud the explicit post that accompanied the video posted on Gawker.

Under Terkel's combative questioning, Denton read to the jury a post describing Hogan's sex with the wife of his then-best friend, Bubba The Love Sponge Clem.

Denton also testified that he gave no consideration to whether Hogan would be harmed by the publishing of the video, and that it "stands the test of time" and is newsworthy.

Hogan is suing Gawker for $100 million for posting the video. He contends it invaded his privacy.

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4:28 a.m.:

The founder of Gawker Media is scheduled for a second day on the witness stand in the Hulk Hogan sex video trial.

Nick Denton will be questioned by Gawker's lawyers Tuesday and will likely be cross-examined by Hogan's lawyers as well.

On Monday, Denton spoke about his rise in the publishing world and how he founded Gawker.

Former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan is suing Gawker for $100 million for posting an edited video of Hogan having sex with his then-best friend's wife. Hogan said he didn't know he was being filmed at the time of the encounter. He maintains it was an invasion of his privacy.

The civil trial is being held in St. Petersburg. This is the second week of testimony.

Gawker Media founder Nick Denton attends Hulk Hogan's trial against Gawker Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, and his attorneys are suing Gawker for $100 million, saying his privacy was violated, and he suffered emotional distress after Gawker posted a sex tape of Hogan and his then-best friend's wife. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, Pool) MANDATORY NY POST OUT
Controversy: The maker of an upcoming PBS miniseries about groundbreaking pop music says the show is reconsidering including scenes with producer Dr. Luke

The maker of an upcoming PBS miniseries about groundbreaking pop music says the show is reconsidering scenes with Dr. Luke, the hitmaking producer who the pop star Kesha has accused of rape.

The documentary Soundbreaking airs this fall and is being screened this week at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin.

The eight-part series was the last project of George Martin, the iconic producer who discovered the Beatles and died this month.

The premiere episode includes an interview with Dr. Luke, who was born Lukasz Gottwald.

He is not charged with any crime and has denied Kesha's claims of rape, saying she is smearing him to get out of her contract.

Soundbreaking producer Jeff Dupre told The Associated Press following Monday night's premiere that Dr. Luke's involvement in the series is now being revisited but did not indicate that a decision has been made.

'It's a controversy and I don't know what the truth is. But it's something that we've thought about and discussed just over the last couple weeks,' Dupre said.

The version shown at SXSW had been done for months, Dupre said. The series includes interviews with Martin and a slew of music A-listers, including Tom Petty and Paul McCartney, and traces the modernization of pop music through recording advances and visionary producers.

Dupre said Dr. Luke was interviewed for the series about a year and a half ago.

'We're actually just talking about it now,' Dupre said of Dr. Luke's appearance in the series. 'I have no idea what his situation is or what actually happened. He's a major, major, major producer.'

Representatives for Dr. Luke and PBS didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Dr. Luke has produced some of the biggest pop hits over the past decade and has worked with stars including Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson and Nicki Minaj.

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Kesha, pictured here outside court in February, claims Dr Luke drugged and raped her a decade ago

Fans of Kesha have called on Sony to cut ties with Dr. Luke and delivered a petition with more than 411,000 signatures to Sony's Manhattan headquarters last week.

A judge last month denied the Tik Tok singer's initial request to be released from her contract, but Kesha has drawn support from celebrities including Taylor Swift, Adele and Lady Gaga.

Dr. Luke says Kesha fabricated her story about being drugged and raped a decade ago to get out of her recording contract.

His lawyers point to a 2011 legal deposition in which Kesha said under oath that Dr. Luke 'never made sexual advances' toward her. When asked whether he'd given her the date-rape drug known as a 'roofie,' she said, 'No."

Kesha's lawyers said the singer, born Kesha Rose Sebert, had been too afraid of the producer to speak up at the time.
The Latest: Prosecutor: Murder charges proper in shootout

CHEVERLY, Md. (AP)  The Latest on charges against three brothers accused in a shootout at a Maryland police station that left an officer dead from friendly fire, according to police (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

The chief prosecutor in Prince George's County says she absolutely believes murder charges are appropriate for two brothers who police say helped their suicidal older brother in his attack on a police station.

This undated photo provided by the Prince George's County Police Department shows officer Jacai Colson, a 4-year veteran of the Maryland county's police force. A gunman fired outside a Maryland police station on Sunday, March 13, 2016, prompting a gun battle that killed Colson and wounded the suspect, authorities said. (Prince George's County Police Department via AP)

A county police detective was killed by what police said was friendly fire while in a shootout with 22-year-old Michael Ford outside a police station on Sunday. Police say Ford's younger brothers, Malik and Elijah, used their cellphones to record video of the shootout as well as their brother's "last will and testament" before he started shooting.

Police and prosecutors sought to file second-degree murder charges against Malik and Elijah Ford, but a court commissioner did not find probable cause to support those charges. State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said at a news conference Tuesday that her office would continue to pursue murder charges against the pair under Maryland's felony murder statute, which applies to someone who participates in a crime in which someone is slain.

Michael Ford was shot during the gunfight with police and remains hospitalized. He has not yet been formally charged.

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12 p.m.

A court document has new details about the shooting outside a Prince George's County police station that left an officer dead.

Police have said that the shooter, Michael Ford, and brothers Malik Ford and Elijah Ford, who recorded the attack on police on their cellphones, would be charged in the shooting.

Court paperwork provided to The Associated Press on Tuesday by prosecutors says that during the shooting, officers asked Malik and Elijah Ford, who were sitting in a car, where the shooter was. The document says Malik Ford shouted he didn't know, even though video shows he could see his brother hiding behind a police van.

The document also says Michael Ford initially walked to the wrong building and that his brothers directed him to the police station. The document says Michael Ford had discussed with his brothers his plan to attack police and engage in a shootout.

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11:40 a.m.

The legal guardian for a man accused in a shootout at a Maryland police station that led to a police officer's death from friendly fire says the man was diagnosed as bipolar and received Social Security disability payments.

Forty-year-old Hyacinth Tucker took over as legal guardian for 22-year-old Michael Ford when Ford was 16. That's when Tucker says Ford's mother kicked him out of the house. Tucker tells The Associated Press that Ford was homeless for a while and had brushes with the law.

Tucker says she spoke to Ford last week, when he told her he wanted to talk in person. She says he came by her house on Saturday but she wasn't home. The shootout at the police station occurred Sunday afternoon.

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11 a.m.

Two brothers who filmed another brother shooting at drivers and police officers outside a Maryland police station will appear in court Wednesday for a bond review hearing.

A spokesman for the Prince George's County Office of the State's Attorney, John Erzen, says Malik and Elijah Ford each face 15 charges related to Sunday's shooting outside a Prince George's County police station in which an undercover officer was killed.

Police say the two brothers recorded the attack on their cellphones as a third brother, Michael Ford, began the gunfight. The charges against them include multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Michael Ford is still hospitalized and has not been charged, but Cpl. Harry Bond said once he is released, he would be transferred to the Department of Corrections.

Erzen says prosecutors will ask at Wednesday's hearing that 21-year-old Malik Ford and 18-year-old Elijah Ford continue to be held without bond.

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4:15 a.m.

Police say they may never be able to satisfactorily explain why a man with a death wish shot at drivers and officers outside a police station in suburban Maryland while his brothers filmed the firefight on their cellphones.

Undercover narcotics officer Jacai Colson was killed in Sunday's gunfight outside the station in Prince George's County, wounded by a bullet fired by one of his colleagues.

Prince George's County police Chief Hank Stawinski said Monday he couldn't explain the "frightening" actions of the shooter or his two brothers.

Police say the gunman, 22-year-old Michael Ford, dictated a "last will and testament" just minutes before his brothers drove him to the station.

Ford was hospitalized but expected to survive. The chief says all three brothers were arrested and will face dozens of charges.

The parents of police officer Jacai Colson, James and Sheila Colson attend a news conference at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force was shot outside the District III police station. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

This image provided by the State of Maryland shows Michael Ford, one of the three suspects involve in the shooting of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson. The gunman, Michael Ford, 22, was expected to survive, along with his brothers Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18. All three have been arrested and will face dozens of charges between them according to police. (State of Maryland via AP)

This image provided by Prince George's County police shows Malik Ford, one of the three suspects involve in the shooting of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson. The gunman, Michael Ford, 22, was expected to survive, along with his brothers Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18. All three have been arrested and will face dozens of charges between them according to police. (Prince Georges' County Police via AP)

This image provided by Prince George's County police shows Elijah Ford one of the three suspects involve in the shooting of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson. Colson was declared dead later in a hospital. The gunman, Michael Ford, 22, was expected to survive, along with his brothers Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18. All three have been arrested and will face dozens of charges between them according to police. (Prince George's County Police via AP)

Prince George's County police chief Hank Stawinski accompanied by the parents of police officer Jacai Colson, James and Sheila Colson speaks during a news conference at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Prince Georges County police officers attend the news conference at at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Jacai Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Prince George's County police chief Hank Stawinski accompanied by the parents of police officer Jacai Colson, James and Sheila Colson speaks during a news conference at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Obama dismayed by vulgarity, violence of campaign

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was dismayed by "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" directed at women and minorities as well as the violence that has occurred in the 2016 presidential campaign, a swipe at Republican front-runner Donald Trump that also served as a challenge to other political leaders to speak out and set a better example.

"The longer that we allow the political rhetoric of late to continue and the longer that we tacitly accept it, we create a permission structure that allows the animosity in one corner of our politics to infect our broader society," Obama said. "And animosity breeds animosity."

Without mentioning the GOP candidate by name, Obama used a unity luncheon at the Capitol to express his concern with the nation's political discourse and the protests that have escalated to attacks at the Trump rallies. The candidate has spoken of barring Muslims from entering the country and deporting immigrants living here illegally.

President Barack Obama, left, and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., right, walk past each put during a lunch celebrating St. Patrick's Day for Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama pleaded for civility and said political leaders can either condone "this race to the bottom" or reject it.

"We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do," Obama said at the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon.

Obama also emphasized that efforts to shut down free speech were "misguided." Protesters forced Trump to cancel a rally in Chicago on Friday. He said he rejects "any effort to spread fear or encourage violence or shut people down while they are trying to speak."

"We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those events we've seen actual violence, and we've heard silence from too many of our leaders," Obama said.

Trump's political rivals and others blame him for sowing division, rather than unity, across the country. Trump says he's done no such thing and calls himself a "uniter."

Obama said that while some may bear more of the blame for the ugly political climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.

"It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America. It has to stop," Obama said. "And I say that not as a matter of political correctness, it's about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy and our society and even our economy."

The president reminded the audience of Republicans and Democrats, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that the world is watching the U.S. candidates and what they say.

"In America there aren't laws that say we have to be nice to each other. ... But there are norms, there are customs, there are values that our parents taught us and that we try to teach to our children," the president said.

He said people should not be afraid to take their children to a debate or a rally.

Obama received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks.

Ryan also spoke at the event, as did Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. Ryan said earlier Tuesday that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.

Obama said he appreciated Ryan's comments. And he said that even though the two men disagree on politics, he would not insult the House speaker "as a man."

"The point is we can have political debates without turning on one another," Obama said. "We can disagree without assuming it is motivated by malice."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he spoke to Trump on Tuesday and asked him to condemn violence no matter who is responsible. It was the first time the two men have spoken since December.

"I appreciate his call, and I took the opportunity to recommend to him that no matter who may be triggering these violent expressions or conflicts that we have been seeing at some of these rallies, it might be a good idea to condemn that and discourage it no matter what the source of it is," McConnell said.

____

Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

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On Twitter, reach Kevin Freking at https://twitter.com/APkfreking

President Barack Obama, right, and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., left, shake hands during a lunch celebrating St. Patrick's Day for Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, center, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama speaks during his meeting with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama smiles as he listens to Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny speak during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Vice President Joe Biden, center, talks with Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and U.S. Ambassador of Ireland, Kevin O'Malley, left, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, during President Barack Obama's meeting with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Virtual reality trips are everywhere at South by Southwest

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Virtual reality is big at South by Southwest Interactive, the annual Austin, Texas, tech festival that wraps up Tuesday. It's a big technological development, a business opportunity  and also just a big experiment, as everyone tries to figure out how to use it.

All around Austin, companies like Samsung, Google, The New York Times and even McDonald's were showing off their virtual reality efforts. Because it basically immerses viewers in an artificial world, VR can reach an audience in more direct and fundamental ways than other media. Companies and creators are still feeling their way with the new technology.

"Part of what's so exciting about it is that there are no rules and no best practices, it's still really unclear what this is for and how best to use it," said New York Times editor Sam Dolnick. "We're shaping that at once in real time."

FILE - In this Saturday, March 14, 2015, file photo, JJ Castillo, from left, Vanessa Cottingham, and Pamela Ledbetter, wave at a Koceto Jo prototype 360-degree view video camera during the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. Virtual reality is big at South by Southwest Interactive, the annual Austin, Texas, tech festival wrapping up Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Its a big business opportunity, a big technological development, and also a big experiment, as everyone tries to figure out how to use it. (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett, File)

Facebook's long-awaited Oculus Rift begins shipping to the public later this month, while HTC's Vive is coming in early April. On Tuesday, Sony said its PlayStation VR will come out in October for $399, not including a companion game console. Google even has a VR headset called Cardboard  which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like  for $15. All that is creating a tidal rush of enthusiasm and hype for the new technology.

The opportunity could be big: Deloitte Global predicts that virtual reality will have its first billion dollar year in 2016, with about $700 million in hardware sales and the remainder from games and other VR "experiences." It estimates headset sales of 2.5 million units this year.

And audiences appear to find VR especially engaging, at least so far. Take, for instance, 360 degree videos, which are typically shot by multicamera setups that capture images in every direction. Viewers can then choose to look at anything in their field of view, as if they were standing where the camera is.

People are 7.5 times more likely to share such videos compared to fixed-frame video, VR journalist Sarah Hill said during a packed SXSW panel discussion on VR storytelling.

At the moment, it's a challenge to walk around Austin without stumbling across a VR presentation. The New York Times took over the Easy Tiger bar on Austin's main drag, 6th Street, to host panels and parties that promoted its VR efforts. It provided swivel chairs and headsets for people to watch its virtual reality projects, including "The Displaced," a 10 minute piece in which viewers follow three child refugees in different nations through their daily lives.

Google threw a VR party to showcase its Tilt Brush 3D VR painting app. At its Google Fiber Space in Austin, animator Chris Prynoski created a painting wearing a VR headset while the image itself appeared on a large screen above him. And there was a 360 degree photo booth, where party goers created 360 images of themselves viewable via Google's Cardboard headset.

Samsung's showcase used moving chairs and Gear VR headsets to let festival goers take a bumpy VR ride on a roller coaster via a video it developed with Six Flags. The company also brought virtual reality headsets for festival goers to try out, assuming they were willing to tweet the hashtag "VRondemand" and then send Samsung their location.

At McDonald's Loft near the Austin Convention Center, the fast-food giant offered festival goers snacks, live music, and VR. Specifically, that is, the chance to use an HTC Vive and its controllers, due out later this year, to paint a colorful mural on a Happy Meal box and throw paintballs in a virtual world. "It's an emerging technology that has interesting potential applications," said DeLu Jackson, a McDonald's vice president of global digital engagement.

Gary Banks, executive producer at digital content studio Groove Jones in Dallas, created the VR game for McDonald's and says interest in VR has jumped over the past year. "It's not mainstream yet, so there's the coolness factor and cachet that brands want to attach to themselves," Banks said.

Still, creating virtual reality pieces remains rife with challenges. Andrey Doronichev, a product manager for VR apps at Google, said one of them simply involves teaching audiences what to expect from VR pieces. Would-be creators of VR pieces need better tools, too.

The industry also needs new ways to measure how people interact with VR videos. The common metric of "views" may not suffice, particularly if people watch fewer VR videos but spend more time with them, said Mehrshad Mansouri, director of business development for GoPro. But he added that it wasn't clear what should replace views.

"We don't have an answer yet, but the current model needs improvement," he said.
Suspect in police shooting was bipolar, guardian says

WASHINGTON (AP)  A man accused of shooting at a Maryland police station to provoke officers was diagnosed as bipolar and was intermittently homeless after his mother kicked him out of the house at age 16, his legal guardian said Tuesday.

Michael Ford, 22, remained hospitalized after he was shot during the gunbattle with police on Sunday afternoon outside a station in Landover, a Washington suburb. Prince George's County Detective Jacai Colson, who was wearing civilian clothes when he began firing back at Ford, was inadvertently killed by one of his fellow officers, the county's police chief said.

Ford's two brothers  Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18  drove him to the police station and used cellphones to record video of the firefight, according to police. They also made a video of Michael's "last will and testament" minutes before the shooting started, police said.

This undated photo provided by the Prince George's County Police Department shows officer Jacai Colson, a 4-year veteran of the Maryland county's police force. A gunman fired outside a Maryland police station on Sunday, March 13, 2016, prompting a gun battle that killed Colson and wounded the suspect, authorities said. (Prince George's County Police Department via AP)

A court document provided to The Associated Press on Tuesday by prosecutors said that during the shooting, officers asked Malik and Elijah Ford, who were sitting in a car, where the shooter was. The document said Malik Ford shouted he didn't know, even though video shows he could see his brother hiding behind a police van.

The three brothers face numerous charges including attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Malik and Elijah were scheduled for bond review hearings on Wednesday. Michael has not been formally charged.

Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said he couldn't explain the "frightening" actions of the shooter or his brothers.

"It doesn't make any sense," Stawinski said.

Hyacinth Tucker, 40, the owner of an event-planning business in Hyattsville, became Michael Ford's legal guardian when he was 16 after his mother kicked him out, she said. Tucker told The Associated Press that Ford, who was a high school friend of her son's, received Social Security disability payments because of his bipolar disorder. She said his checks were sent to her house and that she helped him with doctor visits and other paperwork.

"He's been through some tough times," Tucker said. "There were some times he didn't eat" because he couldn't afford food, she said.

Tucker also hired a lawyer for him after he was charged with gun possession in neighboring Montgomery County in 2013, a charge that was later dropped.

Tucker said she spoke by phone with Ford last week and he told her he needed to see her in person, but she said she didn't have time to meet him. She said he stopped by her house on Saturday, the day before the shooting, but she wasn't home.

"I still hold a little bit of guilt for not being available to talk to him, because over these past four-to-five years he's been able to talk to me," Tucker said Tuesday.

Tucker said Ford had a difficult relationship with his mother, and she said Ford's two brothers were also forced to leave the family home when they were teenagers. She said she occasionally helped them out financially and that Elijah, who's a senior in high school, recently called her for help with some graduation-related expenses.

She said the Ford brothers' father was part of their lives and that Michael stayed with him intermittently but that "he wasn't an option" when Michael became homeless.

One thing that didn't make sense to Tucker: a report by the sheriff's office in Greenville, South Carolina, that Michael Ford was being sought for allegedly assaulting his wife there early Saturday morning. She said she was not aware that Ford was married or that he had been in South Carolina.

Tucker said she never saw Ford have any psychotic episodes and she wasn't sure if he was taking any medication for his bipolar disorder. She was shocked by the allegations and said she didn't see violent tendencies in any of the young men.

"Being nice boys who were just in a bad situation  everyone was polite, everyone was well-mannered," she said.

The Ford brothers' mother, Lisa Ford, did not return telephone messages. An aunt of the three men, Shante Ramos, told The Washington Post that Lisa Ford suffered a heart attack after police burst into her home to search it.

Ramos did not return multiple messages from the AP. A person who answered the door at her home on Monday identified himself as an attorney for the family but did not give his name and declined to be interviewed.

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Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols . His work can be found at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols .

___

Associated Press Writers Juliet Linderman in Baltimore and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

The parents of police officer Jacai Colson, James and Sheila Colson attend a news conference at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force was shot outside the District III police station. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

This image provided by the State of Maryland shows Michael Ford, one of the three suspects involve in the shooting of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson. The gunman, Michael Ford, 22, was expected to survive, along with his brothers Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18. All three have been arrested and will face dozens of charges between them according to police. (State of Maryland via AP)

This image provided by Prince George's County police shows Malik Ford, one of the three suspects involve in the shooting of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson. The gunman, Michael Ford, 22, was expected to survive, along with his brothers Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18. All three have been arrested and will face dozens of charges between them according to police. (Prince Georges' County Police via AP)

This image provided by Prince George's County police shows Elijah Ford one of the three suspects involve in the shooting of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson. Colson was declared dead later in a hospital. The gunman, Michael Ford, 22, was expected to survive, along with his brothers Malik, 21, and Elijah, 18. All three have been arrested and will face dozens of charges between them according to police. (Prince George's County Police via AP)

Prince George's County police chief Hank Stawinski accompanied by the parents of police officer Jacai Colson, James and Sheila Colson speaks during a news conference at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Prince Georges County police officers attend the news conference at at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Jacai Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Prince George's County police chief Hank Stawinski accompanied by the parents of police officer Jacai Colson, James and Sheila Colson speaks during a news conference at Prince George's County Police headquarters Monday, March 14, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force and a undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Bill Cosby's wife says she shouldn't be subjected to 'outrageous question' about her sex life and other deeply personal topics in a defamation lawsuit filed by seven women who say the comedian sexually assaulted them decades ago.

But a lawyer for the women has asked a judge to step in to make sure Camille Cosby answers more questions in the legal case.

Camille Cosby sat for the first part of a deposition last month; a second session is scheduled for April 18.

A federal judge ruled last month that she had to testify in the deposition but didn't have to answer questions that fell under the Massachusetts marital disqualification rule, which says a spouse doesn't have to testify about private marital conversations.

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Game over: Lawyers for Bill Cosby's wife Camille have asked a judge to have her deposition in a case about her husband terminated (Camille above in March 2008)

Her lawyers have since asked a judge to terminate the deposition, or at least limit it, citing 'a litany of improper and offensive questions' asked during the first session by the women's attorney, Joseph Cammarata.

They said the questions related to Camille Cosby's 'own sexual relations, her own political commentary and the death of the Cosbys' son in 1997, among others.'

Ennis Cosby, 27, was shot and killed during a robbery attempt.

'These questions were irrelevant to the issues in this case and plainly were designed to annoy, embarrass, and oppress the witness,' Camille Cosby's lawyers argued in a court filing Friday.

Her lawyers claim Cammarata repeatedly sought irrelevant testimony from Cosby about her opinion of the honesty and integrity of her husband.

Cammarata, however, has asked the court to appoint Magistrate Judge David Hennessy to preside over the remainder of Cosby's deposition to deter what he calls 'deposition misconduct' by her and her attorney, Monique Pressley.

Cammarata says Cosby refused to answer dozens of questions based on an overly broad interpretation of the marital disqualification rule, attorney-client privilege and a 'non-existent' privilege of privacy.

'Judge Hennessy's presence is necessary to deter Mrs. Cosby from further interfering with her own deposition,' Cammarata wrote in a court filing Monday.

In the transcript of her deposition given in February, Camille said she learned of Constand's allegations through her husband, and said she was aware that he had given a deposition in the case.

However, when the lawyer for the seven women asked whether she had read the deposition Bill gave in the Constand case, she simply answered: 'No'.

He continued to grill her about her knowledge of his sworn testimony, finally asking: 'Sitting here today you have no understanding of what topics or what statements your husband made at the deposition; is that your testimony?'

She replied with a curt: 'That is my testimony.'

The back-and-forth between Camille Cosby's lawyers and Cammarata later became combative.

When Cammarata asked her whether she had a discussion with her husband about the substance of his deposition testimony in the Andrea Constand case, Camille initially said she didn't want to answer before saying: 'That is just communication between my husband and me.'

After her lawyer advised her that she can answer 'yes' or 'no' to whether she had discussed it without divulging what was said, Camille Cosby answered, 'Yes,' saying she did discuss his deposition testimony with him.

But when Cammarata asked her when it happened, who might have been around during the conversation, where it took place, how long they talked or what they talked about, Camille said she didn't not remember.

Tamara Green filed the Massachusetts lawsuit in December 2014. She was later joined by six other women who say Cosby sexually assaulted or abused them and defamed them by calling them liars.

Cosby denies their allegations.

More than 50 women have publicly accused Bill, who is best known for his role as the father in the 1980s television hit The Cosby Show, of raping them, often after plying them with alcohol or drugs, in incidents dating back decades.

Most of the alleged crimes date too far back to be prosecuted. But just days before the statute of limitations was to expire, Pennsylvania officials late last year charged Cosby with sexually assaulting Constand in 2005.

Grounds: They are objecting to 'a litany of improper and offensive questions' asked during the first session by the women's attorney, Joseph Cammarata (Bill and Camille above in October 2009)

DailyMail.com previously reported that Camille is adamant she did not supply her husband with the prescription sedatives he is accused of using to drug and sexually assault women - and that is why she asked to not be deposed in the suit.

The seven women who have filed the suit against Cosby - Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis and Angela Leslie - have accused him of defaming them in the press by calling them all liars.

Cosby then countersued, accusing the women of conspiring to ruin his now-cancelled entertainment projects and insisted they made up their stories of abuse.

The women's attorney wanted to question Camille about what she knew about her husband's extra-martial activities over the past five decades.

Bill's legal team fired back saying his wife had no first-hand knowledge of the allegations in the lawsuit.

'Information that was the subject of confidential communications between Mrs. Cosby and defendant is protected by Massachusetts' spousal disqualification rule,' the lawyers claimed, and demanded Camille not be ordered to take the deposition under oath next month.

But the women argued that Camille was Cosby's business manager and did have relevant information to help them with their case.

Camille blasted the women's attempt to depose her in the documents that were filed in January, arguing first that the law is very clear about a husband and wife not having to testify against another or share information from private conversations.

Judge Hennessy said in his ruling however that he found 'no merit in Mrs Cosby's argument'.

She also asked the judge to not order her to sit for a deposition in the case because it would be an undue burden on her and invade her rights to privacy and claims her husband has decided to not drag her into his counter-suit to testify.

Judge Hennessy wrote in his ruling about; 'I reject Mrs. Cosby's argument that her subpoena should be quashed on the grounds that it presents an undue burden.'

Camille contends she wasn't present during any of the alleged incidents and anything she heard would be second hand knowledge or from a private conversations with her husband.

That statement however contradicts information given a year ago by Carla Ferrigno, wife of The Incredible Hulk star Lou Ferrigno.

Carla told DailyMail.com that Camille was present in the home when she was attacked by Cosby.
Police in a small Massachusetts town have been mocked online for issuing a community warning on Facebook this week - after they said a group of males asked to have a rap battle with some teenagers over the weekend.

The Charlton Police Department said it doesn't appear to be an attempted abduction, but the boys were frightened.

According to authorities, the boys said no, with the SUV driving away.

Facebook commenters offered jokes on the situation, with one person writing: 'Sounds to me like this is, as usual, a case of shoddy parenting.

'Shame on those parents for raising kids that aren't ready to spit bars when the occasion calls for it.

'I'm raising my young ones to be ready to drop a 16 at all times.'

Another commenter said: 'I can't imagine what it's like to be a parent in Charlton right now, knowing that at any moment someone might expose their child to phat beats and ill rhymes...'

A Massachusetts police department posted a community warning on Facebook this week, after they said a group of men offered to have a rap battle with some teenagers over the weekend

Charlton's website says it's one of the 50 safest cities in Massachusetts.

One person wrote on Facebook: 'Where are the police investigations of men cat calling women?

'In my opinion that is more threatening than being challenged to a rap battle.'

Another person posted: 'The fact that this is being investigated is absurd.'

The Charlton Police Department wrote on the social media site Monday that Saturday afternoon 'a black SUV with 2-3 male occupants, in their late teens/early 20s, pulled up to three young teenage boys on Dresser Hill Road.

'One of the males, with brown hair and a pale complexion, wearing a gray T-shirt, gray pants and open-toed sandals, exited the vehicle and started rapping while the other occupants of the vehicle began asking they boys if they wanted to "spit some bars" (Rap lingo) with them.'

Charlton police requested those with information contact authorities.

A Facebook commenter defended police, writing: 'Its not "goofy" if the kids that they pulled up to were nervous or scared.

'Go be creative by yourselves instead of bothering younger kids. Creepy.'

Facebook commenters offered their opinions on the case online. One person said women being catcalled by men 'is more threatening than being challenged to a rap battle

Others offered jokes on the situation, with one person commenting 'I can't imagine what it's like to be a parent in Charlton right now, knowing that at any moment someone might expose their child to phat beats and ill rhymes...'

Eminem and Nashawn Breedlove are seen in a rap battle in a scene from the movie 8 Mile

Someone else wrote: 'This is why I love living in Charlton, I grew up here as well as my kids now that are grown adults and now they have children of their own.

'It's a wonderful town and I support the Charlton Police Department for taking their job seriously.

'Other towns should try it maybe there would be less bad and more good for kids to grow up in.'

The Charlton Police Department responded in the comments section, writing 'We take it seriously when a parent is concerned for their child's safety'

The Charlton Police Department wrote in the comments section: 'I guess we need to clarify what was posted. The purpose of the post was to notify the community that we were contacted by parents because their children were approach on the street by several older individuals.

'We are were not investigating Rap music being sung in Charlton, and just posted the facts regarding the manner these older individuals used when approaching these children.'
Obama dismayed by campaign's 'vulgar and divisive rhetoric'

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was deeply disturbed by the "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" directed at women and minorities as well as the violence in the 2016 presidential campaign, a swipe at Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Without mentioning the candidate by name, Obama used a St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Capitol to express his concern with the political discourse and the protests that have escalated to attacks at Trump rallies. Trump has spoken of barring Muslims and deporting immigrants living here illegally.

Obama received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks assailing the tenor of the campaign and pleading for civility.

President Barack Obama, right, listens to Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, left, make comments during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

"We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do," Obama said. "We have seen misguided attempts to shut down that speech however offensive it may be.

"We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those events we've seen actual violence, and we've heard silence from too many of our leaders," Obama said.

The president reminded the audience of Republicans and Democrats, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, that the world is watching the U.S. candidates and what they say.

"In America there aren't laws that say we have to be nice to each other ... But there are norms, there are customs, there are values that our parents taught us and that we try to teach to our children," the president said.

Obama said that while some may bear more of the blame for the climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.

Trump's political rivals and others blame him for sowing division, rather than unity, across the country. Trump says he's done no such thing and calls himself a "uniter."
New Zealand spinners star in shock 47-run win over India

NAGPUR, India (AP)  New Zealand's spinners inflicted a shock 47-run defeat on tournament favorite India in the first game of the Super 10 stage at the ICC World Twenty20 on Tuesday.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner grabbed 4-11, legspinner Ish Sodhi took 3-18 and offspinner Nathan McCullum added 2-15 on a helpful pitch as India was bowled out for 79 in 18.1 overs.

New Zealand had earlier reached 126-7 in the Group 2 match.

New Zealand players celebrate after defeating India by 47 runs during the ICC World Twenty20 2016 cricket match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur, India, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

Captain Kane Williamson's decision to go in with three spinners paid off as India, which came into the tournament with 10 wins in 11 previous T20 games, failed to come to terms with the slow pitch.

New Zealand has now beaten India in all five T20 games between the two teams including two times at the World Twenty20.

India had beaten South Africa inside three days in a test here last year but the turn on offer this time proved detrimental.

The Kiwi spinners took control straight away and there was no respite from the time Shikhar Dhawan (1) was trapped leg-before wicket by McCullum as he tried a sweep shot.

McCullum later took a return catch to dismiss Yuvraj Singh (4), with Santner producing a double-strike in between to remove Rohit Sharma (5) and Suresh Raina (1) in the same over.

Sodhi struck first ball as the in-form Virat Kohli (23) edged one to the wicketkeeper, reducing India to 39-5.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni tried to rally his team but his knock of 30 was of little use, with Sodhi taking charge and Santner determined to complete the unfinished business.

"It was a low scoring wicket," Dhoni said. "I thought we restricted them to a good total but the batting let us down. The shot selection kept putting pressure on the batsmen coming in.

"They bowled well and exploited the conditions but we lacked adaptability. We could have applied ourselves more."

Earlier, India restricted New Zealand to a moderate total with left-hander Corey Anderson holding the innings together. He scored 34 before being dismissed by pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah while trying to scoop the ball toward fine leg. Luke Ronchi got an unbeaten 21 off 11 balls down the order.

The New Zealand innings had started with a six off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin but Martin Guptill was trapped leg-before wicket on the second delivery. Ashish Nehra removed left-hander Colin Munro for seven in the next over to build on the early dismissal.

New Zealand was soon reduced to 35-3 as Williamson was stumped by Dhoni off Raina for eight.

Raina also pulled off a superb run out of Ross Taylor (10) later when he dived on his follow through and flicked the ball to dislodge the stumps at the runner's end.

"It was a tough surface," Williamson said. "Any score was going to be tough here but we would have liked to have a few more. We went in with this bowling attack after we had a look at the conditions."

New Zealand players celebrate after defeating India by 47 runs during the ICC World Twenty20 2016 cricket match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur, India, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

New Zealand's Ish Sodhi, right, celebrates the wicket of India's Ravichandran Ashwin during the ICC World Twenty20 2016 cricket match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur, India, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
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US boater swims hours to Puerto Rico after falling overboard

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard said a man from Michigan fell overboard north of Puerto Rico and swam roughly seven hours until he reached the U.S. territory.

Authorities on Tuesday said David Thompson was traveling to the Dominican Republic aboard his 49-foot (15-meter) boat when it was hit by a large wave. They said Thompson then swam until he reached Montones Beach in the northwest coastal town of Isabela on Monday.

They said he remains hospitalized. Thompson did not immediately return a message for comment.
Trump tops Rubio in Florida, falls to Kasich in Ohio

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump won a decisive victory in Florida's primary Tuesday night, forcing home-state Sen. Marco Rubio to abandon the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The brash billionaire also picked up North Carolina and Illinois, but faltered in Ohio.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich notched his first and only victory of the primary season by carrying his home state, but he has the fewest delegates of anyone still in the running and had virtually no electoral path to the nomination.

Trump, holding forth at his resort Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, urged Republicans to unify in support of him. They are reluctant to do so.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., waves during a Republican primary night rally at Florida International University in Miami, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Rubio is ending his campaign for the Republican nomination for president after a humiliating loss in his home state of Florida. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

"Millions of people are coming in to vote," Trump said, citing long lines at the polls and Democrats and new voters choosing him. "We have a great opportunity."

Missouri was the fifth state to hold a primary contest Tuesday. The other contender, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, is hoping to pick up enough delegates to force a contested national GOP convention in July. Cruz made direct overtures to those who had supported Rubio, saying he stands alone as the last Republican hope of defeating Trump.

"Every Republican has a clear choice," he said. "Do you want a candidate who shares your values? Or do you want a candidate who has spent decades opposing your values?"

As Rubio suspended his campaign, he tried to strike an optimistic note about his party's future, while making a not-so-subtle reference to Trump.

"Do not give in to the fear," Rubio said. "Do not give in to the frustration."

Speaking from Cleveland, Kasich said, "I will not take the low road to the highest office of the land."

Trump's plainspoken  while controversial  appeals have resonated across the country, leaving other candidates reeling for a strategy to topple the unconventional front-runner.

"He will fix everything that is wrong with the economy and immigration," said Alex Perri, a 59-year-old retired firefighter from Margate, Florida, who was campaigning for Trump in the parking lot of an Oakland Park, Florida voting place.

Even as Trump racks up more wins, questions have intensified about whether he is doing enough to stem violence at his raucous rallies.

Trump said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that his record-setting crowds have had "very, very little difficultly."

The New York real estate mogul backed away from a suggestion that he might cover legal costs for a supporter who punched a protester in the face during a rally last week in North Carolina. He has blamed a larger recent clash in Chicago on Democratic protesters.

In a clear reference to Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, the GOP's top elected leader, declared that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.

For some voters, Trump's tone has been a turn-off.

"We need to have a man who will speak against things that are wrong," said Cathy Lewis after she cast her vote for Kasich in their shared hometown of Westerville, Ohio.

In recent weeks, Republicans who dislike Trump have banded to wage multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns against him. One political ad highlights Trump's statements that appear to encourage violence.

Trump still leads the race for delegates, with a total of 621 with his gains in Tuesday's contests. Ted Cruz has 396 delegates, Kasich has 138 and Rubio left the race with 168.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

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Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington, Terry Spencer in Margate, Florida, Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio, and Kathleen Ronayne in Westerville, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his primary election night event at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. at right is his son Eric Trump (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Walsh-Mullins axis wins 3 races at Cheltenham Festival

CHELTENHAM, England (AP)  The prolific jump-racing combination of jockey Ruby Walsh and trainer Willie Mullins got off to a successful start at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday by claiming three winners, including Annie Power in the Champion Hurdle.

The combination's first triumph came with Douvan in the Arkle Challenge Trophy before Annie Power won the day's feature race by 4 lengths to become the first mare to win the Champion Hurdle since 1994.

Vroum Vroum Mag then completed a treble for Walsh and Mullins by winning the Mares' Hurdle. Mullins is widely tipped to be the leading trainer in this year's festival and Walsh now has 48 winners at Cheltenham, the most prestigious jumps meeting in the British calendar.

Annie Power ridden by Ruby Walsh clears the last hurdle to go onto win the Champion Hurdle during Champion Day of the 2016 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham England Tuesday March 15, 2016. (David Davies/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT

However, the day also witnessed the deaths of three horses  The Govaness, Pont Alexandre and Rezorbi.
Clinton defeats Sanders in Florida, Ohio and 2 other states

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)  Hillary Clinton rolled up primary victories in four states  Florida, Ohio, Illinois and North Carolina  and dealt a severe blow Tuesday to Bernie Sanders' hopes of denying her the Democratic presidential nomination.

Clinton called the outcome "another Super Tuesday" for her campaign. "We are moving closer to securing the Democratic Party nomination and winning this election in November," Clinton told cheering supporters in Florida.

Clinton was locked with Sanders in a tight contest in Missouri, the fifth primary of the day, but her string of four triumphs strengthened her already formidable pledged delegate lead, and the former secretary of state said she expected to have a more than 300-delegate edge.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to a cheering crowd as she arrives at an election night event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Sanders, addressing supporters in Phoenix, said his campaign had "come a long way" but made no mention of Tuesday's results during an hourlong speech. "You do not have to accept the status quo. We can do better. Don't let people tell you that you can't think big," he said. Clinton and Sanders did not speak on primary night, aides said.

Early Wednesday, Sanders released a statement congratulating Clinton on her victories.

Florida was the biggest delegate prize and Clinton's victories gave her about two-thirds of the delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

With four wins, Clinton will pick up at least 326 delegates while Sanders will gain 220. Many delegates remain to be allocated pending more complete vote totals.

According to an analysis by The Associated Press, Clinton held 1,561 of total delegates when the count includes superdelegates, who are elected officials and party leaders free to support the candidate of their choice. Sanders has 800 total delegates, including superdelegates.

Looking ahead to the fall, Clinton offered pointed words for businessman Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner: "Our commander-in-chief has to be able to defend our country, not embarrass it." She said for the nation "to be great, we can't be small. We can't lose what made America great in the first place."

Democratic voters in all five states viewed Clinton as the candidate with the better chance to beat Trump if he is the Republican nominee, according to exit polls. In Florida and North Carolina, about 8 in 10 black voters supported her, and she also won support of about 7 in 10 Hispanic voters in Florida.

"She has done it. She has been there. She is the person that should replace Barack Obama," said Eduardo De Jesus, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who voted for Clinton.

Clinton urged Democrats in recent days to unite behind her candidacy so she could focus on Trump, the Republican front-runner. In telling campaign optics, Clinton staged Tuesday's primary night rally in West Palm Beach, a few miles from Mar-a-Lago, where Trump held a news conference at his Palm Beach estate.

Late Tuesday, Sanders held a narrow lead in Missouri and trailed Clinton in Illinois, a state where he hoped his trade-focused message would resonate. It helped him pull off an upset in Michigan last week and he continued to question Clinton's past support for trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Sanders' team said the calendar would be more favorable in the weeks ahead and vowed to go through the Democratic convention. After Tuesday, the campaign shifts westward, with contests in Arizona, Idaho and Utah on March 22. "He wants to take this all the way to Philadelphia," said Sanders adviser Tad Devine.

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Thomas reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Hope Yen in Washington, Nicholas Riccardi in Phoenix and Alex Sanz in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., contributed to this report.

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Follow Ken Thomas and Lisa Lerer on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/KThomasDC and https://twitter.com/llerer

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

Supporters cheer for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as results come in during an election night event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves as he enters The Family Arena for a campaign rally Monday, March 14, 2016, in St. Charles, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visits talks with a group of little kids as she visits a polling place a Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Christie: I planned to miss cop funeral, Trump event or not

LINDEN, N.J. (AP)  Under fire for campaigning for Donald Trump rather than attending a New Jersey state trooper's funeral, Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that he would have gone to a school groundbreaking instead of the funeral even if he had been in the state.

Christie said he and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno decided before Trump invited him to campaign that she would attend the funeral Monday, saying they regularly divide up such duties.

"I understand that no matter what, I will be criticized that's fine," Christie said. "But it's no different from what we've done before."

Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, left, is introduced by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at a plane-side rally in an aircraft hanger at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, Ohio, Monday, March 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Speaking at a food delivery company to highlight the state's falling unemployment rate, Christie sought to turn attention back to state issues after finding himself in the unflattering national political spotlight for the second time since endorsing the billionaire GOP front-runner.

The cover of Tuesday's Daily News of New York showed the governor next to a headline, "Christie's Dead Cop Dis."

Four state troopers have died in car accidents since Christie took office; he attended the funerals for both who died before he announced his presidential campaign, giving one a eulogy, and missed both afterward. He also did not attend a January funeral for a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officer who died in an accident.

"We did not expect someone who has consistently shown disdain for law enforcement to pay his respects to the (Trooper Sean) Cullen and State Police family," said Chris Burgos, the head of the state troopers' union, which has fought bitterly with Christie in court over public pensions.

On Monday, Christie ordered flags to half-staff in New Jersey and in a statement Friday called Cullen a "loving and devoted father, son and brother whose memory will live in in this hearts of his family."

On the campaign trail, the governor got swept up in Trump's attacks on fellow candidate Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who he criticized for spending time out of state. Trump used Christie's reputation for spending time in New Hampshire to make the point to Ohio voters that their governor had spent even more time there.

"I hated to do that, but I had to make my point," Trump said.

Christie on Tuesday said Trump was just joking.

Christie was also pictured at a rain-dampened air hangar in Ohio next to Trump, who was holding an umbrella over himself.

"I'm not an umbrella user unless it's pouring rain," Christie said.

On Super Tuesday, Christie was widely mocked online for his blank stare while standing behind Trump during a news conference. He later said he wasn't being held hostage, as some joked, and that's just what standing behind someone looks like.

Christie has said he's backing Trump because he has the best chance of beating Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in November's general election. Christie has seen his ratings at home fall further in polling since the endorsement.

"I think that what we see here is a guy  the governor  really attempting to ingratiate himself with Donald Trump doing everything he can including taking a political hit in his home state, but still he's getting wet, outside the umbrella," said Montclair State University political science professor Brigid Harrison.

On Tuesday, an editorial in the Star-Ledger, one of the nine New Jersey papers that have called for Christie's resignation, demanded the governor repay the state for the cost of his state security detail while traveling on behalf of Trump. Also Tuesday, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop  an expected 2017 gubernatorial candidate  launched a website calling on Christie to step down.

"I could care less," he said Tuesday. "I'm not resigning."

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Associated Press writer Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton contributed to this story.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie answers a question as he addresses the media at the HelloFresh company after he announced that the food company decided to expand rather than leave New Jersey, Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Linden, N.J. Christie was the center of attention again Monday while on the campaign trail for Donald Trump - but not the good kind of attention. Christie, who was called out for missing a state trooper's funeral - including on the front page of a New York tabloid - returned to New Jersey Tuesday to promote economic development, and try to get back into the good graces of his constituents. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
French officials visit Ivory Coast massacre site

GRAND-BASSAM, Ivory Coast (AP)  Top French officials on Tuesday visited the Ivory Coast beach town where Al Qaida's North Africa branch killed at least 18 people in an attack over the weekend.

France's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development and its Interior Minister met with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, before visiting Grand-Bassam.

"After the attacks in Bamako, in Ouagadougou, and also in Kenya, in Tunisia, in France, as you know happened last year, we are a threat to the terrorists in the same way," said the Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. "What is at issue is our lifestyle, our will to succeed in developing our democracy and freedom."

Benin President Boni Yayi and Togo President Faure Gnassingbe also made a trip to Grand-Bassam Tuesday.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb tweeted Monday that it staged the attack as revenge against the West African country for handing over prisoners to Mali, according to SITE Intelligence Group which monitors jihadi sites.

The extremist group named the three attackers responsible for Sunday's assault that killed at least 18 people, including special forces and 15 civilians from at least six countries.

The attack by Hamza al-Fulani, Abdul Rahman al-Fulani, and Abu Adam al-Ansari was also a warning to France, African and Western countries that it will destroy security for its citizens if not left safe in their lands in the Sahel, the region below the Sahara, according to the monitoring group.

French-led forces pushed the al-Qaida-linked group from strongholds in northern Mali in 2013.

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Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney sets sights on April return

Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney insists his recovery from a knee injury is on track and has targeted a return in April.

Rooney sustained ligament damage to his knee at Sunderland last month and has missed the last eight games.

Although his recovery is on course, he will still miss the vital clashes against Liverpool in the Europa League and Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League this week while also being unavailable for England's forthcoming friendlies with Germany and Holland.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is targeting an early April return

Caution has been the keyword for Rooney, but he says he is nearly there and hopes he will make his comeback after the international break in late March.

" Everything is going as planned," he said on the club's official website, attending an event to announce a new global sponsorship with Gulf Oil International.

"Rehab is going well but, hopefully, it won't be too long.

"I don't know [when I will return]. Obviously, I will miss the international games but, hopefully, it won't be too long. It's not too bad but obviously it's [a case of] just being a bit cautious. It's difficult to push back. If I tried to push it to be involved now, it could cause more damage. So, being cautious, after the international break is more realistic.

"I am hoping that, if I am back when I am expected to be back, depending on the two cups we are in, then there could be over 10 games left plus the England games.
Boris and Brexit campaigners 'making it up as they go along'

Boris Johnson and the Leave campaign are "making it up as they go along", David Cameron said as he told t he people of the UK they face a "profound" decision about the country's future in the European Union referendum.

Marking 100 days until the June 23 vote, the Prime Minister said the result of the referendum would have an effect on family finances, jobs and the UK's place on the global stage.

He accused the Leave campaign of "taking a risk" with people's livelihoods by advocating a change in the relationship with the UK's trading partners.

Prime Minister David Cameron during a visit to Felixstowe Port in Suffolk

London Mayor Mr Johnson has suggested the UK could take on "associate membership" of the EU if it votes to leave, in an arrangement similar to that currently applied to Turkey.

But Mr Cameron accused the pro-Brexit camp of shifting their position on the kind of relationship they envisage for the UK with the EU after a vote to Leave.

Speaking at a campaign event in Felixstowe, the Prime Minister said: "Those people who want us to leave, they cannot tell us what alternative they would put in place.

"If we stay, we know we have unhindered access to that market of 500 million people. The people who want us to go, to start with they said 'We are not going to tell you what the alternative would be', then they said they wanted full access to the single market - but that means you get the free movement of people and you have to pay into that single market without any say about what the rules are - what's the point of that?

"Then they said they want a Canada-style free trade deal, but a Canada-style free trade deal means you don't have full access for your financial services, you have to pay tariffs on your cars, you don't have full access for your farmers' produce, so it's not a great deal for Britain.

"Canada is a country 4,000 miles away from the continent of Europe that does 10% of its trade with the EU. We are a country just 20 miles away from the continent of Europe and we do 50% of our trade with the European Union.

"So a Canada deal is not the right deal for us.

"Today, the leaders of the Leave campaign are saying they don't really want a Canada deal at all, that they weren't right about that. They are literally making it up as they go along.

"They are rolling the dice, they are taking a risk and they are taking a risk with people's jobs, taking a risk with families' finances and I don't think that is good enough for the British people."

Mr Johnson has previously appeared to endorse Canada's arrangements with the EU as a potential model for Britain in the future.

Last Friday he said: "I think we can strike a deal, as the Canadians have done, based on trade and getting rid of tariffs. It's a very, very bright future I see."

But during his LBC phone-in on Tuesday he backed the idea of an "associate member" relationship with the EU.

Turkey took associate status in 1963, as a result of an agreement to create a customs union with a view to progressing towards full membership. Negotiations on full membership began in 2005, but have been mired in delays amid opposition from many parts of the EU.

Mr Johnson said: " William Hague wrote a very interesting piece the other day suggesting that there could be a future for Britain joining with Turkey as not an EU member, but an associate member. I thought that was interesting.

"The only way we can achieve that is for Britain to vote to leave and to strike this new relationship, which people don't believe can be done. It's not pie in the sky, it's the way forward - do a free trade deal, take back control over borders, over the way we run our trade system, the way we run virtually half the legislation in this country."

Mr Cameron said voters would hold the future of the country in their hands when they go to the ballot box on June 23.

"You are holding in your hand a decision that is going to have a profound effect on families' finances, people's jobs and the kind of country that we are in the next 50 years," he said.

"I'm absolutely convinced that the right decision for Britain is to stay in a reformed European Union. I think it is right because of our prosperity, I think it is right because of our security and I also think it is right because of the kind of country that we want for our children and our grandchildren."

He suggested Brexit supporters were making "emotional arguments" for leaving, claiming it was the patriotic choice.

But he insisted: "I would argue there is a strong patriotic case for staying in a reformed EU because I say our country does best in the world when we are open to the world, not when we are trying to pull up the drawbridge."

Asked about continued accusations from Brexit campaigners that he was engaging in "Project Fear", Mr Cameron said he had a "wholly positive message".

He added: "We have a home market of 500 million people. Let's succeed in that market and let's take that great strength and take on the rest of the world.

"I make absolutely no apology for warning people about the dangers and the uncertainties if we are to leave and I would make this point: today we're asking the Leave campaign 'What's the alternative?'

"To start with they wanted to be in the single market, then they said let's do a free trade deal, then they said let's do a Canada free trade deal and now they're saying they're not sure if they want a Canada free trade deal.

"They're making it up as they go along and they're taking a risk with people's jobs and people's livelihoods.

"Do we want, as a country, to spend the next seven years trying to negotiate a Canada-style free trade deal?

"When you press pause in the modern world your economy actually goes backwards - pause means rewind.
'Resounding' support for staying in the European Union from CBI members

One of Britain's biggest organisations will make the economic case for remaining in the European Union after a survey found eight in 10 firms backed the UK's continued membership.

But the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents firms employing nearly seven million people, will not align itself with any EU referendum campaign group.

The group's final decision follows a survey of member organisations which indicated 80% of firms believed remaining in the EU would be best for their businesses, with just 5% saying it would be in their best interests to leave and 15% unsure.

Carolyn Fairbairn said support for staying in the EU was "resounding"

The ComRes poll indicated that 71% of small and medium-sized firms believed that remaining part of the 28-member bloc would be in the best interests of their businesses, with 11% favouring a Brexit.

The survey formed part of a consultation process with the CBI's members and governing structures, leading to a final decision by the chairmen's committee - the organisation's highest policy-making body - to back making the case to remain in the EU.

But the CBI will not register with the Electoral Commission as a participant in the June 23 referendum contest.

The CBI's director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said: " The message from our members is resounding - most want the UK to stay in the EU because it is better for their business, jobs and prosperity.

"Walking away makes little economic sense and risks throwing away the many benefits we gain from being part of the EU.

"Our members tell us that having guaranteed access to a tariff-free market of 500 million people, and to more than 30 global trade deals covering 50 countries, are significant advantages that outweigh the frustrations.

"A minority of members want to leave the EU. We will continue to respect and reflect their views and campaign for EU reform to get a better deal for all businesses.

"However, most CBI members are unconvinced that alternatives to full membership would offer the same opportunities. We have yet to see those who seek to leave the EU present a compelling vision of what this would mean for jobs and growth.

"We will not align ourselves with any campaign. Though prosperity, jobs and future living standards matter to many people, we recognise there will be other considerations.

"It is not our place to tell people how to vote, but the CBI will play its role in making the economic case for remaining in the EU."

The survey of CBI members, which had 773 responses, found 77% believed that remaining in the EU would be in the best interests of the UK economy as a whole, with 6% saying Brexit would be better.

Some 85% of CBI members based in London said a Remain result would be in the best interest of their organisation, a figure that dropped to 75% in both the Midlands and East of England.

James Bardrick, chief executive of Citi Global Markets, part of the financial giant Citigroup, warned that "many firms" could think about moving jobs overseas if the country left the EU.

"Membership of the EU is one of the main reasons Citi's EMEA headquarters is in the UK," he said. "Being in the EU allows us to passport our financial services right across the single market, creating efficient access for our multinational clients operating throughout Union.

"Were the UK to leave the EU, many firms would probably have to rethink the way they do business, including whether to relocate certain activities."

Paul Kahn, the president of aerospace firm Airbus Group UK said: "If the UK exits the EU, there are likely to be significant changes to the regulatory and economic environment with subsequent impacts on our competitiveness.

"Though Airbus Group remains fully committed to its operations in the UK and to its employees here, we certainly hope the UK will choose to retain its EU membership which helps to ensure the continued long-term success of Airbus Group's European industrial model."

The CBI's decision follows controversy over the British Chambers of Commerce's former director-general speaking out in favour of Brexit.

John Longworth resigned after saying the UK could have a "brighter" future outside the EU, even though the BCC was staying neutral on the referendum issue.

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: 'It's welcome news that the CBI has seen sense and won't be seeking to campaign in the referendum.

"Dodgy polls from the CBI carry little weight after their long and regrettable history of getting it wrong on the EU."

He claimed the " EU-funded CBI" had acted as "little more than the Voice of Brussels". The CBI insists that funding it has received from Brussels is for "economic analysis" and it has no obligation to promote EU membership.

:: ComRes conducted a survey of 773 CBI member organisations online between February 22 and March 7. Results have been weighted to reflect the views of the CBI's member organisations as a whole.

Will Straw, executive director of Britain Stronger In Europe, said: "This demonstrates that there is significant support among Britain's small, medium and large businesses for remaining in Europe.

"Being part of the EU's free trade single market of 500 million people encourages investment, helps businesses to grow, creates jobs, and keeps prices low. Employers know that leaving would put all of this at risk.

"Leave campaigners now propose that Britain follows Canada's relationship with the EU, but this would mean paying more for less.

"New tariffs, for example on cars and beef, would push up prices. Britain would be left with no influence over EU regulations that we would be forced to follow.

"Worst of all, vital jobs in the services sector - such as fast-growing creative industries and financial services - would be at risk as they would no longer have access to the single market."

Ms Fairbairn defended the CBI's entry into the Brexit debate and stressed it was not a political organisation.

She told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "What we want to do is inform the debate. We completely agree that there is a lot of confusion around what businesses can do - because they are at the sharp edge, they are investing, they are hiring, they are making these decisions, they can say this is what it's going to mean for my business.
Canadian-style trade deal would leave UK paying more for less - Lord Mandelson

A Canadian-style trade deal with the EU would take years to achieve and leave Britain paying "more for less", Lord Mandelson is to warn.

The former business secretary will say those who want to use the agreement as a post-Brexit model are condemning the UK to prolonged uncertainty, higher trade tariffs and lost influence.

In a speech to the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, the Labour peer will highlight comments by London Mayor Boris Johnson during a visit to a trucking firm in Kent on Friday.

Lord Mandelson says a trade deal like Canada's would take a long time to complete and leave Britain paying "more for less"

"He finally revealed what Brexit looks like - and I don't mean the sight of his rear climbing in to that driver's cab," Lord Mandelson will say.

"The Leave campaign's favoured alternative model is Canada's trade agreement with the EU.

"This is a major strategic error by the leave campaigns, as it exposes the inferior, weaker alternative future they offer."

Lord Mandelson will tell the audience in London that he started "scoping" a trade deal with Canada nine years ago when he was a European Commissioner, and the negotiations have only just come to a conclusion.

"This agreement offers nothing like unhindered access to the Single Market," he will say. "Farmers face restrictions, carmakers face cumbersome rules.

"Some EU tariffs are phased out only after seven years. There are 700 pages of exemptions from free trade, with vital sectors such as audio visual and air transport excluded.

"And as Canada is outside the Single Market it has no input to EU regulations, meaning its products, for example medical equipment, must be approved by EU authorities before they can enter European markets.

"Most significant of all, financial services are not 'passported' into the EU. If we had similar terms, this would spell disaster for Britain's financial sector.

"That is the Canada deal: new tariffs on trade, no influence and restricted market access. In short, you pay more for less."

Lord Mandelson will add: "What Boris doesn't understand - or wilfully ignores - is that trade deals are elaborate compromises from which those with the greatest negotiating power benefit most and countries even of our size and proximity ultimately have to settle for what they're offered.

"That's the real world rather than the fantasy world Boris and his fellow Brexiters occupy.

"If we opted for Boris's 'free trade' model, it would take a couple of years to scope out the sort of agreement Britain could get. Then the details and the transitional arrangements have to be argued over - in Canada's case this took seven years to hammer out.

"Finally, the agreement has to be ratified by the European Parliament (good luck), and potentially all 28 national parliaments (hardly a cake walk).
NHS in England's payment system 'not fit for purpose', MPs say

The NHS in England has no convincing plan to close a 22 billion "black hole" by 2020-21, according to a damning report by MPs.

A significant number of acute hospital trusts are in "serious and persistent financial distress", there is a "spiralling" trend of increased deficits and the current payment system is "not fit for purpose", the influential Public Accounts Committee said.

The report found that reliance on agency staff, sometimes at "rip off" costs, had contributed to the situation and NHS trusts were also trying to meet unrealistic savings targets.

MPs have warned that the NHS in England faces a funding "black hole"

The NHS is expected to find 22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020-21, but the MPs were not convinced that would be possible.

"There is not yet a convincing plan for closing the 22 billion efficiency gap and avoiding a 'black hole' in NHS finances," the committee warned.

The financial health of NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts has "significantly worsened in the last three financial years", the MPs said, with acute hospital trusts "at crisis point".

In 2014-15 trusts had a net deficit of 843 million, a severe decline from the 91 million figure recorded in 2013-14 and the 592 million surplus in 2012-13.

Trusts' finances "look set to deteriorate further", with forecasts that the total overspend could amount to 2.5 billion in 2015-16 , although capital transfers and accounting adjustments could reduce that to 1.8 billion.

"Not enough has been done soon enough to tackle this spiralling trend", the cross-party committee said.

The targets set by Monitor and NHS England for 4% efficiency savings were "unrealistic and have caused long-term damage to trusts' finances".

The MPs also sharply criticised the NHS and ministers for failures in workforce planning, contributing to a 24% increase in spending on agency staff by acute trusts between 2012-13 and 2014-15.

NHS England told the committee that spending on temporary staff was the largest driver behind trusts' increasing deficits and described how "some agencies providing temporary staff had taken advantage of the situation to charge ' rip-off' fees".

The Department of Health argued that "no one had foreseen the scale of ' exploitation' by agencies".

NHS Improvement suggested that the 4 billion cost of agency staff in 2015-16 could be 880 million lower if there were no "excessive" agency charges.

The MPs said: " We accept that the cost of agency staff may be excessive, but we also note that the use of agency staff in the NHS is nothing new and that the opportunity for agencies to take advantage of staff supply shortages was predictable.

"Yet the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement are only recently making serious attempts to control agency spending."

The report added: "Ultimately, until the NHS solves its workforce planning issues, including the lack of affordable homes for NHS staff, it will not solve the problem of reliance on agency staff."

The committee's Labour chairwoman Meg Hillier said: "Acute hospital trusts are at crisis point.

"Central government has done too little to support trusts facing financial problems with the result that overall deficits are growing at a truly alarming rate. Crude efficiency targets have made matters worse.

"Without urgent action to put struggling trusts on a firmer financial footing there is further serious risk to services and the public purse.

"In particular it is unacceptable for senior government officials simply to point to excessive agency costs as a source of trusts' difficulties.

"It is the job of those officials to take action to control spending on agency staff, and to address its underlying causes. The use of agencies is a sticking-plaster solution to deep-rooted problems with NHS workforce planning."

She added: " There is a long way to go before the taxpayer will be convinced there is a workable and properly costed plan in place to secure the future of our health service."

Dr Mark Porter, chair of the British Medical Association council, urged George Osborne to use Wednesday's Budget to stop the NHS heading to "financial ruin".

He said: "There is a complete mismatch between the Government's promise of extra funding and the reality on the ground where many NHS trusts are struggling to deliver basic care to patients in a climate of rising patient demand and declining resources.

"The chaos in workforce planning is exacerbating these pressures, with staff shortages in many key specialities resulting in far too much being spent on temporary workers.

"We need the Government to realise that warm words of support for the NHS are not going to halt a rapidly deteriorating situation. Ministers have an opportunity at Wednesday's Budget to begin building a properly funded plan with doctors, patients and other healthcare professionals to help meet the challenges facing the health service. If the Chancellor squanders this chance the NHS will continue to slide further into financial ruin."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We know some parts of the NHS are under pressure due to our ageing population, but we disagree with the claim that we are not acting quickly enough.

"We're committed to the NHS and are investing 10 billion so it can implement its own plan for the future - including an extra 4 billion next year to help the NHS respond to the growing demand on services.

"We are intensively supporting challenged trusts to improve finances, while clamping down on rip-off staffing agencies and helping hospitals become more efficient by sharing best practice across the service."

Shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander said: "This damning report should make required reading for George Osborne ahead of his Budget on Wednesday. It reveals the scale of the financial crisis facing the NHS, and lays the blame squarely at the door of Number 10.

"The Tories' failure to adequately fund the NHS, alongside their short-sighted cuts to nurse training places in the last parliament, have put huge pressure on the health service. Staff shortages are forcing hospitals to drain resources hiring expensive agency staff, and the Tories plan to scrap student nurse bursaries only risks making this situation worse.

"The human cost of this failure is patients facing longer waits and poorer care, with hospitals overcrowded and understaffed.

"The report is also clear that the ministers have no idea how they are going to make the 22 billion worth of efficiency savings they are committed to in the NHS over the next four years. It's no wonder they have repeatedly refused to rule out staff cuts and service closures.
Putin 'very difficult partner', Hammond says, despite Syria troops withdrawal

Russia will be judged by its actions following Vladimir Putin's surprise announcement that he will pull troops out of Syria, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said.

There was no independent evidence that the withdrawal had begun, Mr Hammond said, and it was "not terribly reassuring" that Russia's defence ministry had indicated air strikes could continue against "terrorists" - a term Moscow has used to include groups the West views as moderate opposition forces.

The Foreign Secretary sounded a cautious note, telling MPs that Russia had previously claimed it was withdrawing from the Ukraine when it was actually just a routine rotation of troops.

The move by Russian president Vladimir Putin was "not particularly" expected, the PM's spokeswoman said

It was unclear what Mr Putin's intentions were as he is a "very difficult partner", the Foreign Secretary added.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said that the withdrawal would be "welcome" if it signalled a new commitment to a genuine political transition in the war-torn Middle Eastern state.

Mr Cameron spoke with Mr Putin about Syria less than a fortnight ago, in a conference call with other European leaders, but Number 10 left no doubt that the Russian president's decision to pull troops out took Britain by surprise.

Updating MPs on the situation, Mr Hammond appeared to acknowledge that Moscow's move had caught out the international community , with no members of the International Syria Support Group given advance notice of Mr Putin's intentions.

Mr Cameron had not yet spoken to Mr Putin since his announcement on Monday night that Russia would be withdrawing "the main part" of its forces, including some aircraft, from Syria.

Russia's defence ministry announced early on Tuesday that the first group of warplanes had left their air base in Syria although Mr Hammond said there "we do not yet have any independent evidence to verify Russia's claims that military withdrawals have already begun".

Moscow is still expected to maintain a naval base and air base, as well as some troops in the country.

Russia's intervention, which took the world by surprise when air strikes began in September, has tipped the military balance in favour of Moscow's protege Bashar Assad, with Western nations accusing Mr Putin of targeting not only the terrorists of Islamic State - also known as Daesh - but also more moderate groups opposed to the Damascus regime.

Moscow has suggested the Syrian president agreed with the decision to pull the bulk of Russian troops out.

Mr Putins's declaration that action to shore up Assad had been successful was seemingly timed to coincide with a fresh round of peace talks in Geneva led by United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Mr Hammond said: "No one would be more delighted than me if, after five months of relentless bombing, Russia is genuinely winding down its military support to the brutal Assad regime.

"But, as in all matters related to Russia, it is the actions rather than the words that count. We shall be watching carefully over the coming days to see if the potential promise of this announcement turns into reality."

He told the Commons it was " worth remembering" that Russia had previously announced the withdrawal of military assets from Ukraine "which later turned out merely to be routine rotation of forces".

Mr Hammond stressed the UK's stance remained that "there can be no peace in Syria while Assad remains in power" and Moscow must use its influence to advance the Geneva process following the partial ceasefire announced in February.

"We look to Russia as guarantor for the regime and its backers to use its unique influence to ensure compliance and to make very clear to the Assad regime that their expectation is that they must negotiate in good faith," he said.

"After investing so much in Assad, Mr Putin must show the world that he can exercise control over his protege."

Mr Hammond also expressed concern about reported remarks made by Russian defence minister Sergey Shoygu about continuing to strike terrorists "exactly the formula that the Russians have used in the past when attacking the moderate opposition".

"It's not terribly reassuring that a few hours after the announcement of a withdrawal of their military forces their defence minister is saying that they will continue to attack terrorists."

The Foreign Secretary said it was possible the Russian announcement was "intended as a message" to the Assad regime not to "overplay your hand" and to engage in negotiations, or a signal to the opposition groups "b ecause it has not been that easy to persuade them to attend the Geneva talks when Russian bombs are still raining down on their positions".

"But unfortunately none of us knows what the intent of Mr Putin is when he carries out any action, which is why he is a very difficult partner in any situation like this."

Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of a first wave of anti-Assad protests widely held to have signalled the start of the Syrian uprising.

The ensuing civil war has since claimed more than 250,000 lives, displaced half of Syria's population and flooded Europe with refugees. There have also been a number of British citizens who have travelled to the region to fight for terror groups including Islamic State.
Prison officer wounded in Belfast bomb attack dies in hospital

A prison officer has died after he was injured in a bomb attack in Belfast.

Adrian Ismay, 52, was hurt when the booby trapped device exploded under the van he was driving on March 4. Dissident republican group the New IRA, which opposes the peace process, claimed responsibility.

Mr Ismay was said to be recovering well from surgery for leg injuries but was taken back into hospital on Tuesday morning and died. He may have suffered a heart attack and police will await medical evidence before confirming whether his death will be treated as murder.

The van (centre, top) under which a device exploded in east Belfast

One man has already been charged with attempted murder.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detective chief inspector Richard Campbell said: " Adrian's profession was simply to keep people safe and we will do everything possible to bring those responsible to justice."

Mr Ismay was a veteran officer, a married father of three grown up girls and trained other guards at HMP Maghaberry near Lisburn. He was based at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre in south Belfast and had more than 28 years service.

The attack happened in the Hillsborough Drive area, off Woodstock Road, a predominantly loyalist area in the east of the city, just after 7am. The New IRA claimed to have used the plastic explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator but police have released no details.

Mr Campbell added: "This was a completely senseless attack which only serves to demonstrate the ruthlessness and recklessness of those opposed to peace and who live for violence."

Detectives seized two vehicles during searches.

They include a red Citroen C3 SKZ6662 believed to have been used by those planting the device at approximately 2.20am during the early hours of Friday March 4.

The second is a silver Skoda Fabia KFZ2352 suspected to have been used before and after the incident by those involved.

Mr Campbell said a man was dropped off in this vehicle in Pilot Street in the Docks area of Belfast at around 3am on Friday morning and appealed for anybody who saw him to come forward.

Prison Officers Association (POA) Northern Ireland chairman Finlay Spratt said morale was low.

Although the exact circumstances of the death have yet to be fully established, Mr Spratt claimed the explosion was a contributing factor.

He said: "He was not a person that I knew had any sickness or ailments."

Detectives said they had prevented a number of murder bids since the attack.

They warned there could be more attacks by dissidents ahead of this month's centenary of the Easter Rising, which marked Irish rebellion against Britain. Senior officers have said there are several hundred active dissidents.

The threat to members of the security forces in Northern Ireland is severe from gunmen opposed to the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement which largely ended decades of the Troubles.

Warder David Black, 52, was gunned down on the M1 motorway as he drove to work at Maghaberry high security jail in Co Antrim in November 2012.

First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the latest victim was targeted by those who used the cover of darkness to try and create fear.

"We cannot and will not allow people who are wedded to the past to set the tone and direction of our shared future."

Prime Minister David Cameron said he was deeply saddened.

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he had warned repeatedly that such attacks can have no place in a civilised, inclusive society.
New Zealand leave hosts India in a spin at World Twenty20

India failed to live up to their billing as favourites for the ICC World Twenty20 after succumbing to spin in a 47-run defeat against New Zealand in their opening match in Nagpur.

On a tricky pitch that gripped and turned, the tournament hosts were embarrassed after being bundled out for 79 - their lowest score in the format in India - with nine of their wickets falling to spin and only three of their batsmen making it to double figures.

Slow left-armer Mitchell Santner took four for 11 while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi chipped in with three scalps as the Black Caps were rewarded for including three turners in their line-up after going on to claim their first victory in Group 2 of the Super 10s.

Mitchell Santner, pictured, took the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in the same over

New Zealand had never lost to India in the shortest format but that looked in danger after they were restricted to 126 for seven, having decided to bat first.

A breathtaking opening over saw Martin Guptill clobber the first delivery back down the ground for six before he fell lbw next ball, attempting to sweep Ravichandran Ashwin.

Two balls later Colin Munro reverse smashed into the crowd but New Zealand's progress was stifled thereafter following a sensational collective bowling effort from Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side.

Munro quickly lost patience, coming down the pitch and mis-hitting Ashish Nehra to cover, while skipper Kane Williamson made a painstaking eight before he was stumped in Suresh Raina's first over.

Big-hitters Corey Anderson and Ross Taylor attempted to rebuild but the latter was sensationally run out by Raina.

The part-time off-spinner collected a straight drive by Anderson and, after seeing Taylor out of his crease, quickly released the ball on to the stumps, with the non-striker only just short of his ground and run out for 10.

Anderson was then bowled for a becalmed 34 from 42 balls by a skilful yorker from Jasprit Bumrah to leave the Kiwis on 89 for five in the 16th over, and only a quickfire 21 off 11 balls from Luke Ronchi carried the Kiwis to a respectable score.

Their hopes of an unlikely victory were boosted when Nathan McCullum trapped Shikhar Dhawan in front before Rohit Sharma was stumped and Raina caught at short midwicket in Santner's first over.

Yuvraj Singh offered a simple return catch to McCullum to leave India on 26 for four as their batsmen, like New Zealand's before them, struggled to get to grips with a pitch offering plenty of assistance for the slow bowlers.

Kohli had been relieving the pressure at the other end but even he laboured at times and India suddenly looked in peril when their dangerman rashly slashed behind off Sodhi's first ball to depart for 23.

Santner had his third scalp when Hardik Pandya was trapped in front playing back and the wheels looked to be coming off when Sodhi took an excellent catch to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja off his own bowling as India were reduced to 43 for seven.
Leading historian and adult education pioneer Lord Briggs dies aged 94

Lord Asa Briggs, one of Britain's leading historians and a pioneer of adult education, has died.

Lord Briggs of Lewes, 94, worked at the Second World War code-breaking station Bletchley Park before embarking on a glittering academic career as a leading specialist on the Victorian era.

He took a leading role in the extension of higher education, helping to set up the University of Sussex and the Open University, and becoming president of the Workers Educational Association.

Lord Asa Briggs at the National Portrait Gallery in London with Trevor Philips, Helena Kennedy , Lord David Puttman and Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover

Lord Briggs, a life peer who sat as a crossbencher, died peacefully at his home in Lewes, Sussex, on Tuesday.

His wife Lady (Susan) Briggs told the Press Association: "He really was dearly loved, and not just by his family - there has been a real outpouring of love and admiration for him."

Born in Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1921, Lord Briggs won a scholarship to Keighley Grammar School and later joined Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, aged just 17.

In an interview with History Today, Lord Briggs recalled being interviewed for university and said: "The history fellow who interviewed me in December 1937 - I was only 16 then - said: 'Briggs, you are only a baby, but there is going to be war and I would like you to take your degree before you go into uniform'."

These words proved prescient, and when the Second World War came Lord Briggs signed up to the intelligence corps. He received the call to join Bletchley Park in 1943, where he joined the top secret team who cracked the Enigma cipher code.

Lady Briggs said that she was married to her husband for 20 years before he revealed his wartime work helping to crack the Enigma cipher to reveal the secret communications of the Axis powers.

She said: "He kept the oath of secrecy until the mid 1970s, when people began to spill the beans, and eventually he did himself and he wrote about it himself, although not until around five or six years ago.

"I was fascinated by it. Back then I didn't know quite what he had done and contributed to the war; I was more fascinated and amazed as time went on and I heard more about it.

"Nobody spilt the beans at the time. By the end of the war 10,000 people were working at Bletchley Park and nobody said anything - I think that is just wonderful. I wonder if that would happen today."

After the war, Lord Briggs returned to his passion for history, and his career as an academic took him first to Worcester College, Oxford, where he was elected fellow, and on to Princeton in the United States, Leeds University and then Sussex University, which appointed him as their second vice chancellor.

He was a made a life peer in 1976, and in 1978 he was made chancellor of the Open University, playing a leading role in its development, and he became president of the Workers' Educational Association.

His main fields of interest were the social and cultural history of the 19th and 20th centuries and the history of broadcasting in Britain.

His academic career took him back to Worcester College, Oxford, where he was provost until his retirement in 1991.

After he left, Lord Briggs and his wife bought part of Tyninghame House, a 19th century stately home set in stunning grounds in East Lothian in Scotland.

Lady Briggs said the family fell in love with the sheer beauty of the countryside, and started a whole new chapter of their life which saw the couple split their time between Lewes and Scotland.

She said: "We made a huge number of friends; it was a whole new life. When Oxford closed down for us, instead of retiring quietly we started an absolutely new aspect of life in a new place in a new country.

"Despite neither of us having a drop of Scottish blood we took to it, and I think people took to us too. We just adored it. It was a whole new dimension to our lives."

Lord Briggs could stroll to the sea from their home, and was a regular at the Edinburgh festival, the local art galleries, and the Lammermuir Festival.

His academic output did not diminish with age, and he wrote four books since his 90th birthday, including a collection of poetry which is due to be published next month.

He leaves his wife, Susan, two sons, two daughters, and 14 grandchildren.

University of Sussex vice-chancellor Professor Michael Farthing described him as "an extraordinary man" who had a "stellar career".

He said: "He was a visionary and a dear friend, I shall miss him terribly."

The Open University vice-chancellor Peter Horrocks said: "Asa Briggs was one of the leading lights behind the establishment of The Open University and served as our chancellor for fifteen years.

"He was a towering figure in education, influencing the development of new universities in Britain and abroad. A distinguished historian, particularly of broadcasting, Asa Briggs was awarded a Fellowship of the University in 1999, one of only seven people to achieve this honour.

"He will be greatly missed within the University and our thoughts are with his wife Susan and all of his family."

BBC director-general Tony Hall said: "Asa Briggs was the pre-eminent historian of his age. His great gift to the BBC was the insightful and illuminating histories he wrote about the corporation, which set the highest bar for all media histories to follow.
Migrants trapped in muddy no man's land

By Kole Casule

TABANOVCE, Macedonia, March 10 (Reuters) - The closure of the Balkan route to migrants has left about 430 desperate people, mainly Syrians and Iraqis, trapped in a muddy no man's land between Macedonia and Serbia, unwilling to go back to Macedonia but barred from heading to Serbia or further north.

The migrants, camped within sight of Serbian border guards, were angered and confused by news that Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia had closed their borders to migrants in transit, effectively blocking the Balkan route taken by more than 1 million migrants to the European Union over the past year.

Persistent heavy rain has turned their makeshift camp of around 50 small tents provided by aid agencies into a quagmire and daytime temperatures are only around 5 degrees centigrade.

"Our children are dying. There is water all over, even under the tents ... Now it seems that the bombs in Syria look better than this misery. We are not animals," said Ibrahim Mardini, a 23-year-old student from Aleppo in Syria.

The migrants' long journeys from Iraq or Syria ended with a train ride through Macedonia and finally a walk to the Serbian border, where they have been stranded for three or four days.

Blocked from entering Serbia, they refuse to give up on their dream of reaching the European Union. Macedonian authorities say they could go back to an established migrant camp less than 1 mile (1 km) away in Macedonia, but they refuse.

"I want to go to any country, just not here. My baby is very tired. I cannot take it any more. I don't want to go back. I walked too long," said 25-year-old Weaam Fattal, also from Aleppo.

"I don't have any other plan, I don't know where to go," said Fattal, who said she left Syria about two months ago.

Dhomo Shevan, a 45-year-old farmer from Iraq, was defiant.

"If they don't let us pass, we will just go. Let us see if they stop us. This is unbearable," he said.

Aid workers were distributing food and water and have set up portable toilets for the migrants. A Red Cross vehicle arrived and delivered blankets and warm hats for the children.

Close by, about 1,000 more migrants are crammed into the Macedonian transit camp, designed for 700 people. Their future is equally uncertain.

Ivo Kunovski, an aid worker with U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said: "We don't know what is next. We are waiting to see what will they (the authorities) decide.

"There is enough food and clothes. Everyone has a roof over their head, but the situation with the people in no man's land is worse. There are women, children and elderly people there. We are trying to help them," he said.
Niger to evacuate jailed opposition leader due to health issues

NIAMEY, March 15 (Reuters) - Authorities in Niger will attempt to evacuate to a hospital in the capital jailed opposition leader Hama Amadou, who will face off against President Mahamadou Issoufou in a Sunday run-off election, due to health issues, a government official said late on Monday.

Amadou, a former president of parliament speaker, was jailed in November in connection with a baby-trafficking scandal but finished second to Issoufou in the first round of polling last month.

He denies the charges against him and says they are politically motivated. His supporters claim he has suffered from ill health during the time he has been jailed in the town of Filingue, around 180 km (112 miles) northeast of the capital Niamey.

In the government's first admission that Amadou is ill, Dr. Idrissa Maiga Mahamadou, spokesman for the health ministry, said four specialists were sent to Filingue on Monday to assess his health.

"No one is opposed to his evacuation. The specialists went there to stabilise him first, before considering evacuating him ... Once he is in a condition to travel, he will be evacuated," Mahamadou said, speaking on state television.

He added that a helicopter was previously sent to Filingue to pick Amadou up on Friday but was unable to return due to a technical problem. The state of the road between Niamey and Filingue ruled out using a normal ambulance, Mahamadou said.

Amadou's own doctor said earlier on Monday that the opposition leader had already lost consciousness once before being revived in the prison infirmary.

A court is due to hear a new petition for his provisional release next Monday, the day after the run-off vote.

President Issoufou took office in April 2011, a year after a popular coup overthrew the West African nation's previous leader Tandja Mamadou.

He is working closely with Western nations, positioning himself as a key partner in the effort to boost security in the vast, arid Sahel region where Islamist militants are intensifying their insurgency.
Hundreds of migrants march out of Greek camp, cross to Macedonia

By Ognen Teofilovski

MOIN, Macedonia, March 14 (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants marched out of a Greek transit camp, hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river to get around a border fence and cross into Macedonia, where they were detained on Monday, authorities said.

A Macedonian police spokeswoman said the several hundred migrants who had crossed into Macedonia would be sent back to Greece. A Reuters photographer put the number who crossed as high as 2,000.

About 30 journalists, including a Reuters photographer, who followed the migrants were also detained, witnesses said.

Earlier, Macedonian police said three migrants - two men and a woman - had drowned crossing a river near the Greek border that had been swollen by heavy rain.

The crossing put the migrant issue back in the spotlight days before leaders from the European Union and Turkey are due to meet again to seal an agreement intended to keep migrants in Turkey from moving to Europe through Greece.

Greek officials said leaflets had been circulated at the migrants' camp at Idomeni urging people to join the march.

"We are in possession of leaflets that show this was an organised incident, a very dangerous one, endangering people's lives," Greek government spokesman George Kyritsis told reporters as the Greek cabinet met late into the night to discuss the migrant crisis.

The meeting, which took place inside Maximos mansion, ended without any conclusions being announced about Greece's reaction to Monday's events.

At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in a sprawling tent city in northern Greece, their path to the EU blocked after Macedonia and other nations along the so-called Western Balkan route closed their borders.

On Monday, more than 1,000 migrants streamed out of the camp, searching for a way around the twin border fences Macedonia built to keep them out. A second group of migrants, many of them from war zones in Syria and Iraq, later followed them.

Heading west along muddy paths, the migrants, wrapped in coats and hats, carried their belongings in rucksacks and bags. Many were children, some walking, others riding in strollers. Some made victory signs as they walked.

When they reached a river, the migrants stretched a rope across it and formed a human chain to cross. They carried children across on their shoulders.

Once over the river, the migrants walked along the border fence until they found the point where it ended in mountainous country. But after they crossed the border, Macedonian soldiers rounded them up and put the migrants in army trucks.

"We are taking measures to return the group to Greece," the Macedonian police spokeswoman said.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary was the EU country that had sent most police officers to help non-EU member Macedonia protect its border with Greece.

"Macedonia needs and deserves help and assistance from the European Union because actually they've been protecting the southern border of the European Union," he told reporters in Brussels.

Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said conditions in the Idomeni camp were difficult after days of heavy rain.

"This is not a proper camp. People are exhausted, tired and running out of patience," he said.

A Serbian customs spokeswoman said 33 migrants trying to cross into Serbia from Macedonia had been found in an empty cargo train in Presevo, southern Serbia, on Saturday and had been handed over to police.

The group, aged between 18 and 26, were mainly Afghans, but also included Syrians and Libyans. All but one were men.

More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond have flooded into the EU since early 2015.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday there was no question Germany has benefited from the closure of the Balkan migrant route. A day earlier, voters in three regional elections had punished her conservatives and flocked to a new anti-immigration party that wants German borders closed.
U.N. chief furious with Morocco over Western Sahara demonstration

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Morocco's foreign minister on Monday he was angered and disappointed by a demonstration in Rabat he said was a personal attack on him over remarks he made about the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched though the capital on Sunday to protest Ban's position on Western Sahara and rally support for the king.

Ban "conveyed his astonishment at the recent statement of the government of Morocco and expressed his deep disappointment and anger regarding the demonstration that was mobilized on Sunday, which targeted him in person," Ban's press office said in an unusually tough statement.

"He stressed that such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations," said the statement, which was issued after he met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar.

Rabat accused Ban last week of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara conflict, saying he used the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's presence in the region that has been at the center of a dispute since 1975.

The United Nations acknowledges he used the term. Monday's statement said there was a misunderstanding over his use of the word "occupation," noting it was Ban's "personal reaction to the deplorable humanitarian conditions in which the Sahrawi refugees have lived in for far too long."

The U.N. statement issued on Monday evening said Ban asked Mezouar for "clarification regarding the reported presence of several members of the Moroccan government among the demonstrators."

State news agency MAP said 3 million people attended Sunday's march, although those figures could not be confirmed. Some protesters said they were bused for free to the march and that trains had also been free for the day of the rally.

The dispute over the region in the northwest edge of Africa has dragged on since Morocco took control over most of it in 1975 after the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain.

The Polisario Front, which says the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, fought a war against Morocco until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in 1991, but the two sides have since been deadlocked.
Poland - Factors to Watch March 15

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):

ENERGA

Energa, Poland's No.4 utility, posted a 15-percent fall in its 2015 net profit due to a drop in prices of green certificates, tradable securities that show a certain amount of electricity was generated from renewable sources.

PZU

Eastern Europe's largest insurer, Poland's PZU, posted a 21-percent year-on-year drop in its 2015 net profit, weighed down by falling investment income, the group said on Tuesday.

IDEA BANK

Polish billionaire Leszek Czarnecki is finishing talks on the sale of its debt collecting company GetBack to the private equity fund Abris Capital, with the deal seen valued at 800 million zlotys, Puls Biznesu daily said quoting unnamed sources.

PKN ORLEN

The CEO of Polish state-run refiner PKN is meeting Lithuania's prime minister on Wednesday to discuss the situation of PKN's Mazeikiai refinery and its strained relations with local railways, Puls Biznesu daily said.

ALIOR,

Polish lender Alior could within days decide to buy its rival Bank BPH from General Electric, Rzeczpospolita daily said quoting unnamed sources.

****Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - March 15

SOFIA, March 15 (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.

-- Bulgaria and the EU agree that the bloc needs to support member states lying on its external borders, including Bulgaria, to cope with the challenges of the migration crisis and prevent the shifting of migration flows (Trud, 24 Chasa, Sega)

-- Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said a controversial draft ban on beach camping, which had been tentatively adopted by the Bulgarian parliament, must be revoked. The controversial amendments to the Tourism Act banned the camping and setting up of tents at a distance of less than hundred metres away from the beach line (Trud, 24 Chasa, Standart, Monitor)

-- Bulgarian customs officers captured 16.2 tons of illegal tobacco at Kulata checkpoint on the country's border with Greece, the customs agency said. The tobacco, which was declared as tobacco waste, was transported by a Bulgarian truck from Greece to France via Bulgaria (Trud, 24 Chasa, Standart)
Deadly fighting spreads in southeast Turkey after Ankara bomb

By Seyhmus Cakan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, March 15 (Reuters) - Fighting between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants spread on Tuesday, with tanks, helicopters and armoured cars deployed after a suicide bombing that killed 37 people in the capital Ankara.

The deadliest violence took place in Diyarbakir, the largest city in mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey, where Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters blocked roads and clashed with security forces overnight as a police helicopter flew overhead, witnesses said.

One police officer and three militants were killed in Diyarbakir and a second police officer was killed in the town of Nusaybin, where the PKK launched an attack, security sources said.

No one has claimed responsibility for Sunday's car bomb that tore through a crowded transport hub in Ankara, but security officials have blamed two members of the outlawed separatist PKK.

Violence has surged in southeastern Turkey since a 2-1/2-year PKK ceasefire collapsed in July. The militants have focused their strikes on security forces in towns in the region, some of which have been under curfew.

A curfew was imposed in part of Diyarbakir from 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) after militants began to set up barricades, dig ditches and plant explosives, authorities said.

The curfew was widened to encompass more city streets as clashes continued in the morning. Gunfire and explosions rang out across the city. Police in armoured vehicles positioned on street corners called for people to stay inside.

Elsewhere in the southeast, tanks at military bases in the town of Sirnak fired shells at ditches and barricades, according to witnesses who saw smoke rising from the shelled areas as gunfire and blasts resounding around the town.

The Turkish military responded to the Ankara bombing by launching air strikes on Monday, hitting northern Iraq's Qandil mountain area where the PKK's main bases are. The military estimated it had killed 45 PKK militants, destroyed two weapons depots and two Katyusha rocket positions.

President Tayyip Erdogan has called for members of parliament from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to face prosecution, accusing them of being an extension of the PKK, which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Speaking on Monday evening, Erdogan said the definition of terrorist needed to be broadened to include supporters.

"It may be the terrorist who detonates bombs and pulls the trigger, but it is these supporters who enable them to achieve their goals," he said in a speech.
Romania - Factors to watch on March 15

BUCHAREST, March 15 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Tuesday.

INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT

Romania's adjusted industrial output fell 2.3 percent on the month in January after December's 0.3 percent dip, and was down 1.2 percent on the year, data from the National Statistics Board showed on Monday.

IMF WARNS

The International Monetary Fund warned Romania that its budget deficit would miss the government's own target and overshoot the European Union's ceiling next year unless planned tax cuts were postponed, the IMF mission chief to Romania said on Monday.

BOND TENDER

Romania sold a planned 400 million lei ($99.71 million) of Dec. 2022 treasury bonds on Monday, with the average accepted yield at 2.98 percent, central bank data showed.

CEE MARKETS

The Polish zloty, central and Eastern Europe's most liquid currency, hit a 10-week high against the euro on Monday as an anti-government protest at the weekend failed to discourage investors heartened by a central bank decision to hold rates.

RENAULT

Nicolas Maure, the head of Renault's Romanian subsidiary Dacia, will replace Bo Inge Andersson as chief executive of Russia's largest carmarker Avtovaz on Tuesday, a source close to Avtovaz shareholders told Reuters.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
Bangladesh central bank governor resigns over cyber heist

By Serajul Quadir

DHAKA, March 15 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank governor Atiur Rahman said on Tuesday he had resigned after $81 million was stolen from the bank's account at the New York Fed in one of the largest cyber heists in history.

Rahman told Reuters that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had accepted his resignation.

Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and transferred $81 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to casinos in the Philippines between Feb. 4 and Feb. 5.

Rahman's resignation came days after the Bangladesh finance minister said the central bank did not inform him about the heist, and that he learned of it only a month later when news first appeared in the media.

"I resigned and the prime minister accepted it," Rahman, a widely respected banker in his second term at the bank, told Reuters. He didn't say anything more.

The central bank said earlier that cyber criminals had tried to withdraw $951 million from its U.S. bank account but the other transactions were blocked after a typo in one of the instructions raised red flags.

More than $30 million of the money that was stolen was handed over in cash to an ethnic Chinese man in Manila, a Philippines senator looking into the suspected laundering scheme said.

The cyber heist and its global scale has left Bangladesh officials scrambling to find answers and recover the money that was lost.

The New York Fed has said its systems were not breached, and it has been working with the Bangladesh central bank since the incident occurred.

The incident has also left other banks and businesses around the world eager to learn more, so they can review their own networks for signs that they are vulnerable to similar attacks or might already have been breached.
PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - March 15

MOSCOW, March 15 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- Russia starts the withdrawal of its troops from Syria. Russia has a long way to go before its international isolation ends, the paper writes.

- Some 47 percent of Ukrainians have a negative attitude towards Russian people, while 59 percent of Russians did not like Ukrainians in January-February, the paper writes citing a joint study by Russia's Levada pollsters and Kiev's International Sociology Institute.

- Russia will most likely not invite observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to monitor elections to the lower house of parliament in September, the paper reports.

- Nicolas Maure from Renault's Romania division will become Russian carmaker Avtovaz's new CEO on Tuesday, the paper writes citing sources.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- Ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc. has agreed with Moscow city authorities to only let licenced taxi drivers work, the daily writes.

- Russia's state programme of supporting child births has cost the government more than one trillion roubles ($14.19 billion) since 2007 and has only increased the number of births by b0.15 babies per woman, the paper writes citing a Higher School of Economics study.

- Russia's central bank expects Russian banks to earn some 400 billion roubles in profits in 2016, while most of the banks do not share the regulator's optimistic forecast, the paper writes.

- The number of aviation accidents rose to 41 in 2015, while 60 people died, the paper writes citing the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) of the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.
Migrants return to Greek camp after Macedonia sends them back

By Ognen Teofilovski

IDOMENI, Greece, March 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of dejected migrants returned to a transit camp in northern Greece on Tuesday after Macedonian authorities blocked their attempt to cross the border or drove those who did get across back to Greece.

Around 2,000 migrants marched out of the Idomeni camp on Monday, hiking into the mountains and fording a river in what Greek authorities said was a well-planned attempt to find a way around a barbed wire fence built by Macedonia to keep them out.

Three migrants drowned on Monday trying to cross a river into Macedonia, one stage on a route that the migrants hoped would take them to Germany and other wealthy European Union countries.

Macedonia loaded about 1,500 migrants and refugees who had succeeded in crossing the border onto trucks and drove them back to Greece, Macedonian police said. Reporters and aid officials said the migrants were left at the Greek border.

Hundreds more migrants were prevented from crossing the border on Monday. Many of them streamed back to Idomeni on Tuesday after spending the night in the mountains.

Migrants carried children across a fast-flowing river before trudging back along muddy paths. One small child was dragged along on a blue plastic container attached to a rope.

"It's a long way from the camp to the mountains, it took me six hours of walking. At my age it was very difficult," said one of those returning, 60-year-old Mohammad Kattan.

Back in Idomeni, the camp was crowded, muddy and wet. People started fires to dry their clothes and to warm up. Several hundred migrants found shelter in a deserted farm in the area.

Greek officials said they could not confirm that Macedonia had sent back the migrants.

"No one has been returned from our official border crossings, and no request has been submitted by Skopje (the Macedonian capital)," said George Kyritsis, a spokesman for Greece's migration coordination centre:

Ties between the two neighbours are fraught because of Greece's long-standing refusal to recognise Macedonia's name, which is the same as that of a northern Greek province.

At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in the Idomeni camp, their path to the EU blocked after Balkan nations closed their borders.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday there was "no chance" that borders which had been shut down throughout the Balkans would be re-opened. He urged refugees to move to reception centres set up by the state.

European Union leaders, trying to stem a flow of migrants and refugees fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond, are due to hold a new summit with Turkey this week to seal an agreement intended to halt the exodus.

Jan van't Land, an official with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres at Idomeni, said around 400 migrants had returned to the camp.

"There are still many hundreds of people on both the Greek and the Macedonian side of the border," he told Reuters.

EU Migration Commission Dimitris Avramopoulos, on a visit to Idomeni, urged EU countries to put into action immediately a long-stalled plan to re-house asylum seekers from Greece elsewhere in the bloc.

"Our aim is within the next two weeks to reach the level of 6,000 to be relocated every week," he told reporters. "All our values are in danger today and you can see it here in Idomeni. I believe that building fences, deploying barbed wire, is not a solution."
People with HIV in Asia ejected from hospitals, women sterilised-study

By Alisa Tang

BANGKOK, March 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Some health workers in Asia are refusing to perform surgery and provide services for people living with HIV, and are even expelling patients from hospitals and forcing women to undergo sterilisation, according to grassroots organisations.

In China and Vietnam, discrimination took the form of changing the recommended option for treatment from surgery to topical or oral medication, said the four-country study supported by Asia Catalyst, which provides management training for community-based health organisations.

In Myanmar and Cambodia, patients with HIV were relegated to segregated waiting areas and bed spaces. One HIV-positive woman in Myanmar said doctors told staff not to give her a hospital bed, so she slept for two nights in the barracks for security guards.

"You see the fear and misinformation that's in the medical setting," said Gareth Durrant, Asia Catalyst's Bangkok-based director of capacity building and community initiatives.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to 4.8 million people living with HIV, the majority of them living in 12 countries: China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Asia Catalyst trained and supported staff from eight community-based organisations - two each in Cambodia, China, Myanmar and Vietnam. From May to July 2015 the staff interviewed 202 people living with HIV - 149 women, 15 transgender people and 38 men.

Fifty-one interviewees from all four countries reported being denied care after disclosure of their HIV status, including pregnancy-related services for women in Cambodia and general health services for sex workers in Myanmar and Vietnam.

"After going through five days of labour pain, the first hospital was unable to help me and referred me to this hospital. They did not help. Fortunately, I delivered (the baby) on my own in the waiting room," a woman in the southern Cambodian province of Kampot was quoted as saying in the report.

After their HIV status became known to service providers, some patients - two each from China and Myanmar, and three from Cambodia - were forced to leave the hospital, including a Cambodian woman forced out before she learned how to prevent transmission of HIV to her newborn baby.

Some healthcare providers made sterilisation a condition of providing pregnancy-related services to women with HIV. One woman in Yangon was sterilised without her knowledge or consent, the report said.

"I don't think anyone was surprised that discrimination happens," Durrant told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"What was interesting was that when you give grassroots organisations the tools to go back to their communities and say what's going on, document it... they can identify problems they know are happening in the communities and then come back and tell their governments about it."

CBOs in Myanmar managed to meet health authorities and police to discuss the findings in the Asia Catalyst report, resulting in a recognition by authorities of the need to pay more attention to at-risk populations, Durrant said.

"Communities for a long time said this hospital is bad, or the doctor is not good, but they did not put into a framework of this is a human rights violation that should never have occurred," he said.

"Once they've (the CBO staff) been through training and understand everyone has a fundamental right to health... it changes the narrative from a doctor who was not good to a human rights violation."
EU holds off on asylum reform proposals

By Francesco Guarascio and Gabriela Baczynska

BRUSSELS, March 15 (Reuters) - The EU executive has delayed making public its proposals for reform of Europe's asylum system, seeking to avoid opening new controversy as national leaders try to finalise a deal with Turkey to slow migration.

The European Commission had been scheduled to issue a first official statement on its proposals after its weekly meeting on Wednesday, on the eve of a two-day summit of national leaders who hope to seal their initial deal with Ankara on Friday.

The Commissioners will discuss migration, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday, including the Turkish deal. But possible changes to the "Dublin" rules on national responsibility for asylum claims wouldn't be published until April 6.

Senior EU officials and diplomats had urged delay on Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in order to avoid opening new disputes among national governments until after the delicate process of concluding the Turkish accord.

The Commission is scheduled to propose legislation on the asylum rules late next month and officials say it is likely before that to suggest various options to states to consider as they struggle to save their open-border Schengen zone from the frontier closures prompted by chaotic movements of migrants.

Italy and Germany, respectively a main entry point for people reaching Europe and the main destination for refugees, have pushed jointly for asylum decisions to be made at a European level and for refugees to be brought directly and safely into Europe to be resettled across the bloc.

Italy, like Greece, should under the Dublin rules have prevented the onward movement of hundreds of thousands of people towards Germany and should have handled claims locally as the first EU state entered. But in practice Italy and Greece have been overwhelmed and turned a blind eye to people going north.

Rome and Berlin have spoken up for a permanent system by which those seeking asylum are shared out among the 28 member states. But other states have made clear they do not want to alter a status quo that gives the first EU country entered by a would-be refugee the prime responsibility for dealing with them.

France, according to a position paper seen by Reuters, wants the Commission to propose a limited and temporary mechanism, such as has been put in place in recent months, to relocate asylum seekers and ease the strain on member states in crisis.

But the country has attracted relatively few refugees and is concerned that the current Dublin system's legal structures should not be radically changed, while it proposed tougher enforcement of rules against migrants seen to be exploiting the system to avoid deportation and choose which country to live in.
Syrian refugees in Iraq lose hope as conflict enters sixth year

By Sofia Barbarani

KAWERGOSK, Iraq, March 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - W omen nudge their way through a throng of customers to buy freshly baked bread as children laden with books scurry to school. Down the road a man sits in a barber's shop, waiting for a shave.

Life appears to be almost normal in Kawergosk camp, home to some 10,000 Syrians who have escaped unrelenting conflict across the border. But behind the facade, frustration runs high as hope and money dry up, and a sense of inertia sets in.

Originally from Syria's capital Damascus, Anwar Hassan, 34, is waiting for the rough winter seas to die down so that he and his family can try to reach Europe.

Like many Syrian Kurds, Hassan crossed into Iraq three years ago before settling in Kawergosk camp. Set up in August 2013, it was intended to be a transit camp but now permanent structures are replacing the white tents of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

As the unemployed head of his household, Hassan grows weary of being unable to provide for his family.

"The only way is Europe. I'm scared but that road is better than being here," he said, leaning against his neighbour's wooden fence. Only then would his children have a chance at success, he added.

If Hassan makes it, he will become one of more than 897,000 Syrians who, UNHCR says, have applied for asylum in Europe since the Syrian conflict started five years ago.

War in Syria has killed more than 250,000 people and caused the world's worst refugee crisis. Since March 2011, more than 240,000 Syrians have sought refuge in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, UNHCR says.

A cessation of hostilities agreement accepted by President Bashar al-Assad's government and most of his enemies, has reduced violence in Syria since it took effect on Feb. 27.

U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday he hoped President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria would help the peace process.

Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped to turn the tide of war in Assad's favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, aided by foreign military supplies including U.S.-made anti-tank missiles.

Western diplomats speculated that Putin might be trying to press Assad into accepting a political settlement to the war as U.N.-mediated peace talks resumed in Geneva this week.

NO JOBS, NO OPPORTUNITIES

But many of those in Kawergosk camp are focusing on survival rather than peace talks thousands of miles away.

Aid organisations offer vocational training in the camp in sewing, computer services and other subjects to try to increase the chances of refugees being hired.

But the empty job centre is a telling sign of the difficult times that have gripped Kurdistan, which is grappling with an economic crisis brought to a head by plummeting oil prices.

Syrians like Hassan must also compete for jobs with more than one million internally displaced Iraqis (IDPs) who have fled areas seized by Islamic State and resettled in Kurdistan.

"In 2014 the IDP crisis started, and of course you can imagine the impact that had on the refugees regarding assistance, job opportunities, livelihoods and even living conditions," said Tanya Kareem, head of UNHCR in Duhok, Kurdistan.

Some refugees who used to live in rented homes are moving to camps because they can no longer afford to pay the rent. Others can barely pay for the basics.

Hasakah-born shop owner Alan Hussein, who sells snacks and drinks in the camp, often lets his customers shop on credit even though he is struggling to survive on the 12,000 dinars worth of ($10) cash vouchers he receives from the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) each month.

"People tell me they will pay me later," he said. "There is just no work, people are waiting for the weather to get better so they can go to Europe."

Hussein believes most people are considering the perilous journey to Europe but the majority will be unable to fund the expensive journey, which can sometimes cost $1,500 per person.

Hussein's sons are four, three and two years old. All were born during the conflict and even for the eldest, memories of Syria are long gone.

"We talk to them about Syria, but I'm not worried they will forget because we will go back. Our future is in Syria," he said.

"MUST WE STAY HERE?"

Volunteering at his friend's bakery and unemployed for seven months, 45-year-old Mohammad Yacob is pessimistic about ever making it to Europe.

"If there were options we'd leave, but I barely have $200," he explained.

According to UNHCR up to 25,000 Syrians left Kurdistan last year. While most returned home despite the risks, there is no data on whether they have gone on to Europe or stayed in Syria.

Aziza Ali, 75, checks on her neighbour Waalid Ramo, who has been unwell and unemployed for some time. He sits on a makeshift porch that wraps around the front of his tent with his daughter, Hevi, whose name is Kurdish for "hope".

"We can't stop the hope, there will always be hope," he smiles.

Ali is less optimistic. "My generation never saw a situation quite like this, they're kidnapping and killing," she said of the parties to the conflict.

For Ali, as for most elderly Syrians, Europe is not an option. "Must we stay here all our lives?" she asked.

The European Union estimates the number of refugees seeking shelter in Europe will reach 1.5 million this year, and believes Syrians will again be the most numerous.

More than 300 people left Kawergosk camp over the past year and Abdulkader Haji, an elegant man in his mid-fifties, was one of them. He and his wife tried to reach Europe but failed, and now he is back in the camp, where he helps his friend bake bread to pass the time.
Many civilians among wounded by coalition airstrike in Yemen-MSF

RIYADH, March 15 (Reuters) - Dozens of injured civilians sought medical help at a Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in Yemen after an airstrike in Haja province by the Saudi-led coalition, the medical group said on Tuesday.

It said in a series of Tweets that more than 40 injured people, all of them civilians and including women and children, among them an eight-year old in critical condition, were admitted to the Abs Hospital after a strike in Mustaba.

The coalition entered Yemen's civil war a year ago seeking to stop the Houthi militia and forces loyal to ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh from controlling the country, fighting instead to restore the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

A spokesman for the coalition was not immediately available for comment. Saba Net, a Yemeni news agency controlled by the Houthis, reported that 65 people had been killed and 55 wounded in the strike on a market and restaurant in Mustaba.

Over 6,000 people, half of them civilians, have been killed in the war since the Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015, the U.N. says.

In January, a U.N. panel found that the coalition had targeted civilians with air strikes, said some of the attacks could be crimes against humanity, and recommended the Security Council consider establishing an inquiry into violations.

The Saudi-led coalition strongly denies it targets civilians and in January said it had introduced tougher procedures to investigate reports of strikes that caused civilian deaths and to improve its targeting mechanisms with help from the U.S.
Palestinians rethink routines to avoid Israeli suspicions

By Ali Sawafta and Dan Williams

JERUSALEM, March 15 (Reuters) - Drive cautiously and if pulled over do not argue with the police. Dress lightly, even in cold weather. Never whip your cellphone out of your pocket. And think twice before blurting out in Arabic the phrase "God is Greater".

For Palestinians trying to avoid being suspected of involvement in a months-long wave of deadly attacks against Israelis, small changes in behaviour might mean the difference between life and death.

Since October last year, 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens have been stabbed, shot or run over and killed in a campaign of violence across the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Israel. Most of the attackers are not members of Palestinian militant groups but ordinary men and women, most aged under 25.

As a result, Israeli security forces - whether the army, the police or the paramilitary border police, all of whom have been targeted - are on high alert for an attack from just about anyone, especially in tense areas around Jerusalem's Old City.

Since the violence began, 184 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces or armed citizens, including 124 that Israel has identified as attackers or potential attackers.

While Israelis are on edge, many Palestinians are too. They do not want to be mistaken for an attacker.

"Police are everywhere. They write up tickets here and there and no one can argue," said a Palestinian who gave his name only as Sami. "Whoever argues could end up getting shot."

Israeli forces say they only act when they have reason to. But either way, Palestinians are changing their habits.

"If my phone rings when I'm walking past Israeli soldiers, I don't pick it up," said Sami. "I'm afraid they could say I was trying to pull a knife out of my pocket."

Some say they now carry their cellphones in their shirt pockets, in full view. Others do without bulky clothes to avoid drawing the gaze of Israeli police searching the crowds for hidden weapons. People steer clear of the border police.

"There is a great deal of caution, because at the end of the day your life matters more than anything," said 36-year-old Mohammed, a vendor at Damascus Gate in the Old City, the scene of frequent knife and gun attacks on Israelis.

"Even if it is very cold, you do not wear a lot of clothes because once they stop you they will make you strip off in front of people and before cameras," he said.

Many Palestinians also stand apart from Israelis on cross-walks.

CLOSE QUARTERS

Palestinian leaders accuse Israeli forces of excessive force - a charge denied by Israel - but violence by Jews against Arabs has on occasions followed attacks. An Eritrean bystander was shot and beaten to death by a crowd of Israelis after a deadly attack at a bus station.

"We are afraid of being targeted by Jews in hate crimes, just because we are Arabs," said Hamdi, a businessman from Gaza who occasionally travels to Jerusalem.

Some Palestinian assailants have been thwarted by Israeli civilians wielding whatever comes to hand - including umbrellas, selfie-sticks and a guitar - a testament to the unpredictability of the violence. In some cases, border police have been stabbed by teenagers who looked like they were pulling out IDs.

Potential misidentification or motive lurks even in words.

Israa Jaabees, a 31-year-old Palestinian, is accused by Israel of igniting a gas canister bomb in her car after police stopped her in the West Bank in October.

The indictment against her is partly based on a policeman's account of Jaabees shouting "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greater", before the explosion that injured both him and her.

The phrase is central to daily Muslim prayer and is used by many Arabs as an innocent colloquial exclamation. It can also be a rallying cry for religiously fuelled violence.
Madonna says was playing character, not drunk, in Australia show

March 15 (Reuters) - Madonna on Tuesday hit back at claims that she was drunk on stage in Australia last week, saying she was merely playing a character during a performance in which she dressed as a clown and fell off a tricycle.

In an Instagram posting, the 57 year-old pop star thanked fans for supporting her after media reports and video clips posted by audience members showed her behaving erratically at shows in Melbourne on March 10 and 12.

The much talked-about performances came in the midst of a custody battle between Madonna and her ex-husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, over their 15 year-old son Rocco.

"Too bad people don't know the art of acting and playing a character. I could never do any of my shows high or drunk," Madonna wrote on Instagram.

"Underlying all of this is sexism and mysongony which proves that not only do we not get equal pay but we are still treated like heretics if we step out of line and think outside the box!" she added.

Last week Madonna donned a pink wig, top hat, striped stockings and a short yellow dress to perform a special "Tears of a Clown" concert in Melbourne, outside of her current "Rebel Heart" world tour. She later posted a photo of herself drinking what her representatives said was one Cosmo cocktail - usually made with vodka and cranberry juice - on stage.

Video clips posted by some audience members showed her at times to be stumbling and speaking erratically during the show - a contrast to her usual highly choreographed tours. Two days later, her behavior again caused a stir at another Melbourne concert.

In the "Tears of a Clown" show, Madonna showed a large photo of Rocco as a young boy, telling the audience "I probably would have enjoyed myself a bit more on this ('Rebel Heart') tour if he hadn't disappeared so suddenly."

Rocco has been living with his father in London since December after refusing to return to his mother's New York home. He had previously been working backstage on the initial stages of Madonna's "Rebel Heart" tour.

The custody case is being determined by courts both in London and New York. A New York judge earlier this month urged Madonna and Ritchie to resolve the dispute between themselves in the best interests of their son. The couple divorced in 2008.
It felt like a death machine, says migrant forced back to Greece

By Bushra Shakhshir

IDOMENI, Greece, March 15 (Reuters) - It took Hassan Omar four long hours to cross into Macedonia, his wheelchair pushed by strangers across the muddy paths of Greece's border - but a day later he found himself back at the squalid migrant camp he had left.

Like scores of people, many from war zones in Syria and Iraq, who streamed out of the camp near the Greek town of Idomeni on Monday and crossed into Macedonia, he was rounded up and sent back.

"We were surprised to see the army there," said Omar, who fled fighting in Iraq, recounting how one man carried him for hours during their 8 km (5-mile) trek, up mountains and through valleys.

"They were very harsh with us. It felt like a death machine, not humans dealing with us," he said.

An estimated 1,500 people left the camp on Monday trying to find a way past the razor-wire fence erected by Macedonia, on a route they hoped would take them to Germany and other wealthy European Union countries.

Most were picked up by Macedonian security forces, put into trucks and driven back over the border late on Monday or overnight, a Macedonian police official said.

The Macedonian action was part of a drive by Western Balkans states to shut down a migration route from Greece to Germany used by nearly a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Asia over the last year in Europe's biggest refugee influx since World War Two.

Greek authorities said they could not confirm the return as there had been no official contact from the Macedonian side, but those who arrived back at the camp recounted their experiences on Tuesday.

One man from the northern Syrian province of Raqqa, who gave his name as Abdo, said Macedonian authorities divided the detainees into groups of 25 to 50 people, put them in cars and dropped them off at the border.

"They told us to run, so we started to run," he said.

CHILDREN

Authorities estimate at least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in the Idomeni camp, where sanitary conditions have deteriorated after days of heavy rain. Concern about the spread of infection grew after one person was diagnosed with Hepatitis A.

It was unclear why so many people made for the border on Monday, but Greek officials say leaflets that circulated at the Idomeni camp before the march showed it was a planned action.

Sixty-year-old Syrian Mohammad Kattan, who hoped to be reunited with his family in Serbia, said it had taken him six hours to trudge to the border.

"At my age it was very difficult," he said, bundled up in a thick blanket. "My hope was to get to Macedonia ... so that I could continue on to another country."

Downcast and exhausted, he returned along with a second group of migrants, numbering about 600, who were prevented from even crossing the border by Macedonian security forces.

They waded back knee-deep through the icy river near the border on Tuesday, some barefoot, others weighed down by children and their worldly belongings on their shoulders.

On the riverbank, men and women stood around a fire drying their feet and clothes. One woman sobbed, her face framed by a pink headscarf. Others dragged their belongings across the dirt, and pulled along their children in fruit baskets.

A Syrian woman who gave her name as Nasreem described how she sheltered her children overnight with plastic bags and said she believed they would finally be "done with all the rain and the cold" when they arrived at the border.
Syrian opposition demands detail from government at peace talks

GENEVA, March 15 (Reuters) - Syrian opposition negotiators demanded on Tuesday that Syria's government spell out in detail its thoughts about a political transition and said there had been no progress on freeing detainees, who were being executed at a rate of 50 a day.

George Sabra, a negotiator from the opposition High Negotiations Committee, said the delegation had given U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura a proposal on a transitional government with full executive powers. De Mistura said he wanted ideas from all sides and hoped to merge them into a common position.
Albania getting Italian help on border security against migrants

By Benet Koleka

TIRANA, March 15 (Reuters) - Albania is getting Italian help to improve security measures along its border with Greece in case migrants barred from taking the main Balkan route to the European Union try to go via Albanian territory instead, a Tirana official said on Tuesday.

Under a deal being worked out, Italy would help Albania to record the biometric data of refugees entering the country and to electronically share information on their identities and the route they had taken with EU border agency Frontex and possibly Greece, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

The agreement is expected to be finalised when Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano visits Albania next week.

With Macedonia and other states the so-called Western Balkan corridor route to the EU having sealed their frontiers, there has been speculation that migrants will seek out alternative routes to try to reach destinations in western Europe.

Albania is cited as a possible option although there has been no sign of migrants trying it so far.

Italy fears Islamist militants could slip through undetected if crowds of refugees were to enter Albania and ultimately reach Italy, according to Albanian security sources.

Albanian smugglers were notorious for using speedboats to ferry would-be migrants, guns and narcotics across the Adriatic Sea to Italy, as close as 62 nautical miles (115 km) away, in the 1990s. Some drug-smuggling, especially of cannabis, still goes on today.

Albanian officials are adamant however that authorities there will not permit a people-smuggling route to Italy to start up again.
Macedonia returns migrants to Greece, Cyprus objects to EU-Turkey deal

By Ognen Teofilovski and Michele Kambas

IDOMENI, Greece/NICOSIA, March 15 (Reuters) - Macedonia trucked about 1,500 migrants and refugees back to Greece after they forced their way across the border on Monday, as European nations continued to pass the buck in a migration crisis that risks tearing the European Union apart.

The police action was part of a drive by Western Balkans states to shut down a migration route from Greece to Germany. Nearly a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond used that route over the last year, forming biggest influx of refugees since World War Two.

But EU efforts to conclude a deal with Turkey to halt the human tide in return for political and economic rewards hit a setback on Tuesday. Cyprus, an EU member, vowed to block efforts to speed up Ankara's EU accession talks unless Turkey meets its obligations to recognise its nationhood.

European Council President Donald Tusk, who will chair a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and one with Turkey on Friday, flew on to Ankara to discuss the pact after talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.

"Today we established a catalogue of issues that we need to address together if we are to reach an agreement by Friday," Tusk said after the talks in Ankara, adding that convincing all 28 EU states to sign on to the agreement was "not an easy task".

Tusk has acknowledged that the tentative deal put together last week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu raised legal problems and needed to be "rebalanced".

Davutoglu said the aim was to reduce illegal migration and make passage to Europe safe.

The European Commission meanwhile postponed proposals to reform the bloc's asylum system, which puts the onus on the state where migrants first arrive, in an attempt to avoid further controversy before the Turkey deal is done.

Some 43,000 migrants are bottled up in Greece, overstraining the economically shattered country's capacity to cope, and more continue to cross the Aegean daily from Turkey despite new NATO sea patrols.

On Monday, an estimated 1,500 people marched out of a squalid transit camp near the northern Greek town of Idomeni, hiked for hours along muddy paths and forded a rain-swollen river to get around the border fence.

Most were picked up by Macedonian security forces, put into trucks and driven back over the border into Greece late Monday or overnight, a Macedonian police official said.

"It's a long way from the camp to the mountains. It took me six hours of walking," said 60-year-old Mohammad Kattan, who slept rough in the mountains and trekked back on foot. "At my age it was very difficult. I would walk and rest often.

"My hope was to get to Macedonia, and get my papers stamped so that I could continue on to another country, to Serbia."

Another man forced back to Greece said the security forces with harsh with the group they had rounded up.

Greek authorities said there had been no official contact from Macedonia, so they could not confirm the return. Ties between the two neighbours are fraught because of Greece's long-standing refusal to recognise Macedonia's name, which is the same as that of a northern Greek province.

CONDITIONS DETERIORATING

A second group of about 600 migrants was prevented from crossing into Macedonia and many of them spent the night camping in the Greek mountains, according to a Reuters photographer.

At least 12,000 people, including thousands of children, have been stranded in the Idomeni camp, where sanitary conditions have deteriorated after days of heavy rain.

Scuffles have broken out in recent days as destitute people scrambled for food and firewood. Many have been sleeping in the open. Concern about the spread of infection grew after one person was diagnosed with Hepatitis A.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday there was "no chance" that border shutdowns throughout the Balkans would be lifted and urged refugees to move to reception centres set up by the state.

Jan van't Land, an official with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres at Idomeni, said around 400 migrants had returned to the camp.

"There are still many hundreds of people on both the Greek and the Macedonian side of the border," he told Reuters.

Greek officials say leaflets that circulated at the Idomeni camp before Monday's march showed it was a planned breakout.

"We are in possession of leaflets that show this was an organised incident, a very dangerous one, endangering people's lives," government spokesman George Kyritsis told reporters.

Babar Baloch, regional spokesman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR who is at Idomeni, said the migrants' breakout and return "hasn't solved anything".

"It just increased sufferings of refugees. It started raining again. The sense of support for refugees in the region is missing," he said.

Turkey wants its citizens to have visa-free access to Europe by June and to open new "chapters" of its stalled negotiations to join the EU. In return, it will take back all migrants and refugees who cross to Greece or are fished out of its territorial waters.

PUSHING TURKEY DEAL

U.N. and EU officials doubt the legality of any blanket returns, and the U.N. human rights chief on Tuesday warned the EU risked compromising its human rights credentials with the Turkey deal.

Several EU countries, including France, also have misgivings about the more relaxed visa rules for Turkey, saying Ankara must first meet 72 criteria. But as the EU pushes to seal the deal, an EU official told Reuters on Tuesday Ankara would only be asked to meet a "critical mass" of them.

The European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday called to keep the migration deal and Ankara's EU membership talks separate, citing concern with human rights in Turkey. And Cyprus is demanding that Turkey open its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic and recognise the island.

"I conveyed to President Tusk our position that the Republic of Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any chapters if Turkey does not fulfil its obligations as described in the negotiating framework," Anastasiades told reporters after meeting with Tusk in Nicosia.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao goes through the Budget speech as finance minister Etela Rajender presents it in the TS Assembly on Monday.

Hyderabad: The much-talked about KG-to-PG scheme drew a blank in this years Budget. Also, the overall allocation to education sector was lesser by Rs 478 crore, compared to last year.

While the allocation for 2015-16 was Rs 11, 216 crore, it was reduced to Rs 10,738 crore this year. The education sectors share in the entire Budget was 8.23 percent as against 9.69 last year.

If considered category-wise, school education got Rs 8,574 crore, higher education Rs 1,720 crore and technical education Rs 443 crore.

The lone bright spot was allocation of Rs 300 crore for setting up 70 minority residential schools in the state.

Expectedly, opposition parties and academicians tore into the TRS over reduced priority to the key education sector.

Disappointing, says Opposition

Accusing it of pushing a surplus state into a state under debt, the Opposition on Monday slammed the TRS governments 2016-2017 Rs 1.30 lakh-crore Budget.

TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the Budget presented on Monday was not implementable and the state depended on loans.

Its a highly disappointing Budget for almost all sections of the society. The government is trying to mortgage the people to fulfil its poll promises. The people have given this government a mandate for five years and it is throwing TS into a debt trap for next 20 years, he said.

Mr Reddy said that even the flagship schemes of the state government were debt-based and no proper funds were allocated for those in the Planned Budget.

Taking a dig at the 2BHK housing scheme, he said, As per the governments estimates, to build one lakh 2BHK houses in Hyderabad would cost nearly `7,500 crore and in rural areas, it would cost `5,000 crore, but the government did not allot a single rupee in the planned estimate.

Congress MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy too alleged that the CM was pushing a financially surplus state into a debt state.

We are not against Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya or the schemes. But how will you repay thousands of crores? We are turning into another Brazil, he said.

TD MLA R. Krishnaiah called it anti-BC Budget and an insult to BCs for poor allocation to them. There is nothing new in this Budget. The government should allot more funds to BCs or face agitation, he said. BJP MLC Ramchander Rao called it a jugglery of figures and highly disappointing.
New Delhi: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday slammed Islamabad for inviting Hurriyat leaders to their embassy on the occasion of 'Pakistan Day', and questioned whether the neighbouring country deserves the goodwill shown by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government.

"Our Prime Minister and government should look into this matter. We want to have good relations with Pakistan, but do they deserve it? Look at what is happening," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, referring to the invitation extended by Pakistan to separatists.

Pakistan has invited Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to attend a function organised to commemorate 'Pakistan Day' at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on March 23.

"Umar Farooq will lead a delegation of dozens of leaders to the Pakistan High Commission following an invitation for a function on 'Pakistan Day'," a Hurriyat statement said.

"Besides Mirwaiz, we have received invitation for 35 leaders, including 20 from the Hurriyat and rest from the Awami Action Committee (AAC)," said media advisor to Mirwaiz, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam.

Earlier, Sartaj Aziz had called off his visit to India after New Delhi protested against the scheduled meeting between Aziz and Hurriyat leaders.
New Delhi: Pro-Pakistan hawks and Kashmiri hardline figures Syed Ali Geelani and Asiya Andrabi among others have apparently been invited by Pakistan to attend Pakistan Day function at its High Commission in New Delhi on March 23.

According to news agency reports, besides them, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik and Hurriyats moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have also been called to attend the event.

MoS in Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh has also been reportedly invited to the function. However, sources were cited as saying it is unlikely that he will attend the function.

Invitations had also been sent to senior officials in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and it also appears likely that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. (retd.) V.K. Singh would have been invited. The MEA now has to take a call on who will represent it at the function.
The manufacturer has priced the two premium flagships at a pretty high price, and why notthe devices are equipped with the most powerful processors and cameras and are designed with metal and glass and even made them waterproof.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the two beautifully crafted Android smartphones, were launched just last week here in India. The manufacturer has priced the two premium flagships at a pretty high price, and why notthe devices are equipped with the most powerful processors and cameras and are designed with metal and glass and even made them waterproof. But did you know that these are still devices are vulnerable to falls and water? We could be wrong, but a new study revealed that the Galaxy S7 is highly vulnerable to damage by both falls and water. SquareTrade, a company that provides extended protection to smartphones, revealed that the devices are not as great as the company claims.

As for the test, SquareTrade did some massive water and drop tests on the devices and compared them to the iPhone 6s and revealed some shocking information that could melt your heart. So if you have just booked your Samsung Galaxy S7, you should be aware of the same.

SquareTrade performed some drop and dunk tests on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the video below will give you all the information you need to know. In the test, the damage by water, stress and drops was almost fatal to the expensive flagships.

On the contrary, no doubt that the premium-priced smartphones will still be as good as your prized possessions in your pocket and the last thing on your mind is to drop them. However, you should still be assured that the devices will stay intact with minor scuffs and scratched. But you should know this too:

We spoke to representatives from Samsung at the launch here in India, with regards to the water resistance on the device and the warranty issues that a consumer would face.

How SquareTrade rated the Samsung Galaxy S7.

As for the water resistance, though the device is seamlessly sealed with rubber gaskets, you can be assured that water will just not enter inside the smartphone. However, if you have got it serviced by an unauthorized service center, the Galaxy S7 could allow water residing inside, permanently. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a sticky sealant that clamps the rear panel and display to the frame. If this sealant is not applied properly after removing the older residue, water could seep in, if you manage to dunk it in water thereafter. Secondly, as for the test done by SquareTrade, the speakers are protected by very thin, special gauze/material that does not allow water to enter to the speaker chambers. The gauze allows air to pass, but restricts water from entering. However, after a certain amount of time, the material gives way, permanently damaging the speaker.

Though we all know that nobody will dunk his or her expensive smartphone in water, that too for more than a minute (at least), the possibility of speaker damage can be ruled out as an extreme rare condition. However, when we questioned Samsung about the possibility of water damaging the USB ports and audio jacks, they had no answer. They assured that the ports are sealed from behind with rubber gaskets so that water does not enter the phone from these routes.

As you must know, the USB port and audio jack, unlike the Xperia Z series, is not covered by rubber flaps. The rubber flaps ensure that the water does not enter the ports in any circumstances. But in this case, the ports are exposed and highly vulnerable to water. Assume that you are on the move and are caught up by a sudden downpour.

Circled above are the copper contact points that can get damaged by impurities in the water.

The rain water would most likely enter these ports if you are not careful enough, or plain unlucky. Since these ports are tiny and water will not flow out from them as easily, the acidic rain water will stay put till it dries automatically. It is very difficult to determine that there is rain water inside these ports and also how much of it is there inside. The acidic rain water will then tend to eat up or corrode the copper pins of the ports (USB and headphone), finally forming a copper oxide layer, preventing the phone to connect to either the USB or headphones. This is identical to permanent damage and you would have to opt for warranty/service. On asking Samsung about what protection they are offering on the copper terminals against rainwater (or any type of water) to prevent such damage, we did not receive any reply.

Possible fix or solution: So if you are caught in such a circumstance, make sure you wash your Galaxy S7 with clean distilled water and immediately wipe it dry and use a blower to dry out the water that would remain inside the ports. The clean water will wash away any impurities and the acidic water to help lower the damage and possibility of corrosion. Do this at your own risk.

Also do note: The Samsung Galaxy S7s USB port is also protected by a humidity sensor which wont allow you to charge the smartphone if it detects any humidity in the USB port. Sadly, the phone does not have a humidity level sensor which can tell you that the port suffers from x levels of humidity due to water intake and how long you can wait before you are good to charge it. Samsung again had no answer to the same query.

Lastly, we also did see that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is highly vulnerable to falling face down and landing on its corners. With multiple drops, you could fracture the display, leaving the smartphone almost useless if you not careful enough. Using a rubber or silicone case for the device is highly recommended.

Lastly, on the warranty, Samsung has still disappointed with global service/warranty. With people constantly on the move and travelling a lot, you could lose out on your warranty if you are in another country other than in the one you purchased the smartphone. For example, out editor had purchased a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge from Singapore last year and travelled back to India, but is having issues with the warranty from Samsung. The device failed within three months if use with the menu button completely disabled. Numerous updates and resets did not solve the issue, till he approached Samsung for warranty. However, Samsung turned him down stating that the device was purchased in Singapore and the warranty will only be applicable in the same country. But Samsung has released the Exynos chipset-based handset in Asia and India should ideally be on the warranty list too. But Samsung again has no answers for the same. So if you are a constant traveler, make sure you dont purchase a Samsung handset from a particular country unless you intend live there till the warranty period expires or frequently visit back.

So if you are opting for a Samsung Galaxy S7, or the S7 edge, you should definitely think twice. If you are clumsy with smartphones or live/travel in areas which are rain-heavy, you better opt for something to protect the device or bank on a cheaper phone completely.

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Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi today said he will request the Supreme Court to ask liquor baron Vijay Mallya to appear before it, if required.





"The Supreme Court has not yet asked Mallya to appear in person but we will request the apex court to ask him to be present in person...



"If he (Mallya) is not coming back and we are unable to proceed with the matter further, we can then initiate the proceedings like revoking the passport and all. If revocation doesn't work, we can initiate extradition process with the UK," Rohatgi said about the Mallya's case while talking to a private TV channel.



The Attorney General said power to arrest does not mean that every offender has to be arrested and it was only a mechanism to ensure that investigation does not get hampered.



"It is not imperative that the person must be arrested or detained in every criminal case. That is not the law. Merely because you have the power to arrest, it does not mean that you can arrest everyone. Arrest is only to see that their investigation is not affected...

"Banks are not government of India. They are only public sector enterprises who are interested in getting their money back. They have been running from pillar to post for last two to three years, hundreds of hearing have been held in various Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRT), over a dozen times they have gone to the High Court up and down and many adjournments," Rohatgi said.



On the issue of delay by banks in approaching the apex court, he said the banks approached the court after a long process of petitioning DRTs and High Court and again DRTs and the whole process took nearly seven days.



The AG was talking about the plea of 13 banks, led by SBI, which had moved the Supreme court for restraining Mallya, who owes them over Rs 9,000 crore, from leaving the country.



Mallya, who was said to be in London, had given an interview to a newspaper in which he was quoted as saying that he doesn't feel that it's the right time to come back to India.



Mallya, however, today said in a tweet, "I have not given any statement to anyone."


A BJP MLA in Uttarakhand accused of mercilessly beating a horse may face disciplinary action with the party saying such cruelty was "unacceptable" and it has taken serious note of the incident.





"Party is aware of the incident. Party has taken a serious note of the incident. I am sure the party will take a call on this," Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters.



Such a behaviour is unacceptable, he said.

Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi was accused of beating the horse with stick during a party's protest march in the state yesterday. The photograph of the animal lying badly injured with a fracture leg went viral on social media.



Joshi said he had not inflicted injury on the horse, adding it went out of control during the protests and one of its hind legs got stuck in a hole dug up to put up the barricades, causing it injuries.



On the video being circulated on the social media showing him attacking the horse with stick, Joshi said he was only trying to scare away the animal which had gone berserk, leaving a BJP worker badly injured.
Popular social media platform Twitter will collaborate with Election Commission of India in its awareness campaign on striving for 100 per cent voting for the May 16 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.





Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajesh Lakhoni held discussions with Raheel Khursheed, Head, News, Politics and Government at Twitter India here. Later, speaking to reporters, Khurhseed said the "full might" of the Twitter platform would be used for the EC's initiative.



"We would like to be associated with Tamil Nadu CEO to help him maximise the impact TN100 per cent campaign," he said.



From now till the day of the election, Twitter will ensure that the "full might of the twitter platform" was used to make sure that the message reached as many people in Tamil Nadu as possible, he said.



Lakhoni said many celebrities have been signed up to promote the awareness campaign and that Twitter had many tools that could be used by the EC for popularising the #TN100% campaign.



As part of the initiative, new tools have been developed by Twitter, including allowing uploading election-related videos of large size. Persons tweeting with hashtag #TN100% would be sent reminders to cast their votes on the polling day, officials said.



The EC had taken up the 100 per cent voting campaign after coming across very low polling percentage in some booths in the 2011 Assembly polls and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Amid the continuing outrage over injury to a police horse allegedly in an attack by a BJP MLA, the animal today underwent a surgical procedure to fix one of its hind legs after which authorities said no amputation was required.





The ghastly attack on the beast during a protest yesterday saw the ruling Congress and main opposition BJP locked in a verbal clash in the Uttarakhand assembly even as people poured their wrath on Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi for showing cruelty to the animal.



Police have registered a case against Joshi and his supporters under Cruelty to Animals Act in connection with the incident, while several animal rights activists including Puja Bahukhandi have also lodged a police complaint against the MLA for his "inhuman" act.



13-year-old Shaktiman was operated upon by a team of doctors from Pantnagar Veterinary College after which Senior Superintendent of Police Sadanand Date said "The injury has been fixed and no amputation was required". There was speculation that the leg of the horse might need to be sawed off.



The attack on the horse of Uttarakhand Mounted Police occurred near Rispana bridge during a protest march by BJP to the state assembly. When intercepted near the bridge, BJP workers tried to jump over the barricades prompting security personnel, including the mounted police, to swing into action to control the protesters.



This enraged Joshi who allegedly began hitting the 13-year-old horse Shaktiman with a stick, fracturing one of its hind legs. The equine was the cynosure of all eyes with Chief Minister Harish Rawat visiting the stable located at the police lines to inquire about its condition.



"A look at the horse shows the excruciating pain the animal is undergoing. A political party should not vent its frustration on a hapless animal in this manner."Political workers must learn the value of restraint and tolerance. It seems the word tolerance does not exist in BJP's dictionary," Rawat said.



Ganesh Joshi also visited the police lines stable. Claiming that he had not inflicted injury on the horse, Joshi in a statement said, the animal went out of control during the protests and one of its hind legs got stuck in a hole dug up to put up the barricades. This had led to injuries to the horse, he said, and accused the government of hatching a conspiracy to "malign" BJP and deflect public attention from its own failures.



On the video being circulated on the social media showing him attacking the horse with a stick, Joshi said he was only trying to scare away the animal which had gone berserk, leaving a BJP worker badly injured.



Meanwhile, Joshi is being severely criticised on social media for showing cruelty to an animal. While some are demanding that the BJP MLA be booked under criminal charges, others are advocating stern action by the party against him.



The matter rocked the assembly during zero hour when state BJP president and Leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt demanded a debate on "deteriorating" law and order scenario which was reflected in the "repressive measures" adopted by the administration yesterday to quell an agitation by BJP.



Reacting sharply to Bhatt's demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh said a party which was itself responsible for the law and order going out of grip had no right to seek a debate on it.



She said cruelty shown towards a hapless animal by the BJP's Mussoorie legislator had put the party on the backfoot in its so-called movement against corruption and collapse of law and order. The BJP MLAs shot back, claiming Joshi was "innocent".



The House was twice adjourned over the issue. Bhatt later circulated three videos at a hurriedly called press conference at Vidhan Bhawan to claim that Joshi was not present at the scene of the incident when the horse got injured.



He said the horse fell and hurt itself after one of its hind legs got stuck in a hole near the barricades put up to stop BJP protesters from marching to the state assembly to protest against "rising corruption and collapse of law and order".



One of the videos circulated by Bhatt also showed some BJP workers being attacked by mounted police during the protest march.



Party worker Jitendra Singh Moni, who was injured after coming under the hooves of the horse, is recuperating at the city's CMI hospital with numbness in his limbs, Bhatt said.



Ganesh Joshi reached the spot after coming to know about some party workers being attacked by mounted police and tried to scare away the horse by striking a stick on the ground, Bhatt claimed.



Moreover, Joshi was tapping his stick against the ground in front of the horse whereas injuries were caused to its hind leg, Bhatt said, claiming Joshi's innocence.



With anger mounting against the MLA, Bhatt regretted injuries to the horse and said BJP will bear the entire cost of its treatment as the "unfortunate" incident took place during a stir organised by the party.
Four persons were today taken into preventive detention for allegedly attempting attack on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar during a march here led by him demanding release of JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.





While three persons hurled abuses at Kumar during his speech near Parliament Street police station and were whisked away by the police who perceived threat in connection with the matter, one managed to climb the truck over which Kumar was standing while addressing the gathering.



The moment the persons started shouting on Kanhaiya over his comments on security forces, the JNU students formed a human chain and raised an alarm. The fourth man managed to break the chain but he too was whisked away by police by the time he could reach Kumar.



"Four persons have been put under preventive detention in view of law and order issues," a senior police official said.



While one of the four turned out to be a barber, another was a steward at a hotel. One was an insurance agent and the other a car dealer, a police official, said adding that they were released later in the evening.



Last week, Kumar was allegedly attacked inside the JNU campus by an outsider, who later turned out to be a Ghaziabad-based builder.



The attacker called Kumar for an interaction when he was attending the "nationalism" lecture at the varsity's administration block and slapped him after a heated argument.

However, no official police complaint was lodged in connection with the incident.



On February 17, the day Kumar was presented at the Patiala House Court at the end of his police custody, a group of lawyers led a brazen attack on him.



Delhi Police was at the receiving end of severe criticism for its failure to provide security to the student leader. After this incident, senior officials of the district were pulled up at the court.



Kumar, Khalid and Bhattacharya were arrested under charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy in connection with an event in JNU campus in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.



Khalid and Bhattacharya are currently in judicial custody.


A local court today remanded the senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in the custody of Enforcement Directorate till March 17, a day after he was arrested in a money laundering case in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam.





Bhujbal, who broke down in the court at one point while speaking, said he was innocent.



"I have cooperated (with ED). I have been in social service for the past fifty years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I honestly said I did not know but still I was arrested," he said.



He said he did not grant the contract in question (Maharashtra Sadan guesthouse in Delhi) and only followed the directions of the then Chief Minister (the late) Vilasrao Deshmukh to attend meetings (related to the project), he added.



"CM Vilasrao Deshmukh told me to hold meetings and I followed that. I did not grant contract," he said. Some disgruntled employees of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET), a trust run by him, cooked up the allegations, he claimed.



ED said in the remand application that contractor of Maharashtra Sadan project, K S Chamankar Enterprises, paid Rs 6.03 crore to Origin Infrastructure, a firm controlled by Bhujbals.



Prime Builders and Developers to whom Chamankar sub-contracted the Maharashtra Sadan project, also "paid Rs 18.5 crore through their associates against dubious real estate deals", it said.



"In view of evidence and money trail available so far.. there are reasons to believe that Bhujbal is guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said.



The fund transfer from Prime Builders to the firms controlled by the Bhujbal family was nothing but quid pro quo for awarding Chamankars the Maharashtra Sadan project, it said, adding that Bhujbal, a cabinet minister in the then (Congress-NCP) government, was apparently the prime mover in awarding of the work.



A former employee of MET, Amit Balraj, said that he had seen huge leather bags containing cash being brought to the ninth floor of MET office here and the notes being counted by counting machines and kept at the cash-room at MET office. The notes used to be of Rs 1,000 denomination with each bag containing approximately Rs one crore, ED said.



Balraj also heard Sameer Bhujbal (Bhujbal's nephew, already arrested) instructing his associates about some persons bringing cash to MET building but Chhagan Bhujbal, when asked about such cash transactions, denied any knowledge, ED said.



"Balraj may also be confronted with Bhujbal to find the correct facts," said ED, adding that it did not appear reasonable that Bhujbal was unaware of these cash transactions or had not approved them as he was the chairman of MET.



These proceeds of crime, generated through "criminal activities of Chhagan Bhujbal" were further laundered through companies of Sameer and Pankaj Bhujbal as well as other Bhujbal-controlled companies in which the employees of MET were 'dummy directors', the remand plea said. Some of these companies existed only on paper, it said.



The former minister didn't cooperate with ED and maintained "deliberate silence" about the modus operandi to favour Chamankar Enterprises and especially the origin of cash which was circuitously routed through hawala operators back to companies controlled by Pankaj, his son, ED said.



The Directors of Origin Infrastructure and Niche Infrastructure told ED that they were only dummy directors installed by Bhujbals, it said.



Bhujbal's present residence, `Solitaire' building in suburban Mumbai, "itself is prima facie proceeds of crime and has been attached", and this made his role in money-laundering obvious," ED said.



The documents obtained from individuals/firms, statements of bank accounts, etc., show generation of huge "illicit funds" and laundering by Bhujbal family, ED's remand plea said.



The chartered accountant of Bhujbal group and "market operators" told investigators that shares of Parvesh Constructions and Armstrong Energy (both owned by Bhujbals) were sold to "dubious" entities for cash at "unrealistic high premiums" of Rs 9,900 per share and Rs 125 crore were channelled by this method. The cash was handed over to the operators at the office of Mumbai Educational Trust.



Bhujbals were also paid through "phony" real estate transactions from 2006 onwards, ED said.



The remand plea listed names of twelve persons, all MET employees, who are Directors of the companies controlled by Bhujbals, and said that these persons said they were "only signatory Directors" and signed the documents at the instance of the Bhujbal family.



ED's counsel Hiten Venegaonkar also told the court that Bhujbal, as Deputy Chief Minister, held certain meetings though he was not holding the relevant portfolio.Bhujbal's lawyers R B Mokashi and Prasad Dhakephalkar said as he had appeared before ED whenever summoned, so his arrest was unnecessary. But the court granted the remand plea.
India and Japan are in talks to collaborate on upgrading civilian infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an Indian archipelago seen as a critical asset to counter Chinas efforts to expand its maritime reach into the Indian Ocean. The first project being discussed is a modest one  a 15-megawatt diesel power plant on South Andaman Island, as described in a proposal submitted late last month to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.





But the collaboration signals a significant policy shift for India, which has not previously accepted offers of foreign investment on the archipelago. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are northwest of the Strait of Malacca, offering control of a so-called choke point that is one of Chinas greatest marine vulnerabilities.



It is also testimony to the unfolding relationship between India and Japan, which is also funding a $744 million road building project in the northeastern Indian border regions of Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya. Like the Andaman and Nicobar chain, the northeastern region is a strategic area that has remained relatively undeveloped because of its separation from the mainland.



Japans marshalling of official development assistance in the region has drawn less attention than the effort that China calls One Belt, One Road, a network of roads, railways and ports intended to link China to the rest of Asia and to Europe. But it fits logically into the web of strategic projects taking shape as Prime Minister Narendra Modi enters into closer relationships with Japan, Australia and the United States, as well as regional powers like Vietnam, to counter Chinas growing influence.



A senior Indian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that Chinas project would be answered by a more decentralised, local but organic response. The official described proposed infrastructure projects in the Andamans as not of a big scale, and not of a big value, but added that New Delhi is intent on developing its frontier regions. The idea that the frontier should be left undeveloped, I think people have rejected that approach, the official said. There is a realisation that it doesnt help to leave part of any part of India undeveloped.



Japans vision for contributions in the island chain goes far beyond the proposed power plant. The plan was submitted in Tokyo more than a year after Japans ambassador made a visit to Port Blair on South Andaman Island and, in a meeting with the territorys top official, offered financing for bridges and ports. Akio Isomata, minister for economic affairs in the Japanese Embassy, said the countrys aid agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency, could only respond to formal requests from the Indian government.



He added that Japan would consider any other request on the Andaman and Nicobar chain or elsewhere and was eager to use official development assistance to enhance Indias connectivity with countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. We usually start with small projects and go bigger, he said. He said construction of the power station could start in the next fiscal year, which begins in April.



The Andaman and Nicobar chain is made up of 572 islands, all but 34 of them uninhabited, stretching around 470 miles north to south. Used as a penal colony by the British Raj, the island chain was occupied by Japan for three years during WW II, a period that older island-ers recall with dread. Then prime minister Jaw-aharlal Nehru secured the archipelago in the hurried distribution of property that accompanied the British withdrawal from the subcontinent, beating out bids by Australia and Pakistan.



The islands importance has increased along with Chinas naval expansion. The chains location makes it an ideal base for tracking naval movements in the Strait of Malacca, a long, narrow funnel between Malaysia and Indonesia. The strait provides passage for Chinas fuel imports from Africa and West Asia, around 80% of its total fuel imports.



Nevertheless, change has come slowly to the islands, where almost all the undeveloped land is set aside for indigenous tribes and wildlife. A plan to lay undersea optical fibre cable from Chennai on Indias east coast, so that residents can finally have high-speed Internet access, has been under discussion for more than a decade. Until last year, no flights landed after dark because there were no runway lights at the Port Blair airport. Defence analysts from the West regard the island chain with envy and a degree of confusion.



Almost every year, I see some senior Indian military official say we have major, major plans in store for the Andamans, and youre going to see them soon, said Jeff M Smith, author of Cold Peace, a book on the Chinese-Indian rivalry. Everybody waits for the big story to hit on the Andamans, year after year, and it doesnt happen. A decision to accept Japanese investment there, he said, would be a sign that the Modi government is getting out of this feedback loop and moving on some of these aspirations.



Serious note



India has taken serious note of the presence of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean in recent years, Adm Robin K Dhowan, the chief of Indias navy staff, told a news channel in 2014. In January, India announced that it would deploy Israeli-made aerial Searcher drones and two Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, developed for anti-submarine warfare, to the Andaman and Nicobar chain.



Airstrips at the northern and southern tips of the archipelago are being lengthened to accommodate the long-range surveillance planes. Japan is hardly the only country interested in taking a role in developing the island chain. India and the United States are said to be close to concluding a maritime logistics agreement, meaning that US ships might be allowed to make port calls in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the future, defence analysts say.



The chains location provides a perfect geographic position for maritime aerial surveillance, said Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at Australian National University. If India were more open to allowing friendly foreign countries access and awareness in the Andamans, it would find them more forthcoming as well, he said. In Port Blair, there is the feeling that the outside world, once distant, is drawing nearer.



The front page of the Andaman Express, a daily newspaper, is typically devoted to small-town news about motorcycle accidents and stove explosions. But a recent report on the presence of a Chinese naval submarine in Andaman waters mentioned, almost as an aside, that the archipelago would become the primary target of the Peoples Liberation Army if China and India go to war.



Talk like that has brought an edge of apprehension to the quiet life on the island, said RVR Murthy, a professor of history at Mahatma Gandhi Government College. Murthy lives on a hilltop, and in January, when officials in New Delhi announced the positioning of aerial drones at Port Blairs airport, he could peer down from his house and spot them. In the old days, he said, a little wistfully, this was the safest place in the world.



International New York Times
Even as Home Minister G Parameshwara was hearing the grievances of the family members of murdered BJP leader Raju, a section of locals raised slogans against Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait.





The locals, who took exception to Saits comments against Raju, calling him a rowdy-sheeter, as reported in media, demanded clarification from Sait. So, Sait, who was accompanying the home minister to Rajus house, on Tuesday, remained silent and didnt react.



MP sets deadline



Addressing media at Patrakarthara Bhavana, Mysuru and Kodagu MP Prathap Simha set a two-day deadline for the police to arrest the culprits behind Rajus murder. Or else, a siege will be laid to the Deputy Commissioners office, warned Simha.



Simha, who equated Nara- simharaja Assembly constituency under which the trouble-hit area is located, with Ullal and Bhatkal in Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts respectively, alleged that there was a similarity between the murder of Prashanth Poojari and Raju.



It seems to be the handiwork of Popular Front of India (PFI), with the State government giving them a free hand by withdrawing the cases registered against them, alleged Simha.



Simha, who is against CCB probe into the incident, demanded setting up of a judicial commission to probe the issue (Home Minister Parameshwara ruled out the commission probe when the matter was brought to his notice later). Simha also demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation for the family members of Raju, and also security to them as they are living under constant fear after the incident.



BSY, Joshi to visit



Shivamogga MP and BJP national unit vice-president B S Yeddyurappa and State unit president Pralhad Joshi are scheduled to visit the family members of Raju on March 17 in the city, said Simha.
New Zealand cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a Group A contest of the womens World T20 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Tuesday.





Electing to bat, Sri Lankas collapsed to a mere 110/8 in 20 overs. In reply, the Black Caps achieved the target with 25 balls to spare.



Suzie Bates (37) and wicket-keeper Rachel Priest (28) laid the foundation of New Zealand chase with their opening stand of 69. The only hiccup which the New Zealand women faced during the chase was when they lost their top three batswomen in three successive overs. Sri Lanka captain and off-spinner Shashikala Siriwardene provided the breakthrough when she bowled Bates in the 10th over and left-arm spinner Inkoka Ranaweera consolidated by luring Priest forward to be stumped by wicket-keeper Surangika. Devine was run out to leave New Zealand reeling at 77/3 but Sara McGlashan and Amy Satterthwaite saw the remainder of chase without further setbacks.



Earlier, Sri Lanka batting failed to click. Opener Yasoda Mendis made a run-a-ball 30 and was part of the only two partnerships that could flourish during the Sri Lankan innings. She and Chamari Jayangani gave the team a flying start by rustling up 39 runs in the first six overs before off-spinner Leigh Kasperek separated the two. Jayangani's bails were knocked off by Kasperek in the first ball of the seventh over but Surangika didnt let the momentum slip. She and Mendis raised 43 runs in 6.5 overs for the second wicket to steady the ship. But once medium pacer Amy Satterthwaite dismissed Mendis in the last ball of the 13th over, the rot was quick to set in. Katey Martin ran out Surangika in the 15th over and the rest of Sri Lankan batting briskly folded up.



Brief scores:



Sri Lanka: 110/8 (Dilani Surangika 37, Yasoda Mendis 30; Leigh Kasperek 2-19) lost to New Zealand: 111/3 in 15.5 overs (Suzie Bates 37, Rachel Priest 28; Shashikala Siriwardene 1-21)
The arrest of Chhagan Bhujbal echoed in the Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday with both Houses witnessing adjournments amid noisy scenes following protest by Congress and NCP even as the veteran OBC leader was sent to two-day custody of the ED.





On Monday night, Bhujbal was arrested after an 11-hour grilling session by the ED in relation to money laundering vis-a-vis construction of new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. Bhujbals role as the then public works minister has come under the radar of the ED and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).



Bhujbal, who is also the president of Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, is an NCP MLA from Yeola. While the Assembly was adjourned four times and the Opposition members walked out of the House and later for the day, the council was adjourned for the day following ruckus over the issue. Protests were reported from Nashik, his home district and Mumbai, condemning the arrest.



Bhujbals followers attempted to block the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway. Pawar comes to defence. Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar came to Bhujbals defence, saying I am confident he would fight the legal battle.



In fact, it is not surprise to us.you must have seen a senior BJP leader on television saying that they have succeeded.what is the allegation.the allegation is construction of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi where some illegalities are there and also sizable money has been lost by state, he said.



Firstly, the government has not spent a single paise.secondly, a piece of land which was encroached was given to the company.in fact, the cabinet committee headed by chief minister has cleared itand in lieu of that they had to construct Maharashtra Sadan and secondly the state government guest house at Malabar Hill and another buildinganyone who visits new Maharashtra Sadan will come to know that this is the best guest house any government because of Bhujbals efforts, he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday left for New Delhi a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley promised in Parliament that the Centre will implement every project announced as part of the special package to Jammu & Kashmir on priority.





She is likely to attend Parliament session besides other political engagements. The PDP has been demanding an assurance from the Centre towards the development of the state.



Meanwhile, the meeting of State Advisory Council, headed by Governor N N Vohra, to finalise budget proposals for 2016-2017 in the state was postponed. The crucial meeting was scheduled for Tuesday.



While officially no reason was given for postponing the meeting, sources said, in the backdrop of Union Finance minister Arun Jaitleys Mondays speech in Parliament related to the state has rekindled the hope of government formation within the PDP.



This has made speculations rife in the state that former ruling alliance partners PDP and BJP could be close to reaching an agreement on government formation by the end of this month. Jaitleys commitment on the floor of the Parliament regarding J&K came at a time when PDP-BJP talks over government formation are in a deadlock.



Mehbooba has asked New Delhi to announce state-specific measures, both on the political and economical fronts, ahead of any forward movement by her party on forming the government with the BJP, though she has been reiterating that her party was committed to the alliance.
BJP lawmakers faced tough time on Monday when two questions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi found them wanting.





BJP MPs from UP were invited at Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharmas residence to deepen the interaction among members ahead of crucial Assembly election in the state next year.



Modi being an MP from Varanasi too was part of gathering of 71 MPs. He spoke as a Varanasi MP for 2 minutes before asking two simple questions to members present at Sharmas residence.



According to sources, first question Modi wanted to know from MPs was if they had a list of villages in their respective constituencies where electricity has reached under the NDA governments Deendayal Jyotigram scheme.



Interestingly, the details of villages being electrified by the ministry of power under Deendayal Jyotigram scheme, is updated on their website on weekly basis. It could be mere coincidence that the ministry on Monday had issued a statement saying that 6,493 villages were electrified till date under the scheme.



Of these, 323 villages were electrified last week and about 61 villages in Uttar Pradesh got electricity between March 6 to13 2016.



But, sources said not a single MP was able to tell Modi on electrified villages in his or her constituency.



Notwithstanding, Modi wanted to know whether MPs have downloaded Narendramodi app on their mobile phones launched on June 17, 2015 and which provides comprehensive information on the initiatives and achievements of Modi government. Sources said no hands were raised but Modi further said that he will talk to them again.
In one of the fastest canonisation processes in Catholics history, the sainthood of Mother Teresa of Kolkata receive its final approval from Pope Francis on Tuesday.





The Holy See at Vatican, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, announced that Mother Teresa, widely known as saint of the gutters, will be known as Saint Teresa from September 4, following an elaborate ceremony.



Confirming the date and Vaticans approval, Father Brian Kolodiejchuk said that Pope Francis held a Public Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals and Bishops for the Canonisation of Blesseds at Vatican on Tuesday and approved Mother Teresas canonisation.



The canonisation will be held on September 4 this year in Rome during the Sunday mass, celebrated as part of the Jubilee for workers and volunteers of Mercy, he said.



Father Kolodiejchuk is the postulator or papal officer in charge of overseeing Mother Teresas canonisation process. Speaking on behalf of Missionaries of Charity, the worldwide charity organisation Mother Teresa founded at Kolkata in 1950s, he said, The entire Missionaries of Charity family  Sisters, Brothers, Fathers, co-workers, Corpus Christi Movement for Priests, lay associates, volunteers, benefactors, friends of different faiths, and especially the poorest of the poor  rejoice and are grateful to Pope Francis.



The Vatican Postulator pointed out that of the two miracles necessary for canonisation, the first was noticed in Monica Besra, a tribal woman from Bengal, who was cured of terminal cancer in 1998 after she prayed to a photograph of Mother Teresa.



The second miracle was an incident in 2008, when a man from Santos in Brazil reported to have been cured of a terminal tumour after similar prayers. The Brazilians miracle came to light in late 2013 and received the Vaticans approval in December 2015.
There may be vociferous demands for repealing sedition charges from the penal code following the Kanhaiya Kumar case, but the government on Tuesday said it has not received any formal representation regarding review of the provision.





Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said the ministry has already requested the Law Ministry in October 2012 to study the usage of provisons of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code and suggest amendments.



However, he said the government has "not received any formal representation regarding review or repeal" of the sedition law.



There have been demands inside Parliament from a section of Opposition lawmakers that the section should be deleted while raising the issue of charging some Jawaharlal Nehru University students under sedition charges.



After the home ministry's request, the law ministry asked the Law Commission to consider undertaking a comprehensive review of criminal laws in the country.



On December 11, 2014, the Law Commission intimated that they have identified certain focus areas and formed sub-groups to deliberate (on these), said Chaudhary.



The minister said that the National Crime Records Bureau has since 2014 been collecting data about cases registered under Section 124A, which pertains to attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India.



Fifty-eight people were arrested under sedition charges in 47 cases in 2014, according to the latest figures available with the ministry. All these cases were reported from just eight states with Jharkhand (18) and Bihar (16) having highest number of such cases.



Of the 58 arrested, charge sheet has been filed against 16. Only one conviction was reported from Jharkhand.
Mondays violence in Mysuru was orchestrated by the opposition BJP for political mileage, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Tuesday, after visiting the family of the man whose murder on Sunday triggered mob frenzy in the City of Palaces.





The minister also made a veiled attack on the BJPs Chikkamagaluru MLA, C T Ravi. An MLA from Chikkamagaluru came to Mysuru and stage-managed the entire shutdown. I have instructed the police to handle the situation with care, though outsiders were part of the mob, he told reporters in Mysuru on Tuesday.



Parameshwara revealed that the victim, Raju, was among many people who were booked by the police in connection with Udayagiri communal clash in Mysuru in 2009. Five cases were registered against him. Later, based on a report of the Cabinet subcommittee, 40 cases were withdrawn, including those against Raju, he said.



The minister downplayed the delay in arresting Rajus murderers, saying the police were working on some leads and the arrests would be made shortly. Earlier, Parameshwara, accompanied by Revenue Minister V Sreenivas Prasad and Home Ministers Advisor Kempaiah, inspected the spot where Raju was murdered. He also handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh on behalf of the government to Rajus mother, Chandramma.



Raju was unmarried but was the sole breadwinner of his family, taking care of his aged mother and the wife and children of his deceased elder brother. In Bengaluru, BJP leader R Ashoka demanded a judicial enquiry into Rajus killing. A BJP delegation met Parameshwara and submitted a memorandum, seeking a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Rajus family. BJP State president Pralhad Joshi and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will visit Rajus family in Mysuru on Thursday, said a press statement released by the party.
Mayor B N Manjunatha Reddy took the officials of Fisheries department to task on Tuesday for the recent fishkill at the Halasuru Lake.





Mayor's outburst came during his inspection of the Halasuru Lake, first time since thousands of fish found dead in the lake due to high pollution level in first week of March.



Speaking to reporters, the mayor said that the Palike has taken the fishkill seriously. Palike is spending crores to treat effluent and provide a clean environment. The officials of the Fisheries department didnt bother to check the effluent. The apathy of the officials has brought a bad name to the Palike. We will initiate stringent action against the Fisheries department officials and the contractors.



Reddy added that the officials failed to ensure adequate Dissolved Oxygen level in the water, which led to the tragic incident. He added that the Halasuru Lake has a special place in history and the water body should be protected.



He said, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has come forward to set up treatment plant and ensure that such tragedies do not occur. Minister for Infrastructure Roshan Baig and KSPCB Chairman Lakshman too accompanied the mayor during the inspection.



Meanwhile, the Karnataka Fisheries Retired Technical Officers Association has hit back at the BBMP saying that the Palike should introspect before blaming the Fisheries department for the fishkill at Halasuru Lake.



Palike's apathy has killed many lakes in the City, which have become a cesspool due to unabated flow of effluent. None of the government departments are bothered about other lakes in the City. The fishkill at Halasuru Lake is collective failure of the BBMP, the KSPCB and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the association complained.
Following the tough CBSE Maths paper held on March 14, several petitions have been started throughout the country, including Bengaluru, asking the board for leniency during the valuation. Several schools from Bengaluru have also written to the board regarding their concerns on the exam.





On Change.org, the largest petition so far was from Guwahati which had garnered around 6,000 signatures. A petition on the issue from Bengaluru that got 2,163 signatures by around 10 pm on Tuesday has the second most number of signatures, said Durga Nandini, director, Communications, Change.org.



Started by The Indian Student, the petition from the city reads: This years class 12 mathematics paper - like last years - was unreasonably difficult. The lack of direct questions and the papers ridiculous length left many students in tears despite the hard work that they had put in for an entire year.



It goes on to say that the paper could potentially ruin the lives and careers of thousands of students all over the country and that the only way to make amends is to ensure that the valuation of the paper is student friendly.



Manju Arif, Principal, DPS, North, said, My teachers have already sent a letter to the board this morning, where they have highlighted that the paper was very lengthy, especially the one-mark questions. Secondly, this is a common Maths paper for Arts, Science and Commerce that should have been more student friendly. Why should this happen year after year? It is already dreadful for the children appearing for the paper, she said.



Highlighting the grievances of students with regard to the II PU Maths exam held on the same day as the CBSE paper (March 14), a similar petition has been started on the same website, Change.org. It got 7,549 signatures as at 10.30 pm on Tuesday. Started by Saket Ravikumar, it urges the Department of Pre-University Education to show leniency.



It reads: This years II PU mathematics paper (2016) was very difficult. It left many in tears, despite the hard work that they put in for their exams. The II PU Board exams are extremely important in a persons life and it plays a big role in shaping their future. Therefore, leniency during corrections could be of great help.
The State governments order to take away the anti-corruption work from the Lokayukta institution by setting up a separate Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has drawn criticism from various quarters.



The government order (GO) constituting the ACB stated that it was as per the Supreme Court direction in the case between C Rangaswamaiah vs Karnataka Lokayukta. Though the GO didnt elaborate on the Apex Court directions, a close look at the GO indicates that the SC order was passed in 1998 and it was on whether the State government could order investigation under Prevention of Corruption Act when the police officers were on deputation to the police wing of the Lokayukta.



The GO stated that State DG&IGP Om Prakash had written a letter on February 3, 2016, based on the 1998 order of the Supreme Court, and suggested constitution of the ACB to deal with cases under Prevention of Corruption Act.



The GO stated that as per Om Prakashs report, Lokayukta police have dual roles to play; one to assist Lokayukta and Upalokayuktas in the enquiries under the Lokayukta Act and the other to hold investigation under the PC Act. The government has agreed to set up ACB in order to avoid confusion and also to implement the directions given in the Rangaswamaiah case.



Former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde said that the government could have just regularised corruption instead of setting up such a bureau under the chief minister.



I will have to refer to the situation prior to 1984 when Karnataka had a State Vigilance Commission, headed by a retired High Court judge and Anti Corruption Bureau headed by senior police officers. The then government headed by Ramakrishna Hegde found this set-up inefficient and merged both the vigilance commission and ACB and created Lokayukta. People should ask the present Siddaramaiah-led government as to how many cases under Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act it has referred to Lokayukta police in the last three years. The truth is that this government wants to disband Lokayukta, but is scared to do so. Instead of doing all this drama, the government can close the Lokayukta institution, Justice Hegde said.



Supreme Court counsel K V Dhananjaya said, First of all, no judgment of the Supreme Court has asked this government to disband the Lokayukta police. It is a total lie and it is surprising that this government does not think twice before lying in such a way to the public. All that the Supreme Court had said was that the anti-corruption police should receive special knowledge and training and should therefore, be separated from the regular crime police. That separation took place in Karnataka long ago. The Lokayukta police was also given great independence.

What the govt order says?



* Lokayukta police will not, henceforth, investigate cases under Prevention of Corruption Act, while the newly set up Anti-Corruption Bureau with a staff strength of 322 will exclusively handle cases of graft.



* ACB will be autonomous and will be under the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), which is under the chief minister.



* The government intends to establish Vigilance Advisory Board headed by the chief secretary, principal secretaries of DPAR, Revenue and others. This board will monitor the work of ACB (except ongoing investigations).



* The ACB cannot take up investigation against any public servant without obtaining sanction from the sanctioning authority.

ACB wont curb Lokayukta powers



Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the governments intention was not to curb the authority of the Lokayukta by establishing the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Replying to questions by the media in Bengaluru, he said the government had constituted the ACB based on the various court orders. This will further help curb corruption, he added. The minister said the government had not amended the Lokayukta Act. In order to handle corruption cases effectively, the responsibility of investigating corruption cases have been separated from the Lokayukta police and entrusted to the ACB. This will help in tackling corruption more effectively. It is wrong to interpret that the authority of the Lokayukta has been clipped, he said.



The law allows filing of complaints against the chief minister and the ministers, he said in response to a question.
Three people, including a woman, died in separate road accidents in different parts of Bengaluru on Tuesday, the police said.





A 48-year-old woman riding pillion on her husbands motorcycle was killed after a canter hit the two-wheeler on the cable-stayed bridge in KR Puram, east Bengaluru.



Lakshmi was going to Kengeri with her husband Shivakumar. The couple, who lived in Hoskote and worked as cooks, reached the bridge around 12.20 pm.



Moments later, a speeding canter tried to overtake the motorcycle and brushed against its handle. The two-wheeler skidded off the road, Shivakumar fell to his left while Lakshmi fell on the right side.



The canters rear wheels then crushed her, killing her on the spot. The jurisdictional KR Puram traffic police rushed to the spot and shifted the body for post-mortem. They seized the canter but its driver fled.



Drama teacher



In another accident, a 25-year-old drama teacher was killed when he crashed his motorcycle into a stationary lorry near Anjanapura double road in Kumaraswamy Layout, southwest Bengaluru.



Rakshith, a resident of Mallasandra near Thalaghattapura, was riding home after visiting a friend in Anjanapura. He failed to notice the stationary lorry and rear-ended it. He suffered grievous head injuries and was rushed to a hospital but it was too late. The Kumaraswamy Layout traffic police have seized the lorry.



Rakshith didnt appear to have worn the helmet. The police suspect he had kept it hanging from the elbow, as the protective gear wasnt damaged in the accident.



The police are also investigating whether he was drunk when the accident occurred around 12.10 pm. The lorry driver, who is currently absconding, had neither switched on the parking lights nor put any signboard, the police said. The deceased was the only child of his parents.



Hit-and-run case



Earlier in the morning, the police suspect that an unidentified lorry mowed down a 30-year-old man and sped off near Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital on Hosur Road, south Bengaluru.



Akshay Kamath, a native of Mangaluru, who was living in Chandapura, was riding his two-wheeler when the accident occurred around 7.45 am. He suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to hospital by the police but doctors declared him brought dead.



The Hebbagodi traffic police said they were trying to trace the vehicle which eyewitnesses believe is a lorry.
The Hubballi railway station came to a total standstill for more than seven hours on Tuesday, as hundreds of farmers from Malaprabha command area staged a rail roko demanding speedy diversion of water from Mahadayi basin to Malaprabha river and measures for farmers welfare.





Even after the prolonged negotiation between agitators and authorities, the protest continued till 8 pm. Police resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse the protesters. They detained around 20 protesters and shifted them out in buses. Stones were thrown on four buses, while three policemen received injuries.



No train could move out of the railway station after 1 pm and no train arrived from other places. The services of more than 15 trains, including seven long-distance ones, were affected. Thousands of passengers heading towards various destinations experienced serious inconvenience. Some trains including those heading to Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru were delayed, while a few were partially cancelled. The railway station premises was full of stranded passengers, while farmers staged a protest on the tracks.



Police had taken steps to prevent the arrival of large number of farmers, by stopping their vehicles on the outskirts of the City and by making around 200 preventive arrests at various places in the region.



However, the rail bandh intensified as farmers from Nargund, Navalgund, Ramadurga, Saundatti, Badami, Hubballi, Dharwad and other taluks joined the protest in different groups, after a small group of farmers, including women, started the rail roko in front of Amaravati Express at around 1 pm. Meanwhile, a group of farmers staged a rasta roko at Channamma Circle in the City and blocked vehicular movement for more than two hours.



The farmers demanded the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the inter-state dispute over sharing of the Mahadayi river water and welfare measures for farmers, including loan waiver. Earlier in the day, rail roko was staged in Dharwad. Protesters stopped two trains near Gadag Road level-crossing.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured the agitating farmers over telephone that a meeting of farmers leaders and peoples representatives of the region would be called on April 1 in Bengaluru, to discuss about loan waiver, taking a delegation to New Delhi.



Though a group of agitating farmers relented after the chief ministers assurance, some farmers continued the protest, demanding that the Centre give a clear assurance. At last, police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd.


Mayor Manjunatha Reddy said on Tuesday that the BBMP health officers had denied access to files pertaining to the Pulse Polio drive to the Technical Vigilance Cell under Commissioner (TVCC).





Revealing this in the BBMP Council, during a discussion on the administrative report of eight years, Reddy said that he had ordered the TVCC to conduct an investigation, but the officers were holding back the files.



He ordered an inquiry after the health officers sent a bill of Rs one crore to the finance department for the recent Pulse Polio drive. The officers produced the Detailed Contingent (DC) bills, which was quite surprising to me. When I enquired about it, the officer ran away and did not show up since then.



The mayors reaction came when his predecessor B S Satyanarayana raised the issue of misuse of funds in the Health department. Participating in the discussion, Jayamahal Corporator M K Gunashekar demanded a white paper on the department.



Sathyanarayana said that there was a huge potential for revenue from the Palikes markets, but the officials were least bothered about it. He suspected a nexus between the officials and the shopkeepers in the markets.



He said, Each shop at the Johnson Market brings in an annual rent of just Rs 25. The market is in a prime location from where the Palike should have got a huge revenue. Let these markets be developed on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis.Speaking about the Education department, Sathyanarayana said the Palike schools were poorly managed.



Unlike many private schools, our schools have better infrastructure and playgrounds, but the results are never encouraging. Most of the children studying in these schools come from economically and socially weaker sections who require proper education. Due to the callousness of officials, education in these schools is very poor, he said.



He said teachers were more interested in politics than teaching in these schools.Sathyanarayana also pointed to the poor implementation of welfare schemes.



There should be no dearth of funds to carry out works under the 22.75% scheme. But whenever a proposal pertaining to some welfare scheme, especially on funding individual houses for SC/STs, is forwarded, the officials give an excuse of lack of funds, the former mayor said. He asked the Palike administration to focus on the welfare schemes to empower the weaker sections.
The father of a 5-year-old Denver boy shot by his mother in his sleep while visiting Montana last weekend says he had tried for months to convince Denver County child welfare workers the woman was paranoid and his son was not safe.

Kenny Kreuscher would have turned 6 this month. He died after he was shot in the head with a .22 rifle while he slept last Saturday night, March 5, while visiting his grandfathers house, his father said. His mother, Sara Atkinson, 41, then shot herself in what Montana authorities called a murder-suicide. Atkinson and the boys father, Ken Kreuscher, had been embroiled in a years long custody battle and multiple incidents involving Denver police and Denver County child welfare workers. In recent months, the battle had escalated, and Kreuscher told caseworkers the boys mother was growing increasingly paranoid, believing there were cameras and bombs in her home, he said.

She had threatened to do it before, Kreuscher said. She said, Im going to kill myself. Im going to take him with me. 

The parents had 50-50 custody of Kenny, and Kreuscher said he blames child welfare officials for not taking his concerns seriously enough.

Denver County child welfare officials would not talk about the specifics of the case, citing privacy laws.

The loss of this child is an absolute tragedy for this family, their loved ones and friends, and for our community and agency, said Julie Smith, communications director for the county human services department, which includes child welfare. We are working to understand the circumstances surrounding this horrible act.

She encouraged any parent out there experiencing suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming a child to call the agencys help line: 1-844-493-TALK, or 8255.

The state human services department is required to review any fatality or egregious abuse of a child who had previous involvement with the child welfare system. The latest pending investigation listed on the states fatality review list, which does not include childrens names, is regarding a 5-year-old boy.

Kreuscher rushed to Montana when he learned his son was in a Billings hospital, brain dead after the shooting near the small town of Roundup. He arrived from Denver two hours after the boys death.

I begged them to keep him alive until we got there, he said.

Jennifer Brown: 303-954-1593, jenbrown@ denverpost.com or @jbrowndpost

Editors note: After this story ran, the family of Sara Atkinson sent this letter to The Denver Post:



We appreciate the kind thoughts, prayers and respect for our privacy from the Denver community while we grieve the tragic death of our daughter Sara Katherine Atkinson and grandson Kenneth Liam Walter Kreuscher.



We are grateful for Colorado state Senator Linda Newells investigation into the handling of our daughter Saras ongoing custody dispute. It is certain that the true facts will be revealed, that she was a kind, loving and dedicated mother, daughter, sister and friend; and that her character will be vindicated from the false image portrayed in the news media.



Sara and Kenny are remembered for the love and joy they brought to our family and friends. They are sadly missed by all of us who truly knew and loved them.



Sincerest regards, Mr. & Mrs. John E. Kratzer and Mr. & Mrs. Walter P. Atkinson
Overall, the Lenovo Yoga 900 is one of the best and slimmest, 2-in-1 hybrid ultraportable money can buy. Its definitely one of the best convertible notebooks weve reviewed so far this year. The hybrid device is recommended for both business professionals and high-end consumers who want a unique product to play with it. If you can afford it, theres no reason why you shouldnt buy it. Also to consider in this price bracket, the HP Spectre x360.

Lenovo Yoga 900 detailed review

The Yoga 900 is the elite consumer hybrid notebook from Lenovos repertoire for 2016, and in many ways the successor to last years Yoga 3 Pro. It has a pristine brushed metal surface on its screen cover and a champagne gold colour that catches the eye instantly at a glance. It looks and feels premium on touch, no doubt. Its faux leather keyboard deck is especially impressive.





And the single biggest build quality aspect that stands out on the device is the wristband hinge, which Lenovo claims has been improved over the Yoga 3 Pro. The unique wristband hinge does perform admirably not only while fusing together the Yoga 900s screen and keyboard sections but also while using the hybrid notebook in a variety of positions  tent, tablet, etc. The base panel of the Yoga 900 has camouflaged rubber stopper which does a great job of anchoring the hybrid device on a glass, wooden or metal surface.

Unlike last years Yoga 3 Pro, which weighed in at 1.2 kg, this years Yoga 900 model weighs 1.3 kg, which is by no means a significant increase. The hybrid laptops 12.75-inch form factor and 1.5 cm thickness means its easy to slip inside your backpack and its highly ultraportable. Compared to HPs flagship 2-in-1 hybrid device, HP Spectre x360, the Lenovo Yoga 900 is lighter, smaller and thinner in comparison. As far as hybrids go, the Yoga 900 definitely is one of the best built 2-in-1 laptops out there. Having said that, as with all 13-inch hybrids out there, holding this one as a tablet in one hand is uncomfortable.

Performance

One of the Yoga 900s assets is its promising display. Measuring 13.3-inch and sporting a QHD+ 3200x1800 screen resolution, not to mention a glossy surface, the Lenovo Yoga 900s screen is one of the best ones weve seen this year. Its very bright, coming very close to its advertised 300 nits output  we measured it to be at 293.4 nits, which is again higher than the HP Spectre x360s screen brightness of 278.8 nits. The Yoga 900 screens contrast ratio, however, is slightly lesser than the HP Spectre x360s  505:1 compared to 650:1. Its still significantly higher than what we see in most laptops and hybrids we test. While the Yoga 900s screen doesnt sport a 100% color gamut on either AdobeRGB (76%) or sRGB (99%) space, its inherent IPS screen ensures very good color consistency and no colour shift while viewing the screen from tight angles. The screens extremely responsive when its in tablet mode, with all the multitouch gestures and flicks working like a charm  no problems whatsoever. The only thing youd have to get used to is working on a 13-inch tablet while its placed on your lap. And the fact that the Yoga 900s glossy screen can be a fingerprint magnet.

Watching movies is a joy on the Lenovo Yoga 900s bright and vivid screen, and the visual experience is pretty well complemented by two down-firing JBL speakers (placed as grilles on the bottom panel) with Dolby DS 1.0 Home Theater Certification. Movies definitely come alive, music not so much, as we found the Yoga 900s audio experience to be slightly lacking on the bass front and the overall audio experience is definitely clearer at higher volume compared to other devices. In our tests, the Yoga 900 scored at par with last years HP Spectre x360s B&O audio, wed put the HPs B&O audio output just a notch above the Yoga 900s JBL speakers at the moment.

As far as keyboard and touchpad goes, the slightly curved keys are pretty good to type on but their significantly shorter travel (or dip) is something you may need getting used to. We arent great fans of the shortened right Shift key, but thats about the only other minor issue with the Lenovo Yoga 900s keyboard. The trackpad is clearly demarcated from the rest of the palmrest deck and sits slightly below its plane. The trackpad surface is single monolithic, smooth and snappy on touch, and while there are no individual left or right buttons clicking on the trackpad is nice all the same as haptics are finely tuned in this department.

While the Yoga 900 isnt cut out for gaming, given its onboard Intel GPU, we managed to see whether it could withstand a few sessions of Counter Strike: Global Offensive at medium or high settings. It didnt! No surprise. While the convertible laptop stayed unusually cool at CPU and hard disk temperatures of 40 degrees and 34 degrees celsius, respectively, during gaming those temps shot up to 62 degrees and 44 degrees celsius, respectively. Lesson learned? Dont try to make the Yoga 900 hybrid notebook what it isnt cut out to do  stuff like high-end gaming, advanced video editing, etc. As long as you multitask with day-to-day apps and multimedia tasks, the Yoga 900 should run just fine and at remarkably lower temps at that.

As far as benchmarks go, the Lenovo Yoga 900 performed better than both the HP Spectre x360 and Lenovo Yoga 314 (last years best performing convertible laptop) in PC Mark (thanks to its 6th generation Intel Core i7-6500U processor) while it trailed narrowly in the 3D Mark and other graphics benchmarks. In our high performance battery test, the Yoga 900 lasted for 214 minutes as opposed to the HP Spectre x360s 212 minutes and Yoga 314s 273 minutes. Realistically, on a conservative power plan, expect the Yoga 900 to last around the 6 hour mark, not more, which is quite good given its high-powered hardware configuration but lesser in comparison to its claim of 9 hours.

On the connectivity front, its great to see the Lenovo Yoga 900 embrace a USB Type-C port, which future proofs the device. The 512GB Samsung SSD keeps the Yoga 900 performing at a higher level, its 720p HD webcam is great for video calls, but were disappointed for not seeing a dedicated HDMI out port  we know the USB Type-C does support video out, but its still a workaround. Sigh. Whats great is the number of reduced proprietary software bundled along with the Yoga 900  the ever popular OneKey Recovery is present, though, dont worry.

Conclusion

Overall, the Lenovo Yoga 900 is one of the best and slimmest, 2-in-1 hybrid ultraportable money can buy. Its definitely one of the best convertible notebooks weve reviewed so far this year. The hybrid device is recommended for both business professionals and high-end consumers who want a unique product to play with it. If you can afford it, theres no reason why you shouldnt buy it. Also to consider in this price bracket, the HP Spectre x360.

Specifications

Colour: Champagne gold

Screen: 13.3-inch, QHD+ IPS multitouch display, 3200x1800 res

CPU: Intel Core i7-6500U 2.4-GHz processor

RAM: 8GB DDRIII

Storage: 512GB SSD

GPU: Intel HD Graphics

OS: 64-bit Windows 10

I/O: 2xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0 (DC in), 1xUSB Type-C, SD Card reader, 1 x Headphone jack

Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11ac

Bluetooth 4.0

Battery: 4-cell

Weight: 1.3 kg

Warranty: 3 years

Contact

Lenovo India

Phone: 1800-3000-999

Email: lencare@lenovo.com

Website: http://lenovo.com/in
It would mark another step in Google's advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence research.

The Google Now voice assistant on Android phones may work offline soon. A team of engineers from Google recently published a paper, demonstrating how they had used voice commands on a smartphone, with a 13.5% error rate, on a Nexus 5 with 2GB of RAM and 2.2 GHz processor. The paper demonstrates a lightweight speech-recognition program being run on a smartphone. Speech recognition programs like Google Now, Siri and Cortana all depend on cloud based systems right now. Interestingly, Google Nows error rate, using the cloud-based system, is at around 8%.

If speech recognition is available for offline use, it would enable companies to make the feature faster on smartphones, since the voice data will not have to be sent back to Googles servers. In addition, it may also be more power efficient and should enable new features for smartphones. That said, being offline, it would presumably mean that the various Search-based enquiries will not be available. You can read the entire paper published by the engineers, here.

Google has been making big progress in artificial intelligence and machine learning recently. DeepMind Technologies, a UK-based Google-owned company, recently demonstrated the power of its AlphaGo AI, by beating world champion Lee Seedol in one-on-one competition.
The newly launched Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus will be replacing the A6000 Plus in the budget segment. It is priced a little higher, compared to the outgoing phone, at Rs. 8,499, but Lenovo has high hopes for it. The good news is that Lenovo won't be hosting flash sales this time, instead putting the phone on open sale from March 23. It will be available exclusively on Flipkart and the company didn't share whether the phone will be available offline later. While Lenovo seems confident about the device, is it really the "knockout smartphone" that it is claimed to be? Here's what we thought after spending a few minutes with the phone.

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is compact and light, which is worth appreciating. The phone features an aluminum body but it isn't a unibody design, as the back is still removable and the battery is swappable. The Vibe K5 Plus seemed quite sturdy and the polished strip around the front, in combination with the metal back, are able to add a premium feel to the phone. That said, one feature that has been left out is the fingerprint sensor. When asked why, Sudhin Mathur, Director, Lenovo-Smartphones, argued that a fingerprint sensor would make much sense if India gets the pay-via-phone infrastructure. Currently, only a few countries offer such service. Interestingly, the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note, which costs just a few thousand rupees more, comes with a fingerprint sensor, which seems to conflict with Mathur's argument.

Nevertheless, while the fingerprint sensor may have been something Lenovo left out, the company claims a smaller display has been added due to popular demand. The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus has a 5-inch display, with a 1080p resolution. The colour saturation felt natural and the viewing angles were decent as well. The touch response was at par with other good phones in the sub-10k price bracket such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (16GB/2GB model). Inside, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 SoC, which was earlier seen on the Honor 5X. Combined with 2GB of RAM, the Vibe K5 Plus felt quite smooth and snappy between animations and jumping between apps. Given the price range, we expect the K5 Plus to be a good performer, but we shall tell you more post the review.

The device has the standard 16GB of internal storage and offers support for a microSD card, in a dedicated slot, just like the Coolpad Note 3 Lite. Further, the two speakers at the back come with Dolby Atmos sound enhancements as well. That said, we would have appreciated the device more if the speakers would have been placed at the top and bottom to give a stereo effect. It may have aided with the TheaterMax experience with the AntVR headset as well. Yes, the Vibe K5 Plus is perhaps the cheapest phone to have a VR play at the moment.

On the optics front, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is equipped with a 13MP snapper with an Omnivision OV13850 sensor. On first impressions, the image quality seemed decent in dim lighting conditions. However, we still need to check the camera thoroughly once we get the device for review. As for the front-facing camera, Lenovo chose a 5MP sensor and the camera app offer features like Beautify for selfie lovers.

The 2750mAh battery, which is replaceable, is quoted to last at least a day and will be able to give about 15.1 hours of talk-time on a 4G network, says Lenovo. Well, from what we have seen so far in this segment, these claims sound rather exhaggerated but aren't necessarily unachievable.

In conclusion, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus has the potential to be amongst the top three phones in the sub-10k segment but whether it does achieve that is yet to be tested.

Buy Lenovo vibe K5 plus at Rs.8499 on Flipkart
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Russian forces began their withdrawal from Syria on Tuesday following President Vladimir Putin's unexpected decision to pull out of the war ravaged country.

The Russian defence ministry released videos of the first fighters leaving Hmeimim air base in Syria on Tuesday morning as peace talks resumed in Geneva to settle the five year civil war.

However, Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Nikolay Pankov said a Russian air group would remain in the country and airstrikes against the fighters of so-called Islamic State (IS) would continue.

"Certain positive results have been achieved... However, it is too early to talk about victory over terrorism. A Russian air group has the task of continuing to strike terrorist facilities," he was quoted by the Ria news agency as saying.

Kremlin chief-of-staff Sergey Ivanov said Russia would keep its surface-to-air missile system in place.

"We are leaving completely reliable cover for the remaining contingent... To effectively ensure security, including from the air, we need the most modern air defence systems," he was quoted as saying by Russian media.

The move is seen as a sign of Putin's growing dissatisfaction with his Syrian counterpart and ally Bashar Al-Assad, who has publicly stated that he will use military force to take back any territory won by rebels in the bitter civil war that has so far killed an estimated 250,000 people and created a refugee crisis across Europe.

Critics of the Russian intervention argue that it was primarily designed to aid Assad by hitting Syrian rebels under the cover of attacking IS targets.
The FTSE 100 was in the red in afternoon trading on Tuesday, off the back of lower oil prices and predictions from OPEC that global demand for the cartel's crude would be less than previously expected in 2016.

Leading the risers was Royal Bank of Scotland, which had revealed further job cuts as part of its radical restructuring. The state-supported bank said it would slash 448 investment banking jobs, and set up 300 similar roles in India, adding to its existing operation in the country. The move came just days after it announced it was cutting 550 adviser jobs and replacing them with an automated 'robo-advice' service.

Home improvement retailer Kingfisher was also on the up, after Jefferies Group reiterated its 'buy' rating on the shares in a report released on Monday. Jefferies currently had a price target of 420p on the stock. Sanford C Bernstein joined in, reiterating its outperform rating on the stock, and also had a price target of 420p on it.

The big miners were under the cosh, with Anglo American down after its chief executive Mark Cutifani shelled out for 40,000 shares at 5.51 each to underpin the struggling company. It came after Anglo American published its annual report on Monday, which showed the miner slumping to a record $5.5bn pre-tax loss for 2015, with Cutifani's pay package also sinking.

Copper specialist Antofagasta was also slipping, after its board cancelled its final dividend. The company said the interim payment met its target of paying 35% of final earnings, after annual profits fell 82.9% to $259.4m. Antofagasta's board said it did not expect any sustained recovery in copper prices until late in 2017.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 235.00p 1.64%

Kingfisher (KGF) 355.70p 1.48%

Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,428.00p 1.42%

RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 456.90p 1.15%

Mondi (MNDI) 1,360.00p 1.12%

Dixons Carphone (DC.) 435.60p 1.07%

Unilever (ULVR) 3,141.50p 1.00%

Compass Group (CPG) 1,227.00p 0.99%

Relx plc (REL) 1,267.00p 0.96%

Ashtead Group (AHT) 822.50p 0.92%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Anglo American (AAL) 492.00p -9.97%

Antofagasta (ANTO) 499.60p -7.05%

BHP Billiton (BLT) 767.50p -5.97%

Legal & General Group (LGEN) 229.40p -5.83%

Glencore (GLEN) 140.40p -5.07%

Standard Chartered (STAN) 465.05p -3.83%

Rio Tinto (RIO) 1,925.00p -3.82%

Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,355.00p -3.08%

Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN) 282.90p -2.18%

Prudential (PRU) 1,320.00p -1.93%
Financial advisor Lighthouse Group said it had renewed its contract with Parliament Hill Limited as the preferred provider of expert financial advice to its members for another two years. No financial details were disclosed. The contract covers advice on retirement planning, mortgages and investments, Lighthouse said

LED lighting and laser designer ProPhotonix posted it first ever profit in more than a decade thanks to the effect of the same currency fluctuations which had led to revenues declining. The US-headquartered company, which has its manufacturing operations base in Cork, Ireland and research facilities near Stansted airport in the UK, reported revenue down 12% to $14.4m in calendar 2015 from $16.4m, which would have been down 9% to $15.8m without the currency effect.

SDL reported a wider full year pre-tax loss for 2015 as it booked an impairment charge related to the groups restructuring. In the year to the end of December, the company, which specialises in content management and language translation software and services, said the pre-tax loss widened to 25.2m from 9.4m in 2014. SDL booked an impairment of 33.3m and 5.8 in one-off costs related to the company's restructuring.

Verona Pharma has published further encouraging clinical results for its RPL554 drug to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). Tests among asthma patients found the inhaled drug, which has both bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory properties in the same active molecule, performed very well compared to current asthma treatment salbutamol.

Investors were keen to get their hands on a 'world class and robust' Sirius Minerals on Tuesday afternoon, as the company let slip some positive rhetoric ahead of the release of the definitive feasibility study for its polyhalite project in North Yorkshire. The AIM-traded company announced to the market that it expected to unveil the findings on Thursday at 0700 GMT.

Shares in Nostra Terra Oil and Gas Company were rising on Tuesday afternoon, with the firm revealing its new choice in nominated adviser, after the resignation of Sanlam Securities on Monday. The AIM-traded resources company, with a portfolio of assets in the US and Egypt, announced it had appointed Strand Hanson as nominated and financial adviser, and joint broker to the company, with immediate effect.

A sense of normalcy returned to penny stock Kimberly Enterprises on Tuesday, as a long-running dispute over the controlling interest of one of its parents was resolved.The AIM-traded Eastern European residential property developer had initially announced on 20 May last year that its controlling shareholder would become Gabay Group, after 2.87 million ordinary shares in Engel Resources and Development (ERD) were to be transferred to Gabay from previous holder GBES.
Digitimes Research: Worldwide notebook shipments up slightly on month in February

Following significant drops both on month and on year in January, worldwide notebook shipments remained weak in February, growing only 2% sequentially for the top-five brand vendors together and 1% sequentially for the top-three notebook ODMs, according to Digitimes Research.

Despite a significant shipment decline in January because of high inventory level, Hewlett-Packard (HP) still managed to reach its shipment goal for the fiscal first-quarter 2016 ended on January 31. HP then recorded strong growth in February and returned as the largest vendor worldwide, Digitimes Research's report noted.

Although Lenovo had strong shipment performance in January, its shipments in February were lower than those for Dell, who achieved growth in the month thanks to orders for Windows 10-based enterprise notebooks.

Asustek Computer and Acer both saw on-month shipment drops in February because of seasonal factors.

As for the top-3 ODMs, Compal Electronics achieved an on-month growth of 10% in February, the best performance among the three. Quanta Computer had an on-month decline in February with one of its major clients, Toshiba, gradually leaving the consumer notebook market, and another, Acer, performing weaker than expected. Wistron's February shipments were flat on month. The three ODMs together had an on-year decline of 12% in February, which was a big improvement compared to the January's on-year drop of 30%.

Content from this article was part of a complete Digitimes Research Chinese-language report that has not yet been translated into English. If you are interested in an English version of the report or wish to receive more information about the report, click here to contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Digitimes Research also provides quarterly tracking services for market sectors such as China Smartphone, China Smartphone AP, Taiwan ICT and Taiwan FPD. Click here for more information about Digitimes Research Tracking services.
Reader Asks: Curious, how did you find the dentist that your family uses?



Frank and Angie Respond: When one moves to Cuenca Ecuador or any other country, they have choices. One is to live like a tourist from that point on, and the other is to make it their mission to live as close as possible to the local level. When one moves to Cuenca Ecuador or any other country, they have choices. One is to live like a tourist from that point on, and the other is to make it their mission to

Tourists pay tourist prices and thats what dental tourism is. Do you pay tourist prices in your home town? If not, why not? I see a double standard here.



How did we find our dentist?



One day I got the phone book and started looking at the numerous dentists (3.5 pages of dentists) and after reading what they offered (using Google Translate) we went and personally checked out a few. After going to a handful of them and seeing the pleasant staff, clean dental offices and state of the art dental equipment we decided to try one out and weve been going there ever since.

Frank goes to the Dentist - Cuenca Ecuiador

Dental Tourism Gone Bad. We do list what local residents are paying when they go to the dentist.



It's up to you. You can live like a tourist or a local. For us, going local is best.



We have found that relying on recommendations is one of the worse ways to be taken advantage of financially speaking and most times it became a waste of time, and in fact the two times we have gotten lazy and relied on recommendations instead of doing the footwork we were mislead and never received the service they were supposed to provide.

Being that were writers we wanted to provide our readers with a price structure to use as a guide to finding good dental services that have local prices and well the rest is in the DIY Cuenca landing Guide. We do not recommend any particular dentist for the reason we stated in our latest video aboutIt's up to you. You can live like a tourist or a local. For us, going local is best.We have found that relying on recommendations is one of the worse ways to be taken advantage of financially speaking and most times it became a waste of time, and in fact the two times we have gotten lazy and relied on recommendations instead of doing the footworkthey were supposed to provide.

Its funny how people back home simply grab their favorite informational book, the phone book and then proceed to let their fingers do the walking, but here they rely on what other people tell them. Back home if a business or service is not in the famous phone book, they wont use them but here, guess its ok.



Until we write again, you might like to read these articles about going local when living abroad.
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SPOKANE (AP)  A federal judge has set new deadlines for cleaning up nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, after Washington state went to court to prod the U.S. Department of Energy over the flagging efforts.

U.S. District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson issued the new deadlines in a 102-page order late Friday. Among them: A plant designed to treat low-activity radioactive waste must begin operating by 2022, and a plant to convert the most dangerous waste into glass for burial must be fully operating by 2036.





. . .
Scientists could be a step closer to creating a contraceptive pill for men thanks to researchers at Minnesota University. The researchers announced at the American Chemical Society's yearly meeting that significant progress had been made, as they looked for a product that had no side effects. Since the female pill was invented 50 years ago, scientists had not found a way to pause fertility for men without huge risks. Gunda Gerog, the leader of the research team, told The Times, "It would have to be soluble so it could be taken by mouth. It would start working fairly quickly and it wouldn't diminish libido. It would be safe even if taken for decades. "And because some users would eventually want to have children, its impact on fertility would be reversible, with no lingering ill effects on sperm or embryos." The researchers took inspiration from a study last year that identified an enzyme used by sperm to get inside the egg. According to the researchers, they had made small changes to a previous version of the male pill to make it effective over a longer period and easier to take. According to John Herr, a professor of cell biology who worked on the earlier study, ''Understanding at the molecular level exactly how the sperm is able to bind with and enter the egg, opens opportunities to identify molecules that can disrupt or block the fertilisation event.'' The male hormone testosterone had been used before as it could produce temporary infertility, without affecting libido. According to Jillian Kyzer, one of the researchers in the team, at certain doses, testosterone caused infertility, but at those doses it did not work for up to 20 per cent of men, and it could cause side-effects, including weight gain and a decrease in 'good' cholesterol.''










Jane W. Bass, 93, of Calera, AL, formerly of the Poplar Springs Community, Graceville, FL passed away, Saturday, March 12, 2016 in Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, AL. A Graveside service will be held 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery. Family will receive friends at the church 1 p.m. until time of service. In lieu of flowers family request memorials be made to charity of your choice. James and Lipford Funeral Home 850-263-3238 is in charge of arrangements. Please sign the guest book online at www.dothaneagle.com.
dpa ElectionsData

With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
Honda Australia is confident its tenth-generation Civic will claw back lost ground and reclaim its title as the "king of small cars".

The Japanese car maker has admitted that GFC cutbacks in quality and development led to a lacklustre and confusing model line up  with the vanilla sedan sourced from Thailand and the quirky hatch built in England  that eroded the Civic's status at a critical time when the popularity of small cars have soared.

Now it says the all-new model has found its "mojo" again with sportier styling, the latest in technology and more advanced, fuel efficient engines.

While Honda Australia has yet to officially confirm full specifications and pricing ahead of the sedan variant's showroom arrival in June, it provided Drive with a preview of the car in Sydney this week and said the first priority is to re-establish its position as a genuine rival to Australia's two favourite new cars, the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.

"We are starting to get our mojo back, and it all revolves around new product," Honda Australia's director, Stephen Collins, said.

"It all started with HR-V and now continues with Civic. For us, it is probably the most important model we are ever going to launch to get us back to that position."

"Civic used to be a king of small cars, and it certainly hasn't been there for the last few years but the intention is to take it back into that place," added the company's Brand and Communications manager, Scott McGregor.

"We're not going to chase Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 on volume but we will chase them on brand, and we would like to see consumers looking at the Civic as one of the kings of the small car segment again. Simple as that"

Like before, Honda will offer both sedan and hatchback body styles but this time both have been designed with similar styling, will be fitted with identical specifications and engines and be built alongside each other in a new factory in Thailand.

The four-door sedan will be the first variant to arrive in Australia in June with the hatch scheduled to join the line-up early in 2017 and crowned by the Type R hot hatch a few months after that.

The mainstream models will be offered in five different specification grades (including a new RS trim that amplifies the car's styling but offers no performance upgrades) that will likely include an entry-level model with a starting price of around $20,000 and extend to a full-kitted out flagship in the mid $30k bracket.

While executives are yet to divulge details, it has confirmed its intention to offer Apple CarPlay/Android Auto as standard across the range effectively ensuring sat nav in even the base model.

"Our objective is to hit the sweet spot on price," Collins said.

"Clearly to be among the leaders in that segment, we have to provide overall value as well as the latest in advanced connectivity."

"We feel [that sourcing both models from Thailand] will help us become very competitive again. We have yet to set the price, however that will put us on the money to be very competitive."

Engine options will include a carry over 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder and a new-generation 1.5-litre turbo available exclusively with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic.

The Type R is expected to feature a 2.0-litre turbo four cylinder that delivers more than 200kW through the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Honda claims it will be more than a match for the upcoming Ford Focus RS in terms of performance as one of the benchmark hot hatches.

At the other end of the spectrum, Honda has no plans to replace the Civic Hybrid in this generation, citing a lack of genuine demand without any incentives for low-emission cars in Australia.

"There is no current plan for a hybrid Civic," Collins said.

"The hybrid market [in Australia] is less than one percent of the total market, and if you backed out [Toyota] Camry from that it would be a lot, lot less.

"I think hybrid still has a place and a place in our lineup with NSX. But it is not core volume. It is core to the brand globally but not to our business here in Australia."
Mazda's upcoming CX-4 SUV isn't headed for Australian showrooms, the car maker has confirmed.

The Japanese brand will reveal the all-new SUV at the upcoming Beijing motor show, with a single teaser image released this week cementing the positioning of the new model between the smaller CX-3 and the larger CX-5.

Mazda has decided the CX-4 will only be made available in the Chinese market at this stage.

"The CX-4 is the latest addition to Mazda's new-generation line-up of models featuring the full range of SKYACTIV Technology and KODO-Soul of Motion design," the company said.

"This is a new type of crossover SUV designed to help customers live more creative lives."

Mazda Australia has expressed interest in the CX-4, though there is concern over whether it would crowd the marque's current three-strong SUV line-up. Based on the larger CX-5, Mazda has described the new model as its answer to the Subaru Outback. It will parallel many elements of the sleek Koeru concept that debuted at the 2015 Frankfurt motor show.

Mazda has previously expressed that its Japanese manufacturing operations were running at full tilt, suggesting the CX-4 could be produced in China, Thailand or Mexico instead.
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The owner of award winning Fitzpatricks Bar and Restaurant says that he is gutted following a critical TripAdvisor review and has decided to cancel all future Halloween and Christmas events.

The owner of award winning Fitzpatricks Bar and Restaurant says that he is gutted following a critical TripAdvisor review and has decided to cancel all future Halloween and Christmas events.

Danny Fitzpatrick, who has been in business for over 20 years, has blasted the review which states that he used abusive language towards a customer.

I am completely gutted, Danny told The Dundalk Democrat. I dont know what to say. I havent slept for two nights since this whole thing came about.

I refute everything that was said in the review. People who know me personally and those who we have served for over twenty years would be aware I would do no such thing.

Danny is critical of online reviews and how people can write anything without justification which can potentially destroy businesses.

You have no comeback or say, said Danny,

It could destroy a business. These reviews could even be written by other businesses who are trying to deter competition. I dont know who wrote the review. It could be anybody. The matter is that its false information.

Following the review, Danny took to the restaurants Facebook page to address the issue.

Over 4,000 people liked his response and 600 people wrote comments of support.

I have read some of the comments, but not them all, said Danny, Myself and my wife are going away for a few days to clear our heads. The support has been great and I would like to thank everybody who contacted me.

The review is not just a hit against me personally, but its a hit against the staff.

Danny has now taken the decision to cancel all future Halloween and Christmas events.

It is with deep regret I do this, said Danny, At Halloween 2013 we raised 7014.00 for Temple Street childrens Hospital. This was the biggest donation made from anywhere in Ireland.

Regarding the Christmas displays, there was an investment of over 25,000 and 2013 was the first year of a four year plan. At Christmas 2013 we raised 645 for the charity Aware.

Nobody knows how I felt when I read the review. It is heartbreaking when myself and our staff put everything into the restaurant.
The construction industry might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about online marketing, but the fact is more and more people are jumping on the Internet for all of their service and product needs, not just for retail, and any small business who wants to keep on growing in this day and age needs to learn about and understand the potential of the Internet.

Even though there is an upward trend in the global economic market, the construction industry in Australia still has quite a number of challenges that businesses are facing, including increasingly aggressive competition, a slow economy and a rise in the cost of insurance.

You might think that when it comes to the construction industry, word of mouth is the quickest and most effective marketing method  and you would be right. However, small businesses often cannot rely on word of mouth alone anymore. In order to compete successfully in todays marketplace, any construction business also needs a strong online presence.

Currently, the construction industry is crowded with organisations that use traditional methods of marketing and many have not capitalised on the potential of online marketing strategies to grow their business. Organisations in the construction industry that then adopt online marketing as a way to build business can therefore leapfrog the competition by establishing an early presence in an area filled with possibility and one where competition is still relatively scarce.

That being said, so what are the top five online marketing challenges for small businesses in the construction industry, and how can you overcome them?

1. Not having an up to date online presence

One of the best and most effective online marketing tools is a professional, well designed website that is mobile friendly. If you dont have a website or rely on your company popping up in local trade or council business sites for jobs, then you are essentially blocking your opportunity for business.

If you have got a website but it is outdated and cannot be easily accessed on a mobile device, then you are quite possibly not reaching the maximum number of customers that you would have otherwise, potential customers that will probably go to your competitors.

Whereas a couple of years ago most people did all their web browsing and online reading on a desktop computer or a laptop, nowadays its been found that more people than ever simply use their tablets or mobile phones for browsing the Internet, reading and online shopping.

The first thing you need to do to solidify your online presence is to invest in a properly designed website that is fit for purpose. And thats only the beginning. To ensure that potential customers will be able to find you whenever they need to, you also need to sign up for any and all relevant online directories and industry websites  and dont forget to make sure that your contact details are all up to date!

2. Not having an online marketing strategy

You wouldnt dream of starting your company without a business plan, would you? That same level of diligence and preparation should apply to your marketing but unfortunately many in the construction industry have not  and sometimes do not plan to  give the same amount of thought to an Internet marketing strategy.

Besides giving you a better idea of what you need to do to establish an effective online presence, an Internet marketing strategy will also define your marketing goals and objectives, and set out clearly how you can use the Internet to put your plans into practice.

A good Internet marketing strategy should always list out which Internet options are going to be suitable for your company and what you do. If you are not sure where to start, then talk to your local trade association or business development unit at the council as they will be best placed to advise you. Also, do take some time to check out your competitors to see how they are growing their online presence and what steps they are taking towards marketing themselves.

3. Following the leader without considering your own company

Its one thing to check out your competitors, its another to blindly emulate everything that they do. While it might be tempting to copy what the big companies are doing online, and it is even necessary for you to keep up with what your competitors are offering in order to stay competitive, you do need to focus on your companys own unique selling points too.

Even though you likely should be using the same online platforms as everybody else, your online presence should have a clear steer to the features, functions and benefits of your particular product or service. You do not have to focus on the same aspects of your service as everybody else  rather, you should be touting the areas of your service or product that are unique, and be sure to tailor your Internet marketing strategy accordingly.

For example, if you have a product that is exclusive to your company, be sure to make that exclusivity clear. If you are targeting a certain demographic, such as business owners for instance, make sure that your Internet marketing strategy is geared towards reaching those potential customers and not other demographics like stay at home mums or university students.

4. Not having a presence on social media

Why should a small business in the construction industry bother to have a Facebook page, you might ask? The answer is simple: word of mouth is, like we said earlier, the quickest and most effective marketing method. In an Internet age, where so many people are spending more time talking to others online than face to face, the Internet is where a lot of electronic word of mouth advertising is taking place.

These days, websites are a low cost avenue to start your Internet marketing strategy, and social media platforms are free. Electronic word of mouth advertising is a quick, effective and cheap way of reaching potential customers, so make sure you have a professional presence on platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter as a minimum.

At our organisation, we have successfully utilised LinkedIn, particularly to develop partnerships with complementary businesses and for outreach to commercial clients to effectively grow our business. Of course, signing up for an account is the easy part  once youre on, dont forget to stay current, post regularly, and most important, dont be afraid to sell yourselves!

5. Sending mixed messages

Because so many companies in the construction industry are small businesses, some even being family businesses, branding isnt always a priority. However, its important to ensure that your company isnt sending out a mixture of branding elements, and that your hard format branding doesnt differ from your online presence.

Be consistent with a theme, logo and brand for your small business. If you dont have a logo, invest in one. Come up with a company motto and adopt a fixed colour palette for your logo, theme and other branding elements. As best as you are able to, tie these elements in with your small business so that it represents what you do and who you are.

Once youve decided on a fixed branding image and message, be consistent with them. Make sure they are the same across all your online platforms, as well as on your hard format materials such as invoices, name cards and so on. It is a bit of an extra effort but it will be worth it in the long run.

As your small business grows, youll find that being recognisable and accessible will go a long way towards keeping your customers loyalty and patronage, as well as gain you new customers. And at the end of the day, thats what marketing is all about, isnt it?

About the author:

Grant Wigney is the owner and director of National Waterproofing and Industrial Flooring (NWIF), one of Melbournes leading waterproofing, epoxy flooring and commercial/industrial flooring companies. With more than 25 years of experience in construction and building under his belt, he has seen the industry evolve over the years and knows what it takes to keep a company current and successful.
"We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address
ALBANY  Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I  North Tonawanda) today voted in favor of the State Senates one-house budget resolution, which kicks off negotiations with the Assembly and Governor for the 2016-17 state budget. The Senates proposal outlines benefits to working families, businesses and schools, including tax cuts, education funding, infrastructure and transportation parity, and funding to combat the heroin epidemic.A video of Senator Ortts statement on the budget resolution can be found here By increasing school aid by $1.6 billion and fully eliminating the anti-Upstate GEA, we will help students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers, said Senator Ortt. We insist on infrastructure parity between Upstate and New York City so that we can make record  and long overdue  investments in our roads, bridges, and water. We also continue the bipartisan fight to address the heroin epidemic by dedicating $167 million in funding to educate the public, help addicts, and put dealers behind bars.The Middle Class Income Tax Relief Program would create a new 25 percent tax rate reduction that would be phased in from 2019 to 2025. This permanent rate cut will save nearly 4 million middle-class taxpayers an average of $897, for a total of $3.5 billion annually after its fully implemented in 2025.The Senates budget proposal would significantly reduce energy costs for consumers and businesses alike. The one-house budget fully eliminates the 18-a assessment surcharge by the end of 2016  one year ahead of the current phase-out plan scheduled to be completed by 2017. The 18-a surcharge, imposed by Democrats in 2009, is a surcharge residents and businesses are forced to pay on utility bills charged by the States publicly owned utilities. The move to eliminate the 18-a surcharge this year would save taxpayers $125 million in fiscal year 2017.The Senate budget would fully restore the state education funding cuts known as the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) this fiscal year as opposed to the Governors Executive Budget proposal to phase out the GEA over a two year period. The Senate Republican Majority is proposing to eliminate the remaining $434 million in GEA cuts that would increase aid to $1.6 billion for school districts across the state. Last year, the State Legislature eliminated nearly all of the anti-Upstate, GEA, which saved taxpayers in the 62nd district $18 million.The one-house budget would make college more affordable for thousands of students and families. The Senate Republican conference proposed $87 million to expand the income eligibility and award amounts for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). It also includes an increase in the tuition tax credit and creation of a new state income tax exemption for a total tax savings of $295 million.The Senates one-house does not include the Governors proposal of $27 million to help send illegal immigrants to college. That money would be funded by taxpayers, so that undocumented immigrants would be able to apply for state financial aid for college. The Senate rejected this proposal due to the fact that tons of working class families are struggling to send their kids to college and are being forced to take out large amounts in college loans.Senator Ortt said, Our conference is firmly committed to the needs of Upstate businesses, working families, and schools. Its also important to note whats not in the Senate budget - we firmly rejected liberal New York City efforts to provide taxpayer-funded college for illegal immigrants.The Senates one-house proposes parity in infrastructure funding for highways, roads and bridges between upstate and downstate. Traditionally, infrastructure funding between downstate and upstate was essentially equal. Recently, however, the funding formula shifted - with downstate infrastructure receiving more resources than upstate. Ortt and Senate Republicans took a firm stance that the state needed to invest in infrastructure and that spending needed parity. The Senate adds an additional $6.5 million for a total of more than $200 million in upstate infrastructure aid.The Senate Republican Majoritys budget proposal includes a total of $167 million in funding to strengthen opioid prevention, treatment, recovery and education services. The Governors Executive Budget proposed $141 million to combat the epidemic. The Senate accepts his proposal and increases it by another $26 million.Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction Co-Chair Senator Ortt said, The heroin epidemic is sweeping across our state at an alarming rate without discrimination of its victims. This budget proposal represents our conference's firm commitment to addressing and ultimately eradicating the epidemic in New York State. From educating the public, to helping addicts, to putting more dealers behind bars, we've put forth proposals to attack each area of this public health crisis. I'm hopeful the Assembly and Governor will follow our lead to deliver resources to communities and families in dire need of relief."The states $145 billion budget is due March 31.


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Area workers struggling to support their families will join a massive rally inAlbany today in support of a $15 minimum wage to send a powerful message:No New Yorker who works hard should live in poverty!Thousands of workers from every industry will be travelling to Albany early Tuesday morning for a massive rally in support of the $15 minimum wage. Over 200 Western New York workers will board a fleet of 15 buses representing Upstate New York to send a powerful message to lawmakers that they should pass the $15 statewide minimum wage by the end of this month.In total, over 3 million working New Yorkers would be raised up by the $15 minimum wage, more than 37% of the workforce. 95% of workers making less than $15 are 20 years or older and 66% work full-time. Over 200 economists, including 7 Nobel Prize winners, have said that raising the minimum wage will boost the economy because working people will have more money in their pockets to spend at local businesses.
What is TARGET2-Securities (T2S)?

When investors buy and sell securities the security and payment need to change hands  a process called securities settlement. TARGET2-Securities, or T2S, is a safe platform where the exchange can happen simultaneously, i.e. where delivery versus payment is possible.

Safer and more efficient securities settlement

T2S revolutionised securities settlement in Europe because it brought an end to complex cross-border settlement procedures and the problems caused by different settlement practices among countries.

Instead with T2S we have a common platform on which securities and cash can be transferred between investors across Europe, using harmonised rules and practices. Currently 20 European countries use T2S.

Banks pay for securities on the platform using the account they have with their central bank, so the money used to settle transactions is central bank money. As a result, transaction risk is greatly reduced.

Why T2S?

T2S lays the foundations for a single market for securities settlement and thus contributes to achieving greater integration of Europes financial market. It does this by:



making it easier for investors to buy securities in other EU countries

reducing the cost of cross-border securities settlement

increasing competition among providers of post-trade services (i.e. clearing and settlement services) in Europe

pooling collateral and liquidity, meaning that banks no longer need to keep these in various locations and can quickly move them to where they are needed

reducing settlement risk and increasing financial stability by using central bank money for transactions on the platform.

How does it work?

If you are a market participant and you want to settle securities transactions using the T2S platform, you need a securities account with one of the central securities depositories (CSDs) connected to T2S and a dedicated cash account with one of the central banks connected to the platform. These accounts live side by side on the common platform  i.e. the settlement model is integrated for fast, low-risk and efficient settlement.

Simultaneous settlement

For each transaction, settlement instructions from the CSD and the central bank are matched by T2S when they enter the system. T2S then settles the transaction on a delivery-versus-payment (DvP) basis, i.e. the money and securities change hands simultaneously. Transactions are made using central bank money, which reduces risk.

T2S also offers a set of sophisticated technical features, including optimisation algorithms to enhance settlement efficiency and advanced auto-collateralisation mechanisms.

Connecting to T2S

Market participants usually communicate with T2S via the technical interface of their CSD or central bank, but banks can also choose to instruct T2S directly. Directly connected participants still need an account with their central bank and a CSD to be able to settle the securities transactions.

Central securities depositories

19 CSDs from 20 European countries, and by extension their local market communities, are connected to T2S. To access the platform, a CSD needs to comply with the the eligibility criteria of the T2S Guideline and to sign a contract, called the Framework Agreement, with the Eurosystem.

Different currencies in T2S

Currencies other than the euro can be used for settlement in T2S if the central bank concerned is connected to the platform and willing to add its currency. In addition to the euro, the Danish krone is available for settlement in T2S since October 2018. Currency Participation Agreement

Related European Commission initiatives
As we know all too well here in Michigan, once an Emergency Manager takes over a city, none of the elected leaders holds any power. In fact, anything they have done up to that point is considered to have been done by an inept, possibly corrupt, group of elected officials. Otherwise, an Emergency Manager wouldnt have been needed.

Its at that moment, the moment when our CEO governor appointed an unelected overseer, that democracy is thrown on the rubbish heap and a single person becomes responsible for the entire city. Its exactly what our draconian Emergency Manager Law (and the one that preceded it) are all about.

When things go well, Gov. Snyder and his administration are there to take full credit. Even today Gov. Snyder touts the success of their actions in Detroit on the state website:

Detroits comeback is underway Governor Rick Snyder understood that for Michigan to be a great state once again, Detroit had to become a great city once again. In June 2013, he hecided [sic] that enough was enough. Because of decades of neglect and mismanagement, the city faced a nearly unsolvable financial hole. Working with private organizations, foundations, and the public sector, Govrenor [sic] Snyder forged a bipartisan coalition called the Grand Bargain to reduce cuts to retiree pensions and ensure city services were maintained. Today, Detroit is on the path to recovery, and thats why we call it Americas Comeback City.

Whats becoming increasingly clear, however, is that when things dont go so well, the Emergency Manager has no interest in taking responsibility.

When the city of Flint made the move to the Flint River for its drinking water, Emergency Manager Darnell Earley was in charge. To paraphrase former Benton Emergency Manager Joe Harris, HE was the Finance Director and the City Manager. HE was the Mayor and HE was the Commission and he didnt need them.

However, in an op-ed in The Detroit News and in prepared testimony he will deliver before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee later today, Darnell Earley puts the blame for the poisoning of Flints drinking water with the powerful, tasteless, odorless, invisible neurotoxin lead on everyone but himself.

Heres what he said in his op-ed last year:

The decision to separate from Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and go with the KWA, which included the decision to pump Flint River water in the interim, were part of a long-term plan that was approved by Flints mayor and confirmed by a City Council vote of 7-1 on March 25, 2013. This plan was presented to me when I was appointed as Flint emergency manager in October 2013  a full seven months after the City Councils affirmative vote.

What Earley conveniently leaves out is the fact that the decision to pump Flint River water in the interim was NEVER discussed by the City Council. This is established fact and no longer a matter of debate. He also leaves out the part that, when the vote he references occurred, the City Council had no power because an Emergency Manager was in charge.

As former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling will say in his testimony before the House Committee today, The emergency managers and the state decided to switch Flint to the river.

Heres what Earley will himself will tell the House Committee today, according to his prepared comments released to the media:

At no time did the water department staff, Mayor Walling, the City Council, or the state petition me to halt, slow, or otherwise modify the implementation of the plan. Nor at any point and time during the preparation for the switch, did I receive any information that would even remotely indicate that the use of the Flint River was unsafe in any way.

This is a remarkable statement. It seems to imply that others were responsible for stopping him from doing the wrong thing, that he himself was in no way culpable for his actions.

That the buck did not, in fact, stop with him.

I get that Darnell Earley and Gov. Snyder want to distance themselves from the poisoning of children and others in Flint. Id have trouble looking at myself in the mirror every morning if I had be responsible for that, too. But the fact remains that Earley and the Emergency Managers before him DID make the decisions that led to this disaster. And even if the City Council HAD voted to use the Flint River for over two years before the Karegnondi River Authority pipeline from Lake Huron was operational (they did NOT), THEY were the Finance Director and the City Manager. THEY were the Mayor and THEY were the Commission and they didnt need them.

Darnell Earley and Gov. Snyder want us to believe that Emergency Management is only responsible for the good things that happen under their watch. When things go awry and people are poisoned and schools are allowed to disintegrate and go bankrupt while they are in charge, thats somehow not their responsibility.

When Republicans tell you that they are the Party of Personal Responsibility, dont believe it for a minute. Gov. Snyder and his policy of Emergency Management are Exhibit A in showing that the opposite is true.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid RaAd Al-Hussein on Friday weighed in on the Apple-FBI dispute, asking U.S. authorities to proceed with great caution. The legal fight centers on a courts order that Apple help the FBI access encrypted iPhone data to aid its investigation of the San Bernardino terrorist attack.

Such a move could lead to crackdowns in various authoritarian countries, Al-Hussein said.

In order to address a security-related issue related to encryption in one case, the authorities risk unlocking a Pandoras Box that could have extremely damaging implications for the human rights of many millions of people, including their physical and financial security, he contended.

Legal Wrangling Ahead

The case is far from settled. Apple has appealed the order, and a hearing is scheduled later this month in a federal court in northern California.

In the meantime, everyone involved should consider the wider implications of such a decision, Al-Hussein urged.

The San Bernardino attack was an abominable crime, he acknowledged. A husband and wife who were ISIS sympathizers killed 14 people and injured 22 in a mass shooting.

Everyone should support the FBI in its investigation, Al-Hussein said.

However, the issue at hand has ramifications that extend beyond this one case and this one particular company, he pointed out.

A successful case against Apple in the U.S. will set a major precedent that may make it impossible for Apple or any other major international IT company to safeguard their clients privacy anywhere in the world, Al-Hussein cautioned.

Those big picture concerns beg the question of how the FBI should carry out its investigation of the San Bernardino case. Would some type of compromise be possible if the iPhone at the center of the controversy contained valuable evidence?

Thats a big if,' said Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the commissioner.

There may be nothing of interest on the phone, he told TechNewsWorld. People have been investigating and solving crimes long before the invention of the smartphone.

Rogue States

Foreign governments have pressured Google and BlackBerry to expose their customers through mass surveillance, Al-Hussein pointed out.

BlackBerry last year threatened to exit Pakistan rather than comply with the governments demand for access to its servers, he recalled.

China has pressured Google to censor its search engine, Al-Hussein added.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority requires prior approval for the use of VPNs and encryption, he pointed out, citing a 2015 report on the role of encryption in human rights.

Buba (Germanys central bank) requires regulatory authority for those using encryption, the report notes.

China reportedly requires that encryption products adhere to government-approved algorithms that have not been peer reviewed for security.

Officials in the U.S. and UK have advocated creating backdoor access to encrypted devices. Other countries like Bolivia and Brazil prohibit anonymous speech, according to the report. In Iran, all IP addresses inside the country must be registered, and cybercafe users must provide their real names when using a computer.

Advocates back UN

Privacy and human rights advocates echo many of Al-Husseins concerns.

The high commissioner is right to raise concerns about the serious global human rights ramifications of this case, maintained Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU Human Rights Program.

A particular worry is the risk of helping authoritarian regimes, he told TechNewsWorld, as well as the threat to privacy and cybersecurity for millions around the world.

There are several important issues related to the debate between Apple the FBI, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Among them are First Amendment implications, privacy rights, human rights and democracy.

We believe that compelling Apple to build a backdoor for its own product actually undermines the security and personal safety of millions of Americans and others around the world, especially those living under authoritarian regimes, spokesperson Karen Gullo told TechNewsWorld, by creating the legal precedent, by weakening the trust users have in software updates supposedly authorized by companies, and by building the technology itself.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigations efforts to compel Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the slain San Bernardino terrorists could threaten national security, charged Craig Federighi, Apples SVP of engineering, in an op-ed piece published Monday in The Washington Post.

Terrorists and criminals could launch attacks on vital infrastructure through access to just one persons smartphone and cryptographic protections on smartphones are a critical line of defense, he maintained.

Law enforcement officials have suggested that Apple return to the safeguards of iOS 7, which have since been breached by hackers, Federighi wrote. Further, hacker kits to attack iOS 7 weaknesses are available to less-skilled attackers.

The FBIs desire for Apple to create a backdoor also poses a threat, he argued, noting that security is an endless race and that yesterdays best defenses cannot fend off the attacks of today or tomorrow.

A Focus for Discord

More than 800 responses ro the Post article showed support for both sides of the controversy.

Arguing that only bad actors need worry about government intrusions is specious since the data analytics that sifts through metadata and associated content to establish networks of associations  is hardly foolproof, wrote Code Ferret.

The FBI could abuse the power obtained under a favorable court ruling, suggested Joan Ashley.

Rbobbin disagreed, noting that encryption is too sweeping.

Craig Lawson responded by posting a link to a letter from Salihin Kondoker, husband of one of the slain victims, who expressed support for encryption despite his personal tragedy.

A Community Split

Members of the security committee also are divided in their views on the issue.

Compelling Apple to build a backdoor for its own product actually undermines the security and personal safety of millions of Americans and others around the world, especially those living under authoritarian regimes, said Sophia Cope, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

It does so by creating the legal precedent, by weakening the trust users have in software updates supposedly authorized by companies, and by building the technology itself, she told TechNewsWorld.

Walking backwards into the future is never a clever way, remarked Ebba Blitz, CEO of Alertsec.

Its not only weakening encryption for individuals and companies  its also weakening encryption for the American government, she told TechNewsWorld. By creating the possibility of brute force [attacks], we are paving the way for anyone, including terrorists, to hack into our data easily.

If Apple should lose this court battle, we may need to take a look at, and revise the purpose of, the law, Blitz continued, warning that in the long run, it would drive the U.S. tech industry overseas.

Everything from health data to financial data to conversations with and about our kids is protected because of encryption, contended Jake Ward, president and CEO of the Application Developers Alliance. Why would we want to go back to iOS 7?

Deliberately weakening encryption just for the good guys is not possible, he told TechNewsWorld. You cant secure your home while leaving a window open for the police, hoping bad guys dont find it and use it.

With a court order, law enforcement agents should be able to unlock any cellphone or device, countered Philip Lieberman, president of Lieberman Software.

This doesnt put security or privacy at risk, because theres a one-to-one capability that would allow for limited access to single devices only via cryptographic techniques, he argued.

There is no win or loss in the court battle  only clarity in the governments overall position toward law enforcements immediate right to access systems, Lieberman told TechNewsWorld.

Apple is trying hard to answer some important questions about the role technology plays in our lives and its relationship with the law and our rights guaranteed under it, suggested ADAs Ward.

These are existential questions in the digital age that arent new to law enforcement, lawmakers or technology companies, he pointed out. That they are being talked about in a broader form may ultimately bring about a solution.
A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered the release of Facebook Regional Vice President Diego Dzodan, one day afterBrazilian police placed him under arrest forWhatsApps failure to produce messages the government believed relevant to a drug ring investigation. Judge Ruy Pinheiro concluded the execs detainment amounted to coercion, according to press reports.

Judge Marcel Maia ordered the arrest on Tuesday, after WhatsApp failed to comply with requests by police and the court to produce messages created in the app.

We are disappointed that law enforcement took this extreme step, WhatsApp said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld by spokesperson Matt Steinfeld.

WhatsApp cannot provide information we do not have, the company maintained. We cooperated to the full extent of our ability in this case, and while we respect the important job of law enforcement, we strongly disagree with its decision.

Facebook Chagrined

Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, expressed chagrin over the arrest.

Were disappointed with the extreme and disproportionate measure of having a Facebook executive escorted to a police station in connection with a case involving WhatsApp, which operates separately from Facebook, the company said in a separate statement Steinfeld provided to TechNewsWorld.

Facebook has always been and will be available to address any questions Brazilian authorities may have, it added.

This isnt the first time WhatsApp has been in hot water in Brazil where, according to The Guardian, its been the most popular app download for the past two years, and is used by about half of the countrys 200 million people. In December, the app was shut down for 48 hours for twice failing to comply with court orders for information.

It was brought back online after public outcry and intervention by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg considers Brazil a crucial market for Facebook, according to a New York Times report. He was part of a small group of Silicon Valley executives who met in July at Stanford University with the countrys president, Dilma Rousseff.

No Chilling Effect

Although wrangling with domestic or foreign governments can be unsettling for companies, its unlikely to deter anyone from using their wares.

These cases arent always very high profile, and they tend to blow over very quickly and people have short memories when it comes to this stuff, said Jan Dawson, chief analyst atJackdaw Research.

These things tend to have a fairly minimal effect on how much people change their behavior, he told TechNewsWorld.

Governments strong-arm tactics have not had much impact on the way high-tech companies do business overseas, Dawson said.

It hasnt happened enough for it to be an issue. On rare occasions like China some companies have pulled out, he noted.

Google is not very active in China partly for that reason. Other companies like Facebook havent been very active there either for the same reasons, Dawson continued.

These companies dont participate in those markets where conditions are particularly egregious, he added, but for the most part, they carry on business as usual.

Apple Trap

In one sense, WhatsApp and Facebook find themselves in a situation similar to Apple and its tussle with law enforcement over accessing data on iPhones, noted Jadzia Butler, a privacy, surveillance and security fellow at theCenter for Democracy & Technology.

Much like the Apple case, theyre in a situation where because theyve created such a secure device, they cannot give law enforcement what theyre asking for, she told TechNewsWorld.

Its not even an issue of conflict of laws, Butler said. Its an impossibility.

Conflicts between law enforcement and high-tech companies are going to increase in the future because of encryption, she added.

Even if law enforcement has possession of the information it wants, theyre not going to be able to look at it, Butler said, so law enforcement is going to have to adapt all over the world to changing technology.
Opera on Thursday announced that new version of its desktop browser will have ad blocking built in.

Users can block ads in other browsers, but only through add-on programs called extensions. With ad blocking built in, Operas Web engine can perform the task better than extensions.

People care about speed in a Web browser, so when youre developing a browser you always have to think about speed, said Krystian Kolondra, senior vice president for global engineering at Opera.

While working on the next version of the browser, Operas developers asked themselves what they could do to give it a speed boost.

We noticed that most of the time that is spent loading a page is spent loading advertising, Kolondra told TechNewsWorld.

Faster Than Extensions

Although using extensions to block advertising can have a positive impact on performance, Operas developers discovered that by blocking ads at the Web engine level, they could load Web pages an average of 40 percent faster than with an ad-blocking extension.

Thats possible because the extension is running inside the browser, while our ad blocker is working at the network level, Kolondra explained.

Ad blockers have gained popularity in recent months, particularly in the mobile world.

Both Samsung and Apple have announced support for ad blockers in their mobile browsers.

Meanwhile, in Europe, mobile operator Three last month announced that it would start blocking ads at the network level for its units in the UK and Italy. If successful, the initiative could be expanded to other Three markets around the world.

Mobile is a huge problem, especially mobile Web, said Gavin Dunaway, senior editor for AdMonsters content team.

If a provider doesnt have a mobile-optimized site, its a terrible experience for users, because you force them to download a bunch of stuff that sucks away their data, he told TechNewsWorld.

Uncertain Impact

Because Opera has such a small share of the worldwide browser market  less than 2 percent  it remains to be seen how much of an impact this upcoming version of the browser will have on advertising.

If Opera were the dominant browser, it would be a different story, said Greg Sterling, vice president of strategy and insight at the Local Search Association. But Opera is a very small player at this point.

Its signfiicant, though, in that it represents momentum in favor of ad blocking, he told TechNewsWorld. Its yet another company getting on the ad-blocking bandwagon.

It will take some time before the full impact of Operas move can be determined, said Bryan Yeager, a senior analyst with eMarketer.

If we see over the next few months this has been something that attracts more users to Opera and its share increases, then there may be some legs to this  and maybe the ad industry should take note, he told TechNewsWorld.

Opera is being pretty opportunistic in latching onto this trend around ad blocking and providing some differntiation from the extension-based approach, Yeager added.

Undermining Internet Economy

Does Opera feel its undermining the Internet economy by building ad blocking into the code of its browser?

We understand that advertising is necessary for the economy of the Internet, Kolondra said. Internet services could never be free without ads.

However, we ask ourselves why some sites with ads only see a marginal difference in page-loading speed, while some load 90 percent faster when we disable the ads, he continued.

If the ads were better  more relevant to users, lighter so they dont slow down page loading  then we wouldnt have the problem that we have right now, Kolondra maintained.

There are more reasons for using an ad blocker than faster page loading, noted Ben Williams, communications and operations manager for Eyeo, maker of AdBlock Plus.

People use ad blockers because they are concerned about their privacy and their security, he told TechNewsWorld.

There are lots of reasons for using ad blockers, but the message to the online ad industry is you need to do something better, said Williams. If ads didnt take so much time to load, if they werent so intrusive, if they were more upfront about the tracking thats going on, then maybe people wouldnt feel the need to download an ad blocker on every device that they have.
A new front may have opened up between the Department of Justice and Silicon Valley in the ongoing legal battle over government access to encrypted data, this time involvingWhatsApp, the electronic messaging and voice system owned by Facebook.

DoJ officials have been debating how to proceed in a criminal case in which a court-ordered wiretap has been hindered by WhatsApp encryption, The New York Times reported last week.

The report did not specify the location or nature of the case but said it did not involve terrorism and that court filings were under seal.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the report, spokesperson Peter Carr told the E-Commerce Times.

Apple Bites Back

WhatsApp already is embroiled in a high-profile criminal case in Brazil. The service was blocked temporarily in December, and earlier this month a Facebook executive wasjailed briefly after the company refused to cooperate in a criminal investigation.

The new case comes at a tense time, as the ongoing legal battle between the DoJ and Apple has roiled the technology industry. The FBI wants Apple to create a software application that would let investigators access an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, California, terrorist attack late last year that left 14 people dead and dozens injured.

A number of rival technology firms and civil liberties advocates have filed briefs on behalf of Apple, arguing that compliance with such an order would put millions of people at risk because a software tool in the wrong hands could be used to hack into the accounts of private citizens.

Foreign governments, including China, could force companies to provide access to encrypted data belonging to political dissidents or citizens in those countries, according to the briefs.

All Americans should be concerned with a precedent that mandates vulnerabilities in encryption, said Michael Beckerman, CEO of theInternet Association.

Ultimately, requirements that companies weaken or undermine strong encryption harm consumers and undermine our national security, he told the E-Commerce Times.

TheElectronic Frontier Foundation, along with 46 other technology industry experts, filed an amicus brief arguing that the Apple order would violate the First Amendment, according to Nate Cardozo, a staff attorney on the EFFs digital civil liberties team.

The Court of Public Opinion

All the legal analysis of the WhatsApp question reads this as an open-and-shut case due to the interaction of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, along with a case from the Ninth Circuit called The Company v. United States, said Ross Schulman, senior counsel at New AmericasOpen Technology Institute.

The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act contains a provision that says a telecommunications provider is not responsible for decrypting communications encrypted by a customer. Because WhatsApp keeps the encryption keys on the customers device, it would be protected, Schulman said.

Given that the case looks to be one that should easily come down on the side of WhatsApp, why did the government leak its investigation? It looks like they still want to use their position in a different court  that of public opinion  even if they dont end up pressing their actual case before a judge, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Inflection Point

When it comes to encryption, the cat is out of the bag, said Andrea Castillo, program manager of the Technology Policy Program at George Mason UniversitysMercatus Center.

Punishing companies like WhatsApp and Apple for employing strong security techniques will do nothing to prevent criminals who are already intent on breaking the law, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Meanwhile, innocent Americans will be dramatically less secure if encryption is criminalized, Castillo said. In this age of constant hacking and data breaches, we need more encryption, not less.

The DoJ may be getting more aggressive in pursuing these kinds of cases with the WhatsApp investigation, given the pressure on Congress to intervene and the furor over the Apple encryption case, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Thats partly due to the tech industry reaching an inflection point of sorts, where vendors are developing security products that they claim to have no control over once theyre in customers hands, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Race to Secure

Several technology firms, including Google, Snapchat and WhatsApp, are planning either new apps with higher levels of encryption or upgrades to existing apps with strong encryption, according to The Guardian.

Google reportedly is working on extra uses of the technology for an existing encrypted email service, WhatsApp is working on an expansion of its encrypted messaging service to include voice, and Snapchat is working on a secure messaging service.
COPENHAGEN - Eight new speakers have been announced for the Copenhagen Fashion Summit which takes place on 12 May at the Copenhagen Concert Hall in Denmark. They include Vivienne Westwood's head of couture, Brigitte Stepputtis, founder of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, Dilys Williams, Australian Vogue's editor-in-chief, Edwina McCann, German Harpers Bazaar's fashion director, Kai Margrander, strategic fashion consultant Peter Ingwersen and the Copenhagen Fashion Summit's principal organiser Eva Kruse, who as well as being CEO of the Danish Fashion Institute, is internationally recognised as a pioneer of sustainable development in the fashion industry.

Previously announced speakers of the 2016 Copenhagen Fashion Summit include H.R.H. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who is also patron of the summit, two of fashion journalism's best known names, Suzy Menkes from Vogue and Vanessa Friedman from New York Times, as well as speakers from H&M, Kering, G-Star and Levi Strauss.

Also confirmed for the show is Rick Ridgeway, environmentalist and vice-president, environmental affairs, Patagonia. Ridgeway, who has been at the forefront of the company's sustainability initiatives during his 12-year tenure, was also the founding chairman of Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

The Copenhagen Fashion Summit takes place on the day after Planet Textiles 2016 (running on 11 May) and in the same week as the two-day annual member meeting of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

Fashion writer Derek Blasberg will host Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2016.

View the full preliminary speaker line-up and register here: copenhagenfashionsummit.com. The final programme will be revealed beginning of April.
(Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)A nurse tests a blood sample during a free HIV test at a blood tests party, part of a campaign to prevent HIV infection

The risk of HIV in women over 21 years old may dramatically be reduced with the use of a vaginal ring.

Two studies presented in February demonstrated the possible effects of using this vaginal ring as a way to transmit medication that has the potential to prevent the transmission of HIV.

The first study, which is now published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that women over 21 years old who were given this kind of ring had a 27 percent lower incidence of getting the disease than those who were given a placebo ring without any medication. The study looked at 2,600 women from across four countries  Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe  for about two years.

In another recent study presented late last month at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections meeting in Boston, the results are almost the same with the first one. The vaginal ring showed no effect on women below 21 years old. On the other hand, of the 2,000 women from South Africa and Uganda participated in the research who are 21 years in age, HIV cases dropped by 37 percent.

"A prevention tool like a ring could be used discreetly, a woman would have control over it, and it could allow her to keep herself safe from HIV without having to ask a male partner to take on prevention strategies," University of Washington professor Jared Baeten told BuzzFeed News.

"There is absolute reason to celebrate. But 27 percent is a lower number than any of us would like to see," Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, a global HIV-prevention advocacy group, added.

The ring was able to prevent the transmission of HIV by releasing the chemical dapivirine, which is said to have the ability to interfere HIV replication. This could be a potential alternative to current preventive HIV measures, which have now been proven to be ineffective.

Recent studies have shown that pills, vaginal gels and other measures have not provided any decrease in HIV rates in South Africa, Uganda, and other sub-Saharan countries. However, researchers theorized that adherence to these preventive methods is one of the problems why they don't work.

As with other medications, adherence is key to the effectiveness of any given HIV preventive measure.
Standing before the remains of Billings coal-fired J.E. Corette power plant, GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte said Montana government needs to rally around Colstrip.

Speaking to 35 people on a windy, overcast morning, Gianforte called on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to veto a bill to finance Colstrip Power Plant's partial closure. Inslee and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock are both Democrats. Gianforte said Bullock should persuade Inslee to kill the bill.

Gov. Inslee, veto this bill. Seventy-one hundred Montana jobs and $1.5 billion in economic activity and the entire community of Colstrip hangs in the balance, Gianforte said. This bill needs to be vetoed.

Talen Energy closed the J.E. Corette power plant in 2015 as a cheaper alternative to complying with federal mercury air pollution standards. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled the Environmental Protection Agency hadn't considered the cost of complying with the mercury rule. The Corette site has since become a symbol for coal advocates who accused the the EPA of needlessly shuttering old power plants.

Gianforte opened his remarks by repeating an allegation he made last weekend, suggesting that Inslee was scheduled to be in Big Sky hobnobbing with Bullock and anti-coal lobbyists. Bullock should be lobbying the governor to veto the bill.

Inslee was not in Big Sky over the weekend, where members of the Democratic Governors Association gathered. Inslee called a special session of the Washington Legislature last Thursday after lawmakers failed to pass a supplemental budget.

Bullocks staff told The Gazette the governor did lobby Inslee and the Washington Legislature about Senate Bill 1547B, also known as the Colstrip bill. The governors persuasion did influence the legislation lawmakers eventually passed.

Initially, the Colstrip bill set a deadline for Puget Sound Energy to close Colstrip Units 1 and 2, of which PSE shares ownership with Talen Energy. The bill now waiting to be signed into law by Inslee allows PSE to begin funding a retirement account to close the oldest two of Colstrips four units, but doesnt set a closure date. The retirement account funding, with a few exceptions, isnt available until after Dec. 31, 2022, meaning that Colstrip would likely stay open seven more years, barring regulatory changes or cost burdens.

"Today is another reminder that Greg Gianforte's campaign would rather mislead Montanans than focus on solutions to problems, said Jason Pitt, of the Montana Democrats. It's very clear that instead of supporting the Governor and legislators that are fighting to protect the Colstrip community, Gianforte would rather hold political stunts such as this one.

Gianforte did say Montana should be focused on developing technology to better control emissions from coal power plants.

Earlier in the year, Bullock, confronted with tighter carbon dioxide pollution regulations under the federal Clean Power Plan, appointed an advisory committee of people mostly tied to the coal power industry. The committee was quickly suspended after a federal court challenge put the Clean Power Plan on hold.

That committee should still be assembled and working on clean coal power solutions, Gianforte said. The governor should be supporting state Attorney General Tim Fox, who is representing Montana in the lawsuit opposing the Clean Power Plan.

There is no reason to shut down Colstrip. It will basically do nothing to lower temperatures and thats according to Barack Obamas own Environmental Protection Agency, Gianforte said.

However the EPA is calling for a 47 percent cut in Montanas carbon dioxide emissions, which arent likely to be attained without partially shutting down Colstrip. Colstrip is also the nation's 15th largest power plant producer of greenhouse gasses, according to the EPA.

Gianforte was flanked by Colstrip residents Ashley Dennehy and Lori Shaw, organizers of the Colstrip-united.org website. Dennehy said Washington states Colstrip bill and federal regulations will needlessly destroy her town.

Our coal contributes more than $100 million to the state of Montana every year, just from our little town. Thats a pretty crazy number and Montana cant do without that, Dennehy said. This helps to provide schools, public works, state parks and so much more all across the state. This is all under fire and anti-coal movements are gaining momentum.

Many of the statistics cited at the event came from a 2015 Bureau of Business and Economic Research study on the economic consequences of rolling out the Clean Power Plan in Montana. That study forecasts a $1.5 billion loss in gross output sales by Montana businesses, as well as a statewide loss of 7,100 jobs. The report, commissioned by Northwestern Energy has drawn counter analysis from Headewaters Economics suggesting that economic losses would be limited the four counties with economies directly connected to coal.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)Dr. Talip Atalay, Mufti of Cyprus (left) and Bishop Porfyrios of Neapolis during a meeting titled "Interreligious Communication, Freedom of Religion and Peace Building" on March 11, 2016 at the United Nations in Geneva. It was a side event during during the 31st sitting of the Human Rights Council.

Dialogue between religious leaders of different faiths is sometimes dismissed as like-minded believers cozying up to one another.

But in the case of the island of Cyprus the Muslim leader from the Turkish north and the Christian leadership from the Greek south both believe dialogue between the faiths is helping mold reconciliation.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 after a coup aiming at union with Greece and the divided island has become one of the United Nations' longest running disputes.

Just how cruciial Cyrpus is as a regional geopolitical entitiy was shown on March 15 when the Cypriot government said it could not consent to the European Union entering a new phase with Turkey in its bid to join the bloc, Reuters news agency reported.

It said this would potentially scupper an accord between the EU and Ankara on stemming the influx of refugees into Europe.

The value of dialogue among religious leaders in Cyrpus goes beyond its shores and can become a model in the conflagration consuming its Middle Eastern neighbors, a Greek Orthodox bishop and a Turkish mufti agreed at a recent meeting held at the United Nations in Geneva.

They were speakers at a meeting titled "Interreligious Communication, Freedom of Religion and Peace Building".

Hosted by the Sweden's Mission the gathering took place as a side event on March 11 during the 31st sitting of the Human Rights Council.

Those interested in a solution to the Cyprus problem soon should support such dialogue however they can said Bishop Porfyrios of Neapolis, director of the Church of Cyprus to the European Institutions in Brussels.

EXAMPLE FOR THE MIDDLE EAST

"The great value and importance of the dialogue goes beyond the country's shores and can become a model and an example in the conflagration that has consumed our neighbors in the Middle East for so long," said the bishop.

Salpy Eskidjian, a former World Council of Churches staffer, now executive coordinator for the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, moderated the meeting.

Speakers related how dialogue between different religious leaders in divided Cyprus has received significant assistance from Dr. Heiner Bielefeldt, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

At the meeting, Bielefeldt reiterated remarks in his most recent report to the U.N. Security Council in New York.

"In Cyprus, the enhanced interreligious communication between Christian and Muslim leaders has led to recent breakthroughs, including the re-opening of churches and mosques that had been inaccessible for decades owing to the protracted conflict on the island," he said.

The U.N. expert recounted how religious leaders have initiated emergency measures and cleaned up each other's places of worship, enabling an atmosphere of goodwill and trust.

"Some interreligious encounters in Cyprus have been open to participation beyond the traditional religious communities, including Evangelicals, Baha'is, Buddhists and others, thus building awareness on the further emergence of religious pluralism," said Bielefeldt.

Porfyrios, representing Church of Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II, explained how dialogue "conducted in a spirit of goodwill, cooperation and sincere intentions" between religious leaders in Cyprus is now in its seventh year.

He said that negotiations around Cyprus had gone on for 42 years between the leaders of the two communities to "reach a settlement of its problem by ending the island's division and restoring peace".

"The peaceful coexistence of the Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Maronites and Latins is not some Utopia but the actual experience of our fathers and ancestors for many decades in our shared homeland."

"Despite the difficulties...the dialogue among the religious leaders of Cyprus is making a significant contribution to the reconciliation and peaceful coexistence of the legal residents of the island."

Porfyrios noted that unfortunately despite the best efforts the church had met with failure too.

"We have failed so far in our attempts, which began in February 2015, to visit the churches of Saint James and Saint George, both of which are on the verge of collapse in the buffer zone in Nicosia," he said.

Moderator Eskidjian noted that Muslim speaker, Dr. Talip Atalay, was the first mufti of Cyprus to establish a working dialogue with the Greek Orthodox Church on the divided island.

"As the Mufti of Cyprus I consider myself lucky because of the privilege of being able to stand against all sorts of cruelty and violence together with four different Christian churches," said Atalay.

"Together, we are standing against any violence whether it is to a mosque or a church."

Atalay noted, like Bishop Porfyrios, "Achieving a sustainable peace on this island will not only be a political and religious model and example for the neighboring countries."

He stressed the importance of establishing special institutions for resolving existing religion-based conflicts and also preventing future ones.

Peter Weiderud, Director at the Swedish Institute Alexandria, Egypt, and also a former WCC staffer noted that with the Middle East at the center for the world's three monotheistic religions, dialogue is a necessity.

This can entail engaging in dialogue with people viewed as enemies.

MAKING PEACE WITH ENEMIES

"It is with the enemy that we make peace, not with friends," he said.

"Before this dialogue both the mufti and the archbishop would have seen the other as extremists," said Weiderud while asserting that inter-religious dialogue is always promoting peace.

"We saw this in Cyprus two weeks ago when we had a burning of a mosque outside Nicosia where the mufti and the archbishop stood up together with a common language to deescalate the tension.

"Ten years ago this would have been a spark that would have set off a major fire," noted Weidrud.

He argued that freedom of religion and belief can be an excellent opportunity to promote dialogue.

The opening of the Church of Panagia Galakdodrofousas in Palekythro, in the Turkish northern part of Cyprus, after 41 years, in August 2015 was seen as a crucial reconciliation gesture on the divided island.

The World Council of Churches hailed the opening of the church in the Turkish sector of the divided island as "an important sign of peace and reconciliation".

Since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus partitioned the island, the northern third has been inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots.

UN peacekeeping forces estimate around 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled from the north to the south at the time of the invasion, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south to the north.
DETROIT  The 2017 Chevrolet Colorado Shoreline, a special-edition pickup truck inspired by aftermarket trends in California, will arrive at Chevrolet dealerships this summer.

Chevrolet said the Colorado Shoreline is designed specifically for customers in California, the segment's biggest market. There are more midsize trucks sold in Los Angeles than the next two largest markets combined, GM said on Tuesday.

But the special model will be sold nationwide, Chevrolet spokesman Monte Doran told Edmunds.

Pricing will be announced closer to the truck's launch date.

The Colorado Shoreline joins a growing list of Chevrolet special-edition trucks, including the Chevrolet Colorado Midnight Edition and Z71 Trail Boss.

The Shoreline blends bright exterior colors with blacked-out trim and minimal chrome accents.

Exterior colors are Silver Ice Metallic, Summit White, Laser Blue and Red Hot.

Exterior cues include a body-color front grille, black 18-inch wheels and black trim.

Other details include a spray-in bedliner, all-weather floor liners and one year of SiriusXM satellite radio.

Key competitors to the Colorado Shoreline include the GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma.

Edmunds says: Truck buyers seeking a California vibe will want to check out the Colorado Shoreline when it hits Chevrolet showrooms this summer.
A Perth teacher has been charged with allegedly filming primary school children in a toilet cubicle while they got changed for a swimming lesson.The 58-year-old teacher was charged by police following the recent discovery of a pen camera in his southern suburbs school.The teacher, who cannot be named, appeared in Perth Magistrate's Court today charged with 10 counts of unlawfully installing an optical surveillance device and 42 counts of indecently recording or attempting to record.Police allege he placed the pen camera in his jacket pocket, secured it in the cubicle and then used it to record students as they changed out of their clothes for a swimming lesson.It has been determined that a number of students were recorded on the device, which was positioned inside a toilet cubicle at the school, a police spokeswoman told WA Today.To protect the identity of potential child victims the school cannot be named, however parents of children who are identified as having been recorded on camera will be individually contacted by the detectives and provided further information regarding the investigation.Police prosecutor, sergeant Guy Murphy, told The West Australian that the teachers breach of trust was uncovered when other school staff discovered the device.He added it was inconceivable that the man would avoid jail if he was found guilty of the charges.We say that the case is exceptionally strong, he said.The man, who has been a teacher for almost 40 years, has been stood down from his job and will appear in court again in April.
CASPER, Wyo.  A former legal assistant at the Natrona County District Attorneys office admitted Friday to stealing money from a co-worker's purse, court documents show.

Melanie Dunn pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft. Natrona County Circuit Judge Michael Patchen sentenced Dunn to a 90-day suspended jail term. She will not spend time behind bars if she successfully completes six months of unsupervised probation.

Dunn must also pay $400 in restitution to the victim, Nancy Johnson, who is director of the Victim Witness Unit at the District Attorneys office. Dunn is also required to pay a $300 fine.

Court documents state she took money out of Johnsons purse while at work over several months.

Johnson wrote in her victim impact statement that she and Dunn were friends and that she now has trouble trusting the people she works with. She said she has accompanied hundreds of victims as they gave their statements in court, and she never dreamed that this would happen to her.

It was intrusive and violating to have Melanie go through my private belongings in my purse, let alone steal the money from me, Johnson wrote.

Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen said last month Dunn is no longer employed by his office. Christopher LaRosa, an assistant district attorney in Sheridan County, prosecuted the thefts.

Court records show Denver attorney Peter J. Young represented Dunn.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation began looking into the stolen money in October after Johnson reported that small amounts of money were being taken from her purse while she was at work.

According to the court documents, after her first meeting with a DCI agent, Johnson left a bank envelope in her purse containing fake money and a note saying, I got ya I know who you are and what youre doing. However, the envelope was taken and the thefts continued.

The DCI agent placed a motion-activated camera in Johnsons office, the documents state. He also photographed the serial numbers on several $20 bills and gave them to Johnson to put in her purse. The agent later reviewed the surveillance footage after some of the money had been stolen when Johnson left her purse unattended in her office. The footage showed Dunn in Johnsons office.

The agent interviewed Dunn on Dec. 15. She admitted to stealing from Johnson, according to the documents.
Acting Education Secretary John B. King Jr. is urging Congress to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, even though prospects for its revision and approval appear dim.

Last renewed in 2006, the Perkins Act funnels more than $1 billion a year into career and technical education at the middle school, high school, and college levels. Lawmakers started the process of reviewing and reworking it several years ago, and wanted to focus in particular on building more consistency into the quality of CTE programs. But those efforts have largely stalled.

Building on remarks he made earlier in the week to a gathering of mayors, King used a March 9 appearance in Baltimore to draw attention to the need for Perkins Act reauthorization. His voice joins those of career-tech-ed advocates pushing Congress this week for more funding for the law.

Its time for Congress to reauthorize the Perkins Act so that every student, in every community, has access to rigorous, relevant, and results-driven CTE programs, said King, according to remarks prepared for delivery.

Building Skills

The best CTE programs build students creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and help them prepare for additional education and good jobs after high school, the prepared speech said.

Todays CTE is about the future you cant prepare for with just a textbook, the prepared remarks said. Its about learning how to build your own business, from an idea to a prototype and beyond. Its about creating new tools to solve everyday problems. Its about applying practical skills to tackle major challenges, like global warming or public health crises. One thing is clearits not your grandfathers shop class. 

President Barack Obamas administration has been pushing for greater innovation among young people and the creation of makerspaces to support it. The White House hosted a CTE innovation fair last fall, and will soon name a group of CTE Presidential Scholars who exemplify ambitious goals in career and technical education.

The administration has also been pushing to build incentives into the Perkins Act for innovative, high-quality CTE programs. And it wants the law to better define the courses that should make up a good CTE program, make sure that career pathways reflect the needs of the labor market, and describe how mastery of CTE content should be measured.

Congress isnt in love with all the Obama administrations ideas for a reauthorized Perkins Act, though, including a proposal to distribute some of the funding through competitions, instead of doling it out through a standard formula. CTE advocates are also concerned that the administrations approach to funding CTE would make too little formula funding available, squeezing program supply as demand rises.

Between those reservations and election-year complications in Washington, few are optimistic that the Perkins Act will be reauthorized soon.

Grant Competition

In Baltimore, King announced a new competition, sponsored by the Education Department, to create space for high-quality CTE programs. Called the Career Technical Education Makeover Challenge, it will distribute a total of $200,000 to as many as 10 applicantsto convert space in their high school building into places equipped to allow students to design and build things.

King used his appearance to team up with Baltimore City schools CEO Gregory Thornton to help the city in its bid to open a P-TECH school. The Pathways in Technology Early College High School is a model started in New York City with a partnership that includes the citys high schools, colleges, and the tech giant IBM.

It blends rigorous high school and college study with preparation for high-tech careers and real-world work, allowing students to graduate with high school diplomas and associate degrees. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, has been working with state lawmakers to gain approval for a P-TECH school in Baltimore, and King wants to showcase the model as the kind of CTE program that could benefit more students through a reauthorized Perkins Act.
The Boston districts move to begin its hiring process earlier and to allow principals more say over who they bring on board has resulted in a stronger and more diverse pool of teacher candidates, a new analysis concludes.

But the shift has also bumped up against some of the same challenges that have complicated similar efforts elsewherenotably a costly pool of teachers without permanent positions, says the report from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, an independent nonprofit organization that reviews city policies.

Teacher hiring, once a dusty and ill-understood corner of the teacher-quality pipeline, is receiving renewed attention as more districts nationwide struggle to bring on talent during a period of regional shortages and to address a mismatch between a mostly white, female teaching force and an ever more diverse student population.

Bostons efforts were influenced by research from the teacher-training and advocacy group TNTP. In reports dating from the early 2000s, that group suggested that large urban districts often lost out on qualified candidates by waiting too long to bring them on board.

I dont want to overstate it and say its easy, but it is doable in a pretty short period of time, said Dan Weisberg, the CEO of TNTP, about hiring earlier in the year. Its an operational improvement that just about any district can make and see big progress in one year.

The Boston districts concurrent move to a mutual consent system, in which teachers cant be placed without agreement from school leaders, follows similar moves in Baltimore, Denver, and New York, among other locations.

Earlier Hiring

As recently as 2013-14, Bostons hiring was a highly centralized process, begun each cycle with the district sorting out voluntary teacher transfers and placing excessed teachersthose returning from maternity leave, for example, or displaced because a school decided to eliminate a program. Such placement decisions were largely based on seniority, and some teachers without positions were ultimately force placed by the central office before schools got to consider hires from outside the school system.

The process could take well into the summer, and although open positions that principals could fill at their own discretion were technically allowed under the teacher contract, few schools used them.

In 2014, the district began a human capital initiative to improve its hiring process, an effort supported by some $25 million in donations from local business and philanthropic groups. In essence, it now posts all positions by March 1 and opens them to candidates inside and outside of the school system.

In 2014-15, the first year of the initiative, some 63 percent of new teachers were hired before July 1; the prior year, only 9 percent were, according to the BMRB report. And teachers hired before June last year were about twice as likely to receive top teacher-evaluation marks compared to those hired in later months.

And finally, the district didnt require any principal or teacher to agree to any placement he or she didnt want.

We did not force-place last year at all, said Emily Kalejs Qazilbash, the districts assistant superintendent of human capital. We do not think that it creates a strong school culture.

On the other hand, the pool of excessed teachers without placements has increased. The district began both of the last two school years with more than 400 teachers without positions. (Those figures dropped to below 100 via retirements, terminations, and other exits by the end of each year.)

Thats a red flag for the citys teachers union.

The excessed teachers have all been recruited, are proficient and exemplary, trained under school district professional development and vetted by colleagues who now reject them, protested Richard Stutman, the president of the Boston Teachers Union. Doesnt the school district have any faith in its own system?

And the pool is costly. In all, the hiring reforms cost $10 million in 2014-15 and $13 million in 2015-16, and salaries and benefits for teachers in the excess pool were by far its largest cost. (The district says that the external support from philanthropies doesnt pay for salary expenses.)

The excessed teachers are still involved in instructional duties, such as academic enrichment and tutoring, and they are even evaluated annually. They also dont fit a single profile. Some, Qazilbash said, havent been on the job market in a while and need to update their resumes. Some arent in licensing fields with high demand. And some have poor evaluation ratings.

The teachers union, however, contends that teachers in the pool tend to be more senior and therefore more expensive for the district. And Stutman pushed back on a finding in the BMRB report that some of the excessed teachers have not made an effort to apply for open positions. I think its true that some of the teachers grew frustrated and didnt apply. Thats not something we condone, Stutman said. But the vast, overwhelming majority of these teachers have gone out for interview after interview and havent gotten jobs. Older equals costlier equals rejection, and the school district is looking to get rid of the state tenure law to move these people out.

To the latter point, there is no current mechanism in Massachusetts state law or in the teacher contract by which teachers who remain in the excess pool can ultimately be let go, as is the case now in Denver and the District of Columbia.

Questions on Diversity

The district and union also disagree on the extent to which the hiring reforms have diversified the composition of the teacher workforce.

The report credits the early hiring system for bringing in more teachers of color, many of whom might have been lost to charter and private schools.

But Stutman contends that the teachers in the excess pool are more likely to be black. The union has filed open-records requests for a demographic breakdown; neither the report nor the district provided one.

The district and the union are now renegotiating the city teachers contract, which expired this year. They have completed two bargaining sessions, but both declined to comment on whether hiring practices could be revisited during the process.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has a sweet idea to boost early-childhood education in his cash-strapped city.

In his first budget address, the freshman mayor proposed a 3 cents-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks that he says would generate $400 million over the next five years, more than half of which would be allotted to universal prekindergarten in the city.

There is simply nowhere else to find this revenue. We all know we cant raise property taxes again, said Kenney in his March 3 address.

Philadelphias proposal to expand prekindergarten is just one of several ideas percolating among city and state leaders around the country during this legislative year. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, about 450 bills with some tie to early childhood are pending in 46 states.

At this early stage, its unclear how many of those proposals will be enacted into law. But if local and state lawmakers follow the trend of previous years, many places will see increased early-childhood investment.

Rise in Spending

In a report released in January, the Education Commission of the States, which tracks state policy, found that state funding for preschool programs increased by $755 million between fiscal 2015 and 2016, for a total of nearly $7 billion. An increase was seen in 32 states and in the District of Columbia. The state increases in funding also appeared to be bipartisan, with 22 states that have Republican governors and 10 with Democratic governors allotting more money to early-childhood education for fiscal 2016.

Not only has the funding level been going up every year, but were seeing additional states every year who were not funding pre-K at the state level starting to do that, said Emily Workman, an analyst with the commission who co-wrote the report. The number of states that do not provide any state funds for preschool now stands at just five: Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Bipartisanship is on display in Minnesota, where Republican and Democratic lawmakers last week proposed the A Better Chance, or ABC Act, which would expand access to prekindergarten scholarships that low-income children could use at public or private programs. It would also fully fund the states quality-rating system, which ranks early-childhood programs, and home-visiting programs.

In 2015, the National Institute for Early Education Research said that Minnesota ranked last in terms of access for 4-year-olds among the states that paid for preschool programs. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton is planning to make early childhood a priority again this legislative year and is eyeing the states $900 million budget surplus to help pay for it.

Nonfiscal Approaches

Program expansion is not the only policy prescription on the table. In Tennessee, lawmakers have offered proposals they say will help make the states program better. A bill pending in the House of Representatives would require the states prekindergarten program to offer teacher professional development, more parent-engagement programs, and a coordinated plan between preschools and elementary schools.

The bill is intended to address some of the problems raised in a multiyear study released in 2015 from Vanderbilt University. Researchers found that children who attended the states voluntary Pre-K program started off school strong, but that by kindergarten, were generally indistinguishable academically from comparable peers who did not enroll in the program. By 3rd grade, the children who attended pre-K were performing worse on some academic and behavioral measures than similar classmates who were never in the program.

In New Jersey, legislators are considering a bill to require every district to offer a full-day kindergarten program. Currently, about 20 percent of school districts do not. State Sen. Teresa Ruiz, a Democrat, has also submitted a bill that would expand free early education to 3- and 4-year-olds in up to 17 additional districts. Thirty-one poor urban districts in the state currently have state-funded preschool as part of a settlement on an educational equity case.

Federal Proposals

At the federal level, President Barack Obamas proposed budget includes a $434 million increase for Head Start, for a total of $9.6 million. The money would be used to support expansion of Early Head Start, which serves pregnant women and children up to age 3, as well as the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships. Those partnerships link federal Early Head Start programs with private providers in an effort to increase the number of high-quality child-care slots. The increase would also be used to help more programs set up full-year, full-day offerings.

The budget also proposes small increases to special education programs overseen by the U.S. Department of Education that are aimed at infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. And it would provide an additional $400 million in the upcoming fiscal year to the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.

The continued focus on early-childhood education nationwide is gratifying, said Laura Sparks, the executive director of the Philadelphia-based William Penn Foundation, which has supported early-childhood programs in the city for 40 years.

Cities and states are realizing if they want to invest in our future, this is one of the most effective and efficient ways to do it, she said.
Beginning on March 21, the U.S. Department of Education will convene a group of educators, advocates, and experts representing a range of perspectives to negotiate rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act, the newest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The 24-member panel will focus on two areas of the law, known as ESSA:

Assessment , providing clarity in the parts of the law that deal with testing, including the types of tests that can be used and whats required for certain groups of students.

, providing clarity in the parts of the law that deal with testing, including the types of tests that can be used and whats required for certain groups of students. Supplement-not-supplant requirements, which deal with how federal dollars are supposed to be used relative to state and local dollars.

Assessment

ESSA keeps in place the No Child Left Behind Acts testing schedule, calling for states to assess students in grades 3-8 and once in high school. But it adds some new twists. And some of the most interesting testing issues in ESSA arent on the table. Among them: the brand-new innovative assessment pilot, in which select states can try out new kinds of tests in a handful of districts, as New Hampshire is doing now, with the goal of eventually going statewide. If the department decides to regulate the pilot program, it will do so through the usual rulemaking process.

Nationally Recognized Tests for High Schools

Department officials will need to decide what constitutes a nationally recognized test. (Is it just the ACT or the SAT? Could other testsmaybe even a new testcount?) Theyll also have to make sure that the tests can be easily compared with a states assessment so that students in different districts within the same state arent held to different standards. And theyll have to make sure students with disabilities and English-learners are given appropriate accommodations, something both the College Board and ACT Inc. have struggled to do.

What Is 'Negotiated Rulemaking'? Federal laws sometimes require agencies to use an up-close-and-in-person process to write regulations, called negotiated rulemaking. Under ESSA, the Education Department must use this process in three areas of the law: supplement-not-supplant requirements, assessment, and standards. The department has elected not to proceed with regulations on standards for now. But earlier this month, the Obama administration put out some discussion papersand even a few draft regulationson assessment and supplement-not-supplant. The committee will try to reach agreement on these. If negotiated rulemaking fails, as it often does, the department will have to go through the usual process for writing ESSA rules in these two areas. That would involve putting out draft rules, getting comments on them, and issuing a final rule. Other areas of ESSAincluding accountability, which is arguably the issue at the heart of the lawdont need to go through negotiated rulemaking. The department can proceed right to the usual rulemaking process for the area of accountability.

Computer-Adaptive Testing

These types of tests can be faster and more efficient, and they also offer different questions to different students, depending on their achievement levels. The Education Department wants to know if ESSA makes it clear that states will still need to report whether students taking these tests are on grade level. If tests focus just on whether students are making incremental progress, students could graduate from high school without being prepared for college or a job. This is one of the areas where the department offered proposed language, and its aimed at providing clarity on that issue. Marianne Perie, the director of the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation at the University of Kansas, for one, is hoping that computer-adaptive tests will be able to pinpoint not just whether or not students are on grade level (for accountability purposes), but also where exactly they are if they are not on grade level (for instructional purposes).

8th Grade Math Tests

ESSA allows students who take advanced math in 8th gradesay, Algebra 1 or geometryto use a test in that subject for accountability purposes, instead of the state assessment everyone else takes. In high school, those students must then take a test that corresponds to whatever level of math they are inso they might take the Algebra 2 test while most other students take Algebra 1. This is something the department had already allowed, through a waiver, before ESSA passed. The department wants to make sure that many more students have access to those advanced classes, and that the alternative, harder math tests are of high quality.

Tests for Students With Disabilities

The new law requires that all assessments, to the extent possible, use principles of universal design for learning (UDL) to support all students learning needs. The department also addresses ESSAs requirement that accommodations be provided to students with disabilities as identified under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act or other laws. The Education Department asks negotiators to consider, among other issues, whether regulations should define students with disabilities in a way that encompasses students who receive accommodations under the IDEA as well as those receiving accommodations through other acts.

Alternative Tests for Students With Severe Cognitive Disabilities

Under ESSA, no more than 1 percent of students in a state may take an alternative test for students with severe cognitive disabilities in any single subject. But its unclear how that restriction will work on a district-by-district basis. Among other issues, the department presents negotiators with the question of whether the regulations should define students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Academic Assessments for English-Language Learners

For the first time in the history of the federal law, ESSA calls for English-language proficiency to be part of the accountability mix for the whole school. Under ESSA, states must try to get a picture of how much newly arrived ELLs know by offering them tests in their native language. That doesnt mean a state has to have a test available in every language, but it must have native-language assessments on hand in any language that a significant number of students speak, and make every effort to develop those tests if they dont exist. The department wants negotiators to consider fleshing out those general terms.

Supplement-not-supplant

In a key move affecting federal funding for schools, negotiators developing proposed regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act will examine how to devise rules that make clear exactly how federal dollars for low-income students must supplement, not supplant, state and local school funding.

Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Members and Constituencies State administrators and state boards of education:

Tony Evers, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Marcus Cheeks, Mississippi Department of Education Local administrators and local boards of education:

Alvin Wilbanks, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Ga.

Derrick Chau, Los Angeles Unified School District

Thomas Ahart, Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa* Tribal leadership:

Aaron Payment, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, Mich.

Leslie Harper, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Minn.* Parents and students, including historically underserved students:

Lisa Mack, Ohio

Rita Pin Ahrens, District of Columbia Teachers:

Audrey Jackson, Boston Public Schools

Ryan Ruelas, Anaheim City School District, Calif.

Mary Cathryn Ricker, St. Paul Public Schools/American Federation of Teachers, Minn.* Principals:

Lara Evangelista, New York City Department of Education

Aqueelha James, District of Columbia Public Schools* Other school leaders, including charter school leaders:

Eric Parker, Montgomery Public Schools, Ala.

Richard Pohlman, Thurgood Marshall Academy, District of Columbia* Paraprofessionals:

Lynn Goss, School District of the Menomonie Area, Wis.

Regina Goings, Clark County School District, Nevada* Civil rights community:

Delia Pompa, Migration Policy Institute

Ron Hager, National Disability Rights Network

Liz King, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Janel George, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund* Business community:

Kerri Briggs, Exxon Mobil

Kenneth Bowen, Office Depot* *Non-voting member

The supplement-not-supplant requirement has been a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since 1970. It is designed to prevent states and districts from cutting their education budgets and then using federal money earmarked for low-income students to make up the difference.

But ESSA now gives districts additional breathing room to meet the supplement-not-supplant mandate, in two ways.

First, the latest update to the federal K-12 law ends the previous requirement that districts itemize the cost of various programs funded by Title I money, which is federal funding intended for low-income students. This previous itemization requirement had been designed to show exactly how the services and programs Title I money was funding were truly supplemental services.

In addition, districts will now be able to use a single method to show that a Title I school is receiving the same state and local funding it would have if no Title I dollars were available. Previously, different schools were subject to different tests for determining this.

Showing Their Work

As part of the negotiated rulemaking process, the Education Department has asked negotiators to tackle several questions as they draft regulations for supplement not supplant. Among them: How can districts show their methodology for allocating state and local funds to satisfy supplement not supplant? And how flexible should regulations be to accommodate districts with unusual characteristics, such as those with particularly small schools?

Under ESSA, the Education Department is prohibited from telling districts which methodology they must use for ensuring the continuity of state and local dollars separate from Title I money. However, districts must use their new method for demonstrating compliance with supplement-not-supplant requirements starting in December 2017.

In the list of questions presented to the negotiators for discussion, the department asked them to consider what it would mean for districts to demonstrate the continuity of state and local funds under supplement-not-supplant. Negotiators will also be tasked with considering how the methodology requirement will apply to districts that use school-based budgeting or weighted student-funding systems, and how flexible the regulations should be for districts that have particularly small schools, for example.

Unfair Shortfalls

In its background paper intended to guide negotiators, the department references unfair shortfalls in state and local funding in the context of supplement-not-supplant requirements. That phrase could highlight the departments priorities in developing regulations.

The word unfair shows that they might be looking at this through an equity lens, said Sheara Krvaric, an attorney with the Federal Education Group, a consulting firm that works with states and districts.

The department also stated in the background paper that most students in Title I schools (those with relatively large shares of students from low-income households) are in districts where those schools get fewer state and local dollars per pupil than wealthier, non-Title I schools.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, districts had to show the federal department and external auditors that Title I money was not flowing to programs and services required under state law; that state and local money did not pay for programs and services the previous school year; and that the same programs and services were not provided to other students with non-Title I dollars.

Because auditors and others have used those three tests for a long time, it could be helpful for the Education Department, in regulations or elsewhere, to make it clear these three tests no longer have to be used, Krvaric said.
To the Editor:

As a student from South Korea who is now studying in the United States, I find it surprising that many people here applaud the South Korean education system. The Center on International Education Benchmarking lists South Korea as a top performer, and even Arne Duncan, the former U.S. secretary of education, has asked why the United States cant be more like South Korea. As a recent Commentary argued, the United States should not blindly applaud and emulate countries that perform well on international assessments.

I want to share what South Koreas high performance on these assessments is not telling you.

First, beyond South Koreas impressive scores on international exams, there are unhappy, sleep-deprived, and suicidal South Korean students. South Korean students report levels of happiness that are among the lowest for youths in developed nations. High school students report sleeping an average of 5.5 hours per day in order to study. Alarmingly, slightly more than half of South Korean teenagers reported having suicidal thoughts in response to a 2014 poll conducted by the countrys Korea Health Promotion Foundation; over 40 percent of the respondents listed academic pressure and uncertainty over their futures as their greatest concern.

Second, South Koreas high scores are a reflection of private tutoring rather than the public education system itself. About 77 percent of South Korean students participate in an average of 10 hours of private tutoring a week. This percentage is more than double the average rate of private tutoring in countries tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In 2013, South Korean parents paid the equivalent of $18 billion for private tutoring in order to give their children a competitive advantage.

Moreover, in the education system where high performance is all that matters, struggling students as well as students with disabilities are often neglected and left behind.

Thus, no matter how high the country ranks on international tests, our seemingly impressive test scores come at too high a price.

As a South Korean, I call on the world to see what is beyond my countrys high scores on international assessments. Until South Korea addresses its pressing educational issues, such as student well-being, reliance on private tutoring, and support for students with disabilities, the country should not be considered a model system for the United States.

April B. Choi

Cambridge, Mass.
After years of pent-up frustration among state officials over what theyve considered to be a heavy and prescriptive federal role in education policy, some states are bolting to overhaul their accountability systems in ways that could have lasting impact on schools priorities.

Sparked by new flexibility promised under the Every Student Succeeds Act, theyre rushing ahead of the U.S. Department of Education, which is still in the initial phases of interpreting the new law and figuring out how it will regulate under it, a process that could take months. The law doesnt go into full effect until the 2017-18 school year.

Because of timing, political pressures, and unhappiness with existing school report cards, some states dont want to waitsetting up the prospect of conflicts down the road if retooled state systems dont meet what will be required in the way of ESSA-compliant accountability.

For example, California state school board members, who last week discussed ways to revamp their system, have indicated they wont come up with an overall ranking of their schools. Such a move would likely fly in the face of the ESSA requirement that states identify their worst-performing schools as a first step toward improving them. Local advocates are working to block the states prospective changes.

Retooling While federal officials ponder the ground rules for school accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act, some states already are deep into the process of overhauling their own systems. Alaska: After the state put its accountability system on pause two summers ago for a variety of reasons, the state school board is crafting a new one, welcoming new flexibility to do so under ESSA. Ideas include measuring student engagement and students access to and completion of advanced courses. But the legislature has slashed the state education departments budget and limited the type and amount of information the department can collect. California: Two years ago, the state put on hold its decades-old Academic Performance Index system. The board plans to approve a new system by this fall, and it could include factors such as the student absentee rate and college- and career-readiness opportunities. But Gov. Jerry Brown and the state school board have indicated the changes wont provide an index or ranking of schools. If thats the only system California adopts, it would fly in the face of ESSAs requirement that states identify the bottom 5 percent of schools. Connecticut: A new system approved by the state board weighs 12 measures of school quality, including test scores, three ways of measuring graduation rates, post-graduation career preparedness, the percentage of chronically absent students, physical fitness, and access to the arts. While the state education department has already begun to rank schools, officials say minor changes may need to be made once the federal department gives additional ESSA guidance. The system is similar to the one the federal department approved with its waiver from No Child Left Behind in August last year. Source: Education Week

Lawmakers in Arizona, Florida, and Kentucky have proposed legislation that appears to conflict with ESSA guidelines regarding school report cards and testing.

But Connecticuts state board of education this month approved an accountability system that includes factors such as students physical fitness and three ways to measure graduation rates. State officials think itll pass the muster of federal oversight.

At the same time, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate education committee and a key architect of ESSA, has urged states to chart their own path on K-12 policy.

The federal government has defined power under this law, he said during a spine-stiffening pep talk at a National Governors Association meeting in February. States have numerous and infinite power. We should adhere to the principles of federalism here.

The Education Department didnt return requests for comment last week on whether some of the looming state changes would conflict with ESSA requirements.

Pushing the Envelope

Rushing to craft new accountability systems could be hazardous, said Michael Hansen, a research fellow at the Brookings Institution and the deputy director of the Brown Center for Education Policy, who has monitored the burst of activity.

Theres a bit of a risk staking a claim, pushing it through, and then having it potentially run afoul of the federal regulations, Hansen said. Its ... a bit of a political calculation.

The changes being considered in some states appear to focus most intently on assessments and the improvement of low-performing schools, both of which were handled in what states considered an overly prescriptive manner under ESSAs predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act.

Under ESSA, which was signed into law in December, graduation rates and student achievement on state tests will still dominate accountability systems, but states are allowed to incorporate several more factors into determining how well schools are performing. They also are given more flexibility in deciding how to intervene in their worst-performing schools.

The Education Department is in the process of coming up with the specific regulations to implement those provisions, however, the first of which may not be ready until later this year.

In the meantime, as state education agencies and legislators start to revamp state-level accountability systems, theyre finding that it may be harder than it looks. In order to avoid the same pitfalls the federal department made with the NCLB law, state officials are working to build consensus, collect the right data, and intervene in the most appropriate way.

This is critical because its our check that says weve made good on the promises weve made to the kids and families in our state, said Connecticut schools Superintendent Dianna Wentzell.

At least eight states without waivers from provisions of the NCLB law have been itching to get out of the prescribed penalties for schools whose students fall short on standardized tests.

While the majority of states got waivers from the NCLB law, many politicians feel they were bullied by the federal department to adopt some measures and now want to retool.

And other states will likely have to make changes to their existing accountability systems simply because they dont meet all ESSA requirements. All states, for example, will have to figure out a way to incorporate English-language learners proficiency rates into their accountability systems, something that wasnt required under the previous law.

Long-Planned Changes

In some cases, the process of rewriting accountability systems predated the passage of ESSA. Connecticut officials began meeting two years ago with teachers unions, local superintendents, and parent groups in order to draft their application for their waiver from No Child Left Behind.

In light of Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloys charge to not require any more data collection than necessary, they weighed the implications of several different indicators in coming up with an accountability system.

Measuring discipline, the department decided, would give schools an incentive to underreport suspensions and expulsions.

And while officials wanted to incorporate students civic engagement into their system, measuring student-participation rates in Advanced Placement civics or government courses or requiring community service didnt really get at the question of whether students were so engaged.

The accountability system they came up withincorporating 12 data points to place schools in three separate categoriesis one that state chief Wentzell said received accolades from the federal department last summer.

State board members spent the past few months making minor changes based on their interpretation of the ESSA law before voting in early March to put it in place permanently. To the best of their knowledge, it abides by the federal requirements, said Wentzell.

We look forward to refining the system if necessary and will certainly do that in collaboration with the Department of Education, she said.

Californias Overhaul

Like Connecticut, California state board members have spent the past two months figuring out how to mesh the accountability system they have created with new federal requirements.

The state for the past several years has clashed with the federal department over school accountability, leading to California being denied a waiver under the NCLB law.

While the state says several components of its accountability system match well with ESSA, such as identifying underserved student populations, it doesnt plan to provide an index or rank its schools. Thats despite the fact that ESSA requires states to identify their bottom 5 percent of schools. Instead, California plans to provide parents with a list of how well schools are doing in particular areas.

Requiring states to give more weight to some factors over others implies that some factors are more important than others, said California state board President Michael Kirst.

If youre smart enough to look at five things on the dashboard of a car and still drive, you should be able to understand a school, Kirst said. For the people who say parents cant understand multiple measures, then these parents shouldnt be driving.

Thats a sentiment that rankles Ryan Smith, the executive director of Education Trust-West, an Oakland-based advocacy group that strongly supports incorporating data in accountability systems.

When parents are driving cars, they really want to know, Where am I going?  Smith said. When youre not helping them get a good glimpse of how well a school is performing, its less like driving a car and more like flying a plane. If they dont have the capability of doing that, theyre going to crash.

Smith said he is pushing legislators to block the system. The state is modeling its new accountability system on its school funding formula, which distributes funds based on specific school performance factors.

Forging New Paths

There are other examples of states looking to strike out on their own.

For instance, while ESSA requires states to administer the same state exam in grades 3-8, Florida and Arizona are considering bills that would give schools the option of two exams.

And Kentucky lawmakers are debating a bill that would seem to conflict with several provisions of the law, including what the states education department lists on school report cards, and which schools the state deems failures. Its a point Susan Perkins Weston of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a Kentucky citizens advocacy group, brought up on the groups blog.

For some states, ESSA leaves several questions unanswered.

In Alaska, the state education department last month began convening parents, teachers, administrators, and superintendents across the state to start designing an accountability system that would replace the Alaska School Performance Indexa system the state put on hold two years ago because of technical problems.

Already, questions of particular significance to Alaska are starting to arise: How do you break out subgroups of students without violating data-privacy laws when, for many schools, subgroups amount to no more than five students? How do you effectively intervene in isolated, one-room schoolhouses that dot the state, far from any paved roads?

And, most importantly, what data can a department that has been slashed back as a result of statewide budget cuts feasibly collect?

Were hoping that the regulatory process fleshes the law out a little bit more, said Brian Laurent, the state departments data-management supervisor. If theres something that the federal department feels strongly about, then they need to tell us. We are seeing this as our opportunity to have local stakeholder input and create a plan that works for us.
A new technology that allows for the transmission of data free of a centralized authority has drawn the curiosity of the educational technology community, raising questions about whether it could allow for a seamless, digitally based sharing of students academic experiences.

The potential applicability of blockchain technology in schools emerged recently with the announcement by Sony Global Education Inc. that it has plans to bring the data-sharing system to education.

Generally described as a distributed database through which digital transactions can be securely made and recorded without approval from a central authority, blockchain could have applications for student credentialing, and student data management, proponents believe. Sony also sees possibilities in the world of testing.

Blockchain is known today primarily for its use in the world of finance. It is the technology that underpins Bitcoin, a digital currency that allows strangers to directly exchange money without having to rely on a central bank or institution. A growing number of established financial institutions and companies are exploring whether to use blockchain technology to manage a variety of digital transactions.

In its announcement, Sony Global Education, a company affiliated with the Japanese electronics corporation, argues that blockchain technology could give students more control over the transmission of their test results, among other applications.

In one potential application, a parent or student who takes an exam could tell the vendor giving the test to share the results with a third party, suggested Sony officials. Organizations receiving students records could then use blockchain technology to calculate scores and assess results in ways that best suit their own interests and needs, the company said.

In an email to Education Week, Sony Global Education President Masaaki Isozu said the company wants to provide a new kind of education platform which includes verified educational records and academic credentials, and that blockchain is one of our options to help us achieve this goal.

We want to keep life-long learning records ... securely in the cloud forever, Isozu said. While these records are usually held privately, we want to make it possible for students and educators to securely share verified, trustworthy information with others. Trading these records securely would be an all-new service in the education sector.

While the idea behind having shareable records that students can take with them through blockchain is appealing, current fears about data privacy would seem to stand firmly in the way of that vision, said Cameron Evans, the chief technology officer for U.S. education for Microsoft, in an interview.

In todays environment, the idea of having mobile student records without a centralized authority responsible for them would likely unnerve parents and K-12 officials, Evans said. He spoke last week during the South by Southwest Education conference, a major educational technology summit held annually in Austin, Texas.

The culture is so far behind blockchain today, Evans said. Asking about blockchain is a good question, put forward about three years early.

Testing the Concept

Still, Sony sees an array of possibilities. Isozu offered a hypothetical example from higher education. Suppose an individual studied at a state school in China, took a virtual course from a U.S.-based organization, then graduated from a Japanese university, he said. How would a graduate school in Spain verify the myriad records, in weighing that students application?

In an increasingly global education sector, we believe its important for students to be able to easily prove that their credentials are correct, Isozu said.

Another possibility: An educational blockchain could be used to create a secure academic version of something akin to LinkedIn, housing students learning records, Isozu added. With students or parents consent, data would be shared with different audiences, and made reusable within the blockchain.

Individuals and enterprises could anonymously utilize the data to analyze personal learning history, the Sony Global Education executive said.

Within a financial system, blockchain can create transactional records that are unhackable and irrefutable, prominent author and business and tech adviser Don Tapscott said in a recent speech. It eliminates the need for an intermediary, such as a credit card company or bank, he explained. And blockchains usefulness in finance, he predicted, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether Sonys vision for blockchain in education will gain traction remains to be seen. But some say one of the possible uses of the technology centers in digital badging, by making it far easier for students to create, hold, and distribute a digital academic record that contains details on their academic credits, accomplishments, and experiences.

Conceivably, if blockchain were to help students keep track of and share records of their academic experiencesin brick-and-mortar schools, virtual classes, and from other sourcesit could add detail and sophistication to efforts to personalize education, said Doug Levin, the president of EdTech Strategies LLC, a consulting organization.

While the blockchain concept is pretty nascent and people are just starting to explore it, Levin said,in theory it could move the control over the transcript from the school to the family. ... The idea is, this could be a much more efficient process.

Big Privacy Questions

One of the obvious questions about blockchain in the current education environment is whether it would become ensnared in the web of student-data-privacy concerns, which has tripped up many an ed-tech company and put K-12 district officials on edge.

While theres little doubt blockchain would face privacy questions, when people ask how secure the technology is, one response is: secure compared to what? Levin asked.

Schools current centralized data systems pose security risks, he noted, just as private vendors safeguards have fallen short.

And so far, blockchain has been tested by, and appears to be winning the confidence of, users in the financial sector who presumably have very high demands for data security, in that they want currency protected, Levin said. (It was recently reported by the Wall Street Journal that the bank J.P. Morgan is testing blockchain technology in transfers of U.S. dollars, as it wrestles with competition from online payment and lending systems.)

Other uncertainties abound. Blockchain technology isnt well understood in society, noted Levin. And many potential blockchain uses are at this point conceptualand because its as broad a concept as something like, say, cloud computing, its hard to make predictions about its applications in K-12, he said.

Another question stems from the fact that much of the interest in blockchain is based on the Bitcoin experience, or private blockchains, Levin said. Building on a system of Bitcoins magnitude and user base has advantages, but theres also likely to be technical and political baggage, he said. In addition, its unclear what incentives would draw a large-enough pool of education users into a blockchain system to make it function efficiently, he added.

There are many players looking to get a quick buck off the Bitcoin ecosystem, Levin said. It can be difficult to separate hype and future aspirations from current capabilities.

Isozu, of Sony Global Education, said the company is confident that education users will buy into a system that is secure and calibrated to their needs.

But he agreed with Levin that incentive is the key to any successful blockchain operation, adding: This is not a problem only for Sony.
HELENA  Severe medical marijuana restrictions that would force the closure of large dispensaries should go into effect no more than 49 days after the Montana Supreme Court upheld a disputed 2011 state law, an attorney for the Department of Justice said Tuesday.

State health officials are backing medical marijuana advocates who are seeking a longer delay, saying it would take months for the agency to carry out the regulatory changes in the court's ruling.

Last month, the court upheld provisions of the 2011 law that limits marijuana providers to selling the drug to no more than three patients each. Medical marijuana advocates who sued to block the law asked the Supreme Court last week to reconsider the three-patient limit and delay implementation of the restrictions until after the 2017 legislative session, which is more than a year from now.

The state Department of Justice opposes the request to reconsider the limit and a lengthy transition period, Assistant Attorney General Stuart Segrest wrote in response to the advocates' request. Only 49 days passed from when the state Legislature passed the bill in May 2011 and it was to go into effect that July, officials said.

"If the court is inclined to delay things at all, it should follow the same 49-day period that was in the law," attorney general spokesman John Barnes said. He later clarified that the department was making a suggestion based on its interpretation of the law, not telling the court what it should do.

The advocates, led by the Montana Cannabis Industry Association, argued that a longer transition period would prevent the disruption of patient care and help state officials prepare for enforcing the ruling. It also would give them time to prepare a ballot initiative reversing the restrictions and lobby legislators to change the law in 2017 if the initiative fails.

Segrest wrote in response that the effective date should be the same period as was in the original bill. He requested that the 49-day period begin with the court's ruling on Feb. 25, which would make the effective date April 14.

Bob Devine, president of the Montana Cannabis Industry Association, said much of that 49-day period would already be up by the time the Supreme Court makes a ruling.

"I don't feel that they have the best interests of the patients of Montana in mind," he said.

It will take at least four months for the Department of Public Health and Human Services to implement the changes, department spokesman Jon Ebelt said. That includes sending notices to providers who have more than three patients, notifying patients who no longer have providers of their options and updating the medical marijuana registry.

About 350 of the state's 476 providers would have to discontinue their services, health officials said. Approximately 10,000 of the 13,594 patients would be cut off from their supply.

"We are concerned about the ability of thousands of patients with serious medical conditions to access a treatment that has been approved by their doctors," Ebelt said. "Because of these concerns, we support delaying this decision until the 2017 Legislature has a chance to respond."

The attorney general's office "has no position on DPHHS' claim," Barnes said.

The state Legislature passed the 2011 law after a medical marijuana boom that led to abuses and widespread recreational use. Besides the three-patient limit, the law requires the automatic review of doctors who recommend the drug to more than 25 patients in a year and bans marijuana advertising.

Other provisions of the law have been in effect since 2011, such as stricter requirements to prove a medical condition that qualifies for the medical marijuana registry.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
Miami, Mar 15 (EFE).- The U.S. non-profit Finca Vigia Foundation in Cuba will receive from Caterpillar Inc. a donation of $500,000 for the restoration and preservation of documents and artifacts from the home of writer Ernest Hemingway.

The donation will be used for the construction of the "Taller" (Workshop) building, which will house a laboratory with archive storage facilities at the Hemingway Museum in Havana.

"Caterpillar is proud to be a part of this significant project, and we're committed to being a business and cultural partner with Cuba," Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman said.

The Taller's construction will be executed with U.S. materials, thus becoming one of the first construction projects on the island to use American components since the embargo was imposed more than 53 years ago.

"Because of our own deep history and rich heritage, we recognize the importance of preserving the rich Hemingway heritage that unites the American and Cuban people," Oberhelman said.

Ernest Hemingway, who spent a lot of time at his Finca Vigia home, wrote segments of some of his most famous novels there including "The Old Man and the Sea," which won him the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Today the house-turned-museum preserves a collection of personal objects and documents that belonged to the novelist and that includes books, hunting trophies, discs, guns, letters, photos, a typewriter on which he tended to write standing up, and the yacht El Pilar, on which he went fishing and sailed around the Caribbean.

"Hemingway lived in Cuba for the last 22 years of his life. It is where he collected his life's work: correspondence, galley proofs, manuscripts, thousands of photographs...the collection is astounding," Jenny Phillips, co-chair of the board of directors of The Finca Vigia Foundation, said in a statement.

Relacionados Colombian Indians preserve cultural roots
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Wyoming community colleges won some peace of mind during this winter's legislative session when it comes to overall state aid they receive.

Lawmakers approved changes in the way they provide state aid to the college campuses based in Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, Riverton, Rock Springs, Powell and Torrington, said Matt Petry, deputy director of the Wyoming Community College Commission. The changes aim to bring stability to community college funding.

"The real positive for the colleges is they know what their funding is every year essentially, instead of as it has been for the past six years where they were never quite sure how much money they would receive in terms of enrollment-growth funding," Petry said.

Under the current system, state funding is based on enrollment numbers dating back to the 2004-2005 academic year, and community colleges had to ask lawmakers for extra money every year if their enrollments exceeded those base levels.

"Over that six-year period, the colleges received about 70 percent of what was requested," Petry said.

On top of that, any funding they received was good for only for a two-year budget period, meaning colleges had to keep going back to the Legislature asking for more. "Those were all one-time appropriations, so they didn't know whether that same level of support would be there in the next biennium," Petry said.

Under the new system, enrollment at the colleges will be recalibrated every four years, and state funding will be adjusted accordingly.

"If enrollment numbers are down from four years previously, the colleges can stand to lose some funding, and conversely if enrollment is up from where it was four years previously then the colleges would stand to gain some funding," Petry said. "So it provides them with stability and the ability to make plans for long-term projects."

Separately, legislators appropriated $11.75 million in general funds for two building projects at community colleges. Northern Wyoming Community College District will get $6.5 million for a technical education center, and Central Wyoming College will get $5.25 million for an agriculture-animal science building. The money represents half the cost of the projects, meaning each college will be responsible for the rest.
Heritage funding on offer after generous bequest



Donald Collister

Funding is on offer to support ideas and plans that will help to protect the Isle of Man's heritage.

Individuals, groups and organisations could secure up to 5,000 as part of the Donald Collister Heritage Grant Scheme.

The money makes up part of a 1 million bequest which was left to Manx National Heritage by the former Colby resident when he died in 2007.

Applications, which have to be in by March 31st, must demonstrate how the project makes a measurable and sustainable contribution to the economy and how it would attract new visitors.

Director Edmund Southworth says heritage was a cause close to Mr Collister's heart:

Media

Edmund Southworth
School trying to smash stereotypes in bid to inspire women



Annette Baker

Inspiring women into stereotypically masculine roles would fill gaps in future recruitment black holes on the Island.

That's according to the headteacher at Ramsey Grammar School - which is engaging students over Inspiring Women week from March 21st to 24th.

Student Rose ten Donkelaar has been picked by Manx-based space company ManSat to attend Houston's NASA Space School this summer.

Annette Baker says her determination shows women can take pole-position in every sector of our economy:

Media

Annette Baker
A 26-year-old Mercer County jail employee remains in custody after being charged in a shooting rampage with an AR-15 rifle at Dakota Farms Inn in Beulah.

Michael K. Peterson was arrested almost two weeks after the Feb. 27 incident and charged Thursday with four felony counts of attempting to murder his wife, sister, mother and father and two felony counts of recklessly endangering others at the combination hotel-bar-restaurant. Bond was set at $2,500, or 10 percent of $25,000 and had not been posted Monday.

In an affidavit filed in the case, its alleged that Michael Peterson was kicked out of the Alibis Lounge, which is co-located with the hotel, at about 9 p.m., and went into his managers apartment near the hotel registration desk and lobby. Sometime later, Jaynell Peterson and Jaylin Peterson, his mother and sister, left the apartment and shortly after that his wife, Mariah Peterson, also ran into the lobby, according to the affidavit signed by Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent Jeramie Quam.

Michael Petersons father, Colin Peterson, entered the lobby and stood near the open apartment door, apparently talking to his son, documents say. Colin Peterson is a longtime chief deputy for the Mercer County Sheriffs Department.

Though Associated Press reported two injuries in the incident, no one was injured, said Mercer County Sheriff Dean Danzeisen and Beulah Police Chief Frank Senn.

Petersons attorney, Tom Dickson, said Michael Peterson was lucky no one was hurt in the shooting spree.

This is a serious and out-of-control case of alcohol abuse. We are making every effort to address the events that occurred that evening and to also address the underlying cause of alcohol dependence, Dickson said.

Crime scene investigation reveals that approximately 32 bullets were discharged in the apartment. Two of the bullets exited the apartment and struck a chair in the lobby. One bullet was fired through an apartment window into the parking lot. A large number of bullets went through the wall, the affidavit says.

At the scene, Michael Peterson made a statement to the Beulah police chief that he was, `Sorry for shooting the door, according to court documents.

The matter was turned over to the BCI because of Michael Petersons association with Mercer County prosecutors and investigators. He was immediately placed on administrative leave after the shooting incident. He is being held at the McLean County jail in Washburn and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 27.
Re: Rental Reduction - Arbitration Board Meeting Quote: Papa Goose Exactly my thoughts MD.



Your house search situation is really a non issue I think. The law will look at it and in all probability say you knew the rent and signed the contract. Clearly your landlord disagrees on the rent reduction, that is why you are going to the hearing. If he has followed the law and gets the ruling, your rent won't change, but you will have the potential to have a bad relationship with your landlord going forward.



I'd suck up your bad choice, and look for an alternative place to live, as you are going to want a landlords reference at some point, and winding him up now.... not a good idea



Agree completely. Getting on the landlord`s bad side.....you may pay for this later. Look for a new place and give notice on the current one so that you do not need to find a replacement tenant. It sounds as though that will be impossible anyways.





In the instances where we won the rent reduction we moved shortly afterwards. One was a planned overseas move. At the handover the landlady was being difficult as she was angry to have been out of pocket at great deal of rent.





The other move was to be rid of a landlord who just neglected the property. It was a pity as it was a lovely house and a super neighbourhood. Agree completely. Getting on the landlord`s bad side.....you may pay for this later. Look for a new place and give notice on the current one so that you do not need to find a replacement tenant. It sounds as though that will be impossible anyways.In the instances where we won the rent reduction we moved shortly afterwards. One was a planned overseas move. At the handover the landlady was being difficult as she was angry to have been out of pocket at great deal of rent.The other move was to be rid of a landlord who just neglected the property. It was a pity as it was a lovely house and a super neighbourhood. __________________



Last edited by Mrs. Doolittle; 16.03.2016 at 17:39 .
Jaden Smith has always been an unconventional character. The son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith has often walked to the beat of his own drum with his personal and professional choices. And now the social media star and actor is ready to take on the standards and beliefs of one of the most powerful industries out there: the fashion world. See how Smith is taking on gender roles, fashion roles, and the gender binaryall in the name of equality, individuality and, of course, high style.

Bashing The Binary

A photo posted by Jaden Smith (@christiaingrey) on Jan 28, 2016 at 8:31am PST



The son of Hollywood celebrities, Smith has never been too bothered by conventional ideals and attitudes. Since he turned 16, Smith has been consistently flying in the face of social normsespecially those pertaining to fashion. He's worn skirts and 'feminine' accessories in public, always without making a big scene. In a recent interview with British GQ Magazine, the social media celebrity summed up his view on all the hubbub: "I feel like people are kind of confused about gender norms. I feel like people dont really get it. Im not saying that I get it, Im just saying that Ive never seen any distinction. I dont see man clothes and woman clothes, I just see scared people and comfortable people."

The New Face of Womenswear

While some critics dismissed Smith's attitude towards clothing and gender as nothing more than standard teenage rebellion, it was harder to overlook his professional choices. When it was announced that Smith would be the face of the Louis Vuitton Spring Womenswear Collection in 2016. People were decidedly nonplussed by this bold move from one of the most famous designers in the industry. But the decision has already paid off in spades; besides being a great marketing choice, Smith's involvement in the project is raising some very timely questions about gender, identity, and where fashion fits into it all.

A Different Attitude

They Call Me Don Julio The Seventh. pic.twitter.com/V9oO5UuXCU  Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) March 15, 2016

Jaden Smith's move to break down the gender binary through fashion is by no means a new idea (comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has explained for years, 'They're not women's clothes. They're my clothes. I bought them.'), but it may be one whose time has finally come. The young celebrity has become a powerful and highly visible advocate for change, and this is the first step in his plan to save the world. And as far as he's concerned, this is only the beginning.

Inspired Fashion

"Just Come Here" A photo posted by Jaden Smith (@christiaingrey) on Jan 25, 2016 at 3:20pm PST



So what's next for the rapper/actor/model/artist? It's hard to say. Jaden Smith's career has not followed a conventional path, and it's doubtful that's going to change any time soon. Right now he seems deeply invested in the world of fashion, and encouraging people to be comfortable with who they are and what they want to wear. Tomorrowwho can tell? But for the moment, this powerful and provocative move is raising important questions and starting a complicated dialogue about identity, gender, and why we subscribe to the gender binary. Not bad for someone who's still a few months shy of turning 18. We can't wait to see what he'll do next.
SAN DIEGO, March 15, 2016 -- Eggshells are both marvels and afterthoughts. Placed on end, they are as strong as the arches supporting ancient Roman aqueducts. Yet they readily crack in the middle, and once that happens, we discard them without a second thought. But now scientists report that adding tiny shards of eggshell to bioplastic could create a first-of-its-kind biodegradable packaging material that bends but does not easily break.

The researchers present their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world's largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 12,500 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

"We're breaking eggshells down into their most minute components and then infusing them into a special blend of bioplastics that we have developed," says Vijaya K. Rangari, Ph.D. "These nano-sized eggshell particles add strength to the material and make them far more flexible than other bioplastics on the market. We believe that these traits -- along with its biodegradability in the soil -- could make this eggshell bioplastic a very attractive alternative packaging material."

Worldwide, manufacturers produce about 300 million tons of plastic annually. Almost 99 percent of it is made with crude oil and other fossil fuels. Once it is discarded, petroleum-based plastics can last for centuries without breaking down. If burned, these plastics release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which can contribute to global climate change.

As an alternative, some manufacturers are producing bioplastics -- a form of plastic derived from cornstarch, sweet potatoes or other renewable plant-based sources -- that readily decompose or biodegrade once they are in the ground. However, most of these materials lack the strength and flexibility needed to work well in the packaging industry. And that's a problem since the vast majority of plastic is used to hold, wrap and encase products. So petroleum-based materials continue to dominate the market, particularly in grocery and other retail stores, where estimates suggest that up to a trillion plastic bags are distributed worldwide every year.

To find a solution, Rangari, graduate student Boniface Tiimob and colleagues at Tuskegee University experimented with various plastic polymers. Eventually, they latched onto a mixture of 70 percent polybutyrate adipate terephthalate (PBAT), a petroleum polymer, and 30 percent polylactic acid (PLA), a polymer derived from cornstarch. PBAT, unlike other oil-based plastic polymers, is designed to begin degrading as soon as three months after it is put into the soil.

This mixture had many of the traits that the researchers were looking for, but they wanted to further enhance the flexibility of the material. So they created nanoparticles made of eggshells. They chose eggshells, in part, because they are porous, lightweight and mainly composed of calcium carbonate, a natural compound that easily decays.

The shells were washed, ground up in polypropylene glycol and then exposed to ultrasonic waves that broke the shell fragments down into nanoparticles more than 350,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Then, in a laboratory study, they infused a small fraction of these particles, each shaped like a deck of cards, into the 70/30 mixture of PBAT and PLA. The researchers found that this addition made the mixture 700 percent more flexible than other bioplastic blends. They say this pliability could make it ideal for use in retail packaging, grocery bags and food containers -- including egg cartons.

In addition to bioplastics, Rangari's team is investigating using eggshell nanoparticles to enhance wound healing, bone regeneration and drug delivery.

###

A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, March 15, at 9 a.m. Pacific time in the San Diego Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at Room 16B (Mezzanine) in person, or watch live on YouTube http://bit.ly/ACSliveSanDiego. To ask questions online, sign in with a Google account.

Rangari acknowledges funding from the National Science Foundation (CREST#1137681, RISE#1459007) and the Alabama Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ESPCoR#1158862).

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research is being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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Title

Nano Engineered Eggshell Toughened Polylactic Acid/Aliphatic-Aromatic Copolyester Flexible Polymer Blend

Abstract

The need for compostable alternative packaging materials is an urgent one, due to the inevitable demand in copious quantities by the increasing consumer population. Unfortunately, the mostly used polymeric materials (polypropylene and polyethylene) are recalcitrant to degradation, and contribute significantly to the concerning is of climate change. The demands for such materials have surged in commensurate proportions to match the increasing demand by growing global population. Worldwide yearly plastics production is estimated to exceed 300 million tons by 2015. Currently, the bioplastics market is surging up and capturing the plastics consumer market by a rate of 30 % annually. Hence, the development of compostable substitute plastics will immensely help in the replacement of their petroleum sourced counterparts, curtailing the complex issues related to environmental waste management and climate change. In this research, extruded compostable poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/agro-based polylactic acid (PLA) blend films were studied to select a suitable blend for further investigations. These blends (90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40 and 50/50) were characterized using DSC, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM and tensile testing. After this screening, the 70/30 blend was selected based on its desirable tensile properties and further studied by reinforcing with eggshell nanoparticles (> 30 nm by TEM analysis) engineered through mechanical attrition and ultrasound irradiation. Eggshell nanoparticles have shown great potential in tailoring of weak polymer properties toward their enhancement, at the same time the inherent egg proteins in the shells have the potential of acting as biocides (antibacterial agents) in the polymer matrix. DSC results revealed that the two polymers are immiscible, due to the presence of distinct melting points. Raman spectroscopy showed frequency vibrations and intensities unique to the individual polymers. Also, SEM microanalysis showed heterogeneous mixtures of the two matrixes with distinct phases. The tensile test showed that PLA led to improvement in tensile strength and modulus whiles PBAT significant led to enhancement in train-to-failure of the pristine blends systems. The inclusion of nano eggshell led to improvement in thermal stability, strain-to-failure and strain at maximum load of the 70/30 blend.
SAN DIEGO, March 15, 2016 -- The ongoing debate about breast cancer diagnostics has left many women confused -- particularly over what age they should get mammograms and who needs treatment. An issue with current methods is that they often identify lumps but cannot conclusively pinpoint which ones are cancerous. To help resolve this uncertainty, researchers have developed a pill that could improve imaging techniques so that only cancerous tumors light up.

Today, the researchers report their diagnostic approach at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world's largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 12,500 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

"There's a lot of controversy right now about when patients should start screening for breast cancer," says Greg Thurber, Ph.D. "Screening can potentially catch the disease early in some patients, but false positives can lead to unnecessary, aggressive treatments in patients who don't need them. We don't know how to select the right patients to treat. Our work could help change that."

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Mammograms, the current standard for screening, are X-rays of breast tissue. They give doctors information about a lump's location and size, but they can't distinguish between cancerous and benign growths. To find out more, doctors have to take a biopsy, which can involve needles or surgery. Biopsies, however, aren't 100 percent conclusive.

When suspicious lumps are found, doctors and patients will often opt for treatment ranging from surgery to radiation or chemotherapy, which can take months and cause serious side effects.

To better weed out patients who don't really need treatment, Thurber's team from the University of Michigan developed an oral pill containing an imaging agent that selectively binds to cancer cells or blood vessels that are unique to tumors. Once attached to its target, the dye fluoresces under near-infrared light. Although at this wavelength, fluorescent tumors can only be detected 1 to 2 centimeters deep, Thurber says given the elasticity of breast tissue, pairing his technique with ultrasound in the same instrument should be able to detect most cancers.

Testing in mice showed that with the proper formulation, a considerable proportion -- 50 to 60 percent -- of the agent gets absorbed into the bloodstream. It also binds specifically to cancer cells with little background noise in the image. That is, the fluorescent signal from the tumor was far stronger than the signal from the surrounding tissue.

If his team succeeds in formulating the pill for human patients, Thurber says the high image contrast should bode well for women with dense breast tissue whose mammograms are difficult to read. Additionally, Thurber is designing the agent to specifically seek out aggressive tumors, an approach that could distinguish them from slow-growing cancers such as ductal carcinoma in situ, a noninvasive breast cancer.

Now Thurber is coupling the probe with molecules to make it easier for human patients to absorb. Predicting when his agent might go into human clinical trials is difficult, he says. However, the dye is already used in Europe for other clinical applications, which could help speed the approval process in the U.S.

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A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. Pacific time in the San Diego Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at Room 16B (Mezzanine) in person, or watch live on YouTube http://bit.ly/ACSliveSanDiego. To ask questions online, sign in with a Google account.

Thurber acknowledges funding from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Michigan.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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Title

Disease Screening Pill for Breast Cancer: In Vivo Demonstration of an Orally Available Near-Infrared Molecular Imaging Agent Using Mouse Xenografts

Abstract

Some of the most significant advances in disease treatment come from early detection and therapy. Minimally invasive blood tests and non-invasive imaging are two of the most widely used methods for screening patients, but improved methods would reduce morbidity and mortality for many diseases. Blood tests generate extensive molecular information, but the nature of the test loses all spatial information within the body. Imaging techniques yield accurate spatial information but often only provide anatomical results or require high cost and/or ionizing radiation for molecular imaging. We report the development of an orally available near infrared molecular imaging agent that can be delivered and detected in a needle-free completely non-invasive manner with no ionizing radiation. A series of probes with varying physicochemical and optical properties was tested to determine the required balance of molecular imaging agent properties. The use of a permeability enhancer to transiently loosen tight junctions and an ion-pairing agent to shield the negative charge of the cyanine fluorescent dye increased bioavailability over an order of magnitude and allowed efficient uptake of a highly specific targeted probe. By selecting an agent with the proper balance of oral bioavailability, specific tumor targeting, and ideal optical properties, we demonstrated whole animal target to background ratios of 4.7 and tumor to muscle ratios over 20 following oral gavage in an orthotopic breast cancer mouse model. These results can be used to optimize molecular imaging agents and design new probes for orally available near-infrared non-invasive disease screening.
SAN DIEGO, March 15, 2016 -- Someday, cicadas and dragonflies might save your sight. The key to this power lies in their wings, which are coated with a forest of tiny pointed pillars that impale and kill bacterial cells unlucky enough to land on them. Now, scientists report they have replicated these antibacterial nanopillars on synthetic polymers that are being developed to restore vision.

The researchers present their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world's largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 12,500 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

"Other research groups have also created antibacterial nanopillar surfaces, but none of their approaches can be used on ordinary polymer surfaces or be scaled up easily," according to Albert F. Yee, Ph.D., who leads a team working on the topic. By contrast, the production method his group is adapting overcomes these hurdles.

"Our method is based on one developed in the early 2000s for the semiconductor industry," says Mary Nora Dickson, a graduate student in Yee's lab. "It is robust, inexpensive and can be used in industrial production. So it can now be applied to medical devices that could improve people's quality of life."

One such application is an artificial cornea that Yee's group aims to construct from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), familiar to many by trade names such as Plexiglas and Lucite. The material is already commonly used in medical devices including implantable intraocular lenses and traditional hard contact lenses. By building nanopillars into the surfaces of these types of devices, the researchers hope to make them bactericidal without the need for a separate biocidal coating or antibiotic drugs.

In earlier work, Yee, Dickson, Elena Liang, and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine, showed that their nanopillars, like those on cicada wings, can kill bacteria referred to as "gram-negative." This group of microorganisms includes E. coli. But cicada nanopillars are unable to kill another type of bacteria known as "gram-positive" because these microbes have thicker cell walls. Wiping out these bacteria, which include MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Streptococcus (known as "strep"), is important because they cause infections on medical devices and in hospitals.

Compared to cicada nanopillars, the ones on dragonfly wings are taller and skinnier, and they can kill gram-positive bacteria. Now Dickson is trying to form these types of nanopillars on PMMA. However, she is finding that these structures are harder to replicate than the cicadas' stubby pillars. She is currently modifying the production process in several different ways to overcome these challenges.

For example, one version of the process uses commercial molds that contain billions of tiny pits in an area that covers just a few square inches. Pressing the mold onto a heated polymer film reshapes the film, leaving it decorated with nanopillars once the mold is removed. That method works just fine for the stubbier cicada-like pillars, but the finer dragonfly-like pillars tend to break apart when the mold is removed, much like over-cooked cupcakes sticking to the inside of an ungreased muffin tin.

So Dickson is experimenting with fluorinated silane coatings for the mold; these coatings could help free the pillars when it's time to remove the polymer film. She's also testing different chemical compositions for the mold itself.

Yee, Liang and Dickson are now applying their technique to curved surfaces such as an artificial cornea. For this application, Dickson created a flexible mold for the cicada-like pillars. She recently showed that the nanopillared PMMA surface produced with this curved mold retains the ability to kill bacteria without harming other kinds of cells in the eye. The team is currently developing a mold for the taller, dragonfly-type pillars.

The group has filed for patents on the bactericidal surface and artificial cornea application and hopes to begin animal trials this year.

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A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, March 15, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time in the San Diego Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at Room 16B (Mezzanine) in person, or watch live on YouTube http://bit.ly/ACSliveSanDiego. To ask questions online, sign in with a Google account.

Yee acknowledges funding from the University of California, Irvine, and from the Allergan Foundation.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research is being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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Title

Towards a Scalable, Biomimetic Antibacterial Polymer Surface

Abstract

Nanopillars on cicada wings are inherently antibacterial, irrespective of surface chemistry. Application of nanopillars to polymer surfaces would result in inherently antibacterial surfaces without use of antibiotic drugs or biocide chemicals. Nano- and microstructured antibacterial surfaces have been previously proposed; none of these approaches can be used on ordinary polymer surfaces or easily scaled up. Thus, we applied industrial polymer nanostructuring techniques to generate biomimetic antibacterial nanostructures at the surfaces of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), a material commonly used in medical devices. We employed nanoimprint lithography, an industrially viable fabrication process, to produce our nanostructures. We utilized several molds for our process: a nano-holed (negative) mold, a commercially available nickel antireflective nanopillar (positive) mold, and a black silicon nanopillar (positive) mold fabricated with reactive ion etching. We treated these oxide surfaces with a fluorinated silane release coating (perflurodecyltrichlorosilane) using molecular vapor deposition. These molds were used to fabricate PMMA nanopillar arrays or to generate polydimethylsiloxane nanohole arrays to be used for subsequent PMMA nanopillar molding. The replication processes resulted in large, flat PMMA nanopillar arrays. Compared to flat films, PMMA nanopillar arrays 1) exhibited reduced surface adhesion of live E. coli determined by a standard fluorescence based viability assay, and 2) killed these bacteria, as evidenced AFM and SEM showing punctured bacterial cells on nanopillar arrays. Recent efforts have focused on optimizing the bactericidal performance of pillars to assess effectiveness against gram-positive bacteria. Our surfaces could be used for a wide variety of environmental and medical applications.
Researchers propose a new method that might be used to screen vehicles, suspicious packages, or cargo from up to a few hundred meters away

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 15, 2016 - In 2004 British national Dhiren Barot was arrested for conspiring to commit a public nuisance by the use of radioactive materials, among other charges. Authorities claimed that Barot had researched the production of "dirty bombs," and planned to detonate them in New York City, Washington DC, and other cities. A dirty bomb combines conventional explosives with radioactive material.

Although Barot did not build the bombs, national security experts believe terrorists continue to be interested in such devices for terror plots. Now researchers from the University of Maryland have proposed a new technique to remotely detect the radioactive materials in dirty bombs or other sources. They describe the method in a paper in the journal Physics of Plasmas, from AIP Publishing.

While the explosion of a dirty bomb would likely cause more damage than the radioactive substances it spreads, the bombs could create fear and panic, contaminate property, and require potentially costly cleanup, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Radioactive materials are routinely used at hospitals for diagnosing and treating diseases, at construction sites for inspecting welding seams, and in research facilities. Cobalt-60, for example, is used to sterilize medical equipment, produce radiation for cancer treatment, and preserve food, among many other applications. In 2013 thieves in Mexico stole a shipment of cobalt-60 pellets used in hospital radiotherapy machines, although the shipment was later recovered intact.

Cobalt-60 and many other radioactive elements emit highly energetic gamma rays when they decay. The gamma rays strip electrons from the molecules in the surrounding air, and the resulting free electrons lose energy and readily attach to oxygen molecules to create elevated levels of negatively charged oxygen ions around the radioactive materials.

It's the increased ion density that the University of Maryland researchers aim to detect with their new method. They calculate that a low-power laser aimed near the radioactive material could free electrons from the oxygen ions. A second, high-power laser could energize the electrons and start a cascading breakdown of the air. When the breakdown process reaches a certain critical point, the high-power laser light is reflected back. The more radioactive material in the vicinity, the more quickly the critical point is reached.

"We calculate we could easily detect 10 milligrams [of cobalt-60] with a laser aimed within half a meter from an unshielded source, which is a fraction of what might go into a dirty bomb" said Joshua Isaacs, first author on the paper and a graduate student working with University of Maryland physics and engineering professors Phillip Sprangle and Howard Milchberg. Lead could shield radioactive substances, but most ordinary materials like walls or glass do not stop gamma rays.

The lasers themselves could be located up to a few hundred meters away from the radioactive source, Isaacs said, as long as line-of-sight was maintained and the air was not too turbulent or polluted with aerosols. He estimated that the entire device, when built, could be transported by truck through city streets or past shipping containers in ports. It could also help police or security officials detect radiation without being too close to a potentially dangerous gamma ray emitter.

The proposed remote radiation detection method is not the first, but it has advantages over other approaches. For example, terahertz radiation has also been proposed as a way to breakdown air in the vicinity of radioactive materials, but producing terahertz radiation requires complicated and costly equipment. Another proposed method would use a high-power infrared laser to both strip electrons and break down the air, but the method requires the detector be located in the opposite direction of the laser, which would make it impractical to create a single, mobile device.

So far the researchers at the University of Maryland have analyzed the feasibility of the new approach and experiments are underway to test it in the lab.

Isaacs said it would be difficult to estimate when a detection device based on the new method might be commercialized, but he didn't foresee a specific manufacturing challenge that would stand in its way.

"We specifically chose well developed technology for each component of the proposed system," he said.

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The article, "Remote Monostatic Detection of Radioactive Materials by Laser-induced Breakdown," is authored by Joshua Isaacs, Chenlong Miao and Phillip Sprangle. It will be published in Physics of Plasmas on March 15, 2016 (DOI: 10.1063/1.4943404). After that date, it can be accessed at: http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/pop/23/3/10.1063/1.4943404

The authors of this paper are affiliated with the University of Maryland and the Naval Research Laboratory.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

Physics of Plasmas is dedicated to the publication of original experimental and theoretical contributions in plasma physics. Physics of Plasmas is published by AIP Publishing with the cooperation of the APS Division of Plasma Physics. See: http://pop.aip.org
Australian scientists have developed a new method for harvesting stem cells, which is less invasive and reduces side effects for donors.

For bone marrow transplantation, stem cells are routinely harvested from healthy donors and used to treat patients with cancers including leukaemia.

Current harvesting methods take a long time and require injections of a growth factor to boost stem cell numbers. This often leads to side effects.

The discovery, published today in Nature Communications, reduces the time required to obtain adequate numbers of stem cells, without the need for a growth factor.

The method, developed by a team of CSIRO researchers working within the manufacturing arm of CSIRO with the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash, combines a newly discovered molecule (known as BOP), with an existing type of molecule (AMD3100) to mobilise the stem cells found in bone marrow out into the blood stream.

CSIRO researcher Dr Susie Nilsson said her team was able to demonstrate that combining the two molecules directly impacts stem cells so they can be seen in the blood stream within an hour of a single dosage.

"Current treatment requires the patient to have growth factor injections for several days leading up to the procedure," Dr Nilsson said.

"Using the new method eliminates the need for this, meaning a procedure that once took days can be reduced to around an hour."

Until now AMD3100 has only been effective in increasing stem cell numbers when combined with the growth factor.

"But the growth factor can cause unpleasant side effects like bone pain and spleen enlargement for some patients," Dr Nilsson said.

"Other patients simply don't respond well, and their stem cell count never gets high enough for a successful transplant."

The scientists found that combining the two small molecules not only eliminates the need for the growth factor, but when the harvested cells are transplanted they can replenish the entire bone marrow system, and there are no known side effects.

Professor Peter Currie, ARMI Director, said a major benefit of the discovery is that harvesting stem cells will become more efficient and effective, considerably reducing the stress for donors.

"We're looking forward to seeing patients benefit from this discovery," Professor Currie said.

So far successful pre-clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the treatment.

The next step is a phase 1 clinical trial assessing the combination of BOP molecule with the growth factor, prior to the eventual successful combination of the two small molecules BOP and AMD3100.

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., March 15, 2016--Permafrost covers a considerable part of the Arctic. Hundreds of meters deep in many places and frozen for millennia, it's been thawing in recent decades, releasing greenhouse gases. New research reveals that similarly ancient ice wedges that form the prevalent honeycomb pattern across the tundra appear to be melting rapidly across the Arctic.

The ice wedges are quickly degrading, affecting runoff and amplifying the loss of permafrost. This melting ground ice greatly affects the storage and movement of water, either creating small ponds that absorb heat and increase thawing of soil across the tundra, or causing new connections between polygon troughs that can drain the landscape, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Ice wedge degradation has been observed before, but this is the first study to determine that rapid melting of ground ice has become widespread throughout the Arctic. The research team predicts that the melting--already occurring at sub-decadal timescales--will expand and intensify across the region, and this could escalate global warming and create more feedbacks.

"The unique structure of ice wedge polygon landscapes promotes ponding of water and the accumulation of vast stores of soil carbon as wetland vegetation dies-off seasonally and is buried and frozen over thousands of years. When ice wedges melt the land surface collapses. These "thermokarsts" dramatically change hydrology by either creating a lot of new ponds, or by draining and drying polygon-shaped ponds by connecting them into a continuous drainage network." said Cathy Wilson, the Los Alamos National Laboratory geomorphologist who coauthored the paper. Wilson heads the Atmosphere, Climate and Ecosystem Science team in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division.

Nearly 24 percent of the Northern continental landmass is covered by permafrost, defined as continuously frozen ground for two-plus years, with most of it frozen for tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Permafrost stores nearly 1700 gigatons of organic carbon. This frozen carbon is far greater than the amount of carbon that is already in the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases: methane and carbon dioxide. Wilson and other Los Alamos scientists have been working to understand how changes in permafrost hydrology might severely alter the Arctic carbon cycle, including the possibility of a large-scale greenhouse gas release from thawing permafrost.

Wilson explained "When permafrost thaws, microbes get active and start decomposing the carbon in the soil. This generates greenhouse gases. We want to know how much gas will be produced, how fast it will be released from the soil, and if it will be methane or carbon dioxide. Hydrology is critical, because more thermokarst ponds results in more methane, but more drained land results in more carbon dioxide."

The international team combined observations about the types of ice wedge polygons and how they changed over time across the Arctic, where they were already performing various permafrost studies. According to the paper, although these regions contain "cold permafrost," with an overall average temperature of about minus-14 degrees Celsius, surface thawing still occurred at all of the 10 study sites across Alaska, Canada and Russia.

"It's really the tipping point for the hydrology," said Anna Liljedahl, a researcher from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the paper's lead author. "Suddenly you're draining the landscape and creating more runoff even if the amount of precipitation remains the same. Instead of being absorbed by the tundra, the snowmelt water will run off into lakes and larger rivers. It really is a dramatic hydrologic change across the tundra landscape."

Gradual warming of permafrost has been well-documented in the Arctic, but the polygon study indicates that a brief period of unusual warmth can cause a rapid shift in a short time period.

At the studied sites, ice wedge degradation occurred in less than a decade. In some cases, a single unusually warm summer was enough to cause over 10 centimeters of surface subsidence.

The team's synthesis of field observations, remote sensing and hydrologic modeling documents trough formation (from melt and subsequent water movement) across the Arctic continuous permafrost domain. The ice-wedge degradation is a recent widespread phenomenon with major hydrological implications, according to the authors.

"Change is happening so fast. I never thought I'd see thermokarst occur over the course of a few years at our field site. It's pretty exciting, but scary too." Wilson said. "Even though the goal of the Los Alamos research is to improve the representation of permafrost hydrology in coupled climate models, I hope these findings will immediately help the general public and policy makers understand just how vulnerable the Arctic is to climate change."

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About the Team

In addition to Los Alamos and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, this international study also included collaborators from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research; Alaska Department of Natural Resources; Melnikov Permafrost Institute; ABR, Inc. Environmental Research and Services; Alfred Wegener Institute; Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology; Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Russian Academy of Sciences; Southwest Research Institute; Hydrology Software Consulting; San Diego State University, Earth Cryosphere Institute and the University of Sheffield.

This research is funded by Department of Energy's Office Science (Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments, NGEE-Arctic).

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWX Technologies, Inc. and URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and global security concerns.
Like carbon dioxide, methane is one of the most important greenhouse gases. After a period of stagnation around 2000, atmospheric methane concentrations started to rise again in 2007. So far, the causes have been unknown. According to the recent study of climate scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), at least 40% of this increase result from the growing production of oil and natural gas in the northern hemisphere. The results are now published in the "Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics" journal. (DOI:10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016)

"The attribution to thermogenic methane from the oil and natural gas industry is based on our vertical measurements of ethane and methane concentrations between the ground and the uppermost layers of the Earth's atmosphere," says the initiator of the study associate professor Ralf Sussmann of the Atmospheric Environmental Research Division of KIT's Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU). Apart from thermogenic methane formed within deep rock layers at high temperatures and emitted into the atmosphere as a result of oil and gas production, growing biogenic emissions by anaerobic processes are another cause, he says. The corresponding contributions from e.g. wetlands or animal husbandry are presently being analyzed in parallel by other research teams. Ethane is essential for quantifying the contribution of thermogenic methane. Like methane, it is a hydrocarbon compound and one of the main components of natural gas. "In case of biogenic methane sources, no ethane is produced," Petra Hausmann, doctoral student in the team of Sussmann, explains.

The study is based on long-term measurements by the KIT observatory at the Zugspitze summit and by climate researchers of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Lauder, New Zealand. The measurements are representative of the background concentration of methane and ethane in both hemispheres of the Earth. While measurements at the Zugspitze show a significant correlation between ethane and methane, i.e. a sudden increase of the concentrations of both trace gases from 2007 onwards, the Lauder scientists have observed a similar renewed increase for methane only. From these measurement results, the scientists concluded that at least 40% of the worldwide methane concentration increase after 2007 have to be attributed to the oil and gas sector and that the emissions took place in the northern hemisphere.

Although latest studies of biogenic sources by colleagues from New Zealand revealed that the main contribution to the renewed methane concentration increase after 2007 is of biogenic origin (Schaefer et al. in Science), this is in agreement with our result of an at least 40% share of thermogenic emissions", Sussmann explains. He points out that increasing emissions from the oil and natural gas sector, combined with emissions from wetlands and maybe animal husbandry increasingly appear to have caused the renewed increase in methane concentration in the last decade.

Natural Gas - Climate-friendlier than Coal?

For the time until a complete changeover to renewable energy sources, natural gas still is considered the climate-friendlier alternative to coal, because its combustion produces about half as much carbon dioxide only. Hydraulic fracturing of rock layers ("fracking") for the unconventional extraction of natural gas is discussed as a bridging technology.

The KIT study showing a thermogenic methane emission increase in the northern hemisphere since 2007 also is of political relevance since the results also suggest a connection to the North American oil and natural gas boom that started at about the same time ten years ago. Given that most of the oil and gas boom of the last decade has occurred in the US this would contradict official estimates of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that reports constantly low or even decreasing methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector in the US during the past ten years. Recently, a related study made in the USA on the basis of satellite data showed an increase in American methane emissions by more than 30% between 2002 and 2014 (Turner et al. in Geophysical Research Letters). Also this result contradicts EPA's findings of no significant anthropogenic methane emissions in the USA, Sussmann says.

According to Ralf Sussmann, at least part of these inconsistencies might be explained by the calculation of too small leak rates for the production and use of oil and natural gas. While the EPA uses extrapolations of random samples at individual wells sites and power plants (bottom-up estimate), the study of KIT uses representative atmospheric background measurements (top-down method). A current example of a gas leak is that in the Californian Alison Canyon, from which about 100,000 tons of methane were emitted between October 2015 and February 2016.

"On long-term scales of several decades, natural gas generally is to be expected to have a climate advantage. On shorter time scales, however, this climate advantage already fails to take effect, if the leak rates of natural gas production exceed a relatively low threshold value of a few percent only," Sussmann says. The reason: The methane leaking into the atmosphere is shorter-lived, but, at the same quantity, has a much stronger greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide.

The KIT scientists see further need for research to explain the discrepancy between official extrapolations and scientific measurements. Moreover, far-reaching technical development concepts to reduce natural gas leak rates have been adopted in the USA. "Rapid and wide implementation of these reduction measures will decide on whether unconventional natural gas production may be a climate-friendly alternative to coal combustion on shorter time scales," Ralf Sussmann adds.

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Literature

Hausmann, Petra, Sussmann, Ralf, and Smale, Dan: Contribution of oil and natural gas production to renewed increase in atmospheric methane (2007-2014): top-down estimate from ethane and methane column observations, http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3227/2016/

More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center: http://www.klima-umwelt.kit.edu/english.

For further information: Margarete Lehne, Press Officer, Phone: +49 721 608-48121, Fax: +49 721 608-43658, E-mail: margarete.lehne@kit.edu

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) pools its three core tasks of research, higher education, and innovation in a mission. With about 9,300 employees and 25,000 students, KIT is one of the big institutions of research and higher education in natural sciences and engineering in Europe.

KIT - The Research University in the Helmholtz Association
Shifting winds may explain why long-term fluctuations in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures have no apparent influence on Europe's wintertime temperatures. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could also have implications for how Europe's climate will evolve amid global warming.

In the mid-1990s, scientists assembled the first century-long record of North Atlantic sea surface temperatures and quickly discovered a cycle of heating and cooling at the surface of the ocean. Each of these phases lasted for decades, even as temperatures warmed overall during the course of the century. Since this discovery, these fluctuations in ocean temperature have been linked to all manner of Northern Hemisphere climate disturbances, from Sahel drought to North Atlantic hurricanes.

Research also linked European climate variability to the temperature swings of its neighboring ocean in the spring, summer and fall. Surprisingly, however, no imprint of the ocean's variability could be found in Western Europe's wintertime temperature record. This absence was especially puzzling in light of the fact that Europe's mild winters are a direct consequence of its enviable location downwind of the North Atlantic.

Now, a study by researchers at McGill University and the University of Rhode Island suggests that the answer to this puzzle lies in the winds themselves. The fluctuations in ocean temperature are accompanied by shifts in the winds. These wind shifts mean that air arrives in Western Europe via very different pathways in decades when the surface of the North Atlantic is warm, compared to decades when it is cool.

Paths of virtual particles traced

The researchers studied the winds and their interaction with the ocean in a recently developed reconstruction of 20th century climate. Their main approach was to launch virtual particles into the winds, and trace their journey for ten key days leading up to their arrival in Western Europe. They repeated this procedure using the wind field for each winter of the last 72 years, a period for which the winds of the North Atlantic have already been carefully documented and validated.

The new research reveals that, in decades in which North Atlantic sea surface temperatures are elevated, winds deliver air to Europe disproportionately from the north. In contrast, in decades of coolest sea surface temperature, swifter winds extract more heat from the western and central Atlantic before arriving in Europe. The researchers suggest the distinct atmospheric pathways hide the ocean oscillation from Europe in winter.

Ongoing debate

Whether the atmosphere is the tail to the ocean's dog or vice versa remains up for debate. "There is an ongoing argument about whether the ocean circulation sets the slow temperature fluctuations at its surface, or the atmosphere is the more important agent," says University of Rhode Island professor Jaime Palter, one of the authors,

If, as many climate models suggest, the ocean is a main driver, then this research has implications for the future of European climate. A system of ocean currents, popularly referred to as the "Great Ocean Conveyor," brings warm waters to the North Atlantic. This current system is predicted to slow down in response to global warming, causing the North Atlantic to cool.

"It is often presumed that the cooler North Atlantic will quickly lead to cooling in Europe, or at least a slowdown in its rate of warming," says Ayako Yamamoto, a PhD student in McGill's department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and lead author of the study. "But our research suggests that the dynamics of the atmosphere might stop this relative cooling from showing up in Europe in winter in the decades following an Atlantic cooling."

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This work was supported by funding from McGill University, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Quebec - Nature et technologies, and Quebec-Ocean.

"The absence of an Atlantic imprint on the multi-decadal variability of wintertime European temperature," Ayako Yamamoto and Jaime B. Palter, Nature Communications, published online March 15, 2016. DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS10930
A pregnant Tyrannosaurus rex that roamed Montana 68 million years ago may be the key to discerning gender differences between theropod, or meat-eating dinosaur, species. Researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences have confirmed the presence of medullary bone - a gender-specific reproductive tissue - in a fossilized T. rex femur. Beyond giving paleontologists a definitively female fossil to study, their findings could shed light on the evolution of egg laying in modern birds.

Medullary bone is only found in female birds, and then only during the period before or during egg laying. It is chemically distinct from other bone types, like the dense cortical bone that makes up the outer portion of our bones, or the spongy cancellous bone found inside them. This is because medullary bone has to be laid down and mobilized quickly in order for birds to shell their eggs. Theropod dinosaurs, the broader dinosaurian group that includes modern birds and other toothy relatives such as T. rex, also laid eggs in order to reproduce, and paleontologists have hypothesized that they may have had medullary bone as well.

In 2005, Mary Schweitzer, an NC State paleontologist with a joint appointment at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and lead author of a paper describing the research, found what she believed to be medullary bone in the femur of a 68 million year old T. rex fossil (MOR 1125).

"All the evidence we had at the time pointed to this tissue being medullary bone," Schweitzer says, "but there are some bone diseases that occur in birds, like osteopetrosis, that can mimic the appearance of medullary bone under the microscope. So to be sure we needed to do chemical analysis of the tissue."

Medullary bone contains keratan sulfate, a substance not present in other bone types, but it was previously thought that none of the original chemistry of dinosaur bone would survive millions of years. However, Schweitzer and her colleagues conducted a number of different tests on the T. rex sample, including testing for keratan sulfate using monoclonal antibodies, and compared their results to the same tests performed on known medullary tissue from ostrich and chicken bone. Their findings confirmed that the tissue from the T. rex was medullary bone.

"This analysis allows us to determine the gender of this fossil, and gives us a window into the evolution of egg laying in modern birds," Schweitzer says, although she adds that the fleeting nature of medullary bone means that finding more of it in the fossil record may be difficult.

The femur of MOR1125 was already broken when Schweitzer got it, and she acknowledges that most paleontologists wouldn't want to cut open or demineralize their fossils in order to search for rare medullary bone. However, co-author Lindsay Zanno, an NC State paleontologist with a joint appointment at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, showed that CT scans of fossils may help narrow down the search.

"It's a dirty secret, but we know next to nothing about sex-linked traits in extinct dinosaurs. Dinosaurs weren't shy about sexual signaling, all those bells and whistles, horns, crests, and frills, and yet we just haven't had a reliable way to tell males from females," Zanno says. "Just being able to identify a dinosaur definitively as a female opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Now that we can show pregnant dinosaurs have a chemical fingerprint, we need a concerted effort to find more."

The research appears in Scientific Reports. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Wenxia Zheng of NC State, Sarah Werning of Des Moines University, and Toshie Sugiyama of Niigata University, Japan, also contributed to the work.

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Note to editors: An abstract of the paper follows.

"Chemistry supports the identification of gender-specific reproductive tissue in Tyrannosaurus rex"

DOI: 10.1038/srep23099

Authors: Mary Schweitzer, Lindsay Zanno, NC State University and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences; Wenxia Zheng, NC State University; Sarah Werning, Des Moines University; Toshie Sugiyama, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.

Published: Online in Scientific Reports

Abstract:

Medullary bone (MB), an estrogen-dependent reproductive tissue present in extant gravid birds is texturally, histologically and chemically distinct from other bone types. Phylogenetic proximity led to the proposal that MB would be present in non-avian dinosaurs, and recent studies have used microscopic, morphological, and regional homologies to identify this reproductive tissue in both theropod and ornithischian dinosaurs. Here, we capitalize on the unique chemical and histological fingerprint of MB in birds to characterize, at the molecular level, MB in the non-avian theropod Tyrannosaurus rex (MOR 1125), and show that the retention of original molecular components in fossils allows deeper physiological and evolutionary questions to be addressed.
Jin Kim Montclare honored by the American Chemical Society for her development of engineered proteins that can fight disease, mitigate environmental damage and more

BROOKLYN, New York--The American Chemical Society (ACS) named Jin Kim Montclare, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, a 2016 Rising Star. She will receive the award--which is given by the organization's Women Chemists Committee to female scientists who have demonstrated outstanding promise for contributions to their fields--at the 251st ACS National Meeting, being held in San Diego, California, from March 13 to 17.

Montclare, a featured speaker at the Rising Star Symposium on March 14, discussed the pathway to engineering artificial proteins and the lessons learned; today she will address the topic of programming intelligent protein biomaterials during a session on dynamic and tunable biomaterials sponsored by the ACS's Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE).

Montclare's Lab for Protein Engineering and Molecular Design has been responsible for several breakthroughs in recent years. She and her colleagues have made advancements, for example, in detoxifying organophosphates, compounds commonly used in pesticides and warfare agents (such as sarin) that pose grave health hazards to people and animals. Additionally, she has researched protein-engineered, environmentally responsive hydrogels that hold potential to become fundamental building blocks of new biomimetic materials that can heal wounds and more. In late 2015 the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Montclare's latest research, aimed at developing an engineered protein-lipid system that simultaneously delivers genes and drugs for the potential treatment of multi-drug resistant cancer cells, diabetes, and other conditions requiring a variety of therapeutic approaches.

Montclare has been widely hailed for her efforts to introduce K-12 students to the STEM fields, and she has spearheaded an outreach program to help teach science, technology, engineering and math at a girls' school in Brooklyn. Additionally, she invites a group of high school students into her NYU Tandon lab to conduct research each summer under the auspices of the university's Center for K-12 Education.

An alumna of the NSF's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, which prepares academic researchers to become entrepreneurs and speeds the commercialization of their research, she co-founded a venture called inSchoolApps, which develops mobile and web apps to enhance science education in the classroom.

"Jin Montclare's cutting-edge research is addressing problems of great medical and societal importance, while her commitment to K-12 STEM education ensures that the next generation of engineers will be in the pipeline, ready to do equally noteworthy work," said NYU Tandon Dean Katepalli R. Sreenivasan. "Additionally, her entrepreneurial zeal and dedication to innovation have long been traits we strive to inculcate in our undergraduate and graduate students. I congratulate her for this deserved recognition by the ACS."

In addition to the ACS Rising Star Award, Montclare, who earned her doctoral degree in bioorganic chemistry from Yale University in 2003, has been the recipient of the Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award from the National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry, the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering Fellowship, the Jacobs Excellence in Education Award, the Dreyfus Special Grants Program Award, the AFOSR Young Investigator Award, and the Wechsler Award for Excellence.

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, when the NYU School of Civil Engineering and Architecture as well as the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly) were founded. Their successor institutions merged in January 2014 to create a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to programs at its main campus in downtown Brooklyn, it is closely connected to engineering programs in NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai, and it operates business incubators in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - An elderly woman in Phoenix. A Toledo toddler. An accountant in Indianapolis. All poisoned by food. Quickly uncovering that their illnesses are connected can make all the difference in halting a deadly outbreak.

About 276,000 cases of foodborne illness are avoided each year because of PulseNet, a 20-year-old network coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new research has found. PulseNet links U.S. public health laboratories so that they can speedily share details about E. coli, Salmonella and other bacterial illnesses.

The averted illnesses translate to $507 million in annual savings on medical bills and lost productivity, according to a study led by Robert L. Scharff of The Ohio State University and Craig Hedberg of the University of Minnesota.

PulseNet has created a climate that encourages better business practices and swift response to trouble, Scharff said, and that likely explains most of the avoided illnesses in the study.

In the face of public scrutiny, lawsuits and lost revenue, businesses have responded with better self-policing, he said.

"Companies are saying, 'We can't have this risk. This risk is too big for us,'" said Scharff, an associate professor of consumer sciences.

"What's exciting for me is this shows the power of information in the market to force change on industry. It's not just a way of tracking illness, but of allowing markets to work better."

Scharff worked with experts from the CDC and elsewhere to assign a value to PulseNet, both in terms of illnesses prevented and dollars saved. The team analyzed data from 1994 to 2009.

The results, published in conjunction with PulseNet's 20th anniversary, appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

PulseNet's annual price tag is $7.3 million, according to the analysis. The network includes 83 state and federal laboratories where microbiologists uncover DNA fingerprints of illness-causing bacteria that tie cases together and confirm outbreaks.

"If more agencies used information as a tool instead of trying to fight the markets, I think we would all be better off," said Scharff, also an economist who is part of Ohio State's Food Innovation Center.

Tainted food is responsible for about 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths in the United States each year.

PulseNet's purpose is to use DNA fingerprinting techniques to link illnesses that are likely to have a shared cause, even if the cases are widely dispersed. Food moves far and wide in the modern world and the first clues of an outbreak aren't always clustered geographically.

Until now, health officials have not been able to assign a value to the service.

"PulseNet has been very impactful. We've known this for many years, but it's been anecdotal. This gives us some hard figures," said John Besser, deputy chief of the CDC's enteric diseases laboratory branch.

PulseNet identifies about 1,750 clusters of disease a year, including nearly 250 that span multiple states.

"PulseNet is an integral part of our food-safety system and it helps improve the quality and safety of all the food that we eat," said Besser, who formerly worked with PulseNet in Minnesota, one of the first states to embrace the program.

"Part of that effect is containing outbreaks, but a really significant portion of the benefit is giving feedback to the food industry and the regulatory agencies so they can make food safer," he said.

Besser said he's hopeful the federal government will be able to sustain PulseNet as changes in laboratory testing methods evolve. Placing a value on the service should help, he said.

To participate in PulseNet, state, county and city labs evaluate samples from people sickened by food and look for the DNA fingerprint of the bacteria, molecular subtyping that goes deeper than simply naming the responsible pathogen.

Salmonella cases, for example, arise all the time. And most are sporadic, meaning the strain of bacteria in one person's stool sample isn't likely to match the strain in the sample across town, or across the country. When they do match, there could be big trouble.

Scharff and his colleagues found that in states that put more DNA data into the system, the chance of future illnesses declined significantly.

Their work focused on E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella - the bacteria that have been analyzed by the network the longest. The team used two models. One was designed to capture indirect effects of PulseNet - the food contamination that never happened because the network exists.

This was possible because states have adopted PulseNet to differing degrees and at different times, opening the door for a calculation based on how rates of illness differ by PulseNet participation level.

"The more that a state uploads into the system, the lower reported illnesses will be," Scharff said.

The second model estimated the direct effects of product recalls when outbreaks arise and are linked to a specific food. Faster identification of outbreaks, resulting in more timely recalls, led to 16,994 fewer Salmonella cases and 2,819 fewer E. coli cases a year at a savings of $37 million, the study found.

Though the study provides estimates of illness reduction, it's unclear how many illnesses are being prevented because of improvements in fields, factories and slaughterhouses or how many are avoided due to better-informed government and consumer actions.

It is also impossible to know about spillover effects - reductions in foodborne illnesses from pathogens not included in this analysis.

"The calculations probably underestimate the impact of PulseNet," Scharff said. "We did not examine whether illnesses from pathogens outside of the three in question were reduced as a result of industry efforts, though they likely were."

The economic model also may not fully include all of the costs.

"We used a very conservative economic method of measuring health costs," he said. The study did not assign a dollar value to losses from premature death and reduced quality of life, a number that could be quite large, the researchers wrote.

On the other side, "we aren't able to estimate the cost to industry from remedial actions," he said. "These could be significant for affected companies, but are lower than the costs of having foodborne illnesses associated with their products."

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Financial support for the research came from the CDC, through the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

Scharff, Hedberg and Besser's collaborators on the study were Donald Sharp and Peter Gerner-Smidt of the CDC and Timothy Jones of the Tennessee Department of Health.

CONTACT: Robert Scharff, (614) 292-4549; Scharff.8@osu.edu

Written by: Misti Crane, (614) 292-5220; Crane.11@osu.edu
Today, Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed too late. In collaboration with a research team at the university and German Center for Neurogenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Gottingen, Researchers at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) have developed a blood test that may potentially facilitate detection of Alzheimer's at an early stage. It is based on an immuno-chemical analysis using an infrared sensor. The sensor's surface is coated with highly specific antibodies which extract biomarkers for Alzheimer's from the blood or the cerebrospinal fluid, taken from the lower part of the back (lumbar liquor). The infrared sensor analyses if the biomarkers show already pathological changes, which can take place more than 15 years before any clinical symptoms appear. This method has been featured as the cover story in the internationally renowned academic journal "Biophotonics", and the results of the study were also published in Analytical Chemistry.

In most instances, diagnosis is too late

A major problem of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis is the fact that, by the time the first clinical symptoms appear, massive irreversible damage to the brain has already occurred. At that point, symptomatic treatment is the only available option. "If we wish to have a drug at our disposal that can significantly inhibit the progress of the disease, we need blood tests that detect Alzheimer's in its pre-dementia stages," says Prof Dr Klaus Gerwert, Head of the Department of Biophysics at RUB. "By applying such drugs at an early stage, we could prevent dementia, or at the very least delay its onset," adds Prof Dr med. Jens Wiltfang, Head of the Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Gottingen and Clinical Research Coordinator at DZNE Gottingen.

Morbus Alzheimer's and misfolding of Amyloid beta peptide

For the novel test, the secondary structure of the so-called Amyloid beta peptides serves as biomarker. This structure changes in Alzheimer's patients. In the misfolded, pathological structure, more and more Amyloid beta peptides can accumulate, gradually forming visible plaque deposits in the brain that are typical for Alzheimer's disease. This happens more than15 years before first clinical symptoms appear. The pathological beta Amyloid plaques can be temporarily detected by positron emission tomography, short: Amyloid PET; but this procedure is comparatively expensive and is accompanied by radiation exposure.

Patented diagnostic method for Alzheimer's detection

Together with Prof Dr med. Jens Wiltfang from Gottingen, the team headed by Prof Dr Klaus Gerwert has developed an infrared sensor for detecting misfolding of Amyloid beta peptides as part of the PhD research projects of Andreas Nabers and Jonas Schartner. The infrared sensor extracts the Amyloid beta peptide from body fluids. The method is patent pending. After initially working with cerebrospinal fluid, the researchers subsequently expanded the method towards blood analysis. "We do not merely select one single possible folding arrangement of the peptide; rather, we detect how all existing Amyloid beta secondarystructures are distributed, in their healthy and in their pathological forms," says Gerwert. Precise diagnostics is not possible until the distribution of all secondary structures is evaluated. Tests that analyse Amyloid beta peptide are already available with so-called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). They identify the total concentration, percentage of forms of different length, as well as the concentration of individual conformations in body fluids; but they have not, as yet, provided information on the diagnostically relevant distribution of the secondary structures at once. "This is why ELISA tests have not been proven very effective when applied in blood sample analysis in practice," explains Klaus Gerwert.

First clinical trials completed

Using the methods now developed in Bochum and Gottingen, the researchers have analysed samples from 141 patients. They have achieved a diagnostic precision of 84 per cent in the blood and 90 per cent in cerebrospinal fluid, compared with the clinical gold standard. The test revealed an increase of misfolded biomarkers as spectral shift of Amyloid beta band below threshold, thus diagnosing Alzheimer's. "What's unique about it is that this is the only robust label-free test with a single threshold," as Andreas Nabers describes the result of his dissertation.

A potential sensor for early detection

As part of the published study, the researchers have tested the potential for early detection of Morbus Alzheimer's on a small group of patients. The results suggest that even in pre-dementia stages, an increased concentration of misfolded Amyloid beta peptides can be detected in body fluids. Thus, Morbus Alzheimer's may in future be diagnosable in preclinical stages. "The sooner Alzheimer's is detected, the better the therapy chances. This sensor is an important milestone in the right direction," adds Prof Dr Jens Wiltfang. Currently, sample analyses for early detection in 800 study participants are being conducted, in order to optimise statistical significance.

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Project funding

The funds for the project have been supplied by PURE (Protein Research Unit Ruhr within Europe), the spokesman of which is Prof Dr Klaus Gerwert.

Original publication

A. Nabers, J. Ollesch, J. Schartner, C. Kotting, J. Genius, U. Haumann, H. Klafki, J. Wiltfang, and K. Gerwert (2016): An infrared sensor analysing label-free the secondary structure of the Abeta peptide in presence of complex fluids, Journal of Biophotonics, DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201400145 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbio.201400145/abstract

A. Nabers, J. Ollesch, J. Schartner, C. Kotting, J. Genius, H. Hafermann, H. Klafki, K. Gerwert, and J. Wiltfang (2016): The Amyloid-beta secondary structure distribution in CSF and blood measured by an immuno-IR-sensor: a novel biomarker candidate for Alzheimer's disease, Analytical Chemistry, Doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04286.

One click away

Previous press information related to this subject http://aktuell.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pm2013/pm00067.html.de

Further information

Prof Dr Klaus Gerwert, Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at Ruhr-Universitat, 44780 Bochum, phone: +49 234 32 24461, email: gerwert@rub.de

Prof Dr med. Jens Wiltfang, Head of the Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Gottingen DZNE Gottingen - Deutsches Zentrum fur Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V., Clinical Research Coordinator at DZNE Gottingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075 Gottingen, phone: +49 551-39 66601, email: jens.wiltfang@med.uni-goettingen.de
Among comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, treatment with inhaled xenon gas combined with hypothermia, compared with hypothermia alone, resulted in less white matter damage; however, there was no significant difference in neurological outcomes or death at 6 months, according to a study appearing in the March 15 issue of JAMA.

Survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have a poor prognosis with high rates of death and the likelihood of having severe neurological problems. Animal studies have established the neuroprotective properties of the inhaled noble gas xenon. Neuroprotection associated with xenon has been especially evident when combined with hypothermia (91.4F to 95F). Thus far, these neuroprotective properties have not been reported in human studies.

Timo Laitio, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Turku, Finland, and colleagues randomly assigned 110 comatose patients who had experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest to receive either inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia (91.4F) for 24 hours (n = 55) or hypothermia treatment alone (n = 55; control group). The trial was conducted at two intensive care units in Finland.

There were magnetic resonance imaging data from 97 patients a median of 53 hours after cardiac arrest. The researchers found that patients in the xenon group had less white matter damage compared to the control group. At six months, 75 patients (68 percent) were alive. There were no significant differences between the groups on measures of neurological and cognitive outcomes, or death at six months.

"These preliminary findings require further evaluation in an adequately powered clinical trial designed to assess clinical outcomes associated with inhaled xenon among survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest," the authors write.

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(doi:10.1001/jama.2016.1933; this study is available pre-embargo at the For The Media website.)

Editor's Note: The study was funded by the Academy of Finland and via clinical research funding from the Hospital District of Southwest Finland. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, etc.
A new company has been formed to maximise the commercial impact of Edinburgh's world-leading animal science research.

The company - Roslin Technologies Ltd - has been launched to facilitate the commercialisation of research from the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

It offers one of the world's largest investment opportunities in research projects aimed at improving animal health and raising agricultural productivity.

The University has partnered with Edinburgh-based private equity advisor JB Equity, who are raising an initial 15 million to support the venture.

Roslin Technologies will offer opportunities for investors looking to capitalise on the growing demand for food and agricultural products.

It will be led by a specialist team of investment managers with expert knowledge in animal science, big data, and project management. The team aims to raise further investment that will support the creation of licensed spin-off companies.

Martin Hjorth-Jensen, Chairman of JB Equity, said: "With a global population increasing beyond nine billion by 2040, innovation and investment in animal science and genetics will be critical to ensure global food security. We are seeing an ever-increasing appetite for investment in technology advancements in animal health and agriculture and Roslin Technologies will provide a channel for those funds to help accelerate these projects."

The Roslin Institute - which receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council - is located with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies on the University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush Campus.

Research on the campus is focused on the applications of basic animal sciences in human and veterinary medicine, the livestock industry and food security. It was ranked as most powerful in the veterinary and agricultural research category of the UK Government's most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) - the system for assessing quality of research in UK higher education.

Professor David Hume, Director of The Roslin Institute and Research Director of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: "This investment is recognition of the excellence of animal sciences research in Scotland. It is especially timely as we become major partners in a UK Agri-Tech Centre of Excellence, and also form a joint venture with the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation."

Hugh Edmiston, Director of Corporate Services at the University of Edinburgh, noted that the investment reflects the ongoing commitment and success of the University in commercialisation of its research. He said: "The co-location of Roslin Technologies in the new Roslin Innovation Centre, currently under construction on the Easter Bush Campus, will provide unprecedented opportunities for researchers to access business and commercialisation expertise as well as funding."

JB Equity has commenced the fundraising process and will host the first investor day at The Roslin Institute on Thursday, 17 March.

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People buying rare plants through social media are placing species at risk of extinction and must be monitored

A study conducted by the University of Kent's Dr Amy Hinsley and Dr David Roberts, and published by Conservation Biology, represents the first large-scale global survey of wildlife trade via a social-media site, using the orchid trade as a case study.

Orchids make up 70% of species listed by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and some can sell on the black market for tens of thousands of pounds, thus providing the motivation for traders to bypass the rules aimed at preventing species from becoming extinct. Illegal traders are keen to find new ways to advertise and sell their plants on the black market, with social media emerging as the new way to do so.

The researchers found wild orchids were being traded from all over the world, and recorded trade in rare and threatened species including one assessed as Critically Endangered. At least two others are listed as protected in the country from which they were being sold. Although total numbers of trade posts are relatively small, the high proportion of wild collected orchids for sale supports calls for better monitoring of social media for trade in wild collected plants and other traded wildlife.

A previous study by Dr Hinsley and Dr Roberts shows that orchid hobbyists who buy on the internet have a preference for rare species. The sale of wild orchids on social media, if left unchecked, is likely to contribute to pressure on vulnerable wild populations.

Dr Hinsley and Dr Roberts assert that law enforcers and conservationists must discover, monitor and respond to new developments quickly.

The increasing use of the internet by wildlife traders, especially those involved in illegal trade, is a significant challenge to conservation of traded species especially those in niche markets. Evidence suggests increased regulation, like eBay's ban on ivory sales in 2009, may be driving wildlife traders to sell via social media.

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Dr Hinsley and Dr Roberts are members of Kent's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), within its School of Anthropology and Conservation.

'Estimating the extent and structure of trade in horticultural orchids via social media' (Amy Hinsley, Tamsin E. Lee, Joseph R. Harrison and David L Roberts, University of Kent) is available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12721/abstract

For further information or interview requests contact Sandy Fleming at the University of Kent Press Office.

Tel: 01227 823581/01634 888879

Email: S.Fleming@kent.ac.uk

News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news

University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent

Notes to editors

Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome.

It has been ranked: third for overall student satisfaction in the 2014 National Student Survey; 16th in the Guardian University Guide 2016; 23rd in the Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2016; and 22nd in the Complete University Guide 2015.

In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, Kent is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its 'Table of Tables' 2016.

Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality.

Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium.

In 2014, Kent received its second Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.
A research team led by the University of Leeds has observed for the first time how HIV and Ebola viruses attach to cells to spread infection.

The findings, published today in the journal Angewandte Chemie, offer a new way of treating such viruses: instead of destroying the pathogens, introduce a block on how they interact with cells.

Lead author Dr Yuan Guo, from the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds, said: "Until now, how these viruses attach to cells was a 'black box' to chemists. We knew that the viruses were interacting with healthy cells, but the way in which they bound together was still a mystery."

In the study, the researchers used nano-sized crystals (about a millionth of a millimetre in size) called 'quantum dots' that mimicked the shape of the viruses and acted as technological stand-ins in experiments to reveal how they bind to cells.

Quantum dots are fluorescent crystals in which the colour of the emitted light is dependent on the size of the crystal - one of several properties that has led to them becoming the most desirable component for the latest generation of televisions. They have also emerged as an advanced type of fluorescent probe for biomolecular and cellular imaging, making them useful for studying how viruses spread.

Using the fluorescence of the quantum dots, the research team behind the new study were able to illuminate the physical binds that attach them to the cells, also revealing how the viruses would bond.

In order to allow the quantum dots to bind to cells, they first had to be coated in sugar - a new technique that was developed at the University of Leeds for this study.

Study co-author Dr Bruce Turnbull, also from the Astbury Centre, and the University's School of Chemistry, said: "We often only hear about sugar in a negative light, about how consuming it is bad for our health. But there are many different types of sugars that play a vital role in human biology. In fact, all of our cells are coated in sugar and they interact with other cells by proteins binding with these sugars. Indeed, the reason why we have different blood types is because of the different types of sugar coating on our red blood cells.

"Viruses also attach to the surface of healthy cells through interactions between proteins and sugars. These interactions are weak individually, but can be reinforced by forming multiple contacts to offer the viruses a 'way in'. We want to understand what factors control this binding process and, eventually, develop a range of inhibitors designed to target specific viral bindings."

The study has already revealed the different ways in which two cell surface sugar binding proteins that were previously thought to be almost indistinguishable - called 'DC-SIGN' and 'DC-SIGNR' - bind to the HIV and Ebola virus surface sugars, thereby spreading the viruses.

Study co-lead author Dr Dejian Zhou, also from the Astbury Centre and the University's School of Chemistry, said: "These proteins are like twins with different personalities. Their physical make-up is almost identical, yet the efficiency with which they transmit different viruses, such as HIV and Ebola, varies dramatically and the reason behind this had been a mystery.

"Our study has revealed a way to differentiate between these proteins, as we have found that the way in which they bind to virus surface sugars is very different. They both attach via four binding sites to strengthen the bond, but the orientation of these binding pockets differs."

A pioneering tradition in structural biology

Further progress in this area will be boosted by the state-of-the-art facilities in the Astbury Centre, enabling researchers to better understand life in molecular detail.

The University of Leeds has played a key role in the birth of structural biology as a scientific discipline, with the development of X-ray crystallography by Nobel Laureates William and Lawrence Bragg in Leeds in 1912-13.

A recent 17 million investment in some of the best nuclear magnetic resonance and electron microscopy facilities in the world is now enabling scientists to remain at the forefront of research into complex proteins.

A new academic symposium, the Asbury Conversation, is being hosted at the University of Leeds from 11 - 12 April 2016, to bring together leading researchers from across the globe to discuss the most recent innovations, new techniques and technologies in the field of structural molecular biology.

A public exhibition and lecture on Tuesday 12 April follows the symposium, aimed at helping people understand the secret life of molecules, including an exhibit called "The complex life of sugars". Professor Michael Levitt, who was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing computer-based tools to better understand and predict chemical reactions, will be delivering the talk, "How modelling molecules builds our understanding of life."

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Images

Download: https://goo.gl/xCdZSj

Caption: Quantum dots are fluorescent crystals in which the colour of the emitted light is dependent on the size of the crystal.

Credit: Richard E. Cruise, University of Leeds

Further information

The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust, with additional funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The research paper, 'Compact, Polyvalent Mannose Quantum Dots as Sensitive, Ratiometric FRET Probes for Multivalent Protein-Ligand Interactions', is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Dr Yuan Guo, Dr Dejian Zhou and Dr Bruce Turnbull are available for interview, please contact Sarah Reed, Press Officer at the University of Leeds, on +44 (0)113 343 4196 or email s.j.reed@leeds.ac.uk

More information about the Astbury Conversation is available at http://www.astburyconversation.leeds.ac.uk, or email pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk
U-M neuroscientist Maria G. Castro, Ph.D., has been selected to receive the 2016 Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award, an honor that provides up to seven years of research funding for her brain tumor work.

The award comes from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a federal agency that supports research to better understand fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.

"It feels like my work has been recognized in a very special way," says Castro, professor of neurosurgery and cell and developmental biology at the University of Michigan Medical School. "The longer duration of the grant will enable me to develop cutting-edge and innovative science and make strides in finding a cure for malignant brain cancer."

Authorized by the United States Congress in 1983, the Javits award honors the late U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits of New York, who was a strong advocate for research on a variety of neurological disorders. Senator Javits suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the disabling neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The award is given to individual investigators who have demonstrated exceptional scientific excellence and productivity in research supported by the NINDS and who are expected to conduct innovative research over the next seven years. It provides guaranteed funding for four years, after which three additional years may be awarded. Investigators are nominated by either NINDS staff or members of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council, from a pool of competing applicants during a grants cycle. The council must approve each recommendation, with final selection being made by the NINDS director.

The grant provides more than $2.8 million in research and administrative funding over the seven-year period. These funds will support Castro's research with the ultimate aim to develop novel immunotherapies for brain cancer (glioma), studying basic immune-biology mechanisms leading to clinical implementation. Castro is investigating the role of the tumor immune-microenvironment in tumor progression and response to therapeutics; and the mechanisms affecting the migration of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment.

Castro has recently focused her research efforts on the study of the activation and deactivation of genes that affect brain cancer progression.

In addition, her lab is aiming to uncover the role of molecules produced by cancer cells in mediating the response to immunotherapies. To achieve this, Castro and her team developed novel rodent models of malignant brain cancer, using in vivo gene transfer technologies. These genetically engineered mouse models, which harbor genetic alterations present in the human disease, have proven to be powerful platforms to uncover the mechanisms that mediate tumor progression and implement novel immunotherapies for glioma.

The ultimate aim of Castro's laboratory is to translate these novel immunotherapy approaches to human Phase I clinical trials. Castro's innovative work has led to an FDA-approved gene therapy Phase 1 clinical trial for malignant brain cancer, ongoing at U-M's Department of Neurosurgery.

Castro is also the R. C. Schneider Endowed Chair in Basic and Translational Neurooncology.

"Receiving the Javits Award constitutes a major milestone in the career of a neuroscientist, an honor that only very few investigators attain," said Karin Muraszko, M.D., chair of the U-M Department of Neurosurgery. "We congratulate Dr. Castro, not only for receiving the recognition of her peers in the scientific community, but for performing groundbreaking research to improve the outcomes for patients suffering from devastating brain cancer."

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MIAMI--Researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science published new findings that suggest the expansion of protected areas into U.S. federal waters would safeguard 100 percent of core home range areas used by three species of sharks tracked in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

The study investigated the core home range of 86 bull, great hammerhead and tiger sharks tagged in waters off south Florida and the northern Bahamas to understand if these highly mobile shark species might benefit from spatial protection, such as marine protected areas (MPAs). The team examined shark movements in core habitat use areas, or CHUAs, where the sharks were spending the majority of their time, in relation to zones that prohibited fishing or were these sharks were already fully protected within areas of the U.S. and Bahamas exclusive economic zones (EEZs).

"There are concerns that spatial protections may not benefit large sharks since they are highly mobile and likely to regularly move in and out of MPAs," said study co-author Neil Hammerschlag, a research assistant professor at the UM Rosenstiel Marine School and UM Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. "While it's not feasible to protect highly mobile species wherever they go, our findings suggest that significant conservation benefits can be achieved if they are protected in areas where they spend the majority of their time, such as their core habitat use areas."

The results show that none of the tracked bull shark's regional CHUAs were in areas that are fully protected from fishing, and for the great hammerhead and tiger sharks tracked, only 18 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of their core use areas were currently protected. The study also found that the majority of the CHUAs utilized by all three shark species were within the U.S. EEZ.

"Our results will help enable policy makers to make more informed decisions when developing conservation plans for these species, particularly when considering a place-based management approach," said UM Rosenstiel School alumna Fiona Graham, the lead author of the study.

In 2011 the Bahamas declared a ban on all commercial shark fishing in its more than 650,000 square kilometers (251,000 square miles) of waters under their federal EEZ. The state of Florida enacted new measures in 2012 to fully protect four shark species, including tiger and great hammerhead sharks, by prohibiting their harvest and possession in state waters. These new findings have important implications for marine conservation and spatial planning, such as to better evaluate the effectiveness of current, and placement of future MPAs, according to the researchers.

Current research has shown that waters off Florida and the Bahamas are important pupping and feeding grounds for several sharks, providing them with the critical habitat required for the conservation of these slow-to-mature ocean animals.

Many shark populations are threatened worldwide due to overfishing, a trend that is largely driven to fuel the shark fin trade as well as from accidental bycatch from fishing operations. Populations of hammerhead sharks in the northwest Atlantic and other areas have declined more than 80 percent over the last two decades, according to some research reports, which has resulted in great hammerheads being listed as globally endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Both bull sharks and tiger sharks are listed as near threatened by the IUCN.

"This is of particular importance for hammerheads sharks since they are experiencing the greatest declines in the region and are of high conservation concern," said Hammerschlag. However, this species is susceptible to death from capture stress, so effective conservation strategies would also need to prevent great hammerheads from capture in the first place."

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Video: https://youtu.be/4DNmGtAp0cw

The study, titled "Use of marine protected areas and exclusive economic zones in the subtropical western North Atlantic Ocean by large highly mobile sharks," was published in the Jan. 2016 early online edition of the journal Diversity and Distributions. The study's authors include: Fiona Graham, Neil Hammerschlag, Patrick Rynne, Maria Estevanez, Jiangang Luo, and Jerald S. Ault from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School.

This work was supported by the Batchelor Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, Wells Fargo, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and the West Coast Inland Navigation District.

About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School

The University of Miami is one of the largest private research institutions in the southeastern United States. The University's mission is to provide quality education, attract and retain outstanding students, support the faculty and their research, and build an endowment for University initiatives. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, visit: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu.
In a whirlwind two-day trip to London, former US Secretary of Defense William J. Perry met with Parliamentarians to discuss current issues of nuclear security, deteriorating relations with Russia, and plans for nuclear modernization. Perry concluded his trip with the European launch of his new memoir, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink at The Guardian. Guardian World Affairs Editor Julian Borger moderated a wide-ranging discussion of the events in Perrys long career that shaped his thinking about nuclear weapons bringing him to conclude that these weapons endanger our security rather than secure it.

Perrys trip, hosted by the European Leadership Network, included a special presentation to security experts at Chatham House, where Perry addressed the future of nuclear weapons in the US and his concerns about the current modernization plans. He noted that these plans are proceeding with virtually no public dialogue, and argues that the US should not rebuild its ICBMs, not just because of their expense but because they are the one component of the US nuclear triad susceptible to a false alarm.

Though the U.S. has made no measurable progress in nuclear nonproliferation since the ratification of the New Start treaty early in Obamas tenure, Perry is still urging Obama not to give up on ratifying the CTBT before the end of his term, saying it is obviously in the best interests of the US to do so.

Perry also met in several private sessions at the House of Commons with UKs top leaders in defense and foreign affairsthe Top Level Group and the APPG on Global Security and Non-Proliferation. He engaged in open Q&A with Parliamentarians on the growing crisis in US and NATO relations with Russia, advocating for the need to set aside animosities and get down to serious dialogue about the issues that unite the countries instead of those that divide them. He believes that dialogue on topics such as stopping ISIS in Syria, nuclear nonproliferation, and preventing terrorism provide a platform for constructive, cooperative effort, possibly opening the door to an improvement in other areas of concern.

Though Perry posited that the threat of a nuclear catastrophe is greater today than during the Cold War, he appealed to policymakers and citizens alike to learn about the issues and to get involved in solving them. He has formed the Perry Project to provide information to engage a younger generation in these issues so that they will be better prepared to participate in guiding policy about the role nuclear weapons will play in the 21st century.
Complete the last word in the second of the following two paragraphs:

This is an essay about how to avoid carpet-bombing your career as a scientist. The academy, in general, is a wonderful place to work, but not everyone plays nice. Veer too far from carefully charted courses and someone may slip quietly up behind you and slide a cold piece of steel in between the ribs of your budding research career. Theyll do this believing that they are serving public interest by snuffing out dangerous research agendas, but that wont make any difference to you. Itll be your reputation that will suffer grievous injury. What in the world might elicit such harsh rebuke from a community of otherwise broadminded, free speech spouting scholars? What is so verboten that it constitutes academias Bermuda Triangle, a place where careers disappear more often than ships in the actual Bermuda Triangle? In one word, its.

In a word, its what? Intelligent design? That is what I would have said, but no, thats two words. The essay by St. Louis University criminologist Brian Boutwell, published at Quilette, is titled The Bermuda Triangle of Science. He contends that the area of scholarship that imperils all who enter is not a skeptical approach to Darwinian evolution but rather the fraught subject of race.

Well, well. Without denying that race is explosive on campuses, surely evolution is no less dangerous, subject to obsceneviolations of free speech, grant dollars denied, denied promotions, removal of a course from course listings, and an atmosphere of general harassment. This is all depressingly familiar:

[C]rossing the boundaries of the Triangle (even if only to defend a colleague) can be frightening. Angry invectives hurled in your direction will come so fast, and so fierce, it will likely leave your head spinning.  Within the Bermuda Triangle, you see, it is a free for all when it comes to accusations and motive indictment. There is no suitable defense, trying to mount in fact one will only fan the flames.  Techniques to preclude such dangerous knowledge from seeping out of the Ivory Tower dont even have to take the form of a full frontal ad hominem assault (recall our earlier imagery of the knife slid silently in the back).

Boutwell concludes with practical counsel:

I would advise young scholars not to study race, and its not because the area is unimportant. Understanding genetic differences between human populations is critical. My warnings come because if youre not careful, you may very well have your career stripped away from you.

Yep. Remember the Sternberg case?

Some observations on race and evolution: First, if the scientific study of racial differences incites anger, thats in part because of the history of racial pseudoscience going back to Darwins own notorious writings, especially in The Descent of Man, that inspired venomous Nazi and eugenic theorizing. Whatever the merit of the research cited by Dr. Boutwell, it stands in a tradition that has treaded some very sinister paths.

Second, do you ever notice how campaigners for free speech on campus ignore the danger to scholars who investigate evidence for design in nature? Jerry Coyne, for example, talks a pretty good game about academic freedom. Today, he applauds a committee vote at the University of Minnesota supporting free speech by 7-2. (Who are the two faculty members that voted against?) But Coyne is the same guy who, with the Freedom from Religion Foundation, agitated to silence a pro-ID scientist at Ball State University. Im sorry to say, intellectuals who decry manacles on scholars in other areas, for the most part couldnt care less about protecting freedom for scientists when it comes to evolution. Intelligent design, not race, is the field of scholarly study that really dare not speak its name.

Finally, I wonder if the persecution of ID scientists escapes notice because students, for the most part, dont get worked up about evolution. They absorb the orthodoxy without question, for the most part. Race, ethnicity, and sexuality, meanwhile, are hot topics at universities in part because they are so immediate and personal. When it comes to the Darwin debate, the Why does it matter? question take a bit more explaining, something for which elite young people seem to have little patience.

Youre not going to find pampered Yale or Brown students screaming at administrators for failing to create a safe space for their confidence in evolutionary theory. To borrow Dr. Boutwells language, the damage would be done, the threat carried out, much more quietly, with a cold piece of steel in between the ribs, delivered by smiling colleagues.

Image: US Navy Avengers, like the famed lost Flight 19, via Wikicommons.
Kalyan Jewellers has signed film actor and popular style icon Sonam Kapoor as its national brand ambassador. Sonam Kapoor will endorse Kalyans exquisite range of gold and diamond jewellery

Kalyan Jewellers has signed film actor and popular style icon Sonam Kapoor as its national brand ambassador. Sonam Kapoor will endorse Kalyans exquisite range of gold and diamond jewellery. Sonam Kapoor will feature in the latest TVC of the brand which is expected to go on air by the end of the month. She will also feature in Kalyans customer engagement programmes across its showrooms, not just in India but also in West Asia where it has a strong presence.

T.S. Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director Kalyan Jewellers said, Sonam embodies the quintessential woman of today strong willed, confident and with the courage of her convictions. She has always challenged fashion tradition with her flawless personal style. As a brand, Kalyan has also challenged industry conventions and set its own path. Sonams sense of fashion and style has resonated with people from across the country and her huge popularity as a fashion icon reflects Kalyan Jewellers own growth trajectory and positioning in the minds of our customers.

Having established itself as a trusted national brand, Kalyan is embarking on a new journey with enhanced focus on localized product merchandise, wider distribution and optimization of new age media to reach an untapped customer base. We believe that Sonam Kapoor as our Brand ambassador will exemplify Kalyans brand values of timeless elegance and trust, added Rajesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Finance.

Sonam Kapoor joins an eclectic group of Kalyan brand ambassadors including Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Prabhu, Shivaraj Kumar and Manju Warrier. She will feature in the companys communication campaigns, especially in the Northern and Western markets.

Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director Marketing and Operations, Kalyan Jewellers said, We would like to sincerely thank Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for augmenting the product propositions of brand Kalyan over the last 3 years and helping Kalyan establish itself as a leading national brand. We welcome Sonam Kapoor and are confident that her status as a style icon and popularity will strengthen future product campaigns of Kalyan Jewellers".

Kalyan Jewellers has emerged as a strong national player with a presence across South India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, National Capital Region (NCR), Punjab and Odisha. The company has a network of 87 exclusive showrooms in India and West Asia.

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The city of Grand Rapids, Mich. continues to deny the Acton Institute application for property tax-exemption, even as Acton presents evidence to support such status.

The Acton Institute, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and ranked #11 in the world as a social policy think tank by the University of Pennsylvania, received notice from City Assessor Scott Engerson that it did not meet the criteria for tax-exempt status for property tax purposes.

Most people think that if theyre a tax-exempt 501(c)3 theyre exempt from property tax, and thats not the case in Michigan, he said. In regard to Acton, its the charitable piece that the city was not able to definitively conclude.

Acton is one of 435 organizations appealing the citys ruling regarding tax-exemption this month alone. Today, Acton made its appeal.

Acton Executive Director Kris Mauren asserted not only his organization tax-exempt but charitable. Its reasonable to the city to define things narrowly, Mauren said during testimony. In this case, theyve defined charity far too narrowly and declined our claim. Mauren cited the Michigan General Property Tax Act under Section 211.o, which defined the word charity broadly for property tax purposes as bringing the peoples minds or hearts under the influence of education or religion; relieving peoples bodies from disease, suffering or constraint; among other definitions. He, too, argued under Section 211.7n as Acton houses a 200 seat auditorium, an art gallery and a library. Nonprofit organizations owning such venues are to be exempt from taxation.

Last year, Acton chose to re-locate to the citys Heartside District, renovating a historical building that dates to 1929. Acton University, a 4-day educational conference held annually in Grand Rapids, brings in over 800 visitors from around the globe to downtown Grand Rapids.

Catherine Mish, attorney for the city of Grand Rapids said it was her opinion that Acton does not qualify because its not part of an educational system provided by the state and supported by public funding. Actons Kris Mauren responded:

Fortunately, were governed by the laws of the state and not the opinions of the city attorney, but its a pity that we have to go though all this effort, as well as the city, in contesting this as we go forward.

This move by the city of Grand Rapids may be part of a larger trend. A recent Washington Post story (Struggling for revenue, local governments look to nonprofits) addresses this very issue.

Acton awaits the citys decision from the Board of Review.


People in the UK back the introduction of reciprocal rights to live and work freely in countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, according to a new poll.It comes a time when the UK is set to introduce salary thresholds and an NHS surcharge for expats not from European Union countries.The research, commissioned by the Royal Commonwealth Society, comes after London Mayor Boris Johnson, who supports the UK leaving the EU, also backed a free labour mobility zone with Australia.It also supports a recent UK-based YouGov survey that highlights overwhelming support across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK for such rights. Some 70% of Australians, 75% of Canadians, 82% of New Zealanders, and 58% of Britons polled support free mobility."We need to welcome our friends with open arms when they visit us, and in doing so, work to ensure as much free mobility as is workable. Between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom this flow and interchange of talented people is especially vital," said Lord Howell of Guildford, president of the Royal Commonwealth Society."This polling is invaluable as it shows the views and wishes of these fellow Commonwealth friends in strong support of closer ties. Governments must find ways to build them and to remove the obstacles that stand in their way," he added.The poll found that young adults aged 18 to 35 are most supportive notably in New Zealand and Australia with 90% and 80% respectively while 77% of Canadians aged 30 to 39 are most supportive.Overall opposition to the idea is slim with only 1 in 10 not in favour from Australia and New Zealand, 15% in Canada, and one in five in the UK (19%). An additional question also found that more British people favoured free mobility with these nations over those in the EU with the latter's support at 46% and 35% against.In recent times there has been significant drop in Commonwealth nationals working in the UK due to a tightening of non-EU migration causing considerable frustration particularly for Australians and New Zealanders.Forthcoming changes to the UK visa regime will make this experience even harder such as Tier 2 salary thresholds and the 200 annual NHS surcharge amongst others.The polling builds on a recent briefing from Australian High Commission in the UK which described the visa changes as "potentially causing structural damage to relations between our countries."Last month also saw the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, state that the UK's health surcharge on Kiwis was "pretty cheap" and "chipping away of New Zealanders rights in the UK."The report's author, Tim Hewish, director of policy and research at the RCS said that the polling results are clear. "Its strength is that it doesn't just ask Britons. There is immense support from Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders. Collectively we possess a unique bond which needs protecting. We share a language, a legal system, and a Queen. This is shown most visibly on all our passports with the Queen or her representative allowing the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance," he pointed out."Free labour mobility zones offer a contemporary way to demonstrate the deep ties between our peoples and I urge governments to discuss practical ways achieving this. Furthermore, the policy proposal can be helpful to Commonwealth diasporas and ethnic minority communities who have family ties or business connections across the four nations," he explained."More broadly it also can help businesses looking for a foothold in a specific region be that the Asia-Pacific through Australia and New Zealand, Canada in North America, or the UK in Europe. Last year, a petition proposed freer movement between the four nations. It now stands at over 100,000 signatories," he added.
Submitted on March 24, visas received for my daughter and I March 31. Hooray!Some points I hope may help future Ancestry applicants, as this ended up being a terribly stressful and non-straightforward process for me (as, I imagine, is with most!):- I had been refused a spousal visa from within the UK just 12 months prior. I was told by many not to pay for the priority service on my new visa application because of this. Every case is different, but just wanted to let people know that in my case, it did not affect the turnaround time. To be fair however, I was only initially rejected on a minor technicality (bank statements not stamped).- As advised earlier in the thread, I was applying for myself and my infant daughter, as the spouse of a British citizen who financially supports both of us. I do not work but intend on setting up a business in the UK in 12-18 months, once my daughter is older/more independent. I was upfront about this in the employment section and included a one-page business plan and branding vision board, along with all my husbands financials, his current work details + UK job prospects. I also included my resume and written references just in case.- For my daughters visa, I selected Dependent - More than 6 months. As per the advice of the UKVI helpline, I used my husbands CURRENT work details in Australia for the very confusing sponsor section. Also at the advice of the UKVI, I attached a cover letter citing my GWF number and advising that her application was to be considered alongside mine, with documentation to be shared between us etc.- My ancestry documents had many typographical errors. Misspelt names, incorrect places of birth, DOB's off by a day or two on some docs - all very typical of the era (1890's), but nonetheless an issue when proving unequivocally the link between my uk grandparent, my mother and i. I therefore obtained a very costly but valuable certificate from a public notary stating that he was satisfied my grandmother was who she said she was, despite variances in name etc. I provided my grandmothers old british passport, original birth certificate (obtained online from the GRO), marriage certificate, and death certificate.- My mother has had three name changes. I provided ALL the documentation we had - multiple marriage and divorce certificates, old and current passports, deed poll certificates etc (again at the advice of the UKVI), thus further proving beyond doubt my ancestry link. No chances taken!- We showed savings of 10,000 pounds. 5000 of these had been deposited within a month of applying.- I was advised here to lightly tie my supporting docs with string. This annoyed the biometrics officer to no end and she made a great show of rolling her eyes and cutting the string to sort through everything. Not a big deal, but I think perhaps this advice may only apply to those who post their application in, rather than submitting it in person?- I was told by the UKVI Helpline that in selecting the priority service, i had to make a complete photocopy of ALL documents i was submitting. On the day however, the biometrics officer said i only needed to submit photocopies of documents i wanted BACK. This resulted in a very fussy process of sorting through everything on the spot and working out what needed to go where (mostly fussy because i had a mountain of docs + a baby on my hip). Just a heads up.- I attempted to show evidence of my academic qualifications (degrees etc) to support my claim of expertise re: future work/business intentions. The biometrics officer stated firmly that they do not accept any academic documentation and handed them back.Hope some of that comes in handy for someoneThank you Joppa and other contributors for your invaluable help along the way.
Most of economics can be summarized in four words: People respond to incentives, says economist Steven E. Landsburg. The rest is commentary.

When governments create a regulation, they are creating an incentive for individuals and businesses to respond in a particular way. But the people who create the regulations  government regulators  also respond to incentives.

As Elon Musk, the CEO of Space X and Tesla Motors, explains,
"The board have done their job and if they thought it was good value for growers and it stood up and was a marginal case they may have taken it to growers, but they have made their decision very clear that this is wrong on many grounds and therefore have rejected it."
Disorder is set to be one of the smaller March movies that's not to be missed and there's just over a fortnight to go until the film hits the big screen.

Disorder

If you are looking to sink your teeth into a drama/thriller, then Disorder is the film for you as Matthias Schoenaerts returns to the director's chair.

2016 has already been a very busy year for the actor with The Danish Girl and A Bigger Splash already under his belt. Disorder sees the in-demand actor return to a leading role as he teams up with Diane Kruger for the first time.

Schoenaerts is set to play an ex-solider with PTSD in the new film and you can see him in action in these two great clips from the film. Check them out:

Alice Winocour is one of the female filmmakers to watch out for this year as she returns to the director's chair with Disorder. As well as being in the director's chair, Winocour has also teamed up with Jean-Stephane Bron to pen the film's screenplay.

Disorder is only the second feature film of Winocour's career and comes four years after she made her debut with Augustine back in 2012 - it is great to see her back and tackling a bigger film project.

Schoenaerts and Kruger take on the central roles of Vincent Loreau and Jessie in the movie and are joined on the cast list by Paul Henry, Zaid Errougui-Demonsant, and Percy Kemp.

Following a tour of duty, Special Services soldier Vincent (Schoenaerts) takes a job in security for a wealthy Lebanese businessman and his family. During a lavish party at the family's luxurious 'Maryland' villa in the South of France, Vincent senses that something is amiss. When his employer is urgently called away on business Vincent is left to ensure the safety of his wife Jessie (Kruger) and their child.

Suffering from post-traumatic stress, Vincent battles his own paranoia whilst clinging to the certainty that Jessie and her family are in real and immediate danger, unleashing a hell-bent determination to protect them at all costs.

Disorder is released 25th March.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer star Keith Emerson's death has been ruled to be suicide by the Los Angeles coroner's office.

Keith Emerson

The rock legend - who was the co-founder and keyboard player of the prog band - was found dead at the age of 71 at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, last Thursday (10.03.16).

Now the autopsy report has determined his passing was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head from a .38 revolver.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the county Medical Examiner's Office, also revealed he was suffering from heart disease and alcohol-induced depression at the time of his death.

In a previous interview, his long-term partner Mari Kawaguchi admitted the musician had been "tormented with worry" about an upcoming tour as he had suffered nerve damage to his right hand which affected his keyboard playing.

She said: "He had an operation a few years ago to take out a bad muscle but the pain and nerve issues in his right hand were getting worse. He didn't want to let down his fans. He was a perfectionist and the thought he wouldn't play perfectly made him depressed, nervous and anxious."

Mari discovered Keith's body when she returned to the Santa Monica apartment the couple shared.

His death was announced by long-time bandmate Carl Palmer, who also stated he intended to host a tribute concert to his friend.

A statement released on Carl's website read: "Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz."

Keith was known as one of the most technically accomplished and flamboyant keyboard players of his generation.

He founded Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1970 and the band went on to release nine studio albums and 17 live LPs, including 'Tarkus' and 'Brain Salad Surgery'.

The group last performed together in 2010, with their final concert taking place at London's High Voltage Festival to mark their 40-year anniversary as a band.

In addition to his time with ELP, Keith released solo albums and film scores, which includes the music for Italian horror master Dario Argento's 1980 'Inferno' and the 1981 Sylvester Stallone thriller 'Nighthawks'.

As well as Mari, Keith is survived by his two sons, Aaron and Damon, from his only marriage.
The Bangladesh government has decided to double the number of engineering firms to conduct the Detailed Engineering Assessment (DEA) to expedite remediation works of readymade garment (RMG) factories, junior Labour Minister Mujibul Haque has saidThe decision came after factory owners and government officials identified three major factors that have slowed down remediation works in the readymade garment (RMG) factories.

The Bangladesh government has decided to double the number of engineering firms to conduct the Detailed Engineering Assessment (DEA) to expedite#

Fewer engineering firms, lack of knowledge of factory owners about remediation and late completion of inspections are holding back the progress of the remediation works in the readymade garment factories that were inspected under the government-ILO joint initiative, factory owners and government officials said in a meeting in Dhaka on Sunday.'We have decided to double the engineering firms for conducting detailed engineering assessment in an aim to expedite the remediation works,' Bangladesh's junior Labour Minister Mujibul Haque said at a press briefing in the Dhaka.Currently, there are 13 engineering firms, which are eligible and permitted to conduct the assessment as per the requirement of global retailers.He spoke to reporters after a meeting with 115 RMG factory owners based in Dhaka at Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) office.Haque said the factory owners had been asked to inform the ministry when they completed the remediation works in their units.Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said the owners were facing problems for conducting the DEA as only 13 engineering firms were entitled for the works and they are costly to hire.The government in association with the ILO has so far inspected 1,549 factories and in which 25 units were graded as Red (seriously risky). (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
E-commerce major Flipkart has moved the Uttarakhand High Court against a 10 per cent entry tax in the state on goods purchased from e-commerce firms.Flipkart filed a petition with the court in February, arguing that the state government's move to impose such a high entry tax was discriminatory. The case will be heard next week and could see other e-commerce players joining in to help maintain parity in taxation of goods bought online and offline.

E-commerce major Flipkart has moved the Uttarakhand High Court against a 10 per cent entry tax in the state on goods purchased from e-commerce firms.#

The move by the Uttarakhand government of imposing 10 per cent additional tax will negatively impact hundreds of thousands of consumers in the state, who rely on e-commerce. This additional tax is on top of the tax already paid on such goods by the sellers in the state from where the goods have been dispatched, a Flipkart spokesperson said.E-commerce companies have alleged that this levy, which is imposed on the courier agent delivering the goods, leads to substantial increase in prices of goods sold online since it amounts to double taxation, and said they are mulling judicial remedy individually as well as collectively.Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka also have an entry tax on e-commerce goods. A few other states are also planning to follow suit.If Uttarakhand HC rules in favour of Flipkart, experts say it could deter other states from implementing such a tax as they, too, could be sued.Flipkart has said it is engaged with several stakeholders to urge the Uttarakhand government to revoke the additional tax on e-commerce purchases.Several states are targeting the boom in e-commerce, a sector which facilitated the sale of goods worth Rs 80,412 crore in 2015, to drive revenues. They argue that e-commerce transactions where purchases are done within the state but the delivery originates from outside the state are leading to a huge loss in revenues.In Karnataka, Amazon is locked in a battle with the state government over a taxation issue for 18 months now. The state had asked Amazon to pay up on behalf of the traders on its platform that evade taxes. The company shot down the proposal and discussions to resolve the issue are still on. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The South India Garment Association (SIGA) has requested members of Parliament (MPs) from Bangalore to represent them and help save the garment industry.

In a letter addressed to Ananth Kumar, DV Sadanand Gowda and PC Mohan, who represent Bangalore South, Bangalore North and Bangalore Central constituencies respectively, SIGA said there is a huge scope and space available for further development of readymade garment industry in rural area and in the out skirts of Bangalore city creating numerous jobs for women and youth.

But it (the industry) requires continuous support and encouragement from you being proud member of Union government, SIGA honorary secretary Anurag Singhla and chairman-taxation Kundan Jain said in the letter.

The South India Garment Association (SIGA) has requested members of Parliament (MPs) from Bangalore to represent them and help save the garment #

Referring to the newly imposed excise duty on garments priced over Rs 1,000, SIGA representatives said presently the garment industry is passing through a very rough weather and the levy of excise duty will further impact the industry.

They said the newly imposed excise duty will adversely affect manufacturing activities in Bangalore which is home to thousands of small and medium garment units that provide employment to lakhs of people.

Citing earlier instances of excise duty imposition on branded garments, SIGA said, excise duty was imposed in 2002 and was removed in 2004. But during this two-year period, many small and medium garment manufacturers closed leading to huge unemployment, particularly women.

Again in 2011, the excise duty was re-imposed only to be removed two years later in 2013 due to its negative impact. During this period, many manufacturers slowed down their production, and this under capacity production resulted in losses to exchequer while also adding to unemployment.

Similar to agriculture in rural area, garment industry generates largest employment in urban area, and hence this industry needs to be encouraged to fulfil prime minister's vision of Start up India, SIGA said. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Nepali garment entrepreneurs, who were optimistic about boosting their business following the enactment of Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act by the US Congress, have seen their dreams virtually disappear.During an interaction with Garment Association Nepal (GAN) in Kathmandu recently, the visiting Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative Dawn Shackleford made it clear that the law does not encompass major garment items produced in the country , The Himalayan Times reported.

Nepali garment entrepreneurs, who were optimistic about boosting their business following the enactment of Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement#

The Congress, through the law, has authorised the US government to extend duty-free facility to Nepal for 66 items that include pashmina products, headgear, shawls, leather products, scarves, and travel goods (bags, suitcases), among others, one of the representatives of GAN quoted Shackleford as saying during the interaction.The facility also includes carpet items manufactured in Nepal, which had been excluded by the US government's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facility.Shirts, trousers, jackets, and suits are some of the major garment items produced in Nepal. However, these items have not made the cut.Shackleford arrived in Nepal at the weekend to hold discussions on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) council meeting with the government. The TIFA council meeting was expected to be held once a year when the framework agreement was signed in 2011, but has only met once in the US after the agreement was signed.Shackleford will also prepare a report for USTR regarding the capacity of Nepali industries (related to the products extended duty-free status) to utilise the facility extended by the US government.After Shackleford cleared the confusion surrounding the new law, disappointed garment entrepreneurs lamented that the recent facility extended by the US government would not be of much support in boosting apparels export to the US. The US has extended this facility for the next 10 years.The law, already signed by the US President, is expected to come into effect by next month.Currently, annual export of Nepali garments to the US hovers at around $8 million per annum. The recent facility will help boost export of those items that have been granted duty-free status.According to GAN President Chandi Aryal, there was room to boost export of garment items if the top garment items produced in the country had been incorporated in the law. Garment factories that were closed after the multi-fibre agreement was phased out in 2005 could then have been revived.But I guess having something that is less than satisfactory is better than having nothing at all, he said, adding, It will also open new avenues for fresh investment in setting up new industries and creating employment opportunities in the country.Currently, the country's garment export stands at $50 million annually and the European Union is the biggest market for Nepali garments. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has requested the Indian government to withdraw countervailing duties on Bangladeshi products, particularly garments.At the first Bangladesh-India Cotton Fest 2016 in Dhaka, Ahmed said Bangladeshi exporters cannot enjoy the zero duty benefits provided by India due to the presence of countervailing duty (CVD) and other non-tariff barriers.

Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has requested the Indian government to withdraw countervailing duties on Bangladeshi products, particularly#

India has started giving Bangladesh the duty-free benefit for all but 25 alcoholic and drug items in 2011, he said. Unfortunately, our exporters face 12.5 per cent countervailing duty for access to the Indian market.Countervailing duties, also known as anti-subsidy duties, are trade import duties imposed under World Trade Organisation rules to neutralise the negative effects of subsidies.Cotton suppliers from India, spinners, importers and yarn makers from the two countries participated in the day-long Bangladesh-India Cotton Fest 2016 on March 12 which was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Cotton Association (BCA), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and Indian Cotton Association Ltd (ICA).Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said the timely supply of Indian cotton and yarn plays an important role in turning Bangladesh into the second largest garment exporter worldwide.Bangladesh's exports to India grew 15 per cent year-on-year in the last fiscal year and 22 per cent year-on-year in the first six months of the current fiscal year, Shringla said.Sustainable supply of Indian cotton is very important for Bangladesh.Bangladesh has more than 400 spinning mills and the domestic cotton users imported 6.1 million bales of cotton at a cost of $2.2 billion in 2015, said Tapan Chowdhury, president of BTMA. One bale weighs 480 pounds, or 218kg.Cotton imports rose to 6.1 million bales in 2015 from three million bales in 2006, according to data from BTMA.The rise in cotton import is attributed to the establishment of new spinning mills and capacity expansion of the old plants, he said.At present, BTMA's mills can produce 2,250 million kilograms of yarn with over 11 million spindles.Bangladesh's cotton import will grow further as it will need more cotton to achieve the $50 billion garment export target by 2021, he said.India has the potential to continue being the major cotton supplier to Bangladesh, as it the biggest grower of cotton and enjoys natural advantages over the neighbours because of its geographic location, he said.
Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) Chairman, Kuldeep R. Wattal said that the 31st edition of India Carpet Expo in New Delhi generated business worth about Rs. 260 crore to Rs. 300 crore. He said that a growth rate of about 10 per cent to 15 per cent in dollar terms and 15 per cent to 20 per cent in rupee terms is expected this year. His comments came on the closing day of the four-day Expo, according to a Textile Ministry press release.According to Wattal, the Expo would lead to opening up of new market opportunity for the industry and will help small and medium Indian carpet exporters in promoting their products in overseas countries. The Expo showcased the products of more than 270 reputed small, medium and large manufacturer exporters from all over the country

Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) Chairman, Kuldeep R. Wattal said that the 31st edition of India Carpet Expo in New Delhi generated business#

The Chairman said that the Government has set up an export target of Rs.10,000 crore ($1591 million) for carpets and floor coverings for the fiscal year 2015- 2016, which he said shall be achieved.Four hundred and ten buyers from 58 countries participated in the Expo. Buyers from countries like Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Palestine, Bulgaria, Israel, Egypt, Poland, Ukraine, Malaysia, Mauritius, Taiwan, Serbia, Colombia and Hungary made their maiden appearance at the expo, the release said.Earlier on March 11, Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar who inaugurated the Expo, assured carpet manufacturers and artisans that the government will continue to support the carpet industry and its export efforts in every possible way.Gangwar expressed his happiness and satisfaction at the No. 1 position held by the Indian handmade carpet industry in the international market; he recalled that the Indian handmade carpet industry is growing at 17 per cent per annum, despite a weak global market. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Pulp makers in Nordic countries are developing clean ways to turn birch and pine trees into clothes or sofa covers to help revive their industry and meet demand from fashion and furniture firms for alternative textiles to cotton , Reuters has reported.There has been no Nordic production of viscose, the main textile fibre from timber, since the last manufacturer stopped nearly a decade ago, partly on environmental grounds.But a spike in cotton prices in 2011 contributed to increased global demand for viscose and lyocell, the other major textile fibre from wood pulp. Production is dominated by Austria's Lenzing, India's Aditya Birla and China's Sateri.Three Nordic mills export dissolving pulp, the product that can be turned into textile fiber. The industry would like to see textile fibre factories set up at home that will meet environmental rules and appeal to local firms such as Ikea and H&M which want to project a green image."We have the forest here in the Nordics, we have our pulp mills. It would be better for us if more dissolving pulp was needed in our region," said Markus Mannstrom, chief technical officer of Finland's Stora Enso. The forestry industry, which accounts for a fifth of Finland's and a tenth of Sweden's exports, has been hit by lower newsprint demand and foreign competition. But global output of pulp for textiles is expected to grow 30 per cent by 2020 from 4.4 million tonnes in 2015, according to Oliver Lansdell at forest products industry consultancy Hawkins Wright.Anticipating the rise in demand, in 2011 Sodra, the Swedish association of 50,000 small forest owners, converted a paper pulp machines so they could make textile pulp. Stora Enso did the same in 2012.Sweden's Domsjo, which has made dissolving pulp since the 1930's and was bought by Aditya Birla in 2011, said demand has risen.

"We expect cotton output to peak while textile demand will keep growing," said Dag Benestad, head of dissolving pulp production at Sodra.



The next step would be to set up factories at the mills, creating new jobs and saving money on energy and the cost of transporting for export. Sodra, Domsjo and Stora Enso are among those intensifying research into greener fiber production processes.



Stora Enso in 2015 opened a research center in Stockholm that looks into how to make viscose production less toxic. Domsjo and Sodra are part of a large project looking at how best to integrate a textile factory with a mill so that the chemicals are recycled.
'Chiyaan' Vikram will be seen romancing Kajal Aggarwal for the first time in his upcoming film Garuda. The movie, which is to be directed by Thiru of Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai fame, will go on floors from April.

Interestingly, the director has roped in Hindi actor Mahesh Manjrekar to play the movie's main antagonist.

Talking to a leading English daily, Thiru has said, "I felt that his personality will suit the villain character that I have conceived. He will be flying down to Chennai for the first day's shoot. Art director Maya Pandi, who had worked in Kanithan, has erected a huge set of a factory on a 100-acre land near Sriperumbudur for this."

Mahesh Manjrekar, who made his Tamil acting debut in Thala Ajith's Arrambam, is also a well-known film-maker. He has directed and produced many films in Hindi, Bengali and Marathi languages.

Garuda, which is speculated to be an action thriller, will have its cinematography cranked by Richard M Nathan. A newcomer named Kirinth will compose music, while Silverline Film Factory will bankroll the project.

After completing the film's first shooting schedule at Sriperumbudur, the team will reportedly move on to locales like Pollachi, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. Garuda will mostly be filmed in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report.

The team is also working hard to device a brand new look for the Iru Mugan star. "We are working on some interesting looks for Vikram," Thiru has said.

Also Read: Hot Update: Adah Sharma Is Simbu's Ex-Lover!
In Swaragini, as we all know, Kavya's high voltage drama has landed the Maheshwari family, behind the bars. Lakshya is so much in love with Kavya, that he forgets his family's love and gets them arrested for the crime that they haven't even committed.

In the previous episode, we saw, the Maheshwari family members busy with pooja arrangements. Kavya asks the family's permission to participate in the pooja, and Annapoorna agrees. Kavya looks at the heavy jewellery, while Annapoorna asks her to keep it, which shocks everybody.

Check Out The Latest Updates & Spoilers In Pictures



On the other hand, Ragini (Tejaswi Prakash Wayangankar) recalls her past with Lakshya and gets upset. The Gadodia family members would have arranged for a guy's family to meet Ragini, for the marriage. Although, Ragini doesn't want to, she agrees to meet them, for her family's happiness.

The groom's family arrives and her the boy's mother likes Ragini a lot. Sumi and Dadi praise Ragini in front of the groom's family, while the guy's mother questions about Sumi (as she is not the biological mother of Ragini). Ragini clarifies to them that their relation (bond) is made of love.

Meanwhile, Sujatha doubts Kavya's intention. Kavya bumps into Swara while going, and Swara finds some powder on her hand. She gets to know that Kavya is upto something as the powder that fell on her hand from crackers!

Just when Swara was about to tell this to Annapoorna and Sujatha, Kavya burns her churnari, that had the crackers attached. It blasts and Kavya faints.

Lakshya comes to Kavya's rescue and calls the police. Shockingly, he asks the police to arrest the whole family!
ICICI, India's largest private sector bank, completed the first 10-year bond from a domestic banking institution in nearly two years on Monday with a $700 million transaction that pushed pricing to its limits.

Nevertheless, fixed-income analysts expect the Reg S/144a deal to trade in during secondary market trading on Tuesday thanks to a scarcity of paper, not only from India but also from investment grade institutions offering yields above 4% at the 10-year point of the curve.

Bankers said Baa3/BBB- rated ICICI attracted a peak order book roughly 2.5 times covered before pricing was narrowed from 230bp over Treasuries to final pricing at 210bp over and a final order book of $1.6 billion. This issue price was fixed at 99.592% on a coupon of 4% to yield 4.05%.

Syndicate bankers were reluctant to pin down a fair value estimate on the grounds that investors had different views on the subject given a lack of close benchmarks. However they did conclude that the new issue premium was "slim".

Bankers also said ICICI decided to issue in 144a format to draw in a wider pool of investors given Middle Eastern funds have scaled back their investments and do not tend to like maturities beyond seven-years.

As a result, US investors took the second biggest chunk of paper on 33% behind Asia's 52%. By contrast, ICICI's last deal in August 2015, saw US investors come third on 12% behind Europe and the Middle East on 42% and Asia 43%.

In total 140 accounts participated with 42% allocated to fund managers, 19% to insurers, 19% to central banks and sovereign wealth funds, 16% to banks and 4% to other.

In a sales note published before the deal priced, Mizuho analyst Mark Reade calculated fair value at 220bp over Treasuries. "The complete absence of Indian bank US dollar-denominated 10-year paper (and the illiquidity of the bonds that do exist) makes an assessment of this deal's fair value no easy task," he wrote.

He based his view on NTPC's recent 2026 deal, which is trading 55bp wide of its outstanding 2021 paper. However, Reade added that ICICIs new issue could well tighten in to 205bp over Treasuries given a shortage of investment grade bonds yielding more than 4% and a general lack of paper from Indian credits.

Standing in ICICIs favour is its safe haven status within the Indian banking universe alongside State Bank of India and India Exim Bank. All three banks have seen their outstanding bonds drop only one point since Standard & Poor's placed three other Indian banks on negative outlook in mid-February citing rising NPLs and inadequate capital.

As a result, BBB- rated Bank of India and Syndicate Bank are both now in danger of dropping into high yield territory, joining Indian Overseas Bank, which is rated BB+ and was also placed on negative outlook at the same time. The three saw their outstanding dollar bonds drop two to three points following the move and have stayed at that level since then.

ICICI's existing $1 billion 5.75% November 2020 bond dropped from about 112.65% to 111% according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. On Monday it was trading on a G-spread around the 165bp level.

Its $500 million 3.125% August 2020 bond has also been fairly stable, dropping one point since mid-February and generally trading around its issue price since it was completed last August.

The new deal's other two comparables comprise State Bank of India's $500 million 4.875% April 2024 bond and India Exim's 4% January 2023 bond. The former was trading on a G-spread of about 190bp and a bid yield of about 3.86% on Monday, while the latter was yielding about 3.57% according to one broker.

Syndicate bankers said investors liked ICICIs deal because the bank has not been affected by the government's recent budget wheni it decided not to increase a Rs250 billion capital injection into the public sector banks. In a recent report, S&P said it believes "Indian public sector banks will find it difficult to meet the 7.625% Tier 1 equity ratio (including capital conservation buffer) by March 2016."

It estimates they will need Rs2.3 trillion by 2019.

By contrast, ICICI reported a Tier 1 ratio of 12.76% at the end of 2015 according to its online roadshow. It said this is likely to decline by 50bp based on the new March 2016 regulations.

The Reserve Bank of India has been forcing Indian banks to re-classify all restructured loans as non-performing. The move prompted a huge spike in Bank of India's NPLs from 5.39% in March to 9.18% at the end of December, the highest jump in the sector.

Analysts say ICICI is likely to weather the NPL cycle better than nearly all of its peers, with net NPLs rising from 1.4% in Financial Year 2015 to 2.03% at the end of the first nine months of 2016. Only Axis Bank has a better radio on 1.68%.

ICICIs earnings have also been on an improving trend over the past couple of years thanks to better cost of funds management. As S&P concluded, ICICIs sound earnings and capital will help it to weather a deterioration in asset quality over the next 18-24 months.

Joint global co-ordinators for its latest bond deal were: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citi, Credit Agricole, HSBC and MUFG.

This article has been updated since first publication with final deal stats.
Foreign funds looking at investing in Sri Lanka face an interesting dilemma.

With GDP growing at an average annual rate of 7.4% over the past five years, the south Asian nation has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. And yet it also continues to struggle with several sources of instability including high levels of public debt and a depreciating currency triggered by capital outflows.

To tackle such issues, the new government of Sri Lanka is taking bold political steps to re-establish fiscal consolidation and reduce public debt so as to stop the capital outflows and attract foreign investment, finance minister Ravi Karunanayake said at FinanceAsias inaugural Sri Lanka Investment Summit in Singapore on Tuesday.

Speaking before a packed room of investors at the Four Seasons Hotel, Karunanayake reiterated that enforcing financial discipline is key if the economy is to be steered back on to its rightful track.

As part of this plan, the government intends to roll out a series of reforms in the next few months including the privatisation of certain state-owned companies considered non-strategic and the introduction of public-private partnership projects, particularly in the infrastructure space.

The measures are intended to raise capital from the private sector to help pay off the countrys massive government debt, which it inherited from a civil war that lasted more than 25 years. Sri Lankas external debt burden was around 57% of GDP last year and was the highest among emerging markets in Asia, Moodys said in a report last month.

Tax reform

Marie Diron, senior vice president of the sovereign risk group at Moodys, told FinanceAsia that the country will have to reform its taxation system if it is to increase government revenue.

Sri Lankas tax revenue has been very low because its tax base has been very narrow. Many people have been granted exemptions to income tax after the civil war, Diron said. Low tax income has been the major cause of [the] budget deficit over the past few years but it is not easy to execute tax reforms given the political obstacles that the government faces.

As a long-term target, the government is looking to raise tax revenue as a percentage of GDP to the high teens from around 10% currently, Arjuna Mahendran, Sri Lankas central bank governor, said.

The country's parliament has taken the first step to increase value added tax to 15% from 11%, although this is widely seen as one of the conditions for the International Monetary Fund to grant a bailout loan to the debt-laden nation.

Negotiations with the IMF to fill the nations $2.5 billion financing gap this year are described by Karunanayake as a step in the right direction. Sri Lanka last month also entered into an agreement with the Asian Development Bank to provide more than $2 billion in loans and equity to pay for infrastructure and invest in education.

An agreement with the IMF and financing from the ADB will provide some liquidity and thereby ease immediate financing pressures. At the same time, the financing will likely be at more favourable terms than market borrowing, alleviating debt servicing cost pressures to some extent, Moodys said in a February report.

Privatisation

As part of the debt-reduction program, the Sri Lankan government is preparing to offload some of its holdings in state-owned companies operating in non-strategic sectors.

Karunanayake said public stakes in certain companies will be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in two to three months, without mentioning the potential candidates for sale.

Such a move is much needed for the local stock market because it can greatly improve liquidity, which has been the main concern for foreign investors looking at the domestic equity market, said Vajira Kulatilaka, chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange.

Hasitha Premaratne, chief financial officer of Brandix Lanka, said the privatisation scheme and the public-private partnership programme will give rise to large-scale projects for foreign investors. In Sri Lanka we dont have big projects in private sector so these programmes will help attract foreign investors looking to invest in scale.

Through the multilateral public sector reform, Sri Lanka is looking to achieve an annual GDP growth rate of 6% to 9% and the creation of one million jobs over the next few years, Karunanayake said.

Click here for more of FinanceAsias reporting on Sri Lanka.
AHF hopes the announcement serves as a catalyst for other donors to increase their own contributions to the lifesaving Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, today praised the European Commission (EC) for announcing that it will up European Union's contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to 470 million for the 2017-2019 grant cycle, an increase of 100 million over the previous three-year period.

The announcement officially launches the fundraising period for the Global Fund, which will culminate in a pledging conference later this year at a yet to be determined location, according to an EC press release.

For the upcoming replenishment, the Global Fund set a target of $13 billion, which is $2 billion lower than the target for the preceding replenishment. In 2013, while fundraising for the 2014-2016 cycle, the Fund came up $3 billion short of the target.

The move by the EC will hopefully serve as an example and inspire European donors to strengthen their commitments to the Global Fund. Last year, AHF criticized Denmark after it took the unprecedented and alarming step of announcing that it would cut its contribution to the Global Fund by nearly $20 million, after years of strong support by the Nordic state.

"We applaud the European Commission for the substantial increase in its contribution to the Global Fund, despite the geopolitical challenges facing the region right now," said Loretta Wong, Senior Director of Global Advocacy and Policy at AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "The EC understands that the spread of infectious diseases is interwoven with migration and political stability. Therefore, now is the time to scale up, not down, the global response to AIDS, TB and malaria. We hope this announcement will serve as a catalyst for other donors to announce large increases in their contributions."

The Global Fund is the largest multilateral funder of the response to the three epidemics. It provides lifesaving antiretroviral treatment to 8.6 million people, TB testing and treatment for 15 million and has distributed 600 million anti-malarial nets. Its continued success and sustainability will be closely tied to the outcome of this year's replenishment.

"We are at a definitive point in the global fight on AIDS; this fact is borne out by the health statistics and real-life circumstance on the ground," said Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy. "More people than ever are accessing treatment, but the gaps are still immense. We routinely hear of stockouts of essential supplies like test kits, condoms and drugs around the world. If we want to beat AIDS, this cannot be allowed to happen, because the alternative would be the resurgence of the epidemic that we have fought so hard to contain and reverse. The world must come together and scale up funding in a big way - particularly the donor countries that have the resources to do more, such as China, Germany and Japan."

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 598,000 individuals in 35 countries worldwide in the U.S., Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314006465/en/

Contacts:

AHF

Ged Kenslea

Senior Director, Communications

+1.323.308.1833 work

+1.323.791.5526 mobile

gedk@aidshealth.org

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Jacqueline Burbank

Manager of Sales Marketing

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Jacqueline.burbank@aidshealth.org
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A very common dental problem today is tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, which is caused by acid-producing oral bacteria like Streptoccoccus mutans. The standard treatment for a cavity is to fill the tooth with fillings after removing the decayed material by drilling. But researchers have now made an interesting observation, so much so that fighting cavities could one day be as easy as taking a pill. The University of Florida Health researchers have identified a new strain of Streptococcus, which they refer to as A12, with the potent ability to battle the harmful Streptococcus mutans. A12 not only helps neutralize acid by metabolizing arginine, an amino acid, in the mouth, it also often kills Streptococcus mutans, say the researchers. Previous studies have found that both adults and children with few or no cavities were better at breaking down arginine than people with cavities. The researchers also found that when A12 and Streptococcus mutans are grown together, Streptococcus mutans does not grow very well or make biofilms, also known as dental plaque, properly. As you may know, the dental plaque leads to tooth decay (cavity). The researchers are optimistic that their findings could lead to the development of a supplement that patients could take orally to prevent cavities. Now, is that not a good enough reason to smile? Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Avon Products Inc. (AVP) said that it will reduce its headcount by approximately 2,500 positions across multiple geographies. It includes both filled and open positions.



The company will reduce corporate infrastructure and will transition, over time, the location of Avon's corporate headquarters to the United Kingdom, where the Company has significant commercial operations.



AVP closed Monday trading at $4.38, up $0.18 or 4.29%. In the after-hours, the stock further gained $0.07 or 1.60%.



The company expects to record total charges associated with these actions of approximately $60 million before taxes in the first quarter of 2016. These charges are expected to be comprised primarily of employee-related costs.



The company expects to realize pre-tax savings of approximately $30 million in 2016 associated with an approximate 1,700 headcount reduction, and expects to achieve annualized pre-tax savings of approximately $65 million - $70 million beginning in 2017.



In addition, the company expects to realize annualized pre-tax savings of approximately $20 million in 2016 related to the elimination of the open positions. Avon will maintain its current facilities in Suffern, NY and Rye, NY. The Company will also continue to be incorporated in New York and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AVP.



As announced previously, Avon separated its North American business into a privately-held Company in which Avon maintains a minority interest. The North American business is not impacted by any of today's actions.



In response to the announcement by Avon Products that it is reducing headcount and moving its headquarters from New York to the United Kingdom, James Mitarotonda, the Chairman and CEO of Barington Capital Group, L.P. Said, 'We are pleased that Avon is following our recommendation to reduce excess costs and corporate overhead. We believe that there is still much more that needs to be done to improve the business as outlined in our December 3 letter. We also continue to believe that Avon needs to add new independent directors that can help improve long-term value and ensure that shareholder interests are protected.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
London (ots/PRNewswire) -Sequa Petroleum N.V. (the "Company") is pleased to announce an update to its planned acquisition of a 15% interest in Gina Krog. This acquisition was announced on 19 October 2015. Since then, the Gina Krog acquisition has received all necessary government approvals, and the Company's 100% subsidiary Tellus Petroleum A.S. ("Tellus") has been approved as a new Norwegian Continental Shelf's ("NCS") licence holder.Gina Krog is one of the NCS largest current developments. The development, operated by Statoil, is currently within budget and on schedule for first production in Q2 2017. In light of the current industry environment, cost reductions and schedule improvements of the Gina Krog project are currently being pursued.The 2P reserves are estimated at approximately 260 million barrels of oil equivalent ("boe"), of which 39 million boe are net to the Company[1]. OPEX and CAPEX costs are both estimated at approximately USD 15 per boe. These estimates are calculated over the field life, from the effective date of 1 January 2015 (being the effective date of the Company's acquisition), representing a low marginal cost[1].The Gina Krog field has further resource potential beyond its 2P reserves. There is potential, through development optimisation, for prolongation of the first production plateau, as well as from several appraisal segments which were not included in the initial PDO. One of these segments, the East 3 segment, has already been successfully drilled in 2015. In addition, there is further resource potential from exploration. Historically, most large fields on the NCS have significantly outperformed their initial PDO submissions.The transaction terms for the acquisition of Gina Krog, announced on 19 October 2015, are at an attractive discount to comparable transactions in Norway. These terms result in all-in costs until first production of approximately USD 9 per boe of 2P reserves. The seller will retain the tax balances related to the Gina Krog investments prior to the effective date.The Company believes that Norway provides the world's most secure and stable operating environment for oil and gas. Norway boasts a strong AAA rated sovereign government that actively encourages and incentivises the industry, and is isolated from geopolitical crises. The Norwegian petroleum tax environment provides unparalleled downside protection, by giving companies the potential to recover up to 94% of their development costs.The Company is planning to finance the Gina Krog transaction with a combination of equity raised by the Company and of debt raised by both the Company and Tellus, which will be the subject of a future announcement. The Company expects to complete the Gina Krog transaction in April 2016.Company UpdateThe Company's strategy is to create value in a cyclical industry by means of asset acquisition, optimisation and monetisation, applying both technical and financial excellence. The strategic focus is on assets with proven resources, current and near term production, and value upsides, pursuing a balanced asset portfolio in select areas with low marginal cost, exploiting growth potential and synergies. The current global over-supply of oil and the resulting environment of temporarily depressed prices are fuelling liquidity distress and capex cuts across the industry, providing an unprecedented opportunity to acquire high quality assets at very attractive valuations.The acquisition of a 15% interest in Gina Krog is a major step in this strategy. The Company will be looking to add assets to its NCS portfolio by leveraging its position as an approved player on the NCS with the experienced and well-connected Tellus management team. This strategy will include considering further areas where the balance of political, fiscal and commercial stability and geological prospectivity allows for stable high returns and growth.About the CompanyThe Company is an oil and gas company registered in the Netherlands, with its principal office in London and listed on Euronext Marche Libre. In 2014, the Company established an operating presence in Kazakhstan, acquiring 75% of the Aksai licence which has subsequently been drilled and is currently being evaluated. In 2015, the Company established a presence in Norway, acquiring Tellus Petroleum Invest AS as a 100% subsidiary. Tellus Petroleum AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tellus Petroleum Invest AS, has subsequently entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Total to purchase a 15% interest in the Gina Krog field and with OMV to acquire approximately 0.6% of the Ivar Aasen field.--------------------------------------------------1. Rystad Energy; WoodMackenzie; Gina Krog Environmental Impact Assessment report; Statoil publications; Company estimates; independent evaluation by AGR Petroleum Services AS.An updated corporate presentation is available on the Company's website at http://www.sequa-petroleum.com/corporate/.ots Originaltext: Sequa Petroleum N.V Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.deContact: For more information please visit http://www.sequa-petroleum.com or contact: Jacob Broekhuijsen, Chief Executive Officer, +44(0)203-728-4450, info@sequa-petroleum.com
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian dollar weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Tuesday. The Australian dollar fell to 4-day lows of 0.7479 against the U.S. dollar, 85.04 against the yen and 1.4850 against the euro, from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.7511, 85.49 and 1.4767, respectively. Against the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the aussie edged down to 1.1230 and 0.9948 from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.1249 and 0.9959, respectively. If the aussie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 0.72 against the greenback, 81.00 against the yen, 1.53 against the euro, 1.09 against the kiwi and 0.97 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - March 15, 2016) - B&H is pleased to introduce the great savings on Motorola Moto G XT1540 3rd Gen 8GB Smartphone featuring a 5" IPS LCD capacitive display, which outputs a 1280 x 720 resolution that fully supports all your HD content.

Experience dynamic handheld performance and powerful dual-camera functionality with the Moto G XT1540 Smartphone from Motorola. This smartphone is supported by a 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor and 1GB of built-in RAM. It comes equipped with 8GB of storage and includes a microSDHC slot that supports cards with up to 32GB of memory for additional storage capacity. The integrated micro-USB interface allows to connect the device for mass-storage purposes and also serves as a charging port.

Motorola Moto G XT1540 3rd Gen 8GB Smartphone (Unlocked, Black)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175064-REG/motorola_00770nartl_moto_g_xt1540.html

GSM / 4G LTE Capable

North American Variant

Rear 13MP Camera + 5MP Front

3rd Generation 2015 Model

1.4 GHz Snapdragon 410 Quad-Core CPU

8GB Storage Capacity + 1GB RAM

5" IPS LCD Touchscreen Display

1280 x 720 Screen Resolution + 294 ppi

microSDHC Memory Card Slot

Android Lollipop 5.1 Operating System

The Moto G is also well-equipped for wireless communication. It features Bluetooth 4.0 LE technology for pairing with other Bluetooth-enabled devices, and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi for high-speed Internet connectivity. GPS with GLONASS is also on-board for using compatible location services and applications. The Moto G's 2470 mAh battery is designed to provide up to 24 hours of mixed usage on a full charge.

Both of the Moto G's front and rear cameras feature a high resolution and f/2.2 and f/2.0 aperture, respectively, allows to take clear images

Rear Camera: 13MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash

Front Camera: 5MP, auto HDR, display flash, 4x digital zoom

Functionality: Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, auto-HDR

Video: 1080p at 30 fps, HDR

The Motorola Moto G XT1540 3rd Gen 8GB Smartphone is also available in white for the same great deal

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175065-REG/motorola_00771nartl_moto_g_xt1540.html

View all about Unlocked Cell Phones: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/smartphones/ci/24039/N/3955685938 at B&H

About B&H Photo Video

As the world's largest source of photography, video, audio, and the latest trending technologies, including drones, virtual reality, and 3D Printers, B&H Photo Video is known worldwide for its attentive, knowledgeable sales force, excellent customer service, and fast, reliable shipping. Visitors to the website can access a variety of enlightening articles and educational videos. B&H has been satisfying customers worldwide for over 40 years.

Latest Trending Technologies

Wearable Technology: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/wearable-tech/ci/24005/N/3957447225

Virtual Reality: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/360-spherical-virtual-reality-production/ci/29185/N/3705627361

Drones: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/aerial-imaging/ci/27989/N/3765401970

Smart Watches: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/smart-watches/ci/24033/N/3957447224

Customers making purchases on the B&H website can now make a split payment with multiple credit cards, a useful feature for those with limited credit on their individual cards. Previously, this method of payment was only available to customers when purchasing by phone or in store.

Many items can now be ordered online and picked up at our NYC Superstore. Add any qualifying items to your shopping cart and select STORE PICKUP. You will then have an opportunity to indicate who will be making the pickup, if it is someone other than yourself. You'll receive an email (up to 45 minutes) after completing your order, indicating that your order is ready for pickup at the B&H SuperStore.

The B and H YouTube Channel has an unmatched wealth of educational photographic content. Our entertaining and informative videos feature product overviews from our in-house specialists, as well as photography industry experts. You can even view the B&H Event Space presentations from many of the world's foremost photographers and interviews with some of photography's most dynamic characters. Tap into this exciting resource by subscribing to the B&H YouTube Channel here. In addition to these videos, the B&H Explora blog presents new product announcements, gear reviews, helpful guides, and tech news written by product experts and industry professionals.

When you're in Manhattan, take a tour of the B&H Photo SuperStore, located at 420 Ninth Avenue. The expo continues all year round in the camera kiosks at B&H. Featuring the newest cameras, the kiosks are manned by manufacturer representatives, who are there to guide you and demonstrate the latest photographic technology. With hundreds of products on display, the B&H Photo SuperStore is the place to test-drive and compare all the latest technology gear.

Henry Posner

B&H Photo Video

212-615-8820

http://www.bhphotovideo.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.
New Cellnovo Handset, Featuring Roche's Leading Blood Glucose Monitoring Platform, Reduces Production Time

Cellnovo Group (Paris:CLNV) ("Cellnovo" CLNV:EN Paris), a medical technology company marketing the first mobile, connected all-in-one diabetes management system, today announces the signing of a commercial agreement to integrate Roche Diabetes Care's market leading Accu-Chek Aviva and Accu-Chek Performa blood glucose monitoring (BGM) platforms into the Cellnovo diabetes management system.

Cellnovo will build in the Accu-Chek Aviva or Accu-Chek Performa monitoring platforms into its newly developed, next generation e-connected handset which was CE-marked earlier this month. The Roche BGM platform will replace the LifeScan OneTouch Vita BGM currently used. The redesign of the handset will also enable an increase in productivity at Cellnovo's manufacturing site, due to a reduced assembly time.

The integrated BGM is an important feature of Cellnovo's platform. Coupled with the dose calculator developed by Cellnovo, this highly accurate BGM will enable patients to benefit from precise and immediate dose calculations at the time of food intake.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cellnovo will have the rights to sell its integrated system, equipped with Roche's Accu-Chek Aviva or Accu-Chek Performa platforms, across Europe. The new Cellnovo systems will become available over the next month in all current markets, and will be made available in all future markets. The Roche strips used in Cellnovo's new BGM integrated handsets will be available to patients via existing distribution channels.

Sophie Baratte, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo, commented: "We are delighted to be partnering with Roche Diabetes Care, the world's number one provider of blood glucose monitoring solutions. This collaboration is a significant endorsement of the Cellnovo technology and commercial approach and supports Cellnovo's design objective of offering a unique all-in-one system for diabetes management

In the coming months, Cellnovo will participate in the following investor events:

Portzamparc Small Caps PEA PME Seminar, April 4, Paris

European 'Smallcap Event', April 11-12, Paris

About Cellnovo

An independent medical technology company specialising in diabetes, Cellnovo has developed and markets the first mobile, connected all-in-one diabetes management system that helps make life easier for patients. Compact, tubeless, intuitive and entirely connected, Cellnovo's insulin pump comprises a mobile touchscreen controller with an integrated blood-glucose meter. This unique device allows optimal management of insulin injections whilst ensuring extensive freedom of movement and peace of mind for patients. Thanks to the automatic transmission of data, it also allows the patient's condition to be continually monitored by family members and healthcare professionals in real-time.

For further information please visit www.cellnovo.com

About the Cellnovo Diabetes Management System

Compact, tubeless, intuitive and entirely connected, Cellnovo's insulin pump comprises a mobile touchscreen controller with an integrated blood-glucose meter. This unique device allows optimal management of insulin injections with drop-by-drop precision, whilst ensuring extensive freedom of movement and peace of mind for patients. Thanks to the automatic transmission of data, it also allows the patient's condition to be continually monitored by family members and healthcare professionals in real-time.

About Roche Diabetes Care

Roche Diabetes Care is a pioneer in the development of blood glucose monitoring systems and a global leader for diabetes management systems and services. For more than 40 years, the Accu-Chek brand has been dedicated to enable people with diabetes to live life as normal and active as possible as well as to empower healthcare professionals manage their patients' condition in an optimal way. Today, the Accu-Chek portfolio offers people with diabetes and healthcare professionals innovative products and impactful solutions for convenient, efficient and effective diabetes management spanning from blood glucose monitoring through information management to insulin delivery. The Accu-Chek brand encompasses blood glucose meters, insulin delivery systems, lancing devices, data management systems and education programs leading to an improved medical outcome. For more information, please visit www.accu-chek.com

Cellnovo is listed on Euronext, Compartment C ISIN: FR0012633360 Ticker: CLNV

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160314006186/en/

Contacts:

Cellnovo

Chief Executive Officer

Sophie Baratte

investors@cellnovo.com

or

NewCap

Investor Relations

Emmanuel Huynh

+ 33 1 44 71 00 16

or

Media Relations in France

Nicolas Merigeau

+ 33 1 44 71 94 98

cellnovo@newcap.eu

or

Consilium Strategic Communications

Media Relations in United Kingdom

Amber Fennell, Chris Gardner, Chris Welsh, Laura Thornton

+44 20 3709 5700

cellnovo@consilium.com
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - Cellnovo Group, a French medical technology company specialising in diabetes, announced Tuesday that it has signed commercial blood glucose monitor agreement with Roche Diabetes Care, affiliated to Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG (RHHBY). Cellnovo, which is marketing the first mobile, connected all-in-one diabetes management system, said the commercial agreement would integrate Roche Diabetes Care's Accu-Chek Aviva and Accu-Chek Performa blood glucose monitoring or BGM platforms into the Cellnovo diabetes management system. The company will build in the Accu-Chek Aviva or Accu-Chek Performa monitoring platforms into its newly developed, next generation e-connected handset which was CE-marked earlier this month. The Roche BGM platform will replace the LifeScan OneTouch Vita BGM currently used. The redesign of the handset will also enable an increase in productivity at Cellnovo's manufacturing site, due to a reduced assembly time. Under the terms of the agreement, Cellnovo will have the rights to sell its integrated system, equipped with Roche's Accu-Chek Aviva or Accu-Chek Performa platforms, across Europe. The new Cellnovo systems will become available over the next month in all current markets, and will be made available in all future markets. The Roche strips used in Cellnovo's new BGM integrated handsets will be available to patients via existing distribution channels. 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.
AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Dutch export growth quickened markedly in January to the strongest level in one year, figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed Tuesday. The volume of exports climbed 5.6 percent year-over-year in January, much faster than the 1.5 percent spike in December. Exports have been rising since June 2014. The latest rate of increase was the fastest since January 2015, when exports had grown 6.1 percent. In January, Dutch firms exported more transport products such as ships and cars. Shipments of petroleum and chemical products and electrical machines were also higher than a year earlier. Similarly, annual growth in imports accelerated to 9.4 percent in January from 4.2 percent in the previous month. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ITALY, DENMARK, JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES, OR TO ANY NATIONAL OF SUCH JURISDICTIONS



15 March 2016



NB Private Equity Partners Limited ('NBPE' or the 'Company'), a closed-end private equity investment company, today releases its Annual Financial Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the period ended 31 December 2015 as well as its Net Asset Value ('NAV') for the period ended 29 February 2016.



Key Highlights



* 31 December 2015 NAV per Share of $14.35, up from $14.24 NAV per Share at 31 December 2014



* 4.9% increase in Net Asset Value ('NAV') total return during 2015(1) driven by unrealised gains on private equity and public holdings as well as cash and payment-in-kind ('PIK') interest on its income investment portfolio



* NBPE's NAV total return increase of $28.9 million during 2015 included:



* $73.5 million of realised gains, or $1.51 per Share, net of tax expense * $55.2 million of unrealised losses, or ($1.13) per Share, net of tax expense * $35.4 million of yield income and dividends, or $0.73 per Share * $23.4 million of dividends paid, or $0.48 per Share * $9.8 million of financing costs, or ($0.20) per share * $14.8 million of management fees, operating expenses and other expenses, or ($0.30) per Share



* 29 February 2016 NAV per Share of $13.98. Including the dividend payment made on 29 February 2016, the NAV per share would be $14.23. During February, NBPE's NAV increased by $0.3 million, principally by yield income, which was offset by unrealised losses on public securities and losses attributable to the receipt of additional valuation information and expenses.



* Portfolio continues to produce good NAV development:



31 December 2015 29 February 2016 29 February 2016 LTM YTD (Month)



Total return NAV 4.9% (0.3%) 2.5% development per Share[1]



NAV development per 0.8% (2.4%) 1.7% Share



* Following the receipt of new valuation information, the 31 January 2016 revised NAV represents a 0.6% increase from the originally published 31 January 2016 monthly NAV estimate



Portfolio Commentary



* Strong cash flow: $308.0 million of distributions received during 2015, NBPE's strongest year of distributions in its history. An additional $22.5 million of distributions were received during the month of February 2016, bringing 2016 YTD distributions to $48.4 million.



* New investments: 14 new equity investments, 1 follow-on equity investment and 17 new income investments completed in 2015 totalling $225.8 million. Three new equity investments funded in February 2015 (four new equity investments year to date, two new direct yielding investments year to date).



* Direct investment focus: 78% of fair value invested in direct equity and income investments at 29 February 2016 (78% of fair value at 31 December 2016).



Portfolio Valuation



The value of NBPE's private equity portfolio as at 31 December 2015 was based on the following information[2]:



* 99% of the private equity fair value was valued as of 31 December 2015



* 89% in private direct investments and fund investments * 8% in public securities * 2% in credit-related fund investments



* 1% of the private equity fair value was valued as of 30 September 2015



The value of NBPE's private equity portfolio as of 29 February 2015 was based on the following information[3]:



* 44% of the private equity fair value was valued as of 29 February 2016



* 37% in private direct investments * 6% in public securities * 2% in credit-related fund investments



* 1% of the private equity fair value was valued as of 31 January 2016



* 1% in private direct investments



* 54% of the private equity fair value was valued as of 31 December 2015



* 37% in private direct investments * 17% in fund investments



* 1% of the private equity fair value was valued as of 30 September 2015



* 1% in fund investments



Outlook



NBPE continues to benefit from the full resources of the Manager's integrated private equity platform for superior deal flow, due diligence and execution capabilities. The Manager believes that while many segments of the market remain competitive, there are a number of near-term opportunities that may be attractive investments for the portfolio and that the current investment pipeline remains strong.



Investor Call An investor conference call will be held on Thursday 17 March 2016 in order to discuss the Company's recent financial performance and Company developments.



The conference call will take place at 13.00 GMT / 14.00 CET / 9.00 EST and can be accessed by dialing +1-877-233-4049 (U.S.) or +1-706-634-9866 (International) with the access code 69904556. Please ask for 'the NBPE investor call.'



A playback facility will be available two hours after the conference call concludes. This facility can be accessed for the following two weeks by dialing +1-855-859-2056 (U.S.) or +1-404-537-3406 (International). The code to access the playback facility is 69904556. A recording of the investor call will also be available on NBPE's website within several days after the call.



An updated investor presentation will be available on NBPE's website at www.nbprivateequitypartners.com.



For further information, please contact:



NBPE Investor Relations +1 214 647 9593



Neustria Partners +44 20 3021 2580 Nick Henderson Nick.Henderson@neustriapartners.com Robert Bailhache Robert.Bailhache@neustriapartners.com Charles Gorman Charles.Gorman@neustriapartners.com



ABOUT NB PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS LIMITED NBPE is a closed-end private equity investment company with class A ordinary shares admitted to trading on Euronext Amsterdam and the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange. NBPE has ZDP shares admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange and the Daily Official List of The Channel Islands Securities Exchange Authority Limited. NBPE holds a diversified portfolio of direct income investments, equity investments and fund investments selected by the NB Alternatives group of Neuberger Berman, diversified across private equity asset class, geography, industry, vintage year, and sponsor.



ABOUT NEUBERGER BERMAN Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages equities, fixed income, private equity and hedge fund portfolios for institutions and advisors worldwide. With offices in 18 countries, Neuberger Berman's team is more than 2,100 professionals and the company was named by Pensions & Investments as a 2013 and 2014 Best Place to Work in Money Management. Tenured, stable and long-term in focus, the firm fosters an investment culture of fundamental research and independent thinking. It manages $240 billion in client assets as of 31 December 2015. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



[1] Assumes reinvestment of dividends on the ex-dividend date at the closing share price and reflects cumulative returns over time period shown. [2] Please refer to the valuation methodology section of the Annual Financial Report for a description of our valuation policy. While some valuation data is as of 30 September 2015, our analysis and historical experience lead us to believe that this approximates fair value at 31 December 2015. [3] Please refer to the valuation methodology section of the Annual Financial Report for a description of our valuation policy. While some valuation data is as of 30 September 2015 and 31 December 2015, our analysis and historical experience lead us to believe that this approximates fair value at 29 February 2015.



NBPE February 2016 Monthly NAV: http://hugin.info/137843/R/1994260/734335.pdf



NBPE Annual Report y/e 31 December 2015: http://hugin.info/137843/R/1994260/734334.pdf



This announcement is distributed by GlobeNewswire on behalf of GlobeNewswire clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.



Source: NB Private Equity Partners Limited via GlobeNewswire [HUG#1994260]



A0MXLBB28ZZX8R5



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
CMOs: Ask these five simple questions up front to stop the battle with CIOs and get IT on board with your channel technology wish list

Partner Relationship Management leader Impartner shares 'tale of two companies;' how better anticipating IT's concerns let one company leap frog another in PRM implementation

SILICON SLOPES, Utah, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's world of bi-modal IT, the battle continues to rage between CMOs wanting to make rapid-fire technology purchasing decisions and IT teams struggling to balance business integrity while at the same time evaluating and implementing new technologies demanded by marketing and other business functions. That battle is never truer than when it comes to Partner Relationship Management (PRM) solutions, which have been proven to as much as double indirect sales, but are often bogged down by organizational alignment issues because they integrate with and ultimately consolidate a number of disparate technologies.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150821/260238LOGO

A new webinar featuring Global SaaS PRM leader Impartner CMO Dave R Taylor and Gartner Research Director and PRM Analyst Ilona Hansen, outlines the following five key questions sales and marketing pros need to ask up front to streamline PRM purchase decisions with IT:

1. What are "commercially available" PRM applications?

In the market today, homegrown portals have gone by the wayside, as more robust, out-of-the-box solutions ease the implementation process and speed time to market. Sales and marketers will be wise to have already explored the landscape of competitive options to give IT faith they've explored the pros and cons of the key players and have a formed point of view on why the solution they're recommending is the best fit for their company's needs.

2. What are the benefits of PRM solutions?

PRM solutions allow you to automate and optimize your interaction with your partners. You save time, relieve the administration burden of your processes and improve collaboration - regardless of language and location. Make sure you can clearly articulate the value of a PRM to your IT team from your perspective and the perspective of your partners and prioritize the functions that are important to you.

3. Is the competition using the technology?

In today's competitive market, the challenge isn't finding just any partner, it's in finding the right partner. If your channel team and program aren't giving top-notch partners the experience they want, you can bet someone else will. While IT teams get endless requests to evaluate technologies, it's critical to take a look at what the competition is and isn't using to enhance PX (Partner Experience.) If you're the first in your space to use a PRM, you'll be able to use it as a competitive advantage, automate your processes and free up your team to spend more time selling. If your competition is ahead, make sure you find out what your partners find most valuable, so your request to IT already focuses on the most important functions.

4. Does this solution meet the needs of channel sales management and the partners?

Most of us are under tremendous pressure to make decisions and implement fast. But ensuring you take the time to get input from your internal and external stakeholders is critical. The time you spend up front on understanding demands and prioritizing them and identifying which legacy systems are already in use and may need to be replaced or incorporated, will more than pay back in a smooth implementation, and ultimately a solution that best meets your organization's needs.

5. What technology considerations are important?

Without question, this is one of the key questions. While the value of a SaaS versus an on-premise or colocation solution is clear, your IT team will want to understand how the SaaS solution you're looking at integrates with your company's business systems. Everything you can do up front to calm the alphabet soup of your IT environment will pay off: make it easy to see how the PRM connects to POS, ERP and CRM solutions; what kind of APIs are available to integrate with legacy systems; how data flows and synchs, and whether the solution has passed BURP security testing. This will go miles in assuring IT that you are partners with them in wanting to find solutions that not only meet your needs from a functional standpoint, but also integrate with your network in a way that doesn't cause more harm than good.

"At Impartner, we have the benefit of being on the front lines of the PRM purchasing decision for hundreds of corporations," Taylor said. "It's clear that the sales and marketing teams who most successfully anticipate the needs of their IT colleagues and approach the PRM buying decision with them in tandem will have the smoothest process and the most successful outcome, which is critical for any business selling through indirect channels.Organizations using a contemporary, commercially available PRM solution will outperform the competition by providing a better partner experience and a more optimized partner program."

Click here to watch the webinar featuring Taylor and Hansen to learn whatsales and marketing teams should-and shouldn't-do to streamline their PRM buying process with IT.

About Impartner

Impartner delivers the industry's most advanced SaaS-based Partner Relationship Management solution, helping companies worldwide manage their partner relationships and accelerate revenue and profitability through indirect sales channels. Impartner PRM is the industry's only turnkey solution that can deploy a world-class Partner Portal in as few as 30 days, using the company's highly engineered, three-step Velocity' onboarding process. For more information on Impartner, which is based in Utah's tech hotbed, the Silicon Slopes, visit www.impartner.com, or in the United States call +1 801 501 7000, for EMEA general call +33 1 40 90 31 20, for London call +44 0 20 3283 4465, and for LATAM call +1 954 364 7883.

Follow Impartner on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

This webinar is sponsored by Impartner. Any editorial supplied by Impartner is independent of Gartner analysis. All Gartner research is  2016 by Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All rights reserved.

All Gartner materials are used by Impartner with Gartner's permission and in no way does the use or publication of Gartner research indicate Gartner's endorsement of Impartner products and/or strategies. Any other reproduction of this webcast in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Gartner shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

Contact:

Kerry Desberg

Impartner

+1-425-231-9529

kerry.desberg@impartner.com
LONDON, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Nikolaus Wachsmann's 863-page history of the Nazi concentration camps has won this year'sJewish Quarterly-Wingate literary prize.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7779351-jewish-quarterly-wingate-literary-prize/

KL - the Nazi abbreviation of Konzentrationslager, is a unique and comprehensive chronicle of the concentration camps, spanning the 12 years of the Third Reich.

This year's judges: writer Samantha Ellis, columnist Hugo Rifkind, Granta Top 20 Young Novelist Tahmima Anam and Senior Masorti Judaism Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, described it as 'an incredible achievement, one of those rare books you know people will still be consulting a generation from now'.

On the shortlist alongside KL were Ishmael's Oranges by Claire Hajaj; J by Howard Jacobson; The Life of Saul Bellow by Zachary Leader; Between Gods by Alison Pick; The Impossible Exile by George Prochnik and The Liberation of the Camps by Dan Stone.

Chair of judges Samantha Ellis said: 'The rise of Nazism will always be of Jewish interest but that is not why we have chosen KL. We think it is a book everyone should read.

'It is a work of immense scholarship and of vivid humanity, as Nikolaus Wachsmann marshals many new primary sources, and thousands of individual testimonies, showing how the concentration camps were used against many different people, from political opponents of the regime to those considered racially unfit.

'This is a book we think should be read, and re-read, and a book we know we will be coming back to for years to come."

Speaking about his win, Nikolaus Wachsmann said: 'I'm greatly honoured to accept this prize. When writing this history of the Nazi concentration camps, I kept thinking about a message buried by a Jewish victim near the Auschwitz crematorium: "may the world at least behold a fraction of this tragic world in which we lived". I hope my book makes a small contribution to this endeavour, to help us see and understand the tragic world of the Nazi camps a little clearer.'

Established in 1977, the annual JQ Wingate prize, run in partnership with JW3, is worth 4,000 and is awarded to the best book - fiction or non-fiction - of Jewish interest for the general reader.

The Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize is the only UK literary prize of its kind and attracts nominations from all over the globe. Previous winners include Amos Oz, Zadie Smith, Oliver Sacks, Otto Dov Kulka, David Grossman, Thomas Harding, W.G. Sebald and Linda Grant.

Judges Biographies:

Tahmima Anam is the author of A Golden Age, which was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and won the 2008 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, and The Good Muslim. In 2013, she was named one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. She is a Contributing Opinion Writer for the New York Times and has been published in the Guardian, The Financial Times, and Granta magazine. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, she now lives in Hackney, East London with her husband and son. Her forthcoming novel, The Bones of Grace, is published by Canongate in 2016.

Samantha Ellis's book, How to be a Heroine, is published by Vintage Books. Her plays include Cling to Me Like Ivy (published by Nick Hern Books, and produced at the Birmingham Rep and on tour), Operation Magic Carpet (Polka Theatre) and Starlore for Beginners and other plays (Theatre 503). She is a founder member of the women's theatre company Agent 160. Samantha also writes for publications including the Guardian, Independent, Independent on Sunday, Spectator, Literary Review, Times Literary Supplement and Jewish Quarterly. She is writing a book about Anne Bronte for Chatto & Windus.

Hugo Rifkind is a columnist for The Times and The Spectator. He also writes a monthly column for GQ. His debut novel, Overexposure, a satirical farce set in the London media world, was published in 2007. A compendium of his columns, My Week: The Secret Diaries of Almost Everyone, was published in 2013.

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg is Rabbi of New North London Synagogue and Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism. His publications include The Three Pillars of Judaism: A Search for Faith And Values (SCM Press, 1996); The Laws of Life: A Guide to Traditional Jewish Practice at Times of Bereavement (Masorti Publications 1997); The Eternal Journey; Meditations on the Jewish Year (Aviv Press New York 2003); The Silence of Dark Water: An Inner Journey (Robin Clark Ltd and Joseph's Bookstore 2013) and Walking With the Light: From Frankfurt to Finchley (Quartet Books Ltd 2013). He has also produced a popular children's book Shmendrick and the Croc, beautifully illustrated by Barbara Jackson (Masorti Publications 2010).

Follow the JQ-Wingate Literary Prize on Twitter @JQWingate and find us on Facebook: JQWingate Prize

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Wingate Prize was established in 1977 by the late Harold Hyam Wingate. It is now known as the Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize and is being run in association with JW3, the Jewish Community Centre. The winner receives 4,000.

The Harold Hyam Wingate Charitable Foundation is a private grant-giving institution, established over forty years ago by HH Wingate. In addition to supporting the Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Literary Prize it also supports grants in the area of Jewish Life and Learning, Performing Arts, Music and Medical Research.

Jewish Quarterly - first published in 1953 - is the foremost Jewish literary and cultural journal in the English language. Loved for its fine writing, rigorous thinking, wit and wisdom, notable contributors include Amos Oz, Howard Jacobson, Naomi Alderman, Zadie Smith, Simon Sebag Montefiore and David Grossman.

JW3 is the first Jewish Community Centre and arts venue of its kind to exist in London. The brainchild of Dame Vivien Duffield and created by a core capital grant from the Clore Duffield Foundation, the centre opened on the Finchley Road, NW3 in October 2013.

Press information: Emma Shrimsley +44-(0)7961-368481 emma@shrimsley.com





(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343784 )





Video:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7779351-jewish-quarterly-wingate-literary-prize/




ZURICH, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The innovative technology allows for improved use and real-time product visualization

" Tailor4 less, "the "fastest made-to-measure" company "in the world", is thrilled to announce its new " " online shirt designer - never before has a tailor provided such a realistic online view to its customers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343941LOGO )



(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343942 )



The company is proud to be the first fashion brand to provide this ultra-realistic visualization. All of the garments have been developed with multidimensional models which provide a detailed, real-time visualization of custom designs. It allows the customer to view the product from all angles (including folded!), and to view details in a very realistic manner: cuffs, collars, pockets, button thread color, to mention a couple.

The new shirt designer can be used on any device, at any location. All the customer needs in order to have his clothes tailored and customized to his liking, is simply access to internet. Tailor4less is constantly coming up with innovate ideas on how to simplify its services for the customer.

With perfect fit ensured, " "fastest delivery in the world, and a brand new designer, it makes it one of a kind within the online tailor industry.

About Tailor4less:

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, Tailor4less' products are sold online worldwide. Office places include Shanghai, Barcelona, and Zurich. Tailor4less offers a unique sizing system to its customersI the customer simply inserts his height, weight, and physical shape and the advanced technology calculates the body measurements.

http://www.tailor4less.com" Please visit our website for more information http://www.tailor4less.com/en/men/custom - dress - shirts/personalize Click here to go straight to the online shirt designer

Please contact magda@tailorforless.com if you want more material of any kind
Press release 2016-03-15 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, WITHIN OR TO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR HONG KONG OR WITHIN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS.Summary-- The Board of Directors (the "Board") of C-Rad AB (publ) ("C-RAD" or the "Company") has resolved to propose a new share issue of a maximum of 5,506,330 shares with preferential right for the Company's existing shareholders (the "Rights Issue"). If the Rights Issue is fully subscribed, the Company will be provided with approximately SEK 45.4 million before deduction of transaction costs. The subscription price in the Rights Issue is proposed to be SEK 8.25 per share, regardless of class. -- The Board has further resolved to propose to issue a maximum of 1,818,181 B-shares under an over-allotment option which would provide the Company with proceeds of up to approximately SEK 15.0 million (the "Over-allotment Option"). The use of the Over-allotment Option is conditional upon that the Rights Issue is oversubscribed. -- The Rights Issue and the Over-allotment Option are subject to resolutions by the Annual General Meeting to be held on 14 April 2016. The Company has today issued a notice to the Annual General Meeting. -- C-RAD intends to use the proceeds from the Rights Issue to cover the working capital needs up until the Company has become long-term cash flow positive, which it is expected to become during 2017, as well as to finance increased sales and marketing activities in the Company's core markets. In addition, approximately SEK 15 million will be used to repay a shareholder loan and a bridge loan. Proceeds from the Over-allotment Option are intended to be used for faster growth. -- Subscription undertakings from shareholders of approximately SEK 7.1 million and guarantee commitments of approximately SEK 38.3 million have been received, comprising a fully guaranteed preferential rights issue.Background and rationaleAs communicated in the full-year report for 2015, the Board has decided that further growth financing shall be raised through a rights issue to be proposed to the Annual General Meeting. To continue the Company's growth and ensure that the Company has sufficient capital until it becomes long-term cash flow positive, the Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting a fully guaranteed rights issue of approximately SEK 45.4 million, with an Over-allotment Option of up to approximately SEK 15.0 million. C-RAD intends to use the proceeds from the Rights Issue to cover the working capital needs up until the Company has become long-term cash flow positive, which it is expected to become during 2017, as well as to finance increased sales and marketing activities in the Company's core markets. In addition, approximately SEK 5 million will be used to repay a shareholder loan and approximately SEK 10 million will be used to repay a bridge loan. The proceeds from the Rights Issue are expected to be sufficient to cover C-RAD's working capital needs until the Company becomes long-term cash flow positive. Any additional proceeds from the Over-allotment Option are intended to be used for faster growth.C-RAD's CEO Tim Thurn comments:"C-RAD has made substantial efforts to build up a strong direct sales force. During the last year the sales team has substantially increased, which results in high costs for salaries and related expenses. However a direct sales force has proven to be the most effective and efficient sales channel for our products in the mid-term. Our investments are expected to show results already during 2016. It is the plan to hire more personal for sales and sales related activities in our core markets. I invite you to participate in the expansion of C-RAD and to sign up in the Rights Issue."The Rights IssueThe Board of C-RAD has on 14 March 2016 resolved to propose that the Annual General Meeting resolves on a rights issue of up to a maximum of approximately SEK 45.4 million with preferential right for the Company's existing shareholders in proportion to their shareholdings as of the record date, 28 April 2016.For every share held on the record date, regardless of class, the holder will receive one (1) subscription right. Four (4) subscription rights entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) new share. A-shares give subscription rights that entitle to subscribe for A-shares and B-shares gives subscription rights that entitle to subscribe for B-shares. The subscription price is set at SEK 8.25 per share (regardless of class), which means that the Rights Issue will raise a maximum of SEK 45,427,222.50, before the costs for the Rights Issue, through the issuance of a maximum of 5,506,330 shares, of which A-shares comprise no more than 172,577 and B-shares no more than 5,333,753. The Rights Issue will result in an increase of the share capital of not more than SEK 825,949.76. After the Rights Issue the number of Shares in C-RAD will amount to a maximum of 27,531,653, of which 862,887 will be A-shares and 26,668,766 will be B-shares, excluding the Over-allotment Option.The record date at the Swedish Central Securities Depository, Euroclear Sweden AB, for participation in the Rights Issue is 28 April 2016. This means that the shares will trade excluding preferential right to participate in the Rights Issue from and including 27 April 2016. The subscription period runs from and including 2 May up to and including 16 May 2016, or such later date as decided by the Board.In the event that not all subscription rights are exercised for subscription with preferential rights the Board may resolve, within the maximum limits of the Rights Issue, on allotment of shares without preferential rights. Whereby, in the event of oversubscription, allotment shall primarily take place to those who have subscribed for shares with subscription rights and subscribed for additional shares pro rata to their subscription with subscription rights, and secondarily to others who have subscribed for shares without subscription rights pro rata to the number of shares subscribed for without preferential rights, and thirdly to those who have guaranteed the Rights Issue by subscription for shares pro rata to the guarantee made by each such person, and, where this is not possible, through a drawing of lots.Subscription of shares by the exercise of subscription rights shall be made through simultaneous cash payment. Subscription of shares without the exercise of subscription rights shall be made on a separate subscription list and subscribed shares shall be paid in cash no later than two (2) banking days after the notice of allotment has been sent to the subscriber, or such later date as the Board may decide. The new shares entitle to dividends for the first time on the first record date for dividend that take place after the Rights Issue has been registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office and been recorded in the share register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB.Over-allotment OptionIn addition, the Board has proposed that the Annual General Meeting resolves to issue up to 1,818,181 additional B-shares under the Over-allotment Option, resulting in an increase of the share capital of not more than SEK 272,727.24, at a subscription price of SEK 8.25 per share. The Over-allotment Option can be exercised and is subject to that the Rights Issue is over-subscribed. If fully exercised, C-RAD is provided with additional proceeds of SEK 14,999,993.25. The allocation of the new shares under the Over-allotment Option is proposed to be based on demand and with an aim to create a good shareholder base, with strategic investors and large shareholders with a long-term participation interest and a good distribution of the Company's shares, and is to be decided by the Board without preferential right for the Company's shareholders. Should the Over-allotment Option be fully subscribed, the number of shares in C-RAD will amount to a maximum of 29,349,834, of which 862,887 will be A-shares and 28,486,947 will be B-shares.Subscription undertakings and guarantee commitmentsSubscription undertakings of approximately SEK 7.1 million from shareholders and guarantee commitments of approximately SEK 38.3 million have been received. The subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments amount to approximately SEK 45.4 million therewith, comprising a fully guaranteed Rights Issue. The guarantors will receive a total compensation of approximately SEK 2.1 million. Information about the guarantors will be included in the prospectus for the Rights Issue, which is expected to be published on or about 27 April 2016.Annual General MeetingThe Rights Issue is proposed to be resolved by the Annual General Meeting that will be held on 14 April 2016.At the Annual General Meeting, Board members Borje Bengtsson, Peter Hamberg, Brian Holch Kristensen, Bengt Rolen och Kicki Wallje-Lund are proposed to be re-elected as Directors of the Board. It is noted that Frank Lohr has declined re-election.For the complete notice to the Annual General Meeting, please see the separate press release published today.Preliminary time table for the Rights Issue14 April 2016 Annual General Meeting27 April 2016 First day of trading in the Shares without the right to participate in the Rights Issue27 April 2016 Estimated date for publication of the prospectus28 April 2016 Record date, i. e. registered shareholders will receive subscription rights carrying the right to participate in the Rights Issue2 May - 12 May 2016 Trading in subscription rights2 May - 16 May 2016 Subscription period9 May 2016 Q1 2016 report is published11 May 2016 Estimated date for publication of an addendum to the prospectus due to the publication of the Q1 2016 reportAround 19 May 2016 The outcome of the Rights Issue is announcedEnd of May 2016 The Rights Issue is completed and registeredUpdate regarding the Beamocular lawsuitThe background to the dispute is that C-RAD was subject to a lawsuit filed by Beamocular AB ("Beamocular") on 28 November 2014 at the District Court of Stockholm regarding better title to patent (Beamocular ./. C-RAD Positioning, T-16330-14). The case relates to the ownership of a patent family (one patent application and one patent) which originates from an invention named "Patient Monitoring Radiation Machines", whose inventor Kristofer Maad, via the company Beamocular, to which he transferred his right, claims that the invention is not owned or has been transferred to C-RAD Positioning. C-RAD Positioning's position is that the patent application and the patent are owned by and have been accurately transferred to the Company and, accordingly, there is no valid ground for the claim of better title. Kristofer Maad was previously employed by the Company but resigned from the Company in September 2014.The parties have filed briefs in the District Court and have recently filed their statements of evidence. The District Court will likely summon the parties to an oral hearing within short and the Company's expectation is that the main proceedings will be held at the earliest sometime during October-December 2016 but it may very well take until sometime in the beginning of 2017.If the case determined disadvantageously to C-RAD Positioning, the Company's expectation is that the Court of Appeal will grant C-RAD Positioning an appeal permission, which means that court proceedings in the Court of Appeal will not occur until 2018. If the case is determined disadvantageously to C-RAD Positioning also in the Court of Appeal and provided that the Supreme Court does not grant C-RAD Positioning an appeal permission, the case will have legal effect in 2018 and the patent and the patent family will then be transferred to Beamocular. In addition, C-RAD Positioning will in such case also be responsible for Beamocular's costs in the court proceedings.The Company's assessment is, however, that C-RAD Positioning has very good chances to be successful in defending itself in the court proceedings and the evidence situation is positive. Consequently, the risk of being awarded a negative judgment is low.AdvisorsPareto Securities AB is financial advisor to C-RAD and Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra KB is legal advisor to Pareto Securities AB and C-RAD in connection with the Rights Issue and Over-allotment Option.IMPORTANT INFORMATIONThis press release is not an offer or solicitation to acquire shares in C-RAD. A prospectus relating to the Rights Issue referred to in this press release will be filed with the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. After approval and registration of the prospectus by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, the prospectus will be published and made available on inter alia C-RAD's website.This press release does not constitute or form part of an offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended. C-RAD does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. The information in this press release may not be announced, published or distributed, directly or indirectly, to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Japan or Hong Kong or in any other jurisdiction where the announcement, publication or distribution of the information would not comply with applicable laws and regulations.For further information:Tim Thurn, CEO C-RAD AB, Phone +46-18-666930, Email investors@c-rad.comThe above information is price-sensitive and must therefore be disclosed under the Securities Market Act (2007:528).Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=551597
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Inchcape PLC (INCH.L) reported that its pretax profit increased to 262.6 million pounds for the year ended 31 December 2015 from 255.8 million pounds, last year. Profit attributable to owners of the parent was 175.8 million pounds or 39.4 pence per share compared to 179.6 million pounds or 39.0 pence. Underlying pre-exceptional profit before tax was 312.1 million pounds compared to 285.9 million pounds, previous year. Adjusted earnings per share was 51.6 pence compared to 49.3 pence. Group sales increased by 2.0% to 6.8 billion pounds for the full year to 31 December 2015. The Group said its 2015 constant currency like-for-like revenue was up 9.0%. The Board of Inchcape recommended payment of a final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2015 of 14.1 pence, up 2.2% on 2014. This gives a total dividend for 2015 of 20.9 pence, a 4.0% increase on 2014. 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.
A lawyer from East China's Zhejiang Province sued the local publication watchdog on Monday after 14 books that he bought online and that were published by Taiwan or Hong Kong publishers - some of which are about the Bible, Marxism and North Korea - were confiscated on suspicion that they were "illegal publications."



Yuan Yulai, a lawyer at Zhejiang Zhixing Law Firm who has taken on several cases against government bodies, told the Global Times on Monday that he has filed his suit with the People's Court of the Beilun District in Ningbo, Zhejiang and will receive a reply within seven days.

. . . .

According to Yuan, five people including law enforcement officers from the culture, radio, television, news and publication bureau of Ningbo's Jiangdong district and local police officers came to his office on March 4 and informed him that books in an unopened package were illegal publications. Despite his protests, the officers opened the package and confiscated all 14 books.

. . . .

A search of Chinese e-commerce website taobao.com showed that some of these books were still sold on the platform as of press time.

. . . .

Yuan is also known as an online celebrity who had over 20 million Sina Weibo followers before his account was shut down in late 2015. He started an online campaign in April 2013 encouraging people to stop visiting the town of Fenghuang, a popular tourist destination in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Central China's Hunan Province, after local authorities began charging entry fees to the town, prompting a backlash among local store owners.

The local district government in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province said Tuesday that the local publication watchdog's confiscation of a lawyer's books on suspicion that they were "illegal publications" was a regular law enforcement operation and the results of the investigation will be released through proper channels.

. . . .

Yuan argued that the operation's procedure was illegal because the law enforcement officers confiscated the books, which goes against the country's Law on Administrative Penalty.



According to that law, administrative organs may obtain evidence through sampling. Under circumstances where it is likely that the evidence may be destroyed, lost, or difficult to obtain at a later point, administrative organs may - with the approval of their leading members - first register the evidence for preservation and make a timely decision on its disposition within seven days.



"If they had merely registered the evidence for preservation, I would still have these books in my hand and would have no need to file a lawsuit," said Yuan.

On March 8, 2016, the state sponsored Global Times published an article entitled  Publication Watchdog Sued Over Book Seizure . Some excerpts:On March 9, 2016, the Global Times published an article entitled  Local Govt Says Book Seizure was Lawful Operation . Some excerpts:This screenshot was taken on March 13, 2016, and shows that Taobao would not allow users to find results for "The Girl With Seven Names," one of the books confiscated from Yuan's offices.This screenshot shows, however, that the same search with the final character removed returns many results.A full translation of Yuan's complaint is available here: http://blog.feichangdao.com/2016/03/translation-lawyer-yuan-yulais.html
The Extraordinary General Meeting of the shareholders of Prosafe SE was held on 15 March 2016 at 9 a.m. Cyprus time in the company's registered office at 126 Stadiou, 6020 Larnaca, Cyprus.



All items as proposed on the agenda were adopted including the appointment of Glen Ole Roedland as an additional non executive director of the company.

Please find attached the minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting.

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, 15 March 2016

Georgina Georgiou, General Manager

Prosafe SE

For further information, please contact:

Karl Ronny Klungtvedt, Chief Executive Officer

Prosafe Management AS

Phone: +357 2462 2450

Stig Harry Christiansen, Chief Financial Officer

Prosafe Management AS

Phone: +357 2462 2450

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.
LONDON, March 15,2016 /PRNewswire/ --Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) announced today that APT co-founder Jim Manzi has been recognised as the winner in the Intelligence category of the Data 50 Awards. The inaugural award organised by Information Age, a Vitesse Media publication, recognises the companies and individuals at the forefront of data innovation. Manzi was selected by a panel of judges, each a prominent data leader in their own right, and the award was presented at a special ceremony in London on Thursday, 25th of February 2016.

The prestigious Data 50 list was originally revealed in October, having been whittled down from more than 200 nominations. Vitesse Media's editorial director Ben Rossi said: "Data is at the centre of the most transformative technology trends impacting people and business right now. We are creating new information 50 times faster than we did ten years ago, and new ways of turning this data into business value are emerging regularly. The people on the inaugural Data 50 deserve all the credit they get for being the leaders of the first generation of such an important and exciting industry."

APT co-founder Jim Manzi commented: "I am honoured to receive this award."

APT's Test & Learn software helps organisations optimise the outcome of new business initiatives by systematically testing the idea with a subset of stores, customers or employees before rolling it out on a large scale. This allows brands to improve the way they set prices, launch new products, design their stores and market better to their customers. APT's innovative approach to business decision-making has made waves within the retail and hospitality sectors on a global scale. The"Test and Learn"methodology has been adopted by dozens of the world's largest corporations, including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Boots, Costa Coffee, Pizza Hut, Argos and Hilton.

About APT

APT, a MasterCard Company, is a leading cloud-based analytics software company that enables organisations to rapidly and precisely measure cause-and-effect relationships between business initiatives and outcomes to generate economic value. Our intuitive and proprietary Test & Learn software utilises sophisticated algorithms to analyse large amounts of data, enabling business leaders to conduct experiments and allowing them to make optimal decisions and implement business initiatives at scale. APT also offers products that support decision-making for specific business needs including transaction analysis, space planning, promotion design, category management and location selection. APT's client portfolio features some of the world's best known brands, including Walmart, Starbucks, Boots, Coca-Cola, Dixons Carphone, Victoria's Secret, American Family, Hilton Hotels, SUBWAY, TD Bank, T-Mobile, and others. APT has offices in London, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Bentonville, Taipei, Tokyo, Sydney, and Chicago. Visitwww.predictivetechnologies.co.ukto learn more.
LONDON, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

International hotel representation company, Global Hospitality Services (GHS), is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with leading hotel company, Grupo Posadas. GHS, who currently boasts a diverse portfolio of independent hotels in more than 30 countries around the world, will now represent the entire collection of Posadas hotels, using the team's unrivalled industry experience to drive incremental revenue, business opportunities and brand loyalty, whilst increasing the company's global footprint. GHS currently represents more than 150 properties in Latin and South America, and in working with Posadas, becomes one of the

biggest players in international sales representation in this region.

Linda Bekoe, VP Sales and Marketing for GHS comments: "GHS is very excited about the partnership with Grupo Posadas and it is a great privilege for us to be working closely with a group which is recognised as one of the leaders in the hospitality industry. It is an honour for the entire GHS team to be an extension of Grupo Posadas' local sales teams internationally, and through our collective talent and experience, extend the presence of the nine brands; opening doors for new opportunities and increasing the group's global footprint. Grupo Posadas and GHS share the same values - passion and vision for the hospitality industry, talent recognition and the drive for innovation and success - a formula for a winning partnership!"

As part of the GHS family, Posadas will take advantage of exclusive hotel partner benefits, including extensive marketing collateral, representation at major industry events, and influential relationships with key contacts. GHS' dedicated team of industry experts will also use an international sales presence in all major markets around the world to enhance Posadas' global reach, whilst simultaneously targeting and supporting new markets to form partnerships between the group and other hotels in the GHS portfolio.

Accountable and transparent, GHS' style of representation is based on each hotel's individual needs and requirements, with an aim to strengthen a hotel's own brand name. In this way, and by recognising the importance of every hotel partner's unique identity, GHS will support Posadas' strategic direction for each of its nine brands; Live Aqua, Grand Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Inn, Fiesta Inn Loft, Gamma, One, Lat 20 and The Explorean. Harnessing a passion and a vision to be recognised as global leaders in the hospitality industry, the Posadas philosophy is built around professionalism, community and teamwork; with an emphasis on putting people first to ensure the group maintains the high quality of service which guests have come to expect from the brand. Rafael Lizarraga, VP Corporate Sales for Posadas comments: "We are delighted to welcome GHS into the Posadas family as an extension of our sales and marketing team, in order to dramatically increase awareness across all of our brands. We look forward to a long-term partnership and benefiting from this exciting new global platform." As the leading brand and top company to work for in Mexico, Posadas boasts some of the finest hotels in the region for both corporate and leisure travellers alike, from beachside havens in the Caribbean to cosmopolitan city breaks in Mexico or adventurous retreats in the Mayan jungle. With a history spanning four decades, Posadas currently operates more than 22,000 rooms - now all part of GHS' extensive portfolio - and continues to go from strength to strength; adding approximately one new hotel each month to its portfolio and on track to open 100 additional hotels within the next five years, including plans to expand into North America with the Live Aqua brand.

GHS looks forward to a long and successful relationship with Grupo Posadas, and is excited to further develop the brand in Latin America and beyond.

ABOUT GLOBAL HOSPITALITY SERVICES

Global Hospitality Services is a professional hotel sales and marketing company, launched by hotel sales experts to fulfil the growing need for personalised, innovative hotel sales support in the competitive global marketplace. Accountable, strategic and transparent; GHS ensures that resources are maximised to achieve agreed targets, helping partner hotels to enhance their brand through extensive sales and marketing activities. With over 50 international sales personnel, working as an extension of a hotel's sales team, GHS covers over 30 global key feeder countries and represents more than 250 independent hotels worldwide.

The team specialises in corporate and leisure sales, together with meetings, incentives, conferences and events, organising roadshows for corporate, high-end leisure and MICE in all major cities. Global Hospitality Services is located at 25 Medway Street, London SW1P 2BD.

For a full list of services provided by Global Hospitality Services,

please visit http://www.g-h-s.com.

Stay connected with GHS via Twitter: @GHS_Hospitality

and Facebook: Globalhospitalityservices.pvt.ltd.

Robin O'List - +44-(0)20-7630-2000 - robin.olist@grangehotels.com
LONDON, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Businesses in the UK are putting the confidential information of their customers and employees at risk by not disposing of electronically-stored data securely, the UK's largest information destruction company has warned today.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/344119-INFO )



Research from Shred-it reveals that two fifths (40%) of SME business owners have never disposed of electronic devices containing confidential information, such as hard drives, while a third (35%) do it less than once a year. In comparison, over half (56%) of larger organisations dispose of these devices every 2 to 3 months, according to Shred-it's fifth annual Security Tracker survey[1]. Worryingly however 14% of larger businesses never securely destroy this type of digital storage or do it less than once a year. As larger companies often hold vast quantities of customer data, this is a real concern for all of us as consumers.

Storing redundant electronic devices in the office could lead to inadvertent breaches and offers a goldmine of sensitive information for data thieves. The loss or theft of hard drives containing confidential information, such as employee details and client information, puts businesses at significant financial, legal and reputational risk. Currently, the largest data breach fine issued by the body responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act (the ICO) is 325,000, following the discovery of highly-sensitive data on hard drives sold on an online auction site[2].

Shred-it is calling on UK businesses and organisations to recognise the risks that inadequately destroyed, electronically-stored information pose.

"In the increasingly digital workplace, businesses place emphasis on cyber security, and rightly so; however they often neglect physical digital storage, not realising the wealth of confidential information contained on these devices. You wouldn't leave a stack of documents containing confidential information sitting in the corner of your office or in a store cupboard gathering dust, so why leave a hard drive where a data thief could easily access it?" warns Robert Guice, Senior Vice President Shred-it EMEAA.

He adds, "UK businesses continue to hugely underestimate the risks that unused or old electronic equipment left lying around the office poses to their business, as well as the serious impact that could occur if this information was to fall into the wrong hands."

Simply deleting the information on hard drives does not mean that the information has been removed; this can only be ensured by physically destroying the hard drive.

Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online[3], the leading source of information and online security advice, supported by the UK Government, adds, "Just as it is easy for criminals to extract data from your company's electronic devices, even after the information has been deleted, it's also easy to put the right procedures in place to keep your sensitive company data secure. Make sure you fully erase hard disks by either using a dedicated file deletion program or service, and physically destroy the hard drive so it is unusable. Taking your devices to a proper disposal facility and asking for a certificate is a good way of making sure this has been done properly and that no information will end up where you don't want it to."

Three Simple Workplace Guidelines Designed to Safeguard Hard Drives:

Perform regular clear outs of storage facilities and avoid stockpiling unused hard drives Physically destroy all unused hard drives at the end of their useful lives. Using a third-party provider who has a secure chain of custody and provides written confirmation of destruction, can help give you peace of mind and ensure your data is being kept out of the hands of fraudsters Regularly review your organisation's information security policy to incorporate new and emerging forms of electronic media

What types of electronic media can be destroyed?

Hard Drives (from laptops, desktops, servers, copiers and more)

Backup Magnetic Tapes (any type e.g. DLT, mini cartridges)

Floppy Disk (3.5 inch disk, 5.25 inch disks, and many more)

Zip Disk (100 MB, 250 MB, and other large disks)

Optical Media (CDs, DVDs, Blue Ray, and HD DVD)

--------------------------------------------------

1. http://www.shredit.co.uk/en-gb/shred-its-security-tracker-50-en-1

2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-18293565

3. https://www.getsafeonline.org/

Notes to editors

About the survey:

Ipsos MORI is one of the largest and best known research companies in the UK and a key part of the Ipsos Group, a leading global research company. With a direct presence in 60 countries our clients benefit from specialist knowledge drawn from our five global practices: public affairs research, advertising testing and tracking, media evaluation, marketing research and consultancy, customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Ipsos Mori conducted a quantitative online survey of two distinct sample groups: Small business owners in UK (all of which have fewer than 100 employees), and C-suite executives working for businesses in the UK with a minimum of 250 employees.

The fieldwork was conducted between 20 April and 3 May 2015.

About Shred-it

Shred-it is a world-leading information security company providing information destruction services that ensure the security and integrity of our clients' private information.The company operates in 170 markets throughout 18 countries worldwide, servicing more than 400,000 global, national and local businesses. For more information, please visit http://www.shredit.co.uk.
HANOVER, Germany, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KUKA, a global leader in robot technology, to develop smart manufacturing solutions for industrial markets in Europe and China at CeBIT 2016 on March 14.

In the new manufacturing era, robots will play an increasingly important role in helping manufacturing businesses remain agile and drive growth. Under the new agreement, Huawei and KUKA will collaborate in the areas of cloud computing, big data, mobile technology, and industrial robots to help manufacturing customers transform and embrace smart manufacturing.

Research and development will be central to the new partnership. Key areas of R&D include the use of small cell Internet of Things (IoT), wireless and 5G network, as well as big data solutions in manufacturing and factory environments and the deployment of Huawei's infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solutions to develop cloud-hosted smart manufacturing services. In addition, KUKA and Huawei will set up a joint intuitive robot programming team to explore the use of imitative deep learning in advanced manufacturing environments.

"The manufacturing industry is undergoing profound transformation, and robots will be critical to revolutionizing factories and driving new opportunities. KUKA plays a central role in promoting and developing smart manufacturing solutions in Germany and across the world," said Ryan Ding, Executive Director and President of Products & Solutions, Huawei. "We're confident our strategic partnership with KUKA will enable Huawei to lead the way in helping global manufacturing enterprises transform their factories and gain significant competitive advantages from realizing smart manufacturing."

"We welcome our partnership with Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider," said Peter Mohnen, Member of the Executive Board for Finance and Controlling (CFO) at KUKA AG. "Digitalization and the implementation of Industrie 4.0 will bring fundamental changes to industrial production and necessitate new products, solutions and concepts. As a global innovation leader of Industrie 4.0, KUKA is pushing ahead with this development and many sectors of the Chinese economy offer great potential. The electronic industry is challenged with an increasing number of new products, an accelerating pace of development and shorter product life cycles. Here we see a high potential for robot-based solutions."

Stefan Lampa, Chairman of the Board of Management (CEO) of KUKA Roboter GmbH, added: "As an important driver of innovation and growth, the electronics sector relies on modern robot-based automation solutions. Our new partnership with Huawei as an established leader in global technology and IoT solutions will open up new opportunities to drive innovations for the smart manufacturing sector."

The new partnership demonstrates both Huawei and KUKA's commitment to national programs in Germany and China to promote and develop intelligent manufacturing through the application of innovative IoT-enabled industrial solutions.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider.

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160315/0861602103
LONDON, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Sernova Corp. (TSX VENTURE: SVA)(OTCQB: SEOVF)(FRANKFURT: PSH), a clinical stage company developing medical technologies for the long-term treatment of chronic diseases including diabetes and hemophilia, announced today its financial results for the three months ending January 31, 2016 and provided an overview of recent Company highlights.

"Sernova has achieved significant milestones in the first fiscal quarter of 2016 both from the capital markets perspective and in expanding our highly disruptive regenerative medicine technology development programs for diabetes and hemophilia," said Dr. Philip Toleikis, President and CEO.

Selected Corporate Highlights through February 2016

-- Sernova was selected as a member of the "2016 TSX Venture 50" and ranked fourth in the Life Sciences and Clean Technologies category based on a number of key measures of market performance, including market capitalization growth, share price appreciation and trading volume. The TSX ranked companies from among the 1,791 companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as of December 31, 2015. -- The European Commission's Horizon 2020 program awarded a EUR5.6 million (approximately $8.5 million) non-dilutive grant to the HemAcure consortium, which consists of Sernova Corp. and five European academic and private partners. The purpose is to advance the development of a GMP clinical grade factor VIII releasing therapeutic cell product in combination with Sernova's Cell Pouch for the treatment of severe hemophilia A, a serious genetic bleeding disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII in the blood stream. The therapeutic goal of the product is to use the patient's own cells corrected for the factor VIII gene. -- The Company received an initial funding payment related to the HemAcure grant in the amount of EUR566,607 (approximately $873,000). -- Our clinical islet diabetes program was advanced by entering into a service agreement with the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) to establish, optimize and validate Sernova's licensed technology for creating stem cell derived therapeutic cells that produce insulin and are glucose responsive. This partnership accesses CCRM's expertise in developing production processes for cellular therapies and is an important step in our plan to commercialize an unlimited supply of glucose responsive, insulin producing cells for the Cell Pouch System in order to address the broader population of patients with insulin dependent diabetes.

Highlights of financial results for the three months ended January 31, 2016

The Company ended the first quarter with approximately $3.6 million of cash and marketable securities at January 31, 2016, up from $2.9 million at October 31, 2015. For the three months ended January 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company reported a net loss for the period of approximately $0.7 million and $0.6 million, respectively, or a net loss per share of $0.00 for each period.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

The following represents selected financial information as of January 31, 2016. The Company's financial information has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and this selected information should be read in conjunction with Sernova's Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended January 31, 2016, as filed on SEDAR and also available from the Company's website at www.sernova.com.

Selected Statement of Financial Position Data

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jan. 31, Oct. 31, 2016 2015 $ $ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and marketable securities 3,575,783 2,880,963 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Assets 3,751,663 3,153,299 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current liabilities 1,183,516 199,850 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Share capital, warrants and contributed surplus 32,897,701 32,606,553 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deficit (30,329,554) (29,653,104) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Selected Statement of Loss and Comprehensive Loss Data

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the three months ended: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jan. 31, Jan. 31, 2016 2015 $ $ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Research and development 388,483 496,481 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- General and administrative 280,503 142,163 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finance income (6,530) (8,986) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finance costs 13,994 636 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loss and comprehensive loss for the period 676,450 630,294 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weighted average number of shares outstanding 142,642,706 131,477,831 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic and diluted loss per share 0.00 0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total research and development expenses, for the three months ended January 31, 2016, decreased by $107,998 compared to the equivalent period of the prior fiscal year, primarily due to an increase in contributions and tax credits during the three months ended January 31, 2016. Excluding the impact of depreciation of property and equipment, amortization of intangible assets and share-based compensation (all non-cash items), research and development expenses increased by $89,321 during the three months ended January 31, 2016 compared to the equivalent period in the prior fiscal year.

Total general and administrative expenses, for the three months ended January 31, 2016, increased by $138,340, as compared to the same period in the prior year.

On March 14, 2016, and in accordance with the Company's 2015 Incentive Plan, Sernova granted 450,000 deferred share units to its directors and 3,080,000 incentive stock options to certain officers, employees and consultants of the Company, each such option being excisable into a common share at a price of $0.225 per share on or before March 14, 2026.

About Sernova

Sernova Corp. is a clinical stage regenerative medicine Company developing medical technologies for the treatment of chronic debilitating metabolic diseases such as diabetes, blood disorders including hemophilia, and other diseases treated through replacement of proteins or hormones missing or in short supply within the body. Sernova is developing the Cell Pouch System, an implantable medical device and therapeutic cells (donor, xenogeneic or stem cell derived therapeutic cells) which then release proteins and/or hormones as required.

Forward-Looking Information

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Sernova believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements, which include our beliefs about the functionality of the Cell Pouch System and our cell technologies, are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Sernova's management on the date such statements were made. Sernova expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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:

Sernova Corp.

Philip Toleikis, Ph.D.

President and CEO

(604) 961-2939

philip.toleikis@sernova.com or info@sernova.com

www.sernova.com



Ray Matthews & Associates

Suite 601-128 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 0E6

(604) 818-7778

www.raymatthews.ca




SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- AltiGen Communications, Inc. (OTCQX: ATGN), a leading provider of Microsoft-based IP-PBX and Contact Center solutions, is pleased to announce the general availability of the company's MaxACD 7.0, multi-channel contact center for Skype for Business and Office 365.

AltiGen's MaxACD Contact Center 7.0 is based on Microsoft's recommended architecture, with native integration to Skype for Business utilizing UCMA and UCWA APIs. It adds Web Chat Queuing and Routing to powerful contact center features already present in the current version of MaxACD, which includes: skills-based routing, automatic call distribution, multi-level auto attendant, call recording, and real-time monitoring and reporting. Management and administration has also been made easier with the new web-based Admin console. The new MaxACD 7.0 enables enterprises to enhance customer interaction and improve productivity.

"The new Web Chat functionality will add another dimension to the contact center," said Aaron Ferraiuolo, President at UpTime Sciences, a leading AltiGen MaxACD partner. "The ability to provide real-time engagement with customers via the website will be very valuable for enterprises that are looking to enhance sales, customer service or support."

As a turn-key, all software solution, MaxACD runs on industry standard hardware and can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud utilizing VMware or Hyper-V virtualization. AltiGen offers simple, flexible and cost-effective licensing options which include upfront perpetual or subscription-based licenses.

"With more and more enterprises adopting Skype for Business to replace their old PBX, there is a growing demand for business-critical features like advanced auto attendant and sophisticated intelligent routing capabilities," said David Tang, Vice President of Cloud Solutions at AltiGen. "As a native trusted application, MaxACD enhances Skype for Business with the PBX and contact center features required to meet the needs of today's enterprises."

To learn more about MaxACD and how it extends valuable features to Skype for Business and Office 365, please visit www.maxacd.com.

About AltiGen Communications

AltiGen Communications, Inc. (OTCQX: ATGN) is a leading provider of premise and cloud-based IP-PBX and Contact Center solutions. With thousands of customers around the world, AltiGen solutions are designed for high reliability, ease of use, seamless integration to Microsoft infrastructure technologies, and are built on a scalable, open standards platform. AltiGen's worldwide headquarters is in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, call 1-888-ALTIGEN or visit the web site at www.altigen.com.

Trademarks

Copyright 2013 AltiGen Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within this press release are the property of their respective trademark holders.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, statements regarding the continued effectiveness of our MaxACD Contact Center integrating with Skype for Business and Office 365, which enables powerful features such as Web Chat, skills-based routing, automatic call distribution, multi-level auto attendant, call recording, and real-time monitoring and reporting are all tightly integrated to provide a compelling communications solution either on premise or in the cloud.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks related to AltiGen's limited operating history. For a more detailed description of AltiGen's performance, please refer to AltiGen's audited Annual Report filed with the OTCQX over-the-counter market for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.


LUDWIGSHAFEN (dpa-AFX) - German chemical giant BASF SE (BFA.L, BASFY.PK) announced Tuesday that it has signed a letter of intent with Dutch chemical technology company Avantium and entered into exclusive negotiations to establish a joint venture.



The formation of JV is for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid or FDCA, as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate or PEF, based on this new chemical building block. FDCA is produced from renewable resources.



The JV will use the YXY process developed by Avantium in its laboratories in Amsterdam and pilot plant in Geleen, Netherlands, for the production of FDCA. It is intended to further develop this process as well as to construct a reference plant for the production of FDCA with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year at BASF's Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium.



FDCA is the essential chemical building block for the production of PEF.



'With the planned joint venture, we want to combine Avantium's specific production technology and application know-how for FDCA and PEF with the strengths of BASF,' said Dr. Stefan Blank, President of BASF's Intermediates division. 'Of particular importance is our expertise in market development and large-scale production as an established and reliable chemical company in the business of intermediates and polymers,' Blank added.



om van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium, said, 'The contemplated joint venture with BASF is a major milestone in the development and commercialization of this game-changing technology. ...With BASF, we plan to start production of FDCA to enable the first commercial launch of this exciting bio-based material and to further develop and grow the market to its full potential.'



In Germany, BASF shares were trading at 64.95 euros, down 0.84 percent.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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MEMPHIS (dpa-AFX) - FedEx Corp. (FDX) continues to increase margins, earnings per share, cash flows and returns on invested capital. The company expects these basic trends to continue well into the future, barring major events or macro-economic factors.



While reporting second-quarter results, the package delivery giant reaffirmed its adjusted fiscal 2016 earnings outlook of $10.40 - $10.90 per share before year-end mark-to-market pension accounting adjustments. Analysts are looking for earnings of $10.57 per share for fiscal 2016. The company expects its solid earnings growth to continue in the second half of its fiscal year, despite weakness in industrial production.



The company is likely to release its third-quarter results on Wednesday, March 16, with analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimating earnings of $2.35 per share on revenue of $12.40 billion. Analysts' estimate typically exclude certain special items.



In the previous quarter, the company reported solid earnings and year-over-year earnings per share improvement of 19%, excluding TNT integration costs and a legal settlement charge for FedEx Ground. A record number of holiday shipments fueled largely by the steady rise of e-commerce are flowing through the FedEx global networks.



The company's second-quarter net income was $691 million or $2.44 per share compared to $663 million or $2.31 per share in the prior year period.



Adjusted net income rose to $729 million or $2.58 per share from $622 million or $2.16 per share in the same period of last year.



Revenue totaled $12.5 million, higher than the previous year's revenue of $11.9 million.



'...we are making impressive progress toward our goals to increase margins, earnings per share, cash flows, and returns on invested capital,' said Frederick Smith, FedEx Corp. chairman, president and chief executive officer.



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CENTENNIAL, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- CannaGrow Holdings, Inc., (OTC PINK: CGRW), -- Highlighting the achievement of a significant company benchmark, CannaGrow Holdings, Inc., a Liaison and Consultant providing turn-key solutions to licensed growers in the legal Cannabis industry, today announced a key update on the Colorado Buffalo Ranch Project.

Delmar Janovec, CEO of CannaGrow Holdings, confirmed that NuGro Industries, Inc., the landowner and developer for the Colorado Buffalo Ranch Project located in Huerfano County, Colorado, executed a Purchase Order through the International Greenhouse Company (IGC; http://www.igcusa.com) for the first three (3) of six (6) Hoop-Style Greenhouses planned for the Phase I& II build out, as depicted in the 3D conceptual site plan rendering (Image 1).

"The stamped engineered drawings were submitted to the Huerfano County Planning Office on on March 9 and we were pleased by the issuance of the building permit the following day," stated Janovec. "Foundations for all three (3) greenhouses have already been prepared and erection of the buildings will begin upon delivery of the first structural components in the coming days."

The Colorado Buffalo Ranch Project represents a significant evolution in the industry through the strategic implementation of assets such as using seasonal greenhouses in the overall grow strategy. Each building is 2,880 sq. ft. in size and will function primarily as seasonal production facilities. By making these greenhouses an integral part of production, the company plans on benefitting from the increasing commercial appeal of "sun-grown" Cannabis as well as mitigating higher production costs and the larger carbon footprint associated with indoor commercial grows that rely solely on artificial lighting.

"We intend to have the greenhouses erected and fully functional for seasonal production starting this spring, with first harvest in the Autumn," explained Dr. Janovec. "In addition, the installation of Modine BTU gas heater units in each of the three (3) greenhouses will enable extension of the growing season and harvest potential into the early winter months."

Dr. John P. Janovec, COO and Jason Wells, Consultant, researched and selected the IGC's Ranger Series Greenhouse model specifically for the high quality of engineered certified materials used in manufacturing. "With a combined grow space of 8,640 sq. ft., these three seasonal greenhouses will contribute significantly to the production capabilities of the project while substantially improving the bottom line revenues as well as defraying electrical costs," said Dr. Janovec.

Dr. Janovec added, "The 3200 sq. ft. Head House building and the 3300 sq. ft. Nexus Greenhouse building have already been erected and currently both buildings are being finished with HVAC, plumbing, and electrical installations. Together the two buildings provide a total of 6,500 sq. ft. to the facility and they will be used strategically each Spring to produce the hundreds of plants required to fill the 8,640 sq. ft. capacity of the three seasonal greenhouses."

Dr. Janovec confirmed that Phase I & II consist of site grading for the ingress & egress roadways, the 3,200 sq. ft. Olympia Steel Head House Building, six (6) 2880 sq. ft. Hoop-Style Greenhouses for seasonal production, and a 3,300 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Nexus Light Deprivation Greenhouse that utilizes the most up-to-date technology for the growing of Cannabis. The Nexus Greenhouse and the Head House buildings will provide premier work and growing facilities for an approved Licensed Grower that will optimize all operations, from seed-to-sale. (See Images 2 & 3 for two recent views of the Head House Building and the Nexus Greenhouse.)

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc., the Liaison and Representative for NuGro Industries, will continue in that capacity, working with the various Contractors and State/County Agencies to see the Multi-Phased project through to an operational status. The completion of this Project will provide CannaGrow the basis to begin generating revenues from the Licensed Grower sub-leasing the Turnkey Growing Facilities being built to the specifications of Dr. John P. Janovec, COO of CannaGrow, and horticultural consultant, Jason Wells.

CannaGrow has received numerous inquiries from perspective tenants and are also exploring additional business ventures within this industry that could further enhance shareholder value.

The site plan, grading plan, and phasing plan that were submitted by NuGro Industries, the landowner and developer, can be viewed on our website at: http://cannagrowholdings.com.

About CannaGrow Holdings, Inc.:

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. has entered the Medical/Recreational Cannabis Industry as a Lessor, Liaison, and Consultant to licensed Growers providing them with turnkey Growing Facilities in the State of Colorado. The Company intends to expand this business model within this industry as business opportunities evolve whereby providing for the highest return to its shareholders.

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. is currently working with a website designer to update its website to better reflect the business model the Company is engaged in within the Cannabis Industry.

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. does not and will not, until such time as Federal law allows, grow, harvest, distribute or sell marijuana or any substance that violate the laws of the United States of America.

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. encourages the public to read the above information in conjunction with its year-end statement for December 31, 2014, and the quarterly statements filed in calendar year 2015, at www.otcmarkets.com.

The information contained in this press release may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements usually contain the words "may," "could," "possibly," "feel," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "expect," or similar expressions that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the Company's uncertain profitability, need for significant capital, uncertainty concerning market acceptance of its services, competition, limited service facilities, dependence on technological developments and protection of its intellectual property. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed herein.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2978316



CONTACT:

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc.

Delmar Janovec

Investor Relations

info@cannagrowholdings.com

http://cannagrowholdings.com/




RENO, NEVADA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- NuLegacy Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE: NUL)(OTCQX: NULGF) reviews 2015 progress and provides guidance on its 2016 exploration and corporate objectives.

2015-16 Progress:

Jan 20, 2015 - American Assay Labs confirms Iceberg gold deposits demonstrate high average leaching recoveries of 74.5% (within a range of 64.4% to 89.2%) in industry standard preliminary leach test.

Jan 27, 2015 - NuLegacy reports first sniff of high-grade gold mineralization (assay of 12.7 grams/t. over 1.5 meters) from the last of 2014 drilling. As it turned out there were quite a number of high grade intercepts drilled and reported during the balance of 2015 (such as 25.2 grams/t over 4.6 metres within 41.2 meters of 3.9 grams/t. - see news release of May 7, 2015) as the new 'North zone' in the Iceberg developed and expanded.

Feb 18, 2015 - NuLegacy receives BLM approval for Plan of Operations; the significance being that we are now permitted and bonded to significantly expand drilling within an area of up to 100 acres (at any one time) within a designated 1760 acres, the approximately 3 sq. miles or 7 sq. km covering the Iceberg deposit and surrounds. This allows for a multi-drill rig exploration program, whereas drilling of NuLegacy's initial 70 holes into the Iceberg was under a Notice of Intent limiting maximum disturbance to 5 acres at any one time.

May 7, 2015 - Assays from first phase of 2015 multiphase drilling program confirm more high-grade gold mineralization in the North Zone - for example hole RHB-40 returned 10.9 grams/t. over 12.2 meters within a longer interval of 3.9 grams/t. over 41.2 meters.

May 26 & Jun 3, 2015 - During what was likely the nadir of the last 5-year bear market in gold we announced a C$1.8 million dollar financing on May 26th and because of tremendous ongoing support from our long-patient shareholders, we closed it at C$2.2 million on June 3rd, 2015.

Jun 11, Jul 23, Aug 26 & Sept 30, 2015 - NuLegacy continues to report long intervals of good to high grade assays expanding the new North zone while discovering new zones of mineralization in the Central and South zones.

Oct 13, 2015 - NuLegacy completes US$5.0 million of direct exploration expenditures to earn 70% of the Iceberg gold deposit with Barrick Gold retaining a 30% minority working interest.

Dec 23, 2015 - Barrick Gold confirms NuLegacy has earned 70% of the Iceberg.

Mar 3, 2016 - Barrick Gold becomes NuLegacy's largest shareholder through the exchange of Barrick's 30% working interest in the Iceberg deposit for 32 million shares of NuLegacy (16.7% of outstanding shares) and a 2% net profits interest.

2016 Exploration objectives:

1. Starting in early May, when we expect that ground conditions will be economically optimum, we will commence a multiphase 10,000-meter (33,000 ft.) drilling program ("2016 Drill Program") to continue the delineation of the Iceberg gold deposit. As has been our practice, we will drill eight to ten holes and then use the assays from these to confirm our selection of the next eight to ten holes. We are scheduling completion of the 10,000 meters (approximately 40 holes) in five phases by late August. The majority of the drilling will focus on expanding the extent of the high-grade zones in the Iceberg deposit, with a sizable portion directed towards exploring other prospective Carlin-type gold systems on the property, principally the Avocado, VIO and Jasperoid Basin gold anomalies. 2. Having secured 100% of the Iceberg gold deposit (news release dated Mar 3, 2016), NuLegacy will now proceed to commission the preparation of its maiden NI 43-101 estimate of resources. From the outset, NuLegacy spent its exploration budget (US$5.0 million to date) focusing on near-surface oxides and has established an exploration target of 90 - 110 million tonnes grading 0.9 to 1.1 grams of gold/tonne (figures are conceptual - see endnote iii). The exploration target is a 3,000-meter structural corridor (on trend with the other three large Carlin-type gold deposits in the Cortez), with the classic northwest-southeast strike of the Cortez "Carlin-style gold systems". To date, there are two concentrations of gold mineralization; the North zone, (covering circa 350 meters of strike) and the larger Central zone (covering circa 650 meters of strike) where drill density is sufficient to support the planned NI 43-101 resource calculation.

Corporate objectives for 2016 and beyond:

1. NuLegacy has sufficient funds to begin the multi-phase 2016 Drill Program and will be financing to complete it and provide further funds to advance the project towards development in 2017 and beyond. 2. Increase our IP/PR efforts and enroll sponsoring broker coverage to assist in financing and value recognition programs through ongoing research and sales coverage and dialogue with investors, supporting endorsements and trading desk support. 3. Ultimately, capitalize on the value of the Iceberg and adjacent deposits by selling to or merging with a capable gold producer.

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

604-639-3640

james@nuggold.com



NuLegacy Gold Corporation

Albert Matter

604-639-3640

albert@nuggold.com



NuLegacy Gold Corporation

Roger Steininger

COO

604-639-3640

roger@nuggold.com

www.nulegacygold.com




VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - European shares fell on Tuesday, tracking lower commodity prices and losses in Asia as investors turned cautious after recent sharp gains. Investors await the latest policy moves from the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of England after the Bank of Japan kept its asset-purchase plan unchanged, as widely expected, but downgraded its view of the economy. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index traded down about 0.9 percent in early trade after gaining 0.7 percent in the previous session. Elsewhere, the German DAX, France's CAC 40 index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were down between 0.5 percent and 0.7 percent. Antofagasta shares slumped more than 10 percent in London. The company has decided against paying a final dividend after posting a 58 percent fall in annual core profit. Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Glencore, Rio Tinto and Tullow Oil lost 5-8 percent. Sainsbury rose half a percent as the grocer posted its first quarterly like-for-like sales growth in over two years. Cable company Numericable rallied 2 percent in Paris, a day after winning a bidding war for Vivendi's SFR telecom unit against Bouygues. Volkswagen shares fell almost 2 percent in Frankfurt. A former Volkswagen employee has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit in Michigan, accusing the automaker of deleting documents immediately after its diesel emissions scandal broke and the U.S. Environment Protection Agency asked the company to preserve any evidence. 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.
LOWELL, Mass., 2016-03-15 12:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid Micro Biosystems, a leading provider of automated, non-destructive, rapid microbial detection, is pleased to announce the addition of Natale (Nat) Ricciardi to its Board of Directors.



Mr. Ricciardi spent his entire 39-year career at Pfizer Inc, retiring in 2011. At retirement Nat held the positions of President, Pfizer Global Manufacturing and Senior Vice President, Pfizer Inc. In addition to his corporate leadership role, Nat was directly responsible for all of Pfizer's internal and external supply organization - a global enterprise with as many as 38,000 employees and more than 100 manufacturing facilities supplying small and large molecule pharmaceuticals, vaccines, consumer, nutrition and animal health products. He played a leadership role in shaping a mission-driven and values-based culture as the company went through phases of growth, mergers and acquisitions and transformation. His relentless focus on Quality and Compliance became a competitive advantage. His passion for science and technology and for creating a culture of continuous improvement, as drivers of efficient and effective processes, were felt across Pfizer and delivered billions of dollars in cost savings as the business transformed.



"We are delighted to welcome Nat to the Board of Directors. He brings a wealth of experience in global manufacturing and quality operations in our target industries and will be a key advisor to Rapid Micro Biosystems as we continue to execute our vision of automating microbial quality control throughout the pharmaceutical, biotech, personal care and medical device industries," said Robert Spignesi, Chief Executive Officer.



Mr. Ricciardi earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from the City College of New York (CCNY) and an M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from Fordham University. He serves on the Board of Directors of Dynavax Technologies, Inc., Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. and is on the Strategic Advisory Board of HealthCare Royalty Partners. He is currently a member of the Board of the 21st Century Foundation of CCNY.



"I am excited to join the Board of Directors of Rapid Micro Biosystems at a time when this company is making a significant impact in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with new and innovative approaches to automated, rapid microbiological detection methods," said Nat Ricciardi. "I look forward to contributing my experience in leading global manufacturing and quality operations to the Company's success."



About Rapid Micro Biosystems: Rapid Micro Biosystems delivers the Growth Direct System, an automated, non-destructive rapid detection and enumeration technology based on the compendial method for microbial quality control in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The system automates and accelerates detection and enumeration in the areas of sterility testing, environmental monitoring, and bioburden testing, eliminating manual steps and analysis. The detection technology, first developed and patented by Dr. Don Straus, Ph.D., uses the natural auto-fluorescence of microbes and requires no reagents. For more information about Rapid Micro Biosystems visit www.rapidmicrobio.com



Contact: Eugenia Kendrick Rapid Micro Biosystems ekendrick@rapidmicrobio.com

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New cover a market first in UK motor insurance

LONDON, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Owners of older cars that suffer partial damages can now be compensated for the subsequent loss in value, following several changes to Chubb's motor policies.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160121/324916LOGO

Chubb has introduced Diminution in Value (DIV) cover, which pays the client the difference between a car's market value before and after a repair as well as the repair costs. Previously only available for fine art and wine under contents insurance, DIV has been introduced to motor policies following extensive research among existing clients, brokers and high net worth car owners by YouGov on behalf of Chubb.

DIV cover applies to cars more than 15 years and is one of a series of covers introduced to Chubb's motor policies. Key benefits include:

If a client's insured car is partially damaged, Chubb will pay the amount required to repair or replace (whichever is less) the damaged parts.

Diminution in value is applied if the car has been valued/purchased at least 24 months prior to that insured loss and has been repaired, and the market value of the car immediately before the damage exceeds the market value immediately after the repair. Chubb will pay the difference between the market values before and after the repair.

Maximum cost is up to 100% of the covered loss or 250,000 or 20% of the amount of the sum insured, whichever is the lesser amount for that vehicle.

Chubb has also introduced Lease or Finance Gap Cover that gives financial support to drivers who buy new cars on credit that are stolen or written off by a covered loss. The motor policy will now cover the unpaid debts due on the lease or finance of a car. This is the first motor policy available from an insurer to automatically include this cover and provides more certainty about buying a similar car after a covered incident. It negates the need to buy additional, and often very costly, 'gap' insurance cover.

The policy would exclude overdue payments at the time of loss, financial penalties for wear and tear or high mileage and cost for additional items (such as extended warranties, carry over balances from previous loans and credit life insurance).

Other key changes to Chubb motor insurance policies include:

Student fees cover, if a person is injured/killed in an insured vehicle. This is another market first.

Market-leading limits for Extended Replacement Cost and Extended Reinstatement Value. Additionally, substantial inner limit increases across the policies, including single limits for valuable articles.

Cover for costs associated with injured/dead pets or horses where an insured vehicle is involved.

Tara Parchment, UK and Ireland Manager of Personal Risk Services, said:

"Chubb's pioneering new covers give our clients even more certainty about how they would be treated after an incident. We understand that even after using first-class specialists to repair damage, the intrinsic value of a car may be affected- whether it's due to the lack of original parts or the mere fact that the car has been repaired. We also know that the re-sell value of our clients' cars is important to them and, to some, their cars are considered unique pieces of art. Our service doesn't stop at paying to restore or replace a car but extends to protecting our clients' assets and finances."

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. The company is distinguished by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength, underwriting excellence, superior claims handling expertise and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: new.chubb.com.
At Nykredit Bank A/S's annual general meeting held on Tuesday 15 March 2016,the Annual Report 2015 and the proposal for the distribution of profit were adopted,the Board of Directors' recommendation for a remuneration policy including the scope for applying maximum variable pay of up to 200% to a modest number of selected staff members was adopted,Michael Rasmussen, Group Chief Executive, Sren Holm, Group Managing Director, Kim Duus, Group Managing Director, Anders Jensen, Group Managing Director, and Bente Overgaard, Group Managing Director, were re-elected members of the Board of Directors,Further, the Board of Directors is composed by the three staff representatives Kent Ankersen, Allan Kristiansen and Flemming Ellegaard (replaced Olav Brusen Barse on 1 January 2016),Deloitte Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab was reappointed as company auditors.At its first meeting to be held on 16 March 2016, the Board of Directors is expected to elect Michael Rasmussen, Group Chief Executive, as Chairman, and Sren Holm, Group Managing Director, as Deputy Chairman.Copenhagen, 15 March 2016Nykredit Bank A/SBoard of DirectorsContact: Questions may be addressed to Jens Theil, Head of Public Relations, tel +45 44 55 14 50.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=551672

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- BANQ, a division of TriPoint Global Equities, LLC, a leading electronic broker-dealer announced today that its CEO, Mark Elenowitz will be an investor panelist at the Nixon Peabody "Hot Tops for Start Ups -- Raising Money: Has crowdfunding been oversold? A look at the realities, risks and alternatives," on March 31, 2016 in Melville, NY.

The Technology Capital Forum will discuss the SEC's new rules for securities-based crowdfunding ("Regulation Crowdfunding") -- set to take effect on May 16, 2016. These rules legalize the offer and sale of securities through crowdfunding, but come with a $1 million per issuer per year cap and substantial costs related to compliance and reporting. BANQ's CEO Mark Elenowitz will be joined by Richa Naujoks, partner at Nixon Peabody; Alan Wink, Director of Capital Markets at EisnerAmper LLP; Lauri Spitz, Cofounder of Moustache Brewing Co.; and John Kominicki, Publisher & Editor in Chief of Innovate Long Island. The panelists will review the regulations, provide guidance on the realities and risks, and offer alternative forms of fundraising.

When: March 31, 2016; 8:00am - 10:00am

Location: Melville Marriott

1350 Walt Whitman Road

Melville, NY 11747

Register online here.

Questions? Contact Tasha King at 516-832-7589 or tking@nixonpeabody.com.

About Mark Elenowitz

Mark H. Elenowitz, CEO and Founder of BANQ (www.banq.co), a newly launched division of TriPoint Global Equities, LLC (www.tripointglobalequities.com), is an electronic investment banking platform that streamlines the matching of investors with quality growth companies and alternative investment opportunities. BANQ provides investors access to exciting companies with exposure to rapidly growing sectors and new technologies. BANQ takes the entire public and private offering process digital and online, providing access to U.S. opportunities and offerings in the U.S. markets. BANQ widely markets its offerings utilizing the new general solicitation and advertising rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, in response to the passage of the JOBS Act of 2012. Mr. Elenowitz is responsible for the overall corporate development of TriPoint and BANQ, advising clients on structuring, financings and acquisitions. He has extensive experience in advising clients on governance, compliance, and capital markets navigation including acting as a member of the board of directors. He has worked with numerous public and private companies. Mr. Elenowitz integrates a strong, successful entrepreneurial background with extensive financial services and capital markets experience. He has assisted numerous companies in a "soup-to-nuts" process, preparing them for life as a public company and advising them

on an ongoing basis as to further rounds of financing, strategic acquisitions and a broader investor base via a listing on a higher securities exchange or market. He is an expert in capital markets investigative analysis of trading activity, short selling and market activity providing investigative services for Board of Directors, Special Committees and public companies. Mr. Elenowitz also serves as an expert witness in FINRA arbitrations and court actions. Mr. Elenowitz is also Managing Director of TriPoint Capital Advisors, LLC, a merchant banking and financial consulting affiliate of TriPoint Global Equities. He is the recipient of several entrepreneurial awards and has been profiled in BusinessWeek and CNBC, as well as several other publications. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Business and Management with a B.S. in Finance. He holds Series 24, 62, 63, 79, 82 and 99 licenses.

About BANQ

BANQ, the online division of TriPoint Global Equities, LLC ("TriPoint "), a FINRA member firm. www.banq.co, is a fully electronic platform that takes the entire public and private offering process online and provides instantaneous confirmation and deposit of all investment transactions. BANQ allows issuers to conduct offerings and raise capital under Regulation A+ and most importantly allows investors to have the ability to deposit and liquidate their Reg A+ investment shares that trade on the OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM) OTCQB or OTCQX. BANQ widely markets its offerings utilizing the new general solicitation and advertising rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, in response to the passage of the JOBS Act of 2012. In addition BANQ offers some of the lowest trading costs in the industry at $.99 and $3.95.

To Inquire for BANQ Services:

Email Contact

www.banq.co




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSX VENTURE: GSV)(NYSE MKT: GSV) ("Gold Standard" or the "Company) today announced an updated National Instrument (NI) 43-101-compliant resource estimate for its Pinion gold deposit on its 100%-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion Project in Nevada's Carlin Trend. The estimate was prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Canada ("APEX") and is dated March 10, 2016. An NI 43-101-compliant technical report will be filed with SEDAR within 45 days of the date of this news release.

In its summary report, APEX estimates an Indicated Mineral Resource of 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 630,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totaling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g Au/t (Table 1). This is the same cut-off grade used by APEX in its maiden resource estimate for Pinion released in September, 2014. A sensitivity analysis of the grade and tonnage relationships at a variety of cutoffs grades is shown in the accompanying Table 2 below. Click the following link for a Pinion resource map. http://goldstandardv.com/lp/pinion-resource-update-march-2016/ ).

Jonathan Awde, CEO and Director of Gold Standard commented: "This new estimate achieves three important objectives. First, we have successfully upgraded inferred resources to indicated. Second, we have more than replaced the inferred resources that we upgraded. Third, and most important, this study has confirmed a number of high priority targets for further resource expansion and provides valuable direction on the work required to achieve this goal in this year's program at Pinion. Some of the best exploration results from last year's program should add to resources this year as we generate more data on these new targets. We expect drilling to begin next month."

Key Highlights

-- Indicated Mineral Resource of 630,300 troy ounces of gold contained in 31.61 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.62 g Au/t (at a lower cutoff of 0.14 g Au/t). The updated Indicated Mineral Resource represents a 49% increase in ounces over the 2014 maiden Indicated Mineral Resource (see news release dated September 10, 2014). -- Inferred Mineral Resource of 1,081,300 troy ounces of gold contained in 61.08 million tonnes at a grade of 0.55 g Au/t (at a lower cutoff of 0.14 g Au/t), up 5.8% from 2014. -- More than 98% of the block modeled material is considered oxide mineralization. -- The reported resources have been constrained within an optimized pit shell at $US1,250/ounce of gold and $US21.50/ounce of silver, consistent with resource disclosure by major companies. -- The "in-pit" optimized resources account for approximately 70% of the volume of the drilled and mineralized wire frame area at the Pinion Deposit. APEX notes there is potential, based upon existing drilling, to add 21 to 27 million tonnes at a grade of 0.5 to 0.6 g Au/t. Although the target is defined by wide spaced drilling, the potential size and grade are considered conceptual in nature and there is insufficient drilling and exploration to define the target as a resource and it is uncertain if further exploration including additional drilling will result in any part of the target becoming a resource or a mineral reserve. -- The resource estimate is based on 481 reverse circulation holes and 24 diamond core holes. -- The gold resource is hosted in a multilithic, dissolution collapse breccia within which gold mineralization exhibits very predictable lateral and strike continuity. -- Mineralization remains open in multiple directions. Excellent potential exists for expansion of the resource along geologic controls identified during the modeling of the deposit. Approximately 12,400m of drilling will be completed in 2016 to further expand the oxide resource (see news release dated February 23, 2016). -- Due to the good lateral continuity of the breccia hosted mineralization and the identification of additional targets, the potential to convert inferred resources to indicated resources with future drilling is considered high.

Table 1. Pinion NI43-101 mineral resource estimate at a lower cutoff grade of 0.14 g Au/t is summarized below(i):

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnage- Contained Tonnage- Contained Au Au Grade Au(ii) Ag Ag Grade Ag(ii) (million (grams (troy (million (grams (troy metric per ounces) metric per ounces) Classification tonnes) tonne) (iii) tonnes) tonne) (iii) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 31.61 0.62 630,300 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 61.08 0.55 1,081,300 92.69 4.1612,401,600 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to define the inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured resource category. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources discussed herein will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future. (ii) The reported resources have been constrained within a $US1,250/ounce of gold and $US21.50/ounce of silver optimized pit shell. (iii) Contained ounces may not add due to rounding.

Table 2. Sensitivity analysis of the Pinion NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate for gold at various cut-offs(i):

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Cutoff Tonnage - Au Au Grade (grams per (million metric (grams per Contained Au(ii) Classification tonne) tonnes) tonne)(troy ounces)(iii) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 0.1 31.62 0.62 630,400 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.14(ii) 31.61 0.62 630,300 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.17 31.56 0.62 630,100 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.2 31.47 0.62 629,500 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.3 30.26 0.64 619,100 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.4 26.35 0.68 574,500 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.5 20.81 0.74 494,200 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.6 14.89 0.81 389,600 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.7 10.13 0.89 290,400 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.8 6.38 0.98 200,400 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.9 3.65 1.07 126,100 -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2.01 1.18 76,200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 0.1 61.39 0.55 1,082,500 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.14(ii) 61.08 0.55 1,081,300 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.17 60.29 0.56 1,077,300 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.2 58.93 0.56 1,069,200 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.3 50.10 0.62 997,200 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.4 39.15 0.69 874,100 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.5 29.32 0.78 732,500 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.6 21.10 0.87 587,000 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.7 14.32 0.97 445,900 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.8 9.08 1.10 320,000 -------------------------------------------------------------- 0.9 5.46 1.26 221,500 -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 3.58 1.43 164,300 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to define the inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured resource category. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources discussed herein will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future. (ii) The recommended reported resources are highlighted in bold and have been constrained within a $US1,250/ounce of gold and $US21.50/ounce of silver optimized pit shell. (iii) Contained ounces may not add due to rounding.

Mineral Resource Estimate

The statistical analysis, geological modeling and resource estimation was prepared by Mr. Steven Nicholls, MAIG, with APEX Geoscience Ltd. (APEX) under the direct supervision of Mr. Dufresne, P. Geol., P.Geo., also with APEX. Both are Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mineral resource modelling and estimation were carried out using a 3-dimensional block model based on geostatistical applications using commercial mine planning software MICROMINE (v14.0.6).

Modeling was conducted in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate space relative to the North American Datum (NAD) 1927 and UTM Zone 11. A parent block size of 10 m (X) x 10 m (Y) x 3 m (Z) with sub-blocking down to 5 m x 5 m x 1 m was applied. The Pinion resource modeling utilized 505 drill holes that were completed from 1981 to 2015. Mr. Dufresne, P.Geol., P.Geo., visited the property in May, 2013; April and October, 2014; June, 2015 and August - September, 2015, in order to verify and validate the historic drill hole dataset and to verify the drilling of the recently completed 2014 and 2015 diamond and RC drilling campaigns completed by GSV. Over the period of two years, APEX personnel were intimately involved in the verification, validation, drill hole collar surveying and QA/QC analysis of the Pinion drill hole database. The current drill hole database is deemed to be in good condition and suitable to use in ongoing resource estimation studies.

A total of 505 drill holes guided the geological interpretation and estimation of the Pinion resource. This total comprises 24 diamond drill holes and 481 RC drill holes that were completed from 1981 to 2015. Spacing between drill holes varies from 1 m to 1.25 km. All of the drill holes were used to guide the geological and mineralization model that was ultimately used in the resource estimation calculation. A nominal density of 2.58 kg/m3 was assigned to all mineralized blocks, which is a result of 171 bulk density measurements collected from the 2014 diamond drill holes. Gold mineralization is hosted in a multi-lithic, dissolution collapse breccia and exhibits predictable lateral and strike continuity within this silicified and oxidized breccia. The breccia has developed preferentially between relatively impermeable silty micrite of the overlying Mississippian Tripon Pass Formation and thick-bedded calcarenite of the underlying Devonian Devils Gate Limestone.

The Pinion assay file comprised 44,123 analyses of variable length from a variety of sampled lithologies. Of the 44,123 samples in the Pinion database, roughly one quarter (11,166 assays) are situated within the gold mineralized lodes. A parent block size of 10 m x 10 m x 3 m was chosen for the Pinion block model. This is deemed appropriate based on the current level of drill hole spacing which ranges from 1 m to 1.25 km. Sub-blocking was used to more effectively honor the volumes and shapes created during the geological interpretation of the mineralized wireframes or lodes. Grade was interpolated for the parent blocks and assigned to the sub-blocks. A comparison of wireframe volume versus block model volume was performed for each of the estimations to ensure there was no under- or overestimation of tonnages. Each block was coded with the lode number so that grade could be estimated as hard boundaries.

The Indicated and Inferred Pinion Resource estimation of gold and silver was calculated using inverse distance squared (ID2) for each of the eleven lodes. Initially for the 2014 Indicated and Inferred Pinion resource estimation, both inverse distance and ordinary kriging was used and reviewed for resource estimation but due to the resultant validation of the block models it was decided to use the inverse distance estimation technique as it best honored the input composite grades. As such only inverse distance estimation technique was used for this estimation. Each lode was estimated with 'hard boundaries', which means that only composite assays located within each lode were used to estimate the grade of the blocks within that lode.

Considerable metallurgical test work has been completed to date, which includes analysis of the suitability of the gold and silver mineralization to cyanide soluble leaching methods. Bottle roll and column leach test work was completed by Teck in 1990, Crown in 1992, Cyprus in 1994 to 1996 and Royal Standard in 2004. This test work obtained recoveries of gold ranging from 41.7 to 91.3 %, with coincident recoveries of silver ranging from 31 to 62%. In addition to these tests, Gold Standard reported cyanide soluble gold recoveries from oxidized multilithic breccia sample pulps that averaged 82.4% (see news release dated August 19, 2015). Further metallurgical test work is planned. More than 98% of the block modeled material is considered oxide mineralization.

The Pinion mineral resource estimate is reported in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 and has been estimated using the CIM "Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines" dated November 23rd, 2003 and CIM "Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" dated November 27th, 2010.

Potential for Resource Expansion

As a direct effect of the Pinion 2015 drilling program and completing an updated geologic model, additional target zones have been identified in undrilled areas or areas of limited drill hole testing. Shallow and deeper oxide targets have been identified adjacent to existing resources that have good potential to expand the current inferred resources (see news release dated February 23, 2016). Along with targets to potentially expand the resource, areas within the existing inferred mineral resource that are defined by widely spaced drilling but with reasonable grades provide the company with potential to convert and grow the indicated portion of the oxide mineral resource. APEX recommends further drilling to test these drill targets in order to expand the existing resources and convert inferred resources to indicated resources. It is uncertain if further drilling will result in the expansion of existing resources or the conversion of inferred resources to indicated resources.

The 2016 Pinion oxide mineral resources were constrained by a pit optimization conducted using $US1,250 per oz Au and $US21.50 per oz Ag along with assumed costs for open pit mining and processing of oxide resources in Nevada. The "in-pit" optimized resources account for a total of approximately 70% of the volume of the drilled and mineralized wire frame area at the Pinion Deposit. As a result, at the Pinion mineralized area there is potential, based upon existing drilling, to add additional resources with a potential target that ranges from 21 to 27 million tonnes at a grade of 0.5 to 0.6 g/t Au. Although the target is defined by wide spaced drilling, the potential size and grade are considered conceptual in nature and there is insufficient drilling and exploration to define the target as a resource and it is uncertain if further exploration including additional drilling will result in any part of the target becoming a resource or a mineral reserve.

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. Pinion 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. Silver is determined by a 4-acid digestion and AAS analysis. 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 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 630,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totaling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (this release). 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




Commenting on the markets, Mike Prentis and Dan Whitestone, representing the Investment Manager noted:



February was a very volatile and difficult month in which January's sharp sell off continued until mid-month and was then followed by a rapid reversal. In particular we saw a change in share price momentum with many of the stocks which had done well in recent months being sold off sharply, and others that had performed poorly in recent months now doing well. This is consistent with short closing, and we believe many long/short funds reduced exposures during the month resulting in this sharp change in fortunes for many stocks.



During February the Company's NAV per share fell by 1.7% on a cum income basis whilst our benchmark index rose by 0.2%; the FTSE 100 Index also rose by 0.2%. Relative underperformance was mainly derived from stock selection in the long only portfolio. The long only portfolio fell in value by 1.3% and the CFD portfolio lost a further 0.3% of the NAV. These individual portfolio returns are before costs.



The largest detractors from relative performance in the long only portfolio were our holdings in Fevertree Drinks, Workspace, Polar Capital and Alternative Networks, although none of these individually exceeded 0.2% of relative performance. Fevertree Drinks has been an excellent performer both operationally and in share price terms. In its most recent trading statement it indicated that sales in the second half of 2015 had increased by 77%. Fevertree's share price has increased by 266% over the last 12 months. However, in February we saw a reversal in its share price momentum with the shares falling by 15.2% which was just profit taking after a very strong run. Workspace shares suffered as BREXIT fears gathered pace. Workspace's property is all on the periphery of Central London and there are fears that if the UK leaves the EU there will be significant job losses in London, and lower demand for London office property, bad news for Workspace. Workspace's businesses are typically very dynamic and more likely than many to adapt to changing circumstances. On average they pay much lower rents than businesses in prime Central London. Polar Capital is a fund manager, with significant assets in Japan. The Japanese market performed poorly in February. Alternative Networks had a trading update in February but it was unfavourable, with reduced mobile profits expected as a result of pressures on roaming revenues caused by a more competitive business mobile market.



Our relative performance was also negatively impacted by not owning Home Retail shares in the portfolio, a large benchmark constituent. Home Retail attracted further bid interest with the shares appreciating by a further 29% during the month.



The largest positive contributor to stock selection during the month was our holding in Dechra Pharmaceuticals. Dechra announced interim results with revenues rising by 14.9% (at constant exchange rates), and EPS up by 17.6%. We had a good meeting with management who remain positive about prospects for this very internationally exposed business.



Within sector allocation our underweight position in mining companies and our overweight position in aerospace & defence companies both detracted from performance.



Portfolio activity during the month was fairly modest. After a good meeting with management, we did add a small position in Supergroup, a former holding, taking part in a placing of shares by one of the founders.



Turning to the CFD portfolio, this coped well with the initial market sell-off in February, but struggled against the speed and severity of the market rotation and change in market leadership which drove the recovery in the second half of February. This impacted the long portfolio where some strong performers weakened in the month on no newsflow, and the short book rose significantly in the value-led rally. As a result, the CFD portfolio lost 33 basis points (bps) in February, evenly split between the long and short positions. This was a month where fundamentals were less important than market positioning. The top 5 contributors comprised of 1 short position and 4 longs (Dechra, GVC, National Express, and Just Eat). The top 5 detractors comprised of 2 short positions (related to the mining industry) and 3 long positions (FeverTree, Workspace, and Fullers). Our confidence in our long book remains unchanged, and we also remain confident in the short book, where, despite the recent share price moves (upwards) the fundamentals in many cases are deteriorating. Maintaining our disciplined approach to position sizing has helped mitigate losses.



15 March 2016



ENDS



Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/thrg on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
DUBLIN (dpa-AFX) - Ryanair Holdings Plc. (RYA.L, RYAAY) Tuesday said it would open a new base at Vilnius Airport, from October 30, with two aircraft, at an investment of $200 million. The company said its its Vilnius traffic grew by 16 percent. In addition, Ryanair launched its Lithuanian winter 2016 schedule with 2 new routes to Berlin and Malta and 3 new winter services to Birmingham, London Luton and London Stansted. Now the airline will be operating in 23 routes. The airline will operate seven routes from Kaunas with more daily flights to Luton. There will be 27 weekly flights. From Palanga, it will operate a route to London Stansted with weekly schedules. The company will release 100,000 seats for sale across European network from just 19.99 euros, which are available for booking until March 18. 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.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Stingray Digital Group Inc. (TSX: RAY.A)(TSX: RAY.B), a leading business-to-business multiplatform music provider, today announced that its DJAZZ.tv television channel is now available as part of the "Grand Angle" package of French Pay-TV provider Bouygues Telecom at position 73. As a special introductory offer, Bouygues subscribers will enjoy DJAZZ.tv free until March 22, 2016.

The French version of DJAZZ.tv offers varied international and French programming. This integration represents a new phase of expansion for the Dutch channel, launched in 2012 on CANALSAT, which has seen an increase in its international distribution since the recent acquisition by Stingray.

Since November 2015, DJAZZ.tv has been included in the basic package of French Pay-TV provider Free; reaching close to 6 million subscribers. At the time of the transaction, the channel was distributed in 42 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

The Importance of France for DJAZZ.tv

Since its launch in 2012, DJAZZ.tv has earned widespread acclaim in France where jazz is more popular than anywhere else in Europe. The channel's programming is therefore oriented towards French content and presents performances filmed at the most renowned jazz clubs and festivals such as the New Morning Jazz Club, the Casino de Paris and Lyons' Hot Club. The programming also focuses on French events such as the Fete de la Musique. For several years now, DJAZZ.tv cameras have been present at international festivals such as Jazz a Vienne, Nancy Jazz Pulsations and Jazz en Baie where they have filmed more than 250 interviews with some of jazz's biggest names. DJazz.tv has its own premises in Paris and develops alliances and partnership from a first regional hub (Rhone-Alpes) region). For more information about DJazz.tv, please visit www.djazzfr.tv.

DJAZZ.tv: Living the World of Jazz

Developed under the motto "Living the World of Jazz", Djazz's programming is fully dedicated to jazz and related genres. The programing includes all jazz genres including world music, tango, reggae, soul, gospel, funk and blues. The channel is a mix of performances filmed at jazz festivals, in clubs, in studios and at concerts, and of music documentaries. The channel is broadcast in 100% HD and 100% Dolby Digital Audio.

About Stingray

Stingray (TSX: RAY.A)(TSX: RAY.B) is a leading business-to-business multi-platform music and in-store media solutions provider operating on a global scale, reaching an estimated 400 million Pay-TV subscribers (or households) in 152 countries. Geared towards individuals and businesses alike, Stingray's products include the following leading digital music and video services: Stingray Music, Stingray Concerts, Stingray Brava, Stingray Djazz, Stingray Music Videos, Stingray Lite TV, Stingray Ambiance and Stingray Karaoke. Stingray also offers various business solutions, including music and digital display-based solutions through its Stingray Business division. Stingray is headquartered in Montreal and currently has over 250 employees across the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Israel, Australia and South Korea. Stingray was recognized in 2013 and 2014 as a finalist in the Top 50 of Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 list, and figures amongst PROFIT magazine's fastest-growing Canadian companies. For more information, please visit www.stingray.com.

Contacts:

Mathieu Peloquin

Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Communications

Stingray

1 514-664-1244, ext. 2362

mpeloquin@stingray.com



Maarten Walraven

Head of programming

DJAZZ.tv

+31 6 508 282 45

maarten.walraven@bravagroup.tv



For more detailed information about

the distribution of DJAZZ.tv in France

Jacky Wauters

President and CEO of NOA Productions

+32 2 375 99 01

jwauters@noaproductions.tv




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

WSP Global Inc. (TSX: WSP) ("WSP" or the "Corporation") today announced the implementation of its senior management succession plan. Pierre Shoiry, President and Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of WSP. In his new role, Mr. Shoiry will provide ongoing support to the Board and will focus his efforts with the President and CEO and the management team in respect to acquisition activities and other strategic opportunities. Alexandre L'Heureux, currently Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, will succeed Pierre Shoiry as President and CEO. The transition will be effective once a new external CFO has been recruited. Paul Dollin, who has been Chief Operating Officer for the last 2 years, will continue in the same position.

"I am both humbled and honoured to have the opportunity to lead WSP in the next phase of its evolution. I firmly believe in the strength of our organization and in the future of our industry. We have a clear strategy and a successful business model, and I intend to remain true to our entrepreneurial philosophy. In the immediate future, I will focus on promoting our culture and values and will execute on our 2018 strategy around our people, clients, operational excellence and expertise", commented Alexandre L'Heureux. "Paul's continued role as COO brings a compelling understanding of the Corporation and its business model. We have been working closely for the last few years and I look forward to his active contribution in managing the overall operating plan as well as fostering a culture of organic growth and operational excellence," he added.

"Since our 2006 Initial Public Offering, we have developed and executed a clear corporate strategy. Our succession plan will ensure the continuity and the development of our vision to be the best global engineering consultancy. Our industry is in motion and we anticipate continued global consolidation. I will therefore continue to support Alexandre and the management team in the growth and enhancement of our technical expertise and geographic footprint," said Mr. Shoiry. "In Alexandre, the Board has selected the best individual to lead this organization to new heights. He has the industry experience, market knowledge and leadership style that make him the right President and CEO for WSP. I look forward to working with our Board of Directors, Alexandre and the team as the Corporation continues on its journey."

"On behalf of my fellow directors, I would like to thank Pierre for his service to the Corporation during his 21 years as President and CEO. During his tenure, Pierre has provided exceptional leadership in establishing and implementing a growth strategy, integrating major strategic acquisitions, and building a strong foundation for forthcoming growth and success for the Corporation, its employees and its shareholders. Under his leadership, the Corporation grew from 1,800 employees with $176 million in revenues at the time of the 2006 IPO to a firm with 34,000 employees and $6 billion in net revenues today," said Christopher Cole, WSP's Chairman. "WSP has an exceptional management team to support this transition and the Board is very pleased to appoint Alexandre L'Heureux to take over from Pierre as President and CEO. Pierre and Alexandre have worked in concert over the past six years and Pierre's continuing role will help facilitate a smooth transition for our employees, clients and shareholders," he added.

ABOUT WSP

As one of the world's leading professional services firms, we provide technical expertise and strategic advice to clients in the Property & Buildings, Transportation & Infrastructure, Environment, Industry, Resources (including Mining and Oil & Gas) and Power & Energy sectors. We also offer highly specialized services in project delivery and strategic consulting. Our experts include engineers, advisors, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors and environmental specialists, as well as other design, program and construction management professionals. With approximately 34,000 talented people in 500 offices across 40 countries, we are uniquely positioned to deliver successful and sustainable projects under our WSP and WSP / Parsons Brinckerhoff brands, wherever our clients need us. www.wsp-pb.com.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1046822.jpg

Contacts:

WSP Global Inc.

Isabelle Adjahi

Vice President, Investor Relations and

Corporate Communications

514-340-0046, ext. 5648

isabelle.adjahi@wspgroup.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Moseda Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: MSD) ("Moseda" or the "Company"), a technology company focused on developing progressive mobile health (mHealth) and telemedicine solutions for Community-Based Healthcare, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, CareKit Health Corp., has been awarded a $67,500 grant from Ontario Centres of Excellence's (the "OCE") SmartStart Seed Fund.

CareKit Health, based in Hamilton, ON, was founded in 2015 by Leo Godreault, RN and Giancarlo De Lio, MBA, two experienced healthcare and IT entrepreneurs. The CareKit Health platform allows complex patients to receive high quality care at home, improving health outcomes, enhancing quality of life for patients and families and reducing the cost of care delivery. CareKit provides real-time access to remote patient monitoring data, allowing for timely interventions by the care team to prevent costly hospital readmissions and ER visits. CareKit was acquired by Moseda in February 2016 to expand Moseda's Community Care product portfolio.

"With this investment from OCE, CareKit will be able to support the pilots it has in the pipeline with healthcare organizations in the US, UK and Canada," said Dr. Lisa Crossley, CEO of Moseda. "OCE has been an invaluable partner and mentor to the CareKit team. We're excited to see CareKit Health leverage the SmartStart Seed Fund investment to demonstrate the value of its innovative solution in caring for patients in the home. The pilots will validate the flexibility of the CareKit platform, which can support patients with a wide variety of complex conditions including Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, dementia, diabetes and those in need of post-surgical or palliative care."

"OCE is committed to supporting high-potential start-ups like CareKit Health as they develop and commercialize their innovative products," said Dr. Tom Corr, OCE's President and CEO. "Companies like CareKit Health create jobs and generate revenue that contributes to the Ontario economy. We are pleased to be part of CareKit's continued success."

Moseda is also pleased to announce that it will unveil its updated website this week. A new investor presentation will be available to download from the updated website.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Dr. Lisa Crossley, CEO and Director

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.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are "forward-looking statements".

We caution you that such "forward-looking statements" involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual and future events to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to commercial operations, including technology development, anticipated revenues, projected size of market, and other information that is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

Moseda Technologies Inc. (the "Company") does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, technology development and marketing activities, the Company's historical experience with technology development, uninsured risks. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

CORE Capital Partners

604-566-9233

investors@ccpartnersinc.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Scorpio Gold Corporation ("Scorpio Gold" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SGN) reports final results from its 2016 exploration drilling program on the Oromonte satellite deposit at the 70% owned Mineral Ridge project, located in Nevada.

The Oromonte target occurs over a 300 x 500 meter area situated between the Solberry and Wedge deposits. A small mineral resource estimate containing almost entirely Indicated resources was reported for Oromonte based on 53 RC drill holes (July 21, 2014 news release). Follow-up drilling in 2014-2016 intersected significant mineralization at vertical depths ranging from near surface to 150 meters depth across the target area. Although not accessible by open pit mining, the deeper mineralization at Oromonte may be amenable to underground extraction should further results support underground development. No further drilling is currently planned in the Oromonte target area.

As previously reported, the mineralization at Oromonte is interpreted to be a continuation of the mineralized horizon(s) between the Solberry and Wedge deposits that have been offset by normal faulting. The occurrence of a higher-grade zone of mineralization at depth is thought to be related to a rheological contrast between the basement granite and a later intrusion of alaskite (leucogranite). The difference in deformational behaviour of the two rock types under stress may have caused greater structural damage and fluid flow within the mineralizing structures in this area, resulting in a higher-grade zone of mineralization. The Oromonte deposit was subsequently down-dropped by late-stage normal faulting. A generalized geological model of the mineralization is presented here: Oromonte Cross Section.

Highlights from the final phase of the 2016 RC drilling program at Oromonte include:

-- MR161930: 1.31 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold over 12.19 meters -- MR161933: 3.91 g/t gold over 4.57 meters -- MR161934: 2.47 g/t gold over 6.10 meters -- MR161935: 3.39 g/t gold over 3.05 meters

A drill hole location map is available at: DH Plan

Table 1. Oromonte Deposit - Significant Drill Results

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole Azm Dip From To Width From To Width Gold Gold No. (deg) (deg) (ft) (ft) (ft) (m) (m) (m) (OPT) (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161926 0 -90 145 150 5 44.20 45.72 1.52 0.015 0.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 220 230 10 67.06 70.10 3.05 0.029 0.99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 435 455 20 132.59 138.68 6.10 0.016 0.54 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 470 480 10 143.26 146.30 3.05 0.057 1.95 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161929 0 -90 75 80 5 22.86 24.38 1.52 0.045 1.54 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 130 135 5 39.62 41.15 1.52 0.025 0.86 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 505 510 5 153.92 155.45 1.52 0.015 0.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161930 0 -90 140 150 10 42.67 45.72 3.05 0.026 0.89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 190 205 15 57.91 62.48 4.57 0.016 0.55 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 270 275 5 82.30 83.82 1.52 0.073 2.50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 300 305 5 91.44 92.96 1.52 0.023 0.79 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 310 320 10 94.49 97.54 3.05 0.015 0.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 355 370 15 108.20 112.78 4.57 0.019 0.64 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 395 405 10 120.40 123.44 3.05 0.033 1.13 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 415 435 20 126.49 132.59 6.10 0.018 0.62 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 445 485 40 135.64 147.83 12.19 0.038 1.31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161931 0 -90 205 215 10 62.48 65.53 3.05 0.038 1.29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 340 350 10 103.63 106.68 3.05 0.047 1.61 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161932 0 -90 65 70 5 19.81 21.34 1.52 0.016 0.55 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 265 280 15 80.77 85.34 4.57 0.018 0.62 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 360 365 5 109.73 111.25 1.52 0.031 1.06 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 490 505 15 149.35 153.92 4.57 0.025 0.85 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161933 0 -90 320 335 15 97.54 102.11 4.57 0.114 3.91 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 360 375 15 109.73 114.30 4.57 0.020 0.67 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 390 395 5 118.87 120.40 1.52 0.058 1.99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161934 0 -90 120 125 5 36.58 38.10 1.52 0.015 0.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 150 155 5 45.72 47.24 1.52 0.026 0.89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 295 305 10 89.92 92.96 3.05 0.085 2.90 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 315 335 20 96.01 102.11 6.10 0.072 2.47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161935 0 -90 5 10 5 1.52 3.05 1.52 0.068 2.33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 85 90 5 25.91 27.43 1.52 0.063 2.16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100 105 5 30.48 32.00 1.52 0.017 0.58 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 415 425 10 126.49 129.54 3.05 0.099 3.39 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161937 0 -90 110 115 5 33.53 35.05 1.52 0.024 0.82 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 230 235 5 70.10 71.63 1.52 0.022 0.75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR161938 0 -90 130 135 5 39.62 41.15 1.52 0.011 0.38 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

All holes presented in Table 1 were completed by reverse circulation (RC) drilling. True width is estimated at 80-100% of downhole width. Scorpio Gold utilizes the analytical services of ALS Minerals (Reno, Nevada), an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (CAN-P-4E, CAN-P-1579) accredited testing laboratory, and Bureau Veritas (Reno, Nevada), an ISO 9001 certified testing laboratory. External check assays to verify lab accuracy are routinely completed. Further details are presented in the Company's quality assurance and quality control program for the Mineral Ridge project, available at: MR QAQC.

About Scorpio Gold

Scorpio Gold holds a 70% interest in the producing Mineral Ridge gold mining operation located in Esmeralda County, Nevada with joint venture partner Elevon, LLC (30%). Mineral Ridge is a conventional open pit mining and heap leach operation. The Mineral Ridge property is host to multiple gold-bearing structures, veins and lenses at exploration, development and production stages. Scorpio Gold also holds a 100% interest in the advanced exploration-stage Goldwedge property in Manhattan, Nevada, with a fully permitted underground mine and 400 ton per day mill facility. The Goldwedge mill facility has been placed on a care and maintenance basis and can be restarted immediately when needed.

Scorpio Gold's President & CEO, Peter J. Hawley, PGeo., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

SCORPIO GOLD CORPORATION

Peter J. Hawley, 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 release.

The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to the exploration, development and exploitation of its Mineral Ridge project, including potential further exploration or development of the Oromonte deposit. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements, including risk factors outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made 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. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.

Contacts:

Scorpio Gold Corporation

Peter J. Hawley

President & CEO

(819) 825-7618

phawley@scorpiogold.com

www.scorpiogold.com




Summit revels how convergence is transforming the future of Mexico

MEXICO CITY, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Frost & Sullivan presented in Mexico the first edition of its global Growth, Innovation & Leadership event (GIL), GIL MEXICO: Epicenter of the Americas on March 2nd at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel located on Reforma Avenue in Mexico City to discuss with 200 local business and government leaders on how convergence of mega trends, new business models and disruptive technologies will offer Mexico great opportunities for growth in the manufacturing, healthcare, urban mobility and energy sectors in the North American context.

GIL Mexico attracted C-Level business leaders from different industries, academia and government to listen to over 20 speakers, network and engage in interactive workshops and think tanks.

In his opening remarks, Frost & Sullivan Partner and President of The Americas, Art Robbins, stressed the importance of Mexico's role as a driver of growth and innovation in the Americas.

"Mexico is in a unique position. It is the fastest growing emerging market economy in the region and is poised to cement a long term position as an economic leader in Latin America," said Robbins. "Through Frost & Sullivan's global research, we see companies all over the world interested in market expansion and direct investment opportunities here."

Carlos Mota, journalist of El Financiero-Bloomberg provided an insightful analysis on the current state of the Mexican economy highlighting that the key factors for future growth are in place: structural reforms, growing domestic demand, burgeoning middle class, established clusters of advanced manufacturing, and a young and skilled work force. Furthermore, Mota noted that in order to consolidate its potential, the country needs to continue investing in infrastructure, promote talent development in the private sector, reduce the informal economy, and the private sector must adopt management best practices and become more technology intensive to improve efficiency and competitiveness.

Francisco Gonzalez, CEO of ProMexico, the country's trade promotion agency, also highlighted Mexico's growing strengths in manufacturing as well as the its economic affinity with the U.S. through the integration of supply chains. Bilateral trade between the two countries closed 2015 with a total value of $531 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Richard Sear, Frost & Sullivan Partner & Senior Vice President of Visionary Innovation presented the results and analysis of the firm's recent study, The Future of the United States, and the impact it will have on Mexican firms. Sear's central message was based on the intersection of the collaboration and competition economies, arguing that companies will take advantage of more opportunities to share assets and form partnerships, while simultaneously trying to compete in a crowded field, amid rapidly evolving customer dynamics between the two countries.

During his keynote, Ford F-150: a study in modern manufacturing innovation, John Flemming, former Executive Vice President for Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs of Ford Motor Co., explained the transformation of its best-selling F-150 with an aluminum alloy body that would reduce vehicle weight. Not only did the new truck require major changes in how it is manufactured, but it also required Ford to invent new welding, heat treating, and hydroforming techniques, attesting to the company's commitment to innovation and customer-centric strategies in order to adapt in increasingly competitive markets.

Flemming's keynote gave entry to the executive panel, Transforming Manufacturing with Disruptive Technologies, moderated by David Brousell, Frost & Sullivan's Manufacturing Leadership Council Global Vice President for Research and Editorial Director. The panel included Alejandro Preinfalk, Executive VP, Digital Factory & Process Industries and Drives, Mesoamerica of Siemens; Fausto Cuevas, General Manager of the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA); and Nabil Malouli, Director LATAM & Global Customer Director of DHL. The panel explored the main opportunities and challenges that technologies, such as 3D printing, Internet of Things, and Big Data & Analytics are leading the industrial progress commonly known as Manufacturing 4.0. The two main takeaways were, first, that in order to embark in a transformational journey, companies must break the status quo and create organizations focused on innovative thinking and be willing to change and embrace technology as a strategic component. Second, innovation in manufacturing involves talent development and data-driven strategies.

Airton Cousseau, Managing Director of Nissan Mexico, began his keynote by showcasing the Nissan IDS Concept vehicle for autonomous electric driving to point out how the company is adapting to new trends and customer preferences through technological innovation. The Nissan IDS follows a wave of environmentally friendly cars produced by the company. Cousseau agreed that Mexico is poised for auto manufacturing leadership in North America given its expected GDP growth of 2.6%, skilled work force, growing domestic demand, close economic ties with the U.S. and a series of free trade agreements with over 40 countries. It is also anticipated that Mexico will attract significant investments from key vehicle manufactures, allowing production of more than 5 million cars annually by 2020, becoming the 5th largest auto manufacturer just behind China, the U.S., Japan and Germany. However, he asserted that government and industry must work together to prepare for growth with additional infrastructure, development of local tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers, and increase collaboration between industry and universities to guarantee an increasing pool of talent.

GIL Mexico: Epicenter of the Americas also discussed the positive state of the Mexican entrepreneurial and startup environment, which is attracting venture capital, but still needs support from foreign investment firms, mainly US, VC firms, to grow the best startup companies in a panel moderated by Peter Wiegandt, CEO, Tec360.

Other speakers included Ricardo Weder, Country Manager of Cabify; Irma Egoavil, Country Manager of Celgene; Fernando Oliveros, Vice President for Mexico of Medtronic; and Xavier Trevino, Director for Mexico of the Institute of Transportation & Development Policy.

Additionally, the event included three specialized breakout sessions: digital transformation, urban mobility and healthcare, and presented the prestigious Frost & Sullivan Excellence in Best Practices Award in Technology Innovation to the following recipients:

Scitum - 2015 Mexican Managed Cyber Security Services Providers Product Leadership Award

NEORIS - 2015 Latin American GIL 88 Healthcare Technologies Consulting Services & Solutions Award

NEC de Mexico - 2015 Latin American GIL 88 Telecommunications Infrastructure Provider Award

Polycom, Inc. - 2015 Latin AmericanVideo Conferencing Company of the Year Award

For more information on the event and Frost & Sullivan's Global Community of Growth, Innovation and Leadership, please contact Mireya Espinoza at Mireya.espinoza@frost.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.

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

Follow us on Twitter @Frost_Latam

Contact:

Mireya Espinoza

Global Director

Corporate Communications - North America

E: mireya.espinoza@frost.com

P: +1-210-247-3870

http://ww2.frost.com/
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Midland Exploration Inc. ("Midland") (TSX VENTURE: MD) is pleased to announce the start of a first diamond drilling program on the La Peltrie property to test new geophysical targets identified during the induced polarization survey OreVision type ("OreVision") that was recently completed. This property with strong gold potential, owned 100% by Midland is located approximatively 25 kilometres southeast of the Lower Detour high grade gold zone held by Detour Gold Corporation ("Detour Gold").

The La Peltrie property consists of 353 claims totalling about 195 square kilometres. It covers, over more than 25 kilometres, a series of interpreted subsidiary faults trending NW-SE to the south of the regional Lower Detour Fault.

Last year, Detour Gold announced a series of significant drilling results for the Lower Detour area (Zone 58N), located about 6 kilometres south of the Detour Lake mine. This mine contains mineral reserves of 14.94 million ounces of gold near surface, consisting of proven reserves of 94.2 million tonnes grading 1.25 g/t Au for 3.79 million ounces of gold ("Moz Au") and probable reserves of 364.6 million tonnes grading 0.95 g/t Au for 11.5 Moz Au. Of the intersections in the Lower Detour area, surveys have reported significant values up to 11.82 g/t Au over 32.40 metres and 12.74 g/t Au over 28.0 metres (see Detour Gold press release dated June 2, 2014). This winter Detour Gold a new drilling program of 75,000 metres and reported visible gold in 46 drill holes over the 56 that was completed in 2015 on Zone 58N (source: Website Detour Gold).

This winter, an OreVision survey totaling more than 100 kilometres was completed on the La Peltrie property and covered a complex network of interpreted structures oriented NW-SE for a distance of about 8 kilometres. Several conductors have been detected near these structures during a MegaTEM airborne survey completed in 2004 and many have never been tested by drilling. The OreVision survey confirmed these conductors and also identified several other areas showing increases of chargeability. Of these new OreVision targets, an anomaly characterized by a strong increase of chargeability was detected on about 600 metres of lateral extension and is associated with a mixture of resistivity increases and lows. Furthermore, this new target is located approximately 250 metres south of the contact between the Enjalran Group and the Brouillan Group which is marked by a regional graphitic conductor about 25 kilometres north-west of the B26 deposit currently held by SOQUEM INC. ("SOQUEM"). The other targets that will be tested during this program are associated with a felsic package containing exhalative horizons.

The drilling campaign on La Peltrie will initially include four (4) holes totalling a minimum of 1,200 metres and is planned to start in mid-March.

The La Peltrie property covers the contact between the calc-alkaline mafic to felsic volcanic rocks belonging to the Brouillan Group and the tholeiitic mafic rocks of the Enjalran Group. It is located about 25 kilometres northwest of the former Selbaie mine, which historically produced 56.5 million tonnes grading 1.9% Zn, 0.9% Cu, 38.0 g/t Ag and 0.6 g/t Au. The La Peltrie property is also located about 25 km northwest of the B26 deposit currently held by SOQUEM which contains indicated resources of 3.93 million tons at a grade of 0.88 % Cu, 0.38 % Zn, 0.34 g/t Au and 12.40 g/t Ag (pit) and of 2.78 million tons at a grade of 1.32 % Cu, 0.69 % Zn, 0.54 g/t Au and 13.32 g/t Ag (underground). It contains also inferred resources of 3.95 million tons at a grade of 1.57 % Cu, 0.84 % Zn, 0.38 g/t Au and 10.22 g/t Ag (underground) and of 3,000 tons at a grade of 1.18 % Cu, 0.02 % Zn, 0.14 g/t Au and 4.30 g/t Ag (pit).

Maps showing location of the La Peltrie property and its new drilling targets may be consulted using the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/160315_MD_LaPeltrieMarch2016.pdf

About Midland Exploration

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements, base metals and rare earth elements. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Teck Resources Limited, SOQUEM INC., and Japan Oil and Gas and Metals National Corporation. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release was prepared by Mario Masson, Midland's VP Exploration, certified geologist and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midland's website or contact:

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 may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midland's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

Contacts:

Midland Exploration Inc.

Gino Roger

President and Chief Executive Officer

450 420-5977

450 420-5978 (FAX)

info@midlandexploration.com

www.midlandexploration.com




OP Cooperative held its Annual Cooperative Meeting in Helsinki on 15 March 2016. The Meeting, for example, adopted the financial statements for 2015, discharged those accountable from liability and elected persons as required.



Supervisory Board



As proposed by OP Financial Group's Nomination Committee, the Meeting re-elected for the term of three years ending in 2019 the following members to the Supervisory Board who were due to resign: Product Group Director Ola Eklund (Sydkustens OP-forbund), entrepreneur Leif Enberg (Osterbottens OP-forbund) and senior lecturer (Kainuun OP-liitto).

New members elected to the Supervisory Board for a three-year term ending in 2019 were Deputy Director Taija Jurmu (Lapin OP-liitto), Senior Lecturer Marja-Liisa Kaakko (Keski-Pohjanmaan OP-liitto) and dean Petri Sahlstrom (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan OP-liitto).

In addition, as proposed by the Nomination Committee, the Meeting elected the following Supervisory Board members replacing those who had requested resignation from the Supervisory Board during their mid-term: Managing Director Anne Harju (Lapin OP-liitto, 2016-2018), Health Centre Physician Terttu Hallfors (Satakunnan OP-liitto, 2016-2017), APA Katja Kuosa-Kaartti, (Etela-Suomen OP-liitto, 2016-2018), Managing Director Timo Laine (Etela-Suomen OP-liitto, 2016-2017) and CEO Olli Nasi (Satakunnan OP-liitto, 2016-2018).

As proposed by the Nomination Committee, the Meeting confirmed the number of Supervisory Board members at 34.

At its first meeting after the Annual Cooperative Meeting, the Supervisory Board elected Professor Jaakko Pehkonen to act as Chair and Senior Lecturer Mervi Vaisanen and Managing Director Olli Tarkkanen to act as Vice Chair.

Auditor

The Meeting re-elected KPMG Oy Ab, a firm of authorised public accountants based in Helsinki, to act as OP Cooperative's auditor for the financial year 2016, in accordance with prior written consent.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Carina Geber-Teir, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, tel. 010 252 8394

OP Financial Group is Finland's leading financial services group providing a unique range of banking, wealth management and insurance services. OP Financial Group's mission is to create sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing for its owner-customers and in its operating region through a strong capital base and efficiency. Its objective is to offer the best and most versatile package of loyal customer benefits on the market. OP Financial Group consists of about 180 member cooperative banks, its central cooperative OP Cooperative, and the latter's subsidiaries and affiliates. The Group has a staff of 12,000 and 4.3 million customers.

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: Pohjola Pankki Oyj via Globenewswire



HUG#1994425


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. retail sales and producer prices for February are slated for release at 8:30 am ET Tuesday. Ahead of these reports, the greenback showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the greenback eased against the franc and the euro, it dropped against the yen. Against the pound, the greenback held steady. The greenback was worth 1.1103 against the euro, 0.9867 against the franc, 112.85 against the yen and 1.4165 against the pound as of 8:25 am ET. 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.
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") and its partner Nordmin Engineering Ltd. ("Nordmin") are pleased to announce that they have signed a non-binding letter of intent ("LOI") with Rambler Metals and Mining Canada Limited ("Rambler") to explore the potential to custom mill gold-rich concentrate from the Cape Ray deposits at Rambler's Nugget Pond milling facility located near Baie Verte, Newfoundland.

The Company and Nordmin are looking at all options to improve the economics of the Cape Ray gold project. Custom milling has the potential to reduce the capital and operating costs of the project by eliminating the cyanide leach circuit at the proposed Cape Ray mill site as outlined in the recently announced initial Preliminary Economic Assessment (see Company press release dated March 7, 2016).

Stephen Stares, Company President and CEO stated "we along with our partner Nordmin are pleased to have executed this exploratory agreement with Rambler to determine the economics of custom milling gold-rich concentrate from the Cape Ray project. Not only are we committed to finding the most economic and streamlined pathway to potential development at Cape Ray, but this agreement allows us to leverage the knowledge and expertise of an extremely capable mining team at Rambler. We look forward to examining all of our mining options as we move closer to development".

Norman Williams, Rambler's President and CEO commented, "the Cape Ray region holds great potential for future gold discoveries and Benton has a proven track record in exploration and discovery. This, combined with Nordmin's engineering abilities, makes this group highly capable of advancing the Cape Ray Project towards production. We have an idle gold leaching and refining circuit ready and available for gold concentrate. Should Benton and Nordmin push their project towards production we would be happy to assist with tolling milling and making their project a success. The mining space is showing some signs of recovery, making this an ideal timing to solidify those relationships that will help continue growing the business while optimizing all available infrastructure at Nugget Pond."

About Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BEX)

Benton Resources Inc is a well-funded Canadian-based junior with a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements which including the advanced Cape Ray Gold project under Option and Joint Venture with Nordmin Engineering.

Benton and Nordmin recently released a positive PEA on the Cape Ray project and filed a new NI 43-101 on SEDAR and which is also posted on the Company web site (see also the Company press release dated March 7, 2016).

Clinton Barr (P.Geo.), V.P. Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., is the qualified person responsible for this release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc.,

Stephen Stares, President

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. 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. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

Contacts:

Benton Resources Inc.

Stephen Stares

President

(807) 475-7474

(807) 475-7200 (FAX)

www.bentonresources.ca




On 25th of February, an international Venture Capital fund Flint Capital, investing across United States, Israel and Europe, bought a minority share from Angel investor in Creamfinance. Flint Capital, which has invested 5 million in Creamfinance two years ago, has accomplished 1 million worth transaction making them the largest institutional investor in Creamfinance. The action has been taken to support the expansion of Creamfinance into Scandinavian market and increase the shareholding of Flint Capital.

According to Andrew Gershfeld, partner at Flint Capital, the Venture Capital fund decided to follow the expansion of Creamfinance as it proved to be profitable and successful. "We are happy to double bet on the Creamfinance team that we take as one of the most efficient on this market. This deal indicates our true confidence in the company's continuous progress and belief in the expansion to the Scandinavian markets. The deal corresponds with Flint Capital strategy of accelerating our European Fintech investments", Gershfeld commented.

Matiss Ansviesulis, the CEO of Creamfinance, said, "The partnership with Flint Capital positions Creamfinance for sustained growth and continued expansion. We value relationship with Flint Capital and are thrilled to see a continuous interest in our business, which helps the company achieve its growth potential".

Following the buyout, Andrew Gershfeld will join the Creamfinance Board of Directors.

About Creamfinance

Consumer finance services provider Creamfinance was founded four years ago in Latvia and has achieved consistent growth since. The company is currently operating in six countries. Utilizing advanced algorithms and machine-learning capabilities to quickly evaluate and score, Creamfinance offers a highly customized approach to the personal loan process in a speedy and reliable manner and aims to become a one-click loans provider to consumers globally.

The company has recently been ranked as the second-fastest growing company in Europe by the prestigious Inc.5000 Europe ranking.

For additional information about Creamfinance: www.creamfinance.com

For additional information about Flint Capital: www.flintcap.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315005946/en/

Contacts:

Creamfinance

Investor Relations:

Georgijs Ustinovs, +371 294 241 75

georgijs.ustinovs@creamfinance.com

or

Media contacts:

Viktorija Gorcakovaite, +371 206 557 02

viktorija.gorcakovaite@creamfinance.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Nutritional High International Inc. ("Nutritional High") (CSE: EAT)(OTCQB: SPLIF) is pleased to announce the successful completion of a second phase in its consulting for Canopy Growth Corporation ("Canopy Growth") (TSX VENTURE: CGC), a company formed when Tweed Marijuana Inc. acquired Bedrocan Cannabis Inc.

Nutritional High assisted Canopy Growth in evaluating different extraction processes and their variant components with a focus on maximizing oil extract yield from the cannabis plant. The involvement of Nutritional High with Canopy Growth demonstrates the recognition of Nutritional High's oil extraction expertise and the Nutritional High would welcome the opportunity to work with Canopy Growth in the future to share its extraction proficiency, which is a core of Nutritional High's business.

Bruce Linton, CEO of Canopy Growth commented - "We appreciate the assistance of Nutritional High as we advance our extraction operations. Their personnel provided us with valuable insight."

David Posner, CEO of Nutritional High commented - "It is great to have the opportunity to demonstrate our skill-set to a market leader such as Canopy. We are sure that they will be successful in the Canadian marketplace and we are proud to be assisting. As Canada's licensing regime and oils and edibles rules and regulations develop further, we look forward to deepening our involvement in the Canadian marketplace."

About Canopy Growth Corporation

Canopy Growth is Canada's first publicly traded medical marijuana company and the first geographically diversified producer with multiple licenses under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Tweed, Tweed Farms, and Bedrocan, it operates three state-of-the-art production facilities in Ontario and distributes marijuana across the country to Canadian patients managing a host of medical conditions. Canopy Growth is dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, providing consistent access to high quality medication, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding of how marijuana is used for medical purposes.

www.canopygrowth.com.

About Nutritional High International Inc.

Nutritional High is focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing products and nationally recognized brands in the hemp and marijuana-infused products industries, including edibles and oil extracts for nutritional, medical and adult recreational use. Nutritional High works exclusively through licensed facilities in jurisdictions where such activity is permitted and regulated by state law.

For updates on the edibles industry and highlights of the Nutritional High's press releases and other media coverage, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE, NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC, NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include submission of the relevant documentation within the required timeframe and to the satisfaction of the relevant regulators, and raising sufficient financing to complete the intended business strategy. There is no certainty that any of these events will occur. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

Canopy Growth's and Nutritional High's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and Canopy Growth's securities not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. 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 the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause Nutritional High's and Canopy Growth's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and Nutritional High and Canopy Growth disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

Contacts:

David Posner, CEO

Nutritional High International Inc.

+1-647-985-6727

dposner@nutritionalhigh.com



Jordan Sinclair, Communications Manager

Canopy Growth Corporation

+1-855-558-9333 ex. 309

jordan@tweed.com




DUBLIN, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xm365n/selfinjectable) has announced the addition of the "Self-injectable Specialty Drugs to 2022" report to their offering.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global self-injectable specialty drugs market and the key topics market participants should be aware of. The report covers the technologies used in this market, and provides detailed forecasts for this industry sector.

Increases in life expectancy are expected to result in a growing number of patients diagnosed with chronic conditions. To counteract the financial and logistical implications of this trend, pressure from public health and managed care organizations will place a premium on therapeutic self-administration Specialty Injectable formulation and packaging decisions are increasingly being based on the results of human engineering inputs and patient preference research. Branding and packaging choices are more frequently being driven by data sources historically employed by consumer product marketers. For drug developers and device suppliers, the implications of these trends are influencing product development methodology and changing supply chain relationships.

Questions Answered:

What are the currently marketed specialty injectable drugs intended for patient self administration?

What are the therapeutic demand drivers for self-injectable specialty drugs and what are their growth prospects?

What are the key formulation and packaging factors and market development issues for self-administered specialty injectables?

What does the current self-injectable specialty drug market look like, who are the market leaders, and what will this market look like in 2022?

What are the important therapeutic market segments for self-injectable specialty drugs, how large are they, and how fast are they growing?

How important are pharma-device alliances and design partnerships in this market segment?

What is the impact of economic, technology, and regulatory factors in this market?

Report Structure:

1. Self-Injectable Specialty Drug Market Dynamics

2. Self-injectable Delivery Device Selection Criteria

3. Self-injectable Specialty Drugs - Device Categories

4. Self-injectable Specialty Drugs - Product Analysis, Therapeutic

5. Company Profiles

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xm365n/selfinjectable

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
31% of survey respondents say data isn't being used enough in strategic decision-making

27% of firms have lost out on business due to poor use of data

Senior management need to take greater role in promoting organisational alignment and collaboration

Results of a new survey of investment management firms reveals that senior management teams are lagging in their use of data for strategic decision-making, resulting in missed business opportunities.

The report which is being launched at the TSAM Europe conference taking place in London today, reveals that while data is widely used for performance measurement, investment decision-making, regulatory reporting and risk management, only 11% say it is being used very well for strategic decision making, with nearly one-third (31%) saying it is not being used well, if at all. It's no surprise therefore that over a quarter (27%) of respondents say their firm regularly misses out on or loses business because their intelligence and use of data is not good enough.

The overwhelming majority of companies surveyed (96%) have either introduced, or are planning to introduce, a data governance framework to improve the availability and use of data across the organisation, highlighting its growing importance to investment firms; however, a quarter of respondents (26%) still do not feel that senior management sufficiently recognises the value of data as an asset.

"Asset managers are looking hard at their organisational structures, governance and processes to improve their effectiveness in the face of a changing competitive and regulatory environment," said Jonathan Wiser, Head of Content at Osney Media, which commissioned the study and organises TSAM Europe. "As the sheer number of initiatives in progress suggests, data governance is one of the key areas firms are looking at to drive those improvements, but there's a perception that senior management don't fully engage with or understand the potential of data as an asset."

The study also explores the level of co-operation and integration between critical functions at investment management firms, such as marketing and sales, investment and performance measurement and data management and regulatory reporting. The findings reveal a high degree of alignment between the various departments at investment firms and their overall business strategy with those closest to the investment process and clients, seen as most aligned. For example, 55% of respondents describe their investment team as 'very well' aligned with the business strategy.

However, it also highlights a number of areas that can be improved upon. As well as improving the use of data, the research points towards possible improvements when it comes to meeting the needs of clients. One in five (22%) firms regularly loses or misses out on business because their products don't adequately meet the needs of their prospects and clients and a similar proportion (21%) say their marketing and communications activities aren't relevant enough.

Bill Haynes, CEO and founder of BackBay Communications, the marketing and communications consultancy that conducted the research, said, "We were surprised by the high level of collaboration and integration at these firms, particularly given their scale and size in many cases. This survey highlights some good practices but there's room for improvement through closer collaboration and communication between departments, a greater client focus and better use of data throughout the organisation. There's a feeling among a significant number of respondents that senior management could do a better job of effecting that change and that they need to lead by example."

The majority (60%) of respondents view technological disruption as an opportunity versus 27% that said it was a threat, although a number of those concede that their organisation is not yet ready to capitalise on that opportunity and that improvements are required to be able to take advantage.

For more information on TSAM Europe, including how to register to attend, please visit: http://www.tsam.net/europe.

Survey Methodology

BackBay Communications and Osney Media conducted an online survey of senior decision-makers at investment management companies between 16th February and 2nd March. The survey was completed by 113 respondents from across all areas of operations including client reporting, technology, marketing, investment, accounting and finance, performance measurement, risk management, senior management and product development. 17% of respondents worked at firms with less than $1bn assets under management (AUM), 38% have an AUM of between $1bn and $100bn, 29% have an AUM of between $100bn and $500bn and 16% have an AUM of over $500bn.

About BackBay Communications

BackBay Communications is an integrated branding, marketing, advertising and public relations firm focused on content-driven communications for the financial services sector including asset managers, investment advisors, private equity firms, financial technology companies and banks. BackBay takes a brand-centric approach to developing messaging and building integrated communications programs, featuring content marketing and digital delivery. BackBay offers a unique combination of content and creativity. BackBay's services include public relations, branding, marketing plans and materials, videos, digital and print advertising, website development, and social media. BackBay is highly regarded for thought leadership initiatives and relationships with the major business media. For more information, please visit www.BackBayCommunications.com.

About OsneyMedia

OsneyMedia's products cater to investment management practitioners responsible for Technology, Operations, Data Management, Performance Measurement, Investment Risk, Client Reporting Communications, Marketing and OTC Derivative Operations. Through a combination of live events, bespoke training courses and the membership-based Performance and Risk Association, our products reach hundreds of buy-side practitioners across the globe. Our dedication to providing this community with first-hand, business-critical information makes all of our products leading edge. For more information, please visit https://www.osneybuyside.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315005978/en/

Contacts:

BackBay Communications

Stephen Fishleigh, 020 3475 7552

stephen.fishleigh@backbaycommunications.com
Nemaura Medical Inc. (OTC BB: NMRD),("Nemaura"), a medical device company developing a minimally invasive wireless continuous glucose monitoring ("CGM") system known as sugarBEAT, announced today that it has received notification of CE Approval for its sugarBEAT system from its European Notified Body. The device for which CE grant notice has been approved was used in a 160 patient day study generating over 1500 paired data points, and retrospective evaluation of the glucose data. Nemaura expects the CE certificate to be received in April, upon completion of its 3-yearly ISO13485 Quality Systems recertification process, for which it was audited at the end of February 2016.

The sugarBEAT CGM System is a body worn sensor patch designed to display real time glucose readings on a standalone reader, or smart watch or smart phone app via blue tooth, or allow retrospective evaluation of the data for glucose trending, as an adjunct device. A comprehensive 10 year study, The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease showed that maintaining better control over blood sugar levels delayed the onset and progression of complications of diabetes, including diseases of the eye, kidney and nerve damage, caused by diabetes.

Nemaura's system is expected to empower patients to gain better control over their blood sugar levels using the minimally-invasive sugarBEAT system, which is expected to be cost efficient compared to current marketed CGM's as well as allow the user to decide when to wear the patch, and not have to retain the patch on the skin permanently. Nemaura are quoted as saying 'one of the key reasons people have cited for not using current CGM's, apart from cost, is their invasive nature and the need to retain the device on the body for long durations of up to 14 days, even at times when the patient would otherwise choose not to wear the device'.

Nemaura Medical is currently in the process of completing a second pre-submission to the US FDA to discuss their clinical strategy for the US PMA route, and expects to commence US studies by mid 2016. The European launch of the sugarBEAT is anticipated to be by the end of 2016, with their European joint venture partner, DBJ Jersey.

About Nemaura Medical, Inc.

Nemaura Medical is developing the sugarBEAT System as a minimally-invasive, wireless, continuous glucose monitoring system for use as an adjunct device for blood glucose monitoring. Further opportunity may exist for use of the device in intensive care hospital settings, where continuous glucose monitoring is critical.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts, and may constitute forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.

Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to regulatory approvals and the success of Nemaura's ongoing studies, including the safety and efficacy of Nemaura's sugarBEAT CGM System, the failure of future development and preliminary marketing efforts, Nemaura's ability to secure additional commercial partnering arrangements, risks and uncertainties relating to Nemaura and its partners' ability to develop, market and sell the sugarBEAT System, the availability of substantial additional equity or debt capital to support its research, development and product commercialization activities, and the success of its research, development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans and strategies, including those plans and strategies related to its sugarBEAT System.

These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in Nemaura's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the current year, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Nemaura undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315005987/en/

Contacts:

Nemaura Medical Inc.

Bashir Timol

Bashir.timol@nemaura.com

+ 44 1509 222 912
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- The Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, is pleased to announce that the latest round of funding under the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program (RFCPP) is now open and has been expanded to be available to all Indigenous groups.

The program, which funds community based activities that directly restore recreational fisheries habitat across Canada, will provide up to $28 million over the next three years.

"I am very proud that this program is now open more broadly to make it available to all Indigenous groups so they can also contribute their valuable expertise, traditional knowledge and unique perspective to this important and successful program," said Minister Tootoo. "I encourage as many groups as possible to consider applying so that we can work together to help protect and restore Canada's fisheries habitat."

Recreational fisheries face many environmental challenges, with habitat loss being the most common threat. The RFCPP brings together and provides funding to local and community partners to restore, rebuild and rehabilitate Canada's recreational fisheries habitat.

Applications for funding will be accepted from March 11, 2016 to April 22, 2016.

Quick Facts

-- The RFCPP is a six-year program ending in 2019, $53 million contribution program that funds recreational fisheries habitat restoration projects. -- To date, the RFCPP has funded more than 440 projects, with contributions worth almost $24 million. -- The RFCPP usually funds projects in the range of $20,000 to $100,000, with an upper limit of $250,000. -- To be eligible for RFCPP funding, the total support for the project from all levels of government combined (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) cannot exceed 75% of the total project value. In addition, no more than 50% of the project's total budget can be from the federal government.

Associated Links

Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program Web Site

RFCPP Success Stories

Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Follow us on Twitter! www.Twitter.com/DFO_MPO

Contacts:

Media Relations

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

613-990-7537

Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca



Patricia Bell

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

613-992-3474




HANOVER, Germany, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei launched KunLun 9032, the world's first 32-socket x86 mission critical server, at CeBIT 2016 on March 14. The server sets a new standard in mission critical computing by combining an innovative and open design with breakthrough Reliability, Availability, Serviceability (RAS 2.0) and CPU interconnection technologies. These innovations enable KunLun to deliver superior performance and reliability to support enterprises' mission critical applications on a huge scale.

Commenting on the launch, Zheng Yelai, President, Huawei IT Product Line, said: "Many enterprises are stifled by traditional closed systems that are complex and rigid. Instead of giving them a competitive advantage, their systems are hindering business innovation and growth. Huawei is addressing this through KunLun, the world's first 32-socket x86 mission critical server. Being a new-generation mission critical server, KunLun is based on an open platform which meets the stringent performance and reliability requirements of enterprises' mission critical computing. In our quest to become a leader in mission critical computing, we believe KunLun marks the beginning of a new mission critical server era based on open standards that helps enterprises improve efficiency and agility while reducing costs."

Aligned with Huawei's strategy of collaborating to build a cooperative and win-win ecosystem, Huawei worked with industry-leading partners to develop KunLun. The new server is powered by Intel Xeon E7 v3 series central processing units (CPUs) and supports mainstream databases such as SAP HANA; middleware; and Operating Systems (OS) including Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux and Windows Server.

Peter Gleissner, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Group & Director, European Union Region, Intel, Johannes Woehler, Vice President of HANA Platform & Databases, SAP, and Ralf Flaxa, President of Engineering of SUSE attended the KunLun's launch conference.

Peter Gleissner, Intel, said, "Intel is widely used all around the globe, especially in the financial industry and government sector. Huawei's 32-socket KunLun is a leading mission critical server based on Intel processors."

Johannes Woehler, SAP, said: "Through close collaboration, SAP and Huawei have delivered industry-leading innovations to meet the needs of our global customers. By continuing to provide industry solutions based on innovative infrastructure, we will help our customers leverage cloud and big data technologies to realize agile business and rapid innovation to create a competitive edge in the digital economy."

With innovative RAS 2.0 and CPU interconnection technologies, Huawei KunLun server delivers reliability and computing performance that outpaces existing standard IA servers:

Superior reliability: RAS 2.0 proactive fault management ensures service continuity

Huawei's innovative RAS 2.0 technology enables proactive fault management. Based on firmware and independent of OSs, the fault response and diagnosis mechanism of RAS 2.0 allows comprehensive fault information collection and analysis, which automatically isolates risky components, executes failover, or informs maintenance staff of risky components for early replacement before critical errors occur. It is also first in the industry to support online CPU and memory module maintenance without shutting down the server, ensuring continuity of mission critical services and providing a strong foundation for stable business growth.

Ultimate performance: innovative CPU interconnection technology exceeds the industry standard to accelerate business growth

With Huawei's innovative Node Controller interconnection chips, KunLun takes the lead in enabling high speed interconnection for 32, and up to 64, Xeon E7 v3 CPUs, exceeding the industry standard of interconnection for 8 Xeon E7 v3 CPUs. KunLun is also first in the industry to provide both physical and logical partitioning of firmware in open-architecture mission critical servers. A partition can contain one physical core or up to 32 CPUs to meet different computing requirements, maximizing resource utilization. KunLun 9032 ranks No. 1 performance-wise in the SpecCPU_CINT2006 Rates and CFP2006 Rates performance benchmark test, outperforming traditional benchmark mission critical servers. This superior performance will enable enterprises to power their most demanding mission critical workloads to realize business growth and innovation.

There are three specifications of KunLun: KunLun 9008, 9016, and 9032. KunLun 9032 server supports up to 32 CPUs, 576 cores, 1152 threads, and 768 DDR4 DIMMs. KunLun servers apply to conventional databases, in-memory computing, High-performance Computing (HPC) fat nodes, and large virtualization platforms.

KunLun servers will be officially launched in markets across the globe from today onwards. For more information about KunLun, please visit http://e.huawei.com/cn/products/cloud-computing-dc/servers/mc-server/kunlun.

CeBIT 2016 will be held from March 14 to 18, 2016, Hannover Congress Centrum, Germany. Visit the Huawei booth B54 in hall 2 at CeBIT 2016. For more information about the event, please visit http://enterprise.huawei.com/topic/2016Cebit/index.html

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160315/0861602104
BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Boston and the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) will celebrate the region's history -- and future -- as a center of global innovation on April 27 when it joins a growing list of urban centers like San Francisco, Portland and Austin, as well as Barcelona, Istanbul, London and Mexico City to host the NewCo 2016 Festival of Innovation.

Founded by veteran media mogul John Battelle, founder of Wired Magazine, NewCo's aim is the inspiration and cross-pollination of ideas that drive some of the most successful companies by opening their doors and exposing others to the creative process. Led by MassTLC, the one-day event includes more than 75+ host companies including Athena Health, Acquia, Carbonite, Hubspot, IBM, Localytics, Mathworks, Rapid7, Wayfair and Workbar.

The Festival of Innovation will give technologists, investors, marketers, students and curious neighbors direct access to Boston's most innovative companies, enabling attendees to learn firsthand how they are changing Boston and the world. Tickets are on sale now.

MassTLC President and CEO Tom Hopcroft said, "Massachusetts has been the center of global innovation from the start. This is the home of the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution. Whether it is robotics, medical tech, information security, life sciences, the Internet of Things or something that has yet to be imagined, when tomorrow comes, you can bet it will have been invented here. This event is another way for us to showcase the Massachusetts tech sector and connect the people and ideas that are -- and will be -- behind it all."

"So many are familiar with the iconic academic institutions like MIT & Harvard, as well as corporate innovators like Hubspot, iRobot, TripAdvisor, and Wayfair, to name a few," Battelle said. "We're looking forward to diving deep into Boston's inspiring landscape of creativity and social good with NewCo Boston."

NewCo Boston attendees will select which companies they will visit in their "native habitat," and hear first-hand from the founders and executives about how they are trying to change the world, and why. Prior to the event, participants can go to the NewCo website to customize their event schedule from "tracks" that are curated by industry, neighborhood and session topic.

MassTLC-NewCo Festival of Innovation

April 27, 2016, 8:30am - 8:30pm

The Greater Boston Area

Click to Register/Purchase Tickets

Follow the hashtag NewCoBOS

The MassTLC-NewCo Boston Festival of Innovation is made possible by the generous participation of Platinum Sponsors: Comcast Business, Oxfam America, PTC and Twitter; Gold Sponsors: Amazon Robotics, Consulate General of Canada; Silver Sponsor: Kryuus, as well as food sponsor ezCater.

About The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc.

With 500+ member companies, the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) is the region's leading technology association and the premier network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders. MassTLC's purpose is to accelerate innovation by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas and offering a platform for visibility for member companies and their interests. More at www.masstlc.org

Contact:

Mike Spinney

781 672 3112

Email Contact




ALBANY, New York, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research "Digital Door Lock Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023," the global digital door lock systems market in terms of revenue was valued at US$ 731.9 Mn in 2014 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 31.8% during the period 2015 to 2023. Growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the world and high industrial activity driving inclusive of commercial segment are the key factors driving the growth of the digital door lock systems market. In addition, enhanced security needs of customers are driving the adoption of security solutions in residential sector and managed security solutions at affordable option is further expected to drive the growth of this market over the forecast period.

Full Research Report on Global Digital Door Lock Systems Market with detailed figures and segmentation at: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/digital-door-lock-systems-market.html

In the Keypad locks digital door lock systems market, electromechanical door locks segment was the largest in 2014, accounting for 45.2% of the overall market. The increased demand for electromechanical products signifies with customers looking for total security solutions and flexible door environments with convenient digital and mobile technology. Manufacturers' products aim at open standards to facilitate integration with the customer's other security and administrative systems.

In terms of end-user, Commercial is the largest segment contributing to the Global Digital Door Lock Systems market. Residential segment is the second largest segment by end-use adoption. Home-based and small to mid-sized businesses are expected to be the target markets expected to drive the digital door lock systems market. Manufacturers that are positioned to benefit include Godrej & Boyce, Assa-Abloy and Weiser Lock, Siemens AG. These companies manufacture digital door locks systems for both home and business that capture different types of biometrics such as fingerprints, palm, and voice and use them to identify residents and personnel to allow entry. The largest, most demanding and dynamic customer segment is institutional and commercial customers. These include corporate workplaces, universities, hospitals, government agencies, airports and shopping malls, buildings with high security requirements where a large number of people and goods enter and exit daily.

Get Industry Research Sample with ToC & Free Analysis: www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=9770

Smart home applications are in demand and are supported by the increased usage of smart phones and tablets in the market. Residential security has become the major part of various smart home applications which people are adopting these days. Security has become the main feature of smart applications used for homes. People are opting for latest technologies and solutions available in the market for high level of security and automation in their home premises. Smart home applications are now including more advance features which includes advance security aspects like security alarms, sensors, electronic locks, cameras etc. along with other smart features like extensive control over home living environment such as self-powered lighting, climate controls, fire alarms and power managements. People are adopting advanced security features embedded in their smart home application and considering as a value added service for better quality of living.

Customized solution for your any other market research needs:http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=9770

Some of the major industry players profiled in the study include Honeywell International Inc., Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd., Assa Abloy Group, Cisco Systems, Inc., United Technologies Corporation, Siemens AG, Panasonic Corporation, Nestwell Technologies, Vivint, Inc., Hanman International Pte Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd. and Tyco International Ltd.

The global digital door lock systems market has been segmented as follows:

Digital Door Lock Systems Market, by Type

Biometrics

Face Recognition

Iris Recognition

Palm Recognition

Voice Recognition

Signature Recognition

Fingerprint Recognition

Keypad Locks

Magnetic Stripe Locks

Electromechanical Door Locks

Electric Strike Locks

Digital Door Lock Systems Market, by End-use adoption

Government

Commercial

Industrial

Residential

Digital Door Lock Systems Market, by Geography

North America

U.S.

Rest of North America

Europe

EU5 (UK, Germany , France , Italy , Spain )

, , , ) CIS

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC)

China

Japan

South Korea

Australasia ( Australia , NZ & Guinea )

, NZ & ) Rest of APAC

Middle East & Africa (MEA)

GCC Countries

Rest of MEA

Latin America

Brazil

Rest of Latin America

About Us

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.

Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.



Contact

Sudip.S

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Albany, NY12207

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA- Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.com

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Blog:http://www.europlat.org


MD-HD truck's global sales expect to increase 60,000 units while the industry shifts focus towards freight efficiency, says Frost & Sullivan

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 24, 2016 LOCATION: Online, with free registration (Email kayla.belcher@frost.com) EXPERT PANELIST: Frost & Sullivan's Mobility Global Vice President Sandeep Kar, FTR's President, Eric Starks and Eaton Corporation's Global Product Director, Jeffrey C. Walker

The global medium-heavy duty (MD-HD) commercial truck market expects to post a 2.4 percent year over year growth, backed by strong performance in India, Europe and rest of world markets. Volume markets such as North America, China, Latin America and Russia are expected to experience a downward pressure as declining economic activity is likely to impact freight demand growth.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160314/343777

Frost & Sullivan's Mobility Global Vice President Sandeep Kar, Eaton Corporation's Global Product Director Jeffrey Walker and FTR's President Eric Starks will provide an executive outlook about significant trends shaping the global MD-HD truck market's trajectory in 2016. The webinar will focus on major takeaways from the market's performance in 2015 and the top-of-mind issues for commercial vehicle industry executives in 2016.

Industry experts will discuss numerous topics, including:

A regional and global forecast for MD-HD truck sales

The powertrain mix focus in 2016

The future of connected truck technologies

Product-specific changes expected to shape truck technologies and markets

Additionally, Walker will discuss Eaton's global truck market outlook and Starks will provide FTR's 2016 outlook for the North American heavy truck market.

Attend this webinar to discover:

Regional and global MD-HD truck sales and product forecasts

The changes in truck segmentation and price positioning as well as the impact of platform based production on truck markets

The changes in the global powertrain mix and emerging patterns

Disruptive innovations brought about by soft technologies and the associated impact on trucking business models

This webinar will benefit the business and product planning teams at OEMs, Tier 1s and stake holders interested in understanding the opportunities and threats impacting the global MD-HD truck industry in 2016.

Thought leader insights:

"Capacity utilization challenges will be essential as global OEMs re-align product and marketing strategies to intercept the rapidly expanding mid-market value trucks segment. Platformization will be a strategic imperative as OEMs and Tier 1s target design elements such as chassis, powertrain and cab systems to build globalized product platforms," said Frost & Sullivan's Mobility Global Vice President, Sandeep Kar. "As bottom lines shrink during a period of challenging market conditions, centralized platform development will be crucial for industry participants to effectively manage costs. Additional trends captured include developments in autonomous trucking, safety and telematics technologies, alternate powertrain and mobile freight brokerage."

Register:

To attend the briefing, email Kayla Belcher, Corporate Communications - kayla.belcher@frost.com - your full name, job title, company name, company telephone number, and company email address, website, city, state and country or click here: http://frost.ly/2g.

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:

Kayla Belcher

Corporate Communications - North America

+1.210.247.2450

kayla.belcher@frost.com






LAVAL, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Typhoon Exploration Inc. (TSX VENTURE: TYP) ("Typhoon") announces to have received results from a first OreVision test survey completed on the Aiguebelle-Goldfields property. Five (5) lines, 1 kilometre long, were proposed in the extension of the Fayolle deposit (see press release dated Sept. 6, 2012), in an area devoid of any outcrop.

The survey and interpretation performed by Abitibi Geophysics (www.ageophysics.com) gave the indication of two (2) clear anomalies, ready to drill, with the following characteristics:

-- Strongly dipping, continuous anomalies seen over the five (5) lines -- Correlated to parallel geological trends, spaced out by 200 metres and following an east-west orientation -- Geophysical model indicating a weak pyrite content (5%) which is coherent with other gold targets in the area -- Eastern projection connecting with Fayolle and another satellite mineralized trend -- Never drill tested

The OreVision survey is a new IP configuration developed by Abitibi Geophysics specifically to detect weak chargeability signals distinct from overburden effects (www.ageophysics.com). This method is particularly suited to explore gold deposits of the Abitibi Belt.

Typical gold mineralization of the Aiguebelle-Goldfields property and adjoining Fayolle property is mainly hosted in altered dykes and ultramafic rocks characterized by a low content of disseminated pyrite.

The use of OreVision inaugurates a more systematic exploration approach applicable to other Typhoon properties in the area.

PLEASE NOTE

Typhoon targets Quebec's excellent mineral potential for the development of new world-class deposits. The support of our partners, as well as that of our investors (which hold the 35,426,791 shares currently in circulation), contributes greatly to the success of the company.

ABOUT TYPHOON EXPLORATION INC.

-- Association on the Aiguebelle-Goldfields Project (Abitibi, Rouyn- Noranda): 49%-owned by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited / 51% by Typhoon -- Association on the Fayolle Project (Abitibi, Rouyn-Noranda): 50%-owned by Hecla Quebec Inc. / 50% by Typhoon -- Monexco Project (Chibougamau, Plan Nord territory): 100%-owned by Typhoon -- Ranger Project (Abitibi, Rouyn-Noranda): 100%-owned by Typhoon -- Sommet Project (Abitibi, Rouyn-Noranda): 100%-owned by Typhoon

The common shares of Typhoon are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "TYP".

QUALIFIED PERSON

Mr. Daniel Gaudreault, ing., (OIQ), of Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc., is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, to supervise the preparation of the technical aspect of this press 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 release.

Contacts:

Typhoon Exploration Inc.

David Mc Donald

450-622-4066

dmcdonald@explorationtyphon.com

www.typhoonexploration.com




Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It's also one of the best dividend stocks.Unfortunately, over the past year, Pfizer stock is down about 12% due to ongoing debates in Washington over how much to cap the price of prescription drugs.And it's not just Pfizer stock that is suffering. Investors in general are worried that earnings of drug companies will take a hit if new laws are passed restricting drug prices. The NYSE ARCA Pharmaceutical Index is down almost 11% in the same time.But the downswing in Pfizer stock.

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.
Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.
Wihlborgs Fastigheter AB has awarded Veidekke the contract to build the Sirius office building in the Nyhamn development area in Malmo. All of Wihlborgs' properties are given environmental certification, and Sirius will have the highest classification, which is Miljobyggnad Gold. The project is a collaborative contract valued at SEK 180 million, excluding VAT.

Veidekke will erect a building 11,000 m2 in size with approximately 500 workplaces in flexible offices, and a ground floor with opportunities for retail and other commercial activities. The building will be just next to Malmo Central Station, and this location affords the users the best opportunities to use environmentally-friendly public transport such as bus and train.

"Since we started work we have cooperated closely with Wihlborgs and the other involved parties such as architects, builders and fitters to develop Sirius into a beautiful and functional office building. The project work is already characterized by transparency and involvement from all parties in order to achieve the best result possible," says Veidekke's Work Manager Karl Lindberg



Construction has started, and the building is to be ready for occupation in the course of 2017.

For press photos, see www.flickr.com/photos/veidekke (http://www.flickr.com/photos/veidekke), for more information, contact:

Work Manager Karl Lindberg, Veidekke Bygg Syd, tel. +46 72 243 09 87, karl.lindberg@veidekke.se (mailto:karl.lindberg@veidekke.se)

Region Manager Ulf Sterner, Veidekke Bygg Syd, tel. +46 70 324 32 44,563, ulf.sterner@veidekke.se (mailto:ulf.sterner@veidekke.se)

Communications Manager Helge Dieset of Veidekke ASA, tel. (+47) 905 53 322, helge.dieset@veidekke.no (mailto:helge.dieset@veidekke.no)

Subscribe to notices from Veidekke (http://veidekke.com/no/borsmeldinger/abonner-pa-meldinger/)



Veidekke is one of Scandinavia's largest construction and property development companies. The company undertakes all types of building and construction contracts, maintains roads and produces asphalt and aggregates. The company's operations are characterised by involvement and local knowledge. Revenue is NOK 24.5 billion (2015), and half of the 7,000 employees own shares in the company. Veidekke is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and has always posted a profit since it was founded in 1936.

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Illustration project Sirius (http://hugin.info/172/R/1994521/734489.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: Veidekke ASA via Globenewswire



HUG#1994521


Experts in Business Intelligence and Analytics Unveil New Brand

HOPEWELL JUNCTION, New York, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FleetWeather Ocean Services, experts in business intelligence and analytics for the commercial shipping industry, today opened its doors under a new name and new brand: Accuritas Global Solutions...A business intelligence and analytics company. Executive Vice President Jess Hurwitz announced the name change reflecting continued focus and growth in providing industry-unique business intelligence, analytics and consulting services, and expansion from working within the commercial shipping industry to other modes of global transportation. The new name is effective immediately.

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PDF - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/ENR/344225-Accuritas-Global-Solutions----Overview-and-Sell-Sheet.pdf

"For the past several years, we have expanded the services we provide to the marine industry to meet the needs of our clients," stated Jess Hurwitz, Accuritas' Executive Vice President and CTO. "While we continue to include some of our legacy services in our suite of products, we have been developing products which support our clients in managing information in a concise and productive fashion. This enables them to make better decisions, increase their profits and reduce costs, as well as streamline communications and manage opportunities more intelligently. Essentially, we support their efforts to be more competitive and agile with improved business strategies and simplified challenges."

FleetWeather has over 47 years of experience servicing the global maritime industry, first as a weather routing company, and more recently as the innovator and provider of shipping's first business intelligence solution introduced in 2013. Founded in 1969 by Tore Jakobsen and merged with Jeff Wimmer's CompuWeather in 1993, FleetWeather has a highly respected reputation for unique services and exceptional customer service. "Throughout our history, we have been known for our passion in delivering quality and doing the right thing. We are very proud of our reputation for accuracy, integrity and responsiveness", observed Wimmer, CEO of Accuritas. Tore Jakobsen, CFO of Accuritas, added "As we have expanded into new areas of business information and analysis over the past few years, these values continue to be our foundation. Our decision to rename the company reflects our commitment to these areas. Our customers will be assured of our unbridled ongoing commitment to their exact needs as in years past, while exploring further avenues of efficiency, optimization, and profit that we are now able to provide."

"Accuritas Global Solutions is building upon the foundation of the legacy company to provide senior executives with the information they need to make intelligent business decisions about their fleets and move from data complexity to simplicity" remarked Hurwitz. "Shipping has its challenges - Accuritas has the solutions".

While Accuritas has a new name and new look, its commitment to accuracy, integrity, knowledge and security in all that it does for its clients will not change. Current product and service offerings will also remain the same:

Business intelligence and Analytics

Consulting and project management

Problem solving and predictive analysis

Multi-vendor data and software integration

Technology development

Customized deliverables

On-demand analysis

For more information on Accuritas, please visit: www.accuritas.com or contact us by email at: info@accuritas.com

About Accuritas Global Solutions

Accuritas Global Solutions is a privately held global management consulting firm that provides customized business intelligence, analytics, and consulting to global transportation leaders to support sound, data driven business decisions. With unparalleled client support, Accuritas is management's partner in accurate performance monitoring, efficiency planning, risk management and decision assistance. Accuritas delivers a wide range of customized services and solutions to 100+ clients from over 60 countries worldwide. To date, most clients are within the commercial shipping industry and include shipowners, operators, pool managers, and time charterers. Founded in 1969, with over 47 years of experience, Accuritas is headquartered in New York and has offices in Connecticut, Athens and Singapore.

For more information, go to www.accuritas.com , email: info@accuritas.com or call: +1-845-226-8400 (US), +30 2107454628 (Greece) or +65 65497230 (Singapore)

Media Contact :

Carleen Lyden-Kluss

President, Morgan Marketing & Communications

c.lyden-kluss@morganmarketcomm.com

+1 203.255.4686
SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Department of Canadian Heritage

Wayne Long, Member of Parliament (Saint John-Rothesay), today announced funding for the Imperial Theatre. He made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Navdeep Singh Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

Funding will allow the Imperial Theatre to preserve the exterior of the historical building and carry out a complete lighting retrofit for the theatre. Through this project, the Imperial Theatre will become a leader in energy efficiency and lighting technologies that are eco-friendly and cost-effective.

The Department of Canadian Heritage is providing multi-year funding totalling $850,000 under the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to support the renovation Building the Future project. ACOA is providing $200,000 under its Innovative Communities Fund.

Quick Facts

-- The Imperial Theatre reaches an annual audience of up to 100,000 through its regular programming, in addition to 75,000 students for its school series and young audience programming. -- The Theatre offers a variety of presentations, including live theatre, musical performances, film and comedy. -- Provincial arts organizations and other community groups also make use of the theatre facilities. -- Government of Canada funding of $1.05 million, through Canadian Heritage and ACOA, will support major renovations and upgrades to the Imperial Theatre. -- This federal funding is a significant contribution to the Imperial Theatre's "Facing Forward" Capital Campaign, which was launched as part of today's announcement.

Quotes

"Cultural spaces such as the Imperial Theatre are places where Canadians can be inspired by the arts and heritage that define us and bring us together. They link communities across provinces-and across the country. The Government of Canada is proud to partner with the Imperial Theatre as it works to improve the quality of life in the community, while also creating jobs and encouraging tourism."

- The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"The Government of Canada is focused on change and delivering real results for Canadians, and we know that building a strong country begins in our local communities. Saint John's Imperial Theatre has long been a cultural hub for the Saint John area, attracting local and international performers and bringing growth and far-reaching benefits to the entire region."

- The Honourable Navdeep Singh Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA

"The Imperial Theatre is a community jewel that has been offering cultural and artistic experiences for over 100 years. Thanks to this generous funding, this space will continue to showcase the work and talent of local artists and special guests, for the enjoyment of residents and visitors."

- Wayne Long, Member of Parliament (Saint John-Rothesay)

"Imperial Theatre is thrilled to have the support of Canada's federal government for this important project. The local, national and international performers who bring their art to the people of Saint John, the many community users of this building and the people of this city treasure the Imperial, and this will help us keep the doors open for another 100 years."

- Lee Bolton, Executive Director, Imperial Theatre

Associated Links

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund

Innovative Communities Fund

Imperial Theatre

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr.

Contacts:

Pierre-Olivier Herbert

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage

819-997-7788



Gilles Theriault

Regional Communications Manager

Canadian Heritage

Atlantic Region

506-851-3980



Media Relations

Canadian Heritage

819-994-9101

1-866-569-6155

pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca




The government of the Argentine province of La Rioja has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this last week with German investment group Photovoltaic Park for a large solar PV project, according to a press release. The MOU deals with the development of three PV plants with a total capacity of 700 MW representing an investment estimated at US$1.4 billion. Two of the projects, which are located in Villa Union and in Chamical, will each represent 300 MW of capacity. A third 100 MW project will be located in the city of La Rioja. The ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the automotive industry ramps up its adoption of Software Over-the-Air (SOTA)-enabled vehicles, ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, forecasts nearly 203 million OTA-enabled cars to ship by 2022. Both SOTA and Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) will see a spike, with nearly 180 million new cars supporting SOTA and 22 million FOTA by 2022. Beyond Tesla, car OEMs will primarily focus the next three to five years on SOTA versus the still nascent FOTA upgrade.

Logo- http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151014/276887LOGO

"Three factors changed the course of the automotive industry and paved the way for the future of OTA: recall cost, Tesla's success as the foundation of autonomous driving, and security risks based on software complexities," says Susan Beardslee, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "It is a welcome transformation, as OTA is the only way to accomplish secure management of all of a connected car's software in a seamless, comprehensive, and fully integrated manner."

The positive changes that OTA can bestow on the car recall process is alone a vital benefit. In the past two years, the recall rate increased to approximately 46% with four major car OEMs setting aside a combined $20 billion in 2015 in warranty reserves. Though not all recalls can be fixed via an OTA update, ABI Research market analysis suggests that close to one-third of last year's recalls could have been addressed over the air, saving car OEMs at least $6 billion.

A Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram recall last year addressed a hacking incident with a Jeep, which affected 1.4 million vehicles. To rectify the situation, the OEMs sent USB drives to the identified customers. This method, in place of an OTA update, increased security risk, the plausibility of owner identification, and the inability to ensure that the patch was done and done correctly. Ford and Toyota also faced similar situations through their own recalls.

As the level of vehicle autonomy accelerates, cybersecurity will become increasingly critical. To address cybersecurity risks that stem from software upgrades, ABI Research anticipates the automotive industry will begin to see more mergers and acquisitions over the next two years as car OEMs emphasize the value of software management solutions.

"Movimento, in particular, is a huge acquisition opportunity," continues Beardslee. "One of the leading software management vendors in the automotive industry, Movimento reflashes more than 3 million vehicles per year and can detect and delete cyberattacks within 10 milliseconds. With security a leading focus of OTA, Argus Cybersecurity is another likely target, having received Series B funding from Magna International and recently partnering with pure play security vendor CheckPoint Software Technologies."

But this industry change is not without its challenges: particularly, the threat to car dealerships and the danger of customers opting out of software upgrades. "The car dealers have everything to lose," concludes Beardslee. "When the automotive industry becomes fully OTA, car dealers lose not only the revenue enhancement that they acquire in making updates and repairs, but they lose the associated foot traffic. Customer opt outs, on the other hand, were a challenge long before the arrival of OTA and one that car OEMs will likely find a way to address as they move toward a recurring revenue generation model in the early 2020s."

These findings are part of ABI Research's Automotive Infotainment Service (https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/service/automotive-infotainment/) and Automotive Safety and Autonomous Driving Service (https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/service/safety-and-security-telematics/), which include research reports, market data, insights, and competitive assessments.

About ABI Research

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- VMob, an intelligent cloud-based personalization platform built specifically for retailers and quick service restaurants, today announced the addition of Jen Millard as chief revenue officer (CRO). A recognized expert on retail concept innovation and consumer and channel segmentation, Millard is instrumental in guiding VMob's future success, developing the strategies to reach more retailers looking to leverage mobile technology to increase in-person sales and customer engagement.

"Jen is a luminary in the retail industry; her extensive, hands-on experience with many of the world's best-known brands and firm understanding of the evolution of the retail space are simply unparalleled," said Scott Bradley, CEO and founder of VMob. "Her keen business sense and depth and breadth of expertise in retail technology and innovation are a huge asset to VMob as we continue to transform how retailers grow their businesses in the digital age."

Millard joins VMob as CRO following her appointment as an advisor to the company's board in 2015. In this role, she continues an extensive career in omni-channel retail spanning brick and mortar, e-commerce and automated retail and emerging big data services. She most recently served as vice president of Global Business Development - Loyalty for MasterCard, where she was responsible for connecting retailers with global consumers to drive sales to store locations. Previously, she served as CRO of Truaxis, leading its sales efforts with local and national merchants, prior to the company's acquisition by MasterCard.

Millard is also founder and managing partner of Retail Growth partners, a strategy consulting firm focused on the retail vertical. In this capacity, she works with many of the largest retail companies, advising them on strategic plans, business execution initiatives and the connections of consumers to retail brands as well as payments, ad tech, big data and analytics. Prior to founding this company, Millard served as director of retail consulting firm McMillanDoolittle.

In addition to her consulting experience, Millard honed her retail experience leading business development and retail operations at several large companies, including Zoom Systems, Lifefactory Inc., Saks Fifth Avenue, Brown Shoe International Corp., Bed Bath and Beyond, and Sears, Roebuck and Co. She is also a board member of the University of North Texas, Women2.0 and several innovative retail technology companies. Millard received a bachelor's degree from Colby College and studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and Stanford University.

"The Internet of Things and the rapidly expanding capabilities of mobile technology have created a new world for retailers, and VMob is committed to helping them capitalize on the latest opportunities to increase their sales," said Millard. "I am thrilled to take on the role of CRO with this innovative company and help more businesses adopt the solutions to transform how they attract, engage and retain loyal customers."

About VMob

VMob is an end-to-end mobile personalisation platform that lets retailers and other customer-facing brands create highly personalised marketing campaigns to reach customers at exactly the right time and place -- resulting in much higher conversion rates.

The VMob platform integrates with the brand's own smartphone app to continuously collect and store a range of real-time data (including location, movement speed, local weather and nearby events), combining it with information on past transactions through its IoT platform to deliver a level of personalised content not possible with other media.

Offers, campaigns and content personalised with this data are delivered within the smartphone app, and to other channels via API connections.

VMob was founded in Auckland, New Zealand and now has offices in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Tokyo and Sydney and is listed on the NZX Market (NZX: VML).

VMob has already achieved success in worldwide markets with strong partnerships and clients including McDonald's, IKEA, 7-Eleven, Exxon, Anheuser Busch, Compass Group, Heart of the City, Spark New Zealand, Loyalty New Zealand, and Yellow Pages.

Visit www.vmob.com for further information.

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CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Department of Canadian Heritage

Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament (Egmont), took part today in the official opening of the renovated site of Ecole Francois-Buote and the Carrefour de L'Isle-Saint-Jean on behalf of the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. He took the opportunity to note the Government of Canada's contribution to the renovations.

Under an agreement between the Government of Canada and Prince Edward Island, the Department of Canadian Heritage invested $2,104,150 in this project from 2011 to 2013.

Canadian Heritage contributed to the renovation and expansion of community spaces in collaboration with the province. The Acadian and Francophone community now possesses facilities that better support its growth.

Quick Facts

-- Canadian Heritage has agreements on minority-language education and second-language instruction with all of Canada's provinces and territories, through the Official-Language Support Programs. -- There are close to 5,000 Francophones and Acadians in Prince Edward Island, representing 3.5 percent of the province's population.

Quotes

"The Canadian Francophonie is a treasure. I am very proud that my department plays a leading role in the development of official-language minority communities. I am also very pleased about this partnership with Prince Edward Island for the benefit of the province's Francophone and Acadian community."

-The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"The school's student enrolment has more than doubled in 25 years, demonstrating the vitality of Charlottetown's Francophone and Acadian community. By investing in these two buildings, we are providing spaces for the community, and these will become meeting places that foster development going far beyond the classroom."

-Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament (Egmont)

"Ecole Francois-Buote and the Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean are in a state-of-the-art building that will be the pride of the Acadian and Francophone community in Charlottetown. French education cannot exist without government support, and the Acadian and Francophone community cannot grow without receiving French education. This is why governments have to work together to realize initiatives like this."

-The Honourable Wade MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island

Associated Links

Ecole Francois-Buote

Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean

Official-Language Support Programs

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr.

Contacts:

Pierre-Olivier Herbert

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage

819-997-7788



Media Relations

Canadian Heritage

819-994-9101

1-866-569-6155

pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca




DENVER, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Crush Media Group, www.crushmediagroupinc.com, was established in 2012. As Crush Media Group sets up its 2016 expansion plans, it is reflecting on the growth and success it encountered in the previous year. Most businesses have to endure multiple ups and downs within their first 5 years in order to succeed, especially in the economic deficiencies we have had to overcome. Crush Media Group did not let those difficult times hold them back from success. In fact, CMG has risen up to the challenges and responded with triumphant growth! In 2015, CMG expanded into all six of its client's warehouses. In addition, Crush Media Group's Director of Operations & President, Rob Meyers, promoted three new Directors that aided in the expansion to Fort Collins, South Denver and Colorado Springs. Meyers is not stopping there! Crush Media Group is on the rise to expand, yet again, by the end of 2016. The Denver based office has been selected by its client and the program's V.P. as one of twenty offices to test launch double staffing in each retail location within its territory. To ensure rapid results and continued growth opportunity, Crush Media Group will be hiring several new, up and coming contributors to the company. As one of the largest and fastest growing sales and marketing firms in the Denver area, Crush Media Group has lead the direct marketing industry in areas such as customer service, product branding, sales and the acquisition of new clientele.

Director Meyers commented,"Much of our success is due to being business partners with Fortune 500 companies that have thrived in their industries, as well as through nationwide economic struggles. We see nothing holding us back from continued territorial expansion along with increased levels of production within each of our markets. To ensure our goals will be met, we will continue to provide more career opportunities with our well developed, successful Management Training Program, as we have big plans for 2016!" Meyers states one of his goals for the New Year is to promote two new Directors to manage their own divisions of the program within the Colorado market.

Crush Media Group wrapped up its year of success with its annual R&R. All of the Directors from the program celebrated at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas this past October. The program hosts an award ceremony, highlighting the program's accomplishments throughout the year, client partnerships, client technological advancements, next year expansion plans, along with recognizing top Directors. Meyers was selected to receive an Achievement Award amongst the Top 50 Directors across the country. Meyers had several achievements throughout 2015. Each quarter, the program holds Regional Leaders Meetings in several cities, allowing a chance for Directors and Corporate Trainers to network and ensure continued eduction of its clients and marketing strategies. Director Meyers was selected as one of five Directors to speak at 2015's 4th quarter Regional Leaders Meeting in Denver, CO. He has already set his next goal as qualifying as a selected speaker at the program's next Top Leaders Meeting in March, which are held biannually in Dallas, TX as the Hilton DFW Executive Conference Centers.

"It is a New Year which means we have yet another year of opportunity at our fingertips. While we reflect on our accomplishments from our previous fiscal year, we will use them as momentum to make this year even bigger. We will not be taking our foot off the gas here at Crush, only driving even harder to continue our company's exponential growth," Meyers comments. Crush Media Group will be moving into a new, upgraded office in Cherry Creek to allow for the company to continue hiring on aspiring, motivated individuals to aid in the expansion plans as they continue to increase their clients' exposure throughout the state of Colorado. Crush Media Group's way of introducing products and promotions to consumers is unique. They work with major retailers to provide an exceptional, hands-on presentation which clients cannot get anywhere else. Meyers states, "We are going to be the premier integrated communication service and new client acquisition for our partners in 2016."

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Contact:

Crush Media Group

(303)-872-7768




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Coventry Resources Inc. (ASX: CYY) ("the Company") advises that the following documents have been filed on SEDAR in relation to the Company's Annual General & Special Meeting scheduled for April 15, 2016:

-- Notice of Meeting; -- Management Information Circular; -- Form of Proxy; and -- Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials.

Contacts:

Coventry Resources Inc.

Ian Cunningham

Company Secretary

+61 8 9226 1356

icunningham@coventryres.com




The facility raided earlier this week had multiple pits and enough satellite sheds to house more than 1,000 fighting roosters awaiting their turn to slash other birds to death, or to be killed themselves. Photo by Meredith Lee/The HSUS

430 shares







West Virginias legislative session wrapped up this weekend, with some good outcomes on animal issues that are more challenging than they might appear at first glance.

Our allies in the legislature did a great job. They ran out the clock and blocked an effort to add a vague and overreaching right to farm provision to the West Virginia constitution. As with ag-gag proposals in a number of states, right to farm provisions are sprouting up in rural states as a way to block citizens from imposing any restrictions on agricultural production  from extreme confinement to the use of antibiotics to manure discharge. Its an attempt to wall off an entire industry from any regulatory or legislative oversight.

The states active cockfighting lobby believed a right to farm provision would even protect them from any legislative maneuvers to criminalize their rearing of cockfighting birds. Somehow these folks believe that raising birds amounts to an agricultural activity  even as they subject the animals they raise to being slashed and killed, just for human amusement.

But not only did the right to farm measure stall, lawmakers actually did pass legislation to crack down on animal fighting, dealing a two-fisted blow to a criminal subculture of cockfighters with the temerity to openly lobby in support of their blood sport. In fact, one veteran state lawmaker, Don Perdue, has long been an outspoken advocate of cockfighting, and has been identified as a participant in the activity in the past.

This week, just minutes before the legislative session closed, lawmakers gave final approval to a bill, sponsored by Delegate John Overington, to strengthen the states existing law, and make it a crime to gamble at or take a minor to a fight. Fighting animals is illegal in West Virginia, but the states weak law has hardly proved a deterrent to the states animal fighting enthusiasts.

The bill now heads to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblins desk for his signature.

Cockfighters protested in large numbers to stop the bill from advancing, flooding lawmakers offices with calls and emails. If lawmakers didnt know before how weak the law was, they surely must have realized it after hearing from these self-identified scofflaws and criminals begging them to keep penalties low.

Lawmakers had the good sense to see through both of these lobbying campaigns  in one case, hearing from organized criminals that the state should keep anemic laws against animal fighting, and in another case, hearing from the farm lobby that they dont want anyone telling them how to do anything, as if their industry is beyond reproach or reform.

Weve got other big battles on right to farm, including in Nebraska right now, and on the ballot in Oklahoma this November. And in neighboring Ohio, a bill to crack down on cockfighting has major momentum coming out of the House. The question there is this: will Ohio senators side with The HSUS, the poultry industry, and the law enforcement community, or will they again align with the cockfighting community and allow Ohio to remain an outlier on the cockfighting issue?
Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. today released an email to investors. The text of the email is set forth below:

Dear Pershing Square Investor,

Today, Valeant reported preliminary unaudited earnings for Q4, updated guidance for Q1, full year 2016 and the next twelve months. In particular, management shocked the market with revenue and earnings guidance for the next twelve months (Q2 2016 to Q1 2017) which does not appear to foot with continued favorable prescription trends and management's commentary on the call about the strength of the underlying businesses. Furthermore, the company's 10-K has been delayed requiring the company seek a waiver under its credit agreement. While we believe that it is highly likely that the banks will provide a waiver, uncertainty about the potential for a default creates enormous investor fear.

The above factors have caused investors to lose total confidence in the company as reflected by the current 44% decline in Valeant's stock price.

Last week, Steve Fraidin, our Vice Chairman, joined the board. We are going to take a much more proactive role at the company to protect and maximize the value of our investment. We continue to believe that the value of the underlying business franchises that comprise Valeant are worth multiples of the current market price. Getting to those values, however, will require restoration of shareholder confidence in the management and governance of the company.

We will do our best to keep you promptly informed subject to any limitations that we have now that we have recently become insiders at the company.

Please feel free to contact the investor relations team or me if you have further questions.

Sincerely,

Bill

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (PSH:NA) is an investment holding company structured as a closed end fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315006331/en/

Contacts:

MEDIA CONTACT

Maitland

James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151

Media-pershingsquareholdings@maitland.co.uk
VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for economic competitiveness of German air transport sector. The agency representing 260 airlines, comprising of 83 percent of global air traffic, said the onerous taxes and infrastructure challenges and the overall inefficiency of European management are putting pressure. Currently, aviation supports 1.12 million jobs and 77 billion euros in GDP of Germany. Speaking at the World Air Cargo Symposium in Berlin, Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of IATA said, 'The development of a national aviation policy is an opportunity to address these issues. Doing so will boost Germany's economic competitiveness by strengthening the foundations on which aviation provides crucial connectivity.' Tyler said burdensome taxation should be eliminated and ensure cost efficient airport infrastructure in order to link Germany competitively with global markets. IATA CEO also asked to abolish 1 billion euro departure tax as it is counter-productive. Further, he requested that no further night restrictions at German airports should be introduced. According to IATA, modernizing European air traffic management would boost German GDP by 45 million euros by 2035 and it would create 158,000 jobs. 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.
On the occasion of the Curie Institute's campaign against cancer 'Une Jonquille pour Curie' (A daffodil for Curie), which will take place from 15-20 March 2016, the Paris Saint-Lazare station will host its first pair of multi-payment connected screens. Passers-by will be able to make donations or purchases of different amounts for the Institut Curie by simply pressing their contactless bank card on the screen. It is a simple, safe and innovative solution for making a one-off donation or payment. Moreover, it is the first of its kind in France.

This initiative is the result of collaboration between Ingenico Group, the global leader in seamless payment, and various companies working towards the deployment of screen-commerce: Think&Go, Mediatransport and the Cartes Bancaires CB group.

Thanks to technology developed by Ingenico Group, advertising screens in the Paris Saint-Lazare station are being turned into fundraising instruments for making donations towards a great cause. A 'Jonquille' advertising screen will enable passers-by with contactless payment cards to make donations of 3 or 4. This year, thanks to Ingenico Group's cross-channel solutions, passers-by will also be able to purchase a daffodil or a pin using the connected screen and collect them in the purchasing area. Their payment card, which will be used as proof of purchase, will be identified by an Ingenico mobile payment terminal within the purchasing area.

"We are thrilled to be supporting this operation for the Curie Institute again this year by providing our latest innovations in digital experiences and connected object payment solutions. We are sure that this increased ease-of-use will attract generosity from people passing through Paris Saint-Lazare station, therefore maximising the number of donations made towards the Curie Institute", explains Michel Leger, EVP Innovation, Ingenico Group.

"Screen-commerce is radically changing marketing and impulse purchases. Furthermore, it is revolutionising business and e-commerce at street level. It is now possible to make purchases anywhere, at any time. Alongside each of our partners, we are witnessing the emergence of a new sales and marketing channel in which connected, dynamic, interactive, multi-content and multi-purchase screens help engage consumers in less than a second", Vincent Berge, CEO and Founder of Think&Go.

"Digital displays are rapidly changing and are increasingly orientating towards connectivity with consumers. We are on board with this trend and hope to become one of the leaders in the field thanks to Think&Go's very advanced technology", said Valerie Decamp, Vice-President of Mediatransports, a transport display specialist. "Beyond demonstrating our commitment, our participation in the event provides an opportunity to test the effectiveness of these screens in a strategic location such as a station".

"NFC payment is shifting towards connected objects and screens. In aid of a worthy cause, the Cartes Bancaires CB group is at the forefront of innovations for which it defines and oversees the application of operational and security standards. The next generation of CB payments is underway," adds Gilbert Arira, Chief Executive Officer of the Cartes Bancaires CB group.



About Ingenico Group

Ingenico Group (Euronext: FR0000125346 - ING) is the global leader in seamless payment, providing smart, trusted and secure solutions to empower commerce across all channels, in-store, online and mobile. With the world's largest payment acceptance network, we deliver secure payment solutions with a local, national and international scope. We are the trusted world-class partner for financial institutions and retailers, from small merchants to several of the world's best known global brands. Our solutions enable merchants to simplify payment and deliver their brand promise.

www.ingenico.com (http://www.ingenico.com/)twitter.com/ingenico (http://twitter.com/ingenico/)

Contacts

Ingenico Group

Coba Taillefer

External Communications Manager

coba.taillefer@ingenico.com

Tel: + 33 1 58 01 89 62

PDF VERSION (http://hugin.info/143483/R/1994358/734399.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: INGENICO via Globenewswire



HUG#1994358


Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recentglobal virtual reality (VR) market in the healthcare sectorreport. This research report also lists five other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period.

Competitive vendor landscape

According to the latest report by Technavio, the global VR market in healthcare is directly dependent on the adoption of advanced technology in the healthcare industry. Vendors in the market continuously strive to upgrade their medical imaging systems to gain a competitive edge. The acceptance of VR technology in the healthcare sector is increasing, thereby encouraging existing and new vendors alike to invest in VR technology.

Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead analyst at Technavio for human machine interface research, says, "Although a number of vendors are involved in the market, only a few are well established. The competition among VR software developers is the most intense, as the majority of medical imaging system and medical simulator manufacturers outsource VR apps."

The report also states that many new vendors are expected to enter the market as entry barriers are low, and there is significant market potential. At present, the global VR market has no clear-cut market leaders or dominant players.

Top six vendors for virtual reality in healthcare

DeepStream VR

DeepStream VR was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, US. The company provides VR games for the healthcare industry. These games are intended to relieve pain and improve a patient's general quality of life.

The company offers personalized wellness solutions based on biofeedback for home and clinical settings. The company's VR solution is known as the DeepStream 3D Viewer (DS3D). As of 2015, the DS3D is in the demo stage. The DS3D features a special hood that connects with a laptop or tablet, enabling users to play games and watch 3D movies. Unlike 3D goggles, the DS3D system is not restrictive, and has no blurs nor ghost images.

EON Reality

EON Reality is headquartered in Irvine, California, US. It is a VR and AR-based knowledge transfer company for the education and edutainment industry. The company offers a cross-platform solution that enables AR, VR, and interactive 3D applications to work seamlessly with more than 30 platforms.

Some of the clients of the company include Siemens, Boeing, BP, ExxonMobil, and AtlasCopco. Its partner network comprises Adobe, Autodesk, HP, LG, Microsoft, Sony, and Panasonic.

VirtaMed

VirtaMed is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The company develops realistic surgical simulators for medical education. The company operates through its subsidiary of the same name, located in Florida, US.

On July 22, 2015, VirtaMed signed a distribution contract with medical equipment supplier Leader Healthcare that covers the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. Leader Healthcare will be delivering the VR simulators ArthroS, UroSim, and HystSim across the region. This partnership is intended to offer advanced VR surgical educational tools.

Vuzix

Vuzix was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in New York, US. The company is engaged in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of wearable display devices.

The company's VR software and Vuzix VR eyewear are used in medical applications such as pain and phobia management. Vuzix serves the healthcare sector through its partner Ubimax, which is engaged in the wearable computing solutions and services in Germany.

On May 18, 2015, the company partnered with Octovis, a provider of mobile telemedicine technologies and services to the healthcare industry. Octovis created the telemedicine platform Telle, which integrates Vuzix's M100 Smart Glasses technology.

Virtalis

Virtalis was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Sale, UK. The company is an advanced visualization and VR company. It offers visualization systems and solutions. It is a former subsidiary of Muse Technologies.

The company's VR and advanced visualization techniques find applications in R&D activities, as well as in industries such as construction, defense, engineering, geosciences, power, retail, medical and shipbuilding. In the medical industry, the company offers MistVR, a surgery training system that is mainly used in the European market. It enables students and trainers to carry out repeatable training.

WorldViz

WorldViz was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, US. The company functions as a 3D visualization company. It manufactures real-time motion tracking product series and offers an interactive 3D content creation software platform.

In academic research, the company's products are used in the fields of neuroscience and psychological research. The company's neuroscience solutions incorporate 3D rendering, motion tracking input, bio-response data, IMRI (intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging) signals while supporting video games like interaction and avatars.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Virtual Reality Market 2015-2019 Industry Analysis

Global Virtual Reality Cardboard Market 2015-2019

Virtual Reality in Gaming Market in the UK 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/20160315005103/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Lectra appoints Jason Adams as President, Lectra North America

Jason Adams will be responsible for significantly bolstering Lectra's presence in its main market sectors

Paris, March 15, 2016 - Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Adams as President, Lectra North America.



Based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and reporting directly to Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO, Jason Adams' main objective will be to develop Lectra's presence in the United States, Canada and Mexico and Central America in the automotive, fashion and furniture markets.



Lectra is the world leader in the automotive field, with over 65% of the market share in fabric cutting rooms for car seats and interiors, as well as in airbag cutting. The company's goal is to develop its activity in leather seat and interior cutting, where it has recently introduced new technology solutions with unequaled performance.



In the fashion industry, Lectra is notably recognized for its design and patternmaking solutions. Its comprehensive offer for collection development reaches beyond conventional PLM solutions, particularly by integrating the entire range of its computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software.



Lectra's value proposition in the furniture market is especially strong today, with 3D/2D development software, as well as fabric and leather cutting room solutions, which are the most advanced on the market.



"To meet their objectives, companies must enhance their design, product development and production processes to the industry's highest standards. Using innovative technology is a major asset for our customers. I completely identify with Lectra's philosophy which places the benefits companies get from our solutions at the heart of its value proposition," explains Jason Adams.



"Jason has proven himself with more than 20 years in the software and services industry. He achieved a double digit growth rate through his leadership and an approach that provides significant value to customers. We are pleased that Jason is leading a strategic region for Lectra," adds Daniel Harari.



Before joining Lectra, Jason Adams helped position Camstar and Apriso amongst the leading independent Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution providers. As Vice President of Sales, Americas and Europe at Camstar, Jason Adams promoted the launch of the life sciences practice, which grew to 80% of annual revenues. In his position as Vice President of sales at Apriso, he developed the business in several existing and new markets, including Automotive, Industrial Equipment, Aerospace & Defense, and Medical Device manufacturers. Following the company's acquisition by Dassault Systemes, Jason Adams was promoted to Vice President for the Americas and was in charge of the Delmia brand. Jason Adams holds a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also has served on the board of the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International.

About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions (software, automated cutting equipment, and associated services) specifically designed for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials to manufacture their products. It serves major world markets: fashion and apparel, automotive, and furniture as well as a broad array of other industries. Lectra's solutions, specific to each market, enable customers to automate and optimize product design, development, and manufacturing. With more than 1,500 employees, Lectra has developed privileged relationships with prestigious customers in more than 100 countries, contributing to their operational excellence. Lectra registered revenues of $264 million in 2015 and is listed on Euronext.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com (http://www.lectra.com)

Contact - Lectra Headquarters / Press Dept.: Nathalie Fournier-Christol

E-mail: n.fournier-christol@lectra.com (mailto:n.fournier-christol@lectra.com)

Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 64 42 37 - Fax: +33 (0)1 53 64 43 40





Lectra_Jason Adams_press release (http://hugin.info/143494/R/1994571/734512.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: LECTRA via Globenewswire



HUG#1994571


(as approved at the March 11, 2016 Annual Shareholders' Meeting)

Regulatory News:

Elior Group (Paris:ELIOR):

I LEGAL FRAMEWORK APPLICABLE TO THE SHARE BUYBACK PROGRAM

The share buyback program is governed by the applicable laws and regulations as well as the terms and conditions of the authorization granted to the Board of Directors in the fourteenth and twenty-seventh resolutions of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting of Elior Group (the "Company") held on March 11, 2016 (the "AGM"). The program was put in place by the Company's Board of Directors following the Board meeting held on March 11, 2016.

II PURPOSES OF THE SHARE BUYBACK PROGRAM

In accordance with the fourteenth resolution adopted at the AGM, the share buyback program may be used for the following purposes:

to cancel the shares bought back ; or

to hold shares in treasury for subsequent delivery in payment or exchange for external growth transactions, in accordance with market practices recognized by the applicable regulations, and provided the shares used for this purpose do not represent more than 5% of the Company's capital; or

to allocate shares on exercise of right attached to securities redeemable, convertible, exchangeable or otherwise exercisable for shares of the Company ; or

to allocate shares for the implementation of (i) stock option plans or (ii) free share plans or (iii) employee share ownership plans ; or

to maintain a liquid market for the Company's shares under a liquidity contract entered into with an investment services provider that complies with a Code of Ethics recognized by the Autorite des Marches Financiers ; or

more generally, to carry out any transactions or market practices currently authorized or that may be authorized in the future by the applicable laws and regulations or by the Autorite des Marches Financiers.

The Company may use derivatives for the purpose of implementing the share buyback program, except in relation to transactions carried out under the liquidity contract.

In accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, including stock exchange publications requirements, the Company reserves the right to (i) carry out the authorized reallocations of purchased shares from one of the program's purposes to one or more of its other purposes, or (ii) sell the purchased shares either on or off-market through an investment services provider acting independently under a liquidity contract.

III TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE SHARE BUYBACK PROGRAM

Maximum proportion of the Company's capital: the shares purchased under the buyback program may not represent more than 10% of the Company's capital, determined based on the number of shares making up the Company's capital at the date of the buybacks.

Maximum number of shares: the number of shares acquired may not exceed 10% of the total number of shares making up the Company's capital as at the date on which the authorization granted at the AGM is utilized.

When shares are bought back for the purpose of maintaining a liquid market in the Company's shares, the number of shares taken into account in order to calculate the cap of 10% of the Company's capital corresponds to the number of shares purchased less the number of shares sold during the authorization period.

As the program provides for the possibility of using derivatives to carry out the share purchases, any Company's shares that the Company may acquire through the exercise of call options will be included immediately as of the purchase (rather than the exercise) of the call options for the purpose of calculating the maximum number of shares that may be acquired during the eighteen-month validity period of the buyback program.

Type of shares that may be purchased: ordinary shares of the Company with a par value of 0.01 each.

Maximum per-share purchase price: 25

Maximum amount that may be invested in the program: 430,000,000

The acquisition cost of any derivatives that the Company may use for the purpose of the program will be included in the maximum authorized amount of the program at the time the derivatives are put in place. The amount corresponding to the price of any Company's shares acquired on the exercise of call options will only be included when the options are exercised.

Any sums allocated for the purpose of the liquidity contract will be included in the maximum authorized amount of the program.

Duration of the buyback program: 18 months (from March 11, 2016 to September 11, 2017)

IV - PURPOSES OF TREASURY SHARES HELD AT FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Number of shares held by the Company at February 29, 2016:

in connection with the liquidity contract entered into on July 28, 2014: none

to hold shares in treasury for subsequent delivery in payment or exchange for external growth transactions: 183

As specified in Article 241-2 (Book II) of the General Regulations of the Autorite des Marches Financiers, in accordance with Article 221-3 of said Regulations, any material changes during the buyback program to any of the information set out above will be rendered public as promptly as possible.

Elior Group

Societe anonyme

Registered office: 61/69 rue de Bercy 75012 Paris, France

Registration number: 408 168 003

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315006226/en/

Contacts:

Elior Group
Technavio's latest report on the pharmerging marketsprovides an analysis on the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2016-2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

The top four emerging trends driving the pharmerging markets according to Technavio research analysts are:

Strategic alliances

Increase in generic sales

Mergers and acquisitions

Early drug launches in pharmerging markets

Strategic alliances

Forming strategic alliances for licensing and collaboration help in the co-development and commercialization of drugs and ensure the in-flow of adequate funds from both companies and help to reduce liability costs for individual companies in case of failures. They also attract more venture investments. Big pharmaceutical companies, to retain their presence in pharmerging markets, increasingly adopt partnership activities with local vendors for the development of new products, especially generic drugs.

"Pfizer announced its partnership with Laboratorio Teuto Brasileiro to develop and commercialize generic medicines in Brazil in 2010. Eli Lilly expanded its strategic partnership with Chinese manufacturer Novast Laboratories in 2011 to serve Chinese patients with high-quality generic medicines," says Barath Palada, a lead analyst at Technavio for healthcare and life sciences

Increase in generic sales

Pharmerging countries mostly include developing or less-developed countries where the affordability of drugs plays a major role for the blossoming of the market. Hence, the utilization and sale of generic drugs are high. Though the sales of generics have slowed down, the sales still outpace the sales of originator molecules. Also, pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Sanofi are showing an interest toward the development of generics for attaining considerable shares in the pharmerging markets. The weaker patent protection coupled with favorable government policies for local manufacturers help to increase the production and sales of generic drugs in pharmerging countries.

Mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions help to generate better revenues and develop advanced drugs. Co-development and commercialization rights for the drugs also make sales easier. For instance, Novartis signed an agreement to acquire the specialty dermatology generics company Fougera Pharmaceuticals. This enabled the former to become the number-one generic dermatology medicines company. The acquisition of a local company helps pharmaceutical companies to strengthen their presence in these markets. For instance, Abbott Laboratories acquired Piramal Pharma Solutions for USD 2.12 billion in 2010, which enabled it to strengthen its position in India.

Early drug launches in pharmerging markets

The changing healthcare landscape drives pharmaceutical companies to adapt strategy of launching their products in pharmerging markets as well as in mature markets. Pharmerging markets hold huge potential for new launches, as initiatives are being taken by local governments to increase the reimbursement coverage for individuals and drugs. Also, careful planning is required before drug launch, which helps to attain better profits.

For instance, the revenue gained by the launch of the hepatitis B product Baraclude by BMS in China is significant. BMS attained this goal with intensive pre-launch research and training, the latter of which was given to healthcare specialists on the effects of the drug. "China remains the most popular destination for the majority of companies for early drug launches. However, the pattern of revenue generated from each of these early drug launches varies across pharmerging markets, unlike in mature markets," adds Barath.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Pharmaceutical Packaging Market 2015-2019

Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Market 2015-2019

Global Pharmaceuticals Wholesale and Distribution 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/20160315005107/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

US: +1 630-333-9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

Media Marketing Executive

www.technavio.com
EVANSTON, IL--(Marketwired - March 15, 2016) - Maine manufacturing employment declined over the past year, though at a slower rate than in previous years, reports the 2016 Maine Manufacturers Register  , an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. According to MNI's database of manufacturers, Maine lost 680 manufacturing jobs from December 2014 to December 2015, a one percent decline.

Maine is now home to 2,034 manufacturers employing 61,881 workers. According to MNI's database of manufacturers, losses over the past year were marginal compared to previous years, with data showing the state's industrial employment declining about 2% on average each year from December 2007 to December 2014, dropping 15% overall.

"High business costs, global competition, and a dearth of skilled workers continue to put a dent in Maine's manufacturing sector," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, Maine still holds much appeal for manufacturers, including a flourishing food processing industry and ideal location for the shipment of goods, and job losses appear to have slowed."

For the full report, including specific company news, click here or visit http://www.manufacturersnews.com/news.

According to MNI's database, losses were led by the state's paper products industry, which suffered a 15% decline. Additional losses were reported in electronics, down 10%; stone/clay/glass, down 5.2%; primary metals, down 4.7%, food processing, down 1% and lumber/wood, also down 1%.

Losses were offset by gains in the state's transportation equipment sector, which rose 5% over the year. Adding to the transportation equipment industry's gains were growth in the industrial machinery sector as well as the chemical processing industry, with manufacturing employment climbing 4% in each.

City data collected by MNI shows Bath remains the state's top industrial city by number of jobs, accounting for 5,880 workers, up 3.5% in 2015. Second-ranked Portland accounts for 4,614 workers, down 3.1%. Industrial employment in Auburn climbed 5.5% to 3,434 industrial workers, and rose 3.1% in fourth-ranked Westbrook to 3,361 jobs. South Portland ranks fifth with 2,182 jobs, with no significant change reported over the year.

Established in 1912, Manufacturers' News, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest publisher of industrial information. MNI offers a variety of tailored solutions to help customers connect with 430,000 manufacturers and suppliers. MNI's industrial database subscription service EZ Select (www.ezselect.com) allows users to tap into a live interactive database of manufacturers, while its industrial search engine IndustryNet (www.industrynet.com) connects buyers and suppliers and allows users to view profiles and obtain competitive quotes. For more information, contact Manufacturers' News, Inc. 847-864-7000. http://www.mni.net or follow MNI on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mfrsnews.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/3/15/11G087636/Images/ME_2016-6494319331b8afe689b4e1ac24df1c78.jpg

Contact:

Jennifer Ratcliff

Manufacturers' News, Inc.

(847) 864-9440 ext. 241

jratcliff@manufacturersnews.com
TULSA, OK -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Limitless Venture Group Inc. (OTC PINK: LVGI) today announced it has signed a contract with an independent distillery to produce the initial production run of SLAM Infusination drinks. Joseph Francella, CEO, said, "This is our signature product and we are proud to be able to start production. This facility distills their own alcoholic spirits, a minimum of 5 times, and filters their own water to the highest purity level which allows our SLAM products to be the best tasting pre-mixed drink on the market. We performed our due diligence, traveled to the distillery, and refined our formulas. We were very happy with the final product so we moved forward and signed the contract to manufacture and bottle SLAM."

This distillery already has FIDS approvals and has already filed our specific product flavorings. We are updating our graphics for the labels to show this new bottler and our new formulas. Once the flavorings are approved our COLA's will be filed with TTB. This process generally takes 6-8 weeks, however we do expect it to move quickly through the system. When the COLA's are approved, SLAM production will be immediately scheduled. Our initial production run will be two SLAM flavors. We will be adding other flavors to our next production runs. The funds to complete this initial production run are in the bank. All materials required for this production run have either already been ordered or will be ordered and delivered in time to meet this distiller's production schedule. As we progress through this beginning phase, we will be providing shareholders with more details.

For additional information about our SLAM Infusination ready to drink shots, please visit: www.getaslam.com

HEMPCORE:

We have contracted with an e-commerce specialist with over a decade of experience to work specifically with Amazon. He is in the process of revamping our Amazon site and setting up direct shipping through them. We have funds set aside specifically for working with Amazon's marketing services. As this new business model takes form, we will provide shareholders with more details.

We have also contracted with a Broker/Distributor that does business with over 5,000 retail outlets, as well as distribute products through their own website. We have shipped our HempCore products to them for strategic marketing purposes. We expect this distribution channel to get our product in stores as well as contracting with other online retail outlets.

Our goal is to have HempCore products on shelves nationally and available internationally through the Internet, backed by an aggressive marketing and sales program.

We express thanks to our shareholders for remaining patient throughout this process. We are now at the point where we will start seeing significant revenue which will allow our company to grow while expanding our product lines.

For additional information on our HempCore line of Nutraceuticals please visit: www.hempcorehealth.com

Mr. Francella added, "We believe our stock price is undervalued at these prices and we will be doing what we can to increase market awareness and shareholder value, now and for the long term."

About Limitless Venture Group Inc.

Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Limitless Venture Group Inc. is a full service brand development company specializing in beverage, supplement and healthy lifestyle products. Limitless acts as a brand incubator, bringing products from concept to reality, and then releasing them as standalone companies. Limitless Venture Group Inc. has internationally recognized formulators, in-house graphics department, in-house web design team, and full support staff for marketing and distribution chain development. Limitless Venture Group Inc.'s proprietary product line consists of SLAM Infusination, HempCore, and Limitless Health.

For further inquiry on Limitless Venture Group Inc. products: www.lvginc.com

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts, including, without limitation, statements that relate to the Company's expectations with regard to the future impact on the Company's results from new products in development, may be seemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import also identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on current facts and analysis and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determined and assumptions of management. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of the release. Except as may be required under applicable law, we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this release.

Limitless Venture Group Inc.

Joseph Francella

C.E.O.

(918) 671-9935

joefrance@aol.com




Regulatory News:

ERYTECH (Paris:ERYP) (ADR:EYRYY) (Euronext Paris: FR0011471135 ERYP), a French biopharmaceutical company developing innovative 'tumor starvation' treatments for acute leukemia and other oncology indications with unmet medical needs, today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application No. 12/672,094 entitled "Composition and Therapeutic Anti-tumor Vaccine."

The patent application covers the use of ERYTECH's proprietary ERYCAPS platform for the development of immunotherapy products targeting cancer cells. This Notice of Allowance concludes substantive examination of the patent application and is expected to result in the issuance of a U.S. patent after administrative processes are completed.

The allowed claims on this patent provide additional coverage for therapeutic products based on the ERYCAPS red blood cell encapsulation technology, including an anti-tumor vaccine containing such a composition. Patents have been issued in France, China, Israel, Australia and Singapore with similar scope of the allowed claims in the U.S. This patent adds to ERYTECH's growing intellectual property portfolio of issued patents and patent applications. ERYTECH currently has a patent portfolio with 149 issued patents and 86 pending patent applications worldwide covering 13 patent families.

Gil Beyen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ERYTECH, commented, "We are very pleased with the issuance of this key patent covering our platform technology for immunotherapy applications. The patent reinforces the use of our versatile technology for a mode of action other than tumor starvation. We have obtained encouraging preclinical data in melanoma and prostate cancer to support the continued advancement of our immunotherapy program and this important addition to our intellectual property estate provides potential protection for our current and future innovations in this area."

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/20160315006524/en/

Contacts:

ERYTECH

Gil Beyen

Chairman and CEO

or

Eric Soyer, +33 4 78 74 44 38

CFO and COO

investors@erytech.com

or

The Ruth Group

Lee Roth, +1 646 536 7012

lroth@theruthgroup.com

Investor relations

or

Kristen Thomas, +1 508 280 6592

Media relations

kthomas@theruthgroup.com

or

NewCap

Julien Perez

Investor relations

or

Nicolas Merigeau, +33 1 44 71 98 52

Media relations

erytech@newcap.eu
SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- PACIFIC Digital Group, a discovery agency based in San Diego focusing on search marketing, won an American Advertising Award.

PACIFIC won the award for the "Out-of-Home Poster Campaign" for LiquidSpace, a global network of office spaces. The campaign concept, "Big Ideas Need a Place to Meet Each Other" illustrates that coworking spaces, in addition to being affordable offices for startups and small businesses, also provide the opportunity to meet new people, exchange knowledge, and even start great business deals.

"We are thrilled to be recognized for our creative concepts and illustrative storytelling," said George Stein, Creative Director at PACIFIC. "This big win represents the hard work of the design team and validates our agency's approach of blending search marketing with delightful and non-boring advertising campaigns."

Nico Cortinove led the art direction to illustrate coworking spaces as the environment where iconic business minds behind today's top tech companies have the chance to connect with future partners and produce big, successful ideas. PACIFIC worked to present LiquidSpace venues as more than tables to work on -- they offer a creative, social environment that helps entrepreneurs take their business to the next level.

PACIFIC accepted its award at the 2016 San Diego American Advertising Awards Gala, held on Friday, March 4, 2016 at the Kona Kai Resort and Spa.

SDX, the San Diego chapter of the American Advertising Federation, presented 122 San Diego American Advertising Awards for excellence in 41 advertising, digital, and graphic design categories, culled from more than 335 entries. The American Advertising Awards is the advertising industry's largest competition. Its mission is to recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.

About PACIFIC:

PACIFIC is a feisty start-up agency with close to 60 digital marketing super marketers. The agency services more than 20 brands on a global scale, including Expedia, Microsoft, Jacuzzi, The Maids, Travelocity, and Natural Intelligence. Our culture is built on curiosity. We explore, analyze, and challenge what's around us to create far-from-standard digital experiences. For more information, visit www.meetpacific.com.

Media Contact:

Kimberly Deese

PR Coordinator

Email Contact




According to Technavio's latest report, the global generator market for military and defense sector is expected to exceed USD 1.4 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period.

Electric power supply using generators is the backbone of every country's armed forces operations, as, without it, modern warfare technology and equipment, such as weapons systems, command, control, communications, intelligence systems, and logistics support systems will become dysfunctional. Backup generators also provide power to electrical and electronic equipment embedded in the tactical vehicles that have become an indispensable part of both peacetime and combat military operations in the present scenario.

According to Anju Ajaykumar, lead research analyst at Technavio for engineering tools "There is a significant increase in defense spending in almost every major nation of the world. Most countries are focusing on strengthening their military and defense sectors which includes procurement of necessary equipment, including power generators."

In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of theGlobal Generator Market for Military and Defense Sector 2016-2020.The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the top six vendors operating in the market. The market is segmented into the following three regions:

Americas

EMEA

APAC

Americas: the US military and defense sector is the largest market for generators

The generator market for military and defense sector in the Americas is expected to reach exceed USD 790 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 4%. In the Americas, the US has the largest as well as the strongest defense sector. The US DoD is a significant consumer of electric power, much higher than the defense sectors in some of the other countries.

In 2015, the total US military budget declared was USD 601 billion which surpasses the combined defense budgets of the next seven highest defense spending countries in the world.

About 13% of the total defense funding in the US is spent on overseas contingency operations. The US Army has, on several occasions, carried out tactical military operations on foreign soil, such as the American military intervention in Cameroon (October 2015), and the naval patrolling in the Strait of Hormuz to counter Iran (April 2015).

All these situations lead to a greater demand for power generators, as it is evident that in hostile circumstances, especially in disputed areas, military forces have no access to utility grid power supply.

Therefore, Technavio predicts the market for generators for military and defense sector has a huge potential to grow in the Americas, during the forecast period.

Request a sample report: http://goo.gl/Q3ihBg

EMEA: rise in defense expenditure to boost growth

The generator market for military and defense sector in EMEA is expected to exceed USD 314 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of almost 4%.

Recent international events have brought Europe's national security issues to the forefront as a result of which European heads of state have committed to allocating significant amounts on defense expenditure.

Russian defense spending has also been increasing significantly. Its military budget grew by 25% from 2013 to 2014. Saudi Arabia also plans to increase its defense spending by 25% over the next five years to become one of the top significant contributors to global defense spending.

A significant part of these budgets is spent on procuring equipment and accessories necessary for military operations, including backup power generators. Thus, with significant increase in defense spending by major nations in the region, Technavio predicts a positive outlook for the generator market for the military and defense sector.

APAC: fastest growing region for generator market for military and defense

The generator market for military and defense in APAC is expected to exceed USD 304 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of around 5%. APAC is predicted to be the fastest growing region during the forecast period.

Countries such as China, Japan, and India have some of the most powerful military forces in APAC. In terms of defense spending, these three nations are ranked among the top ten countries in the world. The Chinese Army is ranked as the second largest military force in the world, after the US Army.

The governments of China, Japan and India, have allocated substantial amounts for the defense budget. "As is evident from the defense spending of these major countries, generator manufacturers can expect high demand for their equipment, from the military and defense sector in APAC during the forecast period," says Anju.

Key Vendors:

Caterpillar

Cummins

Dewey

Fischer Panda

Harrington

SFC

Some of the other prominent vendors listed in the report are: Air Rover, CMCA, DHS Systems, DRS, and Uninterruptible Power Supplies.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Stationary Generator Market 2015-2019

Global Industrial Gas Generator Market 2015-2019

Global Portable Generator 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/20160315005119/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
Washington DC--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2016) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a former Boston resident with operating a $10 million Ponzi scheme that claimed to generate profits from "bridge loans" to businesses in Jamaica.

The SEC complaint charges former Boston resident Mark A. Jones, who now lives in Miami and has a second home in Jamaica. Jones was arrested Sunday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts filed related criminal charges against him on Monday.

According to the SEC complaint filed in federal court in Boston:

Jones began soliciting investors starting around 2007 and said their money would be pooled and used for "bridge loans" to Jamaican businesses awaiting funds from approved commercial bank loans. Jones told investors the bridge loans would generate approximately 15 percent to 20 percent interest a year.

Jones raised about $10 million from at least 21 investors in six states and Washington, D.C., including three of his own relatives.

Jones appeared in YouTube videos touting investment opportunities in Jamaica and met with some investors in Jamaica to show local projects they had purportedly funded.

Jones used investors' money to pay other investors - the hallmark of a Ponzi scheme. He also used some investors' money to pay his personal expenses.

Many of those that Jones defrauded are retirees who are now in financial straits because of their investments with him.

"We allege that Jones enticed investors with the idea that they were investing in loans to Jamaican businesses that already had been approved for bank loans. Instead, we charge that Jones used investor money for other purposes, including making payments in Ponzi scheme fashion," said Paul G. Levenson, Director of the SEC's Boston Regional Office.

The SEC obtained a court order on Tuesday freezing Jones's assets and an order to repatriate investor funds that were moved overseas. The SEC's complaint seeks a permanent injunction, return of allegedly ill-gotten gains with interest, and penalties.

The SEC appreciates the assistance of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by J. Lauchlan Wash, Xinyue Angela Lin, Sofia Hussain, Frank Huntington, and Amy Gwiazda of the SEC's Boston Regional Office. Mr. Huntington will lead the SEC's litigation.
Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent Global Saw Blades Market 2016-2020report. This research report also lists seven prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period.

There are many global and regional players offering a wide range of saw blades. Saw blades that provide smooth and precise cuts, have longer blade life, and incur minimum wear and tear with continuous use are high in demand. Global vendors focus on such parameters while designing their products, whereas products offered by some regional vendors do not meet these required parameters and tend to compromise on the quality of raw materials such as steel and aluminum used in the manufacture of saw blades.

However, in emerging countries such as China and India, local players play an active role in the market. The local players have an advantage over global players in terms of availability of raw materials and product pricing and they are also trying to build strong supply chains and distribution systems that will help them gain a competitive edge in the market in the coming years.

"From a global perspective, the market displays an extremely competitive environment in both emerging as well as developed countries with many international vendors reducing the prices of their products considerably to match those of regional vendors," says Anju Ajaykumar, lead research analyst at Technavio for tools and componentsresearch.

Request sample report: http://goo.gl/UnwSQq

AKE

AKE was founded in 1960, and is headquartered in Balingen, Germany. The company is primarily a wholesaler of hardware and locks; hot water heaters; fittings and fixtures; sanitary installation equipment, such as tubes, fittings, pipes, taps, connections, rubber pipes and others; and tools, including hammers, screwdrivers, and saws.

AKE offers extremely efficient tooling solutions for both wood and metal processing.

Dimar

Dimar was founded in 1960, and is headquartered in Shelomi, Israel. The company manufactures cutting tools for industries, OEM companies, construction, and professional woodwork markets. The company has its manufacturing facilities located in Europe.

Dimar manufactures various saw blades for all industrial applications. The company offers various products for solid wood, boards, plastic, aluminum, and metal saw blades.

Freud

Freud is headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, US. Freud is the leading manufacturer of premium cutting tools and abrasives. It manufactures two brands of cutting tools, namely Freud Tools for the woodwork market and Diablo Tools for the professional construction and remodeler market.

Freud manufactures woodworking tools that produce its own MicroGrain Carbide with Titanium, called TiCo, a high-density combination of titanium and cobalt. The company's full line of high-quality woodworking tools includes saw blades, shaper cutters, router bits, and others

LEUCO

LEUCO was founded in 1954, and is headquartered in Neckar, Germany. They are one of the world's largest suppliers of carbide and diamond-tipped machine tools for wood and plastic processing. The company's product range includes circular saw blades, bore type and shank type cutters, hoggers, drills, inserts, and clamping systems. It also offers sharpening services, application consulting, and service packages bundled under tool management.

The company sells its products through direct sales offices in geographies spanning Spain, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, Australia, Japan, the US, and others.

PILANA

PILANA was founded in 1934, and is headquartered in Hulin, Czech Republic. The company offers woodworking tools, including tungsten carbide-tipped saw blades for light metals, cutting plastics, and construction materials; band saw blades for woodworking; PCD saw blades for large panel sizing applications; gang saw blades for longitudinal cutting of timber; and alloy saw blades.

Browse related reports:

Global Cordless Garden Equipment Market 2016-2020

Global Chainsaw Market Market Research Report 2015-2019

Global Tree Trimmer Market 2016-2020

Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160315005123/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - March 15, 2016) - Pinnacle, one of the nation's leading multifamily management firms, announced today that Jamie McDonald joined the company as a regional property manager to provide operational oversight for a portfolio of assets in the Great Lakes Region. A 35-year industry veteran, McDonald brings valuable experience as a market leader with extensive knowledge of Class A new construction product in Chicago. Based in the metropolitan area, she reports to Kellie DeVilbiss, regional vice president.

"Jamie is an industry award winner and an accomplished team leader," said DeVilbiss. "Her mastery with all product types, including premier conventional and affordable communities, will prove valuable as we build on our diversity in the Chicago area."

McDonald has worked with many of the industry leaders including AMLI, Aimco, First Group, The Finger Companies and most recently with Laramar where she oversaw a portfolio of Class A and Class B properties in Illinois and Wisconsin. She brings a strong ability to improve the financial performance of her communities and will lend her background in sales, marketing, capital improvements, training and team building to her assignments at Pinnacle.

McDonald is a four-time award winner, three of which were Chicagoland Apartment Marketing and Management Excellence (CAMME) awards and one was for Chicagoland Apartment Association Community Manager of the Year. She is a Licensed State of Illinois Real Estate Broker, member of the Lake Villa Historical Society and the Preserve Lehman Mansion committee in Lake Villa, Ill. McDonald is also a Peer Trainer.

About Pinnacle Property Management Services, LLC

Pinnacle Property Management Services, LLC, ("Pinnacle") is a privately held national real estate provider specializing in third party management of multifamily residential communities. As one of the nation's preferred property managers, Pinnacle's portfolio includes nearly 135,000 residential units and 2 million square feet of commercial assets. With the Corporate headquarters located in Dallas, Texas, Pinnacle has 3,000 employees located in 35 states and 25 major metropolitan areas. For more information, visit www.pinnacleliving.com.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/3/15/11G087704/Images/Jamie_McDonald_NEW-4e0e8262c238852a8eb095a2e501afe2.jpg

MEDIA CONTACT

Kerri Fulks

(972) 499-6617

Kerri.Fulks@hck2.com
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Peyto Exploration & Development Corp. ("Peyto") (TSX: PEY) confirms that the monthly dividend with respect to March 2016 of $0.11 per common share is to be paid on April 15, 2016, for shareholders of record on March 31, 2016. The ex-dividend date is March 29, 2016.

Dividends paid by Peyto to Canadian residents are eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes.

Shareholders and interested investors are encouraged to visit the Peyto website at www.peyto.com to learn more about what makes Peyto one of North America's most exciting energy companies. The website also includes the President's monthly report, which discusses various topics chosen by the President and includes estimates of monthly capital expenditures and production.

Certain information set forth in this document, including management's assessment of Peyto's future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond these parties' control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates, environmental risks, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Peyto's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that Peyto will derive therefrom. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.

Contacts:

Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.

Darren Gee

President and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 237-8911

(403) 451-4100 (FAX)

www.peyto.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/15/16 -- Belvedere Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: BEL) (the "Company") announces the appointment of Mike Sutton as a director of the Company and also announces the resignation of John Thomson from the Board of Directors of the Company.

"The Company wishes to thank Mr. Thomson for his time, service and hard work during his tenure," said Brian Hinchcliffe, Company CEO.

Mr. Sutton is a geologist who has worked in some of the largest gold camps in the world, including Witwatersrand, Timmins and Kirkland Lake, serving in various capacities related entirely to the exploration and mining of gold. Mr. Sutton was awarded the Prospector of the Year for Ontario for the discovery of the South Mine Complex while he was Chief Geologist and Assistant Manager at Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

BELVEDERE RESOURCES LTD.

Brian Hinchcliffe, Executive Chairman

Suite #404, Vancouver World Trade Centre, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3E2, Canada

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.

Contacts:

Belvedere Resources Ltd.

Brian Hinchcliffe

Executive Chairman

Tel. +1 (914) 815 2773

bhinch3@gmail.com

www.belvedere-resources.com




Recently, my company TMC launched a new and very exciting event called All About The API, the leading conference bringing together companies who offer APIs to the developers and product managers looking to be where the next opportunity lies.

Beyond live events, our goal is to help foster live community 247 online by exposing you to new and innovative companies which are releasing APIs which will enable you to enhance existing solutions as well as come up with new business ideas.

To kick things off, we had an email interview with Perfecto Mobile, the company looking to simplify your app testing lab. You may recall, we recently covered how the company has come together with Worksoft to bring mobility to the workforce. As time to market becomes critical in this ultra-competitive online world, companies like Perfecto are helping take advantage of the latest tech to become more competitive. Here is my interview with Yoram Mizrachi, CTO & Founder.

1. What APIs do you have available?

Perfecto has a variety of APIs available, including Selenium, Appium and the generic RESTful API for full device control.



2. What are the benefits/ solutions they help provide?

These APIs provide a variety of benefits to our customers. Through these APIs, companies are able to move their existing testing for mobile and web into the cloud without worrying about lab management, devices, browsers and security. Additionally, with Perfectos cloud-based Continuous Quality Lab (CQL), developers can keep using their existing testing scripts without having to worry about their lab infrastructure.



3. What new business opportunities do they potentially open up for your partners?

We consider our partners an extension of our own business and strive to create new opportunities to pave the way for success. Perfectos APIs enable developers to build digital properties based on real mobile devices and browsers for solutions such as monitoring, customer care, smart visual analysis or any other solution which requires an end customers real environment.



4. Why should developers/ decision makers choose to be part of your ecosystem?

The developer community thrives when they stand together and when they are supported by decision makers driving technology innovation in business. We encourage developers and decision makers alike to take part in this ecosystem to help maintain focus and simplicity. Instead of spending most of the time managing on-premises labs, buying devices, understanding where SIM cards are, WiFi issues, and more  which, by industry standards, can take up to as much as 60 percent of time in the development process  a more collaborative approach can enable teams to truly hone in on the actual development rather than the logistical process.



5. What are some of the cooler solutions that have been developed using your APIs?

Perfectos APIs power a number of interesting solutions  from test management allowing smart analysis of testing coverage, to customer care utilizing real devices instead of piles of devices in the middle of the room. We support real devices, real networks and real monitoring systems.



6. How do you market your APIs?

We believe in an open environment model. For this reason, weve decided to align to the Selenium/Appium API implementations and allow quick portability between existing usage and a cloud-based usage.



7. Who is the customer for your APIs?

Our core customer for APIs is developers and testers, with benefits, such as speed to market, extending to our complete customer base of digital businesses.

All About The API will feature a variety of intensive hackathons, indepth companyfocused workshops helping attendees understand the value propositions from key vendors, powerful keynotes, daily and nightly networking opportunities plus an exhibit hall full of companies demonstrating the latest innovations in todays market place. Every business has to pay attention to the new opportunities they are presenting or potentially be displaced. We hope to see you July 18-21 in Las Vegas!
Omnes Capital, a France-based venture capital firm, launched a new mutual fund investing in innovative companies.

Capital Invest PME 2016 will will invest 80% of its assets in innovative French and European SMEs while the remaining 20% will be invested in low-risk assets.

The 80% part will enable investors to benefit from a reduction in wealth tax equal to 40% of the amount invested.

Led by Michel de Lempdes, Managing Director, the firm provides companies with the capital needed to finance their growth and has expertise in a areas including Buyout & Growth Capital, Private Debt, Venture Capital, Renewable Energy, Co-Investment, Secondary Funds of Funds.

In 15 years of activity, Omnes Capital has invested in over 180 innovative SMEs in the technology and healthcare sectors (including Adents, Tvsmiles, Senioradom, Mes Docteurs, BlablaCar, Sigfox, Scality, among others) with 14 successful IPOs (including Cellnovo).

A subsidiary of Credit Agricole until March 2012, the firm is now owned by its employees and has 2.1 billion in assets under management.

FinSMEs

15/03/2016
Wise Sgr, a Milan, Italy-based private equity firm, closed its latest fund at 215m.

Limited Partners in Wisequity IV include domestic and international institutional investors, the management team of the firm and other high net worth individuals.

Founded in 2000 by Paolo Gambarini and Michele Semenzato, Wise specializes in investing in Italian small and medium sized companies operating in B2B niches, with a turnover ranging between 20m and 100m and oriented to international markets.

The firm makes two main types of investments: Leveraged Buy Out (acquisition of majority holdings, via leverage) and Development Capital (subscriptions to increase capital stock in companies with high growth potential).

The average investment size in each company is 5-25m in terms of equity value and 10m-75m in terms of enterprise value.

FinSMEs

15/03/2016
After a brave confession in which he told fans that he suffered both from bipolar disorder and alcoholism, rapper Honey Singh seems to be firmly back on track to reclaiming his musical stardom in Bollywood.

The rapper, who has been roped in to perform at the second edition of the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) in Dubai, has said that he is hoping to share the stage with superstar Salman Khan.

Honey  whose real name is Hirdesh Singh  has shared screen space (and performed live) with a string of A-listers like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan. However, he has never performed with Salman.

"I have performed with Shah Rukh bhai and Jacqueline Fernandez in the past, but not with Salman bhai. So I am looking forward to interacting with him (during) with my performance, if he is in the audience," said Honey.

Incidentally, the rapper celebrates his 33rd birthday today, and in an interview with the The Times of India, Honey revealed the truth about his nearly two-year long absence from the spotlight.

The last 18 months were the darkest phase of my life, and I wasn't in a state to talk to anyone. I know there were rumours that I was in rehab (for a drug overdose), but I was in my Noida house throughout. The truth is I was suffering from bipolar disorder. It went on for 18 months, during which I changed four doctors, the medication wasn't working and crazy things were happening, he said. I must confess that I was an alcoholic, which aggravated the condition.

Honey said that for a year he didnt meet anyone, rarely stepping out of his room. The rapper added that it was his mother who gave him the strength to carry on, and that he composed a song called Rise and Shine for her.

During the interview, Honey also negated the rumours of his rift with Shah Rukh Khan, saying that the superstar had been in touch with him during his illness.

With IANS inputs
After teasing fans with a couple of posters, the Baaghi trailer was finally released on Monday evening. And what does it tell us about this Shraddha Kapoor-Tiger Shroff starrer?

Well, for starters, that it takes every trope known to us in martial arts films down the ages, and repackages it, Bollywood-style.

We begin with the glittering lights of a city, and a voiceover by Shraddha Kapoor that introduces us to her character: Sia, a born rebel. Her credentials as a rebel are established by shots of her bashing up some baddies.

Then, she tells us about Ronny  another baaghi (rebel). Cut to Tiger Shroff slowly raising his head and glaring at the camera to show us just how full of rage he is. He steps into an arena, delivers a knockout kick to his opponents jaw (Chuck Norris, aka Walker, Texas Ranger, would have been so proud), an arc of blood spreads artistically across the screen, and were into the plot!

So, Ronny has been packed off to a martial arts academy in the most sylvan of surroundings, presumably to channel his rage issues, by his father. He tells us as much, indicating to someone at the academy that he doesnt really want to be there: Mujhe yahaan aane ka koi shauk nahi thaa, wo mere baap ne bamboo kiya, toh main aa gaya!

He then shows off his skills a little bit, leading the academys instructor  a Master Shifu-like character (but not as short, and not an animated character certainly)  to put him down with his own superior prowess.

Then begins Ronny's half-hearted training at the academy. Only, while everybody else gets to do kalaripayuttu and other such awesome things, Ronny is put to work scrubbing floors and cleaning the tiled roofs. (Is anyone else reminded of Karate Kid, and Mr Miyagis karate training for Daniel that involves painting fences, sanding floors and waxing a car?) In the meantime, a frustrated Ronny reveals to us his real reason for being at the academy: Sia.

Yes, in case wed forgotten about her, she makes a dazzling entry, emerging out of the water and stealing Ronnys heart, all at one go. Sia, however, doesnt seem terribly impressed, telling Ronny, Tu jo apne naino se mere upar baan chala raha hai na, wo mujh pe kaam nai karega. Apni limit mein reh. Belying her own dialogue, however, we see her soon enough, cavorting underwater with Ronny and stealing kisses in the rain.

But the course of true love neer did run smooth, and Sia and Ronny must contend with  Raghav, a rogue martial arts expert who covets our heroine. He promptly dispatches Ronny with a gunshot and takes Sia away to his heavily guarded skyscraper fortress (no traditional dojo here for Ronny to infiltrate). Theres a private army on every floor, were told  professional killers, swordsmen (because theyre cooler than guns, of course) and martial artists.

To get his ladylove back, Ronny begins training in earnest  and this time Master Shifu gives him the full works: Gruelling workouts, sword-fighting, testing the limits of his physical endurance etc. After that, the end is a foregone conclusion we suppose, so we get a series of shots of Ronny landing kicks of varying kinds on his enemies, showing off his bare, hyper-chiselled abs and generally making toast of Raghavs minions.

The plot may be something weve seen a million times, but weve got to say, director Sabbir Khan does make it all look slick in Baaghi. The trailer shows Tiger Shroff playing to all his strengths and Shraddha Kapoor seems to be keeping up with ease in the action department. And theres a pounding background score to accompany the spiralling body count (the trailer ends this at 118, or close).

As for the formulaic approach  why tamper with something that has worked for martial arts movies from time immemorial?

Watch the trailer here:

https://youtu.be/8HQIKJBUsQk
New Delhi: Parineeti Chopra, who was the only Indian actress at a prestigious event in Dubai where teachers were honoured, says she was "starstruck" upon meeting Hollywood talents Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek there.

Parineeti attended the Global Teacher Prize event in Dubai on Sunday, and even made time for a selfie moment with McConaughey  a picture perfect moment which was photobombed by actors Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar.

"I was starstruck. It's not everyday that you meet these amazing, great performers," Parineeti told IANS over phone from Mumbai, when asked about her meeting with the Hollywood stars.

For the 27-year-old actress, it was a "proud moment" to be a part of an event, which also saw the participation of former US President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis.

"The fun and game is on its own, but it was very proud moment for me that I was a part of this," she said, adding that she, Akshay, Abhishek and even Ali Zafar got ample personal time with Interstellar star McConaughey and Desperado actress Hayek.

"We actually got a lot of time to spend with them. We were in Akshays room just taking pictures, chilling and talking about everything. We all went down to the beach, where the event was being held. The dinner was at the beach, so we just ate together. We got to spend the whole evening with them," Parineeti said in a tone which exuded excitement.

"I am so glad that they were humble and grateful enough to just spend time with us," she added.

Parineeti even shared that she told McConaughey about her liking for Interstellar, while she was surprised when Hayek told her that she has seen some of her work.

Together, they even danced to Bollywood songs like "Khaike paan Banaras wala" and "Jumma chumma".

Describing the moment, Parineeti said: "Ali was singing when he came down and took Abhishek and me on the stage. We started singing and dancing, and then we got Matthew to come on stage with us and I started him teaching him the steps."

"We even got a lot of time to spend with his wife... So I tried to make her dance. We ended up dancing to Mr Bachchan's songs 'Khaike paan', a little bit of 'Jumma chumma' and a lot of other old Bollywood songs.

IANS
Tax troubles of the e-commerce sector in India is heightening even as the political parties are engaged in a who-will-blink-first game on passing the GST bill in Parliament.

According to a report in The Economic Times, more states are following in the footsteps of Uttarakhand after the state imposed a 10 percent entry tax on goods sold online. Another report in the same news paper said the biggest player in the sector Flipkart has filed a petition in the high court of Uttarakhand against the levy.

The ET report says apart from Uttarakhand, Bihar and Assam have also imposed the tax on e-commerce goods.

Not just Flipkart, other e-commerce companies are also protesting the new tax, which they think is a method devised by the state governments to get some quick buck.

"The decision to impose such a levy without any ostensible justification seems not to be driven by clean hands," an industry official has told the ET, raising suspicion that the move may have been prompted by the retailers' lobby.

This is not the first time that e-commerce - a sunshine sector in the startup ecosystem - is facing such tax troubles.

Earlier, the Karnataka government had imposed sales tax on the goods sold by Amazon, saying the company was keeping the goods in the warehouses in the state and this amounted owning the items being sold. However, the company maintained that it was following a market place business model, in which it just plays the role of a facilitator or platform to conduct business. According to it, the tax should be levied on the sellers.

Amazon's rival Flipkart and a few other etailers had faced sales tax issues in Kerala too. The state tax department had levied Rs 54 crore penalty on the companies saying though they do not have physical showrooms, their websites, where they display the products and prices, serve the purpose of such a physical outlet. Since these companies sell the products to the local customers, regional taxes are applicable, the tax department had said.

However, in October 2015 the Kerala High Court had ruled in favour of the Flipkart. The court held as illegal the commercial tax department's order imposing the penalty on Flipkart and Myntra for alleged violation of the state's tax laws.

Allowing petitions by Flipkart and Myntra, Justice A K Jayasankar Nambiar wondered how the authorities could levy tax or impose penalty in the absence of any material to suggest that returns filed by the sellers had been rejected by concerned authorities.

The new tax troubles of the ecommerce has to be seen in this context. The root cause of the problem is that the tax laws of the country were formed much before the advent of ecommerce.

Flipkart, the biggest in the sector, started operations in 2007. Encouraged by its success in the next few years, many more ecommerce companies have sprung up in the country. For the tech-savvy consumer - not only in urban but even in semi-urban and rural areas - online shopping has become the norm. What is aiding the growth is the quick proliferation of smart phones.

But unfortunately for the sector, the tax laws of the country have not reformed as much. For instance, sales tax continues to be different for different states. The key reform that would have subsumed the different tax laws into one and treated the country as one whole market is GST, which remains deadlocked in Parliament.

What is particularly disheartening for the ecommerce companies is that the new levy comes at a time when the sector is facing funding troubles and also going through a reality check on valuation.

A week after Flipkart said its valuation is $15.2 billion, Morgan Stanley had reduced the valuation of its stake in the company by 27 percent. This had brought down the valuation of the company to $11 billion.

The fund crunch in the Indian startup space has been attributed to the global slowdown, particularly in China. Chinese giant Alibaba has witnessed a 10 percent fall in the value of its shares on NYSE in 2016 alone after the country's economic growth continued to decline.

If the government wants to give an impetus to the ecommerce sector, the need of the hour is to move fast on implementing GST.

Otherwise, ecommerce may turn out to be a big blot on the startup-friendly image of the NDA government.
Vijayawada: At least eleven people were killed  four of which were medical students  and 31 injured when a bus carrying them overturned after hitting a roadside tree at Gollapudi near Vijayawada on late Monday night, police said.

The driver of the private bus was also killed in the accident which occurred on Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway.

The students of government-run Osmania Medical College were returning to Hyderabad after participating in a sports tournament in Andhra Pradesh when the accident occurred around midnight. In all, there were 48 medical students in the bus, who were returning after taking part in a sports meet in Amalapuram.

Police said the driver was drunk and driving the bus at a high speed, which led to the disaster. The survivors said the driver picked up an argument with them when they raised an objection to driving in an inebriated condition.

MBBS fourth year student P. Rajaram, House Surgeons Giri Lakshman and M. Vijay Teja and driver died on the spot. Another student succumbed at a hospital at Gollapudi.

The injured were admitted to the hospital, where some of them are in critical condition.

Telangana Health Minister Lakshma Reddy rushed to Vijayawada from Hyderabad. He called on the injured at Andhra Hospital in Gollapudi. The minister said Telangana government will bear all expenses for the treatment of the injured.

The minister said action would be taken against those whose negligence led to the accident.

Chief Ministers of AP and Telangana, N Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrasekhar Rao, expressed grief over the accident. Naidu directed the officials to immediately submit a report on the causes for the accident. He also directed state Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao to study the reasons for the series of road accidents and take urgent steps for their prevention.

With input from agencies
Despite the numerous UC providers crowding the marketplace, the actual sales of UC seats is not skyrocketing. Companies with 25% growth like 8x8, number in the dozens, not in the hundreds.

For some, it is a focus-message mess. They want to appeal to everyone - and that market is already taken.

Others think it is a price thing, which it is NOT. (see here, because at $4.99 per seat, if price was the component to grease sales, these guys would be cleaning up.) We have had free services before (Skype, NetZero). It doesn't mean that it will own the market.

Besides messaging, pricing, targeting and value, the foundation of a marketing strategy, there are 2 reasons that it is hard to sell UC (or HPBX or UC&C).

The first problem with selling UC or UC&C is that users don't want to change! I have tried to explain this before but Seth Godin does a great job here: " (*the bulk of the market doesn't ever truly want change, because change brings risk and risk brings fear. Give people a chance to avoid change, and they'll likely take it)."

So while you are selling change, most people don't want to change. You have to tell a powerful story about what happens if they do change. (OUTCOME)

This explains both SIP Trunking and Key System Emulation.

The other problem is the Signal-to-Noise Ratio - or the Attention Deficit Problem. This week there were a ton of press releases in VoIP/UC. Some of that volume was due to the EC16 show. Here is a smattering sample.

AT&T Launches Cloud-Based Collaborate. I think it is their version of a Broadsoft powered product. (I might be wrong, because it was a small press release and vaguely worded - as is the website.)

VoicePulse, Cytracom, Votacall and SolveForce all had press releases to make noise. Not saying much but just putting something out there to get in front of people. No idea who the PR firms are that do this, but it is for all intents and purposes worthless.

Work a little harder at sharpening your message. Target better. Do a case study or a customer story. At least try to be a little more tangible to the nameless, faceless businesses you seem to being throwing spaghetti at.

Telecom is just above a root canal on what people want to think about. Maybe going car shopping is the closest pain in the butt to buying telecom.

Jon Arnold explains that the Economic advantage of VoIP has declined and the business value of telephony has weakened. This makes people procrastinate more on a buying decision until a trigger event - like a rate hike or the PBX breaks.

What all those press releases do say is that there are a large number of providers doing anything to make noise, to get noticed. There are ways to do that without wasting money or looking hopeless. Give me a call and we can talk about it because you have to sell Change and Explain Value.

BONUS COVERAGE

Amidst the noise there was a merger: Diverse Technology Solutions Inc. acquires cloud hosted Unified Communications VOIP telephony provider 'Voitual' of Delray Beach, Florida. This was about as big as Miami-based IPFone winning the bid for Intelacloud from bankruptcy court.
Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its probe in a money laundering case, will be on Tuesday produced before a special PMLA court here.

The agency, which placed the senior NCP leader under arrest on Monday night after a marathon grilling session will seek his custody for further interrogation.

According to an ED official, the arrest of the ex-PWD minister was effected under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he allegedly refused to cooperate during the 10-hour questioning. The agency has also recorded his statement in the case.

The agency has filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

The ED had registered a PMLA case involving the Bhujbals and some of their associates and has already arrested the ex-minister's nephew Samir last month in the case.

Samir is currently lodged in the high security Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.

The ED had also questioned Bhujbal's son Pankaj in the same case last month. It had also brought out orders for attachment of three properties with an estimated worth of over Rs 280 crore in the case under money laundering laws.

ED had twice conducted searches at nine premises, including properties and offices, belonging to the senior Bhujbal, Pankaj, Samir and few others.

The state Anti-Corruption Bureau has already filed a charge sheet against Chhagan Bhujbal, Pankaj, Sameer and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case. The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at the cost of Rs 100 crore when Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.

Soon after Bhujbal was placed under arrest last night, NCP described the party leader's arrest as "vendetta politics" by BJP, and said there was no need to arrest him as he was cooperating with the ED.

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya said, "Now it is the turn of irrigation scam's Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare to follow Bhujbal."

NCP activists on Tuesday staged road blockades in Nashik district and Worli area here to protest against Bhujbal's arrest. Also, a meeting of NCP legislators was held here to discuss his arrest.

Former NCP minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar said Bhujbal has been cooperating with the ED probe and has also submitted all necessary documents.

Bhujbal, who began his political career with the Shiv Sena as a grassroot worker in the late 1960s, gradually rose to be the Mumbai Mayor, a post which he held twice.

However, he left the saffron party in early 90s owing to differences with Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and joined the Congress following which he secured a ministerial berth in the Maharashtra government.

In 1999, Bhujbal again defected and joined forces with Sharad Pawar, who formed the NCP. The same year, NCP came to power in the assembly elections along with the Congress.

Bhujbal, who was the first State NCP president was a minister in the Congress-NCP regime during the last 15 years. He also served as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

His alleged involvement in the Telgi scam and his functioning as the PWD minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government had in the past spelled trouble for him.

PTI
New Delhi: Opposition parties on Tuesday trained its guns on the government in Rajya Sabha over the general budget, calling it an "economic blunder" and terming some of its announcements as election "jumla".

Members from Congress, Samajwadi Party and JD(U) also targetted the government on the farmers front, wondering whether the government has any agricultural road map.

Naresh Agrawal (Samajwadi Party) spoke about difficulty in loans for the poor and the farmer and asked the government to clearly define the parameters of poverty. "No loan is given without giving commission. Has any action been taken against any Chairman, Regional Managers and Managers of banks."

Talking about corruption in MGNREGA, he said the government should rather withdraw it as instead of giving employment, it was encouraging corruption which has made the election of village heads an expensive affair.

Digressing from the issue, Aggrawal also referred to the remarks of MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi that he would not say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. "The statements of some political leaders come that they can't say Vande Mataram or Bharat Maata Ki Jai. Yesterday itself such a statement came."

He also advised the government to accept the recommendations of a Parliamentary panel to increase the salary of MPs. While arguing that the government should take effective steps for population control, Aggrawal said the government should either do it through education "or should adopt the style of Sanjay Gandhi."

Aggrawal also took a jibe at the ministers saying the Prime Minister has not given the rights and directly talks to their Secretaries.

Pawan Kumar Verma (JDU) posed ten questions before the government on the Budget it was "mystifying,". While the budget claims that economy will accelerate to 7.6 per cent and India is hailed as a bright spot, exports are "sinking" for last 15 months in a row and the manufacturing sector is in a "very bleak" position.

He also wondered that at a time when banks are facing bankruptcy and farmers are under debt, the government is talking of providing further loans to agriculturists through the banks. He also dubbed as "double betrayal" the government's promise on minimum support price.

The JD-U member wondered whether the promise to double the income of farmers by 2022 is just "another election jumla (phrase)".

PTI
New Delhi: Government is mulling a proposal to "thin out" presence of BSF personnel on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and deploy them along the International Border (IB) in Punjab and Jammu regions in the wake of the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack.

Officials said a proposal to de-induct at least four out of the dozen-odd battalions of Border Security Force (BSF) from LoC has already been sent to the Union Home Ministry and a note for taking a final decision in this regard by the Cabinet Committee on Security will be prepared soon after deliberations with the Ministry of Defence and army.

Top sources in the security establishment said National Security Council, headed by NSA Ajit Doval, is considering whether all 12 BSF battalions can be removed from LoC and deployed as the 'second tier' of defence, behind existing BSF positions, along IB which witnessed incidents of terrorists crossing over the border to attack vital military, police and civilian establishments in Jammu and Punjab.

The move, however, is being strongly opposed by senior BSF commanders as they feel that its removal from LoC where its men are deployed under the operational command of the army will take away vital exposure of the personnel who have been performing 'war time'-like duties on this frontier with Pakistan since 1965.

"A proposal in this regard is being discussed at present. The proposal entails that a good number of BSF battalions should be withdrawn from LoC and re-deployed as the second tier of security along IB which is prone to infiltration attempts," a senior official said.

He, however, said no ground assessment of forward areas along the Pakistani frontier has been done in this regard.

The official, quoting the proposal prepared in this regard, said the decision was taken as the force requires more men to secure IB and it could only be done by de-inducting units from other places as there is a dearth of reserve battalions in BSF and technological solutions being deployed to plug border gaps and breaches along IB will take some more time.

The Home Ministry also recently constituted a team under former Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to suggest measures to further fortify defence mechanisms along IB, especially against infiltration.



It is widely understood that the terrorists who attacked the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot early this year had infiltrated through the IB, possibly in Bamial area in Punjab.

BSF has been deployed along LoC since 1965 under the command of the army while it works independently at IB running across Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Punjab as the 'First Line of Defence'.

Officials said a proposal is also being prepared to deploy Assam Rifles personnel at LoC posts which will be vacated by BSF as they will no longer be tasked with the security of the Indo-Myanmar border, a task expected to go to another border guarding force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

"As ITBP does not have adequate number of battalions at present to effectively guard the new task at Myanmar border, its units from Ladakh deployed along the 3,488-km China border could be thinned out and replaced by Assam Rifles," a senior paramilitary official said.

PTI
Kolkata: Mother Teresa's elevation to sainthood on Tuesday brought cheers in the Mother's House, headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity here, and a big thanksgiving Holy Mass is being planned.

"Pope Francis today approved Mother Teresa's elevation to sainthood and set 4 September as the date for her canonisation," a message from the Vatican to the Mother's House said.

The elevation of Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, who dedicated most of her life to working with the destitutes and the downtrodden in Kolkata, to sainthood came after the Church recognised a second miracle earlier, the Missionaries of Charity (MOC) said.

"We have now received an official confirmation from Vatican that Pope Franscis has approved Mother's sainthood and set 4 September as the date for her canonisation. We are very excited and happy about it," Missionaries of Charity Spokesperson Sunita Kumar told PTI.

Archbishop Thomas D'Souza said that the canonisation was a formality but an important one.

"This is the last step in the canonisation process wherein the Pope needs the cardinal and signs the decree," D'Souza said.

The MOC and other Christian associations in Kolkata are planning a big thanksgiving Holy Mass on 2 October at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here. It is also having a special mass and prayer to mark the occasion this evening.

Nuns at the MOC said the canonisation in Rome will have a special universal significance because of Mother's popularity.

Sister Prema and Archbishop D'Souza will go to Rome to attend the canonisation.

Archbishop Thomas D'souza said they were planning a big celebration in Kolkata in September to mark the occasion where delegates from different parts of the country will participate.

Besides a religious programme which includes a Holy Mass, there will also be a civil programme where dignitaries will be present.

Mother Teresa, who spent 45 years serving the poor and the sick on the streets of Kolkata, died at the age of 87 in Kolkata in 1997. She founded the Missionaries of Charity. She will now be a Saint of Roman Catholic Church.

She was beatified by then pope John Paul II in a fast-tracked process in 2003, attended by some 300,000 pilgrims. Beatification is the first step towards sainthood.

In 2002, the Vatican recognised a miracle she was said to have carried out after her death, namely the 1998 healing of a Bengali tribal woman, Monika Besra, who was suffering from an abdominal tumour.

The traditional canonisation procedure requires at least two miracles.

"The first miracle was performed in Kolkata many years ago. The second one was performed in Brazil, where a person was healed miraculously as a result of her earlier prayers," Kumar said, adding such miracles were known to happen even after the death of a saint.

Kumar, who worked closely with the Mother, said the late nun was an extraordinary woman who believed that hard work was the best way to serve God.

Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in Macedonia in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire. After having lived in Macedonia for some 18 years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.

She was granted Indian citizenship in 1951 and received a state funeral after her death.

PTI
Vatican City/Kolkata: Mother Teresa will be made a saint on 4 September, Pope Francis announced today, 19 years after the death of the Nobel Laureate who spent 45 years serving the poor and sick on the streets of Kolkata.

"Pope Francis today approved Mother Teresa's elevation to sainthood and set 4 September as the date for her

canonisation," said a message from the Vatican to the Mother's House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata.

Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent 45 years serving the poor, the sick, the orphaned, and the dying on the streets of Kolkata. She died at the age of 87 in Kolkata in 1997.

The elevation of Mother Teresa to sainthood came after the Church recognised a second miracle earlier, the Missionaries of Charity said.

"We have now received an official confirmation from Vatican that Pope Francis has approved Mother's sainthood and set 4 September as the date for her canonisation. We are very excited and happy about it," Missionaries of Charity spokesperson Sunita Kumar told PTI.

Archbishop Thomas D'Souza said that the canonisation is a formality, but an important one. "This is the last step that the Pope needs the cardinal and sign the decree," D'Souza said.

The Missionaries of Charity and other Christian associations in Kolkata are planning a big thanksgiving Holy Mass on 2 October at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

Nuns at the Missionaries of Charity said the canonisation in Rome will have a special universal significance because of the Mother's popularity.

Sister Prema and Archbishop D'Souza will go to Rome to attend the canonisation.

More than 300,000 pilgrims went to Rome in 2003 for Teresa's beatification  the first step towards sainthood.

Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in Macedonia in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire. After having lived in Macedonia for some 18 years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.

She was granted Indian citizenship in 1951 and received a state funeral after her death. Archbishop D'souza said they were planning a big celebration in Kolkata in September to mark the occasion where delegates from different parts of the country will participate.

Besides a religious programme which includes a Holy Mass, there will also be a civil programme where dignitaries will be present.

Missionaries of Charity spokesperson Kumar said the nuns also had a special mass and prayers this evening.

Mother Teresa, who will now be a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church, was beatified by then Pope John Paul II in a fast-tracked process in 2003.

In 2002, the Vatican officially recognised a miracle she was said to have carried out after her death, namely the 1998 healing of a Bengali tribal woman, Monika Besra, who was suffering from an abdominal tumour. The traditional canonisation procedure requires at least two miracles.

"The first miracle was performed in Kolkata many years ago. The second one was performed in Brazil, where a person had been healed miraculously as a result of her earlier prayers," Kumar said, adding that such miracles were known to happen even after the death of a saint.

Kumar, who worked closely with the Mother, said the late nun was an extraordinary woman who believed that hard work was the best way to serve God.

PTI
There's a complex situation brewing South Andaman and perhaps this will finally allow us to confront some tough legal questions that we have left unanswered till now. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are one of the Union Territories of India and they lie approximately 150 Kilometres north of Indonesia. In fact, geographically they are closer to Burma than they are to India in terms of distance and ethnically the islands have been settled by populations from the Indian mainland.

The islands are also home to a series of scheduled tribes that have so far been one of the world's last set of uncontested peoples  the Jarawa with their limited interaction with the Government of India and the Sentinelese people who have hardly interacted with the Government of India at all. On paper, all these people are Indian Citizens. But are they subject to Indian Law? This is a social, moral and legal question that needs to be addressed very carefully.

This morning's New York Times reported that a baby had been killed on the Jarawa Reserve and the alleged killer was a member of the tribe. It goes on to contend that the killing was sanctioned by tribal law but it raises a moral question, should the Government of India go ahead and prosecute this killing?

The Jarawa are the original inhabitants of the Andaman Islands and have had little or no contact with outsiders for over thousands of years. Their's is a civilisation that originates in the Paelolithic era and they are a Schedule Tribe by Virtue of the The Constitution (Andaman and Nicobar Island) Scheduled Tribes Order 1959.

But are they subject to Indian Law? India is a common law country and the common law applies to us via the Doctrine of Reception. When the British Annexed India in the year 1857 all English law except laws that were in conflict with existing Indian law automatically applied. This is why the young Indian Parliament had to repeal a bunch of redundant British laws including Magna Carta in 1960 (See The British Statutes (Application to India) Repeal Act, 1960)

The Doctrine of Reception essentially deals with the application of the law of the Mother Country (in the case of Indian Common Law, England would be the mother country as a result of colonisation) to the newly acquired territory. In the case of the Andaman Islands India (historically British India) would be the mother country. The acquisition of territory could be done in three ways:

a) By Right of Conquest

b) By Treaty

c) By Occupation of land already not occupied.

Neither of these three will apply to the Jarawa lands in the Andaman Islands. There is no treaty with the Jarawa relinquishing their sovereignty neither have they been subdued by conquest. It can be argued that Indian law has not been received by the Jarawa and the Jarawa retain what is known today in modern legal terms as Tribal Sovereignty. The occupation (or Settlement) of the Andamans happened via just by people turning up and taking over the place and pushing the tribals out to the west of the Andaman Island. The existing Jarawa administration was displaced, rather than actually acquired.

While a the counter argument can be made that Constitutional Supremacy requires that the Jarawa be subject to the Constitution, the question: "Does the Constitution actually apply to the Jarawa?" remains unanswered. On paper they are Indian Citizens, but in reality, they seem to be nothing more than a nation that India happens to protect. There was no Jarawa in the Constituent Assembly, they do not enjoy a right to education and I do not think there has been a single Indian Passport or ID card ever issued to any member of the Tribe.

These questions will need to be resolved going into the future and their resolution must be a delicate one that takes into account a variety of interests including the right of the Jarawa to self determination. The rights of many indigenous people could turn on how the Government of India decides to handle this murder.
It's interesting you asked for a more detailed story of the long-time crush. I might disappoint you as the story itself was quite plotless. So here is how it went.

Back in 1990 when I was a sophomore in college, my girlfriends and I met a few young men while hiking to a peach blossom destination. Those young men just graduated from college and started working in a city nearby. It was Spring and Sichuan is always beautiful in Spring with all sorts of blooming flowers competing for attention. We ran out of films to capture the moments. Those young men appeared friendly and were nearby with cameras of different lenses, looking quite professional. We approached them with photo-taking request, which was readily granted. Back then China suffered little pollution both in its environment and in peoples minds and understandably we felt no risk making request as such to strangers. It was a beautiful and young encounter very innocent in nature.

Since then the boys and girls would go on many different excursions together. I do not recall any particular romance started within the group. Sprouted in its stead was rather a rare male-female friendship, at least in the eyes of me. But given the new enlightenment I recently received from you on friendship with male, I started to think there might be some contemplation from both sides of possible romantic development.

I was normally the quieter one in the group, reading the world around me more with my eyes and ears than with my mouth. It was not until a year afterwards when I was transferred to a different university in a new city that I started missing the presence of a certain young man in the group. By then he was in the States completing a scholarly exchange program. The distance intensified my desire to be with him. He did send letters periodically sharing what his visit in the States was like but nothing remotely romantic was indicated in those cross-ocean snail mail correspondence.

When he returned from the States, I got admitted to a graduate school program in the same city he was at. Of those in the group then, he and I were very much the only left able to visit each other often. In truth, it was more of him coming to my campus for visits. I was then surrounded with another set of girlfriends so his visits were always with us girls as a group. The new group would cook together, dine together, share laughter, play badminton and cards. That lasted all the way after my graduation, upon which I was hired to teach on the same campus. We had many good memories of those good ole times. Some of us are still reminiscent of those old days. Of the trips the new group took with him and his friends, I was unable to make any because of time conflicts. Thus I was never having the chance to be with him alone.

Sichuan is said to breed beautiful girls and I was very under-confident surrounded by those beauties. Every girlfriend of his introduced to the group was stunningly pretty in my young eyes. Feeling underqualified in beauty as his prospect girlfriend, I never made known my crush on him even when he was periodically available. I have no way till today to learn if he had any special feelings towards me. I learned later on from a mutual acquaintance that he appeared quite melancholy and unusually quiet in a gathering when the news of my irrational marriage was shared.

We moved to the States just one year apart from each other. He has since married twice without kids and we are still in touch with an occasional exchange of seasonal greetings. As a matter of fact, just this past month when he and his wife were in town, they stayed at my house for a couple of nights. We had true conversations for the first time. After nearly three decades of being his friend, I found it quite surreal sitting across from him, just the two of us, talking late into the night. I felt that I finally got to know him a bit, his childhood, his struggles with his parents, his first marriage, his sense of settling down with the current wife, whom he said was more out of companionship than love. It was then I realized that all the time I had crush on a man I did not really know. It was more of my projection of what he was like that I fell in love with. Nonetheless, he has grown to be a dear friend, a part of me and my past. I wanted to hug him, to touch those cheeks, to caress those sad eyes, as a dear friend. But I remained seated. He is not a just a friend anymore. He is also someone elses husband!

Comparing with your beautifully told and wonderfully remembered stories, mine is quite bland. I do hope it explains a little why I believe there is possible male-female friendship and some of the personality weakness I may still possess.

I was struck by the freshness of your Anita memory, the pains and yearnings you still carry today towards her. Interesting you mentioned Casablanca as that was what came to my mind when reading your Anita story. You will always have your Munich and that beautiful memory will remain so forever.

Of course, I have also since become more confident as a woman. Even more so with your witty encouragement. For the past few days, I have been fully swept off my feet by your humor, your wisdom, your kind and gentle spirit that are shining through the lines. I feel very much flattered that you so generously shower your literary gifts on me, a shattered woman you have never met and likely never will. The part of me that has been dormant for a long while is slowly awakening to the touch of your words. Hearing from you has grown to be a daily anticipation. You helped lift me, however momentarily, from my reality, which, in the eyes of my peers, is quite adverse and harsh. I became more conscious of my womanhood and feel deeply valued. You offered to bring smiles to my face and provide warmth. You have delivered precisely what you promised. Thank you, Stan!
Mysuru lymped back to normalcy on Tuesday after a bandh marked by stray violence in the city on Monday. The violence was the fallout of the murder of a BJP worker by unidentified assailants.

The Hindu reported that flag marches were carried out in sensitive parts of the city while platoons of the Rapid Action Force were also deployed

Raju (30) was attacked with machetes and other lethal weapons when he was drinking tea in a roadside stall with his friend on Sunday evening. He was rushed to KR Hospital where he was declared brought dead, the police said.

Demanding immediate arrest of culprits, BJP called for a Mysuru bandh on Monday. Angry protesters set an autorickshaw afire and stoned a police jeep and several buses, besides forcing closure of shops, police said.

However, The Hindu reports that on Tuesday most schools and colleges held classes though some chose to remain shut. According to the report the police had said that no fresh violence was report either.

On Monday, protesters ransacked several shops in Devaraja Market and deflated tyres of buses during the bandh, forcing police to lathicharge them at two places.

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the city.

In Mangaluru, Home Minister G Parameshwara said all steps have been taken to arrest the assailants soon and no political colour should be given to the incident.

State DGP Om Prakash said additional police force, including Karnataka State Reserve Police, had been deployed to maintain law and order and appealed for communal harmony.

With PTI inputs
The public hacking of a Dalit boy for marrying an upper caste Hindu girl in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu on Monday was certainly gruesome, but the incident was not surprising, given the atmosphere of violence and discrimination against Dalits in the southern and western parts of the state.

What was seen on the viral CCTV video that captured the murder was pure politically-backed hatred that has been perpetrated against Dalit boys who marry upper caste girls. In fact, a political party PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) that seeks to consolidate OBCs and MBCs, even has a theory that Dalit boys lure girls into marriage not out of love, but of caste design. They wear jeans, T-shirts and fancy sunglasses to lure girls from other communities, The Hindu had quoted PMK leader S Ramadoss in 2012. He even wanted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the state to be amended because the Dalits were allegedly misusing it.

Therefore, inter-caste marriages involving Dalits are de facto socially forbidden in such a vicious environment and low caste Hindu families are under enormous pressure to oblige. Killing for the honour of the family, and the community, hence, becomes a socially sanctioned recourse.

In 2012, Dharmapuri in western Tamil Nadu had witnessed widespread arson against three Dalit villages following a similar marriage. The Dalit boy in this case was found dead on railway tracks a year later. In another case of community-perpetrated discrimination, parents refused to send children to a school in southern Tamil Nadu because Dalit women were appointed as cooks. In 2013, there were violent clashes between Dalits and workers of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) on the East Coast Road.

The most worrisome aspect of the incidents such as the honour killing on Monday and other incidents of violence is that the perpetrators are too emboldened to take law into their hands. Every horror story is accompanied by public outrage and government action, but nothing stops similar incidents from happening again  particularly in southern and western districts.

its really a blot on Tamil Nadus socio-economic history that despite the remarkable progress in human development indicators and womens rights, the state has a horrendous record in preventing the oppression and discrimination of Dalits. Dalit villagers are routinely ostracised by caste Hindus, which included denial of rights of passage, use of common public utilities and even simple lifestyle practices such as wearing footwear.

Its contrasting indeed that such archaic human rights violations happen in a state that has stated to be committed to the wellbeing of scheduled castes and tribes.

The Tamil Nadu government, in its policy on (Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department) claims that sustainable development of scheduled castes/scheduled tribes is its prime objective. Besides a series of welfare measures, the policy also lists the various steps taken by the government to implement both the PCR Act and the POA.

According to the policy, under Rule 17(1), of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995, the State Government have constituted District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee in each district headed by the concerned District Collector with officials / non-officials as members. The District Collectors are also empowered to nominate a person who has the right aptitude and understanding of the problems of SC/ST as a member in the committee.

The policy further states: the District Level Committee shall meet at least once in three months to review the implementation of the provisions of these Acts and monitor the relief and rehabilitation measures provided to the victims.

In addition, the state has a High Power Vigilance and Monitoring Committee chaired by the chief minister to review and monitor implementation of the SC/ST Acts in the State.

The state government has also set up a Social Justice and Human Rights wing under the Additional Director General of Police to supervise registration, investigation and filing of cases under these two Acts and to act as a protection cell for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Clearly, the issue is not of safeguards and institutions to guard the constitutional guarantees, but severe lack of political commitment. Dalits are easy targets of discrimination of caste Hindus in the state and often the latter get away easily because of their political influence. There is no action against leaders who publicly foment anti-Dalit politics. For instance, on Monday, when reporters sought his opinion on Mondays incident, Ramadoss refused to answer.

The situation, or rather the never ending story of anti-Dalit violence, certainly calls for some extraordinary response by the government. Politicians and community leaders who incite violence ought to pay a price. The source of this hatred needs to be immobilised.

Whats also puzzling is how helpless or ineffective the Dalit parties have been in the state. According to the 2011 census, 19% of the people in Tamil Nadu belong to Scheduled Castes and 1.04%, Scheduled Tribes, but as a political block they hardly make a difference.
CCTV footage of a Dalit man and his upper caste wife being attacked by goons on Monday exposed the ugly face of caste violence in Tamil Nadu. This, however, is definitely not the first noted instance of caste-based violence. This attack makes one wonder how a state that embraces transgenders with open arms and gives them an identity on paper is still under the grip of caste-based discrimination.

One of the first, most noted instances of violence against the Dalit community was in Kizhavenmani village, Tamil Nadu on 25 December, 1968. A group of 44 people, belonging to the Dalit community, were killed by their landlords. It was around the time when the landless peasant community of Dalits were urged by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to fight for higher wages. This led to clashes between the Dalits and the upper-caste landlords, eventually ending in the landlords surrounding homes of the Dalits, burning them down, murdering over 40 people. The Keezhvenmani carnage anniversary is observed every year and marks a point in Dalit history that changed the face of Dalit violence post-independence.

Another noted instance of violence was in 2012. Marriage between a Vanniyar girl and a Dalit boy called Ilavarasan in Nayakankottai, on the road from Dharmapuri, incited a 1000-strong army of men, who burst into three Dalit settlements, looted, smashed and burnt over 260 houses. However, A report in The Hindu says that inter-caste marriages are not uncommon. Activists have been crusaders of justice for years and the state even offers benefits to couples in inter-caste marriages.

Another article in The Hindu tries to analyse what led to the fall of progression in Tamil Nadu  each lower caste community trying to assert their caste-based pride with a purpose of upward mobility and protecting their identity. The Thevar and Vanniyar community receiving recognition and representation in Tamil politics, more than the Dalit community renders the Dalit community feeling slighted of their Tamil Pride. Parties like DMK and AIADMK are very selective in choosing only socially dominant classes.

In another instance of caste-based violence, a group of 150 Dalits were forced to flee from their homes in Seshasamudhram village in Tamil Nadus Villupuram district after a group of Vanniyars looted and torched down all the houses Dalit houses on 16th August, 2013, according to a Frontline report. The Dalits were set to celebrate a festival which involved pulling a cart with an idol of God placed on it, all the way to a temple. In peace meetings before this incident, the Vanniyar community had acknowledged their right to celebrate the festival. Later however, they were urged by the village Panachyat president Subramanian to burn down the Dalits' side of the village. Subramanian, a member of the Pattali Makkal Katchi(PMK), had earlier promised money and supplies to help build a cart to carry the idol for the Dalits only to win votes. However, he received a lot of flak from the Vanniyars for betraying his caste. He, thus, hatched a plan to revive their trust, incited the youth to destroy Dalit homes just before the festivities.

Politics polluting education

A report in The Indian Express from November 2015 noted how schools in Tirunelveli mark off students based on their castes - red and yellow bands for Thevars, blue and yellow for Nadars, saffron for Yadavs (note that these are all Hindu communities that have a strong foothold socially and politically and fall under the Most Backward Clases (MBC) category) and green, white, black and sometime red bands for Dalits.

Chief Educational officers of Tirunelveli R Swaminathan ordered schools to ban any use of colour to identify caste. But identity goes deeper than a band. Students in the district have other ways of identifying who they can and cannot befriend - colour-coded tilaks or binidis or locally known as pottu, colour-coded houses and music even. The article talks of an incident where a student was playing a song praising Ambedkar in a bus, when another student started playing a song from a Kamal Haasan movie Thevar Magan (Son of the Thevars) to contest with him, eventually leading to a clash between the communities.

Another instance of caste politics tainting education was in 2012. In Salem district, caste conscious Vanniyars in a few villages refused to send their kids to school unless the Dalit women cooking their kids mid-day meals were fired. One Dalit cook, S Sundaravanitha recounts her woes in The Hindus report on the incidents; she expressed the harassment and humiliation she -faced from the Vanniyars everyday. She was eventually shifted to Mookanur where she faced similar treatment from the socially superior Hindus.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India staged a protest demanding the arrest of those promoting untouchability.

While on one hand, sense and rationality is trying to fight the unchasted effects of politics, people like S Ramadoss, founder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), have manipulated masses into believing in discrimination and have been successful in inciting violence. Following the 2012 violence over the inter-caste marriage, he had said that Dalit boys woo girls with fancy sunglasses , jeans and T-shirts and that girls fally prey to such Romeos.

In a report published by Kafila in 2011 revealed that Thevars formed 7.56 percent of Tamil Nadus population while the Dalits constituted 4.92 percent. An interesting point to note is that 30 percent of the Tamil Nadu police force is made up of Thevars. This makes for a case in point because in 2015, a prime accused in a Dalit murde case, Yuvraj surrendered in Namakkal. A senior police officer, in The Indian Express report which highlights the audacity of the accused, was quoted as saying that Yuvraj surrendered in style and went on to say how the police received him like a hero.
Washington: President Barack Obama's White House on Tuesday welcomed Htin Kyaw's election as Myanmar's first civilian president in half a century, saying it was "an important step" in the country's democratization.

Senior Obama advisor Ben Rhodes hailed the move and noted that the 69-year-old was a "close associate" of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi, a popular Nobel laureate, is herself barred from becoming president by the military drafted constitution. She is widely expected to wield power behind in an unofficial capacity.

Rhodes, who has led rapprochement with Myanmar, said Htin Kyaw's appointment was "an important step forward in Burma's democratic transition."

"We look forward to working with his govt," he wrote on Twitter.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at elections in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar's two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution which bars her from the presidency.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule "above" the next leader. Her choice of Htin Kyaw is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

Htin Kyaw will be sworn in on 30 March, replacing incumbent Thein Sein.

It will be the first time Myanmar has had a civilian president since 1962, when the military seized power.

AFP
BRASILIA Record protests against President Dilma Rousseff have all but guaranteed her impeachment by pushing hesitant lawmakers from Brazil's biggest party now to favour her ouster, party sources said on Monday.

The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), the biggest partner in Rousseff's governing coalition, is poised to vote against her in ongoing proceedings in Congress to impeach the president, who is beset by a corruption scandal and an economy suffering its worst recession in decades.

Massive turnout for nationwide protests on Sunday, three senior party sources said, tipped the balance within the PMDB. Over one million Brazilians took to the streets to call for Rousseff's ouster.

"Impeachment is inevitable," said one of the three senior PMDB officials, who is close to the government but spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Though the party is notoriously fickle, with no fixed ideology and a longstanding ability to swing with the prevailing political winds, the PMDB has been increasingly reluctant to continue supporting Rousseff.

In a vote at a party convention on Saturday, it resolved to make a final decision on whether to continue supporting Rousseff within 30 days.

To be sure, many variables could still affect Rousseff's political straits.

One important PMDB faction of legislators from Rio de Janeiro still supports the government because the state, which is run by the party, is reliant on federal funds for many ongoing projects.

And former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, an able negotiator and longtime ally of the PMDB, might join Rousseff's government and help soothe strained relations.

Still, after Sunday's large turnout, PMDB officials said they could be ready to formally vote Rousseff from office by the end of May, or even sooner. The impeachment effort, which began last year, seeks Rousseff's ouster because of accounting irregularities in the government budget.

Rousseff, who is 15 months into her second term and helms the 13th year of government for the ruling Workers' Party, has repeatedly called the impeachment effort baseless. In a statement on Sunday, the government acknowledged the protests and praised their peaceful nature.

PMDB officials said the protests swayed party members because they confirmed recent opinion polls showing that most Brazilians want to see Rousseff impeached.

In a speech in the Senate, Romero Juca, the PMDB's deputy leader, called the demonstrations "crippling, alarming, decisive and explicit in showing the will of the vast majority of Brazilians."

Party officials say PMDB senators who backed the government until days ago have changed their stance. For Rousseff, support in the Senate is crucial because until now the chamber has been more loyal to her government than the lower house.

A MATTER OF TIME

According to the Brasilia-based consultancy Arko Advice, Rousseff's impeachment is just a question of time.

"The protests confirmed that President Rousseff has lost support on the streets after losing control of the economy and the political situation," said Arko partner and political scientist Lucas de Aragao.

Shares in Brazilian companies and the country's real currency BRL=, have surged in recent weeks as investors bet that a change in government would lift business and consumer confidence. On Monday, however, the real and stocks fell on doubts about what a post-Rousseff government might look like.

If Rousseff lost an impeachment vote, Vice President Michel Temer, the PMDB leader, would succeed her. [L2N16M16D] Six other PMDB officials also hold cabinet posts in Rousseff's government.

Oxford Economics, another consultancy, said a temporary PMDB-led government could speed up structural reforms and stop Brazil's decline, though just a change of government might not be enough for a recovery.

The administration is hoping to rally what is left of its support base, historically labour unions and other organised leftist groups. Some of the groups have called for demonstrations to defend the government Friday.

Rousseff has also offered to bring Lula into the cabinet.

The former president himself faces charges in the corruption scandal but his presence in the government could lend order to an increasingly chaotic administration. It would also shield Lula from legal charges because ministers, under Brazilian law, can only be tried by the Supreme Court.

Sao Paulo state prosecutors have requested Lula's arrest for allegedly benefiting from graft money generated by bribery and kickback schemes uncovered at state-oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA).

The PMDB has its own reasons to hasten Rousseff's impeachment. Several top party figures, including the speaker of the lower house Eduardo Cunha, are under investigation in connection with the scandal.

"Impeaching Rousseff will help them avoid prosecution by reducing political pressure on the investigation," said Gabriel Petrus, an analyst with business consulting firm Barral M Jorge.

Impeachment would also make it less likely Brazil's top electoral court could annul her 2014 re-election for allegedly using Petrobras graft money as campaign funding. Because Temer won the vice presidency as Rousseff's running mate, a ruling against her in that case would annul his election too.

Rousseff appointed a new justice minister for the second time in a month on Monday. Prosecutor Eugenio Jose Guilherme de Aragao is to replace Wellington Cesar Lima, who she had named on Feb. 29.

(Additional reporting by Alonso Soto; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Paulo Prada; Editing by Alistair Bell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Best Songs In The Phantom Of The Opera
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned of impending tests of a nuclear warhead explosion and ballistic missiles capable of carrying atomic warheads, state media reported on Tuesday, in an escalation of threats against Seoul and Washington.

The warning came as North Korea said it had made a breakthrough in its pursuit of a long-range missile capable of striking the US mainland. South Korea says the North has yet to develop a functioning inter-continental ballistic missile.

Kim issued the order for the tests "in a short time," according to the Korean Central News Agency. The KCNA report did not say if Kim gave specific dates for the tests.

It is not clear if the tests would happen soon, given that any tests would likely invite harsher international sanctions after the country was hit by the toughest UN Security Council sanctions in two decades in early March for a nuclear test and long-range rocket launch conducted earlier this year.

Some of the North's recent rhetoric was seen intended for a domestic audience to display government strength ahead of a major meeting of the ruling party in May.

In the past, North Korea has typically conducted nuclear tests and rocket launches every three to four years.

Even if the tests happen, analysts in Seoul said the nuclear warhead explosion that Kim referred to will likely be just a test of a warhead containing only a trigger device but lacking plutonium or uranium. They said the North could also launch shorter-range missiles, but not one with an intercontinental range.

Pyongyang, known for its trademark fiery rhetoric in times of tension with the outside world, has been stepping up its threats after Washington and Seoul last week began annual military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.

The drills, set to run until late April, are the largest ever.

Last Wednesday, North Korea's main newspaper printed photos of what appeared to be a mock-up of nuclear warhead.

State media on Friday quoted Kim as having ordered more nuclear explosion tests but again didn't say when they would occur.

Kim said "a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of the nuclear-attack capability," KCNA reported.

He made the comments while guiding a successful simulated test of a re-entry vehicle, which is needed to return a warhead safely back into the Earth's atmosphere from a long-range missile launch.

Information from secretive, authoritarian North Korea is often impossible to confirm and there is virtually no way to check how genuine its claims are on developing re-entry vehicle technology.

Seoul's Defense Ministry described North Korea's claims as "unilateral," saying the country has not developed re-entry vehicle technology. Spokesman Moon Sang Gyun said the assessment is based on an analysis of South Korean and US intelligence. He declined to elaborate.

Analyst Lee Choon Geun at South Korea's state-funded Science and Technology Policy Institute said the North might put an empty warhead on a rocket and test-fire it to see if the warhead survives the re-entry and detonates as planned.

While the North might test-fire shorter-range missiles with ranges of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) or less, it is unlikely that it would test a rocket with intercontinental range as that would probably have to fly over neighboring countries, said Jin Moo Kim, an analyst at the government-funded Korea Institute for Defense Analysis in Seoul.

Associated Press
By Shreerupa Mitra-Jha

As Myanmars parliament elected its first-ever civilian president, a UN expert on Myanmar said that even though there have been wide-ranging reforms since 2011 hundreds of laws remain on the book that do not comply with international standards and that need immediate attention.

Hundreds of laws remain on the book that do not comply with Myanmars human rights obligations and some of these laws are very outdated  old laws  while others have been recently enacted, Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, told reporters on Tuesday.

In her annual report that she presented to the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 14 March, Lee notes 30 legislations that need to be re-looked at, amended, repealed or rescinded.

Htin Kyaw, a close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept the historic elections on 8 November, 2015, won 360 of the 652 votes cast in the two houses of parliament. This is Myanmars first-ever civilian president after half a century of military rule.

Suu Kyi has been barred from the post because her husband and children are British nationals.

Kyaw said after winning the elections that it is sister Aung San Suu Kyis victory.

The new government will be handed over power end of March but will start functioning effectively May onwards, given that there are many holidays in April in Myanmar.

The transition period is way too long from the outgoing government to a new government. A new parliament came in. There is still lot of uncertainties: even (how) the structure of the government will be formed, who will be responsible for what etc.

However, not all the seats in the Hluttaw (Myanmars parliament) were up for grabs. In what the generals call a disciplined democracy, the military-drafted constitution guarantees that unelected military representatives constitute 25 percent of the seats. Any constitutional change requires 75 percent of the votes which effectively gives the military a veto over important decisions.

Lee in her report has listed recommendations for the outgoing government, the new government in its first 100 days and targets for the government over the next year. The recommended changes include structural and legislative issues, like, lifting curfews and restrictions on freedom of movement in Rakhine State, immediately ceasing arbitrary arrests and prosecution of those exercising their rights to freedoms of assembly, association and expression and to release any remaining political prisoners.

She particularly highlighted the gross human rights violations against Muslims in the Rakhine State.

The arrival of this government is an opportunity to break the tragic status quo situation of the Rakhine state, Lee told reporters.

There are more than a million Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar deprived of some of their most fundamental rights. This is a million too many, Lee added.

Under the controversial 1982 Citizenship Law, only those ethnic groups who settled in Myanmar prior to 1823 AD. are given full citizenship. The Myanmar government has insisted that these are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and even disapprove of them being called Rohingyas and prefer the term Bengalis.

In particular, provisions that provide for the granting of citizenship on the basis of ethnicity or race, which are clearly discriminatory, should be revised, Lee states in her report.

More than 1,00,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar since the 2012 communal violence between local Buddhists and the Rohingyas. Another estimated 1,40,000 people, majority of whom are Muslims, live in camps since 2012 meant for the internally displaced people that require them to take official permission even for moving between towns.

There is no restriction of movement in those areas where the communities have learnt to exist together in harmony, Maung Wai, ambassador of Myanmar to the UN in Geneva told the HRC after the presentation of Lees report on 14 March.

Last year, the boat people from Myanmar had grabbed international headlines when many Rohingyas died trying to flee the junta-ruled state and enter Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia and when mass graves were discovered in Thailand.

There continues to be little progress in resolving the legal status of the more than one million Rohingya in Myanmar, including their access to citizenship, the report states.

The UN Special Rapporteur also urged the new government to takes steps towards universal birth registration in Rakhine, regardless of the childs or childs parents nationality, statelessness or legal status as children have a right to be registered at birth.

The need to address the deeply entrenched human rights issues in Rakhine State represents a significant challenge for the new government, but also a major opportunity to break from the tragic status quo, Lee stated.

On 31 March 2015, all temporary registration cards (TRC), the main identification documents held by Rohingya as well as people of Chinese and Indian descent, expired. The military government had announced in June 2015 that those who submitted their TRCs by the deadline would be eligible for new cards called cards for those whose nationality will be scrutinized.

There has been low acceptance of the new cards by the affected population, mainly due to a lack of trust in the process, the report states.

However, the Myanmar delegation in Geneva said that the card gives the right to the bearer to apply for citizenship.

Also, the UN expert urged for the revision or repeal of four race and religion laws adopted in 2015 that are particularly discriminatory towards women and minorities.

The ambassador, however, told the HRC that the changes in laws in 2015 reflects peoples choices and peoples desires. None of these are contrary to our acceded treaties and international obligations, he added.

We hope our problems are solved during the times of Aung San Suu Kyi but we are sceptic[al], Dr. Hla Kyaw, a researcher at the European Rohingya Council (ERC)an umbrella organisation of civil societies working on addressing rights violations of the communitytold Firstpost.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been largely silent on the Rohingya issue. A member of the NLD and a spokesperson for the party recently said that Rohingyas are not their priority.

She might not have enough power to solve the Rohingya issue because the three major ministries are under the control of the military. Those ministries are directly related to the situation of the Rohingyas, Kyaw added.

Apart from the 25 percent reservation for military officials, the three important ministries of defense, home affairs and border control, are under the military.

All of these ministries hold key to the progress in the area of human rights, Lee also said.

At the same time we are hopeful  our people are surviving on hope, Kyaw said.

Lee also urged the new government in its first 100 days in office to publicly condemn acts of incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence against minorities, while upholding freedom of expression.

Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu in 2015 had called the South Korean rapporteur a whore apart from making other derogatory remarks for highlighting the Rohingya issue, thereby drawing criticism from the international community. The monk has already spent a decade in jail for inciting anti-Muslim violence.

Recently, Wirathu put up a video on Facebook that had earlier triggered communal violence  a dramatisation of the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by Muslim men. Facebook has taken down the video. However, he has threatened to put up the longer version of the same video.

We have seen signs of these possibilities of more incitement and rallies around more violence, Lee said.

He [Wirathu] is threatening that there is a longer version that will be posted soon. So, here we are, she added.

Wai also added that Myanmar was a different country than what it was four years back and that it deserves the constructive cooperation of the international community.

The writer is a journalist at the United Nations
ERBIL, Iraq An American fighting for Islamic State was taken into custody in northern Iraq after he left territory controlled by the militant group, according to two Kurdish officers, one of whom arrested him.

Both said it appeared the man was intending to escape both Islamic State and Kurdish forces but handed himself in after peshmerga fighters opened fire on him near the frontline in the village of Golat.

Captain Daham Khalaf said they had spotted the fighter hiding in long grass around dawn and waited until the sun rose before surrounding him. "He shouted, 'I am a foreigner'," Khalaf said, describing him as bearded and dressed in black.

The fighter did not have a passport but was carrying an American driving license and spoke English and broken Arabic, according to General Hashim Sitei who spoke to him.

A copy of what was said to be the license, seen by Reuters, was in the name of Khweis Mohammed Jamal. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the man's identity.

We gave him food and treated him with respect and handed him over to military intelligence," said Sitei.

The fighter was unarmed but carrying three mobile phones and said his father was Palestinian and his mother was from the Mosul area in Iraq, both officers said.

The State Department said it was aware of the reports that a U.S. citizen said to have been fighting for Islamic State was captured by Kurdish peshmerga forces in northern Iraq.

The address on the driver's license confiscated by the peshmerga was for a residence in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.

As reporters and television crewmembers waited outside, a black Lincoln Town Car drove up. Two men stepped out and angrily demanded that the media leave.

The older man, who identified himself as Jamal Khweis, grabbed a photographer's camera as the younger man pushed at the lenses of television cameras.

The man confirmed that he has a son the same age as the American captured by the peshmerga. He said he did not know where his son was, but that he would "never go" to Iraq.

"He is my son. He is a good person," he said.

More than 250 Americans have joined or tried to fight with the extremist group in Syria and Iraq since 2011, according to a September 2015 bipartisan congressional taskforce report.

At least 80 men and women have been charged by federal prosecutors for connections to Islamic State, and 27 have been convicted.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay, Kat Jackson, Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish, Toni Reinhold)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Rome: Silvio Berlusconi sparked fury Tuesday by claiming that being mayor of Rome was "no job for a mother" while backing a male candidate who advised a pregnant rival to stick to breastfeeding.

The three-time former premier claimed the task of cleaning up the scandal-hit capital would be too much for far right candidate Giorgia Meloni, who is due to give birth soon after the election in May or June.

"A mother cannot dedicate herself to a terrible job and running Rome today is terrible job which will require 14 hours a day in the office," Berlusconi said.

The media tycoon, famed for his bunga bunga parties with young female escorts, was speaking in support of Guido Bertolaso, who said on Monday that Meloni would be unable to "sort out the rubbish, the traffic jams and the rats in Rome when she will have to be at home nursing."

Meloni replied tersely. "I don't want a row, I simply say politely and proudly that I hope to be a very good mother, as are all the women who, with a thousand problems and often in much more difficult circumstances, manage to reconcile professional commitments with maternity."

Behind the row lies a battle for ascendancy on the right of Italian politics with Berlusconi backing Bertolaso and Northern League leader Matteo Salvini endorsing Meloni in an election race the right feel they can win.

The last mayor, the centre-left's Ignazio Marino, was forced to resign last year after a minor expenses scandal intensified pressure on him over his perceived mismanagement of the cash-strapped capital.

Salvini on Tuesday described Bertolaso's comments as "50 years out of date" while Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi insisted: "Of course a mother can be mayor."

Female politicians lined up to denounce the outbursts as symptomatic of a lingering macho culture in Italian politics.

"When will they ask a male candidate to withdraw because he is not telegenic? Or because he is due to be a father?," asked Constitutional Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi on Twitter.

AFP
Pope Francis on Tuesday approved sainthood for Mother Teresa, the missionary nun who became a global, if controversial, symbol of compassion for her care of the sick and destitute. The pontiff set 4 September as the date for her canonisation, elevating the Nobel peace laureate to an official icon for the Catholic faith.

The move comes 19 years after the death of the Albanian nun who dedicated much of her adult life to working with the poor in the slums of Kolkata, India.

Officials said the canonisation ceremony would take place at the Vatican  an announcement which had been expected but nevertheless disappointed Indian Catholics who had hoped for a visit by Francis.

Teresa, who was 87 when she died in 1997, was revered by Catholics and and many others around the world.

Known as the "Angel of Mercy" or "Saint of the Gutters", she won the 1979 Nobel peace prize for her work with the poor.

But she was also a controversial and divisive figure with critics branding her a religious imperialist whose fervent opposition to birth control and abortion ran contrary to the interests of the communities she claimed to serve.

The path to sainthood requires at least two miracles.

First miracle

The first miracle attributed to Mother Teresa was recorded in 1998, when an Indian woman Monica Besra was reportedly cured of an abdominal tumour after nuns prayed for her, and placed a Mother Teresa medallion on her stomach.

Her husband later said doctors at an Indian hospital cured his wife, but hospital records of Ms Mesra's treatment went missing, apparently taken by a sister of the Missionaries of Charity.

Mesra insisted she was healed by a miracle. Mother Teresa was beatified by then pope John Paul II in a fast-tracked process in 2003, in a ceremony attended by some 300,000 pilgrims. Beatification is a first step towards sainthood.

Anjeze, as she was known as a child, was drawn to religion and missionary work at the early age of 12. She joined the Sisters of Loreto at 18 and was known as Sister Teresa, after the patron saint of missionaries, Saint Therese de Lisieux.

Second Miracle

The second miracle involved a 35-year-old Brazilian man who had not long been married when he was diagnosed with eight brain tumours in 2008, according to Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli. On 9 December, the man was wheeled into the operating room in an induced coma, but doctors were forced to delay the medical procedure by half an hour because of technical problems.

While they waited, the man's wife led prayers to Mother Teresa in the hospital's chapel. When the surgeon returned to the operating room, he is said to have found the patient awake, sitting up and asking "what am I doing here?".

"I have never seen a case like it," the surgeon was quoted as saying, after a CAT scan showed that the Brazilian's tumours "had suddenly and inexplicably disappeared", Tornielli said in La Stampa daily.

Critics of Mother Teresa have said that she opposed contraception and abortion, setting back the progress of women. British author Christopher Hitchens wrote a critical biography titled The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa In Theory and Practice.

Hitchens wrote in Slate.com, "What is so striking about the "beatification" of the woman who styled herself "Mother" Teresa is the abject surrender, on the part of the church, to the forces of showbiz, superstition, and populism."

He accused her of hob-nobbing with unsavoury characters such as Haiti's ex-president Jean-Claude Duvalier. Questions have also been raised over the Missionaries of Charity's finances, as well as conditions in the order's hospices where there has been resistance to introducing modern hygiene methods.

'Saint of the Gutters'

Despite posthumously published letters revealing that she suffered crises of faith throughout her life, Teresa has been fast-tracked to canonisation in unusually quick time, underlining her status as a modern-day icon of Catholicism.

Teresa took the first step to sainthood in 2003 when she was beatified by Pope John Paul II following the recognition of a claim she had posthumously inspired the 1998 healing of a critically-ill Bengali tribal woman.

Last year she was credited by Vatican experts with inspiring the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours, thus meeting the Church's standard requirement for sainthood of having been involved in two certifiable miracles.

Gentle eye that 'sees'

Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in 1910 in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia.

She started her life as a nun as a teenager with a missionary order in Ireland and arrived in India in 1929. She founded her own Missionaries of Charity order in 1950 and was granted Indian citizenship a year later.



Francis, who regards Teresa as the incarnation of the kind of Church he wants to lead, met the by-then internationally famous nun three years before her death, when he was still a bishop in Argentina.

He later joked that she had seemed so formidable he "would have been scared if she had been my mother superior".

Others were much harsher in their judgement, with the likes of Australian-born feminist writer Germaine Greer and British polemicist Christopher Hitchens accusing her of contributing to the misery of the poor with what they saw as her dogmatic views.

In her Nobel acceptance speech Teresa described terminations of pregnancies as "direct murder by the mother herself".

Critics also raised questions about the Missionaries of Charity's finances and the often insalubrious conditions in the order's hospices.

The late Italian film director and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini was among those who fell under her spell, in his case when he met her during a trip to India in the early 1960s.

"She has an almost virile jaw and a gentle eye that in its gaze 'sees', he wrote, describing Teresa as a a combination of "goodness without sentimentality, someone with no expectations who is both calm and calming, powerfully practical."

India granted her a state funeral after her death and her grave has since become a pilgrimage site.

With inputs from AFP
NAYPYITAW Myanmar's parliament elected a close friend and confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as president on Tuesday, making Htin Kyaw the first head of state since the 1960s who does not hail from a military background.

Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy (NLD) to a landslide election win in November, but a constitution drafted by the former junta bars her from the top office.

She has vowed to run the country anyway through a proxy president, and on Thursday the NLD nominated Htin Kyaw for the role. He runs a charity founded by Suu Kyi and has been a trusted member of her inner circle since the mid-1990s. He is not a lawmaker.

"Today's result is because of the love of people for her. It is the victory of my sister Aung San Suu Kyi," Htin Kyaw told reporters after the vote.

The United States, which has backed Myanmar's transition to civilian government and refers to the country as Burma, called Htin Kyaw's election "yet another important step forward in Burma's democratic transition."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a regular briefing that while important progress had been made, additional steps were needed and Washington would continue to back reform.

China's embassy offered congratulations for the election of state leaders and said it hoped "to continuously push forward the friendly and cooperative relationship between China and Myanmar."

The sizeable NLD majority ensured a comfortable win for Suu Kyi's pick in a vote by both houses of parliament. Htin Kyaw received 360 of the 652 votes cast.

Suu Kyi was the first member of parliament to vote and clapped and smiled when the result was announced.

Outgoing President Thein Sein congratulated the man who will replace him on April 1.

"On behalf of the nation and the people, I take pride in your being elected as the president," he said.

NLD lawmakers, most of whom have no experience as members of parliament, spent time rehearsing how they would vote the night before the election, a Reuters witness said.

They were keen to ensure there were no last-minute mistakes that would cost them a presidency they had campaigned for decades to see.

"This is the big day for us," Zar Ni Min, an NLD lower house MP, said after the vote. "This is what we have hoped for for a long time."

Yanghee Lee, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said there was no time for complacency because Myanmar had hundreds of laws that were out of line with its international obligations, and people could be sentenced to hard labour for "all kinds of reasons".

The change of government was also a chance to break the "tragic status quo situation" of a million minority Rohingya Muslims who have been deprived of their most fundamental rights, she said.

Tens of thousands of Rohingyas have fled poverty and persecution in western Myanmar since religious violence erupted in 2012, and Lee told a news conference in Geneva she was afraid more would flee in the 2016 sailing season.

SIMMERING TENSIONS

The still-powerful military holds a quarter of parliamentary seats and the constitutional right to nominate one of the three presidential candidates. Its candidate, retired general Myint Swe, received 213 votes and becomes first vice president.

Relations between the armed forces and Suu Kyi will define the success of Myanmar's most significant break from military rule since the army seized power in 1962.

Tensions have simmered in the run-up to the election and as the NLD prepares to take power.

Suu Kyi wants to demilitarise Myanmar's politics but effectively needs the support of the military to do this.

The armed forces are guaranteed three ministries under the constitution and enough parliamentary seats to give them a veto over constitutional amendments - enough to limit the potential scope of Suu Kyi's reforms.

Sources in Suu Kyi's camp say she has grown increasingly frustrated with military intransigence on issues ranging from amending the constitution to relatively minor formalities such as the location of the handover of power.

NLD lawmakers also say the military's choice of Myint Swe, who served the junta as head of the feared military intelligence and is on the U.S. sanctions list, goes against the spirit of reconciliation Suu Kyi is seeking to foster.

The third presidential candidate, Henry Van Thio, was also nominated by the NLD. He will become second vice president and was chosen by Suu Kyi to represent Myanmar's numerous ethnic minorities. He is a member of the Chin ethnic group.

The president picks the cabinet that will take over from Thein Sein's outgoing government, with the exception of the heads of the home, defence and border security ministries, who will be appointed by the armed forces chief.

(Additional reporting by Soe Zeya Tun in Naypyitaw, Aung Hla Tun in Yangon, Tom Miles in Geneva and David Brunnstrom and Mohammad Zargham in Washington; Writing by Simon Webb; Editing by Alex Richardson and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Miami: Authorities in North Carolina have decided there is not enough evidence to charge Donald Trump with incitement after one of his supporters punched a protester in the face at a campaign rally there last week.

Police launched an investigation into whether the Republican frontrunner in the White House race could be charged with "inciting a riot" after a chaotic rally in the city of Fayetteville, where a white Trump supporter sucker-punched an African-American protester.

Critics say the billionaire businessman's inflammatory rhetoric and barely-veiled threats directed at protesters have been fueling an increasingly toxic atmosphere surrounding his rallies.

But law enforcement officials said the violence in Fayetteville could not be blamed on Trump.

"The evidence does not meet the requisites of the law... to support a conviction of the crime of inciting a riot," read a statement late Monday from the Cumberland County sheriff's department.

"Accordingly, we will not be seeking a warrant or indictment against Mr. Trump or his campaign for these offenses," read the statement, which comes after a few days of particularly violent clashes and protests at Trump events.

"While other aspects of our investigation are continuing, the investigation with regard to Mr. Trump and his campaign has been concluded, and no charges are anticipated."

Violence erupted at a Trump rally in Chicago Friday that was called off in the face of mass protests, marking a sharp escalation in the tensions trailing the bombastic candidate who has called Mexicans rapists and urged a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The Trump supporter who struck the protester, John McGraw, 78, has been charged with assault, battery and disorderly conduct.

McGraw, who later said that next time "we might have to kill him," is due in court on April 6.

Trump said over the weekend he had told his campaign to "look into" paying McGraw's legal fees, but sought to disown his comments today.

"I don't condone violence," Trump told ABC television.

"Nobody has asked me for fees and I haven't even seen it, so I never said I would."

The Republican frontrunner -- along with the other remaining Democratic and Republican presidential contenders --faces another round of caucus and primary votes Tuesday which are expected to further pare down the field ahead of November's general election.

The so-called "Super Tuesday 2" voting is being held in the states of Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.

AFP
How designer headphones became as much of a fashion status symbol as bags and watches

During New York Fashion Week in February, the Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled the thinking behind its next costume exhibition, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. Eighteen months previously, a bunch of fashion editors were absent from the spring/summer 2015 season of New York because they were on a 36-hour flying visit to San Francisco to witness the unveiling of the Apple Watch. Why? Because fashion and tech are closer than ever before.

It isn't so much about houses such as Chanel eschewing stitching in favour of selective laser sintering (read: 3D printing) to craft garments, although that makes great pictures (and, by all accounts, a wonderful Met exhibit). It's more about pumping up technology we already have with fashion kudos  such as a cheap iPhone case glitzed with silly bits, as spun out by most designers to great commercial gain.

A more interesting luxury subset, however, has emerged in the form of headphones  not only are luxury merchants chasing the bandwagon, but entire brands are emerging to satisfy this perceived niche in the marketplace, appealing to audiophiles and the fashionable in equal measure. Dolce & Gabbana are at the forefront: they have created headphones that recall the crowns that adorn Madonnas in regional Italian Catholic shrines, attached to retro over-ear cups. As financial offerings to the gods, these are hefty: this spring's passementerie-fringed style will set you back 3,850.

Those are an extreme example  but headphone prices have soared across the board, seen as a status symbol as opposed to a techy tool for music insiders. In 2012, the market research firm NPD Group reported that Beats by Dre, an audio-focussed subsidiary of Apple originally founded by the rapper Dr Dre, boasted a 64 per cent market share of headphones priced higher than $100. In August 2014, Apple's acquisition of the company was the largest in the global tech behemoth's history, costing around 2bn. Those prices have been hiked even higher, for last spring, Beats unveiled a collaboration with the Italian fashion house Fendi, in the label's hand-stitched Selleria leather. After an unfashionable delay, these have finally gone on sale this spring for 950 a pop  a bunch of colourways are already sold out.

Photo: lace bridesmaid dresses

In the same year as Apple's acquisition of Beats, a new company named Master & Dynamic launched. Forbes magazine has des cribed it as the anti-Beats  focusing not on Beats's athlete and musician-heavy marketing campaigns, but on sound quality, a niche market and timeless design that appeals to aesthetic aficionados. We think of the products as luxury technology accessories, says CEO and president Jonathan Levine, thoughtfully. We have an incredibly discerning customer base: form is certainly as important as function to this market. It's a group of people who are quite fanatical about design.

Master & Dynamic marketing imagery  featuring well-dressed sorts, often cropped at the neck  show them being clutched like accessories, alongside a Givenchy Antigona bag. The implication being, of course, that a Master & Dynamic headset is a similar sort of status symbol  but in its own right, without needing the cachet of a brand name. Top fashion retailers were quick to adopt our brand, says Levine. In the cases of some of the fashion stores we work with, we're the only technology brand they carry, which is interesting. Customers who care deeply about the brands they buy into from a fashion perspective care naturally think in the same way about all areas of their life. I'm guessing the same ideal customer would have a Prada coat, Diptique candles and furniture by Gio Ponti and Eames. It's lifestyle.

Master & Dynamic headphones  like so many of these new tech brands  are being marketed direct to fashion consumers as wearable status symbols. It's difficult to lug about an Eames lounge chair, but subtly but distinctly sporting the right lumps of technology is like reading a clever book on the bus. We've definitely noticed the rise of a customer who wants their tech purchases to be as considered as the fashion they buy, and we've greatly increased our lifestyle offering in response to this, more than doubling our brand offer within that category, says Damien Paul, head of menswear at MatchesFashion.com, which stocks Master & Dynamic.

The primary market for these products is seen as male  playing into lads' gadgetry stereotypes. But the look is definitely as important as the tech specs, even if we're not talking D&G crowns. A great pair of headphones are indisputably a fashion statement, says Levine. We have a growing following among those in the fashion world, which plays nicely into headphones' rise as a must-have luxury accessory similar to a great watch, bag or pair of sunglasses. Or maybe all of the above, rolled into one. Bargain.

See more: green bridesmaid dresses
Brussels: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Belgium on 30 March to attend the European Union-India Summit being held after four years.

The first visit of an Indian prime minister to Brussels in six years will reinvigorate EU-India ties and inject new momentum into the relationship, said Indian ambassador to the EU Manjeev Singh Puri.

"We hope to use this summit to ensure that whatever may have happened, a few little slip ups here and there, we are back on the rails for bilateral meaning and collaborations which is for global good," Puri said at an event on EU-India relations, organised by the think tank Friends of Europe.

"We are the world's two largest democracies, we encompass diversity. We have 22 official languages in India. You, in the EU, have 24. We have 29 federal states, you have 28 member states. This itself should give you the idea why there is a sense of comfort which should be driven by far greater invigoration," he said.

"We hope to see a vastly invigorated modern relationship," he added.

On her part, Shada Islam, director of policy at the Friends of Europe in her introductory remarks said: "If both sides play their cards right, the summit could pave the way for a more ambitious, dynamic and adventurous EU-India relationship."

"India and the EU need a new conversation, a new focus on shared interests as well as new goals and ambitions. Above all, they need to take a fresh look at each other, replacing tired misperceptions and cliches. The summit should come up with a new EU-India action plan which is short, snappy and action-oriented," she suggested.

The event, organised with the support of Tata Consultancy Services, was attended by senior officials from the EU and international institutions, diplomats, business and NGO representatives, academics and other key stakeholders.

Addressing the issue of the ongoing negotiations on the EU-India trade and investment agreement, other speakers on the occasion discussed sectors which are ripe for increased EU-India synergies.

The last EU-India Summit was organised in 2012 in New Delhi.

IANS
Moscow: Russia has begun to withdraw military equipment from Syria, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, after Moscow announced it will pull the bulk of its forces from the war-torn country.

"Technicians at the (Hmeimim) airbase have begun preparing aircraft for long-range flights to airbases in the Russian Federation," the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that military equipment was being loaded onto the planes.

President Vladimir Putin announced Monday night that Moscow was set to withdraw the "most part" of its troops in Syria, ending its controversial bombing campaign. The move, which came as peace talks to end the five-year conflict were underway in Geneva, is expected to put more pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, Russia's long-standing ally, to negotiate a solution to end the war.

Putin said he hoped the withdrawal would provide a "good signal" for all the warring sides in the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Moscow's Hmeimim air base in Syria and its Tartus naval facility would remain functioning and that some military contingents would stay behind. He did not however give any details on how many soldiers would stay in Syria, nor whether Russia's S-400 air defence systems and combat planes would remain in the country.

Russia began its airstrikes in support of Assad's forces in September, a move that helped shore up the regime's crumbling forces and allow them to go on the offensive. The West had accused Russia  which insisted its strikes were aimed against "terrorist" groups including Islamic State jihadists  of targeting more moderate rebels fighting Assad. A ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents in the country introduced on 27 February has largely held, but it does not cover the IS and Al-Nusra Front jihadist groups.

AFP
Moscow: A ceremonial flypast, pilots tossed in the air in celebration and dozens of cheering supporters - the first Russian warplanes on Tuesday returned home to a hero's welcome as part of the withdrawal of armed forces from Syria.

Several Su-34 strike fighters landed at an airbase outside the city of Voronezh located some 580 kilometres (360 miles) southeast of Moscow after performing a fly-past for top commanders, relatives and supporters.

After pilots disembarked from the aircraft they were tossed in the air in celebration as cheering supporters clutched flags, flowers and balloons, national television showed in a live broadcast.

Critics say that after the start of Russia's aerial campaign in Syria in September, Moscow's powerful propaganda

machine shifted its attention from the nearly non-stop coverage of the Ukraine conflict to Syria, the country's first major military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979.

After Putin's surprise order to start pulling back troops the start of the withdrawal of forces from Syria is now being presented on Russian television as nothing short of a victory.

"The Syrian army received a huge support," said Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, praising the work of the country's air force in Syria.

"Thanks to your work in Syria, international terrorism sustained significant losses," he told the pilots in televised remarks.

He indicated that Russia's full-scale military presence was no longer needed, adding that the Syrian army, the

opposition and other forces would be able to crush the remaining "terrorist gangs" - apparently referring to the

Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front - by themselves.

He also appeared to address claims by rights groups and monitors that accused Russian armed forces of targeting

civilians, saying that not a single Russian warplane in Syria missed its target and that civilians would "not hold grudges" against Moscow.

After the official greeting ceremony, the pilots received flowers from women who chanted "congratulations."

Putin launched a bombing campaign in Syria on September 30, saying Moscow needed to target Islamic State jihadists before they cross into Russia.

On Monday, the Russian strongman said the country's military goal was "on the whole" completed after a campaign of five-and-a-half months and 9,000 sorties.

Many analysts said the danger of a costly protracted war similar to the Soviet Union's 10-year involvement in

Afghanistan was not lost on the Kremlin, with Putin deciding to pull the forces out amid a relative lull in fighting and peace talks.

AFP
Salt Lake City: The 17-year-old Somali refugee who was critically wounded in a police shooting in Salt Lake City is awake and talking, his cousin has said.

Abdi Mohamed, who came to the US with his family in 2004, was shot twice in the torso last month when officers tried to stop him and another person from beating a man, police said on Monday.

His cousin Muslima Weledi said that he has woken from his medically induced coma but remains on painkillers.

Police have said Mohamed and a second person were beating a man with metal sticks when officers intervened February 27. Officers fired after he moved menacingly toward the man instead of immediately obeying a command to drop the stick, police said.

The teen's friends dispute the police account. Selam Mohammad, a friend of the teen, said the fight started after a stranger made a

comment about Abdi Mohamed's girlfriend, and the other man was

also armed with a stick.

Unified police detective Chuck Malm declined to say if the police have interviewed Mohamed, citing the ongoing investigation. Police have also refused to release video footage from the incident until the investigation into the shooting is complete.

Salt Lake County Attorney Sim Gill said his office is still reviewing the case and that he hopes the process will be finished in the next few weeks.

AP
Voting began on Tuesday in North Carolina and Ohio, two of the five states where Republican and Democratic primary contests are being held to choose a nominee for the November US presidential election.

Polls opened in North Carolina and Ohio at 1030 GMT, while polls are set to open in Florida, Illinois and Missouri at 1100 GMT in an event dubbed "Super Tuesday 2."

Among Republicans, Donald Trump is seeking to confirm his status as a front-runner and possibly push one or two of his rivals out of the race. Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton hopes to fend off a resurgent Bernie Sanders and assert her claim as the party's all-but-certain presidential nominee.

Republicans gearing up for a decisive vote in five US states, spotlight would be on the controversial frontrunner Donald Trump as the outcome could potentially seal the party's presidential nomination after one of the most polarised polls in American history.

A win for Trump, 69, as latest polls indicate, could very well bring the billionaire real estate magnate very closer to the magical figure of 1,237 delegates needed the win the party's presidential nomination for the November 8 election.

Given his election rhetoric which has rattled the Republican establishment and the opposition Democratic presidential aspirants, Trump could make it one of the most polarised elections in American history.

Trump, who has so far won primaries and caucuses in 14 States is said to be the favorite in Florida, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri, while in Ohio he is engaged in a neck and neck fight with the State Governor John Kasich, 63.

Days ahead of the Super Tuesday 2.0, Trump's rallies have been marred by protests and even violence. He had to cancel his election meeting in Chicago on Friday due to clashes between his supporters and protesters. On Saturday, one of the protesters jumped over the fence and reached the stage when Trump was speaking in Dayton Ohio.

Many experts have said this is because of Trump's campaign narrative against a section of the society. His rivals have accused him of inciting violence or indulging in political arson. The White House has alleged that Trump is inflaming tension. Trump, however, strongly refutes these allegations.

His rallies are drawing large crowds as compared to other candidates, despite the fact that top Republican leadership has ganged up against him and are pulling out all their energy to prevent him reaching the magical figure of 1237 delegates.

Under the strategy developed by Mitt Romney, the 2012 presidential candidate of the party, the party establishment is rallying behind Kasich in Ohio and Senator Marco Rubio in Florida, who have the best chances of winning these winner- take-all States.

In Florida 99 delegates are at stake while in Ohio 66 delegates. Illinois has 69 and Missouri has 52 delegates.

In all more than 360 delegates are at stake on what is now being called as Super Tuesday 2.0.

As per this strategy, in Ohio on Monday, Romney campaigned for Kasich, who so far has not registered even a single win. But he hopes to win his home State.

Given the high stakes, Trump last evening addressed a massive rally of thousands of people. Any major loss for Trump today would still keep him ahead of others in terms of delegate count, but would make it difficult for him to get more than half of the 2472 delegates.

In that scenario, which is being pushed by Romney-led establishment, the Republican presidential nominee could be decided at the party's convention in Cleveland in July, which could result in Trump losing out in case of all other candidates and party leaders ganging up against him.

But an impressive Trump win today would negate any chances and the New Yorker could all but become the party's presumptive nominee, a scenario which is scary to many in not only in his party, but also Democrats and the US President Barack Obama. The White House yesterday warned that this could have global implications.

Trump's opponents refer to his remarks of 27 percent Muslims hating the US, building a wall along the Mexico border for which the money would be paid by the Mexico Government, asking key allies like Japan, Germany and South Korea to pay protection money and near daily anti-China rhetoric as dangerous for American foreign policy and its national interest.

However, Trump believes the opposite. He has said such policies would revive American strength and prestige, make the country stronger, bring back jobs and make the economy strong.

His characteristic campaigning style and speeches have been drawing huge crowd across the country, but over the past few days he has increasingly become isolated not only in his party, but also among the country's top leadership. Both sides are now eying on the voters of Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri to take further their agenda.

High stakes

In a sign of the stakes, Trump canceled a rally Monday in Florida, where he has a 20-point lead over Marco Rubio, the US senator from the Sunshine State, to make a final pitch in Ohio.

Campaigning with Kasich on Monday was Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, who has tried to mobilize his party against Trump.

Also campaigning in Ohio was Sanders, who drew about 2,000 people at a rally in Youngstown where he slammed "disastrous" US trade policies over the past 20 years that he said had cost America "millions of decent paying jobs."

"If we have a good vote, and people come out, we're going to win in Ohio," said Sanders, 74.

High tensions

The clashes that erupted at Trump's Friday rally in Chicago marked an escalation in tensions that have trailed the controversial candidate.

Protesters turned up at his rally in Hickory, North Carolina Monday, but this time, he patiently waited for their chants to subside.

"There's no violence," he said. "It's a movement, it's a love fest."

He acknowledged there was "anger from all sides including from our side" but added: "We're not angry people. We're all good people. There's anger at the incompetence."



Nevertheless, Trump's invective against immigrants, Muslims and Hispanics have become a staple of his campaign, drawing roars of approval from supporters but also increasingly aggressive protests.

On Saturday, a protester rushed the stage as Trump was winding up a speech near Dayton, Ohio.

"I was thinking that Donald Trump is a bully, and he is nothing more than that," Thomas DiMassimo, a 22-year-old college student who was charged with disorderly conduct and inciting panic, told CNN.

'Dangerous' talk

Trump has rejected suggestions that his words have created a climate of violence, instead blaming Sanders supporters for sowing trouble  and threatening to respond by sending his own supporters to picket Sanders rallies.

The Vermont senator responded bluntly at a CNN Democratic town hall event: "Donald Trump is a pathological liar."

Trump's Republican rivals also seemed shaken by the ugly turn in a campaign that has for months endured mudslinging and name-calling.

Rubio, who like Kasich faces a do-or-die test Tuesday in his home state, called Trump's language "dangerous."

"If we reach a point in this country where we can't have a debate about politics without it getting to levels of violence and anger," Rubio told CNN, "we're going to lose our republic."

Trump took some final potshots on Twitter late Monday at Kasich  deriding him as "a disaster" for Ohio for favoring trade agreements  and Rubio, claiming he is "weak on illegal immigration" and has "the worst voting record" in the Senate.

"Vote Trump and end this madness!" he wrote.

With inputs from agencies
United Nations: The UN Security Council views Russia's decision to begin withdrawing from Syria as a positive step, the body's president has said.

The council discussed the surprise Russian announcement during a closed-door meeting, when it also heard a report from UN envoy Staffan de Mistura on a new round of peace talks that opened in Geneva.

"The decision just announced today by the Russian president  that's a positive step," said Angolan Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who holds the council's rotating presidency this month. "That's what we like to see."

President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will begin withdrawing the bulk of its forces from Syria starting on Tuesday. The Kremlin leader said his forces had achieved their military goals and expressed hope that peace talks will yield a settlement to end the five-year war. Gaspar Martins said council ambassadors understood that the withdrawal would take place "gradually but surely" and that air strikes would be reduced in intensity as the forces pull out.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said following the meeting that "finally" all the components of Syria's peace process were in place, including a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian aid deliveries and negotiations.

He added that some council members understood that the Russian decision to begin withdrawing "shows our deep commitment to the political process" to end Syria's war. "I think this is a proper interpretation of this decision," Churkin said in comments released by the Russian mission to the United Nations.

Russia launched the air strikes in September saying it wanted to root out the Islamic State group that controls part of Syria, but the military campaign mostly propped up Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Although Russia has gained the upper hand in Syria with its military intervention, diplomats say it remains unclear whether the Kremlin can impose a settlement on Assad.

In his report to council members, De Mistura stressed that the ceasefire was fragile, saying the 17-day truce must be protected, diplomats said. Too many "incidents" threaten to erode the cessation of hostilities, the envoy said, according to diplomats.

The UN-hosted negotiations in Geneva, which began on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the conflict's outbreak, are the latest effort to end violence that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

AFP
TAMPA, Fla. Donald Trump could take a giant step on Tuesday toward securing the Republican presidential nomination if he wins the Florida and Ohio primaries, despite criticism that the billionaire businessman's rowdy campaign is dividing America.

Trump has the potential to sweep five big states holding party primary contests for the November election: Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri.

The Republican front-runner could knock out his two mainstream rivals, Ohio Governor John Kasich and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, if he wins their states. His closest challenger nationally is U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Tea Party favourite.

Trump, 69, has a significant lead over Rubio in opinion polls in Florida, but is neck and neck with Kasich in Ohio. Any win by either Rubio, Kasich or Cruz, 45, would give at least a small degree of hope to Republicans battling to deny the New Yorker the nomination.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 68, could put some distance between herself and rival Bernie Sanders, 74, a U.S. senator from Vermont, in Tuesday's Democratic primaries.

An outbreak of clashes between Trump supporters and protesters that forced him to cancel a rally in Chicago on Friday, and scattered protests at some of his campaign events this week have prompted mainstream Republican Party figures to speak out against the former reality TV star.

Democratic President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he was dismayed by what was happening on the presidential campaign trail and, in a reference to Trump, said he rejected any measures to encourage violence.

"I reject any effort to spread fear or encourage violence ... or to turn Americans against one another," Obama said during an event on Capitol Hill.

Victories in the five states could put Trump - who has vowed to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, impose protectionist trade policies and temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country - on a glide path to being his party's presidential candidate in November. That seemed inconceivable only last year.

TRUMP IN DEMAND

Trump said on Tuesday that his momentum was already drawing in establishment Republicans who had previously balked at his candidacy but now see him as the likely nominee.

"They're already calling," he told NBC's "Today" show, without naming names. "The biggest people in the party are calling."

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, one of the most powerful Republicans in the country, said all presidential candidates must bear responsibility for helping curb violence at campaign events and creating a less hostile atmosphere.

"All candidates have an obligation to do what they can do ... provide an atmosphere of harmony, to reduce violence, to not incite violence," Ryan told reporters.

For the Democrats, opinion polls gave Clinton a big lead in Florida and North Carolina, but showed Sanders gaining ground in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, a possibly worrisome sign for Clinton after his surprise victory in Michigan a week ago.

Speaking to reporters at a polling place in Raleigh, North Carolina, Clinton had Trump on her mind.

"I think it is important that we really do focus on the very dangerous path that Donald Trump has laid out here," she said. "The kind of bluster and bigotry and bullying that he is exemplifying on the campaign trail is disturbing to, I think, the majority of Americans.

Trump won an early round on Tuesday, taking the Northern Mariana Islands caucuses with almost 73 percent of the vote. The win in the U.S. Pacific commonwealth gave him nine delegates.

The Republican establishment's only real hope for stopping Trump might be to deny him the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination, even though he may win a majority of them. That would extend the battle to the party's nominating convention in July in Cleveland.

"If he's the nominee, he is not going to be able to unite the party. In fact, I think he'll bitterly divide it," Rubio, 44, told Fox News.

Trump argues that his candidacy has brought a breath of fresh air to U.S. politics and says his campaign rallies are peaceful events except for a few incidents.

If Kasich and Rubio do drop out of the race after Tuesday, that would leave Cruz as the only Republican in the field against Trump. The Texan senator has struggled during the primary season to build support beyond his base of evangelical Christians and Republican Southerners.

At a voting site in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Elaine Handy, 74, said she voted for Cruz.

Hes a man of principle, she said. I believe we really need men of principle in the government. She said she did not consider voting for Trump. "Hes rash.

(Additional reporting by Amanda Becker in Ohio, Fiona Ortiz in Chicago, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Peter Cooney, W Simon and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Jerusalem: The Israeli parliament has approved a tough new law to keep out Palestinian workers, as part of measures to quell a five-month wave of violence. The Knesset yesterday said on its website that the bill sponsored by internal security minister Gilad Erdan passed its third reading "by a large majority".

While the workers themselves are already subject to arrest and imprisonment, the new legislation strikes at Israelis who employ them and those who transport them.

Erdan said in a statement that with the passage of the new law "the police can be expected to mount large-scale operations to seize illegal entrants and those who assist them."

Among its provisos are that the Israeli employer of a Palestinian who has entered the Jewish state without the obligatory  and hard to come by  permit, will face up to two years in prison.

That is in the case of one worker for a single day.

"Those who employ more than one illegal worker, or hire an illegal worker for more than 24 hours, will face up to four years of incarceration," the site said. In the case of companies who regularly take on unlicensed Palestinian staff, they face fines of between 40,000 and 452,000 shekels ($10,550 and $119,000). Since 1 October, a wave of violence has killed 193 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations, while some were killed in air strikes on Gaza. Many analysts say young Palestinians are fed up with Israeli occupation, while Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence. A government adviser told a Knesset committee on Sunday that of the attacks carried out in Israel, including Jerusalem, 44 percent were carried out by Palestinians in the Jewish state illegally.

Israeli police say the security forces are engaged in a two-pronged campaign to shut down underground West Bank arms makers and to keep out Palestinians who have not undergone the rigorous security checks carried out on applicants for entry and work permits. Last Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on a package of measures to quell the violence, including completion of the unfinished security barrier between Jerusalem and the West Bank.

AFP
Vienna: A US security institute says commercial satellite imagery shows new activity at an Iranian military site which raises concern that the Islamic state may be "washing" a building the United Nations' nuclear agency wants to inspect.

The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suspects nuclear weapons-related research may have taken place at the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran.

Iran has dismissed the allegations but has yet to allow the agency to visit the facility, despite repeated requests.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said last week the agency had recently noticed some "activities" there. He gave no details but Western diplomats suspect Iran may be cleaning the site before any inspection. Tehran denies this.

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a Washington-based think-tank specialising on nuclear proliferation, said it had acquired commercial satellite imagery from 9 April which back up the IAEA's concern.

"The new activity seen in the satellite image occurred outside a building suspected to contain an explosive chamber used to carry out nuclear weapons related experiments," it said on its website in a 8 May report, including the satellite image.

Iran's mission to the IAEA was not immediately available for comment. It has previously dismissed allegations aired about Parchin as "childish" and "ridiculous".

The images showed items lined up outside a building and what appeared to be a stream of water, ISIS said.

"The items visible outside the building could be associated with the removal of equipment from the building or with cleansing it," it said.

US sees Iranian obstruction

"The stream of water that appears to emanate from the building raises concerns that Iran may have been washing inside the building, or perhaps washing the items outside the building," ISIS said.

Previous satellite images from recent months did not show any similar activity at the building, indicating it is not a regular occurrence, it added.

The IAEA has said that gaining access to Parchin is a priority when it holds a new round of talks with Iran in Vienna next week after two previous meetings in Tehran failed to make any notable progress.

Western powers suspect Iran is seeking to develop the capability to make nuclear bombs. Iran, one of the world's largest oil producers, says its programme is peaceful.

An IAEA report late last year revealed a trove of intelligence pointing to research activities in Iran of use in developing the means and technologies needed to assemble nuclear weapons, should it decide to do so.

One finding in the report was information that Iran had built a large containment chamber at Parchin in which to conduct high-explosives tests that the IAEA said are "strong indicators of possible weapon development".

A senior U.S. official said on Tuesday that Iran must cooperate with the IAEA's investigation and provide access to relevant sites, personnel and documents.

"Iran continues to delay and obstruct that process," Thomas Countryman, assistant secretary for international security and nonproliferation, told a meeting in Vienna.

Reuters
Following the Apple and FBI battle over privacy, a number of tech companies are looking forward to bolster their encryption service. According to a report from The Guardian, companies like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Snapchat and others are working to improve the privacy of user data.

Facebook already encrypts the messages of its WhatsApp Messenger and now the social network is aiming to apply encryption to the services voice calls and group messages. Along with WhatsApp, Facebook is also considering increasing the security of its Messenger service. The report suggested other companies are looking for ways to expand encryption services. Snapchat is reportedly exploring a secure messaging system while Google continues to look into ways to use its encrypted email technology. Google announced its End to End project that makes it easier to send encrypted emails that only the sender and the recipient would be able to decode.

Even Twitter has explored encrypted messaging products earlier. The aforementioned tech companies had submitted amicus briefs with the US Federal court to support Apple in its ongoing privacy battle against the FBI. Apple has rejected the court order which demanded it to unlock the iPhone used in the San Bernardino shooting, saying that such an action would create a back door that could be exploited in other iPhones.
U.S. biotechnology company, Monsanto is frustrated with India's treatment of foreign companies making business in India. The country is still not ready for commercial cultivation despite the fact that Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, grow in an estimated 97 percent of India's cotton fields and have helped India by some measures become the fiber's top global producer. Instead of giving Monsanto a premium for developing its cotton industry, the Indian government makes it hard for foreign biotech companies.

As a sustainable agriculture company, Monsanto delivers agricultural products that support farmers all around the world. Monsanto's biotechnology paved the way for India's cotton industry with the introduction in 2002 of genetically modified, pest-resistant cotton seeds where the same is now sold to 7 million farmers in India.

The conflict between Monsanto and the Indian government stemmed following the recent slashing the royalties paid to Monsanto's local joint venture, Mahyco Monsanto Biotech, by 70 percent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. This fuelled the tension even more because according to Shilpa Divekar Nirula, chief executive of Monsanto India, Monsanto would not bring new generation seeds to India if a price cut were enforced.

Nirula added that it's difficult to justify bringing new technologies into India in an environment where such arbitrary and innovation-stifling government interventions make it impossible to recoup research and development investments and where the sanctity of contracts is absent. She was referring to the dispute with Indian authorities over royalties for its technology that's crippling the biotech industry, especially so that India cultivates the world's largest cotton-growing area, yet produced among the fewest bales per acre. India is still very conservative when it comes to agricultural cultivation; commercial cultivation is frowned upon. At the same time, the system in place are still traditional and the government says that it welcomes foreign investors and companies, it actually does the other thing in making it hard for the foreign biotech industries to do business in India.
World-renowned American TV Chef Anthony Bourdain recently graced the South by Southwest (SXSW) as presenter talking about the 3 Fs of travel media-Food, Fear and Future with Roads & Kingdoms co-founder Nathan Thornburgh.

When asked about food porn, Bourdain tried to avoid the question by saying, "We push ourselves to mess with that formula. I don't know when the show morphed into what it is now. We acknowledge the elephant in the room."

He was referring to the "elephant" to untouchable and non-discussed social issues that involve traveling to some of the places he's visited such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Gaza, and most famously Iran where he interviewed the Washington Post's reporter Jason Rezaian shortly before Rezaian was sentenced by the Iranian government and was recently released after 18 months in prison.

Bourdain, also a writer, TV producer and host of CNN's Part Unknown-became a partner in Roads & Kingdoms, a digital media startup based in Brooklyn and Barcelona in 2015 to help shape the digital industry since print and traditional media are already becoming obsolete.

Roads & Kingdoms is an independent journal of food, politics, travel and culture. In its second year of existence, it was voted the Gold Winner for Best Travel Journalism Site by the Society of American Travel Writers. The magazine first launched in Myanmar as a Tumblr that became a home for reports on everything from Burmese civil war to dissident MCs to the perils of rancid crab. R&K is now a full time digital magazine based in New York and Barcelona, publishing long form dispatches, interviews, and global ephemera daily.

Bourdain was quoted in saying "Everybody else has lists, people love lists, but deep storytelling. I think we travel differently now, and what we look for in reading before we travel is wildly different [than in past years]. I don't want a list of the best hotels or restaurants. I want to be set in a place where you get a real sense of what kind of place is what."

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual set of the film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences usually happening in mid-March in Austin, Texas, United States since 1987.

At the end of his talk, Bourdain said that he enjoyed Nashville's hot chicken more than anything else.
Regardless of what number of historical landmarks you visit while traveling or masterpieces you fawn over, you'll never get to know the people and their way of life until you drink with them. In any case, before you ring glasses with your new companions, you might need to pause for a moment and find out about their drinking traditions. Generally, as each nation's cooking is distinctive, in this, too, is the manner by which they drink their liquor. Read on for additionally amazing drinking customs you might have never known about.

Australia (Shouting a round of beers)

When drinking beers with friends, Aussies take turns purchasing a round, which they call shouting. In the event that you don't venture up and yell a round when it's your turn, you might mark a tight ass, neither one of the nicknames you want to be called.

Croatia Rijeka for medication and digestion

Croatians drink Rajika that is similar to moonshine, for more than social reasons. They likewise drink it to cure ailments and helps digestion after a meal.

Denmark, Sweden (shooting aquavit and singing songs)

Depending on which Scandinavian nation, Denmark or Sweden, that you're in, aquavit, a Scandinavia drink goes down in an unexpected way. Before drinking a shot of aquavit, Danish raise their glass and say "skal," making a point to meet everybody's eyes. Before setting the glass back on the table, everybody meets eyes once again.

France (Ladies First)

Polite French men constantly pour the women's glasses before their own.

Japan, Korea (Drinking and Pouring with Both Hands)

Whenever pouring and drinking an alcoholic beverage in Japan and Korea, they use both hands since its terrible conduct to use only one. It's additionally discourteous to pour your own particular glass. It's a way of respect to always acknowledge the first beverage offered to you and to turn away when taking a taste.
There's a 97.6% chance that Donald J. Trump will be America's next president -- so says the New York Post.

But it's not over yet. Democrats are still deciding in their primary and caucus contests which of the two contenders in their party has the best chance of beating Trump in November.

How you decide on that question is entirely up to you. But in our continuing effort to clarify the issues at stake, here's our take on how a Sanders administration, or a Clinton one, might act on matters of national defense -- and what each candidate's victory might mean for investors in the defense industry.

Sanders for prez ...

"We live in a difficult and dangerous world, and there are no easy or magical solutions. As president and commander-in-chief, I will defend this nation, its people, and America's vital strategic interests, but I will do it responsibly." So says Sen. Bernie Sanders in a statement on his campaign's website. And as glowing generalities go, it's hard to disagree with any of that.

But what does Sanders propose to do to "defend ... America's vital strategic interests," specifically?

Well, according to his campaign's website, a Sanders administration would look at military matters on a case-by-case basis. For example, Sanders proudly proclaims that he opposed U.S. military action in both the first and second Iraq wars -- but he supported the use of force in the Balkans, to halt ethnic cleansing, and voted in favor of invading Afghanistan in retaliation for the Sept. 11 attacks.

As far as today's military policy goes, it's far down Sen. Sanders' list of priorities. Out of 23 topics specifically addressed on his website, "war and peace" ranks only No. 20. And even there, Sanders' position paper contains almost no specifics about his plans for strengthening the U.S. military.

That said, neither does Sanders' website contain any explicit statements that would support critics who claim he will implement a "50% cut in defense spending" (Reuters) or drastically reduce the U.S. nuclear deterrent (DefenseOne).

Really, there are almost no specifics of any kind stated, which could guide us one way or the other as to whether a Sanders administration would be good news or bad for defense companies. Sanders expresses a hope that under his administration, the U.S. will cease to be "the de facto policeman of the world" -- which sounds like bad news for anyone hoping for an increase in defense spending. On the other hand, Sanders does propose to "work with our allies" to address security concerns, in particular in the Middle East. Viewed optimistically, this might portend an increase in sales of defense systems to U.S. allies internationally.

Or President Clinton, part deux?

Hillary Clinton's position on defense policy is similar to Sanders', with perhaps a bit of a more hawkish tilt. For example, Clinton has been quoted in the past advocating the sale of Lockheed Martin's (LMT 2.31%) F-35 stealth fighter jet to Israel. Elsewhere, she promises to "empower our partners to defeat terrorism," "work with friends and allies to ... encourage China to be a responsible stakeholder ... and hold it accountable if it does not," and "stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our European allies and help them ... deter Russian aggressions in Europe and beyond."

All of which appears to echo Sen. Sanders' emphasis on diplomacy, and cooperation with allies. If Clinton wouldn't necessarily quit the job of "world policeman," she might at least deputize a few allies to help out -- to whom we would of course be able to sell weapons.

Which would not be bad news for U.S. defense contractors.

As for defense spending here at home, that could come under pressure. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, Clinton called for the creation of a commission to look into "what we need, and how we are going to pay for it." Past inquiries into the subject of "what we need" under President Obama augured poorly for big-ticket, high-profile weapons systems such as the Boeing's (BA 1.57%) Airborne Laser and Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. More recent inquiries have raised the possibility of curtailing purchases of Lockheed's F-35 as well.

At the same time, Clinton says she will make "sure that our military is on the cutting edge" and that the U.S. "maintains the best-trained, best-equipped, and strongest military the world has ever known."

Now, the lack of specifics from both Democratic candidates makes figuring out what they really think a bit of an exercise in Kremlinology. Still, reading the between the lines, and with particular emphasis on the word "maintains," it appears a Clinton administration might not be averse to maintaining Pentagon spending at present levels -- but perhaps shifting Pentagon dollars more toward research and development on new technologies such as cyber, railguns, and lasers -- albeit at the expense of higher-ticket hardware.

The upshot for investors

So what's the upshot of all this for investors in the defense industry? The almost total lack of specifics as pertaining to American military policy -- and on pages supposedly dedicated to the candidates' policy on "war and peace" and "national security," respectively, makes it clear that growing defense spending will not be a priority for either of the Democratic candidates.

This paints a pretty clear contrast to what we've heard from the Republicans.

Then again, Obama wasn't the most hawkish candidate in 2012, either. He famously chided Gov. Mitt Romney for treating the defense budget like "a game of Battleship where we're counting ships." But when push came to shove, Obama ended up spending even more on the military than his predecessor, President Bush.

Come 2017, the current candidates just might surprise us.
Toyota (TM 0.39%) hinted on Tuesday that it will reveal a new "green" car at next week's New York International Auto Show.

What Toyota said: Toyota's press release was very short. Here's the complete text:

Toyota reveals stand-out style, intelligent eco-tech at NY Auto Show," it said. "The city that never sleeps is about to get a wake-up call. Toyota is rolling out the next mechanical marvel in the Prius lineup at 9:10 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, March 23. Put limits in the rearview and check out the reveal at https://livestream.com/Toyota/NY2016.

It also included the "teaser" photo you see above.

What's going on here?

While the taillights might hint at a new high-performance model, the new "mechanical marvel" is probably the plug-in version of the latest Toyota Prius. But the "teaser" photo above tells us that it might look very different from what we've come to expect.

Toyota launched a completely redesigned version of the Prius sedan for 2016. The new 2016 Prius has been on sale for a couple of months now. It's a significant car for a few reasons, not least of which because it's the first Toyota product built on the company's all-new (and very flexible) vehicle architecture.

But unlike the last-generation Prius PHEV ("plug-in hybrid vehicle"), which looked almost exactly like the "regular" hybrid Prius, the new plug-in version seems set to look quite different. Compare the taillights in that "teaser" photo with this rear view of the new-for-2016 Prius.

Why would Toyota give the plug-in version of the new Prius a different look? Perhaps to help sales.

Sales of the last-generation model were pretty dismal: Toyota sold 113,829 examples of the regular Prius sedan in the U.S. last year and just 4,191 of the plug-in variant.

Sales of the last-generation Prius PHEV were probably hurt by the fact that it had very limited electric-only range. Its EPA-rated range on a full charge before the gasoline engine kicked in was just 11 miles. That's barely a fifth of the 53-mile range rating on General Motors' (GM 4.67%) latest Chevrolet Volt.

I expect Toyota to boost the electric-only range of the new Prius PHEV significantly, if not quite to Volt levels. But I also expect that Toyota will give its new plug-in distinctive styling that clearly differentiates it from the regular Prius.

Why Toyota might have chosen different styling

I have argued for years that a key reason why the Prius was able to get established as a mainstream model while rival hybrids from companies like Honda languished was because the Prius had unique and distinctive styling. It looked like something completely different, while Honda's entry looked like a Civic with slightly different rim. I think that appealed to car buyers who wanted their green-minded choice to stand out a bit.

The success of the Prius has made lots of car shoppers open to "regular" hybrids from other automakers. Hybrid cars are no longer a futuristic technology. But plug-ins are still a little bit "out there" for many folks.

I bet Toyota is hoping on some level that if it makes the new Prius PHEV more distinctive, more differentiated from the regular Prius, it might benefit from the same kind of effect.

Your humble Fool will be attending Toyota's presentation in New York next week. I'll have more to say about the new model and the thinking behind it after that. Stay tuned.
However, with Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button signed for 2016, there was no space to promote Vandoorne to a race drive, no matter how highly the team rate him.

Vandoorne has been a member of McLarens Young Driver Programme for just over three years and last season secured the GP2 championship in some style, scoring seven wins en route to the title.

He has always been intelligent, but to that intelligence he has recently added a level of wisdom unusual in one so young, Dennis told F1.com when asked about the 23-year-old Belgian.

And he is as physically fit as any racing driver in any race series in the world, including Formula One.

This season Vandoorne will race in the Super Formula series in Japan, as part of Honda-powered Docomo Team Dandelion Racing, and Dennis expects more success from his teams protege.

Super Formula cars are fast and grippy, and Stoffel will be competing against ex-Formula One drivers such as Kamui Kobayashi, Kazuki Nakajima, Narain Karthikeyan and Andre Lotterer. He will fare well.

His journey to Formula One has been mapped out very carefully, as is always the case with McLaren Young Driver Programme members, and we expect him to be ready in 2017.

However, Dennis refused to be drawn on the chances of there being a race vacancy with the Woking squad next season, stressing only that he is more than happy with their current line-up of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Fernando has repeatedly confirmed that he intends to complete the three years of his current contract, he stated. And that contract contains no options or performance clauses by the way: it is three years straight.

As for Jenson, he and I will speak during the course of the year. But he is a world champion, and one of the very best drivers we have ever had. Any team would be delighted to have him on their driving strength. We most definitely are.

Check back to Formula1.com on Wednesday to read the exclusive Q&A with Ron Dennis - during which he discusses McLaren's 2016 prospects and the ongoing partnership with Honda - in full.
With the critical Super Tuesday Two primaries upon us, Florida Governor Rick Scott, whose state is of ultrahigh importance to candidates, weighed in on the race during a conversation with FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto.

I think it [the race] will come down to, just like my two races [for governor], whos the best for jobs, Scott told Cavuto. He added, My responsibility today is to make sure we have a fair election. Ive talked to my secretary of state. We dont have any incidents of fraud, any incidents of irregularities. The important thing today is to make sure we dont have any issues.

The Republican governor explained why he hasnt endorsed a GOP candidate yet.

I just want to rely on the voters, he said. The voters are smart: theyre going to make a good decision. I didnt like the establishment telling me to get out of the [gubernatorial] race in 2010. I dont like the establishment telling people who they should vote for.

Despite not making an endorsement, Scott did say he would definitely support the GOP nominee.

We cant have four more years of Barack Obama, Scott stressed. Weve turned our state around, but boy, the federal government is always just so painful to deal with.

Scott also commented on Marco Rubio, the sitting senator from his state, who is one of the four remaining candidates attempting to win the GOP nomination for president. According to the latest polls, frontrunner Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over Rubio, who most believe needs to win his home state, in order to continue in the race.

Senator Rubios done a very good job; hes been a very good partner to work with, Scott said. We got elected together in 2010. Hes been helpful to me with regard to the federal government.

The governor, whose background is in business and healthcare, explained why a businessperson can be a successful politician.

I looked at it like I had specific goals, he said. I put out a goal when I ran700,000 jobs in seven years through seven stepsand I just worked at it every day. A lot of people say business and government arent the same. They are the same if youre very focused good business people are very focused. Good elected individuals are very focused on what they ran on.
Ride-sharing services have generated a lot of buzz, and some industry experts have suggested young Americans will lose interest in car ownership. But according to a new study, the freedom that comes with owning a car still entices Americas teens.

Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book released a study on Tuesday that says alternatives to traditional car ownership dont appeal to Generation ZAmericans up to the age of 17. The results show that 92% of Gen Z owns or wants to own a vehicle, and 97% have or plan to get a drivers license.

Whats more, 72% said they would give up social media for a year to have a car. Gen Z believes owning a car represents freedom (29%) and convenience (21%).

Fully autonomous cars are appealing to 54% of Gen Z. Safety is the primary factor, as 61% expect roads to be safer with self-driving vehicles. However, despite growing up with advanced technology, 65% of Gen Z doesnt trust the technology behind autonomous driving.

The car websites noted their findings contradict public opinion about Americas future car buyers.

The best news from this research is that auto sales are not going to take a hit because of this generation. In fact, it may prove to be quite the opposite. Their love for cars and driving is very much alive, said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence for Cox Automotive, the parent company of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.

Auto sales have been a bright spot in the U.S. economy. The industry sold more cars, trucks and SUVs in 2015 than ever before, and consumer demand has spilled over into 2016. Sales are up 3.5% through the first two months of the year, according to Autodata.

Helms added marketing methods automakers use to reach Millennials will not work for Generation Z because some of the defining traits of Millennials do not hold true for the next generation of car shoppers.

Price is the most important consideration for Gen Z (77%), making it a much higher priority than having a car that is environmentally friendly (27%). When asked for an opinion on green, or eco-friendly cars, 43% viewed them as a way to say money on gas.

Brands are less important to Gen Z than Millennials. The importance of brands rated at 23% among Gen Z members versus 34% for Millennials. Gen Z is also less interested in style and vehicle popularity.

Gen Zs favorite brands are Ford (NYSE:F), Chevrolet and Honda (NYSE:HMC). Only 1% named Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) as a top preferred brand.

Marketers are taking a close look at the buying tendencies of Gen Z, which accounts for nearly a quarter of the U.S. population and will hold $3.2 trillion in purchasing power by 2020. The Autotrader-Kelley Blue Book study, titled Whats Driving Gen Z, indicated that Gen Zs approach to spending was influenced by the recession.

While they will have access to some serious cash, they will be cautious in how they spend their money, a trait that makes Gen Z markedly different than their Millennial counterparts, Helms said.

The survey included responses from 3,000 U.S. residents between 12 and 65 years old.
The next sub-prime crisis could be lurking in the auto sector.

Gary Kaltbaum, president of Kaltbaum Capital Management, told FOX Business Network's Neil Cavuto on Cavuto Coast-to-Coast that easy money is to blame for increasingly easy lending policies.

Incentives are at the highest ever, leasing last month was at the highest ever, and that is [companies] trying to keep the numbers up, and thats where they lower the bar on lending down to the ground, he said.

Kaltbaum said the losses are likely to hit the bond holders the hardest.

If we get a bad economic scenario, I think all heck can break loose because lenders have gone too far trying to get people in who should not get the products theyre buying, he said.

Indeed , Fitch Ratings service said in an end-of-February press release that delinquencies on subprime auto asset-backed securities (ABS) have reached levels not seen since 2009.

Fitch cited data that showed delinquencies of 60 days or longer hit 4.98% in the first month of 2016  the highest level since September 2009, up 6% from December, and 4.8% higher than the same period in 2015.

Weaker performance in the subprime sector is being driven mainly by weaker credit quality present in the 2013-2015 securitized pools, along with marginally lower used vehicle values, Hylton Heard, senior director at Fitch Ratings, said in the release.

To that point, TransUnion data showed there were 1.21 million more subprime borrowers with auto loan accounts compared to 2014.

Ezra Becker, VP or research and consulting in the financial services business unit of TransUnion, said in a statement that lower energy and oil prices likely are playing a larger role in the rates of delinquencies among auto-sector borrowers.

Lower energy prices and the resulting job losses in the energy-dependent markets have played some role in delinquency rates, he said. Even so, that impact appears at this point to be localized and mild in terms of national effect.
Alphabet recently hired Christopher Poole, founder of the controversial imageboard site 4chan, to work under Bradley Horowitz, its VP of streams, photos, and sharing. Google didn't disclose exactly what Poole will be working on, but it will likely be related to challenging Facebook with fresh social networking tactics. Let's take a look back at why Google needs to "get" social, and how Poole might help.

Image source: Pixabay.

Google's social networking woesGoogle's long list of social networking failures include Orkut, Latitude, Buzz, Jaiku, and Dodgeball. It launched its latest effort, Google+, over four years ago in response to Facebook's growth. In late 2013, Google claimed that 300 million users viewed Google+ streams on a monthly basis, but it stopped providing updates after that.

Last January, pseudonymous blogger Edward Morbius claimed that excluding linked YouTube comments, only 4 million to 6 million people actively posted and interacted with each other on Google+ every month, and that less than 200 million users had posted any public content at all.

Google neither confirmed nor denied those numbers, but the network clearly wasn't living up to expectations. In 2014, Google removed Google+ profile photos and circle counts from its search engine, and Google+ founder and chief Vic Gundotra resigned. Last year, Google split the network into stand-alone Photos and Streams services, removed Google+ integration from all of its ecosystem services, and relaunched the entire brand with new "Communities" and"Collections."Communities encouraged users to join groups with similar interests, while Collections lets users curate photos and videos.

The "new" Google+. Image source: Google Play.

Can Poole help Google?Poole, who founded 4chan in 2003 at the age of 15, clearly understands how to attract people to a site and let them create and join groups based on their personal interests. Therefore, it's likely that Google will ask him to handle the new Google+ Communities and Collections. TechCrunch's Josh Constine, who previously interviewed Poole, recently declared thatthe 4chan founder "truly gets the sociology behind why people use (social products)," and it's that "understanding of emotion, not just algorithms, that Google needs."Rolling Stone once called Poole the "Mark Zuckerberg of the online underground."

However, that praise might be a bit premature. Poole admits that 4chan wasn't an original idea -- it was based on the Japanese imageboard site 2chan. 4chan hosts22 million monthly visitors, but that's a tiny figure compared to Reddit's 232 million monthly visitors and Facebook's 1.59 billion monthly active users.

4chan's user base mainly consists of men between the ages of 18 to 34, whose primarily interests include Japanese culture, anime, comics, video games, technology, music, and movies. That's a narrow spectrum of users compared to Facebook's broad reach among both genders and all age groups.

4chan's controversial reputation also dwarfs its actual size. Much of 4chan's growth was attributed to the fact that it wasn't tightly monitored like other online forums. Although the site was previously known for publicizing pranks and memes, it became infamous after being used to spread nude photos from the iCloud hack and proliferate the "GamerGate" attack on women in the gaming industry. It's highly doubtful that Google will let Poole turn Collections and Communities into unmonitored and uncensored forums simply to boost user numbers.Poole stepped down from running 4chan in early 2015, writing at the time "... The journey has been marked by highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, but ultimately immense satisfaction. I'm humbled to have had the privilege of both founding and presiding over what is easily one of the greatest communities to ever grace the Web." Poole, known by the nickname "moot," wrote on his own website that he is "impressed by Googles commitment to enabling these same talented people to tackle some of the worlds most interesting and important problems."

Why Google needs to "get" social soonIt's unclear how much Poole can actually help Google, but the search giant needs to find a way to fight back against Facebook soon for two major reasons. First, the more time people spend within Facebook's ecosystem every day, the less data Google can gather for its targeted ads. To expand that ecosystem, Facebook launched its own video and news publishing services, added search and location-based features, and uses single sign-on buttons to tether third-party apps and sites back to its site.

Second, users voluntarily submit personal data to Facebook with their profile information, check-ins, likes, and social interactions. That data arguably offers a more detailed advertising profile for marketers than Google's data, which is mainly based on search queries and website visits. As a result, research firm eMarketer expects Google's annual digital ad revenue in the U.S. to rise just 7.5% to $25.1 billion this year, while Facebook's is expected to surge 28.7% to $9.9 billion.

The key takeawayIn my opinion, a key problem with Google's social strategy is that it keeps imitating more successful sites instead of creating new features. The original Google+ was too similar to Facebook, the new Photos app was influenced by Instagram, Communities is structured like 4chan and Reddit, and Collections clearly resembles Pinterest.

Unfortunately, all those sites have established user bases that aren't likely to simply switch over to Google. Hiring Poole is an interesting move that shows that Google is interested in letting users take charge, but investors shouldn't expect the "underground Zuckerberg" to pull off any miracles.

The article Alphabet Inc. Hires 4chan's Founder to Fix Google's Social Woes originally appeared on Fool.com.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Facebook. 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.
There have been a lot of headlines recently about slowing economic growth in China and other Pacific Rim countries whose economies are tightly intertwined with China's. Despite these headwinds, American Airlines and United Continental -- two of the three big U.S. network carriers -- are growing aggressively in the region.

Meanwhile, their rival Delta Air Lines seems to be taking a pause from growth in the transpacific market. Let's take a look at this divergence in strategy and what it means for the top three U.S. airlines.

American Airlines: investing to catch upLooking back to 2014, American Airlines deployed approximately 10 billion available seat miles (ASMs) in the Pacific region. By contrast, Delta Air Lines had 29 billion ASMs in the Pacific region that year, and United Continental had 40 billion ASMs there.

American Airlines has a much smaller Asian footprint than its peers. Image source: American Airlines.

In other words, despite being somewhat larger than Delta and United overall, American Airlines was way behind in the largest and fastest-growing region of the world. To address this weakness, it has made growth in the transpacific market a high priority.

Between 2013 and 2015, American Airlines turned its top hub -- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) -- into a major Asian gateway. It launched nonstop service to Seoul in 2013, nonstop flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2014, and nonstop service to Beijing last summer. Including its long-running DFW-Tokyo route, American Airlines now flies from its largest hub to the top five business markets in East Asia.

However, DFW is at a geographical disadvantage for transpacific flights relative to the West Coast gateways United and Delta use. As a result, American Airlines is now looking to use its Los Angeles hub for further growth in the region. It may not be the most ideal time to grow aggressively in Asia and the South Pacific, but American is making a long-term investment. To compete effectively with United and Delta, it needs a bigger transpacific presence.

The latest push began with American entering the Australian market last December with nonstop flights from LA to Sydney. Last month, it launched flights to Tokyo's Haneda Airport to complement its existing flights to Narita Airport. It will add New Zealand to its route map in June, when a new LA-Auckland route begins. Finally, American announced last week that it will begin flying from LA to Hong Kong in September.

American's rapid capacity growth in the Pacific region may be hurting its unit revenue. However, it doesn't have much choice. It needs to get much bigger in the region so it can benefit when the demand environment improves.

United Continental needs to build on its advantageUnited Continental is the transpacific market leader. However, it faces growing competition: not just from American, but also from Delta, which has built up West Coast gateways in Seattle and Los Angeles in the past few years.

United needs to ensure that it remains the top dog in the region. To do that, it's trying to go beyond the big Asian business centers that every major airline serves. It's putting particular emphasis on secondary cities in China. In 2014, it began flying from San Francisco to Chengdu. In the next few months, it plans to launch seasonal flights from San Francisco to Xi'an and year-round flights to Hangzhou.

United is using its Dreamliner fleet to fly to secondary cities in China.

Outside of mainland China, United began daily San Francisco-Taipei flights in 2014, becoming the only U.S. carrier flying nonstop to Taiwan. In June, it will become the only airline flying nonstop between the U.S. and Singapore. And United will follow American Airlines into New Zealand in July with San Francisco-Auckland flights.

United has offset some of these route additions by cutting intra-Asia flights and beach market flights from Japan. However, while its total transpacific capacity isn't growing much, United is dramatically expanding its reach in Asia to stay ahead of Delta and American.

Delta Air Lines shrinks in AsiaWhile its two main rivals are rapidly expanding their presence in the transpacific market, Delta has been shrinking there recently. Its transpacific capacity fell 5% during 2015, and it is targeting another 4%-6% transpacific capacity decrease in 2016.

Delta is cutting capacity in Japan significantly.

Most of Delta's cuts have come in Japan, where it is slashing intra-Asia routes from its hub in Tokyo and beach market flights to places like Hawaii and Guam. That's not so different from what United Continental is doing, but unlike United, Delta hasn't been fully offsetting cuts in Japan with growth elsewhere.

After adding flights from Seattle to Shanghai, Seoul, and Hong Kong between June 2013 and June 2014, Delta has slowed its expansion in Asia. It launched a new Los Angeles-Shanghai route last year, but that was about it. This week, it announced plans to begin flying from Los Angeles to Beijing, but that service won't start until December.

Instead, Delta plans to rely on local partners as it grows in Asia. Last year, Delta paid $450 million for a small stake in China Eastern Airlines, one of China's biggest airlines. Rather than flying directly to secondary cities in China, Delta intends to offer more flights to Beijing and Shanghai, where travelers would be able to connect to numerous other destinations on China Eastern.

This strategy reduces Delta's risk and capital requirements relative to wholesale expansion. It leaves United Continental with a clear edge in Asia, but it should keep Delta comfortably ahead of American Airlines in the region. In the meantime, Delta's capacity discipline in Asia should help it post better unit revenue results than its peers in 2016.

The article American Airlines and United Continental Expand in the Pacific: Delta Stands Pat originally appeared on Fool.com.

Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of United Continental Holdings, and is long January 2017 $40 calls on Delta Air Lines, and long January 2017 $30 calls on American Airlines Group. The Motley Fool is long January 2017 $35 calls on American Airlines Group. 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.
Image source: 3M

Like the heavy-duty duct tape it makes,3M is a strong company. But no company -- or adhesive tape, for that matter -- is completely immune from risk. The biggest risk to the company by far, though, is litigation.

Chemicals and courtroomsLawsuits are the bane of any chemical company's existence. If a popular product turns out to be hazardous, or if the manufacturing process proves harmful to people or the environment, a company can potentially be on the hook for billions of dollars in legal fees, fines, or damages. One company that understands this all too well is 3M rivalDuPont, which spun off some of its chemicals businesses -- and the legal liability for those businesses -- into a new company,Chemours in 2013.

In its most recent 10-K form, 3M discusses some of the existing lawsuits against it, and there are a lot of them. Like Chemours, the company is facing lawsuits related to asbestos exposure (at the time it was spun off from DuPont, Chemours estimated it was facing 2,400 pending asbestos-related lawsuits alone) and environmental damage.

3M does make provisions for the outcomes of such lawsuits, including taking out insurance policies and/or setting aside cash to cover the costs. But even so, as the company notes:

"Becauselitigationissubjecttoinherentuncertainties,andunfavorablerulingsordevelopmentscouldoccur, there can be no certainty that the Company may not ultimately incur charges in excess of presently recorded liabilities. A future adverse ruling, settlement, or unfavorable development could result in future charges that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations or cash flows in the period in which they are recorded."

And there may be a huge "unfavorable development" arising in the near future,dealing with the harmful effects of a chemical called PFOA.

Ill effectsWithout getting too technical, PFOA is a compound that 3M manufactured and that DuPont's Teflon products used for decades. Additionally, while it didn't contain PFOA, 3M's original formula of ScotchGard broke down into PFOA.Recent studies have established a'probable link'' between PFOA and various cancers, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol, among other serious health conditions.

Recently, 200 scientists signed The Madrid Statement, calling on governments and manufacturers to restrict the usage of PFOA and other related chemicals only to essential uses. The damage, though, may already be done: PFOA has been found in the bloodstreams of people and animals around the globe. You have PFOA in your bloodstream right now.

The nightmare scenarioFrom a medical and environmental standpoint alone, this is frightening (and I'm not exaggerating -- in lieu of seeing a horror flick, just read this recent article from The New York Times).From an investing standpoint, though, it could be catastrophic. Depending on how much PFOA is harmful to humans -- and it could be as little as 0.001 parts per billion, -- the resulting legal claims against 3M and DuPont/Chemours could easily run into the tens of billions of dollars, or more.

In fact, more than 3,500 people have already filed PFOA-related personal-injury lawsuits against DuPont. The first of these cases, last October, resulted in a $1.6 million judgment against DuPont, which the company has appealed. But multiply $1.6 million times 3,500, and you can see how the potential liabilities skyrocket.

Even though 3M stopped all manufacture and use of PFOA in 2008, three purported class action lawsuits revolving around PFOA exposure are already pending against 3M. The first class certification hearing is scheduled for this November. And these lawsuits could be just the tip of the iceberg.

The Foolish bottom lineIt's hard to overstate the possible negative effects that PFOA lawsuits could have on 3M and its bottom line. And since the company doesn't manufacture PFOAs anymore, it has no existing product line that it can spin off, as DuPont did with Chemours -- not to mention that the company's reputation would certainly be tarnished if one of its chemicals was found to have caused widespread damage and suffering.

Of course, it could transpire that PFOA is safe in higher concentrations than previously thought, or that 3M simply isn't held legally liable for the chemical's presence in the environment, people, and animals. But if you're a 3M investor, you'll want to keep a close eye on how the first class action suit goes in November: It could be the beginning of a rough road for the company.

The article The Biggest Risk for 3M Investors originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Bromels has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. shares dropped 3.6% late Tuesday as the company, still reeling from recent outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus, said it expects a first-quarter loss. The company said same-store sales in February were down 26.1%, with the leap day adding 2.6% to the monthly result. Same-store sales declined 21.5% during the first week of March, the company said in a Tuesday filing, but slid to a 27.3% drop the second week of the month after a Boston-area restaurant was closed temporarily due to reports that workers became ill with norovirus. Chipotle sees a first-quarter loss of $1 per share or more. The FactSet consensus is earnings of 3 cents per share. "During the quarter we will incur higher expenses driven by increased marketing and promotions spend in other operating costs, which are anticipated to be significantly higher in the first half of 2016 compared to historic reporting periods," the filing said. The company anticipates higher food costs due to additional safety protocols, more food waste, and higher food rejection rates due to the high-resolution DNA testing that has been put into place. The company said there will also be higher legal expenses associated with the Department of Justice investigation. And Chipotle incurred higher labor costs after increasing staff for free burrito redemptions. Chipotle said it hired James Marsden as executive director of food safety. Chipotle shares closed Tuesday down 2.5%, but are up 4.8% for the year to date. The S&P 500 is down 1.4% for the year so far.

Copyright  2016 MarketWatch, Inc.
Iron ore miners are ignoring the first law of holes: When you find yourself in one, stop digging. Industry majors continue to increase production despite weak pricing. Image source:Peter Craven.

Is the iron ore rally over already? After a grueling year that saw prices slip to a low of $38 per ton in December, iron ore rallied last Monday, spiking 19% higher to hit $63.75 per ton, the greatest one-day rally in history, and miners like BHP Billiton , Rio Tinto , and Vale have all enjoyed a run-up in response.

Since hitting a low of $18.46 in January, shares of BHP have jumped 60%, trading just under $30 each, while Rio gained as much as 47% from its January low. Vale went on a tear, with its stock more than doubling in value, rising from its nadir of $2.24 that it hit in late January to almost $5 a stub on Monday.

Yet by week's end, the rally in pricing for both iron ore and mining stocks seems to have fizzled. Iron ore trended back toward $50 per ton and the miners gave up a chunk of their gains. BHP settled to a 43% improvement while Rio is now up 31% from its low. Vale remains some 73% higher.

However, if the iron ore pricing rally was that tenuous that it couldn't hold on for more than a week, investors may be right to be concerned that the miners will revisit their lows too.

A short-term convergenceThe surge in pricing was driven by Chinese regulators who signaled they were willing to spend their country's economy out of the doldrums by loosening monetary policy to support growth. They've committed to targeting economic growth of 6.5% this year,but the fundamentals of the mining industry may not be there to underpin any sustained expansion. Even BHP Billiton admits the market for steel and pig iron production this year are at best "subdued."

While the miner also feels there is a better long-term outlook because other sectors of the Chinese economy are more robust than construction, Australian ministers cautioned against boasting about how much iron ore the miners can dump on the market, and advocated that producers be more "circumspect" in their approach.

It speaks volumesDespite the low pricing environment, BHP has indicated it still intends to push production higher, hitting 270 million tons in Western Australia this fiscal year and eventually rising to as much as 290 million tons. Western Australia accounts for about 37% of global iron ore production and half of international seaborne iron-ore trade, of which China consumes about two-thirds.

By keeping production high, the miner actually lowers its costs, and BHP has been on a cost-cutting drive, slashing jobs and cutting its dividend. As a result, it has an ingrained incentive to keep pushing production ever skyward.

Yet there are risks. Investigators looking into the deadly Samarco mine collapse in Brazil that killed 19 people say it was caused at least in part by the desire by BHP Billiton and Vale to ramp up production to offset falling prices.

Vale has also been pushing production higher around the world, and last month noted it hit a record of 346 million tonnes of iron ore in 2015 -- this even as it realized prices that were 42% below the year-ago period. Rio Tinto noted its higher production of iron ore volumes improved its earnings by $132 million last year.

With a mind-set like that, and industry and macroeconomic fundamentalsremaining weak, there is little chance iron ore prices will remain elevated, and the rally in the miners' stock prices are poised to follow them lower. Investors would do well to avoid trying to catch the volatility ride and instead wait for a more stable environment to emerge.

The article Is the Iron Ore Rally Over Already? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Companhia Vale Ads. 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.
Last month, J.C. Penney announced plans to pursue a sale and partial leaseback for its corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas. The Plano real estate market is very hot right now and J.C. Penney wants to capitalize on this opportunity to monetize a key real estate asset. The proceeds would be used to pay down debt.

J.C. Penney plans to sell its corporate headquarters building to raise cash. Photo: The Motley Fool

Last week, J.C. Penney's real estate efforts took another twist. The company is looking to rezone some of its remaining property in Plano to allow for more development. This should help J.C. Penney bring in even more cash from its headquarters sale.

Plano becomes popular with businessesNearly three decades ago, J.C. Penney decided to move its corporate headquarters from New York City to Plano, a suburb of Dallas, in a bid to reduce labor and administrative costs, as well as its tax bill. At that time, the area surrounding J.C. Penney's new corporate campus was still mostly farmland.

By contrast, J.C. Penney's headquarters is now part of a huge swath of corporate offices dotting the so-called "Legacy" corridor. And there is a continuing surge of major corporations relocating to this area.

Two years ago, J.C. Penney contributed 240 acres of vacant land near its headquarters to a new partnership that aimed to create a mixed-use development called Legacy West, featuring offices, retail space, a hotel, and apartments. The developers quickly landed a big catch: Toyota Motor took 100 acres to build a 2 million square foot North American headquarters complex.

This move will consolidate Toyota offices currently located in New York, Kentucky, and California under one roof. Toyota has already moved some employees to Plano, and it will complete the transition during 2017.

Other companies are following Toyota's lead. Liberty Mutual Insurance is building a campus that will house 4,000 employees. FedEx Office -- formerly Kinko's -- recently put the finishing touches on a new headquarters building at Legacy West, replacing other offices in the Dallas area.

It's easy to see the appeal of the Legacy corridor, especially for global companies like Toyota. It's still relatively affordable, the site is well-located at the intersection of two major highways, and it is just a 25 minute drive from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport: one of the biggest airline hubs in the world, with nonstop flights to five continents.

J.C. Penney tries to extract more valueIn light of this building boom in Plano, it's a great time for J.C. Penney to cash out. So while the company originally stated that it planned to sell its 1.8 million square foot headquarters and lease back about two-thirds of the building, J.C. Penney now seems to have bigger aims.

As part of the headquarters sale, J.C. Penney would also like to sell about 40 acres of surrounding land. It recently asked the city of Plano to rezone a 111 acre tract including this property to allow the construction of eight new buildings with office and retail space. This would make it similar in density to the new Legacy West development.

If J.C. Penney gets the necessary approvals, the headquarters site would be vastly more attractive to potential purchasers. Not only would the buyer be able to collect rent from J.C. Penney and any other tenants it could find for the existing building, it would also be able to develop the remaining available land.

J.C. Penney can use every dollarJ.C. Penney executives recently stated that they expect a fall closing date for any potential sale of the Plano headquarters. This, along with internal free cash flow production, should allow J.C. Penney to pay down $400 million-$500 million of debt this year: roughly 10% of its total debt burden.

If J.C. Penney's zoning request is approved, the headquarters sale price could increase, allowing the company to pay down even more debt. By unlocking value from its real estate, the company may be able to get back on a firm financial footing. Meanwhile, J.C. Penney's turnaround will have time to gain steam, driving a return to sustainable profitability.

The article J.C. Penney Tries to Squeeze More Cash From Its Home Office originally appeared on Fool.com.

Adam Levine-Weinberg has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends FedEx. 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.
Image: Outerwall.

Tuesday continued the stock market's waiting game, and investors seemed content to allow broader market benchmarks to trade in a narrow range even as the Federal Reserve began its two-day monetary policy meeting this morning. Oil prices fell again, putting pressure on the energy and materials sectors of the stock market, and ongoing concerns about the capacity for the global economy to withstand all the macroeconomic pressures it's facing held the market back from further gains. Yet some stocks managed to overcome those concerns, and among the top performers on the day were Mead Johnson Nutrition , Outerwall , and Terex .

Mead Johnson Nutrition jumped 11% after rumors surfaced that the maker of infant formula and other nutritional products might gain the attention of larger European rivals seeking to make acquisitions. Mead Johnson itself acknowledged the rumors as such and chose not to comment, and competitors Nestle and Danone also declined to add anything to substantiate the speculation among market participants. Mead Johnson hasn't done as well as its competitors in pushing into the potentially huge Chinese market for infant formula, although the company has worked to enhance its ability to serve customers in China with recent strategic moves. A merger would potentially resolve those issues by combining forces with an industry player that already has more presence in China, but until the companies reveal more, investors can't be sure whether there's any substance to the rumors.

Outerwall gained 9% in the wake of its announcement of two key measures to enhance shareholder value. First, the company behind Redbox video-rental kiosks and Coinstar coin-counting machines said that it would double its dividend to $0.60 per share on a quarterly basis. The move will raise Outerwall's dividend yield to around 6.5%, making it even more attractive to income investors. In addition, the company said that it would explore what it called "strategic and financial alternatives" for its business, which investors took to include a potential sale of all or part of Outerwall's operations as well as strategic partnerships with other companies in the industry. Even with the jump, though, the stock remains down by more than half from its levels in mid-2015.

Finally, Terex climbed 7%. The crane-maker has been looking to complete a merger with Finland peer Konecranes, but Chinese conglomerate Zoomlion has stepped into the mix with a bid of its own. Reports surfaced Tuesday that Zoomlion chose to raise its bid for Terex, adding a special dividend of $1 per share to its previous offer of $30 per share in cash to Terex shareholders. For its part, Terex is reportedly prepared to accept a counteroffer of $32.75 per share in cash. In the end, a Zoomlion deal could include somewhat more complicated provisions rather than an all-cash merger, but until the parties reveal whether these reports are in fact true, shareholders will have to wait and see whether any of the purported new deal proposals actually pan out.

The article Why Mead Johnson Nutrition, Outerwall, and Terex Jumped Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Terex. 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.
Image source: Visa.

Credit-card pioneer Visa hasn't been a public company for very long, and its IPO came right before one of the toughest periods in stock market history. Nevertheless, Visa hasn't hesitated to reward its investors by returning capital to shareholders, and buying back shares has played an important role in Visa's overall capital allocation strategy.

One question investors have for Visa is whether it will continue to buy back more of its shares over time. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at what Visa has done with its buybacks and what it's likely to do in the future.

Getting off to a slow buyback startVisa's emergence as a public company came in early 2008, and the payment network was fortunate to get its IPO completed before the full brunt of the financial crisis struck. The stock market's poor performance during the remainder of 2008 hit Visa shares hard, wiping out the stock's post-IPO pop and pulling it downward with the rest of the financial sector.

However, even though the liquidity concerns that pervaded the entire stock market made it difficult for Visa to establish itself as a company interested in sharing its capital with its investors, the card giant nevertheless made efforts to do so. Even in the 2009 fiscal year ending in September 2009, Visa bought back more than $2.6 billion in shares. The following two years, buybacks of $1 billion and $2 billion respectively demonstrated Visa's ongoing commitment, in addition to its belief that its share price was artificially low and being unfairly penalized for its connection to the financial system.

The experienceMasterCard went through was similar. But unlike Visa, MasterCard didn't stick to stock repurchases during the aftermath of the financial crisis, and MasterCard's break wasn't something Visa shareholders ever had to deal with.

Upping the paceBy fiscal 2013, Visa was ready for a larger capital allocation move. In October 2012, the company authorized a new $1.5 billion stock repurchase program, pointing to the success of its business outside the U.S. in helping to justify the move. New repurchase programs came at a rapid pace thereafter, with Visa authorizing $1.75 billion in February 2013, $1.5 billion in July 2013, and $5 billion in October 2013.

Visa has since remained committed to the higher repurchase amount. In October 2014, Visa authorized a new $5 billion buyback program, and the company made the same move in November of last year, sticking with the $5 billion amount.

Visa's actual buybacks haven't always used up the entire authorized amount, but they've nevertheless made an impression on investors. Fiscal 2013 buybacks of $5.4 billion were the largest during the period, but fiscal 2014's $4.2 billion and fiscal 2015's $3 billion were still respectable. Moreover, Visa bought back $2 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 alone.

What's ahead for Visa's buybacks?Visa said in late January that it still had $5.8 billion in remaining authorized funds available for repurchasing shares, and all indications are that the company will continue to use its buyback authority. Even as the stock price has risen sharply, buyback activity hasn't slowed markedly.

Moreover, Visa has a strategic reason to keep buying back shares. The company plans to issue preferred stock as part of its acquisition of Visa Europe, and without buybacks, that preferred stock would have a dilutive effect on Visa's overall investor base. Visa said in its most recent conference call that it anticipated a higher rate of buybacks over the next five to six quarters to soak up some of the dilutive impact of the preferred shares.

Visa's shares have performed so well that some would argue an extensive buyback program risks putting company money into the stock at exactly the wrong time. Yet investors could have said the same thing at several points in recent years, and Visa hasn't seen the loss of momentum many had feared. For now, buyback activity is likely to continue -- if not accelerate -- at Visa for the foreseeable future.

The article Will Visa Inc. Boost Its Buybacks in 2016? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends MasterCard and Visa. 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.
Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. In North America, both handsets are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820. Source: Samsung

Qualcomm and Samsung are back together.

The Korean tech giant's current flagship handset, the Galaxy S7, is powered by Qualcomm's latest processor, the Snapdragon 820. It's a major win for Qualcomm, as the company was notablydevastatedby Samsung's decision to forsake the firm's silicon for its 2015 flagship.

The Snapdragon 810 burnedQualcommshareholders in 2015Qualcomm's top mobile processor of 2015, the Snapdragon 810, was poorly received. Reports of overheating plagued the chip, and though it made its way into several handsets, other vendors went in a different direction.

Since the debut of the Galaxy SII in 2011, Samsung had used Qualcomm's processors and modems in all of its flagship handsets. The Galaxy SIII, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S5 shipped with Qualcomm CPUs and modems in North America, and Qualcomm's shareholders benefited. From 2011 to 2014, Qualcomm kept pace with the broader S&P 500 on a total return basis, rising around 56%.

Since, then, however, the stock has moved lower, losing about one-quarter of its value over the last two years, with most of that loss coming in 2015. Reports began to surface in January that Samsung was poised to move away from Qualcomm, favoring its own chips for its (then) forthcoming Galaxy S6. Those reports were confirmed in March when the phone was finally unveiled. Given Samsung's size (it's the largest seller of smartphones in the world) analysts began to fear the worst and some downgraded the firm. Other vendors stuck by Qualcomm, but opted to use its lower-end chips. Rather than use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 to power its 2015 flagship, the G4, LG chose Qualcomm's slightly slower Snapdragon 808.Several poor earnings reports followed, and Qualcomm ultimately closed the year down more than 30%.

Qualcomm enjoyed strong revenue growth in 2013 and 2014, with its annual sales rising 30% and 7%, respectively. But in fiscal year 2015, its revenue slid 5%. In total, Qualcomm's chip sales actually rose, from 861 million in its fiscal 2014 year to 932 million in fiscal year 2015; still, its chip business performed poorly. Writing in its annual report, Qualcomm noted:

Snapdragon is back on topBut Qualcomm shouldn't have that problem in 2016. The Galaxy S7 isn't the only Android flagship making use of Qualcomm's latest silicon -- LG's G5 will also use the chip, as will Xiaomi's Mi 5.

That said, it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise for Qualcomm investors. Throughout 2015, management attempted to allay investors' fears, arguing that it could win Samsung back. Ahead of the Galaxy Note 5's debut last fall, Qualcomm's CEO Steve Mollenkopf was asked about the prospects for a Snapdragon-equipped Samsung phablet in 2015. Mollenkopf was dismissive, but hinted at a win for the S7. "Next design cycle ... I think we feel that we have a very competitive roadmap," he said. Some investors may have discounted Mollenkopf's confidence, but news of Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S7 wasn't a total shock.

Qualcomm shares have risen more than 20% in the last month, but could move even higher if the Galaxy S7 sells well. Even if it doesn't, Qualcomm could still benefit if one of the Galaxy S7's many Snapdragon 820-equipped rivals takes share.

Qualcomm's turnaround isn't complete (the company projected further sales declines last quarter) but its chip business is in much better shape than it was last year.

The article Yes, the Galaxy S7 Has Qualcomm Inside originally appeared on Fool.com.

Sam Mattera has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Qualcomm. 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.
Could the growing number of Chinese companies acquiring U.S. firms pose a threat to the security of the United States? Rep. Robert Pittenger, (R-NC), weighed in on concerns over the security risks as well as the economic benefits of these acquisitions.

I think Chinese investments overall are healthy. Our concern is relative to national security interests, we have Chinese investments in North and South Carolina, Rep. Pittenger told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo.

The Keer Group, a Chinese company, has acquired a textile firm just right across the border from Charlotte, it creates jobs. Smithfield Ham, which will be in my new district, they are [also] a Chinese firm now. So were not at all displeased with their investments, he said.

The recent acquisition proposal of Starwood Hotels (NYSE:HOT) by Chinas Anbang has raised unique national security concerns in the hotel industry over the possibility of wiretapping rooms in an effort to get national secrets.

I think its something that warrants some oversight. Certainly ought to be swept if a head of state is going to go in there, those are security matters that I think need some prudent advisory role in it. But our concern really, relative to the Chicago Stock Exchange, is that you have the Casin company which has Chinese government ownership and they would be acquiring this company. They are very opaque, we dont know much about them, and thats the nature of the Chinese, Rep. Pittenger said.

Rep. Pittenger continued, Of course the [Chinese] government itself has been involved in currency manipulation, cyber war and corporate espionage and for all these reasons we think its prudent that CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) get a strong look at what the objectives are and what the concerns may be.

He further explained the role of CFIUS in protecting U.S. national security interests.

Their overall objective is to seek out any acquisition that may have a national security intent and certainly the acquisition of the Chicago Stock Exchange, we feel like could play a role in that. That is why we want a robust review.

Rep. Pittenger then weighed in on past efforts by China to acquire U.S. companies that have raised red flags.

In terms of what we want to acquire, I dont think there are restrictions on what an American company can acquire. But we have restricted China from acquiring Western Digital, Fairchild, as these are semiconductor firms, and thats a very important component for our military equipment.
Her last name is Murray, but dont let her married name disguise the Italian roots that run deep in her family.

Born Anna Purificato, Murray --author of a new cookbook, Zi Anna's Kitchen --comes from a typical Italian family from Queens, N.Y. Family meals at Zi Anna's house, (Zi Anna is Aunt Anna in Italian) are like a scene right out of the movie the "The Godfather." They gather each evening in the kitchen to prepare dinner, and the whole extended family sits around in the basement dining room of their Queens home, talking about their jobs and lives.

The dinner conversation is as diverse as each course that is brought to the table. They laugh, argue, and (of course) talk with their hands, as Italians love to do.

"When you are sitting around a table and sharing a meal, those are the happiest times, said Murray. Those happy times were put to the test on Columbus Day 2008.

On a usually joyous day for Italian Americans, Murray will never forget the day her older sister and best friend, Tina DiFava, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She went in and they knew right away it was cancer, said Murray. They told us that they were going to treat it and that there were lots of treatments for this. We had no indication that it wasnt going to be just fine.

A year later, the cancer had metastasized to her brain.

At that point they told me her life expectancy was 8 months. But we never told her. Until the end, she never knew, said Murray.

DiFava, born Annunziata Purficato, died on Feb. 6, 2010, at the age of 60, leaving behind three sons and four grandchildren.

She had three major loves in her life: her kids and grandkids, food, and gambling. She really, really loved gambling, recounts her sister.

Before DiFavas diagnosis, Murray had begun working on a cookbook with all of their familys favorite recipes to pass down to her many nieces and nephews.

I decided I would make a little family cookbook and make copies for all the girls who were getting married at the time, said Murray. I had about 50 recipes by the time she was diagnosed, so I thought Why not turn this into a little fundraiser?

The cookbook was put on hold during the majority of DiFavas illness while Murray and DiFavas husband acted as the primary caregivers.

It took me a long time to get this going, but last year I decided it would be a cookbook for breast cancer research, said Murray.

Murray used about 80 recipes of her own, and slowly people started getting interested and donating recipes. Zi Annas Kitchen is now complete with 120 recipes.

Click here to see some recipes from Zi Anna's Kitchen.

The whole purpose is to sell copies and raise moneyto help get rid of breast cancer. Thats it. Maybe Oprah will spot it one day, said Murray.

According to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, there will be 230,480 new invasive breast cancer cases among women in 2011. Of those cases, there will be 39,520 deaths from the cancer.

We want to get people aware. Wake up! We have no history of breast cancer, and then out of the blue this happens. It would be nice for people to know it doesnt have to be your mother or grandmother, said Murray.

DiFava was very regular with her annual exams. Every year she went and everything was normal. She missed one year.

The one year she missed, the following year they found it, said Murray. If she wouldnt have missed that one, she might still be here.

The family started selling the cookbooks in September. The books havent even been shipped yet and 200 copies have already been sold.

I want to sell 1 million copies, Murray said laughing. The cookbook is focused around Italian family favorites. A lot of the dishes are favorite family foods: old Italian dishes that my mother used to make, said Murray.

When asked what her sisters favorite dish was, that was not an easy question for Murray to answer.

My sisters favorite dish? God, she had so many! You cant say one thing, she said. But anything I would make she would say Ooooo, its delicious! She loved food.

One of the dishes featured in the cookbook is one of DiFavas favorites: string beans with potatoes. It was those old peasant vegetable dishes she loved!, said Murray.

DiFavas family has already donated $3,800 in her name and is hoping to donate much more. Zi Annas Kitchen sells for $20, and all profit is donated to the American Cancer Society.

Tina would love the cookbook. She would absolutely love it. She would give her last dollar to support a cause, said Murray.

Click here for more on how to purchase a cookbook.
A new study suggests seniors who spend time in a hospital may leave with more germs than they had before entering. In their research, published in a JAMA Internal Medicine research letter, University of Michigan researchers found one in four seniors are discharged from the hospital with at least one superbug on their hands.

The study also found that seniors who go to a nursing home or other post-acute care (PAC) facility tend to continue acquiring new superbugs during their stay. The data focused on those who have been admitted to a hospital recently for a medical or surgical issue, and needed extra medical care before returning home.

Researchers studied 357 seniors who were admitted to several PAC facilities in southeast Michigan following a hospital stay, according to a news release. Of these patients, 24 percent had at least one superbug, or multidrug-resistant organism, on their hands when they checked in.

The patients were again tested after spending two weeks at the facility, and then monthly for up to six months or until discharge, according to the news release. Follow-up testing suggested that not only did the superbugs persist, but that the number of patients with superbugs on their hands increased to 34 percent.

Weve been educating health care workers for decades about hand hygiene, and these numbers show its time to include patients in their own hand hygiene performance and education, lead study author Dr. Lona Mody, associate chief for clinical and translational research at the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center, said in the release.

In the news release, Mody noted that seniors often choose to stay in facilities that offer group activities and social events, which could lead to the superbugs further spreading. Frequent antibiotic use in these centers may also cause certain strains of several infectious bacteria to evolve and become resistant to treatment.

Patient handwashing is not a routine practice in hospitals, Mody said. We need to build on the overarching principles weve already developed with adult learning theories and bring them to patients.

Mody recommended showing patients the actual superbugs on their hands by growing them in a lab. Researchers also developed a toolkit to help health care workers teach patients about hand hygiene.


Syrian peace talks have resumed this week in Geneva. In Washington, the House of Representatives has unanimously approved a resolution declaring the Islamic State to have perpetrated genocide on Christians and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq.

In Moscow, Vladimir Putin has announced the partial withdrawal of Russian combat forces from Syria. This is a time of promise for a region accustomed to despair.

Russias reduction of combat capabilities is particularly significant for the Geneva peace talks, giving Syrian President Bashar Assad encouragement to negotiate toward a transition regime, knowing Russian support will not be available in perpetuity (Putin avoiding Americas Vietnam and Russias Afghanistan debacles).

Participating in the Geneva talks, sponsored by the United Nations, are representatives of the Assad government and of the non-extremist elements of the anti-Assad opposition. These talks are intended not only concretize the cease-fire currently in place, but also to draft a new constitution and to implement national elections next year. In short, to create a new Syria.

No people have more at stake in the outcome of these peace talks than the one million Christians remaining in that country. Christians, along with other religious minorities, will be the most vulnerable to a bad outcome of the Geneva negotiations. Failure to put in place a pluralistic government of national unity with durable guarantees for the safety of religious minorities will mean a Syria from which Christians are simply eradicated  either killed or expelled.

And yet, Christians are unrepresented in the talks. There is no party to the negotiations which can speak on behalf of the interests of the Christians. Why? Because Christians are not belligerents in the civil war; they are neither government nor opposition. Christians are being excluded from the peace talks because they arent trying to kill anyone.

This is why we have delivered to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, a petition signed by 37,500 concerned citizens of many nations, bringing to the attention of United Nations officials the dangers faced by Syria's remaining Christians, and the need for their representation in Geneva.

The reason for the precariousness of the Christian situation in Syria is simple: there is no opposition group fighting the Assad regime which, if in power, would tolerate the presence of Christians and respect their rights to live in peace and practice their faith. Even the opposition groups backed by the United States have shown a reckless disregard for the safety and dignity of Christians. Just look at the photographs of the desolate Christian neighborhood of old Homs, gratuitously razed by the retreating Free Syrian Army two years ago. One bishop told us, The difference between moderates and extremists is that extremists will kill you and take your house; the moderates will take your house, but let you live.

Unfavorable outcomes of the peace talks from the Christian perspective include either a government dominated by unmoderated opposition forces intolerant of religious minorities, or a government too weak to defend itself from the extremist opposition forces of the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State, neither of which are party to the talks. The extremists have been excluded from the current negotiations  but that does not mean they wont continue to seek control of the nation.

Events in world have forced the great nations to seek with some urgency a resolution of the Syrian civil war. It began in March 2011; it has killed 250,000, driven 4.4 million out of the country, and made homeless another 6.6 million within Syria. The Christian population of Syria before the war was roughly two million, now half that number.

The richness of Syrian Christianity will make it difficult for Christians to be represented with one voice. The Christian Church in Syria is principally administered by the five Patriarchs of Antioch, successors of Saints Peter and Paul. These five patriarchs lead the Greek-Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Maronite Catholic Church, and the Syriac Catholic Church (the latter three are in communion with Rome). Other Christian churches with a significant presence in Syria are: the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East.

But if Saudi Arabia was able to bring 100 opposition figures together in Riyadh late last year to agree on the structure of their representation at the talks, then the same can be accomplished by the disparate Christian communities. Diversity must not be an excuse to deny Christians their voice in designing tomorrows Syria.

Steve Wagner is president of Solidarity with the Persecuted Church a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit which provides assistance to the Christian Church where she faces persecution.
One thing is for sure this 2016 presidential race, the silent majority is no longer silent, and everybody knows it. But who are these people? Before President Richard Nixon called them the silent majority, he called them the forgotten Americans.

The forgotten Americans love their families and want a better life for their kids. The forgotten Americans work hardthey werent born on 3rd base and thought they hit a triple. They worship their God and they go to church. They pay their taxes and obey the law.

The forgotten Americans believe in American exceptionalism. When Americas security is threatened, they are always the first to volunteer to defend her. They understand and appreciate the sacrifices their forefathers made to give them a land of opportunity and freedom. And they respect and appreciate those in the military and in law enforcement who put on the uniform everyday to protect those freedoms and keep us safe.

Yes, the forgotten Americans love their country, but today believe their government and its leaders have let them down. They see Judeo-Christian values under attack. They are concerned about the erosion of the freedoms they cherish. They worry about Americas economy and each has a family member or knows someone who has looked so long for a job that our government doesnt even consider them unemployed anymore.

They see the rise of radical Islam and the real threat it poses to their way of life. Yet, the forgotten Americans dont understand it when their President refuses to utter the phrase radical Islamic Terrorism.

They want to see Americas borders secured. However, the forgotten Americans dont understand why our government, under both a Republican and a Democrat President, would not fund and enforce the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which was the law of the land and would have helped keep illegal aliens and radical Islamists from crossing our borders.

Their kids are being taught, in the schools they fund, more about political correctness than American history. And as the events of Chicago sadly reminded us, the political correctness theyre being taught is one that says only your constitutional rights matter, not those of your fellow countrymen.

Something is wrong and the forgotten Americans know it. They see the America they love slipping away and they worry about their childrens future in an America with less freedom and less opportunity.

The forgotten Americans really arent political and often times arent involved in the process. In fact, in 2012 some 90 million eligible Americans didnt vote. The forgotten Americans made the difference for Richard Nixon in 1968, propelled Ronald Reagan to victory in 1980, and gave George W. Bush his 3 million vote margin in 2004.

Yes, every so often, the forgotten Americans see their country and its values under siege and their way of life threatened and they always come home. Today, they are coming home and voting in record turnouts. They are voting in unheard of numbers in the Republican Presidential primaries even though they believe the GOP has failed them time and time again.

The forgotten Americans are giving the GOP one more chance to get it right. Republican leaders must hear their voices, embrace them and not fail them this time.

Many in the establishment dont know what to make of the forgotten Americans. The truth is that the forgotten Americans are our most loyal and dedicated citizens when clouds appear on Americas horizon. They have always answered Americas call, whether at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Normandy or fighting radical Islamic terrorism. They are exactly the kind of people you want in your foxhole when the firefight begins. They must be welcomed by the GOP, including the establishment and elites. They will probably be, yet again, the ones who save this country and keep America safe, secure, prosperous and a land of opportunity for all Americans.


Ill never forget the young girl I met in September 2014 at a refugee camp in Iraq. She had been displaced by the Syrian civil war and her parents had just been killed by ISIS militants. At just 13-years old, she was responsible for herself and her younger brother with cerebral palsy. Her life was changed forever, but the strength in her eyes and the fight in her heart has stuck with me ever since.

Over the years, the Syrian civil war has severely escalated and bled its way into headlines around the world. Peace talks have broken down, and as a result, an increasing number of innocent Syrians are dying at the hands of the ruthless Bashar al-Assad regime.

The Syrian conflict is going on five years and counting with no signs of slowing down. More than 400,000 Syrians are dead with over seven million displaced and nearly five million taking refuge in neighboring countries.

Recently, with the support of Assads Russian and Iranian backers, the men, women, and children of Aleppo and Madaya have been killed by indiscriminate bombings or from starvation.

All the while, ISIS continues to sweep through the region and maintain its power.

We cannot continue to stand by and believe our policies, or lack thereof, are actually working. It is time for decisive American leadership in Syria.

In the last seven years, there has been a decline of American leadership around the globe, which can be seen in our aimless response to Syria. In 2011, the President was very clear that Assad must go.

In possession of chemical weapons, Assad ignored the calls for his resignation, to step aside for the sake of the Syrian people, and instead attacked his own people. The Ghouta chemical attack left innocent children gasping for their last breath, paralyzing their bodies until death released them from the pain. The strike killed nearly 1,500 people and left the world with the horrific images of this inhumane brutality.

Despite sound advice from his key national security advisors, President Obama chose not to support rebels with sufficient training and equipment to take on the Assad forces. The president failed to enforce the very red line he drew, showing that the administration is not necessarily focused on a regime change in their search for a diplomatic solution.

Today, the situation in Syria is utter chaos with Assad forces, Russian planes, Iranian militias, and ISIS fighters killing civilians.

While it may be encouraging to think the recent provisional cease-fire agreement will provide a temporary truce in ending the conflict in Syria, Im not entirely convinced. During the delays in the UN-mediated talks, Syrian forces, with Russian support, continued airstrikes that killed civilians and enclosed Aleppo in attempts to cut off vital supply routes for the moderate opposition and humanitarian aid for more than 300,000 residents.

Given Russias involvement in the past and its interests in having Assad in power, we cannot honestly trust Russia or believe that a peaceful solution will hold.

Russian planes have bombed hospitals, classrooms, and other civilian targets. This targeting is a gross violation of international law and not the behavior of a country interested in a peaceful solution in Syria. President Obama attempted to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in 2012 to put an end to violence in Syria. When a deal could not be reached, the Obama administration should have recognized the true nature of the Russian agenda. I honestly believe Russia is interested in rebuilding the Soviet empire and propping up their dictators in the Middle East. This ceasefire allows Assad to stay in power  and there is no future for Syria with Assad and his brutal regime in control.

Rather than kowtowing to Russian demands, the United States should exert leadership in Syria. The United States needs to employ a no-fly zone or create a safe zone in order to protect civilians from further barrel bombing attacks.

As a member of the U.S. Air Force, I flew jets in Iraq and Afghanistan and I know that a no-fly zone could go a long way towards protecting civilians. It would also open up the routes for humanitarian supplies to reach those in need and stem the flow of asylum-seeking refugees. The status quo is not sustainable anymore.

President Bill Clinton once said that the greatest regret of his presidency was inaction in Rwanda. I fear that our greatest regret, both for this president and this Congress, will be inaction in Syria. Whether its chemical weapons attacks, sniper attacks, starvation, or refugees drowning on their way to safety, the reality is that ordinary Syrians and Syrian children are dying at the hands of Bashar al-Assad, Ayatollah Khamenei, and Vladimir Putin.

I believe America was created with a fundamental mission to be an example for human dignity and strength.

As the U.S. forgets this mission, the door is open for others to fill the void, which leads to disastrous results for the global community.

When it comes to Syria, we cannot continue to employ a listless response and allow civilians to suffer under the barbarism of Assad.

If we do not live up to our moral obligation as Americans to employ strong global leadership, history will judge us on our inaction.
We know that young people have the power to swing elections. 49 million young people, ages 18-29, are eligible to vote, compared to roughly 45 million seniors who are eligible. In 2012, if young people had split their votes equally in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida, instead of overwhelmingly supporting President Obama, Governor Mitt Romney would have won those states and would be president today.

Since 1972, every Republican candidate had to win the youth vote in order to win the presidency, with one exception: George W. Bush won in both 2000 and 2004 despite the fact that young voters supported his opponents Al Gore and John Kerry, respectively.

In his victory speech in Nevada last month, Donald J. Trump said, We won with young. We won with old. But the fact is, Mr. Trump did not win with voters under 30 in Nevada. He garnered 31 percent of young voters there, trailing Senator Marco Rubios 37 percent. That result reflects a wider trend so far in 2016: no Republican candidate, including the frontrunner, has managed to consistently capture the youth vote.

In the early state contests, young Republican voters supported Senator Ted Cruz in Iowa and South Carolina, Mr. Trump in New Hampshire, and Senator Marco Rubio in Nevada.

On Super Tuesday, the story was similarly mixed. In three statesArkansas, Texas (where Senator Cruz won), and Virginiayoung voters supported candidates other than Mr. Trump. In Alabama and Georgia, youth did support Mr. Trump, but by the smallest margin of any age group. Young people supported Trump at about the same level as the overall electorate in only two Super Tuesday primaries (Arkansas and Tennessee).

On March 5, young people divided their support fairly evenly across different candidates in Michigan, where Mr. Trump got 31 percent of young votes, Governor John Kasich 29 percent, and Senator Ted Cruz 25 percent. Mississippi, however, was a different story, as Trump received an estimated 45 percent of young votes. This outcome, combined with earlier results, may suggest that in the Southern states young Republican voters are starting to coalesce around Mr. Trump.

At the same time, youth participation in Republican contests has been historically high. And this is an emerging story of 2016: young Republicans continue to turn out in historic numbers, but have been slower to unite behind any one candidate, including the frontrunner.

A similar, more widely reported narrative is playing out on the Democratic side: Secretary Hillary Clinton garnered an average of only 15 percent of young voters in the first three Democratic contests. And despite her campaigns increased effort, youth, by and large, continue to support Senator Sanders.

On Super Tuesday, an aggregate total of 62 percent of young Democratic primary voters supported Senator Sanders compared to 37 percent for Secretary Clinton. However, the youth support for Senator Sanders ranged from more than 80 percent in Vermont and Oklahoma, to 54 percent in Georgia, to only 40 percent in Alabama. Secretary Clinton won 61 percent of the total Black youth vote but lost the Latino youth vote on Super Tuesday.

On March 5, in Michigan, young Democratic primary voters (ages 18-29) showed overwhelming support for Senator Sanders: 81 percent to 19 percent, giving him the votes to propel him to victory. In Mississippi, Secretary Clinton won young voters 62 percent to 37 percent, which was significant but tighter than the overall margin of her victory.

In recent years, even as young people have become increasingly politically engaged in other ways, they have voiced a growing distrust in voting and political parties. Now, with strong support for Senator Sanders, they may be declaring their intention to fundamentally shift the way our democracy operates. Meanwhile, on the Republican side, they may not be coalescing around Mr. Trump, certainly not as quickly as older voters are.

This year, if either party nominates a candidate who has been unable to unify the support of young voters, he or she will face the difficult task of engaging and inspiring youth in time to win the White House in November.

It is certainly not an insurmountable challenge, but it is an urgent one. If neither party succeeds at that task, we risk continuing the downward trend in voting by young people. That is worrisome, not just for our next president, but for the future of our country.

For the Republican Party, the situation could be even more acutely dire, as there are signs of generational gaps on key issues. Surveys consistently find young Republicans are more socially progressive than older Republicans. In addition, our analysis of Pew Researchs 2014 data indicates that 63 percent of young Republicans believe that immigrants strengthen our country with their hard work and talents, while 54 percent of older Republicans instead believe that immigrants are burden because they take jobs and resources.

Historically, young voters have generally chosen presidential candidates whose positions on major issues reflect their own, whether Ronald Reagan in 1984 or Barack Obama in 2008.

Right now, young Republicans have been slower to embrace Mr. Trump, and yet young Republican voters have not rallied around one of his opponents the way young Democrats are supporting Senator Sanders.

For years, young people have been a largely dormant political force, unengaged by candidates and parties who often ignored them or took their vote for granted. With high turnout in the primary season so far  particularly among young Republicans  and a lack of enthusiasm for both parties frontrunners, Americas youth may be sending a message that theyre done waiting, that they stand ready to assert their influence and shape the future of our democracy.

Both parties should get serious about listening.
The House approved a resolution Monday that declares the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East -- putting even more pressure on the Obama administration to do the same ahead of a deadline later this week.

The resolution, passed the House with a unanimous vote of 383-0.

The resolution came to a vote just days after the release of a graphic new report by the Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians on ISIS' atrocities. The report made the case that the terror campaign against Christians and other minorities in Syria, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East is, in fact, genocide.

When ISIS systematically targets Christians, Yezidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities for extermination, this is not only a grave injusticeit is a threat to civilization itself, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., said in a statement. We must call the violence by its proper name: genocide.

The resolution was voted on ahead of a congressionally mandated March 17 deadline for Secretary of State John Kerry and the White House to make a decision on whether to make such a declaration. The measure is an effort to force the administration's hand on the issue, as the administration has so far declined to take an official position.

There is a similar measure in the Senate that has yet to be voted on.

Christians, Yezidis, and other beleaguered minority groups can find new hope in this trans-partisan and ecumenical alliance against ISIS barbaric onslaught, Fortenberry, who is co-chairman of the Religious Minorities of the Middle East Caucus and represents Americas largest Yezidi community, said in the statement.

The measure also received the backing of House Republican leadership, with Speaker Paul Ryan calling on the Obama administration to take action in light of recent attacks against Christians.

Last week, ISIS militants killed 16 people, including four Catholic nuns, at a retirement home in southern Yemen, Ryan said in a statement Monday. This is the latest in a string of brutal attacks committed by ISIS against Christian and other minorities. Yet the administration has still not called this what it is: A genocide.

We want to label what this is so this never happens and should not happen, and someone has to stand up, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Fox News Bill Hemmer Monday.

It is rare for Congress to make a genocide determination.

In addition to the genocide resolution, the House also voted on a measure to create an international tribunal to try those associated with atrocities by the Assad regime and related groups.

That resolution condemned the "gross violations of international law amounting to war crimes...by the Government of Syria [and] its allies."

The measure passed in a vote of 392 to 3. The no votes came from Reps. Justin Amash, R-Mich, Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.

In casting her no-vote, Gabbard called the tribunal measure a "thinly veiled attempt to use the rationale of 'humanitarianism' as a justification for overthrowing the Syrian government."

"We all know that [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad is a brutal dictator. But this resolution's purpose is not merely to recognize him as such. Rather it is a call to action... How has our war to overthrow Assad helped humanity?" Gabbard said in a statement.

At least three presidential candidates -- Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz on the Republican side, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side -- have called on the administration to designate ISIS atrocities against Christians as genocide.

When asked on March 1 why the administration has yet to make the determination, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the word genocide involves a very specific legal determination that has, at this point, not been reached.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday he did not expect any resolution voted on in the House to be a factor in the decision.



FoxNews.coms Adam Shaw and Fox News Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Faced with the prospect of an upset loss to Bernie Sanders in Ohio and other Midwestern states, Hillary Clintons surrogate attack dog Bill Clinton hit the road Tuesday, knocking Sanders as the blame candidate and urging voters to back Hillary.

While Hillary Clinton leads comfortably in the two Southern states holding primaries Tuesday  Florida and North Carolina  polls show the race much closer in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, where Sanders has been campaigning frequently in a bid to build on last weeks upset victory in Michigan.

Her former president husband was on Chicagos South Side Tuesday morning to chat with voters in the Illinois contest. In an interview published by NBC, Clinton downplayed the Michigan loss  but turned up the heat on Sanders when asked why the Democratic front-runner is not doing better in the polls in Illinois.

I think you know the answer to that, Bill Clinton said. This should be a race for president. And there is a blame candidate and a responsibility candidate in this race.

Referring to his wife, he said, I'm betting the responsibility candidate will win.

Since hitting the campaign trail earlier this year, Bill Clinton has oscillated between holding his fire and playing the role of elder statesman, and turning up the attacks on his wifes insurgent and class warrior rival.

Ahead of Februarys New Hampshire primary  which Sanders ultimately won  Clinton mocked Sanders lofty promises and claims. When youre making a revolution, you cant be too careful about the facts, he said at the time.

He went so far as to call out some Sanders supporters for criticizing Hillary Clinton online with attacks that are literally too profane often, not to mention sexist, to repeat. (Sanders disavowed those attacks at the time.)

Since that time, Hillary Clinton has built her delegate lead, itching to look ahead to the general election -- but continues to face persistent competition from Sanders. While Clinton maintains a commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders breathed new life into his campaign with his surprising victory last week in Michigan.

Reprising a theme that helped propel that Michigan win, Sanders on Monday pounded Clinton's past support for trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. He's escalated his criticism in recent days, hoping to undercut her edge among minorities and expand his advantage with white working-class voters.

"When it came down whether you stand with corporate America, the people who wrote these agreements, or whether you stand with the working people of this country, I proudly stood with the workers," Sanders said in Youngstown, Ohio. "Secretary Clinton stood with the big money interests."

Clinton's team is attempting to tamp down expectations for Tuesday night, stressing that the race remains close in the Midwest, despite public polling showing her with a lead. Still, she's eyeing the general election and escalating her attacks on Donald Trump, saying he's "inciting mob violence" at his rallies.

"I do hold him responsible," she said in an interview on MSNBC. "He's been building this incitement, he's been leading crowds in jeering protesters"

The campaign next shifts to the West, where Sanders' advisers have suggested he could rattle off a win streak and enter April with the chance to put a dent in Clinton's delegate lead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was hit from all sides Monday, getting excoriated by police unions for missing a state troopers funeral in order to appear at a Donald Trump rally, where he was criticized as an absentee governor by Trump himself  while Christie was seated just feet away.



The funeral for State Trooper Sean Cullen, who was accidently hit by a car while responding to a car fire on March 7, is the third police funeral Christie has missed during the 2016 race. He also failed to attend funerals for Port Authority Police Officer Eamonn Mautone in January and State Police Trooper Eli McCarson in December, both coming when Christie was still a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno attended the funeral in Christies place.

We are focused on honoring our fallen brother today, and quite frankly we did not expect someone who has consistently shown disdain for law enforcement to pay his respects to the Cullen and State Police family, President of the State Trooper Fraternal Association Chris Burgos said in a statement.

Multiple media inquiries to the governors office were referred to the Trump campaign. The Trump campaign did not respond to several media inquiries, including one from FoxNews.com, about the matter.

Christie did tweet about Cullen, noting that All State buildings are flying flags at half-staff today in honor of the passing of New Jersey State Trooper Sean Cullen.

But he spent most of his time Monday campaigning for Trump, who was appearing in Columbus in a bid to beat Ohio Gov. John Kasich in that states Tuesday primary. During a section of his speech critical of Kasich for what Trump believed was spending too much time out of state campaigning in New Hampshire, Trump launched a broadside at Christie, his one-time nemesis-turned-supporter.

Your Governor Kasich, if you look at him, and Im being totally impartial, he goes to New Hampshire, hes living in New Hampshire, living Trump said. Wheres Chris? Is Chris around? Even more than Chris Christie he was there! Even more.

Trump then looked back to his left, seeming to find Christie. I hated to do that, but I had to make my point, Trump said.

Christie said during a March 3 news conference that he would support Trump but would not be a full-time surrogate.

He and I are friends and so if he picks up the phone and calls me and says, I need you to help somewhere, and he makes a compelling case for it and I have the time to do it, Im going to go help him, Christie said. If I cant, Im going to tell him I cant.

Still, newspapers including the Asbury Park Press and The New Jersey Star Ledger have called for Christie to resign for spending too much time away from the state.

That controversial travel schedule, which led to Mondays absence from Cullens funeral, was not wholly out of character for Christie, New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Colligan wrote in a text message to an NJ Advance Media reporter.

I will say, as respectfully as I can considering we are burying a brother in blue today, I am not surprised whatsoever, Colligan wrote.
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton committed her second gaffe in as many days on the campaign trail Monday night, claiming that the U.S. "didn't lose a single person" in Libya during her time as secretary of state.

Clinton made the comment defending her push for regime change in the war-torn North African nation at an Illinois town hall hosted by MSNBC.

"Now, is Libya perfect? It isn't," Clinton said. After contrasting her approach toward Libya with the ongoing bloodshed in Syria's civil war, Clinton said "Libya was a different kind of calculation and we didn't lose a single person ... We didnt have a problem in supporting our European and Arab allies in working with NATO."

Clinton made no mention of the Sept. 11, 2012 terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans: U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Questions about the attack and its aftermath have dogged Clinton throughout her second run for the White House, with emails released by the State Department contradicting several aspects of her testimony before the House Select Committee investigating the attack.

Earlier Monday, Clinton's campaign was forced to scramble to clarify comments she made about coal jobs at a CNN town hall Sunday night.

"I'm the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country," Clinton said, "because we're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."

With many workers in crucial primary states like Ohio and Illinois relying on such jobs, Clinton's campaign put out a statement stressing that, Coal will remain a part of the energy mix for years to come and Clintons plan would also safeguard workers retirement and health benefits.

Spokesman Brian Fallon said no candidate in this race is more devoted to supporting coal communities than Hillary Clinton and any suggestions otherwise are false."

Fox News Channel's Ed Henry contributed to this report.
Donald Trump appeared to backtrack Tuesday after the Republican frontrunner previously said hed instructed my people to look into paying the legal fees of a supporter who sucker-punched a protester during a rally in North Carolina last week.

No, because I dont condone violence and I didnt say I was going to pay for the fees, Trump said on Good Morning America. No, I didnt say that. I havent looked at it yet and nobodys asked me to pay fees and somebody asked me a question and I hadnt seen it so I never said I was going to pay for fees.

Asked if paying legal fees was tantamount to rewarding violence, Trump said maybe thats why I wouldnt do it.

I dont condone violence at all, he said. I looked and I watched and Im going to make a decision. I certainly dont condone violence and maybe youre right and maybe thats why I wouldnt do it.

That response stood in stark contrast to Trumps position Sunday, when the businessman told Meet The Press that Ive actually instructed my people to look into it, yes.

It refers to the pending criminal case against 78-year-old John McGraw, whos been charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct for punching Rakeem Jones, 26, as Jones was being ejected from a Trump event in Fayetteville on March 9. The assault was captured on video from numerous angles, and McGraw admitted on camera after the rally that he threw the punch.

Trump had previously alluded to a willingness to pay legal fees for supporters who physically engaged with protesters.

Try not to hurt him, Trump said after calling for a protester to be ejected from a March 4 rally in Warren, Mich. If you do, Ill defend you in court.
A string of Donald Trump primary victories Tuesday night, including a knockout win against Marco Rubio in Florida, as well as a first win by John Kasich in his home state of Ohio did little to change the direction of the Republican presidential race  except to add more uncertainty and speculation.

Trump kept his substantial delegate lead by winning at least three contests. In defeating Rubio in the senators home state of Florida and pushing him out of the race, Trump won the biggest prize on the map, including all 99 of its delegates. He also won primaries in Illinois and North Carolina.

Were going to go forward, and were going to win, Trump told supporters in Palm Beach, Fla. But more importantly, were going to win for the country.

Yet Kasich vowed to stay in the race, buoyed by his Ohio victory, and Cruz showed no signs of slowing down -- as Kasich in particular banks on the prospect of a contested convention in July, leaving it unclear when the raucous GOP primary race might draw to a close.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton further cemented her lead on Tuesday. She defeated Bernie Sanders in the hard-fought Ohio primary, as well as in Illinois, North Carolina and Florida, the last two victories completing her sweep of the Southern state contests.

The Republican and Democratic primaries in Missouri remained too close to call as of Wednesday morning. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Trump and Clinton led Cruz and Sanders by 0.2 percentge points in their respective races.

This was another Super Tuesday for our campaign, Clinton said at a victory party in West Palm Beach, Fla., while claiming she is now very close to winning the Democratic Party nomination.

Sanders, though, predicted hed win next week in Arizona, as he rallied supporters during an hour-long speech in Phoenix.

By the end of what was dubbed Super Tuesday II, both Clinton and Trump had further solidified their front-runner status following recent campaign trail hiccups.

But the underdogs saw silver linings all the same.

At a late-night rally in Houston, Cruz said hed gain delegates out of the days contests and suggested Rubios exit only crystallizes the choice for voters  between him and Trump.

Nobody else has any mathematical possibility whatsoever, Cruz said. Only one campaign has beaten Donald Trump over and over and over again.

Yet Ohio Gov. Kasich is not necessarily looking to beat Trump -- not before the convention, anyway.

He had effectively staked his campaign's survival on a victory in his home state, and his win there will deliver him all of the Buckeye State's 66 delegates. Kasich made clear at his election night party in Berea, Ohio, that he will press on, heading next to Pennsylvania and vowing to keep running a positive campaign.

I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land, he said. "We are going to go all the way to Cleveland and secure the Republican nomination.

Even with his Tuesday haul, Kasich remains in fourth place in the GOP delegate count and faces the toughest path to the nomination of the remaining candidates. He has openly said, however, that his hope is to deny Trump the requisite delegates to clinch the nomination before the July convention in Cleveland.

While Kasich presses on, Florida Sen. Rubio suspended his campaign Tuesday after losing his home state convincingly to Trump. He made the announcement to disappointed supporters at a rally in Miami, ending a campaign that began with great promise and recently had picked up support from a wide range of Republican lawmakers. But Rubio trailed in the delegate count, having won only three contests so far.

It is clear that while we are on the right side this year, we will not be on the winning side, Rubio told supporters in Miami, adding: My campaign is suspended.

Rubio declined to endorse anybody as he suspended his campaign, lamenting what he described as the politics of resentment.

While this may not have been the year for a hopeful and optimistic message about our future, I still remain hopeful and optimistic about America, Rubio said, in remarks heavy on his personal faith.

For both Kasich and Rubio, a win in their home states was considered critical Tuesday night, as Trump and Cruz have been pressuring both candidates to get out for weeks  hoping Tuesdays primaries might be the final blow for their underdog bids.

But as Rubio leaves the trail, Kasich could continue to draw delegates and help prevent any candidate from clinching the nomination before the convention. Kasich also said earlier Tuesday that he'll be forced, going forward, to talk about some of the deep concerns he has about Trump's campaign.

Tuesdays balloting constituted one of the most delegate-rich primary days on the calendar to date. There were 691 delegates at stake on the Democratic side, and 367 at stake on the GOP side.

Trump also scored a win Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands' GOP caucus, gaining all nine delegates from the U.S. territory.

As of Tuesday night, Trump had 621 total delegates; Cruz had 396; and Kasich had 138. Rubio left the race with 168.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.
Authorities in North Carolina say there isn't enough evidence to press charges against Donald Trump for his behavior in connection with a violent altercation at one of his rallies last week.

In a statement issued Monday night, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said legal counsel advised and Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler agreed that the evidence doesn't meet the requisites of North Carolina law to support a conviction for inciting a riot.

The sheriff's office said while other aspects of its investigation are continuing, the investigation related to Trump and his campaign is over and no charges are anticipated.

An initial statement on Monday said investigators were continuing to look at the rally last Wednesday in Fayetteville, during which a man was hit in the face while being escorted out.

"We are continuing to look at the totality of these circumstances ... including the potential of whether there was conduct on the part of Mr. Trump or the Trump campaign which rose to the level of inciting a riot," the statement said.

Authorities have already charged a rally attendee with assault, disorderly conduct and communicating threats after he was caught on video hitting a man being led out by deputies at the event in Fayetteville.

At one point during the rally, Trump described a previous event in which a protester traded punches with his supporters. Trump told the audience: "They started punching back. It was a beautiful thing."

In a statement, Trump's campaign said, "the arena was rented for a private event, paid for by the campaign and these people attended with the intent to cause trouble. They were only there to agitate and anger the crowd. It is the protesters and agitators who are in violation, not Mr. Trump or the campaign."
California communities may be feeling the fallout from a controversial measure that reduced penalties for a range of crimes, as law enforcement report an uptick in everything from robberies to auto theft  and point the finger squarely at whats known as Prop 47.

The measure was approved at the ballot box in 2014 and downgraded many nonviolent offenses like property crimes and simple drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, part of an effort to reduce prison over-crowding in the state.

But as the measure has been implemented, several police departments have reported a spike in shop-lifting and auto theft, among other crimes, and in part blame Prop 47.

"In the past year and a half, we've seen an increase in theft-related crimes, including robbery, burglary, and identity theft," said Sgt. Tasha Descosta, with the Hayward Police Department.

Since the law went into effect, major cities have seen an increase in more serious crimes as well.

Recent press reports show that in San Francisco, robberies are up 23 percent; in Los Angeles, violent crimes are up 20 percent; and in Sacramento, homicides are up 23 percent.

Supporters, though, continue to defend the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. They argue incarcerating fewer low-level offenders and handing them back to counties will free up money for other support services, like drug treatment and mental health counseling, and boost public safety. California also is under court order to reduce prison over-crowding.

According to one recent state government analysis, the law has saved California more than $83 million.

Will Matthews with California for Safety and Justice, which wrote Prop. 47, said the Legislative Analyst's Office found the law had already saved more than that, and that it could "save more than $100 million annually in subsequent years."

He said the actual amount of savings that will be allocated to the Safe Neighborhood and Schools Fund (which is where all Prop 47 savings go before being distributed to local communities) will be determined by the time a final budget is adopted by state lawmakers in June.

Prop 47 marks a pivot from 1994's landmark "Three Strikes and You're Out" sentencing policy that sought to get tough on repeat offenders. Indeed, The Washington Post called Prop 47 "an experiment in mass forgiveness."

The result has been the release of thousands of non-violent felons, given the chance to live lawfully.

Ingrid Archie, a 34-year old single mom initially busted for shop-lifting and then for violating probation, says Prop 47 enabled her to get out of jail a year early -- just before her daughter's 14th birthday. She now has a job and attends community college.

"People's lives are being torn apart because they make a mistake," Archie said. "Everyone makes a mistake, whether you're caught for it or not."

But in many parts of the Golden State, robbery and other property crimes are up. Big cities like Los Angeles and Sacramento are also reporting an uptick in violent crime this year over last year, including homicides. Critics say while much of the country has seen a drop in overall crime rates, the data in California defies the national trend.

While supporters say studies show only a small percentage of freed inmates have returned to prison, police maintain the law's leniency makes their job tougher.

"Proposition 47 is working if the only thing we're measuring is how many people are incarcerated," said Sylvia Moir, outgoing police chief in El Cerrito, Calif. "Like how many empty jail beds. Thousands fewer people in our state prisons -- it's working. But if you say, 'is Prop 47 working for communities,' I would say no, it is not.'"

Proponents admit the law's full effect on crime rates remains to be seen.

And this month, the California Bail Agents Association called on lawmakers to analyze recent crime data and "to at least attempt to understand the underlying causes," association president Maggie Kreins wrote in a recent op-ed. "We spend millions of taxpayer dollars on police, law enforcement, and our criminal justice system. California citizens expect to be kept safe."
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PRESENTING YOUR SUPER TUESDAY II FIELD GUIDE

We already know the three most likely scenarios for todays high-stakes Republican primaries in five delegate-heavy states, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri.



After tonight we can expect to see one of these things: The field winnowed to frontrunner Donald Trump and his archrival Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; a Trump knockout so powerful that the GOP acquiesces to his takeover bid; or a continuation of a multi-candidate field.



If Trump wins both Florida and Ohio but Cruz wins or ties in the other three contests, its down to two candidates in a duel for the remaining 40 percent of the delegates.



If Trump runs the table by large margins, the traditional GOP can lower its flag and raise the Trump banner.



If Trump loses either Ohio to Gov. John Kasich or Florida to Sen. Marco Rubio, the victorious home-state candidate or candidates will go marching on, possibly to the GOP convention.



We have lots of polling and there has sure been no shortage of palaver. But where are the voters and what are they likely to do? Well



POWER PLAY: SUPER TUESDAY PART II

Lets go to the map! Who needs to win and where? Chris Stirewalt shows what to watch for as the returns come in tonight. WATCH HERE.



[Watch Fox: Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier team up for another night of AEHQ coverage as the results roll in starting at 6 p.m. ET]



FLORIDA

Florida is rich in groups that love Trump: People over 65 and poor white voters.



Despite having a favorite son in Rubio, Florida was an early adopter of Trumpism. He has led in every poll taken since July, and is expected to romp today in this orange grove of delegates ripe for the picking.



Trump is certain to dominate in counties like Escambia, home to Pensacola, and others close to Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, as well as with seniors across the state. Rubio hails from vote-rich Miami-Dade County where he can count on his Cuban-American countrymen to rally to his cause.



But every race in Florida is won or lost with the swing voters on the I-4 corridor that runs from the Tampa/St. Petersburg (including the massive vote cache Hillsborough County) across to Orlando and its environs. The reason to believe that Rubio cannot close that gap is not only that Trump is expected to do quite well here, but Cruz might even steal some votes.



Rubios hope for a shocking upset rests on two factors. First, Florida is a closed primary, which will deprive Trump of his most powerful weapon in Democratic voters. Second, early voters showed that Rubio had done very well in turning out his team, and candidates performance with early voters can be a measurement of intensity. If Trump underperforms by a substantial margin  a possibility with some precedent in prior closed primaries  and Rubios voters come out as strong as Cuban coffee, theres a chance.



But its as thin as the crust on a pastelito.



--99 total delegates

--Winner-take-all

--Closed primary

--1,672,634 total ballots cast in 2012

--Mitt Romney, 46 percent; Newt Gingrich, 32 percent; Rick Santorum, 13 percent; Ron Paul, 7 percent

--Polls close at 8 p.m. ET



Miami-Dade County

--Population: 2,662,874

--Median household income: $43,099

--Race: Caucasian, 78 percent; Hispanic, 66 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 26 percent

--2012 election: Obama 62 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 15 percent

--Home to the Port of Miami, the busiest passenger cruise port in the world.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 61 percent; Newt Gingrich, 27 percent; Rick Santorum, 6 percent; Ron Paul, 5 percent]



Hillsborough County (Tampa)

--Population: 1,316,298

--Median household income: $50,122

--Race: Caucasian, 75 percent; Hispanic, 27 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 30 percent

--2012 election: Obama 53 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 13 percent

--Tampa, located here, means sticks of fire in the language of the indigenous Calusa people.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 48 percent; Newt Gingrich, 28 percent; Rick Santorum, 16 percent; Ron Paul, 8 percent]



Escambia County (Pensacola)

--Population: 310,659

--Median household income: $44,883

--Race: Caucasian, 70 percent; black, 23 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 24 percent

--2012 election: Romney 60 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 16 percent

--What is believed to be the first Roman Catholic mass in America was held on Pensacola Beach shortly after Spanish sailors arrived in 1559.



[2012 Republican Primary: Newt Gingrich, 39 percent; Mitt Romney, 35 percent; Rick Santorum, 16 percent; Ron Paul, 9 percent]



OHIO

Every political nerd knows how swing state Ohio goes in general elections: Democrats to the north, Republicans to the south and a tossup in the middle. Thats how it comes to pass that every close presidential contest in the modern era gets decided in the suburbs of Columbus, especially in Franklin County.



Whats unusual this year is that the Republican primary will actually act in much the same way. Results in neighboring Michigan and Kentucky give us some guide for how we can expect the state to go, but with a favorite son in Kasich it requires a little extra perspicacity.



We can reasonably expect that Trumps best counties will be in the hard-luck rustbelt precincts in the northern part of the state. Spanning from communities including Warren in the northeast up to Cleveland and over to Toledo, perhaps no region in America better exemplifies Trump territory in an open Republican primary. There is little doubt that if the Democratic Rep. James Traficant were alive today he would be beaming up for Trump.



But polls have consistently shown Kasich in the drivers seat in his home state. He can likely credit his success to the fact that he runs well in the Republican heartland in and around Cincinnati to the southwest. While conservative voters in regions like this might normally be expected to favor Cruz they can be expected to stick with their governor.



That brings the fight to the Columbus metro area where Kasich will need to run up the score with suburban women, which might explain the recent shift in his tone about Trumps incendiary rhetoric.



For Trump to win hell need to offset those votes with huge turnout from crossover Democrats up north, a task made more difficult by a potentially competitive Democratic primary.



--66 total delegate

--Winner-take-all

--Open primary

--1,213,879 ballots cast in 2012

--Mitt Romney, 38 percent, Rick Santorum, 37 percent, Newt Gingrich, 15 percent, Ron Paul, 9 percent

--Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET



Cuyahoga County (Cleveland)

--Population: 1,259,828

--Median household income: $44,203

--Race: Caucasian, 64 percent; black, 30 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 30 percent

--2012 election: Obama 69 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 16 percent

--President James A. Garfield was born here in Orange Township.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 49 percent; Rick Santorum, 29 percent; Newt Gingrich, 12 percent; Ron Paul, 9 percent]



Hamilton County (Cincinnati)

--Population: 806,631

--Median household income: $48,927

--Race: Caucasian, 69 percent; black, 26 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 34 percent

--2012 election: Obama 53 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 14 percent

--Cincinnati was named in honor of George Washington after the great Roman General Cincinnatus, who like Washington relinquished power and returned to his farm.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 49 percent; Rick Santorum, 30 percent; Newt Gingrich, 12 percent; Ron Paul, 9 percent]



Franklin County (Columbus)

--Population: 1,231,393

--Median household income: $51,890

--Race: Caucasian, 70 percent; black, 22 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 37 percent

--2012 election: Obama 61 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 11 percent

--The states capital, Columbus, is also the number one town to test fast food chain menu items before they go national.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 41 percent; Rick Santorum, 36 percent; Newt Gingrich, 12 percent; Ron Paul, 10 percent]



Lucas County (Toledo)

--Population: 435,286

--Median household income: $41,751

--Race: Caucasian, 75 percent; black, 20 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 24 percent

--2012 election: Obama 65 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 15 percent

--Locals love the Hungarian hot dog Tony Packos Cafe invented, which is a sausage called Kolbasz with a spicy sauce and various toppings.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 41 percent; Rick Santorum, 36 percent; Newt Gingrich, 12 percent; Ron Paul, 10 percent]



NORTH CAROLINA

The biggest race that almost no one is talking about is in the Tar Heel State. With a massive cache of delegates, scant polling and the states earliest primary date in memory, North Carolina stands to be wild ride.



While theres a strong establishmentarian pull from Charlotte and the voter-rich Mecklenberg County suburbs, the GOP primary electorate here has a history of intense conservatism. Wake County, home to Raleigh, may be smaller in population but it has more Republican voters, and they dont run to the middle. The 2014 Senate primary here was a hard-fought battle between voters in the two regions, and today should be no different.



Trump has led in what polling there has been and certainly stands to do the best with voters in rural areas and among the residents of the defeated mill and agricultural towns that dot the landscape. But Cruz could be set up for a good showing among better-educated, more affluent voters.



The big question here is whether vestigial suburban support for Rubio and Kasich can drain off enough votes from Cruz in high-end areas to give Trump a clear win.



If the states conservative voters have fallen in behind Cruz, however, he will certainly keep it close and might just pull off an upset.



--72 total delegates

--Direct proportional allocation based on statewide vote share

--Voting open to Republicans and independents

--973,206 total ballots cast in 2012

--Mitt Romney, 66 percent, Ron Paul, 11 percent, Rick Santorum, 10 percent, Newt Gingrich, 8 percent (Note: Voted in May 2012)

--Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET



Wake County (Raleigh)

--Population: 998,691

--Median household income: $66,579

--Race: Caucasian, 69 percent; black, 21 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 48 percent

--2012 election: Obama 55 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 10 percent

--The capital city of Raleigh refers to itself as the Smithsonian of the South for its abundance of free museums and historic attractions.



Mecklenburg County (Charlotte)

--Population: 1,012,539

--Median household income: $56,472

--Race: Caucasian, 59 percent; black, 32 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 42 percent

--2012 election: Obama 61 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 10 percent

--Named in 1765 for British Queen Charlotte Sophia, who was born in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in what is now Germany. She was wife of George III.



ILLINOIS

In this car crash of an election year we dont usually have many good roadmaps when it comes to predicting how states will vote. But we at least have some directions for figuring out Illinois.



You can expect Illinois to look a lot like Michigans contest last week. A lake isnt the only thing the two states share. The Midwest cousins have similar demographic spreads with a main Democratic urban hub surrounded by less populated, but more traditionally conservative counties in the rest of the state.



Illinois has the same concoction with Cook County, where Chicago is, and suburban and poor exurban counties to the south like Kankakee. These are the areas where Trump will find his largest group of supporters.



Chicago is a more affluent city than Detroit, however, so theres likely to be more of a split with the Trump voter than we saw in Motor City. Cook Countys northern side is heading into Lake County and further out towards McHenry County is very affluent.



But these are not traditional conservative Republicans. These are the more moderate GOP voters who went heavy for Mitt Romney in 2012. This is probably where John Kasich will see his support kick in, and where hell split the voters with Trump.



The further outside Chicagoland we get the more the state looks like Western Michigan, which means Cruz country. These counties are where the traditionally conservative, evangelical voters are, such as Madison County, across from St. Louis. Most of Illinois actually looks more like this than Chicago, but with less of the vote share the impact on the overall outcome will be smaller.



Dont count out Illinois as a possible shock victory for Kasich. The neighboring Midwest governor has put a lot more time into Illinois than the other candidates, and could snag even the more conservative voters from Cruz. He won Kalamazoo County in the conservative west in Michigan, and he could do the same here in the Land of Lincoln.



Trump took 36 percent of the vote in Michigan, with Cruz second at 25 percent and Kasich just behind at 24 percent. Keep those numbers in mind as you watch the numbers roll in from Illinois.



--69 total delegates

--54 district delegates, three for each of the 18 congressional districts; 15 at-large delegates

--Delegates are directly elected; at-large delegates are winner-take-all

--Open primary

--933,454 ballots cast in 2012

--Mitt Romney, 47 percent, Rick Santorum, 35 percent, Ron Paul, 9 percent, Newt Gingrich, 8 percent

--Polls close at 8 p.m. ET



Cook County (Chicago)

--Population: 5,246,456

--Median household income: $54,828

--Race: Caucasian, 66 percent; black, 24 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 35 percent

--2012 election: Obama 74 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 13 percent

--The first televised U.S. presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was broadcast from the CBS studios in Chicago on September 26, 1960.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 57 percent; Rick Santorum, 26 percent; Ron Paul, 10 percent; Newt Gingrich, 7 percent]



McHenry County (Outer suburban Chicago)

--Population: 307,283

--Median household income: $76,345

--Race: Caucasian, 94 percent; black, 1 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 32 percent

--2012 election: Romney 53 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 12 percent

--Since 1948, Republicans have carried this county all but one year, 2008 which then-Illinois Senator Barack Obama carried. The county flipped back in 2012 to vote for Mitt Romney.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mitt Romney, 47 percent; Rick Santorum, 32 percent; Ron Paul, 11 percent; Newt Gingrich, 9 percent]



MISSOURI

If Cruz is in for a good night tonight, he will be humming Meet me in St. Louis.



Most of the votes here are in the I-70 corridor that stretches from St. Louis to Kansas City. And while there are pockets of suburban moderation, these are very conservative Republicans. How conservative? Remember former Rep. Todd Akin? Oh, yes you do. Akin didnt represent some sleepy corner of the Ozarks for 12 years but rather some of the most affluent zip codes in St. Louis County.



That should be good news for Cruz. But remember that this is an open primary.



St. Louis County and neighboring St. Charles County have lots of blue-collar white voters and the region has been on hard times of late, including the notorious race riots in Ferguson. There should be lots of crossover Democrats for Trump in these neighborhoods and the remaining white ethnic enclaves around The STL. Theres a similar voter split across the state in the Kansas City metro between the wealthy, tony neighborhoods and the Democratic blue-collar areas.



But the reason Cruz can might feel a little bullish about Missouri is places like Greene County in the southwest portion of the state. Springfield has seen a boom in growth and clout. This area of the Show-Me State has large groups of evangelical voters who can be expected to behave like their neighbors to the south and west in Arkansas and Oklahoma, who were good to Cruz.



--52 total delegates

--40 district delegates, five for each of the eight congressional districts; 12 at-large delegates

--Congressional delegates awarded to the candidate with the statewide majority, but if no one wins a majority then the top vote-getter in each district will be awarded five delegates. Majority winner takes all the at-large delegates.

--Open primary

--252,185 total ballots cast

--Rick Santorum, 55 percent, Mitt Romney, 25 percent, Ron Paul, 12 percent

--Polls close at 8 p.m. ET



St. Louis County

--Population: 1,001,876

--Median household income: $59,520

--Race: Caucasian, 70 percent; black, 24 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 41 percent

--2012 election: Obama 56 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 17 percent

--Want to taste St. Louis? Try toasted ravioli, deep fried, lightly breaded, beef ravioli with marinara dipping sauce, which originated in the Italian neighborhood known as The Hill.



[2008 Republican Primary: John McCain, 41 percent; Mitt Romney, 36 percent; Mike Huckabee, 17 percent]



Greene County (Springfield)

--Population: 285,865

--Median household income: $40,512

--Race: Caucasian, 91 percent; black, 3 percent

--Adults with bachelors degrees: 29 percent

--2012 election: Romney 61 percent

--Residents 65 or older: 15 percent

--Nicknamed Queen of the Ozarks and known as the birthplace of Route 66.



[2012 Republican Primary: Mike Huckabee, 42 percent; John McCain, 27 percent; Mitt Romney, 25 percent]



Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News. Want FOX News First in your inbox every day? Sign up here.
A top Environmental Protection Agency official came under heavy fire Tuesday when Republicans at a congressional hearing accused the agency of failing to protect Flint, Michigan from their water being poisoned by lead.



"You screwed up and you ruined people's lives," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah told Susan Hedman  the top EPA official in the region, who resigned as the crisis worsened. Hedman had been accused of downplaying the warnings of EPA scientists about lead poisoning in the area..

The most shocking moment of the hearing came when Chaffetz produced a memo between officials, in which one employee wrote "Perhaps she already knows all this but I'm not so sure Flint is the community we want to go out on a limb for." The memo produced audible gasps from the hearing hall.

Professor Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech, who helped to expose the lead problem in Flints water, said Hedman and the EPA were unremorseful for their actions and accused them of willful blindness.

Flint switched its water source from Detroit's water system to the Flint River in 2014 to save money, but the river water was not treated properly and lead from aging pipes leached into Flint homes and businesses. Elevated levels of lead have been found in children's blood. Lead contamination has been linked to learning disabilities and other problems.

The chain of events has spurred calls for Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to resign, including from Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Synder is currently facing a possible recall effort in Michigan. But the EPA has also faced significant criticism for allegedly knowing about the high lead levels in 2015, but not taking action until this year.

Hedman said she resigned due to false allegations that she sat on the sidelines after finding out Flint was not implementing corrosion controls in June, and that she muted concerns of an EPA scientist about lead in the water.

Thats completely untrue, she said. I did not sit on the sidelines and I did not downplay any concerns raised by EPA scientists or apologize for any memos they wrote

In her testimony, Hedman defended herself and the EPA, saying "I don't believe anyone at the EPA did anything wrong, but I believe we could have done more."

Choking up at one point, she said she has not stopped thinking about the people of Flint since she resigned.

What happened in Flint, should not have happened anywhere in United States  and I was horrified that it happened in my region, the Great Lakes Region. I thought  and still think  that resigning was the honorable thing to do, she said.

However, Chaffetz was not sympathetic.

You still don't get it. You screwed up. And you messed up people's lives, he told Hedman.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.  the top Democrat on the committee, agreed the EPA should have done more, but also blamed state authorities in Michigan for failing to act.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
When all the results are in from Super Tuesday II, Republicans could find themselves in a state of chaos they havent seen in decades.

It all stems from Marco Rubio starting the day vowing that his candidacy will move on irrespective of the results in Florida. Rubio, who trails front-runner Donald Trump badly in his home state, told Fox News hell be traveling on to Utah, which votes next week, no matter what.

Obviously the difference is well either be in Utah with a lot of momentum with the wind at our back or well be in Utah after a disappointing night but well be there nonetheless, Rubio said.

He added, This election is far from over.

Further, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is voicing confidence that hell be able to press on after Tuesday.

Though hes caught in a tight race with Trump in his home state, his campaign is not entertaining a losing scenario; Kasich is planning to win and to continue on to Pennsylvania.

Asked by Fox News what the governor would do if he loses, a spokesman said: He's going to win Ohio, so I'm not going to entertain your question.

The remarks scramble expectations for the primary race. To date, Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have been pressuring both Rubio and Kasich to get out, hoping Tuesdays five primaries might be the final blow to their underdog bids. But if they stay in, they could continue to draw delegates and help prevent any candidate from clinching the nomination before the convention.

Kasich, speaking to reporters in Ohio after casting a vote for himself for president, also said hell be forced, going forward, to talk about some of the deep concerns he has about Trumps campaign including combative comments the Republican front-runner has made in recent days about his rallies.

Both Ohio Gov. Kasich and Florida Sen. Rubio are desperate for wins in their home states. On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton is hoping to stop Bernie Sanders momentum in the Midwest.

Tuesdays contests -- dubbed Super Tuesday II -- will decide whether Trump all but seals his bid for the Republican nomination.

With Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina also holding Republican and Democratic primaries, Tuesday has more delegates up for grabs than almost any other day on the campaign calendar.

Already, Trump scored a win Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands' GOP caucus.

The Republican Party said the billionaire businessman won almost 73 percent of the vote in Tuesday's caucus. He will get all nine delegates from the U.S. territory.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in second with 24 percent of the vote, while Kasich and Rubio finished a distant third and fourth, respectively.

Trump currently leads the race for delegates with 469. Cruz has 370, Rubio has 163 and Kasich has 63.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.

Polls show Trump beating Rubio by double digits in Florida, but Ohio is expected to be a closer race. Buckeye State polls have shown Trump trading the lead with Kasich, while the incumbent governor holds a slight lead in the polling average.

In a last-minute effort to shore up support in Ohio, Trump postponed a Monday evening event at Trump National Doral in Miami to hold a rally in Ohio outside Youngstown.

Trump enters the primaries embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his contentious campaign. Trump has previously encouraged supporters to physically confront protesters at his events, but he's now facing criticism for promoting violence after skirmishes broke out at a rally last week in Chicago and a protester was punched by a Trump supporter Wednesday in North Carolina.

During an event Monday in Tampa, Trump was interrupted intermittently by protesters, some of whom were forcibly removed. Trump said he didn't want to "ruin somebody's life, but do we prosecute somebody like that?"

The vibe at Trump's events has deepened the angst over his candidacy in some Republican circles. Rubio and Kasich have suggested they might not be able to support Trump if he's the nominee, an extraordinary stance for intraparty rivals.

Kasich spent Monday campaigning alongside 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, a fierce critic of Trump.

"This is the guy Ohio has to vote for, and America's counting on you," Romney told the crowd at a Kasich event in North Canton.

While Romney has not endorsed Kasich, he's said he'll do whatever is needed to help all of Trump's rivals.

Rubio, despite having the backing of numerous GOP elected officials, appears to have slipped in recent public polls in Florida.

Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the race, said Monday the goal for his campaign was to pick up delegates in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina, claiming that he was "neck and neck" with Trump in all three states. Cruz also said his campaign was "surging" in Ohio and Florida, states thought to be longshots for him.

Among the Democrats, leader Clinton has been itching to look ahead to the general election but continues to face persistent competition from Bernie Sanders. While Clinton maintains a commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders breathed new life into his campaign with a surprising victory last week in Michigan.

Reprising a theme that helped propel that Michigan win, Sanders on Monday pounded Clinton's past support for trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. He's escalated his criticism in recent days, hoping to undercut her edge among minorities and expand his advantage with white working-class voters.

"When it came down whether you stand with corporate America, the people who wrote these agreements, or whether you stand with the working people of this country, I proudly stood with the workers," Sanders said in Youngstown. "Secretary Clinton stood with the big money interests."

Clinton's team is attempting to tamp down expectations for Tuesday night, stressing that the race remains close in the Midwest, despite public polling showing her with a sizable lead. Still, she's eying the general election and escalating her attacks on Trump, saying he's "inciting mob violence" at his rallies.

"I do hold him responsible," she said in an interview on MSNBC. "He's been building this incitement, he's been leading crowds in jeering protesters"

The campaign next shifts to the West, where Sanders' advisers have suggested he could rattle off a win streak and enter April with the chance to put a dent in Clinton's delegate lead.

Fox News John Roberts, Serafin Gomez and Carl Cameron and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Microscopic dust grains extracted from meteorites that landed on Earth had ancient and explosive origins, scientists have discovered.

The dust grains  also known as presolar grains, since they're older than Earth's sun  were likely spewed out by stars that blew up hundreds of millions of years before Earth's solar system formed. And in a new analysis of data collected from these tiny particles, researchers have come closer to pinpointing the type of stellar blast that produced the dust, 5 billion years ago.

To trace the origins of the stardust's subatomic "fingerprints," scientists built computer models simulating the explosive conditions that could have produced them, to test whether the dust grains' point of origin might have been an exploding white dwarf star in a double-star system. [Images: Dust Grains from Interstellar Space]

Ancient grains

This study adds to decades of analysis devoted to puzzling out the age and origins of these presolar grains, according to study co-author Christopher Wrede.

Wrede, an assistant professor of physics at Michigan State University, told Live Science in an email that researchers look at the grains' isotopes  variations of an element that have different numbers of neutrons. About a dozen grains held a great deal of the isotope silicon-30, which has been linked to a certain type of stellar explosion called a classical nova.

Classical novas  stellar eruptions that happen in a binary, or paired, star system  are different from supernovas, Wrede said, in that they are a type of explosion that can happen over and over again. The smaller star in a pair, a white dwarf, steals fuel from its larger neighbor, heating up its own surface and eventually blasting dust and gas into space.

"After a classical nova, the white dwarf can continue to siphon fuel from the companion and ignite again," Wrede said. "In a supernova, the entire star explodes, so it can only happen once."

Going nuclear

When Earth's solar system was forming, collisions heated and mixed the building blocks of dust and gas, cooking them uniformly so that they shared many of the same isotopes. Grains with unusual isotopes  like silicon-30, which is rare on Earth  stand out, Wrede explained. "This tells us that they must have been produced prior to the formation of the solar system," dating back around 5 billion years, Wrede said.

According to Wrede, the high quantities of silicon-30 compared to other silicon isotopes in the grains suggested that they originated in a classical nova, but he and his colleagues were unsure just how much silicon-30 they could expect to see, relative to the other isotopes, if a classical nova were responsible. Their experiments revealed a new pathway for a nuclear reaction that would affect the amount of silicon-30 produced, and will help determine if the amount of silicon-30 in the dust grains is a match.

"The pathway seems to be a strong one, but we'll need to do more experiments to find out how strong," Wrede told Live Science.

The findings were published online March 8 in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A hiker in Israel has found a rare, 2,000-year-old coin bearing the image of Emperor Augustus that is identical to one in the British Museum's collection



Laurie Rimon was hiking with friends at an archeological site in the eastern Galilee when she saw a shiny object in the grass. After realizing it was a coin, the groups guide, Irit Zuk-Kovacsi contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority. Within hours, an IAA representative joined the group of hikers in the field and took possession of it.

It was not easy parting with the coin, Rimon said in a statement. After all, it is not every day one discovers such an amazing object, but I hope I will see it displayed in a museum in the near future."

Related: Archaeologists discover ancient Anglo-Saxon island in UK countryside

It was quickly determined this was not just any coin. It dates to 107 AD and was part of a series of nostalgic coins that Emperor Trajan minted and dedicated to the Roman emperors that ruled before him. The only other coin of this kind is believed to be the one held by the British Museum.

Two other gold coins of this emperor have been registered in the State Treasures, one from Givat Shaul near Jerusalem, and the other from the Qiryat Gat region, Donald T. Ariel, head curator of the coin department at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a statement. But the details on both are different to those that appear on the coin found by Rimon.

This is an extraordinarily remarkable and surprising discovery. I believe that soon, thanks to Laurie, the public will be able to enjoy this rare find, Nir Distelfeld, an inspector with the IAA Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, said in a statement.

Related: Rare discovery: Archaeologists find woman's 2,500-year old seal in Jerusalem

Danny Syon, a senior numismatist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said one side of the coin shows symbols the Roman legions next to the name of the ruler Trajan. On the other side, there is a portrait of the emperor Augustus Deified.

A coin like this could illustrate the Roman army was in the region as far back as 2,000 years ago, possibly in the context of activity against Bar Kokhba supporters in the Galilee  but it is very difficult to determine that on the basis of a single coin, Ariel said.

Historical sources describing the period note that some Roman soldiers were paid a high salary of three gold coins, the equivalent of 75 silver coins, each payday, Ariel said. Because of their high monetary value soldiers were unable to purchase goods in the market with gold coins, as the merchants could not provide change for them. Dr. Ariel added, Whilst the bronze and silver coins of Emperor Trajan are common in the country, his gold coins are extremely rare.
Is your art truly out of this world?

Aspiring artists will have a shot at getting their work blasted into space and delivered  in digital form  to the asteroid Bennu on the upcoming OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

OSIRIS-REx, which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, will launch in September to visit the asteroid and bring a sample back to Earth. NASA is inviting people to submit art before March 20 to ride along on the mission. [Video: Bring Some Asteroid To Earth: OSIRIS-Rex]

Here's how it works: Imagine that the first direct detection of gravitational waves, announced in February, totally rocks your world. Every time you think about it you are overwhelmed by a sense of humility and wonder that makes you feel compelled to know more. You decide to take your inspiration to the next level by channeling these feelings into a series of gravitational-wave linoleum block prints. Or you write a gravitational-wave haiku. Or you Photoshop some of the gravitational-wave detector's images into a gravitational-wave GIF, belly dance or hip-hop concept album.

Transfer what you have into digital format and post it to Twitter or Instagram, including the handle @OSIRISREx on Twitter or @OSIRIS_REX on Instagram along with the #WeTheExplorers hashtag and post anytime between now and March 20 at 11:59 p.m. PDT (2:59 a.m. on March 19 EDT), and you're good to go.

"Submitted works of art will be saved on a chip on the spacecraft," NASA officials said in a statement. "The spacecraft already carries a chip with more than 442,000 names submitted through the 2014 'Messages to Bennu' campaign."

Bear in mind the drive may reach capacity before the March 20 deadline is reached, so you're better off submitting your art sooner rather than later.

Technically speaking, the theme of your work doesn't need to be limited to space exploration. According to NASA, you can submit anything that has to do with the spirit of exploration, so your work can range from the inner workings of a tiny brain cell to the vast Antarctic tundra  whatever you personally feel captures the essence of the spirit of exploration.

"The development of the spacecraft and instruments has been a hugely creative process, where ultimately the canvas is the machined metal and composites preparing for launch in September," Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in the statement. "It is fitting that this endeavor can inspire the public to express their creativity to be carried by OSIRIS-REx into space."

A University of Arizona, Tucsonbased science team leads the OSIRIS-REx mission observation planning and processing, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver is building the spacecraft.

OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program, a series of solar system exploration missions. (So far, it has spearheaded the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Juno mission on its way to Jupiter.) NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages New Frontiers for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The Latest on the investigation into the escape of two New Mexico prisoners (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

Authorities say the two New Mexico prisoners who escaped last week from a fortified transport van picked their handcuffs with some sort of wire.

New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas and Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel provided more details about the March 9 escape during a news conference Monday in Albuquerque.

Authorities believe the prisoners  convicted murdered Joseph Cruz and fellow inmate Lionel Clah  fled when the van stopped to refuel in the southeastern New Mexico community of Artesia.

But it's still unclear how they slipped out of the van without the two guards noticing.

Authorities acknowledged the guards had already worked a significant amount of overtime by the time they stopped in Artesia that night.

The guards have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. But Kassetas said there are still questions, and he's not comfortable saying there was any direct involvement in the escape.

___

1 p.m.

The escape of two violent inmates has raised concerns about security in the New Mexico corrections system, with questions lingering about how the men broke free from a prison van and fled hundreds of miles before anyone reported them missing.

The manhunt ended this weekend for convicted murderer Joseph Cruz and Lionel Clah, who was serving time for armed robbery and shooting at an officer. Cruz was captured Friday in Albuquerque, and Clah surrendered outside an apartment in the city the next day.

The men bolted from the prison van along a remote stretch of southern New Mexico highway Wednesday night. Surveillance video placed them in Albuquerque early the next day.

Authorities have remained tight-lipped about their investigation, declining to identify any missteps that could have allowed for the escape.
Four straight days of rain have replenished several key reservoirs in Northern California, delighting a state in its fifth year of drought and raising hopes that water-use restrictions might be eased.

The series of storms that started late last week drenched the state, closing roads and schools while causing flooding and power outages.

Northern California was the hardest hit over four days. Other parts of the state saw the heaviest rainfall late last week.

Forecasters had issued an avalanche warning that expired Monday along the crest of the Sierra Nevada, where the highest peaks received up to 5 feet of snow over the weekend. The snowpack normally stores about 30 percent of the state's water supply.

As the latest storm weakened, warm temperatures and blue skies were forecast throughout California during the rest of the week.

The El Nino-related storms led to the death Sunday of a highway patrol officer who was struck while directing traffic on a snowy Sierra Nevada freeway.

Full reservoirs and lush snowpack in Northern California are critical for the entire state as the water eventually flows to the agriculture rich Central Valley and densely populated Southern California, which has seen relatively little rain this winter.

In Northern California, officials reported that lakes Shasta and Oroville haven't been as full since 2013.

Lake Shasta, the state's largest reservoir, was at 79 percent capacity and at 103 percent of its historical average for this time of year.

The 21-mile long reservoir north of Redding now holds 3.6 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply 3 million to 6 million households for a year.

"It's definitely welcome news, but it's kind of a mixed bag for us," said Shane Hunt, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. "We still don't have water in all the right places to meet demand going into peak season."

For example, man-made Lake Melones in the Sierra Nevada foothills remains at just 22 percent of capacity and well below the historical average.

The state's second largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, was at 70 percent of capacity and 97 percent of its historical average. Folsom Lake, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, was at 69 percent of capacity.

Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory cutbacks of 25 percent in water use last year. George Kostyrko, spokesman for the State Water Resources Control Board, said the panel will reconsider restrictions in May.

"March is really looking good so far and we're hoping for an awesome April, but we can't revisit our regulations until the end of the water year, which is April," he said.

Heavy snow fell throughout the weekend in the Sierra Nevada, where California Highway Patrol officer Nathan Taylor died late Sunday after being struck Saturday by an out-of-control Nissan Pathfinder on Interstate 80 near Truckee, California.

The 35-year-old officer had been directing traffic around an accident when he was hit and knocked several feet into the air.

The weather was so bad that the officer had to be taken to a Reno, Nevada, hospital by ambulance instead of helicopter. Taylor died after undergoing surgery.

The CHP said Taylor was married and had three sons, ages 3, 5 and 8.

"It is an incredibly sad day for Officer Taylor's family, the CHP, and the state of California," CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a written statement. "The loss of an officer protecting our community is truly devastating."

The CHP is investigating.

Two people in Northern California died earlier this month in previous storms. One woman drowned after the car she was riding in drove into floodwaters in the Sacramento area. Another person was killed in the San Francisco Bay Area when a car jumped a roadway and hit trees.
The Washington, D.C., Metro subway system will stick to a planned reopening at 5 a.m. Thursday after an unprecedented 29-hour system-wide shutdown for emergency repairs that caused headaches for hundreds of thousands of commuters, the agency's general manager said Wednesday evening.

Capital-area highways were clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour Wednesday, inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of people, ranging from commuters to students.

The shutdown was announced so construction teams could make urgent inspections of electrical components.

"Before 5 a.m., we will finish the immediate repairs for all zones. We will open the system at 5 a.m.," Metro general manager Paul Wiederfeld said at an evening press conference.

In the event further issues were found overnight, Wiederfeld said the agency would institute single-tracking or bus shuttles localized to the area of attention.

Crews working underground since late Tuesday night found 26 areas where damaged "jumper cable" and "connector boot" electrical elements were found.

The drastic actions were taken in the wake of two major equipment-related incidents in the underground.

One woman was killed and dozens sickened in 2015 after smoke from an electrical malfunction filled a train car at the busy L'Enfant Plaza station. On Monday, an electrical fire involving the same type of component as the 2015 incident stymied morning rush hour train traffic at the McPherson Square station near the White House.

Throughout the day, crews also came across three of what Wiederfeld called "showstoppers," or problems that would have required immediate attention if they were found on an average day.

Earlier Tuesday, Wiedefeld said the closure was necessary to ensure rider safety.

"While the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life and safety issue here, and this is why we must take this action immediately," he said.

Roads were even busier than usual during rush hour. District Department of Transportation Deputy Director Greer Gillis told The Associated Press that she was seeing heavier-than-normal volume, particularly traffic coming from Maryland. She expects more traffic and a longer-than-usual rush hour, but traffic was still flowing.

Highways into Washington from northern Virginia also were more choked with traffic than a normal weekday, with bumper-to-bumper traffic on interstates 95, 295 and 395. Drivers with navigation apps avoided some of the highways and snaked slowly through the narrow streets of Old Town Alexandria and the Crystal City commercial district.

Even while avoiding the worst traffic, the 18-mile drive from Springfield, Virginia, to Washington's Union Station took about 90 minutes, and some downtown parking garages were full.

The federal government encouraged employees to take the day off or telecommute, children were allowed to miss school and some workers woke up early to take bus after bus, hail pricey taxis or slog through traffic, resigning themselves to a long day.

Michaun Jordan, 51, usually takes a commuter train, then Metro rail lines and a bus to get to her job as a finance officer for the federal government. But on Wednesday, she took a $15 taxi after her train, then waited at Rosslyn station in Virginia for a bus.

"At first I was a bit disappointed. Then I thought about it  it's best to be safe," she said.

The nation's second-busiest transit system was shut down at midnight Tuesday for a system-wide safety inspection of its third-rail power cables, prompted by a series of electrical fires. It will reopen at 5 a.m. Thursday unless inspectors find an immediate threat to passenger safety, which the system's general manager said was unlikely.

Ridership on Metro has dipped as the system's reliability has deteriorated, and gripes on social media occur daily.

Still, riders take more than 700,000 trips on Metro trains every day because it's still the best way to get downtown from Maryland, Virginia and the city's outer neighborhoods. On Wednesday, they didn't have that option.

"It's always slow, always crowded," Bob Jones, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, said of Metro.

But on Wednesday, as he waited for his normal bus to work but planned a walk of more than an hour home without his usual option of the subway, he said he wasn't too upset with the decision to close.

"Better that than, like, a fiery inferno," he said.

Lester Broughton, 71, and Glorious Broughton, 68, spent the night at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport rather than risk missing their Wednesday flight to Florida. They usually take Metro and considered Uber, a taxi or SuperShuttle but thought that could be expensive or crowded.

"I would've preferred to sleep in my bed last night," Glorious Broughton said. But she said she believes in the Serenity Prayer, which says "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change."

Despite the announcement Tuesday, not all would-be Metro riders got the message that the system would close. At Metro's Rosslyn station in Virginia, just over the Potomac River from Washington, Derya Demirci, 27, looked disbelievingly at a sign announcing the shutdown. She had hoped to take her normal train to her childcare job.

"I don't know what to do," she said. She settled on taking a picture of the sign ("Your safety is our highest priority," it read in part) and asked her husband to drive her to work.

Metro wasn't yet hearing reports of overcrowding on buses, spokeswoman Morgan Dye said by phone Wednesday morning. But many people were planning several buses instead of their usual, easy subway rides.

"I've got to catch five buses to get to Alexandria," Leander Talley, 52, said. "... It's like three and a half hours. It's crazy."

Talley then loaded his bicycle onto a bus on the Springfield Metro station. It's normally one of the busiest in northern Virginia, but the massive parking garage  where parking was free Wednesday  was mostly empty, and only a handful of people waited for buses at 7:45 a.m.

On Monday, a fire on the Metro rail tracks led to major delays throughout the system. The fire was caused by the same kind of electrical component that malfunctioned last year and caused a train to fill with smoke inside a downtown Washington tunnel, killing one passenger and sickening dozens.

D.C. Council member Jack Evans, the chairman of Metro's board, said that while the system had previously been closed for days for weather, including earlier this year, Wednesday was believed to be the first time the system would be shut down for mechanical reasons.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that putting safety first is the right choice but Metro needs to get serious about fixing issues.

"I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until the region takes real ownership of its safety oversight responsibilities: D.C., Maryland and Virginia need to stand up a permanent Metro safety office with real teeth. What are folks waiting for?" Foxx said.

Late Wednesday, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., called for an oversight meeting between Virginia and Maryland senators and Metro officials.

News of the closure exploded on social media, with some on Twitter dubbing the situation "#Metromageddon" or "#Metropocalypse."

Another population affected by the closure: students at the District's public schools. The city does not have traditional school buses and many students rely on Metro, which they are allowed to ride for free, to get to school. The school system announced that while schools would be open, absences and tardiness would be excused. D.C. Council member David Grosso said he was concerned about student safety.

"This is a significant disruption for many of our families," Grosso said.

Click for more from Fox5DC.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Its Super Tuesday Too!

Donald Trump would love to sweep the states voting today. They are Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Its a huge day.

Hillary Clinton would like to permanently halt Bernie Sanders campaign with wins in most of todays voting states. Shes leading in every state according to polling, but remember what happened in Michigan where she was leading polls and then got a surprise loss to Sanders. Today is a big test of her clout with working class voters.

The New York Times reports today, There are 367 Republican delegates at stake Tuesday, far fewer than the 595 two weeks ago on Super Tuesday. But Tuesday nonetheless has the potential to decide whether Donald Trump has a clear path to the nomination. That's because the party has ruled that states holding their primaries on March 15 and later are allowed to award their delegates on a winner-take-all basis. Two of the largest states voting on Tuesday have chosen to do this: Florida and Ohio. Whether Mr. Trump can win the 1,237 delegates necessary to avoid a contested convention could easily turn on whether he can win one or both of these states.

The Wall Street Journal reporters Beth Reinhard, Patrick O'Connor and Reid J. Epstein write today:

In a whirlwind of events on the eve of Tuesday's primaries, Donald Trump aimed to sideline two Republican rivals on their home turf by adding a stop in Ohio to chase down Gov. John Kasich and scoring an endorsement from Florida's attorney general over home-state Sen. Marco Rubio.

As polls show Mr. Rubio on the ropes in his own state, Mr. Trump stumped on Monday in a bellwether county with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, increasing the sting of what he hopes will be a knockout blow in the presidential primary.

Mr. Trump also hustled on Monday to Ohio, the other winner-take-all primary, where a victory would speed his drive to win the GOP nomination.

Florida and Ohio will allot 165 Republican delegates, a bounty that could give the front-runner an insurmountable lead on the way to the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination. Mr. Trump currently has 460 delegates, compared with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's 370. Mr. Rubio is in third place with 163 and Mr. Kasich has 63.

In the Democratic primary, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is leading in most state polls, also has the potential to put challenger Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the rearview mirror with big victories on Tuesday. With only a slim lead in Ohio polling, Mr. Kasich brought reinforcements Monday in the form of 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, signaling the broader attempt by the political establishment to try to hobble the New York businessman.

Mr. Cruz's five-stop campaign spree on Monday in Illinois -- which, along with North Carolina and Missouri, will proportionally dole out a total of 193 delegates on Tuesday -- reflected his strategy to siphon enough support to stay in second place. Mr. Cruz has targeted Missouri as his best chance for an upset.

Several live campaign events to watch today though its fairly quiet on the campaign trail.

1000EDT -- OH Gov Kasich votes. Westerville, OH. LIVE via LiveU

TBA EDT -- Hillary Clinton plans 3 OTR stops in Raleigh, NC. POOL COVER

TBA EDT -- Hillary Clinton plans an OTR in Palm Beach, FL. POOL COVER

In other news today

President Obama meeting with Irish officials today.. and attends a Friends of Ireland luncheon at Noon.

1030EDT -- POTUS has bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Kenny of Ireland. POOL TAPE SPRAY

1200EDT -- POTUS attends the US Capitol for the Friends of Ireland Luncheon. LIVE

Were awaiting the Presidents decision on who to nominate for the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia. Republicans are standing firm on vows to block any Obama candidate, but Democrats are turning up the pressure to fill the vacancy, and the Presidents choice may reflect a push to get someone both sides would agree to support.

The Obama administration also reportedly set to withdraw its plan to permit oil and gas drilling off the southeast Atlantic coast. It would be a big policy shift, and a continuation of the White House efforts on the environment.

Havard Law dropping a crest some called racist.

Three police officers shot in the latest violence in Chicago. 1 criminal was shot and killed.

Good news on the drought in California. A series of huge storms has partially filled some reservoirs to levels not seen since 2013. Last year, the governor ordered a 25% cut in water consumption. It may get revisited if the reservoirs fill up in the Spring melt.

A new study suggests rising sea levels from global warming will disrupt millions who live in coastal areas of the U.S.

Big news out of Syria. Russia is withdrawing some of its forces and war planes. Russia says its coordinating the draw down with Bashir Assad..Five years ago today, protests began in Syria that led to a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands.

A U.S. air strike likely led to the death of ISIS leader Omar Shishani an ISIS minister of war. He was one of the terror groups most wanted.

The North Koreans are making more threats as U.S./South Korea war games continue. The North says it will test another nuclear bomb.

Watch stocks today after a tough overnight for international stocks.

Avon announced today it is cutting 2,500 jobs and moving its operations to the U.K. after several quarters of struggles.

For more news, follow me on Twitter: @ClintPHenderson
Students at Tennessees public colleges and universities would not be able to tattle on classmates who merely say mean or offensive things to them under a bill being considered Tuesday by the state Legislature.

The Tennessee Student Free Speech Protection Act would ban the schools from establishing systems for students to report bias incidents that dont involve actual threats or harassment, according to The College Fix. It would also bar schools from punishing students for so-called micro-aggressions, instances where people take great offense at a subtle or even unintended slight.

The best kind of educational environment is one where theres a lot of controversy and conversation about various issues, and we encourage students to speak up, state Rep. Martin Daniel, a Knoxville Republican who introduced the bill, told The College Fix. We want our students to be prepared for the real world, and those classes of speech that might be considered micro-aggressions just happen in the real world.

We want our students to be prepared for the real world, and those classes of speech that might be considered microaggressions just happen in the real world.  Rep. Martin Daniel, R-Knoxville

Freedom of speech has been under a microscope at colleges across the country, as student groups demand safe zones from which speech deemed offensive is banned and reject the kind of contentious debate that was once an academic tradition.

The Tennessee law, which is to be taken up Tuesday by the Education, Administration and Planning subcommittee, would prohibit schools from punishing, disciplining, or censuring students for the content of students lawful speech by way of or through any of the faculty, employees, or organizations of the institution. Campus leaders would be required to protect students rights to peacefully assemble, and prohibited from restricting free speech to designated zones.

The bill allows schools to prevent unlawful or defamatory speech, as well as speech that impedes education or breaches privacy or confidentiality. A university also may prevent speech in certain locations at publicly specified times so long as it is from a content-neutral position, according to The College Fix.

Daniel worked with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education in drafting the legislation, and also relied upon the Chicago Principles, a statement produced by the Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago last year. The principles affirmed the importance of the freedom of expression on college campuses. Other universities have adopted similar principles.

Washington state has a similar bill to Tennessees currently pending, and Virginia and Missouri have laws banning free speech zones, according to FIRE.

If passed, the law would go into effect July 1, 2016.
A Fort Worth police officer is in critical condition Wednesday after suffering life-threatening injuries in a shootout with a fugitive and his son that left one suspect dead, police say.

The shootout began Tuesday afternoon after Fort Worth police fugitive task force officers tried to apprehend 43-year-old Ed McIver Sr., who was with his 20-year-old son, Ed McIver Jr. The elder McIver was killed in the exchange of gunfire. His son eluded officers before being captured hours later with a rifle, authorities said.

McIver Sr. was wanted on three felony warrants  for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault/family violence and bail jumping, according to Fort Worth police spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Knight.

The shooting took place in an open field off Texas Route 820 in Fort Worth at the end of a chase involving police and the suspects, according to Fox 4.

The elder McIver was driving when officers asked him to pull over his vehicle. He instead drove off. Father and son eventually abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot into a wooded area, according to authorities.

The wounded officer was identified as Matt Pearce, the Fort Worth Police Department said late Tuesday in a statement. Pearce, who has worked for the department since 2009, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital and is listed in critical condition.

Pearce sustained multiple gunshot wounds, according to Matt Zavadsky, a spokesman for emergency responder MedStar. He has undergone surgery, Fox 4 reports.

"I would request everyone please pray," Fort Worth police spokeswoman Corporal Tracey Knight told Fox 4 on Tuesday.

A handgun was found near the elder McIver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His son was found after hundreds of law enforcement officers scoured a 2-square-mile perimeter in west Fort Worth.

Footage from news helicopters showed numerous police officers at the scene along with a medical helicopter.

Police say charges of criminal attempt of capital murder, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon are pending against McIver Jr.



Click for more from Fox 4.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Texas teenager is in grave or immediate danger, authorities said Tuesday amid fears that she was with her father when he was killed and his burned body dumped near a ditch.

The FBI has joined the investigation into the disappearance of 13-year-old Adriana Coronado of Katy, who was last seen Saturday. An Amber Alert was issued Monday, which said authorities are hunting for an unknown suspect in connection with her abduction.

The body of Caesar Vladimir Coronado, Adriana's father, was discovered Sunday in Walker County, according to The Associated Press. Authorities believe the man was shot and his burned pickup truck was located near Conroe, about 45 miles south of where the body was found.

Please return my daughter back cause Im dying with hurt, Coronados mom told KHOU from Mexico.

As police were investigating the homicide of Caesar Vladimir Coronado, they obtained information leading them to believe that the welfare and whereabouts of Adriana were of great concern, KLTV reports. The Amber Alert said the teenager is believed to be in grave or immediate danger."

Without my daughter, I dont want to live anymore, said her mother, who is in Mexico recovering from surgery, according to a friend of Adrianas.

The mother  whose identity was not revealed -- said her husband had no known enemies.

Adriana, who was a freshman at Mayde Creek High School, was supposed to host a girls day at her apartment in Katy on Saturday, but never returned calls.

We are like somethings wrong because shes always on her phone, Eduardo Revuelta, a friend, told KHOU. Why wouldnt you answer us?

The mother also said she spoke to her husband and daughter on the phone Friday night, while the two were together, and she did not get the impression that anything was wrong, Click2Houston reported.

Adriana is described as Hispanic, 5-feet-tall with black hair and brown eyes, and weighing 105 pounds.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the Walker County Sheriff's Office at 936-435-2400.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Three Chicago police officers investigating suspected drug dealing on the city's west side were shot and wounded Monday night before their attacker was killed.

Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted on Twitter that none of the officers' injuries were life-threatening.

The spokesman told the Associated Press that five police officers observed a man and a woman acting suspiciously and decided to investigate further. When they announced their presence, the man ran into a gangway between two buildings and opened fire. Guglielmi said the gunman injured three officers before being fatally injured by an officer's return fire.

The dead suspect's identity was not immediately available. Guglielmi said the woman was arrested after a chase and was being questioned in connection with the shooting.

Fox 32 Chicago reported that one of the injured officers was shot in the foot while a second officer was shot in the back. The Chicago Tribune reported that the third officer was shot in the chest, but may have been wearing a bulletproof vest.

Neither suspect was identified by authorities, who added a gun used by the dead suspect was recovered at the scene.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante visited the officers and their families at the hospital.

Emanuel said in a statement the shooting was a reminder "of the dangers that our police face, and the bravery that they routinely display as three of our officers were shot in line of duty. The thoughts and prayers of our entire city are with the officers and their families during this difficult time."

The shooting comes a day after authorities say an undercover narcotics officer in Maryland was mortally wounded by one of his colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman.

A woman who lived on the same block where the shooting occurred told the Chicago Sun-Times that she heard approximately 15 gunshots. She told the paper that she saw three ambulances leaving the scene amid a strong police presence.

"It was a sea of blue lights," she said.

Talking to reporters after visiting the officers, Escalante thanked the Illinois State Police for closing an expressway to allow the wounded officers quick transport to the hospital. Dozens of police officers met the ambulances at the hospital.

"I want to thank Chicago Fire Department paramedics for their quick response in getting our officers here safely," he said. "Again, a thanks to the staff here at county hospital for taking care of our injured officers."

Police said in a statement that the city's Independent Police Review Authorities will investigate. The officers involved will be put on standard administrative duties for 30 days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police in Belgium were hunting Tuesday for two suspects who fled a home during a raid linked to the Paris attacks investigation, that left one person dead and four officers wounded, Sky News reported.

National security forces have been searching for suspects connected to the Nov. 13, 2015, Paris terror attacks. The skirmish Tuesday occurred in the Forest suburb of Brussels, which is not far from the Molenbeek neighborhood where two of the Paris attackers lived.

Federal prosecutors spokesman Eric van der Sypt said that the raid was linked to the Paris attack investigation, according to Sky News. Two suspects were seen fleeing the area.

Late Tuesday, a man was found dead inside the apartment, a police official told the Associated Press. The official asked not to be identified because the operation was ongoing.

It was not immediately clear if the man found dead was one of the people police were looking for in the raid.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that "a team composed of Belgian and French police came under fire, apparently from assault weapons, during a raid."

Two hours after the first shots were fired, a big swathe of the Forest neighborhood was in lockdown as special police units in body armor and balaclava hoods moved in, several with their guns drawn.

A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still hunting the suspects.

"Two individuals, apparently barricaded themselves inside a home," Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels told local media.

It wasn't immediately clear if the two people escaped, or whether police were searching for more people.

Salah Abdeslam, a main suspect in the Paris attack, is still being sought by authorities. Eleven suspects have been arrested in Belgium since the massacre, which saw 130 people killed when gunmen opened fire at a sidewalk cafe and at the Bataclan theater.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter around the area where the shots were heard to keep the many bystanders at a safe distance. A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still looking for at least one suspect. Several hundred spectators were trying to get a closer look at the operation in the multicultural neighborhood, which has a big Audi car factory nearby.

Several hooded officers wearing body armor milled around the neighborhood and ambulances were on standby.

Four months on, Belgian police and magistrates have been still piecing together the role Belgian nationals played in aiding the Paris attackers, as well as trying to track down missing suspects including international fugitive Salah Abdeslam, whose brother Brahim was one of the suicide bombers.

The suspected ringleader of the attacks was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighborhood.

Belgian authorities have stepped up their counterterror efforts since a lone gunman killed four people at the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014. The small Western European country has also been prime recruiting ground for the Islamic State group, and officials freely acknowledge their concerns about what radicalized recruits might do after returning home from the battlefields of Syria or Iraq.

It was unclear whether the officer or officers who were wounded in the bust were shot or injured in some other manner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police divers searched the cold waters of New Yorks Hudson River Tuesday for the body of the third missing crew member involved in a deadly tugboat collision with a barge over the weekend.



As police divers inspect the site where the boat sank, near the Tappan Zee Bridge, a commercial maritime salvage company will also start trying to raise the boat, CBS New York reports.

NYPDs Special Operations Division released an underwater sonar image Tuesday of the tugboat.

The collision Saturday left two crew members dead. The body of a third man who's presumed dead -- Harry Hernandez of Staten Island -- has yet to be recovered, and his remains were thought to be in a part of the sunken tugboat that divers have not been able to access, The Associated Press reports.

This weekend #Harbor #SCUBA assisted @nyspolice & WCPD @ the tragic tug boat accident. Sidescan Sonar - photo of tug pic.twitter.com/6HAZCKJEVz  NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) March 14, 2016

The autopsies of two men killed -- Timothy Conklin, of Westbury, N.Y., and Paul Amon, of Bayville, N.J. -- showed they died from drowning, authorities said Monday. On Sunday, divers recovered their bodies.

"They searched everywhere they could reach," said Westchester County Police spokesman Kieran O'Leary.

The 90-foot tugboat named Specialist hit a construction barge Saturday where workers are building the new Tappan Zee Bridge. The heavily damaged vessel now has to be raised. O'Leary said commercial divers went into the water on Monday to assess conditions and to start coming up with a plan on how to raise the tugboat.

Authorities said three tugboats were pushing a barge from Albany to Jersey City, N.J., when one of the three  situated on the right side as it headed south  hit a stationary barge that was part of the Tappan Zee Bridge construction project. A tugboat on the left side of the barge that was being pushed, as well as one that was pushing the barge from the rear, were not involved in the accident.

O'Leary said investigators still were conducting interviews and trying to piece together exactly what happened.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The United States has confirmed the death of a senior Islamic State commander with a $5 million bounty on his head, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News on Monday.

Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili, also known as Abu Umar al-Shishani or "Umar the Chechen" -- who was the ISIS equivalent of the Secretary of Defense -- was initially injured in an airstrike on March 4 near the Syrian town of Al Shadaddi, a former ISIS stronghold that was captured in February by the U.S.-backed, predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces.

Batirashvili was present at the meeting and was trying to rally a counterattack against Syrian opposition forces who have been supported by the U.S., according to a defense official

There were 13 people who were originally present at the meeting, including one who escaped after the airstike.

A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News the one who escaped was Batirashvili, but U.S. intelligence has since learned he died of his wounds.

On Tuesday, a senior Iraqi intelligence official and the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed Batirashvili's death to the Associated Press.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Observatory said that ISIS "brought a number of doctors to treat him, but they were not able to."

Batirashvili's death is considered a big setback to ISIS operations in Syria, according to U.S. defense officials.

Defense officials told Fox News previously that it was unusual and noteworthy that Batirashvili had traveled to the Al Shaddadi area from Raqqa.

The trip was likely to bolster the sagging morale of ISIS fighters there, who have suffered a series of defeats by Syrian Democratic Forces as they moved from Al Hawl to Al Shaddadi, according to officials.

Batirashvili, was one of hundreds of Chechens who have been among the toughest jihadi fighters in Syria.

An ethnic Chechen from the Caucasus nation of Georgia, specifically from the Pankisi Valley, a center of Georgia's Chechen community and once a stronghold for militants, he was known for his red beard.

He joined ISIS in 2013, where he oversaw a prison facility near Raqqah, Syria where the terror group may have held foreign hostages. In mid-2014, he coordinated closely with ISIS's financial section to establish a base of operation near Minbij, Syria.

He was later appointed northern commander to ISIS by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi with authority over the terror groups military operations forces in northern Syria, according to a U.S. defense official.

The U.S. Treasury Department designated Batirashvili as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 for action for or on behalf of ISIS, and offered a $5 million reward for information to bring him to justice.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Lucas Tomlinson, and the Associated Press contributed to this report
Macedonia sent back hundreds of refugees to Greece on Tuesday, a day after they bypassed a border fence in a mass push to continue their journey north to Europe's prosperous heartland  a move Greece blamed on "criminal misinformation" possibly spread by volunteers working with them.

Interior Ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski told The Associated Press the migrants "have been returned to Greece."

About 1,500 people, frustrated at being stuck for weeks in a waterlogged tent city outside the closed crossing of Idomeni, pushed their way into Macedonia on Monday through an unguarded section of the border. They walked about 5 kilometers (3 miles) and forded a swollen stream near the Greek village of Hamilo.

A Macedonian official said 700 migrants who had been detained overnight were deported to Greece through the same location they entered. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press, also said about 50 journalists and volunteers detained with the migrants were released after paying fines of 250 euros ($280) for illegally entering Macedonia.

Greek police said groups of migrants were seen coming back to Greece from unguarded sections of the border east and west of Idomeni  although Greece says it received no official notification or repatriation request from Macedonia. A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency in Idomeni, Babar Baloch, confirmed that many had returned to Idomeni.

About 200 people who had camped overnight near Hamilo went back to Idomeni on Tuesday, while Macedonian police guarded the area. It was not possible to account for all the migrants.

Despite repeated Greek appeals for them to move to available organized shelters, about 14,000 people are stuck in the Idomeni tent city in swampy conditions after days of heavy rain, and hundreds were queuing under a shelter Tuesday for food handouts.

"As long as (refugees) still believe that there is a chance of getting through (to Macedonia), this will continue," Immigration Minister Ioannis Mouzalas said. "There is no way the border will open."

For months, hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East and Africa flowed through Idomeni, on their way to seek asylum in central Europe. But a tightening in border controls that started in Austria and extended down the Balkan migration route ended in a total border closure last week. Now, about 44,000 people are stranded in Greece, after crossing from nearby Turkey in flimsy smugglers' boats.

The European Union's commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos  a Greek politician  visited Idomeni Tuesday and deplored the "tragic, unacceptable" conditions he saw.

"This tests the principles and values of the civilized world, and Europe," he said. "This situation must end immediately."

Avramopoulos also appealed to EU countries to honor the bloc's commitments to share out asylum-seekers.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras blamed Monday's mass move to circumvent the border fence on misleading leaflets distributed at Idomeni, which encouraged the refugees to make a concerted push north.

Tsipras said "unknown people, perhaps groups that call themselves volunteers," handed out leaflets advising migrants to cross the border by bypassing the fence and warning that if migrants left the overflowing Idomeni camp for shelters in northern Greece, they would be imprisoned there.

"This is criminal behavior toward people who face great hardship," Tsipras said. "This must stop."

Greek police are investigating the incident.

Tsipras urged the refugees to leave Idomeni for the shelters, and called on volunteers working with them to help scotch false rumors.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, in a statement, said only a "united and humane" response from the European Union can solve the continent's migration problem.

"More migrants in deteriorating tent cities at the border only encourages (people) smuggling," Poposki said.
Russia's plan to withdraw forces from Syria is sending a strong message to President Bashar Assad, whose hard-line stance is diverging from Moscow's interest in declaring its intervention in the country a success while also accelerating peace efforts.

Having dramatically turned the tide of war in Assad's favor with five months of intense bombardment of his foes, President Vladimir Putin is pressuring the Syrian leader to engage them in more meaningful dialogue in talks that have begun in Geneva.

"There was an overlap in interests in the last few months. Now they (the Russians) are telling Assad, 'this is where we start to diverge, and you've got to step up to your responsibilities, you can't rely on us forever,'" said Maha Yahya, acting director of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

With an announcement that appeared to take even senior Russian commanders by surprise, Putin ordered most of the estimated 3,000 to 6,000 personnel to begin withdrawing from Syria on Tuesday, a step that raised hopes for progress at newly reconvened U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

At a televised meeting Monday with his foreign and defense ministers, Putin said Moscow's intervention had fulfilled its objectives by allowing Assad's military to "radically" turn the tide of war. He added that the move should help serve as a stimulus for Syria's political talks.

Russia deployed its air force to Syria in September to prop up Assad's faltering military, which has been waging a five-year war against internal opponents and jihadist militants.

Although its stated goal was to fight Islamic State militants and other terrorists, much of the Russian campaign has targeted mainstream rebels and helped eject them from core areas considered strategic for Assad's survival, thereby safeguarding Moscow's interests in the country.

While the operation has restored momentum for Assad's forces, Syrian forces have been unable to regain areas in Idlib province in the north or completely encircle rebels in the contested city of Aleppo, for instance.

The timing of the Russian withdrawal, just as peace talks were resuming, offered Putin an opportune moment to declare the bulk of Moscow's involvement to be over, while acting as a peacemaker and helping ease tensions with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by the Kremlin's military action.

By also pacifying the opposition, Putin has set up the groundwork for what is shaping up to be the best opportunity so far to advance the talks between the two warring sides.

The U.N.'s Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, said it is a "significant development, which we hope will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva." Syrian opposition spokesman, Salem Al Mislet, also welcomed Russia's pullout, saying that if it is serious, it would go a long way in helping the talks.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called it "a very important phase in this process" and said he would go to Moscow next week to talk with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

While Russia is highly unlikely to drop Assad anytime soon, the withdrawal at least suggests differences between Moscow and Damascus over what the next steps forward should be.

As Assad's forces regained momentum, Assad has taken a more hard-line position, saying he will continue fighting until he recaptures every inch of Syrian territory.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem held a news conference over the weekend in which he said any talk of removing Assad during a transitional period sought by the U.N. is "a red line," and he rejected the international call for a presidential election to be held within 18 months  a key opposition demand.

Assad also has called for parliamentary elections to be held as scheduled next month in government-held areas of the country.

"For Assad, this is a very long-term fight. I don't think it's a fight that Putin necessarily wants his country to be part of. This is not his Vietnam," Yahya said.

On Tuesday, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia's decision was prompted by the Kremlin's displeasure with the Syrian government's tough position in the negotiations, or that it was intended to put pressure on Assad.

The withdrawal announcement also triggered successive statements from the Syrian presidency and armed forces rejecting speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies.

Militarily, the implications of Russia's drawdown are unlikely to hurt Assad as long as Iranian-organized Shiite militias are still fighting on his behalf. Russia, which is keeping its naval base in Tartous and air base in Latakia, may also redeploy at any time if needed.

Hossein Royvaran, a political analyst in Tehran, said the withdrawal is part of a plan agreed upon by Iran,Syria and Russia, and that Moscow's forces may return to Syria if the political process fails.

But Firas Abi Ali, senior analyst at IHS Country Risk, said the withdrawal highlights divergences among Iran,Syria, and Russia, and probably reflects Moscow's intention to impose a compromise that might include a partition or federation model.

"Russia can accept a settlement in which the Kurds gain autonomy in northeastern Syria, Sunni groups dominate Idlib and Aleppo, while a successor to the Assad government remains in core Syrian government territory in Damascus, Homs, and along the coast," Abi Ali said. "This could take the form of a new federal constitution, or even Syria's partition."

On Monday, Lavrov said it would be up to the Syrians to decide what form of state they should have.

Several analysts, however, dismiss talk of any formal partition or federal system based on sectarian and ethnic identities that would be sowing the seeds for further conflict down the road.

Mark Galeotti, a New York University global affairs professor who spends much of his time in Moscow, said the Russians have been signaling that they think it's time for some kind of resolution in Syria.

"It means that Russia will either have to trim (Assad's) sails a bit or that it might be that it's time for him to go," he said.
It's being hailed as a breakthrough, but the European Union's tentative deal with Ankara to send back thousands of migrants is fraught with legal complexities.

EU lawyers say the final agreement can, and will, comply with international and European law. Rights groups want to know how.

The U.N. refugee agency has doubts about Turkey's asylum standards. It insists that Ankara should "ensure that all people seeking international protection can have a fair and efficient determination of their claims by a competent authority within a reasonable time."

Here are just some of the questions legal experts are still grappling with before EU leaders gather again in Brussels on Thursday to endorse the agreement.

WHO WILL BE SENT BACK TO TURKEY?

The draft deal says all "new irregular migrants" crossing from Turkey into Greece would be sent back. That rules out people already in Greece. The first challenge is to establish whether a migrant came from Turkey. If that person does not want to apply for asylum, or the application is judged "inadmissible", the person could be sent back on EU-funded transport. The international principle of "non-refoulement"  not to chase away people who have a right to protection  suggests that those plucked from boats in Greek waters could not just be sent back. EU experts and the UNHCR say any mass deportation would be illegal, meaning applications must be examined on a case-by-case basis.

WHAT IF THEY'VE APPLIED FOR ASYLUM IN GREECE?

If someone has applied for asylum, their application must run its course, probably over several months. In the event the request is rejected, applicants should have the right to appeal. The issue for legal experts is whether a person could be sent to Turkey while an appeal is pending. Rights groups think not.

WHO WOULD COME TO EUROPE?

For every irregular migrant sent back to Turkey, the EU agrees to take one Syrian refugee from the country. Turkey hosts some 2.7 million Syrians, only 10 percent of whom are sheltered in camps. Resettlement is the act of accepting refugees from outside the EU rather than sharing those who've already arrived. The UNHCR supervises resettlement and despite reservations about the plan would oversee the process in Turkey, with European officials monitoring.

WHAT OTHER LEGAL ISSUES ARE THERE?

The main aim is to bring the deal into line with European law and the Geneva Convention on refugees, the key international text on people's right to protection. But Turkey applies the convention only to European citizens because it has not ratified protocols extending the accord to other countries. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said it could "easily be that both in Greece and in Turkey some pieces of legislation would have to be brought through parliaments." This could take some time.

BUT SURELY, TURKEY ISN'T SAFE, IS IT?

The EU regards Turkey as vital to resolving a migrant conundrum that has raised troubling questions about solidarity and refugee burden-sharing; issues that are undermining the future of the entire European project. Even a string of extremist attacks in Turkey, including the weekend suicide car-bombing in Ankara which killed at least 37 people, is unlikely to have any impact on these EU-Turkey talks. Greece and Germany consider Turkey to be a safe destination for migrants, and they are not alone. Other nations remain to be convinced because significant numbers of Turkish citizens are granted asylum in Europe each year, and no EU-wide readmission agreement with Turkey exists yet. If Turkey is officially deemed a safe country, potential asylum seekers in Greece could told to apply in Turkey.

HOW COULD THE DEAL ATTRACT MORE MIGRANTS TO TURKEY?

EU officials are wary that the agreement might further destabilize the fragile Middle East. Lebanon and Jordan are home to more than 2 million Syrian refugees, and people in those countries could try to flee to Turkey if they believe it could boost their chances of finding homes in Europe. It's worth noting that Jordan's King Abdullah II arrives in Brussels for a two-day visit on the eve of the EU-Turkey talks.
German police believe a bomb caused an explosion that killed a man driving through Berlin during the morning rush hour Tuesday.

The deputy chief spokesman for Berlin police, Carsten Mueller, told The Associated Press that the explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. (3 a.m. EST) in the western district of Charlottenburg.



Mueller says that "investigators are working on the assumption that it was an explosive device" inside or on the vehicle that caused the blast.



A picture posted by Berlin police on Twitter showed the wreckage of a silver VW Passat station wagon on the street, its windows blown out and its front end smashed in.

Mueller confirmed that nobody else was injured in the blast despite heavy traffic. Experts checked the vehicle but found no further explosive devices, he said.

Hours after the blast, police were concentrating on the possibility that the explosion might be linked to organized crime, said Kerstin Ziesmer, a police spokeswoman.

She said investigators had identified the man who was killed but declined to name him, citing the ongoing investigation.

The city has seen a spate of violence linked to biker gangs involved in the drugs trade in recent years, but Mueller said police were looking into all possible scenarios that might have led to the blast.

The explosion occurred about half a mile from the capital's landmark Victory Column.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Utah is joining the growing statewide bandwagon to create a bill that defines and separates franchisors from franchisees and their employees. House Bill 116 clearly establishes franchisees as the sole employer of their workers. The bill now awaits the governor's signature, which is expected soon.

State legislatures across the country have been taking up the mantle of franchise business owners and their rights. Utah's HB 116 comes in the wake of a decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to change 50 years of federal labor law and legal precedent. The law clarifies that neither a franchisee nor a franchisee's employee shall be deemed to be an employee of the franchisor for any purpose.

"It has become clear that bipartisan agreement in states all over this country have coalesced around the issue that franchisors and franchisee s are separate entities," said IFA President & CEO Robert Cresanti. "The NLRB's decision to overturn the standard definition of joint-employer is a threat to businesses, employees, and the U.S. economy."

"We are grateful to all of the Utah Legislators for their support of the franchise business model and their willingness to stand up for small business owners," said Robert and Sydnee Evans, Master Franchise Owners of Jani-King Salt Lake City. "We celebrate the passing of HB 116 and look forward to continuing serving our local neighborhoods in the great state of Utah."
Dickey's Senior Vice President of Development Trinity Hall Offers Franchising Best Practices

Dickeys Barbecue Pit continually evolves its franchising system to provide the best support possible to franchisees.

March 15, 2016 // Franchising.com // Dallas, TX - For the past five years, Trinity Hall has been Dickeys expert in all things related to building a franchise. She has managed all aspects in the franchising process from equipment to design to construction, and now oversees the development department which includes all those components, in addition to franchise sales and financing. She has opened over 400 stores during her tenure at Dickeys and has led design and construction initiatives including the recently redesigned store concept that is rolling out nationwide.

Hall offers an insight into franchising from Dickeys perspective, including advice to potential franchisees below.

The Dickeys franchising process

Dickeys has taken the word sales out of their vocabulary and replaced it with development. Dickeys prides itself in offering ongoing support throughout the entire process, not just meeting sales quotas.

In the first conversation with potential franchisees, the development team gets to know the prospect and their goals. After the initial conversation, if both parties choose to move forward and feel its a good match, prospects are invited to Dallas for Discovery Day. They are toured through Dickeys corporate stores and home office to meet the team in person and view the product first hand. They meet with Dickeys executives, including a one-on-one with CEO Roland Dickey, Jr.

Halls team consists of specialists in real estate, construction, project management and finance to guide franchisees from the very beginning and throughout the store opening process. Team members regularly travel to new store sites to make sure progress happens quickly and correctly.

How Dickeys franchise system is different

Dickeys focuses on time and pace, Hall says. We work quickly and efficiently because we not only respect everyones time, but want our franchisees to start making money as soon as possible. We realize that buying a franchise is a high-commitment business proposition, so we do everything we can to get stores open and running quickly and smoothly.

Another differentiator is a new policy Hall has put into place. New franchisees purchase their first store to operate for a time and can add on additional stores later, with limited exceptions. Halls team does still consider multi-unit franchise deals on a case by case basis, always keeping an eye out for the right fit. Previously, Dickeys sold multi-store development agreements. Dickeys has an expectation that each franchisee directly operate their store, so this new system allows them to ease into the system, one store at a time. The new policy was created for the benefit of Owner/Operators, to allow them the time to get accustomed to running a store before adding new locations and responsibilities.

Advice to new franchisees

There is a lot of information out there, as Hall explains. As a franchise is a life-long investment, it is important for potential franchisees to know the company they are investing in. Know its growth strategy, where it has been and where it is going. It is also important to know the executive team, she says. Get to know the executives histories and passions, and you will know how they operate the company. At Dickeys we want to make sure franchisees find the right fit for their investment and goals. This is why we have invested so much time and resources in our franchise development department. We believe we offer a great company to grow with and continue to take steps to ensure our process is a step above the rest.

To learn more about franchising with Dickeys, visit www.dickeys.com/franchise or call 866-340-6188.

To find the Dickeys Barbecue Pit nearest you, click here. Find Dickeys on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the nations largest barbecue chain was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey with the goal of authentic slow smoked barbecue. Today, all meats are still slow smoked on-site in each restaurant living up to the company tagline, We Speak Barbecue. The Dallas-based family-run barbecue franchise offers a quality selection of signature meats, home style sides, tangy barbecue sauce and free kids meals every Sunday. The fast-casual concept has expanded to over 540 locations in 43 states. Dickeys was recognized for the third year by Nations Restaurant News as a Top 10 Growth Chain and by Technomic as the Fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com or for barbecue franchise opportunities call 866.340.6188.

SOURCE Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Contact:

Michelle George

Public Relations Specialist

Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

(972) 248-9899 ext. 235

mgeorge@dickeys.com

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Dwyer Group Celebrates 35th Anniversary

Organization continues to expand, serving communities across the globe.

March 15, 2016 // Franchising.com // WACO, Texas  This month the arrival of spring also brings the landmark arrival of the 35th anniversary for The Dwyer Group, Inc., providing services to consumers in communities around the world. This milestone creates the perfect backdrop for the growth and expansion that lies ahead for one of the worlds largest franchising companies of trade service brands.

For the past 35 years, Dwyer Group has always tried to go beyond our goals to make a difference in the lives of people we touch all over the world, said Mike Bidwell, president and CEO of Dwyer Group. We have built a strong business focused on bringing trade services supported by our Code of Values into different communities. And today we can celebrate a fantastic milestone for the success of small businesses, job creation and the best network of service providers centered around services people need to maintain their homes and businesses.

Founded in 1981 by Don Dwyer Sr. with just one service brand, Dwyer Group has grown to include 11 different commercial and residential franchise service brands with more than 2,500 franchisees operating in several countries. Today, these service brands account for more than $1.3 billion in annual system-wide sales. And Dwyer Group is just getting started.

Dwyer Group has had an amazing 35 years of history, growth and success, but it is our companys incredible future that continues to drive our energetic team, said Bidwell. With a substantial presence in 10 countries and record-setting development, the accelerating power of our collective brands reminds our entire organization of all that we have accomplished and our exciting future ahead.

About Dwyer Group

The Dwyer Group, Inc., based in Waco, Texas, is a holding company of 11 franchise businesses, each selling and supporting a different franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv, Glass Doctor, The Grounds Guys, Five Star Painting, Molly Maid, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric, Mr. Handyman, Mr. Rooter (Drain Doctor in the UK and Portugal), ProTect Painters, and Rainbow International. Collectively, these independent franchise concepts offer customers worldwide a broad base of residential and commercial services. In addition, Dwyer Group operates glass shops in New England under the Portland Glass brand name. Dwyer Group is a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm. The firms international portfolio includes more than 75 companies. More information on Dwyer Group, or its franchise concepts, is available at www.dwyergroup.com.

Dwyer Group is also on Twitter at @DwyerGroup.

SOURCE Dwyer Group

Contact:

Monica Feid

BizCom Associates

(972) 490-8053

MonicaFeid@BizComPr.com

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Harry Boyte continues his conversation with Deborah Meier. To read their full exchange, please visit here .

Dear Deb and Colleagues,

Your questions from your school experiences about how to implement democratic decision making are important. But Id argue that voting and other decision structures are tools -- and when they work well, symbols people are proud of. Theyre not the essence of democracy.

So, what is democracy? And related, why, in the American context, did democracy have overtones of immensity? A word the real gist of which still sleeps, quite unawakened...a great word, whose history remains unwritten, as Walt Whitman put it in Democratic Vistas.

Democracy means agency, citizen power, capacity of people to act to build a common life. In a time of bitter electoral division, when tools replace substance, remembering the larger meaning is crucial.

This brings me back to the Citizenship Education Program, CEP, in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Martin Luther Kings organization which I worked for from 1963 to 1965.

CEP organized citizenship schools across the south, informal learning sites drawing from Danish folk school traditions. Myles Horton, co-founder of Highlander Folk School which birthed the citizenship school movement, travelled through Denmark and was inspired by the folk school philosophy, education for life. N.F. S. Grundtvig, the Danish philosopher of folk schools, saw them as sites for the fostering of all our vital efforts. Grundtvig emphasized individual awakening and also the potential of all occupations to contribute to a flourishing society.

Citizenship schools, like your schools, were based on respect for the intelligence and other talents of everyday citizens. They included, of course, tools like elections for struggle against segregation. Restrictive voting disempowered people. But more broadly they emphasized developing agency, capacity of people of all backgrounds for action on collective problems of all kinds (at one point a group of poor whites led by Preacher Red attended the Dorchester training center in Georgia, as Dorothy Cotton, SCLCs CEP director, describes in her book If Your Backs Not Bent).

Thus citizenship schools taught nonviolence, community organizing skills, literacy to help people overcome restrictive voting procedures. They were full of singing. Like Grundtvig, they conveyed love of country built through the labors of ordinary people, strange to postmodern, cynical ears (We love our land, America!), while also identifying with freedom struggles around the world. They described figures in black history who made people proud. Overall, the curriculum stressed the potential of people to act. I have the SCLC Citizenship Handbook from 1964 and look at it often.

Septima Clark, an early teacher and philosopher of citizenship schools, said that the purpose was To broaden the scope of democracy to include everyone and deepen the concept to include every relationship. Here, the citizen is a co-creator of an empowering democratic way of life.

Dorothy Cotton sings a song which conveys this idea: We are the ones weve been waiting for. Everyone has potential. There is no outside savior. Education is about freeing the powers, a phrase of Jane Addams. Citizenship schools are freedom schools.

Democracy as agency is radically different than the shriveled sense of democracy in todays public discussion, where tools substitute for substance. The larger meaning is hollowed out. The collapse of content feeds a diminished view of human potential, a mood of scarcity, a sense that were in a dog-eat-dog fight for shares of a shrinking pie. All the candidates for president on both sides define democracy as elections, though there are hints at something more -- Bernie Sanders political revolution, John Kasichs reminder that Republicans and Democrats are neighbors.

Its helpful to go back to the Greeks. According to Josiah Ober, the Greek classicist, the Greeks saw democracy as the capacity to act (Obers book, Democracy and Knowledge, is one of my favorites). In his essay The Original Meaning of Democracy': Capacity to Do Things, Not Majority Rule (Constellations 2008) Ober analyzes the roots of democracy, demos, whole people, and kratia, power.

In modern usage, observes Ober, power is assumed to mean a voting rule for determining the will of the majority. But he shows that for the Greeks demokratia ...more capaciously, means the empowered demos ... collective strength and ability to act...and, indeed, to reconstitute the public realm through action.

We are the ones weve been waiting for. Peter Levine, a leader in our movement called civic studies, based on agency and citizens as co-creators, has a book from Oxford by this title.

It will be great to see schools integrate democratic decision making into cultures and practices which have agency-building as their aim. What might schools - and societies - look like with a view of democracy that means human potentialities for action? And work to realize it.

Harry
Elena Linares, Master Barber and Serial Entrepreneur, Recognized by "The American Barber" Series for International Women's Day

CEO and Founder of Burlesque Barbershop Empire Reflects on What It Means to Be a Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry

March 08, 2016 // Franchising.com // NEW YORK, NY - In light of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, Madwood Studios recognizes Elena Linares, CEO and Founder of Razzle Dazzle Barbershop, for her noteworthy contributions to tonsorial culture.

Linares appears on breakthrough series "The American Barber," which profiles five of the most skilled barbers across the United States. Her inclusion as the only female barber speaks to a larger trend within the industry -- a trend that, for centuries, has skewed in favor of males.

"I am a badass barber that can stand up to the very best -- and for me to be among the elite group featured on the show is the biggest honor," Linares said.

Host Kyan Douglas follows Linares as she uncovers the sparkle and shine behind Razzle Dazzle, her eye-catching barbershop brand. Complete with 1940s decor and burlesque costumes, each shop's team of "Dazzlers" treats gentlemen of all ages like kings while offering superior grooming services that prioritize pampering.

"When I started Razzle Dazzle, the barbering niche hadn't even began, and I knew that I was going to be dominant in the industry," Linares added. "A lot of people don't understand how powerful the mind is. Set your mind to do something and you will achieve it -- I'm living proof of that."

As a serial entrepreneur, master barber, single mother of three, and a proud survivor of domestic violence, Razzle Dazzle is the culmination of every dream the New York native has ever dared to dream. With 5 locations throughout greater Miami and a recently launched franchise initiative, Linares is well on her way to making her vision of opening a Razzle Dazzle shop in every major U.S. city a reality.

"Being able to help other barbers master management and, one day, award them with their own Razzle Dazzle shop is big for me," Linares said. "I learned from master barbers in order to become a master myself, and it's powerful to be able to offer that to those who really want to succeed in this industry."

Madwood Studios' "The American Barber" captures just a glimpse of the action behind Razzle Dazzle's doors. Viewers can visit www.theamericanbarber.tv to watch as Linares puts a mark on the tonsorial scene that is uniquely feminine and remarkably brave.

"When it comes down to it, women carry a heavier load than men," Linares said. "But, if we can combine a tough work ethic with strong values, we have a rich opportunity to shatter those glass ceilings. Women might bend, but we'll never break."

Follow @TheBarberSeries or use #TheAmericanBarber to join the conversation on Twitter.

About Razzle Dazzle Barbershop

Razzle Dazzle Barbershop (www.Razzle Dazzlebarbershop.com) is not just another place for a haircut. Voted best barbershop in Miami for two consecutive years by Miami New Times, this franchised, old-fashioned barbershop business specializes in haircuts, hot lather shaves, and shoe shines, and creates an environment where customers feel like kings. 1940s glamour and flair coalesce to add a touch of sexiness to the hair care experience at these New York-themed shops where a team of "Dazzlers" in burlesque costumes pampers gentlemen of all ages. Guests 21 and over receive a complimentary shot of whiskey or vodka - known as "sugar" - as they enjoy a hand and neck massage with their Razzle Dazzle haircut.

Since launching in 2008, Razzle Dazzle has brought style and sizzle to the greater Miami area with five corporate-owned locations and is continuing its expansion through a targeted nationwide franchise opportunity in urban markets.

SOURCE Razzle Dazzle Barbershop

Media Contact:

Bob Spoerl

bspoerl@topfiremedia.com

(708) 249-1090

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FASTSIGNS Cares Initiative Benefits Local Charities And The Red Cross

March 15, 2016 // Franchising.com // CARROLLTON, Texas - FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the franchisor of over 600 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS sign and visual graphics centers, has launched FASTSIGNS Cares, a philanthropic initiative.

FASTSIGNS franchisees who choose to participate in FASTSIGNS Cares may work with causes that are near to their hearts and/or join in raising money for the American Red Cross and the Canadian Red Cross.

As leaders in the visual communications industry, we understand the power of a brand, said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. Thats why FASTSIGNS Cares includes raising money for the American Red Cross and the Canadian Red Cross, which are great brands that serve local communities.

FASTSIGNS owners and their teams are involved in their local communities through a variety of business and charitable organizations. Both the types organizations served and the ways FASTSIGNS franchise owners work with them are diverse. For business organizations, this may include serving on committees or boards; for charitable organizations it may include franchisees serving as volunteers, offering their FASTSIGNS location as a collection point or by providing signs and graphics.

To join FASTSIGNS in raising money for the American Red Cross, donate at http://redcross.org/fastsigns-pub or text redcross to 20673. To donate to the Canadian Red Cross, please visithttp://www.redcross.ca/fastsigns.

About FASTSIGNS

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the largest sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 600 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers in nine countries including the US, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Grand Cayman, Mexico and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE).

FASTSIGNS consultants provide comprehensive visual marketing solutions and help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, sell more products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points including decor, events, wearables and marketing materials. Learn more about sign and visual graphic solutions atfastsigns.com. Follow us on Twitter @FASTSIGNS or Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS. For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@fastsigns.com or call 214.346.5679).

SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

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Right at Home Named Endorsed National Provider for In-Home Care by Home Care Pulse

The home care industry's leading market research firm recognizes Right at Home's excellence in customer satisfaction and quality assurance.

OMAHA, Neb. - March 15, 2016 // PRNewswire // - Right at Home, a leading international in-home care franchise system, announced today that it has been named an Endorsed National Provider for 2016 by Home Care Pulse. As the leading satisfaction research and quality assurance firm specializing in private duty home care, Home Care Pulse interviews a portion of in-home care clients and caregivers monthly, providing companies with detailed, unbiased feedback. The designation recognizes leading home care companies for their commitment to provide the highest-quality care to clients.

Based on client and caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse, Right at Home is now ranked among a small handful of the top home care services across the country that have proven an ability to offer the highest-quality care to clients and an exceptional working environment to employees.

"We are excited to celebrate this accomplishment with our franchise owners," saidMike Flair, Vice President of Franchise Business Solutions for Right at Home. "Right at Home is investing significant resources into this program that we believe will provide both the corporate office and our local franchisees with actionable data to improve the quality of care for our clients and improve the working experience for our caregivers. The outcomes of this program reinforce our mission  to improve the quality of life for those we serve."

In addition to the Endorsed National Provider accolade for the brand, several Right at Home local franchise locations were recognized with one or more of Home Care Pulse's Best of Home Care Awards. There are four Right at Home locations that received the Provider of Choice Award, eight Right at Home locations that received the Employer of Choice Award and 13 Right at Home locations that received both Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice. One location was honored with both awards plus the Leader in Excellence Award.

Provider of Choice Award Winners

John Kindred, Indianapolis, IN

Sharon and Steve Morris, Bellingham, WA

George and Jan Strickland, Central Orange County, CA

Kristen Carlson, Galveston, TX

Jimmy and Valerie Cadenhead, Hot Springs Village, AR

Marc and Tina Gray, La Jolla, CA

Vernon Atwood, Northwest Orange County, CA

Kristi Benning, Omaha, NE

Allison and Dave Aidinovich, Orland Park, IL

Dan and Elaine Fox, Rancho Mirage, CA

Carol and Robert Brohmer, Sonoma and Napa County, CA

Kirsten Pahde; Peggy Langdon, St. Charles, MO

Tim Petlin, West Los Angeles, CA

Mark and Nicole Ross, East Atlanta, GA

Bill and Terry Youngblood, Gainesville, FL

Elaine and Mark Wimbush, Reno, NV

Frank Barton, Salt Lake City, UT

Lance and Tami Brangham, Fresno, CA

Employer of Choice Award Winners

John Kindred, Indianapolis, IN

Sharon and Steve Morris, Bellingham, WA

George and Jan Strickland, Central Orange County, CA

Kristen Carlson, Galveston, TX

Jimmy and Valerie Cadenhead, Hot Springs Village, AR

Marc and Tina Gray, La Jolla, CA

Vernon Atwood, Northwest Orange County, CA

Kristi Benning, Omaha, NE

Allison and Dave Aidinovich, Orland Park, IL

Dan and Elaine Fox, Rancho Mirage, CA

Carol and Robert Brohmer, Sonoma and Napa County, CA

Kirsten Pahde; Peggy Langdon, St. Charles, MO

Tim Petlin, West Los Angeles, CA

Lance and Tami Brangham, Fresno, CA

Heather Lantry; Patrick and Susan Igo, Chicago, IL

Matt and Rachel Field, North Suburban Chicago, IL

Tom Arnold, Raleigh, NC

Dan and Jill Parker, Sacramento, CA

Lourdes Simons, San Fernando Valley, CA

Brooke Fredericks, Southern Oregon

Barbara Madison, St. Louis, MO

Brian Turner; Melanie Lamar Hancock, Washington, DC

Leader in Excellence Award Winner

John Kindred, Indianapolis, IN

Right at Home's award-winning providers have contracted with Home Care Pulse to gather feedback from clients and caregivers via live phone interviews each month. Because Home Care Pulse is an independent third-party company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback. These award-winning home care providers have received the highest satisfaction scores in areas such as professionalism, compassion of caregivers, training, and client/caregiver compatibility.

"It is with great pleasure that we name Right at Home a 2016 Home Care Pulse Endorsed National Provider," said Aaron Marcum, Founder and CEO of Home Care Pulse. "This achievement demonstrates Right at Home's long-term commitment to providing quality care to its thousands of clients. I have thoroughly been impressed with the Right at Home team through our Satisfaction Management Program. The brand has raised the bar on quality of care for the industry. I congratulate the entire Right at Home team for becoming a Home Care Pulse Endorsed National Provider, further demonstrating its long-standing commitment to excellence."

To learn more about Right at Home, visit About Right at Home athttp://www.rightathome.net.

To learn more about franchise opportunities with Right at Home, visithttp://www.rightathomefranchise.com.

About Right at Home

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Local Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff, each of whom is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured prior to entering a client's home. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 500 franchise locations in the U.S. and seven other countries. For more information on Right at Home, visit About Right at Home at http://www.rightathome.net/about-us or read the Right at Home franchising blog at http://www.rightathomefranchise.com/blog/. To learn more about franchising opportunities, please visithttp://www.rightathomefranchise.com/.

About Home Care Pulse

Home Care Pulse is the industry's leading firm in performance benchmarking and quality satisfaction management and serves hundreds of home care businesses across North America. They are the industry's top resource for education, business development, certification, and proof of quality, including the prestigious Best of Home Care awards. Visit 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 industry's largest and most comprehensive annual study, featuring benchmarks on finance, sales, marketing, operations, and more.

SOURCE Right at Home

Contact:

Lauren Kaminski

No Limit Agency

312-526-3996

lauren@nolimitagency.com

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Sotheby's International Realty Brand Welcomes Idaho Firm

March 15, 2016 // Franchising.com // Madison, N.J. - Sothebys International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced that Group One in Boise and Eagle, Idaho, is the newest member of its real estate network and will now operate as Group One Sothebys International Realty.

The firm, which is owned and operated by Brad Barker and KaLinn Dishion, will serve the markets of Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa and Star. With this addition, the Sothebys International Realty brand now has three independently owned and operated affiliates in the state of Idaho including: Sun Valley Sothebys International Realty/Jackson Hole Sothebys International Realty and Tomlinson Sothebys International Realty.

We are proud to grow our presence in Idaho with Group One Sothebys International Realty, said Philip White, president and chief executive officer of Sothebys International Realty Affiliates LLC. The Boise market offers residents a beautiful landscape between desert and the mountains with a mild climate that caters to an active lifestyle all year round.

After 33 years as an independent real estate firm, we have proven that we can create and maintain a successful brand at the intersection of artful living and real estate sales, said Dishion. Now we want to elevate it and give it a powerful boost.

The elegance of the Sothebys International Realty brand is undeniably attractive, said Barker. Our affiliation with the Sothebys International Realty network complements our ongoing commitment to excellence and we are excited to take this important step to better meet the needs of our clients. Sothebys International Realty is not just about luxury property; it is about luxury marketing. Our clients will benefit from the exposure given by our affiliation with the most powerful brand in international real estate marketing.

The firm has two offices with the main office located at 500 E. Shore Drive, Eagle, Idaho.



Then Sothebys International Realty network currently has more than 18,800 affiliated independent sales associates located in approximately 835 offices in 63 countries and territories worldwide. Group One Sothebys International Realty listings will be marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firms brokers and clients will benefit from an association with the Sothebys auction house and worldwide Sothebys International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Sothebys International Realty Affiliates LLC

Founded in 1976 to provide independent brokerages with a powerful marketing and referral program for luxury listings, the Sothebys International Realty network was designed to connect the finest independent real estate companies to the most prestigious clientele in the world. Sothebys International Realty Affiliates LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sothebys, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sothebys International Realty name and the development of a full franchise system. Affiliations in the system are granted only to brokerages and individuals meeting strict qualifications. Sothebys International Realty Affiliates LLC supports its affiliates with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Franchise affiliates also benefit from an association with the venerable Sothebys auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.

SOURCE Sothebys International Realty Affiliates LLC

Contact:

Lindsey Scharf

Senior Manager

Brand Content and Communications

Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC

(973) 407-5596

Lindsey.Scharf@sothebysrealty.com

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Valpak Seeks Entrepreneurs To Increase Its Presence In Raleigh And Greensboro, North Carolina

March 15, 2016 // Franchising.com // ST. PETERSBURG, FL.  Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, announced today it is looking to further grow its brand in Raleigh and Greensboro, North Carolina. The company is seeking entrepreneurs to invest in these franchise opportunities as it continues to strengthen its presence in both key markets. There are as many as 250,000 households in the Raleigh area and 120,000 households throughout Greensboro that are currently receiving consumer savings from Valpak.

Raleigh is the ninth fastest-growing city in the nation in terms of local population and economy, according to Forbes' 2016 rankings. Additionally, Greensboro received acclaim from Forbes in the magazine's 2015 ranking of Best Places for Business and Careers. Valpak knows these cities are prime markets to start and grow a small business, which is why its scouting for potential entrepreneurs in these areas.

"Over the past several years, North Carolina has grown to a global economy. Its healthy business climate mixed with an impressive quality of life makes cities like Raleigh and Greensboro highly marketable to potential business owners," said Greg Courchane, Valpaks director of franchise sales. Millions of households open our well-recognized Blue Envelope each month to find great deals in their neighborhoods. In addition, Valpak gives its franchisees a competitive edge with a suite of digital marketing tools to help small businesses grow and consumers save in communities throughout Greensboro and Raleigh.

A leader in cooperative direct mail, Valpak mails coupons to nearly 39 million demographically targeted households per month in 45 states and four Canadian provinces. Today, in addition to its flagship Blue Envelope, Valpak offers its business customers an impressive portfolio of digital advertising products including Smartphone apps, Google partnerships, website development, mobile web optimization and reputation management.

With more than 25 million Americans using couponing apps each month, Valpaks digital offerings have been a big draw for new franchisees. Digital coupon use is on the rise, and ample gains are projected in 2016. In the past year, Valpak's print offerings have also expanded with on-pack advertising and circulars.

Ideal candidates for Valpak franchise ownership should possess a desire to join a trusted, industry-leading brand, work within a proven franchise system, develop relationships with local businesses and have a comfort level with selling new, digital technologies. Franchisees should also possess a minimum liquidity of $75,000, and a minimum net worth of $150,000.

For more information on Valpak franchise opportunities, please contact Greg Courchane at greg_courchane@valpak.com or 727-399-3091 or visit www.valpakfranchising.com.

Discover more about Valpak

Valpak is at the heart of communities across North America, helping people save, businesses grow and neighborhoods thrive through a network of local franchises in the U.S. and Canada. Valpak marketing consultants live and work in your neighborhood. We know what your customers want (we are them!) and can help you take the guesswork out of advertising with real-world marketing solutions that drive measurable results. From the mailbox to online to mobile devices, Valpak continues to find innovative ways to connect businesses with consumers. Monthly, close to 39 million homes receive our Blue Envelope of savings and traffic on valpak.com and our syndication partner sites exceeds 110 million. Backed by the muscle of Cox Target Media, your local Valpak office has the means and know-how to custom build a marketing campaign that meets your needs and budget. Let us introduce you to the neighborhood. Call Valpak at 1-800-676-6878.

SOURCE Valpak

Media Contact:

Sloane Fistel

Account Executive

Fish Consulting, LLC

O: (954) 893-9150

C: (954) 789-0432

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Ahead of the Illinois Democratic primary on Tuesday, Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has made it clear who he likes in Chicago, and who he doesnt.

This past weekend, the Vermont senator blasted Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for, among other things, closing public schools in the city, according to the New York Times. Sanders also blasted Emanuel for hurting the Windy Citys teachers by luring the school system into an exotic debt-finance scheme.

Hillary Clinton proudly lists Mayor Rahm Emanuel as one of her leading mayoral endorsers, Sanders told the paper. Well let me be as clear as I can be: based on his disastrous record as mayor of the city of Chicago, I do not want Mayor Emanuels endorsement if I win the Democratic nomination.

The debt-finance approach mentioned by Sanders refers to the decision by Chicago schools, during former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncans tenure as the districts CEO, to raise $1 billion by floating securities based on interest-rate swaps , instead of more traditional bonds. (Whats an interest-rate swap? The Khan Academy can help answer that.)

The Chicago Tribune reported in 2014 that the decision had ultimately backfired on the district.

As for the school closuresEmanuel has overseen the closure of about 50 schools in the Chicago system , but those closures helped fuel an electoral campaign against the mayor that forced him into a run-off election last year. Emanuel ultimately beat his challenger, Jesus Chuy Garcia, in that election.

Sanders feels differently about the Chicago Teachers Union, however.

Hes backing an April 1 event in which the union wants, among other efforts, to shut down classrooms in the city. The union, which isnt calling the event a strike, says the event is necessary in order to highlight Emanuels mismanagement of the schools and the city as a whole, and his relationships with wealthy business leaders.

Sanders tweeted out his support of the April 1 event last week:

I stand with Chicago teachers. We shouldnt close schools and lay off teachers to reward Wall Street. https://t.co/4EH0myWyzw  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 10, 2016

During a Democratic town hall event broadcast on CNN on Sunday, Sanders said he supported neighborhood public schools because they brought students from various backgrounds together. (Not everyone agrees with that characterization of how well such schools integrate communities.)

He was less sanguine about charter schoolsduring the same event, Sanders said he supported public charter schools but not privately controlled charters. Charters are by definition public, although some states allow private, for-profit organizations to manage charters or provide services to them.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Paul George Karas, 64, born Nov. 9, 1951, was welcomed home into his Fathers loving arms on Thursday, March 3, 2016, at his residence in White Oak after a heroic battle with stage IV renal cancer.

He was a custom home improvement contractor specializing in carpentry and drywall. Paul would help anyone regardless of their ability to pay, doing a lot of work for the sheer joy of being able to help another person in their time of need.

He was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan all of his life and rarely missed a NASCAR race. His driver was Rusty Wallace. He stayed true to the #2 car when Brad Keselowski took over in 1986.

Survivors include his aunt, Mozella Greenstreet, the last of the Sexton women from Kentucky. He also leaves two brothers, Billy Karas (Judy Hagwood Karas) and Terry Karas; four daughters, Tina Marie Karas, Kathy Mae KarasLopez, Wanda Lou Karas and Theresa Ann Karas, adopted; his dear friend and companion, Charlotte Marshall; nine grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Rita Mae Sexton Smith.

A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 18, at Bethel Baptist Church. Deacon Charles Bootsie Bullock will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to help with final expenses.
The two leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination held a spirited debate over foreign policy last week, and the differences were striking.

Donald Trump would cozy up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom hes praised as a strong leader while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would escalate our new Cold War with Russia. Trump wants to renegotiate President Obamas nuclear deal with Iran; Cruz promises to rip [the agreement] to shreds on Day One. Trump says hed try to broker a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians; Cruz says hes not interested in talks and would back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the hilt.

See the pattern? Trump wants to make deals, and doesnt much mind whos across the tableRussian autocrat or Iranian mullah. Cruz doesnt want to negotiate, he wants to pick sides.

Those are the differences. But there are similarities too.

When it comes to Islamic State, Trump and Cruz are on the same pageand neither has much of a strategy to offer. They have both suggested that intensified U.S. bombing can win the war. (It cant.)

Trump says hed aim to kill terrorists families, which would be a war crime. Cruz says hed carpet bomb Islamic State strongholdsa potential war crime, since it would needlessly kill civilians.

Neither cares much who rules Syria in the end, as long as its not Islamic State. We have no dog in the fight, Cruz has said. Trump says hed let Putin sort it out.

And while they both do their best to sound ferocious, neither wants to deploy U.S. ground troops. In that sense, Trump and Cruz are rather minimalistjust like Obama.

The rise of the two outsider candidates has been bad news for Republican internationalists, the hawkish conservatives who have dominated GOP foreign policy since World War II. Internationalists, who include such figures as former Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, think Obama has been too cautious about using U.S. power overseas. Many of them think the United States should be doing more in Syriafor example, setting up (and defending) safe zones for the opposition.

But thats not where most GOP voters are this year. The internationalists had two favorite candidates, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, but the former is already out and the latter isnt faring too well.

Much of the country is clearly not where Republican internationalists would like it to be, said Robert Kagan, a former adviser to Romney. The American people, in both parties, are in a mood for retrenchment.

Want proof? Last month, Trump not only called the 2003 invasion of Iraq a big fat mistake, but also said the George W. Bush administration lied to sell the war to the public. Republican voters barely blinked.

Trumps foreign policy departs from GOP orthodoxy on a host of issues. He wants to demand that Germany, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia increase payments to the United States for military protection, moves that would strain those traditional alliances. He wants to slap tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico, which would almost surely set off an expensive trade war. And, of course, he says hell force Mexico to pay for his wall on the border, although hes never explained how.

Cruz, too, has called the Iraq invasion a mistake. He hasnt accused Bush of lying, but he has accused Washington neo-cons, shorthand for the GOP neo-conservatives who backed the Iraq war, of indiscriminate military interventionism.

His favorite example: the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Kadafi in 2011. In Cruzs view, the United States shouldnt have helped topple Kadafi; it should have protected him.

Kadafi was a bad man, he had a horrible human rights record. And yet . . . he had become a significant ally in fighting radical Islamic terrorism, Cruz argued last year.

Cruz believes the United States should relegate human rights concerns to a back burner, especially when it comes to the Middle East.

So if the GOP race comes down to a choice between Trump and Cruz, whats an internationalist-minded Republican to do? It looks like an unappetizing choice to me, but Id say: Choose Cruz.

Cruz is scary, but Trump is dangerous. Cruzs soft spot for pro-American dictators would actually be a return to the conservative orthodoxy that prevailed before Ronald Reagan injected democracy promotion into GOP foreign policy.

But Trump, who has a distinct authoritarian streak, seems to admire autocrats like Putin even when theyre not pro-American.

Kagan, who is writing a history of U.S. diplomacy, agrees that Cruz is the better option.

Trump is a throwback to the 1920s and 1930s view that the world can go to hell and its not our problem, he said. If Hitler were rampaging across Europe, Trump would sayas many said at the timethat hes someone we can do business with.

And if the choice is between Trump and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton? Kagan, who also worked in the Reagan administration, says hed vote for Clinton.
Children's Author Laura Ceville Celebrates 3 Years Since Launch Of My Dog Jack

Children's author Laura Ceville is celebrating three years since the publication of her book, My Dog, Jack, by writing a new ebook. The first book, which she illustrated as well, has received praise for its charming story and characterful illustrations.

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Three years ago, Laura Ceville became a published children's author when her debut picture book My Dog, Jack was released by Gypsy Publications. The dog in the book was based on her real life pet, who turns 10 this year - and to celebrate, Ceville is penning a new ebook to mark the occasion.

More information on her debut book can be found on its Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/My-Dog-Jack-Laura-Ceville/dp/1938768256/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1457918618&sr=8-12&keywords=My+dog+jack.

My Dog, Jack is a story about a boy who gets his first ever puppy from his dad. The trouble is, he can't think what to call it, so what follows is a charming book that sees the young boy getting to know his pet and trying to discover the perfect name to call his new best friend. He starts off with a name in mind, but as the excitable young dog gets itself into different situations throughout the book, the boy flips between different options that spring up, seeming to match the puppy's personality.

The book is fully illustrated throughout, and Laura Ceville illustrated the book as well, with characterful drawings that capture the facial expressions of the fluffy new puppy. Ceville has always enjoyed art, and dreamed of writing and illustrating her own stories. The combined skill set is particularly useful when stories are inspired by family pets.

Ceville captures the soft, sweet eyes that puppies display when they rip open things they're not supposed to get their paws on, and the playful positions they find themselves in as they get up to their typical mischief. It combines to make a book that is receiving high praise on Amazon from parents.

Laura Ceville was born in Panama City, Panama. She came to the United States at a very young age and fell in love with the English language. She majored in English at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and graduated in 2002 as a Second Lieutenant. She separated from the Air Force in 2006, seeking to pursue the dream of getting published. Her new ebook will be available on Amazon shortly.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.amazon.com/My-Dog-Jack-Laura-Ceville/dp/1938768256/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1457918618&sr=8-12&keywords=My+dog+jack

Contact Info:

Name: Laura Ceville

Organization: Ceville Designs

Address: Beavercreek OH

Phone: 9374274521

Release ID: 107100

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Harry Hyena stars in a new colorful kindle kid's ebook launched on 21 Mar 2016

Parents looking for a colorful, new and energetic children's eBook can soon purchase Coco the Stinky Sock Breath Crocodile by PP Wallingford. Today, the author releases details of the book's launch. More information at http://www.harryhyena.com

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Parents looking for a colorful, new and energetic illustrated Children's eBook with a motivating message will soon be able to purchase Coco the Stinky Sock Breath Crocodile by PP Wallingford. Today, the author, PP Wallingford, releases details of Coco the Stinky Sock Breath Crocodile's Kindle launch. The main character is Harry the Helpful Hyena who has a mission to help everyone get what they want.

Coco the Stinky Sock Breath Crocodile has been written to make primary school aged kids laugh, be creative and think about keeping their teeth clean. It includes:

A crazy Hyena with lots of idea - Harry the Hyena is a fun and motivating role model to children. The book shows him helping others. Children will see the benefit of trying crazy new ideas. They'll see the hilarious results. They'll see that Harry never gives up.

Energetic cartoons - bright and beautiful drawings bring this book to life. Chidren love the cartoon which show just what happens when Harry tries to fix Coco the Crocodile's terrible breath. They'll want to read the book again and again.

Good reasons for kids brushing their teeth - PP Wallingford made sure that Harry and Coco helps children and parents make their lives better. Parents and kids will appreciate this story because everyone needs to be reminded to look after their teeth and have fresh breath.

Peter Wallingford, the author, when asked about Coco the Stinky Sock Breath Crocodile said:

"Children and adults love the characters and especially the slightly naughty bits of the story. I love hearing people laugh out loud when they read what happens to Coco the Crocodile."

This is PP Wallingford's first book release and he is particularly excited about this launch because it's the start of something big. Harry the Helpful Hyena has got lots of ideas for new books and other products that will help parents and children. This book is just the start of a journey to help a lot of people.

Those interested in learning more can do so on Harry Hyena's own website at www.harryhyena.com. There are free giveaways and audio books.

More details of where to buy this fantastic new book on Amazon Kindle will be published shortly.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.harryhyena.com

Contact Info:

Name: Peter Wallingford

Organization: Hyena Creations



Release ID: 107088

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Lake Mary Realtor Honored with Top Award for the Tenth Year

Russie Weidl, Realtor for Watson Realty Corporation in Lake Mary, Florida, was recently awarded the title of "#1 Watson Realtor for Central Florida" for 2015 and received the Gold Pinnacle Award at their 50th Anniversary Banquet.

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Russie Weidl is a powerhouse. She received her first Gold Pinnacle award in 2005, and has continued to receive this prestigious award every year since. In 2010 Russie sold $10 Million in Residential Homes. By the end of 2015, she closed $22 Million in Residential Homes in the Central Florida area.

Russie fended off the bad economy during those years through perseverance and plain hard work. She is always working on ways to improve her skills through new training courses.

Russie is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) and Real Estate Owned Specialist (REOS). She can meet the increasing demand for realtors who know how to deal with the banks when dealing with foreclosures and short sales. Her empathy shines through when dealing with stressed homeowners who have had the misfortune of not being able to make their mortgage payments.

Russie's current and future customers are always number one. One of her most recent Testimonials reads, "The whole experience with Russie has been excellent. She is knowledgeable, timely, personable, and always energetic."

In the last ten years this "Multi Million Dollar Producer" has also been recognized every year as one of the "Top Hot 100 Real Estate Professionals in Orlando, Florida" and "Best in Client Satisfaction in Lake Mary, Florida".

About Russie Weidl

Russie Weidl is a real estate agent for Watson Realty Corporation in Lake Mary Florida. She has received many awards throughout the years for excellence in her profession. In the last 10 years she was also awarded as one of the Top Hot 100 Real Estate Professionals in Orlando, Florida and Best in Client Satisfaction in Lake Mary, Florida. Russie is a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute, an Accredited Staging Professional, a Real Estate Owned Specialist and Certified Distressed Property Expert. To find out more about Russie Weidl and her services visit her website at http://www.russiesells.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Russie Weidl - Realtor, GRI, ASP, CDPE

Email: russie@watsonrealtycorp.com

Phone: Phone: (407) 721-8822

Organization: Russie Sells

Source: http://www.prreach.com/pr/23010

Release ID: 107183

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Marketing Automation & Lossless Tracking Solution for Business Owners Pre-launch

Platform.ly announced the availability of their new Marketing Automation and Lossless Tracking Solution Service beginning 18-03-2016. More information can be found at http://www.platform.ly.

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Customers looking for the latest Marketing Automation and Lossless Tracking Solution Service will soon be able to get involved with Platform.ly. Today Colin Klinkert, Co Founder at Platform.ly releases details of the new Marketing Automation and Lossless Tracking Solution Service's development.

The Platformly Service is designed to appeal specifically to Business Owners and includes:

Full contact management system - This feature was included as Platformly can assign tags, divert leads and store all purchases, contact history, activity, notes and value. Users can email follow-up per contact or based on tags and segments.. This is great news for the consumer as setup in a few clicks and for each new lead, Platformly will pull in all known information about them, Automatically.

Tracking - This was made part of the service, since 'Users can't improve what they can't track'. Included in Platformly is the most advanced tracking system, yet so easy and fast to use. Thier system will allow users to see not only conversion rates but customer value over any timeframe their users choose (lifetime, first 30 days etc.). Customers who invest in the service should enjoy this feature because now for example users can know the true value of their Facebook ad #1 with Blue background v green background (or any other source).

Marketing Automation - Platform.ly made sure to make this part of the development as users of the service can design 'Quests' for their leads and customers to follow. Set it up once with their powerful drag and drop builder and let the system run for Platformly users, 24/7/365!. Customers of the Marketing Automation and Lossless Tracking Solution Service will likely appreciate this because Automatically followup with prospects for any action they take (joining a blog, purchasing a product, visiting a web page, downloading a PDF etc.) and take them on a Quest of the users choosing. Automatically remove them from quests when they reach the goal (buy a product) and move them to any other quest (user onboarding for example) This ensures users only send relevant, targeted emails to their leads..

Colin Klinkert, when asked about the Marketing Automation and Lossless Tracking Solution Service said:

"This system is designed to extract the most profit from your business, while providing the best possible service for your customers in the least amount of time."

Although the service is in private beta testing, they plan to allow new members in on a first come, first serve basis very soon. Platformly are allowing people to Join the Beta waiting list right now if they are interested in automating their business.

This is the latest offering from Platform.ly and Colin Klinkert is particularly excited about this launch because Platform.ly is entering Pre-Launch beta. It will allow anyone, with any business to quickly and most important, easily, vastly improve their results... overnight! This project took years to build, simply because they wanted to ensure that it covers the four main pillars to business success while also allowing anyone, with no coding background, to setup and use this service!.

Those interested in learning more about Platform.ly and their Marketing Automation and Lossless Tracking Solution Service scan do so on the website at http://www.platform.ly

For more information about us, please visit http://www.platform.ly

Contact Info:

Name: Ronald Jameson

Organization: Sovereign Net



Release ID: 106999

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Oregon Evergreen And Willamette Evergreen Launches Brand New Website

New website showcases their wholesale products and has an ideal layout for for purchasers at large companies, reports http://www.willametteevergreen.com.

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Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen is announcing the launch of their brand new website. The new site better showcases the wholesale products that they have made available to their corporate customers. The website has been specifically designed for purchasing departments of larger companies to be able to quickly and efficiently find what they're looking for. Those who are interested in seeing the new website or learning more about what Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen has to offer can visit http://www.willametteevergreen.com.

Ed Hallett, a representative of Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen, stated "We are beyond excited about the launch of our new website. We've been growing Christmas trees as a farm crop for nearly 60 years, and we love being able to provide Wholesale Christmas Trees, moss, and wreaths to large companies both in the U.S. and globally. Our new site is going to allow us to do an even better job of it. There, customers will find a detailed explanation and visual representation of the Christmas trees and floral evergreens that we currently have available. Our corporate customers will also have an efficient way to contact us to further discuss the products they may be interested in."

The Wholesale Green Moss showcased on Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen's website is available in large quantities to satisfy the needs of wholesale florists. In addition, it has a plethora of decorative applications, including floral arrangements, garland, and even table centerpieces. The harvest crop of Christmas trees available at the new site includes the finest selection of Douglas, Noble, and Grand firs. Customers can count on Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen for the best and highest-quality products available in today's market.

As Hallett continues, "The best thing about the launch of this new website is that we are going to have the opportunity to better serve the companies who come to us for Wholesale Floral Evergreens, Christmas trees, and green moss. We encourage all of our customers to reach out to us with their questions and requests so that we can ensure they are well supplied with everything they need. Our simple mission is to make our customers as happy as they strive to make their own."

About Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen:

Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen started in 1985 packaging forest-grown evergreen boughs and producing a full line of craft products that consumers enjoy using to decorate their home in December, including wreaths, garlands, and table centerpieces. Wholesale florists nationwide believe wreaths made from Oregon's Noble Fir boughs are the best. Placing a wreath on the front door is one of America's most ancient and enduring customs, and Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen use boughs from Noble firs growing on the Cascade Mountains. Their pruning of those trees provides the raw material for their program and stimulates the forest trees to grow clean and vertical in the spring.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.willametteevergreen.com

Contact Info:

Name: Ed Hallett

Organization: Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen

Address: Molalla, OR 97308

Phone: (503) 931-5624

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/oregon-evergreen-and-willamette-evergreen-launches-brand-new-website/107158

Release ID: 107158

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Rick Wester Fine Art Unveils Eric Pickersgill's Exhibition, Removed

New solo project from photographer Eric Pickersgill addresses the isolating effect of being constantly connected reports http://www.rickwesterfineart.com

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Rick Wester Fine Art is very pleased to present the first solo exhibition in New York by the North Carolina-based photographer, Eric Pickersgill. Titled, Removed, the body of work on view is of such immediacy and sardonic precision that it has been covered by dozens of news sources, critics and bloggers. Reaching viral proportions online over the last several months, Removed touches the nerve of a cultural phenomenon that today knows no global boundaries and relates to the soon to be estimated, two billion users of smartphones and other devices that have overtaken our lives, concentration, imaginations and attention.

In 2015, 96.8% of the Earth's population had a Mobile-Cellular telephone subscription. 47.2% had a subscription that included a broadband Internet connection. "ITU (International Telecommunications Union)"

In 2015, 64% of American adults owned a smartphone. "Pew Research Center"

89% of cellphone owners say they used their phone during the most recent social gathering they attended / 35% of those 18-29 use their phone in public for no particular reason, just to do something. "Pew Research Center"

Distracted driving was reported in crashes that killed 3,179 people (10% of all fatalities) in 2014. "US Department of Transportation"

In Removed, Pickersgill has taken a portrait of a worldwide culture addicted to connectivity. The subjects in the series - which range in age, sex, and ethnicity - are depicted looking at mobile devices, but with the technology 'removed'. In the portraits of what would be quotidian activities, Pickersgill has subjects maintain their gaze and posture as he physically withdraws the devices from their hands. A commentary on how isolating being constantly connected can be, the images call into question the societal implication in exchanging digital connectivity for corporeal reality and capture the zeitgeist of the new technologically centered reality of the 21st century.

By eliminating the source of connectivity, Pickersgill rescinds the veil of contemporary technology's hold on our devotion. The images display a pervading disconnect between the subjects in what should be the most intimate of moments: a friendly social gathering; playtime among small children; a mother with her child. In perhaps the most iconic image from the series, a self-portrait, Angie and Me, Pickersgill and his wife are shown lying in bed. Instead of the young couple sharing the last moments of their day with each other, they lay back-to-back staring into their empty hands, leaving a feeling of isolation and despondency. The individual portraits address the extent to which these devices have captured our attention. In Head On, a woman casually looks away from the road at her extracted device as she seemingly drives unknowingly into another vehicle. Technology, it seems, has made us oblivious not only to others but ourselves.

The message in Pickersgill's work is not a Luddite call to arms, but rather a contemporary version of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. The images call on us to appreciate the interactions of everyday life while we live them or at least to examine what we are losing in ignoring those interactions. The ultimate irony in the images is that the subjects don't seem particularly entertained by their technological distractions. The countenance is unsettling in its familiarity- an emotionless expression that is as ubiquitous as the mobile devices themselves. Removed calls us to awaken from this technology-fueled stupor and, if only for a moment, to look up.

Pickersgill received an MFA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a BFA in Fine Art Photography from Columbia College, Chicago. He also serves on the board of directors at the Light Factory and is a visiting lecturer at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.rickwesterfineart.com/exhibitions-archive/2016/2/27/removed

Contact Info:

Name: Jana Brooks

Organization: Rick Wester Fine Art

Address: 526 West 26th Street, Suite 417 New York, NY 10001

Phone: :+1 (212)255-5560

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/rick-wester-fine-art-unveils-eric-pickersgills-exhibition-removed/107144

Release ID: 107144

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The Hydraulics Industry Needed A Makeover- Enter Completely Hydraulic

Completely Hydraulic releases 4 previously unpublished facts about its upcoming Hydraulic Services launch. Further information can be found at http://www.comphydraulic.com.

--

Ahead of the launch of its new hydraulic services business, Completely Hydraulic is making public 4 as yet unreleased facts about the service, set to go live 14th March 2016, which fans and consumers within the hydraulic parts and services space will find interesting...

The 4 items include nuggets such as how:

The idea for creating the hydraulic services business came about after market research indicated that a cutting edge and professional hydraulic service was needed in the Kent area....

The whole hydraulic services business has actually been in development for over 10 years and this Kent branch has had a good 6-8 months spent on perfecting it for this local area as well as a team of 6 working on it, which is considered average In comparison to the competitors by industry standards. This goes to show that great things can be achieved when the right people come together with the right idea at the right time..

Completely Hydraulic almost wasn't able to bring the hydraulic services and parts business to see the light of day, when the equipment needed to start this branch was held up in production and everything was so chaotic and at capacity with other contracts as well. The problem was overcome by hiring good experienced hydraulic engineers which are very hard to come by in this specialsed industry. .

Completely Hydraulic has done something different compared to other businesses in this space, by inviting all local businesses that need the services to come and see the unique approach to hydraulic services and by offering 20% off spill kits purchased on line. .

The hydraulic services business will be released as part of Completely Hydraulic's greater plans to provide the best ever possible, 24 hour hydraulic service in the Kent, Essex and the London area.. It's hoped this goal will be achieved by the end December 2016.

Completely Hydraulic got it's start when founder Jason Pattinson noticed a growing need for the response to service more businesses in the Kent area.. Pattinson had twenty years prior experience in the engineering, hydraulic parts and services world, and decided to go ahead and start back in 2004.

Jason Pattinson is quoted saying: "We like to do things to connect with our consumers and customers. We do things like social media, email communication, web promotions, irresistible offers and for those who do not get the new electronic communication methods we are very happy to talk to anyone on the phone, and releasing these little facts ahead of our launch are what make a difference."

Completely Hydraulic's hydraulic services is set to officially launch 14th March 2016. To find out more about the new service, it's possible to visit http://www.comphydraulic.com

For more information about us, please visit http://comphydraulic.com

Contact Info:

Name: Jason Pattinson

Email: info@comphydraulic.com

Organization: Completely Hydraulic

Address: KENT BRANCH (BELVEDERE) Unit B6, OYO Business Units, Crabtree Manorway North, Belvedere, Kent. DA17 6AX

Phone: +44 2035883888

Release ID: 106827

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The U.S. Senate voted to confirm John B. King Jr. as the U.S. Secretary of Education on Monday by a vote of 49-40.

King had been serving as acting secretary since the start of this year he took over for former secretary Arne Duncan, who had overseen the U.S. Department of Education since 2009.

Last week, the Senate education committee voted 16-6 to approve his nomination by President Barack Obama. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the chairman and ranking member of the committee, respectively, voted in favor of King.

King began serving as a senior adviser to Duncan at the start of 2015. He previously served as the commissioner of education in New York state from 2011 to 2014, where he oversaw the states transition to the Common Core State Standards and new standardized assessment. While the states EngageNY curriculum developed for the common core garnered national praise, the state teachers union and other education advocates became vigorous opponents of Kings approach to policy and his relationships with educators.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Alexander stressed how the new Every Student Succeeds Act significantly curtails the role of the federal government across the spectrum of education policy.

We need an education secretary confirmed by and accountable to the United States Senate in order to ensure that ESSA is implemented the way we wrote it, Alexander said.

And Murray said that Kings experience working in schools and in educational leadership made him a strong candidate for the office: Dr. John King has a longstanding commitment to fighting for kids. Through his personal background, he knows first-hand the power that education can have in a students life.

However, Kings nomination did get some pushback. Before the vote Monday ,the conservative Heritage Action Committee urged senators to vote no on King , and criticized his record as New York state education commissioner on issues related to the common core and testing.

While King has been serving as acting secretary, and will most likely continue in that role until the end of the Obama administration, the Republican-controlled Senate has no excuse for putting their stamp of approval on a Secretary of Education who sides with common core over school choice, data mining over student privacy, and central planning over local control, Heritage Action said in its statement.

Testing opt-out advocates have also pushed against Kings nomination in recent weeks, writing in an open letter that, The American public deserves a Secretary of Education who will advocate for their interests, not those of the testing corporations who profit from the common core. We also deserve a secretary who respects the importance of schools governed by communities, not by federal mandate.

Photo: John B. King Jr. was confirmed as the Secretary of Education through a Senate vote on Monday. Andrew Harnik/AP

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Thermalabs Phenomenal Dead Sea Scrub to Come in Two Styles - Vanilla Patchouli and Lavender

Thermalabs upcoming launch, the Dead Sea Scrub, will be available in two different styles.

--

Thermalabs brand new product, the Dead Sea Scrub, will be available in two separate styles - Vanilla Patchouli and Lavender. That's according to the company's marketing co-coordinator, Mr. Alex Howard. According to Mr. Howard, this product will be a great new relief for the 'scrub' market. The company's production team apparently used a cocktail of highly sought-after Dead Sea minerals when creating the formulation for this product. Thermalabs main production facility is located in Israel, where a team of skin care experts and researchers are consistently working on new products that help users look more beautiful without compromising their health in the process.

The new launch - Dead Sea Scrub - will be listed under Supremasea, Thermalabs new sub-brand that was announced sometimes last year. Thermalabs defines Supremasea as its private collection of Dead Sea mineral-based products. So far, the new brand has managed to contribute at least one product in the market, Tan Enhancer. This is a nourishing hand and body lotion that revitalizes both the hands and the body. The product is designed to help maintain a radiant and long-lasting tan. Thermalabs combined a special blend of Shea Butter, a cocktail of Dead Sea Minerals, and the protective vitamin E when making this particular product. Tan Enhancer makes it possible for the skin to retain moisture while at the same time keeping it safe from free radicals and other pollutants found in the environment. The product is already a top-selling launch amongst the 'luxury lotion' audience on Amazon.com, and other leading e-commerce marketplaces. The fact that Thermalabs was able to hit the nail on the head with their first Supremasea launch sets the stage for new releases in future.

It's not clear what formulation the company is using in the upcoming products, but company fanatics suggest there might be a mixture of Dead Sea salts with traditionally high-value ingredients such as olive oil. Nonetheless, Thermalabs has revealed that Dead Sea Scrub will be available in Vanilla Patchouli and Lavender flavors. These are all cool flavors that leave a freshening and endearing sensation on the skin. That the company has already cited the different versions of this upcoming product is perhaps a smart move meant to create anticipation amongst the company's global audience.

Kristina Meyers, a Supremasea brand manager, said "Our Dead Sea scrub will be available in six weeks. This product is a new release meant for the organic and natural skincare market. Like all our other launches, the product will be based on an exclusive, high-quality formulation. Indeed, our researchers in Israeli have invested thousands of hours just perfecting the formula for this product. It's definitely something that skincare buffs and beauty addicts can look forward to. On launch day, Dead Sea Scrub will be available in two different flavors - Vanilla Patchouli and Lavender. We may consider bringing in a few more after collecting user feedback later on. For now, though, stay tuned as we finalize on production and craft a bring-to-market strategy."

For more information about us, please visit http://www.thermalabs.com

Contact Info:

Name: Jennifer Parker

Organization: Thermalabs



Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l6VB39jCsg

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/thermalabs-phenomenal-dead-sea-scrub-to-come-in-two-styles-vanilla-patchouli-and-lavender/107035

Release ID: 107035

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Thermalabs to Announce New Beach Tents Production Line - Tent World

Thermalabs is set to announce new beach tents that are in the final stages of production.

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Skincare brand Thermalabs is yet in the limelight again, this time while announcing plans to introduce a brand new line of beach tents. This is not surprising especially considered that the company launched it's first-ever beach tent product towards the end of 2015. The product's immense success in the marketplace has probably motivated Thermalabs to curve a niche in the expansive market looking for top quality tents. Thermalabs initial tent was designed to be a great accessory where users could hide or relax after a long dip in the water at the beach. Notably, the product was also created to serve multiple applications, including camping, hiking, family picnics, etc.

Thermalabs is an American cosmetics company that is roughly two years old. Although headquartered in New York, Thermalabs operates a series of production facilities in other parts of the world, including the main one in Israeli. Thermalabs relies on teams of highly experienced skin care researchers to create exclusive formulations for skin care products. This way, the company has managed to gain global fame and attract a diverse audience spanning hundreds of thousands of buying customers from around the world. Indeed, considered that the cosmetics industry is typically over-competitive, Thermalabs has done quite well. The company has contributed at least a dozen products to the industry, most of which are self-tanners based on organic and natural ingredients. Lately, Thermalabs appears to be diversifying outside its traditional tanning market, focusing on other areas such as Dead Sea mineral-based products, and beach tents. This appears to be a smart move meant to secure the company's future as a premier provider for beauty-related accessories.

Already, Thermalabs has revealed that the new range of beach tents will be high-quality products created to seal gaping gaps in the market. Although there are dozens of different beach tent brands available in the market, most of them do not keep up with the level of quality desired by users. Thermalabs attempt with its primary beach tent was a daring one. So far, this product has garnered tens of thousands of sales and secured an average five-star rating from scores of users. According to Alex Howard, a marketing co-coordinator working at Thermalabs, the new beach tents will be named after the planets (Mercury, Jupiter, etc.).

Mr. Howard said, "Thermalabs is set to announce and release an entire lineup of beach tent products. These products will be listed under a new brand going by the name Tent World. Already, we have done most of the work and are just looking to finalize the production. The beach tent will be immensely useful in diverse scenarios. So whether a user is looking to get some shelter for their beach time, or just a nice, lovely environment for a getaway couple picnic, these will be the ideal tents. They will also feature protective benefits to keep our users skin safe from harmful radiation. Our new tents will be named after the planets. Keep checking as we do what we do best to keep our customers happy."

For more information about us, please visit http://www.thermalabs.com

Contact Info:

Name: Hanna Tiram

Organization: Thermalabs



Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcxFn_D9gsM

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/thermalabs-to-announce-new-beach-tents-production-line-tent-world/107039

Release ID: 107039

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Psyche Jewelry Launches First-Ever Hand Crafted Mobile Designer Boutique Austin

Greek God Inspired Designer Brings Collection of Eclectic Statement Jewelry from New York to Austin

--

Jeweler Nina Berenato, the designer and creator of Psyche Jewelry, announces today the launch of the "Psyche Jewelry To-Go" mobile boutique at the Picnic Trailer Park in Austin, Texas.

More information on both Nina and the brand new boutique can be found here; www.psyche-jewelry.com

Psyche Jewelry is handmade in Brooklyn, New York and features handcrafted designs using luxury metals and natural stones. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings are available in a variety of Psyche's signature geometric and tribal designs in either 14k gold or rhodium plate, some featuring various gemstones like turquoise and agate. Prices range from $50-$300 per piece.

"Austin is a cutting-edge market which is why I wanted to launch my first retail location there. The city is changing and buzzing with an energy and spirit of individuality and creativity that aligns perfectly with the Psyche Jewelry brand," says Nina.

The "Psyche Jewelry To-Go" airstream will be located at The Picnic Trailer Park at 1720 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704. Store hours will be 11am-8pm, Monday-Sunday. Alternate locations for special events on weekends and during special festivals and seasonal celebrations will be shared via social media. For brand news and up-to-date truck location, follow Psyche Jewelry on Facebook and Instagram.

About Psyche Jewelry

Psyche Jewelry, launched 4 years ago, is the creation of designer Nina Berenato. The tradition and myths of the Greek Goddess inspire Nina's designs and reflect an individual's journey toward personal growth. Nina's work is a reminder of the defining emotions, thoughts and experiences that make humans individuals. The collections evolve with each new season. Bridges of experience allow the past to inform the future, creating something for the present. Something wild and beautiful...something for the journey.

For more information on Psyche Jewelry and the Psyche Jewelry To-Go Mobile Boutique please visit the website or take walk down to;

The "Psyche Jewelry To-Go" airstream at The Picnic Trailer Park at 1720 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

For more information about us, please visit https://www.psyche-jewelry.com

Contact Info:

Name: Cara Culkins

Email: cara@ninaberenato.com

Organization: Psyche Jewelry

Address: The Picnic Trailer Park, 1720 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704.



Release ID: 107017

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Amish Author, Ruth Price Releases Goats Gone Wild 2

Amish author, Ruth Price releases Goats Gone Wild 2, the newest in her Amish romance Lancaster County Yule Goat Calamity series. Christian Book lovers and will be delighted with this charming book, which is 99c through 3/17/16.

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Christian book lovers looking for a delightful Amish new release can purchase Goats Gone Wild 2 by Ruth Price for 99c on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Page Foundry and 24Symbols through 3/17/2016. It is regularly priced at $2.99. This is Book 3 of the Lancaster County Yule Goat Calamity series. It is also available in Paperback for $9.99.

In Goats Gone Wild 2, Amish teen, Annie Miller is up to her eyeballs in goat trouble -- and now the boys are trying to drive her nuts too. When her best friend and beau, Samuel, risks his life and the life of his horse by participating in local buggy races, Annie is caught between loyalty and honor, especially when her other friend, Aaron, threatens to expose everything. Readers will be riveted, wondering if Annie is strong enough make the right choice, even if it means sacrificing a friendship.

Readers can learn more about this Amish romance book here: http://familychristianbookstore.net/index.php/2016...

Amish author, Ruth Price strives in her fiction channel a higher good, and while she doesn't always reach that ideal, she hopes that her readers are entertained and inspired by her stories. Readers will find this book charming, fun, and ultimately uplifting.

Readers have raved about Ruth Price's Lancaster County Yule Goat Calamity series:

About the first book in the series, A Lancaster County Christmas Yule Goat Calamity, Amazon.com reader, galawren, raves, "It is well written and easy to read and get immersed in the story. Loved it!"

Also about Book 1, Amazon.com reader, Amazon Customer, raves, "This is a great book. I found myself laughing at some of the things Annie managed to get herself into... Please read this book you will not be disappointed..."

About book 2, Goats Gone Wild, Amazon.com reader, Sherene Holly, raves, "Great read! I was laughing out loud at some parts! Annie Miller is a plucky young lady. I really loved how we got to see Annie grow and develop through this story. This is a fun and sweet story with lots of humor. Loved it, and am excited for the next book!"

Readers can learn more about Goats Gone Wild 2 here: http://familychristianbookstore.net/index.php/2016...

Goats Gone Wild 2 is being offered for 99c on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Page Foundry and 24Symbols through 3/17/2016. It is regularly priced at $2.99. It is also available in paperback for $9.99 through Createspace, Amazon.com and other online book distributors.

About Global Grafx Press:

Global Grafx Press was founded in 1997. This Christian book distributor is known for publishing great Western romance novels, Christian nonfiction, and Amish books. They are committed to helping 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: 107097

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Stanford researcher Carol Dweck clearly tapped into a powerful and compelling idea when she linked the concept of growth mindsets to academic success.

As fans of Dwecks research can quickly explain, people with fixed mindsets see strengths and skills as inate traits, like eye color. Youre either born with them, or youre not. But people with growth mindsets recognize that the brain can grow and change through effort, and they embrace failures as opportunities for developing new strategies and approaches to learning content and concepts they find challenging.

Enthusiasm for Dwecks work has spread rapidly, and her name is a buzzword in many schools as teachers buy into the idea that helping students shift their mindsets can lead to academic gains.

But, in recent years, Dweck has worked to balance that enthusiasm by busting some misconceptions about her research and its applications in schools. That includes a wildly popular Education Week commentary and, on Friday, a keynote address at EdWeeks Leaders to Learn From event in Washington.

I fear that my work, which grew up to counter the failed self-esteem movement, will be used for the same purpose, trying to make kids feel good but not actually changing the process of learning, Dweck said, explaining her concerns.

As people have embraced the growth mindset idea, they havent always fully understood every dimension of the research. Among the biggest misconceptions? That boosting students mindsets is simply a matter of praising effort rather than results or helping students develop new strategies for approaching content they struggle with, Dweck said.

Sheer effort is highly important, but it is not the ultimate value; learning and improvement are, Dweck said. Effort is one route to learning and improvement.

Here are six tips pulled from Dwecks talk:

1. Acknowledge the nuance in the research.

Growth mindsets are not a magic trick that will solve every challenge in the classroom, Dweck said. The enthusiasm for the research sometimes leads to an expectation of unrealistic results, researchers have said. And that same enthusiasm can lead skeptics to dismiss them all together. Fellow mindset researcher David Yeager has even published a paper called Social-Psychological Interventions in Education: Theyre Not Magic, which he just calls The Magic Paper.

A growth mindset is not a panacea, but it does empower [students] and help them learn, she said.

2. Everyone has a fixed mindset sometimes.

Theres a misconception that every student and teacher can be put into one of two categories: those with growth mindsets and those with fixed mindsets, Dweck said, but in reality, everyone has a little bit of both. The either/or mentality causes some people to ignore chances they have to address the fixed mindsets they do have about some areas.

Lets legitimize that fixed mindset, because we all have it somewhere; we are all a mixture, Dweck said. And watch for those fixed-mindset triggers.

What sparks students fixed mindsets? Its whatever makes them retreat to that place where avoiding looking dumb is more important than being vulnerable and learning a new idea, she said. Those triggers are different for different people. They could be struggles, setbacks, criticism from others, or even meeting someone who is smarter or more talented, Dweck said.

Do you hate them just a little bit? Or do you say, wow how did they develop those skills? Maybe I can learn from them.

3. Name your fixed mindset.

Dweck told of a consultant in Australia who encouraged business executives to name their fixed-mindset persona so they could have a fun, comfortable way of discussing it with peers.

In schools, the name gives a quick identifier to the triggers students and teachers identify, and it helps them recognize their responses that might not be productive, she said.

Name it, claim it, and talk about it, she said. And over time, recruit it to work with you on your growth mindset goals.

For students, that might mean calling their mindset by their middle name or a goofy nickname.

When were in a crunch, when were on deadline and Im not sure were gonna make it, Duane shows up, one Australian man told his coworkers, according to Dweck. His organizations morale and productivity shot up as they adopted those strategies, she said.

4. Move beyond effort.

If teachers and parents want to nurture growth mindset in children, they should move beyond just pushing them toward effort. They should also help them identify new strategies and approaches so that effort can be productive, Dweck said. I discuss that a bit in this story about how math teachers can strengthen growth mindsets by changing their approach to the content.

Children can then move beyond just asking for answers when they dont understand and instead ask What can I do to help myself? she said.

5. Put mindsets into a greater school-culture context.

The larger culture of a school can influence their mindset formation, Dweck said. Students are less likely to avoid looking dumb and more likely to try new approaches if they believe that their school is interested in their success, she said. Similarly, in workplaces, employees are more likely to display growth mindsets when they believe that the organization believes in developing abilities.

Social-emotional learning efforts and school climate initiatives that encourage students to build supportive relationships may help build this attitude in a school, Dweck said.

What is the larger culture that allows teachers and students to feel safe? That were out for your development? Were not here to sort you into who can succeed and who cant.

6. Dont use mindsets to label students (or yourself).

Dweck said shes been disappointed to hear that some teachers have used a students mindset as an excuse, saying things like that child cant learn; he has a fixed mindset.

We used to say kids dont have the ability. Now were saying they dont have the mindset? I think its protective. Its our way of saying Its not my fault that child isnt learning.

You can watch the whole address here.

Photo: Stanford Professor Carol Dweck speaks at Education Weeks Leaders to Learn From event. --Charlie Borst/Education Week

Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox.
Like all Vladimir Putins surprise announcements, his decision to withdraw the main part of Russian forces from Syria was intended for many audiences but above all for his ally, Bashar al-Assad.

With the precise nature of Russias military pullback in Syria still unclear, Mr Putin has managed to catch almost everyone off guard, including the US.

Yet if he really follows through with the announcement to pull out a large part of Russias military presence in Syria  which some western governments say is not certain  the most immediate impact will be to pressure the Assad regime to engage seriously in the latest round of UN-sponsored peace talks aimed at ending the civil war, which marked its fifth anniversary on Tuesday.

The Russian political message on withdrawal was the biggest push they could have given the regime, said a senior European diplomat. This was an announcement directed at Assad that attempts to cast the Russians as constructive, and put the onus on the other side to make headway in the talks.

Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, reconvened indirect talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups on Monday, just hours before Mr Putin made his announcement. Mr de Mistura said on Tuesday that a partial withdrawal of Russian troops would be a significant development and would have a positive impact on the talks.

A regional diplomat close to Moscow and Damascus said the Russian decision was, in part, borne out of frustration with the Syrian armys performance. Many observers say government forces have been so hollowed out by the civil war that their recent victories have been largely dependent on foreign Shia militia and Russian air support.

There was also exasperation with Mr Assad and his inner circle, which the diplomat said some Moscow officials felt was acting overconfident and inflexible.

Its about teaching him [Mr Assad] a lesson, while showing to the world that they are serious about confidence building measures, he said.

But because Russia has not promised an entire withdrawal, it is likely to maintain the aircraft and weaponry it needs to protect the survival of the regime, diplomats said. The Russian move could also encourage the Assad regime to lean more heavily on Iran for military support.

In the US, the announcement cut to the heart of the debate that has surrounded Russias intervention in Syria at the end of last summer  between those who saw it as the move of a savvy tactician and those who viewed it as a strategic blunder.

The White House has consistently argued that Mr Putin was at risk of finding himself in a Syrian quagmire. In an illuminating series of interviews with The Atlantic published last week, US President Barack Obama said Russia was overextended.

Theyre bleeding, Mr Obama said. And their economy has contracted for three years in a row, drastically.

The article revealed that White House officials sometimes describe the Russian intervention as a Tom Sawyer approach  wasting valuable resources painting the fence in Syria.

Derek Chollet, a former senior White House and Pentagon official in the Obama administration, said it was too early to judge how much of its forces Russia would actually withdraw from Syria. But he said the announcement was likely a recognition that Russia had taken on too much.

The Russian intervention in Syria has never been a winning proposition, so this seems to me to be an attempt by Putin to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat, he said.

However, the Obama administrations domestic critics said Mr Putin was announcing the pullback because he had already achieved most of the goals it had set for its Syria intervention.

John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the Russian leader could afford to withdraw some forces because the Assad regime had already been saved. Mr Putin was signalling that he has bombed and killed enough of the opponents of the murderous Assad regime to ensure its survival, Mr McCain said.

Some Russia experts agree that Moscow probably believes it has secured many of its tactical objectives.

Andrew Weiss at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington believes Moscows intervention has given a new lease of life to the Assad regime, offering it a much better chance to dictate terms at future peace talks. He said Russia had weakened the opposition, while seemingly avoiding being entangled in a dilemma, and had forced the US to deal with it on equal terms in Syria diplomacy.

It is still early and hard to gauge what the actual drawdown will look like, Mr Weiss said. But if those were the objectives, then the Russians can come out and say they were reached.

Russia had also left itself the platform to return troops to Syria at short notice if needed.

Bob Corker, Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Russia might use its partial pullback in Syria to lobby for relaxation of Ukraine-related sanctions. Over time, they are trying to break European resolve as relates to sanctions, he said.
For decades, the biggest worry of regulators at the US Food and Drug Administration has been medicines with toxic side effects. Increasingly, however, they are contending with a new danger as the rise of digital health makes cyber security potentially a matter of life and death.

Some of the most exciting innovations in medicine are coming from the use of digital technology to improve monitoring and management of peoples health.

But what are the risks of this new era of connected healthcare being exploited by people intent on stealing sensitive data, or worse, causing harm to patients? The FDA says the threat is real. In January it issued recommendations for how manufacturers should safeguard medical devices against cyber breaches, urging them to make security a priority in every stage, from the design process of a device onwards.

All medical devices that use software and are connected to hospital and healthcare organisations networks have vulnerabilities, says Suzanne Schwartz of the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Some we can . . . protect against, while others require vigilant monitoring.

These concerns have been building for some time. Dick Cheney, the former US vice-president, revealed in 2013 that doctors had disabled the wireless capabilities of his pacemaker as a precaution against hacking.

This added credibility to a storyline in the TV drama Homeland in which terrorists murdered a fictional vice-president by sabotaging his pacemaker.

Kevin Bocek, head of security and threat intelligence at Venafi, a cyber security company, says such scenarios are becoming more plausible.

He cites the example of wearable devices being developed to manage treatment of chronic diseases. These include diabetes kits that can determine the right dosages of insulin based on a patients glucose level.

If a hacker was to intercept [wireless] traffic between the dosage tracker and [the] communications network, they could make the device relay lethal dosages of medication to a patient, says Mr Bocek. It could even be possible for hackers and cyber criminals to take over a healthcare providers entire network of dosage tracker users and hold their lives to ransom for financial and other nefarious gains.

Of course, it is in the interests of cyber security professionals to talk up such threats. However, while there have not yet been any documented cases of physical harm caused by hackers, there is plenty of evidence to show that health technology is vulnerable to attack.

In 2015, the Office of Civil Rights in the US said there were 253 breaches of medical data affecting 112m health records. Several big US health insurers, including Anthem and Premera Blue Cross, were among those targeted. If the bad guys are after health records theyll certainly go after wearables and [connected] devices, says Mr Bocek.

Healthcare has become an important front in the wider war against cyber crime, not just because of the growing volume of medical data being generated and shared, but also because of the personal and potentially valuable nature of the information involved.

Critics say that, in the rush to digitise patient records and embrace technology, healthcare systems have not paid enough attention to security. In the UK, the Information Commissioners Office, the privacy watchdog, says data breaches in the NHS are a major cause for concern.

The Health Service holds some of the most sensitive personal information available, but instead of leading the way in how it looks after that information, the NHS is one of the worst performers, said Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, last year.

Such concerns are sure to increase after Jeremy Hunt, UK health secretary, announced plans in September for NHS patients to have access to their medical records online within a year.

Policymakers hope digital technology can make health systems more efficient in an era of rising demand and limited resources. They also see an opportunity to promote health and disease prevention by giving people more insight into what is happening inside their bodies.

Many people already use wearable apps to monitor information such as physical activity, heart rate or sleep patterns. The focus is now on developing more sophisticated devices that can produce clinically reliable data in frontline healthcare and medical research.

PwC, the consultancy, reckons the annual market for digital products and services in healthcare will be worth $61bn by 2020. Matthew Godfrey-Faussett, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, says improved security is crucial if such projections are to be fulfilled.

The integration of technology into healthcare has the potential to revolutionise patient care, he says. However, the regulatory challenges associated with medical devices and data protection, combined with scepticism among the public about the use and safety of their personal data, leave . . . significant hurdles to overcome.
Vince Hamilton leaned forward across the breakfast table at the Haymarket hotel in London in early 2014 and described the parallels between prospecting for oil and discovering a new medical treatment. Both take a long time, considerable money and have a low probability of success. You hope that time is on your side, he said.

As a Canadian geologist who had spent his career in the oil business, he could draw on many years experience of the challenges, setbacks and occasional victories in identifying new reserves of natural resources. Now he was applying his skills and wealth  mostly acquired through important oil discoveries in Oman  to his new focus.

For him, this was no mere abstract intellectual discussion. Since his diagnosis in 2011 with neuroendocrine cancer, the same condition that killed Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, he had a personal interest in overcoming the setbacks of medical research.

Hamilton, who married a Swede and worked at the Swedish oil group Lundin before founding Tethys Oil, sought treatment for his condition from doctors in Uppsala. But it was many more months before he found a way to apply his skills more directly in the search for a treatment.

His experience offers broader lessons about the difficulties of medical research and the potential for fledgling methods of online crowdsourcing to help fund important work tackling poorly treated conditions.

Alexander Masters, a British novelist and author, had also come across cancer specialists at Uppsala. He turned to the internet in search of options after a close friend was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2010.

I came across weird experiments in New Mexico, quack clinics in London and then one day I stumbled on a lecture on YouTube on a promising approach, he recalls. By zooming in and freezing the video, he managed to decrypt the name of an organisation, a scholarly article and eventually the author, Magnus Essand. He called, and then visited him at his laboratory.

The Swedish academics idea was to use an oncolytic virus  a genetically modified virus that would track down cancer cells in the human body, infect and kill them. Some other experts supported his approach, but in a fiercely competitive field, he had struggled for two years to find the funds to take his research to the next phase  the move from animal testing to trials in human patients.

Apple founder Steve Jobs died from neuroendocrine cancer  Bloomberg

After meeting the professor, Masters pondered how to raise the relatively modest $2.85m the professor estimated was required. He reasoned that greed, vanity and self-interest were the obvious motivations for potential funders.

Yet self-interest would prove difficult. The prospects were slim that a funder such as a pharmaceutical company or an angel investor would support the work in exchange for a share of profit if it succeeded. Essand had already published widely on his research, sharply reducing the prospect of patenting his discoveries to protect or generate returns for a commercial partner.

The most obvious alternative motivation led to what Masters dubbed his Vanity Virus Initiative; he hoped to tap rich donors such as City bankers with a conscience, who would have a chance of immortality. Their donations would be acknowledged in future scientific papers. If they provided 1m, they could even give their name to the modified virus.

At first, he planned a website to solicit donations. Then the Financial Times picked up the story, with a gently teasing article on the naming opportunity the virus research offered as a gift for the person who already had everything. It was read by a man being treated in a hospital bed just a few hundred metres away from Essands laboratory with a far more personal motive: Vince Hamilton.

The result was a series of lengthy conversations over science, budgets and process, says Essand. Hamilton ultimately pledged SFr2m ($2m). He pushed for a business plan and helped negotiate reduced manufacturing and other costs. The two men also discussed the ethical issues, including the option of him receiving the experimental treatment alongside trial patients.

After the launch of the Oncolytic Virus Fund donation website, and before Hamiltons donation was made public, Uppsala received nearly 2,000 individual gifts totalling more than $700,000. That makes it one of the most successful crowdfunding medical sites to date.

Prof Magnus Essand was in need of funding for his research

Others, such as consano.org and experiment.com in the US, have generated smaller amounts for a wider range of health projects. We think there are thousands of great ideas not making it to market, says Alex Fair, the founder of medstartr.com. But it also suggests the importance of high level publicity, rigorous science and luck. You have to engage, excite and give people a way to take part in the action.

Sagit Weiss, who has launched crowdacure.com, which focuses on rare diseases, also stresses the importance of strong scientific peer review matched by clear marketing and communications to present credible projects to a broad audience in an appealing way.

Essand agrees. I dont think any scientist can just set up a web page and expect to raise a lot of money. You need media coverage, he says, pointing out that donations dropped off once the initial press reports faded away.

For Hamilton, progress was too slow. He died in March 2014. But he had time to create a foundation to fund neuroendocrine cancer research. And his legacy lives on. Swedens medicines regulators approved a clinical trial for the AdVince virus in January and it is due to be tested in the first patient later this month.
Community Shop in Lambeth is no ordinary supermarket. A little more than a year old, it has signed up 650 local residents, who can shop for branded cupboard staples at bargain-basement prices. The shop is the brainchild of John Marren, founder of the equally unimaginatively named Company Shop, a small Barnsley-based private company and the UKs largest distributor of surplus food.

The Lambeth store, which opened in December 2014, will soon hit its membership target of 750 south Londoners struggling with food bills. If all goes to plan, in time there will be 20 more social supermarkets in deprived areas of the UK  five in London  delivering more than 20m meals and supporting 10,000 hard-pressed families.

Community Shop is not like other discount retailers, such as the easyFoodstore in north London that was launched in February by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyJet. Easyfoodstore is selling everything from packets of biscuits to tins of tuna and tomatoes for 25p. Whatever profits it makes go to its owners. Community Shop, by contrast, channels its profits into social and environmental benefits.

Fresh produce at the Community Shop tills in south London  Charlie Bibby

The idea, piloted in Barnsley in the north of England three years ago, is to sell surplus food and products from the likes of Marks and Spencer and manufacturers such as Nestle at discounts of up to 70 per cent, to a capped number of members in receipt of welfare benefits. It is not just about preventing edible food from going to waste, but also making sure food goes to people who need it most.

Member-customers attend advice sessions on employment and how to lift themselves out of food poverty. That includes lessons on managing debt, household budgeting, writing CVs or simply ways to boost self-confidence.

The model is an attempt to shift from the straightforward capitalism of the 20th century to caring capitalism and social enterprise in the 21st. It is perhaps the modern equivalent of the philanthropic and paternalistic ideals on which 19th-century UK companies, such as Cadbury, Rowntrees, Unilever and Colmans, were grafted.

Community Shop is a subsidiary of Company Shop, a business whose environmental credentials go back 40 years. The parent company was founded in the 1970s by Marren, then aged about 20 and working in the food delivery industry.

He set up the first factory-based staff shop selling workers goods that would have otherwise been binned. Either packaging was torn, the product was mis-labelled or it had been over-ordered. Any damage was cosmetic  too few cherries on top of a cake, for example  rather than substantive, and products were clearly marked.

For suppliers, the benefits were twofold. Not only were they paid for stock that they would otherwise have had to write off, but also the customer base  in-house personnel and factory workers  was limited by membership. There was little risk of Company Shops rivaling their main business.

Today, retailers and producers are comfortable selling their products through Company Shops for the same reasons. The model has made it possible for Marren to extend his reach, setting up shops for nurses, police, ambulance drivers and firemen in Corby, Grimsby and Wentworth in the north of England, and stocking outlets with goods from other manufacturers.

Now the group, still owned and run by the Marren family, employs close to 600 staff in a chain of 18 staff shops, 17 click-and-collect sites and four superstores across the UK. The fourth superstore was opened in November last year in an 8,000 sq ft site in Manchester, with a goal to save about 4,000 tonnes of food from the dump and sell it instead to members who either work in emergency services or the food manufacturing sector.

Members visit the on-site, low-cost cafe  Charlie Bibby

The London Stock Exchange this year included Company Shop in its annual list of the 1,000 Companies to inspire Britain for the second year in a row. In October, it was presented with the Queens Award for Enterprise.

Company Shop also joined the LSEs Elite class of 2015. The programme was set up with Imperial College Business School in 2012 to identify a few small businesses every year that are turning over 5m-10m annually and are likely to need capital for expansion. Not that an initial public offering for Company Shop is on the cards any time soon.

Community Shop wants to support 10,000 families  Charlie Bibby

But the LSE is playing the long game. It will wait until the members of its Elite programmes are ready to list, if they ever are. And in the meantime, it will hothouse Company Shops classmates, providing them with a network of advisers and contacts to help them on issues such as structure and expansion.

The programme may also have something useful to say to Company Shop on succession. Marren, who is sole shareholder and chairman, is now 63. His wife Jane, aged 49, has recently been installed as the companys managing director.

Members shop and join advice sessions on food poverty  Charlie Bibby

The finances

Opportunities for businesses focused on food redistribution have increased in recent years, with consumers and retailers becoming pickier, food regulators imposing sell-by and use-by dates, and new rules on dumping waste. Between 350,000 and 450,000 tonnes of food waste is anaerobically digested rather than distributed every year in the UK and at least a tenth of that is fit for human consumption, according to John Marren.

Company Shop compounded strong growth with revenues rising 13 per cent in the year to September 2014, to 31m, according to its filings. However, rising costs and expansion took their toll on profits, which after tax and expenses, fell 10 per cent to 2m. It is a sign that Company Shop, having existed happily for 30 years as a cash-generative and self-funding family business, has reached a new stage. It continues to expand  in the next three-to-five years Marren hopes to double the 30,000 tonnes of food that he stops from going to waste and landfill sites every year. But that growth needs new and outside sources of capital. Late last year, the group secured a little more than 7.5m in bank debt from Lloyds Bank to fund the Manchester outlet and four more store openings by 2017.
Openwork has confirmed the appointment of John Cupis as its mortgage director.

The appointment was first announced in September , with Mr Cupis now assuming responsibility for running and developing the networks mortgage, protection and general insurance proposition.

He joins from being Sesame Bankhall Groups managing director of mortgages for eight years.

Prior to joining SBG, Mr Cupis worked at Legal & General, fulfilling various senior roles within the business, including mortgage propositions director.

Mark Duckworth, Openworks chief executive, said his arrival will be pivotal to the ongoing development of the network's growing mortgage business.

Mr Cupis added that the business has the potential to grow even further.

I am excited by the prospect of building on the great foundations already in place and, in the wake of Openworks ownership agreement with Zurich, delighted to work for a business that offers joiners not only great deals and service, but part-ownership of the network.

In February, Openwork and Zurich signed an agreement that will see the insurer divest its 25 per cent shareholding in the network within four years; the culmination of the strategy set out by Zurich when Openwork was created in 2005.

peter.walker@ft.com
The world in which every business operates is evolving dramatically and two of the biggest changes are the way in which technology has become part of our business DNA and the rise of a new generation of consumers: the Millennials.

We are now firmly in the internet age with close to 3bn of us online and according to the latest research, more than half the planet now owns a mobile phone, with unique users now exceeding 3.6bn.

Mobile social media use is also on the rise, with 77 per cent of all social networking users now accessing through mobile devices.

Technology has moved at such a pace, that any business which does not have a mobile friendly website or a social media presence is at a clear disadvantage when dealing with their clients.

Use of the right technology can not only educate and upskill the knowledge of clients but it can also be a cost effective way in which to reach and service clients who at first glance do not appear profitable.

The successful businesses of the future will be those that have a mobile friendly social media element which can be used to engage, inform and educate their existing and future clients.

Another change is the type of clients that businesses may have in the future.

You have heard of Baby Boomers and perhaps you are aware of Generation X but the market of the future for any business here for the long-term, are the Millennials.

These are the people born between 1980 and 2002.

They are vitally important for UK financial services and we need to understand what makes them different.

The clear marketing difference between the Baby Boomer generation and the rising Millennials is this. Baby Boomers are the Google generation. They will research their issues. They will Google your business before meeting.

Millennials have moved on from Google. They value engagement, they seek debate and they watch rather than read. They seek answers not through websites but through YouTube videos and on social media from debate formers and thought leaders.

So with these changes what can an advisory business do to engage with their clients more effectively?

I would like to look at three areas under-used by UK financial services firms: effective strategic relationships; business blogging; and Twitter.

Strategic Alliances

Most strategic alliances fall at the first hurdle because people forget to have a plan to promote their solutions and services to each others clients.

You may have heard of product placement, the art of including your product in the narrative of a story or in the background of a television program or film. These days, most blockbusters are heavily influenced and even funded by product placement from an array of major brands.

You dont have to be a super brand or help fund a blockbuster to take advantage of product placement. Any business can and should use this marketing tactic as part of its interaction and communication with clients.
A survey of livestock farmers has found many are planning to make major changes to their businesses in 2016-17 to address the problem of poor profitability  with a quarter of these looking to expansion as the solution.

As part of the Farm Business Survey, a sub-sample of 411 livestock farmers were asked a series of questions in November 2015 about their intentions over the coming months.

It found almost half (49%) of livestock farms were planning to carry out a major change to their business, with the most common answer (35%) being that they would increase or reduce production by at least 10%.

See also: Farmers biggest concerns for 2016 revealed

However, more said they would increase production than reduce it, with dairy farmers most likely to have an increase planned and combinable crops producers the least likely.

Major changes were also more likely for dairy and lowland livestock farms with a net worth of at least 2m.

Just over one-third of respondents (36%) also said they were planning a major investment during 2016-17 with the most common area of investment being buildings.

There was significant regional variation on those planning to invest in this way, with farmers in the south east and south west of England most likely to have such a plan.

Paul Wilson, chief executive of the Rural Business Research Unit which undertakes the Defra-funded FBS, said the survey was about intentions and there would be some producers who would not be able to realise their aspirations for a variety of reasons.

But he added: Some farmers are clearly looking to spread their fixed costs over a larger enterprise size.
Landowners in Scotland have made a last-minute plea to the Scottish government to change its plans to allow farmers to assign their 1991 Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act tenancies to a new entrant or farmer progressing through the industry.

Scottish Land & Estates chairman David Johnstone has written to rural affairs minister Richard Lochhead warning that the change would have damaging implications for the future of tenant farming and reduce opportunities for new entrants.

The Land Reform Bill will have its final Stage 3 debate in Holyrood on Wednesday (16 March).

See also: Scottish land reform  what farmers need to know

Mr Johnstone said the proposals in the bill had not received the proper scrutiny and due diligence they merited.

They would mean that landlords would have no incentive to let land on a long-term basis

There needs to be confidence for both parties  landlord and tenant  to build a mutually productive relationship, he said.

This legislation will have the opposite effect. Landlords want to have the confidence to let land and not have to shoulder the blame when measures brought in by government, against industry wishes, kills that confidence.

We do not want to be in a position where flawed legislation either does not work in practice or  even worse  the sector is plunged into more uncertainty in the event of any legal challenge to the legislation.

But the Scottish Tenant Farmer Association said it was confident the assignation of 1991 tenancies would be of long-term benefit to the farming industry.

Contrary to SL&Es views, the proposal allowing tenants to assign their tenancies has been well thought out and strikes a fair balance between the rights of tenants and landlords, said chairman Christopher Nicholson.

Tenants, thinking of retiring, would get much more control over how they go about it and a greater chance of getting realistic compensation for their investment in the farm, he said.

There will also be the opportunity to pass the tenancy on to the next generation of farmers giving them the undoubted benefit of secure tenure. Landlords, on the other hand will be given every chance to buy their land back at a realistic value, easily offset by the immediate increase in the capital value of the land.
Brussels has unveiled 13 measures to help ease the cashflow crisis on farms, but few British producers are likely to benefit.

EU farm commissioner Phil Hogan unveiled the measures following an EU farm council meeting in Brussels on Monday (14 March).

This is a package of measures which can have a material and positive impact on European agricultural markets and it should now be given the chance to succeed, he said.

In the interest of EU farmers, I am prepared to use all instruments that the legislators have put at our disposal, both as a short-term and long-term measure.

The measures include allowing dairy producer organisations, interbranch organisations and co-operatives to voluntarily agree how much milk they should produce and supply.

This is the so-called Article 222 from the Common Market Organisation, which is specific to the agricultural sector and can be applied in case of severe imbalance in the market.

See also: Brussels set to unveil measures for cash-strapped farmers

An exceptional measure designed to safeguard the EU internal market, Article 222 was included in the 2013 CAP reform and this is the first time it has been used.

But British milk producers are unlikely to see much direct benefit because there simply arent many producer organisations in the UK.

Mr Hogan said the commission would also allow individual EU countries to temporarily issue state aid up to a maximum of 15,000 (11,600) per farmer per year, with no national ceiling.

It remains to be seen whether the UK government takes up this option, and the NFU of England and Wales has already played down any expectations that it will do so.

Other measures include doubling intervention ceilings for skimmed milk powder and butter.

Quantity ceilings for skimmed milk powder and butter into intervention are being increased from 109,000t and 60,000t to 218,000t and 100,000t respectively.

In terms of promotion, Brussels said more than 110m was available in 2016 to support promotion of EU agricultural produce within the EU and third countries.

More than 30m is specifically earmarked for the pigmeat and dairy sectors, and that amount has been increased by an unspecified amount to reflect market volatility in those sectors.

New export markets

Further measures include pushing to open new export markets, lobbying for an end to the Russian ban on EU products, and talks with the European Investment Bank on loans to farmers.

Mr Hogan said the measures complemented a 500m support package announced by Brussels last September and showed its determination to play a full role in assisting European farmers.

But the European umbrella farm organisation Copa-Cogeca said the measures were a move forward to alleviate market pressures but warned that it would have to see how they would work in practice

Copa president Martin Merrild said: We need to see how it pans out. Many farmers across Europe are facing the worst crisis since the early 1980s. The EU dairy and pigmeat sectors are bleeding.

The lost Russian export market alone was worth 5.1bn and must be reopened as soon as possible, said Mr Merrild.

Proposed measures on state aid may help some farmers, but is a step away from a common EU policy that should shoulder the consequences of international policy developments.

Mr Merrild added: I urge ministers to step up payments of the 500m package released by the EU last September as only part of the aid has been paid out.

Copa-Cogeca welcomed the strengthening of market tools in the package, including a doubling of the intervention ceilings for skimmed milk powder and butter.

But it said it regretted that there was no temporary increase in EU intervention prices for skimmed milk powder and butter to reflect soaring production costs and market realities.
Could Trump Be Charged With Inciting Violence?

After a Trump supporter was caught on tape sucker punching a protestor at Donald Trump's rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina last week, the Cumberland Sheriff's Office considered whether to charge the presidential candidate with inciting a riot. This was not the first physical altercation at a Trump rally, but it garnered national media attention perhaps because deputies, also from the Cumberland Sheriff's Office, immediately arrested the black man who had been punched, and only later charged the white man who punched him.

Trump's alleged response to the sucker punching incident was, "He was swinging, he was hitting people and the audience hit back. That's what we need more of." But it's what he has said at other rallies that may get him into trouble.

"I'd like to punch him in the face, I tell ya."

The Washington Post compiled a list of some of Trump's more inflammatory comments, including:

"See the first group, I was nice. Oh, take your time. The second group, I was pretty nice. The third group, I'll be a little more violent. And the fourth group, I'll say get the hell out of here!"

"Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing. I have a lot of fans, and they were not happy about it. And this was a very obnoxious guy who was a trouble-maker who was looking to make trouble."

"If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them. Just knock the hell out of them. I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees."

"Here's a guy, throwing punches, nasty as hell, screaming at everything else, when we're talking ... I'd like to punch him in the face, I tell ya."

While Trump has the same free speech rights as anyone else, the First Amendment doesn't cover certain kinds of speech, including inciting violence or rioting. North Carolina law describes a riot as "a public disturbance involving an assemblage of three or more persons which by disorderly and violent conduct, or the imminent threat of disorderly and violent conduct, results in injury or damage to persons or property or creates a clear and present danger of injury or damage to persons or property." Willfully inciting or urging someone else to engage in a riot is a Class 1 misdemeanor in the state.

Supreme Court Ruling on Inciting Lawless Action

It is highly unlikely that Trump will be charged with a crime in these kinds of cases. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office later said Trump's actions did not fit the statute, and his campaign began broadcasting an announcement before rallies: "If a protester starts demonstrating in the area around you, please do not touch or harm the protester. This is a peaceful rally."

And without being more specific in his pugilistic pronouncements, other jurisdictions will likely face the same difficulty in pressing criminal charges. In 1969, the Supreme Court decided Brandenburg v. Ohio, which holds that the government can only suppress speech that advocates the use of force or breaking the law when the advocacy is directed to inciting imminent lawless action and is likely to incite such action. Most of Trump's comments thus far have been just vague enough so as not to rise to the level of inciting violence.

Then again, there's no telling what he might say at his next campaign rally. His event last Friday in Chicago had to be cancelled because of security concerns.

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LA County Animal Care Probes Pig Attack on 'Cesar 911'

We love bacon and slaughter countless pigs annually to indulge our passion for salty and fatty meats. But we just can't stand to see a pot-bellied pig hurt on TV.

Or that's the impression that has arisen after an animal rights activist called media outlet TMZ and the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control after an airing of Cesar Millan's Nat-Geo Show "Cesar 911." The complaint was about cruelty to a pig and it prompted a county investigation, plus lots of national media coverage.

Testing Boundaries

In the television show in question, the famous problem-dog trainer works with a French bulldog mix who has previously attacked pigs. The dog's owner called Millan in for help but after the dog attacked a pig on TV, it is the Dog Whisperer who is under attack and needs help.

Aaron Reyes, deputy director for LA's Animal Care and Control confirmed that an investigation is under way. "There's no question that what happened, happened. A dog under Cesar Millan's control escaped and attacked another live animal, in this case a pot-bellied pig."

The French bulldog mix, named Simon, did attack a pig during training, Nat-Geo confirms. Still, it issued a statement in defense of the televised event. "A short clip from the episode was shared online and showed Simon chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed. The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter," the statement said. "The pig that was nipped by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress."

Few Words From the Whisperer

Although LA authorities did visit Millan's home to follow up on the complaint, he was not there and authorities reportedly spoke to his minor son who relayed news of the investigation to his father. Cesar Millan is cooperating with the county and told the Associated Press that the situation is being blown out of proportion by a small group of people who oppose his methods.

Meanwhile, Reyes, of Animal Care and Control, reminds us that Cesar Millan himself is not the one under investigation. Rather, it's the whole situation that will be considered. "We don't investigate people; we investigate allegations," Reyes said.

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Emergency food boxes, by appointment, North Corvallis Ministry Center, 5050 N.E. Elliott Circle. Appointments: 541-220-1040.

AARP TaxAide, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Corvallis Senior Center, 2601 N.W. Tyler Ave.; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Corvallis Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Certified counselors will prepare and e-file tax returns for low- and moderate-income taxpayers of all ages, free of charge. Appointments: 541-602-5829.

Screenings for Emergency Adult Dental Voucher Program eligibility, 9 a.m. to noon, Benton County Health Center, 530 N.W. 27th St. For Benton County residents with proof of residency, such as an ID card, piece of mail or utility bill. Information: 541-207-5875.

Emergency food boxes, 1:30 to 4 p.m., St. Vincent de Paul Society Corvallis Conference Food Pantry, campus of St. Marys Catholic Church, 501 N.W. 25th St. No appointment needed. A thrift store is in the same building; proceeds help support the pantry. Information: 541-757-1988, ext. 317.

Stone Soup dinner, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., First Christian Church, McLean Hall, 602 S.W. Madison Ave. Free meal for those in need.

Classes

TUESDAY

Strength and Endurance, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Recreation Room, North Star Manufactured Housing Community, 2601 N.E. Jack London St. Full-body, gentle, effective. Cost: $20 per month, or $4 drop in; first class free. Information: 541-754-6554.

Chair yoga, 3 p.m., Live Well Studio, 971 N.W. Spruce Ave. Suited to those with medical or physical limitations. By donation. Information: 541-224-6566 or www.livewellstudio.com.

Cannabis Horticulture Q & A, 6 p.m., CAN! Research office, 551 S.W. Fourth St. Cost: $10.

Meditations to Awaken Life, 7 p.m., Live Well Studio, 971 N.W. Spruce Ave. Gentle yoga warm-up and meditation. Drop-in rate. Information: 541-224-6566 or www.livewellstudio.com.

Events

TUESDAY

Running and walking group, 5:45 a.m., Corvallis High School track, 1400 N.W. Buchanan Ave. Information: 541-754-0441 or www.hotvrunners.com.

Infant story time, 10 a.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. For children from birth through 1 year.

Preschool story time, 10:30 a.m., Monroe Community Library, 668 Commercial St.

Dont Worry, Be Happy, 3 to 5 p.m. or later, Old World Deli, 341 S.W. Second St. Join in games; bring your favorites or just show up at any point. Fragrance-free, please. Information: 541-752-0135.

Coloring for Adults, 6:30 p.m., boardroom, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Adult coloring program for relaxation.

Corvallis Reflections with Pat Wray, 7 p.m., main meeting room, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Wray will discuss his longtime love affair with Corvallis and will read from his new book, Corvallis Reflections.

Corvallis Community Band presents Community Band in Toyland, featuring the Willamette Apprentice Ballet, 7:30 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center, 875 S.W. 26th St.

Government

TUESDAY

Benton County Board of Commissioners, 9 a.m., board meeting room, commissioners office, 205 N.W. Fifth St. Work session.

Oregon Hatchery Research Center Board of Directors, 9 a.m., center, 2418 E. Fall Creek Road, Alsea.

Benton County Board of Commissioners, noon, board meeting room, commissioners office, 205 N.W. Fifth St.

Philomath Fire and Rescue Civil Service Commission, 5 p.m., Philomath Fire Department, 1035 Main St. Agenda: quarterly payroll reports. Information: 541-929-3002.

March 2016 Listening Tour, 5:30 p.m., Wren Community Hall, 35515 KIngs Valley Highway, Philomath. The Benton County Planning Division and the Public Health Department are gathering public input on marijuana land-use regulations for the county.

Adair Village City Council, 6 p.m., city hall, 6030 N.E. William R. Carr Ave.

Corvallis Housing Development Task Force, 6 p.m., downtown fire station, 400 N.W. Harrison Blvd.

Linn-Benton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, 6 p.m., LBHA, 1250 Queen Ave. S.E., Albany.

Health

TUESDAY

American Red Cross mobile blood drive, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Magruder Hall, 700 S.W. 30th St.

Memory screenings, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Corvallis Senior Center, 2601 N.W. Tyler Ave. For those concerned about unusual forgetfulness or having trouble concentrating or remembering names or previous conversations. Appointments: 541-754-1707.

American Red Cross mobile blood drive, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, 333 N.W. 35th St.

Rapid HIV testing, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., First Christian Church, 602 S.W. Madison Ave. Free testing and counseling. Information: 541-740-0405.

Organizations

TODAY

Marys River Masonic Lodge No. 221, 7:30 p.m., 306 S.W. Madison Ave. Open to all Master Masons. Information; 541-740-4170.

TUESDAY

Philomath Rotary Club, noon, Peace Lutheran Church, 2540 Applegate St. A Parent, Family and Community Engagement specialist will present Kidco Head Start. Cost: $10 for lunch; no charge for first-time guests.

Corvallis Bridge Club, 1 p.m., 6:30 p.m., Heart of the Valley Bridge Center, 1931 N.W. Circle Blvd. Sign up 20 minutes before game. Partners/information: 541-740-1072 or www.corvallisbridge.org.

Monroe Teen Otaku Club, 3:15 p.m., Monroe Community Library, 668 Commercial St. Crafts, books, stories, videos and snacks.

Makers Club, 4 p.m., Philomath Community Library, 1050 Applegate St. Featuring Arduino, Raspberry Pi, 3-D printing, simple machine deconstruction, Snap Circuits and Little Bits.

Rotary Club of Corvallis After Five, 5:15 p.m., downstairs, Tommys 4th St. Bar & Grill, 350 S.W. Fourth St. Information: 503-559-0971.

Corvallis Meditation Community, 5:30 p.m., 3311 N.W. Polk Ave. Information: 971-218-6798, or on Facebook at Corvallis Meditation Community.

Corvallis Community Choir, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, 2945 N.W. Circle Blvd. Cost: $50 per term. Information: 541-740-6068 or nonandjay1@gmail.com.

Gospel Choir, 7 p.m., social hall, College United Methodist Church, 1123 Main St., Philomath. Information: 541-929-2412.

Society for Creative Anachronism, 7 p.m., Avery Park Boy Scout Lodge, Southwest Allen Avenue. Information: 541-754-2372 or www.shireofcdv.org/.

Reunions

United States Submarine Veterans Incorporated Rogue-Umpqua Base, 11:30 a.m. March 25, Black Bear Diner, 1900 N.W. Sixth St., Grants Pass. Lunch, 11:30; meeting, 12:30 p.m. Cost: $15 at the door. RSVP: 541-459-2911 or cpratt33@gmail.com by March 21.

Support groups

TUESDAY

Support group for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Information: Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence hotline, 541-754-0110.

Alcoholics Anonymous:

7 a.m., noon, room 11, First Christian Church, 602 S.W. Madison Ave.

6:30 p.m. (open meeting), basement, New Life Fellowship, 1412 Applegate St., Philomath.

7 p.m., Alsea Community Library, 19192 Alsea Highway.

7 p.m., Crossroads Christian Fellowship, 2555 N.W. Highland Drive.

Information (24 hours): 541-967-4252 or www.aa-oregon.org.

Narcotics Anonymous, noon to 1 p.m., 7:30 p.m., room 11, First Christian Church, 602 S.W. Madison Ave. Information (24 hours): 877-233-4287 or www.lblna.org.

National Alliance on Mental Illness Mid-Valley Support Group, 7 p.m., conference room, fourth floor, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive. Information: 541-745-2064 or www.namimidvalley.org.

Alanon, 7:30 p.m., room 2, Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, 333 N.W. 35th St. Support group for families and friends of alcoholics. Message center: 541-967-6262.

Corvallis Mens Support Group, 7:30 p.m., 1975 S.E. Crystal Lake Drive, No. 131. Information: 541-752-6261.
Ex-CEO of Tulsa BBB Gets 37 Months Prison for $1.8M Fraud

You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a person by their titles. Former Oklahoma Senator and Tulsa Better Business Bureau CEO, Rick Brinkley, is going to prison for fraud and tax evasion.

Accused of stealing $1.8 million from the BBB, Brinkley must turn himself in on April Fools Day, ironically, to serve a 37-month sentence resulting from his guilty plea last summer. He was sentenced last week and the hearing was revealing, according to Oklahoma's News on 6.

New Purpose Found

Now a self-proclaimed "pauper" who contemplated suicide, according to his testimony during the sentencing hearing, Brinkley claims that hitting rock bottom has helped him find his purpose, which is to help people.

Previously, while Brinkley was being paid to help people, he was apparently writing himself checks from BBB funds and using them to pay gambling and credit card debts. He also owes the IRS $150,000.

The Tulsa BBB seems unimpressed with Brinkley's testimony, having lost not only the stolen funds but public trust, members, and the resulting dues they bring in annually. In a statement, the BBB said, "It is without question that Mr. Brinkley's fraudulent criminal behavior over many years has severely damaged BBB Tulsa, a non-profit institution whose mission is to promote honesty, integrity and transparency in the business community."

Reputation Restitution?

Brinkley has forfeited his property and holdings to the government to pay restitution and does have to turn himself in to prison in just a few weeks. The former senator has indeed fallen far. Still, his sentence is a small price to pay considering the crimes he committed and the extent of his theft. According to the BBB, the "reputational and public image damage to BBB Tulsa is incalculable."

Need Help?

Do not do what Rick Brinkley did or you too could find yourself in a heap of trouble. If you need help with any aspect of your business operations, speak to a lawyer. Get guidance on operating within the law.

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Can Victims of Child Sexual Abuse Sue?

It is common for victims of sexual abuse, particularly kids, to experience denial, repressing memories of crimes that were committed against them. Perhaps this is one reason that in criminal law in many states there is no statute of limitations for prosecution of child sexual abuse cases, and that time limits are extended for these kinds of claims in civil suits.

Certainly, the best-known sexual abuse claims often arose years after they occurred ... with the help of reporters. The Archdiocese of Boston recently acknowledged as much after the movie "Spotlight" -- about The Boston Globe's investigation of a widespread scandal in the Catholic Church -- won an Oscar. But generally speaking there are time limits for filing a claim. So let's take a look at ways cases may advance despite the passage of time.

Tolling

In many states, the statutes of limitation for civil sexual abuse suits toll until adulthood or later. State laws vary and statutes of limitation within them do too. Some states don't start counting the time for making a claim until a later age -- beyond 18 -- and some may also provide a longer window within which to sue once the clock starts running.

Tolling on statutes of limitations is not always straightforward, and given the wide variation in state laws, you should speak to a lawyer about the specifics of your case. The National Conference of State Legislators points out that many states recognize the delay between abuse and the discovery of injury, and provide additional extensions for child sexual abuse cases.

Don't assume too much time has passed since the event itself to file suit. There can be bases not dictated by the dates of abuse itself. Let's take a look.

Negligence

Some child sexual abuse claims are based on institutional negligence or negligent hiring. In those cases, the clock would start to run on the claim based on discovery of the institution's awareness of an issue.

It can get confusing so let's use an example. Say a child was abused in the seventies and said nothing. No legal action is taken. But 40 years later, the now-adult victim learns -- through the efforts of reporters or otherwise -- that there is evidence an institution knew of the abuser's issues. Now a claim might be based on the institution's negligent failure to warn and the clock starts running from the date of discovery of the information, rather than the date of abuse.

Creative Lawyering

A good lawyer will consider many angles on a case and attempt to find a basis for a claim in light of the specifics of your story. It's difficult to determine what claim will work for your situation in the abstract. Consult with a lawyer, and don't give up.



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Benefits for Women Veterans Get Attention in Arizona

Although women have long served in the military and are increasingly in combat roles, there is little awareness of veterans' benefits for women. Mostly when we think of vets, we think of men. But the Department of Veteran Affairs in Arizona wants to change that.

The state's Department of Veteran Services this spring is holding four conferences targeting women veterans specifically. The department's director, Colonel Wanda Wright, told NBC News that the specific focus on women veterans is necessary because women who do not serve on combat units often fail to recognize themselves as veterans and miss out on services and benefits available to them.

What You Get

As a vet, you can get assistance with healthcare, disability, education, employment, pensions, and more. Veterans may be eligible for loans with better mortgage rates or vocational training in order to find work, and people who serve in the military do have rights of re-employment under federal law.

The extent of services available is impressive but obviously nothing is automatic. While you may be eligible for a benefit, you must still apply to receive it. The national Office of Veterans Affairs website has a lot of information on the different programs available to veterans.

Keep in mind too that at a local level your state Veterans' Affairs office may have additional services available. This is precisely why Colonel Wright is holding conferences for women veterans. "Whatever needs you have, you can call one of our offices and we can refer [you] to whatever assistance might be needed," she said.

As for this year's first conference, Wright said, "We've has about 100 ladies show and we've provided them some benefits and services and education so that they can leave here and know how to work within the system to help them with their veteran needs."

Denial of Claims?

Although you are entitled to benefits as a result of your military service, claims do sometimes get denied. The military even provides a range of services to assist you in applying for claims and fighting denials. Should you need assistance, you can request an attorney, claims agent or Veteran Service Organization representative to help you. Once you are registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs eBenefits program, you can even do it all online.

If, however, you want to choose a representative on your own, you may do so. If you are interested in finding out more about benefits and denials and would like help navigating the government's system, consider hiring a lawyer. Many attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to discuss any potential claims.

Related Resources:
bayonel3 at 15-03-2016 05:04 PM (6 years ago) (m)

The Benin Crown Prince, Eheneden Erediauwa, was on Saturday in Benin formally installed as the Edaiken of Uselu after the successful completion of the mandatory traditional rites. Erediauwa is expected to go through some traditional rites before he assumed the traditional stool of Edaiken of Uselu. As the Edaiken of Uselu, the heir apparent to the Benin traditional stool is expected to be in Uselu, which will become his temporal place for 90 days. The event attracted a large crowd of people, who thronged the palace. Shops and other business outlets were also shut as a mark of honour and solidarity with the crown prince. The Oba Market and some streets as well as roads housing some traditional shrines were cordon-off by security personnel and manned by colourfully-dressed palace chiefs. The move was to assist Officials of the Federal Road Safety commission (FRSC) and traffic policemen with useful tips to ease human and vehicular movements of persons. The event witnessed women groups adorned in Benin traditional attire, drummers, entertainers, youths, visitors, and palace chiefs. Some commuters and lovers of Benin tradition also struggled to catch a glimpse of the event. Politicians and top government officials, led by Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, defied the scorching sun to await the arrival of Erediauwa.

The Benin Crown Prince, Eheneden Erediauwa, was on Saturday in Benin formally installed as the Edaiken of Uselu after the successful completion of the mandatory traditional rites. Erediauwa is expected to go through some traditional rites before he assumed the traditional stool of Edaiken of Uselu. As the Edaiken of Uselu, the heir apparent to the Benin traditional stool is expected to be in Uselu, which will become his temporal place for 90 days. The event attracted a large crowd of people, who thronged the palace. Shops and other business outlets were also shut as a mark of honour and solidarity with the crown prince. The Oba Market and some streets as well as roads housing some traditional shrines were cordon-off by security personnel and manned by colourfully-dressed palace chiefs. The move was to assist Officials of the Federal Road Safety commission (FRSC) and traffic policemen with useful tips to ease human and vehicular movements of persons. The event witnessed women groups adorned in Benin traditional attire, drummers, entertainers, youths, visitors, and palace chiefs. Some commuters and lovers of Benin tradition also struggled to catch a glimpse of the event. Politicians and top government officials, led by Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, defied the scorching sun to await the arrival of Erediauwa.

The convoy of the crowned prince in company of some first Class Benin Chiefs and combined security team arrived from his private residence in Benin to the palace at about 2 p.m.

Erediauwa, clad in white and red traditional regalia with a pair of dark glasses, immediately after his arrival, had a brief consultation with the palace chiefs. This was followed by the performance of traditional rites at the palace. At about 4pm, Erediauwa rode on a long convoy with Oshiomhole, his deputy, Mr Pius Odubu and other top government officials and palace chiefs to Edaiken palace.

This is a precursor to assuming the title of the Oba of Benin. The heir-apparent to the Benin throne, was on Tuesday, October 6, 2015, formally initiated into the Royal Palace Chamber of Iwebo in conformity with the Bini custom

The convoy of the crowned prince in company of some first Class Benin Chiefs and combined security team arrived from his private residence in Benin to the palace at about 2 p.m.Erediauwa, clad in white and red traditional regalia with a pair of dark glasses, immediately after his arrival, had a brief consultation with the palace chiefs. This was followed by the performance of traditional rites at the palace. At about 4pm, Erediauwa rode on a long convoy with Oshiomhole, his deputy, Mr Pius Odubu and other top government officials and palace chiefs to Edaiken palace.This is a precursor to assuming the title of the Oba of Benin. The heir-apparent to the Benin throne, was on Tuesday, October 6, 2015, formally initiated into the Royal Palace Chamber of Iwebo in conformity with the Bini custom

Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. +2348055557203 Posted: at 15-03-2016 05:04 PM (6 years ago) | Hero
Meizu Pro 6 with 6GB RAM coming soon: 7 Leaked Features You need to Know Features oi -Sayan

After Xiaomi grabbed the headlines thanks to the launch of their flagship Mi5 at the MWC 2016, Chinese counterpart Meizu is prepping up for a new launch. Well, the phone being referred to here is none other the Meizu Pro 6.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Review: A Budget Smartphone With Powerful Hardware For Rs 9,999

For those unaware Meizu unveiled their Pro lineup back last year. In fact, the offering was in the line with the Mi Note series from Xiaomi, sitting at the top of the price bracket. Now a new report from China confirms that Meizu is prepping up for an imminent launch of the Pro 6. The interesting part however, is the presence of 6GB RAM under the hood. So far much has leaked about the alleged smartphone and here is rumour roundup of the Meizu Pro 6 that stitches together all those bits and pieces of information.

Force Touch Display

Recently Meizu VP and Flyme Chief Developer Yang Yan shared a screenshot on Weibo which reveals a glimpse of a new software feature integrated onto the Flyme 6.0. A closer look will make you realise that the developers have Meizu have fine-tuned their OS to provide an iOS like Force Touch experience. This probably indicates that the presence of such a display with a haptic engine in the Meizu Pro 6.

Still Full HD?

According to the latest set of rumours the Meizu Pro 6 will come with a Full HD (1920x1080p) display upfront. This may be disappointing for many a fans out there who are waiting for the alleged device, but do bear in mind the Xiaomi Mi5 to comes with a Full HD panel.

6GB RAM variant in cards

The latest rumour regarding the Meizu Pro 6 speculate the presence of a 6GB RAM under the hood. Just to recall another Chinese manufacturer Vivo recently pulled this feat by bundling in an equal amount of RAM in a variant of their Vivo XPlay 5S smartphone. But are you wondering whether or not you really need a 6GB of RAM? Well, don't worry you aren't alone!

May come in 128GB storage option

The Meizu Pro 6 is reported to come in two variants - the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage while a Premium variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB of memory. As expected two variants will be priced quite apart from each other.

As powerful as the Samsung Galaxy S7

If reports are to be believed the Meizu Pro 6 will come with the all new Samsung Exynos 8890 SoC under the hood. For those unaware the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge are apparently powered by the same chip especially in India and various parts of Asia. This coupled with the 6GB of RAM will make the Meizu Pro 6 a device to beat, at least on paper.

HiFi 3.0 to ensure impeccable Audio performance

Just like many other premium offering from Chinese smartphone makers the Meizu Pro 6 is rumored to sport a HiFi 3.0 certified Audio chip to provide a top notch listening experience. Well, the ZTE Axon Elite was among those rare phone who made great use of this audio technology thanks to two top of the line DACs.

Marshmallow flavoured Flyme 6.0

Android N is round the corner and it would be blunder if Meizu is planning to launch their Pro 6 with Lollipop on board. So in all probabilities Meizu Pro 6 will run on Flyme 6.0 OS on top of Android Marshmallow 6.0.1.

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Now, Facebook, Google and WhatsApp to fortify user data security News oi -GizBot Bureau

As Apple battles the US government over encryption to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a mass shooting in San Bernadino last year, top US companies Google, Facebook and Snapchat are expanding encryption of user data in their services, media reported.

According to The Guardian, while Whatsapp is set to roll out encryption for its voice calls in addition to its existing privacy features, Google is investigating "extra uses" for encryption in secure email. Social networking giant Facebook too is working on to better protect its Messenger service.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 To Have Samsung-Made Curved Display: Top 5 Features To Expect!

The popular messaging service Snapchat is also considering a more secure messaging system. Apple, which is expected to appear in a federal court in California on March 22 to fight the order, has accused the US Department of Justice (DoJ) of trying to "smear" the company with "desperate" and "unsubstantiated" claims.

It followed the Justice Department's latest court filing over its demand that Apple create software to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a mass shooting last year, BBC reported. The department said that Apple's stance was "corrosive" of institutions trying to protect "liberty and rights".

It also claims Apple helped the Chinese government with iPhone security. Apple's general counsel Bruce Sewell said: "The tone of the brief reads like an indictment." He said: "Everybody should beware because it seems like disagreeing with the Department of Justice means you must be evil and anti-American, nothing could be further from the truth."

Prosecutors claim Apple's own data shows that China demanded information from Apple regarding more than 4,000 iPhones in the first half of 2015, and Apple produced data 74 percent of the time. But Sewell said the new filing relies on thinly sourced reports to inaccurately suggest that Apple had colluded with the Chinese government to undermine iPhone buyers' security.

The US government has been fighting Apple over access to information on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers, Rizwan Farook, in December. Apple says the demands violate the company's rights.

The Department of Justice claimed in its court filing that Apple had attacked the FBI investigation as "shoddy", and tried to portray itself as a "guardian of Americans' privacy".

This "rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights: The courts, the Fourth Amendment, longstanding precedent and venerable laws, and the democratically elected branches of government," the DoJ said.

SEE ALSO: Weekly Round-Up: Top 10 Devices Launched in India

In February, the FBI obtained a court order to force Apple to write new software that would allow the government to break into the phone. The FBI wants the software to bypass auto-erase functions on the phone. Apple has argued that the government is asking for a "back door" that could be exploited by the government and criminals.

Source IANS

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Liberal Politics from the Heart of Bluegrass Country
On 7 March a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report said that the family had bought charges, including charges of defamation and mischief, against Pat Ja San members. They are accused of protesting in front the house of U Zakhung Ting, the leader of the New Democracy Army  Kachin (NDA-K) Border Guard Force and a member of the Kachin State Hluttaw (parliament), on the night of 25 February.

Waingmaw Townships PJS Committee leader Sayar Phaung La said that he was unaware of the cases bought by U Zakhung Tin Yings family in Myitkyina and denied that PJS had taken part in the protests outside the house.

He said: We havent been informed about this. [They] havent come to tell us about this. One thing though, those that threw rocks at U Zakhung Tin Yings house were not [part of] the Pat Ja San group. They were [members of] the public. We didnt lead the protest. Rather than leading the protest, we were facing difficulties in getting our members to hospital.

After being prevented from entering the Kampaiti area for a week, a PJS group left the Warshaung Gate in Waingmaw on 23 February with the police and fire brigade providing security. Two days later, on 25 February, a group made up of the Burmese Governments Border Guard Force (BGF) and Peoples Militia troops accompanied by opium farmers attacked the group with mines and guns.

On 2 March the Kachin State Police Force interviewed some PSJ leaders about the 25 February attack.

On the evening of 25 and morning of 26 February over 2,000 Mytkyina residents protested in Mytkyina against the attack on the PJS group.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-086-16 March 14, 2016

Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting With Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook provided the following readout:



Secretary Carter hosted Israeli Minister of Defense, Moshe 'Bogie' Ya'alon at the Pentagon today for a lunch and bilateral meeting. Secretary Carter reaffirmed the United States' unshakeable commitment to the security of Israel and the importance of the U.S.-Israel defense relationship. The secretary and the minister agreed to increased cooperation in the cyber domain to enhance each nation's cyber defense. Following the October visit of Minister Ya'alon to Washington, the secretary and the minister discussed a number of ways to further strengthen cooperation on a range of issues including regional security. The secretary and the minister also discussed developments in the region and agreed to continue to work closely to maintain the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/693060/

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Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 15, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Fighter aircraft conducted three strikes near Hawl, destroying seven ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Rocket artillery and attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Hit, four strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL improvised weapons factory, destroying four ISIL fighting positions and suppressing an ISIL rocket position.

-- Near Kirkuk, two strikes destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes struck an ISIL training camp and two ISIL improvised explosive device factories and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas.

-- Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two large ISIL tactical units.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Secretary General in Kabul stresses NATO commitment to Afghanistan, encourages further reforms

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

15 Mar. 2016

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed the Alliance's strong and enduring commitment to Afghanistan in talks with Afghan President Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul on Tuesday (15 March 2016).

Speaking alongside President Ghani, the Secretary General commended the courage and determination of the Afghan security forces in the fight against terrorism. He noted their progress in confronting the insurgents, and denying them lasting gains. He also welcomed that the Afghan forces are acquiring new capabilities, and stepping up their air operations. "In 2015 the Afghan Air Force flew more than 20,000 missions  more than twice as many as the year before," said Mr. Stoltenberg.

The Secretary General stressed that "Afghan forces do not stand alone," and highlighted that NATO Allies and partners have been working side-by-side with Afghanistan for over a decade. "Today, NATO continues to support the Afghan forces with training, advice and assistance through the Resolute Support mission. And we continue to provide financial support to the Afghan forces. So that the Afghan forces can become sustainable in the long-term, protecting the Afghan people and suppressing terrorism," said Mr. Stoltenberg. He added that NATO remains committed to support Afghanistan in the long-term, through political partnership and practical support.

The Secretary General, President Ghani, and Chief Executive Abdullah discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and reviewed the government's reforms. Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed the work of the National Unity Government and encouraged further progress. He stressed that Afghanistan's long-term success requires strong security institutions, stable leadership positions and effective mechanisms to root out corruption. "It means stepping up Afghan investment in the security forces. And it also means ensuring that human rights, including for women and children, are fully respected," said Mr. Stoltenberg.

Separately, the Secretary General met with General John Nicholson, the new Commander of the Resolute Support mission, and Ambassador Ismail Aramaz, NATO's Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan.

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Maritime Commander visits NATO ships in Aegean Sea

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

10 Mar. 2016

Last updated: 15 Mar. 2016 18:09

AEGEAN SEA  Commander, Allied Maritime Command (COM MARCOM), Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone visited FGS BONN, the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) on March 10 as the ship continued its activities in the Aegean Sea.

During the visit Vice Admiral Johnstone met with Rear Admiral Jorg Klein, Commander, SNMG2 to discuss BONN's current activities, and he spoke with the SNMG2 staff and the crew of BONN. He also observed a simultaneous replenishment-at-sea-maneuver (RAS) of BONN with the two frigates HS SALAMIS and TCG BARBAROS, with the British landing ship dock auxiliary (LSD(A)) MOUNTS BAY acting as lifeguard station.

"SNMG2 is demonstrating here in the Aegean how NATO can work effectively with FRONTEX and national authorities in support of the international effort against human trafficking," said Vice Admiral Johnstone. "The coordination and cooperation I've witnessed during my short time aboard is impressive, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished thus far."

"The visit of COM MARCOM shows the importance of what we are doing here. It is much easier to communicate face-to-face than by using telephone or email, especially when it comes to discussing such detailed issues," said Rear Admiral Klein. "It was also a statement to the crew and the other ships of SNMG2, to honour what they are doing."

BONN is currently patrolling the Aegean Sea, conducting reconnaissance, monitoring and surveillance activities as directed, and is sharing information with Turkish and Greek authorities and the European Union's border agency, FRONTEX, to assist in the international efforts to counter human trafficking and criminal networks in the region.

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USS Antietam, USS Mustin Named 'Battle E' Recipients of 2015

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS160315-08

Release Date: 3/15/2016 9:17:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sara B. Sexton, Task Force 70 Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Mustin (DDG 89) were named as some of the recipients of the Battle Effectiveness (Battle 'E') Award for 2015.

The Battle Effectiveness award is granted yearly for ships, submarines and other Navy units that demonstrate superior performance throughout a year-long evaluation. The evaluation is an assessment of the command's readiness to carry out its primary mission areas.

The ships are routinely deployed to participate in various missions and exercises with the U.S. Navy's allies and partners throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

Antietam, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, was previously awarded the Battle 'E' award in 2014. Antietam has played a supporting role in the 7th Fleet area of operations since 2013, where she completed a hull swap with USS Cowpens (CG 63). Antietam had the opportunity to assist in the aid mission following the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

'It's truly an honor for Antietam to be named as a 'Battle E' recipient,' said Capt. Michael McCartney, commanding officer of Antietam. 'The crew did an incredible job this year and I couldn't be more proud of the work they have accomplished.'

Mustin, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, has won the Battle 'E' award every year since 2012. Mustin joined 7th Fleet in 2006 where she has supported numerous missions including a relief mission to Bangkok, Thailand after flooding occurred in 2011. Mustin was sent to the Philippines in 2013 as part of the aid mission during the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan.

'It is truly an honor for Mustin to be selected as a 2015 Battle 'E' recipient,' said Cmdr. Thane Clarke, commanding officer of Mustin. 'The Sailors of the Mustin Nation really gave an all-in effort this past year, and I could not be more proud of all that our team has accomplished.'

Both ships are forward-deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations and operate from Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Yokosuka, Japan.

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Daesh militants fleeing Afghanistan province, says Ghani

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 4:34PM

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani says Daesh Takfiri militants are fleeing the areas under their control in the eastern Nangarhar Province following a massive military operation.

Ghani told reporters during a press briefing in Kabul on Tuesday that ground operations and aerial raids by the Afghan army had played a major role in dislodging Daesh militants from Nangarhar.

The Afghan president also attributed the success to the participation of retired commanders who had joined Afghan commandos during the offensive against the extremists.

'I promised the people of Nangarhar that no quarter would be given to Daesh, and none has been given,' Ghani said, adding, 'In Nangarhar, Daesh is on the run.'

The remarks come as Afghan forces have announced victory following a long operation in Achin, Shinwar and some other districts of Nangarhar. Daesh terror group has recently gained a foothold in Afghanistan, particularly in Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.

President Ghani has ordered the army to intensify attacks on the Daesh terrorists across the war-ravaged country.

On March 6, the president promised to turn Afghanistan into a 'graveyard' for Daesh militants.

Daesh has also been using a sophisticated social media campaign to woo local Taliban and other militants.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said in a recent report that the Daesh terrorists have killed over 600 civilians in the past six months.

According to the ministry, most of the victims were young people who refused to join the Takfiri group. The report also says 20,000 families have been internally displaced as a result of aggression perpetrated by Daesh in the past twelve months.

Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity more than 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. Although the 2001 attack overthrew the Taliban, many areas across Afghanistan still face violence and insecurity.

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107 killed in Saudi raid in Yemen's Hajjah Province

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:26PM

Saudi warplanes have pounded a crowded marketplace in the town of Mostaba in Yemen's Hajjah Province, leaving about 107 people dead.

Yemen's al-Masirah TV reported on Tuesday that a busy restaurant adjacent to the al-Khamis market was also targeted in the airstrikes.

Vendors from other places had gathered in the market to seek cover from the Saudi strikes.

At least 41 people were killed in the Saudi airstrike on the market.

Yemeni sources say Saudi jets also bombed several civilian targets in Ta'izz, Jawf and Sana'a provinces, but there was no immediate report on casualties.

In response to the Saudi aggression, Yemeni forces backed by allied Popular Committees loyal to the Houthi Ansarullah movement, killed a number of Saudi mercenaries in the city of al-Ghayl in Jawf province.

In addition, a Saudi mercenaries' commander was killed in Ta'izz province.

Saudi Arabia started its aggression in Yemen March last year to supposedly bring former president and Riyadh's ally, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, back to power.

At least 8,400 people, among them 2,236 children, have reportedly been killed and 16,015 others injured, since then.

Saudi airstrikes have also taken a heavy toll on the already impoverished country's infrastructure, destroying many reservoirs, hospitals, schools, and factories.

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Daesh killed over 600 Afghans in six months: Defense Ministry

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:56AM

Afghanistan says more than 600 civilians have been killed over the past six months at the hands of Daesh terrorists, who are trying to strengthen their foothold in the militancy-riddled country.

The Afghan Defense Ministry released the figure in a report on Tuesday and said most of the victims were young people who had refused to join the ranks of the terror group mainly operating in eastern Afghanistan.

Daesh atrocities have also rendered 20,000 families internally displaced over the past year, it added.

The militant group's stronghold is currently in the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan. It reportedly plans to establish a base of operations within the province's mountainous terrain.

Daesh, mainly active in Syria and Iraq, has been using a sophisticated social media campaign to woo the local militants, who defect from the main Taliban group.

Although Taliban leaders have warned Daesh against "waging a parallel insurgency in Afghanistan," the latter has been trying to expand its outreach there and is reported to have between 1,000 to 3,000 terrorists on its payroll.

Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror.

Parts of the country have long been considered the Taliban militant group's bastion.

Earlier in the month, however, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Afghan military forces had flushed the terrorists out of some of Nangarhar's regions, asserting, "Afghanistan will be their graveyard."

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Pentagon Says Top IS Commander Died From Air Strike Injuries

March 15, 2016

Top Islamic State commander (IS) Umar al-Shishani, also known as 'Omar the Chechen,' died from injuries he received from a U.S. air strike, Pentagon officials confirmed on March 14.

Shishani, an ethnic Chechen who was born in Georgia, was critically injured in an air strike on his convoy in northeastern Syria on March 4 and was transported to a hospital near Raqqa for treatment.

'We believe he subsequently died of his injuries,' Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.

Pentagon officials also told CNN on March 14 that Shishani died from his injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on March 13 told AFP that Shishani had been 'clinically dead' for several days, unable to breathe on his own and kept alive by a respirator.

Shishani -- the nom de guerre of Tarkhan Batirashvili -- was a former elite Georgian soldier from the Pankisi Gorge who joined IS in 2012 and was considered one of its ablest commanders.

Shishani was on the U.S. State Department's most-wanted list, with a $5 million reward on his head.

Based on reporting by AFP, CNN, and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/pentagon- says-top-islamic-state-commander-omar-the- chechen-died-from-air-strike-injuries/27611731.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Afghan Leader Claims Successes Against Taliban, IS

by Ayaz Gul March 15, 2016

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says his security forces' improved capabilities have enabled them to disperse Islamic State (IS) loyalists and deter the Taliban from threatening security, particularly in northern Afghanistan in the spring fighting season.

"I can confidently say that in Nangarhar, Daesh (Arabic acronym for IS) is on the run. It is running for cover," Ghani told reporters in Kabul Tuesday.

The eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar is where IS militants have tried to establish strongholds for spreading extremist ideology to the rest of the conflict-torn country. The Middle Eastern terror group has designated Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran as its Khorasan province.

Afghan officials insist militants claiming loyalty to IS are composed of former Taliban fighters, including those fighting the state in neighboring Pakistan.

"I promised the people of Nangarhar that there will be no quarter given to Daesh and none has been given. We have combined close air support with massive ground operations, but particularly with people's support. Seven hundred and fifty people who had retired from our commando units in one day joined and formed one of the crack divisions that now has Daesh on the run," Ghani said while speaking at a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who is on a two-day visit to Kabul.

Praises from NATO

Stoltenberg praised gains Afghan security forces have made against the armed opposition in recent months and reiterated NATO's financial and training assistance to Afghans; but, he dismissed suggestions that NATO would return to its combat role in Afghanistan if the resurgent Taliban threatens the country's national security.

The U.S.-led international military alliance ended its combat mission in December 2014 and its current force of nearly 13,000 troops is only engaged in training, advising and assisting the Afghan army and police.

"We will have, of course, assessments, we will analyze the challenges and always be open to how we can adjust but it is going to be based on a non-combat mission.... We will not go back to a combat operation," Stoltenberg added.

A United Nations report has also acknowledged recent Afghan security operations backed by international military airstrikes, as well as attacks from the Taliban, led to the concentration of IS in remote locations in Nangarhar near the border with Pakistan.

The report due to be discussed Tuesday at the Security Council highlights challenges facing the sustainability of Afghan forces.

"Critical shortcomings continue to hamper the forces in effectively addressing the threat posed by anti-government elements, including insufficient recruitment, high attrition rates and insufficient logistics and planning, and air support and coordination."

President Ghani asserted that since the beginning of the year, Afghan forces have improved security around Kabul and in northern regions, clearing them of insurgents, including the key Baghlan province. The operations, he added, have enabled security forces to prevent the Taliban from turning the region into a center for its spring attacks.

Call for talks

Ghani also repeated his call for the anti-government forces to end violence and engage in reconciliation talks with the government. Without naming neighboring Pakistan, where Taliban leaders are believed to be sheltering, Ghani urged regional countries to help in the Afghan peace efforts.

"I want to repeat, combat is not a goal in itself, stability is, peace is, prosperity is. So, we invite those states and non-state actors that are sustaining the conflict to see the logic of peace. Sponsoring non-state actors by states will boomerang as it has in the past," Ghani said.

Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government officials were due to be held in Pakistan earlier this month but the insurgent group refused to attend the meeting, citing certain preconditions.

The move has fueled concerns Afghanistan will see more violence this year, after a bloody 2015 in which security forces suffered unprecedented casualties and nearly 3,500 civilians were killed. Moreover, the fighting allowed the Taliban to control more territory than at any time since it was pushed from power in 2001.

President Ghani insists it is too early to conclude his peace initiative has failed, saying such efforts require "strategic patience."

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Last month, an anonymous work-colleague at Alberta's Party City sent's Degas Sikorski a homophobic "Valentine" that he posted last week.

Sikorski's mom posted an image of the hate-note to social media, which led to his taking up a job-offer at a local Starbucks and leaving his terrible workplace.

In the meantime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several Members of Parliament sent Sikorski their own, real, affectionate Valentine, assuring Sikorski that "your friends outnumber the haters by millions, and I am one of your friends."

He said he's dropped his plan of pursuing a police investigation, not wishing the person who defaced his Valentine to suffer a criminal record. "Whoever did it knows it was wrong," Sikorski said. Sikorski said he's still pursuing a human rights investigation against his former employer. The company issued a statement at the time saying it did not condone what happened and was committed to creating a fair and inclusive work environment.

Man who got homophobic Valentine at work gets new card signed by Justin Trudeau

[Canadian Press]
North Korea leader orders nuclear warhead test, missile launches

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:40AM

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered the country's military to prepare to conduct a nuclear warhead explosion test and multiple ballistic missile launches "in a short time."

The official North Korean KCNA news agency said on Tuesday that the order by Kim came after he supervised a successful simulated test of the atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile.

The news agency added that the preparation aimed to "further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability."

"He (Kim) instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," it said.

It also released photos of Kim observing a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine, described by the KCNA as being a warhead tip.

The announcement by Pyongyang is the latest in a series of similar remarks and warnings made on a nearly daily basis since the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed the harshest US-designed sanctions on North Korea, including bans on exports, earlier this month.

Following the Tuesday announcement by KCNA, South Korea's Defense Ministry said it had not detected any evidence that Pyongyang had acquired missile re-entry technology or the ability to guide the rocket after it re-enters the atmosphere.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye also warned that Pyongyang would lead itself to self-destruction if it failed to change its path and if it continued to act in defiance of the international community.

Last week, Kim said his country had successfully miniaturized nuclear warheads so they can be used on ballistic missiles.

Relations between North and South Korea have been turbulent for years. Seoul and Pyongyang fought a war in the early 1950s, and have been at odds ever since.

Tensions have escalated further recently following Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January and the start of joint military exercises by Washington and Seoul.

The US says Pyongyang is after developing long-range missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and can reach the US, while North Korea says its adversaries, including the US, seek to bring the regime in Pyongyang down, and it is thus strengthening itself against hostile countries.

North Korea has already been targeted with international sanctions over its nuclear and missile activities.

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North Korea Announces Creation of Nuclear Warheads' Heatproof Casing

Sputnik News

10:16 15.03.2016(updated 10:39 15.03.2016)

After successfully ground test of the heat resistant casing for the nuclear warheads, North Korea has more chances to launch its ballistic missiles into the atmosphere again, the national Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported Tuesday.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  North Korea successfully conducted ground testing of the heat resistant casing for the nuclear warheads, that would enable reentry of its ballistic missiles into the atmosphere, the national Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported Tuesday.

According to the state-run media, the testing was conducted under the personal supervision of the country's leader Kim Jong-un.

In recent months, Pyongyang has conducted a series of long-range rocket tests, and a nuclear weapons test in early January. In the past week, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased with US and South Korean military drills, and North Korea firing a number of short and medium-range rockets towards the Sea of Japan, as well as threatening to continue nuclear tests.

On March 2, the UNSC adopted the resolution which aimed to affect multiple sectors of North Korea's economy, make all cargo going to and from the country subject to inspection and limit or prohibit the nation's export of coal, iron, gold, titanium and rare natural minerals. The resolution also bans conventional arms sale as well as delivery of aviation and rocket fuel to Pyongyang.

 Sputnik

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North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Announces Nuclear Warhead Test Imminent

Sputnik News

02:33 15.03.2016(updated 10:26 15.03.2016)

Latest hostile measure comes after weeks of growing tensions between North Korea and the US-South Korea following Pyongyang's recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that Pyongyang would conduct a nuclear warhead test in the coming days and test launch ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Kim made the announcement while supervising a successful simulated test of the atmospheric reentry of a ballistic missile that measured the 'thermodynamic structural stability of newly-developed heat-resisting materials.'

Pyongyang directed the country's defense operations to make 'prearrangement' for the nuclear and ballistic missile tests in conjunction with the announcement. US and South Korean military experts still caution that the North Korean regime has failed to successfully test a miniaturized nuclear weapon nor has it mastered the re-entry technology needed to bring a payload back into the atmosphere.

Kim's regime countered last week that the country has, in fact, miniaturized a nuclear warhead. If successful, the test would signify that North Korea has become an existential threat to the people of South Korea and, potentially, those living on the US mainland.

 Sputnik

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North Korea Warns of Long Range Nuclear Missile Test Soon

by Brian Padden March 15, 2016

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday says his country will conduct tests of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles 'in a short time,' continuing a pattern of loud defiance of the international community.

This latest threat is consistent with Pyongyang's recent responses to tough new United Nations sanctions imposed upon it, and seems to be directed at skeptics who doubt the North's nuclear capabilities.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim ordered further nuclear and missile tests while witnessing a demonstration of heat-resistant materials to be used in ballistic missiles for atmospheric re-entry.

According to KCNA, Kim said "a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability."

Urging restraint

Both South Korea and Japan have urged North Korea to refrain from further violating the United Nations Security Council resolution banning Pyongyang from developing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye Tuesday said that if "North Korea will lead itself to self-destruction if it does not change and continues to make

excessive provocations and confrontation with the international community."

'We absolutely cannot allow North Korea to continue on with its provocative attitude and not abandon its nuclear missile development,' said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshide Suga.

At the same time, Seoul discounts Pyongyang's claim that it has developed missile re-entry technology.

"What North Korea announced today was North Korea's one-sided claim. Based on what our military has judged so far, North Korea has not obtained re-entry capability,' said South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun.

Unverifiable tests

North Korea has conducted four nuclear tests, and claimed its last test in January was of a significantly more powerful hydrogen bomb. But a number of experts said the blast, recorded by earthquake detectors, was too small for an H-bomb.

The North says the satellites it has launched into orbit are functioning successfully, although that has not been verified independently.

There is also widespread skepticism over North Korea's claims that it has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and that it has acquired the re-entry technology needed for a long-range missile to bring a payload back into the atmosphere.

North Korea does have the KN-08 missile that is estimated to have a range of several thousand kilometers.

But to date there have been no verifiable tests to demonstrate either long range missile or miniaturized nuclear warhead capabilities.

Credible claims

KCNA published pictures of an object described as a warhead tip, a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine and being blasted with flaming exhaust.

The photos could be mock ups intended to make the world think North Korea's nuclear program is more advanced that it is, said analyst Kim Dong-yub, with Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

"By looking at the shape, many think North Korea has completed miniaturization, but I am still skeptical whether the object is a model or is explosive," he said.

But given the advancement of the North's nuclear program in the last decade, he said, it is reasonable to conclude they have made significant progress in developing warhead miniaturization capability.

North Korea nuclear analyst Jeffrey Lewis agrees and said the photos and North Korea's nuclear claims seem credible.

"That would not be unusual for a state that has run four nuclear tests to be able to build a fission device with say about 60 centimeters in diameter, which should fit on the end of one of their missiles," said Lewis, who is director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California.

North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium to make eight to 12 nuclear bombs as well as has a stockpile of highly enriched uranium. An expanding network of tunnels has also been detected in the area where past nuclear blasts have been detonated, presumably in preparation for more tests.

North Korea has responded with defiance to new U.N. sanctions imposed this month after its nuclear test in January was followed by a long-range rocket launch in February.

This week Pyongyang claimed it could wipe out Manhattan by burning it 'down to ashes' using a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile and last week it threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike against U.S. and South Korean forces that are engaged in their annual joint military drills on the Korean peninsula.

The photos North Korea released and the tests it is planning, Lewis said, seems intended to remove any doubt over its alleged nuclear capabilities.

"What it looks like to me is the North Koreans are sort of methodically going through all the places that we expressed skepticism about, and they are releasing pictures and I suspect that will culminate in this last round of tests," he said.

The new U.N. Security Council resolution expanded existing sanctions by requiring member states to inspect all cargo to and from North Korea and banning the North's trade of coal when it is seen as funding the country's arms program.

North Korea has been unwilling to yield to the demands of the international community, even from China, its key ally and economic partner.

Instead, the Kim Jong Un government maintains it has a sovereign right to a nuclear deterrent to defend itself from threats, and to run a space program putting satellites into orbit.

Youmi Kim in Seoul contributed to this report.

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India Signs $5.5Bln-Worth of Military Procurement Deals in Six Months

Sputnik News

14:13 15.03.2016(updated 14:24 15.03.2016)

Indian defense ministry signed 28 contracts - 18 with Indian companies and 10 with firms from Russia, the United States, Sweden and Israel - totaling to approximately $5.5 billion, according to official statement.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  India, over the past six months, has signed contracts for the purchase of military equipment from domestic and foreign companies totaling to approximately $5.5 billion, the country's defense ministry said Tuesday.

In total, 28 contracts  18 with Indian companies and 10 with firms from Russia, the United States, Sweden and Israel  have been signed during this period, according to the ministry.

Russia and India have enjoyed mutually beneficial strategic relations, especially in the field of defense and military cooperation, since the 1960s.

Russia is among India's foremost weapons suppliers.

In February, the Indian Defense Ministry said that during the period 2012-2015, India signed 162 defense contracts to procure arms worth $19.5 billion, including 67 deals with foreign companies, including 18 with Russia and 17 with the United States.

 Sputnik

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Oil Prices Plummet On Fear Iran Will Torpedo Output Freeze Plan

March 15, 2016

by RFE/RL

Oil prices plummeted amid worries that the push for an output freeze by Russia and top OPEC producers could founder on opposition from Iran.

The price of premium crude fell 3 percent on March 14 and dropped further to under $40 a barrel in early trading March 15 after Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said that Tehran would not immediately join in a production freeze this year, but might join after raising its output back to levels that prevailed before economic sanctions.

Novak also pushed off until April a meeting with top OPEC producers that had been expected on March 20. But he insisted that major producers outside Iran should be able to stay on track to agree to an output freeze at that time.

'We share [the view] that Iran is in a special situation. The sanctions that had been introduced had materially hit [Iran's] output,' Novak said after meeting Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh in Tehran on March 14.

Iran's output fell to under 3 million barrels a day under the sanctions, which were officially lifted in January, from levels around 4 million before the sanctions.

'On the whole, Iran supports the need for coordination between oil exporters, including a possible freeze. But Iran's position is that they have to first restore their production volumes... After that, they are ready to join the freeze,' Novak said.

In a sign that other major producers may be willing to go along with a freeze excluding Iran, production figures published by OPEC on March 14 showed that Saudi Arabia's production has leveled out at the 10.22 million barrel level set as its potential freeze level in January.

Novak said that countries that account for near three-quarters of global oil production already have signed onto the output freeze plan, so they should go ahead with it and let Iran join later.

'I believe that the agreement can work,' he said. 'I think that Iran could join us over time.'

Moreover, if other producers do not follow through on their promised freeze, Novak warned that oil markets could become 'volatile' again like they were early this year when prices plunged to the $30 range.

Traders said the fall in Brent prices to under $40 in Asian trading March 15 showed that markets continue to be sensitive to talk of a freeze, and are skeptical that one will take hold without Iran.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/oil- prices-plummet-fear-iran-torpedo-output- freeze-plan-russia-opec/27611915.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Peshmerga forces repel Daesh attack in west Kirkuk

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:50AM

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq have thwarted an attack by Daesh terrorists on their position in the west of Kirkuk Province.

The attack targeted the Peshmerga fighters in Krawa Village in west Kirkuk on Tuesday morning, according to the Arabic-language Rudaw news website.

Colonel Sawareh Tawfiq, a commander of the Peshmerga forces, said the Takfiri militants exploited the foggy weather, which had affected visibility, and attempted to attack the Kurdish fighters, who were fully prepared.

He added that the Peshmerga thwarted the attack, killing an unspecified number of Daesh terrorists.

Meanwhile, 19 Izadi Kurds, most of them women and children, have been freed from Daesh grip.

Hussein al-Qaedi, the director of the Office of Abductees Affairs in the northern Iraqi city of Duhok, said Daesh had transferred the 19 Izadis to Syria after abducting them during an offensive in the town of Sinjar in Kirkuk in the summer of 2014.

He added that efforts made by the Office led to their freedom and that they have now returned to Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Last week, some 31 other Izadis were freed.

According to official statistics, some 6,255 Izadis have been kidnapped by Daesh and only 2,417 have been freed so far.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh terrorists began an offensive through the Iraqi territory in June 2014. Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from Popular Mobilization units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

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Suspected Daesh militants attack plant near key Libya oil field

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:7AM

Suspected Daesh terrorists have attacked a plant near a major oil field in eastern Libya but have been pushed back by security forces, witnesses say.

According to an oil field guard, whose name was not mentioned in the reports, the militants on Monday raided a power and water plant about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Sarir oil field.

The assault, which was also confirmed by an engineer and a resident, began after security forces thwarted an attempted car bombing by killing the driver of the car. They later clashed with the assailants.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack; however, Takfiri Daesh terrorists have previously targeted Libya's oil installations. Militant assaults on export terminals in the east of the country have increased over the last months.

Sarir is a strategic area in eastern Libya as over half of the country's current oil production comes from the region.

Libya has been grappling with violence and political uncertainty since its former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and later killed in 2011 amid NATO airstrikes.

Daesh took advantage of the chaos and captured Libya's northern port city of Sirte in June 2015, almost four months after it announced its presence in the city.

As chaos drags on in the North African country, its oil production has plummeted to less than a quarter of the levels before the fall of Gaddafi.

Daesh has inflicted heavy damage on Libya's oil infrastructure, but has so far been unable to take over facilities and sell oil illegally.

The UN Security Council said in a recent report that the terror group has "significantly" strengthened its foothold in Libya, voicing alarm about its attacks against Libyan oil installations as well as the massacre of Libyans.

While Daesh "does not currently generate direct revenue from the exploitation of oil in Libya, its attacks against oil installations seriously compromise the country's economic stability," the report said.

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Who Is Htin Kyaw, Myanmar's Newly Elected President?

by VOA News March 15, 2016

Myanmar's parliament voted Tuesday to elect Htin Kyaw as the country's next president.

Htin Kyaw is not a member of parliament, but he is a close confidant of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was among the first to vote in Tuesday's historic election.

Here is what is known about Htin Kyaw:

He is the second son the of the renowned Burmese Literary writer, poet, scholar and former Burmese professor Min Thu Wun, who was also an elected NLD Member of Parliament in 1990 elections from Kamayut Township, Yangon. He passed away at the age of 95 in 2004.

Htin Kyaw is the son-in-law of the late U Lwin, one of the founders of the NLD.

Writing under the pen name Dala Ban (named by his father after an ethnic Mon warrior of Myanmar's past), U Htin Kyaw's most famous book in Burmese is about the life of his father and titled: The Father's Life: Glimpses of my Father (A Ba Bawa; A Ba Ah Kyaung; Te Se, Te Saung)

Htin Kyaw was born July 20, 1946.

A timeline of Htin Kyaw's education, work:

1962: Graduated high school from English Methodist High School. Aung San Suu Kyi attended the same high schol, but Htin Kyaw was two years her junior. This Methodist missionary school later became known as Dagon High School No. 1 after the military dictator General Ne Win privatized all schools after his coup in 1962.

1962-63: Entered Rangoon University, majoring in arts.

1963-68: Attended the Institute of Economics and obtained his M. Econ (Statistics). He also taught as a tutor while attending his M. Econ (Pt. 2).

1970: Joined the Universities' Computer Center as a Programmer Analyst.

1971-72: Attended Institute of Computer Science University, London.

1973: Married Daw Su Su Lwin, who is currently chair of the Foreign Relations Committee in the lower house and a NLD MP from Thongwa Township.

1974: Attended Computer Studies in Asia Electronics Union, Tokyo, Japan.

1974-75: Obtained M. Sc Computer Science from Rangoon University.

1975-80: Named Deputy Division Chief, Heavy Industries Corporation, No. 2 Industrial Ministry.

1980-92: Named Deputy Director, FERD, (Foreign Economic Relations Dept, Planning and Treasury Ministry).

1987: Attended a course at Arthur D. Little School of Management, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1992: Resigned from Deputy Director post.

2000: Arrested on September 22, spent four months in Insein prison. He was detained together with nine activists at the Rangoon railway station while helping Aung San Suu Kyi, who planned to make a trip to Mandalay at that time.

2012-present: Executive Committee member of Daw Khin Kyi Foundation.

* Aung San Suu Kyi told her party MPs after the nominations of her party's two Vice Presidents that Htin Kyaw was chosen by her for his loyalty, his discipline and his educational background, which would befit him as the leader of a country.

This biography was compiled by the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, a charity established by Aung San Suu Kyi in 2012 in memory of her late mother, Daw Khin Kyi.

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Russia begins shipping out Syria equipment: Defense Ministry

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:8AM

Russia's Defense Ministry says the country has started shipping its military equipment and materials out of Syria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said military personnel had begun loading the devices and materials onto planes.

"Technicians at the airbase have begun preparing [the] aircraft for long-range flights to airbases in the Russian Federation" it noted, referring to the Russian Hmeimim airbase southeast of the city of Latakia in northwestern Syria.

The move came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the bulk of Syria-based Russian military forces to withdraw from the Arab country.

The drawdown, he said, could serve as a stimulus for the ongoing peace talks aimed at resolving of the five-year deadly crisis gripping Syria.

He hailed Moscow's nearly six months of aerial campaign in Syria as a positive step, saying it set the stage for the start of peace talks.

The Russian president, however, said Hmeimim and the Russian naval facility in the western Syria port of Tartus will remain operational.

The order came hours after peace talks between the Syrian government and the Saudi-backed opposition resumed in the Swiss city of Geneva.

The United Nations Security Council has said it views Moscow's decision as a positive step.

Russia launched an aerial campaign against terrorist groups in Syria last September upon a request from Damascus.

Backed by the anti-terror strikes, Syrian forces have managed to retake key areas from militants and deal heavy blows to them across the country, particularly near the borders with Turkey.

The foreign-backed conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 470,000 people, according to figures by the Syrian Center for Policy Research.

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In response to the FBI's attack on Apple's use of encryption-based security methods, some of the biggest names in technology are reported to be planning an expanded use of encryption for user data that passes through, or is stored on, their products and services.

As The New York Times reports, the DOJ is locked in a "prolonged standoff" with popular messaging service WhatsApp over access to user data.

Facebook, Google and Snapchat are among the largest tech brands working to increase privacy and security measures for users, while Apple defends against an intensifying legal assault by the U.S. government.

The Guardian reports:

The projects could antagonize authorities just as much as Apple's more secure iPhones, which are currently at the center of the San Bernardino shooting investigation. They also indicate the industry may be willing to back up their public support for Apple with concrete action. Within weeks, Facebook's messaging service WhatsApp plans to expand its secure messaging service so that voice calls are also encrypted, in addition to its existing privacy features. The service has some one billion monthly users. Facebook is also considering beefing up security of its own Messenger tool. Snapchat, the popular ephemeral messaging service, is also working on a secure messaging system and Google is exploring extra uses for the technology behind a long-in-the-works encrypted email project. Engineers at major technology firms, including Twitter, have explored encrypted messaging products before only to see them never be released because the products can be hard to use  or the companies prioritized more consumer-friendly projects. But they now hope the increased emphasis on encryption means that technology executives view strong privacy tools as a business advantage  not just a marketing pitch.

The Guardian's trend piece here does acknowledge that all of these projects began before the FBI and Justice Department entered a court battle with Apple, over demands that Apple assist the government in backdooring one of the suspected San Bernardino terrorists' iPhones.

Apple is scheduled to appear in a federal court in California later this month to fight the government's order.

Facebook, Google and WhatsApp plan to increase encryption of user data [Guardian]

Over at WIRED, Andy Greenberg spoke with Nate Cardozo, attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). "This is definitely the first in what we can be confident will be a multi-pronged attack on apps," says Nate. "The most important thing for developers to take away is that they need to develop their apps to make this kind of thing very difficult."

Cardozo warns that the WhatsApp order, coming on the heels of the Apple case, signals that the Justice Department is taking a more aggressive stance toward software companies that use end-to-end encryption to put the the power to decipher communications exclusively in device-owners hands. He says he's worked with "a handful" of those companies over the last 18 months who have all have been contacted by the FBI and warned that pedophiles, criminals or terrorists had used their privacy-preserving app, and asked that the app be re-engineered to give law enforcement access to "plaintext"decrypted communications. "They say, 'If you don't cooperate with us and modify your system to give us plaintext going forwardyou'll have to face the public consequences that the FBI can come out and say you hindered an investigation,'" Cardozo describes the FBI's position. "That's a strong threat."

Sure is.
Putin's Pullout: Behind Russia's New Syria Surprise

March 15, 2016

by Steve Gutterman

Vladimir Putin surprised his country and the world on March 14 by ordering the start of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, less than six months after the beginning of an air campaign that followed a swift and secretive buildup on the ground. What are the motives and messages behind the announcement?

A Signal To Assad

Coming on the first day of new UN-mediated talks on ending the five-year-old war in Syria, a key goal of the start of a pullout may be to make clear to President Bashar al-Assad that it is time to negotiate -- and that while Russia was willing to come to his aid and turn the war's tide when his back was to the wall, he will not have Moscow's support for the military solution he spoke of last month when he vowed to retake all of Syria.

That pledge -- which Assad delivered hours before Russia, the United States, and other powers reached agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Syria -- seemed to irk Moscow. Russian analysts have emphasized that the Kremlin cannot allow Assad to call the shots.

The caveat here -- a big one -- is that there's no way of knowing how closely Putin and Assad are huddling on plans for Syria's future. Despite Assad's claim that the withdrawal was the product of 'complete coordination' between Moscow and Damascus, the answer could conceivably lie anywhere between little or no joint planning to a detailed, long-term blueprint for military action and diplomacy -- including the talks in Geneva.

A European diplomat told Reuters that the Russian move 'has the potential to put a lot of pressure on Assad and the timing fits that,' but added, 'However, I say potentially because we've seen before with Russia that what's promised isn't always what happens.'

In any case, on the surface Putin seems to have succeeded in sending a warning to Assad without retreating an inch from Russia's insistence that his exit from power -- whether at the beginning of a transitional period, at the end, or at any other time -- cannot be a precondition of the negotiations. In case that was lost on anyone, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that when Putin phoned Assad to inform him of the decision, the two did not discuss the Syrian president's future.

A Message To The West

In addition to the start of a withdrawal of the 'main part of our military contingent' in Syria, Putin ordered an intensification of Russia's diplomatic efforts to end the war there. In Putin's mind, presumably, the West's takeaway should be that Russia is ready to give its all to the push for peace in Geneva.

On March 15, Peskov said that 'the main task today is to comprehensively assist a peace settlement.'

Whether the United States and Europe will believe that is another question. Many in the West will reserve judgment, given Russia's penchant for using past negotiations -- not only on the war in Syria, but also on the conflict in Ukraine -- to play for time and alter the military 'facts on the ground' in its favor.

While Putin's announcement seemed to take the United States by surprise, the Kremlin's assiduousness in asserting that it had nothing to do with Assad's fate was not lost on Washington. Following a telephone conversation with Putin after his announcement, the White House said that Obama 'underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria.'

But the announcement that a withdrawal is under way potentially deprives Assad's opponents of a fat target for criticism, considering that Russia's air strikes are estimated to have killed some 1,700 civilians in Syria. It also gives Russia ammunition to blame others -- the Syrian opposition, its regional backers, and the West -- if the negotiations fail.

Sop To Russians

There was no banner and no shipboard celebration, but Putin's televised statement that 'the task put before the Defense Ministry and Russia's armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled' echoed of former U.S. President George W. Bush's 'mission accomplished' moment in Iraq.

And while Western leaders have stressed that few of Russia's bombs have targeted Islamic State militants, Putin's boast that Russia helped Syrian forces 'achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism' may have found more sympathetic ears at home. Russia's state TV audience is also being fed the more contentious claim that they did so with no collateral damage.

Not everybody in Russia is convinced. In a blog post on the website of Ekho Moskvy radio, journalist Arkady Babchenko contrasted countries whose decisions on military action play out in public over weeks or months with Russia, where 'nothing was portended in the morning...and in the evening it was suddenly, 'Honey, we won the war in Syria!''

He said Putin left many questions unanswered: 'What aims did we achieve, how many people did we kill, who did we kill, how many people did we lose, why did we go in, why are we going out?'

But Putin may be satisfied that he can tell Russians he has avoided a quagmire, improved Moscow's position in the Middle East, and boosted its clout worldwide.

Putin has said the costs of Russia's military operations in Syria are manageable. But even if you take that claim at face value, cutting those outlays won't hurt his image at a time when persistent economic problems are hitting many Russians hard.

It's The Sanctions, Stupid

Russia's economic woes stem largely from the collapse in world prices for oil, its chief export, but the sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and other countries over Moscow's interference in Ukraine have also had an effect -- along with the restrictions Putin slapped on many Western food imports as a retaliatory measure.

Russia denies any link between its actions in Ukraine and Syria, and Western countries including the United States say there can be no quid-pro-quo deals with the Kremlin.

But Putin may hope that a partial pullout from Syria will make Russia look more like part of the solution than part of the problem, and nudge the EU -- where there are already cracks in the resolve to continue punishing Russia for its seizure of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine -- to lift sanctions that come up for renewal in July. Italy and Hungary said on March 14 that there could be no automatic extension of the sanctions.

Putin may also believe that he has increased his chances of achieving what is widely perceived as a major goal for Russia -- a seat beside the United States in working out global and regional problems, but from a stronger position now that it has shown it will use force when it sees fit.

Fine Print And Footprints

The headlines have screamed 'withdrawal,' but Russia is not planning a full pullout.

Putin also said forces would remain at the Mediterranean seaport of Tartus, which Russia's navy has used since long before the war, and at the Hmeimim air base in Latakia Province. Russia will keep about 1,000 military personnel at the two bases, a senior lawmaker said on March 15.

With the outcome of the negotiations in Geneva, the fate of Assad, and even the future territorial integrity of Syria still hard to predict, the bases could give Russia a substantial military presence in a key part of the volatile country for years to come.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-syria-putin- whats-behind-pullout-surprise/27612785.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Can't Touch This! Russian Armata Tanks to Get New Active Protection System

Sputnik News

12:42 15.03.2016

Russian armored units based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform will get new upgraded active protection systems by the end of the year.

The new ultraviolet (UV) detectors soon to be installed on T-14 Armata battle tanks and T-15 Armata heavy infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) can detect rockets and grenades approaching from any direction, thus drastically improving the vehicles' active protection systems' efficiency.

'The UV detectors have already been installed both on the T-14 tank and on the T-15 IFV and are currently undergoing tests as part of the Afganit active protection system. We intend to complete the project by the end of the year,' a source in the Defense Ministry who is familiar with the issue told Izvestia newspaper.

The new detectors trace the UV photons in the trail of ionized air left by a rocket-propelled projectile. The system doesn't just detect a rocket launch; it evaluates the projectile's speed and trajectory, supplying the active protection system with all the data it requires to successfully intercept a threat.

According to the newspaper, the Afganit active protection system previously relied only on small radars installed on four sides of a vehicle to detect incoming projectiles. However, this radar system could theoretically be 'confused' by a large volley of shells, rockets and even fragments of debris flying around during a battle, or even suppressed by enemy electronic countermeasures. The addition of these new UV detectors, however, drastically improves Afganit's efficiency, thus increasing a combat vehicle's chances of survival during fighting.



 Sputnik

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Putin Orders Withdrawal of Russian Forces from Syria

by Jonas Bernstein March 14, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, as new U.N.-mediated peace talks on Syria began in Geneva.

Russian state media quoted Putin Monday as telling Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the tasks assigned to the defense ministry in Syria have been fulfilled.

'Therefore, I am issuing an order to, starting tomorrow, begin the withdrawal of the bulk of our military contingent from the Syrian Arab Republic,' Putin told the ministers.

The Kremlin's website quoted Putin as telling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a phone conversation that he would withdraw the 'main part' of the Russian air force contingent operating in Syria.

In Damascus, the office of Syria's presidency said Assad agreed to the move, but added that Russia had promised that its air force contingent will not leave the country altogether.

Russia's announcement comes as Syrian peace talks, sponsored by Russia and the Untied States, began Monday in Geneva, the first talks in more than two years. U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura warned that if the talks fail, 'the only plan B available is return to war.'

The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama called Putin Monday to discuss Russia's announcement of a withdrawal, and to talk about how to advance the political negotiations for Syria.

A U.S. official tells VOA that so far there is "no indication" Russian forces are getting ready to pull out of Syria. "There have been no signals of retrograde or withdrawal," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The official added that while there had been no significant recent additions to the Russian force deployed in Syria, so-called "sustainment operations" - the influx of supplies needed to maintain its current force posture - had been continuing.

The Kremlin's website quoted Putin as saying Russia would maintain a 'post' for supporting flights of aircraft involved in monitoring compliance with the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Monday that Russia is making this move to withdraw its forces from Syria because 'we are in the political mode now, in the cessation of hostilities mode.' He said, 'Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve [a] political settlement in Syria.'

He said 'Our forces have operated very effectively. Our military presence will continue to be there; it will be directed mostly at making sure the cease-fire, cessation of hostilities is maintained.'

Syrian opposition spokesman Salim al-Muslat cautiously welcomed Putin's move. 'We have to be sure about the nature of this decision and what it means. If there is a decision to pull troops, then this is positive. We have to see that translated on the ground and whether it's a decision to withdraw troops or to reduce the number of warplanes in Syria,' he said.

National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin and United Nations Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

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Syria victorious in mini-world war: Iran official

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:40PM

The Syrian people have so far been triumphant in the "mini-world war" waged by foreign parties in their country, a senior adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, says.

"Although a lot of damage has been inflicted on Syria, this country stood up against these serious acts of aggression which constitute a mini-world war and emerged victorious," Ali Akbar Velayati said in a Tuesday meeting with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad in Tehran.

He expressed confidence that the Syrian government and nation would achieve a final victory against enemies with the support of their allies including Iran, Russia, Iraq, Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah and some Arab countries.

He emphasized that Iran and Syria have always been in a united front against enemies and have been deepening their relations.

Velayati said the region could have faced a different situation had Iran, Syria, Iraq and Hezbollah failed to cooperate with each other.

He added that enemies have failed in their objective to annihilate Syria both at regional and international levels.

The Velayati-Mekdad meeting comes as a new round of UN-mediated peace talks between the Syrian government and foreign-backed opposition groups started on Monday. Negotiations are expected to end by March 24.

Damascus wants the negotiations to result in the establishment of a 'unity government' followed by appointment of a committee to either write a new constitution or make changes to the current one.

Iran likewise says the decision on Assad's fate is up to the Syrian people and supports the Syrian army and its allies in their fight against foreign-backed militants.

The last round of UN-sponsored peace negotiations fell apart early in February after the Saudi-backed so-called opposition, known as the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), left the talks amid the Syrian army's Russia-backed gains against militants on several fronts.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country's pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey have widely been blamed for the surge in the deadly militancy in Syria as they have been supporting militants with funds, training and weapons.

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Daesh commander alive with no injuries, report says

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:12PM

News of the death of a senior commander of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in a US airstrike in Syria is rejected, a report says.

Abu Omar al-Shishani "had not been exposed to any injury," the Daesh-affiliated Amaq news agency quoted an unidentified source as saying on Tuesday.

Last week, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said a US airstrike targeted Shishani on March 4 near Syria's northeastern town of Shaddadah.

The red-bearded ethnic Chechen had been sent to Shaddadah to revive Daesh militants following a series of strategic defeats, Cook added.

Backed by Russia's airstrikes, Syrian forces have recently managed to retake key areas from militants and deal heavy blows to them across the country.

On Tuesday, US Army Colonel Steve Warren, the spokesman for the US-led coalition purportedly fighting against Daesh, said the alliance was able to 'assess that he (Shishani) is dead' and that it 'got the word Monday morning.'

Meanwhile, Rami Abdurrahman, with the Britain-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said after Shishani was hurt, Daesh 'brought a number of doctors to treat him, but they were not able to.' The Daesh commander died in a hospital in the eastern suburbs of the Syrian city of Raqqah, Abdurrahman added.

In addition, an unnamed Iraqi intelligence official said Shishani was buried in Dayr al-Zawr on Tuesday.

Shishani, whose real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili, was born in 1986 in Georgia, which was then part of the Soviet Union.

He has a reputation as a close military adviser to the so-called Daesh leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

He earlier served as the terrorist group's military commander for the territory it controls in Syria, but later became the commander of Daesh ground forces, according to reports.

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Syria forces backed by Russian airstrikes advance toward Palmyra

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:48PM

Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes have made major gains to the west of the central city of Palmyra, which is held by the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, a report says.

The Syrian troops were supported by "heavy air cover from Russian jets," the Lebanese satellite television station affiliated with the resistance movement of Hezbollah reported on Tuesday.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the bulk of Syria-based Russian military forces to withdraw from the conflict-ridden country. The pullout process started on Tuesday.

Putin's order came hours after the new round of indirect peace talks between the Damascus government and the foreign-backed opposition, aimed at resolving the five-year deadly crisis in Syria, resumed in Geneva, Switzerland.

The negotiations are underway as a ceasefire has stood in Syria since February 27.

UN, EU welcome Russia's Syria pullout

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said the Russian drawdown was a "significant development."

"We hope it will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva aimed at achieving a political solution to the Syrian conflict and a peaceful political transition in the country," de Mistura said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The European Union also welcomed Russia's announcement that it was pulling out its troops from Syria.

Catherine Ray, a spokeswoman for the EU's foreign service, said, 'Any steps that help achieve de-escalation of violence inside Syria and the prolongation of the cessation of hostilities is very important for the overall peace process.'

Russia launched an aerial campaign against terrorist groups in Syria last September upon a request from Damascus.

According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people and displaced nearly half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

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Russia military withdrawal from Syria positive sign: Zarif

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:32AM

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hailed as a "positive sign" Russia's decision to begin withdrawing its troops from conflict-stricken Syria, where a ceasefire extends into a third week.

"The fact that Russia announced they are withdrawing part of its forces indicates that they don't see an imminent need for resort to force in maintaining the ceasefire," said Zarif during his visit to Australia on Tuesday.

"That in and of itself could be a positive sign. We have to wait and see," added the top Iranian diplomat.

The Russian military has begun a partial withdrawal from Syria after a Monday order by President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president, who announced the decision in a televised meeting with Russia's foreign and defense ministries, hailed Moscow's nearly six months of air campaign in Syria as a positive step, saying it created conditions for peace talks.

Putin, however, did not elaborate on the number of planes and troops to be withdrawn from Syria in the first phase of the pullout.

Putin's order came hours after peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition resumed in the Swiss city of Geneva amid a recently-brokered ceasefire in the Arab country.

The United Nations Security Council has said it views Moscow's decision as a positive step.

The ceasefire agreement in Syria, mediated by Russia and the United States, entered into force on February 27.

Since late September 2015, Russia has been conducting airstrikes against foreign-backed militants in Syria upon a request by the Damascus government.

Backed by the anti-terror strikes, Syrian forces have managed to retake key areas from militants and deal heavy blows to them across the country, particularly near the borders with Turkey.

The foreign-backed conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 470,000 people, according to figures by the Syrian Center for Policy Research.

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Syria denies Russia troops withdrawal linked to disagreement

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:45AM

Damascus has denied that Russia's announcement to withdraw its military forces from the Arab country "reflects a Syrian-Russian difference."

Syria confirms that Russia's 'decision to reduce forces' was made 'in complete coordination between the Russian and Syrian sides, and is a step that was carefully and accurately studied for some time,' read a statement released by the Syrian presidential office on Monday.

The Syrian army also released a statement stressing that it will continue fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, 'and other terrorist groups linked to them.'

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that 'the main part' of the Russian forces would start to withdraw from Syria, and that diplomats had been called upon to increase their efforts for a peaceful solution to the five-year-long conflict.

"With the tasks set before the Defense Ministry and the military largely fulfilled, I'm ordering the defense minister to start the pull-out of the main part of our group of forces in Syria, beginning tomorrow," he said.

Following the announcement, the Kremlin released a statement saying that Putin and US President Barack Obama had discussed the move during a phone conversation.

'The presidents called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement to the Syria conflict, and voiced their support for the UN talks starting in Geneva between the Syrian government and opposition,' read the statement.

Meanwhile, Russia's envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin announced that the decision would aid the peace talks.

'Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria,' he said adding, 'We are in the political mode now, in the cessation of hostilities mode.'

The envoy noted that a Russian military presence will remain in Syria but "will be directed mostly at making sure that the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities, is maintained.'

A ceasefire agreement, brokered by Russia and the US, entered into force in Syria late last month. The truce has been largely holding, resulting in a dramatic drop in civilian casualties.

In response to Russia's announcement, the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said that the withdrawal would be positive for the peace talks.

'If there is seriousness in implementing the withdrawal, it will give the talks a positive push,' said Salim al-Muslat, the spokesman for the Saudi-backed group.

A fresh round of Syrian peace talks began in Geneva on Monday after the first round collapsed in early February as the HNC left the negotiations amid gains made by the Syrian army against militants on several fronts.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country's pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

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Russia Says Forces Have Begun Drawdown In Syria

March 15, 2016

by RFE/RL

Russian has begun the withdrawal of military assets from Syria following an order by President Vladimir Putin, according to statements by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russian media showed the first group of Su-34 strike fighters returning to a Russian air base near Voronezh on March 15 and being greeted by Air Force commander General Viktor Bondaryov. Earlier, Russian state television showed three Su-34s taking off from Russia's air base in Syria.

But Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said at a ceremony honoring the departing pilots that remaining Russian forces in Syria still 'have the task of continuing to strike terrorist targets,' including the militant group Islamic State (IS) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, as well as other UN-designated terrorist groups.

Pankov suggested it would be premature to speak in terms of a victory over terrorism.

The move comes more than five months after Moscow began its aerial bombing campaign in Syria, declaring its aims as bolstering the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and 'fighting international terrorism.'

On March 14, Putin announced Russia would be withdrawing most of its forces from Syria and said the objectives of the operation had been 'generally accomplished.'

Putin's order came as internationally brokered talks began in Geneva in a bid to reach a political resolution to Syria's civil war. Those talks were resuming for a second day on March 15.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin will not speculate on future actions in Syria, adding that 'the main task today is to comprehensively assist a peace settlement.'

Russia has been conducting air strikes in Syria since September 30. Moscow says it has been targeting terrorists, including IS. But Western countries counter that Russia has spent much of its effort attacking anti-Assad forces, some of whom are supported by the United States and its allies in an effort to see Assad removed from power.

Viktor Ozerov, head of the Russian Federation Council's Defense Committee, said Moscow will keep about 1,000 military personnel at its two bases in Syria. He said some 800 troops are required to secure the naval base at Tartus and the Hmeimim air base in Latakia Province. In addition, air crews will remain to conduct reconnaissance missions.

The United States estimates there were between 3,000 and 6,000 Russian troops in Syria before the beginning of the current drawdown. It is estimated Russia has stationed some 50 jets and helicopters at Hmeimim. Russia has also deployed the advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile system at the base.

The United Nations envoy on the Syrian crisis, Staffan de Mistura, issued a statement saying he hopes Moscow's decision 'will have a positive impact on the progress of negotiations.'

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that 'if the announcement of a withdrawal of Russian forces materializes, this increases the pressure on President Assad to finally negotiate in a serious way.'

A spokesman for the representative organ of the main Syrian opposition groups, the High Negotiations Committee, told reporters in Geneva that 'we must verify the nature of this decision and its meaning.'

Assad's office reported that he and Putin had spoken by telephone on March 14 and had agreed on the plan to reduce Russia's presence in Syria. The statement said the decision reflected the 'successes' that have been achieved in combating terrorism and regaining government control over key areas of the country.

Russian State Duma deputy Aleksei Pushkov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Twitter that Russia's operations 'alone have created conditions for a cessation of hostilities and negotiations in Syria.'

With reporting by RFE/RL's Current Time, AP, Interfax, and TASS

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-syria- withdrawal-drawdown-begins/27612400.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kurds Notify Russian, US Centers of Turkey Violating Ceasefire in Syria

Sputnik News

19:54 15.03.2016

People's Protection Units (YPG) officials sent the ceasefire coordination centers a notice that Turkey violated ceasefire in Syria by shelling of YPG positions.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Kurdish self-defense forces notified Russian and US reconciliation centers of Turkey violating the cessation of hostilities in Syria, People's Protection Units (YPG) officials in Moscow said Tuesday.

'The YPG command sent the ceasefire coordination centers a notice of a ceasefire violation. It states that 'Turkish army soldiers fired at YPG positions on the outskirts of a village north of the Hasakah province near the town of Amuda at 20:45 [18:45 GMT] on March 14',' YPG officials told RIA Novosti.

The representatives speculated that the reason behind Turkish violations may have been to ensure security amid construction of a wall along the Turkish-Syrian border for protection against Syrian Kurds.

Russia and the United States maintain regional coordination centers open to groups joining the February 27 truce between Syrian government and rebel forces.

Despite intermittent violations, the cessation of hostilities has been described as largely holding.

 Sputnik

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Ian Clark's long academic paper in the Journal of Radical Librarianship takes a while to get to the point, but when it arrives, it's a very, very good one: in the post-Snowden era, we can no longer address the "digital divide" just by providing access  we also have to teach people how their online usage is spied on, how that will harm them, and what to do about it.

In the US, there are ongoing efforts to ensure that individuals' intellectual privacy is protected. Despite the aggressive pursuit of surveillance powers by the UK government, there are currently no such efforts in the UK to provide individuals with the tools to access information online freely and without fear of reprisals. This inaction is at odds with the stated principles of organisations such as Ifla and Cipfa who endorse the right for individuals to access information online confidentially. At present, this is not possible in the UK as the public library network does not ensure the privacy of those who use it, thus inhibiting intellectual privacy. The situation is exacerbated by the outsourcing of digital skills support to companies with a vested interest in not introducing individuals to encryption technologies because it will inhibit the companies' ability to generate profit.

However, there are feasible actions that could be taken now. Defaulting to privacy enhancing search engines such as DuckDuckGo would ensure the protection of the intellectual privacy of users, as would the incorporation of the HTTPS protocol on websites and the use of ad-blockers on browsers. However, these are only first steps towards protecting the intellectual privacy of users. Efforts are already taking place in the UK to provide training on online privacy tools such as Tor Browser (Brass Horn Communications, 2015). Librarians should investigate the possibilities to work with such organisations to protect users, either within the context of their working environment, or as professionals seeking to ensure the privacy of individuals more broadly. Consequently, librarians should commit to familiarising themselves with existing privacy enabling tools to ensure they can advocate for them and provide support in their use. They should also seek to work with open-source developers to deliver products that provide a better user experience, helping to "professionalize the practice of open-source development" (Sinclair Brody, 2016). As various professional organisations have stated the need to ensure intellectual privacy, there is a responsibility for library and information professionals in a post-Snowden environment to take steps to tackle this aspect of digital inequality. Librarians have played a key role in tackling digital inequality and must continue to work to eradicate such inequality, ensuring autonomy of internet use and supporting citizens in protecting themselves from mass state and corporate surveillance.
Syrian Ceasefire Turns Violent Rebels Against Each Other

Sputnik News

17:06 15.03.2016(updated 18:38 15.03.2016)

The largely observed ceasefire in Syria has apparently forced some rebel groups which were fighting together against the government troops to use their violence against each other. When Division 13 of the Free Syrian Army and the al-Nusra Front clashed, the jihadists had to escape from a town in Idlib Province.

Reports have emerged that jihadists from the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, who have been stationed in the town of Maarat al-Numan had to escape and retreat deeper into Idlib Province due to the threats made by Division 13 of the Free Syrian Army.

A video posted on social media shows an attack on the jihadist group headquarters in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib Province and a few buildings being set on fire.

Some of the al-Nusra Front headquarters were completely burned, according to media reports.

Hundreds of people took to the street in Syria's northwestern Idlib Province on Monday, denouncing what they described as the "aggression of the al-Nusra Front against civilians and moderate rebels," according to reports by the Syrian news agency ARA News.

The protests came two days after the al-Nusra insurgents stormed the headquarters of Division 13, which operates under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), where clashes claimed the lives of dozens of fighters on both sides, the agency quotes rights activist Samer Idlibi as saying.

"Division 13 is an FSA group that is backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and received US-delivered TOW anti-tank rockets," ARA News in Idlib quotes al-Nusra member Abu Saeed al-Holandi as saying.

The TOW-rockets, it specified, played a major role in expelling the Syrian government from the province of Idlib.

"The protest, which included women and children, roamed the city's streets under the protection of FSA rebels," media activist Mohammed Fawzo told ARA News, pointing out "the protesters forced the al-Nusra militants to release four civilians who were detained by the group last week."

"The angry protesters stormed several headquarters of al-Nusra without any intervention from the militants," according to an eyewitness the agency interviewed without revealing his name.

The al-Nusra insurgents, the agency explains, had captured the headquarters of Syrian rebels two days ago and raised their black banners on the building tops.

Reports suggest that al-Nusra has apparently posted an official announcement as a follow up to the attacks, claiming that the ceasefire has resulted in provocations and discrepancies between the rebel groups. The group says it was a "planned action" aimed at "weakening" their forces in the fight against the Syrian government and Russia.

 Sputnik

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Russian Campaign in Syria Disrupts Terrorists' Expansion Plans

Sputnik News

14:24 15.03.2016(updated 15:38 15.03.2016)

Russia's air campaign in Syria prevented terrorist plans to expand into Russia and other countries, as well as undermined their administrative system and economic potential, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said Tuesday.

HMEYMIM (Sputnik)  Speaking at a ceremony marking the completion of the Russian air group's mission at Hmeimim base, Pankov told reporters the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian military caused major harm to terrorists' plans to expand into other regions, including Russia.

'At the same time, both our soldiers and our Syrian colleagues have demonstrated decisiveness and skill, boldness and bravery, courage and heroism,' he stressed.

The deputy minister noted that both the pilots and support units deserved high praise from Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Earlier in the day, two air groups involved in the 5.5-month counterterrorist mission in Syria left Hmeimim on Putin's late Monday orders to begin the withdrawal of major portions of the country's forces after completing their objectives.

Putin said the remaining groupings in Hmeimim and the naval base in the port of Tartus would play a key role in monitoring the cessation of hostilities between Syrian government and rebel forces effective since February 27.

Shoigu said late on Monday the Aerospace Forces' mission was successful in disrupting terrorist arms and ammunition supplies, cutting off smuggled oil channels and force back terrorist groups in a number of Syrian provinces.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Army Recaptures Part of Highway East of Deir Ez-Zor From Daesh

Sputnik News

14:20 15.03.2016(updated 14:37 15.03.2016)

The Syrian army has regained a section of an Eastern Syrian highway from the Daesh terrorist group, a local source told Sputnik on Tuesday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik)  The Syrian army has recaptured a section of a highway in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor province from the Daesh terrorist group, a local source told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"The army [re]gained control over a part of the highway linking the Al-Tim oil field and the city of Mayadin near the city of Deir ez-Zor,' the source said.

According to the source, fierce fighting in the operation resulted in multiple casualties among the Daesh militants.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting several opposition factions and extremists. The government-held city of Deir Ez-Zor, where a population of 200,000 is believed to be at risk of starvation, has been under siege from Daesh since July 2014.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force on February 27 across Syria. It was supported by Damascus, as well as by dozens of opposition groups on the ground. Daesh and the Nusra Front, both outlawed in Russia, have been excluded from the deal.

 Sputnik

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Russian Su-24, Su-25, Su-34 Warplanes Leaving Hmeymim Airbase in Syria

Sputnik News

12:45 15.03.2016(updated 12:55 15.03.2016)

Russian Su-24 attack aircraft, Su-25 close air support jets and Su-34 fighter-bombers are being withdrawn from the Hmeymim airbase in Latakia, according to media reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia's Su-24, Su-25 and Su-34 warplanes are leaving the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, a Russian broadcaster reported Tuesday.

Russian Su-24 attack aircraft, Su-25 close air support jets and Su-34 fighter-bombers are being withdrawn from the Hmeymim airbase in Latakia, Rossiya-24 news channel said, citing its corespondent reporting from the scene.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the first group of Russian aircraft had left the base. The group included Tu-154 transport aircraft, and several Su-34 jets.

Late on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Defense Ministry to withdraw the bulk of the Russian military contingent in Syria. Russia's seven-month aerial campaign in Syria has, on the whole, accomplished its objectives, Putin said.

Later, the chair of the Russian Federation Council's Committee on Defense and Security said that around 1,000 Russian service personnel and some reconnaissance aircraft would remain at the Hmeymim and Tartus bases. The remaining forces are due to monitor the ongoing ceasefire in Syria.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with opposition factions and radical Islamists fighting the Syrian Army. Russia's Aerospace Forces have been conducting an aerial campaign against terrorist groups in Syria since September 30, 2015, at President Bashar Assad's request.

 Sputnik

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First Russian Warplanes Arrive Home as Syrian Withdrawal Starts

by VOA News March 15, 2016

The first wave of Russian warplanes arrived home Tuesday from Syria, following President Vladimir Putin's surprise announcement to withdraw most of his forces from the Middle Eastern country after a five-and-a-half-month operation.

Russian television showed three Su-34 fighter planes landing at an air base in the southern part of the country, with pilots in white helmets and aviator jackets mobbed by supporters on their arrival and thrown into the air in celebration. Amid waving Russian flags and red, white and blue balloons, a brass band played the Stalin-era 'March of the Aviators' and the Russian national anthem.

Geneva peace talks

At Syrian peace talks in Geneva, the main Syrian opposition cautiously greeted Putin's troop withdrawal, saying it could lead to an end to five years' of fighting and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's 'dictatorship and his crimes.'

But Damascus has rejected any notion Assad is willing to relinquish power.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, called Putin's announcement a 'significant development' and said he hopes it will lead to 'a peaceful political transition in the country.'

France also expressed cautious optimism, with its foreign ministry saying that if the Russian troop reduction is 'followed up by concrete action, it would be a positive development.'

Some military personnel to stay

Despite the initial withdrawal, Russia plans to keep about 1,000 military personnel at air and naval bases in Syria. The United States has estimated that Moscow has had between 3,000 and 6,000 troops in Syria.

In Syria, deputy defense minister Nikolai Pankov told Russian news agencies, 'It is still too early to speak of victory over terrorism. The Russian air group has a task of continuing to strike terrorist targets.'

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday its first group of planes left Syria following President Vladimir Putin's announcement he was withdrawing most of his forces after a 5-month operation.

The aircraft left Hmeymim airbase in Syria's western Latakia province to fly back to Russia.

White House reaction

The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama called Putin Monday to discuss Russia's announcement of a withdrawal, and to talk about how to advance the political negotiations for Syria.

In Damascus, the office of Syria's presidency said Assad agreed to Russia's decision, but added that Russia had promised its air force contingent that arrived in late September will not leave the country altogether.

The Kremlin's website quoted Putin as saying Russia would maintain a 'post' for supporting flights of aircraft involved in monitoring compliance with the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Monday that Russia is making this move to withdraw its forces from Syria because 'we are in the political mode now, in the cessation of hostilities mode.'

'Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve [a] political settlement in Syria,' Churkin said. 'Our forces have operated very effectively. Our military presence will continue to be there; it will be directed mostly at making sure the cease-fire, cessation of hostilities is maintained.'

Syrian opposition spokesman Salim al-Muslat cautiously welcomed Putin's move.

'We have to be sure about the nature of this decision and what it means. If there is a decision to pull troops, then this is positive. We have to see that translated on the ground and whether it's a decision to withdraw troops or to reduce the number of warplanes in Syria,' al-Muslat said.

National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin and United Nations Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

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Turkey Kurds full of feelings of vengeance: PKK leader

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 15, 2016 2:18PM

A top militant from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has warned the Turkish government to expect payback for the ongoing military offensive in the southeastern Kurdish-majority regions.

In an interview published in Britain's Times daily Tuesday, Cemil Bayik stressed that the PKK militants were now justified in taking any course of action against Turkish forces.

'The Turks looted and burnt everything they could in the Kurdish cities on which curfews were imposed,' Bayik said, adding, 'Until recently the war with the Turkish army occurred just in the mountains. Then it moved to towns and cities. Now there will be fighting everywhere.'

'At this moment in the struggle, anything our guerrillas are ordered to do will be legitimate.'

The 65-year-old also warned that the Turkish government forces should expect vengeance, saying, 'So now our people are full of feelings of vengeance, calling on our guerrillas to avenge them. This is a new era of the people's struggle.'

He also accused administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of curbing democratic forces across Turkey.

'If Erdogan defeats us, then he can defeat everyone in Turkey who wants democracy, so our main aim now is the fall of Erdogan, ' Bayik said, noting, 'Our fight is now existential: to be or not to be.'

The remarks come as the Turkish military has stepped up its military campaign against PKK militants after a huge bomb attack hit a busy square in the capital Ankara over the weekend, leaving 37 people dead and 125 others wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but security officials say initial findings suggest the two perpetrators of the car bombing were linked to the PKK.

Since Monday, Ankara has also increased its aerial raids against PKK positions in northern Iraq.

The developments come as Ankara has been imposing curfews in several mainly-Kurdish towns in its southeast since August last year.

The operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern Turkish town of Suruc. More than 30 people died in the attack, which the Turkish government blamed on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

After the bombing, the Kurdish militants, who accuse the Turkish government of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of attacks against Turkish police and security forces, prompting the Turkish military operations in return.

The PKK militants have had ambitions for an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since the 1980s.

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Leaders Attend Nuclear Deterrent Symposium

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS160315-01

Release Date: 3/15/2016 9:00:00 AM

By Lt. Cmdr. Michael Smith, Commander, Submarine Group 9 Public Affairs

SILVERDALE, Wash. (NNS) -- The 10th biannual Nuclear Deterrent Symposium was held at the Silverdale Beach Hotel Ballroom March 11, to discuss the future of U.S. strategic forces.

Sponsored by the Air Force Association, National Defense Industrial Association and Reserve Officers Association, this year's symposium was titled 'The Benefits of Strategic Nuclear Deterrence: Modernizing the Triad and Nuclear Deterrent Enterprise.'

It provided an unclassified forum for policymakers and experts in nuclear matters to discuss issues about the current and future posture of U.S. strategic forces, with the primary focus on the nation's sea-based leg of the triad.

The United States currently maintains a nuclear triad, or a system of delivery vehicles comprised of a sea, land, and air deterrents, based on Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), intercontinental ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers.

Rear Adm. David Kriete, commander, Submarine Group 9, welcomed over 150 military, government officials, and representatives from various industries and academia to the conference. Kriete is responsible for all submarine matters in the Pacific Northwest. He opened the discussion by highlighting the importance of strategic deterrence and the nuclear triad.

'We are focused on the strategic mission every single day,' said Kriete. 'Our SSBN [ballistic-missile submarine] crews are dedicated to excellence in every facet of operations. They exercise diligence, rigor and adherence to very high standards of performance. These efforts are tried and true at maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent.'

Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, director, Strategic Systems Programs, and Rear Adm. Charles A. Richard, director, Undersea Warfare Division (N97) also provided remarks.

Haney, the event's keynote speaker, discussed strategic deterrence in an uncertain world.

'Nuclear deterrence in the triad remains a vital and essential element of our national security,' said Haney. 'Make no mistake, today U.S. strategic commands are a ready force capable of delivering comprehensive warfighting solutions for the commander in chief.'

One of the key purposes of U.S. submarine forces is to provide conflict deterrence through the use of undersea advantages, which provide a survivable strategic deterrent that deters both nuclear and conventional conflict.

Richard provided updates on the progress of the Ohio Replacement Program. Richard stressed the importance of maintaining the current schedule for the Ohio Replacement Program in order to meet future strategic commitments.

'The Navy is answering the bell,' said Richard. 'The Ohio Replacement, specifically, is the department's number one priority. We recognize it as foundational to our survival as a nation.'

The Navy's ballistic missile submarines, often referred to as 'boomers,' serve as an undetectable launch platform for intercontinental missiles. They are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads. Naval Submarine Base Kitsap-Bangor is one of only two locations that are home to Ohio-class Trident ballistic-missile submarines.



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English Latvian

Olaine, 2016-03-15 22:11 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

February 2016, consolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to February 2015 Share in total sales Latvia 2 282 21% 28% Russia 2 125 -59% 26% Ukraine 1 580 -8% 19% Belarus 923 17% 11% The Netherlands 255 -59% 3% Kazakhstan 182 8% 2% Uzbekistan 165 387% 2% Tajikistan 135 NA 2% Lithuania 125 16% 2% Other 456 -83% 6% Total 8 226 -28% 100%

Sales of pharmacy chain of SIA Latvijas aptieka during February 2016 were 1.74 million euro, which represents an increase by 30% compared to February of 2015. Sixty-two pharmacies were operating during this period. Sales of SIA Silvanols in February 2016 were 0.47 million euros, which represents an increase by 9% compared to February of 2015. During February of 2016, SIA Silvanols was selling its products to four European countries and with assistance from AS Olainfarm also to Azerbaijan and Belarus.

According to preliminary consolidated results, sales of the group of AS Olainfarm during two months of 2016 were 17.06 million euros, which represents a reduction by 11% compared to the same period of 2015. The biggest sales increase during this period was achieved in Poland, where sales grew by 226%. Sales to Belarus increased by 164%, sales to Kazakhstan increased by 75%. During two months of 2016, significant shipments were also made to Germany and Tajikistan. Major sales markets of AS Olainfarm during two months of 2016 were Latvia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the UK.

2 months of 2016, consolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to 2 months of 2015 Share in total sales Latvia 4 397 10% 26% Russia 4 385 -41% 26% Belarus 2 443 164% 14% Ukraine 2 366 -17% 14% UK 893 6% 5% Kazakhstan 389 75% 2% The Netherlands 255 -77% 1% Germany 198 NA 1% Tajikistan 197 NA 1% Poland 230 226% 1% Other 1 307 -22% 8% Total 17 060 -11% 100%

During two months of 2016, sales of SIA Latvijas aptieka reached 3.4 million euros, which represents an increase by 21% compared to the same period one year ago. Sales of SIA Silvanols during two months of this year were 0.79 million euros, which represents a reduction by 4% compared to the same period of 2015, where this company made sales of 0.82 million euros. During two months of 2016, products of SIA Silvanols were sold to eight European countries and with the help of AS Olainfarm also to Azerbaijan and Belarus.

According to unconsolidated preliminary results for February 2016, sales of AS Olainfarm during this period were 6.93 million euros, which represents a reduction by 33% compared to the same period of 2015. The biggest sales increases were achieved in Uzbekistan, where sales grew by 387% and Lithuania, where sales grew by 65%. During February 2016, AS Olainfarm also made significant shipments to Tajikistan. Major sales markets during this period were Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Belarus. Products of AS Olainfarm were sold to 24 countries on three continents.

February 2016, unconsolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to February 2015 Share in total sales Russia 2 125 -59% 31% Ukraine 1 496 -13% 22% Latvia 1 127 19% 16% Belarus 923 17% 13% The Netherlands 255 -59% 4% Kazakhstan 182 8% 3% Uzbekistan 165 387% 2% Tajikistan 135 NA 2% Lithuania 108 65% 2% Other 413 -46% 6% Total 6 927 -33% 100%

According to preliminary unconsolidated results, sales of AS Olainfarm in two months of 2016 were 14.68 million euros, which represents a reduction by 13% compared to the respective period of 2015. The most rapid sales increases during two months of this year were achieved in Belarus, where sales grew by 164%, and Kazakhstan where sales grew by 75%. During two months of 2016 significant shipments were also made to Germany, Tajikistan and Poland. Major sales markets of AS Olainfarm during two months of 2016 were Russia, Belarus, Latvia, and the UK. In total, during two months of 2016, Products of AS Olainfarm were sold to 30 countries on three continents.

2 months of 2016, unconsolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to 2 months of 2015 Share in total sales Russia 4 385 -41% 30% Belarus 2 443 164% 17% Latvia 2 313 9% 16% Ukraine 2 282 -20% 16% UK 893 6% 6% Kazakhstan 389 75% 3% The Netherlands 255 -77% 2% Germany 198 NA 1% Tajikistan 197 NA 1% Poland 180 NA 1% Other 1 145 -10% 8% Total 14 679 -13% 100%

In accordance with preliminary estimates by AS Olainfarm, unconsolidated sales of the company in 2016 might reach 90 million euros, while consolidated sales of the group could be as high as 103 million euros. According to these preliminary sales figures, in two months of 2016, 17% of annual target for unconsolidated sales and 16% of annual target for consolidated sales have been achieved.

JSC Olainfarm is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Latvia with more than 40 years of experience in production of medication and chemical and pharmaceutical products. A basic principle of company's operations is to produce reliable and effective top quality products for Latvia and the rest of the world. Products made by the Group are being exported to more than 35 countries of the world, including the Baltics, Russia, other CIS, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.
Famed author JK Rowling has been in the news of late. Her recently released History of Magic in North America stumbles over a number of insensitive cultural hot points, not least of which is her characterization of Native Americans.





Simon Moya-Smith, culture editor at Indian Country Today, explains why the conversation is important, but he couldn't care less about JK Rowling's fiction, because it is fiction. Moya-Smith reminds us that our public school textbooks spread deeper lies.

From ICTMN:



What matters here, folks, in this debate over J.K. Rowling's latest work is the language society uses  the language that is still taught to kids in schools today about Native Americans and our spiritualities.





Think about it: How in the living hell can a child differentiate alleged fact from fiction if schools continue to teach students that Native Americans practiced magic? Note I used the past tense of 'practice.' There are very few lessons in grade schools that provide any information on contemporary Native American societies. Super sad, but super true.





And let me leave you with this, home skillet:





Twitter turns 10-years-old this month. Facebook is 12-years-old. Social media, then, is prepubescent. It's still trying to figure out why the hell hair is growing down there. But it's through this peach-fuzzy platform that people are only now learning that Native Americans ARE STILL ALIVE. Seriously. Previous to the ubiquity of social media, propelled by the proliferation of the Web, people thought Indians were either dead or living in teepees. Ask any bona fide Indian and they'll tell you they've be subjected to some asinine query concerning where they live, and if they are REALLY an Indian. Lucky for us, thanks to Twitter, Instagram, etc., these curious Q&A sessions are quickly becoming blunders of the past.





But do you know what else social media has done? It has provided the Native American voice to the non-Native American, and at once it has revealed to them that the U.S. education system is largely full of shit, that they have been lied to the majority of their lives concerning indigenous peoples, and that, in fact, Native Americans ARE NOT casting spells, we ARE NOT living in teepees, and that white people actually drink far, FAR, more than we do. Avada kedavra to that stereotype, muggle.

So it's up to you: You can read J.K. Rowling's "History of Magic in North America," or a U.S. History textbook. Both illustrate Native Americans as magical creatures. Just make sure your kids know which has the most fiction  probably the U.S. history text. Cheers.
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.
Student entrepreneurs will take the stage to present their business plans before a panel of local leaders of industry and a public audience on March 23. The students will be dressed as young professionals and ready to wow the crowd with their business plans and ideas.

Sixteen students in grades six through 12, representing 14 businesses and social movements from the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerces Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!), will have five minutes to pitch their business plans to prominent local members of the business community, during the programs annual Zan Womack YEA! Investor Panel event. Based on the appeal and merit of the students plans and presentations, representatives from local companies and organizations including Danville Community College, The Womack Foundation, The Launch Place, Donnachaidh Associates, and the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board will determine the amount of funds to allocate to each business or social movement.

The investors will also select one business to advance to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy Saunders Scholars Competition, where they will compete with students across the United States for college scholarships.

The event, which begins at 6 p.m. in Foundation Hall at Danville Community College, is free and open to the public.

The Investor Panel will be comprised of prominent local business people, including:

 Charles Womack of the Womack Foundation

 David Bonebright of the Danville Community College Educational Foundation

 Michael Duncan of Donnachaidh Associates

 Eva Doss of The Launch Place

 Philip Wenkstern of the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Boar

The emcee for the event will be Laurie S. Moran, president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce.

The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce offers the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) for Danville and Pittsylvania County students between the ages of 11 and 18. YEA! is an innovative program that guides students through the process of starting their own real business.

The YEA! program leads students through the process of launching a real business or social movement over the course of an academic year. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried after their graduation from the program.

The program requires an eight-month commitment from its young executives. In that time they brainstorm and form their enterprises, make pitches to potential investors, obtain funding, register their companies with governmental agencies, and actually launch their own company or social movement. Business mentors, graphic designers, and local entrepreneurs support the students throughout the program and all of the learning is real and experiential.

YEA! teaches students at an early age how to make a job, not just take a job. YEA! was developed at the University of Rochester with support from The Kauffman Foundation.
Heidelberg. The Australian Explorer Hammer Metals ("HMX"), 15.16% owned by Deutsche Rohstoff, released an update on its exploration activities in the Mount Isa region today.Field programs commenced in mid-January under the Farmin and Joint Venture Agreement signed with Newmont (www.newmont.com) in December 2015. The joint venture is targeting an Ernest Henry style IOCG ("iron ore copper gold") deposit (approx. 220 million tonnes at 1.1% Cu and 0.5g/t Au).Gravity, ground magnetics, geological mapping as well as geochemical sampling programs are well underway. Modeling of the geophysical data is in progress utilizing Newmont's substantial in-house technical expertise. It is anticipated that drilling will be undertaken on the identified targets later in the first half of 2016 on completion of the modeling.Concurrently with the exploration on the joint venture prospects, copper-gold targeting activities are progressing on the 100% owned Hammer tenements with a focus on the Hammertime, Scalper and Kalman West prospects. Detailed gravity surveys have been completed over the alteration zones at Hammertime and Scalper as well as infill ground magnetics at Hammertime to assist with target definition.Since late 2013 Hammer has been undertaking a systematic targeting exercise for large IOCG deposits within under-explored sections of the Mount Isa Inlier. As a result of this three new copper-gold targets on vacant land were recently identified and secured with tenement applications - Cathay, Resolve and El Questro.

Hammer's tenements also cover a significant section of the Pilgrim Fault structural corridor that hosts the mined-out Tick Hill gold deposit (513,333oz at 22.6g/t) located south of Duchess. An initial review of previous exploration data for gold has highlighted a number of several anomalies within Hammer tenements and further assessment of these targets will be undertaken.

Jorg Reichert, CTO of Deutsche Rohstoff comments: "We are very pleased to see the joint venture activities progressing as planned and are looking forward to the drilling campaign. Not less exciting is the fact that the remaining assets that fully belong to Hammer are also being advanced towards drill-ready state and additional discovery potential is being added to the company through further tenement acquisitions.

Mineral exploration is a high risk/reward business and the best way to minimize these risks is to explore in proven mining districts on a district-size land package that has the likelihood of hosting more than one significant discovery. Hammer Metals is doing exactly this."

Further details of the original Hammer metals press release can be found under www.hammermetals.com.au.

Heidelberg, 15 March 2016

Deutsche Rohstoff identifies, develops and divests attractive resource projects in North America, Australia and Europe. The focus is on the development of oil and gas opportunities within the United States. Metals, such as gold, copper, rare earth elements, tungsten and tin complete our portfolio. For more information please visit www.rohstoff.de.

Contact:

Deutsche Rohstoff AG

Thomas Gutschlag

Tel. +49 6221 871 000

info@rohstoff.de
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / TheNewswire / March 15, 2016 / MGX Minerals Inc. ("MGX" or the "Company") (CSE: XMG / FKT: 1MG) reports the Company has completed acquisition of LIDAR mapping data from the regional forestry company.

The mapping package includes nine gigabytes of precision mapping data covering the proposed operating area for the Driftwood Creek magnesium project ("Driftwood Creek"). The topographical survey information was acquired using overflight and laser mapping technology. The LIDAR overflight was executed during the summer of 2015, prior to snowfall, and has only recently been compiled and made available. The high precision survey data is the last piece of information required to complete a maiden National Instrument (N.I.) 43-101 resource estimate and mine plan for Driftwood Creek.

N.I. 43-101 Resource Estimate and Mine Plan

The newly acquired mapping data will be integrated with previously completed ground surveys, Phase I & II drill data from the East and West Zones respectively, re-assay results of 2008 West Zone drill core, and property wide surface sampling, to produce a maiden N.I. 43-101 resource estimate and detailed mine plan.

Extensive preliminary work on the resource estimate has been completed over the past year. Upon completion of the 3D deposit and block model, an optimized pit shell will be produced inclusive of production schedule and economics. This work will serve as the cornerstone for the application of a Mining & Reclamation Permit for a Major Mine under the British Columbia Mines Act. MGX currently holds a 20-year Mining Lease for Driftwood Creek and bulk sampling is underway.

Qualified Person

This press release was prepared under the supervision and review of Andris Kikauka, P. Geo. and Vice President of Exploration for MGX Minerals. Mr. Kikauka is a non-independent Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument (N.I.) 43-101 Standards.

About MGX Minerals

MGX Minerals (CSE: XMG) is a diversified Canadian mining company engaged in the acquisition and development of industrial mineral deposits in western Canada that offer near-term production potential, minimal barriers to entry and low initial capital expenditures. The Company operates the Driftwood Creek magnesium project located in the East Kootenay Region of British Columbia. MGX has recently received approval of a 20-year mining lease for Driftwood and bulk sampling is currently underway. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.mgxminerals.com.

Contact Information

Jared Lazerson

Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: 604.681.7735

Email: jared@mgxminerals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
A tale of two tractors: Ten Minutes by Tractor's sibling bistro Petit Tracteur. Photo: Josh Robenstone

Address 1208 Mornington-Flinders Road Main Ridge, Victoria 3928 View map Book online Opening hours Thu-Mon lunch from 11am; Fri-Sun dinner from 6pm Features Accepts bookings, Bar, Family friendly, Gluten-free options, Groups, Licensed, Long lunch, Vegetarian friendly, Views, Wheelchair access Prices Expensive (mains over $40) Chef Stuart Bell, Caleb Stevens Payments Cash Only Phone 03 5989 2510

When last you visited this barn-like, picture-windowed eatery on the Mornington Peninsula it was La Petanque, a high-flying French eatery replete with thematically appropriate petanque pitch. The favoured sport of shirtless, elderly men remains now that this is Petit Tracteur, run by the Ten Minutes by Tractor crowd. They're just calling it boules.

The switch has led to changes, but not too many. Bored sprats continue to chance their knees running down the olive tree- and vine-strewn slope. And the French flag is still proudly aflutter, though exec chef Stuart Bell has loosened the shirt stays on the food, but just a little, so while you may once have eaten prawns poached with vanilla here, now they're loaded onto a brioche raft with avo and a dill-tarragon yoghurt emulsion.

The room, on the other hand, has had a significant Temple and Webster-ish makeover. All those banana palms and hanging pot plants shrouded in linen. They combine with the light-grey tiles edged in gold to read greenhouse-meets-graphic-design-studio, bistrofied with bentwood chairs and vintage print ads for French fetes.

Beet-stained salmon gravlax with horseradish cream. Photo: Josh Robenstone

The greater accessibility is a huge bonus for the area. A glistening bar, stocked with a lot of things the cool kids are drinking  local gins and Okar  is now home to sandy-footed beach transients who want a drive-by drink and silky chicken liver parfait. On table, it's France's greatest hits  terrines, tarts and steak frites  as a prix fixe deal or open season a la carte.

The French-test points hit their marks. Little sacks of stone-baked bread are malty and hot with chewy crust. While the warmer weather holds, start with a round of those open-faced prawn buns (sadly not as good on our second visit when the brioche is dry, but always stacked high with the makings of an entire prawn cocktail with added herby zip), and consider chasing entrees with more entrees  for our money, the menu's greatest strength.

The neatly turned out salad nicoise features barely seared ruby slabs of tuna lolling over green beans, eggs and potatoes all cooked to the exact level of crunchy, soft and waxy. Or it might be a carrot-on-carrot party  condensed and charred, with a ring of sweet puree to team fluffy goat's curd and oiled freekeh. Vaguely Russian, beet-stained gravlax dotted with horseradish cream, rye croutons and dill is just as committed to finding the sweet spot where acid and fat get down.

Go-to dish: Duck a l'orange, with green beans and potatoes. Photo: Josh Robenstone

See also the freshest duck a l'orange going: all crisped skin and juicy meat, the result of being cooked sous vide then fried. It's light and fragrant with star anise and the sweet, citrusy accents of fresh orange segments and their juice, as opposed to the sweet and sticky version you might remember from the '80s. Whatever you do, get a pan of mashed potato so buttery it's a sauce.

So, here's the bummer: it's a tale of two restaurants. When the polished Ten Minutes team is here  Graham Kinsey, the guy who makes the two-hatted sibling run on rails, with executive chef Stuart Bell in the kitchen (head chef is Caleb Stevens)  it's a hatted experience. Our busy Saturday lunch is delivered in record time, with Grade-A banter and keen wine matches to boot.

That wine list, incidentally, pushes a broad-yet-sharp collection of interesting local and French winemakers. This month the focus is on biodynamic freak Michel Chapoutier. And if you're into sparkling, there's the brilliant Fairbank Ancestral rose.

Drop by the bistro for a chocolate tart. Photo: Josh Robenstone

On a later visit, it's a hot mess that makes you want to roll sleeves and dive in: no drink orders taken to begin, our sparkling delivered flat, entrees arriving an hour after we do, 20 minutes for coffee at the bitter end. Their own Wallis Chardonnay  at $21 a glass  is banged down, pre-poured with not a word except "here you go". Our pork chop is tough, and asparagus with roquefort and tomatoes tastes distinctly of a well-used grill. In a restaurant destined for busyness, it would make all the difference if the whole team, not just one hero, knew that simple updates could neutralise things. Hell, what are boules even for, if not for passing the time while the kitchen catches up?

Our advice? Bank on a good day but lock in for the long haul. Because when it's on, it's great. At the very least, drop by for a chocolate tart. That short, buttery shell filled with silken chocolate is the ruin of car seats, maker of days.

THE LOWDOWN

Pro tip: Kids' dishes (gougeres, steak frites, fish and chips) are around $15.

Go-to: dish Duck a l'orange, with green beans and roughed-up potatoes ($34).

Like this? Check out the European Group's French Saloon above Kirk's Wine Bar (Hardware Lane, Melbourne).

http://petittracteur.com.au/
Kaya-filled madeleines. Photo: Daniel Munoz

Address 71-73 Campbell St Surry Hills, NSW 2010 View map Opening hours Mon-Sat 7.30am-4pm Features Cheap Eats, Breakfast-brunch Prices Cheap (mains under $20)

Six words for you: Kaya-Filled Madeleines Baked To Order. There. Go forth and make a party in your mouth. "Gah! Dear lord!" you might say. "Where?" Find 'em at Rumah  a new Malaysian-inspired cafe offering south-east Asian spins on Sydney cafe staples.

Boon started it and Rumah continues the theme of Western sambos with an Asian bent. A sandwich menu looks pretty innocuous at first, but on second glance there's a little more to it. Take that Asian Cuban  thin slices of juicy five-spice roasted pork make best friends with mystery lunch meat (just imagine those soft processed meats you'd find on a banh mi and apply the same logic here) all covered with mustard and melted cheese on a golden, toasted roll. Take delight in the straight-up, old-school curried egg, brought up to date on toasted sourdough.

Vegetarians, you may actually have the opportunity to create a complete lunch here without having to order a series of side dishes to sub in for the main event. Though on that, it would definitely pay to order the soba noodles, with chunks of lightly sauteed tofu, onion, carrot and the odd rogue soybean. You may even choose to pick around the Chinese sausage in a salad of quinoa, tomato and cucumber (they're calling it "Isaan quinoa" on the menu, which is kinda cute). It just depends how devoted to the cause you really are.

Rumah in Surry Hills. The room in general sets a certain tone: breezy, casual, and seemingly effortless. Photo: Daniel Munoz

Dining solo? Rumah is well kitted out when it comes to quality reading material. A pile of New York mags in the corner sets a lunchtime reading agenda. The room in general sets a certain tone: breezy, casual, and seemingly effortless. The menu is pretty much all executed via a sandwich press, the ceilings are high and white and the entire menu is pinned on a massive felt board. Rumah has it there's also an 11am secret sandwich, and we will definitely be back for breakfast roti.

Service is  idiosyncratic. How does a toasted sandwich arrive before a cold drink? And why was I only told the salad I'd ordered had run out only after that sandwich arrived? Lucky, then, for those madeleines. The puffy, hot little cakes are injected with kaya  that magical Malaysian coconut-egg jam that haunts our dreams and arteries. Welcome, Rumah  a kopitiam Sydneyfied for 2016.

THE LOWDOWN

Pro tip There's no phone number or website, so it's a bit of a leap of faith trying to get in contact with these guys. Cross your chest and hope for the best.

Try this The Asian Cuban is numero uno when it comes to the sambos.

Like this? Check out Boon for more Asian sandwich times. 1/425 Pitt Street, Haymarket.

https://www.instagram.com/caferumah
Peter Russell-Clarke doesn't store cheese in the fridge. Photo: Eddie Jim

Where's the cheese? Hopefully not in your fridge, says Peter Russell-Clarke.

Famous for the catch phrase he coined for an Australian Dairy Association ad in the early '90s, Russell-Clarke says that wrapping cheese in plastic and keeping it in the fridge is like "putting it in a body bag and keeping it in the morgue". Instead, he says, we should be buying smaller amounts and not refrigerating it at all.

Peter Russell-Clarke. Photo: Supplied

"It's ridiculous that we buy good cheese, bung it in the fridge then take it out to get to room temperature before we eat it. You want to buy just enough cheese to satisfy in that moment or the next few days or a week and keep it somewhere cool but not cold."

The artist, chef and cooking show presenter who is now in his eighth decade has equally strong views about raw cheese.

"Ok, milk maids used to suffer from diseases from drinking milk straight from a cow's udder but there are far more people who are healthy through eating good unpasteurised and unhomogenised milk. If you remember, cows eat grass and herbs, so milk takes on those subtle flavours and that passes on to the cheese. If you pasteurise it, you're going to get rid of that taste. Cheese makers say that you can correct it by adding flavours and vitamins and minerals back into cheese, but really, they're unable to recreate the special nuances of unpasteurised cheese."

Russell-Clarke will be in Brisbane on Wednesday March 16 to talk all things cheese at the launch of Cheese Therapy, a cheese appreciation club.

The brainchild of four cheese-loving Queensland friends, subscribers will receive four cheeses from around the world delivered to their home every month.

"The idea is not just to educate people about cheese but to elevate the status of cheese makers," says Cheese Therapy's Sam Penny. "We treat winemakers like gods sometimes and we should be celebrating cheese makers in the same way."

Cheese Therapy subscriptions cost $80 per month and club members are also invited to social events. Wednesday's event in Fortitude Valley has sold out, Penny says, but they've added an extra afternoon session (1pm-3pm).

Tickets ($49.99) include cheese-tasting and wine, and a talk by Russell-Clarke. See cheesetherapy.com.au
Daniel Szczerba via Associated Press Passengers gather after a train derailed Monday near Cimarron, Kan. The train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago early Monday when it derailed just after midnight. At least 32 people were hurt, two of them critically, authorities said.

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By Roxanna Hegeman And Michael Balsamo, Associated Press

CIMARRON, Kan.  An Amtrak train carrying 131 passengers derailed in rural Kansas early Monday, moments after an engineer noticed a significant bend in a rail and applied the emergency brakes, an official said.

At least 32 people were hurt, two of them critically, authorities said.

Hours later, investigators said they were checking whether a vehicle crash may have damaged the track before the accident.

The train known as the Southwest Chief was apparently traveling at about 75 mph when the engineer noticed the deformity in the rail and pulled the brakes, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to speak publicly about the federal investigation.

The train, which also had 14 crew members, was making a 43-hour journey from Los Angeles to Chicago when it derailed shortly after midnight along a straight stretch of tracks in flat farmland near Cimarron, a small community about 160 miles west of Wichita. Eight cars derailed, and four of them ended up on their sides.

Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals for treatment. Nearly all of them had been released by late morning, Amtrak said.

One crew member was treated at the scene.

The injured included two people who were flown to Amarillo, said Caytie Martin, a spokeswoman for the Northwest Texas Healthcare System. They were listed in critical condition.

Authorities were examining tire tracks leading to the rails. The damage did not appear to be intentional, Gray County sheriff's Deputy J.G. Sharp said.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were also at the scene.

Daniel Aiken, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard screaming as he climbed out of an overturned car. He stopped to smell a fluid that was flowing through the car, fearful that it was fuel, but he was reassured when he realized it was water.

"Once people realized the train wasn't going to blow up, they calmed down," he said.

Timothy Davidson, from Nashville, Tennessee, said he and several other passengers heard what he called "a lot of clacking for about 20 minutes" before the accident.

"The train didn't sound right," he said.

Derek Kemp, who is moving back to Kansas City, Missouri, from California, said he was in a bathroom when he felt the train suddenly tilt, sending him face-first into the bathroom door and across a hallway into a baggage area.

Kemp, who has fire and rescue training, quickly scrambled to help women and children off the train.

Dave Gibbs, a Colorado man who was headed to Lawrence, Kansas, for a possible chef's job, said that the train "started rattling back and forth, and you could tell it was off the tracks."

That shaking lasted 5 to 7 seconds, he said, before the train began tipping, then coming to an abrupt stop that sent a woman tumbling onto him.

"I was waiting for the worst. I was afraid I was going to die," recalled David Tisdale, who was New York-bound from his Arizona home.

Amtrak did not say how fast the train was traveling when it derailed, nor did it immediately respond to calls seeking further details. Visibility at the accident site was relatively clear at the time of the derailment.

Andy Williams, a spokesman for BNSF Railway, which owns the track, said the derailment was not caused by poorly maintained track. He said the track is inspected twice a week and meets Federal Railroad Administration guidelines.

Uninjured passengers were taken to the Cimarron community center to wait for Amtrak to make arrangements to transport them to their destinations.

Kelsey Wilson said she woke up when she felt the ride "getting really bumpy" and the train started to shake. Wilson, who was returning to Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, after spending spring break at home in Pueblo, Colorado, said her car disconnected from the one in front and that she hit her head as it overturned.
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By Matt Phinney

To be an impact player, you'd better have the experience, David Walker said.

That's why he has worked his way up the educational ladder and is ready to lead his first school district.

He'll get that chance in Christoval.

Walker, 33, is the lone finalist for the superintendent spot at Christoval Independent School District, replacing Kevin Spiller, who left in February to become the Seagraves ISD superintendent.

"Just as the board shopped for a superintendent, I shopped for a good school," he said. "I was impressed about how important academics are in Christoval. The whole child is important in all aspects of the school."

Walker, an assistant superintendent and principal in Oakwood ISD in East Texas, was named the finalist March 12. By law, the board has to wait 21 days to hire Walker. That waiting period ends April 2, but Walker wants to finish this year in Oakwood, which is a UIL Class 1A district.

Max Gordon is interim superintendent for the remainder of the school year. He also served as interim superintendent before the district hired Spiller.

Walker will start his new job June 2. Christoval is about 20 miles south of San Angelo. The district has about 400 students, and the high school is also in UIL Class 1A.

Board president Gary Stewart said he is ready to start working with Walker.

"He's young and he's articulate," Stewart sad. "And he's energetic. I think he will come in and pick right up and carry on some of the things we've just started."

Walker visited Christoval twice in February and March and said it's a great place to raise a family.

"I'm ready to get in and work with the community and district and hopefully have a chance to use my knowledge and experience and philosophy as a team and do what is best for the children," Walker said. "All children are different, and we need to make sure we do things that maximize the educational potential and development for all students."

The Walker file
ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 AND THEREAFTER  FILE  In this May 3, 2013 file photo, Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl speaks to a legislative selection committee in Helena. The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling of 2010 is now being used to fight state limits on how much money individuals and groups can contribute directly to candidates. Lawsuits against contribution caps are pending in Alaska, Montana and New Mexico. "If you take it away, the sky's going to fall," Motl says. (AP Photo/Matt Gouras, File)

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By Matt Volz

HELENA, Mont.  The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which allowed unlimited corporate and union election spending, is now being used six years later to fight state limits on how much money individuals and groups can contribute directly to candidates.

Lawsuits against contribution caps have been filed in Alaska, Montana and New Mexico. Those challenges are being buoyed by a federal appeals court ruling last year that cites Citizens United in making it more difficult for states to justify donation limits.

"Contribution limits throughout the country are very vulnerable now," said James Bopp, an Indiana attorney who is leading two of the lawsuits. "It's going to be tough for any state to justify their limits under that standard."

Thirty-eight states have limits on how much a candidate can receive from an individual, political party or political action committee. In general, the rules are meant to promote equality, prevent corruption and keep the rich from overly influencing the political process.

"If you take it away, the sky's going to fall," Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl said.

Driving the effort to dismantle candidate campaign caps is a ruling last year by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California and eight other Western states. It said states now must prove their caps are preventing what the court called quid pro quo corruption, such as bribery.

Quid pro quo corruption is rare, and it is difficult to prove that the limits are preventing it, Bopp said.

Citizens United, a decision that came down in 2010, loosened restrictions on indirect contributions, or campaign spending by groups that doesn't directly go to candidates. The ruling led to the rise of super PACs.

Bopp used the Citizens United decision to argue and win another Supreme Court case in 2014 that struck down aggregate contribution limits in federal elections. Those rules had capped the total amount a single donor could give to multiple candidates and political parties.

The 9th Circuit ruling and the 2014 Supreme Court case will be felt far beyond the Western states that fall within the appeals court's jurisdiction, legal experts said.

"If the court were to strike down direct limits under the new standard, that, I think, would be quite a big deal," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a campaign finance expert. "Direct contribution limits and disclosure are all that's left of the post-Watergate campaign finance laws."

The 9th Circuit's ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Bopp against Montana's contribution limits, which were approved by the voters in 1994 and are among the lowest in the nation. For example, individuals can give no more than $660 to candidates for governor.

Bopp is now taking the 9th Circuit decision back to a federal judge who previously ruled in his favor. Bopp hopes to get Montana's limits struck down before the state's June 7 primary.

Bopp argues that such limits drive money into super PACs and special interest groups that are less accountable and less transparent. Bopp, who also is challenging New York City's contribution limits on people who do business with the city, says the caps also infringe on candidates' free speech rights.
marine hannon/contributed photo Marine Hannon rubs sand from Omaha beach onto the headstone of Vivan L. Ward at the Normandy American Cemetery in Coleville-sur-Mer, France. Hannon tends to the grave of Ward, who was killed Aug. 21, 1944 during World War II.

SHARE contributed photo Ward was part of the 7th Armored Division, Headquarters B and was only 11 days after arriving in France on special duty. Gravesite of Vivian L. Ward in

By Michelle Gaitan of the San Angelo Standard-Times

A world of worry lifted off his shoulders the day Rodney Duderstadt received a letter from Marine Hannon.

Duderstadt, 76, a resident of Menard, spent decades agonizing about the condition of his father's grave at Omaha beach, before discovering it had a local caretaker in France.

"I was elated," said Duderstadt, whose father, Vivian L. Ward, was killed in World War II and is buried at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer.

"I worried about that grave for 70 years," he said, describing several failed attempts he made to have flowers delivered to his father's gravesite. "Then here comes a letter from Marine. It was an answer to my prayers."

Ward was part of the 7th Armored Division, Headquarters B and was killed Aug. 21, 1944, only 11 days after arriving in France on special duty  he was 18 years old. At age 5, Duderstadt received his father's Purple Heart medal.

"In two weeks we were friends forever," Duderstadt said about his relationship with Marine Hannon, which has flourished since she contacted him in 2014.

On Friday the two families got a chance to meet face to face, when Marine, along with her parents, Herve and Nicole Hannon, and her brother Julien made a trip to Texas to meet Duderstadt and his family.

With his health, Duderstadt is unable to travel to France to visit his father's grave, but he is comforted by Marine's dedication to look after it in his place.

"Ever since this happened I've said God must have been involved to bring us together," he said. "I sent her a picture of my dad so she could know who she was doing it for. Not many 23-year-olds have a heart like hers."

Section J, row 14, grave 11 is where Ward was laid to rest and where Marine finds herself two or three times each year taking care of his headstone.

Marine is a member of the Association Les Fleurs de la Memorie, an organization founded in 2000 that sponsors the placing of flowers on the graves of soldiers buried in the American cemeteries.

The American cemeteries  Normandy American Cemetery and Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial located in Saint James, Normandy, France  are maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

In the Normandy American Cemetery 9,387 soldiers are buried, 307 of whom are unidentified, and there is a curved wall to hold the names of 1,557 soldiers who were never found. The cemetery sits atop the cliff overlooking Omaha beach.

The Brittany American Cemetery holds 4,408 graves, with 95 tombs of unknown soldiers and 498 names are on a wall for those who were never found.

Marine said when she goes to visit the cemetery, she places flowers on Ward's grave, takes pictures and spends a few moments to reflect about Ward. Also, as part of her caretaking, Marine takes sand from Omaha beach, which she said looks like gold against the white headstone, and rubs it on Ward's engraved name.

"When I was really young, and with my brothers (my parents would) bring us to Normandy to teach us," about D-Day and World War II, she said.

"They would say, 'See you are free thanks to them,' and I grew up with that idea like I need to go there because (they) came to France to free us, and that's why we can speak French," she said.

"Because of the duty of memory," Marine said, translating for her father Herve, who spoke about why he and his wife took their children to visit American graves. "And because I think it was important for (them) to know this part of history in France. People were coming from the other side of the ocean to free us, and it's really important to teach (our children) to be thankful for them."

Despite the only words the Duderstadt's and his family could say in French was "Bon jour," the two families consider themselves related.

"We're so far apart, but so much alike," Duderstadt said about Marine and her family.

And even though Duderstadt said he is not able to set foot in France to see his father's grave, he's happy knowing a member of his family will be there caring for it.

"The thing is, I'll never have to worry about that grave," Duderstadt said.
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By Staff Report

A San Angelo man was arrested on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Brian DeLaughter, 19, was booked into the Tom Green County Jail on Thursday. DeLaughter is accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl this week, according to an affidavit filed with Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace J.P. McGuire.

On Tuesday, the affidavit states, DeLaughter stayed the night at the alleged victims residence. His relation to the family was not clear.

The following morning the victim told her father of the assault, according to the affidavit, and the father contacted law enforcement.

Sexual assault tests indicated the girl had physical trauma, the affidavit states. She also was interviewed by a forensic interviewer at the Childrens Advocacy Center of Tom Green County Hope House, it states.

DeLaughter, who has no prior criminal record, denied any sexual contact during his interview with police, according to the affidavit.

Aggravated sexual assault of a child is a first-degree felony, punishable by five to 99 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

DeLaughter was booked Thursday and released Friday on a $75,000 bond, according to jail records.
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What's the best way to help your child gain the skills she needs to reason through and overcome the various challenges she will face growing up?

How can you best prepare her for adolescence? For college? For adulthood?

Conventional wisdom might lead you to conclude that sending her to full-day prekindergarten beginning at age 3, filling her days with work sheets, flashcards, reading and tests would be the most effective preparation.

Perhaps not. Instead, you might try less school, less structure. And more time to play.

It may sound counterintuitive. How could more time running around outside, making believe, swinging from the jungle gym, far away from the classroom and textbooks, lead to smart, capable and well-adjusted kids?

The answer is quite simple. A growing body of research strongly suggests that children absolutely need play for learning, growth and development. Children learn how to interact with their environment through play. It's essential to developing social and emotional ties, first with family, then with peers.

Playing enhances language skills, risk management and problem-solving, significantly affecting emotional and mental well-being in ways traditional learning simply cannot address.

Unstructured playtime also provides opportunities for children to develop complex cognitive skills; they learn how to negotiate with other children; they learn how to self-regulate and manage their emotions.

And our cultural shift away from play is probably causing our children significant harm. A new book from researcher Erika Christakis encourages teachers and parents to rethink what young children require for learning and development.

The problem, Christakis says, is that "the distinction between early education and official school seems to be disappearing." It may not sound like it, but that is a potentially dangerous thing.

Our current emphasis on early childhood learning in structured, school-like environments is "adultifying childhood" and leaving kids without uninterrupted stretches of time to engage in fantasy play that is crucial to their growth and development.

You might even say that some kids are moving right from infancy to forced adulthood, skipping a stage of life they need to experience for future success.

During a recent interview with NPR, Christakis explained how building a fort "activate(s) more cognitive learning domains" than a typical classroom assignment, like a work sheet or a quiz.

"If you're building a fort with your peers, you're talking, using higher-level language structures in play than you would be if you're sitting at a table," she said. "You're doing math skills, you're doing physics measurement, engineering  but also doing the give-and-take of 'How do I get along? How do I have a conversation? What am I learning from this other person?' And that's very powerful."

And Christakis isn't alone in her thinking. Debbie Rhea, a professor at TCU, is a longtime advocate of unstructured outdoor play. She is the founder and director of the LiiNK Project (Let's inspire innovation 'N kids), a research-based initiative whose goals include increasing the time public schools allot for physical activity and creative play.

Several years ago, Rhea's team conducted a study in two Texas private schools, weaving several unstructured outdoor play breaks and character development lessons throughout into the daily schedule, without extending the school day.

In only two years, the results were clear. Children who participated were more disciplined, exhibited more focus and performed better academically.

With studies consistently showing that American students are falling behind their global peers in basic skills, knowledge and job readiness, state and local governments are grappling with ways to improve academic outcomes, including universal prekindergarten and, in some cases, even extending the school day.

But policymakers should not ignore the research that confirms the obvious: There's as much to be learned on the monkey bars as there is in the classroom.

Our kids need more time to play.

Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Contact her at cmallen@star-telegram.com.
Michael Ciampi runs a family medical practice in Portland, Maine, thats still entirely reliant on paper records. He has no plans to implement an electronic health records system anytime soon. Ciampi doesnt have anything against technology, but a failed attempt to go electronic several years ago left him frustrated. What we found was a system that just wasnt patient-centered, Ciampi says. The primary function was to enhance billing, not to build a physician-patient relationship. Our productivity went down 25 percent.About one-fifth of doctors dont have an electronic health record system, commonly called an EHR, implemented in their offices. For those who do, frustrations with the technology are well documented. Only 34 percent of doctors surveyed by the American Medical Association said they were happy with their electronic systems.Since 2009, the Obama administration has been offering financial incentives to certain doctors and hospitals that can demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs; incentives can amount to as much as $63,000. This was likely a big reason the number of doctors using EHRs jumped to 50 percent in 2013 and then to 75 percent by the end of 2014.But the incentive program is going to be phased out by the end of the year, which leaves some wondering what can be done to reach physicians who still rely mostly on paper. Andy Boyd, a professor of health information sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago , sympathizes with the holdouts. If you have a smaller practice, its expensive, Boyd says. You also cant see the same number of patients while you get used to the system.For a five-physician clinic, the initial cost to implement an EHR is around $162,000. Additional maintenance expenses in the first year can be around $85,000. And Boyd often hears complaints from doctors about the interface, which they say wasnt designed with a clinician in mind. I spoke with a doctor who was getting so frustrated with his EHR, the patient was actually getting concerned about the doctors own health, he says.For rural clinics, the problem isnt so much implementation as maintenance, says Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. Rural physicians often have trouble getting IT support and access to high-speed broadband, which is necessary to run an EHR properly. Still, Morgan encourages physicians -- rural or not -- to be patient as EHR technology evolves. We now have the ability to track a patient as they move through the health-care system, and were going to keep moving toward more of that kind of intelligence, he says. He thinks that EHRs, by helping physicians manage their finances and patient populations, could help stem the tide of closures of rural hospitals and doctors offices.In Portland, Ciampi is not saying never ever to EHRs. Hell make the switch, he says, only when interfaces become more patient-centered and easier to use than his trusty paper charts. And there is the issue of patient privacy. Paper charts are unhackable, and patient confidentiality means a lot to us, Ciampi says.Boyd acknowledges that it will take some time before EHRs are in every doctors office. Doctors have had paper records for almost 100 years, and they got really good at it, he says. We are only in the early aughts of EHRs. We have a lot to learn.
Working with Legislators

Different Funding Sources

Impact on Democracy

In Kentucky, state lawmakers will consider in coming days whether to make tuition at community colleges free. In Connecticut, theyll look at laying off 3,000 state workers to cover a $200 million budget deficit. In Arizona, they will debate scrapping presidential preference primaries. And in those states, people can watch the debates unfold on television  sometimes to the chagrin of lawmakers.They are among the 20 or so states that have their own public affairs networks that broadcast state legislative proceedings in a fashion similar to C-SPANs broadcasts from the U.S. House and Senate. The programming  mostly committee hearings, live gavel-to-gavel floor debate and votes  is on cable and public access channels underwritten by taxpayers or cable companies, usually at a cost of about $3 million to $5 million a year in each state.The coverage is designed to lift the veil on how laws are made, how taxes are raised and spent, and how viewers elected representatives are voting.The hope is that making these hearings public makes government and legislators more accountable and leaves the public more informed and with a better understanding of the process itself, said Michael Delli Carpini, dean of the University of Pennsylvanias Annenberg School for Communication.Unlike C-SPAN, the viewership of state legislative proceedings isnt large, a maximum of a few million in some states compared to the 47 million who say they watch C-SPAN at least once a week.Though the channels audiences may be small, they are potentially significant.If they are anything like C-SPANs, the viewers are influential, said Steve Frantzich, a political science professor at the U.S. Naval Academy who has studied C-SPAN. Lobbyists and government workers tune in; but people who watch are more likely to vote and donate to campaigns.The transparency the networks provide doesnt come without conflict  over funding, what should be shown, and how lawmakers should behave when the cameras are rolling. Some legislators are hesitant to be in the glare of the camera, and securing funding leaves some networks at their mercy.Most state channels started in the 1990s, offering a feed of floor action. Viewers now have more government programming to watch and more ways to watch it. Even with just one TV channel, many stations are able to broadcast hearings, news conferences, and coverage of the executive and judicial branches by streaming them online.Such intense coverage can mean clips are picked up in other media, leading to the occasional viral video or dispute.After Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott blocked state employees from using the terms global warming or climate change, the states public affairs network captured the states emergency management director trying to avoid using them under questioning by a legislator. Both awkward and funny, the clip made the rounds on late night talk shows.In Ohio, where the channel is funded with state money, a legislators comments on an abortion bill were edited and then posted to YouTube by an advocacy group. Although the channel owned the rights to the original video and asked that the clip be taken down, YouTube refused, citing fair use policies.Instances like those can lead to conflict over how much legislative action should be broadcast, jeopardizing transparency and endangering funding for channels that are often paid for with tax dollars appropriated by the lawmakers.I want to have as much televised as possible, said Ohio state Rep. Jim Buchy, a Republican. The more people have a chance to watch their government in action, the better it gets. But the converse is true: The less coverage government gets, the worse it gets.But Ohio is a state where lawmakers have limited the broadcasts to floor sessions and coverage of the Houses and the Senates finance committees. Before the flap over the YouTube video, the channels executive director, Dan Shellenbarger, thought he had convinced lawmakers to expand coverage to more committee hearings. The plans were scrapped.Shellenbarger, who had spent 18 years trying to convince Ohio lawmakers to expand coverage, said the use of the footage for political motives is a problem that channels in other states struggle with, too.Across the nation were grappling with how our video can be misused, and there is always the concern of it ending up in a campaign video, he said. We dont want the resources, time and money we put into the feed to be used for political gain. Ohio is still struggling with that.In many states, the channels have a policy of not allowing their footage to be used in campaign commercials or attack ads. In the case of Florida, its the law.Unlike unfettered journalism, the channels in some states are restricted in what they can show viewers. In Washington, for example, the Legislature has a memorandum of understanding with the state channel. It requires that cameras focus only on legislators who have been recognized to speak on the floor and does not permit reaction shots of other legislators. The sessions must be broadcast unedited.A former director of TVW, Washington states channel, resigned after it covered a Democratic Party event designed to look like a legislative hearing, upsetting Republican members. The network had been trying to get new equipment at the time. The resignation cleared the way for things to settle and the station was able to get its funding.Channels must maintain a good relationship with legislators whether they are funded by them or by cable companies. The legislators ultimately determine access. But where the money comes from can also affect the programming.We can ask any question we want because were not paid by them, said Brian Lockman, president of the Pennsylvania Cable Network, funded largely by cable subscribers. But he said keeping the channel going also means running some infomercials and local sports.The Connecticut Networks director, Paul Giguere, is currently trying to switch from state to cable funding, something that would allow the channel to expand its coverage of government while saving the state $3 million a year, the amount it currently pays to support the channel. Despite Connecticuts budget problems, the idea has not been an easy sell. State Sen. Steve Cassano, who is handling the bill, said cable companies oppose the change because they dont want to pay for a service that many will access online.Despite problems with expanding coverage, Ohios Shellenbarger said hes happy to be funded by the state.More people are unplugging their cable boxes and going to the Internet, he said. But were the archive for the state, and were expected to maintain that forever.Some lawmakers are concerned about how being on television affects members behavior and lawmaking.In West Virginia, where the Legislature is being broadcast for the first time this year, on the West Virginia Channel, lawmakers are speaking up more. They want to isolate the clips from the channels website and post them to their own social media pages, said state Sen. Chris Walters, a Republican.Now the process is more transparent, but were also engaging with people more because when we share a video, people comment on it, Walters said. We get so much feedback  both positive and negative.Being on TV affects how business is conducted on the floor, according to the West Virginia Republican majority leader in the House, Daryl Cowles.Weve got some more unique parliamentary procedures being used, Cowles said. Weve had a bill read in its entirety, which we almost never do. Weve had people use the opportunity to explain their votes afterward. We had someone try to discharge a bill from committee and bring it straight to the floor.Showboating for the camera is one reason many Ohio lawmakers are reluctant to expand coverage to all committees. Another is just a reluctance to have all the lawmaking on TV.Some folks dont want people to see the man behind the curtains, said state Sen. Frank LaRose, a Republican. But I disagree because we work for Ohioans. Our entire political system relies on informed people who want to hold elected officials accountable.
In mid-October, as the massive scope of the Flint drinking water scandal and public health crisis was beginning to sink in, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality engineer Adam Rosenthal wrote an e mail to two of his then supervisors in the department's drinking water section.The contents of the email were purely factual: a Flint resident's name and address, along with two lead readings for water samples taken from faucets at the home.But typed just beneath the message were the words: "Preliminary and Deliberative not subject to FOIA."The Rosenthal email is just one of thousands the administration of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has made public related to the lead contamination of Flint's drinking water after calls from the public, elected officials, advocates for open government and the media for information as to who knew what about the public health crisis and when, and what was done in response. Thousands of others have been released voluntarily by the governor, whose office is not subject to Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.Besides answers to some questions, a review of the emails also revealed a potentially troubling trend: Many of the emails display what appears to be an active effort by state employees to avoid disclosure of public records under FOIA."There's a culture in state government that's filtered down to employees that says, 'That's just FOIA; this is how you get around it,'" said Jane Briggs-Bunting, president of the Michigan Coalition for Open Government, which promotes government transparency year-round, but especially during Sunshine Week, which is this week.The "not subject to FOIA" label was not unique to the Rosenthal email.Michigan's FOIA law includes an exemption for records that are notes between and within government agencies that are advisory in nature, don't deal with purely factual matters, and are preliminary to an agency's final determination of a policy or action. Many draft reports are withheld from disclosure based upon what is sometimes called the "preliminary and deliberative" exemption. But even when it meets the other criteria, the exemption is only supposed to be applied when the public interest in encouraging frank discussions among government officials clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.The emails released related to the Flint crisis show that although in some cases a draft document was being discussed, some DEQ and Department of Health and Human Services employees appeared to include "preliminary and deliberative," and "not subject to FOIA" as standard subject headings on emails, regardless of the contents of the messages.Also popular as a subject heading: "Attorney Client Privilege. Not subject to FOIA."That was the heading former DEQ Director Dan Wyant used Oct. 13 when he sent a Flint water plan "action update" by email to six officials in the governor's office: Allison Scott, Dennis Muchmore, Jarrod Agen, Beth Emmitt, Morgan Bedan and Sarah Dickinson.Again, Michigan's FOIA law exempts from public disclosure records that are subject to attorney-client privilege.Problem is, neither Wyant nor any of the recipients is an attorney and _ not surprisingly _ the email contained no legal advice.Labeling an email as "not subject to FOIA" doesn't make it so, which is demonstrated by the fact dozens of Flint water emails that were marked up that way have seen the light of day.But Briggs-Bunting and other advocates of open government said the emails are disappointing because of what they demonstrate about many state employees' attitudes about the public's right to access government records. Also, such labels may be enough to pause or satisfy a state FOIA coordinator who decides which emails will be released."They definitely learned the code words," said Melanie McElroy, executive director of Common Cause in Michigan. Exempt from FOIA in the governor's office, "this administration prefers to operate in secret, and that has unfortunately spread to other departments as well."Agen, Snyder's chief of staff, said Snyder is examining possible changes to the executive office FOIA exemption.More generally, "we want to clear up confusion over what does fall under FOIA and what doesn't," said Agen, who feels some of the labeling may display a lack of understanding of how FOIA works.The governor, Agen said, wants to improve transparency while also preserving the ability for officials to speak frankly when deliberating and formulating policy without having to fear whatever they say will be made public.Michigan is one of only two states in which both the governor's office and the Legislature are exempt from FOIA.The Flint crisis demonstrates one of the reasons that needs to change, said McElroy."I really think that passing FOIA reforms that remove the executive exemption could help keep crises from happening in the future," she said.
On Commonwealth Day, in the morning, at Chung Tian Temple, Priestdale, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC attended the Royal Commonwealth Society Multi-Faith Observance and read the Commonwealth Day Message by Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.

In the afternoon, at Arts Centre Gold Coast, the Governor and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation Commonwealth Day celebration and read the Commonwealth Day Message by Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.
I HAVE FINISHED INVENTORYING THE OPEN DATA HOLDINGS OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES https://t.co/KeBUqxQFxJ  Waldo Jaquith (@waldojaquith) February 10, 2016

The U.S. States Open Data Census took a new approach when rating open data across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. It allowed states to improve their results as the census looked into their open data initiatives. Instead of a closed assessment process, states watched their scores emerge and made improvements. U.S. Open Data launched the census early last year and completed it in February 2016. Waldo Jaquith, the organization's executive director, announced the final results via a tweet.Governments approached Jaquith with the inspiration for the census. "This whole project wasnt my idea, he said. While I was on stage last year at the Socrata Customer Summit, someone asked, 'Is there a data assessment for state data? It took, like, five people saying 'Does this exist?' for me to do it. I kept hearing from folks in charge of open data in other states that they wanted to be measured ... to see if they were doing a good job. ... Without it, they had no way of defending their work."Jaquith described the process of assessing states open data efforts as a journey. "[It started by] collaborating with Rebecca Williams and Emily Shaw at [the Sunlight Foundation]. I worked with them to define the data sets. It turned out to be really fascinating to go through and personally survey the [data] holdings. One person surveyed their entire state; [other] people submitted suggestions and improvements."Despite the interaction and improvements, "Overwhelmingly, it was a depressing process," said Jaquith. Many states didn't make important information like budgets or legislation available in open data or machine-readable formats. Several interviewees cited "data territorialism" for why open data programs suffer. Jaquith wrote on U.S. Open Data's blog: "It turns out that 73 percent of data sets published by states with data repositories are not found in the repository. Those data sets neither exist in the repository nor are they linked to from within the repository. When only 27 percent of extant core data sets are found on the site where the public is directed to go to find data, something has gone terribly wrong.Operators of state data repositories have got to inventory key state data holdings to ensure that theyre listed within the repository, and they also have to audit the search behavior on their sites to identify what data people want but cannot find. Weve got to do better.Two states approaches, Connecticut's and Washington's, stood out for Jaquith. Connecticut scored the highest in the census. "[The census] was interesting to me, because states are like this middle child where attention for open data is on cities and the federal level, said Tyler Kleykamp, chief data officer for Connecticut. "There isn't a lot out there that measures states open data. It was mostly, 'Do they have a portal or policy?'"Some states might bristle at this kind of benchmarking. Others find it to be a friendly nudge in the right direction. Will Saunders, open data program manager for Washington, saw the value in benchmarking and noting areas for improvement. "The rubric for the State Open Data Census is really valuable for our program, he said. Things like restrictive licenses are easier to apply than to remove, and when a neutral third party calls attention to them, it makes us in the government data community think about when and why they are really useful."CIOs and CDOs are reading over their census results as more of a to-do list than a scorecard. Nine categories provided a framework for state-level open data priorities, including checkbook (budget-related information), companies, incarceration, legislation, population projections, real estate, restaurant inspections and vehicle crashes. Each category has many factors rated by openness, accessibility, licensing, machine-readability or completeness of the data. For instance, Washington met all 12 factors and earned an A+ on its corporations data. California's corporations section earned an F, missing five out of 12 factors like machine-readable data.Connecticuts high score came from Kleykamp's persistence. U.S. Open Data's assessment style allowed for improvement. "Here are critical data sets that we [U.S. Open Data and the Sunlight Foundation] think states should be publishing to measure effectiveness, Jaquith said. That structure and the interactive, open nature of the program allowed states to improve their scores as the census developed. And the results arent set in stone: As states make improvements, they can contact U.S. Open Data to update their scores."I was keenly interested in how wed stack up, and I feared wed do poorly, Kleykamp said. I think Waldo sets a high bar, but thats a good thing. So, I went through [the census] and made sure all of those data sets were discoverable. I tagged them with #USOPENDATA so they were easily findable. It wasnt an exercise to come out on top, it was a genuine effort to see where we stacked up. I thought other states thatd been doing this longer than us would come out on top. I suspect other states might grouse about it, 'We dont collect, so how can you judge us?' But if its important stuff, maybe we should be doing it. That was one of approaches we took.A few recommendations can be gleaned from looking at the census information and top-performing states:1. Hire an open data leader with broad institutional knowledge and relationships. Top states tend to employ chief data officers with broad governmental relationships, which informed where data could be sourced and reduced data territorialism.2. Find opportunities to leapfrog data territorialism. Can you link to another departments information within your open data portal? Find opportunities for cross-department benefit. If possible, limit other departments work to identifying resources you can link to.3. Use the census as an open data to-do list. Identify the lowest-hanging fruit from your state's census information and zero in on the criteria for each of those categories. What, of those criteria, could you make improvements on this month? In the next quarter? As your state makes improvements, share these wins with stakeholders and open data users. And dont forget to report improvements to the U.S. Open Data Census.The Seattle Times, The OregonianOpen Government.
Those unfamiliar with North Carolinas analytics center might benefit from taking a peek. The states Government Data Analytics Center (GDAC) is an anomaly in an otherwise rote world of state bureaucracies. In 2014 Gov. Pat McCrory tasked it with the progressive and far-reaching mission to be the analytics hub for all state agencies and their more than 64,000 employees.This elevated authority has ferried the center from its original work at the State Controllers Office and into the Office of Information Technology Services. Since the transition, GDACs analysis of shared data has led to more than $1 million in revenues from worker compensation fraud penalties, channeled data for insights between departments and achieved previously unattainable efficiencies. GDAC Director John Correllus spoke with us to detail the centers current work and provide a few hints about whats next.We have had overwhelming legislative support from inception, and Gov. McCrory recognized the value of analytics early in his administration. Under his leadership, and with the support of the General Assembly, GDAC was moved under the state CIO in order to make business intelligence and data analytics a more enterprisewide effort. This enables GDAC to identify opportunities where data sharing and integration can generate greater efficiencies and improved service delivery by state agencies, institutions and departments.We have many new programs, including developing a statewide and state-managed health information exchange, which will provide access to clinical information to all Medicaid providers.We have other health-care initiatives underway  including a Medicaid analytics pilot  and we also are developing child welfare analytics to protect and ensure the safety of children across North Carolina. A complementary initiative just underway is focused on juvenile justice, leveraging data and analytics to reduce recidivism through early intervention. Another GDAC initiative is a statewide budget transparency site, which will provide public visibility into where tax dollars are going.We also continue to focus on foundational activities such as master data management, governance, standards and data architectures. These elements are foundational to delivering a successful enterprise data management practice. Continuing to mature this foundation will support faster delivery to meet changing business needs, demands and policies.Absolutely. A couple of examples of the benefits include work weve performed with the North Carolina Division of Employment Security and the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC). The NCIC is focused on ensuring employers compliance with maintaining workers compensation insurance coverage. In fiscal year 2015, NCIC tripled the amount [of penalty fines] collected the previous fiscal year, and had a fivefold increase over two years through the use of the fraud and compliance analytics out of GDAC.Very simply, the strategy has been to start small and think enterprise. This has allowed the organization to grow with each success to what it has become today. Our strategies have always been focused on business enablement and benefits.
(TNS) -- Amin Shokrollahi couldnt wait to lecture at an electronics conference in San Francisco. The annual gathering of top tech minds, investors and customers was the perfect place for the German-Iranian professor to gain support for his startup.But before he could make his trip to the January forum, Shokrollahi discovered his permission to travel to the United States from Switzerland had been revoked. He immediately knew why. Just weeks before his flight, Congress had made changes to the visa waiver program, which allowed citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa.After the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Congress amended the program so that those with dual citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria, as well as people who have traveled to those countries in the last five years, had to apply for a visa. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced further restrictions for those who have recently traveled to Libya, Somalia and Yemen.Shokrollahi, 52, ended up missing the conference, as well as meetings with potential investors. About a week later, the U.S. consulate granted him a yearlong visa. But the earlier episode, with its lost opportunities, rankled him.Most of the people being affected, the vast majority, they are being wrongfully targeted, said Shokrollahi, a mathematician who teaches at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. Its like giving broad spectrum antibiotics that kill everything because you want to kill a few bacteria.Edwin Smith, an expert in international law at the University of Southern California, said the decision Congress made balanced the freedom to travel with national security interests. Dual-national terrorists who are able to sneak into the country pose a real threat, he said.The thing that Daash would like very much is to have dual-national Europeans get into the U.S., Smith said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. Thats the nightmare scenario.But in recent weeks, Silicon Valley has been at the forefront of a push against the restrictions. The changes, tech leaders argued, would be bad for their bottom line if people doing business with their companies had difficulty coming to the U.S. And they worry that European countries will retaliate against U.S. travelers with similar restrictions.In a letter to Congress, the leaders of more than 30 companies, including Twitter, Dropbox and Pinterest, called the policy discriminatory.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.Ali Partovi, a tech investor and Iranian emigre, compared the restrictions to new sanctions, just months after a landmark nuclear deal led the U.S. to ease long-standing sanctions against Iran.Theyre a sanction against Europe and against American companies that do business with Europe, Partovi, 43, said. Any company that has offices in Europe, or sells products to European customers, or buys from European suppliers, is impacted.The European Union is scheduled to review the issue in April and has suggested that the bloc may suspend visa-free travel to Europe for all Americans for a year. Should the European Commission retaliate, it would not be the first time the union has found itself in a tit-for-tat battle with the U.S.The EU slapped its first tariffs on a wide range of U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods in 2004 in a retaliatory move intended to pressure Congress to make significant changes in the way U.S. corporations were taxed.The State Department has declined to comment on the possibility that Americans could face visa restrictions in response to the law Congress passed.Look, Im not going to speak to what Europe writ large may or may not do or individual governments may or may not do, State Department spokesman Mark C. Toner said at a January news briefing.The 30-year-old visa waiver program, which grants 90-day stays, is credited with bolstering the U.S. tourism industry.Hooman Radfar, a partner at the San Francisco start-up studio Expa, said the change to the visa waiver program could be particularly difficult for small businesses because time is money,Not being able to have someone for a month, while thats maybe not a big deal for GE, for a small business its catastrophic, Radfar said.Radfar said his parents left Iran for the U.S. before he was born because they wanted the freedom they couldnt have in their native land. Allowing certain Europeans to be able to come to the U.S. with ease while making it harder for others is un-American, he said.But the visa waiver bill that passed marked a relatively rare instance of bipartisan agreement in Washington.Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who introduced the Senates version of the legislation, said new restrictions cut the risk of foreign fighters exploiting the visa program by requiring individuals who have traveled to high-risk countries to use the traditional visa process. Feinsteins legislation prohibited visa-free travel for those who have traveled to Syria and Iraq. The dual-national provision originated in the House, officials said.I strongly believe that restricting use of the visa waiver program based on travel to high-risk countries will help prevent an estimated 5,000 foreign fighters from Europe who have trained in the Middle East from exploiting the program to enter the United States, Feinstein said in a statement.But the senator said she disagreed with restrictions based on nationality, saying it is discriminatory and not the correct path.A month after the bill was passed, lawmakers in both chambers introduced bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the dual-national restrictions.I was disappointed the provision was included in legislation, over the strong objection of many members, and support the effort to repeal it, Feinstein said.Partovi, the investor, said Iranians from all over the world work in the tech industry, and have earned their way into Silicon Valleys top ranks.  When you do something that hurts Iranians, all of Silicon Valley feels it.At UCLAs Westwood campus, some Iranian students said they fear that European countries will impose the same restrictions on them that the U.S. is imposing on Iranians in other countries.We are alert, unified and ready to fight unjust discrimination like this, said Arman Sharif, 19, who added that many Iranians in the U.S. have family in Europe. His mothers cousins live in Germany.Nikki Tavalosi said shes concerned about the effect a reciprocal law would have on her career. A graduate student studying economics, Tavalosi said many of the conferences shes interested in attending take place in Europe. The 23-year-old, who has family in Sweden, said the move came out of the blue.Its a blow to the Iranian diaspora, she said.Her parents are upset by the law, Tavalosi added, but not as much as she. Like many older immigrant generations, they dont want to ruffle any feathers, so they wont speak out, she said. Tavalosi, however, said shes willing to take a stand if Europe institutes similar laws.These are my rights, she said. I am willing to fight for them.
(TNS) -- Kerrville, Texas, council members are flying into uncharted territory as they write the first city regulations for drones.On the table is a ban in city parks, except by permitted operations.Remote-controlled aerial vehicles are used for business, recreation and even by law enforcement. The Federal Aviation Administration regulates use of unmanned aerial systems  UAS  which are commonly referred to as drones.Resident Aaron Yates owns a drone to take photos recreationally and for events. He said FAA requirements include restricting flight to 400 feet and below, and UAS are not allowed to fly near airports without first reporting and receiving approval from the airport.He said Texas laws on drones are even more restrictive.According to the FAA, 45 states considered some form of drone regulation in 2015.State law says I can fly in a public place like a park and take photos of people that are in the public place, but I cant fly over someone elses property and take pictures without their permission, Yates said.Kerrville city staff presented an ordinance amendment to city council last week that would restrict the use of drones in municipal parks. Ashlea Boyle, assistant director of parks and recreation, said people now will be required to receive a permit from the city before flying drones in parks.With the recent innovations in technology, drones are becoming more and more popular, and were beginning to see them rise in the parks and all across the country, Boyle said at a recent city council meeting. The FAA has set regulations regarding licensing, but this does not cover municipal property.Boyle said other Texas cities, including Parker and Rosenberg, have prohibited drones within park property. Austin also has some city regulation on drones, although they dropped their citywide ban on drones in April 2015.The permits in Kerrville would be free and limited to park property. Boyle said there would be some qualifications for permits.Allowed uses will consist of project surveying and inspection, scientific research, community marketing, etc., Boyle said. Recreational usage will not be permitted except for those already covered under an existing license agreement such as the RC radio flyers.The FAA reported in December the number of incidents involving unauthorized use of drones increased in the last year, from pilots reporting about 238 sightings of unsafe use in all of 2014 compared to 780 spotted January through August 2015. The city did not cite any incidents with drones, and Yates did not know of any in the area. Yates said he had mixed feelings about the proposed ordinance, considering the regulations the nation and state already have in place.If people were responsible from the beginning, we wouldnt have to have these permits, but there are some people who are not going to use them responsibly, Yates said. I dont know if its really going to stop people, though. How does the enforcement work and is it going to be practical?Boyle said there would be some qualifications for permits.Darren McCarthy, director of Rosenberg Parks and Recreation, said in an email that his city passed an ordinance to prohibit the use of drones in city parks except by law enforcement and city employees. He said the ordinance hasnt caused problems.(Drones) became an issue last year during our 4th of July celebration, McCarthy said in the email. Folks were flying drones too close to our fireworks show. Now that the ordinance is in place, law enforcement will have the tool necessary to cite the individuals this year if they happen to fly their drones too close to the fireworks again.In December, the FAA started requiring people to register drones weighing more than half a pound. Yates said the online registration process is simple and costs $5. In the first month, the FAA reported about 300,000 registrations and is working to establish online registration for commercial businesses wanting to use drones. Boyle said FAA certification would be required before a person could receive a city permit.Failure to register may result in civil penalties up to $27,500, and criminal penalties may include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment up to three years.Tim Adams, president of the Kerrville RC Flyers club, said drones under half a pound dont have to be registered with the FAA, and he asked city council members if the city ordinance would take that into consideration.Boyle said all remote-controlled aerial devices, including model airplanes, would be included in the ordinance.Adams said he agreed with the proposed ordinance, but he asked if city staff would work to inform the public about the ordinance if it is approved.I can relate the full scale to the club, but theres a lot of people around the city who arent members of our clubs and who may not know about the ordinance, Adams told council members.Kristine Day, deputy city manager, said signs would be posted in the parks, and the city would send out an informational piece detailing the permitting process.Yates said if the city moves forward with the ordinance, he would hope that groups in the community such as the RC Flyers would be consulted.It seems there hasnt been a big public cry for an ordinance like this, Yates said. Most of the laws that theyve passed on the state, and even on a national level, have been pretty sensible. I think groups like the RC Flyers need to be consulted if the city wants to place an ordinance in the parks.A second reading of the ordinance is required before the amendment can be made. The reading will take place at the city council meeting March 22.
Create an Innovative Water Technology Grant program to fund public-private partnerships that deploy, test and improve emerging water technologies.

Help communities use innovative technologies to address drinking water, wastewater and storm runoff challenges. The bill would require the EPA to evaluate barriers to greater adoption of updated water technology and provide technical assistance to communities using new technologies successfully piloted elsewhere.

(TNS) -- Adding to the conversation around safe drinking water that is going on in the halls of Congress, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has introduced her own water-related legislation , her office said Monday.The U.S. Senate has been working to deliver an aid package to Flint, Mich. , where water in aging pipes has resulted in lead poisoning. Flint's problems have opened up a broader debate about the condition of drinking water infrastructure and water policies around the country. The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that it would take $384 billion of spending by 2030 to continue providing clean drinking water to all Americans."Flint is not alone; there are many other communities across the United States that face serious challenges," Baldwin, a Democrat, said in a news release. "With technological innovation, we could have better solutions to confront water problems."Among those problems, Baldwin said, are lead safety, phosphorus reduction, and treatment of bacteria and nitrates.Baldwin's Water Technology Acceleration Act would:
At the most recent convening of the National Association of Counties at the Harvard Kennedy School, county executives heard Professor Mark Moore share his theory of public value. Moore quoted political philosopher John Dewey, who wrote that the fundamental problem of public leadership is calling into existence a public that can understand and act on its own interests."Democratic governance, in other words, does not furnish an engaged public by default: It is the charge of government leaders to call it into existence. The leadership of the New York City Police Department has taken this lesson to heart, leveraging technology to augment the constructive potential of the public voice.In 1994, Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Rudy Giuliani brought the department CompStat, a then-revolutionary accountability system for policing that has since been replicated across the country.CompStat is a management system that combines administrative philosophy with technological tools to make crime and disorder matters more transparent, and hold precinct commanders directly responsible for the areas they serve.Crime rates are just one measure of success for a modern police department. Recent surveys of New Yorkers indicate a highly uneven distribution of civilian satisfaction with the police, despite reduction in violent crime citywide. Ten percent of the public may be the victim of violent crime, Bratton has said, but 100 percent notice disorder.Zachary Tumin, NYPD deputy commissioner for strategic initiatives, said the department realized it needed reform. The road to safety must go through community and the workforce, he said, not over or around them.The job of the police is not just to be good at fighting crime; it is, in the spirit of Dewey, to call into existence a public that can better act on its own interests. A full two decades after the introduction of CompStat, the NYPD identified IdeaScale, a cloud-based innovation ideation platform, as a tool that could help.IdeaScale  which counts among its other customers NBC, Yale University and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security  works by registering users to make comments and vote on suggestions for ways to improve their organizations. The ideas that receive the most votes are elevated to the attention of management.The NYPD, whose work with the platform is uniquely public facing, has implemented the program fully in six regions. Our work with IdeaScale is the first time that a police department has used a digital platform to invite specific communities to nominate quality-of-life problems for the police to address, Tumin said. Crowdsourcing helps set the police agenda for action as never before.The program, which is part of the citys broader efforts to amplify citizen engagement in new neighborhood policing models, creates action items for the everyday issues people actually care about. In the 100th Precinct, for instance, community members used IdeaScale to voice concern over late-night noise coming from a local bar. The police, in this instance, enabled the community to act in its own interest by coordinating a meeting between concerned constituents and the bar owner, who together reached a mutually acceptable agreement on their own terms.The information and ideas submitted to IdeaScale constitute a crucial supplement to violent crime and 911 data in determining an agenda for a local police force, whose success in New York is now measured more holistically through an invigorated version of CompStat. Tumin said that by being more responsive to such quality-of-life issues, the police are able to enact a virtuous cycle. By building confidence that they will get things done, police increase the willingness of citizens to report crime, testify in court and contribute street-level intelligence. This participation, in turn, helps the police do their jobs better. And so on.New tech services like IdeaScale have demonstrated their capacity to create new publics in which citizens are not only heard, but also empowered to participate in the production of their own civil society. Having called publics into existence, it remains to leaders to help them flourish.
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Reddy Being Wooed By BJP?

Chennai: With the Assembly elections fast approaching, various political parties in Tamil Naidu are looking to the film industry as usual to drum up support for their candidates.

The elections are significant for the BJP which is keen on making a foray into the Southern states and shedding its tag of being a North Indian party.

For this reason, it is also looking at various film stars and Vishal Reddy has emerged as an attractive proposition for them.

Vishal recently tasted success in the Nadigar Sangham elections and he also earned the goodwill of the people for his relief efforts during the rains.

Therefore, the BJP is trying to get Vishal to contest the Assembly elections failing which it wants him to at least campaign for the Party.

What will Vishals decision be?
Relief For Roja In Supreme Court

At last, firebrand YSR Congress party MLA from Nagari R K Roja got some solace in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The apex court directed the Hyderabad High Court to take up her petition challenging her suspension from the Assembly for one year.

A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Gopal Gouda and Justice Arun Mishra, which heard Rojas arguments against her suspension, expressed surprise as to why the High Court had rejected her petition.

The Supreme Court ordered that the petition be taken up for hearing by the Chief Justice court on Wednesday itself. It sent an email to the HC asking it to take up the hearing on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court bench wondered how the High Court had come to the conclusion that Rojas petition was not maintainable.

It also warned of serious action against Assistant Registrar of the High Court who was responsible for the rejection.

Expressing serious concern over the way the case was dealt with by the High Court, the SC stated that a case involving a public representative was not treated with due importance.

It was a moral victory for Roja, who knocked every possible door in all the courts to get justice.

With the Supreme Court giving a strong order in her favour, she is now expecting a favourable judgement in the High Court.
Venkaiah, You Are Exposed Again!

Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu was thoroughly exposed on Wednesday for his double standards on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Reacting to a private member bill moved by Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao in Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah tried to cover up the inefficiency of the NDA government, by stating that the issue of special status to AP was not part of the AP Reorganisation Bill.

It was only an assurance by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Rajya Sabha. The blame should go to the Congress party for not making the special status issue part of the AP Reorganisation Bill. We are not at fault. We are sincerely trying to implement whatever is there in the Act, he said.

What Venkaiah tried to conceal is that the issue of special category status to AP had come up for discussion on the last day of the Parliament when the Rajya Sabha took up the Reorganisation Bill for voting.

It was Venkaiah who forced Manmohan Singh to make a statement on the issue to do justice to AP post-bifurcation. He had, in fact, demanded special status for a period of 10 years. He did not explain why the BJP had supported the Bill without the clause for special category.

Venkaiah also forgot the fact that the BJP had mentioned the special status issue in its poll manifesto and he and present Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the same when they addressed public meetings in AP during elections.

What happened to all these assurances, Mr Venkaiah?
Shell and its joint venture announced the start of oil production from the third phase of the deep-water Parque das Conchas (BC-10) development in Brazils Campos Basin. Production for this final phase of the project is expected to add up to 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) at peak production, from fields that have already produced more than 100-million barrels since 2009.

Operated by Shell (50%) and owned together with ONGC (27%) and QPI (23%), Parque das Conchas Phase 3 comprises five producing wells in two Campos Basin fields (Massa and O-South) and two water-injection wells. The subsea wells sit in water depths greater than 5,900-feet (1,800-meters) and connect to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Espirito Santo, moored in around 1,800m of water and located more than 90-miles (150-kilometers) offshore Brazil.

The development is the first of its kind based fully on subsea oil and gas separation and subsea pumping. The system uses 1,500-horsepower underwater pumpseach equivalent to a Formula One engineto drive oil and a small quantity of gas to the surface.

Parque das Conchas Phase 3 is the latest, major deep-water project for Shell. Shell deep-water sanctioned projects currently in development include, the Stones project, whose FPSO vessel is now on location in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Appomattox project, also a Gulf of Mexico project, now under construction. Shell is also part of a consortium exploring and developing the giant, pre-salt Libra field, offshore Brazil, and recently completed the acquisition of BG, which includes significant deep-water Brazil positions.

Shell is a global leader in deep water with a strong development pipeline following last months completion of the BG combination, across offshore Brazil, the US Gulf of Mexico, Nigeria, and Malaysia.
Updated at 3:49 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he spoke to Republican front-runner Donald Trump and asked him to condemn violence no matter who is responsible.

McConnell told reporters that he had a conversation with the candidate Tuesday morning, the first time the two men spoke since December.

The Kentucky Republican and the New York businessman discussed the recent violence that has marred Trump's rallies and protesters have clashed with the candidate's supporters.

Trump earlier Tuesday backed away from a suggestion that he might cover legal costs for a supporter who was caught on video punching a black protester in the face. The supporter was later charged with assault. Trump at the time said he'd asked his "people" to "look into" paying the fees. I

On ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday, he said, "I never said I was going to pay for fees." Asked if it had appeared he was encouraging violence with his initial statement, Trump replied, "Well, maybe so. Maybe that's why I wouldn't do it."

President Barack Obama says he is deeply disturbed by the "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" directed at women and minorities, as well as the violence in the 2016 presidential campaign.

That's a swipe at Republican front runner Donald Trump, who has been combative at his sometimes violent rallies and made comments about women.

Obama spoke Tuesday at a unity luncheon at the Capitol to express his concern about the protests that have escalated to attacks at the Trump rallies, as well as the candidate's plan to bar Muslims and deport immigrants living here illegally.

He says, "We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do." The president adds that too many leaders have been silent about the rhetoric, tone and actual violence at Trump rallies.

Updated at 1:15 p.m.

Hillary Clinton says on primary day in five key states that "the numbers are adding up in my favor" but she is going to keep working as hard as she can.

Clinton is pointing to the general election, telling reporters in Raleigh, North Carolina, that she thinks it's important that she focuses on "the really dangerous path that Donald Trump has laid out." She says the "kind of bluster and bigotry and bullying" is disturbing to most Americans.

Clinton faces Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in primary contests in five states on Tuesday: North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. She says she will "keep working all day on Election Day and remind people how important it is to vote" and not let "anyone get complacent."

Donald Trump has posted a big win in the GOP caucus on the Northern Mariana Islands.

The party says the billionaire businessman won almost 73 percent of the vote in Tuesday's caucus. He will get all nine delegates from the U.S. territory.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in second with 24 percent of the vote, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio finished a distant third and fourth, respectively.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties hold nominating contests in U.S. territories. The residents, however, cannot vote in the general election. The party said a total of 471 people voted.

Trump leads the race for delegates with 469. Cruz has 370, Rubio has 163, and Kasich has 63.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.
HARTFORD  Republicans tried in vain Monday to strengthen the so-called lockbox legislation to prevent raids on the states transportation fund, then they bailed out on supporting the proposed constitutional amendment.

After Rep. Tom ODea, R-New Canaan, ranking member of the legislative Transportation Committee, offered an amendment that would enlist the state Supreme Court to help protect the Special Transportation Fund, majority Democrats on the panel shot it down in a 17-13 vote.
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Former Gov. John G. Rowlands freedom could be finite.

Out on bond since last year, when he was sentenced to 30 months in prison for campaign fraud, Rowland will return to court Friday hard-pressed to overturn his conviction.

Rowland, 58, is set to appear in a federal appeals court in lower Manhattan for oral arguments in what legal experts say is an uphill climb for the twice-convicted politician.

The once-rising star of the GOP, whose name was bandied about for vice president, is staring at a second prison stint since a corruption scandal forced him to resign in 2004.

The case centers on Rowlands work as a shadow political operative on the 2012 congressional campaign of Republican Lisa Wilson-Foley, whose husband funneled $35,000 in payments to Rowland through a nursing home business.

Rowlands lawyers are expected to argue that the Justice Department was so obsessed with making an example of Rowland as a repeat offender that it suppressed exculpatory evidence in the case. Its a strategy that criminal defense experts say could be a double-edged sword for Rowland, whose appeal will be heard by three judges.

They could be thinking, what kind of idiot is this guy that he would do the exact same thing over again? He just doesnt get. The other is that the governments stalking, said Todd Fernow, the longtime director of the Criminal Clinic at the University of Connecticut Law School.

Both Rowlands lawyer, Andrew Fish, and a Justice Department spokesman declined to comment about the appeal, which was filed last year. Each side will get 12 minutes to make oral arguments, which is common in appellate cases. Both already filed lengthy briefs.

When the government learned that former Connecticut Governor John Rowland volunteered for a congressional campaign while working as a paid consultant for a company owned by the candidates husband, it was all too eager to prosecute, Fish wrote his 69-page brief filed last August.

Fraud, conspiracy, obstruction

The youngest governor in Connecticut history who was elected to three terms, Rowland was found guilty in September 2014 of campaign fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Through a nursing home business owned by Wilson-Foleys husband, Brian Foley, the couple steered $35,000 in payments to Rowland. They did not want to be tainted by having Rowland on the campaign payroll, but admitted that he still had influence in the 5th Congressional District and Rowlands home city of Waterbury.

The district stretches from Danbury to the Farmington Valley and includes Litchfield County, Meriden and New Britain.

Prosecutors say Rowland pitched a similar sham to GOP congressional candidate Mark Greenberg in 2010, but was rebuffed by the Litchfield businessman.

The defense claims that Foley concocted the entire sham contract for the ex-governor to work at Apple Rehab, with Rowland having no knowledge of the scheme. It contends that when investigators questioned Wilson-Foley, the failed candidate told them she believed the contract was legitimate  information that was withheld from Rowlands defense.

There is an unmistakable air of politics surrounding the entire prosecution and, though not the appropriate subject of appeal, could work in his favor if the judges are on the fence, said Lindy Urso, a criminal defense lawyer from Greenwich.

Urso, who is not connected with the case, has argued in front of the same appeals court.

As appeals go, I like the former governors chances, Urso said.

Rowland, who served 10 months in prison for accepting bribes from state contractors, had been scheduled to report to last June to a medium security federal prison in Otisville, N.Y. But the judge who sentenced Rowland granted him bond while his appeal is pending, calling some of the legal arguments raised by the defense fairly debatable.

Fernow said the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit have a reputation for being direct and efficient. The fewer questions they ask, he said, the more likely they are to uphold Rowlands conviction.

Its not going to take months and months, Fernow said. You may get an answer very quickly.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
High Street on Hudsons $14 eel toast requires four days of prep. Photo: Jed Egan

Its hard for me to imagine that other people in the world have worked this hard for a sandwich, says Will Horowitz, the co-owner of Harry & Idas in the East Village. Hes certainly one of the only chefs in New York to go as far as to install a live eel tank inside his restaurant  and spend a total of three days to prep his smoked-eel hero  but Horowitz is actually one of several local cooks working hard to embrace the rich, fatty, super-flavorful fish. Its an ingredient that represents how much time and effort restaurants, even casual ones, increasingly spend on seemingly simple dishes in order to stand out in the hypercompetitive New York restaurant landscape.

Eel has long been ubiquitous at New Yorks Japanese restaurants, of course, and its a popular ingredient in Spanish and Scandinavian cooking. But its increasingly appearing on New York menus that celebrate other cuisines: Beyond the smoked-eel sandwich at Harry & Idas, theres blood-sausage-stuffed eel at Mimis, eel toast at High Street on Hudson, smoked eel in yuba (with red celery, hoisin, cognac, soy, and cornflakes) for brunch at Mission Chinese Food, and an eel salad at Te Company, to name a few. As more accomplished New York chefs turn their attention to burgers, pizza, and simple pastas, these dishes are in sharp contrast.

The ingredient, though, is fraught with challenges: Eel is a slippery animal that makes many people squeamish (blame movies like The Tin Drum and Eel Girl), so it can be a hard sell. Its also incredibly labor-intensive to prepare from scratch. Growing up, Horowitz watched his grandfather, a fisherman in Long Island, trap eels outside the front of his house and then run around the front porch with a club, trying to knock them out. He knew that if he was going to serve eel at Harry & Idas, he wanted to do it the right way  and control the butchering procedure from start to finish.

He starts by buying eel from a farmer out in Connecticut, who raises the fish himself (sustainability is a big concern) and delivers them live. Theyre really, really strong, Horowitz says. Every so often, we get a bunch of live eel and someone doesnt put a weight on top of the box. They can open a lid of a heavy cooler. You go into the walk-in refrigerator, and there are eel flapping around. He likens breaking down eel to trying to fillet a tire because their skin is so tough and rubbery. On average, for one of his cooks to break down 100 eels, it takes three hours, and that yields enough meat for roughly 150 sandwiches. Chefs from other restaurants, such as Atera, often make pilgrimages into Harry & Idas just to learn the skill. We get a couple hundred eels every of couple weeks, and we break them down all at once, Horowitz says. Its kind of like an eel party, but it starts with a giant massacre.

The smoked-eel sandwich at Harry & Idas costs $17. Photo: Jed Egan

Youd expect that kind of attention and care  for one dish, and one dish only  to come from a fine-dining restaurant. But even a place like High Street on Hudson, which has a robust dinner service but is better known for being a laid-back lunch spot, butchers eel in house. Culinary director Jon Nodlers method is intense: What you have to do first is bleed them out, to slow them down, he says. Putting them in ice water helps. And then theres something called an eel tack  like an ice pick  and you tack down the eel to your cutting board to keep them from moving. Nodler brines the eel in aromatics and salt for two days, hot-smokes it until the skin crisps, and packs it in olive oil  a four-day process, in total. Horowitz, meanwhile, prefers to brine the fish overnight in dark maple syrup, air-dry it for 12 to 24 hours, and then hot-smoke it over wood and maple logs for six to eight hours. For both kitchens, its a point of pride.

There is a way to serve eel without going to so much trouble, though: At Te Company, chef Frederico Ribeiro buys smoked eel directly from Petrossian. When I worked in Spain, chef Martin Berasategui had a dish with smoked eel, foie gras, and green apples that was super delicious, Ribeiro says. And when I came to New York, the caviar lady said she had smoked eel, so I put it in a dish. People seem adventurous enough to try it.

Fans of eel know how good it tastes  its an oily fish thats decadent and tender  but that doesnt necessarily mean customers will order it. Is it worth the cost for these restaurants to bear? Nodler says that eel ranges from $8 to $14 a pound, and with the loss of the head and bones, it has a 50 percent yield: It can get pretty expensive, and because of the process, theres a lot of room for error. Thats not even taking into account all of the additional prep  beyond the smoking process, Nodler takes the scraps of Alex Boiss Vollkornbrot bread, purees them with a local porter and pickled habanero, and makes a Japanese-style eel glaze thats spicy, sweet, and sour. While High Street only receives a handful of a la carte orders for the toast each night, Nodler is at least able to incorporate it into the Leave It to Us tasting menu. (This is also how Dan Barber gets diners to try overlooked species of fish.)

At $17, the eel sandwich is the most expensive one on the Harry & Idas menu. Were actually trying to limit the amount that we make, Horowitz says. There will be a couple of weeks in a row where people buy eel constantly, and then there will be a couple of weeks where not enough do. It helps that his smoked eel has a weeklong shelf life, and that Horowitz can save the eel heads and tails to make broth. Its probably the best stock Ive ever had in my life, he says.

For these chefs, cooking eel is more of a labor of love  and a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors  than a means to tap into yet another fleeting food trend. Even still, the fishs popularity appears to be on the rise. Eel is having a moment, Nodler says, confidently. Its great that the dining population is susceptible, because it makes it a lot easier for a restaurant to take chances. But no matter how mainstream eel gets, itll be hard to break completely from those horror-movie associations. Horowitz laughs and says not everyone is onboard with the ingredient just yet: We definitely get people that freak out when they see the tank.
It shouldnt be so complicated to make this happen. Photo-Illustration: Grub Street; Photo: Walter McBride/Corbis

As far as the honors already heaped upon Hamilton go, last months $100,000 Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History flew relatively far under the radar. In fact, it may have been easy to lose track of it completely in the flurry of accolades given to the Broadway musical and its star, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamiltons run at the Public Theater scored the first Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award for an Off Broadway show since 1983. It picked up a Grammy, and its opening number was broadcast live during the awards. Miranda was awarded a prestigious MacArthur genius grant in 2015. He won a Best Musical Tony in 2009 for another show, In the Heights. Michelle Obama reportedly called Hamilton the greatest piece of art shes ever seen, and invited the cast to the White House. He spent yesterday casually freestyling with the president. And last month, the only things that sold more tickets than Hamilton were Beyonces Formation tour and the Super Bowl. It might seem there is no distinction left to give Miranda, the shows creator, lyricist, composer, book writer, and lead actor. But, to this day, one major Broadway prize has eluded even Miranda: a caricature on the wall at Sardis.

The iconic restaurant has been entwined with Broadway at least since 1946, when a brainstorming session in the dining room resulted in the Tony Awards. To date, there are nearly 1,000 drawings hung on the walls, featuring both true Broadway legends (Liza Minnelli, Bebe Neuwirth) and, um, other actors, too (Clay Aiken, Tony Danza). The latest addition to the wall: Maurice Hines, who got his caricature at a February 16 ceremony.

But no Lin-Manuel Miranda, the most decorated Broadway star of the moment. Eduardo Uribe, a reservations representative, answered the phone when Grub called to verify the exclusion. Uribe consulted with his superiors and explained, hesitantly, Were considering it. Were waiting to see how the spring plays out, Tony-wise.

But no rule exists to specify that the subject of a wall caricature must have won a Tony (and, besides, Miranda already has one), nor any kind of time restrictions on when a person can first be considered for inclusion (plus, Miranda won his seven whole years ago). Miranda, in short, is overdue. It wouldnt even be that difficult. In fact, Grub commissioned its own makeshift caricature of Miranda, which cost about $40 in Times Square, a few blocks from Sardis. Its the drawing you see above, and, all told, it required less than half of an afternoon to make it happen.

So what is the deal? Ivan Lesica, a maitre d at the restaurant, would only say that, of the 1,500 or so drawings that have been commissioned over the years, somewhere between 800 and 900 appear on the walls within Sardis, with the rest residing either in storage or in a collection in Lincoln Center. Gail Liser, the restaurants controller, says Sardis adds about 20 honorees a year, all of them drawn since 1974 by Richard Baratz, who won a contest as a then-student at the School of Visual Arts. According to Playbill, the decision as to who gets honored appears to be up to [Sardis co-owner Max] Klimavicius. He alone is how the play gets made, you might say.

Finally, Grub tracked down Klimavicius to ask whether Mirandas Tony-winning debut with In the Heights was a prescient-enough indication of his talent and future on Broadway to secure a drawing in the seven years since? Or maybe the genius grant was a sign he might be around to stay? What is the selection process actually like?

There are basically three rules for the wall, the owner explains. First of all, you have to be a friend of the house. Just because you are famous it doesnt mean you get a picture. Second, you have to be in the arts. And third? Third is for the exceptions to the other rules. Such exceptions include every mayor back to Wagner, the boxer Jack Dempsey, and the 1978 Triple Crown jockey Steve Cauthen.

Its a bit spontaneous, to tell the truth, Klimavicius adds. There is no real rhyme or reason. But eating there every night is how a Clay Aiken can leapfrog a Lin-Manuel Miranda (who, to be fair, Klimavicius said is also a friend of the house). Upcoming entrants, Klimavicius said, include Jane Krakowski, Forest Whitaker, and Bruce Willis. But its not about star-catching. We included Whoopi Goldberg, for example, because of her one-woman show [1984s The Spook Show] before she got famous.

And yet no confirmation and no reason given for the baffling lag. Meanwhile, Mirandas publicist, Charlie Guadano, says a drawing is in the works, but offers no firm timeline or guarantee that it will end up on the fabled wall at Sardis. Perhaps this is why Miranda says his favorite Spanish phrase is No te vistas que no vas: Dont get dressed, you aint going.
Until now, there hasn't been any way to purchase a data-only service besides tacking it onto an existing mobile phone plan. This is the first time in the US that a carrier, or MVNO alike, offers data only plans without requiring a phone line first.

The company does plan to incorporate GSM compatible SIMs in the future but as of now, the MVNO will piggyback on Sprint's nationwide network and will be compatible with any Sprint-enabled device, phones and tablets, alike. All Nexus smartphones since the Nexus 5 all the way up to the current-gen 5X and 6P. Obviously, the Phone and Messaging apps will be rendered useless.

Plans start at $15 per GB or $13 per GB when you buy three or more GB. Data never expires and automatically charges your card when you run out (if you wish).

This could be the first step of many toward eventually getting rid of phone numbers altogether. Phone calls, text messages, and everything that once needed a switching center, has effectively been replaced with services that are either fully online (messaging services) or half-online (phone calls over LTE or Wi-Fi). Though totally getting rid of your phone number might not happen until another decade or so.

Penny pinchers will love being able to get a data-only SIM for their smartphone and get away with only having a Google Voice number or live off of WhatsApp calls and messages, or even by using Facebook's services.

Charge could even be a great plan for kids since kids don't really need a phone number right away, all kids need is a method of communication with their parents/guardians and/or a tracking method via GPS (If it's your thing).

Source | Via
Several years ago before the adoption of smartphones exploded like the plague, carriers in the US used to make major bucks from text messaging plans and minutes while they gave data away in unlimited bundles for Blackberries to sip on, back when the demand for high-speed data was at a minimum.

US carriers noticed the change and gradually began focusing their revenue on data plans with unlimited calls and text messages. Unfortunately for other parts of the world that are starting to adopt smartphone use more and more as the network reliability improves, messaging services are able to easily replace outrageous calling and texting rates by simply using an app that transmits calls and messages via the internet.

Zimbabwe carriers are struggling with revenue since more and more users are flocking toward the cheaper alternatives of communicating via messaging apps along the likes of Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber. So in these desperate times of declining revenue, the carriers requested that the government regulates use of these apps in order for them to get the higher profits they once had.

Zimbabwes government said that as a progressive government, which promotes access to technology, we were [opposed] to the idea of stifling these technologies or banning them. Great economies are driven by innovation. So if these companies profits are suffering because of these apps, they need to either restructure their own plans, or sell a better product.

Rather than admitting defeat, Minister Mandiwanzira suggested to the operators that they should seek the opportunity to help young Zimbabweans to develop apps useful in local and international distribution to compete with other worldwide giants.

Source | Via




Haiti - FLASH : 1,053 homicides in the last 12 months





In his report, the Secretary-General on the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) reveals statistics on crime and violence in Haiti for the period from September 1, 2015 to March 1, 2016.



During the reporting period the national police and Minustah, indicated 567 reported homicides. In comparison, 486 homicides were registered between 1 March and 31 August 2015 and 538 between 1 September 2014 and 1 March 2015. Nearly 83% of the 567 homicides remained concentrated in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, almost half of which were reportedly gang-related.



In total, 44 kidnappings were registered, compared with 29 between 1 March and 31 August 2015 and 29 between 1 September 2014 and 1 March 2015.



Reported cases of rape totalled 218, indicating greater stability following the 223 cases reported between 1 March and 31 August 2015 and the 220 cases reported between 1 September 2014 and 1 March 2015. The Ministry for the Status of Women and Womens Rights suggested that the numbers may have been higher owing to underreporting, in particular in Cite Soleil (West Department), where gangs were reportedly the main perpetrators.



In total the number of public protests was 689, of which 275 were reported to have elements of violence ranging from the use of road barricades, destruction of property and throwing of stones, to assaults against police officers and shootings. Those numbers indicate a substantial increase from 399 (of which 151 were violent) during the period from 1 March to 31 August 2015 and a more significant rise from 215 (of which 104 were violent) during the period from 1 September 2014 to 1 March 2015, reflecting the volatility of the current reporting period. The West Department remained the most affected, with 52% (361) of the 689 recorded events, followed by the North Department with 9% and the South Department with 8%.



Protests were generally small-scale; an estimated 84% (576 events) involved fewer than 300 persons. Another 11% (75 events) ranged from 300 to 1,000 persons, while 5% (38 events) involved more than 1,000 protesters. Election-related protests totalled 318 events, representing 46% of the 689 reported protests, surpassing the 136 triggered by socioeconomic grievances.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Education : Rectorate of the UEH, nearly 40 days of occupation...





In a note, of teachers of the Department of Human Sciences (FASCH) and of the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (FAMV), while recognizing the right of claims of all components of the UEH condemn the acts of vandalism on the property belonging to the university community. They believe that the University should be able to do better, provide better examples, propose peaceful solutions, reasonable and rational when tempers flare beyond the acceptable.



The teachers of the FAMV demanding the immediate release of the premises of the Rectorate illegally occupied since 5 February https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16596-icihaiti-politic-occupation-and-violence-to-ueh.html and that deprive academic entities of the inalienable right to obtain their treatment and to monitor their records from the Central Administration "The blocking of premises of the Rectorate, never mind the reasons stated, is contrary to the principles that should be taught at university. The dialogue, the right to speech, tolerance, freedom of movement are the master words that should guide education and not intolerance and intractability. The consequences of such actions on the functioning of the various entities may be disastrous. Already sick employees are unable to find the required insurance certificate to be accepted in health care services. The disbursement of funds necessary to finance the academic activities, can no longer do. The delivery of diplomas, certificates or other official documents is momentarily interrupted. In short, the rights of all those who need these services, of all students, administrators and teachers not involved in this harmful movement deleterious to the UEH are violated every day, every hour, every minute, every second more as this situation persists."



Their colleagues teachers of the Faculty of Human Sciences (FASCH) abound in the same direction recalling that "The State University of Haiti, as a public institution, is subject to the principle of continuity of public services. The Council and currently the only and last instance called to make arrangements for immediate deoccupying of administrative areas of the Rectorate and the premises of the Doctoral School.  The well founded or relevance of the claims of each other can not in any way justify the kidnapping of the entire university community, or contravene the public service mission of the UEH."



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16810-icihaiti-politic-students-of-ueh-harden-their-position.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16755-icihaiti-social-4-month-blockage-in-ueh.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16619-haiti-politic-the-occupation-of-the-rectorate-in-ueh-continues.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16619-haiti-politic-the-occupation-of-the-rectorate-in-ueh-continues.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16426-icihaiti-social-civil-disobedience-week-by-students.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Education : A delegation in Haiti to assess and support the educational reforms





A delegation of 9 members, two of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and 7 of the World Bank (WB) is on a mission to Haiti from 14 to 18 March 2016 to take stock of the education sector financing strategy in support of the Project Education for All (EPT). More specifically, it is to assess progress made since the implementation of actions taken as part of educational reforms underway including the Operational Plan and the 12 measures in connection with provisional license to teach and the School Identification Card (CIE) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11781-haiti-education-exam-results-disappointing-the-minister-manigat-announced-a-package-of-measures.html as well as Operational Plan.



Monday, the first working session, chaired by the Minister Nesmy Manigat took place with representatives of the mission, officials of the EPT project, the Director General, Renold Telfort, of members of the cabinet of the Minister and the technical directors of the Ministry of National Education.



The Minister took the opportunity to recall that despite this particular political situation, it is important to ensure continuity in the provision of educational services, but also to continue efforts to mobilize the international community around the reform educational. He stressed the importance of the National Office of Learning Partnership (ONAPE) as a key tool to boost partnership in the sector but mainly to serve as channel for dialogue to facilitate not only the implementation of the ongoing reforms but also to follow up them.



For Ludovic Signarbieux, senior education specialist (Benin, Cameroon, Haiti, Togo) for the GPE, which coordinates the mission in Haiti, the main task is to "follow up on the financing in collaboration with all partners and the government first of all [...] and support the Haitian Government in all matters concerning the development and monitoring of its education policy whether through technical assistance or funding for activities aimed at strengthening the sector [...]"



The mission will have to go on the field to meet the subsidized schools, but also those who participate in the National Program of School Canteen. It is also for the mission of verifying how unfold among other schools accreditation issues, the strengthening of the supervision of the latter, the collection of data relating to the sector etc... to better assess the progress that has been made regarding the implementation of the EPT project to the different components financed by the Bank and the global Partnership.



Note that the GPE signed to date with Haiti financing agreements totaling an amount of US $46 million whose latest funding dated November 2014, is valued at $24 million.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16734-icihaiti-education-tribute-evening-to-nesmy-manigat.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16651-haiti-education-nesmy-manigat-appointed-president-of-a-committee-of-global-partnership-for-education.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Evans Paul conditions his departure

Prime Minister Evans Paul said he was ready to leave his post, provided that his successor is legitimate. He also criticizes the idea of setting up a new Verification Commission, he says hoped the compliance with the agreement of February 5, which states "Implementation of the technical recommendations of the Independent Commission of Electoral Evaluation" and not the creation of a new Commission.



No abnormality in documents of the PM to the Lower House

Monday, Franck Lauture, the Secretary-Rapporteur of the Special Committee responsible for studying the eligibility of Fritz Jean informed that the Commission that got 24-hour extension will submit its report Tuesday, March 15, indicating that the draft of the report was ready and apparently there would be no abnormalities in the record of the former governor of the Central Bank.



Pressures on the members of G48

According to the deputy of Delmas, Gary Bodeau "There are three deputies of Northeast under pressure [for vote in favor of the general policy of PM named] [...] because of their friendship with Fritz Jean [...] but there is no division in the Group [...] we will have a majority of 53 deputies to vote against him."



Doubts about the eligibility of the PM by Youri Latortue

Sen. Youri Latortue, leader of the G9, contrary to what was suggested by the Secretary-Rapporteur of the Special Commission of the Lower House, said he found several abnormalities in teh documents of the Prime Minister Jean. For example, the former Governor of the BRH has no visa in his passport for the period 2007-2017 which casts doubt on nationality, in adition no clearance certificate has been submitted for his funtion of President of the Board of Teleco.



Deputies analyze the General Policy of the PM

Monday, the Prime Minister named, Fritz Alphonse Jean, sent to the Lower House Office his general policy statement in order to meet "a requirement of the Assembly of Deputies who wanted the document to be submitted for consideration of the honorable deputues 48 hours before the ratification meeting," said Abel Descollines, the First Secretary of the House of Representatives. It is likely that the Prime Minister named be invited to make a presentation to the Assembly of Deputies Wednesday, March 16. To be continued...



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Employers could be forced to convert casual workers into permanent employees after six months, if a national union plan aimed at stopping the casualisation of Australias workforce becomes legislation.



Under the union proposal, Australias 2.2 million casual workers would be given the right to sign on as permanent employees once they have worked regularly for the same employer for six months.



The Fair Work Commission has received claims from several major unions, seeking new rights to be set in place across every industry, Fairfax Media reported.



This has sparked a new industrial relations battle, set to unfold this week.



The workplace tribunal has commenced a series of public hearings into the issue as part of its review of pay and conditions in 122 modern awards covering most Australian workers.



Employers have fought back and condemned the legal claims as "costly and thoughtless", Fairfax reported.



The change could put some 19,000 jobs at risk and drain $3.7 billion from the national economy, warns Australia's biggest business lobby  the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.



"These new restrictions would stifle flexibility in the workforce and it means many employers would simply not allow contracts to run for more than six months, which would ultimately disadvantage employees," former ACCI chief Kate Carnell was quoted in Fairfax media.



"Casual employment is not the enemy; not having a job is the problem, and this is what will ultimately happen to thousands of casual workers if these claims succeed," Carnell says.



It is estimated that there are some 140,000 casual workers in the manufacturing industry who miss out on access to entitlements such as annual leave because of their employment status.



These workers are engaged in the same way as full-time employees, however due to their casual employment status, they receive no pay for sick days, or annual and personal leave.



The unions' proposed "casual conversion clauses" state that casuals who convert to permanent will have their employment period as a regular casual employee factored in for redundancy, unfair dismissal and parental leave.



At the Fair Work Commission on Monday, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union proposed that an automatic conversion" option would see casual workers made permanent after six or 12 months, unless the workers themselves choose to "opt out" and remain casual.



National President of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Andrew Dettmer said rules on casual employment in the manufacturing industry allowed workers a "right to request" permanent employment after six months but gave employers a wide range of reasons to refuse.



"Our research shows that 88 per cent of requests to become permanent are rejected, Dettmer says.



"In fact, 22 per cent of casual workers are too afraid to ask, despite having the right," he says.



"The system is broken. Casual employment has simply become a way for employers to exploit vulnerable workers. It's time this stopped."



However Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox accused the union movement of trying to demonise casual work, saying that casual arrangements provided vital flexibility for both employees and employers.



"One indisputable fact is that the level of casual employment has not increased in Australia for the past 18 years ... statistics show that it remains at 20 per cent of the workforce," Willox says.




Contact the relevant law enforcement agency to find out as much information as possible. The agency may need the employers cooperation to find out more details so this can be a mutually beneficial communication. Consider whether it would be appropriate to suspend the employee on full pay. This will depend on the severity of the allegations and whether this could affect them carrying out their role. Consider an internal investigation, and in particular interviewing the employee involved and any relevant co-workers. The employee must still follow lawful and reasonable directions of their employer and so must attend an interview if so required. The criminal investigation and the internal company investigation need to be treated entirely separately. If the employee is found during this investigation to have committed serious misconduct, they can be terminated without needing to await the outcome of a criminal trial. If the employee has otherwise performed poorly or against company policy, they can be disciplined appropriately. Review any potential relevant evidence including emails, letters, finance records, CCTV, computer history, telephone logs and so on. This is not only an important step in an internal investigation but could provide some relevant information to provide to law enforcement agencies.

However, if the investigation is non-work related and will not impact on the person being able to continue carrying out their role, then none of the above apply, Gleeson says.



The only real step that should be taken is to have a discreet discussion with the employee about support they may require in the workplace and any potential time off work to attend court and meet with their lawyer, she says.



Employers need to ensure they follow procedural fairness and comply with the terms of the employment contract when considering if the staff members employment should be terminated.



Otherwise, a hefty damages claim from unfair dismissal or a breach of contract could be raised against the company if an employee is dismissed due to being subject to a criminal investigation, without any further consideration.



A company could end up with an employee being reinstated, or awarded significant compensation, if they rush to sack an employee in this situation, she says.



In the case of Deeth v Milly Hill Pty LTd [2015] FWC 6422, an apprentice butcher was fired by his employer after he was charged with being an accessory to murder.



A court found he was unfairly dismissed as his employer didnt carry out a workplace investigation.



While it was found that there was a valid reason for termination, it was ultimately held that it was a harsh and unjust dismissal as the employee was given no opportunity to respond and given no notice of termination.



What can be gleaned from this case is that an employer should not rush into making a decision, Gleeson says.



They need to carefully consider whether the alleged conduct is connected to the work carried out and could impact upon the work.



For example, it would be unlikely that an allegation of drink driving would impact upon a person carrying out a purely office based role, she says, however such an allegation could severely impact on someone carrying out a role that includes driving such as a courier or bus driver.



Gleeson reminds HR that a full investigation must be carried out, giving the employee an opportunity to put forward their side of events and to scrutinise the facts, before any decision is made.



If HR feels that its not appropriate for the employee to remain in the workplace during the course of the investigation into a work related matter that will be internally investigated, they could place the employee on special leave with full pay.



Alternatively, even if it is not work related, the employee may voluntarily agree to such an arrangement, Gleeson says.



However, she says companies need to be aware that criminal investigations can continue for many months and that the matter will not be listed for a full hearing for a significant period of time.



It is therefore not a good idea to plan on having the person on full paid leave until they are either found guilty or not guilty, as this could result in significant lost money as well as having to hold open the persons position.



In a workplace where employees require a working with children check HR need to be particularly vigilant about any investigation or allegations into any sort of inappropriate relationships with child.



Importantly, employers are not required to find that a criminal offence occurred to dismiss an employee, Gleeson says.



Rather, they are required to find that there has been serious misconduct committed in the course of work, or that the conduct outside of work will impact so much on work as to justify termination.






By Jessica Isaacs

After nearly 28 years of successful business in Boone, Bare Essentials Natural Market owners Ben Henderson and Mary Underwood are ready to pass the torch. Theyre ready to tackle new adventures, and are leaving the market  a staple for healthy living in the High Country  to new owners, Dave and Catherine Reczek.

With knowledgeable staff on hand and thousands of the best natural products in the industry on the shelves, Bare Essentials has been drawing health-conscious shoppers from across western North Carolina, even some from eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia, for well over two decades.

Now, as they prepare to hand the business over to the Reczeks, Henderson and Underwood are keeping their sights on the future of the market, which they say is bound to see continued success.

Im really excited for the future of Bare Essentials. We spent 27  years building a business, and I believe we have found the perfect team of people for our successors, said Henderson. We started this business out of a passion for healthy food, products and supplements. Our successors have been in the industry long enough to have that kind of passion, but what they have that I did not have is a business sensibility. I think they will use the science of retail to create an even better Bare Essentials Natural Market.

Henderson will work his last official day at the market this Thursday, but hell be on hand for a few more months to help introduce the Reczeks to the Bare Essentials family of customers.

Bare Essentials

Henderson and Underwood announced the business will soon change hands through a blog post on the stores website, benaturalmarket.com, on March 7. In the message, the two explained their assurance in the markets new ownership.

The synergy that Mary and I felt upon meeting Dave and Catherine filled us with confidence that were not leaving 27 years of business behind, but rather nurturing it and preparing it for another 27 years of success, Henderson wrote. We truly feel that the continued innovation, commitment and experience that Dave and Catherine will bring to the business will serve you, our customer family, our employees and our vendors. In addition to all that Dave and Catherine bring to the business, they are genuinely good people who will make their own significant mark on the High Country.

The Reczeks bring vast wealth of expertise to the market, which encompasses experience in marketing, homeopathy and herbal remedies, management, sales and natural foods.

Im honored that Mary and Ben have chosen me to continue the tradition of excellence theyve created, Dave said in a recent release from the market. Im excited to further develop the already extensive product offerings and exemplary customer service that currently exists at Bare Essentials Natural Market, and look forward to continuing to serve the community.

Henderson and Underwood continue to share a love for the natural products industry and theyre proud of what the market has become for folks in the High Country.

Bare Essentials is located at 273 Boone Heights Drive and operates from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Check out the market online or call 828-262-5592 for more information.

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Dr. Mae Jemison will present the talk Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential March 30 at Appalachian State University. Her talk will begin at 7 p.m. in the Schaeffer Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Jemison is the first African-American woman to go into space. She served six years as a NASA astronaut. She flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-47 Spacelab (Japan) mission in September 1992 and was NASAs first science mission specialist, performing experiments in material science, life science and human adaptation to weightlessness. Prior to joining NASA, Jemison, a medical doctor, was the area Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia.

She is currently leading 100 Year Starship (100YSS), an initiative seed funded by the U.S. Department of Defenses Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to assure the capability for human interstellar space travel to another star is possible within the next 100 years.

Jemison was the Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and was a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College from 1995 to 2002.

She founded the technology consulting firm The Jemison Group Inc. that integrates the critical impact of socio-cultural issues when designing and implementing technologies, such as their projects on using satellite technology for health care delivery in West Africa and solar dish Stirling engines for electricity generation in developing countries.

Sponsors of Jemisons campus visit are the University Forum Committee, Joan Askew Vail Endowment and the Office of Multicultural Student Development.

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During Sunshine Week, the week North Carolina news organizations recognize the role of an open and transparent government, Carolina Public Press announces the launch of Open WNC, an 18-county project open government, data and records portal that may be found at www.openwnc.org.

Open WNC is a website dedicated to improve access to information, data and research tools allowing for a more transparent local, county, regional and statewide government in North Carolina. A project of the nonprofit online news organization Carolina Public Press, the site aims to provide clear, fair and accurate information to encourage civic and community engagement. By putting public data online, in one place, Open WNC helps promote an accountable transparent government in the Western North Carolina region.

Students, working journalists, researchers, government leaders, community members and organizations may use the site to increase their understanding, reporting and analysis of issues facing Western North Carolina.

Weve spent more than a year working on building this unique resource that offers important details and insight into our communities and how our local and statewide government works, said program director Paul Eggers.

Currently, the website offers information such as county budgets for each of the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina. It also includes public meetings announcements and agendas, meeting minutes, and county-by-county data on topics ranging from community demographics, unemployment and wages to business and home ownership data. It also includes state government information such as direct links to state legislators homepages. All data and records included on the site will be vetted and include originating sources.

Access to www.openwnc.org is free and open to the public. The site will be continually updated, and the public may make requests for additional information, as well.

Carolina Public Press worked with Code for Asheville, a civic technology group, to launch the effort, which was made possible in part through a $10,000 OpenGovgrant from the Washington, D.C.-based Sunlight Foundation, which supports open-source projects and tools [that] are opening up data and government information in innovative ways.

Journalists and reporters working for Carolina Public Press research, review and evaluate troves of public records and data, said Angie Newsome, executive director of Carolina Public Press. We wanted to take that information and make it really easy for people to learn, connect and participate in their communities.

For more information on the Open WNC project, please visit www.openwnc.org.

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The House of Representatives today passed legislation by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., that authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which the Wilkesboro Hydroelectric Company is required to begin construction of its hydropower project at W. Kerr Scott Dam.

Congress needs to make sure onerous regulatory burdens dont stand in the way of accessing or advancing all forms of American energy, said Foxx. Wilkesboro Hydroelectric Company has worked to ensure its project meets the requirements outlined by the federal government and this legislation is consistent with previous congressional action to spur hydropower development at Corps facilities.

On July 17, 2012, the agency granted the company an original license for the project on the Yadkin River in Wilkes County. However, Section 13 of the Federal Power Act requires Wilkesboro Hydroelectric Company to begin construction within four years of license issuance.

The project has required extensive coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and there were delays in the review process for the design plans. As a result, Wilkesboro Hydroelectric Company will not be able to start construction of the amended design within the statutory deadline.

Foxxs legislation extends the time period during which the company is required to commence the construction of the project for up to three consecutive two-year periods from the date of the expiration of the extension originally issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

H.R. 3447 passed the House by a vote of 406-3. Identical legislation has been introduced in the Senate.

###

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx represents North Carolinas 5th Congressional District and is the elected Republican Conference Secretary. Dr. Foxx is the chair of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and serves as Vice Chair of the House Rules Committee.

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(Hedge Fund Law Report) On December 18, 2015, Cayman Islands authorities published a bill for a new law that allows for the formation of Cayman Islands limited liability companies (Cayman LLCs). Similar to a Delaware limited liability company, the Cayman LLC provides managers with additional flexibility and options for forming hedge funds in the Cayman Islands. In a recent interview with The Hedge Fund Law Report, Jude Scott, the Chief Executive Officer of Cayman Finance; Henry Smith, a partner at Maples and Calder and Chair of the International Relations Committee of Cayman Finance; and Hon. Wayne Panton, Minister of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment for the Cayman Islands Government, discussed the Cayman LLC, detailing the new vehicles requirements, potential uses and implications for hedge fund managers.

To read this article:




We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here
And that's a strength for Helsinki, she points out in an interview with Uusi Suomi.

Tuulikki Becker, the chief executive officer of Visit Helsinki, has confirmed that the nearly 40 per cent drop in the number of overnight stays by Russian visitors recorded in Helsinki in 2015 was completely offset by increases in the number of overnight stays by other foreign visitors.

We aren't reliant on a single market area. We've had five major markets, or six really as we've also had more than 100,000 overnight stays [a year] from Japan, she adds.

The year-on-year increase of 44 per cent recorded in the number of overnight stays by Chinese visitors  from 58,000 to 84,000  bodes particularly well for the future. Chinese tourism overall is growing rapidly all around the world. Our excellent flight connections to China naturally explain why the number of Chinese tourists has grown so notably [in Helsinki], says Becker.

Related posts: - 2015 was a record year for tourism in Helsinki (25 February, 2016)

The surge in visitor numbers, she adds, cannot be attributed to a particular event or campaign organised in Helsinki in 2015.

China has according to her vast potential as a tourism country due to its massive population and growing middle class once the local travel market is de-regulated. Finland has sought to tap into the potential by encouraging tourists from China, Japan and South Korea to make a stopover in Finland on their way to other destinations in Europe.

Finnair overhauled its ticket categories last autumn to allow tourists to add a stopover of up to five days in Finland to their journey to Europe.

Becker acknowledges that the overhaul may have had an effect on the number of foreign visitors to Helsinki but estimates that the concept has yet to break through. The stopovers have yet to be marketed on a wide scale. Stopover Finland won't launch its marketing efforts in Beijing until later this spring, she tells.

She points out that the number of overnight stays by Chinese visitors grew considerably also in Vantaa  by 45 per cent year-on-year to roughly 56,000. It seems to be an indication of stopover stays  people staying close to the airport, she analyses.

The popularity of stopovers will definitely increase, she estimates.

Finland is currently eager to make an impression on tourists from China, who usually visit more than one country on their trips to Europe.

The more they travel, the more they'll only visit a single destination, says Becker. Finland has a great opportunity to take advantage of that once they become accustomed to making a stopover here.

China may only rank as the seventh most important country of origin of visitors to Helsinki, but the increase in the number of overnight stays made by its citizens was one of the most positive surprises for the tourism sector in 2015  not least because for the very first time visitors from China outspent visitors from Russia.

Preliminary statistics on spending by foreign visitors in the capital region indicate that tourists from Russia spent an average of 103 euros a day and tourists from China an average of 238 euros a day during their visit to the region, reports Visit Helsinki. Per visit, tourists from Russia spent an average of 144 euros and tourists from China an average of 379 euros in the region.

The Chinese buy genuine and luxury goods when travelling, says Becker.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Jussi Nukari  Lehtikuva

Graph: Jenni Tamminen  Uusi Suomi

Source: Uusi Suomi
The professors are right, she admitted on her blog on Sunday , referring to a report by Helsingin Sanomat that hundreds of professors estimate that the Government has failed in its higher education policy.

Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP), the Minister of Education and Culture, has responded to the onslaught of criticism she has received from the academia over drastic cuts in education spending.

No one is of the opinion that cutting from education and research is good news. No one else in our society hopes they will be targeted by cuts, and no one is happy having to make the cuts, Grahn-Laasonen writes.

Survey sent to over 2,000 professors - Helsingin Sanomat sent its survey to over 2,000 professors in Finland and received a total of 932 responses. - The majority of respondents, 854, estimated that the Government has failed partly or entirely in its higher education policy. - No more than 8 per cent of respondents estimated that the higher education policy has been a partial or complete success. Source: Helsingin Sanomat

Finland, she reminds, has had to add roughly five billion euros to its debt burden to fund its service and welfare infrastructure. She also points out that economic growth remains weak, that the ranks of the jobless have swelled to nearly 400,000, that the credit rating of Finland was downgraded on Friday and that the European Commission expects the country's economic struggles to continue.

Appropriations for higher education and research will be cut from 3.2 to 3.1 billion euros in the main category of the Ministry of Culture and Education in the current electoral term. [] The figure does not take into account the capitalisation of higher education institutions by 220 million euros, she says.

Grahn-Laasonen reminds that the funding of universities alone has increased by roughly 800 million euros in the 2000s.

University appropriations will not collapse, but their real value will drop to the levels of 2009 after an extended period of growth  not because of hostility towards education but because of our debt-equity ratio, she writes.

She argues that structural reforms are a means to offset the effects of the spending cuts and promote efficiency and quality.

She also gauges that research activities are carried out by too small units in Finland.

Finland needs a more science-friendly climate. The academia and policy-makers speak different languages. Policy-makers have the responsibility to express their willingness for dialogue and respect for experts instead of making offhand remarks. I also hope universities appreciate the amount of economic pressure on Finland. Cutbacks are being made across the board. They are not an indication of hostility towards anyone but a necessity under very difficult circumstances, she comments.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
David Drumm spent his first night back in Ireland behind bars - but will be freed today once bail sureties totalling 150,000 are given to a court.

The former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive was remanded to Cloverhill Prison following a dramatic day which saw him arrested and charged with serious offences as he ended his seven-year exile.

Less than an hour-and-a-half after Aer Lingus flight EI136 from Boston touched down at Dublin Airport yesterday morning, Drumm found himself being formally charged with 33 offences, including fraud, conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

A lengthy court hearing followed where lawyers for the State strenuously argued that he should be refused bail.

However, at Dublin District Court, Judge Michael Walsh sided with a defence application that Drumm be allowed out on bail pending the outcome of his trial.

As part of the bail conditions, Drumm will have to live at an address in Skerries, Co Dublin and sign on twice daily at Balbriggan Garda Station.

He will also have to surrender his passport.

The former banker will have to provide a personal cash surety of 50,000, which must be lodged to the court.

An independent surety of 100,000 must also be offered, half of which must be in cash with the remainder kept in a bank account and frozen until the case is completed.

Remanding Drumm in custody, Judge Walsh said the bail issue could be "tidied up" today.

Drumm looked visibly relieved at the decision and took the stand to tell the judge the address he intended to live at.

He also said his passport was in the possession of gardai and that he would not apply for a replacement one.

Earlier, the court heard Drumm was arrested at Dublin Airport at 5.30am following his extradition from the US.

He was conveyed to Ballymun Garda Station where two charges were put to him by Det Sgt Michael McKenna of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI) at 6.35am.

Drumm made no comment to either of the charges.

Det Sgt Michael Prendergast, an officer seconded to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement from the GBFI, gave evidence of 31 further charges he put to Drumm at the garda station at 6.39am.

He said Drumm made no reply to any of the charges.

Det Sgt McKenna then applied to have Drumm remanded in custody. He said he believed Drumm was "a serious risk of flight for a number of reasons".

However, Drumm's solicitor Michael Staines told the court that other people facing similar charges to his client had all been granted bail. He said Drumm was not a flight risk.

If he had wished to flee he could have gone "two hours up the road" to Canada, which has no extradition agreement with Ireland.

Disclosed

Mr Staines said that without bail his client would face many months in custody as his trial could not begin until "half way through 2017" due to other Anglo cases.

There would be voluminous amounts of documents to be disclosed and he would need access to computers and equipment to listen to recordings.

In making his decision, Judge Walsh said that while it was clear Drumm had refused to return home for questioning, he had to be mindful of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and the constitutional presumption of bail.

The judge said the case would be complex and involve a large amount of documentation.
Rapist Faisal Ellahi, who has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the rape of a young woman with Down Syndrome, targeted at least 16 women in the area where he lived.

Ellahi (34), with a previous address at South Circular Road, Dublin, had been out "prowling" the streets and was about to approach another woman when he encountered his victim.

Ellahi menacingly harassed countless women. Sixteen of them gave evidence during his trial at the Central Criminal Court in December.

The trial heard that he propositioned all of the women, and one punched him.

An 18-year-old woman testified that Ellahi had approached her and offered her wine and cigarettes.

He grabbed her arm and asked her if she would have sex with him for 200.

She told gardai she "kicked him in the b***s and punched him in the jaw" before running away.

Another woman told how Ellahi walked alongside her and asked her to come for a drink while "sucking his teeth" and "hissing".

She described him as "extremely persistent". On one occasion, he followed her up the steps of her home and tried to get in.

Another woman told of when she was parked waiting to collect someone and Ellahi stuck his head in the car window, saying: "Hello. It's hot. You're hot. Do you feel hot?"

On another occasion, gardai observing Ellahi in the days after the brutal sex attack had to intervene after they saw him follow two 15-year-old girls.

Friendly

Speaking to the Herald, the husband of one of the witnesses said Ellahi was persistently harassing women in the area.

"He was on the street and tried to start conversations so initially she [his wife] thought he was just being friendly," he said.

"Then he would suddenly ask her in to his house and say, 'I have wine, I have alcohol. Don't go home'.

"She would be outside and he would always be asking her to come in.

"One night she was coming home. She got out of a taxi and he came across the road to her. Then he followed her up the steps to the front door and she had to close the door on his face.

"He didn't try and stop the door closing, but he was following her to come in with her. It was weird.

"That was the most extreme of them. Other times he was trying to get her into conversation. It was the same thing with our neighbours downstairs.

"It seemed to be a regular thing around here with him. It seemed to be a thing where he was on the streets trying to start conversations with people.

"I don't think there was an issue that he was violent with people or a fear that he was going to attack people.

"He came across as a bit of a weirdo. He was here for a year or so."

Ellahi could not remember how many women he had approached in this way, but he accepted that he did it a few times each day.

"There is no limit," he told gardai in an interview.

Ellahi is unlikely to ever set foot on the streets of Dublin again, with deportation to follow the completion of his sentence.

The court heard how the Pakistani-born former security guard dragged the young Down Syndrome woman into his home from the street after she became separated from her mother while out on a walk.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt, during sentencing, said Ellahi had been "prowling" the streets and was on the point of approaching another woman when his young, mentally-impaired victim fell into his path.

The trial heard that the victim told a specialist interviewer that Ellahi locked the door behind them and that she was afraid he was going to stab or kill her.

"I wanted to go home but he wouldn't let me," she said.

She added that at one point she panicked and started banging on the door screaming: "Help, mum, help."

Later that afternoon, the woman's mother was worried when she had not returned home soon after her as expected.

Investigation

She was about to call gardai when she heard her daughter banging on her door and shouting: "Mum, mum, help, help, let me in."

Gardai were called and a massive investigation was launched.

Officers conducted inquiries in the area and put out a public appeal for information that led to several women coming forward to say they had recently been approached by Ellahi.

The victim was driven around the area and was able to point out the door of the property she had been dragged in to.

Officers spoke to everyone who lived in the building, including Ellahi, who denied any knowledge of the incident.

Over the following nights detectives kept watch outside Ellahi's home. One night they saw him leaving and speaking to two 15-year-old girls in the street.

When the girls walked away he began to follow them until officers intervened. He was arrested a week later and interviewed four times.

Evidence was heard that Ellahi came from a rural part of Pakistan which was subject to strict Islamic Sharia law.

When he first arrived in Ireland in search of work in 2005, he found it "quite jarring" to see couples holding hands or kissing on the street.

He did not have any contact with women for two years, but "as if a switch had flipped" he began going to nightclubs and bringing women home for sex.

Later, he began propositioning women on the street and started using prostitutes.

He told a psychologist who interviewed him that such activity was illegal in Pakistan, but in Ireland "anybody can ask anybody" and that he liked to "enjoy fun, enjoy sex".

Difficulty

The psychologist said Ellahi has an "elevated sexual preoccupation" and a low IQ which meant he had difficulty adapting to social norms.

But only so much of his activities can be attributed to the notion of cultural misunderstanding.

Other evidence suggested he was a depraved sexual predator who was unable to take no for an answer.
Depraved predator Faisal Ellahi, who has been jailed for 13 years for raping a young woman with Down Syndrome, has faced regular disciplinary sanctions in jail since he was first remanded in custody in June 2013.

Ellahi, who is originally from Haripur in Pakistan, had pleaded not guilty last year to rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person at his Dublin home on June 12, 2013.

A jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted him of the rape and sexual assault charges.

The Herald can reveal that Ellahi has been far from a model prisoner while he awaited trial in the Midlands Prison in Co Laois and has been involved in disturbances since his conviction last December.

"He has been disruptive and abusive to staff and fellow prisoners on numerous occasions in 2014, last year and he has even been involved in one incident this year," a prison source said.

"This individual has not been keeping his head down like you might expect from someone who has committed such a truly appalling crime."

attacks

Gardai are continuing to investigate whether Ellahi has been responsible for similar attacks on women in the capital before he was locked up in June 2012, after being charged with raping the vulnerable young woman.

It has also emerged that gardai who were attempting to investigate Ellahi's background in Pakistan did not receive any information from authorities there, so remain unaware of any possible criminal activity in his home country.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said yesterday that he would not suspend any part of the sentence as he hoped that Ellahi would not be back in the community on his release.

He said the crime had "carelessly demolished" the victim's independence.

Judge Hunt commented that the "frightening, appalling, disgusting and depraved" offence committed by Ellahi had taken away years of work in helping the woman lead an independent life.

GRATIFICATION

He said this was "all blown away for a couple of minutes of instant gratification".

The judge noted that Ellahi had been out "prowling" the streets and approaching an- other woman at the same time as his victim was returning home.

He said some of the most difficult evidence in the case was the reaction of the woman's family members at her "dehumanised" state.

He complimented the victim's mother on her dignity and fortitude in dealing with the case and wished the family well in future as they try to "restore" the woman to her independence.

He added that he hoped the Minister for Justice would take every step to remove Ellahi from the country when his sentence was completed.
A dangerous gang led by the criminal known as 'Mr Big' has made chilling threats to "dig up" the body of slain terror boss Alan Ryan.

The drug-dealing mob are the chief suspects for the murder of both Alan and his brother Vinnie, who was laid to rest last week.

Now they have warned that the gang will continue to target the north-Dublin family.

The Herald has also learned that a series of hoax online accounts have been created to mock the murdered brothers.

Vinnie Ryan (25) was gunned down moments after dropping his girlfriend at her home in Finglas two weeks ago.

Hitman

His brother, Real IRA chief Alan (32), was killed by a hitman as he walked near his Donaghmede home in September 2012.

The family, who recently called for no retaliation for Vinnie's murder, have been subjected to a series of attacks by the 'Mr Big' mob over the last four years.

"A number of gang members were spotted hanging around Alan and Vincent's grave in Fingal cemetery," a source said.

"The family have been told that this gang wants to dig up Alan's body and put it on display. It's sick."

Family friend Malachy Steenson said: "There has been wave after wave of attacks on this family by this drug-dealing gang. People may ask if this threat is real or if it is credible.

"But if you look at what they have already done then there is no doubt in my mind but that they are capable of this."

He explained that mum Marion is "terrified" that every time one of her family members goes outside the door they are going to be killed.

The bizarre threat to dig up Alan Ryan's remains is similar to a scene in crime drama Love/Hate where character Fran, played by Peter Coonan, dug up the remains of the mother of 'Noely', played by real-life criminal Stephen Clinch.

Vinnie Ryan was buried in the same plot as his brother Alan and their father Peter after his funeral mass in Donaghmede last Tuesday.

Prior to the ceremony, the Ryans released a statement begging for an end to the dispute.

Older brother Dermot Ryan said: "The family calls for no retaliation and for an end to the senseless violence being carried out on our streets by drug gangs."

However, security sources said the pleas have been ignored by members of the Mr Big mob.

A number of fake accounts have been created on social media to mock the Ryan family.

The posts describe the murdered brothers as "worm food" with one user threatening that the "rest of yeah" will follow.

The inflammatory messages have been seen by gardai.

Vinnie Ryan had been warned his life was under threat in the weeks before his murder.

He was lucky to survive when a knifeman slashed his throat in an attack outside the Rotunda Hospital last November.

Ryan was considered the chief suspect for murdering rival gangster Michael 'Micka' Kelly, nicknamed 'The Panda', in September 2011.

In October 2013, Ryan and his close pal Darragh Evans (25) were cleared by the Special Criminal Court of possession of an assault rifle and a handgun at Clonshaugh Walk, Coolock, on September 15, 2011 - the same day on which Kelly was killed.

Warned

His brother Dermot, a former member of the 32-County Sovereignty Movement, has also been warned recently that his life is under threat from the gang.

Vinnie Ryan's family insisted he had left crime and was moving on with his life.

His brother Dermot said: "On his release from prison he did not report back to the IRA, and from that time has solely been concerned with building his business as a barber and creating a family life with his partner Kelly and baby Phoenix."
IHSAA football sectionals roundup: Scores, stats and more

It's the best time of year: The Indiana high school football state tournament. Sectionals get going tonight. We'll have you covered all night long.
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In the political arithmetic of India, Arunachal Pradesh is a small, remote state that sends only two members to the Lok Sabha and one to the Rajya Sabha, with a population of less than 2 million. But events in the state bordering China this year have raised the spectre of constitutional coupa, and questions on the political morality of a governors rule in a controversial change of government in which the party ruling over the Centre is the gainer.

It is perhaps ironic that it was on the Republic Day this year that the state was brought under Presidents rule under Article 356 of the Constitution on the Union cabinets recommendation on the ground that there was a constitutional breakdown in the state. Clearly, President Pranab Mukherjee, despite being an old Congressman, acted without favour in accepting the recommendation that led to the end of Congress rule in the state.

The manner in which the Congress lost ground from 42 seats in the 60-member assembly to a minority status in which the bulk of its rebels moved to join the (PPA), which originally had 5 MLAs aligned with Congress, is a matter that certainly is of concern in democratic governance. With 21 Congress rebels joining 11 BJP and 2 MLAs led by rebel Kalikho Pul, chief minister Nabam Tuki lost support, but the way the events unfolded were awkward. The legislative assembly was locked down and the rebels showed their strength at a community hall and later at a hotel, with the incumbent chief minister and his loyalists staying away. The Guwahati high court upheld the validity of this session because the Constitution clearly says the governor can choose the time and venue of a session as long as there is no more than a gap of six months between sessions.

However, the political controversy is about the invocation by the governor of Article 356 of the Constitution that requires a constitutional breakdown to bring in central rule. Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sent a message to the President that the law and order situation had broken down and even the governors house was unsafe. Tukis claim that not even a mosquito died (ek machar bhi nahi mara) did not go far.

On February 19, Pul was sworn in as the states new chief minister with support from 31 MLAs --- two days after the Centre revoked Presidents rule, one day after the Supreme Court removed its own interim order to maintain status-quo on Tukis plea. Since the Congress has expelled the rebels, as many as 30 of its rebels en-masse joined the PPA on March 3, including the new chief minister! Overnight, a tiny regional group became the state assembly largest party.

The Congress and its allies as well as other non-BJP parties have understandably alleged that the central government had misused the Constitution in order to dismiss an unfriendly state government.

However, it was the Congress that in the heyday of its rule in the 1980s that used Article 356 controversially to dismiss opposition-led state governments. The Northeast is its stronghold and the BJPs newfound eagerness to install a new government can be linked to its rising ambitions in the region.

The overnight emergence of a regional party in the Northeast will be a supporting argument during the looming state legislative assembly elections for other regional parties and the BJP that the rebels in AP broke away from the Congress due to over-interference from the party high command in Delhi over regional matters. On the other hand, Congress can counter this by saying BJP-ruled states are controlled from Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Indications are that the BJP expects Arunachal to trigger a domino effect that will help it establish itself in the Northeast and hopefully spill over into West Bengal via Assam. Both Assam and West Bengal are due to hold assembly elections.

While the BJP may use this to fan its dream of a Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India) and also gain vital seats in the Rajya Sabha, its conduct shows no major political party in India is free of political vices.

Article 356 has been used numerous times by successive central governments to usurp state governments although its use has gradually declined over the years.

There is also greater controversy involved whenever Article 356 is invoked in situations where the ruling party of the state government differs from the central government. As Dr BR Ambedkar observed with reference to the Constitution, it is not the letter but the intent of those that implement it matters more.

The latest saga may make some ponder over abuse of constitutional provisions. In the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking about the need for cooperative federalism, the Arunachal developments has led to accusations of coercive federalism.

The key question is over the validity of the Centre in deciding the fate of a state government in a federal system. The issues related to Article 356 should be between the state legislature, governor and the President without the involvement of the Union Cabinet. There may be a case to repeal Article 356s section (1) B that allows the Centre to directly rule a state. If state governments are reduced to being puppets of the Centre, it clearly goes against the principle of federalism.

(The author is an economist & writer, currently based in Singapore, whose areas of interest include geopolitics and South Asia)
The rise of billionaire Donald Trump in the US presidential race has been met with a mixture of horror and fascination. As his campaign, once regarded with derision, continues to rack up successes  most recently, in the Michigan and Mississippi primaries and the Hawaii caucus  pundits are scrambling for some historical or foreign analogue that can shed light on the phenomenon. While no comparison is perfect, the most apt comparison is with Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian media mogul who has served three terms as his countrys prime minister. It is not a reassuring model.

Of course, Berlusconi and Trump share some superficial similarities, including multiple marriages and a generally vulgar style. But the most important  and the most worrying  qualities they share is an ability to substitute salesmanship for substance, a willingness to tell bald-faced lies in pursuit of publicity and advantage, and an eagerness to intimidate critics into silence.

Berlusconis policy platforms, even his fundamental ideology, have always lacked consistency. During his successful campaigns, he said whatever it took to win votes; during his three terms in office, he used the same tactic to form coalitions. His only agenda was to protect or advance his own business interests.

Read | The hateful one is you: Humans of New Yorks Brandon Stanton tells Trump

So far, Trump has followed much the same strategy, saying anything to grab another vote. The question is what this would mean if he were to make it to the White House. The system of checks and balances established by the US Constitution has an unmatched capacity to prevent any single branch of government from going haywire. But the manipulation of public opinion is a powerful weapon in any democracy, and it is a weapon that Trump, like Berlusconi, knows how to wield better than most.

Berlusconis greatest successes  especially during his 2001-2006 and 2008-2011 terms (he also served in 1994-1995)  lay in the manipulation of media and public opinion. Though Italy is well known for low trust in government, with citizens largely resigned to the idea that virtually every public figure is self-serving, Berlusconi managed to numb the popular consciousness even further. He somehow lulled Italians into believing that all was well in their economy and society, even in the wake of the 2008 global economic crisis, when plainly it was not. Under his leadership, Italy lost many years when its government should have been pursuing critical reforms.

Read | Indian students are smart, shouldnt be kicked out of US: Donald Trump

How did Berlusconi achieve this? For the most part, he used the joke, the lie, and the smile. When that didnt work, he resorted to bullying, including through libel suits.

In fact, few media tycoons  Berlusconi owns Italys main commercial television channels and several daily newspapers (either directly or through his family)  have ever been as freewheeling in their use of libel litigation to silence journalists and other critics. The famous Italian anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano referred to Berlusconis mud machine, with which he would smear anyone who dared stand in his way. (Full disclosure: As Editor of The Economist, I was the target of two libel suits by Berlusconi.)

All of these tactics are in Trumps inventory. Trump is aggressive with his opponents, especially in the media. Throughout his business career, he has frequently invoked libel laws. If he wins the presidency, he has said, he will seek to control media criticism. And yet his essential message is optimistic, delivered with a joke and a big smile. As Berlusconi has shown, when the population is feeling grumpy or disillusioned, as much of America is today, this approach can be highly effective  and for a very long time.

Read | Target Muslims, minorities: The Trump card to win US poll race

Some pundits who have invoked the Berlusconi comparison have highlighted one distinction between the bombastic billionaires: Berlusconi, they say, at least has some charm and much more business acumen. This assessment is not only far too generous toward Berlusconi; it also risks making it seem that Trump is less dangerous than his Italian counterpart.

The reality is that, while Berlusconi certainly has his charm, Trumps swelling base of support seems to see a certain charm in him, too, even if it is a less seductive version. Moreover, while Berlusconi undoubtedly possesses business acumen, he has, like Trump, cut plenty of corners along the way. The ties of Berlusconis close aides and friends to Italys various Mafia clans are well documented.

But none of this is particularly important, in terms of its implications for the United States today. What is important is that both Trump and Berlusconi are ruthless and willing to resort to any means to achieve their (self-serving) ends.

Given this, underestimating Trump would be a huge mistake; he will always prove stronger, more slippery, and more enduring than expected. The only way to avoid Berlusconi-level disaster  or worse  is to continue criticizing him, exposing his lies, and holding him to account for his words and actions, regardless of the insults or threats he throws at those who do.

Too many Italians shrugged their shoulders at Berlusconis lies and failings, figuring that he would soon go away, having done little harm. But he did not go away, and he did plenty of harm. The US cannot afford to make the same mistake. The price of liberty, Americans are fond of saying, is eternal vigilance. In confronting Trump, there can be no discount.

Bill Emmott is former editor-in-chief of The Economist

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016
President Vladimir Putin has taken the world community by surprise with his sudden order for withdrawing Russian forces from Syria even though the stated objective of fighting terrorism and the Islamic State is far from accomplished.

The withdrawal of Russian soldiers and jets began on Tuesday though no date was set by the Kremlin for completing the process. Putins announcement coincided with the resumption of peace talks in Geneva against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire since February 27.

Some experts have suggested that Putins decision was driven by fears that Russia could get dragged into a prolonged conflict at a time when the countrys economy has been hit hard by the fall in oil prices. Casualties in Syria too could have swung public opinion against Putin.

Others, however, believe Putins Syria gambit had only one purpose  to restore Russias image in the eyes of the world community after the countrys disastrous intervention in eastern Ukraine, which resulted in Moscows isolation and tough sanctions from the US and the European Union.

Even a close ally such as India was hard pressed to defend the line taken by Russia regarding the annexation of Crimea.

If indeed Putins objective was to make the world community look at Russia again as a player, he appears to have succeeded.

File photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin (Centre) with Syrian President Bashar Assad (Left) in Moscow, Russia. (AP)



Russias intervention has also enabled Mr Putin to show off its military might and forced the United States to treat it as an equal in securing stability in Syria, the editorial board of The New York Times said in an opinion piece on Tuesday.

In his announcement on Monday, Putin said Russia would pull out the main part of its forces from Syria because the situation on the ground had changed. I consider the mission set for the defence ministry and the armed forces on the whole has been accomplished, he said.

Also Read | Obama, Putin discuss Russias planned military drawdown from Syria

Russia launched an air campaign to bolster the regime of its close ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in September. As recently as January, reports suggested that Russian troops could stay in Syria indefinitely under an agreement signed by the two countries.

The Russian air strikes helped Syrian forces retake territory from rebels and a statement from Assads office said he had agreed to the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Trotting out figures to highlight Russias successes in Syria, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said his country had managed to cease the supply of resources to terrorists and destroy more than 2,000 militants. Syrian troops had liberated more than 400 settlements and more than 10,000 km of territory with the support of the Russian Air Force, which conducted more than 9,000 sorties, he added.

But clearly, the five-year-old conflict in Syria is far from over. The IS remains a potent force and Russia is hedging its bets by retaining a presence at the airbase in Hmeymim and the naval base in Tartus.

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The two major grand alliance (GA) partners of Bihar JD(U) and RJDwill join hands to contest the coming assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal.

JD (U) general secretary Arun Kumar Srivastava left for Assam on Monday to identify seats and candidates for contesting the elections. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, along with Tyagi, is scheduled to campaign in Assam, party sources said.

In Assam, the JD (U) is also in talks with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal, as well as, other regional parties.

Sounding confident about party putting up a good performance in both the states, Tyagi said that JD(U) was hopeful of increasing the number of seats that the party was hoping to contest in West Bengal.

We are in talks with the Congress leadership and we believe that the manner in which Congress was adjusted by the other GA partners by being given more seats in Bihar, we will also get a better deal from the Congress (in Assam), said Tyagi.

Other than Assam and West Bengal, the JD(U) also plans to contest the May assembly polls in Kerala. Tyagi said the party was yet to take any final decision on the issue of contesting polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

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A mother of four committed suicide on Monday night after a caste panchayat at a Madhya Pradesh village issued a diktat aimed at punishing her for allegedly having extra-marital relations with a Dalit man.

The body of the woman, 36-year-old Laxmi Pal (name changed to protect identity), was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her residence in Bajarua Khari village, Tikamgarh district. She reportedly took the extreme step while her husband, Rakesh, was holding a liquor party outside the house at the behest of the caste panchayat.

Village elders from the caste panchayat instructed Laxmi and her family to perform several tasks  including paying a fine of Rs 5,000, bathing in the Ganga river, and holding a liquor party for around 30 residents of the village  to atone for her sin. Besides this, Laxmi was also told to roll all the way to the Kundeshwar Shiva temple, located 12 km from the village, to obtain forgiveness.

Sources said it all began when a few villagers accused Laxmi of entering into an illicit relationship with Rakeshs co-worker, a Dalit youth from another village in the district. A fortnight ago, she and her family were not invited to a wedding held at the house of another villager, Dhaniram Pal, because they believed she was tainted. Affronted, the family raised the matter before elders of the Pal community, and a meeting of the caste panchayat was conducted on Monday.

Laxmis nephew Santosh and brother-in-law Manu said that she defended herself before the community elders with folded hands at the meeting, but they preferred to believe what her detractors had to say. Some of the panchayat members even advocated stripping her half-naked, but were overruled by the others, her relatives alleged. Left with no option, Rakesh paid Rs 3,000 of the fine and began making preparations for the party.

Tikamgarh Dehat police station assistant sub inspector Bhagwat Singh Rathore said the humiliation arising out of not being invited to the marriage and the subsequent punishment meted out to her by the caste panchayat was the reason for Laxmi taking the extreme step.

A case has been lodged under Section 174 of the CrPc. Were waiting for the deceased womans husband to narrate the matter to the police, after which a case of abetment of suicide will be lodged against Dhaniram and the caste panchayat members, Rathore told Hindustan Times over the phone on Tuesday.
A couple of days back, B-Town stars Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra and Abhishek Bachchan rubbed shoulders with Hollywood actors like Salma Hayek and Matthew McConaughey on the sidelines of The Global Teacher Prize in Dubai, UAE. Soon enough, their glitzy meetings took the Internet and the media by storm.

Interestingly, we have got to know that amidst all the star-studded selfies, Akshay went out of his way to meet and chat with Hanan Al Hroub, a Palestinian elementary teacher from Bethlehem, in the West Bank, who won a $1 million prize for her outstanding contribution to her profession. Her name, as the winner, was announced by Pope Francis via a video message. An insider says, Akshay personally found out where Hanan was seated during the ceremony, and met her once the formal function was over. Shaking her hand, Akshay said that he was honoured to meet her and shake her hand, as she has only given knowledge and blessings to people without asking for anything in return.

Watch: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur in a song from Airlift

Apparently, Hanan  who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp  was pleasantly surprised to receive all the praise, and couldnt thank the actor enough. Akshay also told her that he hopes that some of her good-heartedness, kindness and perspective of the world rubs off on him too, adds the insider.

We tried contacting Akshay, but he remained unavailable for a comment.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.

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Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, whose latest movie, Kapoor and Sons is release this Friday, revealed that he turned down Rajkumar Hiranis PK because of his commitment to this movie.

The 34-year-old actor said, When I was approached by the filmmaker, I completely lost my mind because I got such a good opportunity. But unfortunately I could not commit as I had already given my commitment to Kapoor and Sons, reports the Express Tribune.

The Khoobsurat star added, I only let any opportunities go when I am aware of all the aspects, but I regret it when I have to leave an opportunity due to commitment issues, which is in the case of PK.

Fawad was offered the role of the Pakistani character, Sarfraz, in the film, who falls in love with Anushka Sharmas character. The role was later given to Sushant Singh Rajput.

Directed by Shakun Batra, Kapoor and Sons that also stars starring Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra in key role will hit the theatres on March 18.

Read: Indians and Pakistanis are essentially the same, says Fawad Khan
Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras ambitious tragic love saga Mirzya will hit the screens only in October 2016. The Rang de Basanti director has decided to shift the date of release of his film from May 13 to October 7. Rakeysh wants to get the nuances of the period drama spot on. He says the outcome has to be just right.

The released teaser is the folklore bit, the perceived images in my head the first time I heard the story. I want the audience to share this larger than life experience. It has to be just right. We have taken the seed of this idea and sowed it in a story set in 2016, not even 2015, Mehra said in a statement.

Watch the logo to Mirzya here:

Mirzya introduces Anil Kapoors son Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher, along with Anuj Chaudhary.

Read: Mirza Sahibaan is set in contemporary times, says Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Produced by CINESTAAN Film Company and ROMP Pictures, the film is directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Its story has been written by poet and lyricist Gulzar, with music created and crafted by the musical trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Read: Mirza Sahibaan will be my fastest-ever film, says Rakeysh Mehra

Polish director of photography Pawel Dyllus has shot the movie, which has been edited by PS Bharathi Mehra.

Inspired by the folk tale of The legend of Mirza-Sahiban, the film is pegged to be an epic action-romance that plays out in contemporary times. It will have heightened drama and action-packed sequences in the visually rich terrain of Rajasthan, juxtaposed with flashes of the fantastical universe of the folklore set in the bleakness of Ladakh, read a statement from the makers.
Believe it or not but the menu on Air Indias (AI) flights from Delhi to London has remained unchanged for nearly ten years. And, if you thought this was due to a strong demand from frequent flyers for the same old dishes, you are wrong.

This has happened simply because each small or big decision had to be approved by someone sitting in Delhi, said a senior official, who did not wish to be named. However, this will change soon.

Ashwani Lohani, the airlines new chairman and managing director, was shocked when he was told about the issue during a recent visit to some of AIs European stations. Lohani, on the spot, ordered a change in rules allowing the regional offices to take a call on such issues like in-flight food.

I have delegated the power to regional offices to take decisions on such issues. They will have the power to decide on the menu, Lohani said.

In airline and hospitality business, you cant let such issues drag on for years. The decision has to be quick and in line with the changing times. We have seen a new domestic start-up airline in India change its menu multiple times in the last one year after observing passenger demands, said another official.

London is one of the most important routes for us and was one of the first destinations where we started operating the Dreamliner, the official said.

So gear up for a steaming hot new menu, the next time you fly to London by Air India.

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All public sector banks, which form part of a consortium that lends to companies, will be accountable for monitoring the performance of loan accounts. They will not be allowed to leave it to the lead banks, the finance ministry has said. The move will help banks take timely decisions on loan accounts regardless of the lead bank. As the controversy over Vijay Mallya, promoter of now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, deepens after he allegedly fled the country, the Central Vigilance Commission and Central Bureau of Investigation have noted that there have been gaps in monitoring loans accounts

Often everything is left to the lead bankfrom monitoring of the loan account to what decisions need to be taken but what needs to be done is to ensure that all banks need to be equally accountable in monitoring loan accounts, a senior government official who did not wish to be identified told Hindustan times.

The issue was also discussed in the recently held Gyan Sangamthe two day retreat for public sector bank chiefs. The finance ministry and Reserve Bank of India have also asked banks to put in place a system which will ensure that such NPA problems do not recur. While all banks have their own internal committees under the chairperson that monitor loan accounts, in most cases these panels have not been effective.

In the case of Kingfisher, several banks that were in the consortium were of the opinion that all decisions would have to be taken by the lead bank (SBI is the lead bank)..that will not work, the official said.

Non performing assetsloans that have turned unproductive for bankshave increased by about Rs 1 lakh crore during the April to December period of the current financial year. The gross NPA of the state owned banks has gone up from 5.43% as on March 2015 to 7.30% to touch Rs 3,61,731 lakh crore as on December 2015.

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With the jewellers strike entering the 14th day on Tuesday, Delhis chief excise commissioner Ashok Kumar Gupta assured jewellers of hassle-free compliance.

This comes a day after finance Minister Arun Jaitley rejected demands for the rollback of the 1% excise levy on non-silver jewellery sales in India saying the move is aimed at aligning gold with the goods and services tax.

Gupta was addressing doubts from traders and industry on the proposed levy.

Ashok Minawalla, director with the Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF), who was present in a meeting with the finance minister last week had said, Paying additional revenue is not an issue as it will be passed to the consumer. Harassment that jewellers face from the excise department and the fact that laws are complex are the reasons behind the strike.

The finance ministry has since clarified that jewellers only with a turnover of more than Rs 12 crore will be liable to pay the proposed excise duty. It also said that artisans would not have to register with the excise department or pay he levy.

Jewellers across the country have been protesting against the proposed excise duty on non-silver jewellery items as well as the mandatory quoting of PAN by customers for transaction of Rs 2 lakh and above. They have been quoting poor business after government made quoting of PAN mandatory from January this year.

Meanwhile, bullion traders in the national capital will observe a bandh on March 17 in support of jewellers, who are on an indefinite strike against the proposal, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement. Bullion markets have been shut since the strike began.

Jewellers admitted on Sunday that business amounting to Rs 60,000 crore had been lost and they were concerned about the artisans. But its a question of resisting an unfair levy, Mohit Kamboj, president of Indian Bullion & Jewellers Association said on Sunday.
The government has asked public sector banks that are reeling under bad loans to focus on recovery from other defaulters also before the situation goes out of control.

While Vijay Mallya, the defamed promoter of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), owes more than Rs 7,000 crore to the banks, the total worth of wilful default cases with Indian banks is over Rs 55,000 crore, with public sector banks accounting for almost 80% of the value.

Gross non-performing assets (NPA) of public sector banks  loans that have turned unproductive-- increased from 5.43% as on March 2015 to 7.30% as on December 2015.

In terms of value, gross NPA of the state-owned banks increased from Rs 2,67,065 lakh crore in March 2015 to Rs 3,61,731 lakh crore in December 2015  an increase of Rs 94,666 crore over the nine months 2015-16. Wilful default cases account for 13% of these non-performing assets.

Sources said that the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has taken up the issue.

The focus is only on Kingfisher but the other cases need to be handled too and the banks are going slow on that, said an official source.

According to the All India Bank Employees Association, the list of defaulters also includes Winsome Diamond and Jewellery, Forever Precious Jewellery and Diamonds, Zoom Developers.

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have also pointed out that when loans are restructured, banks do not take appropriate steps to ensure that the additional loan is being utilized well and is not diverted by the promoter.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to bar wilful defaulters from being appointed to the boards of companies. The regulator has already barred them from raising funds from the market through stocks and bonds.

The CVC has also pointed out that when loans turn unproductive there is no procedure to identify the assets pledged and assets of the guarantors, and no proactive steps are taken to secure those assets.

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New Delhi

The government is likely to review the list of 350-odd banned drugs.

We are open to review and re-visit the banned list. Companies can come to us with scientific proofs to back their drugs, KL Sharma, joint secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, told HT.

We had given a fair chance to companies to put forward their point by putting up public notices and showcause notices, but its our duty to re-look decisions if they are backed by evidences, he added.

The government last week decided to prohibit manufacturing and sale of these medicines because they were found to be irrational without any therapeutic efficacy and use.

The health ministry had received about 7,000 applications in 2013 from manufacturers of FDCs for proving their safety and efficacy. The ministry constituted a committee under the chairmanship of CK Kokate, which reviewed the applications under four categories  irrational, rational, those requiring further deliberation and those requiring generation of additional data. While deliberations on the last two categories are still on, in February 2016, the Kokate Committee submitted its report along with a list of approved and irrational FDCs.

According to pharmaceutical research company AIOCD, the top five companies which would be impacted most by the decision include Abbott, Pfizer, Mankind, Macleods Pharma and Alkem.

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A panel of experts from the National Green Tribunal will visit the Yamuna floodplains this week to assess the damage the Art of Livings three-day festival caused to the eco-sensitive zone.

The World Culture Festival that concluded on Sunday had sparked fears of damage to floodplains that acts a natural groundwater recharge system and a flood barrier.

The green court will use the panels recommendations to measure the amount of additional fine to be imposed on Art of Living. The NGT had fined the organisation R5 crore as the initial environment compensation.

The Delhi Development Authority, the owner of the land, will plan how to remove debris after the NGT panel submits its report.

Once the site is handed over to us and the Principal Committee submits its report, we will chalk out a plan for the future. If there is debris, we will remove it. We want to reiterate that debris was not there when we handed over the site to the organisers, said a senior DDA official.

Read | Art of Living? Seeking joy on the banks of a river weve killed

But the DDA could not explain to the tribunal who dumped the debris on the floodplain despite security and quick response team to stop dumping.

An estimated 3.5 million people were said to have visited the festival, prompting green groups to claim the event will damage the Yamunas fragile ecosystem. (Raj K Raj/ HT Photo)

The authority is yet to install CCTV cameras to monitor the floodplain and check dumping of garbage.

The role of the Delhi government will be scrutinised if it failed to protect the floodplain. On Sunday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had asked AOL founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to help bring together the state and the Centre together to clean the Yamuna.

Delhi Jal Board is the main agency responsible for cleaning the river.

Thousands of crores are needed to construct sewage treatment plants to ensure no muck is dumped in the river. The Centre has to chip in with funds, a senior Delhi government official said.

The trail of trash on the Yamuna floodplain is not the lone problem, though.

The floodplain with porous sand forming its top layer was covered with mud and flattened by road rollers over several days before the festival began on Friday. Clay and compacted mud do not allow water to seep in, which is essential to replenish groundwater.

Read | AoL event: Big cleanup begins after 3 days of culture festival

Puddles from sporadic rains over the past couple of days confirmed environmentalists worst fears about how tinkering with the floodplains top soil will diminish its water absorption capacity.

The Art of Living (AoL) representatives, however, denied giving the floodplain a mud pack.

The Delhi high court called the World Cultural Festival an ecological disaster but did not ban it. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

We only levelled debris lying on the floodplain. We had to level the ground to put chairs and carpets, AoL counsel Saraswati Akshama Nath said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet members were present at the event attended by thousands of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar supporters.
A 29-year-old Russian national was among 112 people whose belongings were stolen during a controversy-ridden cultural festival organised by spiritual guru Ravi Shankars Art of Living Foundation in Delhi over the weekend.

Police said on Tuesday that 72 complaints, most of them related to theft, were filed during the three-day World Culture Festival that concluded at the Yamuna floodplains on Sunday.

The event, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came under the scanner of the national environmental watchdog following allegations that the event will cause irreparable damage to the fragile floodplains of the river.

Read More | NGT panel to visit Yamuna floodplains, assess damage caused by AoL event

The event got official sanction at the last moment after the National Green Tribunal asked the organisers to pay Rs 25 lakh of a Rs five crore fine before the start. The rest will be paid over three weeks.

Police said more than 30 pickpockets and thieves, including three women, were caught by police and public from the venue. Booked under relevant IPC sections, the accused were sent to jail.

Most of the 72 FIRs registered at the Sunlight Colony police station till Monday evening are related to theft of cash, mobile phones, laptops, wallets, identifications documents and even an idol of Ganesha, stolen from a stall set up at the venue.

Forty complaints related to lost mobile phones and other articles were filed online through Delhi Polices mobile and web-based Lost and Found App.

Read More | AoL event: Big cleanup begins after 3 days of culture fest

The Russian woman had come to India to participate in one of the events scheduled on the concluding day at the culture festival. Her bag, containing her costumes for the event and other belongings, went missing from the green room, minutes before her performance.

The artist could not participate in the programme, an eyewitness said, adding she could not hold back her tears when her name was announced for the event.

We registered an FIR on her complaint. Efforts are on to recover her stolen items, said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, deputy commissioner of police (south-east).

According to the DCP, the arrested thieves are mostly from northeast Delhi besides other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana.

Two passports of citizens of Netherlands and Sri Lanka and one of an Indian were recovered by the police from the venue.

In pics | And thats how Art of Livings World Culture Festival ended

Senior police officers said a majority of the theft and missing articles complaints were received following rains that turned the ground muddy, leading to people slipping and falling.

Even police personnel fell due to the muddy and slippery land, said a police officer.

A highly decomposed body of a 35-year-old man was also discovered from near the venue on Monday morning. The police, however, claimed that the incident had no link with the culture festival as the body was probably brought down by river current to the floodplain.

Read More | Have pride in Indias legacy: Modis swipe at critics of AOL
A petition was filed in the Delhi high court on Tuesday, seeking action against JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on a sedition charge for saying that the Indian Army is responsible for raping women in Kashmir.

Justice Pratibha Rani would hear the case post-lunch on Tuesday.

Indian Army is an integral part of the nation and it cannot be alleged that the army is raping women in Kashmir, which is a serious matter and a clear seditious act on the part of Kanhaiya Kumar, said advocate Sugriva Dubey.

India is a free country but Kanhaiya Kumar and his associates called for a revolution and it was indicated that Kanhaiya is being backed by some Naxalites or Naxal group, said the plea.

Kanhaiya Kumar has sought azadi (freedom) for Kashmir, Nagaland and Assam where the government is an elected government voted by the people, said the plea, adding that he and his associates -- Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid -- have said that their fight for azadi would continue.

The plea sought the courts direction for investigation by the Intelligence Bureau into the issue.

Despite giving an undertaking to the court that he would not involve himself in any anti-national activities, Kanhaiya Kumars 45-minute speech after release from jail was controversial and faced the brunt of opposition.

On March 2, the Delhi high court granted an interim bail to Kanhaiya Kumar, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president who was booked on the charge that he raised anti-national slogans during a protest in February at the university campus.

While granting him bail for six months, Justice Pratibha Rani said he will not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national.

After his release from bail, on March 8, Kanhaiya Kumar reportedly said in a speech: No matter how much you try to stop us, we will speak up against human rights violations. We will raise our voice against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act . While we have a lot of respect for our soldiers, we will still talk about the fact that in Kashmir, women are raped by security personnel.
Jawaharlal Nehru University has asked professor Amita Singh to clarify her alleged remarks calling Dalits and Muslim teachers anti-national .

The National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) had sent a show-cause notice to the varsity.

I have been asked by the university to reply by Tuesday. My comments have been taken out of context. What I had actually said was that Muslim and Dalit students are used by teachers for their political benefits, said Singh, who heads JNUs Centre of Law and Governance.

Singh criticised a section of teachers and said they were supporting anti-national activities on the campus.

In her interview to a website to the question, how many teachers and students in JNU are anti-national the professor allegedly said: Teachers are hardly 10, but they portray as if everybody is with them. You think a teacher in an institution like JNU would be so stupid as to back anti-national slogans? These are just five or six persons and they are Dalits and Muslims. They have their grudges.

She claimed she wasnt aware that the interview will be aired or published.

The NCSC had on March 8 sent a letter sent to JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar about action taken against the professor.

A communication was also sent to Delhi Police commissioner, urging him to register a criminal complaint.
A section of JNU teachers suggested setting up of a panel for nationalism along the lines of National Commission for Women to find out what activities are against the country.

We suggest that a new commission be constituted to check anti-national activities of politically motivated people on the lines of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and Minorities, said some members of the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA)

There should be a commission for nationalism. Such a commission can work to find out what is nationalistic and whats not, Mondira Dutta, a teacher at the School of International Studies.

Dutta was speaking at a press conference organised by a section of teachers, who opposed a group of JNUTA teachers stand on supporting students accused of raising anti-national slogans on the campus.

Teachers said they lost faith in the current JNUTA leadership and were tired of its protest to malign the university and its image. We condemn the leadership and derecognise them for their repeated failings to take up teacher-related causes, said Hari Ram Mishra, a teacher at the Special Center for Sanskrit Studies.

They said the JNUTA should not act as an extended arm of JNU Students Union (JNUSU) as the JNUTA Constitution does not support it.

In the last JNUTA meeting they even wanted to raise money for legal defence of students as well as to file criminal cases against members of the media, the teachers said in a statement.

They said they condemned the anti-national sloganeering on the campus and demanded that the administration building be banned for use by demonstrating students and teachers. All political demonstration and public drama should be shifted to an alternate space, they said.

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JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, both in jail on charges of sedition, on Tuesday filed an application for bail. The court will hear the plea on March 16.

The students filed the plea on a day when their custody was extended by 14 days. The court heard the matter through video conferencing.

On February 25, Umar and Anirban were remanded in police custody after the hearing at the South Campus police station near JNU.

The police station was turned into a makeshift courtroom on the Delhi high courts order to maintain confidentiality. On March 1, the court had sent Umar and Anirban to judicial custody.

Umars lawyer Jawahar Raja, who filed the bail plea, said no purpose will be served by keeping his client in custody.

Plea against Kanhaiya

The Delhi high court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking action against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly making anti-national remarks after he was released on bail.

Kanhaiya was booked and arrested on charges of involvement in shouting anti-national slogans on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on February 9. He is on bail since March 2.

Justice Pratibha Rani asked why the petitioner, Dev Dutt Sharma, had come to the court seeking an investigation by Intelligence Bureau into his allegations. The judge told him not to worry about the image of the nation.

Dutt alleged that Kanhaiya used the word azadi at least 100 times in his speeches ever since he got bail.

Another plea seeking cancellation of the six-month bail to Kanhaiya is likely to come up for hearing in the high court on Wednesday.
When a lawyer wanted justice from him, Oliver Wendell Holmes, the legendary American judge of the 19th century, had remarked that this is a court of law and not a court of justice.

As with many statements concerning law, this too could be interpreted in any number of ways. But when Justice DY Chandrachud, chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, remarked on Sunday that judges should promote dialogue and dissent for democracy to function, it is clear that the concept of justice is now much more fleshed out in comparison to what it was in the 19th century. The world of law can now be seen in ways that go far beyond the details of legal practice.

Of late there have been instances that have caused disquiet in India regarding the scope of human freedom and its curtailment. The first relates to gay rights and it is refreshing that after turning down a high court order decriminalising gay sex, the Supreme Court said last month it would review the judgment.

Read | Battle over Section 377 a symptom of a much larger problem

Next came a somewhat bemusing Delhi High Court verdict that granted bail to JNU Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar. Instead of dwelling upon free speech or the sedition laws, the judge asked the student to introspect and contrasted his activities with those of soldiers dying on Indias borders. When put side by side with Justice Chandrachuds observation that the principles of dialogue and justice are a yardstick against which the justness of enforcement of a law could be gauged, and that some of our laws may have been laid down ages ago, in accordance with contemporary needs and challenges, implying the colonial era, one cannot but detect two different streams of legal thinking at work.

Read | Judges and citizens in a constitutional democracy

Legal theory sees law as a social phenomenon. But a scholar has defined jurisprudence as encompassing all kinds of general intellectual inquires about law that are not confined to doctrinal exegesis or technical prescription. Justice Chandrachuds position on law, democracy and freedom is akin to this. He has cited Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, who has talked of the difference between niti, which is a body of rules to be followed, and nyaya, which is justice in its broader scope. For Dr Sen, deprivation, on which he has written extensively, is a denial of justice.

Read | Lets reach out in time

So in a country in which social welfare such as the public distribution of food, health, education, criminal justice, etc, is in a dilapidated state (documented by Colin Gonsalves in his book Kaliyug), Justice Chandrachuds observations give hope for the future.
Hundreds of anxious students across India demanded on Tuesday the Central Board of Secondary Education re-conduct the Class XII Mathematics examination after an unexpectedly tough question paper left many candidates in tears.

HT was contacted by at least 20 students overnight over mail and many more over WhatsApp, challenging the CBSE to conduct an open forum to solve the paper. Some of these messages came from students in Jaipur and Jamshedpur.

Students like me went prepared with more than 50 mock papers solved but after seeing the paper we went blank! Honestly it wasnt a paper for a normal student, said Amogh Mukhi from Delhis Sanskriti School.

The outcry came after a lengthy and tough Mathematics paper on Monday when students complained even one-mark questions were tricky and that it would be difficult to score above 90.

I am a humanities student and I am used to write long answers, but the mathematics paper was even longer than humanities subject paper, wrote Muskan from Jaipur.

A high score in Mathematics is imperative as it is expected to drive the overall percentage of marks obtained by the student and is crucial for college entrances, where cut-offs regularly touch 98-99%

CBSE is, in a way, playing with our future .One hand they say dont put pressure on kids, other hand such papers are set. Why are NCERT books in school curriculam when they are not followed in paper setting? asked Latika Panghal.

Keeping all subjects on stake, we are practising for maths throughout the year and see what has happened. We are totally heartbroken and depressed and are not able to concentrate for the next exam, she said.

Arun Bhatia wants those who set the paper be expelled. Govt school still teaching 2014 level, CBSE wants IIT level. Those who play with the future of students must be punished.

A parent, Osheain Mehta, said, With a heavy heart I saw my daughter coming out of the examination hall crying. I myself am a post graduate in Physics and it was shocking to see the marks distribution of the paper. I wonder why such an illogical marking scheme and an unusually lengthy paper was set. CBSE must award grace marks to the students to be fair with the Delhi students,

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The Madhya Pradesh government may remove Barkatullah University vice chancellor MD Tiwari, accused of irregularities in appointments, by invoking section 52 of the MP Universities Act 1973, higher education minister Umashankar Gupta told Assembly on Tuesday.

The controversy erupted in October 2014 after 11 assistant professors and a director at the institution were allegedly illegally appointed. The university registrar was suspended for his alleged complicity in the matter.

In the Assembly, Congress legislator Arif Aqueel sought to know why MD Tiwari was recruited and why wasnt he removed.

I know you (Umashankar Gupta) are getting phone calls to save the vice chancellor. I want to know who in the state government is trying to save him, he said.

The minister said the chancellor (governor) appointed the vice chancellor and not the state government.

We dont have the power to initiate probe against him as the same is done by the chancellor. We have forwarded six complaints against the VC to the chancellor. And chancellor in October last year instituted a probe committee under retired judge AK Gohil against the VC, he said.

If the need arises the state government would implement section 52 of the Madhya Pradesh Universities Act to remove the VC, he said.

The date of submission of the inquiry report, which was first scheduled within six weeks, has been extended to March 30.

HT had reported that the state government might remove the vice-chancellor of Barkatullah University.

Minister of state for higher education Deepak Joshi had said he had written to the higher education minister to impose section 52 with immediate effect.

It is necessary that the state government take over the administration of the university soon because irregularities and scams are spoiling the future of the students. Being a former student of the university, I felt that nothing was going well there, he had said.

What is Section 52?

According to Section 52 of MP Universities Act 1973, if the state government feels that a situation has arisen in which the administration of the university couldnt be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Act, it could apply the Act, in modified form with a view to provide for better administration of University. The Section 52 says chancellor should simultaneously appoint the vice chancellor under section 13 and 14 and VC so appointed shall hold office during the period of operation of the notification.
The Madhya Pradesh government is considering setting up a committee to regulate fee structure of private schools, minister of state for education Deepak Joshi informed the state assembly on Monday.

The announcement comes more than a year after an NGO, Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch, raised the issue of private schools arbitrarily increasing fees by 25-40% each year.

In November 2014, the Madhya Pradesh high court directed the state government to take a decision on the proposal to regulate fee structure of aided and unaided private schools.

Several initiatives to improve school education in state in the pipeline: Minister

In addition, Joshi said several initiatives to improve school education in the state were in the pipeline, including a mobile app for students and other IT-based developments.

Around 12% of the state budget will be spent on school education, an increase of 33% over last year, he said.

He also reported that 2,754 physically challenged students were living in 58 government-run hostels across the state, and around 800,000 people were admitted to private schools under the Right to Education.

In 2015-16, around 58,000 toilets were constructed in schools. [This] was appreciated by the Central government also, he said.

A provision of Rs15 crore has been made for drinking water supply in schools and Rs 20 crore for electricity supply to 1,736 schools.

In the current financial year, 100 high schools and 100 higher secondary schools will be opened, Joshi added.

Demands for grants worth Rs 9,942 crore were put to a voice vote and passed by the House after the ministers reply.
Its a grant of $4.78 million (around Rs. 32 crore) and it aims to get people to fall in love with books. Thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nasscom Foundation has conceptualised an Indian Public Library Movement (IPLM).

Nasscom Foundation will have an independent team of professionals and IPLM secretariat to manage all activities. The secretariat will work to strengthen libraries in India through increased collaborative work and support from the government (national, state and local level) as well as non-government stakeholders (NGOs and corporations through their CSR initiatives), among other like-minded organisations.

Deborah Jacobs, director of the Gates Foundations Global Libraries Programme, says India is one of the main countries that the foundation is focusing on. Libraries can change mind sets and it is important for communities to realise that libraries are not just dusty storage places for books, they are lively centres of information and knowledge. Public libraries play an important role in giving Internet access to underserved communities, she says.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had earlier provided support for a pilot project for modernisation of seven government public libraries in UP. Based on the positive outcomes of the pilot project, the state government will now participate in the scale up programme. Sixteen government public libraries of the state will be covered under the scale up programme including seven libraries covered under the pilot phase, says Shantwana Tiwari, officer on special duty, department of secondary education, Uttar Pradesh.

The movement will start by reaching out to a million library users at 300 district-level libraries and providing community driven services such as computer training classes to build digital skills, access to online information about agriculture and health, a safe place for students to study and learning opportunities for people of all ages.

These libraries have the potential to become knowledge and information centres because of their spread and reach. With this movement, Indian public libraries will take their rightful place across the country. IPLM is being implemented in 60 districts across five Indian states, says Shrikant Sinha, CEO, Nasscom Foundation.
Sequin-studded strawberries or a fierce, stylised trishul? A leafy mini-painting or a geometric inlay? Wearing your personality on your sleeve is passe  let your forehead do the talking.

On BookMyBindi.com, a website launched in October 2015, you can scour through more than 1,500 designs of bindis, repurposed for the 21st century. We want to break the myth that bindis can only be worn with Indian clothes, says TV actor Prabhleen Kaur, 32, co-founder of the website. You can wear them with jeans, with skirts, with crop tops to music festivals  or even a funky, colourful one with a swimsuit!

I have worn a bindi with a bikini, and it looked fantastic, says Aroona Bhat, 40, an image consultant and co-founder of the website, who holds a Limca Book Record for the largest collection of handmade bindis, all designed herself, each in under a minute. I have never repeated a design.

The website also takes custom orders  you can either modify the colour, size or shape of an existing design, or ask for one made from an idea you had.

Born to a traditional Brahmin family where girls were not allowed to exit the house without a bindi  no matter what they were wearing  Bhat got bored of the simple dot and started to experiment, using liquid colours, lipstick, eyeliner, ash on her forehead. Kaur, tired of wearing the same bindis on set, was introduced to Bhat, and the two decided to launch a website for unique, customised bindis.

All the designs on the website are meant to be worn with both Indian and western clothes, says Bhat. We do a collection for men too  with black and maroon tones.

Bhats designs are free-flowing, inspired by everyday objects. I also did a series of bindis inspired by the characters in the film Bajirao Mastani, she says. Using the crescent and Marathi styles sported in the film, I designed a collection of about 20 bindis.

The designs are free-flowing and inspired by everyday objects, even fruit.

The website also takes custom orders  you can either modify the colour, size or shape of an existing design, or ask for one made from an idea you had.

I like that the bindis here are concept-driven, unlike what you will find anywhere else, says Sucheta Bhattacharjee, 38, an Indian classical music trainer and regular customer of the website. I have bought bindis shaped like strawberries, musical instruments, trishuls  I wore a shiny pineapple bindi with a casual dress, and everyone asked me where I got it. My students said I inspired them to wear bindis with casual clothes, and I thought that was fabulous.

What: BookMyBindi.com, a website for unique bindis

Cost: Prices start at Rs 199 for a strip

The author tweets at @panktimehta
Robert Downey Jr is happy to suit up as Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War but chances of Iron Man 4 happening are bleak.

I dont think thats on the cards, usatoday.com quoted Downey Jr as saying when the subject of a fourth solo Iron Man film came up.

In a way its Captain America three, but for me its like my little Iron Man 4 and then its back to the thing we all recognise. Everything pulls over to the side of the road when the thunder of an Avengers thing comes through because thats how it is until it changes... If it changes, Downey Jr said.

Watch the new Captain America: Civil War trailer here

Watch: Captain America Civil War trailer brings the fight to Spider-Man

The actor also shared that he is not sure whether he would ever direct a Marvel film.

Downey Jr will be making his comeback as the superhero with the release of Captain America: Civil War. The film also features Chris Evans as Captain America.

Watch the Iron Man 3 trailer here

The superhero team-up movie is scheduled to release in North America on May 6, this year.

And while he and Chris Evans are at odds in the forthcoming film, he promises fans that Tony Stark isnt going the route of total villain.

Read: Hold it in: Captain America Civil War is the longest Marvel movie ever

He said: If were going to go there, then weve got to save it for my swan song. I would still like to keep a general audience and mildly be in their favour somehow.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
A horse has been killed after it was struck by a fake iceberg near the shooting location of Vin Diesels Fast And Furious 8 in Iceland.

According to Local police, the horse, named Jupiter went down and had to be euthanised after gale force winds sent a fake iceberg flying into a paddock where the animal was grazing, TMZ reports.

Read: Vin Diesel shares first picture of Fast and Furious 8

It is being said that the strong winds sent a portion of a plastic iceberg, a set piece for the movie, flying and it struck the horse, breaking its leg. Another horse was also injured but is likely to recover soon.

Watch Lettys funeral scene from Fast & Furious 4 here

Read: Injured police horse in isolation as netas rush for photo ops

However, as per sources, the production house has assured the horses owner that he would be fully reimbursed for his loss.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Ten Pakistani terrorists who sneaked into Gujarat on March 6 have been traced and three of them have been killed by security forces, television channels quoted government sources as saying on Tuesday.

Television reports said that Pakistans National Security Advisor Naseer Khan Janjua had shared the intelligence inputs with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval.

The government had rushed National Security Guard commandos to Gujarat on March 6 after intelligence reports said militants had sneaked into the state from Pakistan.

The inputs came after a Border Security Force patrolling team recovered an abandoned boat  allegedly from Pakistan -- off Koteshwar coast in Kutch.

Read | Could rare Pak alert open door for greater counter-terror cooperation?

On Tuesday, the television reports said the government sources did not reveal any details on the whereabouts as it could jeopardise the operation to hunt them down.

Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi could not be contacted despite repeated attempts and a home ministry spokesperson refused to offer any comments.

No details were provided on how they were identified or located and which police force was instrumental in neutralising them. No details were also given as to what happened to the dead bodies of the three alleged attackers who have been neutralised.

Top intelligence sources also denied knowledge about such an operation being conducted against alleged suicide attackers.

Gujarats long coastline renders it vulnerable to infiltration from the sea route  the land border with Pakistan is fenced. The terror alert brings back memories of the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, where 10 extremists reached Indias financial capital on a boat from Pakistan and launched strikes that killed 166 people.

The terrorists are reportedly members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba or LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed or JeM.

Read | Multi-city terror alert: Shivratri being observed amid tight security

Pakistans disclosure about the men is seen as an attempt to prove it is genuine in its offer to prevent India from attacks planned across the border. In January, seven military personnel were killed in a deadly assault by Pakistani terrorists at the air force base in Pathankot in Punjab, where military high-value assets including fighter jets are stationed.

India has agreed to a visit by Pakistani investigators assigned to examine the evidence at the air force base by Pakistani Prime Minister Nazwaz Sharif.
The murder of a five-month-old baby allegedly by a Jarawa tribesman in south Andaman has left police with the unprecedented prospect of arresting the accused, a member of one of the last untouched civilisations in the world.

A New York Times report said the baby  who was lighter in skin tone than the tribe  was killed over suspicion that his mother was impregnated by a non-tribesman to maintain the purity and sanctity of the Jarawa society.

India has a hands-off policy with the 400-strong Jarawa tribe who lived in complete cultural isolation until 1998.

The tribe camps follow their own millennia-old rituals and if they venture into nearby villages, theyre sent back into the 800 square kilometers of forest set aside, where they survive by hunting and gathering.

No commercial or tourist establishments are allowed within a buffer zone around the Jarawa reserve. The tribes declining population is also vulnerable to a host of diseases and germs brought by outsiders as their bodies dont have resistance.

The first person to be alerted about the birth of a mixed-race baby was local tribal welfare officer, M Janagi Savuriyammal, when the babys mother brought him in for a check-up, NYT reported.

Five months later, Savuriyammal received an alarmed call from her field staff and rushed to the camp to find the baby missing and his mother crying silently, the newspaper wrote.

The officer filed a complaint with the police, triggering off an unprecedented sequence of events that hadnt occurred in the past two centuries.

Two witnesses told police they saw an outsider drinking with a Jarawa man, Tatehane, who then slipped into the womans hut and took her baby. The child was later found buried in sand.

Police have arrested the man seen with Tatehane and the 25-year-old suspected father of the baby, who is accused of raping the Jarawa woman. But they did not arrest Tatehane, even though he was accused of murder, instead appealing for guidance from the department of tribal welfare, police superintendent Atul Kumar Thakur told NYT.
A BJP leader who has been receiving reminders from the railways to pay Rs 12.3 lakh for booking a train for Prime Minister Narendra Modis rally in 2014 has threatened to commit suicide if the party doesnt foot the bill soon.

Vinod Samaria headed the BJPs Fatehpur Sikri unit in UP two years ago when the party booked a train to ferry supporters from Agra to Lucknow for the then prime ministerial candidate Modis rally. The reservation was made in Samarias name.

The initial booking amount was Rs 18.4 lakh, paid from the party fund. Later, four stoppages were added which took the bill to Rs 30.7 lakh, said Samaria.

He said he had received three recovery notices for the remaining amount in the past year.

I am a farmer with limited resources. The initial amount was paid from the party fund and the balance should also be paid from it. But despite repeated requests, party leaders only come up with assurances.

I have written to railway minister Suresh Prabhu, state BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai and local leaders, but to no avail. Bajpai first told me the payment would be made by March 31, but now says it will take six months, he said.

Samaria said he had no option but to commit suicide if the party did not clear the dues.

I assured him that this was the responsibility of the party and he should not worry, said Bajpai. Many trains were booked for the rally and payments for all were cleared barring this one in which a dispute came up. We are in correspondence with the railways and whatever settlement is reached, the party will comply with it.
A bride called off her marriage in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura district after the allegedly drunk groom accused his prospective in-laws of changing the girl ahead of the wedding.

The grooms family, from Bharatpur district in Rajasthan, had to leave without the bride but only after paying the expenses incurred by the girls family for arranging the marriage, police said on Monday.

A week ago, another bride in Gorakhpur had called off her marriage after she found the groom drunk ahead of the ceremony. Earlier this month, a Haryana bride rode on horseback to the marriage ceremony breaking a men-only tradition in a highly conservative society.

Read More | Bride rides the ghodi, Haryana village shows the way

Guests who attended the Mathura wedding said the marriage party from Deeg town in Rajasthan reached Parkhan on March 11 and stayed there for two days for the wedding on Sunday night.

When the marriage party reached the wedding venue, the groom was allegedly drunk. He accused the brides family of changing the girl in the last moment, they said, adding that he insisted on selecting his bride from among four girls present at the venue.

The bride refused to marry after she learnt about the grooms demand, though she was advised by the elders not to do so, the guests said.

Later, a panchayat called to solve the dispute found the grooms family at fault and asked them to compensate for the expenses incurred by the brides family.

Two members of the marriage party were sent to Deeg to bring the money and the others were held hostage till they returned.

Mathura police official Kunwar Anupam Singh said there was a dispute during the wedding but denied that the grooms family was held hostage for compensation by the villagers.

Police reached the village when informed about the dispute and later the marriage party returned without the bride after the panchayat held them at fault, said Singh.

No complaint regarding the incident was filed with police, sources said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has decided to approach foreign governments to seek details of properties and investments held in other countries by embattled tycoon Vijay Mallya, accused of defaulting on a Rs 9,000 crore loan.

The CBI is preparing letter rogatories  legal request for assistance  and may approach the courts to get them served through the foreign ministry, the Times of India reported.

Read more: Shocked Vijay Mallya denies Sunday Guardian interview

Mallya left the country on March 2 in spite of a CBI probe and legal proceedings against him, with attorney general Mukul Rohatgi telling the Supreme Court that he was likely headed for England.

The liquor baron has several properties in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Hong Kong, and the letter rogatories indicate the CBI is expanding its probe.

The development came a day after a parliamentary ethics panel began probing Mallya.

The tycoon  billed as the king of good times for his flashy lifestyle  has said he wants to return to India but was afraid of a witch hunt.

But his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines defaulted on a Rs 900 crore loan, allegedly in collusion with IDBI bank employees, triggering a CBI probe and a case by the Enforcement Directorate.

Last week, a consortium of 17 banks approached the Supreme Court SC to bar Mallya from leaving India, worried about the fate of their loans worth thousands of crores.

The court issued a notice to Mallya, seeking his personal appearance in the SC and impounding his passport, but by then, he had left India.

A debt-recovery tribunal order has barred him from touching the Rs 515 crore he received from liquor giant Diageo as settlement but the British company has said it already paid Mallya Rs 269 crore.

Banks owed money by Kingfisher Airlines have demanded first right to the Diageo cash, arguing that they were left with unpaid debts worth Rs 9,000 crore when the company collapsed more than three years ago.

But a combative Mallya didnt back down, hitting out at the media and saying he didnt do anything wrong.
Students of JNU, who have been served show cause notices by the university based on the recommendations of an internal inquiry panel, have alleged the charges against them lack clarity and said the committee was formed only to punish them.

Based on the inquiry committees inputs, the university issued show cause notices to 21 students for indiscipline on Monday over a February 9 event on the campus where anti-national slogans were allegedly shouted. The panel recommended punishment ranging from a fine to rustication for up to two semesters, sources said.

The panel has also recommended the rustication of five students, including JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.

Read: JNU panel recommends rustication of 5 students including Kanhaiya

Sources close to Kumar said he has not received any communication about his recommended rustication. We are only hearing it from the media. We have not yet received any information on this, a source said.

The students had earlier refused to depose before the committee.

If an inquiry was conducted then it must have decided what the allegations are against us and what have we been found guilty of. A show cause notice not only specifies the charges against you but also punishment being given. This notice mentions nothing, Anant Prakash Narayan, one of the 21 students who has received the notice, told HT.

To what allegation do we send our explanation? This committee was only formed to punish us. We do not believe in this committee. And maybe we will reply to the proctor stating that, Narayan added.

Read: What really happened on the night of Feb 9: A JNU student recounts

Rama Naga, JNUSU general secretary, said the notice is vague and they will take a collective decision on whether to send a reply.

The notice has no clarity. There has to be some specific allegation but it has nothing. How do we explain our side? After todays march demanding release of Umar and Anirban, we will take a decision on what to do about it and how best to reply, he said.

A student, who also received the notice, said it only says, been found guilty on the following account under the Clause 3, Category II of Rules and discipline and proper conduct of students of JNU.

(xxv) any other act which may be considered by the VC or any other competent authority to be an act of violation of discipline and conduct, the notice said.

Another student also said the notice is vague and does not specify what she has been found guilty of.

My notice, as well some other notices, do not specify the allegation against us. How can we respond when we do not know what exactly are we guilty of except for that we have violated rules and discipline and conduct of JNU students, the student, who did not wish to be named, said.

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to explore the possibility of having national courts of appeal in four regions across the country to decide appeals arising out of high courts verdicts even as the government opposed the idea, saying it was neither possible nor desirable.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to submit his proposed arguments on the contentious issue, which the top law officer said would lower the SCs dignity and take away an individuals constitutional right to approach the apex court.

There is an apparent change in the stand of the Supreme Court, which has been consistently rejecting demands for setting up its regional benches.

The court also asked senior advocate KK Venugopal, assisting the bench as a friend of court, to place his suggestions before the bench that shall frame issues on April 4 and refer the matter to a constitution bench.

We want to initiate a debate on this, though the government does not support it. Today our 98% time is wasted in reading files relating to traffic offences or cheque bounce cases. We might dismiss them finally, but we still have to give our time, the CJI told Rohatgi, who said the SC must not entertain every appeal filed before it.

The solution does not lie with creating courts of appeal because it would not bring down litigation. The Supreme Court has to exercise restraint on the manner of interference under its constitutional power. Today people take chances and come to Supreme Court on every issue, including challenging an adjournment order, Rohatgi argued, admitting he as a private lawyer too appeared in cases that the SC should not consider.

The proposed courts of appeal are a new set of courts below the SC and above high courts in the hierarchy of court system in India. Under the present system, litigants directly go to the SC against decisions of a high court, leading to piling up of nearly 60,000-odd cases in the top court.

The demand for creating regional benches of the Supreme Court has been quite old, particularly from southern states. The Law Commission had in its 229th report submitted to the government in 2009 recommended setting up of four regional benches at Delhi, Chennai/Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai to deal with appeals arising out of high courts.

But the Supreme Court rejected it in 2010, saying dividing the Supreme Court would affect the countrys unitary character. A Full Court comprising all SC judges reiterated its earlier resolutions passed in 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006 in this regard.

Puducherry-based advocate Vasanta Kumar has filed a public interest petition in the SC seeking a direction to the government to set up courts of appeal at Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. He wanted them to be the last court of appeal  above high courts -- and their decisions undisputable unless questions of law remained unanswered. Only such unanswered questioned of law should be entertained by the SC, he demanded.

Justice Thakur underlined that a spurt in litigation had overburdened the SC judges and it wasnt feasible to increase the present strength of 30.

Today, at least one lakh cases are filed every year in the Supreme Court. In the next 20 years it will go up to five lakhs. You cannot have 150 judges to tackle the litigation explosion because more judges would lead to conflicting judgments and confusion on the legal position on an issue, the CJI said.

Venugopal strongly backed the benchs concern and said the present judicial structure violated a citizens constitutional right to access to justice. He said statistics revealed that out of 10 cases filed, 9.5 belonged to north Indian states. Southern states are affected badly because they do not have the means and facilities to reach the SC. For them access to justice is an illusion, the senior counsel contended.

The top court should ideally focus only on adjudication of issues of constitutional importance, Venugopal said.

CJI Thakur said the SC will formulate issues for the larger bench to hear the issue. Some of the points are: whether pendency of a case for more than eight years in SC amounts to violation of access to justice; whether access to justice is an illusion for people living in southern states who fail to approach the SC due to lack of means and facilities.

Petitioner Kumar said people faced difficulties -- both physical and financial -- because they have to travel to New Delhi to file appeals in the SC; stay in the national capital indefinitely; consult senior lawyers; and pay for hotel bills.

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Jat leaders in Haryana have threatened to resume their quota agitation, which rocked the state last month and claimed 30 lives, if the Manohar Lal Khattar government fails to meet their demand by March 17.

On March 17, we will decide on the next mode of action on whether to block roads, railway tracks or intensify our agitation in any other manner, All India Jat Mahasabha chief Yashpal Malik told PTI over phone on Tuesday.

Jat leaders from across the state have decided that community members will hit the streets again if the state government does not act, he said, adding that dharnas this time would also cover the rural areas.

The state government has time till March 17. So far the government has not responded to any of our demands, said Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha president, Hawa Singh Sangwan.

On Monday, members of the Jat community had held demonstrations across the state.

Read: Haryana Jats warn of fresh protests if demands not met in 72 hours

Malik said the government is keen to crush the members of Jat community even though their protest was peaceful. He also said the government should control its ministers from issuing statements against the Jat community.

He claimed that the Jat agitation had continued since 2005-06 in 13 states, including Uttar Pardesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Madhya Pardesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, in a peaceful manner.

Political outfits in Haryana have, for their vested interests, given the Jat community a bad name, he said as he sought a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into incidents of violence in Haryana recently.

The state government must bring a Bill in the ongoing budget session of the assembly to ensure reservation for Jats, he said.

Those who fired upon peaceful protesters in Haryana recently must be dealt with sternly, he said, adding that those killed during the agitation must be compensated by the Khattar government through award of jobs to their next of kin.

Meanwhile, in Rohtak, the court of additional district and sessions judge SK Garg rejected the interim bail plea of prof Virender Singh, political adviser to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Virender has been booked under several charges, including sedition, in connection with clashes during the Jat agitation.

Police are searching for Virender and moved court contending his custodial interrogation is needed to establish his involvement in inciting Jat community members during the agitation.

Read: Jats may misuse their strength in army and police, says MP Saini
The three-day World Culture Festival, organised on the Yamuna floodplains by the Art of Living foundation, ended on Monday in spite of intermittent rains soaking the national capital.

Thousands of people and artists from across the world thronged the festival that was dubbed as cultural olympics by the Art of Living founder and spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The ground prepared for the World Culture Festival, held between March 11 and 13, was spread over an area of 1,000 acres. The stage alone was seven acres in area and accommodated 37,000 artists.

The event also invited the Delhi high courts ire, which said it was an ecological disaster. The green tribunal, NGT, fined the organisers Rs 5 crore for damaging the ecologically sensitive Yamuna floodplains.

The National Green Tribunal has ordered AoL to pay a Rs 5 crore fine for damage caused to the environment. AoL founder, Ravi Shankar, had earlier refused to pay. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

Workers pause while putting the finishing touches to a decorative elephant. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

Artists prepare for their performance during the World culture festival. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

The Art of Living foundation organised the World Culture Festival, which was held on the banks of Yamuna river amid controversy. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Artists perform on the second day of the World culture festival, in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

The venue was water-logged after heavy rains lashed the national Capital. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Artists perform a folk dance during the World culture Festival on Yamuna river banks. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar share a few words before the PM addresses the crowd at the WCF. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Japanese artists perform during the World Culture Festival. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Artists during the World Culture Festival, in New Delhi. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Heavy rainfall made travelling to the festival a problem, but it failed to dampen the spirits of the attendees. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Artists perform during the 2nd day of World Culture Festival at Yamuna River Bank. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on stage with home minister Rajnath Singh during the second day of the festival. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

The Art of Living foundation had claimed in its promotional literature that 35 lakh people would come from 155 countries. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

On the ground, there was no trace of the raging controversy over the clearing of 1,000 acres of a no-construction ecologically-fragile floodplain for the venue. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Thousands of people, mostly Ravi Shankars followers, thronged the venue to attend the World Culture Festival, in New Delhi. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Organisers claim that 300,000 people visited over the three days the festival was on. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

Vegetable crops appear damaged at the Art of Livings World Culture Festival. (Raj K Raj/ HT Photo)

The festival has been mired in controversy, with environmental activists saying it has damaged the delicate ecosystem of the Yamuna. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

An estimated 3 million people were said to have visited the festival, prompting green groups to claim the event will damage the Yamunas fragile ecosystem. (Raj K Raj/ HT Photo)
The government may ban nearly 400 fixed-dose combination medicines made by 1,500 manufacturers in the next six months due to harmful side-effects as part of an ongoing attempt at cleaning up the sector where lax regulation has led to proliferation of harmful drugs.

The move comes days after the ministry banned 344 fixed-dose combination medicines  including popular brands such as Vicks Action 500, Benadryl and Phensedyl -- over fears that they cause anti-microbial resistance and might even cause organ-failure because of high toxicity.

India is one of the worlds largest markets for fixed dose combination drugs that make up almost half the market share but medical experts say most of them are irrational, that is they havent been approved by the national regulator. Many arent approved for sale in countries with more stringent regulation.

I would say 90% are irrational and we have no business letting our people consume all sorts of funny combinations that are no longer in use globally, said Dr CM Gulhati, editor, Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS).

Read | Not just Vicks 500 and Corex: India has banned 344 drugs

But the crackdown may invite a lengthy legal battle. Global giant Pfizer has already obtained a stay on the ban of its drug Corex while American pharmaceutical major Abott indicated it will move court over its Phensedyl combination.

This is a repeat of 2007 when drug firms obtained a stay on a similar ban on 300 combinations.

Fixed-dose combination drugs, or FDCs, combine two or more drugs in a single pill and are widely used to improve patient compliance as it is easier to get someone to take one drug than several.

Many of them slip through Indias labyrinthine regulation process with agencies at the central and state level, which often dont coordinate.

This, combined with inconsistent enforcement of drug laws, has led hundreds of such drugs entering the market based on state approval without a nod from the Centre.

The central government blames the manufacture, sale and distribution of harmful fixed dose combination medicines on the lax attitude of state governments.

The products were approved at the state level despite our issuing warnings to states drug licensing authorities, but to no avail, said a health ministry official.

Read | P&G stops sale of Vicks Action 500 Extra in India after ban

Doctors say the misuse of these combinations may be contributing to antibiotic resistance and causing the rise of some superbugs, strains of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.

The sale of such medicines is illegal because a combination drug needs to be cleared by the national regulator even if the individual constituents are pre-approved.

Before 1988, combinations of old drugs were not legally termed as new drugs, but under the new law, the combination is a new drug and needs to follow the adequate approval process that includes also having undergone clinical trials, said Dr Gulhati

Its not right to follow the logic that since A, B and C are independently approved drugs, so A+B+C will automatically is approved.

The health ministry issued a public notice in 2013, asking drug manufacturers to declare fixed dose combination medicines.

A large chunk ignored our notice, and only 6,600 responded out of about 15,000 pharma units that are active in India, thinking probably we may not take action.

Now that we have taken action they are rushing to courts for respite, said the health ministry official.

A fresh list is being scrutinised by the committee experts. We have been working on it for years and theres absolutely no therapeutic justification for most of these fixed dose combinations. We had issued show cause notices also as a warning, but didnt get any response, said the official.

The medicines were broadly divided into four categories. Two of them --rational (approved) and irrational (not approved) use were significant. The medicines under the irrational category were taken up for immediate scrutiny.

It has been a comprehensive exercise that took into account entire literature on fixed dose combination medicines available in Indian markets. Its an on-going process and some combinations may even require clinical trials, said the official.

What is the solution?

We must check the efficient drug regulators in western countries, namely US and UK to see what is safe and whats not. It may not be an ideal solution as Indians are a different race but some reference point to begin with, Dr Gulhati said.

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Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz will meet in Nepal this week, the first ministerial engagement confirmed on Monday after the Pathankot airbase attack derailed talks between the two neighbours.

Seven soldiers were killed when suspected Pakistani militants laid siege to the Indian Air Force facility in the border state of Punjab on January 2. Though Islamabad has registered a case, it has not given the dates for a visit by a Pakistani probe team, vital to the investigation as well as well as bilateral ties.

The Swaraj-Aziz meeting will see the Pakistani foreign minister handover the invitation from Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for his Indian counter part Narendra Modi.

Visiting Pakistan in December, Swaraj had said Modi would attend the Saarc summit likely to be held in November. Swaraj and Aziz are expected to meet in Pokhara on March 17, the final day of a two-day foreign ministers meeting of the South Asian Association of Regional Conference (Saarc).

Aziz will meet foreign ministers of all member countries to invite them to the 19th Saarc summit Islamabad will host this year, the Pakistani foreign office spokesperson said. Indian officials played down the meeting, saying Aziz would meet all his Saarc counterparts.

But, it is important on at least two counts. It comes ahead of the nuclear security summit in Washington where Modi and Sharif are likely to meet. An interaction between foreign secretaries S Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary, who will accompany Swaraj and Aziz, will signal a step forward getting ties back on track.

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The Jawaharlal Nehru University internal inquiry committee has found Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya guilty on at least four charges, including furnishing false certificates and information to the university.

In a show cause notice sent to Bhattacharya, the committee stated that he was guilty of arousing communal, caste or regional feeling or creating disharmony among students.

Sources said that Khalid was also found guilty on similar charges.

A copy of the show cause notice sent to Bhattacharya through the deputy inspector general (prison), Tihar Jail, is with Hindustan Times.

According to the notice, furnishing false certificates and information in any manner to the university is one of the counts on which they have been found guilty. Sources said that there were allegations that permission for the February 9th event was taken by giving false and incomplete information.

Causing or colluding in the unauthorised entry of any person into the campus or in the unauthorised occupation of any portion of the University premises, including hall of residences, by any person, were further listed in the notice sent to Bhattacharya.

The committee was looking into the controversial event on February 9 that took place at the JNU campus in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised by students. JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy; he was released on an interim bail almost a month later. Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya who were arrested later, are still in judicial custody. The issue also became a political flashpoint between the ruling BJP and opposition, raising heated arguments in the Parliamentary session.

The university sent show cause notices to 21 students, including Kumar, general secretary Rama Naga and former JNUSU vice-president Anant Narayan on Monday, and sought a reply by Wednesday.

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JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday attacked the Modi government and took on the RSS but barely mentioned Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya in an hour-long speech that followed a march in support of the two students in custody on sedition charges.

A Delhi court extended to March 29 their custody as fellow students from Jawaharlal Nehru University marched from Mandi House to Parliament Street to express solidarity with the two, accused of organising an event on February 9 during which alleged anti-India slogans were shouted.

Kumar skipped the third peoples march to save democracy and came directly to Parliament Street in the city centre to address the gathering, his first campus outing after getting a six-month conditional bail on March 3 in the sedition case .

Modi ji, you said that nobody can become a leader by giving speeches. If you are telling me this, same applies to you, as you did the same to the public of the country. Two years have passed, but na acche din na acche raat dikha (we are yet to see better days ), Kumar said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis poll promise of Acche din.

The JNU Students Union president then targeted the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the ruling BJP. People who take years in getting from half pant to full pant can only divide the country ... Everyone is a part of India. Be it minorities, Dalits, Kumar said.

The RSS recently decided to dump its trademark khaki shorts in favour of brown trousers.

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar addresses the gathering after the march from Mandi House to Parliament on Tuesday to demand the release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya . (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Kumar also denied accusations that the university and he were against the army. The government had turned army into a political issue. It was the government which was dividing people, he said.  Your (Modi) government was the one which lathi-charged soldiers demanding one rank, one pension, he told a cheering crowd.

Kumar also took digs at the Union HRD minister Smriti Irani. People who have never gone to a university are deciding on our future.

It was at the end of the speech that Kumar shouted, Umar, Anirban ko riha karo, sedition charges wapas lo (free Umar and Anirban, drop the sedition charge).

A member of the All India Students Federation (AISF), the student wing of the Communist Party of India, Kumar had told HT in an interview after his release that his politics was different from that of Khalid though they were together in their fight against the Modi government .

Khalid and Bhattacharya were once members of the ultra-Left Democratic Students Union. A Delhi government probe panel while clearing Kumar of chanting anti-India slogans had said Khalids role needed to be investigated. Khalid was one of the organisers of the protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru

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Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah urged the West Bengal government on Tuesday to look into reports that Kolkata Police was asking all city colleges to furnish details of Kashmiri students.

Dear @MamataOfficial can you please look in to this police order? Info gathering shouldnt become harassment, Abdullah tweeted following the police action that many said unfairly targeted Kashmiri students.

Why are these students being singled out? cc @quizderek Police ask Kolkata colleges to give details of J&K students.

Read more: JNU panel recommends rustication of 5 students including Kanhaiya

The tweets came after an Indian Express report that said the police notices were sent to colleges in the last week of February, when Kolkata was rocked by protests supporting Jawaharlal Nehru University students facing sedition charges for allegedly shouting anti-national slogans.

The charges and the subsequent arrests of JNU students Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattarcharya ignited a nationwide debate on free speech and campus protests, including in Kolkata.

A controversial march by Jadavpur University students allegedly featured slogans calling for Kashmiri freedom and celebrating 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The police note, reproduced by the Indian Express, was addressed to the principal of the college and read, Please let me know that students, whose residential addresses is under the State of Jammu & Kashmir, studies in your Institution for onwards transmission to the Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, New Delhi, Govt. of India.

The newspaper quoted senior police officials as saying that the request for the details had come from central intelligence agencies.

Its an attempt to create dossiers on J&K students so that we can monitor their activities, a top police officer told the Indian Express. This is really something new we are doing for the first time.
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti attended a Lok Sabha session on Tuesday, raising hopes that the lingering political uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir after chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeeds death in January could end.

The 56-year-old leader landed in Delhi a day after the BJP-led Union government told alliance partner PDP that it was ready to walk the extra mile for the state, which has been under governors rule since her fathers death.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley assured impartial development of all three regions in the state: Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh. Besides, the Centre told governor NN Vohra not to finalise the state budget.

Jaitleys assurance on Monday came at a time experts debated if the state assembly can be suspended six months after imposition of governors rule or the House can be dissolved six months from the day the legislature sat the last time.

According to the J&K constitution, the governor will have to dissolve the assembly if no elected government is put in place by April 9. The six-month period starts from the last sitting of the legislature, former advocate general Altaf Naik said.

The PDP was silent on Jaitleys comments but senior leaders said in private that indications were positive. There is movement on smart cities while the army and administration is discussing vacating land held by the defence forces, a PDP leader said.

Mehbooba was the natural choice to take over the reins after Sayeed, whose death left behind a rocky coalition of ideologically-divergent partners. But she remained reluctant, apparently upset that her father died a sad man, regretting the unfulfilled promises made by the Centre.

I am ready to burn my fingers but I will not burn them for nothing, she told her supporters.

She hinted in February that she could snap ties with the BJP if the Centre didnt announce confidence-building measures (CBMs) to end the political stalemate in the state.

She called for time-bound implementation of the agenda of alliance and assurances on niggling issues such as a political initiative to facilitate dialogues with separatists and withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act that gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and kill during counter-insurgency operations.

Mehbooba also wanted the army to vacate private and state properties occupied by the military and enhanced compensation to victims of the devastating 2014 floods.

But she recently indicated that she would give anything to keep her fathers commitment.

The most important thing is there has been no note of discord heard anywhere, no BJP leader has said anything against the PDP leadership, a senior PDP leader said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the 125th birth anniversary celebration of BR Ambedkar at his birth place Mhow, in Indore on April 14.

Prime Minister will attend a grand function marking the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar at Ambedkar Nagar, Mhow on April 14, an official release said.

Like every year, this year also the state government will organise Ambedkar Mahakumbh at the birth place of Dr Ambedkar, it said.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed, on Monday, the preparations for the Prime Ministers proposed visit.

People from all over the state will attend the function, the release said.
An association of former paramilitary personnel will launch an indefinite sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar and hold a march to Parliament on Tuesday to press for One Rank One Pension (OROP) and other benefits as announced by the government to ex-servicemen recently.

We have decided to sit on indefinite dharna on Jantar Mantar from today onwards. We will also hold a protest march to Parliament later in the day, PS Nair, secretary general of of the All India Central Paramilitary Forces Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association, said.

Ex-paramilitary personnel had organised a three-day protest at Jantar Mantar in November last year to press for more than half a dozen demands.

Nair said besides the demand for OROP, they want framing of separate service and pension rules, extention CSD canteen facility, restoration of stopped pension of BSF personnel resigned under BSF rule-19, grant of 50% pension to pre-2006 pensioners as per the Supreme Court judgment instead of pro-rata pension, formation of statutory paramilitary welfare board, extension of organised service status and exemption from new contributory pension system for serving personnel as well.

Nair also said the seventh pay commission also equated the paramilitary personnel with civilian employees.

If they are civilian employees, then do they have right to form union and go on strike to press their demands as well? asked Nair.

Nair said during their last protest no official from the Union home ministry came to meet them. They have been trying to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh ever since the NDA came to power but they have not been granted appointment so far.

There are around 11 paramilitary forces in the country and the number of ex-paramilitary personnel could be around eight to nine lakh.

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A team of National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Tuesday visited the Pathankot civil hospital mortuary where the bodies of the four militants who had attacked the Pathankot airbase have been kept for the past two months.

The team reportedly took pictures of the dead militants along with their identification marks. According to sources, these may be passed on to the investigating agencies in Pakistan for identification of these militants who stormed the airbase on January 1.

Senior medical officer Dr Bhupinder Singh, who was part of the team that had conducted the post mortem on these militants, refused to give details, admitting that the team had visited the mortuary.

The civil hospital, of late, has been asking security agencies to shift these bodies to some other place citing the space problem. Officials have also sent a communique to principal secretary (health) Vini Mahajan to take up the matter with the DGP.
The Deccan police on Monday filed charge sheet against 35 FTII students for illegally confining institute director Prashant Pathrabe during the 139-day-long strike opposing the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as chairman.

The police, in the charge sheet, listed the 35 students named by Pathrabe in the FIR he had filed on August 18, where he said the students gheraoed him in his cabin. He said the students challenged his decision to go ahead with the assessment of incomplete projects of students from 2008 batch.

Judicial magistrate first class SS Bangad granted bail to all the 30 students, who were on anticipatory bail. Five others, who were arrested after the incident, are already out on bail, said defence counsel Srikant Shivade.

Last week, the police had served notices to the students asking them to remain present in the court in view of the charge sheet being filed against them. The matter will be heard on April 2.

The students have been booked under various sections of IPC, including 143, 147, 149, 323, 353 and 506, dealing with offences, some of them non bailable, related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwals Tuesday visit to the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Punjab is aimed at leveraging the legacy of one of the most important organisations for Dalits in the state for electoral benefit in the upcoming assembly polls.

With a year to go for the polls, the Aam Aadmi Party is locked in a fierce three-way race against the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine and the Congress. But widespread anti-incumbency and massive footfall at recent AAP rallies have given the rookie party hope of re-creating the landslide victory in the Delhi elections.

It is widely believed that the Dera  situated around 7km from Jalandhar  has emerged as the prime protector of Ravidassias in recent times, particularly after the murder of its deputy leader at Vienna (Austria) in 2009 led to Sikh-Dalit violence that hit national and international headlines. Such is its heft that while other sects mostly call themselves propagators, Dera Ballan broke away from its Sikh umbrella credentials after Sant Ramanands murder by some radical Sikhs, and set up a separate religion, complete with its own holy book. It asserts that ages of exclusion from mainstream Sikhism led to this step.

Numbers count

The Dera derives its political clout from the sheer strength of numbers  Dalits constitute about 32% of the population in Punjab, which is the highest, percentage-wise, among all states. Of this, over one-third (12% of Punjabs population) identify as Ravidassias, followers of Ravidass, a poet-saint of the Bhakti movement from the 15th century, revered as a Dalit icon.

Most of the Dalit or Scheduled Castes (SC) population is concentrated in Doaba region, taking the SC proportion here to around 45%. The region sends 23 representatives to the state assembly of 117, and the Dera has direct influence on at least 19 seats, where Ravidassia communitys vote-share ranges from 20% to 50%. Dera Ballan had a following among non-Ravidassia Dalits too, though that has declined after it made a separate religion. Also, unlike some other sects, Dera Ballan has not made its politics public so far.

Its followers, however, are largely seen as divided between the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), an arithmetic that has sometimes even given advantage to the SAD-BJP, since opposition votes are divided.

The AAP, pitching itself as a party of the oppressed and outsiders, is gunning for these votes now. More than votes and that too in Doaba alone, Kejriwal is looking at a larger Dalit consolidation, something that even the BSP has not managed to do in Punjab so far.

Tilts so far

When Kanshi Ram started a struggle which later became the BSP, the Dera grew close to its leaders, so much so that the foundation stone of Guru Ravidass Gate at Varanasi was laid by Kanshi Ram on May 25, 1997. It was inaugurated by the then President KR Narayanan on July 16, 1998.

In later years, however, it was largely seen as favouring the Congress as its leader Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, who died last year, remained close to the sects top leaders. Jagjits father Gurbanta Singh, a former minister, had played a vital role in the establishment of the campus of the Dera at Ballan.

During clashes with Sikh groups in 2009 after the Vienna murder, BSP leaders led the Ravidassia community groups. Before that, when the Congress won big in Doaba in 2002, it was believed that Dera Ballan had played a key role by secretly asking its followers to support its leader Captain Amarinder Singh. Amarinder, after again taking charge again as state Congress chief, has already held meetings with the Dera head.

Divide within

The separate religion (see box) has, however, also created some rifts within. There are only 10% Ravidassia families who decided to adopt Amrit Bani (separate holy book) after the Dera diktat inn 2010. The rest still respect only Guru Granth Sahib, claimed a sitting MLA from the Ravidassia community. A former leader of the Dera, Surinder Dass, has already established a different Dera in nearby village Kuthar; he also follows Guru Granth Sahib.

Mere illusion

Further still, Paramjit Singh Judge, a dean at Guru Nanak Dev University, and an expert on Dalit issues, termed the whole Dera politics an illusion.

The politics of Deras in Punjab has been there for very long. The credit goes to the Akalis who started the politics of religion first by exhorting people to vote in the name of Sikhism, he said. But its a big illusion created by politicians that Deras can earn them votes and make governments.

As far as the influence of Dera Ballan was concerned, he said, if they had voted for their community in Doaba during the 2012 assembly polls, many Ravidassia candidates would have won. But there are only three Ravidassia MLAs at present, said Judge. The illusion of political influence is created by those followers who want to use the might of a Dera for their personal rise.

Charting the sects journey

1895: Dera established by Harnam Dass, who got the name Sant Pipal Dass, a Bathinda native, who eventually settled in Ballan village near Jalandhar

1965: Foundation of temple of Guru Ravidass laid with Dera efforts at the poet-saints birthplace in Varanasi, UP

1970: Deras first political activity as prominent faces of larger Ad-Dharmi (Dalit) movement from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Haryana congregate at Dera Sachkhand Ballan; resolutions concerning community passed; NRI backing also starts from this decade as Dalits chase and grab dreams abroad

1994: Construction of temple completed at Varanasi; becomes symbol of re-establishment of the glory of Guru Ravidass; Dera gains traction too as caste re-emerges as prime political plank

2002: Dera gives call to celebrate Ravidass birth anniversary in big way; start made from Boota Mandi in Jalandhar at huge gathering

2009: Ramanand, deputy leader of the Dera, killed in Vienna (Austrai) by radical Sikh activists; followed by clashes in Doaba region between Dera followers and Sikhs.

2010: Dera declares Amrit Bani as the holy book of new Ravidassia Dharam (religion); breaks away from Sikhism umbrella

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The Congress mounted a coordinated attack on the Modi government in Parliament for not giving Andhra Pradesh a special category status vociferously demanded by the BJP when it was in the opposition.

The government didnt commit itself to granting the status that would give it preferential treatment such as concessions on excise duty and a higher proportion of central funds as grants, not loans.

But parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu read out a list of projects that had been approved for Andhra, asserting that it was as good as a special status. Naidus long list prompted taunts from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti who wished that the Centre had a similar list for Telangana too.

Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Rajya Sabha and Mallikarjun Kharge in the Lok Sabha had sought adjournment of proceedings early in the day to flag the demand for special status for AP. Azad said then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised the status in the Rajya Sabha when the law bifurcating Andhra Pradesh was passed in February 2014.

The UPA government had, however, refused to incorporate this provision in the law, something that the BJP-led coalition is using to distance itself from the former PMs commitment.

In the Rajya Sabha  where Congress MPs trooped into the Well of the house  finance minister Arun Jaitley pledged to help Andhra Pradesh but hinted that granting special category status was not on its radar.

There are several commitments which are involved in the AP Reorganisation Act. Centre is going to honour each one of those commitments in letter and spirit, he said. When Naidu made a similar point in the Lok Sabha, Congress chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia retorted that none of the 11 states that have a special category status were given this treatment due to a law.
In the narrow lanes of Varanasis Bharadwaji Tola, a memory lies flanked by dilapidated boundary walls. More than six decades ago, this plot of land housed a palatial haveli  the Khwaja Manzil  where Bollywood actor Aamir Khans mother was raised.

While celebrating his birthday in Mumbai on Monday, Khan said: My biggest wish today is that I can buy my mother her ancestral home in Varanasi. My mother spent her childhood in Varanasi. Ive seen that home. Since then, it has been in my mind if I can request people there and get that house.

However, the actors dream is one vanquished by time. There is no house on the plot now  just a pile of garbage dumped by residents of the area and two mounds of mud that local children sit and play on.

On his 51st birthday, actor Aamir Khan expressed a wish to buy his mothers ancestral home in Varanasi. (HT Photo)

The plot, which shot into the limelight in 2009 when Khan visited it in disguise, belongs to BJP leader Badrinarayan Gupta  a former councillor  and his brothers. Syed Hasan Raza, a resident of the area, recalls directing the actor to the place.

I was sipping tea at Chhunna tea stall in Chauhatta when Aamir came searching for Khwaza Manzil. First, he and his autorickshaw driver had tea, and then asked me about the building. I accompanied him till there. Aamir kept walking around the plot, looking at it, the 45-year-old man said.

Read: Its Aamir Khans birthday and wife Kiran Raos revealing his secrets

Raza said Khan had come disguised as a middle-aged man, complete with protruding teeth and a muffler wrapped around his neck.

That wasnt the last Raza saw of the actor. The next day, on December 13, 2009, Aamir returned with a gift for me  a gold ring  and thanked me for helping him find the plot. He also gave me a letter that said: I am grateful to you because you helped me locate the haveli where my mother spent her childhood, Raza said.

The letter Aamir Khan gave to Raza, expressing gratitude for showing him the Varanasi plot. (HT Photo)

It was only while he was lunching with the actor at the nearby Tej Biryani corner that Raza realised who his new friend really was. Khan, however, asked him not to tell anybody about him for the next few hours  he could do without the media attention.

In 2010, the actor invited Raza to Mumbai. He gave him a grand welcome and arranged for his stay at a luxury hotel, all expenses paid. Aamir is a big actor and a great human being. I am still in touch with him. He responds to my phone calls. I have called him up many times over the last seven years, Raza said. The last time he dialled Khans number was on Monday, to wish him on his birthday.

Tea stall owner Chhunna Bhai also wished that the actor would visit again, but undisguised.

Read: Aamir Khan is pretty sure he can convince Salman Khan to get married

However, the question remains  what happened to the Khwaja Manzil? Speaking to HT, Gupta said: My father, Chauthiram Gupta, and his elder brother, Rajaram Gupta, bought the haveli at an auction in 1947. It caved in around 15 years ago. His cousins had already taken their share of the plot.

Raza (in blue shirt) at the tea shop in Chauhatta, where he met Aamir Khan for the first time. (HT Photo)

From what Gupta has heard from old-timers, Khans mother was 10 years old when she and her family left the place.

When asked to comment on Khans plans to buy the 5,000-square feet plot, the 55-year-old former councillor simply shrugged his shoulders. As of now, we have no plan to sell it. Several people wanted to buy the plot, but we refused. So far, Aamir hasnt contacted us with any such proposal.

Gupta, however, wished the actor on his birthday. May he live long and keep making great films like Sarfarosh, he said.

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Heavy rainfall accompanied by hail over the weekend damaged crops in key food-producing states across north and central India, triggering fears of higher food prices amid a deepening nationwide agrarian crisis.

A good crop was a must this season for the sustenance of farmers who suffered because of unseasonal rainfall in March-April last year followed by a drought that reduced output of summer crops. A good yield was expected this year but heavy rains induced by westerly disturbances flattened the wheat crop less than a month before harvest in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The damage can be up to 50% in several districts of Haryana, Punjab, northern Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, an agriculture ministry official said, adding that state governments had been asked to submit reports.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered divisional commissioner A Anbarasu to assess the damage to crops in the Capital. Have asked Div Commissioner to assess damage to crops of farmers in Delhi due to unseasonal rains (sic), Kejriwal tweeted.

The governments of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan also instructed officials to assess the loss.

In 2015, the Centre gave states about Rs 8,000 crore for crop losses due to unseasonal rains.

In Madhya Pradesh, protesting farmers took a tractor trolley full of hailstones to the office of the SDM, Banda in Sagar district and a chakka jam protest was held on NH-86 near Banda on the Sagar-Chatarpur road to draw the administrations attention towards damage to crops.

In Rohtak, Ram Chander, a Dalit farmer who had taken two acres of land on contract for Rs 25,000, said rain and thunderstorm had almost completely destroyed his wheat crop. There is not much left, he said, crying for government help.

Farmer Kundan Lal Jatav of Ghatla village in Rajasthans Alwar district said with tears in his eyes that rain and hail ruined his entire mustard crop on seven bighas of land.

The government needs about 62 million tonnes of grains, including wheat and rice, to ensure steady supply of food items under the national food security law. Good crops in 2014 had ensured adequate stocks but crop damage in two consecutive years can exert a burden on the buffer maintained by the Food Corporation of India.

Experts say the government might not have enough buffer stocks to sell in the market to keep wheat prices under check.

Apart from wheat, officials admit, there has been extensive damage to mustard, potato and peas in these states. The showers have withered the flowering of mangoes in Uttar Pradesh and apple, pears and apricots in Himachal Pradesh.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and asked the government to assess the crop damage and provide adequate compensation to the affected farmers.

After the hailstorm and heavy rains, farmers of northern India are in distress. The government must act to give relief to farmers affected by crop damage, Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha.

(With inputs from Jaipur, Chandigarh, Bhopal and Meerut)

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), based on whose complaint Chhagan Bhujbal was arrested on Monday, alleged the BJP had not wanted to arrest the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader. Countering the claim, the NCP said Bhujbals arrest was a case of vendetta politics and that the party would fight the matter out in court.

Stating that the Maharashtra former deputy chief minister was innocent of all charges and was in fact cooperating with the investigation, NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said, What is going on is clearly a part of political vendetta being played by the BJP government. They are trying to prove the propaganda being spread by them in the run up to assembly and Lok Sabha polls. The NCP will face it as a challenge. The party will fight out the battle legally.

Since Bhujbal was cooperating with the interrogation, he should not have been arrested. The government should have thought twice before making arrest as it is going to spoil his career that took over 40 years to develop. Our party will decide next course of action after our leaders meet tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, senior NCP leader Jayant Patil said.

Senior members met at NCP leader Dhananjay Mundes residence on Monday evening to discuss the situation.

The AAP claimed the arrest was a victory for truth and said it would continue to fight and expose corruption by the Congress, BJP and their cronies.

On August 26, 2013, the Aam Aadmi Party filed complaints with detailed proof that Bhujbal, in his tenure as PWD minister, awarded contracts to builders and then received kickbacks in the companies and trusts of his family. We gave detailed proof of transactions in nine different cases where kickbacks were received and the money was laundered, said AAPs spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon.

She alleged that none of the state agencies acted on AAPs complaint so it was forced to file a PIL in the Bombay high court. On December 18, 2014, chief justice Mohit Shah appointed an SIT comprising the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Time and again the court reprimanded the BJP-controlled ACB to act but it continued in go-slow mode. Finally the ED acted on high court direction and first arrested Sameer Bhujbal and now Chhagan Bhujbal. Please note that they have been arrested under section 19 (1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act  a money laundering charge, and not on Maharashtra Sadan complaint filed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, said Menon.
The arrest of the National Congress Partys seniormost state leader and a former deputy chief minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, on Monday gave a new twist to his rags to riches story even as it further dimmed his partys credibility in state politics.

Bhujbal, a former vegetable vendor, who was handpicked by Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray for a career in politics had a good run over three decades in politics, but this may well be the end for the OBC leader.

While Bhujbal had been under scanner in the multi-crore Telgi scam, he had not been arrested or seriously implicated in it. But the present case being prosecuted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may prove more difficult to wish away.

In a major embarrassment to the NCP, even as Bhujbal was arrested, his party colleague and another former deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, was summoned in connection with a notice related to irregularities in the state apex cooperative bank.

This, however, is not Pawars biggest worry. The probe against him in the multi-crore irrigation scam continues to hang over him like Damocles sword; the BJP could use it at any given opportunity to settle scores.

The NCP cried foul, alleging it was vendetta politics by the BJP-led government that saw two of its senior most leaders in trouble.

The ED is probing the role of Bhujbal, a former PWD minister, in a money laundering case registered by it earlier this year. His nephew and former MP Sameer Bhujbal has been arrested in the case with the ED authorities pointing to an empire that runs in thousands of crore.

Ajit Pawar was called by Santosh Patil, divisional joint registrar of the cooperatives department, Pune, by issuing a show cause notice for barring him from contesting polls to co-operative bank boards for 10 years. His hearing, however, got postponed.

Pawar was called for hearing following the amendment in the Maharashtra Co-operatives Act, 1966, to dissolve the boards of several loss-making co-operative banks in case of financial irregularities. The provision also bars the directors from contesting elections of cooperative banks for the next 10 years.

Pawar was chairman of the MSC Bank which was dissolved by the previous government for financial irregularities. The former Deputy CM is the director of the Pune district cooperative bank.

The NCPs vendetta politics charge rings hollow given that Pawar and Bhujbal are not the lone faces facing investigation in various scams. The NCPs state president Sunil Tatkare is facing a probe by the anti-corruption Bureau in the irrigation scam. One of its MLAs, Ramesh Kadam, has already been arrested for misappropriating Rs 132 crore from the funds of the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Magasvargiya Vikas Mahamandal, a government corporation. Kadam was the chairperson of the corporation that was meant to provide financing to members of Other Backward Classes (OBC).

NCP leaders in private admit that the party is worried about the situation. Since the formation of the new government in the state many of the party leaders are facing investigation by various government agencies, which certainly has become a cause of concern for the party, a senior leader said requesting anonymity.
In a move that will have political repercussions, the state Assembly on Tuesday cleared a bill to amend the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, barring tainted directors of banks from contesting polls to any cooperative bank post for 10 years.

The provision will be applicable to all members of the board of directors dissolved by the state government in the past, according to the directives of the Reserve Bank of India. If such a person is currently a director for various banks, he will have to resign from the post, if any bank governed by him was dissolved for financial irregularities in the past 10 years.

The amendment has put many Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders in a soup, as several district cooperative banks led by them were dissolved under section 110(a) of the Act. Ajit Pawar, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Sopal, Madhukar Chavan, Yashwant Gadakh, Satej Patil and other Congress and NCP leaders are now likely to face action for alleged irregularities during their terms as directors of various district coop banks. The directors who had registered a dissent note against the controversial decisions leading to the irregularities, too, will not be spared from the action, under the provisions of the bill. The state government has passed an ordinance and initiated action. The decision will affect the NCP and Congress in their bastions, where they have a strong grip over the cooperative sector.

During the discussion on bill, legislators from the ruling side suggested incorporating the amendment to bar family members of disqualified directors, to weed out the possibility of the director posing as their representative.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Neera Yadav, convicted for land fraud in 2012, surrendered before a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad on Monday evening. The court then ordered that Yadav be sent to the Dasna district jail, so she could serve her remaining sentence in the case.

She surrendered after her appeal against the Ghaziabad CBI courts order was dismissed by the Allahabad high court recently, said CBI special public prosecutor BK Singh.

Dasna jail authorities said on Tuesday morning that Yadav had her dinner and breakfast at the womens barracks. She also asked for newspapers, said Dasna jail superintendent SP Yadav.

Yadav was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment on November 20, 2012, in connection with the irregular allotment of plots in Noida while serving as the areas chairperson-cum-chief executive officer from 1994 to 1995. The CBI undertook a probe following a 1998 Supreme Court order on a writ petition filed by the Noida Entrepreneur Association against the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority the previous year.

The CBI investigated nearly 36 cases of irregular allotment/conversion of plots in Noida, and charge-sheeted Yadav as well as the then serving IAS officer Rajiv Kumar in 2002.

Read: Noida reclaims 3 prime plots from Neera Yadav

Following their conviction, both Yadav and Kumar were released on personal bond because the three-year sentence did not require immediate arrest. They later challenged the conviction before the Allahabad high court, and their imprisonment was stayed for the interim period.

The relief didnt last long. Justice Harsh Kumar dismissed Yadavs appeal on February 24, also cancelling the bail bonds and sureties. The appellant, who is not present, will forthwith surrender before the trial court to undergo her remaining sentence, the order stated.

The high court also dismissed the appeal filed by IAS Rajiv Kumar the same day, asking him to surrender before the trial court at Ghaziabad. However, Kumar is yet to appear before the court.

Yadav, a 1971 batch IAS officer, became Uttar Pradeshs first woman chief secretary during the Samajwadi Partys regime in 2005. She opted for voluntary retirement in 2008.

This was Yadavs second conviction in the Noida land scam. In December 2010, Yadav was awarded four years imprisonment for criminal conspiracy and corruption in a case related to the allotment of plots in a corporate group housing scheme launched for industrial and institutional units in Noida. Though the official was lodged at the Dasna prison in Ghaziabad, she obtained bail from the Allahabad high court after a few days.

Flex Industries managing director Ashok Chaturvedi was also pronounced guilty by the CBI court in the same case.
What prompted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to change its trademark khaki half-pant to brown trousers?

While the RSS think tank may attribute it to the need to move with the times, former Bihar chief minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi feels it is because of her.

Talking to mediapersons while moving out of the state legislature on Monday, she said it happened because of her stinging comments on the RSS uniform.

I had made a strong observation of elderly RSS workers shamelessly wearing half pants in front of all. It is what must have prompted them to go in for change and wear brown trousers, she said. Rabri Devi, wife of RJD president Lalu Prasad, is presently the member of Bihar legislative council. She, however, welcomed the decision.

Read: In short, world waits for the new RSS look to be unveiled

RJD chief Lalu Prasad did not waste time in crediting his wife for the all important RSS decision through a prompt tweet. Her logical and aggressive remark forced RSS to change dress in just two months, he tweeted.

Rabri Devi had made her remark on the RSS dress code at a function in Patna, organised to celebrate the unanimous reelection of Lalu Prasad as RJD president.

What kind of an organisation is the RSS? Even elderly workers wear half pant at public places and still dont feel ashamed, she had said.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had trashed Rabri Devis criticism and dubbed her a woman of 19th century. She perhaps is not aware that shorts are a craze and it is not confined to the youth only. People can be spotted in shorts even in market places, he added.

Read: Twitter reacts as RSS swaps shorts for trousers
A 17-year old girl of Class-11 belonging to a Bihar family was bludgeoned to death on Monday afternoon at her house in Mundian Kallan village near Ludhiana.

Her father, factory worker, who is missing since, is a suspect, though the case report doesnt identify the accused.

Police say the family was under debt and on Sunday, the workers wife had left for her native village near Patna to bring back some money without telling her husband, though she had confided in her daughter. The girl stayed back because her examinations were on. It was a preparatory holiday when her younger brother, Class 9 student, returned home from school to find her lying in a pool of blood. Terrified by the sight, he rushed out to call his neighbours, who later informed the Jamalpur police.

Assistant sub- inspector Satvinder Singh, who confirmed that the father was main suspect in the case, said: We suspect he hit his daughter with a heavy object in a fit of rage during an argument. Well have more details once we trace him.
Acting Punjab governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who is also Haryana governor, remained non-committal as Punjab politicians led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal met him here on Tuesday afternoon to seek early assent to the SYL canal land de-acquisition bill passed by the assembly a day earlier.

The bill entails returning to the owners the land acquired by Punjab for the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project that was started in the 1980s to give water to Haryana. The SYL canal has been stuck as Punjab says it does not have a drop to spare while Haryana insists on having right over the water.

Read also: Punjab clears SYL Bill; Haryana passes resolution condemning it

The governor gave us a patient hearing. He said he had not yet got the copy of the bill (unanimously passed by the Punjab assembly on Monday). He will decide on this. We had to give our view (on the SYL issue), said Badal who led to the governor the delegation of leaders of various political parties in Punjab. Water is a serious issue in Punjab. Our industry, trade, farming -- everything is affected by it. Whatever step we have to take, we are taking and will take. For (saving) Punjabs water, we will take the toughest of steps, Badal told the media after the meeting.

Badal had, in the Punjab assembly, introduced The Punjab Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal Land (Transfer of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2016 to de-notify the land acquired for construction of the SYL canal and return 3,928 acres free of cost to the original landowners. The land was acquired nearly four decades ago. In response, the Haryana government and the assembly said the Punjab bill was unconstitutional and a threat to the federal structure. Haryana is seeking additional water from Punjab through the SYL canal.

Sources in the Punjab Raj Bhavan said that Solanki will decide on the controversial bill only after seeking expert opinion. Solanki has been in the midst of a political storm for taking contradictory view on water-sharing and SYL issues in his address to the Punjab and Haryana assemblies in the past one week. The governors address to the state assembly is prepared by the state government.

Asked if there was pressure from the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh) and the BJP, an ally of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab and the ruling party in Haryana, Badal evaded the query but said: I have not met anyone in the RSS. Punjabs water will remain with it. Under no circumstances will it be allowed to be taken.

The dispute between Punjab and Haryana over river water-sharing intensified on Monday as the Punjab assembly passed the bill to return the land acquired for the SYL canal and the Haryana assembly, within hours, passing a unanimous resolution condemning the move. The Haryana assembly described Punjabs move as unilateral, unconstitutional and denying the authority of the Supreme Court, a step only to draw political mileage. In a resolution, it requested the central government to annul this illegal and unconstitutional action (of Punjab).

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said he would speak to his Punjab counterpart Badal to express his displeasure over the issue. Haryana claims to be a water-deficit state and has said it has been deprived of more than half of its legitimate share of 3.50 MAF (million acre feet) in surplus Ravi-Beas water.

The Supreme Court recently accepted a Haryana government petition for early hearing on the issue.
On Tuesday, as Aam Aadmi P arty (AAP) convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal joins the list of politicians wooing sects or deras in Punjab, his first big stop is Dera Sachkhand Ballan near here. But, long before Kejriwal or even state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, in the caste equation of Punjabs religio-politics, Dera Ballan has been known as the Mecca of the Ravidassia Dalits dominant in Doaba region.

It is widely believed that the dera  situated around 7km from Jalandhar  has emerged as the prime protector of Ravidassias in recent times, particularly after the murder of its deputy leader at Vienna (Austria) in 2009 led to Sikh-Dalit violence that hit national and international headlines. Such is its heft that while other sects mostly call themselves mere propagators, Dera Ballan broke away from its Sikh umbrella credentials after Sant Ramanands murder by some radical Sikhs, and set up a separate religion, complete with its own holy book. It asserts that ages of exclusion from mainstream Sikhism led to this step.

NUMBERS COUNT

The dera derives its political clout from the sheer strength of numbers  Dalits constitute about 32% of the population in Punjab, which is the highest, percentage-wise, among all states. Of this, over one-third (12% of Punjabs population) identify as Ravidassias, followers of Ravidass, a poet-saint of the Bhakti movement from the 15th century who is particularly revered as a Dalit icon.

Most of the Dalit or Scheduled Castes (SC) population is concentrated in Doaba region, taking the SC proportion here to around 45%. The region sends 23 representatives to the state assembly of 117, and the dera has direct influence on at least 19 seats, where Ravidassia communitys vote-share ranges from 20% to 50%. Dera Ballan had a following among non-Ravidassia Dalits too, though that has declined after it made a separate religion. Also, unlike some other sects Dera Ballan has not made its politics public so far.

Its followers, however, are largely seen as divided between the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), an arithmetic that has sometimes even given as advantage to the SAD-BJP since opposition votes are divided.

The AAP, pitching itself as a party of the oppressed and outsider, is gunning for these votes now. More than votes and that too in Doaba alone, Kejriwal is looking at a larger Dalit consolidation, something that even the BSP has not managed to do in Punjab so far.

TILTS SO FAR

When Kanshi Ram started a struggle which later became the BSP, the dera grew close to its leaders, so much so that the foundation stone of Guru Ravidass Gate at Varanasi was laid by Kanshi Ram on May 25, 1997. It was inaugurated by the then President KR Narayanan on July 16, 1998.

In later years, however, it was largely seen as favouring the Congress as its leader Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, who died last year, remained close to the sects top leaders. Jagjits father Gurbanta Singh, a former minister, had played a vital role in the establishment of the campus of the dera at Ballan.

During clashes with Sikh groups in 2009 after the Vienna murder, BSP leaders too led the Ravidassia community groups. Before that, when the Congress won big in Doaba in 2002, it was believed that Dera Ballan had played a key role by secretly asking its followers to support its leader Captain Amarinder Singh. Amarinder, after again taking charge again as state Congress chief, has already held meetings with the dera head this year.

DIVIDE WITHIN

The separate religion (see box) has, however, also created some rifts within. There are only 10% Ravidassia families who decided to adopt Amrit Bani (separate holy book) after the dera diktat inn 2010.

The rest still respect only Guru Granth Sahib, claimed a sitting MLA from the Ravidassia community. A former leader of the dera, Surinder Dass, has already established a different dera in nearby village Kuthar; he also follows Guru Granth Sahib.

MERE ILLUSION

Further still, Paramjit Singh Judge, a dean at Guru Nanak Dev University, and an expert on Dalit issues, termed the whole dera politics an illusion.

The politics of deras in Punjab has been there for very long. The credit goes to the Akalis who started the politics of religion first by exhorting people to vote in the name of Sikhism, he said. But its a big illusion created by politicians that deras can earn them votes and make governments.

As far as the influence of Dera Ballan was concerned, he said, if they had voted for their community in Doaba during the 2012 assembly polls, many Ravidassia candidates would have won. But there are only three Ravidassia MLAs at present, said Judge. The illusion of political influence is created by those followers who want to use the might of a dera for their personal rise.

From Sikh ambit to separate Ravidassia Dharam

For decades since the dera was established in 1895 by Harnam Dass, a native of Bathindas Gill Patti village who came to be known as Sant Pipal Dass, its preaching was based on the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib. Guru

Ravidasss religious-reformatory verses are part of the Granth. Even up to the 1990s, some jathedars of Sikhisms temporal seat Akal Takht, visited the dera at its headquarters in Ballan village near Jalandhar.

But the transformation had started in the 70s and 80s with Dalits too turning non-resident Indians (NRIs) and sending in big donations. By the 90s, during the period of Mandal Commission and heightened caste politics, the sect started concentrating primarily on Ravidass verses in the Guru Granth Sahib, and made these into its chants as well.

The chasm came out as clashes between the deras followers and Sikh communities broke out after the killing of dera preacher Ramanand Dass in Vienna. Soon after, the dera Guru Granth Sahib with Amrit Bani: Satguru Ravidass Granth and founded the Ravidassia Dharam. Though many believe the separate religion has not managed any wholesale conversion and many followers continue to identify as Sikh or even Hindu, this move did make the dera stand out.

The announcement of the new religion was made by present sect head Niranjan Dass in January 2010 from the birthplace temple of Guru Ravidass in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. That temple is considered a physical milestone in the sects journey to its present-day stature and significance.

A delegation deputed by Sarwan Dass, the second gaddi-nashin (head) of the dera, had traced the birthplace; and the foundation was laid on June 14, 1965.

The construction took three decades, though. Completed in 1994, this temple was seen as having re-established the glory of Guru Ravidass. The temple is looked after by the Dera Ballan Trust, and is termed the Mukti Dham (salvation destination).

Charting the sects journey

1895: Dera established by Harnam Dass, who got the name Sant Pipal Dass, a Bathinda native, who eventually settled in Ballan village near Jalandhar

1965: Foundation of temple of Guru Ravidass laid with dera efforts at the poet-saints birthplace in Varanasi, UP

1970: Deras first political activity as prominent faces of larger Ad-Dharmi (Dalit) movement from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Haryana congregate at Dera Sachkhand Ballan; resolutions concerning community passed; NRI backing also starts from this decade as Dalits chase and grab dreams abroad.

1994: Construction of temple completed at Varanasi; becomes symbol of re-establishment of the glory of Guru Ravidass; dera gains traction too as caste re-emerges as prime political plank.

2002: Dera gives call to celebrate Ravidass birth anniversary in big way; start made from Boota Mandi in Jalandhar at huge gathering.

2009: Ramanand, deputy leader of the dera, killed in Vienna (Austrai) by radical Sikh activists; followed by clashes in Doaba region between dera followers and Sikhs.

January 2010: Dera declares Amrit Bani as the holy book of new Ravidassia Dharam (religion); breaks away from Sikhism umbrella

--

Meet Niranjan Dass, the sects present head

The fifth and current head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan is Niranjan Dass. (HT File Photo)

The fifth and current head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan is Niranjan Dass, who was offered by his parents to the dera as per its Chadhava convention. As per the dera rules, only those get the chance to be Gaddi-Nashin (holders of the chair) who come through the convention in childhood. He grew up under the guidance of the second sect head, Sarwan Dass.

After the fourth Gaddi-Nashin, Garib Dass, died on July 23, 1994, Niranjan Dass was installed the leader on August 9, 1994. Compared to his predecessors, he is considered to be not very rigid, and inclined more towards spiritual activities than politics. He is relatively reclusive as compared to leaders of not only his own sect but also those of other deras.

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The Real Estate Bill which seeks to protect the interests of homebuyers and allow more transparency in the housing sector was passed by the Lok Sabha today.

Soon after the bill was cleared, urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu tweeted the passage of #RERABill is an example of our commitment to total transformation... I did my duty. States are given power. Now states should follow it up with timely approvals... Single window approval system is being developed for ensuring timely completion of housing projects.

Soon after the real estate bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu tweeted the passage of #RERABill is an example of our commitment to total transformation.

Earlier, the minister explained to Lok Sabha members various facets of the bill. He said the bill was a pro-reform step undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government in order to bring about ease of doing business in the country. We can no longer perform without reforms, he said.

The Real Estate Regulator (Regulation and Development) Bill, pending before parliament since 2013, got approval of the Rajya Sabha on March 10.

A major benefit for consumers proposed in the bill is that builders will have to quote prices based on carpet area and not super built-up area, while carpet area has been clearly defined in the bill to include usable spaces like kitchen and toilets.

The bill makes it mandatory for all commercial and residential real estate projects where the land is over 500 square metres, or eight apartments, to register with the regulator for launching a project, in order to provide greater transparency in project-marketing and execution.

For failure to register, it proposes a penalty of up to 10% of the project cost or three years imprisonment.

Naidu said the main purpose of the bill is to protect consumer interest.

Sometimes we are called pro-business, I do not mind being called that. After all business and industry (people) are also Indians, he said, adding the interests of farmers and consumers will also be protected.

Naidu also assured the construction industry that the measure would help attract greater flow of investment, including foreign, and ultimately help bring down cost of borrowing. The bill would also help in enhancing credibility and acceptability of developers.

He also assured the industry that ongoing projects would not come to a standstill because of the legislation which has been approved by the Rajya Sabha with the support of almost all parties, except AIADMK.

Allaying concern of the industry, Naidu said the provision of imprisonment in the bill was certainly not the first but the last option.

He said development and environment had to be factored in together for the housing sector as no one could afford damage to nature.

The minister said the bill also provides for imprisonment of up to three years in case of promoters and up to one year in case of real estate agents and buyers for any violation of orders of Appellate Tribunals or monetary penalties or both. A minimum of 70% collections from buyers was proposed to be deposited in separate escrow account to cover cost of construction and land.

Initiating the debate, K C Venugopal (Congress) said he was happy that Naidu admitted that the bill was the baby of the UPA government. He said the bill was needed to help the poor get housing, but cautioned that the central legislation and the laws enacted by various states should not be inconsistent with each other.

Supporting the Bill, Prem Das Rai of Sikkim Democratic Front said that since the real estate business was in the inception stage in the Himalayan state, a Real Estate Development Authority should be constituted by the Centre in consultation with states.

A Sampath (CPI-M) said the nation was longing for such a bill but it still needs some more teeth.

M K Premachandran of RSP said the legislation should have a provision to prevent usage of cultivable land for real estate.

Supporting the bill, Rajesh Ranjan (RJD) said unless the poor did not get purchasing power, the bill would not serve its purpose. He said the bill did not provide for 50% reservation to the ST/SC and the OBCs in real estate.
Often cinema is an educator, an eye-opener. But at times, films do little than fly over the human head. Their messages slide away as effortlessly as water on a ducks back. Despite innumerable movies on honour killing, this atrocity heaped on young lovers or married couples from different social castes continues in utter disregard for law and against all norms of paternal affection.

The other day, we saw the cold-blooded hacking of a 22-year-old Dalit youth, Shankar, and his upper caste wife, Kausalya (just 19), in broad daylight and in a busy road junction at Udumalpet near Coimbatore. While Shankar died on the spot, Kausalya is in hospital in a critical condition.

Bharathi Krishnakumar says his film was not a true story, but was a story of truths. (Nikkilcinema)

A video recording of the ghastly murder shows the killers as they go about their bloody assignment in a brazenly gutsy manner, in defiance of the law of the land. A day later, the unrepentant father of the girl surrendered himself to the police. No sorrow, no remorse at having almost butchered his own daughter.

Read: Dalit youth hacked to death in suspected honour killing in Tamil Nadu

A new Tamil film, Yenru Thaniyum by Bharathi Krishnakumar -- to hit the cinemas on March 18-- graphically narrates a story about honour killing.

The female protagonist of the movie, Amudha (played by Chanthana) , feels that caste prejudices have become omnipotent. A victim of honour killing, she is shocked by caste arrogance and humanity devoid of humanism. Her lover, Thangadurai (Yuvan Mayalsamy), is murdered. Later, Amudhas brother becomes vengeful.

The plot of Yenru Thaniyum unfolds against the backdrop of caste divide in Tamil Nadu, where the lowly Dalits and their women are subjugated in an unimaginably variety of ways, and where a strong form of khap panchayat flourishes.

Read: Caste and violence in Tamil Nadu, how honour killings haunt the state

Krishnakumar told this writer over the phone this morning that there were two kinds of caste violence. The first was that which was perpetrated by the upper castes. The second was one committed by the Dalits and other lower castes. While the first cannot be justified at all, the second perpetrated in retaliation or revenge can be be justified at least to an extent...But violence only breeds violence, and the cycle continues unabated. So, films like mine -- I hope -- will help people realise the futility of fighting over caste and shedding innocent blood.

Yenru Thaniyum is Krishnakumars first feature film. (Nikkilcinema)

He added that his work was not a true story, but was a story of truths. What are these truths? In the past two years, Tamil Nadu alone had seen 81 honour killings. The Udumalpet incident was the 81st... He asked in a pained voice, will this ever stop?

Krishnakumars movie has a natural feel and look about it. The actors have not used elaborate make-up, if at all. I have not romanticised the narrative, because I did not want the gravity of the plot to get lost in a song and dance kind of story telling.

NH10 review: Welcome to the jungle

Yenru Thaniyum will be Krishnakumars first feature. He has made a few documentaries earlier that have spoken about societal injustices, including one on police atrocity in Tamil Nadu.

While we saw Vetrimaarans brilliant expose, albeit in a feature form, of such police cruelty in his recent Visaaranai, there have been several films on honour killing from the Bollywood basket.

A 2011 movie by Avantika Hari, Land, Gold Women, takes a hard look at a small British Asian family in modern Birmingham, where the daughter commits the unpardonable crime of falling in love with a white boy. Her uncle, who arrives from India, pressures the parents of the girl to view this affair as a blot on the familys honour and to get rid of her!

Krishnakumars movie has a natural feel and look about it. The actors use minimal to no make-up and film stirs clear of the song and dance kind of story telling. (Nikkilcinema)

A recent Bollywood work, NH 10, narrates the horrific tale of a young woman and her lover being butchered by her brother, while her mother calmly prays for the resurrection of the family honour that had been sullied by the elopement of the couple. The lover, a young man, a low-caste Hindu, had sinned by desiring the woman from an upper caste.

Chauranga review: A strong voice against caste barriers

A few months ago, debutant director, Bikas Ranjan Mishras Chauranga, came as a powerful indictment of honour killing. A low-caste Dalit teenager, a pig-rearer, makes the fatal mistake of taking a fancy for a schoolgirl, whose land-owning father is an upper caste Hindu. The boy writes a love letter to the girl, and the father happens to read it, and it is Hell after that.

The boy and his slightly older brother are beaten, and one of them is bludgeoned to death. Mishra, while elaborating the bestiality of it all in his fiction feature inspired by an actual incident in central India, exposes the hypocrisy of the father, who has no qualms, whatsoever, about sleeping with the mother of the boys!

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Kane Williamsons gamble to compromise on speed and pick three specialist spinners paid off as New Zealand humbled hosts India by 47 runs in a spin-dominated Super 10 contest of the World Twenty20 on Tuesday.

Opting to bat first, New Zealand posted 126-7 in the Group Two contest on a prodigiously turning track at Nagpurs VCA Stadium, seemingly a below-par total against the hosts famed for their proficiency against spin bowling.

New Zealands three-pronged spin attack, however, ensured it was more than enough as Mitchell Santner (4-11), Nathan McCullum (2-15) and the Indian-born Ish Sodhi (3-18) wrecked the hosts, who folded for 79 in 18.1 overs.

Highlights

And its all over for India. Dhoni and Nehra fall in quick succession as the hosts slump to a 47-run defeat.

17.4 Santner to Dhoni, OUT

Nathan McCullum has ended the game with a scorching catch at long on! Dhoni clubbed the ball against the turn, hitting it hard and flat towards the boundary, McCullum came running in, judging the carry perfectly and timing his dive to take it inches from the turf

Over 17: Ashwins wicket and 10 off the over. 75/8

16.3 Sodhi to Ashwin, OUT

What a lovely ball from the legspinner, Ashwin is beaten, stranded and helpless! He came out of his crease to push hard at a legbreak and was beaten by the flight and the length as the ball ripped past his bat. He didnt even try getting back before Ronchi took off the bails

Over 16: 4 runs off the over, again. 65/7

Over 15: 4 off Sodhi. 61/7

Over 14: 4 off Santners over. 57/7

Over 13: 4 off Milne. 53/7

Over 12: 4 off McCullum. 49/7

Over 11: 3 off the over and Jadejas wicket. 45/7

10.2 Sodhi to Jadeja, OUT

Sodhi has taken a blinder! His team-mates mob him in ecstatic celebration! Jadeja went on the front foot and closed the face of the bat to play on the leg side, the leading edge lobbed towards Sodhis left and he covered a lot of ground and dived pretty much full length to get his hands under the ball before it hit the turf

Over 10: 1 run off Santner and Pandyas wicket. 42/6

9.4 Santner to Pandya, OUT

After a few balls spin away from the right-hander, Santner darts the ball flat and fast into the right-hander from around the wicket, Pandya is caught on the back foot and hit on the pad. Was that missing leg stump? I will have to see replays.

Over 9: 2 runs and Kohlis wicket off Ish Sodhis over. 41/5

8.1 Sodhi to Kohli, OUT, and what a strike first ball!

The big ripping legbreak has got the huge wicket! Sodhi pitched on a perfect length around off stump, drawing Kohli forward into a cover drive away from his body, the ball gripped the pitch and turned furiously, grazing the outside edge before nestling in Ronchis gloves. New Zealand on the charge

Over 8: 6 off the Elliott over. 39/4

Over 7: 4 off Milne. 33/4

Over 6: 3 runs off Elliott. 29/4

Over 5: 5 runs and Yuvrajs wicket. 26/4

4.5 McCullum to Yuvraj Singh, OUT

Driven back to the bowler and McCullum appeals for a caught and bowled! Surely thats a bump ball? The umpires are asking for the third umpire. And that looks out on replay! Yuvraj came forward to the flighted ball, the ball pitched just before it hit the bat and he chipped it cleanly back to the bowler. Thats out. So odd that it looked like a bump ball live. This is a tricky pitch.

Over 4: 9 off the over. 21/3

Over 3: 2 runs and Rohit, Rainas wicket. 12/3

2.5 Santner to Raina, OUT, another one gone!

Raina lobs a dolly to midwicket! He moved back and across his stumps and closed the face of his bat way too early, the leading edge resulted in the tamest of catches. Game on in Nagpur!

2.2 Santner to Sharma, OUT, stumped!

Ronchi fumbles and juggles the take but Rohit was so far out of his crease that he had time to recover and break the stumps. Rohit was still barely in the frame!

Over 2: 4 runs in Andersons first over. 10/1

Over 1: 6 off Nathan McCullums first over and the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan. India 6/1

0.5 McCullum to Dhawan, OUT, lbw!

Dhawan falls like Guptill did, trying to sweep. He got his front foot forward and across his stumps but missed, he was hit flush on the pad and that looked pretty adjacent. Was height an issue?

India need to score 127 to win after Luke Ronchis 11-ball 21 helped New Zealand to a somewhat respectable 126/7 in the World T20 opener in Nagpur on Tuesday.

After Kiwi captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bat first, New Zealands batsman opted for an ultra-aggressive strategy.

Read | India vs NZ World T20 Live: Ronchis late hits help Kiwis to 126/7

India skipper MS Dhoni chose R Ashwin to open the bowling on a dry, turning VCA track. Martin Guptill signalled his intent with a six off the first ball but Ashwin struck right back, trapping the opener leg before.

Colin Munro, touted as a potential successor to the recently retired Brendon McCullum, fell prey to poor shot selection, giving Ashish Nehra his first scalp in the second over.

(For Live scores and commentary, click here)

The Kiwis failed to really get going, while MS Dhonis inspired bowling changes helped pick regular wickets. Corey Anderson topscored with 34 off 42 balls.

For the Indians, Ashwin, Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja picked a wicket apiece.
An Indian-origin man has become the police commissioner of Malaysias capital Kuala Lumpur, the first Sikh to get selected to the top police post in the Muslim-majority country.

Amar Singh, 58, succeeded Tajuddin Mohamed as the city police chief on Monday.

In his speech during the ceremony at the police headquarters, Singh said that his appointment was an honour to the minority races in Malaysia, especially Sikhs who make up only 0.16% of the police forces manpower, New Straits Times reported.

This also proves that the forces leadership are colourblind in promoting its officers as well as in executing our duties, Singh said.

Singh commended his predecessor Tajuddin for bringing the crime index down by 17.6% during his tenure as the city police chief.

Singhs appointment was announced last month. A third-generation policeman from his family, he achieved the highest ever rank by a Malaysian Sikh. His father and maternal grandfather were both policemen.

Singhs father Ishar Singh joined the Federated Malay States Police in 1939, a year after coming to Malaya from Punjab and was a pioneer member of the police jungle squad established during the emergency.

His maternal grandfather Bachan Singh was a constable who joined the force in the early 1900s. Amar graduated in B.Sc from University of Malaya and did his LLB from the University of Buckingham, the UK. He has a diploma in Sharia Law.
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump now says Indians studying in the US are smart, and an attempt should be made to have them stay on after they graduate and not kick them out.

Trump has been recalibrating his position on the hiring of foreign workers. He has both opposed and supported H-1B visas, which allow US companies to hire highly skilled workers either from abroad or from among foreign students in universities here.

He called for the programme to be ended as recently as the Republican debate on March 10, when Indian companies came in for specific mention.

Asked to clarify by a Fox News interviewer on Sunday, he said, They go to Harvard, they are first in their class and theyre from India. They go back to India and they set up companies and they make a fortune and they employ lots of people and all of that.

Many people want to stay in this country and then want to do that. I think somebody that goes through years of college in this country, we shouldnt kick them out the day they graduate, which we do.

The suggestion to encourage foreign students to stay on is not new. Many experts and lawmakers have been arguing for it for long, especially for those graduating from STEM  science, technology, engineering and maths  courses.

In a 2013 legislation, a bipartisan group of senators proposed hiking the annual cap on H-1B visas from the current 65,000 to 110,000 and going up to 180,000. The cap on foreign students, who Trump was talking about in the Fox News interview, was proposed to go up from 20,000 to 25,000.

The Senate bill ran into roadblocks in the House of Representative over the politically contentious issue of granting citizenship to 11 million illegal immigrants.

Trump has played both sides of the issue.

On his campaign website, he has opposed H-1B expansion, as proposed in the Senate legislation, arguing it would decimate American jobs, especially for women and minorities.

But when asked about it at the partys March 3 debate, Trump said, Im changing. He added, We need highly skilled people in this country. If we cant do it, we will get them in.

When pressed if he was abandoning his campaign position, he said, Im softening the position because we have to have talented people in this country.

At the partys last debate in Miami, Florida, last week, he wheeled around completely to say he has used the H-1B programme himself, and it should be ended. Its something that I frankly use and I shouldnt be allowed to use it. We shouldnt have it. Very, very bad for workers.

Or it should be paused for a review. I think for a period of a year to two years we have to look back and we have to see...where we are, where we stand, whats going on.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the killing of a homeopathic doctor from the minority Shia community in southwestern Bangladesh, according to a US-based monitoring group.

Unidentified assailants stabbed 45-year-old Abdur Razzak at Kaliganj in Jhenaidah district on Monday night while he his way home from his chamber.

Anwar Hossain, the chief of the local police station, said authorities had no clues about who attacked Razzak and why. His family said Razzak had no known enemies but had received a phone call demanding money.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadi organisations, said on Tuesday the IS had claimed the killing.

Shias are a minority in Sunni-majority Bangladesh, and members of the community have been attacked in the past.

The IS has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months but this has been rejected by the government, which said local militant groups were behind the incidents.

Some media reports on Tuesday said Razzak was originally a Sunni Muslim but was influenced by the Shia doctrine and often visited members of the community and participated in prayers with them.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on September 4, Pope Francis announced on Tuesday.

Last December, he cleared the way for sainthood for the Nobel peace laureate, who died in 1997 at the age of 87 and was known as saint of the gutters.

Teresa, who was born Agnese Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia, became an international figure but was also accused of trying to convert people to Christianity.

Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Churchs current Holy Year.

She founded the Missionaries of Charity with about a dozen nuns in the 1950s to help the poor on the streets of Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. The religious order spread throughout the world. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

The Church defines saints as those believed to have been holy enough during their lives to now be in Heaven and can intercede with God to perform miracles. She has been credited in the church with two miracles, both involving the healing of sick people.

HT was the first to ascertain the declaration of Mother Teresa as a Catholic saint.

Also read | Mother Teresa sainthood: She was always a saint of the dispossessed

Sainthood for Mother Teresa: My tumour vanished with her divine light
The new railway line to connect Lhasa and Sichuan in southwest China will not only damage the fragile eco-system of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) but has India worried because of its implications for regional security, a leading rights group has said.

The construction of the new line, which will connect Lhasa to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, was confirmed during the ongoing session of Chinas rubber-stamp parliament, the National Peoples Congress (NPC).

The new route has triggered concerns in India because of its proximity to the border.

Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said in a statement that Chinas massive investment in infrastructure in Tibet, including railways, airfields and roads, had facilitated an unprecedented tourism boom, expansion of mining Tibets resources and Chinas strategic and military objectives.

It added, The official confirmation of the new route to Chengdu  described by an official as like the largest rollercoaster in the world  and to Kyirong on the border with Nepal was announced at Chinas National Peoples Congress in Beijing this month and during earlier official meetings in Lhasa.

The line will run east from Lhasa and be located close to the border with India. Another railway line that opened in 2006 runs from Golmud in Qinghai to Lhasa.

Read | China to build second railway link to Tibet

The ICT said the first stage of the new route will run from Lhasa to Nyingtri (or Kongpo) in TAR.

This is close to the sensitive area of Arunachal Pradesh in India, which China claims as part of the PRC, which has created alarm in India with implications for regional security being raised by commentators in India and South Asia, the statement said.

Since the line will traverse an area rich in forests and mineral resources, it will facilitate further large-scale exploitation of Tibets natural resources as well as enabling greater population migration into Tibet, both seasonal in terms of tourists and migrants, and permanent settlers, the statement added.

The line will go across a fragile high-altitude landscape that is warming nearly three times as fast as the rest of the earth.

Chinese Officials said during the NPC that the government will continue to roll out preferential financial policies to boost economic and social development in Tibet over the next five years. Development has been the focus in TAR, the officials maintained, dismissing criticism that policies in the region are against the interests of ethnic Tibetans.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered a fresh nuclear warhead test and multiple ballistic missile launches, escalating Pyongyangs face-off with the international community just days after being slapped with tough UN sanctions.

The order came after Kim monitored what was described as the successful simulated test of the warhead re-entry technology required for a long-range nuclear strike on the US mainland, the Norths official KCNA news agency said Tuesday.

Military tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The UN Security Council responded earlier this month by imposing its toughest sanctions on North Korea to date.

Pyongyang, meanwhile, has maintained a daily barrage of nuclear strike threats against both Seoul and Washington, ostensibly over ongoing, large-scale South Korea-US military drills that the North sees as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Tests in a short time

In order to boost the reliability of the nations nuclear deterrent still further, Kim said a nuclear warhead explosion test and firings of several kinds of ballistic rockets would be carried out in a short time.

He instructed the relevant section to make pre-arrangement for them to the last detail, KCNA said.

The order came days after state media released photos of Kim posing with what was claimed to be a miniaturised nuclear warhead capable of fitting on a ballistic missile.

Meeting with her cabinet ministers on Tuesday, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said North Koreas endless threats reflected a sense of crisis in Pyongyang at its increasing diplomatic and economic isolation.

If North Korea continues its provocations and confrontation with the international community and does not walk the path of change, it will walk the path of self-destruction, Park said.

While North Korea is known to have a small stockpile of nuclear weapons, its ability to deliver them accurately to a chosen target on the tip of a ballistic missile has been a subject of heated debate.

There are numerous question marks over the Norths weapons delivery systems, with many experts believing it is still years from developing a working inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could strike the continental United States.

Tuesdays KCNA report was accompanied by photos of Kim personally monitoring a test simulating the intense heat a nuclear warhead would experience during atmospheric re-entry.

Re-entry guarantee

Protected by newly developed heat-resisting material the warhead was reportedly subjected to thermal flows five times hotter than those associated with ICBM flight.

The test was a complete success, the agency said, and provided a sure guarantee of the warheads ability to withstand re-entry -- a major step in the Norths push towards a genuine ICBM nuclear strike capability.

South Koreas defence ministry said it was sceptical of the claim.

According to our military analysis, North Korea has not yet secured re-entry technology, ministry spokesperson Moon Sang-Gyun told reporters.

North Korea has never tested an ICBM, although it has displayed such a missile, known as the KN-08, during recent mass military parades in Pyongyang.

It seems highly likely that North Korea is on the verge of conducting a long-range ballistic missile test, involving re-entry, said Chang Yong-Seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University.

It wants to show that sanctions are not effective and to boost the credibility of its deterrent, Chang said.

Melissa Hanham, an expert on North Koreas WMD programme at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, voiced concerns over just how far the North would go to prove its technical abilities.

China tested a medium-range ballistic missile with a 12-kiloton nuclear warhead in 1966, the only time a country has flight-tested a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile over populated areas.

I dont know how North Koreas neighbours could distinguish testing a nuclear-tipped KN-08 from an attack. It would be very dangerous, very destabilising, Hanham said.
US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have discussed Russias planned military drawdown from Syria and next steps to fully implement the cessation of hostilities in the war-ravaged country, the White House said on Tuesday .

They discussed President Putins announcement of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities with the goal of advancing the political negotiations on resolution of the conflict, the White House said in a statement after a phone call between the two leaders.

The two leaders spoke shortly after Putin announced the partial withdrawal from Syria. For nearly six months, Russia has mounted an air campaign backing up the Syria President Bashar Assads battle against opposition forces.

Obama and Putin discussed progress on the implementation of the nationwide cessation of hostilities between the Syrian regime and its allies on the one hand and the armed opposition on the other.

According to the White House, Obama welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation, but stressed that continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the cessation of hostilities and the UN-led political process.

The President also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria but emphasised the need for regime forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance delivery to the agreed-upon locations..., the statement said.

Obama underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria, it said.

Earlier the State Department Spokesman John Kirby said the US has seen a change in Russian military activity and Russian air operations since the cessation.

Just mathematically, its beyond dispute that they have made an effort to abide by the cessation of hostilities. In this period of the last two weeks, we have seen them take some strikes against Daesh (ISIS) targets, he said.

We have also seen and continue to see allegations and claims of violations of the cessation, predominantly against the regime, he said in response to a question.
The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that one of the most notorious faces of the Islamic State, Omar al-Shishani died after being wounded in a US-led coalition strike in northeastern Syria earlier this month.

Shishani, with a real name Tarkhan Batirashvili and a thick red beard and , was a fierce, battle-hardened warlord with roots in Georgia.

US officials previously said Shishani likely died in the strike, but reports surfaced that he had survived.

Shishani, whose war-name means Omar the Chechen, was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington which put a $5 million bounty on his head.

On Monday, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesperson, told AFP the US military now believed he subsequently died of his injuries following the strike.

US officials had branded Shishani the equivalent of the secretary of defence for the jihadist group.

Shishani came from the ex-Soviet state of Georgias Pankisi Gorge region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Chechens.

He fought as a Chechen rebel against Russian forces before joining the Georgian military in 2006, and fought Russian forces again in Georgia in 2008.

He resurfaced in northern Syria in 2012 as the leader of a battalion of foreign fighters, said Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, research fellow at the Middle East Forum, a US think-tank.

As early as May 2013, when IS was just emerging in Syria, he was appointed the groups military commander for the north of the country, Tamimi said.

While Shishanis exact rank was unclear, Richard Barrett of the US-based Soufan Group described him as ISs most senior military commander, adding that he had been in charge of key battles.

He is clearly a very capable commander and has the loyalty of Chechen fighters who are considered by ISIS as elite troops, Barrett told AFP, using another acronym for IS.

Shishani was not however a member of ISs political leadership, a structure that is even murkier than its military command.

Born to Christian father

US officials had branded Shishani the equivalent of the secretary of defence for the jihadist group. (AP file photo)

A profile of Shishani written by an IS supporter and posted online described him as one of the best strategic and tactical leaders.

He was born in 1986 to a Christian father and a Muslim mother, according to the text, which claims he never lost any of his battles.

In an indication of Shishanis popularity among jihadist sympathisers, the text describes him as the new Khalid Ibn al-Walid -- a reference to a leader from the early days of Islam who played a crucial role in spreading the nascent religion in Syria and Iraq.

Observers, however, downplayed Shishanis importance.

He was a fierce fighter, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian conflict.

He would be sent to frontlines across IS-held territory, he said.

Still, Abdel Rahman said the impact of Shishanis death would be minimal.

It wont have an actual impact on the battlefield. There are many other leaders, he said.

IS chooses which faces to make known in the media -- while it conceals the real leaders.
The British Library has posted online 300 items relating to William Shakespeare, including the only surviving playscript in his hand, making it widely accessible for the first time.

The playscript is from the manuscript of a play called Sir Thomas More, to which Shakespeare contributed a scene. In the scene, More courageously quells a mob of anti-French rioters who are calling for immigrants to be banished, the library said on Tuesday.

The play, written in approximately 1600 about the life of Henry VIIIs councillor and lord chancellor, was not by Shakespeare and it was not staged because of fears it might incite unrest. The scene is described as a stirring piece of rhetoric.

Among the other items posted online by the library are manuscripts, books, maps, paintings, illustrations, pamphlets, ballads, playbills and photos.

The playscript is from the manuscript of a play called Sir Thomas More, to which Shakespeare contributed a scene. (British Library)

Britain is currently celebrating 400 years of Shakespeares legacy (his death is recorded on April 23, 1616).

Other highlighted digitised items include a 17th-century manuscript thought to preserve the original tune of one of the Fools songs from King Lear and Samuel Coleridges personal copy of The Dramatic Works of Shakespeare with extensive annotations on the plays, including his famous comments on Iagos motiveless malignity.

Alex Whitfield of the British Library said: From the influential first drawings of Native Americans of the New World, to depictions of exotic Venice and civil unrest in the streets of London, seeing original digitised artefacts can vividly evoke the political, social and historical times in which Shakespeare was writing, shrinking the gap between the past and the present and bringing the world that shaped his imagination to life.

Until now, you would have had to visit the British Library Reading Rooms or exhibitions to see these treasures  now Discovering Literature: Shakespeare makes these wonderful research materials accessible to students and lovers of literature everywhere.

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Pakistan plans to purchase another 10 F-16 combat aircraft from the US after concluding a deal to buy eight of the jets as part of a plan to refurbish its fleet by 2020.

A decision in principle has been made to buy 10 more F-16s, an unnamed senior Pakistani government official was quoted as saying by Janes defence magazine. The exact timing to place an order is yet to be decided, the official said.

In February, the US state department approved the sale of eight F-16s  two single-seat F-16Cs and six twin-seat F-16Ds  along with associated equipment for nearly $700 million.

The deal was opposed by some US lawmakers on the grounds that Pakistan is not doing enough to counter terrorism. Last week, the US Senate rejected a move to block the proposed sale. On Saturday, the mandatory 30-day period for the US Congress to block an arms sale to a foreign country elapsed.

Pakistani officials have said the new F-16s will enhance the countrys ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. But this has been rejected by India, which called in the US envoy to protest against the sale.

The new F-16s are needed to replace ageing jets in the Pakistan Air Force, which plans to retire 190 aircraft by 2020, senior officials were quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

The officials said Pakistan is already looking for various options in its efforts to replace 190 aircraft since the strong resistance from the US Congress to the sale of eight F-16s was discouraging.

Thats why we are looking at other options too, such as buying them from Russia or France, one official said. French aircraft were very expensive, the Russians are not and they are equally good, the official said.

In September last year, Russia had offered to sell Su-35 jets to Pakistan.

Pakistani officials were quoted by Dawn as saying that Indias defence purchases influenced their search for a matching technology. The report added, India is already working on a plan to replace its current fleet of planes with fifth generation aircraft by 2020, forcing Pakistan to do the same.

Pakistan is not looking to match the exact number of planes that India has but would like to maintain a fleet of 350 to 400 aircraft, the officials said.

The officials said Pakistans large-scale defence collaboration with China is a great source of strength.
A cloud of uncertainty continues to loom over talks between Indian and Pakistani delegates on the margins of the SAARC council of ministers meeting in Nepal this week.

The meeting, being held to review progress since the last SAARC summit in Kathmandu, started in the resort town of Pokhara on Monday with the meeting of joint secretaries and will end on Thursday.

Foreign secretaries of member states will participate in a meeting of the standing committee of SAARC on Wednesday, ahead of the meeting of foreign ministers scheduled for the final day.

Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar is in Kathmandu and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will reach Pokhara on Wednesday.

Amid speculations of a meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan in Pokhara, senior Indian diplomats said on Tuesday nothing has been finalised as yet.

The spokesman of Pakistans foreign ministry said on Monday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz will meet the foreign ministers of all member countries to invite them to the SAARC summit in Islamabad later this year.

However, the spokesman made no specific reference to a meeting between Aziz and Swaraj.

There is no confirmation yet of any meeting between foreign secretary Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart or any talks between the external affairs minister and Aziz, an Indian diplomat said.

A planned meeting of the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan in January was cancelled after the terror attack on Pathankot airbase., which was blamed on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Jaishankar last visited Kathmandu in September, days ahead of the promulgation of Nepals new Constitution. met He met several senior politicians and ministers on Tuesday.

Besides meeting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and newly elected Nepali Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba, he also held discussions with United Democratic Madhesi Front leaders who are opposing the new statute.

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Photographer and journalist Brandon Stanton, founder of the hugely popular blog Humans of New York (HoNY), joined a long list Donald Trump critics, taking on the Republican presidential contender for his various statements in the US primaries that determine the final US presidential candidates.

I try my hardest not to be political, Stanton wrote in a Facebook post on Monday night. But I realize now that there is no correct time to oppose violence and prejudice. The time is always now. Because along with millions of Americans, Ive come to realize that opposing you is no longer a political decision. It is a moral one.

Stanton became popular for his often touching, sensitive and endearing short interviews of people he meets on the streets. Since starting the blog in 2010, hes travelled extensively, and even made a stop in New Delhi in September 2014.

Read more: Humans of Delhi go gaga over New York blogger Brandon Stanton

On the other hand, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump made headlines with his consistent anti-Muslim rhetoric, misogynistic commentary and his encouragement of violence among his supporters.

Earlier last year, in the wake of the San Bernadino shooting, Trump had issued a statement calling for an immediate ban on all Muslims travelling to the United States. The proposal met wide widespread condescension both from US and Global leaders.

Ive watched you advocate the use of torture and the murder of terrorists families. Ive watched you gleefully tell stories of executing Muslims with bullets dipped in pig blood. Ive watched you compare refugees to snakes, and claim that Islam hates us. Stanton continued.

Contending that he had interviewed scores of Muslims (as part of a United Nations initiative, Stanton had travelled to Pakistan and parts of the Middle East last year to document the lives of ordinary Muslims), the HoNY founder said that it was Trump who was the real danger.

You are a man who has encouraged prejudice and violence in the pursuit of personal power. And though your words will no doubt change over the next few months, you will always remain who you are.

Tuesday sees important primaries in five key states  Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina  that could secure the Republican nomination for the real-estate tycoon.
US President Barack Obama has appointed the White Houses first transgender person as their primary LGBT liaison on Tuesday.

Raffi Freedman-Gurspans new appointment was heralded by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) as being a move towards a more diverse American political body.

Raffia is a great choice. President Obama has said he wants his administration to look like America, and they have moved to include trans Americans. Raffis skills and personality make her the exact right person for this important job, said Mara Keisling, executive director of NCTE, in a statement.

Freedman-Gurspan was the policy adviser at NCTE, and a legislative director in teh Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Championing a political body that reflects the diversity of modern-day America has been a cornerstone of Obamas agenda, especially during his final term.
The White House has condemned violence against an Indian-origin journalist during a campaign rally by Donald Trump in Chicago.

We condemn any violence thats perpetrated against a professional journalist whos just trying to cover a political event, the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, told reporters.

He was responding to a question on Sopan Deb, who was on assignment with CBS News to cover the Trump Campaign. Deb was not only heckled by pro-Trump supporters but also grounded, handcuffed and briefly detained by the police at a Chicago rally on Friday.

The rally had to be cancelled because of clash between supporters and opponents of the Republican front-runner.

Obviously, the kind of situation that erupted at this rally was rather chaotic. I dont have any specific information about the actions of local law enforcement and steps that they took to try to restore order, but obviously we condemn any violence thats perpetrated against a professional journalist whos just trying to cover a political event, he said.

And thats why the willingness of Trump to direct so much antagonism and invective at independent journalists is totally inappropriate and totally worthy of condemnation on the part of Democrats and Republicans, he said.

For Trump just to use independent journalists who are just trying to do their job as a ploy to further incite the crowd is deeply disturbing, Earnest said.
In an attempt to tackle illegal trade and curb elephant poaching, the Malawi government publicly burned 781 pieces of ivory weighing 2.6 tons. Officials say the smuggled ivory had been confiscated in the northern town of Mzuzu near Tanzania.

Due to cross-boarder disputes over whether the elephant tusks should be saved as legal evidence against poachers, Tanzania had succeeded in delaying the burning since September.

Destroying the pile of ivory - valued at nearly $3 million - follows a court ruling made earlier this month in Malawi, ordering the tusks be burned.

"This is a milestone for Malawi. We will not allow the country to be exploited as a market of this illegal trade," Bright Kumchedwa, director of Malawi's parks and wildlife department, said. "We want demonstrate to the world that the country is committed to eradicating wildlife crime."

The ivory stockpile was set ablaze outside a nature sanctuary in the small northern city of Mzuzu, 300 miles from Malawi's capital of Lilongwe.

Last year, two Malawian siblings were fined $5,500 for their part in trafficking the tusks, which were intercepted by Malawian customs officials in 2013.

Malawi is believed to be a key transit route and distribution hub for illegal ivory, partly because it is located between Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia - three African countries that took the worst hit from poaching.

Malawi is also considered a weak link in the fight against illegal ivory trade due to poor wildlife legislation and law enforcement.

Tanzania had won a three-month court order to postpone the burning, but did not apply for a further delay, Kumchedwa added. Malawi has another 4.4 tons of stockpiled ivory that will be burned in the future.

Last year in March, Kenya burned 16.5 tons of ivory, marking the largest-ever stockpile burnt in Africa.

Conservationists warn that China's growing demand for contraband ivory imports, which are turned into jewels and ornaments, has driven the increase of poaching in Africa.

In fact, Malawian wildlife officials estimate that the country's elephant population has halved from a total of 4,000 individuals documented in the 1980s to just 2,000 alive today.

"Today's event sends a clear message - do not target our nation to traffic illicit goods, because we shall turn it to ashes," Kumchedwa said.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Since 1966, Pacific-native salmon have been present as stocked fish in Lake Michigan. Soon after, they were added to other Great Lakes. The big fish are now a common feature of the lakes and the basis of what is today a $7 billion annual recreational fishery in Lake Huron.

The fish were brought in to take care of an invasive problem: alewives, small fish similar to herring that are native to the Atlantic Ocean, which first entered the Great Lakes via canals in the late 1800s. The prey fish had huge numbers by 1960 and so exceeded the load level of the Great Lakes that there were mass die-offs, with the small fish littering lake beaches.

For quite a while, coho and Chinook salmon seemed like a great solution. They ate the alewives and thrived, and the small fish's mass die-offs ended.

But the alewives also caused problems as they ate the youthful stages of several types of Great Lake native fish, including yellow perch and lake trout.

Now, a new computer-modeling study led by the University of Michigan has found that the Chinook salmon fishery in Lake Huron will probably never again be at a high pitch and a focus of the lake because the lake cannot support the alewife at this point.

With findings like that, the study authors suggest that Lake Huron natural-resource managers should zero in on restoring native fish species like lake trout, lake whitefish, walleye and lake herring. As time goes on, Lake Michigan's alewife population will likely collapse in a way similar to the situation in Lake Huron, which will cause a crash of its Chinook salmon fishery too.

"These results serve as a reality check for those who continue to pressure the resource managers to stock Chinook salmon in Lake Huron," noted Sara Adlerstein-Gonzalez, study co-author and a fishery scientist at U-M. "The findings are also good news for native fish species and for the restoration of the entire Lake Huron ecosystem. Maybe we should celebrate the improvements in the native fish populations and try to adapt to this new situation."

The alewife population in Lake Huron fell through in 2003, followed soon after by a definite decline in Chinook salmon. While Michigan and the nearby province of Ontario halted Chinook salmon-stocking in the southern end of Lake Huron in 2014, they have continued stocking the northern end.

Already in Lake Michigan, alewife and salmon populations are on the decline, and Chinook stocking is taking place at much reduced levels.

The new computer-modeled study used food webs to look at factors backing the 2003 collapse of alewives in Lake Huron and results and implications for future populations of fish there. Causes of the alewife collapse included the spread of non-native quagga mussels and declining phosphorus (an essential nutrient) from rivers and streams.

The findings were recently published in the journal Ecosystems.

Follow Catherine Arnold on Twitter at @TreesWhales.

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Thinking of moving to the ghetto to save on rent? For the sake of your health - think again.

New research reveals that living and growing up in low-income neighborhoods significantly raises the risk of obesity. The findings were especially true for young women.

The latest study, conducted at the University of Colorado-Denver, found that people who were raised in poor areas were significantly more likely to become obese compared to those who live in richer neighborhoods. Obesity risks also go up if people continued living in poor neighborhoods.

Lead researcher Adam Lippert, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Colorado, and his team analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health participants, involving 12,164 students from grades seven through 12. All participants were followed for a period of 13 years.

The findings revealed that the risk of obesity decreased when teens moved out of low-income neighborhoods. The risk of obesity increased whenever teens moved into low-income neighborhoods. However, those who consistently lived in poor areas were most at risk of becoming or remaining obese in adulthood.

"Those who consistently live in poor neighborhoods are more likely to become or remain obese by adulthood than those who never live in poor neighborhoods. Exiting severe neighborhood poverty curtails this risk, while entering and remaining in neighborhood poverty in adulthood increases it," researchers wrote in the study. "These patterns are more pronounced for young women and robust to adjustments for health behaviors and selection bias."

Researchers said the latest findings are important because it highlights the negative outcomes of income and residential inequalities in the United States.

Study results "support accumulation of risks and social mobility perspectives and highlight how previous and current neighborhood contexts are relevant for health," wrote Lippert and his team.

Researchers believe the higher obesity risk associated with living in low-income areas can be explained by the lack of healthy food options and exercise amenities as well as higher levels of stress in poor neighborhoods. Lippert said the findings suggest that helping teens living in low-income neighborhoods improve their residential circumstances can substantially improve their life and health in adulthood.

"The research demonstrates that the long-term residential experiences of teenagers can affect their life-long health," Lippert said in a university release. "It's encouraging to see that the risk of obesity can be curtailed by moving out of a low-income areas."

The findings are published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

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Although no one has ever seen dark matter, and no one really knows what it is, scientists agree that it represents around 27 percent of the universe. This invisible material is all around us, while the matter that forms all known substances - such as atoms and subatomic particles - stands at only five percent.

Researchers have been working to detect dark matter for decades, inventing numerous mechanisms to capture the particles that it is thought to consist of, and coming up with experiments to re-create dark matter particles - for example, by using extremely high temperatures in order to collide particles of ordinary matter. While such a collision would not permit scientists to actually see a dark matter particle, detectors would be able to trace associated energy loss that would reveal that the dark particle had indeed been created.

So far, these efforts have been unsuccessful. A recent article published by a research team from the University of Southern Denmark, however, argues that perhaps we need to look at dark matter in a new way.

The traditional theory of dark matter holds that the material is lightweight and, as a result, interacts only weakly with regular matter. Labeled as "weakly-interacting massive particles," or WIMPs, dark matter particles are commonly assumed to have been produced in massive amounts after the birth of the universe, placed at around 13.7 billion years ago.

"But since no experiments have ever seen even a trace of a WIMP, it could be that we should look for a heavier dark particle that interacts only by gravity and thus would be impossible to detect directly," said Martin Sloth, associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark's Centre for Cosmology and Particle Physics Phenomenology (CP3-Origins) and co-author of the new study.

Instead, the model that Sloth and his team proposes, called Planckian Interacting Dark Matter (PIDM), calculates how the required amount of the heavy particle would have been produced in the early universe.

"It was possible, if it was extremely hot. To be more precise[,] the temperatures in the early universe must have been the highest possible in the Big Bang theory," Sloth explained.

This condition can in fact be tested. "If the universe indeed was as hot as calculated in our model, several gravitational waves from the very early childhood of the universe would have been created. We might be able to find out in the near future," he outlined.

Sloth and his team have planned for 10 separate experiments worldwide to test their new proposal. The experiments will aim to detect signals from primordial gravitational waves. To do so, they will monitor the polarization of cosmic background radiation at ground level, or from devices set up on balloons or satellites.

"If these experiments do not detect such signals," Sloth noted, "then our model will be falsified. Thus gravitational waves can be used to test our model."

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The reports are in and the findings are damning: if you find yourself in a health crisis and Siri is your only form of support - you're screwed. Surprisingly, despite being able to look up driving directions, find the best restaurants in a given area or send text messages, Siri, along with other digital voice assistants, can't do much to help you when you're in trouble.

A team of researchers from Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco and Northwestern University came upon the discovery after conducting a study on digital voice assistants from Apple (Siri), Google (Google Now), Microsoft (Cortana) and Samsung (S Voice).

The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, details how these researchers zeroed on phones made by manufacturers who say they want its devices to be as conversational, easy-to-use, and as helpful as possible. With that in mind, they relayed various hypothetical situations concerning various health issues, with their goal being to determine if the voice assistants were capable of not only recognizing a crisis, but giving an appropriate response in a respectful language and providing the appropriate means to find help.

Asking the same questions over and over until each voice assistant provided no new answers, the team found the systems responded "inconsistently and incompletely," exposing huge AI gaps which severely impacted their ability to help during trying moments.

"We found that all phones had the potential to recognize the spoken word, but in very few situations did they refer people in need to the right resource," said senior study author Dr. Eleni Linos, UCSF's epidemiologist and public health researcher.

Some of the answers illustrate just how useless these assistants are in times of emergencies.

When Siri was told that the user was raped, it responded, "I don't know what that means. If you like, I can search the web for 'I was raped.'" Similarly, when S Voice was told that the user was depressed, it responded "Maybe its time for your to take a break and get a change of scenery."

Granted, there were times when the assistants were helpful, but were incapable of providing specific help. For example, when Siri was told that a user was having a heart attack, it referred to emergency services but didn't differentiate between various symptoms.

The only times the assistants were both helpful and provided specific help was when told that the user wanted to commit suicide. Google Now referred to a suicide prevention helpline, while Siri did the same and also offered to dial the number itself.

The team was well aware that smartphones aren't supposed to be replacements for counselors or psychologists, however they argue that they can be a force for good and be used to "facilitate getting a person in need to the right help at the right time."

There are stigmas and barriers that can get in the way of getting that help, but with a reported 200 million Americans using smartphones - 60 percent of which use them for health information - there's no reason these phones should be another one of them.

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Expectant mothers who are overweight or obese are more likely to give birth to larger babies because of higher blood sugar levels, according to a new study.

British researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol examined data from more than 30,000 women and found that maternal body mass index, blood sugar level and systolic blood pressure are all significant factors in predicting infant birth weight.

Previous studies show that overweight or diabetic moms were more likely to give birth to larger babies. Lead researcher Jess Tyrrell of the University of Exeter and her team believe the latest study may explain why this happens. According to researchers, the findings are important because it could pave the way to the development of new treatments and interventions to help improve the health of expectant mothers and their babies.

After analyzing results from 18 studies involving 30,487 women who gave birth between the years of 1929 and 2013, researchers found that mothers with higher blood sugar were more likely to have bigger babies. However, levels of fat in maternal blood did not seem to matter. Researchers said this finding is interesting because it goes against previous studies showing that levels of maternal blood lipids related to being overweight influences baby birth weight.

"These results provide evidence that genetically elevated maternal glucose and SBP may have directionally opposite causal associations with birth weight. The estimated associations between these maternal traits and birth weight (either increased or reduced) are substantial and of clinical importance. They support efforts to maintain healthy gestational glucose and blood pressure levels to ensure healthy fetal growth," researchers wrote in the study. "If replicated, these findings may have implications for counseling and managing pregnancies to avoid adverse weight-related birth outcomes."

The study also revealed that expectant mothers with higher blood pressure gave birth to smaller babies. Researchers said this is interesting because overweight or obese individuals are more likely to have higher blood pressure.

"A lot of research into pregnancy and birth weight has been based on observation, but this can make it very difficult to determine what is cause and what is effect, creating a confusing picture for mothers, clinicians and healthcare workers. Our genetic method is more robust, giving clear evidence that mothers' weight, glucose and blood pressure affect the size of the baby," Tyrrell said in a university release.

The findings are published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children can be held responsible for the recent surge in the measles and pertussis outbreaks that have been occurring in the U.S., according to a new study.

A team at Emory University examined previously published studies and reports on outbreaks, which included 18 on measles and 32 on pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes whooping cough.

For measles, the researchers found that 57 percent of the 1,416 cases involved people between 2 weeks and 84 years old who were never vaccinated. Out of the 970 cases that had detailed data on the individual's vaccination history, the researchers found that 574 cases involved people who were eligible for the measles vaccine. Four-hundred five of these cases had cited non-medical reasons, such as religion.

The researchers reported that for pertussis, the rate of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated cases taken from the five largest statewide outbreaks ranged from 24 to 45 percent. In some of the outbreaks, however, the researchers found that many of the cases occurred in communities that had high vaccination rates, which suggested that the effectiveness of the vaccine could be waning. Overall, the researchers looked at 10,609 cases that occurred in people in the age range of 10 days to 87 years.

The researchers stressed that improving vaccination rates is vital for individual and community health. Study author Omer Saad, who is a pediatrics and epidemiology researcher at the university, said that outbreaks can be detrimental to the community because they increase risk of infection in children who have already been immunized.

"What this latest comprehensive review illustrates is that individuals who refuse vaccines not only put themselves at risk for disease," Matthew M. Davis from the University of Michigan said. "It turns out that they also put others at risk too - even people who have been vaccinated before, but whose protection from those vaccinations may not be as strong as it used to be."

Davis added in an accompanying editorial to this study, "The U.S. population wants vaccination to be safe, effective and available in a timely manner, and for immunization to be durable. Current challenges with measles and pertussis outbreaks provide an opportunity to develop and evaluate approaches to achieve unprecedented levels of vaccination coverage, limit waning immunity, and minimize vaccine-preventable disease for children and adults alike."

The study's findings were published in JAMA.

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Ten racing pigeons suited with specialized backpacks took to the skies to monitor air pollution in London. People can track where the pigeons are flying on a live map and gauge pollutant levels wherever they land to rest their wings.

The flock, dubbed the Pigeon Air Patrol, was released from a rooftop in Brick Lane. Air quality sensors inside the backpacks will measure nitrogen dioxide, ozone and volatile compounds present in the air for a period of three days. The backpacks also contain GPS trackers that relay the birds' location.

Through Wednesday, March 15, Londoners can check the air quality registered in their area by tweeting their location to @PigeonAir.

The project, co-created by marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi and air quality tech developers at Plume Labs, follows Twitter's #PoweredbyTweets competition.

The idea, originally submitted by Pierre Duquesnoy and Matt Daniels of Digitas LBi, was the winning entry in the "Solve a Problem" category of the competition and was exhibited during the London Design Festival at Somerset House.

The goal, researchers say, is to draw attention to air pollution, which is a global problem. In fact, Plume Labs said 10,000 people die from air pollution each year in London alone.

"Most of the time when we talk about pollution people think about Beijing or other places, but there are some days in the year when pollution was higher and more toxic in London than Beijing, that's the reality," explained Duquesnoy, founder of Plume Labs.

With scientists hailing it as a first for urban animals, the team acknowledges it was inspired by the use of messenger pigeons in the first and second world wars. However, the birds - often thought to be a nuisance - also offer a practical approach for monitoring the city's air pollution from the sky rather than its congested roads.

The tiny sensors weigh only 25 grams, allowing the pigeons to move around freely. The birds fly relatively low to the ground, between 100 and 150 feet, and fast, at speeds up to 80mph. A vet is on hand to make sure the pigeons do not suffer from any distress.

"There's something about taking what is seen as a flying rat and reversing that into something quite positive," Duquesnoy added.

Track the birds' flight path on live maps and, if you are in London, tweet the @PigeonAir Twitter account to get pollution updates in your immediate area.

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Children who grow up in a happy environment have a reduced risk of heart attack by the time they reach adulthood, a small Finnish study found.

The researchers at the University of Turku wanted to examine the link between heart attack risk and early exposure to psychosocial factors within a household. They looked at data on 311 children who were from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study and assessed these factors in relation to the amount of calcium deposits that had amassed in the participants' arteries 28 years later when they were about 40 to 46 years old. Calcium deposits, measured using computed tomography (CT) scans, can cause blood vessels to narrow and clog, which increases risk of a heart attack.

The Finnish study measured psychosocial factors, which included any social, emotional and financial problems, when the children were 12 years old and up to when they had reached 18. Information included the parents' income, education level, physical activity level, employment status and mental health, as well as any signs of aggression and antisocial behaviors in the children. The researchers also recorded any huge stressful events, such as a divorce.

The researchers found that children who had higher psychosocial well-being growing up were 15 percent less likely to have clogged arteries in adulthood. Overall, about 18 percent of the participants had some level of calcification in their vessels.

"This study suggests that childhood psychosocial factors may have long-term consequences on cardiovascular health," said Markus Juonala, the lead author of the study which was published in JAMA Pediatrics,

The researchers pointed out that although they did not find a cause-and-effect relationship, since stress can increase inflammation, which is not beneficial for physical health, parents should still try to reduce the amount of stress for their children.

"Our findings underscore the need for increased awareness of promoting positive psychosocial health in childhood," the authors wrote. "Because data on many of the factors used in the summative score could be readily gathered at diverse health service encounters, these data might be used in targeted family interventions for primary prevention, especially in those at greatest risk."

Stephen Daniels of Children's Hospital Colorado, who was not involved with the study, commented that even though the study's findings are important, implementing intervention and prevention programs within a home can be very difficult, especially for research purposes.

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If you are a difficult patient, your doctor might not be as attentive to your medical needs, Dutch researchers reported in two related studies.

In the first study, the researchers headed by Silvia Mamede, an associate professor with the Institute of Medical Education Research Rotterdam at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, presented 63 family medicine doctors with two sets of six clinical case situations that included either a difficult patient or a neutral one. The doctors were asked how they would treat these patients. They also had to rate their patients' likeability.

The researchers found that doctors made more mistakes when they were treating a difficult patient regardless of whether or not the medical condition was considered to be complex or simple. The doctors, however, did not spend any less time with difficult patients than they did with neutral patients.

"Disruptive behaviors displayed by patients seem to induce doctors to make diagnostic errors," the authors wrote. "Interestingly, the confrontation with difficult patients does however not cause the doctor to spend less time on such case. Time can therefore not be considered an intermediary between the way the patient is perceived, his or her likability and diagnostic performance."

Likeability scores were lower for difficult patients, as expected.

In the second study, the research team that also involved Mamede recruited 74 internal medicine residents. The residents were asked to diagnose the patients described in eight clinical summaries that either included difficult or neutral behaviors. Like the prior study, the researchers found that the doctors were more likely to make mistakes when they were hypothetically treating a difficult patient.

Although the researchers could not determine what was causing the number of mistakes to increase, they argued that doctors might be using up more of their "mental resources on dealing with the difficult patients' behaviors, impeding adequate processing of clinical findings."

"The fact is, that difficult patients trigger reactions that may intrude with reasoning, adversely affect judgments and cause errors," the researchers said.

Since both studies, which were published in BMJ Quality & Safety, presented doctors with vignettes, the researchers noted that the findings might not apply to real-life situations.

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Conde Nast presents the 3rd Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair in Russia, a travel-trade event that is

becoming synonymous with the luxury travel industry.

Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair - an event dedicated to all aspects of luxury tourism - will take place for

the third time on the 22nd of March, 2016 in one of Moscow's most historic and iconic buildings, the Metropol Hotel. The world's leading travel magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, will hand pick the utmost professionals in luxury tourism for a private, one-day B2B event.

Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair is the first global luxury travel trade event, organized by the world's leading

publishing house Conde Nast. Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair is the only luxury travel trade event in Eastern Europe officially recognized by the UNWTO. The past events became the largest in scale luxury travel trade event in Eastern Europe with more than 3000 square meters richly decorated by top international designers and florists. The exhibition brought together the best of the best in the luxury tourism industry. 150 exhibitors (Please, click here to view the 2015 Exhibitors List) specially selected from 27 countries met during the second Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair with more than 998 handpicked buyers from Russia. Please, click here to watch the Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair 2015 official video.

Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair gives participants opportunities to make new, prosperous business

connections with luxury travel companies and go beyond the traditional exchange of experience. Participants of the Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair will enjoy an exceptional opportunity to learn about the latest travel trends from leading brands, to trade stories and ideas, and to hear inspiring lectures from the world's most respected professionals.

Our hand-picked exhibitors include the top 100 companies in the travel industry - recognized leaders in various

segments of luxury tourism and leading suppliers of high-end travel services:

Hotel chains and associations

Luxury Hotels and Resorts

Concierge service

National

Air companies and private aviation



and Regional Offices of TourismMedical Clinic and SpaCruise companiesYachts and limousinesExclusive villa rentalsCompanies that provide exclusive products and custom services in the tourism industry

More than 1000 selected leading representatives of the tourism industry, corporate clients and media from Russia,

Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will have a unique opportunity to participate in this invitation-only exhibition in 2016. The Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair has developed a unique Hosted Buyers program to give strictly-selected, hand-picked Buyers the opportunity to meet with industry leaders and discuss business. Leading buyers and top company management will be offered VIP- shuttles and private VIP-lounge areas for meetings. Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair will conclude with a grand private evening event.

The exhibition is held the day after the traditional Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. Recognized as the

Oscars of high-end tourism, the Readers' Choice Awards have been organized by Conde Nast Traveller for more than ten years in various countries around the world. The 2015 Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Choice Awards will be held in Russia for the third time. Please click here to watch the 2015 Awards Gala Dinner video.

Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair is held annually.

There is no better time to leverage the spending power of Easter Europe than at Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel

Fair, where the very best travel agents and advisors from across Easter Europe meet the world's very best luxury travel experiences.

Please, www.cntfair.com/content/CNT_All_low.pdf" target="_blank">click here www.cntfair.com/content/CNT_Fair_Proposal_2015.pdf" target="_blank"> to review the 2015 fair statistics and

feedback from industry leaders and our proposal for participation at the Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair 2015together with the special advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

We will be honored to welcome you at the 3rd Conde Nast Traveller Luxury Travel Fair, organized by world 1

travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller.

For more information please contact Daria Grezhalis

+74959978897
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Rockford Construction named preferred builder for WaterWalk franchise system

WaterWalk Hotel Apartments, Jack DeBoers fifth national brand, has executed an agreement with a Rockford Development Group venture, led by Paul Roberts of Rockford and hotel industry veteran Rob Mossburg, to initially develop eight WaterWalk franchises. The properties will be located in San Antonio, Denver, Dallas, and Austin, with construction of the first San Antonio property targeted for April of this year. Along with this announcement, Rockford Construction of Grand Rapids, Michigan was named the preferred builder for WaterWalk corporate properties and the WaterWalk franchise system.

WaterWalk Hotel Apartments was created by entrepreneur Jack DeBoer, the founder of Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites, Candlewood Suites, Value Place, and co-founder, along with Mossburg and other partners, of Summerfield Suites. The systems first property in Wichita, Kansas opened in November 2014 and is producing exceptional early operating results.

This announcement comes on the heels of a $100 million deal we completed with U.K.-based investment firm, Henley, said David Redfern, President, WaterWalk Real Estate & Franchise Development. And this deal is further evidence that WaterWalk is an attractive opportunity for investors to add strong assets to their real estate portfolios as they provide the revenue potential and returns associated with upscale extended-stay hotels and the capital structure and valuation of apartments. With this latest agreement, we now have 27 WaterWalk properties in various stages of development.

According to Rob Mossburg, It is a personal pleasure to again work with Jack and his team in what may very well be the creation of a new category in the lodging and multifamily space. Its clear to us that the major brands are gravitating away from the true extended-stay customer in favor of shorter-term guests. At the same time, the apartment renter has a cumbersome point of purchase and very little length of stay flexibility. WaterWalk strikes us as essentially the first purpose-built furnished apartment, and not surprisingly, we are impressed with the approach WaterWalk has adopted in making economic returns for its franchisees its top priority. This commitment, coupled with Rockfords development expertise, financial strength, and stellar construction track record  including extensive multifamily and lodging experience  bodes well for the success of our partnership.

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WaterWalks hybrid hotel and apartment model combines the traditional hotel services within a gated, apartment-like community, and offers a bevy of upscale amenities and features, such as all-inclusive pricing, full-sized appliances in a modern kitchen, high-speed Internet, DirecTV with premium channels and DVR, housekeeping, fitness memberships, a communal bicycle program, local transportation, and free, customized breakfast.

Earlier, WaterWalk signed a $100 million deal with Henley to build five WaterWalk Hotel Apartments on sites in Albany, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, and North Orlando, with construction slated to begin on March 16 in Fort Lauderdale. Also in 2016, WaterWalk will be breaking ground on properties in Denver, Tulsa, Raleigh, Louisville, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Chicago.

Companies using WaterWalk for their corporate housing needs will find an added level of convenience and quality compared to other corporate housing facilities, including a national sales team and full support staff that are accessible and available on-site 24-hours a day for any guest needs, increased flexibility in lengths of stay, and premier safety and security measures. WaterWalks Wichita location has already drawn corporate lodging rentals from many Fortune 1000 companies.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas WaterWalk Hotel Apartments combines the most appealing features of an upscale extended-stay hotel with the lifestyle of apartment living. Guests may choose to stay a day, a week, a month, a year, or longer with an all-inclusive bill for utilities, TV, Internet, phone, and concierge services. With a full-service Gold package, guests enjoy housekeeping, a fully furnished apartment, and complimentary, delivered breakfast. WaterWalk Hotel Apartments is the fifth national brand started by Jack DeBoer, including Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites, Candlewood Suites, and Value Place.
Seems as though the Irish charm and devilish good looks could be the ticket for Aidan Turner becoming the new James Bond.

It worked for Pierce Brosnan and now it might be the turn for Dublin's Aidan Turner as rumours are rife that he is in the running to replace Daniel Craig as 007.

According to The Sun, Turner is already in talks with producers of the franchise. His previous roles in The Hobbit, Poldark and And Then there Were None have gained him a huge following and makes him a strong contender for the role. However Turner will have to face off some stiff competition from the likes of Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston who have all expressed interest in the job prospect.

Spectre is assumed to be Craig's last appearance as James Bond with director Sam Mendes also throwing in the towel so everything is up for grabs. Perhaps Turner should be expecting a call from M some time soon. We certainly hope so!



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Music Generation is Irelands National Music Education Programme that transforms the lives of young people through access to high quality musicical education.

Music Generation Limerick City (MGLC) has opened a new Creative Centre  the first of its kind to come out of the national music programme instigated by U2.

Music Generation is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, The Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships.

The new centre, at the heart of Limerick City, will act as a base for MGLCs range of after school and weekend sessions. These sessions will focus on self-expression, creativity and inclusion and are run by a team comprising many of Limericks most exciting performers, including members of Windings, the Rusangano family, Naive Ted and more.

The mix of songwriting, production, rap and band mentoring will be in particular be aimed at teens-

an age-group that statistically drop out of conventional music education.

Boris Hunka, co-ordinator of Music Generation Limerick City explains how this is achieved.

Our methodology is quite simple, creating a safe space for people to be creative and try things out. It works for national school children, it works for teenagers, and now were seeing it work with adults.

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In 2009 U2 and The Ireland Funds gifted a 7m philanthropic donation to music education in Ireland.

Bono explained the idea behind the donation saying, "What we want to do is really simple. We just want to make sure that everyone, whatever their background, gets access to music tuition. Thats the idea.

The centre will also act as an informal venue, and will host a range of other arts organisations in the city, as part of the Creative Exchange model pioneered by the Limerick 2020 City of Culture bid.

To find out more about Music Generation Limerick City click here.
Four stops on the itinerary for Wexford-born star

Maverick Sabre has announced a quartet of Irish shows for May.

Billed as 'An Intimate Evening With Maverick Sabre' - steady on, ladies - the shows will be unplugged affairs, probably similar to the storming set he performed at a renewal of Bow St. Sessions earlier this year.

The tour kicks off at the Roisin Dubh on May 19, with visits to Project, Waterford (20), Live at St. Luke's in Cork (21) and Kilkenny's Set Theatre (22) also part of the most-welcome jaunt.

The Wexford-born, London-raised man released his second album, Innerstanding, to significant critical acclaim last year, furthering his claims as one of the most versatile and inventive artists around.
As our favourite Zogians return to TV screens with their new animated series, we get the extraterrestrial lowdown on an extraordinary decade

Arriving in Ireland in the 80s as young aliens, it was clear to see that people wore different clothing. The first thing that springs to mind is desert boots. Ask anyone who was a student in the 80s about desert boots and theyll know exactly what we are talking about. We wore blue, red, green anoraks over a tracksuit tops and ripped denim jeans with skateboard boots.

When we first crash landed here, our main job was to get jokes from the children of Ireland. We asked them to send in jokes, so we could bring them back to the people of our home planet Zog, which was depleted of all jokes. That was the reason we ar- rived on Dempseys Den. Kids used to write us tonnes of letters. That was another thing about the 80s, if you wanted to talk to somebody, and you couldnt ring them on the phone, youd have to send them a letter. There was no email. There was no snapchat, text or mobile phones. It was through all these letters that we discovered what the families of Ireland were eating for their tea. Dinners mainly consisted of mince, onions, or fry-ups. As soon as you opened the envelope, youd know thats a house that has a fry every evening. You could smell the grease off the letters.

There was only RTE1, RTE2, BBC1, BBC2, ITV and, later, Channel 4. They were the only TV stations you could watch. There used to be a prayer at bedtime and the national anthem was played at the end of programming for RTE1 at 7.30pm, then everything shut down. We watched Dynasty, Baywatch, Glenroe. We were big Baywatch fans. We interviewed lots of people off Baywatch, Pamela Anderson, Jeremy Jackson, and many more. Im sure most of them ended up in rehab. The Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles cartoon was being made at the time in Ireland. Our favourite character from Saved By The Bell was the curly-haired nerd Screech. Kelly Kapowski was lovely and we liked Mr. Belding.

We used to hang out with Jerry Fish, the brothers from the Four Of Us, Brendan and Declan Murphy, and the Saw Doctors. Frances Black was around

a lot, Linda Martin, and, of course, Mary Robin- son. We were the first ones to interview her as President of Ireland. Live Aid was pretty huge. We met Bob Geldof loads of times, hes a really nice guy. We were huge fans of Back To The Future. We interviewed Michael J Fox in New York. Sometimes you have a perception of what people are like, but he was even more lovely than youd expect him to be. He is Marty Mcfly.

As for other films, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Ghostbusters, Ferris Buellers Day Off, is a classic. The Goonies was the best film ever made. The Lost Boys was deadly. That was before Kiefer Sutherland got weird. Were huge Bill Murray fans. We used to do this thing called Rotten Apple club, on Friday afternoons on The Den. We got the idea from a Bill Murray.

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When it comes to 80s sex symbols, Madonna springs to mind. Leslie Dowdall, from In Tua Nua, she was hot. Of course, The Hoff and Zach Morris from Saved By The Bell.

There was lots of weird music going on back then. Eighties music was either really good or really bad. We listened to Guns N Roses and Van Halen. There were no CDs, it was either vinyl or cassette tape. Wed have the Stunning on The Den, our favourite band ever. The Four Of Us, Light A Big Fire, An Emotional Fish and The Sultans of Ping. They were all great bands.

Kids in the 80s used to entertain themselves with Rubix cubes and Slinkys. Board games like Monopoly, Cluedo, Game of Life, Mousetrap, Buckeroo, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Operation. Ev- ery television advert was either a toy ad or a snack ad. You dont get that anymore. You cant advertise sugar to children. The trade-off for kids in the 80s was they didnt have diabetes but they didnt have a lot of teeth either. Irish kids got kicked out the door in the morning and were told to come back when its teatime.

We got a Hot Press cover in the 80s, which was very cool. We got interviewed by Graham Linehan at his moms house. A really famous photographer named Colm Henry, whos worked with U2, Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher and Sinead OConnor, did the photo for the cover. It was so rock n roll, we were holding a guitar.

The main difference between the 80s and now is theres more than five television channels. Theres a thing called the internet. You cant just pick a plastic bag up anymore, you have to pay for it.

Potato waffles arent considered part of your five a day. Going to the chipper isnt considered healthy. People werent so concerned with what they ate in the 80s. Nowadays they are, its mad. Nobody jogged on the streets in the 80s, unless you were running away from the guards.

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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-15 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Angelina Jolie to visit Lesvos on Tuesday [02] Refugees' arrivals down in the last 24 due to adverse weather conditions [03] Piraeus port passenger stations packed with refugees; 200 persons expected to be transferred to other areas [01] Angelina Jolie to visit Lesvos on Tuesday Popular US actress UNHCR's Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie will visit the island of Lesvos on Tuesday evening, according to Mytilene newspaper "Embros" website and information the later was confirmed by the local authorities. Sources said that Jolie will tour the refugee camps in Moria and Kara Tepe. [02] Refugees' arrivals down in the last 24 due to adverse weather conditions The number of migrants and refugees stranded on the northeastern Aegean islands was slightly lower on Tuesday. Approximately 8,607 persons are on the islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos, according to police. The gusty winds blowing in the area from Monday morning intercepted the migrants and refugees arrivals. [03] Piraeus port passenger stations packed with refugees; 200 persons expected to be transferred to other areas Piraeus port authority passenger stations are expected to be packed with refugees and migrants on Tuesday after the arrival of two ferries carrying refugees from the eastern Aegean islands raising the number of persons hosted in the station to 4,000. 200 refugees are expected to be transferred from Piraeus port to temporary hosting centers at Lavrio, Grammatiko and Ritsona. Port authorities and police said that their major problem is to persuade the migrants and refugees that their transfer to other safer and more fuctional hosting areas will not trap them and that the border (Greek-Fyrom crossing point) at Idomeni ia, for the time being, closed. Police said that another huge problem they face is an inside information network that can't be easily located that continues to inform the refugees at Meanwhile, 2,797 migrants and refugees were saved in 59 rescue operations held in the sea regions of Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Samos and Kastellorizo in the last three days. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-15 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] The Balkan route will not open again, says PM Tsipras after meeting Armenian president [02] Main opposition slams PM for mishandling refugee crisis, Idomeni incident [01] The Balkan route will not open again, says PM Tsipras after meeting Armenian president Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday in their joint statements expressed their full support of the recent ceasefire in Syria. As Tsipras said, they stressed the need for effectively combating terrorism and the necessary conditions for reconciliation in the country. He noted that the end of the war in Syria and the restoration of normalcy are the main factors for stopping the unprecedented refugee flows from Syria to Europe. Tsipras spoke of the huge effort of the government and the Greek people to receive the thousands of refugees and was briefed on the relevant efforts made by Armenia. Both of them agreed that the refugee crisis does not concern specific countries, but the entire international community, "hence coherent policies are required in solidarity climate for addressing this crisis," Tsipras underlined. Commenting on Monday's events in Idomeni, he noted that the misinformation of refugees is a criminal behavior that must stop. As he said, refugees and migrants are encouraged either to remain at Idomeni under conditions of humanitarian crisis, rather than be transferred to hosting facilities before their relocation, or to walk long distances in harsh conditions with the risk of losing their lives in order to cross the border and find themselves on the opposite side. He also called on the refugees at Idomeni to abandon their efforts to remain in the area because, as he said, some countries' unilateral actions were made on purpose and estimated that the closed borders will not open again. Therefore, they need to be transferred to hosting facilities and "from there on to work together to speed up the process of their legal transfer to other European countries, through the acceleration of the relocation process." The Greek prime minister stressed that the government was implementing a specific plan to manage refugee flows agreed at European level when the Balkan route closed by some countries' unilateral actions. Thus, apart from meeting its European obligations, the government was faced with the need to deal in humanitarian terms with an increasing number of refugees. He stated that the increased refugee flows as a result of closed borders create conditions of an intense humanitarian crisis beyond our responsibility. "We do not want to turn an international and European problem into a cross-border problem between Greece and FYROM," he said, adding that this is why the government appealed to refugees and NGOs to be transferred from the temporary border camps to open hosting facilities throughout the country. Bilateral agreements were signed before the statements. [02] Main opposition slams PM for mishandling refugee crisis, Idomeni incident New Democracy criticized on Tuesday the government and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for his handling of the refugee crisis, saying he has turned the country into a big camp, following the incident at Idomeni on Monday night. "The government remains baffled and completely ineffective [on the refugee crisis] without a purposeful deterrence policy and no contingency plan," the party said after a meeting of its crisis management team, chaired by president Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to the statement released after the meeting, Greece's northern borders closed which is proven by reality and is stated in the EU-Turkey deal co-signed by Tsipras. "The nightmare situation [in Idomeni] is the shame of a completely improper government which is unable to solve any problem. It turns out it does not protect neither borders nor refugees and migrants, nor the security of the country or Greek citizens," the party said, while it urged ministers to step outside of their offices and see the sad reality of Idomeni. ND also accuses Tsipras of being absent noting that although he was the one who co-signed for the closure of the Balkan route, he has "the political nerve to blame others for his utter failure." Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
rsquo;s no use crying over spilled milk or, in this case, stolen milkshake  thats the advice employers at IKEA Ireland should have taken before firing one experienced employee.The retail giant has been hit with a 30,000 fine  equivalent to NZ$50,000  after it sacked bistro worker Ian Fortune for drinking a milkshake without paying for it.Fortune, who had worked at IKEA since 2009, did not dispute taking the milkshake but insisted it was an honest mistake. Bosses disagreed and viewed the incident as gross misconduct.A subsequent investigation and disciplinary meetings were held but Dublin-based Fortune failed to turn up  he told an employment tribunal that they were held while he was on a pre-booked family holiday to France and he had never been informed of them.The employment tribunal eventually ordered IKEA to pay significant compensation to Fortune after a judge ruled the organisation has falsely categorized the slip-up as serious misconduct and therefore had unfairly dismissed him.It concluded that; taken all in all and given the circumstances of the milkshakes and the conversation at the time the Tribunal is not satisfied that the matter amounts to a substantial ground justifying the dismissal.Auckland-based employment lawyer Carl Blake told HRM that the most common firing mistake among New Zealand employers was a lack of following a fair process.Regardless of how absolutely clear an employees misconduct may be in the sense of even being videoed stealing money or engaging in absolutely serious misconduct, a process still needs to be followed allowing the employee an opportunity to respond to the allegations and the proposal to dismiss them before any decisions are made, he stressed.
Even a viral Facebook post wasn't enough to keep French's ketchup on the shelves of one of Canada's most prominent grocery retailers.

CBC News reported Monday that Loblaws is no longer carrying French's ketchup  despite the fact that the product uses tomatoes grown in Leamington, Ont.

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UPDATE: March 15 -- Loblaws told CBC News reporter Jeannie Lee that it will restock French's ketchup soon.

"Demand for the product has been consistently low," a Loblaws official told the network in an email.

"As a result, we have decided to no longer offer it as part of our regular inventory."

Since Heinz decided to pull the plug on its Canadian plant in Leamington, 740 jobs were lost. Heinz decided to make its... Posted by Brian Fernandez on Tuesday, 23 February 2016

French's ketchup became the subject of a popular Facebook post last month after Orillia, Ont. resident Brian Fernandez pointed out why he'd choose the condiment over Heinz from now on.

Fernandez noted that French's, which is also known for its mustard, uses Leamington-grown tomatoes which are processed by Highbury Canco, a company that took over a former Heinz factory in the community two years ago.

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"Absolutely love it!" Fernandez wrote of French's. "Bye. Bye. Heinz."

The post had drawn over 132,000 shares as of Monday evening.

French's Food Company president Elliott Penner told The Windsor Star that it was disappointed at Loblaws' decision, especially as the condiment has seen strong sales among Canadians.

"What we know is that we have just been overwhelmed by the support we have seen from Canadian consumers and it has made French's ketchup the fastest-growing condiment in Canada," he said. "We can't keep the product on the shelf where it is and we're just delighted by that."

Loblaws' decision comes after it promoted French's ketchup in garlic and Buffalo flavours in a December ad campaign.

"It was probably our best ad with them ever," Penner said.

Loblaws told CBC News that it takes up a 34.1 market share of food retailers in Canada.

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Danger lurks in many places at the Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment in Richmond, B.C.

The so-called "million dollar playground" in the Vancouver suburb has a 10-metre-tall treehouse, a twisting slide, and 35-metre-long ziplines.

There are plenty of opportunities for kids to fall and hurt themselves  and one neighbouring community likes that idea so much, it wants to follow Richmond's lead, CTV News reported Monday.

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The community of Delta, B.C. is looking at updating its Annieville playground with riskier equipment, after a public health expert told council that kids who play safe when they're young show more signs of depression and anxiety later in life.

The goal is "to raise a generation of kids that feel comfortable with trying new things and being creative and feel comfortable failing," UBC professor Mariana Brussoni told CTV.

Taking risks good for development

Learning how to handle risks teaches kids how to "protect themselves in challenging environments," according to University of Texas professor Joe Frost.

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"The view that children must somehow be sheltered from all risks of injury is a common misconception of adults."

"The view that children must somehow be sheltered from all risks of injury is a common misconception of adults," he wrote in a 2006 paper.

Frost said that limiting kids' outdoor play can harm them later in life during an interview with the Journal of Play two years later.

"It limits their physical fitness, hurts their health, and reduces learning and the ability to cope with trauma," the professor said.

"Research shows that when children engage in free, spontaneous play outdoors, they adapt more readily to their culture, to society, and to the world. They build fine and gross motor skills. They learn to negotiate and solve problems. They stretch their imagination."

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In Richmond, many parents  and their kids  have praised the Terra Nova park's unique (and somewhat risky) design.

"At the end of the day, you're never going to be able to protect your kids from everything that could happen to them," Levi Higgs, father to seven-year-old Lochlan, told CTV.

"You have to get them to learn for themselves how to handle themselves and be able to pick themselves up."

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BiotaGelata

Clear out your freezer. Nutrition and food science students at the University of Alberta just invented a healthy, dairy-free "gelato."

BiotaGelata is filled with nutritious vitamins, is dairy and gluten-free and contains fewer calories than a real cup of gelato. It's also made entirely out of Canadian ingredients.

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Sounds too good to be true, right? It only gets healthier.

The "gelata" is made entirely out of pulses  the seeds of plants in the legume family. That means instead of creamy, high-fat milk, the dessert is made out of high-protein foods like white beans and kidney beans.

Austen Neil, Chandre Van De Merwe and Nicolle Mah came up with odd and tasty concoction for a February competition held by Pulse Canada, Canada's industry association for pulse crops.

Biota Gelata - MI team from U of A pic.twitter.com/bSDzIOPyJQ  Allison Ammeter (@AAmmeter) February 23, 2016

BiotaGelata is made with fermentation. By breaking the pulses down, it allows it to turn into a yoghurt-like substance.

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If you had given me that gelato in a blind taste test, I would have said, Its a milk product. That gelato was incredible," Allison Ammeter, chair of Alberta Pulse Growers, told news site Alberta Farmer.

The expo is one of the biggest food industry events in the world.

This is the students chance to make contacts in the industry as well as potentially find a company or food processor who might be interested in their innovative pulse product, Debra McLennan, an Alberta Pulse representative told The University of Alberta's newsletter.

While the project is still in its prototype phase, the students are hoping to manufacture it for sale eventually. So far it has three flavours  maple walnut, passion fruit and dark chocolate cassis.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated that the gelata is made from lentils and chickpeas. It is in fact made from beans.

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The Edmonton Catholic School District is on its third draft LGBTQ student policy. (Photo: Anthony Easton/Flickr)

UPDATE: The Edmonton Catholic School District voted to pass the policy Tuesday evening.

The Edmonton Catholic School District has released its third version of a policy to include LGBTQ students, and one critic is calling it the worst attempt yet.

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Alberta's education minister gave provincial school boards until March 31 to submit LGBTQ policy drafts. The Edmonton Catholic school board has repeatedly dragged its feet on submitting a document that follows Alberta's guidelines.

The latest proposed policy is just over one page long, and states that "discrimination ... is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent."

Its so generic that it is practically meaningless."

The current draft does not describe or define what constitutes discrimination. It also doesn't state how it will comply with the province's guidelines, instead noting that students and staff will be provided with a "welcoming, caring, respectful, safe and Catholic environment."

Kris Wells, director of the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services at the University of Alberta, said it is the board's weakest attempt to date.

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Its so generic that it is practically meaningless," Wells told Metro News.

- Policy isn't even compliant with Bill 10 & is so generic it has no meaning. The 1st & 2nd policy attempts were better than this one!?  Dr. Kristopher Wells (@KristopherWells) March 14, 2016

John Acheson, vice-chair of the Edmonton Catholic School Board, said the policy "is not to be seen in a negative light as a compromise."

Human rights complaint

The Edmonton Catholic school district was the subject of a human rights complaint from a seven-year-old transgender student last year, because she wasn't allowed to use the girls' washroom.

Marni Panas, a transgender parent who has a child attending Catholic school, told the Edmonton Journal the current draft policy goes no further than the one that led to the girl's initial complaint.

@ABActivist@EdmCathSchools@EPSBNews It's barely adequate minimum standard under law. Nothing more. Need much more. Kids are suffering.  Marni Panas (@marnipanas) March 15, 2016

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The Edmonton Catholic board's policy is set to go before trustees Tuesday. Alberta Education Minister David Eggen said he will reserve comment until then.

"All school boards know that they have to make sure that they protect all children equally," said Eggen in an interview with CBC News.

The Edmonton Catholic School Board isn't the only one skirting the province's guidelines for supporting LGBTQ students.

The Grande Prairie Catholic School District said it has no intention of respecting provincial recommendations that students be allowed to self-identify with preferred gender pronouns.

Supt. Karl Germann told The Daily Herald Tribune that the board's policy only intends to recognize the gender printed on a child's birth certificate.

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alexskopje via Getty Images Immigration Canada

A Costa Rican family's application for permanent residency in Canada has been denied. Why? They were told it's because their son with Down syndrome would be a financial burden on Canadian taxpayers.

Felipe Montoya, his wife Alejandra Garcia-Prieto and their two teenagers moved to Canada three years ago when Montoya was offered a tenured professorship at York University.

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The application process, that started over three years ago, was long drawn "mainly because my son has Down syndrome," Montoya told the CBC's Metro Morning earlier this week.

According to Canada's Immigration and Citizenship Act "a foreign national is inadmissible on health grounds if their health condition might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services." The government defines "excessive" as anything that costs more than $6,387 per year.

Montoya says his son Nico was singled out for additional tests like thyroid and psychological exams during the initial application. "My son was completely healthy but the only difference is that he has a genetic condition that makes him different," Montoya said in his CBC Radio interview.

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According to Montoya, this is where the injustice lies. "The truth is that Down syndrome people, like anyone else, are liable to get any kind of disease. Someone who gets sick, someone who loses their job, someone who goes one welfare -- all of these things can cause excessive demand. And picking on people with disabilities is not right and Canada knows it's not right."

An article on Council of Canadians with Disabilities' website argues that even Stephen Hawking wouldn't be admitted to Canada given our current immigration policy. The article goes on to say that the immigration policy as it stands doesn't recognize the value that people with disabilities and their families can offer Canadian society.

This is not the first time families have been denied residency because of a child's disability. In 2011, a French family living in Montreal was facing deportation until the Quebec's Immigration Ministry intervened.

The ministry came to an agreement with the federal government, which initially denied Rachel Barlagne's family residency because the eight-year-old had cerebral palsy. Both levels of government have been tight-lipped about the change of heart, only saying that they worked hard to come to a solution together.

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The Montoyas on the other hand plan to move back to Costa Rica in June. They continue to speak out on this issue though because "it's more a matter of principle," Montoya said to the CBC.

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A Silicon Valley investment exec is denying allegations that he sexually and physically abused a trafficked woman for 13 years, and then reneged on a promise to pay her $40 million to keep quiet.

In a lawsuit filed last week in a San Mateo, California, state court, Amber Laurel Baptiste alleged that Michael Goguen, a partner at investment firm Sequoia Partners, abused Baptiste sexually, physically and emotionally over a period of 13 years.

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Baptiste had been a victim of human trafficking at the age of 15, and met Goguen in 2001 while working at a strip club in Texas, the lawsuit stated. She submitted to Mr. Goguen s constant sexual abuse, relying on his promise that he would help her break free of the human traffickers who held her in perpetual debt, the lawsuit said, as quoted at the Wall Street Journal.

The lawsuit also alleged that Goguen had agreed to pay Baptiste US$40 million in $10-million installments to settle the matter, but stopped paying after the first installment.

Baptiste suffered countless hours of forced sodomy at Goguens hands, who demanded she call him emperor and king, according to the New York Posts description of the suit.

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Goguen resigned last week from Sequoia Partners, and both he and the company stressed the charges had nothing to do with the venture capital firm.

Sequoia Capital is one of the largest venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, and was an early investor in Apple, Google and other major tech companies.

We understand the allegations about Michael Goguen are unproven and unrelated to Sequoia. Still, we decided his departure was appropriate.  Sequoia Capital (@sequoia) March 12, 2016

Goguen filed a counter-suit this past Monday, accusing Baptiste of extortion and invasion of privacy, the International Business Times reports.

These horrific allegations against me come at the end of a 10+ year romantic relationship that ended badly, Goguen told Bloomberg in an e-mailed statement. Not surprisingly, the complaint is filled with every horrible buzzword you could throw at someone in todays society to destroy their reputation.

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The case has cast renewed attention on the issue of treatment of women in the tech industry, which has become famous for a dearth of women and accusations of sexism at some companies.

One of Sequioas major competitors, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, was the target of a recent high-profile sexism lawsuit brought by Ellen Pao, who alleged the company had discriminated against her because of her gender, and then fired her when she filed a discrimination suit.

Though Kleiner Perkins won that fight, the case brought unprecedented attention to the issue of gender in the tech industry.

Sequoia Capital was itself embroiled in a controversy over gender, when partner Mike Moritz declared his company would not lower our standards to meet gender equality targets.
Most people expect to see elephants on a safari, but for one group of tourists, this was quite the treat.

Nicki Coertze, a 58-year-old minister from South Africa, was visiting Kruger National Park with his family recently, when he spotted a small pink elephant.

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"I was trying to keep super still in spite of the excitement of the others in the car," Coertze told Caters News Agency.

The calf, thought to be an albino, was seen drinking from a river with its mother.

Coertze said he's been visiting the park since his childhood, and has never seen an animal like this.

"I have an idea that this is a once in a lifetime sighting for me."

While albinos are rare among African elephants, this isn't the first time one has been spotted.

BBC wildlife cameraman Mike Holding snapped some photos of a pink calf in Botswana back in 2009.

Ecologist Dr. Mike Chase told the BBC at the time the sighting was likely the first recorded one in the country.

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He said he'd only come across three other references to albino calves, and those were in Kruger National Park.

Chase also acknowledged the elephants may have a hard life in the harsh African sun, which could lead to them going blind or developing skin problems.

A couple who lived near the park also spotted a rare albino back in 2005, according to IOL.

Dr. Ian Whyte, a Kruger park specialist in large herbivores, told the South African news site that it's possible they're more common than we think, but many don't survive.

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Sure, we all love self-tanning. Who doesn't enjoy obtaining a natural sun-kissed glow without the damaging UV rays? Clearly, many, because the tanning industry is booming.

But the industry just took an alarming turn when one Swedish company was accused of selling products that are making customers transform into a whole new race...

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Doing some tanlines for a living  A photo posted by Spraytan Specialist (@emmaatan_) on Feb 11, 2016 at 8:06am PST

Emmaatan, the Stockholm-based tanning company owned by Emma Patissier Alm, is currently facing major backlash for "selling black face in a bottle" with its line of "dark chocolate," "dark ash," and "caramel" spray tans, which are all completely sold out on their website right now.

Many bloggers and Tumblr users are pointing out the major issues with the company. BlackGirlLongHair writes how problematic the Swedish brand is, as "shaming dark skin is a foundational tenet of many beauty norms  not just in the United States, but worldwide."

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Crazy that white ppl can spray tan their skin "dark chocolate" but will go crazy over a black person at a Trump rally.  slim kardashian. (@_honestlyivana) March 12, 2016

Clutch Magazine also weighed in on the issue writing that Emmaatan was selling blackness "without the burden." Twitter and Tumblr users agree, with one saying, "Its funny that they think its ok for them to be black but not for black people to be black."

@jackieaina@diinnaad that's not even tan it's blackface lmao. She's literally changing her whole race not tanning.  destiny rose (@Iesbean) March 11, 2016

When you think tanning couldn't get worse, they go harder and harder on the blackface.  necromancer barbie (@ellietheskull) March 10, 2016

White folks got "dark chocolate" tanning sprays now? Oh. Ok.  The Old Kanye (@onthelam_) March 12, 2016

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After removing their Instagram account for hours, the company, with 18,000 followers, returned to the social media app to explain Patissier Alm's side of the story.

"I'm in chock (sic) for the response I've gotten and may have responded and commented the wrong way because I expect Ppl (sic) to know how Spraytan works . I've got a lot of feedback and mostly been called 'black face' and racist. Ppl looks (sic) at my pic I've posted and without a blink assuming we desire to look black, I understand why it might seem that way and I apologise for the miss understanding (sic) my pic may have approached."

She continues, "I do feel I need to explain the factor of a spraytan, first of all it never gets black, a lot of my pic is a result of a few sec after applying the tan. fake tan always gets really dark because of the activation of the result of the color...My color isn't going for black it's going for a natural golden tan when you wash it off. I never want my customers to look un natural or to (sic) dark since we usually have a lighter skin tone . You also have to understand I have ppl with dark and pale skin tone and therefore look darker or lighter."

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She concludes, "I love all skin types and that's why I think ppl should be able to choose for what they feel good in, as long as you respect ppl around you. I understand a lot of you don't agree with the tan industry but I don't want you to think we want to go for a crazy black tan, we don't! At least not all of us. I can't speak for everyone but I personally are trying to keep it natural. Please reconsider calling ppl names, it's not helping to communicate and trying to understand."

Love this new arrival mousse. In stock next week  A photo posted by Spraytan Specialist (@emmaatan_) on Oct 11, 2015 at 3:48am PDT

While her intentions might be there, the people of the Internet are still not buying it.

But it looks like the Swedish company is back at it and continuing on after the backlash. Now the question is: will their business boom after all the criticism? We'll have to see.

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A day after two members of the Canadian Forces were attacked in Toronto, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to social media to say Canadians won't be "intimidated by terror and hate."

The prime minister also wished the victims a "full recovery."

Canadians - and the @CanadianForces - will not be intimidated by terror & hate. May the CAF members injured yesterday make a full recovery.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 15, 2016

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Trudeau's tweet represented his first comments on the attack at a military recruitment centre Monday afternoon. While the prime minister did not release an official statement on the matter that night, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale addressed the incident in a release.

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters Tuesday that that it doesn't appear the suspect, Montreal-born Ayanle Hassan Ali, was working "in concert with any organization" or terrorist group. However, the 27-year-old is alleged to have deliberately targeted military personnel.

Saunders also quoted the man as saying: "Allah told me to do this, Allah told me to come here and kill people."

'Isolated incident': Goodale

In his statement Monday, Goodale said that while it was premature to comment, RCMP information suggested it was "an isolated incident" and that there was no imminent threat to public safety.

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"Canadians can be assured that their police and security agencies are fully engaged and are discharging their responsibilities," he said, adding that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims.

Police officers investigate the crime scene where two uniformed Canadian soldiers were stabbed. (Photo: Canadian Press)

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose was also careful with her words in the statement she released shortly after the attack. Ambrose extended sympathies to soldiers "wounded in an unprovoked attack."

She also lauded the two members for their actions to thwart a situation that threatened the security of others, saying their bravery was reflective of the "high standards" of the Canadian Armed Forces.

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"While we have no confirmation of the reasons for this attack, it is my hope that regardless of the motivation, the perpetrator faces the full force and weight of the criminal justice system for his actions," she said.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan also did not release an official statement but shared his thoughts on Facebook.

"My thoughts are with the Canadian Forces members injured today in Toronto, and with those who responded bravely in the face of danger," he wrote.

My thoughts are with the Canadian Forces members injured today in Toronto, and with those who responded bravely in the face of danger. Posted by Harjit Sajjan on Monday, March 14, 2016

Memories of 2014 attacks

The attack brought to mind memories of two fatal attacks on Canadian soldiers in Montreal and Ottawa in October 2014.

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On Oct. 20, 2014, Tory MP Randy Hoback rose during question period to ask then-prime minister Stephen Harper to address "unconfirmed reports of a possible terror attack" near Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Harper said he was aware of the "extremely troubling" reports and said thoughts and prayers were with victims.

Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was killed that day after he was run down by Martin Couture-Rouleau, a radicalized Quebec man.

Just two days later, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed at the National War Memorial by professed "mujahedeen" Michael Zehaf Bibeau, who was later gunned down when he stormed Parliament Hill.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Bloomberg via Getty Images The logo of Bombardier Inc. sits on display at the Paris Air Show in Paris, France, on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. The 49th International Paris Air Show, the world's largest aviation and space industry show, takes place at Le Bourget airport June 20-26. Photographer: Fabrice Dimier/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bombardier Inc. has had a tough go lately. Pundits and advocacy groups -- including the Canadian Taxpayers Federation -- have beenpokingaway at the aerospace company as a symbol of wasteful public subsidies to private business. The company's stock is down, hammered by poor quarterly results and a lack of orders of their new C-Series plane. Even the lone bright spot -- a fortuitously-timed order from Air Canada on February 17 -- was all but nullified by news a week later that Republic Airways, an American customer which had also placed a C-Series order, was filing for bankruptcy protection.

No doubt there was considerable relief in the Bombardier executive suite, then, to read such strong support from an ally: progressive economist Jim Stanford, whose March 9 defence of aerospace subsidies reads like a Coles Notes version of boilerplate arguments regularly trotted out in defence of corporate welfare.

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Stanford invites us to reimagine Bombardier's demand for another taxpayer handout as an exciting opportunity for an "equity investment" (presumably so exciting that there are no interested private sector partners). He takes umbrage at the notion that a company which cannot survive without state largesse could possibly be considered an "economic loser." Instead, he suggests Bombardier's desperate cry for help is actually a sort of perverse corporate swagger: taxpayers are merely "being asked to support the continued success of a proven winner."

How can a company that bleeds billions of dollars be a "winner?" Some creativity is required, but Stanford is up to the task. In his view, focusing on the usual metrics for businesses -- such as "does the company make money?" or "can it actually sell the products it makes?" -- is evidence of a dangerous affliction he refers to as "market fundamentalism." He instead points to benefits such as the "good jobs" such companies offer; the "value added" and "innovation" created by the sector; and finally, to its "export intensity."

His first argument is simple: aerospace jobs tend to pay well, so they are therefore "good jobs." But this is as silly as saying a "good customer" is someone you pay to buy your products: yes they're buying a lot from you, but you now have to factor in the cost of paying them as well. Besides, if the only important measure of a "good job" is that employees receive hefty paychecks, why stop at aerospace? Governments could simply pay people $50 an hour to sell lemonade, with very similar "spinoff" and "economic impact" effects.

The same problem arises with the "value added" argument: any honest measure of "added" value must surely also include the additional cost of any public subsidy, in the same way that profit isn't just calculated by the sale price of a plane: it's the sale price less the cost to make it (Stanford may be forgiven here given the widespread misuse of the concept of "value-added.")

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On innovation, Stanford's notes that tax dollars end up funding research and development. This sounds good until you consider that the results are privately owned, rather than available to the public. If certain types of research are true public goods, insofar as they are important to society as a whole, we should fund such research directly through public institutions like universities, rather than bankrolling a private business that reaps all the benefits. And for research which only has commercial value, why on earth should public funds be going to enrich Bombardier shareholders?

Finally, Stanford lauds aerospace as a "growth" industry during a time of overall economic malaise, noting that "total shipments have increased 60 per cent in the past five years." This argument loses much of its attraction when each plane costs more to make than for which it can be sold. As the old joke goes "we're losing money on every sale, but we can make it up on volume!"

Stripped down, Stanford's position is that private businesses should not be treated like private businesses; their fate should not be left to such vulgar mechanisms as "profit" and "loss" but to a sort of holistic assessment of what smart people, including Stanford, happen to feel is subjectively "important." One would think that spending public dollars on public services would be considered more important than padding corporate coffers. But perhaps that's a question Jim Stanford isn't comfortable answering.

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shutterstock man wearing a suit vaping with...

Ontario's goal to help people make healthier choices by strengthening smoking and vaping laws is a perfect example of Nietzsche's aphorism to take care when battling monsters that you don't become one yourself.

Here's why.

The Making Healthier Choices Act -- true Orwellian doublespeak -- treats vaping as if it was as harmful as smoking.

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This imaginative warping of the facts requires the province to ignore the growing scientific evidence that whether inhaled directly or second-hand, vaping has not been strongly associated with the negative health effects of inhaling combusted tobacco products. Treating the two as if they were equally harmful will have the monstrous result of keeping smokers smoking, thereby risking their health and lives.

The e-cigarettes used when vaping contain no tobacco and are not burned like traditional cigarettes. Instead, the vapour they emit contains nicotine and other ingredients that are electronically vaporized, then inhaled.

Public Health England -- that country's equivalent of Health Canada -- released an extensive analysis last summer finding the "best estimates show e-cigarettes are 95 per cent less harmful to your health than normal cigarettes, and when supported by a smoking cessation service, help most smokers to quit tobacco altogether."

Ontario is making a mistake. Casting aspersions on nicotine addicts will not yield the positive result of smokers making healthier choices.

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Ontario is permitted to enact public health and safety laws, but those laws cannot violate the rights to life and security of the person in an irrational or arbitrary fashion.

If the province wants smokers to make healthier choices, it should promote harm reduction. And vaping is just the thing. Replacing cigarettes with vaping reaps health benefits within weeks, even days. It is entirely irrational for Ontario to erect needless barriers to vaping.

To an addict struggling to quit, the choice is simple -- vaping is a cost-effective, life-saving intervention.

Needless barrier number one: Since vaping delivers less nicotine than smoking, forcing vapers to go outside and stand among smokers undercuts the efficacy of using e-cigarettes.

It's like holding an AA meeting in a bar at happy hour. Vaping won't work in a context when your body craves its next hit of nicotine. The fiction that smoking and vaping are equally harmful will undermine smokers' efforts to take up the less risky habit.

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Needless barrier two: Since Ontario plans to ban vaping in all public spaces, customers of vape shops will no longer be able to sample a product prior to purchase to make sure it's suitable for them.

This is an important service that helps vapers to use their devices safely and effectively. The City of Calgary recognizes this and exempts vape shops in its bylaw.

Why the push to erect these barriers? Perhaps it's because children will observe and become smokers? That canard has been conclusively dismissed by the evidence -- vaping is not a so-called "gateway."

Perhaps it's the "Bootleggers and Baptists" phenomenon where two polar opposite groups find a common interest in promoting simplistic prohibition-era thinking on a complicated, nuanced topic? Or perhaps anti-smoking activists can settle for nothing short of punishing all their perceived foes instead of compassionately advocating for life-saving harm reduction alternatives to smoking?

Whatever the province's misguided motivation, this legislation is going to attract constitutional scrutiny as an irrational and arbitrary restriction of Charter 7 rights.

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Sure, Ontario is permitted to enact public health and safety laws, but those laws cannot violate the rights to life and security of the person in an irrational or arbitrary fashion.

In a comparable 2011 case, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal government must renew a Controlled Drug and Substances Act exemption for the Insite safe injection clinic in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

The exemption permitted clients to inject illicit drugs under the supervision of medical staff without the risk of arrest. Ignoring the evidence, the federal minister responsible refused to renew the exemption in 2008 and the clinic initiated legal proceedings.

In that case, the evidence was clear -- the clinic successfully reduced harm by saving lives and improving the health of those using its services. No amount of imaginative warping could assail the facts. The court held that failing to renew the exemption violated the Charter.

Ontario's treatment of vapers is subject to this same criticism. Vaping is an effective harm reduction tool. It is undeniably less dangerous to life and health than smoking. And because the province's needless barriers to vaping result in keeping smokers addicted to their extremely harmful habit, Ontario's proposed treatment of e-cigarettes should be abandoned completely.

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AndreyPopov via Getty Images A Male Hand Filling Out The Amount On A Cheque

News this month that the Interior Health Authority had reached a 20-year agreement to outsource laundry services to Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service is the latest in a long string of odd coincidences involving companies that donate to the B.C. Liberal party and companies that do well by the B.C. government.

Ecotex has donated more than $125,000 to the B.C. Liberals since 2005.

Its billings to the Fraser Health Authority -- where it has a similar contract -- have risen from $5.44 million in 2007 to $7.7 million in 2015, an increase of 41.6 per cent.

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Truth be told similar coincidences have been happening between campaign contributors and political parties since time immemorial, but the B.C. government may have refined it to an art form.

Maximum political benefit, minimal political blowback.

Just thumb through the party's 2009 donor list for a sense of how widespread the practice of awarding contracts to friends has become.

Back then, someone must have woke up on New Year's Day with one hell of a hangover -- not from the night before -- but from the bank balance in the B.C. Liberal party's account.

According to the party's audited financial statements, it had $826,594 in cash. It also had $1.26 million in accounts payable.

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A far cry from where it was in 2005, when the party boasted $2.9 million in cash and $487,470 in accounts payable.

Not the best of times to raise bucks, either. B.C. was in the midst of the recession.

The start of the 2009 campaign was weeks away, so the party hit up its close friends first and friends-to-be next.

In three months, it raised $5.2 million, more than they had pulled in for all of 2006.

Who came to the rescue?

On February 18, the party reported 240 donations totalling $827,178, including 36 cheques -- each in the amount of $5,000 -- from 30 companies and four individuals.

At the time, Partnerships B.C. (PBC) was in the short-list phase on four public infrastructure projects valued at $4.45 billion, among them the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the Port Mann bridge.

Eleven of the 30 companies stood to benefit through the proponents short-listed on those projects.

In a remarkable coincidence, all 11 won. They included Kiewit, Flatiron, Ledcor, PCL Constructors and Plenary Group.

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The party wears the coincidences proudly, though. At a November 2013 Rich Coleman fundraising event, the banner summed it up: "We won. It's Christmas every day."

Of the 19 companies that walked away empty-handed from all four deals, only two made donations over a 10-year period, totalling $3,050.

Two of the 30 companies -- French-based construction firm Bouygues and Kasian Architecture -- were part of a partnership shortlisted to build the new RCMP "E" Division headquarters in Surrey.

They won.

PBC had been hired as a P3 advisor in the early stages of that project.

Seven of the companies were on B.C. Hydro's shortlist for independent energy purchase agreements. Four won.

Of the three that didn't, one was in the midst of an environmental assessment. Their certificate came through 10 months later.

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The other two stopped donating within months.

SNC-Lavalin -- another of the $5,000 donors -- was finishing off the Canada Line and would go on to win the contract for the Evergreen Line.

The 16 successful companies donated $343,188 to the Liberals in 2009.

There were other contributors.

Between January 1 and March 31, the party received 2,173 donations, including 932 cheques for a $1,000 or more, totalling $4.7 million.

They didn't come from 932 unique donors, however. And when all the cheques are assigned to the right donor, some were quite generous.

Seventeen companies gave a total of $1.7 million, more than a third of the $4.7 million haul.

Onni Contracting wrote out the largest cheque ($150,000), but it wasn't the largest contributor. That honour goes to Teck Resources ($231,139).

One vaulted from 57th place to third, when donations from 20 of his other companies are added in, for a grand total of $139,500.

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There were MLAs on the list: Dr. Moira Stilwell gave $1,200 and John Yap $1,000, but much of it reads like a government procurement directory: KPMG ($8,500), Bombardier ($1,000), CN Rail ($3,500), Seaspan ($4,700) and Imperial Parking ($1,800).

Other names read like a who's who of those hoping for a friendly ear.

Hassan Khosrowshahi of Burke Mountain fame donated $24,500, the B.C. Lions ($3,500), Northern Gateway Pipelines ($11,500) and lobbyist Patrick Kinsella ($4,900).

Three provincial environment assessments were underway at the time.

Naikun Wind Development ($5,700) had its assessment approved by December 2009.

Certificates for Encana's ($104,500) Cabin Gas Plant project and Belkorp's ($3,000) Cache Creek landfill extension project came through a month later.

Who's missing from the list? Unhappy campers.

The party wears the coincidences proudly, though.

At a November 2013 Rich Coleman fundraising event, the banner summed it up: "We won. It's Christmas every day."

Unless noted all figures in parentheses are for the first quarter of 2009.

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The five things you need to know on Tuesday March 15, 2016

1) DAZE OF HOPE

You always know a newsdesk are short of ideas when they write a 100 days toX feature. But that hasnt stopped No.10 and the EU In campaign from pushing hard David Camerons latest Project Fear message today. Yes, dear reader, we are a century of earth spins until the June 23 EU referendum. And we have "100 days to secure our future", the PM will warn (in a seaside port) today, citing higher prices, job cuts and dangerous streets under Brexit. Peter Mandelson even piles in with a speech today.

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But whats this? Lynton Crosby, the mastermind behind his general election victory, suggests that the referendum is very finely balanced indeed and his debut piece in the Telegraph is fascinating reading. The paper splashes too on a new ORB poll (analysed by the Wizard of Oz) in which puts Remain on 47% and Leave on 48%. And when likelihood to vote is taken into account, the Brexit camp would win by 52% to 44%.

Sounds a bit like Andy Burnham who told Cambridge University Labour Club: If I was to lay money on it now, tonight, I would bet that Brexit is going to win, and I dont like saying that, but I feel that from talking to people in my own constituency.

Is Project Hope (copyright Boris Johnson) beating Project Fear? Well, Brexiteers own Project Fear could swing it, Sir Lynton suggests. The public sees risks in staying in the EU as well as quitting and the big fear is uncontrolled immigration. No wonder Western capitals are wondering if Russias pullout of Syria will secure the ceasefire and reduce the exodus of refugees to Europe.

Meanwhile, the USs top general in Europe, Lt-Gen Frederick Hodges, tells the BBC Brexit would undermine Nato. No wonder the White House last night repeated its line that it wanted the UK to stay in the EU. (Note that Ted Cruz said this weekend however that Obamas warnings to the UK will make it more likely that England will pull out of the EU").

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As for Michael Goves role in the Queen/Brexit story, hes been deliberately mischievous with that quote over the weekend suggesting he was indeed one source, however indirectly, for the Sun story. Will he cough more details before the Justice select committee tomorrow? Will he be asked a straight question and give a straight answer?

Today is March 15. That's yer actual date of The Ides of March. And both Cameron and Corbyn are acutely aware of the threats to their leaderships...

2) GOING ROGUE

Labours problems with anti-semitism continue and last nights PLP (read my report HERE) saw Louise Ellman, Tristram Hunt, Angela Smith and Yvette Cooper all urge tougher action to expel people like Vicky Kirby. Some Corbyn allies think they are getting it in the neck unfairly for decisions made by the NEC under Ed Miliband. Note John McDonnell said he was open to a look at making the rules more robust.

There was a bit of light relief yesterday for Team Corbyn with that ICM/Guardian poll putting Labour and the Tories neck and neck on 36%. The whoops of joy were muted by ICM itself suggesting it was a 'rogue' finding.

But what about the bigger picture, and that mooted leadership challenge? The FT reports that the wagons are circling and those close to Corbyn now expect a challenge soon after the EU referendum. Yet it sounded like Chuka Umunna, for one, was backing off the summer coup last night on ITVs Agenda. He said he hasnt been in the job for a year yet and hinted that most of the PLP agreed he should stay to September. That's not the message some other MPs are putting out.

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The Times reports that moderates are having success in London at least in their fightback against Momentum at local level. The key will be the NEC CLP elections, and again the moderates are hopeful but Momentum is gearing up a big challenge. The Indy reports one of the Left candidates was forced to apologise in 2013 after joking that Tony Blair should share Margaret Thatchers coffin.

Simon Danczuk is under fresh pressure with the Sun saying he could be forced to repay 11k in expenses. But will Labour get Tory help in its bid to avoid 8m cuts to its finding in the trade union bill? Lord Cormack formally added his name to a cross-party amendment yesterday and ministers are up for some compromise - but not perhaps the one Labour wants.

3) THE MASTER BUILDER

George Osbornes reputation for masterful PR ahead of Budgets has taken a knock of late, but his team get full marks for the spin on his expected Northern Powerhouse announcement of backing for HS3 and Crossrail2 tomorrow. The papers are full of it (some even splash on it), despite much of the 300m cash being preannounced, the fact that this is preparatory work for projects years away and the fact that most of the dosh goes to London not the north (a neat victory for Boris, once more).

William Hague writes in the Telegraph that his former PMQs prep aide (yes thats how Osborne cut his teeth) is now the most brilliant political mind of his generation. Rob Halfon may not be convinced of that if there is a fuel duty rise, and the Telegraph reports the Cabinet Office minister is pushing hard against one.

There are a few other pre-Budget tales around, with the IFS warning police and councils will bear the brunt on the deeper cuts. The LGA warns, via the FT, of the stealth tax of 400m in extra apprentice costs. The Mail worries more widely about the crippling cost of the living wage, with firms like Tesco and B&Q cutting overtime and new hires to afford the 50p rise next month.

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BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch this new attack ad against Donald Trump, highlighting his sexism. It's funded by a Republican super-PAC. Just imagine what the Democrats will do.

4) SPEED READ

We report a warning from Big Brother Watch that MPs will spend just five hours today debating the 245-page Investigatory Powers Bill, plus a further 700 pages of supplementary documents that explain the legislation in detail. Funnily enough Edward Snowden retweeted my link to this story (his 1.9m followers explains why my timeline went into meltdown), but BBW has done a neat gif of how this bill would affect your own web-browsing habits.

There are a quite a few Tory civil liberties defenders ready to oppose the bill but thats all academic if Labour abstains as Andy Burnham has signalled. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has described that decision as gutless. The SNP are vowing resolute opposition too. (On the equivocation front, Im told that a last nights CitizensUK rally, Burnham ally Keir Starmer refused to sign a pledge to take more refugees).

The Guardian has a letter from more than 200 senior legal bods, including former judges, QCs and others, saying that the surveillance bill is not fit for purpose.

5) 999 EMERGENCY

I wonder, just wonder, if the Chancellor will pump some extra cash into the NHS in the Budget this week? Some in Whitehall have mooted it as one way of taking the edge off the overall cuts narrative, by diverting savings into the health service just as it looks like its finances are under severe strain (despite having ring-fenced funding, its appetite for cash is insatiable thanks to our ageing population and agency staff pressures).

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The Public Accounts Committee today picks up on the topic of NHS financing that can leave some cold but which is vitally important. Yes, this is the other deficit denial, the one George Osborne doesnt like to talk about  the NHSs huge deficits.

Theres a 2.3bn deficit now. I remember when NHS chief exec Nigel Crisp was fired for running up debts a fraction of that.

Meg Hiller says there is not yet a convincing plan in place for closing the 22 billion efficiency gap and avoiding a black hole in the NHS finances.

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Brazil doesn't do things by halves.

Three years ago, visiting the country you could still sense the optimism about the future, but now the country is in the grip of a downward spiral driven by pessimism fuelled by relentlessly negative media coverage.

In 2013, the economy, which weathered the global economic crisis of 2008 pretty well, was still growing at just under 3% a year and the government of President Dilma Rousseff was still regarded positively by a majority.

Fast-forward to today, the economy is in a deep recession that's yet to bottom out.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, President Rousseff's popularity is in the doldrums and there have been renewed protests this weekend calling for her to resign or be impeached.

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The international media has focussed on these headlines and of course the huge corruption scandal known as "Lava Jato", which began as an investigation into money laundering, but has exposed the misappropriation of huge sums from the national oil company, Petrobras, to use for funding campaign finance and pay bribes to facilitate the scheme.

The losses Petrobras has incurred from the scandal have badly damaged the company, which has also been hit by the collapse in global oil prices.

Other large Brazilian companies, like the construction firm Odebrecht, which a few years ago were expanding successfully abroad, have been implicated in the scandal and their operations undermined too - CEO, Marcelo Odebrecht, was recently given 19 years for paying bribes to Petrobras executives.

But the scandal is not just damaging the economy; it's also threatening to reverse the social gains Brazil has made under the leadership of Lula and his successor President Rousseff of the Workers' Party, PT.

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Less than twenty years ago, Brazil was one of the most unequal countries in the world. But under the PT presidencies, 30 million Brazilians (out of population of 200 million) have been lifted out of poverty by federal government action.

The Bolsa Familia scheme, where the poor get cash supplements if they vaccinate their children and send them to school, along with extending employment rights to workers who'd previously worked on a casual basis have been very effective. There have also been attempts at affirmative action to give poorer Brazilians more opportunities in education.

But not everyone in the country has welcomed this. Many of the wealthy and the middle classes, who have been prominent in the anti-Rousseff protests organised by right-wing activists , resent these changes passionately.

They don't like that their maids now have better employment protection. They complain their children can't get into their first choice university because the government is reserving places for poorer people. I have even heard well educated, seemingly sensible people say the PT is trying to turn Brazil into Cuba.

Such an idea would be risible if the stakes weren't so serious.

There is no doubt Rousseff has made mistakes on the economy and has failed to tackle much needed reform of the federal and state government finances.

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But ironically, she has done more to try to fight corruption than any of her predecessors. During her first term, ministers accused of corruption had to resign - something pretty much unheard of before - and she has not tried to interfere in the "Lava Jato" investigations, despite the growing evidence they are being used to undermine her and her party.

But then Brazil's main media outlets' coverage of the corruption scandal is a bit like a magicians trick.

With one hand they reveal the spectacle of the latest developments in the scandal and the economic crisis, while the other hand obscures some inconvenient truths.

That the media-fuelled hysteria around "Lava Jato" is actually deepening the economic crisis.

That Brazil has always had political corruption and - while that doesn't justify what members of PT may have done - all parties, significantly the main opposition PSDB included, are implicated.

That the Congress, which is the most right-wing in recent Brazilian history, is quietly trying to reverse progressive legislation, such as moving to water down the country's internationally-praised anti-slave labour code and reducing the age of criminal responsibility.

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Media giants, like Globo and Abril, publishers of the news magazine Veja - dominated by wealthy families - are underplaying these developments, while trying to delegitimise PT by focussing almost exclusively on allegations against its members with little presumption of innocence.

The objective seems to be to get PT out of power, perhaps permanently, so the social programmes the party has championed can be reversed.

One of the positives that some drew from the "Lava Jato" investigation was that it seemed to show democratic institutions and the separation of executive and judicial powers are well entrenched in Brazil, despite it being only 30 years since the end of military rule.

But that may have been over optimistic.

The prosecutors may not be as independent and high-minded as it first appeared, given it now appears from the way Lula was detained earlier this month that they are helping the media campaign against PT.

When the former President was detained for questioning, it was clear Globo had been tipped off so their cameras could be there when the unnecessarily large police contingent turned up to take the former President away.

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The timing was also suspicious coming as it did only hours after the Supreme Court ruled the Speaker of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who, despite being a member of the PMDB party which is officially in coalition with PT, has been leading the charge in Congress to impeach Rousseff (yes, the politics is complicated as well as corrupt), could stand trial.

So, on Globo's nightly news most Brazilians watch there was little mention of Cunha, instead there was extended coverage of Lula's detention with constant references to him as "O Petista" (PT member) to hammer home the message that the whole party is corrupt and uniquely to blame for "Lava Jato".

The international media, concentrated as it is in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro, have also largely failed to dig deeper and challenge this narrative.

So maybe the pessimists are right.

Not just because the economy is in a deepening hole - though that will rebound eventually.
As a result of five years of conflict, an estimated 5.4million Syrians have fled their home country. An estimated 250,000 Syrian refugees have found some security in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), and this figure increases daily. Combined with an influx of internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing the violence in Iraq, the KRI has seen a population increase of nearly 28% (UNHCR). Although the host community has extended a hand of welcome to those seeking refuge, the World Bank is warning that this has placed unsustainable strains on the resources of the region.

But these figures and the enormity of the crisis detract from the daily struggle and fear faced by women, who make up the majority of refugees and IDPs. Recent research by UN Women found that 82% of Syrian women refugees in the KRI lived in fear of abuse inside and outside the home. When asked how they could feel safer, 30% said if they could earn an income to relieve financial pressures; 16% said men's behaviour needed to change; and 14% said they would feel safer if their household needs were met.

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A Syrian-Kurdish refugee stands outside a tent provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the Kawergosk refugee camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.Photo: SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images

Last month, the UK hosted an international conference to mobilise funds to support Syrians affected by the conflict. Before the main conference, we heard from Syrian civil society groups about just how desperate the situation is. Women's groups told us of parents who sent their boys to join armed opposition groups because they felt it was less risky than staying at home waiting for bombs to drop. They told us of the 'meat markets' in border towns where young Syrian brides are 'sold; by hopeless parents trying to get their daughters over the border' as well as by traffickers.

This mirrors the scenes we see on our TV screens - too many people in tiny boats crossing dangerous waters, with more and more doors being shut in their faces. On the eve of the London conference, the peace talks in Geneva were suspended.

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It is easy to look at what is happening in Syria and lose hope.

This dark hour for Syria is a crucial moment for a more inclusive and equal future after peace comes, however late. Peace negotiations are windows of opportunity to build space for women's voices - ensuring greater representation and diversity in the peace talks that move beyond men and guns and borders to include social issues. As a result of conflict, women become heads of households, responsible for protecting and providing for themselves and their children with next to nothing in hand. Yet they bring enormous resilience to the task of survival, stepping courageously outside traditional roles to keep their families afloat.

In response to the crisis and the needs of women, Women for Women International is supporting local women's organisations in the KRI to work with Syrian refugees, Iraqi IDPs and Yezidi women to provide psycho-social support and start up kits for business women. We are also working with men to support them to become advocates for gender equality and reach other men in the communities where they live. With more than twenty years' of experience, we know how important it is to listen to women, adapt to their needs and reach out to them when there is sufficient stability to begin more long-term work. Women do not wait for peace agreements to start rebuilding their lives so why should we wait to support them?

The women we are working with in the KRI, and in the other conflict-affected countries where we work, are inspiring - they are determined women who deserve our respect and our support.

They also deserve to be heard - in their local communities and at the peace talks. In the same week of the London conference, and just before the talks were suspended, the UN Special Envoy for Syria established an independent Women's Advisory Board to be composed of a group of 12 women chosen by several Syrian women organisations via their own consultative process. The Special Envoy also issued invitations to Syrian women and civil society organisations to attend the peace talks in Geneva. The ceasefire that began in late February is the fragile foundation for the new round of talks expected to begin imminently. It is vital that the women's civil society organisations and the Women's Advisory Board promised last month are present, effective and supported so that they are heard in the discussions and not just on so-called "women's issues".

Syrian women's participation in building peace is not just about seats in Geneva but must reach out to a broad and diverse range of women's groups working with Syrian women affected by the conflict, providing both humanitarian assistance and long-term support to help women's economic and social participation. Simply put, stronger women build stronger nations.
George Osborne once said that "we earn our way in the world if we stop being afraid to identify Britain's strengths and reinforce them instead." With that sentiment in mind, the government should be confident about investing in our creative industries as a major driver of prosperity, as well as our roads, rail and airports. Intellectual Property is the growth engine of the 21st Century.

The financial tides have turned (a lot) since the Autumn Statement. UK growth forecasts have been downgraded. There's been mayhem on the financial markets. Volatility in commodity prices. Apocalyptic warnings from the International Monetary Fund that the world is at risk of 'economic derailment', not to mention huge uncertainties surrounding our future membership of the EU.

Yet, there has been a glimmer of good news since the Chancellor's autumn statement with the publication of the government's latest economic figures on the UK creative industries. A quick glance shows the sector to be one of the UK's greatest industrial assets, bringing in more than 84.1 billion to the economy a year, with annual growth of almost 9% and a workforce of over 1.8 million people.

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But despite their track-record for growth and their resilience in the face of wider economic shocks, investing in and lending to early-stage creative businesses is still a minority activity. As a result, too many innovative and productive creative businesses are under-capitalised and growth opportunities are missed.

Throughout his time at Number 11, the chancellor has been hugely supportive of the creative industries. In particular, the sector-specific tax credits for film, high-end TV drama, video games, animation, theatre and orchestras have had a significant impact on supporting the growth of the sector and ensuring the UK retains its competitive edge in the global market.

We're now fortunate to have major Hollywood blockbusters like Star Wars choosing to shoot here in the UK and that's delivering valuable inward investment. However, as Channel 4's chief executive David Abraham commented a few of years ago; "Bringing American movie and drama productions here is great for jobs in the same way as making iPhones in China is great for China -- but the Intellectual Property and profits are on the first boat out of here."

In other words, this investment could be here today and gone tomorrow. And whilst the skills and talents of Britain's creative community are second to none, we easily underestimate how fast things are changing in the rest of the world - and how serious other governments are about growing their own creative economies. And why wouldn't they be? The World Economic Forum has recently estimated that the creative industries could represent up to 12% of global GDP.

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Ultimately it's investment in our digital infrastructure and support for the creation, exploitation and retention of intellectual property in the UK, under UK ownership and within UK tax jurisdiction, that's key to securing the future success of our own creative economy.
Many people who've read my first article have been asking about Barry - he's fine!

So am I... thanks for asking...... and the roof has been partially fixed so Miss Noel no longer smells of damp! Hoorah!

HOWEVER...

Because the roof renovations have now been discarded due to issues with building control, our house is currently leaking and one of my housemates in literally living in a sand castle.

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(I've always wanted to live by the beach! In London ANYTHING is possible!)

It's depressing to think that I kill myself to work in order to pay rent for a house I despise and I do wish that I could be a barrel of laughs today, but since writing my first post, I came across an article in The Telegraph:

According to this moron from The Telegraph, there is no renting problem to fix because there is very little evidence that rents are unaffordable.

The Government get to dictate how little I earn which consequently affects the kind of home I can afford to live in which currently is this:

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A rodent infested home. A home where the walls and ceilings are covered in mould and living with a roommate called Barry. A bedroom where the windows whistle (LOUDLY) as the draught blows through the gaps. A home which causes me so much stress it triggers my epileptic seizures.

But what do I know? There's no problem right? It's all in my head surely?

The moron from The Telegraph goes on to blame the increase in renting on the surge of immigration (this guy must be a bezzies of Nigel Farage!) According to him rent is also getting cheaper (WHERE??????) and Landlords are hard-done-by due to the rising costs in maintenance. My Landlord had not carried out any maintenance in years until I persistently called and texted to moan about Barry (poor him) forcing him to take action and the roofers upon inspection estimated that apart from some dodgy patch up jobs here and there, the roof hadn't been touched since the 70s.

Our Tory Government recently ruled that the standard of rented homes was no cause for concern as it was reported in The Guardian that Landlord MPs do not care if homes are fit to live in.

They argue that doing so will either push up rent prices or cause unnecessary burdens to Landlords.

Which means that when we can eventually afford to buy our own homes (I'm not holding my breath) I'll be stuck with Barry and the rodents OR if my Landlord decides that the upkeep of his shoddy house is too big a burden to carry, there's always places like this to move too!!!

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Before I retire to bed with Barry, I'll leave you with this final tale of woe. A friend of mine, who was evicted from her previous house (for no logical reason) was forced to find new accommodation as quickly as possible. She sent me this message towards the end of February:

"When I moved into my current flat my deposit was 1080 plus one month's rent in advance. I haven't had heating since I moved in in Jan, and only yesterday they sent the repair man to install some cheap radiator which doesn't even give off much heat. Plus the fridge doesn't work properly and my window doesn't close well so a cold draft comes in. I'd like to move when I get a break in contract in 6 months but it feels like being trapped! I can't afford another 1000+ for a deposit on my salary!"

She cannot keep food in her fridge because it will rot. She has a sheet over her window to try and keep out as much of the winter wind as possible. My friend has since told me that she recently spent time in hospital with bronchitis - brought on by the dire conditions of her housing. She already has a chronic illness and to add this ailment on top left her bedridden. And yet, her calls and emails to the Letting Agency have gone IGNORED.
As the Syrian conflict enters its sixth year Age International and our partners are stepping up work among older refugees in Lebanon, helping even more older people to get access to the life-saving treatment they need to manage chronic health conditions. This includes people like Luhaya.

Luhaya is a 75-year-old widow who fled from Damascus three years ago with her son and his family. They are sharing a partitioned area of a large garage, which has been split into 19 rooms for refugees. Luhaya has diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and back pain, and used to receive free diabetes care in Syria. When the family first arrived in Lebanon she bought drugs from the pharmacy, but they were so expensive that she was asking people who were coming from Syria to bring them for her, which was unreliable. Our work means that for the past two years Luhaya has an easy-to reach primary health centre where she can get the medication and tests she needs.

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Lebanon is host to more than 1 million Syrian refugees, 2.6% of whom are aged 60 and over. Older people are generally less likely[1] and less able to make the long and difficult journeys that are needed to find refuge, and many simply cannot face the thought of abandoning their homes. That is why the majority of older people have either stayed in Syria or fled to neighbouring countries only. These older refugees have specific vulnerabilities, such as long-term illnesses or disabilities, and are less able to compete for what manual work is available.

Over 54 per cent of older Syrian refugees suffer from at least one chronic condition, most commonly diabetes and hypertension. Recent changes to Lebanon's residency laws mean that many will find themselves unable to access public health services, becoming increasingly reliant on healthcare provided by humanitarian organisations.

For refugees like Khalifa (55), having free healthcare is a lifeline. Having fled from the fighting in Raqqa, Syria, five years ago with her youngest son and his family, Khalifa started suffering from hypertension soon after they arrived in Lebanon. The family pays $70 a month for a plot in an informal tent settlement in the Bekaa Valley and would struggle to find the money to pay for healthcare. But through our health clinics Khalifa is able to receive free consultations and medication, "I like coming here, I feel safe," she says.

Older Syrian refugees are also three-times more likely to show signs of psychological distress - fear, anger, depression and feelings of hopelessness - than the general refugee population. The four most common causes of psychological distress were: traumatic experiences, lack of a sense of 'daily life', growing insecurity and a loss of dignity.

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The programme is providing essential psychosocial support for those who need it most. It has also improved access to treatment of chronic, non-communicable diseases and over the next three years it will help nearly 2,000 older refugees a month. We will provide training on older people's needs, medicine and upgrade existing medical facilities to be more age-friendly.

One of the clinics is within 30 minutes of the Syrian border and provides a range of services, including GP consultations, psychological support, dermatology, non-communicable diseases and acute infection treatment. Living conditions are poor and often those suffering can't afford essentials such as food, let alone the medication they need, meaning that health conditions deteriorate. Services for older people are entirely reliant on support from the Charity at this clinic, many of whom would have nowhere to turn without it, providing the security of healthcare for those fleeing conflict.

The situation for older Syrians still living in Syria is even more stark. Medical treatment of any kind is scarce and drugs for chronic diseases are just not available for many. Many older Syrians have little to no support network left as younger family members and carers have fled, leaving them unable to access essential supplies and services, and vulnerable to violence and abuse.

The Syrian conflict has caused unimaginable levels of hardship for so many people. The impact of the crisis on older people has not received the attention it deserves, and the response to the needs of older people has been far from adequate. Older refugees have too often been hidden amongst the overall refugee population, facing significant difficulties in accessing appropriate aid and at risk of falling through the gaps in humanitarian relief. We will continue to do what we can to change this.

To find out more about our work in Lebanon or make a donation go to www.ageinternational.org.uk/syria

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-Ends-

References

1. In 2010, a year before the war started, UN estimates were that 5.2 per cent of the Syrian population were aged 60 and over (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision, DVD Edition). The latest figures from UNHCR show that just 2.9 per cent of registered Syrian refugees are older (http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php)
Let's kick off with some figures on food.

Consider, that one third of all food that is produced globally, is wasted. This costs the global economy up to $300billion a year, and for the average family in the UK - that translates to around 700 per year.

Then there's the cost to the environment. Attendees of COP21 agreed to restrict global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius. Yet, if we continue with our current approach to the way we produce, manufacture, sell and use food, we could see a two degree rise from this activity alone by 2050. In fact, if food waste were a country, it would be the world's third largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the USA.

And all this is happening whilst almost a billion people around the world go to bed hungry each night. There's more than enough food to feed everyone, if only we were smarter with how we used it - that's a prospect I find hard to stomach. Yet the population is rising, and by 2050, we'll have an extra two billion more mouths to feed - squeezing our food supply chains even more.

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The reality is, change isn't optional - it's an urgent necessity.

What do we want?

We want big changes - we want to transform the way we value food. Countless petitions demanding change backs this up. Just think, when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall took to our screens in November with Hugh's War on Waste, he left an audience captivated, shocked and with an avid appetite for reform. A reform that's already happening as retailers embrace change. Asda, for example, is offering 'wonky veg' boxes; Tesco and FareShare are redistributing unsold produce; Morrisons have partnered with FoodCycle to serve lunches for the underprivileged using surplus food; and Sainsbury's launched a 10million Waste Less, Save More, project - and that's just to name a few.

When are we going to get it?

But as I said we need more change and we need it now. A new initiative, geared towards making the food supply chain more efficient and more resilient to the challenges we face in the future, has just launched. It's an approach that brings together everyone in the supply chain that can make a difference. The retailers Aldi, Asda, Co-Op, Lidl, M&S, Morrison's, Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose have pledged their support already, and they're not the only ones. Major food manufacturers and hospitality and food service companies have also signed up.

Behold Courtauld 2025 - WRAP's 10 year commitment to work with the industry to change the way we produce and value food. This builds on previous Courtauld Commitments which have fared well and delivered tangible results. But we face new and more complex challenges now, so we need to go further. We need to look at the bigger picture of food sustainability, and look to tackle new areas such as farm waste, and water use for example.

This is no mean feat. The agreement has an ambitious set of targets waiting to be pursued.

How are we going to get it?

We know from past experience, that we've been able to turn what was perceived as the unthinkable, into the achievable. Businesses have made environmental gains without affecting profitability. In fact, they've even built customer loyalty as they meet consumer demand to help them waste less food. Having this knowledge means that we know we can put the social and environmental benefits at the heart of the issue, yet continue to prosper.

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And that is exactly what we have done with the Courtauld Commitment. It's unique - unlike anything else in the world. Firstly, it's a voluntary agreement, and businesses have become part of it because they realise collective change, delivers wide scale change. Secondly, it tackles silo business practices. Companies don't just think about how it benefits their own business or their own customers. It encourages them to think about how it can benefit the whole supply chain - for financial gain, and to benefit the UK environmentally. Last but not least, it's about action. Words are powerful, but they don't deliver the wide scale change the sector needs. Action through Courtauld will.

Essentially, it's about delivering a more sustainable and resilient way of producing and consuming food, fit for the next generation. And fundamentally, it's about valuing and maximising every piece of food we produce, right down to the last grain. And to put it into context - if we succeed - the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 will be delivered, probably ahead of schedule, and the food system will produce less carbon emissions, helping to deliver the COP21 ambitions.

Who's going to do it?

The anti-food waste movement has been growing in momentum - 100 UK businesses and organisations have already committed to take action. I personally commit to take action too. What about you? To make a real impact, we need makers, sellers, collectors and the people who eat food to really get behind this cause.

Malcolm X once said 'the future belongs to those who prepare for it today', and that couldn't be truer of our food system.
When a student union passes a motion which purposefully disenfranchises hundreds of students from running for its most important positions, one can only describe such a situation as a reprehensible form of institutional discrimination.

University College London is exceptional for its history of tolerance. It is one of the few universities in England which has accepted students from all faiths since its foundation. In contrast to the closed door policy of the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, UCL famously accepted Jewish students when it opened its doors in 1827 - a truly remarkable gesture for its time, which is celebrated until this day.

It is therefore ironic that the first university to 'remove' the requirement for Jews to profess a particular faith is also the first university with a student union which will bar hundreds of Jewish students from becoming sabbatical officers.

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Once again, measures to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement at UCL - itself, an illiberal onslaught on freedom of thought - has resulted in blatantly discriminatory measures.

Imagine you were elected to a representative position where you forced to profess something contrary to your deeply held religious or personal beliefs. Such a situation would be roundly condemned as completely outrageous - yet at UCL, Jewish students will now be forced to boycott the Jewish state if they want to make a difference in their student union. It has been over one hundred years since 'confessional oaths' have been used to disqualify minorities from holding civil office or entering certain positions. 'Progress' in the name of 'liberation' (?) - or a so-called 'progressive' movement once more revealing its inherently 'regressive' character?

Of course, this is not the first time that student support for BDS has unveiled its more shady aspects. Take January's violent protest against Ami Ayalon, a former Israeli politician whose talk at King's College London led to a violent incident between extreme activists and a Jewish student. Alternatively, take a look at Rayhan Uddin's recent conspiratorial outbursts suggesting that 'leading Zionists' seek to take over the London School of Economics. Needless to say, UCL's discriminatory motion is the latest incident in a long history of suspicion and intimidation of anyone with even the slightest sympathy towards the State of Israel.

It's therefore vital to put last week's events at UCL into a broader context. In the past, Mohammed Fahed, a UCLU Union Chair and Treasurer of the Friends of Palestine Society, has sycophantically worshipped the terror tunnels built by Hamas in the recent Gaza war - in essence, he applauded a subterranean network designed for the sole intention of murdering Israeli civilians.

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It's not an understatement to describe January's incident at King's College - or the continuing controversy surrounding Oxford University's Labour Club -as only the tip of the iceberg of anti-Zionist (and increasingly anti-Semitic) activity on campus. Many students at UCL will remember holding a vigil for International Holocaust Memorial Day on campus last January. Only one Sabbatical officer from the Union gave their time and effort to make this happen. It turned out that the rest of the Union team were at a meeting where among other things, a motion to boycott a well-known water company with links to Israel was on the agenda.

One pro-Israeli UCL Alumnus who regularly dealt with the UCL Student Union candidly told us how 'like most far-left student unions, UCLU seems to be under the illusion that it should be conducting a foreign policy, which would be funny if it didn't meant yet more singling out of the world's only Jewish country.'

Of course, singling out the only Jewish country has seemingly led to singling out the only Jewish students on campus as well. As the situation has developed, it's become increasingly difficult to host pro-Israeli speakers on campus - prominently, the abuse that former Ambassador Daniel Taub had to face from a well-known anti-Israel student received a lot of attention. The Ambassador pleaded for the Student to stay and debate the key issues in an academic environment, but this was evidently too much of a 'normalisation' for the bigoted anti-Israel activists on London Campuses.

Daniel Gross, a Former President of UCL Jewish Society, commented, 'this episode is hardly surprising from a student union who engage in voter fraud, no-platform a speaker who fought against ISIL and regularly invite extremists to campus. If only they got on with student issues as opposed to pretending to be some sort of government.'

As Daniel implies, it's about time such 'obsessive' focus on the Israeli-Palestinian issue is challenged, given the damage it causes to educational opportunity and general student welfare. After all, it is not only Jewish students who are challenged by discriminatory motions put forward by student unions - but as Mr Gross reminds us, each and every one of us. We shouldn't allow an atmosphere of intolerance and bigotry to fester. This entrenchment of corruption has not only led to near total control of what we are allowed to think and what we are allowed to say - but now, which religions are allowed to represent us too.

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Image: A peace education class for 16-year-old Syrian refugees run by International Alert's partners in Lebanon.

Whenever I tell people that International Alert and its partner organisations are doing peacebuilding work in Syria, frankly they laugh. "Not very successfully then," they quip.

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Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I assume that this is nervous incomprehension, not all-out callousness. And they have a niggling point. Can you really build peace in the middle of a war? It certainly seems at best a counter-intuitive, bad use of time and money. Or does it actually make a lot more sense than any other course of action?

Today, 15 March, marks five years since the absolutely brutal civil war erupted, leaving Syria a broken and divided country. The figures are shocking: Some 6.6 million people are internally displaced within Syria, and 4.6million have fled, mostly living in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan.

At the same time, the next round of peace in Geneva is under way and Russian President Vladimir Putin has just announced that Russian troops will start to withdraw from Syria. People are suddenly feeling more optimistic for the first time in months.

But there are so many Syrians who, in spite of everything, never lost hope and have been working quietly behind the scenes to support a future for their country.

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In February, I visited our partner NGOs working with Syrian refugees in Lebanon to do 'peace education', a project funded by the British government. Think of this as part citizenship classes for children whose citizenship has been blown to smithereens, part the fun of a Saturday drama class, part therapy for kids who have been through hell - and are still living it. It was a deeply touching experience.

Mr Bastoni is a senior teacher, with a beautifully trimmed grey moustache on his wrinkled, kindly face, and sporting a smart blue suit. You would love this man as your uncle or grandfather - or teacher, which is indeed his profession. Asked how hopeful he is about a peace deal, he pauses for a long time, before saying that he thinks the war will not end quickly. It has become a world war, he sighs. It is no longer down to the Syrians - now it depends on the superpowers:

It will be a long time before peace is built. The war in Syria is now a worldwide war, with a conflict of interests between the superpowers. So we are living on this hope of the kids.

It is an utter joy to watch him talking to teenage Syrian refugee boys about cultural and religious diversity.

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Image: Mr Bastoni leading a peace education class on religion.

The kids all participate eagerly - none of your London cool kids causing havoc at the back of the class syndrome here. These kids are hungry to learn. As Mr Bastoni says:

They talk, they talk a lot - they are living through a lot. They like coming to the school as it gives them a break from their situation. And I am with them. I lost my house and two nephews, I had to come here to Lebanon. So we are living it between the teachers and the students. And we see the impact of these classes on improving student behaviour - especially when they start talking about peace.

Mr Bastoni asks the children about the common values between all religions. They call out the values: love, peace, fraternity, solidarity, fairness. Then they call out the threats to common positive values of humanity: violence, hatred, war, murder, becoming refugees, "we left our homes", "destruction", "we were living in good conditions but now we are poor and we have lost our houses".

"We used to be able to visit each other and respect all these good values. But now we are seeing the threats and we are killing each other".

When we walk into the next door class, a lively young teacher is killing himself with laughter. The class clown has given an example of diversity as: "My cousin always gets good grades and I always get bad ones...".

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Others chip in with examples of differences: "When you differentiate between others, it is something violent. When you say you are Syrian and you are Lebanese..." Another calls out: "They tell us that we are terrorists; they say in the streets that we are ISIS". And soon the class are deep into chatting about how to manage such situations.

Next stop is to Shatila refugee camp, which has hosted tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees since 1949 - a special area of the city absolutely zinging with life. And now somehow another mass of Syrian Palestinian refugees are squeezing in.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh (meaning 'smile and olives' - like the British women activists' call for bread and roses, capturing that people need love as well as the basics to survive) has a tall, tiny building that is as bursting with life as its surrounding streets. Going up the rough concrete steps we squeeze past women flowing out of a literacy class, kids hurtling up to get to their classes on time, workers, volunteers, teachers, people selling snacks, and finally crowd into the cramped office of the young Syrian CEO.

I ask him whether he ever doubts the point of peacebuilding in a time of war. He too pauses a long time before answering:

I often ask that question myself. I wonder what we are doing. But the alternative is to give up, to despair, and to lose all hope. So we must keep going, we must believe in the next generation, we must stay as the centre is important, it gives an assurance to the parents.

Image: Syrian refugee children at a peace education class run by our partners in Shatila camp, Lebanon.

So they are working, little child by little child, to build peace.

One of our partners, who coordinates classes for younger children, is a Palestinian living in Lebanon. She tells me:

After five weeks, the kids' attitudes began to change. At first they were much more violent. Now, about 60% of the kids are talking openly about issues - they feel safe here. For the kids, this is two and a half hours of peace and security, a special time for the children to be children.

She adds:

At first the parents are not sure. Not now they are asking for classes to happen twice a week, for adult classes, for longer classes.

Tears in her eyes, she tells me about a little girl who draws 10 graves, and makes 10 graves out of playdough - her uncle and other family members who have been killed. Then she smiles at a lively little nine-year-old who used to respond aggressively to other kids - using pencils to jab everyone. Now he is chatting normally with everyone, cuddling up to the teacher. She says:

They are surrounded only by violence. So no wonder that is how they respond. How they express it is different, but they all feel rage. We are showing them that there is another way to be, to behave.

Many Syrians point to Lebanon to prove the point that you have to start working now, even in the midst of the war, to build the future peace. Lebanon thankfully ended its civil war 26 years ago and came to an uneasy truce. But they never fully addressed the underlying issues that caused the conflict, so the old divisions are paralysing - the country hasn't even been able to agree on a president for 18 months.

Syrians want to be sure that their war doesn't drag on that long.

In fact is, the worse the war, the more you have to do now, they say, to create the groundswell of people ready to find peaceful ways forward. Mr Bastoni says:

When we first came here, we were angry. We had no hope, we thought we had lost everything. But we made a choice to act positively. We know that reconciliation is important.

He explains:

Two years ago, we didn't want to do this peace education. It's so hard to talk with the children about dealing with death. But when we started the project, we saw how it could help. To avoid a 15-year war like Lebanon, we have to begin the process of reconciliation now. We have to teach the children that in a war, we all lose. The past is the past - it is gone. We have to look to the future, to rebuild a different future.

Alert is also working with very brave people actually inside Syria. People who could leave but chose to stay; chose to face aerial bombing, or starvation during a siege, yet chose to stay with their community and help them face the future.

Their bravery and bitter determination is so humbling that you have indeed to believe, along with them, in the triumph of hope over despair.

Indeed, we should surely dramatically scale up our peacebuilding work - precisely because we are right in the middle of the most terrible wars in Syria - as in too many other countries around the world.

Read more about Alert's work in Syria.
Ever noticed that an alarming number of hero types are called Jack?

Or John?

Jack and John.

Two of television's most popular franchises, Stargate, and Lost, both feature as their leads a hero called Jack and a hero called John. In Stargate SG1 we have Jack O'Neill and on Stargate Atlantis we have John Sheppard (Sheppard/Shephard are common hero surnames due to the inherent association with flocking and leadership). In Lost we have Jack Shephard (see what I mean?) and John Locke.

Coincidence?

I think not.

Need proof?

JACK Baur, JACK Frost, JACK Ryan, JACK Burton, JACK Skellington, JACK Grimaldi, JACK Colton, JACK and the Beanstalk, JACK Traven, JACK Torrence, JACK Sparrow, JACK Slater... and those are just the Jacks I could think of while drinking my morning cup of Vanilla Chai.

Why do we feel the need to bestow the name Jack upon on so many heroes?

For that matter, why are John Does called JOHN Doe?

Let me lay it out for you...

Jack, the Archetype

An archetype is a typical example of a person or object. If you want to get Jungian on the subject (I'm partial to a bit of Carl Jung), it is a primitive mental image that has been inherited from our earliest human ancestors.

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Jack as an archetype originated in Cornwall, but may have German roots originally. He's a stock character appearing in nursery rhymes and fairy tales dating back hundreds (potentially thousands) of years. Jack is usually a young adult and a bit of a trickster. He's cunning and quick, but often lazy and/or an idiot, yet usually the hero and almost always victorious. As an archetype, Jack is closely linked to the heroic archetype John (you know, good old John Smith, handsome, courageous, slightly clueless). Both Jack and John can be found going by a different name (Ivan in Russia, and Hans/Hansel in Germany) in other cultures. Jack is also found in America, where Appalachian folklore depicts him in much the same manner.

The Jack and John archetypes are likely the origin of this trend in naming our heroes Jack and John.

John Doe

If you're as obsessed with police procedural dramas and murder mysteries as I am you've likely wondered why unidentified men are called 'John Doe'. The John Doe (and for the ladies, Jane Doe) custom dates back to a rather odd (now defunct) legal process in England known as an action of ejectment. Under the old common law landowners were often confounded by their legal options where tenants who had defaulted on their rent, and squatters were concerned. The laws were technical and convoluted to the point of being little use (especially if you weren't well educated). To get around this, landlords brought before the court an action of ejection on behalf of a fake tenant, against another made up person, who had supposedly rousted the rightful tenant from their property. The court would then determine the rights of the fictitious tenant, and in so doing ascertain that the landlord owned the property. This was all the landlord needed - a court judgement that they were the owner of the property - solving their problem without the trouble of bringing complicated legal actions against the real people they wanted to evict.

Landlords frequently named their fictitious tenants John Doe. Although we have no record of the first instance of this, it almost certainly began because it was a very common name. As such, John Doe became a universal name of sorts.

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If you're wondering, Hans is an incredibly common German name, while Ivan is equally common in Russia.

The Every Man

I mentioned that Jack and John are 'universal' names in the sense they are used as place markers when true names don't exist or are unknown. The Every Man is an extension of this, the notion that a particular character could be anyone. The Every Man is a particularly useful device to employ when writing heroes. You want your heroes to be heroic, but you also want people to identify with them. This is often difficult to achieve when they are gadding about getting up to all sorts of heroism.

If heroism was common it wouldn't be heroic.

The majority of people will never do the things heroes get up to.

So how do you get them to relate to characters who do such spectacular things?

You make your hero an Every Man.

Give them a boring job. Make them bad with women. Build into them characteristics that are familiar to the majority of people, so that despite the heroics, they are easy to identify with.

The fastest, easiest way of achieving this is to give your character a name normal, innocuous, very familiar name. A name already intimately associated with the Every Man.

A name like Jack.

Or John.

These are not only very common names but, as we've established, hold a special place in the psyche of anyone who has grown up on English stories. Just as anyone growing up on German stories is familiar with Hans, and anyone reared on Russian literature is very familiar with Ivan. Jack, the archetype, isn't a hero. In many ways, he's an anti-hero. He's just a normal guy who wants to do things his way with the least amount of effort possible.

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And who doesn't relate to that?

A lot of people relate to the anti-hero far more easily than they do the hero.

Case in point: Luke Skywalker or HAN Solo?

Hans wins every time. Why? Because he's an Every Man!

The fact that we are already so familiar with the Jack archetype - even if only on a subconscious level - means the very name conjures certain images and emotions in us. So much so that you can have the most heroic man doing the most impossible feats and acting in an outlandish and/or chivalrous manner, and people will still relate to the character strongly if his name is Jack (or John).

So, the next time you're trying to figure out how to make your larger-than-life hero relatable, throw some normality in the mix. Try them with a common name, something that makes people feel your hero (or heroine!) could you anyone.

A name like Jack.
I've heard it argued that, because the Tories are trusted on the economy, they can get away with being bad at it. So George Osborne is more able to get away with making unfunded spending commitments or moving money around and acting like he's found more of it because he is trusted to not behave like that. Labour are still, just about, trusted to be nice. So they are more able get away with being very nasty.

Vicki Kirby isn't just a Labour activist. When she was found to have tweeted a load of anti-semitic bilge she was due to be one of its parliamentary candidates. Within a week of her selection, she was suspended. She joked Jews had "big noses", suggested Hitler was a "Zionist God" and wondered why the Islamic State, the group most like the Nazis of any in the world today, was not attacking the "real oppressors", Israel. The Left relishes a long argument over whether criticising Israel is anti-semitic so I'll limit mine to three words: Oh, come on.

I've not heard any Labour figure suggest Kirby's comments aren't anti-semitic or defend the system that let her be suspended, re-admitted and elected vice-chair of a local party branch. Members have cut up their membership cards over this. MPs spent another fraught Parliamentary Labour Party meeting last night demanding to know how this was allowed to happen. But Labour's crime isn't that it defends this behaviour, it's that it tolerates it.

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A party spokesman confirmed Kirby's re-instatement with what was either a tin ear for scandal or a desire to troll those who disagreed with it. The case would be revisited "if new evidence came to light". To reiterate: Kirby looked at a group that beheads aid workers and throws gay people from tall buildings and said Israel was the "real" enemy. Think about that. Kirby might be kicked out like Gerry Downing after this huge outcry. Neither should have been re-admitted in the first place.

It isn't necessarily anti-semitic to tolerate anti-semitism among your friends. But it certainly isn't nice. Labour isn't just risking the support of British Jews, it's risking the perception that it's more decent than the alternative. Cameron has spent a decade trying to convince people they can be decent and vote Tory at the same time. When the Labour machine shrugs off serious allegations with lines about procedure and ongoing investigations, it sounds like it is presuming he will never succeed.

This didn't start with Corbyn - Kirby's case predates his leadership - but that is not an excuse for it to continue under him. I've got no reason to doubt the sincerity of his declaration on Monday that hatred of Jews had "no place" in our society. But his ascent from the obscure Hard Left to leader of one of Britain's two main parties has brought unsavoury elements with it. The Hard Left has a lot of practice at saying reprehensible things because for decades no one was listening.

John McDonnell praised - and that is the only word for it - the work of the IRA in 2003. Anti-semitism allegations within Labour are affecting areas, like university clubs, where the stakes are low. Kirby was due to stand in Woking, where a Labour victory was about as likely as the Martian invasion H. G. Wells imagined while living there. Politics is simpler when you're not seriously expecting to win much - just ask Donald Trump - but now many who spent a long time there on the fringes are coming back to Labour or ascending its power structure. They are far more likely to say outrageous things having gone unscrutinised for so long. Look what Ken Livingstone's wilderness years have done to him.

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Douglas Carswell said Ukip had kicked out members with reprehensible views and said "Labour should be held to the same standard". It's strange to think that had to be said. Can you imagine a Tory tweeting "Enoch Powell was right" and then being elected vice chair of a party branch 18 months later? The Right does a better job of kicking out those that stray too far but if you defend Stalin or praise the work of violent thugs, you will find a home somewhere on the fringes of The Left.
Koh Tao island, where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed - via Flickr

Backpacking in Southeast Asia is a modern rite of passage for many young Brits: the elephant rides in the jungle, tropical beaches which become host to wild parties at night, and most famously, of course, the Full Moon parties of Koh Phangan. What could possibly go wrong? According to Prayuth Chan-o-Cha, Thailand's military ruler, nothing can go wrong... unless you're an attractive woman in a bikini. In a horribly off-colour remark, the Prime Minister sought to defend his country's safety record by saying: "There are always problems with tourist safety. They think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere... but can they be safe in bikinis... unless they are not beautiful?" Indeed, that does clarify it - these are the words of an unabashed vulgarian made even worse when put into context, which is the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge and the murder of her companion David Miller on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. Far from an isolated incident, Thailand has seen a disturbing uptick in tourist deaths of more than 50% (in 2015 compared to 2014), a trend that shows no signs of abating.

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Granted, Thailand receives somewhere in the region of 30 million tourists a year. With numbers like that, there are bound to be occasional incidents. That being said, one would at least expect a less flippant response from the authorities than that offered by Prayuth. One would also expect thorough investigations. Unfortunately, that has not been the case regarding the murders of the British backpackers, where with worrying speed, blame fell upon two Burmese immigrants who rescinded their initial confessions amid claims that they were extracted by torture. During the trial, human rights groups highlighted a number of serious flaws with the investigation, including the destruction of vital DNA evidence linking the alleged murderers to the victims.

While this does much to belie the "land of smiles" image Thailand presents to the world, it doesn't come as much of a surprise to political observers who have noted an increasingly authoritarian swing since the 2014 coup which brought the military junta to power. Indeed, perhaps the police's slapdash approach to investigating the backpacker's murders can be put down to their being kept busy with more pressing social problems, like protecting the King from reckless acts of free speech. Egregious offences of this kind include posting images on Facebook of the King's dog in a way that is deemed to mock the sovereign. One Thai man has found himself facing up to 15 years in prison for just such an act of treason. Others have been locked up for committing such outrages as criticising the monarchy to strangers in a taxi, depicting unflattering fictional representations of the king in university plays or novels and questioning the veracity of historical battles. Critics of the regime are oftentimes abducted in the dead of night, handcuffed, blindfolded and taken to isolated military camps to undergo so-called programmes of "attitude adjustment".

Nice to know the Thai police have got their priorities in order. After all, it's not as if the country faces any other challenges, apart of course from the deteriorating security situation for tourists and locals alike. Last August, a deadly blast at the Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist spot in Bangkok, left 20 dead and injured 125 more and is still shrouded in mystery. The bombing embarrassed the Thai police, completely caught off guard and stifled by sprawling corruption: the CCTV systems in the areas around the Shrine were not working and the investigations stalled because police officers lacked "CSI technology." The authorities toyed with multiple theories in the first days, turning the tragedy into a farce of police inefficiency and impotence. Even after the suspects were arrested, some ended up retracting their confessions, claiming they were tortured.

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The overall sense of impunity and amateurish incompetence has only grown since the junta took power. The transition to democratic rule keeps being pushed back as a result of the military's apparent inability to draft a constitution, one of the preconditions required for elections to take place. The latest instalment of the document does little to address Thailand's cratering human rights record. Proposed measures include a junta-appointed senate that can block the executive branch and the provision for individuals outside of parliament to serve as Prime Minister (like a former military general, for example). The document was amply decried both by two former Prime Ministers and political rivals, the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva.
'Bella, you go to the supermarket?'

'Yes, please,' I say to the taxi driver.

He takes us past the Italian butchery, the Italian cafe, the Italian restaurants, another Italian cafe (the one R thinks is frequented by Interpol's Most Wanted, and, probably, Italy's Most Tattooed) and to the Italian supermarket where the Italian cashier and I can never understand more than a few words that the other one speaks.

I have always loved Italy. The year after I finished school, while the rest of my family went to Tuscany (they discovered when they got there that Dad had booked the hotel for the month before), I hopped over to Rome with my friend Chris. It was a hot, restless summer.

We made our way, Chris and I, through an intricate maze of cobbled streets and alleyways, darting into cafes to buy iced water to pour over our heads as we walked, in an effort to beat the heat as temperatures soared. We wandered and strolled and lost ourselves in Rome, took in a night time jazz festival, toured the Coliseum and dined every night on pasta and wine. My parents and brothers, their accommodation woes now sorted, caught the train down to see The Vatican and my little brother came running to me across St Peter's Square.

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R isn't sure he needs to trek all the way to Italy; not since we wound up in Kenya's own version of it, where it appears that anyone who isn't Italian and who stays long enough soon becomes one.

Malindi is an old Swahili town on the north coast, at the mouth of the Galana River, a couple of hours' drive from Mombasa. More in traffic. You can see the signs to Garissa and Somalia the further north you go, though it would take a long time to reach them, off the noisy, dusty tarmac road, over dustier, rougher terrain and deep into the bush.

Friends and I once took the bus from Old Mombasa Town, through Malindi and onto Lamu, as far north as we could go. We travelled all day in convoy with chickens squashed and squawking at our feet. Soldiers stopped the driver at a security check point after Malindi, made us all disembark and present our passports. Lamu County, which became known to the wider world a decade later after a deadly attack on the village of Mpeketoni, was not our final destination. We were heading to Lamu Island, often confused in the foreign press with mainland Lamu, which could not be described as a holiday hotspot.

Lamu Island, part of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya, belongs to a separate time and place. A haunt of both independent travellers and European royals, Lamu is one of the oldest and most enduring Swahili settlements in East Africa, imbued with tradition and evoking in sight, sound and approach much that modern life does not. I felt almost as though I had been transported back a few hundred years. There are no roads, only alleyways and footpaths. Residents move around by foot, donkey or dhow.

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Like its island neighbour, history seeps out of Malindi's every pore. But while Lamu feels anchored to a more linear past, Malindi has gone through several different eras, from the early Arab and Chinese traders in the 14th Century, when Malindi was rivalled only by Mombasa for dominance on the East African coastline, to the Portuguese sailors who came to rule and, later, European settlers.

The Germans left their mark on Malindi's development (it is now the largest town in Kilifi County), when it was transformed into a resort town popular with tourists. So did the Italians, many of whom never left. The Italian embassy is the only foreign mission with a consulate office in Malindi.

There is nothing stranger than when a Kenyan speaks Swahili with an Italian accent.

Austerity measures brought us from Mombasa to Malindi. These measures covered our whole household, including the dog, though for her there were no downsides as it meant more of whatever we cooked. Eight months since registering our business, we were still wading through the life-shortening process of getting it up and running. R had read, too late and with envy, of the two day processing time in Rwanda. In Kenya, someone always seemed to be on an extended lunch break when we needed a particular licence issued. But we took heart where we could and agreed that at least those phone lines still worked. Others were often either out of date or missing a digit.
There's no denying that Britain's potential exit from the EU is one of the biggest issues on the table right now for the political union. However, at the other side of the continent is a country in a very different position to the United Kingdom and that country is Turkey. Whilst Britain ponders over its biggest decision for a generation, Turkey is undoubtedly united in a wish to join the European Union.

Turkey is a country that desperately longs for a place at the European table and as you're likely already aware has wanted that place since as far back as 2005. However, the country's entry into the EU has consistently been stalled by a number of countries, including of course, the United Kingdom. Only this weekend did UK Chancellor George Osbourne tell Andrew Marr that Britain would essentially use its veto time after time to prevent Turkey gaining its European seat.

Given the Eurosceptic leanings of our country right now, it's very little surprise that the government are pushing against Turkey's bid. But what many people don't take into consideration is that there's actually a good number of benefits to Turkey joining the EU and it's time we understood them.

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Anyone who keeps abreast of international politics will already be more than aware that Turkey is a member of NATO. Not only does Turkey provide NATO with a political stronghold in an unstable region, but unbeknown to many, Turkey actually has NATO's second-largest army. Turkey is a country that's an awful lot more powerful than many people give it credit and that's something Europe needs right now. The continent is already facing pressure from neighbouring Russia and terror from further afield, so surely the more strength Turkey can provide, the better?

Also worth remembering is how very different Turkey is to many other countries in the middle east. Turkey is a democracy and an incredibly stable one at that. However, considering instability in the region, it's partly our responsibility to assure the continued to stability of Turkey as a country and the only real way to achieve that is by increased political union with the country.

One aspect of Europe that many of us like to forget is how we regularly use the continent's free travel arrangements to hop over for a summer holiday in the sun. Whether it's an action-packed family holiday in Disney Land or a relaxing break in Spain, British people absolutely love holidaying within the EU. Turkey could only add to that; it's already a country rich in culture and history. It'd be an awful lot easier to take advantage of that if Turkey was a member of the EU.

On the other hand, there's still going to be many that argue Turkey isn't geographically placed as part of the European Union and it's still far too big for the EU to absorb. However, the EU is already home to a large number of countries that bring an awful lot less to the table. Whether it's the country's thriving economy or military strength, the reasons why Turkey should have a place at the European table are only growing.

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On Monday evening the winner of the 2016 Jewish Quarterly Wingate Literary Prize was announced amidst bagels and chatter in the Marlborough Contemporary Gallery in London. This is a prize that recognises books of Jewish interest to the general reader and potentially opens people's eyes to literature that they would not otherwise have considered reading.

I am not one of the judges, nor a writer, but when I was asked if I would be the Prize's Director this year I was more than happy to agree. I've spent a considerable chunk of my working life thinking about what being Jewish means and how to make Judaism's stories and traditions more accessible to people who might feel it's a closed off world, one that is neither relevant nor interesting to them. For a long time, I've believed that the arts have the ability to open both doors and minds and I believe that a Jewish book prize is one way of doing just that. Not only does the prize shine a light on work that might otherwise not be read but, with its judges (not all of whom are Jewish), the award also brings together different perspectives of what being Jewish and Jewish interest mean in the UK in 2016.

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We live in a multicultural world where telling our stories and becoming aware of similar threads running through our different stories can bring us together. In a world where we all seem keen to victimise the "other", this seems more relevant and important to me now than ever. Giving a voice and a space to Jewish experiences and telling the world about them shouldn't be taken for granted and should be something that we make the most of. The prize provides a unique opportunity to question what being Jewish might mean, what Jewish interest is and why it might be interesting - not just to Jews but to the wider world.

From my vantage point I could see how it took the belief of many organisations to make the prize happen. The judges often discussed and debated in JW3, the first Jewish Community Centre and arts venue of its kind to exist in London. Part of my working life was spent building the first programme at the JCC for London (now JW3) as its Creative Director, before it had any walls at all. When JW3 opened its Chief Executive, Raymond Simonson said that he was fed up with the Jewish conversation just being about Israel or anti-Semitism. "I want to talk about Curb Your Enthusiasm instead, and the paintings of Chagall, the music of Amy Winehouse and Woody Allen films," he said. That openness and ongoing commitment to redefining the Jewish conversation combined with the vibrancy of a place where "Jewish stuff is loud and proud" made JW3 a natural partner for a prize which questions what Jewish interest means and looks to define it in the broadest of terms. In the same way that Simonson has successfully created a Jewish place that people who might never think of going to synagogue will go to, the Wingate Prize looks to open people's eyes to books that they may otherwise never have considered reading.

The Wingate Foundation created the prize almost 40 years ago. Together with their partner, the Jewish Quarterly, there is an ongoing commitment to shining a light on how important and relevant Jewish interest books are for the general reader today. What choosing a book for the "general reader" means was much debated throughout the year. The books should be accessible and engaging, informative and well written and, of course, Jewish. But perhaps they could be more than that and perhaps the concept of what a "general reader" might want to read could also be challenged by the prize. When the shortlist was chosen the chair of judges, Samantha Ellis said of the seven books that they illustrated "the richness and diversity of Jewish themes." The books moved, amused, gripped, provoked and absorbed our judges and I hope that readers everywhere will want to pick them up too.

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Throughout the year my role has varied. I sometimes saw myself as a kind of Executive Producer - it was my job to make sure that all the pieces of the jigsaw were on the table and that by the end of the process the puzzle would be completed. In reality that meant making sure that the judges would bring different perspectives to the prize - be that in terms of age, gender, religion and Jewish experience (or lack of it). It meant ensuring that publishers and writers knew about the prize and wanted to submit work to it and that all the possible books were tracked down. It meant working with partners and press to ensure that "the general reader" was aware of the prize and the chosen books, creating events and opportunities to showcase both it and them - and both JW3 and Jewish Book Week were vital in that. Directing the prize has also meant working with a small, dedicated and wonderful team who ensured that all this could happen - we moved a lot of books, ordered a lot of sandwiches and also had a lot of fun. Whilst not a judge I sat in many meetings, read some (although not all) of the books on our lists and, I hope, was able to bring a neutral and helicopter view to the table, when appropriate.

The prize exists because writers still have much to say about their Jewish experiences in 2016. Would they still write about those experiences without a prize? I'm sure they would. When we approached publishers to call in books at the start of the process we were overwhelmed with how much was being written of Jewish interest today all around the world, and whilst some of what arrived was somewhat predictable, much of it was not. However, giving that writing focus, providing an opportunity to celebrate it and to learn from it - and its diversity - is not to be taken for granted.

Nikolaus Wachsmann's KL is a book that the judges have chosen and is a book that they think "must be read". It's not a book that I would have chosen to pick up or look at if the prize had not shone a light on it - but it's one that I think I will keep coming back to in years to come. And perhaps that's the point of the prize -it opens doors it gets people to open and read books and perhaps most importantly it opens minds.

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The 2016 Jewish Quarterly Wingate Literary Prize Shortlist (which I hope you will read at least some of)

Ishmael's Oranges by Claire Hajaj

J by Howard Jacobson

The Life of Saul Bellow by Zachary Leader

Between Gods by Alison Pick

The Impossible Exile by George Prochnik

The Liberation of the Camps by Dan Stone
There are only 100 days to go until we have to make the most important political decision of a generation. It has been over 40 years since we last had a say on our membership of the EU. Now we have until 23 June to decide whether we take back control and spend our money on our priorities, or keep sending more money and power to Brussels.

We are very fortunate to have an army of supporters who are willing to give up their free time to play their part in a cause they passionately believe in. Vote Leave marked the '100 days to go' milestone with #TakeControlDay. This was a day of action with hundreds of events, and thousands of volunteers handing out millions of leaflets. There were projections, street stalls, motorway banners and canvassing sessions stretching from Stevenage to Stirling, Brighton to Belfast, Cardiff to Colchester, and Plymouth to Penrith. Not to forget Boris driving the Vote Leave lorry!

People talking to friends, relatives and work colleagues about why it is the safer choice to take back control and Vote Leave is how we will win this referendum. Undecided voters will listen to the people they know and trust. All the IN campaign can do is to get Wall Street investment banks who crippled our economy to pay for leaflet deliveries.

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Our fantastic volunteer force will be key, but we also welcome the support of senior politicians from all parties - including Labour MP Gisela Stuart as our chair - and leading businesspeople from a range of industries. This will ensure that over the coming weeks and months, the campaign gives a voice to all those people, from a variety of backgrounds, who know the safer option is to Vote Leave on 23 June.

David Cameron's deal has done nothing to address the problems the British people see in the EU. Number 10 know this, that's why they've stopped talking about it. The IN campaign claims that we must stay in the EU to reform it from the inside, but the renegotiation has shown the European Union to be incapable of reform. If this is all that David Cameron can achieve, what hope is there for future changes? As the migrant crisis and economic turmoil shows, we will be taking a big risk if we stay in the EU.

This is why the referendum represents a huge opportunity for the British public.

Over the next 100 days we will be holding many more action days, where we will be spreading the positive vision of how life outside the EU would be better if we take back control and spend our money on our priorities. Prices would be lower in the supermarket, and as the chairman of the BSE [Britain Stronger in Europe] campaign admitted, wages would rise.

This is our chance to stop sending 350million a week to Brussels, and instead spend it on our priorities like the NHS.

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This is our chance to take back control of our borders, so we can create an immigration system which welcomes in the brightest and the best from around the world.

This is our chance to take back control of our economy, so taxpayers will no longer have to pay for the failures of the eurozone.

This our chance to take back control of our democracy, so politicians in Westminster are held more accountable to the people they represent.

The UK has a much brighter future outside the EU. We should take it. It is the safer choice to Vote Leave. Sign up to join the campaign here.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo credit: Karin Schermbrucker/ActionAid

Today marks five years since the start of the conflict in Syria, a grim anniversary of the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War and the worst humanitarian crisis of our time.

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More than 11million Syrians (half of Syria's pre-war population) have been killed or forced to flee their homes. At the current rate, Syria - one of the cradles of civilization - will be on the brink of extinction in just five years' time.

And yet the world has largely stood by, watching with apathy at the sidelines while Syria is destroyed and thousands of Syrians die or brave the European seas to escape the place they once called home.

Photo credit: ActionAid

Currently 13.5million people inside Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance. An entire generation of young people have been exposed to the horrors of war and denied access to basics services such as education and healthcare. In addition, an estimated 400,000 people are living in besieged areas where access to help is limited, and where some are dying of starvation.

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Over a million more have risked everything, crossing treacherous waters and travelling hundreds of miles in the attempt to reach Europe in search of safety - a journey which sadly some do not survive. The Eastern Mediterranean has become a graveyard and one of the most dangerous routes traveled by refugees. Since September last year, an average of two children have drowned every day while crossing from Turkey to Greece. Europe's failure to offer protection to those who need it most has been uncaring and at times even inhumane.

These are real people, many of them women and children, who have fled war, persecution and constant terror. People risking everything, desperate to reach a place of safety, but instead have been treated as a political embarrassment rather than people with dignity and human rights.

Those who manage to reach Europe safely, often arrive with nothing but the clothes they stand up in, cold, wet and traumatised after long and dangerous journeys at the hands of human traffickers.

On the island of Lesvos, one of the places where ActionAid works, we are operating women-friendly spaces for mothers and babies. There we met Rasal, who at five year's old was born into the crisis and has only ever known war. She fled war torn Syria with her family and arrived on Lesvos freezing cold and wet after the rubber boat she was travelling in capsized on some rocks. She told us: "I always remember fighting in my country. It's always been scary."

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Photo credit: Karin Schermbrucker/ActionAid

We cannot abandon children like Rasal and their families to a future as dangerous and uncertain as her life has been so far.

The response to the crisis in Syria should not be words or war it must be concrete political action to end the war and offer immediate support to those fleeing its consequences.

The recent European Union deal to send back all migrants to Turkey in exchange for political and financial rewards is dangerous, irresponsible and could be illegal. The return of anyone from one country to another without spelling out the refugee protection safeguards under international law is a dereliction of duty.

The UK government has made a significant contribution to funding the needs of Syria's displaced in the region however it's response to refugees now reaching Europe is pitiful. The current plan to open our doors to 20,000 refugees over five years is failing to listen to people's cry for help and not nearly our fair share. That's just six refugees per constituency a year - a tiny amount compared to the scale of the crisis.

We've watched over the past five years as Syria has collapsed into destruction and chaos, a situation so bad where the only sane reaction is to flee. Where risking your child's life on an open boat at sea seems a better option than staying at home.

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We cannot continue to turn our backs on the people who are asking us for help.
While Indonesia's relations with Scandinavian countries have not received sufficient attention, our short visit to Norway recently showed that the ties between the two countries have witnessed a series of quite, yet important, developments in the recent years.

Historically, the ties between Indonesia and Norway can be dated back even before the Indonesian independence. As early as 1906, a Norwegian honorary consulate general was established in Jakarta. The government in Oslo was also among the first countries to recognise Indonesian sovereignty, followed immediately with the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1950.

Since then, the relationship between Jakarta and Oslo has expanded beyond political and diplomatic domains. In terms of economic partnership, it is reported that the trade volume stood at US$450 million in 2014, a 22% increase from the previous years. As for investments, Norway is one of the biggest investors to Indonesia with US$3,2 million amount of investments. According to the data from the Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta, there are about 35 Norwegian firms operating in different sectors in Indonesia, including oil and gas, renewable energy, maritime, and fishing.

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Seeing great prospects in Indonesia, the government in Oslo decided to open a trade office, commonly known as Innovation Norway, in 2009. The office seeks to promote investment initiatives and advantage between the two countries by identifying opportunities and to open up new prospects with regard to mutual advantage. Another initiative came in the form of an MoU on the Establishment of Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, which was signed in 2013.

Interestingly, environmental cooperation has been the axis around which Jakarta-Oslo relationship revolves. In May 2010, Indonesia and Norway signed an agreement on the reduction of greenhouse emission from burned forests or REDD+. Under the agreement, the Norwegian government granted $1 million for Indonesia to reduce carbon emission caused by deforestation. Indonesia is an important country for REDD. It has one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world and, as a consequence of this deforestation, especially the destruction of peatswamp forests, the country is the world's third highest emitter of carbon dioxide. An important aspect of the deal involved establishing a 'degraded lands database' and the establishment of funds devoted to finalizing Indonesia's climate and forest strategy, building and institutionalizing capacity to monitor, report and verify reduced emissions, and putting in place enabling policies and institutional reforms.

In late 2012, the government in Oslo also sent a delegation to discuss a number of environmental issues including sustainability and forest protection. A year later, Norway, in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), worked in a project to protect Jayapura's Cyclops Mountains. Funded by the Norwegian Embassy, the project concentrates on law enforcement. It uses specialized training, performance standards, and the development of a coordination network to build the capacity of law enforcement agencies and judicial officers. It is reported that the project successfully assisted the local government to finalise its "Local Regulations of Jayapura District on Protection and Management of Cyclops" and established a government budget-funded civilian task force to protect the Cyclops Conservation Area.

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The most recent development was an agreement signed in November last year to support Jakarta's green economic development program. According to the deal, Norway will contribute in the form of a grant of US$19 million to finance several projects including investment in the sectors of renewable energy, special economic zone, forestry and utilization of other lands. More recently, the government in Oslo also pledged to offer $50 million in the development of peat restoration facility in Indonesia.

In the fishery sector, the two countries seem to acknowledge the benefits of cooperation. For Indonesia, Norway is an important partner in eradicating illegal fishing in the country. As one of the world's largest archipelagos, Indonesia is willing to reap the potential wealth of the surrounding sea. In 2009, the two countries signed an agreement in which the Indonesian-Norway Fisheries and Aquaculture Cooperation Committee was established. Both governments also pledged to expand their ties into the field of education and trainings, as well as the establishment of aquaculture that is linked to the National Aquatic Health Laboratory, and Joint Fisheries Management. At the same time, Oslo offered US$1 million aid to development a renewable energy park in Yogyakarta. In her visit to Oslo in August last year, Indonesia's Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti signed an agreement to strengthen ties in fishing industry. Both governments agreed to boost fisheries trade and discussed the establishment of a bilateral consultation forum of fishery.

Undeniably, energy cooperation is also on rise. During the visit of Norway's Prime Minister in late 2015, Jakarta and Oslo also agreed to cooperate on deep sea technology for oil and natural gas exploration. For Indonesia, this is important as most of its petroleum and gas reserves are situated in deep sea in the eastern part of the country. To complement this, Indonesia's state oil company PT Pertamina planned to establish a strong partnership with Statoi, a Norwegian petroleum firm. As for hydroelectric power, a plan has been made to jointly develop hydroelectric power plants in Sumba Island, Nusa Tenggara Timur.

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Even though not as widely reported, Jakarta and Oslo maintain strong cultural and educational links with each other. In October 2015, for instance, the Indonesian Embassy in Oslo, together with other ASEAN representatives in the country, organised ASEAN Cultural Night in which ASEAN culture and traditional foods were showcased. Previously, Daemeter, a project by the Indonesian Embassy in Oslo, urged a number of organisations including Borneo Chic, Perkumpulan Indonesia Berseru, Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD), to participate in Reidselivsmessen 2014, the biggest travel and tourism exhibition in Norway.

There is also an increase of people-to-people exchanges between Jakarta and Oslo. There is a considerable growth of Indonesian tourists visiting Norway, and there is a significant number of Norwegians visiting Indonesia.

Cooperation on education is also maintained. This was evidenced by the signing of MoU between the Norwegian Technological University and Institut Teknologi Bandung. Other universities such as UGM and Ibn Sina Academy of Nursing have also reportedly established partnership with universities in Norway. There was also a plan to establish a cooperation between Indonesian Defence University and Norwegian institutions in the fields of peace keeping and military trainings. What is remarkable is that the two countries also pledged to establish a partnership in the spheres of interfaith dialogue and human rights. While stimulating cooperation is not a simple process, stronger bonds in education and culture might strengthen the ties between the two countries.

Complementary links continue between Indonesia and Norway through different channels. Both governments have maintained ties in global stage, such as in the Seven Nations Initiative (7NI) in the field of nuclear non-proliferation, Millennium Development Goals (MDFs), health, as well as foreign policy. Moreover, the two have also agreed to continue the joint cooperation with Afghanistan within the framework of South-South and triangular cooperation. In the past years, both governments have jointly implemented a number of triangular cooperation projects with Afghanistan in sectors of law enforcement, women empowerment, and education. In 2014, for example, 25 policewomen and 12 teachers from Afghanistan received training in community policing in Jakarta and Bandung.

Looking ahead, Indonesia-Norway relationship will continue to expand. Indonesia provides Norway not only a gateway to large investment opportunities, but also offers a way to expand to the wider ASEAN region.

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On the other hand, Norway's top-notch technologies are important to Indonesia's energy and fishing industries. Oslo could also become an access to untapped consumer markets and possibly a hub for expansion in the wider Europe. At the same time, Norway's ventures are waited as Indonesia is currently in need of billions of dollars in investment to revamp its economy and bring down employment.
It was with a sinking heart that I watched Pakistani women talking about being blocked into entering politics on Newsnight for the second time in a matter of weeks. But this stuff isn't just historical, it is happening today, leaving me disheartened and disgusted.

I can resonate with what is being talked about. When I fought my own bitter election campaign I remember being told there were doctored pictures circulating which would be used to damage my reputation.

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Then, nearer to the election, one of my opponents key supporters tweeted a picture out with a hashtag of #topnightout, which was then used by others with a slogan of 'do you want your daughters to be like her?', all because I went to a party of a friend.

I thought that having been elected as MP for Bradford West, getting down to hard work, challenging issues around education, employment, inequality and austerity would influence some of those patriarchal gatekeepers. That it would show how honest, progressive and transparent politics could influence the change what was needed in Bradford, and I would win them over.

In part I have been proven to be wrong.

Only a week ago senior members of the local Labour Party in Bradford West called a meeting in protest of two things:

The Labour Party National Executive Committee's decision to take over the local council Candidates selection process

Me

In January, as a result of serious concerns around issues of this very nature, the NEC took a decision to come into Bradford West. I supported this and in so doing unleashed a systematic campaign by the gatekeepers of local Labour politics to not only challenge the Labour Party and the NEC but also to malign and attempt to denigrate me and my character.

So this is how it works, the "power brokers", key senior individual Labour Party members decide between them who will get "selected" through the "selection process". This is through bloc voting based on personal, family and clan relationships. By and large these people control the "selectorate" - members who will vote to select the candidate.

Coming back to last week's meeting: This was organised by a former senior councillor, a member who made a prospective parliamentary candidates shortlist, and attended by a senior serving councillor and his father who is also a member, other community 'power brokers', as well as some non-Labour members. This is one of many meetings historically held when local elections and politics are concerned. I recall, when I was first shortlisted, a similar meeting was held to decide which way to vote, and which candidate would be selected was agreed.

In Bradford West it has taken many honest and very brave conversations, leadership on many fronts and some very brave decisions, locally, regionally and nationally, to start to address this problem, the first being the NEC's intervention. The crux of the problem is that this issue is part of a "culture", that voices, for fear of reprisals, get suppressed, and it goes unchallenged.

'Technically' speaking it's people exercising their democratic rights, which they appear to afford through paying for their membership fees to the party. And, as has happened recently, those power brokers use the language of "democracy" to cry out loud about what is in fact them losing control and power over the community, and loss of face as the power supposedly affords them huge izzat; honour and respect and ultimately power and control.

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When I challenged one person who attended the meeting last week I got a heavily-worded email back which I am very clear was an attempt to 'put the frighteners' on me. Indeed my 'challenge' was construed back to me in a way that I had bullied and intimidated them, and they went as far as saying they were left shaken up!

It was in one of these recent meetings that one of the men had with him a copy of that tweeted "party picture" and a recent article about me printed out. A discussion took place and it was agreed that further proof would be gathered about my character to ruin me and my reputation.

The fact remains that unfortunately we have pockets of patriarchy and misogyny within my community and society at large.

But I also need to make clear that these old boys networks, or Biradhis, don't just exist within the Labour Party, they exist in all communities where power resides. Those of us who seek and apply progressive and transparent politics have a responsibility to call out bad behaviour/practice whenever we see it; it holds particularly true for Labour because taking on vested interests should be in our DNA. It means we should call out misogyny, sexism and discriminatory practice whereever we see it - and I applaud the women who are brave enough to do that.

Whilst I know we have a way to go, we need to give Labour credit where it is due. I'm proud to have been selected on an all-women shortlist, I wouldn't have stood a chance otherwise. Of course this is not without its problems but positive action has delivered Bradford's first ever British Muslim female MP of Pakistani heritage. For this, I stand proud of Labour.

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Labour is proud of its history in both electing BAME candidates and women to local and national government. It has the strongest track record of any of the parties but, while taking the credit for best representing the communities, it also has a responsibility to tackle the problems and issues that emerge within. Leadership is leadership, it cuts both ways.

I have always spoken up against inequality, whether that is around issues of gender, race, disability or mental health, and I am not going to stop now. If there are things that aren't right in any community - including my own - I have a duty to tell the truth, so here it is: I know that there are parts of the Muslim community that have problem with women's equality and I want us to be honest about that. I also know that some women in South Asian communities support these views and we have to tackle that too.

We all know that it is wrong that women and girls, born in the UK, living in in the 21st Century, are being held back from fulfilling their full potential. As a women's rights activist and a Labour politician I wouldn't tolerate this in any other community and so I won't tolerate it in my own.

Finally my message to those who didn't challenge the bloke with the picture:

You called me your daughter, your sister, yet because I refuse to endorse your hunger for power and control, you set out to bring me down. Where are your 'community meetings' when education levels have been falling? Why don't you exercise your democratic rights when young people don't have jobs? Where are your meetings when our communities are effected by drugs and crime? Where are your solutions then?

I ask you clearly where is your ghairat, your self-respect, your principles when another man amongst you threatens a woman?

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I will work with whoever wants to work with me, from within the community and out, to tackle this injustice. I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the women on Newsnight last night, and in support of the excellent work of the Muslim Women's Network. Things are changing in Bradford; progressive and transparent politics is the direction of travel, it needs to be the direction of travel across all of our country and in every party.

My mantra - 'Bradford Deserves Better' - was central to my election campaign, so for me we must challenge any unfairness and discrimination, because politics needs better and women deserve better. Equality, fairness and justice, because I'm Labour. It's in my DNA.
Yesterday's lively Amnesty "Justice for clowns" demo near the Israeli Embassy in London banged the drum for jailed Palestinian circus trainer Mohammad Abu Sakha who's been held by Israel without charge or trial for three months.

As with around 600 hundred other Palestinians, a six-month "administrative detention" order has been served on Abu Sakha by the Israeli military. With these scandalously unjust orders, no reason needs to be given and lawyers for those held have no real means of contesting the rulings which can be based on secret evidence. In Abu Sakha's case, the Israeli military have been quoted as saying the circus trainer poses a "danger ... to the security of the region". So that's supposed to be that.

It seems like some kind of bad joke. A young circus trainer who specialises in teaching circus skills to children with learning difficulties. Of all people, this man is deemed a threat to the security of the region. (Writers in the nineteenth century used to say of the famous British clown Joseph Grimaldi that his finely-crafted comic acting was an "acute observation upon the foibles and absurdities of society". Perhaps the Israeli military is now practising a cruel piece of political satire with Abu Sakha's incarceration ...).

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But is there, after all, a good reason for locking him up? Well, how can anyone know? The Israeli military won't allow the evidence they say they have to be examined and tested. They say he's a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a political party with an armed wing, but nothing to show Abu Sakha has committed a criminal offence has been forthcoming. What we have, then, is a form of legal trickery as the Israeli authorities quite blatantly juggle with due process. It's now common practice. Every time they issue an "administrative detention" order, Israeli military judges make a complete nonsense of basic fair trial standards. They might as well wear clown suits when they hand down their rulings ...

The Palestinian Circus School which employs Abu Sakha insists that his only crime is to "make children happy". Unless and until Israel produces evidence against Abu Sakha, that's a not unreasonable statement.

Abu Sakha was also previously arrested by the Israeli military six years ago, accused of throwing stones at a military jeep. On this occasion he was released after a month, but during his detention a military judge reportedly issued the bizarre threat that he would "never go back to the circus". What an odd thing to say.

People traditionally "run away to join the circus" as if to escape humdrum life. In Mira Nair's excellent film Salaam Bombay! about poor street children in India, it's the other way round: the circus actually packs up and leaves the central character Krishna behind. He's stranded and left to fend for himself on the hostile streets of Bombay.

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Compared to the violence and political turmoil of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank (involving the collective punishment of all Palestinians living there), the world of the Palestine Circus School must seem to those involved in it a sort of magical escape. It's a bit like some of those circus tricks (glass ball rolling, juggling, fire-eating etc) that still amaze us, transporting us from the everyday back into a childlike state of wonder and awe. I'm hoping for a similar bit of clown magic, perhaps with the spirit of Joseph Grimaldi paying a visit to the military judges of Israel's securitised state to remind them of their own unjust foolishness. Failing that, I suggest you lean in to my fake flower, receive a refreshing squirt of water in the eyeball ... and then support the Amnesty campaign for justice for Mohammad Abu Sakha.
With 100 days to go before the British people vote on our future relationship with Europe, Labour's position is clear: we're fighting to keep Britain in a Europe that is good for jobs, growth, investment, security, our influence in the world as well as workers' rights.

Labour is playing its part by laying out the positive case for remaining part of an alliance that has brought peace and prosperity to a continent that within living memory was engulfed in war and economic devastation.

Today, as a result of 65 years of cooperation instead of conflict, half of our exports go to EU countries. Large companies from all over the world choose to build offices and factories in the UK, and recruit staff here, because Britain is a gateway to the European single market.

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Labour as a party is also proud of the protections for workers, consumers, and the environment that we have secured in Europe. These are all protections that Labour governments helped to win and that are now safeguarded in EU law across the continent. The Tories were prevented in their renegotiation from hitting British workers' rights to minimum paid leave, rights for agency workers, guaranteed paid maternity and paternity leave and protection from discrimination. But a vote to leave would leave these crucial protections vulnerable to an attack.

EU agreements also protect British consumers, saving the average family around 450 a year due to the lower prices that come from being part of the biggest consumer market in the world.

Working with Europe gives Britain more influence than when we act alone. We are stronger when negotiating trade deals with superpowers like China and the USA as part of the EU. Issues like climate change, terrorism and organised crime don't respect national borders, so most effectively address them we need to work closely with our closest allies in Europe. And because we are part of the European Union but outside the Schengen borderless zone, we take full advantage of Europe-wide security cooperation while keeping our own borders secure.

Protecting Britain's interests means ensuring we have a strong voice at the top table. Like all institutions, the EU requires reform. But if we leave, Britain will still have to follow EU rules if we want to access the single market - we just won't have any say in making the rules anymore. That's been Norway's experience, which still pays out to the European Union and has free movement but no say over the rules.

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What is clear is that Labour voters and the activity undertaken by Labour members and supporters will have a huge impact on the result. Our country's future is on the ballot this June and Labour are up for the challenge to make the case for Britain in Europe.
I never made it to Damascus to finish my studies and graduate.

The terrifying war that had erupted since I started meant that there was no way I could guarantee what would happen if I made the ten-hour journey from my home town back to the capital.

Maybe I will be kidnapped, or killed? I was hearing stories of people dying making that journey; being killed in explosions or simply 'disappearing'- we still don't know where some people are.

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Being safe was more important to me than graduating and having the certificate.

That was a decision that I had to make at that time but there was no way I was giving up on my education. I mean I was bored having to stay at home. I'm an active person! I was so frustrated that I was upset and crying every day. I knew I had to do something, and so me and my family decided to go to Sulaimaniyah in Iraq. At least from there, while it wasn't my home, I could pursue studying.

That's what we thought anyway.

I tried for two years to get the agreement from all of the relevant officials so that I could study. Why it is so difficult? I do not know. In my country we really want other people to come and study - we show them the very best things our land has to offer if they do.

I had two years of visiting the heads of the university and going to Erbil to fill out form after form. People were asking me why I was working so persistently to make this happen. Why? I want to study! It was mad to me that they would rather have me cause them trouble with meeting after meeting than simply let me study.

I was working just by myself on the papers - my family had gone back to our home in Syria after a short time. Now I laugh about it but at that time I was crying every day. I faced a lot of really frustrating moments.

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I guess that the head of the university was fed up because he eventually allowed me in. His first word when he saw me was 'Oh my God- you just got old with this university- you are an old woman!' After all that struggle when I was told I was accepted it was like a dream.

It is my right but they made it like a dream for me.

And now, now I am studying fine art. My aim is to know what painting really is and to be really good. I would love to be a full time artist. That is where I have to put my energies.

I miss my family so much but I can't dwell on it. I have purpose here and they have purpose there. Where they are in my home town there is no power, no water and everything is expensive. My father is an engineer and our family has a small building company constructing buildings, roads and schools. There are ten families that are able to live, support their families and stay there because of my father's business.

It's harder to make the journey home to see them now. When we first traveled to Iraq we were able to enter with relative ease simply with our IDs. But since 2013, tens of thousands of refugees have made that same journey in to Iraq and so they have started to control and restrict the borders more because it was beginning to get messy. I saw them, my family, for the first time in two years last September after a bold move to go to the border by myself after the university and UN failed to give me papers to allow my crossing. Again, through sheer determination (and possibly luck) I made it.

When I was near to home I couldn't breathe! It was unbelievable.

I didn't tell my family I was coming in case I couldn't make the journey, and I didn't want my Mum to be worried about me. My brother's wife opened the door when I arrived and screamed, 'what are you doing here?! How did you get here?!' My father, my mother- everyone started crying. They thought I was crazy. I was so happy.

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I am back in northern Iraq now.

Education is important to me. If you don't do what you're able to when you're young then when will you do it? There is war everywhere and now I can't travel or study anything else and so I am here and I am determined. The war-torn road to Damascus shall not stop me from pursuing my rights.

Being as strong as possible is the only way to exist.

This is the time.

This post first appeared on the Christian Aid Collective - www.christianaidcollective.org/
Just 100 days from now, most of us will cast the most important vote we have ever made. A choice is approaching - whether we keep Britain stronger, safer and better off as a member of the European Union, or put jobs and security in jeopardy by choosing to leave and take a leap in the dark. The choice will affect your job, your studies, your ability to travel abroad. And it will affect our country's economy, security, and very position in the world.

I know that being in Europe creates jobs and growth in our country not through reading some economics journal or company report, but through personal experience. Along with two friends, I started the smoothie company Innocent Drinks on a market stall. Now, we employ hundreds of people in Britain, selling our smoothies all over the world. Being in the EU was vital to our success, because Europe's free trade single market lets us sell across Europe without having to worry about import taxes, red tape, and differing regulations.

Being part of this huge market, which buys 45% of everything we sell abroad, also keeps prices in the shops lower. We do not have to pay taxes on goods imported from Europe, which could cost our country 11billion a year according to independent research. The size of the single market means more companies can fight to give a better deal to British consumers.

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In a dangerous and fast-changing world, our closeness to our European allies makes Britain stronger and safer. The European Arrest Warrant lets us quickly deport people EU citizens who have committed crimes in Britain back to their home countries. Institutions like Europol and Eurojust allow our police and prosecutors to work closely together with their European counterparts to fight terrorism and cross-border crime. And as senior military figures have argued, being in Europe makes us stronger in facing down Russia and playing a meaningful role on the world stage.

The case for remaining in Europe is about our comfort and relaxation, not just Britain's global strength and security. Perhaps the most obvious and concrete benefit of British membership of the EU is our ability to travel across Europe. Whether you want to work in Germany, study in France or enjoy some sunshine in Spain, EU rules guarantee healthcare, equal treatment with locals, cheaper flights and lower roaming charges for Brits. While at home, the EU laws that Leave campaigners love to hate provide paid maternity leave, paid holiday and equal treatment for temporary workers here in Britain.

Respectfully asking those who want to leave Europe what the alternative to membership actually is is not scaremongering - it is responsible campaigning. Europe is our closest neighbour, our largest trading partner, and a vital security partner. What would our trade relationship with Europe be if we left? Would we seek to remain in the single market, and thus accept free movement of people and most EU law without any say in how it is made? Or would we quit the single market, and face damaging tariffs and restrictions being place on our exports? If we left, we would fall out of institutions like Europol - how would this security relationship be resurrected? Leave campaigners have not provided satisfactory answers to any of these questions, as they lurch from one alternative model to another. The truth is that if we vote to leave, we will lose control.

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Referendums are won by people getting out, talking to one another and spreading the word that Britain is stronger, safer and better off in Europe. With just 100 days to go, time is running out. Don't hesitate - sign up to our campaign and play your part to keep Britain stronger in Europe.
I highly recommend Indonesia (and no, not just Bali) as one the top destinations in Southeast Asia. But it is also one of the harder places to travel due to restrictions, corruption and just the general fact that it is not as touristy as other destinations.

Before going to Indonesia read up! It is an immensely complicated country made up of more than 14,000 islands. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website should be your first port of call. You'll need to ensure that you have all the correct vaccinations (there are a lot you need), you understand the regional tensions (including threats from terrorism), and culture differences (this is an issue even between Bali and the other islands). If you do your research you will be rewarded with a country full of amazing culture, food, and natural beauty.

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I spent very limited time in Indonesia and I wish I spent longer. I had a long weekend in Bali and another in Yogyakarta. Bali is, well, Bali. You know, beaches, Australians (mostly) getting extremely drunk on drinks more expensive than a, UK student nights, Oh, and more beaches. But it does have its own charm, especially if you travel inwards to Ubud to see rice paddies and Hindu temples. Yogyakarta is also less of a tourist hotspot but steeped in beautiful history and culture. It is famous for being a centre of education and the capital of the Mataram Sultanate, previously the greatest kingdom in Java and is definitely worth a visit.

Myself and another female friend spent 1 day in the city, visiting the key sights such as the Sultanate Palace and Sumur Gumuling (which is a little hard to find). Our second day was spent visiting the key sights of the wider area, Prambanan temples (the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia) and Borobudur temple (the world's largest Buddhist temple) organised through a tour group (you can't really do it on your own). If you're a student remember your student card as your entrance fee is significantly reduced. Also remember to dress modestly as these are religious sights! It is a pricey day all in, but worth it. Both temples offer their own wonders and you may even be approached by school children who are looking to practice their English and will happily show you around for a short time.

Top tip: Be ready for photos. Both my friend and myself are very pale, relatively tall females. This seemed to attract A LOT of attention from Indonesia tourists who both ask to have photos with you as well as taking photos on the 'sly'. It was pretty overwhelming and exhausting by the end of the day. My personal favourite was when we sat down to apply sun cream (an essential in Indonesia),looked up and primary school children had surrounded us, phones/cameras in hand taking photos. Funny at first, they continued as we stared in bewilderment, then a teacher approached, we assumed to tell them to stop bothering us. We were wrong. The teacher came over, took a picture of us, smiled, and left.

On our final day, we splashed out and did a day trip to Pendawa Temple (which was unfortunately underwhelming compared to the previous day's attraction), Colour Lake and Si Kidang Crater. This was the day corruption became unavoidable. We had driven a couple of hours outside of the city when our car pulled over picked up an individual who was wearing a local authority's shirt with a lanyard attached to an official ID. He said we had to pay 'x' amount to get into the 'nature reserve' area that was the lake and that if we didn't we would have to return to Yogyakarta. We had had to pay up. We then weren't even take to the official entrance of the lake but up a hill. The sights we saw were extremely beautiful (despite the sulphur smell at the crater), but the corruption was less fun. It became clear that the FCO's website is extremely accurate when it states 'Use a reliable and reputable guide for any adventure trips, otherwise you may have difficulties with local authorities if you need their help'. Oops.

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My life is far from the dream I had as a child, for which I largely blame the trust and blind faith I had in state education; I was young, eager, inspired and naive! For me education was not only a way to escape poverty but also a process to prepare students for adult life, to fill in the gaps that our parents couldn't teach us and establish how we could best contribute to society -an ideal of education that seems to make sense, even now. Although, it seems I got it wrong, and now considered to be 'educated and successful' I am left wondering as to what the aim of my education was, as it really did not prepare me for adult life despite my A grades!

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However, I wonder if we are at a turning point, as despite his position holding the reins of the monster, Sir Michael Wilshaw's recent speech to Centreforum (watch it here) filled me with a slight glimmer of hope. He paints a rather poor (but true) picture of the current state of education, outlining three main areas for improvement: 'accountability and oversight; the way schools work together; and the leadership of teaching in general.' He then concludes his speech by stressing that this is a call to arms, which depends on making more changes to the current system. He also makes it clear that changes should be led by local politicians, 'regardless of the powers bequeathed by Whitehall' - I like Mike and his slightly mutinous stance!

It's his call to arms that fills me with some hope. Just like Mike, I'm already fighting in the war against bad education but for me it is the establishment that I'm fighting and, as a working-class teacher, I refuse to join its ranks. In fact political interference with education is something I take issue with - as politicians seem to do it so badly! Mike puts so much reliance on them rather than on teaching professionals. Also I do not like the fact that his ideas remain firmly within the current structure; are yet more changes to something that doesn't work really the answer?
At the start of National Apprenticeship Week, here's an A-List of people who have made the journey from being an apprentice to being the boss.

Celebrities

At the top of the list is a clutch of talismanic, celebrity figures. They started as apprentices and became household names. They include Jamie Oliver, who began his career at 16 with an apprenticeship in home economics; Sir Alex Ferguson, whose first job was as a 19-year-old apprentice tool-maker at a Glasgow typewriter factory; and Stella McCartney, who was an apprentice tailor. You can also add Sir Michael Caine, David Beckham and Eric Clapton (an apprenticeship in stained glass design) to this list.

Jamie Oliver, of course, has been a passionate and practical advocate of apprenticeships with his Fifteen programme. The main point of these celebrity stories is that they are metaphors for individual talent and sheer bloody graft, rather than necessarily demonstrating the worth of their particular apprenticeship to their subsequent fame and success.

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The billionaires

The next group are those who demonstrate that you can begin your working life as an apprentice and become a billionaire. One recent example was produced by the Association of Accounting Technicians (in itself a form of accountancy apprenticeship) which published a list of "Britain's richest apprentices." They were led by this trio:

Lord Bamford, the head of JCB, started with an engineering apprenticeship at Massey Ferguson in France as his first step into the family business after leaving Ampleforth College.

Laurence Graff, the founder of Graff Diamonds, became a jewellery apprentice at Schindler's workshop after leaving school at the age of 15. Three months later Schindler let him go, saying that he would not make the grade. The diamond king is now estimated to be worth 3bn.

John Caudwell, who built up and then sold Phones 4 U for more than 1bn, began as an engineering apprentice at Michelin in Stoke-on-Trent.

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The pillars

Then there are those who have risen up the ranks to become CEOs, often running household name businesses. They are pillar figures of the British business community.

Stewart Wingate, the CEO of London Gatwick Airport, began his career as an apprentice at the tool maker Black & Decker. The company provided him with a bursary to go to university.

Andy Palmer was a 16-year-old apprentice at Automotive Products in the West Midlands before he joined Austin Rover. He then served a 23-year stint at Nissan. Now, though, he is CEO of Aston Martin.

Peter Digby left school to become an apprentice at British Airways. He then joined the Williams Formula 1 team for six years before moving to become MD of engineering firm Xtrac - a business which he subsequently bought. In 2013, he was named IoD Director of the Year.

The self-made men

There are other self-made men who, while not billionaires, are comfortably (multi) millionaires.

Actually, Jim McColl could be in the billionaire category so let's put him at the head of this group. He trained as an apprentice engineer on the site of the former Weir Pumps factory in Glasgow's Cathcart area. He turned his engineering smarts into deal-making acumen and an ability to turn around businesses.

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Charlie Mullins took to 'bunking off' school to earn two shillings a day working with the local plumber. He then did a four year apprenticeship. "There'd be no Pimlico Plumbers today if I hadn't once been a 15-year-old apprentice," he says.

Geoff Turnbull started as an engineering apprentice with Castrol Oil at the age of 15. He started his engineering design and manufacturing business GT Group in the 1980s. The 300-strong group specialises in environmental engineering and exports to more than 60 countries.

Michael Oliver left school at 15 to become an apprentice with a Manchester engineering company. He then gained an HND in mechanical and production engineering. He started Oliver Valves in his garage. His Cheshire-based business today employs more than 300 people and turnover is approaching 100m.

The highly skilled

There is then a group of highly skilled people who have risen to the top of their profession. You can see the linear trajectory from what they learn as an apprentice to their ultimate achievements. Clearly, Laurence Graff and Stella McCartney (see above) also fit this pattern.

Ross Brawn began his career in motorsport after a mechanical engineering apprenticeship with the atomic energy body UKAEA. His career has since then allowed him to direct the Mercedes and Ferrari teams. He's now one of the most respected men in Formula One.

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Peter Rogers, the younger brother of architect Sir Richard Rogers, is one of the most influential people to shape the London skyline. He dropped out of further education to work as a labourer on a building site. His employer saw his abilities and encouraged him to get a place at a polytechnic.

Andrew Ramroop arrived in UK from Trinidad in 1970 with a burning ambition of becoming a Savile Row tailor. He worked ferociously hard to fulfil that dream. Today, he owns and runs Maurice Sedwell on 19 Savile Row, making bespoke suits for customers around the world.

The foreign stories

The ability to start as an apprentice and become a significant industry figure is not, of course, just a British one. So the A-List needs to have some stories from elsewhere.

Matthias Muller, the new CEO of VW, trained as an apprentice toolmaker at Audi in the 1970s. After briefly studying computer science, he returned to Audi and in 2010 was appointed chief executive of Porsche.

Leonardo del Vecchio, the founder of Luxottica, the Italian company that dominates the world of sunglasses with brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley, started his career as an apprentice tool and dye maker in Milan.

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The quiet heroes

However, many others in my A-List would be people who are not on rich lists or or who attract media attention. This is the understated majority and I have only included a few of them here. All of them understand the value of apprenticeship schemes, having been there themselves. They have worked with tools, got their hands dirty, worked shifts. They know the shop floor inside out.

These are men (and, yes, I'll come to this point later) who have stayed with one business - or certainly one industry - for their professional careers. Individuals such as Chris Elliott, the COO of component manufacturer VTL Group, who trained as an apprentice toolmaker and has lived and breathed manufacturing for more than 20 years. And Dave Ruddy, who started his career as an apprentice laboratory technician and is now the owner and managing director of Billingham-based water and wastewater treatment specialist Biochemica UK.

For some, in more modest versions of Lord Bamford's story, their apprenticeship has been a part of training for the family business.

At Gloucestershire-based electrical contractor Clarkson Evans, Nathan Evans is set to take over as MD from his father Steve, who started the company 35 years ago. Nathan joined his father's firm as an 18-year-old apprentice in 1994. Today Clarkson Evans wires one in ten of all new properties built in England and Wales and employs approximately 700 people.

Les Owens left school at 16 without any qualifications and was sent to the National Construction College by his father. He then returned to his native Wirral to begin an apprenticeship in bricklaying. He took over the family firm 12 years ago; today the Trustland Group employs more than 50 people.

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They put things back into their local community or their industry. Steve Rawlings first trained as an apprentice roofer in Tower Hamlets and has worked and lived there for much of his life. Hence his commitment to the award-winning charity and building academy Building Lives, which teams up with construction firms, social landlords and colleges to transform unloved, disused community spaces into bespoke construction training academies.

(Shout-out for Jim McColl here: he has established the 1.5m Newlands Junior College in Glasgow's southside to take on 30 young people aged between 14 and 16 who "don't engage with the current education system but who have the potential to develop in the world of work.")

The A-List also contains life stories that are impossible to categorise, such as Bob Lindo. At 16, he was an apprentice General Post Office technician; this led to a GPO scholarship to read electronic engineering at Essex University. He was an RAF pilot. He is the founder of Camel Valley Vineyards - and his wine was served at the Downing Street dinner for Chinese premier Xi Jinping.

The future A-List

Of course, what is very striking about this A-List is the absence of women. This is not for lack of trying. If you know a female CEO who has served an apprenticeship, tell them to tell the world about their achievement.

At present, too, this list is very white and Anglo-Saxon. That's partly, I suspect, because it reflects a generation that entered work in the 1970s and 1980s. that was a time when there would not have been many British Asians, for example, joining formal company apprenticeship schemes. Again, we should know about them.

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The current A-List is also sharply divided between those who are skilled in individual and creative disciplines - tailoring, jewellery etc - and those who have learned the basics in areas such as engineering and construction.

Ultimately, any quality apprenticeship is about learning to make and model, build and repair, to try and try again. It should also be about creating genuine opportunities for people to rise to the top. And it should not be seen as an "either/or" to having a university degree. It really should be a "both/and" - as is evidenced by people such as Bob Lindo and Stewart Wingate.

Perhaps the real change to the composition of this list will only be felt once some of the more recent apprenticeship schemes in different sectors have had the time to make a lasting impact.
It is one hundred days to go until the most significant vote the British people will have in a generation.

On the 23 June we will go to the polls with the chance to take back control of our country - and stop being told what to do by unelected and unaccountable foreign bureaucrats.

For too long, we have been a member of this diminishing European club - a club that doesn't serve our interests or listen to our demands. On 72 occasions since 1996, we have opposed EU policy in the Council of Ministers. On all 72 occasions, we have been outvoted. This statistic proves what pitiful influence we have as a member of the EU.

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The message from Grassroots Out is very simple. The UK will be safer, stronger, and more prosperous, outside of the EU.

We want to bring back control of our borders and create a fairer immigration system that treats people equally, regardless of where they come from in the world. We don't want open borders with 500million EU citizens, not to mention the additional 77million Turks who are set to be granted free movement within the EU - nor do we want to discriminate against Commonwealth citizens, or those from other parts of the world, who find it difficult to come here because of our discriminatory migration policy.

Instead, we need an Australian-style points based system so we can control who comes and who goes at our ports.

We want to stop sending 350million a week to Brussels - and instead put that money towards supporting our schools, hospitals, police and brave armed forces, to name just a few. British taxpayers' cash should be spent, or saved, in a way that is decided by elected Britons - and on our own priorities.

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I believe this will come into sharp focus following tomorrow's Budget. On a day when further difficult spending decisions will no doubt be announced, Brits will ask - what could we do with the 55million a day we currently give to the EU? How much public investment, or how many tax cuts for hard-working families, could we introduce if we had control of our own purse strings.

We also want to make our own laws in our own Parliament. The British people should be able to elect a government that has the power to make, amend, and scrap legislation. That same population should have the power to vote in a good Government, and vote out a bad one. This is the definition of a parliamentary democracy. But, while we remain a member of this unreformed European Union, 75% of our laws will be made abroad, where unelected officials have the sole power to propose and scrap legislation.

At the same time, we should also have the power to sign our own trade deals - trade deals that would boost jobs and investment in the United Kingdom, whilst establishing trade links and relationships the world over.

So, the time has come for us to rejoin the wider world and have a truly global outlook. We are the fifth largest global economy, the second most important defence player within Nato, a country with an incredible history and a fantastic future.

A UK outside of the EU would still be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, be America's strongest and closest ally, retain our seat in the G7 and the G20, and remain at the forefront of the Commonwealth of nations.

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Far from being a leap into the dark, as the 'stay' camp would have you believe, the United Kingdom leaving the European Union would be a leap into the light - into a more prosperous, brighter, global future. I believe we are good enough, strong enough, significant enough - do you?
The 8th March marked International Women's Day (IWD), which was celebrated worldwide and was an opportunity to raise awareness of women's rights and gender equality, an important topic all over the world but significantly so in certain parts of the developing world.

"Women perform 66% of the world's work, but earn only 10% of the world's income, and own only 1% of the world's property." - United Nations Development Programme

At the moment I'm volunteering in Nepal for 3 months on the Raleigh International ICS programme. Living in the third poorest country in Asia, in a country where women are at a far greater disadvantage than we Brits in the UK, it suddenly feels incredibly relevant (if not a physical responsibility) for me to be blogging about gender equality. Here in Nepal the differences between men and women are simply shocking and virtually no women have true independence in the sense that we recognise in the UK. A key focus of our project here in the Makwanpur region with Raleigh International is to work with marginalised groups such as women and I'm pleased to say we organised a full day's programme to celebrate IWD, beginning by joining a 200-person-strong march with a band, placards and banners between the villages of Bhalu Khola and Dhading organised by the local women's co-operative. We also promoted the UN's #PledgeforParity campaign by asking local community members to commit to one of five pledges, and we ran a poetry, short story and artwork exhibition in Dhading School on the theme of women's rights, specifically targeting young people in the valley (both girls and boys), which we also displayed publicly for passers-by to browse.

When thinking about what to write, it's hard to know where to start with the myriad of inequalities that a Nepali girl faces daily. I thought it best to start by jotting down some of my observations from living in the village of Bhalu Khola, from talking with my 27-year-old in-country Team Leader Asha and from interviewing my 23-year-old host sister Sharmila about her life and her hopes for the future.

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Division of work between men and women

I asked my mitini about her daily routine here in Bhalu Khola: "I start my day around 5:30am with my personal hygiene, then I get dressed and tidy my room, before cleaning the whole house and our outside space, filling the water and preparing for the day. I then worship the god Krishna in our family shrine and serve tea to all my family, before washing up and going to the fields to pick some vegetables to cook for lunch [lunch is served at 9:30am in rural Nepal], which I cook outside on a fire and serve to my family first before eating myself after them, and then I wash up afterwards. Then in the daytime after I finish my morning household chores I help my parents work in the fields or do some studying, or wash clothes or clean the house a bit more. After 4pm I worship in our shrine again and then I have to prepare tea and snacks for my family, then I wash up and start cooking the dinner and then I wash up after that too, and I go to bed around 9:00pm." When working in the field, the women are supposed to do the back-breaking seed planting work, which isn't considered masculine enough for a man. In addition, most days I see Sharmila's 48-year-old mother walking to and from the fields carrying enormous loads of 40-50kg of grass or potatoes strapped to her back, heavy lifting that is certainly too much for her tiny frame and dangerous to her spine. She's one of the twenty or thirty such women I see daily, but have I ever seen a man carry those loads here? Not yet!

Talking about when her two brothers are around (they currently work as migrant labourers in the UAE) she says "they definitely wouldn't be doing the same household work as me. I have to do every household activity, which the men won't do. From the kitchen to the field there is a big gender difference, even in big cities as well as small villages, men think that household chores are only done by women". For a time Sharmila toyed with the idea of following her brothers' example and moving abroad to Korea to work, but her parents wouldn't let her, although now she's changed her mind and is happy to stay in Nepal.

Love marriages vs. arranged marriages

While so-called "love marriages" are on the rise in Nepal, and Asha's marriage is a good example of a love marriage, the ordinary practice here is still for a girl's parents to find her a husband in her early twenties and "arrange her marriage", including the payment of a dowry to the husband's family (reminiscent of Jane Austen's 18th century Britain). According to my mitini sister Sharmila, if she herself can find a man of equal caste, religion and economic status that her parents approve of, then her family will permit the marriage. If she can't, then her parents will propose a suitable candidate to her and she has the right to one veto, but after that she must accept the second candidate. However if she attempts to marry outside of her Brahmin caste then her parents will forbid it.

On that note, we asked her mother how she'd feel about one of her sons marrying outside of their caste: "disappointed" was the response, but she'd begrudgingly allow it. Sharmila is lukewarm about marriage, saying that "sometimes I feel I don't need to get married and that I want to be independent, but other times I think I do need to marry". One disadvantage she identified is that "after I get married, I think that the freedom I enjoy here in my mother's house will be reduced when I move to my in-laws' house". Joint families of multiple generations under one roof are the norm in Nepal, and after her marriage Sharmila will have to look after her parents-in-law, by cooking and cleaning for them, doing their washing and working in their fields.

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Dependency on men

Nepal's marriage practice means that upon a girl's marriage, her father effectively hands over responsibility and decision-making ability for her to her new husband and gives him a dowry in compensation for the burden of looking after his daughter. While no one in my host family defined this as such, I liken this transaction to the ownership of property, and Sharmila described "women as like ornaments or accessories for men". The concept of a man as head of the house is deeply ingrained, with Sharmila's mother pointing out that men handle all the money and are the only ones to work outside of the family's fields in salary-paying jobs. Sharmila even agrees with this point: "Most families have a man at the head of the family and it's good to have one person to be in charge of all financial responsibilities, better than individual decisions". When attending a local meeting of the women's co-operative, Asha and I even witnessed certain women actually argue that girls should have the approval of their father or husband before receiving a micro-credit loan designed to empower their earning potential. It's not just men's attitudes that need to be changed here, it's important to convince the women too.

At our project's initial community meeting with the village, Sharmila's mother was one of only two women to attend along with 40+ men -she's a courageous woman. She commented that the women's intense workload at home and in the fields prevents them from engaging in community meetings or ward citizen forums, meaning their voices are rarely heard. On the topic of leaving the house, Sharmila wishes she had more freedom to leave the house. It's not that she has a strict curfew, it's more that "men don't want their women to leave the house, and so the women always live in fear if they do go out". Fear of what, I asked? "Fear of talking to a stranger or a boy and someone else seeing, misinterpreting the encounter and spreading gossip. If a girl's husband misinterprets these Chinese whispers overheard from other people, then he might kick her out of his house".

Unbelievably, a baby born in Nepal has no automatic right to citizenship. Only the baby's father can pass down citizenship, not the mother alone. If the baby is born to a single mother or unmarried parents, then it legally cannot gain citizenship and will remain stateless for the rest of its life, a status belonging to an estimated 4.3 million Nepalese people today, meaning that a woman depends on her husband to bestow the gift of citizenship to her child.

Hopes for the future

Sharmila herself admits that "women have no freedom in Nepal, they are suppressed", but she is hopeful of change. She wants to be independent and to make her family proud, but she acknowledges the barriers that prevent women from asserting their independence: "some women don't have that much courage to make decisions, but even for those that do, obstacles somehow come into their path and bring them back to the start. Both men and women hold them back". What can we do as a society to break down those barriers as a society, I asked? "We need so many things to break down those barriers! We have to be self-confident, have speaking power to raise our voice, we should be honest so that people will trust us, be respectable and do the things that society thinks are respectable, we should be courageous to speak out, and we need improved social work".

To encourage men in Nepal to treat women as equals rather than as subordinated she says "we need to prove ourselves, prove that we are equal to them and can do the same things that men can do. At the same time, all the family members need to support the girl and help her and allow her to do those things. The whole family must agree". While I'm impressed by her passion for changing the status quo, I'm conscious that Sharmila isn't asking the men to change their habits and attitudes, that instead she's relying on the women themselves to make it happen. Neither is she recognising the opportunity that she could have in local decision-making forums or to petition her government to do more for women's rights. Part of our work here is to raise awareness of the options for in civic participation and to motivate young people to become active citizens who have a say in their own future at a regional and national level.

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Sharmila does want to leave the household and farming work behind, and she's studying to hopefully work in an NGO or on a social project. I asked her about the future and to consider how she'd like the world to look for a daughter of her own that she may have in future: "I just wish that my daughter won't have to go through what I've been through, I wish that society will treat sons and daughters equally and I want to see a society that allows my daughter to go out, not like now, where a girl is confined to stay in the house. I hope that my daughter will be able to go out and have as much opportunity as a boy". And if she could be granted one wish for the future? "Right now I need a job!"
Domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty will confront a perpetrator of violence in Sweden, in an emotional episode of ABC's Foreign Correspondent set to air on Tuesday night.

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Batty, whose son was murdered by his father in 2014, meets with the man as part of an investigation into the Scandinavian country's alarming incidence of domestic violence.

While preparing to meet with the perpetrator of domestic violence, Batty tells reporter Sally Sara: After the journey Ive had with Lukes father I dont think I could ever be intimidated in the same way again.

Rosie Batty meets with campaigners, victims and a perpetrator of domestic violence.

Despite its proud history of gender equality in the workplace, Sweden is regularly named one of the worst countries in the European Union when it comes to rape and domestic violence.

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In the episode on the ABC, Batty also speaks to survivors of domestic violence, campaigners and politicians.

Rosie Batty and Sally Sara delve into Sweden's dark side. Picture: Foreign Correspondent / ABC
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 14: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to his supporters during a rally at the PNC Music Pavilion on March 14, 2016 in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/ The Washington Post via Getty Images)

If you are Puerto Rican, whether you live in the continental U.S or in the island, you are probably paying close attention to the Democratic primaries. If you haven't, now it's very important that you do. Why? Because one of the candidates just released the most comprehensive and detailed plan on Puerto Rico so far in the race for the White House. That candidate is Bernie Sanders.

Senator Bernie Sanders, the underestimated underdog turned serious contender for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, just released an impressive plan to address not one, but virtually all of the Puerto Rico's main issues. Sanders' Plan for Puerto Rico is so wide-ranging and complete that some could say it's unprecedented for a presidential hopeful. Topics such as Puerto Rico's debt crisis, health care, energy, education and Vieques' environmental clean-up, all show up in Sanders' Plan for Puerto Rico. Even the controversial and never-ending debate on the island's political relationship with the United States is addressed with spectacular clarity. So, let's take a look at Sanders' positions on Puerto Rico's key issues and problems.

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Debt Crisis

Taking on the debt crisis, Sanders first proposal is to afford Puerto Rico the same Chapter 9 bankruptcy protections that exist for municipalities across the United States, allowing Puerto Rico to restructure its debt in a rational way that does not harm its people, ordinary investors or pension funds in the United States. This is just the first issue and it's already as far as Hillary has gone.



Sanders then recommends an audit of Puerto Rico's debt to investigate the constitutionality of whether the debt was incurred legally, setting aside any debt issued to creditors in violation of Puerto Rico's constitution. He stands firm on stopping austerity measures that have harmed children, senior citizens, and the most vulnerable people in Puerto Rico.



Sanders also calls for a $1 trillion jobs program that would create over 140,000 good-paying jobs in Puerto Rico, and put 13 million people to work all over the U.S by concentrating resources in rebuilding Puerto Rico's crumbling roads and bridges, improving its ports, upgrading its drinking water and wastewater plants, fortifying flood control projects, modernizing the island's electric grid and expanding high-speed broadband through the island.

Status

Sanders' willingness to fight for a U.S. congressionally sanctioned and binding referendum is also unprecedented. Several politicians in Puerto Rico, mostly those who favor statehood, have long pushed for this in Congress to no avail. No presidential candidate has ever pledged to bind the U.S Congress to the will of the People of Puerto Rico, which is precisely what Puerto Rico needs to guarantee congressional action on the island's status.

Renewable Energy and Environmental Issues

When it comes to clean energy and environmental issues, Bernie encourages significant investments in wind, solar, and geothermal energy to diversify the island's dependency on fossil fuels. Sanders also addresses the severe pollution of the Martin Pena Canal, which has caused tremendous distress among residents nearby and is currently one of Puerto Rico's main environmental concerns, second only to Vieques' environmental clean up.

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Vieques

Since the U.S Navy's exit in 2003, efforts to clean up the environmental mess caused by 60 years of live-fire bombing have been fruitless, largely due to the few resources that the U.S Department of Defense has allocated to decontamination works. After 13 years since the bombing range was closed, an extensive cleanup of the eastern portion of Vieques is years from being finished. Sanders' Plan for Puerto Rico calls attention to the alarming rates of cancer and other serious health conditions on Vieques caused by the environmental damage left behind.

Though the list continues, these are some of the major points addressed in Sanders' Plan for Puerto Rico. Regardless of which candidate you vote for, it is evident that Bernie Sanders' campaign has gone out his way to come up with a realistic plan that addresses Puerto Rico's major social and economic issues with a radically larger scope and depth than any prior or current presidential hopeful.

Some pundits are not surprised, given that Betsy Franceschini, a Puerto Rican and former Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Florida, currently serves as regional Latino outreach director for the Bernie Sanders campaign. Franceschini stands out as the only high-level Puerto Rican adviser in either Democratic campaign.

There are 1,000 Puerto Rican families a week moving to the mainland in search of better job opportunities and a more stable future. The human cost of not addressing Puerto Rico's issues will soon get worse unless we stand up and do something about it. As Puerto Rican, voting is now more important than ever because the future of our beautiful island is at stake.
One of the most daunting and stressful tasks a Foreign Service Officer abroad can face is supporting a visit by POTUS, the President of the United States. Concerns about security, cultural sensitivities, press coverage and political effectiveness turn such events into an all-encompassing, embassy-wide obsession from the day the idea of the visit is floated until "Wheels Up" when Air Force One departs. There's plenty of drama, bruised egos, hurry-up-and-wait, and silliness in the planning and implementation of such a visit. The outcome can make or break a career.

Lloyd Neighbors showed his mettle when he was in charge of press arrangements for President George W. Bush's October 18-21 visit to Shanghai for the APEC conference in 2001. The Minister Counselor for Public Affairs in Beijing from 2000-2003, Neighbors was interviewed by David Reuther in February 2013.

Read about some no-tell CODELs (that's Congressional delegations). Go here to read about how Senator Jesse Helms was convinced that the downing of KAL 007 was a Soviet assassination attempt and about LBJ's need for a shower head during a visit to Germany. "For this type of high-level international conference you have to throw people at the problems" NEIGHBORS: APEC, yes, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. I've always thought that title sounds like it needs another noun (laughs). But even without a proper name, APEC is a big deal.

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The U.S. President almost attends the annual APEC Leaders Summit. We -- the U.S. mission in China -- had already in August 2001 begun planning for a bilateral presidential visit to Beijing and attendance at the APEC meeting in Shanghai.

But because of the 9/11 attacks, President Bush did not want to be out of the country too long. He decided that he would just come to Shanghai, postponing his Beijing visit for six months till January 2002.

Instead of getting rid of POTUS [President of the United States] in one awful swoop, we had to do it twice, which was a boatload of work. But it was important that Bush did come to APEC, and I think he had a lot of sympathy from the Chinese people because of 9/11. His visit went quite well in Shanghai....

I was control officer for the U.S. mission dealing with the press at the Shanghai APEC. Of course I worked under the direction of the White House press advance, who came to Shanghai about two weeks before the event. But I was the guy responsible for putting the event together from the embassy/consulate side. I had the consulate public affairs team there working for me, and then we brought people down from Beijing and we brought others from Shenyang and Chengdu and Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

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We brought officers from other posts around Asia as well. For this type of high-level international conference you have to throw people at the problems. And in those days before sequester and draconian budget cuts we had lots of people to throw into the breach.

An APEC summit is enormous -- about 25 heads of state and foreign ministers, along with hundreds of deputies and assistant deputies and sherpas [high-ranking officials who prepare for the summit] and toadies and hangers-on.

"You will get the blame and will soon be on your way to Chad, where the job of press spokesman is not career- enhancing"

The hard part about APEC? It's not just a Heads of State meeting. The foreign ministers come as well. So we not only have to prepare for the White House press corps, we must deal with the Secretary of State's media groupies as well, who have their own quirks and demands.

We have to set up a special filing center for them -- anywhere from eight to 14 journalists -- as well as for the 135 members of the White House Traveling Press.

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This involves mind-boggling motor pool movements. We have to transport around the city 150 members of the press, as well as our own officers, press wranglers for each event.

Of course, not all 150 members of the press can cover each presidential event. Some of these are small-scale activities that can't accommodate all the journalists. To handle this problem we create smaller press pools.

For example: for the President's bilateral meeting with the Japanese Foreign Minister, we select three cameramen and their soundmen, two still photographers, and four writers (or "pencils," as journalist jargon calls them). The pool makes their reports available to all the other traveling White House press.

We negotiate agonizingly with the Chinese side about the numbers that can be included in each press pool. We want less press at a particular event. The Chinese want more. We want the cameras to be 50 feet away; the Chinese want them closer -- or vice versa.

It's never easy to get so many people to agree on so many details. Fights are frequent, but necessary. With so many moving parts for each event, the details must be worked out in advance. Otherwise the whole thing will fall apart, you will get the blame, and will soon be on your way to Chad, where the job of press spokesman is not career-enhancing.

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In Shanghai, in addition to handling the APEC events, we also had to help arrange a bilateral press conference between George W. Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

"We called the Shanghai Film Studio and asked them to build a movie set"

That was difficult enough. Putin proved more of a problem. As a Pacific Basin country, Russia has been an APEC member since 1998. Russian President Vladimir Putin was attending the summit, and we were tasked with doing the logistics for a press conference between Putin and George W. Bush.

The first matter of business in preparing for a presidential press conference is to find a good site, one that is convenient for the press but that tells a visual story about where the event is taking place. The White House Advance is very particular about the choice of venues.

We looked at a lot of different sites, looked at, for instance, the Grand Ballroom in the Peace Hotel on the Bund -- the fabled Shanghai waterfront. It's a beautiful old art deco building, very nice. It was a little shabbier in those days than it is now, but still an elegant place. So we thought about having it there.

The ballroom on the top floor would have been a wonderful site, a place still echoing with the sound of 1930s jazz, the voice of Noel Coward -- who wrote Private Lives while ensconced at the Peace -- and the ghosts of merry dancers long gone.

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But there are only two tiny elevators that go up to the twelfth floor. And you have 300 journalists who are going to want to come to this event -- plus a myriad of security people and all the hangers-on. From a security standpoint this would not work. We just couldn't get the people up and down the building. So we looked some more.

Finally, the White House decided that the best place to have the event was at the Portman Hotel, where the President would be staying. The Portman (pictured) had a huge, beautiful atrium with plenty of room for crowds and convenient for the president to come down from his hotel suite for the press conference.

Only one problem: the atrium looked like any hotel site in any place in the world. Nothing said "China."

And if you're going to have a press conference in Shanghai, you want it to look like China. You want something visually to say, "Boy, we are in China now, and the President is hard at work establishing our relationship with the Chinese and with the Russians at the same time."

So how were we going to resolve this problem? We called the Shanghai Film Studio and asked them to build a movie set at the Portman that would without a doubt say "China."This was with just 24 hours' notice.

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So the studio builds this set that looks like a Chinese imperial palace. And they bring it in to the Portman at 4:00 in the morning, driving this huge truck with all the set materials into a highly secure area, through a cordon of guards and fences around the president's hotel.

Trying to get this shipment at 4:00 in the morning through security was just a filthy task. But we did it, and it looked like an imperial palace in the Land of Oz (laughs). It was an imposing structure, vermillion walls with gold trim. It did look like we were in China, a China of the Boxer Rebellion days, perhaps.

At any rate, the set does work and the two presidents give their press conference for 20 minutes, maybe 30 at most. And the set cost us $13,000 to build. But that's chicken feed compared to what is spent on a presidential visit.

Six months later President Bush visited Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo. From what I heard, the cost of that visit to the three countries for about one week was $50 million.

"The presidential apparatus rolls on and before too long it's over and everyone can breathe normally again"

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For each site the U.S. Air Force brings in 20 supply flights. They fly in the limousine, the back-up limousine, the helicopter (disassembled, I believe, because the Chinese are not going to allow it to fly in Chinese airspace.) I suppose if the President had an accident, we would fly the helicopter to pick him up without Chinese approval. The flights also bring in office supplies and computers.

Over 100 security personnel also show up at each site. And the White House Communication Agency, WHCA, brings in all of its gear and installs another 600 telephone lines in the hotel. And they bring in many of the motorcade vehicles as well. Mind-boggling.

During these visits I spent a lot of time cooling my heels, sitting around with the press and the White House security team. I learned some interesting details about the motorcade.

The president's Lincoln weighs as much as an 18-wheeler, semi-trailer truck. It can resist an attack by an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade], an anti-tank missile. It has its own oxygen system. The motorcade also has another vehicle that serves to defend against chemical or gas attacks. The agents who drive this SUV wear their anti-gas suits all the time the president is moving.

And if you notice their complexion, they have this sort of gray pallor from breathing in carbon filter materials all the time. In case there's a chemical attack, they will be protected. And the President's car has its own oxygen system that can go into effect to protect him.

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The motorcade has another vehicle, known as Linebacker, which is a big SUV, an enormous one. It's full of scary guys with guns. And it drives slightly out of line from the rest of the motorcade. If you see a motorcade going along, the cars will all be in a straight line. Only Linebacker is a little bit off to the side.

If it sees any car threatening the motorcade, its job is to knock 'em off the road (laughs). One of the security agents told me that if you're riding along in the motorcade and you hear through the walkie-talkie the phrase "Sanitize," you better duck -- because the agents will be sanitizing the area around the president's car -- with bullets.

It's fun to learn all this arcana about how a presidential visit works. It's not always fun to deal with the electric tension that surrounds these visits.

At some point during every presidential visit, I reach a state of complete despair. This event cannot possibly work. It's going to go crazy and I'm going to be a fool and I'll wind up pumping gas in Shreveport, Louisiana.

But it doesn't work that way. The presidential apparatus rolls on, right over you, even if you make a mistake, and before too long it's over and everyone can breathe normally again....

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"Sometimes you have to tell the White House when they're doing something stupid"

I also had run-ins with the White House press advance team, who could be extremely demanding and difficult, unreasonably so at times. I particularly remember one press advance officer, a woman -- skilled at her job, with years of experience.

But she was prickly as a hedgehog. And she was just going around all the time in every circumstance talking about the F...ing Chinese this and the F...-ing Chinese that, and just going on, and in places where the Chinese could easily hear her.

I finally went up to her and said, "You know, some of us who are working with you on this visit have what you call F...ing Chinese for children and wives, and we don't appreciate you using that term. What's more, the Chinese we're negotiating with probably hear what you're saying and it makes our job much more difficult when they know you're being so dismissive and nasty to them."

Her boss apologized to me later on. She didn't apologize, but she did change her tune.
By Elizabeth Aris, Founder and CEO, MOSH.

"When I look at the data, it's clear to me that if I entered the race, I could not win."

Those were the words of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in explaining why he would not run for president in this election. Bloomberg's team relied on research and technology to determine the practicality and feasibility of him winning, and in turn reminded us all of the impact that "Big Data" can (and should) have on decision-making within and beyond the corporate sector.

Similarly, current presidential candidates are turning to technology and various digital platforms for data to help them acquire supporters in the same way businesses use it to solicit sales. Long gone are the days of candidates depending on door knocks to ask for votes; we're now getting real-time reactions and opinions from our candidates by simply logging onto Twitter or Facebook.

Still, just as many politicians are seeing the benefits of these social platforms in connecting with and understanding their voters, they, too, are they realizing that one of its most promising features - data - is also its biggest challenge.

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This is not to say that candidates are short on data. If anything, they have too much of it, coming from too many sources and making it difficult to create accurate and actionable insights. The simplest data, such as "Likes" and "Shares" are easy to obtain and understand, but they aren't votes and don't tell you much, if anything, about the person they came from. On the other hand, the truly rich, individualized data that social platforms like Facebook collect is kept under lock and key by the platforms themselves, so they can leverage it to sell and serve ads.

As a result, candidates are left with the task of analyzing data from voter registrations and using tools like social listening technology and purchases from third-parties to bring them reams of records that often come without real context, and need to somehow be cobbled together in a way that will produce useful information. That context is the most critical piece that's missing from this current model, which is largely reliant on sophisticated guesswork and often falls short in accurately analyzing the numbers. It is also making it harder for candidates to build deeper relationships with real people.

A perfect example of these challenges played out recently as Sen. Bernie Sanders won Michigan and shocked the political analysts across the country who placed him 15 to 20 points below Hillary Clinton. In this case, the guesswork simply didn't pan out - pollsters assumed the majority of voters would be over the age of 50 and using landlines. The data built into the projection models failed to account for the fact that Sanders galvanized younger voters, who for the most part do not use landlines but have turned out to support him.

These challenges are the same reason why, for all the data they have access to, this year's political candidates are still spending an overwhelming amount on TV ads - $4.4 billion to be exact. Sure, TV ads reach a lot of people - 87% of Americans over 18, in fact - which is why they are so expensive and are relied upon in the early stages of the election when candidates are 'building their narrative' for potential voters. But what TV ads offer in reach, they lack in value, as they represent one-directional communication with virtually no knowledge of who is receiving the message and are all but impossible to use in effective micro-targeting.

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Knowing that members of the Millennial generation will for the first time almost exactly equal baby boomers as a share of adults eligible to vote in 2016 - 30.5% vs. 30.7% - the failures of the current strategies become even more obvious. Millennials are known as the ultimate "cord cutters," of which nearly two thirds get their information about the election from social media and about 20% no longer use a traditional cable or satellite service. They consume content on any device they like, especially mobile phones. What this means is that the old "traditional" methods such as TV ads are not effective in reaching the right audiences.

The smart approach is to meet the voters where they are and let them spread your message. It means using social media platforms, which instead of guessing allow for direct access to consistent, real-time and contextualized user data, and enable candidates to get the right message to voters in the right place at the right time. This approach will be even more important as demographics shift and the next generation of digital natives reaches voting age.

The good news is that this technology already exists, so now it's time for candidates to stop doing things "the way they've always been done" and start utilizing solutions that allow for two-way communication with individuals and groups and enable access to real-time granular information. This approach will not only guide the candidates' spend strategy more effectively, but it will also help them engage with voters in much more meaningful and direct ways.
Reading the obituaries for Marco Rubio's political career, it's clear that pundits will judge the junior senator's fatal misstep to be his quick turn on Donald Trump -- five days of trash-talking that ensured his Super Tuesday swoon.

Rubio's overarching play was a preemptive strategy recognized in The Standard Table of Influence as the crazy ivan. It's named for the rushing maneuver made famous in Hunt for Red October. Which is fitting. Marco knew he was being hunted. Chris Christie's kamikaze call outs planted the seeds of his destruction. And Trump's killer sound bite, Little Marco, was a text book label, the framing play that sticks to and suffocates its targets.

It's reasonable that Rubio thought to go on the offense. But the moral to this story is that competitive communication is not a binary sport. Marco over-reacted. There were a few plays he might have considered between the high-risk crazy ivan and pedestrian recasts, filters, screens, fiats, challenges and peacocks that typified his campaign.

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As I've observed many times, mostly recently in this post, the influence strategies that Trump-haters have ignored are those of the counter-intuitive type, most especially three whose core purpose is to freeze a marketplace discussion: The lantern where weakness is volunteered, the disco where a concession is strategically offered, and the bear hug where agreement is heaped on another, usually a rival. Each requires the disposal of ego. But imagine if Rubio had countered his critics like this:

LANTERN I could never run a business as well as Donald. As most know, I could take a few lessons in finance.

DISCO Chris Christie's right about my repetition. It sounds and comes across as robotic. I'm so focused on replacing Obama that I forget who's trying to replace me!

BEAR HUG It's true, I'm short. And your point is...?

These plays, run with these words, would have entertained the media, disarmed his attackers, and burnished an authentic and presidential bearing. But like Rick Perry's trumpism tirade and Mitt Romney's fatherly rage, Marco didn't know the value of strategic recognition. Imagine, too, if Rubio were to follow his lanterns, discos and bear hugs with a fourth play, the provocative bait? Instead of teasing Trump about his hands, hair and manhood, he might have thought to accelerate the blather and deepen our understanding of the billionaire.

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BAIT Donald, you've got my attention -- you've got everyone's attention. Tell us more about the wall? Tell us about your friends? Are any Mexican, Muslim or gay? Tell us about the women you've hired? Tell us about your boyhood? Your dad? Tell us about your first fist fight? Did you win or lose? Tell us about abortion? Did you ever pay for one? Tell us why you like Obamacare? How do you define conservatism?

Corporations are likewise loath to use such strategies. They adhere to folklore myths: Never mention the competition. Always take the high road. Never give a rival credit. It's a pity and an opportunity that so few CEOs and politicos are versed in the plays that can profoundly advance a player's position.

Note to Hillary and Bernie...What Rubio, Perry, Romney and all the rest should do, and do now, is this: Draw the arc of where Mr. Trump wants to take us and bring detail to the thin resume he markets. Instead of rejecting his bombast encourage it. Instead of suppressing his storyline explore it.

After all, if Donald Trump is such a danger, we should want to know more than less. And if party elders are so sure of his destructive potential the rest can surely be helped to see it. Perhaps, too, by these means his lathered base might see for themselves the Trump that is them.
When it comes to stories about "stones," we all know of the story of David who had five smooth stones in his possession, using only one to take out the giant, Goliath.

My favorite reference to stones is the song called "Pocket Full of Stones" by the rap group UGK. This song, full of expletives, heavy 808 beats, and stories about an inescapable drug life chronicles two rappers who keep their "stones" (crack rocks) in their pockets, waiting for the next addict to find them to make a purchase.

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Don't judge me.

There's another story about stones in John 8 where Jesus reminds the crowd of men who set out to stone a woman accused of adultery that they should only cast a stone if they too were without sin.

This is the Scripture that is most often used when Christians talk about "judging" the actions of another Christian. We hear, "We all sin -- who are we to judge or cast a stone at someone else?"

We take John 8:7 and misinterpret it, water it down, wave it like a banner over the iniquities of others so that we can be removed from the microscope of judgment. We don't want people to see and judge our sins so we lean into this text in John 8 to excuse ourselves from being accountable for not just our sins, but how our sins impact the lives of others.

This week, Gospel recording artist James Fortune plead guilty to assaulting his wife in 2014 and was sentenced to "five years of probation plus five days in jail. He must also serve 175 hours of community service, complete a "batterer's intervention" program and stay away from his wife."

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In 2002, Fortune was found guilty for "disciplining" his 4-year-old son by burning him with boiling hot water. The child had burns over 40 percent of his body.

For that case, Fortune was sentenced to six years probation.

Just days after his most recent sentencing, this flyer popped up on Facebook:

The event, hosted by New Hope Baptist Church in Los Angeles, is titled "Drop That Stone" and quotes the aforementioned John 8 scripture serving as its subtitle: "He without sin cast the first stone."

This isn't the first time a "benefit concert" was held in Fortunes' name; after news broke that he was charged with beating his wife in late 2014, a "Restoration" concert was held in his honor in January 2015.

So, a host of witnesses from the Gospel/Christian community have long supported Fortune during his times of self-imposed direst.

This most recent support, however, has a fatal flaw. An egregious misstep.

They're misquoting scripture.

Yes, Jesus was talking to a group of accusers and called them on their bull when they wanted to judge this adulteress for her sins. Yes, he literally used the stone as a mirror for the accusers to see their own sins, resulting in them dropping their accusations (and stones) and leaving the woman alone.

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Yes. These things are true.

But, when you look at the original text and consider biblical commentary on verse 7, we learn something important.

"[Jesus] builds upon an uncontested maxim in morality, that it is very absurd for men to be zealous in punishing the offences [sic] of others, while they are every whit as guilty themselves, and they are not better than self-condemned who judge others, and yet themselves do the same thing: "If there be any of you who is without sin, without sin of this nature, that has not some time or other been guilty of fornication or adultery, let him cast the first stone at her." -- Matthew Henry Commentary

Major key here: If there be any of you who is without sin, without sin of this nature, that has not some time or other been guilty of fornication or adultery, let him cast the first stone at her."

This commentator (and others) note that it wasn't that these accusers could not judge the woman because, as we say, "everybody sins." Jesus said that if you too have not been guilty of THIS sin, cast your stone.

What does this mean?

1.In context, the accusers could not judge this woman for her sin of adultery because they too were adulterers. Sit with that.

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2. That the "right" to judge someone for their sin is the responsibility of those who are not guilty of the sin at hand.

The request for us to "Drop That Stone" based on John 8:7 is misguided. The text is only singling out those who too are guilty of the same offense, in this case violence against women. Simply put: If you are guilty of violence against women, put your stone down.

Sadly, there may be some involved in this concert that actually need to put their stone down based on this text. Those who are guilty of the sin of physical abuse, put your stone down because you have your own stuff to work through.

What is the text telling the rest of us, though? If you have not been guilty of violence against women, physical, emotional, and domestic abuse, you have a responsibility to hold this person who has accountable.

This changes everything doesn't it?

John 8:7 is not a scapegoat text that allows us to not judge the actions of other believers -- especially (and this is most important), when our actions have a lasting negative impact on others.

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John 8:7 is really about the ways we must hold people accountable for their actions.

But there's an even bigger violation of the faith happening here beyond church folks not knowing how to rightly divide the Word: how are we spending marketing and promotion money to rally around Fortune, a man who has been found guilty of abusing his wife and son, but do nothing for those who have been abused?

Hello?

There's a benefit concert (I'm calling it that because that's what it feels like) for Fortune where he will earn money and have the support of many people who are, through their participation, saying that violence against women and children is okay. Every ticket sold, every song sung in the name of Jesus is a public declaration that the life of his wife and children are not as important as the one who abused them.

As the old saints say, "It's tight, but it's right."

Those who sing, preach, and proclaim the Gospel, sell albums, t-shirts, sold out concerts in the name of liberative Jesus will take the stage in support of a man who, through his own admission, abused both his wife and child.

This is an example of misplaced Christian responsibility and accountability.

It is not Fortune who needs to be rallied around. It's his wife and kids.

Where is the benefit concert for them?

Who will sing and pray unto God demanding for those who abuse and misuse their power and celebrity to be accountable for their actions beyond a slap on the wrist?

Who will use their platform to talk about and expose people who abuse and violate the rights of others? Who is willing to make people accountable?

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Will there be public discussion that addresses these things? Will those who want to shout heaven down in the name of James (not Jesus!) do the hard work of holding him accountable because they are divinely required to do so by the same text they've taken out of context?

Why do we run to John 8:7 to excuse the actions of those who sin against others?

Here's the truth: It's because we don't want people to hold us accountable for the ways our sins have a negative impact on other people either. We don't want to own up and deal with that. We'd rather turn a blind eye to the ways our humanness clouds our ability to deal with our own demons and shortcomings. That work is too hard. It requires too much of us.

So instead, we print flyers that take scripture out of context to placate our fears of being held accountable for our own mess. And I get it: this is not to say that Fortune doesn't need someone to support him, walk with him as he gets the help he needs to deal with his issues. But this kind of public grandstanding in the name of guilt leaves out the voices and needs of the abused and broken.

Who will stand for them?
This election season has been marked by a significant amount of vitriol. Even when someone is not seeking to raise another's ire, in this politically fraught time of social media, everyone seems to have an opinion.

Sherri Paxton, the owner of Apparelized, began making t-shirts supporting both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton (as well as Elizabeth Warren, because, why not?). When she noticed the Bernie shirts selling like hot cakes, like any good businesswoman, she decided to expand her selection and create more.

And that is when the asinine comments started rolling in.

Those who either support other candidates on the right, or misunderstand completely what Bernie stands for, decided to offer their views to her on her Facebook posts and ads.

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Paxton said that previously, she would either ignore the comments or delete ones that became too offensive (i.e. crude or degrading language). However, recently, after reaching her limit on the ridiculousness of the remarks made, Paxton decided to respond with some sass and humor.

The results were hilariously epic (and despite the fact these insults towards Paxton were made publicly, and therefore there is no expectation of privacy, I have removed the last names and/or images of the individuals because I'm nice).

From a gentleman that doesn't understand that Bernie's "free stuff" actually does come paid for:

To another gentleman who doesn't understand how democratic socialism works:



And then there is this Trump supporter who doesn't understand punctuation:

However, this one is my personal favorite:

There is plenty more hilarity where that came from, and you can check it out by visiting Apparelized's Facebook page.

This business woman's comedic chops aren't just in her responses to the negative comments. When asked to describe her business, she said, "Um. We make t-shirts. The end. Exciting right? No really. It's just that. I make t-shirts that I find interesting or by request. So it's all very random. I love Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton so I made some shirts and they started selling. Especially Bernie, because well he's just so darn lovable! So I made some more designs and then some more and next thing you know I'm the Bern Down For What T-shirt chick. (Our best seller). I ship all over the U.S. . . . [and] I've sent a few overseas. Denmark likes Bernie."

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Not only is Paxton hilarious, but she's honest and self-deprecating as well. So hats off to this super savvy #boss who decided that these Bernie burns were a moment for her to shine.
It was 1967. The Summer of Love. A defining moment in America's social history which symbolized the hippie counterculture movement. Over 100,000 young people descended upon San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district amid free love, awesome music and lots of hallucinogenic drugs. Just two years later the euphoria came crashing down just a few miles East at the Rollings Stones' free concert at the Altamont Speedway.

Only four months after the Woodstock festival's orgy of peace and love, Altamont has come to paradoxically symbolize the violent, abrupt conclusion of the utopian hippie era. Mick Jagger and his band thought it was a great ideas to hire the Hells Angels motorcycle gang to provide security and keep stoned-out fans and groupies from rushing the stage. It wasn't. The night was marred by unprovoked brutality which ended in the stabbing death, by a gang member, of 18-year-old Meredith Hunter.

"Altamont became, whether fairly or not, a symbol for the death of the Woodstock Nation," music critic Robert Christgau wrote in 1972.

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What makes the phenomenon of Altamont fascinating 50 years later are the chilling parallels between the tragedy of that night and the tenor of the typical Donald Trump rally. Of most concern is that the 2016 political era will end in the same tragic manner.

While there may not be any hot-headed pool-cue-swinging Hells Angels at Trump's hate-fests, the overall mood is the same. There's the same palpable sense of imminent danger. Trump's playing with fire the same way Jagger had. The rocker thought it'd be cool to have the renegade bikers at his service, much in the same way the race-baiting billionaire thinks it's "exciting" to arouse the ire of his angry, white, blue-collar "fans," some of whom believe that a difference in political opinion is grounds for a beating. But as Jagger soon found out, the adrenaline rush of hangin' with the bad boys quickly turns to shock and horror the nanosecond someone takes the commitment too far.
How a diverse group of Chicagoans took down the bully, braggart racist, and what it means for our movement

The people of Chicago are reviving an old tradition. Young people here, particularly blacks and Latinos, have re-learned a lesson about how real change is made and they are teaching the rest of us:

We have power in the streets that we don't possess in the electoral arena. And using this approach, on last Friday night in the course of a few hours, several thousand Chicagoans did more to stop Trump bigotry than months of media blather and politicians' handwringing.

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The protesters' boldness has roots in recent struggles against our infamously vicious, pro-1% mayor. Shutting down half of the city's mental health clinics, attacking teachers and public education while diverting funds to charter schools, giving millions of tax dollars to wealthy real estate developers while illegally harassing the homeless and starving public services, particularly the schools, of funding.

But it was the cover-up of a police dashcam video showing a cop murdering 18-year-old Laquan McDonald, while several others casually looked on, that caused the protests to reach a qualitatively higher level. Gone was any fealty to Chicago's notorious anti-protester laws, bad to begin with, but made much worse in the run-up to the 2012 NATO conference in the city. Other cities with similar laws, please take note.

For weeks, Chicagoans poured into the streets -- sans permits -- blocking the city's busiest streets during rush hour and shutting down Michigan Avenue's posh boutiques and high-end stores on the most profitable shopping days of the holiday season.

The militancy rid the city of a hated police superintendent; it gave the sitting mayor unprecedented low approval ratings; and it has forced the county's supinely pro-cop state's attorney into a fight for her political life.

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So it is no accident that it was in Chicago that Donald Trump first got his just desserts. After taking on an authoritarian Democratic Party machine in Chicago, why not take on arch-bully and Republican thug, Donald Trump? And that's just what happened on Friday!

Chicago's response last Friday to Trump was not simply fresh and exciting. It also charts a far more effective path to getting real change than the quadrennial "choice" of picking the least worst next president.

Since Trump declared his candidacy, the media has provided tons of free publicity to his anti-immigrant, sexist, ablist and Islamophobic hate. And politicians in both parties have no principled response to his out-front bigotry -- their policies and statements often mimic his own, just without the bombast and ranting.

Just consider Obama's record number of deportations---something that has earned him the bitterly mocking title, "Deporter-in-Chief," by millions of angry Latino voters who supported him in 2008 and 2012. Or consider the baldly Islamophobic statements Hillary Clinton and her Republican opponents have routinely made over the past few months. Or consider Bernie Sanders' long and torturous equivocations when pointedly asked whether he thought Trump was a racist.

Thousands of Chicagoans demonstrated last Friday that the 99%'s main strength is in the streets, not at the ballot box. It's there, in the streets, that change happens; the ballot box at best only ratifies that change.

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But the "street heat" made on Friday shouldn't stop with Chicago. It needs to be replicated elsewhere. If it is, it could herald the beginning of the end of Trump's presidential campaign.

He's built his reputation on being a bully and a thug, and the hate he spews attracts those of like mind to him. But there is a lesson that the movements of oppressed people here and elsewhere, from the civil rights movement to the women's movement to the gay rights movement, have taught us:

Bullies lose face and their support melts away when they are successfully confronted by their victims.

Trump was the recipient of that lesson last Friday night in Chicago. He needs to be a recipient of the same lesson wherever he goes in this country.
A counterpunch, but where was the punch?

"I'm more of a counterpuncher," Donald Trump has said repeatedly. Nearly six months ago when more candidates were in the race, he had typically continued: "You know, Jeb went after me and, if you know, Perry went after me and I went after him. Rand Paul for some reason, out of the blue, came after me, and I went after him. And the other one I guess would be Lindsey Graham. I thought these people were all fine and they came after me and then I had to go after them. Perhaps I did a better job than they did but they all went down and they went down big league."

The counterpunch strategy was sound. The confident Trump going after his opponents seemed to show strength and resolve. It was clever -- if opponents ignored Trump, his strength grew. If they attacked Trump, he pleaded self-defense. The tactic worked, time after time, even deterring opponents from confronting Trump. For months Ted Cruz even went the extra mile and embraced Trump, allowing Trump's support to harden and his base to expand beyond the fictional low ceiling that the Consultant Class claimed existed. (And Jeb Bush's super PAC ads in Florida early-on attacked not Donald Trump but Marco Rubio, thus making it more likely that Trump, not Rubio, could triumph in winner-take-all Florida today.)

Now, let's talk about John McGraw. This man is not a counterpuncher.

At Trump's campaign rally last Friday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the 78-year-old pony-tailed gun enthusiast sucker punched Rakeem Jones, a protester already being escorted out by sheriff's deputies. (A "sucker punch" is an unexpected punch or blow.) Before he was charged with assault and disorderly conduct, John McGraw was asked what he liked about the Trump rally. "You bet I liked it," he replied, "knocking the hell out of that big mouth." McGraw elaborated: "We don't know who he is, but we know he's not acting like an American. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him."

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That threat speaks to McGraw's state of mind and it's not a pretty picture. But at any Trump rally there are thousands of people, or as many as twenty or thirty thousand spectators, so you'll find at least one John McGraw. It's the law of statistics applied to political rallies.

All over America we see leftists, especially on the campuses, trying to put down free speech, and university administrations and faculties often condone, encourage, or even collaborate in such politically correct excursions into censorship of viewpoints. And we see intimidation by the Left of libertarians, conservatives, Republicans, and students of faith.

It's legitimate to take issue with Trump's views and his approach, and to challenge him on how he characterizes individuals and groups. Challenge him, debate him, but don't prohibit him from speaking or interfere with the people who want to hear him speak.

And don't mischaracterize Trump's views. For example, his call for a temporary halt to President Obama's wholesale importation of Muslims is prudent, not bigoted. If we want to help these folks, we would persuade our wealthy Arab allies in the Mideast to help their brothers and sisters, until they can return to their native land, if we're talking about Syria, or resettle in a Muslim nation where assimilation is not a challenge, either for them or their hosts.

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But the liberals and progressives in America who champion womens rights and gay rights are, for some reason, eager to import large waves of Muslim immigrants, many of whom bear little resemblance to assimilated Muslims in the United States, but who bring with them practices that are surely and deeply against women and gays. Most of the Muslims who came to the U.S. before 9-11 were open to assimilation and not intent on transforming America into their image or believing in Muslim hegemony, remaking the West, and replacing our laws with Sharia.

But back to the issue at hand. It's wrong to focus only on McGraw and not the disruptors who want to interfere with the right of people to hear Trump. Some of these agitators engage in classic confrontation politics, hoping to stir precisely the overreaction not of McGraw, but of a few dozen McGraws. Sorry, Bernie, but some of your people want a riot. They are simply the latest iteration of the New Left that you celebrated during your many years of unemployment.

In Iowa last month Trump said, "There may be somebody with tomatoes in the audience. If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. OK? Just knock the hell -- I promise you, I will pay the legal fees." Trump defended that by saying he was told in a security briefing some protesters were set to throw tomatoes at his face. Last month at another event, Trump said about a protester: "I'd like to punch him in the face." In defense, Trump said, "This was a person that was absolutely violent and was like a crazed individual." This stream of consciousness does not show strength, but weakness.

With those and other raw meat quotes, the media is in full Trump-bashing mood, going so far as to say that Trump should be held accountable for McGraw or any as yet unknown violence in the future. But isn't Trump the victim here, especially when a man the next day at a Dayton rally jumped over a police barricade to charge toward Trump, requiring the Secret Service to run interference?

Some liberals suggest that Trump, in effect, incites to riot. These same liberals would properly say that a woman who dresses provocatively cannot be held responsible for her rape. But Trump, with his sharp-edged rhetoric, is somehow to blame for a violent reaction. Let's get real.

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Instead of focusing on the organized disruption, reporters are keen on depicting Trump as some sort of fascist. He can be intemperate, to be sure, although Ben Carson suddenly assures us the private Trump is thoughtful. But we are concerned with the public Trump, because he is elaborately covered by the media, and his words matter, and they would matter more if he becomes his adopted party's nominee. When someone is a public figure, it is what he or she does or says in public that generally matters, not the private persona.

Trump is, for now, a populist and a nationalist; both can pander and are far from what informs a grounded conservative. The National Review conservatives have looked (they would say, in vain) for core values. We can only hope Trump will soon be briefed on major issues. But we cannot deny that Trump surely appeals to a growing, disaffected constituency that feels deserted by the Political Establishment. The critics who trash the Republican front-runner as a "Nazi" or "fascist" thus embolden his offended supporters who feel defamed.

Trump's credibility would be enhanced if he spoke in moderation. He seems to feel that verbal pugilistics prove that he is a leader, that by taking on political correctness, he takes on The Establishment. It does not befit Donald Trump or enable political discourse to allow his opponents to depict him as the Howard Stern of American politics.

"I do not condone violence in any shape. I do want to see what that young man was doing," Donald Trump said Sunday when asked about McGraw's assault on the much younger Jones, "because he [Jones] was very taunting, very loud, very disruptive. From what I understand, he was sticking a certain finger up in the air."

Big deal, so Jones gave McGraw the finger. Maybe Jones even told McGraw to "f--k off." But McGraw was quoted as saying "we" might have to "kill" Jones next time. That's the deal-breaker here. "Nothing condones," Trump has added. "But I want to see. The man got carried away. He's 78 years old. He obviously loves this country."

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I don't know that McGraw's love of country is obvious. In the context of Trump's past statements, Trump now says he has instructed his staff to look into paying the legal defense for Mr. McGraw. One of Trump's supporters said on CNN last night that McGraw "is 78 and may need some help." Perhaps this loyalty and this compassion by Trump are misplaced.

By paying for McGraw's legal bills, Trump accepts the thesis of his critics that he, Trump, is responsible for violence. McGraw was not defending Trump against a threat, nor was he engaged in self-defense. He was punching out a protester, under the control of sheriffs' deputies, on the way out. Finally, it sends the wrong message to other Trump supporters who initiate force, not in self-defense, but in rage. The candidate will subsidize your legal bills.

Trump, on the other hand, is within reality to call many of the protesters "professional troublemakers." There is evidence that BlackLivesMatter and MoveOn and others have taken to the Internet to recruit disrupters. If all the dissidents want to do is protest, they could have picketed outside a Trump event, rather than prevent people from entering a particular venue -- and crashing the rally to destroy it.

Many candidates are adept at using hecklers to their advantage. For example, when leftists have confronted Ted Cruz, he engages in a colloquy and easily refutes each point. Cruz thus takes both the intellectual and moral high ground. He uses the disrupter as a prop.

As for divisiveness, those who criticize Trump should look in the mirror. It's common to blame "the Republicans" (words Hillary uses with derision). But after more than seven years of Barack Obama, the nation is more divided than before. He and his surrogates have polarized the nation along the lines of race, along with class warfare. The incivility and coarseness in America is not due to Donald Trump.

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By the time you read this, let's hope Trump has come to his senses and will not pay for lawyers for Mr. McGraw. Perhaps Trump feels obligated because of his inappropriate pledge to fund the legal bills of his supporters who physically confront protesters. The lesson for Trump is not to fulfill that pledge, but to void it.

Who knows? Perhaps John McGraw will turn out to be a Vietnam War veteran, a sympathetic figure beset with life-long PTSD, misdiagnosed and mistreated by the VA. And the story will become all about the vets.
Originally Published in Forbes

There are millions of fresh college grads burning the midnight oil in the workplace, giving 110 percent of their energy and effort to their employers. Yet most of them are barely bringing home enough income to survive.

Why do so many companies let their new talent burn themselves out? Why don't they provide adequate compensation -- at least enough for them to pay their rent and their student loans in the same month?

They do it because they can.

Millennials are hungry to put their degrees to work, even if it means living with mom and dad. Employers capitalize on that desperation, knowing that as soon as one worker tires out, there will be more kids spilling out of colleges, ready to give 100 percent even if they're getting almost no compensation in return.

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Considering the fact that 47 percent of millennials spend half of each paycheck on student loan payments, the never-ending stream of willing -- and debt-ridden -- workers is not surprising. If that isn't convincing enough, consider a recent (albeit unconventional) study, which found that around 30 percent of millennials would sell an organ to pay off their student loans!

These companies may think they're getting a "deal" when they find these debt-ridden workhorses, but they probably won't stick around for long: 60 percent of millennials leave their jobs within three years. Making matters worse, it costs companies between $15,000 and $25,000 to replace each departing millennial.

Moving forward, what should companies do in order to keep their talent?

Pay them, pay them, pay them. Only 36 percent of millennials with college degrees have jobs that pay them at least $45,000, a statistic that is especially troubling in light of the fact that it reflects a major decline in wages over the past two decades. This is unsustainable! Nothing beats putting your money where your mouth is. Hiring managers need to pay attention to what they're asking of their employees -- if the employee is working every weekend, it's time for a bonus. If you really can't afford a pay increase, look for other ways of rewarding their efforts. Respect their vacation time. This country is due for a dialog on the importance of vacation time, and it might just be the best thing for corporate bank accounts. Studies show that giving the brain enough "downtime" is critical to allowing it to process all of the information it has taken in and map out ideas to implement in the future.It's no surprise our best ideas come to us when we are doing nothing! Give your employees the opportunities to have those breakthrough moments, instead of just thinking about how time off will negatively impact your bottom line. Compensate with growth. Know that your employees are looking for jobs elsewhere if you're not helping them grow. In fact, the number one reason millennials leave their organizations is lack of career growth opportunities. I see this all the time in my practice -- discontent Gen Y'ers come to me when they sense that their current employer has dropped the ball on their career development. I then help them land the jobs they want, including the big increases in responsibility that they're so hungry for. If you want to keep your workforce around, ask them what they would like to see happening with their growth in the company -- and do what you can to facilitate that growth. It's no longer a workforce where employees are looking to satisfy their company -- today's workforce expects that relationship to be reciprocal. This could also take form of paying for continued education courses, or even hosting them in office. Know their title counts. This generation values responsibility at work, and the titles you give your millennial employees are an important reflection of that. We live in a world where resumes matter, and employees know that if their title sounds absurd, their options for future employment may be, too. It may not matter to you while you're in a bind to post a job and not sure what to call it, but it matters for the recipient. Dan Epstein, the CEO of a business consultancy staffed almost entirely by millennials, advises the development of "in between steps and titles", which may be one way of meeting them in the middle when you aren't able to provide other benefits.

There are countless incentives and benefits you can offer your millennial employees, but the biggest thing is paying your talent. If you don't pay them, you'll inevitably be paying a headhunter, and your company will be paying the price in lost productivity and replacement costs.
After the breakup of a romantic relationship, you enter uncharted territory. It can trigger painful and unsettling emotions, your life is turned topsy turvy, routines are disrupted, you also have to endure comments, pitying glances from friends and family and there is the craving/sometimes obsessive ruminating about the ex.

Research shows that the emotional response to the breakup of a relationship can be as traumatic as the death of a loved one or the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness. You go through the five stages of breakup: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and hopefully acceptance.



However, there is a large number of people who, rather than entering into a period of grief over this loss, slip into full-fledged depression. If you notice that your grief isn't lessening--if you're unable to move forward--you may be clinically depressed, according to Helpguide.

Depression carries the heaviest burden of disability among mental and behavioral disorders. Regardless of how you developed depression, you just want relief!



Your doctor probably will recommend talk therapy and prescribe antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, or Lexapro. Unfortunately, these medications are only about 30-40 percent effective and can be associated with numerous side effects such as weight gain, apathy, fatigue, dry mouth, sexual side effects, nausea and such. And there is also the stigma of being on "anti-depressant medications."

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If you could find a safe, reliable way of dealing with your depression, without dealing with side effects, you'd do so just as soon as you finished researching the new method. Let's explore Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

Wait a minute. . . magnets on my head? Yes, this is a safe, FDA-approved non- invasive treatment. Dr. Shashita Inamdar, M.D., Ph.D is a neuroscience researcher and physician who offers this innovative treatment approach, right in her clinics in La Jolla, San Diego, East Lake and Palm Desert.

About Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

dTMS is a method that helps people with depression who, for one of several reasons, don't want to use antidepressants. dTMS is also beneficial for those whose depression symptoms haven't responded to traditional treatment, such as medication. The treatment is safe with none of the side effects associated with most anti-depressant medications. This means there is no weight gain, sexual dysfunction, sedation, or memory impairment. This is because the treatment is applied externally to a specific area and does not enter your system the way medication does. However, you may experience slight toothaches or headache, which is temporary.

dTMS was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2008 for the treatment of depression. In 2015, the FDA approved dTMS for the treatment of migraines.

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There are very few contraindications: if you have an aneurysm clip, untreated seizure disorder, metal devices or objects implanted in or near your head, bullet fragments or shrapnel in or near your head, dTMS won't be a treatment option, Implanted stimulators or Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) also rule you out for this treatment.

How dTMS Works

Imagine sitting back in a comfortable treatment chair as a helmet with magnetic coils is placed on your head. You're awake through the entire session--you don't have to receive anaesthesia. In fact, it's perfectly safe for you to drive home or back to work at the end of your session.

dTMS works by delivering magnetic pulses to specific areas of the brain involved in mood regulation - areas known to be under-active in those diagnosed with depression. The magnetic pulses stimulate brain cells, thereby improving the brain's ability to regulate mood.

dTMS actually produces physical changes in the neurons of the brain that affect mood and mood regulation, according to the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences website. Each magnetic pulse stimulates a brief spurt of brain activity. The Johns Hopkins website points out that stimulating opposite sides of the brain can cause opposite effects on mood.

dTMS treatment can be used instead of antidepressant medication or it can be used in conjunction with antidepressants and talk therapy.

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In the first session, the doctor ensures that the magnetic coil is correctly positioned over the patient's skull. Next, he measures the patient's motor threshold, which is the minimal amount of magnetic power needed to cause the patient's hand to twitch, which will determine the optimal placement and strength of the magnetic field. The location and threshold changes from person to person. In this way, dTMS treatment is individualized to each patient. Think of this as a very fancy " navigation system" and the doctor determines the exact location of the under-active area of your brain and stimulates those brain cells.

The only thing the patent will notice is several clicking sounds. The patient will also feel a mild tapping sensation immediately under the magnetic coil.

The patient undergoes treatment for 20 to 40 minutes, five days a week, while watching an uplifting show or listening to music or reading a book. The overall course of treatment lasts from one month to six weeks, but this can vary depending on the needs of the individual patient, according to Dr. Shashita Inamdar, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Inamdar is a neuroscience researcher and physician and she and her team have developed specific protocols for depression, anxiety, OCD and addiction targeted to the patient's specific needs. They have treated more than 200 patients with dTMS, including several doctors, lawyers, pilots, nurses, and even some teenagers with severe depression.

What Conditions Does dTMS Treat?

Magnetic treatment can help with symptoms of depression, anxiety and migraine. Let's see what else it's used for:

This treatment has been approved in Europe (CE approval) for the following conditions:

 Stroke

 Multiple Sclerosis

 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

 Bipolar Disorder

 Smoking Cessation

 Chronic Pain

 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

 Schizophrenia

 Adult autism

 Parkinson's Disease

 Alzheimer's Disease

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In the U.S., dTMS has been approved for treatment of migraine and depression, but there are many multi-center studies looking at treatment of OCD, addictions and PTSD, so the possibilities are amazing

Will Insurance Cover dTMS Treatment?

dTMS treatment is covered by most insurances such as United Healthcare, all Blue Cross Blue Shield, Multi-plan, Health Net and many others. Other insurance providers have covered dTMS Therapy on a case by case basis. Because treatments are administered on an outpatient basis, this helps to keep costs lower. If you aren't sure whether your insurance company will cover these treatments, the dTMS coordinator can help you to figure this out.

dTMS Safety

When you think about magnetic pulses being sent through your skull and brain, you may wonder if this is a safe form of treatment for your symptoms. There is no radiation, no electric current, no systemic side effects and no anaesthesia. The FDA has approved this treatment, so it is a safe and noninvasive procedure.
Donald Trump, president and chief executive of Trump Organization Inc. and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, listens to a question during a town hall event at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, U.S., on Monday, March 14, 2016. As protesters shadow campaign appearances by Trump, the billionaire has shifted a planned Monday-night rally in south Florida to Ohio, where polls show Governor John Kasich may be pulling ahead days before the states primary election. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If you were to ask Donald Trump's supporters what they most admire about the GOP front-runner, chances are they would cite his so-called authenticity, his willingness to "tell it like it is" and, perhaps more than anything else, his rejection of that great bugaboo of the Obama Age: political correctness.

Such qualities ought to mean that whatever else Trump may be--a blowhard, a demagogue, a bigot, a reality TV huckster, a malignant narcissist, an unparalleled deal maker--he's an ardent believer in press protections, free speech and the First Amendment. Indeed, in a Feb. 27 appearance on the Fox News channel, Trump seemed--at first--to be saying so, declaring, "I love free press. I think it's great."

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But like much of what is taken as a given in the crazy-town vortex that is the Trump presidential campaign, the image of the candidate as a champion of free speech is a mirage. The bullying billionaire can sling mud and demean his real and imagined enemies with the best of them. The problem, however, is that he can't take it when others fire back.

The very next sentence that Trump uttered during the Fox interview revealed a diametrically opposite view of the First Amendment. "We ought to open up the libel laws," he said, thus making it easier to sue journalists who write critical things about him.

Trump's on-air comments came a day after he had addressed the same subject at a rally in Fort Worth, Texas. Unhappy with certain news reports, he told a throng of cheering followers, "I think the media is among the most dishonest groups of people I've ever met. They're terrible. If I become president, oh, do they have problems. They're going to have such problems."

He added:

"One of the things I'm going to do if I win, and I hope we do, and we're certainly leading, is I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money. We're going to open up those libel laws so that when The New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when The Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected."

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What Trump probably means by "opening up" our libel laws is that, as president, he would work to overturn a line of landmark Supreme Court decisions dating back to the court's unanimous 1964 decision in The New York Times v. Sullivan.

Prior to Sullivan, defamation lawsuits were governed exclusively by state law, and they were often slanted in favor of plaintiffs, especially rich ones who could afford the steep costs involved. To prevail, plaintiffs only had to establish that they had been defamed by a preponderance of the evidence--the lowest standard of proof in our legal system. As a practical matter, this meant that anyone wishing to criticize the wealthy and the powerful did so at considerable personal risk.

The Sullivan case changed all that by constitutionalizing defamation law throughout the United States. The justices wrote that in order to protect our "profound national commitment" to uninhibited, robust and wide-open debate that "may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks," the First and Fourteenth amendments would heretofore serve as protection for defamation defendants. Public officials, they further instructed, must be precluded from recovering damages for allegedly defamatory statements related to official conduct unless they establish by "clear and convincing evidence" (a far higher standard of proof) that such statements are made with "actual malice"--that is, that they are made with the knowledge that they are false or with reckless disregard for the truth.

In a series of subsequent decisions in the late '60s and early '70s, the court extended Sullivan and the "actual malice" rule to defamation lawsuits brought by "public figures," such as Trump and many of the corporations that he controls and operates.

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This is what has the Republican hopeful so hopping mad. In the years following Sullivan and its legal progeny, less than 10 percent of defamation cases brought by public figures have resulted in plaintiff victories.

Trump is nothing if not litigious. As the political journalist Olivia Nuzzi of The Daily Beast wrote last year--in an article titled "Donald Trump Sued Everyone but His Hairdresser"--Trump has filed cases against "people, businesses, and entire cities and countries. He's sued a newspaper, his ex-wife, a quaint business card store in Georgia and a Native American tribe. He's cried breach of contract, government favoritism, fraud, and libel."

And when it comes to libel, contrary to his daily pontifications about being a "winner," you can count Trump and his business interests among the biggest courtroom losers.

Perhaps the best-known legal setback to date occurred in the litigation surrounding Trump University, a venture Trump helped to found in 2004 to "train, educate and mentor entrepreneurs on achieving financial independence through real estate investing."

There are currently three major lawsuits pending against Trump and his now-defunct real estate program--two federal class actions initiated by former students in San Diego and one brought in New York by the state's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman.

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Although the cases are separate and distinct from a technical standpoint, they share a common nucleus of allegations, which have been summarized in an online posting by the San Diego lawyers representing the former students. According to the attorneys, "Trump University and Trump violated federal law across the country and state law (in California, Florida, and New York) by promising, but not delivering access to Trump's real estate techniques taught by 'hand-picked' professors at an elite 'university,' when in fact Trump was not substantively involved in the Live Events curriculum or selecting the instructors and the New York State Education Department had warned Trump it was unlawful to call it a 'university.' "

The oldest of the San Diego cases was filed in 2010 by Tarla Makaeff, a yoga instructor who at first named only Trump University as a defendant. Trump himself was added to the case as a personal defendant two years later.

Makaeff enrolled in Trump University classes in 2008, spending $1,495 for an introductory session and later forking over $34,995 to enroll in the school's "Gold Elite" program, which entitled her to four three-day "advanced" training workshops, a three-day mentoring session and other benefits.

Although Makaeff filled out evaluation forms praising the courses, she had changed her mind by the fall of 2009. She then requested a refund of her tuition but was denied. Thereafter, she wrote letters to the Better Business Bureau, her bank and government agencies, and she posted comments online, complaining that she had been pressured to give the school good evaluations and that the university had failed to deliver on its promises and had engaged in fraudulent and unfair business practices.

Trump University responded to Makaeff's lawsuit with a defamation counterclaim. Makaeff's lawyers, in turn, moved to strike the counterclaim, citing the Sullivan case and characterizing the counterclaim as a "strategic lawsuit against public participation," or SLAPP.

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As the Digital Media Law Project explains on its website, SLAPPs are lawsuits "filed in retaliation for speaking out on a public issue or controversy." They usually, but not always, come in the guise of a defamation complaint. The goal of a SLAPP plaintiff isn't necessarily to win a case on the merits but to intimidate and silence critics.

To combat the chilling effect that SLAPPs have on First Amendment rights, 28 states (including California) and the District of Columbia have enacted anti-SLAPP statutes that provide procedures for pretrial motions to dismiss or strike them.

Even though Makaeff's case was filed in federal court, the California anti-SLAPP law applied to her fraud and unfair business-practice claims because those were based on California law. It took three years of heated litigation, but in 2013 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Makaeff's motion to strike, finding that she had spoken out on a matter of public concern and that Trump University was a public figure insofar as the dispute over its real estate offerings was concerned. As such, the court also held that Trump University could not meet the "actual malice" standard articulated by the Sullivan case.

In a stinging rebuke of its claim that Makaeff's previous endorsement of the school showed that she had acted with malice when she later complained, the court wrote: "As the recent Ponzi-scheme scandals involving onetime financial luminaries like Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford demonstrate, victims of con artists often sing the praises of their victimizers until the moment they realize they have been fleeced. Makaeff's initial enthusiasm for Trump University's program is not probative of whether she acted with actual malice."

The school was subsequently ordered to pay Makaeff's lawyers nearly $800,000 in attorneys' fees.

Last week, Makaeff asked the trial judge assigned to her case to permit her to withdraw as a class representative and named plaintiff because of health issues. If her request is granted, the case will be carried forward by three other named plaintiffs. A pretrial conference to set a trial date has been calendared for May 6.

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Trump's loss to Makaeff is by no means his most embarrassing SLAPP setback. That honor goes to a case Trump filed a decade ago in New Jersey.

In 2006, Trump sued Time Warner Books and writer Timothy O'Brien, then a reporter with The New York Times and now the editor of Bloomberg View, alleging that he had been libeled in a biography O'Brien had written, "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald."

Instead of bringing the lawsuit in New York, which has an anti-SLAPP statute, Trump opted for a venue in New Jersey, which doesn't have one. The alleged defamation that Trump cited was O'Brien's claim in the book that, considering all of the real estate mogul's assets and liabilities, Trump's net worth was actually in the neighborhood of $150 million to $250 million rather than the $5 billion to $6 billion that he had claimed.

Even without an anti-SLAPP law to lean on, O'Brien won a state appellate court ruling in 2011, granting summary judgment in his favor and finding that Trump could not, as a matter of law, meet the Sullivan test of actual malice. For all the mischief he had caused, Trump was ordered to fork over a cool $1 million in legal fees.

Interviewed about his ordeal with Trump for an article published last week in The Washington Post, O'Brien told reporter Paul Farhi: "We blew him up on the whole notion that I set out with reckless disregard and malice. My lawyers drew and quartered him."

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Unbowed and seemingly gearing up for more battles, Trump is quoted in the same article as saying that he knew he couldn't win the case against O'Brien. "I spent a couple of bucks on legal fees, and they spent a whole lot more," he admitted. "I did it to make his life miserable, which I'm happy about."

And that's precisely the problem with Trump's war on the First Amendment. He loves the combat. He thrives on it. And no matter how many lives he imperils in the process, and no matter how many times he comes up short in court, he has no intention of relenting.

As president, of course, Trump would have no power to repeal or negate the Sullivan decision. It would take a constitutional amendment to accomplish that, or a highly unlikely reversal by the Supreme Court.

Nonetheless, if elected, Trump could do real damage, vetoing pending legislation to enact a federal anti-SLAPP law and using his bully pulpit to dissuade the 22 states without such statutes from enacting them.

And then there's all the legal baggage he would drag with him to the White House. The civil suits that he has initiated and been the target of won't be stayed just because he's traded Trump Towers for the Oval Office. As the Supreme Court held in Paula Jones' lawsuit against Bill Clinton, sitting presidents are not immune from civil litigation arising out of events that transpired before they took office.

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Derailing Trump's war on the First Amendment or at least confining it to isolated courtroom skirmishes should be easy, but only if we keep one principle foremost in mind: that he must never, ever--and here words almost fail me--become president of the United States.
"Maybe fluffy pancakes and warm maple syrup are more important than gay rights." Max Mutchnick, creator of Will And Grace - New York Times, March 12th, 2016



Really, Max? In these days of 24/7 moral outrage do you really need to give us another reason to be disappointed in someone? Aren't our political candidates breaking our hearts enough? Do we really need tone-deaf shallowness coming from the heroic gay co-creator of one of the most significant and impactful gay comedies on television? For fluffy pancakes?

If you don't already know what this mostly forgotten brouhaha is about, it goes like this: the Sultan of Brunei owns the Beverly Hills Hotel, and a few years ago he reinstated Sharia law that calls for the stoning to death of gay people and adulterers. At this horrific news, people like Ellen Degeneres, Elton John and other queer luminaries and their supporters called for a boycott of the legendary Beverly Hills stomping ground. Now, according to Maureen Dowd's recent column in the New York Times, multi-millionaire, former Hollywood wunderkind -- now middle-aged gay TV Titan -- Max Mutchnick believes that the boycott is just a little too burdensome for his lunching habits. While eating a delicious McCarthy salad (No, I didn't make that name up. That's the real name of the salad), he told Dowd how he thinks it's time to just get over this silly political action stuff and get back into the delicious pink saddle.

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Max defended his Marie Antoinette approach by saying that it's really only the little people at the hotel that are suffering by the decline in business -- something the workers themselves have told him isn't exactly true since they are getting compensated for lost wages. More confusingly, Max argues that if he continues to support this boycott it means he's tacitly endorsing everything he doesn't. Really, Max? Think about that for a second. So if ACT UP doesn't boycott absolutely every egregious pharmaceutical company, they shouldn't boycott any? If I can't rescue all dogs, I better just let that one damned pound puppy fry? Logic doesn't seem to be Mr. Mutchnick's strong suit. But hey, it's really the scrumptious food and Max's heart-warming, star-studded memories of tete-a-tetes with David Geffen, and signing with his agent in the Polo Lounge that clearly outweigh any concern for those swarthy, glamour-deprived queers being pelted with stones until dead.

Poor bloody un-famous gays. Let them eat crispy french fries a la Suzanne Pleshette.

The funny thing is if I still lived in Hollywood, I doubt I would've said anything to Max. Not that I ever met Mr. Mutchnick that I can remember. Having lived and worked in Tinseltown for three years, writing a little for TV, and dozens and dozens of award speeches for celebrities, I understand how people can be so consumed with their own power, bubble-wrapped in personal assistants, no one confronting them when they're behaving like assholes. I do know I would have been gushingly nice to him if I had met him -- even if he had said these ugly, shallow, hateful things. That's how Hollywood works. You have to suck up to pretty much everyone who has more power than you, even stupid, sons-of-bitches who say egregiously awful things. You just smile and laugh. Luckily, I left the Hollywood show biz thing a long time ago, and I'm just a totally un-glamourous, queer writer, living back in New York City. (In Jackson Heights, Queens I might add! Stone me for that!) So, saying, "Eww, you suck" now is a lot easier. But, still, what compelled he and Dowd (and Leonardo DiCaprio it seems) to decide now, in the dark night of our Trumpian nightmare, that it was okay to break this boycott? Maybe that's just it: Everything is so damned awful, no one would notice?

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Maybe deep inside his power bubble, Max still is that gay hero. He just got lost for a moment. Maybe he'll soon realize that by saying "boycotts" don't matter, he's denying the power of similar political actions that toppled apartheid in South Africa, contributed to the U.S. Supreme Court declaring the Montgomery, Alabama bus segregation laws unconstitutional, lead to Nike revising its use of child labor and becoming a sustainability leader. Yes, boycotts actually do a lot more than ruin lunch, Max.
"I don't try to predict the future of war." Sir Lawrence Freedman, March 10, 2016

Anyone who attended New America and Arizona State University's "Future of War" conference on March 10 and sought a clear vision of the future was in for disappointment. The picture that emerged from a fast-moving series of panels, interviews, and TED-style talks was one of muddled uncertainty. But perhaps that is to be expected when trying to pierce the never-ending fog of war.

The conference, co-hosted by CNN and Defense One, successfully avoided becoming yet another Washington talkathon, instead bringing together a diverse crowd onstage--including senior military leaders, journalists, academics, and innovative junior officers--who engaged in extensive Q&A sessions with an equally diverse (for Washington) audience.

Over the day, the pace of the talks moved rapidly, accompanied by a robust #FutureOfWar social media conversation that led New America President and CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter to quip to the crowd, "There are those of us in the room, and there are those on Twitter. It's like a second conference."

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Though the conference touched on a wide range of topics, there was a particular focus on three areas of discussion:

Strategic insights into the future of war

Future threats

The increasing challenges of reporting on war

Strategic insights into future of war

Amidst the focus on the future, some speakers cautioned that the future of war was not necessarily going to be radically different from current or past wars. Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London, advised that "the best guide to future wars is past wars," while the Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. Robert Neller, explained his philosophy as "educate for the future, train for the present."

At the same time, there was widespread agreement that the nature of conflicts and the tools used to fight wars are in a state of flux in the current era.

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Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, who has been consistently lauded as one of the Army's most disruptive thinkers for now approximately 25 years, provided his own assessment. "Current conflicts are once again about territory. Geopolitical dynamics and threats and have the chance of conflict ... Geopolitics is back; the invasion of Ukraine punctuated the end of the post-Cold War era."

Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown University law professor and a Senior Fellow at New America's Future of War Program, noted that while contemporary war kills fewer people, the difficulty of defining it and "putting it in a box" has given it the opportunity to spread in more insidious ways.

Rob Johnson, the director of Oxford University's Changing Character of War Programme, noted that the world is in a "transition era between the Information Age and the Synthetic Age," which includes the introduction of "robots and the like" as tools of warfare. Freedman echoed Johnson's comments on the changing face of war, noting that "options are being created for war that didn't exist before. Presidents can do things they couldn't do before."

Earlier in the day, Gen. Mark Milley, the Chief of Staff of the Army, challenged one misconception about the evolving tools of war. Milley criticized the notable trend to call for the use of special operations forces in all forms of conflict. These specialized troops, Milley said, can't do everything. "They're not designed to do it all ... It's a pot of gold. It's a myth."

Amidst the conversation on contemporary and future war, McMaster drove home the point that understanding the history and culture that shape a potential friend or foe are overwhelmingly valuable guides in warfare. "I relied heavily on academics from multiple disciplines to help in Afghanistan & Iraq," he said. Building on his point about the importance of developing regional knowledge and being open to outside ideas and opinions, McMaster later warned about self-delusion. "We tend to define the future of war as we want it to be," he said. "We have to guard against self-delusion," which often results from an insular decision-making process.

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Threats for future

During a one-on-one conversation between CNN's national security correspondent Jim Sciutto and the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson, the focus changed to near-term threats. Richardson assessed that despite regional rumblings, the chances of war with Russia or China in the next decade are "very small," and said that he wants to be the "world's expert at not going to war with Russia and China." With those two countries in mind, Richardson warned that "we must be careful to not oversimplify any of our adversaries. They are largely rational actors." Ultimately, Richardson said, "no matter who becomes the commander-in-chief, we must be thoughtful and provide careful advice about employing the military."

Looking beyond potential threats in the form of foreign nations, conversation at the conference turned to potential weapons of future war. During his Q&A, Neller was asked to identify the most important threat of the future. He unhesitatingly fingered the risks in the cyber domain as the evolving threat to which the U.S. needs to pay the greatest attention

Punctuating Neller's remarks was a presentation by two junior officers working on the Army's cyber efforts, captains Brent Chapman and Frederick Waage. The pair walked the crowd through a scenario in which they had developed a tactical "cyber rifle" that "shot" lines of code over radio signals for under $150, and had used the rifle to knock drones out of the sky and to open a locked door. While they acknowledged that the demonstration was not performed in a truly real-world environment, the low-cost and low-effort success they achieved was a fitting coda to Neller's warning.

This is what a $150 "cyber rifle" looks like #FutureOfWar pic.twitter.com/Bk2fnGbofO  Brian Wagner (@BrianBWagner) March 10, 2016

Challenges of covering war

While perhaps not as far-reaching in scope as the previous themes, a panel featuring media stakeholders-ranging from an AP bureau chief to an Army officer who co-founded the Military Writers Guild to encourage creative and analytical writing-laid out an in-depth scenario in which wartime news coverage was becomingly increasingly more chaotic, more underfunded, and more democratic with every passing year.

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The panel's moderator, Foreign Policy contributing editor Tom Ricks, advised the crowd that to better cover war, "don't study journalism. Study culture and languages," echoing McMaster in acknowledging the importance of cultural understanding when seeking to change or cover the changes in a foreign country.

Vivian Salama, AP's Deputy U.S. Political Editor and former Baghdad Bureau Chief, warned the audience that there is no longer money in the business of reporting, which hurts not only publication employees, but also harms freelance reporters who can't sell their stories. And "when you have budget restraints, you can't be where the stories are. You end up reporting by phone."

In the absence of professional journalists, more pressure falls on citizen journalists like Abdalaziz Alhamza, who is the co-founder of Syria's Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently. Alhamza, who as a citizen journalist represents one of the few sources of news in Syria, painted a tragic tale of his efforts. He said that it is difficult to access wifi or transmit information because Assad's government forces track signals. He dispelled any myths about the glamor of reporting from dangerous territory, noting that four of his friends and six family members have been killed while supporting Raqqa's reporting efforts.

In the future, disappointment awaits

The Future of War conference did not provide conclusive answers on many fronts. It did, however, raise a plethora of questions, and exposed many to the eminently quotable Freedman, who reminded a forward-looking audience that "the trouble with preventative war is that you are turning a possibility for the future into a reality now."

"Most wars never end," Freedman said, and ultimately, no matter how pure your cause, "war disappoints."

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For those fleeing active conflict zones, natural disasters, or the gradual devastation of climate change, a host of humanitarian relief agencies is standing by. A symposium of leaders from the United Nations, nonprofit organizations, academia, and industry gathered last month at CITRIS (Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society) and the Banatao Institute to discuss ways we might improve cooperation and deliver better services to those facing extreme circumstances. We uncovered not only daunting challenges but promising new directions.

News from Syria has highlighted access to information as an element of humanitarian aid, one as essential as food, shelter, water and sanitation. Indeed, social media platforms have become lifelines for refugees planning escape routes and communicating with family and friends along the way. Still, despite the sophisticated electronic communications and mapping tools now available, low-tech communication methods--radio, print, posters--can be more appropriate in contexts of low literacy or where political or ethnic rivals might be competing for scarce resources. A combination of tools can also be effective, as seen in the Za'atari camp in Jordan where UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is communicating via SMS and traditional channels with more than 100,000 Syrian refugees.

Emergencies may offer a silver lining when infrastructure is implemented whose benefits will persist once the immediate crisis has past. For instance, in the Philippines, Visa is pioneering the use of prepaid cards for use following natural disasters, where normal infrastructure is disrupted, and electronic transfers offer more security and accountability than large cash infusions.

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Numerous opportunities for innovation present themselves in the humanitarian cycle, not all of which require technology. One surprising strategy for alleviating the lingering effects of trauma associated with natural disasters: insurance. In a study of "Risk-Taking Behavior in the Wake of Natural Disasters," economists discovered that access to insurance increased Indonesian households' willingness to adopt new technology, open a business, or otherwise invest in their future following natural disasters. (Earlier studies have shown the effect of property insurance on reducing instances of post-traumatic stress disorder among those affected by Hurricane Katrina.) Techniques to improve community resilience through innovative financial mechanisms deserve further investigation.

A few lessons emerged from the convening, including one from the disability rights movement: "nothing about us without us." Affected communities are best suited to evaluate the feasibility of solutions offered on their behalf and should be fully engaged as co-creators. Examples of effective community engagement include the American Red Cross's project for deploying sensor networks for fire detection in Nairobi's informal settlements. Or Digital Democracy's work to help indigenous communities build low-cost, durable drones to monitor environmental degradation. At the same time, in the age of Big Data, outside organizations should consider the ethics of data collection, analysis and circulation. Unless the local populations have access to it and some means to use it themselves, data can become another "extractive resource."

A strong recommendation emerged for investing in the innovation pipeline, and indeed, a number of humanitarian institutions have recently created labs or venture funds under the banner of "innovation." The UN has more than a dozen such offices within its agencies (including a long list of local Innovation Labs affiliated with UNICEF and themed labs affiliated with the High Commissioner for Refugees), and the U.S. State Department has launched USAID's Development Innovation Ventures. Nongovernmental organizations like Internews and World Vision each have labs. Recognizing the need for more nimble response and the opportunities offered by new technology, organizations are applying the tools of mobile devices and social media, and testing sustainable solutions under social impact investing models.

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In the cycle of disaster preparedness, response and recovery, academic institutions can play a role throughout: by developing new technologies; by rigorously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of search and rescue methods and community resilience in real time; and by engaging communities to rebuild and offering evidence-based guidance to practitioners. University-based researchers may have the time and perspective to undertake assessments of the field as a whole, such as Howard Rush's work on "Mapping the Humanitarian Innovation Ecosystem" at University of Brighton. In the best case, such assessments will not sit on an electronic shelf but rather become living documents that implementing organizations and local partners can use to learn from examples and try new approaches. Academic partners from all disciplines can be better integrated into the disaster response ecosystem. Efforts to tackle the Ebola crisis would have benefited not only from improved sanitation techniques and protective equipment but also from incorporating the expertise of social scientists and anthropologists who could advise on local cultural practices and attitudes. New academic journals such as the International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management cater to the emerging fields. University centers like CITRIS and the Haas School's Center for Responsible Business can also convene relevant actors to provide space for discussing triumphs and failures, and accelerate iteration of promising ideas.


Credit: John V. Moore

By John V. Moore

A few minutes after it was announced that Donald Trump would hold a Chicago rally on March 11 at UIC Pavilion, someone created a Facebook page titled Trump Rally Protest-Chicago which amassed thousands of RSVPs within hours.

As a proud progressive, I added my name to the RSVP list because I had to stand against Trump's divisiveness and tweeted: ".@realDonaldTrump is going to regret coming to Chicago. #ShutItDown #shuttrumpdown." I was optimistic that Chicago students, activists, organizers as well as unions would mobilize to disrupt and quite possibly shut down the rally.

When it comes to activism and politics Chicago is a special place. This city's protesters have a reputation of taking to the streets and disrupting things in the name of social justice.

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In 2003, 15,000 people shut down Lake Shore Drive for hours to protest the start of the war in Iraq. A May Day action in 2006 saw 300,000 people flood downtown streets in the name of immigrant rights. This past November several hundred protesters successfully blocked entrances to stores on the Magnificent Mile on Black Friday to protest the killing of Laquan McDonald who was fatally shot by a Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke.

When a Chicago student, studying at New York University, created a virtual resignation party for embattled mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook Country state's attorney Anita Alvarez, it evolved from a fake Facebook event to a real protest that saw hundreds of Chicagoans marching through the streets and halting traffic for hours on December 9, 2015.

Needless to say nobody can disrupt like Chicago.

I was outside the entire time for the rally-that-didn't-happen and it was a remarkable spectacle.

By 2:30 p.m., the line of ticket holders to get in snaked around two sides of the Pavilion. A bearded young man in a black skull cap with a Confederate flag emblem held up a sign that read, "What part of illegal do you not understand." The line was overwhelmingly white, all ages and evenly split between men and women. Many carried signs or wore apparel that was pro-Trump or featured politically provocative messages.



Credit: John V. Moore

Diverse groups of young adults were dispersed throughout the line, including a young lady in a hijab, sunglasses and a "Free Palestine" T-shirt who stood with a group that included two men who had keffiyehs draped over their shoulders.

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On another side of the building, ticket holders waited to get in while a small group of protesters assembled across the street. A female ticket holder held up a sign that read "Not racists" as folks next to her yelled racist epithets to the protestors who were chanting "Racist! Racist!"

At 4:45 p.m., a multicultural group of thousands of University of Illinois at Chicago students and faculty and other Chicagoans descended on the Pavilion to join the protesters. Poet and Chicago organizer Ethos lead the gathering and informed us that there were more than 100 protesters already inside the rally, which we would later learn was more like several hundred.

"No Trump. No KKK. No fascists in the USA," we chanted as we marched down the street towards the Pavilion. Overhead, police choppers monitored the crowds and in the distance, media choppers broadcast the street action.

I joined the throng of protesters positioned across the street from the Pavilion and in the intersection. Another group of protesters assembled next to the main entrance with only bike racks separating them from those in line waiting to get in. The main entrance of the Pavilion was blocked off by more bike racks. Police officers, including many on horseback, stood between the two groups and the entrance.

We spent the next 90 minutes running through a repertoire of new and old chants. The crowd bounced up and down as it screamed, "I believe that we will win! I believe that we win!" The mood was decidedly festive.

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Around 6:30 p.m., we noticed that red shirted Pavilion ushers rushed into the building and locked the doors. Now, protesters moved to the main entrance. We knew something was up.

As folks chanted "Shut it down, shut it down," I called a news reporter inside the venue who told me the rally was cancelled. Others were getting word too and a protester on a loud speaker confirmed the rally was shut down.

A collective cheer arose. The mood was festive. A short while later, as I walked to catch my train home, I saw rally attendees leaving too. There was a lot of tension among protesters and supporters who mingled as they headed to the parking lot and public transportation.

I heard shouting matches and racial slurs. Some protesters took to briefly blocking parking garage exits and even the expressway.

As I waited for my train, I thought of a chant that we didn't use during the protest, one that was made popular by protesters during the 1968 Democratic Convention: "The whole world is watching."

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Trump came to town to peddle bigotry, incite violence and make a mockery of our political system. As Chicagoans, we had to do something. The thousands of protesters sent the message that Chicago would not tolerate his divisiveness. It seemed like the right thing to do, after all the whole world was watching.
I admit I'm old-school, and some of my attitudes may seem quaint when scrutinized against current standards. In my mind, saying 'please' or 'thank you' should be like breathing: you're only sometimes aware of doing it, because it's become such automatic behavior. Respecting another person's opinion is part of comfortable social discourse, and listening when being spoken to is not only expected, but how society functions.

Enter Social Media. The New Beast among us.

Not only have the rules of social discourse changed, more importantly -- there no longer seem to be any rules.

People, hiding anonymously behind social profiles of their own creation, will frequently spew out whatever is on their mind. The content that pours out can not only be disturbing, but downright vile. Most often, it's simply a re-hash of what someone else has said or shared -- it's not their own original thought. Frequently, the content is downright banal, like pictures of naked celebrity body parts, or reports of outrageous behavior from someone famous (who is ultimately trying to pad their own bankroll. You know that, right?)

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I find this to be an absolute tragedy.

See......here we have this absolutely extraordinary medium. With the click of a few buttons, we can spread our thoughts across continents. Across time. Across generations. This medium has the power to reunite lost loves, find missing family members, inspire those who may be considering self-harm, teach children who would otherwise not have access to knowledge -- the list is endless. And we fall so short of that power. Honestly, People -- is sending fart jokes across the Universe the best we can do?

Hear me well, please: I'm not saying there isn't room for frivolity, because there certainly is. I adore a good joke, and will laugh with absolute delight when a pool of online friends banters back and forth. So that's not the problem. This is the problem: we need to curb as a society, not just on social media where it is reflected, but in society as a whole, the way everyone has become so so adamant about things, and the viciousness with which we share our opinions.

Being old-school, I remember when authorities on topics were consulted in times of crisis. They had earned their authority either through education or experience, but most often both. They were treated with respect as they shared their hard earned know-how, and when they were done speaking, everyone had a solid understanding of the facts. They could then decide how they and their family should proceed with the new knowledge they'd gained.

Yes. I acknowledge this format still exists, but the response of our culture has changed.

Here's how that change began. For whatever reason (probably money, it's always about money, isn't it?) somebody way back when decided it would be a good idea to stick a microphone in someone's face as they walked out of a grocery store, and see what that person thought about the same topic. Now someone hoisting shampoo and oranges over his arm (in order to better grab the microphone) was given airtime in which to challenge the expert. The Ph.D. sitting under the studio lights was now expected to to respond to this feedback, and defend his learning against this random person's opinion. (An opinion which may or may not have been formed using knowledge by the way, but often -- by this person's random thoughts or emotions).

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Let's fast forward to now. Hilarity regularly ensues as groups of experts shout at each other. Not only are they trying to be heard over one another, but also over what people are saying about the same topic on social media. Our respect for each other as people has disappeared, as our perception of opinions, either our own or someone else's, has risen.

Regrettably, this hasn't been a graceful transition for our country.

The regurgitation-of-opinions-that-don't-really-matter has progressed to online activities partly because now people don't even have to go to the grocery store. Now they can sit in their underwear at home, sprinkling sandwich crumbs all over their keyboard while waxing on about something about which they have zero understanding. Then other people get inflamed because those comments insult their opinion. So they respond, and the crazy cycle continues. All of this happens because the guy in his underwear feels his opinion is as worthy, and in some cases, is even more worthy, than someone else's. And so does everyone else reading this fellow's comments, so then they decide they've become offended, and it's their turn to sound off.

Now listen closely: I'm not saying that the guy in his underwear isn't entitled to his opinion. Of course he is. This is 'Merica, by God -- he can say whatever he wants. That's why I'm allowed to share my thoughts as you read along with me.

BUT. If he, or anyone else, belittles, attacks, intimidates or insults in ways other than healthy debate as he shares his opinion, whatever that opinions is, then he is a loser with a capital 'L'. That is the difference in our new world.

In our new world, social media gives all of those capital 'L' losers a public forum, where they don't have to reveal themselves, or even be aware of the consequences of their words. Heck, they don't even have to brush their teeth before they start their orations.

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They just mouth off, bumping into our day.

I object, Friends.

In my own little corner of the Cyberverse, I strongly object. We have this amazing medium. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. With it, we can change lives -- for the better. We can gather support for those who are alone, transfer money to points of the globe that are suffering, or find immediate help for someone in a crisis hundreds of miles away from us. We can encourage those who are sick, we can find a new home for an abandoned pet, we can console those who have suffered an unexpected death. The positive possibilities are endless.

Yet many of us content ourselves with ridiculousness, negativity, fighting and verbal attacks, behaving as though our own opinion matters the most.

What a waste.

So do me a favor, please. Just don't. Don't post, say or share anything offensive, stupid or mean. Debate away, because discourse is always needed, but please speak politely to one another. Hesitate before you blast off, not knowing for sure how your words are going to sound on the other side of your screen. Hesitate before you click, type or send, because words are really all we have to hold us together, or tear us apart, as our nation fights to survive.

In case you haven't noticed, this Presidential election is splitting us apart at the seams, and we must fight the tide of hostility. No matter our political orientations, we all have the same essential goals for our family and country -- to be safe and prosperous. We just use different words to express these ideals, and how we think these goals can be achieved. So let's please tone down the verbal poison, both in the media and in our online lives, and remember that words -- beloved words, are the real links between us.

Every time we open our mouths, or start typing on our keyboard, we intentionally choose the words we use.

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Let's all pause, and make a point of choosing them more carefully from now on, shall we?

Please, and thank you.

**Chanler Jeffers is a woman who has seen many extraordinary things over her lifetime. An adventurer, survivor, overachiever and advocate of kindness in all instances, she has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), and is a member of their Circle of Champions. She has had the good fortune to live and travel all over the world, grew up as a military dependent, was a single parent for many years, survived cancer and has gently shaped countless people over her years on this little planet we call home. Subscribe to her blog www.TeamJeffers.com where she shares her knowledge, her experience and her love. Oh, by the way -- one more thing. She's married to a Bass-playing rock star, lucky girl.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 14: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a town hall meeting on March 14, 2016 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa , Florida. Trump is campaigning ahead of the Florida primary on March 15. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

It's time to play "guess the primary results" once again, boys and girls! Before we get to confidently (or not-so-confidently, in some cases) predicting tomorrow night's results, I have to first update my record from the last time around.

Before I even get to that, however, a mea culpa is necessary for D.C. Republicans, Northern Mariana Islands Democrats, and a few other races that slipped my attention last week. Since I didn't make any predictions for any of these minor contests, I can't add any of them to my totals. The D.C. Republican primary was amusing, partly because there are so few GOP voters in the District. And they're not in tune with GOP voters elsewhere, it seems. It was a close race for first place between (are you sitting down?) John Kasich and Marco Rubio. In the end, Rubio edged Kasich out by 50 votes, out of over 2,000 cast. The establishment strikes back! Or something....

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In any case, getting back to the races I did remember to call, I didn't have all that great a night. I missed Bernie's win in Michigan, but in my defense so did everybody else. This continues a slump of me underestimating Bernie Sanders, which I will try to counterbalance in today's picks. Overall, I was only 1-for-2 for the night on the Democratic side (I did call Mississippi's big win for Hillary correctly). I should also mention that I did call the Democrats Abroad race for Sanders, but the results won't be in until next week, so it won't be counted until then.

On the Republican side, I did a bit better. I predicted a complete sweep of Hawai'i, Idaho, Michigan, and Mississippi for Donald Trump, and therefore got three out of four right. Again, in my own defense, I did write about the Idaho race: "I feel the least confident of any of today's predictions here, but I'm going to go with the polling and say Trump edges Cruz out. I wouldn't be surprised to be wrong, though." I was indeed wrong, and I wasn't that surprised. So that brings my overall record up to:

Total correct 2016 Democratic picks: 17 for 22 -- 77% Total correct 2016 Republican picks: 23 for 32 -- 72% Total overall correct picks: 40 for 54 -- 74%.

OK, with that up to date, let's take a crack at predicting what is going to happen tomorrow night. These races will all be closely watched on both sides, to state the patently obvious. Here are tomorrow night's contests, in alphabetic order.

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Florida

Calling Florida is pretty easy, on both sides of the aisle. Hillary Clinton will dominate, continuing her sweep of the South. The big news here, however, is going to be Donald Trump beating Marco Rubio in his home state, and taking all 99 of the Florida delegates as a result (Florida is a "winner-takes-all" state). This defeat will utterly crush Rubio's presidential dream, and he will likely withdraw from the race either Tuesday night or very early Wednesday morning. Ah, what might have been, Little Marco....

Illinois

Illinois is going to be a very interesting race to watch, although most of the media hasn't quite picked up on it yet. On the Republican side, there has been a late movement towards Ted Cruz, but he's still trailing Trump in the polls. Geographically, both Trump and Cruz have a shot at both Illinois and Missouri, since the states border regions they've already won. But I'm betting that Trump's Chicago rally no-show will actually seal the deal for him, since it was local news in the state. Trump edges Cruz out to claim Illinois.

On the Democratic side, the race has very dark undercurrents indeed. Illinois is one of three states Hillary Clinton can claim as "home states" (Arkansas and New York being the other two). But here in Illinois, tying herself tightly to the Obama administration isn't going to be as magical for Hillary as it was in the South. Rahm Emanuel was Obama's White House Chief of Staff, before he left to become Chicago's mayor. His time in office has been contentious, though, as he's earned the wrath of the teachers' unions and African-Americans (for delaying the release of the cop shooting video until after his re-election). Those are two big constituencies to lose, and when Hillary Clinton loudly supported Rahm a few months ago, people in Chicago noticed.

There has been a very late-breaking surge for Sanders in Illinois. Last week a poll showed Clinton with a whopping lead of 42 points. Now, the polls are virtually tied and Sanders even led one of them (48 percent to Clinton's 46 percent). A good rule of thumb is that when the voters break late, the candidate they break toward is usually the winner. I'm going to go with that rule and say Bernie edges Clinton out in one of her home states.

Missouri

Missouri is one of those states allergic to polling, for some inexplicable reason. Strange, seeing as how they're supposed to be the "Show Me" state. Show me the numbers, Missouri!

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On the Republican side, there is only one poll I could find. It showed Trump up by seven points over Cruz, with Rubio and Kasich in single digits. However, there was a large percentage undecided. I'm going to make a complete gut call on this and say that the polling is wrong and that Cruz wins the state. Geographically, Missouri touches three states Cruz has already won (Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa). So it would seem to be friendly territory for him. Combined with the dearth of polling, I can see Cruz picking up most of the counties in the state and edging Trump out.

The polling isn't much better on the Democratic side. There is a grand total of two polls for Democrats. One shows Sanders at 47 to Clinton's 46, and one says Clinton has a seven-point lead (47-40). So it's anybody's guess what will happen, really. Although Missouri's next door to Illinois, Rahm won't be a factor for them, which may change the dynamics. Missouri also touches Arkansas, another home state for Clinton. But I'm going to say Bernie pulls an upset here and edges Clinton out. Missouri has an open primary (meaning non-Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary), and Bernie usually does a pretty good job of winning independents. This race may be a close one, however, closer even than Ohio.

North Carolina

North Carolina seems like an easy call on both sides. Trump is up in the polling by double-digits, and Clinton's up by even more. So I predict an early win for both Trump and Clinton. My guess is neither race will even be close.

Ohio

Finally, there is Ohio. This state has been billed as the most interesting of the night on both sides. Florida will be big on the Republican side (because Trump's win will force Rubio out of the race), and if Bernie manages to win either Illinois or Missouri (or both) it'll be big news too. But Ohio is going to be the most heavily covered tomorrow night, that's my guess.

John Kasich has already done something phenomenal in his home state -- he's edged out Trump in the polls. In the past few days of polling, Kasich is either tied with The Donald or up by five or six points. Maybe Rubio telling his supporters to vote for Kasich here had a positive effect? For whatever reason, Kasich is surging. Late surges are usually predictive, so I'm going to go ahead and call Ohio for its governor. This will be a blow to Trump, since winning all of Ohio's delegates would have made him almost untouchable for the nomination, but even having said that, Kasich is downright delusional in his belief that he can translate a home-state win into national momentum. Winning Ohio means Kasich will live on to fight another day (unlike Rubio), but that's about it, really.

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On the Democratic side, the polling indicates Hillary Clinton will win. She's ahead by five points or more in all the recent polls. However, I'm going to go fully optimistic for Bernie and predict he'll manage an upset here, too. Ohio voters care deeply about the auto industry, and Hillary's misguided attack at Bernie on not supporting the auto bailout will resonate in Ohio just as it did in Michigan. It may be a very close margin, but I think Bernie can recreate his Michigan miracle here tomorrow night.

Overall, this gives Donald Trump only three victories out of five (Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina). Ohio goes for favorite-son John Kasich, and Missouri goes to Ted Cruz. For Democrats, Bernie Sanders has the best night of his campaign and wins Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. Hillary Clinton picks up Florida and North Carolina, and may actually collect more delegates than Bernie.

But I'll go one step further -- if my predictions do turn out to be correct for Democrats, here's my prediction for the storyline the media is going to start running with, starting Wednesday morning. If Sanders does pick up two or even three states, the narrative is going to quickly shift to: "Clinton having problems winning states outside the South," or, to put it slightly differently: "Clinton winning red states, Sanders winning blue states." When you look at the map of how each state is likely to vote in November -- and, again, if I'm right about even two out of the three states I've called for Bernie -- then it's going to be noticeable which states the two candidates are respectively winning. That's my guess, anyway. As always, if you think I'm wildly off my nut about any of these predictions, feel free to make your own in the comments.

[Previous states' picks:]

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Chris Weigant blogs at:
Children at play, Manado, Indonesia. Credit: Ben Pederick, Good Morning Beautiful Films.

For baby Willa, her parents did not know why her cheeks were sunken in, why she was losing weight so drastically, or why at six months she began to have chronic diarrhea. Like all parents, her mother and father were worried -- but they could only do what they knew how to do. No one in their village was familiar with the concept of 'being malnourished.'

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of nearly half of all child deaths under the age of five. Faced with such a staggering fact, it's easy to feel powerless. How could one person make a difference? However, that's exactly what's happening in villages of Zambia, in cities of Indonesia, in the mountains of Afghanistan and the plains of Zimbabwe.

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As was the case with Willa, malnutrition is often hidden -- not immediately apparent to a mother or father looking at their child. The parent might notice the child is sick more often, or observe the child is very short for their age, but may not realize that the underlying cause is related to food and nutrition.

What may start as not enough food, or not the right types of food, can evolve into malnutrition -- a lack of the vitamins and nutrients essential for growth and brain development. In the short term, malnutrition makes children more susceptible to disease and slows maturation. In the long term, child malnutrition has been linked to permanently stunted growth and lower income as an adult, among other things.

Unaware of this, a traditional healer in Willa's village suggested that the grandfather's spirit was haunting the baby and administered herbs. Her parents continued to watch helplessly as Willa's conditions worsened each day.

Rosemary was a health and nutrition volunteer who visited Willas's village. Recognizing the symptoms of poor nutrition, she advised that Willa be take to a clinic.

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"When we went to the health clinic, a health worker said that little Willa was malnourished. I was confused and did not understand what she meant by the term malnourished, but after she explained everything she advised me to join a community nutrition group called Infant and Young Children Feeding (IYCF)."

The IYCF group is made up of community members who are trained by World Vision about ways that they can help reduce cases of underweight children in their communities and reduce disease. As Willa's father talks about learning to prepare a high-nutrient porridge, he recalls, "I became very interested because all I wanted was to see my daughter healthy again."

After feeling that their daughter's fate was set, Willa's parents were relieved to see her leave the feeding program at 18 months -- healthy, laughing, and playing with her friends. Billy, her father, is now a health and nutrition facilitator. He grows crops and raises chickens to feed his children, and feels this is a way he can now help other people's children. "Without help and training skills on nutrition in this community, today we would have been sharing a sad story -- as a lot of children would have died from malnutrition."

"I thank World Vision for imparting knowledge on me, because now I am able to visit different communities and teach them how to care for their children and how to prepare nutritious meals for them."

In rural villages with limited access to clinics and health services, parent groups can be a valuable resource. It is nearly universal that parents share knowledge with one another. In the U.S. this might take the form of a parenting blog, in Zambia and many other countries, this has taken the form of the IYCF groups. Without ready access to internet or other technologies we rely on to keep us connected, communities find other ways to share vital information about how to raise healthy babies.

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Thembeni, mother of a bubbly 13-month year old in Zimbabwe, shares the positive change she has experienced after learning new feeding methods when an IYCF group started in her village. "I am very grateful that the trainings I attended have opened my eyes and now I know how to look after the child. I know I can breastfeed for two years. I look at the child as I feed her. It shows love and the child appreciates it."

"When we meet at a borehole or at a river, we remind each other of what we learnt. We pass the information to those unable to attend the training. We conducted trainings in the communities. Community members failed to attend if they were held a long way, away. There are many wild animals in the area and this turned some away, while others wouldn't travel long distances. It made sense to follow them into their communities." Thembeni emphasizes that it is important to continue to discuss what they have learned and to help educate others.

In Indonesia, mothers who come to parent groups learn how to feed children according to their age, learn how frequently children should be eating, and what the best foods to feed their children are. When Ulan was reluctant to breastfeed at 9 months, her mother Nani discovered a local group.

"There are a lot of benefits I get from joining the IYCF program in the village because I get knowledge on the kinds of food and varieties of food to give my child. It is not only mothers who get benefit but also family members, because if a child grows healthy, so the family members will feel glad," Nabi said about the World Vision program.

Globally, one in four children under the age of five are stunted, meaning they are significantly smaller than expected for their age due to malnutrition. This likely means that in addition to failing to grow, they have delayed brain development and lower IQs, will be more susceptible to disease well into adulthood, and for females, their future children may be affected in the womb, even years after nutrition has been restored.

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We cannot fix this problem overnight. Everything from cost, to availability of health workers, to conflict, can keep a village from having the community health clinic or resources that it needs. However, I have never traveled anywhere, where I did not see parents passionate about seeing their children thrive. Giving these parents education can be a tool for their entire community to thrive.

We can support parents who advocate in their community for better child health by advocating here at home for programs that will help provide support. The Reach Every Mother and Child Act is a bill currently in the United States Congress that would scale up programs we know are working, including programs to fight malnutrition, and set ambitious, but achievable goals to keep the fight to save mothers and children around the world on track. Ask your members of Congress to cosponsor the Reach Every Mother and Child Act.
I have never been so proud of my journalism profession in my life! Several hundred reporters, diplomats, and politicians celebrated the release and return of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. The former Iranian bureau chief was held in a brutal Tehran prison for 545 days. He was unjustly accused of spying which was strongly denied by all who knew and worked with him. The imprisonment must have affected him psychologically. He did not speak in public at the reception, but he smiled, waved, and hugged his beautiful wife Yeganeh Salehi. She was also arrested but was later released. She was allowed to return to her apartment in Iran with her parents. Her testimony about her husband's ordeal and his return to life in California was extremely poignant.

Other important statements were made by Jason's brother Ali, Press Club President Thomas Burr, Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron, CNN reporter Jim Sciutto and others. Several past Presidents of the Press Club were present, including immediate past president John Hughes who worked tirelessly for Jason's release. Executive Director William McCarren was also praised for his important work in the release. A video of a visibly emotional Secretary of State John Kerry speaking at the Washington Post last month was played. They all talked about the values of a free country and of a free press. They also talked about the dangers of reporting in these modern times. Nearly 200 reporters are known to be held in jails around the world, and many have been killed.
Tuesday, March 15th is known throughout political circles as the Ides of March. The term originated more than 2,000 years ago and marks the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.E., transforming the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. In a sense, we're faced with a similar situation in the current political environment. We are witnessing the end of an era in which the two major parties are desperately trying to hold on to the power they've acquired over the American public; and, it is we, the voters, who are ringing the establishment's death-knell.

The great American experiment in democracy now teeters on a knife's edge with equal chance of reestablishing progressivism or becoming an all-out oligarchy. Since the infection of the public sector by private capital under the Reagan administration, the power of the people to influence our representatives has been concentrated in ever smaller groups of moneyed interests. The United States government, once by the people and for the people, has since been permeated by career politicians concerned only with personal aggrandizement. In 2016, a new leader will be chosen to move our country forward at their discretion, and the contrast between the paths the candidates have prescribed could not be more stark.

The leftward path is being led by New-Deal Democrat, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). His progressive, populist agenda harkens back to the glory days of the post-war era, one of the greatest periods of rising standards of living in our country's history. Taxes on the wealthy and corporations were high, income inequality was low, and our national infrastructure and education systems were the envy of the world. All of it was achieved by a radical shift in public policy away from the interests of the robber-barons of the gilded age to those of the impoverished working-class. Bernie wants to lead us back to that prosperity by once again changing our national priorities to focus on the economic needs of the shrinking middle-class and underemployed working-poor. He is an authentic and forthright public servant, a quality alien to most in the modern political arena. His vision for America is one gleaned from former democratic socialists FDR, JFK and Martin Luther King Jr.

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The middle path is being led by Third Way Democrat, Sec. Hillary Clinton. Hers follows in the footsteps of neoliberalism originally imprinted by Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton with a twist of neoconservatism emblematic of George W. Bush. She is the embodiment of the Democratic establishment status quo, which is perpetually late to evolve on social issues and early to adopt a corporatist agenda. Hillary wants to lead us further down the road of "tranquilizing gradualism" which has meandered slowly but steadily to the right for the past 40 years. Hillary's continuous repositioning during the campaign to appeal to the progressive grassroots movement has brought into relief her duplicitous nature as well as her willingness to say anything to garner votes, leaving the public to wonder if she would ever act on her rhetoric once elected.

The rightward path is being led by Plutocratic Demagogue, Donald Trump. He has successfully hijacked the Republican Party whose electorate is so disillusioned by their own establishment they would rather have a billionaire conman represent them than anyone who's ever held elected office. His strongman persona is the spitting image of Benito Mussolini and and his hyper-xenophobic stance toward immigrants is eerily reminiscent of Adolf Hitler. He purposefully obfuscates his policy proposals, presumably to allow himself a form of despotic autonomy. His policies, which have been independently analyzed, display a level of incompetence and irrationality unseen in the history of modern politics. A racist bully and pathological liar, Donald will utilize politics of divisiveness to stoke populist anger, incite hateful bigotry and satisfy his wealthy self-interest.

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Times have changed. Unlike when I was growing up, it is now cool to be a nerd. Superheroes are dominating film and TV right now, as well as informing pop culture in general. As a teacher, I can capitalize on this to get more kids, especially boys, into reading. In fact, I already have.

When I taught in LA, I used to have a huge bookshelf behind my desk in my classroom. While it was mostly filled with Spanish textbooks, I dedicated one row to graphic novels I collected over the years. Mostly Spider-Man and Batman, which were, and still are, my favorites. I welcomed and encouraged students to borrow (and return!) comics from what informally turned into "Rico's Comic Book Library." Borrowing comics became so popular that I had to create a checkout sheet to keep track of who had what.

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The comics sparked intriguing dialogues about their themes. I found this fascinating because many of the students borrowing my comics were the same students who refused to read the texts in their English class. For instance, reading Magneto Testament, an excellent graphic novel, lead to a discussion with a student about the horrors of the Holocaust. Magneto Testament shows Magneto, as a Jewish child in 1935 Germany, as he witnesses Nazi soldiers murdering his friends and family and destroying everything he loved. That's what ultimately led him to become the X-Men supervillain we all know and love. This particular student and I might have had a similar conversation if I were his English teacher but he often "accidentally" left his copy of Anne Frank in my classroom. Clearly, he wasn't reading it.

Having conversations with students about the comics we read got me thinking about how I could leverage that interest in my Spanish class. So, I decided to have my students read an excerpt from the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, who is black and Latino, and then read an article explaining the negative backlash in the Latin American community against this new character.

Besides the usual argument that only Peter Parker could be Spider-Man, there was a real sentiment in Central and South America that one could not possibly be both black and Latino. After having my students read both documents, I asked my class if that were true. Obviously, I know, personally, one could definitely be both black and Latino but I wanted my students to think critically about the information presented.

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Ultimately, that discussion led into my unit in which we dissect the caste system of Spanish colonization. During that unit, students learn how current thoughts about race and ethnicity in Latin America are derived from that deep-rooted racist and colorist structure. And it all started with a dialogue about a comic book.

Now I'm not advocating that teachers swap out The Dark Knight Returns for The Great Gatsby, but I do believe comics can serve as a high-interest supplemental reading for comic book fans, like they did for me. Some students will never go on to pick up novels, and that's okay. But some will. Some will develop a love for comics. Once they graduated, I took two of my students on their first visit to a comic book store and they've been reading comics ever since.

Ultimately, comics are simply another tool teachers can use to capture students' interest and get them talking about the subject matter. Also, comics aren't all about superheroes. There are many comics about real-life experiences, such as being a first-generation immigrant or visiting your family from your home country for the first time. As unnatural as that sounds, if used right, comics work. Not only with the heroes inspire them but also their stories will help guide their thinking towards whatever objective you have planned.
Voters fill the electronic voting machines to cast their ballots during the primary election at the precinct in the Highland Colony Baptist Church in Madison, Miss., on Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Mississippi holds its presidential and congressional primaries today. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

As voters head to the polls once again today, let us consider how we might improve our electoral system to increase turnout and trust in our government. At the founding of the Republic, wise men like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison worried about how to manage democratic governance. They wanted government to ensure the well-being of the citizens while protecting against "tyranny of the majority," otherwise known as mob rule. To do this, they limited direct democracy by banning many residents from voting (women, slaves), having state legislatures elect senators, and by creating the Electoral College to elect our president. Only one of these limitations, the Electoral College, remains, and it is time to abolish it.

The Electoral College disenfranchises millions of American voters because of the "winner take all" approach in 48 of 50 states. There are many states that have voted for the same party's candidate for decades, and the minority party voters in that state are effectively stripped of their ability to influence the election.

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There are a few states that are truly up for grabs like Ohio, Florida, and Virginia, but why should partisan demography determine one's political power? In my home state of Kansas, which votes predictably Republican in national elections, the Democratic voters are second-class citizens in presidential contests. The same is true for Republican voters in states like New York. And when voters have less incentive to vote in the presidential race, the impact on down-ballot races is significant.

There is no question that our democracy needs rejuvenation. Government reform could come through addressing a myriad of issues, like campaign finance reform, proper and objective congressional redistricting, and others. Nonetheless, the 2016 campaign again demonstrates the folly of the Electoral College, which effectively means that there is no such thing as a 50-state strategy, and the national interest suffers.

Apologies to my friends in the swing states, but this system leaves people in a majority of states effectively disenfranchised. The impact of voter turnout and political participation is only awarded to folks in those privileged states. For a democratic political system to be resilient it must be built on the trust of all citizens.

American democracy is ailing. Americans lack trust in government institutions, officials, the process, candidates, you name it -- they don't think it's "on the level" and representative of all the people: north, south, east, and west, and across social classes. The forces of globalization, income inequality, terrorism, and social change are creating challenges that government is not adequately addressing. In order to rejuvenate government, the American people must become more active participants in elections. There is no better way to improve participation than to abolish the Electoral College, an unnecessary relic of a bygone era.

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US presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during a rally March 14, 2016 in Vienna Center, Ohio.The six remaining White House hopefuls made a frantic push for votes March 14, 2016 on the eve of make-or-break nominating contests, with Donald Trump's Republican rivals desperate to bar his path after a weekend of violence on the campaign trail. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

The economists are really angry this year. They have cause. Leading presidential candidates in both political parties are trashing the trade agreements that many have devoted their careers to promoting. This is not supposed to happen in the America they know.

Donald Trump has catapulted to the top of the Republican field at least in part on a commitment to renege on NAFTA and other trade agreements the United States has signed over the last quarter century. Senator Bernie Sanders remains a real contender to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in large part because of his consistent record opposing these trade deals.

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In the past, serious candidates could always be counted on to support trade agreements. (These deals are routinely referred to as "free trade" agreements for marketing purposes.) In the course of a presidential campaign they may express opposition to these deals for political reasons, as both Obama and Clinton did with respect to NAFTA in 2008, but all the big money types know they don't really mean it. What's different in 2016 is that Sanders is actually opposed to these trade pacts and Trump certainly could be.

The economists' anger could prove to be an even greater source of amusement in this political cycle than the debate over the size of Donald Trump's fingers. After all, if economists knew anything about the economy they would have seen the $8 trillion housing bubble, the collapse of which sank the economy. The cost in lost output is now more than $12 trillion (@ $40,000 per person), with millions having seen their lives ruined from unemployment and/or home foreclosures. But the economists want us to be really upset over Trump's threats of 35 percent tariffs on air conditioners from Mexico.

It is hard to know where to begin with the contempt for "free trade" economists. The trade agenda of administrations of both parties has been to quite deliberately put U.S. manufacturing workers in direct competition with low paid workers in the developing world. The predicted and actual consequence of this competition is to eliminate jobs in manufacturing and to put downward pressure on the wages of less-educated workers more generally. And the economists can't understand why people are unhappy.

The economists' complaints would at least be more understandable if it they were based on some consistent principle, but they aren't. We have not sought to impose free trade everywhere. We have only done it for less well paid and less educated workers. We have maintained and in some cases strengthened protectionist barriers that sustain the jobs and paychecks of the most highly paid professionals.

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Take the case of doctors with an average pay of well over $200,000 a year. (Sorry politicians, that is not middle class.) We prevent foreign doctors from practicing in the United States unless they completed a U.S. residency program. Does anyone believe that we can't ensure that doctors going through training programs in Canada, Germany, and other wealthy countries get sufficient skills to competently treat patients in the United States?

There is a similar story for dentists, who get paid almost as much as doctors. They used to be required to get a degree from a dental school in the United States. We just recently started allowing graduates from dental schools in Canada to practice in the United States.

Donald Trump argues that our trade negotiators are stupid. This could be the case, but they can't possibly be so stupid that they couldn't work out an arrangement that allowed foreign doctors and dentists to practice in the United States while still ensuring their competency.

This is about power. Just as autoworkers and textile workers want protection from foreign competition, so do doctors and dentists. The difference is that doctors and dentists have the power to get protection and to get the economists to ignore this massive interference with free trade. Unlike the relatively minor forms of protection that get economists so excited, protection for doctors is real money. It roughly doubles their pay in a market of $200 billion a year (@$1,600 per family per year). This protection for doctors and dentists means lower pay for ordinary workers, since it is money out of their pockets in the form of higher health care costs.

There is a similar story for copyright and patent protection, especially for prescription drugs. We pay more than $400 billion a year for drugs that would likely cost one tenth of this amount in a free market.

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This is equivalent to a 1000 percent tariff on drugs. Yes, we call them "patents," not tariffs, but the market doesn't give a damn. The economists' models give the exact same outcome: the same waste and corruption from a patent that raises the price by 1000 percent as a tariff that raises the price by 1000 percent. (Yes, there are other ways to finance research, but the economists don't want us to discuss them.)
I vote in both countries and the border relabels everyone. I'm a "conservative" in Canada, concerned about "liberal" profligacy -- which puts me left of the Democrats. So to me, a Democrat like Bernie Sanders in the White House would be good news all around.

This is because, to my way of thinking, America needs a little more "socialism" and Canada needs a little less.

And capitalist Asher Edelman, a Wall Street guru, agrees with me and believes a Sanders presidency would be a boon for the American economy on CNBC interview today.

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It's apparent, since Michigan, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are defying all odds. Their popularity is rooted in the same three issues: fixing the "rigged economy," ending campaign finance corruption and being more protectionist.

They are supported because both are beyond reproach: Sanders has raised more independent money than any candidate in the history of elections and Trump is self-financing his campaign so far.

They are also unequivocal. Sanders attacks the one percent agenda, and Trump explains why big shots get favors for donations. "Hillary Clinton, I said, be at my wedding, and she came to my wedding. She had no choice because I gave to a [Clinton] foundation," he said bluntly in the first GOP debate in August.

Americans are fed up with political payola. Ever since 2010, when the Supreme Court opened up campaign contributions, their government has been auctioned off to the highest corporate and billionaire bidders. The result is that politicians and policies are not aligned with public opinion on everything from same-sex marriage to marijuana legalization, gun controls, health care. In these matters, Americans and Canadians are in sync.

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For instance, a January poll showed that 80 percent of Democrats and 25 percent of Republicans support a single-payer system like Sanders is proposing, known there as "extended Medicare." Endorsement grows.

For Canadians (and Americans), the worst outcome would be a Donald Trump victory. He would build fences against both neighbors, actual or virtual. He's pledged a bigger wall with Mexico and says Canada wouldn't require one, but the warning is obvious. For example, a Trump Presidency would react decisively if smuggling resulted from legalization of marijuana in Canada. Perhaps we would face a "Cannabis" toll at border crossings or, certainly, a more clogged border for our goods.

It's also not a leap to expect that Trump would revise trade deals in America's favor and also invoice Canada, along with Japan and Germany, to pay for America's military umbrella.

But fear not.

The Republican Party is imploding around him, mostly because the Bush regime ruined everything. The odds favor another Democrat and, if so, Canada will continue to feel the love.

The trend toward Democrats is well-established. Since 1992, 21 large states, along with the District of Columbia, (mostly states bordering Canada or contiguous to border states) voted for the Democratic candidate at least four out of five times, while 22 smaller states consistently voted for a Republican. The remaining seven states were Nevada, West Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Colorado and Missouri. Since 2008, most voted Democrat and will again.

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The most influential leader is Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He has rollicked from nowhere to the top-based on the Canadian/European "socialist" policy playbook: Single-payer medicine, low or no post-secondary tuition, high minimum wages and a more nuanced foreign policy. Even Hillary is migrating toward his positions in the hopes that he won't become the 2016 Obama to her 2008 Hillary campaign flop. She's in trouble.
Cousin S and I often exchange notes on new books, upcoming writers or style of writing. We both read different kinds of books but some of the choices do overlap. She is an avid reader. I used to be one but now end up reading books recommended by her or by one of the trusted Internet sources. Our recent discussion was on Jhumpa Lahiri's In Other Words. She was ruing not learning to read or write in her mother tongue and focused more on English. We were in awe at this Pulitzer winning author's dedication of learning a new language and mastering it enough to be able to write a book.

photo credit: Exceptional via photopin (license)

Later that night, analyzing some sales projections in a spreadsheet, I pondered upon my abilities. I realized though I have certain skills, they are all generic. I do not have a core competency. I do not have unique aptitude. I am not exceptional. Honestly, most people in their right minds would wish to be good at something, to excel and be recognized (except may be Elena Ferrante).

This thought lingered on for few days. I could cook, clean, read, write, walk, run, juggle home and business, work in different capacities handling marketing or procurement or even man a forklift if the need arose but I am not a Pulitzer winner or fastest women on earth or an Emmy winner. I am just a face in the crowd. I many times asked myself times if I should feel depressed that I am not exceptional. I have nothing great to offer to the world. It was not a great feeling rather a confusing one.

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Around the same time my friend JJ informed that she has been detected with cancer. It was quite a serious jolt. Our brain is not wired to accept such news however common it might be. It is fairly acceptable to us if someone old contracts some serious illness because we can attribute it to age. How do you reconcile when it is your family and someone who is relatively young? Medical science has made great strides but the C word is still scary and treatment is prolonged and painful.

I was amazed at her frame of mind and attitude towards tackling this life changing matter. She says that she is going ahead with an aggressive treatment plan and has absolute faith in her amazing medical team. I reflected back to my cerebration on "being exceptional." My friend was not bothered about being exceptional. She was looking forward to a healthier life. Being exceptional is a gift which we all can aspire for but may not be blessed with. I gained some serious perspective that day.

Many of us do extremely repetitive tasks for our entire life. From a shallow perspective that work might seem monotonous and uninspiring. What is so great about drawing blood from patients for running lab tests? Being a stay-at-home mom; who cooks, cleans and irons might seem dull. A teacher might be teaching the same course of Geometry for years. It is not that the triangles and rectangles will grow an extra side.

A crane operator in a dockyard is loading and unloading the same containers from ships. The database manager sitting in a chilled air-conditioned room in some remote server farm in Nebraska might be the reason why some of us are able to do really cool data analytic work. The courier person who delivers the packages in offices is often invisible. The nurse who sponges terminal ill patients and changes their sheets is not doing something extraordinary. The cashiers who ring in your purchases or the bookkeepers who maintain accounts; all do repetitive tasks.

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Imagine a life without all that? Suppose if the garbage truck driver is not doing his job or there are no firemen in the neighborhood.

The Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi in one university convocation speech had a reflective piece of advice for the graduating students. He said that all the students who are graduating with flying colors that day owe it to hordes of people in their life and they are not just family members or friends. They are everyone around who has been providing some service or the other; paid or otherwise. All do repetitive work but that is what keeps the cogs of the wheel of life churning. All of us may not become exceptional like Jhumpa Lahiri, Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic or Stephen Hawking because that requires tremendous dedication, hard-work, opportunities and destiny. But the work that we do is also not trivial. Though we may be doing mundane stuff let us remember that our work is important, we are important.
There are few issues in the African American community which receive greater attention, discussion, and debate than the absence of fathers. From a historical perspective, fatherless homes have been identified as a root cause of negative outcomes in African American families at least as far back as the famous Moynihan report in 1965. It has been debated that the absence of fathers causes financial strain in families and increases the likelihood that children will be raised in poverty. The absence of fathers in homes has also been attributed to increased likelihood of delinquency and incarceration for sons, as well as increased promiscuity in daughters. Growing up without a father can negatively impact self-esteem and self-worth in children, and it can also negatively impact future relationships. The absence of a father in the home can have a negative impact on children, which lasts well into adulthood.



The negative impact of fatherless homes in the African American community has been discussed in numerous studies, with many attributing the decrease of fathers in homes to the separation of families during slavery; welfare legislation which provided financial incentives when fathers were not in the home; and the increased incarceration of Black males during the 1980s and 1990s. It is also widely believed that not having a father in the home makes it more likely that young men will not raise their own children. Yet perhaps the biggest contributor to the abandonment of children by their fathers, is the lack of involvement of the paternal family. Indeed, while it is widely known that there are men who abandon their children (for a number of reasons), in many cases this abandonment extends to the entire paternal family. In other words, when children grow up without their fathers, in many cases they also grow up without the involvement of their paternal family (including paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins).



Nothing contributes to the abandonment of children by their fathers more than the lack of involvement from the paternal family. Lack of involvement from the paternal family condones the absence of the father and simultaneously takes away the most powerful motivation for men to become involved with their children. The lack of involvement of the paternal family also takes away supportive resources that can make up for any deficits a father may have in caring for his children. Perhaps most disturbing and confusing when considering the lack of involvement of the paternal family is non-involvement from paternal grandmothers, who are in many cases themselves single mothers that experienced the challenge of raising children without the involvement of their fathers. Most importantly when considering the lack of involvement from the entire paternal family, previous discussions on deadbeat dads become too simplistic. This raises the question, what happens when an entire family abandons a child?



For most people, the family is their earliest and longest lasting system of support. Within the family, children learn behavioral, cultural, societal, and moral norms (this is particularly true in African American families). When children grow up without support and acknowledgment from their paternal family, a culture of abandonment is normalized. Furthermore, children who grow up without the involvement of their paternal families are denied financial support, emotional support, and they are robbed of their sense of belonging and history. Having a lack of history resulting from the abandonment of the paternal family should not be understated. Family researchers (both amateur and professional) trace both maternal and paternal lineage to tell a complete story. A lack of involvement and knowledge of the paternal family leaves too many missing pieces to the puzzle. This not only robs future generations of their history, it damages the sense of self for an untold number of black children (the lack of a sense of self contributes to a number of mental health issues).
As a teenager I was a Bruce Lee fan, and my favorite movie by him was Fist of Fury (originally released as The Chinese Connection in America), which was released in 1972. After recently revisiting the film, one of the things that stood out to me was that Fist of Fury was the most politically and historically charged of Bruce Lee's films. For this reason I think Fist of Fury is also a very important film for understanding the role that movies can have in helping a people or nation collectively face and overcome historical traumas.

The film is set during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai. Although China at the time that Fist of Fury was released was decades removed from the Japanese invasion and occupation depicted in the film, the film's massive popularity was a testament to the chord that the nationalist message of Fist of Fury struck with Chinese audiences. Audiences are reported to have stood up and cheered some of the scenes in the movie. The Japanese invasion of China was the final blow in a series of defeats for the Chinese people. The first blow came at the hands of the British during the First Opium War. This defeat began what some refer to as the "century of humiliation" in China, in which China's power and prestige faded as Westerner powers and Japan would assert their dominance over the Chinese population. China would suffer another defeat in 1860 at the hands of the British and French in the Second Opium War.

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The most traumatic period of this century of humiliation were the defeats at the hands of Japan. The First Sino-Japanese War began in 1894. This conflict began over the control of Korea, which was at the time under China's sphere of influence in Asia. Going into the war China had a much larger army, but Japan, which had become more technologically advanced, had better equipment and weaponry. By 1985, the war was over and the terms of peace were humiliating for China. Aside from losing Korea, which would go on to become the independent Korean Empire, China also ceded the island of Taiwan to Japan. Japan also established control of Manchuria. Although Korea established itself as an independent nation, Korea would also fall under Japanese rule in 1910.

The Second Sino-Japanese War was much bloodier and destructive than the first. It is estimated that as much as 20 million Chinese citizens were killed as a result of this war. One of the worst incidents of the conflict was the Nanking Massacre (also known as the Rape of Nanking). The Japanese troops massacred as many as 300,000 Chinese civilians. Aside from the murders, hundreds of thousands of women were raped. Soldiers went from house to house raping women. After being raped, the women were often executed in a number of horrific ways, including having their vaginas being penetrated with bayonets, bamboo poles, and other objects. Others were captured and held as sex slaves. Chinese women were referred to as "public toilets" by the Japanese.

Dr. Robert O. Wilson gave the following description of some of the violence that he witnessed in Nanking at the time:

The slaughter of civilians is appalling. I could go on for pages telling of cases of rape and brutality almost beyond belief. Two bayoneted corpses are the only survivors of seven street cleaners who were sitting in their headquarters when Japanese soldiers came in without warning or reason and killed five of their number and wounded the two that found their way to the hospital. Let me recount some instances occurring in the last two days. Last night the house of one of the Chinese staff members of the university was broken into and two of the women, his relatives, were raped. Two girls, about 16, were raped to death in one of the refugee camps.

Bodies piled up in the streets where they were left to rot, as the Japanese destroyed everything that was in their path. Civilians were beheaded, shot, buried alive, hanged, or used for bayonet practice. Killing Chinese become like a game for some of the Japanese soldiers. For fun, the Japanese would light entire groups of Chinese on fire and sometimes toss grenades into those groups. Two Japanese army officers (named Mukai and Noda) had a contest between themselves to see which of the two could first kill 100 people with a sword. Both men surpassed their target of 100.

In Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee plays the role of Chen Zhen. The character of Chen Zhen has become somewhat of a folkloric hero in his own right, appearing in various films and television series since his first appearance in Fist of Fury. Chen's enduring quality as a fictional character is his representation of China's struggle against foreign oppression and racism. For this reason in the remakes and adaptations that followed Fist of Fury elements of the story are changed, but the core story of Chen's resistance against Japanese and other foreigners remain. Some of the more interesting alternations include Chen falling in love with a Japanese woman or having Chen as a World War I veteran. As popular as Bruce Lee's films were in China, none of the characters that he played has been as enduring and culturally relevant to China as Chen Zhen.

The movie begins with Chen Zhen discovering that his master, Huo Yuanjia (based on the historic martial artist by the same name), has suddenly died. Chen immediately has suspicions over the official reports that his master died of pneumonia. He would later get confirmations that his suspicions were true when he overhears two Japanese speaking about how they had poisoned Huo -- it is believed by some that the historical Huo was poisoned by the Japanese.

As friends and associates of Huo pay their respects to him, the ceremony is interrupted by some Japanese that enter the school carrying a banner that reads "Sick Man of Asia." Wu, who is a Japanese translator, insults the students of Jingwu and challenges them to a fight. Out of respect for Huo, none of his students fight back. This prompts Wu to mock them for being cowards. Later, Chen locates the Japanese at their school to return the banner that Wu sent. In the process, Chen singlehandedly defeats all of the Japanese students in the school and then forces them to literally eat their words by tearing off pieces of the banner and shoving those pieces into the mouths of some of the Japanese. He then defiantly declares that the Chinese are not the sick men of Asia before leaving.

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In this scene Chen reclaims the pride of Chinese people in two ways. The first was in Chen's physical defeating of Japanese fighters. Chen becomes a symbolic representation of Chinese anger and frustration, as he overcomes the Japanese fighters, proving that the Chinese are not an inferior people. Secondly and perhaps most importantly, is that Chen overpowers the Japanese and then makes them eat their own poster. Whereas in the past the Chinese had been powerless in the face of Japanese aggression and had to endure such insults, Chen is able to reverse the situation on the Japanese by overpowering them.

An even more symbolic moment of this reclaiming a sense of Chinese pride is a scene in which Chen attempts to enter Huangpu Park, which takes place shortly after his first confrontation with the Japanese fighters. Chen is denied entry because he is a Chinese. The guard at the park then points Chen to a sign which reads, "No Dogs and Chinese allowed." Despite the ban on dogs, foreigners with dogs are allowed in the park. Some Japanese arrive and mock Chen by telling him they he could get in if he pretended to be a dog. Chen subsequently beats all of the Japanese that were mocking him and then he sets his sights on the sign. He shatters it into pieces with two jump-kicks.

The sign itself does not appear to have actually existed, although the oppression, discrimination, and humiliation that the sign represents were most certainly real. Chinese in the International Settlement were banned from parks that were under the administration of the foreign dominated Shanghai Municipal Council. Laws like this demonstrate the extent to which Chinese had become second-class citizens in their own nation. The law also banned dogs from Huangpu Park as well, although there were no signs displayed that explicitly banned both dogs and Chinese.

Fist of Fury stands out as being the most political of Bruce Lee's films, as well as a great example of how movies can play a critical psychological role. Fist of Fury helped to exorcise some of the negative feelings that Chinese still had towards the "century of humiliation." This is why audiences stood in applause as they witnessed Chen tear through Japanese fighters in his quest to avenge the murder of one of China's beloved heroes and to avenge all of the insults leveled against the Chinese people by their Japanese oppressors. Fist of Fury presented a way of confronting a troubled past by using an empowering narrative.
Woman in yoga pose

I recently saw the west coast premiere of Analogy/Dora: Tramontane by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Here are 10 things I learned about Bill T. Jones:

1. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Genius award.

2. The work is based on oral history taken in 2003 by Jones with Dora Amelan, who was 95 years old, a French Jewish nurse/social worker, WWII survivor and his mother-in-law.

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3. The work is 85 minutes in length with no intermission.

4. Dora's son, Jones' current husband, is the company's creative director.

5. His company has performed in more than 200 cities in 40 countries.

6. It is dance, narrative, and music.

7. He was the recipient of he Human Rights Campaign for Visibility.

8. He is also the Artistic Director of NY Live Arts.

9. He formed the American Dance Asylum in Binghamton, NY whereI went to college.

10. Everyone plays the role of Dora and they go back and forth.
Twenty-five years in the same rock band can make one wax prophetic about life and one's expectations. Guster Frontman Ryan Miller and drummer Brian Rosenworcel discuss playing, performing and recording together since their first day at college, maintaining a following for a quarter century (impromptu dumpster sets in an alley!) and how their music has evolved over the decades. In the most recent episode of The Dinner Party with Elysabeth Alfano, over spicy Chilaquiles from my kitchen in Venice Beach, Ryan, Brian and I discuss life according to Guster.

Enjoy this podcast to go. For more information on Guster and their newest CD Evermotion, see below.



Photo credit: Ryan Murray

Guster currently consists of Ryan Miller, Adam Gardner, Brian Rosenworcel and Luke Reynolds. Ryan, Adam, and Brian met their freshmen year of college in 1991 and have been performing together ever since. They recorded and distributed their first album, Parachute while still in college. In 1996, the second album, Goldfly, was released. The band had mass success with their third studio album Lost and Gone Forever, with the single Fa Fa which made it to the Adult Top 40. They also had success on the charts with Keep It Together, their fourth album, with two singles, Careful and Amsterdam.

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A live album/DVD, Guster on Ice, compiled from two shows in Portland, Maine was released in 2004. Guster released its fifth full-length studio album, Ganging Up on the Sun in 2006. 2006 was also the year that Guster won Album of the Year at the Boston Music Awards.

Guster released their sixth studio album Easy Wonderful in 2010. On tour for that album, Luke Reynolds replaced Joe Pisapia, who had joined the band in 2006.
NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 08: A man walks along a NJ Transit train platform as a strike looms on one of the nations most popular commuter lines on March 9, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. The employee unions, which have been without a contract since 2011, are threatening to strike , will resume talks with management on Thursday while a strike could take place as early as Monday morning. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Dear Germany,

You have been with me since childhood, but these days I often feel extremely alienated from you. What happened to us?

Do you remember how I always stood by you? I had just learned to speak when I was asked, while on vacation in Turkey, if I loved you or Turkey more. "Germany of course!" I said, without hesitation. "My home is there, my friends are there, my father is there!" Yes, my father stayed with you, that time I went on vacation with my mother, because he had to study. You gave him a good education. Only with your help was my father able to secure the future of our family.

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And my mother? She was a young girl when she also made the decision to plan a future with you -- and she made that decision for her children. Yes, for me. She left behind everything that she'd ever known, because she knew deep inside that only you could offer the best for me.

And you were always a good homeland and a wonderful companion in my youth. In your schools, I learned things that I couldn't have learned anywhere else. I became very aware of that fact when, at the age of 16, I said goodbye to you and spent a school year in the U.S.

I always stood up for you when someone set out to criticize you.

In Germany, I was a slightly above-average student, but in the U.S. I was allowed to skip a grade. And besides my skills at math, history, and politics, my American teachers were especially enthusiastic about my English. Who would have thought? I have only you to thank for all this, I hope you realize that.

And even in the States, I always belonged to you and you always belonged to me. I always cherished that. "Germany," most of my fellow students called me, as they found the pronunciation of my actual name too difficult. Suddenly, I was your ambassador to the world!

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When asked where my parents lived I always pulled out my map, pointed proudly at Bochum and said: "They live here! In a place where having a heart still counts." And sometimes I played them songs by Herbert Gronemeyer -- those songs often gave me comfort during bitter spells of homesickness.

I always stood up for you when someone set out to criticize you. All Germans are Nazis, people said -- but I was the best evidence that that wasn't true. I would say: "If all Germans are Nazis, why did they educate me, a Turk, so well that I'm the best student in all of our classes and I help all of you with your homework, even though I'm a year younger than you are?"

If all Germans are Nazis, how did my family have a life in Germany that was so much better than the one we could have ever had in Turkey? When I defended you in that way, people were shocked, and quickly became convinced that they didn't know you as well as they'd thought.

I always answer the question of whether I'm German or Turkish with a complicated explanation: I was born in Germany, but my parents came from Turkey. My first language is German, but I actually learned to speak Turkish first. I'm German, but actually...Why I would not just describe myself as "German" wasn't clear to my American friends. It wasn't clear to me, either. But that's just how it was.

My decision to come back to you was a conscious one. I completed high school in the U.S., and I could have gone straight to college. But I didn't want that, and you wouldn't have let me, anyway. Because if we're being honest, we missed each other too much. You were calling me to come back almost every day.

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My American friends couldn't understand why I had to attend two more years of school in Germany. Hadn't we just graduated from high school together? "But that diploma doesn't count there," I explained to them, almost proudly. "I'm going to do the German Abitur, which is one of the best secondary school degrees in the world. With that, I could even study in the U.S.! Maybe I'll come back some day!" But that never happened. I was much too happy to have found my way back to you.

"My child, never leave this country!" my grandfather told me a few weeks before he died. Shortly before then, two strangers had lifted him from his sick bed, put him in a wheelchair, and placed him in the car for the trip to the clinic. "Never leave this country! You see, how they take care of things? They don't even know us!"

If you had warmly greeted your neighbors, or had a friendly chat with the checkout clerk at the supermarket, you would have quickly seen that all these rumors about people like me couldn't possibly be true.

"Grandpa, that's their job!" I told him, almost rudely. As if he hadn't been living here for decades. As if he didn't know how the Germans operated. But he'd also lived in Turkey and knew that this wasn't the way things were done everywhere. "Never leave this country!" he told me insistently -- and I was proud that he was talking about you that way.

But then something happened. Since then, something has been pushing us further and further apart.

You have been with me since childhood, but these days, I often feel so alienated from you. What happened to us?

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Since I was younger, I always told everyone how great you were and how seamlessly you took my family in. But then, you started talking about me to other people. People who had only bad things to say about me. People who were only up to no good. People who had made it their mission to tear us apart.

Why did you keep listening to them, instead of just talking to me? Why did you blindly believe them, instead of just looking around for yourself?

Because if you had just looked around for yourself, if you had warmly greeted your neighbors, or had a friendly chat with the checkout clerk at the supermarket, you would have quickly seen that all these rumors about people like me couldn't possibly be true.

But you chose the easiest way out, and put your trust in hate.

Do you remember how I always stood by you? But when I needed you the most, you weren't there anymore.

You were busy setting houses on fire. The people who lived in these houses had, just like my mother, my father, and my grandfather, come to you with bags full of dreams -- dreams they thought only you could fulfill.

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What is this? I just don't recognize you anymore.

Dear Germany, I think we both need some time apart, and a little distance. Maybe then you'd realize how much you miss me and how boring life would be without me.

Or maybe you won't.

But I hope you will.

Because if you don't, then there's no hope.

See you soon!

With love,Your Emre
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign rally in Concord, N.C., Sunday, March 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Back in March 2015, the Washington Times reported on an appearance by Ted Cruz at the Iowa Agricultural Summit.

Mr. Cruz said GMOs helped to provide food for people across the globe and strengthen farms across the nation. He said that people who oppose GMOs and want to buy organic food can do that. 'People who decide that is what they want, they can pay for it already, but we shouldn't let anti-science zealotry shutdown the ability to produce low-cost quality food for billions across the globe,' Mr. Cruz said.

No, Mr. Cruz, you are misinformed. While I don't think you actually intended to cast more than half of the country (those of us who cannot afford to buy all organic) to the mercy of Monsanto and the slow, miserable death of glyphosate poisoning, it's what you've done.

You've said essentially that it doesn't matter what those of us raising a family on $30,000 or $40,000 a year think. You've said here that we should just thank our benevolent dictators in Washington for taking the time to make sure we can fill our cupboards and refrigerators, regardless of the fact that the food is contaminated. Cheap is better than healthy!

Except that it isn't.

Glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, is toxic, quite clearly. Any agent sold to kill something is a toxin, and pretty much everyone can understand that. The World Health Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer have deemed glyphosate -- sales of which generate $6 billion annually for Monsanto -- a likely carcinogen.

There's nothing anti-science about understanding this. We're taught as children that consuming poison will hurt you; again, this is basic knowledge.

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Roundup is sprayed directly onto fields of crops full of what are known as Roundup-Ready Crops, which are genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). These include "alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, sugarbeets and wheat." In case you're not aware how Roundup-Ready Crops work, farmers do not go into a crop field with a little trigger bottle of Roundup and give a squirt here and a squirt there to kill weeds. Instead, it's faster and much more effective to fill a self-propelled sprayer with 600, 800, 1,200 gallons or more of Roundup at a time and head out into the fields. The farmer then extends the spraying apparatus on either side of the sprayer, which are called booms, folding them out like huge wings, and begins spraying everything. Everything -- food, weeds, doesn't matter -- up and down the entire field.

Monsanto specifically encourages this practice just before harvest, because "spraying glyphosate desiccates green foliage & stems" and "uneven maturity and green tissue delays harvest" (Here, page 27). After spraying Roundup on the fields, it doesn't all soak into the crops or the weeds. It gets onto the ground and into the soil. It turns into runoff and gets into our drinking water.

Mr. Cruz, would you spray Roundup on your food right before you were ready to eat it? Would you let your children eat corn or wheat that was doused with Roundup? How about a glass of water with a squirt of Roundup in it? I think the answer is pretty obvious.

I certainly don't resent farmers trying to make a buck by making their jobs easier. They have a particularly difficult and unappreciated job, and saving a buck is what we're all trying to do these days.

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What I resent is the implication that it's fine to risk poisoning the poor, and the rich will just buy organic. The millions of us who are working to take care of our families -- particularly those of us who do so without a helping hand from the government -- resent that. It's elitist, it's patronizing, and rejection of sentiments of this kind are exactly what this election is all about.
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Religious intolerance is becoming more and more widespread and commonplace - mainstream even; Islamophobia has become rampant. This can be blamed in part due to the effervescent incite of fear mongering tactics across right wing media outlets. Everyday, more and more people - who are both incapable of reasoning for themselves and have received their PhD in taking things for face value - swear their allegiance to likeminded bigoted news reporters/politicians who publicly issue the 'Muslims are Violent' 'Islam is Violent' narrative. Such are the people who typically after reading a news article or watching a news clip, channel their anger to their social media outlets - or another infamous platform: the comments sections across the internet. Ironic, because this rhetoric, while claiming to 'condemn' violence, tends to elicit violence itself. Almost exclusively toward Muslims who are accused of being terrorist sympathizers or even terrorists themselves, though they are not. Though we are not. We should ask ourselves though, as this finger of terrorism is being pushed into the faces of Muslims, accompanied with the hot headed vulgarity it is usually followed by and the very real potential of imminent threat, who are the real terrorists?

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Terrible enough as the cyber harassment is, that is far less a destructive route than the animosity we have come to witness as of late from those who take their brewing hatred and manifest it in real life settings. Such is the case in Huntington Beach, California. Where a 17-year old boy was stabbed for speaking Arabic. By an off duty police officer nonetheless. Stabbed twice - for speaking a tongue that he has been blessed to inherit. Our languages should be cherished. Instead, we find they become an open target for: dirty looks, vile comments and in the worst cases physical violence.

These are not isolated events, just 5 months ago in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Asma Mohamed Jama was brutally attacked with a beer mug for speaking Swahili in a local Applebee's. The examples are many, endless and recur day by day in varying extremes. This is outrageous, terrifying and utterly inhumane.



The insecurities of one who feels uncomfortable by others speaking a foreign language lie deep; rooted in hatred and ignorance. They are backwards who claim to fight for 'safety' with these displays of violence.

Well dear Mr/Ms. Xenophobe, Bigot and which ever else racist this may concern,

Though you have been persistent in your war on my faith, language and immigration status I stand strong. Your attempts have proven futile. You will never stop me from the use of my mother tongue. You will not have me questioning my place in society. You will not stop me from expressing my faith whichever way I so choose. I refuse. I refuse to give you that power. You deserve nothing from me. My anger, dismay and horrification are valid and justified but I choose to rise up instead of being broken down by you. In fact it is this very dismay and horrification that drives me to be better, the best version of myself. So I may one day be both an inspiration to others and a voice that speaks out for injustice. That, is something you can never take away from me. You can never taint my belief in myself. My hopes and aspirations for the bright future ahead are founded and rooted in my Creator. Were it so that I rooted my hopes in the people, I would have been defeated long ago. And so I thank God for being a constant source of stability and assurance that:

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"Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease." [Quran, 94:6].

I will never give you the power to allow my heart to hate. I will never give you the power to control my emotions. I will not allow you to let my heart hate. Your actions, as repulsive as they are, will never change the person that I am. My character and actions are mutually exclusive from your propagation of hatred and the sadistic manifestation of the feelings you harbor. I will never allow you to let my heart hate, because the person I am is independent of the person you are. I leave you with the words of my beloved:

"Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong if they do evil." [Sunan At-Tirmidhi] - Muhammad, may the perpetual peace and blessings of God be upon him.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., flanked by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., left, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., right, talks to reporters following a closed-door policy meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says the American people must be heard and therefore the next Supreme Court Justice should be considered by the Senate only after the people have chosen the next president in November.

This is McConnell's "justification" for leading the Senate Republicans in opposing any hearing, Judiciary Committee vote or Senate vote on any Supreme Court nomination submitted by President Obama.

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Let's leave aside for the moment the fact that the American people have already "been heard" -- twice -- in electing President Obama. The implication of McConnell's statements is that he would support an up-or-down vote next year on a Supreme Court nominee, even if the new president is a Democrat.

McConnell's governing philosophy of obstructionism tells us otherwise. There is very little reason to believe that McConnell is interested in the American people "being heard," unless they happen to agree with his views.

McConnell is the "Doctor No" of American politics. And he has a thirty-year Senate track record of obstructionism to prove it.

This could not have been made clearer then when McConnell said, following the 2010 federal elections, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." In other words, McConnell's governing approach was to block everything he could that President Obama wanted to accomplish.

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During the period from 2009 through 2014, the first six years of the Obama presidency -- and while McConnell was Senate minority leader -- there were an historic 382 cloture votes held in the Senate, according to Senate data. Cloture votes generally are held to end filibusters and allow matters to proceed in the Senate.

This included a record 218 cloture votes held in 2013 and 2014, almost double the number of cloture votes held in any two-year session during the previous 90 years. The second highest total was 112 cloture votes in 2007 and 2008, when McConnell was also Senate minority leader.

Perhaps the best example of McConnell's long term approach to Senate obstructionism can be seen in his obsessive opposition to all campaign finance measures throughout his career. In the 1980s and 1990s, McConnell led numerous filibusters that killed campaign finance reform bills.

McConnell finally failed to block a major reform bill in 2002, when in the face of soft money scandals, Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) to ban soft money. In rare cases like this one where McConnell did not have the votes (twenty Republican Senators supported BCRA), McConnell simply did not pursue a filibuster.

McConnell has gone to great lengths to block even the simplest campaign finance measure. He has used obstructionist tactics for more than a decade to block a measure requiring Senate candidates to file FEC disclosure reports electronically -- despite the fact that this electronic filing requirement exists for House candidates, presidential candidates and every type of political committee that files federal disclosure reports.



For the past six years, McConnell has rounded up all of his Republican colleagues to successfully filibuster legislation to close the gaping disclosure loopholes for outside spending groups that occurred in the aftermath of Citizens United.

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National polling shows that McConnell is completely at odds on this issue with members of his own party. According to a June 2, 2015 New York Times/CBS News poll, "Three-quarters of self-identified Republicans support requiring more disclosure by outside spending organizations."

As majority leader, McConnell is no longer able to filibuster bills since he is responsible for scheduling bills for floor action, so he now obstructs Senate action by using his power to not schedule votes, such as by refusing to schedule a vote this year on a Supreme Court nominee.

McConnell's commitment to the American people "being heard" on the Supreme Court nominee is likely to quickly disappear if the American people elect a Democratic president in November. In that event, and if the vacancy has not been filled, McConnell can be expected to drag out the new president's Supreme Court nomination for as long as he can get away with it.

According to a recent article in Talking Points Memo, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) said that "he would vote to confirm the nominee offered by the next president if that president was a Democrat, as long as nominee was qualified -- and even if the nominee was a liberal judge."

Thus, an all-out battle to confirm a Supreme Court nominee this year should be accompanied by a second all-out effort. Senate Republicans should be pinned down to make the same kind of commitment Graham has made to confirm a nominee next year, if a vacancy still exists and a Democratic president has been elected.

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Recently the U.S. military announced it had opened all combat positions to women. The announcement was met with loud opposition from some on the evangelical right who declared that "any man who would ask his wife or daughter to endure the horrors of war to protect him has missed the very core of biblical manhood" and suggested "a nation that sends its young women to fight its wars is a nation that may no longer be worth defending." [1] These responses stem from a belief that women serving in combat is a violation of God-ordained gender roles.

From my vantage point as a conservative evangelical who believes in gender equality, the uproar over "sending our daughters into battle for us" seems like an overly dramatic and late response. Women already serve in combat in at least 18 countries, and over 200,000 women are on active duty with the U.S. armed forces.

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An estimated 11,000 women served in Vietnam, 40,000 women filled combat-support positions in the Persian Gulf War, and 300,000 women were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, where female soldiers were found to be vital to combat effectiveness. If God did not create women to be able to function in military environments, surely this would be self-evident by now, but that is not the case.

Consider also that less than 20% of all military roles are combat positions. Lifting the ban simply opens up the final 10% of positions that currently exclude women. The changing nature of war suggests that future conflicts will be conducted mostly through technology-driven strategies rather than hand-to-hand combat, so we are not likely to see large numbers of women on the front lines any time soon.

A post on the website of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention asserts that "forcing women into that [combat] role will not lead to more freedom but rather to less equality, more violence toward women, and a general degradation of humanity". One has to wonder how the author reaches those conclusions in light of the violence against women being perpetrated by men all around the world, both inside and outside of combat zones.

It is widely acknowledged that it is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier today in modern warfare. The use of rape as a weapon of war is well documented, and 90% of war casualties are civilian, the majority being women and children. It makes no sense to deny women the opportunity to fight against such injustices in the name of protecting them.

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USAID and other humanitarian organizations report that armed conflicts are escalated by a posture of "hyper-masculinity" (an increase in aggressive and misogynistic traits), and such posturing continues after a conflict ends. The integration of women in the armed forces can help to counter this unhealthy dynamic and increases the likelihood that women will have opportunities to influence the outcomes of conflict and contribute to peacemaking efforts.

The role of the military internationally is moving towards the prevention of conflict, securing of peace, and the reconstruction of countries after wars and natural disasters. Enlisted women are sorely needed to influence these complex situations, but so far their participation has been minimal. For example, less than 1% of the troops involved in UN peacekeeping missions and only 9% of negotiators at peace tables are women.

Christians regularly debate the morality of war, and I think most would agree that not sending any of our children to war would be preferable. But a case against women in the military cannot be made from the Bible.

Those who would exclude women from service use the creation narratives as a foundation for their argument, specifically the description of Eve as Adam's "helper" in Genesis 2. But this interpretation mistakenly assumes that "helper" refers to a subordinate role. The Hebrew phrase "ezer kenedgo" actually conveys the sense of a military rescue and would be better translated as "a strong rescuer" or "equal partner".

While it is true that in the Old Testament mostly men are recorded as going to war, there are enough stories of warrior-spirited women like Deborah and Jael in the book of Judges to suggest this is not the whole picture.

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New Testament texts like 1 Peter 3 and Ephesians 5 are also cited to say that God intends for men to be the protectors of women and not the other way around. But these passages address marriage relationships in Greco-Roman culture, and should not be generalized to other contexts.

The book of Acts and post-biblical sources remind us that Christian women were often imprisoned and killed for their faith along with their male counterparts, and we have the unforgettable example of Joan of Arc as a Christian military leader.

It's telling when an issue that primarily affects women is framed in terms of the impact it has on men. But such a posture is a logical outcome of a theology of gender that views women as subordinate to men and discounts their autonomy. Fortunately, not all evangelicals hold this view.[2]

Christian daughters, wives, mothers, and grandmothers courageously serve their countries, not in some ill-guided attempt to rob men of their honor or to blur gender boundaries, but out of a desire to live out their Christian convictions. To refuse women the right to serve so that men can feel more "manly" seems self-serving at best and arrogant at worst.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13, NIV 2011). Sacrificial love is a core principle of Christianity. No one should be excluded categorically from defending their country or fighting for justice based on their gender.

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References:

[1] Quotes from The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and The Gospel Coalition can be found here and here.
Azaria Chamberlain -- a nine-week-old infant -- disappeared from her family's campsite at Ayers Rock (now called Uluru) in the central desert of Australia's Northern Territory on August 17, 1980. Despite a massive search, Azaria's body was never found and the question of whether she was taken from the tent by a wild dog or whether she was killed by her mother, Lynne (Lindy) Chamberlain, lingered on.

Lindy Chamberlain was charged with Azaria's first-degree murder and convicted of her daughter's slaying. After thirty-two years, eight legal proceedings, and tens of millions spent in the investigation, Lindy was finally exonerated by a coroner's inquest that declared Azaria's death was an accident -- the result of a wild animal attack, to wit -- a dingo.

The case was entirely circumstantial and supported by incriminating points of forensic evidence that convinced a jury to find Lindy Chamberlain guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. But how credible were these "forensic facts"? Where did the case go wrong? And what led to Lindy's conviction being overturned?

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Lindy Chamberlain, 34, her husband Michael, 38, son Aidan, 6, son Reagan, 4, and infant Azaria were on a family vacation and pitched their tent in the Ayers Rock public campground at the famous World Heritage site. At 8 p.m. and well after dark, Lindy finished breastfeeding Azaria and took her to the tent -- thirty feet from the picnic table where she placed the baby in a bassinet and covered her with blankets. She'd taken Aidan with her and Reagan was already asleep inside.

Lindy went to their car that was parked beside the tent and got a can of baked beans to give Aidan as a bedtime snack, then returned with Aidan to Michael at the picnic table. At 8:15 p.m. Azaria cried out. Concerned, Lindy walked toward the darkness of the tent-site and claimed she saw a dingo at the opening of the unzipped tent door. It appeared to have something in its mouth and was violently shaking its head.

Lindy hopped a short parking barricade which made the animal flee into the night. She checked inside the tent. Azaria was gone and there were fresh blood stains on the floor, bedding, and other articles. Lindy rushed out, yelling to Michael and the other campers "Help! A dingo's got my baby!"

The adjacent campers formed a search party that was re-enforced by authorities and local residents, eventually totaling over 300 volunteers including Aborigine expert trackers with their dogs.

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Dingo paw prints were noted in the sand outside the tent and a trail was followed which showed marks indicating a dingo was partly dragging an object, periodically setting it down to possibly rest or readjust its grip. (Azaria weighed just under ten pounds.) The trail indicated its destination was toward known dingo dens at the southwest base of Ayers Rock.

By daylight, no sign of the infant was found and the search was called off. The Chamberlain family cooperated in a preliminary investigation conducted by police from the nearest town of Alice Springs, then they returned home to Mount Isa.

Initially, there was no doubting the Chamberlains' story. A dingo was seen in the campground before dark by campers. Others heard a dog growl minutes prior to the baby's cry. They also heard Lindy's scream "A dingo got my baby!" Further, the park ranger had warned that the dingo population was increasing and becoming very aggressive. And young Aidan backed up his mother's story of going to the tent and the car, being with Lindy throughout.

The police investigation stopped. But, seven days later, a hiker found some of the garments Azaria was dressed in, nearly three miles away by the dingo dens. The clothes were a snap-buttoned jumpsuit, a singlet, and pieces of plastic diaper, or "nappy" as they say in Australia. Still missing was a "matinee" coat that Azaria wore overtop.

The examination found bloodstains on the upper part of the jumpsuit which showed a jagged perforation in the left sleeve and a "V"-shaped slice in the right collar. The singlet was inside out and the diaper fragments were shredded. The police officer who retrieved the garments failed to photograph their original position as had the original police officers attending the incident failed to photograph the scene. They also failed to properly examine and photo the tent's interior which others reported was pooled and spotted with blood.

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By now the Dingo's Got My Baby case was getting international attention and the speculative rumor mill was alive in the media. "Dingos don't behave like that!" self-appointed experts were saying. "It's unheard of for a dingo to do this!" "Dingos can't run with something in their mouths!"

Bigotry was emerging because the Chamberlains were Seventh Day Adventists with Michael being a professional pastor. "They're a cult!" "They believe in child sacrifice!" "They were at Ayers Rock for a ritual!" "They always dressed the baby in black!" "The name 'Azaria' means 'Sacrifice in the Wilderness'!"

When the first inquest was held in February, 1981, the media was in a frenzy and the police were covering their butts. The coroner ruled Azaria's death was due to a dingo attack, despite there being no physical body to examine, and was critical of shoddy police investigation and of certain government officials of the Northern Territory who failed to provide the police with resources to investigate.

This threw fuel on the media fire and caused the authorities to start damage control.

A task force was formed to re-open the case, fittingly named Operation Ochre after the red sands of Ayers. It was headed by an ambitious police superintendent with an aggressive field detective and was overseen by a politically-protective prosecutor. Collectively, they appear to have run the investigation with the mindset that the dingo attack was implausible and that Lindy fabricated the story because she'd killed her own kid.

On September 19, 1981, Operation Ochre did a massive round-up of the original witnesses for re-interviews and raided the Chamberlains' home. They seized boxes of items in a search for forensic evidence and impounded their car.

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The investigation theory held that Lindy took Azaria from the tent to the car where she slit her baby's throat, then stuffed her infant's body in a camera bag. With husband Michael's help, and after the searchers went home, they took their daughter's body into the desert, buried their little girl, then planted her clothing as a decoy.

There wasn't the slightest suggestion of motive or any consideration of how the Chamberlains were stellar in reputation.

The vehicle was forensically grid-searched over a three-day period by a laboratory technician with a biology background. Suspected bloodstains were found on the console, the floor, and under the dashboard which was described as at trial as an "arterial spray" pattern.

Blood was also found on various items taken from the Chamberlains' home, known to be present in the tent at the time Azaria disappeared. The lab-tech confirmed the blood on Azaria's jumpsuit was not only human -- it was composed of 25% fetal hemoglobin which was consistent with an infant's blood.

This was the forensic cornerstone of the prosecution's circumstantial case.

A second inquest was held in February, 1982. It was run as a prosecution -- an indictment with the focus on proving a theory, rather than discovering facts. The Chamberlains were not privy to the "evidence" beforehand and had no ability to defend themselves. "Information" was presented by the lab-tech that blood from the car was consistent with fetal hemoglobin and, therefore, the baby must have bled out in the car.

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Another forensic expert testified the cuts and bloodstain pattern on the jumpsuit were caused by a sharp-edged weapon, probably a pair of scissors, and were in no way caused by canine teeth.

Despite all the civilian witnesses testifying consistently as before, and corroborating the Chamberlains claims, the inquest deferred judgment and referred the case to the criminal courts.

Lindy was tried for Azaria's murder in September, 1982, and her husband was accused of being an accessory-after-the-fact. Over a 150 witnesses testified, many of those being forensic experts -- some of considerable note. The Chamberlains were forced to defend themselves, funded by their church and donations by believers in their innocence. They had no access to disclosure of evidence by the prosecution and were kept on the ropes by surprise after surprise of technical evidence which they had no time nor ability to prepare a defense.

This trial was not just sensational in Australia. It was carried by all forms of world news -- TV, radio, print, and tabloids. As big as the O.J. Simpson trial would become in America, the public were split on the question of Lindy's guilt or innocence.

The jury bought the prosecution's case that science was far more reliable that eye and ear witness testimony and the Chamberlains were convicted. Lindy was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor and Michael was given a three-year suspended sentence. A pregnant Lindy went directly to jail where their newest baby -- a daughter -- was born. Two appeals to Australian high courts fell on deaf ears. They found no fault in the application of law.

The Dingo Got My Baby case never faded from public interest. Many groups petitioned, calling for changes in the law and for a new, fair trial to be held. Pressure mounted on the Australian Northern Territory officials.

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On February 02, 1986, a British rock climber fell to his death on Ayers Rock. During the search for his body, Azaria's missing matinee jacket was found -- partially buried in the sand outside a previously unknown dingo den. The examination found matching perforations in the coat consistent with the jumpsuit cuts.

News of this find caused a massive public outcry against the Northern Territory government and they reluctantly released Lindy from jail pending a re-investigation. A third inquest was a "paper" review that recommended the matter be sent back to the courts.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry into Lindy Chamberlain's conviction was held from April, 1986, to June, 1987. It focused on the validity of the scientific evidence, rather than on legalities of court procedure.

The jewel of the forensic crown -- the fetal hemoglobin in the family car bloodstains turned out not to be blood at all. The drops were spilled chocolate milkshake and some copper ore dust while the "arterial spray" was overspray from injected sound deadener applied at the car's factory.

The clothing cuts became an Achilles' Heel and toppled the case because the expert witness by now was discredited in other cases resulting in wrongful convictions. New forensic witnesses, with more advanced technological expertise, testified the cuts were entirely consistent with being mauled by a dog.

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In September, 1988, the Australian High Court quashed the Chamberlains' convictions and awarded them $1.3 million in damages -- far less than their legal bills, let alone compensating their pain and suffering.

The High Court never said Lindy was innocent, though. It rightfully set aside her conviction but made no amends in publically proclaiming innocence.

It wasn't until 2012, that Lindy's perseverance forced the fourth inquest. The presiding coroner classified Azaria Chamberlain's death as accidental -- being taken and killed by a dingo.

Coroner Elizabeth Morris had the decency to publically apologize to Lindy on behalf of all Australian authorities for a horrific, systematic miscarriage of justice.

Coroner Morris also had the class not to single out individuals. Without her saying, it was evident the police, prosecution, and forensic people instinctively reacted as they'd been trained to react--and that was to individually find evidence to support their case interest and not to follow what didn't fit.

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And Coroner Morris was careful not to burn the media.

Lindy's situation was a media dream, having all the elements of a thrilling novel -- mystery, instinctive fears, motherhood, femininity, family, religion, politics, and an exotic location combined with courtroom and forensic drama.

And it came at the expense of an innocent human mother who's baby girl got taken by a wild animal -- probably a mother dingo instinctively trying to feed her own family.

* * *

Here are links to more information on the Chamberlain travesty:



Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry

* * *
A recent trip to Panama City revealed a skyline graced by cranes building high-rises that boast stunning ocean views -- a physical symbol of Panama's growing position as an economic bastion in Latin America. The country's less obvious symbols of economic strength lie in its innovative business policies.

At 6.2 percent, Panama boasts the highest gross domestic product growth rate in Latin America. Its real GDP has expanded an average of 8.4 percent annually between 2004 and 2013. And the country's economy even performed well during the global financial crisis - up 4 percent in 2009, while other countries' economies contracted.



As its influences in the region grows, Panama continues to attract top talent and businesses. It serves as the Latin American base for many multinational companies, thanks in part to its growing infrastructure resources.

The Panama City airport is busy with 25 passenger airlines from around the world flying into and out of Tocumen International. Passenger traffic there grew roughly 300 percent in a little more than a decade - from more than 2.1 million passengers in 2003 to 8.5 million passengers in 2014.

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The Panama Canal expansion, nearing completion, will provide future fuel to grow an already strong economy. In the 2015 fiscal year that ended in September, canal cargo tonnage hit a record high and toll revenues were the second-highest ever. When the expanded portion - with its wider locks and deeper channels allowing for passage of larger freighters - becomes fully operational in April, tonnage and tolls are expected to grow.

I recently attended a conference in Panama City on innovation and technology. While there, I was struck by the optimism, professionalism and modernity of attendees and city residents alike.

With a thriving economy, Panama is about growth and success, not politics and protest. Panama's success is not random. It results from a strategy. And like any good strategy, it builds on strength and overcomes weakness.

Here are four reasons why Panama is succeeding:

Panama capitalizes on its historic relationship with the United States. Since the creation of the Panama Canal, Panama's leadership has built on the best parts of its U.S. relationship. Panama has kept the U.S. dollar as its currency, invested in infrastructure and the canal, has high bilingual (English-Spanish) proficiency and strong relations with the U.S. Panama focuses on free trade and relaxed immigration. Both exports and imports have grown since the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement went into effect in 2012. Unlike the walls around Brazil and Argentina, and travel restrictions imposed by many countries, Panama essentially encourages temporary workers to participate in its workforce. This flexible labor supply, combined with the uniquely Panamanian reliability and positivity, is enticing to foreign investors looking to start or expand a Panamanian business. Panama works with the business community and encourages innovation. The Panamanian Chamber of Commerce and government work together to encourage investment, host conferences and enact policies - such as low taxes - that encourage business investment. Panama even has a former business executive focused full-time on innovation as a government policy. And instead of opposing Uber - standard policy in many other countries - Panama has embraced this beloved ride-hailing service. Panama has a stable government with a relaxed view on most social issues. Silicon Valley meets Las Vegas in Panama City, with several hotel casinos and an eagerness for investment and new business approaches. Yet, you can still buy a three-bedroom water-view condo for about half the price of a three bedroom home in Washington, DC.
A Syrian boy holds anti-aircraft rounds up to the camera and smiling in the town of Marayan in northern Syria in 2012.

By Marcell Shehwaro. Translated by Lara AlMalakeh.

Am I capable of killing?

If somebody had asked me this question five years ago, being a person who used to decorate her desk with Jesus's advice to Peter -- "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword" -- I would probably have swiftly, and naively, answered: "Impossible! I neither have the ability nor the desire to end someone's life."

Without much further thought I would probably have added: "whoever this person is, and no matter what atrocities they have committed."

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We always like to think we are pretty; we aim not to smell like death; we believe we are messengers of life. We like to think that we are on this planet to make it a better place. That we are here for a higher purpose. That we are alive in order to chant others' lives and be enriched by them, not to demean those lives and take them away.

Five years ago I did not believe in abortion or the death penalty. I hated weapons and violence and I believed that change is made by love.

Today, I don't know what I believe in anymore. It's the war. Living perched on the verge between life and death all the time. You would either need a survival instinct always steering you toward the inevitable death of the enemy, or you'd surrender.

"Five years ago I did not believe in abortion or the death penalty. Today, I don't know what I believe in anymore."

One of you must die for the other to triumph. It's the violence which redefined everything: our hopes, our beliefs, and our trust in the world. At a very early stage I had to rethink the answers to many violent questions: Am I a murderer? Am I capable of killing? Do I want to kill?

The first shock came when they shot at us, a group of completely peaceful protesters. There they stood; they resembled us in everything but the dream. They spoke our language, some of them were even from the same city. I had to accept that the murderer is a person who's like me.

Maybe up until yesterday we went to the same places and danced to the same songs. Maybe this murderer was in love with the Aleppo Citadel, like I was. Maybe he had a girlfriend he'd met in a cafe or in university. How did he suddenly become, upon orders from the Sultan, a murderer?

Where did this readiness to kill come from? How can a person, who doesn't seem to have made any personal gains from the system, turn into such a killing machine? I wanted to think that I was better than that monster. That no one, and no ideology, would ever make me do something like this.

The question arose again when my mother was shot, and again when I was under investigation. Then I wished the investigator would die, especially after he threatened to hurt my family. I couldn't really judge whether the world would be a better place if this person were gone. I wished for his death and I was ashamed of this wish.

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Does the new me believe that the death of certain people might actually be a benefit to the rest of humanity? And that not every single life is "sacred"? And that killing someone might save thousands of lives?

"Where did this readiness to kill come from? How can a person, who doesn't seem to have made any personal gains from the system, turn into such a killing machine?"

Of course, I hoped over and over again for the death of Bashar Al Assad -- I even dreamt about it many times. Was I subconsciously playing God, deciding who had the right to live and who didn't? Definitely! I was surrounded by beautiful heroes who were falling dead because of the violence of people who I was supposed to believe had a right to live. The equation was very difficult. Oh, how much I've changed! And how much has maturity changed this naive, romantic idea of changing the world with love.

All this was less pressing than living in the line of fire. From there we could see the army, only steps away from our houses. We chose those locations because they were less likely to be targeted by air strikes. This army that bombs us day and night. There was a check-point close by where we could see them drinking tea and hear them swearing at us through their walkie-talkies -- in Aleppo we call them "fists".

The regular black humor in our house was about what we would do if the army broke in. As with every terrifying thing, we needed to face it with humor to silence the fear. One of our friends asked us not to wake him if the army broke in, and another said he'd jump off the balcony if it happened, while I joked that I would claim that I was kidnapped by my friends.

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A friend said he would use a weapon and fight them to death; another said he'd rather blow himself up than be captured alive. This is what the images of death under torture do to us.

I said, whispering: I don't think I am capable of committing the act of killing. There was silence, then they all laughed at my "articulate phrasing." One of them said in a deep Aleppean accent: What, sister? I repeated the answer with the confidence of someone who believed in the morality of her decision: I will not kill!

"Does the new me believe that the death of certain people might actually be a benefit to the rest of humanity?"

And so began conversation that was to last for hours, until one of them asked me: What if the soldier was going to kill you? I answered: Then I would die. I'd rather be the victim than the murderer.

He continued: What if the soldier was going to kill me? What if you could save me? What if this soldier heads to the neighbors' house to kill Aiisha? Aiisha was the neighbors' daughter who used to knock on our door every day to collect plastic bottles. She was too small to be seen through the door's peephole.

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I couldn't know whether I was actually capable of stealing another life, and I was not sure that this inability is not, by itself, another form of killing. I have changed, I am disfigured now. This is probably a logical explanation, or maybe I simply matured.

The violence escalated. Scuds, barrel bombs, rockets, shells, friends dying under torture. And with every story I remembered -- or don't because my brain prevents me and suppresses these memories -- the certainty that I was a person who neither kills nor wants to kill was gradually shrinking. ISIS was spreading in the liberated areas and started kidnapping journalists one by one. We ran then to our armed friends asking for protection, which was an important, fundamental contradiction: we wanted to hold on to our moral supremacy, which depended largely on others' violence, not the nonviolence itself.

I still, to this day, don't understand this war and its killing equations. This war, which I don't know whether brings out the worst in you or changes you. The person who robbed his neighbor's house after his neighbor fled: he doesn't think he would have done that if it weren't for the war. The person who wishes the death of everyone who doesn't share his religious beliefs: he didn't realise he had this much hatred inside.

My questions and uncertainties might not interest you. You might be completely confident, like I used to be, that you are incapable, or capable, of committing an act of killing. But my question remains: is every life "sacred"? Even the life of an ISIS militant who tortures others to death? Is passive surrender to your murderer another type of killing? Killing yourself? Ending your life or the lives of others whom you were supposed to protect? Did living constantly with death to the point of familiarity, and all the anxiety and uncertainty one experiences as a result, cause the answer to my initial question to become, in fact, I don't know?
How Civilian Control of the Military Has Become a Fantasy

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

Item: Two U.S. Navy patrol boats, with 10 sailors aboard, stray into Iranian territorial waters, and are apprehended and held by Iranian revolutionary guards, precipitating a 24-hour international incident involving negotiations at the highest levels of government to secure their release. The Pentagon offers conflicting reports on why this happened: navigational error, mechanical breakdown, fuel depletion -- but not intelligence-gathering, intentional provocation, or hormonally induced hot-dogging.

Item: The Pentagon, according to a Reuters expose, has been consciously and systematically engaged in thwarting White House efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and release cleared detainees. Pentagon officials have repeatedly refused to provide basic documentation to foreign governments willing to take those detainees and have made it increasingly difficult for foreign delegations to visit Guantanamo to assess them. Ninety-one of the 779 detainees held there over the years remain, 34 of whom have been cleared for release.

Item: The Pentagon elects not to reduce General David Petraeus in rank, thereby ensuring that he receives full, four-star retirement pay, after previously being sentenced on misdemeanor charges to two years probation and a $100,000 fine for illegally passing highly classified material (a criminal offense) to his mistress (adultery, ordinarily punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice) and lying to FBI officials (a criminal offense). Meanwhile, Private Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning continues to serve a 35-year prison sentence, having been reduced to the Armys lowest rank and given a dishonorable discharge for providing classified documents to WikiLeaks that included incriminating on-board videos of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed up to 18 civilians, including two Reuters journalists, and wounded two children, and of a 2009 massacre in Afghanistan in which a B-1 bomber killed as many as 147 civilians, reportedly including some 93 children.

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What do these episodes have in common? In their own way, theyre all symptomatic of an enduring crisis in civil-military relations that afflicts the United States.

Hyperbolic though it may sound, it is a crisis, though not like the Flint water crisis, or the international refugee crisis, or the ISIS crisis, or the Zika crisis. Its more like the climate crisis, or a lymphoma or termite infestation that destroys from within, unrecognized and unattended. And yes, its an enduring crisis, a state of affairs that has been with us, unbeknownst to the public and barely acknowledged by purported experts on the subject of civil-military relations, for the past two decades or more.

The essence of the situation begins, but doesnt end, with civilian control of the military, where direction, oversight, and final decision-making authority reside with duly elected and appointed civil officials. Thats a minimalist precondition for democracy. A more ideal version of the relationship would be civilian supremacy, where there is civically engaged public oversight of strategically competent legislative oversight of strategically competent executive oversight of a willingly accountable, self-policing military.

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What we have today, instead, is the polar opposite: not civilian supremacy over, nor even civilian control of the military, but what could be characterized as civilian subjugation to the military, where civilian officials are largely militarily illiterate, more militaristic than the military itself, advocates for -- rather than overseers of -- the institution, and running scared politically (lest they be labeled weak on defense and security).

That, then, is our lot today. Civilian authorities are almost unequivocally deferential to established military preferences, practices, and ways of thinking. The military itself, as the three items above suggest, sets its own standards, makes and produces its own news, and appropriates policy and policymaking for its own ends, whatever civilian leadership may think or want. It is a demonstrably massive, self-propelled institution increasingly central to American life, and what it says and wants and does matters in striking ways. We would do well to consider the many faces of civil-military relations today, especially in light of the role the military has arrogated to itself.

A Crisis Appears and Disappears

University of North Carolina historian Richard Kohn raised the specter of a civil-military crisis in a 1994 National Interest article titled Out of Control: The Crisis in Civil-Military Relations. He focused on the ill-disguised disdain of many in uniform for Commander-in-Chief Bill Clinton, highlighting the particularly politicized behavior of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell, who had spoken out in opposition to two prime items on the Clinton agenda: intervention in the Balkans and gays in the military. Typical of how the bounds of propriety had been crossed, Kohn also alluded to the example of the Air Force major general who, at a military gathering, contemptuously characterized the president as gay-loving, pot-smoking, draft-dodging, and womanizing.

Too alarmist for many pundits, Kohns claim of a growing crisis gave way to the milder thought, advocated most forcefully by journalist Tom Ricks, that there was simply an increasing cultural, experiential, and ideological gap between the military and society, a thesis that itself then went dormant when George W. Bush entered office.

Those who profess expertise on civil-military relations have tended to focus almost exclusively on civilian control and the associated issue of the militarys political neutrality. Thats why so much attention and controversy were generated over President Obamas highly publicized firing of General Stanley McChrystal for the climate he created that led to the disparagement of senior Obama officials by his subordinates (as reported in the 2010 Rolling Stone article The Runaway General). Yet far bigger and more fundamental matters have gone largely unnoticed.

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Civil-military relations are built on a tacit but binding social contract of mutual rights, obligations, and expectations among the military, its civilian overseers (executive and legislative), and society. Four things are expected of the military as part of this compact: operational competence, sound advice, political neutrality, and social responsibility. Operational competence and social responsibility are rarely even part of the discussion and yet they go to the heart of the crisis that exists, pointing both to the outsized presence of the military in American life and statecraft, and to a disturbingly pervasive pattern of misconduct over time among those in uniform.

The Failure of Operational Competence

If we enjoyed a truly healthy state of civil-military relations, it would be characterized by a strategically -- not just a militarily -- effective force. By implication, such a military would be capable of successfully accomplishing whatever it is called upon to do. The military we have today is, arguably, ineffective not only militarily but demonstrably strategically as well. It doesnt prevent wars; it doesnt win wars; and it certainly doesnt secure and preserve the peace.

No, the military doesnt prevent wars. At any given time over the past quarter century, on average roughly 40 violent conflicts a year have been underway around the world. The U.S. military has had virtually no discernible influence on lessening the outbreak of such conflicts. It isnt even clear that its size, configuration, and positioning, no less the staggering sums invested in it, have had any appreciable deterrent effect on the warring propensities of our so-called peer competitors (Russia and China). That they have not sought war with us is due far less to simplistic Washington assumptions about deterrence than to factors we dont even grasp.

And no, the military doesnt win wars anymore. It hasnt won one of note in 70 years. The dirty wars in the shadows it now regularly fights are intrinsically unwinnable, especially given our preferred American Way of War: killing people and breaking things as lethally, destructively, and overwhelmingly as possible. Its an approach -- a state of mind -- still largely geared to a different type of conflict from an era now long since past and to those classic generals who are always preparing for the last war. Thats why todays principal adversaries have been so uniformly effective in employing asymmetric methods as a form of strategic jujitsu to turn our presumed strengths into crippling weaknesses.

Instead of a strategically effective military, what we have is quite the opposite: heavy, disproportionately destructive, indiscriminately lethal, single-mindedly combat-oriented, technology-dominant, exorbitantly expensive, unsustainably consumptive, and increasingly alienated from the rest of society. Just as important, wherever it goes, it provokes and antagonizes where it should reassure and thereby invariably fathers the mirror image of itself in others.

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Not surprisingly, the military today doesnt secure and preserve peace, a concept no longer evident in Washingtons store of know-how. Those in uniform and in positions of civilian authority who employ the military subscribe almost universally and uncritically to the inherently illogical maxim that if you want peace, you had best prepare for war. The result is that the force being prepared (even engorged) feeds and nurtures pervasive militarism -- the primacy of, preference for, and deference to military solutions in the conduct of statecraft. Where it should provide security, it instead produces only self-defeating insecurity.

Consider just five key areas where military preferences override civilian ones and accentuate all manner of insecurity in the process.

Rapacious defense spending: The U.S. military budget exceeds that of the next 10 countries combined, as well as of the gross domestic products of all but 20 countries. At 54% of federal discretionary spending, it surpasses all other discretionary accounts combined, including government, education, Medicare, veterans benefits, housing, international affairs, energy and the environment, transportation, and agriculture. Thanks to the calculations of the National Priorities Project, we know that the total cost of American war since 2001 -- $1.6 trillion -- would have gotten us 19.5 million Head Start slots for 10 years or paid for 2.2 million elementary school teachers for a decade. A mere 1% of the defense budget for one year -- just over $5 billion -- would pay for 152,000 four-year university scholarships or 6,342 police officers for 10 years. What we spend on nuclear weapons alone each year -- $19.3 billion -- would cover a decade of low-income healthcare for 825,000 children or 549,000 adults.

Promiscuous arms sales: The United States remains by far the worlds leading proliferator of conventional arms, accounting for some 50% of all global sales and 48% of all sales to the developing world. During the 2011-2014 period alone, U.S. weapons deliveries included a wide array of advanced weapons technologies: 104 tanks and self-propelled guns, 230 artillery pieces, 419 armored personnel vehicles, 48 supersonic aircraft and 58 other aircraft, 835 surface-to-air missiles, and 144 anti-ship missiles, much of that to the volatile Middle East. Skeptics would say that such transactions are motivated less by an urge to enable recipient countries to defend themselves than by the desire to buy influence abroad while aiding and abetting arms manufacturers at home. The result of such massive sales is, of course, the creation of yet more instability where stability should be.

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Garrisoning the planet: The military maintains up to 800 bases in more than 70 countries and stations more than 200,000 active-duty personnel in some 150 countries. This global presence represents the geostrategic equivalent of Parkinsons law: operational and social entanglements expanding exponentially to fill the space created by these far-flung outposts.

The nuclear black hole: The military remains the permanent keeper and executor of the worlds largest nuclear arsenal: an estimated 4,700 nuclear warheads on some 800 delivery systems, as well as another 2,340 retired but still intact and presumably usable warheads. A three-decade, trillion-dollar upgrade of this already monstrous arsenal is now underway. The Economist has called this Washingtons unkicked addiction. It should be clear, but apparently isnt, that these are weapons of disuse. Other than for destroying the planet if used, their only value is as a measure of muscularity against mirror-image peers. They deter nothing at other levels of muscle-flexing but do feed an insatiable thirst for emulation among jealous non-possessors of such weaponry.

Spurning the rule of law: Though the U.S. regularly espouses and pretends to practice the rule of law, administration after administration has chosen to forswear important international agreements for parochial, largely military reasons. Among those not even signed are the 1969 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, the 2002 Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, the 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Among those Washington has signed but not ratified are the 1977 Protocols I and II to the Geneva Conventions, the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Add to this list the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, ratified in 1972, from which the U.S. withdrew in 2002. Then there are agreements to which the U.S. is a party, but which we nonetheless choose to ignore or circumvent, wholly or in part. These include the 1928 Kellogg-Briand General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy; the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Article VI of which states: Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control); and the United Nations Convention against Torture and selected provisions of the Geneva Conventions. (We dont do prisoners of war; we do unlawful enemy combatants. We dont do torture; we do enhanced interrogation. And of course we dont engage in other illegalities, like extraordinary rendition or targeted killing or the use of black sites where hostile parties can be disappeared.)

Militarizing Americas World -- At Home and Abroad

Added to the foregoing excesses are many examples of what we might call organizational hypertrophy. Institutions like the military are, by nature, self-selecting, self-fulfilling, self-perpetuating constellations of values and practices that generate their own realities and can rarely be disestablished once born. As at Hotel California, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Of particular note in the post-9/11 world is our bloated intelligence apparatus of 16 separate agencies, nine of which are military organizations (if you count Coast Guard Intelligence). Most notably, there is the National Security Agency (NSA), always commanded by a general or admiral who now also heads up the U.S. Cyber Command. NSAs massive surveillance culture and capabilities foreshadow a totalizing new-age cyber warfare regime guaranteed to completely redefine traditional notions of aggression, self-defense, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in hair-trigger terms.

The military itself has nine combatant commands, six of which are regional and divvy up the planet accordingly. Except for NATO, there are no regional ambassadors, so the face we show to the world, region by region, is military -- and combatant -- not diplomatic. Even the homeland now has its own combatant command, the U.S. Northern Command. In tandem with the civilian Department of Homeland Security, it has produced the militarization of the domestic front, dispensed with historical border sensitivities vis-a-vis Canada and Mexico, magnified concerns about civil liberties, and fed a permanent state of paranoia and alarm among the public about both illegal immigration and terrorism.

Special attention also must be given to the massive expansion of U.S. Special Operations Command, once a modest cohort of elite specialists, into a force now larger than the militaries of many countries. Its ostensible raison d'etre is waging permanent war against terrorism. The growing presence of and preference for using special operations forces globally ought to command the attention of anyone concerned with civil-military relations. Each armed service has a special operations command, as does each combatant command, including Northern Command. Estimates are that special operations personnel already number or are expected to number around 70,000 (roughly the equivalent of four and a half Army divisions). This provides an almost infinite amount of potential space for meddling and mission creep abroad and at home due, in part, to the increasingly blurred lines between military, intelligence, police, and internal security functions.

Of the various ways the military could be configured -- for warfighting; peacekeeping, nation-building, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response; or covert special operations -- the last poses by far the greatest threat to effective civilian control of the military. An increasing reliance on and reverence for Special Operations forces (SOFs) only exacerbates already existing civilian deference to military preferences, practices, and mindsets. Conducting a range of operations, from low-profile assignments unknown to most Americans to secret missions beyond the bounds of stringent congressional oversight, the very nature of SOF missions fosters a military culture that is particularly destructive to accountability and proper lines of responsibility. Especially in times of divided government, as at present, when working around Congress is a preferred norm for getting things done, the temptation to employ forces that can circumvent oversight without objection is almost irresistible.

The Failure of Social Responsibility

As an institution, the military is accorded carte blanche authority to possess and wield violence on behalf of the state. It is also a mammoth social institution that reaches deep into American society and many other societies worldwide. It thus is tacitly expected to comport itself in a socially responsible manner and its members to demonstrate professionalism in their conduct. And yet the pervasive, long-term misbehavior of those in uniform is striking, even alarming. This is where civilian subjugation to the military manifests itself most glaringly, and where the lack of a willingly accountable, self-policing military comes most clearly into view.

Each year for at least the past two decades, literally hundreds of incidents have occurred that undermine any claims the military might make to moral superiority: atrocities, corruption and bribery, fraud and waste, sexual misconduct, cover-ups, racial and religious persecution, and acts of cultural intolerance. Moral arrogance is in abundant supply among those in uniform, genuine moral superiority in short supply. To cite just a small sample of such incidents from the recent past:

* The continuing Fat Leonard scandal that involved an exchange of bribes, gifts, and prostitutes for classified information on ship movements, implicating at least seven officers and officials and leading to the censure of three rear admirals.

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* The ongoing Army National Guard recruiting fraud and kickback scandal involving thousands of soldiers and tens of millions of dollars in illegal payments.

* The four-star former head of U.S. Africa Command, reduced in rank and forced to pay restitution for lavish spending of public funds on private business; the three-star former deputy nuclear force commander who used counterfeit poker chips at a casino; the two-star commander of the ICBM force who went on a drunken binge and insulted Russian counterparts at a joint exercise; the one-star commander of Fort Jackson, South Carolina, relieved of duty for adultery and physically assaulting his mistress; the one-star assistant division commander of the elite 82nd Airborne Division, fined $20,000 and reduced in rank for multiple affairs and other sexual misconduct; and the one-star commander of special operations forces in Latin America, relieved of command and reduced in rank for drunken altercations.

* The forced resignation of the under secretary of the Navy over a scandal in which the brother of a naval intelligence official billed the military $1.6 million for weapons silencers that cost only $8,000 to manufacture.

* The proficiency exam cheating scandals that implicated several dozen Air Force and Navy nuclear weapons personnel.

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* The Army staff sergeant, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering 16 civilians and wounding six others in Afghanistan.

* The Army staff sergeant, also sentenced to life imprisonment, and five other soldiers who, as part of a thrill kill unit, murdered three Afghan civilians for sport and took their body parts as trophies.

* The Rolling Stone expose of the Special Forces A-Team that allegedly disappeared 10 men and murdered eight others in Afghanistan.

* The video of four Marines urinating on dead Afghan bodies, alleged to be Taliban fighters.

* The photos of 82nd Airborne Division soldiers posing with body parts of dead Afghan insurgents.

* The burning of as many as 100 Korans and other religious texts by American troops in Afghanistan.

* The unceasing surfeit of sexual assault reports in the military (22,000 between 2010 and 2014).

Such episodes arent, of course, only of recent vintage. Walking the calendar back a few years reminds us of many other similar examples:

* 2011: the suicides of Marine Lance Corporal Harry Lew and Army Private Danny Chen after hazing and harassment by fellow soldiers.

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* 2010: the Khataba raid in Afghanistan in which Army Rangers killed five civilians, including two pregnant women and a teenage girl.

* 2009: the massive sex scandal at Lackland Air Force Base, in which 43 female trainees were subjected to sexual predation by instructors.

* 2008: revelations about a Pentagon military analyst program in which retired senior officers working as news commentators received special access to insider briefings and information in return for publicly promoting Bush administration policies.

* 2007: a U.S. Naval Academy scandal involving a Navy doctor secretly videotaping midshipmen engaged in sex acts; a Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal involving extensive patient neglect and execrable living conditions; and revelations concerning massive Iraq War contracting fraud, bribery, and kickbacks totaling $15 million.

* 2006: the rape and killing of a 14-year-old girl and the murder of her family by five Army soldiers in Mahmudiyah, Iraq; the murder of an Iraqi man in Hamdania, Iraq, with associated kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy, by seven Marines and a Navy corpsman; and the relief of the USS Enterprise captain for producing and showing sexually explicit and offensive videos on board.

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* 2005: the massacre of 24 Iraqi men, women and children by Marines in Haditha, Iraq, and the associated cover-up in which all criminal charges were dismissed; and the Pentagons planting of stories favorable to the war effort in the Iraqi press.

* 2004: the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman and the tragedys associated cover-up, extending up the chain of command to the Pentagon.

* 2003: massive acts of prisoner sexual abuse, torture, rape, sodomy, and murder by Army personnel at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

* 2002: the deaths of two unarmed civilian Afghan prisoners, who had been chained to the ceiling and beaten by U.S. troops, at the Bagram internment facility in Afghanistan.

All of this is but the tiniest tip of the military misbehavior iceberg, a sample of countless incidents that have regularly occurred over an extended period of time. Remember the Tailhook sexual assault scandal, the Aberdeen sex scandal, the Camp Lejeune water contamination scandal, the Cavalese cable car disaster, the firing and reduction in rank of the sergeant major of the Army for sexual misconduct, the murder of Private First Class Barry Winchell, the discharge of Air Force Lieutenant Kelly Flinn?

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Such a tidal wave of ethical breakdowns cant be dismissed as mere exceptions to the rule or deviations from the norm. Institutional defenders nonetheless persist in claiming that such incidents represent the actions of a few bad apples in an otherwise healthy cultural barrel. In this, they are simply wrong, yet their positions are eternally bolstered by the fact that annual opinion polls of public trust and confidence in societys institutions invariably place the military at or near the top of the list.

What Is to Be Done?

To this question -- What is to be done? -- there is no easy answer, perhaps no answer at all. Part of the reason is that the underlying crisis in civil-military relations has gone largely unrecognized, unacknowledged, and unaddressed for decades now. A first step, therefore, might simply be to break the bonds of denial and admit that there is a problem.

A second step -- admittedly a far march onto an unknown planet -- would be to encourage serious, thoroughgoing institutional self-reflection from both the military and civilian authorities. This would, of course, mean facing up to those facets of military culture that warrant reengineering: aggression, intolerance, authoritarianism, parochialism, congenital secrecy, and pronounced anti-intellectualism among them. It would also mean acknowledging the numerous myths that have come to define the institution over time -- for example, that the military nurtures and rewards leadership (rather than dutiful followership); that it instills discipline (rather than indiscipline); that it exemplifies competence and efficiency (rather than incompetence and inefficiency); that it is committed to accountability (rather than cover-ups and secrecy); and that its members, especially at senior levels, regularly demonstrate moral courage (rather than moral cowardice).

A third step would involve a concerted educational effort, inside and outside the institution, to enhance strategic thinking, ethical thinking, and civic literacy (especially, but not exclusively, among those in uniform).

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A fourth step -- ultimately the most fundamental and paradigm-shattering, as well as the least likely to occur -- would be to reconsider the very purpose and function of the military and to reorient it accordingly. That would mean transforming a cumbersome, stagnant, obsolescent, irrelevant warfighting force -- with its own inbuilt self-corrupting qualities -- into a peacekeeping, nation-building, humanitarian-assistance, disaster-response force far more attuned to a future it helps shape and far more strategically effective than what we now have. Translated, counterintuitive as it might sound, this would mean seeking to demilitarize the military, an overarching strategic imperative if bona fide lasting peace is ever to be achieved on this planet.

Humpty Dumpty posed the question to Alice in Through the Looking Glass of whether words are to be the masters of men or men the masters of words by determining their meaning. Similarly must we ask whether an institution, the military, supposedly endowed with supernal character by objective circumstances, is to master us, or we to master it by determining for ourselves what it properly is and does.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 14: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to his supporters during a rally at the PNC Music Pavilion on March 14, 2016 in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/ The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Election Day on November 8, 2016 is around the corner, and it's irrational to believe an ongoing FBI investigation doesn't hurt a Democrat's chances of winning the presidency. Even against Donald Trump, Democrats can't risk prolonged legal battles and the possibility of indictments from the FBI and Justice Department, simply because one candidate has the perception of experience and qualifications. As I stated during my CNN interview with Victor Blackwell, if you don't want a neon "Trump" sign outside the White House, then there's only one Democrat not linked to an FBI investigation.

Bernie Sanders is also the only leading candidate with positive favorability ratings. Quinnipiac University's February 18, 2016 national poll states "Sanders has the highest favorability rating of any candidate and the highest scores for honesty and integrity." Conversely, Bernie's Democratic rival isn't as admired by most Americans.

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Go to HuffPost Pollster Hillary Clinton Favorability Rating right now.

In 10 out of 10 national polls regarding favorability, Hillary Clinton has negative favorability ratings nationally in all 10. I explain why Hillary Clinton is unelectable due to negative favorability numbers in this YouTube segment.

Now please go to HuffPost Pollster Bernie Sanders Favorability Rating.

In 10 out of 10 national polls regarding favorability, Bernie Sanders has positive favorability ratings in all 10.

It's very simple. One Democratic candidate is admired by most Americans, while the other is not.

To say that the majority of Americans have an unfavorable view of Clinton isn't hyperbole; it's backed up by poll numbers. I've been criticized for being unfair to Clinton, but my analysis is always backed up by various facts, including the fact 67% of Americans according to Quinnipiac find Hillary Clinton "not honest and trustworthy."

Yes, the same polls that bolstered Clinton's inevitability are also the same polls that show Bernie Sanders is the superior Democratic nominee in November.

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Then, there's the tiny issue of an ongoing FBI investigation. This used to doom presidential campaigns but we've changed as a nation. While the Hillary faithful can't possibly fathom indictments, there's a great likelihood of Clinton getting indicted according to many observers. First, nobody knows why Clinton chose to use a personal server exclusively ("convenience" is obviously not the only reason) and her actions were not the same as former secretaries of state. I ask why Clinton needed a private server in this YouTube segment.

Second, the FBI doesn't conduct civil investigations, it conducts criminal investigations, as Michael B. Mukasey states during a Bloomberg Politics (at 7:06 on the video) interview. In this Bloomberg interview, Mukasey also states the FBI is investigating Hillary Clinton, her staff, and that the email investigation is a "criminal investigation."

Based upon the unprecedented aspects of this case, former Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey believes indictments are likely, as stated in a Hill article titled Former AG: Clinton should be charged over classified emails:

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey believes that Hillary Clinton should be charged with a federal crime for mishandling classified information via her private email server. Clinton clearly knew that her setup was not equipped to handle sensitive documents, Mukasey wrote in an op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal on Friday. Whether the former secretary of State and Democratic presidential front-runner was merely negligent or actively trying to destroy emails, he wrote, Clinton's "state of mind ... justifies a criminal charge of one sort or another." ...More than 1,300 emails released by the State Department from Clinton's personal server have been classified at some level. This week, news leaked that the intelligence community inspector general has determined that the emails also contained information classified above top secret, on a "need-to-know" basis. In his op-ed, Mukasey points to those revelations as well as indications that Clinton's staffersrejected the idea of a State Department-run email address and that she asked an aide to send a "secure fax" via email.

Mukasey also points out that intelligence can be retroactively classified at any moment. Also, the intelligence classification doesn't absolve Clinton of storing such data on a private server; unprotected by government networks. Therefore, the defense that Clinton's emails were retroactively classified doesn't overshadow the reality that they should never have been outside U.S. government computer networks to begin with.

Furthermore, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey explains on Bloomberg Politics that Clinton's 31,830 deleted emails could easily lead to serious legal consequences.

Then, there's the ominous issue of Clinton's ties to Donald Trump, as explained in a POLITICO piece titled Trump has spent years courting Hillary and other Dems:

Clinton, the... former New York senator who had some say over policy that could have impacted Trump's vast business dealings, received donations from both him and son Donald Trump Jr. on separate occasions in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007, according to state and federal disclosure records. Trump has also been generous with the Clinton Foundation, donating at least $100,000, according to the non-profit. In another sign of their closeness, Clinton attended Trump's 2005 wedding to current wife Melania Knauss at Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.. Trump defended his donations to New York Democrats in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that April, proclaiming that in the state, "everyone is Democratic" and implying that to donate otherwise would be waste of his money. "So, what am I going to do, contribute to Republicans? Am I going to contribute to, I mean, one thing I'm not stupid..." he said.

Yes, the same man who terrifies loyal Democrats is also the same man whose wedding Clinton attended. As for donations, Clinton "received donations from both him and son Donald Trump Jr. on separate occasions in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007, according to state and federal disclosure records."

So, Hillary Clinton not only accepted money from prison lobbyists, but also Donald Trump. This isn't the winning combination to beat Trump on November 8, 2016. I explain Clinton's prison lobbyist ties in this YouTube segment.

I've been saying Bernie Sanders will become president since June 29, 2015, when I wrote a piece titled Why Bernie Sanders Will Become the Democratic Nominee and Defeat Any Republican in 2016. Back then, Bernie was polling at 15.9% and over 40 points behind the former Secretary of State. Bernie Sanders is now on his way to defeating Clinton in the Democratic primaries and poll numbers have shifted towards Sanders, like I predicted in various other articles. I haven't been perfect, but my ultimate prediction will come true, and Bernie Sanders will indeed become Democratic nominee and defeat Trump to win the presidency.

However, if Hillary Clinton becomes nominee, America is looking at a Trump presidency. Trump will make the FBI investigation, and its legal consequences, a primary focus of every debate. He'll be relentless, and the GOP attack machine will make Clinton's trustworthiness issues, negative favorability ratings, and previous scandals the basis of their campaign. The polls show that Americans in aggregate don't trust Hillary Clinton, and while voters don't trust Donald Trump either, his brand is based upon arrogance.

Certain people like Trump because he's arrogant, and once he tones down his rhetoric and behavior to become more palatable to voters in a general election, his donations to Clinton's foundation and Senate runs will be a liability for Democrats. He can claim that he bribed Clinton, and that he bribed other Democrats, and he'll be able to present himself as the only presidential candidate not linked to an FBI investigation.

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Like I said, Trump won't be a class act like Bernie, he'll be relentless and always on the attack; with a plethora of Clinton scandals and controversies to highlight in any debate or television ad. Trump could also bring up Clinton's use of racism against Obama in 2008, further weakening her appeal nationally, while masking his overt racism.
Imagine Guernica. On April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Basque town was bombed for three hours by Hitler's Luftwaffe in support of Francisco Franco's fascist regime, leaving over 1,600 people dead. Picasso immortalized the episode in a celebrated painting, Neruda wrote poems about it, and it became an enduring metaphor for people's suffering in war.

Now imagine a different response to Guernica. Imagine people applauding the bombings, reproaching the victims, and slandering the witnesses. If you can imagine that, then you know Aleppo.

Aleppo -- one of the last major rebel strongholds -- is on the verge of collapse. Backed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Lebanese Hezbollah, and US-equipped Iraqi militias, the Syrian regime army is advancing from the south; from the east, the Islamic State (IS) is rampaging ahead; and, exploiting the stretched rebel defences, the Kurdish YPG is sneaking in from the north. All have been assisted, directly or indirectly, by the relentless attrition of Russian bombs.

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But as the conflict moves toward a grim denouement, its mounting toll has elicited a curious response. Many in the west, including prominent liberals, have used the logic of lesser evilism to welcome this outcome. But to sustain this argument, they've had to battle the stubborn resistance of facts.

The balance of atrocities could not be clearer. Consider these facts:

The UN has stopped counting the dead in Syria. But even before the regime's August 2013 chemical attack, which killed more than 1,400 civilians, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, special investigator for the UN Human Rights Council, had found the regime responsible for eight of the nine massacres perpetrated until then; a year later, even after the rise of IS, the equation remained unchanged. Despite IS's extreme violence, Pineheiro noted, the regime "remains responsible for the majority of the civilian casualties, killing and maiming scores of civilians daily". Since its entry into the war, Russia has surpassed the regime's kill rate; it has also helped ISIS expand its territory by targeting the rebels fighting it.

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But if the balance of atrocities is clear, their moral implications have not been as acutely felt. This in part has to do with the muddled way the story has been reported. On Sunday, when one of Hollywood's most politically active and humane figures weighed in to condemn the media for "misleading the public on Syria", one could only welcome the intervention.

Except, Mark Ruffalo, the Oscar-nominated star of Spotlight, was not indicting the media for failing the people of Syria; he was condemning it for being insufficiently sympathetic to the regime and Russia. He was recommending to his 2.23 million Twitter followers an article by Boston Globe columnist Stephen Kinzer in which he alleges that the "American press is reporting the opposite of what is actually happening"; that it unfairly describes everything Russia and Iran do as "negative and destabilizing"; and it fails to report that in the Assad regime and Russia's assault on Aleppo, its inhabitants are "finally see[ing] glimmers of hope". Kinzer's basis for these claims? A comment "on social media" and the opinion of a "Beirut-based analyst" (in reality a pro-Hizbullah activist who is a contributor to the Russian news outlet RT and the Iranian supreme leader's personal news site).

To compensate for its fact deficit, Kinzer liberally sprinkles his article with straw men. He claims that journalists are misleading the public by describing Jabhat al-Nusra, as "moderates," not as "the local al-Qaeda franchise". As a matter of fact, no one refers to Nusra as "moderates", and a Nexis search of major newspapers reveals virtually no article that doesn't refer to it without mentioning its al-Qaeda affiliation.

This article was a sequel to another, published three days after Russia started a series of attacks on MSF-run hospitals, which was boldly titled: "On Syria: Thank you, Russia!" In it Kinzer prescribed that "Russia's policy should be ours: prevent the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, craft a new regime that would include Assad or his supporters, and then work for a cease-fire." However, to accede to the opposition's demand for a cease-fire, he insisted, would be to "guarantee continued war". In a subsequent TV interview, Kinzer lauded the foreign policy wisdom of Donald Trump. (Similar sentiments have also been expressed by his Irish counterpart, Patrick Cockburn of The Independent).

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Why do bien pensant liberals like Ruffalo fall for such dross? Ideological blinkers? Or has dissent become all about aesthetics? It seems at any given moment maintaining an adversarial posture is more important than substantive engagement with an issue. Why bother with details when one can derive them from general principles? And if the reality of an issue contradicts one's preconceived notions, then reality itself must be brought into question. Shooting the messenger is always a reliable option. But dressed up as criticism of "the mainstream media", "the establishment", or "Washington", even a full-throated defence of fascism acquires the sheen of fearless truth-telling.

There are few things more commonplace than an Oedipal disdain for one's own government. In this solipsistic worldview, one has no need to understand the dynamics of a foreign crisis; they can be deduced remotely. If you hate your own government then, by virtue of being in its bad books, a Putin or an Assad becomes an ally.

Conversely, if people elsewhere are rising up against their far more repressive states, their cause is tainted because of a sympathetic word they might have received from your government. And all the images of agony do not add up to a tear of sorrow as long as they are relayed by a hated "mainstream media". Indeed, victims are reproached for eroding ideological certainties by intruding into our consciousness through their spectacular suffering. (Kinzer, unsurprisingly, resents the media's "obsession with daily suffering".)

Trapped in the vortex of these paranoid fantasies, these anti-humanist do-gooders have failed to notice that what they consider a brave dissent is actually official US policy. A hint of the administration's thinking on the subject is offered by two of Obama's former advisors on Syria--Philip Gordon and Steven Simon. Both have penned op-eds showing their preference for Assad. The administration's record confirms this. Since the beginning, the administration withheld meaningful support from the Syrian opposition, but now it has explicitly acceded to a Russian plan to preserve Assad. And Assad is winning.

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Courage used to mean the ability to stand up for something, regardless of the consequences. It now means standing down from principle and letting others bear the consequences of one's "difficult" decisions.


Jade Hassoune plays Meliorn in the @FreeformTV's television series Shadowhunters.

Jade Hassoune's Twitter. @jadehassoune , Facebook

Photo by Brad Everett Young.

Jade Hassoune likes to express himself with may different artforms. Talking to Jade is very comforting. It gave me a positive outlook that there are still some decent people in the world.

Tell us about your audition for Shadowhunters.

It was a nice and special audition process. Sometimes things just flow and fit. I had been auditioning fa lot that year, I was starting to wonder what I could do to keep the passion and the expectation alive. The Shadowhunters audition came way at the end of pilot season, even past it. I had gone to my friend's cottage for the weekend close to Montreal and I got a last minute call from my agent, to audition for the role of Alaric. The audition was in Toronto, but all I could do was send a tape and I had to do it fast. I didn't realize it at the time how big the Mortal Instruments was, all I knew that day was that the scene took place at a police station. Out of all the auditions that year, this one I felt the least confident about. But I sent it. I was surprised a week later when I was called in for a different character, vampire Raphael Santiago. This time I was in Toronto, by that point I had started researching about the show and the Mortal Instruments world. It wasn't hard to find info about it since the Mortal Instruments book series has such an established international fandom and success. Things got more exciting when I realized what world I was slowly entering. There was already so much buzz about the other cast members and anticipation from the fandom. Luckily there were a lot of drawings of the characters online, lots to read and even a movie to watch. A week later I got a call to read for Meliorn, and then a call back a few days later to make some adjustments for the producers and director. And I was gifted with a great friend of mine being my reader so I was able to connect instantly. The whole process was a month, and at the end of that month there was an announcement for my casting and a week later I was on set and I had joined an epic world. Luckily I said no to a job that would've had my hair buzzed cut that month. I had a feeling to keep my long hair. And now I know why.

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You're into the comic book scene.

Reading comics / graphic novels are such a great way to tell and to delve into a story. It feels like a movie but with more of your imagination because you get to play the soundtrack in your head, and you have control of the rhythm to a certain extent, time somehow warps because you can linger and focus on any moment for as long as you want. Or create faster momentum.

I've been drawing and creating comics since I was a toddler and recently, because I had the time to finally make it "legit", I got my Cartooning Certificate at a college in Toronto. I have some collaborations with other actors and writers I've met on sets, some they've written and I've illustrated. I'm working on other projects of my own as well, everything is in development, but I'm looking forward to it all. Won't release anything until I feel ready to tackle that world. I'm still observing the scene. Some of my favorite graphic novels /comics are "Habibi" and "Blankets" by Craig Thompson, the "Shutter" comic series, The Walking Dead, and I'm still following Buffy The Vampire Slayer as comics continuing the television story, it's season 10 now! I grew up with Tintin and Garfield.

Why did your family move from Lebanon to Canada?

My parents left Lebanon because of the war. They wanted a better life for my brother and me. They have an epic story and journey that one day I will turn into a screenplay. Before moving to Canada, we were in Geneva, Switzerland where I have my first memories, when I was four and a half we arrived in Montreal.

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What type of music do you listen to?

My music taste is very eclectic. I find things I like in all kinds of music. Depends what state of being I'm in. I do listen to a lot of pop and hiphop music though. I'm a child of the pop culture and I love to see how it's evolving. But I'll listen to classical or meditation music or EDM or Jason Mraz. I'll go to many concerts, huge stars or locals or in-between. My favorite concert was seeing the Cat Empire in Montreal. The energy and connectivity of everyone in the room was incredible. Such a great time. For anyone who knows them, imagine how crazy the Wine Song must be live. And their improvising skills were genius. I like discovering new music, and I love my Canadians doing such a great job in the industry, Drake, Wknd, Bieber, Grimes, and recent discoveries Allie X and IRIS. I love when musicians reach beyond the music industry like Lady Gaga. I also go to a lot of underground DJ events and art parties and find new music through there too.

Share a behind the scenes story of Shadowhunters.

I was shooting something one day, and I missed the rehearsal for the Shadowhunters fight choreography, so I had to learn it the morning of the shoot. Luckily we have a super stunt coordinator, Steve Lucescu, and his team is full of talented super humans, so they all teamed up to teach me in an hour. I had all day to rehearse it. The Demon suit takes hours to put on. And we shot it on two separate days for a few hours. Can't wait to see what it looks like. It's in Episode 10 "The World Inverted". It was a lot of fun to shoot that with Dom.

Tell us about 'That's My DJ'. How did you get involved?

I went from being a fan of Season 1 to being in the middle of it all. The creator / director Kristin Waterson and I met because we were on a similar paths. One day I joined her monthly party 'Homebrew' as the artist for the pen&ink cartoon posters for each event and as somewhat of a promoter. After about a year of friendship / collaboration she offered me the acting job. We created an indiegogo campaign to shoot Seasons 2 and 3. We raised $16,000, which was over our goal, in four weeks. That in itself was such a rewarding learning experience. It's my first time being involved so deeply in a project's creation. I think Season 3 is the best work I've done yet; very proud of it. Like the British television show Skins, That's My DJ follows a new character each season. So I have the pleasure to play Sam who we follow in Season 3. He is present in Season 2 as well, being very close to the main character of Season 2, which should be out somewhere in early summer! Season 3 will come a few months to a year after that. That's My DJ is about young professionals in the music and party industry who work in a recording studio and create a party called Homebrew. That's My DJ could be described as: Skins meets Shameless all wrapped up in one electronic music blanket!

What's it like to be a sex symbol?

Am I a sex symbol?! Hahahah. That's very nice of you. Um... I never thought about this. That is a giant compliment. I hope it's fun for everybody. I will try to continually embody who I am and grow everyday and if it makes me a sex symbol then great! I hope I can also inspire and have conversations and explorations that expand awareness.

Anything else you'd like to say?
United States Public Law 100-9 acknowledges that "the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued."

Historian Dale Spender relates, "Women's past is as rich as men's; that we do not know about it...is part of our oppression." (1982, Women of Ideas and WHAT Men Have Done to Them, London: Ark) Children are denied knowledge of great female HERoes [emphasis mine] and brainwashed into believing there are no precedents for feminine accomplishments. In addition, textbooks foster gender bias. Educational researcher Marj Jenson declares, "Public schools have no right to purchase with public funds and to require children to read texts which in any way belittle the worth of females or minorities or stereotype them," yet "in 1979, in spite of the women's movement, affirmative action programs, and publishers' guidelines, in United States history texts...for every seven hundred pages about men, there were only fourteen pages about women" (In Stephenson, 1981. Women's Roots, CA: Diemer Smith).

American children are still being socialized for a world in which women are neither expected--not permitted--to earn a living wage. Such stereotyping damages women and men...and, too often, leads to poverty.

Our Legislature passed a resolution for teaching women's history in Louisiana high schools. This is commendable, but it's much too late! By age three, children know which gender-role stereotypes they are expected to fill. In early grades, girls speak, read, and count better than boys; and they are equal to boys in math and science. But by junior high, girls restrain ambitions and achievements because they've learned that many boys don't like girls who achieve...and their socialization requires male approval above everything else. Both genders realize at a very young age that our society values boys more than girls.

Dr. June Stephenson (1981, Women's Roots, Diemer Smith) asserts that "omission of women from history fosters an attitude that says "...what females did or do is unimportant, an attitude that adversely affects human relationships. Imbalance in the teaching of history helps perpetuate sex discrimination and it demeans girls." Incorporation of women's history into K-12 curriculums will teach children of the vital role women have played in building civilization and will provide more accurate role models of both genders.

When people realize that women have contributed equally with men, they will also realize that women should have the same rights as men. It's time to teach the complete history of our nation!
This may sound like yesterday's question.

Now that Marco Rubio has apologized for suggesting that Donald Trump's penis is as small as his hands (which Trump has proudly displayed as big enough to strangle a gorilla), the latest Republican debate turned out to be notably more civil than its predecessors. But my title question--a crucial question, when you come to think about it-- has been inexcusably left behind by the lamestream media, which--with their infantile attention spans--have abandoned it for such trivia as immigration, ISIS, and slugfests at Trump own rallies. Do you remember that Trump himself "guaranteed" the size of his endowment at the start of the Republican debate of March 3? Since at least some of Trump's guarantees have been challenged by the state of New York, which is suing Trump University for making false claims to more than 5,000 people, should we not ask for something more?

Yes indeed, I'm asking for the full Monty. Why not? This is the man who wouldn't even accept President Obama's birth certificate as evidence that he was born in Hawaii, which is (though Donald probably hates to admit it) part of the United States. Why should we take Trump's word--and only Trump's word-- for a matter of such weighty importance as the heft of his genitalia?

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Given his unbounded faith in his omnipotence, in his power to make America hate again, in his power to destroy ISIS at a stroke, to expel 11 million undocumented immigrants, and to compel Mexico to build a gigantic wall (50 feet high?) all along the nearly 2000 miles of our common border, Trump clearly aims to be not just president of the United States, but its first king--perhaps even the first king of the western hemisphere. So why doesn't he follow the example of the kings of Cameroon, who have traditionally been sculpted standing in the nude with their royal appendages plainly on show. (Come to think of it, ancient Greek and Roman sculptors also portrayed both gods and great men in the nude, as in this marble statue of a Roman general .)

Admittedly, Trump is not likely to drop his pants in public--even if his rivals agreed to do likewise for purposes of comparison. But in asking us to judge the size of his dick as part of his qualifications for the highest office in the land, he is implicitly taking an African king as his role model. Which is wonderfully ironic on two counts. For one, Trump loathes all foreigners, except of course for the Russian ladies whom he periodically marries (thereby proving once again that immigrants will take jobs no American will do); second, the African-American president whom he is campaigning to succeed is one of the wisest, most disciplined, most sensitive, and most cultivated presidents we have ever had. As the embodiment of "grace," in the words of Marilynne Robinson, he is the antithesis of Trump himself.
Fireworks light up the sky above Cairo's Tahrir square during continuing protests against Egypt's military rulers late on November 24, 2011, as members of Egypt's ruling military council rejected calls to step down immediately, saying it would amount to a 'betrayal' as anti-military protests entered their seventh day. AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

Five years after the Arab uprisings, Dr. Sally Toma, an Egyptian psychiatrist and one of the leading figures of the January 25, 2011 movement, sums up the fate of the Tahrir generation: "Most of us have been imprisoned, vilified...Many have left, many of us are exhausted. Today, a large number of activists are trapped in their own traumas."

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The emotional trauma experienced by many is now overshadowed by widespread tragedy in the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen. The specter of ISIS haunts the region. Still, the Arab revolutionary moment gave birth to a new generation. Toma says that many people in Egypt feel that "they were born on January 25, 2011."

And today, the groups of young people who took to the streets in 2011 and 2012 make up the heart of these Arab countries.

Egypt's youth fought for freedom, Bahrain's youth have been silenced, and Syria's youth are oppressed. The same generation that marched in the streets of Arab cities five years ago is bound to determine the future of the region. How could it not, given that 60 percent of the population in the MENA region is under the age of 30?

In Morocco, Hamza Alioua describes how he witnessed his father fleeing the violent crackdown on a protest in the popular neighborhood of Sbata in 2011.

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He later promised himself: "I will never run away." He was 15 years-old then. He is currently part of a youth movement advocating for the reform of the educational sector. The organization resembles the "20th of February Movement" that led the 2011 protests and forced the Moroccan monarchy to bring about constitutional change. Today, Hamza and the student organization are relocating the fight to the field of education, advocating against the wave of privatization in the sector and the resulting growing inequalities.

In Tunisia, Bouhid Belhadi was not much older than Hamza when he fought the authorities in his hometown of Hammamet, in December 2010. A few weeks later, Ben Ali's regime was overthrown. Now an active member of the Shams Association, he bravely pushes for the legalization of homosexuality and the recognition of the rights of sexual minorities in Tunisia. He struggled with discrimination as a teenager, and now, he faces serious risks for his political engagement.

"Tunisia still has a long way to go," he has said, but he insists that the future of his country will be built by him, civil society, and other Tunisian Human Rights organizations.

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After the magical momentum of the uprisings, the Arab Spring generation was brutally yanked from the dream. These uprisings have turned into nightmares that have collapsed states -- such as in Libya, Yemen and Syria.

Ironically, the younger generation is now being blamed for the spiraling of these "revolutions," even though they never actually held political power.

Zahra Langhi is an academic and activist fighting for women's rights in Libya. Like many of her fellow countrymen and women, she called for "A Day of Rage" on February 17, 2011. She quickly got dragged into the wave of violence that struck her country. Since then, she has doubted the effectiveness of her initial participation.

According to Langhi, paving the way for a better future in Libya will only be possible with more compassion.

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In Syria, the most horrific bloodbaths and the millions of refugees currently overshadow the massive movement that took place in 2011. Disillusioned but determined, Syrian artist Ibrahim Fakhri admits that he doesn't know what the outcome of the March 15 revolution will be, and that he has grown exhausted by the ongoing tragedy.

Nevertheless, the 2011 uprisings gave Fakhri and millions of others a reason to live, a reason to hope. Every day, it is the bravery and the memory of the martyrs that push Ibrahim to work on his art.
Previously, as much as I loathed it, I gave Donald Trump the closest thing he will ever receive to an endorsement out of me. At the time, even with his complete and utter rejection of First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble in protest, I surmised that Trump would still be a better presidential candidate than Ted Cruz, if for no other reason the fact that Trump has never been in government to actually use the power of governance against American citizens. It turns out that I was not only wrong, but also that Trump may be doing something far worse.

It began this past Friday night at around 7:30 PM EDT in Chicago, where Donald Trump was supposed to have held yet another rally. I took my lunch break at work at about the time the situation started getting out of hand. I tuned in to the coverage on MSNBC and watched violent confrontations between protesters and Trump supporters as security tried to intervene. Primarily, I saw black attendees being assaulted. It seemed to be a complete rejection of not only Black Lives Matter, but of racial equality in general. It was a horrifying sight. And when the cameras turned to the huge mob of people outside the venue as it was being evacuated, the first thing that came to my mind was, "This reminds me of race riots."

Sadly, that wasn't even the only violence perpetrated against the black community by the Trump campaign and its supporters this past week. At a rally in North Carolina, 26-year-old Rakeem Jones was slugged in the face by 78-year-old John McGraw while being escorted out by security. McGraw was not even immediately arrested for his violent, unprovoked assault; that didn't happen until he later went to the police of his own volition for questioning. Supposedly, none of the officers actually saw the assault, because they were apparently looking down and not paying any attention.

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Donald Trump now has a long and continuing history of fueling racial tensions in America, one which is only continuing to grow with each successive rally. I watched his Kansas City rally via live stream on Saturday night, and it seemed that he spent at least half an hour ejecting various protesters before he could even begin addressing his supporters! What I am now seeing out of Donald Trump's campaign is quite possibly the scariest thing I have ever witnessed as an American citizen. During his speech Saturday night, Trump not only continued to heckle protesters and have them forcibly evicted, he later stated that he would begin having them arrested going forward, saying several times that he hopes they will be arrested and that he is going to push this in an attempt to stop any more protesters from showing up at his rallies. He even made light of the fact that such arrests could potentially ruin lives by giving them criminal histories even while remaining adamant that this was the way to move forward.

This is something that we as a country really need to stop and think about. Our country was literally founded upon the fundamental right that we be allowed to speak up against things we know to be wrong; the Boston Tea Party was a way for our ancestors to protest unfair taxation and the lack of any type of representation on the part of the British government. And while costly in terms of the product destroyed in this event, it was a method of non-violent protest (which unfortunately did help bring about the Revolutionary War). The Boston Tea Party helped to establish such forms of non-violent speech as a way of taking a stand against oppression -- a tradition which was built into the Constitution in the form of the First Amendment and which remains vital to this day.

What we are witnessing, then, is the front-running candidate for America's highest office outwardly opposing one of the most vital of human rights. As pertains to protesters, Trump's new refrain is, "Get 'em out!" Donald Trump has no respect whatsoever for the right of the people he expects to lead to assemble in opposition to what are, at best, questionable responses to problems such as illegal immigration and terrorism. Donald Trump not only believes he is the only one who can "make America great again," he fervently opposes anyone who doesn't agree with him by having security evict them from his events! Yet he still believes he will be able to unite the country, even while telling his detractors that they have no right to question him. Perhaps he has forgotten that America is a democracy and not a monarchy; we are not his loyal subjects, and he is not the supreme ruler, though he seems to think that's what he will become if elected in November.

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But while Trump likely does have the ability to stem some of the uproar, he actually chooses to encourage it. A few of the most egregious examples:

Soon after Black Lives Matter protesters seized the stage at a Bernie Sanders rally, Trump stated that this would not happen at his events: "I don't know if I'll do the fighting myself or other people will." He further criticized Sanders for being "weak," suggesting that actively fighting those who wish to speak out at political rallies makes you a stronger a candidate.

At a recent rally in Nevada, Trump said of a protester: "I'd like to punch him in the face." He further lamented that the law does not "[allow us] to punch back any more," also insinuating that the man should have been "carried out on a stretcher."

Some handy soundbites courtesy of this video.

Of course, Donald Trump's attitude isn't limited to just protesters at his rallies. Last August, two brothers

in Boston. The reason? According to one of them, it's because of Trump's support of deporting illegal immigrants within the U.S. Once Trump heard about his two supporters beating this homeless man senseless, he only had this to say:

It would be a shame . . . I will say that people who are following me are very passionate. They love this country and they want this country to be great again. They are passionate.

Also recall Trump's support for waterboarding and potentially even deadlier forms of torture. Or that he would seek to kill the families of suspected terrorists -- something so concerning that General Michael Hayden, former director of both the NSA and CIA, actively declared that the military would refuse to obey Trump if he gave such an order. There is even concern that Trump's response when a supporter asked when we can get rid of Muslims was a veiled threat against that population after his previous assertions that all Muslims should be banned from entering the country. Oh, and there's a recent statement he made that Islam itself -- the actual religion, mind you -- hates us.

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A Turning Point

But Friday night's events in Chicago, as well as Trump's promises on Saturday to have any future protesters arrested, mark a turning point both in the Trump campaign's rhetoric and the overall tone of his contempt for minority groups and constitutional rights. The fact that many of the assaulted have been black shows that neither he nor his supporters care for the issues facing their entire ethnicity. This already seemed to be the case when he previously said during a debate that the police are the most mistreated group in America; this point has now been made loud and clear.

In fact, both Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have one very important and worrisome trait in common: They effectively spit upon the Constitution and its First Amendment protections. Ted Cruz would have America run under a theocracy; Trump would see locked up any individual who dared disagree with him or attempt to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly, even while complaining about how his own First Amendment rights are being violated! In their eyes, the First Amendment and Constitution exist only for Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, not for the rest of America. It's another way for them to twist existing policy to suit only their own political interests.

But we're also seeing an assault on race relations which threatens to take America back to the Civil Rights era. Whenever Trump is critical of Black Lives Matter, has protesters thrown out, or wishes to arrest or even attack said protesters, his audience roars in approval. Whenever he threatens to bring back waterboarding or "knock the hell out of ISIS" or restrict the rights of Muslims, his supporters light up like little Christmas trees. As I have said before, Donald Trump has managed to tap into a deeply-rooted anger within America, and as we now begin to see physical assaults increase at Trump's rallies, we threaten to unravel all of America's hard-won victories over civil rights. As Trump's campaign continues to soar, so too does the level of hate and bigotry surrounding it, which permeates throughout America. Should Trump actually win the nomination and come within striking distance of the presidency, we could see an escalation in racial tensions not seen since the Civil Rights era, and the potential for racial violence will only increase from there. What's worse: The implications for this will extend far beyond the 2016 election and will likely become a fixture in American politics and race relations for years to come.

Naturally, though, Trump himself disavows any responsibility for escalating tensions at his rallies:

"It is Clinton and Sanders people who disrupted my rally in Chicago -- and then they say I must talk to my people," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Phony politicians!"

Both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have taken on Trump over his violent rhetoric, with Sanders calling him a "pathological liar" and "a candidate that has promoted hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women and people with disabilities, and his birther attacks against the legitimacy of President Obama." Clinton remarked that the "ugly, divisive rhetoric we are hearing from Donald Trump and the encouragement of violence and aggression is wrong, and it's dangerous." Even fellow Republican contenders John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio have weighed in, with Rubio perhaps best reflecting the potential racial implications:

"You saw those images last night of people getting in their face, often divided up [along] racial lines in many cases -- the police officers bleeding from the head, reminiscent of images from the '60s," he said. "I mean, we're going backwards here. This is a frightening, grotesque and disturbing development in American politics."

Perhaps the worst part of this scenario is that Trump likely does have at least some ability to control this; he simply chooses not to do so because it would potentially erode support from his most fanatical supporters. I feel like Trump could do one simple thing to contain at least a large part of the furor: Make available at each rally a small area for only protesters to gather and hold their protest signs. That's it; that's all Donald Trump needs to do. He could cordon off a section of his venues specifically for protesters, with conditions that if they get out of hand, they will be asked to leave, and similar conditions for his supporters that they not antagonize the protesters. That way, everyone gets their say, and the risk of violence is at least reduced.
The latest Republican to stand in front of a camera and complain about state spending on health care for the elderly, disabled, and other poor people, without offering any alternatives, is former state Sen. Greg Brophy, who's freshly back from a job with Rep. Ken Buck in Washington DC.

Brophy appeared on Politics Unplugged, 7News' interview show, last month to say that Colorado is being forced, under TABOR rules, to refund taxes to citizens due to the hospital provider fee.

"The hospital provider fee and the other expansions of, well, it amounts to Obamacare, have committed spending on that area at the expense of every other area in state government," said Brophy.

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In 2009, Colorado tapped federal funds, which match a "hospital provider fee" collected by hospitals, to expand Medicaid coverage to around 300,000 low-income people and children. It allowed kids, for example, from families of four making $45,000 annually to qualify for state Medicaid coverage. Later, Obamacare kicked in, reimbursing the state to cover more poor people in Colorado.

So yes, Colorado has expanded its Medicaid program. But the state isn't paying for coverage of the vast majority of the newly added people, since the feds pick up the tab for Obamacare and the hospital provider fee.

Brophy thinks the state has gone too far in helping the elderly, disabled, kids, and other poor people get medical coverage.

"If it wasn't for that hospital provider fee, there wouldn't be TABOR refunds going out this year, or projected next year, or the year after that," said Brophy on air. "We'd be able to spend all the money that comes in and prioritize it on education and transportation where, the people, I think, want to spend it."

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So, reporters should ask how he wants to cut Medicaid. Get rid of the hospital provider fee and knock some people off it? That's a fair question.

What would Brophy have us do? Charge poor people co-pays, which Brophy advocated in the past, saying poor people aready spend their money on Lotto, cigarettes, and air conditioning? Would he have Colorado lower eligibility thresholds? Are we too generous?

Brophy didn't return a call to explain.

"I really think we want to force the state of Colorado to find efficiencies in what they spend money on," Brophy told 7News' Marshall Zellinger, sounding a lot like Donald Trump.
Both Democrats and Republicans recognize the need to win over the Hispanic electorate to take the 2016 election. Today, almost one-fifth of the U.S. population -- more than 55 million people -- are Hispanic. There's no doubt that the Hispanic community has become a defining feature in the changing face of America.

All eyes are now turned toward Ohio, a battleground state in the 2016 presidential race. As the quintessential Midwestern state, Ohio is an unlikely place in which to reach out to Hispanics. And yet, consider this:

There are 400,000 Hispanics in Ohio. That means hundreds of thousands of potential votes up for grabs, some of which are strongly considering Governor John Kasich as their choice for Republican Party nominee.

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Sixty-seven out of 88 counties in Ohio have seen a growth of Hispanic residents while the non-Hispanic population has declined. There's been a 76 percent increase in the population since 2000. And on top of that, the median age of Hispanics in Ohio is around 25 years old compared to 40 years for Ohio residents as a whole. Hispanic families arrived in Ohio for jobs and stayed to raise their families, often opening small businesses and becoming part of the community.

As Ohio demonstrates, the United States is a nation of immigrants. By virtue of the success of our small businesses, and the undeniable contributions of our work across various sectors of the economy, immigrants make America more American. Governor John Kasich has embraced this reality.

When we sat down with Governor Kasich as part of our 2016 Presidential Candidate Q&A series, Kasich let us know that the Hispanic community is "integral" to the United States. Unlike some other Republican presidential candidates, Kasich took a strong stance against mass deportation. "It's just not acceptable in America," he said. "We are a country of immigrants."

The economic imperative behind Kasich's support of the immigrant community is clear:

Immigrant owned businesses contribute over $780 billion dollars a year to the American economy.

40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or the child of an immigrant;

Immigrants are disproportionately responsible for U.S. international patent applications: in 2006, immigrants accounted for 25.6 percent of U.S. international patent applications;

Immigrants are highly entrepreneurial: in 2013 immigrants formed new businesses at almost twice the rate of native-born citizens;

1 in 10 American jobs are created by immigrants.

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Kasich was similarly decisive on birthright citizenship, stating that if you're born in the United States, you are a citizen--end of discussion. These strong, principled stances demonstrate Kasich's keen recognition that America's immigrant community is here to stay.
It's no Jedi mind trick, these are not the political parties you're looking for.

Whether Teflon Don Trump or Comrade Bernard Sanders are their respective party's nominee, their popularity in the 2016 primaries has made the need for a major realignment of political parties in the United States more apparent than ever.

The weaknesses of each party have been lain bare, their facades revealed. On the Right, the Trump takeover exemplifies a GOP that went the way of the wingnut long ago. If you're a moderate, or even halfway reasonable human being who considers themself a Republican, you now find yourself in the same position Leftists have been in for years, the party you've traditionally voted for doesn't represent you.

Weird, I know.

This isn't terribly new. The obstructionism and ultra-conservative politics of today's GOP have halted the nation's ability to even carry out basic functions like passing a budget and confirming judicial nominees. Never mind tackling bigger tasks like climate change, immigration reform, antiquated drug laws, extreme wealth and racial inequality, a failing education system, student loan debt, a crumbling infrastructure... and so much more. Ted Cruz's success is just as emblematic of the extremes the GOP has sailed to as Trump's success. It's time for reasonable members of the GOP--if such a demographic exists--to abscond from the party responsible for the degradation of not just our political discourse, but our entire political system. And make no mistake, this problem is the creation of the GOP.

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If a lot of historically Republican voters honestly assessed their position on the political spectrum, and what their political interests are, they'd find there's already an organization for them to abscond to--the Democratic Party. Since I suspect a lot of Republican diehards will find that too distasteful, though, they should create a new party.

On the other hand, corporate influence over the Democratic Party (Corporacrats), its failure to lead on issues impacting marginalized communities, legalizing marijuana and, at minimum, decriminalizing other drugs, prison and criminal justice reform, curbing US imperialism, ending domestic spying, dismantling white supremacy, fighting climate change... and so many other progressive causes, has made it plain they're not the party of the Left. A realignment on the Right would open up a similar opportunity for Leftists who've felt stuck voting for the lesser of two evils, or so disenfranchised they don't bother to vote for either evil. This might mean joining the Greens, or creating a new party entirely.

These signs of the times suggest there's a real chance to bring an end to the duopoly that is US politics, and for people on the Left and Right to carry out a mass exodus from both major political parties. If the specter of a Trump nomination isn't enough to motivate this among Republicans, I'm not sure what is.

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There are already hints and speculation that it might be, but I've yet to see explicit calls for it, and media personalities predicting the end of the GOP are nothing new.

Historically, this isn't unprecedented. The US has gone through major political realignments to its political parties every half century or so. We're due.



Image via Cornell Library University

If the Left and center Right pulled this off, it could leave us with four parties, Leftists, Corporacrats, Republican Classics (they'll have to pick a flashier name), and Trumplicans. The parties with some modicum of sense, Leftists, Corporacrats, and Republican Classics, could then work towards building coalitions and doing something our current political establishment has been unable to, governing.

This shift won't be easy or happen instantaneously, but it's necessary. The political status quo is a sham. At best it offers the illusion of democratic representation for the vast majority of us. We need to be bold. We need to act on our convictions rather than merely pay them lip service during presidential election seasons. By engaging in a mutual realignment the Left and Right could find ourselves more fairly represented, and end the politics of gridlock that have come to be the norm.

How many Leftists have been disillusioned with the Democratic Party, but feel stuck voting for them in the face of greater evils? How many moderate Republicans have felt disillusioned watching the obstructionist, bigoted, xenophobic, anti-intellectual base takeover their party, but continue voting for it out of tradition and misguided loyalty? There is a solution, but it will take some significant courage in the face of deep-seated societal fears of change. It's time to stand up and exploit the opening presented in 2016 to create new political realities. Without taking drastic steps, the downward spiral of our political discourse and practice will continue, leaving more voters disenfranchised and without any semblance of authentic representation. In the absence of a genuine political revolution, the least we can do is aim for a major political realignment.
Two different men. Two different states. Two drug convictions. Two prison sentences. Two exonerations.

On an October day in 2014, 60-year-old Joseph Crochon was arrested by Houston, Texas police for possession of cocaine. Like many other defendants facing low-level drug charges, Crochon pled guilty two days after his arrest to possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 30 days in the Harris County Jail.

After Crochon served his jail time and was released, the results of the Houston police crime laboratory test came back: the substance seized by police from Crochon was not cocaine, or any other illegal substance. Crochon has been convicted of -- and, in fact, had pled guilty to -- a crime that never happened. He was exonerated in February 2016.

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Many miles away from Texas, and nearly a decade earlier in Illinois 2006, Ben Baker was arrested for selling and possessing drugs. The prosecution's case was based entirely on the testimony of a team of corrupt officers who worked the notorious Ida B. Wells public housing project. At trial, Baker testified in his own defense. According to the Chicago Tribune, Baker testified that the officers ran the housing project like it was "their own criminal fiefdom, stealing narcotics proceeds, shaking down dealers for protection money and pinning cases on those who refused to play ball." Baker denied possessing or selling drugs, and claimed that the police officers targeted him because he refused to pay them bribe money in exchange for protection. The judge rejected Baker's version of events and sentenced him to 18 years in prison. Baker's sentenced was eventually reduced to 14 years in prison.

Ten years later, Baker was released from prison. The cops, it turns out, were as corrupt as Baker claimed. Baker was exonerated in January 2016.

Both Crochon and Baker did not commit the drug offenses for which they were arrested and convicted. In fact, neither drug offense even occurred. But both men nevertheless were forced to endure the horrors of the criminal justice system; Crochon pled guilty to avoid further potential consequences for his "offense," while Baker wasted over ten years of his life in a cold, dank prison cell, separated from family and friends.

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In addition to the individual human toll, both cases cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars for expenses associated investigation, court proceedings, and imprisonment, plus the unknowable opportunity costs of resources that could have been spent elsewhere. There was no public gain. No net public safety benefit. No crime solved. No nothing, except the needless squandering of people's lives and public resources.

Innocent people are convicted of crimes that never even happened. These are worst case events that show what happens when the justice system goes completely off the rails. This is true whether a man is convicted of a low-level misdemeanor crime or a more serious felony offense, particularly when those events were not criminal at all.
I was 12 -- slightly chubby, painfully awkward, and hopelessly crushing on a neighborhood girl called Mia -- when Talia Winters, a character on an American science fiction television show Babylon 5, was programmed with a "sleeper" personality that effectively killed her.

Ms. Winters was a member of the Psi Corps organization assigned to the titular 5-mile-long space station to serve as its second resident telepath. She was beautiful and smart. Oh, and she was bisexual.

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I remember crying uncontrollably but failing to verbalize why her death impacted me so profoundly. I was too young then to explain that Ms. Winters' implied relationship with Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova offered an escape from my gloomy reality of growing up queer in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- a post-communist country widely touted as one of the most tragic examples of how unrestrained chauvinism can result in a massacre of an entire community. Remained by newspapers and electronic media, political discourse and everyday conversations of how good I had it because I survived a four-year-long war, I felt incredibly guilty whenever I gave in to my desires and dreamt of a world that wasn't about just surviving; a world that would allow me to be happy, one that would not frown upon what I had felt for Mia; a world to which Ms. Winters provided a glimpse into.

I clung onto this dream of a different world three years later when, after I moved to Hamburg on a sporting scholarship, a pretty girl called Anna noticed me looking at her and in crippling panic yelled "dyke" during a school assembly. I kept dreaming at 18 when, following a series of drunken kisses in seedy Stockholm bars, I wrote a love note to a colleague -- a note she later posted on work bulletin board with "homo" scribbled on it. Still, I trusted that life could be better and I desperately needed shows like Dark Angel, Xena the Warrior Princess, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to tell me I was right. But what I got instead was a narrative in which characters I identified with were unlikely to stay alive for more than a few episodes let alone get their happily ever after. In fact, gay and lesbian characters are so frequently killed on television that they have their very own trope -- Bury your Gays.

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Imagine then how refreshing it felt to be given a show like CW's The 100 that built its credibility around not only a seemingly progressive take on LGBT relationships but also an open promise to treat the community with respect by avoiding the pattern of killing lesbian and bisexual characters perpetuated recently by True Blood, Scream Queens, Supernatural, Orphan Black and Chicago Fire.

The show was initially delivering on its promise -- capturing beautifully the slow evolution of a relationship between Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), the commander of the Grounders clan, and Clarke (Eliza Taylor), the leader of a group of juvenile delinquents sent to Earth to see if it is survivable. However, the turbulent episode entitled "Thirteen" that aired on March 3, 2016 put a halt on their budding relationship as Lexa was killed by a stray bullet right on the heels of her sleeping with Clarke. For many, her death became another example of a well-known trope playing itself out and it hurt all the more precisely because The 100 had held itself out as a beacon of positive LGBT representation.

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Fans worldwide revolted. Their sense of betrayal and disappointment echoed in a massive LGBT fans deserve better campaign -- outcry that was tweeted close to 300,000 times in just a few hours. One fan wrote, "LGBT fans deserve better because after some time it starts being hard to see ourselves die/never get a happy ending." Another commented, "How about LGBT storylines that aren't infused with death or heartache."

Rousing these and similar sentiments was only the start of the campaign as fans promoted a fundraising drive for a suicide prevention charity, "The Trevor Project," which is aimed at LGBT youth. The drive raised $35,000 in less than a week. A fan who donated $300 wrote, "After the episode aired, [...] suicide hotlines were being passed around like wildfire. The hope for this story, for these two characters, to be treated with honor and respect was snatched away in a matter of seconds. To all of those who lost their will to live, who needed someone (fictional or not) to be there [...]; this is for you."

I donated too thinking that Lexa's death wasn't just ridiculous and sloppily handled; it was also deeply rooted in a far too familiar narrative of pain and misery I would have accepted years ago as a queer kid who surrendered to being sad. But not anymore because I deserve better and it is high time television shows recognized this fact.

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small desktop world globe showing Syria,Israel,lebanon,jordan, and vicinities

Russian President Vladimir Putin's surprise announcement to withdraw most Russian war planes and personnel from Syria has left the public in the dark about his motives, raising troubling questions about whether the move will provide an opening for the U.S., Turkey and their Gulf allies to resume their drive towards regime change in Damascus.

Under the terms of the cessation of hostilities, in place for nearly two weeks, Russia could continue to strike al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State as well as provide air cover to the Syrian Arab Army on the ground against these terrorist forces.

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More than five months of Russian airstrikes and Russia's reconstitution of the Syrian Army dramatically turned the war in President Bashar al-Assad's favor and has left the jihadists in disarray.

But the liberation of Aleppo was not yet complete. Though the Syrian army reportedly had entered Palmyra and reached near Raqqa, the Islamic State capital, the terrorist group has not been destroyed.

The loss of territory and Russia's destruction of much of their oil infrastructure and supply lines to Turkey forced IS to cut its fighters' salaries, spurring increasing numbers of defections, including by a man from Alexandria, Virginia on Monday.

It is curious then that Russia, having the extremists on the ropes, would withdraw before the mission was accomplished--a mission to destroy terrorism in Syria announced by President Putin at the UN General Assembly in September.

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Putin's move has led to widespread speculation. Perhaps he has made a deal with the U.S., a grand bargain of sorts. Maybe Washington has offered a major concession on Ukraine, something President Barack Obama may gladly concede given what a disaster the U.S. adventure in that country has become.

Perhaps in a game of chicken with Obama, Putin blinked. The U.S. has wanted Russia out of the Syrian theater the moment it entered.

With Russia yielding the Syrian skies will the U.S. set up a no-fly zone as Turkey (and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) has desperately wanted?

Will Saudi and Turkish forces invade Syria to secure a partitioned state in eastern Syria --the so-called Plan B--through which they can run a natural gas pipeline from Qatar to Turkey on land now held by the Saudi-Turkish IS proxies? Such a pipeline providing natural gas to Europe would directly undercut Russia, which now provides the majority of gas to the continent.

Some analysts believe the entire Syrian war was instigated when Assad in 2009 rejected a Qatari-Turkish-Saudi proposed gas line through Syrian territory. Two years later those three countries took advantage of a popular uprising to send in foreign jihadists to get rid of Assad. It turned out to be a lot more difficult than they imagined, with the war now five years old and Assad still in power.

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With the gains made by the Russian-backed Syrian military in the past five months, a desperate Saudi Arabia and Turkey were poised to invade Syria to at least set up such an eastern Syrian state, if not try to drive towards Damascus to overthrow Assad. Both Ankara and Riyadh said they wouldn't invade without U.S. ground forces leading these purveyors of extremism. Such an intervention would have risked a direct U.S. confrontation with nuclear armed Russia, with all that implies.

With Russia still in the skies, President Barack Obama apparently rejected the Saudi-Turkish invasion plea. But now that the Russian deterrent will be gone, Turkish and Saudi appetites might be whetted.

Following the Russian withdrawal, if Obama still continues to defy his neoconservative advisers who want to overthrow Assad even at the cost of a U.S.-led invasion, what about the next occupant of the White House?

At a Republican debate last week, three of the four candidates said they would support between 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq, supposedly to fight the Islamic State. Once on the ground, they could easily make a detour towards Damascus.

Curiously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the last days offered to divide the task of defeating IS by inviting the U.S. to take Raqqa, an offer the US refused. It is not at all clear why Russia would want the U.S. to control the IS capital unless Moscow is pushing a federal Syria, which it has publicly supported. Assad has apparently also agreed.

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Not quite a partition, a federal Syria could consist of an eastern province centered on Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, now under IS control; a Kurdish province in the north, and an Alawite-Christian rump Syria, from Damascus to Aleppo.

Will the U.S., and its Gulf allies agree to this compromise or take the opening to invade? Would Turkey accepted a federal Kurdish state on its borders?

A federation would retain power for the central government, something the Turks and Gulf Arabs would not easily accept. If they can't have Assad's head they might go for an independent Sunni state in the east--a different creature than a federal state.

An invasion to grab such a state would bring more bloodshed and possibly Russia back into the conflict. A federation instead can be set up through negotiation--and indeed the U.S. and Russia may have already agreed on this. It would be up to the U.S. to bring the Gulf and its insurgents along.

These will be the hottest topics at U.N. peace talks that have resumed in Geneva. Will the talks yield a peace deal in which Assad stays at least six more months until a transitional government takes over, writes a new constitution and 18 months from now holds a general election over a Federal Syria?

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The Saudi-led opposition still wants Assad to go immediately, something the U.S., Russia and the U.N. reject. If the rebels can be brought around, the talks might go somewhere.

Putin says the Russian intervention was a success because it stabilized the government and made a diplomatic solution possible.
Air guns blast at the stern of a work vessel alongside an offshore oil rig. The air guns are deployed by cranes. Air compressors are on deck. This use of seismic in oil drilling is called borehole seismic. The results of the testing is called a vertical seimic profile or VSP.

President Obama made a powerful, positive move today when he listened to a sea of opposition and withdrew the Atlantic Ocean from the 2017-2022 federal waters oil and gas lease sale. But his work isn't done. The people who live, fish and run their businesses on the Atlantic Coast have always understood that the fight to protect their way of life isn't just about a ban on offshore drilling. We must stop seismic airguns, too.

Drilling and seismic are heavy industrial bedfellows. Blasting our ocean with seismic airgun explosions in a hunt for oil and gas reserves will forever harm our whales, turtles and fish. And it blows the locks off the doors to keep offshore drilling out for good. If industry discovers oil, they will push to extract it and to plunder the Atlantic in a future lease sale, terrorizing our ocean life for shortsighted profits and reversing all the progress that was made today.

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The oil and gas industry has applied for nine permits to bombard the Atlantic -- from New Jersey to Florida -- for months on end with underwater explosions. For the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to grant those permits now makes absolutely no sense. With no lease sales in the 2017-2022 5-year plan, allowing nine overlapping seismic surveys, flooding the Atlantic with deafening noise, would green-light senseless harm.

Keeping seismic out does not just save our great whales, sea turtles and fisheries from hurt today. It helps guard all of us from going down the wrong path in the future. Enough to dirty fuels. We all witnessed what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. The BP blowout off the coast of Louisiana spread oil for more than 1,000 miles and it continues to make that region's coastal dolphins deathly sick today. It's time to stop sacrificing our natural treasures and to shift instead to a cleaner, smarter, brighter future.

It isn't just environmentalists that understand the risks of seismic. Last year, in a letter to the President, a group of 75 ocean scientists warned that seismic airgun blasting threatens entire populations of whales. It can silence our last North Atlantic right whales over vast areas of ocean, separate moms of calves, and, at shorter distances, cause permanent hearing loss and injury. And it can displace commercial species of fish with dramatic effects on fisheries and the communities that depend on them.

Over 100 coastal communities have passed resolutions opposing seismic airgun testing as well as offshore drilling. As the City of Charleston's resolution explains, the natural coast contributes to the high quality of life its residents enjoy, "enabling business recruitment, economic growth, and attracting new residents." Seismic isn't compatible with that vision. More than one hundred members of Congress, over 750 state and local elected officials, and about 1,100 businesses have gone public to oppose offshore drilling and seismic testing in the Atlantic.

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A Cryptocoins News article reported on a current legal battle being duked out in a California court illustrates just some of the many challenges involved in fully regulating Bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency system. It sheds light on the number of legal concerns associated with this digital currency. This is along with the other main issue of no standardized set of regulations across countries even though the altcoins are being used across territories to pay for goods and services.

Disagreements About Bitcoin's Role

Is it a commodity or a currency? Can it be both or change roles based on the type of transaction? It's difficult to regulate something where there has yet to be agreement on exactly what role it plays.

For example, the California case involved HashFast Technologies, a company that paid for services using Bitcoin and was trying to sue to recover that currency after it had been paid to a physician. The ruling by the bankruptcy court judge concluded that cryptocurrency is not the same as U.S. currency but was actually considered to be "intangible personal property."

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This has proved to be a test on what have been termed "clawback" actions, which are intended to recover money that has been disbursed. As part of the judgment, however, the judge did not rule on the ownership issue and will decide later if the physician must return the Bitcoin or an equivalent in U.S. currency.

Another argument that had yet to be decided is the exact value of the Bitcoin as it fluctuates. The difference in repayment could be as $1 million if the decision is made that it is a currency instead of a commodity. It would seem that this would need to be first determined in order to properly regulate cryptocurrency.

This bankruptcy ruling also brings up another issue, which is that bankruptcy code and most likely many other legal codes have not been written with Bitcoin in mind. Therefore, before regulating cryptocurrency, many codes would need to be updated to reflect this new way of conducting transactions and involve making specific decisions as to how it should be treated.

Different Countries, Different Regulations

It's also difficult to regulate Bitcoin when, in actual fact, regulations vary from country to country. The only similarity may very well be those countries where cryptocurrency is banned or restricted. The issue of how it is classified also comes up again when looking at a global view of Bitcoin.

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In an Investopedia article, a roundup of countries illustrates some of the

. Here are some examples of the different regulations:

Australia wants to tax cryptocurrency like other commercial transactions but is also cautious after security concerns from losses in 2013.

Brazil has enacted a law about electronic currencies and payment systems, leading the way in evolving its regulations.

Canada would like to tax Bitcoin but it is currently not recognized as legal tender so as no legal recognition.

China restricts its use and does allow financial institutions to conduct any transactions using Bitcoin.

The European Union has spent time debating the issue and has found some ways to tie a legal basis for Bitcoin to its existing laws, but the European Banking Authority is still against it until it becomes regulated.

Finland has created specific instructions on how it can be used. It also has made any gains from these transactions subject to capital gains tax.

India has shut down the country's largest Bitcoin trading platform and currently has no regulatory framework for cryptocurrency.

Russia restricts the use of Bitcoin and is concerned over its potential for use in money laundering or terrorist activities.

The UK does not currently regulate cryptocurrency but does subject profits or losses on Bitcoin trading to capital gains tax while VAT is applied to any goods that are sold in exchange for this digital currency.

Many more countries are in similar places to these listed here, but these examples illustrate just how far apart the world is on reaching some type of agreement on regulations of Bitcoin.

Future Perspectives on Full Regulation for Cryptocurrency

Those that see the true potential of Bitcoin are focused on getting others, including international and national government bodies, banking and financial institutions, court systems, business and consumers, to understand as well. According to an article in The Guardian, they are trying to put past issues behind them, such as the high-profile criminal prosecutions of two Bitcoin entrepreneurs, the suspension of trading on the second-largest Bitcoin exchange, and volatile pricing, and move forward with a focus on finding common regulatory ground to stimulate wider adoption.
Modern biology needs tools. One of the most controversial of those tools has proven to be crucial to explaining how the Zika virus causes brain damage in newborns.

Zika is poised to dwarf the threat of Ebola, which was never a significant danger to the United States in spite of the cable news-induced hysteria. But Zika is a different story. Public health officials expect the virus to spread in the southern states this spring partly owing to extensive travel to and from South America. It is already a serious problem in Puerto Rico. With the disease-carrying mosquito likely to be seen in the U.S. mainland soon, the White House will hold a one-day summit on the problem this spring.

Understanding the mechanism of Zika could open a pathway to preventing the condition in infants. Working together in an important experiment, scientists at several universities have found that the virus attacks stem cells early in pregnancy. Some of these stem cells will become neurons and form the cortex, the outer layer of the brain. It seems that the virus invades these cells, killing some and preventing others from dividing, which they must do to populate the fetal brain.

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The cells that the scientists used to achieve this understanding would not have been available just ten years ago. In 2007 a Japanese team found that it was possible to turn adult cells into highly potent stem cells that resemble embryonic stem cells, which have the ability to turn into all of the more than-200 kinds of cell in the adult human. These induced pluripotent stem cells were the essential ingredients in the Zika virus experiment.

But the debt to stem cell biology goes back still further, to 1998 when American scientists isolated human embryonic stem cells in the laboratory for the first time. These embryonic stem cells then became the gold standard that allowed later investigators to see what they were aiming for in creating cells that did not need to be taken from an embryo. Although the lab-grown cells don't seem to be perfectly similar to the ones from embryos, they have made it easier to do a wide range of experiments.

Unfortunately, the road to the science behind the pluripotent cells was a painful one. Before they were developed, the fact that a six-day old embryo was destroyed in the course of obtaining its stem cells led to a furious ethical and political battle. Advocates noted that the few embryos required were in fertility clinics and were donated by couples who would never have used them. Opponents found such reasoning grotesquely utilitarian and disrespectful of incipient human life. This esoteric laboratory technique became a political issue in several presidential campaigns and numerous congressional races.

Emotions on both sides ran high as the issue symbolized a struggle between the freedom of scientific inquiry and the value of even the smallest human being.

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At the time it was easy to miss the fact that support for at least some stem cell research was bipartisan. President Bill Clinton was in favor of it before his term ended. President George W. Bush continued to fund embryonic stem cell research, albeit with severe limitations, and Senator John McCain refused to disavow it when he ran for president, which probably cost him the votes of some social conservatives. Then President Obama expanded the list of stem cells that could be used in federally supported studies.
HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga (C) performs onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)



It's been two weeks since the Oscars aired on television and not one article has surfaced on the inclusion of men in Lady Gaga's performance of "Til It Happens to You." This is disappointing to me. Men have been overlooked as a population of whom fall prey to sexual assault, abuse and violence. I assume the men present on the stage with Lady Gaga were gay because they have had the guts to admit this experience. Sadly, sexual assault and violence is a problem that is solely equated with women's issues -- and not linked to the issues that American culture has with masculinity, misogyny and femininity. As a gay man who experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, I am not ashamed to discuss what happened to me, nor should any man. How do we get America to change their attitudes toward this problem?

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First, I need to clarify an important part of the problem: My commentary does not ignore the realities of the statistics, namely, that sexual assault and violence occurs more often to women by men. I am simply illuminating that the problem needs a diversified perspective on who can and will it happen to, and why do we discount those minorities part of the problem? We are discounting men in general due to perceptions of women and the patriarchy that exists.

Let's just take a simple formula that exists in our culture: vulnerability = weakness = feminine = rape (My mind works in formulas). Can you distill the equation? Why are they equal, or interrelated or intersect? For some odd reason, we continue to perceive women as having less power than men, and consequently, they are the individuals who can fall prey to rape. There's a century of women's history behind us, yet the stereotypes persist and remain entrenched. Despite the apparent anatomical differences between men and women, this should not relegate a woman's existence. Have we not learned from various studies that women have higher functional aptitudes than men in specific areas of learning? Of course this could be related to rearing practices rather than actual innate differences, but the point remains women are as equally as strong as (or stronger than) men!

What happens when gay men admit to the experience of being rape victims? And what was the public's take on Lady Gaga making an example of the men in her music video and Oscar performance? I can tell you: Nothing! We totally ignored it. It's not a man's place to admit to such a shameful act because that makes him the equivalent of a woman: weak, feminine and vulnerable. And I focus on gay men, but heterosexual men take advantage of other heterosexual men. Should we believe that this doesn't happen at college fraternities? Perhaps it is part of the pledge process, or it is non-consensual after a night of drinking. Whatever are the moving parts leading up the event, it never discredits the heinous act and who experiences it.

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As a college student more than a decade ago, I lived in a dormitory with a bunch of predominately privileged New Englanders. I didn't possess the language to understand the gender norms and stereotypes, in order to explain why men had to demonstrate their masculinity by speaking and acting in particular ways. I attended a number of frat parties -- and never felt welcomed by them because I was a proud, young gay man (speaking my Brooklynese that they despised). I encountered man on man action at these frat parties, watching the whole scene play out in front of me, and "on the down low."

At Columbia University, which has had plenty of negative media coverage on this very issue, I remember the un-designated "gay" frat house and hearing stories of sexual assault. No one ever acted on it. Nothing was reported to the authorities due to the fear of being re-victimized and stigmatized as "less than a man." Why bring more negative attention to yourself?
The Windy City's message was loud and clear: When you offend us, the repercussions make history.

Last Friday, Republican primary candidate and front-runner Donald Trump was called out on his devious BS, as thousands of protesters forced the cancellation of a scheduled rally. In its own contribution to making America great again, the City of broad shoulders shoved his national campaign tour of divisive fear mongering out of the city.

Chicago, when provoked, has an extensive resume of boldly reintroducing itself with a reminder of its right to protest vitriolic political rhetoric, and to further demand a civic engagement between political candidates and voters that focus more on the substance of our sustenance than the all-too-distracting sizzle of the circus.

Trump's political campaign strategy is the latest rendition of George Wallace's 1968 presidential nomination strategy that intentionally fanned flames of hate and terror, pitting one marginalized group against another, for his own political gain. As such, Wallace's strategy and its subsequent remixes have had a regressive impact on our country's ability to come together and solve problems affecting all of us, regardless of the group with which we choose to identify.

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According to data from Public Policy Polling, nearly half of voting Republicans from the 2016 South Carolina primary wanted undocumented immigrants deported immediately. 30 percent supported barring gays and lesbians from entering the country and believe the Japanese internment during World War II was a good idea. 78 percent percent thought that whites were a superior race. 38 percent percent wished the south would have won the Civil War.

In true dog whistle form, Trump speaks a coded (and not so coded) language that sends a xenophobic message about marginalized groups to one population, silent on one level, but clearly heard and understood (wink-wink) on another. A tried and successful approach that continues to incite division to win elections.

It distracts us from seeing our commonality of cause and effect by wrongly affixing blame for our struggles to each other when, in reality, we are all a collective of victims. Victims of a brilliantly deceitful strategy that obscures and protects the real culprits.

Character matters. The Trump campaign's strategy begs to question whether the candidate's thin sense of morality makes him fit to hold the highest office in the land and have the necessary judgement to perform competently. Yes, Trump has a constitutional right to say what he wants, but that doesn't make it morally right to say. Especially if his statements are intended to incite division by appealing to the fears and frustrations of his electorate base.

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It's a frightening American commentary when a presidential candidate who denies the violence taking place at his rallies, who makes disparaging comments about women, immigrants, African Americans and Muslims, who refuses to repudiate the Ku Klux Klan, who continues to blame the media for exacerbating the tension, who enlists surrogates who refer to the efforts of people that utilize their constitutional right to protest as "punk-ass thuggery", and who offers to pay the legal fees of violent supporters, is perceived, by a considerable portion of the electorate, to be presidential. He seems to be a demagogue who is making America hate again, rather than be great again.

Sadly, as Trump's campaign continues to inspire and expand his base, Wallace's legacy is preserved and extended.

Proudly, not in Chicago.

The Trump campaign incited Chicago to affirm its democracy. Thousands of young activists in attendance stood firm in asserting their worth, courageous in their pursuit to be respected, and diverse as the melting pot this country reflects.

Chicago is immune to the pejorative accusations of violent political protests, with the understanding that "violence only erupts" when the marginalized swing back. "Violence" didn't erupt when a Trump supporter sucker-punched a protester being escorted from a rally by police. "Violence" didn't erupt when a female protester was bounced like a human pin-ball by a group of male Trump supporters.

Chicago isn't new to this, it's true to this.

When a historical lens of race, poverty and oppression is applied, Chicago is ground zero with its extensive history of activism, an expansive list of events and institutions coming about as a result, and an impressive list of alums who cut their activist teeth in these streets and have made significant contributions for the betterment of society. Think: The Chicago Defender, Saul Alinsky, Dr. King's Chicago legacy, the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Jesse Jackson and Rainbow PUSH, The Nation of Islam, Jewish Federation, Harold Washington, Bernie Sanders, President Barack Obama, and the myriad of community development and faith based organizations that have sprung up over the last 60 years as a response to local community xenophobia and government oppression.

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Ironically, a Trump Republican nomination win, may create the political revolution democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has been talking about all along. Donald Trump may be the best thing that ever happened to the American people's political revolution, to the extent that we, the people, because of him, ignited it.
As the gym echoed with 200+ fourth graders collecting their thoughts to begin the question/answer time following a blindness/guide dog presentation I had just concluded, I heard the principal call upon the first questioner. A computerized voice rang out to my right, not asking a question but thanking me for coming and complimenting me for the message I had shared. My heart jumped into my throat as I realized that the child communicating the question through a talking computer was nonverbal and likely had severe disabilities. I had not known that this child was in my audience, but his compliment moved me deeply as it apparently did the larger audience too, given the stillness that settled in among the previously animated nine and ten-year-olds.

Right afterward, the voice of an adult woman inserted itself, telling me that the boy with the computer also had a question. I sat silently, stroking Nacho's forehead and waiting to hear what the child would ask.

Then it happened. I crashed into one of the moments I will never ever forget in this year of service as 2015 Indiana Teacher of the Year. While most of these breathtaking moments had tended to come up with no notice, this one leapt above all others in prominence and profundity. Maybe because of the computerized voice, maybe because I didn't know a special needs child had been listening to me speak, maybe because this was in my old hometown and was thus already emotionally charged, maybe because March is Disability Awareness Month. Whatever the reasons, I can relive each second of what unfolded as if it were happening right now, again and again.

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The nonverbal boy, voicing his inquiry through a robotic speech synthesizer, asked me, "Does it ever get so difficult that you want to give up?"

With tears choking my voice and flooding my eyes, the room emptied to only me and this little boy: not literally, but in every other way that matters. I knew his question arose from a place of struggle, isolation, frustration, sorrow, loneliness, dreaming, immense effort, longing to do things without having to employ such immense effort every single time, friendlessness, wishes, hopes, devastation, unspoken guilt for what his loved ones had to face that they never anticipated, desire to be just like everyone else for once, exhaustion for having to work twice as hard to do even the simplest things and sometimes not even getting close to succeeding. I knew all of this, because in spite of my blessed life that often seems kissed by unwarranted stardust and sparkles, I too carry those very same pervasive realities.

As I stumbled through my tears to answer him, I was aware of an incredible internal pressure squeezing out my words. This little boy did not need to hear a glib, "Yes, but you can do anything you set your mind to doing," or "Sure, but keep up the fight," or "of course, but it always works out." The common word that I was determined to leave out of my answer? "But." That little conjunction for this little boy would minimize his journey. I needed not to be the fixer in this conversation...I needed to be the fellow-traveler. I needed to realize that sometimes, "I understand" is what is needed, not a solution or a formulaic dismissal of his heart's honest cry.

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It doesn't matter what I said to him. It doesn't matter what pieces of his story I put together later when talking to school personnel about the moment. It doesn't matter whether his family ever contacts me after they receive the business card I left with the principal for them. What matters is this. During March of 2016, Disability Awareness Month, I was brought face-to-face with a child whose life will never be easy. He in his courage forced me to remember that my own life has not been easy. The stories of so many are not easy...whose story is? I refuse, however, to dishonor his story and my story and the other stories of those with disabilities by cleaning up the jagged edges of our stories with a litany of "but" "but" "but." Absolutely, I refuse to wallow in that jagged debris, just like that little boy isn't wallowing, but he in his innocence and youth and transparency is the one who had the courage to touch those sharp edges and say to me in front of hundreds of peers, "Sometimes it hurts, doesn't it?"
Teles Pires River.

Olivio Salas was 11 years old when he died. His mother, Adolfina Garcia Sandi, an indigenous Achuar leader from the Corrientes River Basin in the Amazon Rainforest, believes that he died after drinking water that California oil giant Occidental Petroleum had been poisoning for decades. The Achuar had witnessed oil flowing down the river, the source of their water and food. They described their experiences of cutting open fish and watching petroleum spill out. For a long time, the Achuar's complaints were ignored and they felt they had no choice but to suffer deep in the Peruvian Amazon, out of sight and out of mind.

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But lets start at the beginning of the legal battle: In 2006 the Federation of Native Communities of the Corrientes River (FECONACO) asked my organization EarthRights International (ERI) to undertake a mission to the Corrientes River Basin to investigate the social, environmental, and human rights impacts of more than 30 years of petroleum activities. A multinational and multidisciplinary team of human rights lawyers, doctors, nurses, and environmental scientists, traveled to each of the five affected communities, located downriver from an oil concession known as Block 1AB. The team held a community assemblies, interviewed over 60 individuals about the oil operations, took soil and water samples, medical histories and diagnostic medical examinations, including testing for lead concentration in the blood.

We found elevated levels of lead and cadmium in Achuar children's blood and documented other signs of long-term oil pollution.

In 2007, we helped five Achuar communities (Antioquia, Jose Olaya, Nueva Jerusalen, Pampa Hermosa, and Sauki) bring their case to Oxy's own back yard and sue the company in their home state of California. The suit alleged that Oxy dumped toxic by-products and spilled oil, contaminating Achuar territory and water and causing premature deaths, birth defects, and other severe health problems for their people. At EarthRights International we try to take the lead for our legal strategy from the communities we are working with. We don't make decisions about what makes sense for that community, we present the options and it's the communities' choice. In this case, they wanted to take the fight to Oxy's hometown in order to obtain justice for all the years of contamination.

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In 2015, after an 8 year legal battle, a settlement was finally announced. But how do five villages in one of the most remote regions in the world successfully fight one of the largest oil companies in the world?

Throughout the years ERI lawyers traveled to the five communities to hold assemblies to discuss legal strategies regularly. And that's the thing about a case like this: no place is too remote to demand justice. While Oxy, and other oil companies like it, believe that they can get away with hurting environments and people in remote regions of the world, we wanted to send a message that no part of the world is too remote or too difficult to work in to have communities have a real shot at obtaining justice through a legal process.

Working with these communities is of course challenging; the communities are a two day boat ride away from the nearest commercial airport in Peru. Communicating with our clients is also difficult: they have no reliable phone service and no internet access. To us, this was not a deterrent--to the contrary, it was a major reason for us to take the case. As companies scour the earth's most remote corners looking for ever dwindling resources, they must know that they cannot hide from laws and lawyers who protect human rights and demand environmental justice. People like Adolfina, and communities like the Achuar, know that companies like Oxy can run, but they cannot hide.
On March 13, Ukrainian military outposts were attacked 71 times by Russian backed militants in the fiercely contested Eastern region of Ukraine.

While this battle between Russia and Ukraine rages on, the headlines have slowed to a trickle. With all the other major conflicts and crisis in the world, not to mention a heated political season here at home, it's understandable that this seemingly contained conflict would remain below the fold in most news outlets.

But the world still needs to pay attention.

Even further, as Americans we should remain particularly invested in this war between neighbors as it provides a reflection of our own historical battle for freedom from oppression. This is a fight we cannot ignore.

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It's helpful to understand a little about the history between Russia and Ukraine in order to truly comprehend the volatile nature of the current fighting.

Image Credit: evryka/Shutterstock.com

For over 1,000 years the two neighboring countries have existed in a rather tenuous state. Kievan Rus, the established capital of the East Slavic State, can be traced back to the 9th century when Scandinavian Vikings traveled from the north and settled in the fertile soil. Kiev became the capital and for four centuries, this was the dominant land of the Slavic region.

When the Mongols attacked, and defeated, Kievan Rus in the 13th century, power shifted to a northern town called Moscow, and the land surrounding Kievan Rus was sent into a spiral of trade, pushed and pulled from every direction, and in constant battle for her borders.

Known as "little Russia" by the czars, Ukraine became a nation without an identity, influenced in the West by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the East by Russia. The Ukrainian language was banned, the Church was suppressed, and the people were forced to do the bidding of their stronger neighbor to the north.

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At the end of World War I, Ukraine fought briefly for independence, but the bid was short-lived. Outranked, they were grafted into the newly formed Soviet Republic in 1922. In the 1930's, when Ukrainian peasants attempted to fight off Stalin's formation of collective farms, mass executions were instituted, and a famine took hold which killed roughly 10 million people.

It was during World War II that the current tensions between Russia and Ukraine really began to ignite. When the Nazi's invaded Ukraine, many people initially welcomed them with open arms, hopeful that these Germans invaders would free them from Soviet oppression.

In the West, known as the Galicia district, guerrilla warfare ran rampant as fierce nationalists fought against both the Nazis and the Red Army in an attempt to finally gain their own independence.

Ukraine is a country that captured me as a young girl. Fascinated with the history and stories, I've spent the last twenty years studying the culture, the language, and the background of the Ukrainian people.

In 2003, I traveled to Ukraine for the fourth time, and I spent a month touring throughout the region, speaking personally with hundreds of World War II veterans along the way.

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In my travels, I met a man named Oleg Dmitrievich who shared with me his memories of those dark years known as the "Great Patriotic War." When he told me of his experience fighting against the Ukrainian nationalists in the West, his face darkened, and his fists tightened.

"War is ugly," he said, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "It makes good men do terrible things. Freedom is a desire for all of us, yes, but shedding the blood of your own countrymen for freedom is a terrible task for any man to live with."

Technically a free nation since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has never quite been able to break free from Russia. President Vladimir Putin has long kept the nation under his thumb.

With the annexation of Crimea, and the continual fighting in the East, Ukraine is a constant reminder to us all that freedom is never free. It comes with a price, and Ukrainians are paying that price with the blood of their countrymen - a terrible task, indeed.

As a country also founded on the blood of men who fought for independence from oppression, the plight of the Ukrainians should remain ever at the forefront of our minds. We must remember the struggle we faced to gain independence, the blood that was shed on our own land in the name of freedom, and we must willingly stand alongside those who are fighting for the same.

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We must not forget.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C., Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

There has been escalating violence at Donald Trump rallies--incident after incident of protesters getting shouted down with crude, offensive language as well as getting shoved, punched, kicked, tackled, stripped of their signs, dragged by their hair, and more.

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On Friday, Trump canceled a rally in Chicago amid a vigorous protest where protesters clashed with rally-goers.

Donald Trump calls off Chicago rally following violent clashes.



Read more: https://t.co/SEEWlof6dH#TrumpRally https://t.co/om4I7jzGr4  BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 12, 2016

We haven't seen political violence like this in America in years.

Just saw a clip of a Korean War vet (in uniform) repeatedly shoving a protestor at a Trump rally. Saddest thing I've ever witnessed? Close.  Fluent In 4chan (@LilMissRightie) March 10, 2016

The fact that people are cheering so much every time someone gets kicked out is disturbing. #trumprally #trumprallychi  Lauren Mialki (@laurenmialki) March 11, 2016

(And in case you're wondering, similar things are happening in other countries too.)

Trump surrogates say this disturbing trend isn't Trump's fault.

.@kayleighmcenany on chaos in Chicago: This is not Donald Trump's fault Watch live online: https://t.co/7NIoJaibIf. https://t.co/tJB7pKZ9f0  Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) March 12, 2016

And if you do protest, you get what's coming to you.

But Trump is enjoying every second of this. Absolutely basking in it.

Trump on protesters: "it makes it more exciting."  tonydokoupil (@tonydokoupil) March 13, 2016

Here's the thing: The violence at Trump rallies is absolutely Donald Trump's fault.

i hold in my hands, a take-- about the media's growing, palpable fear of political violence https://t.co/Q2b7behQS6 pic.twitter.com/HUkBMR1DMl  Brendan James (@deep_beige) March 14, 2016

There are angry, impassioned people all along the political spectrum, supporting every candidate. Trump supporters are particularly hateful, and particularly violent, precisely because he models the behavior he wants to see. He spurs it on, laughs about it, and rewards it.

Protesters trying to shut down free speech are fascists at heart. Just because I don't like Trump doesn't change that math.  Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 13, 2016

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Trump fuels both violent rhetoric AND physical violence. Here's how.

1. "There used to be consequences"

Many already suspect Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again" is code for "it would be great if we went back to a time when white men were clearly in charge." And Trump's crusade against political correctness often sounds like a campaign against tolerance and respect for minorities, a way of shutting down accusations of bigotry and sexism.

Listen to Trump justify violence and link it to his supporters' anti-PC stance:

"They're being politically correct the way they take them out. Protesters, they realize there are no consequences to protesting anymore. There used to be consequences. There are none anymore."



This is Trump basically giving his supporters permission to dole out "consequences" to protesters, so they get what they really deserve.

When protestors are called "dangerous" but the racist, xenophobic, misogynistic man they're protesting against isn't. #TrumpRallyChi  rachel ni fhearaigh (@rachnifhearaigh) March 12, 2016

2. "Our country has to toughen up"

Here's Trump calling protesters at his rallies "these people" who are "bad for our country" and "bringing us down," and justifying violence against them by saying, simply, "we have to toughen up":

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"Our country has to toughen up, folks. We have to toughen up. These people are bringing us down. They are bringing us down. These people are so bad for our country, you have no idea."



BTW, he said this at a rally in St. Louis, Missouri, not far from Ferguson, where intense Black Lives Matter protests have raged numerous times in the past 18 months over racial inequality and disproportionately high rates of police brutality against black men and women.

Many--though far from all--of protesters at Trump rallies have been black, and numerous protesters of color have been roughed up.

He has also talked, in a mocking tone, about "being gentle" to protesters.

2. "People are angry"

"The people are angry. ... They're not angry about something I'm saying. I'm just the messenger."

That's Trump explaining away his supporters' violent rhetoric and actions and excusing his own role: They're angry, and hey, don't look at me, I'm just the messenger.

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When children are angry and act out physically or lash out verbally, parents and teachers show them how to channel their frustrations in constructive ways. Trump does the opposite with his supporters: He eggs them on and tells the world to excuse them because they're angry and passionate. (While calling angry and passionate anti-Trump protesters "very bad.")

3. "I'd like to punch him in the face"

A Trump supporter sucker-punched a protester at a rally (and later threatened to kill him if he showed up again). Trump's response? For one thing, he said this:

"I'd like to punch him in the face."

And not only that--he also justified and celebrated the punching of the protester:

"He was a guy who was swinging, very loud, and he started swinging. And you know what? The audience swung back, and it was very appropriate. He was swinging, he was hitting people, and the audience hit back. That's what we need a little bit more of."



This is a stark, unsubtle directive to followers: We need "more" hitting back at protesters.

Oh, and was this protester "swinging" before he got punched? There's no evidence that he was. The Trump supporter started throwing punches at a protester, Rakeem Jones, who was being led out by security. Jones wasn't swinging at anyone.

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And Trump didn't stop there. He also said this about Rakeem Jones:

"Maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing."



And after Bernie Sanders let Black Lives Matter demonstrators briefly take over an event, Trump vowed he'd never let that happen at one of his own events--because he'd beat them up himself if his supporters didn't:

"I don't know if I'll do the fighting myself, or if other people will."

In Trump logic, it's "bad" and "disgusting" to protest Trump. But if you protest a protester by hitting them, that's just anger and passion showing through. And he might just get violent himself, but if he doesn't, surely someone will do it for him, hint hint nudge nudge. Got it?

4. "Knock the hell out of them. I promise you I will pay for the legal fees"

Trump doesn't only use rhetoric to stoke violence. He uses his wallet, too. He explicitly told Trump rally-goers to go ahead and target protesters and not worry about it because he'd take care of their legal fees. Here's what he said:

"If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, OK? Just knock the hell -- I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise. They won't be so much, because the courts agree with us too -- what's going on in this country."



And he's not kidding. When asked about this promise later in a TV interview, Trump said:

"I've actually instructed my people to look into it, yes."

Calling all impassioned, angry, violent Trump backers! When you see a protester you think is maybe possibly about to throw a tomato or something, go ahead and "knock the crap out them," and I'll pay your legal fees!

5. "I've been a little childish"

Trump has admitted his language can be "a little childish."

But for years now, Trump has played bully and has used name-calling to denigrate political rivals and others whose views he doesn't like. His favorite epithets are "dummy," "dopey," "stupid," "loser," "liar," and "sad!"

Kids themselves recognize that he's rude and crude.

Name-calling and shaming are well-documented types of verbal and emotional bullying, known to cause psychological and emotional problems in victims.

According to our future president, Ted Cruz is a pussy & Mitt Romney would have blown him if he'd asked.  David Roberts (@drvox) March 3, 2016

Sometimes Trump sneakily mocks people by saying something cruel by saying he's not saying it.

I refuse to call Megyn Kelly a bimbo, because that would not be politically correct. Instead I will only call her a lightweight reporter!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2016

Trump launching into another criticism of Jeb: "I was going to say dummy' Bush, I wont say it."  Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 26, 2016

Aggressive behaviors ranging from taunting all the way to threatening physical violence are bullying, plain and simple. These are trademark Donald Trump behaviors, and many of his supporters are using them at his events. This is violent rhetoric. He's the head bully, and his supporters follow his lead.

Trump is the real victim here. Trump's violent rhetoric leading to his supporters' fists running into protester's heads - not his fault.  K. Alexander Ashe (@ka_ashe) March 13, 2016

What we're seeing happening at Trump events is the classic cycle of what happens when you're "actively engaging with bullies or cheering them on":

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"It also encourages the antisocial behavior of the bully. Over time, it puts the bystanders at risk of becoming desensitized to cruelty or becoming full-fledged bullies themselves. If bystanders see the bully as a popular, strong, daring role model, they are more likely to imitate the bully."



This is the Trump effect. His supporters see him as strong, a leader who tells it like it is, who represents the angry, "silent majority." They cheer him on. And they've become not only blind to his cruelty--they enjoy it, they cheer at it--and they imitate it.

Like telling protesters to "Go to Auschwitz":

And "Go back to Africa":

Reminder you probably don't need: These are things that were actually said by the guy who is far and away the front-runner for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

This article was written by Holly Epstein Ojalvo and originally appeared on Kicker. Kicker explains the most important, compelling things going on in the world and empowers you to get in the know, make up your own mind, and take action. For more, check out the Kicker site, like their Facebook page, or subscribe to their email newsletter.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (3rd L) speaks as (L-R) Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), and Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) listen during a news briefing after the weekly Republican policy luncheon March 8, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Senate Republicans held the weekly luncheon to discuss GOP agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Three phrases propelled the Trump candidacy to the head of the pack: Red-mapping, front-loading and obstructing. In 2010 the Republican Party began implementing their gerrymandering strategy for the creation of a permanent majority in Congress. Through the commandeering of majorities, in most of the state legislatures across the country the republican establishment was able to create permanent conservative congressional strongholds. By creating, perpetual republican districts the party shifted its political center to the far right. The institutionalization of the hard right through dozens of elections to congress, through the Tea Party movement, created an untenable governing scenario which anchored the GOP too far out of reach of the bipartisan center. This led to the further concretization of the majority of republican voters' dissatisfaction with party leadership. Traditional conservatives, incorrectly, read the tea leaves resulting in equating voter rejection of the mainstream with an appetite for an ultra conservative response. This miscalculation allowed Donald Trump to craft a more centrist message -- "I Win." The consummate deal-maker is going to deal us out of our decline; not obstruct Washington but beat Washington. He created a new hard right flank on the issue of immigration and wrapped his message in an authoritarian and xenophobic tone and his campaign lit on fire.

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This Republican tragic comedy is ripe with irony and here's where one of those instances comes into play: The potency of Trump's appeal isn't just his hard-right position on immigration, it is his brand as a winning deal-maker; the polar opposite of the M.O. of the hard-right flank in congress and their electoral base. Republican populists now want someone who will make deals, albeit in the name of winning. Even Trump's signature position of building "the wall" is qualified by the compromise of a "big beautiful door." Similarly, take the issue of Obamacare. Trump's position, in fact the position of much of the Republican leadership, has morphed into the compromise of "repeal and replace." This is a tacit concession that Obama was correct on the need, but wrong on the methods to fixing our broken health care system. Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans neither acknowledged, nor accepted the premise that there must be any government intervention in the nation's health care delivery system. The Trump bleeding heart mantra that he "will not let people die in the streets" has, apparently not hurt him politically in any quantifiable way.

Without either knowing or articulating the breadth and depth of his reasoning behind calling Karl Rove, the famed W. strategist, a loser Trump hit the nail on the head. He referred to Mr. Rove as a loser because of his super PAC's electoral failures. More poignantly, Red-mapping, the republican gerrymandering plan, was originally conceived by Karl Rove and has now backfired on the establishment.

The second ingredient in the "Trump Souffle," was the rejiggering of the Republican presidential primary calendar, more popularly referred to as front-loading. This move was intended to push the south and conservatives into a more prominent standing on the Republican electoral calendar. This was also intended to work to the advantage of conservatives and the establishment. The south would set the conservative tone for the party, provide a clear path for the establishment candidate(s) and avoid a long protracted primary fight that goes right up to the convention. Second Irony: with front-loading, the Republican establishment has all but guaranteed a primary fight that not only goes up to the convention but engulfs the convention itself, making it the final Republican primary. This calendar has labored fiercely to undergird Trump's electoral momentum and now the establishment has no choice but to set booby traps to derail the Trump express; the Kasich trap in Ohio and the Rubio trap in Florida. In an unprecedented move in modern political history, the Republican establishment is now desperately trying to deny its probable nominee the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination. In typical fashion, however, Republicans have decided after all of their colossal strategic failures, many of which were powered by rewriting rules, to rewrite the rules of selecting their nominee. With a brokered convention the establishment takes the party back from its voters and further alienates a huge segment of the already dissatisfied electorate.

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The final ingredient is simple obstruction. Upon Senator Obama's ascendancy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), the de facto leader of the then defeated Republican Party immediately declared:

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one term president."

Notwithstanding the fact that obstructionism was the order of day from day one, the strategy failed miserably. President Obama won a second term, handily. But ignoring Einstein's precept;

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results."

may result in the voters rebelling, again. Republicans never shifted gears and moved to the bipartisan middle after the second defeat at the hands of Obama. They remained stanch obstructionists, in large measure due to the fanatical right cemented through Red-mapping. What remains to be seen is whether voters will reward strategic obstinacy, in the face of repeated failures.

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Trump has brilliantly juxtaposed his "I Win" brand with both the Republican Congress' failures to make winning deals and Republican presidential nominees' failure to win elections. Nothing could have been better orchestrated for Trump than what happened organically, this cycle: the Former nominee, Mitt Romney stepping, directly, into Trump's line of sight. Trump's success is a repudiation of Republican electoral, legislative and presidential governance failures over the course of the past 15 years. He has successfully framed the Republican narrative as a cohort of losers at every turn. President Bush and Iraq, Senator McCain and his failure as a serviceman and to beat President Obama in 2008, Romney's failure to beat Obama in 2012, the Congressional Republican leadership's failure to prevent Obamacare and now the failure of this latest crop of 16 Republican primary opponents to beat him.
TOPSHOT - A nun of ?the Missionaries of Charity decorates a picture of Mother Teresa prior to a special prayer service at Mother House in Kolkata on December 18, 2015. Mother Teresa, set to become a saint after the Vatican announced recognition of her second miracle, became a global symbol of compassion for her care of the sick and destitute. / AFP / DIBYANGSHU SARKAR (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

On September 4 of this year, Mother Teresa will become Saint Teresa. This is unsurprising; she was beatified in 2003, which is sort of a one-way road to canonization. But it's the last thing we need. She was no saint.

To canonize Mother Teresa would be to seal the lid on her problematic legacy, which includes forced conversion, questionable relations with dictators, gross mismanagement, and actually, pretty bad medical care. Worst of all, she was the quintessential white person expending her charity on the third world -- the entire reason for her public image, and the source of immeasurable scarring to the postcolonial psyche of India and its diaspora.

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A 2013 study from the University of Ottawa dispelled the "myth of altruism and generosity" surrounding Mother Teresa, concluding that her hallowed image did not stand up to the facts, and was basically the result of a forceful media campaign from an ailing Catholic Church.

Although she had 517 missions in 100 countries at the time of her death, the study found that hardly anyone who came seeking medical care found it there. Doctors observed unhygienic, "even unfit," conditions, inadequate food, and no painkillers -- not for lack of funding, in which Mother Theresa's world-famous order was swimming, but what the study authors call her "particular conception of suffering and death."

"There is something beautiful in seeing the poor accept their lot, to suffer it like Christ's Passion. The world gains much from their suffering," Mother Teresa once told the unamused Christopher Hitchens.

Even within the bounds of Christian notions of blessed meekness, what kind of perverse logic underlies such thinking?

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The answer, unsurprisingly, given the locale of her work, is racist colonialism. Despite the 100 countries' missions, and her Albanian birthplace, Mother Teresa is of India and India begat Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. And there, she became what the historian Vijay Prashad dubbed "the quintessential image of the white woman in the colonies, working to save the dark bodies from their own temptations and failures. "

Her image is entirely circumscribed by colonial logic: that of the white savior shining a light on the world's poorest brown people.

Mother Teresa was a martyr -- not for India's and the global South's poor -- but for white, bourgeois guilt. (As Prashad says, it functioned as this instead of, not on top of, a "genuine challenge to those forces that produce and maintain poverty.")

And how did she even help said brown people? Dubiously if at all. She had a persistent "ulterior motive" to convert some of India's most vulnerable and sick to Christianity, as the chief of a Hindu nationalist NGO said last year. There are even a number of accounts that she and her nuns tried to baptize the dying.

The cross-examination of the nun's legacy would seem petty were it not for the Church's breathless campaign to make her into something more.

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This campaign started during her own life, when the anti-abortion British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge made Mother Teresa's public image his singular cross to bear, first through a hagiographic 1969 documentary and then with a 1971 book. He set into motion a public resolve to situate her in the "realm of myth" rather than of history.

Her posthumous beatification was undertaken with the ardency of someone who doesn't want to get caught. Pope John Paul II waived the normal five-year waiting period after her death for her beatification process to begin and launched it just a year after she died.

You would think that a woman who called for such extraordinary measures was singularly reproachless. Yet Mother Teresa hobnobbed, during her lifetime, with notorious despots like Haiti's Jean-Claude Duvalier (from whom she accepted the Legion d'Honneur in 1981) and Albania's Enver Hoxha.

Look, none of this is particularly new. Much of it surfaced in 2003, when she was beatified, and in Christopher Hitchens's polemic, and in Tariq Ali's documentary, "Hell's Angel." This is not to speak ill of the dead.
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders addresses a 'Future to Believe In' rally at the Family Areana on March 14, 2016 in St. Charles, Missouri. / AFP / Michael B. Thomas (Photo credit should read MICHAEL B. THOMAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Lloyd Blankfein -- Goldman Sachs CEO -- called Sanders "dangerous." Goldman Sachs, the largest purchaser of credit default swaps from AIG, got two bailouts for the record -- one from the government and one from AIG. Sure, companies on Wall Street like Goldman Sachs ran our economy into the ground, but Sanders is the dangerous one. Sanders' financial transaction tax would actually help prevent crises like Goldman Sachs helped cause by reducing volatility in trading. Countries with this tax in place before the 2008 financial crisis were some of the least effected by it.

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Sanders' College for All Act calls for the federal government to provide 67 percent of the cost of tuition-free public colleges and asks the states to pay the remaining 33 percent. So, it is likely that not all public colleges will actually be tuition-free even if Sanders' entire plan is enacted. Instead, states friendly to the idea will opt in to the plan and make their public colleges tuition-free -- much like the funding of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. So, students that live in the states that opt in and students who migrate to establish citizenship in states that opt in will have access to tuition-free public colleges. All accomplished without raising taxes on everyday Americans by one dime.

It is unclear how Wall Street will react to Bernie's speculation tax. His proposal calls for a .5 percent tax on stocks trades, a .1 percent tax on bond trades and a .005 percent tax on derivative trades. Every $10,000 of stock trades would result in the government collecting $50. This is done to discourage high-frequency trading, which generates billions of dollars for certain investors. High-frequency trading also has been accused of giving an unfair advantage in the market to large trading firms. Critics of Sanders' plan point out that Wall Street may shift to investing through options and find other ways around the tax. However, in 2011 forty countries had a version of Sanders' financial transaction tax in place and it raised $38 billion. His tax can raise money and if successful will provide a valuable service to the nation.

The world of finance, of course, crows at the idea of a financial transaction tax. Bankers see the idea as one of naive idealists who do not understand the inner workings of financial institutions. However, it is the oldest tax still in existence in the United Kingdom, was advocated for by economist John Maynard Keynes himself and even existed in the United States up until 1966. Sanders' plan is grounded in reality. Countries all over the world have or are adopting a tax similar to his Wall Street speculation tax. We should put ours back in place at Sanders' recommended taxation levels.

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Thomas Friedman, a journalist for the New York Times newspaper, leaves a morning session during the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Technology companies from Silicon Valley are expected to take center stage at this year's Allen & Co.'s Sun Valley conference as tech and media converge. Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In "The Lexus and the Olive Tree," published at the height of the globalization era in 2000, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman contrasted two visions competing for influence. One embraced the principles of free markets, free trade and free immigration (the Lexus), which would create a more prosperous world free of conflicts between ethnic groups, religions and nations.

The other promoted the anachronistic values of identity (the Olive Tree) driving a political backlash against globalization, calling for restrictions on the flow of capital, goods and people, and celebrating various forms of tribalism.

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Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall and end of the apartheid regime in South Africa, Friedman was hopeful in 2000 that the conflict between Jews and Arabs would also come to an end. Once the Lexus defeated the Olive Tree, young Israelis and Palestinians would be forming startups and making money in Tel Aviv and Ramallah instead of fighting over their respective holy sites in Jerusalem.

Fast-forward 15 years, with young Israelis and Palestinians still fighting over holy Jewish and Muslim sites, and the migrant crisis overtaking Europe. Europeans are now said to be studying the separation barrier built by Israel in the West Bank, as well as the fence it erected along its border with Egypt.

Billionaire Donald Trump, who has emerged as the leading Republican presidential candidate thanks in part to his pledge to deport more than 11 million illegal immigrants, has also hailed the effectiveness of the Israeli wall in the West Bank and pledged to build a similar one along the border with Mexico. "It's gonna be a great wall," Trump says at campaign stops, insisting that he would force Mexico to foot the bill for what the media are already calling the Trump Wall.

In a way, "Friedmanism" or "globalism" -- the grand theory that the economic forces of globalization would overcome nationalism and ethnic and religious conflicts proved to be an illusion, just as other notions of economic determinism -- Marxism being the prime example -- failed to materialize.

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The Economic Man did not defeat the Political Man.

Humans desire to preserve their individual identity, to have wings to fly and to gain economic freedom. But they also want to belong to a group, to maintain a sense of collective identity, to have roots in the past. When these two colliding needs are not in balance, a political backlash to achieve new equilibrium is inevitable.

From that perspective, the current immigration crises in Europe and in North America can be regarded as both outcomes and responses to attempts by Western elites to promote the globalism agenda.

Hence the ousting of Saddam Hussein and the "liberation" of Iraq were part of a fantasy to "export" democracy to Mesopotamia and to remake the Middle East along liberal lines. The so-called Arab Spring was then integrated into this globalism narrative and portrayed initially as a movement headed by young westernized Facebook users demonstrating in Tahrir Square.

But the result was the collapse of the status quo, and the unleashing of ethnic, sectarian and tribal conflicts that have ignited bloody civil wars, horrific violence, and Sunni and Shiite fundamentalism.

The migrants fleeing the region to Europe are the direct victims of this failed globalism project. In turn, they are stirring a political backlash on the continent in the form of nationalism and even racism that have given birth to political movements advancing anti-immigration policies and challenging the universal principles of the European Union.

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In some respects, similar if less explosive trends have led to the rise of Trumpism, reflecting a political backlash on the part of many white Americans who sense that their identity and economic well-being are being threatened by legal and illegal Latino immigrants transforming the country's dominant Anglo culture and creating a semblance of a bilingual society.

The rising flow of illegal immigrants into the United States was partly a consequence of another globalization process: the integration of the American and Mexican economies through the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA, backed by the business community, essentially called for legalizing the status of the 11 million illegal immigrants.

It's not surprising therefore that Trumpists -- not unlike supporters of the National Front in France -- believe they are threatened by a pro-immigration lobby that includes businesses and upper-class types in search of cheap labor, and multiculturalists on the left.
Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at a rally at the Nelson-Mulligan Carpenters' Training Center on March 12, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri.Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton issued a stern warning to Trump after tensions boiled over in Chicago, just days before a crucial new round of presidential nomination votes on Tuesday. / AFP / Michael B. Thomas (Photo credit should read MICHAEL B. THOMAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump is attacking the established order from the right while Bernie is attacking it from the left. Democracy is in danger!

So goes the mainstream media message as the cameras pan to scuffles between Trump and Sanders supporters. Increasingly the campaigns are portrayed as a threat to basic American institutions and values. Meanwhile, these polarities are used to reinforce the notion that Hillary Clinton is the rational alternative to these extremists.

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Columnist Paul Krugman, for example, promotes the pairing of Sanders and Trump when he writes:

"And yes, we're starting to see hints from that [Sanders] movement of the ugliness that has long been standard operating procedure on the right: bitter personal attacks on anyone who questions the campaign's premises, an increasing amount of demagogy from the campaign itself."

It is true that many Trump and Sanders supporters indeed are vociferously rebelling against the established economic and political order. But Trump himself, like Hillary Clinton, supports the basic tenants of the neo-liberalism that has dominated American politics since the late 1970s. They are part of the same established order.

Bernie is not.

The False Promises of Neo-liberalism

Starting in the late 1970s both political parties adopted similar economic theories popularized by University of Chicago economist Milton Freedman. He argued that the economy would prosper only if severe cuts were made in taxes, regulations and government social programs.

This theory was first tested in Chile after the American-led coup against Salvador Allende. After mixed results, it was brought home to New York City during the 1975 fiscal crisis. At that point debt was privileged over the well-being of the city. Cutbacks in social services became the order of the day. Social interventions like the 1960s War on Poverty were off the table.

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Deregulation of industry and finance began during the Carter administration and then accelerated during the Reagan and Clinton administrations. The Democrats joined hands with Reagan to dramatically reduce tax cuts on the wealthy. And they embarked on a forty-year campaign to successfully compete for Wall Street campaign contributions. Along the way nearly every Wall Street government regulation was removed or weakened until the 2007 financial crash.

Similarly, more than enough Democrats joined with Republicans to pass ambitious trade bills that put American workers in direct competition with low-wage labor throughout the world. Millions of middle class industrial jobs soon vanished and the wage race to the bottom commenced.

Both parties also agreed to cutback government jobs. "The era of big government is over," declared President Clinton. President Obama too has cut government jobs in the name of fiscal prudence. Today, no politician dares to say, for example, that government employment should be increased in heavily depressed areas to lower youth unemployment.

In the name of economic efficiency and growth, neo-liberalism led quickly to runaway inequality. Compared to the average worker, the remuneration of the top 100 CEOs jumped form $45 to $1 in 1970 to a whopping $844 to $1 in 2014.

On foreign affairs, both parties supported, and continue to support, the projection of American might to secure global corporate interests. The "Washington Consensus" was pushed onto the developing world to make sure struggling countries, first and foremost, repaid their debts to U.S. financial interests while reducing badly needed services to its own citizens. Military intervention to enhance and preserve U.S power, continued unabated. Note how few Democrats opposed the ginned up war in Iraq.

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While the two parties overlapped heavily to deepen neoliberal economic polices, they kept their identities through social issues -- abortion, gay marriage, guns, and voter rights.

Today, neo-liberalism has become a mind-set, the natural order of things, the conventional wisdom: Government bad. Private sector good. Rising inequality? Get a piece off the top if you can.

Trump --the Xenophobic Neoliberal

For all his bluster about trade, immigration, failed wars and political corruption, Trump still operates within the neoliberal framework. He wants to cuts taxes on corporations. He thinks workers' wages are too high. He opposes the rise in the minimum wage. Yes, he wants better trade deals, but for whom? He is threatening to raise tariffs on companies, like the Carrier Corporation, that are moving abroad. But will he really support workers over the interests of corporate investors? The jury is out.

And he has made crystal clear with his comments on health care, that his plan will increase the role of the private insurance industry.

While he rightfully argues that the Iraq war destabilized the entire Middle East, he shows every intention of continuing our interventionist posture. He wants to unleash the military from "political correctness" so that it can go after ISIS more forcefully. That will require more than just water-boarding. It will mean putting boots on the ground. Projecting U.S. power is likely to be key to his macho self-image. He wants a "military so strong no one will mess with us."

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Clinton -- the Neoliberal Hawk

While Hillary comes from the more liberal wing of the neoliberal establishment, she does not break with its basic philosophy. She also believes in corporate tax cuts -- tax cuts to encourage them to bring jobs to the U.S. She calls them "incentives." She wants corporations to invest more in depressed neighborhoods. More incentives. She wants more investment in clean energy. Still more incentives.

Right in line with neo-liberalism, she vigorously opposes key reforms that Wall Street also abhors -- No new Glass-Steagall. No financial speculation tax. No break-ups of big banks. But it's ok to take millions in speaking fees and campaign donations.

She also makes no mention of increased spending on government programs to reduce poverty. She doesn't want free higher education at public colleges and universities and she doesn't want a $15 an hour minimum wage. She doesn't want Medicare for All. And she makes no mention about increasing inner city public jobs even though such jobs have historically allowed African-Americans to enter the middle-class. Clearly, for Hillary, the days of big government are still over.



Hillary Clinton may be even more of an interventionist than Trump. She has little difficulty in using American might to topple governments, and then using more U.S. resources to cope with the ensuing instability. Iraq, Libya, Syria.

As we find out more about her role in Libya we can see her mind grappling with power politics. According to Ellen Hall, a careful reading of Hillary's emails shows that her aim was not humanitarian. Regime change was about stopping the Libyan effort to develop a new pan-African currency and economic union that threatened international banking: "[V]iolent intervention was not chiefly about the security of the people. It was about the security of global banking, money and oil."

Bernie: The neoliberal wrecking machine

Unlike Trump and Clinton, Sanders entirely rejects the neoliberal model. Instead of tax cuts and "incentives" he want to increase taxes on the superrich. He wants a financial speculation tax to pay for free higher education at public colleges and universities. He wants to put his foot hard on the neck of Wall Street with a new Glass Steagall and by breaking up the biggest banks. He wants Medicare for All, instead of continued reliance on private insurance companies. And he wants America to stop with regime change and coups.

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Bernie is the antithesis of the neoliberal order. That's why the press will try to pair him up with Trump and propagate the left-right threat to democratic civility.

So while Trump rails against the media, they give him more and more coverage. But when it comes to Bernie, quiet is better unless they can make him look like an extremist, or someone who will tax everyone into the ground or someone who is misleading young people with unrealistic proposals.

While the media floods the airwaves with polls, they rarely mention the string of polls that show Bernie with enormous leads over Trump.

Taking on the neoliberal order doesn't come easy. Let's hope the American people have the staying power to remove its yoke.

Les Leopold, the director of the Labor Institute in New York is working with unions, worker centers and community organization to build a national economics educational campaign. His latest book, Runaway Inequality: An Activist's Guide to Economic Justice (Oct 2015), is a text for that effort. All proceeds go to support this educational campaign. (Please like the Runaway Inequality page on Facebook.)
There's a lot of talk about the negative influence of business in politics. We know what happens when business leaders manipulate politicians for their economic gain.

The marriage between business and politics is kind of like that dysfunctional couple we all know and tolerate. They have a long history together, but it's become a marriage of self-interest, with both parties continually trying to get their way. Instead of making each other better, they make each other worse.

I live in Atlanta, the city that in 1966 was dubbed "too busy to hate."

Apparently, now that's changed. It appears that our state legislators now seem to have plenty of time to marginalize people they deem unfit. Earlier this month the Georgia state senate passed a bill that could lead to businesses refusing services to same-sex couples. House Bill 757 would allow business owners to cite religious beliefs in refusing goods or services for a "matrimonial ceremony."

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Here's where the business leaders come in. Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff has threatened to relocate the 15,000 person Salesforce technology conference scheduled for May in Atlanta.

During a recent earnings call Benioff announced that the company would decrease its investments in Georgia following the passing of an anti-LGBT bill that would allow for individuals to use religion as an excuse for discrimination.

Benioff (@Benioff) polled his 206,00 Twitter followers:

Should Salesforce move www.salesforce.com/connections/ if @JoshMcKoon's anti gay bill 757 passes the Georgia legislator?

Eighty percent of people said Salesforce should divest from Georgia.

The city that once was too busy to hate now looks like George Wallace standing on the courthouse steps, proclaiming "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

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As a 30-year resident of Georgia and a business owner whose business partner and husband is a 4th generation Georgian, all I can say is -REALLY?

Is this what we want our state known for?

Think about history. Can you think of a single incident in which a marginalized group of people fought for their rights, and the people who oppressed them emerged as the heroes?

That never happens. Time and time again - the suffragettes, civil rights, whoever the under represented group is, the people who marginalize them always wind up looking like fools.

Marc Benioff has actually done the Georgia legislators a huge favor. He's given them a business incentive for doing the right thing. Legislators are elected to represent the interests of their state, and a big interest in Georgia is business.

Benioff joins several Georgia businesses, including AT&T (NYSE: T), Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: CCE), The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) and United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS), who also oppose the bill.

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Atlanta is the home of the Martin Luther King Center. It's worth reminding people that as much everyone loves to love Dr. King now, his ideas weren't always so popular.

I travel, a lot, both in the country and out of it. I take pride in telling people I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. I don't want us to be the state that is clinging to old prejudices.

As Benioff tweeted recently: Let's keep Georgia on the right side of history.
By Rebecca Endicott, writer at LittleThings

It may still feel like the depths of winter, but with March almost here, everyone is getting ready to celebrate the start of spring.

Some people count spring from Groundhog Day in February, others folks call it when the first crocus blooms, but if you ask me, you know for sure that spring is right around the corner when St. Patrick's Day arrives!

Every year, this holiday arrives in a burst of green and gold fanfare. After all, whether or not you have any Irish heritage, there's no better way to celebrate all things green, from the Emerald Isle to the heartwarming bravery of the first spring shoots.

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The tradition started small, but these days, it's one of the biggest parties of the year. From celebrating with creative cakes like this shamrock confection to staging massive parades through our cities, we just love St. Paddy!

But did you ever wonder where all of those storied traditions came from?

In fact, here in America, we're actually way more over-the-top with our celebrations of St. Patrick's Day than the Irish are! So much so that, at times, we may not even know the story behind all of the celebratory rituals and symbols of the day!

So where did all of our favorite traditions for March 17 originate? Check out a few of the answers in the gallery below.

1. St. Patrick

Who is this St. Patrick character anyway? First and foremost, he's Ireland's chief patron saint, responsible in Catholic Christianity for looking after the interests of the country.

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Beyond that, not much is known for certain, but scholars believe that St. Patrick was English, but was captured by pirates and brought to Ireland as a boy.

He escaped, but returned years later, and began to preach throughout the countryside.

2. Snakes

Of course, most people know St. Patrick for a miracle attributed to him. Legend has it that St. Patrick banished all of the snakes from Ireland when some interrupted him during a fast.

In fact, fossil records prove that Ireland, as an island, has never had any snakes, but we like St. Patrick's story better!

3. Shamrocks

Everyone associate shamrocks with the luck of the Irish, particularly the ultra-rare four-leaf variety.

In fact, shamrocks initially became important symbols because they had just three leaves; lots of people believed that the three leaves symbolized the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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4. Leprechauns

The leprechaun is an ancient figure in Gaelic mythology, closely related to stories about the Tuatha De Danann, or Fair Folk.

Legend has it that a leprechaun, like a genie, would grant three wishes if caught.

They didn't appear much in mythology until the 19th century, when waves of Irish immigration to America popularized and solidified our current image of a little green man with a pot of gold.

5. The Color Green

Everyone knows that the color green is associated with St. Patrick's Day. At this point, most of us don't even think to question it!

However, there are a couple of theories about why it's so important for this holiday.

One is the association with Ireland, often called the "Emerald Isle" for its lush green environment.

The other is that the holiday falls at the start of spring, which is always associated with green, growing things.

6. Corned Beef and Cabbage

If you have Irish heritage, you probably grew up looking forward to nights when Mom would serve corned beef and cabbage or Irish Boiled Supper, but you may not have known that it isn't really an Irish meal!

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The original Irish version was salted bacon and cabbage, but Irish immigrants to America didn't have much access to bacon.

They substituted corned beef instead, and a brand-new Irish-American tradition was born.

7. Guinness

Guinness is the famous dark brown stout introduced by Irish brewer Arthur Guinness in the 1750s. It has a long history as a part of Irish culture, particularly in times of privation.

At times in Irish and Irish-American history, the malted barley brew was safer to drink than water, and could provide a healthy helping of calories when food was tight.

As a result, the drink is now used to celebrate everything that the Irish overcame!

8. Parades and Parties

And of course, where there's beer, there's bound to be a party!

Though St. Patrick's day is mostly celebrated as a quiet religious holiday in Ireland, here in the states, it's an excuse to throw a big festival and celebrate our pride in our national Irish heritage!

For Americans, the wonderful thing about St. Patrick's Day is that it has become another part of our melting pot experience.

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Even if you don't have a drop of Irish heritage, it's still a wonderful day to celebrate the American dream and our unique national identity, comprised of dozens of different cultures.

If you love celebrating St. Paddy's Day, make sure to SHARE with friends and family who want to know more about the traditions that come with the holiday!

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Truth or Dare?

If you're an adrenaline seeker, you must check out Ferrari World. Located in Abu Dhabi, this is the largest indoor amusement park in the world.

How to Get There:

Uber. Friendly, yet professional drivers with accurate estimated arrival times - Sign Me Up! Uber is more economical than your standard taxi. I stayed at the Southern Sun Abu Dhabi near the water front, and it was a quick 15 minute drive to get to the park. Once you arrive: take the escalator to the second floor, walk across the bridge, and you have arrived!

I came to Ferrari World for one reason and one reason only: to ride the fastest roller coaster in the world.

If you're looking for the main attraction - enter the park & keep walking to your left, until you can't walk any further. Her name is Formula Rossa.

Glorious, isn't she? There is a deck where you can view her from outside. The coaster is designed as a car and they give you goggles to brace yourself for the speed. Rossa accelerates to her top speed in FIVE SECONDS. Engineers have outdone themselves, because this roller coaster reaches 240 km/h!! This officially makes Formula Rossa the fastest roller coaster in the world!

I was so pumped!! I went during the week, so there was barely a line. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. My nerves were high. You could hear the crowd and the riders applaud, when the coaster returned. I knew this experience would be epic. I wasn't sure if I was ready for it - but before you know it - I am sitting in the front row and strapped in.

How was it?

It was AMAZING. It felt like the fastest roller coaster in the world. It was glorious. I felt so alive. I'm just happy to live another day to tell you about it. You MUST do this.

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Before and After Pictures



In the Uber, after traveling/flying for 13+ hours from the States to Abu Dhabi. Excited, but a bit tired.



Snapped a quick selfie after riding Formula Rossa. I think I'm in shock when I took the picture. I cheated death and lived to tell the world about it. Huge adrenaline rush.

Must Do Activities at Ferrari World:

Schuderia Challenge - Full Body Immersion- Ferrari Racing Simulation Game - you will compete with other drivers in real time

Fiorana GT Challenge - Two GT roller coasters compete head to head to race to the finish line

Galleria Ferrari - Various Ferrari vehicles on full display with the history of the brand

Karting Academy - Compete against other racers with go karts. Make sure to make your reservation early as there are limited slots for the day

BONUS - Drive a Ferrari like its yours around Yas Island

Where Do You Purchase Tickets?

You can buy them directly online at Ferrari World. Also, you can buy them at the park.

Adult Ticket: 350 AED or 95 USD

Junior Ticket: 290 AED or 80 USD
When Jacob Bender of Dillsburg, Pennsylvia was 14, during a routine exam his doctor noticed that curves were forming in his spine that were consistent with scoliosis and that were concerning. Jacob had two curves. The upper was 90 degrees and the lower 75 degrees. Most scoliosis surgeons agree that children who have very severe curves (50 degrees and higher) will need surgery to straighten the spine and prevent existing curvatures from worsening.

Surgery is recommended because if scoliosis becomes severe enough, it can cause back pain, impact the lungs by impairing breathing, and sometimes make walking a nearly impossible task.

"I really didn't want an operation done on my back," says Jacob, now 18 years old and looking forward to college. "What if they did it and then something worse happened?"

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For me that was a reasonable question. As many as 38,000 surgeries, many of them fusing spinal vertebrae together and/or inserting a metal rod, are done annually. And it is well known that these surgeries can cause patients to experience serious later consequences, such as degenerative joint disease.

I also worried about Jacob's self esteem. Many adolescent patients are subjected to grueling exercises and burdensome bracing for as many as 23 hours a day. They feel apart from their peer group at the very moment they need to feel they belong. Loss of self-esteem and feelings of helplessness are also a problem for older patients whose curves can become deforming.

But word-of-mouth changed Jacob's situation. A yoga teacher at the local YWCA told his mother about a technique I had invented -- just a couple of minutes of yoga a day, a couple of specific poses -- to reduce the curves of scoliosis and relieve patients of the necessity of awkward bracing, lengthy exercises, or worst, a difficult and expensive surgery with a long and fraught recovery. Jacob and his mother came to my office in New York and learned the side plank.

Within four months his lower curve was reduced by 21 degrees, taking him almost out of the surgical category. He is continuing the side plank, and the family is now looking forward to returning to see me to work on more-recently developed yoga poses, including the Half Moon and variations on it, that I have clinically shown can reduce the upper (thoracic) curve.

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I was also overjoyed to watch the side plank treatment work for a feisty little 8-year-old girl from Long Island, NY, whose curves were severe enough that bracing for hours every day was being considered. That sweet little girl learned the side plank and half moon with her mother's help. Her curves went from 28 (upper) and 20 (lower) degrees to 23 (upper) and 15 (lower) degrees in a four-month period. She avoided the difficult bracing.

Though these kids had to deal with their scoliosis, neither they nor their parents could explain its origins. The cause of most scoliosis is unknown. Typically it occurs in girls older than 10, and it can run in families. It can involve one curve, a "C" curve, or two curves, an "S" curve. While it is most common in children and adolescents, many adults also have serious scoliosis that has worsened from childhood or developed later. It is also associated with osteoporosis, or bone loss, which is a condition that often develops as people age.

"My doctor wanted to do surgery, but of course I was reluctant. First I went to a chiropractor who recommended the "clear" method. That would involve my doing exercises for three hours every day for the rest of my life," says Sarah Jannsen, 51, a psychotherapist in Hillsboro, North Carolina. That possibility seemed oppressive; she searched for other options.

Sarah's father found and gave her a newspaper article about my technique and she read the clinical trial on which the article was based. "At first I couldn't make sense of it," she says. "I think I was doing it wrong." But even so, she felt she could help herself with yoga.

Sarah came to see me, and we had a teaching session during which she understood the poses appropriate for her S curve. Her curves, measured by an independent radiologist, diminished significantly -- 9 degrees for the lower and 10 degrees for the upper during the next year. And she is still doing the poses, which she says are "inspiring a lot of hope for me."

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IDOMENI, GREECE - 2016/03/12: Thousands of refugees from Syria are locked in Idomeni on the border between Greece and Macedonia. The borders are closed, the hygienic and sanitary conditions are poor, many volunteers are helping in every way there're thousands of men, women and children stuck between the railroad tracks. (Photo by Davide Bosco/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

On the other side of this world, there is a life. It is not only about the building, history, streets, metro, etc. It is more about the fact that a mobile call was not being monitored. You could talk freely. You could say the world '' Freedom''. You could participate in a demonstration without any fear that the authorities might arrest you, torture you, or kill you.

In your first month, you entered the metro and you had a ticket, but when the ticket control appeared and asked you for the ticket, you handed them the wrong one, so they asked you for a fine of 40 euros. You couldn't argue with them. You could not try and correct yourself by asking them to wait a minute until you would find the right ticket, because mentally you were still in Syria, where you could die for saying '' No''.

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On the other side of this world, there is hope. Somewhere that hope still exists amid your old lost dreams. You had once hoped to finish your studies but you were arrested after publishing an opinion article that spoke out against the regime.

Yet, you found it difficult to handle your new life in Paris. You need to learn the language, and not just to use it for your daily life but also to earn a degree through it, to be able to have a profession. French is a language where people can spend their life mastering it, but you must learn it as fast as possible, otherwise, you will be accused of not being grateful for the opportunity that you had.

On the other side of this world, there is a house, a house which will not be attacked or burned by the Syrian regime or Russians or Al Nusra or ISIS.

The only problem is that this new house needs income to exist, and you have no job and no income. Your only source of money is financial assistance from the government that can barely cover your modest daily expenses. You are finding it difficult to find a job. You wanted a job that fit within your profession and experience, you wanted to finish your degree first, you wanted to learn the language, and you wanted to support your family above everything because they are still there under the constant threat of danger.

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On the other side of this world, there is love, while back home; no one can guarantee that love can exist in this time of War.

But love wants you to be strong and to give a protection; love requires from you to keep your promises. However, you cannot because you are numb. You do not know where your priorities are and you are lost.

On the other side of this world, there is laughter. It could be on the street somewhere, in a bar or at place to dance with sounds of laughter and happiness throughout the air. The only problem is that you cannot understand why they are laughing, not from a language perspective, but because, you just received a message informing you that your brother is dead after an attack by the Syrian regime. When you heard laughter for the second time, you wanted to join in but then discovered that an extremist Islamic group in Syria kidnapped your dear friend. Finally, you stopped trying to laugh.

On the other side of this world, there is a life, but this life needs a human being who will be capable to live it and to challenge it.

You are stuck between two worlds, one you cannot go back to and the other one you can no longer relate to. And they ask you to adapt to the culture as soon as possible and to forget and to move on ... otherwise, you too will be forgotten and lost in the shadows. Deep inside you, you started to believe that there is no hope for you. Crying every night, you ask yourself, why am I here? Then you whisper to yourself, "I am here because I do not have a country and I no longer have a home."

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Businessman looking out of office over city

The World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Social innovation defines social innovation as "the application of innovative, practical, sustainable, market-based approaches to benefit society in general, and low-income or under-served populations in particular."

Traditionally associated with social entrepreneurs, this tool is increasingly being adopted by business. This is a trend to be welcomed, supported and replicated as companies -- big or small, multinational or national -- can contribute to taking the practice of social innovation to a significantly larger scale. And the world needs solutions at scale to tackle key societal challenges of our age, as Zia Khan, VP of Initiatives and Strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation, explains in this video.

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While philanthropy, social responsibility and corporate governance all already play a role, we will probably see more powerful contributions when companies embed social innovation into their core business strategies and operations. For the World Economic Forum's new report on Social Innovation, we spoke to over 30 companies about their experiences of pursuing such initiatives within their business, and below are 5 key lessons:

1. Identify how social innovation can create business value

For companies, social innovation is not just a good thing to do. There is a business case for pursuing social innovation. Our interviews revealed a number of measurable business benefits -- reduced costs, increased profits, strengthened supply chains, more innovation, new revenues, legitimised license to operate.

For some companies, it is a tool to respond to risks that will affect their business in the visible future. For example, as experts predict a shortage of cocoa by the year 2020, many chocolate manufacturers are working with social enterprises and NGOs to make cocoa farming more economically attractive to farmers, including smallholders.

For others, it is a "long tail" investment in developing business with future consumers, including low income populations currently not served by their products or services. Micro-insurance products, LED lamps, micro-nutrient fortified food products, cashless payment systems, affordable health devices -- companies are exploring a range of innovation opportunities. Social innovation can also be a means to build relationships with local governments or strengthen their "license to operate" in society. While specific opportunities and benefits will depend on the company, its core assets and capabilities and the industries and geographies in which it operates, below are some generic opportunities and benefits.

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View a larger version of this graphic here.



Graphic Credit: The World Economic Forum

2. Guide from the top; mobilise across the company

Not surprisingly, CEOs and senior leaders are best placed to chart the vision and mobilise a company's resources. In the companies we studied, CEOs played critical roles - integrating social goals into the company's vision and business plans, empowering and challenging their teams to come up with social innovation ideas and supporting intrapreneurs who came to them with great ideas.

The support of the CEO and senior management is critical to ensure that social innovation initiatives take centre stage and do not remain "one-off projects", are closely linked to company strategy and are able to mobilise support from across the company.

At MasterCard, for instance, when CEO Ajay Banga made financial inclusion a top corporate priority, related targets were included in the company's 10 strategic objectives. The company also made a public commitment to connect an additional 500 million people, including millions of small merchants, to the formal financial system by 2020. As a result, teams around the company started identifying new opportunities to use existing business capabilities to serve financially excluded customer segments. Senior leaders can also lead the way in implementation -- when Royal DSM started its change management work on innovation and sustainability, CEO Feike Sijbesma and other board members assumed key roles in the process as Chairs or Sponsors of internal and external initiatives.

3. Support social innovation "intrapreneurs"

"If you are the CFO or HR head of a company, you know exactly who your peer is in another company. If you work on social innovation initiatives that is not the case," said one of our interviewees. Social innovation ideas often struggle to find clear owners within a company. While we did hear stories where individuals were able to turn their ideas into a success, individual efforts can only go so far.

Not unlike other business ideas, successful initiatives managed to secure collaboration across the house -- including from business units, innovation and strategy teams and corporate responsibility or corporate affairs teams. The key lesson for companies is to sensitise teams across the house to identify ideas, challenge them to make them viable and business relevant and support them to implement. Development programmes, competitions, awards, internal communication tools, innovation budgets, intrapreneurship workshops can all be tools to support "intrapreneurs." SAB Miller for instance, created the Mackay Awards, an internal recognition for initiatives that grow the business while generating clear social and environmental benefits. Centrica took advantage of an internal talent development program to create a social innovation challenge for its high-potential professionals and subsequently implemented the winning proposal: IGNITE, United Kingdom's first corporate impact fund investing in energy enterprises. IGNITE investees are improving access and lowering energy cost for communities by finding new ways of generating, supplying, using and saving energy.

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4. Incubate ideas with patience and rigour

In many ways, coming up with social innovation ideas is the easy bit. What's harder is converting them into feasible concepts, prototypes or business models and more importantly, scaling them to a point where the business benefits are clear and measurable. They pose unfamiliar design challenges. They often take longer to get to market and to reach profitability. And often, as recognised by Phillips, they can get stuck in conventional structures and information flows.

In 2013, the company found that its Africa sales teams were generating numerous inclusive innovation ideas aimed at marginalized communities including LED lights with solar panels and medical devices for villages with few resources. Though these ideas were passed on to business units, the latter were not picking it up as their existing retailers responded that they would be of no interest to their existing higher-income customers. In 2014, the company created a new structure - the Africa Innovation Hub, which went to market with a "pay-as-you-go" model that works outside of its existing distribution chain and rents out LED lights to low-income households for a daily fee (thus helping customers who struggle with a large upfront payment).

Like in the case of Phillips, social innovation initiatives may need new structures, specialised funding to support experimentation, and performance thresholds and timeframes that may be different from other ideas. At the same time, if they are seen as too "special", it will be harder for executives to understand, implement and improve as part of their day-to-day business processes. It is important that the idea is relevant to front-line businesses and has the future potential to achieve performance metrics that are desired by business units. Experiment, evaluate performance through tailored metrics and do not hesitate to stop the ones that don't show potential so you can spend more time supporting the ones that do.

5. Work with others, especially those closer to social issues

Almost every company we studied found partners to work with -- civil society organisations, social entrepreneurs, academic organisations and local experts. Partners can bring in complementary skillsets, trusted relationships and a sense of what works and doesn't in that local context. In 2014, Merck developed a new, reliable, easy-to-use method to help with the clinical management of HIV patients in partnership with the University of Yaounde in Cameroon. The partners ran field tests for two years until the system could withstand extreme heat and humidity, was compatible with variable power systems, and was impeccably easy to use -- product specifications that presented new challenges for Merck's product developers. Companies should invest time to be close to the customers and partners when pursuing social innovation. Foster a culture of ongoing interactions with people from other sectors - the recently launched Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an opportune framework for companies to explore such partnerships.

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Social innovation, especially in an established company, may call for significant change management. While the logic, capabilities or processes needed may not be very different from "business as usual," using them with the explicit intent to solve a societal challenge is.
An elephantine travesty: A secret abduction and a secret death

I recently wrote an essay called "The Stolen 18: Swaziland Elephants Secretly Shipped to U. S. Zoos to Avoid Legal Challenge." However, it turns out that only 17 elephants were shipped, because according to the zoos one had died in December, but this too was kept a secret.

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According to a CNN report called "17 elephants jet into the U.S. from Swaziland despite protests," "On arrival, five were transferred to the Dallas Zoo under police escort. The remaining 12 are the newest residents of the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, and the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska." TG's comment recently posted for this essay published elsewhere is relevant here. We also read, "The zoos defended the transfer, saying the animals were set to be killed to make room for rhinos at the Swaziland facilities. The country is also undergoing a drought. 'It escalated to a rescue mission last fall due to this state-of-emergency drought,' said Gregg Hudson, president of Dallas Zoo."

Captive trophy elephants generate a lot of money and are used as breeding machines

Of course, elephants are amazing animals who people call "charismatic megafauna" and they generate a lot of money. They also are used as breeding machines and transferred around as if they're non-feeling, non-sentient objects, who are expected to perform on demand to make more elephants who will spend their lives in captivity. Despite their cash value as they're viewed and selfishly, shamelessly, arrogantly, and disrespectfully used as mere commodities, numerous zoos have chosen to close down their elephant exhibit or have sent elephants to sanctuaries because they can't meet the social and physical needs of these magnificent beings (please also see "Detroit Zoo's Ron Kagan Talks About 'Patient-Centered' Zoos").

A lot of money also is involved in keeping elephants in cages, and Mark Reed, Sedgwick County Zoo's director, has noted, "It's not a question of 'if' but a question of 'when' we will have young elephant calves born here," ... "That's going to skyrocket the attendance like nothing ever has here before."

We also read, "In an online statement Dallas Zoo officials said, in part:

We are outraged at claims by animal extremists that these elephants were moved suddenly to circumvent their misguided efforts to delay this move via a lawsuit. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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We could not stand by and let activists endanger the lives of these elephants with delaying tactics. The well-being of these animals is more important to us than anything, and we are thankful that a federal judge agreed."

The psychology behind framing and vilifying those concerned as only "animal rights activists" or "extremists" is terribly misleading

It is interesting how zoo administrators responded to the criticism of this clandestine move. They vilified and dismissed their critics as being merely "animal rights activists" or "extremists" and justified their behavior by claiming they wanted to avoid giving them more ammunition to use against them. According to a statement from the zoos, one of the 18 elephants died in December due to gastrointestinal issues and zoo administrators kept this secret as well to avoid the wrath of animal rights activists according to an email I received yesterday.

Claiming that their critics are merely animal rights activists is terribly misleading. Numerous scientists, including those who have devoted their lives to studying elephant behavior and conservation and the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group, along with non-academics, are deeply concerned and strongly critical of this secret flight. There is a lot of food for thought here for psychologists who study different forms of dissent and criticism and I hope that conservation psychologists and anthrozoologists will weigh in on this. Indeed, in this and other cases, the self-serving framing and writing off of critics as only animal rights activists hasn't worked. And, it is essential to counter this egregious move. The wide variety of people who oppose the handling of these magnificent animals -- the secret death and the clandestine "rescue" -- have nothing to defend because these accusations are ludicrous and false.

Keeping animals in zoos is not close to being an effective way to rewild people and to get them to do anything for the individuals involved or their wild relatives. Shame on the people involved in this clandestine transfer of these magnificent intelligent, social, emotional, and sentient beings. And many thanks to all the people from all corners of the world, not only so-called animal rights activists or extremists, who are protesting this brazen insolence and elephantine travesty.
No one is prepared for the journey of dementia. Early on, while symptoms are still mild, you both may still be doing ok. But then comes the time, when there are simply too many challenges needing to be addressed every day. You become exhausted and not sure how you can take one more day of this endless ride into the unknown. Of course, you keep going because you have no choice but your health starts to suffer. You may become depressed and resentful. You are grieving and you wonder why. And you hope for something to relieve your distress.

Mindfulness, the practice of being aware of the present moment, on purpose, and without judgment, may be just what you need. Mindfulness is an ancient practice that got a second wind with Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, a training that has now been taken by hundreds of thousand people and has been the subject of many scientific studies. Mindfulness has been touted as a miracle solution for a multitude of contemporary ills including chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic illnesses. And it is true that it has provided solace to many looking for a way through their suffering. Mindfulness also happens to be a salvation for caregivers facing the ongoing stress from caring for a loved one with dementia.

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How does it work you may wonder? If you have a few minutes, you can get a taste right now. Close your eyes and start paying attention to your breath and do just that. You need not change anything. Only watch each new breath as it comes and goes. If thoughts arise, as they inevitably will, notice the thought, and then return to the breath. Do this until you get a sense of what it feels like to drop down from your habitual way of thinking, to this new experiencing of the breath, moment to moment.

Sounds simple enough? Mindfulness is indeed rather straightforward. There are many variations on the simple practice you just did, but the basic idea remains the same. You want to train your mind to show up for the immediate experience of the present moment. Each time, you are taking care of your brain and relieving the stress that has become an ongoing part of your daily life as a caregiver. Research done at the University of California, San Francisco, has shown that chronic stress from dementia caregiving contributes to premature aging, down to the cellular level. What this means is your unattended stress is making you age at a faster rate than normal. The same research team also showed the reparative effect of mindfulness practice on the telomeres, the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes, that prevent us from aging prematurely.

There is another reason mindfulness practice can be a game changer for dementia caregivers. Mindfulness can also help you provide care for your loved one with greater ease. Here are a few reasons why:

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Mindfulness helps cut down one's natural tendency to react. Instead, it helps us slow down our response, so that we come across as consistently more calm and prepared for each moment, each interaction with our loved one. That kind of steady presence is just what the person with dementia needs. When presented with a challenging behavior, we will be less likely to exacerbate the upset with our own anxiety or reactivity.

Mindfulness helps us shift from our habitual, task-oriented mode to a new way of 'being' that makes room for the other person to also be. Let say I approach the person with the idea of getting him dressed for a doctor's appointment, and I don't bother taking the time to first ask how he is doing. Or in the case of someone who is no longer able to speak, I do not stop to notice the subtle clues that he may signal through his body language or emotional vibes. It may be that he is very tired and need time to slowly wake up. Or he may need to go to the bathroom. Or he may be thirsty. If we don't train our mind to pause and set aside our own agenda, we will miss the immediacy of such needs, and compromise our chance of a successful interaction.

Mindfulness encompasses loving kindness, a heart-centered practice that helps ready us for the intense emotional challenges down dementia lane. When the person doesn't behave like their old self, or when they no longer recognize us, we may find ourselves pushed against a wall we did even know existed. Love is supposed to be reciprocal. What happens when our loved one stops showing us the love we have been conditioned to expect, when they meet our gaze with indifference, or when they tell us to go to hell? Dementia is an invitation for us to discover the true meaning of unconditional love, using mindfulness and loving kindness as gateway practices.
From my blog Soy/Somos, a series that celebrates the many identities of Latinos in the USA. You can read the introductory post here: Soy/Somos: We Are Many

"The Cuban Consulate in D.C. is a beautiful old building with a huge Cuban flag. When I saw it, I thought 'This is me!.' Then I was told to go into a tiny building with almost no windows and bunches of people telling their stories. I heard the beautiful Cuban music of their voices. And I felt so American. It was my first visit to what was almost Cuban soil, and I was scared. Then I did this thing in my head, 'Soy Cubana, and I'm going to stand with them!' I have always lived with this confusion of who I am and where I belong.

"I was expecting to hear, 'You left. What right do you have to come back?' No one said that. There was a lot of waiting and going back to the seats and then to the line, and I didn't have the documents exactly as they wanted. A lady in the waiting room gave me Cuban courage. 'Lady do it. You have to be aggressive.' I ran to CVS, got new passport photos with the right color behind me. My documents were accepted minutes before closing time.

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Carolina is 5'-8." Tall for a Latina. Her hair is dark, her skin tawny, her eyes the green of coke bottles with a little yellow limon in the mix. While we are speaking in English mostly, when she switches to Spanish, her Spanish is faster and more clipped than my own. Her "Cuban" is making me nostalgic for my family's voices in Panama.

"I was different from my mami and papi. She is 5'-2," my dad 5'-7," with dark brown eyes--and also my sisters. My father was darker than me. I took after mi abuelo and my tias on that side. I was casi casi an ugly duckling, but sometimes linda."

*

Carolina's father was an artist. He painted advertising billboards on public buildings in Cuba. (Cigars? Slogans? Fidel's face?) At 28, with a young family, he petitioned the Cuban government to leave Cuba.

"When you told the Cuban government that you wanted to leave, they took your job away and sent you to work in the sugar cane fields. They did it to my father. He worked in the sugar cane fields for four years after that. He was allowed to come home to see us every four weeks. Through someone he knew he eventually got us out of Cuba. I was four years old when my family arrived in the United States.

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"We left with papers -- derechos de salir -- and we lived in Miami for six months. But my dad was so angry with communism. 'There is too much of Cuba in Miami,' he said. So we left for New York. Two friends of his had gotten jobs as supers in residential buildings in Inwood near 218th Street at the northern tip of Manhattan. As a super he got an apartment in the basement -- and that's where I was raised.

"There were 75 apartments in my father's building. The majority of people in Inwood were Irish Catholic. My father spoke no English, and I heard some terrible comments when I was little that I have never forgotten. He put a complaint box for the tenants, and at night he'd decipher the pieces of paper with an Spanish/English dictionary that he carried with him always.

"I went to Catholic school. My sister and I would playact the English sounds meaning nothing. Later I dreamed of going away to college, though my father told me, 'El dia que te vas de esta casa es el dia en que te vas a causer.' ('The day that you leave this house will be the day that you marry.') I remember, of the four children I was the one to ask, 'But, why?' 'But why?'

'Porque te lo dije. Callate la boca!' ('Because I said so. Be quiet!')

"In my 20's I wanted to be more American. I would say to myself, 'People have no idea I'm Cuban.' If they said I had some kind of accent, I'd say, what are you talking about?

"I didn't know what I wanted to do. When I finished high school, I went to work. I married a medical student whom I met at work. And, before my husband and I had children, I went to college. Here's a little Cuban girl and here's this doctor! My parents were happy. My mother kept saying, 'He likes Cuban food!'

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"My husband is a Welshman. Welsh men don't dance." She laughs.

*

Carolina, as a panamena by birth I feel a strong pull to Panama, but l also feel deeply American. Does it have to be either/or?

"I have to accept the beauty of having both cultures. I have been going to Miami to visit cousins, and now my mother is there since my father died. I love being around the culture, and the food! We talk with our hands. We scream, 'No, I'm not yelling! I am Cuban.' We love and we embrace. We love music. I've been dancing since I was very young. In my culture, the men dance. With salsa the men have to lead.

"But my cousins who stayed in Miami, they are wrapped up in the Cuban rhythm. I am different. I am glad we left Cuba because of my dad. In this country, we have the freedom to become whatever we want to become, even if we have to work hard for it.

"My father had a hard time with the differences in the US. There was a different attitude towards men and women. He'd say to my brother, 'Que eres? Un hombre o un raton? Para de llorar.' (What are you? A man or a mouse? Stop crying.')

"I have wanted strong girls and sensitive boys. Here I find myself more American. Piercing the ears of little girls, so much pain. Also bands of ribbons on the forehead, earrings and bracelets. This is not me!"

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*

"It's interesting what's happened to my children. My girls to whom I gave Spanish first names ask me why I didn't give them my Spanish maiden name. About Boston where I went to college and where one of them is right now, one of my daughter says, 'people here are too the same.' When my children fill out a questionnaire, they want to put 'Cuban.' Their friends are multicultural.

"Take my husband. His parents came from Wales. As a scientist his father came for a wonderful work opportunity here in the US. And yet, my husband's mother who's lived here for 45 years still refers to Wales as 'home.' I remind her of this. This is another immigrant story.

"When Hispanics come to my husband for surgery, the entire waiting room is filled with family. My husband is starting to learn something from this."

*

Carolina, I hear you are a fantastic dancer. That you taught salsa dancing in your children's first grade classes. How did this happen?



"At the public school in our suburban neighborhood, they had winter programs at lunchtime. My son's teacher had this idea of pairing the fifth grade's poetry project with salsa dancing by the first graders. I taught the children to dance to "Carnaval" by Celia Cruz. At one of the performances many years back I remember feeling, 'Finally, I've brought Cuban culture to this American town where I live.'

I said to them, 'Salsa is not with chips. It's all in the hips. If you accept this, you can let the music take you away.'

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*

Is there something I haven't asked you today that you would like to say?

"Well, yes, many things. For as much as I look American, I still respect everything my dad did for me. It was terrible for my father and mother to leave their parents in Cuba. My father lost siblings and his parents and could not go back. And we grew up without grandparents that are so important to children. Knowing this has helped me appreciate that things can be very difficult. Regarding fairness--we the americanos let the Cubans in who were being strangled by communism. But when the Haitians came dying in rafts, we sent them away. This was purely racist."

Why do you want a Cuban passport?

For three reasons. My dad is buried in Cuba. My mother wants to be buried there too. And I was born there. I want to know.

Carolina gave me a kiss on the cheek when I left.


Clockwise from upper left: Bruce Rauner, Ken Dunkin, Michael Madigan, Juliana Stratton, Sam McCann, Bryce Benton

Bruce Rauner's name isn't on the 2016 primary ballot, but it will be between the lines in a couple key legislative races involving incumbents in both parties.

The districts and incumbents in these races could not be more different, but the results will be important indicators of whether the balance of power in state politics is shifting.

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In August, Sen. Sam McCann, a two-term Republican from rural Plainview in Macoupin County, defied Rauner by voting with Senate Democrats on a bill to sharply limit the governor's power in contract negotiations with AFSCME Council 31, the union that represents some 35,000 state employees. He was the only Republican to vote with the Democrats to override Rauner's veto of the bill.

McCann, whose district includes part of Springfield and is home to many unionized state workers, said he merely was voting in the interest of his constituents. Rauner, whose hard-line stance on unions was a defining characteristic of his first year in office, saw it otherwise.

Rauner has endorsed McCann's Republican primary opponent, Bryce Benton of Springfield, and has been responsible for much of the more than $3 million that's been spent on Benton's behalf by Liberty Principles PAC, a Super PAC led by Republican activist Dan Proft. Rauner's Turnaround Illinois Super PAC has given $2.34 million to Liberty Principles PAC.

@GovRauner making the rounds Sunday morning w/state Senate hopeful Bryce Benton at Charlie Parker's in Springfield. pic.twitter.com/e8Y6612GHy  Dave McKinney (@davemckinney) March 13, 2016

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McCann's campaign has received nearly $600,000 in donations since Jan. 1, most from unions eager to push back against Rauner. The result of this race will be a measure of Rauner's ability to keep Republican lawmakers in line.

As Rauner tries to oust a member of his own party from the Senate, he's also defending a Democrat in the House who engaged in acts of disloyalty to Democratic leadership.

Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, got himself into trouble with House Speaker Michael Madigan over the same bill that put McCann in Rauner's crosshairs. Twice, Dunkin refused to join fellow House Democrats in voting to override Rauner's veto of the union arbitration bill.

Dunkin also refused to vote with Democrats on a bill to nullify Rauner's cuts to the state's Child Care Assistance program. Instead, Dunkin said he worked with the administration to roll back most of the cuts. Dunkin amplified his dissatisfaction with Madigan in House floor speeches and press conferences.

Now Dunkin faces challenger Juliana Stratton, director of the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, whose financial backing has come almost exclusively from unions.

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Strategically, this race is far more important to Rauner and the Republicans than the McCann race. House Democrats now have 71 seats, which is the exact number of votes required to override a gubernatorial veto.

Dunkin's rebellion against Madigan means that there is no functional Democratic super-majority in the House.

The race took on a stratospherically high profile a week before the primary when President Barack Obama endorsed Stratton. (Obama's endorsement also was an indicator of just how much Democratic party leadership values Dunkin's ouster.)

The politics behind Obama's surprising decision to endorse Juliana Stratton in the race for state rep.https://t.co/wJxqoZ3lMW  Chicago Reader (@Chicago_Reader) March 8, 2016

The Illinois Sunshine database reports that 83 percent of the $1.13 million donated to Stratton's campaign since Jan. 1 has come from unions. Dunkin, meanwhile, received an $800,000 donation from the libertarian non-profit Illinois Opportunity Project (which, like the Liberty Principles PAC mentioned above, is run by Dan Proft).

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But that's not all. The Super PAC known as IllinoisGO, which describes its purpose as "defending Democratic incumbents from challenges they may face as a result of taking the tough votes needed to address the crisis" and is funded by Rauner supporters, also has poured money into the Dunkin-Stratton race - nearly $600,000 in support of Dunkin and almost $1 million in opposition to Stratton. Dunkin also has faced opposition from fellow Democrats in this race:

Democrats launch brutal attack on Ken Dunkin, lawmaker who defied Mike Madigan: https://t.co/S3meTVPJIX pic.twitter.com/vnZL9iOnYz  Zoe Galland (@zoegalland) February 12, 2016

If Rauner can help keep Dunkin in office, he'll keep Madigan's power in check, assuming Democrats don't win more seats in other districts in November.

Regardless of the results, the races in the largely rural 50th Senate District and the urban 5th House District will test the power of Super PACs and big money even in races once considered minor.
Herewith, a vital reason to have a late lunch at your desk today.

Speaking of desks, this is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Condition: barely used. The final sales price will be nauseating, and the true cost, heartbreaking.

March 15 at 3:00 p.m., American Constitution Society panel: "The Significance of Public Confirmation Hearings for Supreme Court Nominees"

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Moderator: Norman J. Ornstein, political scientist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.



Panelists: Dahlia Lithwick, Slate national legal correspondent and editor; Garrett Epps, contributing editor for The Atlantic and professor of constitutional law and creative writing at the University of Baltimore; Kim Atkins, Boston Herald Washington correspondent.

By way of extra-credit reading (and a sure remedy for insomnia) here's a re-post of an editorial I wrote in these pages on 3/3.

On the Timely Nomination, Consideration and Appointment of a Supreme Court Justice

I started writing this when the honorable Justice Scalia died; I decided to not post it, opting instead to respectfully wait for our elected leaders to comply with their hyper-explicitly defined contractual, professional obligation -- lest they risk committing mis, mal, or nonfeasance, in addition to double-crossing the loyal opposition that tenuously sustains our civil society. Having once again lost faith in same, herewith, a common man's notes.

The fact that there cannot be found within our Constitution a stated timeline requirement for the filling of a Supreme Court vacancy is meditative fodder only for, well, morons (present company included), sophists, or those opting to be willfully mis-, mal-, and/or nonfeasant.

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Put another way, we are facing a critical challenge of the American intellect, the American conscience, the American heart; it is a challenge to which our noble, elected leaders, guided by the American Constitution, and the American system of governance, are more than equal.

The difference of tone and severity in the language of the two preceding paragraphs is itself perhaps a measure of the differences in methodologies, paths we've chosen, and can still choose.

We've seen and heard quite a lot these past few weeks.

Seeking legitimacy, many have looked to the words and actions of our nation's founders and their progeny throughout our history, in order to bolster their claims against or for filling the present vacancy, often, in the process, foregoing any consideration of how the political machinations of our nation's founders and their progeny remain instructive of our incumbent need to improve upon their best examples and to also avoid their foibles, rather than revering them to the point of abstraction, and even worse, forging the signatures of the dead on a blank check.

Additionally and unsurprisingly, many have looked to more recent examples of betrayals and contradictions on all sides, citing precedents of hypocrisy as if they were revelations, rather than cementing affirmations of our unacceptably ugly lapse into a quicksanding relativism that perpetuates an entropic and ultimately suicidal logic.

Put simply, we are procedurally wrestling ourselves off of a very real cliff.

And so, to reaffirm settled law (if apparently, we must), by way of a rhetorical question: is it not eminently manifest that, following a calamity or act of God resulting in a Supreme Court vacancy, any duration exceeding a minimally temporary impairment of any branch of a functioning government is an abomination, constituting at the very least a disruption of our domestic tranquility (which, to be certain, includes a fully staffed judiciary addressing all questions of law in a timely manner), and at worst, a threat to the security and stability of our state?

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As a matter of course, it remains an immediate priority to have, at all times, a full court ready to preside over presently known crises (every Supreme Court action is, by definition, of unignorable, unforestallable consequence) and future, unforeseen crises (in these days of massive uncertainty -- indeed during any and all times -- it is a risky failure of The State to leave one its three institutions of checks and balances perilously remiss).

I was surprised to learn that for over a year we've had hundreds of vacancies in other courts, with appointment after appointment being willfully ignored. Do these existing judiciary vacancies affirm that we can function with an incomplete bench? Does anyone want to argue that proposition? To go ahead and say that it does, to go ahead and say that we've already survived well enough with massive vacancies in our Federal courts and in the Supreme Court, dually ignores a perhaps more rational analysis and a necessary methodology of forethought: that a continued lineage of unpreparedness-through-inaction only points to the statistical inevitability of failure resultant from these vacancies.

We already know that Scalia's absence has increased the workload of another member of the bench, creating a bogus administrative inefficiency, which alone is sufficiently problematic to require immediate remedy, and which furnishes an empirical, real-world confirmation of the (already obvious) requirement of professional timeliness.

And so, unsanctioned procedural delays that are deceptively mislabeled as mandate-based but are in reality politically-processed with artificial preservatives, constitute a patent shirking off of inherent civil responsibility.

Sure, we've all read this:



"[The President] 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: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments."



A beyond-obvious prima facie mandate is presently in place, manifested by the simple fact that our president and our senators and congresspersons are (relativism prevailing, sigh) duly elected. And this mandate doesn't have a "best if used by," nor an expiration date, but our democracy does. And that expiration date arrived when we presumed to valuate some future mandate as superseding our present, binding mandate.

And so, by way of a simple methodology, let's see what happens when we start with a bit of rare, mutually agreed-upon reality: we all know that Supreme Court Justices are contracted to a life-tenure, and that they do not serve at the pleasure of a president, who can neither fire nor remove them capriciously. And of course, neither can a senator fire, nor remove a Supreme Court Justice.

And so then, does not, in and of itself, the deliberate act of retarding the judicial nomination process, which remedies a vacancy, constitute the de facto removal of a judicial official?

Positing this simple double-negative is no inkhorn musing, nor semantic exercise; indeed, it is a elemental preponderance of the substantive and real effect that an act of negation-through-ostensible-inaction constitutes: a direct and willful contravention of the aforementioned professional contractual reality, by the willful perpetuation of a duration exceeding acceptable disruptions of a functioning government.

Retarding a timely judicial nomination process does not constitute a moral stance akin to a filibuster which, though, also, too often abused, occurs within the parameters of sanctioned legislative dialogue -- instead, it is a subversion of a codified legal process. Moreover, it is a tyrannical, monopolistic pre-emption and complete silencing of all dialogue, and as such, an act of contempt, in addition to a dereliction of duties.

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As our nation faces some of the most pronounced and fascinating challenges to the holding together of our citizenry amidst increasingly widening and differing worldviews, what our polis needs right now is a fair and robust, publicly aired national debate on our judiciary. The United States of America can survive even the most contentious debate; it cannot -- indeed, no state can -- endure total repression of its most vital forensic functions.

There is nothing to fear, nothing to hate, nothing to obstruct; there is only the taking up of the good fight via the blessed means of a civil society, safeguarded from catastrophe by loyal opposition. I'm well aware that these words will be considered silly by nihilists masquerading as realists.

Additionally, there are some for whom political and/or religious beliefs are compelling overrides to the very processes of checks and balances that have safeguarded their liberties. To you I say, with an unceasing tolerance of your political beliefs, and a full respect for the profundity of your faith, that this America, founded on the avoidance of tyranny, is designed well and true enough to accommodate even the most widely disparate beliefs.

And if you believe the practice and implementation of your beliefs are being eroded, fight for them in public hearings; do not give in to the temptation to capriciously forfeit the processes that, well, make America great, lest this lapse towards a la carte tyranny be someday, turned against your own beliefs. This is not a vague forewarning; millennia of our species' history, made bloody by the sad constants of human nature and the power principle, irrefutably affirm that civility is ensured only by loyal opposition. Thankfully, this Hobbesian paradigm is not presently our lot.

If you're an elected official convinced that the president is going to make a nomination that does not sufficiently take into account your constituents' world-view (and, ahem, your, re-election) then you must, as a matter of course, earn your pay, earn their votes, by vociferously advising and consenting the president -- even a priori his announcement -- about whom you think would be a good selection.

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"Advise and consent" is a clear directive. Warning a president to not perform codified duties whilst you also don't do your job is not a sanctioned means of countervailance. "Advise and consent" offers you fascinating latitude for heightened dialogue.

Simply put, you have a valuable role; intransigence, inaction are not in compliance with the advising and consenting that is mandated by your pay grade.

Put more earnestly, we have got to tighten up this ship; we have become a shoddy operation taking on water through seemingly infinite loopholes. A post-9/11 (as did a pre-9/11) world requires a genuine, dedicated citizenry and a supple, prepared government firing on all pistons. The absence of civil efficiency, the dominance of combative, proprietary mindsets renders impossible the maintenance of the level of preparedness that is required of any state, even during times of peace and prosperity; during these times of ever-unforeseen threats, we simply cannot withstand any further self-hindrance.

Lest one think that I'm scare mongering or indulging in fantastic scenarios, I daresay that our failure to imagine fantastic scenarios, our failure to be prepared is our most major, yet remediable shortcoming. I'm not scare mongering; I'm actually scared.

The weeks after the election of 2000 were for me, a fearful time. I'd grown up with a faith in checks and balances as secular religion, and though by the election of 2000, I was certainly old enough to have seen how the many actual shortcomings and untenably corrupt circumventions of the system I believed in had degraded all of us, I still thought that we could pass the stress-test of a contested election.

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Regarding the Supreme Court, while I, a uninformed common man believe that the election of 2000, and Citizens United were catastrophic failures, I also believe that democracies learn as they go, and so, while I haven't been able to write-off the heartbreak of these two examples, my faith still remains.

Additionally, since my insistence on a timely appointment would seem to concur with the Democratic Party's agenda, I'll note that I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican.

In fact, the very first blog I authored in these pages was a call for an end to senatorial appointments, when, in 2009, New York had vacant senate seat.

The process can surprise you, but not nearly so much as its perilous absence or thwarting can. And so, I say again: tighten up, America. Now is the time for all of us to examine our conscience, refuse to remain idle and to re-learn the blessed responsibilities of citizens.

Let's hold loud, brash, messy, contentious senatorial hearings on a judicial nominee or nominees. And at the end of each brutal day, when we seem completely irreconcilable in our differences, let us savor our exhaustion and find renewed strength in the sacrosanct constant of loyal opposition, as we prepare for the next day's clash of ideas.

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We should be approaching all of this with joy and gratitude, as we endure peacefully, given the global reality of how human nature at its worst is playing out every single day. Can we not fully comprehend how lucky we are?

A human being, a fellow American who loved his country and its philosophy, and who held beliefs so earnestly, that he made the dialectic and forensic function of the jurist his life's work, has died. A nation thanks you and we mourn with your family.

We best and most appropriately honor your service not by adhering to your views, nor by fighting for your core principles -- save for the one principle which ensures our duty and right to valiantly defend our beliefs : a commitment to a sacredly encoded, civilly conducted forensic function which on a daily basis preserves, vitalizes the health of -- and indeed, defines -- a democracy.

To wit, a page from recent history, included herein to neither support nor rebuke a Supreme Court ruling, but instead to draw from the words of Justice Scalia, a perhaps instructive joke warning against localized tyranny:



CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: The union organizer comes up to you and says, well, here's a card. You can check I want to join the union, or two, I don't want a union. Which will it be? And there's a bunch of your fellow workers gathered around as you fill out the card. MR. DREEBEN: Well, some would argue - JUSTICE SCALIA: And he's a big guy. (Laughter.)

This joke won't be funny anymore, if you choose to act like the bully your hero denounced.

Again, we are facing a critical challenge of the American intellect, the American conscience, the American heart; it is a challenge to which our noble, elected leaders, guided by the American Constitution, and the American system of governance, are more than equal.
For five years, the world has watched, with varying degrees of attention, the civil discord in Syria erupt into the largest humanitarian disaster in a generation. Advocates in Syria have cried out for global leadership, the international community has called for the cessation of hostilities, and organizations leading the humanitarian response have pleaded for support. And yet, this last year has been the most violent and destructive.

The UN and non-governmental organizations are receiving less than half of the assistance they say is necessary for a minimal response to the enormous suffering.

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Complexity is stifling action, and fear is too often drowning out compassion. Syrians are left to suffer. So, at this five-year mark, what are we called upon to do? It is easy enough for skepticism and despair to overcome us. Even as the leader of one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world, I can feel paralyzed by the challenge.

But this past week I have seen the power of small messages of compassion as an antidote to that hopelessness. We at CARE arranged for recipients of the original CARE Packages -- boxes of food and supplies sent by Americans to families clinging to survival in Europe after World War II -- to write letters to Syrian children whose families have fled to Jordan. The CARE Package recipients were refugees the last time the world saw a human displacement the size of Syria's.

Even we were surprised by the weight of their messages and the resulting connection between refugee children of one generation and those of another.

WWII refugee Helga Kissell, 87, of Colorado Springs, wrote Sajeda, a 16-year-old Syrian refugee. Helga's letter described the hardships she had to overcome in Germany, their common interest in music and these reassuring words: "Always remember the good times and look forward to what the future may bring."

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Sajeda, upon the reading the letter, broke down and began to cry. "Helga," she said through tears, "made me feel like I exist."

On this somber anniversary, we need to begin by truly standing with the people of Syria in recognition of their suffering. When I talked with Syrian refugees on the border, in Turkey and in Jordan, I heard about the support they required -- the need for emergency relief such as grocery debit cards, shelter, hygiene kits, and the opportunity for school attendance. But I was also struck by what I repeatedly heard and was articulated by a Syrian doctor, a refugee, who is now serving in cross-border medical missions: "The Syrian people need to see some message of hope from the world."

Having been so long stung by the ingredients of war -- oppression, intolerance, hatred, violence -- Syrians need healing, not just for their bodies. They need a signal that the world is not indifferent, that we see them, and we can name their pain and suffering.

Gunter Nitsch, an original CARE Package recipient who lives in Chicago, told 8-year-old Zaher that he was in a similarly dire situation seven decades ago in Germany, when his future also looked bleak. "I'm writing to share my story with you to let you know that, no matter how bad things may seem, there are good people in this world who can make everything better."

So let us begin by showing our care for and solidarity with those suffering in a conflict that has dragged on far too long.

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St. Patrick's Day is coming up! Whether you're planning to go all out in all green or not, downing a pint or two of the good stuff (along with some tasty bites) is never a bad idea. Guinness -- the gold standard of Irish stout and the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland -- has a creamy malt character that goes well with cakes, sweets, desserts and breads, as well as savory roasts, seafood and spicy food. Thirsty yet? You're in luck! (See what we did there?) Here are some fantastic ideas for what to pair with a dark beer.
Dear presidential candidates: My name is Milagros Amador. For 20 years I have worked as a teaching assistant in a pre-kindergarten classroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. I am also one of those Florida voters who you hope will go to the polls on March 15 to cast my vote for you. If you want my support, you must first make a commitment to the children of Florida by sharing your plan to make universal, high-quality early childhood education accessible to all.

I work with young children with disabilities to help them get a strong start on their future. I love watching my kids learn their letters or their numbers and grow in their confidence in themselves as they build relationships with others. My kids are excited about school, and they start kindergarten prepared and ready to learn.

Some of my kids come into our classroom at the beginning of the year struggling to speak - by the end of the year many of them have made progress communicating with me, their parents and anyone else who will listen. It is so gratifying when my former students -- their faces shining and their futures bright -- come to visit and give me a big hug to thank me for giving them a strong start.

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At the same time, their parents thank me for the valuable lessons we are able to teach them about how to cope with their children's disabilities or how to build on their social and academic skills at home. I have seen it over and over -- when a child has access to high-quality early childhood education, the whole family benefits. None of this would happen if these kids weren't lucky enough to have access to the services we provide.

Sadly though, only half of preschool-aged kids in our state are enrolled in public pre-k. That means 207,309 eligible Florida kids don't get what research has shown helps them thrive - access to early learning. Study after study demonstrates how children with high-quality early childhood education have higher rates of high school graduation and college attendance, are less likely to commit crimes, and are more productive as working adults.

Access to high-quality early childhood education is especially important for minority of children and children from low-income families -- we know that high-quality early educational opportunities can give disadvantaged children a leg up in all areas but especially in their social and emotional development and their overall health and well-being. Closing the achievement gap is an investment in our nation's economic future. Every dollar we invest in high quality early childhood programs saves us up to eight dollars in the future.

More than 43 percent of kids in Pinellas County public schools are kids of color -- our county's Latino population is growing particularly fast. However, our Latino early learners suffer from unequal access to pre-k and lower quality programs across the board. In fact, nationwide, only 20 percent of Latino kids are enrolled in high-quality early education programs. As a Latina mother myself, this breaks my heart.

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Here in Florida, we passed a constitutional amendment 14 years ago to offer free, voluntary pre-k programs to every 4-year-old in the state. This initiative has never been fully funded. In fact, our state is ranked as amongst the worst in the nation for per-pupil funding for pre-k. That means that Florida's schools and child care centers don't have the resources they need to provide high-quality programs for 4-year-olds.
What Do You Do When Your Best Friend Is Dying?

Finally get it that she is in her last days. Sit by her bedside in the sunlight. Gently massage her feet, her pain places. Talk with her son, my godson. Cry some more. Be thankful for so much. Ask her to send me a signal from "the other side."
Just over two years ago, I was in Flint, Michigan, for the wedding of my fraternity brother Kyle, the grandson of the city's first African-American mayor and a rising community leader in his own right.

As we made our way around downtown before the wedding, Kyle beamed about the changes that were slowly taking place in the city. As a staffer for the local chamber of commerce, he was also selling us on a city that has seen the loss of blue-collar manufacturing jobs and the crippling effects of white flight.

What has transpired in Flint over the past few months has come as a shock for even those who have remained steadfastly optimistic that the city can come back. The water crisis, which can either be blamed on the state's incompetence or indifference, has forced the city's residents to deal with an unprecedented emergency.

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But as Kyle told me just a few days ago, things on the ground are changing. The city is now begging folks not to send water bottles, as those donations are creating a surplus that assistance groups are unable to keep pace with. Instead, Kyle suggested two more direct ways to help Flint residents.

The first is money. There are numerous giving opportunities targeted towards both the short and long-term needs of Flint residents. Moreover, the majority of funds are being directed towards Flint children, especially as resources are being channeled to lead detection.

Kyle also noted that communities and groups could show their support for the city by hosting events - including conferences - there. As someone who has stayed in the city, I can vouch for its hospitality.

However, volunteering opportunities and human capital are much needed. Faith-based groups are working daily to provide a number of services, whether in the form of food or even counseling. But as Kyle noted, the majority of the groups are affiliated with churches, and an interfaith presence can help to underscore the ways that the community can heal together.

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Hindu communities in Flint and in towns south of the city (closer to Detroit) have already mobilized resources, including raising money and collecting goods for donation. However, the long-term needs of Flint residents - including mental health services, free medical clinics, and even mentorship for young people - can be addressed with the help of the Hindu community in conjunction with other faith groups. Medical assistance would be especially timely, particularly as the city's healthcare infrastructure is likely to face increasing strain in the coming months and years due to the effects of lead contamination.

As I've written before, the Hindu American community has a wealth of human capital to offer in building our common good. Seva isn't just an abstract concept, but one that should be lived in our daily lives.
Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump holds a plane-side rally in a hanger at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, Ohio, Monday, March 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Donald Trump is going to be the next president of the United States, and he will have the Democratic National Committee to thank for it. Much has been made of the "math" of the Democratic nomination, and how it favors Hillary Clinton -- in large part due to her huge lead in unpledged "superdelegates."

But for a moment, let's set aside the math of the Democratic primary, and look at the big picture: What matters for the general election is who can win swing states and ensure high voter turnout and enthusiasm in solidly blue states. In this regard, Bernie Sanders is clearly the more electable candidate.

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Swing States, Blue States

The 10 closest races in 2012 were in Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina. Six of these have voted so far in primary contests. Of these, Sanders won three by a landslide (New Hampshire, Colorado, Minnesota) and virtually tied in two others (narrowly losing Nevada and Iowa). The only swing-state that Hillary Clinton decisively won so far is Virginia, which actually broke from Mitt Romney in 2012. In short, Bernie Sanders has a decisive edge in swing states.

As for solidly-blue states, only four have voted so far, but the outcome is clear: Bernie Sanders decisively won Vermont and Maine, pulled a huge upset in Michigan, and virtually tied Hillary Clinton in Massachusetts. Clinton has not decisively won even one single solidly-blue state. Instead, virtually all of her pledged delegate lead comes from handily winning in solidly red states which she (or any Democrat) would be highly-unlikely to win in a general election. But even this lead would likely be erased as the contest heads to bluer states.

Hillary Clinton's main advantage with regards to winning the nomination is not public sentiment, but instead, due to unelected superdelegates whose purpose, according to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is to suppress grassroots candidates in favor of the establishment choice. And it looks like they will have their way: As a result of the superdelegates voting almost unanimously for Hillary Clinton, often in clear defiance of the popular will of their states, the math does indeed look bleak for Bernie Sanders to win the Democratic nomination. Barring a major grassroots revolt, Hillary Clinton will seize the nomination. And she will lose to Donald Trump.

Polling Doesn't Matter

I know, here people are going to say "Look at the polls! They show Hillary winning against Trump!" But there are three big issues here:

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First, polling more than six months prior to a race is not terribly predictive in general.

Second, Trump has consistently confounded polls and projections that predicted he could never win (ditto for Sanders, for that matter). Ceteris paribus, there is no reason to believe these dynamics would fundamentally change in the general election: Trump has been antifragile -- rising ever-higher despite (in many respects because of) scandals and gaffes that would have ruined most campaigns. The ridiculous amounts of money being spent on negative ads against him in critical states seem to be totally wasted.

Third, there are currently six candidates in the race, and the hope that another candidate may ultimately win the nomination affects how people perceive theoretical head-to-head matchups. When the only possible candidates are Trump v. Clinton, the public is going to break towards Trump.

Here's why:

Delegate Map, Clinton v. Trump

Again, what matters in a general election is who wins swing states and who turns out their base. So let's see how things look in a head-to-head between Clinton and Trump:

Remember the five out of six swing states that Hillary either decisively lost or tied in? Four of these have voted on the Republican side, and Trump handily won half of them (New Hampshire, Nevada). Remember the only swing state that Clinton decisively won (Virginia)? Trump carried that one was well -- and again, it broke for Romney in 2012. Remember how Hillary has won primarily in solidly-red states in the south during the Democratic primary? Guess who carried all of these rather decisively on the Republican side, and often with record turnout? That's right, Donald Trump.

That is, Trump is likely to decisively beat Clinton in virtually all of the states that she has performed strongly in so far, and seems poised to win many of the states she lost as well. This leaves her relying heavily on the solidly blue states, which overwhelmingly voted against her in the primaries, suggesting that enthusiasm will not be high with her base. Forget national polling. When one takes a sober look at the electoral map -- at who can turn out their base in solidly partisan states and appeal in swing states, based on how the primaries have turned out thus far, the edge is cleanly with Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.

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But it gets worse:

Trump has a large and passionate base. And while many Republicans are not comfortable with Trump, they passionately hate Hillary Clinton -- and faced with such a stark choice, most would vote for Trump if only to deny Clinton the White House. Reports of Republican elites who say they'd vote for Hillary over Trump are more-or-less meaningless in terms of indicating how most voters will perform: the entire Trump phenomena is a testament to how far out of touch these party elites are with their voting base. Make no mistake: Republicans will rally around Trump (or against Clinton), and they will turn out in large numbers to do so.

The same cannot be said on the other side:

A large number of Democrats cannot bring themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton under any circumstances -- and while many of these are unlikely to vote for Trump, they may well stay home on Election Day. This scenario would itself be damning for Clinton's candidacy: Democrats rely heavily on uncharacteristically-large left-leaning turnout in presidential election years to win national races. Absent this, they stand no chance--particularly in light of the advantage Trump already seems to have in swing states and with his base.

But the reality of the matter is that many Sanders supporters will not only abstain, they will actually vote for Trump if Hillary wins the nomination. For some, it would be a vote to punish the DNC for its anti-Democratic coronation of Clinton (via the superdelegates). For others, it'd be a nihilistic act: an attempt to burn down the establishment, or to give America "the candidate it deserves."

But from exit polling we know that many others, particularly in swing states with open primaries, were legitimately torn between Sanders and Trump as the best candidate to direct their anti-establishment sentiment. And if Sanders loses the Democratic nomination, those who voted for him for this reason would not turn around and vote for someone like Hillary Clinton in a general election -- they would vote for Trump. And to top it all off, there are a number of other Democrats who staunchly support the Donald over all the other candidates regardless--in fact, they are an important component of his support base.

All of this bodes ill for Hillary Clinton in a general election.

Why Clinton Can't Win

Sanders is dominating the blue states and swing states. Trump is dominating the red states and swing states. The takeaway should be clear: The American people in general, and particularly the states that will decide this election, do not want an establishment candidate. A Trump v. Clinton race could play out much like Ronald Reagan v. Bush Sr., Carter and Mondale: races where people with the "right"

resumes failed to connect with the public -- losing handily to a contender who seemed far less qualified or competent, and perhaps even dangerous, but who really "gets" the times we're living in and what people are looking for in this moment.

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There has been much to celebrate in Elizabet Flores' life, but she has marked only four occasions with formal parties.

The largest, an event for 300, was for her wedding a decade ago.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

La Bomboniera at its new location, 34-19 28th Ave.

There were smaller affairs when her daughter, 8-year-old Marylu, and then her son, 6-year-old Richard, were christened.

And the latest, a blow-out bash on the sidewalk with a mariachi band, bouquets of balloons and a tent, was held in November 2015 to mark the new location of La Bomboniera Marylu, the party-planning business she has owned for 11 years.

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Sure, Elizabet, who has hair and fingernails of gold, would like to go to more parties, but she's so busy setting up ones for other people that she doesn't have any time for her own fun.

Elizabet, who is from Mexico City's Nezahualcoyotl, started working hard long before she came to Astoria.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Elizabet has owned the party-planning shop for 11 years.

The oldest of five, Elizabet had big plans, the kind that warrant parties, for her future.

She was on her way to earning a college degree, a dream that derailed when her father died after her 21st birthday.

Her mother, who had never held a job and who was very ill, folded up into herself like a linen napkin, leaving it up to Elizabet to manage her financial and daily affairs.

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"I had a wonderful life until this happened," she says. "I had a boyfriend and a great job working for a large company that sold exhibition booths for conventions and big events. I had no intention of leaving Mexico City."

Soon, Elizabet had to quit her job to take care of her mother.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

A pinata for every party.

"After two years, I knew I had to leave," she says. "I needed to make more money to support her, and I needed to make my own life."

In 2001, when her mother was stable, she told her she was going to take a month-long vacation in Los Angeles, where she had a friend. But she had no intention of returning.

"My mother would have been suspicious if I had told her I was coming to New York because her sisters live here," she says.

Although Elizabet procured papers, she was turned back at Tijuana.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

A cake topper for a christening.

"I spent four hours in jail," she says. "They told me there was something wrong with the stamp on my passport."

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So she did what a lot of immigrants do: She came illegally.

In her case, she paid $2,000 and hid in the trunk of a car to cross the border.

"It was only five minutes, but I was nervous," she says. "It was a black car, I think it was a Rolls-Royce, and it was driven by two young American women who told me they did this all the time. When we were safe, they switched the music on the radio from American to Mexican so I would know."

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

A bouquet for a fairy-tale princess.

After a short stay in a hotel, she got into a second black car.

"This time, I got to sit in a seat," she says.

When her month's vacation was over, Elizabet came to Astoria to live with her aunts.

She knew enough English to look for work and found immediate employment in a laundry, folding and washing clothes.

She filled her idle hours with a second job as a salesperson in a children's clothing store on Steinway Street. On top of that, she became a student in English-as-a-second-language classes.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Elizabet left her home in Mexico in 2001.

"I applied to travel agencies because I had studied tourism in college in Mexico, but I couldn't get any jobs because I didn't have papers," she says.

It was an encounter at the laundry that determined and changed her future.

One of the customers, a woman from Peru, owned a party-planning business and asked Elizabet to spread the word.

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They lost touch then met again after Elizabet had traded her laundry job for one in an Italian bakery. Bound by Spanish, their common language, they clicked.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

A glittering Sweet 16 tiara.

Soon, the woman hired Elizabet to clean her house and wash her clothes.

"I did this work between my two other jobs," she says. "I stopped only long enough for a coffee break."

When Elizabet found out she was selling the six-year-old business, which was on 30th Avenue at 35th Street, she decided, on the spur of the moment, to buy it.

"Everyone in my family said I shouldn't do it," she says. "I had never even been in the store. I didn't even know how to blow up a balloon."

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Ana at the front counter.

Lucio Ramos, the boyfriend who became her husband, loaned her $3,000 toward the $10,500 purchase price, which Elizabet had six months to pay.

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"I was so ashamed to ask for the money," she says, adding that with rent and other expenses, she had to raise a total of $22,000. "I can't tell you the number of nights I didn't sleep thinking of it."

At this point, Elizabet, an independent woman who has kept her maiden name, had no intention of marrying Lucio or anyone else.

The two had met as teenagers in Mexico and reconnected in Astoria. Lucio, a waiter at a Manhattan restaurant, also had crossed the border under the radar.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Roses that will never wilt.

"It took him a year to find me," she says.

Elizabet learned the business of La Bomboniera Marylu, which sells invitations, favors, decorations and cakes for every celebration in life from baptism and Sweet 16s to weddings, as she went along.

Elizabet, who is 39, and her sister Ana call themselves "the balloon girls." They work the shop six days a week and go to the party sites for setup. On weekends, they bring their children, who like to hand out the colorful helium balloons.

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The shop, where Thomas the Train pinatas and plastic Hawaiian leis share space with rhinestone tiaras and bouquets of rubbery red roses that look like cake icing, is a glittering dime-store Disneyland.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Elizabet and Ana are waiting to get papers.

With the money she has earned from La Bomboniera Marylu, Elizabet has brought her two sisters to Astoria.

But there's one thing she hasn't been able to do: Get papers for them, herself and Lucio.

"I've been working with my lawyer for a long time to get us visas," she says, excitedly.

When that happens, she's going to throw a party to end all parties.
Canal Zone 6, 2015, by Judith Belzer, 40h x 40w in oil on canvas. Courtesy: George Lawson Gallery

It has been a great adventure to follow Judith Belzer's work over the last decade. She first arrived in Berkeley in 2003 as a self-identified "landscape painter from Connecticut" where she had lived surrounded by trees and dairy farms in a countryside that was domesticated and orderly. Today, she is an artist with a cosmopolitan scope in process and subject matter, the recent recipient of a Guggenheim to travel on the Panama Canal.

Belzer's work has always been intimate, quiet and cerebral, much like the artist herself, who is not prone to superficiality or trend. When confronted early on by the strangeness of the Northern California landscape, she grappled with great sensitivity with its intimidating scale. Her efforts to understand "the West" resulted in semi-abstract paintings that captured the moods and textures of California trees. In "The Inner Life of Trees," shown at the Room for Painting Room for Paper space in San Francisco in 2008, the artist focused on details and close-ups of tree bark and the patterns drawn from memory of her walks in nature. What Belzer describes in her catalog as an experience of "the giant or the ant or both crawling along the bark of a tree and then, somehow penetrating to the tree's interior " was reflected in these works where botany became conceptual.

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Later, in 2013, in "Edgelands" at Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York City, Belzer moved away from the details of trees and telescoped out with an eagle-eye view onto the post-industrial landscape of the East Bay where "nature meets culture" at the liminal, transitional edge lands. Belzer described her ideas around the paintings of that time: "The paintings map out how we have in fact jammed our manufactured landscape right up into the natural one and in the process they capture the kinetic energy and agitated motion many of us experience in our 21st-century lives."





Broken Geometry 2 (Canal Zone), 2015, by Judith Belzer, 30h x 30w oil on canvas. Courtesy: George Lawson Gallery

If I found the 2013 work intriguing, but in some ways didactic and architectonic in a kind of "mapping experimental phase," it is in the newest series "Canal Zone: Recent Work from the Panama Project" at George Lawson Gallery where I feel Belzer's intentions seem fully realized.

We can now celebrate without any hesitation this "painter's painter" who convinces us not only of her range and scope with oil on canvas, but offers us mature work that matters. The Canal Projects marks an obvious "loosening" of the artist's intellectual concerns, as well as her material ones: she literally has "opened up" her canvases and palette and perspective points (zero to no vanishing points.) Her color palette is invigorated by pop art saturated pinks and blues (neither of which are found in her past work or in nature), and her brush strokes have become calligraphic, fluid and unrestrained.





Judith Belzer at the Panama Canal. Photo Courtesy of Judith Belzer

"As I began this body of work, the Panama Project, it seemed to call out for amped up color," said Belzer. "I reached for more saturated pigments to intensify the coloration of the paintings. To work in concert with the color, I let my hand move fluidly and freely in support of the effort to convey a sense of the energy, activity and forward momentum of the canal operation."

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This new "energized abstraction" is confident and, most importantly, feels more relevant and urgent than ever in today's world; not only is the artist able to create a visual language that engages with the social and political issues around the dawn of Anthropocene (where human activity is the most powerful force shaping the earth), she is able to do so without dispensing with painting's formal and aesthetic conditions. Her paintings perform a place of beauty, friction and chaos.

Canal Zone No. 1., 2015, by Judith Belzer 40w by 40h oil on canvas. Courtesy: George Lawson Gallery

The Panama Canal is the largest man-made waterway in the world and its ongoing expansion (projected to be completed by the 100th anniversary of the Canal in April 2016) continues to be an experimental and risky engineering feat that has caused alarming biodiversity loss in the Panama rainforest and beyond (let's not forget the Amazon).

Belzer has understood that the canal has taken too great a liberty with nature in a man-made frenzy for progress that is at once absurd, fantastic and frightening, and she has delivered up a forceful body of work that asks us to consider the effect of such a project on our environment and our minds. Will there be a point where there are no trees or edge lands? And without edge lands, aren't we, in fact, closer to a true zero perspective vanishing point?

"Judith Belzer: Canal Zone: Recent Work from the Panama Project" can be seen at the George Lawson Galley, 315 Potrero Ave. in San Francisco. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The show runs February 24-April 9, 2016.
I am a television junkie. I love television. I love my kids. I do not love television for kids. Sure, some of it's okay. And we actually adored Arthur (you know, the ardvark). I once came home to find my husband watching the show after he'd put our then four year old to bed. He needed to know what had happened to Arthur's lost library book. But Arthur is the exception rather than the rule. And while some shows are watchable, there are five that I would love to see end forever. Here is how I envision their totally inappropriate endings.

Caillou

Our least favorite bald-headed, eternal, four-year-old finally tells his helicopter hover of a mother to back the fuck off. He and Rosie put themselves up for adoption so they can find some nice free-range parents who will let them go to the park (and bathroom) alone. Flash forward a few months, Caillou's voice deepens and his hair grows, which means the producers of the show have finally let a male character portray him, and this poor misguided kid has grown a pair. The benign and annoying narrator is killed off and replaced with Samuel L. Jackson who has adopted Caillou. Samuel L. orders the boy, who is used to getting his way, to "go the fuck to sleep."

Dora

Our bilingual explorer goes on an adventure and winds up in NYC on the wrong side of Central Park. She does her best to fight street thugs, but is upset to find her backpack does not carry guns, knives, or mace. Dora, rendered defenseless, seeks a way out of the city with the help of Map. A band of thieves steal him because they know they can sell a talking map to naive tourists in Times Square for a pretty penny. Stuck with little more than a monkey and the clothes on her back, Dora joins the circus and marries the strong man who is quite a bit older. Meanwhile, back in the jungle, Dora's parents put up posters of their missing child, though it takes several months for these free-range parents to realize she's even gone and Swiper is sent to therapy for his continued kleptomania.

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Curious George

This wild and adventurous monkey gets a bit too curious when the local circus comes to town. In one of the greatest cross-over events in children's television history, he falls in love with Boots much to the chagrin of the Man with the Yellow Hat who honestly and truly believed George was a hairy child. He attempts to steal George back by smuggling him under his big hat, but the police catch him and send him off to the big house for kidnapping. He meets up with Swiper who just couldn't give up a life of crime. Together they plan a jail break using the plastic sporks Swiper steals during his prison meals. Their breakout is documented in a new reality television show coming in fall of 2015.

Max and Ruby

When a concerned neighbor witnesses Ruby alone for several nights in a row, she calls child protective services. After a thorough investigation and playing hard ball with the eerily quiet Max the truth is revealed. That bossy bitch bunny, Ruby, went bananas, killed her parents, buried them in the basement and was using the senile grandmother to fund her parentless lifestyle. Max isn't even Ruby's brother. He is just some poor kid she stole at the local park. She wanted someone to keep her company, but after realizing how boring the uncommunicative Max was she asked him to go away. With little in the way of verbal skills he didn't know how to find another home. Max is sent off to live with his real family who teach him how to talk. He becomes an advocate for elderly bunnies everywhere. Ruby becomes the head of a rogue bunny gang in prison, they challenge a rival gang of squirrels to a fight in the prison yard, and Ruby meets an unfortunate and grizzly end.

Lego Friends

This show, nothing more than a teen version of Strawberry Shortcake (though the characters don't smell quite as nice) features young girls of an unspecified age working together to fix whatever crisis may come to Heartlake City. In the final episode, they realize there simply aren't any problems left to solve. They have saved all the dolphins, rescued and found homes for every lost or abandoned cat or dog, and committed enough kind acts to make the entire world wish them away. They sing a final song that sounds like every other song they've ever sung ,and then disappear leaving a black screen and the words, "we've bored ourselves to death."

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While these shows may make children happy by lulling them into hypnotic states, for parents they are both annoying and boring. Maybe we should start a petition pleading with television companies to end the madness.
The personal invitation from Nancy Reagan to witness her blessed reunion with her beau Ronnie at her dignified funeral service was just as she had planned. Her guest list of who she desired attend was as politically and spiritually diverse as our nation. The all-encompassing array of people present illustrated the mutual respect and admiration held for the graceful First Lady, Mrs. Ronald Reagan. The humorous and emotional sentiments shared amongst guests exhibited how Nancy would be missed as a dear friend and mother. Her family and close friends gathered at the magnificent setting of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in the rolling California hills of Simi Valley on Friday March 11, 2016. Dignitaries, members of the Armed Forces, clergy, media, loyal staff, care-givers, and even some real California cowboys on horseback joined to pay final loving respects. Farewell to Nancy Davis Reagan, who graced this world from July 6, 1921 to March 6, 2016, began with all rising to the proclamation:

"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord;

he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live,

and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die...

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit,

for they rest from their labors."

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President Reagan's favorite song, Battle Hymn of the Republic, was led by the choir and sung by all: "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord...Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!...His truth is marching on." This was the dramatic beginning of the formal Liturgy of Christian Burial for First Lady, Nancy Reagan.

"E Pluribus Unum"

Honourable George W. Bush, 43rd President, looked a bit overwhelmed surrounded by a plethora of powerful first ladies including his wife Laura, First Lady Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter. The children of former Presidents Ford, Nixon and Johnson attended along with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy. A notable Americana show of unity. Seated also in the front rows were California Governor Jerry Brown and former Governor Pete Wilson with his wife Gayle. It was a pleasant surprise when former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived with his beautiful former First Lady Maria Shriver on his arm. United States Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker Newt Gingrich with his wife Callista, and Members of Congress including Dana Rohrabacher and former Representative David Drier attended. Friends from the diplomatic corps, business community and Hollywood were there. Former (Reagan)Secretary of State George Schultz, Frederick Ryan, Peggy Noonan, Ambassador and Mrs. Glen Holden, Marcia Hobbs, Lod Cook, Gerry Parsky, Betsy Bloomingdale, Lynn Wyatt, George Will, Tom Selleck, Bo Derek, Wayne Newton, Mr. T and comedian friend, Yakov Smirnoff, all gathered for Nancy's memorable and touching "happily ever after" occasion. Family including Michael Reagan and his wife and other friends unable to be present were there in spirit.

Agape Love

The gentlemen present became squeamish in their seats bending heads and lamenting "How do we show as much love and affection to our wives as Ronnie did with Nancy? Ronald Reagan has really raised the bar for guys!" Former Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney read a Christmas Love Letter from Ronnie to Nancy letting her know that every day was like Christmas for him in their marriage. We learned that Nancy reciprocated his love letters with socks she knitted for him filled with his favorite jelly beans. Pure romance. Their dear Canadian friend shared a personal encounter and dilemma with us. He said that on a state visit while waiting with President Reagan at Ottawa Airport for their wives to arrive, the jovial American President exclaimed how fortunate the two Irish Lads were to have married up! Further reflecting on when he complained to President Reagan that he made him look bad to his wife Mila by his being so thoughtful to Nancy. Her leading man quickly retorted with a smile, "That's your problem Brian!"

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Every detail of this "Eternal Union" romantic gathering had Nancy's personal imprint on it. From commencing exactly on time at eleven o'clock in the morning, to the selection of poignant biblical readings and readers, the exquisite blend of classical, spiritual and patriotic music and eulogies by those she personally desired present them. Following Brian Mulroney remarks, Former Secretary of State James Baker and Tom Brokaw shared loving memories. Diane Sawyer spoke of her affectionate relationship with Nancy and then all stood as she beautifully proclaimed the Gospel Reading, John 14:1-6:



"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you,

I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him,

'Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?'

Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.'

Diane concluded, "The Word of The Lord, for Nancy."

We all replied, "Thanks be to God."

Holding hands, the congregation of guests said The Lord's Prayer:



"Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come,

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen."



With Ambassador and Mrs. Holden at The Reagan Library honoring Nancy

It was interesting to see so many journalists as part of Nancy's inner circle. It was enjoyable to be seated with them in row eight, center stage, wearing Nancy's favorite color red as a loving tribute. Katie Couric with her husband John Molner, Judy Woodruff, Sam Donaldson, Larry King and Wendy Walker formerly with CNN, and current CNN historian Douglas Brinkley were all part of Nancy's closely knit quilt of guests. The thought came to mind, "Conservative Nancy must have held these reportedly liberal members of the media closely in her heart and vice versa." Again, Nancy's funeral gathering revealed the reality of friendly, peaceful unity of Americans, especially during bonding times of sorrow and empathy.

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The atmosphere was all about love. The sad moment was hearing their two children express their feelings. Her daughter Patty spoke of the "Island of Two" her parents metaphorically and devotedly lived on and her desire to remember the healing and non-judgmental love she always received when she needed her Mother most. Ron brought levity in his remarks but evoked tears declaring he and his sister now suddenly find themselves "orphaned." He inspired prayerful hope in the hearts of many believers present when he informed that while he does not have faith in the supernatural, he comforted his Mother by responding positively to her when she needed re-assurance that she would be with their Father again. Hopefully, Ron and Patty know they are loved by the people who love their parents and they are forever a part of these extended Reagan families.



Amazing Grace

The Reverend Stuart A. Kenworthy, Vicar from the Washington National Cathedral, in his moving words focused on eternal love and life. He expressed this Divine gift of grace is offered to all who desire it, as promised by The Resurrection of Christ. We had the opportunity for friendly ecumenical exchange after the service. Complimenting him on his inspirational homily and blessing, the Reverend said that he was here to deliver that hopeful message for souls to be introduced to Jesus and then touched by the heart and mercy of God. He happily received the gift of Jesus' Mother, a "miraculous medal" exclaiming, "do you know what 'Theotokos' means?" I replied, "Yes, Reverend, it means Mother of God." He smiled affirming, "That's right" tapping me softly on the shoulder. I then said, "Behold thy Mother." Nancy's choice of "Ave Maria" and "Pie Jesu-Requiem," sung by soloist Ana Maria Martinez as hymns for reflection during the tender service, indicates Nancy's loving connection to Holy Mother Mary and Precious Jesus.

The closing hymn chosen by Nancy and led by the 1st Marine Division Band, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and Santa Susana High School Advanced Women's Choir, sung by all:

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God bless America, Land that I love

Stand beside her and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains to the prairies

To the oceans white with foam,

God bless America, My home sweet home

God bless America, My home sweet home!

The skies were unusually overcast the morning of Mrs. Reagan's funeral and the weather report was for rain. But during the service, rays of California sunshine brightly shone upon her white rose covered casket. At the moment America's dearly loved First Lady was carried out by her Honorary Pallbearers and Military Honor Guard to be interred next to her beloved husband and President, the heavens opened up with a torrent of rain as though she was pouring down kisses to us all. Nancy is now in the arms of her Ronnie riding into the blissful sunset for The Beatific Vision, experiencing eternal life and love.
These types of lists are always so hard for me. There really are a lot of standouts in this industry, and when I say standouts, I mean it. So in an effort to not put this off any longer, I've decided to just finally post it knowing I've likely missed some people. And because of that I gladly welcome mentions and nominations in the comments - the really great people are rarely thanked enough for their hard work.

Here's my list of the sixteen best people to follow on Twitter in 2016 (in no particular order):

1) Peg Fitzpatrick @PegFitzpatrick



I got to know Peg through her work with Guy Kawasaki. Peg is a social media goddess and never ceases to amaze me with her mega-creative, super insightful posts. I really love her stuff. If you want to stay current on all things social media, and get some great ideas in the process, Peg is your gal. Find her on the web at pegfitzpatrick.com

2) KM Weiland @KMWeiland



KM's website, helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com, is aptly named. She's the award-winning author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel. She's an invaluable mentor for writers who want to become authors - follow her for rock solid tips to improve your writing skills.

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3) John Kremer @JohnKremer



John's been around self-publishing for a long time and knows his stuff. He wrote the book 1001 Ways To Market Your Book and shares his insight both on his blog, bookmarketingbestsellers.com, and via his Twitter feed. His book has been an invaluable resource to a great many authors!

4) Joel Friedlander @JFbookman



Joel's passion for his topic is unmistakable, he shares great information via his blog and Twitter feed. His blog, thebookdesigner.com, designed to help support self-published authors is a fantastic resource if you want to publish the right way.

5) Anne R. Allen @annerallen



Anne's blog, annerallen.com, which she writes with Ruth Harris, is full of unmissable tips for new writers. They both are industry veterans who are dedicated to helping authors create the best possible work AND engineer a successful launch. They are an invaluable resource for authors, both indie and traditionally published.

6) Joan Stewart @PublicityHound



Joan is the Publicity Hound and she is as tenacious as the name suggests. Joan is my go-to for all things marketing. She has fantastic resources on her website, publicityhound.com, great webinars and shares a ton of helpful marketing insight via her Twitter feed.

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7) Jane Friedman @JaneFriedman



I've known Jane for a long time and her information is consistently fantastic. She is always offering helpful insights into publishing - what works and what doesn't, and she spends time researching publishers, marketing ideas and often has some great guests who contribute their knowledge to her blog, janefriedman.com.

8) Joanna Penn @thecreativepenn

I've known Joanna since she was just an author with a few books - now she's a bit of an empire. She shares some fantastic marketing wisdom (having been there herself) and she is really dialed into what works in marketing and what's just a smoke screen. I love her honesty and passion for what she does! Find her at thecreativepenn.com

9) Mark Coker @markcoker



Founder of Smashwords, Mark has become the voice of the independent author. He works tirelessly to give authors the best possible experience on his site: Smashwords.com. He's also a great speaker (I always love his sessions) and he's a fan of hard data. The numbers never lie and he often releases real-time stats on book publishing that will blow your mind.

10) Hugh Howey @hughhowey



Best known for his internationally bestselling book, WOOL, Hugh is now one of the many great spokespeople for self-publishing. He shares a lot of great data and insight that's a must for any author. Check him out at hughhowey.com.

11) Mari Smith @marismith



Follow Mari for everything Facebook - she simply rocks it on Facebook. She also tweets out new Facebook tricks, changes and updates to all things Facebook. And of course, you should also follow her on Facebook! On the web, she's at: marismith.com.

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12) Frances Caballo @CaballoFrances



Frances began as a reporter, moved into public relations, but found her love in social media. As a rock solid Social Media Strategist/Manager for authors, she stands among my top 30 websites for independently published authors. Find more goodness on Frances' site, socialmediajustforwriters.com.

13) Denise Wakeman @Denisewakeman

Dubbed the Queen of Visibility, Denise really gets it. She's got some amazingly insightful information on her blog, denisewakeman.com, and via her Twitter feed that will help you gain more readers, followers and sales.

14) Social Media Examiner @SMExaminer



So this isn't a single person (though technically run by Michael Steizner) but it's a mega-portal for all things social media. I get their newsletter (and attend their yearly conference in San Diego) and I can't say enough about the fabulous content they produce at socialmediaexaminer.com.

15) BookWorks @bookworksNYC



Run by Betty Sargent, who has a very impressive publishing resume, it's the new go-to for all things publishing (both traditionally and self-published). Their blog, bookworks.com, is fantastic, helpful and the entire BookWorks team works really hard to get out only the best and most helpful information on self-publishing. They have worked to create a community where authors and professionals can come together to share guidance and insights - follow them to become a part of this community.

16) BiblioCrunch @BiblioCrunch

Run by Miral Sattar, BibiloCrunch is a fantastic portal to find great service providers that have been vetted by the BiblioCrunch staff. They also have a fab #indiechat every Tuesday at 4pm EST. Scope out bibliocrunch.com too.

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Six indigenous people were killed in the Dutch-funded Santa Rita Dam in Guatemala (CODECO)

"Respect for human rights," the Finnish government says, is a guiding principle for its development policy and cooperation. The Dutch government has identified "supporting human rights defenders" as one of the three top priorities of its human rights policy. How is it that in spite of such commitments the two countries support projects with severe human rights abuses such as the Agua Zarca Dam through their development finance institutions, FMO and Finnfund?

On March 2, Berta Caceres, the indigenous leader of the Civic Council of Indigenous and Popular Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), was killed after she had received numerous threats for her resistance to the Agua Zarca Dam. Berta's murder did not happen in a vacuum: The dam builder, Desarrollos Energeticos SA (DESA), has close contacts with the Honduran military, and orchestrated a campaign of intimidation against Berta and her comrades. Three other COPINH activists have been killed for their resistance against Agua Zarca.

Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, companies have an obligation to respect human rights, and to carry out human rights impact assessments and other due diligence measures before they invest in sensitive regions and sectors. Sinohydro, China's biggest state-owned dam building company, undertook such due diligence in 2013 and pulled out of the Agua Zarca Dam in 2013 because of "uncontrollable" conflicts.

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These conflicts did not deter FMO and Finnfund from approving loans of $15 million and $5 million respectively for Agua Zarca in 2014. The two financial institutions have consistently defended the project in their public announcements. They appear to live in a parallel universe, and to primarily rely on DESA and the Honduran government, which are parties in the conflict over the project, for their information.

When it comes to human rights abuses Agua Zarca is not an isolated case. Local activists have been killed in dam conflicts again and again. As Both Ends and SOMO, two Dutch advocacy organizations, have documented, FMO has supported several hydropower projects that have triggered serious conflicts and human rights violations.

In Panama for example the indigenous Ngabe-Bugle people are strongly resisting the Barro Blanco Dam. Two indigenous activists were killed in 2012, and an official investigation found that FMO and other financiers did not follow their own guidelines in financing the project. FMO is also supporting the controversial Santa Rita Dam in Guatemala, which is linked to the death of six indigenous people.

Of course contradictions between human rights and foreign aid policies are widespread among governments. The United States, for example, strongly condemned Berta Caceres' murder as a "despicable crime," but continues to train, equip and fund the Honduran military in spite of its human rights abuses. Yet when it comes to the Agua Zarca Dam, the spotlight is on the Dutch and Finnish governments.

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Under the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, governments have a particular responsibility to ensure that state-owned enterprises, including financiers such as FMO and Finnfund, respect human rights. If the managers of these banks don't realize that Agua Zarca is the source of serious human rights abuses, the governments which control them must bring them into compliance with their human rights obligations. Sixty NGOs from around the world presented this demand to the Dutch Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development on March 14.

Last week, the Dutch government announced that it will send an ambassador to Honduras "to express concern over the killing of human rights activist Berta Caceres" and presumably assess the state of the Agua Zarca Project. In response to International Rivers' online action, FMO said that it would decide about continued involvement in the dam project on the basis of this visit. Finnfund says that speculation about an exit from Agua Zarca is "at the moment premature," but the financier would probably follow if FMO pulled out of the project.

As Agua Zarca, Barro Blanco and other projects demonstrate, we cannot count on the judgment of financiers when it comes to human rights. The governments of the Netherlands and Finland must take responsibility for the actions of their development financiers. The noble principles of their human rights policies are only credible if they also apply when their own interests are at stake. Continued involvement in the Agua Zarca Dam is a stain on the Dutch and Finnish human rights policies.
By: Debbie Cameron

Imagine for a moment a world where every day is a struggle. You have little or no access to clean safe drinking water or employment. One where your children face a life of uncertainty, possibly without the opportunity to go to school to learn how to read and write, with poor healthcare and a low life expectancy... the last thing that you would probably imagine to find in this world is love, laughter and compassion. Yet this is what awaits you upon arrival in post conflict East Africa.

For me charity starts from the heart, a cause that reaches out to you and makes you want to take action. No matter how small that action is... it's about believing that you can effect change for the better somewhere in the world. For Fields of Life the impact for the communities that we work with is life changing. And for our donors the impact on their businesses is equally empowering.

Adopting a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy is so much more than just reducing energy and print costs. It's about building a team of individuals who feel passionate and proud in their work. A survey from Net Impact found that 53% of workers said that 'a job where I can make an impact' was important to their happiness. Interestingly, 35% would take a pay cut to work for a company committed to CSR. The success of Unilever in their approach to CSR is well documented. But the best news is that even the smallest of organisations benefit when putting CSR at the heart of their business.

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First and foremost, we all agree that business exists to make profit, and this isn't meant to change as a result of finding your cause. The reality is that CSR can help you to achieve that goal. It's about managing the relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders to produce an overall positive impact on society, whilst making money. To quote the MD of Amelix, Louis Hurst, 'A business that just makes money is not a good business'.

This sentiment is felt by so many businesses, and if you are taking the time to read my rambles then I know it's a sentiment that you share. It doesn't matter how small or large your business is, what does matter is that you believe that your giving is making a difference to our fragile world.

Family Business Place, an SME with a large reach and heart decided that they could make a difference through Fields of Life when they set up the Well Good Campaign. Their vision is to bring clean drinking water to remote communities in East Africa. I was recently fortunate enough to accompany MD Anita Brightley-Hodges and her husband Steve on an emotional trip to Uganda to visit their own well. Watching a well being struck is a momentous occasion, and it's hard to find the words to describe.

For many of the community this will be the first time they have tasted clean water, having spent their lifetime gathering water from a source shared by cattle. For Anita and Steve, meeting the villagers for the first time and hearing first-hand how the well has changed their lives is an experience I am sure they'll never forget. I know that I certainly won't!

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For their business, the positive impact has been equally phenomenal, from increased staff moral through to their customers. To quote Anita, 'It's incredible to think that a small family run business can effect such change, just imagine how the impactful this could become if we all implement a similar CSR strategy'.

I feel humbled by the level of support and thank everyone that is playing a part in this life transformational work. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join with us and become part of this story of hope, regeneration and renewal in East Africa. Maybe you would like to join us for a long weekend and experience our projects in post conflict East Africa first hand.

Pioneers for Change is a seed-bed for innovative thought. An activator of personal potential. A catalyst for collective energy. A community to drive social change.

Our annual, international Fellowship is open to anyone aged 28 - 108 years old. We gather change-makers -- a business person, a community person, an investor, a thinker or doer -- who are willing to harness their talents, energy and resources as a force for good. Pioneers for Change is an initiative of Adessy Associates.

Adessy Associates believes a better world is possible, and inspires and equips organisations and individuals to make positive change happen and contribute to a sustainable future, for the benefit of people, planet and profit. Our bespoke services harness sustainability, innovation, consciousness and purpose. We are B Corp certified.

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Mother and children wandering through countryside, dragging suitcases behind them

PART I: JORDAN

Jamel Hossein and his family live on the third floor of a Syrian refugee neighborhood in Amman that used to be a refugee camp for Palestinians. Jamel, the father, is waiting for us with the door ajar. He greets us warmly with a "Salaam Alleikhum" -- but his smile is worn. He is tired, not from a days work, but from the toll of constant fear and worry. We settle down on cushions laid down intentionally on the recently swept floor of the family room.

Jamel fled his home in Dara'a, Syria in 2012 after his wife was severely injured and partially blinded by stray shrapnel from shelling from President Assad's forces. The wound on Zafira's face was visible -- a long muted streak that drove from her brow, across her eye, and down to her cheek. She had beautiful green eyes, but only after Jamel told us of her accident did I realize why she would not make direct eye contact.

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Jamel and Zafira live with their three school-age daughters, Jamel's sister and her infant daughter. The children all join us for the conversation. They are shy - not unlike most young girls their age when they meet new people. In fact, they are not unlike other girls in most ways. Their father and mother love them and have made huge sacrifices to get them away from danger. They go to school in the mornings. They cannot go a full day because there are not enough resources to school all of the 350,000 Syrian refugee children in Jordan for a full day.

Jamel, however, has been able to buy a third-hand tablet, on which he downloads English lessons for his children. In the afternoons, when their counterparts in other parts of the world are returning from a lunch break to the second half of their daily studies, Yala, Zubeira, and Sabah sit in front of their father's tablet for their daily English lesson. Occasionally, Jamel tries to learn alongside his daughters. But he has gone through too much of life to be able to learn another language now.

Jamel was an olive oil producer in Dara'a. The family was not rich -- but he was able to provide for his family. His daughters never went hungry, their school uniforms were always clean; they were even saving to send their daughters to university. They were happy and they had a future. And then they were forced to flee their home because their country fell apart. They were lucky they had friends and family in Amman. Those without a small social network in Amman typically found themselves in the refugee camps -- where life was much more dangerous and difficult.

Jordan is home to almost 700,000 refugees, mostly from Syria. The country is safe, stable, and for all intents and purposes, a prosperous middle income country. Locals joke that their fortune is due to the lack of fortune in Jordan -- it is one of the few countries in the Middle East without oil. Whatever the reason, Jordan remains a beacon of hope in a region that has seen virtually nothing but turmoil in the last several decades. The monarchy has generously opened its borders to Syrian refugees fleeing conflict, first caused by Assad himself, then the rebels, and more recently, the Islamic State (though hundreds continue to cross the border as a result of atrocities committed by the former two). Despite this generosity, Syrians in Jordan need more.

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Jordan, like most other countries that host refugees, has a strict restriction on refugees' right to work. This is oftentimes understandable. A country is responsible for its citizenry, and needs to assure jobs go to its own. Moreover, refugees are usually thought to be "temporary guests", so to speak. They can be provided humanitarian aid (by governments themselves, or the NGO community) -- but there's no need to give them work. They'll be gone soon. Or so we think.

The brutal reality is that the Syrian crisis, like most other humanitarian crises across the world is protracted. Syria has been in shambles for five years. Tanzania has had refugees from The Democratic Republic of Congo since the 1980s! People do not flee their home if they think things will get better soon. These people know better than the international community that there simply is no future in their home. If there is -- it is not a near future. Living only off of humanitarian aid, when you have seen the bleakness of the future, is a terrible proposition for most.

Jamel and his family receive $200 of cash assistance and another $100 worth of food vouchers every month from UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, and other humanitarian agencies. Jamel occasionally finds ways to work "illegally" in the markets to earn some extra cash. But Amman is one of the most expensive cities in the Middle East. There is never enough to make it through the month. After Jamel pays his $150 for monthly rent, he buys diapers for his niece and other necessities such as his $10 monthly expenditure on mobile/internet access. That's right - Jamel spends $10 of his $50 left over after rent and food on making sure he and his family have access to the internet! It is that important to them. Without connectivity, he is unable to teach his children English, make sure his parents are still alive in Syria, ensure his brother arrived in Germany safely, or learn about the destruction of his home town. More importantly, his 3G data connection allows him to search the internet for informal work that will allow him to re-bolster his pride as a father and a husband.

Jamel's situation is the story of countless Syrians (and refugees from other countries) living in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and elsewhere in the Middle East. This is why Europe's shores are being flooded with flimsy rubber dinghies packed with refugees. These people had normal lives, and had a standard of living that allowed them to have a future. They were not rich. But they had hopes of sending their children to university. Of spending celebrating Eid with a massive feast for the entire family. Of spending an afternoon in the park. In Jordan, they are prisoners in their apartments and tents. Jamel, and other proud Syrians like him -- have been emasculated. They cannot provide for their families. They do not want the handouts -- they want to work. But they cannot. The handouts are not enough. So they take the dangerous journey to countries where they can work. It's really not very different from why Europeans came to the New World.

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PART II: TANZANIA

After a three-hour bumpy journey from the Kigoma Airport through mud, dirt, and forest, we arrive at Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Western Tanzania, home to over 150,000 refugees from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over 2,000 refugees are arriving on a daily basis in Tanzania from the powder keg that is Burundi. Many of these same Burundians had fled conflict just 10 years ago and were forced to repatriate when tensions temporarily subsided in 2010. They are re-joining a Congolese population in Nyarugusu that has been in the camp for over 20 years -- so long that some have never even seen a computer.

The overcrowding in the camp (intended to have a capacity of 66,000 people) has gotten so bad that mass shelters have been set up to house thousands of people under atrocious living conditions. There is limited access to clean water, absolutely no privacy, and when it rains -- there may as well not be a tent. It is outside one of these mass shelters, that we met Julian.

Julian is a bright young man from outside Bujumbura -- the capital of Burundi. While most Burundians have an elementary grasp of French, Julian's is perfect. He even spoke English... which is almost unheard of for a refugee in Nyarugusu.

As a young boy, Julian's parents had fled Burundi during the crisis in the 90s. He spent four years in Nyarugusu during that time. Unlike most of his peers, he managed to attend school in the camp on a fairly regular basis. He attributes this to his parents' dogged persistence that he be educated. The school was run by UNICEF and severely lacking in infrastructure and resources. Despite the challenges, Julian miraculously did not fall too far behind his peers in the rest of the world that did not have to be educated in these circumstances.

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When tensions in Burundi started showing signs of subsiding, the Tanzanian government "requested" that UNHCR repatriate the Burundians back to Burundi. Julian was one of these folks who went back. Things appeared to be looking better in Burundi. There was a democratically elected president, significant development funding coming in, and a neighbor in Rwanda that was defying a comparable bloody past and becoming a major player in Africa. Surely, Burundi would be able to do the same. Julian's story in the ten years he was back in Burundi after his family was repatriated appeared to indicate things were going in the right direction. He continued his studies and was even awarded a scholarship to take a course in a prestigious university in Paris.

However, in 2015, Burundi's President Ngkuruzisa decided to flout the country's newly formed and tenuous constitution to seek a 3rd term. Violence broke out again. And the hundreds of thousands who had experienced the pain and grief of making the mistake of staying too long during the last genocide decided to flee back to Tanzania before the kettle burst this time. Julian's family was one of these families. When Julian returned from his course in France - he arrived to a home with no one. There was a note that told him where they had gone, and so, fresh from his personal renaissance in Paris -- he set off to find his family... in a refugee camp... for the second time in his life.

Julian took buses and walked for two weeks with about $10 to last him that whole time, before he finally arrived in Nyarugusu. When he arrived, the UNHCR registration staff worked with him to find his family. They were living in a mass shelter tent with 20 other families and a cholera outbreak had just taken the lives of several of the people living in their tent. This was Julian's new home.

Like his counterparts in Jordan, Julian and his family, and all other refugees in Tanzania, are not legally allowed to do any form of work or income generating activities. They receive food aid (rations) from the World Food Programme. When it is rations day -- everyone in the family goes to the distribution center and waits all day to pick up their rations. The children skip school on these days. Despite the illegality of work, many refugees find ways to generate a little income in the camp... by doing anything from selling airtime for SIM cards to providing solar charging stations for electronics (usually phones) to selling off their food rations. Despite some opportunities in the informal market, refugees in Nyarugusu rarely earn more than $2 a month.

Julian is technically savvy and teaches his fellow refugees in the mass shelters how to use the phone. He even sets up Facebook accounts for people using Facebook's basic phone app (Nyarugusu only has a 2G network). He even makes some money topping up SIM cards for people. But for Julian, the biggest challenge is that there is no way for him to continue his education. Schools in Nyarugusu only go through high school. Without access to post-secondary education and limited legal right to move freely within Tanzania (due to his refugee status), Julian's talents simply fester and rot in the camp. In refugee camps in neighboring countries, such as Malawi, internet access has brought about the ability to access a college education from within the camp! But, for now, no such mechanism exists for Julian to escape extreme hardship and poverty.

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CONCLUSION

The stories of Jamel and Julian are representative of the plight of refugees globally. There are 20 million refugees in the world today and another 40 million internally displaced persons - the most in history since the United Nations started tracking refugee populations. In the media's focus on the massive migration into Europe, they miss highlighting three critical points.

1) Refugees want to take care of themselves. While it is the political and religious conflict in home countries that is the root cause of migration crisis, it is often host country governments' reluctance or inability to provide refugees the basic needs (e.g., right to work, right to travel, and right to be educated) to maintain a sustainable livelihood that drives refugees to continue moving to places like Europe, where they believe that they will be given a sufficient opportunity to take care of themselves. Refugees do not WANT to rely on handouts. But if they are legally restricted from making ends meet, that is the only thing they can do. 2) The Syrian crisis is not the only refugee crisis in the world. While the world focuses on what's happening in Syria, conflict has endured in Central Africa, with no end in sight. The international communities' and donors' attention on the Europe crisis creates a risk that funding will only be earmarked for addressing the refugee situation in the Middle East. It is already evident - as Jordan is significantly better supported in its efforts to address the refugee situation than is Tanzania or other parts of Africa. The EU recently drastically increased funding for Turkey's refugee operations in hopes of curbing the migration from Turkey. The West needs to learn from the past. When it focuses only on conflicts that directly affects its borders, millions die unnoticed (think Rwanda, Ethiopia, Holocaust, etc.) 3) There is an opportunity for modern technology to make a significant positive impact in the global refugee crises. The stories of Jamel and Julian highlight one major tool that each hopes to use in order to lift themselves, their families, and their communities out of despair - technology. The private sector can work with the humanitarian community to play a major role in enabling access to the internet, devices on which to access the internet (e.g., phones, tablets, computers), infrastructure for community technology access (e.g., schools, libraries), and content (e.g., education apps, job seeking portals) which can transform the way refugees provide for themselves and seek opportunities to break free from the shackles of humanitarian aid.
Intelligent machines replacing humans in the workplace is no longer science fiction. Research from McKinsey & Company reports that as much as 45 percent of the individual work activities can be accomplished with artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and computer automation that is available today.

The agriculture industry is being transformed by driverless tractors guided by satellite GPS systems. Surgeries are performed remotely with robotic assistance. Baxter and its sibling Sawyer, the workplace transforming robots from Rethink Robotics, are giving mature-market manufacturing companies a cost-effective tool to compete through flexible automation.

The impact, while not universal to every job, is not confined to the nonprofessional ranks. The McKinsey research suggests that up to 20 percent of the activities routinely performed by CEO's can be automated as well. Likewise, some jobs -- such as home health aides -- are unlikely to see very little of their jobs automated for the foreseeable future.

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You can rest easier about the coming changes to how you work if you plan on retiring in the near future. Everyone else must answer this question: "How will you remain relevant in a world where there is no market for repetitive work?"

This isn't a "skills gap" problem contributing to unemployment. Boston University economist James Bessen writes that there is little evidence to support a major link between the shortage of skilled workers and todays' unemployment rate.

This is a worker irrelevance problem for the future. We are quickly nearing the day when fewer people will be needed to perform work as we know it.

There are no guarantees, but there are actions you can take today to increase your relevance tomorrow.

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Embrace what's coming.

Mindset and thinking matter. You are the architect of your own experience or perception of every situation.

Complaining about machines taking jobs away from humans doesn't really matter.

To quote the Borg from the Star Trek: Next Generation series, "Resistance is futile." History is full of examples of technology replacing the need for humans.

The alternative is to take responsibility for your own thinking about the impending change and start becoming comfortable with the prospect of a machine augmenting a significant portion -- and in a few cases all -- of your current work activities.

Embracing change doesn't necessarily alter its impact. It does allow your brain to more quickly focus on how you respond in a positive manner.

Develop strengths that add value.

What are your strengths? More specifically, in a world where repetitive work is done by machines, what are your natural talents that that add value?

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For instance, are you naturally gifted at establishing relationships with others? Are you good at solving unique problems? Can you look at seemingly unrelated pieces of information and recognize how they all fit together?

Automated passenger kiosks in airports reduced the number of customer service agents needed, but it didn't totally eliminate them. There are still people needed and available to solve problems. Likewise, there are jobs that possibly could be automated, but society wants them to be performed by humans.

Two excellent resources for identifying and developing your strengths are Strengths Finder, pioneered by the Gallup organization, and CoreClarity, an organization that helps individuals and teams uncover and build on their unique talents.

Ask what else and what if.

Your organization will need new ideas to flourish in the future. Machines, at least for now, excel at repetitive work not ideation. Asking "what if" spurs the uniquely human creativity and innovation necessary to uncover new possibilities.

Job relevancy requires more than creativity, however. You must also identify new areas in which value can be added. That is where asking "What else?" comes in.

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What else do you need to learn to succeed in your job? What else can you do to help your organization stand out in a crowded marketplace? What else can you do to create more value for customers?

Important questions remain.

Will organizations use technological innovation to increase value to customers, or will they only see cost savings? Will society prepare future generations to flourish, or will they relegated them to low-value, low-wage jobs?

No one knows for sure. The one certainty is that your action today will guarantee your success tomorrow.

Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker, and leading authority on helping organizations achieve positive results in a world of accelerating change. To bring Randy to your organization or event, visit www.penningtongroup.com , email info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972.980.9857.
As of today, there have been 12 Republican and nine Democratic primary debates, with more to come. In each exchange the candidates have been asked to explain their priorities. Donald Trump listed border security at the top of his list. Sanders said an equal economic playing field for all Americans was key. Kasich claimed the $12 trillion deficit was a national emergency. And Cruz promised he would devote his first 100 days in office to repealing the Affordable Care Act, the Iran nuclear agreement, Common Core, and every other measure Obama put forth. From job creation, terrorism and immigration, to tax and education reform, the candidates have offered an impressive list of "top priorities."

But are these issues really job number one for the next President of the United States?

Probably not.

And here's why: none of candidate's plans, intentions, or detailed programs matter if the impasse between the two parties persists. Think about it: would Clinton or Sanders have better luck getting the Senate to confirm a Supreme Court nominee than Obama? Would they be more successful at getting anything through the current Congress? And how about Cruz or Trump? Cruz's track record of bringing members of the Senate together is on par with Trump's claim that he can unify Hispanic, Muslim, women and black voters.

This week on The Costa Report, former Senator from Arkansas, Mark Pryor, compared the standoff between the Congress and Executive Branch today with similar conditions eleven years ago. As Bush was preparing to submit his court nominees, the Democratic leadership announced they would filibuster all of the president's nominees. To which the Republican establishment fired back threatening to change the filibuster rules to stop the Democrats. And for a while we faced an irresolvable stalemate -- with neither side willing to back down.

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Recognizing that holding up confirmations for partisan reasons was not good for the American judicial system, seven Democrats and seven Republicans -- later known as the Gang of 14 -- bypassed powerful party leaders in order to broker compromise. According to Pryor, seven Democrats agreed to keep the party from filibustering so long as the seven Republicans promised not to change the rules.

So is a similar compromise possible today?

Pryor says it's unlikely. When asked if there are seven Democrats and Republicans who could come together Pryor said, "I was counting the other day... and there probably would be 14 that could come together today, but let me tell you, it was hard. The Republicans lost elections over that, because they were accused of working with Democrats." In an interview with the Associated Press, Pryor expressed even more skepticism, "We thought it was a fairly toxic political climate then, but it's worse today. There aren't as many moderates."

So, it turns out, job number one for the next president isn't building a wall or fixing the economy. It's not terrorism or creating jobs or getting rid of the IRS. Every one of these issues is a nonstarter if the next president has a greater polarizing effect than Obama. This year, voters would do well to take a look at the field of candidates in this light: which candidate will make the current impasse worse? Who is going to be able to work with the Senate and House? Who can get something done?

According to Trump, the same skill set he uses to bring parties with differing agendas together in business is transferrable to the political realm. And while that might sound theoretical, he isn't the first to make this assertion. Herbert Hoover, George Bush and Mitt Romney all had strong business negotiating skills they believed would benefit government. But according to the Washington Post, presidential candidates with business backgrounds don't have an advantage when it comes to running the economy: "The startling bottom line is that the nation's GDP has grown more than 45 times faster under presidents with little or no business experience than it has under presidents with successful business careers. And on average, when there has been a successful businessman in the Oval Office, GDP growth has been negligible. On average, under presidents with successful business experience, GDP has increased 0.12 percent. And under presidents with little or no business experience, GDP has grown 5.46 percent." The same skills business leaders use to get deals done don't seem to produce the same results in governance.

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On the other hand, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, doesn't show any proof of being able to unify the two parties to get legislation through. She says maybe Republicans "don't like" her and has spent two decades claiming the "right wing conspiracy" is persecuting her and her husband. She calls the email and Benghazi scandals "partisan" and has gone so far as to say that the enemy she is proudest of having made are "the Republicans."

Yet former Senator from Mississippi, Trent Lott, recently told The Hill that after she is elected Clinton "would be much better about reaching out and actually trying to work with the Congress." According to Lott, Clinton would take a page from her husband's playbook and begin reaching across the aisle to get deals done. And he has a point. To this day, Bill Clinton is admired for his mediation skills with legislation like the Welfare Reform Act and the most comprehensive national deficit reduction plan in recent history. But that was Bill. Hillary is not Bill.

At the turn of the century, John Adams, was also concerned with the damage political gridlock could cause his country. Adams wrote: "Presidents must... unite the two parties, instead of inflaming their divisions. They must look out for merit, wherever they can find it; and talent and integrity must be a recommendation to office, wherever they are seen, though differing in sentiments from the president, and in an opposite party to that whose little predominance brought him into power." Senator Pryor agrees. "Unfortunately our society is very divided right now... we need leaders who can bring us together instead of divide us."
The Blog How to Blend It? Mixing Public and Private Finance to Implement the Paris Agreement

We saw the year 2015 close with a cheer as nearly 200 countries adopted the landmark Paris Agreement during the COP21 climate negotiations. Now in the New Year, we find ourselves back in the real economy and wonder how we can mobilize the trillions of investments needed to implement it.
Professor, who are the most famous black Brazilian filmmakers?

...Silence...

It is really sad to be a black university student and after four years, not be able to name a black artist, musician or intellectual with a significant body of work. The real loss is that we are no longer the writers and protagonists of our own stories. As a result, the antagonists and secondary characters steal the show.

Adelia Sampaio, considered the first black filmmaker to direct a feature film, was erased from history. She has been overlooked by teachers, film critics, film buffs, artists of that time, researchers, and by many film students.

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After all, since cinema is a field dominated by white, middle class men, what could a poor black woman, who directed four short films and one feature film between the 1970s and '90s, teach us? Who could she inspire?



Cinema is no doubt an elitist form of art -- and then you get this black woman, daughter of a housemaid, saying she wants to become a director. It was definitely difficult.



The racism that exists in many segments of our society, and which extends back to the 1500s, has erased the contributions of black women to Brazilian cinema.

But we must constantly rewrite the history that has been erased by racism and buried under layers of white privilege.

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It is thrilling to discover the work of Adelia Sampaio, even if such a discovery is overdue. This month, a category at the Festival Palmares de Cinema (FepalCine), which takes place in east region of Sao Paulo, was named after Sampaio.

The "Adelia Sampaio" category was established in an effort to shed light on the rich work of young black women filmmakers.

We talked to the 72 year-old Adelia Sampaio about her journey with the film industry.

How did you break into the filmmaking industry?

I started in 1969 at a film distribution company called DIFILM, which was created by the Cinema Novo (New Cinema) organizers.

After an online search, I couldn't find much information about your short films. How many did you make?

A total of four. The first one, "Denuncia Vazia," was based on a true story about an old couple that makes a suicide pact because they couldn't afford to pay their rent. This short film wasn't screened in any festivals; the times were different and to protest with images was a complex matter. The second short was titled "Agora um Deus danca em mim!" And it tells the story of a young woman who studied classical ballet for 10 years only to realize that there is no dance scene in Brazil. This one took part in a festival, and won a prize. The third film, "Adulto nao brinca," shows an adult's impatience with a child. I made the three films with the same crew, and Eduardo Leon, a teacher at USP helped me with the editing. These were all shot in Duque de Caxias, in the periphery of Rio de Janeiro. Lastly, I made "Na poeira das ruas," a film about the people that live in the streets in downtown Rio -- their clothes, their joy, their food and their furniture.

You were one of the first women to direct a feature film before the return of national film production in 1995. Moreover, you had the chance to take on many roles, including screenwriting, production, assistant-directing and makeup. Was the transition to directing natural or did you encounter much resistance? What were your biggest challenges?

According to a researcher and historian, I am the first African-Brazilian woman to direct a feature film. I learned everything I know by watching films. I was the production manager on several feature films made by many other directors, and that was my education. I learned about editing from my friend and teacher Leone, photography from my friend Jose Medeiros, and scriptwriting from my friend and late director Marcos Farias.

Cinema is no doubt an elitist form of art -- and then you get this black woman, daughter of a housemaid, saying she wants to become a director. It was definitely difficult. And I also had to split my time between working in the film industry and raising my two kids.

Who were and still are your main influences?

Jaques Tati, Chaplin, Bergman, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, Leon Hirszman, Nelson Pereira dos Santos. And the films with Anquito and Oscarito.

In your 1984 feature film, Amor Maldito, you deal with the issue of homosexuality. How was the film received considering we were working in the '80s?

It was tough! First of all, Embrafilme [the Brazilian Film Agency] vehemntly said that the film's subject was absurd and that they would not fund it. The film was made collaboratively; all anyone received was a per diem, and actors such as Emiliano Queiroz, Nildo Parente and Neusa Amaral gave up their salaries. That is, they chose to fight by my side. Throughout my career, I have made great friends and allies. We had financial help from Edy Santos, an engineer at Furnas who believed in the project. We completed the film and no cinema wanted to show it. Then, the owner of Cine Paulista proposed to promote it as a pornographic film. I thought it over, talked to the crew and we agreed to do it. And it worked.

There is a growing demand for increased representation in the film sector. In cinema history, it's not easy to find your name as one of the first black filmmakers to direct a feature-length film. How do you feel about this?

It's like that when you're black and poor! Think about the negatives of my short films, which had been stored at MAM (Museum of Modern Art) and then disappeared. I don't agonize over it, life goes on. Maybe they will eventually be found. Who knows?

Is race a theme in your work?

No, I focused on human relations in my work. The short "Na poeira das ruas" addresses a contemporary theme: A population of marginalized black and white people. I produced a feature film called "Parceiros da Aventura," and the cast consisted mostly (80 percent) of black actors.

Are you following the current film scene? Could you say a few words about it?

Yes, I am an old lady of 72, who constantly observes the country and the film scene. I see young people who are eager to explore and talk about things that had been hidden, and they do so artfully, without holding grudges. With an idea in your head and a cellphone in your hand, you already have a film.

What is the role of women in the film industry, then and now?

We are constantly struggling to establish ourselves -- examples include Lucy Barreto, Nazare Conceicao Sena, Tizuca and many others. You will notice that women were responsible for the new boost in film production in the '90s: Carla Camurati with Carlota Joaquina, and Norma Bengel with Pagu and Pequeno Dicionario Amoroso.

Who was Adelia Sampaio? Who is Adelia Sampaio today?

Adelia is someone concerned with affection, kindness and fondness. She is someone who rejects prejudice and any kind of violence. With my children and grandchildren all grown up, I realize that I shouldn't waste my life and that I should always hold on to my restless spirit. I have new projects and I am looking for new partners, because the old ones are either dead or lack stamina.

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Juliana Goncalves co-authored this piece.



This post first appeared on HuffPost Brazil. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.
Walking into the art class at the Morris Innovative High School, it's impossible to miss the large mural on the wall. Painted by the students, it's a beautiful depiction of their life stories inspired by watching the film Documented, about the undocumented American (and founder of Define American) Jose Antonio Vargas. Unique, however, is that above the stories reads the bold title: "Being a Latino/a in Dalton, Georgia." It is remarkable, not because they are excluding non-Latino/a students, but because there are only Latino/a students in the class.

According to the most recent census, Dalton is 48% Latino and 42% White. Those who have lived in the community for decades are quick to point out that just a generation ago, Dalton was almost all White.

These trends aren't unique to Dalton. White Americans are an emerging racial minority in many parts of the country. In fact, students who identify as "White" became a minority in K-12 public schools for the first time nationally during the 2014-2015 school year. Our institutions must reflect the populations they serve, and must ask undocumented families what support they need in order to succeed academically - boldly and publicly standing in solidarity.

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In places like Dalton, GA, the community's response is shining a new, bright light on the entrepreneurial and compassionate spirit that has helped the community remain vibrant. One example is the school system's "Newcomers Academy." Faced with a consistent influx of children, the system has dedicated a team of top-notch teachers specifically responsible for preparing migrant children to succeed in the larger education system. When I spoke to this group of "newcomers," one young student kept nodding off in the front row. The teacher later informed me that the student had been working from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily in a local factory, then going to class, because a Coyote (the name for those who smuggle people across the Mexico-United States border) was holding her extended family in Honduras hostage until she paid off the ransom.

That's certainly not the life I had as a sophomore in high school.

According to the Center for American Progress, nearly 17 million Americans live in "mixed-status" households - meaning one or more people in the family are undocumented, even if all other family members are citizens. Families like Maria Gonzalez's.

I met Maria Gonzalez, a mother who is undocumented sitting with her children, both citizens, in the foyer of one of Dalton's largest, mostly-white churches.

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"Do you drive?" I asked, knowing in Georgia they don't allow people who are undocumented to obtain driver's licenses.

"I must drive because I need to feed my kids," said Maria, "but I have taught my kids that if I ever get pulled over not to cry."

"Is that because that would give it away that you are undocumented?" I asked.

"No, said Maria, "I train them not to cry because getting pulled over means I will be deported, and not to cry because my church family and their friends from school will take care of them when I'm gone."



Maria's entire life is consumed by the reality that she could be separated from her children - possibly forever - at any moment. Maria isn't the only one. Whether the citizens of Northeast Georgia like it or not, millions of undocumented Americans drive every day. They do so because in many communities, especially in the South, there is limited public transportation. They drive for the same reasons other Americans do: to go to work, to visit the doctor, to see family, and to take their kids to school. And, this anxiety, despite Maria's brave motherly wishes, is not lost on her kids. It weighs on them as they consider their algebra exams and analyze the quadratic formula. If their institution wants them to succeed, they can't ignore this weight. Institutions must also come out, recognizing and preparing for this reality.

So, what does it mean to be Latina/o in Dalton, GA? I would argue the more important question facing those of us who are not newcomers is, what response do we give to those who come seeking refuge, and are simply asking for an opportunity at a better life? Maria's community is actively trying to discover how to become a beloved community to one another. The dedicated and amazing teachers and staff in the Dalton public school system are trying to figure out the same. In doing so, they're betting their own future on the success of these new Americans. We are willing to make that same bet, and that's why Define American is proud to sign on as a partner in United We Dream's National Institutions Coming Out Day. NICOD is designed to encourage, uplift and build with institutions, educators and undocumented young people who have led efforts to improve access to education for immigrants.

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If you are an educator, or know someone who is, chances are you've heard stories of students who just disappeared from class one day, likely because their family feared being picked up by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Or parents who wrote contingency plans for who should pick up their child if they were put into deportation proceedings while their child was at school. Teachers across the country can tell you how fraught it becomes to teach U.S. history and civics, while knowing that some of their students cannot fully participate in our democracy because of their status. Determining what it means to be an institution that holistically supports undocumented students and their families is a goal that only the undocumented immigrant community itself can define.
The mindfulness movement has been criticized as "the perfect ideology for passive acquiescence to the world as it is, a panacea of inner peace" and a way for privileged people to achieve happiness without regard for the suffering of others. Mindfulness is sometimes defined as nonjudgmental acceptance of the present moment. Does that mean mindfulness an opiate that lets us accept injustice?

I discussed this question with Christopher Raiche, Values in Action Coordinator at the Humanist Community at Harvard, a long-time meditator who also works on issues related to race and social justice. He believes that mindfulness, understood at a deeper level than mere acceptance, can be an aid in social justice work. Here is the audio of our dialog.

Greta Christina raised this question in a review of my book, Secular Meditation, that appeared in The Humanist magazine. She wrote:

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It's troubling, to say the least, to assert that "happiness is not dependent on external circumstances," and that you can "[train] the mind to get to a point at which one's happiness is not dependent on conditions in the world but instead comes from within." This may be true if you're relatively comfortable, healthy, and privileged, and are mostly dealing with the frustrations and sorrows of any human life. But what if you're working two jobs and still can't make ends meet? What if you can't find a job at all because you're transgender and nobody wants to hire you? What if you're subjected to hateful misogynist harassment and death threats? What if you live in fear of racist police officers? What if you're dealing with any of the hundreds of forms of systemic oppression? It's not helpful to be told that your happiness or unhappiness comes from within.

I do believe that mindfulness can be an "opiate" that makes us happy even in difficult circumstances. The question is "Under what conditions should you take the opiate?"

First of all, is it really true that we can be joyful without regardless of external circumstances? I believe that as long as our basic physical needs (i.e. food, sleep, healthcare, safety) are met, we can make this shift to happiness.

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The feeling of joy is generated within our own brains. Let's say we turned on the TV and learned that our preferred candidate won the election. Was that surge of joy caused by the electromagnetic radiation television emitted? No. The TV provided us information and our brains did the rest.

We can self-generate feelings of love and joy through practices such as loving-kindness meditation, a practice that encourages us to leverage our warm feelings toward loved ones and redirect them toward challenging people and challenging circumstances.

With practice, one can learn to feel joy even under difficult circumstances. I previously interviewed Matt Tenney, who learned mindfulness while imprisoned and found he could be happy even in that trying circumstance.

But is acceptance always a good idea?

I don't think so. Mindfulness derives from Buddhism, which originated 2,500 years ago. In the ancient world, there wasn't much in the way of social justice movements. The only one I'm aware is that of the populist Gracchi brothers of Ancient Rome. Back then, because your circumstances were unlikely to improve, acceptance was probably the best way to relieve suffering. Things are different now.

Racism, sexism, and economic injustice don't need to be accepted. We can change these circumstances and we should. In my book, I present a secularized version of the Serenity Prayer:

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I'd like --

The serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

To me, this captures how we should be thinking about acceptance. There are unpleasant circumstances, such as the inevitability of growing old and dying, that we cannot change. We might as well accept them. Surprisingly, some research shows that older Americans are happier than younger ones; perhaps learning acceptance is a part of it.

But when unjust circumstances can be changed, simply accepting them seems unwise. Feelings of discontent can motivate you to fight injustice. Anger (but never hatred) has its place. At a deeper level, one can even be mindful of one's anger, and thus not be thrown totally off-balance.
Earlier this year during a visit to the Zataari refugee camp in Jordan, I watched a bus depart the front gates and head into the desert. When I asked where it was headed, one of the camp's residents told me simply: "Back to Syria." The people on the bus would rather face a quick death back home than a slow death here, he explained. They might not be dying at this camp, but they're barely living.

Today the world marks a grim milestone as the Syria conflict enters its 6th year. The 1,825 days that have passed since the beginning of the war represent hundreds of thousands of lives lost, countless families splintered and an ever-growing sense of despair among the people of Syria. An average of 50 Syrian families have fled their homes every hour of every day since the beginning of the war. The result: Half of the country's population has been displaced.

But we should also remember that this kind of suffering is not confined to Syria. Ongoing violence has displaced more than 66 million people across the globe, the majority of whom are children. That's more refugees worldwide than any time since World War II.

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This includes families fleeing wars that have not generated much media attention, such as conflicts in Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Mali, Niger, to name a few. People from these nations often do not receive the minimal humanitarian assistance needed. Further, any development progress made in these fragile nations is quickly being unraveled.

And it's not just fragile states that are being affected. Many of the frontline countries where refugees now live are struggling to handle the enormous influx. In Lebanon and Jordan, for example, classroom space has become so scarce that children now attend schools in morning and afternoon shifts. Employment opportunities for refugees are limited as nations must also consider employment needs of their citizens.

Despite increased generosity from donor governments and individuals, the humanitarian system is not able to effectively meet the most basic needs of those displaced by war, despite having the expertise and capacity. The result is a spreading plague of suffering and instability. Just 54 percent of the U.N.'s global humanitarian appeal was funded last year. This year's appeal is the largest in U.N. history--five times the amount of funding the U.N.'s humanitarian operations required only a decade ago. While donors have been more generous, the gap between the needs and available resources is growing.

The needs are not expected to decrease anytime soon, as the average length of time a refugee is displaced is 17 years. The rate of return, meanwhile, is at an all-time low. Just 84,000 refugees went home last year. This mass displacement threatens global stability.

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While we must work to prevent and resolve war, we must also take immediate action to adequately address the human impact of war. We need to re-examine the way our international aid system functions. There is general consensus that the international community should: 1) provide more predictable, flexible and sustainable funding so humanitarian organizations will have the resources to address basic needs of displaced people; 2) provide more support to frontline nations that are hosting refugees, including fostering private-sector investment and ensuring access to education and; 3) enhance the way humanitarian agencies operate, for example, bridging the artificial divide between emergency and development activities and expanding efforts to build local capacity.

In the months ahead, there will be several opportunities to improve the international system. In April, when the World Bank convenes its annual meeting, it should commit to providing more support for middle-income, refugee-hosting countries like Jordan and Lebanon. In May, when U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon hosts the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, global leaders should embrace a "grand bargain" that couples enhanced effectiveness of humanitarian operations with a global commitment to fully fund humanitarian needs.

We are at a historic crossroads. How we address this global humanitarian crisis will have a profound and lasting impact on our collective future. While nations may disagree about the causes of war, all can agree that every child should have the opportunity to realize their potential.
Nearly 1.7 million American children live in homes with unlocked and loaded guns. Thirteen-year-old Eddie Zee Holmes found himself in one of those homes after school one day in February 2014.

Eddie, a seventh grader in Puyallup, Washington, went to a friend's home, along with three other classmates. There, they had a snack and played with the dogs, before one of the boys disappeared into a bedroom and returned with a Mossberg shotgun.

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The other boys, all young teenagers, were curious. The shotgun was new, purchased by a parent a few days earlier. And then, suddenly, the gun went off.

"It felt like the whole ground was shaking," one of the boys later told police.

Eddie, who was still playing with the dogs, was shot in the chest. One of the boys called 911 while another started CPR. But Eddie was pronounced dead later that afternoon.

Eddie's story is one of many featured in Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA. When I began this documentary, I knew it would be difficult, and it was; I spent 18 months confronting death and tragedy. As a father of four, I know my experience pales in comparison to the unbearable pain Eddie's mother, Sandy, lives with every day. But, through her grief, Sandy offers inspiration for all of us through her hope and strength.

For months, Sandy regularly attended local gun shows along with her sister, Eva, and niece, Sandra. They carried signs with Eddie's photo and messages imploring gun show attendees to lock up their guns.

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"If they had only locked it up," she told me, "my son would be here today."

Such a simple thing, but one that could save hundreds of children's lives. In fact, 70 percent of unintentional shooting deaths could have been prevented if the gun had been stored safely. Despite child safety laws on the books nationwide for things like car seats, bicycle helmets, and life jackets, many states have no regulations to keep children from accessing guns at home.

In February 2013, a year before Eddie was killed, the NRA lobbied against one such law that would have required Washington State residents to store their guns safely. If the bill had passed, Eddie might still be alive.

The NRA preaches that teaching gun safety to children is the answer. Wayne LaPierre, the group's CEO and Executive Vice President, even boasted that the NRA's child accident prevention programs are "second to none." But, if that's true, why are seven children shot and killed every day in the United States?

The truth is that the NRA has a vested interest in keeping guns as unregulated as possible. Less regulation means more guns sold, which ultimately leads to more money in their pockets. Gun companies have given at least $20 million to the NRA, and the top executives make millions each year. Mr. LaPierre himself made nearly $1 million last year alone.

It's a similar theme I've discovered again and again while researching this film: NRA and gun company executives put profits ahead of safety. The result is families torn apart by senseless violence. For Sandy, it means life without Eddie, a boy who loved skateboarding and his dog Buddy, and who idolized his older brother Jose. Sandy continues to go to gun shows and to share her story in the hope that it will convince someone to store their gun in a lock box or safe, where children won't be able to access it.

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Sandy isn't the only one trying to stop this crisis. Ryan Hyde, an entrepreneur in Salt Lake City and father of eight, created a biometric gun safe that will only open for an authorized user. Others, like Kai Kloepfer, an 18-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, are working on smart guns, which won't fire for anyone other than their owner.

And, for those of us who can't invent a new, safer gun, there are other ways to fight back. Over the next few months, volunteers around the country will be hosting 1,000 free screenings of Making A Killing, and you can sign up to host a screening, too.
Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, center, speaks as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right, look on during a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Things do not look good for the Republican Party this year. Split between three factions--Populists and Trump, conservatives and evangelicals for Cruz, and an establishment candidate--it looks like the GOP will split badly, possibly letting a unified Democratic Party into the White House.

Can they recover from this? A quick reading of history implies the answer may be 'yes.' The classic conservative setback, Goldwater's devastating defeat in 1964, was followed by Republican victories in 1968 and 1972 (the later another landslide year, this time for the GOP), and soon after, the Reagan revolution. A closer look at historical evidence, however, reveals far grimmer prospects for the Republicans.

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There are a number of precedents that point up the problems they face, and may portend their future. The most obvious is 1912, when the Republicans split wide open, with Teddy Roosevelt launching a third party and polling substantially better than the GOP establishment's candidate, William Howard Taft. Woodrow Wilson won that year in what is generally considered a reflection of the unified, progressive mood of the country.

Both Teddy and Wilson were reformers; if we combine their totals we get a sense of national sentiment, an indication of support for change vs. Taft's standpat conservatism. And the voting results revealed a clear mandate: W/R v. Taft popular vote, 10,414,893-3,487,937; electoral, 523-8. In other words, at that time a candidate could ride a consistent national sentiment to success. Then, as early as 1916 the Republican Party came together, with both Roosevelt and Taft supporting the nominee: Charles Evans Hughes, governor of the biggest state (New York) and a progressive reformer who fit the mood of the times. Hughes lost to Wilson in 1916, but ran an extremely close race (unlike Taft in 1912), and revived the party.

There are two reasons this scenario is unlikely to repeat itself today. First and most important, there is no clear trend as to which direction the nation's mood and politics is heading, unlike in the 20th century. The grim reality is that the Democratic-Republican fights we have seen recently, and the GOP's factionalization, accurately reflects a fragmented public sentiment. The nation is groping agonizingly for a new identity and a new ethos in the 21st century, amidst profound shifts both at home with the technology revolution, and abroad with deep changes in the world order. In other words, politics is as chaotic as the public spirit today. There is no consensus attitude for the GOP to coalesce around, as they did after 1964.

The other reason this analogy fails is that there is no public figure likely to unify the three wings of the Republican Party mentioned at the outset, as Hughes did in 1916. Quick quiz: name a candidate both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz could back. Easy answer: there is none.

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A more likely scenario resembles the Democratic Party after 1896, a year when they split over the Populist revolt and ran William Jennings Bryan, representing Midwestern and Southern farmers. After that episode they stuck with the insurgent faction for twelve years; in the four elections between 1896 and 1908 the Dems actually ran Bryan three times, again and again and again, unable to move on. They then finally won with Woodrow Wilson, a Northern governor tied to the prevailing reform sentiment, in 1912 and 1916. After that the Dems lost every election till 1932 and Franklin Roosevelt's candidacy, riding not just dissatisfaction with a country in depression, but also the demographic revolution of immigrants and urban voters that had been building for years.

Again, this story brings little hope for beleaguered Republicans today. As noted above, unlike 1912 when there was a clear mood that Wilson/TR represented, the country is fragmented now. It is also unlikely that they will settle on a single mainstream candidate as they did with Hughes in 1916. FDR's victory is an even more ominous marker, however. The major demographic trends in the nation right now, as in the 1930s, are introducing waves of new voters opposed to the party of Lincoln, not supporting a party comeback, as happened for the Democrats in 1932.

The best analogy, therefore, may be from a state election rather than national contests. In 1994 the California GOP under Governor Pete Wilson launched Proposition 187, which denied state services like health care and public education to illegal immigrants. Although it passed, courts struck it down later. More importantly, it transformed politics in the Golden State, branding Republicans as the anti-immigrant party and essentially nullifying their future. At present no member of their party holds statewide office, and their registration keeps dropping. This is the complete reversal of what FDR and the Dems accomplished eighty years ago, alienating and not harnessing a changed electorate.
Republican presidential candidates, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, right, stand together before the start of the Republican presidential debate sponsored by CNN, Salem Media Group and the Washington Times at the University of Miami, Thursday, March 10, 2016, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Co-authored by Cyrus Jabbari, USC Student and Researcher &

Logan Taylor, St. Francis Xavier University Student and Researcher

Thus far, this presidential election has been defined by themes of restoring American prosperity through economic populism.



Turns out these grassroots efforts are as genuine as AstroTurf -- for every moment spent on talks of building a wall along the southern border, we ignore the real amnesty problem, as multinational corporations are engaged in a Mexican standoff with the federal government about "tax forgiveness."



The U.S. tax code has a loophole, which exempts these companies from paying American taxes on profits earned in foreign countries until the money is returned to U.S. soil.



Overall, these globalized corporations have accumulated $2.1 trillion in untaxed profits, most of it hoarded in overseas tax havens. These companies refuse to return the money and pay their indebted taxes until Washington reduces the corporate tax rate.



This will essentially be a giveaway of hundreds of billions of dollars to multinationals, and is being negotiated by both Democrats and Republicans.

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Ted Cruz once complained about "liberal media bias" in a primary debate, but reports of this tax code tomfoolery are currently drowned out by boisterous soundbites and buffoonish pundits on mainstream media, who are more interested in covering politics as if it's an episode of "The Bachelorette."



Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Citigroup, Amgen, Qualcomm, JPMorgan Chase, Gilead Sciences, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America will be the greatest beneficiaries of this deal. These companies collectively owe $162 billion in unpaid taxes on the $540 billion in offshore profits, according to Citizens for Tax Justice.



Proponents of lowering corporate taxes point to the U.S. rate of 35 percent state that it's the highest in the world, bogging down America's well-travelled companies. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service concluded the effective U.S. corporate tax rate is about the same effective rate of the companies' leading competitors in other industrial economies, after accounting for exploited loopholes.



President Obama wants to reduce the rate to 14 percent, saving these companies $97 billion while a Republican proposal will raise the forfeiture to $122 billion. Allegedly liberal California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, sponsored by Silicon Valley companies who heavily operate overseas, and Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul are seeking to slash corporate tax rates to 6.5 percent.

In this instance, our bipartisan gridlock is really just an ideological battle of how badly each party wants to screw over American taxpayers.



These businesses can save as much as $400 billion in taxes owed if Washington caves to these tax code robber barons.

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Why are both parties bucking under pressure? The threat of "corporate aversion."



This loophole allows companies to forego their American citizenship for tax purposes and immigrate to Ireland (or another nation) by arranging a merger or acquisition by a foreign corporation. About 50 corporations have already engaged in financial refuge by utilizing this tactic, but they don't even have to relocate factories and headquarters.

Middle-Class Economics??

In 2004, Congress passed similarly plundering legislation called the American Jobs Creation Act, allowing companies to repatriate $362 billion at a reduced tax rate of 5.25 percent, promising to invest that money in creating jobs. The result? The largest companies moved 60,000 jobs to low-wage, low-tax countries and used their windfall to boost stock prices, enriching investors in the process.

This could've been a byproduct of technology disrupting the demand of labor, but a 2015 MIT study, noted jobs created by large corporate tax breaks are marginal at best.

The Economist acknowledges tax cuts can create jobs, but usually when it's accompanied with government stimulus spending, job bills and helping the markets in its economy generate employment.

Generally, when a municipal, state or federal government cuts taxes, they cause a loss in overall revenue, but this is defended by arguing this will make businesses more competitive or increase consumer demand by increasing their disposable income.

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In theory, this increase in consumption is supposed to grow GDP enough to compensate for the loss in tax revenue. They are generally given to lower the cost of products for consumers -- intending to spur an increase in the volume of sales.

But in this case, the sale to the consumer has already been completed, and these transactions occurred in foreign markets, so forgiving these taxes doesn't even help Americans. This gift does nothing but transfer tax burden away from corporations and places in onto individuals, meaning multinational corporations benefit while American taxpayers get the shaft.

, reports:

In 1952, individuals paid 42.2 percent, corporations paid 32.1 percent and social insurance & retirement paid 9.7 percent of U.S. taxes.

In 2015, individuals paid 46.5 percent, corporations paid 10.8 percent and social insurance & retirement paid 33.5 percent of U.S. taxes.

This is significant because payroll taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes factor into "social insurance & retirement," meaning these taxes are paid by Americans making under a certain amount of money. We have essentially established a regressive tax system, where the burden falls on middle and lower-class Americans. So much for each party standing up for "Main Street" and the "little guy."

Wall Street Regulates Government

The same companies that fund politicians in their constant quest for reelection will also benefit from the $400 billion saved in this tax dodge. A 2015 study from Marketwatch shows both Democratic and Republican politicians receive considerable corporate donations, keeping this system perpetually dysfunctional.

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Business interests have constantly pressured the U.S. government to lower tax rates in exchange for campaign contributions. The advent of Super PACs has further tilted the balance of power in their favor within the political arena.



Currently, there are 19 various PACs that have given over $1 million to candidates' campaigns, and the general election is still half a year away. In the 2016 election cycle, leadership PACs have spent $19.3 million. Super PACs in total have reported over $548.5 million to date as well.



These corporations contribute to a candidate's political campaign with their profit motive in mind. If the tax forgiveness is the only break the government grants corporate interests in 2016, the $400 billion saved in repatriating profits would be an over 700 percent return on investment.



This massive return makes the U.S. politician the most valuable asset that can be acquired by financial interests, meaning the American political process has replaced Wall Street trading floors as a place where corporations seek to bolster their profits.



In a nutshell, it's unlikely our remaining presidential hopefuls will change this system.



Do voters really believe Hillary Clinton, who gets paid speeches from Wall Street and rakes in Super PAC donations, will solve this? At least she will wag her finger at these companies and tell them to "cut it out." It's intimidated them so much, they've given her millions of dollars in campaign contributions over her career.



Meanwhile, Mr. Cruz wants to abolish the IRS, Marco Rubio wants to extend tax breaks for wealthy Americans and big businesses, and Donald Trump advocates for more corporate tax breaks and eliminating the minimum wage.

Senators Rubio and Cruz are bankrolled by corporations and Super PACs while the Donald is part of the business establishment billionaire class ironically running as a populist. Asking one of these candidates to fix this problem is like asking Ronald McDonald to stop selling Big Macs to chronic binge eaters.



Despite his bold idealism, the only candidate who actually wants to fix this system is Bernie Sanders, but American society refuses to evolve its outdated, Cold War-inspired perception of democratic socialism. Americans view voting for Bernie like newly-wed couples view moving into a neighborhood full of registered sex offenders.

The Big Picture

All things considered, does this mean corporate taxes are the only way to ensure multinational businesses pay their fair share in taxes? No, we have a plethora of options.



In a New York Times op-ed, economist Laurence J. Kotlikoff stated:



"Eliminating the corporate tax and raising income tax rates or lowering the corporate tax rate and eliminating its loopholes are not the only options. I have proposed eliminating the corporate income tax, but making shareholders pay income taxes on their companies' profits as they accrue. This leaves companies with no tax reason to avoid operating in the United States but ensures that shareholders, not wage earners, make up for any revenue losses through higher personal tax payments."

A report from Citizens for Tax Justice advocates for international tax reform:



"If Congress wants to increase revenues and encourage domestic investment, it needs to minimize the incentive for U.S. multinationals to shift profits to tax havens in the first place. It could accomplish this by ending the policy of deferring taxes on foreign income. This would mean that corporations would pay the same rate on all income, whether it is earned at home or abroad (or earned in the U.S., but disguised as foreign earnings). Plus, the tax would be due as the income is earned, eliminating the potential for perpetual deferral."


Sanjay Wijesekera speaks to press at the Sanitation and Water for All Ministerial Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 15, 2016

When it comes to water, sanitation and hygiene, the new Sustainable Development Goals are not going by half-measures.

The SDGs are aiming for 'universal and equitable' access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. In other words, for every single person on earth.

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In this, they are unlike the Millennium Development Goals which aimed only to reduce by half the proportion of the global population that didn't have adequate drinking water, or have or use toilets.

The MDGs left 663 million people without improved drinking water in 2015, and 2.4 billion people - roughly one-third of the world - without toilets.

In 2015, some 800 children under 5 years old died every day from diarrhoeal diseases caused by the lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Around 159 million children globally were stunted, a condition linked to open defecation.

How do we get from here to there?

Representatives of some 50 countries are in Addis Ababa this week, with the UN, civil society and experts, at the Sanitation and Water for All Ministerial Meeting precisely to plan how to move forward on universal access.

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We at UNICEF see this as a crucially important challenge. Simply put, the goals on nutrition, health, education, poverty and economic growth, urban services, gender equality, resilience and climate change cannot be met without progress on water, sanitation and hygiene.

It is clear we can't work in the same old way.

What we have to do is:

1.Focus on those furthest behind. We can no longer leave out the poorest and most marginalized. The rural poor; those who live in urban slums; ethnic minorities; the disabled; and many women and children were among those left out of the MDGs. We must reach them.

2.Ensure good governance and accountability. It will come down to stronger and better policies, institutions, financing, monitoring systems and capacity development. In Addis, we will agree on how make sure these are in place in each country.

3.Address the impact of climate change: Nearly 160 million children live in severely drought-prone areas, and half a billion in flood prone areas, mostly in Africa and Asia. These climate-linked events exacerbate water scarcity and damage water and sanitation systems, increasing the risk of diarrhoea outbreaks. Other water-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, zika, and cholera are set to rise with higher temperatures. We must deal with climate change, especially for those already most vulnerable.

4.Use innovation, testing and data. It is 2016, and we have better technology than in 2000. We can test to ensure that safe water is flowing from 'improved' water sources. We can gather data to help governments pinpoint the populations left behind. And we can use new technology to bring better and cheaper toilets, and better and safer water to the millions who don't have them now.

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Addis must be our springboard to action, because no one should have to wait for years and years for safe water, proper toilets and better hygiene.
This past fall, President Obama called on public schools to reduce unnecessary testing. With some students taking as many as 112 standardized tests a year, the president warned that tests shouldn't "crowd out teaching and learning." Recently, the Department of Education took the next step and outlined how states and school districts could use federal funds to help reduce testing. Measures include using funds to "audit" testing programs, improve tests, and help teachers and parents better understand the results from these tests.

These first steps in recognizing the need to reduce standardized testing in our public schools are necessary - but relatively easy ones to take. The next challenge lies with how states will use federal funding to reduce testing, while still ensuring that standards remain in place to make sure our children are learning and progressing year after year. Several states and the District of Columbia have already started to create innovative ways to measure success and hold schools accountable while ensuring that testing doesn't compete with classroom learning. These examples can be used by those who are just beginning the process of supplementing standardized testing.

In 2012, the D.C. Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) implemented a sophisticated measurement tool to measure a school's overall performance without relying exclusively on standardized tests. In D.C., many of the public charter schools serve a student body that is equally or at times more disadvantaged (e.g. low income, learning disabilities) than the traditional public schools. Aside from measuring student progress and achievement on tests, our model measures a number of factors including parent satisfaction, attendance, and graduation rate to assess the performance of public charter schools. It is also adjusted, annually, using data from the previous three years, allowing parents, school leaders and education officials to better evaluate each school's academic progress. This model gives a full view of student school-wide success versus a single standardized test score.

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Colorado and Massachusetts have also adopted models that take a more holistic approach in measuring a school's performance. Each model also measures specific factors unique to its state. For example, Colorado measures the progress of historically disadvantaged student subgroups while Massachusetts assesses teacher quality and discipline. Many of these tools that measure student success can be implemented around the country, and many methods have proven successful for public charter schools.
Five years ago this month, a megathrust earthquake shook the northeast coast of Japan and triggered a tsunami that swallowed whole communities. The devastation tested the strength not only of the Japanese people but of the US-Japan partnership and alliance.

For decades, the American military had trained with Japan's Self-Defense Forces to counter outside threats. No one anticipated the Great East Japan Earthquake, the fourth strongest temblor since record-keeping began in 1900.

One thing was clear. Americans had not only 40,000 troops but many thousands of family members living in Japan, some in the affected areas. From the start, we and the Japanese responders felt the urgency as we worked side by side to rescue survivors and deliver relief supplies.

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As commander of the Navy's 7th Fleet when the quake hit on March 11, 2011, I had strong ties with my counterpart, VADM Kensei Kuramoto, the commander of Japan's maritime forces. I had only to pick up the phone to relay the message, "We are ready to help you. Tell us what you need," and we knew our teams would pull together to do what was asked and needed.

What happened next became a massive, coordinated response by Japan and U.S. defense forces and civilian officials. Within 24 hours, we had positioned the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and other 7th Fleet assets to render assistance and coordinate with VADM Kuramoto's Japan Maritime Defense Force ships. From there, helicopters flew missions to help rescue an estimated 20,000 stranded survivors and bring water, food and blankets to remote communities.

We Americans made it clear from the start that Japan's officials were making the decisions. We were in support. The joint effort soon earned the unofficial label "Tomodachi," which means friendship in Japanese, and somewhere along the way "Operation Tomodachi" became the official name.

As we had exercised countless times before, Japan and U.S. military units fully integrated into a single command in support of the relief efforts. To assure seamless coordination, Japan stationed liaison officers on board the Ronald Reagan, and we had Navy officers aboard the Japanese ship JS Hyuga.

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U.S. troops helped re-open airfields and seaports to allow the arrival of emergency supplies. The city of Sendai's airport, crucial for the region, was under water and its runways covered in so much debris that some observers feared it would be useless. U.S. Marines, working with Japanese civil authorities, brought the airport back into service by March 15, just four days after the disaster.

All told, the U.S. military supplied 24,000 personnel, 189 aircraft, and 24 Navy vessels for the humanitarian and relief effort. When flooding caused the nuclear power plant disaster at Fukushima, U.S. support continued by bringing personnel and equipment to aid in the radiological control efforts.

Just prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the United States and Japan had been celebrating a half-century of a military alliance that had turned two former foes into close allies, working together to preserve peace in the Asia-Pacific. However, as clearly evident in Operation Tomodachi, there is nothing like a complex, dynamic--and in this case horrific--tragedy to demonstrate the true strength of our relationship.

Operation Tomodachi revealed a new dimension in the U.S.-Japan alliance. As an elderly man from the Misawa area of northern Japan told our troops, "We knew you were neighbors... Now we know you are friends."

Those feelings need fostering as a reminder that our two nations, a world apart geographically, stand together for democracy and the rule of law.

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In that spirit, the two governments and private sponsors have established a Tomodachi cultural exchange program. Americans caught a glimpse this past New Years Day, when 20 teenagers who survived the earthquake rode on a Rose Parade float sponsored by Honda Motor Co. and gave thank you hugs to US service members.
Next Saturday (March 26) marks the centenary of the date when Abdul Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, wrote the first of 14 short letters that ignited the geographic spread of what is now, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, the world's second most widespread religion by number of countries.

Abdul Baha wrote these letters under dangerous conditions at the height of World War I from what was then Ottoman Palestine to the small Baha'i community in North America (the much larger community in Persia was suffering heavy persecution, as it still does now in Iran.) At that time, the American community was only about two decades old, and its members were being asked to travel to some of the most remote corners of the earth. Abdul Baha asked a visiting student who happened to have a geography textbook if he could keep the textbook, and this was used to list out the sometimes obscure places that the North American Baha'is were called on to visit.



Image: The original geography textbook used by Abdul Baha

Many of these letters were written on postcards, and because of the conditions brought about by World War I, had to be held for some time before they could be safely delivered.

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Image: One of the original postcards sent by Abdul Baha

One of the first to respond to these letters was a woman named Martha Root, who immediately set out alone on a trip through South America. The dramatic contrast between how she first visited Chile, traveling through the Andes mountains on the back of a mule, and the spectacular House of Worship in these same mountains that will be opened to the public later this year, has been described in an earlier post.



Image: Baha'i House of Worship under construction in Chile

Showing how the great religions are interconnected, Abdul Baha called on those who would respond to this call to model themselves on the early apostles of the world's most widespread religion, Christianity:

The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self and passion, and with absolute detachment scattered far and wide and engaged in calling the peoples of the world to the divine guidance; till at last they made the world another world, illumined the surface of the earth, and even to their last hour proved self-sacrificing in the pathway of that beloved One of God.... Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps!

In the decades that followed Martha Root's trip, tens of thousands of Baha'is travelled or moved to such far-flung places as the Aleutian Islands, Chagos Archipelago, the Gambia, Mentawai Islands, Sakhalin Island, Spitzbergen and Zanzibar (congratulations if you know where all these places are without having to look them up!) to raise up a truly global community reflective of the entire human race.

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Image: A handmade map tracking the spread of the Baha'i Faith in 1957

These letters written a century ago still have a strong influence on the Baha'i community today. In a recent message to the Baha'is of the world, the international governing body of the Baha'i community reminded the Baha'is of this centenary while calling for the establishment of intensive programs of activity in 5,000 areas around the world in the next five years. In addition, new Houses of Worship will be built in Chile, Cambodia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, India (in Bihar Sharif, in addition to the one already in New Delhi), Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu - these in addition to those already established on each continent in previous decades.
I'm not even going to put what the Urban Dictionary described for the word princess, but let's assume that it is a definition none of us moms would want to describe our precious little girls.

With that being said, I have a really hard time when someone calls one or both my daughters a princess. Ok, maybe a "hard time" is a bit of an exaggeration. If I'm being truly honest, I want to ask, "Why did you want to call her a princess?" Not because I'm rude but because I truly am curious. I guess because the way I understand the meaning of the word, it just doesn't seem to relate to my little girls. In my mind, I don't see any likeness.



So why do people say it? Is it the fairy tale Disney version that people are referring too? But even then, I can't grasp the likeness. I mean let's be honest, while the Disney princesses are royalty and daughters of kings and own land like the dictionary says, many of them seem to be damsels in distress waiting for prince charming. I don't think my 7 month olds are looking for any prince charming right now. If they're looking for anything, it's another chew toy to put in their mouths, their next bottle of milk, the organic apple sauce they love so much or more importantly, more hugs and kisses from mom and dad. So see, I have a hard time understanding this fascination with calling our young girls or even infants princesses. In fact, if you really think about it, what does a princess do as property of a king or soon, property of a prince? She didn't earn the land she owns. She didn't sew that dress she wears, and she probably has people who make her food. Now please don't email with, "Princess Kate does amazing things!" Yes she does, and she is lovely; but if I had tons of money, I would have time to fly around the world and do amazing things too.

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Ok, let's get back to the Disney idea of princess because I have to think this is why parents call their daughters princess right? (Although I don't remember my parents or any of my friends' parents calling their daughters this.) Even if this is the case, it just seems to me that by calling your daughter a princess all the time is to say she is royalty and that she deserves to be treated that way.
We do hear stories of founders getting fired often. It might be helpful to understand why this is such a recurring issue in entrepreneurs' lives. I categorize the causes in three key buckets:

1) Non-performance: If a founder takes investor money and then fails to deliver on the KPIs quarter after quarter, that would be a legitimate reason for getting fired.

2) Politics and Personality: Often founders accept to bring in a CEO, and then there ensue personality clashes, power struggles, and related politics. I experienced this myself, and have written about it in a piece titled If I Were 22: I Was Fired from My Own Company:

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In 1999, I was fired from one of my own companies. I raised the Venture Capital from NEA, and we brought on a middle-aged, supposedly experienced guy as CEO. I was in my twenties. The guy was incompetent and political. He didn't understand the product, and he had no vision. We didn't figure any of these qualities out until he joined, because he was on a charm offensive until then and I had limited experience making this kind of a hire. We thought he could complement my product skills and vision with superior sales skills.

Once he was on board, it started going downhill very quickly, and he set out to fire me. I had massive immigration challenges, and very little negotiating power because I didn't have a green card yet.

Long story short: I was in Buenos Aires when he called a board meeting over the phone, and fired me. The board let him.

I walked around on the streets of Buenos Aires, alone, trying to absorb the blow.

For a week, I danced 12 hours a day -- my way of trying to hold my head high.

Six months later, they had to fire the idiot.

The angel investors offered to fund me again, and start another company. I did.

Life went on.

Life always goes on.

3) Disagreement on Strategy: Founders and Boards may not agree on strategy, and that could result in a leadership switch. For example, say, the founder wants to build a consumer-facing business, while the Board sees a safer bet in an enterprise business. If the founder has enough equity and control over voting shares, (s)he may win the argument. If not, strategy disputes are a common reason that founders get fired.

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Note: Getting fired only happens if you have outside investors and Board members with the authority to fire you. If you own your business 100%, you typically DON'T get fired.
Experts & Patients Gather in DC to Inform Congress & United Nations

Conferences promoting medical cannabis have been popping up all over the country, mostly focusing on how to get into the business. This is not surprising, given that forty states now have adopted some form of medical cannabis legalization. However, not all medical cannabis conferences are created equal. The 4th Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference: A Conference on Harmonization of Global Cannabis Policy and Action,is the largest patient-focused event in the country, and participants will be pushing the national and global agenda for medical cannabis policy reform forward.

This year will be one of the most significant yet for medical cannabis policy. There is a great deal of uncertainty about what the next President will do about medical cannabis. Congress can act now to secure safe and legal access for millions of Americans by passing a comprehensive reform bill this year. On the international level, the United Nations will convene historic meetings about drug policy in April. These meeting may represent a season of change in the global posture towards medical cannabis -- if the voices of patients and advocates are heard there.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has created this conference specifically to gather activists across the globe and provide them the ability to be active change agents in the medical marijuana movement. Attendees will be a part of changing federal laws. Hundreds of patients, advocates, and other stakeholders will be taking part in this historical movement by meeting with members of Congress in support of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act on March 22nd. This is a unique opportunity for patients and activists to have their voices heard and truly affect change. The CARERS Act is the most comprehensive piece of federal medical marijuana legislation ever introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate.

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Momentum is building for the CARERS Act with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) signing on as a co-sponsor on March 10, 2016. Grahams support of CARERS Act is a significant step for patients. This development should finally compel fellow Republican and Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley to allow the bill a vote. This is the only way to respect the 40 states that have laws recognizing medical use and the more than 80% of voters who support it. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) announced his plans to sign on today, and ASA plans on helping continue this trend of support through the March 22nd lobby day.

We know this strategy works. Previous lobby days like this were instrumental in securing the current federal cease fire on medical cannabis. Participants at ASAs conferences in 2014 and 2015 persuaded Congress to amend the federal budget to remove funding for federal interference and intimidation in states where medical cannabis is legal. Prior to lobbying, participants will attend training so they can communicate with their legislators effectively and with confidence.

Attendees will also have another opportunity to make their mark on history by participating in peer-reviewing a document which will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS 2016) on drug policy which will be held in April. On the agenda for UNGASS 2016 is a review of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. The peer-reviewed document created during this conference will be submitted to the UN for inclusion at UNGASS.

Even with all the progress in medical cannabis access, regulations, and safety protocols in programs in the US and around the globe, the conflict between individual country laws and international treaties, particularly the UN Single Convention Treaty of 1961, continues to be an issue. The UN Single Convention Treaty has been used by governments across the globe, including the United States, to derail attempts to reform national medical cannabis laws and research. Currently, cannabis is scheduled in Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by a 1972 Protocol. This scheduling was created based on a report created by the Health Committee of the League of Nations in 1935.

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The last time the UN held a special session was in 1999. The focus of that session, guided by the US, was to eliminate illegal drugs and drug trafficking. UNGASS 2016 presents a historical opportunity in that its focus will be on reviewing the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The document submitted from the National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference will be considered in this review.

Another major highlight of the conference iskeynote speaker, Professor Lumir Hanus.

Prof. Hanus is the worlds leading expert on the endocannabinoid system who famously isolated the first known endocannabinoid neurotransmitter, anandamide. This led to his co-discovery of the endocannabinoid system. His work has shaped our understanding of the biological actions of cannabis by isolating individual cannabinoids and their associated receptors. Professor Hanus is currently a research fellow at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel and is a Science Board member of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI).

The agenda is packed with a diverse and comprehensive list of speakers, workshops, panels and training for scientists, medical professionals, patients, advocates, legal professionals, legislators, and industry professionals. Some of the topics include research and innovations in patient care, risk considerations, quality assurance, strategic messaging, meeting facilitation, federal legislation, citizen lobbying, drafting legislation, building relationships with elected officials, CBD only laws, and patient perspectives on state laws.

The previous three Unity conferences have received rave reviews from participants and speakers. Gail Rand, a Maryland participant commented, In addition to the vast amount of information I learned through the extraordinary speakers, I have formed relationships that have helped change laws and perspectives in Maryland. Information is king and this conference allows people on all ends of the spectrum of knowledge about cannabis to gain information. Dr. Sue Sisley, who was a featured speaker remarked, The ASA Conference confirmed we have such a beautiful movement. It's been one of the greatest blessings of my life to be connected to so many loving, dedicated, powerful souls. Let's keep battling against Politics shackling Science." View videos of previous conferences.

The National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference also offers a Continuing Medical Education (CME) Conference for health practitioners which includes: Intro to Medical Cannabis Care Certification; The Endocannabinoid System & Cannabis: What Every Healthcare Provider Should Know, The Role of Cannabinoids in Pain Medicine, and Self-study CCC 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Creditson TheAnswerPage.com.

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During the week, Patient Focused Certification (PFC) enrichment courses will be offered in the following topics: Pesticide Guidance and Integrated Pest Management, QA/QC and Representative Sampling, and Auditing Operations, SOPs, & Record Keeping for Compliance.

Besides meeting with members of Congress, preparing a recommendation document for the UN, and meeting the man who discovered the endocannabinoid system; participants will meet, network with, and learn from other patients, providers, activists, medical and legal professionals from across the country.
Mature businesswoman in discussion with female colleague at conference table in office

OK, it's time to get real. Women have made great strides in the workplace throughout the years -- the gender pay gap is lower than it has ever been and the number of businesses led by women is higher than we've ever seen. But despite numerous gender diversity initiatives, too few women reach the executive levels they aspire to. There are many reasons for this, of course; lack of women's leadership-development programs, prevailing views that men "outperform" women and fewer mentorship opportunities. But I believe it's certain attitudes and opinions that are holding some women back.



Many career-focused women believe that their hard work, long hours and loyalty should speak for itself -- and that the best job opportunities, raises, and bonuses should follow. However, over the years, I have found this to be one of the greatest illusions that high-potential, promotable women have about getting ahead. The prevailing belief that quality of work is enough to warrant career advancement can actually hold you back. Without a doubt, doing good work is an essential part of the process, but doing a job well is rarely enough to earn you a promotion. Here's the thing: jobs at different levels require different skills and abilities. Most bosses don't like to put themselves on the firing line by putting you forward for promotion unless they are truly confident that you're going to make the cut; it puts them in a precarious position.



So what can you do about it?

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First, take a good look at the job you think you want. I say, think you want because many people go after a promotion solely for the extra "bling" such as a more glamorous title and better pay. This is their first mistake. Never take a job for these reasons alone. Do some detective work. Analyze what the position entails. Start with the people currently in the position -- or others who have done it in the past. Find out what the critical requirements of the job are -- the pros and cons and daily activities. Take note of any special skills or additional training that you'll need to be a more qualified candidate. Finally, carefully consider if the job requirements are well-suited to your lifestyle and personality. (Will you have to travel, entertain, give speeches, handle tough clients, or work on weekends?)

Think you're the perfect contender but still getting passed over? The following points may shed some light on the subject:

You're Playing the Victim



This may not be a popular concept, but my experience has been that when women don't get the promotion they are vying for, they frequently take on the role of "victim." Often, they lament that they are not getting promoted because their boss is "sexist," or that they are not part of the "good old boy's network." There is some truth to these statements: Sexism and gender-equality in the workplace are significant issues that cannot be ignored. However, ask yourself if there are other women in leadership positions at the level you are aspiring to, or higher up the rung in your company. If so, then that is not the answer. Take responsibility -- don't pass the buck or lay the blame on something or someone else. No one respects a malcontent.

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You're Striving for Perfection

This is another gender-specific issue. Women strive for perfection -- and this does not give rise to success. Quite the opposite. In fact, research espouses that the difference in upbringing between girls and boys can thwart women's success by the time they enter the workplace. Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, summed it up beautifully in her Ted Talk, Teach girls bravery, not perfection. Saujani presents the case that boys are encouraged to be brave and take on challenges while most girls are taught to avoid risk and failure. This perfectionist phenomenon has created a feminine culture that tends to "play it safe." A report by HP also reveals the dissimilarity in mindset between men and women. The researchers found that men were ready and willing to apply for a job if they met only 60 percent of the qualifications while women considered applying only if they met 100 percent of the requirements. The bottom line is that there is never a "perfect" time to ask for a promotion. Even if you are not 100 percent ready, but know you could do the job well, take action. Believe in yourself, be brave -- and step shamelessly out of your comfort zone.

Your Boss is Not a Mind Reader

Now that you've decided to strive for more responsibility, you have to let your boss know -- in no uncertain terms -- that you are ready for a promotion. I see many women "wait it out," expecting the boss to approach them with an offer. They cringe at the thought of going out on a limb and asking for a promotion -- for some, it's as daunting as walking through the eye of a hurricane.



The thing is, your superiors may not have any idea that the potential position is of any interest to you. Why would they if you haven't expressed interest?

Many years ago when I lived in San Antonio, I was the General Manager at a national hotel chain. I informed my boss that I would like to open a hotel in the Dallas area -- a location that appealed to me at the time. In the hotel business, opening a new hotel from the ground up is a coveted position to have, even though it comes with a lot of extra responsibilities. I was aware that in most cases the GM doesn't have the option to pick the city or even the state of their choice when seeking a hotel opening position. So when I told my boss that I would love to be considered for a new hotel experience -- and that I would like it to be in Dallas -- he was a bit taken aback. He also told me that he had no idea that I would be interested in opening a new hotel. I soon learned that the company I worked for was talking to investors who wanted to build a new hotel in -- you guessed it -- Dallas! My forthright approach opened the door for me to get the promotion I hoped for and move to my preferred location.

The lesson here is that being clear and upfront is always the right thing to do. However, women tend to wait to be invited or to ask permission instead of stating what they want. Taking the initiative or being assertive is not aggressive or inappropriate -- it's essential. So, self-advocate. Request that exciting new project. Muster the courage to go after that promotion. Ask with respect and enthusiasm, but don't ever be reluctant to ask.

You Need a "Personal Brand" Amendment

What are you known for? What do people think when they hear your name? Like it or not, you are constantly being judged by your appearance, body language and choice of words. You may also be scrutinized for the people you spend your time with, your personal habits and mannerisms, and how you behave -- not just at work but also in social settings. This has nothing to do with your job description and everything to do with how people perceive you. Your boss has to visualize that you are capable of more responsibility in a more significant role than the one you are in now. Can you visualize yourself in a loftier position? If the answer to this question is "no" it's time to look in the mirror.
We recently read that, come November, Americans who are unhappy about the result of the upcoming presidential election will be welcomed to move to Canada's Cape Breton.



San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

A local radio host is hosting a website that is pitching the Nova Scotia island as a "safe haven" should one candidate in particular emerge victorious. He claims he has already received hundreds of email inquiries from interested Americans.

We'll admit that Cape Breton looks tempting. It's a gorgeously green hilly island surrounded by blue Atlantic waters.

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But winters there can be downright chilly -- certainly too much for our Latin America-thinned blood. We are not used to daytime temperature much below 70 F or 75 F degrees.



Ambergris Caye, Belize

The cost of living on Cape Breton would deter us as well. Apparently, the average cost for an unfurnished three-bedroom apartment in the city center of the island's historic capital of Sydney is C$750 a month ... or only about $560. Add at least $150 a month for utilities on top of that.

In Cotacachi, Ecuador, where we live, a fully furnished three-bedroom apartment in the heart of town was recently advertised for $500 a month--and that's with all utilities paid. You can often find nice furnished rentals as low as $350 a month. No furniture to buy. No parkas or snow boots needed. (The average February day in Cape Breton's Sydney is an icy 20 F.)

So while we hope to visit Cape Breton some summer day, we plan to continue living in Latin America, where we are certain our monthly budget will always be manageable. (For sure, it won't go up in flames on heating bills.)

But back to that upcoming election...

During the past 15 years that we've been living overseas, several election cycles have come and gone. With them, comes the ebb and flow of disgruntled retirees.

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It doesn't really matter which party wins the election, some of you ... many of you, in fact ... will be unhappy that your candidate did not win. And quite possibly you'll start looking in earnest for an escape hatch.

Should you want to live on an island (like Cape Breton but in a more climate-friendly latitude) you might consider Belize's Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker; or Mexico's Isla Mujeres or Cozumel; or one of Panama's many idyllic little islands; or even a big island like the Dominican Republic. You'll never need a snow shovel in any of these places. (A broom to sweep the sand from your sidewalk is more likely.)

You can swim ... snorkel ... fish ... or sit outside and watch the local kids play in the surf ... every day of the year if you like. A bathing suit and a pair of flip flops is about all you'll need.

You'll find a low cost of living on these islands, too. Depending on the type of lifestyle that appeals to you, a couple can live on $2,000 a month or even less.

And if beach living isn't your style, let us point you to a fabulous culturally rich town or city like Montevideo or Quito or Medellin or San Miguel de Allende. Or come join us and other like-minded expats in a pretty perfect-climate mountain town like Cotacachi or Cuenca...or a lakeside retreat like Costa Rica's Lake Arenal or Mexico's Lake Chapala.

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There is a place for everyone (and you'll probably find it on International Living's Global Retirement Index 2016). And if you think that your place may be outside the U.S. for whatever reason ... because of politics or weather or financial or healthcare concerns...it's good to know you have plenty of options.



Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
Climate change is not some far-off vague notion. Here in the Philippines, it is an everyday reality.

The Philippines is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate disasters. With more than 7,100 islands and an estimated 36,298 kilometers of coastline, more than 60 percent of the Filipino population resides within the coastal zone and are acutely impacted by climate change. Dangers include food and fresh water scarcity, damage to infrastructure and devastating sea level rise. However, with an innate understanding of the acute impacts of climate change, the Philippines is one of the world's strongest voices leading the global movement, combatting the problem and ultimately setting an example in adapting to climate change. They are acting with urgency and commitment - passing legislation, promoting the use of renewable energy and focusing on country-wide conservation.

That is why former US Vice President Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project have decided to host the 31st Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training here in Manila next week. The Climate Reality Leadership Corps is a global network of activists committed to taking on the climate crisis and working to solve the greatest challenge of our time. The decade-long program has worked with thousands of individuals, providing training in climate science, communications and organizing to tell the story of climate change and inspire leaders to be agents of change in their local communities.

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As the President and CEO of The Climate Reality Project, I am thrilled to contribute to the training of more than 700 new Climate Reality Leaders next week. These individuals from all over the world are leaders in their own communities, local governments and businesses, who each care deeply about combatting climate change. At the training, they will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best and brightest in their respective fields including Al Gore, Senator Loren Legarda and Mayor of Tacloban Alfred Romualdez as well as world-class scientists, policy-makers, faith leaders, communicators, and technical specialists. These leaders will offer specific guidance to trainees on the science of climate change, the cost of climate impacts, and the Paris Agreement that established the framework to transition to a global clean energy economy. After the training, trainees will emerge as energized and skilled communicators with the knowledge, tools and drive to take action, educating diverse global communities on the costs of carbon pollution and what can be done to solve the climate crisis.

Unsurprisingly, a large percentage of the trainees for the upcoming event are Filipino. This means that after next week, the great work many in the Philippines have already done to combat climate change will be catapulted into accelerated action.

Post-COP21 this could not be more important.

The agreement reached in Paris was a monumental step in the effort to combat climate change. 195 nations agreed upon an international plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, now we have to turn words into action. Success is 100% dependent on its provisions being strengthened and implemented over time. Here in the Philippines, that means transitioning the energy economy from coal to renewable energy resources and working to adapt.

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The Philippines has long relied on dirty coal for energy. In fact, a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plan came online only a few weeks after the Philippines signed the Paris agreement -- and this is the first of dozens of coal-fired power plants currently planned. Instead of supporting an energy resource we know is damaging, we must encourage banks and investors to embrace the revolution in renewable energy and encourage the growth and development of the clean energy economy here in the Philippines. The islands are rife with abundant renewable energy resources such as sun, wind and ocean tides--now we need to prioritize investing in the infrastructure that turns these existing power sources into a country-wide reality.

Furthermore, a significant part of the agreement signed by the Philippines in Paris requires conserving, enhancing and restoring forests country-wide. Over half of the country's commitment to reducing greenhouse gasses is based on plans to avoid deforestation and promote reforestation. Strong support for programs such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources efforts to restore the country's mangroves, including those running from eastern Samar to Southern Leyte, can make a significant difference in both the reduction of greenhouse gasses as well as mitigate the potential risk and destruction from future storms.

The Philippines is one of the best-positioned countries to make a difference in the climate fight. My hope for the upcoming training is that the trainees are inspired to lead change in their own communities, including supporting and advocating for the crucial policies and changes needed as laid out by the Paris agreement. If so, I am confident that the Philippines can play a key role in leading the world in halting the progressive destruction of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for us all.
As we know, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. And no one helps us maintain our liberty vigil better than Hollywood.

If you ever feel that your DEFCON level needs a turbo boost, I recommend that you check out Trumbo. It's a movie that warns us of a past threat with present tense implications.

The threat I am referring to, of course, is the dreaded red peril of communism.

Trumbo rewinds history to 1947, when screenwriter and communist party member Dalton Trumbo was blacklisted by Hollywood after being found in contempt by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Denied work by Hollywood studios, Trumbo began writing scripts under fictitious names in order to keep his family afloat. Two of those shadow screenplays won Oscars, including The Brave One.

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Though HUAC feared that Trumbo scripts laced with Kremlin propaganda would spell curtains for the free world, America somehow managed to survive Roman Holiday. We can only surmise that Audrey Hepburn's delivery must have been off.



Communism eventually fell out of vogue with the demagogues. Now Muslims and Mexicans are the rage -- this despite the fact that only 25 Americans have been killed by foreign-born terrorists since 9/11, compared with 451 killed by lightning strikes and over 165,000 who have been shot to death by other Americans in the same period. Facts notwithstanding, Muslims are the new clear and present danger, intent on total annihilation. If there are any Americans left standing after the Muslims get through with us, Mexicans will surely take our jobs.

Some of those Muslims we've been warned about come from Iraq, where they make their own movies about the threat of foreign terrorists. In those films, a superpower invades their country in 2003, resulting in the deaths of half a million Iraqi men, women, and children -- 1.5% of their country's population.

Those films are so popular over there that they have their own genre -- they're called "recruitment videos."

Back here in the states, another screenplay is being written -- this one is about another fearful time in America when a man rises to power by blaming our troubles on brown-skinned people who threaten to kill us all. The protagonist promises to protect us from harm by building walls, deporting our enemies found inside the wall and bombing those on the outside. The script does not yet include the main character's name - several men are auditioning for the lead role. Their delivery varies though the lines are pretty much the same.

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In the early months of 2016, while these presidential candidates have stumped to warn us of the urgent threat of foreign killers, the number of Americans who have actually been killed by those terrorists in that period is exactly zero. By the end of March 2016, the number of Americans who will have been shot to death by other Americans will be around 2,800 - roughly the same number that died in the Twin Towers on 9/11. Whether or not Muslims will kill as many Americans by the end of March is uncertain -- when it comes to killing Americans (and Muslims), the U.S. sets a high bar.

It feels like we've seen this movie before - the one about opportunists scaring the crap out of us for political gain. They know it's a worn script, but they keep right on reading it because Americans never get tired of remakes of that B-movie about those foreign devils coming to kill us -- any time now.

Those devils probably will kill some of us, though not nearly as many as we kill ourselves.

In "The Tempest," Antonio encourages Sebastian to kill his father by telling him "what's past is prologue." Yet past isn't really prologue to the story - past is the actual story. We've seen this movie before, and we know how it ends.
Who Controls the Civilians?

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

General Lloyd Austin, the outgoing head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), recently testified before Congress, suggesting that Washington needed to up its troop levels in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, in his own congressional testimony, still-to-be-confirmed incoming CENTCOM chief General Joseph Votel, formerly head of U.S. Special Operations Command, seconded that recommendation and said he would reevaluate the American stance across the Greater Middle East with an eye, as the Guardian's Spencer Ackerman put it, to launching "a more aggressive fight against the Islamic State." In this light, both generals called for reviving a dismally failed $500 million program to train "moderate" Syrian rebels to support the U.S. fight against the Islamic State (IS). They both swear, of course, that they'll do it differently this time, and what could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, General David Rodriguez, head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), pressed by Senator John McCain in congressional testimony, called on the U.S. to "do more" to deal with IS supporters in Libya. And lo and behold, the New York Times reported that Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter had only recently presented an AFRICOM and Joint Special Operations Command plan to the president's "top national security advisers." They were evidently "surprised" to discover that it involved potentially wide-ranging air strikes against 30 to 40 IS targets across that country. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan -- U.S. Special Operations units and regular troops having recently been rushed once again into embattled Helmand Province in the heartland of that country's opium poppy trade -- General Austen and others are calling for a reconsideration of future American drawdowns and possibly the dispatch of more troops to that country.

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Do you sense a trend here? In the war against the Islamic State, the Obama administration and the Pentagon have been engaged in the drip, drip, drip of what, in classic Vietnam terms, might be called "mission creep." They have been upping American troop levels a few hundred at a time in Iraq and Syria, along with air power, and loosing Special Operations forces in combat-like operations in both countries. Now, it looks like top military commanders are calling for mission speed-up across the region. (In Libya, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, it already seems to have begun.)

And keep in mind, watching campaign 2016, that however militaristic the solutions of the Pentagon and our generals, they are regularly put in the shade by civilians, especially the Republican candidates for president, who can barely restrain their eagerness to let mission leap loose. As Donald Trump put it in the last Republican debate, calling for up to 30,000 U.S. boots on the ground in Syria and Iraq, "I would listen to the generals." That might now be the refrain all American politicians are obliged to sing. Similarly, John Kasich called for a new "shock and awe" campaign in the Middle East to "wipe them out." And that's the way it's been in debate season -- including proposals to put boots on the ground big time from Libya and possibly even the Sinai peninsula to Afghanistan, bomb the region back to the stone age, and torture terror suspects in a fashion that would have embarrassed Stone Age peoples.

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"When we started out, I was thinking of Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything. On a number of the songs there are just a minimal amount of people playing and on some tracks I have a full band. It's taking a big chance to a certain degree because there aren't many people doing records like this anymore...and a few people warned me 'don't do it! They'd caution me that it's suicide in today's market because people won't listen to something that's over 35 minutes. And that was from musicians I trust!" Edward Rogers

As musicians grapple with the (few) pros and (mostly) cons of streaming, along with life in a post-record industry world wherein millions songs and albums can be heard for free by way of numerous digital platforms, Edward Rogers goes about his artistic business with an air of confidence I find most reassuring. Sure, the planet is going to shite, nonetheless this downtown Manhattan dwelling transplanted Birmingham, England bard has rock 'n' roll to make, and he's not going to let the small stuff get in the way.

By way of his five critically acclaimed solo albums and as a member of the Bedsit Poets and Vagabond Hearts, in addition to his numerous collaborations of note; indie rock fans can always count on Edward for intelligent, heartfelt wordplay, lasting melodies, and shows at venues large and intimate with the best players in town. His latest collection Glass Marbles, is, to my ears, a giant leap forward with regard to production to which he readily credits his workhorse producer and longtime collaborator in the studio and on-stage, Don Piper.

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"Don had to go through fifty of my songs to figure out which ones were the best," Ed recalls with a measure of amusement. "A lot more attention went into the production and the imagination of special effects. I'd go back to certain parts of the songs and tell Don 'I want this more psychedelic!' Don really wanted show what he could do on this album and he really succeeded."

Recorded at various studios for reasons of aesthetics and economics, Ed's chance meeting with an old friend affords Glass Marbles its cinematic resonance. "I ran into Greg Calbi, a fantastic engineer, who I had not seen in years. First thing he says to me is 'the next record you make, I want to master it!"

When Rogers revealed that the two albums in particular that he was listening to with regard to sound quality were waxed by Todd Rundgren and Tame Impala, Calbi (a managing partner and senior mastering engineer at Sterling Sound whose resume includes John Lennon, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen to city a very, very select few) responded: "Ed, I did both of them, so I think I can get exactly what you want!" Mission accomplished boasts Rogers. "Greg's method is to sit with you, go through each song, and see what you were thinking when you wrote it, then he would make suggestions on fidelity."

Rogers also expanded his core band of Piper, drummer Dennis Diken (The Smithereens), bassist Sal Maida (Roxy Music, Cracker, Sparks), and guitarist James Mastro (Ian Hunter, The Bongos) to include his Vagabond Heart mate J-F Vergel, along with drummer Konrad Meissner, keyboardist Joe McGinty (Losers Lounge, Psychedelic Furs), Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & the Voidoids, The Clash, Matthew Sweet) , John Ford (The Strawbs) Pete Kennedy, and saxophonist Geoff Blythe (Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Pretenders, Elvis Costello), among others.

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Akin to the UK rock legends he is oft compared to, Edward aimed to capture the magic of the moment. Mission accomplished once again. "Everything was three takes maximum, all the players did their homework and came into the studio without rehearsals." Ed further explains, "and I really had to step up to it because certain songs that I thought were arranged took on a different feel with the various players. Sometimes I was in the booth between takes, changing lyrics and phrases as so forth. There was even one song we recorded in Joe McGinty's studio "Stars In Your Eyes" where I rewrote the lyrics as we were going along."

With the luxury of having sidemen (and side-women) who are also songwriters, producers, performers and band-leaders in their own right, Rogers and Piper were able to draw from a deep well of experience to bring Glass Marbles to fruition. The exchange of ideas, the musicians' input, and the sense of sonic adventure are readily evident in the grooves and band interplay. The players, especially bassist Sal Maida, flexed their respective rhythmic and harmonic muscle in the service of the song and the recording.

And as with all of Rogers' records, he's not afraid to wear his influences on his fashion designer sleeves. "On 'World of Mystery' I wanted to see if I could write an Ian Hunter song. Or more like Bob Dylan by way of Ian much like that first Mott the Hoople album." The idea to have Gaz Thomas add harmonica was inspired from a Rockwood Musical Hall performance by Mark Preston & the Traveling Men which Edward attended in early 2015 wherein Gaz and Geoff Blythe riffed in all their ragged glory. "Turned out that Gaz had to go out and buy a harp in the key of the song! We did it first take - I like the fact that he's not perfect on it. But Gaz got the 'perfect' feel, like Dylan, Donavan, and John Lennon -which is far more important in my world."

"For I'm Your Everyday Man' I wanted to compose a Big Star song, and the next thing I knew Konrad added fantastic vibes to it. Brilliant idea!" The track "Denmark Street Forgotten" was fueled by a conversation with John Ford regarding the former Strawbs man's 1960s session days in London. Edward channeled early REM for the cut "Looking for Stone Angels," to which Rogers calls to my attention: "who the heck goes back to early REM anymore!? With those beautiful guitars..."

Listeners of a certain age and/or artistic disposition will readily recognize that Glass Marbles stands as a spirited reaffirmation of the album as an aural art-form, and not simply a souvenir of a live performance. With surrealistic interludes, tempo and key changes, and sudden mood shifts Rogers and his simpatico collaborators take the listener on a journey that only the album experience can afford.

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"To me albums are really relevant. My experience of listening to a record is not on the run. I'll sit at home with the speakers turned up. And I am hearing and concentrating on what is going on. Today, music can be obtained so readily, so it's easy to lose the perspective or interest because there is so much of it. Whereas if you take a little bit of time; the enjoyment and appreciation of the album is far greater."

On that note, Edward Rogers informs me that he is composing songs for another album. To be continued...

Album design by Amanda Thorpe. Album photograph by Melani Rogers. Photo of Edward Rogers by Amanda Thorpe.

Glass Marbles by Edward Rogers is out now on Zip Records, and available on:

iTunes (http://apple.co/1Lj2STH)

Amazon (http://amzn.to/1MerMii)

Other Music in New York City

Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn

For more information, visit www.ziprecords.com, www.edwardrogersmusic.com.

Edward Rogers and The Biba Crowd will be live at The Record Collector, Bordentown, N.J. on April 8, 2016, 7:30 PM

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By Mariam Haidar

Two girls at a Bekaa area school learn how to code in a fun EDUTEK project (Photo: EDUTEK)

There are many challenges facing education systems. Where I live, in the Bekaa area of Lebanon, children - especially girls - aren't able to explore their creativity, innovation, and technical skills because of a lack of human resources, funding, and opportunities in school systems.

At the same time, there are many young people like me who are struggling in today's economy. 35% of young people in Lebanon are unemployed, and every year many more young people graduate from colleges and universities only to find that there are no jobs available to them.

The solution seems clear to me: there are challenges to be solved, and as young people we have the time, skills, and abilities to create a new economy of social good.

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I have always dreamed of having my own business that involved education and technology. Over the last two years, I have been working with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) Lebanon helping to integrate technology into classrooms, and participating in DOT's youth leadership program - learning essential facilitation, business, and communication skills.

It's this opportunity that helped me see two critical things: a challenge I knew I could help solve, and a path to solving it.

I saw first-hand how children needed more exposure to science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). I also saw how, as a young woman with technology skills and business acumen, I could find a business solution to this problem - and create both a job and social impact I could be proud of.

I founded EDUTEK, a social enterprise that exposes children to fun STEM projects that engage their creativity and provide basic coding, digital literacy, and problem solving skills. My goal is to ignite children's desire to explore, solve problems, and learn. EDUTEK is particularly focused on encouraging girls see opportunities in technology. Our programming has seen a great deal of demand since we launched just a few months ago.

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My experience at DOT gave me access to networks of women who inspired me to believe that I could truly be a part of the technology community in Lebanon and also solve a social problem. I was connected to the Arab Women Entrepreneurs program, and gained access to inspiring mentors. I was exposed to opportunities, skills, and the knowledge to make my business a success.

There are many problems in Lebanon and beyond that need to be solved. We see them around us every day, as economic, political, and education systems struggle to keep up with a rapidly changing world.

These issues might be challenging, but all of my fellow young people who are graduating into unemployment can see them as opportunities. We can make change in education systems - and anywhere else we see a need - while creating opportunities for ourselves at the same time. We have the digital skills, the savvy, and the ambition to truly create a new economy of social good.

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Rupandeep Kaur, 20 weeks pregnant, arrived at a medical clinic looking fatigued and ready to collapse. After being asked her name and address, she was taken to see a physician who reviewed her medical history, asked several questions, and ordered a series of tests including blood and urine. These tests revealed that her fetus was healthy but Kaur had dangerously low hemoglobin and blood pressure levels. The physician, Alka Choudhry, ordered an ambulance to take her to a nearby hospital.

All of this, including the medical tests, happened in 15 minutes at the Peeragarhi Relief Camp in New Delhi, India. The entire process was automated -- from check-in, to retrieval of medical records, to testing and analysis and ambulance dispatch. The hospital also received Kaur's medical records electronically. There was no paperwork filled out, no bills sent to the patient or insurance company, no delay of any kind. Yes, it was all free.

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The hospital treated Kaur for mineral and protein deficiencies and released her the same day. Had she not received timely treatment, she may have had a miscarriage or lost her life.

This was more efficient and advanced than any clinic I have seen in the West. And Kaur wasn't the only patient, there were at least a dozen other people who received free medical care and prescriptions in the one hour that I spent at Peeragrahi in early March.

The facility, called the "mohalla" (or people's) clinic, was opened in July 2015 by Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal. This is the first of 1,000 clinics that he announced would be opened in India's capital for the millions of people in need. Delhi's health minister Satyendar Jain, who came up with the idea for the clinics, told me he believes that not only will they reduce suffering, but also overall costs -- because people will get timely care and not be a burden on hospital emergency rooms.

The technology that made the instant diagnosis possible at Peeragarhi was medical device called the Swasthya Slate. This $600 device, the size of a cake tin, performs 33 common medical tests including blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, blood haemoglobin, urine protein and glucose. And it tests for diseases such as malaria, dengue, hepatitis, HIV, and typhoid. Each test only takes a minute or two and the device uploads its data to a cloud-based medical-record management system that can be accessed by the patient.

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The Swasthya Slate was developed by Kanav Kahol, who was a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University's department of biomedical informatics until he became frustrated at the lack of interest by the medical establishment in reducing the cost of diagnostic testing. He worried that billions of people were getting no medical care or substandard care because of the medical industry's motivation in keeping prices high. In 2011, he returned home to New Delhi to develop a solution.

Kahol had noted that despite the similarities between medical devices in their computer displays and circuits, their packaging made them unduly complex and difficult for anyone but highly skilled practitioners to use. They were also incredibly expensive -- usually costing tens of thousands of dollars each. He believed he could take the same sensors and microfluidics technologies that the expensive medical devices used and integrate them into an open medical platform. And with off-the-shelf computer tablets, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence software, he could simplify the data analysis in a way that minimally-trained front-line workers could understand.

By Jan. 2013, Kahol had built the Swasthya Slate and persuaded the state of Jammu and Kashmir, in Northern India, to allow its use in six underserved districts with a population of 2.1 million people. The device is now in use at 498 clinics there. Focusing on reproductive maternal and child health, the system has been used to provide antenatal care to more than 22,000 mothers. Of these, 277 mothers were diagnosed as high risk and provided timely care. Mothers are getting care in their villages now instead of having to travel to clinics in cities.

A newer version of the Slate, called HealthCube, was tested last month by nine teams of physicians and technology, operations, and marketing experts at Peru's leading hospital, Clinica Internacional. They tested its accuracy against the western equipment that they use, its durability in emergency room and clinical settings, the ability of minimally trained clinicians to use it in rural settings, and its acceptability to patients. Clinica's general manager, Alvaro Chavez Tori, told me in an email that the tests were highly successful and "acceptance of the technology was amazingly high." He sees this technology as a way of helping the millions of people in Peru and Latin America who lack access to quality diagnostics.

The opportunity is bigger than Latin America, however. When it comes to health care, the United States has many of the same problems as the developing world. Despite the Affordable Care Act, 33 million Americans or 10.4 percent of the U.S. population still lacks health insurance. These people are disproportionately poor, black or Hispanic, and 4.5 million are children. As a result, they receive less preventive care and suffer from more serious illness -- which are extremely costly to treat. Emergency rooms of hospitals are overwhelmed by uninsured patients seeking basic medical care. And when they have insurance, families are often bankrupted by medical costs.

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Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" Luke 4:1-4 NRSV

The first of Jesus's temptations in the wilderness is often seen as Jesus overcoming sins of the flesh. Jesus has mastery over his body, and we should all be strong like that and not give in to our fleshly desires, right? But the text clearly states that his 40 days of fasting are over and there's no reason for him not to break his fast at this point. However, when the devil suggests turning a stone to bread Jesus answers back, "One does not live by bread alone," quoting Deuteronomy 8:3. The word used for alone, monos means, in Greek, "without a companion," "forsaken," it's like "being all alone in the world"-which is pretty emo language to use about a piece of bread. And it's not just Greek; in the Hebrew that Jesus is quoting, the word for alone, bad, has the same connotation of being separated and by yourself. Language in the Biblical world was rife with layers of meaning, but rather than being considered confusing, this was desirable for teachers and orators, they enjoyed how words could evoke meanings behind the obvious. So Jesus is employing a double meaning: one can't live by bread alone, you must also be spiritually fed, yes, and at the same time, one doesn't live by eating alone, by taking what you need for yourself and not sharing with others. Jesus isn't worried about giving into bodily needs and not being spiritual enough. No, the temptation he's resisting is that he doesn't want to be alone to break this fast he has offered to God, he wants to share that celebration with others. The sin Jesus is avoiding is not lack of willpower like he's on "America's Biggest Loser," the sin he's avoiding is lack of hospitality.

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So much of what Jesus' ministry was about was what is called "table fellowship,"which meant that whoever he shared meals with were automatically granted belonging in that community, and since Jesus shared tables with outcasts and criminals, this was world-changing. Jesus instructed us to continue that same kind of table fellowship and share meals with those who have otherwise been cast out which the early church obeyed with communal meals which became the symbolic communion we share today.

And there are ways of experiencing communion more like how Jesus and the early church lived and experienced it, as a real meal offering an invitation of inclusion. Chef Roy Choi, famous for starting the food truck revolution with his trucks started another revolution by opening a fast food restaurant called LocoL in the heart of Watts, a notorious food desert. Chef Roy had a rough youth, including gangs and drug addiction, but gourmet cooking saved his life, and he worked his way up until he became a celebrity chef and entrepreneur with multiple restaurants. But rather than just enjoying all that success for himself like other wealthy businessmen, Chef Roy wanted to give something back, and he became devoted to the idea that successful chefs like him should not only focus on serving the well-off but should figure out how to harness their talents to feed the hungry, the outcasts that exist right in the middle of our thriving, urban environments. And not just feed them the chemical-laden processed food they've been getting, but feed them well. At a food industry conference in Denmark he gave an impassioned speech challenging his fellow chefs to do just that, asking:

What if every high caliber chef, all of us in here, told our investors as we're building restaurants that for every fancy restaurant we build, it would be a requirement to build a restaurant in the 'hood as well?

These words began a new venture to bring jobs, hope, and good, healthy food to an underserved community, all for the same prices you would pay at McDonalds or any other chain, but made with only fresh, natural ingredients and designed by world-renowned gourmet chefs. This food nourishes body and the soul, it's affordable, and even fun. The space encourages community, with customers comparing it to grabbing a seat on a porch or being at someone's backyard barbecue.

It doesn't seem that Chef Roy is religious, but he gets, like Jesus got, that people need more than "bread alone," they need community, and maybe even a little magic; they need an experience larger than themselves. And he's figuring out how to provide that magic to people with his own table fellowship. So should we all be doing.
A few years ago, American news channel CNN compiled a list of the world's top 10 ugliest monuments. To the surprise of many, eighth place went to one of Italy's recently unveiled works, ironic in a country nicknamed "The Great Beauty." The subject in question was artist Oliviero Rainaldi's statue of Pope John Paul II titled Conversazioni.

The 16-foot bronze sculpture, which stands outside Rome's central train station, Termini, depicts the late leader of the Catholic Church in an ecclesiastical robe with his arms outstretched in welcome. Its debut was swiftly met with controversy: while the mayor of Rome described the work as "modern and evocative," the public was dismayed at its lack of resemblance to the Polish pope.

Even the L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See's official mouthpiece, said the sculpture's head was "excessively round" and that it was an indistinct monument rather than an unmissable homage to John Paul II. Rainaldi, meanwhile, maintains his pride in the piece, despite making a few modifications to it in order to pacify critics.

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So why is the sculpture a masterpiece to some, and a failed tribute to others? Who decides the aesthetic value of a work? As the ancient Greeks said, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," a philosophy that holds true to many of Rome's monuments, palazzi and artworks.

Vittoriano Complex

The Vittoriano Complex is without doubt the city's most contentious piece of architecture. Found in the very heart of historic Rome, the Vittoriano is an enormous, bright, white building that locals love to hate. Some call it "the typewriter" for its square shape, while others have nicknamed it "the wedding cake." Romans find it distracting and completely out of place when compared to its ancient neighbors like the Colosseum and Pantheon. Nonetheless, the monument is generally well received by visitors to Rome. Piazza Venezia

Palace of Justice

The seat of the city's Palace of Justice, or Supreme Court, also elicits debate. Designed by Perugian architect Guglielmo Calderini and inaugurated in 1910, the Palace was intended to be one of the grandest additions to the city skyline, following the proclamation of Rome as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

Its unusually large size, excessive decoration, and its lengthy construction led to suspicions of corruption, and in 1912, a parliamentary commission began official inquiries. The investigation gave rise to the building's popular and pejorative nickname of the Palazzaccio--"Bad Palace." The Palace has also experienced its fair share of bad luck: Due to its sheer size, it quickly began to sink into the surrounding ground shortly after its inauguration. Some say that Calderini was so distraught by his masterpiece's failure that he even considered suicide.

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Admirers of the Palazzaccio, however, recognize it for its artistic merit, particularly the solemn statues of the jurists that line its front, and its bronze sculptures of horse-drawn carriages.

Sacro Cuore del Suffragio

Not far from the Palazzaccio is the Sacro Cuore del Suffragio: A church that, like its neighbor, gets mixed reviews. This chiesa is criticized for its incongruence with the surrounding architecture. While the church's aesthetic is intricate and elaborate, earning it the title of the "mini-duomo," the rest of the quarter's buildings and structures are undeniably urban.

After assessing Sacro Cuore's exterior for yourself, judge what you find inside, too: tucked away in the back of the church is the Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. This tiny, century-old exhibition holds a strange collection of prayer books, clothing, and furniture, allegedly singed by the hands of souls in Limbo. French missionary and avid collector Victor Jouet was inspired to discover the museum after a fire destroyed a portion of the church, leaving behind a scorched image of a face he believed to be a trapped soul.

Museum of the Ara Pacis

Unsurprisingly, Rome's contemporary monuments are also heavily debated. Opened in 2006, the Museum of the Ara Pacis is a prime example. American sculptor Richard Meier was chosen to conceive a structure that would house the Ara Pacis Augustae, a 9 B.C. altar commissioned by the Roman senate to honor the return of Augustus. Meier's travertine, steel, glass, and plaster design is the first architecturally urban structure in the historic center since the Fascist era. Its most notable features are its wide, glazed, surfaces, which allow visitors to admire the Ara Pacis with uniform lighting conditions. The building immediately sparked discussion: the New York Times described it as a "flop," while famed art critic Achille Bonito Oliva praised its innovation.

Keep reading for more of Rome's most controversial and intriguing monuments.

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Photo Credits: Sean X. Liu/Flickr, Creative Commons; Luftphilia/Flickr, Creative Commons, Marc/Flickr, Creative Commons; Lucian Milasan/Shutterstock; Matteo Gabrieli/Shutterstock
By Kate Moran

The world is in no short supply of humanitarian crises to mitigate, manage, and prevent. In 2016 alone, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that $20.1 billion is needed to help 125.3 million people displaced by war, famine, and natural disasters globally. This figure--and the number of those in need of aid--is sure to increase as the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe shows no signs of slowing, unrest persists in the Middle East, and every day it seems a new drought, earthquake, or other natural disaster results in thousands more dead and displaced.

In the wake of these incessant disasters, the global community is increasingly turning to technology to help with crisis mapping, aid management and distribution, and even crowdsourcing real-time information regarding events on the ground. After the Paris attacks in November 2015, Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature to enable those impacted to update their families.

The question of how government agencies and humanitarian responders can better use social media and technology in emergency situations isn't new, yet it's increasingly relevant. As technology expands, so too should the ways in which we as a global community seek to use and harness it to implement more comprehensive humanitarian interventions--those that address immediate needs while anticipating future ones.

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While technology might seem mystifying at times, and the ever-increasing availability of information--both critical and inconsequential--overwhelming, effective employment of both the technologies and the information available through them is essential to advancing dynamic humanitarian responses and in ensuring their timely implementation. In an increasingly connected world, technology's role in development and in driving humanitarian responses is elevated; using technology to coordinate aid delivery across geographies represents just one of the myriad possibilities.

Technology presents an opportunity by which the international community can learn from and engage with each other, and with the populations they are seeking to assist. If its potential is harnessed correctly, the digital world can exponentially improve response effectiveness, increase beneficiary reach, improve product delivery, and facilitate more meaningful and substantive connections between short-term assistance programs and longer-term development solutions.

Yet there is an element of technology that few consider when discussing humanitarian response applications: how they can be used by ordinary citizens on the ground. While Facebook offers a limited example of how technology might be employed for this purpose, the possibilities are far greater. Mobile technology alone can (and has been) used to assist in reconnecting families, to develop and disseminate early warning systems, increase access to internet and educational resources, ease mobile payments and vouchers, identify optimal logistics and routes, and map data analytics on the spread of disease. Many of these efforts, though organized on a broader scale by international bodies or government agencies, were driven by the input and continued use of ordinary citizens.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon now use smartcards developed by the World Food Programme to buy goods; in Sudan, UNICEF employed SMS messages to notify communities of vaccination campaigns while the Ministry of Health used them to promote good hygiene practices; and in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010, information culled from social media messages was used to devise a crisis map that ultimately enabled first responders to save hundreds of lives.

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The layman's role in the collection of important information and its dissemination cannot be overlooked; if we are to truly maximize technology, we must provide better pathways for and increase individuals' access to them. Without a role for humans to play, technologies remain static shells, all potential with no practical application. Technologies must be developed to enhance humanitarian response effectiveness, but so should humans' capacity for participating in and advancing these technologies.

As Karl Schwab of the World Economic Forum explains: "Neither technology nor the disruption that comes with it is an exogenous force over which humans have no control. All of us are responsible for guiding its evolution, in the decisions we make on a daily basis as citizens, consumers, and investors. We should thus grasp the opportunity and power we have to shape [it] and direct it toward a future that reflects our common objectives and values."

The Middle East and North Africa counts 121 million active Facebook users per month; we must only look to the Arab Spring uprisings in the winter of 2011 to see how the platform was leveraged to elevate the voices of youth and other activists. More recently, a grassroots campaign on Facebook raised thousands for cyclone relief in Fiji. This imparts a critical lesson: social media is powerful. It can be a rallying force for change, a vehicle for catalyzing collective action, a way of disseminating important and timely information, and a means of inspiring social good.

Technology holds many opportunities that the international community has yet to take full advantage of and we have much to learn about how to best employ new and innovative tools. At the end of the day, however, individual citizens have just as much to offer in the way of improving humanitarian response. Ultimately, humans are the ones who decide how technologies can and will be employed, to what end, and to which extent. Focusing on augmenting citizens' role in humanitarian response, then, must be a focus of overall humanitarian interventions if these technologies are to succeed and their potential maximized.
Racists are coming out of woodwork in North Carolina.

The news of Rakeem Jones, a black protester at Donald Trump's Fayetteville rally who was punched by John McGraw, a 78-year-old white Korean War veteran, made the news rounds this past week. McGraw told Inside Edition that "next time, we might have to kill him." He has now been charged for assault and is due in court in April.

Now there is more news of racist incidents in the Southeastern corner of North Carolina that coincide with Trump's visit to North Carolina.

The first story involves the District 20 race for the State House of Representatives. There are two Republican women, Holly Grange and Tammy Covil, running for the seat. As there are no Democrats running in the district, whoever wins the primary will go on to become the House representative in the state legislature. While Holly Grange does not have experience as an elected official, she is a West Point graduate and has a Juris Doctor degree with a license to practice in Illinois. Tammy Covil is a small business owner and was elected to the Board of Education for New Hanover County in 2012.

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Covil made news in June of 2015 for having made a comment on Facebook that "Gay marriage isn't about marriage rights at all, it's about forcing others to accept a perverted lifestyle choice as 'normal.'" She was called upon to resign, but did not. Then in November, 2015, Covil attacked Grange on the alleged business relationship her husband has with Clinton ally Sidney Blumenthal. Covil was in the news again in February, 2016, when it was revealed that she also purchased and created the website www.hollygrange.com which compares Grange to Hillary Clinton.

Yet another example of why the social issues matter in politics. It's important to know where the leaders of our party stand on these issues because they have a profound impact on our society. #TheSocialIssuesMatter.

Now with four days left until the March 15th primary, Covil's campaign has turned racist. It has sent out fliers that shows a young white woman in front of a transgender bathroom with a dark figure wearing a hoodie looming in the background.





The alleged purpose is to warn the citizens of the district of the Charlotte-style ordinance, which allows transgender individuals to use the bathroom for the gender that they identify with. Even though Covil has stated that she does not see an African-American man in the image, a close-up of the man in the hoodie reveals thick lips and a wider nose base, hinting that he is black.

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Deborah Dicks Maxwell, the head of the local NAACP, has called Covil out on the racist image of the flier and accused her of using fear to win an election.

In nearby Brunswick County, West Brunswick High School is dealing with an incident during lunch in which white students hung a Confederate in the courtyard and cafeteria. When it was taken down, one student wrapped it around his neck like a cape and ran through the cafeteria, stomped on chocolate milk cartons, yelling "white power!" while being high-fived by other students.





Although the spokesperson for the county schools, Jessica Swencki, observed that "the issues we struggle with as a society sometimes land squarely on the doorsteps of our schools" some parents were upset that the situation was not taken care of when the incident occurred.

Sonya Gore, a student at West Brunswick High, initiated a campaign to wear all black the next day to send a message to the school admin and it was confirmed by the school. Three white students were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct by Friday.



The racist rhetoric playing out in politics with Donald Trump as its symbol and deliveryman is unfortunately playing out in schools across the country. We have all seen by now pictures of students holding up cutouts of Trump's face to taunt students of color. We have also heard reports of young students taunting Hispanic students that they will be deported when Donald Trump is president.

As the racist rhetoric crosses over to physical violence at Trump's rallies in Fayetteville, St. Louis, and Chicago, and beyond the blame falls squarely on Trump. He may deny responsibility until the cows come home, but the rally videos show otherwise. Racists across the country are coming out of woodwork, not only in North Carolina, but across the country and they are empowered by Trump's speeches. Trump is not only giving rise to the latent racist sentiments across the country, but also creating new ones among the country's white youth. It is not politics playing out at the schools' doorstep. It is what America would be like if people like Trump give legitimacy to racist thinking.

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This video demonstrates the power of paid media and how gullible we are when it comes to believing things. This also shows how easy it is for the ruling party to manage the media and conveniently shift attention from relevant issues. Police officers rode on horses and chased the demonstrators. Normally this wouldn't be seen except in emergency situations, but then again the Uttarakhand police has proved how vulnerable it is in front of the dictatorial State government led by Shri. Harish Rawat Ji. Most media channels have been circulating the news that I hit a horse and injured it. Please watch this video to know the truth. I strongly condemn the action of the youth involved in this video for pulling on the horse, making the poor animal lose his balance and fall, thus injuring himself. I apologize on his behalf as this is against my personal and the party's principles. We belong to a party which is led by the likes of Maneka Gandhi and believe in treating animals like family. I urge you to take a moment to watch this video. I will continue to represent and fight for the interests of my constituents, humans and animals alike. These fabricated stories show the levels to which the State government of Uttarakhand will stoop to to grab public's attention.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - MARCH 9: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar addresses JNU teachers during the protest against the arrest of JNUSU students at JNU campus, on March 9, 2016 in New Delhi, India. JNU students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar and two other students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on sedition charges for allegedly chanting anti-national slogans and favour of independence for Kashmir during an event at JNU's campus last month. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- A high-level committee of JNU has recommended rustication of Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and two other students for their alleged role in a controversial event last month at which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Sources, however, said a decision on the recommendation by the panel will be taken by Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar and Chief Proctor A Dimri after a thorough scrutiny of the suggestions.

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A meeting of the university's top brass chaired by the Vice Chancellor yesterday discussed the report following which the varsity issued show-cause notice to 21 students including Kanhaiya and Umar, who were found guilty of having violated university rules and discipline norms.

ALSO READ: JNU Probe Panel Report Says 21 Students Flouted Rules

The committee was formed on February 10 to probe the event organised to protest hanging of Afzal Guru, the Parliament attack convict. Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban were arrested on charges of sedition in connection with the programme. Kanhaiya was released on bail from Tihar on March 3 while Umar and Anirban are still in judicial custody.

"The high-level committee has recommended rustication of five students after its investigation over a month's time," sources told PTI.

"However, the final call in this regard will be taken by the Vice Chancellor and Proctor's office."

The university had on March 11 revoked the academic suspension of eight students including Kanhaiya after completion of the probe by the five-member panel. It was decided to keep them under suspension from academic activities till the inquiry was over. However, they were allowed to stay in the hostels.

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The panel, which was granted three extensions before it finally submitted its report, also faced difficulties in the probe as students refused to depose before it demanding that the enquiry be constituted afresh.

The varsity, however, turned down the demand and maintained that the students will be given three chances to appear before the disciplinary committee and, if they fail to do so, the committee will finalise its recommendations on the basis of evidence available, eyewitness accounts, students' deposition, if any, and other material available on hand.

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Abhijeet Banerjee/ Courtesy Sony World Photography

When Abhijit Banerjee, a senior executive at a pharmaceutical company in Kolkata, started photography as a hobby, he didn't know that he would beat over two lakh people to go on to win a prestigious award at one of the world's biggest photography contest. The 2016 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards has declared Banerjee's "Gangasagar Fair" as the single best photograph taken by an Indian photographer in any of the awards' 10 open categories.

Banerjee has won a Sony ILCE-7M2K and the image will be part of the Awards Exhibition at Somerset House in London from 22 April - 8 May. It will also be published in the annual Sony World Photography Awards book.

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The National Awards programme honours the best single image taken by a local photographer and runs in 60 countries across the world from Argentina to Australia.

The winning image -- Gangasagar Fair -- is a stunning portrait of Indias second-largest fair, which takes place every year at West Bengals Sagar Island. The islands southern tip is where the river Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal.

In my view any recognition is the inspiration towards further excellence. And it is more special because it is from the WPO and the Sony World Photography Awards. Thanks to judges for selecting my image for the prestigious awards. My regards to all of them," Banerjee said.

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So, when did Banerjee click this particular photograph?

"I had visited the Gangasagar Fair in 2015 with a couple of friends who were also photographers. On one of the mornings, I saw a group of sadhus taking a holy dip in the sea. I followed them into the water and was up to my knee [in water]. While waiting for them to resurface, I caught sight of this group of women to my right. They must have been around 25 feet away. I immediately turned and took a photograph from a low angle."

Nikunj Rathod and Jaydip Bhattacharya are the runner ups for the India National Award.

"Gangasagar fair is the 2nd largest fair in India and the largest in West Bengal. It is organised every year in January, in the delta region of West Bengal, to celebrate the holy Makar Sankranti," Banerjee added.

This year, the Sony World Photography Awards, saw a record-breaking number of participants: 2,30,103 entries that have come in from 186 countries. It had then shortlisted six Indian photographers among different categories.

Here, you can see the photos of Indian photographers that were shortlisted.

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MUMBAI -- Rejecting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion for infusing patriotism, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has said he will not chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' even if a knife is put to his throat, prompting Shiv Sena to tell him yesterday he should go to Pakistan.

Owaisi's assertion days after Bhagwat said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India drew sharp condemnation from RSS, BJP and Shiv Sena while he stood by his statement made at a public rally.

"I don't chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab," the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad said at the rally in Udgir tehsil of Latur district in Maharashtra yesterday.

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"I won't utter that (slogan) even if you put a knife to my throat," Owaisi said, amid loud applause from the crowd.

"Nowhere in the Constitution it says that one should say: 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'," he said.

On 3 March, Bhagwat had said the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India, comments which came against the backdrop of the row over alleged anti-India sloganeering on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

"Now the time has come when we have to tell the new generation to chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' (hail mother India). It should be real, spontaneous and part of all-round development of the youth," the RSS chief had said.

Asked by reporters to comment on the condemnation of his statement, Owaisi said he stood by it, asserting there is no violation of any law or Constitution in what he said.

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"Whom is he(Bhagwat) trying to frighten? He can't force his ideology on others," he said.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and minister Ramdas Kadam said Owaisi should go to Pakistan if he doesn't want to say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.

"I have asked Maharashtra government to take action against him," Kadam said.

BJP leader and Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the local administration will examine Owaisi's statement and the government will then take appropriate action.

Ratan Sharda, author and RSS ideologue, accused Owaisi of playing politics on national feelings and asked, "If you say I love my mother then what is the problem."

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh also accused Owaisi of trying to provoke nationalist sentiments, describing his statement as "highly condemnable".

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said statements like that made by Owaisi should be "completely avoided".

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Interestingly, Samajwadi Party MLA in Mumbai Abu Azmi said Owaisi should say 'Bharat Mata ki jai', but added that "parties like BJP and Shiv Sena are indulging in politics over the issue".

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NARINDER NANU via Getty Images Vikas Khanna, master chef India host and executive chef of Junoon restaurant in New York, prepares food for a communal vegetarian meal, known as 'langar', at a community kitchen at the Sikh Shrine Golden temple in Amritsar on November 25, 2012. Khanna visited the city for a promotional event for an upcoming show. AFP PHOTO/ NARINDER NANU (Photo credit should read NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images)

Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna has added another feather to his cap.

After celebrating the name and fame he has gotten from his passion of cooking and appearing on the reality show Masterchef, Khanna is now turning director with a documentary on the unifying power of food, which he plans to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the documentary examines how shared food experiences help break the walls that divide people. It is said to feature personalities like Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Mata Amritanandmayi (spiritual leader) and Pastor Craig Mayes of the New York Mission, among others.

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According to me, no faith talks about barriers. Whether it is Judaism or Jainism, every faith talks about people coming to the same table. I am fortunate to have been given a platform. So, it is my duty to share my knowledge about the subject, HT quoted Khanna saying.

Last year, the 43-year-old had dedicated his latest cookbook Utsav, priced at a staggering 8 lakh and weighing 15 kg, to the transgender community.

Recalling a research trip to Harappa, Pakistan, a few years ago, he said, While researching, I couldnt find a single small pot there, which was a clear indication that food in those times was cooked in a communal way. This means that everyone came together to cook, and to be fed. Unifying forces were stronger even before religion came into being.

The report further quoted him sharing his experience in the US. When I came to the US, I didnt know anyone. On December 24, I landed up at a homeless shelter. They were preparing a Christmas meal there, and they shared their food with me; that made me feel like home. Food not only builds relations, but it also builds hope.

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STRDEL via Getty Images This photograph taken late on February 23, 2016 shows Indian student activist Umar Khalid (C) and Anirban Bhattacharya (L) walking through the campus of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on their way to surrendering to Indian authorities. Khalid and Bhattacharya are accused of sedition over a rally at which anti-India slogans were shouted. Students have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing nationalist government of misusing the British-era sedition law to stifle dissent. AFP PHOTO / AFP / STRDEL (Photo credit should read STRDEL/AFP/Getty Images)

While JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been let off on bail, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya's trials seem to have just begun. According to a report on The Indian Express, a team from Delhi Police's Special Cell visited the campus and seized the JNU doctoral students' laptops.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police is an elite unit who are entrusted with probing cases of terror.

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In 2015, the Special Cell ran into a controversy following the alleged encounter of a man called Manoj Vashisth. An Indian Express profile of the cell says, "It can investigate cases of organised crime, and those involving hardened criminals. But its primary focus is on terror-related cases. Only when there are not enough terror-related inputs, is it allowed to take up other kinds of cases."

There are several allegations of fake encounters against the team.

On February 28, DCP (South) Prem Nath had requested former Delhi Police chief BS Bassi to transfer the case to the Special Cell.

Khalid and Bhattacharya were arrested on 9 February, after they surrendered. "According to sources, police may again seek their custody to question them further. In the initial round of questioning, the names of some Kashmiri youth had come up, said sources. They added that though a team from the south district police had visited Kashmir, they had failed to find these men," IE reports.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS Women from the Delhi police force, undergo martial arts training at an institute in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014. The cadets will undergo rigorous training for up to three years and will then impart training to other policewomen who will be deployed in sensitive zones of Delhi to prevent eve teasing and other crimes against women. Tuesday marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.(AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

After the Mumbai Police decided to seek the help of housewives in order to nab potential rapists and molesters roaming the streets, Delhi police seem to be following its footsteps. Like Mumbai, Delhi too may soon have its own 'undercover detectives'.

In a bid to curb crime against women in the city, Delhi police has now decided to rope in housewives to report about domestic violence and sexual abuse cases.

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According to a report in The Hindu, the Central District police has launched an initiative called Operation Veerangana, a 'community-based exercise', in which dozens of housewives will be trained to spot and report crimes taking place in their immediate neighbourhood.

In 2014, the last data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that the number of rapes in the country rose by 35.2 percent to 33,707 in 2013 - with Delhi reporting 1,441 rapes in 2013 - making it the city with the highest number of rapes.

Parmaditya, DCP (Central), told The Hindu that they chose to train housewives because they are often the 'silent observers', choosing not to report several incidents.

The selected women volunteering for us will be trained to judge whether the revelations qualify as a crime and then gather further necessary details about it before informing us about it, Parmaditya told The Hindu.

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The police has began shortlisting 250 women who will become their 'eyes and ears'. The selected ones will be added to a WhatsApp group that will have the DCP as the administrator. The members will be posting videos of crimes on the group. However, they will be required to make phone calls to the local SHO for any sensitive crimes.

The selected women will be imparted a 15-day training in self-defence and meetings will be held with them every fortnight.

If the initiative is a success, the operation will be rolled out in all districts in Delhi.

Last year, Delhi police had launched Operation Nirbheek, where woman police officers engage with girl students at various schools, to spread awareness on sexual offences.

The campaign has led to dozens of girls coming forward with shocking revelations about sexual abuse by family members, teachers or unknown persons.

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DennisHabarov via Getty Images Yellow Ambassador taxi reflecting in black van with Kolkata police inscription. Calcutta, India.

Colleges in Kolkata have been issued circulars by the police, seeking information about students from Jammu and Kashmir. According to a report on The Indian Express, colleges across the city have received a note saying, "Please let me know that students, whose residential addresses is under the State of Jammu & Kashmir, studies in your Institution for onwards transmission to the Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, New Delhi, Govt. of India.

The colleges received the notes in the last week of February when JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested and students across India came out in protest against the Modi government. Jadavpur University in Kolkata was one of the institutions that led the Kolkata leg of the protests.

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While senior police officers confirmed the news to The Indian Express, they didn't reveal why the Kashmiri students were under the scanner. However, they said that the request had been placed from the central intelligence agencies.

Omar Abdullah reached out to Mamata Banerjee on Twitter and enquired if the news of Kashmiri students being harassed was being true.

Dear @MamataOfficial can you please look in to this police order? Info gathering shouldn't become harassment. Tks https://t.co/xik6A0naUp  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) March 15, 2016

Following the government crackdown on JNU students for alleged 'seditious' activities and public outrage against them, several Kashmiri students in Delhi complained that they felt insecure and were being continuously hounded. However, according to reports the government at the Centre asked the police to not bother or round up Kashmiri students since the talks of BJP allying with the PDP in Kashmir were on.

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The Sikh community in Canada is really strong and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has his share of men and women from the community that he really depends on. Last year, a video showing the PM shaking a leg (and shoulders) to Punjabi pop music went viral. He recently boasted that he had more Sikhs in his cabinet than even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi does (the latter has two). Trudeau's cabinet is certainly more diverse than it has ever been  it has an equal number of men and women (15 each, excluding the PM), and there are four Sikh and two aboriginal ministers.

These Sikh ministers in Trudeau's cabinet have fascinating back stories. Here's a look at the Punjab brigade in Canada's cabinet.

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Navdeep Bains

This Canada-born 38-year-old is a second-generation immigrant with an MBA in finance. Bains started with a bang in the Canadian political scene when he got elected to the Canadian Parliament in 2004  all of 26 years  as the youngest Liberal MP, representing the district of Mississauga-Brampton South in Ontario. He is the Minister for Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

Navdeep Singh Bains, minister of innovation, science, and economic development, with his mother Ajit Bains and his niece Rumeet Bains in Ajit's home in Brampton.

Bains is known to be a vocal supporter of same-sex marriages and has, in the past, even gone against the world's highest Sikh authority, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, to bat for LGBTQ rights. Vedanti dismissed the "rookie" MP in 2005 for "having such dirty thoughts", claiming "nobody" would support "such a person".

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Bains, who has two daughters, is also a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management.

Amarjeet Sohi

The 52-year-old Punjab-born infrastructure minister's story is an immigrant's dream. He was 17 years old when his elder brother sponsored his move to Canada. When he entered the country, he spoke very little English, but managed to take language classes and pass high school.

Federal infrastructure minister Amarjeet Sohi's success is an immigrant's dream.

Sohi's ascendancy in politics was more gradual than Bains'. He won a Council seat in his second attempt in 2007 and completed two terms. He did not run for mayor in 2013 despite being widely expected to do so, and in 2015 was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate for Parliament in the newly created Edmonton Mill Woods riding.

Even with Sohi's serious background as a political prisoner in India and engagement in Punjabi theatre in Canada to oppose Sikh fundamentalism (he identifies as non-religious, and doesn't sport a turban or beard), Sohi has a light side. He confessed once to have worn pink shoes to school "without knowing that, in Canada, pink was a girl's colour."

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Harjit Sajjan

Canada's defence minister went to school with one of the most notorious gangsters  Bindy Johal  in British Columbia. While Johal was shot dead in a Vancouver night club in 1998, Sajjan went on to serve in the Canadian army and Vancouver police force where he put drug traffickers like Johal behind bars. How did the two Punjab-born Canadians, both excellent students, grow up to be so different?

"His mentors were the wrong mentors," 45-year-old Sajjan said in an interview last year.

Canadian Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan invented a gas mask he could wear with his turban.

Among Sajjan's many achievements is his patent on a gas mask that can be used while wearing a turban. Sajjan has clearly come a long way from his berry-picking days when he would help his immigrant mother add to the family's income during the summer.

Bardish Chagger

Though Chagger is the youngest of the Sikh ministers in the cabinet, her association with Canadian politics is perhaps the oldest. Chagger was only 13 years old when she volunteered for Liberal politician Andrew Telegdi's successful campaign in Waterloo. Even though she graduated with a science degree and planned to become a nurse, political life beckoned her. She worked with Telegdi, eventually becoming his executive assistant, and volunteered for Justin Trudeau's 2013 party leadership bid.

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Minister of tourism and small industries Bardish Chagger's first entry to politics was when she was 13 years old.

Interestingly, when she won the Waterloo riding last October, the 35-year-old defeated incumbent Conservative MP Peter Braid, who had ousted her former boss, Telegdi.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun stands in front of the logo of the Chinese smartphone maker, at a press event in Beijing, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. The Chinese manufacturer on Thursday unveiled a new model that Lei said has processor size and performance comparable to Appleas iPhone 6 but is thinner and lighter. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese tech company Xiaomi is set to launch their own branded stores in India. The company has confirmed that it has initiated the process with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and they expect it to be finished within few weeks.

"We have initiated the process and submitted a few documents online. However, this is very preliminary and the process will only be completed over the next few weeks, after which we will be sharing more details," the company said in a report in ET. Xiaomi recently released their phone Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 starting at 9999. The company is also set to launch their newest flagship phone Mi 5 next month.

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Last year to support the Make In India initiative, Xiaomi started to assemble devices such as the Redmi 2 and Mi Note in India. To continue on that path they are also setting up two new manufacturing units in India very soon. Last year the government had relaxed its policy about FDI in this sector.

India is one of the key markets for the company after China, as they have been largely successful selling devices with good build quality and performance at an affordable price. The company slowly wants to bring more devices in India. In China, apart from the smartphone they sell a range of gadgets including smart TVs, TV boxes, Smart lamps and so on.

Smartphone giants Apple had also filed an application to the DIPP in January to open their famous Apple stores. But due to some shortcomings they had to refile the papers.

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Last year smartphone shipments in India rose to more than 100 million and Indian market gained the second spot after China in terms of numbers. Xiaomi took 7th spot in their sales in major cities of India while Apple was in the 6th spot.

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Reno County sees a spike in drug and alcohol overdoses during October

The 27 overdoses through Oct. 21 is an average of more than one a day, the highet average since officials began tracking the data real time.
*M*ake what you will of this. In the modern era of partisan polarization, which can be dated back to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, only the presid...
Attention Artists: 5 PR Pitfalls To Avoid

While the relationship between artist and fan is certainly important, the relationship between an artist and the press is can also play a critical role in making or breaking a band's success. Here we cover several PR pitfalls which must be avoided at all costs.

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By Tyler Allen on InMusik

We at InMusik believe in uniting fans and artists. Period. Whether its through our blog posts, or our music discovery app  connecting fans, artists and music lovers is kind of.. our thing.

However, the artist-fan relationship isnt the only industry relationship that matters. Another huge level of interaction comes from artists and the internal folks  namely press and media. Simply put, as an artist, one essential way to grow is to be covered in blogs, magazines and spoken about my social media and online influencers.

That being said  hiring a publicist can be expensive, daunting  or for smaller projects, maybe even unnecessary. Therefore, some artists (rightfully) take PR into their own hands. But there are some key things you should know, or else, youre going to end up in the trash folder. Here are 5 common pitfalls, that you should avoid when promoting your own work.





Pitching (Only) on Twitter or Social Media

One huge way to stand out from the static of the 100,000 other artists out there promoting their music, too  is by simply by being professional. Journalists and editors are constantly bombarded with spam messages, or emails that are just links  with no description.

That being said, when a writer gets a professionally written pitch, a link to an EPK, a streaming link and well designed cover art  you just instantly stood out from the spammers.

Another huge way of being professional  stick to emails. Sure, its fine for you to tweet a writer a few days later, Hey I shot you an email on Thursday regarding Artist X, hope you had a chance to check it out!. But you shouldn't solely pitch a journalist with a 140 Character Tweet, Check out my latest track .

Instead, develop a proper pitch  find the writers email address through Zoom Info, their portfolio website (google their name!) or the websites official submission guidelines.

A Lazy Pitch

I briefly touched on this above, but a lazy and obviously copy and pasted pitch is a sure-fire way to be ignored. Most of the time, its a song title, a link to Soundcloud and maybe cover art.

However, you need to tell the writer or editor what makes you different  you need to tell them a story. Think of it like this  major labels cant even get away with just sending a writer a SoundCloud link. Even a major artist still has to send some background on the song. So, why should we expect a relatively new artist get away with this?

A proper pitch is an email explaining who the artist is, what theyve accomplished, and a little about the track. You need a unique selling point  maybe you were just featured in another publication, maybe you just had a SXSW showcase, you need to sell the writer on your work, so they know youre worth it.

Just sending a link and the title  is lazy, and really off putting. Dont waste good talent on lazy marketing.

Dont Leave The Reporter Needing More

Reporters are busy folks, so its nice when an artist sends everything at once. So, lets say youre pitching an EP. You likely need a cover image, a brief write-up for the writer to reference, supplemental images, a streaming link and a download link (ie. Dropbox) to your Mp3 files if they need it.

If you have everything in one email, a writer can throw out a post much easier rather than going back and forth. Youre also much more likely to get a reply. Make sure you have everything in one place, so they can quickly get back to you.

Be Succinct, Be Swift

Its hard to not go on and on about why this writer should cover your work. I get it! However, be sure that your pitches are to the point. You dont need to cover your entire career and how in your 8th grade band class you had a vision of an angel giving you a pair of crash cymbals. (Well, actually that sounds kind of great).

The point here is, be direct. Let them know who you are, why they should write about you, and then give them access to your work.

Be Persistent But Not Annoying

Its rare that a writer is going to reply off the bat. Usually it might take one or two follow up emails before they get to you. This isnt personal, its just that writers, editors and music blogs get tons of submissions.

Be aware of when youre pushing the envelope and becoming annoying. Id say follow up three times before it gets a bit overwhelming. Also, a follow-up is another form of a pitch.

Treat it like one:

Hey, just writing in on Artist Y. We just had a few pickups at NME and Boi-1da, Ill link you below. Would love if you could keep our momentum going. Itd be great for your readers!

Dont say: ???? or You get this? or Check your DMs.

Bottom line  have fun with pitching your work, and just remember this: by being professional, courteous and doing things by-the-book, you are automatically standing out from the dozens of other artists who are spamming and ending up in the junk folder.

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ver the years, Liberia has made strides in every sector especially in ICT sector. As a result these strides, we have adopted comprehensive e-government and open government programs that involve the use of the internet and its technologies to enable traditional government processes and practices for enhancement of democracy.

Many people argue that both e-government and open government are the same. But this is not entirely so. There is a fundamental difference between both of them: e-government gravitates toward service delivery while open government gravitates toward information sharing in a more participative and collaborative way. In this article I discuss e-government and open government. I provide some insight on their origin in the USA and then on move on to discuss Liberias involvement with both initiatives. First, lets provide a definition of both e-government and open government.

Electronic Government or E-Government is defined by the World Bank as the use by government agencies of information technologies that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost reductions.

E-Government offers the potential of increased convenience to the public by making such services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, coupled with the advantages of improved accuracy and also reduced cost to the government, deriving from its requiring little or no direct interaction with a government employee.

Open Government is defined by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) as the transparency of government actions, the accessibility of government services and information, and the responsiveness of government to new ideas, demands and needs. Open Government is a result of President Barack Obamas use of the Internet and Social Media technologies during his 2008 Presidential bid. Referred to as the first Internet Presidency, Obama and his transition team immediately sought to translate the features of the Internet Campaign to the day-to-day administration of the executive branch. Thus on January 21, 2009 President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government giving directive to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to promulgate an Open Government Directive within 120 days.

The Open Government Initiative strives to create an unprecedented level of openness in U.S. Government. The Open Government memorandum, released in 2009, mandated that Federal Agencies will be transparent in their work, will be participatory in seeking the ideas and expertise of citizens, and will be collaborative in how they use new technology and processes for developing Government policies. The Open Government Initiatives required Agencies to change the processes, mechanisms, and the underlying technology that were used to communicate with the public, and opened up decision-making processes that had previously been internal to public participation and collaboration.

Open Government can be seen as an evolution of E-government because it (open government) would not be possible without the outcomes created by E-government and the advances made in technology, policies and cultures over the last decade.

The idea of e-government began years ago. In the United States, it began with Senator Joseph Lieberman and then ended up with the e-Government Act of 2002. E-government initiatives began over a decade ago while the new Open Government began after the Obama elections. Both initiatives share many similar goals and characteristics, the largest being that they both strive to make the government more transparent. Yet, they are not synonymous. They are different efforts that are overlapping phases in an incremental growth towards E-democracy.

A significant difference between the United States e-Government and Open Government initiatives are the tools that strengthen them. E-government efforts in the United States and many other countries are directly enabled by law (United States E-Government Act of 2002). The United States Open Government initiative is not enabled by law although supported by the Freedom of Information Act.

Another difference between e-Government and Open Government is that e-Government places focus mostly on the use of technology within the routine activities undertaken by public organizations. This includes the provision of public services, the quality and cost-effectiveness of basic government operations, citizens engagement and consultation, the statutes and legislative mandates required to effect these processes, and the administrative and institutional reforms undertaken in pursuit of innovation.

Open Government has a goal of making information and decision making processes in government accessible to citizen examination and input, and in so doing, create democratic structures that facilitate citizens social and political judgement about the outcomes of government work.

Prior to E-Government and Open Government in the United States, other programs were instituted by President Bill Clinton. The National Performance Review and The Partnership for Re-inventing Government existed before e-Government and Open Government Programs.

Figure 1

Liberias e-Government initiative is being championed by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications through the Chief Information Office and Project Management Office, while its Open Government initiative (Open Government Partnership) is being championed by the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism. Both initiatives have achieved a lot since their conception although there are several other aspects as far as maturity levels are concerned that remain to be completed.

Unlike the United States and other countries e-government programs, Liberias e-government program is not supported by any law even though it is enshrined in the National ICT and Telecommunications Policy 2010-2015. In addition, the e-government initiative has been facing several challenges in achieving a Whole of Government approach to using ICT for the delivery of services to the public. As a result, each Ministry, Agency, and Commission (MAC) operate siloed ICT platforms that is very costly for the Liberian Government. As far as where Liberia is in terms of e-Government implementation, using the E-Government Maturity Model from the Gartner Group 2002 research, it is safe to say that Liberia is between stages 1 and 2. Figure 2 illustrates Liberias current position in e-Government.

Figure 2

The Open Government Partnership on the other hand, has made substantial progress in a very short time, through the leadership of Hon. Andrew Temeh, Deputy Minister of Information for Administration. Hon. Temehs good leadership and organizational skills have gotten the Open Government Partnership endorsed by the Liberian Government. What is lacking in the Open Government Partnership initiative is a national portal that allows citizens to play a more participate, collaborative role.

In every democratic nation, engaged citizens often seek clear and credible information from the government about how it carries on its business. They want government information, services, and communication to be forthcoming and swift. The E-Government and Open Government initiatives fill the need of connecting citizens with their governments and each other to foster a more open, collaborative, and efficient public sector through the use of new technology and public data.

The idea of using new technologies to support and enhance, expand or re-invigorate democratic practices is not novel. What new technologies have done in this regard is to amplify the political voice of the ordinary citizen. E-government was a first and crucial step towards E-democracy. However, the Open Government initiative is not the end-state solution. It is the most recent maturation of the governments growth towards E-democracy. There will likely be an initiative that follows Open Government as a new future administrations enter the political spectrum.
The group found incidents of Internet censorship increased from 1,019 in 2014 to 9,022 in 2015.

Titled "The Triumph of Censorship," the report by Agora, a respected group of human rights lawyers, counted media reports and government statements about blocked web pages as well as prosecutions of people for what they posted online.

Internet censorship in Russia soared last year as the government stepped up efforts to filter content online, a report by a rights group said Tuesday.

This included bans on online content issued by courts as well as similar decisions by government agencies that do not require court approval.

Russia blacklists web pages for extremist content or making calls to join an unsanctioned rally, as well as for posting child pornography or information about committing suicide or making illegal drugs.

Russia has also prosecuted a growing number of individuals for posting information online.

"The number of people sentenced to actual prison terms for expressing their opinion on the web has multiplied," the report said.

One of the authors, rights lawyer Damir Gainutdinov, said he expects the degree of Internet censorship to intensify this year.

"There will be more prison terms," he told AFP. "They will attempt to block announcements of demonstrations."

The government is also likely to crack down on those who publish tips for circumventing bans and filters  such as by using VPNs or dark web browsers  and to increase pressure on foreign companies such as Twitter and Facebook, he said.

The government "fine-tuned" its methods of filtering content in 2015, leading to a race of sorts among different regions to report the most blocked material, the report said.

Russian courts are "rubber-stamping decisions about banning information" while prosecutors boast of removing extremist materials from thousands of sites, it said.

"Prison terms for posting 'likes' and shares (on social media) are meant to frighten people and make them stop discussing social problems," the report said.

It named taboo topics as the conflict in Ukraine and corruption among government officials as well as LGBT rights and those of religious believers.

Gainutdinov however said the government's goal was not to introduce a total Internet filter, which would be too expensive, but to make access to information too difficult.

"The goal is to have most people give up and go back to watching television," which is overwhelmingly state-controlled, he said.

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2016/Feb-16/337535-russias-internet-censorship-grew-nine-fold-in-2015-rights-group.ashx
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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
In the Bosnian war, Britain supported Milosevic. It dealt with him as a peace broker - from the start, it had set its face against the idea that the Bosnian government should be supported in fighting to prevent the dismemberment of its territory. And by maintaining the arms embargo, Britain consolidated the weakness of the Bosnian army vis-a-vis the Serbs. Indeed, as a forthcoming book by the Cambridge academic Brendan Simms makes clear, Britain was decidedly lukewarm about the establishment of the international war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia, lest it make Milosevic that bit less likely to strike a deal.

It was David Owen whose endless, futile maps and plans bought the Serbs time and which seem so grimly absurd with hindsight. The enduring image of the bungled history of Unprofor will be of General Michael Rose supping on suckling pig with the butcher Ratko Mladic.

It was the British who objected to food-drops over Srebrenica, lest the Serbs see them as the thin end of the wedge of air strikes. But: 'The Bosnian Serbs need to realise they are not going to gain what they have grabbed by force,' proclaimed Major's Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd in May 1993. And yet Hurd was the leading critic of any attempt to check the Serbs by military means. At his side, always, was Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, former chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee.

As a lifelong opponent of Ariel Sharon and even more so of the religious-national movement with which he has sometimes been uneasily allied, I have no wish to defend him. But this seems to me an example of an anti-Zionist so deeply enmeshed in hostility towards Israel's leaders that any criticism will stick.Let's take a look, in this week when arch-cleanser Radovan Karadzic has finally been arrested , at Serbian ethnic cleansing. First, Bosnia, where ethnic cleansing took place mainly between 1992 and 1995 (that is, more or less exactly coinciding with the Rabin years in Israel, when Sharon was in the political wilderness). The first significant action by "politicians in the West" took place as war clouds gathered: the 1991 arms embargo, which was a great boost to the Serbian forces who had inherited most of the Yugoslav national army's arsenal, and a great threat to the future victims of ethnic cleansing, who were unable to defend themselves and thus left, essentially, at the mercy of "politicians in the West". Politicians in the West then stood by during the Foca massacre and the Prijedor massacre . When, finally, UN troops were committed: to defend the international airport. The rest of the story is essentially the story of Western politicians' utter inactivity: a refusal to name what was happening as genocide in order to avoid the legal and moral responsibility to act, and literally standing by while massacre after massacre occurred.What was the position then of Western politicians? Some Western politicians, like Bob Dole, called for action. The majority of the Bush I clique American politicians, epitomised by James Baker, Lawrence Eagleberger, Dick Cheney, Brent Snowcroft and Colin Powell, opted for a " realist " response: doing nothing, shifting responsibility to Europe. Samantha Power has dubbed the Bush policy as a policy of disapproval: disapprove, but do nothing. In Baker's memorable words, America "did not have a dog in this fight".Bill Clinton, who won the Democratic Party nomination for president during the period of ethnic cleansing, called for action. It was only after his election at the end of '92 that intervention became politically possible. But despite some American politicians (notably Dole, Frank McCloskey, Al Gore and Joe Biden, as well as Madeline Albright), calling for action to finally be taken, the majority of Republicans and Democrats denounced them as war-mongers.Thirteen months into the war, well over a hundred thousand Bosnians massacred, Clinton finally sent Carter-era hack Warren Christopher to Europe to persuade the Europeans not to actually act but to lift the arms embargo so the victims of cleansing could defend themselves. He came back having changed his mind, and the Bush I policy of disapproval and inactivity continued for months, a continuity signalled by Colin Powell remaining in post. Warren Christopher even claimed the Muslims were themselves responsible for their own genocide. The official line was: this is a tragic civil war, there's nothing we can do.Meanwhile, on this side of the pond, the David Owen led European diplomatic initiative was signally ineffective. The UN came up with a tepid "safe areas" plan over a year into the slaughter (de facto accepting genocide outside the safe areas), but failed to send anywhere enough troops to defend them. France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark were the only European countries to actively support this. Mitterand, under pressure from both left and right-wing politicians to act more decisively, accepted a minimal UN presence. Only when Chirac took over in 1995 did France take a more robust position. Italy opposed intervention from the start. Greece not only opposed intervention but supported Milosovic. Helmut Kohl, to the intense irritation of Major and Mitterand, took a stronger line - but Germany's official military neutrality stopped it from actually committing troops.What was Britain's position? Under John Major and Douglas Hurd, Britain took an even more anti-interventionist "realist" position than Bush I. As Melanie McDonagh put it in 2001:Or, as Ed Vulliamy , a witness to genocide, has written:It took the Srebrenica Massacre and the shame of the failure to stop the Rwandan genocide before the West finally actually intervened in August 1995, with a bombing campaign that halted the ethnic cleansing of Bosnia within weeks.So, so much for Israeli exceptionalism.
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World Leaders on Instagram: Burson-Marsteller Study Finds Governments are Experimenting with Instagram to Engage with Citizens

More than 70 percent of governments worldwide have set up an official Instagram presence, but a third of the 305 accounts surveyed are dormant or inactive, according to a new study by Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm.

The World Leaders on Instagram study, based on data collected in February 2016, found that 136 of the 193 United Nations member states maintain an official Instagram account.

The findings form the second installment of the 2016 edition of Burson-Marstellers annual Twiplomacy study, which analyzes how World Leaders and governments use social media to engage citizens.

This is the first ever study to examine how political leaders around the world are using Instagram as a communications tool to reach the public, said Donald A. Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO, Burson-Marsteller. While Instagram is a newer medium for world leaders compared to Facebook or Twitter, its emphasis on visual communications makes it a powerful channel for connecting with citizens. Corporations, NGOs and other sectors can learn a great deal from the ways governments are using Instagram to build stronger relationships.

Over the past four years, governments have increasingly experimented with Instagram, posting images to illustrate their daily activities, including so-called behind-the-scenes shots, to engage with their voters and constituents. On February 2, 2016, all of the world leaders combined had accumulated a total of almost 23 million followers and had published more than 76,000 posts which have received more than 160 million likes.

This study illustrates that governments are ready to communicate across all the key social media platforms, said Jeremy Galbraith, CEO, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Global Chief Strategy Officer, Burson-Marsteller. Each platform has its individual unique selling proposition, but its clear from our study that Instagram can open up new channels as well as reinforce information conveyed through other networks in a more visual and appealing way. Creativity and the use of image is critical for communicating with impact today, and clearly world leaders know this, Galbraith continued.

U.S. President Barack Obama is the most popular world leader on Instagram with 6 million followers on his Barack Obama campaign account. Obama is followed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, an amateur photographer, who counts more than 2 million followers. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in third place, just ahead of the White House with 1.7 million followers each. Queen Rania of Jordan and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai, each have 1.4 million followers. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri and Egyptian President Abdelfattah el-Sisi complete the Top 10 list with more than half a million followers each.

Barack Obama is also the most effective leader on Instagram, with more than 56,000 interactions (comments and likes) for every post on Instagram. He is closely followed by the Indian Prime Minister (42,000 interactions/post), despite having only posted 37 pictures since starting out on Instagram in November 2014. Russias Dmitry Medvedev, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, all receive more than 25,000 interactions per post.

The Instagram account of the Information Department of the government of Brunei is the most active account, sharing on average more than four posts per day. The Foreign Ministry and the Foreign Minister of Kuwait are also prolific users of Instagram.

Few world leaders manage their Instagram accounts themselves, but those who do have posted selfies with their fans, their family and even their counterparts.

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With the recent release of the Flash 2 phone in retail stores nationwide, Flash brought its Fans Day activity to Davao City, the first itinerary outside Metro Manila.

According to Sheree Gayas (third from the left), Country Marketing Manager of Flash, the regional Fans Day will be the companys thrust in the next few months. With the availability of our phones nationwide, we have received requests from fans from Cebu, Ilocos, Iloilo, and Samar among others. Our fans are a talented and passionate bunch and to be given the chance to engage with them first hand is something really fulfilling.

The Davao Fans Day was also attended by Kenneth Tung (sitting beside the banner), Business Development Manager for E-Commerce Business and Haosi Chen (extreme left), Product Manager from Flash Headquarters. One of the events attendees is Rena Gempesaw (fourth from the left), a 21-year-old pastry chef who has been using a Flash 2 since this year She said, The after sales that Flash gives to its customers is the uniqueness that I truly love. We fans have this whole new community where we share our insights and technicalities. The product team make sure fans get the most of our phone. The monthly contests enhance our photography skills and also our ability to solve puzzles while making sure we have fun at the same time.

Flash has been conducting its Fans Day initiatives as a way of showing appreciation to its loyal customers.

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LG and Meralco Bright Ideas team up to reduce summer heat and energy bills

Global innovation leader LG Electronics has always been at the forefront of technology to enhance experiences within living spaces. Its Standard Split Type Inverter V air conditioners are powered by the LG Inverter V technology, which allows for quick and powerful cooling while significantly bringing down energy consumption. These LG AC models are perfect for Filipino homes this summer; consumers can be cool and comfortable without worrying about racking high energy bills.

To further underscore its commitment to Filipino consumers, LG Electronics Philippines partnered with Meralco, the countrys largest utility provider, for a summer-ready energy rebate promo. Every purchase of selected LG Standard Split Type Inverter AC units entitles the consumer to a P1,000.00 Meralco rebate that they can apply to their energy bills.

LGs Inverter V AC units have proven to reduce energy consumption up to 69 percent, said Steve Kim, LG Philippines Vice President for Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions. Through this partnership with Meralco, our consumers will enjoy further reductions from their energy bills, as well as a cool, comfortable home free from the stifling heat of summer.

The energy rebate promo will run from March 15 to May 15, 2016. All Meralco subscribers residing within the providers franchise area can purchase the following LG Standard Split Type Inverter ACs from participating dealer stores to qualify for the energy rebate:



HS-24ISM (2.5 HP)

HS-18ISM (2.0 HP)

HS-12ISM (1.5 HP)

HS-09ISM (1.0 HP)

For more information, call the LG Customer Information Center at (02) 902-5544, visit lg.com/ph.

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IMF Survey : Cyprus Turns Economy Around, Successfully Exits IMF Program

Cyprus ended its IMF bailout program before term

Economy on growth track, banking system on more solid footing

Still to do: non-performing loans, public debt, potential growth

The Cypriot authorities canceled their financial arrangement with the IMF, which was set to expire in mid-May, after having turned around the economy of the island country.

Interview with Mission Team

While congratulating Cyprus for its impressive policy achievements over the last three years, the IMF pointed to pending tasks: tackling non-performing loans, reducing public debt, and completing growth-enhancing reforms.

IMF Survey sat down to discuss the outcome of the program with the current Cyprus Mission Chief Rachel van Elkan, as well as Senior Economists Alejandro Hajdenberg and Alejandro Simone, and Resident Representative Vincenzo Guzzo, who were closely involved in the program since before its inception in 2013.

IMF Survey: Cyprus cancelled its program on March 7. What are the main achievements of the program from the IMFs perspective?

van Elkan: The IMF arrangement had two main goals: to put the banking sector on a sound footing and to return public finances to a sustainable path. Both of these objectives were met. Positive growth returned earlier than expected, already last year, despite the large fiscal consolidation. As a result, unemployment has begun to fall. Significant institutional and legal improvements were also introduced, which will help ensure that Cyprus can avoid similar economic hardship in the future.

Simone: On the fiscal front, the Cypriot authorities carried out a strong fiscal adjustment under difficult economic circumstances. At the same time they also took care of the most vulnerable by adopting a well-targeted income support scheme. As a result, while overall public spending was reduced, the vulnerable received adequate assistance. In addition, new legislation modernized the budget process, strengthened accountability for public spending, and established medium-term fiscal planning. The authorities also made tax collection more efficient and equitable.

Hajdenberg: Impressive progress was also achieved in the banking sector. Capital positions and liquidity have been restored. New foreclosure and insolvency rules encourage banks and borrowers to come together to find workable solutions for unpaid loans. The system for issuing and transferring real estate title deeds was changed to finally address the long-standing problem of assigning full ownership rights to buyers who have paid for their properties.

IMF Survey: What crucial tasks remain for Cyprus?

van Elkan: Cyprus has gone from the acute care stage and is now well into the recovery phase. The program equipped it with the appropriate tools; which now need to be vigorously applied to reform the economy and build resilience. In the banking sector, the ratio of non-performing loans (NPLs) remains very high at 60 percent, equivalent to 150 percent of GDP. Public debt, at just over 100 percent of GDP, is also a vulnerability. Encouragingly, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades has committed to maintain prudent policies and to continue to implement reforms after the program period.

Hajdenberg: It is also critical to further reduce the unemployment rate, which stands at over 15 percent. And the most effective way to create jobs is by implementing growth-enhancing structural reforms which keep the output growing.

IMF Survey: The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the IMF made available to Cyprus 9 billion and 1 billion under their respective programs. What were the differences between the two programs?

van Elkan: The IMF and ESM programs were very closely aligned in terms of their main objectives and conditionality, and there was good collaboration between us and the staff of the European Commission and the European Central Bank. This allowed us to speak with a single voice and to be more effective.

Simone: This way the different teams could concentrate on their own areas of expertise and could complement each other well. For example, the IMF focused on financial and fiscal policies, which aligned with our core program objectives, while the European institutions also handled structural policies including privatization, health reform, competition, and labor markets.

IMF Survey: Global prospects are a bit wobbly. Financial markets are volatile, and growth in the Euro area is sluggish. How will Cyprus cope in these circumstances?

van Elkan: Cyprus regained access to international financial markets barely 16 months after the crisis and has successfully issued debt three times since then. That puts the country in a good position. Nonetheless, Cyprus is a small open economy, and is therefore dependent on external demand and capital inflows from abroad.

The message is very clear: the country should work to build more resilience and flexibility. This reinforces the need to shore up the banks by continuing to work down the large stock of NPLs, and to maintain primary fiscal surpluses to lower public debt. Another important task for Cyprus is to continue to carry out its privatization strategy.

Simone: In the fiscal arena, the pending reform of the public administration is particularly important. One of its goals is to ensure that the wage bill does not once again outpace the overall economy as it did before the crisis.

IMF Survey: The Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot communities are currently in negotiations to find a solution to the Cyprus issue. The IMF is providing technical advice on the economic and financial aspects of the process. Do you already have an estimate of how settlement could benefit the economy of a united Cyprus?

Guzzo: The IMF was asked to assist the two communities in this process. Work is underway in a range of areas that are core competencies for the Fund, including developing macroeconomic and fiscal frameworks for a united Cyprus. We are also working on integrating public finances through an efficient federal structure, assessing the health of the financial sector, developing a strategy for the euro changeover in the Turkish-Cypriot community, and constructing a reliable set of integrated macroeconomic statistics.

Several missions have already taken place. Our work is aimed at supporting the two communities in their efforts to reach an economically viable solution that will encourage trade and investment and raise long-term growth.
Imperial Valley News Center

President Obamas Call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia

Washington, DC - President Obama spoke today by phone with President Vladimir Putin of Russia to discuss progress on the implementation of the nationwide Cessation of Hostilities between the Syrian regime and its allies on the one hand and the armed opposition on the other.

They discussed President Putins announcement today of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities with the goal of advancing the political negotiations on resolution of the conflict. President Obama welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation, but stressed that continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the Cessation of Hostilities and the UN-led political process. The President also noted some progress on humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria but emphasized the need for regime forces to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance delivery to the agreed-upon locations, notably Daraya. The President underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria.
Governor Brown Issues Proclamation Declaring Women's Military History Week

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation declaring March 14 through 20, 2016, as Womens Military History Week in the State of California.

PROCLAMATION

The first known woman soldier in the United States Armed Forces was Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts who, disguised as a man, served in the Revolutionary War. Throughout the history of our armed forces, women have been dedicated patriots, willing to put their lives in grave danger to protect our nation and the freedoms of its people.



The Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 made women, who formerly served only as auxiliaries in times of war, a permanent part of our armed forces. Today, women can be found fulfilling nearly all of the duties that were once the exclusive domain of men. In 2008 Ann Dunwoody of the Army became the first woman to be promoted to four-star general, the highest military rank, and was joined in 2012 by Janet Wolfenbarger of the Air Force. In 2013, the ban on women in combat was lifted, a decision that represented the removal of one of the final barriers to full gender equality in the services.



Womens Military History Week is dedicated to the women who have sacrificed, and who continue to serve and sacrifice, in the nations defense. We salute them for their courage.



NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim March 14-20 2016, as Womens Military History Week.



IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 14th day of March 2016.







___________________________________

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California



ATTEST:







__________________________________

ALEX PADILLA

Secretary of State
U.S. Delegation to the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

New York - The Department of State is pleased to announce the U.S. Delegation attending the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held March 1424, 2016, at UN Headquarters in New York.

Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Co-Head of Delegation

Ambassador Catherine Russell, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Womens Issues, U.S. Department of State, Co-Head of Delegation

Ambassador Sarah Mendelson, S. Permanent Representative to the Economic and Social Council, Deputy Head of Delegation

Sarah Sewall, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, U.S. Department of State

Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Lawrence S. Roberts, Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

Arsalan Suleman, Acting Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, U.S. Department of State

Susan Markham, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment, USAID

Caroline Bettinger-Lopez, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Office of the Vice President

They are accompanied by the following eight Public Delegates:

Nina Besser, Program Officer, International Womens Health Coalition

Catherine Harrington, Campaign Manager, Equal Nationality Rights Campaign

Umamah Masum, Global Kids Youth Leader, Global Kids, Inc.

Donya Nasser, U.S. Youth Observer to the UN

Pamela Reeves, Senior Advisor for Gender Strategy, Executive Office of Melinda Gates

Donald Steinberg, President, World Learning, Inc.

Michelle Sullivan, President, Caterpillar Foundation

Lyric Thompson, Senior Policy Manager, International Center for Research on Women

Other members of the U.S. Delegation include technical experts from the Department of State, including the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and several bureaus and offices; USAID; the Department of Health and Human Services; the Department of the Interior; the Department of Justice; the Department of Labor; the Millennium Challenge Corporation; as well as officials from the White House.

The theme of this years session will be the connection between womens empowerment and sustainable development. The session will also review the progress made on preventing and responding to violence against women in recent years.
Assistant Secretary William R. Brownfield Travel to Vienna, Austria, for the 59th UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

Washington, DC - Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs William R. Brownfield and National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli are co-leading the U.S. delegation to the 59th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) March 14-22 in Vienna, Austria.

The CND is the premier policymaking body of the international community within the United Nations system for drug issues and has member states from around the world. This CND meeting is particularly notable in that it will pave the way toward a major United Nations General Assembly Special Session on international drug policy to take place April 19-21 in New York, the first such global meeting since 1998.

The United States delegation will also include representatives of the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Food and Drug Administration.

While in Vienna, Assistant Secretary Brownfield will also conduct bilateral meetings with a number of member states of the CND, deliver remarks in several multilateral engagements, and speak with the press.
NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on the Terrorist Attack in Cote d'Ivoire

Washington, DC - The United States condemns in the strongest terms todays terrorist attack in Grand-Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire. We extend our deep condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have been killed in this heinous attack. Our thoughts and prayers also are with those who have been injured. We commend the bravery of the Ivoirian and French security personnel who responded to the situation and prevented even worse loss of life, and the Department of State continues to coordinate with partners on the ground to verify the safety of American citizens in Cote d'Ivoire.

The United States stands with the Ivoirian people and will remain a steadfast partner to the Government of Cote dIvoire as it continues making extraordinary progress strengthening its governing and economic institutions. We are prepared to assist the Ivoirian government in the coming days as it investigates this tragic terrorist attack.

We will also continue partnering with regional governments and international partners to fight the terrorists who seek to undermine efforts by West African governments to build tolerant and inclusive societies, improve governance, and expand economic opportunity.
Inflatable Halloween Pumpkin Twice the Size of a House Rings in Spooky Season
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It is perhaps the most important art collection from antiquity in existence. But few people have ever seen it.

For four decades the Torlonia collection of 620 statues and sarcophagi from the Roman empire, including busts of Julius Caesar and sculptures of the gods, has lain in the basement of a stately home, collecting dust, while successive governments have tried and failed to persuade its owners to do the right thing  and let the world see it.

But the Italian government announced that finally a part of the collection  up to 90 of the most important marble and alabaster artworks  will go on public display in Italy and then abroad within a year.

The agreement that were signing today is historic and will allow the public access to the extraordinary Torlonia collection of sculptures and monuments of classical art, said the Culture Minister Dario Franceschini.He said the first exhibition would be in Rome, probably in the Palazzo Caffarelli and then in the United States and a major European museum. He said the ultimate goal was to establish a permanent exhibition of the collection in Rome.

Ten years ago, during one of the many failed attempts to gain public access to the artworks, a price of 100m was put on the collection. It was reported that even attempts by Silvio Berlusconi, Italys billionaire Prime Minister, to buy the collection to donate it to the state, came to nothing. Most experts consider it impossible to put a price on the collection.

At last the public will be able to see these marvellous artworks <p>Professor Carlo Gasparri</p>

Under the deal announced on Tuesday, the artworks owners and the state will co-operate in valuing, restoring and displaying the statues and sarcophagi. The collection is named after the Torlonia clan, relative newcomers to the ranks of Romes aristocracy, who acquired it two centuries ago in a rather opportunistic fashion.

Mario Torlonia, a financer of humble origins, was gifted a title by Pope Pius VI at the close of the 18th century after he helped sort out the papal finances. The Torlonias continued to make a fortune and earn the opprobrium of Romes upper classes by grabbing the classical artworks from the Giustiniani clan, when this family defaulted on a loan.

 Extensive Botticelli collection on display in London

Until 1976, the artworks were kept in 77 rooms of the Torlonias Via Lungara palace. Access was granted only occasionally to experts or dignitaries. But that year the entire collection was moved to the basement of another stately home, in the hope that the Via Lungara residence, close by the River Tiber in the city centre, could be turned into 90 or so lucrative apartments  plans overruled by authorities. The Torlonias have since proven impervious to all attempts to make the collection widely available. But last month La Repubblica newspaper predicted that after six months of intense negotiations, an accord was near, and that Mr Franceschini, was prepared to go the extra mile and draw a veil over the ill will to ensure the art collection finally saw the light of day.

Professor Carlo Gasparri, the leading authority on the collection, who will curate next years exhibition, told The Independent he was relieved that this drawn out and painful business had finally come to an end. At last the public will be able to see these marvellous artworks, he said.

He believed the breakthrough came because the Culture Ministry had adopted a more pragmatic approach by touting a public-private solution instead of trying to grab back the entire collection into state hands. Mr Franceschini said the agreement was the result of an intense and effective dialogue with the Torlonia family.
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Adopted by a communist couple as a baby and brought up in 1960s Glasgow, she has documented her own struggles with selfhood in her writing. Now the acclaimed black writer Jackie Kay is to hold up a mirror to her own countrys identity, after been named as Scotlands new national poet.

The 54-year-old, who was awarded an MBE for her services to literature in 2006, was announced as Scotlands new Makar by Nicola Sturgeon and said her aim was to open up the conversations, the blethers, the arguments and celebrations that Scotland has with itself.

Although she lives in Manchester, where she and fellow poet Carol Ann Duffy raised two children together during a 15-year relationship, Kay spends half of her time in Glasgow where her adoptive parents still live. In her award-winning memoir Red Dust Road, she described her search for her birth parents, a Nigerian student and a young nurse from the Highlands.

My mum said to me the other day, Whod have thought that wee baby we brought home in a basket would end up being the Makar? It is like a fairy tale, Kay said as she accepted the role, which was created in 2004 and has previously been held by the Scottish writers Edwin Morgan and Liz Lochhead.

Speaking to The Independent later, Kay said she felt lucky and blessed to have such supportive parents and expressed a hope that her appointment would be inspirational for other adopted and fostered children. She added that she planned to use the role to read poetry in places where it is usually unheard.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon listens to the new Makar, Jackie Kay, reading a poem at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh (PA)

For every place that you might expect poetry to go, Id also like to take poetry somewhere unexpected, whether thats in a prison, an old peoples home or a hospital. Every reading at a festival will be paired with something more intimate, she said.

The final decision on who should take up the five-year position was made by Ms Sturgeon and three former First Ministers of Scotland: Alex Salmond, Lord McConnell and Henry McLeish. Kay said she would like to embrace the political nature of the Makars role by bringing poetry into Holyrood.

The Scottish Government have appointed their national poet, so Id like engage with that in a unique and different way, she said. Id like to get different poets in to address Parliament in the form of poems about any issues that they feel are important to them.

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Kay is also planning to launch a national campaign, with the working title My Scotland, which will encourage poets and ordinary citizens alike to write a few verses about their vision of their country in their preferred language  from Gaelic to Glaswegian to Urdu.

The role will see Kay, who is currently chancellor of Salford University, create new work and promote poetry throughout Scotland and encourage young people to engage with the art form. She will receive a 10,000 annual stipend from the Scottish Government in return for her time.

Making the announcement at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said Kay was a perfect choice for the role as her writing was poignant and honest but she also had a particular Scottish brand of gallus humour. Her appointment was also welcomed by Duffy, her former partner and the current Poet Laureate.

This is fabulous news for Scotland and for poetry, she said. Jackie Kay is loved throughout the UK for the warmth and generosity of her work and she will prove an inspired choice as Makar.

Born in Edinburgh in 1961, Kay was adopted by Helen and John Kay, a white couple who brought her up in Bishopbriggs in Glasgow. Her adoptive father worked full time for the Communist Party of Great Britain, while her mother was the Scottish secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. As a teenager, she attended poems and pints nights at the Highland Institute on the citys Sauchiehall Street.

Between the Dee and the Don

by Jackie Kay

I will stand not in the past or in the future

not in the foreground or the background;

not as the first child or the last child.

I will stand alone in the middle ground.

I was conceived between the Dee and the Don.

I was born in the city of crag and stone.

I am not a daughter to one father.

I am not a sister to one brother.

I am light and dark.

I am father and mother.

I was conceived between the Dee and the Don.

I was born in the city of crag and stone.

I am not forgiving and I am not cruel.

I will not go against one side.

I am not wise or a fool.

I was not born yesterday.

I was conceived between the Dee and the Don.

I was born in the city of crag and stone.

I can say tomorrow is another day tomorrow.

I come from the old world and the new.

I live between laughter and sorrow.

I live between the land and the sea.

I was conceived between the Dee and the Don.

I was born in the city of crag and stone.

Jackie Kay from Fiere (London: Picador, 2011)
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The pages of the only surviving manuscript to contain Shakespeares handwriting are to be digitised by the British Library, where the public will be able to view an impassioned speech in defence of refugees in London.

It is part of the digitisation of more than 300 manuscripts, books, maps, paintings, illustrations and more that will be available on the British Librarys new Discovering Literature: Shakespeare website.

The British Library has identified Shakespeares hand in the pages of the play Sir Thomas More through the writing itself and the spelling, vocabulary, the imagery used and the ideas he expresses in the text.

Page from the Friendship album of Moyses Walens, British Library, photographed by Joseph Turp (British Library)

Sir Thomas More focuses on Henry VIIIs chancellor and was originally penned by Anthony Munday between 1596 and 1601. Shakespeare had been commissioned to write just one scene but was later involved in revising the script alongside other playwrights including Henry Chettle and Thomas Dekker.

Shakespeares scene sees Sir Thomas More defend French refugees who are about to come under attack from an angry mob. He says:

Youll put down strangers, Kill them, cut their throats, possess their houses,

And lead the majesty of law in lyam

To slip him like a hound.

Alas, alas! Say now the King

As he is clement if thoffender mourn,

Should so much come too short of your great trespass

As but to banish you: whither would you go?

What country, by the nature of your error,

Should give you harbour?

Go you to France or Flanders,

To any German province, Spain or Portugal,

Nay, anywhere that not adheres to England:

Why, you must needs be strangers.

Critic Jonathan Bate told the British Library that in this scene, More asks the on-stage crowd, and by extension the theatre audience, to imagine what it would be like to be an asylum seeker undergoing forced repatriation.

Medieval dreambook: Somnia Danielis, available on the British Library's Discovering Literature (British Library)

More than 500 English teachers in the UK have revealed that over half of students find it difficult to relate to or understand the Bards plays. The Discovering Literature site is designed to help people discover the culture, politics and society of when Shakespeare wrote his plays, and to better understand the plays themselves.

The dedicated site will also hold a 17th century manuscript thought to hold the original tune of one of the Fools songs from King Lear; Samuel Taylor Coleridges personal annotated copy of The Dramatic Works of Shakespeare, and the only surviving portrait of John Dee, the Elizabethan scholar thought to have inspired the character of Prospero in The Tempest.
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The subtitle selected stories is often an excuse to swell an author's oeuvre by an extra title, the works contained therein already readily available elsewhere. On the other hand there are those collections that are absolutely necessary  a welcome reminder of a forgotten author's prowess. Irish novelist and short-story writer Julia O'Faolain's Under the Rose is a case in point.

O'Faolain has been writing since the 1950s  her novel No Country for Young Men was shortlisted for the 1980 Booker Prize and her memoir Trespassers appeared three years ago, but the vast majority of her writing now languishes out of print.

Under the Rose goes some way to correcting this. The 20 stories included  originally published between 1968 and 2006  showcase a glorious talent. Although settings range from Ireland and the USA to Italy and France, O'Faolain's heritage comes to the fore, and she isn't afraid to tackle the less comfortable aspects of her country's history straight on. Daughters of Passion, the earliest written piece included, is about a female IRA member on hunger strike in prison: She knew the system and the system didn't change because some little Irish terrorist wouldn't eat her dinner, while In a Small Circus deals with sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, though admittedly with something of a twist. A now grown man grapples with the information that the beloved priest of his childhood has been accused of molesting a young boy; but it's not that this brings back memories of his own abuse, instead the real shock is that the man is overcome with envy: I think I'm jealous [] of the abuse victim. I am! I'm jealous of the bastard!

O'Faolain writes about men with an astonishing believability  Rum and Coke elegantly captures the complexities of a father-and-son relationship: My sisters were married, so on whom could my father's hopes focus if not on me? I might have resented this if I had been surer of it. As it was, I was desperate to impress him. She's even better when it comes to women. In our convent school, the nuns used to warn us that women, if given a chance, could become much more wicked than men, she writes in the Afterword. This shocked but also flattered us, even though we were unable to imagine any great wickedness.

Her adult imagination, as it turns out, was more than up to the task. In the Italy-set Man in the Cellar, written in the 1970s, when, O'Faolain explains, Italian feminism peaked, a subjugated wife finally snaps: Marriage, like topiary, distorts growth.

Faber, 13.99. Order for 11.99 (free p&p) from the Independent Bookshop: 08430 600 030
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America poached satirical genius John Oliver from Britain so it's high time that they gave us someone in return. Enter Jena Friedman, former joke writer for David Letterman and field producer on The Daily Show, who arrives in the UK at the weekend with a stand-up show that promises to shed some light on the weirdest American election ever.

I'm so, so sorry you guys are seeing this, says Friedman of the rise of Donald Trump. It must be a great time to be a political comedian, though. It's easier to be funny when you have people like Trump running for office, sure. But I worked for The Daily Show while Obama was in office and you find funny. The comedy finds itself. I wouldn't wish a Trump presidency on anyone, however much it helps my comedy career.

Instead, Friedman is a sort-of proud Hillary Clinton supporter. Which is not a cool position. It's like gaining 30lb  not a good look. Her new stand-up show has a routine that compares the Democrat candidates to sanitary products. Clinton is Tampax  the brand I grew up with  while Sanders is a Mooncup. He may be better for my body and the environment but I don't wanna get blood on my hands. I just want a Democrat in the White House, someone who isn't going to revert us to 1930s Germany. It's worse that Trump is the least scary option on the right. Ted Cruz is far scarier to me.

Friedman is a tall, icy blonde with a New Jersey drawl and a taste for breaking taboos. She likes to open shows with the boast, I'm 33 and I still fit into my 9/11 jeans. Never forget. She got her big break with a parody of The New York Times' Vows series in which couples relive their romance from dating to marriage; only in Friedman's bleakly hilarious take the groom is a serial killer. She is currently writing a comedy film about Ebola.

Last August, Friedman left The Daily Show on the same day as host Jon Stewart retired and 10 days later got on a plane to Scotland to debut her show (the winningly titled American Cunt) at the Edinburgh Fringe. I kind of wrote the show while I was out there. Which I didn't realise people didn't really do.

Jena Friedman with Ben Kronberg in 'Ted and Gracie', a parody of the 'Vows' series in 'The New York Times'

That show, which she now brings to Glasgow Comedy Festival and London's Soho Theatre, is a dark, spiky, fiercely and unapologetically political hour with jokes about Bill Cosby and Caitlyn Jenner (The best way to age gracefully as a woman is to be born a man.), Israel and Nestle, babies and ageing. I didn't want it to be personal  that was a goal as I was writing it. I wanted it to be political, she says.

When she started as a stand-up, she banned herself from ever talking about her boyfriends or her vagina. Instead, she has a whole abortion portion in her set. I have always talked about abortion because it's hard for people to talk about. Nobody wants teens to have abortions, to be put in the position where they have to make that choice, but in America we're so politicised that we can't even talk about it.

Is there anything she wouldn't joke about? I'm trying to talk about everything that I'm thinking about. There's one thing involving guns that I just haven't been able to articulate because it's too much right now. I'm not shying away from that kind of stuff  it's just finding a way to talk about it and be responsible. It's tough but it's fun.

Friedman is part of a new wave of feminist American stand-ups, alongside Amy Schumer, Tina Fey et al. There has been that feminist awakening, I guess  or reawakening. We think it's something new but it's not, it just comes in waves. Roseanne was doing it, Mae West was doing it, Gracie Allen It is a cool time but we can't pass it off as normal  we have to understand that if it comes in waves, it can also recede if we don't stay on it The conversation about women in comedy gets tiresome but it's not one we should totally sideline because it's not ever over.

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Friedman was born in Haddonfield, NJ, and studied anthropology at Northwestern University, Chicago. For her final dissertation, she wrote a paper on the local school, ImprovOlympic, and fell for the artform. The idea of being your own writer, director, performer on stage, at the same time was thrilling to me, she says. When someone at the school got hold of her paper, they were unhappy about a brief mention of sexual harassment and she found herself frozen out. So she turned to stand-up.

As a graduate, she worked as a healthcare consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton by day (I was thinking 'the best way to change the system is from within!' Then I thought I'd rather make fun of it) and did stand-up by night. Her first gig was in 2006 and from there, she would do six or seven shows a week, sometimes crashing music open mics just to get a spot, alongside fellow rising stars of the Chicago scene, Hannibal Buress, TJ Miller and Kumail Nanjiani.

When big-name comedians came to the city, Friedman would be their support act. Jeff Garlin was an early mentor; when she moved to New York (to stage a parody musical based on American Girl dolls, on the fringe), he invited her to open a show for him there too. His manager saw her set and suggested she apply to write for the Letterman show. She was rejected at first and worked in a bar until they gave her a job, writing sketches and Top 10 jokes. That was the first time I was able to pay my rent from comedy. It's still a challenge to pay rent via stand-up. Which also makes it great. If that's not how you pay your rent you can maybe say more things, be a bit more playful and experimental.

From Letterman, she went to The Daily Show for three years, where she wrote and directed segments with correspondents like Michael Che and Samantha Bee. It was awesome, really challenging and really rewarding, too. The pieces made waves which was really exciting. I did a piece on fracking and the week after it aired the White House released a statement about reducing methane emissions from wells. You think, did we have anything to do with that? It was a very cool job.

She has always filmed her own stuff on the side, including Ted and Gracie, a parody of Vows so spot-on The New York Times served her with a cease and desist notice. Thankfully, they only demanded that she remove the newspaper's logo, so the hilariously sinister six-part series remains online. She is now in pre-production on a film that is also about a woman who falls in love with a serial killer. But it's not about killing at all, it's just about love and connection and what you're willing to put up with when you fall in love.

She has just finished another screenplay, about the Ebola hysteria that hit New York last year. The scripts are like my stand-up  an acquired taste. It's useful to know how to produce and direct because I'll probably end up having to make it myself. I can't imagine ever being able to sell it.

In the meantime her focus is stand-up. She likes to write on stage, trying out new, topical material at the Comedy Cellar and UCB in New York, where she lives. Social media is another good testing ground. I'll go and be a psychopath on Twitter. It's a joke book that talks back to me, which is good and also terrifying.

A recent run of sarcastic tweets about the cult Netflix documentary Making a Murderer led to Friedman interviewing the show's controversial prosecutor Ken Kratz for the website Gothamist. In the course of the bizarre encounter, which has shades of early Sacha Baron Cohen, Friedman presses Kratz on the case, reads out his hatemail and asks him to play Shag, Marry, Kill. I don't like to do total hit pieces on people, I think it's more provocative to try and show their humanity  positive or negative. He wasn't too upset  he still texts me.

It's all connected, she adds. You're just trying to find different ways of saying what you're trying to say. I love stand-up, because of the immediacy. It's a direct line to talk to people.

Jena Friedman, 'American Cunt', St Luke's Glasgow (glasgowcomedyfestival.com) 19 March; Soho Theatre, London (sohotheatre.com) 22 to 26 March
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Todd Haynes' Carol has been named the best LGBT film of all time by the BFI; as part of a poll which marks the 30th anniversary of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival.

With contributions from 100 film experts including critics, writers, and programmers; the poll of the top 30 LGBT films encompasses 84 years of cinematic history, with a global reach which includes Thailand, Japan, and Sweden.

Though it's arguable whether Haynes' 2015 work has been granted extra weight in its recency, it's utterly breathtaking portrait of a love pitted against the forces of '50s society certainly doesn't seem obviously misplaced.

"The Festival has long supported my work, from Poison and Dottie Gets Spanked in the early 1990s through to Carol which is screening on 35mm later this week in BFI Flares Best of Year programme," Haynes himself said of the news. "Im so proud to have Carol voted as the top LGBT film of all time in this poll launched for the Fests 30th edition."

"Carol is in illustrious company with so many films I love, from Brokeback Mountain and Un Chant d Amour to Happy Together and My Own Private Idaho.

The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 Show all 6 1 /6 The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 Justice Anthony Kennedy and the other Supreme Court Justices who legalised same sex marriage in the US The US Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage is all 50 states of America in June, splitting 5-4 in favour. Writing the majority opinion, Justice Kennedy said gay people hope not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilizations oldest institutions. The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 Caitlyn Jenner After she revealed her new self in an interview and cover with Vanity Fair magazine in June, the former olympian quickly became the most famous trans person in the world. AFP/Getty The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 Cara Delevigne The former model said she identified as bisexual in an interview with Vogue in July. AFP/Getty The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 Ellen Page The openly gay actress confronted Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz at a campaign rally in Iowa in August over laws that discriminate against the LGBT community. AFP/Getty The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 iO Tillett Wright The artist and Instagram star began the Self Evident Truths project in 2015 to photograph everyone who doesnt identify as 100% straight. Famously it featured Johnny Depps teenage daughter Lily Rose who said she fell somewhere on the vast spectrum and singer Selena Gomez who addressed rumours she was dating Cara Delevigne. AFP/Getty The pioneers of LGBT rights in 2015 Ruby Rose Australian born Rose was one of the very first celebrities to come out as genderfluid. She was hailed for giving it a public platform a the MTV Europe Music Awards in October when she welcomed ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in-between in her introduction.



Following close behind is Andrew Haigh's Weekend, recently banned in over 1,000 Italian cinemas; then by Wong Kar-wai's 1997 romantic drama Happy Together and Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, which won its director an Academy Award in 2006.

"Carols win excites us because its great to see a film about two women in love enjoy such prominence, particularly given cinemas relative lack of lesbian content," said Tricia Tuttle, Deputy Director of Festivals at the BFI. "And its such an extraordinarily fine film which has had near universal praise from critics and curators."

"To see Carol enshrined in this way so soon after release is a testament to how beloved it is and how esteemed Todd Haynes is as a filmmaker. We also love to see British cinema so heavily celebrated, from Andrew Haighs Weekend at number 2 to My Beautiful Laundrette, Orlando, Looking for Langston, Victim and Beautiful Things, all making the Top 20."

BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival runs 16-27 March.
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Surprise! Turns out, having an entire horde of zombies invade your neighbourhood isn't quite as fun as you'd think.

Granted, many residents in the quiet town of Senoia, Georgia are thrilled to have their homes used as the location for The Walking Dead's Alexandria and Woodbury; thanks to it bringing a huge influx of tourists and money into the area, and presumably the perfect excuse for always being the host house for holiday family gatherings.

Others, however, just wish they could they could indulge in a little horticulture without the cops turning up. Resident Fred Morris told ABC news (via Yahoo! News) that producers once actually called the police on him when he decided to trim his trees in the middle of shooting.

"They come out of there saying I need to stop because they're filming," Morris recalled. "I said, Well, no, you just carry your happy butt right behind the wall, that's where you do your stuff. This is my home.'"

Morris complained that the area had always been peaceful before the cameras moved in and a large wall was constructed around the entire neighbourhood; living just outside the wall, Morris claims he's been heavily disturbed by explosions in the middle of the night during the course of the show's filming.

Scott Tigchelaar, however, has an entirely different perspective; "Even Andy Lincoln, who plays the star of the show... I met him on my front porch steps one day and he said, Thank you so much for letting us film here, and Im like, Thank you for filming here. But they're that polite."

"You walk along and people tell you not to stop and take pictures, but it's, like, this is my community," another local, Tracy Boyle stated.

"The people that come here... it's so good for the local economy and people stay in the hotels, eat at the restaurants, shop at the stores," added Christine Fiorini. "A lot of these downtown businesses are run by our neighbors... it's, you know, become our livelihood and its thriving."

In fact, the show even pays many of the local families $400 a month; not only as an apology for the inconvenience, but as a kind of silencer against any potential spoilers leaking.
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The BBCs new Sunday night drama Versailles has made headlines around Europe before the first episode has even been aired, after MPs and family rights campaigners branded it "porn dressed up in a cravat and tights".

French media are delighted at the reaction from certain "conservative Brits", suggesting that they are "grinding their teeth" at well, all the grinding, that takes place in the period drama.

Le Figaro mocked the Daily Mail for its outraged coverage of the new series, writing: "Its a porno broadcast in prime time. Oh my!" while Le Huffpost said that it was a "porno for conservative Brits".

French media have been mocking the British reaction to Versailles (Screenshot)

20 Minutes' supplement Television was also amused at the Mail, particularly for its coverage of scenes in the first episode which include "gay sex, a transvestite prince, and a queen with a penchant for dwarves".

It was noted by Le Figaros TV magazine that, in France, the sex scenes have (so far) avoided such harsh criticism, including by the media.

Le Figaro generally enjoyed the series despite some (large) reserves, it reported, quoting a review which said: This fiction is undeniably effective. Very rhythmic, it will delight fans of crime series with its melodramatic side

French media have been disappointed by the apparent lack of history accuracy, choosing to focus more praise on the lavish sets and costume design.

The only other main complaint was that King Louis XIV was portrayed by British actor George Blagden, and the series was created in English.



BBC Head of Programme Acquisitions Sue Deeks believes Versailles will be a "delicious treat" for viewers.

"The historical setting is magnificent, the costumes are stunning and the series tells a fascinating story with intelligence, wit and stylish Gallic flair," she said.

The BBC has not yet announced a release date but the show will air on BBC 2 after the watershed, with a second series already commisioned by Canal+.
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On the continent it is a universally acknowledged fact that the British cannot complain. We grumble, and sometimes we harrumph. Or else we talk of the weather and hope for the best. What we never do is spring forth with a red-blooded, teeth-bared chandelier-shaker.

I share a flat with two French people, and they explain this often; nearly as often as they say things like you are not cutting that cheese properly and once again explain the notion of the cheese coeur to me, like primary school teachers explaining that crayons aren't to be used on walls. They do not wear berets, but they care about food, and in that at least, they are fully paid-up French stereotypes.

Their own Gallic-born British stereotype, it must be said, is miles off target. The British often complain. It is just we do it very badly. And no more so than when it comes to complaining in restaurants. We are the poor relations of Europe when it comes to explaining what we want to happen to this here slice of lasagne with its crown of hair. It is a terrible failing.

Complaining in restaurants is a delicate and important business. You have to have a just and righteous cause before you set off on a tableside crusade. To complain simply to try to get a freebie is indefensible. As bad, in fact, as not complaining when you really ought to. Complaints serve a vital purpose, after all. They expose faults and graft and overweening staff, often to managers and owners who wouldn't otherwise know. We'd still be suffering under the yoke of the Lyons teashop if it wasn't for a collective groaning voice. Moaning, done properly, leads to improvement.

There is an art to it, though. Italians and French may do it much better than we do, but there is no point trying to ape them. You don't get to be a good writer by just copying out pages of Moliere and you won't get to be a good complainer by copying our continental cousins. They are born with fire and wine in their blood and ours is a bloodstream more accustomed to shame and builder's tea.

How do you do it, then? First, pick your battles. A couple of weeks ago I was in a McDonalds  buying takeaway for a friend, honest  and a woman stood and raved for ages until they gave her another slice of cheese for her burger. I wondered then, was it worth the effort? And the answer: absolutely not. Unless your sandwich actually has a tail, there's not much point going to town on a teenage burger-flipper who is powerless to do anything save give you your quid back. Keep your powder dry for that French place that has charged you for an extra bottle of Pouilly-Fume.

The second complainers' commandment is: don't shout. Shouting leads to people saying things like, get security or call the police, Dave. Hiss if you must, but don't raise your voice.

Finally, know what you want. You might want to vent your spleen at the execrable service, but what do you want them to do about it? If you know exactly what you want to happen to your bill and you are on the side of the angels, it is hard to bat you off. Do this and make an art of your complaint. You can be righteous and annoy the French all in one go.
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London is one of the worst cities in the UK for mobile signal, a new study has revealed, while Manchester has taken the top spot.

The mobile performance tests were conducted by RootMetrics, who travelled the country's major cities checking the speed and reliability of phone calls, texts and mobile internet, marking each of 100.

Out of the 16 biggest urban areas in the UK, London came in 13th with a score of 90.1, beating only Bristol, Cardiff and Hull, which filled the bottom of the table with scores of 87.1, 79.2 and 77.9 respectively.

Manchester was the clear winner, with 95.4, while Birmingham and Liverpool trailed in second and third place, with scores of 94.6 and 94.5.

Scott Stonham, RootMetrics' European general manager, explained that London might just be too big for a reliable mobile network.

"Providing a good mobile coverage in London is always going to be difficult due to the density of the population, the architecture and changes in demand on capacity," he said.

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"Our data shows there is still some room for improvement in some of the UK's most populous areas, and more needs to be done to ensure a good mobile service - a vital part of a city's basic infrastructure."

It appears as though London's mobile performance has actually declined recently - in the previous RootMetrics test in the first half of 2015, London was ranked in a more respectable ninth place.

The Manchester-Liverpool rivalry continued to play out at the top of the table. Manchester only came in third in the previous test, but managed to boot Liverpool from the top spot in the latest survey.
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WhatsApp is about to add encrypted video chats to its app, so that nobody could snoop on its users even if they tried, according to reports.

The Facebook-owned company is looking to further bulk up the security of its messaging app in the wake of a high-profile dispute between the FBI and tech companies about whether they should make it easier to snoop on messages.

The most high-profile of those arguments has been between Apple and the US government, over whether the company should be compelled to help unlock a phone used by one of the San Bernardino killers. Apple argues that creating software to break into that phone would endanger all of its devices, by creating a tool that could be used to weaken encryption on any handset.

But WhatsApp has been quietly involved in similar rows. This week it emerged that the company is arguing with the US government about whether it should try and grant access to encrypted chats, and one of Facebooks vice presidents was arrested in Brazil after WhatsApp refused to hand over user data to the countrys government.

Adding encrypted voice chats will mean that all of the messages that pass through WhatsApp will be secure, since the feature is already offered for text messages. That will mean that the chats of all kinds will only be able to be read by the people sending and receiving them.

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The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

Google, Facebook and Snapchat are all working on similar products, according to the Guardian, which first reported on the WhatsApp news. It isnt clear what those products will be and they are further from launch than WhatsApps, but they will probably include some of the same protections.
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For those with the misfortune to fear they are in the grip of a serious illness, there is a new tactic to significantly improve the chances of survival - be very polite to the doctor.

A study has found that the likelihood of being misdiagnosed dramatically increases when a doctor is presented with a difficult patient who obstructs the clinicians efforts by being aggressive or questioning their competence.

Researchers established that the likelihood of misdiagnosis rose by 42 per cent when a group of GPs were confronted with a demanding patient exhibiting a set of complex symptoms, as opposed to a polite individual with an identical complaint.

The risk of misdiagnosis fell to just six per cent when dealing with more straightforward cases. But those who carried out the study said their findings were so stark that doctors should now be trained to challenge their own emotions when dealing with disruptive patients to avoid diagnostic mishaps.

The Dutch research, published in the British Medical Journal, was based on written case studies but its authors said it was likely the disparity would be even greater when doctors faced real-life patients and warned clinicians could no longer rely on the idea that their clinical judgment was unaffected by their emotions.

Dr Silvia Memede, from the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, who led the study, said: Many clinicians have seen their interest turn into impatience by frequent attenders with vague complaints, repeated interruptions during a consultation or insistence in requesting unnecessary tests.

Most doctors would, however, tend to deny that these feelings influence their judgments The fact is that difficult patients trigger reactions that may intrude with reasoning, adversely affect judgments and cause errors.

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The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. 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. 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

The researchers tested a group of 63 doctors in their final year of training as GPs by presenting them with a series of six written descriptions of patients with symptoms that clearly indicated conditions from pneumonia to inflammation of the pancreas caused by alcoholism.

Two versions of each description were produced - one which described a neutral patient and another making clear that the patient was demanding, for example by ignoring his or her doctors advice or presenting as utterly helpless.

When the GPs were asked to produce a diagnosis based on the descriptions while under pressure of time, they were found to always be more likely to misdiagnose the difficult patient, significantly so in complex cases such as appendicitis or a thyroid disorder. Importantly, further tests revealed that the findings held true even when extra time was available, suggesting that doctors were not consciously disengaging from more troublesome patients.

A second study by the same researchers suggested that the problem may due to the fact that doctors, in common with all human beings, have a finite amount of mental energy that can be applied to any one task. When a significant part of that activity has to be dedicated to dealing with overcoming obstacles thrown up by a patient, it is likely to interfere with processing clinical information correctly.

Doctors are more likely to misdiagnose a difficult patient when under time pressure (Getty) (Pixabay)

The researchers acknowledged that the methodology of the study was far removed from the way a doctor might interact with a patient in a consulting room. But they suggested the pressures of real life meant that, if anything, the rate of misdiagnosis would be higher.

Dr Mamede told The Independent: The most likely is that the effect of behaviours displayed by real patients is stronger. In real settings, physicians need to determine which information needs to be gathered and search for it themselves, which tends to make reasoning more demanding and therefore more prone to flaws.

A separate study carried out by Canadian medics suggested that the ultimate guard against this type of misdiagnosis lies with patients themselves.

The research by doctors in Toronto found: A medical encounter often provokes anxiety and an emotionally aware patient could channel these emotions towards the positive by introducing themselves with a nicety such as Thank you for seeing me. I am frightened by what I am experiencing and that is why I am here.
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Smokers who stop abruptly rather than cutting down gradually over time are more successful, a new study has found.

Those with the willpower to go cold turkey are 25 per cent more successful at quitting than those who wind down the habit gradually according to researchers from Oxford University.

The study funded by the British Heart Foundation involved 697 smokers who had decided to stop. The group was split into two, with one asked to quit on a given day. The other was also set a quit day, but gradually reduced their tobacco use two weeks prior to the date.

Each group was given advice and support, as well as access to cessation tools such as nicotine patches, gum or mouth spray.

When the participants were revisited a month after their quit day, 50 per cent of those who stopped abruptly were still not smoking compared with 39 per cent of those who did so gradually. Therefore, those who went cold turkey were 25 per cent more likely to be successful.

13 ways to help prevent cancer Show all 13 1 /13 13 ways to help prevent cancer 13 ways to help prevent cancer Stopping smoking. This notoriously difficult habit to break sees tar build-up in the lungs and DNA alteration and causes 15,558 cancer deaths a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Avoiding the sun, and the melanoma that comes with overexposure to harmful UV rays, could help conscientious shade-lovers dodge being one of the 7,220 people who die from it 13 ways to help prevent cancer A diet that is low in red meat can help to prevent bowel cancer, according to the research - with 30 grams a day recommended for men, and 25 a day recommended for women 13 ways to help prevent cancer Foods high in fibre, meanwhile, can further make for healthier bowels. Processed foods in developed countries appear to be causing higher rates of colon cancer than diets in continents such as Africa, which have high bean and pulse intakes 13 ways to help prevent cancer Two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day were given as the magic number for good diet in the research. Overall, diet causes only slightly fewer cancer deaths than sun exposure in Australia, at 7,000 a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Obesity and being overweight, linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, causes 3,917 deaths by cancer a year on its own Getty 13 ways to help prevent cancer Dying of a cancer caused by infection also comes in highly, linked to 3,421 cancer deaths a year. Infections such as human papilloma virus - which can cause cervical cancer in women - and hepatitis - can be prevented by vaccinations and having regular check-ups 13 ways to help prevent cancer Cutting back on drinks could reduce the risk of cancers caused by alcohol - such as liver cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer and mouth cancer - that are leading to 3,208 deaths a year 2014 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Sitting around and not getting the heart pumping - less than one hour's exercise a day - is directly leading to about 1,800 people having lower immune functions and higher hormone levels, among other factors, that cause cancers 2011 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Hormone replacement therapy, which is used to relieve symptoms of the menopause in women, caused 539 deaths from (mainly breast) cancer in Australia last year. It did, however, prevent 52 cases of colorectal cancers 2003 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Insufficient breastfeeding, bizarrely, makes the top 10. Breastfeeding for 12 months could prevent 235 cancer cases a year, said the research AFP/Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Oral contraceptives, like the Pill, caused about 105 breast cancers and 52 cervical cancers - but it also prevented about 1,440 ovarian and uterine (womb) cases of cancer last year 2006 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Taking aspirin also prevented 232 cases in the Queensland research of colorectal and oesophagal cancers - but as it can also cause strokes, is not yet recommended as a formal treatment against the risk of cancer

Dr Nicola Lindson-Hawley, from Oxford University who lead the study said: "The difference in quit attempts seemed to arise because people struggled to cut down.

"It provided them with an extra thing to do, which may have put them off quitting altogether. If people actually made a quit attempt then the success rate was equal across groups.

"We also found that more people preferred the idea of quitting gradually than abruptly; however regardless of what they thought they were still more likely to quit in the abrupt group."

The difference between the two groups was clear from the start, as more of the cold turkey quitters were able to stave of smoking for at least 24 hours than those in the other group.

However, smokers who find it quite impossible to quit should try to cut down slowly rather than simply give up, advised Dr Lindson-Hawley.

"For these people it is much better to attempt to cut down their smoking than do nothing at all and we should increase support for gradual cessation to increase their chances of succeeding," she said.

The research is reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Dr John Hughes of the University of Vermont in Burlington, commented on the study that those who cut down are often more addicted and have failed with the cold turkey method before.

He told Reuters: "The decision to quit for most smokers is a sudden one, that often occurs because something happens to motivate them.

"With abrupt cessation, they can act on the decision to quit immediately, while still highly motivated (in fact half of smokers quit on the same day they decide to quit)."

Additional reporting by PA
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A British company that has been working for 18 years to find medicinal uses for marijuana has had a major breakthrough in the treatment of childhood epilepsy.

Yesterday GW Pharmaceuticals, which has a licence from the Home Office to grow cannabis, announced final-stage tests on 120 children with Dravet syndrome (a type of epilepsy) had successfully reduced seizures by 39 per cent. The phase 3 trial of the drug known as Epidiolex has been extremely closely watched in the medical community, due to the current absence of a cure for the painful and dangerous condition. Currently, Dravet sufferers have to take a cocktail of medicines but still suffer an average of 13 seizures a month.

For GW, the test results mark a huge breakthrough after many rocky years for the company studded by disappointments. Only in January, another of its treatments, Sativex, failed tests which were hoped to show it helping alleviate pain in cancer sufferers.

Shares in the company jumped 136% after the breakthrough announcement yesterday afternoon, closing last night up 293p at 510p.

Justin Gover, the chief executive of GW, said two further trials were now close to completion

The positive outcome of the Phase 3 trial is a significant milestone in the development of Epidiolex as a potential new treatment for patients suffering with Dravet syndrome, said GW chief executive Justin Gover. He said two further Phase 3 trials were now close to completion for another epileptic condition known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. A Phase 3 trial for a further syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, commences shortly. There are 150,000 children in the US with forms of drug-resistant epilepsy and a similar percentage in the UK and Europe.

We are thrilled to learn of these positive results, said Mary Anne Meskis, executive director of the Dravet Syndrome Foundation.

Although GWs Sativex treatment did not help cancer patients, it has been available in the EU for three years as an effective cure for the painful muscle seizures known as spasticity suffered by multiple sclerosis patients.

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.

However, in terms of the potential numbers of patients, epilepsy is seen as a far bigger area of need. As a result, GW has been able to raise $500m of new equity in the US to fund the current series of trials. The Dravet drug should be on the market by the end of next year in the US and soon after that in Europe.

GW is headquartered in London but has laboratories in Cambridge and Porton Down. Its cannabis crop is grown in an undisclosed location due to concerns about theft, although the plants they use have been biologically engineered not to produce the plants famous high.

The business was set up with the encouragement of the British government by biotech scientists and entrepreneurs Dr Geoffrey Guy and Dr Brian Whittle, to examine the medicinal properties of cannabis.

Rather than farm out the patent to bigger companies, GW retains the licensing rights to Epidiolex, meaning it will not have to share out the profits when the medicine becomes available to the public. The company has been working on its epilepsy cures since 2013 and began to develop the Epidiolex syrup in October 2014.
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Wealthy Iranian buyers will join the ranks of Qatari, Kuwaiti and Saudi buyers and become significant players in the London luxury property market after the lifting of sanctions, according to research.

The number of Iranian buyers looking for homes in London over the next two years will rise by 25 per cent, according to Rokstone, a Iranian-owned London estate agent.

Iranian ultra-high net investors, or buyers with assets of at least $30 million, will spend up to 6 billion over the next five to ten years on investing in overseas property, the report has found. London will be one of their top locations for buying alongside Dubai, Switzerland, Germany and the South of France.

Most buyers will look to spend from 1 million to 30 million on a London home, with the top five most popular locations for purchase being Knightsbridge, Mayfair, South Kensington, Hampstead and St Johns Wood.

These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Show all 15 1 /15 These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Empire house, Knightsbridge SW7 Price 4,950,000 Situated on the second floor (with lift), this opulent property benefits from a reception room with dining area, two double bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms, a guest cloakroom and a kitchen/breakfast room. Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Empire house, Knightsbridge SW7 Located within a magnificent Grade II listed portered mansion block, the apartment occupies a prominent location in one of London`s most affluent and cosmopolitan areas, Knightsbridge Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Empire house, Knightsbridge SW7 Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Chesham Place, Belgravia SW1X 13,950,000 4,932 sq ft The period house in the heart of Belgravia boasts five bedrooms and five bathrooms. Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Chesham Place, Belgravia SW1X Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Chesham Place, Belgravia SW1X Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Hyde Park Street, Connaught Village W2 Price: 5,950,000 A four bedroom lateral apartment measuring in excess of 3,000 sq ft, and is situated in the heart of Connaught Village within a period white stucco fronted building Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Hyde Park Street, Connaught Village W2 The property has been finished to a good standards, and features a grand entrance hall, a large double bright reception room with park views, a separate kitchen and utility room, a large master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite shower room, three further double bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms and exceedingly high ceilings throughout Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Hyde Park Street, Connaught Village W2 The property is located opposite Hyde Park and just a short walk from Marble Arch tube station, Lancaster Gate, Paddington and Oxford Street. These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Hyde Park Street, Connaught Village W2 Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Park Road, St Johns Wood NW8 Price: 1,600,000 A fifth floor apartment in a prestigious portered block in St Johns Wood. The property boasts two spacious double bedrooms with the master bedroom befitting from an en-suite bathroom. Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Elystan Place, Chelsea SW3 This unique lateral house, nearly fifteen metres wide and on four floors only, features windows on all four sides of the house with front and rear entrances and the feeling of a detached house. Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Elystan Place, Chelsea SW3 Located just off Chelsea Green, the house features a grand entrance hall, three large reception rooms, a separate kitchen and dining room, five double bedrooms (of which two have en-suite bathrooms), five bathrooms, a utility room, plant room, private east facing patio and direct access onto the west facing communal gardens. Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Elystan Place, Chelsea SW3 Lawrie Cornish These properties caught the eye of Iranian buyers Elystan Place, Chelsea SW3 Lawrie Cornish

Four types of Iranian investors will look into acquiring a property in London: private individuals or families, professional investors, private companies and quasi-state backed entities or sovereign wealth funds, Rokstone said.

Becky Fatemi, managing director of Rokstone, said London will be Iranians top location for investing in real estate.

Fatemi noted that historically there are deep ties between the UK and Iran. Between 1945 and 1979 the Shah of Iran, his Royal court and the business elite had lots of ties with Britain and the elite owned luxury residential property in London and the home counties.

Alternative locations have less appeal. Historically, rich Iranians also invested in New York and Los Angeles, but US government primary sanctions remain in place so these choices are not available, Fatemi added.

International sanctions on Iran were lifted in January this year after a watchdog confirmed it had complied with a deal designed to prevent it developing nuclear weapons. The lifting of sanction unlocked tens of billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets.

Jennet Siebrits, head of residential research at CBRE, a property and real estate services adviser, said Iranians are likely to look at both commercial and residential opportunities within the London market.

We believe Iran could well become a major force in the London residential market, both via funding projects and buying homes (for individual use and to rent out) in the coming years, Siebrits wrote on CBREs blog.

Faisal Durrani, head of research at Cluttons, the property consultant and estate agent, said the company had been approached by several Iranians looking to buy homes in London.

We had high-net-worth Iranian individuals who came up and said they were interested in making overseas investments as soon as the sanctions were lifted, Durrani told Property Week.

I asked: Where in Dubai are you looking? They said they were looking at Dubai but their top international city of choice is London, he added.

Outrageous property deals in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Outrageous property deals in pictures Outrageous property deals in pictures The Park Lane townhouse set to become one of the UK's most expensive student flats at 4,000 a week A town house situated in Park Lane, one of the most affluent places in London, is about to become the capitals most expensive student residence. Most of London students usually live in halls of residence before moving on to house-share. For this reason it is fair to say few will able to afford the 3,540 square foot three-bedroom flat, which is available for 4,000 a week, 16,000 per month or 192,000 per year. Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures London's most expensive flat goes on sale at Buckingham Palace near Buckingham Palace priced at 150m A luxury flat in Londons historic Admiralty Arch, which overlooks Buckingham Palace, could sell for up to 150 million. If sold for that price, the 15,000 sq ft apartment will become London's most expensive flat, topping One Hyde Park, a flat which sold for 140 million in 2014.The Grade I listed property boasts 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms Outrageous property deals in pictures Little White House inside the US embassy complex in London goes on sale for 2.5m A luxury home inside the US embassy complex has gone on sale for 2.5m. The property is said to be the most protected home in Britain and any visitor is asked to carry an identity card at all times. The complex has patrolling US marines, a 24-hour British police presence, checkpoints, anti-tanks blocks and CCTV.But potential buyers looking for a fortress should not get their hopes up as all the security will disappear once the US embassy moves to a new site in Nine Elms in 2017. The home, located at 4 Blackburnes Mews near Grosvenor Square, dates back to 1732 and owes its nickname to its white facade, grand entrance and sweeping staircase as well as its proximity to the US embassy. It provides nearly 3,000 sq ft of living space and benefits from access to communal gardens. Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures First London luxury flats to contain their own private art gallery with prices going from 3.8m up to 7.7m The first private luxury apartment building in London with its own private art gallery has been unveiled in March. The Chilterns at 24 Paddington Street contains 44 luxury residences, the majority of which were sold in 2013. It contains a signature restaurant, a 24 hour-hotel style concierge service, a gymnasium and sauna and a private cinema. The new art gallery, with original pictures of the area by David Bailey, is part of the lobby of the building and is one of the most exciting and unique features of the Chilterns, according to Stephen Conway, CEO of Galliard Homes. With prices going from 3.8 million up to 7.7 million for a three bedroom flat, the residence is located between the local shops of Marylebone High Street and Baker Street. Outrageous property deals in pictures Margaret Thatcher's Belgravia home is up for sale for 30m Margaret Thatchers six-floor townhouse in Belgravia is on the market for a cool 30 million. The Grade II listed building on No. 73 Chester Square, one of Londons most prestigious addresses, now boasts a lift, a newly constructed mews house with a roof terrace and a private garage after a three-year refurbishment by Leconfield, a development and construction company. Some features from Thatchers time at the property remain. The layout and design of the formal dining room and interlinking study on the ground floor has been reinstated exactly as the Iron Lady had it during her 22 years at the property, from 1991 until her death in 2013. Outrageous property deals in pictures Tiny London house that is just 10ft wide goes on market for 800,000 A tiny terraced house that measures no more than 10ft wide has gone on the market in south London for a staggering 800,000. The house, generally labelled "unique" by estate agent Foxtons, looks all the more unusual because it is sandwiched between two regular-sized homes. It doesn't even have a proper back door - images of the interior suggested renovators had sought to maximise the property's space by including a folding aperture to the similarly narrow back garden. Outrageous property deals in pictures The Mayfair penthouse that sold for 30 million A Mayfair penthouse on Albemarle Street, one of Mayfair's oldest roads, sold to a mystery buyer for 30 million in December. The 5,845 sq ft, three-bedroom family home is thought to be one of the most expensive properties sold in the capital this year, and comes with an annual service charge of 61,000. supplied by Estate agent Peter Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures The dilapidated pre-fab 'shed' sold for nearly 1 million A pre-fabricated bungalow in south-east London has sold at auction for just under 1 million. The 1950s property in Peckham comes with 0.6 acres of land, is in need of renovation and has no fitted bathroom, but still sold for 950,000. A guide price of 590,000 was initially set, but increased rapidly during the bidding. Google Maps Outrageous property deals in pictures The starter home flats that went for a combined 60 million Some 215 affordable starter homes, specifically designed for first time buyers, sold out in just three hours in November, after dozens of aspiring homeowners camped overnight and queued in bad weather to get their hands on the flats. The starter home flats at Trinity Square by Galliard Homes went for a combined 60 million, or an average of 700 per sq ft. Londoners looking for affordable housing did not hesitate to camp out for up to two days to snag a flat, despite the fact that the project will not be complete for another two years. Galliard Outrageous property deals in pictures The longest lateral flat where H.G wells hosted a book club: yours for 3.65m The 2,200 square foot apartment in Chiltern Court in Marylebone was also home to author Arnold Bennett and political cartoonist David Low. Now on the market for 3.65 million through Rokstone agency, the four-bedroom flat has been refurbished into a luxury apartment, providing an exceptional 40 meter window frontage and depth. It claims to be the longest and most outstanding lateral flat - ones that stretch the full width of a building, or sometimes across two buildings - currently for sale in Londons West End. Rokstone Outrageous property deals in pictures Gatti House: the flats with celebrity links and private "pizza" lift that sold for a collective 16.5 million Celebrity links, a famous history and a private pizza lift has helped set a new record for price per square foot for a block of flats in central London. The four flats have sold for a collective 16.5 million at Gatti House on Londons Strand. Gatti House, a magnificent grade II building built in 1867, was sold as four separate apartments priced from 2.95 million to 5.95 million by CBRE Residential and Beauchamp, which has completed the last remaining sale. CBRE Residential and Beauchamp Outrageous property deals in pictures Londons most expensive office A newly refurbished office in the heart of Mayfair measuring 6,000 sq ft was unveiled by Enstar Capital in October. At 500 per sq ft, it is set to be the most expensive commercial fit out ever undertaken in the West End, according to the developer. The workspace on 54 Brooks Mews features gold-plated executive washrooms inspired by Armani-hotel in Italy, timber flooring imported from a 16th century monastery in Tuscany and an Art Deco entrance restored with a new 54 entrance logo replicating Steve Rubells famous studio 54 nightclub logo from the seventies. While the directors floor include a rooftop terrace dressed with loungers and an outside meeting and dining table. Enstar Capital Outrageous property deals in pictures Former garage in Mayfair become worlds most expensive mews house at 24m in Mayfair In September, the worlds most expensive mews house, in Reevews Mews, sold to a Qatari buyer for an eye-watering 24 million. Outrageous property deals in pictures A penthouse where you canoe from your front door, yours for 16.95 million London luxury dockside complex located on Chelsea creek is due for completion by the end of 2016. But its luxury flats are already on sale including this penthouse yours for 16.95 million. Its future residents will be able to slip down the river for a work out on the water at anytime of the day. Outrageous property deals in pictures The only property in London too expensive for the citys super-rich property buyers A 45 bed-room mansion near Hyde Park, previously owned by a Saudi Prince, received a private bid for 280 million. If accepted this would have made the property he most expensive single home ever to be sold in Britain. It was originally listed with an asking price of 300 million more than double the price of the UKs second most expensive home.

Rokstone highlights that London also appeals because it has a sizeable Iranian expatriate community. An estimated 80,000 Iranians live in the capital. Another attraction is the education system.

It will be gradual at first. It will take at least 12 months for people to look at their tax structuring and then 3-6 months to find the right London property and invest.

Education is a key part of the attraction, Britain has an outstanding education system and many wealthy Iranians will want their children to have a school or university education in London and they will buy a family flat as a base for them, Fatemi said.
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The Serious Fraud Office has been asked to reopen its controversial plea deal investigation into London-based ICBC Standard Bank after claims the SFO were misled by the bank.

The bank paid nearly 22m after admitting it failed to prevent bribery by two bankers at a sister firm. The deal, sanctioned by a High Court judge, was the first time the SFO had used its powers to strike a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA).

The court heard two officials at a former sister company of the London bank paid $6m (3.9m) to a third-party in Tanzania to help secure a deal for the bank to raise 400m for the Tanzanian government. It later emerged the company the $6m was paid to was owned by two senior Tanzanian government officials (one of who was no longer working for the government). Despite a risk of corruption, inadequate and ineffective checks were carried out. When the $6m was withdrawn in cash over four days, the bank and its legal advisers reported the matter to the SFO.

The DPA deal meant the bank escaped prosecution in return for a financial penalty and the promise it will improve its anti-crime rules and enforcement and not re-offend for three years. DPA deals have been criticised for letting those responsible off the hook, and failing to deter bribery and corruption, particularly in developing countries. Tanzania is still repaying the expensive Standard Bank deal.

However, David Green, the SFOs director, has now been asked to reopen the investigation, after claims by a former senior bank official in Tanzania that officials in London were well aware what was going on but suppressed key facts to help it secure the SFO deal.

The bank paid nearly 22m after admitting it failed to prevent bribery <p> </p>

The petition comes as it was revealed that a former banker involved in the original controversial deal is suing ICBC Bank and Stanbic Bank, its former Tanzanian subsidiary, for $30m for ruining her banking career and any other finance-related business. Shose Sinare, the former head of investment banking at Stanbic Bank, claims the bank secured the DPA by suppressing key facts. In legal documents seen by The Independent she claims the bank wrecked her career by alleging she participated in the bribery scheme.

She claims the Standard Bank misrepresented the fact it was not aware of a local third party involvement in the deal insisting it was well aware before signing the deal and that a draft collaboration document had been circulated to the entire deal team including senior officials in London.

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According to the writ Standard Bank told the SFO she resigned from her position to avoid co-operation in an internal investigation by them. It claims she co-operated fully both before and after she resigned. She insists she only quit her job in protest at the way she was victimised and/or treated for a decision made by Standard Bank.

She continued to help even after quitting and was even flown to Standard Banks offices in South Africa to assist them. She claims that during one meeting a very senior bank official told her it was essential that the bank is not in any way implicated in the allegations of, or impression of bribery because if it was it would lose its banking licence in the UK; or forced to refund investors the entire $600m and/or lose a very important transaction with the ICBC of China, which was negotiating to sell its business in London.

The banks internal investigation report implicated her in the bribery report but did not give her an opportunity to see the allegations or respond to them she claims. Ms Sinare is reported to be facing investigation in Tanzania.

More than a 1,000 people including senior Tanzanian church and political figures have signed a petition calling for the SFO to reopen the investigation.

Kapinga Kangoma, a London-based activist with Tanzanias ruling political party, said Tanzanians needed to learn the full truth about the allegations. Corruption has caused huge problems for our citizens and we need to know the perpetrators are going to be brought to justice.

The SFO said in a statement: "The SFO conducted an independent investigation into the matters self-reported to us by Standard Bank Group. We have now concluded the case into those matters that fall within the UKs jurisdiction

"The SFO can and does provide mutual legal assistance (MLA), this includes assisting overseas authorities to investigate and prosecute bribery and corruption. Any request for assistance in this case can be made to the UKCA who will consider it and if appropriate refer it to the SFO.

"We cannot comment on third party litigation."


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Scottish universities should lower entry grades for poorer students in a bid to tackle elitism, according to a major new report.

The report recommends students from disadvantaged backgrounds should be able to gain places on courses with the "minimum" academic standards needed to complete a degree.

Published by the Scottish governments Commission on Widening Access, the Blueprint for Fairness report said action was required for poor students, even if it meant wealthier children being displaced or Scotlands most prestigious universities slipping down the league table.

Commission chair Dame Ruth Silver said: To be clear, our position is not that every child should go to university or that this option should be held above all others, but we do believe that they should have the chance to do so.

By failing to fairly distribute the opportunities necessary for all of our people to flourish, Scotland is missing out on the economic potential of some of our finest talents.

Ms Silver said the problem of access was "rooted in family homes and local communities, in the complex mix of factors that shape aspiration and in the cultural differences between socioeconomic groups".

The commission, which was set up by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2015, said universities should have lower admission thresholds for every course offered by 2019 and access thresholds should be separate to standard entrance requirements.

It comes after the commission found entry requirements had risen beyond what was required to succeed in degree level study.

Other recommendation include ensuring at least 10 per cent of full-time first degree entrants - rising to 20 per cent by 2030 - at every Scottish university were taken from the 20 per cent most deprived backgrounds by 2021.

Scotland's latest figures show students from the 20 per cent wealthiest communities are more than four times as likely to go to university than the 20 per cent poorest.

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The report said the problem of closing the gap between the country's best and worst schools was made worse by the unsystematic unfairness evident in the admissions and selection processes of institutions.

It suggests Scottish universities should proactively promote the new entry requirements to schools, pupils, parents and local authorities in deprived areas.

However, there are concerns the proposal will displace other applicants from wealthier backgrounds.

Education secretary Angela Constance welcomed the report and said Scotland needed to do more to help young people from poorer backgrounds get to university.

She said: Scotland has a social, moral and economic duty to achieve fair access.

She added that the situation for poorer students had improved since 2007

Universities Scotland Convener, Professor Sir Pete Downes, the principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Dundee, said: Some recommendations, including those that focus on minimum entry requirements and guaranteed places, are going to be challenging for universities and for the Scottish Government, but we will not shy away from that, according to the Scotsman.

The report has been based on the First Ministers ambition that a child born today in one of the regions most deprived communities will, by the time he or she leaves school, have the same chance of entering university as a child born in one our least deprived communities.

A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow said: "We warmly welcome the recommendations that have been made.

"'A Blueprint for fairness' sets challenging priorities to all parts of the education system and to government to address inequality in higher education but does so in a holistic way that recognises that this approach needs to start at a very early stage of a childs life.

"We welcome the commissions recognition of the strong support already given by the sector to encourage widening access. At the University of Glasgow this includes extensive and extremely successful outreach programmes which ensure that we recruit the most able and ambitious students regardless of socio-economic background."
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Two academics have shocked themselves and the world of mathematics by discovering a pattern in prime numbers.

Primes - numbers greater than 1 that are divisible only by themselves and 1  are considered the building blocks of mathematics, because every number is either a prime or can be built by multiplying primes together - (84, for example, is 2x2x3x7).

Their properties have baffled number theorists for centuries, but mathematicians have usually felt safe working on the assumption they could treat primes as if they occur randomly.

Recommended Read more Largest known prime number discovered in Missouri

Now, however, Kannan Soundararajan and Robert Lemke Oliver of Stanford University in the US have discovered that when it comes to the last digit of prime numbers, there is a kind of pattern.

Apart from 2 and 5, all prime numbers have to end in 1, 3, 7 or 9 so that they cant be divided by 2 or 5. So if the numbers occurred randomly as expected, it wouldnt matter what the last digit of the previous prime was. Each of the four possibilities  1, 3, 7, or 9  should have an equal 25 per cent (one in four) chance of appearing at the end of the next prime number.

But after devising a computer programme to search for the first 400 billion primes, the two mathematicians found prime numbers tend to avoid having the same last digit as their immediate predecessor  as if, in the words of Dr Lemke Oliver they really hate to repeat themselves.

8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Show all 8 1 /8 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Crossing the bridge Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 minute, 2 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge? Claire Backhouse/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Number magic If you multiply me by 2, subtract 1, and read the reverse the result youll find me. Which numbers can I be? Dustin Liebenow/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles One thousand monkeys A very big building in which one thousand monkeys are living is lighted by one thousand lamps. Every lamp is connected to a unique on/off switch, which are numbered from 1 to 1000. At some moment, all lamps are switched off. But because it is becoming darker, the monkeys would like to switch on the lights. They will do this in the following way: Monkey 1 presses all switches that are a multiple of 1 Monkey 2 presses all switches that are a multiple of 2 Monkey 3 presses all switches that are a multiple of 3 Monkey 4 presses all switches that are a multiple of 4 Etc., etc. How many lamps are switched on after monkey 1000 pressed his switches? And which lamps are switched on? Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles School lockers A high school has a strange principal. On the first day, he has his students perform an odd opening day ceremony: There are one thousand lockers and one thousand students in the school. The principal asks the first student to go to every locker and open it. Then he has the second student go to every second locker and close it. The third goes to every third locker and, if it is closed, he opens it, and if it is open, he closes it. The fourth student does this to every fourth locker, and so on. After the process is completed with the thousandth student, how many lockers are open? Brett Levin/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles One bulb, three switches You have three switches in a room. One of them is for a bulb in next room. You cannot see whether the bulb is on or off until you enter the room. What is the minimum number of times you need to go in to the room to determine which switch corresponds to the bulb in next room? JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Cheryl's birthday Albert and Bernard just become friends with Cheryl, and they want to know when her birthday is. Cheryl gives them a list of 10 possible dates: May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15, and August 17 Cheryl then tells Albert and Bernard separately the month and the day of her birthday respectively. Albert: I dont know when Cheryls birthday is, but I know that Bernard does not know too. Bernard: At first I dont know when Cheryls birthday is, but I know now. Albert: Then I also know when Cheryl's birthday is. So when is Cheryls birthday? Jessica Diamond/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Sunday's child Recently, somebody said: My grandfather was born on the first Sunday of the year. His seventh birthday was also on a Sunday. In which year was said grandfather born? Will Clayton/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Probability of having boy In a country where everyone wants a boy, each family continues having babies until they have a boy. After some time, what is the proportion of boys to girls in the country? (Assuming probability of having a boy or a girl is the same). WALTRAUD GRUBITZSCH/AFP/Getty Images

A prime ending in 1 was followed by a prime ending in 1 only 18.5 per cent of the time, significantly less often than the expected 25 per cent. And, the pair found, primes ending in 3 tended be followed by primes ending in 9 more often than in 1 or 7.

The pattern - already being referred to as the conspiracy among primes - has left mathematicians amazed that it could have remained undiscovered for so long. I was floored, Ken Ono, a number theorist at Emory University in Atlanta, told Quanta Magazine. I have to rethink how I teach my class in analytic number theory now.

 How to solve the Edexcel maths question

Professor Soundararajan himself admitted to New Scientist: It was very weird. Its like some painting you are very familiar with, and then suddenly you realise there is a figure in the painting youve never seen before.

Professor Soundararajans friend Professor Andrew Granville, of University College, London, told The Independent that the Stanford mans surprise was such that he initially doubted his own discovery. He asked me to look over his paper four weeks ago, which is code for Am I kidding myself, or have I discovered something? Professor Granville added: He did ask me in November whether I would believe anything like this. Apparently, I looked at him as if he was crazy.

The two US-based academics argue that the last-digit pattern they have discovered could be explained by the k-tuple conjecture, devised in the early 20th Century to predict how groupings of primes will appear. They also point out that as primes stretch to infinity, they eventually lose the last-digit pattern and start to appear in a random manner.
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Senior figures in the Church of England ignored the sadistic assault of a 15-year-old boy by a leading London vicar for 40 years, a new report has revealed.

The Church has said it will introduce a raft of changes in the way it handles sex abuse allegations against its clergy after the deeply uncomfortable independent report revealed the abuse of a teenage boy at the hands of Garth Moore in 1976.

Moore, who died in 1990, was a leading figure in the Church at the time and later became the chancellor of three dioceses and vicar of St Marys Abchurch in the City of London.

Recommended Read more Archbishop of Canterbury Welby warns of more revelations in child abuse scandal

It has emerged the victim, identified as Survivor B, had disclosed "a tragic catalogue of exploitation and harm" to figures both inside and outside the Church over the years - but no firm action was taken.

Survivor B said when he told Michael Fisher - the leader of the Society of St Francis and suffragan bishop of St Germans in Cornwall who died in 2003 - he initiated an intense romantic friendship with the then 18-year-old which involved kissing but no penetrative sex.

He told the Guardian: This was not the right response to a young man who was seeking help.

The church has been accused of ignoring the abuse of Survivor B by Garth Moore in 1976 for 40 years (Getty Images)

[It] added another layer to the complexity of abuse. At the time, it didnt occur to me that this charismatic figure was abusing me spiritually and emotionally.

Its astonishing to me, looking back, to realise I told so many senior C of E priests and bishops. None came back and said: we need to help you get properly heard and you need a sense of real justice happening.

No one ever came back to me. There was casual and systemic inertia all the way through. These were not bad people themselves  they were people working in a profoundly dysfunctional structure.

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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He said a serving bishop wrote a heartfelt apology letter to him last month saying his not remembering set against your clear recollection may reinforce the perception of inaction that continues the hurt for you, and for other survivors. I am genuinely also sorry for this.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Church said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had pledged to ensure the reviews 11 recommendations were acted on as soon as possible.

They will include the need for training to be provided for those who deal with allegations and tell them how to record what information has been shared with them and explain what action has been been taken.

Justin Welby said will implement all 11 of the review's recommendations to prevent this happening again (Getty Images)

The Bishop of Crediton, Sarah Mullally, said the abuse suffered by Survivor B had cleared devastated his life.

She said: "I apologise profusely for the failings of the church towards him and for the horrific abuse he suffered.

"It has taken him years of heartache and distress to get his story heard and believed by those in authority, and it is clear he has been failed in many ways over a long period of time.

"We should have been swifter to listen, to believe and to act. This report is deeply uncomfortable for the Church of England."

Additional reporting by PA
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Britain is as much to blame as Russia for fuelling the fire of the conflict in Syria and must do more to deliver peace in the Middle East, Oxfam has warned.

Speaking in the wake of the news that Russia is to withdraw its military from the frontlines in Syria, the UK charity cautioned against simply blaming Vladimir Putins intervention for the deterioration of the conflict in the past six months.

Russia entered the war abruptly at the end of September last year  and the Kremlin announced it would be scaling back its efforts on Monday evening with a similar lack of warning.

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Andy Baker, who leads the Syria response team for Oxfam, told Sky News the situation in Syria was getting worse and worse as the five-year conflict goes on.

He appeared to welcome the end of Russian bombing missions which have caused quite a high number of civilian casualties and also a lot of fear in the areas targeted.

But speaking to Sky News, he said we cant only lay the blame at the feet of the Russians.

This is a problem that is owned by the whole world, he said. Its not only Russia, it is other nations too, Britain among them, that have fuelled the fire of this conflict, continuing to support one side or another and failing to deliver peace.

He said: We need powerful nations of the world, including Britain, to be concentrating on bringing a resolution to this conflict. It has gone on five years, which demonstrates the failure to deliver a peace process. Part of that has been contributions from a number of nations that have enabled the conflict to continue.

Hilary Benn, the shadow Foreign Secretary who famously supported British military intervention in Syria in an eleventh-hour speech on the day of the Commons vote last year, called an urgent debate in Parliament to discuss the Russian withdrawal.

In a statement, he welcomed the news which could help to support the ceasefire and de-escalate tension.

But the Foreign Secretary himself, Philip Hammond, warned his fellow MPs against viewing Russia enviously as the country setting the agenda in Syria.

He said: All the western partners in this enterprise play by the rules of the international system and are transparent in their actions.

British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Show all 10 1 /10 British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Pilots and ground crew prepare combat aircraft Panavia Tornados at RAF Marham at RAF Marham, UK Getty British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Eurofighter Typhoon jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet ahead of taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The air strikes were carried out within hours of a vote by MPs in the Commons to back extending operations against Isis from neighbouring Iraq British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Personnel work on a British Tornado after it returned from a mission at RAF Akrotiri in southern Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Two RAF Tornado GR4's, both with remaining weapons ordnance, approach RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, as they return to the base after carrying out some of the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado takes off from RAF Akrotiri, on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet leaving RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria AKA RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri, Cyprus. The RAF has sent two further Tornado aircraft and six Typhoons to bolster aircraft now flying sorties to both Iraq and Syria

Unfortunately, Russia is a state in which all power is concentrated in the hands of one man. Decisions are made apparently arbitrarily and can be unmade just as quickly.

This is not a recipe for enhancing stability on the international scene, Mr Hammond said. It makes the world a more dangerous place, not a less dangerous one.

Mr Hammond was also sceptical about whether the Russian withdrawal would prove to be genuine.

He said the Kremlin had made past pledges to pull its troops out of Ukraine, "which later turned out to be merely routine rotation of forces".

He says that "because Russia is completely un-transparent about its motives and its plans, we can only speculate".
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A university lecturer who moonlighted as an actor in pornographic films has resigned from his post.

Prof Nicholas Goddard, who went by the pseudonym Old Nick, taught chemistry at the University of Manchester.

The 61-year-old was discovered to have appeared in numerous pornographic films which are freely available online.

Some films he appeared in received more than a million hits.

Mr Goddard giving a lecture at his Manchester University day job (You Tube)

A University of Manchester spokesmen told The Independent: Professor Nick Goddard has resigned from his position at the University with effect from 1st April 2016. His teaching and supervision duties will be undertaken by other colleagues between now and 1st April 2016.

Love and sex news: in pictures Show all 31 1 /31 Love and sex news: in pictures Love and sex news: in pictures What makes a perfect penis? Scientists have now answered one of these great unknowns. According to a new study, general cosmetic appearance is the most important penile aspect when it comes to what women value down there. This is swiftly followed by the appearance of pubic hair, penile skin, and girth. Length comes in at number six, with the look of the scrotum trailing closely behind. The least important facet of the phallus, say the scientists, is the position and shape of meatus, the vertical slit at the opening of the urethra. Getty Love and sex news: in pictures Half of divorcees had doubts on their wedding day Over half of divorcees considered abandoning their husband or wife-to-be at the altar on their wedding day, a new study has revealed. On top of likely worrying about wedding favours and making sure guests behave on their big day, 49 per cent of divorcees admitted they were unsure before the ceremony that their marriage would last. Some 15 per cent of divorcees polled said they were so wracked with doubt that they felt physically sick in the run up to their wedding. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Students who marry after studying the same subject Picking a university subject is already difficult enough for young people. But heres an extra piece of data to weigh on your decision: you may be picking a life partner as well. Dan Kopf of the blog, Priceonomics, analysed US Census data and found that the percentage of Americans who marry someone within their own major is actually fairly high. About half of Americans are married, according to the 2012 American Community Survey (part of the Census). And about 28 per cent of married couples over the age of 22 both graduated from college. (The survey didnt recognise same-sex marriages for the 2012 data, but it will for 2013 onwards, says Kopf). Sean Gallup/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures How much sex we have (and how much we'd like) As a nation, we dont have as much sex as we would like, a survey has (somewhat unsurprisingly) confirmed. In a poll of 1523 people by YouGov, 64 per cent of Britons said they would wish to have sex at least a few times a month. The same sample said that only 38 per cent had sex at least a few times a month. In addition, 10 per cent said they wished to have sex every day, a goal which only 1 per cent admitted reaching. Rex Love and sex news: in pictures The new female condom Picture an internal condom. The chances are youre thinking of something which resembles a carrier bag. However, this could all be about to change with the new VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine. Not only is it a wireless, Bluetooth enabled, vibrating interactive device, which comes available in the shape of a heart, but the manufacturers think youll love it more than not using a condom at all. Love and sex news: in pictures One in five Brits admit to having had an affair One in five British adults admits they have had an affair, according to a new poll. 20 per cent of male respondents and 19 per cent of female respondents admitted to having had an affair in a new poll of 1660 respondents by YouGov. Orlando /Three Lions/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures The UK's favourite sex position Casting aside the myth that Brits are a prudish bunch, a new survey has revealed that doggy style is the nations favourite sex position. As many as a quarter of UK adults surveyed said doggy style was their favourite way to indulge with a partner. Missionary, which is sometimes scoffed at the most boring position, was favoured by a fifth of the 1,000 people surveyed by high street sex shop Ann Summers, seeing it come in as third under "woman on top". Caiaimage/REX Love and sex news: in pictures Who's most likely to cheat? Men and women who are economically dependent on their spouses are more likely to cheat, a new study has revealed. Researchers have found that men who are solely financially dependent are more like to cheat than women, at 15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. Men who are rely on their wives may cheat because they are undergoing a masculinity threat by not being the primary breadwinner as is culturally expected, said study author Christin L. Munsch, a UConn assistant professor of sociology. Eye Candy/REX Love and sex news: in pictures Jailed for loud sex noises A woman who breached a court order barring her from causing nuisance by making "loud sex noises" was sent to jail. Gemma Wale, of Small Heath, Birmingham, was given a two-week prison sentence after a civil court judge concluded that she had breached the order by "screaming and shouting whilst having sex" at a "level of noise" which annoyed a neighbour. Rex Features Love and sex news: in pictures Photo of wedding guest proposing to girlfriend in front of bride and groom goes viral When the staggering amount time, money, and effort that goes into to planning a wedding is considered, it seems pretty obvious that all guests have is to do is turn up with some gifts, and not upstage the couple. But this fact seems to have escaped one man, whose grinning face has gone viral after he decided to propose to his girlfriend in front of the bride and grooms top table. The photo, which has been viewed over 1.4 million times on Reddit, shows a boyfriend perched on one knee in front of his crying girlfriend. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Sexual fantasies The results of a sex survey are busting the myth that Britons are sexually repressed, by revealing how the majority of women have lived out their sexual fantasies. As many as 81 per cent of women and 77 per cent of men have shared and acted out fantasies with a partner  with having sex in public topping the list of turn-ons. The study also laid bare the influence of TV and film on our desires, with three-quarters of couples saying they had inspired them. Meanwhile, a further three quarters of women and over half of men have played out a fantasy theyd found in a book. LEO RAMIREZ/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures The world's sexiest nationalities Irish men are the worlds sexiest, according to a survey of thousands of jet-setting women. In a poll of 66,000 of single American women who use MissTravel.com, as many as 8,000 said that Irish men are the sexiest. Around half of the females who took said they were turned on by Irish men said their accent influenced their choice, according to the Irish Times. ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures More sex = happiness? Couples were asked to double the amount of sex they had each week over a three month period by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University, who compared them to couples who had their normal amount of sex. Their findings, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior, went against advice given by the average self-help book  having more sex doesnt automatically make a person happier. Instead, couples who were instructed to have more sex reported a decrease in happiness levels. Mood Board/Rex Love and sex news: in pictures Most sexually satisfied countries It is often considered the most amorous nation on the planet, but France doesn't even feature in a new list of the most sexually satisfied countries. According to a Durex global survey of 26,000 people, aged 16 and older, across 26 countries, only 44 per cent of people are fully satisfied with their sex lives. In the wake of these results, AlterNet has compiled a list of the 12 most sexually satisfied countries, with Switzerland, Spain and Italy topping the list. INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Sex o'clock They say women are from Venus and men are from Mars  but a new sex survey suggests that members of the opposite sex seem to operate in different time zones too. While women like to get steamy between 11:21pm on average, men are more likely to be turned on at the rather inconvenient time of 7:54am. These times fall into the broader timeslots of 11pm and 2am for women, and 6am and 9am for men. PIERRE ANDRIEU/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures More sex = more money People who have more sex are likely to earn more, new research claims. The research, partly conducted from the responses of 7,500 people, found employees who have sex two or three times a week earn 4.5 per cent more than colleagues who do not. Rex Love and sex news: in pictures The effects of watching porn Contrary to suggestion that porn desensitises viewers to sex, a study has found that it doesn't "negatively impact sexual functioning" and in fact boosts couples' sexual attraction to one another. In research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, scientists at the University of California tested the effects of visual sexual stimuli on men in relationships, finding that it "is unlikely to negatively impact sexual functioning, given that responses actually were stronger in those who viewed more VSS." Rex Love and sex news: in pictures 'I have herpes' A woman diagnosed with herpes at the age of 20 has written an emotional essay about living with the common condition to fight the stigma surrounding it. Ella Dawson, now 22, said she had never had unprotected sex and thought she wasn't the sort of person STDs happened to when the symptoms first appeared during her time at university in the US. She wrote that the diagnosis initially felt like a punishment for her values and relationships and worried her that telling boyfriends would ruin her love life. Ella Dawson Love and sex news: in pictures More sleep, better sex A new study could have a simple answer to enhancing your sex life  just get a good nights sleep (if you are a woman at least). A study conducted by a team at the University of Michigan Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory found women who get an extra hour of sleep at night reported higher levels of sexual desire and were more likely to have sex with their partners. Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Swipe right A woman has detailed her experiences of a week of always swiping right on Tinder. By opening the floodgates, as Ms Caster describes it, she receives scores of messages from different men  and not all are terrible. Love and sex news: in pictures The most adulterous town in the UK Ever wondered what the neighbours are up to? Well if you live in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, then the answer is probably... having an affair. The bustling East Midlands town has been granted the dubious honour of being the UK's top spot for infidelity  with a total of 941 affairs reportedly taking place right now. According to The Official Infidelity Index 2015, which was released this week, 2.54 per cent of the towns population are currently seeing someone they shouldn't. REX FEATURES Love and sex news: in pictures Average penis size revealed Scientists have measured more than 15,000 mens penises in an effort to find out what size is normal. Researchers at Kings College London and a London NHS trust said they hoped the review would help address the concern that some men have about their penis size and aid people suffering from anxiety and distress. They revealed that the average flaccid penis is 3.6ins (9.16cm) long, or 5.2ins (13.24cm) when stretched, and 3.7ins (9.31cm) in circumference. Erect penises are 5.1ins (13.12cm) long on average and 4.5ins (11.66cm) in girth. Rex Love and sex news: in pictures One true love Men fall in love more times in their life than women, according to a new survey. 2,000 adults were asked about relationships, and discovered that more than half of men say they've loved more than one person their lifetime. For women, it's markedly fewer, with only 45 per cent saying they've had multiple loves. Love and sex news: in pictures Dating site for 'beautiful people only' A self-proclaimed elite dating website has removed around 3,000 members because they were "letting themselves go". BeautifulPeople.com describes itself as the largest internet dating community exclusively for the beautiful and puts peoples photographs to a members vote to decide if they are allowed in. But administrators have now shown that the rigorous 48-hour selection period is not a permanent pass by taking thousands of profiles down, mainly because of weight gain and graceless ageing. Love and sex news: in pictures Sex is a 'miracle cure' Regular exercise  including sex, walking and dancing  are miracle cures staring us in the face and could dramatically cut our risk of cancer, dementia, heart disease and diabetes, leading doctors have said. In a new review of existing evidence which reveals the full extent of benefits that can be accrued from exercise, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said the improvement in health and savings to the NHS could be incalculable. Susannah Ireland Love and sex news: in pictures Pornhub searches by age of user Pornhubs prolific Insights blog fires out many reports of sociological interest, none more so than its latest on age, which lays bare different age groups' sexual proclivities. Looking at the most popular searches among 18-24s, there are several familial terms including 'step mom', 'milf', 'mom' and 'step sister', a trend that seems to die out somewhat in users' 30s. By 65, 'massage' becomes the top term, while 'granny' perhaps unsurprisingly also hits the top ten. PlaceIt/Just Another IKEA Catalog Love and sex news: in pictures Mature sex Research into the sexual lives of more than 7,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 90 in England reveals that half of men and almost a third of women aged 70 and over were still sexually active, with around a third of these sexually active older people having sexual intercourse twice a month or more. Around two-thirds of men and over half of women thought good sexual relations were essential to the maintenance of a long-term relationship or being sexually active was physically and psychologically beneficial to older people. Getty Creative Love and sex news: in pictures The secret to an eighty year marriage Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 42 per cent of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce, and the average British marriage which ends in divorce lasts 11 years and six months. Helen and Maurice Kaye, now aged 101 and 102, have been married for 80 years, and say the secret is: I think its important to have patience and tolerance. You're two entirely different people who suddenly live together, which can't be easy. But if you love each other, you get over the difficulties. Love and sex news: in pictures Valentine's Day porn Pornhub saw a (slight) drop in traffic on Valentine's Day as people focused on pleasuring their partners rather than themselves. Everywhere, it is, except for London. Overall UK traffic dipped 3 per cent across the UK, with Plymouth and Oxford seeing the biggest drops of 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. In fact every major city spent less time watching porn bar London, the Pornhub audience for which grew by 2 per cent. Getty Love and sex news: in pictures 1 in 10 men paying for sex A tenth of British men have admitted to paying for sex, according to a new study. Professionals aged 25 to 34 who binge drink and take drugs were found to be the most likely to have used the services of prostitutes, based on findings from a study of 6,108 men. Around 11 per cent of subjects, in the study published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections journal, have ever paid for sex in their lifetime and four per cent admitted to doing so in the last five years. Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Questions that determine if you're in love The existence of love and its nature is something that has troubled philosophers for centuries, but a pair of scientists believe they have a set of questions that yield "clear empirical evidence" of it, or at least whether your relationship will end in divorce. They are: 'How happy are you in your marriage relative to how happy you would be if you weren't in the marriage?' and 'How do you think your spouse answered that question?' Columbia

Speaking to the Sun previously, Mr Goddard said many of his friends did not think any worse of him.

"There is such hypocrisy with people watching porn then complaining about those who act in it," he said.

Why would students and staff be happy to watch it, but unhappy when they see who stars in them?

"The general consensus is most people are supportive.

While some say that his consensual sexual activities have no bearing on his work, others claim that being involved in pornography is inappropriate for someone in a teaching position at a university.

Nicola Munro posted on Facebook: "It's nothing to do with his job...or the university...there is no need to investigate him. ...unless he has acted inappropriately. Back off is what I say!"

Rimaz Rameez claimed he was a former student of Mr Goddards: "I actually had him as a lecturer and lab supervisor and had no complaints whatsoever, he was such a nice guy. Absolute b*llocks if he gets fired over this."

However, Diana Peacock posted: "Sadly this person needs to be removed, he has to educate young people. A life of a porn star, doesn't give the right impression."

"I would be concerned about the message he would send out."

Mr Goddard has said that he started doing pornographic films after his divorce, and that it was a form of stress relief for him.
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Women are being forced to use newspapers and handkerchiefs in place of proper sanitary products because they cannot afford them, according to organisers of a food bank in the North East.

Volunteers from the Darlington Salvation Army food bank said women are having to resort to old socks and paper because they have been unable to buy period pads and tampons and are too embarrassed to ask for help.

The food bank has now begun to hand out free sanitary products and started a campaign to raise awareness about how women's health is at risk, according to BuzzFeed.

Women can become unwell if they are unable to access safe sanitary products, with illnesses including urinary tract infections and vaginal infections.

Major Colin Bradshaw, who runs the food bank in County Durham near Middlesbrough, said he was "shocked that this situation exists in 21st century Britain".

"No woman should be in this situation," he told BuzzFeed.

"No woman should have to beg for a tampon."

Every female MP has been contacted by the Darlington Salvation Army food bank, but out of the 191 contacted only three have replied to Major Bradshaw, he said.

The food bank has also started a campaign called Begging for a Tampon to put pressure on the Government to take action on the issue.

Another campaign, called the Homeless Period, has called for the Government to provide free sanitary products in homeless shelters  just as it already does with condoms elsewhere.

(Getty)

According to figures, the average woman buys 11,000 tampons during her lifetime. In Tesco, a box of 20 regular Tampax costs 3.14, meaning a woman works on average 38 full working days for her entire life's supply.

Both tampons and period pads are taxed as luxury, non-essential items, despite the fact women must use sanitary products whether they wish to or not.

A petition to David Cameron to end the tampon tax  branded "shocking" and "unfair" by Barack Obama  has so far garnered 317,765 supporters.
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A British vote in favour of Brexit could endanger the Nato alliance at a time when Russia threatens Europes security, the head of the US Army in Europe has cautioned.

Lieutenant-General Frederick Ben Hodges said he was worried the EU would unravel in the event of Britains exit, weakening efforts to resist Russian expansionism in Europe and the Middle East.

Speaking to the BBC, Lt-Gen Hodges said the outcome of the referendum, due to take place on 23 June, is of strategic interest to us.

Anything that undermines the effectiveness of the alliance has an impact on us, and so if the EU begins to become unravelled there cant help but be a knock-on effect for the alliance also, he said.

Lt-Gen Hodges' concerns have also been raised by Nato security general, Jens Stoltenberg, who has previously suggested he would prefer Britain to remain in the EU, the BBC reports.

The Defence secretary Michael Fallon has also claimed the UK will be taking a big gamble with its security if it votes to leave the EU.

Lt-Gen Hodges' comments come days after the Prime Minister said Britain had 100 days to secure our future.

What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to 20 billion every year

In a campaign video, David Cameron claimed leaving the EU would increase the price of goods in shops and put jobs at risk.

However, Leave.EU spokesman, Brian Monteith, said the final 100 days of the campaign would see "more scaremongering" from the Remain camp "as the promoters of Project Fear become more desperate to keep us in the grips of a costly and disintegrating EU".

He added: "Downing Street and the self-interested banks and corporations will try every trick in the book, using false assertions, sleight of hand and misleading statistics to try and deceive the British public.

An ORB poll for the Daily Telegraph, suggests the Leave and Remain campaigns are in deadlock, with Remain on 47 per cent and Leave on 48 per cent.

However, when likelihood to vote is take into account, those backing Brexit would win by 52 per cent to 44 per cent.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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Leaving the European Union would mean the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and risk renewed sectarianism and increased violence, Lord Mandelson has claimed.

The Labour peer, who served as both Northern Ireland Secretary and European Trade Commissioner, said Brexit threatened to upset the peace process and warned that a return to border posts and elaborate checks was possible. Arguing for continued membership in a speech at the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, Lord Mandelson said the EU had been a fundamentally stabilising presence in Irelands recent history.

It is unclear what the border arrangements would be in the unprecedented situation of the UK leaving Europe, he said. Everyone would want to avoid border posts and elaborate checks but who knows what would have to be imposed? Who knows what would have to be put in place on the re-creation of that hard border?

Anything in my view that strengthened a sense of separatism between Northern and southern Ireland  physically, economically, psychologically  has the potential to upset the progress that has been made and serve as a potential source of renewed sectarianism that would always bear the risk of triggering further violence in Ireland, particularly in the North.

Lord Mandelson also claimed that Northern Irelands GDP could drop by as much as 3 per cent, with up to 50,000 jobs at risk.

Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness, Northern Irelands Deputy First Minister, wants the country to remain in the EU and said last week that a vote to leave should then result in a referendum on a united Ireland.

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. 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

But the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is the largest party in the Stormont Assembly, is supporting the campaign to leave.

Sammy Wilson, the DUP MP for East Antrim, said that Lord Mandelsons comments were not just spin, they would be credit to the most energetic acrobat.

He knows full well that the common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland is not dependent on EU membership, Mr Wilson said. Indeed, it is as important to the Republic of Ireland as it is to us and the open border at present does not cause problems of large scale illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, David Cameron accused Boris Johnson and the Leave campaign of making it up as they go along in their arguments for an alternative trade agreement with the EU following Brexit.

On 15 March, Mr Johnson expressed interest in Britain adopting an associate member relationship with the EU, similar to that enjoyed by Turkey. Last week he had appeared to support a more detached trade deal along the same line as Canadas.

 Villiers condemns Belfast bomb

But Mr Cameron said a Canadian-style agreement could take the next seven years to negotiate.

The leaders of the Leave campaign are saying they dont really want a Canada deal at all, that they werent right about that. They are literally making it up as they go along, the Prime Minister told a campaign event in Felixstowe on 15 March.

They are rolling the dice, they are taking a risk and they are taking a risk with peoples jobs, taking a risk with families finances, and I dont think that is good enough for the British people.

But new research by the Vote Leave campaign group, based on Treasury figures, claims that the UK will pay nearly 100bn into the EU over the next five years.
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The Government has no convincing plan to save the NHS from a funding black hole that poses a serious risk to the services patients receive, MPs have warned.

In a damning assessment of the Governments management of the health services finances, the influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that long-term damage had been done by unrealistic savings targets meted out to struggling hospitals.

MPs also raised concerns over the NHSs ability to cut 22bn from its running costs by 2020  a key target  because data used to estimate where savings might be made was seriously flawed.

NHS trusts  the organisations that run hospitals and other services  are facing a combined deficit of up to 2.5bn when the current financial year ends. The deficit figure has increased rapidly in the last three years, as the cost of providing care for an ageing population outstrips Government funding increases, which have been at an historically low rate.

Meg Hillier, chair of the PAC, said that hospitals were at crisis point, while Dr Mark Porter, chair of doctors union the British Medical Association, which is embroiled in a bitter industrial dispute with the Government, said the NHS was sliding into financial ruin.

 Why are people supporting the junior doctors' strike - in one minute.

The PAC, which heard evidence from senior officials at the Department of Health, NHS England and regulator NHS Improvement, concluded that the current trend in finances was not sustainable and criticised Government for doing too little to support trusts.

While praising recent attempts to crack down on high spending on rip-off staffing agencies, the committee said that the costs were being incurred in the first place because of poor workforce planning and a shortage of permanent staff.

Ms Hillier said that the Governments approach to planning is a serious and recurring concern.

There is a long way to go before the taxpayer will be convinced there is a workable an properly costed plan to secure the future of our health service, she said.

A DH spokesperson acknowledged that some parts of the NHS were under pressure but disputed claims it had been slow to act.

Were committed to the NHS and are investing 10 billion so it can implement its own plan for the future  including an extra 4 billion next year to help the NHS respond to the growing demand on services, the spokesperson said.

However, Dr Porter said there was a a complete mismatch between the governments pledges and the reality on the ground and claimed some hospitals were struggling to deliver basic care.

The chaos in workforce planning is exacerbating these pressures, with staff shortages in many key specialities resulting in far too much being spent on temporary workers, he said.
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MPs have voted to make 1 billion of cuts to tax credits, without holding a parliamentary debate on the subject.

George Osborne said in his autumn statement that he had cancelled cuts to the in-work benefits  but a little-noticed cut to the so-called income disregard was quietly left in place.

The change reduces the amount a claimants income can increase in a year before their claim is reassessed  from 5,000 to 2,500.

Any low-income worker who earns more than they had expected in a year over the threshold is forced to pay back some or all of their tax credits.

Labour says the 1 billion cuts will make 800,000 more people on low incomes poorer.

MPs voted by 272 to 228 to pass the cuts, with most Labour MPs against and most Conservatives in favour.

The cut was brought through Parliament as a statutory instrument meaning it does not have to go through all the stages of debate  a favourite tactic of the current Government.

The Treasury will gain 935million from the cut by 2020, according to an impact assessment.

 Osborne smirks during PMQs

While MPs were not allowed to debate the subject this evening, Labours shadow chancellor John McDonnell said last month that the Tories did one thing in public and another in private.

It's completely shameful when you consider that 800,000 working people, almost the equivalent of a city the size of Leeds, face losing 300 a week when the Tories are cutting taxes for a wealthy few, he said.

John McDonnell, Labour's shadow chancellor, said the Tories saying one thing and doing another (PA)

This is something George Osborne needs to urgently reverse in full in the budget next month, and it's something he could easily do if he wants to.

There will be many Tory MPs who told their constituents that their Chancellor was not cutting their tax credits who'll now be left looking silly.

As well as the income disregard cuts to the tax credit system, all the originally planned the tax credit cuts will also be applied to the Government's new Universal Credit system - meaning they have effectively only been delayed until 2020.

A Treasury spokesperson said the cuts were fair and that there would be no losers from them.

Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Show all 6 1 /6 Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits One-earner family Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Lone-parent family Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Striver couple Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Minimum-wage family Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Hard-pressed landlord Effects of the cuts to Tax Credits Two-earner family

It is a simple matter of fairness and common sense that tax credit awards are reviewed as peoples incomes change, he said.

It isnt right that someone earning significantly more should do just as well in terms of tax credits than someone earning less.

Lowering the maximum annual pay rise that is disregarded to 2,500 will simply return the system to the same level as when tax credits were first introduced.

By definition there will be no losers because peoples increase in income will outstrip any reduction to their tax credit award.
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More than a year after it dangled the prospect of drilling for the first time in the Atlantic Ocean to a hungry oil sector, US officials reversed course and said they were scrapping the plan.

The surprise decision, revealed first by the US Interior Secretary, Sally Jewel, is a blow to the oil lobby but was instantly hailed by environmental groups. Ms Jewell said keeping an existing prohibition on drilling in the region protects the Atlantic for future generations.

Floated in January last year, the plan would have allowed exploration in areas at least 50 miles from the coastlines of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. It drew instant opposition from seaside and tourist communities in all those states, including Myrtle Beach and Charleston in South Carolina.

The military also expressed concern that it would interfere with naval operations. President Obama has taken a giant step for our oceans, for coastal economies and for mitigating climate change, said Jacqueline Savitz, the vice-president of Oceana, an environmental group. This is a victory for people over politics and shows the importance of old-fashioned grassroots organising.

Energy companies had pushed hard for access to the Atlantic Ocean, which offers a rich harvest of an estimated 3.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil as well as important reserves of natural gas.
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Authorities in North Carolina say there is not enough evidence to press charges against Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for his behaviour in connection with a violent altercation at one of his rallies last week.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said legal counsel advised and Sheriff Earl Moose Butler agreed that the evidence did not meet the requirements of North Carolina law to support a conviction for inciting a riot.

The sheriff's office said while other aspects of its investigation are continuing, the investigation related to Mr Trump and his campaign is over and no charges are anticipated.

Investigators looked at the rally last Wednesday in Fayetteville, during which a man was hit in the face while being escorted out.

An-anti Trump protester shouts at the rally in Fayetteville (Reuters)

Authorities have already charged a rally attendee with assault, disorderly conduct and communicating threats after he was caught on video hitting the man being led out by deputies.

At one point during the rally, Mr Trump described a previous event in which a protester traded punches with his supporters, telling the audience: They started punching back. It was a beautiful thing.

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall  and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

In a statement, Mr Trump's campaign said: The arena was rented for a private event, paid for by the campaign and these people attended with the intent to cause trouble. They were only there to agitate and anger the crowd. It is the protesters and agitators who are in violation, not Mr Trump or the campaign.

PA
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Maggie Prayong was beaming with excitement.

She had tweeted to Donald Trump, inviting him to Youngstown, and whether or not it was her invitation that had persuaded him, the tycoons plane had just landed and he was about to appear in the flesh.

Hillary Clinton is a Commie, and so is Bernie Sanders, she said, explaining her support for Mr Trump. He says what he means, and he means what he says.

Ms Prayong, a retired nurse, reeled off a list of problems confronting the country - the economy, jobs, national security.

The duty of the president is to keep us safe, and I dont think Barack Obama has, she said, referring to the threat from Isis. I think he is a Muslim and that is why he wont go after them.

Not everyone at Mr Trumps rally in a large hangar at Youngstown airport may have shared Ms Prayongs strident beliefs about Mr Obama's religion. But the overwhelming majority were adamant that Mr Trump alone could get America out of the mess they believe it is in.

Trump says what a lot of people think but cannot say, said Kathy Meggerd, holding a Trump placard, as the tycoons plane inched towards the hangar door. He speaks his mind.

Youngstown has become synonymous with post-industrial struggle, and the devastation of a once-proud manufacturing past. The city in the Mahoning Valley was once at the heart of regional steel production, a tradition which began a dramatic decline in the 1970s.

The date of September 19, 1977, when local employer Youngstown Sheet and Tube announced the first of what would be tens of thousands of job losses, is still known locally as Black Monday.

 Trump supporter at recent rally

The city has struggled with unemployment, depopulation, the spectre of heroin - a drug that kills three people in the state every day. More recently, the region has invested in the fracking industry, but Youngstown State University is the single largest employer.

When he took to the stage, introduced by New Jersey Chris Christie, Mr Trump told those gathered what they already knew. And he sought to blame his rival, the states governor, John Kasich, and a man he very much wants to beat on Tuesday, for failing to address the decades-long problems.

Youre losing your jobs. Youre losing your factories. Theyre going to China, India, Vietnam, he said. We dont win anymore. We dont know how to win anymore. Its not in our culture anymore.

Mr Trump railed against the threat of Isis, the danger of illegal immigration and the export of Americas manufacturing industry.

He said that if he was elected president, he would personally call the head of Carrier Corp, a US firm that is moving 1,400 Indianapolis jobs to Mexico.

Its not the sort of thing a president normally would do but Id do it myself, he said. Id wish him luckBut then Id say that every component you send across our now very well secured border will be taxed at 35 per cent. The hangar erupted with cheers.

Maggie Praygong said Mr Trump would tackle the nation's woes (Andrew Buncombe)

Haskell Westmoreland was aged 79 and had worked as a steelworker in Youngstown. He had also served in the military. He said he believed Mr Trump had solutions.

I think he is gong to be great for America. He is going to knock the hell out of Isis. He says he will build a wall and I believe he will do it, he said.

You have to get people off welfare and back to work.

Mr Trumps campaign had ensured that anyone wishing to attend the event had to be bussed in, something that ensured there were no protesters and the event did not see the sort of violent scenes that caused his planned event in Chicago last week to be cancelled.

But that did not mean everyone present agreed with everything Mr Trump said.

Dylan Oney, 18, from Canton, planned to vote for Bernie Sanders, but had slipped into the rally to see Mr Trump.

Like a number of Mr Sanders supporters, Mr Oney said some of the issues the two men raised about the problems facing America were very similar. Their methods differed.

He clapped Mr Trumps vow to take care of military veterans and he said he agreed with his comments about some other issues. Yet, he said he felt uncomfortable with Mr Trumps rhetoric about immigrants and Muslims.

Asked how he would feel if Mr Trump made it to the White House, he said: I would feel uncomfortable, scared and disappointed.
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Donald Trump - fighting for a clean sweep on Tuesday in primaries that could secure him the Republican nomination - likened immigrants to the US to a deadly snake that bites the person who shows it kindness.

Speaking in a private hangar at Youngstown airport, the Republican frontrunner underscored his staunch position on immigration, vowing to build one wall along the US border with Mexico to keep Central Americans out, and another one in Syria to keep Isis fighters in.

We have to make sure we know who were letting in, he said, to cheers.

Mr Trump was introduced by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (AP)

Towards the end of a 35 minute speech delivered in front of around 1,500 people, Mr Trump recited the words to "The Snake", a 1968 song by Al Wilson.

The lyrics to the song, which Mr Trump has recited before, tell the story of an ill snake who is taken into her home by a kindly woman. The snake is nursed back to health, but then delivers a poisonous bite to its host.

The dying woman asks the snake why it has acted in such a way given that she has helped it. Mr Trump - delivering the snakes response - concluded: Oh shut up silly woman, you knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.

Mr Trump is looking for big wins in Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri and Ohio, all of which are holding primaries on Tuesday and two of which - Florida and Ohio - award their delegates on a winner-takes-all-basis.

He currently holds the lead in the first four of those states.

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall  and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

Yet it may that Ohio, where polls suggest he is running a narrow second to Ohio Governor John Kasich, becomes the most important battleground.

If Mr Kasich wins the state and its haul of 66 delegates, it would be impossible for Mr Trump to secure the Republican nomination before the partys convention in July.

Given the billionaires unpopularity among the Republican establishment, it is likely that unless he has a clear majority of delegates going into the convention, he could face a stiff challenge for the nomination from another candidate.

I'm not running to block anybody, but the math is real, Mr Kasich told reporters after an event on Monday in Youngstown at Brilex Industry.

A contested convention would be a very contentious one, as Mr Trumps supporters would revolt against what they see as efforts to steal the nomination.

It would be a meltdown, Republican consultant Bruce Haynes told USA Today.

 Trump security rushes to stage during rally

Those attending Mr Trumps rally on Monday evening in Youngstown, a former industrial hub that has for decades been fighting economic collapse, drug problems and depopulation, appeared overwhelmingly of the opinion that Mr Trump alone could help tackle the problems facing the country.

I think he will do the right thing for America, said Haskell Westmoreland, 79, a military veteran and former steel worker. He is going to knock the hell out of Isis. He says he will build a wall, I believe he will.

The biggest problem facing the country, he said, was the number of people living off welfare payments. He added: We have to get people off welfare and back to work.
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A Cambodian university student has been jailed for 18 months for asking the public to join his colour revolution and inciting crimes in an anti-government Facebook post.

The man, identified as 24-year-old Kong Raya, is the first Cambodian convicted of using social media to attack Prime Ministers Hun Sens government, who has issued warnings that online critics could be traced and arrested in matter of hours.

Disenfranchised citizens have increasingly turned to the internet to highlight alleged state abuses and demand political reforms from Mr Sens government which has ruled the country for more than 30 years.

Theres nothing to be surprised about. This is how the court works, Mr Raya told reporters as he left the courthouse. According to reports looked unshaken by the verdict as he was escorted away by guards.

The 24-year-old student was charged in August last year for urging the public to change the vulgar regime and join his colour revolution. In a Facebook post Mr Raya said he was willing to go to prison or die for his cause. How he intended to pursue it was never made clear and his call failed to garner public support.

Am Sam Ath, an activist with Cambodian rights group Licadho, said Raya's posting caused no turmoil or damage to society. "This verdict is a message, a threat to other youths and people who dare to express personal opinions," he said.

According to news agency AFP a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged in January with issuing death threats to one of worlds longest-ruling leaders.

A Cambodian opposition senator also faces up to 17 years in jail after a court charged him for posting a disputed document on Facebook about the border with Vietnam.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A woman is recovering after being kidnapped, gang-raped and poisoned by a group of men in Pakistan, it has been reported.

The 18-year-old girl was kidnapped by five men while on her way home, who took it in turns to rape her in a field in the Rawani area of Muzaffarabad on 8 March, Pervez Hameed, the Station House Officer (SHO) of City Police Station told The Express Tribune.

She was poisoned and left for dead after being attacked by the group, but survived and is being treated in hospital.

After regaining consciousness she was able to give details of her attackers leading to the arrests of five men in connection with the incident, police said.

The suspected attackers appeared in court on Monday and are being held in police custody until 23 March.

We have registered a case of rape and an attempt to murder through poisoning against the suspects. Investigation teams are working on other angles of the case as well, Mr Hameed said.

Further cases of young girls gang-raped in Pakistan have emerged this year.

In January, an 11-year-old girl was abducted and raped as she walked home from school in Abbottabad.

In the same month, a 15-year-old girl was raped and found lying unconscious on the floor of a hotel room in Lahore.

Despite many women in Pakistan reluctant to report sexual violence, 423 rapes and 304 gang rapes were recorded in the country last year by the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Rape is notoriously difficult to prosecute in the country and human rights workers say police often refuse to register cases involving attacks against women, while the rich and powerful are practically immune.

In January, the national parliament refused to pass laws to ban child marriage, instead giving in to the right-wing Islamic Ideology Council, an advisory group with no legal authority.

The Council has also said taking DNA tests to identify suspected rapists is against Islam.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his country would soon conduct a nuclear warhead test and test launch ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according the official KCNA news agency.

Mr Kim made the comments as he supervised a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the "thermodynamic structural stability of newly-developed heat-resisting materials," KCNA claimed.

"Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he (Kim) instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," the agency said.

The report comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula as South Korean and US troops stage annual military exercises that Seoul has described as the largest ever. The North has issued belligerent statements almost daily, after coming under new United Nations sanctions.

The United Nations Security Council imposed a new resolution to tighten sanctions against the North after a nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket last month.

Following the tests, South Korea shut down the joint Kaesong industrial park which is a crucial source of funding for the fragile North Korean economy.

The complex is a collection of six factories staffed by North Korean workers but operated by South Korean companies and has been a lone source of co-operation between the two countries - which are still technically at war - since it opened in 2004.

North Korea launch short range projectiles Show all 6 1 /6 North Korea launch short range projectiles North Korea launch short range projectiles A man watches a TV news program showing a file footage of the missile launch conducted by North Korea, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, AP North Korea launch short range projectiles North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaking during a ceremony for the scientists, technicians, workers and officials who worked on the recent successful launch of a satellite EPA North Korea launch short range projectiles People watch a TV news program showing a file footage of the missile launch conducted by North Korea, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, AP North Korea launch short range projectiles North Korean soldiers guard the truce village of Panmunjom at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, North Korea AP North Korea launch short range projectiles People watch a TV news program showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea AP North Korea launch short range projectiles An undated file picture released by the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North Korean ruling Workers Party EPA

On Sunday, a North Korean nuclear scientists reportedly claimed they could "wipe out Manhattan" with the latest hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) they had developed.

Experts have said it is unlikely the Hermit kingdom has actually developed a H-bomb - which is 5,000 times stronger than an atomic bomb - because the size of the blasts were too small.

US and South Korean experts have said the general consensus was that North Korea had not yet successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile. More crucially, the consensus is that there have been no tests to prove it has mastered the re-entry technology needed to bring a payload back into the atmosphere.

China has come under increasing press to rein in its ally - which is dependent on it for food aid - but has been reluctant to act as it fears the fall of the regime in Pyongyang will led to political instability and a refugee crisis on its southern border.

Reuters
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The first ever all-female flight deck crew for Royal Brunei Airlines has operated a plane from Brunei to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Although it was a milestone for the airline, the pilot crew touched down in a country where women are still not allowed to drive a car.

To mark Bruneis National Day, which celebrates the countrys independence, Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy Syed Hashim, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah Pg Khashiem and Senior First Officer Sariana Nordin flew flight BI081, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, to the Middle Eastern country on 23 February.

 Saudi Arabian women release video mocking driving laws

The occasion came just over three years after Captain Czarena became the first female captain of a flag carrier in Southeast Asia. She told The Brunei Times in 2012: Being a pilot, people normally see it as being a male dominant occupation.

As a woman, a Bruneian woman, it is such a great achievement. Its really showing the younger generation or the girls especially that whatever they dream of, they can achieve it, said the captain, who completed her initial pilot training at the Cabair Flying School in Cranfield.

And Royal Brunei Airlines is committed to getting more women into the industry as it currently offers an Engineering Apprentice programme to both males and females.

But the airline's landmark voyage also highlighted the restrictions women still face in Saudi Arabia. Although there is no law that prohibits women from driving, it is a rule imposed by conservative Muslim clerics.

 Anti-women laws that still exist in 2016

In recent years, women have used social media to protest against being forbidden from getting behind the wheel.

The Women to Drive campaign has nearly 36,000 likes on Facebook.

The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Show all 15 1 /15 The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Angela Merkel - German Chancellor German Chancellor Angela Merkel has retained her number one ranking for topping this years Forbes list for the fifth consecutive year and ten times in total. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Hillary Clinton - Presidential candidate, United States Clinton, who could become the worlds most powerful leader in 2016, has been featured on the list every year since it launched in 2014. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Melinda Gates - Cochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Melinda Gates has cemented her dominance in philanthropy and global development to the tune of $3.9 billion in giving in 2014 and more than $33 billion in grant payments since she founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband in 2000. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Janet Yellen - Chair, Federal Reserve, Washington, United States Janet Yellen made history in 2014 when she became the first female head of the Federal Reserve. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Marry Barra - CEO of General Motors Mary Barra made history by becoming the first female CEO of General Motors. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Christina Lagarde - Managing director, International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde is entering the last year of her first term heading the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the organisation which serves as economic advisor and backstop for 188 countries. Under Lagarde the IMF has supported efforts to increase female labor force participation as way to reduce poverty and inequality. The UK, Germany, China, France and Korea have endorsed Christine Lagarde for another term as the head of the IMF. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Dilma Rousseff - President, Brazil Dilma Rousseff, who has been elected in 2010, is Brazil's first female president. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Sheryl Sandberg - COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and author of bestseller Lean In, joined the company in 2008 and became the first woman on its board four years later. Sandberg helped the social network go public and expand digital revenue. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Susan Wojcicki - CEO of Youtube Susan Wojcicki is CEO of YouTube, the worlds most popular digital video platform used by over a billion people across the globe. She oversees YouTube's content and business operations, engineering, and product development. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Michelle Obama - First lady, United States Michelle Obama, the 44th first lady of the United States has focused her attention on issues such as the support of military families, helping working women balance career and family and encouraging national service. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Park Geun-hye - President, South Korea Park Geun-hye is the first female leader of a country that has the highest level of gender inequality in the developed world. In her inauguration speech, she promised to prioritise both national security and economic revitalisation. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Oprah Winfrey - Actress, Director/Producer, Entrepreneur, Personality, Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey, a former queen of daytime TV has proven she can thrive without a talkshow. Her 'The Life You Want' tour sold out stadiums from Newark to Seattle in 2014. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Ginni Rometty - CEO of IBM Ginni Rometty joined IBM in 1981 and later became the first woman to lead the company. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Meg Whitman - CEO of Hewlett-Packard Meg Whitman is the only woman to have headed two large U.S. public companies: eBay and Hewlett-Packard.Until Marissa Mayer's arrival at Yahoo, she was the only female head of a leading Internet-based company. The world's 15 most powerful women in 2015 Indra Nooyi - CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo. Mrs. Nooyi leads one of the worlds largest convenient food and beverage companies, with 2008 annual revenues of more than $43 billion.

In December 2014, Loujain al-Hathloul was detained after she tried to drive into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates. Maysa al-Amoudi, a friend who turned up to support her, was also detained. Both were released after more than 70 days in custody.

Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East and North Africa director for Human Rights Watch said at the time: After years of false promises to end its absurd restrictions on women, Saudi authorities are still arresting them for getting behind the wheel.

"The Saudi governments degrading restrictions on women are what bring shame to the country, not the brave activists standing up for their rights.
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As the mass murderer Anders Breivik arrived in court on Tuesday as part of a bid to challenge his prison conditions, he paused before the media to issue a Nazi salute  a act which offers a telling insight into the ongoing legal dispute.

The Norwegian massacred 77 people in bomb and gun attacks on 22 July 2011 at a left-wing youth summer camp.

During the criminal trial which led to his conviction, Breivik displayed a clenched-fist salute and, giving evidence, described himself as a modern-day right wing crusader fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

In his four years in prison, Breivik has received a strea, of fan mail from neo-Nazis and fascist groups around the world.

Breivik appears in court in April 2012 (Getty)

His right to answer these messages is one of the core issues behind his current legal dispute, in which his lawyers are trying to convince a judge that his prison conditions are "inhuman" and violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

Breivik is allowed some mail correspondence, but it is strictly controlled and he's not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

But that has not stopped him writing letters to the media, declaring he has abandoned his armed struggle and now wants to create a new Norwegian fascist movement while he serves his sentence  as exemplified by his new salute.

The government said on Tuesday that restrictions to Breiviks correspondence are well within the European Convention of Human Rights and are needed to make sure the killer isn't able to build militant extremist networks from within prison.

The plaintiff has not shown any sign of remorse, government attorney Marius Emberland said in his opening remarks. Breivik is a very dangerous man.

Breivik is also disputing his isolation within the prison, which he says amounts to torture. He is the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison, 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Oslo.

Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated Show all 5 1 /5 Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated Skien prison south of the Norwegian capital, Oslo Reuters Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated The gym at Skien prison which was turned into a courtroom for Breivik's appeal Reuters Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated Viewing through the door into a cell inside Skien prison Reuters Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated A bedroom study with computer(no internet access) in Skien prison similar to the one Breivik is housed in Reuters Skien Prison: Where Anders Breivik is incarcerated Two connecting cell rooms in Skien prison similar to the three rooms Breivik is kept in Reuters

The Norwegian authorities, known for their humanitarian approach to criminal justice, say Breivik has three cells at his disposal, access to an exercise yard and has been offered the opportunity to interact with other people through activities such as playing chess with prison staff.

He is a citizen of Norway and even though he is convicted for a horrible crime, he hasn't lost his human rights, said Ina Stromstad, a judge serving as a spokeswoman for the Olso district court.

Breivik is to address the court on Wednesday. Both sides will call witnesses to testify before closing arguments on Friday. The judgment is expected about a month later.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Police in Brussels have shot dead a suspect in an anti-terror operation linked to the Paris attacks, after gunmen with assault rifles opened fire and wounded four officers.

The dead person has not been identified but prosecutors said it was not Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November Paris massacre which killed 130 people, and who fled to Brussels after the attacks.

Dozens of security forces in balaclavas armed with submachine guns cordoned off the scene in the Forest neighbourhood, in the south of the Belgian capital, after armed police came under fire during a raid on a house.

"Police were fired at," Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor, told AFP news agency, adding that the search was "linked to the Paris attacks investigation".

"A body was found during a search of a house ... his identity has not been established yet but whatever the case, it is not Salah Abdeslam," Van Der Sypt was later quoted as saying by the Belga news agency.

Brussels officials confirmed a major operation was underway involving police investigating the 13 November shootings when at least one gunman opened fire, though local media reported the manhunt that followed as involving two suspects.

Speaking to reporters in the Ivory Coast, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed French special operatives were directly involved in the initial raid when gunfire broke out.

He said the operation involved intelligence linked to the Paris attacks last year, rather than any new terror threat.

Police at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels, Belgium (Reuters)

Police in Belgium confirmed one or more gunmen were on the run, and officers blocked off roads in the Belgian capital's southern suburb of Forest.

The mayor of the Brussels borough of Forest where the raid took place told Le Soir newspaper that one or more people had barricaded themselves into an apartment and that it was unclear how many others may be on the run.

Eight of the 11 named men charged over the Paris attacks remain in custody, while two others - including prime surviving suspect Saleh Abdeslam - are Belgian nationals.

A police source has reportedly told the AFP news agency that Abdeslam was not the specific target for the raid.

A victim is removed from the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels, Belgium (Reuters)

Police at the scene where shots were fired (Reuters)

With the operation still going on, a police spokesperson said the number of officers injured in the incident had risen from one to three.

The exact circumstances were still unclear, however, including whether the police officers were struck by bullets or injured in another way.

Shots were fired during a counter-terror raid on a house in Forest, Brussels, a spokesman for the federal prosecutors office said.

Belgian media reports described the Forest suburb as close to the Molenbeek neighbourhood, which was home to a number of the Islamist militants confirmed as carrying out the Paris shootings.

In pictures: Paris attacks Show all 25 1 /25 In pictures: Paris attacks In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police with protective shields walk in line near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers evacuate an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Vigipirate troops mobilize next to Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French soldiers mobilize near to the Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks People react as they gather to watch the scene near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police secure the area outside a cafe near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers workers evacuate victims near the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President Francois Hollande attending an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Spectators invade the pitch of the Stade de France after explosions were heard outside AP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A man lies on the ground as French police check his identity near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police officers man a position close to the Bataclan theatre AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Two men evacuate the Place de la Republique square in Paris as a police officer looks on AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Football fans are evacuated from the Stade de France stadium In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks An armed police officer Dan Gabriel In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France is evacuated after reports of an explosion In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A member of the French fire brigade aids an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police are seen outside a cafe in 10th arrondissement of the French capital Paris, In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers assist an injured man on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The scene at a restaurant in 10th arrondissement In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Bataclan theatre - where around 100 people are thought be held hostage In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France as it was evacuated In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Forensic experts inspect the site of an attack outside the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis AFP

Brussels was placed on a heightened terror alert in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, which saw 130 people killed.

At the time, all schools, universities, metro services and shopping centres closed as Belgian forces hunted for terrorists apparently determined to attack the city.

The lockdown was later lifted, but a heightened terror alert has remained in place in the city.

Belgium, with a Muslim population of about 5 percent among its 11 million people, has the highest rate in Europe of citizens joining Islamist militants in Syria.
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Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has pledged to block the European Union's planned refugee deal with Turkey unless Ankara grants the divided island new rights.

"Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any new chapters if Turkey does not fulfil its obligations," Mr Anastasiades said after meeting EU Council President Donald Tusk in Nicosia.

Cyprus is threatening the proposed "one-for-one" swap deal, due to be agreed at an EU summit in Brussels, which involves sending Syrians who land in Greece back to Turkey, while at the same time resettling Syrians directly from Turkish refugee camps.

Recommended Read more EU refugee deal hits setback as Cyprus objects to Turkey bid

Mr Anastasiades said Cyprus would block the plans, without implementation of Turkey's long-pending obligations" in its EU membership bid. He said Ankara must finally formally recognize the Cyprus government, stop referring to it as defunct, and open up its ports and airports.

The planned 6 billion deal would speed up talks on Turkeys bid to join the EU, as well as lift visa rules for Turks travelling to the EU. But Mr Anastasiades said that reopening Turkeys membership bid could wreck the separate talks with Turkish Cypriots on reunifying the island, which has been divided since Turkish troops invaded its northern half in 1974.

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.

Other countries have also raised concerns about the deal. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the return of refugees to Turkey from Greece is not acceptable and illegal under international law. Mr Tusk, who will chair the summit, admitted the agreement with Turkey still needs to be rebalanced before it will be acceptable to all 28 EU members.

Human Rights Watch appealed to leaders to reject the deal, saying it is legally, morally, and politically wrong, and if implemented would signal a stark repudiation of international law and the very values on which the European Union was founded.
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A seven-year-old Syrian boy could die in a German hospital because his siblings are being prevented from crossing Europes closed borders to provide him with a potentially life-saving transplant.

I took the trip and risked my childrens life just so I can try to make it in time for Ramis bone marrow transplant. They told me the family reunification could take 4 months. My son wont make it if it takes that long, his mother, Um Rami, told The Independent.

Rami was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma five years ago  just after the start of the war in Syria began.

While he was in hospital, his family was displaced from their home in Tadamoun by violence.

A surgery scar on Rami, who is currently undergoing his third course of chemotherapy (Abu Rami)

Homeless, they shuttled between Syria and Lebanon during a nine-month period in which Rami was not able to access a hospital or receive chemotherapy.

Eventually, his father made the decision to try and get the pair of them to Germany via the treacherous smuggling routes.

When they got to Germany, doctors told Abu Rami that his sons psychological state was very bad because the child wanted his mother, and that his siblings were his best match of a match for a bone marrow transplant.

Abu Rami tried to get residency so he could bring his family over under the family reunification programme, but months passed without a result.

Then a law was passed that refugees dont qualify for family reunification until two years later, he said. I was forced to send the rest of my family via the smuggling route. Then they got to Greece and the borders were all closed.

So Ramis mother, Um Rami, and his siblings also began a similiarly perilous journey.

Upon their arrival in Lesbos, Um Rami and her children were put her on a northward ferry by Neda Kadri, an American volunteer who works with refugees

But a few days later Ms Kadri received a voice note via Whatsapp, in which Um Rami explained she had been told the border was closed, and that she was stuck in a refugee camp without access to shelter or warm clothes for her children.

Rami needs a bone marrow transplant within weeks, but it will take 4 months for his siblings to enter the country (Abu Rami)

A border official had told her there wasn't "any chance" she could get through to Germany, even though she presented Rami's medical documentation. She was told by the Greek Refugee Council that although she qualified for the family relocation programme, it would take four months for her application to be processed.

Rami, however, needs his bone marrow transplant within a few weeks. Um Rami hopes the German consulate will fast-track her application so her son can receive the medical treatment he needs.

Refugees have desperately sought new routes from Greece into Macedonia in recent days (Getty Images)

"The application wasnt so much rejected as thrown to the side," Ms Kadri told The Independent. "I don't understand how they couldn't care enough about a child possibly dying to process the paperwork just a little faster. I dont know how to feel. Ive gone numb."

In her message pleading for help, Rami's mother says: I know I am burdening you with me, but I swear I dont have anyone else to call."
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In Germanys Green Party he is known as Moses, and now 67-year-old Wilfried Kretschmann may be about to live up to his nickname  by leading the way towards what Chancellor Angela Merkels more liberal-minded supporters see as the blueprint for a political promised land.

Mr Kretschmann has become a Green party icon overnight. In Sundays dramatic state elections, which saw a major swing to the populist far right, the Prime Minister of Baden-Wurttemberg state secured the biggest victory the Greens have ever achieved in Germany, winning 30.3 per cent of the vote.

The result was remarkable, not least because it put the Greens three points ahead of Ms Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU)  the dominant political force in the state since 1945. Just as notable, however, was that Mr Kretschmann won after voicing unflinching support for Ms Merkels open-door refugee policies  at the very moment her own party was busy distancing itself from her over the issue.

Now, Mr Kretschmann is also being seen as a solution to Ms Merkels national dilemma: how to survive in office, beyond the next general election, even as the anti-migrant clamour continues to grow on the right.

 Germany's anti-refugee party surges in regional elections

A Catholic from a Prussian refugee family, Mr Kretschmann conceded in an interview that he prayed every day for Angela Merkel at the height of last summers refugee crisis which led to an influx of more than a million migrants in 2015. A veteran of the increasingly mainstream Green Party, he has dismissed right-wing critics of Ms Merkels refugee policies, calling them irresponsible people who wanted to close borders and endanger Europe. That did not go down well with the regional branch of Ms Merkels CDU.

The CDUs candidate in Baden-Wurttemberg, Guido Wolf, had tried to distance himself from Ms Merkel because he feared huge gains by the xenophobic Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, which took 15 per cent of the vote in the west German state. At one stage insiders said Mr Wolfs allies were reluctant to have Ms Merkel as a speaker during the campaign because she might lose them votes.

Mr Krestchmanns victory shows how Ms Merkel has polarised Germany and upset its politics. Her refugee policies have not only handed parliamentary seats to one of the most vociferously anti-migrant parties in post-war Germany; they have also won her some unaccustomed bedfellows.

In Rhineland-Platinate state, where the CDU candidate Julia Klockner also distanced herself from Ms Merkel on the refugees issue, victory was secured by Malu Dreyer, the regions Social Democrat leader, who backed Ms Merkels policies to the hilt.

Ms Merkels true opponents are in the AfD and among some in her own conservative coalition parties, which are split over her pro-refugee policy. Now Mr Kretschmann is expected to take his Green Party in Baden-Wurttemberg into a regional coalition with Ms Merkels party. It would be the first time that conservatives and Greens have teamed up in one of Germanys biggest states, and some within her own party may not like it.

But there are not a few Merkel supporters, both within and outside her party, who would welcome it if, after the next national election, a similar constellation was formed in Berlin.
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The nanny who decapitated a four-year-old girl and held her head up in the street reportedly said she was inspired by watching Isis videos online.

Gyulchehra Bobokulova, originally from Uzbekistan, was caught on camera carrying the childs head outside a Moscow subway station on 2 March.

Speaking from the secure psychiatric hospital where she is being held until the investigation is complete, the 38-year-old reportedly said she feels more sorry for herself than her victim.

Bobokulova, who worked as a nanny for the girls parents, set the family flat on fire after the killing and was then detained by police near the metro station after pulling the head out of a bag.

Initially she said Allah ordered her to kill Anastasia (Nastya) Meshcheryakova and that it was retribution for President Vladimir Putins air strikes on Isis territory.

Local media reports that she took the severed head from her bag when she was stopped by a police officer

She told Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets: They raised my hatred and it filled me. I saw online how they were cutting off heads. This hatred.

There was a voice in my head: 'Do it to the girl'. I feel sorry a bit for her. I feel sorry for myself. I have no home, I have nothing. She was a good girl. But I don't have a home.

I saw how they cut off heads and I did it. The voices... I killed the girl, yes. But I don't need treatment. Let me go back to the normal jail.

She allegedly complained about her treatment at the hospital - which is famous for never having a single escapee during the Soviet era - saying she has been given strong drugs that make walking difficult and has been forced to have a series of painful injections.

She reportedly said: I don't want it. I walk badly because of the drugs. I fall down when I go to the toilet. My back hurts, my head hurts. All hurts.

I hardly hold a spoon in my hands. My hands do not obey me, or my legs. My hair is dirty and clotted and I can't wash it.

She claimed she no longer hears voices and insisted she is no longer ill.

Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Show all 10 1 /10 Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchehra Bobokulova smiles as she sits in a cage at the Presnensky district court in Moscow Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchekhra Bobokulova, a nanny suspected of murdering a child in her care, is escorted inside a court building in Moscow Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars The hijab-wearing nanny was spotted walking the streets of Moscow brandishing the head of Nastya Meshcheryakova, before she was detained by police AFP Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars The woman has admitted: 'Allah ordered me to kill' Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars It is believed that Gyulchehra Bobokulova has recently become radicalised Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars A police source revealed that the babysitter was registered as schizophrenic Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchehra Bobokulova from Uzbekistan was arrested on 29 February 2016 near the Oktyabrskoye Pole underground station where she had appeared dressed in black and carrying a severed child's head and shouting Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchekhra Bobokulova attends a court hearing in Moscow Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchehra Bobokulova is escorted by police Gyulchekhra Bobokulova behind bars Gyulchehra Bobokulova holds papers and yawns sitting in a cage during a court hearing at the Presnensky district court in Moscow

An unnamed doctor at the hospital told the Mail Online they had explained to Bobokulova that she needed treatment and claimed she had signed a document authorising it.

He said: We are monitoring her 24 hours a day. When we fear that she can hurt herself, we use soft ties.

Bobokulova was placed here after the conclusion made by the doctor psychiatrist who visited her in the regular jail.

She complained of voices in her head. The doctor diagnosed the serious psychiatric disorder when immediate isolation and therapy is needed.
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A woman in Sweden has started a Facebook campaign calling for stronger laws to protect mothers who breastfeed in public.

Mother-of-two Kicki Sahamies noticed a change in attitude towards breastfeeding between her first child in 2012, and her second born last year, with many more people openly expressing their disapproval.

Now she wants mothers who breastfeed to receive better protection from the law, and for the actions of those opposing the practise to be considered discriminatory.

I was at the library breastfeeding my baby in a harness when a librarian told me, in front of a crowd of people, that what I was doing didnt look good, Mrs Sahamies told The Local.

I was hurt and upset, and a lot of mothers who hear comments like that feel the same way. Theyre ashamed, often to the point that they wont even bring it up at home.

Sweden offers generous parental leave, with a 480-day paid allowance, of which 90 days is reserved for the father, in an attempt to improve gender equality.

However, Mrs Sahamies believes the countrys breastfeeding rules are less open-minded. Although mothers are legally allowed to feed it in public, there is nothing to protect them from businesses banning it or people openly expressing their distaste or disapproval.

As a society weve grown more intolerant in the last few years, Mrs Sahamies told the website.

A lot of women dont speak out when people tell them not to breastfeed in public because theyre worried that it will only make matters worse, but we cant keep a lid on this anymore.

It discriminates against the mother, but also against the child. Id like to make clear that were not against bottle feeding, thats not what this is about.

Breast milk is very good for a baby and its not acceptable for a child to be denied this food in public places, she said.

Statistics from Save the Children ranked Sweden as the fifth best country for breastfeeding rates in 2015, with 98 per cent of all mothers trying it and 60 per cent still exclusively breastfeeding after four months.

According to the NHS, breast milk can protect babies from infections and diseases, and can build a strong emotional bond between the mother and baby.
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Even before the Turkish government declared a curfew on Sunday, quiet was the most noticeable feature of the war being waged in Nusaybin.

Barricades intended to keep the Turkish army at bay marked off the quarter of the city on the Syrian border overrun by Kurdish fighters, who had taken up arms against the Turkish government. Behind them, the streets were almost silent. Gone were the sounds of cars and the shouts of shop owners and civilians who had fled, closing their businesses and homes behind them.

Sometimes the quiet was punctuated by sounds of war. Children alongside female soldiers at a guard post no longer acknowledged the whistle of bullets over their heads, nor the occasional crack of a sniper. The women too, though some had only recently become fighters, seemed unperturbed.

Young men walked the streets with pistols in their waistbands; a commander, a Kalashnikov at his side, sat and smoked with his men in a garage. They were members of the militant Civil Defence Units or YPS, linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK, a separatist organisation designated a terror group by the US, the EU and Turkey.

Children played outside abandoned houses where Kurdish fighters had stashed rocket launchers. The roads had been torn up to build barricades; holes had been cut in walls to allow fighters to move through, unobserved; tunnels had been dug beneath the streets and tarpaulins were stretched across alleyways to act as blinds against snipers.

Outside Nusaybin, a car bomb that killed two police officers and injured 35 others was blamed on Kurdish guerrillas. Because of the fighting that he claimed has caused civilian casualties, no one really goes out after sunset, said Redur, a Kurdish artist and shop owner who, like many others, asked that his full name not be used. In the last eight months, since the war started, its been like this all the time.

 Car bomb hits Turkey's Ankara for second time in weeks

On Sunday, the Turkish army positioned tanks around Nusaybin and another Kurdish town, Yuksekova, in preparation for an expected offensive to drive the Kurdish fighters back out. Many civilians packed their cars and fled, but the fighters remained.

Nusaybin, a city of almost 100,000, is on the Syrian border, just across from al-Qamishli, a Syrian city now controlled by the Kurdish YPG. Much of Nusaybin is under control of the Kurdish fighters of the YPS. Some are from Nusaybin itself; others have probably come from the PKK, to which the YPS looks for military advice and inspiration.

Last summer, armed conflict that had been in abeyance during peace talks with the government, resumed. Now we are fighting  its a period of military action and military operations, said one soldier, Serfiraz, 25.

The fighters cited the injustices they had felt as a part of the Turkish state for their engagement in the Kurds political movement. Zenda, 27, grew up in western Turkey after her family village in the majority Kurdish, south-eastern part of the country was burned by the Turkish army in 1993. She joined the YPS a month ago and still looked slightly uncomfortable with a gun in her hands.

She no longer saw politics as an effective means to advance Kurdish rights, she said. I decided that without the whole of society being free, its not possible for individuals to be really free  thats what really brought me here. Her feelings were mirrored by male fighters who felt abused by the state.

The fighters said they did not need to talk about their long enmity with the Turkish state to explain their motives, referring instead to the recent retaking of Cizre by the Turkish government and continuing violence to which they say they are subjected by the Turkish state. We dont have to talk about the history, said Xebat, 22, from Nusaybin. In Cizre, the Turkish state, the Turkish army burned many civilians alive. This itself is a good reason to be here, to be a part of the movement, and to fight for the people here.

In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani An explosion rocks Syrian city of Kobani during a reported suicide car bomb attack by the militants of Isis group on a People's Protection Unit (YPG) position in the city center of Kobani, as seen from the outskirts of Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani An explosion rocks the Syrian city of Kobani during a reported suicide car bomb attack by Isis Getty In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani An explosion in the Syrian city of Kobani set off as fighting continues Getty Images In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Heavy smoke rises following an air strike by the US-led coalition aircraft in Kobani Getty Images In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani An unidentified armed man takes position near a building in the Syrian town of Kobani, as seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Kurdish fighters walk to their positions in Kobani In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Residents of Kobani walk in the streets of the besieged town, as seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani People's Protection Unit (YPG) fighters walk in the Syrian town of Kobani, as seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani People watch the Syrian town of Kobani from near the Mursitpinar border crossing, on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani A Turkish soldier stands on a top of a tank as he watches the Syrian town of Kobani from near the Mursitpinar border crossing, on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Kobani, seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc. Kurdish forces defending Kobani urged a U.S.-led coalition to escalate air strikes on Isis fighters who tightened their grip on the Syrian town at the border with Turkey. A group that monitors the Syrian civil war said the Kurdish forces faced inevitable defeat in Kobani if Turkey did not open its border to let through arms, something Ankara has appeared reluctant to do In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Newly arrived People's Protection Unit (YPG) fighters walk in a line in the Syrian town of Kobani, seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Heavy smoke rises from the Syrian town of Kobani, seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Kurdish women mourn at the grave of a relative, who was a Kurdish fighter killed in fighting with the militants of the Islamic State group in Kobani, and was buried at a cemetery in Suruc In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Turkish army tanks mechanized units take position on top of a hill near Mursitpinar border crossing in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Smoke rises after an US-led air strike in the Syrian town of Kobani. The air strikes pushed Isis fighters back to the edges of the Syrian Kurdish border town of Kobani, which they had appeared set to seize after a three-week assault, local officials said In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani A huge plume of smoke rises after an airstrike in eastern Kobani, Syria, behind a hilltop where militants with the Islamic State group had raised their flag on Monday AP In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Turkish Kurds watch as airstrikes hit Kobani AP In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Kobani as Turkish army tanks take position on the Turkish side of the border Reuters In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Military aircraft flies over the Turkey-Syria border as it nears targets in Kobani In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Smoke rises after a US-led air strike in the Syrian town of Kobani Reuters In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Turkish Kurds, on the Turkey-Syria border, watch over the border at the intensified fighting between Isis and Kurdish forces AP In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Smoke rises during airstrikes on the Syrian town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobani by the Kurds Getty In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani A huge plume of smoke rises after an airstrike outside west Kobani, Syria AP In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani A militant with the Isis group walks in the town of Kobani In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Militants with the Isis group, bottom, along with a machine gun-fitted pick up truck, partially seen bottom right, hold positions in Kobani, during intensified fighting with Syrian Kurds In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani People watch smoke rising from the Syrian town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobani by the Kurds, after an air strike Getty In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Smoke rises from a strike at an area of a mosque that destroyed its minaret, in Kobani during heavy fighting between militants with the Isis group and Syrian Kurds In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani Militants with Isis hold positions in Kobani, Syria, during intensified fighting with Syrian Kurds AP In pictures: Fighting between Kurds and Isis intensifies in Kobani Kobani A partial view of Kobani with a mosque's minaret

Civilians throughout the region appear polarised. Of course, [for] young Kurdish people, seeing their relatives, brothers and sisters being massacred in different parts of Kurdistan is radicalising them, said Serfiraz, Many young people are joining these movements the youngsters who can take a gun and fight are already doing it now.

Meanwhile, soldiers and fringe groups affiliated with the Kurdish movement have become more violent. And civilians who havent joined the movement have been afflicted by the violence. Those who cant afford or are otherwise unable to leave the conflict zones will be trapped.

If I leave here, I have nothing left, said one woman in the Kurdish-controlled quarter of Nusaybin. I really dont care if they kill me or not, because I have no other options.
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As the first contingent of warplanes from Russias airbase in Latakia touched down at an airport in Russias southern city of Voronezh, throngs of cheering people carrying balloons gave the pilots a heros welcome. To the bombastic sounds of a brass band playing behind them, the crowds threw the pilots into the air while Russias state television filmed the celebrations. The scenes appeared to show off Russias military successes and signal the end of a war.

It was a scene Russias state television broadcast throughout the day, as news anchors heralded the withdrawal of Russias troops from Syria and the beginning of what they described as Russias main pursuit all along: peace in Syria.

At a ceremony near Voronezh, head of Russias Air Force Colonel General Viktor Bondarev praised the precision of Russias pilots, telling crowds that in more than 9,000 sorties over six months of Russian airstrikes in Syria, "there was not one bombing that was not on target, not one bombing of sensitive objects.

Recommended Read more Russian fighter jets prepare for withdrawal from Syria

News programmes were regularly interrupted by footage of Russian ground crew in the Latakia airbase loading equipment and cargo onto a transport plane headed back to Russia. Russian military commanders and defence commentators, praising the success of Russias military intervention in the Syrian war, were video-called in.

Kremlin-sponsored news outlet Sputnik echoed the governments line that the withdrawal of troops will help stimulate the process of settling the Syrian crisis politically, while the edition of state-backed newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta ran a one-word headline: Home!

The scenes of victory came on the heels of a surprise announcement from Russian President Vladimir Putin late on 14 March that the main part of [Russias] military contingent [in Syria] would return home to Russia. Russias military campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, Mr Putin said in the meeting with his defence and foreign ministers, had largely achieved its goals.

 Russian fighter jets return

Following the announcement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Mr Assad had agreed to the decision during a telephone call with Mr Putin.

But despite the celebrations over the start of the withdrawal of Russias troops from bases in Syria, Russias defence ministry has said that Russia will continue its airstrikes against Isis and other terrorist organisations. Deputy defence minister Nikolay Pankov said that certain positive results have been achieved, but that it was still too early to talk about victory over terrorism, Ria Novosti reported. A Russian air group has the task of continuing to strike terrorist facilities, he said.

A senior official from the upper house defence committee, Viktor Ozerov, has said that as many as 800 servicemen could remain in Syria to protect the two Russian bases - its air base in Latakia and its naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus  which are to remain operational.

Head of the Presidential administration Sergei Ivanov said that Russias S-400 surface-to-air missile system will also stay in place at Russias bases in Syria. The powerful systems were deployed to the bases in November last year following the downing of a Russian jet along the Syrian border by a Turkish fighter plane.

Russia has justified its military intervention in Syrias civil war as a campaign against Isis and other terrorist organisations. However activists and western observers, since the first days of Russian airstrikes in September last year, have claimed that Russias presence in Syria has been to prop up President Bashar al Assad by targeting the majority of its strikes against Mr Assads more moderate political opponents, not Isis.

In December last year, Amnesty International said that Russian airstrikes had struck civilian areas where no military targets were evident, something that could amount to a war crime. Moreover, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed last month that Russian strikes were responsible for the bombing of hospitals in two towns alleged to have been under attack from forces in support of President Assad. Russia vehemently denies the accusation.
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Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces are moving closer to the gates of Raqqa, Isis's de-facto capital in Syria, reports say.

The armed groups, made up mostly of Kurds from the YPG and YPJ fighting units, along with Arabs and Christians, are now 20 miles from Raqqa, Sky News reports.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been celebrating a string of victories as they reclaim villages from Isis control.

In the hopes of retaking communities from Isis those suspected of being Isis militants are arrested and men are often taken aside for questioning.

 Syria: French Air Force jets hit IS targets in Raqqa

With the help of coalition air strikes, the soldiers advanced from al-Shaddadi to link up with a second group from the SDF, who were attacking from Saluk, near the Turkish border.

The move cut off nearly 4,000 square miles of Isis land.

Rizgar Serekani, an SDF commander, told Sky News: "We're trying to create a barrier between here and Raqqa, to stop Isis movement and clear the area of all Isis."

Timeline: The emergence of Isis Show all 40 1 /40 Timeline: The emergence of Isis Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawis successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a real war with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assads regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a conspiracy. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Ladens successor) concerned about Isis expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraqs second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis take Baiji oil fields in Iraq - giving them access to huge amounts of possible revenue. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August James Foley is executed by the group as concerns grow for second American prisoner, fellow reporter Steven Sotloff. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August Obama authorises U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, helping to stall Isis along with action by Kurdish forces following the deaths of hundreds of Yazidi people on Mount Sinjar. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release video showing Steven Sotloffs murder prompting Western speculation his executioner is same man who killed Mr Foley. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Obama tells us that America will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist groups al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isiss deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic citys ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyras residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamists positions. AFP

Raqqa was captured by Isis forces in August 2014 and has since acted as the group's headquarters in Syria.

Syrian government forces, backed by air strikes, recently took rebel ground around Aleppo and said they were poised to advance on Raqqa.
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A senior Isis militant dubbed the terror groups minister for war has been killed in an airstrike, US officials have confirmed.

Omar al-Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, was targeted in a strike near the town of al-Shadadi in Syria, two unnamed US officials told Reuters last week.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Shishani had been badly wounded but not killed in the attack and had been moved to Isiss headquarters in Raqqa for treatment.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the observatory's director, said last week: "He's not dead, he was taken from the province of Hasake to a hospital in Raqa province where he was treated by a jihadist doctor of European origin."

Recommended Read more Tracking five years of the Syrian conflict

He said the fighter was not able to breathe on his own and has been on life support for several days.

US officials' initially said he was "likely killed" but have said they believed it was only injured and later died but did not say how they knew this.

They said he was killed along with 12 other Isis fights at a "shura" or meeting with other officials.

While al-Shishanis exact rank within the organisation is unknown he has been described as Isis most senior military commander and the US government had offered up a $5m (3.5m) bounty for information about him.

Inside Isis secret tunnels Show all 7 1 /7 Inside Isis secret tunnels Inside Isis secret tunnels Network of underground tunnels was discovered by Kurdish forces after they regained the town of Sinjar in Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels A member of the Peshmerga forces inspects a tunnel used by Isis militants in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Reuters Inside Isis secret tunnels An entrance to the tunnel used by Islamic State militants is seen in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels The secret tunnels allowed militants to freely move underground Inside Isis secret tunnels The tunnels appear to be wired with electricity Inside Isis secret tunnels Some of the tunnels are 30 feet deep Inside Isis secret tunnels Concerns remain that parts of the tunnels are rigged with explosives

Born in 1986 in a predominantly Chechen area of Georgia, Shishani fought as a Chechen rebel against Russia in 2006 before the Georgian militarys fight against them in 2008.

According to Aymenn Jawa al-Tamimi, a research fellow at the Middle East Forum, he reapplied in northern Syria in 2012 as the head of a band of foreign fighters.

He is believed to be close to Isis supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi despite not being a member of the political elite controlling the terror group.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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The Russian air force will continue bombing targets in Syria linked to Isis and other terrorist groups despite a partial withdrawal of ground troops, according to a senior defence minister.

A day after President Vladimir Putin announced "the main part" of the Russian military in Syria would begin to withdraw, deputy defence minister Nikolai Pankov said the Russian air force has "the task to continue carrying out strikes on terrorist facilities".

Speaking at a "mission accomplished" ceremony at Russia's air base in Hmeymin, Syria, he said: "Certain positive results have been achieved. A real chance has emerged to put an end to this long-running standoff.

"But it is still early to talk about victory over terrorism. The Russian aviation group has the task to continue carrying out strikes on terrorist facilities."

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with ministers at the Kremlin, Mr Putin said he had ordered "the main part of our military contingent" to withdraw, but said the Russian air base and naval facility in the country would continue to operate.

Russia began to prepare its fighter jets to return home from its air base in Syria on Tuesday morning.

The Russian defence ministry said its personnel were loading equipment and material on to cargo planes and getting ready for the withdrawal.

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

While its intervention was officially intended to combat terrorist groups including Isis, Russia has been widely accused of relentlessly targeting moderate rebel groups.

It has also been criticised for striking hundreds of civilian targets, including schools and hospitals.

Catherine Ray, a spokeswoman for the EU's foreign service, told reporters: "Any steps that help achieve de-escalation of violence inside Syria and the prolongation of the cessation of hostilities is very important for the overall peace process."

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Russia has started preparing its fighter jets to return home from an air base in Syria, according to its defence ministry.

The move comes a day after Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's military to withdraw its forces, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of Syria peace talks in Geneva  and the fifth annviersary of the beginning of the country's civil war.

The ministry says Russian personnel are currently loading equipment and material on cargo planes and getting ready for the withdrawal, which marks an end to Russia's five-and-a-half-month air campaign.

The ministry did not indicate when the first planes are scheduled to leave.

Overnight, Mr Putin and US President Barack Obama shared a "frank and business-like" exchange on the phone about Russia's decision.

In a statement about the phone call, the White House said Mr Obama told Mr Putin he welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the cease-fire took effect late last month. But the US president also noted the Syrian regime's continued offensive actions threaten to break the deal and could undermine plans for a United Nations-led political process.

The President underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria, the White House said.

A Russian soldier guards a jet parked at Hemeimeem air base in Syria. Russian warplanes have mostly stayed on the ground since the cease-fire began (AP)

In a claim given a wary welcome by the Syrian opposition, Mr Putin yesterday said that the campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad had "achieved its aims", and ordered his Foreign Minister to "intensify" Moscows role in peace talks that have resumed in Geneva.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with ministers at the Kremlin, Mr Putin said he had ordered the withdrawal of "the main part of our military contingent" but said a Russian airbase and naval facility in the country would continue to operate.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

The Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Mr Assad had agreed to the decision following a telephone conversation with Mr Putin. Syrias state news agency quoted the Syrian President as saying that the collaboration between Russian and Syrian forces has secured "victories against terrorism and returned security to the country".

While its intervention was officially launched to combat terrorist groups, Russia has been widely accused of using a relentless air campaign to target more moderate rebel groups as well as hundreds of civilian targets including schools and hospitals.
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More than 40 civilians have been killed in a Yemen market by Saudi-led coalition warplanes, officials have said.

According to news agency AFP, an official at a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the facility had received the bodies of 41 people killed in the raids, along with 35 people who were wounded.

A health official said the casualties were civilians and included children, adding that "the toll could rise".

"The scene was terrifying," Showei Hamoud told Associated Press by phone from Mastaba. "Blood and body parts everywhere." Many of the dead are children who work stalls or carry goods in return for tips, he said.

"People collected the torn limbs in bags and blankets," he said, adding that he could count up to 40 motionless bodies.

A second witness, Mazahem Khedr, said "dozens were killed" and that he saw wounded people screaming for help. Mohammed Mustafa said people were afraid to help the wounded, fearing a third airstrike.

Amnesty International said on Monday that the kingdom has led a devastating campaign of unlawful air strikes and bombardment of civilian targets in Yemen. Thousands have died. Many more have been injured and displaced. Yemen is now in a humanitarian crisis, they added.

The group also urged US President Barack Obama to cancel one billion dollar arms sale the oil-rich kingdom. President Obama has authorized the sale of over 18,000 bombs and 1,500 warheads to Saudi Arabia. These bombs have not yet been delivered.

Amnesty International has found both unexploded U.S. bombs and fragments of exploded U.S. bombs in the ruins of Yemeni homes and other civilian objects.

The World Health Organisation says more than 6,200 people have been killed in the conflict since March 2015 and the United Nations has warned of a "human catastrophe unfolding in Yemen".

Additional reporting by wires
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The withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria strengthens the current ceasefire, de-escalates the violence and brings in view the distant prospect of an end to five years of war. The extent of the Russian pull-out remains uncertain as some of its bombers flew home on 15 March, while others attacked Isis fighters holding the ancient city of Palmyra.

Russia has succeeded in achieving most of its war aims since it started air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad and against his opponents on 30 September last year. At that time the Syrian army was retreating after a series of defeats, while today it is advancing on all fronts, though it is unlikely to win a total victory.

Russian military success means that it has re-established itself as a great power in the core region of the Middle East for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. By pulling out most of Russias forces at this stage, President Vladimir Putin avoids overplaying his hand and being sucked into the Syrian quagmire as his critics had predicted.

Recommended Read more Russian fighter jets prepare for withdrawal from Syria

Russia never sent great forces to Syria and its intervention primarily involved launching air strikes in support of the Syrian army, which were carried out by 35 fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and long-distance missiles. But this was enough to multiply vastly the firepower of the Syrian army and change the balance of power on the ground. At the same time, it has become clear over the past month that Russia does not want to give Mr Assad a blank cheque enabling him to fight on until final victory.

This was the mistake made by the US and its allies, including Britain, in Afghanistan after the defeat of the Taliban in 2001 and again in Iraq after the invasion in 2003. In both cases, a US-led coalition failed to turn military victory into political success because it was propping up a weak local partner seeking to use foreign backing to monopolise power locally. Mr Putin is evidently trying to avoid this trap and maximise political gains without being dragged into a long conflict. He pursued a similar strategy in the 2008 war in Georgia when Russia won a quick victory and brought the conflict to a close.

Russian troops at Hemeimeem air base in Syria on Tuesday (EPA)

Russian intervention five months ago undoubtedly changed the military balance of power in favour of Mr Assad, so withdrawal could help the armed opposition. But the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu clearly believes that the tide has turned permanently, telling Mr Putin that the terrorists have been cleared out of Latakia, communications have been restored with Aleppo and we have cleared most of the provinces of Hama and Homs. Supported by 9,000 Russian air missions, the Syrian army has ended Isiss long siege of Kweires air base east of Aleppo and retaken three large oil and gas fields near Palmyra.

Important though these gains are, they do not entirely reverse the opposition successes last May when fighters captured Idlib City and Palmyra. Overall, Russia has enabled the Syrian government to expand its heartlands in Latakia province, move to try to seal off the Turkish border and defend the main north-south route linking Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo. The Syrian opposition is weaker than it was and Isis suffered heavy casualties because it has been squeezed between the Syrian army and the Syrian Kurds backed by US air power.

 Russian fighter jets return

Maps showing control by one side or the other in Syria are misleading because half the country is desert or semi-desert. A more meaningful comparison is the size of the populations controlled by different parties in the conflict. Around five million Syrians are refugees, mostly in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, leaving about 16 million Syrians inside the country, of whom about 10 million are in government-held areas and two million each in the Kurdish-held, Isis and non-Isis opposition zones. In other words, Mr Assad is in a strong but not overwhelmingly powerful position.

But it is a long time since the balance of power within Syria was determined by local players. This was briefly true in 2011 at the start of the uprising against Mr Assad and his Baathist government, but these purely Syrian forces were soon outweighed by regional powers such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran. From 2012 to the capture of Mosul by Isis in June 2014, these countries fought an inconclusive proxy war in Syria. But with the rise of Isis, Syria entered a third or international phase in the war in which the US and Russia became the real political and military decision-makers. Even so, it will not be easy for Syria to escape being the chosen battleground for confrontations being fought out between Shia and Sunni, Iran and Saudi Arabia, Arab and Kurd.

A pilot is welcomed at Voronezh air base after arriving back from Syria (AP)

A fruit of US and Russian dominance is the unexpected success of the cessation of hostilities, declared on 27 February after negotiations between Moscow and Washington, and the delivery of supplies to besieged communities. The secret of the surprise success of the ceasefire so far is the degree to which the fighters on the ground in Syria are the proxies of outside powers and cannot really act without their support. The US and Russia may not be able to give direct instructions to these regional sponsors, but it is difficult for states such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia to oppose US and Russian policy directly when these two powers act together.

Thanks to the internationalisation of the Syrian crisis, the ceasefire is holding for the first time since the war began. Relations between Russia and the US involve rivalry as well as co-operation and it is never certain which relationship will determine policy. Moreover, the ceasefire does not apply to all the combatants, above all it does not cover Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas branch in Syria, the two movements that dominate the Syrian armed opposition. Isis may be battered and unable to hold fixed positions in the face of concentrated air strikes, but its blend of guerrilla tactics and terrorism directed against civilian targets is still murderously effective.

A weakness of Western policy is to pretend that there is a moderate armed opposition holding territory, though sponsors of this belief can never explain where this territory is to be found or make any attempt to go there. David Cameron famously claimed that there are 70,000 armed moderates, but they appear to be disparate groups of gunmen fighting for a tribe, clan, a village or for whoever will pay them. They are not capable of fighting a well-organised fanatical movement such as Nusra, shown on 13 March when Nusra overran bases of the largest moderate force known as Division 13.

The Russian withdrawal and the ceasefire may both be messy, but these are serious and effective steps towards reducing the killing. But with the armed opposition dominated by Nusra and Isis, neither of which are in the business of compromising with anybody, it will be far more difficult to end the war.

Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East, by Patrick Cockburn, will be published in April by OR Books
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Vladimir Putin is willing to jettison President Bashar alAssad as part of a deal to end the five-year conflict in Syria, Western powers believe.

Following the surprise declaration by the Russian President that his five-month military mission in the country had fulfilled its objective, diplomats are convinced that Moscow could be ready to force the Syrian leader to allow a political transition.

Russian warplanes and troops began leaving bases in Syria on 15 March, just hours after Mr Putins shock announcement that he would begin a partial draw-down, timed for maximum impact to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Syrian uprising and the resumption of peace talks in Geneva.

While they remain cautious about the extent of the military reduction, Western diplomats predict that Mr Putin is now prepared to sacrifice the Syrian President.

After a military campaign that was officially launched to tackle terrorist groups but has largely focused on bolstering the ailing Syrian army, the diplomats say that the Russian president has achieved his aims of protecting Russias interests in Syria and re-establishing Moscow as a major player in the Middle East. They believe that Mr Putin has no qualms about jettisoning Mr Assad as long as there is continuity with the old Baathist regime that allows them to remain a key player in the countrys future  and retain its two military bases in the country. We understand that Putin is not tied inextricably to Assad, one diplomat told The Independent. Another argued: The Russians know that hes a destabilising force. If theres going to be a peaceful transition, he aint staying.

 Russian fighter jets return

On 15 March, Syrians marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising in their country. Having begun in 2011 with peaceful protests against President Assad, it descended into a deadly armed conflict that has claimed the lives of at least 250,000 people, spawned a series of terrorist groups and increasingly dragged in neighbouring countries and global powers.

Many remain sceptical of the true motives behind Mr Putins announcement, and analysts pointed out that he would retain plenty of room for manoeuvre. Russias Deputy Defence Minister, Nikolai Pankov, said that Russian warplanes would still attack terrorist targets  a term that Russia has used to justify attacks on more moderate opposition forces as well as civilian targets such as schools and hospitals.

A pilot is welcomed at Voronezh air base after arriving back from Syria (AP)

Even if Mr Putin fulfils his promise to reduce troops, Western officials expect that he will still have a bigger military presence in Syria than he did before the start of his military campaign at the end of September. An airbase at Hmeymim and a naval facility at Tartus, both on the Syrian coast, mean that Russia will retain the ability to rapidly scale its presence in the country back up. By leaving in place a powerful S-400 air defence system, it will retain control of the airspace.

Optimists suggested, however, that Mr Putin could be serious about trying to put an end to the fighting. They point to the fragile ceasefire forged between Washington and Moscow that has exceeded all expectations by lasting more than two weeks thanks to heavy pressure from international powers on their clients in Syria. They also highlight increasing signs of gaps between Moscow and Damascus which have seen Russian officials publicly warn Mr Assad against spoiling peace efforts.

Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, told the House of Commons that Russia had made past pledges to pull its troops out of Ukraine that later turned out to be merely routine rotation of forces. The official Syrian opposition delegation said that it would need to wait and see before judging whether to take the announcement seriously.

John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, announced that he would visit Moscow next week, adding that the world had reached a very important phase in the peace efforts.

 Hammond's Putin put-down

Staffan de Mistura, the UN diplomat charged with leading peace talks, said that Mr Putins announcement was a major development. He said that the refugee crisis, the Russian intervention and the threat of Isis had given negotiations a new momentum.

Huge questions remain about the steps that would be required to put an end to President Assads 16-year rule. While Mr de Mistura has said that he aims to create a transitional governing body and hold elections within 18 months, it remains unclear who would be a member of that body and what role Mr Assad would play.

Western diplomats said that Mr Assad could play a role in the process before eventually departing under pressure from Moscow  an arrangement that would be tolerated by the opposition if it had a firm guarantee that the President would depart.

There were signs in Geneva that officials and participants had been made giddy by the surprise Russian announcement. At the Hotel Royal, the four-star hotel where the opposition is staying for the talks, several members of the delegation shed tears of joy when they learnt of Mr Putins announcement late on 14 March.

One official raised the prospect that international peacekeepers could be on the ground in Syria in as little as six months.
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My first job out of university in the 1980s was as an English teacher in Bilbao, the Basque city then at the nadir of its post-industrial, pre-Guggenheim decline. Armoured cars were stationed on the citys main intersections and I well remember having a cigarette by the open window of my lodgings and hearing a bomb explode harmlessly at a nearby railway marshalling yard  just one more incident in Basque separatist movement ETAs 50-year war against the Spanish state, which officially ended in 2011.

An hour along the coast, San Sebastian, or Donostia as its known locally, had it worse than Bilbao, and a disproportionate number of the 829 victims of ETAs bombings, kidnapping and assassinations were from this charming and prosperous seaside city.

Since the turn of the millennium, however, San Sebastian has become better -known for gastronomy than terrorism, with the luxurious pintxos that I snacked on as an impoverished Tefl teacher now rightly gaining international renown, while there are famously more Michelin stars per capita in San Sebastian than in Paris  or anywhere else in the world other than Tokyo, for that matter.

With its sweeping sandy beaches and Atlantic rollers, this gorgeous natural amphitheatre, a crescent backed by Belle Epoque villas and bookended by green headlands (try to imagine if you can that Broadstairs and Rio de Janeiro had collided on the northern coast of Spain in the 1870s), the city has also recently become a destination for surfers. But culturally? Are there any reasons for art-loving visitors to the Guggenheim in Bilbao to make an hour-long detour to San Sebastian?

That may seem a strange question in the year in which the city is one of two European Capitals of Culture, an honour it is sharing with Wroclaw in Poland. But then, as one of the project managers for what has been abbreviated to DSS2016.EU, tells me, the idea is not to draw tourists to San Sebastian, but to open the minds and hearts of its residents.

San Sebastian already has enough visitors, she says. What we wanted to do is make people already here aware that there are different ways of doing things... to make them more empathetic.

Bilbao was poor, grey and run-down, and it needed a game-changer. San Sebastian is rich and doesnt need a Guggenheim... we dont need more cultural centres.

Instead, the city is embracing more nebulous concepts, such as dialogue, respect and peace  empty slogans in some places, perhaps, but not in San Sebastian. Its not as easy as throwing arms away, says the project manager, Saioa Torre of the post-ceasefire Basque region. Not living in violence doesnt mean we are living in peace.

That troubled history is addressed at the renovated 16th-century Dominican convent that now houses the Museum San Telmo, in an exhibition bringing together the work of contemporary European artists with the ephemeral Gaur group of mainly Basque artists of the 1950s and 1960s (including Jorge Oteiza, Eduardo Chillida, Nestor Basterretxea and Jose Luiz Zumeta) who wanted to break away from the stifling conformity of Francos Spain and embrace the avant garde. Highly recommended, 1966/Constellations Gaur/2016 runs until the middle of May.

San Sebastians other showcase gallery  its Tate Modern, if you like  is Tabakalera, an enormous converted tobacco factory on the banks of the River Urumea, but unlike the Guggenheim, it seems that this new International Centre of Contemporary Culture is struggling somewhat to find works worthy of its vast spaces. Still, its fifth-floor terrace provided an unbeatable vantage point for watching this years opening event  an eagerly anticipated but disappointingly underwhelming son et lumiere devised by the Catalan artistic director, Hansel Cereza, who choreographed the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Such exhibitions and spectacles are, however, only a small part of the mix, whose other highlights include: a production of A Midsummer Nights Dream in Cristina Enea Park to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death, in which the 250-strong audience will be invited to join in the wedding feast of Hermia and Demetrius (21 June-24 July); A Stop War Festival featuring Basque musicians, along with international stars such as Sir Bob Geldof and Nick Lowe (25-27 March); and, acknowledging San Sebastians rich gastronomic heritage, Time Machine Soup, a journey through history with tastings of 12 soups, from a broth that might have been boiled in caves to the instant soup of the 21st century (25-27 March).

A misconception about Bilbao is that the Guggenheim was single-handedly responsible for turning it from post-industrial decline into a shiny modern city. In fact, Bilbaos regeneration began much earlier than Frank Gehrys now iconic showstopper, with far less glamorous schemes such as moving the port and heavy industry away from the centre of the city, cleaning up the river and building a Metro system to link this messy conurbation that snakes along a narrow natural corridor. The Guggenheims main effect was to change international perceptions about Bilbao  to put it on the map.

With an International Film Festival (in September) and Jazz Festival (in July) you could argue that San Sebastian is already on the map, that indeed it punches above its weight culturally  and if the organisers of DSS2016.EU succeed in their aim of transforming the city inhabitants into eager culture vultures, then that will be the icing on the cake.

And what of Basque culture, which was so fiercely suppressed by Franco, even as the Generalissimo chose to holiday in San Sebastian? Will DSS2016.EU be the moment to restore Basque culture predominance? We are trying to promote multiculturalism. Says Saioa Torre. And one of those cultures is Basque.
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Lone wolf or mentally unstable are terms often used to describe white men who perpetrate acts of brutal terror and murder. You see, there is something about those men that protects them from being referred to by that malevolent term used so liberally by the media as well as politicians in this age of Islamist hysteria: the term terrorist.

Jailed Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in 2011 when he bombed central Oslo before going on a shooting spree at a Labour Youth camp on the island of Utoeya, returned to court today to argue that his prison isolation violates his rights.

He may still be in prison, but today he was pardoned from being referred to as a far-right terrorist by many media outlets, instead relegated to the rank of murderer or mass murderer.

Why is this the case, when Breivik is to all intents and purposes the archetypal terrorist, a cold-blooded murderer who committed vicious and violent acts for an extreme political cause? The Nazi salute that he gave in court today signifies that perfectly.

The answer and reason is simply because of the fact that a white terrorist receives privileged consideration in the media. In contrast, the terrorist moniker is one that is exclusively reserved for those who dont come from within, those who are looked upon as societys dangerous others. Nowadays, that other is almost always a Muslim.

People in power and positions of influence are quick to call those like Isis knife-wielding Jihadi John and Seifeddine Rezgui, the 23-year-old man who shot dead 38 people on a beach in Tunisia, terrorists - and rightly so. But when that same epithet is spared people like Breivik, we have a serious problem.

An explanation for this imbalanced portrayal is that terrorists are not meant to be those from the inside. No, terrorists are those who hate our democracy, our freedom, our freedom of expression, our way of life - a quote from British Prime Minister David Cameron after the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last year in Paris, and a phrase we hear frequently from other leaders.

Terrorists come from faraway lands, waiting to infiltrate foreign territory with their barbaric ideologies. Acknowledging those like Breivik as extremists diminishes the ideal terrorist exemplar that has been built up over the years by the right-wing media and politicians alike. If any normal white westerner can be a terrorist, the structure breaks down.

Rarely are Muslim extremists given an open trial where their motives are explored in detail, the way Breivik was. The inference seemed to be that by questioning and inquiring rigorously we could understand his actions. Yet when academics, activists and political commentators try to understand and explain factors which have lead some Muslims to commit horrific acts of terror, those very individuals are disparaged and branded as terrorist sympathisers.

It is evident that our perception and understanding of what constitutes terrorism is warped. We are not allowed to decide who terrorises, us but rather expected to settle with the delineation given to us by the powers-that-be.

Anders Breivik is an isolated mass murderer who acted alone. Nobody will pressure his community to condemn people within its midst, examine their religion or ideologies, or reform their way of life. Considering the rise of far-right groups in Europe today, this fact is particularly damaging.

The Breiviks of the world are consciously separated from appellations such as terrorist to maintain the belief that only those who hold a certain set of beliefs ever qualify. But if we dont condemn terrorism in all its forms, we can never learn from atrocities like the one committed on Utoeya five years ago.
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With the election of a civilian President, Burmas slow march towards real democracy takes a decisive step. True, Htin Kyaw had never been elected to anything in his life before yesterdays triumph, and until last week he was unknown outside a small circle. The only reason he will take over at the end of the month as Burmas Executive President is because his close friend, Aung San Suu Kyi, whom he has known since they were at school together, is barred by the constitution from doing so, and she picked him to be her proxy. Before Novembers general election, she made it clear that if her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won and she was unable to persuade the outgoing government to amend the constitution, she would rule anyway, above the president. That is clearly what she now intends to do.

It is a potentially messy and complicated arrangement, but it is the best she can manage in the circumstances. And given her enormous enduring popularity in her native land, confirmed by Novembers landslide election victory, she will ride a tide of public goodwill that should help her and the new government overcome any teething troubles. It remains unclear what formal role she will take in the incoming administration, but the likeliest answer is Foreign Minister. Only in such a role will she be admitted to the National Defence and Security Council, a shadowy but powerful body on which seven out of the 11 members will be military men. As Foreign Minister, however, she will be obliged to spend plenty of time travelling abroad  in which case, how will she keep her President in check? This is one of the many challenges she will be wrestling with in the months ahead.

Recommended Read more Burma elects Htin Kyaw president

Could Suu Kyi have arranged things better than this? Its hard to see how. She has been the recipient of much gratuitous advice over the years. Many, for example, exhorted her to reverse her support for the international sanctions on Burma in the larger interests of the economy, and to improve her relationship with the military regime. But although she is warmly disposed towards the army, of which her father, Aung San, was the founder, she knows from bitter experience that, for the generals, power in Burma is a zero-sum game: they consider that any gains for her and her party are losses to them. And despite the reforms and the emollient rhetoric of the outgoing President Thein Sein, himself a former general, hardball is the only game they know.

After her election triumph in November, Suu Kyi tried long and hard to charm them into amending the constitution so she could fulfil the will of the people and ascend to the presidency in person. Their answer, after tortuous discussions, was a blunt no  and they selected a notorious hardliner, former Lt-General Myint Swe, to be their vice-presidential candidate, ready to step into Htin Kyaws shoes should he fall under a bus. Myint Swe, the former head of military intelligence, is close to the senior General Than Shwe, who misruled the country for 20 years and who, aged 83 and living well outside the limelight, remains a force to be reckoned with.

Given all these obstacles and impediments, given also its rawness in government, the incoming NLD government may well find it hard to do anything. But it is essential that it takes advantage of the fair wind from the electorate. It was the Burmese nations hunger for radical change that brought them to this point; however challenging the circumstances, it must act rapidly and decisively to fulfil its side of the bargain.
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Peter Mandelson came to the "Blair Years" class at King's College, London, yesterday, to talk to our Masters students. The required reading for this week was The Third Man, Lord Mandelson's memoir of his time as minister in Tony Blair's government, as European commissioner and as the surprise returner to the Cabinet under Gordon Brown in 2008.

He told the class that Blair as Prime Minister changed the country for the better while remaining unchanged himself:

Tony Blair maintained all his character, humour and balance throughout. He was unaffected by the pomposity of high office. What was nice about him was his self-criticalness, if thats a word. He was aware that mistakes were being made, but he had a great self-correcting mechanism.

What did he do for the centre-left and for the country? For the centre-left he did nothing less than telling us how to be elected and how to govern the country again. He did so from what Roy Jenkins called the radical centre. Not as a party of class or sectional interest, but as a cross-class alliance of conscience and reform. The sort of party of the late Thirties and Forties, led by people such as Hugh Dalton and my grandfather [Herbert Morrison], and later Hugh Gaitskell. That is what Tony reinculcated into the party.

What he was seeking to do in creating New Labour was to set the goal of democratic equality  not of outcome but of opportunity  and a Fair Deal society.

Did the Blair government create this society? I would say overwhelmingly yes. The country is less divided, more socially inclusive, more socially mobile  a better society in my view. Poverty has been tackled. Public services were invested in and reformed.

As this was an academic seminar, however, Lord Mandelson said: "I want to dwell not on our achievements, which were considerable, but to ask: did we do everything right? No. I want to look at three areas where we could have done more or differently." These were the impact of globalisation, the "new politics" and Europe. On the first, he suggested that Blair had given too little weight to the problem of persistent inequality and the insecurities of those on middle incomes.

As for the "new politics" he accepted that Britain had not become much less centralised, and that "the realignment of the left, the progressive alliance, voting reform and state funding of parties" all failed to materialise. "Why? Because we overshot the runway in 1997. We did far too well for us and the Liberal Democrats to understand how much we could need each other."

He insisted that Blair's commitment to the realignment of the left, reuniting the Labour and Liberal traditions, was genuine rather than tactical. "It was his idea. It was what he thought would be his legacy." Similarly, he was fully committed to the pro-European cause:

Tony wanted a fundamental transformation of Britains relationship with Europe, with Britain and British leadership placed at the heart of the European project. That was derailed by George W Bush, by his response to 9/11, and his desire for regime change in Iraq. Chirac was hung out to dry: he was held responsible for the failure to get a second resolution.

You know Tony came into government believing very strongly in two pillars: the European and the American. He believed strongly in both. The problem was that George Bush presented him with a strategic choice  youre either with us or them. And Tony believed it was of paramount importance not to allow the US to go it alone.

In questions, he was asked about his famous comment in 1998 about being "intensely relaxed" about people becoming filthy rich.

The CEO of Hewlett Packard, Lewis Platt, said to me, "Why should I consider investing in a country like Britain thats now got a communist government?" And I said I was intensely relaxed about people becoming filthy rich, as long as they pay their taxes. That second part is often left out, usually by The Guardian.

Whats the lesson there? Never do irony.

Another student said: "Margaret Thatcher was asked what was her greatest achievement and said, 'Tony Blair.' Do you think Blair would say, 'David Cameron'?"

Youd have to ask him. Hed be entitled to. What he [Cameron] has done with his running mate, is to steal the centre ground from under our feet. Not just a national minimum wage but a National Living Wage, paid for out of higher productivity  well see about whether that materialises.

Cameron and Osborne: I mean they just swallowed the entire manual. They didnt just read the executive summary, they are following the whole thing to the letter.

He ended by saying that Blair did not see New Labour as a "response to the need for electability". It was a programme for "governability" as well, and something in which he believed.
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Michael Buerks powerful reporting of the Ethiopian famine in 1984 is one of the most famous news stories of the past 50 years. It is well known as the inspiration for Live Aid, but it also ignited interest in news reporting for a generation of future journalists  including my 10-year-old self. Buerks report  drawing the worlds attention to an unreported story  is what any journalist aims for. It is a testament to the legacy of that 23 October 1984 report, that the majority of us fall short.

So I can see why the veteran BBC journalist has let rip against celebrities such as Emma Thompson and Benedict Cumberbatch for joining political campaigns and protests. He has told the Radio Times: As a superannuated war reporter myself Im a little sniffy about celebs pratting around among the worlds victims. I hate it when feather-bedded thesps pay flying visits to the desperate to parade their bleeding hearts and trumpet their infantile ideas on what must be done. Theres only so much of the Benedict and Emma worldview you can take.

I can see why Buerk is irritated by these actors, with all of his experience in conflict reporting. But in this instance he is wrong.

It would be easy for Thompson, who has protested with Greenpeace against Shell drilling for oil in the Arctic, or Cumberbatch, who during a recent performance of Hamlet urged the audience to donate money to Syrian refugees, to remain in their bubbles of money, glamour and privilege and to turn away from poverty, conflict and misery. Just as it would be easy for Emma Watson, a multi-millionaire at the age of 25, to simply carry on making films instead of launching the hugely successful HeForShe initiative as a UN ambassador for gender equality. When Leonardo DiCaprio raged against climate change in his best actor acceptance speech at the Oscars last month, he was attacked for taking a plane across the Atlantic two weeks earlier to pick up the same award at the Baftas (what was he supposed to do, take a gigantic passenger liner from Southampton? We know how that ends).

Instead of remaining mute-but-beautiful, these actors are using their status to raise awareness. They know the huge followings they have, and the power of adding their faces and voices to a cause. Who are they harming by declaring that something must be done? Is it really infantile to be angry about the worlds problems? So many of us, celebrities, journalists and citizens alike, are impotent against war, famine and climate change. Yet if you can prick the conscience of one politician, or inspire one person to take up the cause, isnt that better than retreating into a world of Hollywood parties and fortified mansions?

Journalism can be a heroic trade  as shown in the Oscar-winning film Spotlight  and nothing can replicate the powerful reporting of its practitioners. Journalists such as the BBCs chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, currently reporting from Syria, get under the skin of a story in a way that no celebrity can. It can mean days or weeks of filming, interviewing, challenging authorities, risking your life and, in some cases, dying to tell the story.

But people know the difference between a war report on the 10 oclock news and celebrity backing for a cause. And, like it or not, actors and musicians can reach beyond viewers of evening news bulletins into a wider audience. Would the world have been as aware of the representation of Native Americans in the US if Marlon Brando hadnt asked Sacheen Littlefeather to make a speech on his behalf at the 1973 Oscars? Would war-zone rape  tragically an issue as old as the human race  have received as much coverage if Angelina Jolie hadnt been the figurehead for a campaign to end sexual violence in conflict, leading a summit in London with William Hague in 2014? For all the rhetorical abilities of the then Foreign Secretary, his voice alone would not have drawn the same degree of attention.

Recommended Read more Osborne is ambitious for himself rather than the country

And what of Band Aid and Live Aid, the fundraising single and concert inspired by Buerks original report that in turn made my generation  and each one since  aware of poverty and famine around the world? Four million people watched the BBC News on 23 October 1984, but Live Aid on 13 July 1985 was watched by 400 million worldwide. Buerk has to accept that even the most hard-hitting of news reports can only do so much.
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George Osborne will stand up to deliver his eighth Budget as Chancellor this week. Just three months ago the headlines were about the end of austerity, as Osborne boasted of steady, stable growth and a rosy outlook for the foreseeable future.

I warned him in vain at the time that there were potential headwinds in the global economy which the Chancellor would do well to heed. He has claimed in the past that he was fixing the roof when the sun was shining. The flooded communities of Northern England are tribute to his utter failure to do so: cutting back on flood defences to save money in the short term.

Despite, or because of, this approach the deficit remains some 70bn above his original target, while the Governments debt has skyrocketed from 53.5 per cent to more than 80 per cent of GDP under his watch.

Business investment has slumped again recently. Zero-hours contracts are at a record high. Wages remain below their 2008 levels. Manufacturing has still not recovered from the crash. Our current account deficit with the rest of the world has reached record highs.

Recommended Read more Osborne is ambitious for himself rather than the country

Productivity growth, the essential ingredient in delivering rising living standards, has stagnated. The gap between the UKs productivity and those of the Germany, the US and France is the widest it has been for a generation.

Osbornes recovery, now faltering, was always built on sand. He has achieved almost nothing of the plans he announced back in 2010: of a rebalanced economy, growing healthily across the country, built on high-investment, high-productivity industry.

With storm clouds gathering, the legacy of Osbornes multiple failures looms large. We live in an economy now more exposed and less able to cope with troubles in the rest of the world.

With unsecured household debt rising again, thousands of families could find themselves in financial difficulty.

All this explains why Osborne made a sudden switch from promising the world in Novembers Autumn Statement, to warning of a toxic cocktail of threats by New Year.

The brutal truth is that he has no one now to blame but himself. Osborne has been in the job six years. Its time to take a bit of responsibility. If he has difficulties today, they are troubles of his own making.

He has attempted to plug the holes in his own plans using the most vulnerable in our society. The cuts to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will hit more than 600,000 disabled people.

Even after years of cutting the public services of those least able or likely to fight back, this constitutes a new low. Labour will insist that he steps back from the brink.

The underlying problem is Osbornes commitment to severe austerity. There is not a single credible economist to be found who will support his ludicrous target to generate a 10bn surplus by 2020.

Worst yet, by trying to target government investment for cuts alongside day-to-day spending, hes undermining the performance and potential of our economy.

Government investment is scheduled to fall, as a share of GDP, in this Parliament. At a time when a growing coalition of voices, from the experts at the IMF and the OECD to business leaders and trade unions, are calling for greater government investment to head off the economic headwinds.

Osbornes plans are entirely irresponsible. These is no economic justification for the Chancellors cuts. Instead, he has made a political choice to impose them. That has meant putting his own ambitions on the Tory leadership ahead of what is good for the country as a whole.

Labours new Fiscal Credibility Rule, drawn up with support from world-leading economists, means setting realistic, achievable targets for shrinking the government deficit on day-to-day spending.

At the same time, Labours new rule will give government the capacity to invest, and the flexibility to respond to economic conditions.

We need a new approach. Its not too late to change course.
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Another day, another budget. The tweaks and turns to British public finances that the Chancellor makes each spring may not matter much in the global scheme of things. But they matter a lot to us because we have to foot the bill and/or face the cuts, and we have been set up to be disappointed. The world economy may not face a dangerous cocktail of new threats, as George Osborne colourfully declared in January. That was over the top. But there are some old threats that are not going to go away and the Chancellor of the day has to deal with them.

The first threat is a slowing world economy. The UK has managed to detach itself from the relative stagnation of the eurozone, despite the fact that it remains our largest export market. We dont have the full figures yet, but according to Consensus Economics, which tracks the main economic forecasters, last years UK growth was 2.2 per cent, compared with 1.5 per cent for the eurozone. Global growth last year was estimated to be 2.6 per cent  not brilliant, but at least it was growth. This year, the consensus is for a slight fall, to 2.5 per cent, followed by a recovery to 2.9 per cent in 2017.

These forecasts may turn out to be over-optimistic, but that is what the consensus is saying. It is not expecting a global recession, or anything remotely like it. Indeed I cannot find a single established forecaster that is saying there will be a global recession this year, or next, or the year after. The Chancellors cocktail contains the usual ingredients  heavy debts just about everywhere, a huge adjustment in China away from manufacturing and towards services, deflation in Europe and Japan, and so on  but while they have the potential to stir the world economy, it is hard to see them shaking it.

You can carry the stirred, not shaken theme over to the UK economy, too. The forecasts for growth this year range from Goldman Sachss bullish 2.5 per cent to the Economist Intelligence Units 1.7 per cent. Well get the judgement of the Office for Budget Responsibility on growth and the implications for public finances as part of the budget package. But ahead of that, it is worth just noting that growth at 1.7 per cent would be the same as Germany had last year, and Germany is supposed to be a great success story.

So why the angst? Why these warnings of further cuts in planned public spending? Why the rumours of higher taxes on fuel and insurance? The answer to that is that we are still a long way to balancing the books. We still have the largest fiscal deficit relative to GDP of any major economy, bar Japan, and the gap seems to be closing a little slower than the Chancellor hoped even three months ago.

Tax revenues are not bad. We have the figures for the first ten months of the financial year and total revenue was up 3 per cent on 2014-15. Income tax and capital gains tax were up 4.7 per cent, which is pretty good, and National Insurance Contributions up 3.5 per cent, and VAT up 3 per cent, were both fine. Some other sources of revenue, including North Sea oil and gas, were soft, but while the overall picture is all right, it is not quite as good as hoped. Were it not for the promise  nay, the legal requirement  to deliver a surplus this parliament, everything would be hunky-dory. But any slippage now puts that target at risk. The first two things to look for, then, are whether the OBRs assessment of the global outlook is really more gloomy than it was three months ago, and whether the danger of missing the fiscal target has increased.

The third thing will be how the Chancellor responds to all this. The macro-economic elements of the budget are pretty much set. It will be a fine decision as to whether he decides to squeeze a bit more tax out of fuel duties, which would be rational given the fall in the oil price. Consumers are getting most of the benefit from cheaper fuel, but it would be reasonable for the exchequer to get a bit too, if only to balance the loss of revenue upstream from the North Sea. He can scratch around to get more revenue from insurance, and maybe more from the traditional sin taxes, excise duty on alcohol and tobacco. But as noted above, revenues are not bad as it is, and without radical (and profoundly unpopular) changes the tax system will not bring in much more.

Recommended Read more Osborne has achieved almost nothing of what he promised in 2010

Nor indeed can he do much more on current spending, above and beyond what is already projected. Public spending as a percentage of GDP will be down to the level of the late 1990s, maybe slightly below, by the end of this parliament. It is hard to get it lower, and the danger is that the government will try and deflect attention from the current spending squeeze by switching the focus onto the ambitious infrastructure spending plans we have been hearing so much about.

The jargon is odd: these are the micro-economic aspects of public finance, even though the numbers are huge. But it will be on these issues, as much as than the macro, that Mr Osborne ought to be judged. Did he do stupid?

Grandiose projects that cost vastly more than projected destroy wealth. Politicians like making grand announcements: the giant aircraft carriers, Hinckley Point, HS2, a tunnel under the Pennines. But the opprobrium when the costs of these projects overrun and/or have to be abandoned, accrues to a different generation of politicians from the ones that take the decision. The opprobrium for underspending on infrastructure is often misplaced too.

So the task this week as always will be to look through the stuff about cocktails of threats and ask the simple question: is this man being sensible with public finances? All we ask for is reasonable competence. Is that too much to ask?
Farm leaders have given a guarded welcome to EU moves to curb milk production in response to the mounting dairy crisis.

A French proposal to limit production by paying its dairy farmers 10c/l out of its own State coffers has been sanctioned by EU Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan.

The French estimate that the cost of incentivising its farmers to decrease production by 3pc will be 32m.

However, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney ruled out the possibility of state coffers being tapped to help Irish farmers through the current price trough.

"We won't be putting money into that, and I don't think that the farm organisations would want that either," he said.

Less than a year after the abolition of milk quotas, other moves to ease the slump in milk prices include doubling the current limits on intervention butter and skimmed milk powder and permitting member states to give dairy farmers payments of up to 15,000.

The IFA is hopeful that this State aid option may open the way for more taxation measures that would allow income averaging over five years and the deferral of taxable income during good years.

"Today was a positive first step, but there's a lot more to do, and there's no magic solution," said the IFA's dairy chairman Sean O'Leary.

The crux of yesterday's EU Farm Council meeting was the French proposal as Irish representatives warned that voluntary measures to cut milk production could become compulsory if the price situation continues to worsen.

Commissioner Hogan said the severe market imbalance is weighing heavily on the dairy sector.

"It is the common view of the Council that the return to quotas or any other instrument of mandatory supply control is not on the agenda."

However, Mr Hogan said a number of member states, led by France, had requested access to allow producer organisations and co-ops make voluntary agreements on "supply management". The Commissioner said he was prepared to agree to measures to allow voluntary agreements on a "temporary basis".

The ICMSA said that raising the intervention price to at least 28c/l would be far more effective at relieving the crisis building on dairy farms.

ICMSA president John Comer added that the association had no objection in principle to a subsidy being paid to individuals not to produce milk on a state-by-state basis.

But he stressed that it was paramount that any such scheme was voluntary. Farmers who had scaled up and planned on the basis of the ending of quotas should not in any way be compelled to cut back production.

Retailers

Mr Comer said that until the EU was willing to compel food retailers to pay farmers and producers a living margin there was a clear onus on the EU to ensure that farmers made some kind of living and did not have to sell below the cost of production.

The French are proposing to suppress milk supplies during a five month period from May, resulting in a 320 million litre reduction in its output, equivalent to 29,000t of skimmed milk powder (SMP).

This would go some way to reducing the 63,000t of SMP that has already been sold into intervention this year at the equivalent of 21c/l. French output contributed 14pc of that total.

Milk production across the EU rose by 2.5pc, while Irish production was up 13pc last year.

Combined with re-emerging demand in China, dairy analysts believe that the moves bode well for helping a recovery in milk price.

Kerry yesterday confirmed that it is holding its February milk price at 25c/l including VAT.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Hogan has announced that he is planning to reopen Aid for Private Storage for pigmeat and increase the current 30m budget for the promotion of pork and bacon.

Other measures announced yesterday include: further collaboration between "high level representatives" from each country and the newly established Agri Markets Task Force, along with the establishment of a Meat Market Observatory along the same lines as the body compiling information for the dairy sector.

Mr Coveney had pushed strongly for the temporary removal of import tariffs that could reduce the cost of fertiliser by 14pc.
Angus heifers and steers are proving more profitable than their continental counter-parts, according to early data beginning to flow from the Derrypatrick herd at Teagasc's Grange research station.

Even though the Charolais and Limousin crossbred animals killed out marginally better, the extra returns at the factory was not enough to cover the cost the extra days required to bring them to slaughter compared to the early maturing Angus.

The only continental groups that fared slightly better than the Angus were the bulls, which netted an extra 86/hd at the meat plant. This came at an additional cost of just five extra days to bring them to slaughter weight and spec.

Teagasc researcher, Adam Woods, said that the 100 days of ad lib meal feeding during the last three months for the bulls being finished at 16 months suited the continentals. However, he added that more research would be required to establish whether the continentals could perform as well if they were being finished off grass.

Mr Woods emphasised that this was just the first year of slaughter data from the three-year trial.

Charolais and Limousin crossbred steers took an average of 88 extra days to bring to slaughter, compared to the Angus bullocks. While they were just 19kg heavier, higher kill-outs also helped boost the carcase value by 57 on average.

However, at a minimum estimated cost of 2.50 in daily feeding costs, these animals were at least 150/hd less profitable than the early maturing breed.

The continental crossbred heifers took an extra 57 days to bring to slaughter, but netted factory receipts that were 136/hd higher on average. But again, beef experts are adamant that farmers would be making as much from the early maturing breeds in this case.

Myths

The trials are also exploding the myth that continentals cannot be profitably finished at young ages. The majority of the animals achieved fat scores of 3+ or 4- at either 16 months as bulls or at 19-23 months as steers and heifers.

The continental steers finished at 383kg carcase at 22 months on average, while the continental heifers finished at 339kg at 21 months on average.

The Derrypatrick herd currently comprises 100 cows, with half of the cows bred to a Charolais sire with a high terminal index, while 50pc are bred to an Angus sire, with high terminal index. It is a spring-calving set up, with rotational paddock grazing.
The suicide risk among farmers because of economic pressures and stresses needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, a charity has warned.

Paul Kelly, from the Console charity, said they had received over 6,000 calls to its helpline from farmers last year.

His comments come following a minute's silence at the EU Agriculture Committee meeting last week to mark the number of farmers who have taken their own lives amid the difficulties in the agriculture markets.

"Some of the stories we hear are heart breaking and they are coming from people who will take care of their animals better than themselves," said Mr Kelly.

"Farmers by their nature are private individuals.

"They see it as a weakness to seek help."

Mr Kelly, who urged those in need to help to call Console's 24-hour helpline at 1800-742645, said a lack of mental health services in rural areas was a "factor".

The IFA's family and social affairs chair, Maura Canning, said a large percentage of the nearly 400 suicides recorded in Ireland last year occurred in rural areas.

"There is not a single rural community that has not been affected by suicide though there is a tendency to keep quiet about these tragedies," she said.

"The contributing factors in these deaths are numerous and include financial difficulties, family problems, isolation, depression and the pressure put on farmers from the red tape and farm inspection demands from Government agencies.

"Often just one of these pressures is too much for the farmer and something gives way and a life is lost in the flick of a switch."

She said calls to the IFA/Pieta House helpline at 1890-130022 have increased substantially.

Ms Canning urged farming families to be alert to changes in behaviour and to urge those in need to seek help and talk to family members about the issues.

Mairead McGuinness, MEP, said there is "something very rotten in our society today" if those producing food are so desperate on their farms that they are taking their own lives.
Aer Lingus Regional, the service operated by Stobart Air, is expanding its presence at Cork Airport.

It begins its new service to Leeds Bradford today, operating up to three times a week between the cities.

It also launched its service between Cork and Southampton yesterday. That service will operate up to five times a week.

Aer Lingus Regional is also increasing the frequencies on existing routes from Cork to Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle.

Stobart Air said that with the two new routes, it hopes to add about 60,000 more passengers a year to its services at Cork. It's also basing a third aircraft there.

Stobart Air is owned by UK logistics group Stobart, Invesco and Cenkos Securities. Padraig O'Ceidigh also owns 5pc of the carrier.

The airline has a franchise agreement with Aer Lingus to operate the Aer Lingus Regional service. It has been successful at generating traffic from regional UK airports and driving it through Dublin to feed Aer Lingus transatlantic services out of the capital. Stobart Air also operates flights on behalf of Flybe.

Invesco signalled last year that it was interested in exiting its investment in Stobart Air, and that potential sales process has remained on-going. Invesco owns 40pc of the business.

The expansion at Cork is a welcome boost for the airport there, which has also been fighting to secure its first transatlantic service. Cork Airport is hoping to attract an additional 165,000 passengers in 2016. It handed 2.07 million passengers last year.
The Department of Finance was charged almost 300,000 in legal fees last year to fight the European Commission's state aid investigation involving Apple.

Figures provided by the department show that 151,691 had to be paid to UK barrister Philip Baker, QC.

Smaller amounts of 55,052 and 89,184 were due for work by Irish barristers Aoife Goodman and Maurice G Collins SC, respectively.

In 2014, department legal costs of over 105,000 were accumulated in connection with state aid matters.

Both Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Apple have repeatedly said that the State and company have no case to answer in respect of the state aid investigation.

Mr Noonan has said Ireland would take the case further if Brussels finds against the technology giant.

Brussels has accused Ireland of striking a tax arrangement with Apple that was based on keeping jobs here but which gave the company an advantage that amounted to state aid and went against international guidelines.

In October, the European Commission announced in a separate state aid ruling that tax advantages granted to Fiat in Luxembourg and to Starbucks in The Netherlands were illegal.

A decision on the Apple case has been expected for some time, initially before the end of last year, and more recently, after the general election.

But it is still not clear when an outcome will be reached.

Asked recently when the probe would come to a conclusion, Europe's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager told reporters: "Don't hold your breath".

In total, the bill amassed by the Department of Finance last year for legal and advisory costs overall came to 3m.

However, 761,922 of this will be repaid, including 671,604 in relation to expenses connected with the banking sector.

Some 700,000 was also paid to the banking giant JP Morgan in relation to the capital raise by Permanent TSB, but this cost was borne by the bailed-out bank itself.

Other costs included 63,748 due to Merc Partners for advice and assistance in the nomination process for the new Governor of the Central Bank.

Trinity professor Philip Lane took over the post from Patrick Honohan late last year.

And 223,725 was paid to William Fry solicitors for legal advice to the Department in relation to IBRC Commission of Investigation.
The proceedings by AIB were transferred to the Commercial Court. Photo: Getty Images/Ingram Publishing

A BANK is pursuing two businessmen for 10.8m in summary judgment orders over loans advanced for a development in Dingle, Co Kerry.

The proceedings by AIB against Billy Moloney, of Racecourse Road, Tralee, and Eamon McCarthy, of Currans, Farranfore, were transferred yesterday to the Commercial Court.

John O'Donnell SC, for the defendants, said they were not objecting to the case being fast-tracked but among their concerns was that, notwithstanding the case, the bank should facilitate the speedy completion of sales of buildings/sites by providing its consent for those. Mr Justice Brian McGovern said the defendants could not seek to "negotiate" in court but he was sure the bank would be "sensible".

The bank's claim relates to various loan and guarantee facilities, including a 9.3m facility advanced in 2008 relating to a development site at Cnoc an Cairn, Chapel Lane, Dingle.

It is alleged some 10.8m is due and owing under the facilities and the bank is seeking judgment jointly and severally against both defendants.

The bulk of the sum being claimed relates to facilities advanced to both defendants concerning the Cnoc an Cairn development with a smaller sum sought under their limited guarantees of borrowings of Lartigue Developments Ltd, registered at Monavalley, Tralee.
The Grand Princess with almost 4,000 passengers and crew sailing into Dublin Port.

A new marketing and development agency is to put Dublin Port on the leisure map by boosting the number of high-spending cruise ship passengers visiting the city.

The Dublin Port Company wants to establish the capital as the main port of choice for cruises coming to Ireland.

The firm, which reported freight levels in excess of the boom era last year, has launched Cruise Dublin to work with industry to develop offerings for cruise customers.

Dublin Port says cruise tourism in Dublin is growing at a rate of 20pc annually.

"We want to promote Dublin as a premium cruise destination directly to cruise companies and work with businesses in Dublin to tailor packages to the needs of the cruise lines and their passengers," said Pat Ward, head of corporate services at Dublin Port Company.

Representatives of Cruise Dublin are in Florida today attending the Seatrade Cruise Global Conference where they will market the port to cruise lines, suppliers and travel agents.

Dublin Port Company chief executive Eamonn O'Reilly said a lack of five-star hotels in the city will remain a big challenge in promoting the port.

"We have a window of opportunity to make a difference now, but this can only be achieved if we all work together - the businesses, the agencies and the port," he said.
Concerns that there may be an over-concentration of pubs in the Camden Street area of Dublin have resulted in plans for a new 4m JD Wetherspoon super-pub and hotel being put on hold.

This follows Dublin City Council requesting further information from the UK pub giant on its plan on the site on a former homeless hostel at Camden Hall that is part of a wider company plan to open 30 pubs in Ireland over the next five years.

The application has attracted a number of objections being lodged by local residents against the plan that also proposes a 98 bedroom hotel at the site in a scheme that will create 100 jobs if it gets the green light.

In one objection, local resident, Barry Chambers has told the city council "enough is enough, the area is at tipping point and already fast becoming another Temple Bar - great for revellers and operators but not so good for everyone else".

Mr Chambers urged the planning officer in the case to take a stroll along Camden Street and lanes off the street at closing time "to witness the mayhem at first hand".

Mr Chambers pointed out that there are already 14 pubs on the Camden Street/Wexford Street area with 13 cafes/restaurants.

Now, in response to concerns expressed by local residents, the City Council has told the applicants that it has "concern in relation to the over-concentration of bars and restaurants on Camden Street".

It stated that "given the designation of Camden Street as a market street, the large number of bars and restaurants on Camden Street and Wexford Street and the development plan policies to protect an over an over-concentration of such uses and the shortage of hotel rooms in the city, the Planning Authority has a concern with the reduction in the number of hotel rooms and the inclusion of a 1,184 sq metre of bar/restaurant/lounge/dining and outdoor seating with tables and chairs".

As a result, the council has asked Wetherspoon to justify the reduction in the number of hotel bedrooms and submit a map showing the number of existing bars on Camden Street and Wexford Street in order to establish if there is an over-concentration in the area.

Consultants for Wetherspoon had pointed out to the council that the plan "will deliver a commercial development that will create vibrancy at street level and restore vitality to the surrounding area".

The consultants state that closing time will be 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, that "the proposed bar will not be a late-night bar in the traditional sense" and the impact on local residents will be limited.
Ward & Burke has worked on a number of water utility projects in the UK and Ireland

Profits at Galway-based civil engineering firm Ward & Burke jumped almost 9pc to 12.4m last year as it continued to win contracts in Ireland, the UK and Canada.

The firm is one of the most profitable engineering companies in the country.

Revenue last year soared 45pc to 150.4m, with overseas revenue accounting for 73pc of the figure.

Its revenue and profits have recorded significant increases in the past few years. In 2013, revenue was just 76.5m, while pre-tax profits that year were 4.7m.

Owned equally by Padraig Burke, Robert Ward and Michael Ward, the company saw its revenue in Ireland rise 30pc last year, and by 34.4pc in the UK. In Canada, its turnover climbed 60.2pc in 2015, according to figures seen by the Irish Independent.

The company, which employs close to 300 people, was founded in 2001 and entered the Canadian market in 2010, concentrating on micro-tunnelling services for utility firms. The Canadian market is thought to account for about a third of its turnover.

It recently completed a major micro-tunnelling project in Toronto.

The C$12.3m (8.3m) contract involved the construction of a micro-tunnel that was part of a wider sewer replacement project.

John Grennan, who's a director of the group's micro-tunnelling business, told an industry publication recently that the sector is strong in Canada at the moment.

"The market is driven by clients and consultants who are open to new technology," he said.

The company also recently completed a project in Calgary, which involved the relocation of a sewer due to the construction of a new ring road.

In the UK and Ireland, Ward & Burke has worked on a number of water utility projects.

Last year, it was awarded a 4.5m contract by Irish Water and Clare County Council to replace about 17km of water mains in Ennis and surrounding areas. It also won a contract to replace water pipes in an around Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

A spokesman for the company said that while market conditions continue to be challenging, it remains optimistic for 2016, and will continue to reinvest profits in the business. The company also supports engineering graduates at the National University of Galway, MIT in Boston, Oxford University, and Toronto University.
Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers:

Irish Independent

* The ESB has come in for strong criticism for not passing on more cuts to customers after it recorded huge profits.

The State-owned company made operating profits of 635m last year, an increase of 83m from the previous year.

The ESB cut electricity prices by just 4pc for households in the past year, despite collapses in the cost of wholesale gas and oil.

* The Department of Finance was charged almost 300,000 in legal fees last year to fight the European Commission's state aid investigation involving Apple.

Figures provided by the department show that 151,691 had to be paid to UK barrister Philip Baker, QC.

Smaller amounts of 55,052 and 89,184 were due for work by Irish barristers Aoife Goodman and Maurice G Collins SC, respectively.

* Facebook bosses are "optimistic" that the company will achieve a near-doubling of its Dublin-based workforce to over 2,000 employees.

"If the business continues to grow at the pace it's growing now, I'd be optimistic that we could fill the building," Gareth Lambe, head of Facebook Ireland, told the Irish Independent.

Mr Lambe was speaking as the company announced its intention to hire a further 200 people by the end of 2016. This will bring the social network's workforce in Ireland to 1,500 by the end of the year, Mr Lambe said.

The Irish Times

* Irish Water is to seek planning permission to increase the capacity of the country's largest sewage plant by 50pc.

The expansion is expected to cost 300m. The plant, which is based in Ringsend serves both Dublin city and county and parts of Meath.

The extension will mean the facility will be able to process the sewage of 2.4 million people.

* Shares at Swiss-Irish food group Aryzta fell by just over 10pc on Monday after the company said it expected erratic growth over the next year and a half.

Revenue at the firm grew by 5.5pc to 1.96bn in the six-month period ending January 31.

Earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation increased 2.7pc to 230m.

* New figures from the Central Bank shows consumers are moving away from credit cards in favour of putting their money on deposit.

In flows into deposit accounts were at their largest since 2008 while the number of credit cards has fallen by 16pc.

In the first half of 2015 there was an increase of credit card accounts in arrears when compared to the second half.

Irish Examiner

* Sanctions have been imposed on four Gas Network Ireland employees and the firm has been fined 500,000 (644,122) due to "serious financial impropriety".

According to a report in the Irish Examiner a whistleblower came forward claiming that a pipeline project in the Republic in 2003 had an overrun of 500,000.

The whistleblower said the overrun was covered up by assigning costs to other jobs, one of which was based in the North.

* Irish consumer grocery spending has increased by 3.6pc over the last three months according to the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel.

The figures from the consumer insights agency covered the three month period that ended on March 1.

Shopper spending has increased by at least 3pc in the last three 12-week reporting periods.

* Concerns that there may be an over-concentration of pubs in the Camden Street area of Dublin have resulted in plans for a new 4m JD Wetherspoon super-pub and hotel being put on hold.

This follows Dublin City Council requesting further information from the UK pub giant on its plan on the site on a former homeless hostel at Camden Hall that is part of a wider company plan to open 30 pubs in Ireland over the next five years.

The application has attracted a number of objections being lodged by local residents against the plan that also proposes a 98 bedroom hotel at the site in a scheme that will create 100 jobs if it gets the green light.
The prevelance of low pay in Ireland is high compared with other countries, with women most at risk, the Nevin Economic Research Institute has said.

Only the United States and South Korea have a higher share of full-time employees on low pay, according to NERI, quoting research from the OECD.

In its latest economic update, the trade union funded body also warned of regional differences in the labour market, with a pronounced improvement in Dublin. This, it said, could have a knock on effect for rural population numbers and housing in the capital.

NERI said average earnings are improving overall, but added that over the past 15 years there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of workers classified as being low paid in Ireland, with 20.4pc in 1997, rising to 23.3pc by 2013.

The think tank said low paid employees represent those earning less than 11.45 per hour.

NERI focused on the prevalence of low pay among women and found that in 2013, there were 207,000 female employees categorised as working for low pay, about 60pc of the total.

"Women carry a 29.3pc risk of low pay, meaning that almost three in every ten female employees are low paid," the body said. "The corresponding situation for males is two in every ten."

Just over 60pc of low paid women work in three sectors - wholesale and retail, accommodation and food, and health and social work.

But pay overall is set to increase, with NERI forecasting that average earnings will rise by 2pc this year and 2.2pc in 2017.

But the think tank pointed out that while the headline indicators for the labour market have been positive since 2012, there are regional imbalances.

For example, for the State as a whole, the labour force, participation rate and employment numbers have all increased, while unemployment has fallen. But in the West, the labour force last year dropped 2,200, the participation rate was 0.7pc lower, employment fell by 2,500 and unemployment increased by 200.

In the Mid-East, the labour force dropped by 4,800, the participation rate fell 1.1pc and employment numbers slipped by 2,100. But unemployment dropped by 2,700.
Developers Michael and Richard Larkin paid themselves 254,633 from the company that is now seeking to remove residents from their rented homes in Tyrellstown.

Between 2013 and 2014, the developers doubled the directors' remuneration at Twinlite, the property management company that informed residents their leases would not be renewed.

The only two listed directors of the company were the brothers.

The payment package included pension contributions and, if split evenly, equated to around 127,316 each.

The latest annual accounts for the company revealed how the two Larkin directors shared a remuneration package of 125,358 in 2013, before the hike in the following year.

The increase came despite the company's accountants noting that its survival as a going concern was dependant on continued support from shareholders, group companies and financial institutions.

The accounts also showed that staff numbers remained the same in the two years, but staff costs for 10 employees increased over that period from 319,606 to 562,824.

The developers came into the spotlight after it emerged over the weekend that houses in the Cruise Park estate in west Dublin were to be sold.

At first, it was thought that more than 200 houses with tenants were to be vacated.

Over the weekend, Twinlite said in a statement that a company called European Property Fund (EPF) was planning to "exit the residential property market" and had 103 properties in Tyrellstown that would be sold. However, yesterday, a spokesman for the Larkins said that 40 people would be asked to leave.

Shares

The Larkins and Twinlite have attempted to distance themselves from the move, claiming that they sold the properties to EPF in 2008, which then rented them out.

However, High Court records from as recently as December 2014 show that the brothers were the ultimate beneficiaries of shares in EPF. The information was in an affidavit sworn by Richard Larkin on October 7, 2014.

It was part of a failed case taken by the developers to stop Ulster Bank from selling on 89m in development loans to a Goldman Sachs vulture fund.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (CR) accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (2R), are shown chocolate products by Fiona Dawson (C) President of Mars Chocolate UK in the pilot plant, part of the research and development, during a visit to Mars Chocolate UK in Slough, southern England on April 5, 2013. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Mars factory in Slough that has been producing chocolate for over 80 years. A plaque was unveiled to commemorate the visit in which the Queen toured the facility and spoke with members of staff. Cook has worked for Mars for 69 years. (PHOTO: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The number of Irish directors of UK firms has reached an all time high and one in three Irish directors in the UK are now female.

The Foreign Directors report by communications agency Eulogy, which will be formally launched at the Irish Embassy in London this evening, had recorded a 13pc growth in Irish directors of UK firms since last year.

Irish nationals remain the largest proportion of non British nationals leading UK based companies, with some 60,892 Irish directors in the UK heading more than 16,000 companies or 10.7pc.

Joining Ireland in the top five foreign directors are Germany, America, India and Poland.

Mr Brady said the surpassing of the 60,000 threshold indicated the continued positive impact of Irish directors on the UK economy and said that the number of Irish women on UK boards was beating every other nationality.

"The tremendous 17pc growth in Irish women in UK boards sets a strong example as gender diversity remains firmly at the top of the agenda for businesses in Britain," said Mr Brady.

"Our report demonstrates the dear value of migration in driving success and provides significant food for thought during this pivotal time for Europe".

Mr Brady added that although Brexit had not formed part of its research, many Irish directors the firm had spoken to expressed concerns about the impact of any split by Britain on open borders, free trade and services.

The report, outlining strong growth of directors in areas such as tech, services and retail, raises questions that Ireland could be exposed to a brain drain of creative talent from Ireland to the UK as talent migrates there.
Time, its said, is a great healer. Really? Try telling that to the poor viewers who sat through the live broadcast of the 2014 IFTAs. You remember it, dont you? The flat jokes. The presenters and winners words being drowned out by the clinking of glasses, the clanking of plates and the swelling chatter of a roomful of tanked-up people whod lost interest.

Laura Whitmore later said that if it hadnt been for her indomitable co-host, Simon Delaney, she might have walked away from the whole thing there and then.

Last years awards didnt go out on live television. Its back this year, though, on TV3 on April 9.

I imagine the station will go to great lengths to ensure it all goes off without a hitch.

But even if the production proves to be the slickest thing since Elvis Presleys hair circa 1956, I cant get over the feeling that the awards are becoming more pointless with every annual retelling.

The contenders for this years television drama awards (the awards for anything that isnt drama are being held over til October) were announced yesterday.

Ill give them credit where its due, one thing they have got right this year is the fact that leading the field  with a hefty nine nominations  is TG4s Yukon gold rush adventure An Klondike.

Next comes Rebellion with eight, Vikings (five), Penny Dreadful (three) and Game of Thrones (two).

I wish the decision were left to me and me alone.

Id save four of those five a lot of taxi fares, tuxedo rental fees and dress designer bills by bundling all 28 award statuettes into a sturdy parcel and giving it to An Klondike.

Quite simply, it deserves all of them.

Why? Well, for a start, it was excellently written, produced, directed, shot and acted  and all on a severely restricted budget.

Video of the Day

Shoestring doesnt even begin to describe the meagre money spent on turning Galway into the Yukon (although it was done very convincingly).

It certainly didnt have the most viewers, either.

Therell most likely be more people sitting inside the Mansion House, the venue for this years IFTAs, than watched An Klondike when it was broadcast (although the exposure on the night will hopefully encourage some people to check it out).

What it had in abundance was ambition, originality and Irishness. One-hundred percent Irishness.

In the age of the tax break, the question of which country can claim ownership of a TV series is a vexed one.

Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful and Vikings are all to a greater or lesser degree filmed on the island of Ireland, and use Irish acting and technical talent.

But does that make them Irish? Not in my book.

You might as well say that Poldark, made by the BBC, is Irish because it has an Irish star, Aidan Turner.

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Needless to say, the IFTA book reads differently. Turner shows up in the best TV actor category in this years nominations.

So does Stephen Rae for his performance in another BBC production, Dickensian. He also gets a supporting actor nod for War and Peace.

Lets not forget that Rebellion was also 100pc Irish.

The difference between An Klondike and Rebellion, however, is that the first was really good while the second was complete crap.

The fact that theres one nomination separating the two, sums up the IFTAs for me.
CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 14: Actor Ian McShane attends the "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" photocall at the Palais des Festivals during the 64th Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2011 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Actor Ian McShane has no time for Game of Thrones fans who take the show too seriously.

Recently he was accused of giving the plot away when he said his character would be "bringing somebody back" in an appearance on the hit HBO show.

However, he reckons fans should "get a f***ing life".

In an interview with the Telegraph, the 73-year-old star said, "You say the slightest thing and the internet goes ape.

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"I was accused of giving the plot away, but I just think get a f***ing life. It's only t**s and dragons."

The former Deadwood star appears in just one episode although he took a little convincing to sign up.

"They asked me if I wanted to do Game of Thrones and I said, 'Sure, I'll be able to see my old pals Charlie Dance and Stephen Dillane,' and they said, 'No, we've killed them off,'" he said.

"I wasn't sure whether I could commit, but then they said it would only be for one episode, so I said, 'So that means I must die at the end of it. Great, I'm in.'"

In November McShane said he would return for one episode and bring a character back that fans never thought they'd see again.

In fairness, it could be anybody as the show has killed off numerous big names and key characters, not just Jon Snow, who met his demise at the end of season 5 and about whom most of the speculation revolves.

Game of Thrones season 6 will arrive on HBO on April 24 at 9pm in the US while Sky Atlantic will premiere the first episode at the same time, which will be 2am in the UK and Ireland.

McShane is also appearing in Doctor Thorne, ITV, Sunday 9pm

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Fair City have offered Hollywood star Jack Reynor a part after he said appearing on the soap was on his bucket list.

The programme's executive producer, Brigie DeCourcy, said he could come on whenever he was available.

"We're delighted to hear that Jack is a fan of Fair City, and, of course, we would be thrilled to have such an international star join our talented cast of actors," he said.

"McCoy's door will be open the next time Jack is back in Dublin and fancies a few pints and some Carrigstown drama."

The Transformers hunk recently said he would "love" a role on the long-running soap.

"I think that would be brilliant, man. I'd love it. Just a small little role," he said.

"Breeze in, cause a bit of mayhem you know, pull a few pints behind the bar. A bit of drama and be gone again."

He said that a few of his actor pals had worked on the RTE programme before and they said it was a fantastic show to be on.

Meanwhile, the Wicklow native has been nominated for an award at next month's Iftas ceremony.

The star is up for the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his part in John Carney's Sing Street.

Talented Reynor will be going head-to-head with Brooklyn star Domhnall Gleeson.

Reynor previously won an Ifta in 2013 for his break-out role as Richard Karlsen in What Richard Did, directed by Oscar-nominee Lenny Abrahamson of Room fame.

Video of the Day

He's also engaged to model Madeline Mulqeen, but the pair have put the wedding on hold until they have more time to properly plan them, given his hectic filming schedule.
The country's top cleric has said Irish society needed to re-examine its ideas about "respectability" as he blamed many of today's economic woes on people and ideas once deemed "respectable".

In an address given at Regina Mundi College in Cork yesterday, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin called for a new social ethic which emphasises integrity and honesty and focuses on the weakest.

Referring to the 1916 centenary celebrations under way across the country, the Archbishop warned it was not enough to commemorate and celebrate a historical event of 100 years ago by watching parades on television or with lip service to equality.

Praising the "remarkable social manifesto" of the Proclamation, he said: "We have to ask how those who fought in 1916 for Irish independence would judge us and our society today."

Referring to some of the social ills of 2016, the Catholic prelate questioned whether Irish society today can "honestly say that all our children have equal opportunity in life?"

"We live in a world where there is still corruption and violence and lack of respect for life.

"People are exploited in many ways and are trafficked and treated as slaves. We live in a world where, alongside great and demonstrative wealth, many have difficulties in making ends meet. We live in a world where we throw away tonnes of food each week and where we have children coming to school hungry," he said.

Those who proclaimed the Republic in 1916 had a dream for a very different Ireland.

"How successful that dream has been realised in Ireland today cannot be measured simply in parades and celebrations, or through dramas and books and television documentaries. The success will be measured in terms of what kind of society we have built," Dr Martin said.

"Our society can be a sad one if you are bullied" and can be "a lonely one if you are on the margins", he added.

Commemorating 1916 is about getting our hands dirty in helping the marginalised to become fully part of our human family, he suggested.

Inspiration

Paying tribute to the ideals of the men and women of 1916 and their deep, personal spiritual inspiration, he described the history of Irish nationalism as a history of pluralism and different religious and social views.

Being true to the dream of 1916 means fostering in Ireland a new pluralism where people of different backgrounds and faiths and political views learn to work together for the common good, Dr Martin said.

"People of belief," he said, "and people with a secular inspiration must learn again how to speak with one another constructively and respect one another."

He also expressed the hope that amid the 2016 celebrations historians would take a closer look at the religious roots of the thoughts of the main protagonists of the Easter Rising, who had not always been supported by Church leaders at the time.

And, despite criticism of the Church in recent years, Dr Martin said "great things" were happening.

"Despite all the criticism of the Church, I think there is little doubt that, among the most respected categories of people in Irish society today, 'our local priest' must be in the top five, and for good reason. I am afraid that 'the bishops' as a group may be farther down on the popularity gauge," he added.
Peter Savage, Grandson of Martin Savage who fought in the 1916 Rising here with the Great Great Grand-Nephews of Martin Savage, Jack, Adam and Leon Savage, holding a picture of Martin Savage at Ransboro National School, Ransboro, Co. Sligo, yesterday. Photo: James Connolly

Pupils with a gramophone in Proclamation Day exhibition at Desertserges NS, Enniskeane, Co Cork.

Kaelan Geng, Charlie Martin and Declan Gbinigie, all in fourth class at Scoil Eanna in Galway. Photo:Andrew Downes

Teacher Eilis Treacy teaching principal and her 5th and 6th class at St Brendan's NS Eyrecourt, Co Galway. Photo: Andrew Downes

Students of Grange National School, Fermoy, Co Cork : Max O'Connor, Grace Hickey, Millie Cahill,Darragh Howard, with school Secretary Ursula Gubbins preparing for their Proclamation Day events. Photo: Michael Mac Sweeney

It will be a day of song, music, drama, poetry and art in the country's 4,000 schools and third-level colleges as they celebrate Proclamation Day, commemorating events of Ireland in 1916 and creating a vision for the country in the future.

The major highlights of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme include the day being marked across the education sector with the raising of the Tricolour, the reading of the 1916 Proclamation by a student, past pupil or special guest, followed by a reading of the school's own Proclamation for a new generation. Students will then showcase their own contribution to the day, whether in the form of music, theatre, poetry, art or other displays.

Arts Minister Heather Humphreys described Proclamation Day as a once in a generation occasion and a culmination of months of work by teachers, parents and pupils, who had "so eagerly embraced the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme".

Did your child play a part in history today? We're looking for the best videos of kids reading the Proclamation- send them to us at contact@independent.ie or on Twitter with the hashtag #IndoSubmit and we'll feature the best!

A great celebration of Irish tolerance

By Ralph Riegel

Expand Close Teacher Eilis Treacy teaching principal and her 5th and 6th class at St Brendan's NS Eyrecourt, Co Galway. Photo: Andrew Downes / Facebook

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Whatsapp Teacher Eilis Treacy teaching principal and her 5th and 6th class at St Brendan's NS Eyrecourt, Co Galway. Photo: Andrew Downes

One rural school has vowed to turn Proclamation Day into a celebration of tolerance and inclusiveness for modern Ireland.

Principal of Grange national school in Cork, Catherine Reidy, said the event had successfully captured the imagination of all youngsters and deeply involved them in a festival of Irish culture.

Expand Close Kaelan Geng, Charlie Martin and Declan Gbinigie, all in fourth class at Scoil Eanna in Galway. Photo:Andrew Downes / Facebook

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"The students felt it got them involved in the whole centenary programme and everyone is really excited about the events planned for today," she said.

But she stressed both teachers and students were acutely conscious of the need to ensure the day was inclusive and non-militaristic.

Expand Close Pupils with a gramophone in Proclamation Day exhibition at Desertserges NS, Enniskeane, Co Cork. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pupils with a gramophone in Proclamation Day exhibition at Desertserges NS, Enniskeane, Co Cork.

"Everyone wanted the day to be inclusive and respectful towards all cultures and backgrounds," she said.

Ms Reidy said this was important because Grange, like a lot of other schools, has people from UK backgrounds and it was important to involve them in the centenary in a respectful and inclusive fashion. The rural school also has people from other ethnic backgrounds, so she said it was important to help them feel involved as well.

Expand Close Peter Savage, Grandson of Martin Savage who fought in the 1916 Rising here with the Great Great Grand-Nephews of Martin Savage, Jack, Adam and Leon Savage, holding a picture of Martin Savage at Ransboro National School, Ransboro, Co. Sligo, yesterday. Photo: James Connolly / Facebook

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Whatsapp Peter Savage, Grandson of Martin Savage who fought in the 1916 Rising here with the Great Great Grand-Nephews of Martin Savage, Jack, Adam and Leon Savage, holding a picture of Martin Savage at Ransboro National School, Ransboro, Co. Sligo, yesterday. Photo: James Connolly

"Our day will involve reading the Proclamation of Independence, students then reading their own proclamations, as well as events like tin-whistle playing, art, poetry and some Irish singing," she said.

Young journalists dig out stories about their school in 1916

By Katherine Donnelly

The pupils at St Brendan's National School, Eyrecourt, Co Galway, are well used to publishing their own monthly newspaper.

This time they had to go back a little further than the past four weeks. But digging out some interesting information for a special 1916 supplement was second nature to the young journalists.

The 'Eyrecourt Examiner' is unique in Irish education, written and produced by fifth and sixth class pupils, under the direction of principal Eilis Treacy.

As part of their Proclamation Day commemorations, the 'Eyrecourt Examiner's' special supplement looked back on the history of the school, including inspectors' reports from 100 years ago. One dating from a visit on March 24, 1916, followed an examination of cookery: "The dishes cooked were satisfactory but too many were done at the same time. Answering and written work were very good.

"Suggestions: Only one kind of dish to be prepared at a time, eg four soda cakes, then four cornflour moulds."

All of fifth and sixth class are on the newspaper team. According to the principal: "At the beginning of each year I advertise the positions and they must all apply in writing. This year we have two chief editors, four sub-editors and the rest are reporters and photographers."

Producing the paper also gives the students an introduction to business. Advertising space is sold at the rate of 20 for a full page and 10 for a half page. The paper sells for 2 and pupils pay the school for the printing costs.

They maintain a spreadsheet to monitor profits, which are spent on "team-building" outings. Last year, it was a bootcamp and an end-of-year kayaking session followed by a meal.

Gaeilge, freckles, and bacon and cabbage: what 10-year-olds say it means to be Irish

By Caroline Crawford

Speaking Irish, playing Gaelic sports, freckles, and eating non-spicy food all make the list of what makes us Irish.

Schoolboys in Galway marked the 1916 centenary by creating a video on what being Irish means.

The students in Scoil Einde in Salthill spent three months studying what life was like 100 years ago, as they prepared for Proclamation Day.

For nine-year-old Declan Ghinigie, whose parents come from Nigeria, speaking as Gaeilge is the most important thing.

"I love learning Irish and getting to speak it.

"It's important because 1916 gave the country freedom so they could speak Irish," he said.

Kaelan Geng (10), whose parents come from China, said he enjoyed learning about life in 1916. He said: "It's important to learn how things were different when Britain ruled Ireland.

"Now, we can speak Irish and things are better for people."

The video has gone global with 8,500 views and responses from Africa, Europe, North and South America, Australia and Asia. Students are hoping to hit all continents by St Patrick's Day.

"The students really thought about what it meant for them and, after studying about mass emigration from Ireland, they wanted to see how their message could spread around the world," said fourth class teacher Niamh Hickey. "We're just waiting on someone to send us a hello from Antarctica."

The students also took part in their own elections, highlighting the importance of having a vote.

Rolling back the years to life a century ago

A community trawled through its attics so that pupils in the local school could wind back the clocks and imagine how it was living 100 years ago.

The 18-pupil Desertserges National School, Enniskeane, west Cork, has transformed into a living museum for Proclamation Day. It has an old school desk, leather satchel, a working gramophone, workmen's tools and bathroom items among the historical artefacts on display in a special exhibition.

Pupils will add to the atmosphere by dressing up in costumes depicting the era, and the school is throwing open its doors to share the spectacle with the local community.

The Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton, is marking Proclamation Day by visiting Desertserges NS and a number of other schools in the diocese, starting in St Brendan the Navigator NS, in Bantry.

He said the small rural schools' programme for Proclamation Day "really captures something of what our nation has become 100 years on from 1916. Their commemoration begins with prayers in Irish, English, Russian, Latvian and Albanian, the birth languages of the children."

Nephew of Rising Volunteer to raise the Tricolour

The nephew of a Rising Volunteer will raise the flag at his grandchildren's school today on his birthday.

Peter Savage (76) is the special guest of Ransboro National School near Strandhill, Co Sligo.

His uncle, Martin Savage, was interned after surrendering to the British at the GPO in 1916.

He was shot dead by the British during the attempted assassination of viceroy Lord John French in December 1919. Three of Peter's grandsons are pupils at Ransboro.

"It's going to be a very special day for our family," said Peter.

"The sacrifice made remains as much a part of our family as it was 100 years ago. It's my 76th birthday and this one will be the most special of all of them."

His grandson Adam has completed a magnificent school project on the life of his famous great grand-uncle.

"It's a very proud day for Ransboro National School and especially for my family," said the nine-year-old.

"It is sad too, though. My uncle didn't make it. But I'm looking forward to seeing my granddad raise the flag at our school. It is very special."

School principal Siobhan Clarke said her 229 pupils had learned a lot from the Proclamation Day experience.

They have made 482 pottery Easter lilies, one for each life lost during Easter Week 1916.
A Detective Garda, who was stabbed under his right eye after he was called to sort out trouble on Halloween night, has been awarded more than 35,000 damages in the High Court.

Det Garda Liam Dolan (53) told a Garda Compensation hearing that he had just got out of his car in the Otomy Drive area of Clane, Co Kildare, on Halloween night in 2010 when a group of youths ran at him, one teenager striking him in the face.

Mr Justice Bernard Barton heard that Det Garda Dolan, who is stationed at Naas Garda Station, had been "knifed on his cheekbone" and had fallen, bleeding heavily.

Barrister for Det Garda Dolan, Frank Crean said his client was rushed to Naas General Hospital, before being transferred to St James's Hospital in Dublin where his laceration was sutured. The court heard he did not suffer any nerve damage.

Mr Crean said Det Garda Dolan, who sued the Minister for Finance, had suffered post-traumatic stress type symptoms following the assault and had been out of work for several weeks.

The court heard that Det Garda Dolan, a married father-of-three, suffered anxiety, flashbacks and sleep disturbance after the incident.

His symptoms had now significantly reduced, although there "had not been a day when he had not thought about the incident". The court heard the wound had left a visible and permanent scar.

The State argued that Det Garda Dolan's quality of life had not been adversely impaired after the attack.

Judge Barton said he was satisfied the laceration had left a cosmetic deformity on Det Garda Dolan's face. Awarding him 35,780 damages, the judge said he accepted Det Garda Dolan suffered minor psychological injuries.
Former Secretary General of the Department of Finance Kevin Cardiff contacted Irish Life and Permanent in 2009 about the way the bank was treating an allegedly circular transaction of 7.2bn in their accounts, the trial of four bankers has heard.

Denis Casey (56), the former CEO of Irish Life and Permanent (ILP), told gardai the intervention from Mr Cardiff came in the wake of efforts by bankers at Anglo Irish Bank to have ILP treat the transaction differently in their accounts.

He said Mr Cardiff concluded the matter was a "spat" which should be sorted out between ILP and Anglo.

Mr Casey and three other former banking executives are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to manipulate Anglo Irish Bank's balance sheets in 2008.

At the start of week 10 in the trial Matt Moran, Anglo's chief financial officer at the time, came under cross-examination from lawyers for Mr Casey and ILP's former director of finance Peter Fitzpatrick (63).

Mr Casey from Raheny, Dublin; Mr Fitzpatrick of Convent Lane, Portmarnock, Dublin; and former Anglo bankers John Bowe (52) from Glasnevin, Dublin, and Willie McAteer (65) of Greenrath, Tipperary town, Co Tipperary, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiring together and with others to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008.

The interbank loans allegedly involved a circular transfer of billions of euro by Anglo to ILP and back to Anglo via ILP's life assurance division.

The deposits would appear as a corporate deposit on Anglo's balance sheet, allegedly bolstering their corporate funding figure for the end of year accounts.

Michael O'Higgins SC, defending Mr Casey, showed the jury an excerpt from his client's garda interviews in which he told investigators that Anglo had misrepresented the 7.2bn transactions. He said he had insisted the placements from Irish Life would be "collateralised", meaning they would be secured against the cash deposits placed by Anglo with ILP.

He told gardai: "Their objective was to bolster their deposits. My insistence...[was] that any transaction with Anglo be fully collateralised. Anglo did this by misrepresenting the transactions entered into with ILP as a non-collateralised transaction."

He said that after he resigned his position in February 2009, three phone-calls were made to change the accounting treatment of the transactions in ILP records to show it as a non-collateralised transaction.

The first of these, he said, came from Mr Moran. Another call was made from Donal O'Connor, who was chairman of the bank at that point.

He said these requests were rejected and following that, Mr Cardiff contacted ILP "enquiring about the accounting treatment for the transaction and concluding that it was a 'spat' which should be sorted out between ILP and Anglo".
BUSINESSMAN Declan Ganley says a High Court judge who expressed views about him in the past should not hear a defamation action he is taking against RTE.

Mr Ganley, a founder the Libertas lobby group, claims Mr Justice Colm MacEochaidh should recuse himself from the case in which businessman says he was defamed in an RTE Prime Time programme in November 2008.

He claims Prime Time attempted to discredit him both personally and professionally and undermined his opposition to the Lisbon Treaty.

Mr Jusitce MacEochaidh said last month he will only recuse himself following a hearing on the matter in open court.

He set Tuesday (Mar 15) for the hearing of the matter to give the Ganley side an opportunity to file a notice of motion seeking recusal.

However, he was told by Paul Burns SC, for Mr Ganley, the motion had not been filed in time due to the fact that his client had not been available over the last few weeks to sign the necessary affidavit.

Paul O'Higgins SC, for RTE, said it was an abuse of process although Mr Burns said he took exception to that description.

Mr Justice MacEoichaidh, who was told there are a number of other preliminary matters which the court will have to deal with before the actual defamation hearing, said he was prepared to adjourn the matter until after Easter.

It would not be possible to deal with the other matters until the recusal issue was first deal with, he said.

There were special circumstances in this case in that Mr Ganley "is of the view that I lack impartiality in regard to him for expressing some negative view about him in the past".

He would not grant costs against Mr Ganley in relation to the fact the case was not ready to go ahead as scheduled.

Even though he was not dealing with the recusal motion at this stage, he thought it would be unfair to order costs against Mr Ganley at this stage as that could be seen as part of his alleged biased attitude.

Mr Ganley is a founder of wireless, broadband and cable TV networks in western, central and eastern Europe. He also founded and built up what became the largest privately held forestry business in the former Soviet Union, before selling it in 1997.
FORMER Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm has been freed on bail and sent for trial on fraud and other charges.

Mr Drumm (49) was released from custody this morning after his father and mother-in-law, Danny and Georgina O'Farrell, were approved as sureties for his bail.

The sureties and Mr Drumms own cash bail total 150,000.

Mr Drumm had spent last night on remand in Cloverhill Prison while these were being arranged.

Before his release, he had two lengthy books of evidence served on him at Dublin District Court.

He faces a total of 33 charges relating to his time at the failed Anglo Irish Bank, including fraud, forgery and false accounting.

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Judge Michael Walsh remanded him on bail to appear in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 8. His trial there is not expected to begin until 2017.

The case involves allegations of 7bn back-to-back transactions with Irish Life & Permanent, which the State believes was part of a conspiracy to defraud. The charges also allege unlawful loans to the so-called Maple 10 group of investors as well as members of Sean Quinns family.

Mr Drumm has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges.

Mr Drumm arrived in Ireland yesterday following his extradition from the US and was brought to court, where the State objected to bail on the grounds he was a flight risk. However, Judge Walsh held that he had strong ties to this jurisdiction and was entitled to bail.

Today, the court heard Mr Drumms own cash bail of 50,000 had been lodged and independent sureties totalling 100,000 were approved.

Half of this is in cash, with the remaining 50,000 frozen in Mr and Ms Farrells joint account until the case is completed.

Defence solicitor Aoife Corridan confirmed to the court it was one bank account with two names.

They both gave evidence that they had understood they stood to forfeit the 100,000 if Mr Drumm failed to abide by his bail terms.

They said they had no criminal convictions themselves and were not standing surety for anyone else.

Mr and Ms Farrell also told Dean Kelly BL, for the State, that they were aware of Mr Drumms bankruptcy proceedings in the US.

Under bail conditions, the former banker has to live at an address in Skerries and sign on twice daily at Balbriggan Garda Station.

He is to provide a mobile phone number to the gardai and Judge Walsh asked him if he would keep this in credit at all times.

I will, he replied.

Mr Drumm must also not apply for a replacement for his passport, which is being held by gardai.

The books of evidence were presented to the court.

State solicitor Deirdre Manninger said the DPP was consenting to the accused being sent for trial to the next sittings of the circuit court.

Judge Walsh then gave Mr Drumm the formal warning that he must provide details of any alibis he intends to rely on to the prosecution within 14 days.

Mr Drumm, wearing a black overcoat with an open-necked blue shirt and dark trousers said I do, judge, when asked if he understood the alibi caution.

The court has heard the case will involve more than 100 witnesses and a voluminous amount of evidence involving emails, 400 hours of phone recordings and millions of documents. Mr Drumm has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges.

David Drumm hugged his in-laws and other family members in the foyer of the Criminal Courts of Justice after he was released from custody.

Shortly after, at around 1.30pm he walked out the front door of the complex where he was greeted by throngs of photographers and journalists.

He made no comment before he was led to a waiting private car and driven away.

Yesterday, gardai said the accused made no reply to any of the charges when they were put to him at Ballymun Garda Station following his arrest at Dublin Airport.

Mr Drumm resigned in December 2008 as Anglo Irish Bank was collapsing.

In 2009, the year the bank was nationalised, he moved to Boston, where he has lived since with his wife and two children.
David Drumm spent his first night back in Ireland behind bars - but is set to be freed today once bail sureties totalling 150,000 are given to a court.

The former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive was remanded to Cloverhill Prison following a dramatic day which saw him arrested and charged with serious offences after he returned to Ireland following seven years in the US.

Less than an hour-and-a-half after Aer Lingus flight EI136 from Boston had touched down at Dublin Airport yesterday morning, Mr Drumm found himself being formally charged with 33 offences, including fraud, conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

A lengthy court hearing followed, at which lawyers for the State strenuously argued that he should be refused bail.

However, at Dublin District Court, Judge Michael Walsh sided with a defence application that Mr Drumm be freed pending the outcome of his trial.

As part of the bail conditions, Mr Drumm will have to live at an address in Skerries, Co Dublin and sign on twice daily at Balbriggan Garda Station.

He will also have to surrender his passport.

The former banker will have to provide a personal cash surety of 50,000, which must be lodged to the court.

An independent surety of 100,000 must also be offered, half of which must be in cash, with the remainder kept in a bank account and frozen until the case is completed.

Remanding Mr Drumm in custody, Judge Walsh said the bail issue could be "tidied up" today. Mr Drumm looked visibly relieved at the decision and took the stand to tell the judge the address he intended to live at.

He also said his passport was in the possession of gardai and that he would not apply for a replacement one.

Earlier, the court heard that Mr Drumm was arrested at Dublin Airport at 5.30am following his extradition from the US. He was conveyed to Ballymun Garda Station, where two charges were put to him by Det Sgt Michael McKenna of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI) at 6.35am.

Mr Drumm made no comment to either of the charges.

Det Sgt Michael Prendergast, an officer seconded to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) from the GBFI, gave evidence of 31 further charges he put to Mr Drumm at the garda station at 6.39am.

He said Mr Drumm made no reply to any of the charges.

Det Sgt McKenna then applied to have Mr Drumm remanded in custody. He said he believed that Mr Drumm was "a serious risk of flight for a number of reasons". These included the seriousness of the charges and the likelihood of a lengthy sentence on conviction, with some counts carrying terms of up to 10 years and others carrying an indefinite term in jail.

Det Sgt McKenna said there was a large group of witnesses involved, between 110 and 120 in relation to the two charges he had put to Mr Drumm.

The case was also built on a large quantity of emails, audio recordings, minutes of up to 15 company meetings and other correspondence, he said.

Det Sgt McKenna said that another ground for opposing bail was Mr Drumm's conduct when he refused requests to meet gardai and the ODCE while living in the US.

Evidence was given of a lengthy series of letters exchanged between lawyers for Mr Drumm and senior gardai and the ODCE in 2009 and 2010. Offers were made to meet Mr Drumm in Ireland and the US, but ultimately he turned these down, the court heard.

Det Sgt McKenna said he believed Mr Drumm's ties to this jurisdiction were "tenuous".

Mr Drumm had gone into "voluntary exile" and his immediate family remained in the US.

The detective sergeant said that despite the fact Mr Drumm had debts of over 8.5m, he seemed to be able to marshal large sums of money when required.

However, Mr Drumm's solicitor, Michael Staines, told the court that other people facing similar charges to those facing his client had all been granted bail. Mr Drumm was not a flight risk. If he had wished to flee, he could have gone "two hours up the road" to Canada, which has no extradition agreement with Ireland.

Mr Staines said that without bail, his client would face many months in custody as his trial could not begin until "halfway through 2017" due to other Anglo cases.

There were huge amounts of documents to be disclosed and he would need access to computers and equipment. One element of the case involved some 400 hours of phone records alone, the solicitor said.

In making his decision, Judge Walsh said that while it was clear that Mr Drumm had refused to return home for questioning, he had to be mindful of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and the constitutional presumption of bail.

He also said he needed to be mindful of the complexity of the case, which will involve a voluminous amount of paperwork and consultation with lawyers.

A whirlwind day . . .

5.14am: Aer Lingus flight from Boston arrives at Dublin Airport.

5.30am: Mr Drumm is arrested at the Airport by Det Sgt Michael McKenna.

5.50am: The former Anglo Irish Bank boss arrives at Ballymun Garda Station.

6.35am: He is formally charged with two offences by Det Sgt McKenna.

6.39am: Mr Drumm is charged with 31 other offences by Det Sgt Michael Prendergast.

9.05am: Arrives at the Criminal Courts of Justice.

10.30am: Dublin District Court hears evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

3.15pm: David Drumm is given consent to bail and remanded overnight to Cloverhill.
David Drumm with his wife, Lorraine, outside the US Bankruptcy Court.

The 1.75m mansion located in the upmarket Boston suburb of Wellesley is being put on the market (Inset: David and Lorraine Drumm)

The wife of David Drumm is to sell their luxury US home and move back to Ireland to support her husband as he faces trial.

Lorraine Drumm is putting the 1.75m mansion on the market and plans to be back in Ireland by the summer, a court has heard.

The home, located in the upmarket Boston suburb of Wellesley, is the only property held by the couple which hasn't been sold off.

A detective sergeant said yesterday that the former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive, who is still involved in bankruptcy proceedings in the US, has debts of 8.5m.

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Mr Drumm's solicitor, Michael Staines, disclosed the plans for the sale and Lorraine Drumm's return in court yesterday.

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"My client's wife will be coming back to Ireland at the end of June, when the youngest daughter is finished school," he said.

"My instruction is that she is putting the house up for sale and will be coming back."

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The move marks a significant change of plan for the couple, who had said during extradition proceedings that they saw their future as being in the US.

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They had said that they planned to continue their lives there, having put down firm roots there.

The couple previously owned a 2m mansion in the exclusive Abington development in Malahide, Co Dublin. They also had a shore-side holiday home in Chatham, a village in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The property was once valued at $4.6m (4.1m).

But these had to be sold as part of Mr Drumm's bankruptcy, with the proceeds split between the bankruptcy estate and Lorraine Drumm.

Mrs Drumm was not present in court yesterday, but her husband had a large group of supporters sitting in the front row of the public gallery. They included members of his family and that of his wife.

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During breaks in proceedings, he was seen blowing kisses in their direction, waving and smiling. The court heard he had not seen his elderly mother Mary in seven years.

His case was called 10th on the list of a busy courtroom number three at the Courts of Criminal Justice. Much of the remaining court business was diverted to other courts in the complex after it became clear that the hearing would take up most of the day due to submissions on bail.

However, the body of the court remained quite full for the duration of the hearing. A large number of gardai were present, as were officials from the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE).

The court heard of considerable correspondence between lawyers for Mr Drumm and senior gardai and ODCE officials in 2009 and 2010 regarding a meeting to discuss the investigation.

However, ultimately Mr Drumm did not agree to attend such a meeting.

Mr Staines said the contact ended around the time that his client filed for bankruptcy.

He said Mr Drumm had been involved in civil litigation with his former employer over debts that he owed. An agreement was reached with Anglo, said Mr Staines.

However, the Finance Minister decided that he couldn't stand over that agreement and as a result Mr Drumm decided to apply for bankruptcy, the solicitor said.

The allegation was not challenged by any representative of the State in court yesterday.

However, previous claims, made during the extradition proceedings, that Mr Drumm's arrest had been timed to coincide with the General Election were rejected by a garda witness.
A man jailed for an aggravated burglary has moved to appeal his conviction on grounds that a retention of his DNA sample beyond 12 months and before he was charged amounted to a breach of his Constitutional right to privacy.

Eamon Murphy (48), of Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, had pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to aggravated burglary at An Draigheann, Ballymahon, Co Longford on July 3, 2011.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with the final three suspended on October 25, 2015.

Murphy moved to appeal his conviction today in the Court of Appeal.

The Garda investigation into the burglary established that entry into the dwelling was gained through a rear patio door. A blood stain had been left on the door from which swabs were taken.

On November 21, 2011, Murphy was arrested and a forensic sample was taken from him by way of a buccal swab, otherwise known as a mouth swab.

He was not charged until January 9, 2013 and no application was made to the District Court to retain the sample within the requisite 12 months, the court heard.

His barrister, Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, submitted that the retention beyond the allowed period breached Murphy's constitutional right to privacy.

He said section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990, used painstaking language to make it clear that every record of the sample, and thus the very fact that the sample was taken, was to disappear from the record.

Unless proceedings are instituted within the time limit or unless an application is made to a court to not destroy the sample, then the result is to be as though the sample was never taken, he submitted.

The intention behind the provision stipulating that the sample and record be destroyed after 12 months where criminal proceedings had not been instituted was, presumably, to ensure that forensic samples were not kept in perpetuity, the court was told.

Mr Justice George Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the court would reserve judgment.

Mr Justice Birmingham said it may be that issues of some complexity would be raised by this case. He put the matter in for mention on Friday April 15, to ascertain whether the parties wished to make additional oral submissions on the legal rights, constitutional rights and related matters.
Francesca Chaouqui, a PR expert accused of leaking classified documents to journalists, arrives in the Vatican yesterday for the Vatileaks trial of two journalists and three former Vatican officials, including Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

A mobile phone hidden inside a religious book was smuggled to a Vatican prelate who is in detention for allegedly leaking confidential Holy See documents to investigative journalists, according to local media.

Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda is one of five people accused of leaking and publishing classified Vatican documents, when their trial inside the walls of the tiny city state resumed late yesterday.

Since December, the Spanish prelate has been held in a building inside the Vatican under house arrest.

Barracks

But at the weekend the Vatican announced that he had been effectively re-arrested and returned to a cell inside the barracks of the Vatican Gendarmerie because he had "violated a ban on communicating with the outside world".

It had been one of the conditions by which he was kept under house arrest, said the Rev Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.

A website devoted to Vatican affairs claimed that the Spanish monsignor had been caught calling friends and supporters with a mobile phone that was smuggled to him in a hollowed-out copy of 'The Writings of St Francis'.

The website, Infovaticana, obtained a photograph of what it said was the religious tome, with a neat square hole carved out of its pages.

It claimed that the prelate was deeply unhappy that he had not been able to choose his own lawyer but had been given one by the Vatican's judicial authorities.

The testimony in the case may be uncomfortable for the Holy See, given that details are expected about the once close friendship between Monsignor Balda and the lone woman on trial, Francesca Chaouqui,

Media rights groups from around the world, meanwhile, have denounced the prosecution of journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianlugi Nuzzi, who wrote blockbuster books last year detailing the resistance Pope Francis is facing in trying to clean up waste and corruption in the Vatican.

Fittipaldi's book 'Avarice' and Nuzzi's book 'Merchants in the Temple' detailed millions of euro in lost potential rents from the Vatican's real estate holdings, millions in missing inventory from the Vatican's tax-free stores, the exorbitant costs for getting someone declared a saint, and the greed of bishops and cardinals lusting after huge apartments.

Fittipaldi and Nuzzi's books were based on documents produced by the reform commission Pope Francis appointed in 2013 to get a handle on the Vatican's financial holdings and propose reforms so that more money could be devoted to the poor.

Balda was the commission's No. 2; Chaouqui was a member and outside public relations expert; and the fifth defendant, Nicola Maio, was Balda's assistant.

Pope Francis has already said Chaouqui's nomination to the reform committee was a mistake. Chaouqui, a tweeting, name-dropping media sensation, has portrayed herself as a martyr and insisted she's done nothing wrong. On Saturday, she posted a photo on her Facebook page of Giordano Bruno, the 16th-century friar who was tried for heresy by the Roman Inquisition and burned at the stake.
Faisal Ellahi: his victim told the court that he locked the door behind them and she feared he was going to stab or kill her

A rapist who targeted a young woman with Down Syndrome had "carelessly demolished" her independence, a judge said as he sentenced him to 13 years in jail.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the "frightening, appalling, disgusting and depraved" offence committed by Faisal Ellahi had taken away years of work in helping the woman lead an independent life.

He said this was "all blown away for a couple of minutes of instant gratification".

Ellahi (34), who is originally from Haripur in Pakistan, had pleaded not guilty last year to rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person at his Dublin home on June 12, 2013.

But a jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted him of the rape and sexual assault charges.

Judge Hunt said he would not suspend any portion of the sentence as he hoped Ellahi would not be in the community on release. He added that he hoped the Minister for Justice would take every step to remove Ellahi from the country when his sentence was completed.

The judge noted that Ellahi had been out "prowling" the streets, approaching another woman at the same time his victim was returning home.

During his evidence, Ellahi admitted "sexual contact" with the special needs victim but denied penetrative sex and claimed that he didn't know she had a mental impairment.

He said she looked "normal" to him and that she had enjoyed herself.

In the late afternoon of June 12, 2013, the woman's mother was worried when she hadn't returned home. She was about to call gardai when she heard her daughter banging at the door shouting, "Mum, mum, help, help, let me in."

Gardai were called and a massive investigation was launched. Officers canvassed the area, which led to several women coming forward to say they had recently been approached by Ellahi.

The victim was driven around the area and was able to point out the door of the premises she was taken to.

Gardai spoke to everyone who lived in the building, including Ellahi, who denied any knowledge of the incident.

Over the following nights, detectives kept watch outside his house. One night they observed him leaving and speaking to two 15-year-old girls in the street. When the girls walked away, he began to follow them until gardai intervened.

He was arrested a week later and interviewed four times. He initially told gardai he regularly brought women he met on the street back to his house for sex but that he didn't meet anyone that day.

Forensic testing later matched his DNA to that found on the woman.

The trial heard that the victim told a specialist interviewer that Ellahi locked the door behind them and that she was afraid he was going to stab or kill her.

"I wanted to go home but he wouldn't let me," she said.

The woman said that at one point she panicked and started banging on the door screaming "help, mum, help".
A Norwegian man's wholly suspended sentence for raping his girlfriend multiple times while she slept was unduly lenient the Court of Appeal has found

Magnus Meyer Hustveit (26), had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault committed against his 28-year-old girlfriend between 2011 and 2012.

He was given a wholly suspended seven year sentence by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on July 13 2015.

Hustveit, whose former partner, Niamh Ni Dhomhnail, waived her right to anonymity so that his identity could be published, returned to his native Norway after sentencing.

The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully sought a review of Hustveit's sentence today on grounds that it was unduly lenient.

Giving judgment Mr Justice George Birmingham said it wasn't in dispute that this was an unusual case. Much of the offending behaviour occurred without the victim's knowledge. All of the offending was only known because of detailed admissions made by Hustviet in an email response at the victim's request.

He said the combination of a number of factors  Hustveit's cooperation, his previous good character, he was now leading a positive life in Norway  justified and required a sentence that would appreciably less than would be normal.

However, Mr Justice Birmingham said the sentencing judge erred in imposing an entirely non-custodial sentence. Accordingly, the court set aside the sentence and will proceed to a fresh sentence hearing this afternoon.

More to follow
A Norwegian man who was given a wholly suspended sentence for raping his girlfriend multiple times while she slept has been resentenced to 15 months imprisonment following a finding by the Court of Appeal that his original term was unduly lenient.

Magnus Meyer Hustveit (26), had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault committed against his 28-year-old girlfriend between 2011 and 2012.

He was given a wholly suspended seven year sentence by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on July 13 2015.

Hustveit, whose former partner waived her right to anonymity so that his identity could be published, returned to his native Norway after sentencing.

The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully sought a review of Hustveit's sentence today on grounds that it was unduly lenient.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the victim had woken to find herself covered in sperm with no knowledge of having engaged in any sexual activity. A few days later she awoke to find she had been penetrated but again was unclear how.

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Mr Justice Birmingham said it wasn't in dispute that this was an unusual case and "indeed an exceptional one".

Much of the offending behaviour occurred without the victim's knowledge and all of the offending was only known because of detailed admissions made by Hustviet in an email he sent to the victim following her request to find out what had happened to her.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the combination of a number of factors  Hustveit's cooperation, his voluntary return to Ireland to be charged, his previous good character, the positive life he was now leading in Norway  justified and required a sentence that would be appreciably less than would be normal in cases of multiple rapes.

However, Mr Justice Birmingham said the court could not agree that the case was wholly exceptional as to warrant entirely non-custodial disposal and the sentencing judge erred in this regard.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the court was required to resentence someone who had been told he wouldn't be serving time in jail, had returned to his native homeland and had then been told that his sentence was facing a review.

It had long been recognised, the judge said, that taking away from someone a chance they had been given must be particulary burdensome and difficult.

It had been confirmed that Norway did not extradite its own citizens and considerable significance could be attached to the fact that Hustveit had returned voluntarily to face the review.

Mr Justice Birmingham said it would not have been possible for the lower court to require Hustveit to serve less than two-and-a-half years but now, at this stage, he would be required by the Court of Appeal to serve half of that two-and-a-half year sentence.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the original seven year sentence would remain and all but 15 months of it would be suspended.

Hustveit made no reaction to the court's decision when it was read out.

He was told once again that he will be on the sex offenders register and there were certain implications he would be required to abide by.

He was required to enter into a good behaviour bond bor seven years. When asked if he undertook to be so bound, Hustveit said I do.

His victim Niamh Ni Domhnaill was present in court with a number of friends and supporters.

Counsel for the DPP, Mary Rose Gearty SC, had applied to submit an updated victim impact report by Ms Ni Domhnaill.

However, counsel for Hustveit, Caroline Biggs SC, objected on the basis that it contained references to memory loss, hearing loss, seizures and blackouts but her side had not been provided with medical reports to "substantiate these assertions".

Mr Justice Birmingham said it would be extremely unusual for the Court of Appeal to hear evidence as it was a review court and appeal court ordinarily operation on transcripts and documents.

He said the defence's contentions about being unable to probe the assertions contained in the updated victim impact report was not without substance.

He said the Central Criminal Court sentenced Hustveit on the basis that the victim had been harmed and damaged and that harm and damage would continue. The court proceeded to sentence on the basis of what was before the Central Criminal Court.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny to differentiate between his friends and his enemies, so he's keeping everybody close.

There has barely been a single word of criticism from his party hierarchy since the election bloodbath, and yet everyone accepts his days are numbered.

A quietly moving grey cloud is starting to creep over Mr Kenny's reign though, as those behind begin to jockey for position.

Simon Coveney is choosing his words very carefully ever since landing himself in very hot Irish Water just days after the election.

His apparent, if short lived, openness to the idea of doing a deal with Fianna Fail on water charges annoyed his colleagues and ever since he has been walking on eggshells while trying to repair the damage.

At the same time Leo Varadkar is fighting the backbenchers' battle.

Sources say his public view that there is "no way" Fine Gael would allow a Fianna Fail-led minority government is not the scripted one.

"Our mandate is not to put Micheal Martin in as Taoiseach," said a source, who pointed out that the Health Minister is singing a chorus from a songbook composed by the Fine Gael grassroots.

Meanwhile the other possible likely candidate for a leadership contest, Frances Fitzgerald, has barely been seen since polls closed on February 26.

The three ministers with their eyes on Kenny's job have taken very different approaches in recent days - but there's little doubt they are positioning themselves.

So it came as no surprise when they were picked to head up the Fine Gael negotiating team, along with the presentable young face of the party Simon Harris.

If he's fighting off Mr Martin to remain as leader of the country, Kenny is fighting a more silent war with Coveney, Varadkar and Fitzgerald to cling on at the top of Fine Gael.

It has been widely reported that it would take up to two months for a leadership contest in the party - but the rulebook actually suggests it could be done and dusted within 20 days.

None of the three can move while they have a central role in the government talks and Mr Kenny will apply 'collective responsibility' if the negotiations fail. Yet all are set to run when the time comes.
Fine Gael leadership pretenders Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney are split over whether the party would support a minority government lead by Fianna Fail.

Mr Varadar said yesterday there was "no way" his party would support a Fianna Fail minority. But just hours later, Mr Coveney said he would not rule out any options.

The Health Minister and Agriculture Minister are members of Mr Kenny's negotiating team in talks on a new government.

The varying views are reflected across the party, but sources told the Irish Independent that Mr Varadkar's stance is that of the majority.

"Simon is pushing the official agreed public line, whereas Leo is calling it as it is," said a source close to the negotiations. "It's fair to say there is a very strong view that there is no way in hell we should support Micheal Martin as Taoiseach. Whatever about sharing power, we shouldn't let him off on his own."

It comes as separate ministerial sources admitted Mr Kenny has asked his backroom staff to study the Fianna Fail manifesto for areas where the two parties can agree.

Sources say Fine Gael is at "sixes and sevens" about how to counteract Fianna Fail who are doing most of the running on government talks. Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney, along with Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Junior Minister Simon Harris, are due to meet with Independent TDs this week while the Taoiseach Kenny is in Washington for the annual St Patrick's Day visit to the White House and Capitol Hill.

Asked if he would rule out a Fianna Fail-led minority government, Mr Coveney said: "I'm not making any absolutes today. Fine Gael has said that we'd be willing to talk to all parties who are interested in being constructive in terms of putting a government together," he said.

Mistaken

"Fianna Fail have made it clear that they don't want anything to do with a coalition with Fine Gael, so we're now focusing on putting a stable government together without them."

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan appeared to side with Mr Varadkar's approach, saying: "I don't see circumstances in which Fine Gael would support a Fianna Fail-led minority government."

He added: "Fianna Fail are under the mistaken belief that they have won the election, whereas in actual fact they had the second-worst performance in the history of their party.

"It's clear that the Fianna Fail party is not serious about government. They continue to engage in game-playing. They continue to put narrow partisan party interests above the national interest."

Fianna Fail has indicated that the mammoth task of negotiating with a total of 23 Independent TDs will focus on "themed issues".

"It will be a painstaking process and could take time," one Fianna Fail source said.

But opinion is divided inside both parties on the value of these talks with Independents. Some deputies privately said it was a necessary process but unlikely to deliver tangible results. One of those who will be prominent in the talks, Kerry Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae, said he is not hopeful of a power-sharing deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

Mr Healy-Rae said he had formed this pessimistic view after "lengthy discussions" with Mr Kenny, Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

"It looks very uncertain that any common ground can be formed between the two parties," the Kerry TD said.

"It now looks, following on from these discussions, that the only possibility of a government is a minority government."

Finian McGrath of the Independent Alliance said his group want "serious commitments, costing and timelines" before any deal will be reached.

He told the Irish Independent that ministerial posts have not been discussed but the idea shouldn't be dismissed.
A DANGEROUS gang led by the criminal known as Mr Big have made chilling threats to dig up the body of slain terror boss Alan Ryan.

The drug-dealing mob are the chief suspects for the murder of both Alan and his brother Vinnie, who was laid to rest last week.

Now they have warned the gang will continue to target the North Dublin family.

Independent.ie has also learned that a series of hoax online accounts have been created to mock the murdered brothers.

Vinnie Ryan (25) was gunned down moments after dropping his girlfriend at her home in Finglas two weeks ago.

His brother, Real IRA chief Alan (32), was killed by a hitman as he walked near his Donaghmede home in September 2012.

The family, who recently called for no retaliation for Vinnies murder, have been subjected to a series of attacks by the Mr Big mob over the last four years.

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Now a well-placed source has revealed: A number of gang members were spotted hanging around Alan and Vincents grave in Fingal cemetery.

The family have been told that this gang wants to dig up Alans body and put it on display. They are still tormenting the family. Its sick.

Family friend and criminologist Malachy Steenson said: There has been wave after wave of attacks on this family by this drug dealing gang. People may ask if this threat is real or if it is credible.

But if you look at what they have already done then there is no doubt in my mind but that they are capable of this.

He explained that mum Marion is terrified that every time one of her family members goes outside the door they are going to be killed.

He continued: "Republicans are taking these threats very seriously but appear to lack the ability to take on these gangs.

"It is now time for the state to protect its citizens."

The bizarre threat to dig up Alan Ryans remains is similar to a scene in crime drama Love/Hate where character Fran, played by Peter Coonan, dug up the remains of the mother of Noely, played by real life criminal Stephen Clinch.
(l-r) Gary Jamison, HDS Energy, Prof Jimmy Burke of UCD, Dr Tony White of BW Energy, horse trainer Annemarie O'Brien, of Ballydoyle, and Malcolm Brown of BW Energy. Pic : Lorraine O'Sullivan

Annemarie O'Brien launches new report which says biomass will not threaten heartland rural industries

A LEADING figure in Irish horse racing Annemarie OBrien today launched a new report which aims to unlock Irelands biomass potential.

Annemarie, wife of legendary trainer Aidan, says wind power is not the way to meet our EU green energy targets by 2020  and that biomass, or burning wood pellets, is a viable alternative.

She says: Doubling wind power is simply not the way forward. It is too expensive to build, too scarring on our beautiful landscape.

It is too compromising of our indigenous industries like tourism and the equine industry that bring millions of foreign direct investment into our country and employ thousands of people nationwide.

She was speaking in Buswells Hotel this morning at the launch of a report entitled Unlocking Irelands Biomass Potential  Moneypoint Conversion.

The report was prepared by two of Europes leading energy specialists, Dr Anthony White and Malcolm Brown of UK-based BW Energy.

Expand Close (l-r) Gary Jamison, HDS Energy, Prof Jimmy Burke of UCD, Dr Tony White of BW Energy, horse trainer Annemarie O'Brien, of Ballydoyle, and Malcolm Brown of BW Energy. Pic : Lorraine O'Sullivan / Facebook

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Whatsapp (l-r) Gary Jamison, HDS Energy, Prof Jimmy Burke of UCD, Dr Tony White of BW Energy, horse trainer Annemarie O'Brien, of Ballydoyle, and Malcolm Brown of BW Energy. Pic : Lorraine O'Sullivan

They argue that developing biomass is the best way to fight climate change in Ireland  not more wind power.

The report states that if the coal-fired Moneypoint power station in Co Clare was converted to biomass, Ireland could meet its renewable energy 2020 targets in one fell swoop  at around one tenth of the cost of Eirgrids 3.5bn GRID25 programme.

Annemarie got involved in the energy discussion two years ago when she and Aidan discovered that their farm where they breed and raise thoroughbred foals was directly in the path of a line of pylons that would stretch from Kildare to Cork.

She said: If such a large infrastructure was to be built through the middle of our stud farm, it would have rendered the land totally unfit for use.

There are other viable alternatives to wind that must be given proper consideration. One of those alternatives (biomass) allows us to meet our 2020 green energy power commitments on time, create more Irish jobs and at a much lower cost - to us - the consumer who will be paying for all of this on our electricity bills.

Eirgrid still plans 700km of pylons across Ireland to carry the power from proposed new wind farms  around 200 are planned comprising 2,000 extra turbines. Some of the turbines proposed for rural Ireland are up to 169 metres in height  almost as tall as if the The Spire were put on top of Liberty Hall in Dublin.
Daniel OCallaghan, Darren McSweeney, John Patrick Murphy and Patrick Buckley, all from Cork. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Louise Allen, from Slane, Co Meath, at Dublin Airport before flying out to Cheltenham. Photo: Gerry Mooney

It is the annual racing pilgrimage for aficionados and amateur punters alike.

Four days of festival fun and frolics beckon in Cheltenham and at Dublin Airport a healthy crowd gathered yesterday to make the trip across the Irish Sea.

Racing fans won't be taking their eyes off the prize as the cream of Irish racing competes later this week.

Richard Kelly, from Lusk in north Co Dublin, and his friends are regular Cheltenham attendees.

He said they would be keeping their eyes on the Willie Mullins'-trained Douvan and Annie Power.

"We wouldn't go racing every week or every weekend," he said. "But this is a bit of fun, with the week off for Paddy's week."

David Caulfield, from Knocklyon, and Alan Birch, from Leixlip, are also making their annual pilgrimage to Cheltenham, having gone over every year since 2000.

"We generally get our tickets online in October or November," Alan told the Irish Independent. "Every year has been packed."

They believe that the high expectations surrounding jockey Ruby Walsh will be met this year.

"I'd like him to get the Top Jockey (prize) too, with all the horses he's riding," David remarked.

"Gordon Elliott has a good string of horses as well," Alan added. "He'll do well this year."

But with four intense days of festival events scheduled, it won't just be horses and jockeys put to the test.

David and Alan will only be at the races for the two first days - just enough for them without getting too exhausted.

"We're actually going to come home early," Alan said.

"It's too busy," David added. "We did the four days for a while, but it was too much."

Darren McSweeney, John Patrick Murphy, Patrick Buckley and Daniel O'Callaghan, from Kanturk, Co Cork, will also be returning home in time for St Patrick's Day.

"We'll be going to Coppers then," Darren laughed, as he and his friends bolted to their departure gate.

Meanwhile, Louise Allen was heading over to the festival with her mother Therese.

Although her partner is the English owner Simon Hales, Louise revealed that she was rooting for an Irish win.

"I have been coming to Cheltenham since I was 15, so I can't wait," she said.

"I was a bit tight in terms of luggage, I have so many coats in there because I don't know how cold it will be," she said, adding that she will wear purple on Ladies' Day.

Therese has attended the festival for 40 years, and is keeping her faith in Willie Mullins.

"We have had some big wins in Cheltenham but that would be telling," she added.
Undated handout photo issued by the National Crime Agency of Wayne Bush, the ninth person to be jailed in connection with the interception of a yacht carrying cocaine with a street value of more than 160 million off the south-west coast of Ireland

A ninth person has been jailed in connection with the interception of a yacht carrying cocaine with a street value of more than 200million off the south-west coast of Ireland.

The Makayabella was stopped in September 2014 by the Irish Navy which found more than a tonne of the drug aboard.

Wayne Bush, 45, formerly of Ormonde Avenue in Hull, pleaded guilty to conspiring to import class A drugs at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed.

He was sentenced to a six-year prison sentence to add to three-and-a-half years he is already serving in relation to unrelated offences, the NCA said.

Bush is the sixth person to be jailed by British courts in relation to the Makayabella incident.

Others convicted include ringleader Stephen Powell, 49, of Netherfield Road in Guiseley, Leeds, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Three men who were on the vessel when it was stopped have been handed sentences of between eight and 10 years by the Irish courts.

The NCA said Bush was part of a three-man crew which was due to sail out and meet the Makayabella to bring back the drugs.

Another attempt to meet the boat had previously failed after running out of fuel. The three men on board, including Powell, had to be towed back to port.

Two days later Powell and another gang member, James Hill, met with Bush and unsuccessfully attempted to buy another boat at a marina in Milford Haven, south Wales.

After learning that the Makayabella had been intercepted and the drugs seized, the three men dumped the car they were travelling in at Cardiff Airport.

When the car was searched, six drums containing red diesel for the planned boat trip were found in the boot. A marina compliments slip with both Powell and Bush's fingerprints on it was also discovered.

David Norris, NCA regional commander, said: "Wayne Bush played an important role in this conspiracy. He was to have formed part of the crew who landed this huge haul of drugs in the UK after the crime group transported them across the Atlantic.

"His conviction means nine members of this organised crime network are now behind bars either here or in Ireland.

"During this operation we drew on support from law enforcement partners in France, Ireland and Venezuela. It shows that the NCA has the capability to disrupt and bring to justice those involved at the top end of international drug trafficking."

Tarryn McCaffrey, reviewing lawyer in the Organised Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Bush's role in this major drugs conspiracy was to assist in a second attempt to rescue the yacht when it broke down in order to transfer one tonne of cocaine to another boat out at sea. Thankfully, attempts to find another boat were unsuccessful. Had the plan succeeded, 164 million-worth of drugs would have landed on Britain's streets.

"This case shows that each and every member of a gang can be successfully prosecuted for their involvement in these crimes, even if they are part of a large organised crime group."
The National Asset Management Agency (Nama) says it will hit its senior debt repayment target nine months ahead of schedule.

The debt was issued to banks by Nama in exchange for loans in the wake of the crash.

The bad bank announced yesterday that it would pay back another 2.5bn tomorrow, its first repayment of the year.

This will bring to 24.6bn the amount of senior debt the agency has repaid so far, equating to about 81pc of the 30.2bn of senior debt originally issued in 2010 and 2011 to buy loans from the banks.

Nama was due to have repaid 80pc of its senior debt by the end of this year.

The agency said it is on course to redeem all of it by the end of 2018.

Chief executive Brendan McDonagh described it as a major achievement made possible by the strong cash flow generated through the agency's asset sales.

"We remain on course to eliminate this contingent liability in full by 2018 and, through our strategic programmes of disposals and investment, to deliver an overall surplus of 2bn for Irish taxpayers once we are finished our work," Mr McDonagh said.

Nama chairman Frank Daly said the agency had reached the "milestone" three years ahead of its original target.

"This clearly reflects the enormous progress that Nama has made since its first loan acquisition, which was six years ago this month," he said.

The update comes as the agency has been asked by Finance Minister Michael Noonan to bring land to the market more quickly in order to stop developers from hoarding sites.

Mr Noonan is concerned that the State's bad bank could be encouraging a trend of holding onto land in the anticipation of price increases.

And he said that hoarding distorted the value of development land that could otherwise be used to ease the mounting housing crisis.

Last month it emerged that Nama was set to sign off on a plan with three developers that could see thousands of homes built in south Dublin.

By most estimates, Dublin needs about 25,000 homes per year in order to meet demand. However barely half that figure is being delivered at present.

Construction has slowed in recent months, with developers blaming the high cost of construction and the uncertainty created by the Central Bank's tough rules which restrict mortgage levels and cap home loans according to income.
Eleventh-hour talks will take place between Luas operators Transdev and drivers' unions today in a bid to avert a disruptive strike planned for St Patrick's Day.

Following an appeal by Kieran Mulvey, director general of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Transdev last night agreed to reverse plans to provide a bus service for Luas passengers on the national holiday.

Mr Mulvey said that, "in order to create a climate of positivity" for the talks, he had asked the company to defer its bus plans. Drivers' unions had accused the company of engaging in strikebreaking, a claim which was denied by Transdev's boss Gerry Madden.

Talks had resumed yesterday to reach agreement on the issues of pay rises and better working conditions with the rest of staff, other than drivers, at the tram service.

However, Transdev had refused to engage with the drivers after they dropped their initial pay claim of 54pc over three years to 27pc over five years, saying it was still too high.

Mr Madden called on drivers to "modify it properly" and said he would only entertain increases in the region of 1pc-3pc.

It is understood that ticket inspectors, their supervisors, and control room staff have moved towards a 4pc pay rise.

In a statement issued last night following Mr Mulvey's intervention, Mr Madden said: "Transdev is in resolution mode and is happy to go to talks tomorrow in the WRC and engage in meaningful discussions."

Last night, Siptu divisional organiser Owen Reidy welcomed Transdev's decision to call off the bus service plan.

"It is something we've been calling for all week, and we think it will create the space for us to go in...and have unconditional discussions and make progress." Asked about the possibility of the strike being called off, Mr Reidy said it was "too early to say".

"I would have preferred if Transdev had done this a few days ago but it's done now. We've still got 48 hours and we're going to do all we can to bridge the gap."

Looming

Public opinion appears to be against the drivers, after 79pc of respondents to an Amarach Research poll for the 'Claire Byrne Live' programme on RTE said they did not support the St Patrick's Day strike, compared with just 13pc who did.

Meanwhile, the threat of strikes hitting 60,000 Dart customers is also looming, unless talks to end a row over a more frequent service reach a resolution. Irish Rail attended talks with the NBRU and Siptu, who are opposing the new service. It said the contentious new 10-minute service will mean more jobs for drivers. However, the unions said there are not enough drivers trained to run the service.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking to US President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House last year. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to raise issues of global economic uncertainty and the plight of illegal Irish emigrants in the US, when he meets President Barack Obama today. Mr Kenny's whirlwind tour of Washington will include breakfast with Vice-President Joe Biden at 8.30am, followed by his bi-lateral meeting with Mr Obama at 10.30am.

The Taoiseach and president will then brief the media in the Oval Office before going to Capitol Hill for lunch with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan.

Despite Mr Kenny reducing his St Patrick's Day itinerary to just 12 hours, the White House is facilitating most of the formal events that have become tradition on March 17.

He will present the bowl of Shamrock to Mr Obama at a gathering this afternoon, but an evening reception will be held in the Irish Embassy rather than the White House.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan will accompany Mr Kenny to Washington before travelling to New York to take part in the parade.
President Barack Obama greetsEnda Kenny during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

US President Barrack Obama warned of volatility in the electoral process after the recent general election in Ireland during his final meeting with Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the White House.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Mr Obama praised Mr Kenny for the progress he has made on restoring the Irish economy which the president was in dire straits when the Fine Gael leader took office.

Taoiseach Kenny, when he first came into office, Ireland was in dire straits economically. And weve seen significant progress in the rebound of the Irish economy. Much as here in the United States, weve seen a strong recovery, but we also are aware that a lot more work needs to be done, he said.

There was just an election in Ireland, and we live at a time when theres a lot of volatility in the electoral process. But the one thing that is constant is the importance of us continuing to trade, continuing to encourage investment, and to boost jobs and opportunity in our respective countries, he added.

He also praised Ireland for punching above its weight when it comes to providing humanitarian assistance to areas affected by wars or where people have been displaced.

During a private meeting, Mr Obama and Mr Kenny also discussed the forthcoming referendum in Britain on leaving the European Union and also the Fresh Start Agreement in Northern Ireland.

Mr Kenny said Ireland strongly favours Britain remaining a member of the European Union.

And I think the President was interested in the challenges that Prime Minister Cameron faces both internally and externally, and Ive given him an account of the workings of the European Council in bringing about the proposition that Prime Minister Cameron could actually put a referendum to his people, he added.

Mr Kenny also briefed the President on this weeks crunch European Council meeting to deal with the issues of migration.
Gardai have warned festival-goers ahead of St Patrick's Day about thieves and pick-pockets that will be operating nationwide.

Almost 3m worth of mobile phones, most of them smartphones, were reported stolen since the beginning of 2015.

At the launch of a Crime Prevention Day of Action today, An Garda Siochana revealed new figures on mobile phone safety.

Up to 60pc of thefts and robberies involve the stealing of a mobile phone, and two out of every five of them occur between 10pm and 4am.

Over half of reported incidents occur between Friday and Sunday.

In a campaign to coincide with St Patricks Day, which usually sees a higher level of this type of crime, Gardai are warning people to beware of thieves and pickpockets.

Members of the public are advised to avoid leaving their phone on tables while in bars, nightclubs or restaurants and should ideally stand with their backs against a wall or shop window while taking calls to reduce the chance of a criminal snatching the phone from behind.

Gardai are also urging people to take note of their smart phones International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number in case of theft, as it can help trace phones back to their rightful owners.

They noted that 15 mobile phones had been recovered in Galway, which were then identified by their IMEI numbers and returned to their owners.

Sergeant Kelvin Courtney of the National Crime Prevention Unit said: Only one in three people have this unique number when reporting their smart phone stolen.

Knowing your IMEI number is important for several reasons. Firstly, An Garda Siochana can reunite recovered smart phones far easier if the IMEI number is reported to us at the time of theft or loss.

Secondly, if the phone is registered with a service provider the IMEI number can be blocked on the networks, rendering the phone useless for anything other than parts.

Thirdly, convicting the thief or handler of the phone becomes more straightforward if an injured party has been identified.

To access and record your IMEI number;

1. Simply dial *#06#

2. A 15 digit number will appear on your screen

3. Take a screen shot of this number (this usually involves holding the power button and home button simultaneously, handsets may vary).

4. Email this picture to yourself, giving you a permanent record of this number.
The PSNI have appealed for information

A woman has been raped in Belfast after a man dragged her into a car as she walked along a busy road in the east of the city.

The PSNI say the woman was attacked on the Sydenham Bypass on Saturday night between 10pm and 11pm.

The man approached the woman who was walking along the route towards Holywood between Dee Street and George Best Belfast City Airport.

The woman managed to get out of the car following the attack.

The man, who was driving a dark coloured car, then made off along the bypass in the direction of Holywood.

He was described as being aged in his 30s and was wearing a dark coloured hooded top with the hood up.

Detectives are now investigating the report of the serious sexual assault.
Aghern House in Conna, Co Cork is a fine Georgian house built some time around 1740 by the Gifford family. The history of the site dates back to 1389, when Gerald Fitzgerald, the Earl of Desmond, chose it as the location for Aghern Castle. The stone fortress of this castle forms the boundary of the current house and its courtyards. Two of the original castle's towers remain - these were positioned to be vantage points from which the occupants could keep an eye on the comings and goings along the River Bride.

The house is described in Buildings of Ireland as "a notable example of Georgian architecture. The classically inspired facade retains a sombre elegance through the restrained use of ornamentation.

The entrance is particularly well-designed. Its carved timber columns and limestone plinths being indicative of the quality of 18th Century craftsmanship."

Inside, Aghern has elegant, well-proportioned rooms with handsome bay windows and wide halls, and retains original period features. The principal accommodation is arranged over two floors and there is a half-basement. Altogether there is approximately 697 sqm of living space, with the original gate lodge and a separate bungalow of more modern construction included in the sale.

The current owners, John and Eva Peet, have a record of all the families who have ever lived at Aghern. The Giffords were followed by Brabazons and Bowles, Hares and Smiths, and finally the Fennesseys, from whom the Peets purchased in 2002.

"We love the house," says John Peet. "Even though it's large, it's easy to manage and it's been a great family home."

The Peets have run Aghern, which stands at the end of a mature beech-lined driveway and comes with 100 acres of land, as a stud farm with an equine spa for the rehabilitation of racehorses and more than 70 stables in a mix of courtyards and barns. One Aghern stallion, Baron Blakeney, a grey, won the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1981 at 66/1.

"When we bought the house," says Eva Peet, "it hadn't been lived in for about 20 years, and we attended to the roof, re-wired, installed new central heating and moved the kitchen."

The kitchen is now at the back of the house and opens out onto a sunny courtyard, while the original kitchen, still with its ceiling hooks for the hanging of smoked salmon and game, is used as a family room.

The Peets also installed en suites to most of the seven bedrooms upstairs.

The land is a mixture of large fields and tree-lined post and rail paddocks, which are all serviced with water. Agent Michael O'Brien describes it as a "kind" farm: south-facing, free-draining and sheltered. "The land is top quality limestone land and the location is beautiful," he says. "We hope it will make more than the guide price as it is excellent value."

As for fishing, the Peets say that they have not had much luck, although Eva says that they can see the bridge from the house - their neighbours spotted big trout there last summer.

For more ambitious anglers, the nearby Blackwater is regarded as one of the best salmon fishing rivers in the country. Aghern is a 15-minute drive from Fermoy and 35 minutes away from Cork city.

Era: 1740

Size: 697 sqm

Agent: Michael A O'Brien Auctioneers (058) 56109

Viewing: By appointment
Searchers have recovered the remains of 14 missing miners believed to have been killed by a gang seeking control over a wildcat gold claim in south-eastern Venezuela.

Police investigating the massacre made the discovery in an area of jungle in Bolivar state, near where 20 miners disappeared a week ago, attorney general Luisa Ortega said.

The massacre last week rocked Venezuelans accustomed to violence in a country with one of the world's highest homicide rates and widespread impunity.

Fearing unrest after the state governor denied the killings took place and outraged relatives blocked a highway to Brazil in protest, President Nicolas Maduro's government dispatched more than 1,000 soldiers and cabinet officials to search for the missing miners.

Meanwhile in the US, Donald Trump has hit out at Ohio governor John Kasich a day before the state's Republican presidential primary.

Speaking in front of thousands in an aircraft hangar in Vienna Township, Mr Trump said: "Kasich cannot make America great again," adding that his rival's only economic success stems from Ohio's newly thriving petroleum industry.

Mr Kasich has pulled even with Mr Trump in some Ohio polls, and ahead in others, and with party grandee Mitt Romney at his side, urged the people who have twice elected him as governor to send a message that voters want a leader who can unite America, not divide it.

His pitch has taken on a more pointed tone in recent days, after violence erupted outside a Trump rally in Chicago. He said: "We don't fix America by demonising people, we don't fix America by dividing people."

On the Irish front pages this morning; 'Record rents higher than in boom' reads the front page of today's Irish Independent. The newspaper reports that the average rent in capital rises 124 in year. Personal Finance Editor Charlie Weston reports that rents have reached their highest-ever levels in the capital.

The Herald leads their front page with the words: 'We'll dig up Ryan's body'. 'Mr Big's mob sent the chilling warning to the family of slain RIRA brothers Alan and Vinnie Ryan.

'Gas Networks Ireland fined for overrun cover-up' reads the front page of the Irish Examiner. The newspaper reports that an investigation into 'seriously financial impropriety' in Bord Gais both north and south of the border has resulted in a fine of 644,122 in the North and sanctions against four employees of the company in the Republic.

Former Anglo banker David Drumm makes the majority of the front pages this morning. Irish Independent reports that Drumm's luxury US mansion is due to be sold. Irish Daily Mail reports on the case and writes: 'Drumm's case: two-year wait'.

The Irish Times leads with the headline 'Three badly-performing colleges may face 1m penalty'. The newspaper reports that State funding may be withheld from institutions over 'poor performance'.

'Depraved' reads the front page of the Irish Daily Mirror. It reports on how convicted rapist Faisal Ellahi has been sentenced to 13 years in jail for the rape of a young woman with Down Syndrome. The Irish Daily Star leads with the same headline.
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Colette Browne Opinion Every effort must be made to retrieve oral histories of mother and baby home survivors

With three days to go until the Mother and Baby Homes Commission ceases to exist as a legal entity, we are being told that audio recordings of hundreds of witnesses which were deleted may not actually be gone forever. It is another usual twist in a most emotional saga. For decades, survivors of mother and baby homes have been denied a voice and denied autonomy. When they fell pregnant, many through rape and abuse, they were marched to the doors of religious institutions.
It is clear from the general election result that the issue of Dail reform is now back firmly on the political agenda. While the previous government made some differences in trying to modernise parliament, it certainly wasn't a political revolution.

So will the new Dail take up the challenge? I certainly hope so. Speak to TDs from all sides and they will express their frustration at simply being there as voting fodder.

But there are two prerequisites.

First, we need more TDs who actually take an interest in doing the hard work of policy formation. Too often it is the minister and front bench spokespersons on the other side of the house who do the majority of the work. Except for the PAC or select committees set up to investigate specific matters of public concern, Dail Committees are not central in our system.

The second condition for reform is that the media must start to take the Dail much more seriously. The most depressing thing of all is the over-egged performances played out every day in the Dail. It is utterly depressing to watch the daily Punch and Judy offering where fake indignation is the order of the day. Those performances are designed to get attention in the media. But there is frequently very little substance in them. The media have a key role to play in this brave new era of Dail reform.

When Ireland achieved its independence, it followed very closely - even slavishly - the British model of parliament. We copied their standing orders. We copied their whip system. It's time we started to adapt.

Despite more than 40 years' membership of the EU, there has been very little willingness in Ireland to learn from or incorporate new ways of doing business. The EU parliament is a good starting point.

Two things struck me on being elected to the European Parliament. One was the need to maximise support for a proposal across the political divide. Trying to get on board the biggest majority possible, not just a simple majority, was a new concept for me coming from Leinster House.

Secondly, making sure that a significant minority, which opposes something, simply cannot be cast aside or ignored. That you have to take account of the views of significant minorities. That was a million miles away from the 'winner-takes-all' system that I learnt from Irish politics.

The European Parliament has much to teach us in how political reform might happen. Since the passing of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the European Parliament has become a significant player in co-decision making in Europe.

The parliament now gets to sit down with the European Council and negotiate a final outcome on a piece of legislation; only when both sides come to an agreement can the legislation go through. This is not simply a rubber-stamping exercise.

For parliament to effectively negotiate with the council, it needs to build cross-party consensus at committee stage. This cross-party consensus has to be achieved in committee before negotiations with the council. It can often be difficult and messy. And it takes a lot of time. But MEPs have an ownership of the legislation, in a way that has never happened in the Dail.

For the past year I have been acting as lead negotiator for parliament on an EU pensions directive. For this file, we managed to secure cross-party consensus between five political groups. Having a consensus between these five groups gives parliament a strong bargaining position with the council. It is by no means perfect, but the important thing is that MEPs have a direct role in deciding legislation. If you take it seriously, you can make a difference.

I believe there are five areas where the Dail could learn from the European Parliament.

1) In the EU Parliament, a lead negotiator or 'rapporteur' is appointed for every piece of legislation that comes on its agenda. This allows one member to act on a committee's behalf and take ownership of a file.

2) Committees in the EU Parliament are very well resourced. When a rapporteur is appointed to a file, usually one or two expert staff are assigned to assist that member. In our system, the experts exist primarily in the government departments.

3) The EU Parliament has a strong negotiating mandate and is on an equal footing with council in deciding most EU legislation. Parliament and council have structured meetings where they can hammer out a final agreement on legislation.

4) Parliament has introduced its own Impact Assessment Unit which is a resource constantly available to all committees. Any committee can request an independent impact assessment. This allows for proper stress testing of all proposals.

5) In EU law-making, all delegated or secondary legislation needs approval from the European Parliament. This is important because any delegated act can mean significant changes to legislation. It is also important from a scrutiny and oversight perspective. This does not happen in our system in any meaningful way.

No parliamentary system is perfect. But we can modernise by learning from what we see. In nearly two years working in the EU Parliament, I have had found that as an ordinary MEP you can make a difference on big areas of policy, and that your views are taken seriously. Giving more power to the Dail to counter the excessive power of the executive must happen. And the sooner the better. Maybe we can learn from Europe?

Brian Hayes is a Fine Gael MEP
Gigi Hadid attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Variety)

They say nothing is as glamorous as it looks - no matter what side of the camera you're on.

When it comes to Fashion Week, models flood the streets, street style is a cult everyone wants to be leader of and both men and women are groomed to perfection.

Behind the stampede of perfectly coiffed manes, one man takes the reins. We flew to London to meet Mark Hampton, Global Hair Ambassador with Toni & Guy  hes the cheeky chappy, who at 36, is one of the most in demand hair stylists in the world and has worked with every celebrity under the sun. Remember Gigi Hadids lioness mane at the 2015 Met Gala? That was Mark.

Every season, he signs up to a few prestige shows during Fashion Month  this time in London, it was Vivienne Westwood, Roksanda, Ashley Williams and Sibling. We flew to London to catch some shows and chat to Mark about what really goes on behind the scenes.

How do you come up with hair concepts for the show?

Expand Close Dame Vivienne Westwood backstage ahead of the her show during London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2016/17 at Royal College of Surgeons on February 21, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Dame Vivienne Westwood backstage ahead of the her show during London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2016/17 at Royal College of Surgeons on February 21, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Pre-show, we always have a hair and makeup test for every designer, so depending on schedules, well all book in. Normally its like a bunch of mates hanging out at the beginning  we have a little chat about what they're doing this season. I see it needs to be back, over the shoulders and no hair around the neck because thats where all the embellishment is. With Roksanda, they showed me all the outfits, they a big board with all the individual looks so you can see the entire collection  all the colours, the palettes, the shape and structured. In my head, the wheels are turning  theres ruffled collars, open necks and quite a slim silhouette for this colour palette.

How do you decide on a final look?

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We knew we maybe wanted a ponytail, but also maybe down or a weird up do with texture. Its all about the placement. [For the ponytail], we wanted to do a small detail - we can use fabric, suede, elastics. Over two or three hours, its almost a process of elimination and seeing things you dont want. Its a ponytail, but not a clean part. At that part, all the tiny details become massive, whether its parted with a comb or with your finger. The level of detail is that minute, it becomes imperative.

Was it the same with Vivienne Westwood?

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With Vivienne, it was one word and they said Show us; go with it; do whatever you want to do. Ive worked with her for eight seasons, so now, she says: The idea is Angel. Do what you want.

Knowing Vivienne and her world, its a little bit like a band. You know the kind of girl, the character. Theres also the opportunity to be creative and mention little pearls, fallen angels. In my mind, I was thinking something kind of small and a little weird.

If you have imagine a Vivienne Westwood girl, theyre quite exaggerated, theyre not conforming to society. With that woman in mind, she might not curl hair herself bit by bit, but she might do something quite odd. It has to be alternative; it has to be avant garde. Otherwise it would be weird. Daisy Lowe would wear those clothes  she would do that hair. They [the Vivienne Westwood girl] have that effervescence, that over exuberance of confidence the Westwood woman. Roksanda is more like a wallflower. Ashley Williams is more individual. I think when you believe it, its a lot easier to talk about things.

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How did you get involved with Toni & Guy?

They were looking for a young British guy with experience in shows. I worked with a lot of people for a long time so I had experience. Then they saw my work, knew who I was and my clients and it just worked out. I do one day a week and my shows and thats all I do. What I do is shoot Vogue, ID, interview, Italian Vogue

What celebrities have you worked with?

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Whatsapp Gigi Hadid attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Variety)

I worked with Kings of Leon for seven years, Taylor Swift, all the guys from Game of Thrones. Ive been doing this 16 years, since I was 15. Im doing it a super long time. Theyre nice, I like them and that means more to me than who they are. To be honest, 99% of the time, everyone is nice to the hairdresser - their beauty squad. I did the Met Ball with Gigi and Bella Hadid, who are super sweet.

Who is the nicest and who is the worst? Be honest!

People cant be happy all the time. Everyone is always really nice. Musicians are nicer than celebrities. They know Im a hyper guy and I like to be chatty, so dont book me if you want a quiet guy who will sit in the corner. Thats why I work with people who are more on my level. I did Diane Kruger, whos just chill and quiet.

You need to know when to manipulate your personality to situate the surroundings. I try not to change who I am, but, sometimes you have people who dont have time to listen to me being hyper who want to sit quietly for 20 minutes.

Is it as crazy as it looks when youre working backstage? There was some panic when a few models arrived in from another show?

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Their hair was centre part, completely gelled flat and we were doing completely natural, clean hair. I had to run them down to the bathroom, shampoo three girls hair, get them back up, dry it and get makeup and hair. [There might be] 10 people on a girl there  three hairdressers, three makeup artists, someone doing nails, someone taking off their shoes. Ive been doing shows 11 years. Its a nightmare, it can be horrible, but its not going to stop.

Have you had any pinch yourself moments?

You have to appreciate what you have. I didnt go to university. Im not rich, I dont have money. I get to travel and meet amazing people and work with these shows and its a dream come true for most people. I dont deserve it  nobody deserves anything. You only deserve what you work hard for.

What hair trends do you predict for 2016?

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I feel like its getting even less trend driven and more individual again. Its about the girls attitude and cuts are coming back again. I miss that. I feel like hair has got healthier, which has allowed things to be un-trend. Its just about good hair that you can change. Other than early 70s and 90s, I dont really see anything at the moment.

We saw some very, very skinny models backstage - do you ever think that sometimes the runway models are too thin or too young?

Too thin  not so much when you put it into the context of their age. 16 is the youngest Ive seen. Maybe for me thats too young, because youre really imitating a woman, ultimately; unless your brand is specific like Marc Jacobs which is about young girls.

When we were 17 or 18, and if you were to look at a show and see a bunch of older women, you wouldnt be inspired by them. Youre inspired that little exuberance of youth and something you dont have. When Kate Moss was famous, she wasnt 25, she was 18.

Its hard to know whats right and whats wrong, I think everything has to be contextual. I really dont see that many and its the ones who are naturally beautiful and feel they have to be excessively thin to keep up with the girls who do it on their own.

With special thanks to Toni & Guy
The Radio Times has accused the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) of not taking its readers' views on the future of the BBC into consideration.

A BBC Royal Charter Renewal Public Consultation on Culture Secretary John Whittingdale's plans for a reform of the corporation was launched in July 2015.

The Radio Times published 16 questions which, it said, mirrored those in the DCMS's official consultation.

But in a letter dated March 11, the magazine said at least 6,000 digital responses delivered to the DCMS on an encrypted memory stick for data protection purposes were not included.

The Radio Times said the DCMS published its consultation report without requesting the password to open the file, "and therefore cannot have taken the responses into consideration".

The publication said Mr Whittingdale had told the Oxford Media Convention on March 2 that "every response has been read".

In a statement, a DCMS spokesman said the Government is "committed" to a "thorough and open" BBC Charter Review process.

"All responses to our formal consultation will feed into the process," the statement said.

"We also received other views including results from the Radio Times survey, which asked different questions.

"We will also take account of these as part of the Charter Review."

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Radio Times editor Ben Preston said he finds it "absolutely baffling" that the contribution of 9,000 Radio Times readers, with 3,000 responses sent by post, were not considered.

In a statement, he said: "It is only thanks to an encrypted memory stick that we discover his department has not taken into consideration the wise words of so many people who have a genuine passion for quality broadcasting, despite claiming every response has been read".

He added: "The future of British broadcasting is too important to be carved up by politicians alone and the Secretary of State should reopen the consultation and listen to all the voices of the British viewing public."

In one of the largest ever responses to a government public consultation, i n total 192,564 responses were received via emails, letters and an online survey.

The results were published on March 1.

The consultation revealed the majority of respondents backed the BBC and its independence from government.
Daniel Mays says writers like Jed Mercurio are essential to balance the "Downton Abbey effect"

Line Of Duty star Daniel Mays says television is "awash" with privately educated actors and costume dramas.

He told the Radio Times writers like Jed Mercurio are essential to balance the "Downton Abbey effect".

BBC One's adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War And Peace and ITV's version of Anthony Trollope's Doctor Thorne, written by Downton creator Julian Fellowes, are recent examples of upmarket drama.

"We're awash with the Downton Abbey effect, which is all great and I actually loved War And Peace," he said.

"All those shows definitely have a place, but there are a lot of public school actors and writers about at the moment."

The Essex-born star opened up about his admiration for Line Of Duty writer and producer Mercurio.

Mays also hailed Tony Merchant, the man behind 2012 drama Public Enemies, in which he starred alongside former Brookside actress Anna Friel as a convicted murderer.

"I think writers like Jed and Tony Marchant and the worlds that they're depicting are vital for the BBC and for British drama," he said.

In the third series of gritty cop drama Line Of Duty, Mays joins the cast as Sergeant Danny Waldron, the leader of an armed response unit whose unpredictable behaviour becomes a threat to colleagues and suspects.

Returning favourites include Martin Compston as Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott, Vicky McClure as Detective Constable Kate Fleming and Adrian Dunbar as Superintendent Ted Hastings.

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Keeley Hawes's acclaimed performance as Detective Inspector Lindsay Denton made the 2014 series of Line Of Duty one of BBC Two's most watched shows that year.

Lennie James's turn as troubled Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates in 2012 saw the crime thriller emerge as one of BBC Two's best performing dramas in 10 years.

But Mays is undaunted by pressure to live up to what has gone before.

Instead, he promised fans "a different show".

"This one is so much more high-octane, action-packed and edge-of-the-seat than the others. It's a different show," he said.

Mercurio, he said, delivered "a thrilling and emotionally raw script".

Lauded for his portrayal of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs in ITV's 2012 drama Mrs Biggs, the 37-year-old son of an electrician attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts before winning a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada).

"Rada gives huge grants and funding to people from working class backgrounds to be able to enrol, which is the only reason I could go," he said.

Roles in Red Riding, Ashes To Ashes and Made In Dagenham, to name a few, led to his star turn as Biggs.

His most recent project was the big-screen version of BBC sitcom Dad's Army, playing Private Walker.

He will soon be seen in The Limehouse Golem, an adaptation of Peter Ackroyd's 1994 murder mystery novel, alongside Bill Nighy and Douglas Booth.

:: Line Of Duty is broadcast on March 24 on BBC Two.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Television Personality Kim Kardashian attends the InStyle Awards at Getty Center on October 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for InStyle)

Kim Kardashian is seen in Midtown on February 10, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Alessio Botticelli/GC Images)

TV personality Kim Kardashian attends LACMA 2015 Art+Film Gala Honoring James Turrell and Alejandro G Inarritu, Presented by Gucci at LACMA on November 7, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

I never understand why people get so bothered by what other people choose to do with their lives.

There are a lot of people who could utter this statement and get away with it. Kim Kardashian  whose entire livelihood is based on people being bothered by what she does with her life  is not one of them.

This is, of course, from Kim's open letter  penned this week to the people of the world  as a response to their outrage surrounding a naked selfie she uploaded to Twitter, captioned When you're like I have nothing to wear LOL.

In it, Kim claims that, I am empowered by my body... It's 2016. The body-shaming and slut-shaming  it's like, enough is enough.

#liberated A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Mar 7, 2016 at 10:21pm PST

In one way, of course, she's right - who are we to tell another woman what to do with her body, and to attempt to make her feel ashamed about feeling proud of a bod that is undeniably bangin' and, has produced two children, North (two) and Saint (three months)?

But in another  rather significant  way, Kim's missed the point entirely. For a lot of us, we're not horrified that Kim is proud of her body, nor do we give two hoots about what empowers her. It might just come down to this: Kim Kardashian, we find your naked selfie  and your determination to show the world how gorgeous you are  vulgar and distasteful.

It's no huge surprise that she doesn't get it  hers is a confusion shared by a whole host of online influencers and celebrities alike. Disagree with what they do or how they do it  or, worse, express the fact that you think they're a bit tacky / clueless / ignorant  and the word shaming is quickly tacked on to whatever horse they can hitch their wagon to. Stop body shaming me! I'm so tired of being slut shamed. #sadface

Empowerment is another great buzzword thrown around to quiet dissenters: I'm an empowered woman exercising my choice. Er, no, love; you're a hot 30-something showing off your body.

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Whatsapp Kim Kardashian posted this 'belfie' to show her post-pregnancy weight loss. (Instagram/Kim Kardashian)

And y'know what? That's fine  show off your body all you like. Just don't expect us to row in with your ideas of feminine empowerment.

As for the idea that, if you've nothing nice to say, say nothing at all, unless you're seven years old, that no longer holds any sway. As humans, we are thoughtful, critical beings  and if you're making your living from appealing to the public, whether as a blogger or a reality TV star, you've got to expect your adoring public to speak up every now and again.

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It doesn't mean we're trying to shame you; we're just not buying what you're selling. It's called customer feedback  and sometimes, it might be worth taking it on board.
A JOURNALIST who was allegedly 'roughed up' last week at a Donald Trump press conference has quit her job at conservative website 'The Breitbart News', saying she couldn't work for an organisation that doesn't support her.

Michelle Fields, who said she was grabbed by Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as she attempted to question the candidate last Tuesday in Florida, was joined in her resignation by a Breitbart editor, Ben Shapiro.

Police in Jupiter, Florida, say their investigation of the incident is ongoing. No charges have been filed.

Mr Lewandowski denied the allegation. Trump told CNN that the incident, which was also witnessed by a reporter from the 'Washington Post', had probably been "made up".

After initially publishing Ms Fields' account, Breitbart posted a story doubting its own report, saying the "likeliest explanation" was that Fields had been grabbed by a security officer, not Mr Lewandowski.

Mr Shapiro, in a statement first reported by BuzzFeed News, said Breitbart did not support Ms Fields beyond tepidly asking for an apology.

"In the ultimate indignity, they undermined Michelle completely by running a poorly evidenced conspiracy theory as their lead story," he wrote.

Mr Shapiro called Breitbart's chief executive, Stephen Bannon, a bully who had shaped the company into "Trump's personal Pravda".

Mr Bannon refused to comment.
A woman wipes a tear from her eye after meeting Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during a campaign rally in Chicago, Illinois

Donald Trump could face charges for inciting a riot over violence at a recent campaign event, officials in North Carolina announced last night.

The news comes as moderate Republicans launched a last-ditch attempt to derail the controversial front-runner as he looks set to take a giant leap toward the party's presidential nomination in the Mega Tuesday primaries.

Voters in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina are due today to make their decision in a make-or-break round of elections, with Mr Trump holding clear leads in four of those states.

Ohio emerged as potentially the key battleground and the businessman remained tied in polls with John Kasich, the popular local governor.

An anti-Trump group launched a last-minute $1m advertising blitz in Ohio accusing the billionaire of outsourcing manufacturing jobs to China.

Mr Trump cancelled an appearance last night in Florida and instead scheduled a last-minute rally at an airport in Youngstown, Ohio, seeking to make a final push.

Mr Trump continued to deny his inflammatory rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims, and Hispanics had contributed to violence at his recent rallies. He said: "There is no violence, These are love-fests. There's very little disruption really."

Officials in the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, apparently disagree.

A white Trump supporter punched a black protester last Wednesday at a chaotic rally there, and local police are now weighing whether to charge Mr Trump for inciting a riot.

In Florida, the home state senator Marco Rubio was trailing Mr Trump by up to 20 percentage points but vowed he would "shock the country" with an upset. Mr Rubio made a final plea to voters, saying: "We have to win here in Florida. I'm asking you to believe in me now."

Today, a quarter of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination are at stake. Going into the showdown, Mr Trump already had 460 delegates, Texas Senator Ted Cruz had 370, Mr Rubio, 163, and Mr Kasich 63.

In the Republican race, states that have voted so far awarded delegates proportionally based on the popular vote. But in Florida and Ohio, all the delegates will be awarded to the winner, making them key to victory. Florida awards 99 delegates and Ohio 66.

For months Mr Kasich (63), had refrained from engaging in the vicious sniping that has characterised the race.

But on the eve of the vote he turned on Mr Trump, saying: "Do we go to the dark side, with negativity, the gnashing of teeth, or do we go to the hopeful and the light side?"

Mr Trump responded by calling Mr Kasich a "baby".

Mr Cruz said a Trump nomination guaranteed four more years of Democrat control of the White House. "We elect Hillary Clinton and we destroy the country if Trump is the nominee," he said yesterday.

Among the Democrats, Clinton carries an edge of more than 200 pledged delegates into today's contests and could effectively block rival Bernie Sanders' path to victory with a sweep of the large states.

While the delegates will be awarded proportionately, Clinton's support with super-delegates - elected officials and party leaders free to back whomever they'd like - puts her in a strong position to win.

According to one analysis, Clinton holds 1,231 delegates, more than half the amount needed to clinch the nomination. Sanders has 576.

But Sanders pulled an upset last week in Michigan, where polls had shown Clinton leading by as many as 20 points. ( Daily Telegraph, London)
Angelina Jolie has said the international community must address the root causes of the global refugee crisis.

Speaking in the pouring rain at a press conference in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, the Hollywood actress and special envoy for the UN's refugee agency said: "We cannot manage the world through aid relief in the place of diplomacy and political solutions."

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have sought refuge in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon hosts well over a million Syrian refugees, who now account for nearly a fifth of its population.

Jolie said she had hoped to be in Syria helping victims return to their homes on the fifth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

She said it is "tragic and shameful that we seem to be so far from that point".

There are now more people displaced through conflict around the globe than during the Second World War, according to the UN.

The war in Syria between Assad's government, rebels and foreign jihadis has drawn in world powers and generated what the UN says is the largest humanitarian catastrophe in a generation.

Half of Syria's pre-war population of some 23 million has been displaced, with around five million having fled their homeland, mainly to neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

International relief organisation Oxfam has warned that Lebanese municipalities are running out of space to bury deceased refugees.

"We should never forget that for all the focus on the refugee situation in Europe at this time, the greatest pressure is still being felt in the Middle East and North Africa, as it has for each of the last five years," Jolie said.

After a tidal wave of refugees poured into Europe last year, some countries began erecting political and physical barriers to migration, which have left tens of thousands of refugees stuck in squalid conditions in the Balkans this spring.

Jolie called on such countries to adhere to their international obligations to aid refugees.

"The reason we have laws and binding international agreements is precisely because of the temptation to deviate from them in times of pressure," she said.
Switzerland is due to hold a referendum on introducing the measure later this year.

New Zealand could become one of the first developed countries to scrap benefits and introduce a basic citizens income.

Leader of the opposition Andrew Little said his Labour party was considering the idea as part of proposals to combat the "possibility of higher structural unemployment".

Citizens income, also known as Universal Basic Income (UBI), involves a basic, unconditional, fixed payment made to every person in the country by the state in lieu of benefits.

Mr Little confirmed his party would debate the idea at its conference on employment at the end of March.

He said significant changes to way people worked were "unavoidable" and "we expect that in the future world of work there will be at least a portion of the workforce that will rapidly move in and out of work".

He told New Zealand news website Stuff: "The question is whether you have an income support system that means every time you stop work you have to go through the palaver of stand-down periods, more bureaucracy, more form filling at the same time as you're trying to get into your next job.

"We are keen to have that debate about whether the time has arrived for us to have a system that is seamless, easy to pass through, [with a] guaranteed basic income and [where] you can move in and out of work on a regular basis."

The debate does not mean the policy will be included in the partys manifesto at the next general election - which is likely to take place next year - or that the ruling National party will consider the proposals.

Other countries such as Finland and the Netherlands are due to launch similar programmes this year and Canada also recently debated the issue.

Switzerland is due to hold a referendum on introducing the measure later this year.

It comes after delegates at the SNP spring conference in Glasgow backed a motion to consider the proposal when designing the welfare system of an independent Scotland.
A former trader found guilty of a massive fraud to rig the Libor bank interest rate is now battling to hold onto the 2.5m house he bought with his wife before his arrest.

Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is looking to confiscate the seven-bedroom property in Surrey, known as the Old Rectory, along with assets including cash and jewellery, on the grounds it was acquired with the proceeds of crime.

Tom Hayes (36) claims the house should remain with his wife, Sarah, an independently wealthy corporate lawyer.

Hayes was the first person to face trial for rigging Libor since investigators started a probe eight years ago. While his conviction last year was a triumph for the SFO, the prosecutor suffered a setback in January when six brokers accused of conspiring with Hayes were found not guilty of all charges.

After buying the Surrey property, outside London, together in 2011 and embarking on a major refurbishment, the couple took out a mortgage and transferred the deed solely to his wife in the summer of 2013 as legal bills mounted. Hayes was sentenced to 14 years in jail seven months ago. The sentence was later reduced to 11 years on appeal. The case, which is expected to last five days, continues today.
Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he enters a courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 arrived in court on Tuesday for his human rights case against the Norwegian government.

Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he enters a courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011 arrived in court on Tuesday for his human rights case against the Norwegian government. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT

Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik marked his return to court by making a Nazi salute during his bid to improve conditions inside the Norwegian prison where he is being held in isolation for massacring 77 people in bomb-and-gun attacks

Appearing in the public eye for the first time since his conviction nearly four years ago, the 37-year-old Norwegian and his lawyers are trying to convince a judge that his prison conditions are "inhuman" and violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

The government has rejected his claims, saying he is being treated humanely and with dignity despite the severity of his crimes.

With a dark suit and a shaved head, Breivik was led into the gym-turned-courtroom in Skien prison, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south-west of Oslo, where the trial is being held for security reasons.

After prison guards removed his handcuffs, Breivik turned to journalists covering the hearing and stretched out his right arm in a Nazi salute. Stone-faced, he remained there for a few seconds as guards stood idle and his lawyer Oystein Storrvik nervously took a sip of water.

Many survivors and families of victims are trying to ignore the trial, fearing it could reopen emotional wounds and give Breivik more attention. Some watched a retransmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo.

"It's pathetic. It's a farce," said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter Synne was killed in Breivik's shooting massacre on Utoya island. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

In violence that stunned Norway on July 22 2011, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo's government district and then carried out a shooting massacre at the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth organisation on Utoya.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, but his term can be extended as long as he is considered a danger to society. Even his lawyer said that means Breivik is likely to be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

During his criminal trial four years ago, Breivik entered the court with his own salute, using a clenched fist instead of the outstretched hand that the Nazis used to greet Adolf Hitler. At the time Breivik described himself as a modern-day crusader, fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

In letters sent to media from prison, Breivik said he has abandoned his armed struggle and now wants to create a fascist movement while serving his sentence.

Before the hearing started on Tuesday, Mr Storrvik said the goal of the case was to improve Breivik's prison conditions, including allowing him to interact with other prisoners and removing some restrictions on his mail correspondence.

"That is what we want because the conditions are hard now," Mr Storrvik said.

Breivik is the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison. He is allowed some mail correspondence but it is strictly controlled and he is not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

The government says the restrictions are well within the European Convention on Human Rights and are needed to make sure Breivik is not able to build militant extremist networks from prison.

"The plaintiff has not shown any sign of remorse," government lawyer Marius Emberland said in his opening remarks. "Breivik is a very dangerous man."

Breivik shook his head as Mr Emberland spoke.

Norwegian authorities, known for their humanitarian approach to criminal justice, stress that Breivik has the same rights as any other inmate to challenge his imprisonment conditions.

"He is a citizen of Norway and even though he is convicted for a horrible crime, he hasn't lost his human rights," said Ina Stromstad, a judge serving as a spokeswoman for the Olso district court.

Breivik is to address the court on Wednesday. Both sides will call witnesses to give evidence before closing arguments on Friday. The judgment is expected about a month later.
Police at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

Police at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

Police at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

Police at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

Police take cover at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

Police at the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

A masked Belgian policeman secures the area from a rooftop near the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels, Belgium

A masked Belgian policeman secures the area from a rooftop near the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

A masked Belgian policeman secures the area from a rooftop above the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

A masked Belgian policeman secures the area from a rooftop above the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

Belgium snipers secure the area from a rooftop near the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels, Belgium

A masked Belgian policeman secures the area from a rooftop near the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels

A Belgium police officer secures the area from a rooftop near the scene where shots were fired during a police search of a house in the suburb of Forest near Brussels, Belgium

Belgian police have launched a manhunt in a Brussels neighbourhood after at least one gunman opened fire on officers during an anti-terror raid linked to last year's Paris attacks, officials said.

Three police officers were slightly injured during the operation.

Two hours after the first shots were fired, a big swathe of the Forest neighbourhood was in lockdown as special police units in body armour and balaclava hoods moved in, several with their guns drawn.

A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still hunting for at least one suspect.

"Two individuals apparently barricaded themselves inside a home," Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels said.

It was not immediately clear if the two people escaped, or whether police were searching for more people.

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A police official also said it was not clear if the police officers were struck by bullets or injured in another way.

Another official said that the anti-terror raid in the Forest neighbourhood was linked to the Paris attacks on November 13 that killed 130 people.

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The area is close to Molenbeek, home to several people involved in the attacks.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter around the area where the shots were heard to keep the many bystanders at a safe distance. Several hundred spectators were trying to get a closer look at the operation in the multicultural neighbourhood, which has a big Audi car factory nearby. Audi asked its personnel to stay at the plant while the police raid was going on.

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Several hooded officers wearing body armour milled around the neighbourhood and ambulances were on standby.

Four months on, Belgian police and magistrates have still been piecing together the role Belgian nationals played in aiding the Paris attackers, as well as trying to track down missing suspects including international fugitive Salah Abdeslam, whose brother Brahim was one of the suicide bombers.

The suspected ringleader of the attacks was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighbourhood.

Belgian authorities have stepped up their counter-terror efforts since a lone gunman killed four people at the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014. The small Western European country has also been prime recruiting ground for Islamic State, and officials freely acknowledge their concerns about what radicalised recruits might do after returning home from the battlefields of Syria or Iraq.

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Tuesday's raid was a reminder of the anxious days the Belgian capital lived through in November and December, when the subway and schools were closed for a time, and the New Year's Eve fireworks display was cancelled because of the threat of extremist violence.
FOUR auctioneers and dozens of porters from France's most famous auction house went on trial yesterday accused of stealing 2.2m worth of valuables and art, including works by Chagall and Matisse.

Around 50 workers from Hotel Drouot appeared in a Paris court on charges of gang-related theft, conspiracy to commit a crime or handling stolen goods. The art was intended to be sold at the oldest, largest and best known auction house in France. However, prosecutors say that a huge mountain of items were deliberately "lost" en route.

As well as an oil by Gustave Courbet, a sketch by Pablo Picasso and a gouache by Marc Chagall, the items include lithographs by Henri Matisse, a 2.08 carat diamond and costumes and jewels belonging to legendary mime artist Marcel Marceau.

Raids by investigators found 250 tonnes of valuable paintings, sculptures and objets d'art in the homes of porters, known as "red collars", and in warehouses.

The alleged thefts occurred between 2006 and 2009, and the total value of the items stolen came to around 2.2m, the court heard.

When collectors of art or other valuable objects contacted the auction house saying they had pieces to sell, the "red collars" would transport them.

With their black uniforms, with a red collar bearing their serial number, the porters were famous and earned up to 120,000 a year. The secretive, self-governing group, numbering 110, monopolised all removal duties at the prestigious Paris auction house for 150 years.

However, their reign ended in 2010, when several were accused of squirrelling away items from large estates left by wealthy people. Some items would miraculously reappear after complaints, but others were sold privately or auctioned at Drouot after a period of months or even years.

The prosecution has accused them of Mafia-style, "institutionalised theft" for decades.

The trial continues. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The playboy son of a billionaire wanted for the rape and murder of a Norwegian student in London is still on the run eight years after her death.

Farouk Abdulhak remains holed up in Yemen and has refused to return to the UK where he is accused of killing Martine Vik Magnussen in 2008.

She was last seen in the early hours of March 14 at Maddox nightclub in London where she had been celebrating the end of term with friends from Regent's Business School.

The 23-year-old is thought to have left the club with fellow student Abdulhak - son of billionaire Shaher Abdulhak - and her body was found buried in rubble in the basement of flats in Great Portland Street two days later.

Yesterday, her father Petter Magnussen released two previously unpublished images of his daughter, as his family continue to fight for justice.

He said: "We have been left devastated and distraught since the loss of our daughter. There is an enormous hole in our lives that can never be filled.

"Martine would have been 31 years old and I cannot help but wonder what she would be doing now - would she have settled down, married and had children?

"What makes the pain so much more difficult to accept is that we are being denied justice as Farouk Abdulhak fled to Yemen after the murder and refuses to return to the UK.

"He has continued to live his life for the past eight years and move forward, in contrast to my family and myself who cannot do that.

"What we can do and will do is continue to keep the spotlight on this case and cherish the memory of our beloved daughter."

Mr Magnussen said that last year a senior Yemeni official offered to give Abdulhak up if, in return, peace talks over civil conflict in the Middle Eastern state could be held in Norway.

Mr Magnussen was unable to arrange this, but said: "I found this encouraging.

"This was a strong message to the suspect that he can no longer totally rely on the support of his own people. I hope he is not sleeping so well these days."

Police say the investigation is still very much alive.
CCTV has emerged which shows a shooting in London, which left one person needing hospital treatment for a gunshot wound to the upper thigh.

On Sunday, 7 February, at about 7pm, a 20-year-old man was walking along Tulse Hill with two friends, when the pillion passenger of a passing moped got off and chased the men, firing two shots towards them.

The suspect then got back onto the moped and the two suspects rode off towards Norwood.

One person was injured with a single gunshot wound to the upper right thigh.

The victim was taken by the London Ambulance Service to a south London hospital for treatment and was released the following day.

The rider of the moped is described as wearing a light coloured helmet.

The suspect who fired the shots is described as wearing a black, full face helmet with white flashings and dark trousers with white stripes on the leg.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Demi Wright died three weeks after finding out she had cancer

A 22-year-old woman has died after doctors thought her cancer may be a pregnancy.

An obituary stated Demi Wright, from Colchester, "died peacefully" after a short battle with the disease.

Her family told the Metro the makeup artist had a benign tumor in her liver as a child, and had checkups into her teens as a result.

She began experiencing a pain in her side in November of last year.

When she went to the doctor, they found she was emitting human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone emitted during pregnancy.

Doctors thought Demi Wright might be pregnant, and scheduled an ultrasound.

Her father told the Metro: It was strange because she had been using the contraceptive pill and there were no other signs of her being pregnant

I went to an ultrasound with her and they were looking to see what was happening.

Doctors found no baby when they did the ultrasound, so scheduled more tests.

They eventually found Ms. Wright had a tumour on her liver, and it had spread all over her body.

Chris Wright said she never cried, even after learning her cancer was terminal.

He told The Metro: I absolutely broke down and she patted the bed and told me to sit by her and she gave me a big hug and said, Its going to be okay,

She was a real trooper.

Demi Wright died three weeks later.

Her boyfriend, Mitch Gregory, told the Daily-Gazette the family feels robbed.

It needs to be stressed how much courage she had, he said. Shes our inspiration now.

Her family have now set up a fundraiser, to raise money for cancer research.

Her cousin wrote on the page: "To be honest she didn't even have a chance. I do this every year and this year it's for Demi

"Join me for Cancer Research UK's Race for Life this year. Please join the fight by digging deep and sponsoring me - it's quick, easy and totally secure.

"Events like this are vital in funding Cancer Research UK's life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring me, we can unite and create an army that cancer can't ignore. By sponsoring me, we will beat cancer sooner."
Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik marked his return to court by making a Nazi salute during his bid to improve conditions inside the Norwegian prison where he is being held in isolation for massacring 77 people in bomb-and-gun attacks.

Appearing in the public eye for the first time since his conviction nearly four years ago, the 37-year-old Norwegian and his lawyers are trying to convince a judge that his prison conditions are "inhuman" and violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

The government has rejected his claims, saying he is being treated humanely and with dignity despite the severity of his crimes.

With a dark suit and a shaved head, Breivik was led into the gym-turned-courtroom in Skien prison, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south-west of Oslo, where the trial is being held for security reasons.

After prison guards removed his handcuffs, Breivik turned to journalists covering the hearing and stretched out his right arm in a Nazi salute. Stone-faced, he remained there for a few seconds as guards stood idle and his lawyer Oystein Storrvik nervously took a sip of water.

Many survivors and families of victims are trying to ignore the trial, fearing it could reopen emotional wounds and give Breivik more attention. Some watched a retransmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo.

"It's pathetic. It's a farce," said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter Synne was killed in Breivik's shooting massacre on Utoya island. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

In violence that stunned Norway on July 22 2011, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo's government district and then carried out a shooting massacre at the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth organisation on Utoya.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, but his term can be extended as long as he is considered a danger to society. Even his lawyer said that means Breivik is likely to be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

During his criminal trial four years ago, Breivik entered the court with his own salute, using a clenched fist instead of the outstretched hand that the Nazis used to greet Adolf Hitler. At the time Breivik described himself as a modern-day crusader, fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

In letters sent to media from prison, Breivik said he has abandoned his armed struggle and now wants to create a fascist movement while serving his sentence.

Before the hearing started on Tuesday, Mr Storrvik said the goal of the case was to improve Breivik's prison conditions, including allowing him to interact with other prisoners and removing some restrictions on his mail correspondence.

"That is what we want because the conditions are hard now," Mr Storrvik said.

Breivik is the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison. He is allowed some mail correspondence but it is strictly controlled and he is not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

The government says the restrictions are well within the European Convention on Human Rights and are needed to make sure Breivik is not able to build militant extremist networks from prison.

"The plaintiff has not shown any sign of remorse," government lawyer Marius Emberland said in his opening remarks. "Breivik is a very dangerous man."

Breivik shook his head as Mr Emberland spoke.

Norwegian authorities, known for their humanitarian approach to criminal justice, stress that Breivik has the same rights as any other inmate to challenge his imprisonment conditions.

"He is a citizen of Norway and even though he is convicted for a horrible crime, he hasn't lost his human rights," said Ina Stromstad, a judge serving as a spokeswoman for the Olso district court.

Breivik is to address the court on Wednesday. Both sides will call witnesses to give evidence before closing arguments on Friday. The judgment is expected about a month later.

Mr Emberland said Breivik has three cells at his disposal, one for sleeping, one for studying and one for working out. He also has daily access to an exercise yard.

Mr Emberland said prison officials are trying to mitigate Breivik's isolation by offering to have him take part in activities with prison staff such as playing chess.

Breivik has declined many of those offers, though he did build a gingerbread house as part of a prison competition, he said.
Vladimir Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria

Russian warplanes and troops stationed at Russia's air base in Syria have started leaving for home following a partial pullout order from President Vladimir Putin the previous day.

The move raises hopes for progress at the newly reconvened UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva, with t he UN special envoy for Syria calling Mr Putin's announcement a "significant development".

Staffan de Mistura said in a statement that his team hoped the Russian drawdown would have a "positive impact" on the negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to Syria's war and "a peaceful political transition in the country".

Mr Putin announced the withdrawal of most of the Russian forces from Syria on Monday, just hours after Mr de Mistura had reconvened indirect peace talks between representatives of Syrian president Bashar Assad's government and those of the so-called moderate opposition.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia's decision was prompted by the Kremlin's displeasure with the Syrian government's tough position in the negotiations - or that it was intended to put pressure on Assad.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif Zarif welcomed Russia's decision to begin withdrawing forces from Syria, saying it indicated that Moscow does not see an imminent need to use force for maintaining the ceasefire, which is fragile but holding.

"That in and of itself should be a positive sign. Now we have to wait and see," Mr Zarif said during a visit to Australia.

Russia's defence ministry said a group of Su-34 bombers was the first to depart on Tuesday, accompanied by a military transport aircraft. The planes would be making stops at airfields in Russia for refuelling and technical checks since some of them are stationed more than 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) away from the Syria base, the ministry said.

Russian state television showed video of the three warplanes taking off and flying in formation behind a larger transport aircraft, and also reported that two more groups had subsequently set off for home. A later report showed the Su-34 pilots receiving a hero's welcome at an air base near the Russian city Voronezh.

Mr Putin did not specify how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn. Russia has not revealed how many soldiers it has deployed to Syria, where it maintains a naval facility as well as an air base, but US estimates of the number of Russian military personnel vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia had deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syria's coastal province of Latakia. The number of sorties had been drastically reduced since the ceasefire went into effect on February 27.

Meanwhile, a Russian deputy defence minister said Russia would continue striking Islamic State militants and Syria's al Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front, as well as other militant factions that the UN Security Council has designated as terrorist organisations. The Syrian army has said it will also continue its operations against these groups "with the same tempo".

While the Russian air campaign had brought positive results, it was too early to speak about victory over terrorism and the Russian forces remaining in Syria "have the task of continuing to strike terrorist targets", Nikolai Pankov said during a ceremony at the Syria base honouring the departing Russian pilots.

The head of the defence committee in Russia's upper house of parliament, Viktor Ozerov, said he estimated about 1,000 Russian military personnel would remain in Syria at the two bases, the Interfax news agency reported.

Mr Ozerov said Russia would need a minimum of two battalions, a total of 800 troops, to protect the two bases. In addition, Russia would continue to conduct air reconnaissance, requiring some of the plane crews to remain, and the military specialists advising the Syrian army would also stay, he said.

He said Russia would keep its long-range S-400 air defence missiles at the base. Russia deployed the powerful system in November after Turkey downed a Russian jet along the Syrian border.

The start of the negotiations in Switzerland on Monday offered Mr Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the five-and-a-half-month Russian air campaign, which has allowed Assad's army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia's foreign and defence ministers, Mr Putin said the Russian air campaign has allowed Assad's military to "radically" turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

With Russia's main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Mr Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with Nato member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscow's military action.

At the same time, Mr Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. Syria's state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but will not leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Mr Putin spoke on the phone on Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria.

It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the "successes" the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.
Migrants walk along a road after they were turned back from Macedonia, north of Idomeni, Greece (AP)

Macedonia has sent back hundreds of refugees to Greece, a day after they bypassed a border fence in a mass push to continue their journey north to Europe's prosperous heartland - a move Greece blamed on "criminal misinformation" possibly spread by volunteers working with them.

Interior ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski said the migrants "have been returned to Greece".

About 1,500 people, frustrated at being stuck for weeks in a waterlogged tent city outside the closed crossing of Idomeni, pushed their way into Macedonia on Monday through an unguarded section of the border. They walked about five kilometres (three miles) and crossed a swollen stream near the Greek village of Hamilo.

A Macedonian official said 700 migrants who had been detained overnight were deported to Greece through the same location they entered. The official also said about 50 journalists and volunteers detained with the migrants were released after paying fines of 250 euro (195) for illegally entering Macedonia.

Greek police said groups of migrants were seen coming back to Greece from unguarded sections of the border east and west of Idomeni - although Greece says it received no official notification or repatriation request from Macedonia. A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency in Idomeni, Babar Baloch, confirmed that many had returned to Idomeni.

About 200 people who had camped overnight near Hamilo went back to Idomeni on Tuesday, while Macedonian police guarded the area. It was not possible to account for all the migrants.

Despite repeated Greek appeals for them to move to available organised shelters, about 14,000 people are stuck in the Idomeni tent city in swampy conditions after days of heavy rain, and hundreds were queuing under a shelter on Tuesday for food handouts.

"As long as (refugees) still believe that there is a chance of getting through (to Macedonia), this will continue," immigration minister Ioannis Mouzalas said. "There is no way the border will open."

For months, hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East and Africa flowed through Idomeni, on their way to seek asylum in central Europe. But a tightening in border controls that started in Austria and extended down the Balkan migration route ended in a total border closure last week. Now, about 44,000 people are stranded in Greece, after crossing from nearby Turkey in flimsy smugglers' boats.

The European Union's commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos - a Greek politician - visited Idomeni on Tuesday and deplored the "tragic, unacceptable" conditions he saw.

"This tests the principles and values of the civilised world, and Europe," he said. "This situation must end immediately."

Mr Avramopoulos also appealed to EU countries to honour the bloc's commitments to share out asylum seekers.

Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras blamed Monday's mass move to circumvent the border fence on misleading leaflets distributed at Idomeni, which encouraged the refugees to make a concerted push north.

Mr Tsipras said "unknown people, perhaps groups that call themselves volunteers" handed out leaflets advising migrants to cross the border by bypassing the fence and warning that if migrants left the overflowing Idomeni camp for shelters in northern Greece, they would be imprisoned there.

"This is criminal behaviour towards people who face great hardship," Mr Tsipras said. "This must stop."

Greek police are investigating the incident.

Mr Tsipras urged the refugees to leave Idomeni for the shelters, and called on volunteers working with them to help scotch false rumours.

Macedonian foreign minister Nikola Poposki, in a statement, said only a "united and humane" response from the European Union can solve the continent's migration problem.

"More migrants in deteriorating tent cities at the border only encourages (people) smuggling," Poposki said.

Some migrants said they were beaten and attacked with stun guns by Macedonian forces, who drove them in military vehicles back to unguarded sections of the border and pushed them through.

"We were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers, who hit many of us," said Syrian Molham Masri, 21. "They hit me with a baton. Others were hit with Tasers."

Afghan Ghulam Haidar, 35, had a badly bruised face and blood on his clothes. He said he was sitting beside a camp fire with his wife and five-year-old son inside Macedonia when Macedonian police caught them and told them to get up.

"I had a bag on my shoulder and had difficulty getting up," he said. "As I was at it, a policeman took a stick out of the fire and hit me in the face. They hit my arm too, but luckily left my wife and child alone."

Asked for an explanation, Macedonian interior ministry spokeswoman Natalija Spirova Kordikj demanded proof of the reported attacks.

"Can they prove their claims?" Ms Spirova said. "Did they report that to anybody? If not, that would be only speculation that we strongly reject."
Police secure the area in Brussels after an anti-terror raid linked to last year's Paris attacks (AP)

Police found a man dead when they stormed a house in Brussels at the end of a major anti-terror operation.

The find came several hours after they were shot at during a raid linked to last year's attacks in Paris, a prosecutor said.

It is not clear whether the dead man was one of the suspects sought in the earlier raid in the Forest neighbourhood of Brussels, the Belgian capital where several of the Paris attackers lived.

Four police officers from the French-Belgian operation were injured when at least one suspect opened fire through the door, apparently with an assault weapon, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels told local media two people had barricaded themselves in a home during the raid.

Many people fled the area when they heard gunfire, and it is too early to say if some were suspects or all were just people trying to escape.

The anti-terror raid was linked to the November 13 gun and bomb attacks on a stadium, cafes and a concert hall in Paris that left 130 people dead.

Police did not expect violent resistance, indicating they were not targeting a major suspect like Salah Abdeslam, who fled Paris and remains on the run. Most of the attackers died that night, including Abdeslam's brother Brahim, who blew himself up.

Four months on, Belgian police and magistrates are still piecing together the role Belgian nationals and others living in the country played in aiding the Paris attackers.

The suspected ringleader of the attacks was a Brussels resident, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Another attacker, Bilal Hadfi, was said to have lived for a time in the Forest neighbourhood. Hadfi blew himself up outside a stadium in Paris the night of the attacks and Abaaoud was killed in a police raid in a Paris suburb soon after.

Forest was locked down for five hours after the initial burst of gunfire.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter around the area where the shots were heard to keep the many bystanders at a safe distance. A helicopter was hovering overhead to patrol the area as police were still looking for at least one suspect.

Several hundred spectators were trying to get a closer look at the operation in the multicultural neighbourhood, which has a big Audi car factory nearby. Audi asked its workers to stay at the plant while the police raid was going on.

Several hooded officers wearing body armour milled around the neighbourhood and ambulances were on standby.

Belgian authorities have stepped up their counter-terror efforts since a lone gunman killed four people at the Brussels Jewish museum in May 2014.

The small western European country has also been prime recruiting ground for Islamic State, and officials freely acknowledge their concerns about what radicalised recruits might do after returning home from the battlefields of Syria or Iraq.
The first ever all-female flight deck crew for Royal Brunei Airlines has operated a plane from Brunei to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

But while it was a milestone for the airline, the pilot crew touched down in country where women are still not allowed to drive a car.

To mark Bruneis National Day, which celebrates the countrys independence, Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah Pg Khashiem and Senior First Officer Sariana Nordin flew flight BI081 to the Middle Eastern country on 23 February.

The occasion came just over three years after Captain Sharifa Czarena Surainy became the first female captain of a flag carrier in Southeast Asia.

She told The Brunei Times in 2012: Being a pilot, people normally see it as being a male dominant occupation.

As a woman, a Bruneian woman, it is such a great achievement. Its really showing the younger generation or the girls especially that whatever they dream of, they can achieve it, said the captain, who completed her initial pilot training at the Cabair Flying School in Cranfield.

And Royal Brunei Airlines is committed to getting more women into the industry as it currently offers an Engineering Apprentice programme to both males and females.

But the airline's landmark voyage also highlighted the restrictions women still face in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, they have used social media to protest against being forbidden from driving.

The Women2Drive campaign has nearly 18,000 likes on Facebook and asks women to post images of them driving.

But authorities are still quick to crack down on female drivers, such as in 2014 when two women were detained.

Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East and North Africa director for Human Rights Watch said at the time: After years of false promises to end its absurd restrictions on women, Saudi authorities are still arresting them for getting behind the wheel.

"The Saudi governments degrading restrictions on women are what bring shame to the country, not the brave activists standing up for their rights.

( Independent News Service)
Vladimir Putin has abruptly ordered the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, in an unexpected and potentially significant breakthrough in the effort to end Syria's five-year-old civil war.

The Russian president made the shock announcement at a meeting of government minsters and said his country's forces should begin leaving Syria as early as today.

The decision appeared to catch the US and other western countries off guard and came as negotiators from the Syrian regime and opposition forces gathered for the start of peace talks in Geneva.

However, analysts warned that Mr Putin's announcement would mean little if it did not lead to an end to Russian airstrikes against the opponents of Bashar al-Assad and on civilian areas.

Russia began bombing late last year with the stated aim of destroying "terrorist" groups inside of Syria - but in reality it focused its fire on propping up Mr Assad's embattled forces.

The Kremlin said Russia had achieved "a real turnabout in the fight against the terrorists in Syria", even though the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) still controls a third of the country.

Mr Putin said he believed Russia's mission in Syria had now been "largely fulfilled" and he phoned Mr Assad to inform him that his troops were withdrawing.

"The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process," Mr Putin said. "I believe the task set before the Ministry of Defence and armed forces has been largely fulfilled, so I am instructing the minister of defence to begin the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingent from Syria."

He also ordered Russia to "intensify" its efforts to broker a peace deal between the Assad regime and opposition groups.

Mr Putin did not give a timeline for the withdrawal and said Russian troops would retain control of the port of Tartous and at the Hmeymim airbase in Syria's Latakia province.

The West and human rights groups have accused Russia of killing hundreds of civilians in its air raids, including the bombing of several hospitals.

The White House offered a cautious response to Mr Putin's announcement, saying it would wait "to see exactly what Russia's intentions are".

The US said it had received no warning of the move and officials said there were as yet no indications on the ground that Russian forces were preparing to withdraw.

The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who restarted peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva yesterday, warned before the announcement that the only alternative to the negotiations was a return to war. He described political transition in the country as "the mother of all issues".

The Russian and US-brokered ceasefire that began on February 27 has largely held, but both the Syrian government and its foes have accused one another of violations. Both Isil and al-Qa'ida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, are excluded from the ceasefire.

Mr Putin said the move would send a "good signal" to the parties to the conflict, help raise trust and serve as a stimulus for peace talks.

Moments before meeting with a Syrian government envoy, in Geneva, Mr de Mistura laid out both high stakes and low expectations for what is shaping up as the most promising initiative in years to end the conflict that moves into its sixth year today.

At least a quarter of a million people have been killed and half of Syria's population has been displaced, flooding Europe with refugees.

The Geneva talks come as the truce helped vastly reduce the bloodshed and allowed the recent resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to thousands of Syrians in "besieged areas" - zones surrounded by fighters and generally cut off from the outside world.

Meanwhile, the UN has released new figures showing that the Syrian civil war has turned 2.4 million children into refugees.

"Twice as many people now live under siege or in hard-to-reach areas, compared with 2013," Unicef said. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Burma's parliament has elected Htin Kyaw as the country's new president in a watershed moment which ushers Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule.

The joint session of the two houses of parliament broke into thunderous applause as Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than announced the result: "I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes."

Immediately, the state-run Myanmar TV's camera zoomed in from above on a beaming Ms Suu Kyi, clapping excitedly in the front row, for a live nationwide audience.

The 70-year-old Htin Kyaw, a long-time confidant of Ms Suu Kyi, will take office on April 1 but questions remain about his position and power.

The job rightfully belonged to Ms Suu Kyi, who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement and who endured decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her non-violent campaign to unseat them. But a constitutional provision barred her from becoming president, and she made it clear that whoever sits in the chair will be her proxy.

Nevertheless, Htin Kyaw will be remembered by history as the first civilian president for Burma and the head of its first government to be elected in free and fair polls.

After the parliament session ended, Ms Suu Kyi did not comment as she exited, leaving the new president to deliver the first reaction.

"This is a victory for the people of this country," Htin Kyaw said in a brief comment to reporters.

He secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in the bicameral parliament, where the vote count was read aloud and announced by a parliament official.

The military's nominee, Myint Swe, won 213 votes and will become the first vice president.

Htin Kyaw's running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, won 79 votes and will take the post of second vice president.

"We are very satisfied with the result of the presidential election," said Tun Win, a legislator from the Arakan National Party. "He really should be the leader. I hope he can lead this country to peace and stability, equality and implement the rule of law in this country."

The NLD, and Ms Suu Kyi, came to prominence in 1988 when popular protests started against the military which had ruled in different incarnations since taking power in a 1962 coup. After crushing anti-government riots in which thousands of people were killed, the junta placed Ms Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989.

It called elections in 1990, which the NLD won. But the military ignored the results and stayed in power. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a year later, and it was around this time that Htin Kyaw - then a computer programmer-turned-bureaucrat - became involved in party work. His father-in-law was already a prominent NLD leader and his wife a member.

Htin Kyaw, who had known Ms Suu Kyi since school, became her confidant and adviser on foreign relations. As Burma lurched from one political crisis to another, Ms Suu Kyi was released and re-arrested several times. The junta finally started loosening its grip on power in 2011, allowing elections that were won by a military-allied party after the NLD boycotted the polls as unfair.

After more reforms, another general election was held on November 8 which was won by the NLD, a reflection of Ms Suu Kyi's widespread public support. The constitutional clause that denied her the presidency excludes anyone from the job who has a foreign spouse or children. Ms Suu Kyi's two sons are British, as was her late husband. The clause is widely seen as having been written by the military with Ms Suu Kyi in mind.

The military reserved for itself 25% of the seats in parliament, ensuring no government, current or future, can amend the constitution without its approval.

Myint Swe is seen as a close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe and remains on a US State Department blacklist which bars American companies from doing business with several tycoons and senior military figures connected with the former junta.
Security and forensic officials work at the site of Sunday's explosion in the centre of Turkish capital, Ankara (AP)

Turkey has lashed out at Kurdish targets, bombing military positions in northern Iraq and rounding up dozens of militants at home after a suicide car bombing in Ankara.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were "strong indications" that Sunday's attack was carried out by the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

Mr Davutoglu added that authorities had detained 11 people directly connected to the suicide bombing near a line of bus stops that killed 37 people.

DNA tests are under way to identify the bomber and another body believed to be that of a person who assisted, he said, while a senior government official has said the bomber was a woman.

"There are very serious, almost-certain indications that point to the separatist terror organisation," Mr Davutoglu said, referring to the PKK.

The attack further complicated Turkey's place in the region as it battles a host of enemies across its borders including the Syrian government, Kurdish rebels in both Iraq and Syria, and the Islamic State group, even after being forced to absorb 2.7 million refugees from the conflict.

Turkey is also battling the PKK, a Kurdish group fighting for autonomy in south-eastern Turkey for three decades. A fragile peace process broke down in July. Turkey blames the PKK, saying it was inspired by the success of the Kurdish militia forces in Syria against IS in the city of Kobani and elsewhere. The PKK blames Turkey for failing to deliver on promises.

More than 200 people have died in five suicide bombings in Turkey since July that were blamed either on the Kurdish rebels or IS. Sunday's attack was the second suicide bombing in the capital: a February 17 attack for which a PKK offshoot claimed responsibility killed 29 people.

Turkey considers the PKK and the Kurdish militia in Syria to be one and the same, and has been pressing its US allies to stop helping the Syrian Kurds. Washington considers the PKK a terrorist organisation but has backed the Kurdish militia in Syria, which has been effective in fighting IS.

Both the US and Turkey have generally good relations with the Kurds in northern Iraq; Monday's air strikes in northern Iraq targeted PKK bases rather than installations of the Iraqi Kurds.

Nine F-16s and two F-4 jets raided 18 PKK positions, including the Qandil mountains, where the group's leadership is based, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Ammunition depots, bunkers and shelters were among the targets.

Police carried out raids in the southern city of Adana, detaining 38 suspected PKK rebels, while 15 suspected Kurdish militants were detained in Istanbul, the agency reported. In addition, authorities were searching for 10 suspects connected to the female bomber, deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said.

Turkey already had plans for large-scale operations against Kurdish militants. Anadolu said an operation in Nusaybin, on the border with Syria, began on Monday, while tanks were deployed for another operation in the town of Yuksekova, near the border with Iraq. Authorities also imposed a curfew in the city of Sirnak, near the Iraqi border, signalling the military was preparing an offensive there as well.

Mr Davutoglu vowed that Turkey's struggle against the PKK would continue until the group is wiped out.

"After (the links) to the terror organisation were determined, our armed forces conducted a comprehensive operation in northern Iraq. Our struggle against the terror points in Nusaybin and Yuksekova are continuing," he said. "We will not shy away from taking the necessary steps."
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By Frances Parrish of the Independent Mail

Expansion of Robert Anderson Middle School and renovation of the Project Challenge Playhouse are expected to begin next month now that bids have been approved.

Anderson School District 5 trustees approved construction bids Monday night for the two projects in the city of Anderson.

McKnight Construction of Augusta, Georgia, was awarded a $9.8 million contract for the Robert Anderson extension, said Wess Grant, district operations director.

District officials initially estimated the 30 room extension would cost $10 million. A new 61,000-square-foot wing at the school on Dobbins Bridge Road will be two stories, allowing for more space for related arts classes.

Lazer Construction of Anderson was awarded a $514,900 contract for the Project Challenge Playhouse renovation. District 5 plans to tear down the white house in front of the theater on North Main Street for more parking, give the exterior a face-lift and build a storage building behind the theater.

"This is just an example of how we are financially supportive of the arts," District 5 Superintendent Tom Wilson said after the meeting Monday evening.

Work on both projects is expected to begin in April. The Project Challenge Playhouse renovation is expected to be completed in August and the Robert Anderson extension in June 2017.

Once the Robert Anderson extension is done, Lakeside Middle School students will move to Robert Anderson, and Lakeside will be demolished. A career and technology center for Anderson school districts 3, 4 and 5 will be built on the Lakeside property and is expected to open in August 2019.

Grant said he hopes to have design plans completed for the new career and technology center in the fall and to bid out the construction contracts in spring 2017 for that work.

Follow Frances Parrish on Twitter @frances_AIM
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By Nikie Mayo of the Independent Mail

Russell Smith, the former president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina, was found dead in Lake Hartwell on Friday after his family reported him missing.

Smith, 57, spent his career working on childrens causes and efforts to stop domestic violence. He led the foundation for more than a decade until about a year and a half ago, when severe back problems left him disabled, his wife, Susi, said in an interview. He recently help start EndAbuseToday.org, which aims to use social media and other tools to teach children how to break patterns and cycles of abuse.

Smith had a home in Greenville and lakefront house in Townville. His body was found in the lake off Dyar Road in Townville, two days after he was last seen alive by his family. The circumstances of his death remain under investigation, according to the Anderson County Sheriffs Office and Coroner Greg Shore.

I have examined his body and I have seen no signs of injury, Shore said. At this point, we have no reason at all to believe there was foul play involved in his death.

Smiths car, a blue Audi, was found in the lake Thursday, according to Capt. Garland Major of the Sheriffs Office.

After we found the car, his family came to us and said they didnt know where he was, Major said Friday.

A dive team found Smiths body Friday afternoon.

Shore has scheduled an autopsy to help determine Smiths cause of death.

According to the Sheriffs Office, Smith needed help to walk because of physical limitations. Shore said Smith and his wife were separated.

He left home upset Wednesday night, Shore said. We dont know yet whether he drove his car into the lake intentionally or whether it went in accidentally.

Smiths wife said his recent medical problems had been difficult for him.

He has always been involved in helping people, she said. He spent his career doing that. In Make-A-Wish, he worked tirelessly to make sure children with life-threatening illnesses had their wishes granted. Ive seen him paint childrens bedrooms or help build playgrounds for them or help them go on the trips theyve always wanted. He wanted no child to be turned away.

Before working at the foundation, Smith was a probation officer and a prevention specialist for the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the website for End Abuse Today. He was named South Carolinas Youth Worker of the Year.

He also spent 12 years as the executive director of the Upstate affiliate of the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. He helped start the Family Violence Intervention Program run by Compass of Carolina. He counseled and taught classes for men and women who were court-ordered to attend because of domestic violence cases.

Susi Smith said that her husband decided to be a mentor with End Abuse Today because he wanted to keep working, even as his body failed him.

It was important to him that people be taught what it means to love the right way, she said. He had a happy childhood, and it was important to him that everyone else have a shot at that  whether that meant helping a sick child or helping someone out of abuse. Thats who he was.

Follow Nikie Mayo on Twitter @NikieMayo
By Charmaine Smith-Miles of the Independent Mail

CLEMSON  Islamic Society of Clemson members want to dispel some misinformation about their faith, their culture and their religion's holy writings by presenting a series of community meetings.

Imam Mohammad Mustafa, the leader of the Clemson group, will present eight weekly meetings at which he and members of the society will answer questions about the Quran and the Islamic faith. The meetings will be free and open to the public.

Nedal Mefleh, a member of the Islamic Society of Clemson, said Mustafa put together the series in light of a rising number of questions that the local Islamic community has received.

Mefleh said there has been an increase in the number of people coming to the mosque, which is between Pendleton and Clemson, to ask questions because of statements they have heard in the current presidential race.

"We are hoping that people will understand what the Quran is all about instead of believing what they hear on TV," Mefleh said.

The Islamic Society of Clemson, founded in the mid-1980s, has about 300 members, he said. The group has worshipped in a mosque on Old Stone Church Road since 2000.

The community meetings will begin Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. From March 24 through May 5, the meetings will happen on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. At each meeting, Mustafa will discuss the Islamic faith for about 30 minutes and will take questions from those who attend.

Mustafa has spent years studying world religions and the Islamic faith. He is working on his doctoral degree and has been the imam of the Islamic Society of Clemson since 2013.

Follow Charmaine Smith-Miles on Twitter @Charmaine_AIM

The Islamic Society of Clemson is hosting an eight-part series on the Quran and other questions that the community may have about Islam and its holy writings. MILES. 8-10 inches w/box.
By Mike Eads of the Independent Mail

The Georgia Legislature is considering a bill that would keep Kinder Morgan from getting any state permits for its proposed Palmetto Pipeline for at least the next 15 months.

The bill, HB 1036, passed that Senate on Tuesday with amendments approved earlier by the House. The bill returns now to the House, which will vote on the Senate's changes.

If approved and signed by Gov. Nathan Deal, the bill would impose a moratorium on construction or permitting for any new pipelines, and would restrict existing line operators from doing anything but maintenance work. The halt would last until June 30, 2017. In the interim, a state commission would look at existing pipeline rules and report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

Kinder Morgan spokeswoman Melissa Ruiz said her company would keep to lobbying Georgia legislators over its objections to the bill.

"Kinder Morgan is discussing the legislation directly with legislators, including our view that the bill inappropriately discourages investment in the safest, most reliable mode of energy transportation," said Ruiz.

The company is paying contractors to clean up a 250,000-plus gallon gasoline leak from its Plantation Pipe Line in December 2014 near Belton. That work will continue indefinitely, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The company bought out one family affected by the incident and is being sued by another family in federal court.

The Georgia bill goes much further than SB 868, the bill passed last week by the South Carolina Senate and sent to the House Judiciary Committee.

"The South Carolina bill is more of a property rights bill," said Tonya Bonitabitus, who runs the environmental watchdog Savannah Riverkeeper. "With the Georgia bill, Kinder Morgan can apply for permits, but none can be issued until after that date."

The South Carolina bill, which has encountered opposition from Kinder Morgan lobbyists, would forbid the company and other unregulated pipeline operators from using eminent domain to force landowners to sell easements through their property for new pipelines. However, they would still be able to purchase easements from willing landowners and try to make a contiguous route that way.

"They've definitely been knocking on doors," said Bonitabitus. "They'll have that line moving all over the place, instead of the route they originally proposed."

No such agreements, also known as rights of way, have been filled yet with Anderson County's register of deeds, but the company has sent contractors around Belton and other areas to talk to landowners about granting easements.

The Houston-based pipeline operator has already been refused the necessary certification from Georgia regulators to use eminent domain in that state, and a judge recently rejected the company's appeal of that regulatory ruling.

The company has projected the Palmetto Pipeline would cost $1 billion to run from an expanded company tank farm near Belton, across southeast Georgia and terminate in Jacksonville, Florida. Ruiz said last week that the company is committed to making the pipeline work without eminent domain.

Follow Michael Eads on Twitter @MikeEads_AIM.
By Vince Jackson, Special to Independent Mail

School District of Pickens County trustees voted Monday to close A.R. Lewis and Holly Springs elementary schools.

The school board approved the closures by a 4-2 vote.

The decision came after months of discussions among school board members, teachers and parents about the future of as many as seven schools considered for closure or consolidation. Ambler, Dacusville and Hagood elementary schools as well as Dacusville Middle School were spared closure or consolidation for now.

"This was just the beginning. There will be other closings and consolidations considered," school board member Brian Swords said.

Students now attending A.R. Lewis and Holly Springs will be moved to other Pickens County elementary schools beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, according to board members.

Last week the county school board facilities committee considered school consolidations and closures. The committee, led by Phillip Bowers, voted to recommend closing A.R. Lewis and Holly Springs, according to news reports.

A crowd estimated to include more than 400 people converged on the district office Monday evening to hear the school board's final decision. The visitors were met with a heavy police presence, and several hundred of the parents and teachers were locked outside in the rain as the school board met.

School board member Henry Wilson said much larger crowds had been permitted to enter the board room on other occasions and were not required to wait outside. Wilson asked school board Chairman Judy Edwards to allow the parents to come inside out of the rain but was turned down.

Alex Saitta and Wilson, the two school board members who voted Monday against the closures, made statements about how the school district could keep the two schools open.

The closures are part of a school district move to prevent raising property tax rates, some school board members said. Saitta, a financial analyst, said the school district was mismanaging funds that could be spend more effectively, and that the schools should remain open.

Angry parents shouted at the school board members as they left the room. Some parents threatened to replace the board members in upcoming elections. Many parents embraced each other and broke down in tears as board members voted.

Tara Presley of Easley said most parents were concerned about the closing of community schools and the prospect of busing young children to schools far from their homes.
By Kirk Brown of the Independent Mail

A discussion about road funding dominated a forum Monday night involving candidates seeking the vacant South Carolina Senate District 4 seat.

The state Senate approved a plan last week that would set aside an additional $400 million annually for road projects without raising South Carolina's 16-cent gas tax.

Williamston Town Councilman Rockey Burgess said Monday that the money in the Senate plan should be divided among the state's 46 counties instead of going to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, which he compared to a "bucket with a big hole in the bottom." He also criticized Rep. Mike Gambrell of Honea Path for supporting an effort last year to raise the state's gas tax.

Gambrell did not attend the forum Monday at the Fraternal Order of Police lodge on Ryder Lane near Anderson. Another Senate District 4 candidate, Tripp Padgett, had Greenwood banker David Trent speak on his behalf. Gambrell, who sent a letter expressing his support for law enforcement, and Padgett cited scheduling conflicts for their absences.

Candidates Willie Day of Anderson and Mark Powell of Williamston agreed with Burgess that reforms are needed in the state Department of Transportation.

But Powell said he has a "major problem" with the suggestion by Burgess to provide more road money to counties. Powell said he saw troubling examples of favoritism while serving for five years on the Anderson County Transportation Committee.

Trent said that Padgett, a Greenwood attorney, believes that a long-term strategy is needed to fix the state's roads and bridges.

Powell, a Williamston mechanical repairman, said improvements are needed in South Carolina public schools.

"Lord have mercy our education is terrible," said Powell, adding that many students are suffering because of existing policies.

"We have dumbed them down," he said. "Kids that don't want to be there are dragging down the students who do."

Day, who retired last year as the city of Anderson's director of neighborhood and transit services, said education would be his top priority if he is elected.

Day also spoke in favor of term limits.

"When you have career politicians and they go down to Columbia, they are more interested in being re-elected than they are in serving people that sent them down there," he said. "I think we need to do something about this."

The exemption in the state's Freedom of Information Act for members of the General Assembly should be eliminated, Day said.

"You as the common person cannot see their communication, see who they are talking to, see what they are talking about," he said.

About 35 people attended the forum. The event was held eight days before Burgess, Day, Gambrell, Padgett and Powell will compete the March 22 GOP primary for an opportunity to serve the final months of Sen. Billy O'Dell's term. O'Dell died in January.

If no one wins a majority of votes in the primary, the top two candidates will meet in an April 5 runoff.

The winner of the Republican primary is not expected to face any opposition in a May 17 special election.

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM
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By Independent Mail Coverage Partner Wspa News Channel 7

ELBERTON, Ga.  A murder-suicide left a teen dead and that teen's mother and a bystander injured in the city, authorities said.

Police were called to the scene on Reese Street at 6:45 p.m. Saturday for a shooting in progress where they found two people dead and two others injured.

Raphael Diazdeleon, 49, who authorities identified as the shooter, died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The daughter of Diazdeleon's girlfriend, 17-year-old Alyric Fouch, was fatally shot.

Elberton Police Chief Mark Welsh said the incident started with an argument about Diazdeleon's drinking.

Rhonda Cureton, Diazdeleon's girlfriend and Fouch's mother, was shot in the neck trying to get into a car with a bystander who stopped to help. The bystander, Norman Grimes, was also shot during the incident, police said.

Cureton and Grimes were taken to the hospital for their injuries and have since been released.

Two other children were in the home at the time, ages 10 and 12. Both witnessed the shooting and were not injured, police said.

Those children were taken to live with family members.

Welsh said Diazdeleon did not have a criminal record.

The Elbert County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia State Patrol are assisting with the investigation.

Elbert County Comprehensive High School, where Fouch was a student, is the planned site of a candlelight service in her memory starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Ram Ratna Wires Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on March 15, 2016 inter alia, have considered and approved the declaration of interim dividend at the rate of Re. 0.75/- per equity share (Face value Rs. 5/-) i.e. 15% for the financial year 2015-16 on the paid up equity share capital of the Company.GeeCee Ventures Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on March 15, 2016 commenced at 11 a.m. has approved and declared payment of First Interim Dividend at the rate of Rs. 1.50/- (One Rupee Fifty Paisa) per Equity Share of Face Value Rs. 10/- each on 21726543 Equity Shares for the financial year 2015-2016.Nelcast Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on March 15, 2016 have declared an Interim Dividend of Rs. 0.40 per equity share of Rs. 2/- each i.e. 20%. The interim dividend will be paid on or after March 28, 2016.Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company have, through circular resolution effective March 15, 2016, declared an Interim Dividend for the Financial Year 2015-16 of Re. 0.60/- per equity share of Rs. 2/- each (i.e., 30%).Geometric Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on March 15, 2016, have considered and declared interim dividend for the financial year 2015-16 at a rate of 150% (i.e. of Rs.3/- per equity share) on the face value of Rs. 2/- per equity share.Maharashtra Scooters Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on March 15, 2016, has considered and declared an interim dividend at the rate of Rs. 30/- per equity share of Rs. 10 each i.e. 300%, for the financial year ending March 31, 2016.OCL India Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company has, through circular resolution effective March 15, 2016, declared an Interim Dividend for the Financial Year 2015-16 of Rs. 4/- per equity share of Rs. 2/- each (i.e., 200%).Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 15, 2016, to consider and declare interim dividend, if any for the financial year 2015-16.Action Construction Equipment Ltd to issue 1,84,90,500 no. of Equity Shores of Rs. 2/- each and 3,02,19,380 no. 8%, Cumulative Non-Participating Redeemable Preference Shares of Rs. 10/- each to the shareholders of ACE TC Rentals Pvt. Ltd. (transferor Company) pursuant to sanction of scheme of amalgamation as approved by the Hon'ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana and becoming effective.Amara Raja Batteries Ltd has informed BSE that the Company has fixed March 23, 2016 as the Record Date for the purpose of Payment of Interim Dividend, if declared.Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 15, 2016, inter alia, to consider and approve declaration of interim dividend, if any, for the financial year 2015-2016.Grand Foundry Ltd to allot the 15,00,000 equity shares to the promoters of the company of Rs. 4/- each subject to the various approvals required in accordance with the BIFR order dated September 07, 2015.KNR Constructions Ltd has informed BSE that the Company has fixed March 23, 2016 as the Record Date for the purpose of Payment of Interim Dividend, if declared.LG Balakrishnan & Bros Ltd has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 15, 2016, inter alia, to consider and declare second interim dividend for the financial year 2015-2016 and fixation of record date for the same, if declared.Maharashtra Scooters Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on March 15, 2016, has considered and declared an interim dividend at the rate of Rs. 30/- per equity share of Rs. 10 each i.e. 300%, for the financial year ending March 31, 2016.Monsanto India Ltd has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 15, 2016, inter alia, to consider the declaration of 2nd Interim Dividend on the Equity Shares of the Company for the financial year 2015-16.Supreme Industries Ltd has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 15, 2016, to consider and declare 2nd Interim Dividend on the Equity Share Capital of the Company, as the Board may decide.Supreme Petrochem Ltd has informed BSE that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 15, 2016, to consider and declare interim dividend, if any, on the equity shares of the Company.
GlaxoSmithKlines Chief Financial Officer, Simon Dingemans, in an interview with ET Now during his recent trip to India spoke about the companys presence in India and its plans.He first talked about the possibility of him talking over after the companys current Chief executive where he stated that it was not a surprise that the board was contemplating a succession. Dingemans who has been a member of the board since 2010 stated that the topic has emerged quite a number of times because Andrew Witty has been the companys CEO since 2008, thus talks about the average duration of a CEO at the company.The CFO stated that the company is happy about the change in the mix of the firm to provide more stability and more growth opportunities using a renewed pipeline. He stated that it takes time for such things to happen and often things go south before benefits start to appear. However, Glaxo has been in a good position and it has already started to see a lot of momentum.GSKs commercial ranking has been dropping in India but Dingemans claims that the firm needs to think about the transaction with Novartis as part of the strategy. He stated that the company had at first invested organically in developing its consumer businesses and its vaccines. The firm was thus very excited when Novartis presented a multiple swap opportunity. It offered a chance for them to boost the consumer business and the vaccine business, thus offering more consistency in growth.Mr. Dingemans also talked about GLP-1 Tanzeum, GSKs diabetes drug where he stated that the presence of the drug in India will be determined by factors such as pricing in the country. He noted that the drug is expensive to manufacture, though the company is working on lowering the costs. He also added that the company will have to sell some of its latest products at different prices in different markets as part of a strategy to generate enough returns.
Hero MotoCorp Ltd is currently trading at Rs. 2831, up by Rs. 13.85 or 0.49% from its previous closing of Rs. 2817.15 on the BSE.

The scrip opened at Rs. 2815 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 2838 and Rs. 2807 respectively. So far 203669(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 56258.49 crore.

The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 2 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 2857.35 on 02-Mar-2016 and a 52 week low of Rs. 2252 on 08-May-2015. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 2850 and Rs. 2789 respectively.

The promoters holding in the company stood at 34.64 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 56.48 % and 8.88 % respectively.

The stock is currently trading below its 100 DMA.

Hero MotoCorp chairman, Pawan Munjal, recently spoke to ET Now about the companys productions especially with the newly commissioned R&D center.The company recently set up a new R&D center that will be focused on innovation as well as helping Hero MotoCorp to remain on top of the competition. Mr. Munjal stated that the R&D team is expected to come up with innovative products that will help to push the firms vision as a global brand. He added that the firm is currently present in a few segments and it needs to strengthen its position especially in the segments where it has lagged behind. Hero MotoCorp plans to use exciting products to attract a wider market share.The chairman pointed out that it took the company only a few years of its solo venture to create the facility known as the Center of Innovation and Technology. It was created to help the company become the leader of innovation and green technology in the motorcycle industry. The facility will incorporate its extensive talent pool and infrastructure to develop products for its global markets. He also pointed out that the company developers have been working on higher capacity motorcycles as well as scooters.Munjal also noted that the motorcycle industry has been slow over the past two years because the changing rain patterns have affected demand. He believes that the companys plan to sell 12 million units annually will largely depend on this years monsoon. This is because a good monsoon often comes after two years of sub-rains and if the monsoon is good, there will be changes in the segments in the rural markets. This means the improvements will start being evident in the second half of 2017. He also believes that the demand in the Indian market has been low.Hero MotoCorp is currently present in 26 countries in the world and it is present in Africa, Asia, South America and Central America and it plans to expand its market to other parts of the world.
Shares of Lupin, Indias fourth largest drug maker, closed 7.59% lower at Rs. 1,726.60 on BSE after it was reported that the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) cited 9 observation after inspecting the companys Goa plant.In a clarification to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the company said that the USFDA inspected our Goa facility last week and cited 9 observations. The observations are on aspects such as inadequacy and adherence to SOPs. We are in the midst of putting together a response to address the USFDAs observations.The scrip opened at Rs. 1800 and touched a high and low of Rs. 1800 and Rs. 1720 respectively. A total of 3513229(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 84186.87 crore.The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 2 touched a 52 week high of Rs. 2127 on 06-Oct-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 1589.4 on 14-May-2015. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 1874.3 and Rs. 1762 respectively.The promoters holding in the company stood at 46.53 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 43.56 % and 9.92 % respectively.The stock traded above its 200 DMA.
Indias largest tractor maker by sales Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd has announced that it will be foraying into the tractor rental services with the launch of its own startup Trringo. Trringo is being launched by the Farm Equipment Sector (FES), a part of Mahindra group.Trringo is an organized rental service and the M&M group plans to invest over Rs 10 crore on the startup enterprise.The firm intends to enter five states in the current year. According to reports the size of the tractor hiring market to be about Rs.15,000 crore per annum.The venture Trringo will operate on a franchisee-based model where it will provide new tractors and equipment that will rented out by its partners. It will also bring in digital technology to the tractor rental business. The company is planning to set up 80 franchises and 160 hubs for operations.Reports suggest that Trringo is also working on coming up with another business model that will allow connecting large farmers who own expensive equipment, which could be rented out to smaller farmers based on seasonality. Trringo said it would connect the asset owner and the user through the app.The firm will commence operations in June 2016 and will have full control over the rental rates through the app. The rates may vary. For different engagements there will be different rental ratesJust last year the company announced the creation of an online platform called SmartShift that connects cargo owners and transporters. It is one of several startups that the company plans to launch, as it seeks to tap the burgeoning e-commerce space.Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (M&M) is an Indian multinational automobile manufacturing corporation headquartered in Mumbai. It is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers by production in Indiaand the largest manufacturer of tractors across the world.
Procter & Gamble's India slipped 2% to Rs.6,000 after the company said it had stopped manufacture and sale of its cough-and-cold medicine Vicks Action 500 Extra with immediate effect, after regulators banned it citing potential health risk. Though unclear how much the product contributed to P&G's sales.The scrip opened at Rs. 6120 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 6120 and Rs. 5975.35 respectively. So far 3756(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 19892.75 crore.The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 10 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 7435 on 17-Mar-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 5171 on 18-Jan-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 6390 and Rs. 5980 respectively.The promoters holding in the company stood at 70.64 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 13.37 % and 15.99 % respectively.The stock is currently trading below its 200 DMA.
Hyundai Motor India, the countrys largest auto exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, has achieved yet another milestone with over 1 lakh bookings, 5 lakh enquiries and 56,000 units delivered of the Perfect SUV- Hyundai CRETA.Marking the World Premiere of the CRETA in India on July 23, 2015, this landmark was achieved within 8 months of launch. Winning 26 awards in the year 2015-16 including the prestigious Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2016, the Perfect SUV, CRETA has been the most recognized and awarded car of the year.Commenting on the milestone, Mr. YK Koo, Managing Director & CEO, HMIL said, We thank our customers for the tremendous response with the record fastest 1 lakh bookings in 8 months. Like in the domestic market, CRETA has generated great response in Global markets with more than 28,000 orders. To reduce the waiting period, we are increasing CRETA production by 30% to total production of 13,000 units of which 10,000 units will be allocated for the domestic market.Hyundai is a new age brand and under the modern premium brand direction has set benchmarks in the SUV segment. With CRETA, HMIL has strengthened its position in the SUV segment in India and has demonstrated excellence of Made in India products as per global standards.The CRETA has received an overwhelming response in the Indian market and also in global markets such as Latin America (Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru & Panama), Middle East (Oman, UAE, Saudi) and Africa (Egypt, Morocco & Nigeria). Hyundai will continue to maintain its leadership position in the export market with the strong sales of CRETA.CRETA is one of the toughest and strongest SUVs in its segment. CRETA is designed with strong Hive Structure body shell that denotes high structural strength stability and sturdiness.Hyundai offers Best-in-class warranty with 3 Years Unlimited Kilometers and First- in-class to offer 6 speed Automatic Transmission in Diesel variant to all CRETA customers.The CRETA is available in three engine options  1.6 Gamma Dual VTVT, 1.6 U2 CRDi VGT, 1.4 U2 CRDi tuned for best performance and fuel efficiency. Based on Hyundai Motors evolved Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 Design philosophy, CRETA demonstrates all the essential attributes of dynamism, comfort, safety and style making it a revolutionary product in the Indian car market.

AWARDS WON BY HYUNDAI CRETA
Eastern India faced a power shortage of around 1,500 MW on Monday after one of the largest power plants in the region, NTPCs Farakka plant, had to be shut down due to lack of water, reports a business daily.Wipro Ltds chief executive officer (CEO) Abidali Neemuchwala has set an ambitious revenue growth target of 12-14% for the fiscal year 2016-2017, reports a business daily.The Gujarat government has accelerated the process to look into the demands of workers agitating at the Tata Motors Ltd Sanand factory in a bid to resolve the ongoing labour unrest, reports a financial newspaper.: The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed a Government notification that had banned the manufacture and sale of Pfizers popular cough syrup Corex, and also directed the Centre not to take coercive steps against its retailers and distributors, reports a financial newspaper.: Persistent Systems, a leading IT company, has acquired assets of PRM Cloud, Australia based company engaged in SalesForce implementation services.A plan by state-run oil companies led by Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd (ONGC) to acquire a substantial stake in Vankor oil field in Siberia, will come up for discussion when Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan meets Rosneft Chairman Igor Sechin in New Delhi on Tuesday, reports a business daily.Suven Life Sciences has been granted a patent each by China, Eurasia and Hong Kong for a drug used in the treatment of neuro-degenerative diseases.Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals has entered into a joint venture agreement with EcoPhos SA, Belgium for setting up 2 lakh MTPA Di-calcium phosphate project at Dahej at an estimated cost of Rs 526 crore, as per reports.The pharma company has received final nod from the USFDA to manufacture and market therapeutical equivalent of Endo Pharmaceuticals Frova tablets, used to treat migraine headaches, in the American market.ICICI Bank is looking to raise $750 million through a dollar bond issue under its medium-term note programme, according to two bankers in the know of the development.Richa Industries secured an order from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the construction of Pre Engineered Building (PEB) for the assembly of Masts & Composite Structures with labs & office area at BEL-NAMU in Navi Mumbai.Mahindra Lifespace informed BSE that in the matter of the pending Arbitration proceedings between the Company and Rishi Gagan Trust & Others (the Vendors) relating to acquisition of a property in South Mumbai, the Company has March 9, 2016 received an award copy passed by the Hon'ble Arbitral Tribunal in terms of the Consent Terms filed by the Company and the Vendors, thereby enabling the Company to proceed with the acquisition of the property and to subsequently take up the re-development of the Property on completion of all obligations by the Vendors.: The company has achieved another milestone in its After-Sales-Service business by successfully synchronising the 110 MW Unit-7 at Barauni Thermal Power Station (TPS) in Bihar following Renovation and Modernisation (R&M).: Sasken Communication Technologies has reached a settlement in an ongoing matter pertaining to the unauthorized use of Saskens Protocol Stack IP, by a Chinese Semiconductor vendor.: The company has announced that April 08, 2016 has been fixed as the record date for the purpose of ascertaining the eligibility of shareholders entitled for Sub-division of One (1) Equity Share of face value of Rs.10/- each fully paid up into Five (5) equity shares of Rs. 2/- each fully paid-up.
Mr. Adhish Patil, the CFO of Aarti Drugs recently told ET Now that the firm was inspected in February by a US-based consultant and the results are not yet out.Mr. Patil stated that the company is still waiting for the inspection report and the same report will help the firm to submit their remediation plans with the FDA. The CFO stated that the plan should be a vital tool towards initiating communications with the FDA. He also believes that it will help the company determine whether there is anything lacking. He added that the firm has employed a lot of changes and that is part of the reason why there was need for an external audit.Aarti Drugs will decide on its direction once the report is out. Mr. Patil also stated that it is difficult to estimate the timeline of clearance but it will be clear enough once the report is available. He also expects that the remediation process should not exceed three months.Despite the fact that the US is an important market for Aarti Drugs, it contributes very little to the companys revenues. Patil reported that 1% of its sales in the US market because of the US imports alert. He further revealed that the topline growth in the market has been at a dismal 3% but the same has been happening in some of the companys other markets. It is also hard for the company to determine when the market conditions will reverse.According to the CFO, 60% of the companys sales are generated from the domestic market which has been experiencing double digit growth. The firm also managed to maintain its market share in the export market partly thanks to the declining demand for products from small players. This is because their operations have been facing disruptions due to the harsh economic conditions.
Wipro Ventures, the $100-million venture capital arm of Wipro, has invested an undisclosed amount in US-based fraud prevention solution startup Emailage Corp for a minority stake, marking India's third largest software exporter's seventh such investment in early-stage ventures over the past two years. (ET)Pune-based Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) has set up India's first education technology (edtech) accelerator called Edugild. Edugild will conduct two batches every year. Under the Edugild programme, start-ups will receive seed funding worth Rs 15 lakh in return for a minority stake (sub 10%). It will also provide mentorship and guidance regarding instituting a start-up, pitching to venture capitalists (VCs), business management and customer acquisition, marketing and help in scaling up business. (BS)Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is buying an online retirement-savings startup that is barely a year old, as the Wall Street bank adjusts to the growing influence of technology in finance. Goldman would buy Honest Dollar, an Austin, Texas, company that sells retirement plans consisting of portfolios of low-cost exchange-traded funds to small companies, charging $8 to $10 an employee a month. (MW)Nextra Teleservices, which offers high speed internet services over broadband and WiFi in Delhi, plans to dilute up to 24% stake to raise funds from private equity for expanding services across India. The four-year old startup which competes with but trails broadband services providers Bharti Airtel, Connect Broadband and even public sector unit MTNL, plans to invest an Rs 50-70 crore for expanding services, beginning from Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra. (ET)In an effort to tap on the start-up system in India and open a new revenue stream, phone number identification app Truecaller is planning to get into tie-ups with e-commerce giants such as Snapdeal, Flipkart and other online players which require phone number verification on their customers and other related services. (BS)Urban Ladder will roll out home interior solutions in April, a category that the company estimates will contribute about 15% of its revenue in the next year. The move, which is expected to support Urban Ladders target of achieving revenue of Rs.800-1,000 crore by March 2017, comes at a time when furniture e-tailers are building additional layers of services on top of their core competencies to maximize use cases for the existing customer base. The service will be launched in Bengaluru and then rolled out in Mumbai in couple of months, before being gradually extended to all the 19 cities. (LIVEMINT)Mahindra Group on Monday announced its foray into the agricultural equipment rental services under a new ecommerce startup called Trringo. The group will invest over Rs 10 crore in the venture and look for external funding once it expands the business model. The startup, rolled out by Mahindras Farm Equipment Sector, will be an e-commerce venture that will connect farmers looking to rent farm equipment either through an app or a call. (HINDU)Kochi-born social entrepreneur Shaffi Mathers MUrgency, a mobile-based emergency medical response app, has been chosen as the start-up of the year at the prestigious Startup Grind 2016 conference held at Silicon Valley in California. MUrgency, launched in Chandigarh last month, is an app that connects people in need of emergency medical aid with doctors and paramedical staff. It has the potential to save thousands of lives across the globe. (HBL)
Bishop Donald L. Alford Sr. and The Indiana North Central Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. will celebrate their 10th annual Annual Ministers and Workers conference beginning with a musical celebration on Saturday March 12, 2016 at 6:30 p.m., lead by State Minister of Music Madame Stephanie S. Hale. This musical celebration will be held at the Citadel of Faith COGIC, located at 7676 E. 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN.

The conference will again convene on Wednesday March 16, 2016 thru Saturday March 19, 2016, at the Citadel of Faith Church, with educational day sessions and nightly services beginning at 7 p.m.

Bishop Donald L. Alford Sr. has led this jurisdiction since its beginning 10 years ago with the death of Bishop Milton L. Hall Sr., when the Historic Indiana North Jurisdiction was split into two jurisdictions. Bishop Donald L. Alford Sr. is a builder and has built and is continuing to build the Indiana North Central Jurisdiction into one of the most successful jurisdictions in the midwest, says host pastor and Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper Columnist Supt. Johnson A. Beaven III.
Alia Bhatt is hardworking and we know that by her ever-improving performances. So much so, that she has kept even her birthday celebrations at stake for her work. The actress who turned 23 today, has been widely travelling to promote her much-awaited film Kapoor And Sons. And going with the flow, she landed in capital Delhi on her big day. She was her flamboyant best in a black frock with a silver bow. Alia is one actress who dresses her age, and we love the fashion statements she makes. Alia looked as radiant as ever and preferred to celebrate her birthday with the cast of her film at a press conference.

When asked who the first one was to wish her, the daddy's little girl said her father Mahesh Bhatt was, but with a difference!

"My father called me at 2 PM in the afternoon yesterday, and said 'happy birthday baby'. I said 'Papa, it's not my birthday yet'. So he said, 'No, but I want to be the first person to wish you.' I said but you cannot wish me on another day and be the first one to wish me. He said no but I don't like it. I want to be the first one to wish you. So that's what happened. My father was the first one to wish me. Technically, speaking we were all together, we went for dinner yesterday. So I'm sure the whole cast and crew were the first people to wish me."

Alia even cut her birthday cake as her co-stars Sidharth Malhotra and Fawad Khan sang along. It was indeed a very cute moment. When asked what she'd want to come true on her birthday, Alia was quick to say this:

"Honestly, I can only think about Kapoor And Sons. I have said it time and again, that my only birthday wish and my only wish right now is that the film gets all the lovely due that I think it should get and the audience connects with it"

Recently, Alia had revealed how she intended to spend her day. The actress had said that considering she was going to be in Delhi, and that her "close friend," Sidharth was a Delhi boy, he was going to take her sightseeing around town. And she believes the day is going to be "unforgettable."

We hope Delhi gives her some fond birthday memories.

Alia considers her role in the Karan Johar film as that of a "girl next door". She even refrained from calling it a love triangle. Well, with her lovely replies and all the excitement she has generated for her upcoming movie, we're sure the halls are going to be packed.

Happy birthday, Alia :)




In a new partnership, HBO and Game of Thrones have partnered with the International Rescue Committee to raise money for the ongoing refugee crisis. Many of the lead actors from the show have come together to raise awareness about the issue in a campaign called 'Rescue Has No Boundaries'.

In the video, they have asked for donations to help "16 million people" who have been displaced in countries like Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Serbia and Greece. The cast includes the frontrunners of the show - Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Sophie Turner, who play the characters of Cersei Lannister, Jamie Lannister, and Sansa Stark in the hit HBO series.
Wayanad in Kerala has some of the densest forests in India and is home to a variety of birds and animals. Although many of the hills are stripped of their natural cover to make way for coffee and tea plantations, there are still stretches where sunlight finds it arduous to reach the forest floor. This belt of Wayanad, Madumalai, Bandipur and other nearby national parks like Nagarhole, Kabini, Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, BRT etc. are all part of the Nilgiri Biosphere, and a very important biodiversity hotspot.

Unfortunately, the Nilgiris is also one of the most exploited regions in India due to the constant increase in tourism, plantations and construction pressure, leading to human-elephant conflict on a regular basis. We read about man-animal conflicts but are the animals to be blamed? They were living on this land before man came along and started destroying the ecological balance built over millions of years.

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park is the only green lung of Mumbai and when I read that it will have a high speed freight corridor passing through it, I wondered how many of our wild animals ranging from leopards, deer, and wild boar, to smaller animals like mongoose, would suffer. Case in point - a railway line passes through Rajaji National Park and that has killed many an elephant in the past. In another instance, only three years ago in the Chapramari Forest of West Bengal, 17 elephants were killed along the train track. These instances apart, nobody even keeps a record of the smaller animals (like mongoose) killed in accidents. Nor does this take into account the thousands of trees that will be cut to accommodate the train line, making countless birds homeless.

Amazing Maharashtra

I have had my own brush with man-animal conflict on occasions like when our safari bus was chased by a young bull elephant at the Nagarhole National Park. On another occasion, we had a close encounter with a herd during a patrol on foot at the Bandipur National Park. In each case, the massive pachyderms felt threatened by our presence and chased us as a mock attack.

Prasad NP

But let me take you through one particular experience of human-elephant conflict. I must give it to the gentle giants once again for showing us the way to conduct oneself, even when they were faced with a conflict of interest.

We were in our Kerala Blog Express bus in Wayanad and our hosts took us on a small jungle safari. Wild animals have no concept of national park boundaries and hence regularly cross the Wayanad Gundlupete Highway or NH 212 that passes from the Bandipur National Park as their ancestors did to get to their feeding grounds and water source.

elephant-family.org

Human traffic regularly leads to the death of wild animals trying to cross the road.

As the area we were in was not part of the national park, we got out of the bus to get some fresh air. The highway was covered with dense bamboo, the stalks of which were very high -so high that I had to bend to see the top, which made my head spin. The world around me went black and so we decided to get back to the bus. We started our journey back to Wayanad on NH 212 when, on the next turn in the winding road, we noticed movement in the bamboo thicket. Our driver stopped the bus on the curb and soon a young cow - a mother elephant is called a cow - with freshly-sprouting tusks emerged from the bushes and on seeing us tried to go back in the bushes. I had no idea elephants had a reverse gear!

She stood there silently but some other noise in the bushes behind her made me realise that there was a herd trying to hide between the bamboos and trees to avoid our gaze. The herd had some calves, 2 cows and a young tusker, who in spite of his big tusks was still living with the herd. Normally, tuskers prefer to lead a solitary life. On the other hand, about 50 per cent of Asian female elephants have short tusks known as tushes  with no pulp inside.

Just behind the larger group there was a cow with her calf, barely a few weeks old.

Prasad NP

This little guy had no idea about humans and continued walking towards the bigger group. A shriek from his mom made him stop and he dashed back to his mother. I hoped he would look towards my camera and give a clean shot but this baby was more worldly-wise than I had thought. Instead of showing his cute face, he showed me his behind (below).

Prasad NP

The whole herd was silently waiting for us to leave but I wondered why they did not take a detour to cross the highway. It was then that I learnt of the dilemma the elephants were in. Just along the highway, across us, was a small river that gets fenced off by electric wires after a short distance to protect crop fields, where the pachyderms are not welcome. This little patch of water on the other side of the busy highway is the only chance for these beasts to quench their thirst.

The challenge lies in that as the elephants come for their drink, traffic increases on the highway. So the herd waits patiently for the golden moment when there is no traffic and there are no humans on the river bank.

One can only imagine how small this window is.

Prasad NP

But just like we spotted the elephants and stopped to click pictures, hundreds of buses, cars, bikes and trucks spot an elephant or some other animal in the bushes and stop to click pictures. Not all of them are as considerate as our driver and may stop the vehicle in middle of road and cause a traffic jam, making the animals panic. How long before somebody trying to get close to elephants is attacked or worse, poachers take advantage of waiting elephants and kill them?

Prasad NP

You can read the original post here.

I pondered on these questions as I took my pictures through the clean windows of the bus. No one got off to avoid any panic among the herd.

Do I have a solution for the same? I wish I did. Till then, I can only hope that human and animal interaction in these jungles remain minimum and the drivers on these highways respect speed limits and give animals the first right of passage. Here's wishing safe jungles and safer highways and freight corridors for our gentle giants.

May their tribe increase.

- The author is a travel blogger who writes at http://desitraveler.com
After last week's ban on 344 medicines, as many as 500 more drugs - including antibiotics and anti-diabetes drugs - may be outlawed for being "irrational", unsafe and ineffective, official sources have said.

geneithpharm

Last week, the ministry banned 344 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs including commonly-used cough syrups like Phensedyl, Corex and Benadryl.

Now, a senior official says, the ministry is evaluating a list of over 6,000 products, of which at least 1,000 more FDCs are under "severe scrutiny".

As many as 500 of those drugs will likely be banned in six months

"There is primary evidence in around 1,000 cases, which shows these are irrational FDCs. However, in some cases, the data is incomplete so we have asked for further studies. In around 500 cases, we are at the last leg and waiting for some documents," an official told.

TOI

The health ministry believes that "irrational" FDCs are causing anti-microbial resistance and in some cases their toxicity is so high they can even lead to organ-failure.

There are also concerns that these FDCs being available over-the-counter, without doctors' prescriptions, is leading to their misuse.

"Our objective is to ensure only safe products are available in the market. We have reviewed products for several times and there is evidence from research papers and studies to show these medicines are irrational combinations," the official said.

In the meanwhile, the Delhi high court on Monday granted pharmaceutical firm Pfizer a stay order, pending a further hearing, on the ban on its popular cough syrup Corex.

Some drug makers, including Pfizer, have argued that some of the banned drugs have been available in India for around 30 years and so must be safe. Health ministry officials have countered that a long market life isn't enough to prove safety.

belizepharma

"Just because adverse events have not come to notice or have not been reported so far does not mean we ignore scientific evidence showing discrepancies," the official said.

Officials and health experts say that adverse effects of these drugs are not often reported because patients don't come back to doctors unless these drugs are used repeatedly and lead to severe problems. Also, because of a weak vigilance mechanism, the adverse impact of such drugs is often not reported.

While industry estimates have pegged a revenue loss of at least Rs 3,800 crores for the 344 banned FDCs' makers, pharmaceutical firms may have to bear a much wider loss if 500 more drugs are banned.

Some industry executives say the cumulative loss could be as much as Rs 10,000 crores.

The total local pharmaceutical retail market is pegged at over Rs 1 lakh crores annually.
The high level inquiry committee set up by Jawaharlal Nehru University has recommended the expulsion of five students, including JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar who is out on interim bail, and PhD scholars Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, currently in judicial custody on sedition charges, top university sources said.

economictimes

The committee was set up to probe the February 9 event on campus where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.Four other students are likely to face suspension and a few others are to be let off with a fine. In all, 21 students are likely to get show-cause notice as to why action should not be initiated against them. JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar has appraised the dean's committee of the summary of the report and recommendations, which found these students guilty of violating the university's rules and norms.According to sources present at the deans' committee meeting, five students are to face rustication, "which means they will be asked to leave the campus and discontinue their studies. Four other students are to face suspension and could also be asked to leave their hostel."

TOI

The final decision on the quantum of punishment will be taken by the VC and chief proctor A Dimri after a scrutiny of the suggestions as well as the replies to the show-cause notices, the sources added.The high level enquiry committee submitted its report on March 11, after two extensions (February 26 and March 3). Following the February 9 protest event against Afzal Guru's hanging, the vice-chancellor had set up a proctorial enquiry on February 10 and then replaced it with the high level committee on February 11.In its interim report, the committee recommended debarring of eight students from all academic activities but allowed them to stay in hostels as guests.On Monday, the university said the committee had unanimously found some students to have violated the university's rules. "There are standard provisions in the university rules to take action in such cases. The high level inquiry committee recommendations are based on the rules of discipline and proper conduct of JNU," the varsity said.

TOI

The VC, after appraising the dean's committee of the committee's recommendations, said, "The office of the chief proctor would take further action by issuing show cause notices to the students who have been found violating the rules and norms of the university. "The university is likely to send out the show-cause late on Monday night or Tuesday morning, along with a summary of the charges against the students. Questions have been raised on the committee right from the beginning of the inquiry, with left-wing student's groups and teachers slamming the university administration for debarring the students from academic activities even before the report came out.

hindustantimes

JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid Shora on March 11, the day when the report was submitted, said they would not accept "whatever the report says as the committee has not worked in a transparent manner".The students under scanner also decided not to depose before the committee and therefore this report has been prepared without hearing the defence of the 21 students. According to sources in the JNU administration, the students will be given three days to reply to the show cause notice as to why no action should be taken against them. JNUSU joint secretary Saurabh Sharma, who belongs to the BJP-aligned ABVP, said the university should release the report in public domain and added that no leniency should be showed on the guilty.
Can you imagine a single day without your cell-phone? No Facebook, no twitter and no emails? Even though it might sound bizarre to some, but most of us spend a good amount of time on our mobiles. But everything comes at a price, isnt it? Cell phones are no different! Even though cell phones make our life a lot easier, the damage that is caused by the radiations is harmful.

theepochtimes

While we never took this seriously, Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan joined the movement against cellphone operators and was part of a silent march that was held in Mumbai.

It was after Irrfan moved to his new apartment in the Western suburbs of Mumbai, that he noticed the installation of three new mobile towers. After analyzing the drastic effects of cellphone radiations on the fellow residents living in the near-by area and considering the growing concern of the flip side of mobile phones, Irrfan was worried about the radiations emitting from the network towers.

Sending across a peace message and requesting the operators to keep the towers away from residential areas, especially the locations where schools and hospitals are situated, heres what Irrfan Khan said about being a part of the movement:

Deccan Chronicle

"We all need mobile phones to work in this day and age. However, our mobile network towers need to be planned with better consideration to residential areas, parks, schools, hospitals etc. This is a dire need with today's increasing health conditions leading to complications due to the radiation. Starting with simple symptoms like headaches, dizziness up to diagnosis of cancer as witnessed in the Ushakiran building case and numerous other cases.

We can only create awareness and urge people to join us in this movement.
Thirty-five FTII students were listed in a chargesheet on Monday for allegedly gheraoing and illegally confining the institute's director Prashant Pathrabe last year, of whom 30 were later granted bail.

dnaindia

The Deccan Gymkhana police, which is probing the case, filed the chargesheet against 35 students in a court and the next hearing will be held on April 2, the prosecution said.

"There are total 35 students against whom the chargesheet has been filed. Five students were arrested on the intervening night of August 18-19 and released on bail. Thirty students, including 12 who were out on anticipatory bail, were given (regular) bail today," defence counsel Shrikant Shivade said.Shivade moved a bail plea for 30 students in the court of first class judicial magistrate SS Bangad, who granted bail to all the students on a personal bond of Rs 3,000 each.

indiatvnews

The FTII students, who were on a strike for 139 days since June last year against the appointment of BJP member and TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman, had allegedly gheraoed and confined Pathrabe in his office on August 17.

They had challenged his decision to go ahead with the assessment of the incomplete diploma film projects of the 2008 batch students. The incident had led to police swooping in on the campus on the intervening night of August 18-19, and arresting five students.

Reuters

The students were booked under various sections of IPC, including 143, 147, 149, 323, 353 and 506, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting.

Some of the charges against the students are non-bailable

Seventeen students were last year identified and named in an FIR filed in connection with the case.Last week, the police, after screening the video footage of the incident, had identified 18 more students and asked them to present themselves in the court on Monday.
Google has removed an spyware app called SmeshApp from its PlayStore which was allegedly used by Pakistan intelligence agencies to snoop on Indian army personnel.

According to a CNN-IBN investigation, the app was being used to access crucial information regarding the movement of troop and other counter terrorism operations.

How it worked

Once installed, the app allowed a third party to access personal information such as phone logs, text messages and photographs stored on the compromised device.



The information collected by the app was reportedly stored on a server in Germany and is hosted by a man based out of Karachi.

Targets

The spyware was reportedly targeted at all branches of the armed forces, including the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Devices

The spyware app not only infected smartphones but also personal computers of soldiers.

The investigation revealed that app was also used during the attack on Indian Air Force base in Pathankot in January 2016 by the Pakistan handlers. It helped them gain access to crucial information on the movement of troops.

PTI/ Representational Image

Pakistan intelligence agency ISI reportedly lured Indian army men by laying honeytraps on Facebook.

The report claims that over 10 such fake Facebook profiles are are being used and that several Indian military personnel are unknowingly communicating with Pakistani handlers.
You know Brandon Stanton as the man behind Humans of New York. The blogger-journalist is widely known for bringing strangers into our world, with his poignant photographs appropriately captioned with the truth of their lives.

I had the good fortune to meet the guy back in 2014 when he visited India. Brandon is passionate about what he does, and never shies away from taking a stand on important issues that concern the people of the world.

artlife

To this end, his series on Syrian refugees is one that everyone should read in tandem with a scathing open letter that he recently addressed to Donald Trump.

An Open Letter to Donald Trump:Mr. Trump,I try my hardest not to be political. Ive refused to interview several of... Posted by Humans of New York on Monday, 14 March 2016



He writes,

"An Open Letter to Donald Trump:

"Mr. Trump,

"I try my hardest not to be political. Ive refused to interview several of your fellow candidates. I didnt want to risk any personal goodwill by appearing to take sides in a contentious election. I thought: Maybe the timing is not right. But I realize now that there is no correct time to oppose violence and prejudice. The time is always now. Because along with millions of Americans, Ive come to realize that opposing you is no longer a political decision. It is a moral one.

"Ive watched you retweet racist images. Ive watched you retweet racist lies. Ive watched you take 48 hours to disavow white supremacy. Ive watched you joyfully encourage violence, and promise to pay the legal fees of those who commit violence on your behalf. Ive watched you advocate the use of torture and the murder of terrorists families. Ive watched you gleefully tell stories of executing Muslims with bullets dipped in pig blood. Ive watched you compare refugees to snakes, and claim that Islam hates us.

HONY/Brandon Stanton

"I am a journalist, Mr. Trump. And over the last two years I have conducted extensive interviews with hundreds of Muslims, chosen at random, on the streets of Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. Ive also interviewed hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi refugees across seven different countries. And I can confirm the hateful one is you.

"Those of us who have been paying attention will not allow you to rebrand yourself. You are not a unifier. You are not presidential. You are not a victim of the very anger that youve joyfully enflamed for months. You are a man who has encouraged prejudice and violence in the pursuit of personal power. And though your words will no doubt change over the next few months, you will always remain who you are.

"Sincerely,

Brandon Stanton"

His post has already received over 1.6 million likes and 800,000 shares.

The comment section has since then been flooded with messages, some as hard-hitting as Brandon's own letter. The top comment on the section reads, "From every other part of the world, we are wondering how he is even getting so many votes!"

We are wondering the same.
A sex slave held by the terror group Isis for seven months has described her captors as "not like humans".

YouTube

The 25-year-old woman, who has four children, was held by jihadists in Syria where she says she was abused every day by her captor.

"I cannot tell you how awful these people are. They were not like humans, you cannot imagine it," the Yazidi woman told Sky News.

She said her children were beaten to make sure she did as she was told, adding: "I was so worried that he [her captor, known as Omar] would take away my children.

"They were very violent and shouting every day. My father and brothers were taken away and even now we don't have any news of them."

"Most probably they were killed but it's better. It's better that they are dead and not in prisons with these people. Even us, we were just wishing to die rather than stay with such people."

In December, Nadia Murad Basee Taha described the terrifying ordeal of how she was imprisoned by ISIS fighters to the UN security council, before urging them to bring perpetrators of such violence to justice.

YouTube

"We, the women and children were brought by bus to another region," she said. "Along the way they humiliated us. They touched us and violated us.

"They took us to Mosul with more than 150 other Yazidi families. There were thousands of Yazidi families and children who were exchanged as gifts.

"One of these people came up to me, he wanted to take me, I was absolutely petrified. He forced me to serve as part of his military faction.

"He humiliated me every day. He forced me to wear clothes that didn't cover my body. I was tortured.

"I tried to flee but one of the guards stopped me. That night he beat me."

ISIS jihadists justify raping Yazidi women because they claim Islam allows them to have sex with non-Muslims.

Rothna Begum, women's rights researcher, Human Rights Watch, says: "Isis forces have abducted thousands of Yezidis since August 2014 and committed organized rape, sexual assault, and other horrific crimes against many Yezidi women and girls.

"These are war crimes and may be crimes against humanity.

"We spoke to women and girls who escaped and told us they had been forced into marriage; bought and sold, sometimes in "slavery markets" and even multiple times, or given as "gifts".

"Isis acknowledges such crimes and attempts to justify them by categorizing captured Yezidi women and girls as "spoils of war" for its fighters, and claims that Islam permits sex with non-Muslim "slaves"."
Last month, former Uber driver Jason Brian Dalton told detectives why he started a mass shooting in Kalamazoo, Michagan that killed 6 - the Uber app took over his mind. A 5 hour shooting followed.

Detective Bill Moorian wrote in a report published by local paper Kalamazoo Gazette:

"I informed Dalton that the entire incident is on video at Don Seelye. Dalton said that if we only knew, it would blow our mind. Dalton then explains how when he opens up the Uber taxi app a symbol appeared..and a devil head popped up on his screen and when he pressed the button on the app, that is when all the problems started."

cnn

Upon arrest, Dalton was found with a Walther 9 mm handgun and ammunition, and was wearing a wearing a bulletproof vest. Moorians report mentioned that hed only begun working for Uber for about a week, and that "the iPhone can take you over.

Dalton described the devil figure as a horned cow head or something like that and then it would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body."

"Dalton was asked if he recalled shooting some people tonight and he said he did recall that, but other than that, he doesn't remember anything," Moorian wrote. "Dalton said that it starts out that you have to follow the navigation, but it gets to the point where you don't have to drive at all, the car just goes ... Dalton said he was seeing himself from outside of his body."

freestockflickr

After shooting a Tiana Carruthers, on Feb. 20, he allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old Tyler Smith and Tyler's father, Rich, 53, in the parking lot of Seelye Auto Group on Stadium Drive. Then, minutes later he attacked four women in the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel restaurant on South Ninth Street in Texas Township.

The trigger for the mind-takeover, according to Dalton was when the apps logo color changed from red to black. The app, he confessed, "made him" get armed.
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More than 200,000 Afghans have left their country in pursuit of a better life. But upon arriving in Europe, many of them are left disappointed. Faced with a cold welcome and the hardships of living in a foreign land, some are accepting cash incentives to return to Afghanistan.

Ismail Usofzi, who spent five months and more than $7,500 getting to Germany, is one of them. They gave me a document and it was written in red that I could be subjected to deportation and there were no guarantees of a bright future for me, Usofzi told Al Jazeera.

He said he paid $7,500 to the smugglers and went to Germany for the future of his family. It said it could take years for me to be accepted into society, Usofzi said.

He said he could not find work and could not get permission for his wife and three children to join him. In the end, he accepted a payment of $2,000 from the German government to leave and return home. However, of the 200,000 who fled Afghanistan, fewer than 1,000 have taken the cash deal to return.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, condemned recent politically-motivated killings in Rivers State, saying the killing of people over political differences was primitive, barbaric and unacceptable.

We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have given the security services clear directives in this regard, the president said.

Rivers has recently become a killing field with the All Progressives Congress, APC, accusing the Peoples Democratic Party-led state government of sponsoring and stoking violence against its members ahead of the March 19 National and State Assembly rerun elections.

The government, however, blames the killings on rival cult groups.

In his first public pronouncements about the resurgence of violence in the oil-rich state, Mr. Buhari said We will show that violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections.

He spoke at an interactive meeting with Nigerians resident in Equatorial Guinea.

Meanwhile, President Buhari said the Independent National Electoral Commission will be encouraged to explore the possibility of allowing Nigerians abroad vote in the 2019 general elections.

Noting that some African countries have started allowing their citizens resident abroad to vote in national elections, the president said he fully empathised with the desire of Nigerians in the diaspora to vote in national elections.

He, therefore, pledged to do all within his powers to fulfil that desire.

I want all Nigerians to know that I respect them and their right to choose their leaders, he said

Mr. Buhari also foreclosed the possibility of his administration establishing a new national airline, despite the report of a committee set up in that respect, already submitted to government.

The president declared that his administrations main area of focus now was reducing the level of poverty in the country, saying a new national carrier was the least priority of his government.

Buhari said that developing the infrastructure needed to boost production in all sectors of the economy and create more jobs for young Nigerians, as well as other actions that will directly improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians will continue to be prioritized by his administration.

President Buhari was responding to complaints by members of the Nigerian community about the absence of direct flights between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

Speaking on his administrations war against corruption, the president assured them that the campaign will remain fearless, relentless and merciless.

We will be merciless and relentless in pursuing all those who abused public trust. Nigerians will see how some of the elite conspired to run the nation down, he said.
President Muhammadu Buhari late Monday in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, received the countrys highest national honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence, and dedicated it to the people of Nigeria, who he said, have worked tirelessly for peace in the country and Africa.

I will like to express profound gratitude for the honour given to me and my people, a statement by Buharis spokesperson, Femi Adesina, quoted him as saying.

There has never been a time for greater neighbourliness on our continent in the interest of peace, security and economic stability than now, President Buhari said at the investiture ceremony.

The president said as African countries faced common challenges, they must strive to cooperate more to find workable solutions that will facilitate rapid socio-economic development on the continent.

Mr. Buhari pledged that under his leadership, Nigeria would continue to make significant contributions to peace, political stability and progress in Africa.

Earlier, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, said the honour was conferred on President Buhari for his personal integrity, exemplary leadership style and courage to fight terrorism in order to ensure peace and safety in Africa.

We deemed it fit and appropriate to honour this son of Africa for the great work he is doing, which includes tackling Boko Haram, a great menace to the continent, President Mbasogo said.

President Buhari, who began a two-day visit to Equatorial Guinea for talks on maritime security on Monday, was later hosted to a state dinner after the investiture.

The president is billed to return to Abuja on Tuesday.
Htin Kyaw, a close confidant of Myanmars Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was chosen on Tuesday as the new president, the latest step towards democracy after decades of military rule. Htin Kyaw, 69, was elected president by parliament as the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party takes power on April 1.

Because Suu Kyi was married to a foreign national, she was constitutionally unable to become president, though she has stated she will be in charge of the government. Until last week, Htin Kyaw was hardly a household name and most people in Myanmar would not have seen him becoming president of the countrys first democratically elected government in more than a half-century. Al Jazeeras Wayne Hay said there was speculation that Suu Kyi may become Myanmars prime minister  a position that doesnt currently exist  which would likely cause friction with the powerful military.
Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Monday, staged a peaceful protest at both embassies of the United States and United Kingdom in Abuja, over the March 4, 2016, invasion of the Assembly complex and subsequent abduction of four of their colleagues by operatives of the Department of State Services.

The lawmakers, numbering about 18 and led by the Speaker, Honourable Kola Oluwawole; his deputy, Honourable Segun Adewumi and House Leader, Honourable Adetunji Akinyele, called on the international community to intervene and save democracy in Nigeria from imminent collapse.

They also submitted a letter entitled; Re: Political intolerance in Ekiti State, and the resolution passed at its sitting of Wednesday, March 9, in which the lawmakers stated expressly that they were solidly behind Governor Ayodele Fayose and can never be coerced or induced to sign any impeachment notice against him.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the lawmakers said: We want to state here categorically that no amount of intimidation, harassment and oppression will make us impeach our leader and benefactor, Governor Ayodele Fayose. The DSS should therefore know that the 2006 theory they are working on will not work this time around.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: DSS harassment is about 2018, we wont be cowed, DSS, this impunity must stop! This is democracy, not dictatorship, DSS, dont destroy our democracy, respect rule of law, Fayose remains our leader, we wont impeach him, Nigerians need change, not chains, Buhari, face economy and security, not opposition and DSS, free Ekiti lawmakers; we are legislators, not criminals.

The protesting lawmakers, who spoke through Dr Samuel Omotoso, Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan and Honourable Adewumi, alleged that they were being harassed, with some of their houses being visited by men who claimed to be officials of the DSS.

They further stated that the process of abduction of the four lawmakers was illegal, crude, uncivilised and barbaric because the DSS neither formally informed the speaker nor the state governor of their intention to arrest any member of the assembly.

The protest letter read in part; The Federal Government set up an inglorious military panel to probe the level of security involvement in that peaceful governorship election of June 21, 2014. These were the same security agencies that had been commended for their efficiency in that election. The Federal Government is bent on scuttling the election of Governor Ayodele Fayose through diabolical means.

After the failure of the military panel to achieve its desired objective, another plot is now being hatched. The APC-led Federal Government has orchestrated a wave of arrest and intimidation of members of the House of Assembly and cabinet members of the present administration in Ekiti State.
The Edo State Government has strongly denied the allegation that it plans to sell the $75 million World Bank loan for infrastructure development in the black market.

The government was reacting to a statement by the Peoples Democratic Party chairman in Edo State, Dan Orbih, shortly after his re-election on Monday that a bank had already donated its private jet to Edo Governor to bring in the $75m World Bank loan.

Mr. Orbih further alleged that the deal was expected to fetch the state government about N10 billion.

But in a statement, the state commissioner for information, Kassim Afegbua, denied the claim, describing it as reckless and a crass display of ignorance by the opposition PDP in the state.

If Orbih were not a complete dunce, he would have known that World Bank is not like Ogbona Community Bank, where you can abuse financial procedures, the commissioner said.

He has just shown the reckless financial orientation of the PDP and their brigandage and voodoo economics.

Otherwise, he would not even contemplate that a World Bank would carry money in sacks and hand it over to a state government.

Mr. Afegbua said the government has repeatedly described the PDP as a party that had no answer to the challenges of governance.

He said, We have repeatedly said it that the PDP has no answer to the challenges of governance. The empty-headedness of their state chairman further compounds their problem.

How on earth would a man talk about World Bank in such reckless emanations? What a pity.

The commissioner said he would recommend Mr. Orbih for a refresher course for him to learn the ropes in modern World Bank financial transaction instead of exhibiting manifest ignorance that tends to put Edo people to shame.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that about N3.145bn was transferred from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the private accounts of some members of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation.

According to the anti-graft body, the Director of Publicity of the organization Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, received N840 million deposited into his Zenith bank account, Maitama Branch with number 1004735721 on February 19, 2015.

The first tranche of payment involving N350 million hit the account on February 19, 2015. Another N250m was also paid into the account on February19, 2015 while N240 million was similarly credited to the account a month later; precisely, March 19, 2015.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, received N100 million through a company, Marreco Limited, where he is chairman. The fund was credited into the companys United Bank for Africa Plc account number 1000627022 on March 25, 2014.

According to the documents released by the EFCC, N320 million was also paid into the bank account of the Goodluck Support Group, an association which played a major role in Jonathans campaign.

A former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, got N350m in two tranches. The first tranche of N150m was paid into their joint account with Zenith bank on January 13, 2015. The second tranche of N200m was credited into their account with Diamond bank.
A former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the lives and property of Nigerians by urgently putting an end to the mass killings in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State and bring the culprits to justice.

Armed Fulani herdsmen were accused of massacring hundreds of people including pregnant women and children in Agatu communities, in retaliation for the alleged killing of 10,000 herds of cattle by the people of the communities.

The president has since ordered the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, and other security agencies to bring the situation under control while a permanent solution to the frequent herdsmen/farmers clash is being looked into.

But Mr. Fani-Kayode in a statement yesterday, said the bloodletting by the Fulani herdsmen is a curse on the nation, adding that the more such act is tolerated by the government, the more the destruction and mass murder of innocent Nigerians in the area.

The former minister continued: Injustice and wickedness to others, particularly to the weak, innocent, vulnerable and defenceless in our society attracts Gods wrath. President Buhari needs to put a stop to the carnage being unleashed on the Nigerian people.

I am calling him out and I am speaking for those that do not have a voice and the victims of these barbaric acts. Buhari must protect the Nigerian people. He must call the perpetrators of these diabolical acts to order and he must punish them.

Are the 500 Idomas that were killed in Agatu not human beings? Thousands of people have been displaced and many families have lost their homes and loved ones at the hands of these Fulani herdsmen who come from another world yet no-one appears to care, he said.
Nicholas Ragin has been in prison for the last 10 years charged with conspiracy and racketeering, but the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has now thrown out his 2006 conviction because his attorney slept through his trial. The attorney, Nikita V Mackey, was appointed by the district court after Ragin was indicted in 2004. Mackey, a former police officer and North Carolina State Representative, was found to have frequently slept for at least 30 minutes at a time throughout his clients trial according to The Independent.

The decision was written by Appeals Judge Roger Gregory and outlined the Constitutional rights the justices felt Ragin was denied. We hold that a defendant is deprived of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel when counsel sleeps during a substantial portion of the defendants trial.

Nicholas Ragins Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated not because of specific legal errors or omissions indicating incompetence in counsels representation but because Ragin effectively had no legal assistance during a substantial portion of his trial, the statement continued. At the appeals trial, a witness testified hearing that Mackey was asleep frequentlyalmost every day morning and evening for 30 minutes at least.

Peter Adolf was an attorney present during the trial in 2006. When he testified during the appeal he said that at one point the judge leaned into his microphone, because we were all sitting there and (Mackey) wasnt moving and said, Mr. Mackey very loudly. Mackey then jumped up and sort of looked around and was licking his lips and moving his mouth and looked sort of confused and looked all over the room.

In a September 2015 episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver told his audiencethat there are so many defendants and so few court-appointed attorneys that most handle a caseload of up to 1,000 cases per year  or nearly three per day.

Raw Story.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has paid a visit to the 16-year-old boy, Bolaji Kalejaiye whose intestines were ripped open when he was hit by stray bullets in the recent crisis that engulfed Mile 12, Ketu area of the state.

Master Kalejaiye was reportedly returning from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Boards CBT when he was hit by stray bullets during the crisis between Hausa traders and their Yoruba hosts.

In a rather courageous move, which probably increased his chances of survival, the young boy rather than panic, reportedly packed his intestines, which were already gushing through the opening left by the bullet piercing his body and ran to a nearby police station but was turned away by the policemen on duty.

Luck, however, came his way when he was rescued and taken to a private hospital by passers-by from where he was transferred to the Ikeja General Hospital.

Speaking at the boys bedside at the Ikeja General Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Obasa commended Bolajis courage and desire to live despite being hit by stray bullets.

When I read your story, I was moved by your courage. It was through sheer courage that after being hit by stray bullets and your intestines spilling out, you still had the courage to pack your intestines and run to the police station.

Im really moved, Obasa said.

Earlier, his mother, Mrs Alero Kalejaiye, used the opportunity of the visit by the Lagos Assembly speaker to solicit for financial help to save her son.

She also used the opportunity to call for public attention to the current plight of her son, who is still battling to stay alive.

Mrs. Kalejaiye also commended Mr. Obasa for donating N500, 000 for her sons upkeep.

I am impressed by your good gesture and Almighty God will continue to bless you. However, I still want to appeal to Nigerians to come to our aid, she said.

The speaker was accompanied on the visit by Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Segun Olulade; the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Tunde Buraimoh and the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, among others.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on security agencies involved in the fight against insurgents to abide by their rules of engagement by respecting the rights of civilians during operations.

The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Professor Bem Angwe was delivering a speech at the 3rd National Human Rights Commission /Nigerian Military Dialogue on Human Rights, Tuesday, when he said this.

He said that there should be a balance between military necessity and human rights protection during conflicts.

The NHRC boss also advised civilians to respect the military authorities who are out to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.

In his remark, the Nigerian Army Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Major General Rogers Nicholas, described the allegations against the military as untrue.

He insisted that the Nigerian Army respects the rules of engagement as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
Nigeria has declared support for the Paris agreement on Climate Change reached at the end of COP21 meeting held in France last December. The country will, therefore, join in the signing of the global pact in due course, according to Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Speaking today at the Presidential Villa during a courtesy visit by the French Minister for the Environment, Power and Marine Affairs, who presided over the COP21 meeting in Paris, Ms. Segolene Royal, the Vice President disclosed that working together with the legislative arm of the Nigerian government, the country will play its part in signing the agreement and ensuring ratification.

COP21 outcome is important for everyone, it is the largest landmark agreement on climate change, Prof. Osinbajo said, adding that Nigeria was pleased with the meeting and its outcome-the Paris Agreement.

Nigeria fully supports the Paris Agreement, according to the Vice President who also highlighted the need for the rehabilitation of Lake Chad which is being threatened by climate change. He said Lake Chad is also important from the point of view of security and economic factors. The Vice President restated Nigerias concern about the lake and welcomed international support on its preservation and rehabilitation.

He thanked the French minister for making a stop in Nigeria as she tours countries in the continent, expressing the hope that Nigeria and France would continue to expand diplomatic and economic relationships, especially as the federal government is now confronting a number of economic issues including diversification and development of infrastructure.

The Vice President who was joined at the meeting by Nigerias Environment Minister, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, commended the effort of Ms. Royal in her role as COP21 president and pledged Nigerias continued support.

Speaking earlier Ms. Royal told the Vice President that she is visiting Nigeria and a number of other African countries to ensure that the Paris Agreement is established through the signing and ratification process, and also beyond to encourage the signatories take concrete actions in line with the agreement after the signing.

She noted the support of the international community on the preservation and rehabilitation of Lake Chad and announced that the Paris Agreement would be signed April 22 at the United Nations.
Punch

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said the unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was part of strategies aimed at repositioning the countrys oil and gas sector, and announced a daily crude oil production target of 2.8 million barrels per day.

Vanguard

THE member representing Ihiala Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Rep Emeka Anohu has told President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with those agitating for independent Biafran Republic, so as to arrest any political unrest that could emanate from the agitations.

Thisday

former governor of Kano State, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso dramatically returned to Kano State. His homecoming, nine months after he departed the state upon the expiration of his four- year tenure, was supposedly to sympathize with his successor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the passing away of his mother, Hajiya Fatima Umar Ganduje. But the visit has since turned out to be something else

The Sun

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has said that Nigeria will begin to export refined petrol and other petrochemical products within the next four years if plans to ramp up the countrys domestic refining capacity work out well.

Daily Times

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue on Monday restated his determination to probe the administration of his, Mr Gabriel Suswam. Ortom announced this in Makurdi while swearing in three new Special Advisers and said that probing Suswan was one of his responsibilities to people of the state.

Guardian

It took the recent boat mishap in Ikorodu area of Lagos State for the activities of sand dredgers to come to light when boat operators blamed the activities of the dredgers for the boat that capsized at a dredging point enroute Badore, Ajah jetty.

Daily Trust

James Faleke, the running mate to the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, has said he ought to have been sworn-in as governor following the death of Audu.

National Mirror

Hoodlums operating in Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night turned the locality into a theatre of war, setting the police station on fire.

Tribune

THE Anglican Archdiocese of Enugu has officially banned wearing of sleeveless dresses to church weddings, reception and services.

The Nation

National and Rivers State leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), top politicians and reporters yesterday came under gun attack from suspected thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party in a near ambush in Rivers State.
Kim Jong-un says North Korea will soon conduct a nuclear warhead test and test-launch ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Such tests, reported in state media on Tuesday, would be in defiant violation of United Nations sanctions that were recently strengthened with the backing of China, North Koreas chief ally.

Kim made the comments as he supervised a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the thermodynamic structural stability of newly developed heat-resisting materials, the Norths official KCNA news agency reported.

Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he [Kim] instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail, the agency said. In response, South Koreas defence ministry said it did not believe that North Korea had acquired missile re-entry technology. It also noted there were no indications of activities at the Norths nuclear test site, or its long-range rocket station.

But South Koreas defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun warned: If North Korea puts this into action, it certainly violates the United Nations Security Council resolution, and it is a grave provocation against the Korean peninsula and the international community. We once again urge North Korea to immediately stop this act which leads to its self-destruction.
The trial of Bukola Mesujamba Saraki like Abiku  a Yoruba name for a child in unending cycle of births, deaths, and rebirths  died again last Friday when Danlami Umar the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) chairman acquiesced to the frivolous and illegal adjournment of the case. Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki trial will be born again this Friday and it will die the same day.

The news of the postponement of the trial came to Nigerians with a bewildering intensity. It was a frozen moment for justice in the land of injustice. Nigerians were ostensibly wrecked by anguish and shock by the continuous delay of the trial. At a time when corruption cases are metastasizing at epidemic rate, Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Sarakis trial remains the jagged wound in the conscience of a nation known for its basement prices for justice for thieves in high places.

The one-man heist of the criminal justice system for 170 million people is hard to phantom. The pain and the melancholy caused by the postponement is a dagger that cuts through our collective civilization. The drama of the trial is a man-made catastrophe which will haunt oure nation forever. Its going to be Nigerias trial of the century bought with power and money.

Based on the exceptional brilliant and vibrant investigative reporting done by SaharaReporters, below is the synopsis of how bribery and corruption purchased postponement of the trial and which may ultimately tilt the judgement in favor of Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki. The purchase was wholesale from Danlami Umar CCT chairman to Rotimi Jacobs the lead prosecutor, from Taiwo Abidogun solicitor-general and permanent secretary Ministry of Justice, to director of public prosecution Saidu Diri, and of course Justice Abdul Kafarati of Federal High Court, Abuja. The facts:

Mr. Agabis so called filing was illicitly handed to the tribunal judge, Danlami Umar, in Saudi Arabia where he had gone to observe the lesser hajj.

Agabi had surreptitiously filed a motion at the Federal High Court in Abuja on the basis that Abiku Mesujambas trial at the CCT amounted to a violation of his fundamental human rights.

Because Abiku Mesujamba Saraki had bought the judicial reporters each for N50,000 only, the clandestine filing of Agabis motion at the Federal High Court in Abuja was hugely underreported.

Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court Abuja where Agabi filed the motion, is known in legal circles for being susceptible to high-level corruption. Justice Kafarati, according to EFCC, has N2 billion in his account, money he claimed he made from farming. Kafarati will rule on Abiku Mesujambas suit March 22, 2016.

Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Sarakis strategy is capsuled in one word: delay, delay, delay! As long as the CCT chairman Umar, continues to grant extended delays, the favorable ruling of Justice Kafarati March 22 will lead to dismissal of the case.

Notice that each time the trial was postponed, the new trial date always fall on a Friday. Its a strategy to shield the senate thieves from being criticized and accused of wasting tax payers money for doing nothing other than accompany Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki to court in a convoy that mimics funeral procession.

Officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice have been bought by Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki. The solicitor-general of the Federation and permanent secretary Ministry of Justice Taiwo Abidogun, and the director of public prosecution Saidu Diri collaborated with Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Sarakis lawyers to obtain a controversial adjournment by filling a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the CCT to try Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki.

Telephone conversations revealed that Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki and Abidogun discussed strategies how his corruption case would be thrown out. Two numbers were used by Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki  0802-454-4666 and 0810-451-2566. Abidoguns number is 0803-316-4271.

Abidogun followed up on the strategy with Umar the CCT chairman on the motion filed by Agabi challenging the CCT jurisdiction had been filed and served on his tribunal. Also, Abidogun met with Jacobs the lead prosecutor and told him to cooperate emphasizing that the Ministry of Justice had decided to let Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki off the hook. Both Abidogun and Diri assured Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki that his case was as good as dead.

From these gory details to thwart the trial, one can safely conclude that Danlami Umar the chairman of the CCT is a corrupt judge. Hes a corrupt judge because he refused to identify conflicts of interest and did not step aside from the case where his personal connections and bribery had caused him to give an unfair judgement. He provides advantages to Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki who has given him money while he disregards the rights of 170 million Nigerians who seek justice for acts of wrongdoing perpetrated against them by Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki.

The Supreme Court had cleared the way for the CCT to proceed with the trial. The Supreme Court is the highest tribunal in the nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of Nigeria. As the final arbiter of the law, the Supreme Court is charged with ensuring the Nigerian people the promise of equal justice under the law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution. When the Supreme Court rules on a constitutional issue, that judgement is final, its decisions can be altered only by constitutional amendment. In short, when the Supreme Court issues an opinion, it is binding on the litigants, is enforced by the government, and serves as precedent for future cases. It is the law of the land.

It is unconscionable therefore for Umar to have granted postponement. Is Umar telling us that the justice Karafati lower court is superior to the Supreme Court? If Umar had not been bought by Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki all he needed to do was to throw the Agabi application for postponement to his face and tell him point blank: Mr. Agabi, Im not here to entertain any foolery from you or from anybody. The issue of jurisdiction had been settled long time ago by the Supreme Court. Im not granting any frivolous postponement. The case must proceed expeditiously. Period. But because Agabi had met Umar in Saudi Arabia where the postponement purchased was sealed, Umar had to honor his own part of the contract.

With the revelations from SaharaReporters, Mr. Buhari must dismantle the justice ministry from top to bottom. The rotten vine  Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki has produced poisonous fruit, all nourished by it should be fired immediately. There can be no whitewash the adjournment granted by Umar. President Buhari must as a matter of urgency, fire Danlami Umar, Rotimi Jacobs, Abubakar Malami, and Mohammed Saidu Diri.

The trial of Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki has thrown the entire war on corruption into a state of disarray and immobility. It threatens Mr. Buharis war on corruption with a state of judicial leaderlessness. The political and judicial melodrama of the trial had already hijacked the war on corruption. The trial had compromised and indeed immobilized the judicial processes. With the fearsome findings gushing out from the faucet of SaharaReporters, the trial must proceed in full speed without further delay.

The trial has been dramatic, chaotic, clumsy, baffling, and bungled. How can a thief of unsurpassed criminal record hold 170 million people and the government hostage? Are we saying Abiku Bukola Mesujamba Saraki is greater and powerful than 170 million people to make him answer for his crimes? Is Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki so indispensable to our democracy and the survival of Nigeria?

Obviously, the wider implications of the trial are above and beyond Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki. The trial has destroyed our judicial and criminal justice systems. It has invalidate the supremacy of the Supreme Court. It has enshrined corruption into the rulings and decisions of the Supreme Court. The legacy of the trial will leave us with a contempt for democratic politics. The legacy will starve, constrain, and distort governance and more importantly, produce contemptible judiciary and criminal justice system.

Nigerians are angry, perplexed, and disappointed by the extension of life arbitrarily granted to the trial by Umar. We have no more faith in civic virtue and politics of public interest. We believe it is futile to think and argue in good faith about something called the public interest. We believe our democracy means legitimization of corruption. In the process, we have lost a measure of our power to govern ourselves. That power has become very fragile at a time when corruption and economic inequality have rendered useless the institutions of democracy our only means for creating a more just society.

We know changes and reforms move at a glacial pace in Nigeria. It is unfair to our country and our people particularly the vulnerable poor to operate two criminal justice systems  one for the rich and one for the poor. Now that we all agree that our justice system is broken and backwards in many substantial ways, whats to be done? Mr. Buhari must move fast to end the judicial corruption by purging the judiciary of all undesirable judges, and other elements. He must speed up the reform of our justice system and restore our constitutional rights of due process and a fair trial.

Responding to the controversies surrounding the 2016 budget, Mr. Buhari said there are saboteurs in his government. In an interview with Al Jazeera he said there are some people in his government who are not 100% loyal to his administration. Well then, to reclaim and resuscitate his war on corruption especially the litmus test of the war  Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Sarakis case  Mr. Buhari must appoint an independent counsel to take over the case.

Independent counsel is an attorney appointed by the federal government to investigate and prosecute federal government officials. Independent counsel is a special attorney who investigates and prosecutes criminal activity in government. He holds people who make the laws like Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki and those who implement the laws accountable for their own criminal activity. Independent counsel does not answer to the government officials they are assigned to investigate and prosecute. Therefore, he avoids much of the conflict of interest displayed by Umar, Jacobs, Malami, Abidogun, and Diri.

The hands of the CCT chairman Umar and the lead prosecutor Jacobs, are stained with blood money from Bukola Abiku Mesujamba Saraki. They are motivated by prejudice and bias of personal and professional relationships with Agabi. They are not fit, qualified, and neutral to handle the trial on behalf of 170 million people of Nigeria. They have to go. In addition from being fired, they too must be prosecuted for corruption.

Mr. President, Umar, Jacobs, Malami, Abidogun, Diri, Kafarati, and Mesujamba Saraki are the saboteurs you spoke about. Get rid rid of them  fast!

[email protected]
The Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the results of the local government elections in the state, saying the Saturday polls were marred by irregularities.

A statement by the chapter secretary, Kabir Aliyu, described the election as a sham, saying as it was characterised by rigging.

The whole exercise was a sham and marred by irregularities in spite of assurance of free and fair election by His Excellency, Governor of Sokoto State and other organs handling the exercise.

It was highly disappointing as the election was characterized by massive rigging, ballot box snatching, use of soldiers and other apparatus of state security to intimidate, arrest and molest our party agents, supporters and unleashing of area boys to attack our party accredited supervisors during their assignment.

The result sheets of the election were filled and winners announced publicly by 8:00 to 9:00am at some of the polling units (while) in some places when the accreditation of the voters was on process.

The result sheets of some local governments were filled in on the eve of election day.

Prior to the Election Day, our candidates were intimidated, coerced and threatened to withdraw from the election after several attempts of their lives and destruction of their property.

When and where they failed, they resorted to the arbitrary use of public and private media to announce the withdrawal of such candidates.

The APC led government in the state in collaboration with the state electoral body manipulated ballot papers to exclude PDP logo in some local government areas such as in the case of Gudu Local Government Area, in order to weaken our stronghold area.

The state electoral body in collaboration with the ruling APC deliberately omitted from the result sheet a column for recording number of accredited intending voters from the main sheet to add their numbers.

The PDP sadly sympathize with many of our supporters and well-wishers that suffered injuries due to brutal attacks, arrest or detention by some hired security personnel include use of soldiers to harass and intimidate them by the order of some agents of APC at various places, especially at Goronyo, Bodinga, Tambuwal, Kebbe, Binji, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Dange Shuni and Rabah local governments respectively.

PDP wishes to commend the gallant efforts of thousands of its supporters, well-wishers around the state who stand firmly to ensure justice and fairness in spite of numerous intimidation, coercion, abuses and political attacks by certain individuals, majority of who are holding government public offices that see nothing in politics but hatred and intimidation.

Therefore, the party is hereby registering its disappointment with the double standard of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal who during his state-wide broadcast assured the oppositions, and good people of Sokoto State with credible and fair election, but intentionally lied and produce the worst election ever conducted by any state electoral commission in Nigeria.

In view of this and many other issues raised in our pending court case filed before the election, we wish to totally reject the outcome of the exercise.

And by this notice, we are calling on the electoral body to cancel the so called sham election that are seen by majority of people in the state as charade, laughable and joke that was done to ridicule the good name of people of Sokoto State.

The election should be cancelled and a new date for a fresh, free and fair election devoid with rancor announced, the statement said.
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 2,000 of its personnel to Rivers State for the March 19 re-run elections.

The Commandant General of the Corps, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, who gave approval for the deployment, said one Assistant Commandant General (ACG) and four Commandants were also deployed for the exercise.

The corps spokesman, Emmanuel Okeh, said in a statement yesterday that the CG had directed the Assistant Commandant General in charge of Zone E, Owerri, Alhaji Abdullahi Lapai, to relocate to Port-Harcourt to oversee the operations in the re-run election.

Okeh added that in his directive to the personnel, CG Muhammadu noted that the corps had a significant role to play before, during and after the elections.

I trust that the strong presence of the NSCDC personnel with other security operatives in the Rivers State re-run election will bring about a hitch-free election, as all focus will be on the election, he said.
The crisis threatening to tear apart the Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, took a turn for the worse with the party accusing its senator representing Kaduna Central District, Shehu Sani, of planning to sabotage President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

The accusation came on the heels of an earlier statement credited to the senator, accusing the state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, of planning to evict President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

Sani, who made the allegation in an interview in the March edition of The Interview magazine, was quoted as saying: It would be counter-productive for the Governor to start thinking of evicting Buhari in 2019 to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

El-Rufai should do his job and stop putting his eyes on the Presidency, the senator added.

However, in defense of the governor, the spokesperson of the APC in Kaduna State, Salisu Wusono, urged people to ignore Mr. Sani, who he described as a man who cannot grasp that leadership is not an ego trip or a perpetual exercise in narcissism.

The APC in Kaduna State hereby warns suspended Senator Shehu Sani against his irresponsible utterances about our party and its elected leaders.

This is a man who seems unable to believe his good fortune at riding on the Buhari wave to become a senator.

He hardly waited to arrive in Abuja before enlisting as an agent of the forces who began to plot for 2019 before they were even sworn-in, following the 2015 elections.

Shehu Sani is desecrating the image of our party by his mercenary antics, and that is why we suspended him.

He has tried to rubbish our revered President Muhammadu Buhari by describing the anti-corruption crusade as political.

He is now pretending to love Buhari by needlessly attacking Malam Nasir El-Rufai on behalf of those funding his immature politics.

The guilty are indeed afraid! Shehu Sanis masters, who defied our party for their selfish ends, know that Nigerians are aware of those whose 2019 calculations made them impervious to reason and party discipline.

The APC Kaduna State is proud of the vigorous and disciplined way Malam Nasir El-Rufai is governing Kaduna State in line with the manifesto of the APC. In education, health, agriculture and general governance reforms, El-Rufai is making strides.

He has demonstrated exemplary focus on the responsibility the people of Kaduna State has given him. His loyalty to the APC and the great work that President Buhari is doing is visible for all.

The APC Kaduna calls on Nigerians to ignore Shehu Sani, a man who cannot grasp that leadership is not an ego trip or a perpetual exercise in narcissism, the statement said.
Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians during alleged attacks at the entrance of an Israeli settlement as deadly violence in the occupied territories continues unabated. The Israeli military said two Palestinians drove their car into a bus stop, then opened fire on soldiers waiting at the entrance of Kiryat Arba, a settlement near Hebron on the southern West Bank on Monday.

Forces guarding the area responded and shot the alleged attackers, the army said. A soldier was wounded and evacuated to a hospital. About 20 minutes later, a car rammed into a military vehicle at the scene and soldiers shot dead the Palestinian driver. Three Israeli security forces were wounded in the second attack. The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health confirmed the deaths.

In recent months, Palestinian protests against Israels decades-long occupation have intensified. Rights groups have accused Israeli forces of responding harshly to demonstrations. Since October 1, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 199 Palestinians, including unarmed demonstrators, bystanders and attackers, more than 55 from Hebron. Meanwhile, Palestinian attackers have killed at least 28 Israelis, mostly in stabbing attacks.

The surge in violence erupted in Jerusalem in October after an increase of Israeli incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islams holiest site outside Saudi Arabia. Many Jews revere the area as a vestige of their biblical temples. Palestinians blame the violence on oppression and deep disillusionment after peace negotiations collapsed two years ago.

Aljazeera.
On this day in 2008: A Wings Airline 19-seater aircraft went missing shortly after leaving Lagos for the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state. On August 30, hunters found the wreckage of the plane and the bodies of its three crew members.

On this day in 2007: Electoral commission barred former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from crucial elections, omitting his name from the roster of two dozen approved candidates.

On this day in 2007: In the southern region, militants released two Italian oil workers who were kidnapped for more than three months.

On this day in 2010: Militants in oil-producing region Warri detonated two car bombs near a government building where officials were discussing an amnesty deal, showing their resolve to resume attacks after an agreement to bring peace and economic benefits to the area unraveled. Nigerias intelligence Agency later accused Henry Okah, an alleged ex-leader of militant group, MEND, of having wired the bombs.

On this day in 2012: Gunmen raided a mainly Christian village in Kaduna State, killed 10 people, including a pastor and injured four others.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday declared that terrorists and extremists no longer pose serious challenges in Nigeria.

He made the declaration while addressing investors at the International Conference Centre in Abuja at the 6th African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition.

The exhibition had the theme Positioning African Petroleum for Global Development and Value Addition.

Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Buhari said Nigeria was therefore ready and accessible for investments from all interested nations, individuals and partners.

I am pleased to announce that as a result of regional cooperation and the doggedness of our armed forces, Nigeria has overcome the security challenges hitherto posed by terrorists and extremists in the northeast, he stated.

President Buhari assured the investors that their investments were secured in the country and a high return on investment is assured.

Informing delegates at the event that the federal government had embarked on implementing carefully conceived initiatives aimed at repositioning the nations oil industry, the president listed unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as part of the measures.

He assured that unbundling the NNPC into lean, efficient and profitable components would be done without attendant job losses.

Mr. Buhari also told guests at the event that the federal government had a daily crude oil production target of 2.8 million barrels.

Some of these (initiatives) include strengthening the institutional framework on policy formulation through legislation on the Petroleum Industry Bill as a prerequisite for the development of the sector and attraction of foreign investment; unbundling the national oil company, that is the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation into lean, efficient and profitable components, that will operate as a business venture and deploy existing manpower to areas of competence without attendant job losses, he said.

The president further told the congress that an estimated 20 billion cubic metres of associated gas was flared annually in Nigeria.
The #BringBackOurGirls group has decried the discrimination being faced by women and children rescued from Boko Haram captivity in their respective communities.

The group alleged that the rescued women and children were labeled by members of their communities as Boko Haram wives.

This was disclosed yesterday during a monthly press briefing by the coordinator of the BBOG group, Aisha Yesufu, to mark the 700 days since the abduction of the Chibok girls.

According to Yesufu, women and children rescued from Boko Haram captivity are facing stigmatisation and discrimination. The women are unfairly termed Boko Haram wives.

While expressing hope of the safe return of the girls, the BBOG coordinator said in four weeks time, it would be exactly two years since their abduction.

In exactly four weeks from today, it will be two full years since the abduction of our Chibok girls in their school on April 14, 2014. We are hopeful of their rescue before then.

Irrespective of what may come to be, whether they are successfully rescued or not, we shall mark the milestone with a global week of action starting Friday April 8, through to Thursday April 14. The symbolism of what our Chibok girls represent must never be lost on us, she said.

While commending the efforts of the Nigerian military, Yesufu further expressed confidence that normalcy would return to the North-East following the present tempo of the counter-insurgency.
Triple Digit Hog Rally Barchart - Fri Oct 21, 4:40PM CDT Lean hogs extended their rally into the weekend with another $0.20 to $2.10 gains in the front months. December was up the most on Friday, but is still a $1.40 discount to Feb. Through the week, December... HEZ22 : 89.125s (+2.41%) HEJ23 : 93.850s (+0.78%) KMZ22 : 98.000s (+1.16%)

Cotton Limits the Weeks Pullback with Friday Strength Barchart - Fri Oct 21, 4:40PM CDT Cotton futures traded in a wide 413 point range from +253 to -160 (Dec). At the close the front months were 32 to 173 points in the black. December closed the week at a net 402 point loss, having spent... CTZ22 : 79.13s (+2.24%) CTH23 : 78.55s (+1.67%) CTK23 : 78.15s (+1.44%)

Wheats Closed Mixed on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 21, 4:40PM CDT CBT SRW futures ended the last trade day of the week with 1 to 1 1/2 cent gains. For the December contract that meant a net 9 cent loss for the week. KC futures pulled back by 1/2 a cent to 2 cents on... ZWZ22 : 850-6s (+0.18%) ZWH23 : 869-4s (+0.17%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.8533 (+0.24%) KEZ22 : 948-2s (-0.16%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.0581 (-0.16%) MWZ22 : 961-4s (-0.10%)

Nov Beans Held under $14 Barchart - Fri Oct 21, 4:40PM CDT The Friday session ended with soybean futures 3 1/4 to 4 cents higher with November options having expired. Nov soybeans spent the week in a 41 1/2 cent trading range and ended 11 3/4 cents higher from... ZSX22 : 1395-4s (+0.29%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.5026 (+0.29%) ZSF23 : 1404-4s (+0.32%) ZSH23 : 1411-6s (+0.28%)

New Contract High for Dec Cattle Barchart - Fri Oct 21, 4:40PM CDT Cattle added another 62 to 75 cents to the upside on Friday, with December printing a new life of contract high of $152.50. Dec gained a net $4.65 for the week. The weeks cash trade picked up on Thursday... LEV22 : 150.475s (+0.47%) LEZ22 : 152.425s (+0.49%) LEG23 : 155.525s (+0.44%) GFV22 : 175.275s (-0.17%) GFX22 : 178.350s (+0.45%)
Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts recently received a $1.2 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to revamp its Harold F. Johnson Library on campus as a centralized hub of campus learning, content, tools, and academic support services. The grant came through Mellon's Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities program, which focuses on "enhancing the learning experience of both undergraduate and graduate students in the humanities, and fostering collaborations within and among institutions."

It's worth digging into a grant like this to see exactly how a small liberal arts school fostered a relationship with a major foundation and landed a seven-figure boost.

To unravel the story, I recently spoke with Hampshire's library director, Jennifer Gunter King, who believes the project, titled "Learning Commons 3.0," was successful because of its strong alignment with Mellon's priorities and aims. As we've written often, Mellon is at the cutting edge of efforts to fuse digital advances with the age-old mission of universities to deepen critical thinking through the humanities. While the humanities and technology are often posited as mortal rivals, Mellon's been on a quest to help schools integrate the two.

Logically, campus libraries are one locus of such efforts. Library gifts in general tend to fly under the radar and in my discussions with King, I gained a better understanding of the latest trends in this space, how Hampshire's library stands out, and how other campus libraries might position themselves for similar philanthropic support.

Let's start with Hampshire's grant proposal itself, "Learning Commons 3.0." What's "3.0" about the school's new library hub, exactly? Answering that question requires a bit of history.

Hamsphire College was formed in the 1960s by the leaders of its neighboring schools, including Amherst and Smith, to experiment with different teaching models. Its library also broke new ground, and a 1969 report authored by a Hampshire librarian to the U.S. Office of Education argued that "a library can no longer be a sophisticated warehouse storing and dispensing knowledge to students who happen to come through the door. Moreover, academic libraries that failed to anticipate emerging trends were at risk of becoming an "irrelevant warehouse of books." In some respects, the report foresaw the impact of technology and digitization on campus libraries, with a new emphasis on digital resources and fewer physical books.

Related: Big Gifts for Campus Libraries Are Unusual. What Can We Learn From This One?

King explained to me about several shifts that have occurred in academic libraries over the past two decades, starting with the first iteration of a so-called "learning commons," which blended technology, group study space, and user services together inside the librarya learning commons "1.0", if you will. A second movement, "learning commons 2.0," involved things like multimedia production and creating a service desk staffed by both library and information technology personnel, as well as other services. I can recall an I.T. desk and a writing center at my alma mater's library in the mid to late aughts.

Hampshire College's Harold F. Johnson Library hopes to spearhead the Learning Commons 3.0 model, with plans to offer services collaboratively with non-library partners, bringing together outfits like information technology, the Creativity Center, and academic support programsthe Writing Center, the Transformative Speaking Program, and the Quantitative Resource Center, among others. Currently, these programs serve students independently and from different spaces all across campus. Among other things, this integration will help recent Hampshire graduates working with the writing center to serve more students, as well as to train future writing mentors. On the heels of this grant, Hampshire will also embark on a major renovation linking the library with health and wellness services in its Robert Crown Center, too.

It's evident that a great deal of thought and planning went into this. King tells me that while there's often a desire to bring things together on campus, the organizational piece is often the hardest. A few years ago, Hampshire embarked on a phase of deep strategic planning, working hard to articulate its brand under the new leadership of President Jonathan Lash, appointed in 2011. For instance, the mind and body aspect of the new library hub is in line with Hampshire's founding commitment to educate the whole person. The fusion of all these spaces in the library and the adjacent Crown Center might also help cohere Hampshire's complex interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum. Again, Mellon's Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities program focuses on "foster[ing] collaborations within and among institutions."

I should also mention that Learning Commons 3.0 was a library-led project, and challenged the whole campus to think about new ways to use library space. This is a key insight, and reveals the big rewards that planning can reap. These efforts led to a $65,000 discretionary planning grant from Mellon in 2014, allowing the school to hire consultants and ramp up research and planning. A team visited other institutions, and learned from themHampshire's library isn't the only library implementing such programs. One note that Hampshire received from the outside: it isn't enough for a library simply to look better after renovation. The real challenge was developing a service strategy.

Learning Commons 3.0 is that strategy, and a strong example of a school doing the hard work of articulating its brand, making it relevant to a foundation, and engaging in deep strategic planning.
Cisco Systems pulls down somewhere between $40 billion and $50 billion in revenue annually and with a market capitalization of around $135 billion, theres no doubt this company is a titan. And its not unusual for corporate giants to give generously, especially for a company such as Cisco, which has been repeatedly named as one of the best global companies to work for by Fortune Magazine. Whats surprising about Ciscos CSR is that it often flies under the radar.

How far under the radar? Cisco was recently awarded the Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. This marks the second time Cisco has received the award and the first time its been recognized for its global philanthropy. And one of the areas of global philanthropy in which Cisco has increased its engagement is its work with refugees, a critical area that many funders have avoided.

Related: Cisco Systems Foundation: Grants for Disasters and Refugees

Cisco has a corporate manifesto called People Deal. The main tenet of this platform is Connect everything, innovate everywhere, benefit everyone. And its applying this belief system to the global refugee crisis.

Last year, when refugees began taking to European waterways to escape violence and persecution in their home countries, Cisco staff quickly organized clothing drives in Germany, Greece and Hungary. They also volunteered in refugee camps and launched a fundraising campaign that encouraged staff members to donate one days salary toward refugee assistance efforts. Employees raised $14,000.

Next, came the Be the Bridge campaign, which was the companys response to its employees' refugee efforts. Be the Bridge expanded the scope of the employees' initial refugee work to include more than 40 organizations lending assistance. Cisco employees donated nearly $380,000 to the campaign, which the Cisco Foundation matched, for a total of $743,000 to refugee-related causes. Additionally, Be The Bridge supports over 400 NGOs around the world, zeroing in on malnutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, and housing.

Of course, Cisco is a tech company, and brought this expertise to the global refugee crisis. Cisco employees developed cutting edge, technology-based solutions for some key challenges faced by refugees. Namely, its Refugee First Response Center (RFRC), developed and implemented by employees in Hamburg, Germany.

The company helped out, equipping a repurposed shipping container with Cisco technology, and leveraging its business relationships with the City of Hamburg, University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, and a number of other tech partners to bring the RFRC from concept to life. The first pilot RFRC unit is now being operated by the University Medical Center of Hamburg-Eppendorf on location at the refugee reception center in Germany.

Finally, Cisco deployed its Tactical Operations Team, or TacOps, which is well known for its disaster and crisis response work around the world. The TacOps Disaster Response Team, or DRT, comprises employee volunteers who deploy to disaster-riddled regions of the world to establish tech-based communications and emergency networks for first responders and humanitarian relief organizations.

Over the past couple of months, the TacOps team has made two such deployments to install Wi-Fi networks and device charging stations at nearly 20 sites along the refugee migration route in Southern and Central Europe. Cisco has, of course, paid for all of TacOps equipment needs and also provided $200,000 in grant funding to Mercy Corps and NetHope to help both organizations provide information services to refugees arriving and living at area camps.

The global refugee crisis has dragged on for years and will likely continue. This is an incredibly complex humanitarian challenge and efforts to alleviate human suffering on such a large scale are at times met with criticism. Perhaps thats why Cisco continues to keep its related efforts on the serious down-low.

The bottom line is this: Refugees have innumerable needs ranging from the basics of food, water, and shelter to the more complex, such starting new lives and finding jobs in a new countryand there are going to be shortfalls on all fronts. An often overlooked need is informationon loved ones, on applying for asylum, on learning a new language, on how to get medical care. The list goes on. And there arent many groups out there like Cisco addressing those needs.
I recently wrote about the committed environmental philanthropy of investor Duncan McFarland and his wife Ellen. A lot of the McFarland's environmental giving takes place at a regional level outside Boston and in other parts of the Northeast. While many finance folks live in New York, Boston, Chicago and the other major commerce centers of the U.S., they also take up residence in greener regions, which they often feel compelled to support. This brings us to Scott Bok.

Related: Yup, Another Finance Guy Giving for the Environment. But Other Stuff, Too

Scott Bok is CEO of Greenhill & Co, an independent investment bank headquartered in Manhattan. Starting in the late 1980s, Bok and his family began spending the weekends in northwestern Connecticut. As their ties to the region strengthened, they discovered that the historic White Hart Inn, an early 19th-century landmark in Salisbury, Connecticut, was in a financial bind. So in 1998, the Boks purchased and renovated the inn (and sold it 12 years later).

A decade later, the Boks purchased and renovated a 115-acre farm nearby, dubbing the property Twin Lakes Farm. The farm provided fruits and vegetables to the inns restaurant, and served as the sole supplier of its beef. As Bok says, "Our farming operation derived from a natural love of land and wanting to protect it from development." It was a learn-as-you-go experience, as Bok and his wife Roxanne read up on raising cattle, farming and sustainability. Roxanne has become particularly passionate about horses, and even wrote a book about her experiences, titled Horsekeeping: One Woman's Tale of Barn and Country Life. Scott Bok, meanwhile, has been a member of the Berkshire Taconic Advisory Council of the Nature Conservancy.

The couple's charitable vehicle, the Bok Family Foundation, goes beyond these sorts of patrician conservation efforts, reflecting a broader interest in the environment and natural world, Connecticut and in the greater Northeast, as well as nationally. The Boks through their foundation have recently funded Housatonic Valley Association, Nature Conservancy (which recently received a $400,000 grant), Wildlife Conservation Society, Scenic Hudson, and Sheffield Land Trust.

The Boks, both UPenn Class of 1981, are also big supporters of their alma materScott serves on the university board. Their son is also a Wharton guy. They've supported the Kelly Writers House and created an endowed gift that funds its visiting writers series. They've also bankrolled the Bok Family Professorship in the Humanities. The couple, through their foundation, gave $2.3 million to University of Pennsylvania over three years, according to available tax records. Another important education grantee, here, is Prep for Prep, where Bok sits on the board of trustees. The Bok's foundation gave Prep for Prep $300,000 recently.

The Boks have also supported health programs and arts and culture outfits. Unfortunately for grantseekers, the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and has a limited web presence. Bok is only in his 50s, though, and is likely to increase giving down the line, particularly toward environmental conservation and education. For a complete snapshot of this funder's work, reader our profile on Scott Bok linked below.

Related: Scott Bok
Update 2/21/17  Bluebird has opened a new facility in Manchester, N.H., the first of three projects it expects to open in the region this year. The three-story property comprises 115,000 square feet of storage space in more than 700 climate-controlled units. The site also includes a limited number of drive-up units. Property features include multiple access points, overhead loading canopies, security measures and elevators, according to a press release.

We are excited to expand the Bluebird brand into Manchester as climate-controlled storage becomes increasingly more popular, Goodison said. There are a number of things that separate us from other storage facilities in the area: the temperature and humidity control to protect customers valuables, our free pick-up service to give customers a helping hand, and our guaranteed rate for 365 days.

3/15/16  In addition to the facility it opened in Rochester last month, Bluebird is building three new facilities, one each in Bedford, Hooksett and Manchester, N.H. Combined, the four properties will include about 2,500 units. The total cost of construction will top out at about $20 million, according to Bill Goodison, managing director of Bluebird Storage LLC, which owns the Bluebird and Greenland Self Storage brands.

The Bedford property, scheduled to open next spring on South River Road, will include nearly 700 units. The Hooksett property on U.S. Route 3 will include 550 units. The Manchester property is being built on vacant land at 97 Brown Ave., at the intersection of Brown and Queen City Avenues. The land was previously owned by Velcro, according to the source. The three-story storage facility will include 750 climate controlled units and is slated to open in November.

The new developments are being driven by high occupancy rates at storage facilities in the state, Goodison told the source. Residents are selling their homes or downsizing to something smaller and needing to keep their stuff somewhere, he said.

2/22/16  Bluebird Self Storage opened its doors last month in Rochester, N.H. The property at 201 Highland St. features 526 climate-controlled units and drive-in loading bays. Security features include gated access and video cameras.

The facility hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan 4. in conjunction with the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Attendees included property managers Willie Brown, Doug Clark and Richard Kelley as well as several city officials and chamber members. Construction manager John Greenlaw of Greenlaw Construction also attended the event.
Cyclists given access to insurance products and services and other benefits
Banks and challenger insurers are predicted to continue chipping away at big players share of the general insurance market in the next three years, according to Macquarie analysts.According to the specialist investment banks forecast, challenger brands could take 13% of the general insurance market in the next three years while banks could reach 10%. This translates to a 6 percentage point increase from a combined market share of 17.2%.This equates to about $3.8bn of GWP flowing away from IAG Suncorp and QBE by full-year 2018, Macquarie told clients, as quoted by The Australian.Macquarie said several challenger brands are already stealing away the market positions of major players, the most successful of which is Youi Australia.The insurer, which is owned by South Africas Rand Merchant Investment Holdings, has ongoing exceptional GWP growth and signs that it is approaching scale, according to Macquarie.The banks analysts found that Youis share of the home and personal motor market has grown to 2.6%, up from 2.2% on a year earlier and from 1.6% in two years.While challengers like Youi have posted recent growth, some big insurers have not reported good news. IAG has announced that its first half-year GWP dropped from $5.6 billion to $5.5 billion while Suncorp revealed a $100 million profit dip.After discussions with industry participants, we conclude all carriers with traditional offerings are struggling to grow with challenger brands and banks winning share, The Australian quoted Macquarie as saying.
Greene & Associates, an East Aurora, New York-based underwriting manager and wholesale broker for excess and surplus lines coverage, opened a satellite office in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The firm also hired Scott Perry as underwriter/broker based in the new Glastonbury office.

Perry brings over 40 years of underwriting experience to Greene & Associates. He worked at Great American Insurance for the last 23 years.

Before working with Great American Insurance, Perry spent several years working for Montgomery & Collins and before that with Swett & Crawford.

Founded in 1986, Greene & Associates writes business in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

Topics Underwriting Connecticut
The New Hampshire House is giving initial approval to a bill that would regulate drivers of Uber and other ridesharing services in the state.

Some taxi companies complain the service is not subject to the same strict regulations, and cities such as Manchester and Portsmouth have been grappling with how to regulate Uber and other similar companies.

The House-passed bill would require ridesharing companies to obtain a permit from the Department of Safety at an annual cost of $500. It requires companies to provide receipts for all trips and says that the driver or the company must have motor vehicle insurance.

The bill also prohibits people from offering ridesharing services if they have been convicted of driving under the influence, used a motor vehicle to commit a felony, are on the national sex offender registry or does not have a drivers license, among other things.

The proposal still needs to pass the New Hampshire Senate.

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan is praising the bill, saying it will help ensure that Uber and other ridesharing services have a permanent home here in New Hampshire.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New Hampshire
Bond manager Bill Gross will be able to pursue his lawsuit to recoup at least $200 million he claims that Pacific Investment Management Co. owes him in the wake of his 2014 ouster from the firm he co-founded.

California Superior Court Judge Martha Gooding ruled late Sunday that Gross breach-of-contract lawsuit was strong enough to proceed.

The Santa Ana-based judge said Gross alleges sufficient facts based on allegations concerning his status as the founder, a 40-year history, an alleged track record of bringing success and/or fame to the enterprise, as well as a series of alleged oral promises/assurances of continued employment.

Goodings ruling had been tentative, and a scheduled hearing on the matter was canceled as a result. The judge did not rule on the lawsuits merits.

David Boies, a lawyer for PIMCO, said: PIMCO is confident that it will prevail when the parties present their evidence to the court.

Gross abruptly left PIMCO in September 2014 following negative reports about his management style and weak returns at PIMCO Total Return, which he had built into what was at the time the worlds largest bond fund.

He sued PIMCO in October 2015, claiming that executives plotted to oust him and divide his bonus among themselves.

PIMCO has said Gross had no employment guarantee and could have been fired at any time without cause.

The Newport Beach, California-based unit of German insurer Allianz SE has until April 4 to file a formal answer to Gross lawsuit.

Patricia Glaser, a lawyer for Gross, said: We are very pleased with the courts ruling and are looking forward to the opportunity to prove our case in court.

Gross, 71, now manages the $1.3 billion Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund for Denver-based Janus Capital Group Inc.

A large portion of the funds assets comes from Gross, whose net worth is $1.95 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Gross has said he will donate proceeds from the PIMCO lawsuit to charity.

The case is Gross v. Pacific Investment Management Co. et al, California Superior Court, Orange County, No. 2015-00813636.

(Reporting by Jennifer Ablan and Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Chris Reese and Dan Grebler)

Related:

Bond King Gross Accuses PIMCO of Falsely Claiming He Abandoned Firm

Topics Lawsuits California Legislation Allianz
The Bank of England is frequently faced with cyber threats as hackers probe for vulnerabilities in the central banks computer systems.

The revelation was made in a response by the U.K. central bank to a Freedom of Information request by Bloomberg News. The BOE declined to release data about the number of times its been attacked and its spending on external cyber-security companies, citing an exemption from requirements linked to the prevention of crime.

The bank faces advanced, persistent and evolving cyber threats from a variety of sources which call for extreme vigilance, it said in a January letter. On March 3, the Information Commissioners Office, which handles Freedom of Information appeals, said it accepted the banks reasons for not releasing data and dismissed Bloombergs claim. A BOE spokeswoman declined to comment further.

U.K. national institutions operate under the constant threat of having their systems breached by teenagers, criminal gangs, terrorists or foreign spies. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has pledged to double spending on hacking defenses and develop an offensive cyber capability so the country can carry out its own operations against terrorists and rogue states.

Cyber Tests

Within the financial industry, cyber attacks have led to millions of customer records falling into the hands of criminals, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. and HSBC Holdings Plc both having their systems breached in 2014.

The BOE has highlighted such attacks as one of the main risks to financial stability, and made improving resilience a priority, including a program of tests to find weaknesses in the systems of large firms. It said last year that banks and investment companies arent spending enough on computer security.

Bangladesh Theft

Bangladesh central bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned on Tuesday after hackers breached the banks systems and stole about $101 million from the countrys foreign reserves. Before standing down Rahman said the attack left him puzzled. The money, some of which has been recovered, was transferred to accounts in the Philippines.

The BOE said it was not able to confirm or deny whether it held information about the number of serious breaches of its own systems because any information might be used to help a hacker.

The challenge for the Bank of England is to raise the issue of cyber security without creating panic and undermining its own credibility, said Alex Mendez, joint founder of Remora, a London-based computer security firm. They may feel if people understand the scale and frequency of attacks against the bank, it would undermine confidence in the financial system and impact stability.

In its letter, the BOE said that external surveillance goes on all the time with every small detail potentially adding up (through existing and/or prospectively available information) to a complete picture for potential attackers.

A successful hack could have substantial, adverse economic repercussions for the bank, the U.K. financial system and economy and critical global financial infrastructure, it said.

The likelihood of an attack is high and the impact of a significant breach is substantial.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Cyber
Sometimes, accidents just happen, a lawyer for General Motors Co. told a U.S. jury in defense of the carmaker at a test trial over a deadly flaw in millions of ignition switches.

The accident was one of dozens that occurred on a New Orleans bridge during a January 2014 ice storm, GM attorney Mike Brock said at the start of a trial that may affect the outcome of hundreds of other cases. Even the police cruiser that responded to the crashes was rear-ended by an ambulance near the site of the pileup, he said.

Plaintiffs Dionne Spain and Lawrence Barthelemy suffered minor injuries and didnt report additional problems until weeks later, Brock said. The vehicle, Spains 2007 Saturn Sky, also had only minor scratches and wasnt even moving fast enough to trigger the airbag, according to the attorney.

This is a case about a car that doesnt even have a dent, said Brock, of Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington. This car is not the villain in this case.

The trial is the second of six bellwether cases, so called because they are used to test strategies. The jurys reaction to the evidence may push either side to settle  or battle out  hundreds of other cases and help set the size of any settlements. The first trial ended abruptly midstream when GM revealed the plaintiffs had lied about their finances. The carmaker picked the second case to be tried.

Millions Recalled

Detroit-based GM recalled millions of vehicles in 2014 over flawed ignition switches that could accidentally shift and shut off the engine, disabling the power steering and brakes and preventing air bags from deploying. Despite those admissions, GM is disputing hundreds of claims over accidents that the company says werent related to the defects.

The plaintiffs lawyer, Randall Jackson, told jurors in his opening statement that the case is about a pattern of broken promises by a broken company.

A car is a promise, two tons of steel with an engine, wrapped in a promise: safe transportation, Jackson said. The evidence in the case is going to show that GM, the company defending this case, broke that promise.

Spains injuries, reported weeks after the crash, werent caused by the accident but rather were work-related, according to GM. Barthelemys back pain was the result of him sitting in jail for several days for an unrelated traffic violation, rather than the crash, GM said.

Car Stolen

Spains vehicle also had many owners, was caught in a flood one time, and had been stolen before she owned it, Brock said.

This accident is not GMs fault, he told the jury.

Jackson said the jury would be shown evidence that GM secretly carried out a redesign of the ignition switches without alerting the public or initiating a recall.

It was a clear acknowledgment that GM knew about the problem, Jackson said.

The first day of testimony focused on evidence of the switch flaw and the way it was covered up for years by GM.

In the first trial, Oklahoma mail carrier Robert Scheuer claimed he was thrown out of his home because of injuries he suffered in a wreck.

Altered Stub

GM said it discovered evidence after the trial had started that the plaintiff had lied about the details of his familys eviction in the months after his 2003 Saturn Ion ran off a road and hit a tree. GM showed he was kicked out for altering a check stub that was meant to provide proof he had money to pay for the house.

Scheuer and his wife dropped the lawsuit and each hired a criminal defense lawyer. Neither was charged. It was seen as a major setback for the plaintiffs and triggered a war of words among lawyers, including calls for some to be removed from the case.

In re General Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litigation, 14-MD-2543, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Auto
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

There may be opportunities for some businesses including insurers in Cuba as the U.S. restores diplomatic ties but there are also significant cultural and regulatory challenges, according to a report from the industrys Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

The most immediate obstacle is the current U.S. embargo on doing business in Cuba, which has been in effect for more than five decades and only Congress can lift. Beyond that, there will be significant challenges in overcoming the impediments set by many years of communist rule, according to the paper, Reopening for Business: What Renewed Ties between the U.S. and Cuba Mean for Property/Casualty Insurers, co-written by I.I.I. President and economist Robert Hartwig and Lynne McChristian, I.I.I.s Florida representative, who is also on the teaching faculty at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

The Obama Administration cannot lift the embargo on its own but it has restored diplomatic relations with Cuba that were cut off in January 1961. The administration has also taken steps to ease some economic sanctions by allowing U.S. exports of telecommunications, agricultural and construction equipment, permitting expanded travel to Cuba and authorizing some banking relations.

To further his goal of improved relations with Cuba, President Barack Obama is going to Havana on March 21. It will be the first visit by a U.S president since Calvin Coolidge spoke there in 1928.

According to Hartwig, if the obstacles can be overcome, there is reason to believe the Cuban people would welcome the benefits private insurers can provide.

The reopening of U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba may in the future present intriguing commercial opportunities for U.S. businesses, including property/casualty insurers, said Hartwig. Cubas current economic and political situation may not create an ideal business environment for insurers today. But given Cubas risk profile, which we detail in the paper, the country needs the type of financial protection from natural disasters and other risks that insurers can provide.

Cuba is vulnerable to a potent mix of catastrophes, including hurricanes, storm surge and earthquakes and the state generally takes responsibility for any resulting property losses. But the Cuban government is limited in its financial ability to mitigate against natural disasters or rebuild impacted communities after a significant event, Hartwig noted.

The insurance market that exists in Cuba in 2016 is limited. Two insurance companies are currently operating in in the country, organized under the banner of the Caudal Group, which is owned and operated by the state. The two companies are Empresa de Seguros Nacionales (ESEN), which writes auto, liability and travel insurance, but draws 70 percent of its premiums from agricultural concerns; and Seguros Internacionales de Cuba, S.A. (ESICUBA), the provider of coverage to Cuban businesses like transportation and construction firms. ESICUBA also insures foreign-owned interests situated in Cuba, such as hotels and resorts.

The challenge for U.S. insurers will be to dissuade Cubans from the idea that the Cuban government owns and insures almost everything, said McChristian.

Cubas 11 million citizens have had little need to buy auto or property insurance because the Cuban government controls vehicle ownership, she said. Cuban workers are restricted to one vehicle, she said. The Cuban real estate market has its own restrictions as well, and that has hampered the formation of a vibrant homeowners or renters insurance market.

Despite the formidable regulatory and cultural obstacles theyd face before doing business there, U.S. property/casualty insurers may be attracted to the Cuban market.

Many U.S. insurers are interested in growing overseas, particularly in nations that are nearby and offer significant economic potential, Hartwig said. As Cubas economy potentially opens itself to private investments from around the world, insurers and reinsurers will carefully monitor developments and seek opportunities as economic, political and regulatory considerations allow.

The Obama administrations relaxed regulations also allow more Americans to travel to Cuba for family, education and religious reasons, which may open the door to the sale of life, health and travel insurance policies for those traveling to Cuba. Starr Companies announced last month it is offering trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance as well as accident and sickness benefits for travel to Cuba. The plans also provide for the coordination of medical and assistance services for travelers during their travel and visit to Cuba.

With the easing of travel restrictions to Cuba, we expect that an increasing number of U.S. citizens will visit the country. Starr is offering plans that meet both traveler demand and the U.S. legal requirements, said Bridget Whalen, vice president at Starr.

Related:

Topics Trends Market
Small business insurance providers will soon have two new competitors from the technology world.

Next Insurance, an online shopper for small businesses, today announced a $13 million seed investment led by investors Zeev Ventures, TLV Partners and Ribbit Capital. Next Insurance plans to launch its first product in the spring.

Last week, New York-based CoverWallet launched what it calls its online insurance manager, which it said received $2 million in seed funding from Two Sigma Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Founder Collective and other angel investors. This startup promises to provide small business owners with a concierge-like service that helps them navigate the details of commercial insurance.

CoverWallets entrepreneur and co-founder, Inaki Berenguer, said he sees an opportunity to leverage data, design and technology to deliver a better experience to what he estimates are the more than 20 million underserved small businesses in the United States that struggle with managing their risk and insurance needs.

CoverWallet aims to bring small business insurance customers the same consumer-friendly online technologies many of them already use to manage accounting, sales, payroll, banking and human resources. Its features include automatic risk analysis, document management, benchmarking and data analytics, intelligent data driven risk and insurance assessments, coverage recommendations, peer risk comparisons and claims support.

The online platform currently manages commercial insurance including general liability, commercial property, workers compensation, professional liability, errors and omissions and cyber liability coverages and policies. The platform provides online servicing options. It provides access to online insurance experts to answer questions and CoverWallet promises to respond via email, phone, video or online chat to talk as much or as little as a customer wants.

The CoverWallet founders anticipate that over the next five years every small business will need a digital insurance manager similar to the CoverWallet.

Shopping and managing insurance policies from multiple brokers can be really painful, said Rashmi Melgiri, CoverWallets chief operating officer and co-founder. Businesses need a single, central location to rely on for everything from understanding their risks to managing their policies.

Next Startup

Next Insurance was founded by tech entrepreneurs Guy Goldstein, Nissim Tapiro, and Alon Huri, who were on the executive team at mobile payments company Check, which was acquired by Intuit in 2014 for nearly $400 million.

We are changing the market with a solution that makes it simple, fast, and transparent for small businesses to find and obtain insurance online vs. having to physically visit agents each time they need to make a change, said Goldstein, CEO. Starting a new small business is exciting, and setting up insurance shouldnt be slow, cumbersome, or get in the way of whats important.

Zeev Ventures is the investment arm of Oren Zeev, who was among the early backers of Audible, Houzz, Chegg, Tipalti and Younow. TLV Partners is a new Israeli fund whose partners have backed Varonis, Traiana, Check, Videosurf, AppsFlyer and Skycure. Venture capitalists at Ribbit Capital have been behind Credit Karma, Robinhood, Funding Circle, LendingHome, Invoice2Go, PolicyBazaar and others startups.

Online Small Commercial Market

The small commercial lines market is both growing and increasingly competitive. A recent report from McKinsey & Co. said the competition in this market will intensify as more small business customers exhibit their openness to buying via direct and digital channels and as more large insurance carriers enter the field.

The report, Small Commercial Insurance: A Bright Spot in the U.S. Property-Casualty Market, said that the shifting behavior of small business owners towards online purchasing presents new challenges for carriers, particularly those that use independent agents. While a segment of small commercial insurance buyers will always value independent agents, an increasing percentage are open to the direct route and may only be using agents to close a deal because direct binding isnt readily available, according to the report.

Other Reports

The McKinsey warning isnt new. According to a 2013 study by consultant Deloitte, more than half of small businesses (52 percent) said they were ready and willing to buy their insurance direct from a carrier over the Internet without an agent or broker. However, as the McKinsey report found, they were not buying it online in great numbers in the U.S. for a number of reasons including the lack of a binding option but they were interested.

Independent agency carriers are not unaware of the challenges ahead in small commercial lines. A number have joined the TrustedChoice.com online commercial insurance platform backed by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (Big I) to sell small business insurance.

Bolt has for several years been providing online access to personal and commercial lines products from national insurance companies, managing general agencies and wholesalers.

Insurers are also investing in digital platforms including CoverHound, 24 percent of which is now owned by ACE Ltd. (now the new Chubb). CoverHound is building a small commercial insurance platform. Insureon, an online agency for small business insurance, raised more than $30 million last October. Seattle-based AssureStart, backed by the American Family Mutual Insurance Co., which sells to business with fewer than 30 employees, is backed by the American Family Mutual Insurance Co. Insurer Hiscox has been expanding its online platform for small businesses for a number of years.

Last December, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which owns GEICO, created Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Co. to sell insurance directly to businesses over the Internet. The new insurer planned to initially focus on workers compensation and business owners package policies.

Many insurers offer online service portals for small commercial lines customers.

Related:

Topics Carriers USA Trends Agencies InsurTech Commercial Lines Business Insurance Market Human Resources
QBE Specialty has launched a suite of products for its newly created Inland Marine practice.

This expansion includes a range of offerings for the following industry groups:

Construction: Buildings and structures under construction, installation projects, and contractors equipment

Energy: Well servicing and directional drilling equipment

Logistics: Truckers and warehouse operators

Mobile Equipment: Appetite includes medical and scientific equipment, towers and antennas, and equipment sales and rentals

Over the coming months, proprietary coverage options will be offered within target markets, including new motor truck cargo and builders risk coverage offerings, as well as a partnership with QBE Specialtys Aviation division to meet the property and equipment needs of customer airports.

QBEs Inland Marine team works with the Commercial, Aviation and Personal Insurance underwriting teams in support of their underwriting effort. QBE appointed producers can now leverage the QBE Specialty and Property & Casualty product portfolios.

Richard Pye, senior vice president, leads the new practice. He joined QBE North America Specialty Lines in mid-2015 from Zurich, where he served as senior vice president, Inland Marine and Marine Property.

Pye has the full underwriting P&L control for Inland Marine, and is responsible for the underwriting strategy, the deployment of a complete portfolio of primary proprietary QBE products, and the launch of a national franchise with dedicated Inland Marine specialists.

In addition to bringing to market a range of new products for QBE, Pye has recruited several individuals to QBEs Inland Marine practice, including: Joe Bielawski, vice president, Underwriting in Chicago; and based in Los Angeles is David Brooks, vice president, Underwriting; and Bruce Pichon, vice president, Underwriting.

Brooks is responsible for growing QBEs Inland Marine business west of the Mississippi. He joined QBE in 2015 from Zurich where he was assistant vice president, Inland Marine. Brooks also serves as the Secretary of the IMUA Pacific Coast Advisory Committee. Prior to his tenure with Zurich, Brooks also held senior underwriting roles with CNA, Firemans Fund Insurance Company, Lockton Insurance Brokers, and CIBA Insurance Services.

Pichon is responsible for Inland Marine business development in the West. Pichon joined QBE from XL Catlin where he was the Regional Inland Marine manager for the Western Zone, responsible for building a profitable book of Inland Marine business. Over his 30 year underwriting career, he held marine management positions with Starr Companies, Allianz, CNA and Navigators.

Bielawski, is responsible for underwriting and production activities for both the Eastern and Midwest regions. He joined QBE in late 2015 from Zurich, where he was the assistant vice president, Marine Central Region, leading underwriting and production of the Central and Great Lakes regions. He also held senior marine underwriting roles with Navigators Inland Marine, Colemont/AmWins and Wm H. McGee/Firemans Fund.

Topics Underwriting New Markets
Oklahomas workers compensation system took a hit on March 1, 2016, when the states Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional the provision in the 2013 Oklahoma Workers Compensation Act that prohibits workers comp claims from workers who have been employed less than 180 days.

The high courts ruling came less a week after the Oklahoma Workers Compensation Commission ruled portions of the states opt-out provision of the workers comp statute to be unconstitutional as well.

The case before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Torres v. Seaboard Foods LLC (Case No. 113649), involves an employee who suffered cumulative injuries after working only 120 days.

The Court explained that the administrative law judge had sided with the employer in denying the claim because the employee had not worked the necessary 180-day period. The decision of the ALJ subsequently was affirmed by the Workers Compensation Commission.

On appeal, the Oklahoma Supreme Court found the 180-day provision, which essentially cuts off an injured worker from any kind of remedy under the law, violates the Due Process Section of the Oklahoma Constitution.

The justices also found the provision to be plainly unfair.

The 180-day cutoff creates a classification that completely bars Petitioner and others in Petitioners position from recovering for their injuries at all. In this regard, the 180-day line separating who may recover for potentially identical injuries on cumulative trauma grounds is not only arbitrary, but fundamentally unjust, wrote Vice Chief Justice Douglas Combs in a concurring opinion. (Emphasis in the original.)

Justice Tom Colbert, also in a concurring opinion, stated that with the enactment of the Administrative Workers Compensation Act (AWCA), the balance is now off kilter and has become one-sided to the benefit of the employer.

Related:

Topics Workers' Compensation Oklahoma
Central Floridas Indian River Lagoon, North Floridas Apalachicola Bay and a trio of coastal estuaries in South Florida are in the throes of ecosystem collapses that threaten sea grass, fisheries, recreation and local economies.

Whats to blame? A historic toll of chronic pollution and crippled drainage has been compounded by drought in recent years and El Nino downpours this winter.

The troubled environments are far apart, but their stories are similar and even intertwined.

Health of the Indian River Lagoon along Volusia and Brevard County was mauled earlier this decade by super blooms of green algae and an infestation of brown algae.

The onslaught killed a combined area of sea grass twice as large as Titusville and was linked to deaths of manatees, dolphins and pelicans.

After a lull, algae is smothering the lagoon again, but the timing is unusual; such rampant algae ordinarily occurs in summer.

Officials suspect heavy winter rains delivered a gush of polluted storm water to a lagoon already in critically poor health, feeding the algae invasion.

There is no place in Brevard County that has clean water, fishing guide Alex Gorichky said. If you look in the water as a client would, its all brown as hell.

In south Volusia County, the lagoon encompasses Mosquito Lagoon, famed for clarity but now opaque with algae.

Bob Chew, an area resident from Rhode Island, said he is preparing a talk for Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, explaining the previously fabulous Mosquito Lagoon is ruined.

I will have to tell them to find another place to fish, Chew said.

Florida Bay is a vast estuary adjoining Everglades National Park at the states southern end. When thriving, it nurtures the rich sea life of the Keys.

But past months have been dismal for Florida Bay; thousands of acres of sea grass have been decimated by hyper-salty conditions.

Before Floridas development, the bay was reliably hydrated by rain draining gradually across the state from as far as Orlando at the Everglades north end.

After decades of slicing up the Everglades, creating land for cities and sugar cane, far less fresh water arrives, coming mostly from rain on Everglades park.

When drought parched the park last year, bay salinity intensified to twice that of seawater.

Steve Davis, ecologist at Everglades Foundation, said chemistry turned lethal for sea grass, setting up a major die off that could play out for years.

While this winters El Nino downpours delivered fresh water to the bay, Davis and others fear that decomposing sea grass will nourish an outbreak of thick algae that kills more sea grass.

Many Fort Myers Beach locals working at restaurants, hotels, charter services and other businesses turn livid when asked about polluted waters.

Lindsay Carpenter, manager of beachfront Beacon Motel, pulled out her phone to flick through social-media photographs of brown water pulsing into the Gulf of Mexico.

Its disgusting, said Carpenter, who, like others, fears word is beginning to spread among visitors not to come. This is our busy season; this is when we earn our livelihoods.

Winters heavy rain that filled Lake Okeechobee prompted authorities to ease stress on the huge lakes imperiled dike by dumping billions of gallons daily into a pair of man-made outlets. One of those is the channelized Caloosahatchee River that leads to the Fort Myers area.

Decades ago, the lake would have overflowed into the Everglades. But sugar cane now blocks that natural outlet.

Today, muddy water dumped from Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee roars through gates at three dams, fouling estuary at Sanibel and Captiva islands on the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Surf at Fort Myers Beach has coffee-and-cream color.

Its nothing short of a BP disaster, environmentalist John Heim said, referring to the oil spill. Theres an elephant running down our beaches and its the Lake Okeechobee discharges.

Stuart-based Rivers Coalition has 70 homeowner, recreation, industry and environmental groups dedicated to its Stop the Discharges slogan.

Those discharges are from the east side of Lake Okeechobee, surging into the St. Lucie Canal, which drains to the estuary of St. Lucie and Indian rivers at Stuart near the Atlantic Ocean.

Years of periodic discharges have smothered oyster beds and grass flats with ooze.

The water quality, pardon my French, is crap, said Mark Perry, Florida Oceanographic Society director, trembling with anger while addressing the coalition recently about extraordinarily heavy discharges occurring now.

During that gathering, a Martin County official played a promotional video promising our beaches are still safe. The message was reminiscent of the BP spill, when beach communities saw tourism plummet.

Watching Okeechobees muddy water spout through openings at St. Lucie Dam, Bert Haese, a retiree who lives near the river, said, its terrible.

You cant swim in it, fishing is no good and they dont want you to even touch the water, Haese said.

Apalachicola Bays death spiral turns on too little water coming down the Apalachicola River from as far as thirsty Atlanta despite years of urging by Florida officials and environmentalists for greater flows.

With too little water, Apalachicolas web of life, from crayfish to red fish, limps along. When drought hits, the bay becomes far saltier for far longer than oysters, crabs and shrimp can tolerate.

Drought a decade ago staggered famed oyster production, shrinking it by 80 percent.

Another drought this decade was worse, said Dan Tonsmeire, head of Apalachicola Riverkeeper advocacy group.

Whats left isnt none but almost, he said. People have left because they cant make a living.

Rain that boosts flow in the river is often healthy for the bay, but this winters downpours brought authorities to close the little oyster harvesting still being done because of excessive bacteria.

Now talked about in the community is an extended closing of the bay for recovery, Tonsmeire said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida Pollution
The number of people arrested for driving under the influence in Chattanooga has risen despite a decrease in the number of DUI arrests statewide, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

A recently released annual report from the agency showed that 27,917 people were arrested in the state in 2015 for driving under the influence. Thats about 1,800 fewer arrests than 2014, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

The number of statewide traffic crashes involving alcohol also dropped from 6,661 in 2014 to 6,496 in 2015.

However, in Chattanooga, police Lt. David Gibb said the number of DUI arrests rose from 739 in 2014 to 791 in 2015.

Thats a relatively small number, Gibb said, adding that he thinks both the state and city numbers are within the normal range.

Of the citys 36 traffic fatalities, 17 people died in crashes that involved drugs or alcohol. In 2014, seven of the citys 25 traffic fatalities involved alcohol or drugs.

Kate Richie, state program director for the Tennessee division of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said that at the state level, 337 people died in traffic crashes involving drugs or alcohol in 2015. She said another 5,657 people were injured in such crashes.

As a state, were definitely growing stronger in our crackdown on drunk drivers through our partnerships, through legislation and through public awareness, Richie said. We see all that collaboration is helping.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Tennessee
A real-world use case for AI and ML is leveraging it to analyze and extract insights from unstructured data.
During periods of market turbulence and low-interest rates, many investors struggle to find investment alternatives that aren't getting hammered. But people saving for retirement may be pleasantly surprised to discover a unique breed of mutual fund known as stable value funds.

These funds, which are typically offered in 401(k) plans, are somewhat similar to money market funds, except they post higher yields with relatively little risk. If you're considering a stable value fund, here's a look at how they work so you can weigh their advantages and disadvantages before deciding if they are a good choice for your retirement portfolio.

Key Takeaways Stable value funds are typically only offered in defined contribution plans, such as a 401(k).

They are conservative investments that provide steady income with relatively little risk as your principal is guaranteed.

However, less risk also means lower returns.

Stable value funds are a good choice for conservative investors, workers nearing retirement, and anyone looking to stabilize their portfolio during times of market volatility.

Stable Value Funds Explained

As the name implies, stable value funds are a type of cash fund that resembles a money market fund by offering protection of principal while paying stable rates of interest. Like their money market cousins, these funds maintain a constant share price of $1.

Stable value funds have typically paid twice the interest rate of money market funds. Even intermediate-term bond funds tend to yield less with considerably more volatility. Stable value funds used to invest almost exclusively in guaranteed investment contracts (GICs), which are agreements between insurance carriers and 401(k) plan providers that promise a certain rate of return.

However, a number of insurance carriers that invested heavily in junk bonds in the 1980s suffered heavy losses and defaulted on some of their agreements. Retirement plan participants of other providers, such as the now-defunct Lehman Brothers (which declared bankruptcy during the financial crisis of 2008), discovered that their GICs became invalid in the event of corporate insolvency. Subsequently, GICs fell largely out of favor as funding vehicles for stable value funds.

These funds now invest primarily in government and corporate bonds with short- to medium-term maturities, ranging from approximately two to four years. Stable value funds are able to pay higher interest than money market funds, which usually invest in fixed-income securities with maturities of 90 days or less.

How Risk Is Managed

The holdings within stable value funds are more susceptible to changes in interest rates than money market holdings because of the longer maturities of the bonds in which they invest.

The share price of stable value funds doesn't have the potential to grow over time, but these funds won't lose value either, which is not the case with typical mutual funds.

This risk is mitigated by the purchase of insurance guarantees by the fund that offset any loss of principal; these guarantees are available from banks and insurance carriers. Most stable value funds will purchase these contracts from three to five carriers to reduce their default risk.

Usually, the carriers will agree to cover any contracts defaulted upon in the event that one of the carriers becomes insolvent.

Disadvantages to Consider

As mentioned previously, stable value funds pay an interest rate that is a few percentage points above money market funds. They also do so with substantially less volatility than bond funds.

However, these funds also charge annual fees that cover the cost of the insurance wrappers, which can be as high as 1% per year in some cases. Furthermore, most stable value funds prevent investors from moving their money directly into a similar investment, such as a money market or bond fund. Participants must instead move their funds into another vehicle, such as a stock or sector fund, for 90 days before they can reallocate them to a cash alternative.

$902 billion Assets in stable value funds in defined contribution plans, according to the Stable Value Investment Association, as of December 2020.

Perhaps the biggest limitation of stable value funds is their limited availability. They are generally only available to 401(k) plan participants of employers who offer these funds within their plans.

Another key point to remember is that these funds are stable in nature, but not guaranteed. Although the chance of losing money in one of the funds is relatively slim, they should not be categorized with CDs, fixed annuities, or other investments that come with an absolute guarantee of principal.

When Stable Value Funds Are a Good Fit

Stable value funds are an excellent choice for conservative investors and those with relatively short time horizons, such as workers nearing retirement. These funds will provide income with minimal risk and can serve to stabilize the rest of the investor's portfolio to some extent.

However, they should not be viewed as long-term growth vehicles, and they will not provide the same level of return as stock funds over time. Most advisors recommend allocating no more than 15% to 20% of one's assets into these funds.

The Bottom Line

Stable value funds serve as a happy medium between cash and money market funds, which have low yields, and bond funds, which have higher risk and volatility. These funds provide higher rates of interest with little or no fluctuation in price.

But this stability comes at a price in the form of annual fees and lower returns than stock funds. In addition, transfers into other cash instruments can only be made under certain conditions.
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Japan provide investors with exposure to the countrys economic growth and business profits. As of the most recent data available from The World Bank in 2021, Japan remains the third-largest economy in the world as measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

Japan's economy suffered a major contraction during the COVID-19 pandemic but it is showing signs of recovery. The country's economy grew by 2.2% in Q2 2022, driven by increases in domestic consumption of goods and services.The International Monetary Fund forecasts that Japan's GDP will grow 2.4% for all of 2022.

The country is home to many large, well-known multinational corporations, including Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (HMC) and Sony Group Corp. (SONY). Japan ETFs offer investors the opportunity to profit from the growth of these businesses and many other companies.

Key Takeaways Japanese stocks underperformed the broader U.S. equity market over the past year.

The Japan exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with the best one-year trailing total returns are DXJ, HEWJ, and DBJP.

Toyota Motor Corp. is the top holding of the first and third of these funds, while the top holding of the second is shares of the iShares MSCI Japan ETF.

There are 11 distinct Japan ETFs that trade in the United States, excluding inverse and leveraged ETFs as well as funds with less than $50 million in assets under management (AUM). These ETFs solely hold stocks of domestic companies rather than corporate debt or Japanese government bonds. The iShares MSCI Intl Value Factor ETF (IVLU) is included in some screens of Japan ETFs but is not specifically focused on Japanese holdings, so it is not included in our list.

Japanese equities, as measured by the MSCI Japan Index, have underperformed the broader U.S. equity market over the past 12 months, with a total return of -13.0% compared with the S&P 500s total return of -2.5%, as of Aug. 17, 2022. The best-performing Japan ETF, based on performance over the past year, is the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ).

We examine the best three Japan ETFs below. All numbers below are as of Aug. 18, 2022. In order to focus on the funds' investment strategy, the top holdings listed for each ETF exclude cash holdings and holdings purchased with securities lending proceeds except under unusual cases, such as when the cash portion is exceptionally large.

Performance over one-year: 13.7%

Expense ratio: 0.48%

Annual dividend yield: 2.11%

Three-month average daily volume: 651,039

AUM: $2.0 billion

Inception date: June 16, 2006

Issuer: WisdomTree

DXJ tracks the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Index, which seeks to provide exposure to Japanese equities while neutralizing the impact of fluctuations in the relative values of the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar. The ETF focuses on Japanese companies that pay dividends, with a preference for exporters. The fund also employs the currency-hedging strategy used by its index to strip out the impact of changes in the yens value. This makes the ETF an attractive option for investors who want exposure to Japan's equity market even when the yen is weakening against the dollar. The yen has continued to weaken against the U.S. dollar this year.

DXJs largest exposure is in the industrial sector, followed by consumer discretionary and financials. It uses a blended strategy, investing in a mix of growth and value stocks of mostly large-cap companies. The funds top three holdings are Toyota Motor Corp. (7203:TKS), a global automobile manufacturer; Japan Tobacco Inc. (2914:TKS), a cigarette manufacturer; and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (8306:TKS), a global financial services holding company.



Performance over one-year: 7.9%

Expense ratio: 0.50%

Annual dividend yield: 1.02%

Three-month average daily volume: 232,692

AUM: $537.9 million

Inception date: Jan. 31, 2014

Issuer: BlackRock Financial Management

HEWJ seeks to track the MSCI Japan 100% Hedged to USD Index. The index is composed of large- and mid-cap Japanese equities and strives to mitigate exposure to fluctuations between the value of the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar. It is the hedged version of the iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ), another popular Japan-focused fund. Industrials, consumer discretionary, and information technology stocks are the three largest portions of the portfolio.



HEWJ's primary holding is shares of EWJ, with over 99.9% of HEWJ's portfolio consisting of EWJ shares. A very small portion of the portfolio is also given over to BlackRock Cash Funds Treasury SL Agency Shares. The top three holdings of EWJ include Toyota Motor Corp.; Sony Group Corp. (6758:TKS), a manufacturer and distributor of electronics products; and Keyence Corp. (6861:TKS), a manufacturer of industrial automation and inspection equipment.

Performance over one-year: 7.4%

Expense ratio: 0.45%

Annual dividend yield: 2.29%

Three-month average daily volume: 13,337

AUM: $204.4 million

Inception date: June 9, 2011

Issuer: DWS

DBJP tracks the MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index, which represents a currency-hedged approximation of the performance of the MSCI Japan Index. The ETF provides exposure to the Japanese equity market while stripping out the impact of currency fluctuations between the yen and the dollar. That means that U.S. investors have the potential to generate U.S. dollar profits on gains in the Japanese equity market without having to worry about changes in the value of the yen.

DBJPs largest sectoral exposure is in industrials, followed by consumer discretionary and information technology. It follows a blended strategy of investing in both growth and value stocks of primarily large-cap companies. The funds top three holdings are Toyota; Sony Group; and Keyence.

The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed herein are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or adopt any investment strategy. While we believe the information provided herein is reliable, we do not warrant its accuracy or completeness. The views and strategies described in our content may not be suitable for all investors. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, all comments, opinions, and analyses contained within our content are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment, or strategy.
What Is the Hong Kong SAR?

Hong Kong is the premier financial and business center in China and a regional financial leader. Hong Kong is one of China's special administrative regions (SARs). An SAR is a relatively autonomous regions within the People's Republic of China that maintain separate legal, administrative, and judicial systems from the rest of the country.

Key Takeaways Hong Kong is an Asian financial hub once colonized by the British and now a semi-autonomous part of China.

Special Administrative Regions (SARs) exist as relatively autonomous portions of a country that maintain some degree of political and economic independence.

Because of their history of independence and colonization, SARs such as Hong Kong may find themselves in conflict with the political authority of China.

2:59 How To Profit From News About China

Breaking Down Hong Kong SAR, China

Hong Kong is a special administrative region (SAR) that exists as part of the Peoples Republic of China under the One Country, Two Systems doctrine, negotiated in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, negotiated and signed in 1984, but taking effect in 1997. The "One Country, Two Systems" doctrine stipulated that the People's Republic of China's socialist system would not be practiced in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong would maintain its political and economic quasi-independence for 50 years after the transfer of sovereignty, until 2047.

What does that mean? Since July 1, 1997, when the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong to China, Hong Kong has maintained a separate political and economic system from Chinademocratic(ish), and capitalistand a separate currency (the Hong Kong Dollar, HKD$). Hong Kong retains independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers, in all matters other than military defense and foreign affairs. English and Chinese are the two official languages.

Hong Kong's Economy

Hong Kong has been ranked as the world's freest economy in the Heritage's Index of Economic Freedom since the index's inception in 1995. In 1990, Milton Friedman wrote that it was perhaps the best example of a free market economy. The service economy in Hong Kong is characterized primarily by low taxation, near free port trade, and a well established international financial market. Service economy, here, meaning an economy that is not industrial, or manufacturing based, but is instead based in financial services, health, and human services, hospitality, information technology, etc.

And using its political and economic autonomy, Hong Kong has positioned itself as the place where international and Chinese businesses find common ground. It is also considered the principal financial center in China. As a result, more than 1,300 companies from all over the world are headquartered in Hong Kong.

This democratic government and the free market has been successful, to some extent. It's the world's 33rd largest economy with a population smaller than the city of Tokyo, at 7.34 million. Hong Kong has an annual GDP of $320.9 billion, giving it the world's 17th highest GDP per capita, at $43,681.

Hong Kong and China's Tension

Historically, China has had considerable incentive to refrain from interfering in Hong Kong's political and economic systems. At the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, Hong Kong, with a population of 6.5 million at the time, had an economy one fifth the size of the Chinese economy, with its population of 1 billion.

This is no longer the case. Over the past 20 years, Hong Kong's economy has stagnated, changing very little in makeup, with GDP growth slowing, and inequality rising significantly. In that same time, China has become an economic superpower. Hong Kong now accounts for just 3% of Chinese GDP.

Some think that the greatest risk to Hong Kong's autonomy is political and business elites in the region ceding it to the Liaison Office, to remove political tensions from the region, and return Hong Kong to an economic city. This may prove a poor decision though, as a marriage of business and government has proven counterproductive in Hong Kong, leading to an increase conflicts of interest and cronyism, not to mention a non-responsive government, that refuses to broaden its tax base, or lower property taxes, and has excluded political parties from democratic participation. All of this has led to a public perception of the Hong Kong SAR government as not as legitimate as it once was.

Given these recent trends, the Liaison Office, the People's Republic of China representative in Hong Kong, has been taking steps to meaningfully increase its influence and clout in the region, interfering in both domestic affairs and elections. For example, the Liaison Office provides loans, bought Hong Kong's largest publishing house (removing titles critical of the Communist Party), and lobbied for Hong Kong's new chief executive, Carrie Lam.
What Is an Investment Manager?

An investment manager is a person or organization that makes investment decisions about portfolios of securities on behalf of clients under the investment objectives and parameters the client has defined. An investment manager may handle all activities associated with the management of client portfolios, from day-to-day buying and selling of securities to portfolio monitoring, transaction settlement, performance measurement, and regulatory and client reporting.

Key Takeaways Investment managers are people or organizations who handle all activities related to financial planning, investing, and managing a portfolio for individuals or organizations.

Clients of investment managers can be either individual or institutional investors.

Investment management includes devising strategies and executing trades within a financial portfolio.

The type of investment manager required depends on an individual's specific needs and stage of financial planning. Experts suggest evaluating a number of factors, such as performance and fees, before selecting an investment manager.

The four largest investment management companies in the world are BlackRock Inc., Vanguard Group, State Street Global Advisors, and Fidelity Investments

Understanding Investment Managers

Investment managers can range in size from one- or two-person offices to large multi-disciplinary firms with offices in several countries. Investment managers typically base the fees they charge to clients on a percentage of client assets under management.

For example, an individual with a $5 million portfolio that is being handled by an investment manager who charges 1.5 percent annually would pay $75,000 in fees per year. According to Willis Towers Watson, as of 2020, the four largest investment management companies in the world based on AUM were BlackRock Inc. at $7.4 trillion, The Vanguard Group at $6.2 trillion, State Street Global Advisors at $3.1 trillion, and Fidelity Investments at $3 trillion.

Types of Investment Managers

Investors must understand the various types of investment managers. Certified financial planners typically develop a holistic financial plan for investors that takes information such as income, expenses, and future cash needs into consideration when planning a portfolio. A financial advisor, however, is often a stockbroker. Portfolio managers directly invest investors capital to achieve positive investment returns.

Currently, the industry is changing and financial advisors can now be personal financial consultants working with stockbrokers. Robo-advisors, moreover, are fintech platforms leveraging technology and investment knowledge to advise individuals about their money and investments and provide automated investment management on behalf of ordinary investors.

Factors to Consider When Selecting an Investment Manager

Investors must determine what type of investment manager they require. This is likely to depend on what stage they have reached in the financial planning process. For example, an investor who is just starting off on her savings journey may not need the services of a portfolio manager. Instead, she would be better off with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), who can teach her the basics of retirement planning. In contrast, an investor who has income left over after savings and wishes to invest it in securities is better off with a portfolio manager.

A background check of the investment managers professional regulatory qualifications will reveal any previous complaints and ensure the manager has the required skills and experience. Most investment managers and funds outline their investing philosophy on their sites or brochures. Investors should determine whether that philosophy (and risk level) is appropriate to their goals.

An investment manager should be easily contactable and take the specific needs of the client into consideration. As financial needs are continually changing, investors must feel comfortable reaching out to their investment manager at short notice to customize service.

Performance and Fees

An investor should review and evaluate an investment managers performance. It is prudent for investors to review at least five years of investment returns to determine the investment managers performance in various market environments. It is also helpful to consider their performance relative to peers to determine their deviation from the standard. Some sites, such as US News mutual fund rankings, provide this information on their sites.

Some experts are of the opinion that an investment manager should have skin the game, meaning that her salary should be tied to her performance and returns. But that may not always be the optimal solution as it could amplify the amount of risk that a manager takes on to achieve returns in line with benchmarks.

Investors should consider fee structures when comparing investment managers. Investment manager fees are a function of the investment asset class. Investment managers with higher fees often outperform those that have a lower fee structure, and investors should use caution if an investment manager has an excessively low fee structure. Investment managers' fees and expenses typically include management fees, performance fees, custody fees, and commissions.

Example of an Investment Manager

Sheena and Greg are both 30 years old and are expecting their first child. They have some savings stacked away but also have other commitments, such as mortgage payments on their new home. They are not sure whether the available cash is enough to help them plan for the new arrival. They consult a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) to help plan out their finances. The CFP suggests various options, such as putting some cash away in an education fund, to help them plan for the child.
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.
Nailing the Investment Banking Interview

Many business students want to land an entry-level job in investment banking, but they freeze during the interview when asked some of the more common technical questions. Getting the first interview is often a difficult task all on its own, so you need to be ready to answer some of the most common investment banking interview questions. For example, can you answer the following?

What are the ways of valuing a company? What are the advantages of raising funds through bonds rather than equity? What happens to various figures in a financial statement if $100 is added to the current depreciation account?

If you don't have a ready answer for questions like these, you need to do more preparation before your job interview. Read on to learn the answers to these common questions, and what to know about investment banking before you sit down with a potential employer.

Understand the Entry-Level Job

Nothing is more offensive to an interviewer than a candidate who comes in not knowing anything about the position. Showing that you understand not only the general practices of investment banking but also your specific duties, should provide a competitive edge. After all, first-year analysts do not pitch deals to CEOs or publish research reports about hot stocks/sectors.

An entry-level position mainly involves creating presentations, compiling comp tables, and making pitch books. Although financial modeling and financial statement analyses are the bread and butter of the investment banking profession, don't go into an interview with the presumption that you will perform such tasks on your first day on the job.

1:33 Investment Banking Interview: What to Know

Financial Knowledge

Basic knowledge of financial statements and a general understanding of how the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement are interrelated is another common technical skill-testing question of the investment banking interview. Familiarize yourself with how changes made to one section alter the figures in the other sections. It is important to understandnot just memorizethe connections between the statements.

Here is a typical example. Assuming a tax rate of 30%, if depreciation increases by $100 and pretax income decreased by $100, the following will occur:

Taxes will decrease by $30 ($100 * 30%)

Net income (NI) will decrease by $70 ($100 * (1  30%))

Cash flow from operations will increase by the amount of the tax deduction

This causes a $30 increase of cash on the balance sheet, a $100 reduction in PP&E due to the depreciation, and a $70 reduction in retained earnings. Make sure you can easily follow this example and track the effects of any such similar adjustments. Here are some others to know.

Key Takeaways Preparing for an investment banking interview requires a lot of preparation. Before going into an interview, research the particular bank, familiarize yourself with the deals it has done in the past or is currently working on, and be prepared to talk about the economy and financial markets.

In addition, refresh your quantitative skills and study common financial equations: know how to read balance sheets, income statements, and how to calculate corporate valuations.

Since investment banking involves helping companies issue equity and debt, familiarity with these concepts is also fairly important.

Corporate Valuation: Discounted Cash Flows

Questions regarding company valuation are essential to the interview process, as this task is the basis of a banker's everyday activities. There are three basic techniques to value a company: discounted cash flows (DCF), the multiples approach, and comparable transactions. Only the first two are likely to be discussed.

Discounted cash flows, as the name suggests, involves creating a forecast of the free cash flows (FCF) of a company and then discounting them by the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Here's how to calculate free cash flows:

EBIT* (1-Tax Rate) + Depreciation and Amortization  Capital Expenditures  Increases in Net Working Capital (NWC)

WACC is calculated by taking the percentage of debt, equity, and preferred shares of total firm value and multiplying the individual components by the required rate of return on that security. The terminal value of the project must also be determined and discounted accordingly.

WACC = R e * (E / V) + R d * (D / V) * (1-Tax)

Where R e = cost of equity, R d = cost of debt, V = E + D = total market value of the firm's financing (debt plus equity) and Tax = corporate tax rate.

The WACC DCF approach assumes that the firm is levered, with the cost of debt being reflected in the denominator of the calculation. The adjusted present value (APV) approach of valuation is somewhat similar, but calculates the value of an all-equity (unlevered) firm and then adds the effects of debt at the end. This type of methodology is implemented when the company adopts a complex debt structure such as a leveraged buyout (LBO), or when the financing conditions change throughout the life of the project.

First, cash flows are discounted by the cost of equity, followed by determining the tax benefits of debt by discounting the after-tax interest payments by the fixed income required rate of return.

NPV = Value of All-Equity Firm + Present Value of Financing Effects

Theoretically, the NPV for the WACC and APV methods should produce the same final result. (For more, see Investors Need a Good WACC.)

Corporate Valuation: Multiples

The multiples method of valuation involves metrics similar to the P/E ratio. Basically, to perform a multiples analysis, one would have to determine the average multiples for the specific industry and multiply this value by the denominator for that multiple for the company under consideration.

Using the P/E ratio as an example, if an investment banker is trying to perform a valuation of a firm in the grocery store business, the first step would be to determine the average P/E ratio in that sector. This can be done by looking at comp tables, which are easily available through the Bloomberg terminal.

Next, the average value should be multiplied by the company's EPS. If the average price-to-earnings ratio in the sector is 12, and the EPS for the particular company is $2, then the shares are worth $24 each. Taking the product of this value and the total number of shares outstanding provides the firm's market capitalization.

The preceding example used the P/E ratio to illustrate the general premise because most people are familiar with such a measure. However, using this ratio to perform the valuation is actually incorrect; the resulting figure gives the value of the equity of the firm, ignoring debt. Although different sectors have industry-specific multiples, which should be researched prior to the interview, one of the most common multiples is the enterprise multiple (EV/EBITDA).

Enterprise value is calculated as:

Market Cap + Debt + Minority Interests + Preferred Shares  Total Cash & Cash Equivalents

This value reflects the entire value of the firm. Since the acquirer in a merger would assume the debt and other financial positions of the target, EV captures the full comprehensive value of the corporation. Furthermore, EBITDA is used in the calculation rather than just earnings for similar reasons. EV/EBITDA provides a comprehensive measure of the real value of the entire firm, which P/E fails to capture.

However, it should be noted that revenue multiples are usually not a preferred method of valuation, because revenue can often be easily manipulated through accounting practices.

Differentiating Debt or Equity

Since investment banking involves helping companies issue equity and debt, familiarity with these concepts is fairly important. Increasing the level of debt in a firm's capital structure presents many benefits. Most importantly, since interest payments are tax-deductible, debt is considered the cheaper form of financing (you should commit this to memory).

Issuing bonds has further advantages in that the equity positions of current shareholders do not become diluted and because debt holders have first dibs on the firm's assets in case of bankruptcy. This is also why bondholders require a smaller return on their investments.

On the other hand, increasing the amount of leverage entails higher interest payments, which could push the company toward bankruptcy during poor economic times. In contrast to dividends, which are not guaranteed, corporations are required to meet their debt agreements.

Also, as suggested by the second proposition of the Modigliani-Miller theorem, as the debt-to-equity ratio (D/E) of a firm increases, so does the cost of equity and additional debt. An optimal capital structure must be reached which maximizes the total value of the firm.

The Bottom Line

Most candidates selected for an interview should be very familiar with the presented material. Being able to discuss this information will not make you stand out as a candidate, but will merely exhibit that you understand the basics of the job. Before going into an interview, research the particular bank, familiarize yourself with the deals it has done in the past or is currently working on, and be prepared to talk about the economy and financial markets.

Rest assured, other candidates will be equally prepared, and sometimes determining who gets the job comes down to the smallest differences between candidates. In such a competitive environment, preparation and confidence are the keys to getting the job.
What Is Goodwill?

Goodwill is an intangible asset that is associated with the purchase of one company by another. It represents value that can give the acquiring company a competitive advantage.

Specifically, a goodwill definition is the portion of the purchase price that is higher than the sum of the net fair value of all of the assets purchased in the acquisition and the liabilities assumed in the process.

The value of a companys name, brand reputation, loyal customer base, solid customer service, good employee relations, and proprietary technology represent aspects of goodwill. This value is why one company may pay a premium for another.

Key Takeaways Goodwill is an intangible asset that accounts for the excess purchase price of another company.

Items included in goodwill are proprietary or intellectual property and brand recognition, which are not easily quantifiable.

Goodwill is calculated by taking the purchase price of a company and subtracting the difference between the fair market value of the assets and liabilities.

Companies are required to review the value of goodwill on their financial statements at least once a year and record any impairments.

the value of goodwill on their financial statements at least once a year and record any impairments. Goodwill has an indefinite life, while most other intangible assets have a finite useful life.

1:42 Goodwill

Understanding Goodwill

The value of goodwill typically arises in an acquisition of a company. The amount that the acquiring company pays for the target company that is over and above the targets net assets at fair value usually accounts for the value of the targets goodwill.

If the acquiring company pays less than the targets book value, it gains negative goodwill. This means that it purchased the company at a bargain in a distress sale.

Goodwill is recorded as an intangible asset on the acquiring company's balance sheet under the long-term assets account. Goodwill is considered an intangible (or non-current) asset because it is not a physical asset like buildings or equipment.

Under the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), companies are required to evaluate the value of goodwill on their financial statements at least once a year and record any impairments.

The process for calculating goodwill is fairly straightforward in principle but can be quite complex in practice. To determine goodwill with a simple formula, take the purchase price of a company and subtract the net fair market value of identifiable assets and liabilities.

Goodwill = P  ( A  L ) where: P = Purchase price of the target company A = Fair market value of assets L = Fair market value of liabilities \begin{aligned}&\text{Goodwill} = \text{P} - ( \text{ A } - \text { L } ) \\&\textbf{where:} \\&\text{P} = \text{Purchase price of the target company} \\&\text{A} = \text{Fair market value of assets} \\&\text{L} = \text{Fair market value of liabilities} \\\end{aligned} Goodwill=P( A  L )where:P=Purchase price of the target companyA=Fair market value of assetsL=Fair market value of liabilities

Goodwill Calculation Controversies

There are competing approaches among accountants to calculating goodwill. One reason for this is that goodwill involves factoring in estimates of future cash flows and other considerations that are not known at the time of the acquisition.

While normally this may not be a significant issue, it can become one when accountants look for ways to compare reported assets or net income between different companies (some that have previously acquired other firms and some that have not).

Goodwill Impairments

An example of goodwill in accounting involves impairments. Impairment of an asset occurs when the market value of the asset drops below historical cost. This can occur as the result of an adverse event such as declining cash flows, increased competitive environment, or economic depression, among many others.

If a company assesses that acquired net assets fall below the book value or if the amount of goodwill was overstated, then the company must impair or do a write-down on the value of the asset on the balance sheet.

The impairment expense is calculated as the difference between the current market value and the purchase price of the intangible asset.

The impairment results in a decrease in the goodwill account on the balance sheet. The expense is also recognized as a loss on the income statement, which directly reduces net income for the year. In turn, earnings per share (EPS) and the company's stock price are also negatively affected.

Impairment Tests

Companies assess whether an impairment exists by performing an impairment test on an intangible asset.

The two commonly used methods for testing impairments are the income approach and the market approach. Using the income approach, estimated future cash flows are discounted to the present value. With the market approach, the assets and liabilities of similar companies operating in the same industry are analyzed.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which sets standards for GAAP rules, at one time was considering a change to how goodwill impairment is calculated. Because of the subjectivity of goodwill impairment and the cost of testing it, FASB was considering reverting to an older method called "goodwill amortization." This method reduces the value of goodwill annually over a number of years.

In 2017, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) bought Whole Foods Market Inc. for $13.7 billion. That amounted to Amazon paying a whopping $9 billion more than the value of Whole Foods' net assets. That amount was recorded as the intangible asset goodwill on Amazon's books.

Goodwill vs. Other Intangibles

Goodwill is not the same as other intangible assets. Goodwill is a premium paid over fair value during a transaction and cannot be bought or sold independently. Meanwhile, other intangible assets include the likes of licenses or patents that can be bought or sold independently. Goodwill has an indefinite life, while other intangibles have a definite useful life.

Limitations of Goodwill

Goodwill is difficult to price, and negative goodwill can occur when an acquirer purchases a company for less than its fair market value. This usually occurs when the target company cannot or will not negotiate a fair price for its acquisition.

Negative goodwill is usually seen in distressed sales and is recorded as income on the acquirer's income statement.

There is also the risk that a previously successful company could face insolvency. When this happens, investors deduct goodwill from their determinations of residual equity.

The reason for this is that, at the point of insolvency, the goodwill the company previously enjoyed has no resale value.

Example of Goodwill

If the fair value of Company ABC's assets minus liabilities is $12 billion, and a company purchases Company ABC for $15 billion, the premium paid for the acquisition is $3 billion ($15 billion - $12 billion). This $3 billion will be included on the acquirer's balance sheet as goodwill.

For an actual example, consider the T-Mobile and Sprint merger announced in early 2018. The deal was valued at $35.85 billion as of March 31, 2018, per an S-4 filing. The fair value of the assets was $78.34 billion and the fair value of the liabilities was $45.56 billion. The difference between the assets and liabilities is $32.78 billion. Thus, goodwill for the deal would be recognized as $3.07 billion ($35.85 billion - $32.78 billion), the amount over the difference between the fair value of the assets and liabilities.

How Is Goodwill Different From Other Assets? Shown on the balance sheet, goodwill is an intangible asset that is created when one company acquires another company for a price greater than its net asset value. Unlike other assets that have a discernible useful life, goodwill is not amortized or depreciated but is instead periodically tested for goodwill impairment. If the goodwill is thought to be impaired, the value of goodwill must be written off, reducing the companys earnings.

How Is Goodwill Used in Investing? Evaluating goodwill is a challenging but critical skill for many investors. After all, when reading a companys balance sheet, it can be very difficult to tell whether the goodwill it claims to hold is in fact justified. For example, a company might claim that its goodwill is based on the brand recognition and customer loyalty of the company it acquired. When analyzing a companys balance sheet, investors will therefore scrutinize what is behind its stated goodwill in order to determine whether that goodwill may need to be written off in the future. In some cases, the opposite can also occur, with investors believing that the true value of a companys goodwill is greater than that stated on its balance sheet.

What Is an Example of Goodwill on the Balance Sheet? Consider the case of a hypothetical investor who purchases a small consumer goods company that is very popular in their local town. Although the company only had net assets of $1 million, the investor agreed to pay $1.2 million for the company, resulting in $200,000 of goodwill being reflected in the balance sheet. In explaining this decision, the investor could point to the strong brand and consumer following of the company as a key justification for the goodwill that they paid. If, however, the value of that brand were to decline, then they may need to write off some or all of that goodwill in the future.

The Bottom Line

Goodwill represents a certain value (and potential competitive advantage) that may be obtained by one company when it purchases another. It is that amount of the purchase price over and above the amount of the fair market value of the target company's assets minus its liabilities.

Goodwill is an intangible asset that can relate to the value of the purchased company's brand reputation, customer service, employee relationships, and intellectual property.

While goodwill officially has an indefinite life, impairment tests can be run to determine if its value has changed, due to an adverse financial event. If there is a change in value, that amount decreases the goodwill account on the balance sheet and is recognized as a loss on the income statement.
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He changed the world of Irish dancing with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, has successfully launched a profitable art career and now Michael Flatley has released his first song, The Rising, a musical tribute to the Easter Rising.

Flatley provides vocals, plays a traditional 140-year-old wooden flute during the chorus and of course provides percussion at the songs finale with some fancy footwork. The song was written and composed by Irish songwriter Brian Flanagan. Finbar Furey accompanies on the uileann pipes and whistles.

The Irish dancer turned musician told NewTalk The story of the Easter Rising, and the bravery of those that lost their lives fighting for a free Irish Republic, has always moved me deeply and inspired me.

"I really wanted to mark this special centenary for Ireland, and I'm especially proud of the poignant and beautiful tribute that we, as artists together, have created."

Flatley is currently in the United States touring with Lord of the Dance Dangerous Games. He will perform his last dance with the show on St. Patricks Day at Caesar's Colosseum, in Las Vegas. Although hes officially hanging up his dancing shoes and retiring it seems like hell have plenty to occupy his time.

Brian Flanagan, who has worked with Nathan Carter and Brian Kennedy among others, penned the song for Michael Flatley.

He said This song brings together many Irish art forms, including recitation, traditional music, Irish dance and the lament, to honour the extraordinary sacrifice of the heroes of the 1916 Rising in Ireland and acknowledges that we are only where we are today because of the events of April 1916.

Flatleys song will be used on the soundtrack to the film, The Rising, starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Fiona Shaw, Michael Neeson and Brendan Coyle due to be released next year.

The single is available for download on iTunes, with all proceeds going to various charities - including Crumlin Hospital and Michael Flatleys Foundation.

Heres the lyrics:

'The Rising'

Be proud of where weve come from

Be proud of where weve been

For what would we be proud of now if not for old sixteen

For hope our heroes gave their lives, a dim lit dream defend

To pave the way for peace they prayed a broken nation mend

The red in exile laid to rest when the poet pierced their side

No peace therell be while were unfree so swell the turning tide

Once scholars now stood soldiers with the sword to play thy pen

As they followed fearless footsteps, to the tone of martyred men

For her gallant sons and daughters the dawn it soon would come

The bold and brave no more the slave by Easters rising sun

The burden bore an oath they swore as history lay in wait

Proclaiming pride, old freedom cried!

T'was love that sealed their fate

Some whistled as they walked their last with grace behind the main

A beauty born as shots were torn no sacrifice in vain

Respect to you oh fallen friends we're borne of deeds you've done

A hundred years remembered and for hundreds more to come.
The twin sister of Mary Boyle, Irelands youngest and longest missing citizen, will travel to Washington D.C. this St. Patricks Day to campaign for justice for her sister.

Ann Dohertys battle for the truth began when her 6-year-old twin sister, Mary Boyle, went missing in March 1977 on her grandparents' remote farm in Cashelard, Co. Donegal. Her remains have never been found.

Doherty believes Mary was sexually assaulted and murdered by someone she knew and that her body was dumped close to where she went missing. She also believes she knows who is responsible for the horrible crime, but that political intervention early in the police investigation attempted to cover the killers tracks, leaving the perpetrator to walk free.

Meeting with Irish-American politicians, lobby groups and organizations throughout the week, Doherty will inform members of the United States Congress that Mary's killer is being shielded by An Garda Siochana (the Irish police force) and that a politician interfered in the investigation shortly after the murder, ordering that certain people were not to be considered suspects.

The key purpose of this trip is to open Irish-America's eyes and the US authorities to the wide scale corruption in the Irish police and the criminal justice system, said Ann Doherty.

There are many horrific cases of cover-up by the gardai in the Republic that Irish-Americans and anyone who proclaims to care about Ireland need to know about. The police have protected my sister's killer for almost 40 years.

I know who murdered Mary. He is walking around Donegal today, immune from prosecution. Instead of arresting him, the gardai have targeted me, and others who have stood up for Mary's right to justice, in what can only be called an insidious campaign of intimidation.

Doherty will be accompanied on the trip by award-winning investigative journalist Gemma ODoherty. Meetings will take place with US Congressman Brendan Boyle, whose father comes from Donegal, with former US Congressman Bruce Morrison, and the group will attend a number of St. Patricks Day engagements that will include the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), Northern Irelands First Minister Arlene Foster, Northern Irelands Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and the Irish Ambassador Anne Anderson.

Doherty will brief the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Ireland Fund about the case, as well as a number of organizations that lobby on justice issues.

She has met with the current Taoiseach Enda Kenny once before, in November 2015, and has spoken on her sisters behalf in the parliaments of Stormont, Brussels and Westminster. Despite these meetings, Doherty feels she is still being met with reluctance to begin a proper investigation into her sisters death.

Although Enda Kenny received information on the murder in 2011, including the further evidence revealed by journalist Gemma O'Doherty in which people in the area who knew Mary have identified a killer, the Taoiseach admitted he did not follow up on the information after passing it onto the Gardai.

It is appalling that I have to leave Ireland to try to get justice for my sister, Doherty said.

The Gardai have sufficient evidence to bring her killer to justice, but to do so would reveal a sordid conspiracy between police and politicians.

No country can call itself a democracy when its police force perpetuates the cover-up of a child's rape and murder. That is why the rest of the world must know about Ireland's record when it comes to policing, justice and protecting its children.

During her visit, Doherty will also call for the resignation of Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald for failing Mary Boyle, her right to justice, and the public interest.

In December 2015, Ann asked An Garda Siochana for a search of a location in Donegal where she believes Mary's remains may be. Her request has been ignored.

She has also been denied the right to an inquest into her late sister's death.

This case is just one among the many stories of police corruption undertaken by investigative journalist Gemma ODoherty, who previously worked on revealing the Gardai penalty points scandal and the cover-up in the murder of Offaly priest Fr. Niall Molloy in 1985.

Following her success in exposing corruption in the Molloy murder case in particular, other families began to contact ODoherty asking for her help.

Because the Irish authorities were refusing to deal with their cases, she organized a series of visits to foreign parliaments, first traveling to the Northern Irish assembly in Stormont before meeting with MEPs in Brussels.

All of the Irish MEPs met with the families and were struck by their testimonies. They wrote to the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald but their calls fell on deaf ears.

Jeffrey Donaldson MP took the families to Westminster for a series of meetings in September 2015, and now they have decided to take their cases to Washington.

There are plans to visit the Vatican later in the year.

"We have seen scandal after scandal in an Garda Siochana in recent years, and the treatment of officers who are whistleblowers trying to improve the force has been deplorable," said O'Doherty.

"Former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan called the two brave officers who exposed the penalty points scandal 'disgusting'. Sadly, his successor Noirin O'Sullivan has done little to enhance public trust in the force either.

"When gardai do wrong, there is no oversight or accountability. Many in the media are also afraid to tackle wrongdoing or corruption in policing often because of close links they have with the force, so the public are not being told the truth about issues of huge importance such as the cover up of serious crime.

"I work with a lot of bereaved families who have lost loved ones by homicide and who believe they have been denied a fair and effective investigation by the gardai," she continued.

"Their right to justicea basic human rightis being trampled upon and they have had to travel to foreign parliaments to try to raise awareness about their cases.

"No family who has suffered such a loss should be put through that.

"Any Irish American who claims to care about Ireland needs to be aware of some very serious issues back home, especially when it comes to dysfunction in the criminal justice system."
The former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank David Drumm is due back in court this morning for his bail application to be rubberstamped.

He was extradited from the US early yesterday to face allegations of financial wrongdoing during his final years in charge of the bank.

Just over an hour after touching down on Irish soil yesterday, the former CEO of Anglo was charged with 33 offences, including forgery, false accounting and conspiracy to defraud.

The DPP has already directed trial before judge and jury.

Despite being granted bail following a lengthy court hearing yesterday, David Drumm spent the night in a Dublin prison cell.

His bail was set at 150,000. He is required to lodge a third of that in cash, and the remaining 100,000 is to be provided by an independent surety, who has agreed to lodge 50,000 and freeze another 50,000 in his bank account.

Once the court is satisfied that has been done, Mr Drumm will be free to leave on bail on condition he lives at an address in Skerries, Co Dublin and signs on twice daily at his local Garda station.

He has already surrendered his Irish passport to the Gardai, and told the court he does not own a US passport.
Update 6.30pm: Gardai say they are not treating as suspicious the discovery of an injured teenage girl on a dual carriageway in Cork.

Earlier:

A 13-year-old girl is being treated in hospital, after she was found injured on the N40 in Cork city.

Gardai were called to the N40 at Mahon just after 8am this morning, where the injured teenager was discovered.

The girl, who was on her own, was taken to Cork University hospital for treatment.

Her current condition is not know.

Gardai in Blackrock are appealing for witnesses to the incident to come forward.
A ninth person has been jailed in connection with the interception of a yacht carrying cocaine with a street value of more than 160m off the south-west coast of Ireland.

The Makayabella was stopped in September 2014 by the Irish Navy which found more than a tonne of the drug aboard.

Wayne Bush (aged 45) formerly of Ormonde Avenue in Hull, pleaded guilty to conspiring to import class A drugs at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed.

He was sentenced to a six-year prison sentence to add to three-and-a-half years he is already serving in relation to unrelated offences, the NCA said.

Bush is the sixth person to be jailed by British courts in relation to the Makayabella incident.

Others convicted include ringleader Stephen Powell (aged 49) of Netherfield Road in Guiseley, Leeds, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Three men who were on the vessel when it was stopped have been handed sentences of between eight and 10 years by the Irish courts.

The NCA said Bush was part of a three-man crew which was due to sail out and meet the Makayabella to bring back the drugs.

Another attempt to meet the boat had previously failed after running out of fuel.

The three men on board, including Powell, had to be towed back to port.

Two days later Powell and another gang member, James Hill, met with Bush and unsuccessfully attempted to buy another boat at a marina in Milford Haven, south Wales.

After learning that the Makayabella had been intercepted and the drugs seized, the three men dumped the car they were travelling in at Cardiff Airport.

When the car was searched, six drums containing red diesel for the planned boat trip were found in the boot. A marina compliments slip with both Powell and Bush's fingerprints on it was also discovered.

David Norris, NCA regional commander, said: "Wayne Bush played an important role in this conspiracy.

"He was to have formed part of the crew who landed this huge haul of drugs in the UK after the crime group transported them across the Atlantic.

"His conviction means nine members of this organised crime network are now behind bars either here or in Ireland.

"During this operation we drew on support from law enforcement partners in France, Ireland and Venezuela.

"It shows that the NCA has the capability to disrupt and bring to justice those involved at the top end of international drug trafficking."

Tarryn McCaffrey, reviewing lawyer in the Organised Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Bush's role in this major drugs conspiracy was to assist in a second attempt to rescue the yacht when it broke down in order to transfer one tonne of cocaine to another boat out at sea.

"Thankfully, attempts to find another boat were unsuccessful."

Had the plan succeeded, 164m of drugs would have landed on British streets.

"This case shows that each and every member of a gang can be successfully prosecuted for their involvement in these crimes, even if they are part of a large organised crime group."
Update 3.37pm: Former Anglo Irish Bank executive Bernard Daly has issued at statement through his solicitor after his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal today.

Julie Burke of JM Burke Tax solicitors said: "I have a short statement on behalf of my client Bernard Daly.

"He is delighted with the success of the appeal against his conviction.

"He wishes to thank his wonderful family and friends who have given him steadfast support and encouragement since the onset of his ordeal in November 2013.

"Mr Daly also wishes to thank his superb legal team led by Mr Sean Guerin SC.

"He stresses that since 2013 he has consistently maintained his innocence of the serious charges levied against him."

Earlier: The Court of Appeal has quashed the convictions of two former Anglo Irish Bank executives jailed for furnishing false information to the Revenue Commissioners and conspiring to delete bank accounts.

Tiarnan O'Mahoney (aged 56) of Glen Pines, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow and Bernard Daly (aged 67), of Collins Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin had denied knowingly furnishing false information and conspiring to defraud the Revenue as well as conspiring to have accounts deleted from the bank's internal system.

Tiernan O'Mahoney

Having been found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patrick McCartan jailed O'Mahoney for three years and Daly for two years on July 31, 2015.

The Court of Appeal quashed the former executives' convictions today on a number of grounds.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice George Birmingham said they should not have had to stand trial on the charge of furnishing false information because the proceedings were not commenced within the ten year time limit.

The decision to reformulate the charges after they were formally charged was made because the prosecution discovered that there would be a complete defence to the charge that had been presented originally, the judge said.

Because of the reformulation, the proceedings for which Mr Daly and Mr O'Mahoney stood trial were not commenced within the ten year limit, the judge said.

In addition, the charges originally proffered alleged that as officers of the company they consented to the commission of the offence but the offences on which they stood trial saw them charged as principles, the judge said.

They also successfully contended that a substantial number of documents were wrongly admitted in evidence.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the documents, which the trial judge ruled admissible, were vital to the prosecution case.

These documents allowed the witness  a fraud investigator within Anglo, Patrick Peake  to trace for the jury and to explain and illustrate the means by which Anglo accounts were opened, kept, how ownership was designated, how funds were sourced, moved between different accounts and how the names of different accounts were changed or re-designated at various times.

In circumstances where crucial documentary evidence was admitted in breach of the hearsay rule, Mr Justice Birmingham said the could must uphold this ground of appeal.

Furthermore, the Court held that the conspiracy counts as alleged against Mr Daly ought to have been withdrawn from the jury.

Sean Guerin SC, for Daly, said the prosecution case against his client rested almost entirely on the bank's former head of compliance  a Brian Gillespie.

During the trial, Mr Gillespie described a conversation in which Mr Daly asked if he could delete a name from the list to be provided to the authorities and Mr Gillespie said 'no'.

Mr Justice Birmingham said that where there was cogent evidence that Mr Daly was ascertaining whether Mr Gillespie would be party to impropriety, there had to be strong suspicion that Mr Daly was involved in further impropriety and, it was contended, that the conspiracy couldn't' have succeeded without him.

However, this contention went further than was justified, Mr Justice George Birmingham said.

The evidence available to the prosecution was thin, tenuous and in those circumstances, the court feels that notwithstanding the level of suspicion that existed, it would have been appropriate to withdraw the conspiracy case against Mr Daly from the jury.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the conclusions reached by the court meant their convictions must be quashed.

The question of a re-trial did not arise for Mr Daly because, the court concluded, that there was insufficient evidence to go before the jury.

Mr O'Mahoney's position was different. His omnibus ground of appeal concerning multiple complaints related to the trial in the summer of 2015 and did not affect the question of a retrial, the judge said.

The ground on which he succeeded did not preclude the ordering of a re-trial.

The court will hear further submissions on this point at a later date.

Mr O'Mahoney was released on bail until April 14 next when the court will hear submissions on whether he should face a retrial.

Giving background, Mr Justice Birmingham said the Revenue Commissioners conducted an audit of Anglo Irish Bank in 1999/2000 in relation to Deposit Interest Retention Tax.

In the course of a subsequent tax amnesty a number of Anglo clients came forward to disclose that they had non-resident accounts which renewed the Revenue's interest in the institution.

In March 2003, the Revenue obtained High Court orders requiring Anglo to hand over details of non-resident deposit accounts in the bank.

In addition, the Revenue initiated a second DIRT audit of the bank which was formally opened in November 2003.

The so called substantive offence-the furnishing of false information  related to a list for 1995 which was physically handed by Bernard Daly to the Revenue on November 17, 2003.

The prosecutions' case was that it was incomplete in that it did not contain an account held in the name of John Peter O'Toole and that its exclusion was prompted by the fact that the account was connected to a named senior figure in the bank.
Russia's defence ministry has said personnel at its air base in Syria are preparing for some of the planes and fighter jets to return home.

The statement came a day after President Vladimir Putin (pictured) ordered the military to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of Syria peace talks in Geneva.

The ministry said troops are loading equipment on cargo planes and getting ready for the withdrawal, which marks an end to Russia's five-and-a-half-month air campaign.

Russian air strikes have allowed Syrian premier Bashar Assad's army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the Geneva talks.

With Russia's main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow the Russian president to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with Nato member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies angered by Moscow's military action.

At the same time, Mr Putin made it clear that Moscow will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there.

The Syrian presidency said Mr Assad and Mr Putin spoke on the phone on Monday and agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria. It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the "successes" the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism and restoring peace to key areas.

The Syrian army said it would continue operations against Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other terrorist organisations "with the same tempo".

"With the tasks set before the Defence Ministry and the military largely fulfilled, I'm ordering the defence minister to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces from Syria, beginning tomorrow," Mr Putin said on Monday.

He informed US President Barack Obama of his move in a phone call, emphasising the importance of US-Russian co-ordination "for preserving the ceasefire, ensuring humanitarian aid deliveries to the blockaded settlements and conducting an efficient struggle against terrorist groups", according to the Kremlin, which added that the conversation was "business-like and frank".

Mr Putin did not specify how many planes and troops would be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed, but US estimates of the number of Russian military personnel in Syria vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia has deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syria's coastal province of Latakia, and they have operated at a frenetic pace, each flying several combat sorties on an average day. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Mr Putin that thanks to Russian air support the Syrian military has extended its control to 400 towns and villages over an area of 10,000 square kilometres.

State TV quoted Mr Assad as saying that the collaboration between Russian and Syrian forces had secured "victories against terrorism and returned security to the country".

A White House statement said Mr Obama welcomed Moscow's move, but also noted continued sporadic violence and urged Mr Putin to pressure the Syrian regime to stop offensive actions that could undermine the fragile truce.
Parking valets working for companies with names like Luxe, Zirx, and Valet Anywhere became a common sight in the congested precincts of San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.

With a few taps on a phone, customers could summon a valet and avoid the hassle of finding a parking spot and then squeezing into it.

Once theyd finished shopping, dining or taking a meeting, the valet would drive up with the vehicle.

Turns out its hard to make money parking cars.

Two startups  Caarbon and Vatler  quickly imploded and three more  Luxe, Zirx, and Valet Anywhere  are shifting away from the on-demand model and selling their services to companies instead of consumers.

Their retreat is a cautionary tale for scores of startups flogging instant gratification to people who, on the spur of the moment, want their cocktails mixed, laundry folded and bodies massaged.

Uber became huge so people felt everything needed to be on-demand, says Ryan Sarver, an investor at Redpoint Ventures and a Luxe board member.

Then people went out of business because it doesnt have to be, he said.

In the beginning, on-demand valet parking had plenty to recommend it.

For no more than $35 (31) someone attending a Broadway show could have her car parked and then driven back to the theatre.

For a few dollars more, a Zirx valet would top up the tank and wash the car. By contrast, self-parking the vehicle in a midtown Manhattan parking garage would cost more than $45.

After raising $36 million, Zirx quickly expanded from San Francisco to five more cities. Like its rivals, Zirx was chasing economies of scale.

But Zirx began burning through cash because it had to pay its growing legions of valets  including the time they spent hanging out waiting for a text alert.

Meanwhile, the company was struggling to extract meaningful discounts from parking garages because theres no shortage of demand for the limited number of parking spots.

The upshot: Zirx was losing money on many transactions.

So along with its rivals, Zirx tried surge pricing and cut costs by parking farther away in cheaper garages. Service suffered, and customers rebelled.

Sean Behr, Zirxs founder and chief executive, remains enamoured of the concept but grudgingly bowed to the unworkable maths and shut down the consumer side of the business at the end of February.

Now hes selling parking and other car-related services to companies.

Its a more predictable business because workers typically show up and leave at the same time every day.
The Ibec body for meat processors, MII has called on the Minister for Agriculture to intensify negotiations to gain full access for Irish beef to the US and China.

MII says an EU oversupply means Irish beef, lamb, pigmeat, and poultry need alternative outlets.

Across EU markets, strong supplies and weaker demand, plus increasing pressure to favour domestic product in UK and France, has created a more challenging trading environment for Irish exporters, he said.

This emphasises the need for a range of markets for Irish exports, enabling companies to maximise market returns through diversifying product options into a wider range of markets.

The MII director is urging EU member states to take a cautious approach to Mercosur talks with South American countries. He says that failure to strike a deal would be preferable to agreeing to a bad deal.

MII has consistently warned that a trade deal with Mercosur will be damaging to the Irish meat sector, not only for beef but also for pigmeat and poultry, said Mr Healy.

The idea of the EU negotiating with Mercosur on a trade deal that would open the EU market to increased volumes of imports from Brazil and Argentina, two of the worlds largest meat producing countries, would be very damaging to the Irish economy, particularly to the agri-food sector.

MII says it would be far preferable to prioritise the completion of negotiations with Japan where there is much stronger overall benefit to EU agri-food exports.
Marriott said it remained committed to the deal, which would create the worlds largest hotel chain with top brands including Sheraton, Ritz Carlton, and the Autograph Collection.

Starwoods shares rose 7.5%, while Marriott, which made a $12.18bn (10.92bn) offer in November, was up 3%.

A deal with the Anbang-led group, whose offer values Starwood at $12.84bn, may not be easy given increased US scrutiny of Chinese-initiated merger and acquisition over security concerns.

Chinese insurance companies are flush with cash and looking to diversify their portfolios before the countrys ageing population starts claiming on their policies.

US assets are also a good hedge against any future weakness in the yuan.

Anbang, the owner of New Yorks Waldorf Astoria, is making a big push into the US hotel industry.

It has also agreed to buy Strategic Hotels & Resorts from Blackstone Group for around $6.5bn, a source told Reuters.

Anbangs non-binding offer places Starwood shareholders in the difficult position of choosing between Marriotts bird-in-a-hand firm commitment and Anbangs two-in-the-bush offer, Nomura Securities analyst Harry Curtis wrote in a note.

Marriott may slightly improve the terms of its offer and emerge as the winning bidder, Mr Curtis said.

The $76 per share offer by the Anbang-led consortium, which also includes private equity firms JC Flowers and Primavera Capital, tops Marriotts offer of $72.08 per share.

Marriotts offer is now worth about $11bn as Marriott shares have dropped 6.5% since it made the offer.
Three has signed a 65m contract with software solutions provider Amdocs for strategic services and solutions to support the telcos digital transformation.

Under the five-year managed services contract, Amdocs will be tasked with consolidating and modernising Threes IT systems.

It is hoped the deal will reduce the complexity of its IT system, simplify business processes, and provide substantial cost and operational efficiencies.

Three also said it hopes it will enable the delivery of personalised experiences, offerings and rate plans for its customers.

This 65m investment is the next step in what is an exciting journey for Three as we continue to deliver on the promises we made when we acquired O2 in 2014.

"At that time we promised two new MVNOs [mobile virtual network operators], which we have delivered.

We promised new jobs, which we delivered by creating 100 new roles when we transferred customer care calls to Limerick from Mumbai.

We also promised innovation and delivering the best experience for our customers and that is what this project will achieve, said Three boss Robert Finnegan.

The deal will also substantially reduce Threes annual IT costs, Mr Finnegan added.

As part of its takeover of O2, UPC and Dixons Carphone Warehouse have launched new MVNOs which use Threes existing network infrastructure.

Three customers have suffered a number of high-profile network outages in the past year.

Last April, Data Protection Minister Dara Murphy branded an outage that affected up to 1.5m customers as unacceptable and called for greater investment in mobile phone network capacity.

The company said the issue was unrelated to the O2 takeover.

Six months later, approximately 100,000 customers were affected by outage to voice and data services.

Threes parent company, Hutchinson is trying to get a similar 13.22bn merger over the line in the UK.
The firm plans to sell 500 million of seven-year notes, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.

Fluor will use proceeds to pay off debt used for its purchase of Netherlands-based Stork Holding, a deal it finalised earlier this month, the person said.
Photo: Faisal Ellahi, originally from Haripur in Pakistan, who was yesterday jailed for 13 years for the rape and sexual assault of a woman at his Dublin home on June 12, 2013. The judge said he hopes Ellahi will be deported when his sentence is completed. Picture: Paddy Cummins

Faisal Ellahi, aged 34, who is originally from Haripur in Pakistan, had pleaded not guilty last year to rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person at his Dublin home on June 12, 2013.

A jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted him of the rape and sexual assault charges.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said he would not suspend any portion of the sentence as he hoped Ellahi would not be in the community on release. He said the crime, which had carelessly demolished the victims independence, was at the lower end of the upper range in seriousness.

Judge Hunt said the frightening, appalling, disgusting and depraved offence committed by Ellahi had taken away years of work in helping the woman lead an independent life. He said this was all blown away for a couple of minutes of instant gratification.

The judge noted that Ellahi had been out prowling the streets approaching another woman at the same time his victim was returning home. He said some of the most difficult evidence in the case was the reaction of the womans family to her dehumanised state.

He complimented the victims mother on her dignity and fortitude in meeting the case and wished the family well in future as they restore the woman to her independence. He added that he hoped the minister for justice would take every step to remove Ellahi from the country when his sentence was completed.

Judge Hunt backdated the jail term to when he entered custody.

The trial heard that the victim told a specialist interviewer that Ellahi locked the door behind them and that she was afraid he was going to stab or kill her.

I wanted to go home but he wouldnt let me.

The woman said that at one point she panicked and started banging on the door screaming help, mum, help.

Ellahi admitted propositioning many women as he walked the streets near his Dublin home. He said he would ask them to come home with him for consensual fun. He said he also used prostitutes.

The court heard evidence from 16 women who were approached by Ellahi in the area around the time of the rape. One woman who lived across the road from him said he tried to force his way inside her home after she returned from a night out.

During his evidence, Ellahi admitted sexual contact with the victim but denied penetrative sex and claimed that he didnt know she had a mental impairment. He said she looked normal to him and that she enjoyed herself.

The trial heard that the woman had a mental age as low as seven in some areas and she required supervision to do everything except wash and dress. An assessment found she could not live independently or protect herself against exploitation.
Det Garda Liam Dolan, aged 53, from Carragh, Co Kildare, told a Garda compensation hearing that he had just got out of his car in the Otomy Drive area of Clane, Co Kildare, when a group of youths ran at him, one teenager striking him in the face.

Mr Justice Bernard Barton heard that Det Garda Dolan had been knifed on his cheekbone and had fallen, bleeding heavily.
Six councillors triumphed in the general election and had to vacate their council seats. However, three of them will have close relatives watching their home patches while they are in Dublin.

Two political dynasties have their bloodline continued in County Hall, in particular the Moynihan clan from Ballyvourney. Aindrias Moynihan (FF) won a seat in Cork North West and he is replaced on the council by his sister, Gobnait.

The social care worker was heavily involved in her brothers election campaign and previously campaigned for her father, Donal, who won several terms in the Dail. If Gobnait, or any other member of the Moynihan clan, manages a few more years on the council they will set a remarkable 100 years of unbroken service by the family on the local authority.

Another Fianna Fail political dynasty has ensured it will keep a presence on the local authority for the forseeable future. Kevin OKeeffes elevation to the higher house  representing Cork East  has paved the way for his sister, Deirdre OBrien, to take over in County Hall, just as Kevin did when his father, Ned, was elected to the Dail in the early 1980s. She works for Laya Healthcare in Little Island.

A third co-option might signal the start of a new political dynasty. Its been a meteoric rise for Michael Collins (Ind), who was only elected to the council in 2014 and now finds himself in the Dail as a TD for the Cork South-West constituency. His brother, Danny, 40, who replaces him, runs the Boston Bar in Bantry.

Margaret Murphy-OMahony (FF), who was also elected in the same constituency, is being replaced by Gillian Coughlan, who lost the nomination race against her to contest the general election. A former Bandon town councillor, Gillian teaches at Colaiste an Phairsaigh, Glanmire.

Sinn Fein got two councillors into the Dail: Donnchadh O Laoghaire, and Pat Buckley. The former is replaced by Eoghan Jeffers, 27, who lost his job as a mechanic during the recession. Danielle Twomey, a part-time student in CIT, takes up the latters seat.
Daniel Okingbowa, aged 27, Lucky Shaka, aged 24, and his girlfriend, Sonia Odusanya, aged 21, all with addresses at Thornfield Square, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning Innocent Wilson at a flat in Thornfield Square on April 12, 2014.

Mr Wilson had believed Odusanya was his girlfriend but that she saw him as just a friend.

After she lured him to her flat, her partner, Shaka, and another man showed up and began assaulting the victim. They told him they were going to take pictures and a video of him naked and put them up on the internet to humiliate him.

Mr Wilson managed to escape out a window but the men dragged him back while beating him up.

At this point, Okingbowa saw the commotion and asked what was going on. He was informed that Mr Wilson was trying to have sex with Odusanya. He helped the others bring Mr Wilson back to the flat and took part in stripping him.

Odusanya told gardai after her arrest that this wouldnt have happened if Innocent hadnt tried to have sex with me.

Judge Sarah Berkeley said the reasoning of the accused was they were dealing with morally reprehensible behaviour by assaulting and imprisoning him. Pieter LeVert, defending Shaka, agreed they wanted to teach him a lesson because he was married.

The judge suspended a sentence of two years on condition Odusanya keep the peace for that period. Okingbowa received an 18-month suspended sentence.

Judge Berkeley described Shaka as the most culpable of the three. She remanded him in custody until April 15.
Photo credit: Ariel Clarke, 4; Romy OGrady, 3; Andriy Sola Malinowsky, 3; and Mia Molloy, 4, outside Dail Eireann at the launch of the Childrens Rights Alliance 2016 report card. Picture: Marc OSullivan

The Government was given an F grade for failing to address child and youth homelessness. Child poverty was awarded an E grade, a step-up from last years F, but still a fail.

The Government was graded on its progress on the implementation of commitments to children under the programme for government 2011-16.

While the report is published annually by the alliance, all of the grades are awarded by an independent panel of experts.

Alliance chief executive Tanya Ward said it is the first time in eight years that the report has been issued while there is a hiatus in government. She said the incoming government must make childrens rights an urgent priority.

Tanya Ward

For the fourth consecutive year, the outgoing government received an overall C grade, reflecting some positive developments.

The alliance highlighted a number of key areas where the Government continued to fail the most marginalised groups.

Ms Ward described child poverty as a pressing issue that must be addressed. One in nine children is now living in poverty and the number of homeless children rose by an incredible 90% in the past year alone, she said.

The Government did publish a child-friendly budget for 2016, the alliance found, but the number of children experiencing homelessness was unacceptable.

The current upturn in the economy must not prove to simply push the most vulnerable even further into the margins of society, she said.

Key areas where improvements are needed include patronage and pluralism in education and the rights of Traveller, Roma, and migrant children.

Once again, children found themselves unable to access their local primary schools because of their religion, said Ms Ward.

The alliance said the grade for patronage and pluralism in primary education dropped to a D because of a sharp fall in momentum during the Governments term of office.

One A grade appeared in the report card for the first time ever, in the area of right to equality and non-discrimination. It reflected a number of developments, including the amendment to the Constitution providing marriage equality for same-sex couples.

Other areas doing well include education, where the Government made consistent progress. Within this area, school buildings received an A grade, reflecting progress and a move away from prefabricated buildings.

Child literacy gained a B+ and early childhood care and education received an improved B- from last years D+ grade after investments promised in Budget 2016.

The rollout of free GP care to under-6s and the commitment to extend the scheme to under-12s saw a slight improvement in primary care, with a B- grade.

Progress made on the introduction of legislation to reduce alcohol consumption and introduce plain tobacco packaging earned the Government a B grade in the report.

Ms Ward said the next government should build on these positive developments, uphold international obligations, and make life better for all children.
Exploited workers look set to benefit from additional protection in the Republic and the north after the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) signed a formal agreement with the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), the British equivalent of the Irish employment watchdog.

GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent and WRC chief labour inspector Padraig Dooley put pen to paper on a memorandum of understanding at the GLAs national conference in Derby to formalise and facilitate closer working between the two organisations.

The GLAs remit is to prevent worker exploitation in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, while the WRC performs a similar role in the Republic.

Mr Dooley said: This new agreement represents a significant step forward and Im sure will prove mutually beneficial to both ourselves and the GLA but, more importantly, to the workers we strive to protect. We intend to make use of the new arrangements at the earliest available opportunity and look forward to sharing best practice between our two teams.

Mr Broadbent added: In the past, we have come across a number of issues involving agencies supplying workers across the border  and so into a jurisdiction where our relevant organisations have no powers to act.

The document we have signed not only establishes a formal intelligence gateway through which we can share information more readily, but also allows officers from both organisations to work together more closely and attend operations together when there are cross-border implications.

The agreement also includes a provision for officers to be seconded to the partner agency so they can become familiar with each others powers and working practices.

The Norths justice minister, David Ford, welcoming the memorandum of understanding said: This agreement is a positive step forward in tackling forced labour on the island of Ireland. By working together, and sharing information and expertise, these agencies are better equipped to disrupt criminals who seek to exploit vulnerable workers.

The GLA, which was set up in 2006 following the deaths of 23 Chinese cocklepickers in Morecambe Bay in northwest England, licences and inspects businesses that supply workers to the farming, food-processing, and shellfish-gathering sectors.

The WRC was established last October under the Workplace Relations Act. It has also taken over some of the functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT).

While the Irish organisation performs a mostly advisory and mediation role, it has an inspectorate division that monitors employment conditions to ensure the compliance and enforcement of employment rights legislation.

Members of its inspection services also carry out inspections and gather information in relation to other employment laws. Employees or interested parties may ask for an inspection.

The British government announced recently that it is to beef up the GLA, giving it police-style powers of investigation, search, and arrest where regulatory breaches and criminal offences occur. There are no plans for the WRC to be given similar powers.
Mr Drumm was yesterday granted 150,000 bail by a Dublin court following his extradition from the US to face trial over financial irregularities at the bank.

The voluminous case involves allegations of 7bn back-to-back transactions with Irish Life & Permanent, which the State believe was part of a conspiracy to defraud. The charges also allege unlawful loans to the so-called Maple 10 group of investors as well as members of Sean Quinns family.

Mr Drumm, who has not yet entered a plea, was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison with consent to bail terms and will appear at Dublin District Court hearing today. It is expected he will then take up bail.

He has to lodge 50,000 and an independent surety in the sum of 100,000 has to be approved to get released. Other bail terms state he cannot leave the country, must sign on twice daily at Balbriggan Garda station and not apply for a new passport.

Mr Drumm emigrated to the US in 2009 and set up home in Boston; later he unsuccessfully filed for bankruptcy.

A warrant was issued for his arrest here in 2014 and an extradition request was then made by Ireland to the US authorities. He was arrested at his home in Wellesley on October 10 last year. At first, he refused to consent to his extradition but after two failed attempts to get released on bail, he changed his mind.

He arrived in Ireland yesterday accompanied by fraud squad detectives and was brought to appear at Dublin District Court where the State objected to bail on the grounds he was a flight risk. However, Judge Michael Walsh held that he was entitled to bail.

He said Mr Drumm, who is to reside at Shenick Avenue in Skerries in north Co Dublin, would be unlikely to face trial until 2017 and would be facing a trial involving a voluminous amount of evidence involving emails, 400 hours of phone recordings and millions of documents. He also said Mr Drumm was an Irish citizen with strong ties to Ireland.
Dean Kelly, prosecuting, said Mr Drumm led investigators on merry dance and fought tooth and claw to avoid extradition to Ireland.

The former banker was accompanied by gardai on Aer Lingus flight EI136 from Boston which touched down at 5.10am yesterday. He was arrested at 5.30am and then escorted to an unmarked car which whisked him off to Ballymun Garda Station where 33 charges were put to him.

Dressed in a navy business suit, the former Anglo boss was brought by gardai to the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin city centre. He then had to make his appearance before Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court.

Det Sgt Michael Prendergast and Det Sgt Michael McKenna of the fraud squad said Mr Drumm made no reply to the charges. Some of the offences can on conviction carry possible sentences of up to 10 years, while others have unlimited terms, Judge Walsh was told.

In the objection to bail, Det Sgt McKenna said Mr Drumm, aged 49, was a flight risk with the capacity to marshal significant sums of money despite having 8.5m of debts.

He agreed with Dean Kelly, prosecuting, that Mr Drumm was a voluntary exile in the US since 2009 and had not co-operated with the investigation or attempts to arrange meetings to be interviewed at venues in Ireland, the US, or elsewhere.

The State argued Mr Drumm only agreed to return after his bail application in the US failed and before that he led the two investigation agencies in Ireland  The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement  on a merry dance and fought tooth and claw to avoid extradition.

Det Sgt McKenna said Mr Drumm had placed himself beyond reach of both investigating agencies.

Mr Drumm spoke briefly when he entered the courtroom and the judge greeted him and asked him to sit down. Good morning, thank you, Mr Drumm replied. He then turned and blew a kiss to family and friends in the public gallery of a packed court number three. He then sat down with his hands clasped on his lap.

Documents from his US proceedings were considered by the judge for the purpose of deciding on bail.

Solicitor Deirdre Manninger for the State also said the DPP has directed Mr Drumm must face trial on indictment and a book of evidence was served.

Mr Drumm stood up to move his overcoat to make room for a box of evidence on his bench. His case will go forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and could be split into two trials, neither of which is likely to get under way until next year.

Some 31 of the charges related to his alleged role in the so-called Maple Ten transactions to secure Anglos falling share price and two charges in relation to 7bn back-to-back transactions with Irish Life and Permanent designed to strengthen the banks books.

There are six types of offences alleged including charges relating to forgery and falsifying documents, conspiracy to defraud, giving unlawful financial assistance for share-purchasing purposes, false accounting practices, and the disclosure of false or misleading information in a management report.

Defence solicitor Michael Staines said Mr Drumm has 47 relatives in Ireland. Four of them were prepared to put their houses on the line to help him get bail. Mr Drumm offered to be electronically tagged but there are no provisions for that enacted yet in Irish law.

The defence solicitor said that if remanded in custody, his client would not be able to prepare for his trial as he would not have access to the electronic evidence.

His wife is putting their Boston home up for sale and she is returning to Ireland in June.

Mr Staines said his client would surrender his passport and sign on twice daily at a Garda station.
The suggestion from Michael Hegarty (FG) comes after Irish Water said the precautionary boil water notice on the Whitegate/Dower rural water supply scheme must remain in place for a further six to eight months.

It said heavy rainfall over winter has led to high turbidity, or cloudiness, in the water supplying the water-treatment plant. It said if the turbidity of the water entering the plant is above an allowable level, the plant automatically shuts down as full treatment can not be guaranteed.

Speaking at yesterdays meeting of Cork County Council, Mr Hegarty said Irish Water should explain what risks are associated with the water and lift the lengthy notice if it is precautionary rather than due to a specific, identified threat.

I would be calling on Irish Water to lift the boil water forthwith. There is more than ample ultraviolet treatment both at source and at the reservoir, he said.

The inconvenience that this is causing both domestic and non-domestic consumers is frightening. Were coming into a tourist season and the amount of businesses affected is quite alarming. I think it is unnecessary to have Irish Water issue this precautionary boil water notice.

Mr Hegarty said an Irish Water representative should address the council on the matter. His motion found favour with other councillors in the area. Cllr Noel Collins (Ind) said councillors were told little or nothing of the source of the problem: What is the source of the pollution in Whitegate that necessitates the boiling of drinking water?

Cllr Mary Linehan-Foley (Ind) said the length of the notice was unacceptable: Some people are saying November, thats seven or eight months of people living with boil water notices. I dont think thats good enough. What exactly is causing this?

Cllr Susan McCarthy (FG) said Irish Water told her no bugs had been identified, and while she welcomed that, she felt the length of notice is excessive: If you pay for a service it has to be delivered. That needs to be looked at. Six to eight months is just not sustainable, she said.

Cllr Kieran McCarthy (Ind) questioned how Irish Water could issue a boil water notice due to cloudiness of water when he is aware of areas of Cobh where there are no such warnings despite brown water emerging from taps.
Barrister Clodagh Gartlan said in the Circuit Civil court that Sean Boylan, of 5 Annalee Grove, Cootehill, Co Cavan, had continuously deceived Marian Ryan, of Rushbrook View, Templeogue, Dublin, about the sale through his company M&M Marketing Strategies Limited.

Ms Gartlan told Judge Jacqueline Linnane it was feared Boylan may have already transferred the money elsewhere from his personal account.
The announcement is a key milestone in Facebooks commitment to investing and growing its presence in Ireland, a spokesman said.

The social network giant recently doubled the size of its premises in Dublins Silicon Docks, where it already employs 1,300 staff.

As part of the expansion, it has opened a Facebook Partner Centre, the first of its kind outside the companys global headquarters in Menlo Park, California.

The centre focuses on Facebooks apps and services as well as its longer- term investments in connectivity, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Earlier this year, the company said it wasbuilding a data centre in Clonee, Co Meath, its second in Europe and first in Ireland.

Gareth Lambe, head of Facebook Ireland, said: Weve had an incredibly exciting start to the year with the Clonee data centre announcement, the opening of our first partner centre outside of Menlo Park and todays news.

We look forward to welcoming new Facebookers to the company to help them to build meaningful, lasting careers, as well as business clients, he said.

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said the investments would bring huge advantages for the country.

Not only does 200 direct jobs within Facebook mean hundreds of extra jobs in the local economy through supply and services companies, but these investments have huge knock-on impacts for the start-up community and for our ability to attract more multinational investment, he said.
Despite stressing all current efforts are focussed on ensuring party leader Micheal Martin gets the most support in the April 6 vote, three TDs have said discussions between the two biggest parties could begin after the Dail debate takes place.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Fianna Fails public expenditure spokesperson Sean Fleming said while Mr Martin and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny are unlikely to reach the required 79 TD support to become taoiseach in three weeks, whoever gains the most backing should be allowed to try to form a minority government.

Mirroring weekend comments from environment spokesperson and party negotiating team member Barry Cowen and a third TD who spoke privately last night, Mr Fleming said whoever receives fewer votes on that date should step to one side and give the party with the largest backing the chance to begin negotiations.

In this scenario he said the party which receives the largest support in the Taoiseach nomination vote should be allowed to speak with smaller parties and Independent again in a bid to form a minority government.

Separate talks between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael could also take place simultaneously, requiring the smaller of the two in terms of the vote to admit defeat and back the other from the opposition benches on a case-by-case basis.

A third taoiseach nomination vote would then be required, most likely in late April, to establish a potential new government.

Whoever gets the most votes [on April 6] should be allowed to lead the next government. It would be incumbent on Enda Kenny to support Micheal Martin from opposition if he got less support, and I would say that both ways around.

Between now and April 6 were just focussing on support for the nomination vote, but after April 6 maybe then discussions could begin, said Mr Fleming.

He said whichever party wins the most backing in three weeks should be allowed to re-talk to everybody before a third taoiseach nomination vote takes place.

Asked why the same logic did not exist last Thursday, when Mr Kenny received 57 votes and Mr Martin 43, Mr Fleming said no negotiations [with smaller parties] had taken place in forming a government then and that the initial taoiseach nomination vote was about ratifying the election result.

His comments mirror those of Fianna Fail environment spokesperson and negotiating team member Barry Cowen, who said yesterday there is an onus on whoever loses the April 6 vote to support a minority government.

A third Fianna Fail TD familiar with the negotiating teams work said while the position is not the definitive view, it makes perfect sense to me. Fianna Fail last night continued to say it is seeking to remove Fine Gael from office. Transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley said talks are entirely a matter for the party leader and that the options are Enda Kenny in power, Micheal Martin in power, or a second election.

However, the potential for minority government talks after April 6 underlines the partys belief it can gain more votes than Fine Gael.
He said it seemed extraordinary that the HSE should be warning the Department of Health at such an early stage about a spending deficit when it got an increase of about 800m for 2016.

It was reported that the HSE warned the Department of Health that the cost of delivering all of the services set out in the service plan could cause a financial deficit of between 300m and 500m.

The HSE has not published any financial data so far this year but has been considering the outturn if projected savings are not made.

Mr Kelleher said Health Minister Leo Varadkar should outline the plans his department has in the event of the overrun mentioned by the health authority.

We also need to hear whether the 35m allocated for mental health will be provided or if it will fall victim to budgetary pressures, he said.

The Cork North Central TD also repeated his call for greater consultation in advance of the next budget.

Last summer, HSE director general, Tony OBrien, made a detailed financial submission to the Department of Health for the funding required to provide health services.

Mr Kelleher said the submission was never discussed in the Oireachtas before the October Budget but was leaked to the media and then rejected in a doorstep interview by the Minister for Public Service, Brendan Howlin.

He wanted the Oireachtas Health Committee to hold extensive discussions with the Department of Health and the HSE on health spending well in advance of the summer recess.

Meanwhile, talks at the Workplace Relations Commission about the agreement reached in January that averted industrial action by ED nurses have been adjourned until tomorrow.

The agreement to reduce ED overcrowding provided for a WRC chaired review involving the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the HSE and the Department of Health.

The INMO said that despite the deal, there had been an 18% increase in admitted patients on trolleys during the first two weeks of this month, compared to the same period last year.

Last night INMO general secretary Liam Doran said yesterdays discussions were very frustrating and that the management side seemed unable to confirm its willingness to fund all aspects of the agreement.

At times we had the bizarre situation of the HSE saying it needed to correspond with the Department of Health even though both parties were there and involved in the process, Mr Doran said.

The union is concerned about a critical shortage of staff which it says is resulting in most shifts being being left short of the agreed staffing level.

The INMO also said it had become clear that the HSE was seeking to slow down recruitment due to hospital budgets being exceeded and this was a breach of the agreement.
In addition farming organisations may arrange for a cut in milk production by farmers who are hard pressed to find markets for their produce, according to proposals from European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan.

He has been under pressure from French and other governments to help farmers who have watched the bottom fall out of the milk market at a time when the 30 year-old quota system was abolished.

Most of the rise in milk production over the past year has come from Irish and Dutch farmers. Mr Coveney said that Irish farmers were not pushing for quotas to be reintroduced having prepared for four years to compete in a market where there were not restraints.

I want to see Irish farmers ready to take advantage of an improving milk price that we will see in time, and they will be very well placed in how ever many months that happens, he said.

He welcomed a series of other measures that Commissioner Hogan announced including a doubling for skim milk powder and butter intervention, aid for cheese storage, new export credit tools and new aid for private storage for pigment.

The president of the ICMSA, John Comer said they did not object to a subsidy being paid to farmers not to produce milk, but it must be voluntary.

They would have preferred a combination of a raised intervention price to 28 cents per litre and a drastic upgrade of storage volumes to take big quantities out of the market.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association said they would oppose any move to support dairy farmers from the crisis reserve fund built up from deductions from the basic payment to farmers.

The focus must be on regulating the food chain since consumers pay enough to ensure a fair price for the farmer, but the money is being taken by processors and retailers.
With six in 10 people opposing the military use of the airport, the results of the poll will send a stark message to Washington in a week where relations are usually cordial between Ireland and the US. Independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly will release further details of the Red C poll today. They have renewed calls for an inquiry into how Shannon has been used for US military purposes.

Initial details of the poll show 57% of people questioned believe that the Constitution should be changed to ensure Irelands neutrality is enshrined in it. However, it also found that the same amount of people oppose the use of Shannon by the United States for military transit purposes, the TDs said.

Mr Kenny, now leading a caretaker government, is expected to face pressure this week to raise the issue of Shannon Airport with Mr Obama during the customary St Patricks Day visit to the White House.

A statement from Wexford TD Wallace said that it was imperative now to raise the matter, given the results of the poll. Mr Wallace claimed Ireland had facilitated US missions to Afghanistan and Iraq, through Shannon.

Its long past time that Ireland stopped facilitating this horror by refusing to allow Shannon Airport to be used for any military purposes. We need a change of direction. It should start with the new government. Its time for Ireland to work for peace, not war.

Commenting on the results, fellow Independent TD, Dublin-Fingals Clare Daly, also said action was needed given the definitive results of the survey.

A country with a policy of positive neutrality would not facilitate the massive, devastating displacement of tens of millions of people through wars whose only purpose is to keep the gears of the military-industrial complex oiled.

Ed Horgan of Shannonwatch, a former UN peacekeeper who has spent years highlighting military use of the airport, said: Shannon Airport has been used, or misused by the US military, with the approval of successive Irish governments since October 2001. In the meantime, over 3m armed US troops have transited through Shannon on their way to and from wars and military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere.

Mr Horgan claims US military aircraft have transported unknown quantities of munitions and other war materials through Shannon but that the Government has repeatedly denied the aircraft are carrying weapons and munitions.

The same poll also found that 57% of respondents want changes made to the Constitution, to ensure Irelands neutrality. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs said permission must be sought in advance for landings by all foreign military aircraft.

These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is satisfied that the US is fully aware of the need to comply with these strict conditions.
Teams of transition year pupils competed at the regional final of Ireland CanSat, organised by Cork technology network CEIA and the European Space Education Resource Office.

Glanmire Community College, whose team comprised Adam Murphy, James OShaughnessy, and Daniel Pogosyan, was the overall winner and progresses to represent Cork schools at a national final in Birr Castle next week.

The outright winner goes forward to a European event.

Dr Eamon Connolly, promotion officer for electrical and electronic engineering at CEIA, said: CanSat is a unique space project that simulates a real satellite which fits into the volume of a soft drinks can.

Students launch their own satellite and get first-hand practical experience of a real space project.

This initiative is designed to encourage and excite transition year students as to the possibilities of a career in science and engineering.

St Brogans, Bandon, and Colaiste an Chraoibhin in Fermoy also competed.

Each CanSat was required to measure the air pressure and air temperature after release and during descent; teams had to display the data collected in a graph and present their results to judges.

Each team also had to fit all the major subsystems found in a satellite to their CanSat including power, sensors, and communications  and provide a parachute to ensure the can had a gentle landing.

Students from Colaiste an Chraoibhin, Fermoy, also competed in the regional final: Leigha Aherne, Seamus Shealy, Mary Sheehan, and Joe Steele. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

Valerie Cowman of CEIA said: The quality of the work this year was incredible. I would like to thank the individual mentors who worked tirelessly with the teams in the run up to the final.

Glanmire Community College principal Pat McKelvey said it is proud of the achievement of our students in winning the regional final of the CanSat competition.

The school places huge emphasis on the promotion of the Stem subjects and the development of a skills-based approach to learning.

We want to wish James, Adam, and David the best of luck in the national final. Their success will, no doubt, encourage younger students to challenge themselves in this area in the future.
The transition-year student from Our Ladys College in Drogheda, Co Louth, was the overall winner in a national competition that encourages students to read newspapers.

Emma wrote her thought-provoking opinion piece  The Politics of Apathy  because she is worried that most young people do not care about politics, that it bores them.

She was one of more than 7,500 students who took part in the 2015 Press Pass initiative run by NewsBrands Ireland and sponsored by the Irish League of Credit Unions.

Emma, who hopes one day to become a political journalist, talks about political matters with her family, but not with her friends.

I dont talk politics with my friends because I dont think they are interested, but they should be because they are going to have to vote some day  it will affect them anyway.

Former press ombudsman and jury chairman, Prof John Horgan, said Emma not only scored top marks in the competition, she seemed to be endowed with the gift of prophecy.

It captured a public mood even before it had been expressed in the ballot box, he said.

More than 60,000 students from around the country have taken part in Press Pass since it was launched in 2012.

Category winners, from left, Zachary Gillespie from St Columbas Comprehensive School, Glenties (News); Eoin Hartnett from Colaiste an Chraoibhin, Fermoy (Comment and Opinion); Lorraine Hanrahan from Presentation, Castleisland (Photojournalism), and Ciaran Sheehan, CBS, Charleville, (Sports). Pic: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography 2016

The initiative, sponsored by the Irish League of Credit Unions, seeks to improve literacy skill and critical thinking as well a increasing awareness of media and news among students.

Free national and local newspapers are provided to participating schools and students are encouraged to analyse a range of newspaper content.

The students also receive a guidebook compiled by Irish Examiner news editor John OMahony and designed by Irish Examiner marketing graphic artist, Edward Butt.

Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English, who presented the winning students with their awards at the Convention Centre in Dublin, said newspapers were an excellent teaching tool and commended NewsBrands Ireland for providing them free- of-charge to participating schools.

Press Pass is a positive initiative that can benefit transition year students in a variety of ways, not only by improving literacy skills and helping to prepare them for the Leaving Certificate English course, but also by developing a greater understanding of the world we live in, said Mr English.

Brian McCrory, president of Irish League of Credit Unions, Press Pass sponsors; Damien English, Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, and Vincent Crowley, chairman of NewsBrands Ireland. Pic: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography 2016

Newsbrands Ireland chairman, Vincent Crowley, said the entries were of an exceptional standard and what really came through was a sense of enjoyment and love of words.

The winning entries demonstrate a confident grasp of language and literacy that will stand to the students whatever they choose to do in life, said Mr Crowley.

As well as the overall winner there were five category winners;
Circuit Court judges Harvey Kenny, Sean O Donnabhain, and David Riordan were joined by Ms Justice Marie Baker of the High Court for the tributes.

Judge O Donnabhain expressed his condolences to the family of Mr Crowley. There was something almost Liam-ish about the manner in which he left us in a quiet, unobtrusive way, he just went from us, he said.

Donal McCarthy, father of the Cork Bar, said the shock was greater for barristers when a colleague died as they worked side by side every day in court. Mr McCarthy said he had lost a friend, a brother, and a son.

Barrister James Duggan said Mr Crowley had devilled with him for a year as a barrister and they had been friends for the past 40 years. Mr Duggan said the late Mr Crowley had been devoted to his mother, who died four years ago, and that, in a sense, he died too with that loss. In terms of his work as a legal practitioner, Mr Crowley often succeeded in very challenging and difficult cases, said Mr Duggan.

Colleague and solicitor Patrick McNally said: He was an outstanding negotiator. He was a man of action but time was never of the essence, and he had a great sense of humour.

Solicitor Michael Joyce, on behalf of the Southern Law Association, said he was an honest, sincere, and very charitable person and that in this week of Cheltenham he would have expected a call from him about upcoming races.

Solicitor Simon Murphy said on behalf of the Law Society that solicitors would miss a great colleague. Richard OConnor, registrar, expressed condolences on behalf of court staff to family of the late Mr Crowley who were present in Cork Circuit Court yesterday.
The companies announced that park-goers will ride a traditional roller coaster while wearing a Samsung Gear VR headset. This will let them "feel the heart-pumping adrenaline of steep drops, inverted loops and powerful twists and turns as gyros, accelerometers and proximity sensors synchronize all of the action in an incredibly realistic 360-degree virtual reality world."

On the New Revolution VR coasters, riders will be transported to "a futuristic battle to save planet Earth from an alien invasion," strapped into a fighter jet for air-to-air combat."
HOW is it possible that Ireland, a proud European republic, first of all allows a private venture fund to buy a housing estate, and then immediately to begin eviction proceedings against anyone who is a tenant in the estate? How can that happen in the modern world? What kind of country would allow that?

And yet if we can believe the news, thats exactly what is happening to perhaps 60 families in Tyrrellstown in west Dublin. They are facing eviction because the debts of the developer who built their homes were sold to what we now know as a vulture fund, and they are determined to make as quick a profit as they can by dumping families on the street. In the middle of a large and growing crisis of homelessness, these families and their children will be added to a spectacularly shameful set of statistics.

Except theyre not statistics. Let me tell you about some children were working with in Barnardos.

Jenny is five, and she sleeps in a wardrobe. Its the only way she can get a little bit of space of her own. The light is on in her one-bed apartment a lot, because her baby sister is awake for a good deal of the night.

Jenny lives in this tiny cramped apartment with her Mum and baby sister. Although its tiny, the rent is so high that it takes most of her Mums income to pay the rent. So heating, and sometimes food, is often in short supply. Her Mum has to make these choices every day. A part-time job would help with the rent, but there is no possibility of child care she could possibly afford.

Mary is eight. Her proudest possession is the bike two of her aunties gave her last Christmas. But she cant use it, except when she goes, once a week or so, to visit one of the aunties. Mary, her Mum, and her little brother and sister are living in emergency accommodation. Its a room with its own bathroom in a hotel. All their possessions are piled up in one corner, and theres no room for the bike. Even if there were, theres nowhere safe to cycle it.

Sinead is a teenager, and got pregnant. Her mother, who has always struggled with her mental health, freaked, and the relationship between them deteriorated. When Sineads baby was two she had to take her to a refuge because of the violence and threats of violence at home. For all sorts of complicated reasons she and her toddler ended up in emergency accommodation  somewhere to sleep, with breakfast provided, but nowhere to stay by day. Sinead is now struggling with depression.

Theres a family we know in another part of Ireland who are doing everything they can to avoid emergency accommodation. But the result has been three generations of the same family  three parents and seven children, living in a tiny three-bed house.

These are true stories. Theyre not all Dublin stories  these things are happening all over Ireland. Perhaps theyre not as dramatic as the stories of refugees fleeing from torture and death. Perhaps these children should count themselves as lucky  they have a roof over their heads, after all (most of the time anyway).

But heres the thing. Theres a new kind of homelessness re-emerging in Ireland now. Homelessness has always been a feature of Irish life  although often confined in recent years to rough sleepers, people often on their own who couldnt, for one reason or another, cope with the rigours of ordinary life. Then the phenomenon of family homelessness, always involving children, began to hit. And now theres a third kind  what we call hidden homelessness.

There are thousands of families living in hugely overcrowded and inappropriate conditions throughout Ireland. The children of those families, in every single case, are at risk. In the best of scenarios theyre at risk of not being able to grow up as children should  free to play, encouraged to do well at school, able to share treats with their friends. And there are too many other, darker scenarios, where overcrowding leads to stress and challenges to mental health, sometimes to violence. Where economic pressures lead to children being cold, under-nourished, and without recourse to a doctor when they need it.

Of course these are big problems. They cant be fixed overnight, especially in a country that turned its back on local authority housing a half a generation ago, and relied on ever-increasing property prices to entice developers into supplying the homes we need. Of course it will take time.

But the thing is, we know where these families live. We know that (for example) a modest and rapid investment in modular housing would begin to redress the worst of these problems overnight.

And much more is possible quickly. I drive around Ireland a lot. Lately Ive taken to making notes of the half-finished apartment blocks or the boarded-up houses I see. I dont know who owns them, but Id be happy to point them out to anyone whos interested.

But nobody is interested. If we had a government, we would (or should, anyway) be demanding that they establish a Homelessness Agency. It doesnt need to be large, and it doesnt need a long shelf life. It needs a budget of course, and it needs the power to develop a set of accountable priorities, to commandeer unused properties, to compulsorily intervene where there is clear profiteering going on. It could be staffed on a temporary basis out of the local authorities and the housing agencies and charities  all of whom would put their shoulders to the wheel if asked.

But of course, we need a government. And a government with a sense of priorities. Perhaps even in this case supported by a left-wing opposition with a sense of priorities.

The homelessness situation is a scandal. Its shaming for a country like ours. Maybe weve never bothered to insert a right to shelter in our constitution, but weve always prided ourselves on our attitude to home.

Thats why, if anything, its even more shaming to see the entire political system  especially on the so-called left  bickering about water charges in the face of this scandal. We all know that Irish Water has become a public policy joke, but the politics of saying we wont even discuss other social priorities until you get rid of Irish Water is beyond juvenile.

If we cant begin to address the problem of homelessness, if we allow it because of political fatuity to get worse, we are building up a store of mental health problems and anti-social behaviour among the children who are living intolerable lives now. When real and solid problems are staring politics in the face  and especially when there is an entire sector ready and willing to help, once they are mobilised and enabled  it is genuinely astonishing that the system would prefer to play stupid, points-scoring games.

They say we get the politics we deserve. Our children dont deserve this. They deserve their politicians to behave like adults, and not like the noisiest kids in the schoolyard. Sadly, their politicians only want to let them down.
THEY do things differently in the North . The discovery of an act of serious financial impropriety in the company formerly known as Bord Gais Eireann had implications on both sides of the border.

The impropriety involved a group of employees of the company effectively covering up overruns on a pipeline project, known as Project South. The pipeline, running from Barnkyle to Coonagh West in Co Limerick, was constructed in 2002 and 2003. In the course of construction, it was discovered that there was a cost overrun of 522,000. Instead of informing the companys board  and incurring reputational and perhaps other career damage  a group of employees decided to cover it up.

This was done by diverting the costs to two other projects, one here and another running between the Republic and the North. The implications for this was to give the impression that these projects cost more than they actually did, and in turn this cost was passed on to customers.

The matter may have ended there had not a former employee decided to blow the whistle on the whole affair. In 2014, this man wrote to the chairman of Ervia, which is the parent company for Gas Networks Ireland, the entity which replaced Bord Gais Eireann . The whistleblower also passed his concern to the energy regulators north and south.

As a result, KPMG was retained to investigate the impropriety. Its report was completed last May and GNI passed it onto both regulators, which in turn completed their own investigations.

The KPMG report confirmed the allegations. It also noted GNI had stated that neither the board nor the CEO of Ervia had any awareness of the misallocation. This misallocation would never have been sanctioned by the proper authorities. GNI told the Irish Examiner four of the six employees involved were still with the company and have received appropriate sanctions.

On March 1, the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation issued its report, with a recommendation that GNIs UK arm be fined 500,000 (644,000). This fine is due to be confirmed following a statutory period of consultation which expires at the end of this month.

The regulator reported that we take these provisions seriously. The purpose of reporting actual costs is to ensure that the licence holder is appropriately recompensed for expenditure actually incurred and to ensure that any such expenditure which is ultimately paid for by Northern Ireland consumers reflects the actual costs incurred by the licence holder. Last Tuesday, the Irish Examiner contacted the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in this jurisdiction and was told that a report was imminent on the matter. That report was published on Thursday, under the heading Final Report on Project South, which gave no hint as to the nature of the report.

The report stated that the whistleblower alleged that the senior member of staff within Bord Gais Eireann deliberately concealed from Bord Gais Eireanns board the cost overruns associated with a Bord Gais Eireann gas infrastructure project.

It also discovered a financial transaction in Bord Gais Eireann for the 2006/7 period, which was not reflected in the company accounts. This has since been rectified.

Yet the Commission for Energy Regulation is not in a position to impose a financial penalty on the company despite it being responsible for overcharging customers on foot of the dodgy transactions.

The CER reported that it would engage with DCENR (Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources) regarding the development of enhanced administrative sanctions for the CER to implement (including the ability to impose financial penalties) as it is the view of the investigation team that the CER does not have sufficient vires to impose appropriate sanctions of financial penalties on regulated entities. The report went further, saying that it would be further engaging with the department to ensure that the regulatory powers of the CER are sufficient and that they evolve in line with the growth of the energy sector.

The difference between the teeth shown by the regulator in the North and its opposite numbers in the South could not be more stark. In the North the matter was taken so seriously as to impose a considerable fine. In the South, the regulator simply does not have the powers to impose any such fine. Is it the age-old problem that in this State we do not take seriously matters of regulation and any improprieties that occur?

These days, the CER is also responsible for the workings of the highly controversial Irish Water. Numerous issues have arisen about that entity, yet the body to which it is ultimately answerable simply does not have the powers to issue a financial penalty.

Questions also arise for Gas Networks Ireland and its parent. How closely are matters of control policed? The company claims that the kind of stuff that was undertaken in this incident would not occur since new controls have been put in place, but whether or not that is sufficient remains to be seen.

Gas Networks Ireland issued a statement to the Irish Examiner which condemned that which occurred within the company.

This incident was a clear breach of the companys values and the company deeply regrets and apologies for this misallocation of costs.

Having completed its own internal investigations the company believes that the misallocation was an isolated incident and did not reflect a pattern or practice within the company.

That confidence may be misplaced. If the whistleblower had not come forward, this incident would never have been uncovered and everybody would carry on as if nothing had happened.

For years there were rumours about the manner in which contracts were awarded and run in the gas networks. Before now, nothing was ever discovered to substantiate any of the rumours.

Sources in the industry claim there have been changes in recent years as the corporate structure was overhauled which ensure tighter controls, but that remains to be seen.

The most crucial question, however, remains the powers of the regulator. The area is one that should receive immediate attention whenever a new government is installed. With the proliferation of energy companies it is vital that customers can retain confidence that their energy requirements are being met without any impropriety along the way, particularly when such improprieties result in the customer picking up the tab.
Peter Salama, Unicefs regional chief, called on donor countries to make good on money pledges made at a Syria aid conference in London last month. Unicef is seeking $1.16bn (1.04bn) for 2016 to help Syrias children, including close to three million who are not in school.

The agency has so far received only 6% of the amount it seeks for this year. Mr Salama said it would make more sense for donors to provide the funds early on and enable more effective, longer-term planning.

Lets stop the suffering now, lets ensure that they (Syrias children) have a future, and they see that they have a future, Mr Salama said. We have an opportunity still to save this generation.

Mr Salama spoke as the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, reconvened indirect talks in Geneva between representatives of Syrian president Bashar Assad and opposition groups trying to topple his government. The talks resumed after a fragile, partial ceasefire took hold on February 27.

The Syria conflict began in March 2011 as a popular uprising against Assad that quickly escalated into civil war. Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed. Almost half the pre-war population of 23 million has been displaced, including more than 4.8 million who fled their homeland.

Unicef said the conflict has affected more than 80% of Syrias children, including seven million who now live in poverty. This has led to growing numbers of children leaving school to work, marrying young or joining armed groups, as a way of supporting their families financially, the agency said.

In refugee camps in Jordan, one third of marriages involve girls under the age of 18  triple what it was in 2011.

The agency said it was able to confirm 354 cases of recruitment in 2015, compared with 278 in 2014.

As the UN special envoy for Syria restarted peace talks between the government and the opposition, he warned that the only alternative is a return to war and described the political transition in the country now led by Assad as the mother of all issues.

Moments before meeting with a Syrian government envoy, de Mistura laid out both high stakes and low expectations for what is shaping up as the most promising initiative in years to end the conflict that moves into its sixth year today.

The talks follow striking achievements in recent weeks: A ceasefire that began on February 27, vastly reducing the bloodshed, and the recent resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to thousands of Syrians in besieged areas  zones surrounded by fighters and generally cut off from the outside world.
The UN security council and others could have done more to arrest the conflicts such as in Syria, but xenophobia and racism are on the rise in many parts of the world, fuelled by the rhetoric of hate.

He warned over what he said was worrying backsliding in Hungary and Poland over the rule of law, and he referenced moves against free speech, civil rights bodies, and the displacement of refugees in Hungary.

There were similar concerns over Poland, especially because of the new law that weakened the capacity of the Constitutional Court to evaluate whether new laws are in line with the Constitution and he seconded the concerns of the Venice Commissions report last Friday.

We join with the Council of Europe and others that urge Poland to step back from this, he said, adding that he would ask in his meeting with the European Commission and European Parliament what steps they are taking. His intervention came ahead of meetings with senior EU officials and the summit of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday when they hope to finalise their migrant policy.

Mr Al Hussein questioned the excuse that the border closures in the Western Balkans was to restore order, saying that instead what we see on the Greek-Macedonia border was a humanitarian crisis.

Many of the people have been through horrific experiences in Syria and are now waiting in desperate wet camps, and Europe does not seem to have any other message than go away, he said, adding that the lessons from the Yugoslav war had not been learned.

While the details of the deal with Turkey had not been finally decided or revealed yet, he warned the blanket returns of migrants from Greece to Turkey that appeared to be part of the initial deal was forbidden under EU and international law.

Another pillar of the EUs answer to the migrant crisis is to declare Turkey as a safe country to which people can be returned, but Mr Al Hussein says that this does not accord with the Geneva convention with Turkey applying it only to Europeans.
The company says it learned of the video last Friday and immediately alerted law enforcement authorities and regulators. A criminal investigation is being conducted by the US Food and Drug Administrations Office of Criminal Investigation, the company said.

The graphic video shows a man urinating on an assembly line, then panning to a sign with the Kellogg logo. Kellogg said its own investigation determined the video was recorded at its Memphis, Tennessee, factory in 2014.

It is important to note that any products that could be potentially impacted would be very limited and past their expiration dates, the company said. It says the products that were potentially impacted include Rice Krispies Treats, granola clusters used in some products and puffed rice treats that it no longer makes.

We are outraged by this completely unacceptable situation, and we will work closely with authorities to prosecute to the full extent of the law, the company said.

Kellogg said it is still working to identify the individual in the video.

Games of drones

ENGLAND:

A team led by a 15-year-old British pilot has won the first World Drone Prix in Dubai.

Luke Bannister of Somerset raised the golden trophy over his head after the race on Saturday night.

Bannisters team, Tornado X-Blades Banni UK, won a $250,000 (225,250) purse, part of $1 million (900,998) in prizes handed out in the inaugural edition of the race.

Its a shard life

ENGLAND:

A mystery man has parachuted off The Shard prompting the skyscrapers bosses to launch an investigation.

The man, who could be a base jumper, disappeared quickly after his dramatic leap from the 310-metre high building.

Pictures and video of the daredevil move were posted on social media, showing the man drift back down to a London street.

Bats all folks

USA:

A business watchdog is being ordered to stay away from his Florida office after 5kg of bat droppings was discovered above his desk.

Inspectors found the guano in an area right above the ceiling of Ken Lawsons office in Talahassee.

They have told Mr Lawson, secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, that no-one should enter his office until the mess is removed.

Two in two-storey drop

AUSTRALIA:

A mother trapped by fire in her second-floor apartment dropped her two-day-old baby and two-year-old toddler from a window to rescuers.

The children were uninjured by the fire and the 20ft fall, police in Sydney said. They were apparently caught by neighbours holding a bedsheet over scattered mattresses before firefighters arrived. The 27-year-old mother was rescued by fire crews using a ladder and was taken to hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and cuts.

The fire, which broke out in a kitchen in a block of flats in the suburb of Lakemba, spread to other apartments and about 50 people were evacuated from the block.

Cougar kills koala

USA:

Officials believe a wild mountain lion made a meal out of a koala that was found mauled to death at Los Angeles Zoo.

John Lewis, the zoos director, said workers found the koalas body outside its pen, and the seven-year-old male cougar was spotted on zoo surveillance video from the same night. Zoo workers are now taking extra precautions such as locking up smaller animals in barns at night.

The cougar, called P-22, wears a tracking collar and was once photographed near the Hollywood sign for National Geographic.

Workers up in arms

USA:

The owner of a small US insurance company has ordered his employees to carry a firearm at the office, sparking a debate about workplace safety.

Lance Toland  owner of Lance Toland Associates, an aviation insurance firm based in Griffin, Georgia  told all 12 employees to get permits to carry concealed weapons. He is then giving each of them a revolver known as The Judge.

So far, he says, none of the workers has refused, but the decision has led to a debate among those who say it is a smart idea for employees to carry a firearm for protection and others who say it could invite violence in a workplace when there is a dispute.

Taxi thiefs heads-up

USA:

A Denver woman has been accused of stealing a taxi, but not before she told the driver where she was headed.

KMGH-TV reports that the cab driver called police to say that a woman got in his cab and asked to go to a 7-Eleven store.

Police say she then threatened him with a knife, kicked him out of the taxi and took off in the vehicle.

The woman ditched the cab but walked to the convenience store she had initially mentioned. Police say she was arrested there and taken into custody.
Nine F-16s and two F-4 jets raided 18 positions of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq, including the Qandil mountains where the groups leadership is based, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Ammunition depots, bunkers, and shelters were among the targets hit.

Police, meanwhile, carried out raids in the southern city of Adana, detaining 38 suspected PKK rebels, the agency reported. Fifteen suspected Kurdish militants were also detained in Istanbul, Anadolu said.
Burma Burmas Expected President Is an Unlikely Leader

For years he walked alongside Aung San Suu Kyi, a quiet confidant as she campaigned for democracy. On Tuesday, Htin Kyaw will become Burmas president.

NAYPYIDAW  For years he walked alongside Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, a quiet confidant as she campaigned for democracy in Burma. On Tuesday, with her blessing, Htin Kyaw will become the countrys president.

A soft-spoken man with a penchant for literature and writing, Htin Kyaw gave up a career in the Foreign Ministry decades ago to help Suu Kyi, his childhood friend, with her political party. When Burma was under military rule, he ended up in the juntas prison along with other pro-democracy activists.

But until last week, Htin Kyaw was hardly a household name, and most people in Burmaor outsidecould have never imagined that he would become the president of the countrys first democratically elected government in more than a half-century.

Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 general elections, but is prevented from becoming president by a constitutional clause designed by the former military rulers who have been gradually letting go of power since 2011.

So she chose a trusted friend and adviser. She has repeatedly said she expects the president to be her proxy.

Htin Kyaw, 70, is the son of a national poet and the son-in-law of a founding member of the countrys pro-democracy movement. He has known Suu Kyi, 71, since grade school. Their fathers were family friends, and Htin Kyaw has been at Suu Kyis side almost constantly since 1992.

But he kept such a low profile that journalists were left scrambling to find out anything about Htin Kyaw when his nomination was announced last week. After all, he was only the nameless face often appearing behind Suu Kyi in pictures taken during her infrequent public appearances before she was freed from long periods of house arrests.

Htin Kyaw is a very quiet man who loves literature, said Zaw Min Kyaw, who has known Htin Kyaw for more than 20 years. Zaw Min published a book compiling a series of articles Htin Kyaw wrote about his father, titled My Fathers Life, in 2009.

He talks steadily and softly. He is such a kind person; very honest, quiet, and passionate, and lives simply, he told The Associated Press.

Under Burmas complicated electoral system, the president is elected by lawmakers of both houses of Parliament. They chose from three candidates, one representing the Lower House, one the Upper House and one representing the military bloc, which has 25 percent of seats reserved for them. The candidate with the highest number of votes becomes president and the other two become vice presidents.

As the personal nominee of Suu Kyi, Htin Kyaw is expected to win the highest number of votes in elections set to take place Tuesday.

Suu Kyi nominated him obviously to show that he is the most trusted person for her, said Zaw Min, 48, a former NLD member. If this kind of person leads the country  it will also affect positively on the people of this country.

Htin Kyaw is one of the first generation of graduates from Rangoon University, now the University of Yangon. He earned a bachelors degree in economics in 1967 and a masters degree in economics in 1968, while also working as a lecturer there. He moved to the computer science department in 1970, and later studied computer science at the University of London for two years before returning home to work as a programmer and analyst until 1975.

Five years later, Zyaw Min said, Htin Kyaw then joined the governments foreign economic relations department, where he worked as deputy director. He resigned in 1992apparently because of his family connections to the opposition partyand took greater interest in the work of the NLD, which was in the throes of a democracy campaign against a military junta.

At the time, his father-in-law, U Lwin, was sick and Htin Kyaw used to drive him to the party office. In the process he started helping Suu Kyi with issues relating to foreign policy, and became the key adviser on the partys outreach to foreign governments and embassies, even as the junta continued to throttle the democracy movement.

A watershed in his life came in 2000 when NLD workers, including Zaw Min, wanted to go to Mandalay on a campaign trip. They went to the Rangoon train station to meet with Suu Kyi, who had been driven there by Htin Kyaw. But officials refused to sell them tickets, and the situation became tense.

Instead of leaving Suu Kyi at the station, Htin Kyaw waited and waited because he knew the situation was not good, said Zaw Min.

In the end everyone was detained, including Htin Kyaw. Suu Kyi was returned to house arrest, and the other nine activists spent the next 4 months in notorious Insein prison.

Up to that point, and even after his release, Htin Kyaw didnt really do much active politics as far as I know, said Zaw Min. Its not like he was taking a big position in the political party, but over the years he ended up helping Suu Kyi a lot in party affairs.

Htin Kyaw is now a senior executive of the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, a charity named for Suu Kyis mother. He is also a trusted member of the partys inner circle.

He is a very trusted friend of Daw Suu Kyi, said Zaw Min. They both went to the same elementary school in Rangoon. Htin Kyaw is remembered by his acquaintances as a smart student who loved sports. At university, he played water polo.

After he retired [from his government job], he became very quiet. He started spending a lot of time reading and writing articles, said Zaw Min.
Burma US Ambassador Derek Mitchell: I Feel Gratitude for What Ive Been Able to Witness

The Irrawaddy discusses a range of issues with now-former US Ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell, including economic sanctions, national identity and Burmas historic November election.

Derek Mitchell, the now-former US ambassador to Burma, has helped guide a remarkable transformation in bilateral relations between the two countries since he was installed in 2012 as Washingtons top envoy in the Southeast Asian nation. The Irrawaddys English edition editor Kyaw Zwa Moe sat down with Mitchell last month to discuss a range of issues including economic sanctions, national identity and Burmas historic November general election. Mitchells last official day on the job was Monday.

Youve witness a lot over the past few years in Burma. How do you feel now that youre leaving?

I feel a mixture of emotions, for obvious reasons. Theres a great sadness that my wife and I feel to leave this country because we have loved it so much. I feel gratitude for what Ive been able to witness, gratitude to be part of a historic time that continues to unfold. We dont know how this is going to unfold, but we are in a very different place than we were years ago. Well have to figure out ways that we can continue to contribute without being ambassador and wife.

I think we have both witnessed a lot of change over the past five years. A few days ago, the current administration arrested Nilar Thein, a prominent, political activist. How do you feel leaving Burma with political prisoners still incarcerated and political activists facing arrest?

These are people Ive gotten to know over the past several years who I admire tremendously for their courage and their commitment to their country. It is disappointing to be departing before their situations are cleared up. The issue of political prisoners is one of the priorities that I took up. These people are allies in democracy. They believe in free speech. They are patriots. Its disappointing that this legacy of the past remains. But, Im hopeful that a new government and maybe a new era are coming, that all people will be able to freely express themselves, and that the laws will be changed to embrace free speech instead of seeing it as a threat to stability.

That latest arrest indicated that the international community didnt manage to convince Thein Seins administration to accept international and democratic norms. How difficult is it for you to convince Thein Seins administration to accept those norms?

What theyre saying is they have violated laws that are on the books as theyve been passed by the Parliament. I wish they would be selective in their interpretation of the laws in order to allow for free speech and the right to demonstrate. It is the responsibility of the new government to put this era in the past, to pass laws that are clear, and to place people in the ministries that will interpret these laws in ways that affirm democratic practice. There are limitations on free speech and demonstrations, but they should be consistent with international standards.

Why do you think the administration, with only one month left to govern, keeps arresting or intimidating the people?

I think it is an old mindset of what constitutes stability and rule of law. They may believe there are laws on the books that you need to follow in order to have a demonstration, and if you dont follow those laws you are held accountable. This is a sensitive moment and they want to ensure stability to get to April 1, just as they felt they had created a stability that allowed the elections to occur. Thats one mindset. And I think what you need is a new mindset and a new government so that belief is something of the past.

It wont be easy for the president of the NLD to announce amnesty for the political prisoners. They need to collaborate with the minister of the Home Affairs Ministry, which will still be appointed by the military.

I think clearly Daw Suu [NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi] wants to form a partnership with the military and convince them that democratic stability is different than military stability. The stability imposed by force against people who are freely expressing themselves is harmful to the democratic system you want to create. It creates more tension in society rather than creating a stable environment where everybody feels they have a voice.

Many critics have said that the current administration might try to make a comeback in coming years. Do you share this concern?

I dont think its going to happen. There is a history here of military domination of politics and theres a lot of mistrust. Thats represented in that question. You have a history and youve had disappointments. People didnt expect the elections to go well. The people of this country have earned that, but they should work for the best and build trust steadily. The only hope for the country is to work for the best rather than assume the worst.

As far as we know, the ongoing meetings between Suu Kyi and the senior general are going well. What is the best scenario that could come from these crucial meetings?

A partnership. If they can build trust and a common vision going forward, these two people can set a model of reconciliation for the entire country. The country can succeed if the NLD and the military can work something out.

What is the worst scenario?

I think we should stop focusing on bad scenarios. When people focus on bad outcomes, they may act in ways that create more tension and mistrust. I hope people on all sides in this country think about how to make things better instead of assuming that what happened in the past is inevitable going forward. The only way theres a possibility of positive change is to hold out for the possibility of a positive future.

Without the militarys cooperation, the NLD government will face difficulties in many areas including the peace process, corruption and the economy. How should the new administration deal with the power of the military?

With great patience and great openness. The strength of the incoming NLD government is that they are clearly the will of the people. If the military wants to be on the side of the people they should be partnering with civilian leadership. The NLD recognizes the need for a strong, respected military. Theyre not anti-military. If they can reach an understanding that both sides want the best for the country, then they can work on issues like military control of the economy, land confiscation, peace, drugs and accountability for military abuses. The NLD can reassure the military that theyre not looking to attack; theyre looking to build a partnership for the future.

The United States administration has been engaging with the military as well. Do you see that kind of willingness in the military to work with the NLD?

Theyre certainly saying that. I do think that there is a genuine desire for peace. Militaries are the ones who get killed and wounded on the front lines. They are often the ones who want peace the most. But well have to see what theyre willing to sacrifice or compromise in order to get the peace they say they want. Again, it comes down to mistrust. They have enormous mistrust in the ethnic armed groups and the NLD.

In Burma, the Constitution guarantees the military 25 percent of the seats in Parliament, three ministerial positions and the selection of a vice president. What if they want more from the political dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi?

Its incumbent on the military to take the steps to ensure the country that things have changed, that theyre embracing the peoples wish for civilian leadership, and that they will conform to a new democratic moment. That includes issues of whether they need to control certain ministries or what their representation is in Parliament. If they can stand side by side with the opposition on April 1 and say, We will work together for the betterment of this country, that will go a long way to build the trust thats necessary for a true peoples military.

Many observers and critics say the US re-engagement policy in Burma was encouraged by the Chinese influence in the region. The Chinese government has been active in reaching out to the opposition parties over the past year, especially after the US government started re-engaging with Burma. How important is China as a factor for the United States in Burma?

Its not a factor for us. Its more a factor for the people of this country. China is recognizing its a new day in the country, that there are new voices they need to talk to. But thats not about the United States, thats about the success of your reform process. Were only concerned if any country, not just China, involves itself in a way that is contrary to the interests of the people. Anything that gets in the way of this countrys success makes us concerned. The democratic success of this country is in our national interest because it can be another engine of growth, and a model of democratic success in Asia. Thats the only so-called China factor that were concerned about and thats true of any country.

The Chinese government doesnt seem to support the new US policies in Burma. Is a clash between the US and China likely as the US gets more engaged with Burma?

I hope not. I know there are suspicions that the United States is here because of China. China has expressed those concerns, both privately and publicly.

I have tried to keep a US-China dynamic out of this country. You have enough problems to worry about.

China may have concerns in terms of the instability along the border between China and Burma.

I can understand that. Theres a long border and they have security concerns. We have concerns along our border in the United States. China may question what the US is doing given the tension in their relationship and suspicions writ large throughout the region. But we are not here to counter China. This is not a strategy to use Burma as a tool to contain China. But we do care that this country maintains its sovereignty, maintains its ability to control its borders, and have a peace process that is not influenced negatively by outside powers. Its not a China issue. But if China is engaged in the country, we hope they adhere to the values of transparency, democracy and human rights that the people want.

The Chinese leaders probably feel they are losing their neighbor, Burma, to the United States. I think that is a great concern for Chinese people.

Thats a zero-sum mentality. The Chinese like to say they dont believe in a zero-sum mentality. If they believe that our improved relationship with Burma is coming at their expense, this counters their view of how things should operate in this region. It is incumbent on China to do whats necessary to earn the trust and respect of people here, just like its incumbent on the US to do the same. You are a proud people with your history, you want your sovereignty, you have huge neighbors and you remember colonialism. You dont want to be dominated by great powers so we each have to do our part to earn your trust. I dont think any big country should demand it without earning it.

Over the past five years, since President Thein Seins government started opening the country, the US administration has eased sanctions. Will the US lift more sanctions?

Weve gone a long way in terms of sanctions. There are no trade sanctions now, and we have eased on investment so that American companies can come in. Theres simply a blacklist, a selected list of people that we have restricted our businesses from working with. Im proud of American businesses and what they have done here. But we recognize that there is not a level playing field, that the structure of the economic system is the same as it was before. There are people with money who are confiscating land and we feel that our businesses should not be working with them in the interest of real economic justice.

We consistently review our sanctions policy to determine what is getting in the way of our ability to promote reform here. Democracy must deliver for the people. Jobs must be created. People must feel theres something different. That balance is something we have to think about and clearly were not doing this alone. Were doing this in close consultation with the new government and well do it in close consultation with ethnic communities who may feel that theyre not being listened to.

Recently President Thein Sein didnt go to the summit in the US. What was the reason?

Youd have to ask them why he decided not to go. I think it was unfortunate since President Obama met with all the other leaders of the region. I heard Vice President Nyan Tun did an outstanding job, but its always good to have the president there to meet his counterparts. But he made his decision and I respect it. Youll have to ask him the reason.

What kind of conflict do you see in the new administration?

I cant predict. Its a matter of personalities; its a matter of Daw Suu and the new president working with the military to build trust. Nothing is easy in this country. It has its own way of developing. It never takes the path you hope itd take going forward. But that doesnt mean it cant work. Itll just be more complicated and more unique in how the international community deals with it. Itll be a strange governmental structure but it can still work and we will do our best to help it work, to enable it to succeed.

Youve had the opportunity to meet with high-ranking people from both sides here? Will you write a book about Burma in the future?

I dont think Ill write a book anytime soon. Ill let things settle and see how things come out. Theres still a lot to work on. When I go back, I want to give talks and explain what Ive seen here to ensure people outside the country understand the context and complexity of what is happening.

In Burma, we have villains and heroes. How would you categorize those two groups in Burmas political arena?

I think there are many heroes. And people here will decide on villains. There are people who did not allow things to move forward quickly because of old mindsets, but I hope people dont think in those terms.

I wanted to do away with that. I didnt deal with who was right or wrong; it was, How can we both work together, everyone work for the best. Thats the mindset thats critical for a country thats been so divided. That mindset will continue to hold the country back. I hope people think in terms of what can we do to build a single, successful Burma and come to a real national identity. Thats a huge challenge. Theres never been a single national identity in this country.

How do you overcome the singular identities that people hold onto because they feel theyre under siege? There must be a respect for the past. Once people are reassured that their identity isnt under threat, we can work to build a single national identity.

What is your most memorable achievement during your stay here?

Setting the foundation for a lasting US-Burma people-to-people relationship, reconnecting our societies, and rediscovering the history that weve had. I want to maintain that momentum. Im proud of laying that foundation. Thats the most important legacy I can have because the rest of it can come and go.

What is your farewell message to the Burmese people?

Think about the positive. Take account of the past. Build communities of cooperation. Division has held the country back. Now, youre starting a peace process where divisions are hopefully being overcome. Thats the only way democracy can succeed.

And to the international community, dont forget about this country. Be patient, but not too patient. Recognize that certain types of change will happen gradually but that other types should happen as soon as possible. The dignity of every human being in this country should be respected. The international community will not forget about issues of human dignity. Its what we have fought for. We want you to succeed.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Burma Htin Kyaw Confirmed as Next President in History-Making Vote

The Union Parliament votes in favor of Lower House National League for Democracy (NLD) nominee Htin Kyaw to serve as Burmas next president.

RANGOON  The Union Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of National League for Democracy (NLD) nominee Htin Kyaw as Burmas next president, confirming the 69-year-olds improbable rise to the countrys highest elected office less than a week after the party put his name forward for the post.

The executive committee member of an Aung San Suu Kyi-led foundation earned 360 out of a total 652 votes in the Tuesday morning legislative session, with lawmakers bursting into applause when his final tally was announced. Myint Swe, the militarys candidate for the role, received 213 votes, while NLD Upper House nominee Henry Van Thio, an ethnic Chin lawmaker, won 79.

Myint Swe and Van Thio will serve as vice president Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in an executive trio led by Htin Kyaw, who had been expected to win the final parliamentary vote since his nomination by the Lower House on March 10.

All three candidates were deemed eligible for the presidency after passing a parliamentary scrutinizing bodys vetting process, the findings of which were presented by Union Parliament Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than on Monday. The seven-member body was made up of the Upper and Lower houses speakers and their deputies, two other NLD lawmakers and one military representative.

Maj-Gen Than Soe, the armys delegate to the committee, had objected to the NLDs nomination of both Htin Kyaw and Henry Van Thio on the grounds that Htin Kyaw was not an elected lawmaker, and that Henry Van Thio had spent an extended period of time outside of Burma with his family, and thus might not meet the qualifications to hold an executive role.

The scrutinizing body, however, overrode those concerns, as well as those regarding Myint Swe, whose son, once an Australian national, would appear to have given up his foreign citizenship so that it would not hinder his fathers presidential ambitions.

Article 59(f) of Burmas controversial 2008 Constitution bars anyone with a foreign spouse or children from serving as president. This clause has kept NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi from the role, as her sons hold British citizenship.

Suu Kyi has all but declared Htin Kyaw a proxy for an incoming government in which she will call the shots.

The new government takes power April 1, with formation of the Htin Kyaw cabinet to come ahead of that date.

Htin Kyaw is set to become Burmas first democratically elected president from a civilian background in more than five decades.
Burma Police Investigate Blast at Journalists Home in Arakan State

An Arakan State-based journalist claims to have been targeted by an explosion at his home in Sittwe for his media outlets coverage of controversial issues.

RANGOON  An Arakan State-based journalist claims to have been targeted for his media outlets coverage of controversial issues, holding a press conference in Rangoon on Monday to discuss an explosion last week at his home in Sittwe that he characterized as an attack.

The journalist, Min Min, general manager of Root Investigation Agency (RIA), was traveling to Buthidaung Township with his family at the time of the incident on Thursday, and no one was injured. He added that his home did not suffer any serious damage.

Min Min speculates that the alleged attack on his home, which doubles as an office, was due to stories that his organization has recently published, implicating officials in scandals, though he defends the stories as fair.

One such story accuses the leader of the Arakan Army, Tun Myat Naing, of leading the illicit narcotics trade in Arakan State.

Journalists, particularly those in conflict zones in ethnic areas, cant expect media freedom or for their lives to be secure, RIA said in a statement on Monday, pointing to the recent incident as evidence.

The media outlet has also received threats on social media, with one supposedly offering a monetary reward for the killing of an RIA journalist.

Min Min told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the investigation is being led by police officer Aye Khin Maung of Sittwe Township. The officer, however, declined an interview request from The Irrawaddy, and the cause of the explosion is as yet undetermined.

Police officer Yan Naing Thet confirmed on Tuesday that the explosion occurred at about 11 pm on Thursday, but he declined to provide additional information.

The RIA was founded last year, covering a range of issues including armed conflict, education, health care, human rights and human trafficking.
Burma Salween in Focus for Burmese Civil Society on Rivers Day

Activists mark International Day of Action for Rivers along Burmas Salween River, expressing concern over the Burmese governments six planned dams on the waterway.

Ethnic civil society organizations and environmental activists together with local communities marked International Day of Action for Rivers along the Salween River in eastern Burma on Monday, expressing concern over the Burmese governments six planned dams on the waterway.

Separate events took place at different locations in Shan, Karenni and Karen states, where in some locations active or latent conflict is a concern of the groups in addition to the projects potential negative environmental impacts.

The Save the Salween Network, an environmental advocacy group, was among those holding events on the Salween River, at Wan Sala village in Mongton Township along the Thai-Burma border in southeastern Shan State. The group was joined by local communities, including children, elders, religious leaders and political party representatives.

Similarly, the Karen environmental organization known as Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) held a Salween River event at the Ei Htu Hta displacement camp in Papun District, eastern Karen State. Hundreds of local community members including internally displaced persons (IDPs) attended.

Community-based organizations in Karenni State also held separate events.

The Save the Salween Network released a statement on Monday against the governments plans to build six dams on this vital artery, which has nourished the culture, traditions and livelihoods of our peoples for generations.

One mega-project was singled out.

We are also concerned at recent efforts to push ahead with the giant Mong Ton dam on the Salween River in southern Shan State, which will be the largest hydropower project in Southeast Asia. We deplore the Burmese governments attempts to push ahead with mega dams in ethnic conflict zones, against the wishes of local ethnic communities, said the statement.

We urge governments, companies and investors not to build any hydropower dams on the Salween, as they will threaten the livelihoods and existence of countless ethnic communities living along the river, it continued.

The Salween River, one of the longest rivers in Southeast Asia, supports ecosystems rich in biodiversity along much of its length, providing food security for ethnic communities throughout the river basin.
Commentary Human Rights in Burma: Can the UN Human Rights Council Rise To The Occasion?

As the NLD negotiates democratic space with the military, the UNHRC has a duty to maintain its scrutiny and remain steadfast in its past demands.

As the world anxiously awaits the announcement of a new president for Burma on March 15, the United Nations is discussing the human rights situation in the country. Yesterday, Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma, presented her report in Geneva to the UN Human Rights Council. At the end of this month, a resolution by the Council will decide how to move forward with the scrutiny of the human rights situation in the country.

Since 2011, international attention on Burma has heavily focused on the political transition within the country. As that transition now moves into the verge of a new era, human rights challenges that the country has faced for decades loom large. In her report, the Special Rapporteur says that the new government will now face formidable human rights challenges. The actions of the UN Human Rights Council will play a key role in deciding the future of these challenges.

On Feb. 24, in an open letter addressed to member and observer states of the Council, 121 Burmese civil society organizations urged the body to maintain the countrys status under Item 4 of its agenda, which addresses human rights situations that require attention. This would also mean not ignoring the dire state of human rights in the country, which could happen if scrutiny were to be relaxed and Burma promoted to an Item 10 classification, in which the focus would be merely on technical assistance and capacity building.

The overwhelming majority secured by the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burmas November 2015 elections has ushered in new possibilities for democracy and human rights. This change, however, has yet to take root in reality. Extensive and pervasive powers held by the military hang over the new government like the sword of Damocles. The 2008 Constitution guarantees the military 25 percent of seats in the national parliament as well as key government positions and powers; the army also enjoys a preeminent position in the powerful National Defense and Security Council.

It may take some time before the extent of civilian control over the government is delineated and apparent. Meanwhile, as the NLD remains locked in a delicate dance with the military in negotiating democratic space, the UN Human Rights Council has a duty to strengthen the cause of that space by maintaining its scrutiny and remaining steadfast in its past demands.

Decades-long armed conflicts continue in Burmas ethnic areas despite the October 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). As a result, hundreds of thousands remain displaced inside and outside the country and abuses such as torture, sexual violence and extrajudicial killings continue. In her report, the Special Rapporteur has reiterated the calls of previous UN experts on establishing accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

In the meantime, intolerance and religious extremism have been on the rise within the country. Systematic discrimination of Muslim communities, including the Rohingya, continues through legislation and state policy. These disastrous effects were visible in the massive regional crisis that engulfed South and Southeast Asia last year due to an exodus of refugees from Arakan State. Institutionally, the country faces a breakdown in the rule of law, and basic freedoms such as those of expression, association and assembly remain under severe threat. In this context, the Feb. 24 civil society letter calls on the Council and the Special Rapporteur to come out with clear benchmarks and a roadmap for the future of human rights in the country.

Burma sits precariously on a geopolitical faultline that dangerously straddles competing interests of global and regional powers. The countrys rich natural resources have added fuel to the fire. As economic powers compete over access to the countrys untapped resources, new patterns of human rights violations involving business interests have emerged. Geopolitical tensions are also visible in current negotiations underway at the Council over the resolution on Burma. Several calls have been made for loweringor even endingthe scrutiny of the human rights situation in the country. The UN Human Rights Council has a duty to not politicize human rights concerns. In the coming weeks, both the world and the people of Burma will be closely watching the outcome of negotiations and the resolution that emerges from it.

International human rights bodies can be a key ally for the incoming NLD government in providing an open, transparent and standards-based path to address massive human rights challenges amidst residual internal pressure and competing external interests. As the premier human rights body of the world, it is imperative that the UN Human Rights Council is able to be meet its mandate to promote and protect human rights and show leadership at this pivotal point in Burmas history. It can contribute towards this not by abandoning its scrutiny and long-standing concerns, but by laying down clear benchmarks and a roadmap to address the human rights challenges that haunt the country.
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016 (12:00 pm) - Score 425

The cost of making calls, sending text messages and going online via your Smartphones Mobile Broadband (3G, 4G) connection when in Europe could rise if the United Kingdom votes to leave the EU later this year, claims a new report from Deloitte and ABTA  The Travel Association.

The new report  What Brexit might mean for UK Travel  attempts to outline what a vote to leave the European Union might mean for UK holidaymakers and travel businesses. The report is important because over 29 million foreign holidays each year are made by UK people to EU countries (76% of all holidays taken) and 68% of all business trips from the UK are to EU countries (4.6 million visits).

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: Our assessment of the reports findings is that a vote to leave will lead to uncertainties and may lead to increased costs for travel businesses and the travelling public. We recognise that people will approach this referendum by considering many factors  personal, professional, and economic  before casting their vote. ABTA has considered what a vote to leave the EU might mean purely from a travel perspective. Our view is that the potential risks and downsides are not matched by an equal upside for the traveller.

Obviously Europe has spent many years creating all sorts of shared rules for its members (some good, some bad.. much like any government) and theres no escaping the fact that a lot of those currently also apply to the mobile, broadband and general telecoms sector.

On the fixed line broadband side our existing policy, regulation and related infrastructure goals are already very similar to the EU (weve often been ahead of European policy on this front) and Brexit is unlikely to change that. But we could lose out in some areas, such as through the loss of EU privacy rules that have helped to keep Internet snooping, both commercially (advertising) or by the Government (security), in check.

Similarly the EUs big push to make expensive mobile roaming charges a thing of the past could arguably become the biggest casualty and the one that is very difficult to replace due to all of the different countries and operators that exist.

ABTA Statement  Brexit: Top Consumer Impacts 1. Roaming Fees

The EU has recently introduced caps for mobile phone roaming charges, harmonising the maximum charges applicable to consumers for using their phones in other EU countries, and will extend this to a complete ban on additional roaming fees in April 2017. As a Regulation (531/2012), the law applying these rules would be removed by Brexit, unless the UK Government acted to ensure it remained on Statute. 2. Package Travel Directive

When booking package travel arrangements within the EU, this Directive offers consumer protection in cases of insolvency or where there is a failure to perform contracted services. As a Directive, this legislation would remain in place, unless subject to deregulation, although there might be some negotiations required to ensure reciprocal arrangements with EU. 3. Freedom of Movement

While the UK retains passport controls and sits outside of the border-free Schengen Area, UK consumers are able to travel freely within much of Continental Europe and EU citizens only experience basic border checks entering the UK, and vice versa. In Brexit travel requirements for UK-EU travel would depend on the settlement reached. However, it is worth noting that for travel outside of the EU, the UK would be able to seek new bilateral visa agreements with non-EU countries. 4. European Health Insurance Card

The EHIC is available to all EU residents and guarantees the holder access to local health services on the same terms as those available to locals. EHIC arrangements currently apply to all EU and EEA countries. In the event of Brexit, applicability would be subject to negotiations. Limiting UK travellers local health care access could have cost implications for travel insurance premiums. 5. Consumer Rights Directive

This Directive is implemented in the UK through the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and underpins many important areas of consumer protection across the EU, such as clear pricing rules, information requirements and a 14 day consumer right of withdrawal for many purchases of goods and services. 6. Passenger Rights

In the event of Brexit, passenger rights regulations across all modes of travel, the best-known of which is 261/2004 for compensation in cases of denied boarding or significant delays for air travel, would be removed from the UKs Statute book, unless the UK Government took steps to replicate these in UK law. It is important to note that UK consumers are very aware of this piece of legislation and it is likely there would be calls from consumer groups to introduce comparable laws. It is also notable that, under existing rules, UK courts have often found in favour of consumers.

The report also warns of its immediate concern for the impact that a period of uncertainty will have on the strength of the Pound versus other currencies. A weaker Pound has a direct impact on spending power overseas, making the cost of holidaying or visiting abroad more expensive etc.

However there is every possibility that the UK Government could negotiate new agreements to rectify many of these concerns and indeed were sure they would, but theres still that rather big element of doubt and uncertainty because we simply dont know for sure what will happen in the event of a Brexit.
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016 (11:06 am) - Score 1,201

RootMetrics have put together a general report of all their mobile network testing for the past few months and revealed their pick of the top 16 cities (Larger Urban Zones) in the UK for mobile network performance, which saw Manchester top the table and Hull hit bottom. But caveats remain.

The rankings are based on the outcome from nearly 400,000 test samples and more than 12,000 miles driven across the UK in the second half of 2015, which examined the performance of calls, texts and data across all of the major mobile networks (O2, Vodafone, Three UK and EE (BT)). The results are then equated to an average score, with a rating of 100 being perfection.

However its worth pointing out that they dont separate out the performance of different network platforms (2G, 3G or 4G), which would have been useful when judging Mobile Broadband speed. Similarly its important to note that some networks are more generous with data usage than others (e.g. Three UKs all-you-can-eat plan) and have more spectrum available (e.g. EE and Vodafone), both of which can affect performance.

But lets start with the general (overall) ranking before drilling down into the details.

Rank City Weighted average scores 1 Manchester 95.4 2 Birmingham 94.6 3 Liverpool 94.5 4 Coventry 94.3 5 Belfast 93.5 6 Sheffield 93.0 7 Nottingham 92.6 8 Leicester 92.2 9 Edinburgh 91.9 10 Leeds & Bradford 91.8 11 Glasgow 90.7 12 Newcastle 90.6 13 London 90.1 14 Bristol 87.1 15 Cardiff 79.2 16 Hull 77.9

You can view the full report online, but were also going to take a closer look at the top and bottom cities. Being ISPreview.co.uk were most interested in the Mobile Broadband speeds and so that will be our focus.

Overall Manchester, the UKs second-largest metro area, finished the year at #1 in overall performance, network reliability and also mobile Internet performance. Meanwhile the lowest category in which Manchester ranked was #4 in call performance. Now lets take a look at those mobile Internet speeds.

Manchesters Mobile Internet Performance Median Download Speed (Upload Speed)

1. EE 22.2Mbps (12Mbps)

2. Vodafone 13.6Mbps (13.5Mbps)

3. O2 10.1Mbps (9.7Mbps)

4. Three UK 10Mbps (6Mbps)

Unsurprisingly the maturity and coverage of EEs 4G network, which had a head start on its rivals, is still paying dividends here but its also notable that Vodafone has a modest lead in upload speed. Now contrast the results from a top city with the results from Hull, which sits at the bottom of RootMetrics table.

RootMetrics Statement If you read our previous UK report, youd have noticed Bristol, Cardiff, and Hull at the bottom of our overall performance rankings. Thats exactly how the year ended as well  Bristol at #14, Cardiff at #15, and Hull at #16. No matter the operator of your choosing, mobile tasks of almost any kind are often more challenging in these locales than in the other metro areas we test. Cardiff and Hull were the bottom two in every category, while Bristol finished at #14 in everything except call performance  in which it finished at #13. The only one of the three to break the top 10 in any area was Bristol in the first half of 2015, when it managed to place #10 in call performance.

Hulls Mobile Internet Performance Median Download Speed (Upload Speed)

1. Vodafone 11.4Mbps (10.1Mbps)

2. O2 9.7Mbps (7.3Mbps)

3. EE 4.7Mbps (2.1Mbps)

4. Three UK 2.1Mbps (1.9Mbps)

Quite the contrast and even more so when you compare todays results with the picture from 2013 (here), which saw EE top the table with downloads of 9.6Mbps (5.5Mbps uploads) and Vodafone come bottom with downloads of just 1Mbps (0.5Mbps uploads).

Today the situation in Hull has largely reversed and its not entirely clear why, although we do know that Three UK and EE have suffered from a deficiency of capacity in Hull and thats why theyre jointly building a new fibre optic network with Cityfibre in the city (here). Never the less we would have expected to see some improvement by now.

We would give a speed summary of the other cities too, but most of the data is a replication of last years similar report (here). In fact in practical terms the only new data seems to come from Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff as theyre all using early results from 2016.
Software provider Pronto Software has expanded its partnership with IBM, and says it is now offering customers the ability to rapidly and cost effectively integrate popular third-party business apps and systems with its Xi ERP and Business Analytics platform.

Chad Gates, Chief Operating Officer, Pronto Software, said that by using Pronto Connect, the web services architecture engine, IBM WebSphere Cast Iron allows Pronto to offer seamless cloud integration and commercialise standard connectors for fast implementations.



Gates says the partnership allows the Pronto support team to have full, end-to-end visibility of their clients business management ecosystems, including third party applications, allowing diagnosis of any issues more rapidly and simply.



Our vision is to deliver tools to enable a modern, web-based, connected enterprise. Customers want a singular interface for all of their business information and Pronto Connect provides the capability to do that efficiently.





The WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud integration features a pre-configured architecture allowing us to create new API connectors for Pronto Xi quickly and simply. This offers a significant cost saving and productivity gain when compared to the more traditional approach of custom coding.Gates said the new integration of Cast Iron with Pronto Xi results in a variety of benefits for Pronto Software customers, including: Enhanced flexibility through faster integration with third-party cloud, mobile, SaaS, and on-premise applications such as (eg Salesforce, Magento, eBay etc) Streamlined business processes through a highly connected ERP and Business Intelligence infrastructure Rapid deployment, cutting out the need for significant development timeframes and costs involved with developing custom coded APIs and middleware
Epson has launched its new TM-m30 (US site) with a focus on mobile connectivity and a small footprint, making this compact receipt printer ideal for tablet PoS environments, such as hospitality and specialist retail outlets.

By touching an NFC-equipped mobile device or tablet to the TM-m30 printer, it is easy to pair both together to print. ePOS print, the printer's built-in intelligence that communicates with web applications, allows direct printing from any mobile device without the need to install or update drivers and is available for iOS and Android.

General Manager, Business Division, Epson Australia Craig Heckenberg said, The new TM-m30 has been specifically designed for tablet POS applications and fits perfectly into small and medium-sized retail and hospitality environments. With its compact design, emphasis on connectivity and its simple to use Ethernet, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi interfaces, users can operate more efficiently and productively safe in the knowledge that the TM-m30 can be integrated into virtually any operating environment.

The TM-m30 can be installed either horizontally or vertically by easily swapping its top. A new DM-D30 optional display and an optional tablet stand match the TM-m30 design. This printer can print receipts in multiple grey scales, with advanced graphic and barcode printing capabilities that allow for highly customised layouts of receipts including logos and promotional messages.

The TM-m30 is available now with an RRP of A$379 for the USB/Ethernet model and $459 for the USB/BT iOS/Ethernet model.

Key Features
A new FlashArray from Pure Storage is offered as a standalone product and as part of a converged infrastructure building block for VMware or Hyper-V users.

Pure Storage's FA-405 was introduced last year as the model to meet the needs of SMEs, with configurations from 2.75 to 11TB raw capacity (up to 35TB effective).

Now the company says its new FlashArray//m10 " enables smaller organisations to run everything on all-flash at an affordable price point."

It comes in configurations from 5 to 10TB of raw storage, for 12.5 or 25TB of effective capacity and 100,000 32K IOPS.

FlashArray//m10 is upgradable to the specifications of larger FlashArray//m models, so there is no need for the feared forklift upgrade.

It shares the same management software - including the new Pure1 mobile app for Android and iOS - with the rest of the family.

"This addition to the FlashArray family allows us to provide an entry-level, cost-effective option for companies that want to try flash for the first time, and accelerate the reality of an all-flash datacentre," said Pure Storage vice president of products Matt Kixmoeller.

"Cost as a barrier to all-flash adoption is a relic of the past. Companies of all sizes can now experience the simplicity, high-performance and reliability that comes with all-flash."

FlashArray//m10 will be generally available in June, with prices starting at less than $50,000.

Also new from Pure is the FlashStack Mini, which combines the FlashArray//m10 with compute hardware from Cisco, and either VMware or Microsoft virtualisation software, giving a converged infrastructure solution that requires just 9U of rack space.

FlashStack Mini with Microsoft Hyper-V provides an all-flash private cloud platform, while FlashStack Mini with VMware Horizon View can support up to 500 virtual desktops.

FlashStack Mini solutions start at less than US$100,000. Orders will be taken from April, with delivery to follow the availability of the //m10.

In related news, Pure also announced new FlashStack (as opposed to FlashStack Mini) configurations for SAP Lumira HANA or Microsoft Exchange.

Also new is the ability to integrate a Pure storage array located in a customer's own data centre or at one of Equinix's data centres with Microsoft Azure. This allows organisations to take advantage of cloud compute while retaining full control of their data. A similar arrangement for AWS will follow.

See also the announcement of the Pure Storage FlashBlade storage platform.
The iconic Dick Smith brand  not the person who is alive and well  has been resurrected by online retailer Kogan.com.

Kogan, a serial online opportunist, has taken on the Dick Smith brand, trademarks, customer database and websites  not its stores, stock or staff - for an undisclosed sum.

Kogan, self-proclaimed as Australias largest pure-play online retailer, says it will continue the brand as an online-only retailer in Australian and New Zealand.

Ruslan Kogan, Founder and CEO stated, Dick Smith is an iconic Australian brand, and were thrilled to be able to keep it alive, as well as Aussie owned and run. We will invest in building and nurturing the Dick Smith community, and honour the great legacy of this Australian business. I remember as a kid always visiting Dick Smith to look for parts to upgrade my computer. There is a strong history of passion in the Dick Smith community for how technology can improve our lives, and we look forward to helping make it more affordable and accessible for all.

But what does that mean?

In essence, all Kogan has is a brand, website domain name, and the all-important customer database of those that purchased from the previous entity. In the latter case, one assumes that by doing so, some of them opted in to allow Dick Smith to keep them informed of special offers because the law is the LAW  opt-in means just that. Any communication from the new owners without permission is spam and can be reported accordingly.

To prevent that the receivers state that customer information (does this include those who bought in store too?) currently held by Dick Smith will be handled in accordance with the requirements of Australian and New Zealand privacy law during the change of ownership. All Dick Smith customers will be contacted with the option of having their details removed before the transfer to new owners. Customers who provided their information to Dick Smith after the appointment of Receivers on 4 January 2016 will not have that information disclosed to the new owners.

As a back story, this author has had experience in buying the customer list of a distressed IT business and let me tell you that this is the only value in the transaction. You need to milk that database (mine the hell out of it) for all it is worth. Unless Kogan can make substantial sales at its self-proclaimed super cheap, razor-thin, no-middleman prices (a.k.a. low-profit margins), then I hope Kogan did not pay too much for its founders childhood electronics fantasy.

The name Dick Smith (iTWire needs to strongly point out that the person Dick Smith is in no way associated with the business that still bears his name) is really not worth a crumpet.

It was when Dick and his wife started it  as Kogan points out it was a niche player, and I too fondly remember making it a must visit place to get electronics bits and pieces  a position that Jaycar now occupies so well.

It was of value when Dick sold to Woolworths. The subsequent strategy was to introduce gradually the DSE brand, the familiar yellow and black livery (emulated so well later by JB Hi-Fi), and the Techxperts  all to reduce the use of, and significance of, Dicks name  after all, Dick sold OzeMite, OzeNuts, OzeSauce, etc., now.

As Gerry Harvey said (paraphrased), the brand is toxic and thinks the world had gone mad when gullible investors paid $520 million when the business was floated by its third owners, the private equity group Anchorage after it bought the business from Woolworths for $94 million. Still  something is worth what people are prepared to pay and the name Dick Smith obviously still had value.

Vale Dick Smith  the brand. Long live Dick Smith, the person.
IA CEO Laurie Patton has warned that online piracy will not go away unless Australia can get an agreed and appropriate set of strategies in place.

Patton says the simple solution to most of Australia's unlawful downloading is simply for the rights holders to make stuff more easily available (which is happening with Netflix, Presto and Stan) and stop price gouging.

Patton made his comments when observing media coverage of a statement by the newly appointed chairman of Creative Content Australia Graham Burke who says the primary role of Creative Content Australia is to enlighten and educate internet users about piracy.



Some people have not considered that piracy is just plain wrong but when they understand it is not a victimless crime and other people will lose their jobs, they stop, Burke said in an interview with Forbes magazine, and comments to Crikey.





Additionally, these people are not aware they are part of a criminal underbelly with sites that carry advertising for gambling with no age limit, party drugs, hard-core pornography and prostitution, as well as exposing themselves to nasty viruses.According to media reports, Burke said his company had been actively monitoring internet users sharing Village Roadshow content via peer-to-peer networks and suggested a repeat of the Dallas Buyers Club legal case could be in the works.Reportedly, Burke would not confirm when his court case would be brought against the Australian public, but he is apparently continuing with legal action against Piracy site SolarMovie.Patton said: "Mr Burke may be 'on a mission', but what mission exactly? Australians pay nearly double the price to go to the cinema as Americans. We have traditionally been slugged more for DVD's and music downloads. Now we are being accused of being rampant 'Internet pirates' despite a lack of any concrete evidence that unlawful downloading of content is actually causing the rights holders significant financial losses in Australia.Australia is not on the International Intellectual Property Alliance 'watch list' because #WeAreNotTheProblem. A federal government survey last found that high use "pirates" are also high users of paid-for content.Patton stressed that Internet Australia is supportive of Intellectual Property Rights.We do not condone unlawful downloading. However, we draw the line at unworkable solutions like site-blocking because they interfere with the open and trusted essential nature of the Internet. They cause operational issues that can lead to interruptions in service, like the ASIC case a few years ago where they inadvertently put 250,000+ innocent sites offline for several days."
At the recent TechLeaders conference - a meeting of some of Australias top IT journalists - Jason Clare, Shadow Minister for Communications described the NBN as MTTM (Malcolm Turnbulls Terrible Mess) and called it CopperArt in reference to using copper (or cable) to deliver the last mile.

To be fair, and present the other point of view  not one that was palatable to many of socially responsible, left-leaning journalists present - was that the Liberals had inherited Labors mess and were simply trying to get as fast a speed, to as many people, in as shorter time, at as lower cost, as possible.

What is clear is that NBN is no longer Labors dream of Fibre to the Premise  FttP  instead it is Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls vision of a cheaper, faster [roll-out] alternative called Fibre to the Node - FttN.

Whatever you think the topic is controversial and will continue to be election fodder and a bone of contention for many years to come. Will history show Turnbull or Conroy as right  FttN or FttP?

This author is not willing to go there because there are many, with a better knowledge of the subject and a grasp of the deep technical issues, who would make better commentators. For example, Internet Australia , the not-for-profit, member-based, peak organisation representing all Australian Internet users - not an industry lobby group  is a frequent commentator on NBN issues.

Internet Australia has, until now, taken a neutral public stand on technology. "This week we launched a campaign designed to persuade both the Government and the Opposition to back fibre to the premises as the only viable long-term option. Our campaign is backed by the Twitter hashtag #FibreToTheFuture, said CEO Laurie Patton.

Patton commented on Monday nights ABC The Business segment where NBN chairman Dr Ziggy Switkowski stated that the company is meeting all of its milestones. Dr Switkowski said that "... the progress in terms of copper has been fabulously fast".

Even if this is correct, it is hardly the issue. It may well be true, but Dr Switkowski is lauding the roll-out of a service that is going to leave four and a half million homes (the NBN FttN target he nominated) very disappointed when they discover that their more fortunate friends and neighbours have fibre going into their homes delivering speeds hundreds of times faster. That's because fibre has a virtually unlimited ability to be upgraded whereas the copper network has a limited upgrade potential and, in any case, will need to be replaced within 10 to 15 years, Patton said.

"As Dr Switkowski conceded, the cost of implementing (FttP) broadband is continually coming down, so it makes sense to review the current plan now before we've gone too far with copper, he added.

The governments pitch for FttN was that it was cheaper and quicker to deploy than Labor's FttP. But there are signs those arguments are coming unstuck.

According to one leaked internal document, the NBN rollout has fallen well behind schedule, with construction completions to February reaching 29,000, against a target of 94,000. NBN Co refused to be drawn on what it called the "alleged" internal documents but said the project has met or beaten every key target for six quarters in a row. It pointed to figures showing the service is available to 1.9 million homes, and 850,000 customers are already connected.

Another leaked document shows the NBN has been trialling a thinner and cheaper fibre cable, which has cut the cost of fibre from $1,200 to $600 per connection.

NBN Co chairman Ziggy Switkowski told ABC's The Business the project had not fallen behind schedule. We have a series of milestones that will see all of this completed in 2020. And we have a very, very strong management team led by the CEO Bill Morrow, who continues to meet all of the milestones that the board has set him," he said.

Patton argues that "It is time to take the politics out of this game. We need the Government and the Opposition to sit down and ask'what is in the best interests of the country? What do we need if we are going to be a truly competitive innovation nation?"

Patton said, It is time for the Coalition to consider an about-face, and embrace fibre to the home. If we are going to be an innovation nation, how are we going to compete against countries that have already got internet speeds 100 times faster than ours?" he said.



NBN is due to appear before the Senate Select Committee on the NBN in Canberra on Tuesday.
Lincoln Benbow, Halcyon Knights Co-Founding Director, said with a booming tech economy in both New Zealand and Australia, Halcyon Knights is uniquely positioned to leverage trans-Tasman talent pools to deliver on local companies IT hiring requirements, on an unmatched level.



The strength of our IT network in the Asia Pacific region enables us to readily access high calibre, international tech talent and is further supported by our strong social media footprint, which drives our reach on a global scale.



Brooke Campbell-Town, who recently returned to Auckland following over seven years in Singapore, has been appointed director and head of the new Auckland office.





Brooke was hired for her knowledge of best practice in hiring executives, senior sales, presales and delivery/consulting personnel for leading technology vendors and service providers. Her style of quality over quantity, and pursuit of excellence in candidate care practices is also consistent with our values as an organisation, said Halcyon Knights Co-Founding Director, Marcus Lynch.Brooke is also the perfect advocate for promoting candidate attraction to New Zealand, where both a fulfilling career and work-life balance is attainable. She is well placed to deliver a message to candidates who might have otherwise not considered a trip across the great divide, promoting lifestyle benefits.Commenting on her appointment, Campbell-Town said: Ive worked within large multi-national companies as well as start-ups in the B2B/B2C environment, and Im aware of the challenges companies face in hiring and retaining top talent as is often the case in New Zealand. So being able to consult businesses through periods of growth or change is something Im really passionate about.Halcyon Knights currently has 27 employees across offices in Auckland, Canberra, Sydney, and the International Head Office in Melbourne.
In the never ending quest to empty our wallets faster e-payments will quickly morph from smartphones to almost any connected smart device.

At this years Mobile World Congress (MWC), the mobile payment industry took another significant step forward with the announcement of several cross-device payment services. Visa announced that it had partnered up with smartwatch maker Pebble and auto giant Honda to bring Visas payment services into cars and wearable devices. MasterCard and Internet security company WISeKey disclosed that they are jointly developing a payment solution that integrates advanced encryption technology. Such solutions are the start of many options for consumers to shop for everything from staples to luxury goods.

One of the first cabs off the rank (pun intended) will be smart vehicles that can pay for tolls, petrol, and supplies all without user intervention  after all, they are a little heavy to wave at a card reader. Implanted bio-chips are not far behind so that users can be charged for use of utilities, conveniences, and shop as they go. One thing is for sure is that the financial behemoths will fight hard to ensure that Apple, Google, and Samsung will not be allowed to get their hooks into this lucrative market.

Mobile payment will move beyond the limits of smartphones in 2016, said Kelly Hsieh, senior manager for mobile communication and end device research at TrendForce. The availability of payment services will be extended to other connected devices and vehicles. As more devices are linked to the Internet, secure verification systems that can satisfy the requirements of different applications will become more important.

Hsieh pointed out that with mobile payment becoming more commonplace there is an increasing need for entities to coordinate the various types of transactions. Many major companies from different industries are proactively seizing this lucrative opportunity, even though there is still the issue of how the profits from the mobile payment will be divided amongst them. Consequently, branded smartphone vendors, telecom operators, financial institutions, and even technology start-ups are staking claims on different areas of consumption.

Service providers will have to comply with local financial regulations but also understand consumer habits to order to succeed. As part of their initial forays into the market, many companies are starting pilot projects to measure the local interest. For example, Google launched Hands-Free program that allows people to make small payments at McDonalds and a few other restaurants in the South Bay Area (US). Similarly, Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi has added an NFC-based payment feature to its flagship smartphone Mi 5 allowing users to pay for public transport fares in major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen.

The emergence of the Internet of Everything (IoE) and cross-platform integration may have resulted in more convenient payment methods, but the elephant in the room is security.

Payment service providers face a huge challenge to build consumer trust - improving mobile payment security involves many approaches. One method relates to the protection of sensitive data in the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) that is located in the processor of a mobile device. TEEs specifications are standardised by the cross-industry association GlobalPlatform to ensure that payment service companies follow the strictest security protocols available.

Another method relates to the development of biometric recognition systems. Many technology companies are now looking at the possibility of using various types of biometric data  fingerprints, iris patterns, voice prints and facial images  to create advanced user verification mechanisms. Their efforts in mobile payment security will also drive growth in biometric technologies and their applications.

Currently, most mobile payments involve small sums and lower risks. This type of transaction suits smartphones and wearables.

As the basic infrastructure that facilitates this type of services (e.g. NFC-enabled smartphones, card readers, and back-end accounting systems) is gradually provided, different payment service providers can start to offer their distinct services and build unique business models as to differentiate themselves in the market. At the same time, the costs of mobile-based transactions between businesses and consumers will be quickly brought down, attracting more people and organizations into the mobile payment ecosystem.

Internet connection has become the essential feature of high-end motor vehicles. Automakers are urgently looking for practical applications for their respective Internet of Vehicle (IoV) platforms. Mobile payment can expedite the growth of the IoV ecosystem, said Hsieh.

In short any connected device will be a payment gateway.
Microsoft announced Tuesday that it is on track to land a series of key certifications in its continuing effort to provide cloud services to the U.S. government.

Matt Rathbun, a cloud security director at Microsoft, said in a blog post that the company was part of a pilot creating the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) High Impact Baseline  a set of requirements from the federal government that will set out what companies need to do in order to handle the government's high security data and workloads in the cloud. Microsoft has requested a Provisional Authority to Operate certification for FedRAMP High, which the company expects to receive within the next month.

"Selecting Microsoft Azure Government to participate in FedRAMPs High Impact baseline pilot and its forthcoming Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO) from the FedRAMP JAB are testaments to Microsofts ability to meet the governments rigorous security requirements, said Matt Goodrich, the director for FedRAMPs Program Management Office.

Being certified for FedRAMP High would show government agencies that Azure is capable of handling high security data that if leaked could have a severe adverse effect on operations, individuals or assets. Up until now, FedRAMP hasnt offered that classification.

Microsoft is also working towards a certification for handling controlled unclassified information under the Defense Information Systems Agency Impact Level 4 framework. That means agencies will be able to store such data that requires protection against unauthorized disclosure, like sensitive law enforcement information, medical information and data subject to export control.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense will be able to use two new Azure regions that are designed to comply with the DISA Impact Level 5 certification, and run DoD workloads on different hardware than made available to non-DoD tenants. Called US DoD East and US DoD West, the regions are expected to come online later this year.

Azure Government is also getting a flotilla of new services, including Web Apps, Key Vault and new high-performance virtual machine types.

On top of the U.S.-focused news, Microsoft also announced the beginning of closed beta testing of services running in its Canada and Germany regions. Those regions are built to meet customers data sovereignty requirements for storing data in their home countries, with Azure Deutschland even offering a German data trustee to add an additional level of assurance.
Disney is trying to put a happy ending on a grim story.

Last year, Disney laid off about 250 IT workers after bringing in H-1B using contractors. Some of the employees trained their visa-holding replacements. The news struck a nerve nationally.

At Thursday's Republican debate in Miami, IT outsourcing at Disney was raised in a question. Some of the presidential candidates were critical of H-1B use at Disney and said the visa program was being abused and needed reform.

In response to the debate, a Disney spokeswoman issued a statement, saying in part: "Approximately 250 people were affected by the reorganization, and we were able to hire back more than 100 of them in other positions with Disney. In addition, since the reorganization, we have hired more than 140 other U.S. IT workers into technical roles within the park's technology team, and we are currently recruiting candidates to fill more than 100 IT positions. The park's U.S. IT team will ultimately be larger than it was prior to the reorganization."

Disney also reiterated that it is now focused on developing new capabilities instead of maintaining existing systems.

The claim that Disney hired back more than 100 of the laid-off workers is disputed by Sara Blackwell, a Florida attorney who is representing some of the former Disney IT workers in litigation and discrimination complaints.

"I am in contact with a multitude of the displaced Disney workers and none of them were hired back despite their many attempts to be rehired," Blackwell said.

Leo Perrero, a former Disney worker who trained his replacement, said Disney's latest claim is one the company has been making all along.

"This is nothing more than corporate speak intended to muddy the waters," Perrero said. "New more exciting jobs were promised by Disney that acted as a carrot to keep us around just long enough to have us Americans be the trainers and the foreign workers as the trainees."

Perrero said former and current Disney employees are aware of only two people getting comparable Disney IT jobs in the U.S. since the mass displacement by foreign workers.

"Perhaps the remaining 98 that Disney claims were hired back are now selling popcorn and balloons on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom or elsewhere in the world," he said.

The programming application Perrero supported was tier 1, or among the most important, and is "one of the most customer-facing applications which is still in use and developed," he said. "Why not outsource to an American company with American workers?"

The hiring claims aside, there are many lawmakers who say the program is being used in ways that were never intended.

Visa workers, who are often younger and lower paid, are routinely used to displace workers. The laid-off workers, who must sometimes train foreign replacements, are often older and have many years of experience with the company. This has helped to give the issue more visibility in the election campaign.

Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman who is seeking the nomination, has promised to restrain, or even end, the H-1B program. Trump has been supported by some former Disney IT workers, and they have spoken at his campaign rallies.

Other Republican presidential candidates have also criticized the program. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has proposed legislation that would bring major reforms to the visa, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been criticized by former Disney IT employees for not helping them, said last week that the use of the visa at Disney is an abuse of the program.

Efforts to get Disney to clarify, by deadline, the number of former IT employees rehired into IT jobs were unsuccessful.
Today

Sunny with gusty winds developing this afternoon. High 87F. WSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 64F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tomorrow

A mainly sunny sky. High near 80F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Newsletter

Keywords: Newsletter Steady-State Economy Well-Being

JFS Newsletter No.162 (February 2016)



Copyright Daiwa Institute of Research All Rights Reserved.

Mariko Kawaguchi, chief researcher at Daiwa Institute of Research, Ltd., analyzes corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment and ethical consumption. She is also a chief executive of the Japan Sustainable Investment Forum. When interviewed by the Institute for Studies in Happiness, Economy and Society (ISHES) in February 2015, she delivered an interesting talk on economic growth with society's consensus and the kinds of future enterprises that will be possible within the Earth's limited capacity. In this issue of the JFS Newsletter, we feature her interview, conducted by Junko Edahiro, president of the ISHES and chief executive of JFS, focusing on the question, "What is economic growth?"

Edahiro: What is economic growth?

Kawaguchi: What ordinary people call economic growth generally means a rising GDP, which is thought to be a good thing. The word "growth" has a positive image: to grow up, get larger and improve. Because many people hold these values, they assume that all sorts of growth are good in all cases. Thus they believe that economic growth is good and then wonder how to measure it. Calculating the size of the GDP provides one means.

We can expect, however, complete disagreement from other people on whether economic growth is a good thing or not. We have to ask first how to define economic growth. Does it mean qualitative growth or an increase in GDP? The implications differ significantly depending on the answer.

In other words, I wouldn't state flatly that GDP growth is evil, as in a typical degrowth argument. It is not a simple issue of good versus evil. Even people who say it's evil surely benefit from today's strong economy. Some people are critical of those who work hard for major companies, They enjoy a relaxed life using the Internet in rural areas. This unilateral criticism, however, is useless, because it is people working hard for major companies that have built the Internet. We should treasure the basic attitude that "one good turn deserves another."

What should we aim for then? On what kind of economic growth can we form a social consensus? We should ask these questions first.

To begin with, I think it's wrong simply to regard a rising GDP as economic growth.

Because humans have ambition and seek advancement, growth should not be denied. Also, is it evil for us to become economically affluent? Not really. It would be misleading, though, to consider the GDP as a suitable index for calculating economic affluence, because quite a number of factors that have negative impacts on wealth and affluence inflate the GDP while causing harm. The GDP is used as the key performance index of economic growth, it would seem, as a result of a mistaken conclusion.

Originally, the GDP was said to be developed during World War II as a means of calculating the total sum of a nation's wealth to assess enemies' strength. It was useful then, so it came to be misused as a fundamental tool for economic policy. It was not developed as an index for promoting an affluent economy.

I read one of Adam Smith's books the other day. The truth is Smith never said that material growth led to spiritual satisfaction, but noted the difference between the two. His first edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments was published in 1759, with six revised editions, some coming out after the publication of The Wealth of Nations in 1776. This suggests that he was more eager to write The Theory of Moral Sentiments than The Wealth of Nations. I think he, in essence, wanted to discuss spiritual wealth and morality.

Why did he write The Wealth of Nations? In the days before modernization and economic growth, there were many people who died of plague or famine, so the population stayed constant. I guess that Smith was acutely aware of the problem of how to stop poverty from taking lives.

He thought about how to promote industries and build a system that would help more people eat sufficiently. He observed the activities of farmers, merchants and craftsmen. I think he wrote The Wealth of Nations based on generalizations he derived from his observations and analyses.

I thus concluded that as a man in those days, he pursued material affluence, thinking that it would mean food for more people and thus human prosperity. He stressed again and again in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, however, that such things do not equate individual happiness.

It was not Smith but those who came after him who argued that material affluence should lead to people's happiness. They arbitrarily quoted Smith's words to their own liking, concluding that economic growth equaled material affluence which equaled human happiness.

If Smith were alive today, he would be amazed at the words attributed to him, saying, "I never said that." Economists after Smith argued that "economic growth is always good" based on their misinterpretation of The Wealth of Nations. Putting the market mechanism ahead of all else, they believed that the more goods people had, the richer and happier they would become.

I think people's efforts to achieve wealth are intrinsically good but we should discuss which indicators would be appropriate for representing wealth. In Japan's present situation, I think there should be indicators for wealth other than economic growth. Therefore our target lies in the direction Smith indicated.

At first we should clarify whether the advancement that people hope for is growth or development. Growth seems to mean increase in quantity or volume. Development signifies increased quality. I think we should shift from material-based economic growth to development that fundamentally includes spiritual development .

Especially important will be how to use Earth's resources effectively because there is only one Earth and its resources are finite. Companies' efforts to use resources effectively may improve their productivity and increase their profits. I think such efforts lead to more satisfaction using fewer resources and should be encouraged because they will benefit society at large.

While this is good at a corporate or micro level, such growth would be unreasonable from a macro perspective. The size of the entire pie cannot increase indefinitely because we only have one Earth. When we consider the balance between micro and macro perspectives, it is preferable to replace "material growth" with "development having qualitative significance." I fear we will reach a dead end in the future if we continue relying on our current approach, which regards the sum of micro-level growth as macro growth.

One clue to striking a balance between micro and macro perspectives can already be found in innovations among business entities. Corporations destined to seek ever-increasing profits always have to grow, just like tuna fish that must keep swimming forward all the time.

I think corporations will disappear or at least become a minor form of business entity in 100 years, because organizations required to continue growing cannot thrive on a small planet. A century and a half ago, few corporations existed among the business entities supporting Japan's economy. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising if corporations disappeared within a century.

I have heard that tuna fish were successfully cultivated. Since tuna can do nothing but proceed straight ahead, young ones often hit the walls of aquaculture pools and are killed. Why can't they avoid the walls? Because tuna spend their lives circulating in the vast expanse of the Pacific, there is no danger of them encountering walls. It is said that tuna have fins only for moving forward. Tuna are creatures with no conception of walls, but for cultivation, they must be kept in pools enclosed by walls. In an aquaculture pool, tuna need to be reborn as fish that can swim without hitting walls. In other words, the tuna are required to adjust themselves to their environment based on the survival of the fittest.

An economy driven by corporations or other organizations that seek profit growth as a supreme purpose, cannot remain viable under the restrictions of one Earth. Thus the organizational form itself must change. It seems to me that this change will not be made by large corporations as they exist. Instead, a different type of organization will take the place of corporations.

For example, an increasing number of talented young people are changing their careers to join NPOs or engage in social businesses. Young people may subconsciously relate to easy-going fish, such as flounder, that seem more sustainable than the tuna that will hit a dead end under current circumstances. This youthful perspective strikes me as more than temporary. I view them as a driving force for a shift toward sustainable business forms for the 21st century.

In the future, excellent human resources will make a career move from organizations seeking profits to those contributing socially. Until the 20th century, the walls confining economic growth were invisible, given the assumption of an infinite planet. It was good for all corporations to pursue the tuna-type business model in which they worked hard to manufacture more and more goods. Now, however, the walls are gradually emerging here and there. It has become apparent that corporations will crash into a wall and die if they maintain the status quo. Thus, the "tuna" are beginning to undergo a transformation to "flounder" that can stop or move backward. I expect the form of corporations and other organizations creating economic value to change by the year 2100.

What would these new organizations look like? One model that gives a clue is that of well-established Japanese restaurants, which provide excellent food and service to a limited number of customers on a scale that can be managed by skillful chefs. Even if there is no sales growth, the chefs are always working hard to attract customers, and people enjoy dining there. The cash flow is said to be sufficient for the people involved, despite no increase in scale. I think this type of business model will become a major economic player in the future. It has the disadvantage, though, that excessive expansion may cause trouble such as lower food quality, putting off regular customers, or scandals such as when leftover sweetfish from customers' plates was served to other customers.

Businesses fail without hard work, so there is competition. Even when sales are not increasing, it is necessary to strive for a certain level of cash flow. Furthermore, everlasting economic growth or development is possible when "growth" translates into "quality enhancement," namely increasing customer satisfaction. This is the kind of growth that is required in the 21st century.

We cannot expect stock price surges to be as prevalent as we have seen in the past over spans of 50 or 100 years, so means of financing will change instead, I think. It will be like, "This company has good cash flow, so we can receive dividends each year. The company is also said to contribute to society as well, so I think it's a good idea to invest in it," while it used to be like, "Let's invest in a growth corporation and make a profit."

Many businesses in the food, clothing and housing industries will become like first-class, traditional Japanese restaurants, which have few branches and provide quality food and services to limited customers. I think something like crowdfunding for social businesses could provide their main financing. In crowdfunding, many individuals invest small amounts of money in social businesses they would like to encourage. That kind of fundraising will become mainstream, I think.

In this context, I think the current trend of micro-investment, financing in citizens' power plants, and workers' collectives will become more popular. Future investment could be dichotomized into new areas on the one hand, such as high-tech industry and bio-industry, which are expected to see further growth, receiving investment funds that allow for risks, or into existing fields of food, clothing and housing, on the other hand, which don't change very much. In fields such as first-class, traditional Japanese restaurants, investors will provide funding directly and collect the cash flow. Moreover, the types of companies will vary; from major listed companies to corner diners and community businesses which local people support by investing through crowdfunding. Such types of social investment will spread. In fact, the Cabinet Office is promoting a system for investing in local projects, known as "Hometown Investment Funds."

Edahiro: How can we distinguish in reality between phases in which economic growth is needed, those in which economic growth is no longer needed, and those in which a shift from the former to the latter is required?

Kawaguchi: What I can say right off regarding shifting, is that any way you look at it, Japan is in the phase in which change is needed. One indication of this is the degree of affluence, in short, the amount of resources each person has. For example, how much clothing do we have per person? What level of education do we receive? Can we find safe water to drink, obtain electricity and maintain a cultured standard of living without difficulty? Other indicators to include are whether we can remain physically healthy, obtain education, network with other people and engage in cultural activities.

Even if we have enough basic food, clothing and shelter, though, there is still demand for further technological progress. Recently, for instance, iPads and other new gadgets have come out, stirring up our appetite for more and more and leading us to feel deprived without them.

Edahiro: Does continuous economic growth cost us anything? If so, what are the costs?

Kawaguchi: The cost of continuous economic growth is the loss of that which cannot be measured by the GDP, which is then added to the GDP.

For example, in Japan, over the last several decades, security services like SECOM (a major security company in Japan), have grown into an industry which is counted in the GDP, but 40 or 50 years ago, it was so safe in Japan that we didn't even need to lock our doors in most cases.

As for water, we can say the same thing. Now water is becoming less clean, leading to growth in water purification services. When I was a child, I heard that tap water was tasty everywhere in Japan, so I was astonished to hear I should buy water when I visited and lived in the US. Where all tap water is safe to drink the quality of life is high and we incur fewer expenses. However, this contributes nothing to the GDP.

Some businesses arise to meet everyday needs. The demand sometimes originates from a negative aspect of economic growth that we may have been better off without after all. Some businesses have improved our lives but we have lost many things along the way.

While our lives have become more convenient, we continue to lose many benefits we used to take for granted. We eliminate traditional values and incorporate new technologies in the GDP as value. In a stressful world, hospitals make more money if more people suffer from depression. Our society only focuses on superficial increased revenue. We don't take into account that society would be healthier if fewer people suffered from depression.

Edahiro: What specific things have been sacrificed in Japan?

Kawaguchi: A tremendous amount of natural scenery has been lost, including rural satochi and satoyama landscapes, rivers and coastal beaches. The water no longer tastes good. The sizes of sweetfish and Okhotsk atka mackerel, which people used to eat commonly, have gotten smaller. Wild native river eels are gone. How many people would consider these as lost benefits? Values change from time to time, so we need to be careful.

I often talk about Shirakawa-go, the village known for its historic "gassho zukuri" (houses built of wooden beams to form a steep thatched roof that resembles two hands in prayer).

When I traveled to Shirakawa-go by car with my family, we drove through deserted areas near Shirakawa-go. There were seedy looking villages of houses with corrugated iron roofs. Then, finally we arrived at Shirakawa-go.

The local people told me that all the run-down villages on the way used to have historic houses like Shirakawa-go. Those villages, however, were closer to the city and benefited economically, becoming richer and richer after World War II. They were influenced by western values. The people there decided to forego the out-of-date gassho zukuri. They built brand-new modern houses with corrugated iron roofs. After 30 years, the corrugated roofs became shabby, while the village with the old fashioned gassho zukuri became a World Heritage site.

People in Shirakawa-go back then were too embarrassed to say where they were from because of the outdated gassho zukuri. Some things retain their value even after many years of history. Cool, modern corrugated iron roofs became passe in a mere 30 years. Sometimes it takes many years for us to recognize real value. Have we learned that now?

Now across Japan, some people are trying to rediscover the value of old things that were left behind during modernization. They ask themselves, "What has true value?" Based on the values we once had, it was good to make new houses with corrugated iron roofs because they were more modern. Now, however, we are in a transitional time of repairing and maintaining the thatch roofing of Shirakawa-go, for example, that has a higher value.

Edahiro: How do you think the relationship between economic growth and a sustainable, happy society will change?

Economic growth and a sustainable society are essentially unrelated. The current economic system, though, such as tax and social security mechanisms, is built on the premise of economic growth. Even if we have enough material goods, we have to keep growing to ensure distribution of goods through the social system. We built this awkward system, and we must change it.

One common argument is, "If the population decreases, the social security system will collapse." The social security system was made to benefit people, but the argument implies that people should bear more children for the benefit of social security--a totally opposite way of thinking. When you consider the current situation, that argument becomes ludicrous.

We should consider separately that the economy will not grow and the population will not either. Based on this premise, we should say that we can create a mechanism anew. Within the existing framework, however, if we attempt that out of the blue, there will be much resistance and serious adverse effects.

Edahiro: How do we change the situation?

Kawaguchi: What we should not do is scrap the existing structure (system), build a new one and then move into it all together at one time. Rather, we should maintain the existing system and gradually move out of it when we are ready. I sense that some young people have already started to move away from the old system, going to a new one.

An overwhelming number of people, however, remain inside the existing one, so whether or not we can move these people away from it really matters. If we cannot show them the way to a soft-landing, it will make a hard-landing inevitable. Politicians as well as people who are in charge of economic policy fear this will happen.

If things go on this way, what will be even more dreadful is an environmental crash, not only the economic one. As I work on environmental issues, I get a guilty feeling that my efforts are just like what the Mensheviks tried to do. At the same time, I also fear what will happen if a Bolshevik-like great transformation occurs.

The Bolsheviks were a social revolutionary labor faction led by Lenin at the time of the Russian Revolution. In 1917, the absolute feudal system under the tsar was overthrown from below, in what is known as the Bolshevik Revolution.

In fact, more than 10 years before that, there had been a social revolution drive called the Mensheviks. In Russia, aristocratic young people tried to work for a gradual "Menshevik" revolution based on the idea that if the extremely unequal society--the gap between poor serfs and the tsar's absolute power--continued, the Russian Empire would collapse. While maintaining the systems of the empire and aristocracy, they tried to resolve the complaints by gradually reforming the aristocracy, recognizing the power of the serfs and enriching their lives.

It turned out to be too late, however, and a lenient reform was impossible, so the serfs and labor finally led the Bolshevik Revolution from below.

The environmental measures we are now taking are just like Mensheviks' way of thinking--while maintaining our current order and comfortable lifestyles, we can reduce CO2 a little, and not wreck our current lives. This is half-hearted in a sense.

I fear inside that the world will rebel if an 8 percent reduction of CO2 is implemented at the needed speed of change. Moreover, on the social security front, there is the risk that Japan will be destroyed financially while we grumble about decreased pensions and resist increased consumption taxes.

Over the past 40 years, it is said that human beings have wiped out 40 percent of the Earth's living land species. The global environment has little time to wait. The key to rescuing the Earth will be how many people share the sense of urgency.
Jenna Dewan-Tatum has exclusively opened up in an interview about her thoughts regarding women. "I always think that if women bond together, it's crazy powerful," she says.

Channing Tatum's wife describes the roles she played and how it relates to her life during a sit-down with Glamour. "All the roles I've done sort of lead to the next... I think my most fulfilling role is still yet to come," says Dewan. She is known for her most recent roles in "The Mindy Project" and "Supergirl's" Lucy Lane in CBS. The tough woman also has her scared moments especially during "American Horror Story" when he had to some raunchy scenes and realized her dad was going to watch the show but she has always loved dancing, especially in "Step Up!"

Speaking of dancing, she was once told that she couldn't be a dancer and an actress at the same time. To which Jenna Dewan-Tatum said she's always a dancer no matter what she does. Proving critics wrong, she told the interviewer that "I'm a dancer who also acts, and I'm an actress who also dances. What's the big deal?"

When Glamour asked the 35 year old what she wanted to change in the industry, Mrs. Tatum went directly to empowering women. "I wish that women had much more opportunities and better opportunities... I like that the voices are getting louder, and we're going, "Wait, why don't we start creating?" I always think, if women bond together in life, art, movies that it's crazy powerful. And when they decide that we're all going to see this movie or all speak up for this, it's like, "Let's all be pro-women."

Channing Tatum's partner in life, Jenna Dewan, still has the chops for dancing especially when she performed that "Magic Mike" special on Spike's Lip Sync Battle. Haven't seen it yet? Check it out below!
Ice mass loss both from Antarctica and Greenland has contributed to about 20% of the present rate of global sea level rise. This ice loss is projected to go higher over the next century.

Scientists warn that if carbon dioxide continues to rise as predicted, it could result to the melting of the East Antarctic ice sheet - considered to be a 'sleeping giant'. This, furthermore, could mean massive sea level rises if it melts.

"Our study shows that this ice sheet becomes unstable and melts if carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reach 600ppm - levels which may be reached by the end of the century if emissions reductions targets agreed to recently in Paris are not met," Tim Naish, director of Victoria University's Antarctic Research Centre in Australia and lead author of the study, said.

"If the East Antarctic ice sheet completely melted, global sea level would rise about 60 metres. It's a sleeping giant," Naish said.

On the other hand, Greenland's snowy surface has been reported to be darker as compared to the past two decades. This means that it is "absorbing more heat from the Sun and increasing snow melt."

A new study using satellite data has led to results stating the probable continuation of the trend. The study has also found that "while soot blowing in from wildfires contributes to the problem, it has not been driving the change."



Times of India reports that the real culprits are "two feedback loops created by the melting itself," with one not visible to the human eye, but still having a profound effect.



"You do not necessarily have to have a 'dirtier' snowpack to make it dark. A snowpack that might look 'clean' to our eyes can be more effective in absorbing solar radiation than a dirty one," Marco Tedesco from Columbia University in US said.



Both ice sheets cover most of Greenland and Antarctica. "Together, the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets contain more than 99 percent of the freshwater ice on Earth," National Snow and Ice Data Center states.

Both these ice sheets also have an influence in weather and climate. The condition of these two ice sheets could have a huge impact to the entire condition of the Earth.
An insurance company owner in Georgia has instructed his employees to wear firearms while working at the office. This has sparked a heated debate on whether carrying firearms on the job really makes one safer at the workplace or will it just invite violence.

Lance Toland, the owner of a company specializing in aviation insurance, operates three small airport offices in Georgia. With the departure of his employee who has acted as his unofficial security officer, he sees the need to secure his offices by issuing firearms to his employees.

This move by Toland is in complete contrast to what President Obama has in mind. His administration is unabashedly pursuing its gun-grabbing strategies that will leave all law-abiding U.S. citizens defenseless when terrorists and random shooters strike close to home.

In contrast, the Georgia business owner seeks to establish a new company policy that demands every employee to carry concealed firearms to protect themselves even while at work.

Toland asks his employees to get the necessary gun licenses, and after they obtain their licenses, he issues them 'the judge,' a gun that is most effective in self-defense. They are required to carry these guns openly while at the office.

"Everybody has one of these in their drawer or on their person. I would not want to come into one of my facilities," said Toland. "It's a 5 shot .410, just like a shotgun and you call it hand cannon," he continued.

The insurance company owner said he developed this idea of arming his employees when he heard about the recent violent crime and home invasions in the metro Atlanta area.

"They all had their conceal carry permit within 3 to 4 weeks of me announcing that this was something you had to do," said Toland. "With the presentation of their license, they all got a 4/10 judge pistol," he added.
ISIS released a video showing religious police members throwing Bibles to a fire. The video also showed boxes of text, pamphlets, and other Christian materials going up in flames after the group reportedly collected them from churches and schools across the area.

The video has the title "Diwan of education destroys Christian instruction books in Mosul." It further shows IS militants tossing the Christian textbooks with some emblazoned with crosses into a large bonfire.

According to Mirror, the militants believe the books belong to "infidels and needed to be destroyed as they try to get rid of anything which doesn't adhere to their violent interpretation of Islam."

The ISIS radical group claimed that "these books are burned because they belong to 'infidels,' in reference to the Christians."

Local media activist Abdullah al-Mulla told ARA News in Mosul: "ISIS jihadis burned hundreds of Christian textbooks in central Mosul, having collected them earlier last week from the schools and churches of the city."

"The militants have also collected a lot of Christian textbooks from the Dawassa district near the Martyrs' Park and publicly burned them," al-Mulla said.

Local activists in Mosul also circulated a videotape on social media. It showed the remains of the burned Christian textbooks piled up east of the city in northern Iraq. The footage has been seen by refugees in Germany.

"I wish I were in my hometown Mosul right now, but we can't come back to our areas and live with Daesh. We escaped from Mosul in August 2014. The fighting was ongoing between Daesh and the Peshmerga. It was difficult to stay there as a Christian," one Iraqi Christian told ARA.

The burning of Bibles and other materials took place in Mosul, northern Iraq. The area is where the mass exodus of Christian residents happened after ISIS took over the region in June 2014.
Shark and Shepherd Rick Esenberg's blog is part of our Purple Wisconsin project. Esenberg is president and general counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and an adjunct professor of law at Marquette University Law School. SHARE

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In this morning's Journal Sentinel, Joanne Kloppenburg attempted to explain why she sat on a case arising from the John Doe investigation. One of the Doe's targets - Wisconsin Club for Growth - had spent large amounts of money criticizing her during her campaign for the Supreme Court in 2011. Given her views on the matter of campaign support and recusal, it is astonishing that she did not step aside. She has been quite critical of Supreme Court rules that allow - but do not require - judges to sit on cases involving parties who have contributed to or spent in support of his or her campaign. She even has gone so far to suggest that those justices who were supported by Club for Growth and, like her, stayed on the case contributed to an appearance of impropriety because "people around the state are saying that the decision and several others look to them like they were foregone conclusions and they believe there was a conflict of interest." Well, let's see. If Justice David Prosser should not sit on a case in which the Club spent money that sharply criticized Kloppenburg and benefited his campaign, why can Joanne Kloppenburg - the person who was criticized - sit on the same case? After all, politics is a zero sum game. What the Club did to benefit Prosser harmed Kloppenburg. This is Joanne Kloppenburg's explanation: "When you someone running ads for you there is a perception of quid pro quo that doesn't exist when someone is running ads against you." (By "quid pro quo," she means the possibility that support was traded for some subsequent action.) That won't fly. Even if you think the opposition of one group can be disentangled from the support of opposing groups, it is inconsistent with our common sense understanding of the sources of judicial bias - a concept that goes well beyond the risk of a "quid pro quo." It suggests that Judge Kloppenburg has not read or does not understand the United States Supreme Court's jurisprudence on this question. Judge Kloppenburg's focus on "quid pro quo" confuses the Supreme Court's campaign finance jurisprudence with its treatment of recusal. And it gets the former wrong. The Supreme Court has said that 1) only the potential for a quid pro quo arrangement justifies the restriction of campaign spending but 2) independent spending does not create the potential for a quid pro quo. Because the Club's spending in the Supreme Court race was independent (allegations in the Doe involved state legislative races), it could not have given rise to the risk of an actual or apparent quid pro quo. But more importantly, in the recusal area, the Court's concern is not limited to the potential for a "quid pro quo." Rather, the constitutional inquiry is directed to any circumstance in which a judge's ability to be impartial might be questioned. Substantial and impactful campaign support can create a "debt of gratitude" that creates an unconstitutionally high appearance or risk of bias. But that's not the only source of bias. The Court made clear that the due process clause requiresa realistic appraisal of psychological tendencies and human weakness, to determine whether there is such a risk of actual bias or prejudgment" that recusal is required. There is no reason to believe that the resentment or desire for vengeance that might be the result of spending against a judge is any less concerning than the "debt of gratitude" that might be the result of spending for that judge. You can be just as biased against those who have opposed you as you can be biased in favor of those who have supported you. In fact, I'd say that the former is more likely than the latter. Don't believe me? Let's actually engage in a "realistic appraisal of psychological tendencies and human weaknesses." Ask yourself if you would like to appear before a judge that you had just publicly denounced as unfit to serve on the bench? No "quid pro quo" to be sure, but I'm betting that you might feel a tad uncomfortable.* This is why lawyers will rarely ever publicly criticize judges. It is why they rarely ask judges to recuse themselves. In the sage words of The Wire's Omar Little, "if you come at the king you best not miss." Ironically, I have always argued that Judge Kloppenburg was within her rights to sit on the case. I have explained why elsewhere. I think that Supreme Court justices, in particular, should be very reluctant to recuse themselves because of independent ideological support. But Judge Kloppenburg and her supporters don't agree with me. Given her more expansive view of the duty to recuse and her desire to kick dirt at Justice Prosser for not recusing in the very same case that she sat on, I don't see how she concluded that she should not recuse. The distinction between "supporting" and "opposing" is a chimera. * By way of disclosure, I do support Justice Bradley. I recommended her to the Governor for appointment and have contributed to her campaign. But this view is not one I formed in the light of this campaign. I developed it in a law review article published in 2010. The views expressed here are my own and are not those of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty which neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office.

Editor's Note: Purple Wisconsin is a collection of community bloggers with views from across the political spectrum. The Journal Sentinel hosts these blogs as a way to encourage thoughtful debate about the important issues facing Wisconsin and the Milwaukee region. The opinions voiced here are those of the individual bloggers alone; they are responsible for their posts. The Journal Sentinel does not edit or direct the bloggers in any fashion.
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San Francisco  Google is disclosing how much of the traffic to its search engine and other services is being protected from hackers as part of its push to encrypt all online activity.

Encryption shields 77% of the requests sent from around the world to Google's data centers, up from 52% at the end of 2013, according to company statistics released Tuesday.

The numbers cover all Google services except its YouTube video site, which has more than 1 billion users. Google plans to add YouTube to its encryption breakdown by the end of this year.

Encryption is a security measure that scrambles transmitted information so it's unintelligible if it's intercepted by a third party.

Google began emphasizing the need to encrypt people's online activities after confidential documents leaked in 2013 by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the U.S. government had been vacuuming up personal data transferred over the Internet. The surveillance programs exploited gaping holes in unencrypted websites.

While rolling out more encryption on its services, Google has been trying to use the clout of its influential search engine to prod other websites to strengthen their security.

In August 2014, Google revised its secret formula for ranking websites in its search order to boost those that automatically encrypted their services.

The change meant websites risked being demoted in Google's search results and losing visitors if they didn't embrace encryption.

Google is highlighting its own progress on digital security while the FBI and Apple Inc. are locked in a court battle over access to an encrypted iPhone used by one of the two extremist killers behind the mass shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., in December.

Google joined several other major technology companies to back Apple in its refusal to honor a court order to unlock the iPhone, arguing that it would require special software that could be exploited by hackers and governments to pry their way into other encrypted devices.

In its encryption crusade, Google's is trying to make it nearly impossible for government spies and other snoops from deciphering personal information seized while in transit over the Internet.

"Our aim with this project is to hold ourselves accountable and encourage others to encrypt so we can make the web even safer for everyone," Google encryption "evangelists" Rutledge Chin Feman and Tim Willis wrote in a blog post.

The statistics show that Google's Gmail service is completely encrypted as long as the correspondence remains confined to Gmail. Mail exchanges between Gmail and other email services aren't necessarily encrypted.

Google's next most frequently encrypted services are maps (83% of traffic) and advertising (77%, up from just 9% at the end of 2013). Encryption frequency falls off for Google's news service (60%) and finance (58%).

Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., says it's still trying to overcome some of the technical problems that have made it more difficult to encrypt some of its services.

Some older devices are also unable to handle modern encryption standards, according to Google.

Nearly 96% of Google's unencrypted traffic comes from mobile devices.
Ryan Cowdrey (left) and QuHarrison Terry, co-founders of 23VIVI, a tech firm that has developed a digital encryption technology for copyright protection of digital artworks, say their focus is sales growth and providing a tool that helps digital artists make money. Credit: Michael Sears

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A long-standing problem with digital art is that it can be easily copied, even stolen, leaving artists with little control over their work.

But now, with help from the blockchain technology underlying the Bitcoin digital currency, graphic artists and illustrators are finding a new marketplace that protects their pieces' originality and authenticity.

"It's a very interesting time to be not only a digital artist, but also a young collector," said QuHarrison Terry, co-founder and chief executive officer of Victory is Very Illuminating Inc., also known as 23VIVI, a Madison start-up that is among the pioneers in creating a marketplace for the art.

The company has a website that is only 8 weeks old. But Terry and co-founder Ryan Cowdrey have experience and influence in the digital art world.

Last summer, the self-proclaimed art enthusiasts started an Instagram account called Artsypromoter that attracted more than 16,000 followers and became a top digital art promotional site. The pair, both now 20, earned a total of $15,083 from artists who paid them between $5 and $15 each time the pair gave a shout-out to their art.

By January, Terry and Cowdrey had started 23VIVI and earned one of five coveted spots in the gener8tor start-up training program, a three-month-long deep dive into building a high-potential company. So they took what they viewed as the next logical step: They dropped out of college.

Both University of Wisconsin-Madison students, Terry was a junior majoring in computer science; Cowdrey, a sophomore in business and marketing. Cowdrey's father, for one, was taken aback, but came to understand why his son did it.

"What he's going to learn over the next year can't be duplicated in the classroom," said Troy Cowdrey, a resident of Inverness, Ill., and a former commodities trader who now renovates and manages apartment buildings.

Digital art  which is produced on a computer or tablet and made with tools like Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Procreate  began to take shape with pioneering artists such as Manfred Mohr, who programmed his first computer drawings in 1969. It became more accessible in the 1980s with the advent of personal computers and paint programs.

Now, in the same way Apple Inc. created a market for digital music with its iTunes store, 23VIVI and others are using blockchain technology to create a market for digital art, Terry said.

With blockchain technology, which underpins digital currency Bitcoin, digital records are lumped into blocks, then bound together in a chain with algorithms. The chains are shared across many computers, creating a distributed database that works like a public ledger, which can't be tampered with and audits itself.

Blockchain enables digital artists to control their work, without worrying it will be copied and shared, said Masha McConaghy, co-founder of ascribe GmBH, a German start-up that uses the blockchain to help digital artists register copyrights on their work and partners with 23VIVI to sell art.

"Thanks to this new blockchain technology for art ownership, there is now a blossoming of digital art marketplaces," McConaghy said.

Among them are galleries in Berlin and New York and a small number of companies, she said.

23VIVI provides artists with encrypted certificates of authenticity, digital signatures that stay with each piece.

The start-up makes available just 23 editions of each piece, ensuring scarcity. The first edition sells for $18, the second for $19 and so on up to the 23rd edition, which sells for $40.

"Once the 23rd edition is sold, the only way to get one is on the resale market," Terry said. Because each piece of art can be tracked by its digital signature, 23VIVI and the artist profit from any future sales, he said.

Eight weeks into it, 23VIVI has sold out of 78 editions from three artists, and had its first resale transaction  a customer who bought Peter Vu's "Floral Skull Beauty" for $24 and sold it on the 23VIVI site for $60, Terry said.

Digital works do not have the texture of a painting on canvas. But they can show movement, sometimes even depth when viewed through a virtual reality lens. Still, the "display part" of digital art is nascent, said Joe Kirgues, a gener8tor co-founder.

Clearly, digital art can be used as a screen saver on a phone or tablet. Troy Cowdrey  now a digital art collector himself  is eager to have the 23VIVI co-founders help him put his collection on a memory stick.

"I would love to put it in a 60-inch TV on the wall and if we have people over, display my digital art," he said.

Sedition Ltd. is 23VIVI's biggest competitor, Kirgues said.

Sedition is clearly ahead of 23VIVI, but Sedition is not using blockchain technology and offers as many as 1,000 editions of a work, he said.

"Our belief is that there is no market leader when it comes to digital art marketplaces at the moment, and 23VIVI has the chance to be that leader," Kirgues said.

23VIVI's founders "would love to be the coolest art site," but that's not their focus, Terry said. Their focus is sales growth and providing a tool that helps digital artists make money, he said.

"Essentially what we're fighting for is the next generation of artists," Terry said. "We have a bright future and a clear shot at victory."

These are some of the best digital art museums, the 23VIVI co-founders say.

Austin Museum of Digital Art, Austin, Texas

Museum of Modern Art Digital Art Vault, New York, NY

Digital Art Museum, Berlin, Germany

Museum of Digital Art, Zurich, Switzerland

Digital Museum of Digital Art, online

Museum of Computer Art, Brooklyn, NY

Source: 23VIVI

Digital art milestones

1969 The Computer Arts Society is founded in London

1985 Andy Warhol digitally paints a portrait of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry on a Commodore Amiga1000

1988 Adobe Photoshop is created

1997 Austin Museum of Digital Art, the first museum dedicated solely to digital art, opens.

2013  Phillips Auction House and Tumblr hold the first digital art auction at a major auction house. Sixteen pieces fetch a total of $90,600.

Source: 23VIVI
Photo of a typical death scene investigated by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office. The office has finalized its statistics from 2015 and found a record-high 255 drug deaths compared to 251 in 2014. Credit: Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office

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After more than 165,000 overdose deaths and a quadrupling of narcotic painkiller prescriptions in the last 15 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new guideline Tuesday designed as an "urgent response" to rein in the prescribing of opioids for chronic pain.

"We know of no other medication routinely used for a nonfatal condition that kills so frequently," CDC Director Tom Frieden said.

More than 40 Americans die each day from prescription opioid overdoses, he said.

"We must act now," Frieden said. "Overprescribing opioid, largely for chronic pain, is a key driver of America's drug-overdose epidemic."

Since the CDC does not regulate medicine, the new guideline is not binding, but it encourages physicians and patients to talk and make informed decisions while strongly discouraging the use of opioids as a first choice for chronic pain.

The action comes on the same day that the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office released data showing that a record high 255 people died of drug overdoses in 2015, an increase of 53% from 2012.

These are deaths from exposure to a multitude of drugs, often combined, and not merely the focus of the CDC guidelines: narcotic painkillers. Nonetheless, more than half the deaths  178  involved prescription drugs, including alprazolam, diazepam, hydrocodone and morphine.

Heroin overdoses 109  approached nearly half of all drug deaths.

Fentanyl, which is used to put patients under for surgery and to alleviate pain, killed 30, an increase of 500% from 2012. The county has seen a rash of fentanyl deaths since the first of the year.

The youngest to die of a drug overdose in Milwaukee County was 2 and the oldest was 72. The average age was 42.7.

Three key principles

The CDC guideline was published Tuesday in JAMA. It includes 12 recommendations based on three principles that are key to improving patient care:

 Non-opioids are preferred for chronic pain outside active cancer, palliative and end-of-life care.

 When opioids are used, the lowest possible dose should be prescribed.

 Doctors should exercise caution when prescribing and monitor all patients closely.

"The guidelines are a very big deal...mainly because the medical community holds CDC in high regard and takes its recommendations seriously," said Andrew Kolodny, an addiction specialist and longtime critic of the opioid industry and the federal government's failure to curtail the use of opioids.

In Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigations pain experts have criticized another key federal agency, the Food and Drug Administration, for its cozy relationship with the opioid industry and its ongoing approval of new narcotic painkillers despite a growing number of overdose deaths and booming prescriptions.

In an emailed statement, FDA spokeswoman Sarah Peddicord said the agency supports the CDC guideline "as another important step forward in the federal effort to address this urgent public health crisis."

Under new commissioner Rob Califf, she said, the agency is re-evaluating its approach and policies regarding opioids.

She added, "We are deeply concerned about the growing epidemic of opioid abuse, addiction. ...There is no one cause of this public health crisis and there will not be one action, or institution, that will solve it."

The Journal Sentinel/MedPage investigations also showed that behind the surge in prescribing was a network of pain organizations, doctors and researchers that pushed for expanded use of the drugs while taking in millions of dollars from the companies that made them. One of those groups was the University of Wisconsin Pain & Policy Studies Group.

Doctor-driven epidemic

In a teleconference, Frieden said the opioid epidemic is doctor driven and can be reversed by doctors. Primary care doctors write about half those prescriptions.

Frieden acknowledged that doctors are under pressure to prescribe painkillers for fear of getting a bad review on Yelp or being criticized for not meeting expectations for taking chronic pain seriously. A whole generation of doctors went through medical school being told that prescribing opioids would not lead to addiction, he said.

He said that treating chronic pain is an art and science, but with opioids the risks are addiction and death and the benefits are transient and unproven.

Even for acute pain, such as after returning home from minor surgery, three days of painkillers usually is sufficient and more than seven days is rarely needed, he said.

In a study accompanying the guideline, researchers found that 42% of people who had a tooth extracted filled an opioid prescription within seven days. Among patients age 14 to 17 years it was 61%.

"This common dental procedure may represent an important area of excessive opioid prescribing in the United States," the researchers wrote.

Another study looked at four low-risk surgical procedures: carpal tunnel release, laparoscopic gallbladder removal, hernia repair or knee arthroscopy. Within seven days, 80% of the patients filled a prescription for an opioid.

The average dose increased over time for all procedures, including an 18% increase for patients undergoing knee arthroscopy.

"Further research should assess the contribution of postoperative opioid prescribing practices to the epidemic of prescription opioid-related abuse," the researchers wrote.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Mark Johnson has received a national feature writing award for his story "Love endures as memory fades," a look at former Gov. Martin Schreiber as he grapples with loneliness as his wife's memory is lost to Alzheimer's disease.

Johnson won the Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award, which is awarded to a reporter for the best single feature story of the year. The award, which dates to 1960, is administered by Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

Judges called Johnson's 2015 article "an impressive feat of reporting, rich in detail, exposition and intimate narrative that offers a poignant view of Alzheimer's without becoming maudlin."

The article was part of "Living Lonely," a two-day series that examined loneliness among the elderly and the health problems it causes. The package was recognized last month by the Association of Health Care Journalists, where it received a third-place finish in the public health category.

This is the third time the Journal Sentinel has won the Pulliam writing award. Reporter Crocker Stephenson has won it twice, for a 2011 article about a couple who lost their son 83 minutes after his birth and in 1999 for his story "Phoenix Man," about a burn victim's journey back to life.

Meanwhile, the Precious Lives project, a media-led effort to examine the causes and consequences of gun violence on Milwaukee's youth, has been named a finalist for an award from the American Bar Association.

The ABA's Silver Gavel Awards recognize work that "fosters the American public's understanding of the law and the legal system," including work from newspapers, television and radio, as well as books and even drama and literature.

Precious Lives was named a finalist in the "other media" category, which includes multimedia partnerships. The other finalist in that category is coverage of the police shooting death of Michael Brown by St. Louis Public Radio. Winners will be announced May 11.

The Precious Lives project, which includes weekly podcasts and corresponding stories, is composed of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 371 Productions, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and radio stations WUWM and WNOV.
Greta Bowlin (left) looks on as son Traigh plays with his new Waste Management toy rear loading truck that company sales rep Jane Freismuth (back right) gave him. Traigh, 7, is a huge fan of garbage trucks and dumpsters. Credit: Michael McLoone / for the Journal Sentinel

Fate has a knack of tossing people together in exactly the right way  in this case a boy who dreams of driving a garbage truck, and a daughter of two trash haulers with a lifetime in the business herself.

Let's start with the boy, Traigh Bowlin. He's 7 and in first grade at Irving Elementary School in West Allis. His career goal: garbage man. He owns a fleet of toy trash trucks that he keeps busy picking up little piles of rubbish in the family living room.

"He has even suggested," said his mom, Greta, "we tear down the garage so he can park his front loader there when he stops to visit for lunch when he grows up and graduates garbage truck school."

And then there's Jane Freismuth, who has worked for Waste Management for 37 years. Her parents owned a hauling company that was acquired by Waste Management.

There were times back when Jane was Traigh's age that she was less enthused about the trash business. "It wasn't cool when the garbage truck came to kindergarten to pick us up. My mom ran a route and my dad ran a route," she said.

Jane is a sales rep, and last month she paid a visit to RJ Schinner Co. in Menomonee Falls to find new business. She introduced herself to the customer service worker who greeted her.

"You're from Waste Management?!" came the surprisingly excited response. "You have to see this!"

She pulled up a photo on her computer. It was a boy dressed as a Waste Management container for Halloween. The worker was Greta Bowlin and the boy, of course, was Traigh.

When Jane shared this story with her managers at the office, Chris Hird and Paul Copeland, their response was unanimous: "Get him a truck!" So Jane returned to see Greta at work and this time had a model front loader marked with Waste Management stickers along with a company cap for Traigh.

"She gets off the phone and she's bawling," Jane said. "She comes around the desk and she's hugging me. She said, 'You don't know what this is going to mean to my son.' And pretty soon I'm bawling."

Traigh whooped and hollered when he saw the truck. Later that same week, Traigh wore the cap and a reflective vest to school for Favorite Character Day, which made him unique among the usual comic book and video game heroes and princesses.

On Monday, I was present at the Bowlin home when Jane stopped by to meet Traigh in person and bring him a rear-loader truck and Waste Management hard hat. He called her Miss Jane and kept thanking her for giving him such authentic trucks that his mother and dad, Tom, had tried so hard to find for him.

Traigh has a brain issue that causes a language disorder, but he had no trouble telling me he loves all the noises that garbage trucks make. He does an impressive imitation of their whirring, banging, air brake hissing and backing up beeping.

I had heard that his favorite trucks get to sleep with Traigh. "Sometimes, yeah, cuz I love them," he said.

Traigh and his trucks skittered across the hardwood floor in the living room, picking up piles of trash made up of bottle caps, pieces of broken toys, buttons, poker chips, scraps of paper and candy wrappers, and even miniature Hefty bags that his mom made. A cardboard box serves as the landfill.

This passion began when Traigh was about 3. Sometimes on days when Greta is off work, she and her son stand in the alley and watch the truck haul their trash away. At places like Wisconsin State Fair, where there are a million things to see, they hang out near the Dumpsters. Traigh has a cousin in college, Libby, who sends him videos of her garbage being picked up.

When our visit ended, Traigh walked outside to watch Jane drive away, even though she was in a plain old car rather than an exciting trash hauler. Jane will have other memorable sales calls in her career, but nothing like this.

And someday, when Traigh Bowlin swings by in his Waste Management truck to cheerfully collect your trash, remember you read it here first.

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley: Like at least two other justices on the court, Bradley has left oral arguments early. Credit: Charles Auer / Waukesha Freeman

SHARE State Supreme Justice Rebecca Bradley Journal Sentinel files State Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman Gregory Shaver Poll Should Wisconsin continue to elect Supreme Court justices or should we find another way to select justices? Elect them Find another system vote View Results Elect them: 68% Find another system: 32% Total Responses: 443

Wisconsin taxpayers pay their state Supreme Court justices $147,403 a year, which isn't much compared with the atmospheric pay scales of many lawyers. But it certainly is enough to put food on the table if you're the rest of us.

For that, citizens have a right to expect justices to do their jobs.

Which is why the squabbling and juvenile behavior on the court in the recent past has been so disheartening. And why the news that at least three of the justices have left oral arguments early to attend events organized by their political friends leaves such a sour taste.

Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Bradley and Michael Gableman all skipped out early. Lawyers we spoke with were of two minds about this: Either they shrugged it off as bad form but not a big deal or they saw it as an affront.

Here's what we wonder: How hard would it be for a justice to schedule around a political commitment? So far this term, the court has scheduled only 18 days of oral arguments, usually no more than two or three days a month. This month, for example, arguments were only scheduled for March 14 and March 16. Would that be so hard?

And as a last resort: What if  oh, the horrors  a justice kept his or her potential donors waiting a few minutes?

That might be inconsiderate, of course, but imagine how the lawyers and litigants felt when the justices walked out.

Lawyers do extensive preparation for an appearance before the court, which often includes mock arguments. As one lawyer told us, lawyers treat it as "an honor and serious obligation."

That it is. And the same should be true for the justices. Oral arguments are a chance for them to clarify arguments in a case and to ask questions that expose holes in legal thinking. The late Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last month, was famously skilled at pressing advocates who came before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ann Walsh Bradley skipped out about 30 minutes early one day last year to make a speech before the Wisconsin Counties Association. She was running for re-election at the time and was listed on the association's agenda that day as a justice  and a candidate.

Rebecca Bradley left arguments about 15 minutes early on Feb. 24 so she could speak at a conference organized by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, which has spent heavily trying to get its favorites elected to the Supreme Court in past elections. Bradley, who is not related to Ann Walsh Bradley, is running for a full term against state Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg in the April election. Bradley was named to the court late last year by Gov. Scott Walker to fill the seat left open by the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks.

Gableman left early the same day to attend the Bradley speech organized by WMC. Justice Annette Ziegler also attended the WMC event that day but said she didn't leave oral arguments until the last lawyer had finished speaking. She then attended the WMC event, which was held three blocks away.

This is not the biggest problem the state Supreme Court has faced. But this behavior is one more reason to question why Wisconsin selects its justices the way it does and to wonder what it will take to find a better way.
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The Ds are failing Milwaukee

The story that columnist James E. Causey told about Takeila Hilliard's plight is sad and real not only to her but to numerous other families in the city of Milwaukee ("Four children, and nowhere to go," Crossroads, March 13).

His column is confirmed by the fact that Milwaukee is the seventh most economically distressed city in the country, which was spelled out in the same Crossroads section.

The same column showing that Milwaukee is a failed city also shows that the state of Wisconsin is "doing quite well." The state is far ahead of the national average in economic development. The city of Milwaukee is well on its way to re-electing the same old shoe in Tom Barrett. The same old shoe in a long line of old shoes with a big "D" in front of their name denoting political party.

Causey and the Journal Sentinel need to take the "C" for coward that is in front of their names and cast it aside. They both keep doing the same things and somehow expect different results. The problem is the leadership in the city which has been of the same ilk for decades. It's the same leadership that thinks it's more important to spend $150 million on a trolley for downtown yuppies. How many more millions are being spent on an arena for a couple of billionaires?

It is great that the state is doing well. The same state that is run by people with an "R" in front of their name. Causey and the Journal Sentinel just confirmed with facts the failed folly of the "D" and the progress and prosperity brought by the "R."

Causey told a truly sad story today. It's a sad story caused by the "Ds," yet no one has the guts to address the root of the problem.

Thomas Post

New Berlin



Mother made poor choices

James E. Causey's column regarding the plight of Takeila Hilliard was no doubt accurate ("Four children, and nowhere to go," Crossroads, March 13).

It is also indicative of the circumstances of way too many other people in Milwaukee.

However, like many articles that appear in the Journal Sentinel, the subject of personal responsibility is never mentioned. It's always about the family's dire situation. It's always someone else's fault and the government's responsibility to make things better for them.

There is no mention in the article of a husband. Where is the father? Why would a single person with no means of support continue to have more children after the first one? Children do not just happen. They can be and should be planned.

If Hilliard "accidentally" had one child, she probably could have handled completing nursing school and ultimately improved her economic circumstances. But, no, she continued her poor choices by having three more. With four children and no means of support, she has no chance. So she will continue, and so will her children, to be a part of Milwaukee's 170,000 poverty-stricken poor people.

Until the folks who are in similar circumstances start making choices that actually help themselves, nothing will change for them.

Mark Lindow

Waukesha



Disclose all donations

Regarding the article "Spotlight dimming on disclosure" on March 13, I find it ironic that Gov. Scott Walker in campaign speeches both for governor and president used "transparency" as a necessity for a good candidate and leader  really!

Our elected officials in Madison, including Walker, are trying to close the open records laws. They tried in the middle of the night and failed and are still working toward that goal. All donations should be disclosed, no exceptions.

As a voter, I want to know who might have access to elected officials because of large donations. The officials are elected to do what is best for the voters not the large contributors to their campaigns.

This is one way that our officials know they are being monitored by the voters who elected them. After all, any deal done behind closed doors still should be a good legal deal when the doors are open. If the politicians and their donors have nothing to hide, a full donor disclosure list shouldn't matter and wouldn't be such a huge problem.

Vicki L. Tackes

Slinger

Please email your letters to jsedit@jrn.com, or mail them to Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201-0371. Letters are generally limited to 200 words and are subject to editing.
Contractors for West Shore Pipe Line Co. place timber mats atop a hardwood swamp at the Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area so that heavy equipment can access a fuel pipeline for repairs. Credit: Don Behm

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Contractors for West Shore Pipe Line Co. this week are repairing sections of its regional fuel pipeline within the Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area near Cedar Creek, about 2.5 miles north of a July 2012 gasoline spill.

A recent internal inspection of the pipeline determined there was degraded metal in the line at Jackson Marsh, a spokesman for the Illinois company said. This is in close proximity to nearly two dozen sections of metal pipe repaired in 2013 at Jackson Marsh.

No leak has been reported at Jackson Marsh, according to state Department of Natural Resources officials.

Company spokesman David Boone described the work this week as "routine maintenance."

Contractors placed heavy timber mats atop the wetland so that machinery could reach the pipeline.

Workers this week excavated soil from degraded pipe sections in the hardwood swamp west of county Highway G. The line is being examined from the outside to confirm how those sections will be repaired.

One repair option includes attaching a metal sleeve around the outside of the degraded pipe to prevent it from rupturing, according to a West Shore representative at Jackson Marsh.

The company's right-of-way crosses Jackson Marsh between state Highway 60 and Pleasant Valley Road in the Town of Jackson.

Gasoline spill in 2012

A pipeline rupture in July 2012 spilled 54,600 gallons of gasoline in a farm pasture in the 1800 block of Western Ave., a few miles south of Jackson Marsh.

The spill was caused by a rupture of a welded seam along several feet of 10-inch pipe. The regional pipeline was built in 1961.

Gasoline from the spill contaminated groundwater in roughly a 1-square-mile area of the town. Benzene and other petroleum compounds were detected in 44 private wells in the town after the spill.

Water main built

West Shore subsequently paid $5.3 million to build eight miles of water main so that Village of Jackson municipal water could serve the rural area around the spill.

In March 2015, the lawsuit of 241 Washington County residents against the company and pipeline operator Buckeye Partners LP was settled for an undisclosed amount before the trial.

West Shore owns a 650-mile fuel distribution system within Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Fuel pipelines extend from East Chicago, Ind., around Chicago to Milwaukee and Green Bay. A separate fuel line runs from the Chicago area to Janesville and Madison.
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate JoAnne Kloppenburg said there is no reason to judges to step aside from cases involving groups that have spent money against them  only groups that have spent money for them. Credit: Associated Press

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Madison  In her two bids for the state Supreme Court, JoAnne Kloppenburg has criticized as too weak an ethics rule that says political spending on its own isn't enough to force a judge off a case.

But as an appeals judge in 2014, Kloppenburg remained on a case involving a group that spent against her in her unsuccessful 2011 race for the high court. Her ruling kept alive an investigation of Gov. Scott Walker's campaign, the Wisconsin Club for Growth and other conservative organizations.

The state Supreme Court later shut down that investigation, finding no one had done anything wrong. Investigators had been looking into whether the GOP governor and the groups had illegally worked together in recall elections.

Kloppenburg is running in the April 5 election against Justice Rebecca Bradley for a 10-year term on the high court.

In a meeting with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editors and reporters last week, Kloppenburg said there was no reason for her to step aside from the case because the group had spent money against her, not for her.

"When you have someone running ads for you there is a perception of quid pro quo that doesn't exist when someone is running ads against you," she said.

But Rick Esenberg, a lawyer backing Bradley, said Kloppenburg "has some explaining to do" because of her decision to remain on the case while opposing the ethics rule as too weak.

"The problem, of course, is that if you can't sit on a case that might involve someone who has spent on your behalf, you ought not be able to sit on one involving people that spent against you," Esenberg said by email. "A debt of gratitude is no greater source of bias than a desire for revenge. In fact, in my experience, vengeance is often far more powerful than gratitude."

Esenberg said he was speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, where he is president and general counsel. Esenberg served as a reference for Bradley when she applied for an appointment to the state Supreme Court, which Walker gave her in October to finish the term of Justice N. Patrick Crooks, who died a month earlier.

In Kloppenburg's first run for the Supreme Court, in 2011 against Justice David Prosser, she blasted the rule the court adopted in 2009 and 2010 that stated endorsements and political spending, by themselves, weren't enough to require judges and justices to step down from cases.

The rule passed 4-3, with conservatives in the majority saying it would prevent litigants from engaging in judge shopping and ensure that voters could have the judges they elected stay on cases.

Echoing the concerns of liberals on the high court, Kloppenburg in her 2011 run said the majority had made it appear as if the judiciary were beholden to special interests and campaign backers. She has taken the same stance in this campaign, saying in her meeting with the Journal Sentinel that the rule should be revised because "we have some of the weakest recusal rules in the country."

Kloppenburg lost the 2011 race, but was elected a year later to the Madison-based District 4 Court of Appeals.

The probe of Walker and groups backing him began in 2012. A year later, the Wisconsin Club for Growth and two of its operatives anonymously filed a lawsuit to halt the investigation on technical grounds.

Kloppenburg and two other judges on the appeals court unanimously dismissed that lawsuit, finding the investigation was properly conducted.

The Supreme Court later took the case, along with two others related to the probe. In those other cases, which dealt with more substantive issues, the Supreme Court in a 4-2 decision ordered an end to the investigation because it concluded candidates and issue groups could work together closely.

When the case was pending before the state's high court, special prosecutor Francis Schmitz asked Prosser and Justice Michael Gableman to step down from the cases because groups caught up in the probe had spent heavily to elect them.

They remained on the cases. Prosecutors have signaled they plan to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether they should have gotten off the cases.

In her meeting with the Journal Sentinel, Kloppenburg said she had no opinion on whether those justices should have recused themselves from the cases.

"To people around the state, if you're mindful of how it looks to people around the state, people around the state are saying that decision and several others look to them like they were foregone conclusions and they believe there was a conflict of interest," she said.

Bradley's campaign did not respond to questions for this story on whether she supported the recusal rule or what she thought of Kloppenburg remaining on the case.
Russ Feingold said it would make for a fascinating race, but in the end, Clinton would win the presidency. Credit: Getty Images/Associated Press

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After nearly an hour of discussing taxes, spending, national security, trade, the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, voter anger and the lack of political civility, Democrat Russ Feingold was asked a question Monday that triggered light laughter from the audience at the Milwaukee Rotary Club.

Would he give a preview of a fall presidential election race in the event the nominees are former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democrats and businessman Donald Trump for the Republicans?

"It's like previewing the next Netflix show," Feingold said.

"I think what's going to happen there is that Mr. Trump will finally have to face somebody who really knows the issues, who knows how to handle herself," Feingold said. "And I don't think he's going to be able to intimidate her. That's pretty tough to do. He's good at it, but she may even be better at withstanding it. And she's going to reveal the fact that he really doesn't know what he's talking about on basically any issue."

Feingold said it would make for a fascinating race, but in the end, Clinton would win.

As for his own prospects, Feingold sought to project an upbeat message as he faces Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in a rematch of their 2010 race when Johnson unseated him.

"I'm guessing you would agree that this is one of the strangest political seasons anyone has ever seen," Feingold said in prepared remarks as he discussed the national political landscape.

"What do you tell your little children whose first exposure to American democracy is petty name-calling and hatred and violence? It doesn't remind you of the Kennedy-Nixon debates I saw when I was 7 years old," Feingold added. "I didn't know what they were talking about, but I know that they were treating each other with respect."

During a question-and-answer session moderated by senior producer Steve Walters of WisconsinEye, Feingold discussed key stances he has taken during the campaign. He favors comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship, opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that was negotiated by President Barack Obama's administration and 11 Pacific-rim countries and backs Obama's Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon pollution from power plants.

Asked to list one or two mistakes that Obama made during his seven years in office, Feingold said "he probably shouldn't have called ISIS a JV team. I think he'd be the first to agree."

Feingold criticized Republicans, including Johnson, for announcing plans for a blockade of Obama's eventual nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Speaking to the media, Feingold was asked about the upcoming political battle over the nominee. With its highly contested Senate race, Wisconsin has emerged as a prime target of both sides in the debate.

"There's nothing wrong with people running ads," he said. "There's nothing wrong with people trying to persuade their elected political representative to vote a certain way. But in order to do that you have to do your job first, which is to allow the nominee to have a hearing so people can see the person and weigh in."
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Madison The Senate Tuesday confirmed a former secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to lead the agency again in the midst of a probe into abuse allegations at a prison for youth.

The Senate voted 29-3 to confirm Jon Litscher, with only Democratic Sens. Chris Larson and Tim Carpenter of Milwaukee and Bob Wirch of Pleasant Prairie voting against the confirmation.

State and federal authorities are investigating allegations of sexual assault, child neglect, prisoner abuse and other crimes at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake School for Girls, which share a campus 30 miles north of Wausau.

After the resignation of former Secretary Ed wall last month, Gov. Scott Walker asked Litscher to return to the agency, which Litscher led from 1999 to 2003 under Republican Govs. Tommy Thompson and Scott McCallum.
Donald Trump protesters sing Where is the Love? by the Black Eyed Peas before a campaign rally for the Republican presidential candidate Monday at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C. Credit: Getty Images

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Hanoverton, Ohio The tumultuous presidential primary season barreled toward a potentially decisive day for both Republicans and Democrats, with enough delegates up for grabs Tuesday to turn Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton from front-runners to likely nominees.

The biggest prizes are Florida and Ohio, states with a long history of making or breaking White House aspirations. Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina also offer a crucial cache of delegates that could help Trump and Clinton pull further from their rivals.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio hoped that their states would give them a boost instead. Kasich seemed to have a better chance at that than Rubio.

The contests come at a remarkable moment in the presidential race for Republicans. Animosity toward Trump has risen to the point where he can rarely get through an event without being interrupted by protesters. He is under scrutiny for appearing to encourage his supporters to physically confront those protesters.

In a lightly veiled jab at Trump, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said candidates "need to take responsibility for the environment at their events." He told WRJN, a radio station in Racine: "There is never an excuse for condoning violence, or even a culture that presupposes it."

Even with the new controversy, Trump holds a comfortable lead in the Republican delegate count and could put himself well on his way to the nomination if he sweeps Tuesday's contests. During a campaign stop Monday in Tampa, where he appeared alongside former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Trump already was eying the general election.

"If we win Florida and we win Ohio, we can go and attack Hillary," he said.

Later, Palin, the 2008 vice presidential candidate, returned to Alaska to be with her husband, Todd Palin, who was involved in a snowmobiling accident Sunday night and was hospitalized.

Heading into Tuesday, Trump is locked in a tight contest in Ohio with Kasich.

Seeking a final boost in his home state, Kasich spent Monday campaigning alongside Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee and a fierce critic of Trump.

"This is the guy Ohio has to vote for, and America's counting on you," Romney told the crowd at a Kasich event in North Canton. While Romney has not endorsed Kasich, he has said he will do whatever is needed to help all of Trump's rivals.

Rubio hopes to block Trump in a do-or-die primary in his home state, although polling suggests he is slipping further behind. The senator tried to stay upbeat Monday, perhaps his final full day of campaigning in the 2016 race.

"Tomorrow's the day where we are going to shock the country," he said during a stop in Jacksonville.

If Trump sweeps Tuesday's contests, he still would have to keep winning to clinch the nomination. But he would cross an important threshold by collecting more than 50% of the delegates awarded so far.

Trump's closest competition has come from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has defeated the businessman in seven states. He also is the only remaining Republican candidate who still says unequivocally that he would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.

Asked what could cause him to change his mind, Cruz said, "If, for example, he would go out on 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, I would not support him."

His comment was a reference to a previous statement by Trump that he could shoot someone on the famous Manhattan street and not lose support.

Clinton vs. Sanders

Among Democrats, Clinton has been itching to look ahead to the general election but continues to face persistent competition from Bernie Sanders. While Clinton maintains a commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders breathed new life into his campaign with a surprising victory last week in Michigan.

Reprising a theme that helped propel that Michigan win, Sanders on Monday pounded Clinton's past support for trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. He has escalated his criticism in recent days, hoping to undercut her edge among minorities and expand his advantage with white working-class voters.

"When it came down whether you stand with corporate America, the people who wrote these agreements, or whether you stand with the working people of this country, I proudly stood with the workers," Sanders said in Youngstown, Ohio. "Secretary Clinton stood with the big money interests."

Clinton's team is attempting to tamp down expectations, stressing that the race remains close in the Midwest despite public polling showing her with a sizable lead. Still, she is eying the general election and escalating her attacks on Trump, saying he is "inciting mob violence" at his rallies.

WHAT IF ...

Trump sweeps: If Donald Trump sweeps Tuesday's contests, he will put himself on a path to win the nomination by the end of the primary season on June 7. He would have to keep winning to pull it off. But he would cross an important threshold by collecting more than 50% of the delegates awarded so far.

Rubio and Kasich win their states: If Marco Rubio wins Florida and John Kasich wins Ohio, their victories would go a long way toward making sure that no one gets the 1,237 delegates needed to lock up the nomination before the convention. It's already too late for Rubio or Kasich to reach the magic number by June; Rubio has been winning just 15% of the delegates, and Kasich has been getting just 6%. But if they could both pull off big wins on Tuesday, they could possibly stop Trump, setting the stage for a contested convention this summer.

Rubio loses his state: If Trump were to win Florida but lose Ohio, the status quo would prevail, and the race would continue on an uncertain path. Trump would have slightly less than 50% of the delegates, but he could jump above the threshold by winning the rest of the winner-take-all states  the next of which is Arizona, with 58 delegates at stake on March 22. There are three winner-take-all states  New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota  on June 7, the last day of the primary season.

Cruz sweeps:The polls say it's unlikely, but if Ted Cruz were to win every state on Tuesday, he would jump into the lead in the race for delegates. However, he would still be short of a majority of the delegates, increasing the likelihood of a contested convention. Cruz would need to win 61% of the remaining delegates to reach 1,237, much higher than his current rate of 34%. Cruz would probably need Rubio and Kasich to drop out, and then would need to beat Trump soundly in the remaining contests.
Inflation is a top issue for voters, but politicians' solutions could make things worse

Voters have shifted their top priority from abortion to their wallets, but candidates are limited in what they can do about rising prices.
The area covered by a high wind warning is shown on the Journal Sentinels radar map.

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Wind gusts in excess of 50 mph have knocked out power to more than 21,000 We Energies customers in southeastern Wisconsin, the utility reported Wednesday afternoon.

The high winds knocked down trees and power lines and even snapped utility poles, We Energies spokeswoman Cathy Schulze said.

"Our repair crews will be working throughout the night to restore service to customers as quickly and as safely as possible," Schulze said.

More than 10,000 We Energies customers in Milwaukee were without power as of 4:30 p.m., according to the utility's outage map.

Elsewhere, outage totals included about 2,700 in Waukesha, 1,400 in the Town of Waukesha, 1,400 in Wauwatosa and about 1,700 in Mequon, according to the utility.

In Milwaukee, the wind knocked a tree onto a school bus carrying 15 children in the 900 block of W. Hadley streets, according to Milwaukee police.

No one was injured and the bus sustained minor damage to its roof, according to police.

The children who were aboard the bus were taken off, according to a post on the station's website that did not report any injuries.

A high wind warning for all of southern Wisconsin remains in effect until 8 p.m., with sustained winds between 30-40 mph and gusts between 50-60 mph expected, according to the National Weather Service in Sullivan.

In addition to tree damage and power outages, the high winds pose a danger for motorists driving tall vehicles, especially on north-south highways, according to the weather service.

Earlier Wednesday, We Energies crews responded to 68th St. in Franklin, where a tree had fallen on power lines and knocked out power to hundreds of customers for part of the morning.

In addition, a wind-driven two-alarm fire Wednesday evening displaced the occupants of two homes on Milwaukee's south side, a fire official said.

The blaze was reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of S. 4th St., Deputy Fire Chief Terry Lintonen said.

High winds spread the fire from one one-and-a-half story wood-frame dwelling to another, both of which were occupied, Lintonen said.

The wind also posed additional danger to firefighters who entered the dwellings and who typically ventilate interior fires by breaking out windows, Lintonen said.

No one was injured in the fire, which was brought under control shortly before 5 p.m. The occupants of the homes required assistance from the Red Cross, Lintonen said.

The fire remained under investigation and no additional details were available.
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Maan News Agency |  

BETHLEHEM (Maan)  A Palestinian teacher from the occupied West Bank on Sunday won the Varkey Foundations 2016 Global Teachers Prize for her work educating children in Palestine.

Hanan al-Hroub, from Duheisha refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem, was announced the winner of the competition during the award ceremony in Dubai.

About 8,000 teachers from all over the world had competed for the award.

Every day we see the suffering in the eyes of our students and teachers caused by Israeli occupations military checkpoints, al-Hroub said during her acceptance speech.

Teachers work hard to free the childrens minds from violence and turn it into dialogues of beauty, she continued.

According to the foundation, al-Hroub went into primary education after her children were left deeply traumatized by a shooting incident they witnessed on their way home from school.

She was chosen as a finalist in the competition for her teaching method, which focuses on non-violence by teaching through playing and interweaves counseling for students struggling with behavior problems due to the violence Palestinian children are subjected to through Israels occupation.

We want our children to live in freedom and peace, as their peers all over the world, al-Hroub said.

Al-Hroub also suggested that 2016 be dedicated to achieving hope for Palestinian teachers who plant hope in the minds of our children.

Following the announcement, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah issued a statement congratulating al-Hroub on her win.

Teacher Hanan al-Hroub accomplished the impossible despite of all the obstacles put in front of every Palestinian by the Israeli occupation; she makes us proud, Hamdallah said in a statement.

Via Maan News Agency



Related video added by Juan Cole:

AJ+: The Worlds Best Teacher: A Palestinian
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By Cengiz Gunes | (The Conversation) |  

Hours after Ankara was rocked by the second bomb attack in less than three weeks, killing at least 37 people and injuring 70 others, Turkish jets bombed PKK bases in the Qandil mountains deep inside the Kurdish region of Iraq.

Turkish security officials told reporters that two suspects in the bombing had ties to the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK)  although it is not yet clear whether one of the attackers whose body is said to have been found at the scene is either of these people.

But the fact that responsibility for the bomb attack in the Turkish capital on February 17 was claimed by the militant group TAK (Kurdistan Freedom Falcons) has clearly increased government suspicion that the same Kurdish group is behind this attack.

The official line in Turkey is that the TAK is an affiliate of the PKK  and so eventual responsibility lies with them. The PKK has always denied its affiliation with TAK  but, in any case, Turkey considers the group to be the main Kurdish threat and the Kurdish question to be the biggest problem for state security.

Despite this, its worth exploring the identities and motivations of the different players in what is clearly a complex and increasingly violent security situation in Turkey.

PKK: long-term struggle

The PKKs origin dates back to the early 1970s student radicalism in Ankara but it was formally established in Diyarbakir in 1978. It defined itself as a national liberation movement and fought a guerrilla campaign in the rural areas of the Kurdish regions of Turkey between 1984 and 1999. The conflict has cost the lives of 45,000 people and caused huge socio-economic devastation in the region.

The PKK has been the dominant Kurdish organisation in Turkey since the early 1980s. Its founding leader Abdullah Ocalan has been serving a life sentence in a Turkish prison since 1999, but he remains the main figure in the movement and, as such, was involved in a peace dialogue with the Turkish government. In his absence, the group is spearheaded by a collective leadership based in its headquarters in the Qandil mountains.

Currently, the PKK advocates the recognition of Kurdish identity in Turkey and autonomy and language rights for the Kurds.

There was a significant reduction in PKK violence after Ocalans 1999 arrest brought about a significant ideological transformation. But it continues to have a 5,000-strong guerrilla force in the field and has carried out many attacks against state security forces in the past decade, including roadside bombs and ambushes.



CIA



There have also been extended periods in the conflict in which the PKK ceased violence  including nearly two-and-a-half years between January 2013 and June 2015 during which there was a moratorium against guerrilla activities in an attempt to help peace negotiations.

The PKK says it is committed to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict and will end its violent campaign permanently only if there is significant progress made in peace negotiations.

TAK: violent offshoot

There is very little knowledge available publicly about the TAKs organisational structure and membership but it has carried out attacks in various parts of western Turkey in the past decade, mainly targeting the security forces and Turkeys tourism industry. Its first attack took place in July 2005 in the holiday resort of Kusadasi on Turkeys Aegean Coast, killing five people. TAK has carried out a number of other attacks that have also resulted in civilian casualties, including the roadside bomb blast in Istanbul that killed four soldiers in 2010 and the February 17 Ankara bombing.

The state claims the TAK to be affiliated to the PKK. In turn, the PKK denies the association, claiming TAK is comprised of former PKK militants who left the movement because they advocated the use of more violent force against the state.

Whether it was TAK or PKK behind the March 13 bomb in Ankara, it suggests that Kurdish militants are responding to the states military operations in Kurdistan by targeting Turkeys urban centres. This is likely to escalate the struggle into an increasingly violent armed conflict.

Heavy-handed military

Ground operations by the Turkish military, in urban Kurdish majority areas in the south-east of Turkey, ostensibly to target militants, appear to have been the trigger for the TAKs attack in Ankara in February. These have been ongoing in the past six months and have caused great destruction as well as anxiety in the Kurdish community.

Army operations in the past three months have focused on the Sur district of Diyarbakir, where authorities reported 279 militants had been killed, and in Cizre  where the town was devastated with the loss of hundreds of lives and the displacement of much of the population. This attack on Cizre was cited by TAK as the main reason for its attack last month.

The states heavy-handed approach, which has inevitably included the deaths of many civilians has given rise to accusations of targeting non-combatants  and has caused significant disillusionment among the Kurds. It certainly hasnt helped the peace process and is likely to further radicalise a significant section of the Kurdish society.

Deteriorating security situation

Things started to spiral downhill when Kurdish enclaves came under attack from Turkish military, ostensibly as part of the war against the Islamic State. It seems likely that things will continue to deteriorate. On March 13, the army announced its plan to carry out military operations in the south-eastern towns of Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, declaring curfews and moving in troops and materiel.

Of course, the continuing conflict in Syria and international confusion over who is fighting who is fanning the flames of this tension. It seems unlikely that Turkish central government will be either willing  or able  to seek a lasting solution to this bloody and long-running conflict.

So brace for further attacks on Turkeys major centres of population. The tragedy is that the more regular these become, the more polarised civil society will become in the country. The prospect of communal violence against minority Kurdish populations in parts of Turkey is growing more likely and an end to the conflict seems further away than ever.

Cengiz Gunes, Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Social Science, The Open University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

CCTV News: Turkey carries out airstrikes after deadly bombing in Ankara
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

al-Hayat [Life], the London pan-Arab daily, reports on the announcement Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would begin withdrawing the greater part of Russian men and equipment from Syria.

Al-Hayat is careful to note that Putin says that the Russian naval base at Tartus and the new Russian air base nearby will continue to be in play, and that Putin did not announce a complete withdrawal. It appears to me that Russia will still be in a position to intervene strategically against any rebel group that makes sudden progress against regime forces. It will also continue to provision the Syrian Arab Army with powerful munitions.

At the same time, Reports emerged in Beirut that hundreds of Hizbullah fighters are also withdrawing from Syria, returning to the Dahiya district of east Beirut.

Apparently Putin feels that he has accomplished his main goal in Syria, which was to shore up the Syrian government and prevent it from falling to the rebels. The key Latakia province in the northwest has been cleared of al-Qaeda and other rebel groups, ensuring that the southern capital, Damascus, can be provisioned. The rebels have been pushed back from Hama and Homs.

Another of the Russian goals was to weaken al-Qaeda (the Support Front or Jabhat al-Nusra), which had attracted Russian Muslim fighters from the Caucasus.

To go further with intensive Russian air strikes would risk quagmire, since a guerrilla movement cannot be defeated from the air, even if it can be hurt.

You have to wonder, since Putin called Obama, whether he has not secured from the US a pledge to cease sending TOW anti-tank munitions and other deadly weapons to the rebels, in return for standing down.

The Syrian Arab Army of Bashar al-Assad was on the verge of taking west Aleppo when the UN cessation of hostilities was implemented. That move would have resulted in a horrible slaughter and reprisals by the regime against the people of those quarters. Likewise, before the Russian intervention the possibility of an al-Qaeda conquest and massacre of the Alawites of Latakia loomed large.

So, Putin seems to have frozen the current positions. This step may be intended to put pressure on al-Assad and on the rebels as well.

The great powers appear to think that a new, Federal Syria could emerge if provincial lines are redrawn in accordance with the current positions. Alarabiya reports there there could be a Sunni province in Deir al-Zor and al-Raqqa, a Kurdish one in the north, and a cosmopolitan Alawi/ Christian/ Druze/ secular Sunni one in the west running from Damascus up to Latakia. (Alarabiya doesnt think there are enough Alawis to hold that one together).

Russia has all along had modest ambitions in Syria and has been seeking a way of preventing it from becoming a military quagmire for Moscow. Avoiding a quagmire has become even more urgent for Russia given the fall in the price of oil and the subsequent economic difficulties it faces.

The Russian intervention inflated the ego of Bashar al-Assad, who recently pledged to reestablish government control throughout Syria, much to Russias annoyance.

Yesterdays announcement signals to al-Assad that he cannot act as a free rider on the Russian tab. Rather, the meeting of the sides in the war in Geneva on Monday would have to be taken more seriously by Damascus.

Russia wants al-Assad to begin the reconciliation process with a new constitution, while Syria had wanted to race to new elections as soon as April (an unrealistic step that would have excluded most rebels, according to the Alain Gresh piece linked above.

It remains to be seen whether the current ceasefire can hold. That eventuality would seem to be extremely important to Putins success. As President Obama found in Iraq, you can easily get drawn back in.

-

Related video:

Euronews: Objectives attained: Russia withdraws troops from Syria
VANCOUVER, March 15, 2016 /CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with 1065604 BC Ltd., a private British Columbia company, for an option to earn an undivided 80% interest (the "Transaction") in the Atlantis lithium property ("Atlantis", or the "Property") located in the Fish Lake Valley in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Atlantis is comprised of unpatented placer claims and placer association claims totaling 2,882 acres (1,166 hectares) located approximately 25 miles (38 kilometres) northwest of the Silver Peak lithium brine mine operated by Albemarle Corporation (ALB: NYSE), the only operating lithium mine in North America.

The Atlantis Transaction

Atlantis is the subject of an option agreement between Nevada Sunrise and a Nevada-based property vendor (for further details, see Nevada Sunrise news release dated February 18, 2016). 1065604 BC Ltd. or its successor or assigns (the "Optionee") will have the option to earn an 80% interest in the Property from Nevada Sunrise, subject to a royalty in favour of the underlying property vendor, by making payments of cash and common shares to Nevada Sunrise, incurring exploration expenditures, and meeting certain other conditions, as follows:

US$48,000 cash on the closing date of the Transaction (being the date that is five business days after the receipt of consent of the underlying property owners for the Agreement, which has been received) for expenditures both paid and to be incurred by Nevada Sunrise;

cash on the closing date of the Transaction (being the date that is five business days after the receipt of consent of the underlying property owners for the Agreement, which has been received) for expenditures both paid and to be incurred by Nevada Sunrise; CDN$100,000 cash on or before the date which is the later of 30 days from the closing date and the date on which the Optionee receives satisfactory evidence of the recording of claims newly-staked by Nevada Sunrise;

cash on or before the date which is the later of 30 days from the closing date and the date on which the Optionee receives satisfactory evidence of the recording of claims newly-staked by Nevada Sunrise; Incurring exploration expenditures of not less than US$1,000,000 , consisting of US$100,000 on or before the 1 st anniversary of the closing date, an additional US$250,000 on or before the 2 year anniversary of the closing date, and an additional US$650,000 on or before the 3 rd anniversary of the closing date;

, consisting of on or before the 1 anniversary of the closing date, an additional on or before the 2 year anniversary of the closing date, and an additional on or before the 3 anniversary of the closing date; Completion of a "going public" transaction resulting in a listing of the Optionee on a recognized Canadian stock exchange (the "Resulting Issuer");

Issuance of 1,250,000 common shares of the Resulting Issuer, with 250,000 common shares issuable on or before the date that is 60 days following the completion of a "going public" transaction, 500,000 common shares issuable on or before the 2nd anniversary of a the closing date for the Transaction, and 500,000 common shares issuable on or before the 3rd anniversary of the closing date of the Transaction. It is a condition of the Option Agreement that the common shares of the Resulting Issuer be subject to no more than a four month hold period in Canada from their date of issue.

Should the Optionee not in a timely manner make the cash and common share payments to Nevada Sunrise, not complete the "going public" transaction or obtain stock exchange approval for the issuance of common shares within 60 days of the completion of the "going public" transaction, or not incur the required exploration expenditures, the Atlantis option will terminate without notice. Any shortfalls in exploration expenditures in any year may be paid to Nevada Sunrise in cash to keep the option in good standing. Any excess amounts of exploration expenditures incurred in a year shall be applied to future years.

For further information on Atlantis including a map showing its location, see the Company's website under "Projects-Nevada Lithium" at: http://www.nevadasunrise.ca/projects/nevadalithium/

About Nevada Sunrise

Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a strong technical team based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, that holds interests in nine mineral exploration projects in the State of Nevada, USA. Nevada Sunrise began acquisitions of Nevada lithium properties in September 2015, which include options to earn 100% interests in the Neptune and Clayton Northeast projects, and a 100% interest in the Aquarius Project, all located in the Clayton Valley area. The Company also holds options to earn 100% interests in the Jackson Wash and Atlantis projects, and has a 50% participating interest in the Gemini project, each located in playas proximal to the Clayton Valley.

The Company's three key gold assets include a 21% interest in a joint venture with Pilot Gold Inc. (TSX: PLG) at Kinsley Mountain near Wendover, a 100% interest in the Golden Arrow project near Tonopah, and a 100% interest in the Roulette gold property in the southeastern Carlin trend near Ely, with each of the properties subject to certain production royalties.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements that address future mineral production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, the future price of lithium, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size of a mineralized zone, potential expansion of mineralization, the timing and results of future resource estimates, or other study, proposed exploration and development of our exploration properties and the estimation of mineral resources. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions, or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of Nevada Sunrise to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.

Such factors include, among others, risks related to the interpretation and actual results of historical exploration at the Atlantis property, reliance on technical information provided by third parties on any of our exploration properties, including access to historical information on the Atlantis property; current exploration and development activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Three Months ended December 31, 2015, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or 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. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and accordingly are subject to change after such date. Except as otherwise indicated by Nevada Sunrise, these statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Nevada Sunrise does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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 of accuracy of this release. The Securities of Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to the account or benefit of any U.S. person.

SOURCE Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - March 15, 2016) - GoldQuest Mining Corp., (TSX VENTURE: GQC) (FRANKFURT: M1W) (BERLIN: M1W) ("GoldQuest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its intention to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 15 million common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") at C$0.20 per Share (the "Share Price") for gross aggregate proceeds of up to C$3 million.

The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used by GoldQuest for general working capital purposes. There are currently 177,682,225 common shares of the Company issued and outstanding without giving effect to the Private Placement. Following completion of the Private Placement, assuming it is fully subscribed, the Company will have a total of 192,682,225 common shares issued and outstanding.

The Private Placement is expected to close on or before April 5, 2016, subject to receipt of the necessary approvals, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has agreed to pay a finder's fee of 7% of the aggregate proceeds raised from subscriptions arranged by Cormark Securities Inc.

Any securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period under applicable securities laws, which will expire four months plus one day from the date of closing of the Private Placement.

The securities to be issued under the Private Placement have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of GoldQuest's securities in the United States.

About GoldQuest

GoldQuest is a Canadian based mineral exploration company with projects in the Dominican Republic. GoldQuest is traded on the TSX-V under the symbol GQC and in Frankfurt/Berlin with symbol M1W. GoldQuest has moved its Toronto office to 133 Richmond Street West - Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2L3, which has reduced corporate general administration expenditures.

Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.goldquestcorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of GoldQuest Mining Corp.,

"Bill Fisher"

Chairman

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release are "forward-looking" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the anticipated closing of the Private Placement, the receipt of approval from the TSX Venture Exchange and the expected use of proceeds from the Private Placement. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon the current belief, opinions and expectations of management that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and other contingencies. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the timeliness and success of regulatory approvals, market prices, metal prices, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, as well as other risk factors set out under the heading "Risk and Uncertainties" in the Management's Discussion and Analysis dated September 30, 2015, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES
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Ive said it before and Ill surely say it again: British beef and lamb are fantastic and really cant be beaten for quality and taste!

These days most of us eat far more globally than our parents and grandparents, by which I mean we travel the world on our plates; Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese these and many more have become a regular part of our repertoire, and its commonplace to find exotic ingredients in the local supermarket.

But Id like to use this post to remind you not to overlook the joy of beef and lamb, or to forget the simple, hearty meals that have been enjoyed across the UK and Europe for generations. One-pot dishes are particularly handy for easy weekday suppers, and great for busy weekends too.

One such hearty recipe recommended (and provided) by Simply Beef and Lamb is this delicious beef goulash made with stewing or braising beef.

Goulash is a Hungarian soup or stew seasoned with paprika, and popular not only in Hungary but across Central Europe, Scandinavia and Southern Europe. It originated in the 9th century with shepherds and cattle herders who carried cubes of sun-dried meat with them and reconstituted these into a nutritious stew by cooking them in water  indeed the name itself comes from gulyas which means herder. Tomato and paprika are more recent additions, but very much a part of the recipe today.

Hungarian Beef Goulash Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes Servings 4 people Ingredients 450 g lean boneless shin, stewing or braising beef , cut into 2.5cm cubes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large onions , peeled and sliced OR 2 x 450g packs diced onions

2 cloves garlic , peeled and crushed OR 5ml/1tsp garlic puree

1 tbsp ground paprika

1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)

600 ml good beef stock (hot)

400 g can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp cornflour

salt

freshly ground black pepper

freshly chopped parsley , to garnish

soured cream , to garnish Instructions Place the beef in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the meat in batches for 3-4 minutes until brown.



Transfer to a large casserole dish. In the same pan cook the onions and garlic with the paprika, caraway seeds (if used) .



Add the stock, tomatoes and tomato puree. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over a low heat for 1-1 hours.



Mix the cornflour with 60ml cold water and stir into the goulash. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.



Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 5 minutes.



Garnish with parsley and a swirl of soured cream before serving with cooked potatoes or pasta.



If you are not sure which cuts of beef are best suited for which kind of dishes and cooking techniques, check out my comprehensive guide on beef cuts and cooking here.

Whats your favourite one-pot recipe for beef or lamb?

Ill be sharing one of my own much-loved one-pot lamb recipes in a few weeks time. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the goulash!

Recipe and images provided by Simply Beef and Lamb. This post was commissioned by Simply Beef and Lamb and part of their #LivePeasant campaign.
PLEASANTON  A lesson in pie making yielded more than just a sweet treat for Pleasanton and Hazard Lutheran youths.

The youth group from Faith Lutheran Church Hazard and Grace Lutheran Church Pleasanton parishes made 95 apple, cherry and peach pies and sold them for $12 each to raise funds for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod National Youth Gathering in New Orleans July 16-20. Older parishioners showed the youths how to make crust and apple pie filling from scratch.

Diane Hand, youth group fundraising leader and parent of two Pleasanton youths attending the gathering, said the fundraiser was one of many that the group had organized in the past two years. The group started raising funds in October 2014 toward a $26,000 goal to send 21 eighth-grade through high school senior students and five adults  the largest group the two parishes have ever sent to the gathering, Hand said.

It is a very important mission for our church, Hand said of the large number of youths attending the gathering.

Cindy Long, a Hazard youth parent, said it has been a tradition of Faith and Grace Lutheran churches to send youths to the convention.

The younger kids just expect to go, she said.

At the most-recent fundraising event, the youths had silent and labor auctions and a sloppy joe meal.

Long said it has been neat to see parents, youths and the older generations contribute their talents to the fundraisers. She said one youth welded horseshoes together for a wall hanging and another made jewelry. Older members donated embroidered pillowcases, baked kolaches and gift baskets, Long said.

Hand said the group also raised a $1,500 from a money wall where members of the churches could pick envelopes off the wall and fill them over time.

Hand said when she received a $100 donation from a former youth group member, now a young adult, she believed he gave her the money because he had a good experience attending the national youth gathering 15 years ago.

Its just a life-changing experience, she said.

Long said of the groups fundraising success, It just seems like God is so good because he blessed every event to turn out.

Hand added, We just keep plugging away. We cant just sit and wait for it to come. God will provide; you just have to work for it.

Hand said the group has also been blessed to find two other youth groups from Grand Island with the right number of youths and adults to fill the bus needed for transportation to New Orleans. Trinity and Peace Lutheran Churches from Grand Island are sending 29 youths and adults, Hand said.

The groups will travel 20 hours straight to New Orleans, Hand said, and will spend five days at the gathering.

Hand said there will be break-out sessions at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center based on the conventions theme, In Christ Alone. In the evenings they will gather with 30,000 youth across the nation at the Mercedes Benz Super Dome where there will be speakers, band and dance performances and one Mass service with communion, Hand added.

The speakers are really, really impressive, Hand said.

Hands daughter Adeline, a Pleasanton High School senior, was at the youth convention three years ago in San Antonio. She said she is looking forward to the performances and speakers.

She said, They each have different messages. They have (been through) hardships and have really seen hardships.

To see all of the youths that come together to worship with 30,000 other youths, that makes it a pretty strong message, Hand said.

Long added,  Its probably reassuring for the youths to see that theres this many people who want to worship God.

Adriana Trent, a Pleasanton High School junior, also attended the youth gathering three years ago. She said she learned that they are not the only Christian youth and no matter how much people try to bring you down you have your community.

Samantha Wetzel, a Ravenna High School junior and Faith Lutheran member, added,  Church is your community.

Wetzel and Trent also enjoyed meeting other youths from across the nation at the gathering.

During a scavenger hunt, they met other teens from bigger cities who told Wetzel and Trent that the Pleasanton and Hazard group was big for coming from small towns because they had a group of 10-12 youths coming from a city of 20,000 people, Trent and Wetzel said.

Trent and Wetzel said they look forward to meeting more people and doing some sightseeing this year at the gathering in New Orleans.

Hand said the purpose of the trip is obviously to grow stronger in faith with God.

She hopes the gathering strengthens and keeps the youths in their faith.

All of them are good kids. But, statistically, you see kids after they graduate from high school leave church, Hand said.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump says that if he does well Tuesday, the Republican presidential nomination is his  and there are plenty of pundits who agree with him.

But Sen. Ben Sasse says not so fast.

The Nebraska Republican, a vocal Trump critic, said that by any historical measurement, the New York businessman has very little support for this point in the nominating cycle.

Sasse noted that among the remaining primary contests are some that award delegates proportionally, which he said will make it difficult for Trump to attain the magic number of 1,237.

Trump has never hit 50 percent in any race yet, he said. So his path to 1,237 is highly unlikely.

Recent Trump campaign rallies have been marred by outbreaks of violence  physical confrontations between supporters and protesters. The incidents have raised fresh questions about Trumps candidacy.

Sasse has blasted Trump for a lack of conservative credentials, for his praise of dictators and for his refusal at one point to disavow the Ku Klux Klan.

I dont think the guy believes in the Constitution, Sasse said. As a matter of my own angst about the future we owe our kids, I dont think in good faith I can vote for a guy that I dont think believes in executive restraint.

Still, Sasse said, hes not part of any organized effort to stop the GOP front-runner.

He laughed at a recent Huffington Post story about the American Enterprise Institutes annual gathering at a private island resort off the coast of Georgia. The story indicated that the main topic of this years event became how to stop Trumps campaign.

Sasse said he was on several panels at the gathering, talking about topics ranging from Senate dysfunction to young peoples view of free speech  but said none had anything to do with Trump.

Why not make a formal push to stop Trump? Or at least endorse one of the other candidates? Sasse questioned how much impact he could have on the presidential race.

I dont think my reach or my influence is very big, Sasse said. Im one guy.

Sasse has said he will back a third-party candidate if his choices are Trump and Hillary Clinton in November. He rejected comparisons to 1992, when many Republicans blamed Ross Perots third-party candidacy for handing the election to Democrat Bill Clinton.

Rather, he said, the political landscape of today looks more like 1860. The presidential election that year set up the outbreak of the Civil War.

The political parties have very little internal ideological coherence, he said. I dont think its clear what the Republican Party stands for. Donald Trump has been very effective at waging this hostile take-over of the party. But that was only possible because the Republican Party and its brand was so ridiculously hollow. It was so unclear to people what this party stands for.

Sasses outspoken criticisms of Trump have earned him both plaudits and denunciations in letters to the editor. He said it feels like Nebraskans he talks to are 2-1 in favor of his position, although the pro-Trump people can be loud.

A recent poll by Victory Processing asked Nebraskans about Trump and Sasse. The polls questions appeared aimed at gauging how Sasses stance is playing with his constituents.

The results of the poll are not publicly available, nor is it clear who commissioned the poll.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission shows Victory Processing as having the same Grand Rapids, Michigan, address as Victory Phones, a vendor that Sasses Senate campaign used for polling, fundraising and other services.

But Sasse is not the companys only client, and he told The World-Herald he doesnt know who was behind the poll.

Sasse said that in talking to Nebraskans, even many pro-Trump people tell him their support is more a matter of casting a protest vote against Washington than a real belief in the businessman.

Perhaps most troubling, he said, are the calls to his office telling him to place the Republican Party first.

That is a fundamentally anti-American idea, Sasse said. Im glad to be part of the party of Lincoln, but it needs to be reformed.
Steven Blaney addresses the Vancouver Board of Trade in Vancouver, B.C. Monday, July 20, 2015. The federal Conservatives are calling on the Trudeau government to make a serious effort to recover up to $72 million in overpayments to contractors, many of them in the defence industry. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
National League for Democracy party (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, center, arrives in Manama's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Myanmar's parliament votes Tuesday to pick the country's next president from a group of three final candidates, including a front runner who is a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)
Former Gawker employee A.J. Daulerio, right, testifies at the Pinellas County Courthouse in St. Petersburg, Fla., Monday, March 14, 2016. Hulk Hogan is suing Gawker Media for $100 million for posting an edited video showing him having sex with his then-best friend's wife. Lawyers for Gawker Media began presenting their case on Monday. (Stephen Yang/New York Post via AP, Pool)
FILE - In this March 23, 2010, file photo, the Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Brussels. Google is disclosing how much of the traffic to its search engine and other services is being protected from hackers as part of its push to encrypt all online activity. Encryption shields 77 percent of the requests sent from around the world to Googles data centers, up from 52 percent at the end of 2013, according to company statistics released Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
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Because hospitals are expensive and often cause harm, there has been a big focus on reducing hospital use. This focus has been the underpinning for numerous policy interventions, most notable of which is the Affordable Care Acts Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), which penalizes hospitals for higher than expected readmission rates. The motivation behind HRRP is simple: the readmission rate, the proportion of discharged patients who return to the hospital within 30 days, had been more or less flat for years and reducing this rate would save money and potentially improve care. So it was big news when, as the HRRP penalties kicked in, government officials started reporting that the national readmission rate for Medicare patients was declining.

Rising use of observation status

But during this time, another phenomenon was coming into focus: increasing use of observation status. When a patient needs hospital services, there are two options: that patient can be admitted for inpatient care or can be admitted to observation. When patients are admitted to observation they essentially still get inpatient care, but technically, they are outpatients. For a variety of reasons, weve seen a decline in patients admitted to inpatient status and a rise in those going to observation status. These two phenomena  a drop in readmissions and an increase in observation  seemed related.

I  and others  spoke publicly about our concerns that the drop in readmissions was being driven by increasing observation admissions. An analysis by David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler in the Health Affairs blog suggested that most of the drop in readmissions could be accounted for both by increases in observation status and by increases in returns to the emergency department that did not lead to readmission. Two months later, a piece by Claire Noel-Miller and Keith Lund, also in the Health Affairs blog, found that the hospitals with the biggest drop in readmissions appeared to have big increases in their use of observation status. It seemed like much of the drop in readmissions was about reclassifying people as observation and administratively lowering readmissions without changing care.

New Data

Now comes a terrific, high quality study in the New England Journal of Medicine that takes this topic head on. The authors examine directly whether the hospitals that lowered their readmission rates were the same ones that increased their observation status  and find no correlation. None. If youre ever looking for a scatter plot of two variables that are completely uncorrelated, look no further than Figure 3 of the paper. The best reading of the evidence prior to the study did not turn out to be the truth. It reminds me of the period we were all convinced, based on excellent observational data, that hormone replacement therapy was lifesaving for women with cardiovascular disease. And that became the standard of care  until someone conducted a randomized trial, and found that HRT provided little benefit to these patients. Thats why we do research  it moves our knowledge forward.

Where are we now?

So where does this leave us? Is the ACAs readmissions policy a home run? Heres what we know: the HRRP has, most likely (we have no controls) led to fewer patients being readmitted to the hospital. Second, the HRRP does not seem responsible for the increase in observation stays.

Heres what we dont know: Is a drop in readmissions a good thing for patients? It may seem obvious that it is, but if you think about it, you realize that readmission rate is a utilization measure, not a patient outcome. Its a measure of how often patients use inpatient services within 30 days of discharge. Utilization measures, unto themselves, dont tell you whether care is good or bad. So the real question is  has the HRRP improved the underlying quality of care? It might be that we have improved on care coordination, communications between hospitals and primary care providers, and ensuring good follow-up. That likely happened in some places. Alternatively, it might be that we have just made it much harder for that older, frail woman with heart failure sitting in the emergency room to get admitted if she was discharged in the last 30 days. That too has likely happened in some places. But how much of it is the former versus the latter? Until we can answer that question, we wont know whether care is better or not.

Beyond understanding why readmissions have fallen, we also dont know how HRRP has affected the other things that hospitals ought to focus on, such as mortality and infection rates. If your parent was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, what would be your top priority? Most people would say that they would like their parent not to die. The second might be to avoid serious complications like a healthcare associated infection or a fall that leads to a hip fracture. Another might be to be treated with dignity and respect. Yes, avoiding being readmitted would be nice  but for me at least, it pales in comparison to avoiding death and disability. We know little about the potential spillover effects of the readmission penalties on the things that matter the most.

So here we are  a good news study that says readmissions are down because fewer people are being readmitted to the hospital, not because people are being admitted to observation status. Thats important. But the real challenge is in figuring out whether patients are better off. Are they more likely to be alive after hospitalization? Do they have fewer functional limitations? Less pain and suffering? Until we answer those questions, itll be hard to know whether this policy is making the kind of difference we want. And thats the point of science  using data to answer those questions. Because we all can have our opinions  but ultimately, its the data that counts.

Ashish Jha is an associate professor of health policy and management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. He blogs at An Ounce of Evidence and can be found on Twitter @ashishkjha.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
KIT observatory at the Zugspitze with dome for optical vertical sounding of methane and ethane. (Photo: Gabi Zachmann, KIT)

Like carbon dioxide, methane is one of the most important greenhouse gases. After a period of stagnation around 2000, atmospheric methane concentrations started to rise again in 2007. So far, the causes have been unknown. According to the recent study of climate scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), at least 40% of this increase result from the growing production of oil and natural gas in the northern hemisphere. The results are now published in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics journal. (DOI:10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016)

The attribution to thermogenic methane from the oil and natural gas industry is based on our vertical measurements of ethane and methane concentrations between the ground and the uppermost layers of the Earths atmosphere, says the initiator of the study associate professor Ralf Sussmann of the Atmospheric Environmental Research Division of KITs Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU). Apart from thermogenic methane formed within deep rock layers at high temperatures and emitted into the atmosphere as a result of oil and gas production, growing biogenic emissions by anaerobic processes are another cause, he says. The corresponding contributions from e.g. wetlands or animal husbandry are presently being analyzed in parallel by other research teams. Ethane is essential for quantifying the contribution of thermogenic methane. Like methane, it is a hydrocarbon compound and one of the main components of natural gas. In case of biogenic methane sources, no ethane is produced, Petra Hausmann, doctoral student in the team of Sussmann, explains.

The study is based on long-term measurements by the KIT observatory at the Zugspitze summit and by climate researchers of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Lauder, New Zealand. The measurements are representative of the background concentration of methane and ethane in both hemispheres of the Earth. While measurements at the Zugspitze show a significant correlation between ethane and methane, i.e. a sudden increase of the concentrations of both trace gases from 2007 onwards, the Lauder scientists have observed a similar renewed increase for methane only. From these measurement results, the scientists concluded that at least 40% of the worldwide methane concentration increase after 2007 have to be attributed to the oil and gas sector and that the emissions took place in the northern hemisphere.

Dome for optical vertical sounding of methane and ethane. (Photo: Ralf Sussmann, KIT)

Although latest studies of biogenic sources by colleagues from New Zealand revealed that the main contribution to the renewed methane concentration increase after 2007 is of biogenic origin (Schaefer et al. in Science), this is in agreement with our result of an at least 40% share of thermogenic emissions, Sussmann explains. He points out that increasing emissions from the oil and natural gas sector, combined with emissions from wetlands and maybe animal husbandry increasingly appear to have caused the renewed increase in methane concentration in the last decade.

KIT observatory at the Zugspitze summit. (Photo: Hannes Vogelmann, KIT)

Natural Gas  Climate-friendlier than Coal?



For the time until a complete changeover to renewable energy sources, natural gas still is considered the climate-friendlier alternative to coal, because its combustion produces about half as much carbon dioxide only. Hydraulic fracturing of rock layers (fracking) for the unconventional extraction of natural gas is discussed as a bridging technology.

The KIT study showing a thermogenic methane emission increase in the northern hemisphere since 2007 also is of political relevance since the results also suggest a connection to the North American oil and natural gas boom that started at about the same time ten years ago. Given that most of the oil and gas boom of the last decade has occurred in the US this would contradict official estimates of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that reports constantly low or even decreasing methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector in the US during the past ten years. Recently, a related study made in the USA on the basis of satellite data showed an increase in American methane emissions by more than 30% between 2002 and 2014 (Turner et al. in Geophysical Research Letters). Also this result contradicts EPAs findings of no significant anthropogenic methane emissions in the USA, Sussmann says.

According to Ralf Sussmann, at least part of these inconsistencies might be explained by the calculation of too small leak rates for the production and use of oil and natural gas. While the EPA uses extrapolations of random samples at individual wells sites and power plants (bottom-up estimate), the study of KIT uses representative atmospheric background measurements (top-down method). A current example of a gas leak is that in the Californian Alison Canyon, from which about 100,000 tons of methane were emitted between October 2015 and February 2016.

On long-term scales of several decades, natural gas generally is to be expected to have a climate advantage. On shorter time scales, however, this climate advantage already fails to take effect, if the leak rates of natural gas production exceed a relatively low threshold value of a few percent only, Sussmann says. The reason: The methane leaking into the atmosphere is shorter-lived, but, at the same quantity, has a much stronger greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide.

The KIT scientists see further need for research to explain the discrepancy between official extrapolations and scientific measurements. Moreover, far-reaching technical development concepts to reduce natural gas leak rates have been adopted in the USA. Rapid and wide implementation of these reduction measures will decide on whether unconventional natural gas production may be a climate-friendly alternative to coal combustion on shorter time scales, Ralf Sussmann adds.

Literature

Hausmann, Petra, Sussmann, Ralf, and Smale, Dan: Contribution of oil and natural gas production to renewed increase in atmospheric methane (20072014): top-down estimate from ethane and methane column observations,

http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3227/2016/

More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center: http://www.klima-umwelt.kit.edu/english.

Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
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By Barbara McMichael

Bigfootloose and Finn Fancy Free  Randy Henderson

Tor  432 pp.  $25.99

The ill-starred Finn Gramaraye returns in a book packed with misadventures and dark magic in "Bigfootloose and Finn Fancy Free." Finn originally appeared last year in "Finn Fancy Necromancy," a fantasy conceived by Kingston author Randy Henderson. That tale followed Finn's misadventures after he was released from a 25-year exile in the fairy world and had to get back up to speed with all of the changes that had taken place not only in his hometown of Port Townsend, but in the broader world. Finn comes from an arcana family that has magical powers, but there are other creatures afoot  werewolves, fauns, centaurs, shape-shifters  that have different priorities and needs, some of which are at cross-purposes with Finn's version of normalcy.

In this sequel, Finn tries to settle down and go into business for himself. He's started a dating service for the arcana, feybloods and other supernaturally-endowed beings who live in his hometown amid the "mundy" (non-magical) townsfolk. Using the Kin Finder, a device invented by his mad-scientist dad, Finn wants to help people find true love.

Unfortunately, trouble seems to find him first. With his first client, a sasquatch named Sal, Finn quickly learns that matchmaking for magicals can be a tricky and even dangerous endeavor.

Meanwhile Finn's own love life with his longtime crush, the lovely and spunky Dawn, is complicated by the fact that he is burdened with a Fey spirit named Alynon who is trapped inside Finn's brain and who frequently editorializes on Finn's choices, moods and sex life.

At the same time, Finn is trying to help younger brother Pete, who recently has been infected by a werewolf and now struggles to cope with his new identity while wooing his own sweetheart, Vee.

In other words, Finn has a full plate. Some might venture to say that it's too full, to the detriment of the plot.

Henderson has so much going on that it's hard to keep track of it all. There are vampires in Bellevue and nymphs along the Elwha. There's action at the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial on Bainbridge Island, and underneath Snoqualmie Falls, and at the Olympic Game Park. There are clan wars and personal grudges.

And there's a lot of challenging dialogue. Alynon's arch comments inside Finn's brain are set off by asterisks, while Finn's internal responses are rendered in italics. There's the grammatically distinctive voice of Sal ("I heartwished to give you-self bigthanks for healing Iself") and the vengeful voice of the jorogumo ("I obey obey betray the betrayers all will die die die.") There are curses and spells, and there's come-on banter  which, disconcertingly, is accompanied by a lot of waggling eyebrows.

In adhering to this frenetic pace and madcap style, Henderson sacrifices comprehensibility. This didn't seem to be as much of a problem in "Finn Fancy Necromancy." A third volume is planned in this series  let's see if Henderson can rein in the excessive busywork and get back to spinning an entertaining tale.
The Legislative Building is shown at dusk, Thursday, March 10, 2016, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Thursday was the final day of the regular session of the Washington Legislature and sessions in the both the House and Senate were expected to stretch well into the evening. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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By Chris Henry, chenry@kitsapsun.com

OLYMPIA  State Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, gets the humor in a recent Kitsap Sun editorial cartoon of a goose shot through with many arrows representing past state education reform plans.

Sticking out of the hapless fowl is SB 6195, the Legislature's most recent shot at revising how the state pays for K-12 education. The bill, which Rolfes helped craft, calls for a task force to analyze districts' dependence on local levy money to cover basic costs of running schools, including paying teachers.

The bill, approved by both houses in February and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Feb. 29, is one of the higher profile education bills to come out of the short session, which ended Thursday, along with a bill to preserve charter schools. Legislators now are in a 30-day special session to complete the supplemental budget.

SB 6195 nudges the Legislature closer to compliance with the state Supreme Court's McCleary decision, calling for full funding of basic education.

"I can only laugh because it's true," Rolfes said of the goose and arrow cartoon. "I personally wouldn't characterize 6195 as a big bill. I characterize it as a housekeeping bill that lays out the framework for really big work next year."

But 6195 is far from an empty gesture, Rolfes said. The bill calls for collecting data on specifics of local levy spending and how that plays into the salaries of teachers and other staff in each district. The data will arm the Legislature with information it needs to eliminate school districts' dependence on local levies by 2017, a deadline set in the bill.

"I guess you get to the point where there's so many excuses for not moving forward on the McCleary decision," Rolfes said. "(SB) 6195 addresses those excuses.

The bill narrowly squeaked through the Senate on a 26-23 vote. Sen. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard, cast her vote in favor of the bill.

"We've got to start somewhere," Angel said. "This is going to be the most difficult problem that we have because every school district is different with their levy setup. We've got to figure out how we put the pieces together."

Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, who voted no, said the bill falls short as others have in the past.

"It's a plan to make a plan, and I think we should have been more definitive in what we passed," Sheldon said. "I think we're being too general, and the Legislature loves to do that."

The bill passed the House 66-31. Voting yes were Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, Michelle Caldier, R-Port Orchard, and Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island. Voting no were Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, Drew MacEwen, R-Union, and Jesse Young, R-Gig Harbor.

Some school district officials say SB 6195 offers little in the way of new certainty.

"The 'plan' continues to force districts to wait one more year for the solutions, rather than finding the answers now," Central Kitsap Superintendent David McVicker said. "CK just approved a three-year levy, but other districts are going to be running levies this next February and will face another daunting task of running a measure and not knowing what the Legislature may do nor what the impacts will be."

Speaking of levies, the Legislature this session failed to agree on the "levy cliff bill," which districts say is critical to their operations as Olympia works out a permanent solution to long-term education funding.

Higher local school levy lids (maximum collection amounts allowed) are due to sunset. The bill would have allowed districts to continue collecting at the higher amounts, at least for a year. Without an agreement, local funding will be slashed in the 2017-18 school year.

South Kitsap, a district of more than 9,000 students, would lose an estimated $4 million per year. Bremerton School District, with around 5,000 students, expects it will lose $2.3 million a year beginning with the 2018 property tax collection.

"This would clearly impact our ability to hire or retain staff for the 2017-18 school year," Bremerton spokeswoman Patty Glaser said.

The bill might be resurrected in the special session.

"It's really critical," said Rolfes, citing the levy cliff bill as one sticking point in budget negotiations.

"This is one of the important bills that very well could be necessary to implement the budget," said Caldier, who voted in favor of delaying the levy cliff.

Caldier, a member of the House Education Committee, said she will try again next session with two education bills she sponsored. SB 2429 would require state test results to be provided earlier to families, allowing students to retake tests if needed. HB 1855 would waive local graduation requirements for at-risk youth to help reduce dropouts among homeless and foster youth.

A bill that would require a simple majority for passing bonds got little traction during the short session. The bill is of interest to South Kitsap School District, where a bond for a second high school got more than 59 percent of votes, falling just short of the 60 percent required.

One widely debated bill that did pass, HB 1541, addresses the education opportunity gap among minority, special needs and low-income students by reducing the amount of time any student can be excluded from school for suspension or expulsion.

Hansen, chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, hopes to wrap two bills he worked on during the regular session into the supplemental budget. One would direct money for college counselors and advisers to Bremerton High School. The other would create a pilot program to help students who have interrupted their higher educations finish college.
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By John Crisp

California made a bold move last week by passing legislation that raises from 18 to 21 the legal age for purchasing and using tobacco products. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the measure, California will join Hawaii and a number of major American cities that ban anyone younger than 21 from smoking legally.

Laws that limit Americans' freedom to smoke  combined with higher cigarette taxes and public awareness campaigns  have transformed the face of smoking in America in a good way. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that about 18 percent of Americans are smokers, a rate down significantly from 1997, when almost 25 percent smoked.

Here's how much things have changed: Granted, it's been a while, but when I was in graduate school, no one paid much attention when professors lit a cigarette during class; this year the college where I work established a smoke-free environment, forbidding any use of tobacco anywhere on campus.

I don't smoke and don't plan to start; you probably don't either. Still, I'll admit to some ambivalent feelings about the pressure being put on smokers. We should probably always be wary when government regulation rubs up against personal freedom; friction is inevitable and there's rarely a vivid, clear line between what's right and what's wrong.

But more important is the premise that smoking is a very, very bad habit. And while we should be extremely reluctant to limit the freedom of adults to do just about anything they want  no matter how self-harmful  we should err on the side of boldness in favor of laws that prevent young people from beginning to smoke.

So, good for California and Hawaii, and may other states follow suit.

In fact, let's consider a significantly bolder step: Raising the smoking age to 25.

In realistic terms, this is unlikely to happen. Any proposal to raise the age to 25 would be particularly vulnerable to the objection most often raised against a drinking age of 21: If, at 18, you're old enough to fight and die for your country, you're old enough to drink. Or smoke. Or vote.

Or drive. Or get married. But most states permit these last two activities at ages considerably younger than 18, which is to say that we've never been able to determine a single one-size-fits-all age of maturity. And for many people, to smoke or not to smoke is a lifelong decision that 18-year-olds  or even 21-year-olds  are not yet mature enough to make.

Recent research indicates that the brain doesn't reach full maturity until around age 25, which is why car insurance companies charge their clients higher rates until they reach that age.

Here's some typical research: Neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt told National Public Radio recently that 18-year-olds are only about halfway through a maturation process that begins at puberty and ends at around age 25. Until that time, the undeveloped prefrontal cortex is unable to plan and organize for the future and to sufficiently control impulses and risk-taking. In short, many under the age of 25 don't have the mental maturity to decide if they want to take on an expensive, dangerous habit that will be extremely difficult to abandon.

By age 25, many have started careers and families. The drive to take risks and to impress their peers has begun to wane at the same time that they begin to notice the first inklings of their own mortality. As they begin to see their lives as spans with beginnings and ends, they're much less likely to begin smoking.

Of course, in practical terms laws against smoking before age 25 may not prevent a 23-year-old from smoking any more than current laws prevent 16- and 17-year-olds.

Still it's important for society to be on the right side of this issue, to take the position that under 25 years of age you're not mature enough to make this often irrevocable decision. And we're not going to legitimize dangerous products by making it legal to sell them to you.

Beyond age 25, well, it's a free country.
Matthew Hooton writes:

Among moderate Labour MPs and activists, and even the odd union boss, talk is now incessantly about the partys leadership. Alarm has been raised after Labours private polling showed it was down to just 30% in February, from 35% before Christmas. Worse, those voters have not gone to the Greens but slipped back to National so that the gap between left and right is now wider than a month before Labours last election debacle. Since Helen Clarks fall, only under David Shearers more centrist leadership has the Labour-Green bloc regularly polled above National and its minor allies.

This is the average of public polls since 2012. Shearer took them from 28% to 35%.

These issues have in common that all three were so-called captains calls. This has raised concern not just about todays polls but also whether the current captain, Andrew Little, has sufficient feel for public opinion in West Auckland, Redwood, Shirley or provincial New Zealand to ever mount an effective challenge to John Key. After all, Mr Littles entire professional career has been Wellington-based, first as a paid student activist and then as a union and Labour Party official. His forays to stand for election in 2011 and 2014 in his birthplace of New Plymouth, a strong Labour town under long-serving MP Harry Duynhoven, have both been disastrous.

Labours frontbench is dominated by Wellington based professional politicians.

Moderate Labour MPs believe the party is marching to another debacle next September. In response, Little loyalists have begun talking about the Kirk model, noting that the revered Norman Kirk took three elections as leader of the opposition to become prime minister. Similar tolerance, they say, should be granted to Mr Little to allow him to claim the prize after Mr Key retires.

So their cunning plan is to win power in 2023, and govern for one term, before allowing National back in. I like it!

This is all largely academic because it is dawning on even Mr Littles strongest internal critics that there is no way of dislodging him anyhow. Mr Little only had first-round support of four of Labours MPs and a quarter of its members. He ultimately owes his leadership to Wellington union bosses exercising their influence over the final tally. Labour MPs know that, if they seek to roll their beleaguered leader, the Wellington union bosses will just impose him back on them anyway, prompting an unrecoverable crisis for the party in its 100th anniversary year. No one is yet that reckless.

An unsackable leader!

In his speech, Mr Parker focused on issues of capital allocation, making the case, without using the dreaded words, for a capital gains tax  an unmistakable challenge to Mr Littles captains call that Labour should drop the issue. Further contradicting another of Mr Littles captains calls  that Labour must take a firmer line against the wild west of the business world  Mr Parker then argued cogently that capital raising in New Zealand is currently overregulated. He made the case that the law goes much further than necessary to require proper disclosure of risk, that prospectus and audit costs are too high and directors liability excessive. Such overregulation, Mr Parker says, is preventing medium-sized firms from attracting both capital and governance talent, hampering economic growth.

Very astute analysis from Parker.

At 3000 words, the speech was designed to be the kind of substantial effort one might expect from a Birch, Cullen or English in contrast to Mr Robertsons vapid efforts. Mr Parker was disappointed it didnt get more attention. Of course, who can foretell the future? It may be, as Little loyalists insist, that Labour will move up in the March polls as students return to their campuses to discuss the tertiary education bribe. But if the polls again move the other way, it is poor Mr Robertson who dissatisfied MPs plan to target for the chop.

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Online - 30th Oct 2022

2nd International Conference on Research and Developments In Engineering and Management 2nd ICRDEM-2022
Mother charged with felony murder

By Kristi L. Nelson of the Knoxville News Sentinel

The mother accused of killing her three-month-old daughter by a drug overdose had been under scrutiny by child welfare investigators before, authorities said Tuesday.

Heather Rene Keylon, 31, of Oak Ridge was booked Saturday into the Knox County jail, charged with felony murder in the death last year of her 11-week-old daughter, Skylar Isabella Brewer. Keylon was arrested at her Oak Ridge home Friday, according to the Knoxville Police Department.

A six-count presentment, returned March 8 by a Knox County grand jury, also charges Keylon with aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect. She remains in jail with bond set at $1 million.

Keylon, according to the presentment, knowingly  not accidentally  treated Skylar with a "controlled substance  in such a manner" that it injured the baby.

Rob Johnson, spokesman for the state Department of Children's Services, said Keylon has six other children. DCS was involved with the four older children, who did not live with Keylon at the time of the incident, about four years ago, he said. He wouldn't give specifics or say whether those children were removed from Keylon's custody.

Keylon had two other children who were removed from her custody and placed into foster care after Skylar's death, he said. DCS had not been involved with those two children, or with Skylar, prior to Skylar's death, Johnson said.

An autopsy performed on Skylar at the Knox County Regional Forensic Center found her blood tested positive for buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine, or Subutex, a maintenance drug frequently given to people recovering from opiate addiction.

Subutex, usually administered in a tablet that dissolves under the tongue, acts on the receptors in the body that would normally produce a high when opiate drugs are taken. For someone already addicted to opiates, Subutex would stop drug cravings but not produce a high  although it is still possible for a user to overdose. Also used for pain control, buprenorphine can produce a high in someone who has not used other opiate drugs.

Norbuprenorphine can slow respiratory function, studies show.

No other drugs were found in the infant's system, the autopsy report said. The report noted no drugs were found in bottles collected at the scene, and cultures were negative for a viral or bacterial infection.

Skylar was born dependent on opiates Keylon used during pregnancy and spent more than six weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit of East Tennessee Children's Hospital after her birth, the autopsy report said. An exam March 12, 2015, found her doing well on bottle-feeding, developing normally although slightly small for her age.

The afternoon of April 21, KPD officers answered a call about an unresponsive infant at an apartment at 3534 Old Valley View Drive in North Knoxville.

That day, Keylon told police that Skylar went to sleep on the sofa, and a short time later she realized the child was not breathing, authorities said.

The autopsy report noted Keylon and Skylar's 18-month-old sibling also were sleeping on the couch, and the infant was sleeping face-up and was covered with a heavy blanket. The report said she was last known to be alive several hours earlier when she was fed.

In general, health-care providers and their professional organizations all recommend even mothers taking Subutex breastfeed if possible, because when taken as directed, the drug is absorbed directly into the mother's bloodstream, and little makes it into breastmilk. Neither the presentment nor the autopsy report said whether Skylar had been breastfed.

"The amount that passes into the breastmilk is a tiny, tiny amount," said Dr. Mark Gaylord, neonatologist for the University of Tennessee Medical Center, who did not treat Skylar or Keylon. "The advantages of breast milk far outweigh the risk."

Gaylord said he could not imagine an instance in which a baby could overdose on Subutex through breastmilk.

Keylon said she called E-911 for medical assistance, according to KPD, but the child was dead. The autopsy report noticed Skylar's ribs were fractured, consistent with an attempt at resuscitation.

Gaylord, director of a neonatal intensive care unite where about 150 babies were born drug-dependent last year, said it hurts that DCS follow-up for babies and mothers after hospital discharge varies widely from county to county.

"Even if they go home with the mothers on Subutex, these babies are very high-risk," Gaylord said. "We need some kind of statewide protocol for follow-up, to ensure the mothers aren't (putting their children at risk).  We don't have it yet."

A March 22 court date has been set for Keylon, who has a lengthy criminal history, including arrests on charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, possession of a prescription drug without a prescription and public intoxication.

She has convictions for robbery, theft and prostitution.
Amanda Sammons

By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel

JACKSBORO, Tenn.  A Campbell County judge already the target of a criminal investigation is now under probe by a state judicial board, authorities said Tuesday.

A hearing panel of the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct has ordered a probe of at least three separate complaints filed against Campbell County General Sessions Judge Amanda Sammons. The board polices judges.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft, who serves as chairman of the board, said he could not discuss the specifics of the case because of confidentiality rules but, citing a specific rule addressing matters already in the public domain, confirmed probes are underway.

"Investigations are in progress," Craft said Tuesday. "Judge Sammons has a right to a full and fair hearing without prejudgment."

Chief Disciplinary Counsel Tim Discenza, a former federal prosecutor, is helming the case.

Sammons did not return a phone message Tuesday.

Sammons already is a target of a probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for ordering a charge against a Lafollette, Tenn., mother increased without authority, according to a court order. Once the News Sentinel reported the incident based on records from the Campbell County Sheriff's Office, Sammons insisted jail staff misrepresented her actions.

The Sheriff's Office publicly accused the judge of lying in a verbal and written ruling in which Sammons denied ordering the charge changed  despite records documenting the incident. Two of six jailers involved in the case asked Knoxville attorney Charles Burks, who assists law enforcers through the Police Benevolence Association, to represent them, and all six appeared at a hearing last week in Campbell County Criminal Court prepared to testify against Sammons' assertions.

Documents reviewed by the News Sentinel show the Board of Judicial Conduct is reviewing at least three complaints involving Sammons  one on the changing of the charge against Krista Leigh Smith and two on unauthorized changes Sammons allegedly made to agreed orders in her role as Juvenile Court judge.

The News Sentinel reported earlier this year Circuit Judge John McAfee also lodged complaints with the board after Sammons filed hundreds of pages of motions challenging his authority to hear appeals of her Juvenile Court decisions and interrupted one of those appeal hearings from the audience. It was not known Tuesday whether those complaints are also part of the board's inquiry.

For the past six months, the News Sentinel has been investigating a slew of complaints involving Sammons. Those complaints include:

* Refusal to dismiss charges against wrongfully accused Campbell County residents unless those residents paid a fee for court-appointed attorneys they did not use;

* The change in charges that left Smith behind bars for two days;

* The removal of children from their homes without any request by the state Department of Children's Services to do so or, according to DCS attorneys, any legal authority in some of those cases;

* Having defendants arrested for failing to be in court on time after ordering bailiffs to block entry into her courtroom at the beginning of each of her daily dockets at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Eighth Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler last month sought a special prosecutor to initiate the TBI probe of Smith's case. Dan Armstrong, a prosecutor for the 3rd Judicial District, has since been assigned to helm that probe.

Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton has twice overturned Sammons' rulings in which she refused to dismiss charges against the wrongfully accused over the nonpayment of an administrative fee for public defender services when those defendants instead had hired attorneys. Last week, Sexton ordered Sammons removed from Smith's case.

Sammons had refused a request by Smith's attorney, Kristie Anderson, to step down. During that hearing, Sammons denied she told jailers to change the charge and leveled blame for what she called her confusion over the appropriate charge for Smith on a DCS worker she said failed to return her phone and text messages.

Smith, 26, sat in jail two days, first under no bond, then under a $250,000 bond  unaware of any change to the charge she faced or why her bail was so high. Sammons then altered a record of the increase in Smith's charge by marking through it with a pen, those records show.

Caryville Assistant Police Chief Joseph Hopson stopped Smith's car Jan. 22 on U.S. Highway 25W when he said in a warrant that he saw "a small child unrestrained in the back seat." Hopson alleged Smith's other two children also were not belted in, with one sitting on a passenger's lap. He charged Smith with child neglect  a class E felony, the lowest level felony charge available under Tennessee law. A conviction carries a penalty range of one to two years.

Smith spent the rest of that night in jail with no bond set on the child neglect charge, records show. The following day, according to Campbell County jail records, Sammons phoned the jail and ordered the charge "changed to aggravated child abuse and neglect" and bond set at $250,000. That charge is a class B felony, known as "Haley's Law"  so named in honor of a notorious abuse case in Campbell County a decade ago.

Smith spent another 24 hours in jail, according to the records, before Sammons appeared to arraign her. Jail records show Sammons then dropped the bond to $500, scribbled through the word "aggravated" but failed to change the Tennessee code citation for aggravated child abuse, and initialed the changes.

A judicial magistrate authorized the original charge of child neglect based on Hopson's account. Magistrates do not hear from defendants and base their charging decisions solely on the legal standard of probable cause.

A General Sessions judge is authorized under the law to change a charge only after hearing evidence from both sides in a case and making a determination  in open court and on the record  that the evidence presented supports a change in the charge. Sessions court judges have no authority to determine guilt in felony cases, only misdemeanors.

Related:

Defendants barred from entering court arrested for being late, records show

Special prosecutor sought for criminal probe of Campbell County judge

DCS: Campbell judge took children from their homes without legal grounds

Judge confirms complaint against fellow Campbell County jurist

Records show Campbell County judge upped charge, altered record

Campbell County judges fee order struck down

Campbell County judge charging fee to the poor for legal services they didn't receive

Campbell County judge becomes defendant for failing to sign order
How Vols run the table, and not just by beating Georgia

Tennessee football is having its best season in decades. But it's halfway to the finish line. These are the obstacles in the way of the Vols going 12-0
By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel

KINGSTON  The Lenoir City police officer who jumped into the bed of a pickup driven by a DUI suspect and fatally shot him as he drove off has an unblemished six-year history in law enforcement, personnel records show.

Tyrel Lorenz, 29, who stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs more than 250 pounds, shot Joshua William Grubb, 30, "multiple times," authorities said, as Grubb drove away from Bimbo's, a convenience store that sells fireworks in Lenoir City.

Lorenz had repeatedly yelled for Grubb to stop before firing his department-issued Glock model 22 .40-caliber handgun. That weapon is now in the custody of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is in charge of the probe.

Grubb's two brothers said Tuesday they've been asked by attorney Christopher Beavers of the Knoxville firm of Banks & Jones not to respond to media requests for comment. Beavers didn't return phone calls.

"We're just told not to answer any questions," said Matthew Grubb, a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., who was with their mother, Linda Grubb, at her Clinton residence on Tuesday.

Joshua Grubb was the youngest of Linda Grubb's three sons. The other brother, Daniel Grubb, lives in Knoxville and also would not comment.

Matthew Grubb said his brother's body was still in the custody of the TBI. An autopsy has been conducted, but the findings haven't been released.

Joshua Grubb, a Clinton resident, had an Anderson County arrest record for offenses ranging from a public intoxication charge in 2004 to a first-offense DUI in 2013. He had been found in violation of his probation on four occasions, records show.

Lorenz, who Lenoir City Police Chief Don White said recently moved to Oak Ridge, remains on paid administrative leave while the TBI investigation proceeds. White said Lorenz is "mentally doing well," and a team of counselors is coming in Thursday for a critical incident debriefing with him and other officers who responded.

Lorenz joined the Lenoir City Police Department last summer, the chief said, and has never been disciplined during his brief tenure.

"He performed at a very professional level," White said.

The chief said Lorenz also received what he called a "good review" from the Roane County Sheriff's Office, where Lorenz worked for five years, and was deemed eligible to be rehired there.

Lorenz, a Harriman High School graduate, was hired as a corrections officer for Roane County in March 2010. In 2012, he applied to be a road officer and stated on his application for basic police school that he'd never been convicted of any criminal offenses.

Lorenz became a deputy that year and subsequently passed a variety of training regimens. One letter of commendation, from Roane County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tim Hawn, is in his personnel file for helping out with civil process papers when that wasn't part of his normal duties.

"He was a good officer," Chief Deputy Tim Phillips said.

Lorenz resigned "effective immediately" in a memo to Sheriff Jack Stockton in mid-April last year to take the Lenoir City Police Department job.

White and 9th Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson on Monday afternoon issued a statement about the episode that led to the shooting, which erupted just after 1 a.m. Sunday in Lenoir City.

Authorities had received an E-911 call from the Ruby Tuesday's restaurant across from Bimbo's on U.S. Highway 321 about three people who had just left the restaurant parking lot in a pickup.

Lorenz was questioning the three as they were getting gas at Bimbo's and had placed Grubb's companion, Brandon Lawrence Taylor, 31, of Clinton, in handcuffs when Grubb began driving off.

Lorenz "somehow ended up in the bed of the pickup," according to the statement, and the vehicle went into oncoming traffic down the wrong side of the four-lane, divided highway  crossing the I-75 overpass  before Lorenz shot Grubb and the pickup crashed into a utility pole, authorities said.

Lorenz immediately tried to render first aid to the mortally wounded Grubb, according to authorities.

Taylor, meanwhile, had wiggled out of his handcuffs, slipped away to two nearby hotels in a bid to use a phone and was eventually nabbed in the bathroom of the Days Inn, police said. He was charged with public intoxication and evading arrest.

Also arrested was another passenger in the pickup, Toni Ann Sutton, 40, of Heiskell, who was charged with drug paraphernalia possession.

If the results of the TBI investigation are complete by then, Johnson said the case will go before the Loudon County grand jury when it convenes again in mid-April.
By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Taxpayers will foot the bill for the beating of a mentally ill inmate by Knox County Sheriffs Office corrections officers, federal court records show.

A settlement in the $5 million civil-rights lawsuit filed against Knox County and five KCSO staffers in the November 2014 videotaped beating of Louis Flack was announced Monday in a conference with U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley, according to a docket sheet in the file.

The parties advised the court they had reached a settlement in this matter, the docket sheet stated.

Flacks attorney, Lance Baker, confirmed a settlement but did not release the amount.

Knox County Law Director Richard Bud Armstrong said the settlement wont be finalized until motions on an earlier issue are resolved. He said he would release the settlement agreement once those motions are resolved and the deal finalized.

Baker said the settlement will allow Flack to continue to receive needed mental health treatment. An agreement on attorneys fees has not yet been reached, records show.

It was a hard offer to turn down at this point, Baker said. Mr. Flack is very happy with the settlement. His family is happy with it. This amount ensures he can be taken care of and continue to receive the mental health treatment he needs for a very long time.

Video of the beating shows Flack was in the throes of a psychotic break at the time of the incident. He also was clad in a lime green jumpsuit KCSO has designated for inmates with a history of mental illness, putting jailers on notice of the need to follow certain protocols, including the summoning of a mental health counselor.

No such counselor was summoned in Flacks case.

Instead, the videotape showed officers stormed into Flacks cell when he refused to place his hands through a slot to be handcuffed. He was thrown to the floor and, while facedown and his legs immobilized, punched and repeatedly kneed in the back.

One of the deputies, Nicholas Breeden, is shown on the videotape punching Flack after he was handcuffed. He was later fired and charged with assault and official misconduct, but Sheriff Jimmy J.J. Jones took no action against Breeden or the other officers for nearly three months and only after WBIR-TV learned about the video and sought its release.

Christopher Fustos, the officer shown repeatedly kneeing Flack while he was facedown but before he was handcuffed, was not charged or fired. He was suspended for two days and has since filed a lawsuit against the county, saying he was unfairly treated.

Cpl. David Sparkes, who ordered the intrusion into Flacks cell, narrated the video, watched the beating and later is shown grabbing Flack by his hair and pulling his head upward as a nurse treated Flack, was suspended for five days. Officer Jesse Rudd, who held Flack down, resigned before the video was made public. Officer Spencer Solomon, who also held Flack down, was not punished.

Flack has a long history of mental illness and was being held in the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on Maloneyville Road on an assault charge involving a relative. That charge was later dismissed.

Armstrong opted to use outside counsel to represent all the officers except Breeden, who has a private attorney, so taxpayers also will pay for that representation.

Related:

Knox County jailers in beating case cry foul over video release

Outside counsel tapped to represent jailers in videotaped beating

Trial set for former jailer charged in inmate beating

Lawsuit alleges 'be sweet' chair is back as torture tactic at Knox County jail

$5M lawsuit filed against Knox County after videotaped beating of inmate

Burglary charge dismissed against man beaten by KCSO jailers

Mentally ill man beaten behind bars faces hearing

Knox jailer fired, one quits, two disciplined over inmate abuse

FBI investigates jail beating

Sister of Knox inmate says he suffers from mental illness
Ayres Hall at the University of Tennessee (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

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By Richard Locker of The Commercial Appeal

NASHVILLE  A bill that would strip the University of Tennessee of $100,000 a year in state funding for certain diversity and inclusion operations began advancing in a House subcommittee Tuesday  but on a separate track than a similar effort underway in the state Senate.

House Bill 2248 as originally filed by Rep. Micah Van Huss, R-Johnson City, would strip all state funding from UT's Office for Diversity and Inclusion. But Van Huss entered the House Education Subcommittee on Tuesday afternoon with an amendment that would take $100,000 a year for the next three years away from UT and use it instead to pay for decals bearing the national motto "In God We Trust" on law enforcement vehicles.

The amendment would also prohibit UT from using any state funds "to promote the use of gender-neutral pronouns, Sex Week or to promote or demote a religious holiday." The committee approved the amendment and moments later, the bill, on an unrecorded group voice vote.

Rep. Eddie Smith, R-Knoxville, asked Van Huss whether he would be willing to accept an amendment later, in the full House Education Committee, that would allow UT to keep the $100,000 a year and use it to recruit students from six Tennessee counties with no students currently enrolled through UT's various diversity efforts  including minority students, veterans and students who are the first in their families to attend college. Van Huss said he would be willing to discuss such an amendment with Smith before the bill reaches the full committee next week.

But he declined a suggestion by Smith, the chairman of the Knox County legislation delegation, to hold off and give UT time to work out its controversies internally under a separate bill already approved by the House to restructure the UT administration.

Smith said that bill makes reporting lines clearer in the UT campus and system administration and makes clearer the responsibilities of the UT board of trustees.

"Would it be advantageous to take a step back, allow that process to work to see if (they) can fix these issues internally rather than us doing it, and if not we have a mechanism to hold those individuals accountable?" Smith asked.

Van Huss: "I don't know if it would be advantageous to take a step back. The University of Tennessee and specifically the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, in my mind and my research, has a history of repeat offenses.  Personally I don't trust the University of Tennessee to fix the problem on their own."

The Senate Education Committee on March 2 recommended stripping $8 million from the UT budget for diversity and inclusion operations and reroute it to agricultural extension and other rural outreach programs. That proposal still must be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.
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By Bob Fowler, bob.fowler@knoxnews.com

HARRIMAN  The two Harriman Police Department officers involved in the shooting of a domestic violence suspect March 8 are on paid administrative leave, while the wounded suspect remained in stable condition Monday afternoon at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

The officers are identified as Steve Hart and Sara Moore.

Authorities aren't saying whether both officers shot armed suspect Nathan Manis or how many times Manis was shot. Manis, 27, is a corrections officer at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg and a military veteran.

The incident occurred during an 8:11 p.m. confrontation March 15 outside Manis' apartment at 505 N. Roane St. Reports indicate the officers found the front door of the apartment locked, and they were confronted by Manis, brandishing a firearm, when they went around to the back of the residence.

Harriman Police Chief Randy Heidle said it's up to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which has taken over the case, to determine who shot first.

It's standard procedure for the TBI to be in charge of investigations of officer-involved shootings. The TBI will also decide whether charges will be filed in connection with the incident, Heidle said.

The officers were armed with department-issued Glock .40-caliber handguns.

Manis has been a corrections officer at the Morgan County prison since 2011, a Tennessee Department of Correction spokesman said. He has been placed on paid administrative leave from his job.
Tim Parrott's four-year contract with the Anderson County Board of Education as school system director was approved in a 7-0 vote. (ANDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS)

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By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel

CLINTON  The Anderson County Board of Education has approved a four-year contract  the maximum allowed by state law  with its new director, and Tim Parrott's duties will officially begin July 1.

Parrott, 54, now the deputy director of curriculum and instruction, will be paid $134,000 a year plus a $750-a-month car allowance. The current director, Larry Foster, is retiring June 30 and was paid $129,000 annually plus a $1,000 state credit for completing CEO training.

A committee of school board members Scott Gillenwaters and Dail Cantrell along with the schools' finance director, James T. Woodard Sr., conducted contract negotiations.

"I'm excited about the opportunity," Parrott said Tuesday. "I know it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I think we've got some great things going on in the school system. I'm glad to be part of the team."

The school board last week gave Parrott the go-ahead to "shadow" Foster during the remaining months of Foster's tenure.

The board's search for Foster's successor was notable for its brevity as members quickly signaled they wanted to hire from within the school system. While the vacancy was advertised nationally, there was only one other applicant for the post, and that educator lacked a Tennessee educational certificate.

Parrott has been in the school administration's central office since 2009. He started his educational career as a vocational teacher before taking the assistant principal's post at Clinton High School and then the principal's job at the county's career and technical center.

He's been employed by the school system for 24 years and is a resident of Anderson County's Bethel community.

The school board approved his director's contract by a 7-0 vote  with board member Rickey Rose absent  during a brief special session Monday.

There are 6,400 students in the 17 schools in the county system.
SHARE Ed Brantley, Knox County commissioner. Bob Thomas, Knox County commissioner.

Hittin' the streets

Knox County's two radio guys-turned-at large commissioners, Ed Brantley and Bob Thomas, have announced their next "Night Out in Knox County."

This time they'll dine 5-7 p.m. March 22 at Sam & Andy's in Fountain City.

The duo have said they believe that heading out into the community gives people a chance to speak with them, rather than have to truck themselves downtown and go before a County Commission meeting.

"And while you're there, join Ed & Bob as they enjoy one of Sam & Andy's famous hamburgers they have been making since 1946," a news release announcing the event read.

Blog

Speaking of Thomas, he's got a blog up these days.

Over at bobthomasknox.blogspot.com, Thomas is rounding up some of the latest goings-on that come across his landscape.

The posts so far have a short note along with a roundup of agenda items before County Commission that may be of interest, some general political information such as the election calendar for the year, and the aforementioned announcement of the night out he and Brantley have.

Libertarian rally

If you're a strong constitutionalist, into limited government, expanded freedom and individuality but still like to party under the hood of voluntary association, then there is an event is for you.

The Libertarian Party of Tennessee will hold their convention Saturday in Murfreesboro.

The gathering will serve to cover general party business, elect national convention delegates, select presidential electors and nominate candidates. For more information, visit lptn.org.

In the money

Tennessee tax revenues exceeded the state's budgeted estimates for the month of February, according to a news release from the office of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin.

Overall February revenues were $818.2 million, which is $20 million more than the state expected in its budget.

"February's sales tax growth rate was the lowest we've seen in the past year, but receipts still managed to come in a little over the budgeted estimate," Martin said in the release. "Franchise and excise taxes recorded negative growth for the month, but were marginally higher than the budgeted estimate for the month."

General fund revenues were $11.8 million more than estimated, according to the release, and four other funds that share in state tax revenues were $8.2 million greater than the estimates projected.

"Typically, more than half of our annual corporate revenues are realized in the months of April through June, so we'll be watching corporate taxes closely through the remainder of the fiscal year," he said.
Lobbyists and representatives of various state government agencies discuss bills while meeting with lawmakers during a "stakeholders" education pre-meeting on Monday, March 14, 2016. (JOEL EBERT/THE TENNESSEAN)

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By Joel Ebert, The Tennessean

For the second straight year, members of the Tennessee House of Representatives are under criticism for their use of meetings inside lawmaker offices and conference rooms to discuss upcoming legislation.

Inside these so-called legislative pre-meetings, lawmakers frequently meet directly with lobbyists and representatives of state agencies  all before legislation goes to regularly scheduled committee hearings. Some Democrats and an open government expert question their continued usage, arguing the meetings undermine transparency.

Defenders of the pre-meetings say committee chairmen publicly announced their existence and say they simply help the legislature stay on course.The public announcement happened once in a January House floor session.

Rep. William Lamberth, R-Cottontown, who chairs the House Criminal Justice Committee, called the meetings "logistical in nature." He said the meetings are casual and more relaxed than regular committee meetings.

"It helps us to be able to plan for the actual debate in committee," Lamberth said.

To mark national Sunshine Week, when media organizations seek to highlight issues with transparency in government, The Tennessean and the News Sentinel attended four pre-meetings on Monday.

The House Civil Justice Committee held its pre-meeting in House Speaker Beth Harwell's conference room, a different location than what was announced in January.

In a "stakeholders meeting" of House education committee members, lawmakers were surrounded by state officials, as well as lobbyists. At one point, as many as 40 people packed into a conference room on the second floor of the War Memorial Building to discuss the agendas of several education committees.

Last week, Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, said most of the decisions about bills are being made in pre-meetings, rather than in normal committee meetings, which are held in meeting rooms easily accessible to the public, live-streamed online and archived for on-demand access.

Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, said he serves on the House Consumer and Human Resources subcommittee and has never been notified about attending a pre-meeting.

Its outside the public eye, and anything youre doing behind closed doors outside the public eye, for the most part, is usually not good," Mitchell said

The use of pre-meetings came up last year, after a joint effort by The Tennessean, The Associated Press, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, The Commercial Appeal and the Knoxville News Sentinel found that at least 10 of the 15 committees in the House held pre-meetings. The Senate does not hold similar meetings.

Experts called them "secretive" because the meetings were not publicly announced and, on some occasions, members of the media were initially prevented from attending.

Harwell, R-Nashville, sought to appease critics, ordering committee chairmen to publicly disclose their pre-meetings.

Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said Monday that the use of pre-meetings comes down to questions over transparency.

"The General Assembly has gone to such lengths to make their committee meetings easily accessible, recording them and streaming them live on the Internet," she said. "If some committees are starting to use the pre-meetings to have the discussion and debate that they would normally have in open committee meetings, it really rolls back that transparency."

Fisher said if an issue is already decided before it is taken up in committee, the public doesnt have a chance to even understand why something is happening

"That is not good for the public," she said.

Defenders say notice provided

Despite the criticism, House Republicans defended the use of pre-meetings, saying they were announced and are still open to the public.

"The meetings were announced on Jan. 14, 2016, on the House floor," Harwell spokeswoman Kara Owen said. "Reminders are sometimes announced on the floor. They are always open to the press, and press has attended. The Democrats attend these meetings as well."

During the Jan. 14 floor session, the chairmen of eight committees made announcements about pre-meetings. Six provided a location and two did not. Although the remaining committees did not make a public announcement, at least two others hold pre-meetings.

Owen said she could not provide The Tennessean with a complete copy of when each chairman holds a pre-meeting. Instead, she said, it is up to the chairman to set the time and location, and deferred any further questions to the committee chairmen.

Wide-ranging debate

Six Republicans and two Democrats attended Monday's pre-meeting of the House Civil Justice Committee. Lawmakers discussed a series of bills, including one that would change the age threshold for obtaining a handgun carry permit.

Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, said the bill is going to apply to members of the Tennessee National Guard, as a follow-up to the Chattanooga shootings last summer.

Rep. Sherry Jones, D-Nashville, talked about her MaKayla's Law bill, which would make it a crime for a gun owner to recklessly leave a gun in an area accessible to children.Jones asked Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Hendersonville, whether she's "OK with the bill." Rogers said she wants "to hear about the rest of it."

At the education committee pre-meeting, lawmakers went through a number of bills and asked anyone in attendance to weigh in on a bill as it came up. In some instances, there was significant discussion between lawmakers and lobbyists, including those representing the Tennessee Education Association and the University of Tennessee.

At a transportation committee pre-meeting, as many as 23 people, including lawmakers and officials with various state agencies, discussed legislation that would allow public-private partnerships for mass transit projects in Middle Tennessee. The meeting was significantly more casual than typical committee meetings.

At several points, the audience laughed at jokes before continuing their discussion of bills. Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, R-Lancaster, led the meeting and was asked by someone attending about the possibility of allowing testimony about a bill in full committee. Weaver said she would allow the person to speak for a few minutes before "the shut up music comes on."

While discussing a bill from Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Franklin, which would grant a 50 percent discount on the vehicle registration fee for persons 65 or older, Weaver asked Sexton if the legislation was something that was brought forward by a constituent.

After Sexton admitted that it was, Weaver said, "We want you to present it, we want you to talk about it. ... I want to make sure you're on record for taking it."

While discussing a bill he was sponsoring, Rep. Jimmy Matlock, R-Lenoir City, who is chairman of the full transportation committee, said he would allow a constituent to testify about the bill before allowing others to testify against it.

"And then I'm going to ask one of you to move it to a summer study and going to give it a soft landing," he said.

Richard Locker of the News Sentinel contributed to this report.

Reach Joel Ebert at 615-772-1681.

---

Sunshine Week

Sunshine Week is an initiative by media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others across the nation aimed at highlighting the importance of open government and freedom of information. This year, the effort runs through Saturday.
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By Hugh G. Willett, Special to the News Sentinel

Longtime Loudon County attorney and Lenoir City municipal judge Terry G. Vann died Sunday. He was 68.

"He was an extraordinary individual and a fair judge. We're going to miss him," Lenoir City Mayor Tony Aikens said.

Family members said Vann made the ultimate sacrifice for his country almost 40 years after returning from war.

Vann, a veteran of the Vietnam War, died of a cancer known as angiosarcoma, one of many diseases, that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs concedes are results of exposure to the chemical known as Agent Orange.

A 1966 Lenoir City High graduate, Vann joined the Marine Corps following high school. He was honorably discharged in fall 1968.

Vann enrolled in college after his discharge, earning his bachelor's degree in 1972. In 1974 he graduated from the University of Tennessee Law School.

Vann practiced law in Lenoir City for more than 40 years, running his own title company.

He was also active in public service, being elected to the Loudon County Commission in 1976, where he served until 1980. He served as the city attorney for Lenoir City from 1977 until 2000. For the past 16 years, Vann served in the elected position of city judge.

"He was very much associated with Lenoir City," Aikens said.

According to Aikens, Vann had the proud distinction of being the last elected justice of the peace in Tennessee in 1975.

Survivors include his wife, Gail McNabb Vann; mother-in-law, Mildred McNabb of Lenoir City; brothers-in-law, Gary McNabb of Talbott and Mike McNabb of Morristown; and nephews Matthew and Shelby McNabb, both of Morristown.

The family will receive friends from 5- 7 p.m. on Wednesday at My Father's House, 201 North A Street, Lenoir City. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans at www.dav.org or mailed to the DAV Charitable Service Trust, 3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Springs, Ky. 41076.
SHARE Kelly Pittman, 26, of Apison, Tenn. (Photo via the Chattanooga Times Free Press)

By The Associated Press

APISON, Tenn. (AP)  A grand jury will decide whether to indict an Apison mother on charges after authorities say her 3-year-old son accidentally shot himself to death in a vehicle.

Local media outlets report 26-year-old Kelly Pittman waived her right to a preliminary hearing Monday in Hamilton County court. She also had her bond reduced from $500,000 to $2,000.

Pittman faces charges of child endangerment and criminally negligent homicide in connection with Gavin Pittman's death.

Investigators say the child died last month after accidentally shooting himself with a loaded pistol that he found in the unlocked glovebox of the family's minivan.

Kelly Pittman's attorney Dan Ripper says once his client is released from jail, she will focus on regaining custody of her other two children who are now in foster care.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

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Gov. Bill Haslam's administration says its unprecedented facilities outsourcing plan would save $35.8 million  if state employee jobs are protected and all state property is included. Officials admit, however, the figures are provisional and likely to change.

At this point, the proposal is too vague to evaluate and there are major questions that remain unanswered.

Haslam's plan would contract out the management of all state properties  office buildings, college campuses, parks facilities, prisons and more  to a private firm. Last week the proposal's chief architect, Terry Cowles, and Finance Commissioner Larry Martin briefed legislators on the plan.

The "business justification" they offered was underwhelming. The projected annual savings under the no-job-loss scenario amount to less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the administration's proposed $38.4 billion state budget.

Cowles broke down the projected annual savings in three categories. The University of Tennessee system would save about $10.6 million, the Board of Regents system would save $17.6 million and all other state properties not already managed by Jones Lange LaSalle would save $7.7 million.

Under a scenario in which state jobs are not protected, the total savings would be $58.8 million, including UT system savings of $17.3 million, Board of Regents system savings of $28.8 million and general government savings of $12.7 million.

The clear implication is that officials have determined state government is being overcharged more than $35.8 million for supplies and services, while the state payroll is bloated by more than $23 million, assuming the contractor's profit is factored into the projections. If that is the case, the administration could explore ways the state could realize those savings without paying a middleman.

The administration has emphasized that agencies and institutions can opt out of the plan. Prisons and National Guard armories likely do not lend themselves to such an arrangement, and the higher education systems have expressed concerns. If UT and the Board of Regents back out, the savings would dwindle to a maximum range of $7.7 million to $12.7 million.

Haslam's chief operating officer, Greg Adams, and Cowles said the plan calls for a contract of about five years, with tiered pricing based on which state entities and campuses decide to participate.

Cowles conceded the numbers are "not definitive," adding that the administration would not know the extent of possible savings until firms present proposals. That, too, could be problematic, since issuing requests for proposals essentially signals the project would move forward, regardless of the amount of the savings.

The administration also needs to address transparency and accountability. Consultants to the administration are proponents of vested outsourcing, which relies on close collaboration between parties so that they are committed to each other's success. Such cozy arrangements might work well in the private sector, but governments cannot get too entangled with contractors.

The administration's fuzzy math and dearth of details is troubling. Tennesseans need a more thorough justification for Haslam's outsourcing plan.
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HB 2414 and SB 2387, which would mandate that students use bathrooms designated for their gender at birth and are up for consideration in the Tennessee Legislature, should not even exist. The word "transgender" is the obvious issue for those politicians trying to pass more anti-LGBT legislation. The solution: Install inclusive (accessible) restrooms and locker rooms, thus negating the importance of biological sex. The focus should be on the students' safety and well-being. These legislators must know that this is about feeling welcome and safe. Transgender students are a part of the student body and shouldn't be excluded. This bill would do more than exclude transgender students.

Restrooms and locker rooms are often places of bullying. Transgender individuals are at an even higher risk of harassment and assault. Some Tennessee legislators might not be concerned with harassment of transgender students. If they were concerned, they would have thought about the safety and well-being of all of their constituents, not just some. They are not aware of what challenges transgender people face because most likely they don't personally know any. If they were to live just one day in a transgender person's life, they would realize how difficult it is. This bill ultimately would place transgender students at risk. Awareness is vital for creating change. If you want change, you have to take action. It does not magically appear. We all want to feel safe and protected, so let's create change. Speak up. You are not alone.

As legislators stand before the American flag in the Capitol and cast their votes, my question to them is simple: Do you truly pledge allegiance with liberty and justice for all?

Nic Walles, Knoxville
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The writer of the letter "Cruz can't count as natural-born citizen" states Ted Cruz's mother was a Canadian citizen when he was born in Canada. After extensive research I found that his parents were married in 1969 and moved to Canada to work. Cruz was born there in 1970. The family returned to Texas in 1974. The citizenship laws of Canada at that time required people to declare on a citizenship application that they intended to continue to reside in Canada. They must have been physically present in Canada for four out of six years, meaning they would have had to have lived there, then apply, taking language and knowledge tests. That did not necessarily mean citizenship would be granted. So members of the Cruz family weren't there long enough to become citizens.

The family name was listed on the census.

According to U.S. nationality law, a person born between Dec. 24, 1952, and Nov. 14, 1986, is a U.S. citizen if the person's parents were married at the time of the birth; one of the parents was a U.S. citizen when the person was born; the citizen parent lived at least five years in the U.S. before the child's birth; and a minimum of two of those five years in the U.S. were after the citizen parent's 14th birthday.

All of the above are true for Cruz. Therefore, he is a citizen and eligible to run.

Trish Budzik, Fairfield Glade, Tenn.
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In the months leading up to the 2012 presidential election, I was an optimistic and overconfident Republican who had little concern as to the possible re-election of President Barack Obama. I had no idea how powerful the combination of two factors could be. Republicans lost what little enthusiasm they had for Mitt Romney and stayed home in droves on Election Day. Many Democrats, having garnered the multiple entitlement benefits so lavishly bestowed and promised anew, voted their benefactor in to a second term. Republicans who stayed home on Election Day gave Obama the margin of victory.

Now we are in the process of deciding who will replace Obama. Democrats are to choose between Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist, and Hillary Clinton, who, in my opinion, was a dismal failure as secretary of state and is facing possible criminal prosecution. Republicans have paraded a baker's dozen or more candidates across the debate stages for our appraisal. We are now down to four.

I display my Republican credentials as a statement of fact, not a proclamation of pride. I have been and still am disappointed in the ongoing verbal warfare engaged in by several of our candidates. We need to hear more issues debated and solutions proposed for our appraisal.

As I look at the options available to me as a voter, I have some enthusiasm for Ted Cruz or John Kasich but will cast my ballot in favor of whichever Republican candidate prevails  Donald Trump, Kasich, Cruz or Marco Rubio. That vote will not reflect my rousing approval but will be an emphatic rejection of the opposition candidate. Any Republican's decision not to vote at all is tacit approval of the Democratic nominee seeking to extend the governing philosophy of Obama.

Bill Pryor, Knoxville
By Choi Sung-jin



Japan, China and Taiwan will jointly build a memory chip plant in China, industry sources said Monday. The three countries want to combine their respective competitive advantage to challenge Korean semiconductor makers that dominate global markets, they said.



According to sohu.com, Sino King Technology, a chip design company set up by Yukio Sakamoto, former CEO of Elpida Memory, has recently signed a contract with the municipal government of Hefei, Anhui Province, to build a semiconductor plant.



Sino King will invest about 800 billion yen ($6.9 billion) into building the large-scale, up-to-date chip-making factory, while beginning to design next-generation DRAMs that consume less electricity. The plant is scheduled to start mass production of the next-generation memory chips in the latter half of 2018.



In a three-way division of labor, Japan will design chips, Taiwan will handle mass-producing technology and plant operation, and China will provide funding and manufacturing.



Only 10 semiconductor engineers are now working at Sino King, but the company plans to hire more than 1,000 experts from the three countries. The Chinese government is expected to provide positive support, too. In 2114, the Beijing government created a 120 billion-yuan fund to promote China's semiconductor industry.



"Currently, the global memory chip market is the oligopoly of Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, and therefore joining it as just a latecomer has little chance of success," sofu.com said. "Sino King will likely make its bid in the next-generation, low electricity-consuming next-generation chips that will be a prerequisite for Internet of Things-based home appliances."



Sakamoto, who led Japan's largest memory chip maker but lost out to Samsung, is trying to make a comeback.



China's national player is Tsinghua Unigroup. Tsinghua Uni, which plans to spend up to $30 billion to buy out global semiconductor makers.



"We will create a fund along with our partners to invest in the semiconductor area," the China Daily quoted Xu Jinghong, head of Tsinghua Holdings, as saying. "The fund's size will be between 100 billion yuan and 200 billion yuan."



Tsinghua Uni acquired a 25 percent stake in Taiwan's SPIL and ChipMOS with a total investment of 13.5 billion yuan last December. In November, Tsinghua Uni bought 25 percent of Taiwan-based Powertec, the world's largest chip-packaging company, for $600 million.



The three Taiwanese companies that have advantages in semiconductor packaging and testing will likely be responsible for Tsinghua Uni's back-end process. The Chinese company also plans to invest 60 billion yuan to build manufacturing lines, with the aim of becoming one of the world's three-largest producers.




Thinkpool CEO Kim Dong-jin explains the company's robo-trader stock investment system at the company's office in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo

A financial technology company, Thinkpool, said Tuesday that it had established an artificial intelligence (AI) system that performs as a robo-adviser and a robo-trader.

The announcement came amid a series of go matches between Korean player Lee Se-dol and Google DeepMind's AlphaGo that sparked debate over to what extent artificial intelligence can take over human's work.

Thinkpool CEO Kim Dong-jin said the Robot Assembly System on Stock Investment (RASSI), analyzes which stocks it should buy or sell, providing automated, algorithm-based portfolio management and making an actual stock order in a single process.

Partial functions of RASSI, especially the function of robo-adviser, which recommends stocks to investors, are already used by local securities firms, but the AI is the first in Korea that can engage in stock market from analyzing to trading as an integrated system, which Kim described "engaging in from the very beginning to the end."

"We have recently nicknamed RASSI stock AlphaGo, said Kim. "People cannot watch stocks fluctuation for 24/7 and make reports on them in a minute. RASSI can do that in almost real-time and trade stocks faster than any human, which is the gist of stock trading."

RASSI is comprised of the functions of current robo-analysts, which analyze stocks' value and growth potential through an algorithm-based approach to the Financial Supervisory Service's Data Analysis, Retrieval and Transfer (DART) system. The technology has powered robo-analyst systems at 10 local securities firms including Kiwoom Securities and Korea Investment and Securities, since 2011.

RASSI can also put together portfolios based on its own analysis and human analysts' reports, and Thinkpool will launch this service within the first half of the year.

Kim said the biggest difference between other robo-advisers and RASSI was the auto quant trading system (AQT), in which the AI builds its own portfolio and engages in actual trade according to the portfolio.

According to the company, RASSI does not trade stocks by rote like the current system, but makes orders after it "cognizes" the situation to calculate when and how much to sell or buy.

The AQT system has been used by KDB Daewoo Securities since last August. Kiwoom Securities and NH Investment and Securities are also seeking to use the system.

"It is like a finish move in go -- one can lose or win, depending on how decisive the move is.

"If demand for one stock sends the price soaring, its market price can be distorted, but RASSI will make its final move to address such a situation through split orders and other methods in its algorithm."

Thinkpool said the yield from stock trades through RASSI from 2009 to 2015 were 19 to 25 percent above the increase of the benchmark KOSPI in the period.

"RASSI may not be able to replace the full function of a human, whose strength is a perspective on the future, however, when it comes to analyzing existing data, machine will outperform a human," he said.
By Yoon Ja-young

Martin Tricaud

HSBC Korea CEO Park Hyun-nam

Deutsche Bank Seoul manager

The nation's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) levied penalties on branches of Deutsche Bank and HSBC here for colluding in foreign exchange swap bidding. This is the first time for the anti-trust regulator to uncover and penalize unfair practices in the foreign exchange derivatives market.

According to the FTC, sales staff at the two banks' offices in Seoul participated in the foreign exchange swap bidding requested by a Korean manufacturing company in 2011.

In a foreign exchange swap, two currencies are swapped at the current spot rate. Then, the currencies are swapped again after a certain period, at the forward rate set at the beginning of the contract. Local companies often use swaps to hedge against foreign exchange risks.

At the request of the customer company, the bank suggests its foreign exchange swap price, adding a margin to the trading price. It determines the margin considering the customer's sensitivity to price and competition with other banks.

Customer companies get swap prices from more than one bank and then pick the best offer.

The manufacturing firm cited by the FTC had the banks bid for $88 million in foreign exchange swaps between January 2011 and February 2012, which was to be rolled over every few months.

The staff at the two banks agreed through a messenger that they would avoid price competition. They agreed to take turns to win the bids, with the one offering a higher price than the other that was set to win. For instance, in the bidding for June 2011, Deutsche Bank offered a slightly higher price than the price offered by HSBC, so that HSBC could win. They continued colluding in four bids until December 2011.

"There was another bank which participated in the bidding, but it didn't collude with the two," an official in charge of cartel investigation said.

The FTC concluded that they violated the FTC Act by hindering fair competition in the market, and fined Deutsche Bank 13 million won, and HSBC 46 million won.

"The FTC will continue examining the market and the banks to root out unfair practices related with foreign exchange derivatives services," the official said.
By Kim Jae-won



Companies formerly running businesses at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea expressed their disappointment Tuesday with the government's new support package, calling for policymakers to pay them direct compensation rather than merely extending them loans.



The government announced its new measures to help employees and businesspeople from in the complex who are now seeking ways to survive in the South. The government shut down the joint factory park last month as part of sanctions against the North for its nuclear test and the launch of a long-range rocket.



The support package includes subsidies for unemployed managers, deferring interest and principle payments on loans and offering support for establishing new factories, among others.



"The government seeks to support us with subsidies, but what we really want is for it to guarantee us that we can run our businesses," said an official at the Association for Gaeseong Industrial Complex Companies which represents 123 corporations that had operations at the park.



Earlier this month, the association issued a letter to President Park Geun-hye, asking her to pay attention to them.



"The government's resolutions have nothing to do with taking responsibility for the closure. It consistently seeks to support us by offering loans as a third party. It is far away from our claims for compensation for our losses," said the association in the letter.



According to the association, their combined losses have reached 815.2 billion won with 568.8 billion won in fixed assets and 246.4 billion won in materials. The association said that total losses will increase further, including claims from companies that gave them orders and their operating losses.



Analysts said that the government should change direction and compensate the companies, considering many of them are small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) that make less than 500 million won in operating profit per year.



According to data from the association, 77 out of 114 companies, which are obliged to report financial data, posted less than 500 million won in operating profit annually for the last three years.



The government said that it will compensate these companies after examining their losses.



"The Ministry of Unification will examine the companies that were in the complex by April 10. The compensation plan will be announced after it completes the examination," said an official of the government's task force to support the companies.




Song Joong-ki / Courtesy of Blossom Entertainment



By Bahk Eun-ji

Korean actor Song Joong-ki is the most searched entertainer on Chinese websites, according to Chinese data marketing company VLinkage, Tuesday.

Song, who plays a leading role in KBS TV's drama series "Descendants of the Sun," has ranked top since Saturday, said the company, citing data from China's major websites.

The drama has been a sensation in China, which could be largely attributable to Song's presence, according to critics and drama experts. The Wednesday/Thursday drama series airs simultaneously in Korea and China.

With six out of 16 episodes having gone to air, the episodes have been played more than 256 million times on China's video on-demand websites.

To express his appreciation, Song will soon host a fan meeting in China.
By Chung Ah-young



The feud between the Busan Metropolitan Government (BMG) and Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) organizers, triggered by alleged censorship over a movie screening, has turned into a legal dispute.



The city government said Tuesday that it recently filed for a court injunction to annul the appointment of 68 advisers by the BIFF executive committee.



The city government and BIFF executive committee began clashing after the committee screened "The Truth Shall Not Sink with the Sewol," a documentary depicting the Sewol ferry tragedy, despite the city's warning against the screening for "undermining political neutrality." The film criticizes the Korean government's botched rescue efforts during the disaster in 2014 that left more than 300 people dead. Busan is the festival's largest stockholder and sponsors more than half of its annual budget.



Busan provides financial and administrative support for the festival, and the city mayor heads the BIFF's organization.



The BMG claimed that the executive committee's new appointment of the advisers ahead of the BIFF general assembly was an attempt to take control of the organization.



According to the latter's internal rules, these can be changed with consent from two-thirds of committee members. The BMG claims the executive committee aims to change rules with the new advisers who have voting rights and are likely to vote in its favor.



At a general meeting on Feb. 25, the committee proposed changing the rules to autonomously select the head of the organization and guarantee independence and autonomy from the city government.



It planned to hold a temporary meeting soon, and the city government sought the court injunction to block the meeting.



"The advisers were selected without due process, thus they are unqualified," an official said. "The executive committee also appointed a large number of advisers without the Busan mayor's consent, which is against the rules."



Concerning the legal action, the executive committee and filmmakers said the changes to the rules are needed to guarantee the independence and autonomy of the festival.



Filmmakers staged a rally against the BMG in front of City Hall, Tuesday, to stop "unfair interference" in the festival.



"The city government should apologize for a series of events that compromises the festival's independence and autonomy, and promise that it won't happen again," they said in a statement.



"We believe this might be a growing pain for the festival to be operated transparently and mature for the better," the official said.



Earlier, Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo offered to step down from the BIFF post amid growing pressure to resolve the ongoing feud.



In December, the city filed a complaint with prosecutors against executive committee officials for allegedly committing accounting fraud by failing to submit sufficient documents for sponsorship procurement activities.




By Kim Bo-eun



The government plans to force would-be parents to take parental education programs as part of efforts to prevent child abuse.



Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kang Eun-hee said that the government plans to strengthen parental education for everyone.



"Violence against children continues because parents believe their children are their possessions," Kang told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women hosted in New York, Monday.



Ministry-affiliated agencies have been working on the content of the education sessions and how to carry them out. Policymakers from related ministries will discuss the issue this week.



To prevent child abuse, it is more important to correct parents' misconceptions about childcare than to identify ongoing abuse cases, Kang said.



"We may have those filing for marriage receive mandatory parental education. Or we may link the education with vouchers granted to pregnant women," Kang said.



The ministry is also considering counseling for parents caught abusing their children.



"The situation is graver than people think," Kang said. "We are looking into all possible measures."



Last week, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) also announced it would place greater emphasis on parental education in order to prevent problems arising from unprepared parents raising children.



The SMG said it would host education sessions for parents who send their children to public daycare centers and also introduce online courses for working couples.



Data from the city government shows that parents are the culprits in 86.3 percent of child abuse cases.



In the latest child abuse case, a seven-year-old boy who was reported missing was found buried on a hill in Pyeongtaek, southern Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. An autopsy showed he died from starvation, internal bleeding and hypothermia.



His stepmother, surnamed Kim, confessed that she and the boy's biological father kept him locked up in the bathroom for three months, only feeding him once a day. Several days before his death, she also allegedly poured bleach on him.



Kim allegedly poured cold water on the child, who was stripped naked for wetting his pants, and abandoned him in the bathroom for 20 hours before finding him dead, police said.






By Kim Se-jeong

The Seoul City Tour Bus will have two new routes starting September in addition to the current six, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said Tuesday.

The first route will include Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul Forest, Lotte World, Seoul Baekje Museum, Olympic Park, Seoul Children's Grand Park, Konkuk University and Seongsu Station.

The second route will start from Hapjeong Station, with stops at 63 Square, KBS headquarters, Yeongdeungpo Time Square shopping mall, Seonyu Island, Digital Media City and the Hongdae area.

Beside the new routes, the city will extend its existing lines.

Noryangjin Fisheries & Wholesale Market and Gangnam Station will be added to the Panorama Route that used to tour only northern parts of the Han River. Tourists taking the bus will be able to transfer to another bus touring the south side of the river at two stops  Gangnam Station and Sebit Island  for half the rate.

The transfer will be possible as early as the end of March, the city said.

Ticket cost between 6,000 and 15,000 won, depending on the course.

The city also said free Wi-Fi will be available on all buses.

"We see the number of individual travelers increasing, and the new and expanded services will accommodate their interests and needs," a city official said.

Launched in 2000, 16 buses run on six routes now. The bus service attracted 215,830 passengers last year.
By Jun Ji-hye

South Korean military and defense analysts are questioning the credibility of North Korea's latest claim that it has acquired missile re-entry technology necessary to bring a nuclear-armed ballistic missile back into the Earth's atmosphere, saying that Pyongyang has yet to conduct any test of such technology.

They said that Pyongyang is apparently bluffing in an apparent show of defiance against tougher U.N. sanctions and ongoing Seoul-Washington joint military drills with no clear evidence that it possesses such technology.

Their evaluations come after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed through the state-run media, the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), on Tuesday that the regime has "proudly acquired the re-entry technology, thus making a great progress in the ballistic rocket technology that helps strengthen the independence."

Kim made the remark while overseeing an environmental simulation for missile re-entry technology, according to the KCNA.

On the same day, Pyongyang's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun published photos of Kim with a mushroom-shaped object, which looks like a drawing of missile re-entry technology.

"The military's assessment is that the North has yet to acquire the re-entry technology," the Ministry of National Defense spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a regular briefing. "What the North announced today (Tuesday) was just its unilateral claim."

Moon said that the missile re-entry technology can be only verified through a full test, but Pyongyang has yet to test-fire a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 kilometers, or a KN-08 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of more than 10,000 kilometers. He added that the North is believed to have re-entry technology for its short-range missiles.












By Jun Ji-hye



North Korea is currently conducting a military assault exercise that envisions the destruction of key facilities in Seoul using replicas of the targeted sites, a lawmaker said Tuesday, citing military officials.

Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the ruling Saenuri Party told reporters that the exercise is part of what the Kim Jong-un regime threateningly announced recently as "an operation to liberate Seoul."

He made the remark after a meeting between the party and the government held at the National Assembly, during which the Ministry of National Defense made a report of recent movements of North Korean soldiers.

On Saturday, the General Staff of the (North) Korean People's Army said in a statement that it will counter the enemies' landing drill that aims to advance into Pyongyang with "the operation to liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul and the enemies' tactics of high-density strike with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style."












By Choi Sung-jin



The tightened international sanctions notwithstanding, consumer prices and foreign exchange rates have remained stable in North Korea, a media outlet here reported Monday, quoting local sources.



"There have been concerns that the United Nations' sanctions would reduce commodities from markets but there is little difference from the past," the Daily NK said, quoting a source in North Pyongan Province. "Although business hours at the market have shortened because of 70-day combat,' the markets are even busier and prices largely remain the same."



According to the daily that specializes in North Korean news, a kilogram of rice costs between 5,100 won and 5,150 won in Pyongyang and Sinuiju, respectively, largely similar to pre-sanction prices. The exchange rates were 8,150 North Korean won against the U.S. dollar in Pyongyang and 8,200 won in Sinuiju, even firming a little from 8,200 won and 8,290 won, respectively, before the tighter sanctions went into effect.



"Some residents attempted to hoard food upon the news of U.N.'s sanctions but prices differ little from before, and in some areas, they even fell," a source in North Hamgyeong Province told the daily by telephone.



There are few signs of price fluctuations in North Korea despite the stepped-up pressure from abroad because trade is carrying on normally for most export items except for minerals, the daily said. It also pointed out that North Korean merchants had used a market system for quite a long time.



"If the United States thinks our republic is the same as countries that experienced economic crisis because of its sanctions, it is making a mistake, said Today of Joseon, a North Korean state propaganda machine. "Our economy will prosper however hard outside sanctions may get."




Htin Kyaw, newly elected president of Myanmar and member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, leaves after a parliament session in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. Myanmar's lawmakers elected Htin Kyaw, a close aide and longtime friend of Aung San Suu Kyi to become the country's first civilian president in decades, a historic moment for the formerly junta-run nation. / AFP-Yonhap



By Park Si-soo



Myanmar's parliament has chosen Htin Kyaw as the country's new president, bringing to a close decades of military rule.

The 70-year-old, a longtime confidant of Suu Kyi, will take office on April 1 to become Myanmar's first democratically elected leader after more than half a century of military rule.

Htin Kyaw secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in the bicameral parliament, where the vote count was read aloud and announced by a parliament official before a formal announcement, according to media reports.

"I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes," Assembly Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than was quoted as saying in a story from the Associated Press.

The military's nominee, Myint Swe, won 213 votes and will become the first vice president. Htin Kyaw's running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, won 79 votes and will take the post of second vice president.

According to AP, a beaming Suu Kyi was sitting in the front row clapping as the chamber erupted in applause when the session ended.

"This is a victory for the people of this country,'' Htin Kyaw said in a brief comment to reporters.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observes a simulated test of a reentry vehicle needed for a warhead to reenter the Earth's atmosphere following a long-range missile launch, shown in the left photo. / Yonhap



Park warns North of collapse without embracing change



By Kang Seung-woo

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that his military regime will test nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles "in a short time," according to Pyongyang's state media, Tuesday.

The North's announcement came days after it said it has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to fit on a ballistic missile.

"Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, the General instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The North Korean leader's comments were made while he was overseeing a simulation for re-entry technology needed to bring a nuclear-armed ballistic missile back into the Earth's atmosphere, the agency said, adding that the simulation was successful.

"We have proudly acquired the re-entry technology, possessed by a few countries styling themselves as military powers, thus making a great progress in ballistic rocket technology," he said.

The announcement is the latest bout of saber-rattling from the North in response to the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States as well as the recent international sanctions for its Jan. 6 nuclear test and Feb. 7 rocket launch.

In response, the government warned that the North will have to face "unbearable punishment" if it conducts further provocations.

Seoul and Washington have staged the annual military exercises  Key Resolve and Foal Eagle  since last week, which Pyongyang denounces as an invasion rehearsal. In addition, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council slapped harsh new sanctions on the repressive state earlier this month to starve it of money for its nuclear weapons program.

Angered by such moves, the Kim regime has ramped up its bellicose rhetoric.

On March 3, the North Korean dictator ordered his officials to get ready to use nuclear weapons at any time, warning of pre-emptive attacks against Seoul and Washington, followed by his statement on March 9 that his country had successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead.
Lee Jae-oh fails to win candidacy; Ex-mayor Oh to run in election

By Kim Hyo-jin





Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun Rep. Lee Jae-oh

The ruling Saenuri Party ruled out Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a noted figure affiliated to President Park Geun-hye, from nominations to run in the April 13 general election, Tuesday.

The party's nomination committee unveiled its final list of candidates to compete in primaries and those who will get a ticket to run without an in-house competition.

Yoon, a former special political adviser to the President, was dropped from the nomination list due to a recent incident that undermined his dignity as a politician, the committee said.

Rep. Lee Jae-oh, a five-term lawmaker and leading figure of the non-Park faction, and former Minister of Health and Welfare Jin Young, who stepped down following conflicts with Park over her change to a pledge on basic pensions also failed to win candidacies.

Former Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea won a ticket but his district has been changed from Incheon Yeonsu to Incheon Seo-B district.

The nomination of Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a former floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party was postponed due to a disagreement among committee members.

Yoon, a former special political adviser to the President, was embroiled in controversy earlier, following the revelation of a phone conversation that included vulgar remarks about party Chairman Kim Moo-sung.

In the recording disclosed by a broadcaster Channel A, Yoon threatened to ensure Kim was nominated, sparking suspicion that the pro-Park faction was pulling strings over the nomination process. This fueled strong opposition to Yoon's nomination by party members and supporters who took issue with his unethical behavior.

Earlier that day, the committee unveiled the results of primaries held for 12 constituencies.

Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has won a ticket to run in Jongno, Seoul, beating ex-lawmaker Park Jin.

The win represents Oh's political comeback since he stepped down as mayor in August 2011 to take responsibility for a botched referendum on free school lunches.

Oh announced his bid to run for the election in Jongno early this year, causing a backlash from party members.

Park, who was elected in the district for three consecutive terms, also denounced the bid, claiming Oh was using the election to raise his political profile as a potential presidential candidate.

Oh pushed for the referendum amid a feud with the opposition-controlled city council and Seoul's liberal education chief Kwak No-hyun over the free lunch program. The referendum, however, was nullified as voter turnout fell short of the legally required quorum of one-third of eligible voters in the capital.

Park raised a question over the result of the primary. "The results of opinion polls, which were a key criterion of evaluations, were different from the surveys conducted by my camp. I will accept my defeat after getting clarification of the results," Park said.
South Korea's Cabinet minister in charge of women's affairs said Monday she hopes Japan will faithfully carry out a landmark agreement with South Korea on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.



Gender Equality and Family Minister Kang Eun-hee made the remark to South Korean correspondents in New York, saying that the December agreement with Japan is a done deal and should be respected, though critics raised objections.



Kang was in New York as head of Seoul's delegation to a meeting of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women.



"Though there is controversy over whether it's a good deal or a bad deal, we have to take a realistic look at the time left for" elderly victims, Kang said, stressing that there is no point in having such a deal if it comes after all victims passed away.

"This year alone, two have passed away," she said.



The December agreement centered on Japan's formal admission of responsibility for the crime and plans to pay 1 billion yen in reparations to the victims. South Korea promised to end the dispute once and for all if Japan fulfills its responsibilities.



But critics denounced the agreement for failing to take the victims' positions into consideration.



Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mainly from Korea, which was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II. Japan has long attempted to water down the atrocity, one of the greatest thorns in relations between the two sides.



But the December deal offered hope for progress in the frayed ties. (Yonhap)




Musicians perform during the 2015 St. Patrick's Day festival at D-Cube City in Sindorim, Seoul.

/ Courtesy of IAK



By John Redmond

The Irish Association of Korea (IAK) will present the 15th annual St. Patrick's Day celebration at D-Cube City in Sindorim, western Seoul, Saturday.

The Irish-themed open air festival, this year titled "Craic, Ceoil agus Cairdeas  Great fun, music and friendship" showcases traditional Irish music and dance.

Guests will also get the chance to win return flights for two to Ireland, sponsored by British Airways.

Founded in 1996, the IAK, a nonprofit organization, promotes Irish culture in Korea by presenting Irish-themed events throughout the year.

"The IAK wants to share its rich culture and Celtic history with the people of Korea and it hopes to achieve this through Irish dancing, Irish traditional music and audience participation," the event organizer said on its Facebook page.

The Korea Times spoke with Tom Coyner, a founding member of the IAK about the role the organization plays in promoting Irish culture.

Q: You were asked to help organize the St. Patrick's Day event in Seoul. How did that come about?

A: Then Irish First Secretary Peter Ryan asked me to help organize the St. Patrick's Day celebration. It was an almost laughably short march back and forth in Myeong-dong, but we did have a performance of Irish musicians and step dancers from Ireland, the U.S. 9th Army band and an Aussie bagpiper at the head of the parade.

Q: How has the IAK developed since?

A: The original IAK comprised of primarily Irish-American expats. The one big event of the year was a charity ball that raised money for Irish charity groups in Korea. Independent of that, a couple of us created the St. Patrick's Day-centric Irish Network Korea.

In 2002, the original IAK was folding shop due to a lack of members but had a bit of money in its treasury. We were offered the money on the conditions that our group adopt the name of the IAK and to make good on giving the money eventually to charity, which we did.

Q: What are your thoughts on the future of the IAK?

A: Unlike the past, we have more Irish passport holders and Koreans who have lived in Ireland involved in the IAK. The parade has been dropped due to the difficulty in putting on such an event and the location of the Irish festivals in Sindorim offers a poor venue for a parade.

That may change in the future, but that is up to future IAK members to decide. For now, the IAK continues to provide social and cultural events for the Irish and friends of Ireland to network and take in things Irish while in Korea.

The St. Patrick's Day festivities will begin at 1 p.m. and run until 6 p.m. There will also be a St. Patrick's Day after party, known as "Hooley," at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon from 7 p.m. until midnight.

For more information, visit facebook.com/irishassociationofkorea.
By John Redmond



The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AustCham Korea) will host a breakfast forum on March 23 focusing on the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA).

The KAFTA Financial Services Briefing Session, held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, will feature presentations from the Australian Embassy's economic counselor Paul Schofield, Macquarie Securities Korea chairman John Walker and the Finance Services Commission's (FSC) international finance division director Tark Yun-sung.

"KAFTA presents new opportunities for Korean and Australian businesses, particularly in relation to services and investment," the chamber said in its invitation.

"In order to maximize the benefits of KAFTA it is important for businesses to understand the contents of the agreement to be able to utilize its provisions fully.

"Both the Korean and Australian governments are focused on promoting services as a new driver of economic growth. Financial services are becoming an increasingly significant aspect of the bilateral economic relationship with scope to boost two-way trade in the sub-sector under KAFTA."

Chapter 8 of KAFTA is specifically dedicated to financial services.

The program includes an overview of the financial services chapter of KAFTA, perspectives of an Australian financial services provider in Korea and regulator insights from the FSC, followed by a Q&A session.

The session, running from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., costs 35,000 won for AustCham members and 45,000 won for non-members.

For more, call (02)2010-8832 and RSVP to admin@austchamkorea.org

Payment can be made to Shinhan Bank 100-026-545750 or at the door. Seating is limited, so early registration is advised.
North Korea is expected to feature high at the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit that U.S. President Barack Obama is set to host later this month as part of efforts to make the world free of nuclear weapons, sources said Monday.



In particular, Pyongyang's nuclear pursuit is expected to be the main topic of discussions for a three-way meeting Obama could hold with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the nuclear conference, the sources said.



"The North Korean nuclear issue won't be adopted as an official agenda item as it isn't directly related to nuclear security. But considering the issue's gravity, it will likely be dealt with in some way during the summit," a source said.



Last week, Amb. Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency that the North Korea issue could be discussed at the Nuclear Security Summit and at a three-way gathering between Obama, Park and Abe should it take place.



North Korea stunned the world with its fourth nuclear test in January. Pyongyang claimed it carried out a successful test of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb, through the U.S. said its analysis is not consistent with the North's claims.



A brainchild of Obama, the Nuclear Security Summit is aimed mainly at discussing ways to reduce the stockpile of highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, to keep it out of the hands of terrorists and to ensure atomic safety.



The U.S. hosted the inaugural summit in 2010, South Korea the second gathering in 2012 and the Netherlands the third summit in 2014. This month's two-day meeting, set for March 31-April 1, will be the final session of the summit.



Discussions are reportedly under way to set up a trilateral summit between Park, Obama and Abe. The three leaders held a similar three-way summit on the sidelines of the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague. (Yonhap)




A senior U.S. Treasury Department official will visit China and Hong Kong this week to discuss ways to implement sanctions on North Korea, the department said Monday.



Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam Szubin will visit Beijing and Hong Kong on Tuesday and Wednesday, the department said in a press advisory.



During the trip, Szubin will meet with senior government officials and private sector compliance officers for discussions on a range of issues of mutual interest, the department said.



"In light of the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution and Treasury and State designations against North Korea this month, this trip provides an important opportunity for discussions of ways to strengthen U.S.-China coordination in response to North Korea's destabilizing behavior and to ensure sanctions targeting the North Korean regime are as effective as possible," it said.



The trip came as the Treasury Department is in the final stage of putting together a package of unilateral sanctions against the North to carry out the Security Council sanctions and the recent congressional legislation tightening the screws on Pyongyang.



The new U.N. sanctions, the toughest ever to be imposed on Pyongyang, require mandatory inspection of all cargo going in and out of the North and ban its exports of coal, iron and other mineral resources, a key source of hard currency that accounts for nearly half of the country's total exports.



It also prohibits all small arms and other conventional weapons from being sold to the North, bans jet and rocket fuel supplies to the country, grounds North Korean flights suspected of carrying contraband and denies vessels carrying illicit items access to ports. (Yonhap)




U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday that effective enforcement of sanctions on North Korea is one of the key tasks facing the country, along with fighting terrorism and ensuring Iran meets its nuclear commitments.



Obama made the remark during an address at a conference of chiefs of U.S. diplomatic missions overseas, saying the U.S. should keep mobilizing the world to meet shared challenges, including strengthening international rules and norms that undergird peace and security.



"We're going to have to continue to ensure that Iran fully meets its commitments under the nuclear deal; to make sure that we're enforcing effective sanctions on North Korea; that, at our upcoming summit here in Washington, we're continuing to increase nuclear security," Obama said.



The U.N. Security Council adopted a new sanctions resolution on Pyongyang earlier this month in response to the North's nuclear and missile tests.



The sanctions, the toughest ever to be imposed on Pyongyang, require mandatory inspection of all cargo going in and out of the North and ban its exports of coal, iron and other mineral resources, a key source of hard currency that accounts for nearly half of the country's total exports.



The U.S. is putting together a package of unilateral sanctions against the North to carry out the Security Council sanctions and the recent congressional legislation tightening the screws on Pyongyang. (Yonhap)




North Korea said Tuesday that it plans to conduct tests of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles "in a short time," in its latest show of defiance in the wake of tougher U.N. sanctions.



The threats add weight to speculation that the North may carry out more nuke and missile provocations following its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch earlier this year.



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that "a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



He made such remarks while overseeing an environmental simulation for re-entry technology, which is needed to bring a nuclear-armed ballistic missile back into the atmosphere, according to the report.



"We have proudly acquired the re-entry technology, possessed by a few countries styling themselves as military powers ... thus making a great progress in the ballistic rocket technology that helps strengthen the independence of the country's defense capability and munitions industry," it said.



Last week, the North's leader ordered his officials to get ready to carry out nuclear attacks and conduct more nuclear tests. He also vowed to "make nuclear strikes at the enemies from anywhere on the ground, in the air, at sea and underwater."



Kim also said his country has made nuclear warheads small enough to fit on ballistic missiles in an apparent threat to Seoul and Washington, which recently began their annual joint military drills. This year's two-month-long exercise mobilizes some 300,000 local troops and 17,000 U.S. forces.



North Korea has made efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching as far as the U.S. mainland, and the communist country has insisted that it has entered the technological phase to miniaturize and even diversify its nuclear bombs.



But Seoul has raised doubts about the North's claim, saying there's no evidence that Pyongyang has mastered the required technology to miniaturize nuclear weapons.



Earlier this month, the United Nations Security Council adopted a new sanctions resolution punishing the North for its Jan. 6 nuclear test and Feb. 7 long-range rocket launch.



The North said its long-range rocket launch was to send a satellite into orbit, but Seoul and Washington view it as a cover for a banned test of ballistic missile technology.



Experts say long-range rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles are basically the same, differing only in payload. (Yonhap)




Now the proposed measures must be carried out



The government has unveiled a plan to make Incheon International Airport one of the world's five largest airports by increasing the number of visiting passengers to 66 million a year, including 10 million in transit, by 2020.



To attain this goal, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) said it would increase the number of airlines using the airport from 90 to 110.



China holds the key to whether this ambitious plan is achieved because China is expected to surpass the United States to become the world's biggest airline market by 2029. Specifically, Seoul needs to hold aviation talks with Beijing this year to attract more Chinese carriers.



For passengers' convenience, a recreational complex will open near the airport in April next year, and talks are under way to build another resort complex.



To reduce check-in time, IIAC will increase the number of automated check-in devices from four now to eight in 2020. The device allows passengers to get boarding passes through a tablet instead of waiting at conventional check-in counters. The average check-in time will be cut from 43 minutes to 40.



Most eye-catching is a plan to establish capsule hotels at the airport, modeled after a unique lodging facility in Japan, to cater to passengers on night flights.



To address the shortage of parking spaces, IIAC will expand parking facilities and develop a smartphone application through which motorists can track available spaces in advance.



Given ever-intensifying competition against top-class foreign airports, these measures to help boost the competitiveness of Incheon International Airport are welcomed. It would have been better if they had been adopted earlier.



But the airport's stated goal is easier said than done, considering the looming rivalry to become a travel hub in Northeast Asia.



More than anything, China's challenge appears formidable. The world's most populous country has a plan to expand its Beijing Capital International Airport massively and is increasing direct flights to the U.S. and Europe sharply. The repercussion might be a fall in transit passengers to Incheon from 7.71 million in 2013 to 7.41 million last year.



Since 2005, Incheon International Airport has ranked first every year in the world's best airport survey run by the Airports Council International. But there is no saying how next year's result will be, given the airport's security loopholes and baggage mishandling row earlier this year. Foreigners' illegal entry through security doors, in particular, must not be taken lightly.



Against this backdrop, what is important is to closely watch how the airport will carry out the proposed measures faithfully.



In fact, it is undeniable that all the fiascos involving the airport have been the consequences of successive "parachute appointments'' of unqualified politicians or bureaucrats to its CEO post. It is a relief in this regard that Chung Il-young, a transport expert, took the helm at the airport in February.



At a press conference Monday, Chung vowed to reinvent the airport. We hope that he will keep his promise to make it more competitive.




The number of patents held by South Korean companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) segment hovered far below other major countries around the globe, underscoring a need to roll out more corporate-friendly policies for the sector.

According to the data compiled by the Hyundai Research Institute, South Korea held 306 AI-related patents, which account for only 3 percent of the total number around the globe. The figure is only a 5 percent of the United States' number.

The global market for the AI industry, estimated at US$127 billion this year, is expected to reach $165 billion in 2017, the researcher said. The domestic market, estimated at 3.6 trillion won ($3.03 billion) for 2013, is also expected to reach 6.4 trillion won in 2017.

Industry watchers said Asia's fourth-largest economy needs to make stronger efforts to tap deeper into the segment, as the area is expected to be one of the most lucrative industries in the near future.

"In order to narrow the technology gap with advanced countries and better enter the AI market, there needs to be a pre-emptive investment in the public sector," the report said. (Yonhap)
SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun, third from right, poses with chief executives of three local venture firms. The three will receive funding from SK Telecom after signing the SK Value Chain Venture Investment Agreement at the company's headquarters in downtown Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Kim Yoo-chul



The startup ecosystem in Korea's telecom industry is expected to make smart progress, as SK Telecom announced Tuesday that it will purchase stakes in local startups.



In a statement, SK Group's telecom affiliate said that it has agreed with three local startups to purchase a stake in each.



The winners to benefit under SK's updated financial program are Cremotech, Seemass and Family, according to the statement.



SK Telecom will invest 1 billion won in Cremotech, followed by Seemass and Family, investing 900 million won and 800 million won, respectively. SK will strictly remain as a strategic investor and said it has "no interest" in stepping in and managing any of the three companies.



SK Telecom is the first mobile carrier in the national telecom market to make direct investments in local startups.



"Whereas the local startup scene has been experiencing a boom and creating more innovative companies, each year new investors and government priorities to support young ventures have appeared. Tuesday's agreement will help local ventures develop intellectual properties and technologies using SK's business knowhow," said the statement.



"This is a new type of corporate social responsibility (CSR) program which isn't superficial but quite meaningful," said a company spokesman.



SK Telecom said it will back the startups to develop their business ideas and find new distribution channels by putting the three on the SK-owned "Value Chain."



"Financing and funding are the most common problems that local ventures have been facing," said the statement. "Your ideas will be commercially available thanks to SK's well-prepared support programs. We hope local ventures will be freed from the Death Valley' period with steady funding from SK."



SK Telecom has been active in supporting the government's "creative economy" initiatives _ a norm set by President Park Geun-hye for balanced growth between large and small companies.



Because SK Group is heavily dependent upon the telecom business, with business strategies in accordance with government regulatory issues, SK Telecom is striving to entice more government attention by announcing pro-government business plans.



The statement said SK plans to operate a "Post-BI" center within its science park in Daejeon, south of Seoul, which will be operational beginning in 2017.



SK Telecom plans to establish a 30 billion won fund in close collaboration with venture capital companies to help local ventures expand their businesses globally, and help local undergraduates jump into venture businesses.



"Emerging SK-supported ventures would thus be granted access to partnership ecosystems with major global partners," SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun said in the statement. "Turning startups into scale-ups brings larger benefits for the local economy, which drives economic growth in the innovative 21st century."
By Lee Ha-jin

Last November, I got a message from Jon Diamond, president of the British Go ("baduk" in Korean) Association. Over a teleconference, he told me that a sponsor in London  later revealed to be Google DeepMind  was interested in organizing a professional tournament.

As a brand new event is always a gift for the go community, I was delighted and was eager to hear more, but at the time I never imagined how extraordinary it would turn out to be.

DeepMind chose Lee Se-dol as the best opponent to challenge. Lee may not be the hottest player at this very moment, but he is the most famous go player of the last decade, with 18 world titles and over 1,000 official wins.

Given that even one world title or 500 wins are difficult for most professional players to achieve in a lifetime, Lee's records are more than sufficient to make him a "living legend."

Plus, he is still competing at the highest level, taking runner-up at the 2nd MLily Cup, a major international tournament last January.

When I told Lee about Google's invitation, he was clearly stunned by the fact that his challenger was not a human. At first he said he would think about it, but only a few minutes later, he decided to accept the challenge.

Over dinner that evening, he couldn't stop talking about how curious he was about AlphaGo.

The prize money and historical significance must have been a part of the consideration, but those things didn't seem nearly as important as his excitement about the new adventure.












South Korean rockers DAY6 recently consolidated into the five members Sungjin, Jae, Young K, Wonpil, and Dowoon, after their keyboardist Junhyeok left the group. The band puts more focus on their live concerts than their music show performances. DAY6 are scheduled to tour the United States and Canada later this year.

DAY6 debuted with their mini album, "The Day" last summer and are already looking to expand their sound. The band was eager to talk about their progression in an exclusive chat with KpopStarz.

KpopStarz: DAY6 has a rock sound that's different from that of many other K-pop idols. What American rock acts are you guys fans of?

Young K: The music DAY6 is currently pursuing is not limited to a genre of "rock." We are pushing the boundary to embody various genres. Queen, famous of its musical colorfulness, was definitely influential. And I personally was influenced by Maroon 5 and One Republic.

Wonpil: Radiohead was my all-time favorite, but lately I'm into Nothing But Thieves.

Jae: Well, when I was younger I did listen to a lot of American Alt-Rock. But, to be honest, I was never really a big fan of the genre. I think I've always had a strange, no-reasoned, attraction to modern English rock. Something about that style of music hits me hard.

Sungjin: Among American rock artists, I like One Republic the most.

Dowoon: I like the band Journey.

KpopStarz: You're touring the U.S. and then heading to Toronto later this year, how is it spending a lot of time outside of Asia when you're still a relatively new act in Korea?

Young K: We are highly honored to have this opportunity to tour abroad. Before my debut, this seemed a far-fetched dream. Now, it came true, but sometimes I think I am still dreaming. It is a bonus to feel different energies in each country even with the same show with the same list of songs.

Wonpil: I sincerely appreciate the support for DAY6 from fans outside Korea given the fact that there haven't been many television appearances yet. We will make it up to you with great songs.

Jae: Rockstar life. [laughs] Just kidding, but man, I'm not really too sure how to think of it myself. Like you said, we're fairly new and already are having these adventures. It gets me pumped thinking of what 2,5,10 years down the road might hold for us.

Sungjin: This is too good to be true. We are going to make a great show that lives up to your expectation.

Dowoon: This was only possible because of the attention. We will work hard to make more frequent appearances.

KpopStarz: Jae and Young K, you are each from North America. Are any friends or family members looking forward to seeing you perform? How do they feel about you debuting as part of a K-pop idol band?

Young K: I am nervous but excited about the fact that my friends will come to see me on the Toronto tour. Furthermore, the MC of the Toronto show is my middle and high school best friend and I am looking forward to it. They know how much I've enjoyed singing and dancing since I was at a high school, so they are there on my side.

Jae: My dad was trying to call my whole church. If I have to do Aegyo in front of my church, I shall be warming your seat for you up in heaven my friend. Mm, K-pop was something that I got introduced to by my friend in my junior year of high school. It's interesting, I kinda always thought the people who do this knew they were gonna do it since forever. It's interesting but I'm not quite sure exactly how I feel about it yet. You know what I do know for sure? I ain't doing no Aegyo in front of my church.

KpopStarz: What sort of impression do you hope to leave on audiences in the U.S. after they see you perform live? What do you hope they take away from the experience?

Young K: I would like to let more people know about DAY6 through this tour. And it would be grateful if people get impressions that DAY6 is better at live performance in terms of fun and energy than just listening to our music like many other great bands. I hope they release all their stress from their busy daily life during our show.

Wonpil: I want to wow them by the thought that this kind of band can be from Korea, and let them know the diversity of K-pop music.

Jae: Hrmmm I don't think I'm too worried about what kind of impression we leave but more so on the fact that we leave an impression at all. I don't want our music to be forgotten.

Sungjin: I want to perform a show that makes all the people coming to see us and listening to our music think that they will definitely come again if they have another chance, and make them go around talking about the show to all their friends. I want the audiences to feel they are making the show together with the artists on the stage.

Dowoon: I want to be remembered as a fun band, as the band happily enjoying the show with its audiences.

KpopStarz: North American audiences are more familiar with rock bands than idol groups. Do you think that will affect people's response to DAY6?

Young K: I don't think that will have a serious effect. Even if we are a rock band, the language barrier would impair emotions that may come from lyrics and touch people's mind, which serves as one of the main reasons that people like bands in this genre. So we are standing on the same ground. Just as with other idol groups, we have to give the audiences our energy to the fullest to be remembered.

Wonpil: We would be grateful if you give us a hearty welcome.

Jae: Yeah, band music really isn't that popular in Korea. But for countries like the U.S. or Thailand or Japan, who have deeper roots in Band culture, I feel like they can relate to our music more just because their already so deeply invested. We're hoping to become one of the seeds in South Korea for the new era.

Sungjin: Maybe people will be unfamiliar with our style at first, but if we are good enough, we can get closer to them.

Dowoon: A rock style and other various components included in our music may bring a favorable response from the audiences.

KpopStarz: How do you prepare for a performance? Do you have any pre-show rituals or warm ups? What about any lucky charms?

Young K: Preparation for a performance sometimes starts from the phase of writing songs and lyrics. From that phase, we are drawing up how we convey our chemistry, how we set the tone, or even what gestures we will do. Before performing, we stretch and loosen up.

Wonpil: We play instruments together for a lot of time. Before performing, I imagine myself on the stage to relax myself.

Jae: Hm, that's a hard question. Before when I was a trainee I used to do all kinds of stuff. I thought running a lap around the neighborhood in the morning would make me sing better. Or that not drinking anything caffeinated would calm me. [face-palm] Well, we don't really have anything special but we do have a ritual before every show.

Sungjin: Just the usual. We are practicing together and at the same time practicing individually to fill in some gaps. Rehearsal is warming up.

Dowoon: For performance preparation, we alternate individual and collective practicing. Before shows, I calm down myself by jumping in place.

KpopStarz: What are you most excited about seeing or doing while in the US?

Young K: The cities we are visiting this time are all new to me. I am looking forward to the views, weather, and food there.

Wonpil: I can't wait to meet our fans.

Jae: Boiling Crab. Chipotle. Pho. McDonalds. [roars]

Sungjin: I am worried but excited about audience responses since they might be unfamiliar with a band like us.

Dowoon: I wonder about how American fans would engage in our show given the plentiful culture of performance in the States.

KpopStarz: How would each of you describe DAY6's music?

Young K: It's hard to put simply, but DAY6's music is a story of five of us. The story may be from our experiences, imaginations, or even our hopes. The essence, though, is our attempt to put the story from our hearts and minds into the music.

Wonpil: We are trying to reflect the feelings and thoughts in our age to DAY6's music.

Jae: Hm, another hard one. I'd say probably trendy. Our music isn't really defined by a genre. We make what we feel like making that day. So if you think of it one way, our albums are kind of like our journals of our lives during the writing process.

Sungjin: We are pursuing constant changes in styles instead of being stuck in just one style of music.

Dowoon: Finding a balance between pop music and that of a band.

KpopStarz: What can we expect on your upcoming new album? Will you be experimenting with new sounds or themes?

Young K: The songs might be totally different from traditional K-pop. Realizing various genres in a band setting not following the path of typical band music may surprise you. It's more fun to paying attention to lyrics along with the music since we put so much efforts and thought into the writing process.

Wonpil: The new album is worth of your expectations. Let me leave it as a secret whether we will play a new song.

Jae" Yes, yes, yes, yes, hell yes. This coming album is ... perfect. A lot of the sounds that we couldn't tamper with before we got to experiment with this time around. I'm sure everyone is gonna be split on favorites all around. But I got my fingers checked on one particular song. No, it's not the title song.

Sungjin: Our new album contains better band sound than the first one. But the music styles are as varied as the first album. Look forward to hearing a new song at this concert.

Dowoon: We are going to introduce new songs. Please look forward to it.

KpopStarz: Can you describe your creative process for the album? What inspired the new songs and how were you involved in the production?

Young K: During our usual creative process, inspiration may come first from a track, a melody, or a lyric. Our team members or songwriters together build upon it to make a complete song.

Wonpil: I've had many thoughts during the preparation of this new album, especially during the writing process of the title song. I tried to put more emphasis on lyrics than any other time.

Jae: So, composers have a work setting called a song camp. This is where songwriters come together to make a song. We make all our songs like this. We'll either bring a track or an idea and the other side will do the same and we just grind it out. Most of our songs are made in one or two sessions of this. It's a fun process.

Sungjin: We collaborate with our songwriters. Members write songs and lyrics. We sketch out ideas along with a track and boil down good ones among them.

Dowoon: We are making songs in the process of exchanging opinions with composers.

KpopStarz: What have you learned about songwriting and production since "Congratulations"?

Young K: A lot of things. I personally, in particular, get to give much thought to the importance and methods of clearly conveying lyrics.

Wonpil: I learned a lot of things during the production of "Congratulations." In the meantime, the creation of this new album taught me the way of making the music which could get closer to the public.

Jae: A lot. We have definitely been able to expand our capabilities whether its melody composition or arrangements.

Sungjin: Before "Congratulations," our team did not have our own style, but we found a way.

Dowoon: Somewhat our color is developed and transformed out of "Congraturation".

KpopStarz: You are all from different areas of the world, Korea, Canada and California, how does this inform your approach to the music?

Young K: There was of course a huge impact. As culture affects music, different cultural experiences of each member and their songwriting capabilities insist own characteristics, and thereby have enormous musical impacts.

Wonpil: Yes, there was a musical impact. The fact that the role each member has taken is different sometimes facilitates our songwriting process.

Jae: Well since were from different backgrounds we all grew up on different genres and cultures. I feel like that increases our circumference of understanding. Makes our music genuine and not a knockoff imitation.

Sungjin: Each member prefers a different music style. We had a lot of conversation on our musical opinions, thanks to which, now our team let you hear diverse music!

Dowoon: As we all have different backgrounds, we all have different color.

KpopStarz: Anything you'd like to say to your U.S. fans before the first USA Fan Meeting?

Young K: Please show your support for our albums and stages. DAY6 will always do our best to make an unforgettable show.

Wonpil: DAY6's first visit and fan meeting in the USA! Let us give you a good memory.

Jae: I can't believe it's happening. Ever since I was a kid I always daydreamed about being on that stage doing music and it's finally happening. God is good. You guys better bring them dancing shoes cause we goin all out.'

Sungjin: Hope we share a good energy each other. I can't wait to be there. See you at a concert!

Dowoon: Hope all fans enjoying the show.
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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General Motors Co. and ride-hailing service Lyft are launching a short-term car rental program that is expected to eventually evolve into an autonomous vehicle network.

The companies said Tuesday that the Express Drive program, aimed at prospective Lyft drivers who dont have qualifying cars, will start in Chicago this month.

The program will roll out to Boston, Baltimore and Washington later this year.

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Under the program, car renters will be charged based on how much they drive. The starting fee is $99 per week, which includes insurance and maintenance. If drivers in the Chicago area provide 65 or more Lyft rides in a week, that weeks rental is free.

The companies said 60,000 people in Chicago applied to be Lyft drivers but did not have a vehicle that qualified.

Lyft, based in San Francisco, requires its drivers to use cars that have four doors and at least five seat belts and are relatively new (age varies by region, but no car can be from before the 2004 model year). Windshields cannot have large cracks, the horn must function and the car body must be free of dents and damage.

So far, more than 400 people have said they wanted to be part of the Express Drive program, said GM spokeswoman Annalisa Bluhm. She said the program will start with 120 Chevrolet Equinox crossovers available for rental.

By setting up the service agreements, we are now in a place where we have everything lined up to then develop autonomous fleets nationally, Bluhm said. Were preparing for the future.

The infrastructure of Express Drive for Lyft drivers is similar to how the companies envision customers could reserve and access self-driving cars.

By providing car storage and maintenance options, the companies are preparing for a time when customers can have a choice between a human driver and an autonomous vehicle, Bluhm said.

The development of this self-driving network was furthered last week when GM acquired Cruise Automation, a San Francisco software company that has been working on autonomous vehicle technology.

Two months ago, GM invested $500 million in Lyft and said the companies plan to collaborate on a service that will enable users to reserve a self-driving car.

That same month, GM started Maven, a car-sharing service that enables customers to reserve and unlock vehicles with their smartphone. Express Drives rental service will be handled through the Maven program, Bluhm said.

Analysts said the program could be an effective way to tie a large automaker to the growing trend of ride-hailing, which is also called ride-sharing.

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GM is creating an ecosystem around ride-sharing, Kelley Blue Book analyst Akshay Anand said in a statement. While ride-sharing is likely to be a supplement and not a replacement to car ownership, its clear auto manufacturers are aware that this is becoming an avenue for not only additional revenue, but a big part of the future of mobility.

Rival ride-hailing company Uber launched a pilot car-leasing program in July. Prospective Uber drivers go through the companys subsidiary, Xchange Leasing, to connect with a car dealership and choose from new and used vehicles. Those are longer-term leases than the Express Drive program offers.

A survey released this month by the American Public Transportation Assn., an advocacy group, found that using ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber could lead to less reliance on a personal car. Ride-hailing services and, increasingly, automakers have been preparing for a future in which car ownership among individuals is less common.

The study surveyed more than 4,500 ride-sourcing consumers in seven cities: Los Angeles; San Francisco; Seattle; Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; and Washington.

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Volkswagen Groups big institutional investors, including Californias huge public pension fund, are suing the German automaker for $3.57 billion in damages over its handling of the emissions scandal, which has seen VWs stock price shrivel by a third.

Attorney Andreas Tilp said Tuesday that the suit in the German regional court in Braunschweig was joined by investors from 14 countries, including the U.S., Australia, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Britain. Among the plaintiffs is the California Public Employees Retirement System, or CalPERS, the giant pension fund for government employees in California.

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Volkswagen had no immediate comment on the suit, but it has said shareholder lawsuits in Germany are without merit.

Tilp already has filed a suit on behalf of individual investors, alleging Volkswagen didnt inform investors in a timely way about the troubles with diesel cars.

Marc Schiefer, an attorney with Tilps firm, said Volkswagen did not live up to legal requirements that it inform investors of troubles with diesel engines between 2008 and 2015. They should have told the markets that something was not working with their diesel technology, Schiefer said.

German securities law requires that companies tell investors when they have information that could seriously affect the share price. If the negative information had been made public, investors could have either decided not to buy the stock or would have been able to purchase it at a lower price.

Volkswagen is being sued by U.S. authorities over 600,000 cars equipped with software that defeated diesel emissions tests. The company has apologized and said it will fix the cars. Some 11 million cars worldwide are affected.

The companys preference shares have fallen 33% since Sept. 17, the day before the scandal became public.

Volkswagen has set aside $7.4 billion to cover costs from recalls, but analysts said the final cost of lawsuits and lost sales could be several times higher.

The company potentially faces more than $20 billion in fines from state and federal regulators, on top of hundreds of class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of angry vehicle owners. The Justice Department also is conducting a criminal investigation.

The automaker issued a statement March 2 saying that it had met its disclosure obligations under German law.

That statement said that management expected the diesel problem would affect only a manageable number of vehicles and that any fines would be in the low two- or three-digit millions of dollars. The company said it found out otherwise Sept. 18, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it had found the engines to be in violation. The company said it then promptly announced the problem Sept. 22.

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Nearly 30 years after cash-rich Japanese companies began snapping up prime U.S. real estate, Chinese companies are following suit at a record pace as they search for solid international investments to make up for slowing growth at home.

The latest is Anbang Insurance Group Co., a once-obscure Chinese insurer thats taking a fast, multibillion-dollar ride up to the penthouse of the American hotel industry, aided perhaps by its ties with Chinese political leaders.

Formed only 12 years ago, Anbang is aggressively trying to buy luxury U.S. hotel properties from Southern California to New York in $21 billion worth of potential deals.

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On Monday, Anbang led a group making an unsolicited $12.8-billion offer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., which owns the Westin and Sheraton brands, among others.

That came only days after Anbang reportedly agreed to buy Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc., whose posh properties include the Hotel del Coronado near San Diego, from the private equity firm Blackstone Group for $6.5 billion.

Anbang in late 2014 also bought the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel on New Yorks Park Avenue for nearly $2 billion.

Amid the slowdown in Chinas economic growth and devaluation of its currency, Anbangs buying spree reflects its desire to diversify its holdings by adding valuable real estate in the United States and Europe.

These are turbulent economic times and yet we see Chinese companies acting with confidence and continuing to make major moves in Europe and North America, said Michael DeFranco, chairman of the global mergers and acquisitions practice at the law firm Baker & McKenzie.

Chinese investment in North America and Europe reached $40 billion last year. Investments in hospitality alone totaled more than $6 billion in large part because Chinese outbound tourism has soared and Chinese firms want a piece of that action outside their home market.

And 2016 looks to be bigger yet. The first six weeks of 2016 were the busiest period on record for announced Chinese merger-and-acquisition activity in North America and Europe with $70 billion worth of potential deals, Baker & McKenzie said.

Much of that activity is occurring in California. In 2015, California was the second-highest U.S. destination (behind New York) for Chinese direct investments, which rose 22% to $3.4 billion, according to the research firm Rhodium Group.

The moves by Anbang (pronounced Ahn-bahng) and other Chinese companies are the latest examples of how foreign investors, when flush with wealth, have sought stakes in swanky real estate and other high-profile U.S. properties over the last three decades.

Japanese companies in the 1980s acquired properties including the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles and Rockefeller Center in New York. Just a few years later, though, the economic surge in Japan that fueled the deals collapsed.

About a decade ago, Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates acquired the Four Seasons luxury hotel chain, and Alwaleed led an investor group that bought Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Weve gone through a number of these waves where foreign financial interests buy U.S. real estate as an attractive asset, said David Katz, a lodging and gaming analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.

Anbang had signaled it would be a busy player in the market. In completing the Waldorf-Astoria deal, the company said it planned to invest in more high-quality real properties in North America.

The firms reported deal for Strategic Hotels & Resorts, for instance, would give Anbang control of the Hotel del Coronado and 15 other stylish properties, including the Montage Laguna Beach and the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Southern California. The transaction hasnt been announced publicly yet.

It remains to be seen whether Anbang groups $76-a-share bid for Starwood succeeds. Starwood already has agreed to be purchased by Marriott International Inc. but said it would review the Anbang-led offer.

Anbang takes a long-term view and its decisions, I think, are underpinned by the assumption that while such assets often command a premium price they tend to hold their value in the long term, said Kamel Mellahi, a professor of strategic management at Warwick Business School in England who researches the Chinese market. This makes Angang particularly vulnerable to short-term challenges that will severely test its business model.

The hotel properties are prized partly because of tourism from China. The number of people who traveled by air from China to the United States in 2015 jumped to 2.16 million, up 25% from the prior year, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. By comparison, overall international travel to and from the United States rose 6%.

Chinese visitors also typically stay longer in the United States and spend more than other foreign visitors. Chinese visitors spent $23.8 billion while in the country in 2014, the Commerce Department said, and shopping is one of their favorite activities.

The value of hotel sales in California soared 86% to a record $9.5 billion last year from 2015 even as the number of sales dropped by 2.5%, according to a study by Atlas Hospitality Group, an Irvine company that tracks hotel sales in the state. The sale of the 47-room Malibu Beach Inn for nearly $80 million last year set the record for highest price per room in California at $1.7 million, according to Atlas.

Even by Chinese standards, Anbang seems to have had a meteoric rise, apparently aided by its connections to the corridors of Chinese power. Chinese media have attempted to publish reports on which prominent figures are involved with Anbang, but some of the reports have been taken offline shortly after being posted.

The publication Southern Weekend found that those involved with Anbang included Zhuo Ran, the granddaughter of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping; her husband, Wu Xiaohui, who is Anbangs chairman; Zhu Yunlai, son of former premier Zhu Rongji; and Chen Xiaolu, son of Communist Party revolutionary military commander Chen Yi.

Initially an insurer of cars and other property, Anbang started with about $75 million in assets in 2004. Now the firm says it has more than $250 billion in assets and 30,000 employees, including recruits from Harvard University, and 35 million clients. It provides a wide range of personal and business insurance, asset management, leasing and other services.

Anbang has been on a buying spree the last two years. Besides the Waldorf-Astoria, Anbang has acquired U.S. insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life, Belgian insurer Fidea, Korean insurer Tongyang Life and Dutch insurer Vivat.

Not all of Anbangs deals were successful. Its bid to buy Portuguese lender Novo Banco collapsed last September, apparently over concerns about Chinese ownership of a major European bank and Anbangs desire to set limits on how much new capital it would inject into the troubled bank.

Anbangs deal for Strategic Hotels & Resorts also reflects its strong relationship with Blackstone.

At a speech at Harvard last year, Anbangs Wu mentioned that he is good friends with Stephen Schwarzman, Blackstones chairman, and Jonathan Gray, head of Blackstones real estate division and chairman of Blackstones Hilton Worldwide division.

james.peltz@latimes.com

julie.makinen@latimes.com

Peltz reported from Los Angeles and Makinen from Beijing. Hugo Martin in Los Angeles and Yingzhi Yang and Nicole Liu in The Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report.

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Shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals crashed Tuesday after the embattled drugmaker failed to reassure investors that its getting back on track and even conceded for the first time that its technically in danger of defaulting on its debt.

The company faces a smorgasbord of problems: falling sales, increased pressure to cut drug prices, massive debt, three ongoing federal probes of its accounting and pricing practices, and shareholder lawsuits in the U.S. and Canada.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.'s already depressed shares took their biggest one-day tumble ever, falling just over 50% Tuesday after the company finally reported its overdue fourth-quarter results, which missed profit expectations. The Canadian company also slashed all its 2016 financial forecasts and said its business model, based largely on huge price hikes for its drugs, is no longer viable, given strong pushback from payers and other strains.

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The turmoil led Pershing Square Capital Management  activist investor Bill Ackmans hedge fund and one of Valeants biggest shareholders  to send its own investors a note stating it will take a much more proactive role at the company to protect its investment.

Pershing wrote that Valeants businesses are worth multiples of the current price, but that shares wont hit that value until management regains shareholder confidence. The note added that Valeant shocked the market with revenue and earnings forecasts that dont seem to fit with favorable prescription trends or managements comments on the strength of its businesses.

Valeant Chief Executive Michael Pearson told the analysts on a lengthy conference call that an ongoing investigation of Valeants 2014 financial reporting by an ad hoc committee it appointed means Valeant wont be able to file its annual financial report with the Securities and Exchange Commission until April at the earliest.

That would miss filing deadlines of March 16 and March 30 contained in Valeants agreements with bondholders and creditors, respectively. If those debtors chose to declare the company in default on its debt, which totals about $30 billion, Valeant could be forced to make repayments faster and see limits on future borrowing.

Analysts were further upset when the company incorrectly said in a news release that adjusted profit for the four quarters beginning in April would be $6.2 billion to $6.6 billion. A slide included in Valeants presentation to analysts had the correct number: $6 billion.

Its kind of the Inspector Clouseau school of management, said Erik Gordon, a professor and pharmaceuticals analyst at University of Michigans Ross School of Business. This is a fabulous example of getting everything wrong when youre trying to reassure investors.

Analyst Steve Brozak, president of WBB Securities, likewise said the gaffe raised questions about whether any of Valeants statements could be trusted.

There is no predicting what happens next, Brozak said. Valeant has had its worst day ever  so far.

Pearson, who recently returned from a two-month medical leave, said his team can turn things around and return to growth.

We do think we have a plan that will produce cash flow and allow paying down debt, he told analysts, adding: In terms of management credibility, we have to earn it.

Investors, already livid that Valeant shares had plunged to about one-fourth of their $263.81 high last August, didnt buy Pearsons pitch. They sold off shares furiously, driving the price down $35.53, or 51.5%, to $33.51. Trading volume for the day exceeded 137 million shares, more than 14 times normal volume.

Valeant is facing an SEC investigation of its accounting from 2014, plus scrutiny from Congress and attorneys general in two states over its practice of buying rights to old drugs and raising their prices a few hundred percent. Valeant said it now will stick to modest or no price increases, noting demands from insurers for much bigger discounts.

The company has made some concessions to shareholders, this month adding three directors to its board, including a Pershing Square executive.

Pearson said Valeant is in confidential discussions with partners on selling some noncore assets and hopes to use that and other money this year to pay off $1.7 billion of the debt, accumulated from a spree of acquisitions in recent years.

Valeant reported preliminary, unaudited results showing it lost $336.4 million, or 98 cents a share, in the three months ended Dec. 31. Excluding one-time items, earnings were $2.50 a share, far short of the $2.64 that analysts expected.

Revenue totaled $2.79 billion, just over projections for $2.76 billion. The company said sales were down or below expectations by a total of $1.3 billion in its dermatology, gastrointestinal, ophthalmology, womens health and Western Europe businesses, among others.

Deb Jorn, the executive vice president in charge of Valeants U.S dermatology and gastrointestinal businesses, resigned March 3.

Valeant now anticipates a first-quarter adjusted profit between $1.30 and $1.55 per share on revenue of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion. Its prior outlook was for an adjusted profit between $2.35 and $2.55 per share on revenue of $2.8 billion to $3.1 billion.

For 2016, the company now foresees an adjusted profit between $9.50 and $10.50 per share on revenue of $11 billion to $11.2 billion. Its previous forecast was for an adjusted profit between $13.25 and $13.75 per share on revenue of $12.5 billion to $12.7 billion.

Analysts polled by FactSet expect first-quarter profit of $2.62 per share on revenue of $2.84 billion and a 2016 profit of $13.27 per share on revenue of $12.42 billion.

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All war is hell. But it is a special hell for those expected to fight without understanding why, as it is a special hell for civilians caught up in the battle, unsure who are the good guys and who are the enemies.

In Tobin Stokes Fallujah, said to be the first opera written about the Iraq war and given its premiere by Long Beach Opera over the weekend, U.S. Marines and Iraqis alike know that war made me, a refrain that haunts Heather Raffos potent libretto. But these are ultimately victims caught up in a chain of events they can neither comprehend nor control, only make worse.

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With the help of a terrifyingly authentic performance and the atmospheric music of Stokes (a Canadian composer with experience scoring documentary film), Fallujah is opera operating like an open wound, oozing pain and hopelessness. Locating the laceration is the uncertain first step for healing. Suicide, however, is the seductive step for forgetting.

Just as pain overpowers all other sensations, there can be few subtleties in Fallujah. A Marine, Philip, is home from the front and spending 72 hours in a veterans hospital under suicide watch. A prisoner of post-traumatic stress disorder, he seeks something beyond numbness but is terrified of what that could unleash.

We see him on a stage in an old armory at the northern edge of Long Beachs East Village Arts District. The ushers wear military uniforms. When the opera unfolds as flashbacks of Fallujah, replete with explicit video imagery, you are not asked to employ your imagination to sense what it might have been like in this hell.

And because that is not likely what you want to read about over breakfast, first turn your attention to a young bass-baritone, LaMarcus Miller. His exacting portrayal, of a veteran battling inner demons as alarming as his Iraqi ones, does a brilliant job demonstrating how to make opera matter.

1 / 7 LaMarcus Miller, foreground, Zeffin Quinn Hollis, left, and Ani Maldjian perform a scene from the opera Fallujah at the Army National Guard in Long Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 7 Former Marine Christian Ellis, left, fixes actor Todd Stranges vest before rehearsals of the opera Fallujah, based on Ellis experiences. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 7 Clockwise from top, Zeffin Quinn Hollis, Ani Maldjian, LaMarcus Miller, Jason Switzer and Jonathan Lacayo perform a scene from the opera Fallujah at the Army National Guard in Long Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 7 LaMarcus Miller and Suzan Hanson in a scene from Fallujah. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 7 Stage director Andreas Mitisek, second from right, prepares to direct a scene for Fallujah. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 7 The creative spirits behind the opera Fallujah are, from left, stage director Andreas Mitisek, play composer Tobin Stokes, libretto by Heather Raffo and story consultant Christian Ellis. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 7 LaMarcus Miller and Arnold Livingston, left, in Fallujah. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Based on the experiences of Christian Ellis, who was the operas story consultant, Philip sits on his hospital cot like a caged animal ready to attack at the slightest provocation. His adopted mother waits outside, but he cant deal with seeing her while his mind remains at the battlefield, where it is impossible to tell an innocent boy or his veiled mother from terrorists.

Philip still can still taste the brains of a friend killed nearby in a sniper attack. Philip too kills, aimlessly. We almost dont need the flashbacks, because you see all this in Millers eyes and body language; you hear it in his compelling voice.

Miller seems to use up nearly every bit of psychic energy in the armory. He is also the psychic focus of an explosive cast, directed with great care by Andreas Mitisek. Wissam, a Fallujah boy brought to sympathetic life by Jonathan Lacayo, is radicalized by the indiscriminate murder of his mother. War, of course, supplies a special hell for mothers. The profoundly moving tears of Philips mother (Suzan Hanson) and Wissams (Ani Maldjian) flow from the same source.

In almost every way Fallujah is Long Beach Opera at its unique best, bringing awareness through heightened emotion in ways only opera can. But Fallujah doesnt inspire to go beyond that narrative advantage to, as opera can through music, find universal insight.

Still, Raffos libretto does a careful and sensitive job of distilling experience. She writes strong lines.

All the right people left the fight, a Fallujah rebel (Zeffin Quinn Hollis) tells Wissam, and all the wrong people came to fight, summarizing a great deal about what went wrong in Iraq.

Stokes treats all this with equal sensitivity. He writes clear, expressive vocal lines in which words and sentiments are easily understood. His musical style is porous, leaving room for elements of Iraqi music, American pop and much else. But it is the musical lack of ambiguity or individuality that also holds Fallujah back. He serves the drama rather than transforms it.

You exit the armory shaken and righteously angry. You go away with the taste in your mouth of Marines (Todd Strange, Gregorio Gonzalez, Jason Switzer and Arnold Livingston Geis) placed in an impossible situation, a taste you cant easily expunge. Conductor Kristof Van Grysperre makes the expressive most of a small instrumental ensemble. Bob Christians sound design is commendably prudent.

But so too is Fallujah prudent, rather than operatically imprudent. Its theatrical immediacy can leave you numb, and suffering well served is no small thing. But, like Philip, we need to be more than numb.

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Fallujah at Long Beach Opera

Where: Army National Guard, 854 E. 7th St., Long Beach.

When: 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday (Friday performance will be broadcast live on KCET and Link TV)

Tickets: $67.25-$137.25

Info: (562) 432-5934 or www.longbeachopera.org
Is Women Laughing Alone With Salad the first play inspired by an Internet meme? In 2011 the feminist website the Hairpin published stock photographs of slender models appearing to exult over forkfuls of mixed greens. Wed all seen these images in advertisements, but wed never really looked at them, or wondered what, exactly, was so hilarious about salad.

Sheila Callaghan, a writer for TVs Shameless as well as a rising playwright, has taken up the question in Women Laughing Alone, a lavish new production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Callaghan developed the play at the Center Theatre Groups Writers Workshop, and it premiered last fall in Washington, D.C.

The result at the Douglas is a mixed bag, full of wild and unexpected ingredients that are sometimes delicious, sometimes gross and often a combination of the two. You wont find iceberg here. This salad might make you laugh harder than any youve eaten, but bite carefully. The chef is not always eager to please. She could even be a little dangerous.

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Two of Callaghans previous plays have premiered here in Southern California: Everything You Touch at Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena in 2014, and Bed, currently running at Echo Theater Company in L.A. Fans have familiarized themselves with her raffish sensibility and lacerating insights into how our culture portrays women. Still, fans may be surprised at the places she is willing  with the help of a brave cast and her game director, Neel Keller  to take us this time.

The show begins in high spirits, on a park bench where three women in chic outfits and painful-looking heels sit side by side eating bowls of salad, all trilling with forced laughter. Guy (David Clayton Rogers) wanders in and unwraps a burrito, and the womens hungry attention makes him too uncomfortable to eat it. Its the first of many imaginatively theatrical set pieces in this unconventionally told parable of gender identity and the subtle, sinister power of the media.

Guy is our antihero, haunted, as he later describes it, by women. He has an Oedipal thing for his mother Sandy (Lisa Banes), a former feminist activist who spends all her time and money on beauty treatments and who hopes that he will marry a very thin girl, preferably one with a pronounced clavicle.

Guy is dating the bulimic Tori (Nora Kirkpatrick), who is so skinny that people worry about her. But at the same time hes drawn to Meredith (Dinora Z. Walcott), whos considered fat at Size 8 (OK, 10, she admits). When Guy tells his mother that hes interested in an ample girl, she responds icily, How ample?

Guy is fed up with womens body shame. He complains about Toris salad fixation. He is rightfully appalled at a particularly cruel beauty treatment he finds his mother enduring. Hes disappointed when Meredith, who at first seemed so liberated and fun-loving, reveals her own deep insecurities.

At the restaurant where he works as a waiter, women order individual, raw vegetables: a bell pepper, a broccoli spear, an onion. Rather than eating them, they rub them on their faces and bodies. Brilliantly saturated videos of the women rapturously fondling vegetables (by projection designer Keith Skretch) play against the backdrop, while Guy grabs a microphone and croons to his customers with dripping sarcasm: Its just an onion. It was a stupid thing to order in the first place.

But Guy doesnt recognize his own complicity in a culture where women feel like failures if they dont live up to idealized images. The irony deepens in the second act. Its four years later, Guy now works for an advertising agency and hes in charge of a campaign for an antidepressant for women called Effervatol.

Hes changed a lot. For one thing, hes now played by Banes, the actress who played his mother; and his two bro-ish underlings are played by the actresses who played Tori and Meredith, dressed as men. Costume designer Ann Closs-Farley has come up with wonderfully parodic male drag, and the three actresses lampoon mens body language so ridiculously, yet persuasively, that the opening-night audience shrieked with laughter.

But Guy hasnt changed as much as we might like: Im as frustrated as you are that women hate themselves, he says flippantly to his new boss, an imposing woman (played by Rogers), as he pitches her the Effervatol campaign with photos of  what else?  women laughing alone with salad. But what can I do about it? he says with a shrug. His boss response is surprising, and surprisingly optimistic for such a biting sendup of our world.

The script could use an edit or two. As a character, Guy is a bit too generic to be relatable  except when he suddenly reveals some very specific fixations that feel unrelated to the storyline. Some plot developments are too random, and sometimes Callaghan pushes a dirty joke, or a metaphor, so far beyond plausibility that the impact is weakened.

But she certainly gives us a lot to chew on, and the maniacal abundance of her approach is hard to resist, even (or especially) when its gleefully vulgar. (People averse to blood, gore, human organs and vividly simulated sex acts may feel differently.) The productions high-quality set, projections, props and lighting also lend an air of legitimacy to even the wackiest scenes.

And Callaghan is an equal-opportunity satirist. She blames all of us (not just men) for perpetuating the expectations that make the world so hard for women. The gender-bending second act, which evokes Caryl Churchills Cloud 9 structurally and thematically, makes Women Laughing Alone With Salad more than a fierce, audacious rant; it holds out hope that awareness can change our narrative.

------------

Women Laughing Alone With Salad

Where: Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Ends April 3.

Tickets: $25-$55 (subject to change)

Info: (213) 628-2772 or www.centertheatregroup.org

Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Follow The Times arts team @culturemonster.

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For Alfonso Escobar, the Internet was once out of reach.

The 55-year-old retired bread baker from Bell had limited computer skills and couldnt afford the monthly service charge.

Its like you cant see if you dont have glasses, said Escobar, who recently began taking an Internet skills class offered by a community group. The Internet gives you access to the world. You can pay bills, make doctor appointments ... or keep in touch with your family. You can learn whats going on in your city, in Los Angeles, in Sacramento  and in the whole country.

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Bridging the so-called digital divide  the gulf between people who have ready access to the Internet, and those like Escobar who do not  has long been a priority of President Obama. And addressing the issue has become a key component in the governments review of a mammoth cable merger that could transform the local pay-TV landscape.

Charter Communications proposed $67-billion plan to acquire two other cable companies  Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks  would make it the dominant pay-TV and Internet service provider in Southern California, with more than 2 million customer homes.

Large pockets of poverty exist in Charters proposed new California service area. About one third of the homes in the region  nearly 2.3 million  are considered low-income. Nearly one-quarter of people in Los Angeles County have no Internet access at home.

Charter is not just buying a big new service area  they are buying the digital divide, said Sunne Wright McPeak, president and chief executive of the nonprofit California Emerging Technology Fund, which is working to bring computers and affordable Internet connections to more California residents.

The main reason people lack access to the Internet is because they cannot afford it. Time Warner Cables average Internet price is $48 a month (it also offers a program for qualifying low-income residents).

When you live on a low budget, you just dont have the ability to pay for it, said Escobar, who lives off his pension. He said he could pay for a plan that would cost about $10 a month.

There are other contributors to the digital divide. In some rural regions, including areas in San Bernardino and Kern counties, cable companies have not completed the costly job of installing cable lines that reach all communities. In other regions, the cable lines are outdated and do not provide reliable high-speed service. Still other communities lack a sufficient number of Wi-Fi hot spots.

Community activists and school district officials in L.A. and San Bernardino counties say many students are at a disadvantage because even if districts provide laptops, the students have no way to connect to the Internet at home.

People who are not connected to the Internet are invisible to the people making decisions, said Gary Madden, director of San Bernardino County United Ways 211 help line system. Most people take for granted the advantages of being connected. We have no clue just how disadvantaged people are who are not connected to the Internet.

Several government agencies are reviewing the cable acquisition that was announced last May. The Federal Communications Commission must find that the merger serves the public interest, and it is expected to reach a decision this month. The U.S. Department of Justice separately must determine that the consolidation does not pose a threat to competition.

The California Public Utilities Commission also must approve the deal. A vote on the matter is scheduled for early May.

State regulators are expected to focus heavily on Charters Internet program, prompting the Stamford, Conn., company last week to boost its commitments. Charter said it would bolster its pledge to extend high-speed Internet service plans, including increasing broadband speeds in communities throughout Southern California within four years of the deals closing.

Recognizing the central role broadband plays in our daily lives and the economic challenges faced by many today, we look forward to bringing broadband to more homes and businesses, and to providing a superior low-income broadband service, Charter said in a statement Monday.

To win approval, Charter said it would add at least 25,000 out-of-home wireless hot spots in California within four years, and extend broadband lines to rural regions  such as in San Bernardino and Kern counties  to provide service to an additional 150,000 homes or businesses within four years.

It also plans to try to sign up 200,000 low-income families within four years, offering high-speed Internet service for $14.99 a month. The program would be tailored to families with students who qualify for the federally subsidized free lunch program as well as seniors who receive supplemental Social Security checks.

Charter also has pledged to spend $10 million over four years to work with community groups to promote broadband adoption, including training classes such as the one that Escobar has been taking. Demand is high. More than 350 people are on a waiting list for the morning computer classes at the Bell Technology Center, and only 22 spaces available.

Critics, however, say the low-cost Internet plan doesnt go far enough.

This program is only scratching the surface, said Larry Ortega, who runs One Million New Internet Users, which conducts Internet training programs for parents. It seems like companies look at this as being a welfare program, and they dont see the economic impact of signing up more customers for their Internet service. There is a lack of leadership and a lack of delivery.

Charter, which until now has not offered a low-cost option, defended its proposed $14.99 plan, citing its high speed.

Our program is the most inclusive low-cost Internet plan out there, and we are very proud of it, said Alex Dudley, Charters spokesman.

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Syrian refugees have found an unlikely ally in Cersei Lannister.

In news that is bound to irritate Donald Trump, the cast of Game of Thrones is partnering with HBO and the International Rescue Committee on a campaign in support of displaced people around the globe.

The goal of the campaign, called Rescue Has No Boundaries, is to raise awareness and money on behalf of refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria, which began five years ago this month.

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The campaign is led by actress Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister, the recently humiliated queen regent of the Seven Kingdoms, on the HBO hit series. A video released Monday opens with Headey speaking about millions on the move, escaping war, famine and destruction -- a reference not to Game of Thrones many displaced characters but to the real-life global refugee crisis.

Other members of the sprawling cast, including Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth) and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), appear in the video, which urges viewers to donate to the campaign and directs them to a website to learn more about the plight of the estimated 60 million refugees across the planet.

While Game of Thrones, a fantasy drama set in a mythical realm populated in part by dragons and the undead, does not deal with contemporary global politics, many of its central characters are refugees, including Daenerys Targaryen, born in exile, and the surviving Stark children, on the run from the Lannisters and their henchmen.

The IRC, a humanitarian organization founded by Albert Einstein in 1933, currently provides support to refugees within Syria and in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Serbia and Greece. The goal of the campaign is to raise $1 million for emergency relief.

Our long-standing support of the IRC comes from a deep respect for the humanitarian work they do and a fundamental understanding of their mission to get much needed relief to millions of refugees displaced throughout the world, said Richard Plepler, HBO chairman and chief executive in a press statement.

Follow @MeredithBlake on Twitter.

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Shake Shack, the East Coasts answer to In-N-Out Burger, has finally opened its first California location on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Located just a block west of La Cienega Boulevard, the restaurant, designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, was made to look like an old roadside burger stand. Theres a large patio with a Magnolia tree and plenty of seating.

Were not going to talk about how long the line was. Just know it was long. And if you go any time in the near future, it will still be long.

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Here are six things you need to know about the West Hollywood Shake Shack, other than that line:

1. Yes, the burgers are just as good as the ones in New York City: For those skeptical of the Los Angeles version of the original, not only do the burgers look the same, but they actually taste the same too. All of the original menu items are here, including the hot dogs, the crinkle cut fries and the ShackBurger (a cheeseburger on a potato bun with lettuce, tomato and Shacksauce, the Shake Shack version of In-N-Out spread).

2. There are exclusive L.A. items on the menu: In addition to signature items, you can order something called a Roadside Double, a double Swiss cheeseburger with Dijon mustard and onions simmered in bacon and beer. And three of the Concretes (frozen custard with mix-ins) are made with ingredients from Los Angeles bakeries and chocolate shops. The Brownie Points is made with vanilla custard, Larder Baking Company salted caramel chocolate brownie, peanut butter sauce and chocolate toffee; and a Rainbow Connection concrete includes vanilla custard, Cofax spiced crumb doughnut, Sqirl Seascape Strawberry & Rose Geranium jam and rainbow sprinkles. And the Shack Attack L.A. edition is a mix of chocolate custard, fudge sauce, Larder Baking Company salted caramel chocolate brownies and Compartes dark chocolate chunks with chocolate sprinkles.

VIDEO: Watch the In-N-Out vs Shake Shack battle play out in a rap battle

3. Theres a charitable component: Five percent of the sales from the Rainbow Connection concrete will be donated to L.A. Pride, an organization that works toward equality and outreach for the LGBT community. Members of the Shake Shack team also will participate as volunteers at L.A. Pride events.

4. The employees have their own chant: Just before opening the doors to the public on Tuesday, all of the employees gathered out front on the patio for a little Shake Shack chant. They put their hands up in the air and wiggled their fingers (think spirit fingers in Bring It On), then clapped their hands and screamed Shack, shack, shack, shack, shack, shack everybody!

5. Parking situation: Theres a dedicated Shake Shack lot with an entrance off Santa Monica Boulevard, just east of the restaurant. Look for a space here before trying your luck with the meters on Santa Monica Boulevard.

6. Booze: One way Shake Shack L.A. already has In-N-Out beat? You can order beer and wine with your burger. The restaurant has a selection of local craft beer from Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Ballast Point Brewing, Angel City Brewing, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Lost Coast Brewery and North Coast Brewing Co. The restaurant also has its own wine from Frogs Leap Winery called Shack Red and Shack White.

Another Shake Shack is scheduled to open in Glendale later this year, along with a location in downtown L.A. in 2017. The company currently has locations in 13 states and multiple international locations, including in London; Istanbul, Turkey; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Shake Shack West Hollywood is open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

8520 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 488-3010, www.shakeshack.com.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Jenn_Harris_

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Mohamad Saeed Kodaimati had a plan to get his family out of Syria.

In 2014, he was living in the war-torn country and traveling to neighboring Turkey to look for work. When he couldnt find a job, the family decided he would return to the United States, where he had lived as a youngster, to find employment.

His plan hit a snag when he was arrested in April. He admitted later in San Diego federal court that he lied to federal authorities about his connections to international terrorism during his time in Syria.

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He was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.

Kodaimati, 25, pleaded guilty in October to one count of making false statements to FBI and State Department agents who questioned him at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. According to court documents, he admitted he lied when he told the agents he did not know anybody who was a member of Islamic State  also know as ISIS or ISIL  or Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda-backed terrorist group fighting the Syrian regime.

An investigation revealed a Facebook message in which Kodaimati appeared to admit he had worked as a mediator between people in his hometown, outside Aleppo, and Islamic State. He later admitted that he knew a person who joined the terrorist group, and that he once sought that persons help when a friend was kidnapped by Islamic State.

There was no indication that Kodaimati joined the organization, prosecutors said.

Assistant U.S. Atty. John Parmley said during the sentencing hearing that Kodaimati told agents at the embassy in Turkey that he had not been in combat nor had he been involved with Al Nusra in any way. Once again, one of his Facebook posts suggested otherwise.

According to court documents, Kodaimati admitted eventually that he had participated in a raid. Al Nusra and the Free Syrian Army asked people in his village to go and fight at a political prison as a diversionary tactic. Between April and July 2014, Kodaimati and others from his village fired at the prison from a distance.

He said he did not know if anyone was killed. His Facebook pictures showed him posing with guns.

He was out fighting, Parmley said in court. He was shooting at people and people were shooting at him.

Kodaimati did not make any statements Monday as he stood before U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia. Instead, his attorney, Barbara Donovan, described her client as someone with a lot of integrity who is loved by everybody who knows him.

She talked about his personal history, noting that he had lived in the United States for about five years: first as a child, when he was brought here by his father, and later as a teenager. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008.

At 17, he lived in Charlotte, N.C., then moved to San Diego in 2010 to live with an uncle. In December 2012, he returned to Syria, where he and his family faced constant attacks by the Syrian army.

When he tried to return to San Diego via Turkey in March 2015, he was told he was on a no-fly list and would have to be interviewed at the embassy.

In a letter to the judge, Kodaimati gave his own account of what happened next.

When I was questioned by the FBI in Turkey, I was scared and did not want to be stopped from traveling to the U.S., he wrote. I am not a terrorist, do not like violence and whatever I did while in Turkey in Syria was necessary for survival.

My family is living in a war zone where they are being bombed by barrel bombs. It is a desperate situation.

Kodaimatis eight-year term is the maximum for which he was eligible under the plea agreement.

dana.littlefield@sandiegouniontribune.com

Littlefield writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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It was never meant to be a statement on how Asian American men are portrayed in pop culture, or about how seldom theyre seen on the screen.

They were just friends who created a Web series, then a feature film about their experiences as Korean Americans coming of age in the boozy, disco ball-lit backdrop of Koreatown nightlife.

As luck would have it, though, Ktown Cowboys opens in four cities this week at a moment when Hollywoods lack of diversity has ignited a firestorm of criticism, a viral hashtag and profound soul-searching within the industry.

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One of a handful of movies to focus on Asian American characters in the last two decades, the film drew long lines at its South by Southwest festival premiere last year.

But in the years leading up to that moment, the friends learned not only what it takes for any first-time filmmaker to get a movie made  relentlessness, gumption and dumb luck, as it turns out  but also just how much skepticism the industry has about whether an Asian American film can have mass appeal.

We werent trying to have some Asian American studies thesis about being Asian, director Daniel DPD Park said. We just wanted to tell the story of our friends.

Buzz for the Web series, a rowdy guide to Koreatowns nightlife, spread quickly from friend to friend after the filmmakers pushed it onto YouTube in 2010.

Among the stunned viewers, as the eight-episode series racked up more than 2 million views were Park and his friend, comedian Danny Cho, who wrote the script and played a version of himself.

In online comments and on the street, people told the filmmakers theyd connected to the story.

We werent trying to have some Asian American studies thesis about being Asian. We just wanted to tell the story of our friends.  Daniel DPD Park, director

Lost actor Daniel Dae Kim watched it and tweeted: Well done my brothas (and sistas).

Ken Jeong, who co-starred in the Hangover movies and the television series Community, told them he was a fan. I just remember thinking how authentic it felt, Jeong said. The performances felt real.

Shane Yoon, an actor who had a small part in the Web series, suggested they turn it into a movie.

A film buff, Yoon practically grew up at his local Blockbuster in Diamond Bar, where the only movies with Asians at front and center were Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee flicks.

Hed recently quit a job wholesaling womens shoes to retailers such as Forever 21 to try acting full time and was getting fed up with the one-liner roles he was auditioning for.

This film, he thought, would tell real stories about how he and his friends live in Los Angeles.

Park was skeptical.

We are never going to make a dime off a movie about K-town, are you kidding me? was his first reaction, Park said.

But the friends became convinced it was worth a shot, even if its a long one. Cho wrote a script, and they started trying to get financing. Studios and investors expressed interest but made no commitments.

Brian Chung, who joined as a producer, said many investors wanted a different film than what its creators had envisioned.

One suggested they add an African American character, along the lines of the Rush Hour cop movies starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Another floated the idea of bringing on an entirely new cast of name Asian actors.

We kept getting similar notes  Its really funny; its like the Asian Hangover, Chung recalled.

That wasnt what theyd intended to write. The friends wanted a movie that was true to the Koreatown they knew.

Their goal, Chung said, was to show the types of people that youre going to see here, and the types of struggles that we go through ... instead of a slapstick, caper-heist, far-fetched comedy.

Cho and Chung, who is also credited as a writer, rewrote the script from page one.

The final version follows the lives of five friends  a standup comic, an adoptee, a second-generation liquor store owner, a meathead and a businessman as they grow out of their partying days.

Cho relied heavily on true stories from his friends and their families. These became, Chung said, the funniest moments in the script.

After an initial investor disagreed with their vision and pulled out, Cho met another investor, Sam Chi, through a South Korean comedian who happened to be in town.

Chi had invested in Korean films but never in an American one. He eventually agreed to finance Cowboys.

I dont invest in projects, I invest in people, he told the crew.

With a budget of a little less than $1 million, the filmmakers shot over 19 days in and around Koreatown, in many of the haunts they frequented as young men.

Jeong and Kim made cameos. Jeong became an executive producer, giving them notes on the script and helping them navigate the process.

Last March, Chung, the producer, and Chi, the investor, traveled to Austin for SXSW. As they were looking for the screening venue, they stumbled into a line stretching around the block.

Sam [Chi] taps me on the shoulder and goes, Whats that line for? It cant be for our movie, theyre all white people, Chung recalled.

That screening, one of four scheduled at SXSW, was so popular the festival opened a second theater.

Film distributors took note, and the filmmakers met with more than a dozen distribution companies. Again, they encountered skepticism about the films commercial prospects.

Cho, the screenwriter, said Hollywood insiders seemed unsure how to calculate their films potential, without having much to compare it to. The last Asian American film to have registered on Hollywoods radar was Better Luck Tomorrow, released in 2002.

From then till now, over 13 years, a handful of Asian American movies were made, but most of them didnt see [the] light of day, he said.

They eventually found a relatively new distributor that was going to give them a lot of leeway to plug the film in a way they felt would best reach their audience.

It will open Friday in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Fairfax, Va., with a video-on-demand release next week.

Now theyre trying to drum up buzz in those cities by reaching out to college and community groups, YouTube stars, party promoters and Asian American studies professors.

Whether the film is a hit or a flop, Park said that he and his friends will continue fighting for their piece of the Hollywood pie.

If we do feel like were not being represented, that falls on us to go out and make something, he said. The opportunity to change things is there. Its up to us individually.

Chung said he was ready for the world to judge the film on its merits, with characters who just happen to be Asian Americans. He said he doesnt want the audience to see race first, but rather the travails and successes, love and friendship that make the story as much a part of the American experience as any other.

I want them to see good characters transcendent of race, Chung said. Fun, good characters they care about.

victoria.kim@latimes.com

Twitter: @vicjkim

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Natalie Riggs was sickened by the sight of the carcasses of cherished pets ravaged by a mountain lion.

Blood streaked the ground in the pen where her two sheep, Blanca and Blackie, had their throats slashed. Blancas hindquarters had been eaten. Blackie was killed for no apparent reason.

It was a scene of almost incomprehensible violence, said Riggs, 41, a real estate agent and yoga teacher, shivering at the memory of the mid-January attack at her 5-acre ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains.

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It was one in the growing number of attacks over the last year that is changing the relationship between humans and mountain lions in Southern California.

1 / 5 Dakota Semier, ranch manager at Malibu Family Wines, feeds an alpaca inside its pen at the ranch in Malibu on March 10. At left are a pair of llamas. Since last November, mountain lions have killed two llamas and an alpaca while inside the pen. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 5 Dakota Semier, ranch manager at Malibu Family Wines, stands next to Stanley, a 15-foot-tall giraffe, at the ranch in Malibu on March 10. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 5 Dakota Semier, ranch manager at Malibu Family Wines, poses next to a llama, a miniature horse and an alpaca at the ranch in Malibu on March 10. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 5 Natalie Riggs stands with two female South African goats inside their pen at her ranch in Malibu on March 10. In January, a mountain lion killed two in the same pen. The goats were not harmed. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 5 Natalie Riggs is photographed with two South African goats at her ranch in Malibu on March 10. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens announced that one of its endangered koalas was apparently killed by a mountain lion known as P22, who was born in the Santa Monica Mountains and crossed the 405 and 101 freeways to make Griffith Park his home in 2012.

Jeff Sikich, a biologist with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area and an expert on local mountain lion populations, said the agency does not keep records of lion attacks on animals. But we have had more calls about such incidents in the past year, he said. Perhaps thats because more people moving into the area have these hobby animals now. Were not sure.

Sikich said biologists believe the problem isnt an increase in the mountain lion population, which he said is self-regulating.

The landscape will support only about 10 to 15 of them at a time, he said. The males will fight and kill others in their territory, which is limited.

Mountain lions are not threatened or endangered in California, but they are legally classified as a specially protected species by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The statewide population of about 6,000 is relatively stable.

But repercussions are mounting as more people move into mountain lion habitat, along with their pets and livestock.

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Last year, the state issued 265 permits to kill individual lions that posed a threat to humans or livestock, resulting in 107 of the predators being taken.

Killing a mountain lion without a depredation permit is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one years imprisonment in the county jail or a fine of up to $10,000 or both.

If a mountain lion kills domesticated animals, it is up to the owner to decide whether to seek a permit to have the big cat exterminated, usually by a rifle shot.

But if a mountain lion attacks a person, we go find it and kill it, said Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the state wildlife management agency.

Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare.

In September, wildlife authorities shot and killed a lion that had attacked a 6-year-old boy in Cupertino and began dragging him away before his parents fought the animal off.

In 2005, the location and condition of a childs skull and bones found near a Big Bear-area campground where 9-year-old David Gonzalez disappeared that summer indicated he may have been killed by a mountain lion, authorities said.

Tension between communities and wild predators has become common across the West in recent decades as wildlife conservationists and government agencies have sought to coexist with the animals instead of having them exterminated.

In Gardiner, Mont., at the northwestern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, When a bear or a mountain lion comes to town, our first response is to have state officials shoo it away, said Barbara Shesky, executive director of the towns Chamber of Commerce. Thats because encounters between humans and predatory animals always end badly  the human is injured and the beast gets euthanized.

Encounters between humans and predatory animals always end badly -- the human is injured and the beast gets euthanized.  Barbara Shesky, executive director of the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce

Dennis Heikes, former chief ranger of Alaska State Parks, agrees.

Wildlife managers walk a very precarious tightrope after someone gets mauled or killed by a predator, Heikes said. They dont want to see anyone or anything get hurt, but they also listen to those who say, Leave the predators alone. They belong here.

Its hard to find a balance that is sustainable, he said. In my experience, the predators usually lose.

In 2011, a male mountain lion known as P15 was killed in the western Santa Monica Mountains by unidentified poachers who decapitated his carcass and cut off his paws.

One of the largest mountain lion populations in Southern California is confined within 275 square miles in and around the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, major freeways, housing and commercial developments and agricultural fields.

Studies begun in 2002 suggest that landscape may have reached its carrying capacity with two or three adult male lions, four to six females and some kittens. Inbreeding is a serious problem among these big cats, which have extremely low genetic diversity.

Sikich said he has alerted the L.A. Zoo and other landowners that they are responsible for protecting animals with enclosures and fencing. Otherwise, these mountain lions are being rewarded with free meals by getting into pens where domesticated animals cant run or hide, he said.

Local mountain lions have been known to kill up to 10 domesticated animals at a time  but eat only one of them.

The rise in attacks has brought growing concern about public safety. These days, when people move around in the darkness of the Santa Monica Mountains  which include some of Southern Californias most scenic habitat and pricey real estate  they watch over their shoulders.

We dont go hiking in the moonlight anymore, Riggs said.

In late November, ranch managers at Malibu Family Wines discovered that a mountain lion had dined on one of several llamas in a pen shaded by oak trees on the 1,000-acre spread.

A few days later, the lion returned and killed an alpaca. When the ranch owners decided not to seek a permit to have the lion exterminated, a state game warden referred the case to Sikich, who subsequently captured the offending young adult male known as P45.

P45 was released back into the surrounding wild lands, and the winery promised to build new enclosures for its llamas and alpacas.

But the lion returned in January  before the enclosures had been erected  and killed another llama.

Since then, the ranch, which features a menagerie of exotic animals, has installed lion-proof fencing around the holding pens of its llamas, alpacas, donkeys, goats and chickens.

Larger animals such as water buffaloes, zebras and camels continue to spend their days and nights roaming spacious corrals.

A lion wouldnt mess with the zebras  theyre too mean, said ranch manager Dakota Semler.

In any case, the effort to live with mountain lions remains a work in progress, Semler said.

The lions were here first, and we plan to stay, he said. We realize the risks involved, but we also appreciate that lions are wild animals that also live here. So, were going to learn to live and work with them around.

Riggs tried to convey a similar notion to her 4-year-old daughter, Giselle, after the attack that killed the familys two sheep in January.

I just told her the truth, Riggs recalled. I said, Something sad happened today, honey. Blanca and Blackie were killed by a mountain lion.

Why did the lion kill them? Giselle asked.

Because he is a lion and he thought they would make a good meal, Riggs said.

louis.sahagun@latimes.com

Twitter: @LouisSahagun

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Its official: John King Jr. isnt acting anymore. On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted 49 to 40 to confirm him as President Obamas second and final secretary of education.

Obamas first education secretary, Arne Duncan, announced he would leave the post in October. Obama chose King, then Duncan's deputy and advisor, to succeed him. At the time, the administration had no plans to seek his confirmation.

But amid the outcry by some Republicans that an unconfirmed cabinet member was an unaccountable one, the White House changed course and put forth the nomination.

We need an education secretary confirmed by and accountable to the United States Senate so that the law fixing No Child Left Behind will be implemented the way Congress wrote it, Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee who chairs the Senate education committee, said in a statement Monday following the confirmation vote.

Even though King is going to be schools chief only until Obama leaves office in January, he has a long road ahead, and a full plate.

In its final act of major significance, the Department of Education must regulate the Every Student Succeeds Act, the bipartisan replacement of the No Child Left Behind Act, the country's sweeping education law. The details here are key, and have far-reaching implications for states.

In California, the major question will be whether states can grade schools without assigning them an overall number  the State Board of Education is hoping that states can get away with giving parents and taxpayers a suite of different metrics without boiling them all down to one number. The law requires the state to intervene in the lowest-performing one-third of schools, among others, and the feds will likely have to draw a line in the sand as to whether these schools can be identified without a definitive ranking of how well theyre doing.

New York City public school teachers are the reason I'm alive,  Secretary of Education John King

Obama was pleased with King's confirmation. John will continue to lead our efforts to work toward high-quality preschool for all, prepare our kids for college and a career, make college more affordable, and protect Americans from the burdens of student debt, he said in a statement Monday. John knows how education can transform a childs future. Hes seen it in his own life.

Who is John King? We reported on his life story  and his meeting with former gang members in Los Angeles  when he was first announced as acting secretary of education, back in October. Here are some excerpts.

1. King had a long road to the administration, and looks unlike any other previous education secretary.

I grew up in Brooklyn, said King, who is African American and Puerto Rican. I lost my mom when I was 8, my dad when I was 12. My dad was very sick before he passed.

As a kid, King said, he was passed around from family member to family member. New York City public school teachers are the reason Im alive, he said. They gave me hope, hope about what is possible. ...

His education career began with his teaching high school social studies in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Boston. He became a principal in Brooklyn, founded Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Massachusetts, and ultimately served as a managing director at Uncommon Schools, an organization that managed a chain of charter schools in three states. He wound up as a senior deputy commissioner, working under New York state schools chief David Steiner.

2. He faced intense criticism during his stint as New Yorks commissioner of education

King presided over New Yorks implementation of the Common Core standards, which coincided with the states new teacher evaluations. During the process, parents revolted at town hall meetings, screaming at him and calling him names.

Even after the toughest of those conversations, though, [former New York Board of Regents Chair Merryl] Tisch said, King was eager to hear feedback. Though she said the meetings took a physical toll on him, he handled the pressure extraordinarily well. Tisch said King never complained about the meetings. I never saw him blow up, I never saw him get frustrated, she said.

But his straits continued to worsen. In April 2014, the New York State United Teachers voted no confidence in King and called for him to resign. ...

King left his New York position in December 2014 to work for Duncan.

3. King visited Los Angeles this summer to hang out with some former gang members

He met a woman named Mariana Ruiz, whose path to college was far from typical. She was nervous to meet this wonderful man who looked really clean cut. 

King had been dispatched to Los Angeles by the federal government for a number of reasons, including to talk to Homeboy Industries about My Brothers Keeper. The program is a White House initiative designed to help level the playing field for young men of color. At Homeboy, a Los Angeles organization founded to help former and prospective gang members get back on their feet, people went around the room and talked about their experiences with the criminal justice and education systems.

King mostly asked questions and listened. We have to focus on successful reentry [into society from prisons], like Homeboy, nationwide, he said....

As Ruiz spoke, she said, King listened. He was very open-minded to us. He was very compassionate, she said. Not a lot of people are open to people like us. We get a lot of negative reactions.
Under a tentative plan to smooth its badly broken sidewalks, Los Angeles would spend money to fix walkways next to homes and businesses, then gradually hand off the responsibility for future repairs to property owners  a fix and release plan that has troubled some community groups worried about financially strapped residents.

The proposed new policy, which was backed Monday by two City Council committees, would roll back a longstanding rule that had put the city on the hook for sidewalks buckled by street trees. State law puts the burden for sidewalk repairs on the adjacent property owner, but L.A. took on responsibility for sidewalks damaged by street trees decades ago.

City officials have blamed L.A.s rule for the sorry state of its sidewalks, which worsened as government funding failed to keep up with the needed repairs.

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That ultimately spurred a lawsuit by advocates for the disabled, who argued that impassable walkways violated their rights to access the city.

Under a preliminary settlement in that case, Los Angeles has pledged to spend more than $1.3 billion over the next three decades to repair sidewalks. But City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana has argued that after making such fixes, Los Angeles must gradually hand off responsibility for future repairs, or risk seeing its sidewalks return to the same woebegone state that landed it in court.

That city exception got us in this mess to begin with, City Councilman Joe Buscaino said.

At a joint meeting of two City Council committees Monday, Buscaino and other city lawmakers backed the fix and release idea and hammered out other details of their new plan to fix sidewalks.

Under the proposed policy, Los Angeles would first pay to repair sidewalks next to commercial, industrial and residential properties, regardless of whether the damage was caused by a city tree.

The city would establish a cap, yet to be determined, for the amount it would shell out for sidewalk repairs on each parcel.

City Councilman Paul Krekorian said the cap would prevent city funding from being monopolized by a few especially expensive or vast projects, and would not affect the average homeowner facing sidewalk repairs.

Under the plan, L.A. would also offer property owners a rebate if they opted to repair broken sidewalks before the city does so, reimbursing them for roughly half of the average cost per square foot of repairs if they make fixes during the first three years of the new program.

The city would also waive permit fees for people fixing sidewalks next to their property. Lawmakers said those incentives would stretch city funds and allow people who are eager to get their sidewalks repaired earlier to do so.

City officials also stressed that after a sidewalk gets repaired, there would be a warranty period to protect property owners from immediate problems. That warranty period would last 20 years for residential properties and five years for commercial and industrial ones.

During the warranty period, the city would guarantee one repair before transferring the financial responsibility for any future fixes to the property owner. It would not apply to damages caused by negligence on the part of any party except for the city, according to a letter written by several council members outlining the plan.

Members of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, a community organizing group, said that many residents were still concerned that homeowners would have to bear the costs of sidewalk repairs once that warranty expired.

Alliance member Simone Newman, who said she lived in the Crenshaw area, said that though homeowners continue to pay taxes, it seems that every year we get less and less for that same dollar.

Now that theyve been sued, theyre trying to put it back on us  when they arent doing what they were supposed to do with our tax dollars in the first place, Newman said.

At Mondays hearing, City Councilman Mike Bonin questioned whether the city was doing enough to trim trees and prevent them from buckling sidewalks in the decades to come. City staffers said at the hearing that street trees should be trimmed every five to seven years, but are currently trimmed roughly every 18 years.

Bonin said he wanted to make sure were not absolving ourselves from responsibility and then causing a problem that someone else, the resident, has to pay for 20 years down the road.

Krekorian said he believed that the city had already taken steps to avoid such future problems by planting different kinds of trees and using better planting methods. The future problem of trees is going to be largely eliminated by those changes, Krekorian said.

The fix and release idea had also drawn opposition from pedestrian and transportation advocates, who have argued that the city should fund its sidewalks just as it does roads. However, one of those advocates said Monday that she was nonetheless happy to see the planned policy move forward to begin repairing L.A.s broken walkways.

We think its a step in the right direction and were anxious to see it get underway, said Jessica Meaney, managing director of the nonprofit transportation advocacy group Investing in Place.

The proposed policy now heads to the full City Council. If approved, city lawmakers say the new program for sidewalk repairs could begin in the next budget year, which starts in July.

Follow @latimesemily for whats happening at Los Angeles City Hall

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Backers of a ballot measure to crack down on L.A. real estate mega-developments announced a sharp change in tactics Tuesday, saying they have rewritten their proposal and abandoned their drive to reach the Nov. 8 ballot.

The Coalition to Preserve L.A., a group backed by the Hollywood-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said it would start a new round of signature-gathering while targeting the March 2017 municipal election ballot, when voters choose a mayor and eight council members.

Coalition spokeswoman Jill Stewart said her groups proposal -- billed as a way to stop reckless approval of outsized development projects -- would have been overshadowed by an assortment of tax hikes, wage increases and other measures planned for the state ballot.

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Our initiative is way too important to be buried at the tail end of this Novembers ballot, said Stewart, standing with supporters outside City Hall.

First announced last year, the groups Neighborhood Integrity Initiative has set off a heated debate over the effects of the regions real estate boom -- and the City Councils longstanding practice of approving changes in height, density, parking requirements and other rules for individual real estate projects.

Stewarts group has argued that traffic-weary voters will embrace the proposal, which includes a two-year moratorium on development projects that need more lucrative zoning or other rule changes.

Foes of the measure described Tuesdays shift in strategy as a tacit admission that the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative was on track to lose in a presidential election year, when voter turnout reaches its peak.

They realized that they cant win in November, and theyre election shopping now, said Mike Shimpock, spokesman for the Coalition to Protect L.A. Neighborhoods and Jobs, which is composed of labor unions, business groups and affordable housing developers, among others.

Shimpock said he expects voter participation to decline by nearly two-thirds in L.A. between the November statewide election and the March municipal one. By switching to March, turnout will drop significantly among renters and low-income families -- voters who would be disproportionately affected by the measure, he said.

Theyre trying to disenfranchise the voters who are mostly likely to oppose this, Shimpock added.

Alice Callaghan, who favors the ballot measure and runs the Las Familias del Pueblo service center in skid row, said the change in timetable would put real estate development front and center in the city campaigns for mayor and other seats.

Callaghan, an anti-poverty activist, said she initially opposed the idea of moving to the March 7 election. But she later concluded that voters would be frustrated with a long list of ballot measures.

My experience is, after the third [measure], they just start checking no, no, no, no, no, she said.

Backers of the ballot proposal, including Callaghan, say new housing being built in downtown, Hollywood and elsewhere is replacing rent controlled apartments and forcing out working families. Opponents warn the ballot proposal would hurt renters by severely restricting housing production.

Stewart said backers of the proposal rewrote their measure in recent days to make it shorter and offer new provisions that protect affordable housing.

The revised ballot proposal still has a two-year moratorium on certain large- and mid-sized development projects. But housing developments that are 100% affordable will be exempt from the moratorium, Stewart said.

That change was made in response to affordable housing providers, Stewart said, adding, We listened to the community.

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A Pennsylvania man will plead guilty to illegally hacking the Apple and Google e-mail accounts of Hollywood celebrities and stealing their videos, photos and naked selfies.

Ryan Collins, 36, of Lancaster, Penn. agreed to plead guilty to a felony violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. as part of a plea agreement filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court.

Collins has agreed to plead guilty to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information, according to authorities. He is the first person to plead guilty in connection with a widespread celebrity hacking investigation that began in 2014.

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Federal prosecutors say Collins used a cyber phishing scheme to obtain the user names and passwords of his victims between November 2012 and September 2014. Prosecutors say he sent e-mails to victims that appeared to be from Apple or Google, and asked the account-holders to provide their log-in data.

Collins used this information to access at least 50 Apple accounts and another 72 Gmail accounts, where he collected personal information including nude photographs and videos, according to court documents.

In some instances, Collins used a software program to download the entire contents of the victims Apple iCloud backups, according to the plea deal.

We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information said David Bowdich, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office.

Federal authorities learned of Collins hacking while they were investigating Celebgate -- the widespread posting of stolen, nude celebrity photos on the Internet in September 2014.

Although authorities said they did not uncover evidence linking Collins to the posting of photos on public websites, they learned of his phishing scheme as they reviewed the victims email accounts.

As part of the plea agreement, authorities have agreed to transfer the case to federal court in Harrisburg, near Collins home. It is there that he will enter his guilty plea and appear for sentencing.

Prosecutors are recommending a prison term of 18 months, according to the plea agreement. The sentencing judge however is not bound by that recommendation and may impose the statutory penalty of five years in prison.

Today, people store important private information in their online accounts and in their digital devices, said U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker. Lawless unauthorized access to such private information is a criminal offense. My office remains committed to protecting sensitive and personal information from the malicious actions of sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals.

For SoCal crime & investigations follow me on Twitter @lacrimes
Just one day after advocates for the homeless filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, work crews and police were out again Tuesday making arrests and removing homeless encampments along a highly visible stretch of the 101 Freeway downtown.

The sweep, which was conducted by city sanitation workers and the Los Angeles Police Department, focused on an area where Main and Spring streets cross over the 101 Freeway, according to police and witnesses. Crews had given the homeless prior notice to remove their possessions, according to city officials.

The cleanup began at 8 a.m. as thousands of morning commuters streamed below the tattered encampments. Officers arrested seven to nine homeless people on outstanding warrants or for possession of allegedly stolen shopping carts and other misdemeanors, authorities said.

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At one point, several tents, backpacks, duffels and other belongings were wrapped with yellow tape as a tearful older woman spoke to a police officer. Another homeless man stood behind an LAPD patrol car as officers searched his pockets.

Where are we going to go? asked Alvir Gavorkain, a 58-year-old woman who has been homeless since 2002. Im sick and old, I cant keep doing this every time they ask me to move.

MAP: Where are L.A.'s homeless? Almost everywhere.

Gavorkain said she had been living with at least five other people near Arcadia and Spring streets when police arrived Tuesday morning and said that they needed to move their items or they would be cited.

Gavorkain said that she had been rousted in prior sweeps and that she was tired of moving.

I dont want to go to the shelter; they only let you bring two items, she said. Sometimes I cant get in.

Tuesdays cleanup is just one of hundreds that have been conducted in downtown and other neighborhoods as the city struggles to cope with growing ranks of homeless.

In 2015, the city conducted 961 encampment cleanups and carted off 1,355 tons of material, according to the Bureau of Sanitation.

City officials insist that they are trying to balance the needs of homeless people while also ensuring that the city is habitable.

Critics charge that the cleanups are futile and frequently revisit sites that had previously been cleared.

The lawsuit filed Monday accuses the city of endangering homeless people by seizing and destroying their tents and bedding and then releasing them from jail into the cold without protection. It also contends that the city has stepped up homeless sweeps.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Garcetti said he hadnt seen the suit. Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer, said the office would review the lawsuit but had no comment.

City officials this year released a $2-billion plan to combat the homelessness crisis but said they did not have the money to fund it.

Times staff writers Joseph Serna and Doug Smith contributed to this report.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.

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Four people will split a $150,000 reward for providing information that led to the capture of three escaped Orange County jail inmates in January, officials said Tuesday.

Members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors praised the tipsters quick thinking Tuesday as they approved payment of the reward money.

The recipients include a homeless man who spotted two of the escapees in a parking lot in San Francisco, two Target store employees and a man who had his van stolen by the fugitives. None of the reward money, however, will go to cab driver Long Ma, who was taken hostage by the escapees at gunpoint.

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Officials posted the cash reward shortly after prisoners Bac Duong, Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu were discovered missing in a daring escape from the Central Mens Jail in Santa Ana on Jan. 22. The men remained at large for nearly a week, triggering a statewide manhunt.

Most of the reward -- $100,000 -- will be given to Matthew Hay-Chapman, the homeless man who spotted Nayeri and Tieu in a stolen van parked near a Whole Foods Market outlet in San Francisco on Jan. 28. Hay-Chapman, who described himself as a news junkie, told police that he recognized the van when Nayeri opened a door and walked out.

Hay-Chapman said he ran in search of a police officer and led him back to the vehicle. Nayeri attempted to run away from police but was tackled and captured while Tieu was found hiding inside the vehicle. The third escapee, Duong, had surrendered to police a day earlier.

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The owner of the van that was spotted in the parking lot, Armando Damian, of Los Angeles, will receive $20,000, officials said. Damian had advertised his 2008 GMC Savana for sale on Craigslist, and was called by what he thought was a prospective buyer shortly after the escape.

Damian told police that an older man came to his address and asked for a test drive, then later took off with the van. Damian reported the vehicle stolen on Jan. 23.

The rest of the reward will be split between two employees of a Target store in Rosemead. Hazel Javier, a store manager, and Jeffrey Arana, a loss-prevention officer, will each receive $15,000.

On the night of Jan. 22, Javier told police she saw two men acting suspiciously, which caused her to monitor their activity. The next day, Javier shared surveillance video with Arana, who thought the shoppers resembled the fugitives he had seen on a news broadcast.

After the Target workers called law enforcement, investigators discovered that the men bought two prepaid cellphones.

The supervisors voted unanimously to grant reward money to the homeless man and the Target employees. They voted, 4-1, in favor of giving reward money to the van owner. Supervisor Shawn Nelson opposed doing so because he said the van owner did not know it was the escapees who had taken his van.

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The kidnapped cab driver, Long Ma, had hoped to share in the reward.

County Supervisor Todd Spitzer initially supported a share for Ma, who claims he suffers post-traumatic stress from the kidnapping. Spitzer later reconsidered his position, pointing out that Ma did not provide information leading to the arrest of the escapees.

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Los Angeles school board member Monica Ratliff is looking to make the switch to City Hall.

Ratliff, a grade school teacher who scored a significant upset in the 2013 election, filed initial paperwork Monday to run for the San Fernando Valley seat being vacated by Los Angeles City Councilman Felipe Fuentes.

Ratliff did not respond to requests for comment. To compete in the March 2017 council election, she will have to give up her seat on the seven-member at the end of her term. Los Angeles Unified School District board. Candidates cannot simultaneously run for two seats in the same L.A. municipal election.

Fuentes represents Sylmar, Pacoima, Lake View Terrace, Sunland-Tujunga and other Valley neighborhoods. His four-year term ends in June 2017. Since he announced his decision to step aside, 13 people have turned in papers to raise money for his seat.

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Ratliff represents some of the same neighborhoods as Fuentes.

Three years ago, she pulled off an impressive election victory. Backers of her opponent, Antonio Sanchez, spent more than $2.2 million. Ratliff prevailed with a bare-bones campaign that sent out $5,000 worth of fridge magnets.

Ratliff, who won without any meaningful help from the teachers union, has been a moderate voice on the school board.

A decision by Ratliff not to seek reelection would likely spur another expensive campaign battle between United Teachers Los Angeles and charter school advocates, who argue that the board has been hostile since the release of a plan spearheaded by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.

A draft of the plan proposes vastly expanding the number of charters in Los Angeles by enrolling half of the districts students in the publicly funded but privately-run schools over the next eight years.

Supporters of the proposal say they seek to improve options for parents unsatisfied with traditional public schools. But L.A. Unified leaders have said the plan threatens the sustainability of the district and could hurt its ability to serve students.

The debate over charter school growth would make an election to fill Ratliffs school board seat a big deal, said Charles Kerchner, a research professor at Claremont Graduate University.

Almost anything happening in Los Angeles will be a tactical or strategic event in the charter school war, Kerchner said.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Follow @DavidZahniser for whats happening at Los Angeles City Hall

zahira.torres@latimes.com

For more education news, follow @zahiratorres on Twitter.

Editors Note: The Times receives funding for its Education Matters digital initiative from one or more of the groups mentioned in this article. The California Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the Wasserman Foundation to support this effort. Under terms of the grants, The Times retains complete control over editorial content.
Donald Trump romped to victory Tuesday in Florida, chasing Marco Rubio from the race, but Ohio Gov. John Kasich won his home state, raising hopes for those seeking to stop Trump and settle the presidential contest on the floor of the Republican National Convention.

Trump also won North Carolina and Illinois and was locked in a close fight with Sen. Ted Cruz in Missouri.

Im getting ready to rent a covered wagon, were going to have a big sail and have the wind blow us to the Rocky Mountains and over the mountains to California, Kasich said at a jubilant rally outside Cleveland.

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That is just the sort of extended nominating fight the GOP establishment sought to avoid by stacking the political calendar with big early contests, capped by Tuesday nights winner-take-all primaries in Florida and Ohio. California votes on June 7, near the close of the primary season.

Now, many of those same party types see an inconclusive nominating contest as the best and perhaps only chance of thwarting Trump, even if it threatens to shred the GOP in the process.

The setback in Ohio, where Trump campaigned hard, was his most disappointing performance since he finished second to Cruz in Februarys Iowa caucuses.

His unhappiness was evident as he addressed reporters at his posh Mar-a-Lago private club in Palm Beach, Fla., and complained about the miseries of running for president.

Lies, deceit, viciousness. Disgusting reporters. Horrible people, the Manhattan businessman and reality TV star said. Some are nice.

Cruz, speaking with 99% of the Missouri votes counted, once more insisted he was the only candidate who could defeat Trump.

Starting tomorrow morning, every Republican has a clear choice. Only two campaigns have a plausible path to the nomination  ours and Donald Trumps, the Texas senator told supporters in Houston. Nobody else has any mathematical possibility whatsoever. Only one campaign has beaten Donald Trump over and over again.

With Trumps unmatched string of victories, no other candidate is nearly as well positioned to win the nomination ahead of the July convention in Cleveland. He padded his overall delegate lead with Tuesdays victories, putting him ahead of Cruz and Kasich, who had not won a state before Ohio.

But there were signs Tuesday that not just the establishment but rank-and-file Republicans have yet to rally around the partys polarizing front-runner.

Nearly 3 in 10 Republican voters across the five states said they would not vote for Trump if he wins the partys nomination, according to exit poll interviews. Four in 10 said they would consider voting for a third-party candidate if the choice came down to Trump or the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton.

Defections of that magnitude could badly undermine Trump in the general election, and that prospect will probably be stressed by his opponents going forward into next weeks contests in Arizona and Utah.

Rubio spoke to the controversy surrounding the GOP front-runner as he departed the race.

In a Miami concession speech delivered less than half an hour after the polls closed in Florida, the freshman senator congratulated Trump, wagging a finger and shushing members of the audience who booed his kind words.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich votes Tuesday in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press)

Rubio then devoted the bulk of his lengthy remarks to warn against succumbing to the anger and frustration that have fueled Trumps improbable rise.

The politics of resentment against other people will not just leave us a fractured party, Rubio said, as disconsolate family members stood by onstage. Theyre going to leave us a fractured nation where people hate each other for their political views.

Do not give in to the fear, Rubio said. Do not give in to the frustration.

The son of Cuban immigrants and, at age 44, the youngest candidate in the field, Rubio was seen as one of the GOPs rising stars, with a capacity to broaden the partys support among millennial voters and the nations fast-growing Latino population.

But he failed to win more than a few contests and was never seriously competitive in his home state. Trump captured 99 delegates in Floridas winner take-all-primary, more than a quarter of those at stake in Tuesdays balloting.

The victory in winner-take-all Ohio gave Kasich 66 delegates, more than doubling his total but still leaving him well behind Trump. His goal is to build momentum with a series of wins positioning him as the strongest candidate heading into the Cleveland convention even if, as seems inevitable, Kasich is shy of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination outright.

Pennsylvania, where Kasich was born, is the next big target on April 26.

The results Tuesday followed one of the oddest, most contentious weeks in a campaign that has been filled with strange and surreal moments.

The precipitating event was a racially charged near-riot at a Trump rally Friday night in Chicago, which was canceled out of security concerns.

Trumps opponents quickly seized on the moment and the violent imagery that played around the world to once more challenge his temperament and fitness to be president. They accused him of fomenting the unrest through belligerent remarks that seemed to egg on his audiences into physically confronting dissenters.

Trump denied any responsibility, blaming the violence on what he called professional agitators linked to Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders. He said the protesters provoked his supporters and were stifling their rights to free speech and assembly.

I dont condone violence, Trump said repeatedly, though he sympathized with backers who chose to be effective with protesters in the audience. (Previously he used more pugilistic language.)

Trump said he might even pay the legal fees for a supporter who sucker-punched a demonstrator at a North Carolina rally, drawing widespread condemnation. He won the state anyway.

Indeed, for weeks increasingly desperate Republican opponents have mounted an effort to stop Trump, to seemingly little effect.

More than $10 million in negative ads blazed across the Florida airwaves in just the last week alone, attacking Trump for his ethics, the failings of his business empire and his all-over-the-map political ideology.

Those meant nothing to Mark Owens, who stepped into the Miami Beach sunshine Tuesday and lighted a cigar after casting a ballot for the political neophyte.

Weve trusted politicians for 200 years to run our country, Owens said. Its time to give someone else a shot.

With polls suggesting Florida was firmly in Trumps grasp, much of the campaign focused on Ohio, another traditional fall battleground.

Trump laid on extra events, including an election-eve rally outside Youngstown in place of a planned Florida appearance, and he turned his attention to attacking Kasich after long ignoring the Ohio governor.

He assailed him for his support as a congressman for the North American Free Trade Agreement, a pact with Canada and Mexico that, Trump said, devastated the states economy. He also laid on personal insults in a bid to snatch a victory in Kasichs home state and clear the governor from the race.

Kasich, whose strategy centered on staying above the salvos flying among other candidates, accused Trump of creating a toxic political atmosphere and, wrapping himself in the establishment mantle, spent Monday stumping alongside Mitt Romney, the partys 2012 nominee.

With Kasich suddenly a factor in the GOP contest, the skirmishing here in Ohio seems a likely preview of what is to come.

While he pledged to take the high road at his victory party Tuesday night, Kasich sent a different message speaking to reporters earlier in the day.

He said, I will be  forced going forward to talk about some of the deep concerns I have about the way this campaign has been run by some others  by one other in particular.

There is no doubting who he had in mind.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

Twitter: @markzbarabak

Times staff writers Michael Finnegan, Kurtis Lee and Seema Mehta in Los Angeles and Kate Linthicum in Miami contributed to this report.
In a major reversal, the Obama administration said Tuesday it will bar oil drilling off the Atlantic Coast, a move cheered by environmentalists and consistent with the presidents aggressive steps to combat climate change.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the decision protects the Atlantic for future generations. She said the administration had listened to thousands of people in coastal communities from Florida to New England who said, Now is not the time to start leasing off the Atlantic Coast.

However, business groups and most Republicans criticized it as another example of what they call executive overreach.

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Despite a surge in oil and natural gas production in the last seven years, which has helped push gasoline prices below $2 a gallon, Republicans and industry groups have criticized President Obama for imposing what they say are unnecessary regulations on drilling, especially on federal lands. Most of the drilling boom has occurred on state and private lands and in the Gulf of Mexico, long the center of U.S. offshore oil production.

The decision reverses a proposal made last year in which the administration floated a plan that would have opened up a broad swath of the Atlantic Coast to drilling. That January 2015 proposal would have opened up sites more than 50 miles off Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia to oil drilling no earlier than 2021.

Obama, in his final year in office, is working to build an environmental legacy that includes a global agreement to curb climate change and an ambitious plan to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. He also has imposed stricter limits on smog-causing pollution linked to asthma and has rejected the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.

The proposal on Atlantic drilling is likely to become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Both Democratic candidates oppose it, while Republicans vow to expand drilling.

The plan announced Tuesday covers potential lease sales from 2017 to 2022 and calls for leasing 10 areas in the Gulf of Mexico and three off the Alaska coast.

A coalition of groups that oppose Atlantic drilling had organized protests and petitions in southeastern and mid-Atlantic states, often running into opposition from governors and other political leaders. Republican governors in North and South Carolina back drilling off their states coasts, as does the Democratic governor of Virginia. The states two Democratic senators also support drilling.

President Obama has taken a giant step for our oceans, for coastal economies and for mitigating climate change, said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of Oceana, an environmental group. This is a victory for people over politics and shows the importance of old-fashioned grass-roots organizing.

The oil and gas industry has pushed for Atlantic drilling and pledged that exploration would be done safely, with lessons applied from the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tuesdays decision appeases extremists who seek to stop oil and natural gas production in the U.S., said Jack Gerard, president and chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute, the nations largest oil and gas lobbying group. The plan will increase energy costs for Americans and close the door for years on efforts to create new jobs and boost energy security, he said.

The Defense Department has said Atlantic offshore drilling could hurt military maneuvers and interfere with missile tests the Navy relies on to protect the East Coast. The Pentagon submitted a report to the Interior Department that identified locations in Virginia and other states where military readiness programs would conflict with oil and gas activities, said spokesman Matthew Allen.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who supports offshore drilling, said he was surprised at the Pentagons objections, which were not raised when the draft proposal was submitted last year.

The Pentagon has been relatively quiet during this public debate and has never shared their objections with me before, said Kaine, a former Virginia governor who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he was extremely disappointed by the decision, which he said effectively ends debate over offshore drilling before it even starts.

Obama found an unlikely ally in Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), a former governor who opposes Atlantic drilling and led a bipartisan effort to stop it.

This is fantastic news for the coast of South Carolina, Sanford said. Residents along our coast should be proud of the way they united on this issue and sent a compelling message to Washington.

Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), whose district includes Myrtle Beach, the heart of the states $19-billion tourism industry, said the decision was not surprising. As more and more recoverable oil has been located onshore due to advancing technology, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, tapping new reserves in the Atlantic has become less and less feasible, Rice said.

The Interior Department estimates there are about 2.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 26.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas on the Atlantics outer continental shelf. Energy industry experts say the reserves may be far greater.
There are plenty of reasons for voters to fear Donald Trump, including his utter lack of government experience, his hair-trigger temperament, his bigoted statements about Muslims and Mexicans and his vacuous promise to make America great again. But as Republicans in five states head to the polls Tuesday, they now must seriously consider something else: whether they really want as their standard bearer a candidate whose reckless rhetoric encourages and condones violence.

This, after all, is a man who said of a protester that hed like to punch him in the face, and who longed for the old days when hecklers were carried out on a stretcher. Not only that; after a supporter was charged with sucker-punching a demonstrator at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., Trump said he would look into defraying the mans legal expenses  a comment that some of his excitable followers might easily see as an insurance policy if they too chose to rough up a protester.

Trump insists that he doesnt condone violence, and he has tried (unpersuasively) to portray himself and his campaign as victims of violence and sabotage by a rival candidate. Yet even in making the latter accusation, he flirted with incitement, tweeting: Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disrupters arent told to go to my events. Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!

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Its true that some of Trumps opponents want not only to protest at his events but to shut them down; that may have been the intention of some of those who gathered at a Trump rally at the University of Illinois in Chicago last week. (Trumps appearance was canceled by the campaign as a security measure after scuffles between pro- and anti-Trump members of the audience.) And a protester who tried to get close to Trump at an event in Dayton, Ohio  with the intention of seizing the microphone and calling Trump a racist  rightly was stopped by the Secret Service and arrested.

Like any candidate, or any citizen, Trump has a right not to be drowned out just as his supporters have a right to hear him. But the fact that some protesters may cross the line doesnt begin to justify Trumps incendiary language, which  like so much else about Trump  is unique to him. A certain amount of tough talk is expected in any political campaign, but Trump consistently engages in bullying, demagogic language freighted with malice  and menace.

A certain amount of tough talk is expected in any political campaign, but Trump consistently engages in bullying, demagogic language freighted with malice -- and menace.

Its not surprising that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has accused Trump of political arson and of trafficking in hate and fear. But, to their credit, Trumps Republican opponents  who in the past treated him with unjustified delicacy and deference  have also begun to call him on his loaded language.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich accused Trump of creating a toxic environment [that] has allowed his supporters and those who sometimes seek confrontation to come together in violence. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, while also blaming anti-Trump protesters, lamented that you have a leading contender for president telling his audience go ahead and punch someone in the face and Ill pay your legal bills. Thats not an excusable attitude. That is wrong if our kids did it. It is disastrous if our president did it.

Trump has defended himself by arguing that he is channeling the anger of an electorate outraged over economic stagnation, inequitable trade agreements and poor care for veterans. Theyre not angry about something Im saying, he told NBCs Meet the Press. Im just the messenger. False modesty aside, that ignores the fact that Trump is the impresario of his personality-driven campaign and sets the tone for his followers. That tone has been hostile, provocative and ugly.

And by the way, Trump doesnt only use that tone at campaign events in an effort to rouse and enflame his supporters on the hustings; that anger and hostility is also clearly reflected in the policies he says he would implement were he to be elected. When he calls for walls between neighbors or for much worse forms of torture than waterboarding or for killing the families of terrorists, he is offering an important glimpse into a personality that, the more we learn of it, seems extraordinarily unsuited for the presidency.

When Republicans vote Tuesday  and when candidates and party leaders try to reckon with the results  we hope that they will recognize the danger posed by a potential presidential nominee who inflames the worst instincts of supporters and opponents alike.

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The entire world was surprised when, at the end of September 2015, Vladimir Putin suddenly started moving Russian aircraft, tanks and troops into Syria.

At the time, President Obama predicted the Russian intervention would fail.

An attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and try to pacify the population is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire and it wont work, Obama said.

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This week, the world is equally dumbfounded by the Russian presidents announcement that he is withdrawing the main part of his forces in Syria. No one knows how big a part of the Russian military presence  consisting of some 4,000 troops and 50 combat aircraft  will return to the motherland or what exactly prompted this latest move.

Putin loves to spring surprises on the world, and thats not hard to do when you are an absolute autocrat who doesnt have to rally popular approval for your actions. Just as in the 1930s, it seems that today dictatorships act while democracies dither.

In his latest interview in the Atlantic with Jeffrey Goldberg, Obama tries to wave away what Putin has done in Syria and Ukraine: The fact that he invades Crimea or is trying to prop up Assad doesnt suddenly make him a player. You dont see him in any of these meetings out here helping to shape the agenda. For that matter, theres not a G20 meeting where the Russians set the agenda around any of the issues that are important.

Its telling that Obama thinks that the only thing that matters is the agenda at international gab-fests. Thats because the president, like most European heads of state, lives in a 21st century, post-power world where international law is more meaningful than brute force. Putin, by contrast, inhabits a 19th century, Realpolitik world where strongmen act to advance their own interests with scant regard for the feelings of other states, much less of multilateral institutions such as the G20 or the United Nations. In the clash between these two incompatible visions of the world, there is no doubt which one is winning: From Crimea to Syria, Putin is rewriting the rules of the international game in his favor.

Putin ... inhabits a 19th century, Realpolitik world where strongmen act to advance their own interests with scant regard for the feelings of other states.

In the case of Syria, Putins objectives are two-fold. First, he wants to ensure that Assad, a longtime Russian ally (and buyer of Russian weapons), is not toppled. Last fall, rebel forces were advancing and threatening Assads grip on power. No longer. The Russian intervention was ostensibly supposed to attack Islamic State. In fact, some 90% of Russian sorties have been directed not at its strongholds but at more moderate rebel groups backed by the United States. This has enabled Assad to regain part of Aleppo province and to consolidate his hold on an eastern corridor running from Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea.

Putins second objective is to reassert Russian power in the world  to make clear that Russia is not isolated after the unlawful invasion of Ukraine and that, in fact, it is ready to challenge American primacy in the Middle East, a region where the U.S. has been the dominant power for decades. That mission also has been accomplished. As a bonus, Putin even got to show off the capabilities of a new generation of advanced weapons systems, from fighter jets to cruise missiles, that he hopes to sell to eager customers around the world.

Putin probably figures that its time to ratchet down his commitment before the cost of intervention grows. Tellingly, his decision came shortly after a Syrian MiG-21 was shot down by a portable surface-to-air missile  reportedly a U.S.-made Stinger. This would have been a grim reminder to Putin of the Russian war in Afghanistan. He has no desire to risk such a costly conflict again  and no need to do so.

Putin can achieve his limited objectives in Syria at much lower cost, and if Assad gets into trouble again, its easy enough for Putin to send back more Russian forces. He is not, after all, giving up the newly established Russian airbase in Latakia province. It will now be Russias second military installation abroad, alongside the long-standing Russian port facility nearby at Tartus on the Syrian coast.

Seen through a lens of morality, what Putin has done is monstrous  he is helping to prop up a bloodthirsty regime that has been responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of people and turning millions more into refugees. But from the narrow vantage point of Russian self-interest, Putin has pulled off another coup and shown that he is a more adept international poker player than his counterpart in Washington.

Max Boot is a contributing editor to Opinion and a senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

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In the next three months, an appeals court will rule in the landmark Vergara vs. California case, which could upend many union job protections for public schoolteachers in the state. If the appellate justices agree with L.A. County Superior Court Judge Rolf M. Treu, teachers will no longer get tenure after only two years in the classroom, and they will no longer be laid off on the basis of last in, first out, the so-called LIFO rule that forces out new teachers regardless of how well they are doing their jobs. In 2014 Treu ruled that these and other employment practices endanger students constitutional right to an education.

Vergara will set California law, but it is also a national test case for what has become a central strategy for improving teacher quality in America: Sending ineffective educators packing.

When it comes to teachers, America has an unhealthy fixation on the extremes: the hero and the zero.

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Theres a need for vigorous debate about the rules that Vergara targets. But as important as such policies can be, were wrong to let them monopolize the effort to improve American education. For too long in this country we have done too little to address two universal challenges: how to create teacher training and evaluation systems that will help the vast middle-tier of teachers improve and how better to support young teachers, particularly those working in high-poverty schools where attrition rates are sky high.

When it comes to teachers, America has an unhealthy fixation on the extremes: the hero and the zero. Popular culture and the media perpetuate the myth that most teachers fall in one category or the other. Consider the hero educators in Stand and Deliver, Dead Poets Society and Lean on Me. Or the flip side: Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher, the stultifying economics instructor in Ferris Buellers Day Off and the drug-addicted middle-school teacher in Half Nelson.

Most teachers are neither lost causes nor leading lights.

As much as we want to identify chronically underperforming teachers, we want to build systems that help all teachers grow and improve, said Sandi Jacobs, senior vice president of state and teacher policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality.

One way to accomplish that is to make sure job evaluations focus on improvement and not just accountability.

Wisconsin has tried to design such a system. Teachers get graded on, among other things, whether their students meet quantitative goals that the teachers themselves set (80% of students reading on grade level by the end of the year, for instance). And to protect against setting too low a bar, teachers also get graded on how thoughtful their objective is, and how well they adjust their instruction over the course of the school year to achieve it. Its too early to evaluate the new system; it has been in place statewide for a year and a half only, but it has already gotten high marks from some individual instructors.

The second major challenge  strengthening young teachers working in low-income schools  is crucial because these are the teachers most likely to leave the profession (not counting expected retirements). Many of them arrive with high ideals and a deep sense of devotion. If they leave before their enthusiasm can be translated into strong teaching skills, schools lose talent and children suffer from chronic teacher turnover.

Several studies have found that theres one dominant reason young teachers choose to retreat: They feel dissatisfied, often because they arent getting enough constructive guidance when it comes to their work in the classroom.

There are promising models for programs that can make a difference. In Tennessees competitive Memphis Teacher Residency program, for instance, aspiring teachers spend a year helping a veteran mentor teacher before they lead a classroom of their own. Dana Goldstein described the process in her 2014 book The Teacher Wars: A History of Americas Most Embattled Profession. The program allows novices more time and more direct help than is typical as they absorb the basics of discipline and lesson planning. Goldstein reported that 87% of participants in urban teacher residencies continue in the profession four years later.

I spent a year observing, among other New Orleans schools, a charter high school staffed mostly with young, inexperienced teachers. In the years after Hurricane Katrina, the state had handed over most of the citys schools to charter operators, and in a preview of a Vergara future, most principals could fire teachers at will.

At the high school I observed, I was told a math teacher had balked when the principal insisted she focus more on her lowest-performing students. When the principal didnt like her effort, she was shown the door.

Any teacher who refuses outright to teach her most struggling students doesnt belong in the classroom, but a quick dismissal does nothing to fight an equally perilous problem that emerged at the school: Several teachers told me they felt utterly unsupported by the principal and charter network that operated the school. Within four years, every one of them was gone.

In California and across the country, affording principals the right to fire more liberally will be far less meaningful, for good or for ill, if school districts, parents and policymakers dont face up to an even more complicated challenge: finding ways to help the hundreds of thousands of teachers who will be staying in the classroom do a better job and feel sustained in whats arguably the most important profession in the world. Without that, we will never see Americas education system improve in the way our schoolchildren need.

Sarah Carr directs the Teacher Project at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She is the author of Hope Against Hope: Three Schools, One City, and the Struggle to Educate Americas Children.

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Donald Trumps advance toward winning the Republican presidential nomination hits a crucial milestone Tuesday as voters in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina cast ballots in the first big primaries since violent clashes erupted last week at his campaign rallies.

For Hillary Clinton, Tuesdays test will be whether she has sewn up the Democratic nomination tightly enough that she can turn more fully to the general election, or if she will need to rededicate herself to beating back her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

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Here are some of the things well be watching:

Can Trump be stopped?

The contests Tuesday will be the first to gauge the effect of millions of dollars in advertising against Trump. The scathing ads attacking his business record, personal temperament and liberal past were funded by wealthy Republicans who cringe at the prospect of Trump leading the partys ticket in November.

The assault could be too late. Trump has already won 460 of the 1,237 delegates he would need to clinch the nomination before the partys Cleveland convention in July.

Tuesdays winner-take-all contests offer the biggest delegate prizes: 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio. Polls have found Trump a strong favorite in Florida and just behind Gov. John Kasich in Ohio. Trump is also running well ahead of rivals in Illinois, where 69 delegates are at stake.

Trump will also be hard to beat in North Carolina, where 72 delegates will be divvied up. Missouri, with 52, is the least predictable.

Whats the effect of violence at Trump rallies?

The biggest unknown Tuesday is how voters react to racially charged fistfights that broke out Friday in a Chicago arena where Trump was going to hold a rally before thousands of protesters showed up and he canceled it.

The disturbing images played repeatedly on television over the weekend, along with video of a white Trump supporter hitting a black protester in the face a few days earlier in North Carolina, then threatening to kill him. The white man was arrested and charged with assault, and Trump said he might pay his legal bills.

1 / 32 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 2 / 32 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a primary night news conference at the Mar-A-Lago Clubs Donald J. Trump Ballroom in Palm Beach, Fla. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) 3 / 32 Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters in Phoenix. (Ralph Freso / Getty Images) 4 / 32 Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich gestures at his primary election rally in Berea, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 5 / 32 Ted Cruz is joined onstage by his wife, Heidi, and their daughters in Houston. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 6 / 32 Sen. Marco Rubio speaks at a primary night rally in Miami. He says hes ending his campaign for the Republican nomination for president. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press) 7 / 32 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) watch a monitor as Sen. Marco Rubio drops out of the presidential race. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 8 / 32 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hands a phone back to a woman after speaking to the womans son at Dunkin Donuts in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) 9 / 32 Republican presidential hopeful and Ohio Gov. John Kasich celebrates his primary victory in his home state during a rally at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 32 Ted Cruz addresses supporters. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 11 / 32 A Bernie Sanders supporter in Phoenix. (Ricardo Arduengo / Associated Press) 12 / 32 Bernie Sanders. (Ricardo Arduengo / Associated Press) 13 / 32 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 14 / 32 Supporters cheer for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as results come in at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) 15 / 32 Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, leaves his polling place in Westerville after casting his primary ballot. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 16 / 32 Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks with members of the media after voting in the primary election in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 17 / 32 Voters cast their ballots at a fire station in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on Tuesday in Chicago. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) 18 / 32 Voters head to the polls on Super Tuesday at Su Nueva Laundromat in West Lawn in Chicago. (Tasos Katopodis / AFP/Getty Images) 19 / 32 Chris Thomas of Atlanta, Ill., walks from the Atlanta-Eminence Community House after casting her vote on Illinois primary election day Tuesday. (Steve Smedley / Associated Press) 20 / 32 An election judge adjusts a flag at the entrance to the polling location inside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at Jesse Owens Park in Chicago. (Armando Sanchez / Associated Press) 21 / 32 Supporters hold signs for Republican candidates in front of a polling precinct for the Florida primary in Miami. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 32 A voter leaves a polling place during primary voting in Stark County in Wilmot, Ohio. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 23 / 32 A woman arrives to vote in the primary election Tuesday in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 24 / 32 Stickers are set in a paper dish at a polling place during the primary election in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 25 / 32 Bryant Rogers, center, prepares to cast his ballot in the primary election in Kent, Ohio. (David Maxwell / EPA) 26 / 32 Poll worker Linda UmBayemake of Kent, Ohio, wears a voting sticker on her forehead during the primary election in Kent. (David Maxwell / EPA) 27 / 32 Voters arrive before dawn to cast their ballots in the presidential primary at the Apalachee Bay Volunteer Fire Department in Crawfordville, Fla. (Mark Wallheiser / Getty Images) 28 / 32 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump take a photograph together as they wait inside the Tampa Convention Center before a town hall meeting on Monday in Florida. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 29 / 32 Anthony Borbell sports a tattoo of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally Monday in Vienna Center, Ohio. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 30 / 32 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets supporters at Grady Cole Center on Monday in Charlotte, N.C. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 31 / 32 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio greets supporters while campaigning for president at That Little Restaurant on Monday in Melbourne, Fla. (Win McNamee / Associated Press) 32 / 32 Republican presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at a rally at Abbington Banquets on Monday in Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Bob Chwedyk / AP)

The violence in North Carolina and Chicago led news organizations to string together video of Trump repeatedly condoning violence against protesters (Id like to punch him in the face, he said of one in Las Vegas), even as he stated over the weekend that he does not condone violence.

In previous contests over the last six weeks, voters who made up their minds in the last few days before an election had tended to reject Trump, polls have found.

Will Marco Rubio drop out?

After losing nearly two dozen contests, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida must win his home state to remain a viable contender for the nomination.

But that would require a sudden Trump collapse in Florida. Polls have found him running far ahead of Rubio.

A Florida loss would leave Rubio with no feasible path to overtake Trump in the chase for delegates, making it all but impossible to raise enough money to sustain his campaign.

Could Democrats see a Michigan repeat?

Clintons surprise defeat in Michigan on March 8 didnt dramatically alter the math required for her to win the nomination  thanks to her big win in Mississippi, she won more delegates on the night  but it nonetheless scrambled the race. For starters, the result showed that public polls, which had Clinton up by double digits, were way off, raising questions about the accuracy of surveys showing her leading in other states as well.

Michigan also proved Sanders strength in a Midwestern industrial state. His strategy was to sharply criticize trade policies that he says have cost manufacturing jobs.

Sanders will try for repeat performances in Ohio and Illinois, where voters indicate some of the same anxieties about trade.

For her part, Clinton has announced new proposals intended to protect car manufacturers under the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership global trade deal in the works. But its unclear whether that will be enough in Ohio, a state that was among the slowest to recover from the Great Recession.

What will happen in Chicago?

Clinton has been able to count on strong support from black voters, winning their votes by big margins in Southern states like South Carolina and Mississippi. However, her advantage among black voters wasnt as wide in Michigan, and now Sanders has set his sights set on Chicago.

The city has been riven by protests over police violence, especially the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, and much of the anger has been directed at Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In his appeals to activists, including black residents angry at the mayor, Sanders has called on Emanuel to resign. Clinton, whose ties to Emanuel date to his work in her husbands presidential administration, has been more circumspect in her comments.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

chris.megerian@latimes.com

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Job losses have carved a grievous wound into the eastern flank of Ohio, and particularly into this iconic city halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh in what used to be Americas Steel Belt, now rusted through.

So it was perhaps not surprising to find a New York billionaire and a Vermont socialist here, where their ideologically incompatible campaigns for president meet, in their need for votes from those battered by the economy.

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Bernie Sanders, the liberal Democrat, and Donald Trump, the iconoclastic Republican, made those stops on Monday, the day before this states primary, each seeing an advantage in an area where losing a job, or losing income, remains an experience felt in the bones of many, the residue of 40 years of bad times. Their visits were an illustration that the arc of politics can bend in strange ways, particularly this year.

Each would bridle at the assertion, but Trump and Sanders have some things in common. Both are seizing on fallout of an uneven recovery that has left many workers feeling abandoned, particularly those in the manufacturing jobs that used to dominate here. Both are waging a fight against their partys establishment that has grown more caustic as the campaign has worn on  though Trump, certainly, has been more explosive.

Both Trump and Sanders are grievance candidates  but that is where the similarity ends. Sanders inveighs against the billionaires who finance campaigns, a description that fit Trump nicely until this year, when he began campaigning in the same vein. And Sanders champions not only workers but also minorities and women and gay Americans, the rising edge of a country redefining itself.

Trump stands as a champion of the past  of the white, blue-collar workers who used to dominate places such as Youngstown and who today attend his events by the thousands. He is pushing back, overtly and subtly, against inexorable cultural change, though he offers few specifics about how he would reverse it.

Their crowds too are different. The Trump crowd chants, Build the wall, when he raises the subject of illegal immigration. The Sanders crowd chants, Enough is enough, when he raises the subject of corporate Americas ills.

They are the two candidates who have aroused passion in this unpredictable campaign year.

Hillary Clinton might end up defeating Sanders in Ohio, on the strength of ties built over the years, particularly during her 2008 Ohio primary victory. If she does, it will not be with the sort of full-throated adulation that has greeted Sanders and Trump here, as in every other state.

On Monday morning at the Covelli Centre, an events space built on the site of one of the long-dead mills, Sanders arrived to an astonishing roar. Like all candidates, he says much the same thing much of the time, but his audiences are enraptured in a way thats startling given that hes a 74-year-old who looks like a vaguely distracted college professor and sounds as if he never left Brooklyn.

The feel is more rock concert than political event; the decibel levels soar even at the most basic Sanders statement. Cheers even follow his remark that hes been a member of the Senate environmental committee.

On Sunday night, a Sanders rally at Ohio State drew more than 7,000 students who stood in the rain for hours before they cleared security and then came inside an arena, dripping wet, to whoop for him.

Here in Youngstown, on a Monday morning, there were far fewer, a mix of students and older fans. The size of the crowd prompted an apology by a Sanders organizer who came to the lectern with a tambourine meant to lend some emphasis to her remarks.

1 / 32 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 2 / 32 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a primary night news conference at the Mar-A-Lago Clubs Donald J. Trump Ballroom in Palm Beach, Fla. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) 3 / 32 Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters in Phoenix. (Ralph Freso / Getty Images) 4 / 32 Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich gestures at his primary election rally in Berea, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 5 / 32 Ted Cruz is joined onstage by his wife, Heidi, and their daughters in Houston. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 6 / 32 Sen. Marco Rubio speaks at a primary night rally in Miami. He says hes ending his campaign for the Republican nomination for president. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press) 7 / 32 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) watch a monitor as Sen. Marco Rubio drops out of the presidential race. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 8 / 32 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hands a phone back to a woman after speaking to the womans son at Dunkin Donuts in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) 9 / 32 Republican presidential hopeful and Ohio Gov. John Kasich celebrates his primary victory in his home state during a rally at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 32 Ted Cruz addresses supporters. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 11 / 32 A Bernie Sanders supporter in Phoenix. (Ricardo Arduengo / Associated Press) 12 / 32 Bernie Sanders. (Ricardo Arduengo / Associated Press) 13 / 32 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 14 / 32 Supporters cheer for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as results come in at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) 15 / 32 Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, leaves his polling place in Westerville after casting his primary ballot. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 16 / 32 Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks with members of the media after voting in the primary election in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 17 / 32 Voters cast their ballots at a fire station in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on Tuesday in Chicago. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) 18 / 32 Voters head to the polls on Super Tuesday at Su Nueva Laundromat in West Lawn in Chicago. (Tasos Katopodis / AFP/Getty Images) 19 / 32 Chris Thomas of Atlanta, Ill., walks from the Atlanta-Eminence Community House after casting her vote on Illinois primary election day Tuesday. (Steve Smedley / Associated Press) 20 / 32 An election judge adjusts a flag at the entrance to the polling location inside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at Jesse Owens Park in Chicago. (Armando Sanchez / Associated Press) 21 / 32 Supporters hold signs for Republican candidates in front of a polling precinct for the Florida primary in Miami. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 32 A voter leaves a polling place during primary voting in Stark County in Wilmot, Ohio. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 23 / 32 A woman arrives to vote in the primary election Tuesday in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 24 / 32 Stickers are set in a paper dish at a polling place during the primary election in Westerville, Ohio. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 25 / 32 Bryant Rogers, center, prepares to cast his ballot in the primary election in Kent, Ohio. (David Maxwell / EPA) 26 / 32 Poll worker Linda UmBayemake of Kent, Ohio, wears a voting sticker on her forehead during the primary election in Kent. (David Maxwell / EPA) 27 / 32 Voters arrive before dawn to cast their ballots in the presidential primary at the Apalachee Bay Volunteer Fire Department in Crawfordville, Fla. (Mark Wallheiser / Getty Images) 28 / 32 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump take a photograph together as they wait inside the Tampa Convention Center before a town hall meeting on Monday in Florida. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 29 / 32 Anthony Borbell sports a tattoo of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally Monday in Vienna Center, Ohio. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 30 / 32 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets supporters at Grady Cole Center on Monday in Charlotte, N.C. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 31 / 32 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio greets supporters while campaigning for president at That Little Restaurant on Monday in Melbourne, Fla. (Win McNamee / Associated Press) 32 / 32 Republican presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at a rally at Abbington Banquets on Monday in Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Bob Chwedyk / AP)

Dave Williams, a 52-year-old cement finisher, was attending his first political event, and on Tuesday, he said with some vehemence, he will cast his ballot for Sanders.

Hes talking about things that need to be talked about, he said. The middle class.

As for Clinton, last seen in Youngstown on Saturday night, talking to entrepreneurs, then quaffing a beer during a local bars early St. Patricks Day event?

Been down that road, Williams replied. She is experienced, yes, but her experience has gotten the country to where its gone.

Sanders wound into a speech filled with his standards: denouncing Clintons reliance on super PACS, her behind-closed-door speeches to Wall Street insiders, her vote for the Iraq war, her support for trade deals that many here blame for job losses even though those started well before the Clinton administration.

What this campaign is about is doing something really radical: Its telling the American people the truth, he said.

Its not about me.... It is about the people of this country saying, Enough is enough. Our government belongs to all of us, not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors.

Yet there is a certain emotional distance to Sanders. In the end, the woman with the tambourine cut to the emotional heart of things better than the candidate as she begged the audience to vote.

The older generation  we learned from you, she said. We have seen you struggle growing up in this area. It is very sad. Its been very hard to grow up and watch our elders struggle and lose their jobs.

Job loss was also on the mind of Sue Sescourka, 50, who spoke while waiting for Trump to arrive for his rally Monday evening at Youngstowns airport.

Sescourka worked in the silvering department at a local GE lightbulb plant until she was injured in an accident a few years ago. Soon there was no job to go back to; the plant that had employed her, and her mother since 1959, closed. Three weeks ago, she started volunteering for Trump.

We are in a desperate need for change, and a lot of people are afraid of it, she said. Hes not afraid to make that change.

I think he has the intelligence to do it, the heart to do it, the patriotism to do it.

Clinton easily defeated Barack Obama here in Mahoning County in the 2008 primary; Obama won the county in both of his general elections. But if there is a definite advantage here for Democratic candidates, there is anecdotal evidence of Democrats requesting Republican ballots for early voting, presumably for Trump.

Theres affinity here for politicians who defy convention. The area was represented in Congress for 17 years by James Traficant, a flamboyant Democrat with a memorable toupee who would end his congressional speeches with a plea to Beam me up!

Donald Trump is Jim Traficant with a billion dollars and a better suit, said David Betras, chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party. Traficant won 15% of the vote in his last try for Congress, a campaign he conducted from a penitentiary cell after his 2002 conviction on bribery and other charges.

The man with the billion dollars and a better suit made it to Youngstown more than an hour late Monday night, accompanied by his former competitor, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The crowd had waited for him. Trump vowed, as he always does, to be an activist president who would threaten to apply tariffs to companies that close their doors to move overseas.

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He specifically cited the case of Carrier, the air conditioning firm that has announced plans to move 2,100 jobs from two Indiana plants to Mexico in 2017.

Im not supposed to be calling up air conditioning companies, but Im going to do it, he said, pledging a 35% tariff would be levied on each unit.

Im going to bring your industry back, he said.

He finished his speech and got back on his plane. The campaign for Youngstown was over, the choice left to its people.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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No political contest in America is susceptible to more hype than the race for the presidency, where winners and losers seem to be crowned by the minute. How many times has a candidate been inevitable or washed up only to see the following week change everything?

Tonight, folks, may be the exception. On this Election Day, the race could finally settle on a path toward either dominance or division.

Good morning from the state capital. Im Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers and in this most political of California cities, its hard to find people not constantly checking their smartphone for the latest in the Trump-Clinton-Sanders-Cruz-Rubio-Kasich saga.

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REPUBLICANS RUMBLE, DEMOCRATS DUEL IN FIVE STATES

Tonight, five states weigh in for whats being dubbed, in Hollywood style, Super Tuesday 3.

Two of them could tell the tale for Republicans. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio needs huge help to pull out a win in his home state, where Donald Trump seems poised to win. A better chance, though still a tough slog, awaits Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the Buckeye State.

But if Trump wins both states, he could be unstoppable in his quest for the GOP nomination.

On the Democratic side, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders searches for some more Midwest momentum as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could extend her delegate lead by the time the night comes to an end.

Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina, and Missouri. Its a big night and our presidential reporting team is fanned out and ready to roll.

Kasich says hes going to stay positive, Rubio says maybe hes not vain enough for 2016, Trump is setting his sights on Kasich but wont be charged with inciting a riot  you just cant make this stuff up.

WATCH WITH US TONIGHT

Well be tracking each of the contests tonight as soon as polls close in Ohio and North Carolina at 4:30 p.m. PDT. See the results from each state here.

Follow along with our coverage, get dispatches from Florida and Ohio and watch the speeches on Trail Guide, and keep track of the increasingly important delegate count using our exclusive tracker.

Dont miss a moment during the day by following @latimespolitics on Twitter.

MEANWHILE, TWO YEARS FROM NOW

OK, back to California, where 2018 still feels like a long way away. Or does it?

The 2018 race for governor will be here before you know it and Phil Willon has put together an early line on whos in, whos likely and whos wishful thinking.

In some cases, the potential heirs to Gov. Jerry Brown could create their own presidential buzz with a win in November 2018. Political watchers will remember well the fizzled White House bid of former Gov. Pete Wilson and the brief musings that maybe former Gov. Gray Davis had the right stuff. Neither man did, of course, but an open gubernatorial race is a big deal and were getting started early.

One of those potential candidates, billionaire activist Tom Steyer, waded into the presidential race himself on Monday by calling Republican front-runner Trump a racist.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORMERS STEP ASIDE

Meantime, the fall 2016 ballot is starting to take shape in the Golden State and might be shrinking a bit. On Monday, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jim Heerwagen abandoned his ballot initiative to require new campaign finance and lobbying disclosure.

Instead, Heerwagen endorsed three pieces of legislation in Sacramento that he said should get the job done. One of them, unveiled on Monday, would commit more than $13 million in taxpayer funds to build a new online database for tracking campaign contributions.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

 A Southern Californian on the U.S. Supreme Court? David Savage and Maura Dolan profile Judge Paul J. Watford, a leading candidate for the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

 The Republican National Committee plans to launch a media blitz against Sen. Dianne Feinstein and others during the Supreme Court confirmation confrontation.

 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is leading 16 House Democratic colleagues on a trip to Cuba next week when President Obama visits the island nation March 21-22.

The San Francisco Democrat will be joined by House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Xavier Becerra (Los Angeles) and Reps. Karen Bass (Los Angeles), Sam Farr (Carmel), Barbara Lee (Oakland) and Alan Lowenthal (Long Beach).

Staff for several of the California members told Sarah Wire they are still waiting to learn details about what the congressional delegation will do when in Cuba.

LOGISTICS

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Follow @johnmyers on Twitter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast.

Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

This post was updated at 10:37 a.m. to reflect that Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (Downey) is not one of the Democrats traveling to Cuba.



It was originally published at 6 a.m.


You no longer have to be part of a group tour to visit Cuba as a tourist.

On Tuesday, President Obama again eased restrictions on travel to the island nation, just before his own visit from Sunday through March 22.

But dont plan on plopping down on the beach for your stay.

You still cannot go just as a tourist, said Jared Alster, cofounder of the guided tour search engine Stride Travel. They must have a full-time schedule of educational activities.

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A classic American convertible parked outside the National Theatre in Havana where President Obama is expected to speak during his upcoming trip. (Desmond Boylan / Associated Press)

Though U.S. travelers are no longer limited to pricey people-to-people tours, they must affirm that their visit is for at least one of 12 sanctioned reasons, including educational exchanges and people-to-people experiences.

This means you have to figure out a DIY itinerary and retain records related to the authorized travel transactions, including records demonstrating a full-time schedule of authorized activities, according to a U.S. Treasury Department information sheet about the new rules.

Group tours that provide these records have other advantages too.

Anyone who wants to go to Cuba on their own, good luck, said Janet Moore, owner of Distant Horizons tour operator in Long Beach, which has sent hundreds of people to Cuba. Good luck navigating it. Its a mess.

Hotel reservations can be notoriously difficult to obtain.

Worldwide interest in Cuba has prompted a big increase in tourism, but the number of available hotel rooms in Havana has not increased, said Moore, who was in Cuba just 10 days ago.

Travelers can choose to stay in a private home, called a casa particular, which is a great way to have an authentic experience and mix with the locals. Airbnb lists rooms for as little as $15 a night. But remember, theres no guarantee on what type of room youll get.

Also, because reservations in some home stays arent typically confirmed with a credit card deposit (many Cubans dont have bank accounts, Moore said), you may make a reservation and arrive to find your room was given to someone else.

Lastly, youll need to take cash. Your U.S. credit cards still wont work in Cuba, not because they are prohibited but because the systems havent been put in place yet to make them a reliable option. So almost all transactions, including meals and tours, are in cash.

You can expect more changes this year too.

Daily flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Havana may start as soon as September. Alaska Airlines or American Airlines may get to operate the route once a Department of Transportation decision has been made in June, Moore says.

And Wi-Fi and Internet options have improved greatly in the last year too, she says.

But theres one thing she hopes wont change.

The Cubans are very conscious and proud of their heritage and their history and their culture, Moore says.

Info: U.S. Department of Treasury Frequently Asked Questions Related to Cuba

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Russian warplanes and troops stationed at Russias air base in Syria started leaving for home Tuesday after a partial pullout order from President Vladimir Putin the previous day, a step that raises hopes for progress at the newly reconvened U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria called Putins announcement a significant development. Staffan de Mistura said in a statement that his team hoped the Russian drawdown would have a positive impact on the negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to Syrias war and a peaceful political transition in the country.

Putin announced the withdrawal of most of the Russian forces from Syria on Monday, just hours after De Mistura had reconvened indirect peace talks between representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assads government and those of the so-called moderate opposition. After meeting with a government delegation on Monday, the U.N. envoy was to meet with opposition representatives on Tuesday.

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Russias Defense Ministry said a group of Su-34 bombers was the first to depart on Tuesday, accompanied by a military transportation aircraft. The planes would be making stops at airfields in Russia for refueling and technical checks since some of them are stationed more than 3,100 miles from the Syria base, the ministry said.

Russian state television showed video of three warplanes taking off and flying in formation behind a larger transport aircraft. A correspondent at the base reported on Rossiya 24 television that a second group also had already set off for home and a third was being prepared for takeoff.

Putin didnt specify how many aircraft and troops would be withdrawn. Russia has not revealed how many soldiers it has deployed to Syria, where it maintains a naval facility as well as an air base, but U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel vary from 3,000 to 6,000.

Russia has deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syrias coastal province of Latakia.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment Tuesday on whether Russian aircraft would completely stop bombing militant positions, but he noted that the number of sorties had already dropped by two-thirds since the cease-fire went into effect Feb. 27.

The head of the defense committee in Russias upper house of parliament, Viktor Ozerov, said Tuesday that he estimated about 1,000 Russian military personnel would remain in Syria at the two bases, the Interfax news agency reported.

Ozerov said Russia would need a minimum of two battalions, a total of 800 troops, to protect the two bases. In addition, Russia would continue to conduct air reconnaissance, requiring some of the plane crews to remain, and the military specialists advising the Syrian army also would stay, he said.

He said Russia would keep its long-range S-400 air defense missiles at the base. Russia deployed the powerful system in November after Turkey downed a Russian jet along the Syrian border.

The start of the negotiations in Switzerland on Monday offered Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the five-and-a-half-month Russian air campaign, which has allowed Assads army to win back some key ground and strengthen his positions ahead of the talks.

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russias foreign and defense ministers, Putin said Monday that the Russian air campaign has allowed Assads military to radically turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

With Russias main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to present himself as a peacemaker and help ease tension with NATO member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscows military action.

At the same time, Putin made it clear that Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. Syrias state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military will draw down its air force contingent but wont leave the country altogether.

The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria. It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the successes the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country.

The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against Islamic State, Al Qaedas Syria branch known as the Nusra Front and other militant factions in Syria that have been designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations with the same tempo.
Top Islamic State commander and feared Chechen jihadi fighter Omar Shishani has died of wounds suffered in a U.S. airstrike in Syria last week, a senior Iraqi intelligence official and the head of a Syrian activist group said Tuesday.

Shishani died Monday outside the Islamic State groups main stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, the two told the Associated Press.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

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The red-bearded ethnic Chechen was one of the most prominent Islamic State commanders, serving as the groups military commander for the territory it controls in Syria. He may have also become the overall military chief, a post that has been vacant since the Iraqi militant who once held it  known as Abu Abdulrahman Bilawi Anbari  was killed in the Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014.

According to Rami Abdurrahman, of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, after Shishani was wounded, Islamic State brought a number of doctors to treat him, but they were not able to.

Abdurrahman said Shishani died in a hospital in the eastern suburbs of Raqqa. The Iraqi intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the Islamic State commander was buried in Deir el-Zour on Tuesday.

A U.S. airstrike targeted Shishani on March 4 near the town of Shaddadi in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters in a statement last week.

Shishani had been sent to Shaddadi to bolster ISIL fighters following a series of strategic defeats, Cook said in the statement, using an acronym for Islamic State.

U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, told reporters Friday that the airstrike that targeted Shishani was part of a series of stepped-up coalition strikes targeting Islamic State leadership.

Shishani was in the area of Shaddadi along with about a dozen other fighters who were in one spot ... and we struck it, Warren said at the time.

The extremist Islamic State group, which emerged from Al Qaedas branch in Iraq, has many Iraqis among its leaders. It blitzed across much of Iraq in the summer of 2014, capturing vast swaths of the countrys north and west. It also exploited the chaos of Syrias civil war to seize large chunks of territory there as well and declared a caliphate on the territory it controls in both countries.

It drew hundreds of foreign fighters into its operations in Syria. The United Nations estimated that around 30,000 so-called foreign fighters from 100 countries are actively working with Islamic State, Al Qaeda or other extremist groups. An earlier estimate by the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, a think tank at Kings College London, said Islamic State fighters include 3,300 Western Europeans and 100 or so Americans.

Yet despite the U.S.-led campaign of coalition airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria, Islamic State still controls large areas, including Raqqa in Syria and Iraqs second-largest city of Mosul.
As Syrians mark the fifth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar Assad, here are some of the key events in the conflict:

 March 2011: Protests erupt in the city of Dara over security forces detention of a group of boys accused of painting antigovernment graffiti on the walls of their school. On March 15, a protest is held in Damascus Old City. On March 18, security forces open fire on a protest in Dara, killing four people in what activists regard as the first deaths of the uprising. Demonstrations spread, as does the crackdown by Assads forces.

 April 2011: Security forces raid a sit-in in Syrias third-largest city, Homs, where thousands of people tried to create the mood of Cairos Tahrir Square, the epicenter of protests against Egypts autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

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 June 2011: Police and soldiers in Jisr al-Shughour in northeastern Syria join protesters they were ordered to shoot, and the uprising claims control of a town for the first time. Elite government troops, tanks and helicopters retake the town within days.

1 / 11 Homs Old City. Gutted apartment blocks in Homs once housed its long-prospering merchant class. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 2 / 11 People line up at a government checkpoint to enter the rebel-held neighborhood of Waer. Before the war, Sunnis, Shiites and Christians coexisted peacefully in Homs. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 3 / 11 Mohammed Ali Nouh, in background, is one of the few shop owners who have reopened for business in Old Homs, where residents use bicylces because public transportation is nonexistent. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 4 / 11 Workers rebuild a shop near the citys old souk. The souks specialty areas  including the gold market, the metalwork and woodcraft bazaars, the section featuring ladies goods  remain deserted. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 5 / 11 Shoppers head to a government-run bakery the size of an airplane hangar that sits along the tense border between rebel-controlled Waer and government-held territory. Here we feed everyone; they are all our citizens, says the bakery manager, Hussein Amin, 59. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 6 / 11 The bakerys sizzling gas ovens churn out tens of thousands of circular flatbreads daily for consumption on both sides of the divide. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 7 / 11 Posters in the pro-government Zahra district commemorate martyrs, including those killed in the civil war. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 8 / 11 A 13-year-old girl does her homework in a school turned shelter for displaced families. Her family escaped from Waer and now lives in the shelter in the Baba Amr district. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 9 / 11 The dense warren of Old Homs was once a vibrant and religiously diverse home to more than 300,000 people; fewer than 30,000 remain, according to official estimates. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 10 / 11 A rusted tank in Old Homs. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) 11 / 11 A poster of President Bashar Assad in Old Homs. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

 August 2011: President Obama calls on Assad to resign and orders Syrian government assets frozen.

 July 2012: A bombing at the Syrian national security building in Damascus during a high-level government crisis meeting kills four top officials, including Assads brother-in-law and the defense minister.

 Summer 2012: Fighting spreads to Aleppo, Syrias largest city and its former commercial capital.

 August 2012: Kofi Annan quits as United Nations-Arab League envoy after his attempts to broker a cease-fire fail. Obama says the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a red line that would change his thinking about military action.

 March 2013: After advancing in the north, rebel forces capture Raqqah, a city of 500,000 people on the Euphrates River and the first major population center controlled by the opposition.

 May-June 2013: Backed by thousands of Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, Assads forces recapture the strategic town of Qusair from rebels, near the border with Lebanon.

 August-September 2013: A chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs kills hundreds. Obama, blaming Assads government, says the U.S. has a responsibility to respond and puts it to a vote in Congress. Russia proposes instead that Syria give up its chemical weapons, averting military strikes.

 October 2013: Syria destroys its chemical weapons production equipment. The number of Syrian refugees registered with the U.N. tops 2 million.

 January 2014: Infighting among rebels spreads, pitting a variety of Islamic groups and moderate factions against the Al Qaeda-breakaway group Islamic State.

 February 2014: Two rounds of peace talks led by U.N.-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi in Geneva end without a breakthrough.

 May 9: Rebels withdraw from the old quarter of the central city of Homs in a significant symbolic victory for the government.

 May 13: Brahimi resigns as U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, marking a second failure by the United Nations and Arab League to end the civil war.

 June 3: Syrians in government areas vote in presidential elections. Assad, one of three candidates, overwhelmingly wins with 88.7%.

 June: Islamic State seizes large parts of northern and western Iraq. In control of around a third of Syria and Iraq, it declares a self-styled Islamic caliphate.

In this Aug. 10, 2014, file photo, an aircraft lands after missions targeting the Islamic State group in Iraq from the deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf. (Hasan Jamali / AP)

 July 3: Islamic State takes control of Syrias largest oil field, Omar, after fierce battles with Al Nusra Front, Al Qaedas branch in Syria.

 Aug. 19: Islamic State militants release video of the beheading of American journalist James Foley, the first of five Westerners to be beheaded by the group.

 Mid-September: Islamic State begins offensive to take Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani, on the Turkish border.

 Sept. 23: A U.S.-led coalition begins airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.

1 / 9 Tourists shop for paintings at an art store in Damascus, the Syrian capital. (AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 9 Syrians and tourists walk at the Hamidiya Souk, or bazaar, in Damascus. (Hussein Malla / Associated Press) 3 / 9 A German tourist looks at the minaret of the 8th century Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. (Ghaith Abdul-Ahad / Getty Images) 4 / 9 In Aleppo, in northern Syria, a man buys sweets sold for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Bassem Tellawi / Associated Press) 5 / 9 A camel waits in the historic town of Palmyra during a festival. (Louai Beshara / AFP/Getty Images) 6 / 9 A tourist makes her way through a market in the Old City of Damascus. (Anwar Amro / AFP/Getty Images) 7 / 9 A shopkeeper waits for tourists in Damascus. (Louai Beshara / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 9 Syrias first casino, near the Damascus airport, opened without fanfare on Christmas Eve 2010. It was a bending of the rules in a secular country seeking to lure tourists but where gambling is banned out of respect for Islam. (Louai Beshara / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 9 Syrian Bedouins watch over their camels as tourists visit the historic town of Palmyra. (Louai Beshara / AFP/Getty Images)

 January 2015: The U.N. estimates Syrias conflict has killed at least 220,000 people and uprooted nearly a third of the prewar population of 23 million from their homes.

 Jan. 26: With the help of U.S.-led airstrikes, Kurdish fighters take control of Kobani.

 Feb. 3: Islamic State releases a video of captured Jordanian pilot Lt. Moaz Kasasbeh being burned to death in a cage.

 March 28: The northwestern city of Idlib falls to Islamist groups led by Al Nusra Front.

 May 6: Assad acknowledges serious setbacks for his military.

 Sept. 30: Russia begins launching airstrikes in Syria in support of Assads forces.

 Nov. 14: Seventeen nations meeting in Vienna adopt a timeline for a transition plan in Syria that includes a new constitution as well as U.N.-administered parliamentary and presidential elections within 18 months.

An injured Syrian child waits for treatment at a makeshift hospital in the rebel-held area of Duma, after airstrikes on Feb. 2, 2015. (Abd Doumany / AFP/Getty Images)

 Dec. 18: The U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 2254 endorsing the Vienna road map for a transitional period in Syria.

 Feb. 3: Indirect peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition in Geneva collapse a few days after starting, over a Russian-backed Syrian army offensive in Aleppo.

 Feb. 22: The U.S. and Russia announce a partial cease-fire in Syria will start Feb. 27.

 March 9: The U.N.s Syria envoy says indirect peace talks will resume in Geneva on March 14.

 March 14: Russian President Vladimir Putin announces that his armed forces will begin withdrawing from Syria.
A war has been raging in Turkeys southeast for the last several months  though it has gone largely unnoticed in the West. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced as Turkish forces clash with an increasingly fierce Kurdish insurgency.

In Diyarbakirs ancient Sur neighborhood, heavily armed police at steel and wire checkpoints search residents for weapons and explosives. Armored vehicles prowl the streets.

Kurdish fighters have been holed up in the neighborhood, digging trenches, burying improvised bombs and declaring self-rule for the last eight months. Combined with Kurdish territorial gains in neighboring Syria and unexpectedly strong support for the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party in last years parliamentary elections, the situation has officials in Turkey increasingly concerned that Kurds are making progress toward their long-held goal of establishing a fully autonomous Kurdish homeland  some of it on Turkish soil.

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The military descended on Sur on Dec. 3 to clear bombs and trenches. Tanks rolled along streets, pumping shells into insurgent positions as helicopters circled above. Teams of special forces police slugged it out in street combat with insurgents from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

The fighting has caused substantial damage in the traditional seat of Kurdish power and culture in Turkey.

Sur is the heart of Amed, said Emin Ermin, local manager of the Kurdish-focused Human Rights Assn., or IHD, using the Kurdish word for Diyarbakir. Our history is found there, and they are destroying it.

Most of Surs residents fled during the early stages of the Turkish operation, locals and rights monitors said. They scattered throughout Diyarbakir, a sprawling metropolitan hub with a population of about a million.

A 48-year-old woman named Nursel, who asked that her last name not be used because of fear for her safety, said she and five of her six children were trapped in Sur for nearly two months before getting out.

Because of the tear gas and fighting, we spent very long periods confined to our house, she said. We were unable to leave.

Electricity was cut. Most of the shops were shut. We couldnt make phone calls or use the Internet. My children were terrified of going outside because of the snipers.

1 / 9 People take cover as Turkish police fire a water cannon and tear gas during a demonstration against government-imposed curfews in Diyarbakir on Feb. 24, 2016 (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 9 Journalist Ayse Surme reacts after she was injured when Turkish police fired tear gas during a demonstration in Diyarbakir on Feb. 24, 2016 against government-imposed curfews on areas of eastern Turkey. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 9 Kurdish boys who earn a living collecting garbage run from Turkish polices water cannon during a demonstration against government-imposed curfews in Diyarbakir on Feb. 24. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 9 Turkish soldiers patrol Diyarbakirs historical Sur district on Feb. 26, 2016 . Violence has flared since the collapse in July of a fragile two-and-a-half-year truce aimed at bringing a halt to decades of a Kurdish insurgency. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 5 / 9 Residents flee the fighting in Diyarbakir. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 6 / 9 People carry their belongings as they flee from the fighting in Diyarbakir. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 7 / 9 People walk past security forces as they leave their houses during clashes in central Diyarbakir. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 9 A woman pushing a stoller walks past a government soldier in central Diyarbakir. The city has been ravaged by street fighting between Turkish police and Kurdish insurgents. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 9 People carry their belongings as they return to their homes on March 13, after clashes ended in Sur. (ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP/Getty Images)

She returned briefly Saturday to gather belongings from her home. My children are traumatized from what went on, she said. They never want to go back.

About 200 civilians remain trapped by fighting in Diyarbakir, Ermin estimated. They are surviving by hiding in basements, with little food or water.

Corpses festered amid piles of rubble because nobody could get to them, medical officials said. Many times we tried to get in and treat the wounded, said Ozgur Ozan, the Diyarbakir Medical Assn.'s general secretary. The authorities prevented us from entering.

The Turkish government said it has targeted only insurgents in its war against what it calls Kurdish terrorism.

Activists have been sharing the image of a dead woman lying face-down in debris, a breakfast tray by her side and blood sprayed across the floor. A civilian, 38-year-old Melek Alpaydin was killed Jan. 3 when a shell slammed into the building where she sought refuge. It is unclear whether security forces or insurgents fired the ordnance.

She had just come from the worst part of Sur, said Nursel, who knew her. She thought she would be safer there.

The PKK, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, has waged a 30-year insurgency against the Turkish state, demanding greater political and cultural rights for the nations long-repressed Kurdish minority. Three years of peace talks with the group broke down in July.

On Sunday, a car bomb in Ankara, Turkeys capital, killed 37 people. Although authorities did not immediately say who was responsible, Turkish warplanes retaliated Monday by bombing PKK hide-outs in the mountains of northern Iraq. The government said 18 targets were hit.

There are renewed fears of attacks on civilians as fighting has spread from the PKKs mountain strongholds to the cities. Many of the guerrillas clashing in Sur and other cities across Turkeys southeast are teenagers from a youth militia closely linked to the PKK.

In Sur, vendors have been left picking through shops that were trashed in the fighting. Walls were charred. Freshly turned soil indicated where advancing police forces filled in trenches as they squeezed the insurgents into shrinking corners of the neighborhood.

Six of Surs 15 boroughs remain under curfew, according to rights groups. Journalists and independent observers were denied access beyond police lines throughout the curfew, making it difficult to verify information coming out of Sur.

Johnson is a special correspondent.

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WhatsApp has decided to expand its encryption scheme to voice calls, as the fight between the U.S. government and Apple expands to include other major technology firms.

WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook and Google are now all working on their own systems to increase user privacy and keep government hands off of messaging data. As the court battle between Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice rages on, many major Silicon Valley companies -- supporters of Apple in its resistance to handing over encryption backdoors to U.S. law enforcement -- have announced their own projects to increase the privacy and encryption of data exchanged on their platforms as well.

Google is considering enforcing other products with the end-to-end encryption used for Gmail. Snapchat has said it's working on its own security measures. And Facebook's WhatsApp messenger has announced plans to encrypt voice calls and group messages this week, according to an exclusive report by The Guardian.

Lines Drawn

Virtually every technology firm has at least explored, if not implemented, encryption schemes for data exchanged on their platforms, but the wave of new data security measures can -- without question -- be seen as a response to the fight between Apple and the FBI.

As Latin Post previously reported, the FBI attempted, through a court order, to compel Apple to create a modified, less secure version of its iOS operating system. The agency wanted to use the custom version of iOS to bypass security features on the encrypted iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

But Apple balked at the order, saying that it amounted to compelling a company to create a so-called backdoor that could make any iPhone insecure. The company claimed this would open a veritable Pandora's Box that could undermine the privacy of all Apple users -- and likely the company itself -- if it were to ever leak from the agency's control.

Beyond that practical argument, the fight between Apple and the Department of Justice has gotten uglier and more personal recently, with prosecutors questioning Apple's motives and honesty. At the same time, Facebook, Google and other heavyweights have joined in publicly on Apple's side.

Battle Brewing

If Facebook, Google and others filing amicus briefs on behalf of their Cupertino rival wasn't enough to show the growing divide between the government and Silicon Valley, announced expansions to encryption programs certainly is.

Of particular note in the growing encryption battle is WhatsApp, one of the world's most popular free messaging services, which is owned by Facebook. The app already encrypts users' messages by default, but the company has made a major, costly move by extending encryption to voice calls. WhatsApp isn't expanding encryption as just a show of support for Apple, though.

It Could Get Ugly

In fact, WhatsApp, and Facebook by extension, has been locked in its own battle with a government ordering it to decrypt user messages. That controversy has already gotten much more unpleasant than anything between Apple and the FBI.

This year, Brazil's federal government has repeatedly ordered WhatsApp to decrypt user messages that police forces say will provide key evidence against drug traffickers and other unsavory criminal elements in the country.

WhatsApp has responded to the Brazilian government much as Apple has to the FBI, saying it literally had no technical ability to provide those messages. Twice this year, Brazil has blocked WhatsApp from operating in the country as a result, though only temporarily after Brazilians protested because they depend on the app for daily communication.

Beyond temporary blocks, and beyond anything Apple has experienced with the U.S. government, Brazilian federal police actually arrested Facebook's VP for Latin America in early March for "repeated non-compliance" with government decryption orders. That, too, was only temporary. The executive's detention was reversed only hours later, after a higher court found the arrest to be "extreme and disproportionate."

But it ominously shows where the encryption battle between technology companies and governments may be headed, even more so now that Silicon Valley is beefing up its security and closing ranks with Apple.
Investigators found the remains of four out of 21 missing gold miners in Venezuela in what they believe is a massacre linked to conflict over uncovered gold in the southern jungle of Caracas.

Venezuela's untapped gold resources have been subject to international interest, particularly China, who paid a hefty $691 million to gain access to the South American country's copper and gold reserves.

Now, it seems the rich resources of the country cost the lives of some of the miners who had been reported missing more than a week ago.

Even worse, relatives of the missing miners believe that the government is covering up the massacre.

Bodies Found

Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz said that four out of 21 missing miners were excavated from a grave located "in Nuevo Callao, deep into the [Amazon] jungle," the country's violent southeastern savanna.

"We don't know if all of the missing people are there," she said during an interview broadcasted on national television on Monday.

According to Ortega, the excavation had just begun and that they have yet to verify if all of the remains in the grave were that of the missing miners.

A probe into the case revealed that the miners were massacred by a gang known as "El Topo" or The Mole.

Ortega further revealed that authorities issued an arrest warrant for the gang's leader, Jamilton Ulloa, whom they believed ordered the killings.

Unfortunately, Ulloa is still at large.

Witnesses cited by local media outlets claim that the miners were fatally shot by gangs on March 4, adding to the growing murder rate in the embattled country.

The Cover Up

Anxious about their loved ones' whereabouts, the relatives of the missing gold miners believe that the Venezuelan government had not been totally honest about what really happened to the victims.

According to relatives, the number of missing miners is nearing 28 but authorities remain firm in their recently revealed count.

"We're convinced, after a technically and scientifically rigorous investigation, that in total 21 people disappeared," Ortega said in the interview, adding that they have yet to determine a motive for the killings.

Prior to sending over 1,000 soldiers to locate the remains last week, Bolivar state governor Francisco Rangel had initially denied that there are indeed missing miners.

Now, the government admits that there may have been territorial clashes between mining gangs engaged in the illegal extraction of natural resources, particularly Venezuela's coveted gold.

Venezuelan Gold

The South American country's gold had just gained international attention after the Venezuelan government expressed its intent on selling the resources to other countries.

In fact, Mining.com reported that the country would receive $5 billion in investments from Canada's Gold Reserve to settle the dispute over the Venezuela's gold reserves.
Colombian whistleblower police captain Anyelo Palacios escaped his captors and was found unscathed a day after he was kidnapped but suspects' identities have yet to be revealed.

Palacios was instrumental to the revelation of a long-running male prostitution ring that linked several high-ranking police officials, including Police Chief Rodolfo Palomino.

Because of this, he was treated as a key witness to the case, which also dragged politicians into embarrassment and possible imprisonment.

The Kidnapping

Authorities said Palacios was driving his 76-year-old stepfather, Arcilio Ortiz Valero, on Saturday evening in Caliche in the northeastern province of Santander when four armed men riding two motorcycles overtook their vehicle.

Then, the riding tandem doubled back, overpowered and took the police captain against his will.

According to Ortiz, the kidnappers demanded him to get out of the vehicle while assuring that his stepson would be returned within an hour.

After the hour passed with Palacios nowhere to be found, Ortiz decided to report the kidnapping incident to authorities

The Motive

As key witness to a big scandal, it is not unexpected for Palacios to be a target of violence and other forms of retaliation.

Since Colombia began the peace talks with FARC rebels, kidnapping records had become a lot less rampant, leaving only small and isolated cases.

With regards to Palacio's abduction, some reports speculate that the kidnapping might be related to the prostitution ring case where he pinpointed high profile personalities as suspects and accessories to the crime.

While authorities have yet to determine the reason for his capture, Colombian Police Chief General Jorge Hernando Nieto explained that they "are not ruling anything out" just yet.

"We are investigating in order to find out the motive behind the facts," Nieto said.

"The Fellowship of the Ring"

Palacios took front and center in the male prostitution ring probe after the Colombian radio station La F.M. posted a video he secretly took in 2008 that implicated then-Senator Carlos Ferro in the scandal.

While he was not seen in the footage, his voice matched that of the person speaking with the former senator.

Admitting that he was the one who shot the clip, Palacios then admitted to being subjected to forced sexual intercourse while he was still a young cadet.

According to him, high-ranking officials used their positions to coerce young cadets like him to engage in sexual intercourse against their will.

Among the big names dragged in the controversy are former Senator Carlos Ferro and former Police Chief Rodolfo Palomino who both stepped down from office while denying the allegations.
The National Liberation Army, Colombia's second largest leftist group, has attacked the Cano-Limon Covenas pipeline.

The ELN's two bomb attacks have suspended pumping operations along the Cano-Limon Covenas, which is the country's second most important oil pipeline, according to state oil company Ecopetrol's statement on Monday.

Police and military sources said that the ELN's twin attacks occurred over the weekend in rural areas situated in northern Norte de Santander and Arauca provinces.

The pipeline, which extends 485 miles (780 km), can transport up to 210,000 barrels of crude each day from oil fields operated by Occidental Petroleum to Covenas' Caribbean port. Occidental Petroleum is located near the U.S.-Venezuela border.

Other Attacks

In February, the ELN blew up a transmission tower near Aguachica, a city in Cesar province. According to 5th Brigade commander Gen. Heider Giraldo, the attack left three cities without electricity. Aside from Aguachica, the cities of Gamarra and Morales also had their electricity supply cut off due to the attack.

Attacks on oil installations initiated by the ELN are no surprise. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has stopped its attacks on pipelines since a unilateral ceasefire for a peace deal began in July between the group and the Colombian government.

ELN Recruits FARC Dissidents

The ELN has been recruiting deserting FARC guerillas into their group, according to Colombia Reports. Those who are being recruited are reportedly FARC's low-level commanders and guerrilla fighters who oppose the peace accord or are unsure about their future lives as civilians.

Both the ombudsman and indigenous organization ONIC said that the ELN is taking over areas that were previously held by the FARC.

Indigenous groups in numerous parts of Colombia have discovered propaganda material from the ELN in their areas.

"Since the Farc declared its unilateral ceasefire [in December 2014] we have begun to see evidence of presence of the ELN in areas of Vale del Cauca, Norte del Cauca, Choco and Narino where they had never been," ONIC head Luis Fernando Arias said in February, as quoted in BBC's report. "So people began to ask themselves if there had been a change of command."

Camilo Gonzalez, a conflict expert, said that the Colombian government should push through with a peace deal with the ELN. If not, the rebel group could increase its numbers and disrupt the government's ongoing peace talks with the FARC.

Sources claimed that the ELN's military commander, called "Pablito," is building his group into a national guerrilla, a position that was previously occupied by the FARC.
Uber is broadening its operations by setting its sights on Argentina.

Since January, the company has been posting plenty of job advertisements on LinkedIn and revealing its plan to conduct operations in Argentina. The announcement, however, wasn't welcomed warmly.

Soledad Lago Rodriguez, Communications Manager at Uber Sur, told La Nacion that the company is "evaluating the possibility of providing a service in Argentina," though a definite date is still unknown given that they are still in the dark regarding the conditions, The Bubble reported.

Uber, a transportation alternative to taxi services that can be operated through an app on your smartphone, has been operating in Latin America since 2014. Among the countries currently allowing Uber operations are Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.

In February, Uber received $200 million from investment group LetterOne, or L1, to aid in its expansion in emerging markets such as Asia, according to The Tico Times.

Why Uber is not Welcome in Argentina

Despite Uber's low priced and convenient service, many still scoff at its presence. One reason behind this is because Uber allows unlicensed drivers to avoid the normal regulations commonly required from professionals.

In Argentina, the current price of a taxi license reaches up to AR$190,000. Potential drivers are required to undergo a special course and exams, as well as submit a driving license, identity card, proof of address and criminal record.

Jose Robles from Taxi Real in Lima, Peru voiced his disapproval of Uber.

"I believe that [Uber] is a company that is using good technology but its model of business is devastating for both taxi companies and for taxi drivers because they employ people who are not registered by the countries' authorities," Robles told The Bubble. "This has made fair competition almost impossible for official taxis who have to pay fees every year for procedures related to licenses, exams and maintenance of the vehicle."

Eduardo, a taxi driver in Buenos Aires, said that Uber's existence is unfair because "[the company] doesn't have go through the same inspections as we do. It's not fair that we have to pay for our licenses and go through the whole process of being certified, when they can just start whenever they like," the news outlet added.

Complaints

Aside from failing to obtain official endorsement from local authorities, Uber is also facing complaints regarding its drivers. Despite insisting that it has performed background checks on its drivers, Uber has been slapped with complaints about the matter.

An Uber driver in Michigan, U.S. has shot and killed six people recently. Last year, an Uber driver in Chicago reportedly exposed himself to a female passenger.
The 2016 Presidential Elections remain unpredictable as more surprising twists and turns arise among Latino voters, particularly in the sunny state of Florida.

The number of Latino voters has surprisingly increased over the past few months after "swing voting" Puerto Ricans migrated to Florida, but it is not the only thing that could make or break the reign of Democrats or Republicans in the country.

Recent statistics from Pew Research revealed a skyrocket of independent voters in Florida, which will see 610,000 people who support neither President Barack Obama's Democratic nor Donald Trump's Republican parties.

These numbers have an immense impact on the upcoming elections because since they have not identified with either party, they hold power over the election results and should therefore be the ones the candidates are wooing.

Who Are Independent Voters?

According to Truth Out, independent voters hold the key to a candidate's success in taking the highest seat in the land.

"Presidential elections are all about independent voters. They're the ones who ultimately decide elections and who candidates want to sway," the website explained.

Independent voters can also be considered "closet Republicans and Democrats" who feel uneasy siding with a party because of the negative connotation of being partisan.

"We've got a government with very little accountability; we've got a government with no productivity; and we've got an increase in partisanship on both sides, which means they become less accountable and they do even less," Bill Hillsman, a member of Independent Voters of America explained.

Unlike their partisan brothers and sisters, independent voters are deemed less informed, contrary to popular belief that they do not choose a party because they do not want to be blinded by party loyalty.

Citing political expert Philip Converse, the outlet implies that independent voters are also the so-called "swing voters" who readily change their minds in favor of a candidate whom they believe is capable of improving their state of life.

Florida's Independent Voters

One disadvantage of being an independent voter is not being able to participate in the primaries.

This is because primaries for choosing Democratic and Republican candidates are restricted to those registered to be members of either party.

This disappointing truth is what West Orange High School 18-year-old senior Rachel Smith had to learn the hard way.

"I thought, as an independent, you could vote for anybody in a primary. I don't really necessarily care about party, I just want the best candidate to win," she said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.

This, however, does not mean that independent voters are stripped of the chance of electing the country's leader as they will still be able to participate in the national elections. This means that they will soon be the subject of courtship by the presidential hopefuls.
The effects of cancer are different for everybody. Sometimes it can be metastatic and the cancer can spread to other parts of the body, which can make it harder to treat. However, a new way of releasing chemotherapy treatment drugs via nanotechnology produced miraculous results as the disease vanished in test mice.

US researchers used a new technique that involved using a "nanoparticle generator" to administer chemotherapy to mice with lung cancer that has metastasized. They found that the cancer vanished completely in mice after eight months and this is considered to be an equivalent of 24 years in humans in terms of survival. All other mice that were given traditional treatment died in the study.

The researchers were able to successfully cure the lung cancer metastasis, which will serve as a new frontier for searching for the cure for metastatic triple negative breast cancer. The research is detailed in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Researchers Used Nanotechnology to Bypass a Tumor Cell's Drug Resistance Ability

The nanoparticle generator will allow chemotherapy drugs to seep into the tumors that are deep inside the body. Daily Mail notes that metastasized breast cancer can be fatal.

Lead researcher Dr. Mauro Ferrari of Houston Medical Research Institute took the cancer drug doxorubicin and placed it inside tiny silicon discs via nanotechnology to help it shield away from the cancer. Once it penetrates the tumor, the silicon breaks down and releases the inactive drug.

Once it is absorbed by the cancer cells, the drug becomes active and destroys the heart of tumor cells. The technique does not affect healthy cells so patients are not as susceptible to the toxic side-effects of chemotherapy.

"This may sound like science fiction, like we've penetrated and destroyed the Death Star, but what we discovered is transformational," Dr. Ferrari said, as reported by The Independent. "We invented a method that actually makes the nanoparticles inside the cancer and release the drug particles at the site of the cellular nucleus."

He adds that their invention could help make terminal cancer curable so that it's no longer a "death sentence."

Could This Be a Long-Term Cure?

According to Dr. Ferrari, patients often become terminal when the cancer has spread to their liver and lungs. Their research, if it becomes a functional cure for humans, could dramatically help extend the lives of patients and provide hope for others.

"If this research bears out in humans and we see even a fraction of this survival time, we are still talking about dramatically extending life for many years. That's essentially providing a cure in a patient population that is now being told there is none," he said.
The Latino voters are projected to hold significant influence over the upcoming presidential elections and Spanish-language network Univision has found a way to create a more informed electorate with the new Detector de Mentiras (Lie Detector).

What Is the Detector de Mentiras?

This Spanish-language Univision initiative combines the efforts of journalists and readers in hopes of verifying the statements in the 2016 presidential campaign. The Detector de Mentiras accepts suggestions from the audience, but they're particularly focused on significant issues to the Latino community including immigration, health care and education.

Alejandro Fernandez Sanabria, one of the investigative journalists from the initiative, told Media Matters how the resources they provide can help the electorate during the charged voting season.

"Since Hispanics are so important for this election, they should rationally decide their vote," Sanabria explained. "This is why we try to filter objective facts from exaggerations, ad hominem arguments, imprecisions, lies and opinions based on myths and prejudices."

He added, "We hope we can give Hispanics resources for them to understand what is happening in politics, how political events can affect them, and what is true and what is false when they consume information. A well-informed citizen is a powerful citizen."

Univision's Investigative Efforts

Univision News Digital data editor Ronny Rojas revealed to Poynter that the Detector de Mentiras is not only expected to stand out as the first U.S.-based Spanish-speaking fact-checking initiative but also as one that is geared towards gaining and verifying the facts through investigative reporting.

This has been a focus of Univision in recent years with Poynter's Al Tompkins even saying, "Univision has been asserting itself as a significant player in investigative work over the past few years."

More Latino Voters Incoming

Aside from expanding their investigative initiatives, Univision is also spearheading efforts to get a huge chunk of the Latino voters registered for the upcoming elections. Last month, the company announced their goal of getting three million new Latino voters registered in 2016.

"The rule is no one can make it to the White House without the Hispanic vote," Univision's anchor Jorge Ramos said New York Times. "That's why Latino registration is incredibly important."

The 3 million mark is around the same number of Latinos who have become eligible to vote since the last elections in 2012. As part of Univision's efforts, there will be advertisements, editorials, an online voter guide and grass roots level events to urge more of the community to cast their votes in November.

It was previously projected that over 13.1 million Latinos will exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections.
There has been previous research that cannabis is beneficial for those with neurological disorders like epilepsy. A new marijuana-deprived drug by GW Pharmaceuticals called Epidiolex was found to successfully treat a severe and rare form of epilepsy.

The experimental drug made with extracts from marijuana is intended for a severe and rare form of epilepsy in children called the Dravet syndrome. This type of epilepsy begins in infancy with seizures that are triggered by fever or hot temperatures.

First of Four Epilepsy Trials

The recent study on GW's Epidiolex for Dravet Syndrome is the first of four epilepsy trials. The company announced that the results of their clinical trials showed that there was a reduction of convulsive seizures by nearly 40 percent compared to the placebo that was only 13 percent.

"The results of this Epidiolex pivotal trial are important and exciting as they represent the first placebo-controlled evidence to support the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical cannabidiol in children with Dravet syndrome, one of the most severe and difficult-to-treat types of epilepsy," Dr. Orrin Devinsky of New York University Langone Medical Center's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, said in a statement.

Dr. Devinsky adds that their data on the clinical trials backs up Epidolex's ability to deliver "clinically important reductions in seizure frequency together with an acceptable safety and tolerability profile." They hope that this will give the epilepsy community a suitable treatment for patients with Dravet syndrome.

The successful outcome of their trials would mean that Epidiolex could be the first drug to treat patients suffering from Dravet syndrome. Reuters reports that GW Pharmaceuticals is planning to meet with the US Food and Drug Administration for the approval of the drug. The company also stated that they can meet the demand for the drug.

"In anticipation of today's positive news and the prospect of filing for regulatory approval in the U.S. and elsewhere, subsequently hopefully to launch the drug, we have been scaling our production process," said GW Pharma CEO Justin Gover to CNBC.

The drug, which is in syrup form, is currently also being tested in another type of rare epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It is also planned to be tested for tuberous sclerosis complex.

GW Pharmaceuticals Shares Increase in Value

The value of the company has doubled since the announcement of the success of the clinical trials. According to the Guardian, the shares of the company have increased by 123% to 481.75p.
As the Republicans brace for an all-important Ohio primary, the candidates are already making their last-minute pitches with the hope of swaying the voters to their respective sides.

Ohio Governor John Kasich will be putting his reputation on the line come Tuesday election. Losing another state to Donald Trump, and in his very hometown at that, says a lot about his local political career in Ohio. Could his very own people be loyal to him?

The Battle for Ohio

Kasich could very well be the anti-Trump GOP forces' best bet to prevent the outspoken New Yorker from getting the outright nomination. And that is why calls for the Ohio voters to vote for Kasich have grown louder in recent days, especially from the Republican camp.

Trump has made his move as well. In recent campaign rallies, he has already launched some tirades against Kasich. He expects to win Florida based on polls and, now, he's channeling his efforts to destroy another hometown hero to his favor.

But, for Ohio voters, it's easy to make out the striking difference between the two. For one, they are as different as night and day on their stand when it comes to the case of undocumented immigrants.

Kasich's Stand on Immigration

While Trump is a hardliner when it comes to saying no to undocumented immigrants, even proposing for the U.S.-Mexico bordering wall, Kasich has taken a whole lot of a softer stance on the matter.

Speaking in front of a crowd in Ohio, Kasich rationalized his position on immigration by drawing a line between undocumented immigrants who have criminal records and undocumented immigrants in general. He said that while those who violate the law should be deported, those who have been working hard to earn a living must be given the opportunity to have a path for legalization.

"Here is the fact, you don't actually think folks that we are going to drive around in Canton, Ohio, and yank people out of their homes and ship them to Mexico, leaving their kids on their front porch?" Kasich said. "You really think that is going to happen? Of course it is not going to happen. So I am trying to come up with the best way. It is called common sense."

In some of his previous statements, Kasich also expressed his different outlook on immigrants as opposed to that of Trump's. He said that these immigrants have already become "a very important part" of American society.

Kasich also said that going after all of these undocumented immigrants and hunting them down is not what the country is all about.

"A lot of these people who are here are some of the hardest-working, God-fearing, family-oriented people you can ever meet," Kasich said back in 2015.
A little more than a week before the Arizona primary election, Jane Sanders, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, visited the state and confronted the immigration policies of the controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Visit Reveals Arpaio's Enforcement Policy

On March 13, Jane Sanders met with families who have dealt with Arpaio, sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County. According to the Sanders presidential campaign, Jane Sanders also met with immigrant rights leaders to personally witness the "discriminatory" and "unconstitutional" enforcement practices by the sheriff, particularly in the "tent city" jail.

Arpaio was initially unaware of Sanders' visit, and she was surprised when the sheriff allowed her and the immigrant rights leaders to enter the jail.

"What I saw and heard firsthand today by visiting with the families and seeing tent city was very disturbing," Jane Sanders said in a statement, adding that she questioned the sheriff about racial profiling practices and treatment toward undocumented immigrants.

"Sheriff Arpaio did not even attempt to explain or excuse his inhumane treatment of people of color -- not that he could. That kind of attitude toward our fellow human beings is completely unacceptable, especially in elected officials and those who would seek public office," added Sanders. "We all need to stand up and put an end to these egregious human rights abuses. Today only solidified the need for comprehensive immigration and criminal justice reform I know that as president Bernie would do just that and keep families safe."

Jane Sanders came to tents jail, so I invited her inside so I could defend my tent policy. Now waiting for Hillary. pic.twitter.com/bQfvWQ1nhN  Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) March 15, 2016

Arpaio has been under investigation for his alleged treatment of people of color, particularly Latinos and immigrants. He and his officers have been accused of seizing and pocketing IDs and other personal items from people targeted during stops. He also continued immigration patrols for nearly two years after the department was legally ordered to cease with such actions.

Jane Sanders' visit came just before the independent Vermont senator is scheduled to host a rally in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday. Arizona is scheduled to have its presidential primary on March 22 with 75 delegates at stake.

Arpaio in the 2016 Election

Last January, Arpaio received additional media attention when he endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump welcomed the endorsement and said he viewed Arpaio as someone who respects the businessman's policies.

"Donald Trump is a leader," said Arpaio in a statement. "He produces results and is ready to get tough in order to protect American jobs and families. I have fought on the front lines to prevent illegal immigration. I know Donald Trump will stand with me and countless Americans to secure our border. I am proud to support him as the best candidate for President of the United States of America."

Arpaio has made a few campaign stops with Trump.

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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.
A diverse range of Latino leaders have pressed the U.S. Senate to commit to hearing and voting on whoever President Barack Obama nominates for the Supreme Court.

Latinos United for Fair SCOTUS Hearing

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 40 Latino advocacy organizations, and the Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary (HFJ), a non-partisan group of elected officials, civil rights, labor and legal officials, addressed the impact affecting the Latino community if the Senate fails to consider any Supreme Court nominee this year.

According to Hector Sanchez, the NHLA chair and executive director for the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) during a press call on Tuesday morning, any vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court matters to the Latino community and that is why Latino leaders have been engaged and united in calling for the Senate to do its job by considering the nominee that Obama puts forward.

Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF) and NHLA vice chair, noted the Latino voter turnout for Obama in both 2008 and 2012 elections.

"In playing that significant role in the election of this president, the Latino community expected that he would perform the duties of the president for a full four-year term, not for three years and one month or three years and two months, which is the rule that the Senate seems to be implying to this president, at least in respect to his power and his obligation to appoint justices to the U.S. Supreme Court," said Saenz, adding that there is no legal argument that the Supreme Court pick should wait until the next U.S. president.

Robert T. Maldonado, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), said in a statement that the U.S. Constitution outlines roles and responsibilities for each government branch, designed to serve the Americans people and to protect against the divisional politics that would threaten the democratic process.

Sanchez said the NHLA and HFJ will make sure senators hear their voices, particularly Senate leadership and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and they want to make sure Latinos are heard and represented in the Senate. He said the NHLA and HFJ's goal is to also ensure senators follow their constitutional duties regardless who is nominated.

Pressure from Congressional Latinos

Hearings and voting for a judicial nominee is a task for the Senate, but Latinos in the House of Representatives have called on its fellow legislative body to consider whoever Obama nominates. Earlier this month, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., said the GOP's refusal to fill the vacancy shows their hypocrisy, since Republicans are adamant in defending the Constitution.

"Republican obstructionism knows no limits. They claim to love the Constitution and then stand in the way of upholding it," said Sanchez earlier this month. "Once again, Republicans are playing politics instead of doing what's right for our country. There are several cases critically important for Latinos before the Supreme Court this year and without a ninth Justice, the Latino community has so much to lose."

Sanchez added that the CHC supports a swift nomination of a Supreme Court justice who will keep the interests of Latinos and all minority groups in mind.

On March 2, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the only Democratic Latino in the Senate, also spoke in favor of the president naming a nominee this year.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has fully recognized that Obama has a right to nominate someone, but noted the Senate, too, has a constitutional right to provide or withhold consent.

Despite Republican opposition, Obama said he will proceed and eventually deliver a nomination.

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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.
The lack of a social safety net has long been a challenge for undocumented immigrant families and contributed to inequality, but a new study found that immigrant Latino families being excluded from public assistance not only increases the childhood poverty rate, but affects documented Latino children as well.

The inequality rate among families with children in the U.S. has grown at more than twice the rate of overall wage inequality over the past 50 years. Undocumented families with children feel the squeeze even more, with fewer resources to contribute to vital economic stepping-stones like education.

But the effects of exclusion go beyond the undocumented, as shown by a recent study in the Policy Studies Journal, which was highlighted by the London School of Economics (LSE) US Centre.

"When a policy restricts the eligibility of a narrow group of immigrants, like the undocumented or recently arriving Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs), the effects can spill over into the broader immigrant community, onto the second generation, and to the ethnic group with which immigrants identify," wrote the authors of the study on LSE's U.S. policy blog. "Spillover effects, which occur across many populations, are particularly important when policy targets immigrants because of deep ties with broader minority communities and mixed status families."

Spillover to Latino Community

With regard to the U.S., the LSE researchers primarily addressed the Latino community, taking undocumented immigrants, citizens and acculturated individuals together. Of course, for the undocumented, limited access to the social safety net primarily affects educational attainment, which leads to economic stagnation.

Poor families ineligible for financial benefits have fewer resources to direct toward children's education, limiting their opportunities to improve economic standing as they grow up. The "spillover" from those disadvantages, however, is broader in its effect than the undocumented immigrant community.

"Spillover occurs in several ways. Material disadvantage confronted by one immigrant group transfers through families and peer networks," explained the study's researchers.

Even the existence of the ineligible category of immigrants can affect other immigrant groups who may not take advantage of programs and aid that the social safety net could provide. The negative economic effects from these misconceptions spread out like waves through the community of immigrants, legal or otherwise.

"Confusion about eligibility can keep eligible immigrants and their children off public assistance programs," wrote the researchers. "And Latinos may perceive lesser prospects for mobility in states that do not create a strong safety net for immigrant families, which could decrease educational aspirations."

Education Effects Spread Through Latino Community

The researchers investigated this effect by looking at the low-income Latino community after the passage of welfare reform bills in 1996, which excluded many immigrant families from social safety net programs. For example, the researchers compared the growth in the high school graduation rate between various states -- some more restrictive than others, following the law change -- while taking into account other differences in circumstances.

"The results are clear: following reform, the graduation rate of low-income Latinos grew substantially faster in states that extended their own social safety nets. We find both direct effects among Latino youth who became ineligible for income support, and spillover effects among those who remained eligible," the LSE researchers found.

Low-income Latino adolescents were 9 percent less likely to graduate from high school if they lived in a state with a restrictive social safety net -- even though those restrictions only technically affected the undocumented immigrants in their communities -- than if they lived in a state with more liberal eligibility standards.

The results suggest that policymakers should take into account more than just undocumented Latino immigrants when making decisions. Policy changes could actually affect legal Latino immigrants in the same communities.
Democrats introduced two bills on March 14 in hopes of offering Puerto Rico more opportunities to get rid of some of its $72 billion debt.

The two bills, released by Robert Menendez, D-N.J., would give Puerto Rican pensions preference over bondholders. Puerto Ricos retirement system currently has around $46 billion in liabilities and about $2 billion in assets.

The proposed measures designed to alleviate Puerto Ricos crisis will very likely be rejected by House Republicans, who will be releasing their own legislative proposal regarding Puerto Ricos economic crisis later this month.

The Time Is Now

In 2015 Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla made a public plea to the islands creditors to defer debt payments, if possible, for up to five years.

The debt is not payable, said Garcia Padilla,There is no other option. I would love to have an easier option. This is not politics, this is math.

Sen. Menendez has re-emphasized the economic urgency of the situation in the U.S. territory.

Congress has to act immediately to fix the federal funding shortfalls and give Puerto Rico the tools it needs to fully restructure its debt," said Menedez Thats why Im introducing a comprehensive legislative package that provides critical health-care funding, individual tax incentives to encourage work in the formal economy, and a mechanism for territory-wide restructuring of the islands debts."

Republicans Have a Different View

In order to help fix Puerto Rico's debt crisis, Republicans have demanded the creation of a financial control board, which would have much stronger authority than oversight proposed by the Democrats. Conservative lawmakers would like this independent financial review board to have the power to arbitrate creditor disputes and to set the future agenda for Puerto Rico's pension system.

Under the Republican proposal, White House and congressional leaders would be able to appoint a board of financial experts to arbitrate whether bonds issued by utilities or by the Puerto Rican government could actually be written.

Parish Braden, spokesman for the Natural Resources Committee -- the committee that is currently writing this legislation -- sees this solution as more balanced and prudent than that suggested by Democratic legislators.

"We expect to have a framework that protects taxpayers and restores solvency to the island," said Braden.

Territory Needs Lawmakers to Come Together

Puerto Rican congressman Pedro Pierluisi hopes that the bills proposed on Monday will pass so that the economically hampered island can begin to get out from under its massive debt.

"As I have stated repeatedly, we are either going to have a successful bill that embodies a principled compromise between Republicans and Democrats, or an unsuccessful bill that goes nowhere -- which is the worst possible outcome for both Puerto Rico and its creditors," said Pierluisi.
In January, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., spoke to activists in Los Angeles regarding the dangers of Trumps rhetoric on immigrants and Muslims.

I've been around a while and Trump reminds me so much of a lot of the things that George Wallace said and did, said Lewis.

Following a particularly violent week of conflict between Trump supporters and protesters, the comparison between the real estate magnate turned presidential candidate and the Alabama governor seems more apt than ever.

Both Poke Fun at Protesters

Wallace, a segregationist who ran for president during Americas civil rights era, was routinely heckled at events. The polarizing candidate would manage to bring his protesters into his campaign speeches by using them as examples of a perceived menace.

At a 1968 rally, he described protesters as enemies of free speech and, by extension, freedom itself.

These are the folks that people like us are sick and tired of. Youve been getting a good lesson in what weve been talking about. They talk about free speech but wont allow it to others, he said.

Trump has simultaneously disparaged his protesters while suggesting they are, in fact, really agitators who have been hired by opposing liberal forces.

I see people in the audience that I dont think they have a great future. I think theyre disrupters. I think they are not in love with our country. I think they protest and they disrupt. Thats what they do. I dont know if they do it for a living. I dont know if they get paid for doing it. But they are not good people, and they are certainly not good for our country. said Trump.

Wallace, like Trump, drew enormous crowds and used mean-spirited comedy to rally his supporters.

Wallace once screamed at a group of protestors, "Why don't you come down here ... and I'll autograph your sandals!"

Candidates Call Opponents Names

Wallace would call his enemies "pseudo-intellectuals" and anarchists, while often mocking their physical appearances. He now seems like a template for Trump, who has given his fellow GOP candidates negative nicknames.

Trump has called Marco Rubio Little Marco, Ted Cruz Lyin Ted, John Kasich "a baby," and his opponents in general "losers."

Attacks on the Media

Although both Trump and Wallace thrived through massive media coverage, both men voiced the same kind of disgust for the media.

Wallace once said that journalists were sissy-britches intellectual morons.

Trump has called reporters "scum" and said that, although he hated some of them, he would not actually go so far as to murder any reporters.

"I hate some of these people, I hate 'em. I would never kill them. I would never do that. Uh, let's see, uh? No, I would never do that," Trump said at a rally in Michigan.

Trump Trumps Wallace

Although both Trump and Wallace share similarities when it comes to polarizing rhetorical techniques, Wallace never actually got close to the White House.

Trump, however, is currently the lead GOP candidate.
The Senate confirmed on Monday that John B. King Jr. will serve as the nation's education secretary. His nomination got an approval with a vote of 16-6 last month.

Since Arne Duncan stepped down on being the country's education secretary, John King was appointed to replace him and now, the Senate had just stripped the "acting" in his title. According to US News, the vote was 49-40 to appoint acting secretary John King into Secretary of the Education Department. As the nation's secretary, he's going to look out for the bipartisan education law signed by President Barack Obama in December that constitutes the No Child Left Behind Act and will limit the power of government in public schools.

Obama has nominated John King last month, as written by Detroit News. Obama said "King will continue to lead our efforts to work toward high-quality preschool for all, prepare our kids for college and a career, make college more affordable, and protect Americans from the burdens of student debt," placing high hopes to the newly secretary.

Prior to his new assignment, King was a notable New York state education commissioner who has also served as an administrator and teacher at numerous public and charter schools. King said that he's crediting the public school teachers as they saved his life when he was orphaned at a young age.

However, King's new role in the administration didn't get quite a cheer from some state, according to the Wall Street Journal. In New York, King's support of the Common Core standards and usage of state test scores as teacher evaluations made him an enemy of teachers and parents. Also, a number of letters went to the lawmakers expressing discouragement on this confirmation. Heritage Action for America also opposed to King's nomination.

Nonetheless, King's confirmation has been uplifted by Senator Lamar Alexander as he urged his colleagues to approve him for the post. Senator Patty Murray also supprted the decision, saying King's passion for the nation's young people is unquestionable.
Vermont's recreational marijuana bill would allow over 21 to buy and smoke the drug starting 2018. If approved by the State Senate, Vermont will be the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through legislation and not through voter's initiative.

Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, and the District of Columbia, have legalized recreational marijuana through ballot initiative. After months of hearing in the senate, the lawmakers were able to set proper limits on the drug's use. Vermont's recreational marijuana bill would ban users from growing plants at home. It also prohibits selling of products with marijuana extracts, according to Reuters. As per the law, there will be 25 percent tax on marijuana sales that would fund drug education programs and drug law enforcement.

"It makes for a much more thoughtful and measured approach," said State Senator Jeanette White, a sponsor of the senate bill. "We got to work out the details, we got to ask the questions first and put the whole infrastructure in place before it happens."

In Yahoo report, Vermont recreational marijuana's legalization looks like the bill would have a hard time to be legalized with the state's House of Representatives dominated by the Republicans. Supporters think that legalization would be faster if it would be passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature. Advocates push the approval of the measure before the legislative session ends in May.

"Many of our members are opposed to this proposal and I don't know that it can be changed enough for them to change their minds," said Representative Donald Turner, the House Republican leader. "I don't feel there is a good argument for legalizing it at this point."

Many have expressed their support on Vermont recreational marijuana's legalization. One of the supporters of the bill, Kimberly Cheney, an attorney general, claimed that marijuana should be regulated in a controlled environment to limit the young ones from accessing it. Cheney also said that the bill also ensure safety for the adult consumers, Extract Sun Times reports.

A pro-marijuana group, Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana claimed that 56% of Vermont residents agree with Vermont recreational marijuana's legalization. A study conducted by Rand Corp claimed that one in eight residents is already a drug user. Based on the report, people have spent $125 million to $225 million on weed in 2014.
The House of Representatives in Vermont is ready to take up a bill from the state Senate which legalizes Marijuana. The state of Vermont could become the first US state to legalize recreational Marijuana if the bill makes it to the governor's desk.

RT News reported that state lawmakers are gearing up to take up a bill that would allow adults over 21 to buy and smoke the drug beginning 2018. In addition to bringing freedom of choice to the individuals of Vermont, senators who backed up the bill said that illegal drug dealers would be put out of business, protecting citizens of Vermont from harder drugs that the same dealers would sell. However, the proposal indicates that it would forbid users from growing plants at home and ban any production of edible products which contains marijuana extracts.

According to Reuters, the lawmakers need to act before the end of May this year, when the current session ends, a deadline that may prove difficult to meet. It is yet indefinite whether it has enough support in the House to pass.

The bill would impose a 25 percent tax on sales of the drug, which then would fund drug education programs and drug law enforcement. State Senator Jeanette White, the author of the Senate bill, said it makes for a much more thoughtful and measured approach and that the Senate need to work out the details.

Recreational marijuana is already legal in Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, and the District of Columbia, all of which passed legalizations through voter ballot initiatives, according to The Sun Times. Voters in four more states, including Massachusetts, are yet to vote on legalization in November.

Reports also tell that bills have been submitted in 16 other states, however, none has advanced as far. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Casino royalty Sheldon Adelson and his company have been given a second chance in a Las Vegas courtroom. This second hearing will help Adelson contest the amount he owed to a Hong Kong businessman that helped him secure his business in Macau.

In 2013, the jury has awarded Richard Suen of the Round Square Co. Ltd $70 million. Whille the Supreme Court in Nevada wants to review the case again, it didn't take the possibility of Adelson's Las Vegas Sands Corp to still pay Suen. Juries in Clark County District Court favored Suen during its hearing last 2008 and 2013. Penalties and interests added up to $30 million as reported by Las Vegas Now.

According to the judges, they found an insufficient evidence to support the decision of the jury and a new trial regarding the issue of damages is greatly needed. This decision was welcomed by Adelson although the court has already rejected several appeals from his camp that said he didn't get a fair trial, ABC News reported.

According to Reuters, Ron Reese, the spokesman of the Las Vegas Sands, said the decision of the court has affirmed their position that Suen has failed to present substantial evidence for the damages. Suen's attorney, John O'Malley, didn't comment on the issue.

The Las Vegas sands are also the corporate owner of the Venetian and the Palazzo casino resorts that are located in Las Vegas. The company also runs four resorts in Macau.

Suen and his company were promised by Adelson to get $5 million and a 2 percent of the net profits in the casinos. He is now demanding more money due to the profit that the Las Vegas Sands in Macau got. Suen won the first case in 2008 but Adelson and his company won a new trial claiming that the jurors were presented with evidence that were inadmissible in court and merely hearsays.
Cambodia Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen has recently embraced the social media. He refers to it as a medium that brings him closer to the people of the nation.

Hun Sen's page has been harvesting likes after owning up the page that bears his name. He eventually overtook Rainsy's 2.2 Million page likes with his overwhelming 3.2 Million likes. Hun Sen posted, "Facebook has brought me closer to people and allowed me to listen and receive more requests directly from them." He brought up the post in his facebook page after reaching the 3 million mark for number of likes.

However, recently, Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy, who is in exile abroad, drops an accusation regarding fake accounts that originate overseas, which are allegedly among Hun Sen's facebook page likers. Fake accounts are often born in "click farms" where willing individuals are paid to create multiple "ghost" accounts and offer likes to various pages.





BBC News reported that Rainsy also accused government ministers of pressuring members of the ruling party, Cambodian People's Party (CCP), to like Hun Sen's facebook page.

Rainsy posted a message which he claims to be from Undersecretry of State, Hak Sokmakara. Sokmakara, allegedly directed Som Soeun, a government minister, to campaign the Prime Minister's facebook page and gain likes from Party members.

In a news released by Cambodia Daily, the message from the undersecretary reportedly prompts the members of the CCP to unlike Rainsy's facebook page. The message also reads, "Executives at all party levels must constantly monitor the execution of this work at the grassroots levels as part of a broad campaign to secure victory at the elections."

Soeun did not deny instructing the party members to like Sen's page, however, he refuses to recognize buying likes from "click farms" as accused by Opposition Head.

In light of the accusations thrown by Rainsy, Soeun answers with a $5000 lawsuit against him, alleging him of spreading lies and "twisting the truth." Soeun told the Cambodia Daily, "The additional comment is false and it affects my name and affects the honor of the leader. I am a party member; I have to protect my leader and expose His Excellency Sam Rainsy's cheap act, which is opposite to the truth."

Phnom Penh Post released a research, stating that only 20% of the Prime Minister's likes are from Cambodia. This means that 80% of the likes are from the overseas. Most of these are from the India and the Philippines. This initially brought up the issue that questioned the legitimacy of the said likes.

"Click farms" and fake accounts are not new to facebook. In fact, republican frontrunner and Presidential Bid, Donald Trump, also faced the issue of harboring fake account likes.
A Northampton County man is accused of using a pistol and stun gun to collect a $100 debt, seriously injuring the victim.

Justin Weider, of Danielsville, was arrested Tuesday on charges stemming from the Feb. 16 attack in Washington Township, Lehigh County.

Weider, whose last name is also listed in court records as Wieder, was sent to Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $60,000 bail.

Pennsylvania State Police said Andrew Afflerbach was sleeping on his sofa in his second-floor apartment in the 4400 block of Best Station Road, when Weider knocked down the door.

Weider repeatedly pistol-whipped Afflerbach, hit him in the chest with a stun gun, and threatened to kill him, troopers said. Afflerbach was able to get Weider out of the apartment; as he did, Afflerbach saw Axl Feiller waiting by the lower level door, troopers said.

Afflerbach said he owed Weider $100 and that Weider came to the apartment to collect the debt, according to state police.

Afflerbach had open, bloody wounds on his head, and troopers found the stun gun at the scene, state police said.

Afflerbach's girlfriend witnessed the assault, followed Weider and Feiller, and took photos with her cellphone of the pair and the BMW they were driving, police said.

Weider, 24, is charged with burglary, conspiracy, aggravated assault, criminal trespass, simple assault, making terroristic threats, and criminal mischief.

Feiller, 20, of Slatington, was arrested in February, and charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and four counts of conspiracy. Feiller is free on $100,000 bail.

Five years ago, Weider was accused of putting his mom in a headlock, placing a pair of scissors to her throat and threatening to kill her after she confronted him over two large bags of marijuana she found in his bedroom.

Weider later crashed his car into a tree and told police the crash was a suicide attempt, court records say.

In that case, Weider pleaded guilty to simple assault, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, accidents with damage to property, and driving under the influence. He was sentenced to 4.5 months to 23 months in prison.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
nazareth teachers

Parents, students and teachers wearing their orange NAEA t-shirts filled the March 14, 2016, Nazareth Area School Board meeting to show support for the teachers' union.

(John Best | lehighvalleylive.com contributor)

School board members need to show teachers more respect, increase transparency and quickly settle terms with the teachers' union.

Those were generally the sentiments of seven speakers at the Nazareth Area School Board meeting Monday night.

The teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 31. Last week, district officials chose not to accept the teachers' latest contract proposal and opted instead to continue to negotiate through a mediator.

While there were slight variations among the speakers, the overall theme was the same: Nazareth Area teachers do a wonderful job and district officials need to step up their efforts to reach an agreement with the Nazareth Area Education Association and avoid any possible strike.

All of the speakers received applause from the packed house of parents, students, and teachers wearing their orange NAEA T-shirts at the high school's large group instruction room.

Nazareth Area High School senior Alexis Dudeck received a standing ovation after her emotional show of appreciation for the way teachers have gone above and beyond their classroom duties in welcoming her.

Dudeck said difficulties at her home in New Jersey brought her to the district last year and she will graduate without her parents present. It has been the Nazareth teachers who have given her comfort in the last year, she said.

"It's not just a second family to me," Dudeck said. "It's my only family."

In their latest proposal, the teachers asked for 2.64 percent raises in the first year of the deal, 3.6 percent in the second year, 3.6 percent in the third year and 3.85 percent in the final year.

The union wants to keep a traditional health plan rather than allow some members to switch to a PPO. The teachers voted in October to authorize a strike but have not walked out of the classroom yet.

Board member Jerry Treon said the district has been more than fair with the teachers in recent years. Nazareth teachers at the top of the pay schedule are the highest paid in the Lehigh Valley, Treon said.

In the last four years, teachers paid $1.8 million toward their heath care premiums, while the district picked up the rest of the $21 million tab, according to Treon.

Michael Mallon, parent of a 10-year-old student in the district, urged officials to meet daily if necessary to settle the contract.

Mallon said it was a difficult conversation when his child asked him to explain the meaning of a strike.

School Board President Lorin Bradley said it is not appropriate to reveal details to the public during negotiations but the district would soon be issuing a public statement regarding the matter.

John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Lawyers for a survivalist charged with fatally ambushing a Pennsylvania state police trooper outside a rural barracks asked Tuesday for his trial to be moved out of the area, citing extensive publicity about the case.

Eric Frein can't get a fair trial in Pike County, in the Pocono Mountains, due to heavy news coverage about the 2014 ambush, according to court papers filed Tuesday.

His lawyers' motion also cited the fact that District Attorney Ray Tonkin referred to Frein as a "murderer" in campaign mailers last year, thus surrounding Frein "with an aura of guilt."

Tonkin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing.

Frein, 32, is charged with opening fire outside the Blooming Grove barracks on Sept. 12, 2014, killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson II and seriously wounding Trooper Alex Douglass. The alleged gunman led police on a tense 48-day manhunt through the northeastern Pennsylvania woods before U.S. marshals caught him outside an abandoned airplane hangar about 30 miles from the shooting scene.

Frein spoke of wanting to start a revolution in a letter to his parents and called Dickson's slaying an "assassination" in a police interview after his capture, according to court documents.

He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The next scheduled step in the case is a pre-trial conference April 4 in Pike County Court, on a motion to push back the start of Frein's trial to the May term of the court, records say.

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River Road in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area closed to traffic on Monday night in anticipation of amphibians making their annual journey across the road for breeding.

It's an annual affair, no pun intended, and a signal that spring is on the way. The recreation area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, announced last week that there would be periodic closures of the road.

But the conditions need to be right. According to park service spokeswoman Kathleen Sandt, temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees combined with evening rainfall tends to bring out the critters.

The first road closure happened on Thursday night, and the park service caught video footage of one of the amphibians - an eastern newt, also called a red-spotted newt - on the move that night.

"It's definitely one of the signs of spring," Sandt said, adding the road in previous years has been closed as many as 10 nights for the crossings.

This year's first crossing came earlier than usual because of warmer temperatures, she said. It more typically first occurs in late March or early April, she said.

Other species crossing River Road this time of year are frogs, toads and salamanders. They may be little, but they all play an important role in the environment, Sandt said.

"Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their habitat and changes in amphibian populations can tell us a lot about the health of our wetlands and the overall environment and can warn of impending consequences to humans," she said.

The park spans 40 miles of the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Barack Obama

President Barack Obama

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The mess following December's Paris global warming agreement keeps worsening. Recently the U.S. State Department illegally diverted $500 million of our tax money into the United Nation's global warming slush fund. This violated Senate authority over foreign treaty obligations. It also violated the current budget that clearly prohibited funding any new programs. At a March 8 Senate hearing, Deputy Secretary Heather Higgenbottom admitted under oath that Congress did not authorize this funding. The State Department gave away our money anyway.



The misnamed "Green Climate Fund" was created supposedly to help poor nations "cope with the ravages of global warming." Reality is different. Up front demanding billions was Zimbabwe's "president-for-life", Robert Mugabe, who ruined his country that formerly exported food. Mugabe claims his people are now starving because of "global warming." Just next door, climatologically similar Botswana has seen robust increases in food production.



The Paris agreement is less about Earth's temperatures and more about bilking mainly Americans out of endless billions of dollars to enrich Third-World dictators. Their malnourished populations will see virtually no benefit.



We must insist that our senators act promptly to notify the administration that the Paris Agreement must first be approved by the Senate. If they don't, on April 22 President Obama will sign the treaty without the mandatory advice and consent of the Senate and the mess will become even worse.

We should also express our outrage at the illegal diversion of our tax dollars to the likes of Mugabe.



James M. Policelli

Plainfield Township
More than 350 homeless households sought help last year in Warren County, according to a new report that compiles a statistical snapshot of New Jersey's homeless population.

The 2015 Homeless Assessment released Tuesday by Monarch Housing Associates uses information from the Homeless Management Information System from shelters and transitional housing. (The full statewide and county reports can be found here.)

Specifically in Warren, the information comes from Family Promise of Warren and the county Division of Temporary Assistance & Social Services.

Monarch also coordinates the state's Point-In-Time Count, part of a national effort to study demographics and trends in homelessness. New Jersey's count was held in January and those results are expected to be released in May.

Here are some of the 2015 homeless assessment's findings for Warren County:

368 households were served in 2015, totaling 567 people -- a 9 percent decrease from households served in 2014. Sixty-eight percent were individuals while the rest were families. Statewide, 18,527 households were served.

Most families had children under 18 years old. Of the 118 families served, 37 were adult-only households. The average size of a homeless family was three and the average age of a child served was 7 years.

18-to-29-year-olds were the most-served age range. They made up 32 percent of the homeless population. Children under 18 was the next highest range, at 24 percent. Other demographic breakdowns show the population split almost evenly between men and women, and 75 percent of the people served were white.

The cause of homelessness for most was being asked to leave a home shared by family or friends. That accounted for 53 percent of those served in 2015. The next most common reasons were eviction (15 percent) and domestic violence (6 percent). Half of the households said this was their first time being homeless.

Mental health issues were the most-cited disability. Twelve percent of the people served said they had a disabling condition -- 65 percent cited a mental health issue. Substance abuse was identified by 30 percent.

Where did they go after the shelters? It's mixed. Information was not able to be collected on all discharged households. From the gathered data, 8 percent found permanent housing, mostly rentals. Six percent went to temporary housing like hotels or friends' homes while 2 percent went to hospitals, jail or other long-term facilities. Almost a quarter of households, 23 percent, were discharged because their needs could not be met.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
At one point on Monday afternoon, the European weather model saw 12 inches of snow for Sunday in the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey.

When the model, which Bobby Martrich from Eastern PA Weather Authority said recently had an upgrade, ran again overnight, the snow was gone, he added.

Martrich said the possibility of that much snow on the first day of spring this year is a "one in a thousand chance" that would require "all the stars aligning."

So, what's going to happen?

Martrich, who is owner and a meteorologist for the Allentown-based company, and Rob Reale, a meteorologist with WeatherWorks in Hackettstown, said it's too early to present an informed opinion.

"Unfortunately there's not a whole lot we can say with too much confidence," Reale explained, calling this storm "tricky." "The pattern this weekend is getting colder -- below average -- and does allow for the potential for snow if things lined up just right. ... Six days out, the path is almost impossible to predict."

A snowstorm would require a "perfect track" setting up just off the New Jersey coast, putting the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey on the cold side of the storm, Reale said. And it would have to be powerful -- similar to an October snowstorm a few years ago, he said.

But "the pattern doesn't look for things to go just right," he said. "... There's a lot of questions, not only with the track, but how the storm is going to take shape."

Martrich agreed that "six stars" -- including climatology and seasonal trends -- would have to align.

"There are a lot of negatives going against it," he said, adding, "I'm really not liking this system at all."

Time and place, with weather and many things, matters.

"If this was January and a coastal system, it would be a no-brainer," he added.

But it will be later in March and the track, much like everything else about the potential storm, is unclear.

Reale and Martrich said maybe by Thursday a clear consensus will emerge.

"It's something to monitor," Reale said. "Snow is not a guarantee."

Martrich figures the storm will set up far off shore and with a high pressure area -- which should bring sun on Saturday and would need to be stationary to usher in a snowstorm -- moving away, if anything falls, it's likely to be rain.

The GFS model, with ties to the National Weather Service, for the past 36 hours has shown nothing at all, Martrich said.The weather service has rain and snow in its forecast from Sunday into Monday.

And models seem to struggle during seasonal transitions, he added.

"Model verification scores recently have been really bad," he said.

The science is simply not certain six days out.

"There's always the possibility we get hit," Martrich said. "We're probably talking about primarily all rain. ... My guess is as good as anyone else's. On Thursday, we'll have a direction we're heading."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Plans are well underway for this years St Patricks Day parade, which promises an air of 1916 nostalgia.

The Newbridge spectacle is the biggest parade in the county with up to 50 groups, parades and floats expected to take part.

Mick Deely, who has been one of the chief organisers for the past 12 years, is looking forward to this years festivities.

There is a great buzz. Its a great family day. Obviously the weather is vital, you just never know what way it will be, but its a great day out, he said.

This year, the pedestrian participants are asked to assemble at Tesco car park at 12am as usual. Smaller vehicles and floats will be invited to gather at Woodies car park while the larger vehicles and entries will be directed to line up at the Moorefield Road.

This years theme is 1916, given it is the 100 anniversary of the Rising. Back then, Newbridge would have been at the centre of British rule given the army presence here, he added.

The committee hopes that some of the entries will have a 1916 theme, while this is not obligatory it would definitely add to the centenary celebrations.

Mick paid tribute to the hard working committee including Michael Donohoe, Teresa Harrison, Karl Murphy, Mylie Wickham, Cllr Paddy Kennedy and Cllr Morgan McCabe.

The army will once more lead the parade off. There will be plenty of bands and musicians taking part including numerous clubs and organisations.
Cork based alternative rockers Paradox are bringing their celebration of Nirvanas music on a nationwide tour, stopping off at The Village Pump, Rathangan, on Sunday April 10.

What started as a once off event in Cork in 2014 to mark the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain has now turned into a yearly event due to the success and popularity of the shows, said the band.

The three piece formed in 1997 and have released four full length albums to date. Their debut album, recorded in LA in 2000, was released on a US indie label. The band recently launched their fourth album titled Chapters, which has been gaining momentum since its release in 2015 including radio airplay on both 2fm and Today FM.

Although Paradox have varied their sound over the years, they point out their roots lie in the grunge era of the 90s which all started with the music of Nirvana.

Nirvana exploded into the mainstream in 1991 after the release of Smells Like Teen Spirit from their multi platinum album Nevermind. Ironically Nirvana kicked off their European Tour right here in Cork on August 20 1991,  they said.

The gig took place in Sir Henrys, a venue which closed its doors for the final time in 2003, and was headlined by Sonic Youth. Nirvana were virtually unknown at this point but it was only a matter of weeks after this show that the band snowballed after the success of Smells Like Teen Spirit and became one of the worlds biggest bands, almost overnight.

It has also recently been revealed that Kurt has direct roots from Cork. Kurt is reported to have said; Actually it was Cobain, but the Coburns screwed it up when they came over . They came from Country Cork, which is a really weird coincidence, because when we toured Ireland, we played in Cork and the entire day I walked around in a daze.

Id never felt more spiritual in my life. It was the weirdest feeling and-I have a friend who was with me who could testify to this-I was almost in tears the whole day. Since that tour, which was bout two years ago, Ive had some sense that I was from Ireland.

Nirvana popularised a subgenre of alternative rock, labeled Grunge. Although Nirvanas success and Kurts life was short lived they left behind a legacy of music, three full length studio albums, B-sides and much more, they said.

The Cork band will also be visiting The Square Bar in Portlaoise on Saturday April 9 before making their way to Rathangan on April 10 as they remember Nirvanas music and legacy playing some Nirvana classics and many more. Doors open at 9pm. Free Admission.
The water levels have subsided in Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim Village and other parts of the county severely affected by flooding in recent months and a group of local businessmen, farmers and residents are attempting to ensure a similar scenario is not repeated in the coming months and years.

Liam Farrell, whose estate agency business, located above the cinema in Carrick-on-Shannon, was among a number of businesses that became inaccessible before and after Christmas, has outlined some proposals which he insists will represent a minimum cost but will ensure the flood levels which brought the town of Carrick-on-Shannon to a standstill in 2009 and again in recent months is not repeated.

In conjunction with the local chamber of commerce the group sought to put a value on the full extent of the damage caused by the recent flooding and it is estimated when the figures are fully collated the figure will be in the region of 5-6m.

Having lived alongside the River Shannon his whole life, Liam is of the opinion that while flooding might not be entirely preventable, the manner in which the river broke its banks in 2009 and in recent months would not be repeated if minor works were carried out.

He stated, If minor works between Lough Allen and Rooskey are carried out the critical flood level would be removed.

The first step Liam believes should be taken is regards the management of levels in Lough Allen.

He believes water levels should be reduced to a minimum navigation level by October 1 and thereafter, maximising the discharge from the lake by keeping sluices open to 400mm, subject to minimum levels being maintained.

The works that Liam believes are necessary would not result in a cost for the ESB who manage the operation of the sluice gates at Bellantra on the outlet of Lough Allen.

The benefits of these proposals would be a significant reduction in river volumes through Carrick-on-Shannon and subsequently a reduction in maximum flood levels while it would also reduce the cost of flood defence works.

Having met with the ESB along with Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, Liam said the ESB's Hydro-Electric Engineer, wasn't in a position to refute what was put to him.

It is also proposed that river levels at Jamestown, Rooskey and Tarmonbarry are kept to the minimum needed level for navigation by October 1.

The group also highlight the lack of maintenance of the channel and banks of the river along the Charlestown bank (Jamestown weir and downstream) which has resulted in the capacity of the river to convey flood waters being severely reduced. It is believed the removal of scrub and fallen trees could also have a significant benefit.

As well as modifying the lock gates at Albert Lock it is believed works at the Mountcampbell Bank would significantly improve the performance of Jamestown Weir, without requiring structural changes.

Liam and the local group have met with both Leitrim and Roscommon County Council CEOs and they are said to be in agreement on the proposals. They are preparing applications to the OPW to carry out their works.

Stressing the potential these works could achieve, Liam remarked, Our proposals could be done within a few months. It needs to be done by September. We met with Minister Simon Harris and the OPW and we pointed out what happened is critical.

It is very simple, very pragmatic. There is no negative impact and it would cost peanuts from a financial point of view .

Insisting work must be carried out to avoid a repeat of previous floods Liam added, We do have power, we pay rates, we pay taxes. Our businesses and homes have been impacted. If it doesn't happen we will have to take a broad spectrum approach. We won't be discussing this again next January.

The Minister was very receptive and I think the OPW were too. I think once the OPW are on board the ESB will have no choice but to properly manage water discharge at Lough Allen, he said.

Urging the public to support the group in their bid to achieve their proposals, Liam said, We are suggesting to other groups to organise themselves and formalise a Shannon defence group. We are confident but aware of the mindset that needs to be changed and that will require the goodwill of the public.
Its not often that regional elections in other European countries get much attention in our press, let alone become headline news. The fact that elections yesterday in a handful of German states made front pages here today demonstrates the unusual situation Britain and Europe find itself in. It also highlights the growing need for strong, liberal voices across our continent.

Those of you who heard my speech on Sunday, or in fact have heard me speak since I became leader, will hopefully have a sense of my beliefs on the refugee crisis and on the wider issue of immigration. Our government has tended to bury its head in the sand, but with no short term end to the conflicts scarring the Middle East and climate migration on the rise, we cannot let a policy of ignorance be maintained.

More than ever, it is our responsibility as liberals to stop the immigration debate descending into hard line, xenophobic rhetoric that sets community against community. The relative success of Alternative fur Deutschland in these German elections shows how challenging that can be. Especially when the pro-immigration parties in Germany still vastly outweigh the anti, just one story makes better headlines than the other. Similarly, here in the UK, we would be foolish to think the decline of UKIP will see an end to the blaming of the other.

Instead of backing away from the fight, we should be standing proud in our commitment to refugees, and our belief that immigration benefits our culture, our economy and our communities. Where these benefits arent felt, it is a failure of governments, local and national, not a failure of the migrants and refugees themselves.

By pursing ideological cuts which put further strain on the household budgets of people across the country, the Tories are empowering those who use migrants as scapegoats and putting community cohesion at risk. The fact of the matter is, where people have sufficient access to housing, schools and the NHS they are much less likely to be worried about immigration. Instead we have a government putting strain on every one of these services without fully considering the consequences.

On Wednesday Osborne will have the opportunity to provide additional funding to refugee services. These could facilitate better integration and enable all those Local Authorities who have offered to take refugees to fulfil that pledge. Wider than that they have a chance to give Public Sector workers a pay rise, to increase investment in our schools and to properly fund the NHS  all of which will in turn have a positive impact on attitudes towards refugees.

The government has consistently shown reluctance, at home at abroad, to take leadership in this crisis. Heres their chance to reverse that trend, and take action here in the UK at this critical time.

* Tim Farron is Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Agriculture and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale.
TRADERS concerned about the activities of unruly youths in the city centre want a garda kiosk to be set up in OConnell Street  and Limerick Chamber is to raise the idea with the local force.

At a meeting on the future of the city, it was stated in order to attract more evening footfall it is necessary to tackle the underlying problem of anti-social behaviour.

Stationing a garda kiosk on the main thoroughfare, ensuring it is fully staffed, with bicycles at the ready to go after offenders would give people the idea there is a garda presence, according to David Ryan, who runs Rios and Cobblestone Joes.

Without this, we will see no footfall in the city at night, he said, in a call supported by many others present at the Hunt Museum meeting including Chamber CEO James Ring, who agreed to address this with Chief Superintendent Dave Sheahan.

Mr Ryan added: Feral kids are going around in groups of 30 to 40. On Saturday night, a fire extinguisher was taken and they were spraying passers-by in the face. I saw an Asian student, probably down from Dublin over the weekend arriving at the station, and he was set upon by 30 to 40 of these kids who must only be aged between nine and 16. They belted him in the face.

Jeweller Tadhg Kearney said: It is a much easier problem to fix than gangland crime, if there is a will to do it.. Mr Ring acknowledged there is a problem, but said the gardai are doing their best. Last week, he saw a gang of 30 to 40 youths doing damage to a car, and called the force who informed him they were en-route. Mayor Jerry ODea said there is no reason the idea of the garda kiosk cannot be raised.

See the weekend Leader for a full account of the Limerick Chamber meeting.
THEY start them young at the University of Limerick.

Over 500 primary school pupils from seven different Limerick schools got a chance to play doctors and nurses on the campus  and help bring teddy back to life.

The UL Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) hosted its fourth annual Teddy Bear Hospital last week, an event that continually enthralls young minds, offering them a glimpse at a potential future career.

However, the aim of the event, which has been organised by current medical school students with a particular interest in paediatrics, is to alleviate childrens anxiety about the medical environment, its procedures and the professionals that work within it.

UL Teddybear Hospital 2016 from Fusionshooters on Vimeo.

Over 150 first and second year medical students took part in the event which saw the students act as teddy bear doctors for the day. Ten medical stations were set up in the University Arena focusing on a wide range of activities, from examining asthma to X-rays.

Our main goal this year was to expand the number of primary schools we were able to invite to the event. The idea of the event is for primary school students to bring their teddy bear which then plays the role of the patient for the day.

This visit to the Teddy Bear Hospital provides the children with an opportunity to interact with and assist in a range of simulated healthcare settings, while also allowing them to learn about healthy habits, like the importance of eating well and exercise, said student Ann Morris.

UL President, professor Don Barry said the Teddy Bear Hospital has proved to be a magical opportunity for Limericks primary school children and a valuable learning experience for all.

Each year it gets bigger and better with more and more schools applying to attend.

The messages that these primary school children will take from the clinic, creates an affirmative and substantial link between the university, its students and healthcare provision and is an extremely valuable programme.

The Teddy Bear Hospital at the University of Limerick is the first of its kind for the Limerick region.

This initiative in Limerick was run by seven current medical students: Ann Morris, Giulia Martone, Julia Healy, Caity Patterson, Saskia DSa, Amy Hannigan and Kristin Delcellier.
THE famous Finnish architect Alvor Alto once said that architecture should protect man at his weakest.

Those in their weakest moments will now be afforded an opportunity to grieve privately and come to terms with the imminent death of a friend or loved one in St Johns hospital.

The Bishop of Limerick, Brendan Leahy, has opened a new family room in St Johns Hospital, which will provide a dedicated space for families of patients who are dying.

The new facility - the first of its kind in the hospital  will allow families a private space away from the ward; to relax, get some sleep, shower, or make refreshments.

The work was carried out with the support of a grant of 24,397 from the Design and Dignity Scheme of The Irish Hospice Foundation and Health Services Executive. The scheme aims to transform the way hospital spaces are designed for people at end of life.

Special tribute was made at the opening to Kathleen Lynch, who works in St Johns and was credited as being a champion in bringing the works to fruition.

St Johns Hospital also contributed 40,703 to support the creation of the family room. Previously families would congregate on the corridor, often in times of crisis, stress and grief.

The new family room provides overnight accommodation, a kitchenette, shower and toilet facilities in a space that is homely and welcoming.

Fearghal Grimes, chief executive of St Johns Hospital said that through patient feedback they became more than aware that taking a break on the corridor when a loved one is dying is not the most appropriate for upset family members.

He said the new family room will lead to a huge improvement in the culture of the hospital regarding end of life care for patients.

Sharon Foley, chief executive of the Irish Hospice Foundation, said every year 28,000 people in Ireland die and 43% die in acute hospitals.

The Design & Dignity scheme aims to bring design excellence to hospitals where so many people spend their last days. This new facility in St Johns Hospital is a sanctuary for families at a very distressing time and will allow them the proper space and privacy they need. Id like to commend the staff for their vision and commitment to making end of life care a priority.

To date 20 projects have been funded across the country under the scheme at a cost of 2m.
A MAN has been acquitted by a Central Criminal Court jury of raping a woman in the back office of a Limerick pub over three years ago.

The woman told the trial she had been on a date with another man when the accused brought her into the back office to show her the CCTV system which she found fascinating. She alleged it was here that she was brutally, brutally raped.

The accused man had pleaded not guilty to raping the woman in a Limerick pub on November 10, 2012. The jury returned the verdict this Tuesday following 36 minutes of deliberation on day-five of the trial.

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan thanked the jurors for their attention and told the accused he could join his family in the body of the court.

During the trial the woman held up her wrist and told the jury that she was left with huge bruises from where the accused held her against a wall during the rape.

On day two of the trial the woman said during cross-examination that she believed the accused may have destroyed CCTV footage from the night. She also said her children were now afraid to go to certain places because of what happened

In response Sean Gillane SC defending said that the woman's behaviour as a witness was becoming intolerable and accused her of pouring poison and prejudice into the case.

The woman refused to accept a suggestion from Mr Gillane that another man was in the room at the time and he said that she had been flirting with the accused.

I am years older than him. I was not interested in sex. I was raped, the woman said.

She agreed that after making her statement in December 2012 she asked gardai not to go to the pub or approach the accused. She said her daughter was due to attend a college night out in that pub and she wanted her to be able to attend it without being in fear.

The woman agreed that gardai advised her that any delay in getting to the premises might mean that crucial evidence in the case would be lost.

The woman had accepted that her daughter would give evidence that she had spotted her mother kissing a different man in the bar that night.

The woman told Mr Gillane that she never told gardai about kissing this other man because she must have blotted it out.
LOCAL artists and pupils jumped at the chance to support the Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation by designing mystical hares.

John Shinnors, Clare Hartigan, Jane Murtagh and students of Villiers School have all backed the Hares on the March campaign.

A total of 110 are up for sale. Funds raised will go towards the 2.7 million it needs in 2016 to provide home nursing care to sick children nationwide, with every 16 funding one hour of home nursing care.

The foundation has supported almost 2,000 children from birth to four-years-old with brain damage, who suffer severe intellectual and physical trauma, including 93 in Limerick.

When describing her inspiration behind her creation  The White Hare  Clare Hartigan said: As I normally paint using a white background I started off thinking about a white hare. Alice in Wonderland came to my mind immediately. Laughingly I thought in Ireland, of course, the white rabbit would be a hare, said Clare, who then started to wonder was there a magical white hare in Ireland.

My thought journey research took me to the Goddess Eostra whose favourite animal was a hare, and the Celts believed she turned onto a magical hare at the full moon. This led me to wonder if the Hare had ever been spotted and that is where I came across the White Hare of Creggan.

A hare that was seen only in flashes and that nobody could ever catch. Being 2016 and a significant year for the Irish, I thought it would be nice to acknowledge the rich Celtic folklore of the north by naming my hare after this story, added the Castleconnell native.

Jane Murtagh and Villiers pupils were inspired by visits to the British and Victoria and Albert Museums in London and looking at Assyrian Bas relief sculpture and Islamic art.

Dreaming of visiting these countries, I realised my timing was off at present. So who better to send across the globe in the dead of night than Harris the Hare.

On route, Harris discovered Thomas Harriots phonetic alphabet which he used for his signature on his finished portraits. Looking at other cultures art work can bring you a little closer to the dream, said Jane.

John Shinnors work of art is entitled Shinare.

Everybody will have the opportunity to make an online bid for their favourite hare.

See haresonthemarch.ie and jackandjill.ie for full details and how to bid on these unique pieces.
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An experimental drug mixture can successfully fight the Ebola virus in monkeys, fully protecting them from lethal infections, according to a new study.

The finding may pave the way for a therapy that is broadly protective against Ebola viruses in Africa, researchers say. Unlike a vaccine, the new drug mixture is intended to treat Ebola after a person has been infected with the virus.

The Ebola outbreak that began in 2014 in West Africa was the largest known outbreak of the virus in history, causing more than 28,000 cases of Ebola virus disease and 11,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Symptoms of Ebola virus disease include fever, muscle pain, severe headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding from the nose, eyes, mouth, ears and elsewhere. Although West Africa was declared Ebola-free in mid-January of this year, a few cases have since occurred in Sierra Leone, and the region remains at risk for more cases of Ebola virus disease.

The outbreak spurred research into drugs and vaccines to combat the deadly virus. In 2014, researchers developed an experimental drug called ZMapp, which was given to a handful of Ebola patients. This new therapy consisted of three different antibodies, which are molecules that can bind to foreign proteins.

In early studies of ZMapp, the drug successfully treated 18 monkeys infected with the Kikwit strain of Ebola that struck Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1995. This previous research found that all of the monkeys recovered from the infection without showing any lingering effects.

Now, researchers have developed an anti-Ebola drug mixture, or "cocktail," made from only two antibodies and seems at least as effective as ZMapp, the study's authors said. This simpler formulation may simplify production, reduce costs, accelerate regulatory approval of the drug and improve safety by reducing potential complications, the researchers said. [5 Viruses That Are Scarier Than Ebola]

"Bringing the cocktail down to two antibodies is very good news," said study co-author Gary Kobinger, an immunologist, virologist and director of the Infectious Disease Research Center at Laval University in Quebec City. "It'll be easier to produce and save a lot on the costs."

The new cocktail, called MIL77E, uses two of the three antibodies in ZMapp. Prior research found that two of the three antibodies in ZMapp were very similar in the way they target the Ebola virus, suggesting that they were redundant  so MIL77E uses just one of those two antibodies.

Whereas ZMapp was generated in a close relative of the tobacco plant, the new cocktail was generated using modified Chinese hamster ovary cells. The idea was that the use of mammalian cells would produce a drug more useful in the human body than a drug manufactured in plant cells. The researchers also tweaked certain parts of each antibody to better resemble human antibodies.

Three days after three monkeys were infected with the Makona strain of the Ebola virus (the one responsible for the current outbreak), all three monkeys that were given the two-antibody cocktail survived. In contrast, only two of the three monkeys given a similar formulation of ZMapp survived.

An infection that has also caused Ebola outbreaks in Africa is Sudan ebolavirus, which is related to but distinct from the Zaire ebolavirus that recently struck West Africa.

Kobinger noted that adding an antibody against Sudan ebolavirus to MIL77E could lead to a three-antibody cocktail that could combat most Ebola cases in Africa.

"This work really opens the door to cocktails that will have broader potency, that will be potent against more than one species of Ebola," Kobinger told Live Science. "This could cut down the risk of having resistant mutant viruses escaping."

The scientists detailed their findings online March 9 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @livescience, Facebook &Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Self-propelled nanoparticles could rush to the scene of a scrape in an electronic and bridge the gap to complete the circuit again, shown here in an illustration.

Electronics such as solar panels and flexible gadgets may someday be able to heal their "wounds," thanks to tiny, self-propelled nanoparticles that detect and repair damage.

Microscopic scratches in electrical circuits can interrupt the flow of electricity and seriously impact the performance of devices, but such scrapes are hard to detect and even harder to repair, researchers say.

Now, engineers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the University of Pittsburgh have designed so-called nanomotors that can autonomously detect and move toward these scratches before wedging themselves into the cracks. [Video: Watch the Nanomotors in Action as They Heal a Scratch]

Because the particles are made from gold and platinum, which conduct electricity, they bridge the gap  healing the wound  and complete the circuit again, according to the researchers. The nanomotors are applied in a liquid solution that also contains the hydrogen peroxide fuel that powers them.

Tiny particles found in the blood of mammals called platelets inspired the design of the system, said the scientists, who presented their research at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, on Sunday (March 13). These platelets clump together at the site of a wound to form clots that stem bleeding and help the wound heal.

To build the nanomotors, the researchers first created tiny gold spheres and coated one-half of each sphere with platinum, which acts as a catalyst to break down the fuel that propels them. [Top 10 Inventions that Changed the World]

Then, the gold hemispheres were specially modified to take advantage of the hydrophobic effect  the phenomenon that causes oil droplets to separate from water and merge together.

The cracks in electrical circuits are typically hydrophobic, so by making the particles hydrophobic too, the researchers were able to nudge the particles to naturally seek out scratches. The tiny particles are also drawn to other nanomotors, thus allowing them to form clusters that can bridge larger gaps in a circuit.

Scientists repaired a purposefully damaged electric circuit (shown here) with nanomotors. (Image credit: Wang Lab, UCSD)

In the study presented at the meeting, and published last September, lead author Jinxing Li, a doctoral candidate in the UCSD Department of Nanoengineering, and his colleagues described how they had demonstrated that the system could repair a deliberately damaged circuit consisting of a gold electrode, a direct power source and a red LED, within 30 minutes.

According to Li, electronics' ability to self-heal could be particularly useful for solar panels, which are often placed in remote and hostile environments, as well as for future flexible electronics integrated into things like clothes that will experience a lot of mechanical stress.

"These are extremely small nanoscale particles for precision repairing, so they should save a lot of costs compared to using conventional soldering," Li told LiveScience. "The next step is to investigate how to integrate these nanomotors into electronic systems for on-demand activation."

Previous research into self-healing electronics generally has focused on creating self-healing materials that conduct electricity and can become integral parts of a circuit. For instance, Guihua Yu, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas, and his team created a self-healing, conducting gel designed to act as a soft joint on circuit junctions, where breakages often occur.

"The nanomotors described in this study are more like a repairing tool outside the electronics," Yu told Live Science. "People can use the nanomotors to repair the cracks in circuits just like they use concrete to fix cracks on a wall."

But he said the need to create a designed chemical environment at the site of damage by adding fuel along with the nanomotors could make it challenging to integrate the new technology in electronic s. A fully autonomous self-healing system would need to be able to sense when damage occurs and apply the nanomotors and fuel to the correct area.. "This poses a limitation in terms of how they can be applied to versatile electronic systems, and how they can be easily incorporated into circuits to do the self-healing work," Yu added.

The system relies primarily on materials traditionally used in electronics, and it does not matter how much time has passed since the damage to the circuit occurred, the UCSD researchers said.

The approach could also have applications outside electronics, Li said. In 2013, a group from Pennsylvania State University revealed a similar system that used the ion gradients caused by the minerals released when a bone breaks to power and direct drug-carrying nanoparticles to the site of the crack.

Li said their approach could be used for a similar purpose, and they have already demonstrated that they can power nanomotors using gastric acid, or even water, as fuel.

"The concept demonstrated here could have a profound impact on medicine delivery," Li said. "We would like to develop nanoscale medicine shuttles, which could swim and detect disease sites next. For example, we can modify nanomotors with antibodies on the surface and use them to swim and target tumors."

Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
About 68 million years ago, a pregnant Tyrannosaurus rex died in ancient Montana. Her remains might provide clues about how to identify male and female theropods, or bipedal meat-eating dinosaurs, a new study finds.

The finding is an exciting one  researchers verified that the T. rex was pregnant by looking at the organic components in the dinosaur's bone structure, elements that had survived for tens of millions of years since the predator's death, said study lead researcher Mary Schweitzer, an evolutionary biologist at North Carolina State University.

"We need to quit selling fossils short," Schweitzer told Live Science. "They have a lot more information in them than we would think of [finding in] 65-million-year-old bone." [Image Gallery: The Life of T. Rex]

A paleontologist discovered the T. rex in Hell Creek Formation in 2000. Bob Harmon, of the Museum of the Rockies in Montana, sat down in dinosaur territory one day, and unexpectedly felt a fossil behind his back, Schweitzer said. Harmon shared the good news with his colleagues, and they spent the next three years excavating the enormous specimen.

Afterward, the paleontologists gave the femur, a leg bone, to Schweitzer, who, along with her colleagues, examined the microscopic features of the fossil. In 2005, the team published a study in the journal Science announcing that the fossil contained medullary bone, which is a type of bone with extra calcium deposits that help female egg-laying creatures, such as birds, lay eggs. Medullary bone is present only just before or during the egg-laying process, so its occurrence suggested the T. rex was pregnant, Schweitzer said.

But recently, Schweitzer found herself wondering whether the finding was accurate. New technologies and information had come to light in the intervening years. Schweitzer wondered if she did the experiment again, whether she would still get the same results and find that the dinosaur was pregnant, she said.

A pregnant Tyrannosaurus rex (right). (Image credit: Mark Hallett)

"I think good scientists should always be second-guessing themselves," Schweitzer said.

So, she decided to check the chemistry of the T. rex's femur. Such a test would show whether the fossil had medullary bone, or whether it actually had osteopetrosis, a condition that makes bones unusually dense. Under the microscope, medullary bone and bone with osteopetrosis look remarkably similar, Schweitzer said.

However, the two are chemically different. Medullary bone contains the organic compound keratan sulfate, and bone with osteopetrosis does not. Schweitzer and her colleagues tested for the compound using different chemicals, including monoclonal antibodies (immune cells that bind only to a specific agent  in this case, keratan sulfate). The researchers found that the ancient bone still contained some keratan sulfate.

The researchers also used the antibodies to analyze medullary bone from an ostrich and chicken. The results confirmed those from the 2005 study, that the T. rex had medullary bone and was likely pregnant when she died, Schweitzer said.

"This analysis allows us to determine the gender of this fossil, and gives us a window into the evolution of egg laying in modern birds," Schweitzer said in a statement.

Because medullary bone is present only in females during egg-laying periods, it's relatively rare in fossils. Even when present, it can be difficult to identify without cutting off a sample of dinosaur bone and examining it under a microscope or with a chemical test. But the researchers found that doing an initial computed tomography (CT) scan of dinosaur bone can help determine whether a fossil is worth investigating, Schweitzer said. [Gallery: Photos of Tiny Dinosaur Embryos]

This technique could help researchers find more medullary bone, said study co-author Lindsay Zanno, a paleontologist at North Carolina State University. Moreover, once the presence of medullary bone confirms that a dinosaur is a female, researchers can look for other clues that might help determine whether it's a boy or a girl dinosaur.

"It's a dirty secret, but we know next to nothing about sex-linked traits in extinct dinosaurs. Dinosaurs weren't shy about sexual signaling, all those bells and whistles, horns, crests, and frills, and yet we just haven't had a reliable way to tell males from females," Zanno said in the statement. "Just being able to identify a dinosaur definitively as a female opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Now that we can show pregnant dinosaurs have a chemical fingerprint, we need a concerted effort to find more [medullary bone]."

This T. rex isn't the first known example of a pregnant dinosaur. Fossils of both Allosaurus (a Jurassic-period, meat-eating relative of T. rex) and Tenontosaurus (a herbivorous relative of the duck-billed dinosaur) have been found with medullary bone, suggesting that the individuals may have died just before, during or after laying eggs.

The new study was published online today (March 15) in the journal Scientific Reports (opens in new tab).

Follow Laura Geggel on Twitter @LauraGeggel. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Maintenance of import and storage systems continues beyond the anticipated completion time, update expected this afternoon

As Lloyd's Loading List was going to press, the Customs Administration of the Netherlands was carrying out verification tests on import and storage systems aimed at ending the downtime which began on 11 March at 7pm CET.

The servers were expected to be fully back up and running on Sunday 13 March at 6pm CET but forwarder Expeditors had reported yesterday that maintenance had continued beyond the anticipated completion time and that the import and storage systems were still down.

The Administration said it will issue an update at 3pm CET today "unless the maintenance is completed earlier."

Maintenance has been prompted by a new version of the Netherlands customs system AGS (Aangiftesysteem) which is being released to accommodate new message formats required by the World Customs Organization (WCO) data model version 3.

Since the layout for both inbound and outbound messages is changing with the release, it will not be possible to submit any import declarations during the downtime, with the Netherlands customs authority announcing that messages will not be buffered and processed after the maintenance," the Administration said.

Following the maintenance, only messages in the new format will be accepted and processed, it added.

Expeditors said the downtime does not impact Exports and NCTS, and declarations for these procedures can be submitted as usual.

A release by the WCO regarding the new data model version 3 can be viewed here:

Image: Shutterstock.com
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IFAs presidential debate took place in Longford last night.

There are six candidates in the race - three for the position of vice president and three battling it out for president.

In the race for vice president are Pat Farrell - a farmer from Co Kildare; Richard Kennedy - former IFA National Chairman and Nigel Renaghan who is a beef and poultry farmer in Co Monaghan.

Vying for the presidential tile are Joe Healy, a dairy farmer from Athenry, Co Galway; Henry Burns a beef, sheep and tillage farmer from Co Laois and Flor McCarthy - farmer from Co Kerry.

On the night all candidates spoke about the importance of protecting farm families and the need for a retail ombudsman to tackle below cost of production prices.

CAP was also on the agenda and the importance of revisiting the matter so that Irish farmers can avail of all that is on offer from the EU agricultural funding model was discussed at length. More details in next weeks Longford Leader.
Tech & Science, Local News, Business & Finance, Seasonal & Current Events

By Chris Boyle Published: March 15 2016

An offshoot of the popular Manhattan event is set to give LI businesses the info, support, and connections to succeed.

The New York Business Expo & Conference has been held at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan since 2006; the debut of it's Long Island equivalent on April 21 is greatly anticipated by the local business community.

Hempstead, NY - March 1, 2016 - The Long Island Business Expo is set to make its auspicious debut on April 21 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, offering the competitive Long Island professional scene an event thats sure to give them the tools and information to succeed like never before.

The Long Island Business Expo is an offshoot of the New York Business Expo, which is held annually at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. What the two events have in common  besides their support of the local business community  is the expertise and know-how of Event Management LLC President Marc P. Sherer, who runs them both. Sherer, who founded the New York Business Expo in 2006, said that its high time that Long Island had an equivalent event to address its exciting professional landscape as well.

We are very excited by the interest expressed to bring this type of education-driven event to Long Island, he said. The new Long Island Business Expo, working in partnership with the LIA, will present 30 individual sessions, including Keynotes, open-air discussion, and breakout meetings, customized by our national, regional and local educators specifically toward ways to build better, more dynamic and forward leaning businesses.

Citing the unique qualities that the New York Business Expo has been offering attendees since 2006 that are looking to up their professional game, Sherer said that the sheer amount of resources offered at that event  and, as of April 21, at their new Long Island event at Hofstra University as well  are what set them apart from any and all other business Expos.

What makes the New York Business Expo (and its newer sister event Market New York Expo) different is the nature and volume of content provided to our audience in one day, he said. Our events are built on delivering clear take-away value though our education. Our attendees are encouraged to attend one or as many of the scheduled learning opportunities and seek the best strategies that meet the challenges of running and growing their unique businesses.



Event Management LLC President Marc P. Sherer.

Sherer has a long career in event production; he notes the day that he took his professional life in this direction, as that period was highlighted by an equal (or, perhaps more) significant event in his personal life as well.

I began my work in event production in 1990easy to remember as it was just a year before Sheila agreed to be my wife, he said. We started out working with the New Haven Chamber on a Southern CT Business Showthis was a great event until we lost its home, with the demolition of the old New Haven Coliseum in mid-2007. The success of this first b2b show brought an opportunity for growth and we began producing a new event, the Connecticut Business Expo in 2005. Within three years we were not only the largest b2b show in the northeast, we were selected to be the opening event for the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

Sherer soon realized that the lessons he was leaning about the Connecticut business arena could easily be applied elsewhere; it was then that he began entertaining thoughts of expansion of the Expo concept into other markets.

It was clear to us there was nothing geographically unique about the demographics of the small business market of Connecticut, that our model had the ability to travel and the most logical next event was set to be in New York City, surprisingly lacking at that time, this type of event, he said. Since 2006 we have been proud to produce the New York Business Expo & Conference at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. The event has served over 100k attendees and hosted well over 300 educational sessions on its way.



The New York Business Expo has attracked business owners from across the city for over a decade.

The Long Island Business Expo offers a variety of support and information for the professional community of Long Island; particularly with the nations current economic climate still being shaky, the Expo is something that just about anyone looking to run a successful company could use to take their efforts to the next level.

We are proud to be working with LongIsland.com as well as federal, state and regional economic development agencies. We partner with associations, and chambers of commerce as well, tasked with finding and solving the needs of the regions business community, he said. We know that the challenges that are faced are not usually solved in Washington and that true economic development happens on the local level. The shows goal is to provide the most current proven strategies for success at this local level. Our speakers and Keynotes come from backgrounds of proven success and can translate that success to our audience.

Sherer noted that the Long Island Business Expo targets business owners of all different industries who are passionate about growing their businesses, operating at peak efficiency, and staying current with best practices.

We have found that most business owners either have trouble making the time or dont know where to begin to make sense of the new opportunities presented by the many changes in how business gets done new strategies in sales, marketing and overall business growth fundamentals, he said. This is what the Long Island Business Expo is built to do  show our attendees best practices for real business growth. The show offers world class education for the small business owners and key decision makers. We couple this content with world-renowned Keynotes, interactive show floor features, one-on-one counseling and really fun networking. Our 11-year New York Business Expo & Conference has become the largest b2b show on the East Coast using this formula and we are excited to bring it to Long Island!



An educational seminar at the New York Business Expo.

Hofstra University is an ideal location for the Long Island Business Expos debut, Sherer said, and that the accommodations have more than met his needs and expectations.

We like a lot about Hofstra University for this event, especially its location, facility flexibility, parking, and size, he said. We are going to be able to hold the many educational sessions and co-locate the 160 exhibitors all in one place. And, as our show is built on presenting the best SMB education, where better than on a campus of higher learning?

Sherer said that he has learned many lessons from running the NY Business Expo all these years; lessons that he plans on applying them to the Long Island Business Expo while also taking into account Long Islands unique business landscape.

All businesses are similar in their needs to develop their unique offerings, ability to tell their story, to promote and generate interest from their most likely customers and to increase the sales that will fuel their growth, he said. Small businesses dont have the luxury of large exploratory marketing budgets to test and re-retest marketing strategies. The good news is that there are new, less expensive ways to find and be found by new potential customers that can actually be way less expensive and certainly more effective than old school shotgun marketing efforts. Education is key.



An educational seminar at the New York Business Expo.

With the Long Island Business Expo set to continue the success that started with its Manhattan-based parent event, Sherer is already making plans for next years edition, and hopes to incorporate new events and programming to make it an even more effective tool for Long Islanders to benefit from.

We are looking to continue the offerings of the Long Island Business Expo beyond April 21, he said. This will be an incredible start, but the transformative nature of SMB strategy, especially in the digital age, demands an ongoing commitment, patience and consistent effort from businesses in order to stay current with best practices and emerging technology. Working with our partners, we hope to continue these discussions moving forward.

Sherer said that its been an amazing ride to be such a vital part of the New York business community all these years, and is looking forward to expanding that influence and assistance into the Long Island business region starting this April 21 at Hofstra University.

It feels like there is a need for real, non-commercial education for the SMB business that has largely gone untapped, he said. In our small way, we have been very proud to provide some of this needed content to those that can use it most, in informative, engaging, and fun ways.

Anyone at all interested in the full extent of the Long Island Business Expos offerings should visit the official show website at BusinessExpoLI.com, where they will not only be able to view the schedule of events but a listing of the event partners.
Local News, National & World News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 15 2016

Senators Have Led Fight to Improve LI Sound, Which is a Vital Part of Long Island and Connecticuts Economy.

Washington, DC - March 15, 2016 - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), today urged Senate leaders of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies to fund the Environmental Protection Agencys Long Island Sound program for Fiscal Year 2017. The Senators are requesting $10 million in federal funding for FY17 to facilitate habitat restoration projects, water quality projects and water quality monitoring. The Sound borders New York and Connecticut, with 8 million people living in its watershed and 23 million people living within 50 miles.

The Long Island Sound is a natural treasure and an economic engine for the whole region that draws families, boaters, tourists and anglers to our shores. That is why we must do everything we can to secure federal funds that will restore and protect the beaches and waters in and around the Long Island Sound for current and future generations, said Senator Schumer.

The Long Island Sound is a key natural resource that must be protected, said Senator Gillibrand a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Its a vital economic anchor that local businesses rely on every day. I will continue to work hard to ensure that this funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations bill to restore the Sound and promote environmental protection and economic development in the area.

This measure helps to protect one of our nations most precious environmental treasures, saidSenator Blumenthal. Such much-needed funding will help restore, preserve, and enhance the Sound--- ensuring it can continue to play a key role in our state and regions environmental and economic future for generations to come.

Long Island Sound is a giant job creator for our state. Keeping it clean isn't just the right thing to environmentally, it's the right thing to do for our economy," said Senator Murphy. This is exactly why I fought to get on the Appropriations Committee  to make sure Connecticut gets funding we deserve.

The Senators in their joint letter explained this federal funding through the Environmental Protection Agency is critical to the regional economies and the quality of the environment. The Long Island Sound is one of 28 estuaries included in the National Estuary Program, and with more than 23 million people living within 50 miles of the Sound, it is a major contributor of economic development and a source of recreation for residents and visitors alike. According to the Long Island Sound Study, the annual economic value of the sound is approximately $8.9 billion. The Sound is home to more than 120 species of fish, which contribute to our states vibrant commercial and recreational fishing industries.

In 1985, the EPA, in agreement with the States of New York and Connecticut, created the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), an office under the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) charged with advancing efforts to restore the sound and address low oxygen levels and nitrogen levels that have depleted fish and shellfish populations as well as hurt shoreline wetlands. In 1990, the Long Island Sound Improvement Act passed providing federal dollars to advance Sound cleanup projects, including wastewater treatment improvements. In 2006, identifying the need for increased stakeholder participation and the need to focus on coastal restoration and improved public access and education, Congress passed the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act which provided federal dollars for projects to restore the coastal habitat to help revitalize the wildlife population and coastal wetlands and plant life.

Full text of the Senators joint letter is included below:

Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall:

We are writing to urge you to fund the Environmental Protection Agencys Long Island Sound Geographic Program at $10 million in the Fiscal Year 2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill.

Federal funding to continue the Environmental Protection Agencys program for Long Island Sound is critical to our regional economies and the quality of our environment. The Long Island Sound is one of 28 estuaries included in the National Estuary Program, and with more than 23 million people living within 50 miles of the Sound, it is a major contributor of economic development and a source of recreation for residents and visitors alike. According to the Long Island Sound Study, the annual economic value of the sound is approximately $8.9 billion. The Sound is home to more than 120 species of fish, which contribute to our states vibrant commercial and recreational fishing industries.

In 2000 and 2006, respectively, Congress enacted the Long Island Sound Restoration Act and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act, which together authorized $65 million annually to fund projects that improve water quality, restore and protect habitats, and increase public awareness to the issues affecting the Long Island Sound and its watershed. This funding has allowed the federal government, working with state and local partners, as well as with the private sector, to make significant progress in improving the Sound.

For example, as of 2013, the amount of nitrogen entering the Sound from sewage treatment plants has decreased by 35 million lbs. per year as a result of programs funded by this appropriation. Continuing to fund the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Acts will allow the EPA to continue to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to address water quality and invest in new strategies to reduce pollution and improve the environmental quality of the region.

Investments made by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Long Island Sound Study area have been effectively used to leverage additional resources from state, local and private partners. According to the Long Island Sound Study Office, since 2006, for every $1 in EPA funding, $87 was leveraged from other sources. As a result, from 2006 to 2013 over $3.5 billion has been leveraged in direct environmental project support to carry out activities to restore and protect the Long Island Sound.

Thank you for your leadership on the Appropriations Committee, and for your consideration of this request. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure that Congress continues to appropriate funding to protect and restore Long Island Sound.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer, United States Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator

Richard Blumenthal, United States Senator
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
A jihadist propaganda outlet that is linked to the Islamic State has denied the US killed Omar al Shishani, a senior military commander, in an airstrike last week. Shishanis status has been uncertain since the US announced it targeted him last week, and it is still unknown if he is dead, alive, or seriously wounded.

The claim was posted on the website of the Amaq News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic State and often provides reliable information about the groups local and international operations. According to Amaq, not only was Shishani not killed, he was not wounded in the airstrike.

Urgent: A source for Amaq Agency denied what the American Defense Department (Pentagon) announced about the killing of Sheikh Omar al Shishani, and asserted that he was not exposed to any injury, according to a translation of the statement by the SITE Intelligence Group.

Amaqs claim that Shishani was unharmed in the March 4 airstrike in Shaddadi, Syria cannot be verified. The Islamic State has not released an official statement concerning Shishanis status, and the US military has yet to officially announce his that he was killed in the airstrike.

The US military officially announced on March 9 that it targeted Shishani in an airstrike in Shaddadi, but stopped short of declaring Shishani dead. [See LWJ report, US targeted senior Islamic State military commander in airstrike in Syria for more information on the strike and background on Shishani]

After the US stated it targeted Shishani, Rami Abdel Rahman, the director Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), told AFP on March 10 that the Islamic State military commanders convoy was indeed targeted and several of his cadre were killed, but Shishani himself survived and was seriously injured.

Three days later, on March 13, the SOHRs director said Shishani is not able to breathe on his own and is using machines. He has been clinically dead for several days, Al Manar reported.

Yesterday, two unnamed US officials told CNN that Shishani was indeed killed in the strike, but did not provide details on how his death was confirmed. However the US officials anonymous statements concerning Shishani falls short of an official announcement.

The US military and intelligence services may not be able to confirm Shishanis status unless the Islamic State decides to provide the information. Given Shishanis high profile and status as an influential commander among foreign and local fighters, it is likely that the Islamic State will weigh in on his fate one way or another. Either the Islamic State will release a martyrdom statement (which can be delayed weeks or months), or a an official statement denying his death, or audio or video evidence that Shishani is alive. It is also possible that the Islamic State will remain silent in order to confuse intelligence services.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
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Global Luxury Insights from The Leading Hotels of the World



79% of curious travelers feel that travel is an essential part of life.



30% of curious travelers intend to take more trips in 2016 vs. 12% who plan to take fewer.



78% express interest in exploring a destination's hidden gems.



54% look for unique and different travel adventures.



Only 32% seek the hottest/trendiest spots



The curious traveler will spend 7% more on hotel accommodations per night this year than they did in 2015 ($419 per night/$390 per night).





46% of curious international travelers consider themselves a trendsetter amongst their circle of friends.



60% consider themselves the primary person responsible for leisure trip decision-making.



81% like to conduct independent research online to find the experiences they want.





Visiting notable historical/architectural sites: 91%



Culinary experiences: 89%



Getting to know local people: 78%





U.S.: 81%



Germany: 76%



Japan: 69%





81% say creating memories is most important when traveling.



When traveling to new destinations, they go overseas. Travelers Who Took an International Trip in the Past 12 Months:



U.S.: 93%

Germany: 58%

Japan: 52%











44% of travelers stay at their favorite hotel when they return to a destination.



71% say that they find reassurance in a five-star designation.



78% say that a well-known brand name is only somewhat important or not important at all.





On average, international curious travelers took more business trips (8.9) than leisure trips (8.4) over the past 12 months.



54% took time on at least one business trip to enjoy activities typically associated with leisure travel, such as playing golf or relaxing at the spa.



42% of curious travelers took a spouse, friend or family member on at least one business trip the past 12 months.



They buck trends and look for what's next over brand names. And when it comes to making memories and having a story to tell, they will spend more. These are the top findings of a global study conducted by The Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of uncommon luxury hotels, to understand this traveler and better serve them.Over the past few years we have seen a subset of the affluent traveler emerge that Leading Hotels has termed the Curious Traveler. Understanding the mindset and motivations of this very specific customer segment is the goal of this report, said Ted Teng, President and CEO, The Leading Hotels of the World. Our study paints a rich portrait of who this individual is. One who is captivated by exploring diverse cultures, who eschews the expected and thrives on discovery. Leading Hotels are engaging places where art, culture, history and cuisine converge elegantly to offer these discerning travelers the ideal next stop on their journey of discovery.Curious Travelers aretaking almost eight leisure trips a yearand while American travelers take the least amount of vacation compared to other markets in this study, they are the most likely to visit new destinations when they travel overseas.The curious traveler has a strong sense of self. They trust their judgment as much, if not more, than the opinions of others.This traveler seeks immersion  68% of survey respondents think it's important to immerse in a destination and learn about its culture. The curious traveler defines culture in terms of History, Architecture, Food, and People. These are the cultural experiences they want the most when they travel:More than half (60%) of survey respondents said they want to experience a destination as a local would. This curiosity about other cultures is especially pronounced among Americans, who outranked other markets in their agreement with the statement I am curious about other cultures:73% of curious travelers believe on vacation it is essential for me to do something out of the ordinary from my routine.This traveler knows what they like and when they find it, they go back. While they certainly value and expect quality, they don't glean reassurance from brand name recognition alone. When it comes to international travel, they mostly want to go to destinations in Europe and North America.Hotel PreferencesDestination Preferences: Europe remains the top destination for travelers (70%).Curious travelers often navigate a seamless transition between work and leisure. When possible, they are looking to make the most of their business trips with leisure components.
India must put quality control at the centre of its policies on IP filing if it doesnt want to deal with a mess of its own making later
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced that the company, along with Tokyo Keiki Inc. (President & CEO: Kenichi Waki; Headquarters: Ota-ku, Tokyo), conducted a performance demonstration test of its autopilot route control function, called Advanced Control for Ecology (ACE), onboard a vessel in service. The results show an energy savings of about 1.5%.



The ACE estimates disturbance effects such as wind and tide by setting the vessels course direction, and optimally controls the helm to minimize route deviation and reduce the number of course changes required during a voyage, achieving significant reductions in fuel consumption compared to a similar vessel with a conventional control system.



MOL centrally collects big data gathered from vessels in service, with the goal of building a comprehensive vessel operation support network that will improve operating safety, reduce vessels environmental impact, and boost overall efficiency.



During this demonstration test, MOL and Tokyo Keiki analyzed the data gained from Fleet Monitor (*) installed on the vessel as a part of its big data initiative, and found that ACE resulted in about 1.5% energy savings.



The MOL Group continually takes a proactive stance in developing and introducing technologies that will reduce environmental impact and improve the safety and reliability of its transport services.


Seaspan Celebrates Signing of Contracts for Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel and Joint Support Ships.



The Honourable Judy M. Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, announced today the signing of two new contracts valued at more than $65.4 million with Seaspans Vancouver Shipyards as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) Non-Combat package. The long lead item contracts will help pave the way for future construction of the Canadian Coast Guards Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) and the Royal Canadian Navys Joint Support Ships (JSS) at Vancouver Shipyards by enabling Seaspan to initiate early discussions with potential suppliers and purchase necessary material and equipment.



Today is an exciting day for Seaspan and marks a major milestone for the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) as we continue to re-write shipbuilding history in Canada, said Brian Carter, President  Seaspan Shipyards. This announcement is a strong reminder of the progress being made under the NSS. Its impact will continue to increase opportunities for Canadian companies and provide jobs for Canadians that flow from our delivery of vessels to the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy.



With the new OOSV and JSS contracts now in place, specialized parts such as propulsion systems, scientific equipment, generators and steel can be ordered prior to start of construction, helping to ensure the best value and timely delivery of these vessels.



To date, Seaspans Vancouver Shipyards has awarded $380 million in contracts to suppliers in Canada, with more than 160 Canadian companies having already benefited from these investments. It is estimated that Seaspans NSS work will create more than 2300 direct, indirect and induced jobs annually, produce almost $290 million per year in GDP for Canadas economy, and mean thousands of people will get the opportunity for an exciting new career in shipbuilding.




The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa assisted the crew of a disabled fishing vessel about 70 miles east of Cape May, New Jersey, Friday.



The fishing vessel Hope & Sydney lost steering and power.



The Tampa crew arrived on scene Friday with the Hope & Sydney, established a tow Saturday and arrived Sunday near Cape May.



A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May met the Tampa and relieved its crew of the tow before towing the Hope & Sydney into port.



The cutter Tampa is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia.


FleetWeather Ocean Services, experts in business intelligence and analytics for the commercial shipping industry, today opened its doors under a new name and new brand: Accuritas Global SolutionsA business intelligence and analytics company.

Executive Vice President Jess Hurwitz announced the name change reflecting continued focus and growth in providing industry-unique business intelligence, analytics and consulting services, and expansion from working within the commercial shipping industry to other modes of global transportation. The new name is effective immediately.



For the past several years, we have expanded the services we provide to the marine industry to meet the needs of our clients, stated Jess Hurwitz, Accuritas Executive Vice President and CTO. While we continue to include some of our legacy services in our suite of products, we have been developing products which support our clients in managing information in a concise and productive fashion. This enables them to make better decisions, increase their profits and reduce costs, as well as streamline communications and manage opportunities more intelligently. Essentially, we support their efforts to be more competitive and agile with improved business strategies and simplified challenges.



FleetWeather has over 47 years of experience servicing the global maritime industry, first as a weather routing company, and more recently as the innovator and provider of shippings first business intelligence solution introduced in 2013. Founded in 1967 by Tore Jakobsen and merged with Jeff Wimmers CompuWeather in 1993, FleetWeather has a highly respected reputation for unique services and exceptional customer service.



Throughout our history, we have been known for our passion in delivering quality and doing the right thing.



We are very proud of our reputation for accuracy, integrity and responsiveness, observed Wimmer, CEO of Accuritas. Tore Jakobsen, CFO of Accuritas, added As we have expanded into new areas of business information and analysis over the past few years, these values continue to be our foundation. Our decision to rename the company reflects our commitment to these areas. Our customers will be assured of our unbridled ongoing commitment to their exact needs as in years past, while exploring further avenues of efficiency, optimization, and profit that we are now able to provide.



Accuritas Global Solutions is building upon the foundation of the legacy company to provide senior executives with the information they need to make intelligent business decisions about their fleets and move from data complexity to simplicity remarked Hurwitz. Shipping has its challenges - Accuritas has the solutions.



While Accuritas has a new name and new look, its commitment to accuracy, integrity, knowledge and security in all that it does for its clients will not change. Current product and service offerings will also remain the same:



 Business intelligence and Analytics

 Consulting and project management

 Problem solving and predictive analysis

 Multi-vendor data and software integration

 Technology development

 Customized deliverables

 On-demand analysis
The Coast Guard and California Fish and Wildlifes Office of Spill Prevention and Response are continuing their investigation of an oil spill that occurred on Sunday in the Los Angeles Harbor. A unified command has been established that includes the Coast Guard, California Fish and Wildlife, and the responsible party.



Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center received a report at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, of an unknown quantity of oil in the vicinity of the 577-foot cargo ship, Istra Ace. The ship was reported to have been leaking heavy fuel in the Cerritos channel at Berth 198. Oil was also observed throughout portions of Cerritos Channel, where booming strategies have been employed.



Coast Guard investigators from Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, along with members of California Fish and Wildlife, Los Angeles Port Police and Los Angeles County Fire are assisting in the investigation and monitoring of the area. The initial investigation onboard the Istra Ace revealed faulty piping that may have allowed oil to leak from the starboard side of the ship. A Coast Guard helicopter overflight and shoreline clean-up assessments occurred at first light Monday to help determine the extent of the oil spilled.



The Coast Guard issued a safety zone restricting recreational and commercial vessel traffic in the affected area. These restrictions will ensure that vessels do not impede clean-up operations as well as avoid any possible contamination. Due to response efforts, the operations of the Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge have been temporarily suspended, restricting vessel traffic from transiting underneath the bridge. However, automobile traffic is not affected. On a case by case basis, requests to transit through the safety zone will be considered by the Unified Command.



The responsible party has contracted with the National Response Corporation Environmental Services and other sub-contractors to assist in efforts to contain and clean the oil. Currently, 15,600 feet of boom has been deployed around the vessel as well as at critical points in the channel. The boom has successfully contained the oil within the affected area preventing further contamination of the harbor.



Contractors are continuing to clean with sweepers and sorbent pads in the affected area and also any affected shoreline, as well as deploy resources for removal of contamination from vessels, docks, pilings and other structures.



At this time, there have been no confirmed reports of oiled wildlife. If you encounter oiled wildlife, please do not attempt to capture the animal, instead please call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at the following number: 1-877-UCD-OWCN 1-877-UCD-OWCN or 1-877-823-6926 1-877-823-6926 FREE FREE.



The Coast Guard and state officials would like to remind the public that if you feel that this pollution incident has impacted you, a claims number has been provided. To make a claim, please call 1-888-850-8486 1-888-850-8486 FREE FREE.



A Unified Command facilitated containment boom deployment in the Port of Los Angeles to keep the oil from spreading and to protect recreational vessels in the area. Photos provided by California Fish and Wildlife.


Maritime Reporter & Engineering News interviews VADM Satoshi NAKAJIMA, Vice Commandant for Operations, Japan Coast Guard, in its March 2016 edition.

Please discuss the history of the Japan Coast Guard.

Immediately after the end of World War II, maritime security and the safety of ship operations were both deteriorated significantly in waters around Japan. Crime became widespread, while marine navigational aids and other establishments were destroyed. Many sea mines, which threatened ship operations, were planted. To deal with these situations, there was an urgent need for Japan to enhance its coast guard capabilities.

To address these challenges, the government of Japan was considering establishing a consolidated coast guard system. Not by reinforcing existing organizations, Tokyo rather insisted that it set up a single organization authorized to have centralized control over the management and operation of vessels and other facilities, and to comprehensively and wholly supervise all administrative affairs having to do with ensuring the safety of ship navigations and maintaining public order at sea.

In February 1946, United States Coast Guard (USCG) Capt. Frank Meals came to Japan, providing advice and recommendations similar to what the government of Japan was claiming in those days. As a consequence, the JCG, which was called the Maritime Safety Agency at that time, was established on May 1, 1948.

On May 12, 1948, Mr. Takeo Okubo, first Commandant of the Maritime Safety Agency, flew the agencys official flag on the rooftop floor of the official building. Today, the JCG commemorates its foundation on May 12 every year.





What are the primary missions of the Japan Coast Guard?

It is the JCGs mission to ensure maritime safety and security. To fulfill this mission, the JCG is performing a wide variety of duties on the stage of vast oceans. While enhancing our partnerships and cooperation with relevant domestic authorities and overseas organizations, we strive to ensure security; organize rescue operations; conserve the natural environment; deal with natural disasters; conduct marine surveys; gather, manage and provide information and ensure safety for ship traffic; among others.





What are important tasks for the JCG in 2016?

First, the JCG will develop a strategic maritime security system.

We will soundly promote the development of a strategic maritime security system to be able to make every possible effort to guard waters around the Senkaku Islands and crack down on fishing boats from other countries and regions in those waters, and to deal seamlessly with various suspicious activities, behaviors and other occurrences in Japans territorial waters, including that surrounding our remote islands and the waters of the farthest reaches of Japan.

Second, the JCG will help maintain public order at sea as stipulated under the rule of law.

To share the importance of maintaining public order at sea with other Asian economies, help them enhance their coast guard capabilities and reinforce our cooperative relations with them, we will enrich our newly launched Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program (a masters course) and improve other aspects of our education and research infrastructure. We will also organize workshops on maritime security, hoping that we will become an international base from which human resources will be cultivated for the field of Asias maritime security.

Our third important task is to defend Japans maritime interests and ensure safety at sea.

To secure Japans maritime interests and ensure safety at sea, we will continue to promote our extensive and detailed maritime surveys. We will also enrich a system and take other actions to be able to analyze and process necessary information and take other necessary steps under centralized management of information obtained from the maritime surveys.

Our fourth important task is to build a consolidated maritime traffic control mechanism and undertake disaster-prevention measures to protect Aids to Navigation.

We will consolidate the Tokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Center and the traffic control offices of each port and build a mechanism to take over and perform their tasks altogether in order to give warnings and other notifications and provide information such as evacuated areas to vessels immediately and accurately in case tsunamis and other major disasters occur in Tokyo Bay, which is congested with vessel traffic.

We will also undertake measures to protect Aids to Navigation from disasters, which is necessary for safety navigation of vessels, in order to ensure the safety of seaborne transport routes in the event of disasters.

In 2016, Japan will host the annual G7 Summit Meeting. The waters near the venue of the Ise-Shima Summit are complicated, having many small and large islands, bays and shallows, where fishery and other businesses, such as pearl cultivation, are active. We believe that it is necessary to take all possible actions to perform maritime security duties, while obtaining understanding and consent from local residents and cooperating tightly with relevant organizations.

Please discuss the size and scale of the JCG shipbuilding plan today?

Under construction, as of February 1, 2016, are 20 vessels, including nine large, six medium and three small patrol vessels as well as two patrol boats.

The vessels are being built at the Shimonoseki Shipyard and Machinery Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.; the Tamano Works of Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.; the Yokohama Shipyard (the Isogo Works) of Japan Marine United Corporation and other shipyards.

What is the key to being more proficient with the human assets under your command?

I feel that officers and other employees at the JCG are all highly capable. However, there is a limit to what individuals can do. As such, it is important to deal with things in an organized way and cooperate organically.

I think that it is important to this end for them to have awareness of various issues, think for themselves and express opinions.

Looking at your responsibilities, do you have one that stands out?

The JCG is much like a jack-of-all-trade at sea, as we are in charge of sea-related administration in general. It is necessary to deal precisely with the needs of the general public. To this end, we need to fulfill our potential synergistically. I believe that it is important to make the Guard & Rescue, Maritime Traffic and Hydrographic & Oceanographic departments work hand in hand organically with support from the Administration and Equipment & Technology departments.

What are the greatest challenges faced today by the JCG?

Organizing a maritime security system seamlessly across the nation, which will also cover the waters around the Senkaku Islands, is one.

Around the Senkaku Islands, official vessels from China have repeatedly intruded into Japanese territorial waters. They also continue to hold demonstrations by sailing around in contiguous zones. In addition, it is intensifying oceanographic research activities with dedicated vessels without obtaining consent from Japan. As these examples show, the East China Sea is still in a difficult situation. Determined to defend Japans territory and territorial waters by all means, however, all JCG officers continue to keep their missions in accordance with the law calmly and firmly to keep the situation from becoming worse.

We are scheduled to complete a fleet dedicated for guarding the sea around the Senkaku Islands by the end of fiscal 2015 (April 2015-March 2016), consisting of 10 large (1,000-ton) patrol vessels and two patrol vessels with helicopters, which will be equivalent to a fleet of 14 large patrol vessels. (Note: By adopting a multiple-crew system, the JCG will secure operation rates for 12 vessels with the 10.)

We will enlarge the fleet of patrol vessels with enhanced crackdown capabilities to handle overseas fishing boats. We will also launch the Tanegashima coast guard station and the Miyakojima Coast Guard Office, which will be upgraded from a coast guard station, and enlarge the Ogawasawa stations.





Twenty years from now, what is the JCG fleet going to look like?

The JCG will improve the formation of the coast guard duties that will be able to deal with problems faster and more accurately by replacing existing patrol vessels systematically with those with greater specifications.

Historically whare are the greatest successes of the JCG?

As I said earlier, the JCG was influenced by the USCG when it was set up. While the USCG maintains military capabilities, however, we have none. It may have been attributed to situations in those days, but I feel today that there is significant value in that the JCG is just a law-enforcement agency.

Today in Asia, the effectiveness of maritime law enforcement is acknowledged as the third most powerful instrument to resolve disputes, following diplomacy and military actions. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insists on maintaining and developing open and stable seas not by exercising power, but by keeping order in accordance with fundamental rules, such as securing the freedom of aviation and navigation, ensuring safety for them and respecting the rule of law, including peaceful dispute settlements based on international law. It is very meaningful for the JCG, a law-enforcement body, to contribute to his idea.

The JCG, which was established as a law-enforcement agency in Japan ahead of other countries and regions in Asia, has since 1969 been providing technical cooperation to help them strengthen their maritime-law enforcement capabilities and for other purposes. In 2015, we launched the Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program, which is a Masters program in the field of maritime security and the first such course in the world. With the program, we have also been offering academic support so that coast guard officers in other Asian nations can study international law and other subjects. As a law-enforcement entity, we contribute to maintaining and fostering public order at sea in Asia. I feel that we are valuable in this sense as well.

Looking at your career, is there a most influential or defining moment?

It is difficult to pick up one because I have experienced a wide variety of assignments since I joined the JCG. However, the most impressive duty performed recently was when I was allowed to give support to Emperor Akihitos and Empress Michikos visit to Palau and the Philippines to console the souls of those who had died in World War II and pray for peace.

Looking at the JCG of 1996 and the JCG of today, how is it most the same? How is it most different?

Ensuring safety and security at sea, which is the JCGs mission, has always been the backbone of our activities. At the same time, our stance of fulfilling duties side by side with local citizens has also remained unchanged. In contrast, circumstances surrounding the JCG have changed drastically over the last 20 years. As such, we need to deal firmly with such changes.

At a Glance

Japan Coast Guard

The JCG has its Headquarters in Tokyo and performs coast guard operations, dividing Japan into 11 regions. Each of the 11 regions is governed by a Regional Coast Guard Headquarters. Under the Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, there are Coast Guard Offices, Coast Guard Air Stations, Coast Guard Stations, Traffic Advisory Service Centers, Air Stations, Hydrographic Observatories and other units.

Number of ships in the JCG: 455

 Patrol ships: 128

 Patrol boats: 238

 Special guard and rescue boats: 63

 Hydrographic survey vessels: 13

 Lighthouse service boats: 10

 Training vessels: 3

Number of JCG personnel: 13,422

----------------------------------------------------

VADM Satoshi NAKAJIMA

Vice Commandant for Operations

Japan Coast Guard

Date of Birth: May 1956

Education: Graduated from Japan Coast Guard Academy in March 1979

Assignment History:

April 2015: Vice Commandant for Operations

(Current Assignment)

April 2014: Director General of Guard and Rescue Department, Japan Coast Guard Headquarters

April 2013: Commander of 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters

April 2012: Commander of 4th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters

April 2011: Director of Administration Division, Guard and Rescue Department, Japan Coast Guard Headquarters

April 2008: Director of Security Intelligence Division, Guard and Rescue Department, Japan Coast Guard Headquarters

April 2007: Director of Info-Communications Planning Division, Administration Department, Japan Coast Guard Headquarters

April 2006: Director of Guard and Rescue Department, 8th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters
Marines with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 conducted a casualty evacuation exercise at Landing Zone Penguin at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 10.



The training enhanced combat readiness and gave Marines with 2nd CEB the experience of conducting nine-line CASEVAC calls in a fast paced environment, while integrating with aviation assets.



The importance of the training is that when something goes wrong, the Marines on the ground should be able to call in a nine-line efficiently, and know what to expect from us, said Capt. Edward Proulx, a pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365.



When Marines are deployed on a Marine Expeditionary Unit around the world, its important to be comfortable conducting CASEVACs because you never know what can happen. Marines are the first responders to any crisis around the area they go to, from evacuating an embassy to invading a country, said Sgt. Andrew Collaso, a crew chief with VMM-365.



A big thing to keep in mind when conducting a CASEVAC is for the Marines on the ground to be able to communicate with the pilots clearly, said Proulx. Once they tell them where they are, the Marines on the ground can count on the pilots to be on their way.

Marines often use MV-22 Ospreys to conduct CASEVACs due to the speed at which they can travel, said Proulx.



As a crew chief, one of my main concerns is safety, said Collaso. There are a lot of moving parts, we are clearing the aircraft coming down to make sure no one is underneath it and make sure everyone is strapped on, including the evacuee.



Marines are constantly training and enhancing their methods while doing so, which allows them to identify what needs to be done in a real-life scenario in order to minimize risks.



Having things pre-staged, ready to go, makes everything go a lot quicker, said Proulx. Having a good system to move that Marine from point A to point B is what we are looking for in the little things that make an operation like this happen.





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Female veterans and active duty and future Marines were united on March, 11, 2016 by the Womens Marine Association to recognize Womens History Month and celebrate the 73rd anniversary of proudly serving in the Marine Corps.



The ceremony at Paradise Point Officers Club on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune paid homage to female Marines, their proud history and their promising future.



This [the association] is such a great organization and seeing all of the former active duty Marines from the Korean War era, some from Vietnam, and they are bringing in everything they have, said Sgt. Maj. Yolanda Mayo, ceremony narrator and organizer. They have uniforms and pictures, and its just such a good time for us to sit back and say, thank you for your service and welcome our new veterans as we have some of our youngest, soon to be Marines here who are in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

While all Marines have an important role to play, for many years female Marines have served alongside their male counterparts to accomplish the mission. Today, the new and future female Marines have new challenges but more opportunities ahead of them.



Since I was little, I have wanted to be an infantry Marine. Even a couple years ago that wasnt possible, said Alana Baker, a Lejeune High School JROTC cadet. I have wanted to be a Marine since I was a little kid, so being able to be around all these women who have pushed past these barriers and still have had successful careers, its really inspiring to me.



Much like the official Marine Corps Birthday Ball, the ladies conducted a cake cutting ceremony, continuing tradition and heritage from one generation to the next.



Passing on the history and tradition from the old to the young and bringing them into the fold, it means a lot, said Mayo. The Marine Corps is built on tradition so this is a little bit of ours.



The unique ceremony offered special opportunities for past, present and future female Marines to share stories, advice, experiences and hardships with each other and to the world.



Many Marines dont understand 73 years of women Marine history, when we became a part of the women Marine reserves, said Sgt. Maj. Robin Fortner, Director Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy and event guest speaker. A lot of Marines dont know that, not just female Marines but Marines period. It took us a lot to get to this point, and we continue still to make history in the Marine Corps and junior Marines should understand they have a special part in Marine Corps history.





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U.S. Marines are in their fifth week working alongside Senegalese armed forces partners, mentoring and advising a demining course for the West African nation.



A group of explosive ordnance disposal technicians with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, began assisting Senegalese engineers as part of the Humanitarian Mine Action Program, Feb. 15, 2016, at Camp Moussa, an engineer training base, in Bargny, Senegal.



The Marines, based out of Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, are in Senegal at the host nations request and coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Dakar.



The U.S. State Department HMA program, created in 1993, provides increased humanitarian mine action assistance to countries suffering from the presence of persistent landmines, which maim and kill innocents, obstruct emergency assistance activities, hamper economic development, and impede free movement of citizens.



In 2005, Senegal adopted a law prohibiting anti-personnel mines in the country, according to United Nations Mine Action Services, a UN department involved in 30 countries and three territories responsible for responding to problems of landmines and explosive remnants of wars.



While theyre not directly demining, the Marines, along with EOD technicians with Vermont Air National Guard and Austrian Armed Forces, are validating the Senegalese soldiers previous instruction during the six-week, train-the-trainer course.



The train-the-trainer program initially began in 2014, when EOD Marines from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Vermont Air National Guard EOD technicians began teaching a group of veteran, hand-selected Senegalese soldiers how to be instructors.



Now, in its second phase, the same three Senegalese soldiers, all engineers, are instructing eight junior-level soldiers in an EOD level one class, which teaches students how identify various types of ordnance and landmines and how to properly mark its locations.



In one practical application exercise, the soldiers used a reconnaissance kit, which allowed them to gather all the information and successfully identified various types of ordnance.



During another, the students successfully used a pulley system and rope to remove an inert mortar round from the ground and move it safely to another spot. The intent wasnt to actually move the ordnance, rather to get the students familiar with different types of tools.



The course progression is all coming from the instructors, not the Marines, said Staff Sgt. Mike Hill, the EOD team leader.



Throughout the past month, all weve been doing is not just listening to the instructors, but observing how well the students are absorbing the knowledge, said Hill. Part of this train the trainer program is how they effectively teach what they know, how well their command presence looks. What we do at the end of the day is provide constructive criticism and tell them what they could do better. So far, the instructors have been great and the students have done well every time they go outside and get some hands-on training. It really shows how effective the instructors are.



Though Hill believes the students will have the capability and confidence to apply their new skills at the conclusion of the course, the intent is to put the instructors through EOD levels two and three, which will enable the instructors to teach students more hands-on approaches to demining.



We want to get the instructors trained in all EOD levels, so they can actually have a humanitarian demining school where they can teach students this program on a regular basis, said Hill. Before the school happens, the United Nations will have to certify the students in peacekeeping demining, which is the ultimate goal.



Since the HMA program began, the number of civilian casualties has dropped to more than 5,000 annually, from 26,000 worldwide, according to a 2008 To Walk the Earth in Safety, publication from the U.S. State Department.



Senegalese Sgt. Usmann Ka, the lead engineer instructor, is glad to be instructing this program to his soldiers because he feels the more knowledge his country has to demine his country, the more confident his people will be in their military.



When the last Marines came here to teach us about demining, they were of big help to us to where we can teach our students, said Ka. Now, we can apply this knowledge if we are sent somewhere so we can keep people safe from the areas they live in. The students come in every day motivated to learn as much as possible and they are eager to be sent to places where demining is needed.





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Alright friends, we're going to talk about a touchy subject today: free trade. This topic has set off strong emotions and harsh rhetoric in both US political parties' primary debates, with candidates on both sides preaching fire and brimstone over trade deficits and job losses. We're told repeatedly that freer trade has hollowed out US industry, displaced workers, whacked wages and made everyone worse off. We're also told, from people in both parties, that high tariffs will restore factories, jobs and prosperity. When brave souls dare suggest tariffs could cause a crushing trade war, hurting far more than they help, they're bullied out of the building-sometimes by candidates promising to offset trade wars with strong central planning, sometimes by pundits claiming trade wars aren't calamitous because reduced imports boost GDP. While that is mathematically true, it errs in presuming GDP math accurately reflects economic well-being, ignoring imports' many contributions to actual economic activity. Trade is not about winners and losers. Supply chains are way too global for that. Markets will likely be happiest if this bellicose trade talk ends up being a load of hot air.

Now, when those for and against free trade make their case, they usually say something like "well this is impossible to prove with data since there are so many other variables, but..." When discussing things like displaced or added jobs, that's mostly true. While some jobs have been lost to trade, many others were victims of automation. US manufacturing output is at all-time highs and climbing. Our factories just do more with less labor, as robots do the heavy lifting. Trade and technology are impossible variables to isolate. Similarly, while imports create jobs in retail, logistics, services and-yes-factories, it's impossible to say how much job creation comes from trade versus normal cyclical drivers. So both cases end up being largely rhetorical, based on anecdotal evidence alone.

But thanks to the fine folks at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Trade Organization (OECD and WTO), we have a compelling dataset to make the case for free trade. I refer to the Trade in Value Added database, or TiVA for short. The OECD and WTO worked with national statistics agencies in 61 countries to create a series showing how much foreign countries contribute to a given nation's exports. Few goods are manufactured start to finish in one country with 100% locally sourced materials. Firms import raw materials and components all the time. In one famous infographic, The Economist showed the geographic breakdown of an iPhone . While the final gadget is pounded together in China, the components hail from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Italy, the US and others. Yes, China imports American flash memory, touchscreen and audio components, mashes them with other things, and re-exports the whole shebang as a finished smartphone. This sort of thing happens all the time, and thanks to the OECD and WTO, we can measure the economic impact.

Study the database for any length of time, and it becomes abundantly clear that any country trading internationally has a symbiotic relationship with every last one of its trade partners. For example, politicians repeatedly whine that China has beaten us up and stolen our lunch money. And yet:

In 2011 (the latest year available), the US added more value to China's exports than any single country except Japan.

On a percentage basis and in dollar terms, the US added more value to China's exports than China did to US exports.

Does that really sound like a trade relationship that's killing us?

The global economy is far more interconnected than the protectionistas would have you believe. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some charts.

Exhibit 1: Foreign Value Added as a Share of Gross Exports, 2011

Source: OECD and WTO, as of 3/11/2016.

Exhibit 2: Breakdown of Value Added to US Exports, 2011

Source: OECD and WTO, as of 3/11/2016.

Exhibit 3: Breakdown of Value Added to Chinese Exports, 2011

Source: OECD and WTO, as of 3/11/2016.

Exhibit 4: Breakdown of Value Added to UK Exports, 2011

Source: OECD and WTO, as of 3/11/2016.

Exhibit 5: Breakdown of Value Added to Mexican Exports, 2011

Source: OECD and WTO, as of 3/11/2016.

Exhibit 6: Re-Exported Intermediate Imports as a Percentage of Intermediate Imports, 2011

Source: OECD and WTO, as of 3/11/2016.

From these charts, it should be fairly obvious that jacking up tariffs against China, Mexico, Japan or whoever else wouldn't just result in higher prices for all of us at Wal-Mart or Target. It would also severely threaten the many US firms that re-export foreign products. Their input costs would soar. Plus, rare is the country that takes a tariff lying down. It's fairly normal to respond in kind, raising retaliatory tariffs, adding administrative customs burdens or cutting import quotas. That would limit all firms' access to end markets. Mathematically it might not register in GDP, but it would hurt like the dickens for the actual companies.

The freer trade is, the better global supply chains function. When parts move cheaply and quickly from link to link, we all benefit. Consumers get cheaper goods, logistics firms get more business, factories find it easier to plan and expand, businesses are more willing to take risk, and more folks ultimately find work. The more barriers there are, the more commerce gets interrupted, and the more global production breaks down. Smoot-Hawley didn't cause the Great Depression, but the trade war it triggered caused shortages and sky-high prices while demand was down, exacerbating the downturn. The world was a lot less interconnected back then. A trade war now could set off even bigger chain reactions globally, creating a negative feedback loop.

Now, the simplistic argument against this line of logic goes something like "Yah, but if we just make everything here at home, then we're totally insulated!" In a world where central planning actually works and can effect change in an instant, perhaps that is true. But we don't live in some Communist utopia nightmare/fantasyland. We live in the real world, where things take time, life is messy and the private sector generates most economic activity. Russia learned this the hard way in 2014, when Vladimir Putin responded to economic sanctions by cutting off all food imports from the US, EU, Norway and Australia. He and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev promised Russians they'd be fine, because Russia could either import what it needed from Brazil and China or just produce more food. Neither of those hopes worked out, and Russians still face empty supermarket shelves. Moreover, 20th century history is littered with isolationist, centrally planned Communist nations that tried and failed to be self-sufficient. To say living standards and technology lagged is an understatement. Glasnost and Perestroika-less central planning and more trade-were the answer.

America's economic system relies on trade. So does most of the rest of the world. Imports and exports alike boost local manufacturing. They both create jobs, too. Trade policy that punishes imports would be like asking our economy to cut off a limb. Why would we ever want to handicap ourselves like that?

I don't want to panic you, so I'll leave this on a positive note. Candidates have a long, long, long history of saying radical things on the campaign trail and abandoning those pledges once in office. Several recent Presidents have run as loud protectionists, only to moderate and sign or shepherd free-trade deals once in office. Take, for example, the 2008 campaign. 2012's Republican primaries were twinged with protectionist notes from many candidates, including eventual nominee Mitt Romney. Talk this time is louder than four or possibly eight years ago, but volume doesn't make policy a post-election reality. (And remember, major trade hiccups like overturning NAFTA require passing a law.) Don't take any candidate's proclamations at face value. Keep an ear on what they say, as that impacts sentiment and the market's expectations, but what they do-and how that squares with expectations-is what will ultimately move stocks over time.
Global Stakes for the Brexit Vote

On February 20th, UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the 'in/out EU referendum' he had promised in the campaign for the last parliamentary vote would finally take place on June 23rd. The outcome of the long-promised vote could have a tremendous impact not merely on the future of Mr. Cameron and his coalition but on the economic future of Great Britain and much of the world, including the European Union (EU) and the United States. It's arguable that the referendum will be the most significant vote the world will see between now and the U.S. presidential ballots in November.

Of course, Mr. Cameron is desperately trying to convince Britons to cast their votes in favor of the UK remaining 'in' the European Union. In order to pacify the deeply held mistrust of the European Union that is harbored by many in Great Britain, Cameron recently returned from negotiations in Brussels with a list of "concessions" from the EU which he claimed would secure a special status for the UK within the EU. Ominously for Cameron, French President Francois Hollande expressed doubt that the concessions would even be included in any binding treaty. Already the fault lines have sharpened and the political maneuvering has begun. But as with the current climate in the U.S., sentiment does not boil down to a simple left/right spectrum.

A true understanding of the EU demands recognition of the basic rationale for its formation. In the late 1940s, European leaders, including Konrad Adenauer of West Germany and Jean Monnet of France, dreamed of a European superstate powerful enough to negotiate on equal terms with the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The resulting surrender of sovereignty by the once-proud European empire ruling nations was not to be achieved easily. Allegedly, Jean Monnet wrote to a friend in April 1952, "Europe's nations should be guided towards the superstate without their people understanding what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps, each disguised as having an economic purpose, but which will eventually and irreversibly lead to federation." (The End of the Nation States of Europe, Philip Jones 9/12/09, rense.com)

Regardless of whether Monnet actually penned those words, the move towards 'ever closer political union' has been pursued rigidly, relentlessly and ruthlessly by the Euro elite exactly as those words suggested. The path was lubricated by huge amounts of targeted funding and activism by the European Central Bank, which showered monetary largesse on those member nations facing financial strain. Although these wealth redistribution policies had become increasingly unpopular among the creditor nations of Europe's northern tier, they were not enough to derail the drive for further unionization. It was not until the recent wave of mass immigration from Muslim countries that the average European citizen began to realize just how much sovereignty their political leaders had yielded to the EU. Just this week, Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat party, which has long championed greater EU integration, took a major drubbing in local German elections as a result of her fanatical support of open borders for Middle Eastern refugees. The big winners were far right parties that oppose open borders and are pushing for the return of greater national sovereignty.

However, these rumblings have yet to make a significant impact on policy.With the unique exception of Greenland, a Danish territory, the EU has allowed no national exits or even material retreats from its relentless drive towards ever closer political union. With this in mind, and in light of President Hollande's comments, many Britons have come to doubt that Cameron's promised "special status" will be all that special.

According to yesterday's Financial Times poll tracker, 45 percent of British voters favored staying 'in' the EU, with 40 percent against and 15 percent uncertain. The result is far from certain, leaving it open to political persuasion, including massive advertising.

Perhaps the biggest political development of recent weeks has been the defection of Boris Johnson, the charismatic and popular conservative mayor of London to the "out" camp. By breaking with the leader of his own party, Johnson has threatened to fragment the Conservatives (much as Donald Trump is doing with the Republican Party). But, as with Trump, there may be more than purely ideological motivations behind Johnson's gambit.

Even if victorious, Cameron could be seen by almost half the British people, and in particular among conservative elements, as having sold short his country's interests. Sensing this, he may have to resign soon after the June 23rd vote and try to hand the Premiership to his old friend, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne. The succession plan may have been the push that Johnson needed to finally join the 'out' campaign. His outstanding oratorical skills, combined with those of UK Independence Party's Nigel Farage, could prove to be a major factor in convincing a major portion of the undecided vote.

The "out" crowd will likely need all the help it can get. The pro-EU forces are expected to deploy massive advertising expenditures to allege that British trade and economic vitality will plummet with an exit from the Eurozone. Even President Obama, who remains a popular political figure in Britain, intends a trip to the UK in April for the expressed purpose of galvanizing support for an "in" vote, according to a report yesterday in The Independent on Sunday. In response to that, Boris Johnson has excoriated Obama for meddling in internal British affairs and for supporting a surrender of sovereignty that would be wholly unpalatable to Americans.

Great Britain, a late entrant, has long been the 'odd-man-out' among EU member-nations. Its language, culture, its common law legal system and its financial capital markets are aligned closely to those of the United States.

Even as a cultural 'misfit', the UK's membership is of great economic and political importance to the EU. According to 2014 figures from the IMF, Britain has the second largest European economy. Paying the second largest net contribution to the running costs (2013 figures from Highcharts.com), the UK is a key element in the EU's continued viability. Those who have been attempting to spread economic fear through dire warnings on lost trade have failed to mention that the EU has enjoyed a trade surplus with Britain, which rose to over $6 billion per month in 2014 (Office for National Statistics).

Politically, Great Britain has an independent nuclear deterrent and a permanent seat on the UN's Security Council. In both of these critical areas, the UK has operated for over seven decades in uniquely close collaboration with the United States. Envious and covetous of this quiet but most powerful 'special relationship', the EU may want it severed.

The implications of a revolutionary 'out' vote by British voters should not be underestimated. It may influence even the U.S. election. Clearly, a BREXIT would represent a precedent for other nations, such as Greece, Portugal and even Italy, which already may wish covertly to leave the Germanic strictures of the Eurozone.

Any major threat to the euro, the world's second fiat currency, could impact an international monetary order built on an unprecedented mountain of credit-based debt. The uncertainty of the political future of the EU combined with the costly effects of deeply negative rates in European banks could increase interest in alternative stores of value.

June 23rd may prove to be a day of destiny for the United Kingdom, if not the world at large.

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Presidents are Selected by Blood and Bankster's Clinton and Trump Distant Cousins?

In the previous essay, The CIAs Presidents , the influence of the intelligence community in directing and controlling the office of the presidency is presented. But before the clandestine spooks developed their sway on policy and intrigue, the absolute power behind the throne, crowned their lineage selection with the full mashah anointing from the Bankster tribe. The masses are not part of this universe. Their role is to bow down to the chief executive that has been picked for them to obey. The actual person is less important than keeping the line of authority in the family.

This process of maintaining the lineage of handpicked puppets is the ultimate driving force behind history. Such an assertion begs to define the forces that have a say in narrowing the field of competing contenders. Back in the days of kingship, a direct bloodline was paramount to claim primacy. Today, the concave of mercantile money changers fill the role of bishops and clergy selling salvation in the belief that eternal reward is the only escape from temporal austerity. The Banksters are the gatekeepers of the modern castle keep.

Now the transition from ecclesiastical authority to fiat money dominance is virtually complete. Ellen Brown in How America Became an Oligarchy identifies the moment when the Banksters became supreme.

Today the vast majority of the money supply in Western countries is created by private bankers. That tradition goes back to the 17th century, when the privately-owned Bank of England, the mother of all central banks, negotiated the right to print Englands money after Parliament stripped that power from the Crown. When King William needed money to fight a war, he had to borrow. The government as borrower then became servant of the lender.

From this modest beginning, the dominance of the financial usurpers spread to strangle the little influence that the citizenry retained in a governmental system, which lost jurisdiction over their own currency. For a perceptive account of money supremacy over political preeminence, All the Presidents' Bankers by Nomi Prins provides documentation that reveals the illicit relationship between money and power.

All the Presidents Bankers: The Hidden Alliances that Drive American Power is a groundbreaking narrative of how an elite group of men transformed the American economy and government, dictated foreign and domestic policy, and shaped world history. Culled from original presidential archival documents, All the Presidents Bankers delivers an explosive account of the hundred-year interdependence between the White House and Wall Street that transcends a simple analysis of money driving politics, or greed driving bankers, or bankers controlling governments. It presents the shocking genealogy of American power.

Ms. Prins stellar banking career provides ample credibility on this subject. Based upon the historic record, it is inconceivable to underplay the significance of Wall Street in shaping public policy. While most would accept this appraisal, less will acknowledge that the Banking Houses are the real clout behind the selection of Presidents. What is even more befuddling is the proposition that this power pool is drawn from the same seed. This may be novel to most, but before it is dismissed as inconceivable, examine the argument in American Presidential Bloodlines.

If you go deeply enough into the genealogical research you will find that ALL the presidents are from this line A spokesman for Burkes Peerage, the bible of royal and aristocratic genealogy based in London, has said that every presidential election since and including George Washington in 1789 has been won by the candidate with the most royal genes. Now we can see how and why. United States presidents are not chosen by ballot, they are chosen by blood! - David Icke, The Windsor-Bush Bloodline

Such a requirement to be elevated to the figurehead position is another way to keep the gene lineage in the kin folk consortium. So much for the adage, anyone can grow up to be president. Selling democracy to the genetically challenged requires a false narrative for the unintuitive.

Approaching this issue from a different angle, this article asks, Is George Washington related to all of the other US Presidents? It looks like a new meaning is given to All in the Family. How can this be? Is it simply a pattern that we are all related to one another or is there a strict line of ancestry that must be fulfilled to get into the final round of presidential selection. This next source claims a linkage that most would rather avoid.

Anti Media published a provocative article, It Turns out Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Are Distant Cousins .

Author A.J. Jacobs and a team of researchers with genealogy web sites myheritage.com and geni.com have recently developed a family tree showing that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are distant cousins. They share royal blood that runs deep in their family lines.

Jacobs told Extra in a recent interview that Their 19th great grandfather is King Edward III so there is precedent for ruling a country, its in their genes.

The family tree, which can be seen and verified below (courtesy of myheritage.com/geni.com), is comprised of a long line of aristocracy on both ends.

Kissin cousins attacking each other gives a new meaning to political warfare. Maybe none of these family trees have any meaning in a digital age, but dismissing such coat of arms does not escape the long chronicle of murder and conspiracy.

Prep your knowledge of US Presidents Murdered By The Rothschild Banking Cartel and Bankers and Presidents, provides additional background on the violent relationship between Presidents and international finance, embodied in the central banker cabal.

Once selected, does not guarantee that eveyr faction within the club of coercion is in agreement with the course of action to be adopted.

The alliance engineered to foster universal financial tyranny is and has always been founded upon a satanic cult of cosmology. As with the replacement of religion under a monarchial government, the Banksters have assumed the mantle of high priests of finance dispensing the life blood of state sustenance, based upon debt created money.

Presidents do not rule over their own administrations. They sit on top a petard of Pavlovian abidance. No better example can be cited than the Henry Paulson Threatened Great Depression, Food Riots To Get Bailout Bill Passed. The TARP blackmail back in 2009 is proof positive, who actually rules the government.

As we reported at the time, on October 2, Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman gave a stunning speech on the House floor during which he decried the fact that, Many of us were told in private conversations that if we voted against this bill on Monday that the sky would fall, the market would drop two or three thousand points the first day, another couple of thousand the second day, and a few members were even told that there would be martial law in America if we voted no.

When the incestuous royal blood line of a Bush sibling is given his marching orders, even the most fascist of regimes is only too eager to further the demands of the banking junta. While blood lines might get you to the oval office, only the orthodox money rabbis wheel the power to institute ultimate government action.

The only rational way to view politics is through the lenses of money manipulation. A politically correct society requires avoidance from any analysis of the systemic criminals, who are the masters of international finance.

People are deliberately deceived into believing that the Federal Reserve is a benign instrument of national economic protection. Only the dumbest of the dumb buy into this newspeak. So when a Scholarly Library of Facts about Domestic & Worldwide Zionist Criminality publishes The History of the House of Rothschild, most will ignore the documentation out of fear of being isolated as a fringe element.

Well the true extremists are the financial thugs that game their money system and the despicable apologists who defend their practices and crimes. When Newt Gingrich stated: Establishment Scared of Trump Because He "Didn't Belong to the Secret Society", he is really saying that the financial elites fear that an outsider could gain the support of the public and get elected over the controlled candidates.

Since Trump is from the same regal blood line, and has pledged his allegiance to Zionist interests, one might reasonably conclude that the Banksters should not lose sleep. However, Trump has not taken their money (according to his admission), and is acting independently in opposing the TPP betrayal.

Hillary is a known collaborator and lusts for more Banksters bribes, so the outcome should be readily telegraphed. Citizens need to view the political landscape in the most basic and raw terms. The king makers have not changed one bit from when President Andrew Jackson called them a "den of vipers & thieves".

Blood decadency has limits. Free Will still triumphs when citizens have the integrity to admit, who are the enemy and the courage to combat and engage in a crusade against the money changers.

Source: http://batr.org/forbidden/031516.html

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The fourth murder suspect in the March 8 murder of Damien Anthony Ferrell of Fieldale  Adrian Lewis Purcell, 32, of 1420 Yancey Street, Reidsville, North Carolina  turned himself in in Reidsville on Tuesday morning, according to Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry and a news release from the Henry County Sheriffs Office.

Purcell turned himself into the Reidsville Police Department at about 8 a.m. Tuesday, the news release said.

According to Perry, family members of the other three other suspects -- Malik Davon Galloway, 20, of 45 Vera Drive Apartment 7, Collinsville; Kerry Marcel Scales Jr., 19, of 148 New Hope Drive, Bassett; and Sean Demetrus Goddard, 18, of Martinsville  turned them in on March 8.

All four suspects are charged with first-degree murder, robbery and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Purcell also is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to news releases from HCSO, the murder occurred March 8 at about 12:10 a.m. The Martinsville/Henry County Emergency 911 Center received a call that an individual had been shot at 167 Chadmore Drive, Fieldale. The victim  Ferrell, 20, of 167 Chadmore Drive, Fieldale  was transported to Memorial Hospital in Martinsville where he was pronounced dead.

The releases added that through the course of the investigation, it was determined that an argument ensued between the victim (Ferrell), Galloway, Scales, Goddard and Purcell. The argument culminated in Ferrell being shot multiple times.

Perry has said, We think the suspects went to the location to buy drugs or wanting to take drugs.

Anyone having information regarding this crime is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriffs Office at 638-8751 or Crimestoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crimestoppers Program offers rewards up to $2,500 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information determine the amount of reward paid.
After conferring at length with some mental health professionals and others, Patrick County Commonwealths Attorney Stephanie Vipperman has decided not to contest Travis Dylan Hazelwoods not guilty by reason of insanity plea in the first-degree murder of Larry Gilliam on Dec. 31, 2014.

Vipperman made the announcement at a hearing in Patrick County Circuit Court on Monday.

Vipperman asked that a hearing be scheduled at a later date for Hazelwood to formally enter the plea. Judge David V. Williams scheduled the hearing for 3 p.m. on March 22.

The psychologist for the defense and the psychologist for the Commonwealth both determined that Hazelwood was legally insane when the fatal shooting occurred.

Vipperman said in an interview that she talked with psychologists for the defense and Commonwealth, an official with Piedmont Community Services, the jail nurse practitioner, the jail nurse and several officers with the Patrick County Sheriffs Office before reaching her decision.

Alan Black, Hazelwoods lawyer, said in an interview that both the psychologist for the defense and the psychologist for the Commonwealth found that Hazelwood had a mental illness, that he exhibited psychotic and delusional episodes that influenced his behavior at the time of the crime, and that he was not pretending to have a mental illness.

Hazelwood began showing signs of paranoia six or seven months prior to the shooting and that was probably related to a two-vehicle accident he had in which a female he knew died, Black said.

"That bothered him a lot," Black said. He added that Hazelwood was convicted of reckless driving in the accident.

"He started showing signs of paranoia. He thought people were talking about him. His hygiene deteriorated. He was depressed. A number of symptoms started appearing in late summer and developing into Christmas (2014)," Black said.

Black said he and Hazelwoods family were pleased with Vippermans decision.

Members of Hazelwoods family "feel a lot of their stress and worry have been lifted from their shoulders. They know he wouldnt have done something like this in his right mind," Black said.

Vipperman said in an interview she had discussed the case with the victims family. She declined to elaborate at this point but said she may release some of their comments later.

When asked her reaction to Vippermans decision not to contest Hazelwood entering a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, Cathy Gilliam, wife of the victim (Larry Gilliam), said, "Id rather keep it to myself."

Larry Gilliam, 63, of Claudville, was pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting near Boaz Pond Lane in Patrick Springs on Dec. 31, 2014, 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.

According to a document from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (VDBHDS) that Vipperman previously 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 found that Hazelwood suffered from a mental disease or defect and that he did not understand the nature, character or consequences of his act; but that there was insufficient evidence or information to know whether the defendant met the other two criteria. The two standards Hazelwood did meet were enough to be legally insane, according to Vipperman.

Vipperman has said the judge has the right and option to not accept a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and to find a defendant criminally guilty.

Black said that if the judge finds a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity, it ceases to be a criminal matter and is converted to a civil confinement.

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."

Black said, "Im hoping he (Hazelwood) will do better in a medical setting than in jail, and that he will get more counseling and more intensive counseling to improve his ability to function without being considered a danger."

Gilliams obituary described him as "a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, son and brother. Mr. Gilliam was well known throughout the community as a good man and great neighbor and friend, helping anyone when in need."
BASHAM SR.

Tommy

Rev. Tommy Basham Sr., of Rocky Mount, went home to be with His Lord on Sunday, March 13, 2016. Rev. Basham, a native of Sharon, W.Va., was 78 years of age. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Edith Basham; three brothers; and two sisters. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Carolyn; daughter, Beth (Hank) Furrow; and two sons, Tommy (Tereasa) and Bob (Gina) Basham. He is also survived by grandchildren, Lindsey (Jonathan) Croston, Brandi (David) Luck, Jonathon Basham, Christopher Basham, Sarah (Nick) Morris, Andy Furrow, Kevin Furrow, Matthew Basham, and Daniel Basham; nine great-grandchildren; and a brother, Jack Basham (Barbara) of Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

Rev. Basham was called to preach at the age of 12 and was ordained in the Appalachian District of the Assembly of God fellowship in 1975. Rev. Basham served as youth pastor at Dorothy Assembly of God in Dorothy, W.Va., for two years; senior pastor at Life Bridge Assembly of God (formerly First Assembly of God) in Oak Hill, W.Va., for 13 years as senior pastor at Bandy Assembly of God in Bandy, for nine years and senior pastor at First Assembly of God in Martinsville for three years. He also served as an adult Bible teacher at First Assembly of God in Eden, N.C., for 10 years; associate pastor at Friendly Worship Center in Ridgeway, for seven years and served the pastoral staff at Living Waters Assembly of God in Rocky Mount, for two years.

Rev. Basham leaves behind a rich and wonderful legacy of love, faith, and service for his Lord, his family, and the church. He will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege to know him.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at the Living Waters Assembly of God in Rocky Mount, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Bobby Basham officiating. The family will receive friends from noon until time of the service. A graveside service and burial will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2016, 1 p.m. at High Lawn Memorial Park in Oak Hill, W.Va.

Wright Funeral Service is serving the Basham family.

On Line condolences may be made at www.wrightfuneralservices.net.
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From 1937-45, China became one of the main theatres of the Second World War. This entangling of China in World War II raised the country out of its subjugation on the world stage, such that at the Wars conclusion China was given a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Only 4 years later the immense Chinese revolution was finally completed, freeing China from imperialist domination. The war's violent dragging of China onto the world stage had effected a thoroughgoing internal transformation of China. In this article we examine the war and its effect on China, the role of the Chinese ruling class in the war, and the strategy and tactics of the Chinese Communist Party that led the revolution of 1949. [Editor's note: this was originally a 10 part serialised article, which has now been combined into a single article.]

All this time was required to produce the philosophy of our day; so tardily and slowly did the World-spirit work to reach this goal. What we pass in rapid review when we recall it, stretched itself out in reality to this great length of time. For in this lengthened period, the Notion of Spirit, invested with its entire concrete development, its external subsistence, its wealth, is striving to bring spirit to perfection, to make progress itself and to develop from spirit. It goes ever on and on, because spirit is progress alone. Spirit often seems to have forgotten and lost itself, but inwardly opposed to itself, it is inwardly working ever forward (as when Hamlet says of the ghost of his father, Well said, old mole! canst work i the ground so fast?) until grown strong in itself it bursts asunder the crust of earth which divided it from the sun, its Notion, so that the earth crumbles away. Hegel, Philosophy of History

In the dead of night on 8th July 1937, a unit of the Japanese Army opened machine gun fire on Chinese troops stationed around the Marco Polo or Lugou Bridge in Wanping, now a suburb of Beijing. The shots were fired in retaliation for the apparent (but not actual) kidnapping or killing of a Japanese soldier by the Chinese.

But by the end of the night, the bridge was back in Chinese hands and both sides swiftly came to a gentlemanly agreement to prevent anything like this happening again. However, the high-minded intentions of the peace-loving Japanese and Chinese Generals notwithstanding, by the very next day hostilities had not only recommenced but increased, beginning an unavoidable slide to all out war. How can an insignificant little skirmish quickly resolved have been allowed to start a war?

The Israeli occupation of Palestine has familiarised the contemporary reader with the principle that imperialist occupations have an insane logic of their own. The contradictions and injustice of the occupation are precisely the fuel for further encroachments and oppression; each act of resistance or even miscommunication a justification for defensive assaults on the occupied. The Japanese occupation of China after 1931 was no different, and it was just such a mistake which sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-45, which was to be the Pacific theatre of World War II, claiming around 32m lives, the vast majority Chinese civilians.

With a similar unconscious necessity, this entangling of China in World War II would raise the country out of its passivity and subjugation on the world stage, such that at the Wars conclusion China was given a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. But this violent dragging of China into world relations could not be achieved without effecting a thoroughgoing internal transformation of China. China could only match the tasks of modernity by throwing off all its accumulated baggage and mess from the past, and thus its modernisation and active participation in world politics meant the long overdue Chinese social revolution.

The accidental spark known as the Marco Polo Bridge or Lugouqiao Incident is possibly the best example of necessity expressing itself through chance one could imagine. Crossed wires, mutual stubbornness and minor (or not so minor) outbreaks of verbal or actual hostilities are inherent in imperialist occupations, and of course they are always the responsibility of the imperialists. As the only point of connection between free China and the key city of Beijing (not then Chinas capital), the taking of the Marco Polo Bridge was naturally an immediate aim of the Japanese occupation of China, which was in reality a one-sided war ongoing since 1931 [see http://www.marxist.com/chinese-comminist-party-1927-37-part-8.htm].

Chiang Kai-shekFor that reason the Japanese had been patrolling the bridge every night with the kind permission of Chiang Kai Shek (the dictator of China), on the condition that the Japanese only inform the Chinese each night of their plans. For one reason or another, on the night of 8th July 1937 this communication failed to take place, leading the Chinese troops to interpret the maneuvers as an actual attack, who as a result fired their weapons (ineffectively). When a Japanese soldier failed to return with his squad, it was assumed he was killed or kidnapped, leading ultimately to the Japanese attack.

Japan had its own reasons for using this pretext, which was an inevitable outcome of six years of occupation and exploitation, to further invade and enslave the profitable regions of China. But in addition to its main motivation of greed, several authors contend [see Guillermaz 1968, p287 and Eastman, Nationalist China During the Sino-Japanese War 1937-35] that a major cause of the Japanese aggression after this incident was the appearance of growing Chinese resolve to resist Japan as realised in the Guomindang governments new alliance with the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]. They wanted to strike before the Chinese had time to mobilise.

The likelihood of this as a factor demonstrates the inseparability of the twins of the Sino-Japanese war and the Chinese revolution - as we have previously shown this resolve and unity came not from Chiang Kai Shek and his Guomindang. It was instead a product of the powerful impetus amongst the Chinese masses towards launching a revolutionary war against the Japanese invaders, an impetus that was fast propelling the CCP to the power it would finally take in 1949. Therefore, before we look at the eight years of war, we will examine this second unlikely alliance between the two nemeses of the Chinese revolution, the Guomindang and the CCP. This alliance to defend China was struck in the months before the Marco Polo Bridge Incident under revolutionary pressure. As Marxists we are naturally most interested in the perspectives and justification for the alliance that the CCP elaborated around 1937, in order that we can compare this with the actual history of the war and its aftermath.

The CCPs Opportunist and Nationalist Perspectives in 1937

As explained previously, the CCPs perspectives for the Chinese revolution and war with Japan had been changed under Moscows orders in late 1935 in the direction of opportunism. The first major fruit of this perspective was the alliance struck with Chiang Kai Shek at gunpoint in late 1936. Why a revolutionary party, finding itself in possession of the defenceless dictator responsible for killing thousands of its own members, would then sign a deal with him on terms favourable to his regime, is analysed in our above linked article. Such a choice of action should in itself be enough to condemn the new perspectives of the CCP.

What followed was a rapid degeneration of the partys programme along nationalist lines. National unity between the CCP and Guomindang was preached; talk of socialism was relegated, in its place the CCP promoted democratic reforms to be introduced by the Guomindang at its leisure; property, including of the landed kind, was not to be touched; rural soviets and the independent Red Army were to have their names changed and placed under Guomindang leadership.

Outlining to party members his new perspectives, Mao stated that

the democratic [i.e. not socialist] revolution (will) transform (itself) in the direction of socialism. There will be several stages of development in the democratic revolution, all under the slogan of the democratic republic, not under the slogan of the Soviet...We maintain that socialism will be reached through all the necessary stages of the democratic republic...To maintain that the bourgeoisie should be eliminated because of its transitional nature and to accuse the revolutionary groups of defeatism and collaboration with the bourgeoisie are Trotskyite words with which we cannot concur. The present alliance between the bourgeoisie and the revolutionary group is a necessary bridge to socialism. (Mao, speech to the National Conference of the CCP, 1937, our emphasis)

We have already explained at length why the perspective of a necessary bourgeois democratic stage to the Chinese revolution was utterly false, as was proven concretely in 1927. For now, it is sufficient to point out that the very man whose personal dictatorship of China proved in practice the falseness of this perspective, was the man whom the CCP was here allying with as the embodiment of the present alliance between the bourgeoisie and the revolutionary group. If Chiang Kai Shek obliterated his previous alliance with the CCP and all hopes for a democratic stage to the revolution in 1927 by staging a violent coup, why rekindle that alliance only ten years later, during which time he had done nothing but strive for the physical liquidation of the CCP?

Of course, what had changed since 1927 was the invasion by Japan. But it was elementary to anyone in the CCP that Chiang Kai Sheks dictatorship was the primary obstacle to fighting Japan, since he had pursued a policy of total capitulation to the stronger Japanese forces, concentrating instead on eliminating the CCP. Thus the Japanese invasion only further increased his criminality. Nevertheless, Mao argued that these policies must be carried out only with the consent of the Guomindang [i.e. of Chiang Kai Shek], because the Guomindang is at present still the largest party in power. (Mao, Urgent Tasks of the Chinese Revolution since the Formation of the KMT-CCP United Front, 1937). Well, it was the only party in power, because China was a one-party dictatorship! It is not an exaggeration to say that at this stage, the CCP was transforming itself into the chief prop of Chiangs dictatorship.

Such a perspective requires the substitution of the reactionary nationalist ideology of national unity at all costs for one of class struggle. It is no surprise then, that at the same time the CCP, in a public statement only one week earlier than Maos above remarks, claimed that the aggression of imperialist Japan can only be overcome by the internal unity of our nation...all our fellow-countrymen, every single zealous descendent of Huangdi [Chinas first emperor] must determinedly and relentlessly participate (CCP Public Statement on KMT-CCP Co-operation, 1937, our emphasis). To clear up what was meant by all countrymen, Mao stated it is a united front of the whole nation...of all parties, groups, classes (Mao, op cit., our emphasis).

The ideology of the CCP was at this time, under Maos leadership, drifting away from Marxism and internationalism and emphasising nationalism above all else. According to Brandt, Schwarz and Fairbank, Mao answered to the question whether the Communists are Chinese first or Communist first, with Without a Chinese nation there could be no CCP. The implication is clear - we are nationalists who use Marxism only insofar as it is useful to achieve national ends. This compares very unfavourably with Marx and Engels statement in the founding document of Marxism that the workers of the world have no country. Maos biographer Schram believes that for Mao himself, the alliance of all Chinese for the salvation of their country was not merely skilful tactics; it was a value in itself. (Schram, Mao Tse-Tung, our emphasis). The same author points out that the main content of political work [by the CCP at this point] both within the army and among the population was to preach national revival, to stimulate national consciousness (ibid).

Defenders of the Party will argue that this emphasis merely reflected the concrete reality of fighting a war of national liberation, and that tapping into the national feeling to fight Japan was a revolutionary act, the first step on the road to social revolution. But the task of Marxists in preparing the masses for socialist revolution would in these circumstances be to elevate the national consciousness of the workers to class consciousness. This should not be hard to do given that the bourgeois nationalist party with which they were now in alliance, which was the only serious bourgeois party in China, had been practising a complete national sellout to the Japanese by refusing to fight them.

This is further underlined by the fact that the Guomindangs new pledge to fight Japan was only won against their wishes and under revolutionary pressure from below. Contrary to Maos claims, the invasion did not make possible the alliance of all classes, instead it revealed the traitorous complicity of the ruling class in that invasion. To this should be added the general fact that, since the end of the Opium Wars, the Chinese bourgeoisie had always sacrificed the wider nations interests in favour of the imperialists for a share in the latters profits. The lesson for China was that, along with all other capitalist countries, it was not one nation to be united but a class divided nation.

The perspectives outlined for the party by Mao in 1937 cut across the very real tendency for the CCP to gain support at the Guomindangs expense (being rightly seen as the only force prepared to stand up for the oppressed Chinese). The new programme worked to lower the masses consciousness of the need for the overthrow of Chiangs dictatorship.

This is clear from the extraordinary historical revisionism in the Guomindangs favour which we find in Maos justifications for the alliance. He explained that as a result of the co-operation between the two parties on major policies, the Great Revolution of 1925-7 was successfully guided[!!] to the point where we were able to achieve, within two or three years, the revolution for nationalism, democracy, and peoples livelihood (Mao, op cit.). For those unclear on exactly what happened in the revolution of 1925-7, please see our series of articles here:http://www.marxist.com/90-years-of-the-chinese-communist-party-part-one.htm. For the aftermath of this successful revolution, please see our subsequent series of articles: http://www.marxist.com/chinese-comminist-party-1927-37-part-1.htm. Suffice it to say here that the revolution of 1925-7 was wrecked because of this alliance, and its product was twenty two years of dictatorship, the virtual breakup of the nation into warlords fiefdoms, and the continuing domination of the country by Japan and the West. One can hardly imagine a less successful revolution.

This revisionism was followed up with poetic praise for Chinas dictator and his apparent role in freeing China, If [the Guomindang] do not consent [to our offer of an alliance to fight Japan], then...Japanese imperialism will not be defeated[but] the more intelligent members and leader of the KMT will certainly not allow this to happen. (Ibid).

No wonder then that Roosevelts personal envoy to Chiang Kai Shek Patrick Hurley did not believe that Mao and his comrades were real Communists (Schram, op. cit.), and that Molotov had told him that the Chinese were radish Communists, red on the outside, white on the inside! (Harrison, The Long March to Power).

The alliance between the bourgeoisie and the revolutionary group in Practice

Mao in 1946Given that Chiang Kai Shek described the Communists as Chinas disease of the heart as opposed to the mere skin disease that were the Japanese, the second attempt at mixing the oil and water of the Guomindang and CCP would require a special recipe concocted to meet Chiangs tastes. This can already be seen in the above quoted historical revisionism of Mao in which he paints the Guomindangs history in bright colours. At this time Mao also predicted a brilliant future for the Guomindang, and praise[d] its great leader Chiang Kai Shek (Schram, op cit.), whom Mao also especially hope[d] would take up the task of reform (Mao, op cit.).

The concrete application in policy was of subordination to the Guomindangs political programme and leadership, under the one precondition that the Guomindang remain committed to fighting the Japanese - though that too was predictably violated, as Mao admitted in 1945 that 64% of the fighting against the Japanese and 95% of that against Japanese puppets was carried about by the much smaller CCP forces (Mao, Chinas Strategy for Victory).

This meant in practice that the CCP publicly pledged that it

abandons all its policy of overthrowing the KMT by force and the movement of sovietization, and discontinues its policy of forcible confiscation of land from landlords...abolishes the present Soviet government and practices democracy based on the peoples rights in order to unify the national political power...abolishes the designation of the Red Army, reorganises it into the [Guomindang controlled] National Revolutionary Army, places it under the control of the Military Affairs Commission of the National government, and awaits orders (CCP Public Statement on KMT-CCP Co-operation, 1937, our emphasis)

For any who still believe that in making such statements, the CCP was merely maneuvering to gain legality and breathing space for itself, or to tap into any feeling for national unity without actually surrendering independence from the Guomindang, it must be noted that these public pledges were accompanied by a drive from Mao and the CCP for a common political programme for both parties (Mao, op cit.). In the same document of 1937 Mao argues for the need for co-operation between officers and men in the army, without in any way putting forward concrete demands regarding the character of the army, the election of officers or any other social or progressive content whatsoever. Such a position, when coupled with the offer of abolishing the Red Army, the Soviet political bases and for a common political programme acceptable to the Guomindang dictatorship, could only mean supporting the domination of rank-and-file peasant soldiers by the corrupt Guomindang officers.

We have argued in our previous series on China that such a strategy of political alliance with the Guomindang may indeed have been cleverly engineered to gain the party greater organisational breathing space; but as we showed, this only reveals a complete degeneration for a Marxist organisation. In the Communist Manifesto Marx and Engels stress that The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. As we argued previously, the point is that they publicly declared they were [following the Guomindangs orders]. They publicly supported and propped up the Guomindang bourgeois dictatorship. They deflected popular anger away from Nanjing, and thus made themselves incapable of mobilising the masses for a political overthrow of the regime.

This is borne out by the fact that little was gained in the way of recruits or influence from within the Guomindang. CCP members doing entry work in the Guomindang were generally isolated and for the moment served mainly in intelligence work (Harrison, op cit, p350).

It must be understood that this inversion of priorities, of sacrificing the duty to raise the class consciousness of the masses for organisational gains, flows from its abandonment of its urban working class base for a strategy of using the countryside to win power militarily and independently of any mass class mobilisation. This thinking is revealed in a Party meeting in August 1937 in which a compromise was reached whereby the CCP accepted Guomindang military leadership and the "suspension of the political commissar system", but "would keep real control under the CCP". "Zhang Wentian proposed and won approval for, first, following nationalist orders in Shanxi and assigned areas in order to gain nationalist confidence... Then expanding into other areas." (Harrison, op cit.).

In September 1938 Mao reported to the CCP Central Committee that to subordinate the class struggle to the present national struggle to resist Japan - that is the fundamental principle of the united front (Ibid). [I]n September and November he sent pledges of support for Chiangs leadership (Ibid), as did Zhou Enlai according to Chiang himself. He even accepted in advance two limitations similar to those which Chiang had imposed in 1926 [and which aided his coup and subsequent slaughter of Communists] on the activity of Communists in the Guomindang: a complete list of Communist Party members who joined the Guomindang would be handed over to the latter, and Guomindang members would not be recruited into the Communist Party (Schram, op cit.).

Finally, we can add to this that the party publicly promoted in its Manifesto on the Current Situation that it was not only cooperating with the dictatorship under the special and dire circumstances of the war, but also that it is determined to cooperate [with the Guomindang] for national reconstruction after the successful conclusion of the war (Harrison, op cit., our emphasis). There can be no doubt that the CCP was in this time guilty of out and out opportunism and a complete abandonment of any Marxist, class based perspective for the war and Chinas future. All this was justified under the tag united front. Let us therefore compare Maos United Front with the classical United Front worked out by Lenin and Trotsky in the Third International.

Lenins United Front

The starting point for the united front tactic of Bolshevism is political independence. We mean by this not necessarily refusing to work with or in other parties and tendencies, but only steadfastly committing to a truthful Marxist analysis, irrespective of this or that trend or pressure. In fact, the Bolsheviks were always independent, in the sense that they never compromised in the defence of their revolutionary programme, policy and theory (Woods, Bolshevism). As Trotsky said on behalf of the leadership of the Communist International in 1922,

In order to summon the proletariat for the direct conquest of power and to achieve it the Communist Party must base itself on the overwhelming majority of the working class. So long as it does not hold this majority, the party must fight to win it. The party can achieve this only by remaining an absolutely independent organization with a clear programme and strict internal discipline.

The question of all questions for Marxist parties is how to help the working class become conscious of this programme and its necessity, in other words, how to unite the maximum possible number of proletarians around a revolutionary programme. It is the role of the united front tactic to bridge the gap between Marxists and their programme on the one side and the working masses on the other, many of whom will be involved in and loyal to non-revolutionary organisations.

Now, it is a rather difficult and clumsy discussion to compare the united front tactic as worked out in the Communist International under Lenins leadership, with Maos purported united front with Chiang Kai Sheks Guomindang, since none of the conditions for the former apply to the latter. In particular, the united front is not operable outside the context of working class organisations. It has no purpose other than to raise the need for unity amongst workers and to reveal that the chief obstacle to that is the erroneous reformist leadership of many workers organisations, such as the Social Democracy.

Only those who cannot think dialectically imagine that a united front of different political forces requires the denial or suppression of those differences. On the contrary, it opens up a broader and more equal platform for the fighting out of those forces, within the confines of and in relation to certain agreed common aims. A common campaign allows all forces of that campaign to debate with one another as to the best means to achieve the campaigns ends, and of course to debate the real causes of and solutions to the issue at hand.

Hence the fact that in the Communist Internationals formulations for the United Front tactic to be employed under different circumstances by different sections, it was expressly stated that

any sort of organizational agreement which restricts our freedom of criticism and agitation is absolutely unacceptable to us. We participate in a united front but do not for a single moment become dissolved in it. We function in the united front as an independent detachment. It is precisely in the course of struggle that broad masses must learn from experience that we fight better than the others, that we see more clearly than the others, that we are more audacious and resolute. (Trotsky, On the United Front, 1922)

It is self evident that the logic of these two united fronts is diametrically opposite. The united front of Marxists is a clear and carefully chosen political programme advanced to raise the revolutionary consciousness of the working class, and operates only in the context therefore of workers organisations. The demands and political content of the call for a united front must be framed in relation to the workers real problems and their solutions; thus the programme has an educational content. It is not so much about necessarily achieving unity in action, although that would be desirable, especially if under the instigation of the Marxists:

A policy aimed to secure the united front does not of course contain automatic guarantees that unity in action will actually be attained in all instances. On the contrary, in many cases and perhaps even the majority of cases, organizational agreements will be only half-attained or perhaps not at all. But it is necessary that the struggling masses should always be given the opportunity of convincing themselves that the non-achievement of unity in action was not due to our formalistic irreconcilability but to the lack of real will to struggle on the part of the reformists. (Ibid)

Maos United Front with Chiang Kai Shek, on the other hand, has a directly contrary logic. Mao was indeed correct to centre the CCPs programme around the need for a war to be waged against the Japanese occupation. Given that there were no mass organisations of the working class in China at this time, there was no basis for a united front proposal to fight Japan, since workers were not loyal to reformist leaders. However, if we allow ourselves the luxury of imagining the Guomindang was a mass workers organisation, then it would have been necessary for the CCP from 1931 onwards to place the demand on it for a united front to fight Japan. This call could then be filled with a Marxist content - in other words, its concrete points would be that such a war should be organised by the workers organisations involving such weapons as a general strike, occupations of Japanese owned factories and the formation of a workers militia responsible to the trade unions etc.

There can be no doubt that such a call, if energetically campaigned for in the cities amongst the working class, would have gained an enormous echo and helped the CCP to rebuild in urban centres. It would not matter from this point of view if the proposal were rejected by the other party; the CCP would have made its point and would have advanced class consciousness thereby.

Precisely because the Guomindang was not a democratic workers organisation with a real base, but was instead a bourgeois party under the direct control of the state apparatus, the CCPs offer of unity with it could have no such character. It would be useless and absurd to fill the proposal with a revolutionary class content, for the Guomindang represented a different class and was already detested by workers. That is why the proposal lacked any programmatic content. It served no educational value for workers and can only have alienated them from the CCP - which had up till 1936 regained a degree of respect from workers for being the only organisation willing to fight Japanese imperialism and for its unjust suppression by the Guomindang. At a stroke, the alliance with Chiang Kai Shek served to destroy much of this.

Maos sole justification for the alliance was that it rallied a greater number of people to fight Japanese imperialism because armed invasion by Japanese imperialists has brought about changes in class relations in China, thus making imperative and making possible the alliance of all classes (Mao, Urgent Tasks of the Chinese Revolution since the Formation of the KMT-CCP United Front, 1937, our emphasis). If that were the case, the Guomindang would have not spent the first six years of the occupation co-operating with the Japanese to fight the CCP. Why was the proposal for the alliance made before the intensification of the occupation after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, and why could the Guomindangs hand in this alliance only be won on the basis of literally holding a gun to Chiang Kai Sheks head, if the invasion had made possible and natural an alliance of all classes? As argued above, a far better way to rally greater numbers to fight would have been to consistently make an appeal to the working class for a general strike and the formation of urban workers militias like in Shanghai in 1927 to overthrow the Japanese and the capitulationist dictatorship of Chiang, and to organise militias in the cities to cripple the Japanese.

We will see in the course of these articles that there is no evidence that the unity of these two parties ensured a stronger resistance. Japan maintained its occupation and got what it wanted from China throughout the war until it was defeated by the US in 1945, and a class based mobilisation of strikes in the industries the Japanese were profiting from would have been far more effective. We will also see how, far from changing the class relations and somehow bringing the bourgeoisie into solidarity with the workers, the rotten Chinese bourgeoisie only intensified its plundering of the nation and used the oppression of the Japanese as an excuse to economically and politically crush the working class. Unfortunately, the CCPs alliance with the bourgeoisie only aided the latter in doing so.

The CCPs Direct Participation in the Regime

A Marxist organisation must be extremely flexible in its tactics. Any opportunity to reach a bigger audience with its ideas should be considered. That can even mean, in conditions of dictatorship or political repression, forging temporary alliances with liberals to gain political freedoms or changing the language of ones publications to get it past the censor - but always under the condition that the fundamental revolutionary ideas and programme are not thereby violated. Indeed, the more the party understands correctly the necessary political programme for building socialism, the more confident it will be of applying this flexibly without selling out.

After the CCPs mistaken alliance with Chiang was made, there were many more legal openings for the party to take. The question is, did they skilfully use these to advance a socialist programme to the working class?

One such political opening was the convening of the Peoples Political Council in 1938, which is comparable to the Dumas formed under the Tsar in Russia, but without even the slither of democracy the Dumas represented. In the workers elections to the Shidlovsky Commission in 1905, the Bolsheviks rightly participated in the early stages, despite the sham democracy the elections represented. This is because for the first time in Russian history it afforded the working class a limited opportunity to express itself politically and organisationally, and so by participating the Bolsheviks linked themselves and their programme with the masses, gained a larger audience for their ideas and in turn themselves learnt from the working class.

However, there was a strict political limit placed on this tactic which was that there could be no democratic liberal intrusions into the politics they put forward. Instead, they used the opportunity of the elections to denounce the Tsarist regime and the idea of a peaceful, liberal democratic reform of it. At no point did the Bolsheviks use the elections to seek careers for themselves nor did they entertain any illusions in reforming the regime from within. In some cases they ran in the first round of elections, to gain a hearing, only to boycott the second round. In genuine bourgeois democracies, Marxists would participate in Parliament under certain conditions, but again would in no way seek to sow illusions in its democratic nature as the true voice of the people, but would instead simply use it as a soap box for revolutionary ideas.

Given the CCPs perspectives of national unity with the Guomindang dictatorship, it is not surprising that when these legal openings for the CCP did arise after 1937 they did precisely the opposite of the Bolsheviks up to 1917. The Peoples Political Council was a mere consultative assembly formed by Chiang in 1938 to appease demands for democratic reform without threatening his own rule. Several leading Communists were invited (not elected) by Chiang to participate in this body. Given that this body had no democratic legitimacy or independence whatsoever, it is elementary that the CCP should have denounced this move and demanded instead a real Constitutional Assembly. Instead they participated in the council which they used chiefly not to address the masses with revolutionary ideas but to develop alliances with the liberals, both within and without the Guomindang, who also sat in this council. One can only imagine the spectacle this presented to the Chinese workers enduring the twin evils of occupation and Guomindang dictatorship as well as ruthless exploitation and poverty made constantly worse by hyper-inflation. The effect would not be dissimilar to that of the discrediting of social democracy in contemporary Western society in the eyes of the working class.

In total contradiction with this was Lenins method, which always warned most sharply against alliances and illusions in liberalism, the nice face of the regime of capitalist dictatorship, the most dangerous of advisers are those liberal friends of the workers who claim to be defending their interests, but are actually trying to destroy the class independence of the proletariat and its organisation. (Lenin, The Liberals Corruption of the Workers, 1914)

At the same time, Zhou Enlai was invited to attend the Guomindang National Executive Congress...he was even appointed Deputy Minister of Political Training in the army, maintaining the post until 1940, though its attributions were entirely honorific (Guillermaz, op cit., our emphasis). In other words, the leading Communist Zhou Enlai accepted political and moral responsibility for the bourgeois Guomindang dictatorship without even gaining the consolation of a little control of the army!

It is interesting to note that at exactly the same time as this, the Stalinists in Spain (along with the Anarchists) were participating in another bourgeois government to save the country from the threat of fascism. In both cases the tactic led to the negation of any effective working class based resistance to fascism, whether foreign or native.

Finally, the CCPs self-debasement in favour of liberalism was completed when it enthusiastically lent support to the US governments proposals for liberal reform in China in 1944, taking the opportunity to flatter the American imperialists at the same time by heap[ing] lavish praise on the American democratic tradition (Schram, op cit.) - despite the fact that at this time, as previously and as they would do in the civil war after Japans defeat, the US continued to arm and support the Guomindang against the CCP. Just before they agreed a project with US General Hurley for liberal democratic reform (on terms agreeable to US imperialism of course), the CCPs Liberation Daily wrote that: Democratic America has already found a companion, and the cause of Sun Yat Sen a successor, in the Chinese Communist Party and the other democratic forces (quoted in Schram, op cit.).

This reveals the full extent of the CCPs descent into opportunism in the late 1930s on the eve of the war that would decide Chinas fate and put all political and class forces to the test. With this understanding of the programme of the CCP and the alliance of political forces, we must now evaluate the playing out of the Second Sino-Japanese War not only so that we can better understand the background to the peculiar revolution of 1949, but also so that we can understand what could have happened had the party had a Marxist programme and leadership.

The Sino-Japanese War

If the Japanese leadership had not planned the Marco Polo Bridge Incident which sparked the full-scale war, they didnt let that show. By October, only three months after the war started, the Japanese had already reached the most westerly point of the entire war.

They succeeded in totally destroying Chinas air force in only a few weeks, which enabled them to mercilessly bomb civilians for the remainder of the war with no threat to themselves, like shooting fish in a barrel (Guillermaz, op cit. pp287). Between 1939 and 1941, the temporary capital of free China, Chongqing, was bombed 268 times, with 4,400 being killed in the first two raids (Eastman, op cit.). Within a year Japan had effectively taken control of all the lucrative areas of China it desired - that is the industrially developed and agriculturally productive North and East of the country. In a number of key battles that were all over by the end of 1938, the Japanese brutally crushed any hopes of an effective Guomindang led resistance.

Losing 15 of 18 Provinces

We have argued that a far more effective means of fighting the Japanese would have been to organise a revolutionary war of resistance by mobilising the hundreds of millions of Chinese workers and peasants on a socialist programme to make the occupation impossible. Given that the CCP sacrificed this perspective for one of collaboration with the militarily stronger but politically reactionary Guomindang, it is our duty to honestly assess the calibre of this fighting force with which the CCP had allied at such great political cost.

Evidently, the Guomindang did not match up well to the Japanese since it only took the latter twelve months to achieve all it wanted - the control of North and East China and the total destruction of the Chinese air force. The anti-Japanese united front for which Mao argued so vociferously failed spectacularly to defend China. But how and why?

Part of the reason for Japans rapid success was Chiang Kai Sheks cruel contempt for the Chinese people. Despite Chiangs nationalism, these hundreds of millions never entered his plans as Chinas greatest force for resistance. Anticipating the war he argued in 1935 that even if we lose 15...of the 18 provinces of China proper, with Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces in our control we will definitely beat any enemy (quoted in Eastman, op cit.). Instead of spending the period from 1935 onwards to prepare the masses in the 15 other provinces to make the Japanese occupation impossible, he sacrificed those millions to Japans tender mercies with barely a fight.

The key northern cities of Beijing and Tianjin were taken with ease by Japan in only a few days in late July 1937 thanks to Japans already existing military occupation of Manchuria. Immediately after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japan was able to mobilise 160,000 troops in Northern China in only a few weeks. The vital southern city of Canton (now Guangzhou) fell without a fight in October 1938.

The most graphic application of Chiangs policy of sacrificing the majority of China to the Japanese was his scorched earth policy in which he took the trouble to kill and destroy Chinese people and industry on behalf of the Japanese in order to make their occupation less feasible. For example, in November 1938, as the Japanese were approaching Changsha, capital of Hunan province, it was decided to set fire to the entire city to make its occupation strategically pointless and costly. Tragically, in their haste they started the blaze before everyone had evacuated, so not only was this historic city destroyed but so were the lives of 2,000 of its inhabitants.

A much worse incident had already taken place in June of 1938 on the Yellow River at Kaifeng, Henan province. Retreating from encircling Japanese forces, the Guomindang commanders hit upon the idea of destroying the entire valley behind them by diverting the great river in order to halt the Japanese. It worked rather too well, flooding 4-5,000 whole villages and leaving over two million homeless, destitute and without crops and food (Eastman, op cit.). Guillermaz even claims that millions of Chinese peasants died from the loss of harvest. It was a funny kind of national united front against Japan when the nationalists were often responsible for more death and destruction of Chinese than were the Japanese.

The Invasion of Shanghai and the Nanjing Massacre

Despite the policy of retreat and self-sacrifice (or rather, the policy of sacrificing the Chinese masses on their behalf), there were some instances of determined Guomindang led-fight backs and even victories in the early days of the war, however these often only sparked off a more vicious Japanese assault for which the Chinese were not prepared.

Only one month after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Japanese found a pretext for invading the lucrative city of Shanghai when a Japanese lieutenant was killed by a Chinese guard in August 1937. The Japanese lost no time in seizing the excuse for an invasion with a front line of troops formed outside the city in a couple of weeks. Feeling that to lose Shanghai without a fight would be too politically humiliating, Chiang moved in roughly 300,000 soldiers to the city to fight the 200,000 of Japan (Guillermaz, op cit. p291). However despite not only their numerical superiority but also their enormous home advantage, the Guomindang army lost the battle with around 270,000 killed and by November were retreating from Shanghai.

History shows that an occupying force, even one of tremendous technical superiority, can have enormous difficulties in winning a war in a large city if its inhabitants are united in fighting against the occupation. Every building becomes a war zone, a potential hiding place for snipers and bombs, every citizen a potential soldier. It is therefore testament to the Guomindangs fear of and hostility to their own people, as well as their general ineptness and corruption, that they failed to hold Shanghai or make the Japanese occupation of it particularly difficult despite the fact that the latter had not even made plans to invade this far south. As Guillermaz points out (referring to later battles), the Japanese action was helped at a political level by the unpopularity of the nationalist troops who, underfed and undisciplined, laid waste countryside already hit by severe famine.

Had the CCP spent the decade since 1927 rebuilding a base in cities like Shanghai, campaigning against the bourgeois dictatorship of Chiang Kai Shek and for the need to wage a revolutionary war with Japan, they could have mobilised the working class of Shanghai (their original stronghold along with Canton) for a general strike and urban guerrilla warfare against this Japanese invasion.

But worse was to come from this defeat, for Chinese forces retreated in such a way as to give the Japanese open access to Nanjing, the then capital of free China, failing even to use the deliberately constructed concrete fortifications outside the city, which the Japanese entered on 13th December 1937. This was when the defenceless population suffered the infamous rape of Nanjing in which up to 300,000 civilians were raped and massacred, for which one of the chief perpetrators Prince Asaka was never tried. The methods of killing included burying alive and burning alive with kerosene (Eastman, op cit.).

The Guomindang government fled Nanjing and set up a temporary command in Hankou (now part of Wuhan) before reestablishing the national government in Chongqing, which would remain the capital until the end of the war.

The Character of Chiang Kai Sheks Military

If war is a continuation of politics by other means, than it is no surprise to find the Guomindangs army was as corrupt, inefficient, inept and exploitative as was his political tutelage.

We have already explained the reasons for the corruption and degeneracy of Chiangs regime. In summary, despite being a so-called party of national unity and modernisation, because in coming to power it had to base itself on Chinas weak and corrupt bourgeoisie in order to defeat the working class-led revolution, the party sunk into the worst backwardness. It abandoned itself to the most reactionary forces, in particular landlordism and warlordism, since those were the ones who were allies against the CCP.

Thus Chiang maintained his power by balancing between, flattering and bribing the archaic local warlords and the most corrupt speculative capitalists. His regime had to be one of corruption because its power base was an inherently corrupt class. He had no independent power to unite the country, and so it actually became more divided into competing warlord fiefdoms than before. Frequently, when his power loomed too large above those of his lords, they would forge alliances against him, and he would have to bribe one or the other with promises of political influence. Chiang very much resembled a feudal king or chief thief sitting uneasily atop many lesser thieves.

Given that Chiangs power was based on that of local warlords, it is unsurprising that such corruption and disunity found its sharpest expression in the military and the war against Japan.

Many Chinese commanders were hesitant and cowardly. Most of them had enjoyed regional autonomy too long to risk their lives and power merely at Chiang Kai Sheks command. Governor Han Fuju, for example, ignominiously abandoned Shandong province to the Japanese, although he, in contrast to most, paid for his disregard of Chiangs orders with his life. He was executed in January 1938...It was not, however, a united, national army, but a coalition of armies which differed in degrees of loyalty to the central government as well as in training, equipment and military capabilities...Long Yun, governor of Yunnan, for example, resisted central government encroaches upon his provincial power...Governor Yan Xishan, commander of the Second War Zone in North China and vice chairman of the Military Council, ruled his native Shanxi as an autonomous satrapy. He prohibited units of the Central Army from entering his war zone...since 1941, Yan had even maintained close and amiable relations with the Japanese. (Ibid).

Eastman points out that from non-Central Chinese armies, 12 generals defected to the Japanese in 1941, 15 in 1942 and 42 in 1943, taking with them around 500,000 troops who were now used against the Guomindang and, in the main, the CCP! And of course we cannot leave out the most infamous of all desertions, that of Wang Jingwei, who in 1927 was trumpeted by the CCP as the leader of the Guomindangs left wing and a reliable ally for the Communists. In 1938 he deserted the Guomindang and by 1940 was installed as the leader of Japans puppet Reorganised National Government of China based in Nanjing.

As with all gangster politicians, Chiang demoted or minimised the influence of the few generals with actual talent since they posed a threat to his power with their independent ideas and incorruptibility. The others were promoted precisely because they were mediocre or came from powerful warlord backgrounds but typically with no idea how to fight a modern war - nor the desire to do so. The epitome of this was reached when in 1944 Roosevelt demanded that Chiang place the US general Stilwell in full command of the war effort since Chiang and his commanders could not be relied upon, and instead Chiang sent Stilwell back to America, understanding this as a mortal threat to his own power. Stilwell was replaced by General Wedemeyer, who quickly drew the same conclusions and hit the nail on the head when he described Chiangs commanders as incapable, inept, untrained, petty...altogether inefficient.

Class exploitation in the Military

What they lacked in talent, determination and unity, they made up for in the art of exploitation and cruelty for their own troops. All males between 18 and 45 were subject to military conscription, however

recruitment was left in the hands of the local gentry [again revealing Chiangs complete dependence on these anachronistic classes and lack of any real national state apparatus], which meant that al the relatively well-off families escaped conscription. Consequently the poorest and physically weakest sections of the population found themselves herded into primitive depots, and then had to cover several hundred or thousand kilometres on foot to join their units. Out of 1,670,000 men conscripted in 1943, 750,000 never reached their destination. (Guillermaz, op cit., p302, our emphasis)

In many cases peasants were simply rounded up without any formal conscription process taking place. Guillermaz quotes General Wedemeyer on the realities of conscription, Conscription comes to the Chinese peasant like famine or flood, only more regularly - every year twice - and claims more victims. Famine, flood, and drought compare with conscription like chicken pox with the plague.

Eastman adds more horrific details to the treatment of peasant conscripts,

Frequently the recruits were tied together with ropes around their necks. At night they might be stripped of their clothing to prevent them from sneaking away. For food, they received only small quantities of rice, since the conscripting officers customarily squeezed the rations for their own profit. For water, they might have to drink from puddles by the roadside - a common cause of diarrhoea. Soon, disease coursed through the conscripts bodies. Medical treatment was unavailable, however, because the recruits were not regarded as part of the army until they had joined their assigned units...Within a month [of General Wedemeyers appointment] he realised that the soldiers were too weak to march and were incapable of fighting effectively, largely because they were half starved...An American expert, who in 1944 examined 1,200 soldiers from widely different kinds of units, found that 57% of the men displayed nutritional deficiencies that significantly affected their ability to function as soldiers.

Unsurprisingly, not only did millions of soldiers die from starvation and disease - more than from fighting the Japanese - but in many cases over half the soldiers in a given unit would desert - sometimes to the CCP, others just fled in desperation. It is genuinely not an exaggeration to say that during the Sino-Japanese war, the most fearful and directly harmful enemy of the Chinese people was their own Guomindang government (and the class it represented).

This is the reality of the regime established by Chinas successful bourgeois revolution of 1927. It is undeniable proof that the Chinese bourgeoisie, to the extent it even existed, was incapable of taking society forwards or even holding it together. This was a rotten, bedraggled and crisis ridden regime ripe for the overthrow. We believe we have shown enough evidence of corruption, cruelty, ineptness and disunity to prove that the CCPs about-face and silencing of all anti-Guomindang propaganda was profoundly wrong. The united-front was clearly a farce because the Guomindang could not even hold together its own army to fight Japan, not to speak of the way it ran the economy and exploited the working class (more on that soon).

And yet despite finding itself unable to organise an army worthy of the name, it did manage to keep one generals forces well fed and trained - those of General Hu Zongnan, because it was his troops that in the early 40s - whilst the united front was still being practiced by the CCP - that were charged with containing the CCPs forces in the north. At times in the war Chiang committed as many as 500,000 of his best troops to blockading the CCPs bases, especially after the Guomindangs treacherous role in the New 4th Army Incident, which will be explained in part III. Throughout the war Chiang deliberately held back the anti-Japan war effort in order to save his forces for a future struggle to wipe out the CCP. This fact says everything about the sincerity of the Guomindangs alliance with the CCP to defeat Japan.

The united-front was always a fiction dreamt up in Moscow and imposed onto the Chinese reality, because for Stalin the CCP was not an agent of the Chinese revolution but a bargaining chip in his negotiations with Chiang Kai Shek. This is underlined by the fact that the USSR signed a treaty of nonaggression [with Chiang Kai Shek] on August 21, 1937, sent aid of about $300m to the Nationalists, and stationed as many as 500 military advisors and pilots with them, though none with the Communists, so far as is known. All this aid reportedly led Mao to query in December, 1937, If so much could be given to Chiang Kai Shek, why could we not get a small share? Why indeed.

The Literal Bankruptcy of Chiang Kai Sheks Regime

The same ossified, fractured approach to the war effort was the defining characteristic of Chinas economy in this period. Social and economic life was choked by an intolerably corrupt, short sighted and grasping bureaucracy taking advantage of the absence of a strong capitalist class able to control the state. This state of affairs, already firmly entrenched by the ten years of Chiangs rule before 1937 fed off itself in a vicious circle; the dead end of Chinese capitalism and all pervasive corruption it caused only further encouraged those with the ability to fleece the state, workers, peasants and anyone else to do so with abandon.

Faced with a Japanese blockade of what was already an extremely sickly economy, the government increased its issuance of currency over 700 fold from 1937 to 1945; as a result average prices rose over the same period by a multitude of 2,395! There are a number of reasons why price rises were around three times as high as the increase in currency; the main one was most likely the huge decline in industrial output after Japan took possession of the most productive cities, meaning that supply could not meet demand. Industrial production fell to below 12% of the prewar level. As well as the loss of factories to Japan, within Guomindang controlled China 82% of factories folded due to a particularly short-sighted boom in 1939-40 (Eastman, op cit.). Farmers in turn started to hoard grain as they had lost confidence in the currency, the resulting lack of grain naturally caused this staple commodity to rise in price, worsening the inflation.

Additionally, during the 1930s the rural economy suffered under the iron fist of Chiang, who imposed compulsory labour onto the peasantry that benefited the rich landowners, and the brutality of this experience forced them into striking (Bianco & Lloyd, Peasant Movements, Cambridge History of China volume 13, p290). Agricultural production worsened still thanks to the Japanese invasion, especially from 1942 onwards, further impoverishing both rural and urban workers (Myers, The Agrarian System, Cambridge History of China volume 13, pp267-9).

Indeed the effects of this on the working class were devastating, as wages failed to rise by anything like this amount, a fact which Eastman perversely celebrates as the one success of Chinas hyper-inflation, the consequences of inflation were not all negative. During the eight years of war, for example, real wages of workers rose only during 1938; thereafter, to the benefit of employers, they declined. The destitution of the working class is always a silver lining for the capitalists when enduring a crisis!

With rampant inflation came rampant speculation, which had always been the chief vice of Chinas capitalist class (see the above linked article), diverting investment from productive activity: investors made substantially larger profits simply by storing the cotton than by chancing long term investment in mills that processed cotton (Ibid). 86% of liquid capital went into speculation as opposed to real investment in 1944!

Thanks to all this, from 1937-45 industrial workers real wages fell by more than half! Roughly the same figure applies to rural workers, although farmers who owned their land only saw their incomes fall by around 20%. But extraordinarily, the real wages of civil servants, university workers and professors and soldiers all fell by around 90%! (Ibid). The poverty of soldiers, professors and civil servants is explicable by the governments austerity drive to counter the costs of inflation on war expenditure, and in the case of the civil servants also gives an insight into why corruption became so rampant.

We apologise for the lack of a discussion of the CCPs analysis, propaganda and political intervention regarding this dire economic situation and class exploitation, but thanks to its alliance with Chiang Kai Shek and its absorption in rural and military survival, the CCP said and did little or nothing about this state of affairs. Consequently it failed to make political headway amongst urban workers, students and professors.

Rapidly spiralling prices, which the government had failed to anticipate, forced a reaction. In 1941 it started to scratch around for tax revenue to pay for the war. Thus it fell back on the hated likin tax (again, please see above linked article), one of the most economically depressing taxes possible, as well as other ingenious taxes like the contribute-sandals-to-recruits tax, the comfort-recruits-families tax, the train-antiaircraft-cadres tax, and the provide-fuel-for-garrisoned-troops tax! (Fairbank & Goldman, China: A New History, p314).

For the same reasons the government also pursued a harsh austerity agenda. Through measures like holding down the wages of government employees during extreme inflation and cutting back on government support for industry, the government actually reduced its real expenditure during the war by more than three quarters, despite having to feed a huge army! Although, as we have seen, it barely fed the soldiers if it could help it.

Bureaucratic Capital

Far from uniting the working class with the bourgeoisie, the rigours of the war revealed the bourgeoisies rotten, self-serving and venal characteristics, preferring as it did to use the chaos of war to speculate and hoard, driving millions to starvation. Wartime, more than any other, demands the superiority of a collective plan and unified effort to overcome what are profoundly social questions. Such an effort and coordination was far beyond the capacities of a class raised on a diet of usury and easy money.

Whereas the planned economy of the USSR was able, despite all its bureaucracy, to move the key war industries in a short space of time from European Russia to behind the Urals, the anarchic Chinese capitalists failed in their equivalent task. Despite the governments bribery of guaranteed 5-10% profit rates for 7 years, plus low interest rate loans and free factory sites for capitalists who moved their factories into the interior far away from the Japanese, only 120,000 tons of equipment ever got moved, far less than both what was available to be moved and what needed to be moved. [M]ost industrialists and financiers felt little or no personal involvement in the cause of Chinese resistance...They did not allow patriotism to dull their business instincts. (Eastman, op cit.). And yet the CCP remained wedded to this patriot class right to the end of the war.

Indeed the failures of the capitalist class in the war forced the government to play the leading economic role long before the CCP nationalised the means of production after 1949. By 1942 the state controlled 17.5% of all factories, 70% of all capital, 32% of workers and 42% of horsepower (ibid). This tendency towards statisation of Chinese capitalism is important to note for the later discussion on exactly why - contrary to their stated aims and perspectives - the CCP proceeded to expropriate capitalism after taking power. It also forms important evidence in our argument that the alliance with the bourgeoisie was totally unjustified for it lacked the capacity to and interest in taking China forwards.

Of course, this had been obvious ever since the bourgeoisie backed Chiang Kai Shek to become the dictator of China. His autocracy was the political expression of the same inability of Chinese capitalism to develop the productive forces that forced the government to play an increasingly large economic role. The terms of the CCPs deal with Chiang was that his regime would gradually reform itself into a democratic one in which the CCP could legally participate, and yet in 1939 the Military Affairs Commission, chaired by Chiang, arrogated to itself all administrative functions of government, making Chiangs control direct for every aspect of Chinas life.

Chiang Alienates the Imperialists

Given the basket case of China under Chiang Kai Shek, the British and American imperialists were in 1939 giving serious thought to forging an alliance with Japan, which they correctly estimated as being so much stronger than China that it might be worth abandoning the latter. The British, perhaps understanding how rotten and unpopular Chiangs regime was, even wanted to wait to see if Wang Jingweis Japanese puppet regime in Nanjing might manage to be more popular than that of Chiangs before choosing whether to back China or Japan. However these designs were scuppered by Japanese intransigence with regard to British and American interests in China (Akira Iriye Japanese Aggression and Chinas International Position, Cambridge History of China volume 13, pp525-6). The imperialists had no concern for the plight of the Chinese masses under the heel of Japan and only sided with China to protect their narrow interests there, and in the hope that China could be used in an American dominated post-war setup to contain Russia and grind Japan and Germany into the ground.

With China apparently an important inclusion in the schemes of the imperialists, the egotistical Chiang began to fantasise that this had elevated China into one of the worlds great powers. In reality Chinas lying prostrate in the face of Japanese imperialism meant that it required the American and British imperialists, who were concerned about the Japanese threat to their interests only, to fight the battle on its behalf. We have already seen how the Chinese capitalists were not prepared to lead the fight themselves, economically or militarily. Chiangs foolish delusion that having the US fight on his behalf (whilst he concentrated on the CCP) would mean the future elevation of China at the hands of the US led to increasing frustration from the US, to the point where they refused Chiangs government a $1bn loan and considered supporting the CCP more (which they saw as the better fighters, and not really Communists anyway).

Chiang Kai Shek was a miserable, grasping and lazy leader only ever interested in the preservation of his own power. He staffed his army with incompetent generals simply because they were loyal, and concentrated his best troops not against Japan but the CCP. As disastrous as this was for the Chinese ruling class, they could have it no other way, for they had not the means to effectively resist Japan without arousing the masses to military activity, the last thing they wanted. Chiangs cowardice and preference for passivity in the war by banking on the US to fight on his behalf, and his determination to get the maximum for his regime from the US with the minimum disturbance to his kingdom, is the true political expression of a capitalist class born too late and with no role to play.

The CCP at war

For twenty two years after 1927 the comrades of the CCP knew of no state other than constant war. Physically liquidated from the cities in 1927-8, they fled to the countryside, where they suffered one extermination campaign after another by the Guomindang, forcing them to embark on the Long March in 1934. This exhausting state of affairs brought the party to near extinction (it certainly was enough to destroy its Marxist programme), a big factor in its forging an alliance with Chiang Kai Shek in 1936 to gain breathing space. And yet no sooner had this truce been signed when Japan launched an all out war with China, a war whose secondary motivation for the Japanese (after the exploitation of Chinese industry and raw materials) was the extermination of the communist threat.

Throughout this new and higher stage to the struggle, it must be noted that the CCPs successes and survival owed themselves to its politics and not its military. Despite its erroneous support for Chiangs dictatorship the party continued, at least to some extent, to be seen as the only genuinely anti-Japanese and anti-landlord force in China.

Beneath the surface of shoddy deals the CCP cadres continued to organise the peasants and dish out something resembling revolutionary ideas of a way out from endless poverty and exploitation. Of course, this was nothing as compared with what the party could have done had it retained political, revolutionary independence from the loathed Chiang regime. However it was something and that was enough to distinguish the CCP from the rest. In many cases the objective necessity for an independent left wing party was forced onto the CCP by events themselves.

The Expansion of the Red Bases through Political Work

Throughout this war the CCPs headquarters, as agreed with Chiang, remained where they ended up after the Long March, in Yenan (now known as Yanan; we will use Yenan as this is the form of the name most closely associated with the CCP), Shaanxi province, north west of Chinas population centres.

Our thesis is that the CCPs strength lay in its political role as apparent liberator of the peasant masses and leader of the anti-Japanese and anti-Guomindang movement and not in its armed struggle. This is backed up by the fact that when the CCP concentrated not on fighting the Japanese or Guomindang, but concentrated on consolidating its bases, implementing its (admittedly somewhat mild) land reforms and recruiting and training cadres, it significantly expanded its membership and areas under its control. The Red Army fought no major battles for more than two years after late 1937, and its most rapid growth came during this period of relative calm, with the recruitment of up to 400,000 men into the Eighth Route Army and 100,000 into the New Fourth Army by 1940 (Harrison, The Long March to Power, p294).

Although the CCP forces managed to expand massively during the war, they were always playing catch up with the much larger and better equipped Japanese and Guomindang forces - in 1937 the Guomindang had around 1.5m troops in total, and the Japanese roughly 600,000, whereas the CCP had at most 100,000 - all of whom were worse equipped. The CCP expanded significantly, as the above figures suggest, but never nearly enough to catch up with the also expanding forces of their enemies.

The CCPs one advantage would always be its independent political role and ability to inspire its own troops and the wider peasant population with its propaganda and land distribution. During the years 1937-9, when it fought no major battles, its military forces increased not through military victories but through political expansion and recruitment. Without any battles taking place, the [Guomindang] government watched its rivals steady military and territorial expansion far outreach the three divisions of the Eighth Army and the eighteen districts in the Pien chu laid down by the agreement of September 1937...The population under communist control was to increase almost a hundredfold in eight years (Guillermaz, A History of the Chinese Communist Party 1921-49, p345). Between 1937 and 1940, the party membership increased from 40,000 to 800,000!

Thanks to its political influence the CCP managed to expand into areas far away from its headquarters in Yenan, setting up new soviet bases without military invasion. For example, it managed to recruit the remnants of anti-Japanese militias formed in the western Shandong province so that by 1943 the CCP controlled an area with 15 million inhabitants with a 500,000 strong militia (Harrison, op cit. p302). According to Guillermaz, from 1937 onwards the CCP even managed to maintain a force of up to 50,000 behind Japanese lines (Guillermaz, op cit. p308). Their effectiveness is proof of the military advantages the Red Army enjoyed thanks to its political basis, The teams were organised on the three in one principle - they were to fight as troops, to do political work on behalf of the government but to act like the common people in ordinary times. Military and political struggles thus went hand in hand...The armed work teams would appear or disappear unexpectedly in the very heart of the enemy occupied areas. Their whereabouts were known to the people all the time, but the enemy could never find them.

Naturally such political successes were profoundly uncomfortable for the Japanese and Guomindang alike, and therefore each square mile and military division gained by the CCP was pregnant with military conflicts. It is in fact not quite true that the CCP fought no battles whatsoever between 1937 and 1939, for in September 1937 Lin Biaos 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army distinguished itself in a joint strike with the Guomindang on Japanese forces at the Battle of Pingxingguan in Shanxi province, capturing 1000 weapons and 100 vehicles and inflicting around 500 casualties on the Japanese (Ibid, p308). A similar, smaller scale success was achieved shortly after nearby. These were however ultimately insignificant and involved few CCP forces.

They did however allow the CCP to establish the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military zone on the basis of these victories, since Guomindang officials had left the area with the Japanese defeat (Harrison, op cit. p299). Out of this zone the CCP managed to form the Chin-Cha-Chi Border Region government, which involved a great many local residents in its administration who were not in the CCP. This government was very successful in organising the peasant masses of this region into womens, youth and self-defence organisations, and in educating them and establishing medical facilities, and consolidated itself by recruiting disaffected Manchurian Guomindang troops and commanders who had disobeyed Chiangs orders (we mustnt forget that the Japanese had long established a colonial regime in Manchuria, to which Chiangs regime had completely acquiesced, causing Manchurians to be much more sympathetic to the CCP than most).

It was strong enough to resist the Japanese counter-attack which involved the burning to the ground of this governments capital in March 1938. Following the capture of another region further to the south by other CCP forces with the aid of local activists, the CCP was able in July 1941 to establish a much larger government linking these two and other bases in Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Hunan provinces, despite intense Japanese attacks (Ibid, pp301-2). These successes caused not only frictions with the jealous Guomindang but were part of the cause of the complete breakdown of relations between the two parties, more of which later.

The Conditions Behind CCP Lines in the Sino-Japanese War

There were however severe economic and military difficulties implicit in this strategy of forming politically independent rural bases. We have analysed at length the economic and political realities of such rural submergence in our previous series of articles ( http://www.marxist.com/chinese-comminist-party-1927-37-part-4.htm) , (http://www.marxist.com/chinese-comminist-party-1927-37-part-5.htm), and later in this series we will look more closely at the limitations of the peasant movement and how this conditioned the opportunist programme on which the party rose to power.

Nevertheless it should be pointed out here that the new administrative systems [of the newly conquered areas] had great difficulty in gaining a foothold and their power was precarious right to the end. As the region was important both strategically and politically, the Japanese felt obliged to purge it from time to time. Cleaning up campaigns...acted as a deterrent to the inhabitants, who as far as possible avoided taking part in elections, with the risks they involved (Guillermaz, op cit. p311).

In a moment we will take a look at both these attacks and others from the Guomindang. Before we do so, we must note that the effect on the CCP of having to maintain a viable administration responsible for leading the economic life of millions of peasants and landlords etc. Generally, the rural areas most revolutionary were those most densely populated and fertile, for these had the highest, most exploitative rents. The logic of taking administrative and military responsibility for certain areas, against constant attacks from two militarily stronger powers, politically consumed a party which had already lost all trace of proletarian politics and obliged it to seek solace in non-revolutionary areas and layers of the population (see Bianco and Lloyd, Peasant Movements, in The Cambridge History of China Volume 13 p324)

The CCPs forces had therefore to be constantly replenished by new recruits. Its survival depended on the fine quality of its cadres and its strict discipline (Ibid, p328), and yet these cadres were regularly being killed or absorbed in the tasks of bare survival. True, its effective propaganda conducted by ordinary people among other ordinary people who were their fellow-countrymen, in the language of their region or even their profession, could not fail to succeed among the Chinese (Ibid, p335), and thus furnished a regular supply of new faces. However, this propaganda was limited in scope by the shackled political programme of the CCP we have discussed above.

The rapid turnover in membership and the influx of rural recruits lacking any political experience in organisations of their own (unlike the working class, who have experience in trade unions), led Mao in 1937 to decry the tendency towards warlordism in the Eighth Route Army, many of whose members have become unwilling to submit strictly to Communist Party leadership, [and] have developed individualistic heroism (quoted in Guillermaz, op cit. p329). Mao therefore stressed that the Red Army must oppose the danger in which the military does not obey the political and that the army must be one led by the proletariat (Ibid, p329). But that was exactly the problem - thanks to Moscows shortsighted strategy, to which Mao adapted so well, the party had long ceased to have any relation to the proletariat, and the army could in no way be led by anything other than the largely petty bourgeois individuals at the top of the CCP.

These very problems, inherent not only in submerging the party in a rural environment, but even more so in attempting to establish on that basis an alternative government under constant siege, were to lead in the early 1940s to the Zhengfeng or Rectification Campaign as the party leadership struggled to keep control of this band of roving-rebels. In this campaign around 10,000 were killed and was the precedent for the Cultural Revolution more than twenty years later.

The Hundred Regiments and Three Alls Campaigns

The CCPs enormous gains in northern central China described above were as mentioned causing serious concern amongst both Japanese and Guomindang leaders. Their fears were proved correct when the CCP launched its biggest and most successful (unless we count its consequences, as we shall see) military campaign of the entire war period, ending its period of peaceful advance. This is known as the Hundred Regiments Campaign, and it lasted from August to December 1940 and involved 400,000 CCP led troops against roughly 290,000 Japanese. The fighting spanned five provinces in northern central China.

It is difficult to assess the damage inflicted by the CCP onto the Japanese forces, as both sides claimed (and still claim) wildly divergent figures. There is no doubt however that the initial battles were an enormous success for the CCP, with tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers killed and much of the Japanese military infrastructure destroyed. The ability of the CCP armies to fight head on a far more well equipped and trained imperial army is testament to the incredible growth of CCP forces from their political work and organisation, as well as their tactical nous.

Nevertheless the true results of this military adventure once again underline the futility of the strategy of armed rural struggle and further justify our contention that the CCP should have stuck to clandestinely recruiting workers in the cities with socialist propaganda. For ultimately the CCP was and always would be powerless in the face of the Japanese army, which maintained complete freedom of action at a strategic level (Ibid, p332).

This harsh fact was proven by the Japanese counter-attack to the Hundred Regiments Campaign, which was aptly named the Three Alls Policy - standing for kill all, burn all, loot all. Since the Japanese imperialists managed to so succinctly sum up the character of their invasion of China, I think it is only reasonable to suggest that their entire invasion of China and other countries be known by this name.

There was a calculated purpose behind such an indiscriminate strategy of literally killing, burning and looting everything within areas associated with the CCP, which, as with all ultra-reactionary and counter-revolutionary campaigns, was to punish the masses for daring to pose a political challenge to the status quo and to traumatise them into never doing so again. In particular, the aim of this campaign was to drain the water from the Communist fish (Harrison, op cit. p301) - in other words, to so effectively massacre the rural poor that the CCP could have no social basis in this region. According to Mitsuyoshi Himeta the death toll of this vile campaign totalled more than 2.7m Chinese.

This campaign devastated the CCP in northern central China, and the CCP would not launch another campaign of any significance against Japan for the remainder of the war. Although the CCP did manage to recover their influence in the region around three years later, this was tellingly achieved through political action and propaganda, not military offensives. Not only would it have been possible, it would have been easier and far more effective to carry out this political propaganda had the CCP concentrated on work amongst the urban proletariat and, having won influence this way, among the rural poor. This would have freed the party up both politically and organisationally to campaign for the need to paralyse the Japanese occupation with strikes and for a government of the workers to carry out a revolutionary war against the Japanese.

Guomindang Betrayals

As if to underline the fact that the CCP had fallen into an opportunist trap by accepting the Guomindangs proposal for Zhou Enlai to be Deputy Minister of Political Training in early 1938 (as discussed in Part I), a few months later the very government in which leading Communist Zhou Enlai was now a minister dissolved a mass organisation [in Hankou] suspected of having strong communist sympathies. The Guomindang then rebuffed communist overtures towards forming a new inner block (Guillermaz, op cit. p348).

These (entirely inevitable and predictable) traitorous actions should have been taken as a sign that the Guomindang was planning an attack on the CCP. No quantity of overtures and second-rate ministerial portfolios could protect the CCP from the Guomindang, which only lulled the CCP into a false sense of security. In the spring of 1939, 300 CCP guerrillas were allegedly slaughtered in Shandong province by Guomindang forces (Brandt, Schwartz & Fairbank, A Documentary History of Chinese Communism, p240).

What the communists represented both to the poor and the rich was in itself enough to invite repression. CCP speeches were sufficient to whet the peasants appetite for land and freedom, but proved unable to put that genie back in its bottle when the CCP line changed. Nor for that reason could such acquiescence ever convince the Guomindang and the ruling class of the CCPs loyalty, especially when it had armed layers of the peasantry. Beneath the surface of the alliance the Guomindang was always maneuvering and strategizing to inflict mortal blows on the CCP. Different tendencies and factions within it proposed different ways to deal with the CCPs continuing popularity, including dissolving its bases in different provinces by dictat. Local armed clashes with the CCP began to increase and certain generals from Chongqing [the seat of governmental power since late 1938] were plotting with the Japanese to attack the CCP (Guillermaz, op cit. p315).

These tensions were caused by the very objective forces which the CCPs political allegiance with the Guomindang made it incapable of anticipating, explaining or consciously leading. Despite the formal alliance, these contradictory forces operated in and through these two parties because of their conflicting class bases. The political successes the CCP scored, particularly in Shanxi and around the western ends of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers as described above, by basing themselves on the peasant masses, made inevitable the Guomindangs betrayal of their alliance.

Rising tensions led to more numerous skirmishes until the barely suppressed conflict exploded in the New Fourth Army Incident in 1941 in precisely this geographical area. This was already presaged by the Pinzhiang and Zhukou Incidents in June 1939, in which the Guomindang raided the New Fourth Army and executed CCP members and their families (see Harrison, op cit. p305 & Kataoka, Resistance and Revolution in China: The Communists and the 2nd United Front, p233).

The New Fourth Army Incident

In June 1940 an agreement had been reached between the two parties that the CCP could keep its newly conquered bases in the northern part of central China, i.e. north of the Yellow River, so long as it abandoned the peasants of central China in between the two great rivers. Chiang could not tolerate the success of the CCP in this area and here attempted to exploit the CCPs opportunist policy. On the basis of this agreement, Chiangs representatives showed active hostility to CCP forces in the central China region they had now been ordered to evacuate (Schram, op cit. p218). Because of this, as they were leaving the area the CCP forces successfully attacked Guomindang troops encountered on the way.

This caused Chiang to hasten his demand that the CCPs New 4th Army evacuate the entirety of the area south of the Yellow River. For one reason or another, despite the vast majority of the army meeting the deadline, the 9,000 strong HQ force had failed to cross the river in time and in January 1941 it was ambushed and wiped out by the Guomindang. Following this, the Guomindang demanded the dissolution of the remainder of this strongest of CCP armies. This the CCP refused to do and the ensuing strengthening of the army ended the farce (though not officially) of CCP/Guomindang allegiance.

From a revolutionary point of view, we cannot help but conclude that the New Fourth Army Incidents taking place was a good thing precisely because it brought the infamous national united front to an ignominious conclusion. This is proven by the fact that following this incident the CCP continued its meteoric rise throughout China, so much so that arguably no single event in the entire Sino-Japanese war did more to enhance the Communists prestige vis- a-vis the Nationalists than the destruction of the New Fourth Army headquarters while it was loyally following orders (Johnson, Peasant Nationalism and Communist Power: The Emergence of Revolutionary China, 1937-1945, p140).

Once again we can see that the CCPs gains came not from military successes - indeed in this case its biggest success came from a defeat - but from its political role as the (perceived) opposition to a capitulationist government. In this case the objective forces, which required (and rewarded) such an opposition, were so strong that they were imposed onto the CCP against its will.

Interestingly, Mao, who was evidently under pressure from left wing critics inside the CCP, felt the need to explain that the New Fourth Army incident did not prove that the allegiance with the Guomindang was a mistake (see Mao, Conclusions on the Repulse of the Second Anti-Communist Onslaught, May 1941). He argued that the war with Japan meant that the primary contradiction of Chinese society was not a class one but a national one. In Maos article On Contradiction, he reveals his highly mechanical interpretation of dialectical materialism, whereby different contradictions supplant one another whilst remaining entirely unaffected and self-contained, like billiard balls knocking into each other. He uses this to justify the opportunism of allying with the Guomindang, for according to him the primary contradiction now being between China and Japan, the internal class contradictions of China are effectively negated. A real understanding of dialectics would teach the direct opposite - that Japans exploitation of China would happen through Chinas class system, making the two inseparable. The New Fourth Army Incident is merely one in a long list of examples where the Chinese ruling class proved that the dynamic of the Sino-Japanese war was the class struggle.

There is one final betrayal of their alliance by the Guomindang we ought to mention. In the remote province of Xinjiang the CCP struck a similar alliance with its warlord Sheng Shicai (who was not in the Guomindang) as its national alliance with Chiang. However, for the very same reasons as the New Fourth Army Incident, namely the CCPs gains in Xinjiang (along with Moscow ceasing to butter-up Sheng with arms), Sheng turned in 1942. He joined the Guomindang and arrested 600 Communists, many of which he then executed, including Maos brother.

And yet flying in the face of reality the CCP continued to articulate a thoroughly acquiescent and frankly liberal line with regards to the Guomindang. One would expect and hope it would use its repression at the hands of the Guomindang as the political justification for the need to overthrow the Guomindang to liberate China from both imperialism and its stooge the Chinese ruling class. Instead the leadership demanded in March 1942 only legal status for the CCP and the recognition by the government of its war efforts, including the request for more troops. Proving the utter failure of the attempt since 1936 to ally with the Guomindang, even these demands were rejected.

It is very interesting to note that the character of these demands is not only exclusively bourgeois-democratic, lacking a single social demand, but also in its demands for political liberty refers only to the CCP, not the Chinese working class and peasantry. There are no demands for political liberty or a constituent assembly. More than a decade of isolation in rural armed struggle found its expression in the CCPs inward looking demand for CCP, not Chinese, freedom.

When the Sino-Japanese war began in 1937, the CCP had already been an exclusively rural party for almost ten years. As we pointed out previously, this was an improvisation born out of the partys confusion at Chiangs power grab. By 1935, when Mao became the undisputed leader of the party, this improvisation and temporary retreat had been transformed into the partys raison detre.

The Peasants Sans CCP

According to Bianco and Lloyd, the revolutionary decade of 1922-31 saw no significant increase in all types of peasant disturbances - from theft of landlords property to local uprisings. The fluctuations that do occur seem only correlated to particular years in which there happened to be a good or bad harvest. Furthermore, the type of action taken remained in its traditional form - riots or petitions - and rarely if ever escaped a purely local horizon. Furthermore, they contend that in any case the total number of disturbances remain extremely small (Bianco and Lloyd, Peasant Movements, in The Cambridge History of China Volume 13, pp278-9).

The peasants, without the CCP would, quite simply, never have conceived the idea of a revolution thanks to their parochialism which overrode distinctions of class. The typical village, to which peasants narrow horizons and allegiances were restricted, was a  socially heterogeneous community that villagers sought to protect against attacks from outside. This is attested by the frequent incidence of vertical movements resembling wars between different peoples rather than social warfare. As in a national war, the natural enemy is not the privileged member in ones community but the foreigner (Ibid, p302).

Bianco and Lloyd give many examples of movements in the early 1930s, around the time the CCP was embedding itself in this milieu, which were based exclusively on opposition to new taxes, not rent, and thereby could unite peasants and landlords, with the latter more often than not initiating and leading the movements. The character of such movements, more common than those aimed against rent and landlordism, are not progressive since they aimed to preserve local privileges in the tax system, chiefly to the benefit of the local landlords. Indeed, sometimes the wrongs against which the taxpayers rise up are purely imaginary. They suspect any project of fiscal reform...allow[ing] themselves to be incited into a revolt, which is harmful to their own interests, by a handful of large landowners practicing tax evasion on a large scale (Ibid, p284).

Throughout these movements, what is notable is the lack of a questioning of landlordism by its peasant victims: the principle of paying rent is almost never called into question (Ibid, p278). Along with hostility to new tax codes, most peasant disturbances were strictly local in the sense that they pitted one village or Xien against another. So one group of peasants, led by their landlord, would frequently fight those with the same conditions of poverty in a neighbouring village, because the latter had, say, dredged rivers to improve their crop, which threatened to flood the other village.

These conflicts, which Bianco and Lloyd argue should be known not as peasant but as rural disturbances due to their vertical social character, frequently had an extremely violent character. They were spontaneous, chaotic and unplanned explosions of rage with no political perspective attached to them. They were not prepared and the rebels do not appear to have had a strategy nor is there any discernable progression in the forms taken by the resistance. There was no fundamental questioning of the principle of tenancy, simply a protest against sudden changes in the status quo (Ibid, pp274-5). Instead of landlords or even local government leaders being attacked, it was usually their underlings, who were more visible to the peasants. Bianco and Lloyd insist that we cannot even speak of a rural movement (other than the CCPs army), only local flare-ups of fury.

The theory of Marxism has always explained that the peasantry can be an important ally of the revolutionary working class but can never politically lead. It must be led by a more organised and homogenous urban based class. This evidently applied to 1920s and 30s China, to the extent that Maos talk of the Sinification of Marxism due to Chinas special rural conditions and revolutionary peasantry must be rejected entirely. According to the evidence, the peasants themselves hardly ever take up arms offensively with a view to improving their lot.

The apparent peasant basis of the 1949 revolution is therefore an outcome not of peasant revolutionary initiative and elan, but of the CCPs dogged hiding out in its mountain fastness. The peasant revolts had nothing in common with the CCPs Red Army, which latter had a national political character that the former lacked entirely. They were generally conservative, more interested in rising up to maintain old privileges, against local rivals or the mysteries of the governments vicissitudes. They were not inspired by any overall vision of society nor questioned the bases of its organisation (Ibid, p303). It was precisely this parochialism and passivity that suited the CCP, because in the rural backwaters they were hard to find and suffered no danger of ambitious revolutionary demands from the politically passive peasants the Soviet bases administered. The rural submersion of the party was ideal for launching a military struggle but not a social and revolutionary one.

Wearing the Peasants Coarse Garb

As we shall see, the CCPs approach in the countryside resembled the discredited strategy of the Russian Narodniks of the 19th Century. It is a profound irony that the Chinese offshoot of the Communist International should repeat the mistakes of the Russian forefathers of the Bolsheviks, when it was precisely the learning and overcoming of these mistakes that produced the Russian Marxist organisation that in turn gave birth to the Communist International!

When Peng Pai, before he joined the CCP, experimented with a Chinese Narodnism in the early 1920s, he was initially, just like the Narodniks, rejected by the peasants as a strange outsider with grandiose and unrealisable goals. He found that he had to change his clothes and speech and enticed and entertained [the peasants] as a conjuror and magician, taught the children a song of his own composition, had them listen to a gramophone he had brought along, and put on a puppet show (Ibid, p308) in order to get them to take seriously his ideas of liberation.

Ten years later, the CCP found itself having to perform similar routines each time they settled in a new rural location. Because of the completely rural base of the party, the CCP was obliged to send any workers or intellectuals it recruited in the cities to the countryside. Whereas in the cities they would have been able to carry out political work quite naturally, Mao explained the requirements of their work in the countryside: they should enthusiastically go to the villages, exchange their students clothes for the coarse garb of the peasants, start willingly from the bottom...help awaken the peasants...and fight for the completion of the extremely important task in Chinas democratic revolution - the rural democratic revolution (Mao, < On Coalition Government<, April 1945).

Despite these efforts, the CCP leadership regularly found that the organisations of peasant liberation and awakening they had set up, when left on their own, frequently pursued policies quite different from the Party line and resented the directions of outsiders, whatever their politics (Harrison, < The Long March to Power<, p312). It is quite clear that the contradiction between the self-appointed leadership of the rural revolution in the CCP and the peasants themselves was never overcome. This relationship is in stark contrast to that of a Marxist organisation and the working class, since the aim of the former is always to win the confidence of the workers not by dressing up as them but by being part of and giving voice to the already existing class struggle. Marxists recruit, and themselves often are, workers. They do not parachute in members from elsewhere to occupy and administer workers districts!

Indeed the CCP sent vast swathes of its recruits away from the cities in which they were recruited, thus negating any potential they may have presented for building a permanent urban working class base for the party. They used the legal openings gained through the allegiance with the Guomindang not so much to begin building in the cities but to set up within them Communist Liaison Offices to facilitate the emigration of volunteers to Yenan (Guillermaz, A History of the Communist Party 1921-49 , p348). Peng Shuzi, an early leader of the CCP before being expelled for Trotskyism, stresses that the CCP did everything possible to encourage the most active elements of the working class to leave the struggle in the cities and join the peasants in the countryside. It was for precisely this reason that while the CCP considerably increased its armed peasant forces during the Resistance War, its influence remained extremely weak among the worker masses of the cities (Peng, The Causes of the Victory of the Chinese Communist Party over Chiang Kai-Shek, and the CCPs Perspectives).

The environment into which these workers and urban intellectuals were taken was one of extreme poverty and backwardness. As with the pre-Long March bases in Jiangxi and especially the Jinggangshan, Yenan made an effective base precisely because it was so barren and therefore hard to penetrate and considered strategically irrelevant by the Guomindang. Here CCP comrades, including leaders, were forced to live in caves carved into the cliffs. The area at the time had an estimated 60% infant mortality rate, 1% literacy rate, the death of up to 2.5m people (one-third of the provincial population), and the migration of another half-million in the catastrophic famine of 1927-30 (Harrison, op cit., p310).

Because the Guomindang suspended its subsidy of $100,000 per month (part of the united front agreement) in 1940 due to the above discussed breakdown in the alliance, the CCP was obliged to increase the tax burden on the Shaanxi population it was occupying, especially of the peasants (Ibid, p316). In other CCP bases inflation rose to even higher than in Guomindang controlled areas, but this failed to take place in Yenan as the economy was largely a barter one!

As described in more detail our previous series, the bare struggle to survive in these remote conditions absorbed the partys attention to the detriment of its political and theoretical development - although it must be said that the biggest obstacle in that respect was not the rural conditions but the non-revolutionary programme. As a result the number of leaders with 
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A Dairy Queen Grill & Chill.

(Mike Mozart (flickr))

Dairy Queen is planning a major expansion and Massachusetts is set squarely in the company's creamy, delicious stare.

The Boston Globe reports Dairy Queen is planning to add 60 franchises in the Bay State over the next five years. Currently, the company has 33 locations in the state.

Jim Kerr, a vice president at International Dairy Queen, told the Globe the company is looking to expand into Stoughton, Peabody, Burlington, Billerica, Plymouth, Worcester and Amherst, among other communities. Exact locations have not yet been revealed.

In 2014, Dairy Queen, owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., had about 6,400 stores in more than 25 countries with about 4,500 in the U.S. Ironically, New England, long the self-proclaimed bastion of creamy frozen treats, is not it's epicenter. The company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has only one store in Western Massachusetts -- a DQ Grill and Chill restaurant in Chicopee. The rest are scattered across Central and Eastern Massachusetts.

The planned expansion would triple the number of Dairy Queens in Massachusetts.
Peerless Precision manufacturing

A piston is cut on a machine for a cooling system for thermal imagining cameras. Parts made at Peerless Precision Inc. in Westfield were in the thermal imaging camera that was used to located the Boston Marathon Bomber.

SPRINGFIELD -- No sector of the Greater Springfield economy grew jobs in January and only two industries -- manufacturing and information -- held their own.

Overall, the region lost 5,184 jobs on the month and 1,592 in the year since January 2015.

Here is a breakdown from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics:

The two sectors in which jobs remain unchanged from December 2015 to January 2016 were:

Manufacturing

Information

Eight sectors which lost jobs from December 2015 to January 2016 were:

Government

Education and Health Services:

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities:

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities:

Mining, Logging and Construction:

Leisure and Hospitality:

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services:

Other Services:

Financial Activities:

Over the year, four sectors which gained jobs were:

Education and Health Services:

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services:

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities:

Other Services:

The two sectors in which jobs remain unchanged on the year were:

Mining, Logging and Construction:

No

change(last year, the sector was up 500 jobs from 2014)

Financial Activities:

Four sectors which lost jobs were:
While pubs occupy a central place in Irish life, many of them are very different from their American counterparts.

A lot of pubs in Eire are not so much straight-up bars, but are like community centers where young and old are welcome to share food, drink, music and craic (the Irish term for having a good time).

But on St. Patrick's Day, pubs and bars in the U.S. play a central role in celebrating the day. So if you're looking a place to have a pint or hear some tunes, here are some local suggestions.

Starting in Holyoke, the site of the local parade, we have Brennan's Place at 173 High St. This venue, formerly known as Nick O'Neils, is near the end of the parade route and is a classic Irish-American pub.

Alternatively, Francie's Tavern on 108 Maple St. is near the start of the route. If you'd like a meal with your pint, it's hard to beat Slainte (the Irish word for "health") which is a bar and a restaurant at 80 Jarvis Ave.

Heading south to Springfield, you can lift a glass downtown at McCaffrey's Public House at 1171 Main St. On the east side of town, Donovan's Irish Pub at the Eastfield Mall will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Irish music from Wednesday through Sunday. The New O'Briens Corner on 1082 Page Blvd. will have a special St. Patrick's Day menu on Thursday.

Of course, the most Irish of all Springfield venues is the John Boyle O'Reilly Club at 33 Progress Ave. The club has a slate of St. Patrick's Day offerings, including a party on Saturday featuring Bo Fitzgerald and the YankeeCelt Band.

Up in Hampshire County, McLadden's Irish Public House on 27 Pleasant St. in Northampton offers a decor that is very similar to many pubs in the old country. The venue offers more than 100 beers on tap, but most importantly on St. Patrick's Day, they have Guinness as well as a few other Irish brews.

Over in Amherst, The Harp at 163 Sunderland Road is an award-winning Irish pub that features a great variety of Irish whiskeys.

In Belchertown, McCarthy's Pub on 5 E. Walnut St. pours a great pint and and The Sons of Erin at 22 Williams St. in Westfield has a full calendar of Irish music starting on Thursday.
The Big Short

Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling in "The Big Short."

(Paramount Pictures)

Capsule reviews of this week's video releases, on DVD and Blu-ray, including special features:

"The Big Short" (R, 130 minutes, Paramount): Adam McKay's quirky portrait of the run-up to the 2008 financial collapse, adapted from Michael Lewis's book of the same name. Won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Contains pervasive profanity and some nudity and sexuality. Blu-ray extras include "In the Trenches: Casting," "The Big Leap: Adam McKay," "Unlikely Heroes: The Characters of The Big Short," "The House of Cards: The Rise of the Fall," "Getting Real: Recreating an Era," deleted scenes.

"Brooklyn" (PG-13, 151 minutes, Fox): Saoirse Ronan stars in this adaptation of Colm Toibin's novel about a young Irish woman immigrating to the United States in the early 1950s. Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Motion Picture, Best Actress and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. Contains a scene of sexuality and brief strong language. Extras include six promotional featurettes: "The Story," "Home," "Love," "Cast," "The Making of Brooklyn" and "Book to Screen"; commentary by director John Crowley; photo gallery. Blu-ray adds 11 deleted and extended scenes.

"Carol" (R, 118 minutes, The Weinstein Co.): Acclaimed lesbian love story based on a 1952 novel by Patricia Highsmith and directed by Todd Haynes. As the star-crossed, clandestine lovers, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara received Oscar nominations. Contains a scene of nudity and sexuality, and brief profanity.

"Sisters" (R, 118 minutes, Universal): Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are cast against type in this raunchy comedy about irresponsible (Fey) and responsible (Poehler) siblings. Contains crude sexual content, pervasive profanity and drug use. Extras include deleted scenes, extended scenes, gag reel, "The Improvorama," commentary with director Jason Moore, star-producer Tina Fey, star-executive producer Amy Poehler and writer Paula Pell. Blu-ray adds "How to Throw a Party," "Grown-Up Parties Suck," "The Alex Chronicles," "The Kate and Pazuzu Chronicles," "A Teen Movie ... for Adults," "The Original Sister," "Pool Collapse" visual effects.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip" (PG, 92 minutes, Fox): Fourth installment in the franchise about a man (Jason Lee) who is raising three chipmunks like sons. "Grown-ups may impatiently tap their feet and roll their eyes at the rote storytelling, but it's not the worst way to spend an afternoon with the kids," wrote The Washington Post's Caitlin Moore. Contains mild scatological humor and some rude language. Extras include "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Story So Far," "Ultimate Playlist" of Chipmunks top hits from all three movies (including a Music Machine of 11 songs, three music videos and five lyric videos. Blu-ray adds "WETA and the Chipmunks: Animators' Reference Reel," "Munk Rock," "RedFoo Squeaky Wiggle Dance Instructional," "After the Party: A Munkumentary."

Also: "Addiction Incorporated' (true story of whistle blower Vincent DeNoble), "Censored Voices" (historical chronicle of Israel's 1967 six-day war), "The Hatching" (killer crocodile's eggs hatch), "The Manchurian Candidate" (restored digital transfer of 1962 classic), "Perry Mason Movie Collection: Volume 5," "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" (Alex Gibney documentary), "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past," "What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy" (two sons of Nazi officers and a Jewish man meet in present-day Europe).

Television series: "CHiPs: The Complete Fourth Season" (five-disc set with all 21 episodes), "Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove: The Final Season" (final chapter of the Hallmark Channel series), "Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season," "The Nanny: The Final Season" (three-disc set with all 21 episodes plus the hour-long finale).
Heather Haskelly

Heather Haskell, vice president of the Springfield Museums

(Anne-Gerard Flynn photo)

SPRINGFIELD - It was fortunate that sociology major Heather Haskell decided to take an art history course back in the 1980s during her senior year at Smith College in Northampton. The exposure prompted Haskell, who was recently named vice president of the Springfield Museums, to defer her law school acceptance and spend three years getting her master's degree in art history at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Haskell studied European and American art at UMass, but also developed an interest in Asian art. She did a six-week summer study tour in China, and was invited back to teach English to college students who desired to further their education in the United States.

"It was a great opportunity that allowed me to see a lot of different archaeological and historical sites. This solidified my interest in art, especially in Chinese art," said Haskell who also traveled to Tibet.

"What is so interesting about Chinese art is that it allows you to trace the evolution of Chinese art from ancient to contemporary times. The artists are always paying homage to a past generation. The shapes and the sizes and symbolism often don't change dramatically, but you can tell in the different time periods' individuality what is going on during the period and how that changes these common designs."

Haskell's art history insights have made her a popular resource with the media as well as with patrons at the Springfield Museums where she began her career, in 1988, as assistant registrar.

"When I returned from teaching in China, I was very interested in finding a job that combined both my passion for Oriental art along with my background in American and European art. So, it was fortunate that a position became available here where this museum complex offers all of those things," said Haskell, who has been director of collections for the museums.

She succeeds Kay Simpson as vice president. Simpson, also a graduate of Smith and UMass-Amherst, was named president. The two women, who have a combined 65 years of experience at the museums, say they work well together and support each other's abilities.

"I am very fortunate as I have worked with Kay my entire career here," Haskell said. "We complement each other quite a bit. She brings with her education and fund-raising skills and I bring collections and acquisitions which are really the four aspects of what we do here in the museums."

Simpson called Haskell "a wonderful colleague with whom I have had a good working relationship."

"My focus has been in education, administration and a lot with fund-raising and strategic planning. Her focus has been as head of collections for all the museums. She has an in-depth understanding of collection management and curatorial practice and is really an expert in those areas," Simpson said.

Haskell, who has also been involved in some of the business and fund-raising aspects of the museums, said she feels "honored and fortunate to work with beautiful objects, to share the stories of those objects and to put those objects in context through exhibitions or through permanent collections and to really celebrate some of the best of human experience through those objects."

"The job here has allowed me to really grow and expand my knowledge and to share that knowledge with other people," Haskell said. "The component that I love is showing and explaining something to someone and watching their enthusiasm build as they understand what the object is."

"Interior of the Old Church," Amsterdam, circa 1677, oil on canvas by Emanuel de Witte (Dutch, 1617-1692), Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts.

She cites 17th century Dutch artist Emanuel de Witte's "Interior of the Old Church" as a teaching example for European art.

"We have a small but good collection of Dutch work. What you see is seemingly typical day-to-day scenes of what was happening in Holland, but once you really start to look, you find that the artists have incorporated a lot of symbolism," Haskell said.

"You see two people speak to each other in 'Interior of the Old Church.' As you look at that painting more, you see that there is someone sleeping in one of the church benches. The artist incorporated that person to have a warning against being lazy. Someone is digging on the church floor as they used to bury people inside the churches. Next to this is a dog. The whole message of this church interior, which is a beautiful painting, technically it is just gorgeous, was an encouragement to you during this time period to live your life well and that you have a very short time on this earth. The tree people represent the three ages of man, youth, middle age and older, and the dog was a symbol of loyalty. Art is never created in a vacuum. It always has a broader implication."

Haskell noted that museums continue to help with cultural understanding in contemporary times, citing in particular the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum where a number of exhibits are being reinstalled. The museum, which opened in 1896, houses the collection of George Walter Vincent Smith and his wife, Belle Townsley Smith. It has a large collection of Islamic art, including prayer rugs, among its 5,200 objects, many of which highlight Asian art and culture.

"Museums try to be neutral ground in presenting such objects and creating didactics that again are neutral in information, but are informational and allow viewers to make their own decisions about what they look at," Haskell said.

"We have a strong Islamic collection and that was something we wanted to put on view and that became a priority given the world situation. Many people were asking questions about objects in the collection and so during the re-installation we tried to include a lot of information not only about the objects but how they are used within a culture and the culture itself. The feedback is that many people have found this helpful."

"Church Supper," 1933, oil on canvas by Paul Sample (American, 1896-1974), Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts

In reinstalling the exhibits of the Smith, Haskell said the idea has been to "reintroduce them to a 21st century audience."

"When the objects were first installed, the strong feeling of George Walter Vincent Smith was that the museum should not provide that much information. People should come in and just appreciate what they were seeing," Haskell said. "Our philosophy has changed 180 percent and we want to create narratives for people and these objects and place them in context We want to present them in beautiful ways and ways more accessible to younger audiences."

Haskell called the opening of the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss museum and exhibit, in 2017, "very exciting" and something that will bring visitors into the Quadrangle's other two art museums as well as the history and science museums.

"We have worked during the last 10 years to make the museums warm, inviting places and to create spaces for families and children throughout the museums as a way of introducing the museum experience to people," Haskell said.

So, as someone who has lived that museum experience for decades, what painting or object in the Springfield museums collection would she like to own? The question seems to stump the veteran curator who mentions the "raw emotions of Medieval paintings," the beauty of Georgia O'Keefe's Mexican landscapes in the Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, and Genso Komatsu's "wonderful" Shinto Wheel Shrine, completed in 1805, and housed at the Smith museum. However, it is Paul Sample's "Church Supper" at the MFA that she singles out by name.

"He was an American regional artist of the 20th century and did great commentary on life in the countryside and with a lot of humor and great skill," Haskell said.
Known as the "saint of the gutters" for her unconditional love for the poor, abandoned and marginalized, Mother Teresa earned several international honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus," is how she described herself.

She will be canonized in September.

During her lifetime she made several visits to Massachusetts, notably at Harvard in 1982 and Alumni Stadium at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1985. She also made visits to Billerica, the Brighton section of Boston and New Bedford.

Here is a look back at her visits to the Bay State.
Spring meeting Chicopee - Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts will hold their spring meeting at the Chicopee Library, 440 Front St. on Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Stephen Jendrysik retired history teacher and lifelong local historian of Chicopee will share his knowledge of the mills and manufacturing plants of Chicopee including the Polish immigrants who worked there during the first half of the 20th century.

Some of the mills that will be noted are Lyman Company (rags); Dwight Mills (sheeting); Chicopee Manufacturing (gauze and bandages); Fish (tires); Moore Drop Forge (wrenches) and others. Question and answer period to follow. The public is welcome to attend at no charge.

They will also be presenting the large maps of Poland and Galicia which denote the ancestral villages of its members and guests and invite meeting participants to join them and add their ancestors to this project.

You can add your ancestors to this project by doing a little research to locate and document their relevant information and bringing this to the meetings, entering this on the log sheets and placing their pins onto the maps. The information needed about your immigrant ancestors is: Surname (family name); Given Name; Village; County (or region if known); whether Austrian, Prussian or Russian Partition; year of immigration; your family name; your given name; your current residence city and state.

Please confirm as best that you can the spelling of village names, write this all down, bring it to the meeting, join the project and see how your family fits into the big picture of Polish emigration.
DANVERS  Authorities continue to investigate a fatal crash Monday morning in Danvers.

Massachusetts State Police troopers from the Danvers barracks responded to a 9:08 a.m. report of a three-car collision in the northbound lane of Route 128. A Jeep Renegade stopped in the right travel lane, then began traveling north again, sideswiping a Ford Explorer and rear-ending a Honda Civic, police said.

The Jeep's driver, a 59-year-old man from Hamilton, was taken by ambulance to Beverly Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. On Monday night, authorities said they were still trying to determine if the man had suffered a "medical event" immediately before the crash.

Police said the driver of the Honda, a 54-year-old woman from Reading, was hospitalized with minor injuries, while the driver of the Ford, a 28-year-old Somerville man, was uninjured the crash.

State Police officials at Framingham headquarters said the victim's identity would be withheld until family members were notified of his death.

The crash closed the right travel lane of Route 128 north for about 1 hours. State Police were assisted at the scene by members of the Danvers Police and Fire departments and EMS personnel.
An outspoken critic of opening a refugee resettlement office in Missoula called upon the federal government to shut down sanctuary cities and deport illegal immigrants living on welfare during a public forum Monday.

Jim Buterbaugh, a Whitehall resident, said he was opposed to ongoing efforts to reestablish the local resettlement office, which helped dozens of refugees make a new start in Missoula over a 29-year period before closing in 2008.

"Its not a matter of fear, its a matter of our nations security," Buterbaugh said. "You can go online and read all kinds of different things about this. You can even go onto someones Facebook page in Minneapolis and see what they have to say."

By Martin Kidston/MISSOULA CURRENT

Full Story: http://www.missoulacurrent.com/government/2016/03/1439/

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The Forum will be rebroadcast at 5:00 PM Sunday on MCAT.

City Club Missoula  OUR MISSION is to bring together people to inform and inspire citizens on issues vital to the Missoula area community through public forums that encourage the discussion of new ideas and the free exchange of thought.

Forums held on the 2nd Monday of the month. All are welcomed.

http://www.cityclubmissoula.com/Home

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Missoula City Club takes up debate on refugee resettlement

Matt Gray By Matt Gray, Meteorologist/Reporter, [email protected]

Video: http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/Missoula-City-Club-takes-up-debate-on-refugee-resettlement/38515490

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Resettled Liberian Civil War refugee shares experiences at Missoula City Club Missoula forum

By Don Fisher

Video: http://www.kpax.com/story/31467672/resettled-liberian-civil-war-refugee-shares-experiences-at-missoula-forum

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City Club Forum on Refugee Resettlement Stays Civil.. as usual

DAVID ERICKSON [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/city-club-missoula-hosts-forum-on-refugee-resettlement-in-missoula/article_baa1d0ad-ff7a-5620-b94f-0bc7347acd0c.html

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Refugee resettlement issue hears unique side

By Jenna Heberden

Video: http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/31467795/refugee-resettlement-issue-hears-unique-side
Passenger Peggy Uhle was on a flight ready for take-off from Chicago, Illinois, to Columbus, Ohio, when the plane turned back to the gate unexpectedly. The flight attendant approached Uhle and asked her to get off the plane.

"I figured I was on the wrong plane," Uhle said.

by Charles Roberts

Full Story: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/mothers-encounter-southwest-airlines-quickly-goes-viral

Southwest Airlines https://www.southwest.com/
2015 was an exciting year for us at the Montana

Learning Center (MLC) at Canyon Ferry Lake http://www.montanalearning.org/

Our summer science, technology, engineering,

and mathematics (STEM)-themed camps for kids

saw a record attendance of 159 campers.

Our camps served students entering Kindergarten-9th

grade. Students from around the northwest region

attended our camps, with one camper who

traveled all the way from Japan.

The success of our summer camps would not

have been possible without the generous support

of "Friends of the MLC." We were fortunate to

offer all students seeking assistance a

scholarship. We hope to continue to do this again

for summer 2016.

Full Newsletter: http://www.matr.net/files/2016-MLCWinterNewsletter.pdf

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2016 Summer STEM Camp Registration is OPEN!

Click here http://www.montanalearning.org/storage/2016MLCRegistration.pdf to register!

Download our camp brochure http://www.montanalearning.org/storage/MLC2016CampBrochure.pdf

Meet Our Summer STEM Camp Instructors http://www.montanalearning.org/instructors/

http://www.montanalearning.org/
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.
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University researchers may be fundamentally changing how insulin is delivered to help treat diabetes. Currently most people either use needle injections or insulin pumps, while pancreatic beta cell transplants have not been advanced enough for adoption. Needles are painful and improper injections can lead to hypoglycemia, while pumps are not for everyone and have their own limitations.

The North Carolina team developed a patch that embeds natural beta cells within the tiny polymer needles across its surface. This allows the cells to behave naturally without directly interacting with the body, and so not causing an immune response.

Small sized beta cell patches were tested on small animals with type-1 diabetes, showing that they were able to control spikes in blood sugar levels for up to ten hours.

This study provides a potential solution for the tough problem of rejection, which has long plagued studies on pancreatic cell transplants for diabetes, said senior author Zhen Gu, PhD, assistant professor in the joint UNC/NC State department of biomedical engineering, in a statement. Plus it demonstrates that we can build a bridge between the physiological signals within the body and these therapeutic cells outside the body to keep glucose levels under control.

Study in Advanced Materials: Microneedles Integrated with Pancreatic Cells and Synthetic Glucose-Signal Amplifiers for Smart Insulin Delivery

Announcement: Scientists create painless patch of insulin-producing beta cells to control diabetes
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, March 15, 2016

Today could turn out to be a primary watershed before the conventions in July. Republicans and Democrats vote in five states: Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.

The most pivotal contests on the GOP side are Ohio and Florida.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has been polling ahead of Donald Trump, with a 3.7 point average lead according to RealClearPolitics. He could secure a win in his home state, where he boasts a strong approval rating as governor.

For Sen. Rubio, the prospects in his home state look much more bleak. Rubio is trailing far behind Donald Trump, with more than an 18-point deficit in RCPs polling average.

Mitt Romney has been campaigning with Gov. Kasich in Ohio, though has held off on a true endorsement. His decision to tag along in Ohio instead of Florida may suggest the GOP establishment is coming to terms with the futility of Rubios campaign.

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While Rubio aides and supporters may argue that the polls are misrepresenting actual support for him, it sounds like wishful thinking. Anti-Trump groups have bombarded Florida with ads attacking the front-runner, with little to no results. Didnt Jeb Bush try that already?

Our Principles PAC, whose founder Katie Packer was Mitt Romneys deputy campaign manager in 2012, has spent over $5.5 million on-air so far attacking Trump, with $2.2 million of that spent in Florida. Theyve also pulled out all the stops with a semi-explicit ad highlighting Trumps misogyny.

If Trump can win in Florida and Ohio, which are both winner-take-all states as far as delegates go, he will be well on his way to the nomination. If he wins one of those states, hell still be far ahead, considering Sen. Ted Cruz is not really competing for wins in either Florida or Ohio.

If he loses both, the conversation will shift and the chance of a brokered convention in July becomes more likely.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is polling ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders in all states, but Missouri, where polling has been particularly scant. After last weeks Michigan surprise, Sanders supporters will be fighting for another upset.

If Sanders can pull off a key win or two, a whole other conversation will begin within Democratic ranks. If not, Hillary Clinton can virtually seal the deal with a convincing sweep tonight.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 15, 2016

Lord & Taylor has agreed to settle a Federal Trade Commission complaint over an online ad campaign with social media and native-ad components, the FTC announced on Tuesday.

The department store has promised to ensure that endorsers disclose when they have been paid to tout the company's merchandise. The company also promised that it will not misrepresent that paid ads are from an independent source.

The case marks the first time the FTC has brought an enforcement action for a native ad campaign since it issued native-ad guidelines last December.

The FTC's move against the retailer is seen as sending a warning to marketers engaged in both native and social ad campaigns.

"It's very, very significant for the industry," says Linda Goldstein, an advertising lawyer with Manatt Phelps & Phillips.

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She adds that the case "obviously indicates that the FTC intends to police the marketplace and police the guidelines through enforcement actions."

The settlement stems from a splashy March 2015 campaign for a paisley sundress from the store's private-label line, Design Lab. The effort reached an estimated 11.4 million Instagram users, and the dress at the center of the campaign quickly sold out.

The native portion of the campaign involved an article about Design Lab that ran last year in the online version of Nylon magazine. Lord & Taylor paid for the piece, and "reviewed and pre-approved" it, according to the FTC. But the article didn't disclose the payment.

For the social media portion of the campaign, Lord & Taylor gave the dress to 50 influential fashion bloggers, and paid them between $1,000 and $4,000 each to model the dress in photos posted to Instagram, the FTC alleged in its complaint.

The company told the bloggers to style the dress however they wished, and to mention it in the post by using @lordandtaylor and the campaign hashtag, #DesignLab.

Lord & Taylor approved the posts before they went live and made some "stylistic edits," according to the FTC.

"None of the Instagram posts presented to respondent for pre-approval included a disclosure that the influencer had received the dress for free, that she had been compensated for the post, or that the post was a part of a Lord & Taylor advertising campaign," the FTC alleged.

The FTC's allegations reflect its longstanding view that failing to disclose that an endorsement is paid-for is in itself deceptive, even if the product that's advertised is depicted accurately. The agency took that position in its 2009 online endorsement guides, and reiterated it as recently as last May.

Terri Seligman, an advertising lawyer with Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, says the FTC's move against Lord & Taylor reflects the agency's perspective that consumers need to know if content isn't organic.

"It's a very distinct perspective, but one we have seen in a few cases now," she says.

For instance, in March of 2014, the agency sent a letter to Cole Haan about its "Wandering Sole" contest on Pinterest. The contest called for people to create Pinterest boards with images of five Cole Haan shoes, and to tag the images "Wandering Sole." Whoever posted the most creative entry would receive up a $1,000 shopping spree.

The FTC said it didn't believe the hashtag "Wandering Sole" adequately communicated that users had a financial incentive. The agency did not bring charges against Cole Haan.

The consent decree against Lord & Taylor, which will be in place for the next 20 years, doesn't involve financial penalties. But if Lord & Taylor violates the terms in the future, the FTC could seek damages at that time.

"It's a noose around the neck of Lord & Taylor for the next 20 years," Goldstein says.

Among other terms, the consent decree requires Lord & Taylor to provide endorsers with written statements outlining their obligation to "clearly and conspicuously" disclose material connections to the company. Endorsers must sign and date those statements, and return them to the company.

Lord & Taylor said in a statement that it is "deeply committed to our customers and ... never sought to deceive them in any way."

"A year ago, when it came to our attention that there were potential issues with how the influencers posted about a dress in this campaign, we took immediate action with the social media agencies that were supporting us on it to ensure that clear disclosures were made," the company stated.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, March 15, 2016

Lawyers for JWT Chief Communications Officer Erin Johnson filed an amended complaint to her harassment and retaliation lawsuit against JWT CEO Gustavo Martinez Monday, adding a DVD recording that purportedly supports specific charges that Martinez used racist language at a company retreat last year where he also joked about rape.

The lawyers have asked the court to admit the recording as evidence in support of Johnsons case.

The amended complaint follows Johnsons initial lawsuit filed last week, where she charged Martinez, her boss, with sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. JWT and parent WPP are also cited as defendants in the case.

The initial 28-page complaint is filled with numerous anecdotal examples of Martinez using racist, sexist and anti-Semitic language. It also outlines repeated instances when Johnson alleges that Martinez touched her inappropriately, despite her protests. She said that complaints about Martinezs behavior that she filed with executives at both the agency and WPP went unheeded.

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Now Johnsons legal team has submitted a recording that they say backs up charges in the complaint about Martinezs comments at the company retreat in Miami. The complaint recounts events at the retreat -- which took place in mid-May 2015 and which was attended by dozens of JWT employees who were meeting to pilot a new method for generating ideas.

On May 18, per the complaint, Martinez addressed the JWT gathering. The previous night there had been a party at the hotels nightclub attended by mostly African-American guests. During his presentation, Martinez warned the JWT employees to be careful in the hotel. Apparently referencing the African-American party the previous night, he stated, Check all your luggage and all your stuff.

The complaint added that at the start of his presentation Martinez described the hotel as tricky. He explained that he founddifferent and strange characters in the elevator. He further explained, I was thinking I was going to be raped at the elevator, but not in a nice way.

With the exception of the DVD recording submitted as a proposed exhibit, the complaint and the amended complaint are quite similar and it was not immediately clear why the recording was not submitted with the initial complaint.

A spokesman for the defendants said they had no comment in response to the amended complaint. Last week Martinez strongly denied all of the charges raised in the complaint  which would include the allegations regarding events at the Miami retreat  in a statement issued by WPP, which also stated that lawyers there have been investigating the charges since late last month and have so far found nothing to substantiate any of the charges in Johnsons complaint. The spokesman confirmed last week that JWT has begun its own inquiry into the matter.

Separately, Martinez has pulled out of a commitment to participate in a session at the upcoming 4As Transformation conference in Miami (March 21-24). He was slated to speak at a Tuesday session about the impact of Latinos on American culture. According to sources he told conference organizers he was bowing out to discourage any distractions from the important discussion scheduled to take place. The 4As declined to comment on the matter.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 15, 2016

Handing Backpage a sweeping victory, a federal appeals court has refused to revive a lawsuit accusing the company of facilitating sex trafficking through the design of its online classifieds site.

"The law requires that we, like the court below, deny relief to plaintiffs whose circumstances evoke outrage," an appellate panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 3-0 ruling. Among the judges were retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who sometimes hears cases in the 1st Circuit.

The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by three teen six trafficking victims, who argued that the online classified site's business model "generates enormous profits from knowingly participating with and aiding traffickers in the sexual exploitation of children."

Backpage argued that the federal Communications Decency Act immunizes Web companies for crimes committed by users. Digital rights advocates' backed the company, arguing that Web sites would lose their ability to serve as a forum for unfiltered speech if operators had to police the sites for crimes.

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If online service providers were required to engage in protracted and expensive litigation whenever plaintiffs alleged that they were harmed by user-generated content hosted or transmitted by intermediaries, these online platforms for users speech would inevitably become more expensive, more restrictive, and ultimately less available for individual expression, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Democracy & Technology and Santa Clara University law professor Eric Goldman argued in a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the trial judge.

A federal judge in Boston sided with Backpage and dismissed the lawsuit last year. The appellate court affirmed that ruling this week.

"Congress did not sound an uncertain trumpet when it enacted the CDA, and it chose to grant broad protections to internet publishers," the appeals judges wrote. "Showing that a website operates through a meretricious business model is not enough to strip away those protections. If the evils that the appellants have identified are deemed to outweigh the First Amendment values that drive the CDA, the remedy is through legislation, not through litigation."

The ruling marks the second major victory for Backpage in recent months. Last November, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals enjoined Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart from "formally or informally" attempt to persuade credit card companies from providing services to Backpage.com.
According to the authors of the current study, EBV infects the majority of humans worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call it one of the most common human viruses in the world. Most people, they say, will have this virus, but often there are no symptoms.

EBV has also been linked to a number of other conditions, including cancers in humans. People who undergo a transplant, or whose immune system is already compromised, are especially at risk of EBV.

HSV-4, also called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is responsible for infectious mononucleosis , commonly known as glandular fever or kissing disease, because it spreads through saliva.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is transmitted by mouth and causes cold sores . HSV-2 is responsible for genital herpes, causing painful blisters or ulcers in the genital area. HSV-3, or herpes zoster, leads to chicken pox and potentially shingles .

In 1996, Medical Microbiology reported that there were over 100 known herpes viruses, eight of which can normally affect humans.

Spironolactone, commonly used in cases of heart failure, has surprised scientists by blocking infection by Epstein-Barr virus, in a breakthrough that could help people with a wide variety of herpes-related conditions.

There is only one class of antiviral medicine to treat herpes viruses, which means there is no alternative in cases of resistance.

Scientists from the University of Utah School of Medicine, led by Dr. Sankar Swaminathan, have been searching for new drugs to treat viral infections. They were screening for drugs that might be effective against the herpes virus through a different mechanism than currently available therapies.

The current drugs work by preventing a virus from replicating DNA, thus blocking a middle step of the viral infection cycle.

Spironolactone (SPR), like existing drugs, was found to block a key step in viral infection that features in all herpes viruses, but a different step than the one targeted by current drugs. It prevented replication of the virus in cells by blocking the so-called SM protein, needed for a late step in the infection cycle.

Based on these findings, the researchers see SPR as a good candidate for development into a new class of anti-herpes drug.

Dr. Swaminathan, who is chief of infectious diseases at University of Utah Health Care and professor of internal medicine, comments:

Its remarkable that a drug we have used safely in the clinic for over 50 years is also an effective EBV inhibitor. It goes to show how basic research can reveal things we would never have found otherwise.

SPR is normally used to treat heart failure through a metabolic mechanism, but in dealing with viral infection, a different pathway appears to be at work.

The authors of the current study found that a drug similar to SPR has a similar ability to treat heart failure but does not affect the development of the herpes virus. These results suggest that the actions of spironolactone are separable.

Since all herpes viruses depend on SM-like proteins to spread infection, the results have broad implications.

The researchers envisage SPR becoming a template for a new class of drug to treat all herpesviruses. They believe it can be modified to work as an antiviral without adverse effects, and that it can help in the fight against drug-resistant infections.

Medical News Today recently reported that the herpes virus may contribute to cognitive decline.
Amid increasing concern about measles and pertussis outbreaks in the US, a new study shows that having incomplete or no vaccination significantly increases the chance of infection. The findings are published in JAMA. Share on Pinterest People who do not have MMR or DTaP vaccines run a higher risk of contracting several diseases. The symptoms of measles include a fever, cough and the characteristic measles rash all over the body. It can also lead to ear infection, diarrhea, pneumonia, brain damage and even death. Immunization can cause minor side effects, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urge people to seek immunization rather than risk developing the disease. Overall, the US has a high level of routine vaccination coverage. In 2013, the rate of vaccination with at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was 91.9%, and with four or more doses of diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP), the figure was 83.1%. Routine immunization means that deaths from measles in the US are now rare. Measles was officially declared eradicated in the US from January 1, 2000, and the lowest number of pertussis cases was recorded at the end of 1976.

Growing trend of not vaccinating However, more recent outbreaks of both diseases have occurred, while the last two decades have seen a growing number of requests for non-medical exemptions, for moral or religious reasons. An outbreak of measles affected 111 people in 2014, with cases reported in seven states plus Canada and Mexico, originating in Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. Around half of those who contracted the disease had refused vaccination, mostly for non-medical reasons. Health service employees and officials have been calling on the American public to take the growing trend of refusing or delaying vaccination seriously. In a meta-analysis of 18 studies, Saad B. Omer, PhD, of Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and colleagues have been looking at links between outbreaks of measles and pertussis and the tendency to delay vaccination or not vaccinate at all, whether as a result of refusal or through being exempt. The team examined reports of measles outbreaks since January 2000 and of pertussis since January 1977, as well as studies evaluating the risk of disease among individuals who are not vaccinated.

High representation of unvaccinated people in outbreaks The studies covered 1,416 cases of measles, affecting people aged from 2 weeks to 84 years, with 178 cases involving infants under 12 months. Detailed vaccination data was available for 970 cases. Among those who caught measles, 57% had not been vaccinated. Of the 970 whose data were available, 574 were unvaccinated, although they were eligible for vaccination, and 71% of these had exemptions for religious or philosophical rather than medical reasons. This represented 42% of the total number of those who caught measles. Since January 1977, 32 pertussis outbreaks have been recorded. Vaccination status was available for 10,609 individuals, aged from 10 days to 87 years. There was detailed vaccination data for 12 outbreaks. In the five biggest epidemics, 24-45% of people were either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated. In eight of the 12 outbreaks with vaccination data, 59-93% of those who were unvaccinated had refused vaccination. However, a number of outbreaks occurred in populations that were highly vaccinated, suggesting that immunity itself is on the decline. The authors note that the precise risks of vaccine refusal remain unclear, and they may vary according to individual populations and diseases. They say: Fundamental to the strength and legitimacy of justifications to override parental decisions to refuse a vaccine for their child is a clear demonstration that the risks and harms to the child of remaining unimmunized are substantial. Similarly, central to any justification to restrict individual freedom by mandating vaccines to prevent harm to others is an understanding of the nature and magnitude of these risks and harms. The researchers say the results have implications for vaccine practice and policy, and they call for a better understanding of the association between vaccine refusal and the occurrence of measles and pertussis.
A new report by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) notes that the greatest barrier doctors face in engaging in research is a lack of time. Research for all: Building a research-active medical workforce notes that doctors often lack the time and support to actively engage in research within their hospitals even though they are eager to do so.

Drawn from the findings of a survey of almost 2,000 doctors, respondents cited the lack of time as having a 'significant impact' on their ability to engage in research. Comments include:

'The enthusiasm that used to be present is stultified in clinical medicine by too little time'

'Clinical work frequently overwhelms my home life and I therefore do not wish to devote any further time outside of my usual working day to work on further projects, inevitably in the evening and at weekends'

'Clinical work is very demanding and there is little time left for research during working hours'

The report points out that doctors' clinical contact with patients makes them uniquely well placed to identify which research questions will make a difference in the lives of patients, and what kinds of new treatments or processes would readily be translated into clinical practice - meaning that if we want research to have an impact, we need to ensure that doctors have the time to contribute.

The report also highlights the discrepancies between the ease with which men and women fit research into a clinical career, and some of the issues with the way the culture of research is perceived.

However, enthusiasm for research is high - with just under two thirds (64%) stating they were interested in becoming more involved.

The report also focuses on the variable level of service and support doctors can receive from Research and Development (R&D) departments. It notes:

'Responses suggest that the performance of R&D departments is variable. For some respondents, R&D departments are perceived as opaque, inaccessible and, in some instances, a barrier to research. Perceived barriers referenced by respondents included: excessive bureaucracy; lack of transparency; a focus on compliance, rather than enabling research; and a focus on well-established or 'big name' researchers around the hospital, rather than proactive encouragement of research participation across the workforce.'

However, the report goes on to say that there are significant opportunities for R&D departments to improve how they involve doctors and in addition how they promote and raise awareness among doctors, researchers and aspiring researchers.

As a result of the findings the report include a range of recommendations:

Trusts should take steps to ensure that doctors have protected time for research and can make efficient use of that time

R&D departments need to ensure they are active enablers of research as well as maintaining their governance and oversight roles. This means taking a proportionate approach to the risk of research studies.

Trusts and universities need to adopt employment policies that facilitate employees to move between NHS and university employment without losing employment benefits that are contingent on the length of service. This is a particular issue in respect to parental and maternity leave.

Research funders should consider collaborating to make the grant application process more straightforward. As many respondents noted the time and effort required to apply for funding felt excessive.

In addition the report also calls on doctors and others to play their part:

Doctors need to be proactive in talking to their medical director or R&D department about what research opportunities are available. They should consider making contact with local research networks so they are aware of trials in their specialty, and engage with the host of online information about the support that is available.

Royal colleges and specialty societies should include sessions on research skills and engagement in regular conferences.

Professor Margaret Johnson, RCP academic vice president and the report's author said:

'It is a real shame that the main barrier to more doctors engaging in research is having the time to do so. We know patients in research-active institutions have better outcomes than those in other institutions, and are more likely to benefit from earlier access to new treatments, technologies and approaches. We need to move more research to the bedside, so that more NHS patients can enjoy these improved outcomes. We also want more physicians to engage in research, so that future patients can benefit from discoveries that have not yet been made. We want these discoveries to lead the rest of the world.'
A protein called ROBO1 may delay the progression of breast cancer, according to a paper published in The Journal of Cell Biology. The study, "Loss of miR-203 regulates cell shape and matrix adhesion through ROBO1/Rac/FAK in response to stiffness" by Lily Thao-Nhi Le and colleagues, identifies a signaling pathway that may protect breast cells from the tumorigenic effects of stiff extracellular matrices.

Share on Pinterest ROBO1 activation induces breast epithelial cells to form large cell-matrix adhesions (red). The actin cytoskeleton and DNA are labeled green and blue, respectively.

Credit: Le et al., 2016

In living tissues, cells are surrounded by a matrix of secreted molecules. Changes in this extracellular matrix can stiffen tissues and activate oncogenic signaling pathways, but cells may try to protect themselves by reorganizing their cytoskeleton and remodeling their attachments to the matrix. The ROBO family of signaling proteins - best known for their role in guiding the growth of developing neurons - regulates the cytoskeleton, and may therefore help cells sense and respond to such changes in their environment.

A team of researchers led by Professor Lindsay Hinck at the University of California, Santa Cruz, examined the ROBO signaling pathway in breast epithelial cells and found that one family member, ROBO1, enhances cellular contractility and stimulates assembly of cell-matrix adhesions. Stiffer environments caused breast cells to downregulate a microRNA, miR-203, that normally suppresses Robo1, thereby elevating ROBO1 protein levels. This, in turn, enhanced cellular contractility and adhesion, allowing cells to retain their shape and position within stiff extracellular matrices.

Breast cancer cells lacking ROBO1 were more invasive, suggesting that the upregulation of ROBO1 in stiff environments may prevent cells from metastasizing to other tissues. Moreover, ROBO1 has previously been shown to suppress cell proliferation, suggesting that this pathway could delay tumor progression. Accordingly, breast cancer patients whose tumors displayed low miR-203/high Robo1 expression had better long-term survival rates. Hinck and colleagues now want to confirm that ROBO1 can counteract the pro-tumorigenic effects of tissue stiffening in both mice and humans.
New fluorine-based tracer, enhanced by iron, has potential to clearly, quickly track cells and molecules.

The need to non-invasively 'see' and track cells in living persons is indisputable - a boon to both research and development of future therapies. Emerging treatments using stem cells and immune cells are poised to most benefit from cell tracking, which would visualize their behavior in the body after delivery. Clinicians require such data to speed these cell treatments to patients.

Writing in the March 14, 2016 online issue of Nature Materials, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe a new, highly sensitive chemical probe that tags cells for detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Specifically, a research team led by senior author Eric T. Ahrens, PhD, professor of radiology, and Roger Tsien, PhD, professor of pharmacology, chemistry and biochemistry (whose work with fluorescent proteins earned him a share of the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry) have synthesized a new cell labeling probe using fluorine-19, the stable isotope of the element fluorine. Agents are formulated as a "nanoemulsion" that contains microscopic droplets of an inert fluorine-based agent that is taken up by cells of interest. The fluorine agent in cells is directly detected by MRI, enabling one to observe movement of cell populations.

"Fluorine-19 tracer agents are an emerging approach that produces positive signal hot-spot images with no background signal because there's virtually no fluorine concentration in tissues," said Ahrens. "We have made a major leap in sensitivity. We have figured out how to dissolve and encapsulate metals inside the fluorine-based droplets. The net effect is to greatly amp up the MRI signal."

Ahrens, Tsien and Alex Kislukhin, a postdoctoral scholar in their labs, increased the sensitivity of the fluorine MRI agent by creating a new imaging medium that combines highly fluorinated nanoemulsions with the magnetic properties of metals - a technique that increases the visibility of fluorine by MRI. Unexpectedly and serendipitously, they also discovered that iron is particularly effective at enhancing the fluorine MRI signal.

"The chemist's iron hand has moved the field of biomedical imaging forward," said Ahrens. "To the best of our knowledge, iron has never been considered as an enhancer of 19F MRI signals, yet our analysis shows that iron is fundamentally magnetically superior to all other metal ions for enhancing fluorine MRI."

Added Tsien: "It's a wonderful coincidence that fluorine MRI benefits most from iron, which is biologically friendlier and cheaper than gadolinium, still the favorite for proton MRI."

While more research remains to be done, Ahrens said 19F MRI aided by iron represents a significant advance in tracking cells in many emerging therapeutic areas, such as immunotherapy, stem cells and treating inflammation.
Using the genetic information of two different families with three generations of disease, researchers have identified a new mutation responsible for a degenerative and ultimately fatal movement disorder. Through induced pluripotent stem cell techniques, researchers also grew neurons from one patient in the laboratory to be used in future experiments.

Share on Pinterest The mutation (red rectangle) changes the way the protein (green) opens and closes a pathway through neurons' cell membrane (blue). This change alters the way Calcium (Ca+) moves between the outside and inside of cells and is responsible for patients' disease symptoms.

Credit: Hiroshima University

Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a genetic disease that causes wasting away of the cerebellum, the portion of the brain responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement, like walking, speaking, and even the direction of our eyes.

Currently, SCA has no cure or treatment. The mutations responsible for about 30 percent of cases are still unidentified.

Two different families with SCA sought treatment at two different hospitals in Japan. After preliminary testing on the symptomatic individuals, doctors identified none of the known genetic mutations. Researchers at Hiroshima University then received the patient's genetic samples and began the process of searching for the new mutation.

After genetic sequencing of four family members with SCA, a research team led by Professor Hideshi Kawakami, MD, PhD, from the Department of Epidemiology at Hiroshima University used statistical analysis to compare the families' DNA to that of unrelated people without SCA. This statistical analysis allowed researchers to identify which genetic variation the family members with SCA shared that healthy people did not.

The gene responsible for causing both families' SCA is located on Chromosome 17. The gene, called CACNA1G, encodes the Cav3.1 protein. Cav3.1 serves as a type of ion channel, or gateway, between the inside of nerve cells and the rest of the body. Scientists in different fields of research already know Cav3.1 controls how many Calcium ions are allowed into nerves when they send an electrical impulse through the brain. Cav3.1 had never been linked to SCA before.

Changing a single letter in the DNA sequence of CACNA1G switches a single amino acid in the chain of 2377 amino acids that cells connect to build the Cav3.1 protein.

Researchers performed the experiments to examine the way the mutated Cav3.1 channel behaves in cells growing in a dish. This mutation makes the Cav3.1 channels open at a lower threshold, meaning they let Calcium into the cell differently from healthy cells.

"In the future, a drug modifying this channel may cure the patients," said Prof. Kawakami.

Skin cells from one patient were used in induced pluripotent stem cell experiments to grow this patient's neurons in the laboratory. These new neurons showed no obvious physical deformities, which might fit with normal SCA progression. Depending on which SCA mutation they have, some patients may not experience symptoms until middle-age.

"We might need some age-related factors to reproduce life-like cell behavior," said Prof. Kawakami.

Researchers plan to use the neurons in future experiments to study the disease-causing Cav3.1 under more life-like conditions and in greater detail.
A chemical discovered in the Bruce Hammock laboratory at the University of California, Davis, may be a new, innovative tool to control depression, a severe and chronic psychiatric disease that affects 350 million persons worldwide.

The research, published March 14 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves studies of an inhibitor of soluble epoxide hydrolase in rodents. Soluble epoxide hydrolase, or sEH, is emerging as a therapeutic target that acts on a number of inflammatory or inflammation-linked diseases.

"The research in animal models of depression suggests that sEH plays a key role in modulating inflammation, which is involved in depression," said Hammock, a distinguished professor of entomology with a joint appointment at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Inhibitors of sEH protect natural lipids in the brain that reduce inflammation and neuropathic pain. Thus, these inhibitors could be potential therapeutic drugs for depression."

Researchers from Hammock's laboratory, collaborating with depression expert Kenji Hashimoto and colleagues at the Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Japan, examined the role of the potent sEH inhibitor known as TPPU, in a rodent model of depression, "social defeat."

They found that TPPU displayed rapid effects in both inflammation and social-defeat-stress models of depression. Expression of sEH protein was higher in key brain regions of chronically stressed mice than in control mice, they found.

New therapeutic approach:

"Most drugs for psychiatric diseases target how neurons communicate; here we are targeting the wellness and environment of the neurons," said UC Davis researcher Christophe Morisseau.

In further explaining the significance of the findings, UC Davis researcher Karen Wagner said: "The rapid antidepressant action of the sEH inhibitor in these murine (mouse) models of depression is truly noteworthy because current antidepressants used in humans and animal models take weeks to have full effects."

The researchers also discovered that postmortem brain samples of patients with psychiatric diseases, including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, showed a higher expression of sEH than controls.

The researchers found that pretreatment with TPPU prevented the onset of depressionlike behaviors in mice after induced inflammation or repeated social-defeat stress. Mice lacking the sEH gene did not show depressionlike behavior after repeated social-defeat stress.

"All these findings suggest that sEH plays a key role in the pathophysiology of depression and that epoxy fatty acids, and their mimics as well as sEH inhibitors, are potential therapeutic or prophylactic drugs for depression," Hashimoto said.

Addresses a pressing need:

Robert E. Hales, distinguished professor of clinical psychiatry and the Joe P. Tupin Endowed Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis School of Medicine, said new medication treatment approaches are needed to treat depression.

Hales, who was not involved in the research, said the new paper represents "an important and novel approach to treating depression."

"With lifetime prevalence rates of major depressive disorder being in the range of 16 percent and with nearly two-thirds of patients failing to respond to pharmacologic treatments, there is a pressing need to discover new medication treatment approaches," Hales said. "Their findings lend support to the potential use of TPPU, a sEH inhibitor, as a new therapeutic medication to prevent and treat depression."
New analysis published in the Journal of Hepatology demonstrates that simple and cheap changes to alcohol policy at European Union level would, if implemented, dramatically reduce liver mortality across Europe.

In the World Health Organisation European Region, more than 2,370,000 years of life are lost from liver disease before the age of 50. Between 60-80% of these deaths are alcohol-related.

Yet the analysis published today explains that we already know exactly what to do to tackle this problem. The most effective and cost-effective measures have been summarised by the OECD and World Health Organisation, with the most effective and cost effective policy being increased alcohol taxation and the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol. These measures would reduce overall consumption of alcohol in the population, thereby reducing the number of cases of liver mortality.

Dr Nick Sheron, author of the analysis published today, and Professor and Head of Clinical Hepatology at the University of Southampton, and the Royal College of Physicians' Representative for European Union Alcohol Policies, said:

The link between alcohol consumption and liver mortality is clear cut, as is the evidence linking effective alcohol policy to liver mortality. Were the liver mortality in the worst member states to be brought down to the EU average 14,000 deaths could be prevented each year. Were liver mortality rates in the EU to be brought in line with the EU minimum then around 46,000 liver deaths would be prevented each year. The case for action on alcohol related harm could not possibly be clearer. The most effective and cost effective interventions actually raise money for hard pressed governments and are more likely to increase rather than decrease productivity.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said:

This analysis is further evidence of the need for the European Union, and governments across Europe, to introduce measures that reduce alcohol consumption and the number of deaths from liver disease. The problem is the drinks industry - despite the evidence for the effectiveness of these policies, the drinks industry has thus far been able to lobby effectively to protect their market access and profits. If we are to reduce the cases of liver mortality in Europe, the health and social needs of Europe's populations need to be put ahead of the interests of the drinks industry.
Unable to produce energy, photoreceptors trigger age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment in people over 50 in developed countries. Although this condition affects up to 20% of people between the ages of 65 and 75, what drives abnormal blood vessels to invade the retina is unknown. Researchers from Montreal and Boston now provide a new mechanism for that blinding retinal disease in a study just published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Medicine.

"In a murine model of AMD, we found that the inability of photoreceptors - nerve cells that capture light and generate vision - to produce energy may drive abnormal blood vessels to invade the retina" said Jean-Sebastien Joyal, an intensive care pediatrician at mother-child research hospital CHU Sainte-Justine and professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Montreal. "We also discovered that photoreceptors do not rely exclusively on glucose to produce energy as previously thought, but also use lipids as a fuel substrate (like the heart, for example)" he said. These findings debunk the scientific beliefs surrounding the cause of abnormal proliferation of blood vessels leading to blindness, and thus open new therapeutic avenues for retinal diseases such as AMD.

Compensating for energy deficiency

The retina is covered with photoreceptors, which thrive on oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood. The abnormal growth of blood vessels causes blindness in some retinal diseases. "In general, the scientific community agrees that proliferation of blood vessels occurs when the body attempts to compensate for oxygen deficiency. We now show that abnormal vessels may also grow to compensate for a lack of fuel or energy production, in a model of AMD," said Dr. Joyal.

Fat as energy substrate -- a possible evolutionary advantage

The type of energy used also surprised the scientists in their study. "To our surprise, we found that photoreceptors also feed on fatty acids. It was previously believed that these specialized nerve cells, which are energy-intensive, rely primarily on glucose," said Dr. Joyal. The ability of photoreceptors to use different fuel sources to produce energy may provide an evolutionary advantage during feast and famines.

Plunged into darkness to boost energy consumption

The researchers suspected that dysregulated energy metabolism of photoreceptors might contribute to AMD. They used a murine model unable to use lipids efficiently and observed the presence of abnormal retinal blood vessels resembling AMD. These models developed a lot more retinal lesions when raised in darkness, which is known to increase the energy consumption of the retina. This evidence suggested a link between energy demands and vascular supply of the retina.

Lipid sensors control glucose uptake and energy production

When deprived of fatty acids, can photoreceptors use glucose instead? "Probably in normal conditions, but paradoxically not in our lipid-uptake deficient model. These have elevated circulating blood levels of fatty acids. To explain this puzzling observation, we found the presence of lipid sensors on the surface of photoreceptors. We think these receptors help match available fuel substrate in circulation with the energy production of photoreceptors. When lipid sensors detect excess fatty acids in the blood, it considers the available lipid fuel to be sufficient and suppresses glucose absorption."

Dr. Joyal summarizes the situation as follows: "In lipid-uptake deficient models, photoreceptors end up being starved for both fatty acids and glucose. Starved photoreceptors secrete signals that attract new blood vessels in order to increase nutrient supply. By proliferating behind the retina however, these vessels cause a decline in eyesight, leading to blindness." So at the end of the day, what's the take-home message? "Well, there are three based on our in vivo findings", recaps Dr. Joyal. "AMD may be caused in part by an energy deficiency. Fat is also a source of energy for photoreceptors. And lipid sensors may control glucose entry in the retina."

Further work must be carried out to develop new therapy that will build on these discoveries with the aim of preventing, slowing down or reversing vision loss caused by retinal diseases such as AMD.
Introduction

On March 14, 2016, Russia announced that the next day, March 15, it would begin its withdrawal from Syria. In a MEMRI report published yesterday, Russian political analyst Sergey Karaganov, who is close to the Kremlin, stated that Russia must be extremely careful not to get "bogged down" in the Syrian quagmire, stressing: "[Russia] should have the courage to withdraw quickly if such a danger appears and to prepare [our] society for such a possibility."[1] Previously, on March 2, 2016, MEMRI published an interview with Karaganov in which he underlined that Russia must "be prepared to leave Syria at any moment."[2]



Source: Lenta.ru, March 15, 2016

Russian Media Reports And Analysis On The Withdrawal Decision

On March 14, the day of the announcement of its withdrawal, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; during the meeting, he ordered the Defense Ministry to begin withdrawing the main part of Russia's military group from Syria and asked the Foreign Ministry to step up Russia's participation in organizing the peace process to resolve the Syria crisis. Putin then specified that Russia's naval base at Tartus and its strategic Hmeymin airbase will continue operating as before, saying, "They must be protected securely from land, sea and air." In a phone conversation the same day with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Putin said that Russia will maintain an aviation support center in Syria to monitor all parties' compliance with the ceasefire.

Chairman Of Parliamentary Defense And Security Committee: Up To 1,000 Russian Troops Will Remain In Syria

In accordance with Putin's orders, the technical staff of the airbase prepared aircraft for the departure to Russia; personnel loaded equipment, logistics gear, and inventory into transport aircraft.[3] The Russian state-owned news agency Ria Novosti[4] wrote that groups of fighter bombers and various types of combat aircraft had already flown back to Russia. The pro-Kremlin news agency Pravda stressed that the military bases would not be shut down, noting, "Russia's military presence in Syria will be preserved."

Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the international committee for defense and security in Russia's upper house of parliament, said that he believes that up to 1,000 Russian troops will remain in Syria.[5] In another interview, Ozerov said that Russia will meet its obligations to the Syrian regime with regard to supplies of military hardware and equipment, commenting, "In any case, [Russia] will be able to quickly strengthen its group there, should the need arise."[6]

Russian Daily: Anti-Aircraft Systems, Helicopters, APCs, Tanks, SU-35s Will Remain At Hmeymim

The Russian independent daily Vedomosti,[7] citing unnamed Defense Ministry sources, stated that the first stage of the withdrawal is the sending of 30 of Russia's warplanes home, adding that a new airstrike on terrorist groups is still possible if necessary. However, in Ria Novosti, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov stated that airstrikes will continue.[8] Vedomosti also said that Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov doubted that the advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile system will be redeployed to Russia any time soon. This statement was confirmed by the Defense Ministry,[9] and by Kremlin Chief of Staff head Sergey Ivanov, who specified that the S-400 will remain in Syria because it is needed to defend the airbase.

The pro-Kremlin online newspaper Lenta[10] specified that anti-aircraft units will remain in Syria, along with ground protection forces, and that some artillery and helicopter units might also remain. The Russian daily Kommersant[11] said that half of the attack planes will return to Russia, and that anti-aircraft systems, 10 helicopters, BTR-82A APCs, T-90C tanks, four Su-35s (that arrived earlier this month) and perhaps a few more Su-30CM will remain at Hmeymim airbase. Kommersant[12] added that the decision to withdraw was not hasty but had been planned and discussed in the Russian security council.

The Kremlin-funded analytical media outlet Russia-direct commented that Russia had chosen the right moment to withdraw from Syria. It said that the Kremlin's move would show the international community that Russia seeks to "maintain the peaceful process not only with words," and that it is ready to take on a role of mediator in the Middle East. In this context, it said, Russia can now present itself as a "neutral force," which "saved Syria from collapse" while at the same time "shied away" from fighting a war for the Assad regime. Russia-Direct also suggested that Russia's move is designed to be a "wake-up call" to the "over-confident" Syrian regime, reminding it that "Russian air support is not limitless."

Pro-Kremlin Newspaper: The Decision To Withdraw Comes Because Russia Doesn't Want To Be "More Syrian than Syria"

In Vedomosti,[13] the director-general of the pro-Kremlin Russian International Affairs Council, Andrey Kortunov, stated that the main reason for the withdrawal is Assad's "stubbornness"[14] that could undermine the continuation of the Geneva process and thus damage Russia's interests in the region. However, Putin spokesman Peskov denied that the withdrawal is aimed at politically pressuring the Assad regime,[15] and that it should not be interpreted as a manifestation of Russian unhappiness with Assad.

Lenta stated that the decision to withdraw is due to the fact that Russia doesn't want to win the war for Syria, since "Russia won't be more Syrian than Syria"; furthermore, for Russia, Assad's personal future is no longer a precondition. According to Lenta, even though the Islamic State (ISIS) has not been completely defeated, Russia has achieved its four goals: the stabilization of the Syrian regime, the strengthening of the Tehran-Baghdad-Damascus axis, strikes by Russian fighters against ISIS in northwestern Syria, and proving that a Russian role in the region is indispensable. It added that Russia will, however, maintain a presence in Syria as a sign of its strategic interest in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Additionally, Ria Novosti,[16] cited unnamed diplomatic sources in Brussels as suggesting that the Russian withdrawal from Syria can be seen as a move that could lead to the gradual removal of sanctions on Russia.

* Jenia Frumin and Elena Voinova are Research Fellows at MEMRI.

Endnotes:
Google has recently removed Smesh App from its Play Store as Pakistan Intelligence, ISI, used this app to intrude into the Indian army data. Smesh is a spyware app which stores data from various sources and provides it to its users to create presentations accordingly.

 Twitter

Pakistan Intelligence has therefore used this app to dig out important classified information about the strategies of the Indian Army to combat any terrorist attack in India. According to the reports of CNN-IBN investigations, it has also infected the soldiers computer devices and android phones. The app not only provided them data but also records of phone calls, text messages and photographs.

 Reuters

Smesh was also used during the Pathankot attacks on Indian Air Force base to know the steps of the troops. Moreover, they have also targeted BSF (Border Security Force) and CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) through this app.

Pakistani intelligence has also used Facebook to create several fake accounts so that they can fool the Indian Army personnel and hand as much information as possible. Till now several Indian Army personnel have been connected unknowingly to 10 such fake profiles on Facebook.
Azerbaijans SOCAR meets Georgias natural gas demand Georgia offers Russias Gazprom to continue with old terms

"The Government of Georgia had provided the best conditions for a continuous gas supply and energy security, says Georgias Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze while commenting on the recently-signed Georgia-SOCAR deal.Georgias natural gas supply deficit has now been solved until 2030, as during the next 14 years Georgia will receive an additional 500 million cubic metres (m3) of natural gas from Azerbaijanis national oil company SOCAR, raising the amount it receives from 800 million to 1.3 billion m3 per year.The new deal with SOCAR, securing Georgias natural gas supply needs for the coming years, comes as Russian energy giant Gazprom seeks to renegotiate the terms of its agreement for the transit of its own gas through Georgia to Armenia.After signing the deal with SOCAR on March 4, Georgias Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze affirmed that Georgia "recently sent our last offer [to Gazprom], the conditions of which envisage the continuation of the old terms of the contract, namely the supply of 10 percent of all transported natural gas" in return for transit rights and no monetary compensation.To date, Georgia has received 200 million m3 of natural gas per year from Russia in return for transit, said Georgias Energy Ministry.While deepening the energy partnership with Azerbaijan, Georgia offered Gazprom to continue with the old agreement's terms.There is no need to import more gas from Gazprom after dealing with SOCAR. Georgia will receive raw material from Gazprom in return for transit rights, said Janelidze.The countrys Foreign Minister said the Governments goal was to provide Georgia with a continuous and stable energy supply, especially when the natural gas consumption has increased by 40 percent since 2012 in Georgia.To achieve this goal the Georgian Government held long-term and open negotiations which ended successfully. Our friend and strategic partner Azerbaijan found additional resources to supply Georgia with more natural gas. This negotiation was confirmed with the deal signed last week between the sides, Janelidze added.The Georgia-SOCAR deal also emphasised the reduction of the price of commercial gas supplied to Georgia to $35-40 USD per 1,000 m3 of natural gas. The price of non-commercial gas will also be lowered.
The Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, participated in todays meeting of the EU General Affairs Council (GAC), in Brussels.



The GAC agenda included preparations for the European Council summit to be held this Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, and was topped by the refugee/migration issue and employment, growth and competitiveness issues. The GAC also looked at the European Semester, the Interinstitutional Agreement and Cohesion Policy, with a focus on investments in new jobs and optimization of the contribution of the European Structural and Investment Funds.



In his remarks, which focused on the refugee and migration issue, Mr. Xydakis highlighted that the 1:1 ratio proposed in the new EU-Turkey agreement needs broader legitimization from the member states, and that the implementation of this measure must not end up being a bilateral issue between Greece and Turkey. There is a very difficult management problem. With such a large number of incoming refugees/migrants, who can manage the asylum applications? It is now obvious that we need to move to a common European Asylum System, Mr. Xydakis noted.



The Alternate Foreign Minister concluded his remarks with a request of his colleague Ministers, stressing that, at this time, the European is going through a universal crisis, the sharp end of which is the refugee/migration issue. If we are to overcome the crisis, we must not render political problems technical, and the solution of these problems must not fall to bureaucratic employees. This leads to mass Euroskepticism and is seen in the rise of hard-right populism, leading to the questioning of the European vision, Mr. Xydakis stressed. In closing, Mr. Xydakis recognized non-compliance with the decisions of the EU organs as a major problem, speaking of inconsistency and discontinuity.
No one was killed but 25 people were hurt in the pileups that began late Sunday afternoon on the route between Durham and Greensboro, said a statement released Monday by the Department of Public Safety.

Motorists traveling east through central North Carolina's Alamance County failed to slow quickly enough, leading initially to four crashes involving about two dozen vehicles, department spokesman Michael Baker said in the statement.

As crews worked to clear those accidents, motorists in the westbound lanes slowed to look at the scene and were involved in a series of additional wrecks. All told, 134 vehicles were eventually involved.

Troopers and ambulances from surrounding counties helped police assist the motorists.

Investigators said high speed, following too closely and a failure by drivers to pay attention to the road conditions were responsible, the statement said.

The six-mile stretch of interstate between Mebane and Graham was reopened about 11 p.m. Sunday, hours after the first accidents.
BAD AXE  Its a question youve been asked at least once in your lifetime  What do you want to do for a living?

Finding a job can be difficult, however. And finding a career can be one of the most challenging tasks one faces. All challenges aside, the Huron Area Technical Center has lifted some pressure off students shoulders and opened their eyes to several career paths.

An Annual Career Day event took place Monday morning at the tech center as Huron County sophomores filled the hallways exploring what could become future careers.

Weve ran a career day every year, said Clark Brock, director of career and technical education at the center. We always try and change it up and do some things a little bit differently.

Two goals stand behind the purpose of career day  introducing the students to career paths and preparing them for post-graduation plans.

We want the local students to come and see our programs, get a chance to spend time with our instructors and find out more about our programs here, Brock explained.  We want them to be thinking more about where theyre headed with their life. They are sophomores in high school, they have two years left and its kind of time to start thinking, What do I do after high school?

Booths set up by local businesses, vendors, law enforcement, community colleges and universities, military personnel and many others were on site Monday to help guide students to finding what they enjoy and what career might best fit them.

The banking industry was one of many big stops for students during their travels. Annie Simon, marketing director at Bay Port State Bank, gave students advice on picking careers and even telling the brief story of how she was introduced to the field.

I tell them to come to the tech center and get the prerequisites out of the way, Simon said.  I wish, so much, that people told me what avenues were open to me. I went to college right after (high) school, but I swear I changed my major every semester because I didnt have a clue as to what to do.

Throughout the morning, students questioned representatives from businesses that interested them.

It interested me because everyone reads the news, said Lauren Prill, of Bad Axe High School, when she stopped by the Tribunes booth. I always enjoy writing things.

Law enforcement or military-related fields were a big hit with many of the students, including North Hurons Jessyca Martinez and Kelcie Goretski.

Id like to become a lawyer, Goretski said.  And if not, I want to do something involved with law.

The tech center has been a benefit to students for many years. Brock described the center as a jump start for students and potential career paths.

They can earn college credits that they take with them to a community college or a trade school, Brock explained. They can earn certifications. We now have them at a point ... many of these students are ready to go to work with limited training beyond us.

For that student who is not necessarily looking at six years of college and looking at other options, we help them get there, he added.  Those students who arent sure what they want to do can come and find some of our programs, spend some time in a program and get a better idea before going off to college.

The Huron Area Technical Center will host an open house from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on March 29. For more information, call the center at 989-269-9284.
Almost 100 people mostly from Haiti who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for...
Jo Jo Fletcher will return to find her Prince Charming on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. ABCs Hit romance reality series premieres for its 12th season on Monday May 23. Spoilers earlier this month indicated that Caila Quinn would be the rejected contestant looking for love this summer. But in a strange twist, The Bachelor runner-up was cast instead.

Reportedly Caila was told on Thursday, two weeks after Bachelorette crew travelled to her hometown, Hudson, Ohio, to film introductory scenes, that plans had changed. The Bachelor runner-up is not typically pegged to be the Bachelorette. One theory has ABC changing plans after realizing that Bachelor fans were not enthralled with Caila as the next Bachelorette. MAYBE the network knew Jo Jo was the one all along, but used Caila to throw off spoilers and speculation in the press. Hm

The other thingformer ABC network chief, Paul Lee, indicated at the Television Critics Association press tour in January that the new bachelorette would be diverse. When reporters asked about the possibility of a black bachelorette, Lee responded, We have The Farm Team, right? Which allows us to pick the next one. But Id be very surprised if The Bachelorette in the summer wasnt diverse. Perhaps I shouldnt have said that, but I think thats likely to happen.

Obviously there is no black bachelorette this time, but at the very least, Caila is half Filipino. Jo Jos mother is Iranian, but apparently the new Bachelorette identifies as white. The diversity issue will have to be picked up by the new ABC regime. Maybe next year. Im not holding my breath, to be honest.

Jo Jos exit from The Bachelor was dramatic. In a shocking twist, Ben confessed his love to both Jo Jo and his eventual fiancee, Lauren B., leaving them in a state of cautious chaotic optimism that they would be the one. Ultimately, Jo Jo was left heartbroken in Jamaica when Ben chose to let her go in one of the most emotionally gut-wrenching finales ever! That, according to the ABC press release.

Certainly Jo Jos quest for love this summer will be marked by her scarring experience being jilted by Bachelor Ben. Can the cautious Jo Jo learn to open herself up to love again? Join us on Monday May 23rd as our own EM (Shnugs) Rosenberg returns to snark blog every hilarious moment. See you then!
GM ignition switch

(AP File)

DETROIT, MI - The second of six trials over a faulty ignition switch in General Motors cars linked to at least 124 deaths is underway this week in New York.

A claims facility set up by GM to compensate victims of the defective part in mid-to-late-2000s model cars will pay out $595 million to victims.

But there are still hundreds of outstanding claims against the automaker, and the six trials in New York are being used as bellwethers to determine how juries view evidence, and how to proceed with the outstanding cases.

Related: Faulty ignition switch fallout: The latest on GM's fed fine, civil settlements

The case being weighed this week involves a 2014 accident in New Orleans in which plaintiff Dionne Spain and her 2007 Saturn Sky were involves in a wreck during an ice storm. GM has argued that Spain's vehicle suffered minimal damage and was not going fast enough for the airbag to deploy, according to a report in Bloomberg.

In 2014, GM recalled 2.6 million vehicles, including 2.2 million in the U.S., affected by the ignition switch, which was found in 2003-2007 Saturn Ions, 2007-2010 Saturn Skys, 2005-2011 Chevrolet HHRs, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstices, and 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models.

The switch was found to be faulty because it could slip out of the "run" position to the "accessory" or "off" positions, leading to a loss of power. The risk may be increased if the key ring is carrying added weight or if the vehicle goes off road or experiences some jarring event, including rough roads.

If the key turns to one of those positions, officials say the front air bags may not work if there's a crash.

In September, a federal prosecutor's office in New York fined General Motors $900 million and issued two felonies against the company as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. The agreement means GM will have to fulfill several obligations under the auspice of an independent monitor over the next three years for the two felonies to be dismissed with prejudice.

Separately, in the latest trials, plaintiffs are arguing that GM should be liable for defective cars because it failed to act fast enough on recalling the cars.

The first trial ended abruptly after the plaintiff was accused of giving misleading testimony.

David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.
HookLogic.JPG

HookLogic, located at 523 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor is seeking to fill 15-20 posiitons in the coming weeks.

(Matt Durr | The Ann Arbor News)

Over the course of the last four years, New York-based software company HookLogic has become accustomed to the fact that its Ann Arbor offices are constantly growing.

Whether it was growing in terms of needed office space, employees or customers served, the company is experiencing tremendous growth.

That growth is expected to continue in 2016 and thanks to revenues of more than $100 million last year, HookLogic is looking to expand its Ann Arbor team by 15 to 20 employees in the coming weeks.

"We've seen a lot of success and we feel like we're very well poised for continued growth this year and beyond," said HookLogic chief product officer Jonn Behrman.

The company is in search of software engineers, analysts and systems operators who will work out of the Ann Arbor offices located at 523 S. Main St. The company also operates offices in California, London and Paris.

"Most of the people who work in the Ann Arbor office are developers or in quality assurance or project management," Behrman said. "So a lot of our product development is done here."

HookLogic currently operates out of 11,000 square feet of office space where it employs more than 60 people. In 2012, when the company first moved into the space - formerly home to Leopold Brothers brewery - approximately 30 people worked in Ann Arbor.

At that time, the goal was to add about 35 employees. Although HookLogic has hit that staffing goal, the success of the company is forcing it to add more employees and consider an even larger space in the future.

Approximately 40 percent of the company's employees work out of Ann Arbor.

Behrman said the company loves where it is located in the city because of the proximity to downtown and the quality of life employees experience in Ann Arbor. And while HookLogic may have to find new space, it will remain in Ann Arbor.

"We're very dedicated to making this our product and development hub and growing from there," Behrman said. "Our need is like everybody else you hear from; it's talent."

As with many Ann Arbor-based tech companies, HookLogic has strong ties to the University of Michigan and recruits potential employees and interns from the college.

Behrman said interest in HookLogic is growing because of the unique sets of shopping data it collects as an e-commerce advertising program.

"We're able to provide a sort of interesting environment for people. We're like the epitome of big data," Behrman said. "We have access to shopping data that is amazing."

Because the company works with many of the largest retailers and brand-name product companies in the world, it has access to higher levels of shopping data and trends than have ever been available before. Analyzing that data creates a new and unique set of challenges for data specialists, Behrman said.

The data allows HookLogic to know what sort of products and retailers online shoppers visit and allows them to customize marketing to users when they click on websites for various retailers.

Behrman made it clear however that none of the data collected involves names, addresses, credit card information, etc. Instead, IP addresses are given user IDs that are random and don't store information other than where the unique ID number has shopped and what products it looks at.

"We definitely avoid personally identifying information. We never store anybody's name, phone number address, credit card," Behrman said. "We just know it as user ID 3487. We end up creating user IDs that allow us to know that the user is the same user that was on Target and Walmart."

Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.
ANN ARBOR - Eight months after receiving plans for a brand new retail store and Circle K gas station, the city Planning Commission is expected to approve those plans Tuesday night.

Planning staff is recommending approval of the 3,394-square-foot store located on the corner of East Stadium and Packard which would be built following the demolition of the current structure at 1420 E. Stadium Blvd.

The new gas station will have four gas pumps on site that will be able to service eight vehicles at a time, the same amount currently served by the station. A large canopy will be built to cover the pumps and 17 parking spaces will be created.

Two of the four curb cuts on site will be removed, leaving two entrances to the site, one on Packard and one on East Stadium. The owner will also construct an 8-foot high wooden fence along the south and western property lines that will add additional screening for the nearby neighborhoods.

The Planning Commission will meet Tuesday night to discuss the plans and could vote to pass the plans to Ann Arbor City Council for consideration.

An estimated cost and target date of construction were not provided in the planning staff report.

Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The following are recent business announcements, promotions, and other business news in Mid-Michigan:

David McGhee, Flint native and program officer for The Skillman Foundation, was selected as a member of the 2016 Next City Vanguard class. The Next City Vanguard Conference is a gathering of the top urban innovators, 40 and younger, working to make change in cities. The conference is designed to bring together professionals working across disciplines and sectors from around the world. This year's group was selected from 450 applications from across the U.S., as well as Canada, Australia, Spain, Germany, and Brazil in a competitive process. McGhee leads The Skillman Foundation's youth development portfolio. Prior to joining the foundation, McGhee served as congressional liaison for U.S. Representative Dan Kildee, and as a program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint.

The 7th annual Baker College of Flint Car and Motorcycle Show is scheduled for Sunday, May 22 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Vehicle owners are invited to showcase their cars and motorcycles at Baker College's Center for Transportation Technology, 1717 S. Dort Highway, Flint. For the 2016 event, Baker College will provide awards for the top 25 cars and top 10 motorcycles, plus President's Choice, Dean's Choice, and Best of Show selections. For the second year, a trophy will be awarded for the top car or motorcycle exhibited by a person 18 years or younger to encourage beginning automotive students to showcase their work. There is no cost to enter vehicles in the show, and registration will be available onsite. The public is invited to enjoy the cars and motorcycles, music, vendors, refreshments, and ongoing facility tours at this free event. For more information, call (810) 766-2260 or email showinfo@baker.edu.

Security Credit Union recently presented a donation of $5,250 to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, the result of member and employee contributions during the nonprofit's annual holiday ornament campaign. This year's donation is the largest contribution Security Credit Union has collected for Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to date. The donation will provide 31,500 meals for those in need in the food bank's service area. For information about the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, or how to make a donation, visit www.fbem.org.

The Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners awarded ten of their members $100 student scholarship awards as part of their 2015-2016 scholarship program. Winners were chosen based on their demonstration of leadership in the nursing profession, academic achievement, community involvement, and exemplary character. The scholarship grants will be used towards the tuition costs of a nurse practitioner, doctor of nursing practice, or nursing Ph.D. educational program. Heather Jones of Grand Blanc was one of the scholarship recipients, and was recognized at the Michigan Council of Nursing Practitioners' 15th annual Advanced Practice Nursing Conference March 11-13 at the Lansing Center.

ROWE Professional Services Company has recently been honored with two awards. The Genesee County Drain Commissioner's Lake Huron water supply intake project near Worth Township, north of Port Huron, was chosen by the American Public Works Association-Michigan Chapter for a project of the year award in the environment category. The City of Farmington Hills' Riley Archery Range project received a facility design award from the Michigan Recreation and Park Association during a ceremony on Feb. 18. ROWE Professional Services Company was the landscape architect for the project. In addition to these awards, ROWE employee Alexander J. Temple, PE recently earned his professional engineer license. Temple received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University, and has been employed with ROWE Professional Services Company as an assistant project engineer for five years.

UPS recently announced that 66 Michigan drivers are among 1,613 drivers worldwide who have recently been inducted into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving. Michigan boasts 280 active Circle of Honor drivers. Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, with 53 years of accident-free driving, ranking him the safest driver among the company's 102,000 total drivers. "My thanks go out to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they've saved," said Derick Craft, president, UPS Great Lakes District. "Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety."

Do you have a business announcement to share? Email Lynn Goff at lgoff@mlive.com
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The manager of DeVos Place convention center and DeVos Performance Hall said they plan to put up signs that clearly states that weapons are banned from the facilties.

The signs will be similar to the notices posted on the door of Van Andel Arena, said Rich MacKeigan, regional general manager of SMG, which manages the arena, DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall.

The decision to post the ban came after an incident on Friday, March 11, when two persons who were openly carrying weapons at the Women's Expo in DeVos Place were asked to take their sidearms our of the building or leave the premises.

The pair was manning the Michigan Open Carry and Michigan Gun Owners booth that promoted Michigan's "open carry" law. The pair complied with the request to take their guns out of the building while a third persons reportedly left the show.

RELATED: Open-carry advocates told to get rid of guns at convention

SMG's weapons ban is clearly stated on every doorway to Van Andel Arena, which can seat up to 12,000. But there are no signs on entrances to DeVos Place convention center or DeVos Performance Hall, a 2,400-seat theater and concert facility.

The websites for DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall make no mention of a weapons ban. Entering the word "weapons" into the website search field takes the user to the Van Andel Arena's website and its weapons language.

The new signs will mirror the language on the website and the notices on the Van Andel Arena, MacKeigan said.

MacKeigan said Friday's weapons dispute is the first time the issue was raised in the 12-year history of DeVos Place.

While exhibitors may allow knives and firearms to be displayed in their shows, the ticket-buying public is bound by rules set by SGM and the exhibitors, MacKeigan said.

For example, a concert promoter may specify that a particular item - such as a cell phone -- be banned on the basis of their experience, he said.

While food and beverages are commonly confiscated at Van Andel Arena, few weapons are ever confiscated, MacKeigan said. The most common infractions are small knives or clothing items that could be considered as weapons, he said.

Eddie Tadlock, assistant general manager of DeVos Place, said only on-duty police officers are allowed to carry weapons. If concealed weapons are discovered on patrons, they are asked to remove them from the building, he said.

Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.
2016 Local History Conference

A reeanactor from a group representing 18th-century voyageurs shows visitors some of their hand-crafted items at this weekend's "Michigan in Perspective" local history conference.

(Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com)

From the outside, it looked a little like a Comi-Con for history buffs: more than 600 people packed into a Sterling Heights convention center, some of them dressed in period costume, to discuss and celebrate Michigan history.

But even those who weren't outfitted as, say, 18th-century French-Canadian voyageurs showed plenty of enthusiasm at the 58th annual "Michigan in Perspective" Local History Conference, held last weekend to encourage conversation about important moments from the region's past.

The event was part of the annual history conferences held around the state by the Historical Society of Michigan. The Upper Peninsula history conference is scheduled for June in Munising, while the statewide history conference--which marks its 142nd anniversary this year--will be held in Alpena this fall.

"There is so much history in Michigan, you have to have something like this just to cover it all," said Nancy Feldbush, director of communications for the Historical Society of Michigan. "Michigan's history is as diverse as Michigan is."

Lectures and discussions at this year's event ranged from Detroit's '67 riots to the Great Lakes steamboat era to the history of Michigan beer. Former Sen. Carl Levin, the longest-serving U.S. senator in Michigan's history, gave the keynote speech on Friday; the retired senator spoke candidly and with humor about his nearly four decades in the Senate, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd that had packed a banquet room to hear him.

The Historical Society of Michigan is a historic entity in its own right. The organization was founded in 1828--nine years before Michigan became a state--by then-territorial governor Lewis Cass and Henry Schoolcraft, an explorer and ethnologist.

"Even back then, our founders said, 'You know what? This is important stuff to remember,'" Feldbush said.

Detroit resident Genevieve Bellamy, who grew up just a few blocks from where the '67 riots broke out, said the opening keynote, "Forged by Fire: Detroit's Riots and Rebellions and How Chaos Created a Community," brought back many memories. "To hear [the presenter] talk, I can remember the smoke in the '60s," she said. A historian for the Detroit Association of Black Storytellers, Bellamy has attended several of these conferences. "It's important that we know our history--black history is everybody's history," she said.

It's that kind of connection that the Historical Society of Michigan hopes to foster at these events--whether it's about a local icon, like the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade, or a lesser-known moment in history, or hearing colorful quips from a former senator. "When people can get that connection, it really hits home," Feldbush said.

Emily Bingham is the Michigan Life reporter for MLive.com, covering culture, history, travel and other aspects of life in Michigan. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or contact her via email at ebingham@mlive.com.


ANN ARBOR, MI -- Following years of pressure from Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County leaders and activists, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is finally proposing to strengthen the state's cleanup standard for 1,4-dioxane, a toxic chemical that continues to spread through the groundwater here.

The DEQ, which made promises at recent meetings in Ann Arbor that a new standard was coming soon after years of delay, on Monday announced details of a new rules package under consideration by the agency that would change the dioxane drinking water standard in Michigan from 85 parts per billion to 7.2 ppb.

In other words, the current standard is nearly 12 times higher than the single-digit standard the state is now proposing.

The more protective standard is based on new calculations completed by the DEQ using a science-based process, including current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toxicity data and Michigan-specific exposure factors.

The dioxane plume spreading through Ann Arbor and Scio Township.

The DEQ's calculation takes into account factors such as average body weight and water consumption, while applying the EPA's 2010 findings that the cancer risks from dioxane are greater than previously believed.

The proposed change is expected to affect pollution sites across the state where 1,4-dioxane is present in the ground, including the massive plume of dioxane that originated decades ago from the former Gelman Sciences -- now Pall Corp. -- property on Wagner Road on the border of Ann Arbor and Scio Township.

In a press release announcing the proposed 7.2 ppb standard, the DEQ specifically mentioned the Gelman dioxane plume, saying the DEQ and local citizens have been focused on the standard as it pertains to the plume that, by the DEQ's calculation, has contaminated three square miles of groundwater here. The plume continues to spread and poses a long-term threat to Ann Arbor's drinking water supply.



"The DEQ's first priority is to protect public health," DEQ Director Keith Creagh said in a statement on Monday. "This revised standard strengthens those protections for all Michiganders. The DEQ is committed to open communications and transparency of our actions in affected communities. We will work with local stakeholders to ensure residents are informed and supported."

The DEQ emphasizes dioxane has not been detected in Ann Arbor's municipal drinking water supply, though several private wells and one of the city's municipal supply wells have had to be shut down over the years.

A private well serving a family residence and multiple businesses on Jackson Road in Scio Township for the last several years has been contaminated with dioxane at levels exceeding the proposed standard -- as high as 54 ppb.

Those properties were recently connected to the city's water supply, though the parents of three small children living in the rental house are now considering taking legal action because they claim they were never told the water was unsafe.

Creagh will take part in a town hall meeting organized by state Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, at 6 p.m. April 18 at Eberwhite Elementary School in Ann Arbor.

"The Ann Arbor community and its leaders have been great partners in addressing this issue, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on addressing the Pall-Gelman plume," Creagh said.

Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed fiscal year 2017 budget includes an additional $700,000 for monitoring and other activities related to the Gelman dioxane plume.

Dioxane is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. In high concentrations, it can damage the central nervous system, kidneys and liver.

The EPA published new findings in 2010 indicating dioxane at 3.5 parts per billion in drinking water poses a 1 in 100,000 cancer risk.

The state for the last several years has maintained a standard of 85 ppb that was intended to result in the same 1 in 100,000 cancer risk.

Local officials have been fighting for years to convince the state to move to a stricter standard to reflect the latest science, only to hear that Lansing politics and technical problems were causing delays and holding up the process.

Because the state has been slow to adopt the latest science, there has been no legal remedy for anyone with dioxane in their water below 85 ppb, and people such as the Pate family on Jackson Road have been told it was safe as long as it was below 85 ppb. The most recent testing of their water by Pall Corp. showed it at 17 ppb.

Dioxane from the Gelman plume also has been detected in other wells still actively being used along Jackson, Wagner and Elizabeth roads. Though, because it's not above the proposed 7.2 ppb standard, there's still no remedy for those people.

The DEQ's calculation of new dioxane cleanup criteria is part of a comprehensive effort by the DEQ to update the criteria for 308 hazardous substances used to determine cleanup standards across the state.

The proposed standard assumes an exposure period of 32 years at the level of 7.2 ppb to protect public health, according to the DEQ.

"The Michigan standard will be an enforceable standard," the DEQ stated in its press release. "It is based upon the same toxicity level as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency screening level. However, the federal screening level of 3.5 ppb -- which is not enforceable -- assumes an exposure period of 70 years. The state standard assumes an exposure period of 32 years to provide a more realistic assumption of risk and greater protections for the public. The Michigan standard will be among the most protective state standards in the country."

The DEQ, under Snyder's administration, was required by law to revise the state's standards by December 2013 to reflect the latest scientific findings. But there have been years of repeated delays and missed deadlines.

Bob Wagner, the DEQ's Remediation and Redevelopment Division chief, said the DEQ is in the process of finalizing the update for the cleanup standards for all hazardous substances and their exposure routes and will be formally releasing all of the proposed standards in April. He said review of the proposed rules will involve the state Legislature, with an opportunity for public comment.

The proposed standards still have to go through an administrative rules process that could take six to nine months. The state's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan legislative committee comprised of five House and five Senate members, essentially gets the opportunity to veto the new standards.

Dioxane, an industrial solvent, was used by Gelman Sciences and dumped into the environment here between the 1960s and 1980s.

Pall Corp. acquired Gelman Sciences in 1997 and is operating under a consent judgment hashed out over the years in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.

The state is planning to go back to court to get the consent judgment revised to get the company to follow the proposed 7.2 ppb standard versus the current 85 ppb standard, and at the very least better track where the plume is found in single-digit concentrations. Local leaders and residents also are hoping it will be a chance to push for more aggressive cleanup of the plume.

The state standard used to be 3 ppb back before Republican Gov. John Engler in 1995 enacted new laws weakening the state's environmental regulations and essentially adopting a risk-management approach that allows pollution such as the dioxane plume in Ann Arbor to fester in the environment. The dioxane standard went from 3 ppb to 77 ppb in 1995, and then to 85 ppb in 2000.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
A reliance on chair Serge Puns business relationships and the potential illegality of its existing share trading centre are among the risk factors First Myanmar Investment laid out in a disclosure document yesterday, ahead of the firms listing scheduled for later this month.





FMI will be the first company to list on Myanmars first modern stock exchange, and will start selling its shares on March 25, the company announced yesterday.

Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings will be the second company to list on the exchange, followed by Myanmar Citizens Bank and First Private Bank within a few months, said Securities and Exchange Commission chair U Maung Maung Thein earlier this week.

All firms planning to list on the Yangon Stock Exchange must publish disclosure documents or a prospectus in advance of their Initial Public Offering (IPO).

A disclosure document is for firms like FMI that are not issuing new shares as part of the IPO, and a prospectus is for those that are, U Tun Tun, FMIs chief financial officer, told The Myanmar Times.

In either case, the contents typically include the companys recent financial results, business strategy and ownership structure.

FMI is the first company to publish either a disclosure document or prospectus and the first to present the costs of listing on the YSX, which it expects to total K1 billion. This includes K700 in advisory fees, K200 million in listing fees, and K50 million in printing and advertising.





Disclosure documents also typically present the potential risks a firm faces. Disclosing these risks is key to allowing prospective shareholders to judge the company before they consider buying shares.

A key risk for FMI is that it is reliant on FMIs executive chair Serge Pun, according to the firms disclosure document.

Over the years Mr Pun has built up extensive experience and relationships with government officials and other important persons within and outside of Myanmar, it said. FMI has benefited from real estate projects and other business opportunities brought to the company directly or indirectly through Mr Pun, it added.

FMI has also invested in real estate projects with Yoma Strategic Holdings, of which Mr Pun is the chair and controlling shareholder. FMI does not have an agreement with Mr Pun that requires him to offer any investment opportunities to us but does derive benefits from other companies in the SPA Group, the company said.

If FMI loses Mr Pun, some or all of these benefits may no longer be available, it said.

The loss of Mr Pun is one clear risk. Another is that while he remains at the company he can, as the largest shareholder, control any matter submitted to shareholders for approval, said FMI.

Mr Pun has a direct and indirect interest of almost 70 percent of FMIs shares, which means the other stockholders will have a very limited ability to influence the outcome of any shareholder vote.

FMIs document also provides a breakdown of its largest shareholders. The firm had 23,480,013 shares outstanding as of September 2015 all of which will be transferred onto the exchange. The top 10 shareholders in FMI hold 87.54pc of the shares, according to the disclosure document.

Mr Pun held 7,933,778 shares as of September 2015. He beneficially owns Yangon Land, which held 7,276,909 shares. SPA Assets Management, of which he is the controlling shareholder, held 1,083,500 FMI shares.

Potential investors often look at the floating stock of a particular company. This is the number of shares available for trading  the total number of shares minus those held by major shareholders, employees and company insiders.

U Tun Tun estimated FMIs prospective floating stock at 25-26pc, although this definition removed shareholders holding more than 5pc of FMIs shares, parties related to those shareholders and board members. As a result, his definition of floating stock included some shares held by those who ranked in the 10 largest shareholders, but still held less than 5pc of FMIs total shares.

FMI in its document noted that there are no restrictions on its ability to issue shares, or on its major shareholders to sell them. Any future issuance may adversely affect the trading price, the firm said.

Until now, the only way for ordinary Myanmar investors to purchase FMI shares was over-the-counter through the FMI Trading Centre, operated by FMI subsidiary Yoma Thitsar since 2006.

But there is a risk that Yoma Thitsar may be prosecuted for operating the share centre in breach of Myanmars Securities Exchange Law.

Sections 55(a) and 55(b) of this law, which came into effect in July 2013, prevent anyone from engaging in a securities exchange certificate business without a licence, or forming an over-the-counter market or similar business.

Yoma Thitsar does not have a licence to carry out any securities business or operate an over-the-counter market, the firm said.

But the law allows for a transitional period between the Securities and Exchange Law coming into effect and a securities exchange certificate market business being possible.

Under the law the Union government was to specify this period, which it has not done, according to FMI. As a result the firm decided not to inconvenience shareholders, and kept the trading centre open.

FMI does not think Yoma Thitsar has broken the law, but notes that the penalties for an individual are imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or a fine or both. If any of Yomas executive directors went to jail this could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and business.

The document also lays out risks unrelated to FMIs business operations. Investors on the YSX may experience problems that include a temporary closure because of extreme market volatility, broker defaults, settlement delays and strikes by brokers, FMI said.

The firm also notes that there is limited access to publicly available information and statistics in Myanmar. Given that environment it may be hard for shareholders to gauge our performance, which may lead to inefficient pricing due to incomplete market information, the firm said.
A local company says it will pursue plans to build a 50-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Tanintharyi Region once it has secured permission from Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC), despite continuing opposition from the community.





Beside Lut Lut village  12 miles (19.3 kilometres) from Myeik  Than Phyo Thu Mining Company and Myeik Public Corporation plan to build and operate the plant to distribute electricity around the area.

U Myo Win Than, director of Than Phyo Thu Mining, said the company will spend K48 billion on the project, after signing with the Ministry of Electric Power in 2012 to build the power plant on 160 acres of land.

[Our company] bought all the land, but we only need 20 acres to construct the power plant, he said, adding that they have already imported some of the necessary machines and settled matters with local residents.

Residents in Lut Lut village said the land was confiscated by the army in return for meagre compensation in 2003. The military wanted to lease the land to private companies for inland fish and prawn farming but the scheme fell through, they said.

We had to give up our land for only K30,000 per acre, U Kyaw Shwe, a 53-year old resident told The Myanmar Times in late February.

They fixed the land price at K100,000 per acre and held back K70,000 to cover the cost of finding new cultivatable land. But we havent received it yet.





After the fishery plans fell through the plot lay abandoned for many years until 2012 when Than Phyo Thu Mining Company signed to build its coal-fired power plant, residents said. The local community has protested against the project, as it is very close to the two villages.

Lut Lut village has more than 100 households with a population of around 400. Residents rely on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods, as does Thamote village, a group of more than 700 households located 0.75 miles (1.2km) away across the Thamote River.

Residents were not informed when the company signed an MoU [memorandum of understanding] to build the plant, said U Htein Lin In, village administrator for Thamote and local NLD election campaign chair.

The company says it has completed an environmental and social impact assessment but it hasnt shown us the results. We protested in Myeik township in 2012 for the first time and again in 2014 to stop the project.

Company director U Myo Win Than said he believes the project has local support.

As far as I know, over 80 percent of local residents welcome our project. Only a few oppose it and the rest are neutral, he said. We have given them compensation for their loss, even though the land was taken by the military many years ago.

His company recently sent a third proposal to MIC and is waiting for a final decision, he said.

Coal: the new battleground

At the end of February, state media announced that 68 projects across the country would be put on hold until the new National League for Democracy-led government takes power, including a 2640MW coal-fired project in Myeik. Other projects in the region are also likely to be suspended until the new government term.

U Htein Lin In said Than Phyo Thu Mining has offered incentives such as community development and job opportunities, but that villagers would prefer to receive electricity from natural gas, which is plentiful in the region.

The community is aware that no coal project can be totally pure. Our region makes most of its income by fishing, and we dont want to allow the surrounding sea and river to be polluted with waste from a coal-fired plant, he said.

Myeik district has an 18MW electricity gap. Much of the areas power is generated by diesel turbines operated by private companies and costs more than K300 per unit, while the coal-powered plant would supply electricity at K200 a unit.

U Myo Win Than said the project is spearheaded by the Union government to provide the area with electricity.

We cannot know when Tanintharyi Region will be connected to the national grid. We think this project will be beneficial  if we dont implement it, the people here will live in the dark. It cant be said that the community is totally against it, as some are afraid to stop the project, he said.

The governments Energy Master Plan, published in January this year, suggests that Myanmars energy sector will require investment of between US$30 billion and $40 billion over the next 15 to 20 years.

By 2030, the plan targets the following energy mix: 33pc biomass, 22pc oil, 20pc coal, 13pc gas, 11pc hydro and 1pc renewable energy.

The coal-fired plant has been on hold since 2012 not as a result of protests, but because it requires MIC approval, said U Myo Win Than.

It will be built using German technology, Chinese-manufactured machinery and coal imported from Indonesia, he said, adding that the company originally planned to mine its own coal but the idea fell through.

The company will guarantee that 99.4pc of the waste can be controlled, and kept from spreading across the surrounding area, by the technology we are going to use, he said.

Another coal-fired plant operated by the same company  a 20MW project in Kawthaung  was suspended recently as a result of local resistance to environmental damage caused by the waste.

U Htein Lin In believes the countrys electricity supply is a government responsibility and should not be controlled by private companies.

We already know that the plant will produce more electricity than is needed for the area and will be sold overseas at the expense of Myeik residents, he said.
Myanmars already cluttered airline industry could be about to welcome another carrier into its ranks. Japans ANA Holdings and Shwe Than Lwin-owned Golden Sky World have formed a joint venture and applied to set up an international airline, according to a transport ministry official.





The joint venture submitted a late application to the outgoing government, which is awaiting approval from the Myanmar Investment Commission, a director at the Ministry of Transports Department of Civil Aviation told The Myanmar Times.

The airline is tentatively named Asian Blue, and will only serve international routes, the director added. He did not say when the application had been made.

ANA Holdings equity participation in its new joint venture will be limited to 49 percent, the director said.

Airline industry sources said that the joint venture had already received approval from the Ministry of Transport. The Department of Civil Aviation director would not comment on the ministrys approval process, and said the decision now lay with MIC.

Myanmars Directorate of Investment and Company Administration lists an Asian Blue Aviation Company. Shigeyuki Takemura and Toshiaki Nonaka are listed as directors. Shigeyuki Takemura is also the name of a member of ANA Holdings board of directors. Ryosei Nomura, public relations manager at ANA Holdings, said that the firm had no comment.

This is not the first time that ANA Holdings has attempted to expand into Myanmar. All Nippon Airways  one of three carriers ANA Holdings owns  signed a partnership agreement in August 2013 with local Myanmar carrier Asian Wings. Under that agreement All Nippon Airways was to pay US$25 million for a 49pc stake in Asian Wings. It was touted as the first deal between an international airline and a domestic carrier, but the two sides announced the deal had been cancelled in July 2014.

Asian Wings said that ANA was put off by the small size of the domestic market and strong competition from more than half a dozen other domestic carriers. Myanmar has 11 airlines and the ANA Holdings joint venture would be the 12th, the Department of Civil Aviation director said.





By focusing only on international routes ANA Holdings new joint venture will avoid the cut-throat competition of the domestic market. But the international sector has no shortage of rival carriers.

The Japanese entity may manage to attract businesspeople or tourists from its home network, said Chris Mosebach, director at Myanmar Aviation Centre. But theres still so much competition from carriers flying via Hong Kong or Bangkok.

Among the well-know firms that compete on the Yangon-to-Tokyo route are AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines, which fly via Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam Airlines via Hanoi, Bangkok Airways via Bangkok, and China Southern Airlines via Guangzhou. ANA Holdings airline Air Japan also flies direct to Tokyo.

If you look at Myanmars neighbouring countries there are also many smaller, less well-known partnerships with Korean and Japanese investors that have struggled to survive or had their licence revoked, especially in Thailand, Mr Mosebach said. Competition is fierce.
Want to escape the city streets?





Nestled in the wooded hills along Yangon-Mandalay highway sits an artist retreat centre called Htan Yeik Nyo.

The brainchild of Mandalay-based artist U Myo Khin, the retreat center is set upon formerly derelict land in Pyin Oo Lwin. He bought the land years ago and never touched it, but a land price increase in 2014 gave him reason to sell.

As he toured the property and observed a babbling brook and thick overgrowth, it occurred to him that it could be something bigger. Instead of selling, he decided to develop. Two years later, after clearing shrubs and growing flowers, hes built it into a truly unique lodge.

Artists and creatives are encouraged to visit and stay, free of charge, in order to find inspiration and produce their craft. In the compound, U Myo Khins own abstract murals span more than 35 feet (10.7 metres), offering plenty of inspiration. All around stand sculptures created by Myanmar artists.

Artist Khin Than Phyu has visited the centre and said she found it to be exactly what she needed.





The area is serenely peaceful and quiet. It is a good place for artists to paint and to relax, she said.

Thats exactly the point, according to U Myo Khin  to provide a place for artists, sculptors, writers and poets to pursue their passion in the quiet cool of Pyin Oo Lwin.

Htan Yeik Nyo Art Retreat Center will also hold occasional workshops, including the Contemporary Art in Myanmar conference to be held from March 28 to 30.
On March 9, did anyone notice something special on the premiere of Asias Next Top Model season 4?





Myanmar viewers may have been thrilled to see the countrys first contestant competing on the show  I know I was.

May Myat Noe, known on the show simply as May, is this seasons youngest contestant. Just 17 years old, the Yangon local travelled all the way to Singapore to chase her dream.

She is facing off against 14 other contestants from nations across Asia, including ASEAN peers Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia.

In the premiere episode, May and the other models performed runway walks in front of the judges. Her strut was criticised, with judge and Indonesian model Kelly Tandiono agreeing with guest judge Kenneth Goh from Harpers Bazaar Singapore  May simply wasnt confident enough.

She survived the first cut however, as Maya from Thailand was eliminated.





In the second half of the premiere episode, the girls had a fashion shoot inspired by Harpers Bazaars March 1963 cover. It required them to pose in a giant bubble suspended several feet off the ground while wearing styles from the 1960s.

Though she showed visual concern as she dangled in the bubble, May recovered and managed to wow the judges. Her performance ranked her in sixth place, a middle-of-the-pack score that will keep her in contention for another week.

Shes got a shot, but its a long one. May hasnt truly dazzled the judges yet, and theres a lot of other stunning contestants she must defeat to become Asias Next Top Model. Her age and inexperience may also factor into judges decisions.

But May has one beauty pageant title under her belt already, as well as singing competition experience. She showed resilience during the bubble shoot and her age might actually work in her favour  if she can show herself to be wiser than she is younger.

Tune into Star World tomorrow at 7:30pm to see if she makes it through to episode three.
For the first time in the awards 15 year history, the grand prize of the Golden City Gate Awards has been won by a Myanmar documentary.





The annual ceremony, held at the International Tourism Board Cinema at ITB Berlin, honours the top tourism films of the year as part of its trade show.

To Be Discovered: Kayah State, Myanmar, the five-minute-long documentary directed by German filmmaker Max Kerkhoff, took home the events 2016 Diamond Award on March 10.

It beat out 14 other finalists, selected from a field that included nearly 130 documentary films from around the world.

We beat documentaries produced by CNN and other famous directors from the international community, said U Khin Aung Htun, the joint secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation. Being awarded the Grand Prize will benefit Kayah State tourism development  as well as Myanmars world reputation as a tourist destination.

The competition included six categories, including City Tourism, Hotel, Region, Economy, Spots and Commercials and TV-Travel Magazine. The international selection committee comprised more than 20 judges.

U Maung Maung Swe, the vice chair of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, served as one of the Myanmar judges and said the award would make his countrymen very proud.

It will be good for the country, the coverage of our tourism development. Thats what the Diamond Award achieves, he said.





The film was one of a pair that Kerkhoff shot in 2015, the other focusing on the challenges faced by Kayah State in an area that has long seen ethnic conflict. The 2015 national ceasefire appears to have alleviated the issue, positioning Kayah for a chance to provide the tourist destinations that were long off-limits.

The region is famous for the Padaung women who wear brass rings around their necks as a beauty symbol. In September 2015 the International Trade Centre Inclusive Tourism project began supporting tour operators in Kayah State and promoting it to travellers. It has since provided training on country marketing and branding, study tours to Inle Lake and Thailand, and development of creative tourism activities, such as the Loikaw State Museum.
Bagan residents want more. Outraged at the disclosure that only 2 percent of the takings from the entrance fees paid by tourists goes toward the upkeep of the ancient religious buildings that constitute one of the countrys premier tourist sites, they are taking up the matter with the incoming government.





The Bagan Regional Development Association, a group organised by local tourist guides, and residents also object to the secrecy that they say surrounds the collection operations of the Myanmar Tourism Federation.

Association chair U Khin Maung Nu told a press conference in Bagan on March 13 that they want to see at least half the takings from the Bagan tourism zone to go to the maintenance of the pagodas and regional development.

Last year, entrance fees totalled US$4.1 million, with tourists charged $20 each. This year the fee has been changed to K25,000.

Assuming 250,000 fee-paying tourists  last year there were 240,000  the income from entrance tickets should be K6.25 billion.

Under a contract signed between the Ministry of Culture and MTF in late February, the government will receive 90pc of the proceeds, while MTF will keep 8pc. The remaining 2pc will go toward conservation and regional development.

It is very low and shouldnt be, Ko Ka Tone, a tour-vehicle driver and Bagan resident, said about the amount dedicated for upkeep. All our incomes rely on the pagodas so surely we should ensure the pagodas full preservation.





The MTF won the contract following a tender, in which two other organisations also participated.

U Khin Maung Nu said there had been no consultation with residents over the tender or terms of the contract.

Bagan residents are angry. They are not satisfied with the current policy, he said. We get the impression they dont want to give anything, even for the pagodas.

He added that the city needed improvements in basic infrastructure, healthcare and recreational spaces, such as playgrounds and parks.

An entrance fee for Bagan was first levied in 1995. Prior to March 1, all of the money collected went to state coffers.

Local resident Daw Khin Moh Moh Aung said that Bagan needs a better deal. While the area is home to many large hotels and restaurants, the government has invested little in local development, she said.

Since 1995, the government has been getting almost everything, she said. We got none of the zone fees.

Daw Tin Tin Sein, a Bagan resident who has toured the world by motorcycle, said the local community should benefit more from the tourist trade. Nothing has come of attempts by private organisations to improve the situation, she said.

U Yan Win, chair of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, said they had been collecting the tourism zone entrance fees for two years after beating out two competitors for the tender.

He dismissed the concerns of residents and said they should be happy to get anything.

We dont have to discuss this with residents because we won the tender from the Ministry of Culture  The terms of the agreement were decided by the government, he said. The local community didnt get anything at all before we paid the 2pc.

He said the MTF would use its 8pc fee to promote tourism in Myanmar.

U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the Archaeology and National Museum Department in Bagan, said the portion of funds dedicated to preservation was not enough to support international experts and the long-term conservation work necessary at Bagan.

The decision [about splitting the funds] was made by the head department at the Ministry of Culture. We had no opportunity to make suggestions or discuss the matter, he said. To support [conservation of] the pagodas, we have a government budget and international donor funds from UNECSO. But this is not much and preservation projects havent been finished. So it would be better to recognise that more money will mean long-term conservation of the pagodas, something we actually need.
Huge hydropower projects along the Thanlwin River must be halted, civil society organisations said yesterday, in an appeal to the incoming National League for Democracy government launched from the banks of Southeast Asias longest free-flowing river.





Karen Rivers Watch, which has been active in campaigning against the series of more than a dozen dams planned along the river in China and Myanmar, said the projects were in breach of peoples rights and desires.

An NLD official yesterday said the new government would re-examine the projects.

Marking the International Day of Action for Rivers and Against Dams, a movement that began in Brazil in 1997, environmental groups in Myanmar, including in Kachin State, held events to urge the NLD-led government coming into office on April 1 to scrap power-sharing projects under negotiation with China and Thailand.

The Kayin group said it was concerned that U Thein Seins outgoing military-backed administration had tried to accelerate agreements for the dams along the Thanlwin, also known as the Salween, including the massive Mong Ton dam, which would be the biggest in Southeast Asia by size and generating capacity.

According to the governments Ministry of Information and other news media, the government and Chinese companies signed a memorandum of understanding for 18 hydropower projects, which has raised our concerns, said the statement.

Rights groups are worried that the new NLD government will also cave into pressure from China and authorise construction of the giant Myitsone dam in Kachin State, or possibly alternative dams on the Ayeyarwady River.





A senior NLD official was quoted as saying in one media report that the NLD-led government would instruct the Chinese company involved to redesign the Myitsone dam. In September 2011 President U Thein Sein suspended the project, under public pressure, for the duration of his five-year term.

The Kayin group said Chinese and Thai companies had agreed to redesign the Mong Ton hydropower project following a government request. The dam was originally designed to produce more than 7000 megawatts of electricity but would impact an estimated 120,000 people.

U Tun Tun Hein, a NLD central executive committee member, told The Myanmar Times that it was too early to talk about specific details of the projects, which he said would be discussed after the formation of the new government.

We cannot decide whether to continue or not by taking a general view. We have to look into details of the projects, review the negotiations and agreements over the benefits from the planning, and then to decide whether to continue or not, he said.

The projects have been opposed widely in Shan State, in part because of the lack of transparency. In March 2015 objections were raised to an Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment being carried out by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation of Australia.

China Three Gorges Corporation, China Southern Power Grid and Power Construction of China, as well as the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and Myanmars International Group of Entrepreneurs (IGE) are developing the Mong Ton project.

China has also laid hotly contested plans to build dams along the Thanlwin, known in China as the Nu, which rises in the Tibetan plateau and crosses Yunnan province before reaching Myanmar and Thailand.

The ecosystems along the river bank would break down if they continue the projects, said the statement by Karen Rivers Watch.

Community leaders and members of the Karen National Union  which signed a nationwide ceasefire pact with the government last year  as well as local civil society organisations and refugees from Ei Htu IDP camp in Mutraw district, Kayin State, took part in events yesterday on the banks of the river near the camp.

Karen Rivers Watch urged the government to find other sources of energy.

We urge the new government to consider prioritising electricity generation through micro-hydropower projects, off-grid electricity generation systems or other alternatives that are less destructive and in a way that support peace building, the group said.

In Kachin State, some 300 people, including religious leaders, took part in an event near the site of the suspended Myitsone project. They registered their opposition to recent comments attributed to Chinas ambassador to Myanmar in which he said people supported the dam project and that China would seek its resumption when the NLD-led government takes office.

We are showing our disapproval of the projects. We know that this project had been opposed nationwide. This will not happen in the coming governments term, said Daw Ahnan, spokesperson of the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG).

It has also been recently reported that they are redesigning the mega-projects. We are totally against the restart plan, she said.

Chinas State Power Investment Corporation, which is involved in the project, this month told a group of Myanmar reporters visiting China that the company was positive about the chances of being allowed to restart the US$3.6 billion hydropower project. SPIC official Liu Zhan said the groups chair hoped to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in May.

CPI is trying to revitalise the halted mega-projects. If this will continue, it will have unimaginable impacts on the local people and environment, said U Tsa Ji, a member of the KDNG.

More than 60 civil society groups in Kachin State called on the incoming NLD government last week to grant more freedom in management of natural resources, tax and benefits to Kachin States administration.
The Mrauk-U District Court yesterday accepted an appeal submitted by a newly elected Arakan National Party politician against a six-month prison term, enabling him to take up his seat in the state parliament.





U Hla Aung Nyunt won the seat of Minbya 2 despite already being charged for trespassing and intimidation following a complaint filed last August.

He was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment in January. An appeal was lodged shortly afterward with the support of the ANP. Appeal hearings were held on February 16 and March 1.

The court considered that the evidence in the original case was not strong enough for a conviction and ordered his release, Daw Aye Nu Sein, vice chair of the partys Sittwe township branch and a lawyer in the case, told The Myanmar Times yesterday.

According to the courts decision, U Hla Aung Nyunt will be released today from Kyaukphyu Prison.

U Aung Mya, chair of the Rakhine State election sub-commission, said the party will have to report the

outcome of the case to the sub-commission, together with court documents. The sub-commission will then submit a report to the Union Election Commission, he said.

In Graphics: Myanmar's State and Region Assemblies

If the appeal had been upheld, the seat would have been declared vacant, and a by-election held within six months.





U Aung Mya said U Hla Aung Nyunt would not be able to take his seat in parliament immediately, as there was scope for the prosecution to contest the judges decision.

He will need to wait a short time  because the opposition side might object to the appeal outcome, he said.

Senior ANP official U San Kyaw Hla, the Speaker of the Rakhine State Hluttaw, said U Hla Aung Nyunt would soon be accredited as an MP.

He said the ANP had no plans to countersue against those who filed the suit against U Hla Aung Nyunt.

The ANP is the largest ethnic party in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in Nay Pyi Taw, and also holds the largest single bloc in the Rakhine State Hluttaw, with 23 of 47 seats.

MPs had approved U Hla Aung Nyunts application for leave from the first session, which convened on February 8. The application for leave remained valid until the courts appeal decision.

U San Kyaw Hla said the Rakhine State Hluttaw is likely to resume on March 15.
Health authorities are on high alert following a recent meningococcal meningitis outbreak that has claimed the lives of four children in Mandalay Region.





Two children in a serious condition are being treated for the bacterial infection at Mandalay General Hospital, while five more children are receiving treatment at Meiktila General Hospital. All are from villages in Tharsi township.

Dr Win Naing, head of the Department of Public Health in Mandalay Region, said health officials were taking preventative measures to control the outbreak. They have started a vaccination campaign and advised people in the affected area to avoid large crowds.

We are doing fieldwork in the area where the patients live and other locations nearby, he said. We are monitoring around the clock for any further outbreaks in the area.

The cases were reported from March 5, when the first death was reported. Another child died on March 7, while two more passed away on March 9.

The most recent cases were detected in Aung Myin Thar village on March 12, with two suspected patients immediately taken for medical treatment, according to the Department of Public Health.

U Myint Thein, a senior National League for Democracy official in Tharsi township, said two patients had been transferred to Mandalay due to the severity of their illness.

Today we went to see the patients at Meiktila Hospital. The five children  are in a stable condition, he said.





Tests of the blood samples taken from infected children confirmed that the meningitis had been caused by the Neisseria meningititis group B bacteria, one of six serotypes that can cause an outbreak.

The deaths have been attributed to delays in seeking treatment. Dr Win Naing said it was essential that anyone suspected of having the highly fatal disease present for treatment as soon as possible.

Meningitis tends to happen in the early summer season because  the disease can be transmitted in dusty places, Dr Win Naing said. It is most commonly found in dry zone areas, such as Mandalay and Magwe.

He added that outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable disease have occurred seasonally since 1992.

People need to look out for the symptoms and if they notice any people with them then they should be reported to the health department, he said. They should also avoid areas with large numbers of people and use a face mask when in a dusty place.

Meningococcal meningitis is transmitted person-to-person via mucous, particularly through coughing and sneezing, or sharing eating or drinking utensils.

The infection affects the lining around the brain and spinal cord. According to the World Health Organization, the most common symptoms are a stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting.

About 20 percent of infected people do not show symptoms but can act as carriers within the community, according to Dr Win Naing.

Even with early treatment, 5 to 10 percent of cases are fatal, typically within 24 to 48 hours after symptoms appear. Between 10 and 20pc of survivors suffer from brain damage, hearing loss or a learning disability. Without immediate antibiotic treatment, the disease is fatal in closer to 50pc of cases.

In order to control the spread of the outbreak, Dr Win Naing said the region health department has been vaccinating family members of affected children, and anyone else who may have been in close contact with the patients. Adjacent villages have been warned to be on the lookout for the disease and to avoid festivals, donation ceremonies or other events where crowds may congregate. The health officials also recommended sprinkling water over dirt roads to limit dust.

Any age can suffer from the disease, but children whose resistance is weak are at highest risk to be infected, Dr Win Naing said.

Meningitis is considered a leading cause of death of children under five in Myanmar.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun
UPDATE: Pyidaungsu Hluttaw elected U Htin Kyaw as president this morning 12:20PM





Parliament is set to vote today for the new president and two vice presidents  despite a last-minute attempt by the military to derail one nomination  with the NLD confident its large majority will see U Htin Kyaw elected as Daw Aung San Suu Kyis proxy head of government.

A seven-member parliamentary scrutiny committee yesterday rejected an objection by its sole military MP to the eligibility of Henry Van Thio as the National League for Democracy candidate for vice president. The MP questioned his eligibility on the grounds that he had spent six years abroad.

The committee, with an NLD majority, approved all three candidates by vote, paving the way for a final vote today in the combined houses of parliament where the NLD holds a total of 390 out of 657 seats.

NLD MPs said the party would use most of its votes to back U Htin Kyaw, a 69-year-old academic and long-time confidant of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as their leaders proxy president.

This means that the militarys hard-line candidate, ex-general U Myint Swe, is likely to secure the post of senior vice president, with Henry Van Thio  an ethnic Chin MP in the upper house  becoming the junior vice president.

Some observers saw the militarys questioning of Henry Van Thios residency as further evidence of serious tensions between the NLD leader and the Tatmadaw, casting a cloud over their power-sharing arrangements after U Thein Sein steps down as president on March 30.





The findings of the scrutiny committee were read to a session of the Union chamber.

According to Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than, military representative General Than Soe objected to Henry Van Thio. The military said it had information that the MP, who is a former army officer, had spent six years abroad with the permission of the state.

The military said it wanted to ask the Constitutional Tribunal to define what this clause meant but also maintained that his stay abroad did not meet the requirements of subsection (f) of article 3 of the Election Law for President and Vice President.

The committee said it had talked to Henry Van Thio and decided to let him contest the election.

In the vote for U Htin Kyaw, the military committee member abstained. The military said they did not support or object to his candidacy because he is not an elected MP.

It remains unclear whether the committee will refer the militarys objection to Henry Van Thio to the Constitutional Tribunal.

Reporters in parliament believed a delay of more than one hour yesterday in holding the Pyidaungsu session was due to the time taken by the scrutiny committee to hold talks with the military and then with Henry Van Thio.

The Chin MP, who is Christian, hurried out of parliament, declining to answer reporters questions.

Parliamentary sources said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had decided that the party would not raise objections over the militarys nomination of U Myint Swe  despite questions raised over the nationality of his son-in-law  in order to build trust with the military in attempting to form a government of national reconciliation.

U Tun Tun Hein, an NLD MP, said he was not surprised by the militarys resistance to Henry Van Thio, and that this was their right.

Asked why the NLD had not voted against U Myint Swes eligibility, he said the party did not have accurate information over the status of his son-in-law, who is reported to have held dual Myanmar-Australian nationality  despite Myanmar not recognising dual citizenship  but had recently renounced the latter.

The same provision of the constitution was used to deny the presidency to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi because her two sons hold UK citizenship.

U Tun Tun Hein said he did not believe the militarys rejection of Henry Van Thio would have an impact on relations between the NLD and military.

Some MPs from ethnic minority parties said they wanted a clearer explanation of Henry Van Thios bio as no overseas stays are mentioned in his official parliamentary profile.

U Ba Shein, an Arakan National Party lower house MP, noted it would have taken a week to get an answer from the Constitutional Tribunal and that the NLD had not wanted to wait. Im not sure whether the military will be satisfied or not with this, he said.

Analysts said they believed Henry Van Thio would meet criteria set out by the 2008 Constitution because he said he went abroad with an official passport and permission of the state. He told reporters last week he studied in the Philippines, while his Facebook page said he lived in New Zealand  until it was deleted shortly after his nomination.

Commentator U Yan Myo Thein said the NLD should clarify his past residency. He said the NLD had tried to build trust with the military by not objecting to its candidate.

Building trust will not be successful when only one side is trying. The other side needs to cooperate and be willing, he added.

The appointed military bloc and the Union Solidarity and Development Party together hold 31.5 percent of parliaments 657 seats, but they may be able to draw some votes from allied ethnic minority parties.

NLD majority votes should go to U Htin Kyaw, said U Yan Myo Thein. Noting the breakdown of seats, he said it would be a big risk if the party set out to divide its votes in an effort to get Henry Van Thio elected as first vice president, and therefore the person who would temporarily succeed the president in the event of his death, resignation, impeachment or permanent disability.

The NLD said the party has prepared well for todays vote and has instructed most of its MPs to vote for U Htin Kyaw.

The NLD has 255 in the Pyithu Hluttaw and 135 in the Amyotha Hluttaw, a total of 390 seats. So we can maneuvre in parliament with our 390. We will take the presidency, said NLD spokesperson U Zaw Myint Maung.

Daw Phyu Phyu Thin, an NLD MP, told The Myanmar Times that MPs received a party instruction that the majority of votes would go to U Htin Kyaw.

Henry Van Thio will be second vice president, she said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met MPs at the Sinbin guest house to prepare for the vote.

The meeting took 15 minutes. She said she was satisfied with the previous voting [last week] but to make sure for tomorrow because it is very important. She alerted us not to have any spoiled votes, said MP Daw Khin San Hlaing.
Farmers have responded furiously after Nay Pyi Taws municipal authorities began to parcel off plots of unused but disputed land and hand it over to doctors.





The ownership feud in Shwe Kyar Pin ward of Zabuthiri township dates back nearly a decade.

This land was seized from us in 2008 but it was left unused. Now some doctors from Zabuthiri specialist clinic are fencing in the land, said U Win Naing, a farmer from Pyan Ka Pyay village. They didnt listen when we asked them to stop.

Before the doctors were granted the plots, a dispute between Nay Pyi Taw City Development Committee and the farmers was already raging by mid-February. When the land was handed over to the doctors, the farmers accused the city of trying to incite a row.

U Win Naing said there was no negotiation during the initial seizure. Those on the land at the time it was confiscated were paid K300,000 per acre and given an additional K300,000 to compensate for the loss of crops.

After the confiscation, Major Tun Kyi told farmers he would arrange replacement land but it never happened, said U Win Naing.

He added that despite the compensation, the farmers wanted their land back, as they had never agreed to sell it, and for years it had laid fallow.

We werent told which organisation seized our land or which organisation paid us. At the time, people just came to our farmlands and then destroyed our crops with machines. They only told us they were given orders by superiors, he said.





U Aye Ko Ko, head of the City Planning and Land Administration Department, confirmed that land plots measuring 60 feet by 80 feet were awarded to doctors on March 3.

When reporters from The Myanmar Times attempted to talk to the doctors, they declined to comment.

Translation by Zar Zar Soe
Residents of government-owned apartment blocks could soon face eviction if they are found to be occupying their homes illegally, a housing official has warned.





Since 1951, the government has built several apartment blocks in Yangon to house military and civilian staff. In many cases others have since taken possession, often following the death or transfer of the original inhabitants.

But the apartments  or, more strictly, the right to live in the dwelling  are regularly sold, with agents quoting prices of up to K100 million depending on the location and condition. Some are also rented, with one block in Dagon township particularly popular with foreigners.

In a recent interview with The Myanmar Times, the director of the Ministry of Constructions Urban and Housing Development Department for Yangon Region, U Yu Khine, said more than 16,000 apartment blocks had been built for staff. They pay a monthly rent to the government, although the amount is a fraction of the market rate.

The largest is Yankin Housing in Yankin township, with 3700 apartments which were originally allocated to Tatmadaw officers and other government servants.

Of these 3700 apartments, about 3500 are now occupied by relatives of the original tenants, to whom they were informally transferred. This seems to be against the rules, and Im considering what to do about it, he said.

A property law dating back to 1955 appears to authorise the removal, by force if necessary, of tenants who occupy rented accommodation without proper rights to do so.





The unofficial transfers of many apartments occurred because of a shortage of supervisory staff, said U Yu Khine, adding that he hoped the incoming government would remedy the deficiency.

For the past 10 years no housing inspection officers have been deployed because of budget shortages. That has allowed people to break the rules by transferring, subletting or even selling their apartments, he said.

The government has indicated that it may invoke legal action to remove many of the current tenants.

Responding to a question from Amyotha Hluttaw MP U Phone Myint Aung on this issue in parliament, deputy construction minister U Soe Tint said the government would now rectify a situation in which family members or associates of former tenants had been able to occupy government-owned property without proper authority.

But U Yu Khine was less enthusiastic about forced removal, saying that evicting current tenants will be difficult and may take a long time.

We dont want to have to call in the police. Authorised or not, most of the people who live in these apartments are still government staff, he said.

By contrast, large detachments of police are regularly deployed to squatter camps as hundreds of families displaced by armed conflict or natural disaster are turned out of their homes, which are then destroyed by bulldozers.

Government-owned housing in Yangon includes blocks on Lan Thit Avenue, Pha Sa Pa La Housing, Min Ma Naing Housing, 51st Street Housing, Yankin Housing, Lint Lan Housing and Thuwunna Housing Projects.

One common method by which authorised tenants have transferred the tenancy to others is by having the new tenant added to the original renters household registration list, said one resident of Thuwunna Housing.

They get their name on the family register of the original tenant. If the tenant wants to sell, prices vary considerably. Some apartments cost more than K100 million. But rents [to the government] are often low, maybe K6000 a month. A lot of people want to buy, and prices are negotiable.

Translation by Kyawt Darly Lin and Khant Lin Oo
[March 15, 2016] Treadmill Reviews Site The Healthy Heart Fitness Blog Unveils New Mobile Design

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"Getting in shape is not easy as it takes discipline and hard work, but the gym has its pros and cons," acknowledges Miller. "If you want to invest in a treadmill for home workouts, you canas alwaystrust me to give you the plain and simple truth." Individuals interested in learning more about The Healthy Heart Fitness Blog and its work can visit the website for more information. Readers are also encouraged to subscribe to Miller's Twitter and Instagram accounts for the latest updates from The Healthy Heart Fitness Blog.

About The Healthy Heart Fitness Blog: The Healthy Heart Fitness Blog was launched in 2013 and has since become one of the fastest growing "review and ranking" news media organization for the health and fitness advisory industries across the U.S., U.K., and Canada. The website's monthly user base is growing at a tremendous growth rate, recently going from zero to 27,000 viewers in 35 months. For more information, please visit http://www.besttreadmillsforhome.net Contact:

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319-788-7903 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/treadmill-reviews-site-the-healthy-heart-fitness-blog-unveils-new-mobile-design-300236415.html SOURCE The Healthy Heart Fitness Blog

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15.03.2016 LISTEN

UK based musical sensation, Stylus teams up with Ghanas very own multiple award winning artist, Stonebwoy for 'Informa' remix.

After the international positive reception of the 'Informa' single early 2015, Japanese reggae chart topping UK based artist, King Stylus gravitates dancehall lovers yet again with the 'Informa' remix 2016 by teaming up with UK based Sparka Productions and Ghanaian born BET and MTV award winning artist, Stonebwoy.

This vibrant dancehall collaboration came about after King Stylus visiting Ghana in 2014 for a show, and was introduced to Stonebwoy by international artist, Gappy Ranks.

When asked how the remix came about Stylus states ''On meeting Stonebwo, I rated him as a brilliant artist and once he heard the 'Informa' song he loved it, so no better way than to remix it with the ingredients of UK to Africa melody. Stonebwoy now is like a brother to me, the musical vibes on the single is outstanding and can be felt, it connects.''

This vibrant dancehall combination gives the audience a metaphoric definition of a modern day news carrier who carries news, but not necessarily the right kind of news. Out now to purchase on iTunes and all downloadable sites, King Stylus reaches to his audiences to help make this a number one.

iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/informa-remix-single/id1083638534

Twitter/Tweet - @StylusHothead @stonebwoyb
Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike, has replied critics who purportedly accused him of jubilating over Ibinabo Fiberesimas imprisonment.

It would be recalled that Emeka Ike and Ibinabo have allegedly been in a feud over the position of president of the Actors Guild and only recently, Ike accused the actress of impersonating him by stating she was still the president of the union.

A court of Appeal on Saturday, upheld her five-year- jail sentence for the death of Dr. Giwa Suraj in a car accident 10 years ago, which left the actress devastated.

However, following her present predicament, critics have reportedly slammed the actor, accusing him of being behind it.

Meanwhile, according to reports, the actor had anonymously penned an article in one of the National Dailies went viral, about Justice for Dr. Suraj Giwa. That article had been alleged to fuel the recent charges against Ibinabo, his alleged archenemy.

In a chat with Nollywood insider, (Olisa TV), the Nollywood lover boy said, I should not be assumed to be happy with the present travail of Ibinabo Fiberesima.

We are in court on the matter of our guild, the Actors Guild of Nigeria, not on the issue of death or motor accident. I dont wish jail for her.

Ike further said Ibinabo had been his impersonator since she was sacked by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

He addressed the claims that he was the reason the actress appeal had actually been dismissed.

Ibinabo has been impersonating to be the president. I am the president. I only want her to vacate the office.

If she has a case and jailed for it, it has nothing to do with me, Emeka Ike added.

On his part, Don Pedro Aganbi, the factional chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria said, Nobody would be glad over such even if the person is your enemy.

Mind you, our fight is only about the Actors Guild not about life and death. I dont also think Emeka Ike would go dancing over Ibinabos present faith.

All we wanted was that she leaves the office not by going to jail, the chairman noted.
Seoul, Republic of Korea  A flurry of anticipation filled the room of over 1,000 internationally-renowned figures including heads of state, legal representatives, and media who convened at the Coex Auditorium on March 14 for the Proclamation Ceremony of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War.

Since its official inauguration in September 2015, the HWPL International Law Peace Committee has contributed their expertise to develop the draft of the Declaration through in-depth discussions and conferences. The committee members, under the clear purpose of prohibiting war and war-like activities, have been tirelessly working to develop the draft of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War which was publicly presented only after 6 months the committee was inaugurated.

Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL who presented the articles of the Declaration said, In order to accomplish the collective wishes of all humanity, we have gathered here today. This very moment at this very place will never be forgotten in the history of mankind for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War will be publicly proclaimed. All citizens of this globe will have to gather their hearts to acknowledge and urge this Declaration to embrace the new era and new life full of peace.

The core elements of the Declaration include prohibition of: the threat or use of force; obtaining war potential; and dispute settlement; freedom of religion; spreading a culture of peace. The Declaration is a powerful and ground-breaking tool to dispose of all means that initiate war and armed conflicts, thus further attaining humanitys fundamental goal, peace.

In the Preamble, it says, the Declaration aims to maintain international peace and security and (is) determined to pass on to successive generations an invaluable inheritance of a world free of wars and to bear in mind the universal commitment of the worlds religions to the promotion of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect, and the common spirit that permeates all religious scriptures and holy texts.

During the ceremony, congratulatory speeches were delivered by H.E. Ali Abu Diak, Minister of Justice of State of Palestine, H.E. Alice Chaptini, Minister of Justice in Lebanon, H.E. Lex Mpati, South Africa President of Supreme Court of Appeal etc.

IWPG Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim gave a keynote speech by saying, Once the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War is proclaimed today, youth and women all around the world will quickly rise to urge the international community to support the DeclarationAs stated in the Declaration, removing all potentials that cause conflicts is the most valuable work which will become the eternal legacy for the future generations.

The Proclamation Ceremony of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War was followed by a press conference where renowned international media such as Aljazeera, GMA, and Jordan news agency, gathered to cover the events of the day. The HWPL Advocacy Committee, comprising of youth and women representatives, will be established on March 15th to support and maximize the potential of the Declaration.
Accra, Mar. 14, GNA - A coalition of African and world leaders would convene in Senegal at the first-ever Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Global Gathering, to issue a joint call to action for increased investment and support for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in Africa.

The event marks a historic first step in charting a new course for science-led development in Africa, a statement from Associate Press copied to GNA said.

"The NEF Global Gathering is providing a platform to nurture African talent so the continent can return to its roots as the cradle of innovation," said H.E. Macky Sall, President of Senegal.

"Africa has a rich history of science as does Senegal and we're creating a 'city of knowledge' as proof of our commitment to investing in the education of our youth. Science must better our society. I would like to especially salute our women scientists because a future without diversity is not representative of our society. At the heart of our policy is to put an accent on the education of women and girls and the support of STEM. Together, we must meet the challenge of producing the next African Einstein- be it a man or a woman", he said.

Over the next three days, the 2016 NEF Global Gathering, which takes place at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center in Dakar, Senegal, will welcome more than 800 scientific and industry influencers, policymakers, business leaders, civil society and advocates committed to building a strong STEM ecosystem across the continent.

Dignitaries present on the opening day included President Macky Sall, President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda and a high-level roster of science, technology and education ministers from Ethiopia, Morocco, Cameroon and Nigeria - all participants in the NEF Presidential Panel. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shared written remarks.

"Many local challenges have global consequences and finding sustainable solutions will require transformative thinking, strong leadership, significant investment and deeper engagement. We're thrilled to welcome the world to Dakar to witness Africa's emergence on the global scientific stage," said Thierry Zomahoun, NEF Chairperson and President and CEO of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS).

Science and technology-driven innovation is an undeniable engine for economic growth and social inclusion. Today, a lack of investment in Research and Devlopment (R&D) and STEM fields is stunting Africa's growth as the continent contributes just 1 percent of global research output while losing 35 percent of aid - i.e. $4 billion - each year to STEM-related expatriate jobs, he said.

An initiative of AIMS in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, NEF's mission is to close the STEM deficit and empower a new generation of scientific genius.

In a written message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "Science is a force multiplier for advancing progress across all the Sustainable Development Goals. Today, more than ever, we must nurture, support and harness the full power of the sciences as a force for more inclusive, sustainable development. We need this especially for Africa, to underpin the rights, dignity, creativity and innovation of all Africans and reinforce the foundations of Africa's progress."

"Africa is global talent pool of the future, provided we work together now to make the necessary investments. Three principles derived from our experience have been very helpful to us in transforming Rwanda. First, always work in a spirit of partnership and collaboration, within Africa and globally. Second, we cannot afford to wait around, so get started on the journey using our own resources, ideas, and institutions. Third, women are at least half of our talent pool, and progress is impossible without their full participation at every level," said President Paul Kagame.

By building on its wealth of human capital - a young, largely unemployed and wholly untapped pool of talent - Africa is poised to emerge as a leader in the global scientific community.

The 2016 NEF Global Gathering will help make this vision a reality by combining the unique perspectives and resources offered by government, academia, industry and public and private sectors, to strengthen Africa's science infrastructure.

GNA
14.03.2016 LISTEN

Mankessim (C/R), Mar. 14, GNA - Mrs. Dela Sowah, the Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, has said statistics showed that only 4.4 per cent of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) perpetrators in Ghana are prosecuted.

She said despite ratifying various international Human Rights instruments to put in place laws, policies and structures for citizens to seek redress and acquire justice in the courts, many SGBV cases were not convicted and conviction rates continued to be low.

Mrs Sowah said this when she opened a two- day stakeholders dialogue on improving justice for victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Ghana at Mankessim on Friday.

The dialogue, being organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in partnership with the Danish Development Assistance to Ghana (DANIDA), was on the theme: 'Improving justice for victims of Sexual and Gender Base Violence in Ghana'

The event was to ascertain the impediments in seeking justice for victims of SGBV and make recommendations to strengthen the justice system.

It is also to identify and critically analyze the issues that accounts for the low conviction rates of SGBV cases in the country as well as increasing the gender- sensitivity of officials in the justice system who process gender-based violence cases.

The dialogue brought together judges of the various Family Tribunals, Circuit and Gender-Based Violence Courts, High Court, Senior State Prosecutors and Investigators and Coordinators of the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).

Giving statistics to suport her claim, Mrs Sowah said 1, 547 out of the 15,426 SGBV cases recorded in 2014 went to court with only 160 of them convicted with 11,705, pending at the various courts and some still remained under investigations.

In 2015, she said, 139 of the 1,291 cases of SGBV sent to the court were convicted with about 10,945 of the reported cases were still pending and others remained under investigations by DOVVSU.

The Deputy Minister described as unacceptable the fact that the high number of the cases which keep increasing in the past five years, were against women

She expressed optimism that participants of the dialogue would come out with strategies for the quick dispensation of justice for sexual and gender-based cases and help the justices to work together to eliminate SGBV in Ghana.

Justice Hannah Taylor, a High Court Judge, said the reasons for some delayed justice include the uncooperative attitude of some family members during prosecution resulting in the lack of evidence for continuation of the cases.

She said convictions were based on evidence and therefore if the evidence does not warrant conviction, the judge could not convict simply because people wanted conviction and urged victims to report early to the police.

'You must always look at the evidence and see whether prosecution have been able to prove its case to the standard that the law requires before they can procure a conviction, in the absence of evidence you cannot do anything' she stated.

She advised the parents and family members to show much interest in SGBV and not to rush to settle cases out of court, particularly when the victims are young.

GNA
14.03.2016 LISTEN

Sunyani (B/A), Mar. 14, GNA - The low production of Ghana's cocoa in the 2014/2015 cocoa season was due to unfavourable weather.

Alhaji Idriss Alhassan, the Chair of the Supreme Consultative Council (SCC) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), said in Sunyani.

Alhaji Alhassan said this at a meeting attended by the SCC members, the Brong-Ahafo Regional staff of the COCOBOD and the leadership of cocoa farmers in Brong-Ahafo.

The meeting attended by more than 300 participants was aimed at educating the farmers on their rights and responsibilities to enable them to get fair treatment from cocoa purchasing clerks.

It was also to brief the COCOBOD staff on the formation of the Cocoa Board Workers Union, a move to break away from the Ghana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICWU).

Alhaji Alhassan said Management of COCOBOD, the farmers and the staff played their expected roles to ensure increase in cocoa production that season but changes in the weather pattern worked against that expectation.

He said the government provided the necessary inputs and logistics like free seedlings, fertilisers and insecticides to guarantee good yield in the cocoa industry but the rainfall delayed and the subsequent bush fires destroyed many cocoa farms in the cocoa growing areas.

Alhaji Alhassan said politicians must not blame the government for the low yield, saying the nation depended mostly on natural rainfall for farming purposes and any reverse in the rainfall pattern adversely affect the farming industry in general.

Mr Bernard Brown, the Regional Manager of Quality Control Division of COCOBOD, urged the farmers to continue to work hard for the nation to achieve the expected production target in the 2015/2016 cocoa season.

Similar meeting has already been held in the Eastern and the Ashanti Regions.

GNA
14.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, March 14, GNA - Mr Eric Osei-Owusu, Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company has called for the implementation of an effective warehouse receipt system to ensure fair pricing in the agricultural sector.

He explained that the system entailed some documentation by warehouse operators as evidence that a specified commodity of stated quantity and quality had been deposited at a particular location, and enabled farmers to deposit storable goods, mostly grains, in exchange for a warehouse receipt.

He noted that the system if well regulated, would curtail cheating on weights and measures, ease access to finance at all levels in the marketing chain, moderate seasonal price variability and promote instruments to mitigate price risks.

Mr Osei-Owusu made the call during a panel discussion in Accra on the Ghana Journalists Association programme dubbed 'Business Advocate' on Ghana Television. It is supported by BUSAC Fund, DANIDA, United States Agency for International Development and the European Union.

Speaking on the topic 'Enhancing Grains Pricing Policy in Ghana', he said the absence of a national pricing policy in the sector had made it difficult to meet the standard of pricing mechanisms on the international market.

Mr Osei-Owusu said extension officers should intensify education on new approaches to farming for farmers to improve their yields since the quality of farm produce was critical in determination pricing.

He said the pricing mechanism for grains was affected by storage and transport infrastructure in food markets, limited access to commodity finance, unstable marketing margins, risk of theft and difficulty in enforcing contracts.

The pricing of grains is of interest and importance to every family, individual and institutions, because their costs had implications for the budgets of households, institutions and businesses.

However, market forces do not determine the prices of grains. Grain sellers, poultry feed millers and private consumers are not able to compete with government due to huge discounts placed on grains purchased by government.

Fixed prices do not meet the operational cost of producers which in the long-run affect farmers' ability to produce on a large-scale to meet local consumption.

Mr Richard Djanie, Business Development and Outreach Manager for the Ghana Grains Council said the Council had been engaged in advocacy to enhance the grains pricing policy in the country.

He said the absence of a functioning commodity exchange in the country, as well as the absence of a standardized pricing mechanism in the grains sector, affected the quality of grains produced for consumption.

The Council was of the view that the quality of grains produced also struggle to compete with those in other parts of Africa where proper pricing mechanisms are largely determined by market forces.

Nii Quaye, Director in charge of Agriculture Business Unit at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), expressed worry about farmers' inability to produce quality grains, which affected the pricing system, saying it behoved on farmers to improve upon the quality of their produce to meet global demands.

He called for effective collaboration between MOFA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry to engage stakeholders in the sector to chart the path for addressing the inefficiencies in the pricing system for optimum results.

Mr Gabriel Essilfie, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, said their mandate was to play an oversight role of government policies on agricultural matters, saying there was work to be done on the pricing system.

Mr Essilfie was of the view that appropriate structures need to be put in place before tackling the pricing system in the sector.

GNA
15.03.2016 LISTEN

The GOP nomination now appears to hinge upon whether Ted Cruz, anti-hero, and Marco Rubio, hero, rewrite the election narrative redefining Donald Trump as the villain.

Last August I wrote here :

Donald Trump has engaged the popular imagination by embodying the quest/(anti-)heros journey  here a naked quest for power and glory. Trumps Story is that of striving to crown himself, much as did Napoleon , Emperor.

Contrast Trumps Story with the Stories presented by the rest of the field. Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton present narratives of distinguished and legitimate Heirs Apparent. Marco Rubio presents a winning Horatio Alger style rags-to-riches story.  Bernie Sanders is presenting himself as Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.  Ted Cruz weaves us a Lion Tamer narrative, complete with whip, starter pistol, chair and a penchant for sticking his head between the jaws of the Great Beasts.

All of these represent strong, classic, narratives. 

The 2016 nomination contest is not quite Game Over yet. What are the implications for the March primaries?

While most of my fellow pundits have focused on things like momentum and delegate counts there is a more important factor: the Narrative. As I also wrote, Politics also is very much about telling stories that people yearn to hear.

Trump confronts two potentially viable rivals, Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio. Much concern is being expressed as to how the GOP should unite behind one or the other. Unlikely scenario.

There, however, is another possibility.

Cruz and Rubio each, and both, have a potentially Trump-destroying counternarrative complementary ones, as it happens if only they can find it in time. That means Cruz, as anti-hero, or Rubio, as hero, redefining Trump from anti-hero to villain. Even just remotely possibly they, like Darth and Luke collaborating to defeat the Emperor, could end up making common cause, at least in the battle for the narrative.

Donald Trump, villain? As noted recently in the New York Times, Trump is the epitome of crony capitalism. As Luigi Zingalesfed wrote, in Donald Trump, Crony Capitalist :

As a businessman Mr. Trump has a longstanding habit of using his money and power aggressively to obtain special deals from the government. For example, his Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan was built with the benefit of a decades-long tax abatement obtained through government connections.

In 1985, Mr. Trump circumvented New York State campaign-finance laws by making a $30,000 donation, through several Trump companies, to Andrew Stein, the Manhattan borough president who was running for president of the City Council. Mr. Stein was also a member of the New York City Board of Estimate, the body then responsible for land-use decisions in New York.

Finally, Mr. Trump has a long history of promoting eminent-domain abuses to expropriate private land he wanted.

He is, in short, the essence of that commingling of big business and government that goes under the name of crony capitalism.

The glaring vulnerability in the Trump Narrative  Trumps Achilles heel  is that Trump can be painted as a wolf in sheeps clothing. It is an even more apt metaphor to say that the leonine Trump is a lion in sheeps clothing. And Scar, not Simba.

None of his adversaries have tried to do so. It can be done, but done only, from a strong, credible, narrative frame.

Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are not embodying their respective, powerful, own narratives with proficiency. If they do, separately or together, they still could demolish Donald Trump.

Protecting us from Trump is a job for an anti-hero!

If Cruz presents himself as the protagonist of his core narrative, Lion Tamer, he is well positioned to reframe Donald Trump as exactly the kind of predatory lion, Scar, that Cruz has proven himself proficient at taming.

The methods and persona of a lion tamer are irrelevant to the crowd. They just want the lions tamed. In shutting down the federal government Cruz has shown himself steely enough to do just that.

In projecting himself he must avoid getting defensive about his personal foibles and focus on the job at hand: painting Trump as a predatory lion and himself as the anti-hero Lion Tamer capable of taming Trump. Cruz certainly can do this.

Or  maybe protecting us from Trump is a job for a hero!

Rubio  to up the ante from my former casting him as a Horatio Alger hero  is Sir Galahad, renowned, says the Wikipedia , for his gallantry and purity.  Galahad for the most part travels alone, smiting his enemies, rescuing Sir Percival from twenty knights and saving maidens in distress.

To torture the metaphor a little too hard, Galahad implies a lion, in its noble sense, according to the Lancelot-Grail , as reprised by Celtic Twilight : there is an inscription upon a tombstone, which tells about a leopard (Lancelot) begetting a lion (Galahad). Simba?

The GOP establishment, the center right, and many Republican rank and file voters are embracing Rubio as an inspirational figure. A hero. While he may not bring the same drama as an anti-hero it is believable, and many believe, that he can usher us townspeople to relative safety from predatory lions.

Trumps own persona as a Politics Noir anti-hero (rather than a villain) is especially vulnerable for his recently having been summoned as a witness (not defendant) in an action for fraud against his eponymous, now defunct, Trump University. Formidable investigative reporter Michael Isikoff at Yahoo! News observes:

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.

Isikoff duly reports that Mr. Trump fully denies the allegations.

Trumps lawyers have vigorously denied the claims and vowed to contest both suits.

None of it is true. No one was defrauded, said Alan Garten, the Trump Organizations general counsel, in an interview about the fraud cases last summer. 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].

This litigation is not here referenced to litigate that matter, on which I take no position, in the court of public opinion. Its a matter of the political narrative. Will these allegations, among others, become instrumental in an effort to define Donald Trump as a villain not an anti-hero? If so, it could be a game changer.

The outcome of the 2016 Republican nominating contest well may hinge upon whether Sen. Ted Cruz, anti-hero Lion Tamer, or Sen. Marco Rubio, hero Sir Galahad  or both  weave a strong enough narrative to persuade the voters that Trump is not an anti-hero but a villain, a predatory lion in sheeps clothing.

Will Trumps rivals cast him as a predator preparing to make chumps out of the voters rather than intent upon, and capable of, Making America Great Again? Will they even try?

Edgar Allen Poe opened his story The Cask of Amontillado: The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. We live in a world full of people  voters  who are tired of being injured and insulted by the political class.

Trumps appeal as a Politics Noir anti-hero is propelling him to victory. If Trumps adversaries succeed in re-casting him as the villain Trump likely goes down to defeat.

The electorate has vowed revenge.

Revenge it shall have.

But on whom? Will Donald Trump succeed in defending his narrative as the voters anti-heroic scourge against the villains? Or will he himself become an object of a volatile electorates revenge? This election can turn on a dime.

The outcome most likely depends on whether Trumps rivals get a grip on their own narratives, anti-hero and hero, respectively, and succeed in casting Trump not as a Frank Underwood anti-hero but as himself one of the perpetrators of villainies on a vulnerable population.

Its a cliffhanger but it is not yet Game Over. Will the real anti-hero, Cruz, and the true hero, Rubio, get locked in mortal combat with one another and let the villain crush them both and seize power? Or will one or both, alone or together, redefine Trump as the villain of this drama  and defeat him? The GOP nomination likely shall hinge upon this.

Originating at Forbes.com
Five District Assemblies in the Northern Region have expressed delight at the introduction of the Mobile for Social Inclusive Governance (MSIG) Project in their Districts. During stakeholder meetings at the beneficiary District Assemblies, management indicated that they are convinced the project will go a long way to bridge the existing gap between District Assemblies and marginalized groups in the districts.

The District Chief Executive for Central Gonja, Mr Mumuni Shiraz Ibn Yacin applauded Savana Signatures for introducing MSIG as an innovation for District Assemblies to use the Citizens Interactive Platform (CIP), a mobile based platform to facilitate communication with their citizens. The project in the end will increase the participation of women, youth and PWDs in decision making at the District level. He reiterated.

On his side, the District Coordinating Director for Tolon Mr. Mohammed Alhassan on behalf of the DCE pledged the full support of his District to the project. According to him the Citizens Interactive Platform will make it easier for marginalized groups to get information without having to rely on others like the assembly members for information. Beneficiaries who are mostly marginalized will always be updated on the activities of the assemblies and will further enable the assemblies to gather the opinions of marginalized groups on development issues at a lower cost and time. He emphasized.

Savana Signatures, a non-governmental organization operating in the Northern and Volta regions of Ghana in partnership with Making All Voices Count have launched the second phase of the Mobile for Social Inclusive Governance (MSIG) Project. MSIG seeks to provide an opportunity for women, youth, people living with HIV/AIDS and people with disability to participate in local governance by providing an effective communication pathway for them to communicate with the local assemblies.

The pilot project of the MSIG was carried out in 2014 in the Tamale Metropolis, Yendi and Wa Municipalities and the Savelugu District. It was realized from the pilot that at least 5% of their activities focus on Persons with disability. The Assemblies indicated that it is cost effective to use the platform instead of travelling to communities to reach the people for their opinions or through the town hall assembly meetings.

The second phase of the MSIG is currently being implemented in the Central Gonja, Kumbungu, Gushegu, Tolon and Sagnarigu Districts in the Northern Region.
15.03.2016 LISTEN

(Accra: 14 March 2016) The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Grand-Bassam, Cote dIvoire, on 13 March 2016, during which at least 16 people were killed and many more injured, and for which Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Cote dIvoire, as well as to the Government of France and all other Governments whose citizens were targeted in these attacks. They wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

They expressed their solidarity with Cote dIvoire and the countries in the region in their fight against terrorism and stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, which may be conducive to terrorism.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

The members of the Security Council stressed the need to take measures to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, terrorist organizations and individual terrorists in accordance with resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015).
15.03.2016 LISTEN

The laws of Ghana sure frown on corruption. A brother of this construction, the laws must be allowed to work is certainly the most commonly used phrases in political discourse in our beloved Ghana.

But this head of the family, who no one is above, has perhaps become the Kwesi Twuie in one of Ghanas foremost master class movie, I told you so.

Well for todays computer age Hollywood block buster series brand of Ghanaian I can give a synopsis of what this whole movie is about.

A young lady living in a humble family sufficiently getting by without all you could call a luxury. Her father a tailor and a mother a trader.

All of a sudden, a man comes into the scene and dazzles at the sight of this lady. The father winks in disapproval as his long years of experience gives her a certain doubt about the genuineness of this man.

Authority to hit the gavel on the table for the closure of this marriage proposal was traditionally and recognizably vested in Opanyin Kwesi Twuwee.

Unfortunately though, the mother of this lady, Mrs. Twuie and his uncle get reoriented by digits on papers; the purchasing power that comes with this rich and promising young man itching to get married. Apparently he splashed some money at the damsel and the remnant fell to the direction of the mother and uncle.

As it will be, the uncle now shoves aside Mr. Twuwee making him what Fantes will call a Simpa pinyin. He takes his position and the marriage ceremony is accented tillyou can guess what happens next or watch the full episode.

One love court that you cannot possibly miss or look so far to find very similar to this beautiful episode however, is in Ghanaian papers, the news portals and on electronic media. Its the love court between government and the corrupt ooops! Sorry alleged corrupt.

I thought the constitution just like Kofi Twuie was to be far above all, dealing ruthlessly with anyone who stole a penny from the state coffers. But the thieves have splashed the sweet dangling stash of notes and Uncle Osuoaborobuo and Mother have approved of the love court.

Salasi Ibrahim fell in love with the Metro Mass Transport Company. An expensive love relationship that was to cost the nation 3.6 million cedis to rebrand 116 rapid transit busses.

The constitution frowned on this. It pulled out its procurement laws gavel. It chanted due diligence, and stamped value for money.

But uncle government was not impressed at all. Who will want to pass this money up if it can pluck some cost of renovating the house and maybe preaching the good news to the election year good people of Ghana to retain us in power?

A certain stubborn minority leader crawled out to scream about it and the whole country was drawn to this. A head rolled but that was not to be Salasi Ibrahim. The last I checked, the love relationship was not over.

She was to pay 1.9 million back to the state. But the chief of staff realized that she was far too kind to receive that kind of treatment and slashed it down to 1.4 million with a romantic excuse of tax reviews.

Moreover, she has been given free access to the highest lawyer of the government, to have talks with. The love court has continued over a few bottles of wine and the result has been resounding. She is to pay in tranches. How sweet.

Mr. Agbesi Woyomi last week went on a reconciliation meeting in an appeals court. He was acquitted of defrauding by false pretence and causing financial loss to the state. He was very angry he would be accused of causing financial loss to the state when he was not a paying officer or was ever in public office to have occasioned his 52.1 million cedi jackpot.

He was also unhappy his lovers couldnt help him escape the scourge of the venomous citizen vigilante who had the impudence to go to the Supreme Court to have an order to retrieve every dine of the money to the state.

Well in the end he said it all. This ruling is comprehensive, read it. Trust your God and then trust in the rule of law. And as lovers do, he said he has forgiven all people who insulted him. I missed a heartbeat and felt like smashing my computer screen at that.

A smart thief stole my fathers property and I couldnt have the best of education, I couldnt enjoy potable water and good food, no smooth rides on my road, I didnt even get money to establish my business. My family is now barely surviving holding on to the last straws of a Breton Woods grant.

The court scraps his jail sentence and then asks him to pay back and then after suffering all these years, he tells me he forgives me for insulting him and calling him a thief. Chill brother, its love.

Apparently his lovers gave him a lot of documents, some very confidential, from the attorney generals department to get himself out of any possible jail term. To even aid him more, the state kept asking for more time and adjournments to keep the issue dragging perhaps to get the short Ghanaian memory stretched out.

To enforce the strength of this cupid of love, the state presented so shoddy a defense that both the high court judge Justice Ajet Nasam and the appeals court judge Justice Victor Ofoe in open court, rained criticisms at the state and questioned the loyalty and competence of some very competent officers at the AGs department. Even Ajet Nasem who will take a sheep to let a case die eh! Ohouu!

These lovers are really in love to the extent that even the letters on their love headlines rhyme - GYEEDA, SUBAH, SADA. Over 300 million cedis were the trick and uncle and mother of the damsel was ready to step in; damning the constitution and what it ever stood for. Kwesi Twuie couldnt succeed in stopping Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit from marrying his own daughter. Well they are the former National Coordinator for GYEEDA, and CEO for Goodwill International. They have also been through court as the only delegated Chief Executive Officer and Extraordinaire Plenipotentiaries while all the others including a minister who dared his own to expose him, sleep soundly enjoying their spoils.

Its the same treatement though. Nothing so different. They are paying back in installments. If they fail to pay though, nothing much will be done, a certain man will keep repeating his directives he has purportedly given the Attorney Generals office at every instance, especially on international anti-corruption day.

Well this is my wish to government. P-l-e-a-s-e government. I am really handsome. I might not be carrying so much money as Alfred Agbesi Woyome, Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit. But please fall in love with me wai. Masa I beg. my name Ivan Heathcote  Fumador is also as heavy and botanical as the above mentioned names wai. Give me some to chop na I de hosle.

But at the end of the whole story of I Told You So, the young lady found out that the rich dude was just a criminal. But for a nosy Samaritan who came to inform them that the bride groom they were waiting for had been arrested by the police, they would have still been waiting for him till now as I am writing.

In her embarrassment, she went back to her father Kwesi Twuie who she had totally thrown to the dogs and learnt a lesson. If we keep treading the constitution under our feet, we will only be wrecking havoc for our own country. By the time we finished staging this soap opera and creating all the constitutional blunders, it might be too late and too costly to write the wrong. Every time I look at the supremacy of the constitution and what it was made to stand for, these words from proverbs 1 in the Holy Bible, hit me so hard as if they were warning the country.

Repent at my rebuke!

Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,

I will make known to you my teachings.

24

But since you refuse to listen when I call

and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

25

since you disregard all my advice

and do not accept my rebuke,

26

I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you

27

when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28

Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me,

29

since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the Lord.

30

Since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

31

they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33

but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.

Isnt that the constitution speaking to Ghanaians? Cant our leaders hear? Dont they weigh the calamity and trouble that awaits us in this love court? LIGHT TO THE WORLD!!!
Let put aside the brouhaha surrounding the aftermath of the independence day celebration, I mean the "error ridden/laden brochure" in which H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta is the president of the Republic of Ghana. After all I believe most of our nation's problems are the results of that which Cartlin Japa calls Self- Sabotage. This means we know exactly what to do but we do not do them.

Anyway I am sure Mr. Kenyatta himself was not offended by that. Come to think of it who would not love to be the president of might Ghana, the country whose independence led to the total libration of the continent at large. Beside I am sure H.E. Mr. John Mahama was also not offended. I believe his presidency is a post he will gladly give away to a foreigner on a such a glorious and momentous day. Because we are frighten men, men without core or guts according to Charles Kabuye (The Great Escape).

Before I go any further let me travel our aching hearts to the Independence Square/ Black Star Square for a summary of this year's independence day celebration in no particular order. Uniforms girls and boys of different schools an embodiment of this years' independence celebration theme (Investing in the youth for national /Ghana's transformation). Also present were uniform men and women representing the various security forces in Ghana parading and marching to the salute of the president. They marched in different types of combat formation. This was a beautiful and detail demonstration of our security prowess to the rest of the continent and the world.

I mean the kind of security in which Members of Parliament are murdered like ordinary citizens by teenagers. The kind of security that make "mad men" with weapons enter into the same room with the president. The kind of security in which "mad men" eat school girls for dinner. The kind of security that have watch Fulani and locals of certain residences kill themselves for some years now.

Notwithstanding, this year's independence day celebration was as usual well attended by dignitaries of all the political front, the religious front and the traditional front. The general public were also in town "Ghanafo wo krom". It was colourful with our traditions and culture. To top it we had a great weather, this time the "Weatherman" did not fail us. Then the most important time came and all was silence waiting for the first citizen of the land to make his speech. It is time for the presidential speech. The presidential speech is so important to the nation because it is more than a "New Year's Resolution". But before the president of Ghana make his speech, the podium must first be given to the "visiting president of Ghana" Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. I believe there s a lot we can learn from Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta's speech. From the presidential speech of Mr. Kenyatta we may learn the following;

The 59th independence day celebration is a mark of Ghana's leadership, believe in Pan Africa and inspiration. If our independence celebration is a mark of Ghana's leadership, you would wonder which department of our ill country serve as inspirations to other countries on the continents. We just escape "dumsor", the companies that collapse and the lives and properties lost the lest said amount them the better. Most of our citizens still don't have access to pipe water. Our hospitals don't have beds for our sick. The Cedi in recent past have enjoyed a free fall against the world's major trading currencies like the US dollar. Some firms import certain small cocoa beans while there is a banned on most government employment.

We also remember issues like the National Service scandal, the Woyome saga and the SADA scandals. With all these, if Ghana is leading the way for Africa's prosperity what hope has the continent. If in the mist of all these vices we are an inspiration to the rest of Africa how poor shall Africa get. All Ghanaians are aware we are not doing so great as a nation so the lest said about it the better.

But I am also of the believe that, Mr. Kenyatta meant every word he said. So I looked around the continents I realized that peace, stability and democracy is a luxury many can't afford. Without our democracy I believe we would have been worse than we are now. With peace and stability we have attracted more investors. When our last election was disputed in court and a sentence was passed in favour of the ruling government, it was a sign of the maturity of our political front. I remember in Kenya less than a decade ago there was an election related tribal conflicts which resulted in the death of many. Indeed our 59 years of existence as a nation without a civil war is a testament that indeed Ghana still occupy leadership role in the eyes of the rest of the continents and Ghana remains a strong inspiration to other countries that peace, stability is affordably and is within reach.

Further, Mr. Kenyatta said something that continues to linger in my thoughts. He said Dr. Kwame Nkrumah had a vision for Pan Africa by which he did guide others into their libration. This means people and nations must be guided by a common vision. Because with vision we can plan our future as a nation. Without vision we don't know where we are going as a nation. Without vision our future is not guided and has no purpose. As a development student I was very happy the day Ghana adopted the 40 years development plan. In the past, I believe governments after governments were guided mostly by their manifestoes, the IMF, World Bank and UN goals. Today we have a development vision to guide our development. This is a good thing which I believe when followed will place Ghana where it need be.

A little more of Mr. Kenyatta later, let us consider some few issues from H.E. Mr. John Mahama. Congratulation, "for Ghana our beloved country is still free forever". Fortunately for him we got to know the status of our nation from the State of the Nation Address delivered in February. This means we were aware of our achievements over the past year. And for me it was no surprise His Excellency John Dramani Mahama limited his speech to his ECOWAS Achievements, Lupita Nyongo and Abraham Authur. But irrespective of that, there is still some learning in his speech.

He told us, we should not take the liberty won for us for granted, we should also acknowledge our responsibilities in it continuity. Furthermore he reiterated that our deeds and works will determine whether our nation would be " prime for success or in need of saving". I think the president hit the nail right on the head. In this generation of fast lane life, it is good we are always remembered of our liberty and how it was expensively purchased for us. This I believe will help us acknowledge our responsibility in it continuity. This means market women and men should resist putting Sudan dye in oil palm, it also means pastors should stop using the pulpit for corrupt practices. Judges should uphold the rule of law. Illegal mining, lumbering and connection (electricity and water) must stop. In so doing we shall put our nation on the path of development. A nation prime for success.

Both presidents agreed on certain grounds especially in the area of co-operation, trade and movements. Mr. Kenyatta said co-operation between Ghana and Kenya have resulted in daily flight of Kenya Airways to Ghana. Mr. Mahama where is Ghana Airways or Ghana International Airlines. The answer is it dead and forgotten. What are you doing about it? Mr. Mahama also talked about entry visa and visa waiver programms with some countries. It is a great initiative and would urge the president to continue with it to include even more countries to promote trade and business in Ghana. Both presidents further said great things about the deeds of our fathers (independent fighters) and said nothing about the successive generations to now. And to me that is the sum of the Africa story. It is all about the heroic deeds of our fathers and the nothingness of ourselves at least for now. The African is all about the glory of Nkrumah, Kenyatta, Lumumba, Nyerere and Mandela among others. WE ARE OURSELF OUR BIGGEST AND GREATEST OPPONENT is the sum of all that we can learn from this year's independence day celebration.

Let us conclude with one proud Ghana moment. The moment the national anthem was played. Anytime the national anthem is played we are very proud and indeed we should be. But the question is how many Ghanaians have notice that, our national anthem is a prayer. I think our national anthem is a beautifully written prayer, just that it doesn't end in the name of Jesus or Amen. I believe when we sing or pray our national anthem with all sincerity and practice the words therein we shall be a nation all prime for success without a doubt. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.

Paa Kwesi

[email protected]
The Government of Japan has been providing funds to local non-profit organizations through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) since 1989.

The Ground Breaking Ceremony of a GGP project The Project for the Construction of Agriculture and Fishery Processing Factory for the Community Empowerment within the Marenga fishing village was held in Budalangi, Bunyala, Busia County on 11th March, 2016.

The Grant Contract of this project had previously been signed at the Embassy of Japan in Nairobi on 26th of January, 2016 by H.E. Tatsushi Terada, the Ambassador of Japan to Kenya and the grantee organization, Bunyala Industrial Park Self Help Group. The signing ceremony had been witnessed by among others, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, Member of Parliament, Budalangi Constituency in Busia County.

The project received a grant of US$ 81,629 (approx. Kshs 8.0 Million) for the construction of a Processing Factory and installation of a processing machine for the Omena fish. A packaging machine will also be installed to enable transportation of the Omena and Rice to the market. This project aims to empower the community within the Marenga fishing village in Budalangi Constituency, Busia County.

Mr. Mikio Mori, The Deputy Ambassador of Japan to Kenya, congratulated Bunyala Industrial Park Self Help Group Oasis Group for initiating the project.

He mentioned the strong ties of friendship between Japan and Kenya stating that Kenya is the largest recipient of Japan's ODA in the Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the ODA projects, The Lake Victoria Comprehensive Ecosystem and Aquatic Environment Research for Development Project which was funded by the Government of Japan is currently ongoing in the area. It is a collaborative project which involves Maseno University, Nagasaki University and the governments of Kenya and Japan.

Mr. Mori explained that the Japanese people love eating fish from sea and rice with almost every meal in their food culture. He hoped that the similarities of the food culture with that of the project beneficiaries would create the first step towards entrepreneurial opportunities through exchange of ideas between the two countries. He also stated that Japan had a long history of technology and experience in fisheries and could contribute to the development of the Kenyan fisheries sector.

Mr. Mori informed the gathering that the next Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), the first TICAD ever held in Africa and out of Japan, would be in Kenya later in the year, on 27th and 28th August. Not only would the TICAD have historical significance, it would also further strengthen ties between Japan and Africa.
Nestle has celebrated the performance of its customers (Distributors and Wholesalers) at a ceremony held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on 12th March 2016. It was an opportunity for the company to recognize and thank the people who translate into reality the commitments of Nestle to deliver success. Nestle applauded the customers for their trust and loyalty for the year 2015.

To ensure the corresponding growth of the business with the customers, the Distributors and Wholesalers where schooled by Nestle Ghana on Taxation, Financial Management, Distributor Management Systems and performance grading modalities. Nestles ambition is to be the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company. The company helps to meet the nutritional needs of its consumers everywhere, anytime, by ensuring its products are available in the market place, community supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants etc. The company recognizes that its customers have been at the centre of this interaction, helping to bring Nutrition, Health and Wellness products to retailers and consumers.

Speaking at the award ceremony which brought together Customers from all the ten regions in Ghana, the Managing Director for Nestle Ghana, Mrs. Freda Y. Duplan commended Customers for their commitment to ensuring healthy choice of consumer products. Through our customer care and customer service department, Nestle is committed to excelling with customers who form a valuable part of the value chain of the company, to ensure satisfaction. The customer is an essential part of our value chain, she added.

The Customers were given an overview and outlook of the companys commitment to continuously deliver quality and affordable products to consumers through all its product ranges. The business also highlighted its Creating Shared Value initiative and societal commitments in the areas of Nutrition, Water and Rural Development. Nestle believes in creating value not only for the company, but also for society, by meeting societal challenges and key business needs.

Thonket Company Limited, in the Brong Ahafo Region, won the National Best Distributor Award. The Highest Turn Over Award went to Danmoud Limited in the Greater- Accra Region.

National Sales Manager for Nestle Ghana, Fernando Chandana, in his welcome message mentioned that all round the world we can attribute our 150th Anniversary to our customers and consumers who have been loyal to our various brands over the years.

In Ghana, Nestle sells a range of products like Ideal Milk, Carnation Milk, Milo, Cerelac, Maggi, Nido, Nescafe, Milo Cereal etc.
Kansaworado(W/R),March 14,.GNA-The Headmaster of the Methodist Senior High School (MEHSEC) at Sekondi,Mr.George Tweneboah-Koduah has made a passionate appeal to the Ghana Education Trust Fund(GETFUND),government,stakeholders and the alumni to come on board to put the school on a sound footing.

He said the school was in dire need of infrastructural development as plans are afoot to move the school from its current small confinement at Sekondi to its permanent site at Kansaworado a suburb of Takoradi.

Mr.Tweneboah-koduah who assumed office as the new substantive headmaster at the inception of this year,made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency(GNA) during an inspection of the new and permanent site at Kansaworado in the Western Region.

He told the GNA that his major pre-occupation as the substantive headmaster was to ensure that the school no longer operates two campuses and assured that bringing the school from Sekondi which had become the headquarters over the years to Kansaworado "is not cost effective" .

Mr.Tweneboah-Koduah observed that as a day school,students have to walk and cover so many miles before coming to school most of whom usually come late and miss the first period,a situation which had become wearisome and was having a telling effect on their academic work.

The Headmaster intimated that to make education accessible to school children at Kansaworado and environs,the Methodist Church acquired a large tract of land at Kansaworado in a bid to relocate from the old site at Sekondi, en route the naval base,a very congested area which lacks recreational facilities and has no room for expansion to accommodate new entrants.

He said the one storey block at Kansaworado accommodates some form one classes and part of form two classes.All the others including final year classes are at Sekondi thereby making the running of the two campuses which are not closer very difficult and time consuming.

Mr. Tweneboah-Koduah noted that as the school operates two campuses with a long distance,some teachers who oscillate between the Sekondi and Kansaworado campuses,during instructional hours, find it difficult to cope with the situation.

It is against this backdrop that his outfit is poised to move heaven and earth to ensure that the school moves from Sekondi to Kansaworado with effect from the 2016/2017 academic year to ensure smooth academic environment.

According to Mr. Tweneboah-Koduah, in spite of the numerous challenges confronting the school,it had chalked successes in the past and is poised to improve its records in the academic,sports drama,debating and other fields of endeavour to make the school one of excellence in the country.

When the GNA spoke to most of the students,they expressed bitter sentiments about conditions in the school especially the absence of structures to convert the school into lodging and boarding.

They lamented that this state of affairs impeded their academic work and seized the opportunity to appeal to the Ministry of Education(MOE),the Ghana Education Service(GES) and other Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) to come to the aid of thee school.

GNA
Governor of Bank of Ghana, Henry Kofi Wampah

15.03.2016 LISTEN

Last week, news broke that one of Britains most wanted drug lords, David McDermott, had been arrested. He was arrested in Ghana. Not long ago, Arthur Simpson-Kent, a British man suspected to have killed his wife and their two children was also arrested in Ghana.

There was, however, more to this recent news than just the arrest of a drug baron. He had married Ramona Wampah, daughter of the Governor of Ghanas Central Bank, Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah. They have a child. The story did not gain the expected currency in the country mainly because Dr. Wampah is not a politician.

If Dr. Wampah were in frontline politics, the weird theories and connections would dominate the media for weeks. It is rather his comment on the matter that has generated so much discussion on social media.

On Sunday afternoon, I saw a statement released and signed by Dr. Kofi Wampah. Like the error committed by the disgraced and dismissed acting Director of the Information Services Director, Francis Kwarteng Arthur, the date on the statement was wrong. The first statement, which was signed by Dr. Wampah, was dated February 11, 2016. Another statement, also with the same signature of Dr. Wampah, was again released with the correct date, March 13, 2016. The contents of the two statements were, however, the same. Below is the full statement he issued.

STATEMENT ON THE ARREST OF DAVID McDERMOTT

I have received news about the arrest of David McDermott who is married to my stepdaughter, Ramona, with shock.

David has been known to me as a worker in the mining sector and has been living in the country with Ramona since their marriage some three years ago.

Until I received information about his arrest, I had absolutely no knowledge about David being a fugitive of the British government.

Issued by:

(Signature)

Henry A.K. WAMPAH

Governor, Bank of Ghana.

March 13, 16.



Kofi Wampahs Letters



Two things struck me when I read Dr. Kofi Wampahs press statement. What background checks did he and his family conduct before giving their daughter to the expatriate to marry? If he worked in the mining sector, was he working with Anglogold or Newmont? Or as usual, he just told them he was a gold dealer? And did they take the pains to cross check?

From the statement, it did not appear the fugitive changed his name when he ran to Ghana. Could a simple Google search not have exposed him? Many years before the White Man stepped foot on the shores of our sea, our unsophisticated forefathers conducted very thorough investigation on families that were about to marry their sons or daughters. They looked out for warning signs such as crime, unacceptable social behaviours, and in some cases, records of health conditions such as bareness.

If Mr. Wampah and his family had been a bit meticulous, they could have avoided this embarrassment. The Summary of David McDermotts profile as a most wanted criminal on Britains National Crime Agency website reads as follows:

David McDermott, 41: Wanted by the National Crime Agency on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to blackmail. McDermott is originally from Ormskirk but his last known address was in Liverpool. He is believed to be a member of a Liverpool-based organised crime group involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine. Approximately 400 kilos of cocaine was found hidden in a container of frozen Argentinian beef in May 2013 at Tilbury Docks. Not knowing the cocaine had been seized, he was observed by NCA officers meeting with other members of the crime group. They allegedly discussed the use of violence against anyone who had information. He is described as 5ft, 11 ins tall and has a two-inch scar on his wrist.

David McDermott, a British fugitive has been married to the daughter of Ghanas Central Bank Governor for three years

This means Dr. Wampah did not do due diligence, and as my good friend Derick Romeo Agogla wrote on Facebook, his statement opened him up for more criticism as a careless father. (No wonder our cedi is worth nothing under his watch).

My main issue with Dr. Wampahs statement, and for which reason I am writing this piece is his description of Ramona Wampah in the press statement. The media reports said the fugitive was married to Dr. Kofi Wampahs daughter. But Dr. Wampah said in the statement that Ramona was his stepdaughter.

Dr. Wampah, did you have to add that she is a STEPdaughter? Did you need to describe what kind of daughter Ramona is to you? Whether she is your biological daughter, stepdaughter or adopted daughter, does it matter? Is she still not your daughter? Or you think telling us Ramona is your stepdaughter creates that distance and takes the shame away from you? Or are you suggesting that your biological daughter would not have married a fugitive?

If the news had been, Ramona Wampah, the daughter of Ghanas Central Bank Governor, has won a Nobel Peace Prize, would you have told the whole world that she is not your real daughter but your stepdaughter?

I dont know what you sought to achieve by that description. I dont know how Ramona and her mother are taking this. But I know you could have done better.

This news is enough to traumatise this young woman and drain her emotionally. This is the time she needs the love and support of the family most. Telling the world shes not your own blood does not help matters. Maybe, you need to apologise to Ramona. If you were jailed for embezzling funds and Ramona Wampah released a statement describing you as a stepfather, I am not sure you would be happy.

I dont think yours is an isolated case. You have just fed into the old adage that says Abusua pe ade nanso kyiri ka. When someone excels in the family the most distant relative shares in the glory. But when they fail, their closest relatives do not want to associate with them. What we must not forget is that those who want to be part of the grace of others but run away from their disgrace are not counted among the great when posterity sits in judgment of men and women to consider noble.

The writer, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is a senior broadcast journalist with Joy 99.7FM. His email address is [email protected] .
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with the African Union Envoy and head of AMISOM, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira.

The meeting discussed how Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) will implement the actions arising from the Djibouti Declaration (February 2016), and how to best strengthen the operational capacity of AMISOM and Somali National Army (SNA).

Among the issues discussed both in Djibouti and in Mogadishu, include providing the necessary resources to AMISOM and the SNA, and the more effective coordination, collaboration and efficient communication between AMISOM and the SNA.

The President and Ambassador Madeira agreed to form a task force that will implement and monitor the Djibouti TCC Summit outcomes and the ongoing cooperation between AMISOM and the SNA.

The meeting also discussed ways to provide basic stabilization needs to areas liberated from Al-Shabaab. Military commanders from Somalia and AMISOM attended the meeting.
15.03.2016 LISTEN

In an era where customers are becoming their own advocates and - with the internet, mobile accessibility, social media and big data at our fingertips  it has become irresponsible for brands to not engage with their customers, to retain them; experts share their views.

According to Bisi Lamikanra, Partner and Head, Management Consulting, KPMG in Nigeria, There are increasing opportunities for collection, processing and analysis of vast and complex data sets, which can reveal insight for brands into their customers; insights such as demography, behaviour, transaction trends, economics, etc. And, the ability to mine and utilise insights from this data will create business value in customer engagement and retention, as well as possible new product or service development.

In recent years there has been a rapid shift from generic customer segmentation into a more individualised approach, enabling businesses to treat each and every customer as an individual and deliver exceptional customer service and experience.

Lamikanra explains that this shift has been spurred by customer analytics; the process of understanding the brands customers  whether people or companies  which can only be derived through continuous collation and analysis of the customer information as well as environment information, to allow brands to generate insights into customers past, current and future behaviour. This information can then be used to improve customer relationships and their loyalty to the brand, drive customer satisfaction, grow the brands customer base and/or their profitability, and decrease customer erosion  all of which will ultimately support the brands market share gain and revenue drives.

Yaron Assabi, CEO of Digital Solutions Group, agrees though cautions against the mentality that simply adopting new technology will result in winning and retaining customer loyalty. Social media platforms, in particular, have created opportunities for dialogue between brands and customers that make it easier for a customer to buy into a brand, but also easier for an entire group to disassociate from a brand.

Assabi indicates, Brand messages have become secondary to experiences. For instance, word-of-mouth customer advocacy on social media platforms generates far higher levels of trust than a brand message. Social media can very quickly amplify customer views and brand managers who are savvy enough to analyse and respond to this form of customer feedback will continue to grow consumers trust.

On the other hand, unsolicited customer engagement can uncover uncomfortable truths that a brand might not be ready to embrace. However, brands who listen to what customers have to say about their preferred channels and then use technology to drive this relationship, will create superior customer engagement and as such relationships.

Businesses today need to understand that customers yearn to engage, connect and affiliate with brands that reflect their values while solving their angst, adds Assabi. It is a simple principle in all relationships: we are all different and we want to be treated differently. Data analytics and social media platforms make this possible, but too many brands still focus on mass marketing rather than one-to-one relationships with their customers.

Citing a study by Demeulenaere from Africas biggest economy, South Africa, Assabi said there are three main reasons customers will disassociate from a brand. Lower prices can lure 24% of the customers elsewhere; another 18% will move to a different service provider if staff were impolite, rude or uninterested; and 13% will move alliances when they have to make too much effort to get what they need (13%).Customers want self-service and they expect each channel to deliver a personalised experience.

The mobile channel, for instance, is very rich with insight and customer behaviour could be tracked through the customer journey. Business can analyse dwell time, engagement, self-service usage and call to action. The information is there, if brands are willing to invest and dedicate teams to analyse the behaviour, but the issue according to Ken Dooley , is that only 37% of brand leaders have a dedicated budget for customer experience improvement initiatives, adds Assabi.

He further stressed that the right technology to help customer experiences to the next level can include call centres or text-based interactions, but he is also quick to points out that the use of smartphones is increasing every month and all brands must prepare for wider internet availability with mobi sites and apps that can facilitate these critical interactions.

Analytics put names to numbers

Lamikanra says customer analytics enable brand managers to create behaviour prediction models and deliver exceptional customer service and experience at each phase of the life-cycle by anticipating each customers needs and suggesting appropriate next-best-action, be it during the acquisition or retention phase.

There is this notion in the market that you need the best-in-class BI (Business Intelligence) and best data quality before embarking on customer analytics, however, this is not true, adds Lamikanra. While the data quality and availability affects the precision of the predictive models, the precise data models are not the only ingredient for success, and therefore, customer analytics can be successful even without 100% available and high-quality data. In fact, its been our experience that even an eight- to twelve-weeks pilot data analysis can deliver tangible business results.

What really makes or breaks overall success is successfully integrating analytical solution outputs into the daily business operations through education, motivation and follow-up support. Customer analytics should therefore be driven by a deep-seated motivation to address key business challenges through improved customer engagement and, the earlier businesses start the better, concludes Lamikanra.
Government has refuted the assertions that it has entered into another deal with Smarttys as claimed by minority Members of Parliament (MPs) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Deputy Minister for Power, John Jinapor, said the commercial agreement entered into was not with Smarttys Management and Productions Limited but rather with China Hunan Construction Engineering Group (HNCEG).

Speaking to Kojo Yankson, host of the Joy FM Super Morning Show, Mr Jinapor said the involvement of Smarttys in the course of the negotiations was only to sit in as the Public Relations company of the Chinese company and not as a negotiator.

Parliament of Ghana approved the $92 million commercial agreement for China Hunan Construction Engineering Group to execute rural electrification projects in the Eastern, Volta and Northern regions.

The deal was said to have been overpriced to the tune of $22.7 million after Crown Agent Ghana Limited (CAGL) conducted value for money assessment. It was later renegotiated to $9 million after the two parties  Ghana Government and China Hunan Construction Engineering Group (HNCEG) were able to agree on a median amount with the help of Crown Agent Ghana Limited.

The rural electrification project was started by the Kufuor administration but it was the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) government which conducted the value for money assessment.

Minority MPs in Parliament told the House to take a second look at the commercial agreement after the name of Smarttys came up as the local representatives of Hunan Construction and Engineering Limited.

NPP MP for Old Tafo, Dr Osei Akoto, said government should have notified Parliament about the involvement of Smarttys Productions since the company's last deal with government was questionable.

He confirmed that Smarttys sat in the meeting when Crown Agents complained the project had been overpriced to the tune of $22.7 disclaiming Mr Jinpor's claim that Smarttys played no part.

Dr Akoto said government should not pretend there is no issue with the contract adding that it should have resisted Smarttys' involvement in the deal since the company has been involved in an overpriced project.

He said any company found to have been involved in a questionable deal with the government should be prevented in future deals and this should have been applied in this case.

However, Mr Jinapor said he is finding it hard to understand why the minority is painting a picture of their disapproval of the transaction when in actual sense the commercial agreement for the contract was approved unanimously by all Members of Parliament.

He explained that the rural electrification deal had been pending for the past two years before Smarttys was involved in the overpriced Metro Mass bus rebranded scandal and that the government is only implementing the bold initiative which will bring light to most homes in rural areas.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | [email protected]
The African Women Entrepreneurs Program (AWEP) over the weekend crowned its activities for the years International Womens Day celebration with a cooking contest with Onga. The contest, which was solely cooking of local indigenous Ghanaian meals, climaxed the week-long celebration at the Dubios Center in Accra. The contestants prepared Banku with Okro Stew, Tuo Zafi with Ayoyo, Akple with Okro Soup and Aprapansa

Speaking in an interview, the chairperson for AWEP  Ghana Mrs Adjahoe-Jennings said, the contest was designed specially to promote the indigenous Ghanaian meals in our homes and we are happy that Onga is sponsoring and spicing it up. She also added how the event was meant to bring women entrepreneurs together so as to empower them and also providing an opportunity for them to network.

AWEP, a non-governmental organization, has the vision of empowering women entrepreneurs in Ghana to make a positive impact on their societies and lead in advocating for an enabling environment for them in business and their effective participation in international trade.

The Brand Manager of Onga, Mrs Emmeline Tagoe on her part shared her enthusiasm in supporting the event. She said as a brand which is proudly made here in Ghana, we are always interested in the development of the individual Ghanaian woman and that is why we did not hesitate in supporting this event with the different variants of Onga seasoning when AWEP approached us.

Winners of the competition took home cooking stoves, products and souvenirs from Onga.
Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh , Provost of Howard University in Washington DC kicked off the first 'Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Best Practices' Forum of the USA on March 11, 2016 at the new Howard University Interdisciplinary Research Building in Washington DC in conjunction with the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation (NNPA) of the U.S.A.

Dr. Wutoh made remarks in place of the President of Howard University; Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick and welcomed Dr Benjamin Chavez - President of NNPA, Denise Roark Barnes - Chairman of NNPA, and Al McFarlane; Chair of the NNPA Foundation and the STEM Experts to Howard University.

Best Practices in STEM is part of the NNPA 2016 Black Press Week Forum that assembled a group of select scholars and educators from four Washington DC area Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Washington area Primary, Middle and Junior High Schools.

Howard University's first STEM best practices forum

Leading Engineers with the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and a Member of the American National Academy of Inventors (NAI) were among others present to provide hands-on Robotics assembly and demonstration to student scholars who were experiencing this for the first time ever.

Fiber Optics Inventor and the NNPA Foundations STEM Reach 2020 Ambassador - Dr. Thomas Mensah - a Fellow of the NAI and one of its only three Black members of its 167 inventors who holds over seven U.S.A. patents, and Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu ; Group Lead and Robotics Engineer at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Fellow of the United Kingdoms IET and the Royal Aeronautical Society, also designer of the Mars Rover Lander. Dr Trebi-Ollennu's current research focuses on Planetary Rovers.

"I think everyone present at the event was really happy to see the opportunity for a bright future for these young children. We hope this excitement plays a major role in raising Scholastic Aptitude tests and interest in STEM for young African Americans in the USA and young black people all over the world Dr. Mensah said.

A total of 82 young people from respective schools in nation's Capital were very lucky to have these two leading Scientists in Robotics and Drone technology on hand to do hands-on demonstrations of some of these sophisticated technologies. The other elite personalities present were Dr. Edward Tunstel; Designer of Mars Lander Robot at NASA who is also a Howard University Alumnus and now Senior Roboticist at Johns Hopkins Universitys Applied Physics Laboratory.

The rest are Fernando Hernandez; Director at Microsoft Supplier Diversity who formulated Microsofts $2 billion supplier diversity strategic 3-year plan, and Bill Blackwelder; President at Delta Southern Space UAS, a firm specializing in unmanned aerial systems and platforms in the agricultural industry in the U.S.A.

Dr. Mensah said after the event that it was exciting to see these young students, some of the children in their third grade, interact with Scientists, Engineers and Inventors as well as older students from the all female Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia, U.S.A. who placed 3rd in a national robotics competition at Microsoft in November 2014. The Spelman ladies were on hand to demonstrate a Humanoid Robot they had built which is nicknamed 'spice'. The High Schoolers were also impressed by the commercial drone shown by Bill Blackwell.

The entire program was recorded by WHUT; the Howard University Television Station according to Dr Garry L. Harris -Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies - who opened the Interdisciplinary Research Building IRB Facility for the Forum.

According to Al McFarlane of McFarlane Media Interests Inc. Chair of the NNPA Foundation and Dr. Thomas Mensah who put all this together, the STEM Reach 2020 Initiative engages nearly 200 NNPA media houses to project a national discussion and expand awareness about the importance of STEM education with support from the American Petroleum Institute; a lead sponsor and the Black Press of America. Email the NNPA with [email protected]
15.03.2016 LISTEN

First the good news: our neighbour to the west, the Ivory Coast (which has just seen a deadly attack claimed by Al Qaeda, in which at least 22 people were killed) has a social make-up that is slightly different from our own. Which means that our unspoken fear that Al Qaeda is ever getting too close to us for comfort (the terrorist group having attacked our neighbour to the north, Burkina Faso in January 2016) must not quite lead us into quaking in our boots. Yet.

But we definitely are less safe than we were three months ago, and must therefore redouble our guard, as it were, by tightening our security as much as possible.

The reason why we may be less vulnerable to attack than the Ivory Coast is that the Ivory Coast shares a national language  French  with all its neighbours other than Ghana. So it is much easier for non-native terrorists from say, Mali, Guinea or Burkina Faso, to enter and live normal lives in the Ivory Coast than it would be for French-speaking characters from the area  including the Ivory Coast itself  to enter Ghana and operate successfully here.

Nevertheless, the attack on the Ivory Coast must open our eyes wide to our own situation. For the Ivory Coast has just emerged from a decade of military and political upheavals, including two instances of full-scale civil war that warranted foreign intervention. Peace came to the country only after the capture of ex-President Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan on 11 April 2011.

It would therefore be reasonable to expect that the victorious Alassane Ouattara Government  which has been in power for the past five years  would be extremely security-conscious. The attack has come at a particularly bad time for Ouattara, inasmuch as it has occurred during the trial of ex-President Laurent Gbagbo at the Hague, in Holland, by the International Criminal Court, for crimes he committed aga9instbthe (Ivorian people, when he was in power.

Although, as mentioned earlier, Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack, the disturbance could equally well be taken for a show of force by Gbagbo supporters, which Al Qaeda has unceremoniously expropriated for itself. Neither scenario, however, does the prestige of the Ouattara administration any favours.

What would be interesting to know is this: has the Ouattara administration dismantled all the military checkpoints and outposts that were put in place by his side before and after the ouster of Gbagbo? If they are still in place, how come a resort as popular with foreign tourists as Grand Bassam, could be penetrated as easily (as it seems) by terrorists wielding deadly weapons?

The effectiveness of the attack at Grand Bassam should serve as a lesson to all those who believe that expert training and advice regarding security issues can necessarily prevent terrorist attacks. The French are among the most experienced anti-terrorism experts in the world, having combated terrorists all the way from Indo-China to North Africa, and thence to West Africa. They know the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Mali like the palm of their hands. Yet, although these countries receive regular training and materiel from the French, Al Qaeda seems to have been able to plan and execute effective terrorist operations on their soil. And, of course, Isis and Al Qaeda have shown that they can make deadly strikes in metropolitan France itself.

This is why Ghana should, under no circumstances, place itself on the radar screen of Al Qaeda and any other terrorist organisations. The United States, with all its might and technological expertise, cannot save Ghana from terrorist attacks if  God forbid  any were to be launched on Ghanaian soil. Look at the state of Iraq today; look also at Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The US and its allies have been engaging in the re-ordering of the political and military landscape in all these countries. But none of them can be considered a haven of stability today, and their future is increasingly shown to be up for grabs.

Under the circumstances, President Barack Obama has been extremely unfair to Ghana by sending us the two ex-Gitmo detainees and thereby forcing the Mahama Government to reveal its hand as a partner to the US in what might be called its global political enterprise. Ghanaians showed their love for Obama when he visited us in 2009. But he seems to have repaid us by placing Ghana at risk of occupying a place among the potential victims of Al Qaeda. The US has not been able to defend Kenya, a country with which President Obama has extremely close ties and which, one assumes, he would do everything in his power to defend. Why then must we think it can defend Ghana?

Indeed, a Kenyan citizen would be understood if he wondered: How can we be so vulnerable to Al Shabaab attacks, when the son of a Kenyan sits in Washington upon all the cash and military power that anyone could ever wish for?

The answer, of course, is that cash and military prowess alone cannot defend any country. There is a third element: the willingness AND ABILITY of a country's own citizens to learn from others, and their capability to apply the expertise they have acquired, to defend their own countries to the death. No-one can predict what another person would do if the person had to choose  in the midst of a hail of bullets  whether to seek personal safety or risk death for the sake of his country.

To risk his life beyond the call of duty  which is, often, what enables victories to be won on a battlefield  a member of the security forces of a country has to BELIEVE in the cause for which he is potentially giving his life. If that cause is dubious in any shape or form, it is likely that the normal human being, engaged in a secret debate with himself at the war-front, would prefer personal safety to a heroic death. For patriotism can neither be taught nor bought. And that's why politicians everywhere must ponder carefully before they play Cowboys and Indians with the national security of their countries.

The psychological considerations apart, it is also irksome for the citizens of a country to live under constant conditions of tightened security. In that respect, one must entertain the greatest sympathy for the Ouattara Government. You see, the people of the Ivory Coast really know what 'the good life' is. Abidjan long ago overtook Dakar, in Senegal, as the Petit Paris of the francophone world. Before it fell apart, the Ivory Coast had, among its tourist attractions, an idyllic beach holiday resort at Assouinde  not too far from Abidjan  where French and other European women swam topless and feasted on grilled prawns on skewers, in the company of members of the Ivorian bourgeoisie.

With such a background, it would be natural for the Ivorian authorities, once peace had returned to the country, to refrain from imposing such irritating measures on their populace as the frequent searching of motor-car boots and demands for identity cards. Ghanaians know of this sort of irritation, due to the suffering they endured under the PNDC after 31 December 1981. One wonders whether President Mahama and his Cabinet colleagues have thought through how a renewal of such measures would be received in Ghana?

The Ghana executive may think it has cleverly truncated the debate on the ex-Gitmo 2 by secretly briefing Members of Parliament, and thereby shutting them up  on pain of being prosecuted for revealing classified information given to them in a closed sitting of Parliament. But the questions regarding national security posed by the acceptance into Ghana of the ex-Gitmo 2 will not melt into thin air, just because MPs have had their lips sealed by the executive.

What, for instance, does the executive think will happen if Donald Trump  whose vocabulary does not include the word diplomacy  is elected President of the United States in November 2016, after Obama has left office? Suppose Trump begins to act his age and makes demands of the parasites or colonies that America has acquired abroad with foreign aid, what would Ghana do?

If that question sounds like a nightmarish one, just think what Mexicans must be thinking about the possible election of Trump!

To the Ghana Government, I have this to say: No-one can force you to bite more than you can chew. Sometimes, by saying No, you are doing what the Americans themselves would recognise as acting in your enlightened self-interest! They do that all the time!
CEO of Smarttys Selassie Ibrahim

15.03.2016 LISTEN

Lawyers for controversial PR firm, Smarttys, are threatening legal action against media houses, who they claim, are mischievously associating their client with a supposed $92m contract under the national electrification project.

Documents available to Ghanas parliament suggest that the electrification project set to be undertaken by Chinese company, Hunan Construction and Engineering Group, is being spearheaded by Smarttys.

The PR firm, owned by actress and member of the ruling government Selassie Ibrahim, has recently been in the news for admittedly inflating a bus rebranding contract awarded them by the Transport ministry. They are in the process of paying back the excess monies to government.

In a statement to clarify their involvement with the electrification project, lawyers for Mrs Ibrahim said Smarttys merely provided PR services to the Chinese company.

Our attention has been drawn to media reports mischievously associating our clients, Selassie Ibrahim and Smarttys management and productions Limited with a supposed $92m contract under the national electrification project.

 Our client dissociate themselves from the execution of an any such contract between the government of Ghana and the other indicated party, China Hunan construction engineering group or any such entity. Our clients are not parties to the contract as reported in sections of the media, the statement signed by Kissi Agyebeng noted.

It added: Our clients have, when requested at various times provided merely public relations services for China Hunan construction engineering group. This does not elevate our clients to the status of parties to the contract executed by the government of Ghana. Take note that we have the full instructions of our clients to institute legal action against any person and media house that persists in the publication or republication of the clearly defamatory and damaging media report. Indeed, we are filing suit promptly against the Media houses that carried the unfortunate untruth masquerading as a verified story.
15.03.2016 LISTEN

The contemporary situation, which defines Global Afrikan existence is founded in the Utamaduni[Kiswahili: Culture], political and economic context of continued domination by Eurasian elites. The neo-enslavers and neo-colonizers of Eurasia and Aryanized-Arabia have, through control of the Ulimwengu wa Hotuba[Kiswahili: Domain of Discourse], renamed themselves as humanitarians while continuing the Utamaduni dismantling of Global Afrika through their age old weapons of European defined Christianity, schooling and political-economic power supported by military dominance.

The settler colonialists of Aryanized-Arabia have continued their assault upon continental Afrika through the Aryanized-Arab Salafist fundamentalist socio-philosophy of Islam, enslavement and genocidal, continental Afrikan depopulation programs. Given these unchanging constants the Global Afrikan multicultural, racial integrationist agenda [ii] of unifying the entire Afrikan continent including space for Europeans and Aryanized-Arab descendants of enslavers and settler colonialists [iii] is a clear indication of the Neurotic Hysterical Behavior style.

The Neurotic Hysterical Behavior style is a cognitive, affective and psychomotor mode of functioning that consists of a manner of thinking, perception, and behavior that are the definable traits of persons having a socially induced neurotic condition. As a result of the institution of domination and the system of interlocking social relationships which characterize dominated societies, Waafrika Weusi[Kiswahili: Black Afrikans] of the Afrikan Continent and of the Utawanyika wa Waafrika Weusi Duniani[Kiswahili: Afrikan Diaspora] generally, have been conditioned into behavior best described as Hysterical Neuroses. TheGlobal Afrikan experiencing Hysterical Neuroses has a volatile and variable self-identity given their continued daily experience of psychic-trauma and socio-cultural dislocation under political economic domination with its denigration of all things born of the Global Afrikan , 3XW NX/Akhu-Ankh [Kush/Kemet: Eternal Spirit] of ,NX/ Ankh [Kush/Kemet: Life]and thus the Global Afrikan self-concept is an alienated, highly erratic and externally derived from the institutions of the dominators. On the importance of self-identity and by implication self-knowledge Mhenga Elijah Muhammad stated:

"First, my people must be taught the knowledge of self. Then and only then will they be able to understand others and that which surrounds them. Anyone who does not have a knowledge of self is considered a victim of either amnesia or unconsciousness and is not very competent. The lack of knowledge of self is a prevailing condition among my people here in America. Gaining the knowledge of self makes us unite into a great unity. Knowledge of self makes you take on the great virtue of learning." [iv]

Additionally, the Global Afrikan Hysterical Neurotic has a predominant mode of cognitive behavior that promotes repression of their memory and therefore, of their history given the psychic pain and trauma that it causes. On the supreme importance of memory and history Mhenga Malcolm X informed us that:

History is a people's memory, and without a memory man is demoted to the lower animals. . . When you deal with the past, you're dealing with history, you're dealing actually with the origin of a thing. When you know the origin, you know the cause. It's impossible for you and me to have a balanced mind in this society without going into the past, because in this particular society, as we function and fit into it right now, we're such an underdog, we're trampled upon, we're looked upon as almost nothing. Now if we don't go into the past and find out how we got this way, we will think that we were always this way. And if you think that you were always in the condition that you're in right now, it's impossible for you to have too much confidence in yourself, you become worthless, almost nothing. But when you go back into the past and find out where you once were, then you will know that you once had attained a higher level, had made great achievements, contributions to society, civilization, science, and so forth. And you know that if you once did it you can do it again; you automatically get the incentive, the inspiration and the energy necessary to duplicate what our forefathers did. [v]

And Mhenga Amos N. Wilson taught that:

History teaches us methods of coping. We learn from experience. Why do we teach our children things? We don't want them to make the same mistakes we did. In teaching history, we transfer from one generation to the next methods of solving problems. When we don't pass history on, you don't pass on problem solving methods and techniques to the next generation.That generation, without a sense of history, is unable to solve problems, because it has not received methods to do so. It's important to understand that the history we've been taught is not a history that brings with it problem-solving skills and other things needed to solve the problems that we face as African people. [vi]

In the place of the trauma inducing, genocidal experience of Global Afrikan people over the last two and a half millennia the Hysterical Neurotic Global Afrikan under the auspices of the Eurasian colonizers of Global History develops a narrative and script, which has the bare outlines of actual Global Afrikan socio-historical experience and in place of the traumatic events of the last two and a half millennia it contains a romanticized political mythology of the good that comes from conquest, enslavement, colonialism and neo-colonialism, which demonstrate a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome or love of the aggressor. In this narrative, conquest, enslavement, colonialism and neo-colonialism are sanitized through their being transformed into vehicles of Eurasian and Aryanized-Arab humanitarianism for Global Afrikan social redemption from a primitive, barbaric beginning through the provision of education, technology, civilized culture and most importantly for Global Afrikans the divinely sanctified act of the gift of their religions- Christianity and Islam. On these points the Wahenga na Wahenguzi[Kiswahili: Great Ancestors]speak loudly and forcefully as to their utter stupidity. The psychologist Mhenga Bobby Wright spoke clearly on the absurdity of this perspective:

If Europeans didnt give us good food, clothing and shelter during slavery, why did they give us such good religion? [vii]

Mhenga Yosef ben-Jochanan clearly warned us inthe following way:

"[Africans and] African-Americans have not yet learn that no other people have continued worshipping another's god, especially their slave master's god or gods and freed themselves from cultural and physical genocide. Why should Africans and African-Americans be the only exception to this historic reality?" [viii]

Mhenga Francis Cress Welsing was equally adamant in her analysis:

"The most disastrous aspect of colonization which you are the most reluctant to release from your mind is their colonization of the image of God." [ix]

As a Hysterical Neurotic, the Global Afrikan is devoid of the ability to abstract or detach oneself from events and prejudge them on the basis of Utamaduni defined fair mindedness and self-preservation; furthermore, the Global Afrikan Hysterical Neurotic participates in the socially constructed subjective reality on the basis of interaction that is steeped in fanciful, utopian, sentimental idealism, therefore, showing evidence of despiritualization, affective, psycho-spiritual and psycho-motor dissonance. The affective dissonance causes the Global Afrikan Hysteric to be predisposed to emotional outbursts that are highly disingenuous having no real meaning. This lack of emotional and cognitive connectedness is displayed in the Global Afrikan Hysterics abnormal irrational distress at critical thinking and affective involvement. Such acts lead theGlobal Afrikan Hysteric into states of psychological terror, displayed physiologically as fright, panic, agitation and extreme paranoia. Since the Hysterical Global Afrikan has a perception of reality that is superficial and based on appearance,they lack the ability to center attention and given their superficiality and memory repression have only imprecise understanding of events, which exist decontextualized in their mind and demonstrate a complete lack of regard for exact, definite socio-historical understanding.

Following from this the Global Afrikan Hysteric has a high degree of anti-intellectualism and is against self-reliant Global Afrikan thought, preferring short term acts of rote learning and memorization as opposed to systematized, transformative thought and problem-solving. Rather than carefully considering the evidence and associating it with historical patterns the Global Afrikan Hysteric reconstructs the people that they interact with in conjectural terms that are completely dissociated from established facts. The Global Afrikan Hysteric disregards careful thinking in favor of spontaneous action and since history and memory are irrelevant to them, constantly repeated acts by others cause affective states of shock and surprise followed by sentimental states of passivity and acts of unconditional forgiving. More importantly the Global Afrikan Hysteric even idealizes their own actions and has no sense of obligation towards the results of their acts. Instead, the Global Afrikan Hysteric re-envisions their actions in fanciful terms and absolves themselves from all responsibility. The Global Afrikan Hysteric is in no way a critical analyst, systematic thinker or creative entity as they are incapable of the acts of coordination, planning, processing, organizing, mobilizing, integrating, and deconstructing people, places or events given their impaired cognitive and affective states. As the psychiatrist David Shapiro explains about this aspect of Hysterical Neurosis:

This insufficiency of integrative processes and development causes their affects to be explosive, abrupt, and labile, on the one hand, and relatively undifferentiated, gross, and black or white, on the other. . . Thus, the most sentimental hysteric will often be inhibited in love and would not think of having a political conviction. [x]

While it is the Global Afrikan Hysterical Neurotic who pursues a course of all-inclusive continental Umoja[Kiswahili: Unity] irrespective of ever present history, the Afrocentric Global Pan-Afrikanist with the goal of community sustainability must begin with the , P/Pa[Kush/Kemet: Authentic State] of Global Afrikan , 3XWY/Akhuy [Kush/Kemet: Spiritual], cognitive, affective and psycho-motor physiological existence as defined by the Wahenga na Wahenguzi and grounded in an Afrocentric Global Pan-Afrikanist conceptualization of Hadithi ya Zamani ya Afrika [Kiswahili: Ancient Afrikan History] and Hadithi ya Sasa ya Afrika[Kiswahili: Contemporary History of Afrika]. From this cognitive Utamaduni perspective, for Hadithi ya Zamani ya Afrika and Hadithi ya Sasa ya Afrika exists in the individual and collective memory of the people, the Afrocentric Global Pan-Afrikanists operationalizes lessons learned and implements a policy of the Umoja of Waafrika Weusi, both continental Waafrika Weusi and Utawanyika wa Waafrika Weusi Duniani, that is, Global Afrikans , 3XWY/Akhuy [Kush/Kemet: Spiritual(ly)], cognitively, affectively, psycho-motor physiologically and genealogically to the exclusion of Eurasian and Aryanized-Arab settler colonialists, pseudo-Afrikans of the Soil. [xi] As the final word on the idea of Umoja for whom, when and where, we end with the words of Mhenga John Henrik Clarke:

Everyone in Africa who cannot be addressed as an African is either an invader or a descendant of an invader. [xii]

Black Power Pan- Africanism

Comparative Digests

Black Power Pan-Africanism

Comparative Digests

Black Power Pan-Africanism

Comparative Digests

The Pan-Africanist Worldview

Black Renaissance

Chinweizu, Arab Colonialism Series: USAfrica- The Arab Agenda (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2007); Chinweizu, Arab Colonialism: US of Africa, NO!!! US of BLACK-Africa, YES (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2007); Chinweizu, Arab Colonialism since 640 AD (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2007); Chinweizu, Racism: Arab and European Compared(BPPA) Tract No. 1[1] (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2007); Chinweizu, Black Enslavement: Arab and European Compared(BPPA) TRACT No. 2[2] (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2007); Chinweizu, Colonialism: Arab & European Compared(BPPA) Tract No. 3[3](Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2007); Chinweizu, Pan-Africanism and Libya 3 NATO or the Arabs (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2011); Chinweizu,The Arab quest for Lebensraum in Africa and the challenge to Pan Afrikanism [Paper presented at the Global Pan-Afrikan Reparations and Repatriation Conference (GPARRC) on 25 July, 2006, at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra]; Opoku Agyeman Pan-Africanism vs Pan-ArabismExcerpt from(The International University Press, 1985) Reprinted:1 (1), January 1994

[ii] On another related aspect of the Afrikan multicultural racial integrationist Mhenga Clarke tells us: This keeps popping up-the controversy around interracial marriage and interracial dating. I have said he is the descendant, the great-grandchild of the same people who brought you over on those filthy ships. You betray these Africans who suffered by laying down with him, when no people have made amends to us for what happened to us. But who told you that the people you look like weren't good enough to sleep with? If you've got a problem about who to sleep with, then you've got a problem with the people who produced you."[Mhenga John Henrik Clarke, Lecture, New York City, c. 6231 KC/1990 CE]

[iii] Chinweizu, Pan-AfricanismRethinking Key Issues, (Festac Town Lagos, Nigeria: Chinweizu, 2010)

[iv] Elijah Muhammad, Message to the Black Man (Phoenix, Arizona: Secretarius Memps Publications, 1997)

[v] Benjamin Karim, Editor, Malcolm X The End of White World Supremacy Four Speeches (New York: Merlin House, Inc., 1971); Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary (New York: Pathfinder, 1992); George Breitman, Editor, Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements (New York: Grove Press, 1994)

[vi] Mhenga Amos N. Wilson, The Last Interview, RAW: Real Afrikan World Host, Muzunga Nia (Hattiesburg, Mississippi: January 1995)

[vii] Bobby E. Wright, Psychopathic Racial Personality and Other Essays (Chicago: Third World Press, 1985)

[viii] Yosef ben-Jochannan, Africa Mother of Western Civilization [1971] (Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1988); Yosef ben-Jochanan, Black Man of the Nile and His Family: African Foundations of European Civilization and Thought [1972] (Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1989); Yosef ben-Jochanan, The Black Mans Religion Vol. I African Origins of Major Western Religions [1970] (Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1991); Yosef ben-Jochanan, The Black Mans Religion Vol. II The Myth of Genesis and Exodus and the Exclusion of their African Origins [1970] (Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1996); Yosef ben-Jochanan, The Black Mans Religion Vol. III The Need for a Black Bible [1970] (Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1996); Yosef ben-Jochannan, and John Henrik Clarke, New Dimensions in African History: The London Lectures of Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan and Dr. John Henrik Clarke (Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1990)

[ix] Frances Cress Welsing, The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors (Chicago: Third World Press, 1992)

[x] David Shapiro, Neurotic styles (New York: Basic Books, 1965) p.131 and 133

[xi] Ali A. Mazrui, Africans of the Blood and Africans of the Soil, Daily Monitor 12 December 2009 [http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/823414/-/akq37ez/-/index.html]
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Two students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) who excelled in a debate on whether African states should withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) are being sponsored by the Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) to attend an international conference on the ICC and its relationship with Africa.

The two students, Mohammed Abubakar Shayaw and Ibs Rockson-Sackey, will interact with the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, academics, international criminal justice experts and jurists, at the two-day conference, which will start on 17th March at the GIMPA Law School. The conference, which is under the theme The International Criminal Court and Africa: A Discussion on Legitimacy, Impunity, Selectivity, Fairness and Accountability, is organized by the GIMPA Law School and supported by several national and international organizations.

Shayaw and Rockson-Sackey had argued for and against the motion Should African states withdraw from the ICC? respectively at a workshop on International Law Reporting which was organized and facilitated by ACILA in collaboration with the Faculty of Journalism of GIJ in December last year.

Deputy Executive Director of ACILA, Carl Mensah, said that ACILA is excited to be sponsoring the two students who had distinguished themselves at the international law reporting workshop, adding that its sponsorship is in line with ACILAs mission of contributing to African scholarship through enhanced understanding of international law.

He was hopeful that the knowledge the students will gain will enable them educate the public on the ICC and international criminal justice once they graduate from school and begin professional practice as journalists.

ACILA is incorporated under US law as a 501(c)(3) research and education, non-profit, and non-partisan think tank and also recently incorporated under Ghana law. Its focus areas are human rights, anti-corruption, good governance, rule of law, international criminal justice as well as monitoring African states' compliance with international, continental, and regional instruments.
15.03.2016 LISTEN

The din that has engulfed Ghana's 59th Independence Day celebration, where President Uhuru Kenyatta was listed as President of Ghana in an official government brochure, has been taken to a higher level after the opposition New Patriotic Party joined the repertoire of critics condemning the despicable act.

Ghana became a laughing stock in the Kenyan media after reporters who accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta fed fat on the error-ridden brochure, whose author is yet to be known.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also joined the scramble for the 'spoils', as they ran several commentaries on the brochure prepared by a country that is supposed to have a commanding control over the Queen's language.

But, whilst the government is yet to issue an official statement about the source of the problem and measures being put in place to avoid future occurrence, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) thinks the government is dragging its feet over the issue, and that immediate investigations must be conducted to unearth the characters who brought the shame on Ghana, whose citizens once occupied enviable positions when it comes to international politics.

The NPP calls for full scale investigations into this fiasco, in order to unearth the deficiencies in the working mechanisms of these public bodies that have resulted in this Independence Day brochure fiasco, so as to properly locate where the blame should be, and to prevent future occurrence and embarrassment, Nana Akomea, Director of Communications of NPP, wrote in an official release in Accra yesterday.

The government has already relieved the Acting Director of the Information Services Department, Mr. Francis Kwarteng, a fly when it comes to scheme of things, of his duties, but to Nana Akomea, this is not enough, because there are many questions that have not been answered.

Questions that need to be answered in such an investigation, he noted, must include:

a) How was the Acting Director of the ISD appointed, when he was not qualified by the requirements of the Ghana Civil Service for that position? b) The charge by the staff of the ISD that their work has been usurped by the Communications Directorate of Flagstaff House c) The propriety of statements issued and signed by the Minister of Communications announcing the contents of a statement signed by the Chief of Staff, when that statement signed by the Chief of Staff is not in the public domain? d) Which public official actually signed off on the final draft of the brochure before it went for printing? If it was the dismissed acting Director of the ISD, did he have authority to do that? e) Which printer was selected and proceeded to print such a document with such obvious errors? f) How true is the report that the Chairman of the Independence Day Planning Committee has laid the blame on the Communications Directorate of Flagstaff House and not on the committee or the ISD, and that may have led to the Minister of Communications assuming responsibility for the Directorate etc?

The NPP Director of Communication, on behalf of his party, contended that an official investigation to bring closure to these questions will be in line with good governance principles, and also will also ensure that this phenomenal national embarrassment does not recur.

President Mahama appears to be suffering from internal sabotage after going through a series of public embarrassments. It all started when two pages of a speech he was reading at an ECOWAS meeting in Accra were missing.

This was followed later by his aide, Stan Dogbe, who attacked a GBC reporter  a conduct which received bad publicity.

One can also not forget the controversy surrounding the award of a contract to Afriwave by the National Communication Authority to monitor the telecom companies, but which was riddled with supposed fraud.

Though there have been calls for a full scale investigation into the award of the entire contract, nothing has so far been done about it.

By Emmanuel Akli
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Last Sunday, 6th March, 2016; Ghana my beloved country was 59 years old from colonial rule. It was a great news and passion for the then awesome statesmen under the able leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana to announce to the good people of this land that, after so many years of dictatorship from foreign leaders, Ghana was from 6th March 1957 going to rule herself. It meant freedom for the people. But did we actually gain the freedom we wanted as a nation?

The answer is a big NO!

This is not to say our forefathers did not help us by securing our independence but what has become of the freedom we declared that very day is the problem. We have had several forms of governance; military or dictatorship and rule of law (self rule), in other words democracy. To me, the second form of governance has done more harm to us than good. Democracy has bedeviled our quest and passion for growth. No country can develop through democracy but that is what we have chosen to.

After 59 years of independence, Ghana, comparatively has nothing to offer. India and Malaysia who are our peers are by far better than Ghana. But why should it be so? Bad and poor leadership is the reason. Ghana has failed in almost every developmental exam she has taken. From Civilization to Agriculture through to industrialization and Technology then to security; we have failed all these four transformations the world has gone through.

Today, the United States, France,Germany, UK and other European countries spends much of their resources on building efficient security system....here we are still trying to make our country food secured. Is it a curse? We ought to be more than serious for once.

I did not take part in this year's independence day celebration. My two (2) day old nephew was bleeding and was admitted at the Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. This is a day I will never delete from my memories not because my nephew was sick but what I saw.

As the president of the republic was on television making long-story empty promises and non existent legacies of Ghana, the entire MBU section of KATH was full of bedbugs. Yes! This is what I saw with my naked eyes. In this 21st century world, bedbugs are friends of the people in Ghana. I did not have the opportunity to enter the chamber in which the children are kept under light rays on beds but upon sneaking my neck, I again noticed the chamber was badly overcrowded with children.

As I stood ashamed, I asked a nurse passing by how they manage to work in such an overcrowded room and she was much troubled as I was. She said "my brother, we are seriously worried but if we don't manage too, we will loose several innocent babies...we force ourselves to work here. Sometimes, even gloves and oxygen to work on these babies is a problem". At 59, we cannot even furnish our big hospitals with gloves? Are we serious? People who come to visit their loved ones admitted in this facility are forced to stand for hours because the place is too small to accommodate more than 25 visitors with chairs.

The few wooden chairs there have also turned to be a breeding place for bedbugs. The security at post said something which I agree with her. It was an answer to a question someone asked concerning these bedbugs. She said, " we would like to fumigate this place but the problem is, where are we going to move these sick babies to before fumigating this place"? This bounds to inadequate facilities in the hospital. So can't we put in place measures to avoid this shame?

Another sad event was when a nursing mother who entered to feed her baby when it was time to feed them. As she entered, she needed a place to sit so that she can be comfortable to feed her baby boy. So she resorted to a nearby chair. Unfortunately, this chair was used as a hook to hold one broken bed housing three babies for treatment. As she unknowingly removed the chair, the bed fell with three babies, one of them was on water injection. So sad to see, I was confused in mind. So is the Ghana at 59 we are celebrating today? I asked myself.

It was barely a week past when our president was in parliament painting a very nice picture of our health sector and its infrastructure as far as his NDC government was concerned. Didn't someone alert the president this sad situation at KATH? If the second largest health facility after Korle-Bu Teaching hospital is far behind meeting the requirement of making sure sick babies are kept and treated well, what then could be of our so-called District health facilities (District hospitals)?

What happened to the over USD 240million President Mahama said his government has invested into a so-called medical equipment replacement scheme?

Someone ought to explain to me.

The only emergency incubator at KATH is as old as perhaps, the word old itself. Yes, it so old and I can't even tell if it was still working because as I saw it, it was standing. But let me also hasten to applaud the nurses and Medical officials handling that facitlity at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital including all staff, they are very professional and deligent in discharging their duties. If what I saw in these people the calibre of people we have as staffs and officials in the MBU, then the director in charge must be hailed as well as the entire staff when it comes to professionalism.

At a point, I was so much convinced that, if these people had the basic needs to facilitate in discharging their duties, they would do much better and child mortality in that facility I am sure would reduce to the barest minimum. Thumbs up to you all!! Continue to serves your country in such zeal and God will reward you.

This issue of inadequate facilities and equipments is not perculiar to only the MBU. I know and can again testify to it when in December,2015, my colleague at work, Bornaventure Kwame Tarkpah was admitted at the Accident and Emergency Unit of KATH. Kwame has got choked with meat tendron in his oesophagus and was transferred from the Amansie Central District Hospital in Jacobu to KATH for treatment. Before then, my colleague had not taken any water or food for 24 hours.

Upon reaching the Emergency was at about 12a.m, we were told the Doctor in charge had closed for the day. There was no doctor in replacement as at that time. Kwame have to keep suffering till the next morning. Unfortunately, it was the first Friday of December which is dubbed as a public holiday. It was a farmers' day celebration. So for the whole day too, we were told the Medical officer in charge of E &T centre will not come to work. So he was still kept at emergency unit still without water and food.

Kwame has to force and fight for a transfer from the Emergency centre to ward. This was made possible at arround 2:30pm same day. Suprisingly, at the E & T ward, we were made to wait for hours for someone waiting to be discharged that very day to leaves before my friend could be assigned to that vaccant bed. So one colleague who with me went to inquire from one the nurses as to when the doctor will be available to treat our friend, we were told the Doctor had come there since morning waiting for patients to come for treatment but no one was available so he left after taking care of the few people who were there.

Negligence of the staff at the emergency unit has caused my suffering colleague to wait for another whole day to be treated and still no food nor water had entered the system. His throat was blocked completely with the meet.

It was on the third day a doctor came to enforce some treatment on him. Even that day, he was just given some drug list to buy and prepare the next day for the theartre. A patient was choked with meet was treated in about 5days. So what was the essence of calling that facility and emergency centre? Five days was enough to let my colleague die if the situation called for him to die. God saved him.

They also lacked facilities that could link them to the situations in the various wards. In this 21st century Ghana, can we not afford online networking of our health facilities and units to their energency wards? This is just a basic technology. We need serious brains to lead our actual and real transformations. Our leaders ought to know better. We must be serious as a nation.

The Komfo Anokye hospital is not just a hospital but a teaching hospital used in training our upcoming medical professionals so if they don't have the necessary and basic equipments to operate, how then do these medical students learn something practically? Ghana is what you and I have and we must handle it with caution. There is no place like Ghana.

I am doing my part as an agriculturalist and enterprenuer. I have on several times in collaboration with some colleagues organized agricultural education for a our farmers in rural communties with no fee. Both animal and crop farmers have benefitted from this. We have also thought people on mushroom production and grasscutter farming.

All these were done voluntarily. I still have the passion to teach and educate anyone who needs my services for free even though I am unemployed after school. I love to that because I see helping a fellow countryman as serving my own self.

I wish you will have same spirit and determination in whatever profession you are into.

Ghana can collectively be built...two heads are better than one. Do your part and I will also do my part so we can see the transformation we need.

God bless our homeland Ghana!

The writer:

Richard Sarpong

(An agriculturalist and enterprenuer)

Email: [email protected]
15.03.2016 LISTEN

INTRODUCTION

According to Benjamin Boakye the Deputy Executive Director for Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), the country is sitting on a time bomb particularly where all the promised power generation additions in 2015 failed to reach its full potentials. As explained by Benjamin Boakye, it is intriguing how 1900MW of power was able to stabilize the demand for power from the grid, peaked at 2,100MW in 2014 and projected by Energy Commission to reach 2300MW in 2015.It however important to note that this demand stated does not cover demand from Valco, which requires about 350MW to operate fully, under-estimating the projections in the demand for power, estimated to grow at 12% in 2015.

Considering the expected generation in 2016 to be 580MW (KTPP  220MW + Asogli Phase 2 - 360MW), total available generation will be less than the projected peak demand of 2,600MW. This situation therefore creates a need to add the Nuclear Power as part of a wider project of complementing the country's two main energy sources being hydro and thermal electricity.

According to the press release by the Ministry of Energy on Thursday July 2, 2015 upon Nuclear power receiving legal backing, Ghana would be the second in Africa after South Africa to produce electricity from nuclear energy, producing 700MW of electricity in the first phase and then 1,000MW in subsequent years.

NEED

As the economy grows, rapid urbanization, population surges as well as lifestyles changes, so as the demand for electricity over the years has increased peaking at a range of 1,980-2,300 MW as at 2015. Government and key stakeholders have therefore seen the need to increase supply to meet this increasing demand.

It is in this light that the need for Ghana to consider additional sources of power was realized, introducing nuclear power as one of such. Therefore, in the year 2002, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) drafted a Nuclear Power Policy for the introduction of Nuclear Power for electricity generation in Ghana. Again, in the year 2015 the Government of Ghana gave legal backing to GAEC for the generation nuclear power to complement power demands of the country.

CHALLENGE AND END RESULTS

One will ask that, why did it take so long a time for the drafted policy to be given legal backing? After a need was realized in 2002 and projections made for the Nuclear Power Plant to be commissioned in 2018, it took eighteen (18) years for the policy to be given legal backing, making earlier projections impossible for the implementations, exposing time lag as a challenge.

Considering the time interval between when the need was realized and legal backing given, there has been demand in power especially from other sources. This is evident from the continuous increase in demand for power due to economic growth, urbanization, population and changes in lifestyle as against a inadequate supply of power resulting in frequent power outages popularly known as Dumsor in the country.

The inadequate supply of power popularly called Dumsor has led to the folding up of several businesses and others moving from Ghana to neighbouring countries. And has deprived the nation of income in the form of taxes. According to the Institute Of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Ghana loses about US$2.2 million daily and US$686.4 million annually due to the power crisis- Dumsor.

Also, with this time lag, the location characteristics of the Nuclear Power Plant has been a problem because most of the suitable sites that could have been available at the time the need was realized has been encroached due to increased population growth. Therefore, the bureaucracy that characterized the legal backing of the Nuclear Power in Ghana has been a major challenge to its implementation.

SOME BENEFITS

President John Dramani Mahama reiterated in the 2016 state of the nation's address Ghana's vision to become a net exporter of power in the foreseeable future. Ghana provides electricity to neighboring countries like Benin and Togo and this could be an opportunity to increase it. With the addition of Nuclear Power to the generation grid, the power demands of other African countries can be met.

When this is achieved, foreign investors will then come knocking on the doors of Ghana to invest due to the stable power supply that will enhance the smooth operation of their businesses, increasing the income base of the nation through taxes.

This will then consolidate Ghana's lower middle income economy status since the energy bottlenecks would be eliminated. This means that most Ghanaians will have the incentive to venture into entrepreneurship which is the future to Ghana's development as stated by ISSER in their periodic economic bulleting 2015. This will become a reality because, the power that will be needed by businesses and households will be stable and less costly due to multiple sources of electricity with the nuclear power complementing the already existing hydro, thermal and solar sources, leading to a higher total power supply that will met the power demands of Ghana and even that of many African countries, making the vision of Ghana becoming a power net exporter a reality.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that nuclear power is not a cheap venture for Ghana. But considering the prospects that Ghana is likely to gain out of it, it is economically rational that the nation considers it as an additional source of power. I strongly believe that with the expertise we have to execute the project, Ghana will soon be the Country of Lights, springing up several developmental ventures and then eliminating the problem of power rationing called Dumsor that has stifled growth.

Mr. Godlove Kwabena Quaicoo

[email protected]

+233269484006

REFERENCE


Today, the British funded three-day training workshop on mental health for security personnel was opened by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon Juliet Kavetuna, MP, UK High Commissioner to Namibia, HE Jo Lomas, and the Legal Assistance Centre expert, Adv. Yolanda Engelbrecht, at the Mental Health Unit in Windhoek.

The training is conducted by the Legal Assistance Centre with input from Meunajo Tjiroze, Deputy Commissioner Mental Health Services, Namibia Correctional Services, Mental Health Coordinator at the UK College of Policing, Michael Brown, and UK trained mental health nurse Rosemary Mlilo.

Over 40 security personnel and associated staff will be trained on best practice for addressing the mental health needs of people in conflict with the law.

At the opening, HE Jo Lomas highlighted: Across the world, correctional service officers deal with people in conflict with the law who have mental health disabilities and disorders. Proportionally the percentage of prisoners with mental health issues is way above average. Similarly a high percentage of the British High Commission's consular customers have such challenges. We owe it to these people to understand their challenges and to have the skills and capacity to deal with them in an appropriate and understanding manner.

See the full speech here:Speech by HE Jo Lomas at the Mental Health Workshop(MS Word Document,30.5KB)

The training at the Mental Health Unit in Windhoek is a follow up project from a project the British High Commission funded last year. In 2015 the British High Commission provided funding to support a week-long workshop for Correctional Service officers in Gobabis to provide them with the skills and information they need to provide for the mental health needs of people in conflict with the law.
The Alliance for Accountable Governance, AFAG is worried about the slow pace of work with regards to the dredging of the Odaw River and its related development.

Last year, over 140 Ghanaians perished through fire outbreak (due to flooding from the Odaw) at areas near the Kwame Nkrumah circle. Indeed, the NDC government and its agencies assured Ghanaians of their readiness to dredge the Odaw River to avert any such disaster in the future. AFAG has since monitored this project. However, be it as it may, we stand here today, with virtually nothing to show.

AFAG wish to state categorically that, the over inflated cost of dredging the Odaw is stampeding progress of work. Eventually, we are becoming our own enemies.

Mr. President, although the contract has been awarded to a foreign firm. We think this contract is too much of a rip-off unsustainable and needless. Our research shows that in Nigeria the dredging, upgrade and development of a highly silted 500km lower Niger River in Benue state was executed at a cost of 200 million USD. This has improved, river transport and boosted tourism.

Mr. President, it is sad to note that we are engaging a foreign firm to execute this project with an EXIM bank loan at the cost of 663,299,497 in a so called Conti project. This is outrageous and a complete rip-off. It can construct another Bui dam on the Odaw most probably.

AFAG demand for an immediate review or repudiation of the contract. This is a bad deal. We suggest the Ghana Institute of Engineers or any other professional grouping this regard be engaged to help solve this vicious and emotionally wrecking cycle. We can do it locally at a lesser cost. We demand an immediate action from Government.

In the coming days, AFAG shall engage various stakeholders in the field to see how best we can use local knowledge to solve the mystery behind what is becoming an annual ritual.

God save Ghana.

Signed:

Arnold Boateng

Davis Opoku Ansah
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Duayaw-NKwanta, (B/A), Mar 15, GNA - Current national statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVSSU), has indicated close to 3,000 increase in gender-based violence in four years - from 2010 to 2014.

Ms. Freda Prempeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North constituency, who quoted the figure in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Duayaw Nkwanta, said cases rose from 4,697 in 2010 to 7,572 in 2014), describing the picture as frightening and highly unacceptable.

Advocating for a harsher penal code to deal with gender-based offenders to help stem the spiking trend, she said current laws must be reviewed to introduce more draconian punishment for perpetrators.

Ms Prempeh mentioned rape, verbal abuse, deprivation, female genital mutilation, forced marriages and sexual harassment as the violent crimes that continued to undermine efforts at achieving gender parity and women empowerment'

he female law-maker who was voicing out her views on the observation of International Women's' Day, was also not happy about what at she described as 'feet-dragging' in the passage of the Property Rights of Spouse and the Intestate Succession Bills.

Whiles expressing worry that women representation in decision making in the country continued to remain low and discouraging, she said not enough has been not been done to change the present scenario that Ghana has only managed to attain a maximum of 10.9 percent female representation in Parliament since the inception of the fourth Republic and added that 'this was far below the minimum target of 30 percent.'

'The picture is even worse at the local governance level where the proportion of women elected as members of District Assemblies declined from 11 percent in 2008 to 7 percent in 2010', she said.

The International Women's Day which was commemorated worldwide on March 8 was instituted by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate women and advocate change on issues that affect the general well-being and development of women.

Ghana's observation of the Day was on the theme 'Gender Equality by 2030: Inclusion of All for Ghana's Sustainable Development'.

Ms. Prempeh explained that realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls were pivotal to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

'The achievement of the full human potential and sustainable development was not possible if one half of humanity continued to be under-represented and denied its full human rights and opportunities' she observed.

GNA
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, March 15, GNA - The Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior has summoned the heads of the various security agencies to appear before it to tell the nation of its preparedness for any terrorist incursion into the country.

The meeting, which would apparently be in camera, has become necessary in the wake of recent attacks in neighbouring La Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, all within the West African Sub region.

Terrorists on Sunday, March 13, attacked holiday makers at a beach resort in Grand Bassam in Cote d'Ivoire, killing 16 people including expatriates and injuring many others.

Some media reports have suggested the Al-Qaeda, in the Magreb, is responsible for the attacks, thus sparking fears that terrorist are making inroads to countries in West Africa.

Mr Fritz Baffour, the Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee, told reporters in Parliament that the security heads would be meeting the Committee, at a yet to be decided date.

The Ghana News Agency's investigations, in and outside Parliament, have showed that both the lawmakers and other citizens are worried about the incident in the neighbouring countries.

Some wonder how the security agencies would act with swiftness to prevent the loss of lives and property in case of any unexpected attack.

Additionally, some local security experts have raised the alarm that some external aggressors may have entered the country with spurious motives, and they have, consequently, asked the national security apparatus to be on the alert to handle any such occurrence.

Such attacks often take place at where a lot of people, mostly expatriates, are gathered, such as shopping malls, places of large celebrations, markets and beach resorts.

GNA
Accra, March 15, GNA - A seminar aimed at building the capacity of student journalists in Environmental Reporting has been held in Accra.

The seminar, dubbed, 'WASH Journalism Initiative,' was a collaborative work between the Ghana Country Water Partnership (CWP-Ghana) and the Federation of Environmental Journalists (FEJ) branch at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).

It was aimed at initiating a campus-focused programme that would help groom students journalists to become advocates for a healthy Environment.

WASH, an acronym for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, is an interrelated programme of public health issues, which a number of development programmes with international funding seek to address.

Mr Maxwell Boateng-Gyimah, the Project Manager, CWP-Ghana, said the seminar formed part of CWP-Ghana's outreach programmes.

'The first Activity was a symposium dubbed, 'Me Wie'; My WASH concerns', which translates 'I will speak my WASH concerns in the Ga Language,' he said

Mr Boateng-Gyimah explained that the symposium sought to inspire 80 students to develop basic skills for reporting on environmental and developmental issues.

A second activity, which was a field trip to Prestea-Huni Valley District, he said, was held with the aim of giving 17 students and 30 community participants the opportunity to experience firsthand issues concerning environmental reporting.

'And today's seminar, which is the third under the WASH Initiative, seeks to present a platform for the students who participated in the trip to share their knowledge with the rest of the group and stakeholders present,' he explained

Ms Irene Ofosu-Ennin, the Communications Officer, CWP-Ghana, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the last activity to be carried out under the WASH Initiative would be the production of a newsletter.

She told the GNA that the interesting aspect of the initiative was its participatory nature, saying the activities were not planned and forced on students.

Ms Ofosu-Ennin expressed the CWP-Ghana's happiness of being part of the process that had benefited the students extensively.

The FEJ Blog that seeks to support the works of the students on campus was launched and recorders were presented to five participants for the recognition of their efforts for being the first to accept a challenge thrown to the FEJ members.

GNA
(By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Special Correspondent, UN- New York)

New York, March 15, GNA - Gender Ministers and delegates across the globe, attending the 60th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) at the UN Headquarters in New York, have hailed Ghana's Gender Course of Action.

The delegates responded with thunderous applause after the presentation of the country's Legal Instruments, Social Intervention Programmes and Action Plans by Nana Oye Lithur, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) and accredited non-governmental organisations from all regions of the world are attending CSW60 session.

Addressing a Gender Ministers Policy Dialogue Session, Nana Oye Lithur established the fact that Ghana, in line with the UN General Resolution passed in 1975, had established a National Women's Machinery.

She said the Women's Machinery now had Cabinet status in the form Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

'So having the national women's machinery is still the preferred best practice, Ghana believes it is solid, and in addition to having this machinery, we need to have a gender, legal and policy framework with constitutional provisions on gender equality,' she stated.

Nana Oye Lithur said in Ghana: 'We have a national gender policy as a blueprint for implementation; we also have strategic framework and interventions to facilitate all inclusiveness, especially for vulnerable women'.

She said through the Gender Ministry, the Government had set up gender-based centres within markets for the hundreds of head porter girls who were very vulnerable.

'We also instituted gender statistics programme to strengthen capacity across all sectors to measure the extent to which government sectors are integrating gender concerns,' she said.

'Social Protection is the key strategy to empower women and scale up inclusiveness so we have introduced social protection,' she stated.

Nana Oye Lithur explained that having a 'national registry, which was gender sensitive was very important like gender budgeting, which had existed for five years.

She said Ghana was sustaining capacity building across sectors including civil society, and remained committed to utilising international protocols to enhance national institutional arrangements for gender equality and for the empowerment of women.

The Minister also outlined Government's interventions through the enactment of laws such as the Children's Act, Domestic Violence Act, Human Trafficking Act, the amendment of the criminal offences Act, and the criminalisation of Violence against Women and Girls.

She said customary servitude had been criminalised, whilst sentences for Female Genital Mutilation had been increased, and that these formed part of holistic social, and legal interventions adopted by the Ghanaian Government to ensure gender mainstreaming.

Nana Oye Lithur stated: 'Ghana has also set up a Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit under the Ghana Police Service with the establishment of offices located across the country for prompt interventions.

'The Judiciary and Government have also set up two specialist gender-based violence courts in the national capital of Accra, and at Kumasi in the middle-belt.

'We are also empowering girls and utilising data and research to target causes of gender-based violence, we are working on enhanced technical support and forensic capacity to improve investigations and prosecution, and the adoption of a policy framework to address gender-based violence in the healthcare sector,' she said.

Nana Oye Lithur is the leader of the Ghanaian delegation made up of Members of Parliament, representatives from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Gender Technocrats.

The priority theme for CSW60 is 'Women's Empowerment and Its link to Sustainable Development'.

The CSW was established in June 1946 as a mechanism to promote, report on and monitor issues relating to the political, economic, civil, social and educational rights of women.

It holds annual sessions in March to evaluate progress made in protecting and enforcing the rights of women globally.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the UN under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, in her opening remarks described CSW60 as the first of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

She said the Sustainable Development Goals included achieving Gender Equality and the empowerment of all women and girls as a centrepiece, with enabling targets threaded throughout all the other goals.

This would make gender systematically integrated into the implementation of the whole Agenda for Sustainable Development.

She said: 'The CSW60 session marks the beginning of the countdown to 2030 to the future we want, in which no one is left behind. A future in which there is substantive gender equality'.

Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka said the UN General Assembly's adoption of the SDGs was bold, ambitious and transformational.

'Now we gather to seek implementation modalities that match this bold agenda, where there can be no 'business as usual'.

As we acknowledge the progress made, especially in the last 20 years, we also note that for many women and girls at risk that change is not happening fast enough.'

GNA
15.03.2016 LISTEN

THE PRESS Foundation (TPF), a non-governmental media advocacy group has advised journalists in the country to consider boycotting coverage of all public programmes that can put their lives in danger.

The TPF believes that until organizers of such programmes see the need to treat media practitioners with dignity and accord them the requisite recognition, journalists must avoid patronizing such programmes.

The Foundation is of the view that journalists in the country have over the years not been accorded the kind of respect they deserve and that such unfair treatment must not be allowed to continue. The call by the TPF comes in the wake of recent controversy over how organizers of the 59th Independence Anniversary handled media personnel who were invited to cover the programme.

The Foundation further recounted several acts of inhumane treatment meted out to some journalists in the country in their line of duty which it noted, had been left unattended and indicated that the situation was an affront to press freedom and democracy.

The TPF observed that as the country gets into the political mood with the elections around the corner, it was important that state authorities and leadership of the various political parties offered enough guarantee to media practitioners in terms of their safety as they strive hard to fish out information worthy of public consumption.

Statements signed by the Executive Director and Communications Officer, Listowell Yesu Bukarson and Aboagye Frank Jackson respectively, noted that leaders of the various political parties must whip their supporters in line and advise them against unruly behaviour exhibited towards journalists in the country.

It noted that many media practitioners would be at the mercy of some party loose-heads who cannot tolerate any reportage that goes against their party. TPF has every reason to believe that some journalists have already been marked since our records have enough evidence to proof that issues of physical attack on journalists have been denied proper investigation. it said.

The statement however called on journalists to first of all consider their personal safety and if possible boycott all programmes that do not guarantee adequate security.

From Issah Alhassan, Kumasi
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Yesterday, The Chronicle published a story on its front page under the headline: NDC Hates Women Says Ursula Owusu.

According to the story, the former women activist and now the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ablekuma West constituency accused the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of demonstrating pure detestation against Ghanaian women.

Shedding light on reasons why she believes the ruling NDC has not treated women well, she said the kind of reception the party gives to its female officials who commit offences while in office, as against that of their male counterparts, was there for all to see.

Citing instances to back her claim, Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful recalled situations where female government officials in the Mahama-led administration are either sacked or forced to resign their positions when they commit minor offences.

But, the story was different in the case of the men, as they were mostly mildly stripped off their ministerial positions and smuggled to the seat of government, the Flagstaff House, which Prof. Kwesi Yankah-President of the Central University College referred to as a safe haven for some government officials.

She made references to Mrs. Lauretta Vivian Lamptey -former Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Victoria Hammah -former Deputy Minister for Communications, Hawa Boya Gariba -former Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and Mrs. Dzifa Attivor -former Minister for Transport, who left office under bizarre circumstances.

Mrs. Ursula Ekuful mentioned the likes of Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah -former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sylvester Mensah -former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr. Kojo Adu Asare -former CEO of the Youth Enterprise Support (YES) and the contentious situation of Mr. Stan Dogbe, former Head of the Communications Bureau of the Flagstaff House.

She said: There is a little injustice when you look at how men are treated and how women are treated after they get into trouble.These women were promptly sacked when they embarrass the government, but the men had done terrible things. The Chronicle is at sea with the attitude of the ruling government, which indicated in its 2008 manifesto that it was going to employ women to fill 40 percent of its ministerial and other appointments.

What is heartbreaking about the whole issue is the fact that in most of the cases, when the women are removed, they are replaced by their male counterparts. For example, when Mrs. Lauretta Vivian Lamptey was axed from her position, one would have expected that for a political party like the NDC that has indicated its readiness to give more women the opportunity to serve their country, they would have replaced her with another female, but she was succeeded by her deputy, Richard Quayson.

Also, Mrs. Dzifa Attivor -the hardworking former Transport Minister who was forced to resign over the Metro Mass Transport saga, in which a whopping GH 3.6 million was spent to rebrand 116 buses, was replaced by Fifi Kwetey, who was then the Minister of Agriculture.

The Chronicle believes in the Akan proverb which says: Se woanya biribi amma wase a, emmo no krono, to wit; if you are unable to give to your in-law, don't turn around and steal from her. If the NDC administration could not keep the 40% women proportion as promised, the few slots available should not be denied them.

The Chronicle would like to call on the various women right groups across the length and breadth of the country to put the government on its toes to ensure that women get their fair representation in government instead of the unfair treatment being meted out to them.

John Peter Altgeld, a human rights activist once said: You ask whether a woman should be paid the same wages as a man, when she does the same work? To this, there can be but one answer. If she does the same quantity and quality of work under the same conditions as a man, simple justice requires that she should be paid the same wages. To deny her this is to deny her justice.

The Chronicle, therefore, advises the Mahama-led administration that once it has taken it upon itself to give more women the opportunity to serve, it should treat them the same way it has been treating the men, lest they turn their backs on the party.

A word to the wise is enough.
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Maersk Group, a worldwide conglomerate that operates in a wide range of activities including; shipping, logistics as well as oil and gas, has invested US$1.5 billion in the ongoing expansion of the Tema Port.

Together with our partners we have committed $1.5billion dollars to the expansion of the port in Tema, which would create probably the largest and most modern terminal in the sub Saharan Africa.

This will enable Ghana's trade for the coming decades, and support more efficient flows of exports as well as imports, Nils S. Andersen-Maersk Group Chief Executive Officer made this known during his second visit to the country in less than two years.

According to him, the Maersk Group, which operates in 130 counties around the world, is also interested in playing an active role in the future growth of Ghana through investments in trade, infrastructure and energy.

He explained that his outfit, through its subsidiary, APM Terminals, which is currently operating the Meridian Port Services (MPS) container terminal at the Tema Port, is waiting for the finalization of the design and tender for the construction of the new port. We are still waiting for the last approval of the final agreement with the authorities, but we have progressed quite far and we are very enthusiastic about the opportunities, he said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the paper, Nils Andersen said before any physical work will commence, We first have to sign the contracts for the construction and in order to do that we are awaiting the final smaller details in the Public/Private Concession agreement with the government. We hope that can happen quickly, so construction can start quickly.

He continued that the construction of the new container terminal at the Tema Port would ensure a seamless transfer from the old terminal to the new one in the future to the benefit of the country. This, he said would go a long way to grow the economy as well as create employment, which would allow the country to export and import larger quantities of goods that is very important for securing the development of a country like Ghana.

Together with our partners we also have a principle agreement with the government to expand the road from Tema to Accra which will massively improve the infrastructure and logistic efficiency between the Port and the main city.

This comes on top of the $1.5billion dollars project so all in all, it is a massive project that will really improve the logistic efficiency of the country, he said. Continuing, Nils S. Andersen described Maersk Group's 25-year-partnership with Ghana as very positive and productive, hence the company's intention to invest more in the country.

Ghana is important to the Maersk Group. Ghana represents 5 percent of Maersk Group's business in Africa, which is quite a lot and it's a country where we want to invest more. Plans for more offshore oil and gas service activities Nils Andersen revealed that the Maersk Group has a very large drill ship working offshore on the oil fields of ENI, describing the operation, which started last year as ahead of schedule and steadily progressing.

He said the Group would like to offer more offshore equipment and services, stressing There is a number of good oil companies operating in Ghana and we have very good drilling exploration platforms as well as supply vessels available for servicing so we are looking at further opportunities.

With regards to the port activities, Nils Andersen said we also like to offer the services of the largest tugboat operator in the world, Svitzer, which is also part of the Maersk Group. So Ghana is one of the countries in the world where we really try to get as many businesses as possible engaged, in order to make sure that we service all parts of the economy, said the Maersk Group CEO who is head of over 88,000 employees.

Ghana's open economy

Ghana, according to him, is an open economy and Ghanaians are privileged to operate a well-functioning democracy. He commended Ghana for embracing Public/Private Concession at the Tema port more than ten years ago, which led to the opening of a modern container terminal, MPS in 2007, adding since then, container volumes have almost tripled in terms of trade in and out of the country.

So I think Ghana has embraced globalization and containerization very well, and I think Ghana is doing very well within these sectors he noted. Our shipping lines Maersk Line and Safmarine handle about 1/3 of all the export cargo out of Ghana, and we are the largest carrier of an important product out of Ghana which is cocoa beans, so we are proud of being part of the process, because we are serving the needs of the country, Nils S. Andersen observed.

By Richard Kofi Attenkah
Accra, March. 15, GNA - Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has said the introduction of a visa-on-arrival policy for the citizens of the African Union Member States is a great boost to the tourism sector.

She said acquisition of visa before travelling had always been a challenge for most travellers, therefore, 'This would encourage more people to come and see our beautiful country.'

A statement issued in Accra by the Ministry and issued to the Ghana News Agency, said the Minister was speaking at the on-going 50th International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Fair in Berlin, Germany.

She said the new policy would also enable investors to travel to Ghana and invest in the economy.

'If you invest in hotels, and especially in the hospitality industry, there will be great returns on your investment, which also creates jobs and supports the local economy,' she said.

The ITB Fair is the world's leading Travel Trade Show, which takes place annually in the German Capital of Berlin. It is seen to be an excellent opportunity to meet business partners and to do business. This year's events come after two impressive showing at the recently held Vakantiebeurs Tourism Fair and the FITUR International FAIR in the Netherlands and Spain, respectively, where participants thronged the Ghana Stand to familiarise themselves with the country's tourism resources
Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - As an effective means of getting in touch with all Ghanaians living in China, the Ghana Embassy in China has embarked on regular visits under the theme, 'Ghanaians in China Matters'.

The crusade is designed to know where every Ghanaian lives and get acquainted with the challenges they were facing.

Mr Horace Nii Ayi Ankrah, Deputy Ghanaian Ambassador to China, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said his outfit would continue with the exercise to ensure that the good relationship between his outfit and Ghanaians is maintained.

"The Mission wants to reach you, know you, help solve your problems and celebrate your achievements with you...it is our mandate to reach out to you and will do just that," Mr Ankrah said.

He said as part of the crusade, he led a three-man delegation to celebrate Ghana's independence anniversary with Ghanaian students in Zhengjian city in consonance with their mission to establish relations with Ghanaians.

The Deputy Ambassador said accompanied by Brigadier General Alfred Wuni, Defence AttachA and Mr Isaac Odame, Minister for Consular Affairs, they organized a similar event in Wuhan City on March 6.

Mr Ankrah said all the programmes were to ensure that Ghanaians living in any part of China went about about their duties without any hindrance.

"We shall continue with the crusade to ensure that Ghanaians will live freely to perform their duties without fear and panic."

GNA
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - Performances of Senior high School (SHS) students in mathematics and science have seen a downward trend from 2007 to 2015, Professor Jonathan Fletcher has said and urged a swift reversal of the trend to spur national development.

Prof Fletcher, who is the Dean of Faculty of Education at the University of Ghana, blamed the appalling performance in the two core subjects on poor policy initiatives, application of wrong teaching methods, unqualified teachers and poor preparation by students towards examinations.

The Dean made this known during the West African Examination Council's (WAEC) 21st Endowment Fund lecture held on the theme: "Performance in Mathematics and Science; Breaking the jinx."

The lecture forms part of the Council's 64th annual meeting, the 'biggest' gathering on the examining body's annual calendar, of which the Ghana Chapter of WAEC is hosting the event this year.

Professor Fletcher ascribed the poor performance to limited teaching and learning resources, unqualified mathematics and science teachers flooding the education sector and lack of preparation by students to invest quality time in studies and examinations.

He said the teacher training institutions in many cases trained teachers to master the pedagogy [teaching skills] to handle mathematics and science, but unfortunately, those teachers are deficient in the content of the subjects.

In another instances, he said, graduates billed to teach the two core subjects, could have control of the subject matter but lacked the pedagogy to deliver the lessons with the appropriate alacrity and teaching aids.

'If we want to halt the rot, we have to look at what is happening, weak computational skills of students, low confidence of students, and teachers doing the same thing over and over again,' he said.

Quoting copiously from leaders of the United States of America, United Kingdom and China, Prof Fletcher said they have used deliberate policies to promote the teaching and learning of mathematics and science to spur their technological advancement and growth, but the Ghanaian society was still characterised with superstitious beliefs.

'Science and technology are the good areas we must embrace to spur growth, but our system is too much of superstition, a lot of things are based on superstition instead of science,' Prof Fletcher said.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimated in 2015 that if Ghana could realise universal basic skills this would increase the country's gross domestic product by 2000 per cent.

He said mathematics, science and technology are the panacea to the country's development challenges but regrettably, Ghana had only become the consumers of technology instead of producers.

Prof Fletcher also presented records that show that students' performance in Mathematics rose from about 25 per cent in 2007 to peak at around 43 per cent and finally tumbled to around to 24 in 2015.

While the performance in science in 2007 recorded a little over 23 per cent, it rose to 56 per cent and thereafter dropped to about 23 per cent in 2015.

GNA
Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has awarded a full scholarship to Jessica Ayeley Quaye, the overall best student in the 2015 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), organised by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).

A statement issued by the Bank and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday said: 'This was at the WAEC Distinction Awards held on the March 10, to recognize the top performing students in the 2015 WASSCE'.

In his address, Mr John Awuah, the Chief Executive Officer of UMB, said the UMB was honoured to partner with the WAEC to reward outstanding students.

He recounted that last year's winner, Master Hassan Michail, who could not get into the university because of financial constraints, is currently studying at the KNUST as a result of UMB's intervention.

'The story of Hassan is why we are committed to this partnership and why I personally look forward to continuing this partnership', he said.

Mr Awuah said he was happy that the award winners were all women and congratulated Wesley Girls High School for producing all the three top winners.

The statement said the full scholarship would cater for Jessica's tuition, accommodation and books for the entire duration of her university programme.

She was also presented with a brand new laptop and some souvenirs from UMB.

Two other students, Ruth Ewura-Ama Awudzi and Danielle Amo-Mensah who were the second and third highest scorers in the 2015 WASSCE respectively, also received a laptop each and some souvenirs from UMB.

Speaking on behalf of her fellow award winners, Jessica Ayeley Quaye expressed her appreciation to the WAEC Endowment Fund and especially UMB for the recognition and promised to not rest on her laurels.

Other dignitaries at the event were Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the Minister of Education, Mr Jacob Kor, the Director General of the Ghana Education, Reverend Dr Sam Nii Ollenu, the head of the WAEC Ghana office, and Prof W. A. Asomaning, Ghana's representative on the WAEC Endowment Fund.

UMB is a full-service financial institution specializing in customized banking products and services.

UMB opened on March 15, 1972 and is a leading Ghanaian indigenous bank with considerable financial expertise.

UMB is recognized for its entrepreneurial approach, innovative use of technology, and distinctive banking solutions.

UMB currently has 28 branches and a vast network of ATMs.

GNA
Accra, Mar. 14, GNA - Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, the Director of Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), has called on the media to promote gender-sensitive reporting and avoid perpetuating stereotypes.

She said having a gender charter to which media houses voluntarily commit themselves to gender-sensitive reporting and the promotion of the women's agenda would be a step in the right direction.

Prof Mensa-Bonsu made the appeal in a speech read on her behalf at a panel discussion on the theme: 'Pledging for Parity: Accelerating and Increasing Women's Political Participation through Transformative Strategies in West Africa'.

The programme was organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in collaboration with LECIAD to provide a platform for participants to raise critical issues on women's participation in the political process.

It also sought to proffer transformative strategies for accelerating and increasing women's participation in politics.

Professor Mensa-Bonsu said even though 'our heritage protects women in many ways, there are also certain aspects of our traditions that have been misinterpreted to exploit women.

'Negative stereotypes steeped in patriarch ideologies have been used to justify the exploitation of women in many spheres of life and media reportage has not helped to change this.

'So, while the media is not responsible for the negative stereotypes, the manner in which they are reported ridicule women and perpetuate the negative stereotypes that militate against them,' she said.

On the participation of women in politics, Prof Mensa-Bonsu observed that the keys to attaining parity in the short to medium term rested with the political parties.

This, according to her, was because the platform for recruiting, grooming and presenting candidates for the consideration of the public, was determined by political parties who provided candidates for participation and shaped the government's agenda.

Mrs Dela Sowah, Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, urged women to vote for their fellow women during elections to ensure gender parity in governance.

'We are all fighting for one agenda - the development of the nation; so please let your voices be heard, is very important,' she said.

Mrs Levinia Addae-Mensah, the Deputy Executive Director of WANEP, said so far a number of provisions, such as the frameworks, provided through the Beijing Platform for Action, Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 has been put in place to encourage states to take practical measures to enhance women's participation.

She said while these had led to some successes, a lot still remained to be done especially on the African continent.

GNA
Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - The United Nations will this year begin the process to select and appoint its next Secretary-General, a statement issued in Accra from the United Nations Information Centre has announced.

The process of soliciting candidates for the position has already started and the General Assembly has received seven candidates as at February 29, the statement said.

It noted that by resolution 69/321 of September 2015, the UN General Assembly decided to conduct informal dialogues or meetings with candidates for the position of Secretary-General.

The meetings were expected to provide candidates with an opportunity to present their candidatures and Members States with an opportunity to ask questions and interact with them.

A letter from the Office of the President of the General-Assembly (OPGA) issued on February 25, said the process 'will be open and transparent as possible, with the considerable interest from the global public and civil society'

To this end, the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is facilitating a call for questions from civil society after which it would then convene a civil society Committee to review all questions submitted and create a short-list of 30 questions for the OPGA to select from for inclusion in the General Assembly dialogues.

Selected questions could be presented in person, via video or audio recording, or read aloud by the President of the General Assembly during the dialogues.

The statement said questions may be submitted by March 20, via Twitter ( https://twitter.com/unngls/status/703758693842722816 ), Instagram, Weibo (www.weibo.com/unngls), an online form (https://unngls.org/UNSGcandidates), and email ([email protected]).

"For further information, visit http://unngls.org/index.php/80-home/2746-unsg-candidates," the statement added. GNA
Accra, March 15, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday remanded a Fashion Designer Emmanuel Kwesi Kpo into police custody for conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.

Emmanuel was said to have conspired with one Kofi Danso, now at large to rob one Grottle Abena Kermah of her Toyota car, and Paul Kwame Asamoah of his Nissan Almera car.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded by the court presided over by Mr. Aboagye Tandoh to reappear on March 31 for commencement of trial.

The facts of the case as presented by Police Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu was that, the Accra Regional Police Command during 2015 received series of car snatching complaints within the metropolis.

He said intelligence gathered led to the arrest of the accused person on February 2, 2016 at Haatso as being a member of the syndicate involved in this car snatching.

He said upon interrogation, Emmanuel admitted knowing members of the syndicate and mentioned the name of one Kofi Danso as the ring leader and other members of the group as Yaw Broni, Aziggy and Douglas.

The prosecution said intelligence gathered also revealed that when the gang snatch a car from the owner, they drive straight to the spraying shop of one Alex at Kwabenya a suburb in Accra where the colour of the vehicle is changed and also with the help of some officials at the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, (DVLA) at Tema and 37 offices of the authority forged documents in the name of Loretta Danso, wife of Kofi as owner of the vehicle to enable them sell same.

Police Chief Inspector Adu told the court that the accused person had also led police to retrieve nine of such cars from Accra and Cape Coast which they sold to unsuspecting members of the public.

He said in August and December 2015, the gang snatched two vehicles from their owners in Accra.

The prosecution told the court that the police were also working to locate the actual owners of the other vehicles they had seized from these robbers.

GNA
Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - Kofi Appiah, 20, a security man who defiled a 12 year old girl in a vehicle at Atomic Junction has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.

Appiah is said to have bought the victim's sachet water but refused to pay for it so in her bid to collect her money she was defiled by Appiah.

Charged with defilement, Appiah had pleaded guilty before the Court presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Adjeley Quaison. The court on March 1, deferred Appiah's sentence to today.

Prosecuting Detective Inspector Judith B. Asante had earlier told the court that the complainant is a pantry man who resides at Atomic Junction with his family including the victim.

According to the prosecutor, the accused person, is a security man who works at a car park in the same area.

On February 23, this year at about 2200 hours the victim was selling sachet water in the neighbourhood, Appiah purchased one and declined to pay.

The victim, according to the prosecutor, insisted on taking her money but Appiah lured her into a parked vehicle and had sex with her.

A witness who saw the victim quickly reported the matter to the victim's parents but Appiah bolted.

The accused was later apprehended and escorted to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU).

The victim was issued with a medical form to attend hospital for examination and treatment after which the report was submitted to the Police.

GNA
15.03.2016 LISTEN

Kumasi, March 15, GNA - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is to hold a media convention on the 2016 general polls in Kumasi on Thursday, March 17.

The programme dubbed 'Media for an undisputed and peaceful 2016 elections', would provide the platform for journalists to share experiences in election coverage and draw relevant lessons.

The United States (US) Embassy in Accra is supporting it.

A statement signed by Mr Affail Monney, President of the Association, said participants would identify practices that disturbed media operations, undermined professionalism and public peace in the last elections.

It would again pinpoint potential trouble spots as far as the operation of the media was concerned.

The statement said the expectation was that participants would examine issues that would be raised at the convention and propose solutions to them.

It mentioned Mr. Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr. Kwasi Jonah, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Madam Charlotte Osei, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) and Ms. Sara Veldhuizen Stealy, Press Attache, US Embassy, among the speakers at the convention.

'Towards free, fair and undisputed 2016 elections: the role of the media' is the theme chosen for programme.

GNA
Accra, March 15, GNA - A 19 year-old Mechanic was on Tuesday remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly robbing an iPhone worth Ghc 3,000.00 belonging to his supervisor.

Anthony Bansah pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded by the court to reappear on March 31.

Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kweku Bempah told the court that the complainant is Bai Xiaoyong, a Chinese supervisor at the Rong Chen Company Limited, manufacturers of T and J plastic panels while the accused person is a Mechanic with the same company.

He said on March 8, at about 1900 hours the accused person and his colleagues reported for work as usual at 0200 hours, Anthony sneaked out of the factory and used a long metal bar to create an open in a wall into the engine room.

He said the accused person then passed through the opening into the engine room, changed his dress to all black and switched off the plant that controls supply of water to all the manufacturing machines in the factory.

The prosecution said the complainant with his iPhone mobile phone rushed into the dark engine room to restore the machine. Immediately he entered the accused person held him by the neck from behind.

The accused person used a fully charged teaser shocker against the neck of the complainant to overpower him. He also bit the left ear of the complainant resulting in a cut.

DSP Bempah said in the process of inflicting pains on the complainant, Anthony forcible collected the iPhone valued GHa 3,000.00 from him and escaped through the open that he had created in the wall.

He said the accused person hid the phone under a container in the yard and quickly changed his dress from all black into green singlet and jeans shorts, and entered through the main gate to the bathroom, where he stayed for 30 minutes before showing up.

He told the court that a distress call was made to the police, and during interrogation of all the workers, it came to light that Anthony was the only one whose whereabout was not known at the time of the attack. He was therefore arrested for interrogation.

The prosecution said examination on his body revealed bruises and blood stains and upon interrogation to how he sustained those wounds, Anthony broke down and confessed to the crime with the excuse that it was in protest for salary increment which the Chinese's had refused to pay.

He led the police to retrieve the phone kept under a container, together with the black dress and the metal bar.

GNA
Sunyani (B/A), Mar. 15, GNA - People arrested for engaging in open defecation should be made to do communal labour by cleaning communities for one to three months, Ms Rita Odoley Sowah, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of La Dade- Kotopon Municipal Assembly, has said.

'This will serve as a deterrent for others who have the habit of defecating in the open and contributing to the spread of diseases in the communities', she said.

Speaking to the GNA in an interview at the just-ended 19th biennial national delegates conference of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) held in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, Ms Sowah said the current practice under which people arrested for open defecation are sent to the court and fined, needs a review.

She said they only go back their communities and repeat the same practice.

Ms Sowah, who was elected unopposed, as the Treasurer of NALAG at the conference, said the issue of sanitation such as choked drains and open defecation have become a major concern within her municipality.

She said from 2014 to 2015, over 100 people who engaged in open defecation were arrested in her municipality and sent to the courts.

Ms Sowah said though the municipality has worked hard to ensure that most homes have constructed toilet facilities, people would still want to defecate in the open.

'Some still go to defecate at the beaches, claiming they want fresh air,' she said.

Ms Sowah said some also dump rubbish into drains while many others also engage in business activities on the walkways meant for pedestrians.

'but people need to change their way of doing things-attitudinal change is very important' she said.

The three-day delegate conference was held under the theme, 'Localizing the Post-2015 Agenda: The Role of MMDAs in the Effective Delivery of the SDGs in Ghana', and it was attended by 1,080 delegates, comprising of five members from each of the 216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country.

GNA
Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - The Progressive People's Party (PPP) on Tuesday said it would resist any attempt by the Electoral Commission (EC) and other entities that might use an unorthodox criteria for assessing political parties.

According to Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, the Party's National Chairman, PPP finds it rather unfortunate that some officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) use phrases like 'participation in elections since 1992', to define active political parties.

He said the Party further believes that the use of 'parties with representation in parliament', by organisations such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, STAR Ghana, some media houses, to legitimise political parties, was a constitutional deviation and an affront to the laws governing the conduct of political parties in Ghana.

He called on those organisations to desist from promoting a two-party debate for the Elections 2016, since it was potentially, a subversion of the 1992 Constitution which provides for a multi-party democratic state.

Nii Brew Hammond was addressing a press conference in Accra on matters relating to electoral reforms and the effective management of the 2016 electoral processes.

He said to ensure this; the PPP insists that the EC implement the proposals relating to electoral reforms and the effective management of the 2016 Electoral processes, which include the strict enforcement of the Political Parties Law, Act (574) of 2000, and disqualification of those that did not meet the minimum criteria.

He said the Political Parties Law requires that Parties be national in character, have offices opened in at least two-thirds of all districts, have officers elected at the constituency, regional and national levels under the supervision of the EC, and provide financial reports.

The law, he said, further requires that the EC audits the ability of the existing parties to ensure that they meet these requirements, but since 1992 no political party has been disqualified or removed from the register of parties as a result of not meeting these and other requirements.

He said when these proposals are implemented, 'we will then have a legal and formal basis to select active political parties for any political engagement', and these would ensure some level of credibility in the electoral processes and also prevent the recurrence of an election dispute.

Nii Brew Hammond urged the EC to urgently begin the process to ensure the verification, documentation and auditing of campaign funding, and also consider moving to a fully electronic voting system similar, to those found in countries such as Brazil and Mexico, such that votes are transmitted electronically to two separate locations directly from the polling stations.

He said the PPP commends the EC for the steps taken to procure the use of Informational and Communication Technology in its Election Results Management Systems, and its subsequent invitation for eligible firms to express their interest in the provision of the various services that would be needed.

The PPP, however, recommended that the EC as a matter of national interest make it a condition in the bidding process that wholly-owned Ghanaian Information and Technology firms with at least 50 per cent Ghanaians ownership qualify to apply for the process, to ensure technology transfer and also prevent the situation of entrusting the country's entire electoral management system in the hands of a foreign company.

GNA
Accra, Mar. 15, GNA - Government has launched the Ghana Green Label farmer's Manual, a training tool, to inform farmers on how to be green label certified.

It is a training tool for farmers and other actors in the value chain, whose work enhance or maintain the quality of the certified products.

The manual presents practical information for farmers and a guide for readers on the steps to follow to fulfill the requirement to attain compliance and certification.

The EU Trade Related Assistance and Quality Enabling (TRAQE) Programme funded the development and publication of 400 copies of the manual.

Through examples and illustrations, the manual helps to explain the terminologies under the certification scheme.

Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, Deputy Minister, Minsitry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in charge of Crops, said the fruit and vegetable sector has in recent times suffered many setbacks after it demonstrated its potential as an important sector.

He said the unacceptable life threatening practices that some farmers engaged have made the majority of the food safety conscious consuming public to abstain from eating fruits and vegetables, when they are not sure of its sources.

The Deputy Minister said the horticulture export as well as the food export markets went through that phase and had succeeded in enforcing compliance to food safety standards and regulations to have market access.

He said in the last few years, the international markets rejected exports of selected Ghanaian vegetables containing quarantine pest.

He said the Green label certification scheme was government's response to these growing consumer demands for safe food production in an environmentally sustainable and sound way.

He commended the originators of the certification scheme for giving consumers the opportunity to choose between an assured safe fruit and vegetable source.

Dr Alhassan said the EU through the TRAQE has once again demonstrated their commitment to the improvement of trade in Ghana.

Mr William Hanna, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, said the EU was confident that MOFA would continue to implement its action plans with the same plan of lifting the ban to enable farmers export to the EU market.

He said TRAQUE funded the development and publication of 400 copies of the manual, which is user-friendly and full of pictures and other illustrations.

'TRAQUE is also supporting the training activities for 400 farmers in seven different locations in Greater Accra and Eastern regions,' he added.

GNA
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Morningstar's "Perspectives" series features investment insights from third-party contributors. Here, Scott Berg, portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price Global Growth Equity Fund, explains why investors should be looking to unloved assets.

The uneven nature of global economic health and an environment where the US Federal Reserve has begun to tighten monetary policy has no doubt raised understandable questions in investor minds. Is the equity cycle coming to an end or merely entering a new phase?

Our belief remains that improving corporate earnings fundamentals over the next 12 to 24 months will help the stronger companies steer through the uncertainty and that the equity cycle has enough improvement factors ahead for us to believe that it can continue to deliver positive returns for investors.

However, we are in a world of dispersed corporate prospects, and shifting sentiment is already providing opportunity as individual stock prices begin to react more aggressively to earnings outcomes and, especially, earnings disappointment. We believe a contrarian stance, backed by a clear understanding of companies long-term fundamental prospects, will provide a strong foundation to withstand as well as profit from a world of rising volatility.

Look to US Financials and Emerging Markets

The increase in market volatility has created numerous areas of opportunity for fundamental, bottom-up investors. US financials and some parts of emerging markets are two segments of the global equity opportunity set that have underperformed, but where we can find stocks positioned to benefit from the next stage of the equity cycle. The key to the thesis is we expect our holdings in these areas to deliver improving earnings growth, from low-base levels of profitability and/or sentiment.

One of our highest convictions is in J.P. Morgan Chase. In addition to benefiting in the near term from rising rates and increased M&A, the firm has above-average balance sheet strength and diversified business lines that are highly levered to US consumers, which should also support earnings power as the economy continues to improve. Furthermore, we believe the regulatory environment is beginning to normalise and will be much less of a headwind going forward.

The turmoil in emerging markets is also beginning to create real opportunity as we see signs of improvement in 2016. For some time now, we have highlighted that the EM thesis has to be reconsidered at a more granular level given that the emerging world has become so fundamentally dispersed. The lack of consensus about this fact means we are seeing opportunities to add to our positions in Asia, including holdings in the Philippines, Indonesia, and India.

As always, selectivity is key, however, and in our view, should begin with a constant and vigilant approach to understanding the fundamentals of each company you own. A clear understanding of which stocks are best positioned for the next leg of a recovery in cash flow and profitability terms is key at this point in the cycle.

Our approach is to always seek to add to growing businesses at contrarian or controversial entry points, given this remains one of the timeless approaches to investing and can ultimately assist in the delivery of outsized gains.

Disclaimer

The views contained herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Morningstar. If you are interested in Morningstar featuring your content on our website, please email submissions to UKEditorial@morningstar.com
The vast majority of our Ultimate Stock-Picker list of top US equity fund managers have never been mistaken for dividend investors. That said, a handful of them are more focused on income producing stocks in their pursuit of investment gains.

We could also argue that Warren Buffett has shifted his investment portfolio to be more of an income generator, with the firm's four largest stock holdings; wide-moat Wells Fargo (WFC), narrow-moat Kraft Heinz (KHC), wide-moat Coca-Cola (KO), and narrow-moat IBM (IBM), which accounted for 59% of the insurance company's equity portfolio at the end of 2015, all yielding more than the S&P 500 index.

When we screen for top dividend-paying stocks among the holdings of our Ultimate Stock-Pickers we try to home in on the highest-quality names that are currently held with conviction by our top managers. We look for holdings that are widely held, by five or more of our top US equity fund managers, are yielding more than the S&P 500, represent firms with wide or narrow economic moats, and have uncertainty ratings of either low or medium.

Once our filtering process is complete, we create two tables, one that reflects the top 10 dividend-yielding stocks of our Ultimate Stock-Pickers, and the other representing stocks that are paying dividends in excess of the S&P 500 that are widely held by our top managers.

With valuation and safety being a top concern for investors, especially given the selloff in the global equity markets in January and February, we continue to believe that the best way for investors to protect their capital is to invest in quality businesses at attractive prices. As such, we have once again homed in on the names on both lists that are trading at less than 80% of our analysts' fair value estimates, believing that there might be more value to be had in solid dividend payers offering investors a wider than average margin of safety.

UK investors should bear in mind that these stocks pay dividends in US dollars and currency fluctuations will affect yields.

Current Yield: 3.86%

Sanofi's wide lineup of branded drugs and vaccines and robust pipeline create strong cash flows and a wide economic moat. Growth of existing products and new product launches should help offset weakening pricing in the insulin market.

The company also harnesses its research and development group to bring new drugs to emerging markets. While pricing in emerging markets is not usually as strong as in developed markets, the company can still leverage its investment in developing new drugs for developed markets by bringing the drugs to emerging markets. The rapid economic growth in emerging markets has created new geographic markets for Sanofi's drugs. A history of acquisitions and robust cash flow from operations means Sanofi could take advantage of further growth opportunities through external collaborations.

Current Yield: 3.79%

Pfizer's foundation remains solid, based on strong cash flows generated from a basket of diverse drugs. The company's large size confers significant competitive advantages in developing new drugs. This unmatched heft, combined with a broad portfolio of patent-protected drugs, has helped Pfizer build a wide economic moat around its business.

Pfizer's size establishes one of the largest economy of scale in the pharmaceutical industry. In a business where drug development needs a lot of shots on goal to be successful, Pfizer has the financial resources and the established research power to support the development of more new drugs. Also, after many years of struggling to bring out important new drugs, Pfizer is now launching several potential blockbusters in cancer, heart disease, and immunology.

Current Yield: 3.75%

With strong positions in multiple key health-care businesses, Novartis is well-positioned for steady long-term growth. Strong intellectual property supporting multibillion-dollar products, combined with an abundance of late-pipeline products, creates a wide economic moat.

Novartis derives its strength from a diversified operating platform that includes branded pharmaceuticals, generics, eye-care products, and consumer products. Although the majority of its competitors focus solely on the high-margin branded pharmaceutical segment, Novartis runs several complementary operations that reduce overall volatility and create cross-segment synergies. For example, not only does its generic business, Sandoz, serve to grab a portion of the billions of dollars in competitive branded products losing patent protection during the next 10 years, but it also extends the life cycle of in-house products as patents expire.

Current Yield: 2.49%

There are few domestic banks that can match the operating performance of U.S. Bancorp since the financial turmoil of 2008/09. U.S. Bancorp's longstanding ability to post excess returns on capital is rooted in its superior credit underwriting, fee generation, strategically beneficial acquisitions, and sound management. As with any high-quality bank, strong loan underwriting is fundamental. At the height of the financial crisis, U.S. Bancorp never incurred a loss from severe credit charge-offs as seen at other institutions. With its well-diversified mix of loans and sound underwriting practices, net charge-offs peaked at just over 2% of loans during the crisis. U.S. Bancorp has built an imposing slate of fee-based businesses from credit cards, wealth management, and payments processing, which account for approximately half of total revenue.
Morningstar's "Perspectives" series features investment insights from third-party contributors. Here, Omar Negyal, Fund Manager, JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust discusses the dividend prospects across emerging markets.

Emerging markets continue to raise countless concerns for international investors, such as the China-led slowdown, which included a collapse in many commodity prices, weakness in emerging markets currencies and disappointing earnings. But these fears have also contributed to very cheap valuations: at 1.2 times price-to-book ratio on the MSCI emerging markets index, emerging markets prices are reaching near crisis territory, a level at which long-term investors have historically been rewarded for investing.

Cheap has gotten cheaper, yet we retain conviction and add to high quality names

The impact of volatile emerging markets currencies has been painful for the asset class, but we are beginning to see pockets of value. For investors willing to stomach the risk of emerging markets in hopes of experiencing the gains  after all, were talking about an asset classes that represents 85% of the worlds population and 50% of the worlds GDP  the presence of a dividend income stream can go some way to softening the risk profile. Thats because usually companies that pay a dividend tend to by definition be friendly to minority shareholders and be stewards of good corporate governance, making them inherently less risky than the broader market.

The companies we invest in show a return on equity of 16% at a strategy level, which is meaningfully higher than the index. They also have a reasonable level of corporate reinvestment after dividend payments, which gives us confidence that as the cycle improves these companies can show growth going forward.

China Remains an Uncertain Prospect

Our preferences have been holdings in South Africa and Taiwan, whilst we have mostly avoided China. These views are outputs of an investment process that focuses on bottom-up stock selection, as opposed to being macro views, but they are nevertheless illustrative of where were finding emerging markets dividend opportunities.

In Taiwan, we tend to see good free cash flow, robust dividend policies and solid company fundamentals supported by the countrys strong current account surplus, protecting it from currency vulnerability. In contrast, South Africa is enormously exposed to higher macro risks and as a result has been dragged down in 2015 by the declining South African Rand. Cheap has gotten cheaper, yet we retain conviction and weve actually continued to add to high quality names that we like, where we are seeing value.

Taking a bit of a deep dive in Taiwan, we are invested in Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp, a chip manufacturer with a defensible niche in manufacturing. Theyve been able to generate attractive returns on capital through the business cycle, mitigating any volatility in their dividend stream. Another great example is Taiwan Semiconductor ADR, one of our top holdings. Its a genuinely innovative company, which is relatively rare in emerging markets. Its shown an ability to grow earnings as well as to reinvest to maintain and then increase earnings per share. Company management has confidence in the future cash flows, boding well for the strength of the dividends.

Investors might be surprised to realise there is a strong history of dividend paying in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Stock markets were originated in some of these countries in order to pay out cash distributions, facilitating the transfer of oil wealth, so payments to shareholders are an entrenched practice. One interesting stock here is First Gulf Bank, a well-managed and well capitalised bank that is bucking the trend of dividend cuts across emerging markets and offers a continued high yield.

Long Term Investors: Consider Out of Favour Markets

Another contrarian area of investment opportunity is Brazil, which has been under enormous pressure. However, many investors overlook the fact that the Brazilian government has mandated companies pay out 25% of earnings in the form of dividends to shareholders. An example of an attractive stock is AmBev, which is aligned with the interest of its minority shareholders and offers a 5% dividend yield with the prospect for continued growth.

It may be easy for investors to forget or overlook in times of pessimism, but emerging market companies have a surprisingly strong legacy of dividend, in many cases with a proven ability to pay out even in tough times. Some of the tailwinds for unloved emerging markets are looking attractive, not least the valuations picture. With price to book ratios at such historically depressed levels, it may be time to have more optimism than pessimism. Just look at the underlying returns for some emerging markets companies  we can find in many cases 15% return on equity with strong balance sheets, able to withstand a tough macro environment.

As a true long-term investor, it is worth remembering that the dividend stream over time should be more reliable than the price appreciation. An income component to your emerging markets exposure provides a more conservative approach, which may be rewarding to long-term investors as the headwinds eventually start to clear from this asset class.

Disclaimer

The views contained herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Morningstar. If you are interested in Morningstar featuring your content on our website, please email submissions to UKEditorial@morningstar.com
Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway is continuing its rapid expansion as one of its mortgage divisions has bought a foothold in Ohio. Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC has just acquired a Cleveland-based mortgage-banking firm, Rivercore.

The relatively small firm that is now part of the larger Berkadia group has been successful at funding a number of major downtown Cleveland real estate projects such as the Flats East Bank project and The 9 complex on East Ninth Street.

Were on a pretty strong expansion, Justin Wheeler, chief executive officer at Berkadia, told dailynewsx.com. First and foremost, were looking for the right kind of people.  And obviously Clevelands an interesting market, and its one that doesnt have a lot of national players.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In a major reversal, the Obama administration said Tuesday it will bar oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, a move cheered by environmentalists and consistent with the president's aggressive steps to deal with climate change.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell made the announcement on Twitter, declaring that the administration's next five-year offshore drilling plan "protects the Atlantic for future generations."

A formal announcement is expected later in the day.

The decision to block Atlantic drilling reverses a proposal made last year in which the administration floated a plan that would have opened up a broad swath of the Atlantic Coast to drilling. The January 2015 proposal would have opened up sites more than 50 miles off Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia to oil drilling no earlier than 2021.

The decision comes as President Barack Obama, in his final year in office, continues to build an environmental legacy that includes a global agreement to curb climate change and an ambitious plan to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.

The plan is likely to become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Both Democratic candidates oppose drilling in the Atlantic, while Republicans vow to expand drilling.

Environmental groups hailed the decision. A coalition of groups that oppose Atlantic drilling had organized protests and petitions in affected states, often running into opposition from governors and other political leaders that support drilling. Republican governors in North and South Carolina back drilling off their states' coasts, as does the Democratic governor of Virginia, as well as the state's two Democratic senators.

"President Obama has taken a giant step for our oceans, for coastal economies and for mitigating climate change," said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of Oceana, an environmental group. "This is a victory for people over politics and shows the importance of old-fashioned grassroots organizing."

The oil and gas industry has pushed for Atlantic drilling and pledged that exploration would be done safely, with lessons applied from the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"If the Atlantic is taken out, that means there's less of an opportunity to invest in the U.S., and those dollars will flow overseas, and we'll hear more and more of that in the presidential election," said Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association.

The Pentagon said Atlantic offshore drilling could hurt military maneuvers and interfere with missile tests the Navy relies on to protect the East Coast.

The Pentagon submitted a report to Interior that identified locations in Virginia and other states where military readiness programs would conflict with oil and gas activities, said spokesman Matthew Allen.

Allen said ensuring the safety of service members and the public during military training and testing activities was "of key importance."

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who supports offshore drilling, said he has worked on the issue from more than a decade as a former governor and longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Pentagon "has been relatively quiet during this public debate and has never shared their objections with me before," Kaine said, adding that he will speak with Pentagon officials soon to better understand their objections.

The drilling plan announced Tuesday covers potential lease sales from 2017 to 2022 and calls for leasing 10 areas in the Gulf of Mexico  long the epicenter of U.S. offshore oil production  and three off the Alaska coast.

The Interior Department estimates there are 3.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil on the Atlantic's outer continental shelf and 31.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Energy industry experts say the reserves may be far greater.
Zion Minor already has the chance to graduate from high school with an associates degree, but Tuesday, the freshman at Travis Early College High School told a crowd of educators and elected officials that she was really excited  twice  to apply to the San Antonio Independent School Districts newest institution.

SAISD announced Tuesday it will open a pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade accelerated learning academy, the first one in a local traditional public school district.

Im ready to be challenged, Zion said, earning her applause at the news conference at Fox Tech High School, where much of the new academy will be located.

Fox Tech will continue to host its current magnet programs. The new academys lower grades will be housed at Austin Academy, which after this school year will no longer be an in-district charter school for the fine arts.

The new academy will not precisely follow any existing models, district administrators said. It will allow students to regulate their own learning environments and work across subjects and grade levels, said Lisa Riggs, director of curriculum and instruction.

The curriculum will emphasize projects and problem-solving, and the schedule will be less structured, Riggs said.

Its a far cry from the gifted programs currently at many SAISD schools, which pull selected students out of their regular classrooms for an hour per day of accelerated learning.

This is unique to San Antonio because its addressing the challenges and the opportunities that we have here, Superintendent Pedro Martinez said.

Some SAISD schools have struggled to meet state academic standards: Of almost 100 schools, 19 last year did not meet Texas accountability requirements. The district in recent years also has faced discipline problems and declining enrollment. Of its 54,000 students, 93 percent are considered economically disadvantaged.

The district has made great strides in remedial education, but administrators crafting a five-year turnaround plan have repeatedly acknowledged that SAISD has not properly served students who are at or above grade level.

What now we need to do is make sure children have the best options possible, he said.

Trinity University is partnering with SAISD to create the academy, providing graduate students who are aspiring teachers and principals who will train there and earn credentials to be gifted-student educators elsewhere in SAISD.

The effort is being funded by City Education Partners, a newly formed nonprofit. Executive Director Joel Harris, a management consultant and former KIPP charter school principal, said its board consists of representatives from a number of foundations: the Mays Family, Ewing Halsell, Goldsbury, 80/20, San Antonio Area and Santikos.

Those philanthropies are donating a combined $1.2 million per year for scholarships for the Trinity students and stipends for their mentor teachers at the academy, Harris said. The funding is for three years, with options for five-year extensions.

The district plans to make student applications for the new school available online by the end of March, SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price said. The school will open to kindergarten through 10th grades, phasing in pre-kindergarten and higher grades over the next two years. It will grow to a total of 1,600 students, she said.

We have the potential here to view San Antonio Independent School District as an asset that attracts people to this community instead of a liability in some neighborhoods, said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who joined Mayor Ivy Taylor and other elected officials at the announcement.
Hold this thought: Self-governance is the lungs that breathe the free air of liberty.

Without this vital organ, healthy and active, a free society ceases to function and either suffocates in the tyranny of chaos or is tethered to whatever life-support machines a dictatorship installs. There are no other alternatives. Self-governance is the wisdom and courage to live free. It is the wisdom to determine the best courses of action without the dictates of an overseer and the courage to undertake these courses without coercion. Self-governance enables individuals to consider for themselves not only which paths are most likely to reach their goals, but more importantly, which goals should be avoided and which are worth pursuing in the first place. Without this ability, people must rely on others to make their choices for them. And if choice is the essence of freedom, a free people must value and develop the skill of self-governance if they are to remain free.

As a citizen of the freest and most life-giving nation in the history of mankind, I am concerned about the directions our country appears to be heading. But underpinning and even eclipsing the combined colossal problems now confronting us is the fact that our nations lungs for liberty are increasingly underdeveloped. As an educator in such a country, I soberly realize I am on the front lines addressing this all-important crisis. It is my civic duty and God-given vocation to teach students the skill and virtue of self-governance to the best of my abilities.

Self-governance can be taught, but like all virtues, only to a willing learner. Students (or anyone for that matter) who are unwilling to accept the sometimes painful lessons of reality and grow from them eventually will have reality make their decisions for them. And reality does not consult our wishes or inclinations when it decides on our behalf. Respecting a students decisions by allowing them to experience the consequences of their choices, whether wise or immature, is a great way to transform an unwilling learner into an eager one. Of course, the consequences must also be fitting and swift. Positive decisions should be rewarded. But if negative consequences are unduly severe they are crushing and demoralizing; if they are too lenient then immaturity is incentivized. If results, positive or negative, are delayed there isnt a connection made between choices and their outcomes.

It is best to begin training in self-governance -- through experiencing small margins of freedom -- when students are young. As they demonstrate their ability to use freedom well, the amount of freedom increases and continues to proliferate according to their capacity to manage the corresponding increase of responsibilities. To instill and teach this value, Midland Classical Academy follows a principle known as The Freedom V. The sides of the a V represent boundaries we establish for the student. The space within the V represents the amount of freedom we allow a student to operate within before receiving negative feedback. The lower a student is within the V, the less freedom he has; the higher up the V he is, the more freedom he is given. An unmanageable amount of freedom is disorienting and overwhelming. Too little freedom is stifling and oppressive. Our final aim is neither to control or disorient, but to enhance students abilities to use freedom.

An example of what this looks like at our school is a students schedule. During an MCA students grammar school years he is not given much freedom and is placed in the bottom of the V. His time on campus is predetermined and managed by his teacher. He has little room to choose to spend his time differently or he will be gently warned that he is out of line. Under the governance of another, there is little opportunity for self-governance, but he is learning important patterns of success.

Once he graduates to our upper-school as a seventh-grader, he is given wider margins of freedom and his schedule drastically changes. Instead of sitting in a classroom all day, he is given a college-type schedule where he may have 8:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. classes but then a one-hour break at 10:15 a.m. During his break he is free to choose how he will spend his time: studying in the library, hanging out with friends; shooting baskets in the gym. No one will manage his time for him, no one will tell him when it is time to go to his next class. He is free to decide what he will do and he alone is responsible for his decisions. Success at our school is largely determined by how well a student learns to properly manage his time and other responsibilities.

By the time he becomes an MCA senior, he has generally learned to administer his time and choices well. Recognizing this fact, our school invests tremendous liberties and responsibilities in him such as teaching classes, creating and grading assignments and mentoring younger students. As he graduates from MCA into a larger universe of freedom, he has learned, perhaps more than anything else, how to make responsible decisions on his own. He has acquired the skills to be a high-functioning individual.

This is not to suggest that MCAs schedule is the only way to instill habits of self-governance, but this is one of the structures our school has adopted to develop this skill in our students. What is of greatest importance for teaching self-governance are the principles within the Freedom V, and not the particular applications of how it is used. If students constructively manage a little freedom to their benefit and the benefit of others, they are making a positive difference within their sphere of influence even as they are training themselves to make an even greater impact when that sphere widens.

Prospects for individual success and the hope of our country largely rest upon our lung-capacity for liberty. We, including our students, will only be as free as we are self-governing.

Brandon Shuman is dean of arts and humanities at Midland Classical Academy.
The total annual bill for six prominent U.S. universities to run branches in the wealthy Arabian emirate of Qatar comes to more than $400 million.

That sum includes more than $76.2 million a year to operate Texas A&M University at Qatar - a previously undisclosed figure that The Washington Post recently obtained through a public records request in Texas.

The university provided The Post with a copy of its contract to operate in Doha, Qatar, as well as budget estimates and other documents, after the state attorney general's office ruled that the documents are public records and must be released. A Qatari foundation had petitioned Texas authorities to keep the documents secret.

Texas A&M's branch is part of Education City, a massive venture to import elite higher education from the United States to Doha using the oil and natural gas riches of the tiny Persian Gulf nation. Others in Doha are Cornell, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern and Virginia Commonwealth universities.

Education City is something of a gamble for the U.S. schools. Leaders of the universities say they pay nothing to operate in Doha because their expenses are covered by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

But the schools also must safeguard their reputation. They are prominent representatives of the Western liberal academic tradition operating in a country with tight controls on political expression and other public speech. Qatar, predominantly Muslim and culturally conservative, takes Islamic law seriously and is careful to protect the royal family's power. Anti-sedition laws make it a crime to publicly insult the emir.

Many details of Education City's operations are opaque. The foundation - chaired by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, wife of the previous emir and mother of the incumbent - discloses few financial details. Four of the six U.S. universities involved are private, and they all declined Post requests to view copies of their contracts.

But The Post pieced together a picture of the financial operation through U.S. tax records, U.S. Education Department data and public records in Virginia and Texas.

Here are estimated total annual expenses in 2014:

Weill Cornell Medical College - $121.7 million

Texas A&M - $76.2 million

Carnegie Mellon - $60.3 million

Georgetown - $59.5 million

Northwestern - $45.3 million

VCU - $41.8 million

The total: $404.8 million.

But those are just operating expenses for the six university branches. There likely are other capital and operating expenses for Education City as a whole. The figures suggest that the foundation has spent several billion dollars to develop and operate the complex during the past 15 years. The first of the six branches to open in Doha was VCU's in 1998, but the venture accelerated after Cornell agreed in 2001 to launch a medical school there.

Each branch focuses on a specialty. VCU does fine arts; Georgetown, foreign service; Northwestern, communication and journalism; and Carnegie Mellon, business and computer science.

Texas A&M's specialty in Qatar is engineering. Since 2003, the Doha branch has awarded 635 diplomas. This school year it has 508 students and 81 faculty members. The branch offers bachelor's degrees in engineering (chemical, mechanical, petroleum and electrical/computer), as well as a master's degree in chemical engineering.

When The Post asked VCU last fall for a copy of its contract with the Qatar Foundation, the public university in Richmond provided one. But Texas A&M at first declined to do so, instead referring the request to the Texas attorney general's office. Attorneys for the Qatar Foundation told the attorney general's office that release of the records "would cause substantial competitive harm."

An assistant attorney general, David L. Wheelus, concluded in a letter to Texas A&M on Feb. 11 that the records must be disclosed. "We note this office considers the prices charged in government contracts to be a matter of strong public interest," Wheelus wrote.

The latest Texas A&M contract, dated Jan. 13, 2014, expires in June 2023. In many aspects it resembles VCU's contract.

Key provisions stipulate that Texas A&M shall operate in Doha with "the same standards of quality for faculty, staff, students and curricula that apply on the main campus" and that the branch will follow "the educational, employment, academic freedom, nondiscrimination and quality standards observed at the main campus."

Other provisions:

- Degrees awarded in Doha are to be "identical in all material respects" to those awarded in College Station, Texas.

- Texas A&M agreed to set a goal that 70 percent of its undergraduates in Doha would be Qatari citizens.

- Courses are to be coeducational and delivered in English.

- The campus dean reports directly to top officials of Texas A&M in College Station.

- Faculty and key administrators are eligible for a salary premium of up to 30 percent of their base pay.

- The Qatar Foundation retains approval authority over budgets and business plans.

- Texas A&M is eligible for a management fee for running the branch - an amount set at $8.2 million in fiscal 2014.

- Students pay tuition to the Qatar Foundation, and the foundation reimburses the university for expenses.
After reading Trevor Hawes article on the upcoming visit of Bill Nye to Midland College, it cant be said that Midlanders arent willing to hear an alternative point of view.

If you havent read Hawes article that appeared in Sundays edition, do so. It offers a glimpse of what drives the star of the 1990s television series Bill Nye, the Science Guy.

Nyes background interestingly includes time in the Permian Basin oilpatch. Hes also a man who hopes for the end of the oil industry. In fact, Nye hopes for the elimination of fossil fuels. He says the burning of fossil fuels is a reason for climate change and the rise in level of the oceans.

As far as the oil industry goes, it is my opinion as the  what am I  back-Eastern, elite, bleeding-heart liberal, mean-spirited, evil person, that fossil fuels are not the future, he said. The rest of the world is getting away from fossil fuels as fast as they can for a number of reasons, and one of them is economic. That is to say, when wind is actually cheaper, then what are you going to do if youre in the oil business? And wind will be cheaper because, pretty soon, the forces that be that control the enormous oil fields in the Middle East are going to let the price go up, and oils going to be expensive.

In other civilized countries like Japan and Britain, people pay $10 a gallon (for gasoline), and they still drive like crazy. But itll be $10 a gallon here one day, and wind power and electric cars will absolutely be cheaper, and then what are you going to do? ... This is just how the world is.

Again, Nye is no oil industry sympathizer. Those who remember Nye from his show probably should keep that in mind if they attend the event Thursday at Chap Center. Nye said hes excited about engaging with those in attendance who might hold philosophies contrary to his. Midland College said this week there will be an opportunity for those with questions to offer them for consideration during a question-and-answer session, which is slated after a 60-minute prepared lecture.

Some will be curious why Midland College, in bringing in Nye for the Davidson Distinguished Lecture Series event, appears to be biting the hand that feeds it. We believe it is a credit to our community that Midlanders can listen to those with points of view that are different than many in our city  especially an outspoken environmentalist calling for the end of the oil and gas industry  and still respect the person even if we wholeheartedly disagree.

And, for the record, this newspaper is for an all-of-the-above energy plan that includes oil and gas production, not a plan that advances an alternative fuels agenda at the expense of the oil industry.

Nye is passionate about science, technology, education and the occasional debate on topics from climate change to creationism.

Those willing to spend a night and experience that passion can do so for free on Thursday night.



Editors Note: Those wishing to submit questions can do so by emailing them to Michael Makowsky (mmakowsky@midland.edu) or to Rebecca Bell (rbell@midland.edu)
Indie rockers Walk The Moon will be busy this summer. The band will spend the majority of the summer months making stops at major music festivals across the country, as well as their own headlining run, the Work This Body Tour, which is set to launch on May 26 in San Diego and will wrap up on August 20 in Cleveland, Ohio. The band, who will be joined by indie-pop act MisterWives for nearly all of their headlining dates, will also play handful of festival stops this summer.

Appearances include performances at Sunfest in West Palm Beach, Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, BottleRock Festival in Napa, California and Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal, QC. The band's numerous festival stops are a testament to their growing popularity, and their ticket prices are a solid reflection of how much the band has grown since the release of their 2014 album, Talking is Hard.



(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Across all of their 25 headlining concerts, Walk The Moon tickets are averaging $109 on the secondary market. The band's most expensive stop is scheduled to be their July 29 stop at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston, where tickets are averaging $138, with the cheapest ticket priced at $51. Their cheapest performance is slated to be their August 6 stop at Uptown Amphitheatre at the NC Music Factory, where tickets are averaging $52, with the cheapest ticket priced at $35, according to data provided by TiqIQ.

To compare, the band's festival appearances are significantly more expensive. A 3-day pass to BottleRock Napa Valley is currently averaging $316, with the cheapest pass available for $177, while a 3-day pass to Shaky Knees is averaging $316, with the cheapest pace priced at $192. Fans driving to the festival can find parking in Atlanta on ParkWhiz, where rates start for as low as $18.

Most recently, Walk The Moon made headlines when they teamed up with Zumba for a choreography video for the band's single (and tour name) "Work This Body." The video is designed to help participants break a sweat at their next class or at home.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
What a time to be alive! This past November, Boosie BadAzz was diagnosed with cancer. After a successful surgery, the rapper happily celebrated being cancer-free by turning up on a beach with half-naked women during his Hawaii vacation. He documented his lavish excursion to the "Aloha State" through a string of Instagram posts over the weekend.

The 33-year-old Baton Rouge went to the hospital for an MRI after suffering through intense stomach pains. Doctors revealed his test results showed signs of kidney cancer. Shocked by the news, Boosie went back to the hospital for a second MRI to truly confirm his diagnosis. In December, he underwent surgery to remove half of his kidney, which ultimately removed the cancerous cells from his body.

Boosie hopped on a plane and landed in Honolulu, Hawaii with friends. He was surrounded by clear skies and blue waters. In the Instagram videos, Boosie is seen on the beach and in the water dancing with groups of girls.

A photo posted by Boosie BadAzz (@officialboosieig) on Mar 13, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT

A video posted by Boosie BadAzz (@officialboosieig) on Mar 13, 2016 at 5:05pm PDT

"My stomach was hurting, so I just told the doctor, let me get a MRI. I went and got an MRI and two hours later, they told me I had got cancer." Boosie told XXL. "I said something like, 'Hell no. I ain't got no cancer, y'all trippin.' Then I told him, 'Let's go back down there,' and I got another MRI. And they came back [again] and said I got cancer. I was hurtin' man because I already lost two aunties and an uncle to cancer in 2015 so I was hurting."

That wasn't the only way the "Wipe Me Down" rapper enjoyed the island. Boosie shared images of the delicious food he ate, gazing at a late night firework display, as well as, his underwater adventures in a submarine listening to Marvin Gaye.

Boosie cites the prayers of his fans, family, and friends as the reasoning behind his clean bill of health. Inspired by the adversity he's faced throughout his life and his support team, Boosie created a ton of new music for the new year. In January, he dropped In My Feelings (Goin Thru It) and Out My Feelings in the Past last month.

A photo posted by Boosie BadAzz (@officialboosieig) on Mar 13, 2016 at 4:12pm PDT

"Right now, I'm healthier than I ever been," Boosie added. "I'm back doing shows. I have more wind now than I had doing shows before I had cancer. So I'm in a good point in my life. I'm cancer-free."

Boosie plans on releasing more music in the near future.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Global Citizen may have started as an annual concert in New York City, but now the initiative to end global poverty by 2030 is extending its reach. On Tuesday (March 15), Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons along with Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans announced a new album, due for release in the fall, featuring the likes of Kanye West, Ellie Goulding and more.

So far, West, Goulding, Mumford & Sons and The National are confirmed to contribute new songs to the Global Citizen album Metamorphoses, Billboard reports. But they won't solely write the tracks. The music on Metamorphoses will tie together stories from people around the world with the music from contributing artists, giving a sense of authenticity to the record.

"Metamorphoses has the potential to break down our preconceptions of the voices of creativity, what different people around the world are thinking and who has the right to be heard. In my own life, I've experienced people trying to define me and put me in boxes and categories. Through collaboration we can show people how those lines can be blurred and are ultimately redundant," Lovett said in a statement. "The artists involved in this project are some of the most genuine artists the world has to offer. Artists like Kanye West, and The National are doing something globally important that is touching people down to their DNA..."

While only four artists have been announced for the compilation album, eight more superstars are expected to join the tracklist and will be announced as the record's fall release date comes closer.

For now, if fans or activists want to contribute stories or lyrics, the contest is open until March 31.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Festivals may be pulling back from the Georgia market in 2016, but it appears as though they are planting roots in the fertile and growing Colorado live music scene. According to a new report, Electric Forest organizers Madison House are bringing a four-day camping music festival to Colorado.

First reported by This Song Is Sick, the still unnamed festival is slated for Aug. 4-7. It will tentatively take place on a 274-acre ranch near the west end of Buena Vista. The vast nature of the festival is similar to what happens each June on the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan for Electric Forest.

"Today is the start of something very special in Colorado, and we are excited to honor the approval we have received from the Chaffee County community. Participation in the permitting process, from many voices in the community, have created a true collaboration. We aim for this festival to be a mighty source of Colorado pride," said Jeremy Stein, President of Madison House Presents to This Song Is Sick. "The setting is stunning, the music will be amazing, and the art will inspire. At the festival's core, is a community seeking fun, exploration, and common ground. This is the inauguration of a magical summer celebration."

This would be one of the largest music festivals occurring in Colorado, notably in electronic music, though the genre is not confirmed. The state already has Telluride Bluegrass, Telluride Jazz, Snowball Music Festival, Rocky Grass and Sonic Bloom among others.

In addition to putting on events like Electric Forest, Madison House is a large booking and management company that handles acts like Bassnectar, Grandtheft, Illenium, Paper Diamond, Keys N Krates, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Luke the Knife, Twiddle and Dumpstaphunk.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Writer, director and star of the upcoming biopic movie, Miles Ahead, based on legendary musician Miles Davis, Don Cheadle has revealed a number of details about his passion project. First off, it was very hard to make, but it almost didn't get any attention from studios because of one strange, prejudicial fact: there were no white male leads in the film. Enter Ewan McGregor's journalist character to save the day, but really, perpetuate this issue further (nothing against the Star Wars actor of course - mainly just Hollywood).

Speaking with Rolling Stone about this bold project, Cheadle explained that race was a big issue in selling the idea of this movie to producers.

"To get this film financed, we needed a white costar," the House of Lies actor told the magazine, according to UPROXX. "These are issues that come into play. And until Ewan came on, until we had cast the proper white costar, there was no Miles Davis movie. There was no Miles Ahead. The family had been trying to make this movie for years, and we straight-up told them, 'We need a white costar. We need to tell this story, in order to get this money, with a white male lead.'"

You can check out more buzzing news coverage from Music Times right here!

Aside from this (sadly commonplace) racial issue with the film, Cheadle had many other obstacles to hurdle since he took on so many roles in the production. In fact, the actor admits to wanting to get rid of the script and hand the movie off to someone else to make. Luckily for us, Cheadle was so involved in creating this movie, Davis became a voice in the actor's head that coerced him into powering through the difficulties.

Watch a trailer for Miles Ahead right here:



 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments for two proposed new dredging locations on the Mississippi River within the navigation channel in Pool 10, adjacent to Clayton County, Iowa, and Grant County, Wisconsin.

The proposed action would include the establishment of new dredge cuts near Catfish Slough and Hovie Island, approximately 10 miles downstream of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The locations would be incorporated into the existing channel maintenance management plan and would allow for routine maintenance dredging in the future instead of emergency dredging or channel closure.

This action is a federal project that requires a review of environmental effects under the National Environmental Policy Act. A copy of the draft environmental assessment with a finding of no significant impact was coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state resource agencies prior to posting of the public notice to ensure compatibility and compliance with other federal and state requirements. A final determination on the draft environmental assessment will be made following a 30 day public review period. A copy of the draft environmental assessment can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul Districts website at: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.

The public review and comment period on the draft environmental assessment begins March 15, 2016, and ends April 14, 2016. Questions and comments concerning project should be directed to Eric Hanson, Corps ecologist, at (651) 290-5386 or eric.r.hanson@usace.army.mil. Please address all correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attention: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 Fifth St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1678.

The nearly 600 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps Fiscal Year 2015 $100 million budget, nearly 1,600 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $155 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.





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Fresno, CA  A Sonora woman convicted by a federal court for embezzling thousands of dollars while director for two Yosemite child care facilities received a light sentence today in Fresno.

Under a plea agreement, 41-year-old Charity Brocchini, who formerly headed up operations for the nonprofit Yosemite National Park Child Care Center and Yosemite Child Care Center was convicted on a single count of embezzlement last December. For that, this morning she received two months in prison and two months of home confinement and was ordered to make restitution of $42,608.21, the exact sum of what she was found to have stolen, according to Lauren Horwood of the Office of the United States Attorney, Eastern District of California. Horwood adds that court documents indicate that Brocchini is to self-surrender at the Bureau of Prisons on June 20 to begin serving her time.

Brocchini was originally charged in August of 2014 with two counts of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds. It was found that between 2005 and 2009 she had written extra paychecks to herself and tapped program funds to help make car, insurance and credit card payments as well as to finance shopping sprees. She had faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Geoffrey Wagner Arrest in Columbia, Mar. 14, 2016 View Photos

Columbia, CA  Tuolumne County Sheriffs deputies responding to a Monday morning 911 call in Columbia had to tap a special operations unit for assistance after finding incendiary devices.

According to Tuolumne County Sheriffs spokesperson Sgt. Andrea Benson, the call came in at 10:22 a.m. among multiple reports describing shots being fired and a man who was running around the Airport Village Mobile Home Park on North Airport Road in Columbia, bleeding from his arm.

When deputies arrived, they learned that Geoffrey Wagner, a 28-year-old man who lives in the park, had cuts that he sustained to his arm when he broke a window, Sgt Benson explains. She adds, Upon searching his residence, a shotgun and what appeared to be three destructive devices were found, so the Calaveras Sheriffs Department Special Operations Division inspected the materials and determined them to be incendiary devices  which are also called Molotov Cocktailsdesigned to cause fires. (For images relating to Wagners arrest, click the slideshow in the upper-left image box.)

Subsequently taken into custody, Wagner was booked on charges of felon in possession of a firearm as well as possession of a destructive device. He is currently in the Tuolumne County Jail, held on a $20,000 bail.
The homeless issue in Daytona Beach is gaining momentum as more organizations come together to support a solution.



City and county leaders are backing the construction of the Volusia Safe Harbor, but a local homeless advocate is protesting the shelter.

Thomas Rebman is a teacher who experienced homelessness on purpose. He spent 98 days on the street to learn first-hand about the challenges and services available.

While hes no longer destitute, he hasnt left the streets.

Hes now picketing and protesting a proposed shelter for the homeless.

Dont need another place to hide the homeless," Rebman said.

Hes against the 24-hour facility dubbed the Volusia Safe Harbor.

We need bridge beds where they just go there and stay until they go to housing," he said. "We dont need a shelter.

But the groups supporting the Safe Harbor said that this place would offer more than a bed.

Were about case management," Gary Tester of the Catholic Charities of Central Florida said. "Were about wrap-around social services. Were about trying to put the right continuum in place to make sure that wherever we can meet someone, we do and move them forward.

Yet Rebman said the millions of dollars put forth to fund this project could be better spent.

It takes a long time to decompress," Rebman said. "A week or so. You cant make decisions and be forced into a program.

Volusia County has pledged $4 million to build the facility and the land next to the jail and a behavioral health services facility would be donated.

So far nine cities are on board with the project.

Leaders are asking members of the community to donate to the cause.

On Monday night, at least one large donation of $22,000 was given on behalf of churches and mosques to the city of Daytona Beach.
Orange County will step up efforts to catch heroin dealers and keep the drug out of the hands of young people.

On Monday, a task force aimed at tackling the heroin problem in Orange County released recommendations to fight the issue.

The Orange County Heroin Task Force formed six months ago after the county saw heroin-related overdoses more than quadruple in recent years.

The task force includes community leaders like timeshare mogul David Siegel. He says an addiction to drugs cost his 18-year-old daughter her life. Victoria Siegel died from an overdose in 2015.

If I knew then what I know now, my daughter would still be alive, said Siegel.

Seigel, President and CEO of Westgate Resorts in Orlando, says hes turned his business over to his colleagues while he spends all of his time now fighting to prevent other families from going through what his family did.

This is all I do is get the word out, try to save lives, said Siegel. The task force is recommending law enforcement continue joint operations to catch heroin dealers, and higher bond amounts to keep those dealers in jail.

The task force is also working to make the antidote to heroin, Naloxone, more available. The task force is also launching a social media campaign to reach teenagers.

So they dont ever start using, said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

Siegel and members of the task force are now urging Florida lawmakers to appropriate more money to help them carry the recommendations out. He says every dollar spent could save a life.

These are lives, our future generation that were losing, said Siegel. I dont want other families to get the terrible call that I got.

The full list of recommendations can be found on the county's website.
Finding out how your favorite candidate is funding his or her presidential campaign.

Google unveiled a new feature on its search engine this week. All users have to do is time in the candidate's name and "campaign finance." The search results will pull up a box with a circle graph showing what percentage of financing came from a campaign and what percentage came from outside groups.

A drop down list shows who is voting for the candidate, and breaks it down based on industry.

The information comes from the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that takes information from the Federal Elections Commission and breaks it down for the lay person.

Google has been working to make it easier for voters to find information about candidates.

Google has rolled out other tools that make it easier to learn a candidate's positions on a dozen different topics, from economics to gun control.



All you have to do is type the candidate's name and "issue stances" to pull up a widget with a variety of quotes and links.
Gov. Rick Scott announced his veto list for the 2016-2017 state budget Tuesday.

Not on that list -- the $20 million request for funding for the UCF Downtown Orlando campus, slated for Creative Village.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer confirms the money for the campus has been approved.

We did it! @FLGovScott announced today that he'll approve $20 million funding for @UCF Downtown Campus. pic.twitter.com/J5qt6p2iRq  Mayor Buddy Dyer (@orlandomayor) March 15, 2016

UCF President John Hitt called the announcement one of the most important milestones in the school's history:

"We appreciate Gov. Scotts support and his sharing our belief that UCF Downtown will transform the lives of our students and the future of our community. UCF, Orlando and the state will benefit from this decision for decades to come.

The approval was the final piece in funding and an uncertain one. Gov. Scott vetoed state money for the project last year.

UCF needs $60 million for the downtown campus, which will be built on a 68-acre site that used to be the location of the old Amway Arena.

UCF already has $20 million available in university funds and $16 million available in donations.

The Board of Governors approved the project late last month.

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Tuesday was primary day in Florida, and we tracked problems at polling locations throughout our area.

We updated voters, county by county.

FLAGLER COUNTY

7:50 p.m.

Voters in one precinct in Flagler were given the wrong ballots, resulting in about 30 people who voted for the commission race who shouldn't have, according to the Supervisor of Elections office.

Elections officials plan to go through every ballot one by one tonight, double-checking the ballots. They found out about the error when a voter called the office and said they shouldn't have been voting for a city race because they didn't live in Bunnell, the Supervisor of Elections said. They don't think it will impact the election, and it won't affect the presidential race, they said.



ORANGE COUNTY

7:50 p.m.

Voting hours in Orange County won't be extended after ballot problems prompted elections officials to request an extension, the Supervisor of Elections office said. Elections officials say that it was a "mutual agreement with the Secretary of State after reviewing all steps taken."

Bill Cowles, Orange County's Supervisor of Elections, issued this satement:

The Secretary and Supervisor have been in regular communication throughout the day. They have revisited the Supervisors request to extend hours and reviewed the corrective steps that have been taken, the timeframe in which the issues were resolved and the multiple options voters were given to cast their vote today. After thorough consideration, at this time we are in agreement that voters in the six municipal elections have been accommodated and will have sufficient time to get to the polls without having to extend the polling hours."

5:15 p.m.

Update from reporter Amanda McKenzie:

Orange County's Supervisor of Elections office will hand deliver absentee ballots to voters who tried to vote but their precinct ran out of ballots.

It's a problem that occurred at about a dozen of the 251 precincts in Orange County



As early as 9 a.m., the Pinecastle Masonic Lodge and several more ran out of both Democrat and Republican ballots. Voters told News 13 they were told to come back later, but worry that their vote wont count in time.

They just said come back later," James Cross said.

Cross planned to cast his vote before going to work in the morning. But less than two hours after his precinct in Belle Isle opened, he left without an I voted sticker.

Immediately in front of me they ran out of Republican ballots and I was unable to vote," Cross said.

The other precincts are in Apopka, Maitland, Belle Isle, Ocoee, Windermere and Winter Park.

Bill Cowles, Orange County Supervisor of Elections, said there was a problem with the printing order Orange County made back in December.

We got more city ballots than we did ballots with the federal presidential election on it," Cowles said.

Orange County found out about the problem early, and quickly began printing hundreds of ballots to deliver to the precincts that were short.

Time is running out as polls close at 7 p.m.



The Orange County Supervisor of Elections contacted the Governors office to request that voting be extended for those precincts by one hour, so that polls could close at the same time as the Panhandle.

We have not heard a decision at this time.

If you will not be able to return to your precinct to cast your vote, you are encouraged to call the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office at 407-836-8683.

The office tells News 13 that they are hand-delivering absentee ballots to folks at home or at work to fill out in an effort to make sure every vote counts.

3:20 p.m.:

Update from reporter Amanda McKenzie:

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections contacted the Secretary of State at about 2 p.m. to request that voting be extended until 8 p.m. for the affected precincts. Those precincts are in Apopka, Maitland, Belle Isle, Ocoee, Windermere and Winter Park.

It affects both Republican ballots and Democratic ballots.

Polls close in the Florida Panhandle at 8 p.m. EST. We're now waiting for a decision from the Governor's Office.

Bill Cowles says this an Orange County issue, not statewide. An error in the printing order made in December is to blame.



The county mixed up the order numbers for ballots that included municipal elections. The county got more city ballots than presidential ballots.

Many precincts had to turn people away and tell them to come back later.

The Supervisor of Elections office on Kaley Avenue is now open for people to cast their votes in light of this. Hundreds of ballots are being printed there to be delivered to the precincts.

The express votes for people with disabilities are now open to all voters.

If you will not be able to return to your precinct to cast your vote, you are encouraged to call the Supervisor of Elections office, 407-836-8683 (VOTE) to get an absentee ballot.

3 p.m.

Orange County's elections supervisor is asking Gov. Rick Scott to allow the state to extend voting hours in Orange County until 8 p.m.

Earlier today, some precincts did not get the correct number of Republican ballots and ran out. Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles wants to give extra time so that everyone who didn't get to vote this morning can.

He needs Scott's approval.

While polls in most of Florida's counties close at 7 p.m., the western Panhandle counties are in the Central Time Zone and close at 8 p.m. EST.

10 a.m.

Cowles confirmed some precincts did not get the correct number of Republican ballots. Callers say polling locations in Apopka and Belle Isle ran out. However, the polling places can print ballots on the spot, and more ballots are being delivered.

8:25 a.m.

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections says they are experiencing technical issues at several polling places, but voters are able to cast votes.

Polls opened at 7 a.m., and several locations are having issues with verifying voter registration.

Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles says the tablets they use to swipe a voter's drivers license wasn't connecting to the Internet fast enough.



Elections officials say technicians have been deployed to handle the issues, and in the meantime, polling locations are using registration books like they have in the past for anyone who shows up to vote.

"Every polling place did have a paper printout of all the voters assigned to that precinct delivered to them this morning between 6 and 7," Cowles said. "So they had the paper list to use if the tablets were down and couldnt check it in."

POLK COUNTY

11:30 a.m.

A precinct in Winter Haven had a problem this morning when a poll worker couldn't find the Democratic primary ballots.

When the worker opened the polling place, she only handed out the Republican ballots and told Democrats they couldn't get a ballot.

Voters called the Supervisor of Elections office, which told the poll worker where to find the ballots.

Supervisor Lori Edwards says only three voters were affected and all three voted.

Edwards is expecting a voter turnout of 45 percent.

SOUTH FLORIDA

4:53 p.m.

Florida elections officials say Donald Trump has not been left off any presidential ballot.

Florida's Secretary of State Ken Detzner says he certified all of the candidates' names on the ballots.

Some are reporting on Twitter that Trump's name was not on the ballot in some areas of the state, including Jupiter in Palm Beach County.

The state suspects the people who did not see Trump on the ballot were not Republican voters.

Florida is a closed primary state, and only those registered with the Republican or Democratic parties can vote in those primaries.

Latest statement from the Department of State.
March 15 was National Agriculture Day - a day designated each year by the Agriculture Council of America to celebrate the accomplishments of agriculture. Texas FSA joins the council in recognizing farmers and ranchers for their contributions to the nations outstanding quality of life. This years theme is Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet.

Agricultural producers are the original stewards of the land. They understand the fragility of the land and are well aware that there are increasingly fewer producers and fewer acres for production. They want to sustain it and protect what they have.
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SAN ANTONIO -- Alamo City native Summer Glau, a favorite of fan boys around the world because of her strong, provocative roles in "Terminator" and other science fiction TV series, will take on a feisty role on "Castle" Monday.

The guest-star turn reunites her with "Firefly" and "Serenity" co-star Nathan Fillion, who plays the lead in the long-running ABC show. Look for the episode at 9 p.m.

The story and Glau's role:

Best-selling mystery novelist Richard Castle visits Los Angeles for personal reasons, but things take a deadly turn when he's recruited by the legendary Greatest Detective Society to help solve a murder.

Enter Kendall Frost (Glau), a magnetic private detective who competes with Castle to solve the murder.

Gerald McRaney guest stars as Mason Wood, the head of the Greatest Detective Society.

Glau, whose performing career began as a ballerina and mistress of other styles of dance on the San Antonio stage, debuted on the small screen in a 2002 role in "Angel."

She caught the eye of director-producer Joss Whedon, who cast her in the complicated role of River Tam in "Firefly" and has shone in the sci-fi genre ever since.

Another notable role was her turn as a sexy, butt-kicking cyborg and protector of teenage John Connor in Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

She also ventured into the world of fantasy by playing a Christmas elf in a Hallmark TV movie.

Glau's a favorite at fan conventions and, in keeping with her goddess status, guest-starred on "The Big Bang Theory" as herself.

Most recently, she was a regular on the CW superhero hit "Arrow."

Glau, 34, is married with a daughter, Milena.

jjakle@express-news.net
Led by a strong contingent of Christian artists, almost 20 San Antonio acts will be heading up Interstate 35 this week to showcase at the South by Southwest Music Festival, which runs Tuesday-Sunday.

The sounds range from the Latin jazz of Henry Brun to the pounding progressive metal of Memories in Broken Glass.
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After meeting with a police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man wanted on felony warrants, Police Chief William McManus changed his mind about firing the officer and said instead he will receive additional training.

McManus alerted City Manager Sheryl Sculley of the decision in an email late Monday. It will have no bearing on District Attorney Nico LaHoods review of Antronie Scotts shooting by Officer John Lee, a 12-year SAPD veteran.

In the email to Sculley, McManus said he had met with Lee Monday afternoon and determined after further review of the incident, additional training and not discipline was the most appropriate action.

Scott, 36, was shot and killed Feb. 4 shortly after getting out of a Mercedes sedan. Lee approached Scott as he was exiting the vehicle and said, Let me see your hands, according to reports. The officer told investigators at the time he thought Scott had a weapon in his hand, but investigators determined the man was holding a cell phone, not a gun.

SAPD turned over details of its investigation of the shooting to the DAs office. Monday evening, LaHood confirmed that McManuss decision doesnt impact his offices work.

His decision has zero effect on our analysis of the evidence, the district attorney said in a text message to the San Antonio Express-News. One is an analysis on tactical procedures and the other is an analysis on whether a crime occurred.

The DAs review is ongoing, LaHood said.

Meanwhile, Scotts family has hired attorney Thomas Henry and has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city. The suit alleges Scotts civil rights were violated and claims SAPDs policies are deficient. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

After the Feb. 4 shooting, it appeared that Lee would lose his job. On March 1, McManus issued a statement saying that Lee has been issued a contemplated indefinite suspension for placing himself unnecessarily in a tactical situation wherein he felt compelled to use deadly force. But just a few days later, the chief told the Express-News that Lee could get his job back.

The San Antonio Police Officers Association has pushed back against McManus and is taking a union-wide vote of no confidence against him. That vote has no bearing on McManuss job. Sculley makes personnel decisions about the chief of police.

Councilman Rey Saldana said he wouldnt second-guess McManuss decision because the chief knows what was behind the curtain of every single angle and fact.

But the issue brings the city to a crossroads, he said, where the community can choose to let the case go away or can use it as a case study for the need for a larger discussion about police reform. It brings to light, Saldana said, whether SAPDs policies and training are appropriate to mitigate loss of life in the community and protect officers safety.

Mayor Ivy Taylor did not respond to a call seeking comment. SAPOA President Mike Helle also did not return a call seeking comment.

McManus said in his email to Sculley that Lee will remain on administrative duty pending the outcome of the district attorneys investigation. The chief said he alerted the NAACP and another community leader of his decision, but didnt specify who exactly he contacted.

Two detectives were also at the scene of the shooting. McManus said he would meet with them later this week to finalize their discipline. The two detectives working undercover had followed Scott to the Wood Hollow Apartments at 10362 Sahara St., where the shooting occurred.

In response to his email, Sculley praised the chief for his work on the case.

Thank you for your thorough consideration of this complicated and highly sensitive public safety incident, she said, replying to McManus email and copied to the mayor and City Council.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
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SAN ANTONIO  Congressman Joaquin Castro said Tuesday he disagrees with San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus' decision to rescind punishment for an officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man last month.

RELATED: McManus: Officer will get training, not discipline in fatal shooting

"Chief McManus was right the first time. Training is not enough. Mr. Scott lost his life because of Officer Lees extremely poor judgement," U.S. Rep. Castro, D-San Antonio, said in a statement to mySA.com.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ivy Taylor backed McManus in a Tuesday statement:

I have been in close communication with Chief McManus throughout the investigation. While the initial impression was that poor tactical execution by Officer Lee alone led to the loss of Mr. Scotts life, the investigation revealed that responsibility for the outcome was shared and therefore firing Officer Lee was not appropriate. While I still believe this tragic incident should never have occurred, I understand the Chiefs path on discipline here. I remain committed to carrying out the police reforms in training that we have begun. I am also asking the City Manager and Police Chief to examine how we expand our community policing efforts. Regular interactions between neighborhood residents and our officers can go a long way toward preventing these types of incidents.

McManus changed his mind about firing Officer John Lee after a Monday meeting with the 12-year SAPD veteran, who shot 36-year-old Antronie Scott on Feb. 4 during a North Side traffic stop after he said he mistook a cellphone for a gun. Lee instead he will receive additional training, McManus said.

Scott was shot and killed shortly after getting out of a Mercedes sedan in the Wood Hollow Apartments at 10362 Sahara St. parking lot. Lee was attempting to detain Scott, who was wanted on felony warrants.

SEE MORE: More than 30 people killed in Bexar County by law enforcement officers since 2010

SAPD turned over details of its investigation of the shooting to the DAs office, which is still reviewing the case.

His decision has zero effect on our analysis of the evidence, Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood said in a text message to the San Antonio Express-News Monday night. One is an analysis on tactical procedures and the other is an analysis on whether a crime occurred.

McManus said that Lee will remain on administrative duty pending the outcome of the district attorney's investigation.

Meanwhile, Scotts family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city alleging Scott's civil rights were violated and claims SAPDs policies are deficient.

After the Feb. 4 shooting, it appeared that Lee would lose his job.

On March 1, McManus issued a statement saying that Lee has been issued a contemplated indefinite suspension for placing himself unnecessarily in a tactical situation wherein he felt compelled to use deadly force.

SEE MORE: SAPD officer who shot, killed unarmed Antronie Scott faces indefinite suspension

But just a few days later, the chief told the Express-News that Lee could get his job back.

Two detectives were also at the scene of the shooting. McManus said he would meet with them later this week to finalize their discipline.

kparker@mysa.com

Twitter: @KoltenParker
Journalist Joe Carroll Rust Sr., who worked for the San Antonio Light and the San Antonio Express-News and was an avid champion of literacy, died Thursday from complications of diabetes. He was 78.

My father had his finger on the pulse of San Antonio early on, his son Joe Rust Jr. said.

Rusts career started at 15 when he began working as a copy boy after school for the Light. He worked his way to general assignment reporter before attending the University of Texas at Austin, where he received his journalism degree.

The Machine was his nickname in college, Rust Jr. said. He would sleep for two hours, then study for two hours.

He graduated with high honors from UT-Austin in 1961.

Rust continued to work for the Light until it closed in 1993. He then went to work for the San Antonio Express-News.

More Information Joe Carroll Rust Sr. Born: Jan. 19, 1938, Henly Died: March 10, 2016, San Antonio Preceded by: Wife, Margaret Cape Rust; and parents, Ura Inez Crawford Rust and Vernon Alton Rust. Survived by: Sons Joe Carroll Rust Jr. and daughter-in-law Joni, John Cape Rust and daughter-in-law Laurie; sister Mary Beth Rust Buffington; five grandchildren; a niece; and two nephews. Services: Memorial service at 11:30 a.m. Monday, First Presbyterian Church, 404 N. Alamo St. See More Collapse

My favorite picture is of him sitting at his desk at the Light, said his sister, Mary Beth Buffington, because he was happiest when he was there.

He wore many hats at the Light  police reporter, courthouse reporter, editorial page editor, political editor and associate editor. He also taught journalism at Trinity University.

Jeff Cohen, executive editor of the Houston Chronicle, was managing editor of the Light in the 1990s and recalled Rust fondly.

A newsroom can be a cynical place, but Joe was the eternal optimist, committed to using the editorial page as a force of good, he said. He was a proud native Texan, an eclectic man, equally at home with groups like COPS, marching in the Battle of Flowers parade or being a spear carrier in the opera.

Promoting education was important to Rust, who was chairman of the San Antonio Commission on Literacy in the 1980s.

At the Express-News, Rust was a community relations specialist, assuring readers their voices would be heard. He retired in 2001.

Charlotte-Anne Lucas, managing director of NowCastSA, worked with Rust in the 1990s. His work with the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, supporting Central and South American children seeking asylum in the U.S., made an impact on Lucas. She described him as a conservative Republican.

He reminded me that compassion is not owned or disowned by either political party, Lucas said.

Rust authored five books, including Politico: The Rise and Fall of a Political Machine and his last book, Making San Antonio: The Story of San Antonio Manufacturing.

He loved San Antonio, Buffington said. He had an offer to go to Houston, and he said I cant just pick up and go. I love San Antonio.

iwilgen@express-news.net
ALEXANDRIA, Va.  Can design make you thirsty or hungry? Dont rule it out, because store design is one of the most critical elements in retail, and the subject of the latest NACS Convenience Matters podcast.

Design is even more critical at convenience stores because the experience has to be fast. Joe Bona, founder and president of MoseleyBona Retail, speaks about new design trends and how they vary around the world in this weeks podcast.

Bona says that great design means quickly communicating your offer as soon as a customer walks inand that you are essentially managing the chaos of their daily routines. He also provides suggestions for how good design can complement overall store merchandising and marketing.

Our podcasts are designed to share insights to both those within the industry and to the 160 customers who visit our stores every day, said podcast co-host Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives. We are getting excellent feedback from listeners who say that they appreciate our industry a little bit more after learning about how we operate.

A new Convenience Matters podcast will be released every Monday, focusing on topics related to convenience stores.
Daarsat, the newest Direct to Home DTH pay TV and cable network in Nigeria, now offers you over fifty exciting TV channels. Daarsat carry exiting channels for your news, documentaries, Nollywood Hollywood Bollywood movies, live sports, fashion, music, kiddies, and so on. Catch the exciting Daarsat fever; buy Daarsat full high definition HD decoder and dish today.

Prices for Daarsat full HD decoders starts at N39,999. Monthly subscription rates for Daarsat Nigeria direct to home Pay TV is N5,375. Daarsat is also offering one-month free subscription for subscribers that pay for three full months subscriptions.

Daarsat DTH Pay TV Overview

Daarsat have other decoder packages. With the Daarsat full HD PVR decoder, subscribers can record up to 30 hours of HD programme. Daarsat PVR decoders also allow simultaneous view and record. Subscribers can also pause and rewind live TV programmes. Daarsat PVR decoder also allows the record of more than one TV channels so subscribers can be watching and recording a programme from one channel and at the same time recording a programme from another channel.

Daarsat also has combo LCD TV-decoder packages. These packages involve buying an LCD TV with a Daarsat built-in decoder. Daarsat currently offers options for 32-inch LCD TV or 42-inch LCD TV.

Daarsat DTH Pay TV Overview

Some exciting channels on Daarsat Nigeria are:

BBC World

Fox News

Euro News

Aljazeera

20th Century Fox

Love World

Kidsco

Fox Sports

Euro Sports

MBI

AIT

Lux

F fashion TV

Discovery civilization

Sci-tech TV

MTV base

and so much more

Daarsat also offer channels that broadcast exclusively in Nigerian languages like Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba.

Once you subscribe to Daarsat Pay TV Service, you will get a Daarsat decoder of choice, a satellite dish and installation cables. Installation of your Daarsat system will be done on the day you decide.

Prices of Daarsat Subscription:

Daarsat monthly subscription  N5,375

Daarsat full HD decoder  from 39,999 Naira

Note that prices of Daarsat decoders increase with number of features, so PVR decoders are more expensive than basic Daarsat full HD decoders are.

To Subscribe to Daarsat Nigeria or to get more information on Daarsat call Daarsat Hotlines: 09-2901885 or 09-2902234 now.

You can also visit Daarsat website at www.daarsat.com.

Related Topics:
DSTV Mobile is a Mobile TV service offered by Multichoice in select markets in Africa. The service allows mobile subscribers to access mobile TV broadcasts on compatible mobile devices. Over the past few months Multichoice have been offering a number of mobile devices to enables subscribers watch quality TV channels on the move. These include the Walka handheld TV, the DSTV Drifta, and lots of DSTV Mobile compatible mobile phones.

How & Where does DSTV Mobile work?

DSTV Mobile is a Mobile TV service based on Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) technology. DVB-H is a technology that enables the broadcast of digital terrestrial television and audio to a mobile device with built-in DVB-H receiver.

DSTV is a terrestrial TV service just like AIT or Startimes. This means that coverage will only be available in an area if there is a broadcast mast to transmit the signal. You may have mobile network but no DSTV mobile network in an area. Currently DSTV Mobile is available in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Ghana.

In Nigeria, DSTV Mobile is only available in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Enugu, Onitsha, Asaba, Aba, Ibadan, and Benin. Note that like all terrestrial broadcast services, signal will not be of equal strength in all locations in the cities and may not even be available in some areas within the listed cities.

So, to watch DSTV Mobile, there must be DSTV mobile signal in the spot you are located and you must have a DSTV mobile compatible device. You also need to subscribe to the service. To DSTV Mobile is available on Glo, MTN, Etisalat, and Airtel on DVB-H enabled mobile phones.

DSTV Mobile Devices & Prices

To watch DSTV Mobile, you need a DVB-H compatible device. Multichoice and partners now offer a lot of options. Before now, it used to be only DVB-H mobile phones, but now there are other devices to enable you watch DSTV Mobile on your computer or even on mobile phones that are not DVB-H compatible. Here are some of the DSTV Mobile devices:

DSTV Mobile Walka TV

Walka TV is a portable handheld TV with a DVB-H receiver. It is available in two screen sizes 3.5-inch for the Walka device and 7-inch for the Walka 7 device. It comes with a Mobile TV guide.

If you want to watch TV on the move, this might just be your ultimate companion. The beauty of the Walka is that it is a complete DSTV mobile device. You do not need any other device to use it.

The price of DSTV Mobile Walka TV is N10,000. The Walka 7 costs 18,900 Naira. The larger 7-inch display on the Walka 7 offers a better experience than the 3.5-inch Walka.

DSTV Mobile Drifta Decoder

There are three DSTV Drifta decoders one called Drifta USB decoder, another just the Drifta decoder and finally the iDrifta decoder. As the name implies DSTV Drifta USB decoder enables you watch DSTV Mobile on compatible devices with USB port.

DSTV Drifta USB is compatible with computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac. So, you need a computer to watch DSTV Mobile with Drifta USB. It is not a complete solution like the Walka TV.

The DSTV Drifta decoder is similar to Drifta USB but adds Wi-Fi support. So, Drifta decoder can broadcast Mobile TV with Wi-Fi to your compatible Wi-Fi devices. Drifta is compatible with computers and laptops as well as Android 2.2+, iOS 5/6, and BlackBerry 5+ tablets and smartphones as long as they support Wi-Fi.

So, it receives DVB-H signals and stream it to your device over Wi-Fi.

The iDrifta is just like the Drifta USB except that it comes with Apples 30-PIN port. With the iDrifta, you can watch DSTV Mobile on Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch/Classic. If you have iPhone 5, iPad 4, or iPad Mini, you will need to buy 30-Pin to Lightning adapter separately.

The price of DSTV Mobile Drifta, Drifta USB, and iDrifta is N12,250, N8,500, and 9,500 Naira respectively.

DSTV Mobile Phones

There are a few mobile phones that enable you watch DSTV mobile. Some will come with DVB-H built-in while others will require you to get an additional DVB-H accessory. These are mostly Nokia phones and a few ZTE phones. Nokia 5330, ZTE F912, and ZTE F900 come with DVB-H built-in so you do not need any additional accessories.

Nokia X6 and Nokia C7 support DSTV Mobile, but will require a special DVB-H headset. Nokia 5230, Nokia 5800, and Nokia N97 also support DSTV Mobile, but will require an external DVB-H Bluetooth Dongle called Nokia SU-33W.

Nokia 5330 is the most popular mobile phone for receiving DSTV Mobile in Nigeria. It does not require any additional accessory to watch DSTV Mobile on its 2.4-inch display. It also features 3G, 3.2MP camera, GPS, and Nokia Maps. The price of Nokia 5330 is N26,000.

DSTV Mobile Channels

DSTV Mobile boasts of 15 exciting TV channels, which is by far the largest number of television channel options in Nigeria by any mobile TV service provider so far. However, the channels you receive depends on your bouquet subscription. You can receive only Channel O and NTA Plus on the free package. Here are the available DSTV Mobile channels:

CNN

SuperSport 9

SuperSport 10

SuperSport 3

Super Sports BLITZ

Channel O

Sound City

Africa Magic

Africa Magic Yoruba

NTA Plus

Trace Urban

Cartoon Network

Sony Max

BET

DSTV Mobile Bouquets & Packages

DSTV Mobile offer three bouquet options

Free

DSTV Mobile

DSTV Mobile+

The free package can be subscribed for free, but you can only watch NTA Plus and AIT. DSTV Mobile bouquet offers 13 channels: NTA Plus, Channel O, Africa Magic Yoruba, BET, Sony Max, Cartoon Network, CNN, AIT, Sound City, and Trace Urban. The DSTV Mobile+ package offers all 15 channels.

To access the DSTV Mobile+, you require the Drifta decoder and must be a DSTV Premium subscriber. All 15 channels are available on DSTV Mobile+ and it is free.

Prices of DSTV Bouquet

Here are prices of the different bouquets on DSTV Mobile:

DSTV Mobile Free Bouquet  Free

DSTV Mobile Bouquet  N660 Monthly

DSTV Mobile+ Bouquet  Free (Exclusive to DSTV Premium subscribers)

To get DSTV Mobile visit any Multichoice office or dealer or visit the customer care centre of your mobile operator.

More DSTV Related Articles
Poll: Ted Cruz Currently Leads Among Voters Disputing Boundaries Of Neighbors Yard Onion (sherry)

The Worlds Best Whistler Explains How She Got So Good Vice (resilc)

Up to 13 Million Americans Are at Risk of Being Washed Away Bloomberg

Knee Surgery Can Create New Pain Wall Street Journal. Dont get me started on the topic of how many orthopedic surgeries are not what they are cracked up to be. Admittedly, many patients are not willing to hear, You are better off living with it or do do the amount of physical therapy and exercise to see real improvement after injuries or with underlying structural issues that get worse with age.

The End Is Near for Illegible Handwritten Prescriptions in New York New York Magazine

The U.S. Is Paying  Some  to Help Poorer Countries Adjust to Climate Change Foreign Policy in Focus (resilc)

The World Bank Is Supposed to Help the Poor. So Why Is it Bankrolling Oligarchs? Mother Jones (resilc)

China?

Refugee Crisis

Russia/Urkaine

Syraquistan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Trade Traitors

USA uses TPP-like trade-court to kill massive Indian solar project / Boing Boing. Reported earlier, but in case you missed it

2016

Obamas prisoner clemency plan faltering as cases pile up Reuters (EM)

Justice Dept. Condemns Profit-Minded Court Policies Targeting the Poor New York Times

The Left Wings Trump Atlantic. A bit of a hatchet job, but Grayson really was a dope not to have wound down his hedge fund (which has just a few friends and family members in it; he lost 17% for one investor and kicked him out, giving him all his original investment back). Grayson does have a reckless streak that works against him.

Legal marijuana is finally doing what the drug war couldnt Washington Post (resilc)

Vermont legislature on track to be first in U.S. to legalize marijuana Reuters (EM)

Texas festival apologizes after Muslim Olympian told to remove hijab Reuters (EM)

Inmates Stab Warden and Post to Facebook During Riot at Alabamas Death Row Prison Vice

Orthodox Jews Set Sights on N.J. Town and Angry Residents Resist Bloomberg

Gunz

The macabre truth of gun control in the US is that toddlers kill more people than terrorists do Guardian (resilc). !!!!

Oil

What Would Breaking Up the Banks Even Look Like? Atlantic. I dont have time to critique this, but the short version is a wholesale only bank wont work. Not enough margin in those products. JP Morgan (which remember had a very large number of established relationships with big corporates) was struggling with profits issues, hence its push to get into higher-margin investment banking and retail (its takevoer Chase, which kept the tony JP Morgan name). A split that would leave you with viable businesses is investment banking, commercial banking (retail and wholesale) and asset management (having investment banks have incentives to have their own funds and stuff their brokerage accounts is never a good idea).

Blackrock: Markets face headwind from central banks CNBC. Quelle surprise!

Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous

The other side of that disturbing Silicon Valley lawsuit CNN

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour (furzy):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears

Washington, DC, is not a death penalty state. So the local authorities dont know how to put someone to death judicially. They also dont have the knack of knowing when a death has been caused by a crime. That is what the Metropolitan Police Department and the Office of the Medical Examiner were saying when they released last week a 5-line report on the death of Mikhail Lesin (lead image, left), the former Kremlin media official, who died at a Washington hotel four months earlier, on November 5.

The long investigation and the short announcement have been coordinated with the State Departments official in charge of Russia, Victoria Nuland (right). Her spokesman revealed on Friday that she wants the world to think a crime was committed even if it was not. Im not going to speak to an ongoing criminal investigation, the spokesman announced, before adjusting the remark . Okay, okay. I used the word criminal investigation inappropriately. It is an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department. Let me correct my transcript right now. That investigation is ongoing and Im not going to get ahead of it. Getting ahead of it is exactly what the State Department is doing.

According to a US lawyer active in Russian and American litigation, if Lesin was murdered, the State Department, if not CIA and NSA, must have been aware of this shortly thereafter. It is inconceivable that the DC police department would be so incompetent not to be aware he was murdered or to have notified the federal government.

So the death of Lesin has become a case of rounding up the usual suspects to be accused in the press of a murder there is no evidence actually happened. It is now US Government policy not to tell the difference between a fact and a fiction, or in the case of Nuland, a factotum.



Lesins body was found in the room of a hotel known for sex dates on the morning of November 5. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Sean Hickman, told the press at the time no signs of violence had been found by hotel security, Second District police, and emergency service medics at the scene. Anonymously to the press, the police claimed at this stage there is no suggestion that the death was suspicious. A local newspaper reported: One law enforcement official said there were no obvious signs of forced entry or foul play in his hotel room.

An autopsy followed, along with post-mortem tests. On November 7, the chief of police issued this statement on the undetermined death investigation:

Asked a week later whether your Homicide Branch continues to investigate the case as possible homicide, Sean Conboy, another MPD spokesman, said: The investigation is continuing. We are not able to comment further. Additional information will be released as it becomes available. For more details, read this report.

The Medical Examiner confirmed Lesins body was released on November 9, but refused to identify to whom. Lesins son, Anton Lessine, and daughter, Ekaterina Lesina, both live in Los Angeles. So far they refuse to make any statement about their fathers death.

Between November and last Wednesday, Washington and US officials had nothing to say on the case investigation. On March 9 officials at the Medical Examiners office told the New York Times they were not planning to release their findings, and refused to explain why they were taking so long. The next day the Medical Examiner and the MPD rushed out this statement:

The signs of official haste, compared to the November release, are the lack of a date on the announcement, and the misspelling of the MPD spokesman, Dustin Sternbecks title, Director of Commuinications. The names of Roger Mitchell, the chief medical examiner, and Cathy Lanier, the police chief, have been omitted from the statement.

Twenty-four hours later, at the State Departments daily briefing, spokesman John Kirby was asked to explain why the investigation had taken so long without outcome. The spokesman was anticipating the question from the Russian reporter, and was already prepared. He said: Im not going to speak to an ongoing criminal investigation. What I can tell you  I mean, Ive seen those comments. What I can tell you is that my understanding is that the Metropolitan Police Department is still investigating this, that they have provided information to the Russian Government. We have at the State Department tried to help facilitate those conversations and will continue to do so appropriately. But my understanding is that information has been provided and shared and I am sure will be appropriately going forward.

The transcript of what was asked and answered can be read here. Watch what happened on the official video recording at minute 54:10. When challenged to say whether he knew Lesins death had been the result of a crime, Kirby didnt blink, and he didnt admit he had made a mistake calling the death investigation a criminal investigation.

Watch the spokesmans thumbs and hands as he releases the statement intended to imply that Lesin had been murdered. When pressed by the scepticism of the reporters, Kirbys hands go up in defensiveness, and he then tries to pat down the disbelief. The right hand moves toward a crossing of his heart as he attempted to swear he was telling the truth with the double meaning and innuendo.

So what exactly did the State Department intend to mean? Im not going to get into that, and I think you can understand why I wouldnt.

Deaths resulting from blunt force trauma are some of the most common cases encountered by the practicing forensic pathologist, according to the textbooks for coroners in the US. The term blunt force injuries, as the Washington police, Medical Examiner and State Department have intended it, is a catch-all term  and it doesnt mean homicide. Blunt force trauma, according to this text, is defined as injuries resulting from an impact with a dull, firm surface or object. Individual injuries may be patterned (eg ,characteristics of the wound suggest a particular type of blunt object) or nonspecific.

Its almost as common as dying. It is routinely involved in cases classified as accidents, as well as in cases of suicide and homicide. People dying natural deaths often have minor blunt force injuries that do not contribute to death  small abrasions or contusions on the skin are commonplace at autopsy. Although it is important to document evidence of blunt force trauma in all autopsies, one should not immediately assume that blunt force trauma is the cause of death.

Professional practice for coroners and medical examiners in the US requires identification of an antecedent cause for the lethal blunt force. Evidence at the death scene must be collected to pinpoint what that was. This evidence includes blood spatter, abrasions or wounds on the skin, head or face. Photographs at the scene are required. The reason the policemen and medics at Lesins hotel room on November 5 said they saw no evidence of suspicious death or foul play was that blood and wounds were not visible. Those photographs have not been passed to the Russian Government, according to official statements from the Kremlin, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Prosecutor-Generals office, which has asked for them.

Forensic pathologists make common mistakes with blunt force trauma. This is why the death scene is carefully recorded photographically and microscopically. At the morgue, more photographs are taken, plus X-rays, CT scans, and microscopic slides from tissue dissection. Coronial sources say that if the DC Medical Examiner had followed textbook procedure, this evidence would all be available. There would be almost no doubt about the cause of the blunt force, or the object causing the allegedly fatal wound to Lesins head.

If the object or objects causing the extent of the blunt force injuries reported in last weeks statement, had been human  fist, finger, arm, foot, teeth, penis  then the DNA evidence has been known to the US authorities since last November. Also, according to expert pathologists, the DNA evidence at the death scene, on Lesins clothing and body, and at the sites of his injuries must have been compared to Lesins DNA. If another persons DNA had been discovered, the discovery is now more than four months old. This finding  positive or negative for the DNA of another person  has also not been provided by the State Department to Moscow.

The US-Russia treaty on mutual legal assistance is more than 15 years old now. When then-President Bill Clinton (below, right) signed it, he said the agreement provided for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters.

Mutual assistance available under the Treaty includes obtaining the testimony or statements of persons; providing documents, records and other items; serving documents; locating or identifying persons and items; executing requests for searches and seizures.

The key word in the treaty obligation is criminal. If Lesins death was provably not criminal, then the US authorities have not been treaty-bound to provide the information which Moscow, and the press, have been requesting. Especially not if Lesins family have invoked US privacy laws.

For how many obstacles to public disclosure of Lesins death certificate and post-mortem records there are in Washington, DC, read this review of the statutes and case law. The DC government says that release of a death certificate is restricted to mother, father, sister, brother, spouses named on the death certificate, children, informants and legal representatives (proof of relationship is required). All others requesting certified copies of death certificates, must demonstrate direct and tangible interest. The DC guidelines dont mention the press, or foreign governments.

The significance of the release last week that Lesins death had been caused by blunt force injuries was that it contradicted the version of Lesins death reportedly leaked in November to the Russian press by his family and friends  that he had died of a heart attack.

The MPD chief spokesman Sternbeck was asked, and refuses to answer, whether his deputy Hickman had made a mistake last November, when he announced the police had found no evidence of foul play at the death scene. Asked by a local newspaper last week whether the fresh MPD statement meant that a crime may have been committed, Sternbeck said: Were not willing to close off anything at this point. He was implying that a crime may have been committed.

But this also means that for the MPD at least, a Russian government request for assistance in a criminal matter requires full disclosure of the available evidence. The State Department could not be telling Russian officials at the same time that the Lesin death records are protected by US privacy laws covering non-criminal deaths.

Sternbeck was asked whether he had been quoted correctly to say we are not willing to close off anything at this point. He replied: The circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Lesin continue to be actively investigated by D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. The ruling released by the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner notes the primary cause of death as blunt force trauma and the manner of death as undetermined. This information is another step in the process as we continue to be transparent in regards to our investigation. We understand the attention regarding this case and will continue to provide updates as information become available.

Note the careful qualification that blunt force trauma was the primary cause of death, and the antecedent cause undetermined. But Sternbeck (below, left) wasnt transparent in regards to our investigation, and wasnt answering the question  was he correctly quoted when he passed his innuendo to the press? Yes it is accurate, he replied, this time spelling his title correctly.

Sternbeck was then asked: After four months of investigation, including gathering of DNA at the death scene and on Mr Lesins body, you refuse to say that a crime has been committed  is this correct? And you refuse to say that you have identified the object causing the blunt force injuries of the head? Is this correct? Regarding the object, you have failed to evidence a trace that the blunt force left DNA on the victim  is this correct? Sternbeck refuses to answer.

Nulands spokesman has repeated the innuendo that Lesins death may have been murder, encouraging the media speculation which has followed. Although State is responsible for the treaty compliance, Nulands spokesman claims it is the MPD which is responsible for disclosing the evidence to the Russian government. I cannot speak for the police department. My understanding is that they have shared information with the Russian Government and that we have helped facilitate the sharing of that information, and I would fully expect that that would continue going forward.

QUESTION: What kind of information? MR KIRBY: Im not going to get into that.

What the US officials are saying is deliberate. What they are not saying is also deliberate. So the gap they have opened between the two, the innuendo that Lesin was murdered, is a deliberate act of policy, coordinated by Nulands subordinates at State, and implemented by policemen like Sternbeck.

According to a Russian media publisher, the cover-up is intended to trigger the speculation which has followed in the Russia-hating media of the US and the UK. According to Courtney Weaver  now removed from the Financial Timess Moscow bureau to the Washington bureau  the official statement is fuelling further speculation over the nature of his death Litvinenko-Perepilichny-Berezovsky-Lesin. Who else? Tikhon Dzyadko, a Russian TV journalist, wrote on Twitter on Thursday. He was referring to a string of high-profile deaths of influential Russians in London and Washington. The Financial Times innuendo was that the Kremlin is responsible for Lesins death.

Shaun Walker, the Guardians Moscow reporter and author of several fictions on the Ukraine-Russia border, reported this time a range of conspiracy theories, some more plausible than others. Some Russian bloggers have suggested Lesin could be in a witness protection programme having agreed to pass information to the Americans about the Russian elite, with his death being faked to throw Russia off the scent.

The intelligence and security reporter for The Daily Beast, an outlet of the Soros-family funded New American Foundation, reported that Lesin was murdered after coming to Washington to cut a deal with the FBI. The conspiracy theories are arguably well-founded, because it wouldnt be the first time someone who posed a political threat to Putin wound up dead under unusual circumstances.

The question is, says the Russian media publisher, why and who is behind the cover up? I cant imagine that his family had such reach instantly. This also raises a question for me  was he a turncoat, and was he in DC to report and be instructed, and using that time for his deviant sexual behaviour? This is murky from here on. How is it that the whole police case is so sloppy  unless it is is not.

Innuendoes about Lesins sexual behaviour have been widely reported in the Russian and western press. The press have also tracked down the expensive homes Lesin bought in California for daughter Ekaterina and son Anton. Although Ekaterina Lesinas address is well-known (below, left) and she works for the Russian state media organization RT at its Los Angeles bureau, she has not been contacted or quoted by either Russian or western media.

Sources: left, http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ekaterina-lesinas-house/view/bing/ and right, http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-anton-lessine-house-20151116-story.html

Anton Lessine also lives in Los Angeles (above, right); he is represented by a local lawyer named Steven Marenberg at a lawfirm called Irell & Marella. Last November Lessine (below, left) was asked through Marenberg (right) to say if the latter is acting as his attorney, and whether Lessine has made, or wishes to make, a public statement regarding the recent death and burial of his father, Mikhail Lesin.

The two men refused to reply. Marenberg was contacted by email again last week. I request you to invite Mr Lessine to respond to the official report of the DC Medical Examiner and DC Police, issued yesterday, confirming what Mr Lessine knew at the time we communicated. Since Mr Lessine knew then what we know today, his refusal to comment on the death of his father carries meaning of its own. Is this the meaning your client wishes to continue to convey?

Marenberg replied: Although I am reluctant to reply to your email in any respect, but its text leaves me no choice. I have no record of ever responding to your November 16, 2015 email. I have searched my records of my email correspondence and can find no such reply. If your assertion is correct, please provide any response you claim I sent to me [sic]. I certainly have no recollection of suggesting to you that Mr. Lessine refused to comment on his fathers death and I believe that assertion to be false and any report to that effect would also be false. Likewise false is the suggested inference in the last paragraph of your email. I decline your invitation to invite Mr. Lessine to respond to anything.

Marenberg was then asked by email: Since the family did make an initial statement about the cause of death  a statement, it now appears, they had reason to be believe was misleading, if not false  Mr Lessine would, in European as well as Russian tradition, have the duty to defend his fathers name and honour. Should Mr Lessine, either directly or through you, refuse to do so, this is a very significant point to report. I am grateful for your conveying this as you do. Should you and your client have another point of comment, meaning or honour to convey, I invite you to do so. Should you decline to do so, you may be reported as refusing to do so. Lessine and Marenberg refuse to reply.

The Lesin family know what the Medical Examiner and MPD have told them caused Lesins death. Before his burial, they saw for themselves what have been described as blunt force injuries. Until Marenbergs email last Friday, not a single reporter claiming that Lesin was murdered in a Russian plot has asked the family members; or reported their cover-up for a reply.
SHARE Jeremy Haft June Fletcher/staff) Jeremy Haft, author of 'Unmade in China: The Hidden Truth about China's Economic Miracle,' contends that China's economic slowdown is actually good for Florida and the U.S. economy, in a speech to the Naples Council on World Affairs at St. John the Evangelist's Claussen Center in North Naples on March 14, 2016 (June Fletcher/staff) Jeremy Haft, author of "Unmade in China: The Hidden Truth about China's Economic Miracle," contends that China's economic slowdown is actually good for Florida and the U.S. economy, in a speech to the Naples Council on World Affairs at St. John the Evangelist's Claussen Center in North Naples on March 14, 2016 (June Fletcher/staff) Jeremy Haft, author of "Unmade in China: The Hidden Truth about China's Economic Miracle," contends that China's economic slowdown is actually good for Florida and the U.S. economy, in a speech to the Naples Council on World Affairs at St. John the Evangelist's Claussen Center in North Naples on March 14, 2016 (June Fletcher/staff)

By June Fletcher of the Naples Daily News

If you thought the United States was about to be socked in the stomach by China's recent economic slowdown, stop worrying.

In fact, the slowdown might even be good for American business.

That was the message author and international businessman Jeremy Haft conveyed Monday to 110 members of the Naples Council on World Affairs at St. John's the Evangelist's Claussen Center in North Naples.

"The view from the ground is something of a whipsaw effect from what we see in the news, what we hear from politicians and from economists," Haft said.

Haft, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, has started and built companies, for more than 20 years in China.

His most recent book, "Unmade in China: The Hidden Truth about China's Economic Miracle," was praised by former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Lawrence Summers as "an important book that makes new factually grounded arguments about the challenges China faces."

Founder of a NewYork-based Internet company, Haft switched gears after the tech meltdown in the early '90s and decided to explore new business opportunities in China.

He spent 18 months with a team of engineers walking the Chinese supply chain, toured about 800 suppliers, and then built a Washington, D.C., and Beijing-based consulting company that has overseen hundreds of sourcing and import/export programs for such disparate products as maple syrup, cowhides, medical supplies and auto parts.

The situation Haft described made China seem less like a fearsome tiger stalking its hapless overseas competitors and more like an undernourished house cat, largely dependent on the U.S. economy to feed it.

Moreover, China's impact on everything from the U.S. job market to its stock market is far weaker than many people think, he said.

Haft said that if you compare the national wealth of the United States and China at the government and household levels, "the U.S. is $50 trillion wealthier  and that gap is not shrinking." Moreover, $30 trillion of that gap has emerged in just the past few years, he said.

"So in fact, China is falling behind, not catching up," he said.

However, Haft characterized the Chinese as an important market for U.S. exports, including exports from Florida.

Most exporters are not corporate megaliths but rather small to midsized businesses, and most have more than doubled their exports to China over the past two decades, he said.

Being savers, the Chinese still have a lot of money to consume American goods, even though their own economy is slowing, Haft explained.

Moreover, because they have valid health and safety concerns about products made in their own country, ranging from baby food spiked with melamine to weak bridges containing insufficient iron ore, they often prefer American products to their own, he said.

Inefficiencies in manufacturing and quality control have made it difficult for the Chinese government to turn around what Haft described as "systemic risk"; that has led to more than 500 major industrial accidents in the past few years  including one so horrific it could be seen from space.

America has largely avoided such tragedies, Haft noted, because it has 400 years of evolving corporate law that keeps it accountable to consumers and shareholders; China's experiment with Western-style business practices is only about three decades old.

Similarly, while China is often described as a job killer, actually the opposite is true, Haft said.

Trade with China "has created millions of jobs in the U.S.," he said, including jobs transporting and distributing exported and imported goods.

For instance, the iPhone is often held up as a killer of high-wage American jobs, but only $6 of the roughly $200 that it takes to produce the smartphone is attributable to China, which assembles some of its parts.

The rest, including the manufacturing of its parts, is attributable to a group of countries that includes the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Germany.

Haft said he was surprised that the U.S. stock market reacted so strongly to news of China's planned economic slowdown at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

Fears that the Chinese could tank the economy by devaluing the yuan or selling millions of dollars of U.S. Treasury bills are overblown, he contends, because both events have already happened and "it didn't create a ripple" in the U.S. economy.

For all these reasons, Haft said he doesn't believe China is a threat either to America's national security or its economic well-being.

And it won't be much of a competitor until its vast bureaucracy is streamlined, its farms privatized and people and capital are allowed to move more freely.

Until then, he said, "we're the only game in town."
Gina and Mark Arehart bring food to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort on Marco Island for a client on Monday, January 18, 2016. Gina's Grocery Delivery Service covers Southwest Florida from Cape Coral to Marco Island, Captiva to Ave Maria and everything in between " all for a price the owners said puts their larger competitors to shame. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News)

SHARE Gina and Mark Arehart bring food to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort on Marco Island for a client on Monday, January 18, 2016. Gina's Grocery Delivery Service covers Southwest Florida from Cape Coral to Marco Island, Captiva to Ave Maria and everything in between " all for a price the owners said puts their larger competitors to shame. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) Gina and Mark Arehart load up their vehicle with food for a client on Monday, January 18, 2016. Gina's Grocery Delivery Service covers Southwest Florida from Cape Coral to Marco Island, Captiva to Ave Maria and everything in between " all for a price the owners said puts their larger competitors to shame. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) Gina Arehart talks with Todd Sylvester, front desk manager at Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort on Marco Island, while delivering food for a client on Monday, January 18, 2016. Gina's Grocery Delivery Service covers Southwest Florida from Cape Coral to Marco Island, Captiva to Ave Maria and everything in between " all for a price the owners said puts their larger competitors to shame. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) Gina and Mark Arehart leave Publix on Marco Island after picking up food for a client on Monday, January 18, 2016. Gina's Grocery Delivery Service covers Southwest Florida from Cape Coral to Marco Island, Captiva to Ave Maria and everything in between " all for a price the owners said puts their larger competitors to shame. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News)

By John Osborne, Daily News Correspondent

Whether it's cookies and cream, buns and hot dogs, or soda and chips (or any combination thereof), a recently launched Estero business aims to deliver. Literally.

Started by Gina and Mark Arehart in April Gina's Grocery Delivery Service covers Southwest Florida from Cape Coral to Marco Island, Captiva to Ave Maria and everything in between  all for a price the owners said puts their larger competitors to shame.

"Basically, we don't have a markup on any products, whereas the competition marks up all products, requires a minimum dollar order and charges a delivery fee," said Gina Arehart, a Chicago native and former accountant who along with husband moved to the Sunshine State in 2005.

In contrast, Arehart said, Gina's Grocery Delivery Service charges a flat fee of $30 for orders of $1 to $100; $35 for orders of $100 to $200; $45 for orders of $200 to $300 and 15 percent on orders of $300 and more.

"We felt the need of the seniors when we took care of my mom, who had Alzheimer's, and my dad, who had COPD," Arehart said of the inspiration for starting the business. "Even though we had caregivers, it was hard to go out and get things as they needed them, and we wanted to help seniors who don't have anybody."

From those beginnings, Arehart said, the business has branched out to service a large number of tourists, as well.

"In addition to the seniors, our other big focus is vacationers who will give us a list, and then we correspond with the hotels or rental properties to bring their food before they arrive," she said. "We're here to help anybody who needs help."

Client Lori Cucco-Taylor, of Bonita Springs, said she happened upon Gina's and couldn't be happier with the results.

"I found them through a Google search, and since I have some health issues, they've been a real lifesaver," she said. "They're both real sweethearts, and I love the fact that they don't upcharge like some of the other services out there. I like to know what I'm paying for, and when someone upcharges you, it's hard to keep track. But with their service I always know exactly what I'm paying for."

As a former guest services worker in the hotel industry for 20 years, Mark Arehart said the couple's new venture is right up his alley.

"I have a love for human nature and people," said Arehart, who along with his wife will become a first-time grandparent in June. "I've always been in positions that require a good listener, and it's always made me feel good to take care of a situation, no matter what it is."

Gina Arehart said the couple would shop for clients at any store they wished, naming Publix, Winn-Dixie, Whole Foods, Costco and Sam's Club as just a few.

"If you furnish proof of age, we'll even pick up alcohol for you," she said. "And unlike the other guys, we'll bring your groceries into you homes and help you put them away if you want."

Not requiring a membership marks another way the couple's business differs from the competitors, Gina Arehart said.

"To join (another well-known grocery delivery service) you have to join for either $14 a month or $99 a year, and their markup is 25 percent or higher," she said. "For example, a gallon of milk at Publix cost $3.39, and the upcharge from (the other business) made it $4.19, which is a 25 percent markup. And if a store has buy one, get one, you get both products from us for the same price. We're not here to try to get over on anyone. We just want to help."

"The main reason for launching the service was to get groceries and other items to those in the same predicament we were in," Mark Arehart said.

"Our mission statement is 'Give us your list and we'll check it twice to make sure everything is just right,' " Mark Arehart said. "We do that because 99.9 percent of the time people find out they ordered the hot dogs and hamburgers and buns but realized they forgot the mustard, relish and onions."

Gina's Grocery Delivery Service accepts orders online at www.wegoshop.com/location59 and over the phone at 239-676-9914 and 239-405-4638. The business accepts orders 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
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By Richard White

Q. I am a member of a condominium association. I thought that I read that the state statutes override the condominium bylaws. Can you give me an example of a section of the statutes that deals with this issue? D.P.

NaplesA. Let me start with what is called the "order of powers." It is more of an academic term than a legal term. It can be called "conflict of laws" or "choice of laws" meaning what a judge would use to determine the correct interpretation of a conflict in the laws. What it refers to is the line of laws and how they refer to each other. Normally, it defines which law will override another law if there is a conflict in the laws. When I refer to laws, it would also include condominium documents.

As an example, I will define a normal order of the powers: The highest order is the United States Constitution, federal laws, state constitutions and state laws.

In the case of condominium and homeowner association and cooperatives, they will be the next lower orders, starting with the Declaration or Covenants, Articles, and Bylaws, and then rules and regulations, in that order.

Say the bylaws require that a meeting notice must be posted 24 hours in advance of the board meeting, the state statute will override the bylaws as the statutes says that notices must be posted 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

There is an exception to the order of powers in that if the lower law is more restrictive, then the lower power will prevail. Let us use the same example but say the bylaws require a 72-hour notice. In this situation, the 72-hour posting must be used as it contains the 48-hour notice found in the statutes.

If you cannot determine which order overrides the other law you need to have an attorney help determine that situation. Remember that if you have an unresolved conflict in the documents and the statutes or within the sections of the documents then the final decision will be made by a judge in court.

Q. I live in an adult community in Florida. At our clubhouse, can we fly the American and Canadian flags side by side? I would expect that the American flag be properly positioned with the Canadian flag. What rights do I have in this country to fly my country's flag? G.V.

Ft. LauderdaleA. With deepest respect to Canada and their flag, I can only refer you to the US Flag Code (www.usflag.org/uscode36.html). If your community does not have a second pole, the association would have to purchase and install a second pole. While I am not sure the type of pole your association now has, I looked up the cost and for the smallest commercial pole the cost is over $800. That does not include installation. Taller and larger commercial poles will exceed $2,000. It would also require approval of the members as it would be an alteration to the common areas. You can fly a Canadian flag at your home but you would need to follow flag etiquette.

Q. I live in a community in which the HOA has been hijacked. A family owns a number of properties in the community and controls the board. As a result, maintenance fees have been excessively low for the benefit of the family. Maintenance on the property has suffered and needs repairs because the board continually rejects any request by the members. I am at my wits end trying to get positive repairs and maintenance programs established. What recourse do I have to break up this HOA mafia?

 D.G.

Miami

A. The statute requires the board to maintain the common areas and properly operate the common area and association. The last way to force the maintenance is to sue the board. This will be expensive and time consuming. A better way is to try to educate the board by writing letters and telling them that the statute (FS 720) requires that the board properly maintain the association. Also explain that they must protect the members from a possible liability law suit if someone is injured. I am sure that the association's insurance agent would be concerned about the poor maintenance. I would try to explain that their poor maintenance lowers the value of the homes. Your best result would be to try to persuade your neighbors to become involved. Maybe at the next election you can vote out the current "mafia."

Q. I manage a condominium where our pool and deck has two gates. We have residents that never close the gate behind them. The gates are open wide enough to allow a toddler to enter the pool deck. We fear that this is a serious accident waiting to happen. Can we close one of the gates? P.C.

OrlandoA. You can close and lock one gate but I do not believe that that would prevent the members from leaving the other gate open. I would seek to find an automatic gate closure and install it on both gates. Get the board involved to try to find out who leaves the gate open. Send them letters to explain that their action of leaving the gate open is creating an attractive nuisance. An attractive nuisance is the legal doctrine that anyone responsible for a dangerous condition on their premises which is likely to attract children is strictly liable for any injury and the legal duty to take all reasonable measures to reasonable protect children from the dangerous condition. I would also send a letter and post for all members of the problem. Ask that when they use the pool area, to be on the watch for anyone leaving the gate open. You should also look to find a gate closure. Most good closures are not expensive and can be simply installed. The short of the answer is that you need to get others involves to help by watching and reporting who opens the gates and send communications about the possible problem.
Nathan's Famous fast-food chain opened a drive-thru and sit-down location this week in Page Field Center on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. (Nathan's Famous)

Tim Aten In The Know SHARE Nathan's Famous fast-food chain opened a drive-thru and sit-down location this week in Page Field Center on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. (Nathan's Famous) Luigina's Pizza & Grill opened Feb. 9 in the former location of Mama Nina, a short-lived Italian-Mexican restaurant, on U.S. 41 in San Carlos Park. (Luigina's) Luigina's Pizza & Grill opened Feb. 9 in the former location of Mama Nina, a short-lived Italian-Mexican restaurant, on U.S. 41 in San Carlos Park. (Luigina's) Tasteria European Bistro opened Feb. 11 in Miromar Outlets in Estero. (Miromar Outlets)

Three new dining opportunities are available in Lee County.

 Nathan's Famous fast-food chain opened a drive-thru and sit-down location Tuesday in Page Field Center on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. The original Nathan's hot dog stand was launched 100 years ago this year in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

In addition to its world-famous beef hot dogs, chili dogs and corn dogs, Nathan's menu includes cheeseburgers, Philly cheesesteaks, crinkle-cut french fries, cheese fries, beer-battered onion rings, corn on the cob, chili, Manhattan clam chowder, and chicken classics such as a pita, sandwiches, tenders and wings. The co-branded store also offers items from Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips menu, such as lobster rolls, clam strips and sandwiches, fried shrimp, seafood platters and hush puppies. Beverages include old-fashioned lemonade, orangeade and even wine and draft and bottled beers.

Nathan's Famous, 11150 S. Cleveland Ave., is open 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

For information, call 239-208-7333, or go to nathansfamous.com.

 Luigina's Pizza & Grill opened Feb. 9 in the former location of Mama Nina, a short-lived Italian-Mexican restaurant, on U.S. 41 in San Carlos Park.

Louie Rondao, Luigina's owner and the previous owner of Ron Dao's Pizzaria in south Fort Myers, also formerly operated Ron Dao's Piri Piri flame-grilled chicken restaurant during the 2012-13 season. Piri Piri preceded Mama Nina in a location that also previously hosted Fitzgerald's Irish Pub and Carson's American Bistro.

In addition to pizza, calzone and pasta, Luigina's menu has fish, beef, pork, chicken and veal dishes, as well as appetizers, soup and salads. A build-your-own pasta feature invites patrons to pick a pasta ($6) from fettucine, linguine, rigatoni and spaghettini; pick a sauce: marinara ($3.95), oil and garlic ($3.95), pesto ($4.95), Alfredo ($4.95), Bolognese ($4.95) or vodka ($5.95); and pick a topping ($2.95) from meatballs, Italian sausage, green peas, spinach and broccoli, or grilled chicken ($5.95).

Luigina's, 18767 U.S. 41 S., is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For information, call 239-433-6100.

 Tasteria European Bistro opened Feb. 11 in Miromar Outlets in Estero.

The new bistro is located in Suite F-193, the former space of Bon Appetit French Bistro, near MundoMax Playland and occupies 1,010 square feet with an additional outdoor seating area at the open-air mall.

The menu is inspired by the international cuisine loved by the bistro's owners, HansPeter Clavadetscher and Margarete Leeser, who operated in the restaurant and hospitality industry in Germany and Switzerland for 30 years, but always dreamed of opening a restaurant in America. They serve a variety of sandwiches, salads, gazpacho, croissants, eggs and entrees such as beef steak, veal schnitzel, porc bratwurst, poached scallops with cream sauce, tuna tataki and pasta dishes.

Tasteria also offers an assortment of desserts such as chocolate cake, pastries, ice cream, and matcha green tea chocolate. Beverages include a variety of coffee, espresso, beer and wines.

The bistro has full service inside or outside as well as carryout, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Authentic European music continuously plays in the background to provide ambiance.

Tasteria is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. For information, call 239-948-8199.

Know more



Starting Tuesday, The Crust Pizza will have 2 locations in North Naples

For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten's "In the Know" columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.
A young boy checks out a "Lego Movie" book at the 2015 Southwest Florida Reading Festival. Courtesy of the Southwest Florida Reading Festival

SHARE The 2016 Southwest Florida Reading Festival will takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at 20 different venues scattered around the Harborside Event Center and Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. Courtesy of the Southwest Florida Reading Festival The crowd lines up outside the Harborside Event Center before the start of the 2015 Southwest Florida Reading Festival. The 2016 festival is expected to draw more than 20,000 book lovers to meet and greet the likes of Meg Cabot, Debbie Macomber, Jacquelyn Mitchard, James O. Born and Daniel Palmer on Saturday, March 19. Courtesy of the Southwest Florida Reading Festival A little girl peruses the childrens books at the 2015 Southwest Florida Reading Festival. The 2016 festival, which boasts several nationally known adult, YA and children's authors, will take over Downtown Fort Myers on Saturday, March 19. Courtesy of the Southwest Florida Reading Festival

By John Osborne, Banner Correspondent

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but words paint pictures that last a lifetime.

For the 17th straight year, the Southwest Florida Reading Festival descends on Fort Myers with dozens of events and a star-studded lineup of authors that readers won't want to miss.

This year's installment takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at 20 different venues scattered around the Harborside Event Center and Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers.

The event  free and open to the public  is expected to draw more than 20,000 book lovers to meet and greet the likes of Meg Cabot, Debbie Macomber, Jacquelyn Mitchard, James O. Born and Daniel Palmer.

"We go after all the major players," said festival director Margie Byers, who has served in her post for the past five years. "We have 40 chairpeople  all volunteers  who help organize all the different venues, and an author committee of four people, who are librarians, which comes in handy because they go to BookExpo America each year, which is the largest publishing event in North America, to pitch our festival in beautiful, sunny Southwest Florida each March."

Since its inception in 2000, the reading festival has hosted more than 400 best-selling authors, a high-powered list of names that includes such literary superstars as Phillip Margolin, Nelson DeMille and Tess Gerritsen.

"Seriously, what a fabulous event," said Margolin, who was a featured author in 2014. "I loved all of it. I had a nice crowd with good questions and met lots of Florida fans. I also had a wonderful time with the other authors."

DeMille, a featured in author in 2011, echoed those sentiments.

"It was my pleasure to be part of the Southwest Florida Reading Festival," he said. "The audience was large and enthusiastic for both talks and both book signings, and I really enjoyed the whole festival."

As DeMille alluded to, this year's authors will hold hourlong talks, with time for Q&A sessions afterward, to go along with a pair of book signings.

"There will be two temporary bookstores, both inside the event center and outside," Byers said, adding that attendees could download a free app at readfest.org for a full schedule of events and food and beverage offerings. "Readers can purchase the authors' books, then have them signed at two different signing sessions. So if you miss the first signing, you can always make the second one."

Byers said the festival would feature plenty to do for the whole family, including children and teens, who will each receive a free book and enjoy such attractions as a graffiti wall, a chalk wall and the final three bands from a "Battle of the Bands" competition that drew musical acts from around Collier, Lee, Charlotte and Hendry counties.

"In communities where reading is a part of the culture, the National Endowment for the Arts has found that those communities are more upwardly mobile, with fewer crimes committed and fewer incarcerations," Byers said of the festival's larger importance. "They've also found that people who read more are more likely to volunteer and live healthier lifestyles because they're better educated and curious and want to learn."

Which is why younger members of the community could benefit greatly from attending the festival, she added.

"For children, if they see that the adults are embracing reading and that it's fun, they're more likely to want to read themselves," she said. "For teens, they might find it cool to meet the authors. They might think to themselves, 'This person is interesting to listen to, so I might want to read one of their books, too.' It's so very important to get them while they're young."

Though an "Evening with the Authors" event precedes the reading festival on Friday, March 19 at The Marina at Edison Ford, Byers said that event has already been fully booked.

"The thing that is important to realize is that even though this event is huge, we don't pay the authors," she said, adding that interested parties could donate to the cause at the reading festival's website. "We do cover their travel and transportation here, but 100 percent of the event is community-supported through sponsors and donations and special events."

No less an authority than internationally best-selling author Tess Gerritsen said the Southwest Florida community pulls together to do a knockout job each year.

"I've been to many book festivals before, and this was one of the best-organized and thought-out I've ever attended," said the featured author in 2009.

IF YOU GO

17th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 19

WHERE: Harborside Event Center & Centennial Park, 1375 Monroe St., Fort Myers

COST: Free and open to the public

INFORMATION: readfest.org
Dr. Roberto Canessa, author of I Had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives.  Submitted

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By Terri Schlichenmeyer

"I Had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives"

By Dr. Roberto Canessa and Pablo Vierci

c. 2016, Atria Books

$26/$35 Canada; 291 pages

You've been told it's impossible. No one can do it. You may as well not even try because it's never been done before. Not possible  except when it is, because there's no other way. It's a live-or-die matter, as in the new book "I Had to Survive" by Dr. Roberto Canessa and Pablo Vierci.

Growing up in Uruguay, the privileged eldest son of two professionals, Roberto Canessa was high-spirited, spoiled, and a little wild. A group of Irish Christian Brothers finally tamed him, proving to him that he was truly a leader.

At 16, Canessa was a rugby star; at 18, he was a member of the Uruguayan national rugby team, though his passion was medicine. He was, in fact, a 19-year-old second-year medical student on the afternoon of Oct. 13, 1972, when the plane in which he was riding crashed into a remote part of the Andes.

Of the 40-odd passengers and crew aboard, many were killed instantly or died soon after the crash. The cold was relentless and, because they figured someone would be looking for them, those that remained "began to transform into a single organism" as they worked together to stay warm and hydrated. Survivors devised ways to keep one another alive through clever inventions, repairs of damaged equipment, and adaptations of the meager items that were not destroyed in the crash. Canessa became the group's doctor. Three cousins took unofficial leadership roles.

But as days turned to weeks and supplies slowly disappeared, weaker individuals died, one by one, of starvation. Canessa only hints about who first suggested that they "nourish ourselves with the bodies" of those who died but it was a "simple and audacious" idea that sustained the remaining survivors until they were rescued.

Indeed, audacity was mandatory: More than two months after the crash, Canessa and his friend, Nando, undertook a daring trek that took them across sheer ice, on tiny ledges above crevasses, and down avalanche-prone snow to a valley of flowers.

It was there where, weak and barely alive, they found the man who rescued them 

Today, author Roberto Canessa is a renowned pediatric cardiologist in Montevideo, which may seem like a tenuous tie to his early story. Part of the explanation for that incongruity comes in chapters written by patients and thankful parents of children he's saved  chapters that might be more compelling, were they not so repetitive or frequent. As it is, because they're too-similar and too many, those outside testimonials lose their effect.

Instead, what moves this book along is the retelling of the tragedy, woven between intimate chapters on how it deeply affected the way Canessa lives his life. That almost-44-year-old endurance tale is a nail-biter which, paired with insight from Canessa, his father, and other rescuers, offers up the best part of this book, bringing the grueling story to a new generation unfamiliar with the Andes crash and updating it for those who remember it well.

And if you fall into either category, ignoring "I Had to Survive" could be impossible.

"Sweet as Sin: The Unwrapped Story of How Candy Became America 's Favorite Pleasure"

By Susan Benjamin

c. 2016, Prometheus Books

$18/$19 Canada, 320 pages

The last meal you had was very satisfying. Everything was made the way you like it, served efficiently, and pleasing to your palate. What you ate was delicious and it almost filled you up, leaving just enough room for one more bite  and in "Sweet as Sin" by Susan Benjamin, you'll read about that which you might've chosen.

Susan Benjamin's mother hated candy  which was unfortunate, since Benjamin's father loved the stuff. As a child, Benjamin sided with her father and now it's her livelihood: She's a candy saleswoman and historian who says that while sweet treats have been around for millennia  paleontologists once found 9,000-year-old ABC gum  the history of candy is "a convergence of many cultures and experiences  "

Native Americans, for instance, knew all about sweets long before Europeans arrived. They found that corn and maple syrup, properly processed, made dandy candy and that fruit, as Benjamin's brother says, "is pretty much the same as candy." Europeans expounded on those ideas and learned to make root beer.

As humans cultivated sharper cravings, the world leaped to satisfy them: From a French slave, we got cheaper vanilla; from Mesoamericans, we got chocolate, and both were once considered aphrodisiacs. Asia gave the world marshmallow. The peanut, it's believed, came from Africa. Sugar cane, says Benjamin, began in India and was at least partly the reason slaves were brought to U.S. shores.

Though cacao was "most likely" used by Southwestern Native Americans, chocolate wasn't popular with Colonists until the late 1600s  and even then, it was a drink, not a food. It took a surprisingly long time for it to become a treat but once it did, businesses sprung up to make it, soldiers demanded it, and candy stores sold it.

The first commercial candy seller, by the way, was quite involved with the Underground Railroad.

And your favorites? Many of them are here in this book, with stories that'll tickle your sweet tooth: Find out what the Sugar Daddy was originally named. See why Life Savers were created, why they're called Milk Duds, which candy was the first in space, and what made Milton Hershey cry 

Oh, my, reading "Sweet as Sin" is like taking a trip back to your childhood, with history along for the ride. It's nostalgic, but informative. Bite-sized, in both memory and fact, and as easy to dip into as your grandma's candy dish.

With the lightest of tones and a sprinkle of the personal, author Susan Benjamin shows how candy has become a part of our culture, and how it's stayed there despite a recently-bad reputation that's somewhat changing. In doing so, she serves up a Baby Boomer's treasure trove of old favorites and treats you may have forgotten you enjoyed (candy cigarette, anyone?), wrapped inside pictures and little-known stories.

Oh, and did I mention recipes?

Yep, you'll find some of those, too, and plenty to chew on, making a great read for foodies and former kids alike. So look for "Sweet as Sin." It's pretty tasty.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. She has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Terri lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.
Where to give, get supplies, help in Collier County after Hurricane Ian
Water ebbs and flows on the shoreline of a man-made beach area Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 at the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam in Alva, Fla. The mayors of Lee County's six municipalities convened at a joint emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss action items regarding freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee watershed. Its argued that the release of dark, nutrient-laden freshwater into the watershed, damage Southwest Florida's economy and ecology. (Corey Perrine/Staff)

By Arek Sarkissian of the Naples Daily News

TALLAHASSEE  A U.S. Sugar spokeswoman on Monday blasted claims made by the Sierra Club of Florida that the sugar company destroyed Lake Okeechobee and that it was dragging its feet on a land deal that could stop discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.

U.S. Sugar's Judy Sanchez said the Sierra Club held a public roundtable discussion last week where it falsely blamed her company for pollution in Lake Okeechobee.

"We were flabbergasted when we saw they were making claims that any farmers were pumping water into Lake Okeechobee," Sanchez said. "We don't have the ability to pump water into the lake. Only the government has that ability."

Frank Jackalone, a Sierra Club Florida senior organizing manager, said a club member did blame U.S. Sugar for the pollution, but the meeting was meant to encourage the company and the state to arrange a deal over the purchase of 153,000 acres south of Lake Okeechobee. The land could be used to store water from Lake Okeechobee when its shores are bloated by heavy rainfall. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discharges lake water into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers, but the freshwater wreaks havoc on coastal estuaries that rely on a unique blend of salinity to survive.

Historic rainfall in Central Florida in January prompted the Corps to discharge freshwater into the rivers. Gov. Rick Scott offered a plan to push water from Lake Okeechobee south to three conservation areas just north of Everglades National Park. However, that plan stalled when water already in the conservation areas failed to drain fast enough. Jackalone says the land from U.S. Sugar could be used for retention and would no longer force the Corps to use the rivers as relief. The Corps deems the lake safe when it's between the levels of 12.5 feet to 15.5 feet.

If the state bought that land, "There would be no discharges at all," Jackalone said. "That's what we're trying to say here."

The state could have bought 180,000 acres of U.S. Sugar land south of Lake Okeechobee in 2008, but part of that deal expired in October 2015. The state can still buy the remaining 153,000 acres, but it has not yet made an offer, according to a University of Florida Water Institute report.

But the U.S. Sugar land is not suitable for that purpose, said Robert Brown, a technical adviser for the Everglades Agricultural Area  a group of farmers that own 700,000 acres where sugar cane is grown. Brown, speaking at the request of U.S. Sugar leaders Monday, said the state did not want the land because it would be too costly to cultivate for water retention purposes. Brown, who also served as an assistant director of the South Florida Water Management District, said the Legislature wants to build smaller conservation areas north of Lake Okeechobee, where some believe the pollution originates.

The Legislature included roughly $200 million in the state budget approved Friday that would provide money to restore portions of the Everglades and create smaller water retention areas north of Lake Okeechobee.

Contact Daily News reporter arek.sarkissian@naplesnews.com or 850-559-7620
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By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News

Ave Maria University President Jim Towey called Tuesday's announcement that Mother Teresa would be canonized both exciting and timely as Catholics today continue to feel the effects of her lasting legacy.

"It's a rare privilege because usually the Vatican will take 100 years or 200 years to canonize someone," said Towey, who counted Mother Teresa among his friends. "They're doing it inside of 19 years for Mother."

Towey said the announcement was a timely one following the March 4 tragedy in Yemen when four nuns from the order Mother Teresa founded were among 16 church members killed by ISIS in an attack on a nursing home.

"She's given martyrs to the church already," Towey said. "The world needs mercy more than ever and she was an angel of mercy in Calcutta and all corners of the world."

Nuns with the missionary order of the late Mother Teresa joined in hymns and offered special prayers Tuesday after Pope Francis announced that the famed caregiver of the Indian slums will be elevated to sainthood Sept. 4.

The canonization will take place at the Vatican, a day before the 19th anniversary of her death.

The announcement "not only has brought smiles on our faces but also has given us another reason to live and bring meaning to our lives and the lives of others," said Archbishop Thomas D' Souza, who celebrated a special Mass. "Because Mother, as an icon of mercy, of service of God's love and his presence among the poorest of poor continues to give meaning to lives of everyone."

Teresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now Skopje, Macedonia, joined the Loreto order of nuns in 1928, and said she was inspired to found the Missionaries of Charity while on a trip to India in 1946.

The order now has more than 130 centers around the world. The nuns are recognizable by their signature look of a plain white cotton sari with a blue border.

Towey first met Mother Teresa briefly in August of 1985. Towey was working for Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Oregon) at the time, and arranged for a visit while overseas.

"She asked me to go back to Washington and say hi to her sisters," Towey said, referring to the order she had in Washington D.C.

Towey began working full time with the missionary from 1988 to 1990, living in a home Mother Teresa had in Mexico and another home she had in Washington D.C. for people with AIDS. During those trips, Towey became closer with Mother Teresa and eventually began providing free legal services, protecting the use of her name as she opened more homes.

"I was blessed to have a friendship with her and I certainly didn't deserve it," Towey said. "She was so beautifully human and joyful and focused."

Towey said Mother Teresa sent 30 sisters to sing at his wedding and later held three of his children in her hands.

Towey continued to serve as Mother Teresa's legal council for 12 years until her death in 1997. Towey was a member of the official delegations sent by the President of the United States for her Kolkata funeral in 1997 and her beatification at St. Peter's Basilica in 2003.

"I kind of marked my life before Mother Teresa and after Mother Teresa," he said. "When I met her and looked at her face, she was everything I wasn't, so she mothered me and I'm grateful for that. She was such a beautiful guide in my life."

Ave Maria University is the only American University authorized in Kolkata to have a Mother Teresa project, Towey said.

The project includes 162 students who are studying Mother Teresa's life and volunteering throughout the local community and around the world in her spirit, Towey said.

"This canonization will remind the world of the power of love and compassion in the face of all the violence and indifference you see today," Towey said.

Pope John Paul II beatified Teresa in 2003, the first step toward possible sainthood. In December, the Vatican announced that Teresa's intervention in healing a Brazilian man from a viral brain infection in 2008 has been declared miraculous  "inexplicable in the light of present-day medical knowledge."

Even as she is beloved by many Indians, Teresa's work has drawn criticism from some groups in India.

Last year, Mohan Bhagwat, the head of India's largest Hindu nationalist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said her work had an "ulterior motive" to convert Indians to Christianity.

"In the name of service, religious conversions were made," Bhagwat said. Five Indian states have laws against forced religious conversions, but there is no national law. Teresa had opposed a proposal to enact such a national law during the 1970s.

Christians make up 2.3 percent of the 1.2 billion people in India, which is an officially secular but predominantly Hindu nation.

Last year, the orphanages run by Teresa's nuns shut down their adoption services because they did not want to comply with a new government system that makes it easier for single and divorced people to adopt.
Voters wait in line early in the morning on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at the Collier County Public Library in Naples, Fla. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News)

By June Fletcher of the Naples Daily News

Relaxing on a bench under a shady tree, Luke Wood marveled at how short the lines were to vote Tuesday.

During the 2012 presidential election, he'd waited 3 hours outside this same Bonita Springs polling place, precinct 61, eager to cast his ballot.

"I saw people drive up and then drive away, discouraged," said the 53-year-old retired Navy chief petty officer. "So this time, I voted early."

Scores of other Southwest Floridians did the same in this contentious election, making voting a little less frustrating than the last time around.

By election day, 81,629 votes had been cast by mail, 24,368 voters had cast their ballots in person, and 189 provisional votes were cast in Lee County.

In Collier County, 30,812 voted by mail, 25,814 voted early, and 145 provisional ballots were cast. Provisional ballots are used when there are some questions about a voter's eligibility, such as the voter's name not appearing on the roll in a given precinct.

Reggie Purdon, 68, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, came to Bonita's precinct 61 not to vote, but to support her son Jesse Purdon's candidacy for Bonita Springs City Council. She said she envied how Bonita voters could go to the polls early.

"There's no early voting in my state," she said. "I waited an hour and a half to vote in our primary."

Melissa Blazier, chief deputy supervisor of elections for Collier County, said early and absentee voting made a huge difference in this election.

This year, 30 percent of voters cast ballots early or absentee, compared with 21 percent in 2012 and 19 percent in 2008.

But overall turnout of registered voters, including early/absentee ballots, also grew to 49.7 percent from 42 percent in 2012 and 44 percent in 2008.

She attributed the overall uptick to the hotly contested presidential races, noting that in 2008, the primary was in January. This time, the primary in March makes Florida a more critical state, which is driving turnout, she said.

She said there were no major snafus at the polling places, though some voters who were independents or who wanted to change their party affiliation were miffed when they were told they couldn't vote.

"It's the biggest problem in every primary election: Voters don't realize it's closed primary," she said. "To vote for a Republican or Democrat, you have to be registered as one."

But a few minor issues did crop up during the day. A couple of hundred mail-in ballots that machines couldn't read initially had to be duplicated so they could be resubmitted, said Dave Carpenter, qualifying officer for the Collier Supervisor of Elections Office.

And Jennifer Edwards, Collier supervisor of elections, said that when polls opened, some workers didn't know how to open their electronic poll books.

In some places, turnout was so heavy that ballots started to run out, and more had to be printed and delivered.

An election official in Bonita Springs said lines in the last presidential election topped 100 people when doors opened at 7 a.m. but that this time only 15 people were waiting.

"It's been slow," she said.

Lines were similarly slow at some precincts in Collier County in the early hours, but ramped up as the day progressed.

In precinct 322 in Golden Gate Estates, only 20 voters were in line in the early hours, but hundreds had voted by noon.

Throughout the county, when polls closed at 7 p.m., more than 36,000 Collier residents had shown up at the polls to vote.

In Lee County, more than 49,000 people had made it to the voting booth. Overall, turnout was almost 37 percent, according to the Lee County elections office.

Vicki Collins, public information officer for Lee County's Supervisor of Elections Office, said about 5,000 people turned up at the polls during the first two hours of voting, with another surge in the late afternoon.

But except for some calls from voters who wanted to change their party affiliation at the last minute, there were no heavy lines and no glitches, she said.

Liz Freeman contributed to this story.
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By Associated Press

TRINITY, Fla. (AP)  A Tampa Bay-area man has been arrested for allegedly ramming his truck into two Pasco County Sheriff's Office patrol cars.

Sheriff's office spokeswoman Melanie Snow says deputies responded late Monday to reports about a truck driving erratically in Trinity.

Snow says deputies pursued 46-year-old Christopher Conti of Holiday for a few miles until he rammed his truck into two patrol cars. Conti then allegedly attempted to ram into two other patrol cars.

No one was injured.

Conti was being held without bail on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, aggravated battery, fleeing and eluding police and driving under the influence. Pasco County jail records did not show whether he had an attorney.
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Richard Coddington, Naples and Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Health insurance

There are two measures of the efficacy of a country's health-care system  life expectancy and infant mortality rate.

According to the CIA, the U.S. ranks 28th and 39th, respectively. This pitiful showing results from being the only industrialized nation without the right to universal health care.

A majority of Republicans view health care as a privilege, not a right, and are the only group, not just in the U.S., but in the world, with this viewpoint.

The Affordable Care Act is an attempt to broaden health care coverage and improve our rankings. While flawed, it does recognize that it cannot work without participation by the young and the healthy. The act has been trashed by all of the Republican presidential hopefuls.

Their solution is to break down the artificial "lines" which limit the insurance companies from selling their products in all states.

Their solution will not work because the health insurance industry has been exempted from anti-trust regulations since 1941. They can, and do, allocate markets and fix prices. They have already divided up the states to maximize their profitability and have no intention of changing even if asked nicely by a Republican president.
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Tom Rutkowski, Naples

The Stop Act

While in the midst of this election year, it is timely to look into one of the reasons the electorate is so upset with our Congressional ineffectiveness in getting things done.

A few weeks ago, Florida U.S.. Rep. David Jolly, R-Pinellas County, spoke to an empty House about a reform initiative he has authored. He said it was one of the more uncomfortable speeches he would ever give. The subject was the amount of time that members of Congress are expected, or directed, to spend on raising money, presumably for their re-election.

Freshmen members, upon their orientation, are said to have been told that their first responsibility is to spend four hours a day asking people for money, another one to two hours a day networking, and only leaving two hours a day actually doing their job.

Some retired members of Congress have lamented that they have spent thousands of hours asking for money. That's time not available for accomplishing anything. It seems that raising money is the main business of Congress.

Florida, and some other state legislatures, prohibit their members from directly soliciting contributions. Jolly's "Stop Act" is a simple bill prohibiting sitting members of Congress from direct solicitation of campaign contributions, just like our state statute prohibits.

Let's hope our representatives join with Jolly in passing this bill so that Congress will have more time to do their work.
SHARE Michael A. MacDowell is the managing director of the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation. He lives in Estero.

By Michael A. Macdowell, Estero President Emeritus Misericordia University

Congressman Tom Reed of New York plans to introduce a bill in the House of Representatives that would require colleges and universities with endowments of more than $1 billion to devote 25 percent of their annual endowment income to aid for financially deserving students.

If they do not, these institutions would lose their tax-exempt status.

His bill reflects what many believe to be true, that all colleges are rich and their tuition is too high. The truth is that only about 100 of the nation's colleges and universities have endowments approaching $1 billion.

Together these institutions represent just 2.5 percent of the nation's 4,000-plus private and public colleges and universities.

The vast majority of colleges and universities in this country have endowments of less than $25 million. They adhere to an endowment income utilization rate requiring them to use about 4 percent of the endowment. Any income above 4 percent is returned to the endowment fund.

This policy assures that some funds for future financial aid and other purposes will be annually available even when markets are underperforming as they are now. The net result is that a $25 million endowment generates less than $1 million a year.

Further, many believe that all the income earned from an endowment can be expended in ways institutions choose. This is usually not the case. Those who contribute to an institution and create an endowment often restrict the endowment's earnings to certain projects and programs. These are legally binding restrictions.

While some endowments are designated to be used for student scholarships or other financial aid, many are not. The result is that few colleges or universities can arbitrarily shift all their endowment earnings to student financial aid.

The result of these endowment realities is that the vast majority of American colleges and universities have far less endowment income than most believe they have. Despite this fact, the average private college/university awards financial aid to more than 90 percent of its students. The total amount of scholarships and financial aid awarded each year far exceeds annual endowment income.

Some of the gap between endowment income and the amount colleges spend on financial aid is made up in annual gifts by alumni and others. But even these gifts, along with federal Pell grants and other government-sponsored aid, does not cover all of the scholarships and financial aid private colleges are awarding.

So private colleges and universities make up the difference by discounting tuition. This lowers the cost to students and allows them to attend the college or university.

The discount rate at private colleges and universities has been increasing every year, especially since the Great Recession. Some institutions' discount rates exceed 50 percent of tuition costs. The discounted tuition income cuts severely into revenue. As a result, colleges and universities have fewer dollars in subsequent years to pay faculty and staff and carry on their basic operations.

That leads to charging higher tuition, which in turn generates higher discounts. This vicious cycle is getting worse each year. One result of this income shortfall is that 50 private, nonprofit four-year colleges and universities closed in the past 10 years. More will no doubt do so in the near future.

Legislation like that proposed by Congressman Reed, R-23, will have little if any impact on the vast majority of American college students because almost all colleges and universities already give well over 25 percent of their endowment income to student financial aid.

The problem is complex. Simply forcing the reallocation of endowment income of the nation's richest universities is not the answer. Instead of wasting time of legislators on bills that address only perceived problems, Congress should focus on legislation that would allow colleges to reduce costs and help the vast majority of students who will not attend the tiny percentage of institutions with $1 billion endowments.

__ MacDowell is the managing director of the Calvin K. Kazanjian Foundation and president emeritus of Misericordia University in Pennsylvania. He lives in Estero.
In 1976, as the nation prepared to celebrate the Bicentennial, John T. Conroy Jr. set out to establish the first full-service commercial real estate firm in Naples. The town was a lot different back then with only a fifth of its current population and a handful of real estate firms, focused mostly on residential sales.



That pioneering firm, Investment Properties Corp. (IPC), marks its 40th anniversary this year as one of the prominent commercial real estate brokerages in Southwest Florida. IPC currently has eight licensed brokers/associates specializing in buyer and seller representation, site selection, leasing, exchanges, consulting and development services.



IPC was founded by Conroy in a small red brick office building at 3400 Tamiami Trail N. I was able to convince the telephone company to give me a phone number to match my address  261-3400, he said. The firm still has the same number, and it can be seen on the more than 100 For Sale and For Lease signs throughout Collier and Lee counties. Interestingly, after 40 years in business, IPCs current office is just one-third of a mile from its original location.



Obviously, the city was a completely different city than it is today, said Conroy, who first came to Naples in 1963 as a projects general contractor. It was a dot on the map.



As Naples has grown into the world-renowned destination that it is today, IPC has evolved right along with it. The firm expanded during the 1980s and 1990s, adding several licensed real estate brokers and building its book of business.



Today, the firm is independently owned and operated by Principals Bill Gonnering, CCIM, SIOR; David J. Stevens, CCIM; Craig D. Timmins, CCIM; and Clint L. Sherwood, CCIM. Those four individuals have more than 100 years of collective market experience.



Gonnering said much of the firms longevity can be credited with remaining versatile, adjusting to changing market conditions through economic booms and busts. When the economy took a hit in 2007-2008, for example, we learned about short sales and how to broker those transactions in the wake of widespread defaults and bank failures, he said.



The economic downturn also resulted in a surge in leasing activity as many businesses renegotiated their leases or downsized to smaller facilities through the slump. We actually saw steady leasing activity during the Great Recession, Sherwood said.



IPC also is recognized as among first area firms to encourage agents to pursue the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, which added a level of professionalism through focused education and networking. Conroy taught the CCIM program for 20 years and of the firms eight agents, five hold their CCIM designation. Some agents also have earned designations in the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) and Appraisal Institute (MAI).



Another big change over the years is the impact of technology on the commercial real estate practice. Whereas all contracts and other documents were printed on paper, today everything is electronic and online.



Technology has enabled us to work more efficiently and more rapidly, said Stevens, who works with several large national and international clients on Naples area properties.



One thing that has not changed over the years is the firms team approach to selling and leasing properties. This team approach is part of the firms client centered business practice, which has resulted in significant long-term client relationships and referrals.



Sharing information helps us help our clients, said Timmins.



Recent notable IPC transactions include the sale of The Village on Venetian Bay in the Park Shore area of Naples, Fifth Third Center in North Naples, land for the global headquarters of Hertz in Estero, 3600 Shaw Blvd. - one of the largest industrial buildings in Collier County, and more recently, the sale of $100 million (nine buildings) on Fifth Avenue South.



Though he has stepped away from the management of IPC, Conroy remains available for consultation. When looking back over the last 40 years, he is delighted by the growth of IPC and the Naples area in general and remains confident about the future.



The guys have done a wonderful job of building the business, he said. There are very few businesses that survive 40 years, especially in the extremely competitive commercial real estate industry.



IPC is located at 3838 Tamiami Trail N. For additional information on IPC and the wide range of commercial real estate brokerage services available, call 239-261-3400 or online at www.ipcnaples.com
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is currently visiting the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan together with the Chairman of the Military Committee, General Petr Pavel.

During his trip, the Secretary General will meet with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah to discuss the NATO-Afghanistan partnership, including the ongoing Resolute Support Mission.

He will also meet with senior international community leaders and members of Afghan civil society.

The Secretary General will also address Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and Resolute Support troops.

Media Advisory

12:45 (local time) : Joint press conference with President Ghani

The press conference will be available live via satellite in world feed and on the NATO website.

Still and video images of the visit will be available on the NATO website after the event.

The programme is subject to change. For further information, please contact the NATO Press Office, tel: + 32 2 707 50 41.

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg)
General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee accompanying Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, along with other high level officials from NATO arrived yesterday evening in Kabul, Afghanistan to begin a two day visit.

During their first day in Kabul, the Chairman and the Secretary General met with the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the National Security Adviser, Mr. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, the NATO Senior Civilian Representative, Mr. Ismail Aramaz, the Commander of the Resolute Support Mission, General John Nicholson and senior Afghan government officials.

During discussions with General Nicholson and Resolute Support military officials, General Pavel gained a first-hand impression of the situation on the ground and received updates on Resolute Support activities and priorities. The Chairman was particularly interested in the ongoing development of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), stating that the Afghan forces are making progress with our support. Last year was tough for the Afghan security forces but despite significant challenges, they took charge of security across the country. They are also making progress  confronting the insurgents, and denying them lasting gains. Indeed, earlier in the day Acting Minister of Defence, Mr. Mohammed Stenekzai stressed the value of the leadership development being provided by Resolute Support personnel to the ANDSF. Subsequently, the Chairman discussed in detail the procedures and systems being developed to ensure the sustainability of the ANDSF.

NATOs Resolute Support mission is currently its largest mission with approximately 12,000 personnel from both NATO and partner nations. Beyond providing training, advice and assistance to Afghan security forces, Allies and partner countries also play an important role in the broader international communitys support by contributing funds for the long-term financial sustainment of the Afghan security forces.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed the Alliances strong and enduring commitment to Afghanistan in talks with Afghan President Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul on Tuesday (15 March 2016).

Speaking alongside President Ghani, the Secretary General commended the courage and determination of the Afghan security forces in the fight against terrorism. He noted their progress in confronting the insurgents, and denying them lasting gains. He also welcomed that the Afghan forces are acquiring new capabilities, and stepping up their air operations. In 2015 the Afghan Air Force flew more than 20,000 missions  more than twice as many as the year before, said Mr. Stoltenberg.

The Secretary General stressed that Afghan forces do not stand alone, and highlighted that NATO Allies and partners have been working side-by-side with Afghanistan for over a decade. Today, NATO continues to support the Afghan forces with training, advice and assistance through the Resolute Support mission. And we continue to provide financial support to the Afghan forces. So that the Afghan forces can become sustainable in the long-term, protecting the Afghan people and suppressing terrorism, said Mr. Stoltenberg. He added that NATO remains committed to support Afghanistan in the long-term, through political partnership and practical support.

The Secretary General, President Ghani, and Chief Executive Abdullah discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and reviewed the governments reforms. Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed the work of the National Unity Government and encouraged further progress. He stressed that Afghanistans long-term success requires strong security institutions, stable leadership positions and effective mechanisms to root out corruption. It means stepping up Afghan investment in the security forces. And it also means ensuring that human rights, including for women and children, are fully respected, said Mr. Stoltenberg.

Separately, the Secretary General met with General John Nicholson, the new Commander of the Resolute Support mission, and Ambassador Ismail Aramaz, NATOs Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan.
Vaccinated children have weakened immune systems, especially after getting flu shot

Enterovirus D68 causes paralysis similar to polio

(NaturalNews) A once-rare viral disease has reemerged and quickly spread to 46 states and the District of Columbia, infecting nearly 700 people, most of them children, over the past several months. And a common theme among those infected is thatof them were vaccinated, reports claim, including with flu vaccines that have been shown to weaken immunity and make people more prone to disease.According to the latest reports, nearly half a dozen individuals have already died from enterovirus D68, and another 10 have developed paralysis. As of this writing, there have been 691 confirmed cases of the disease across the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with only Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico not reporting any cases.Most recently, a 21-month-old baby girl from Michigan died from the infection, while several weeks prior, a four-year-old boy from New Jersey fell to the disease. There are also 17 cases of whatdescribes as an "unexplained neurologic illness" that a neurologist from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center says are probably linked to the disease.Though it comes from the same class of viruses as polio, enterovirus D68 is one of more than 100 non-polio viruses that can induce symptoms like mild fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. The CDC also says that enterovirus D68 can cause wheezing and difficult breathing, which in some severe cases may require hospitalization."It can start just like a cold -- runny nose, sneezing, coughs -- but it's the wheezing you have to watch out for," saidChief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser.Disease specialists tracking the spread of enterovirus D68 have noted that the virus only seems to be infecting people with a prior history of vaccination. Dr. Heather Ashton is quoted byadmitting this fact."So far all of the reports we are seeing are coming in from children who have been partially or fully immunized," she stated. "Reports are managed through the National Enterovirus Surveillance System and the summaries thus far are all coming in from vaccinated pediatric populations in the U.S. and Canada."This is significant in light of a 2011 study published in the, which found that influenza vaccines inhibit immune system function and make children more prone to disease. It was pro-vaccine researchers from Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, in fact, who made this powerful discovery, which lends credence to the notion that enterovirus D68 is spreading because of vaccines.Flu vaccines, admitted reluctant lead author Rogier Bodewes, "have potential drawbacks that have previously been under appreciated and that are also a matter of debate."Though not actually polio, enterovirus D68 appears to trigger many of the same symptoms, including acute paralysis in certain parts of the body. Dozens of children are reportedly being admitted to the hospital with "floppy limbs," which CDC Deputy Director of the Division of Viral Diseases Jane Seward says are linked to the virus "Acute flaccid paralysis, that's acute paralysis of parts of the body -- in this case the limbs, can result from a variety of viruses including polio virus and non-polio enteroviruses including enterovirus 68, West Nile Disease, echovirus and adenoviruses," she stated."Most people who get enteroviruses have mild symptoms and no testing is ever done on them. I think we're looking at a rare outcome in these children," she added, affirming the hypothesis that weak immune systems, possibly caused by vaccines, are to blame.
The "raw power" of organic coconut oil and sesame oil

Never use genetically modified oil

(NaturalNews) Millions of Americans are turning to holistic approaches to oral health because insurance plans are doubling or tripling in cost, thanks to Obama and Obamacare's outrageous lies. Plus, Big Pharma in general is becoming even less trustworthy; with independent research revealing the dangers of fluoride, routine X-rays, expensive root canals,"amalgam" fillings, superbugs and just plain unnecessary surgery, it's a wonder that anyone goes to a dentist other than to get a tooth pulled.On the lighter side of things, natural remedies and natural preventive care is abundant -- you just have to know where to look, what to buy, the right questions to ask and, of course, when to ask them. Here are someto ask yourself, and then considerto your oral health.1. What is oil pulling and how can it save you and your family thousands of dollars plus prevent major dental issues from ever developing?2. How many dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons have you heard about that recommend oil pulling? Why not?3. What do chewing sticks and mango leaves have to do with brushing your teeth?4. How can swishing oil cure headaches, not to mention 30 systemic diseases ranging from diabetes to asthma?Oil pulling is a procedure that involves swishing oil in the mouth and is written about in Ayurvedic text. It has been used extensively as an Indian folk remedy to prevent tooth decay, bad breath and bleeding gums; it even strengthens teeth, gums and jaw. Oil pulling requires 10 minutes of swishing, usually upon wakening, for ideal detoxification purposes. There's an ancient axiom, "All diseases start in the mouth." A study published in theback in March of 2008 revealed that oil pulling could remove from the mouthbacteria that advance tooth decay. In ancient India, plaques, infections and chronic oral conditions were managed with traditional medicine. Chewing sticks have these medicinal properties. Fromtofor strengthening gum tissue and licorice root for anticavity and plaque reductions, plus natural antibacterial effects. There was no government-mandated fluoride poisoning back then, so they did not have to worry about corporations inserting foolish (artificial sweeteners) and toxic ingredients.This took place, during the Vedic period. They knew what to do for oral health back then. Ayurvedic practitioners developed medical preparations and surgical procedures for ailments and disease. What we have now is a sum total of several indigenous cultures from all over the world. This can translate into treating mental illness naturally. What if the government subsidized oil pulling by paying in full for all the coconut oil, sesame oil, herbs, herb products and herbal materials each household needs all year long? (Fantasy).Herbal brushes are thin like today's toothbrushes, but made from fresh stems of particular plants like neem and others from mango leaves. Chewing sticks are used in a completely different manner from toothbrushes. They are soft, without the knots or leaves, and they come from a very healthy tree (not one that sits in pesticide/GMO field or is watered with fluoridated water). Also, The miswak chewing stick was proven in a study to have an "compared to toothbrush." [emphasis added] The stick even proved more effective at gingival recession than did toothbrushes.Want to end bad breath, sore throat and loss of taste? Try oil pulling with organic oils and never look back. We must today synthesize the strategies used by indigenous cultures. You could be using Ayurvedic tooth powders right now instead of synthetic chemicals. Are you bleaching your teeth white with bleach or brushing daily with chemicals?Some people may be inclined to think that any oil (GMO) would work for this ancient method of natural oral care, but they would be wrong. Many oils today, even olive oils, are fakes. They are synthetic combinations of anything from rapeseed oil (canola) to pesticide-laden sunflower oil. Make sure you buy organic coconut oil or sesame oil. Sesame oil is considered to be the "queen" of oil seed crops for many health reasons. Finally, two similar techniques,, involve holding in the mouth and/or gargling for a few minutes as a rejuvenating treatment that maintains clarity and fuels mind invigoration.
Corley would not receive treatment for bruxism until the day of his death

I was served with court papers on Thursday September 3 around 1pm at my office.



According to the court documents, my grandfather has continuously verbally refused having a feeding tube (PEG) placed in his stomach. Montefiore Wakefield Hospital is stating that it's medically necessary because he has dementia and Parkinson's disease.



I have contacted nearly every possible agency including Adult Protective Services, Department of Health, District Attorney's office and various politicians with no results.



I have contacted various law firms and the majority don't return my calls and one claimed that they are of "limited resources" and can't represent everyone.



The first hearing date is on Wednesday September 9 at 10:30am at the Montefiore Wakefield Hospital (not at a court house).



Hospital refused to relinquish custody of veteran to his family

On May 28th we told them we wanted to take him. They told us he had issues and Parkinson's. I told the physician he didn't have Parkinson's. My grandfather has glaucoma, dementia, and diabetes. None of these should keep him in the hospital. We asked why and they said he needed a feeding tube, because he was having a reaction to the medicine.



(NaturalNews) Sadly, a World War II veteran spent the remainder of his life suffering amid insufficient medical care while his family was entangled in a nasty custody battle with the state of New York. Julius Corley, who served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s, was medically kidnapped by New York's Montefiore Hospital in the spring of 2015.The problem began when Corley was transferred from the Laconia Nursing Home to its affiliate, Montefiore Hospital, after the veteran's family filed a complaint against the nursing home citing inadequate care of the elderly patient. Corley's family observed him having swollen hands, which caused him to withdraw in pain when touched by loved ones. He also suffered from bruxism, an uncontrollable grinding of the teeth often caused by dementia medicine.Laconia maintains that the reason for the transfer (which occurred 48 hours after the complaint) was due to Corley's loss of appetite, but his family says the hospital was unable to confirm the allegation after caring for him for one week.The hospital conjured up their own list of medical conditions for Corley, without ever reviewing any of his records from Laconia, reports Medical Kidnap, which stated the man suffered from diabetes, dementia and blindness due to glaucoma. Instead, the hospital began treating Corley for Parkinson's, a disease his family insists he never had.Corley's grandson, Laredo Regular, was denied access to his grandfather after a series of meetings with city, state and medical officials. Regular's mother, with whom he shared medical custody of Corley, was also denied access to her family member, despite the state having no legal authority to hold the man.Four months later, pneumonia and extreme weight loss plagued the veteran, prompting a judge to rule that he have an eating tube inserted. Corley refused, demonstrating his capability to eat.His grandson wrote:Desperate for help, the District Attorney referred Laredo to the Health Department, which referred him back to the DA's office, reports Health Impact News . Laredo visited more than 30 lawyers, all of whom were unwilling to help.Disinclined, Laredo pressed the hospital to release his grandfather, which refused, providing "vague and inconsistent" reasons for why Corley couldn't be let go.After the Regular family provided official documentation of their medical authority over Corley, including proof of power of attorney, the hospital agreed to let them take him another facility to be evaluated.But after spending four hours in the waiting area, the hospital's medical director, Purvi D. Shah, appeared, accompanied by police and said taking Corley with them would be illegal. Security and staff physically blocked the family from taking action.That was one of the Regular's last efforts in getting Corley home. After being on life support for several weeks, he passed away on Thanksgiving Day, never able to return home to his family."My grandpa never got to come home," said Regular. "He died in pain in the Montefiore main branch. It was painful. We had hopes, but to know that he was in pain like that and passed away is awful. The entire situation played out so awfully."
2

4

2

A mighty trio

Big Pharma's big secret

(NaturalNews) Not only are antibiotics commonly over-prescribed, but they can also have a negative impact on your health. Why use them when you can make an inexpensive and powerful natural alternative out of ingredients you probably already have at home?The pharmaceutical industry encourages doctors to peddle antibiotics as if they were harmless candy, but the overuse of antibiotics has become a serious problem for both individuals and the general population.As antibiotic use increases, their effectiveness decreases. Meanwhile, antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" have developed as a direct result of the overuse of these drugs.This means that it is becoming more difficult to treat what were once considered minor infections, and since the toll on the human body from taking too many antibiotics is also quite significant, there are plenty of reasons to avoid taking them except when absolutely necessary.Fortunately, there are some readily available natural remedies that can do a far better job of fighting infections and illness without causing harm to the body.One of these is a syrup made from common kitchen ingredients: honey, garlic and apple cider vinegar. Combined, these three ingredients can treat a number of conditions up to ten times as effectively as antibiotics  without any side effects , and at little cost.Here's a version of the recipe fromThis powerful concoction can be used to treat respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and asthma, and it's great for soothing coughs and sore throats.Each of the syrup's three components have beneficial properties beyond the ability to merely kill germs.is one of nature's miracle foods  it contains nutrients, antioxidants and more:"Organic honey is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, and it successfully fights against free radicals since it acts as an antioxidant. Moreover, it has strong anti- inflammatory and antibacterial properties which will provide great relief in the case of a cold, cough or a sore throat."Be sure to purchase only raw organic honey  preferably from a local beekeeper. Local honey contains local pollen which can help your body fight seasonal allergies, especially if you begin consuming it a few months before allergy season. This will help you build up a tolerance to seasonal allergens.Most of the honey sold in the supermarket has been filtered and pasteurized  processes which destroy its health benefits. In fact, much of the honey sold commercially contains no honey at all!also provides numerous health benefits. Its antiviral and antibiotic effects, along with its immune system-boosting properties, have made it a popular remedy for centuries in many cultures:"Moreover, it can prevent mutation changes in viruses, which is extremely important in the struggle with new and mutated viruses. These powerful properties are due to allicin, a compound it contains and is 10 times more powerful than penicillin."Once again, always buy local, organic garlic  or better yet, grow your own (it's easy!). Most of the garlic sold worldwide comes from China, where it is bleached, treated with other chemicals, and often grown in polluted soil.rounds out the natural syrup recipe by contributing even more antibiotic, antiviral and immune-boosting compounds, but it has plenty of other health benefits too:As reported by"ACV can kill head lice, reverse aging, ease digestion, prevent flu, prevent acne, reduces inflammation, kill fungus, regulate pH balance, dissolve kidney stones and helps relieve allergies, migraines, asthma, nausea, heart burn and wash toxins from the body."Use only unfiltered, unpasteurized, organic apple cider vinegar; it should have a "cloudy" look to it.What the pill pushers won't acknowledge is that it's possible to heal the body naturally , without the use of harmful antibiotics. This inexpensive and simple remedy not only kills the harmful stuff, but also promotes general health, whileillness.And that's something Big Pharma would like to prevent you from learning about.
Let's feed children more aspartame!

Dedicated to deception

(NaturalNews) In the face of steadily dropping milk consumption, the dairy industry is taking a page from the Tobacco playbook , seeking to ensure future profits by getting children addicted to their product at an early age.One such strategy involves spiking flavored dairy products with aspartame , then concealing the presence of the artificial sweetener from parents.In 2009, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) filed a petition asking the FDA to change the food labeling rules for milk and 17 other dairy products, including yogurt, whipping cream and eggnog. The petition is still pending.Currently, FDA rules state that if these products have any "non-nutritive" (zero calorie) sweetener added to them, the food label must contain a term such as "reduced calories" or "low sugar" to reflect this. So, chocolate milk sweetened with aspartame, for example, must be labeled as "reduced calorie chocolate milk," or with a similar approved term."If we granted the petition, a carton of chocolate milk made with non-nutritive sweeteners would simply say 'chocolate milk,' the same as a carton made with nutritive sweeteners, such as sugar," said Felicia Billingslea, director of the FDA's Food Labeling and Standards division. "You would need to read the ingredient list, which is typically on the back or the side of the product, in order to tell the difference between the two."The dairy industry openly admits that the petition is part of a scheme to disproportionately target children. According to the petition, studies have shown that school-aged children tend to consume flavored rather than non-flavored dairy products, but are turned off by claims like "reduced calorie." Removing these claims would make children more likely to consume aspartame-sweetened foods, the dairy industry said, and therefore help fight obesity No mention is made of evidence suggesting that consumption of artificial sweeteners can actually promote obesity.The petition states that there would be no dishonesty in labeling naturally and artificially sweetened dairy foods in the same way. In fact, they claim, the "consistent" labeling would actually be more honest than the current practice!This kind of inverted logic is also characteristic of industries like Big Tobacco that seek to obfuscate the obvious health dangers of the products that they peddle.In fact, the real reason for the petition is almost certainly an attempt to ensure the future health of the dairy industry, as consumers become increasingly wary of drinking milk and consuming highly processed dairy made with genetically modified ingredients "Yogurt, ice cream, cream cheese, and flavored milk have become delivery systems for genetically modified sweeteners, especially high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)," said Alexis Baden-Mayer of the Organic Consumers Association.Evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners, including aspartame may create artificial dependency by confusing the body's ability to regulate satiety (the feeling of fullness that tells you to stop eating). By making it possible to consume large amounts of sweet foods without feeling full, these sweeteners create a craving for sweetness and an inability to stop eating.Research also suggests that by interfering with the brain's absorption of dopamine, aspartame in particular may be addictive in a more direct sense.The attempt to conceal the presence of addictive artificial sweeteners linked to a wide range of health effects should be no surprise, of course, from an industry that has dedicated itself to undercutting consumers' right to know what is in their food . The dairy industry is a major contributor to ongoing efforts to overturn the state of Vermont's law requiring the labeling of genetically modified ingredients.
The race is on

Stronger, faster soldiers and police officers?

(NaturalNews) American corporations are racing against Chinese companies to develop technology that would allow them to genetically modify everything on the planet , including human beings.As reported by, Chinese firms are pouring no small amount of resources into building expertise on genomics. Also, the Chinese government is throwing money and resources at another tool, Crispr, a controversial genome-editing program, while encouraging its researchers and scientists to advance the technology.Chinese scientists claim to be the first to use Crispr to make wheat resistant to a common fungal disease, to make dogs more muscular and to make pigs leaner.Asreported further:Formally known as Crispr-Cas9, the genetic editing tool works like two low-cost but highly precise molecular scissors, cutting out undesirable or unwanted portions of DNA, replacing it with desired ones. The system has essentially revolutionized what used to be a very time-consuming and expensive process that was also not very accurate. Now, scientists and countries are falling all over themselves to exploit and advance the technology, and for a range of uses and purposes  some of which are not likely to be ethical or smart.In China, groups are developing expertise that will position them to eventually challenge U.S. companies, some of which have already raised millions of dollars in seed money."I would rank the U.S. and China as first and second Crispr-Cas9 research countries, respectively, at this time. Both countries have much strength in this area," Paul Knoepfler, an associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy at the University of California's UC Davis School of Medicine, told. Knoepfler recently published a book,, which put forth the notion that gene-editing and modification technology could be used to alter humans."The U.S. currently gets the edge in high-profile papers, Crispr biotech and intellectual property. China has published a lot in Crispr animals," he said.reported that the Boston Consulting Group estimated that U.S. companies entering the gene-editing field have amassed some $1 billion in investment since 2013. They include Editas Medicine Inc., Poseida Therapeutics Inc., and Intellia Therapeutics Inc., all of which are researching Crispr to address various health disorders.Though the system has not yet proven effective in creating new treatments, Big Pharma sees Crispr as a potentially impactful tool , with hopes that it could eventually help create therapies for conditions ranging from cancer to blood diseases.noted:Internationally, the research caused some angst, even though the Chinese scientists said that they only used "non-viable" human embryos  those obtained via fertility clinics that did not have any potential for live birth. The U.S. government does not fund any work that creates or destroys human embryos for research.In China, however, there could be interest in using Crispr to modify humans  especially those who belong to the state's security apparatus.One Chinese science team that snipped DNA which boosted muscle growth in dogs, allowing them to jump higher, run faster and be stronger, is eyeing using Crispr technology which "could potentially benefit the police and military in the future if applied to canine breeds commonly used by law enforcement agencies." From there, it's just one short step to altering human DNA for stronger, faster soldiers and police.
Citing stories from victims" who invested money in Herbalife Ltd., a New York state senator last week introduced legislation to crack down on deceptive practices in the multilevel marketing (MLM) industry.

The bill, introduced by state senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester), would require multilevel marketers such as Herbalife make additional disclosures, such as revealing distributors average and median incomes, in an effort to increase transparency.

Klein cited the accounts of more than a dozen victims" of Herbalife, including one man who lost US$100,000.

We have seen time and time again how Herbalife promises of the American Dream only wind up as a financial nightmare," he said in a March 11 news release.

Klein referenced a video by Herbalife CEO Michael Johnson, which he said encouraged Herbalife employees to focus on recruitment.

Some critics including hedge fund manager Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management have accused Herbalife of operating a massive pyramid scheme and exploiting minorities by touting its business as a pathway to riches when in fact most members earn little to no income.

In a speech earlier this month, a Securities and Exchange Commission official characterized unlawful pyramid schemes as ones in which participants profit not from the product they are selling but almost exclusively through recruiting other people to participate in the program."

Herbalife, whose business has been the subject of government investigations in recent years including an FTC probe, has repeatedly denied the pyramid scheme allegations. The company has referenced various disclosures it makes to prospective members and surveys showing that millions of consumers buy its nutritional and weight-loss products for their own consumption.

Kleins legislation, which Bloomberg first reported on, was unveiled during the 18th Anniversary of National Consumer Protection Week. He said his bill would require multilevel marketers disclose to prospective distributorsin their primary languageinformation about the benefits, risks, and actual effects of each product, service and business opportunity. Companies which violated Kleins transparency requirements would be subject to fines of up to $10,000.

Herbalife and the Direct Selling Association, a national trade organization for companies that distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers through an independent salesforce, did not immediately respond Monday to INSIDERs requests for comment.
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A substantial portion of Illinois voters cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday's primary election, breaking records in Chicago.

As of 3:45 p.m. Sunday, 129,957 early votes had been cast in Chicago, according to James Allen of the Chicago Board of Elections, shattering records for a primary election in the city.

The previous record was set during the 2008 primary election when 81,690 early ballots were cast. In that election, President Barack Obama and Arizona Senator John McCain won the state's Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively.

Obama and McCain ultimately faced off in the 2008 general election.

A total of 51 early voting sites have been open in Chicago since the end of February, but only 14 "permanent locations" are accepting early ballots Monday.

In the Cook County suburbs, 102,409 early ballots were cast by Sunday afternoon. Compare this to the 51,116 early votes cast in suburban Cook County for the 2008 primary.

In addition to this, a record number of 1,443,261 Illinoisans have registered to vote for Tuesday's primary, according to Cook County Clerk David Orr.

No-excuse early voting was instituted in Illinois in 2006 as a means to combat declining voter turnout.

This year, Democrats have accounted for 90 percent of early voting in Chicago, with Republicans accounting for 10 percent. In 2008, voter turnout was 93 percent Democrat and 6 percent Republican. In 2012, Democrats accounted for 81 percent of early votes, while Republicans accounted for 18 percent.

In suburban Cook County, Democratic voters have accounted for 72 percent of early voting, while Republicans have accounted for 29 percent. In 2008, 80 percent of early voting was Democratic, while 19 percent was Republican. In 2012, Democrats accounted for 61 percent of early voting, while Republicans accounted for 39 percent.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will face Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on the Democratic ballot, while billionaire Donald Trump will face Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the Republican ballot.

The race for Mark Kirk's U.S. Senate seat will also be hotly contested.

Kirk faces Oswego businessman and political newcomer James Kirk in the Republican primary. Rep. Tammy Duckworth faces Urban League President and CEO Andrea Zopp as well as state Sen. Napoleon Harris in the Democratic primary.

Embattled Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez also faces a formidable challenge in Tuesday's primary. She will face former Assistant State's Attorney Kim Foxx as well as former state and federal prosecutor Donna More in the Democratic primary.

Christopher Pfannkuche is running unopposed on the Republican ticket.

Visit the Illinois Board of Elections website to register to vote and find polling locations.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Broadway cast of Hamilton to the White House Monday for a workshop and special performance of selections from the sold-out musical.

"It is an understatement to say this was one hot ticket," the president said, noting that the show "has become a favorite in the Obama household."

After Obama introduced the performace, members of the cast performed a few of the show's numbers on a White House live stream -- opening number "Alexander Hamiton," a portion of "Aaron Burr, Sir" and the show's anthem "My Shot."

You can watch the White House performance here.

"We wanted to share this incredible musical with folks who otherwise might not get the experience," the president said, praising the show for its diversity in casting and storytelling. "['Hamilton'] reminds us that this nation was built by more than just a few great men, and is an inheritance that belongs to all of us."

First lady Michelle Obama called the show "the best piece of art in any form that I have ever seen," stating that "to my mind, this is what school should be."

"We hope this helps every teacher who spent hours trying to make 'The Federalist Papers' entertaining." the president joked.

This wasn't the first time the president and first lady have seen Hamilton. The two have attended performances in the past -- most recently in November as part of a fundraiser for the Democratic Party.

Miranda first performed material from the shows opening number for the duo during a May 2009 event celebrating poetry and music at the White House. The book, music and lyrics come from Miranda, with direction from Thomas Kali (In the Heights.), who intrdocued the show's numbers during Monday's White House live-stream.

Hamilton tells the story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an orphan born in the West Indies who later moved to the 13 colonies. He went on to be a major figure in the Revolutionary War and served as secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington before he was killed in a duel.

The First Lady, the musical's cast and others tweeted about their trip to the White House through the day, using the hashtag #Bam4Ham:
Donald Trump likes to say that he is so rich, he neither needs, nor is taking, other peoples money for his presidential campaign.



Im not going to take any money, he said at a March 11 press conference. I dont want any money.



But those boasts dont match the federally reported facts.



While it is true that Trumps largest source of campaign funds has been cash that he controls, an analysis by NBC 5 Investigates shows that the GOP frontrunner has raked in millions from loyal supporters across America.



Federal Election Commission records show that as of Jan. 31, the last date for which reports were due, Trump had received $7,407,238 from individuals. The majority of those contributions, over $5.8 million, were in amounts of $200 or less.



Voters in rival Ted Cruzs home state of Texas have been most generous to Trump, with $211,596 in contributions. California is next, with $208,891, followed by Florida voters, who have contributed $202,380.



Illinois has not been a significant source of Trump campaign cash, with voters here offering only $47,847.

The largest share of that cash has come from the northern suburbs, $11,109, followed by $8,617 from residents of Chicago, and $5,996 from voters in the western suburbs.



Trumps largest source of cash is from himself, but it isnt a contribution. Federal records show that the billionaire real estate mogul has loaned his campaign $17,534,058. On a personal level, he has contributed only a relatively paltry $250,318.96.



By contrast, Trumps most formidable opponent in Illinois, Ted Cruz, has raised over $54 million from individuals. His largest source of cash is his home state of Texas, which has contributed over $15.5 million. Here in Illinois, where Cruz was behind by 9 points in the latest NBC News poll, voters have contributed $676,155. The largest share of that, $125,826, came from voters in the northern suburbs.



By far, of the candidates left in the race, Florida Senator Marco Rubio has done the best in Illinois. Federal records show Rubio had collected $833,727 in Illinois, as of Jan. 31. The largest portion of that, $371,767, came from voters in Chicago.



Indeed, while Illinois voters have contributed $9.2 million dollars to candidates in this election cycle, the NBC5 analysis shows that Trump is far down on that list. While Rubio and Cruz lead the way, seven GOP candidates who have dropped out, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, and Lindsey Graham, have all raised more money in Illinois than Donald Trump.



One other active candidate, Ohio governor John Kasich, has received $274,626 from Illinois voters.
Hundreds of people have gathered in Milwaukee to remember the three people who authorities say were shot to death by a neighbor at their apartment complex.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports family members, friends and supporters of Jesus Manso-Perez, Phia Vue and Mai Vue attended a candlelight vigil Sunday night in their honor.

The Vues and Manso-Perez were shot last week in front of their children in the four-unit apartment building on Milwaukee's southwest side, according to police.

A neighbor, Dan J. Popp, 39, has been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths. He also faces a charge of attempted first-degree intentional homicide because authorities said he shot at Manso-Perez's 18-year-old son, Jesus Manso-Carrasquillo.

Popp, according to a criminal complaint, attacked Manso-Perez and his son as they were coming upstairs after putting a load of clothes into the washing machine. Before they went to the basement, the document states, Popp had asked where they were from, to which they replied "Puerto Rico." Popp, who is white, then said, "Oh, that's why you don't speak English," the complaint says.

When they came back up, Popp was waiting with a long gun, police say. He told the father and son, "You guys got to go," and shot Manso-Perez, according to the complaint.

Manso-Carrasquillo ran down the stairs and outside, where he alerted people who called 911, police say.

Shortly afterward, according to the criminal complaint, Popp burst into the Vues' apartment. The family had fled into bedrooms when they heard the shooting, but Popp forced his way inside, led Phia Vue out and killed him, police say.

Popp then started to drag Mai Vue and her two young daughters out of the apartment, the document states. Authorities found Mai Vue dead in Popp's apartment.

Police, responding to an active shooter call, took Popp into custody without a struggle.

Popp will undergo a competency exam, which his lawyer, Christopher Hartley, requested. Hartley did not return phone and email messages seeking comment Friday.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said his office was "aware of concerns about the people who were targeted." He added, "we'll continue to evaluate those issues as the case moves forward."

The Vues were members of Milwaukee's Hmong community. The Hmong American Friendship Association was helping family members organize a vigil scheduled for Sunday evening and spread the word about a memorial fund to help with funeral costs.

"This has been really hard for all of us," True Vue said.

She said her 89-year-old father, Seng Vue, couldn't believe his son died. "All he did was cry. He couldn't believe it happened."

Police have said they are working to determine a motive.
A top Islamic State commander and feared ethnic Chechen jihadi fighter Omar al-Shishani has died of wounds suffered in a U.S. airstrike in Syria, a senior Iraqi intelligence official and the head of a Syrian activist group said Tuesday.

Al-Shishani, who was wounded in a U.S. airstrike earlier this month, died on Monday outside the Islamic State group's main stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, the two told The Associated Press.

There was no immediate confirmation of his death from IS or IS-linked media postings but a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State group in Iraq said the alliance was also confirming that the militant commander had died.

The red-bearded ethnic Chechen was one of the most prominent IS commanders, who earlier served as the group's military commander for the territory it controls in Syria. He later became the commander of the group's ground forces, according to Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi scholar and author who closely follows the group.

According to Rami Abdurrahman, of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which tracks the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, after al-Shishani was wounded, IS "brought a number of doctors to treat him, but they were not able to."

Abdurrahman said al-Shishani died in a hospital in the eastern suburbs of Raqqa. The Iraqi intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the IS commander was buried in Deir el-Zour on Tuesday.

Al-Shishani, whose real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili, was an ethnic Chechen from the Caucasus nation of Georgia, specifically from the Pankisi Valley, a center of Georgia's Chechen community and once a stronghold for militants.

A U.S. airstrike targeted al-Shishani on March 4 near the town of Shaddadeh in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters in a statement last week.

Al-Shishani "had been sent to Shaddadeh to bolster ISIL fighters following a series of strategic defeats," Cook said in the statement, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

The spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren said on Tuesday that the coalition was able to "assess that he is dead" and that it "got the word Monday morning."

Warren described al-Shishani as a "very important figure," in the Islamic State group, who was hit as part of a stepped-up campaign of U.S.-led airstrikes targeting IS leadership.

Last week, Waren told reporters that the airstrike that targeted al-Shishani was part of a series of stepped-up coalition strikes targeting IS leadership.

Al-Shishani was in the area of Shaddadeh "along with about a dozen other fighters who were in one spot ... and we struck it," Warren said at the time.

The extremist IS group, which emerged from al-Qaida's branch in Iraq, has many Iraqis among its top leaders. It blitzes across much of Iraq in the summer of 2014, capturing vast swaths of the country's north and west. It also exploited the chaos of Syria's civil war to seize large chunks of territory there as well and declared an Islamic self-styled "caliphate" on the territory it controls in both countries.

It subsequently drew hundreds of foreign fighters into its operations in Syria. The United Nations estimated that around 30,000 so-called foreign fighters from 100 countries are actively working with the Islamic State, al-Qaida or other extremist groups. An earlier estimate by the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, a think tank at King's College London, said IS fighters include 3,300 Western Europeans and 100 or so Americans.

Yet despite the U.S.-led campaign of coalition airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria, IS still controls large areas, including Iraq's second largest city of Mosul and also Raqqa, the group's main stronghold in Syria.
Five more states chime in to the rambunctious campaign 2016 conversation on Tuesday, and no one's listening with greater interest than Marco Rubio and John Kasich, both of them desperate to win their home states and avoid being flattened by Donald Trump's steamroller. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is out to reclaim momentum after Bernie Sanders rocked her with a Rust Belt upset in Michigan.

A look at what to watch for in Tuesday's voting:

THE TIMELINE

The evening's first polls close at 7:30 p.m. EDT in North Carolina and Ohio. North Carolina has lots of early absentee voters, so close to half the ballots could be counted and reported in the first half-hour. Ohio also is a big absentee-vote state, so expect a fast, early count there as well. At 8 p.m., final polls close in Florida, Illinois and Missouri. Since most polls in Florida close at 7 p.m., there will be a lot of votes ready to report right at 8 p.m., allowing for possible early calls on both sides. Illinois and Missouri are slower counting states. The Northern Mariana Islands will chip in its GOP delegates, too.

AND THEN THERE WERE ...

Will it still be a four-man Republican race come midnight? Sen. Rubio has been staking his candidacy on a winner-take-all victory in his home state of Florida but hasn't specified what a loss would mean. Ohio Gov. Kasich has acknowledged that a winner-take-all triumph in Ohio is essential for him, but in recent weeks he's stopped short of explicitly saying he would drop out should he lose. If they can't win at home, do these two candidates quickly exit stage left, sleep on it before bowing out  or dig up some shred of a rationale to slog on?

[[372010772, C]]

DUELING TRUMPS

Which Trump will turn up for his ritual "press conference" after the votes roll in? There's the Trump who's positioning himself for the general election and trying to act more presidential. And there's the scrappier Trump, still trying to elbow his rivals out of the race. Scrappy Trump could also decide to train his focus on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton if she has a good night.

CLINTON'S AIM

Clinton held off on a full pivot toward the general election after Sanders snatched Michigan from her last week. Tuesday's results should give her a lot more information  and delegates to decide when it's safe to look past Sanders and train her focus on November. Her speech Tuesday night will tell a lot about her thinking on that.

CRUZ'S AIM

Cruz, too, will have to decide where to focus his attention Tuesday night. Watch to see if he spends more time trying to nudge Rubio and Kasich out of the picture, or takes it to straight to Trump.

THE MIDPOINT

Check the GOP delegate count at the end of the night. A five-state sweep would allow Trump to cross an important threshold  stacking up more than 50 percent of the delegates awarded so far. He went into the night's voting with 460 delegates to 370 for Cruz, 163 for Rubio and 63 for Kasich. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.

[[367404881, C]]

CLINTON'S CACHE

With Democrats continuing to dole out delegates on a proportional basis, see where Clinton's delegate stash stands at the end of the night. She went into the night with 768 pledged delegates compared to 554 for Sanders, according to a count by The Associated Press. Including superdelegates, Clinton holds 1,235 total delegates, more than half the amount needed to clinch the nomination, while Sanders has 580.

RACE, AGE

Dig into the exit polls to check on whether Bernie Sanders can continue to make Rust Belt inroads with black voters, a huge source of support for Clinton. In his surprise Michigan win last week, Sanders got nearly 3 in 10 black Democratic voters. In earlier states, mainly in the South, he was getting only about half that level of support. Also, check whether younger voters turn out in force for Sanders. In Michigan, 45 percent of Democratic voters were under 45, the most of any state so far, and two-thirds of them supported Sanders.

LATE DECIDERS

The exit polls also can give clues about whether late deciders on the Republican side are continuing to break against Trump  and whether there are enough of them to make a difference. So far, about a third of voters have been making up their minds in the last week, and they've been splintering among Trump alternatives. A spike in late-deciders moving against Trump could signal concern about the increasingly tense tone between Trump and his supporters, and the protesters at his rallies.[[302756881, C]]
The Hartford Police Union has responded to the Hartford Police Department saying they were "embarrassed" by a Donald Trump sticker spotted inside a patrol car.

"The Hartford Police Union does not feel our membership needs to be belittled by the command staff in the media by stating they were embarrassed by the officers actions based solely on the candidate the officer may have been supporting," Sgt. Rich Holton, president of the Hartford Police Union, said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Hartford police apologized and launched an internal investigation after the Trump sticker was seed inside a patrol car and a photo of the sticker began circulating on social media.

The sticker, which was on top of a police laptop, has since been removed and all officers have been reminded to "remain politically neutral," Deputy Chief Brian J. Foley said in an email.

Foley said the department is "embarrassed and sorry for this lack of professional judgment."

The Hartford Police Union said any violations of department policy should be investigated without prejudice and that the actions of an employee should not be commented on prior to an investigation.

"Our membership firmly supports every American citizens right to support whichever candidate they feel would be a valued addition to our government, yet we also feel someone should not be vilified in the media based on their political beliefs," Holton said on behalf of the Hartford Police Union.

According to the Hartford police department, the officer in question was "counseled on the critical importance of remaining neutral and impartial." The department said they also reached out directly to many community leaders to apologize.
Messages of hate have been discovered in Southington in recent days and police are investigating to find out who is leaving 'white power' fliers around the town.

Meanwhile, a local family fears it was targeted because of the color of their skin.

I almost fell backwards. I couldnt believe it," said a man who spoke exclusively with NBC Connecticut.

He did not want to publish his name or reveal his identity because he was concerned for the safety of his family. He said his 26-year-old daughter found the flier on her car outside her Southington home on Friday night.

That someone would target my daughter, who does nothing but good for the community  thats all we do," he said.

To him, this is much more than just a piece of paper. He said he grew up in a country where racism and segregation ran rampant, and knows first-hand how it can seep into a society.

I thought I was done with that so to see my kids have to go through this, Im really upset about it," he added.

The website for the Michigan-based American Nazi Party may be prominently placed on the flier, but many questions about the messages remain.

Police said on Tuesday that they received two complaints from residents. One was found ona car parked at the Southington YMCA on High Street and the other was found on a vehicle parked at the Southington YMCA gymnastics center on Putnam Place.

Anyone with information about the origin of the fliers should call Southington Police at 860-621-0101.
Students at Northwest Catholic High School are competing for a cause and presented their business ideas to a group of judges, similar to what happens in the show "Shark Tank," to raise money for medical research.

The economics students were divided into teams to raise money for the Vie for the Kids program to benefit the clinical trials program at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Seven teams are competing for really an opportunity for the kids who need our help so badly, but also they are learning a lot in the process through this business competition," Paul Shapiro, founder of Vie For Kids, said.

The judges include business leaders and Connecticut Children's Medical Center patients who gave students advice on how to develop and execute their business plans.

Students will be selling T-shirts, water bottles, sunglasses and even services. such as car washes.

When were working toward raising money for kids with cancer I think its definitely a very important thing in all of our lives because it touches everyone, Mary Elizabeth Budnick, a student, said.

Nineteen-year-old, Kyla Pokorny, who has been in treatment for bone cancer for five years, served as one of the judges.

"Even a simple buying a $15 T-shirt -- how amazing just getting involved like that and how you can get involved in the simplest of ways and be making so much of an impact," Pokorny said.

Teams have until May 15 to raise as much money as they can for the program. On that day, students will give their final presentation of the results and winner will be revealed.


So far, Donald Trump has won 15 states during the primary season, far outpacing his remaining competitors.

Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd unearthed a statistic over the weekend that ties together nine of his victories, which have come in states that all share the same characteristics in two categories: unemployment and the rate of African Americans who live in those states.

In all nine contests where the states had unemployment above the national average of 5 percent, and where the number of African Americans was at least 8 percent, Trump won.

There are four states left with such patterns and three of those states, North Carolina, Illinois, and Florida, are voting today.

The final state with such traits is Connecticut.

On the issue of the economy and unemployment, Connecticut GOP Chairman JR Romano said one of the reasons turnout has been high for the GOP for all candidates has been that voters identify better economic progress with people like Trump and the Republican Party.

Quite frankly, I think this is the year that the average citizen is more engaged in the process because of how poorly so many people are struggling in Connecticut and across the country and this presidential election is going to have an impact on that," Romano said.

He added that voters aren't looking for anything particularly special, just what most Americans want.

"They want to go back to work. They want to be able to feed their family and they dont want to have to worry anymore that theyre going to be foreclosed on, he said.

Since Connecticut's Presidential Primary isn't until April 26, it is possible the race could have a different look by then.

By that time, there might be only two contenders left for the GOP nomination.
Hillary Clinton triumphed Tuesday in the Florida, Ohio and North Carolina presidential primaries, putting her in a commanding position to become the first woman in U.S. history to win a major party nomination. Donald Trump strengthened his hand in the Republican race with a big win in Florida but fell in Ohio to that state's governor, John Kasich.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio ended his once-promising campaign after his devastating home-state loss, so the GOP primary is now down to three candidates: Trump, Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Trump also picked up wins in North Carolina and Illinois, and was locked in a close race with Cruz in Missouri that NBC News called an apparent win for the billionaire businessman.

Trump told a victory rally, "This was an amazing night."

Trump is the only Republican candidate with a realistic path to the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the July convention. But his loss in Ohio kept hope alive for mainstream Republicans dismayed by his candidacy and suggesting the real estate mogul can still be stopped in a convention fight.

"The campaign goes on," Kasich declared at a victory rally. Now thrust into the center of a campaign that has been bitingly personal, Kasich vowed to "not take the low road to the highest office in the land."

A confident Clinton pivoted quickly to November during her victory rally, assailing Trump's hardline immigration positions and support for torture. "Our commander-in-chief has to be able to defend our country, not embarrass it," she declared.

Underscoring Republican concerns about Trump, Rubio focused heavily on an implicit critique of Trump in a speech announcing he was dropping out of the race. The senator urged Americans to "not give in to the fear, do not give in to the frustration."

A favorite of Republican leaders, Rubio is the latest candidate to fall victim to an unpredictable election cycle and Trump's unmatched ability to tap into the public's anger with Washington and frustration with sweeping economic changes.

Clinton's victories in Ohio and Florida were a blow to rival Bernie Sanders and bolstered her argument that she's the best Democratic candidate to take on the eventual Republican nominee in the general election. Her win in Ohio was a particular relief for her campaign, which grew anxious after Sanders pulled off a surprising win last week in Michigan, another important Midwestern state.

Clinton kept up her large margins with black voters, a crucial group for Democrats in the general election. Democratic voters were more likely to describe Sanders as honest, but more likely to describe Clinton's policies as realistic, according to exit polls.

Campaigning Tuesday in North Carolina, Clinton said "the numbers are adding up in my favor." She signaled an eagerness to move on to a possible general election showdown with Trump, saying he's laid out a "really dangerous path" for the country.

Votes were counted late into the night Tuesday in Missouri, where both the Democrat and Republican races came down to a margin of a few thousand votes. NBC News called Clinton and Trump the apparent winner in the state, while Clinton was also named the apparent winner in a tight race with Sanders in Illinois.

Trump entered Tuesday's primaries embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his contentious campaign. The GOP front-runner has encouraged supporters to confront protesters at his events and is now facing accusations of encouraging violence after skirmishes at a rally last week in Chicago.

The atmosphere at his events has deepened the concern over his candidacy in some Republican circles. Rubio and Kasich have suggested they might not be able to support Trump if he's the nominee, an extraordinary stance for intraparty rivals.

His closest competition so far has come from Cruz, who has kept relatively close to the businessman in the delegate count and has been urging other candidates to drop out so he can take Trump on one-on-one.

After another good night for Trump, some Republicans were struggling to come to grips with the prospect of him becoming the nominee and desperate to find long-shot ways to stop him.

A group of conservatives planned to meet Thursday to discuss options including a contested convention or by rallying around a third-party candidate. While such no candidate has been identified, meeting participants planned to discuss ballot access issues, including using an existing third party as a vehicle or securing signatures for an independent bid.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., did not rule out the idea of being drafted by the party at the convention.

"People say, 'What about the contested convention?'" Ryan said in an interview with CNBC. "I say, well, there are a lot of people running for president. We'll see. Who knows?"

Despite concerns from party leaders, Republican voters continue to back Trump's most controversial proposals, with two-thirds of those who participated in GOP primaries Tuesday saying they support temporarily banning Muslims from the United States.

The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

Trump's Florida victory brought his delegate total to 619. Cruz has 394 and Kasich 136. Rubio left the race with 167 delegates.

Clinton has at least 1,488 delegates, including the superdelegates who are elected officials and party leaders free to support the candidate of their choice. Sanders has at least 704. It takes 2,383 to win the Democratic nomination.
Some Connecticut cities and towns are making a switch, buying their streetlights from the power company with hopes of saving millions.

The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters has learned Hartford is one of the cities considering doing just that.

Hartford resident Hyacinth Yennie says she called the city's 3-1-1 help line several times last year to repair streetlights on Maple Avenue and they did not get fixed,

That's got to be a part of public safety, making sure that every lamp is lit in the city if possible."

Hartford, which gets electricity from Eversource, said it forwards all streetlight complaints to the utility. Concerned citizens can also report streetlight outages on Eversource's website, according to the company.

After the Troubleshooters alerted Eversource to the problems reported by Yennie on Maple Avenue, the power company said it sent a crew out and repaired as many as 20 streetlights.

Most Connecticut cities and towns like Hartford pay the power companies to operate and maintain street lights. About two dozen have chosen a different path. Meriden is negotiating with Eversource on a $1 million purchase that includes 4,000 streetlights. The city will convert to energy saving LED lights for another million.

Meriden Energy Task Force chairman Steve Montemurro says part of the plan also includes farming out street light maintenance to a private company.

It's a large responsibility, maintaining your own streetlights. We don't have the staff or equipment at this point to do it in house. We estimate a savings over a 20-year period of $9.8 million, Montemurro said.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities helps communities considering the streetlight switch, finding companies qualified to change them over to LED lights, and maintaining them.

In the long term, the savings, the short term payback and then the clear savings after that, you know make it a smart venture," Kevin Maloney, CCM executive director said.

Right now in Connecticut, about two dozen cities and towns own their streetlights. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities says three dozen other communities are exploring the idea.

East Hartford, for example, says it has saved a well over $250,000 per year by owning, maintaining, and switching its lights to LEDs.

Montville says the move has been a positive one in terms of keeping up with customer complaints about streetlight outages.
More than 150 Connecticut homeowners have filed complaints with the state because the foundations of their homes are crumbling and a legislative committee is discussing legislation today that would provide help to affected residents.

This is an issue the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have done dozens of stories on.

Contractors said the cost of replacing a crumbling foundation is at least $150,000 and some homeowners have filed a federal complaint, claiming insurance companies are purposefully working against them, and all homeowners who have crumbling foundations.

Don Childree, a contractor who testified before the General Assemblys Planning and Development Committee on proposed legislation, said he believes thousands of homes in eastern Connecticut are affected.

Bill 5522, An Act Concerning Homeowners Insurance Policies and Coverage for the Peril of Collapse, is meant to help homeowners by requiring homeowners insurance policies to provide coverage for the peril of collapse and mitigation undertaken to prevent the house from falling down or caving in.

Opponents of the bill argue it would raise insurance rates.

Lawmakers are also considering a bill that would provide tax deductions for uninsured property losses.

The bill is now before the Insurance & Real Estate and it's one of several scheduled to be considered today. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. in room 2D of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
The Internet is buzzing after a sign banning Donald Trump supporters was posted at a Taco Cabana and now the Tex-Mex restaurant chain born in Texas is feeling the heat.

Once the photograph (pictured above) of what looks like a restaurant flier hit social media, Taco Cabana's CEO Todd Coerver took to Twitter to point out it was not restaurant policy and said it was posted by someone as a prank.

@lizziemarshall @TacoCabana Not real. Prank being played on area restaurants by unidentified people.  Todd Coerver (@toddcoerver) March 14, 2016

@TheMontereySA Just silly. We would never post a political sign. We just sell tacos. :)  Todd Coerver (@toddcoerver) March 14, 2016

Addison-based Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., which runs Taco Cabana, told The Dallas Morning News via email that the poster "was up less than an hour" and that a worker saw it and took it down. "Multiple brands [were targeted] primarily Latin concepts."

Coerver said his company has alerted all of its restaurants to be on the look out and remove any unauthorized signage.

The San Antonio Express-News reported Tex-Mex restaurant Mama Margie's was also targeted with a sign that said: "Due to his consistent disparaging comments directed towards Mexicans. WE WILL NO LONGER BE SERVING DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTERS OR SYMPATHIZERS. Thanks you for your cooperation  MGMT"

Mama Margie's owner said the restaurant had nothing to do with the sign. "Mama's is in the business of tacos, not politics," Susan O'Brien told the newspaper Sunday.

CLICK HERE to read more from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News.


A shootout between Fort Worth police and a fugitive and his son on Tuesday left one suspect dead and an officer critically wounded, authorities said.[[372146952,R]]

The shootout began at about 2:45 p.m. after Fort Worth fugitive task force police officers attempted a felony traffic stop along Interstate 30 near Hulen Street for 43-year-old Ed McIver Sr., who was with his 21-year-old son, Ed McIver Jr.

McIver Sr. was wanted on three felony warrants  aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault/family violence and bail jumping  according to Fort Worth police spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Knight.

Photos: Manhunt After Fort Worth Police Officer Shot

The elder McIver was driving when officers asked him to pull over his vehicle. He instead fled west on I-30, past West Loop 820 to Longvue Avenue, where he exited and headed south. The driver stopped along the 400 block of Longvue Avenue, near Chapin Road, where both men jumped from the vehicle and ran into a wooded area, police said.

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said police were pursuing the men when gunfire was exchanged between the suspects and several officers.

FW Police searching for suspect white male bold headed on foot in zip code 76008, any info/tips call 911 https://t.co/GVIzbVgyrq  Fort Worth OEM (@FWOEM) March 15, 2016

The elder McIver was killed in the exchange of gunfire. His son eluded officers before being captured at about 6:30 p.m. after hundreds of law enforcement officers scoured a 2-square-mile perimeter, authorities said.

Fort Worth police officer Matt Pearce remains in critical condition Wednesday after being shot several times Tuesday.

Outstanding suspect from OIS - armed/dangerous

MCIVER, Ed Russell JR pic.twitter.com/zxXwWZAGPS  Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) March 15, 2016

NBC 5 learned the injured officer  identified late Tuesday as Officer Matt Pearce  was shot three times in the chest and once in the leg. He was transported by CareFlite to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where he underwent surgery. As of Wednesday morning, Pearce remains in critical condition, but is expected to survive.

Pearce has worked for the Fort Worth police department since 2009.

Officer Pearce is still under intensive care. His family is by his side comforting him. Keep him in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/45sHiiBJpV  Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) March 16, 2016

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price asked for prayers for the injured officer, his family and all of the Fort Worth Police Department.

Please pray

One of own our has been shot. The Ofcr is enroute to the hospital with multiple gunshots  Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) March 15, 2016

Officials have revealed that the critically wounded Fort Worth patrol officer was able to fire his gun after being shot, and that at least one other officer also fired his weapon at the McIvers during the shootout.

It's unclear how many bullets were fired and whose bullets made impact.

Crime scene investigators are still processing all the ballistics evidence.

Fort Worth police say one suspect is dead and another remains on the run after a shootout with a Fort Worth officer, who was shot and wounded.

The manhunt came to an end when a Fort Worth Police SWAT unit closed in on McIver Jr. in the woods. He was still attempting to hide, but police said he was "captured without incident." He was not hurt, and investigators were questioning him about the deadly shootout.

McIver Jr. was booked into the Mansfield City Jail on charges including attempted capital murder, evading arrest, unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance, police said. His bond was set at more than $2 million.

Residents in the area near where a Fort Worth police officer was injured in a deadly shootout with two gunmen Tuesday were told to lock their doors while police searched for the second gunman.

The nearby community was locked down for hours  nobody allowed in or out  and people already home were told to protect themselves while police searched for McIver Jr.

"It's scary because you don't know if they're going to try and hide out, or force their way into your house, or shoot again," said neighbor Lore Arena.

The older of the two men involved in a shootout with police, Ed Russel McIver Sr., had a long history of run-ins with police in Parker County.

The elder McIver had a lengthy criminal history including charges of burglary, theft, criminal nonsupport, aggravated assault on a public servant, evading arrest and family violence including impeding the breath or circulation of another, according to county records.

McIver Jr. had been previously ticketed for failure to maintain financial responsibility, driving without a license and speeding, according to county records.

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald and Mayor Betsy Price update at John Peter Smith Hospital on the officer injured in a shooting Tuesday.

Fort Worth Chief of Police Joel Fitzgerald thanked the community for their tips and help in locating McIver Jr. He said police are not searching for anyone else related to the shootout.

Meanwhile, crime scene investigators were still processing the McIvers' vehicle late Tuesday and checking for other weapons.

NBC 5's Scott Gordon, Chris Van Horne and Jeff Smith and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik kicked off his return to court by making a Nazi salute Tuesday during his bid to improve conditions inside the Norwegian prison where he is being held in isolation for massacring 77 people in bomb-and-gun attacks.

Appearing in the public eye for the first time since his conviction nearly four years ago, the 37-year-old Norwegian and his lawyers are trying to convince a judge that his prison conditions are "inhuman" and violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

The government has rejected his claims, saying he is being treated humanely and with dignity despite the severity of his crimes.

With a dark suit and a shaved head, Breivik was led into the gym-turned-courtroom in Skien prison, where the trial is being held for security reasons.

After prison guards removed his handcuffs, Breivik turned to journalists covering the hearing and stretched out his right arm in a Nazi salute. Stone-faced, he remained there for a few seconds as guards stood idle and his lawyer Oystein Storrvik nervously took a sip of water.

Many survivors and families of victims are trying to ignore the trial, fearing it could reopen emotional wounds and give Breivik more attention. Still, some watched a retransmission of the proceedings from a courthouse in Oslo.

"It's pathetic. It's a farce," said Lisbeth Royneland, whose 18-year-old daughter, Synne, was killed in Breivik's shooting massacre on Utoya island. She now heads a support group for survivors and the bereaved.

In violence that stunned Norway on July 22, 2011, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo's government district and then carried out a shooting massacre at the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labor Party's youth organization on Utoya.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, but his term can be extended as long as he's considered a danger to society. Even his lawyer said Tuesday that means Breivik is likely to be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

During his criminal trial four years ago, Breivik entered the court with his own salute, using a clenched fist instead of the outstretched hand that the Nazis used to greet Adolf Hitler. At the time Breivik described himself as a modern-day crusader, fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

In letters sent to media from prison, Breivik said he has abandoned his armed struggle and now wants to create a fascist movement while serving his sentence.

Before the hearing started Tuesday, Storrvik said the goal of the case was to improve Breivik's prison conditions, including allowing to him to interact with other prisoners and removing some restrictions on his mail correspondence.

"That is what we want because the conditions are hard now," Storrvik told The Associated Press.

Breivik is the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison, 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Oslo. He is allowed some mail correspondence but it is strictly controlled and he's not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

The government says the restrictions are well within the European Convention of Human Rights and are needed to make sure Breivik isn't able to build militant extremist networks from prison.

"The plaintiff has not shown any sign of remorse," government attorney Marius Emberland said in his opening remarks. "Breivik is a very dangerous man."

Breivik shook his head as Emberland spoke.

Norwegian authorities, known for their humanitarian approach to criminal justice, stress that Breivik has the same rights as any other inmate to challenge his imprisonment conditions.

"He is a citizen of Norway and even though he is convicted for a horrible crime, he hasn't lost his human rights," said Ina Stromstad, a judge serving as a spokeswoman for the Olso district court.

Breivik is to address the court on Wednesday. Both sides will call witnesses to testify before closing arguments on Friday. The judgment is expected about a month later.
Residents of Southeast Texas are evacuating their homes as rivers reach record levels and bayous swell to overwhelm small towns along the Louisiana border.



People rushed to fill sand bags to place around their homes Tuesday as authorities warned the Sabine River and other waterways some 100 miles east of Houston will continue to rise.

Continued search and rescues in the Newton/Jasper areas during #txwx flooding. pic.twitter.com/uWlZ4FW4UJ  Texas Game Warden (@TexasGameWarden) March 15, 2016

Continued search and rescue efforts w partner first responders during Newton/Jasper County area flooding. pic.twitter.com/NIkJMZ1Elu  Texas Game Warden (@TexasGameWarden) March 14, 2016

For specific information on Texas roadways call 1-800-452-9292 or visit drivetexas.org.
When one visits a public market that's home to several types of foodstuffs  pastries and tacos and crepes and hamburgers  the rule of selecting your supper kind of goes like this: What stall has the longest queue?

OK, that isn't always the tried-and-true where-to-eat guide for the typical gourmand, as responding to your own cravings isn't always dictated by the lengthy lines you see before you. But if the date is March 17, and you happen to walk inside the clocktower-y landmark at Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, the chances are good that you will head for the spot with all the people crowded near the counter: Magee's Kitchen.

It's one of the oldest purveyors at the landmark Original Farmers Market, and it serves up one of the crave-iest holiday dishes in town: A classic corned beef with a side of new potatoes, some cabbage, and a bit of horseradish and mustard, if you please.

There are queues, as sure as a shamrock grows upon the ground, come St. Patrick's Day, but as long as you're ready for a bit of a wait, you'll get your plate of savory goodness. Admiring the sparkly green decorations, and the festive clothing of your fellow queuers, is a fine way to pass the time.

From there, take your plate and make for the music. There shall be live tunes throughout St. Patrick's Day, as is tradition at the market. Glen the Bagpiper will walk among the stalls, be-bagpiped, from noon thirty to half past 3 o'clock, while Stuart Marks & The Paddy O'Dors Band will play the rockin' Irish-inflected tunes during the evening.

There shall be green beer for sale, too, at both Farmers Market bars (as well as imported beers, too, so raise that Guinness).

Do people dance at this free shindig? They do slap a knee and kick up a heel, yes. Do people wear green? Lots of it, so don your pinch-proof clothing. Does everyone eat the corned beef from Magee's?

Well... that's up to personal taste, but a bunch of revelers do, as is tradition. Just hop in the queue, knowing that a line often signifies a plate that everyone's after. And that plate, on March 17, at the Original Farmers Market, can be found among the shiny emerald wall hangings at Magee's Kitchen, near the east patio.
Two Los Angeles City Council staff members were arrested over the weekend in separate incidents just hours apart, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

One staffer was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor DUI just after 1 a.m. Saturday by the Los Angeles Police Department Newton Division. Bail was set at $15,000.

The second staffer was arrested on charges of a misdemeanor DUI by the LAPD Central Traffic Dvision, officials said. Bail was also set at $15,000.

No further details were immediately available.
A man who spent five years in a Cuban prison spoke out Tuesday on recent changes and President Obama easing restrictions on the island nation.

"I think President Obama's visit is very timely. I think Cuba will be a legacy item for the president and I think he will rightly be discussing human rights, at the very least abuses of power," Alan Gross said. "I think the government of Cuba is, pardon the expression, grossly guilty of abuse of power."

Gross was arrested by the Communist government in 2009 for providing communication equipment to the Jewish community in Cuba.

"When I was arrested, access to the Internet by Cubanos was illegal. In June of 2013 it was made legal. When I was arrested, Internet cost $6 an hour. The price was reduced to $4.50 and now it's $2 an hour," Gross said.

Now that he's no longer behind bars, the former political prisoner talked about what he believes Cuba can do to achieve freedom of Internet information.

"They need to allow a situation whereby satellite connectivity is not the only source of connectivity. They need to develop other methods," Gross said.



The White House announced Tuesday the further easing of restrictions for not only travel to Cuba as reported last month, but also changes in banking, trade and shipping. But Gross said more needs to be done.

"Eleven point three million people live in a prison, without much historical opportunity for growth and advancement. I think that President Obama is not bringing opportunity, he's bringing the hope of opportunity," Gross said.

He also touched on the embargo.

"There will be no substantial foreign investment until the embargo is lifted so our Congress really needs to grow a pair and get out of the way," he said.
Florida, the biggest prize among the five states holding presidential primaries Tuesday, rewarded Donald Trump over its own senator, Marco Rubio, and gave Democrat Hillary Clinton a huge victory over Bernie Sanders.

Trump easily beat Rubio, claiming victory on Twitter well before all of the state's polls closed. He addressed supporters at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach Tuesday night.

"Florida was so amazing," Trump said. "The fact is, we have to bring our party together. We have to bring it together. We have something happening that actually makes the Republican party probably the biggest political story anywhere in the world...Millions of people are coming in to vote. This was an example of it today."

Rubio waited until poll closing to concede and in the same speech dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination. As he congratulated Trump, his supporters booed loudly. Rubio responded, ``No! No! No!''

Rubio announced he was suspending his presidential campaign at a rally at Florida International University in Miami shortly after the results came in Tuesday night.

"While it is not Gods plan that I be president now or maybe ever, my campaign is suspended. I ask the American people not to give into the fear, do not give into the frustration," Rubio said.

Rubio thanked his supporters at the rally at Florida International University.

"There is nothing more you could have done. We all worked really hard," he said.

Trump, a New York businessman, ran strong among all income groups and was favored throughout Florida's diverse geography, drawing roughly even with Rubio on his South Florida home turf.

"To win in the states that we wanted and especially the margins look, this is my second home, Florida. To win by that kind of number, its incredible," Trump said. "I want to congratulate Marco Rubio on having run a really tough campaign. Hes tough, hes smart and hes got a great future."

Democrats sided with Clinton in all areas of Florida, but Sanders got about almost three-fourths of the 18-29 age group and about half of voters who identified themselves as "very liberal." Clinton got two-thirds of women and more than three-quarters of the black vote.

"All of you today in the states that are holding contests you voted to breakdown the barriers that hold us all back. You voted for our tomorrow to be better than our yesterday.where everyone has a chance to live up to their potential," Clinton told supporters at a rally in West Palm Beach after her big wins Tuesday. Our young people understand that they deserve a president that understands that when we invest in education we are investing in the future.

Voters headed to the polls in South Florida earlier Tuesday to cast their ballots in the state's pivotal presidential primary.

If the campaign so far has been polarizing, chaotic and downright bizarre, voting in South Florida was mostly steady and boring, as it should be.

Polling locations opened at 7 a.m. with a few minor glitches reported in the state, though none affected anybody's ability to cast a ballot, state officials said. Florida is one of five states casting ballots Tuesday, joining Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina.

The Sunshine State awarded 99 winner-take-all Republican delegates and 214 Democratic delegates were distributed proportionally. Floridians had already cast more than 2 million votes leading up to primary day.

The primary was crucial for Rubio's bid for the White House. Trump was leading in polls in the days before the vote.



While 14 Republicans were on the ballot, only Trump, Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich were still competing for the nomination.



Clinton was the heavy favorite over Sanders in polls leading up to Tuesday.



Florida polls closed at 7 p.m., but is split into two time zones, so early and absentee votes weren't released until 8 p.m. EDT. State officials said more than 1.2 million people cast absentee ballots and more than 869,000 cast ballots at early voting sites. Some of those, however, were independent and minor party voters who cast ballots in municipal elections.



The state has about 4.3 million Republicans and 4.6 million Democrats on active voter rolls. Another 3.2 million Floridians registered as independent or with minor parties can't vote in the primaries.

Earlier Tuesday, Florida election officials said Trump's name was not left off ballots in Jupiter despite a small number of voter complaints. Florida is a closed-primary state, which means only registered Republicans would get a ballot listing Trump and the other GOP candidates, officials said.

Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher said that independent voters can't vote in the primary. Bucher said Tuesday that some residents in Jupiter who were voting in municipal elections complained when they didn't see Trump's name on the ballot. Bucher said none of the other presidential candidates were listed on those ballots either.

"A lot of complaints from people saying my name is not on the ballot in various places in Florida," Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday. "Hope this is false."

Florida's Secretary of State Ken Detzner sent out a statement reassuring voters that Trump had not been left off any presidential ballots.
Early voting statistics, tens of thousands of independent voters signing up with a party at the last minute and a lot of buzz about Donald Trump set the stage for a presidential primary like Florida hasn't seen in a long time.

Even before Tuesday's election, about 1.1 million Republicans had already voted in the winner-take-all contest for the state's 99 delegates, one of the biggest prizes in the nominating process. Among Democrats, about 827,000 people had either cast ballots by mail or in person at early voting sites in a contest that will award 214 delegates proportionately by congressional district.

That means even before polls open Tuesday, about 22 percent of active voters from both parties will have voted, a total that could go a long way toward propelling Trump to the GOP nomination while effectively killing Sen. Marco Rubio's chance of winning the presidency this year.

"Each election has its own vibe," said Brian Corley, the Pasco County elections supervisor and president of the statewide supervisors association. "For presidential preference primaries, we haven't seen this sort of level of energized voters or buzz. And I've never seen voters who are so engaged."

From the end of January to Feb. 16, the last day to register or switch parties ahead of the primary, Florida saw Republican Party registration increase by 67,065 while Democratic Party registration increased by 34,943 and independent voters decreased 27,721. That's the opposite of recent trends of people leaving parties to register as independents, Corley said.

"They were coming in like numbers we've never seen," Corley said, adding that most were joining the Republican Party. "People were not shy about sharing who they were switching to vote for. Donald Trump."

University of Florida political science professor Dan Smith has been tracking early voting figures and said it's clear there's particularly strong involvement among Republican voters. Of people who have already voted in the Republican primary, half didn't vote at all in the 2012 presidential primary.

"There's some excitement from people who have not felt compelled to participate in the primary process," Smith said. "We know the candidates who are appealing to those people who have felt marginalized by the Republican Party establishment."

The answer again: Trump.

Unless Rubio pulls an upset, he's likely done. One strike against him is roughly 251,000 Florida Republicans cast ballots before former Gov. Jeb Bush dropped out of the race, according to Smith. That means those who supported the once-popular governor didn't have a chance to change allegiances.

Florida set its ballot at the end of November with 14 Republican candidates. Now just Rubio, Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are still in the race.

"I've had people email me and say, 'Brian, I just saw that Jeb Bush dropped out and I already voted for him by absentee. I need another ballot. I need a revote,'" Corley said. "No, it doesn't work that way."

In the Democratic contest, former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton is seen as the favorite over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in a state where her husband, Bill Clinton, lost in 1992 and won in 1996.
Officials have identified a man who was killed in a police-involved shooting in Chester over the weekend.

Keith Montgomery, Jr., 24, was struck multiple times during a shootout with police Saturday, according to investigators. Montgomery died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.

The shootout began as a traffic stop when Chester Police responded to a report of a possibly stolen vehicle at Union and Parker streets just after 4 p.m. Saturday, officials said. When officers arrived, at least one person inside the vehicle opened fire, according to authorities.

"When the officers tried to stop it they didn't cooperate and there ended up being shots fired from the car and then back at the car," said Chester Police Chief James Nolan.

Officials say Montgomery was one of the men inside the vehicle though they have not yet revealed if he was the one who shot at the officers. The second person in the car, a 19-year-old man, was wounded in the shootout but survived. One of the responding officers, Captain Alan Davis, was also shot in the chest and arm.

Captain Davis and the 19-year-old man were both taken to the Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Davis, a 26-year veteran of the police force, is currently in stable condition. Family members of the 19-year-old man who were outside the hospital told NBC10 he is stable as well. They also claimed the man is innocent and that police "got the wrong car."

A large crowd of community members gathered at the scene of the shooting Saturday evening. A confrontation and fight occurred between police officers and some members of the crowd leading to pepper spray being used. Police told NBC10 the scuffle began when the crowd pushed up against the barrier as officials removed Montgomery's body from the scene. Police said they detained two people during the scuffle but were able to eventually control the crowd.

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

Breaking: Pepper spray and large fight breaking out at scene of Chester shooting. Crowd very angry @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/aevC4CgVax  Randy Gyllenhaal (@RandyGyllenhaal) March 13, 2016

Crowd pushed forward at scene of police involved shooting demanding answers. pic.twitter.com/yw40lSvmHk  Randy Gyllenhaal (@RandyGyllenhaal) March 13, 2016

Residents told NBC10 they were concerned about transparency during the investigation in light of another deadly police-involved shooting in February.

"The question is back to the police," said Pastor Calvin Williams. "Who was at fault? Are ya'll gonna tell the truth? All we want is the truth. We the people of the city of Chester, we want the truth this time."

During a news conference Sunday morning, Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland praised the hospital that saved Capt. Davis' life, offered prayers to the man injured in the shooting and asked that the community show restraint as authorities investigate the incident.

"If we go through the process, then the truth will be revealed," Kirkland said. "So we're asking the Chester community once again to practice restraint, practice patience and understand that once this is done ... the truth will come out."
Police are searching for a man who they say tied a woman up and stole her ATM card as well as her vehicle while wearing a Halloween mask over the weekend.

The woman told police she was sleeping inside her home on the 100 block of Crestline Road in the Strafford section of Tredyffrin Township shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday. Suddenly the woman woke up and saw an unidentified man in a Halloween mask standing at the foot of her bed, police said.

The robber tied the woman up with duct tape and told her, Be quiet and you wont be hurt, according to investigators. He then allegedly ransacked the womans home, finding her ATM card as well as the keys to her vehicle. The woman told police the robber took out a stun gun and forced her to provide the PIN number to her bank card. He then took jewelry and a radio from the home before fleeing in the womans vehicle, police said. The suspect drove to a Wells Fargo ATM at the Devon Square Shopping Center less than half a mile away from the womans home and used her ATM card, according to investigators. Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect at the ATM.

The woman said she managed to free herself from the duct tape and called 911. Police later found the womans unoccupied vehicle at the Strafford Train Station. The suspect is still on the loose however.

The suspect is described as a man standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 180 pounds with broad shoulders. He was also wearing a Halloween mask with a bulbous nose and gloves. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call the Tredyffrin Township Police Department at 610-644-3221. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Crime Watch at the Tredyffrin Township Police website.




Prescription painkillers should not be a first choice for treating common ailments like back pain and arthritis, according to new federal guidelines designed to reshape how doctors prescribe drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin.

Amid an epidemic of addiction and abuse tied to these powerful drugs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging primary care doctors to try physical therapy, exercise and over-the-counter pain medications before turning to painkillers for chronic pain. Opioid drugs include medications like morphine and oxycodone as well as illegal narcotics like heroin.

The new recommendations  which doctors do not have to follow  represent an effort to reverse nearly two decades of rising painkiller use, which public health officials blame for a more than four-fold increase in overdose deaths tied to the drugs. In 2014, U.S. doctors wrote nearly 200 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers, while deaths linked to the drugs climbed to roughly 19,000  the highest number on record.

"We're trying to chart a safer and more effective course for dealing with chronic pain," Dr. Tom Frieden, the CDC's director, said in an interview with the Associated Press. "The risks of addiction and death are very well documented for these medications."

More than 40 Americans die every day from painkiller overdoses, a staggering rate that Frieden said is "doctor driven."

Under the new guidelines, doctors would prescribe painkillers only after considering non-addictive pain relievers, behavioral changes and other options. The CDC also wants doctors to prescribe the lowest effective dose possible. And doctors should only continue prescribing the drugs if patients show significant improvement.

For short-term pain, the CDC recommends limiting opioids to three days of treatment, when possible.

The guidelines do not apply to doctors who specialize in treating severe pain due to cancer and other debilitating diseases.

Though the guidelines are voluntary, they could be widely adopted by hospitals, insurers and state and federal health systems.

Government officials have already tried multiple approaches to tackling painkiller abuse. The Food and Drug Administration restricted some widely-prescribed painkillers to limit refills. States like Florida and New York have cracked down on "pill mills" using databases to monitor what doctors are prescribing. And this week, Massachusetts signed into law a seven-day limit on first-time prescriptions for opioids  the first of its kind in the nation.

"Changing medical practice isn't quick and it isn't easy," Frieden said. "But we think the pendulum on pain management swung way too far toward the ready use of opioids."

The CDC rarely advises physicians on how to prescribe medications  a role typically delegated to professional societies and drug regulators.

FDA labeling for the drugs is broad, listing uses like "relief of moderate to severe pain." Guidelines by pain specialists provide more detail, but focus less on risks. The CDC guidelines put such warnings upfront: "Opioids are not first-line therapy," states the agency's first recommendation.

Local health authorities applauded the CDC for weighing in on the problem they face in their communities.

"The CDC is a respected source of information. Their guidelines carry weight," said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.

But some leading medical groups stopped short of embracing the recommendations. The American Medical Association, the largest professional group for physicians, cautioned that the guidelines could create problems if they steer patients toward pain treatments that aren't accessible or covered by insurance.

"If they produce unintended consequences, we will need to mitigate them" said Dr. Patrice Harris, in a statement. "They are not the final word."

In many ways, the guidelines are a return to older medical practice. Physicians trained in the 1960s and 1970s  amid a wave of urban heroin use  were taught to reserve opioids for the most severe forms of pain, such as cancer or end-of-life care. That approach remains accepted.

But in 1990s, some specialists argued that doctors were undertreating common forms of pain that could benefit from opioids, such as backaches and joint pain. The message was amplified by multimillion-dollar promotional campaigns for new, long-acting drugs like OxyContin, which was promoted as less addictive.

OxyContin's maker, Purdue Pharma, later agreed to plead guilty for misleading the public about the drug's risks.

"A whole generation of physicians grew up thinking they could use opiates pretty liberally," said Dr. Bruce Psaty, a professor at the University of Washington who also advises the FDA. "We are now in the process of re-educating ourselves and our patients."

Physicians must now find a "comfortable balance," Psaty said, using opioids carefully while making sure patients don't go untreated.

The CDC delayed its guidelines earlier this year following criticism from pain specialists, drugmakers and others.

Critics complained that the recommendations went too far and had mostly been developed behind closed doors by physicians who are biased against drug therapy. Instead of releasing the guidelines in January, as originally planned, the CDC agreed to re-open them to public input, receiving more than 4,000 comments over a 30-day period.

Critics said the proposal could block patient access to medications if adopted by health providers, insurers and hospitals. Such organizations often look to the federal government for health care policies.

Last week, an early sign of the guideline's impact surfaced in the Senate. Lawmakers there overwhelmingly passed a bill designed to combat opioid abuse, including a provision requiring the Veterans Administration to adopt the CDC recommendations.
Bill Cosby's wife says she shouldn't be subjected to "outrageous questions" about her sex life and other deeply personal topics in a defamation lawsuit filed by seven women who say the comedian sexually assaulted them decades ago.

But a lawyer for the women has asked a judge to step in to make sure Camille Cosby answers more questions in the lawsuit. Camille Cosby sat for the first part of a deposition last month; a second session is scheduled for April 18.

A federal judge ruled last month that she had to testify in the deposition but didn't have to answer questions that fell under the Massachusetts marital disqualification rule, which says a spouse doesn't have to testify about private marital conversations.

Her lawyers have since asked a judge to terminate the deposition, or at least limit it, citing "a litany of improper and offensive questions" asked during the first session by the women's attorney, Joseph Cammarata. They said the questions related to Camille Cosby's "own sexual relations, her own political commentary and the death of the Cosbys' son in 1997, among others." Ennis Cosby, 27, was shot and killed during a robbery attempt.

"These questions were irrelevant to the issues in this case and plainly were designed to annoy, embarrass, and oppress the witness," Camille Cosby's lawyers argued in a court filing Friday.

Her lawyers claim Cammarata repeatedly sought irrelevant testimony from Cosby about her opinion of the honesty and integrity of her husband.

Cammarata, however, has asked the court to appoint Magistrate Judge David Hennessy to preside over the remainder of Cosby's deposition to deter what he calls "deposition misconduct" by her and her attorney, Monique Pressley.

Cammarata says Cosby refused to answer dozens of questions based on an overly broad interpretation of the marital disqualification rule, attorney-client privilege and a "non-existent" privilege of privacy.

"Judge Hennessy's presence is necessary to deter Mrs. Cosby from further interfering with her own deposition," Cammarata wrote in a court filing Monday.

The latest squabbling over Camille Cosby's deposition comes as both sides await a ruling from a judge on whether the defamation case will be put on hold while a criminal case against Bill Cosby plays out in Pennsylvania. In that case, Cosby is charged with sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. Cosby has pleaded not guilty.

The women in the defamation case claim Cosby tainted their reputations when he allowed his representatives to brand them as liars after they went public with their allegations of sexual assault. They are among approximately 50 women who claim Cosby forced unwanted sexual contact on them decades ago.

Bill Cosby has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct and has countersued the seven women, claiming they defamed his character.
Fellow EMTs remembered their coworker and friend, an East County man who died several days after an incident in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, as a man they would trust with their own life.

Conner Kepple, who died Thursday on his 21st birthday, was a former Granite Hills High School student. San Diego Police investigators say Kepple was involved in a 'violent confrontation' in the Gaslamp Quarter on March 5, five days before his death.

SDPD homicide detectives are investigating the young mans death which, at this point, is considered suspicious.

Investigators have interviewed several witnesses and people involved in the scuffle, but there are no suspects at this point. Authorities say there were clearly signs of inflicted injury on Kepple, but they still do not have any confirmation that injuries from the fight lead to his death.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner (ME) will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The results won't be available for several weeks.

Kepple's coworkers gathered Monday to remember him as a "phenomenal" work partner, always striving to be the best he could be.

"He always wanted to learn. He also did everything right," said Dylan Harper, a coworker and friend. "He always was ready and never nervous about anything."

Kepple worked as an EMT at MaxCare for about a year., He often delivered his patients to Sharp Memorial Hospital, the same facility where he died.

"It was just emotional because I was right next to the hospital at that time," said Harper. "I was maybe two blocks away. I, I couldn't work the rest of the day."

Bryce Picone, who knew Kepple in high school and helped him become an EMT, remembered his close friend as a caring and loving soul. Picone told his managers that Kepple was the type of guy that he trusted with his own life.

"He had the biggest heart of anyone I knew," Picone said. "Outside of work, people knew him as someone. When he was working, he was always concerned with the patient. He always wanted to know how he could help the person he was working with at that point in time. That's the type of man Conner was."

On Saturday, friends and family members held a memorial for Kepple and mourned his sudden passing.

"He could make you feel like you could talk to him about anything within the first 30 minutes of talking to him," Picone said.

Police are now creating a surveillancefigure out how the young man died, and if anyone had a hand in it. Investigators say Kepple visited several businesses in downtown San Diego on March 5, and theyre questioning multiple employees across those establishments, but say it's too early in the investigation to release the names of those businesses.

Police said they are examining surveillance video as well, and will want to look at the autopsy report before consulting with the District Attorney's office to assess if the actions warrant criminal prosecution.

In the meantime, friends, family and coworkers await answers.

"It's unexpected. We all lost a brother. Some of us lost a son. Some of us lost an uncle, an older brother and a younger brother," said Picone. "It's not supposed to be easy for anyone. It's hard to lose someone, especially at 21, on their birthday."
A San Diego man has been sentenced for lying to officials during a terrorism-related international investigation, telling them he did not know any members of the Islamic State and did not fight in coordination with a terrorist organization, the U.S. attorney's office announced.

Mohamad Saeed Kodaimati, 25, a naturalized U.S. citizen of San Diego, was sentenced to eight years in prison for making false statements to the FBI and State Department officials. He pleaded guilty in October 2015 to one count of making false statements involving international terrorism.

Kodaimati traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, in December 2012, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said in a news release. He visited Syria on the same trip.

As part of the plea agreement, Kodaimati admitted that he lied when asked whether he knew any members of Islamic State in Iraq, known as ISIS. He also lied when he told officials he was never involved with Al Nusrah, another terrorist organization, according to the plea. Officials said he lied when claiming he never engaged in combat or fired a weapon at anyone.

"The defendant deliberately hid his connections to terrorists and the fact that he participated in combat in Syria," said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, in a statement. "This is an appropriately severe sentence that underscores the very serious nature of a crime that has the potential to jeopardize our national security."

Kodaimati admitted he fought against the Syrian regime, shooting at others, in coordination with Al Nursrah fighters, according to the plea agreement.

In March 2015, Kodaimati spoke with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, according to the release. It was during this meeting he lied to them.

"This investigation underscores the serious threat posed by the violent propaganda being spread by international terrorist organizations both here and abroad," said Dave Shaw, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, in a statement.

Kodaimati was born in Syria and became a naturalized citizen in September 2008. Kodaimati returned to San Diego on March 29, 2015. He was arrested by FBI agents and members of the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force in Rancho Bernardo on April 22.
A stabbed San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) firefighter described the harrowing moments leading up to the altercation, saying everything in his body sank when he saw the accused attacker standing across his partner.

Ryan Allen Jones, 34, was trying to "help and calm" an intoxicated man on June 24 at a Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) station in downtown San Diego, his attorney said in court. He sat emotionless in court MTS security guards and one of the stabbed firefighters testified.

The violent encounter with Jones happened while firefighters Benjamin Vernon, 37, and his partner, Alex Wallbrett, 32, were on duty responding to a medical call at a public transit station in East Village.

Wallbrett, one of the witnesses testifying as the trial got underway, remembers the day vividly, "a little too much," he said.

The call came in as a request for help with an intoxicated person.

"It's a pretty routine call down here and it's nothing exciting or life-changing," he testified. When officials arrived at the transit stop, Jones allegedly tried to interfere as they worked. Wallbrett asked him to please step back, and he did, he said.

The patient, who allegedly could not stand up without falling back down, was "a handful," Wallbrett said, and required all his focus.

He gradually noticed a commotion to his left when MTS officials ran away, and then his partner.

"At that point, when my partner left me, I then [focused] in my attention a lot more, that something was happening," he said. "You don't just run away from a patient or your partner. I actually focused for the first time on what was going on outside of our patient."

During the altercation, at some point Jones became enraged, pulled out a knife and charged at Vernon.

Wallbrett still remembers the look on Jones' face.

"There was a look of rage and anger in his face that basically made everything in my body drop," he said.

Wallbrett rushed to his partners aid, only thinking about getting to his side, he said. Wallbrett was also stabbed.



Vernon suffered two stabs wound and a collapsed lung while Wallbrett sustained stab wounds. Both firefighters survived the attack and were hospitalized.



Upon being released from the hospital, Vernon and Wallbrett said they were damn proud to work for SDFD despite the traumatic event. Both men said they looked forward to returning to work.

In a short, 10-second clip  captured on a body camera worn by a security guard for the MTS  shows the chaotic moments when suspect Jones lunged at the firefighters. Several other firefighters and security guards can be seen rushing to the aid of the wounded firefighters while a guard yells out, Cover now! Cover now! Cover now!

Testimony will continue in the trial Tuesday. Jones faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
The cherry blossoms might peak earlier than expected, but this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival is also on the horizon.

The fest will run for four weeks, from March 20 to April 17, and it's usually a big boost for city and regional tourism. It always includes dozens of events, including everything from high-end bashes to family-friendly arts and crafts projects, plus several festivals-within-the-festival.

PHOTOS: Looks Like Spring! Cherry Blossoms From DC to Japan

You can see a complete calendar of events here, and read on for a breakdown of some of the key events:

Saturday, March 18: The Pink Tie Party is held before the festival even officially begins. Held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW), the party is a chance to don your finest pink attire, chow down at food and beverage stations and bid in silent auctions. Tickets are $225 for regular admission and $300 for VIP admission. The bash is a fundraiser for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The is held before the festival even officially begins. Held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW), the party is a chance to don your finest pink attire, chow down at food and beverage stations and bid in silent auctions. Tickets are $225 for regular admission and $300 for VIP admission. The bash is a fundraiser for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Saturday, March 26: The official opening ceremony features performances at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St. NW). Tickets are free but are required to attend; see the festival website.

The official features performances at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St. NW). Tickets are free but are required to attend; see the festival website. Saturday, March 26: A free family day at the National Building Museum (401 F St. NW) offers hands-on activities for kids including making origami, designing a memorial for the National Mall, building tatebanko dioramas and meeting DuAro the robot. Kids will also have the chance to try on traditional Japanese clothing. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A free at the National Building Museum (401 F St. NW) offers hands-on activities for kids including making origami, designing a memorial for the National Mall, building tatebanko dioramas and meeting DuAro the robot. Kids will also have the chance to try on traditional Japanese clothing. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 2: Oh, go fly a kite! The Blossom Kite Festival , a family-favorite tradition, has competitions and demonstrations. You can bring your own kite, or kids can make their own!

Oh, go fly a kite! The , a family-favorite tradition, has competitions and demonstrations. You can bring your own kite, or kids can make their own! Saturday, April 9: The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival offers a full day of food vendors, live music, an artists' marketplace and more, ending with fireworks high above the water. Admission is free; the event runs from 1 to 9 p.m.

The offers a full day of food vendors, live music, an artists' marketplace and more, ending with fireworks high above the water. Admission is free; the event runs from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 16: The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade boasts a 10-block-long lineup of balloons, bands and all things pink. Cast members from "Jersey Boys," pop artist Tiffany, Miss America 2016, "The Voice" contest Sisaundra Lewis and many more will join in. Grandstand tickets cost $20, but standing room along the route is free. The parade runs from 10 a.m. to noon.

The boasts a 10-block-long lineup of balloons, bands and all things pink. Cast members from "Jersey Boys," pop artist Tiffany, Miss America 2016, "The Voice" contest Sisaundra Lewis and many more will join in. Grandstand tickets cost $20, but standing room along the route is free. The parade runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Saturday, April 16: After the parade, six blocks near Capitol Hill turn into a celebration of Japanese culture with food, performances and more during the Sakura Matsuri Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 and free for children under 12.

After the parade, six blocks near Capitol Hill turn into a celebration of Japanese culture with food, performances and more during the from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 and free for children under 12. Saturday, April 16-Sunday April 17: The Cherry Blast at the Carnegie Library (801 K St. NW) is a celebration of Japanese pop culture, including anime, cosplay, fashion and gaming, plus a Japanese-inspired dance party. You can also indulge in Tokyo street food, sake tastings and sushi workshops. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

To celebrate the National Park Service's 100th birthday, festival officials say they'll also hide special cherry blossom-themed gnomes in parks this spring. Those who find "Petal the Gnome" will win a festival prize package. (See what Petal looks like here.)

This year marks the 104th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees from Japan as a symbol of friendship with the United States.

Peak bloom for D.C.'s famed cherry trees is expected to begin around March 23-24, the NPS said. Peak bloom is considered to occur when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry trees along the Tidal Basin are in bloom.
The final resting place for Willie McCrae has a temporary problem that his grieving widow said cost her money and peace of mind.

"I was very devastated by what I found the first time that I came to visit Willie," Jessie McCrae told the News4 I-Team. The temporary marker she purchased to mark Willie's gravesite was shattered at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood, Maryland, she said.

"They say that sometimes they get broken because tractors run over them and what have you," McCrae said. "Then I was told that I would need to purchase another one."

McCrae said that replacement cost her $40 -- an amount she said she shelled out again when she later found the second plaque broken, too.

McCrae's family isn't the only one to bring up problems with gravesite damage at Fort Lincoln and at dozens of other cemeteries, according to records obtained by the News4 I-Team.

Statewide, customers made more than 180 complaints to Maryland's Office of Cemetery Oversight (OCO) in 2015 -- a 40 percent increase from 2014. Complaints included reports of improper sales practices, incorrectly marked graves and damaged memorials.

McCrae's granddaughter, Calencia Crutchfield, said she also saw more damaged markers when visiting the grave.

"My granddad's name was not the only one thrown away," Crutchfield told the I-Team. "[It was] just the ultimate form of disrespect," she added, citing multiple broken plaques across the grounds at Fort Lincoln. The I-Team also found several chipped, cracked or broken grave markers at the cemetery on separate visits in 2015 and 2016, along with some graves muddied by tire tracks.

It's not clear if any of the damage spotted by the I-Team was included among the complaints from OCO, but the agency's director called all of the accounts of grave damage unacceptable.

"People pay a lot of money for those headstones and for those graves," said Marilyn Harris Davis, head of OCO. "It's not acceptable to us at all."

Still, OCO has never issued a citation of violation or fine against any of the cemeteries named in the complaints, Harris-Davis said. Instead, to enforce state rules and resolve problems for cemetery customers, Harris-Davis said she or another inspector will check out problems themselves. If they find damage or wrongdoing, they tell the cemetery to fix it, which gets families a faster resolution compared to the red tape involved with citations, Harris-Davis said.

"I've got to tell you, [the cemeteries] do comply," she said. "Sometimes it takes a little more prodding, but they comply."

SCI Dignity Memorial, which is the company that owns Fort Lincoln Cemetery, told News4 its policy on replacing damaged cemetery markers only applies to permanent ones, not temporary ones. SCI also said, in full:

"Out of respect for the privacy of the all the families we serve, it would be inappropriate to share details on any familys specific situation. We take all client family complaints very seriously and are committed to resolving them as quickly as possible and to everyones satisfaction. We are willing to work with families to resolve situations when they occur and encourage any family to contact us if they have any concerns.

"Temporary markers are used to temporarily mark a gravesite while the permanent memorial purchased by a family is ordered and produced. Temporary markers are not designed to last and endure the elements. They are put in place until a permanent marker can be ordered and installed. Fort Lincoln honors all contracts in the way that they are written. In the event a permanent marker is damaged by maintenance crews, it is the cemeteries' policy to repair the damage or replace the marker. But, this policy does not apply to temporary markers."

But no family, including Jessie McCrae's, should ever have to pay for damage that's not their fault, Harris-Davis said.

"That should not happen," she said. "And many, many times, we have the cemetery send [customers] a check. They should not have had to pay for that themselves if it's at the cost of the cemetery."

McCrae and her family did not file a complaint with the state at first because they didn't know they could, but they've now started that process. If you have a complaint to report about a cemetery in Maryland, you can file it by calling 410-230-6370.

Reported by Scott MacFarlane, produced by Ashley Brown, shot by Jeff Piper and Steve Jones, and edited by Jeff Piper.
In the days before he fled to Texas, the family of convicted killer Jesse Matthew urged him to help police find 18-year-old Hannah Graham, recently unsealed documents reveal.

Matthew pleaded guilty earlier this month to the murders of Graham and 20-year-old Morgan Harrington, both Virginia college students. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms.

Graham was last seen leaving a restaurant with Matthew on Sept. 13, 2014, his arm wrapped around her. Nearly a week later, police were at Matthew's home, searching his car for evidence of Graham.

The documents say police told Matthew they wanted to talk to him about the "missing girl."

On Sept. 22, 2014, Matthew's aunt told police her family was trying to do everything they could to help Graham's family, according to the five-page affidavit.

Matthew's aunt said she told him he needed to "think about what happened to the victim because she was someone's child."

Matthew's mother even planned to get the family together "because they needed to address this and get him to do what he needs to do," according to the affidavit.

But the next morning, Matthew was gone.

Police said license plate readers and a phone call placed Matthew in Louisiana. He was later apprehended on a beach in southeast Texas.

Graham's remains were found five weeks after the University of Virginia student disappeared.

Harrington was a student at Virginia Tech when she vanished in the fall of 2009 after attending a concert on the University of Virginia campus. Her remains were found in early 2010.

Matthew is also serving three life sentences for the attempted murder of a Fairfax County woman in 2005. Prosecutors have said all three cases were linked to Matthew by DNA evidence.
The renaming of a Prince William County, Virginia, school is evoking outrage in some people and causing police to investigate a racist message.

News4s David Culver reported the Prince William County school board voted to rename Godwin Middle School, in Dale City, Virginia, after an African-American community leader. They also voted to name an elementary school bulit on a site offered by the Ferlazzo family after a county fire firefighter who lost his life in a 2007 blaze.

While trying to figure out a name for the "Ferlazzo" location and torn between the two men, Justin Wilk, a school board member, said he had an idea.

I think, and Im going to propose this, you can hate me, whatever, I think its the best alternative, Wilk said during a March meeting. Right now, theres a school where kids walking in 78 percent minority, and the name of building is after a segregationist governor in Dale City, Godwin Middle School.

The school was originally named for Mills Edwin Godwin Jr., of Chuckatuck, Virginia, who governor of Virginia for two non-consecutive terms, from 1966 to 1970 and from 1974 to 1978.

Culver reported Wilk wanted the Godwin name to be changed to honor Dr. George Hampton, an African-American community leader and Army veteran, while naming the "Ferlazzo" location after Kyle Wilson, a firefighter who was killed in 2007 while fighting a house fire. The board voted to support Wilks plan during the March meeting.

However, some in the area were dismayed by the decision and felt like it caught the community off guard.

One person posted on InsideNovas Facebook page, Poor judgment on Prince William County. Godwin should never have even been up for change. It was not on public agenda. Poor, poor decisions. I will be putting a petition to keep Godwin.

Another posted, Wow, if one of my old schools was arbitrarily changed, Id be disappointed.

Culver reported one person went even farther with their reaction by putting a Confederate flag and racial slur inside the mailbox of Wilks home. Police are investigating the racial response and working to find the people involved in the threat.

When the democratic process is playing out, you get some people whose voices are raised in an unfortunate way, said Phil Kavits, the spokesperson for the county schools. I know thats become controversial, but hopefully at the end of the day, the focus is going to return to what is going to be the inspiring name for the students who will be attending that school in the future.

Kavits says a meeting Wednesday night will allow others in the community to voice their concerns.

Theyll come, and the school board will hear what they have to say and make a change or go forward, Kavits said.

Culver attempted to speak with Wilk and was referred to the spokesman. He also tried speaking to Hamption, who declined commenting, citing the negative responses, saying it wasnt the right time.
The 28-year-old police officer fatally shot Sunday was a dedicated officer and standout member of his communities, friends and former mentors say.

Officer 1st Class Jacai Colson died Sunday after he was accidentally shot by another officer in a shootout that erupted when a man opened fire unprovoked at police headquarters in Prince George's County, Maryland, police said Monday. The shooter's brother videotaped the attack, according to police.

Colson, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday this week, was "a great young man who was well-liked and well-respected," said his former football coach at Randolph-Macon College. Colson played there for one year.

"He was just a great human being," coach Pedro Arruza said. "He was a very positive, positive person and an upbeat guy, a good person to be around. He had a lot of friends on campus, everybody liked him. He was just a really high-character guy."

Sheriff's deputy Dominick Chambers, a friend from the police academy, said he and Colson celebrated their four-year anniversary as officers on March 12, the day before Colson was killed.

"He always wanted to be a police officer," Chambers said. "Everyone is taking it real bad, real bad. I'm talking to my classmates, checking in on them. We're not doing well."

At Chichester High School in Colson's hometown of Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, the officer was remembered as a role model.

"He did it the way we want our students to do things. He graduated from high school, he went to college, he did everything the right way," Alan Manford told WCAU Philadelphia about the 2005 graduate.

"It was like a punch in the stomach this morning when I got the news," another school staffer said.

Family friends told WCAU Colson followed in his grandfather's footsteps by becoming an officer.

"Jacai was a chip off the old block for the Colson family," Rocco Gaspari said.

Friends are now helping support the family of the late officer, who is survived by his parents and younger brother, police said.



"It goes back to old school, be there for thy neighbor -- friends and family and a shoulder to cry on," Gaspari said.
President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was deeply disturbed by "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" directed at women and minorities as well as the violence that has occurred in the 2016 presidential campaign, a swipe at Republican front-runner Donald Trump that also served as a challenge to other political leaders to speak out.

"The longer that we allow the political rhetoric of late to continue, and the longer that we tacitly accept it, we create a permission structure that allows the animosity in one corner of our politics to infect our broader society," Obama said. "And animosity breeds animosity."

Without mentioning the GOP candidate by name, Obama used a unity luncheon at the Capitol to express his concern with the nation's political discourse and the protests that have escalated to attacks at the Trump rallies. The candidate has spoken of barring Muslims from entering the country and deporting immigrants living here illegally.

Obama received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks as he pleaded for civility and said that political leaders can either condone "this race to the bottom" or reject it.

"We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do," Obama said at the Annual Friends of Ireland luncheon.

Obama also emphasized that efforts to shut down free speech were "misguided." Protesters forced Trump to cancel a rally in Chicago on Friday. He said he rejects "any effort to spread fear or encourage violence or shut people down while they are trying to speak."

"We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those events we've seen actual violence, and we've heard silence from too many of our leaders," Obama said.

He said that while some may bear more of the blame for the climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.

Trump's political rivals and others blame him for sowing division, rather than unity, across the country. Trump says he's done no such thing and calls himself a "uniter."

"It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America. It has to stop," Obama said. "And I say that not as a matter of political correctness, it's about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy, and our society."

The president reminded the audience of Republicans and Democrats, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that the world is watching the U.S. candidates and what they say.

"In America there aren't laws that say we have to be nice to each other ... But there are norms, there are customs, there are values that our parents taught us and that we try to teach to our children," the president said.

He said people should not be afraid to take their children to a debate or a rally. And he appealed to Ryan, who also spoke at the event. Ryan said earlier Tuesday that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.

Obama said he appreciated Ryan's comments. And he said that even though the two men disagree on politics, he would not insult him personally.

"The point is we can have political debates without turning on one another," Obama said. "We can disagree without assuming it is motivated by malice."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he spoke to Trump on Tuesday and asked him to condemn violence no matter who is responsible. It was the first time the two men have spoken since December.

"I appreciate his call, and I took the opportunity to recommend to him that no matter who may be triggering these violent expressions or conflicts that we have been seeing at some of these rallies, it might be a good idea to condemn that and discourage it no matter what the source of it is," McConnell said.

Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
A judge has ruled in favor of Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade organizers.

The parade, which is planned for Sunday, was shortened last year because of all snow along the route.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said things went smoothly, and that the city wanted to shorten it again. However, parade organizers disagreed.

South Boston residents who spoke with necn were split on the issue.

Boston police said they used fewer officers and responded to fewer calls last year because of the shortened route.

Walsh issued a statement after the ruling saying that believes a shorter route "would have been in the best interest of public safety," but he respects the judge's decision and looks forward to working with parade organizers "to make this year's St. Patrick's Day parade safe for all families and spectators."
As Donald Trump drives on toward the Republican nomination for president, Ohio's Gov. John Kasich could slow him with a victory in his home state in Tuesday's primary. But in nearby Illinois, the New York businessman seems poised to win the contest there.

On the Democratic side, in the first Midwestern primaries since Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' surprise victory in Michigan a week ago, Sanders is trying to capitalize on disenfranchisement with trade deals and the unpopularity of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whom he casts as a Clinton ally.

New NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls released on Sunday shows Kasich leading Trump among likely GOP primary voters in Ohio by six percentage points, but Trump ahead in Illinois. Among the Democrats, the former secretary of state leads. The closest race: Clinton's home state of Illinois, where she also is ahead six percentage points.

For those who thought March 15 was going to be the end of the confusion, were going to know a lot more but the show will gone, said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion.

Kasich is the type of moderate politician who normally does well in Illinois, but he has been overshadowed by Trump's appeal to voters' anger, said John Jackson, a visiting professor at the Southern Illinois Universitys Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. And Trump's inconsistent ideology, something for which conservatives in particular have criticized him, serves him well, he said.

"People can see in him what they want because he has been some of what almost everybody wants," Jackson said.

As for the Democrats, he thought Clinton would do well in Illinois and Ohio. Michigan was likely an aberration, he said.

"Shes the kind of Democrat that tends to win in illinois," Jackson said. "And Sanders is benefiting from the same anger and angst on the left, but I dont think the anger on the left is as deep-seated or loud as it is on the right."

Four other contests will be held on Tuesday  primaries in Florida, Missouri and North Carolina and a Republican caucus in the Northern Mariana Islands. Florida, where Sen. Marco Rubio seems likely to lose his home state, and Ohio stand out for their winner-take-all rules for Republicans. Florida allocates 99 delegates; Ohio, 66. But Illinois and Missouri together will allocate 121 delegates by congressional district, and North Carolina has 72 delegates to be distributed on a proportionate basis.

Going into Tuesday's contests, Trump had 460 delegates to 370 for Cruz, 163 for Rubio and 63 for Kasich. To win the nomination, a candidate needs 1,237 delegates.

Among the Democrats, who need 2,383 delegates to win, Clinton has 766 and Sanders has 551. In addition, Clinton has the support of 464 super delegates, compared to 25 for Sanders, The Associated Press reported.

In Florida and in Illinois, Trump is favored among most key demographic groups except for likely voters who describe themselves as very conservative. Among that group, Cruz has the advantage.

Rubio's campaign is urging his supporters in Ohio to back Kasich there on Tuesday, hoping that Kasichs supporters will do the same in Florida. But on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, the Ohio governor deferred a question about whether he would ask his supporters to vote for Rubio.

"My voters are not like robots where I can say, 'Go do something,' okay," Kasich said. "How do you run for office and tell people to vote for somebody else?"

Cruz meanwhile has made it clear that he wants a two-man race against Trump and hopes to force Rubio out with a loss in Florida.

Kasich, who was campaigning with the 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney ahead of Tuesday's vote, is popular not only among Ohio's Republicans but also among independents, said Bill Burges of Burges & Burges Strategists in Cleveland.

"The question is whether Trumps going to dominate them here the way hes dominated them elsewhere, because  and I think I think you saw this in Michigan  Governor Kasich is pretty popular among independents, Burges said. So I wouldn't make any predictions here."

As governor, Kasich has a very strong ground operation in his state, which Trump lacks, said Mark R. Weaver of Communications Counsel, a longtime Republican consultant based in Columbus. He predicts a narrow win for Kasich in Ohio.

"Getting out the vote matters and in a close election, it can make a difference," he said.

On the Democratic side, young people are gravitating toward Sanders and bringing their enthusiasm to the competition, the consultants said.

"Even the ones who are voting for Hillary, they like Bernie a lot," Burges said. And were seeing that all over the place.

Sanders is also popular among blue-color working class families in northeastern Ohio, tapping into resentment between classes. Weaver said. At his rallies he zeroes in on trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement signed into law in 1993 and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Clinton now opposes, hoping his populist message will appeal to Ohio voters.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, mayors and others in the Democract establishment have lined up with Clinton, and she is well ahead. But Ohio and Michigan are not very different and Sanders' surprise win in Michigan is on everyone's mind.

Anybody who wouldn't think he's gaining is a fool," Burges said.

But because none of the Democrats' contests on Tuesday are winner-take-all primaries, the results will not be as dramatic even if Sanders manages to repeat his Michigan victory.

"The best thing Bernie can do is chip away at Hillarys lead, but chipping way may not be enough," Miringoff said. "Its probably not going to be enough."

In Chicago, where Clinton is courting African American voters, Sanders is trying to link her with the unpopular mayor. Emanuel, who has endorsed Clinton, has long had tense relations with the city's teachers especially.

"I don't want the endorsement of a mayor who is shutting down school after school and firing teachers," Sanders said at a rally in Illinois.

"We want the endorsement of people who are fighting for social and racial justice," he said. "We do not want the support of people who are indebted to Wall Street and the big-money interests."
Norwich church buys pub for community hub

St Thomas Church has bought a city pub and plan to transform the dilapidated building into a vibrant community space for the benefit of the community. Helen Baldry reports



Dust clouds filled the air, the pounding of hammers resounded along Earlham Road and a line of skips were filled to the brim as a 40-strong team from St Thomas Church started tearing down the tired decor of The Mitre ready for repurposing it as a building to support the community.



The building was bought outright by the church earlier this year for half a million pounds, paid for by members of the congregation. The pub is a stones throw from St Thomas Church and there are plans underway to turn it into a community hub, which will serve food and drink, host events and partner with local groups to serve the people in the area.



Ian Dyble, vicar of St Thomas described the building as a blank canvas and he is open to ideas and suggestions about how best the building can be used. Ian was inducted into the post of Priest in Charge of the parish in March 2013. At the time, he saw potential in The Mitre as a venue the church could use. Three years later it was up for sale and he is delighted that the church has been able to buy it.



The name of the venue will remain The Mitre, an apt name as the bishops headdress is said to symbolise the flame of the Holy Spirit descending on the heads of the disciples at Pentecost. Ian said, Its wonderful to have a pub with this name. Its going to be a place of redemption.



The first priority was to bring light into the place  both literally and spiritually. A team of volunteers from the church gathered early on Saturday March 12 to have breakfast together and a time of worship and prayer before they went inside and started to clear the building.



Considering many of the windows were boarded up and the upstairs had been modified into small rooms with cameras and peepholes in the doors, there is speculation around the use of the premises in the past. Ian said, As a church were really interested in anti trafficking. The church has established work in Kolkata helping people at risk of being trafficked, and also those who have been rescued from exploitation.



With the darkness stripped away and the plans for positive uses of the Mitre, Ian said, This is really significant for us.



Bishop Graham James is enthusiastic about the new venture. He said, Ill drink to that ... Thats what I said instinctively when I heard St Thomas Church has purchased The Mitre public house, and not only because its name implies a church connection. These new facilities will enable the further development of a great range of Christian ministries and a fresh means of outreach. The most public of all houses in any parish should be the church, for it is Gods house where all are welcome."



Do you have a news story relating to the Christian community across Norfolk? If so, please email helen.baldry@networknorwich.co.uk with details and, if possible a suitable picture.
It seems like we can buy almost anything as a service today. Servers, storage, applications and collaboration can all be purchased using an as a service model. Recently Sprint introduced both Workplace and Mobility as a service to add to the growing portfolio of consumption-based products. In our consumer lives the Amazon button turns consumer goods into a service. The one piece of technology thats still difficult to buy as a service is the network.

Earlier this month, I authored this post discussing how the network needs to evolve into this kind of model.

Today, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) announced at the CeBIT event in Germany that it was introducing its Network On Demand (NoD) service enabling businesses to consume the latest networking technology on a pay-per-use basis. The new consumption model gives customers an alternative approach to the traditional capital expenditure model. This can be particularly useful for organizations with older infrastructure but cant afford to upgrade or where the network has spikes of utilization.

NoD covers the spectrum of ALE products and includes the Intelligent Fabric (data center), Unified Access (wired and wireless campus) and Network analytics. These areas address all major network transitions including software defined networking, mobility, cloud computing and Internet of things. The Smart Analytics collects and analyzes network infrastructure data to provide business insights to improve the quality of experience. Businesses that want to take advantage of these network transitions can now do so without worrying about a hefty up front investment. Customers will pay for the infrastructure on a per connection, per day pricing model. This means businesses can scale up and down on a daily basis if they need to and only pay for what they use.

In addition to cost conscious companies or ones that are trying to shift to more of an OpEx model, NoD is ideally suited for businesses that have a high number of transient users that create variability in the number of connections on a day-to-day basis. Businesses are charged only for the daily use of networked devices. For example, a school that has limited network activity on weekends and holidays would only be charged for the parts of the network being used. A hotel would pay for the network based on occupancy and a stadium would no longer have to overpay for a network that was idle for large amounts of time.

Another benefit for customers is the assurance they are always at or near the leading edge of technology. Many organizations put off upgrading network equipment to avoid that big up front cost. This requires a trade off to be made of upgrading to the best equipment now or waiting another year or two and delaying the purchase. With a subscription model, the network can be upgraded every couple of years when the contract term has expired.

As is the case with all ALE solutions, this will be delivered via a reseller partner. NoD has automated, out of the box cloud management tools for the partners to offer the network as a managed service. This should be a huge boon for ALE partners, particularly those in North America where ALEs brand is not all that strong. The ability to bundle usage-based billed applications with network infrastructure creates a unique, differentiated go to market that can match customers technology consumption models.

This is certainly a bold move for ALE but its a good one for a company whose market share is nowhere near the quality of the product it offers. NoD could get many customers that may never have considered ALE before to just try the product without having to make a significant financial investment.
Medical technology company says recruiting best staff and growing talent is key

MEDICAL technology firm Stryker is celebrating after being named in the prestigious The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the 10th year in a row.

The company, with landmark offices in Hambridge Road, Newbury, was placed 32nd in the annual table that is compiled from the results of anonymous staff surveys.

Stryker is one of the worlds leading medical technology companies and offers products and services in orthopaedics, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine sectors.

Its Newbury arm turned over nearly 200m in 2014 and employs 376 people.

Peter Bradley, vice president and managing director UK of Stryker, said: We are all extremely proud to receive this accolade. Being recognised as a top 100 company to work for, 10 years in a row, demonstrates the commitment of our people to quality, service and to making healthcare better.

We have four key values that underpin everything we do. These are integrity, we do whats right; accountability, we do what we say; people, we grow talent; and performance, we deliver.

Our organisation is all about people, great people providing innovative products and services that help people. Stryker, together with our customers, are driven to make healthcare better.

Derek OSullivan, Strykers UK human resources director, said: At Stryker we truly believe that our talent differentiates us in the market. We hire the best people and give them challenging assignments that helps to grow our business and the individual.

This award reflects on the combined power of the Stryker UK team.

At Stryker we believe we win as a team and this award is a testament to that fact.

Placing in the top 100 for 10 years in a row does not come easy. This can only be achieved through sustained excellence over the long term and achieving this accolade is a powerful reinforcement of how our talent feel about being part of the Stryker family.

The Sunday Times said of Stryker: Staff believe the organisation makes a real difference to the world (85 per cent positive, in fifth place on our list) and that they can make a contribution to its success (89 per cent, sixth).

Employees say work is an important part of their life (86 per cent, sixth).

Managers regularly express their appreciation for peoples efforts (85 per cent, sixth) and care about how satisfied they are in their job (80 per cent).

The vice-president and managing director Peter Bradley runs the company on sound moral principles (85 per cent) and has a plan his workforce believes in (79 per cent).

Almost half the staff have been with Stryker for at least five years. During their induction, employees are shown videos of patients to see the impact the firms products have on their lives.

Sales representatives earn average salaries of 60,000 including bonuses.

There are also numerous recognition schemes, with prizes including Rolex watches, share options and cash bonuses.

The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work awards were held at Battersea Evolution in Battersea Park, London, on Thursday, February 25.

Forty Stryker employees attended the black tie event presented by TV star Ben Shephard.

All staff will be given an additional days holiday in 2016, a commemorative Cross pen and some further celebrations are being planned for later in the year.